Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Histidine-Capped-Dialkoxy-Anthracene: A Visible Light Triggered Platform for facile siRNA Delivery

KAUST Repository

Patil, Sachin; Moosa, Basem; Alsaiari, Shahad; Alamoudi, Kholod; Alshamsan, Aws; Almailk, Abdulaziz; Adil, Karim; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Khashab, Niveen M.

2016-01-01

Supramolecular self-assembly of histidine-capped-dialkoxy-anthracene (HDA) results in the formation of light responsive nanostructures.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of HDA shows two types of hydrogen bonding. The first hydrogen bond

In-capillary self-assembly and proteolytic cleavage of polyhistidine peptide capped quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jianhao; Li, Jingyan; Li, Jinchen; Liu, Feifei [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Zhou, Xiang; Yao, Yi [Changzhou Qianhong Bio-pharma Co. Ltd, Changzhou 213164, Jiangsu (China); Wang, Cheli [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Qiu, Lin, E-mail: linqiupjj@gmail.com [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); Jiang, Pengju, E-mail: pengju.jiang@gmail.com [School of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Life Science, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164 (China); State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China)

2015-10-01

A new method using fluorescence coupled capillary electrophoresis (CE-FL) for monitoring self-assembly and proteolytic cleavage of hexahistidine peptide capped quantum dots (QDs) inside a capillary has been developed in this report. QDs and the ATTO 590-labeled hexahistidine peptide (H6-ATTO) were injected into a capillary, sequentially. Their self-assembly inside the capillary was driven by a metal-affinity force which yielded a new fluorescence signal due to Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The highly efficient separation of fluorescent complexes and the FRET process were analyzed using CE-FL. The self-assembly of QDs and biomolecules was found to effectively take place inside the capillary. The kinetics of the assembly was monitored by CE-FL, and the approach was extended to the study of proteolytic cleavage of surface conjugated peptides. Being the first in-depth analysis of in-capillary nanoparticle–biomolecule assembly, the novel approach reported here provides inspiration to the development of QD-based FRET probes for biomedical applications. - Highlights: • We examined the self-assembly QDs with H6-ATTO inside a capillary. • We prove CE-FL to be a powerful method to resolve QDs-H6-ATTO complex. • We achieve chromatographic separation of QDs-H6-ATTO complex. • We discovered a novel strategy for the online detection of thrombin. • This technique integrated “injection, mixing, reaction, separation and detection”.

Progress in LAr EndCap Calorimetry: News from the Hadronic EndCap Group.

CERN Multimedia

Oram, C.J.

With module production and testing completed for the Hadronic EndCap calorimeter, the attention of the HEC group is heavily directed towards wheel assembly in building 180. Three of the four HEC wheels are now assembled and rotated, and work is progressing on assembling the final wheel. This year has been a busy year for the installation of components in the EndCap C cryostat: the signal feedthrough installation was completed April 22nd, the pre-sampler shortly thereafter and the Electro-Magnetic EndCap August 13th. This allowed the HEC group to start transferring the HEC wheels from the T6A storage cradle into the cryostat. The operation started in mid-September and has progressed, on or ahead of schedule, since then with the major milestones being: Insertion of 67 ton front HEC wheel October 3rd Insertion of 90 ton rear HEC wheel October 22nd. The wheel alignment has proved to be excellent, with the position of the centre of the front(rear) wheel with respect to the nominal position being displaced b...

Capping Ligand Vortices as "Atomic Orbitals" in Nanocrystal Self-Assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Waltmann, Curt; Horst, Nathan; Travesset, Alex

2017-11-28

We present a detailed analysis of the interaction between two nanocrystals capped with ligands consisting of hydrocarbon chains by united atom molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the bonding of two nanocrystals is characterized by ligand textures in the form of vortices. These results are generalized to nanocrystals of different types (differing core and ligand sizes) where the structure of the vortices depends on the softness asymmetry. We provide rigorous calculations for the binding free energy, show that these energies are independent of the chemical composition of the cores, and derive analytical formulas for the equilibrium separation. We discuss the implications of our results for the self-assembly of single-component and binary nanoparticle superlattices. Overall, our results show that the structure of the ligands completely determines the bonding of nanocrystals, fully supporting the predictions of the recently proposed Orbifold topological model.

CMS end-cap yoke at the detector's assembly site.

CERN Multimedia

Patrice Loïez

2002-01-01

The magnetic flux generated by the superconducting coil in the CMS detector is returned via an iron yoke comprising three end-cap discs at each end (end-cap yoke) and five concentric cylinders (barrel yoke). This picture shows the first of three end-cap discs (red) seen through the outer cylinder of the vacuum tank which will house the superconducting coil.

Probing the influence of N-donor capping ligands on supramolecular assembly in molecular uranyl materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carter, Korey P.; Kalaj, Mark; Cahill, Christopher L. [Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States)

2016-01-15

The syntheses and crystal structures of six new compounds containing the UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} cation, 3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid, and a chelating N-donor [2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dimethylphen), 2,2{sup '}:6{sup '},2''-terpyridine (terpy), 4{sup '}-chloro-2,2{sup '}:6{sup '},2''-terpyridine (Cl-terpy), or 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ)] are reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of these materials enabled the exploration of the structural relationship between the benzoic acids and the chelating N-donor as well as providing a platform to evaluate the effects of ligand choice on uranyl hydrolysis and subsequent oligomerization. At an unadjusted pH (ca. 3), a mix of uranyl monomers and dimers are observed, dimer formation resulting from both bridging carboxylate linkers and hydroxo bridges. Assembly by halogen- and hydrogen-bonding interactions as well as π-π interactions was observed depending on the experimental conditions utilized. Further, spectroscopic characterization (both vibrational and luminescence) of complexes 1, 4, and 5 to explore the effects of the electron-donating ability of the capping ligand on the corresponding uranyl luminescence and vibrational spectra suggests that there is a relationship between the observed bathochromic shifts and the electron-donating ability of the capping ligands. (Copyright copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Probing the influence of N-donor capping ligands on supramolecular assembly in molecular uranyl materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, Korey P.; Kalaj, Mark; Cahill, Christopher L.

2016-01-01

The syntheses and crystal structures of six new compounds containing the UO 2 2+ cation, 3,5-dichlorobenzoic acid, and a chelating N-donor [2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dimethylphen), 2,2 ' :6 ' ,2''-terpyridine (terpy), 4 ' -chloro-2,2 ' :6 ' ,2''-terpyridine (Cl-terpy), or 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ)] are reported. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of these materials enabled the exploration of the structural relationship between the benzoic acids and the chelating N-donor as well as providing a platform to evaluate the effects of ligand choice on uranyl hydrolysis and subsequent oligomerization. At an unadjusted pH (ca. 3), a mix of uranyl monomers and dimers are observed, dimer formation resulting from both bridging carboxylate linkers and hydroxo bridges. Assembly by halogen- and hydrogen-bonding interactions as well as π-π interactions was observed depending on the experimental conditions utilized. Further, spectroscopic characterization (both vibrational and luminescence) of complexes 1, 4, and 5 to explore the effects of the electron-donating ability of the capping ligand on the corresponding uranyl luminescence and vibrational spectra suggests that there is a relationship between the observed bathochromic shifts and the electron-donating ability of the capping ligands. (Copyright copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Transformation of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots into quantum rings without capping.

Science.gov (United States)

Sormunen, Jaakko; Riikonen, Juha; Mattila, Marco; Tiilikainen, Jouni; Sopanen, Markku; Lipsanen, Harri

2005-08-01

Transformation of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) on InP(100) into quantum rings (QRs) is studied. In contrast to the typical approach to III--V semiconductor QR growth, the QDs are not capped to form rings. Atomic force micrographs reveal a drastic change from InAs QDs into rings after a growth interruption in tertiarybutylphosphine ambient. Strain energy relief in the InAs QD is discussed and a mechanism for dot-to-ring transformation by As/P exchange reactions is proposed.

Type 1 plaminogen activator inhibitor gene: Functional analysis and glucocorticoid regulation of its promoter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Zonneveld, A.J.; Curriden, S.A.; Loskutoff, D.J.

1988-01-01

Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 is an important component of the fibrinolytic system and its biosynthesis is subject to complex regulation. To study this regulation at the level of transcription, the authors have identified and sequenced the promoter of the human plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 gene. Nuclease protection experiments were performed by using endothelial cell mRNA and the transcription initiation (cap) site was established. Sequence analysis of the 5' flanking region of the gene revealed a perfect TATA box at position -28 to position -23, the conserved distance from the cap site. Comparative functional studies with the firefly luciferase gene as a reporter gene showed that fragments derived from this 5' flanking region exhibited high promoter activity when transfected into bovine aortic endothelial cells and mouse Ltk - fibroblasts but were inactive when introduced into HeLa cells. These studies indicate that the fragments contain the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 promoter and that it is expressed in a tissue-specific manner. Although the fragments were also silent in rat FTO2B hepatoma cells, their promoter activity could be induced up to 40-fold with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Promoter deletion mapping experiments and studies involving the fusion of promoter fragments to a heterologous gene indicated that dexamethasone induction is mediated by a glucocorticoid responsive element with enhancer-like properties located within the region between nucleotides -305 and +75 of the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 gene

Characterization of the invariable residue 51 mutations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 capsid protein on in vitro CA assembly and infectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Höglund Stefan

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mature HIV-1 conical core formation proceeds through highly regulated protease cleavage of the Gag precursor, which ultimately leads to substantial rearrangements of the capsid (CAp24 molecule involving both inter- and intra-molecular contacts of the CAp24 molecules. In this aspect, Asp51 which is located in the N-terminal domain of HIV-1 CAp24 plays an important role by forming a salt-bridge with the free imino terminus Pro1 following proteolytic cleavage and liberation of the CAp24 protein from the Pr55Gag precursor. Thus, previous substitution mutation of Asp51 to alanine (D51A has shown to be lethal and that this invariable residue was found essential for tube formation in vitro, virus replication and virus capsid formation. Results We extended the above investigation by introducing three different D51 substitution mutations (D51N, D51E, and D51Q into both prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems and studied their effects on in vitro capsid assembly and virus infectivity. Two substitution mutations (D51E and D51N had no substantial effect on in vitro capsid assembly, yet they impaired viral infectivity and particle production. In contrast, the D51Q mutant was defective both for in vitro capsid assembly and for virus replication in cell culture. Conclusion These results show that substitutions of D51 with glutamate, glutamine, or asparagine, three amino acid residues that are structurally related to aspartate, could partially rescue both in vitro capsid assembly and intra-cellular CAp24 production but not replication of the virus in cultured cells.

4EGI-1 represses cap-dependent translation and regulates genome-wide translation in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Science.gov (United States)

De, Arpita; Jacobson, Blake A; Peterson, Mark S; Jay-Dixon, Joe; Kratzke, Marian G; Sadiq, Ahad A; Patel, Manish R; Kratzke, Robert A

2018-04-01

Deregulation of cap-dependent translation has been implicated in the malignant transformation of numerous human tissues. 4EGI-1, a novel small-molecule inhibitor of cap-dependent translation, disrupts formation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) complex. The effects of 4EGI-1-mediated inhibition of translation initiation in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) were examined. 4EGI-1 preferentially inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in MPM cells compared to normal mesothelial (LP9) cells. This effect was associated with hypophosphorylation of 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) and decreased protein levels of the cancer-related genes, c-myc and osteopontin. 4EGI-1 showed enhanced cytotoxicity in combination with pemetrexed or gemcitabine. Translatome-wide polysome microarray analysis revealed a large cohort of genes that were translationally regulated upon treatment with 4EGI-1. The 4EGI-1-regulated translatome was negatively correlated to a previously published translatome regulated by eIF4E overexpression in human mammary epithelial cells, which is in agreement with the notion that 4EGI-1 inhibits the eIF4F complex. These data indicate that inhibition of the eIF4F complex by 4EGI-1 or similar translation inhibitors could be a strategy for treating mesothelioma. Genome wide translational profiling identified a large cohort of promising target genes that should be further evaluated for their potential significance in the treatment of MPM.

Facially amphiphilic thiol capped gold and silver nanoparticles

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. A series of bile acid-derived facially amphiphilic thiols have been used to cap sliver and gold nanoparticles. The self-assembling properties of these steroid-capped nanoparticles have been investigated and reported in this article.

Effects of norflurazon, an inhibitor of carotenogenesis, on abscisic acid and xanthoxin in the caps of gravistimulated maize roots

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, L. J.; Sun, P. S.

1986-01-01

Maize seeds were germinated in the dark in the presence of the carotenoid synthesis inhibitor norflurazon and the levels of abscisic acid, xanthoxin and total carotenoids were measured in the root cap and in the adjacent 1.5 mm segment. In norflurazon-treated roots abscisic acid levels were markedly reduced, but an increase occurred in the levels of xanthoxin, a compound structurally and physiologically similar to abscisic acid. In the cultivar of maize (Zea mays L. cv. Merit) used for this work, brief illumination of the root is required for gravitropic curving. Following illumination both control and norflurazon-treated roots showed normal gravitropic curvature; however, the rate of curvature was delayed in norflurazon-treated roots. Our data from norflurazon-treated roots are consistent with a role for xanthoxin in maize root gravitropism. The increase in xanthoxin in the presence of an inhibitor of carotenoid synthesis suggests that xanthoxin and abscisic acid originate, at least in part, via different metabolic pathways.

Commissioning Test of ATLAS End-Cap Toroidal Magnets

CERN Document Server

Dudarev, A; Foussat, A; Benoit, P; Jeckel, M; Olyunin, A; Kopeykin, N; Stepanov, V; Deront, L; Olesen, G; Ponts, X; Ravat, S; Sbrissa, K; Barth, J; Bremer, J; Delruelle, J; Metselaar, J; Pengo, R; Pirotte, O; Buskop, J; Baynham, D E; Carr, F S; Holtom, E

2009-01-01

The system of superconducting toroids in the ATLAS experiment at CERN consists of three magnets. The Barrel Toroid was assembled and successfully tested in 2006. Next, two End-Cap Toroids have been tested on surface at 77 K and installed in the cavern, 100-m underground. The End Cap Toroids are based on Al stabilized Nb-Ti/Cu Rutherford cables, arranged in double pancake coils and conduction cooled at 4.6 K. The nominal current is 20.5 kA at 4.1 T peak field in the windings and the stored energy is 250 MJ per toroid. Prior to final testing of the entire ATLAS Toroidal system, each End Cap Toroid passed a commissioning test up to 21 kA to guarantee a reliable performance in the final assembly. In this paper the test results are described. It includes the stages of test preparation, isolation vacuum pumping and leak testing, cooling down, step-by-step charging to full current, training quenches and quench recovery. By fast discharges the quench detection and protection system was checked to demonstrate a safe e...

New method for preparation of polyoxometalate-capped gold nanoparticles, and their assembly on an indium-doped tin oxide electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Y.; Zheng, J.; Wang, Z.; Liu, L.; Wu, Y.; Yang, J.

2011-01-01

Functionalized gold nanoparticles capped with polyoxometalates were prepared by a simple photoreduction technique where phosphododecamolybdates serve as reducing reagents, photocatalysts, and as stabilizers. TEM images of the resulting gold nanoparticles show the particles to have a relative narrow size distribution. Monolayer and multilayer structures of the negatively charged capped gold nanoparticles were deposited on a poly(vinyl pyridine)-derivatized indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) electrode via the layer-by-layer technique. The surface plasmon resonance band of the gold nanoparticles displays a blue shift on the surface of the ITO electrode. This is due to the substrate-induced charge redistribution in the gold nanoparticles and a change in the electromagnetic coupling between the assembled nanoparticles. The modified electrode exhibits the characteristic electrochemical behavior of surface-confined phosphododecamolybdate and excellent electrocatalytic activity. The catalysis of the modified electrode towards the model compound iodate was systematically studied. The heterogeneous catalytic rate constant for the electrochemical reduction of iodate was determined by chronoamperometry to be ca. 1. 34 x 10 5 mol -1 .L.s -1 . The amperometric method gave a linear range from 2. 5 x 10 -6 to 1. 5 x 10 -3 M and a detection limit of 1. 0 x 10 -6 M. We believe that the functionalized gold nanoparticles prepared by this photoreduction technique are advantageous in terms of fabrication of sensitive and stable redox electrodes. (author)

Potent nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors target HIV-1 Gag-Pol.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Figueiredo

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs target HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT by binding to a pocket in RT that is close to, but distinct, from the DNA polymerase active site and prevent the synthesis of viral cDNA. NNRTIs, in particular, those that are potent inhibitors of RT polymerase activity, can also act as chemical enhancers of the enzyme's inter-subunit interactions. However, the consequences of this chemical enhancement effect on HIV-1 replication are not understood. Here, we show that the potent NNRTIs efavirenz, TMC120, and TMC125, but not nevirapine or delavirdine, inhibit the late stages of HIV-1 replication. These potent NNRTIs enhanced the intracellular processing of Gag and Gag-Pol polyproteins, and this was associated with a decrease in viral particle production from HIV-1-transfected cells. The increased polyprotein processing is consistent with premature activation of the HIV-1 protease by NNRTI-enhanced Gag-Pol multimerization through the embedded RT sequence. These findings support the view that Gag-Pol multimerization is an important step in viral assembly and demonstrate that regulation of Gag-Pol/Gag-Pol interactions is a novel target for small molecule inhibitors of HIV-1 production. Furthermore, these drugs can serve as useful probes to further understand processes involved in HIV-1 particle assembly and maturation.

Lowering the YE+1 end-cap for CMS

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2007-01-01

On 9 January 2007, the massive YE+1 end-cap was lowered into the CMS cavern. This is a very precise process as the crane must lower the end-cap through minimal clearance without tilt or sway. Once in the cavern, the end-cap is then positioned over the end of the barrel to detect particles produced in collisions that travel close to the axis of the beams.

First Wheel of the Hadronic EndCap Calorimeter Completed

CERN Multimedia

Oram, C.J.

2002-01-01

With the LAr calorimeters well advanced in module production, the attention is turning to Batiment 180 where the calorimeter modules are formed into complete detectors and inserted into their respective cryostats. For the Hadronic End Cap (HEC) Group the task in B180 is to assemble the wheels, rotate them into their final orientation, and put them onto the cradle in front of the End Cap Cryostat. These tasks have been completed for the first HEC wheel in the B180 End Cap Clean Room. Given that this wheel weighs 70 tons the group is very relieved to have established that these gymnastics with the wheel proceed in a routine fashion. To assemble a wheel we take modules that have already been cold tested, do the final electrical testing and locate them onto the HEC wheel assembly table. Four wheels are required in total, each consisting of 32 modules. Wheel assembly is done in the horizontal position, creating a doughnut-like object sitting on the HEC table. The first picture shows the last module being added ...

Terminating DNA Tile Assembly with Nanostructured Caps.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Deepak K; Jiang, Ruoyu; Reinhart, Seth; Mohammed, Abdul M; Jorgenson, Tyler D; Schulman, Rebecca

2017-10-24

Precise control over the nucleation, growth, and termination of self-assembly processes is a fundamental tool for controlling product yield and assembly dynamics. Mechanisms for altering these processes programmatically could allow the use of simple components to self-assemble complex final products or to design processes allowing for dynamic assembly or reconfiguration. Here we use DNA tile self-assembly to develop general design principles for building complexes that can bind to a growing biomolecular assembly and terminate its growth by systematically characterizing how different DNA origami nanostructures interact with the growing ends of DNA tile nanotubes. We find that nanostructures that present binding interfaces for all of the binding sites on a growing facet can bind selectively to growing ends and stop growth when these interfaces are presented on either a rigid or floppy scaffold. In contrast, nucleation of nanotubes requires the presentation of binding sites in an arrangement that matches the shape of the structure's facet. As a result, it is possible to build nanostructures that can terminate the growth of existing nanotubes but cannot nucleate a new structure. The resulting design principles for constructing structures that direct nucleation and termination of the growth of one-dimensional nanostructures can also serve as a starting point for programmatically directing two- and three-dimensional crystallization processes using nanostructure design.

Structural and functional characterization of the CAP domain of pathogen-related yeast 1 (Pry1) protein

Science.gov (United States)

Darwiche, Rabih; Kelleher, Alan; Hudspeth, Elissa M.; Schneiter, Roger; Asojo, Oluwatoyin A.

2016-06-01

The production, crystal structure, and functional characterization of the C-terminal cysteine-rich secretory protein/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1 (CAP) domain of pathogen-related yeast protein-1 (Pry1) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is presented. The CAP domain of Pry1 (Pry1CAP) is functional in vivo as its expression restores cholesterol export to yeast mutants lacking endogenous Pry1 and Pry2. Recombinant Pry1CAP forms dimers in solution, is sufficient for in vitro cholesterol binding, and has comparable binding properties as full-length Pry1. Two crystal structures of Pry1CAP are reported, one with Mg2+ coordinated to the conserved CAP tetrad (His208, Glu215, Glu233 and His250) in spacegroup I41 and the other without divalent cations in spacegroup P6122. The latter structure contains four 1,4-dioxane molecules from the crystallization solution, one of which sits in the cholesterol binding site. Both structures reveal that the divalent cation and cholesterol binding sites are connected upon dimerization, providing a structural basis for the observed Mg2+-dependent sterol binding by Pry1.

34 CFR 370.1 - What is the Client Assistance Program (CAP)?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is the Client Assistance Program (CAP)? 370.1... § 370.1 What is the Client Assistance Program (CAP)? The purpose of this program is to establish and carry out CAPs that— (a) Advise and inform clients and client applicants of all services and benefits...

A nanobody targeting the F-actin capping protein CapG restrains breast cancer metastasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Impe, Katrien; Bethuyne, Jonas; Cool, Steven; Impens, Francis; Ruano-Gallego, David; De Wever, Olivier; Vanloo, Berlinda; Van Troys, Marleen; Lambein, Kathleen; Boucherie, Ciska; Martens, Evelien; Zwaenepoel, Olivier; Hassanzadeh-Ghassabeh, Gholamreza; Vandekerckhove, Joël; Gevaert, Kris; Fernández, Luis Ángel; Sanders, Niek N; Gettemans, Jan

2013-12-13

Aberrant turnover of the actin cytoskeleton is intimately associated with cancer cell migration and invasion. Frequently however, evidence is circumstantial, and a reliable assessment of the therapeutic significance of a gene product is offset by lack of inhibitors that target biologic properties of a protein, as most conventional drugs do, instead of the corresponding gene. Proteomic studies have demonstrated overexpression of CapG, a constituent of the actin cytoskeleton, in breast cancer. Indirect evidence suggests that CapG is involved in tumor cell dissemination and metastasis. In this study, we used llama-derived CapG single-domain antibodies or nanobodies in a breast cancer metastasis model to address whether inhibition of CapG activity holds therapeutic merit. We raised single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) against human CapG and used these as intrabodies (immunomodulation) after lentiviral transduction of breast cancer cells. Functional characterization of nanobodies was performed to identify which biochemical properties of CapG are perturbed. Orthotopic and tail vein in vivo models of metastasis in nude mice were used to assess cancer cell spreading. With G-actin and F-actin binding assays, we identified a CapG nanobody that binds with nanomolar affinity to the first CapG domain. Consequently, CapG interaction with actin monomers or actin filaments is blocked. Intracellular delocalization experiments demonstrated that the nanobody interacts with CapG in the cytoplasmic environment. Expression of the nanobody in breast cancer cells restrained cell migration and Matrigel invasion. Notably, the nanobody prevented formation of lung metastatic lesions in orthotopic xenograft and tail-vein models of metastasis in immunodeficient mice. We showed that CapG nanobodies can be delivered into cancer cells by using bacteria harboring a type III protein secretion system (T3SS). CapG inhibition strongly reduces breast cancer metastasis. A nanobody-based approach offers

Method and apparatus for assembling a permanent magnet pole assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Carl, Jr., Ralph James; Bagepalli, Bharat Sampathkumaran [Niskayuna, NY; Jansen, Patrick Lee [Scotia, NY; Dawson, Richard Nils [Voorheesville, NY; Qu, Ronghai [Clifton Park, NY; Avanesov, Mikhail Avramovich [Moscow, RU

2009-08-11

A pole assembly for a rotor, the pole assembly includes a permanent magnet pole including at least one permanent magnet block, a plurality of laminations including a pole cap mechanically coupled to the pole, and a plurality of laminations including a base plate mechanically coupled to the pole.

Supramolecular Self-Assembly of Histidine-Capped-Dialkoxy-Anthracene: A Visible Light Triggered Platform for facile siRNA Delivery

KAUST Repository

Patil, Sachin

2016-06-29

Supramolecular self-assembly of histidine-capped-dialkoxy-anthracene (HDA) results in the formation of light responsive nanostructures.Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of HDA shows two types of hydrogen bonding. The first hydrogen bond is established between the imidazole moieties while the second involves the oxygen atom of one amide group and the hydrogen atom of a second amide group. When protonated in acidic aqueous media, HDA successfully complexes siRNA yielding spherical nanostructures. This biocompatible platform controllably delivers siRNA with high efficacy upon visible light irradiation leading up to 90% of gene silencing in live cells.

Structure optimization and preliminary bioactivity evaluation of N-hydroxybenzamide-based HDAC inhibitors with Y-shaped cap.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chenggong; He, Feng; Qu, Ying; Zhang, Qiuqiong; Lv, Jiahui; Zhang, Xiangna; Xu, Ana; Miao, Pannan; Wu, Jingde

2018-05-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are effective small molecules in the treatment of human cancers. In our continuing efforts to develop novel N-hydroxyterephthalamide-based HDACIs, herein we report the design and development of a new class of N-hydroxybenzamide-based HDACIs. In this new class of analogs, we inserted an ethylene moiety in the linker and used indole as a part of the Y-shaped cap group. Biological characterization identified compounds 4o, 4p, 4q and 4t to show improved HDAC inhibition, while no isoform selectivity for HDACs was observed. These compounds also exhibited improved anti-proliferative activity against multiple cancer cell lines when compared to their parent compound and positive control SAHA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The comparison of CAP88-PC version 2.0 versus CAP88-PC version 1.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yakubovich, B.A.; Klee, K.O.; Palmer, C.R.; Spotts, P.B.

1997-12-01

40 CFR Part 61 (Subpart H of the NESHAP) requires DOE facilities to use approved sampling procedures, computer models, or other approved procedures when calculating Effective Dose Equivalent (EDE) values to members of the public. Currently version 1.0 of the approved computer model CAP88-PC is used to calculate EDE values. The DOE has upgraded the CAP88-PC software to version 2.0. This version provides simplified data entry, better printing characteristics, the use of a mouse, and other features. The DOE has developed and released version 2.0 for testing and comment. This new software is a WINDOWS based application that offers a new graphical user interface with new utilities for preparing and managing population and weather data, and several new decay chains. The program also allows the user to view results before printing. This document describes a test that confirmed CAP88-PC version 2.0 generates results comparable to the original version of the CAP88-PC program

Size and shape tunability of self-assembled InAs/GaAs nanostructures through the capping rate

Science.gov (United States)

Utrilla, Antonio D.; Grossi, Davide F.; Reyes, Daniel F.; Gonzalo, Alicia; Braza, Verónica; Ben, Teresa; González, David; Guzman, Alvaro; Hierro, Adrian; Koenraad, Paul M.; Ulloa, Jose M.

2018-06-01

The practical realization of epitaxial quantum dot (QD) nanocrystals led before long to impressive experimental advances in optoelectronic devices, as well as to the emergence of new technological fields. However, the necessary capping process is well-known to hinder a precise control of the QD morphology and therefore of the possible electronic structure required for certain applications. A straightforward approach is shown to tune the structural and optical properties of InAs/GaAs QDs without the need for any capping material different from GaAs or annealing process. The mere adjust of the capping rate allows controlling kinetically the QD dissolution process induced by the surface In-Ga intermixing taking place during overgrowth, determining the final metastable structure. While low capping rates make QDs evolve into more thermodynamically favorable quantum ring structures, increasing capping rates help preserve the QD height and shape, simultaneously improving the luminescence properties. Indeed, a linear relationship between capping rate and QD height is found, resulting in a complete preservation of the original QD geometry for rates above ∼2.0 ML s-1. In addition, the inhibition of In diffusion from the QDs top to the areas in between them yields thinner WLs, what could improve the performance of several QD-based optoelectronic devices.

Surface morphology and dewettability of self-organized thermosets involving epoxy and POSS-capped poly(ethylene oxide) telechelics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Lei; Zheng, Sixun

2012-01-01

A heptaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (POSS-capped PEO) telechelics was synthesized via the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between 3-azidopropylheptaphenyl POSS and α,ω-dialkynyl-terminated poly(ethylene oxide). The organic–inorganic amphiphile was incorporated into epoxy to obtain the organic–inorganic nanocomposites. The morphology of the nanocomposites was investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). It was found that the epoxy thermosets containing POSS-capped PEO telechelics were microphase-separated. The formation of the nanophases in the thermosets followed a self-assembly mechanism. The static contact angle measurements show that the nanocomposites displayed a significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity as well as reduction in surface free energy. The improvement in surface dewettability was ascribed to the enrichment of POSS cages at the surface of the nanocomposites and the formation of the specific surface morphology as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface atomic force microscopy (AFM). -- Highlights: ► POSS-capped PEO telechelics was synthesized via click chemistry approach. ► The organic–inorganic amphiphile can be self-assembled into the nanophases in epoxy. ► The hybrid nanocomposites were successfully prepared via a self-assembly approach. ► The nanocomposites displayed a significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity.

Lower end fitting debris collector and end cap spacer grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, W.J.

1990-01-01

This patent describes a nuclear reactor having fuel assemblies including an upper end fitting and spaced nuclear fuel rod spacer grids for supporting and spacing a plurality of elongated nuclear fuel rods. Each includes a hollow active portion of nuclear fuel filled cladding intermediate the rod ends and tapering end cap of solid material with a circumferential groove on the rod end which first encounters reactor coolant flow, a lower end filtering debris collector and end cap spacer grid for capturing and retaining deleterious debris carried by reactor coolant before it enters the active region of a fuel assembly and creates fuel rod cladding damage

Exaggerated Cap-Dependent Translation as a Mechanism for Corticostriatal Dysfunction in Fragile X Syndrome Model Mice

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0361 TITLE: “Exaggerated Cap-Dependent Translation as a Mechanism for Corticostriatal Dysfunction in Fragile X...Annual 3. DATES COVERED 19Oct2016 - 18Oct2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER “Exaggerated Cap-Dependent Translation as a Mechanism for... translation inhibitors. Our specific tasks are centered on a proteomic study of FXS striatal synapses by using a transgenic mouse model that allows to

Secretory Vesicle Priming by CAPS Is Independent of Its SNARE-Binding MUN Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cuc Quynh Nguyen Truong

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Priming of secretory vesicles is a prerequisite for their Ca2+-dependent fusion with the plasma membrane. The key vesicle priming proteins, Munc13s and CAPSs, are thought to mediate vesicle priming by regulating the conformation of the t-SNARE syntaxin, thereby facilitating SNARE complex assembly. Munc13s execute their priming function through their MUN domain. Given that the MUN domain of Ca2+-dependent activator protein for secretion (CAPS also binds syntaxin, it was assumed that CAPSs prime vesicles through the same mechanism as Munc13s. We studied naturally occurring splice variants of CAPS2 in CAPS1/CAPS2-deficient cells and found that CAPS2 primes vesicles independently of its MUN domain. Instead, the pleckstrin homology domain of CAPS2 seemingly is essential for its priming function. Our findings indicate a priming mode for secretory vesicles. This process apparently requires membrane phospholipids, does not involve the binding or direct conformational regulation of syntaxin by MUN domains of CAPSs, and is therefore not redundant with Munc13 action.

Extracellular biosynthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles by a SAM capping route

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Li; Lin, Zhonghua; Gu, Pingying; Zhou, Jianzhang; Yao, Bingxing; Chen, Guoliang; Fu, Jinkun

2009-02-01

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles capped with a self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol were biosynthesized extracellularly by an efficient, simple, and environmental friendly procedure, which involved the use of Bacillus megatherium D01 as the reducing agent and the use of dodecanethiol as the capping ligand at 26 °C. The kinetics of gold nanoparticle formation was followed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was shown that reaction time was an important parameter in controlling the morphology of gold nanoparticles. The effect of thiol on the shape, size, and dispersity of gold nanoparticles was also studied. The results showed that the presence of thiol during the biosynthesis could induce the formation of small size gold nanoparticles (gold nanoparticles capped with thiol of 1.9 ± 0.8 nm size were formed by using Bacillus megatherium D01.

Interactions between citrate-capped gold nanoparticles and polymersomes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaohan; Lopez, Anand; Liu, Yibo; Wang, Feng; Liu, Juewen

2018-06-01

Polymersomes are vesicles formed by self-assembled amphiphilic block copolymers. Polymersomes generally have better stability than liposomes and they have been widely used in making drug delivery vehicles. In this work, the interaction between two types of polymersomes and citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was studied. The following two polymers: poly(2-methyloxazoline-b-dimethylsiloxane-b-2-methyloxazoline) (called P1) and poly(butadiene-b-ethylene oxide) (called P2) were respectively used to form polymersomes. While P1 only formed spherical vesicle structures, worm-like structures were also observed with P2 as indicated by cryo-TEM. Both polymersomes adsorbed AuNPs leading to their subsequent aggregation. A lower polymersome concentration produced more obvious aggregation of AuNPs as judged from the color change. Capping AuNPs with glutathione inhibited adsorption of AuNPs. Considering the surface property of the polymers, the interaction with AuNPs was likely due to van der Waals forces. P1 polymersomes encapsulated calcein stably and AuNPs did not induce leakage. The P1/AuNP complex was more efficiently internalized by HeLa cells compared to free P1 polymersomes, further indicating a stable adsorption under cell culture conditions. In summary, this work indicates citrate-capped AuNPs form stable adsorption complexes with these polymersomes and their interactions have been explored.

Adsorption kinetics of alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles at the hexane–water interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferdous, Sultana; Ioannidis, Marios A.; Henneke, Dale

2011-01-01

The pendant drop technique was used to characterize the adsorption behavior of n-dodecane-1-thiol and n-hexane-1-thiol-capped gold nanoparticles at the hexane–water interface. The adsorption process was studied by analyzing the dynamic interfacial tension versus nanoparticle concentration, both at early times and at later stages (i.e., immediately after the interface between the fluids is made and once equilibrium has been established). A series of gold colloids were made using nanoparticles ranging in size from 1.60 to 2.85 nm dissolved in hexane for the interfacial tension analysis. Following free diffusion of nanoparticles from the bulk hexane phase, adsorption leads to ordering and rearrangement of the nanoparticles at the interface and formation of a dense monolayer. With increasing interfacial coverage, the diffusion-controlled adsorption for the nanoparticles at the interface was found to change to an interaction-controlled assembly and the presence of an adsorption barrier was experimentally verified. At the same bulk concentration, different sizes of n-dodecane-1-thiol nanoparticles showed different absorption behavior at the interface, in agreement with the findings of Kutuzov et al. (Phys Chem Chem Phys 9:6351–6358, 2007). The experiments additionally demonstrated the important role played by the capping agent. At the same concentration, gold nanoparticles stabilized by n-hexane-1-thiol exhibited greater surface activity than gold nanoparticles of the same size stabilized by n-dodecane-1-thiol. These findings contribute to the design of useful supra-colloidal structures by the self-assembly of alkane-thiol-capped gold nanoparticles at liquid–liquid interfaces.

Integration of the End Cap TEC+ of the CMS Silicon Strip Tracker

CERN Document Server

Adler, Volker; Ageron, Michel; Agram, Jean-Laurent; Atz, Bernd; Barvich, Tobias; Baulieu, Guillaume; Beaumont, Willem; Beissel, Franz; Bergauer, Thomas; Berst, Jean-Daniel; Blüm, Peter; Bock, E; Bogelsbacher, F; de Boer, Wim; Bonnet, Jean-Luc; Bonnevaux, Alain; Boudoul, Gaelle; Bouhali, Othmane; Braunschweig, Wolfgang; Bremer, R; Brom, Jean-Marie; Butz, Erik; Chabanat, Eric; Chabert, Eric Christian; Clerbaux, Barbara; Contardo, Didier; De Callatay, Bernard; Dehm, Philip; Delaere, Christophe; Della Negra, Rodolphe; Dewulf, Jean-Paul; D'Hondt, Jorgen; Didierjean, Francois; Dierlamm, Alexander; Dirkes, Guido; Dragicevic, Marko; Drouhin, Frédéric; Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Esser, Hans; Estre, Nicolas; Fahrer, Manuel; Feld, Lutz; Fernández, J; Florins, Benoit; Flossdorf, Alexander; Flucke, Gero; Flügge, Günter; Fontaine, Jean-Charles; Freudenreich, Klaus; Frey, Martin; Friedl, Markus; Furgeri, Alexander; Giraud, Noël; Goerlach, Ulrich; Goorens, Robert; Graehling, Philippe; Grégoire, Ghislain; Gregoriev, E; Gross, Laurent; Hansel, S; Haroutunian, Roger; Hartmann, Frank; Heier, Stefan; Hermanns, Thomas; Heydhausen, Dirk; Heyninck, Jan; Hosselet, J; Hrubec, Josef; Jahn, Dieter; Juillot, Pierre; Kaminski, Jochen; Karpinski, Waclaw; Kaussen, Gordon; Keutgen, Thomas; Klanner, Robert; Klein, Katja; König, Stefan; Kosbow, M; Krammer, Manfred; Ledermann, Bernhard; Lemaître, Vincent; De Lentdecker, Gilles; Linn, Alexander; Lounis, Abdenour; Lübelsmeyer, Klaus; Lumb, Nicholas; Maazouzi, Chaker; Mahmoud, Tariq; Michotte, Daniel; Militaru, Otilia; Mirabito, Laurent; Müller, Thomas; Neukermans, Lionel; Ollivetto, C; Olzem, Jan; Ostapchuk, Andrey; Pandoulas, Demetrios; Pein, Uwe; Pernicka, Manfred; Perriès, Stephane; Piaseki, C; Pierschel, Gerhard; Piotrzkowski, Krzysztof; Poettgens, Michael; Pooth, Oliver; Rouby, Xavier; Sabellek, Andreas; Schael, Stefan; Schirm, Norbert; Schleper, Peter; Schmitz, Stefan Antonius; Schultz von Dratzig, Arndt; Siedling, Rolf; Simonis, Hans-Jürgen; Stahl, Achim; Steck, Pia; Steinbruck, G; Stoye, Markus; Strub, Roger; Tavernier, Stefaan; Teyssier, Daniel; Theel, Andreas; Trocmé, Benjamin; Udo, Fred; Van der Donckt, M; Van der Velde, C; Van Hove, Pierre; Vanlaer, Pascal; Van Lancker, Luc; Van Staa, Rolf; Vanzetto, Sylvain; Weber, Markus; Weiler, Thomas; Weseler, Siegfried; Wickens, John; Wittmer, Bruno; Wlochal, Michael; De Wolf, Eddi A; Zhukov, Valery; Zoeller, Marc Henning

2009-01-01

The silicon strip tracker of the CMS experiment has been completed and inserted into the CMS detector in late 2007. The largest sub-system of the tracker is its end cap system, comprising two large end caps (TEC) each containing 3200 silicon strip modules. To ease construction, the end caps feature a modular design: groups of about 20 silicon modules are placed on sub-assemblies called petals and these self-contained elements are then mounted into the TEC support structures. Each end cap consists of 144 petals, and the insertion of these petals into the end cap structure is referred to as TEC integration. The two end caps were integrated independently in Aachen (TEC+) and at CERN (TEC--). This note deals with the integration of TEC+, describing procedures for end cap integration and for quality control during testing of integrated sections of the end cap and presenting results from the testing.

Cadmium plated steel caps seal anodized aluminum fittings

Science.gov (United States)

Padden, J.

1971-01-01

Cadmium prevents fracturing of hard anodic coating under torquing to system specification requirements, prevents galvanic coupling, and eliminates need for crush washers, which, though commonly used in industry, do not correct leakage problem experienced when anodized aluminum fittings and anodized aluminum cap assemblies are joined.

Crystallization and X-ray crystallographic analysis of the cap-binding domain of influenza A virus H1N1 polymerase subunit PB2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Yong; Meng, Geng; Luo, Ming; Zheng, Xiaofeng

2013-01-01

Substrate-free cap-binding domain of influenza A virus H1N1 polymerase subunit PB2 has been crystallized to show the structural details and clarify whether obvious conformational changes exist between the substrate-free and substrate-bound cap-binding domain. PB2 is one of the subunits of the influenza virus heterotrimeric polymerase. By its cap-binding domain (PB2 cap ), PB2 captures the 5′ cap of the host pre-mRNA to generate a capped 5′ oligonucleotide primer for virus transcription. The crystal structure of influenza A virus H3N2 PB2 cap with bound cap analogue m 7 GTP has been reported previously. To show the substrate-free structural details of PB2 cap and clarify whether obvious conformational changes exist between the substrate-free and substrate-bound cap-binding domain, we have successfully obtained the crystal of substrate-free H1N1 PB2 cap . The crystal of H1N1 PB2 cap diffracted to a high resolution of 1.32 Å. The crystal symmetry belongs to space group P1 with unit-cell parameters a = 29.49, b = 37.04, c = 38.33 Å, α = 71.10, β = 69.84, γ = 75.85°. There is one molecule in the asymmetric unit

Identification of Factors Promoting HBV Capsid Self-Assembly by Assembly-Promoting Antivirals.

Science.gov (United States)

Rath, Soumya Lipsa; Liu, Huihui; Okazaki, Susumu; Shinoda, Wataru

2018-02-26

Around 270 million individuals currently live with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Heteroaryldihydropyrimidines (HAPs) are a family of antivirals that target the HBV capsid protein and induce aberrant self-assembly. The capsids formed resemble the native capsid structure but are unable to propagate the virus progeny because of a lack of RNA/DNA. Under normal conditions, self-assembly is initiated by the viral genome. The mode of action of HAPs, however, remains largely unknown. In this work, using molecular dynamics simulations, we attempted to understand the action of HAP by comparing the dynamics of capsid proteins with and without HAPs. We found that the inhibitor is more stable in higher oligomers. It retains its stability in the hexamer throughout 1 μs of simulation. Our results also show that the inhibitor might help in stabilizing the C-terminus, the HBc 149-183 arginine-rich domain of the capsid protein. The C-termini of dimers interact with each other, assisted by the HAP inhibitor. During capsid assembly, the termini are supposed to directly interact with the viral genome, thereby suggesting that the viral genome might work in a similar way to stabilize the capsid protein. Our results may help in understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of HBV capsid self-assembly, which should be crucial for exploring new drug targets and structure-based drug design.

Surface Assembly of the End Cap Muon Spectrometer

CERN Multimedia

S. Palestini

Before the final installation in the ATLAS detector, the chambers of the inner and middle forward stations of the Muon spectrometer are integrated and assembled on large support structures. Work on the sectors of the Thin Gap Chamber (TGC) Big Wheels (trigger chambers) and of the Muon Drift Tube (MDT) Big Wheels (precision tracking chambers) started early this year, and has recently expanded to all the foreseen working areas, covering most the surface of building 180. Several operations are performed, often in parallel, by different teams: final integration of the detectors, assembly of the support structures, installation and test of services, installation of chambers, and final tests. Control of the geometry is performed frequently both on assembly tooling and on complete sectors. The final tests verify the response of the detectors and of the electronics, including read-out and trigger electronics, the alignment system, and the detector control. The sectors are designed as a unit that can be fully commis...

Nuclear fuel assemblies and fuel pins usable in such assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolly, R.

1982-01-01

A novel end cap for a nuclear fuel assembly is described in detail. It consists of a trisection arrangement which is received within a cell of a cellular grid. The cell contains abutment means with which the trisection comes into abutment. The grid also contains an abutment means for preventing the trisections from being inserted into the cell in an incorrect orientation. The present design allows fuel pins to be securely held in a hold-down grid of a sub-assembly. The design also allows easier dis-assembly of the swollen and embrittled fuel pins prior to reprocessing. (U.K.)

Neutron transition multipole moment for /sup 88/Sr(. cap alpha. ,. cap alpha. ')/sup 88/Sr (2/sup +/, 1. 84 MeV)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Datta, S.K.; Ray, S.; Majumdar, H.; Ghosh, S.K.; Samanta, C.; Dasgupta, P.; Chintalapudi, S.N.; Banerjee, S.R.

1989-04-01

The neutron transition multipole moment, M/sub n/, for (0/sup +/..-->..2/sup +/, 1.84 MeV) transition is inferred by measuring the (..cap alpha..,..cap alpha..') angular distribution at E/sub ..cap alpha../ = 50 MeV and comparing it with a microscopic distorted-wave Born approximation calculation. Proton transition densities are taken from electron scattering data. M/sub n//M/sub p/ is found to be substantially less than N/Z in agreement with the (p,p') result.

Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Jain, Titoo

2009-01-01

A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during se...

Influence of ionic strength and surfactant concentration on electrostatic surfacial assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-capped gold nanorods on fully immersed glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferhan, Abdul Rahim; Guo, Longhua; Kim, Dong-Hwan

2010-07-20

The effect of ionic strength as well as surfactant concentration on the surface assembly of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped gold nanorods (GNRs) has been studied. Glass substrates were modified to yield a net negative charge through electrostatic coating of polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) over a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of positively charged aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS). The substrates were then fully immersed in GNR solutions at different CTAB concentrations and ionic strengths. Under slightly excess CTAB concentrations, it was observed that the density of GNRs immobilized on a substrate was predictably tunable through the adjustment of NaCl concentration over a wide range. Motivated by the experimental observation, we hypothesize that electrostatic shielding of charges around the GNRs affects the density of GNR immobilization. This model ultimately explains that at moderate to high CTAB concentrations a second electrostatic shielding effect contributed by excess CTAB molecules occurs, resulting in a parabolic trend of nanorod surface density when ionic strength is continually increased. In contrast, at a low CTAB concentration, the effect of ionic strength becomes much less significant due to insufficient CTAB molecules to provide for the second electrostatic shielding effect. The tunability of electrostatic-based surface assembly of GNRs enables the attainment of a dense surface assembly of nanorods without significant removal of CTAB or any other substituted stabilizing agent, both of which could compromise the stability and morphology of GNRs in solution. An additional study performed to investigate the robustness of such electrostatic-based surface assembly also proved its reliability to be used as biosensing platforms.

Extracellular biosynthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles by a SAM capping route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Li; Lin Zhonghua; Gu Pingying; Zhou Jianzhang; Yao Bingxing; Chen Guoliang; Fu Jinkun

2009-01-01

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles capped with a self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol were biosynthesized extracellularly by an efficient, simple, and environmental friendly procedure, which involved the use of Bacillus megatherium D01 as the reducing agent and the use of dodecanethiol as the capping ligand at 26 o C. The kinetics of gold nanoparticle formation was followed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was shown that reaction time was an important parameter in controlling the morphology of gold nanoparticles. The effect of thiol on the shape, size, and dispersity of gold nanoparticles was also studied. The results showed that the presence of thiol during the biosynthesis could induce the formation of small size gold nanoparticles (<2.5 nm), hold the shape of spherical nanoparticles, and promote the monodispersity of nanoparticles. Through the modulation of reaction time and the use of thiol, monodispersed spherical gold nanoparticles capped with thiol of 1.9 ± 0.8 nm size were formed by using Bacillus megatherium D01.

Extracellular biosynthesis of monodispersed gold nanoparticles by a SAM capping route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen Li [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Lin Zhonghua [Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (China); Gu Pingying [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China); Zhou Jianzhang [Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces (China); Yao Bingxing [Xiamen University, School of Life Sciences (China); Chen Guoliang; Fu Jinkun, E-mail: wenli_1976@163.co [Xiamen University, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (China)

2009-02-15

Monodispersed gold nanoparticles capped with a self-assembled monolayer of dodecanethiol were biosynthesized extracellularly by an efficient, simple, and environmental friendly procedure, which involved the use of Bacillus megatherium D01 as the reducing agent and the use of dodecanethiol as the capping ligand at 26 {sup o}C. The kinetics of gold nanoparticle formation was followed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was shown that reaction time was an important parameter in controlling the morphology of gold nanoparticles. The effect of thiol on the shape, size, and dispersity of gold nanoparticles was also studied. The results showed that the presence of thiol during the biosynthesis could induce the formation of small size gold nanoparticles (<2.5 nm), hold the shape of spherical nanoparticles, and promote the monodispersity of nanoparticles. Through the modulation of reaction time and the use of thiol, monodispersed spherical gold nanoparticles capped with thiol of 1.9 {+-} 0.8 nm size were formed by using Bacillus megatherium D01.

Targeting interleukin-1β in CAPS (cryopyrin-associated periodic) syndromes: what did we learn?

Science.gov (United States)

Koné-Paut, Isabelle; Piram, Maryam

2012-11-01

CAPS is the prototype of an IL-1β driven auto inflammatory disorder. Features of recurrent systemic inflammation compromises patient's quality of life, and may reduce life expectancy by inducing definite organ damage. Recent treatment targeting IL-1 have shown dramatic effect on patient's clinical symptoms and quality of life. Anakinra was first used successfully in treating small series of patients with all CAPS phenotypes. Two pivotal randomized placebo-controlled studies allowed licensing of rilonacept and canakinumab as orphan drugs for CAPS patients. The use of anti-IL-1 drugs in CAPS is still relatively new, and their effect on a long term is not well known. As we can suppress the clinical symptoms of patients with CAPS, important questions remain regarding the full effect of anti-IL-1 treatment on organ involvement and their potential ability to prevent them. As important variations of treatment doses and schedules appear in reaching effectiveness, pharmacologic studies are still warranted to determine a potential diffusion of anti-IL-1 drugs in the fluids and tissues. More studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of anti-IL-1 drugs given in patients before 2 years of age are warranted, since it is believed that the earliest treatment could avoid secondary CAPS complications to develop. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fragment-derived inhibitors of human N-myristoyltransferase block capsid assembly and replication of the common cold virus

Science.gov (United States)

Mousnier, Aurélie; Bell, Andrew S.; Swieboda, Dawid P.; Morales-Sanfrutos, Julia; Pérez-Dorado, Inmaculada; Brannigan, James A.; Newman, Joseph; Ritzefeld, Markus; Hutton, Jennie A.; Guedán, Anabel; Asfor, Amin S.; Robinson, Sean W.; Hopkins-Navratilova, Iva; Wilkinson, Anthony J.; Johnston, Sebastian L.; Leatherbarrow, Robin J.; Tuthill, Tobias J.; Solari, Roberto; Tate, Edward W.

2018-06-01

Rhinoviruses (RVs) are the pathogens most often responsible for the common cold, and are a frequent cause of exacerbations in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Here we report the discovery of IMP-1088, a picomolar dual inhibitor of the human N-myristoyltransferases NMT1 and NMT2, and use it to demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of host-cell N-myristoylation rapidly and completely prevents rhinoviral replication without inducing cytotoxicity. The identification of cooperative binding between weak-binding fragments led to rapid inhibitor optimization through fragment reconstruction, structure-guided fragment linking and conformational control over linker geometry. We show that inhibition of the co-translational myristoylation of a specific virus-encoded protein (VP0) by IMP-1088 potently blocks a key step in viral capsid assembly, to deliver a low nanomolar antiviral activity against multiple RV strains, poliovirus and foot and-mouth disease virus, and protection of cells against virus-induced killing, highlighting the potential of host myristoylation as a drug target in picornaviral infections.

Method and apparatus for storing nuclear fuel assemblies in maximum density racks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wachter, W.J.; Robbins, T.R.

1979-01-01

A maximum density storage rack is provided for long term or semipermanent storage of spent nuclear fuel assemblies. The rack consists of storage cells arranged in a regular array, such as a checkerboard, and intended to be immersed in water. Initially, cap members are placed on alternate cells in such a manner that at least 50% of the cells are left open, some of the caps being removable. Spent fuel assemblies are then placed in the open cells until all of them are filled. The level of reactivity of each of the stored fuel assemblies is then determined by accurate calculation or by measurement, and the removable caps are removed and rearranged so that other cells are opened, permitting the storage of additional fuel assemblies in a pattern based on the actual reactivity such that criticality is prevented

T-Cap Pull-Off and Bending Behavior for Stitched Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Lovejoy, Andrew E.; Leone, Frank A., Jr.

2016-01-01

The Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) is a structural concept that was developed by The Boeing Company to address the complex structural design aspects associated with a pressurized hybrid wing body aircraft configuration. An important design feature required for assembly is the integrally stitched T-cap, which provides connectivity of the corner (orthogonal) joint between adjacent panels. A series of tests were conducted on T-cap test articles, with and without a rod stiffener penetrating the T-cap web, under tension (pull-off) and bending loads. Three designs were tested, including the baseline design used in largescale test articles. The baseline had only the manufacturing stitch row adjacent to the fillet at the base of the T-cap web. Two new designs added stitching rows to the T-cap web at either 0.5- or 1.0-inch spacing along the height of the web. Testing was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center to determine the behavior of the T-cap region resulting from the applied loading. Results show that stitching arrests the initial delamination failures so that the maximum strength capability exceeds the load at which the initial delaminations develop. However, it was seen that the added web stitching had very little effect on the initial delamination failure load, but actually decreased the initial delamination failure load for tension loading of test articles without a stiffener passing through the web. Additionally, the added web stitching only increased the maximum load capability by between 1% and 12.5%. The presence of the stiffener, however, did increase the initial and maximum loads for both tension and bending loading as compared to the stringerless baseline design. Based on the results of the few samples tested, the additional stitching in the T-cap web showed little advantage over the baseline design in terms of structural failure at the T-cap web/skin junction for the current test articles.

Strain engineering of quantum dots for long wavelength emission: Photoluminescence from self-assembled InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs(001) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimomura, K.; Kamiya, I.

2015-01-01

Photoluminescence (PL) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs(001) is observed at room temperature (RT) and 4 K using a bilayer structure with thin cap. The PL peak has been known to redshift with decreasing cap layer thickness, although accompanying intensity decrease and peak broadening. With our strain-controlled bilayer structure, the PL intensity can be comparable to the ordinary QDs while realizing peak emission wavelength of 1.61 μm at 4 K and 1.73 μm at RT. The key issue lies in the control of strain not only in the QDs but also in the cap layer. By combining with underlying seed QD layer, we realize strain-driven bandgap engineering through control of strain in the QD and cap layers

Strain engineering of quantum dots for long wavelength emission: Photoluminescence from self-assembled InAs quantum dots grown on GaAs(001) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimomura, K., E-mail: sd12502@toyota-ti.ac.jp; Kamiya, I., E-mail: kamiya@toyota-ti.ac.jp [Toyota Technological Institute 2-12-1 Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya 468-8511 (Japan)

2015-02-23

Photoluminescence (PL) at wavelengths over 1.55 μm from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs(001) is observed at room temperature (RT) and 4 K using a bilayer structure with thin cap. The PL peak has been known to redshift with decreasing cap layer thickness, although accompanying intensity decrease and peak broadening. With our strain-controlled bilayer structure, the PL intensity can be comparable to the ordinary QDs while realizing peak emission wavelength of 1.61 μm at 4 K and 1.73 μm at RT. The key issue lies in the control of strain not only in the QDs but also in the cap layer. By combining with underlying seed QD layer, we realize strain-driven bandgap engineering through control of strain in the QD and cap layers.

Protein synthesis in geostimulated root caps

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, L. J.

1982-01-01

A study is presented of the processes occurring in the root cap of corn which are requisite for the formation of root cap inhibitor and which can be triggered or modulated by both light and gravity. The results of this study indicate the importance of protein synthesis for light-induced gravitropic bending in roots. Root caps in which protein synthesis is prevented are unable to induce downward bending. This suggests that light acts by stimulating proteins which are necessary for the translation of the gravitropic stimulus into a growth response (downward bending). The turnover of protein with time was also examined in order to determine whether light acts by stimulating the synthesis of unique proteins required for downward growth. It is found that auxin in combination with light allows for the translation of the gravitropic stimulus into a growth response at least in part through the modification of protein synthesis. It is concluded that unique proteins are stimulated by light and are involved in promoting the downward growth in roots which are responding to gravity.

An ac susceptibility study in capped Ni/Ni(OH)2 core-shell nanoassemblies: dual peak observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godsell, Jeffrey F; Roy, Saibal; Bala, Tanushree; Ryan, Kevin M.

2011-01-01

In this study, the ac susceptibility (χ' and χ'') variation with temperature (10-100 K) for oleic acid (OA) capped Ni/Ni(OH) 2 core-shell nanoparticle assemblies are reported at frequencies varying from 0.1 to 1000 Hz. Nanoparticle assemblies, with two average particle diameters of ∼34 nm and ∼14 nm, were synthesized using a wet chemical synthesis approach. Two peaks in the ac susceptibility versus temperature curves are clearly discernable for each of the samples. The first, occurring at ∼22 K was attributed to the paramagnetic/antiferromagnetic transition of the Ni(OH) 2 present in the shell. The second higher temperature peak was attributed to the superparamagnetic blocking of the pure Ni situated at the core of the nanoparticles. The higher temperature peaks in both the χ' and χ'' curves were observed to increase with increasing frequency. Thus the Neel and the blocking temperatures for such core-shell nanoassemblies were clearly identified from the ac analysis, whereas they were not discernible (superimposed) even from very low dc (FC/ZFC) field measurements. Interparticle interactions within the assemblies were studied through the fitting of phenomenological laws to the experimental datasets. It is observed that even with an OA capping layer, larger Ni/Ni(OH) 2 nanoparticles experience a greater degree of sub-capping layer oxidation thus producing lower magnetic interaction strengths.

Assembly of the CMS hadronic calorimeter

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2004-01-01

The hadronic calorimeter is assembled on the end-cap of the CMS detector in the assembly hall. Hadronic calorimeters measure the energy of particles that interact via the strong force, called hadrons. The detectors are made in a sandwich-like structure where these scintillator tiles are placed between metal sheets.

Discovery of natural mouse serum derived HIV-1 entry inhibitor(s).

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, M; Chen, Y; Xi, J; Ru, S; Ji, M; Zhang, D; Fang, Q; Tang, B

Among rationally designed human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) inhibitors, diverse natural factors have showed as potent anti-HIV activity in human blood. We have discovered that the boiled supernatant of healthy mouse serum could suppress HIV-1 entry, and exhibited reduced inhibitory activity after trypsin digestion. Further analysis demonstrated that only the fraction containing 10-25 K proteins could inhibit HIV-1 mediated cell-cell fusion. These results suggest that the 10-25 K protein(s) is novel natural HIV-1 entry inhibitor(s). Our findings provide important information about novel natural HIV entry inhibitors in mouse serum.

Stable assembly of HIV-1 export complexes occurs cotranscriptionally

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nawroth, Isabel; Mueller, Florian; Basyuk, Eugenia

2014-01-01

The HIV-1 Rev protein mediates export of unspliced and singly spliced viral transcripts by binding to the Rev response element (RRE) and recruiting the cellular export factor CRM1. Here, we investigated the recruitment of Rev to the transcription sites of HIV-1 reporters that splice either post......- or cotranscriptionally. In both cases, we observed that Rev localized to the transcription sites of the reporters and recruited CRM1. Rev and CRM1 remained at the reporter transcription sites when cells were treated with the splicing inhibitor Spliceostatin A (SSA), showing that the proteins associate with RNA prior...... to or during early spliceosome assembly. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) revealed that Rev and CRM1 have similar kinetics as the HIV-1 RNA, indicating that Rev, CRM1, and RRE-containing RNAs are released from the site of transcription in one single export complex. These results suggest...

The prototype HIV-1 maturation inhibitor, bevirimat, binds to the CA-SP1 cleavage site in immature Gag particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nguyen Albert T

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bevirimat, the prototype Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1 maturation inhibitor, is highly potent in cell culture and efficacious in HIV-1 infected patients. In contrast to inhibitors that target the active site of the viral protease, bevirimat specifically inhibits a single cleavage event, the final processing step for the Gag precursor where p25 (CA-SP1 is cleaved to p24 (CA and SP1. Results In this study, photoaffinity analogs of bevirimat and mass spectrometry were employed to map the binding site of bevirimat to Gag within immature virus-like particles. Bevirimat analogs were found to crosslink to sequences overlapping, or proximal to, the CA-SP1 cleavage site, consistent with previous biochemical data on the effect of bevirimat on Gag processing and with genetic data from resistance mutations, in a region predicted by NMR and mutational studies to have α-helical character. Unexpectedly, a second region of interaction was found within the Major Homology Region (MHR. Extensive prior genetic evidence suggests that the MHR is critical for virus assembly. Conclusions This is the first demonstration of a direct interaction between the maturation inhibitor, bevirimat, and its target, Gag. Information gained from this study sheds light on the mechanisms by which the virus develops resistance to this class of drug and may aid in the design of next-generation maturation inhibitors.

Reception Test of Petals for the End Cap TEC+ of the CMS Silicon Strip Tracker

CERN Document Server

Bremer, R; Klein, Katja; Schmitz, Stefan Antonius; Adler, Volker; Adolphi, Roman; Ageron, Michel; Agram, Jean-Laurent; Atz, Bernd; Barvich, Tobias; Baulieu, Guillaume; Beaumont, Willem; Beissel, Franz; Bergauer, Thomas; Berst, Jean-Daniel; Blüm, Peter; Bock, E; Bogelsbacher, F; de Boer, Wim; Bonnet, Jean-Luc; Bonnevaux, Alain; Boudoul, Gaelle; Bouhali, Othmane; Braunschweig, Wolfgang; Brom, Jean-Marie; Butz, Erik; Chabanat, Eric; Chabert, Eric Christian; Clerbaux, Barbara; Contardo, Didier; De Callatay, Bernard; Dehm, Philip; Delaere, Christophe; Della Negra, Rodolphe; Dewulf, Jean-Paul; D'Hondt, Jorgen; Didierjean, Francois; Dierlamm, Alexander; Dirkes, Guido; Dragicevic, Marko; Drouhin, Frédéric; Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Esser, Hans; Estre, Nicolas; Fahrer, Manuel; Fernández, J; Florins, Benoit; Flossdorf, Alexander; Flucke, Gero; Flügge, Günter; Fontaine, Jean-Charles; Freudenreich, Klaus; Frey, Martin; Friedl, Markus; Furgeri, Alexander; Giraud, Noël; Goerlach, Ulrich; Goorens, Robert; Graehling, Philippe; Grégoire, Ghislain; Gregoriev, E; Gross, Laurent; Hansel, S; Haroutunian, Roger; Hartmann, Frank; Heier, Stefan; Hermanns, Thomas; Heydhausen, Dirk; Heyninck, Jan; Hosselet, J; Hrubec, Josef; Jahn, Dieter; Juillot, Pierre; Kaminski, Jochen; Karpinski, Waclaw; Kaussen, Gordon; Keutgen, Thomas; Klanner, Robert; König, Stefan; Kosbow, M; Krammer, Manfred; Ledermann, Bernhard; Lemaître, Vincent; De Lentdecker, Gilles; Linn, Alexander; Lounis, Abdenour; Lübelsmeyer, Klaus; Lumb, Nicholas; Maazouzi, Chaker; Mahmoud, Tariq; Michotte, Daniel; Militaru, Otilia; Mirabito, Laurent; Müller, Thomas; Neukermans, Lionel; Ollivetto, C; Olzem, Jan; Ostapchuk, Andrey; Pandoulas, Demetrios; Pein, Uwe; Pernicka, Manfred; Perriès, Stephane; Piaseki, C; Pierschel, Gerhard; Piotrzkowski, Krzysztof; Poettgens, Michael; Pooth, Oliver; Rouby, Xavier; Sabellek, Andreas; Schael, Stefan; Schirm, Norbert; Schleper, Peter; Schultz von Dratzig, Arndt; Siedling, Rolf; Simonis, Hans-Jürgen; Stahl, Achim; Steck, Pia; Steinbruck, G; Stoye, Markus; Strub, Roger; Tavernier, Stefaan; Teyssier, Daniel; Theel, Andreas; Trocmé, Benjamin; Udo, Fred; Van der Donckt, M; Van der Velde, C; Van Hove, Pierre; Vanlaer, Pascal; Van Lancker, Luc; Van Staa, Rolf; Vanzetto, Sylvain; Weber, Markus; Weiler, Thomas; Weseler, Siegfried; Wickens, John; Wittmer, Bruno; Wlochal, Michael; De Wolf, Eddi A; Zhukov, Valery; Zoeller, Marc Henning

2009-01-01

The silicon strip tracker of the CMS experiment has been completed and was inserted into the CMS detector in late 2007. The largest sub system of the tracker are its end caps, comprising two large end caps (TEC) each containing 3200 silicon strip modules. To ease construction, the end caps feature a modular design: groups of about 20 silicon modules are placed on sub-assemblies called petals and these self-contained elements are then mounted onto the TEC support structures. Each end cap consists of 144 such petals, which were built and fully qualified by several institutes across Europe. From

The effects of residual platelets in plasma on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1-related assays.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marlien Pieters

Full Text Available Due to controversial evidence in the literature pertaining to the activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in platelets, we examined the effects of residual platelets present in plasma (a potential pre-analytical variable on various plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1-related assays. Blood samples were collected from 151 individuals and centrifuged at 352 and 1500 g to obtain plasma with varying numbers of platelet. In a follow-up study, blood samples were collected from an additional 23 individuals, from whom platelet-poor (2000 g, platelet-containing (352 g and platelet-rich plasma (200 g were prepared and analysed as fresh-frozen and after five defrost-refreeze cycles (to determine the contribution of in vitro platelet degradation. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 complex, plasma clot lysis time, β-thromboglobulin and plasma platelet count were analysed. Platelet α-granule release (plasma β-thromboglobulin showed a significant association with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen levels but weak associations with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity and a functional marker of fibrinolysis, clot lysis time. Upon dividing the study population into quartiles based on β-thromboglobulin levels, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen increased significantly across the quartiles while plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity and clot lysis time tended to increase in the 4th quartile only. In the follow-up study, plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen was also significantly influenced by platelet count in a concentration-dependent manner. Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen levels increased further after complete platelet degradation. Residual platelets in plasma significantly influence plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen levels mainly

Involvement of prostaglandins F/sub 2. cap alpha. / and E/sub 1/ with rabbit endometrium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orlicky, D.J.

1985-01-01

Several growth factors and hormones are thought to play a role in the growth control of endometrial cells. The authors have shown that prostaglandin F/sub 2..-->../ (PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../) is a growth factor for primary cultures of rabbit endometrium cultured in chemically-defined serum-free medium and that prostaglandin E/sub 1/ (PGE/sub 1/) antagonizes the PGF/sub 2..-->../ induction of growth. Both (/sup 3/H)PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../ and (/sup 3/H)PGE/sub 1/ bind in a time and temperature dependent, dissociable, saturable and specific manner. The binding of (/sup 3/H)PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../ and (/sup 3/H)PGE/sub 1/ can be both down and up regulated and is enzyme sensitive. PGE /sub 1/ stimulates intracellular cAMP synthesis and accumulation in a time and concentration dependent manner. PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../ probably exerts its effects through an amiloride-sensitive intermediate. Both PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../ and PGE/sub 1/ are constitutively synthesized by these primary cultures, and they have shown this synthesis to be both drug and hormone sensitive. They hypothesize that it is the ratio, rather than the absolute quantities, of PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../ and PGE/sub 1/ which is of more importance in the regulation of endometrial cell growth. Furthermore, they believe this regulation of endometrial growth plays a role in control of proliferation during the decidual response and that a derangement in the ratio of these prostaglandins may lead to either infertility or hyperplasia. The ability of these cultures to synthesize prostaglandins in a hormonally regulatable manner may be of importance in the study of dysmenorrhea and uterine cramping as caused by the myometrial contracting prostaglandin, PGF/sub 2..cap alpha../.

Assembly procedure for column cutting platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Routh, R.D.

1995-01-01

This supporting document describes the assembly procedure for the Column Cutting Platform and Elevation Support. The Column Cutting Platform is a component of the 241-SY-101 Equipment Removal System. It is set up on the deck of the Strongback Trailer to provide work access to cut off the upper portion of the Mitigation Pump Assembly (MPA). The Elevation Support provides support for the front of the Storage Container with the Strongback at an inclined position. The upper portion of the MPA must be cut off to install the Containment Caps on the Storage Container. The storage Container must be maintained in an inclined position until the Containment Caps are installed to prevent any residual liquids from migrating forward in the Storage Container

30 CFR 75.1720-1 - Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps... STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Miscellaneous § 75.1720-1 Distinctively colored hard hats, or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced miners. Hard hats or hard caps distinctively different in color...

Simulation studies on structural and thermal properties of alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, J Meena

2017-06-01

The structural and thermal properties of the passivated gold nanoparticles were explored employing molecular dynamics simulation for the different surface coverage densities of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkane thiol. The structural properties of the monolayer protected gold nanoparticles such us overall shape, organization and conformation of the capping alkane thiol chains were found to be influenced by the capping density. The structural order of the thiol capped gold nanoparticles enhances with the increase in the surface coverage density. The specific heat capacity of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles was found to increase linearly with the thiol coverage density. This may be attributed to the enhancement in the lattice vibrational energy. The present simulation results suggest, that the structural and thermal properties of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles may be modified by the suitable selection of the SAM coverage density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct Regulation of Androgen Receptor Activity by Potent CYP17 Inhibitors in Prostate Cancer Cells*

Science.gov (United States)

Soifer, Harris S.; Souleimanian, Naira; Wu, Sijian; Voskresenskiy, Anatoliy M.; Kisaayak Collak, Filiz; Cinar, Bekir; Stein, Cy A.

2012-01-01

TOK-001 and abiraterone are potent 17-heteroarylsteroid (17-HAS) inhibitors of Cyp17, one of the rate-limiting enzymes in the biosynthesis of testosterone from cholesterol in prostate cancer cells. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism underlying the prevention of prostate cell growth by 17-HASs still remains elusive. Here, we assess the effects of 17-HASs on androgen receptor (AR) activity in LNCaP and LAPC-4 cells. We demonstrate that both TOK-001 and abiraterone reduced AR protein and mRNA expression, and antagonized AR-dependent promoter activation induced by androgen. TOK-001, but not abiraterone, is an effective apparent competitor of the radioligand [3H]R1881 for binding to the wild type and various mutant AR (W741C, W741L) proteins. In agreement with these data, TOK-001 is a consistently superior inhibitor than abiraterone of R1881-induced transcriptional activity of both wild type and mutant AR. However, neither agent was able to trans-activate the AR in the absence of R1881. Our data demonstrate that phospho-4EBP1 levels are significantly reduced by TOK-001 and to a lesser extent by abiraterone alcohol, and suggest a mechanism by which cap-dependent translation is suppressed by blocking assembly of the eIF4F and eIF4G complex to the mRNA 5′ cap. Thus, the effects of these 17-HASs on AR signaling are complex, ranging from a decrease in testosterone production through the inhibition of Cyp17 as previously described, to directly reducing both AR protein expression and R1881-induced AR trans-activation. PMID:22174412

First End Cap Toroid knocking on the door of SX1

CERN Document Server

Herman Ten Kate

On Tuesday May 29, the first Toroid End Cap for the A-side was transported from its test station next to B180 to the front of the ATLAS surface building SX1. The 240-ton and 12-m high toroid end-cap moved on a special trailer at walking speed, got over various slopes and survived the difficult turn left in front of the entrance at gate B. The toroid had to wait for almost two months to commence its journey to its destination as the cryogenic test down to 80K was already successfully completed by early April. In the next days, the toroid will slide into the SX1 building, turn around its axes by 90 degrees and then gently slide over the first shaft and land on top of the A-side shaft on Wednesday. There, it will descend by 5 m into the shaft using special lifting tooling before it can be connected to the 2x140 tons overhead cranes which will let the toroid go further down to the cavern. End Cap Toroid A on the trailer on its way to the cavern at Point 1. Crossing the main road near entrance A while t...

Structure-Activity Relationships of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Maturation Inhibitor PF-46396.

Science.gov (United States)

Murgatroyd, Christopher; Pirrie, Lisa; Tran, Fanny; Smith, Terry K; Westwood, Nicholas J; Adamson, Catherine S

2016-09-15

HIV-1 maturation inhibitors are a novel class of antiretroviral compounds that consist of two structurally distinct chemical classes: betulinic acid derivatives and the pyridone-based compound PF-46396. It is currently believed that both classes act by similar modes of action to generate aberrant noninfectious particles via inhibition of CA-SP1 cleavage during Gag proteolytic processing. In this study, we utilized a series of novel analogues with decreasing similarity to PF-46396 to determine the chemical groups within PF-46396 that contribute to antiviral activity, Gag binding, and the relationship between these essential properties. A spectrum of antiviral activity (active, intermediate, and inactive) was observed across the analogue series with respect to CA-SP1 cleavage and HIV-1 (NL4-3) replication kinetics in Jurkat T cells. We demonstrate that selected inactive analogues are incorporated into wild-type (WT) immature particles and that one inactive analogue is capable of interfering with PF-46396 inhibition of CA-SP1 cleavage. Mutations that confer PF-46396 resistance can impose a defective phenotype on HIV-1 that can be rescued in a compound-dependent manner. Some inactive analogues retained the capacity to rescue PF-46396-dependent mutants (SP1-A3V, SP1-A3T, and CA-P157S), implying that they can also interact with mutant Gag. The structure-activity relationships observed in this study demonstrate that (i) the tert-butyl group is essential for antiviral activity but is not an absolute requirement for Gag binding, (ii) the trifluoromethyl group is optimal but not essential for antiviral activity, and (iii) the 2-aminoindan group is important for antiviral activity and Gag binding but is not essential, as its replacement is tolerated. Combinations of antiretroviral drugs successfully treat HIV/AIDS patients; however, drug resistance problems make the development of new mechanistic drug classes an ongoing priority. HIV-1 maturation inhibitors are novel as they

Reduced prostasin (CAP1/PRSS8 activity eliminates HAI-1 and HAI-2 deficiency-associated developmental defects by preventing matriptase activation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman Szabo

Full Text Available Loss of either hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor (HAI-1 or -2 is associated with embryonic lethality in mice, which can be rescued by the simultaneous inactivation of the membrane-anchored serine protease, matriptase, thereby demonstrating that a matriptase-dependent proteolytic pathway is a critical developmental target for both protease inhibitors. Here, we performed a genetic epistasis analysis to identify additional components of this pathway by generating mice with combined deficiency in either HAI-1 or HAI-2, along with genes encoding developmentally co-expressed candidate matriptase targets, and screening for the rescue of embryonic development. Hypomorphic mutations in Prss8, encoding the GPI-anchored serine protease, prostasin (CAP1, PRSS8, restored placentation and normal development of HAI-1-deficient embryos and prevented early embryonic lethality, mid-gestation lethality due to placental labyrinth failure, and neural tube defects in HAI-2-deficient embryos. Inactivation of genes encoding c-Met, protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2, or the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC alpha subunit all failed to rescue embryonic lethality, suggesting that deregulated matriptase-prostasin activity causes developmental failure independent of aberrant c-Met and PAR-2 signaling or impaired epithelial sodium transport. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis of PAR-1 and matriptase double-deficient embryos suggests that the protease may not be critical for focal proteolytic activation of PAR-2 during neural tube closure. Paradoxically, although matriptase auto-activates and is a well-established upstream epidermal activator of prostasin, biochemical analysis of matriptase- and prostasin-deficient placental tissues revealed a requirement of prostasin for conversion of the matriptase zymogen to active matriptase, whereas prostasin zymogen activation was matriptase-independent.

Cervical Cap

Science.gov (United States)

... Videos for Educators Search English Español The Cervical Cap KidsHealth / For Teens / The Cervical Cap What's in ... Call the Doctor? Print What Is a Cervical Cap? A cervical cap is a small cup made ...

Human serum albumin mediated self-assembly of gold nanoparticles into hollow spheres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nayak, Nimai C [Singapore-MIT Alliance, Manufacturing Systems and Technology Programme, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, 637460 (Singapore); Shin, Kwanwoo [Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology, Sogang University, Shinsoo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul 121-742 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: ncnayak@gmail.com

2008-07-02

The assembly of nanoparticles in topologically predefined superstructures is an important area in nanoscale architecture. In this paper, we report an unusual aggregation phenomenon involving L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and human serum albumin into hollow nanospheres. The electrostatic interaction between positively charged L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and negatively charged human serum albumin at physiological pH led to the assembly of the gold nanoparticles into hollow spheres. The phenomenon can be explained by the dry hole opening mechanism.

Human serum albumin mediated self-assembly of gold nanoparticles into hollow spheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayak, Nimai C; Shin, Kwanwoo

2008-01-01

The assembly of nanoparticles in topologically predefined superstructures is an important area in nanoscale architecture. In this paper, we report an unusual aggregation phenomenon involving L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and human serum albumin into hollow nanospheres. The electrostatic interaction between positively charged L-lysine capped gold nanoparticles and negatively charged human serum albumin at physiological pH led to the assembly of the gold nanoparticles into hollow spheres. The phenomenon can be explained by the dry hole opening mechanism

Method of fabricating self-powered nuclear radiation detector assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Playfoot, K.; Bauer, R.F.; Sekella, Y.M.

1982-01-01

In a method of fabricating a self-powered nuclear radiation detector assembly an emitter electrode wire and signal cable center wire are connected and disposed within the collector electrode tubular sheath with compressible insulating means disposed between the wires and the tubular sheath. The above assembly is reduced in diameter while elongating the tubular sheath and the emitter wire and signal cable wire. The emitter wire is reduced to a predetermined desired diameter, and is trimmed to a predetermined length. An end cap is hermetically sealed to the tubular sheath at the extending end of the emitter with insulating means between the emitter end and the end cap. (author)

The human papillomavirus type 16 E6 oncoprotein activates mTORC1 signaling and increases protein synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Spangle, Jennifer M; Münger, Karl

2010-09-01

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase acts as a cellular rheostat that integrates signals from a variety of cellular signal transduction pathways that sense growth factor and nutrient availability as well as intracellular energy status. It was previously reported that the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 oncoprotein may activate the S6 protein kinase (S6K) through binding and E6AP-mediated degradation of the mTOR inhibitor tuberous sclerosis complex 2 (TSC2) (Z. Lu, X. Hu, Y. Li, L. Zheng, Y. Zhou, H. Jiang, T. Ning, Z. Basang, C. Zhang, and Y. Ke, J. Biol. Chem. 279:35664-35670, 2004; L. Zheng, H. Ding, Z. Lu, Y. Li, Y. Pan, T. Ning, and Y. Ke, Genes Cells 13:285-294, 2008). Our results confirmed that HPV16 E6 expression causes an increase in mTORC1 activity through enhanced phosphorylation of mTOR and activation of downstream signaling pathways S6K and eukaryotic initiation factor binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). However, we did not detect a decrease in TSC2 levels in HPV16 E6-expressing cells. We discovered, however, that HPV16 E6 expression causes AKT activation through the upstream kinases PDK1 and mTORC2 under conditions of nutrient deprivation. We show that HPV16 E6 expression causes an increase in protein synthesis by enhancing translation initiation complex assembly at the 5' mRNA cap and an increase in cap-dependent translation. The increase in cap-dependent translation likely results from HPV16 E6-induced AKT/mTORC1 activation, as the assembly of the translation initiation complex and cap-dependent translation are rapamycin sensitive. Lastly, coexpression of the HPV16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins does not affect HPV16 E6-induced activation of mTORC1 and cap-dependent translation. HPV16 E6-mediated activation of mTORC1 signaling and cap-dependent translation may be a mechanism to promote viral replication under conditions of limited nutrient supply in differentiated, HPV oncoprotein-expressing proliferating cells.

Level-1 trigger rate from beam halo muons in the end-cap

CERN Document Server

Robins, S

1998-01-01

Previous detectors at $p$-$\\bar{p}$ machines have experienced problems with high muon trigger rates in the forward region due to muons produced in interactions between the beam and the machine. The se `beam halo' muons typically have a very small angle to the beam direction, and are dominated by muons of several GeV energy and at low radius relative to the beam line. The response of the ATLA S end-cap muon trigger to them has been investigated using a complete simulation of both the LHC machine components and the ATLAS detector and trigger. It is seen that the total flux of such muon s in the end-cap trigger counters is $\\sim$ 60 kHz, in high luminosity LHC running, and the acceptance of the Level-1 end-cap muon trigger to these particles is $\\sim$1\\%. The overall Level-1 trig ger rate from such muons will be small compared to rates from the products of the $p$-$p$ collision. The total rates from low- and high-\\pt triggers at 6 and 20 GeV are 250 and 16 Hz respectively. Whilst these rates are negligible in co...

Cryopyrin-Associated Autoinflammatory Syndromes (CAPS) - Juvenile

Science.gov (United States)

... all ethnic groups can be affected. What are CAPS? Cryopyrin-associated autoinflammatory syndromes (CAPS) consist of three ... ears by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). How is CAPS treated? Medications that target interleukin-1 are very ...

Identification of the hot spot residues for pyridine derivative inhibitor CCT251455 and ATP substrate binding on monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) kinase by molecular dynamic simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Duan, Wenxiu; Han, Qianqian; Sun, Xuan; Li, Wenqian; Hu, Shuangyun; Wan, Jiajia; Wu, Jiang; Ge, Yushu; Liu, Dan

2018-03-08

Protein kinase monopolar spindle 1 plays an important role in spindle assembly checkpoint at the onset of mitosis. Over expression of MPS1 correlated with a wide range of human tumors makes it an attractive target for finding an effective and specific inhibitor. In this work, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of protein MPS1 itself as well as protein bound systems with the inhibitor and natural substrate based on crystal structures. The reported orally bioavailable 1 h-pyrrolo [3,2-c] pyridine inhibitors of MPS1 maintained stable binding in the catalytic site, while natural substrate ATP could not stay. Comparative study of stability and flexibility of three systems reveals position shifting of β-sheet region within the catalytic site, which indicates inhibition mechanism was through stabilizing the β-sheet region. Binding free energies calculated with MM-GB/PBSA method shows different binding affinity for inhibitor and ATP. Finally, interactions between protein and inhibitor during molecular dynamic simulations were measured and counted. Residue Gly605 and Leu654 were suggested as important hot spots for stable binding of inhibitor by molecular dynamic simulation. Our results reveal an important position shifting within catalytic site for non-inhibited proteins. Together with hot spots found by molecular dynamic simulation, the results provide important information of inhibition mechanism and will be referenced for designing novel inhibitors.

30 CFR 77.1710-1 - Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps... Distinctively colored hard hats or hard caps; identification for newly employed, inexperienced miners. Hard hats or hard caps distinctively different in color from those worn by experienced miners shall be worn at...

Modeling active capping efficacy. 1. Metal and organometal contaminated sediment remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Viana, Priscilla Z; Yin, Ke; Rockne, Karl J

2008-12-01

Cd, Cr, Pb, Ag, As, Ba, Hg, CH3Hg, and CN transport through sand, granular activated carbon (GAC), organoclay, shredded tires, and apatite caps was modeled by deterministic and Monte Carlo methods. Time to 10% breakthrough, 30 and 100 yr cumulative release were metrics of effectiveness. Effective caps prevented above-cap concentrations from exceeding USEPA acute criteria at 100 yr assuming below-cap concentrations at solubility. Sand caps performed best under diffusion due to the greater diffusive path length. Apatite had the best advective performance for Cd, Cr, and Pb. Organoclay performed best for Ag, As, Ba, CH3Hg, and CN. Organoclay and apatite were equally effective for Hg. Monte Carlo analysis was used to determine output sensitivity. Sand was effective under diffusion for Cr within the 50% confidence interval (CI), for Cd and Pb (75% CI), and for As, Hg, and CH3Hg (95% CI). Under diffusion and advection, apatite was effective for Cd, Pb, and Hg (75% CI) and organoclay was effective for Hg and CH3Hg (50% CI). GAC and shredded tires performed relatively poorly. Although no single cap is a panacea, apatite and organoclay have the broadest range of effectiveness. Cap performance is most sensitive to the partitioning coefficient and hydraulic conductivity, indicating the importance of accurate site-specific measurement for these parameters.

ABB. CASE's GUARDIANTM Debris Resistant Fuel Assembly Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D. J.; Wohlsen, W. D.

1992-01-01

ABB CE's experience, that 72% of all recent fuel-rod failures are caused by debris fretting, is typical. In response to this problem, ABB Combustion Engineering began supplying in the late 1980s fuel assemblies with a variety of debris resistant features, including both long-end caps and small flow holes. Now ABB CAE has developed an advanced debris resistant design concept, GUARDIAN TM , which has the advantage of capturing and retaining more debris than other designs, while displacing less plenum or active fuel volume than the long end-cap design. GUARDIAN TM design features have now been implemented into four different assembly designs. ABB CASE's GUARDIAN TM fuel assembly is an advanced debris-resistant design which has both superior filtering performance and uniquely, excellent debris retention, Retention effectively removes the debris from circulation in the coolant so that it is not able to threaten the fuel again. GUARDIAN TM features have been incorporated into four ABB. CAE fuel assembly designs. These assemblies are all fully compatible with the NSLS, and full-batch operation with GUARDIAN TM began in 1992. The number of plants of both CAE and non-CAE design which accept GUARDIAN TM for debris protection is expected to grow significantly during the next few years

ACTH-induced caveolin-1 tyrosine phosphorylation is related to podosome assembly in Y1 adrenal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colonna, Cecilia; Podesta, Ernesto J.

2005-01-01

Y1 adrenocortical cells respond to ACTH with a characteristic rounding-up that facilitates cAMP signaling, critical for transport of cholesterol to the mitochondria and increase in steroid secretion. We here demonstrate that caveolin-1 participates in coupling activation of protein kinase A (PKA) to the control of cell shape. ACTH/8-Br-cAMP induced reorganization of caveolin-1-positive structures in correlation with the cellular rounding-up. Concomitant with this change, there was an increase in the phosphorylation of caveolin-1 (Tyr-14) localized at focal adhesions (FA) with reorganization of FA to rounded, ringlike structures. Colocalization with phalloidin showed that phosphocaveolin is present at the edge of actin filaments and that after ACTH stimulation F-actin dots at the cell periphery become surrounded by phosphocaveolin-1. These observations along with electron microscopy studies revealed these structures as podosomes. Podosome assembly was dependent on both PKA and tyrosine kinase activities because their formation was impaired after treatment with specific inhibitors [myristoylated PKI (mPKI) or PP2, respectively] previous to ACTH/8-Br-cAMP stimulation. These results show for the first time that ACTH induces caveolin-1 phosphorylation and podosome assembly in Y1 cells and support the view that the morphological and functional responses to PKA activation in steroidogenic cells are related to cytoskeleton dynamics

Survival and growth of yeast without telomere capping by Cdc13 in the absence of Sgs1, Exo1, and Rad9.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hien-Ping Ngo

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Maintenance of telomere capping is absolutely essential to the survival of eukaryotic cells. Telomere capping proteins, such as Cdc13 and POT1, are essential for the viability of budding yeast and mammalian cells, respectively. Here we identify, for the first time, three genetic modifications that allow budding yeast cells to survive without telomere capping by Cdc13. We found that simultaneous inactivation of Sgs1, Exo1, and Rad9, three DNA damage response (DDR proteins, is sufficient to allow cell division in the absence of Cdc13. Quantitative amplification of ssDNA (QAOS was used to show that the RecQ helicase Sgs1 plays an important role in the resection of uncapped telomeres, especially in the absence of checkpoint protein Rad9. Strikingly, simultaneous deletion of SGS1 and the nuclease EXO1, further reduces resection at uncapped telomeres and together with deletion of RAD9 permits cell survival without CDC13. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis studies show that cdc13-1 rad9Delta sgs1Delta exo1Delta strains can maintain linear chromosomes despite the absence of telomere capping by Cdc13. However, with continued passage, the telomeres of such strains eventually become short and are maintained by recombination-based mechanisms. Remarkably, cdc13Delta rad9Delta sgs1Delta exo1Delta strains, lacking any Cdc13 gene product, are viable and can grow indefinitely. Our work has uncovered a critical role for RecQ helicases in limiting the division of cells with uncapped telomeres, and this may provide one explanation for increased tumorigenesis in human diseases associated with mutations of RecQ helicases. Our results reveal the plasticity of the telomere cap and indicate that the essential role of telomere capping is to counteract specific aspects of the DDR.

Engineering for the ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker (SCT) End-cap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdesselam, A; Barr, A [Department of Physics, Oxford University, Oxford (United Kingdom); Allport, P P [Department of Physics, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool (United Kingdom); Anderson, B [Department of Physics, University College, University of London, London (United Kingdom); Andricek, L; Becker, H [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik, Muenchen (Germany); Anghinolfi, F [European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Apsimon, R J; Austin, A; Barclay, P; Batchelor, L E; Benes, J [Centro Nacional de Microelectronica de Barcelona, CNM-IMB, CSIC, Barcelona (Spain); Atkinson, T [University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052 (Australia); Band, H [NIKHEF, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Bates, R L; Bell, W H [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow (United Kingdom); Batley, J R [Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Beck, G; Belymam, A [Department of Physics, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, London (United Kingdom); Bell, P [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester (United Kingdom)], E-mail: S.J.Haywood@rl.ac.uk (and others)

2008-05-15

The ATLAS SemiConductor Tracker (SCT) is a silicon-strip tracking detector which forms part of the ATLAS inner detector. The SCT is designed to track charged particles produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN at an energy of 14 TeV. The tracker is made up of a central barrel and two identical end-caps. The barrel contains 2112 silicon modules, while each end-cap contains 988 modules. The overall tracking performance depends not only on the intrinsic measurement precision of the modules but also on the characteristics of the whole assembly, in particular, the stability and the total material budget. This paper describes the engineering design and construction of the SCT end-caps, which are required to support mechanically the silicon modules, supply services to them and provide a suitable environment within the inner detector. Critical engineering choices are highlighted and innovative solutions are presented - these will be of interest to other builders of large-scale tracking detectors. The SCT end-caps will be fully connected at the start of 2008. Further commissioning will continue, to be ready for proton-proton collision data in 2008.

Double capping of molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs/InP quantum dots studied by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulloa, J. M.; Koenraad, P. M.; Gapihan, E.; Letoublon, A.; Bertru, N.

2007-01-01

Cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy was used to study at the atomic scale the double capping process of self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a (311)B substrate. The thickness of the first capping layer is found to play a mayor role in determining the final results of the process. For first capping layers up to 3.5 nm, the height of the QDs correspond to the thickness of the first capping layer. Nevertheless, for thicknesses higher than 3.5 nm, a reduction in the dot height compared to the thickness of the first capping layer is observed. These results are interpreted in terms of a transition from a double capping to a classical capping process when the first capping layer is thick enough to completely cover the dots

1-Deoxy-D-galactonojirimycins with dansyl capped N-substituents as β-galactosidase inhibitors and potential probes for GM1 gangliosidosis affected cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Fröhlich, Richard F G; Furneaux, Richard H; Mahuran, Don J; Saf, Robert; Stütz, Arnold E; Tropak, Michael B; Wicki, Jacqueline; Withers, Stephen G; Wrodnigg, Tanja M

2011-09-06

Two simple and reliably accessible intermediates, N-carboxypentyl- and N-aminohexyl-1-deoxy-D-galactonojirimycin were employed for the synthesis of a set of terminally N-dansyl substituted derivatives. Reaction of the terminal carboxylic acid of N-carboxypentyl-1-deoxy-D-galactonojirimycin with N-dansyl-1,6-diaminohexane provided the chain-extended fluorescent derivative. Employing bis(6-dansylaminohexyl)amine, the corresponding branched di-N-dansyl compound was obtained. Partially protected N-aminohexyl-1-deoxy-D-galactonojirimycin served as intermediate for two additional chain-extended fluorescent 1-deoxy-D-galactonojirimycin (1-DGJ) derivatives featuring terminal dansyl groups in the N-alkyl substituent. These new compounds are strong inhibitors of d-galactosidases and may serve as leads en route to pharmacological chaperones for GM1-gangliosidosis. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Production of putrescine-capped stable silver nanoparticle: its characterization and antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Saswati; Gupta, Bhaskar; Gupta, Kamala; Chaudhuri, Mahua Ghosh

2016-11-01

Integration of biology with nanotechnology is now becoming attention-grabbing area of research. The antimicrobial potency of silver has been eminent from antiquity. Due to the recent desire for the enhancement of antibacterial efficacy of silver, various synthesis methods of silver in their nano dimensions are being practiced using a range of capping material. The present work highlights a facile biomimetic approach for production of silver nanoparticle being capped and stabilized by putrescine, possessing a diameter of 10-25 ± 1.5 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles have been analyzed spectrally and analytically. Morphological studies are carried out by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and crystallinity by selected area electron diffraction patterns. Moreover, the elemental composition of the capped nanoparticles was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. A comparative study (zone of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration) regarding the interactions and antibacterial potentiality of the capped silver nanoparticles with respect to the bare ones reveal the efficiency of the capped one over the bare one. The bacterial kinetic study was executed to monitor the interference of nanoparticles with bacterial growth rate. The results also highlight the efficacy of putrescine-capped silver nanoparticles as effective growth inhibitors against multi-drug resistant human pathogenic bacterial strains, which may, thus, potentially be applicable as an effective antibacterial control system to fight diseases.

Hsp90 inhibitors reduce influenza virus replication in cell culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chase, Geoffrey; Deng, Tao; Fodor, Ervin; Leung, B.W.; Mayer, Daniel; Schwemmle, Martin; Brownlee, George

2008-01-01

The viral RNA polymerase complex of influenza A virus consists of three subunits PB1, PB2 and PA. Recently, the cellular chaperone Hsp90 was shown to play a role in nuclear import and assembly of the trimeric polymerase complex by binding to PB1 and PB2. Here we show that Hsp90 inhibitors, geldanamycin or its derivative 17-AAG, delay the growth of influenza virus in cell culture resulting in a 1-2 log reduction in viral titre early in infection. We suggest that this is caused by the reduced half-life of PB1 and PB2 and inhibition of nuclear import of PB1 and PA which lead to reduction in viral RNP assembly. Hsp90 inhibitors may represent a new class of antiviral compounds against influenza viruses

Cervical Cap

Science.gov (United States)

... giving birth vaginally, which means the cervical cap may not fit as well. Inconsistent or incorrect use of the cervical cap increases your risk of pregnancy. For example, you may get pregnant when using the cervical cap if: ...

Gigantic perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of heavy transition metal cappings on Fe/MgO(0 0 1)

Science.gov (United States)

Taivansaikhan, P.; Odkhuu, D.; Rhim, S. H.; Hong, S. C.

2017-11-01

Effects of capping layer by 5d transition metals (TM = Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au) on Fe/MgO(0 0 1), a typical magnetic tunneling junction, are systematically investigated using first-principles calculation for magnetism and magnetocrystalline-anisotropy (MCA). The early TMs having less than half-filled d bands favor magnetization antiparallel to Fe, whereas the late TMs having more than half-filled d bands favor parallel, which is explained in the framework of kinetic exchange energy. The Os capping, isovalent to Fe, enhances MCA significantly to gigantic energy of +11.31 meV/cell, where positive contribution is mostly from the partially filled majority d bands of magnetic quantum number of |m| = 1 along with stronger spin-orbit coupling of Os than Fe. Different TM cappings give different MCA energies as the Fermi level shifts according to the valence of TM: Re and Ir, just one valence more or less than Os, have still large PMCA but smaller than the Os. In the W and Pt cappings, valence difference by two, PMCA are further reduced; MCAs are lowered compared to Fe/MgO(0 0 1) by the cappings of the very early TMs (Hf and Ta), while the very late TM (Au) switches sign to in-plane MCA.

HIV-1 Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vanangamudi, Murugesan; Poongavanam, Vasanthanathan; Namasivayam, Vigneshwaran

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Design of inhibitors for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibition (HIV-1 RT) is one of the successful chemotherapies for the treatment of HIV infection. Among the inhibitors available for HIV-1 RT, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) have shown to be very promising......: The conformation dependent-alignment based (CoMFA and CoMSIA) methods have been proven very successful ligand based strategy in the drug design. Here, CoMFA and CoMSIA studies reported for structurally distinct NNRTIs including thiazolobenzimidazole, dipyridodiazepinone, 1,1,3-trioxo [1,2,4]-thiadiazine...

Reconstruction of spin-tensor of 4. 43 MeV state density matrix of the /sup 12/C nucleus in the /sup 12/C(. cap alpha. ,. cap alpha. sub(1). gamma. sub(4,43))/sup 12/C reaction at Esub(. cap alpha. )=25 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gurevich, G.S.; Lebedev, V.M.; Orlova, N.V.; Spasskij, A.V.; Teplov, I.B.; Shakhvorostova, G.V.; Belkina, M.R. (Moskovskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR). Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Yadernoj Fiziki)

1984-01-01

The results of measuring double differential cross sections of the reaction of inelastic scattering 24.8 MeV ..cap alpha..-particles sup(12)C(..cap alpha.., ..cap alpha..sub(1)..gamma..sub(4.43))sup(12)C in different planes of ..gamma..-quantum escape relatively to the plane of the reaction phisub(..gamma..)=30, 60 and 90 deg are presented. Non-monochromaticity of the beam made up 1%. Functions of angular correlation of the reaction are measured for four angles THETAsub(..cap alpha..)=21, 39, 59 and 135 deg corresponding to maxima of differential cross section in angular distribution of inelastically scattered ..cap alpha..-particles and for THETAsub(..cap alpha..)=89 deg corresponding to the minimum of angular distribution. The results of measurements permit to reconstruct all the components of irreducible spin-tensors of the matrix of state density 4.43 MeV (2/sup +/) formed in this reaction. The values of populations of substates by the projection of the spin of this state are obtained. The analysis of the obtained results testify to the fact that mechanism of inelastic scattering is not reduced to impulse approximation and mechanisms associated with delay in interaction do not make noticeable contribution for the given angles of ..cap alpha..-particle escape.

Effects of rooting and tree growth of selected woodland species on cap integrity in a mineral capped landfill site.

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchings, T R; Moffat, A J; Kemp, R A

2001-06-01

The above and below ground growth of three tree species (Alnus glutinosa, Pinus nigra var. maritima and Acer pseudoplatanus) was studied on a containment landfill site at Waterford, Hertfordshire, UK. Tree root architecture was studied using soil inspection pits excavated next to 12 trees of each species and mapped in detail. Tree height was related to soil thickness over the compacted mineral cap. No roots entered the cap where soil thickness was 1.3 m, but a few roots, especially of alder, were observed within it when the soil cover was 1.0 m or less. Micromorphological analysis of undisturbed samples of the mineral cap suggested that roots exploited weaknesses in the cap rather than actively causing penetration into it. Alder roots were more tolerant of anaerobic conditions within the cap than the other species examined. The results confirm that mineral caps should be covered by 1.5 m of soil or soil-forming material if tree establishment is intended over a restored landfill site, unless protected by other parts of a composite capping system.

Murine Efficacy and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of the Flaviviral NS5 Capping Enzyme 2-Thioxothiazolidin-4-One Inhibitor BG-323.

Science.gov (United States)

Bullard, Kristen M; Gullberg, Rebekah C; Soltani, Elnaz; Steel, J Jordan; Geiss, Brian J; Keenan, Susan M

2015-01-01

Arthropod-borne flavivirus infection continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Identification of drug targets and novel antiflaviviral compounds to treat these diseases has become a global health imperative. A previous screen of 235,456 commercially available small molecules identified the 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one family of compounds as inhibitors of the flaviviral NS5 capping enzyme, a promising target for antiviral drug development. Rational drug design methodologies enabled identification of lead compound BG-323 from this series. We have shown previously that BG-323 potently inhibits NS5 capping enzyme activity, displays antiviral effects in dengue virus replicon assays and inhibits growth of West Nile and yellow fever viruses with low cytotoxicity in vitro. In this study we further characterized BG-323's antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo. We found that BG-323 was able to reduce replication of WNV (NY99) and Powassan viruses in culture, and we were unable to force resistance into WNV (Kunjin) in long-term culture experiments. We then evaluated the antiviral activity of BG-323 in a murine model. Mice were challenged with WNV NY99 and administered BG-323 or mock by IP inoculation immediately post challenge and twice daily thereafter. Mice were bled and viremia was quantified on day three. No significant differences in viremia were observed between BG-323-treated and control groups and clinical scores indicated both BG-323-treated and control mice developed signs of illness on approximately the same day post challenge. To determine whether differences in in vitro and in vivo efficacy were due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties of BG-323, we conducted a pharmacokinetic evaluation of this small molecule. Insights from pharmacokinetic studies indicate that BG-323 is cell permeable, has a low efflux ratio and does not significantly inhibit two common cytochrome P450 (CYP P450) isoforms thus suggesting this molecule may be less

Murine Efficacy and Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of the Flaviviral NS5 Capping Enzyme 2-Thioxothiazolidin-4-One Inhibitor BG-323.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen M Bullard

Full Text Available Arthropod-borne flavivirus infection continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Identification of drug targets and novel antiflaviviral compounds to treat these diseases has become a global health imperative. A previous screen of 235,456 commercially available small molecules identified the 2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one family of compounds as inhibitors of the flaviviral NS5 capping enzyme, a promising target for antiviral drug development. Rational drug design methodologies enabled identification of lead compound BG-323 from this series. We have shown previously that BG-323 potently inhibits NS5 capping enzyme activity, displays antiviral effects in dengue virus replicon assays and inhibits growth of West Nile and yellow fever viruses with low cytotoxicity in vitro. In this study we further characterized BG-323's antiviral activity in vitro and in vivo. We found that BG-323 was able to reduce replication of WNV (NY99 and Powassan viruses in culture, and we were unable to force resistance into WNV (Kunjin in long-term culture experiments. We then evaluated the antiviral activity of BG-323 in a murine model. Mice were challenged with WNV NY99 and administered BG-323 or mock by IP inoculation immediately post challenge and twice daily thereafter. Mice were bled and viremia was quantified on day three. No significant differences in viremia were observed between BG-323-treated and control groups and clinical scores indicated both BG-323-treated and control mice developed signs of illness on approximately the same day post challenge. To determine whether differences in in vitro and in vivo efficacy were due to unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties of BG-323, we conducted a pharmacokinetic evaluation of this small molecule. Insights from pharmacokinetic studies indicate that BG-323 is cell permeable, has a low efflux ratio and does not significantly inhibit two common cytochrome P450 (CYP P450 isoforms thus suggesting this molecule

ATLAS End Cap Toroid Magnets cold mass design and manufacturing status

CERN Document Server

Baynham, D Elwyn; Carr, F S; Densham, C J; Holtom, E; Morrow, D; Towndrow, E F; Luijckx, G; Geerinck, J

2004-01-01

The End Cap Toroid Magnets for the ATLAS experiment at LHC, CERN will contain eight racetrack coils mounted as a single cold mass in a cryostat vessel of approximately 10 m diameter. This paper presents the engineering design of the cold mass and gives the status of the industrial production. The cold mass mechanical structure consisting of 8 coils and keystone boxes is described. Coil fabrication from component assembly, coil winding to final impregnation will be reviewed. The design and industrial manufacture of the keystone box elements is given. The cold mass assembly methods and status are described. 3 Refs.

Anti-pp,. cap alpha cap alpha. and p. cap alpha. elastic scattering at high energies and Chou-Yang conjecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saleem, M.; Fazal-e-Aleem; Rifique, M.

1987-03-01

The recent experimental measurements for anti-pp and ..cap alpha cap alpha.. elastic scattering at high energies have shown that the Chou-Yang conjecture regarding the relationship between the electromagnetic and the hadronic form factor of a particle is only an approximation. A new ansatz has been proposed to obtain hadronic form factors of proton and the ..cap alpha..-particle. These form factors have been used to explain the various characteristics of anti-pp, ..cap alpha cap alpha.. and p..cap alpha.. elastic scattering at high energies.

Interleukin-1β inhibitors for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugen Dhimolea

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Eugen DhimoleaTufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USAAbstract: Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS comprises a group of rare, but severe, inherited autoinflammatory disorders associated with aberrant secretion of interleukin (IL-1. These distinct conditions of autoinflammatory origin include Muckle–Wells syndrome, familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome, and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID, which is also referred to as chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous and articular syndrome. Recently, this group of diseases has been associated with mutations in the NLRP3 gene that encodes for the protein cryopyrin, a component of the inflammasome complex that regulates the maturation and secretion of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Immune cells from patients with NOMID secrete higher levels of active IL-1β compared with monocytes from healthy subjects. Overproduction of IL-1 is believed to promote aberrant inflammatory response in CAPS patients. Evidence supporting the clinical value of IL-1β in CAPS has been provided from the complete response of patients after treatment with IL-1 blocking agents.Keywords: CAPS, IL-1β, NLRP3, canakinumab, anakinra

Does plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 drive lymphangiogenesis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bruyère, Françoise; Melen-Lamalle, Laurence; Blacher, Silvia

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the function of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) during pathological lymphangiogenesis. PAI-1, the main physiological inhibitor of plasminogen activators is involved in pathological angiogenesis at least by controlling extracellular proteolysis and...

Eddy intrusion of hot plasma into the polar cap and formation of polar-cap arcs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Y.T.; Gorney, D.J.

1983-01-01

We present plasma and electric field data obtained by the S3-3 satellite over the polar caps. We demonstrate that: (1) plasma signatures in the polar cap arc formation region near 5000 km altitude show clear intrusions of plasma sheet (approx.keV) and magneto sheath (approx.100 eV) plasma into a background of low-energy polar cap plasma; (2) the combined plasma and electric field signatures (electron inverted-V, ion beam and delxE<0) are exactly the same as in the evening discrete arc. We interpret this equivalence of polar cap and evening discrete arc signatures as indication that their formation processes are identical. The spatial structures of polar cap electric fields and the associated plasma signatures are consistent with the hypothesis that plasma intrusion into the polar cap takes the form of multiple cellular eddies. This hypothesis provides a unifying view of arc formation and arc configurations

Actin capping protein and its inhibitor CARMIL: how intrinsically disordered regions function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Shuichi; Maéda, Yuichiro; Koike, Ryotaro; Ota, Motonori; Nitanai, Yasushi; Minakata, Shiho

2011-01-01

The actin capping protein (CP) tightly binds to the barbed end of actin filaments to block further elongation. The β-tentacle in CP is an important region that ensures stable interaction with actin filaments. CARMIL inhibits the interaction of CP with actin filaments via the C-terminal portion containing the CP-binding motif, located in an intrinsically disordered region. We have proposed an allosteric inhibition model in which CARMIL suppresses CP by the population shift mechanism. Here, we solved a crystal structure of CP in complex with a CARMIL-derived peptide, CA32. The new structure clearly represents the α-helical form of the β-tentacle that was invisible in other CP/CARMIL peptide complex structures. In addition, we exhaustively performed a normal mode analysis with the elastic network model on all available crystal structures of the CP/CARMIL peptide complexes, including the new structure. We concluded that the CP-binding motif is necessary and sufficient for altering the fluctuation of CP, which is essential for attenuating the barbed-end-capping activity along the population shift mechanism. The roles and functions of the β-tentacle and the CP-binding motif are discussed in terms of their intrinsically disordered nature

Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffold Enhanced with RhoA Inhibitor CT04 Improves Axonal Regrowth in the Transected Spinal Cord

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiwei Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present study was designed to explore the therapeutic potential of self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffold (SAPNS delivered RhoA inhibitor to ameliorate the hostile microenvironment of injured spinal cord for axonal regeneration. After a transection was applied to the thoracic spinal cord of mice, the combination of SAPNS and CT04 (a cell permeable RhoA inhibitor, single SAPNS with vehicle, or saline was transplanted into the lesion cavity. Results showed that SAPNS+CT04 implants achieved the best therapeutic outcomes among treatment groups. The novel combination not only reconstructed the injured nerve gap but also elicited significant axonal regeneration and motor functional recovery. Additionally, the combination also effectively reduced the apoptosis and infiltration of activated macrophages in the injured spinal cord. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that SAPNS-based delivery of RhoA inhibitor CT04 presented a highly potential therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury with reknitting lesion gap, attenuating secondary injury, and improving axonal regrowth.

Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Scaffold Enhanced with RhoA Inhibitor CT04 Improves Axonal Regrowth in the Transected Spinal Cord

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiwei, Z.; Xiaoduo, Z.; Zhongying, L.

2012-01-01

The present study was designed to explore the therapeutic potential of self-assembling peptide nano fiber scaffold (SAPNS) delivered RhoA inhibitor to ameliorate the hostile microenvironment of injured spinal cord for axonal regeneration. After a transection was applied to the thoracic spinal cord of mice, the combination of SAPNS and CT04 (a cell permeable RhoA inhibitor), single SAPNS with vehicle, or saline was transplanted into the lesion cavity. Results showed that SAPNS+CT04 implants achieved the best therapeutic outcomes among treatment groups. The novel combination not only reconstructed the injured nerve gap but also elicited significant axonal regeneration and motor functional recovery. Additionally, the combination also effectively reduced the apoptosis and infiltration of activated macrophages in the injured spinal cord. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that SAPNS-based delivery of RhoA inhibitor CT04 presented a highly potential therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury with reknitting lesion gap, attenuating secondary injury, and improving axonal regrowth.

DNA-guided nanoparticle assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Gang, Oleg; Nykypanchuk, Dmytro; Maye, Mathew; van der Lelie, Daniel

2013-07-16

In some embodiments, DNA-capped nanoparticles are used to define a degree of crystalline order in assemblies thereof. In some embodiments, thermodynamically reversible and stable body-centered cubic (bcc) structures, with particles occupying <.about.10% of the unit cell, are formed. Designs and pathways amenable to the crystallization of particle assemblies are identified. In some embodiments, a plasmonic crystal is provided. In some aspects, a method for controlling the properties of particle assemblages is provided. In some embodiments a catalyst is formed from nanoparticles linked by nucleic acid sequences and forming an open crystal structure with catalytically active agents attached to the crystal on its surface or in interstices.

Petal Integration for the CMS Tracker End Caps

CERN Document Server

Bergauer, Thomas; Friedl, Markus; Hansel, S; Hrubec, Josef; Krammer, Manfred; Pernicka, Manfred; Beaumont, Willem; De Wolf, Eddi A; Bouhali, Othmane; Clerbaux, Barbara; Dewulf, Jean-Paul; De Lentdecker, Gilles; Mahmoud, Tariq; Neukermans, Lionel; Van der Velde, C; Vanlaer, Pascal; Wickens, John; D'Hondt, Jorgen; Goorens, Robert; Heyninck, Jan; Tavernier, Stefaan; Udo, Fred; Van Lancker, Luc; Bonnet, Jean-Luc; De Callatay, Bernard; Delaere, Christophe; Florins, Benoit; Grégoire, Ghislain; Keutgen, Thomas; Lemaître, Vincent; Michotte, Daniel; Militaru, Otilia; Piotrzkowski, Krzysztof; Rouby, Xavier; Teyssier, Daniel; Van der Donckt, M; Ageron, Michel; Baulieu, Guillaume; Bonnevaux, Alain; Boudoul, Gaelle; Chabanat, Eric; Chabert, Eric Christian; Contardo, Didier; Della Negra, Rodolphe; Estre, Nicolas; Giraud, Noël; Haroutunian, Roger; Lumb, Nicholas; Mirabito, Laurent; Perriès, Stephane; Trocmé, Benjamin; Vanzetto, Sylvain; Agram, Jean-Laurent; Drouhin, Frédéric; Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Fontaine, Jean-Charles; Berst, Jean-Daniel; Brom, Jean-Marie; Didierjean, Francois; Hosselet, J; Goerlach, Ulrich; Graehling, Philippe; Gross, Laurent; Juillot, Pierre; Lounis, Abdenour; Maazouzi, Chaker; Ollivetto, C; Strub, Roger; Van Hove, Pierre; Adolphi, Roman; Brauer, Richard; Braunschweig, Wolfgang; Esser, Hans; Feld, Lutz; Karpinski, Waclaw; Klein, Katja; König, Stefan; Kosbow, M; Lübelsmeyer, Klaus; Olzem, Jan; Ostapchuk, Andrey; Pandoulas, Demetrios; Pierschel, Gerhard; Schael, Stefan; Schmitz, Stefan Antonius; Schultz von Dratzig, Arndt; Siedling, Rolf; Weber, Markus; Wittmer, Bruno; Wlochal, Michael; Beissel, Franz; Bock, E; Flossdorf, E; Flügge, Günter; Hermanns, Thomas; Heydhausen, Dirk; Jahn, Dieter; Kaussen, Gordon; Linn, Alexander; Poettgens, Michael; Pooth, Oliver; Stahl, Achim; Zoeller, Marc Henning; Butz, Erik; Flucke, Gero; Klanner, Robert; Pein, Uwe; Schirm, Norbert; Schleper, Peter; Steinbruck, G; Stoye, Markus; Van Staa, Rolf; Atz, Bernd; Blüm, Peter; de Boer, Wim; Bogelsbacher, F; Barvich, Tobias; Dehm, Philip; Dierlamm, Alexander; Dirkes, Guido; Fahrer, Manuel; Fernández, J; Frey, Martin; Furgeri, Alexander; Gregoriev, E; Hartmann, Frank; Heier, Stefan; Kaminski, Jochen; Ledermann, Bernhard; Muller, Th; Piaseki, C; Sabellek, Andreas; Simonis, Hans-Jürgen; Steck, Pia; Theel, Andreas; Weiler, Thomas; Weseler, Siegfried; Zhukov, Valery; Freudenreich, Klaus

2008-01-01

This note describes the assembly and testing of the 292 petals built for the CMS Tracker End Caps from the beginning of 2005 until the summer of 2006. Due to the large number of petals to be assembled and the need to reach a throughput of 10 to 15 petals per week, a distributed integration approach was chosen. This integration was carried out by the following institutes: I. and III. Physikalisches Institut - RWTH Aachen University; IIHE, ULB \\& VUB Universities, Brussels; Hamburg University; IEKP, Karlsruhe University; FYNU, Louvain University; IPN, Lyon University; and IPHC, Strasbourg University. Despite the large number of petals which needed to be reworked to cope with a late-discovered module issue, the quality of the petals is excellent with less than 0.2\\% bad channels.

Cradle Cap (For Parents)

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Cradle Cap (Infantile Seborrheic Dermatitis) KidsHealth / For Parents / Cradle Cap ( ... many babies develop called cradle cap. About Cradle Cap Cradle cap is the common term for seborrheic ...

Orthology Guided Assembly in highly heterozygous crops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruttink, Tom; Sterck, Lieven; Rohde, Antje

2013-01-01

to outbreeding crop species hamper De Bruijn Graph-based de novo assembly algorithms, causing transcript fragmentation and the redundant assembly of allelic contigs. If multiple genotypes are sequenced to study genetic diversity, primary de novo assembly is best performed per genotype to limit the level......Despite current advances in next-generation sequencing data analysis procedures, de novo assembly of a reference sequence required for SNP discovery and expression analysis is still a major challenge in genetically uncharacterized, highly heterozygous species. High levels of polymorphism inherent...... of polymorphism and avoid transcript fragmentation. Here, we propose an Orthology Guided Assembly procedure that first uses sequence similarity (tBLASTn) to proteins of a model species to select allelic and fragmented contigs from all genotypes and then performs CAP3 clustering on a gene-by-gene basis. Thus, we...

Binding of the Inhibitor Protein IF1 to Bovine F1-ATPase

Science.gov (United States)

Bason, John V.; Runswick, Michael J.; Fearnley, Ian M.; Walker, John E.

2011-01-01

In the structure of bovine F1-ATPase inhibited with residues 1–60 of the bovine inhibitor protein IF1, the α-helical inhibitor interacts with five of the nine subunits of F1-ATPase. In order to understand the contributions of individual amino acid residues to this complex binding mode, N-terminal deletions and point mutations have been introduced, and the binding properties of each mutant inhibitor protein have been examined. The N-terminal region of IF1 destabilizes the interaction of the inhibitor with F1-ATPase and may assist in removing the inhibitor from its binding site when F1Fo-ATPase is making ATP. Binding energy is provided by hydrophobic interactions between residues in the long α-helix of IF1 and the C-terminal domains of the βDP-subunit and βTP-subunit and a salt bridge between residue E30 in the inhibitor and residue R408 in the C-terminal domain of the βDP-subunit. Several conserved charged amino acids in the long α-helix of IF1 are also required for establishing inhibitory activity, but in the final inhibited state, they are not in contact with F1-ATPase and occupy aqueous cavities in F1-ATPase. They probably participate in the pathway from the initial interaction of the inhibitor and the enzyme to the final inhibited complex observed in the structure, in which two molecules of ATP are hydrolysed and the rotor of the enzyme turns through two 120° steps. These findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of how the inhibitor functions and to the design of new inhibitors for the systematic analysis of the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. PMID:21192948

Tofacitinib and analogs as inhibitors of the histone kinase PRK1 (PKN1).

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrovskyi, Dmytro; Rumpf, Tobias; Eib, Julia; Lumbroso, Alexandre; Slynko, Inna; Klaeger, Susan; Heinzlmeir, Stephanie; Forster, Michael; Gehringer, Matthias; Pfaffenrot, Ellen; Bauer, Silke Mona; Schmidtkunz, Karin; Wenzler, Sandra; Metzger, Eric; Kuster, Bernhard; Laufer, Stefan; Schüle, Roland; Sippl, Wolfgang; Breit, Bernhard; Jung, Manfred

2016-09-01

The histone kinase PRK1 has been identified as a potential target to combat prostate cancer but selective PRK1 inhibitors are lacking. The US FDA -approved JAK1-3 inhibitor tofacitinib also potently inhibits PRK1 in vitro. We show that tofacitinib also inhibits PRK1 in a cellular setting. Using tofacitinib as a starting point for structure-activity relationship studies, we identified a more potent and another more selective PRK1 inhibitor compared with tofacitinib. Furthermore, we found two potential PRK1/JAK3-selectivity hotspots. The identified inhibitors and the selectivity hotspots lay the basis for the development of selective PRK1 inhibitors. The identification of PRK1, but also of other cellular tofacitinib targets, has implications on its clinical use and on future development of tofacitinib-like JAK inhibitors. [Formula: see text].

Electron microscopic analysis of rotavirus assembly-replication intermediates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudreaux, Crystal E.; Kelly, Deborah F.; McDonald, Sarah M.

2015-01-01

Rotaviruses (RVs) replicate their segmented, double-stranded RNA genomes in tandem with early virion assembly. In this study, we sought to gain insight into the ultrastructure of RV assembly-replication intermediates (RIs) using transmission electron microscopy (EM). Specifically, we examined a replicase-competent, subcellular fraction that contains all known RV RIs. Three never-before-seen complexes were visualized in this fraction. Using in vitro reconstitution, we showed that ~15-nm doughnut-shaped proteins in strings were nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2) bound to viral RNA transcripts. Moreover, using immunoaffinity-capture EM, we revealed that ~20-nm pebble-shaped complexes contain the viral RNA polymerase (VP1) and RNA capping enzyme (VP3). Finally, using a gel purification method, we demonstrated that ~30–70-nm electron-dense, particle-shaped complexes represent replicase-competent core RIs, containing VP1, VP3, and NSP2 as well as capsid proteins VP2 and VP6. The results of this study raise new questions about the interactions among viral proteins and RNA during the concerted assembly–replicase process. - Highlights: • Rotaviruses replicate their genomes in tandem with early virion assembly. • Little is known about rotavirus assembly-replication intermediates. • Assembly-replication intermediates were imaged using electron microscopy

Electron microscopic analysis of rotavirus assembly-replication intermediates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boudreaux, Crystal E.; Kelly, Deborah F. [Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (United States); McDonald, Sarah M., E-mail: mcdonaldsa@vtc.vt.edu [Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, Roanoke, VA (United States); Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia—Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA (United States)

2015-03-15

Rotaviruses (RVs) replicate their segmented, double-stranded RNA genomes in tandem with early virion assembly. In this study, we sought to gain insight into the ultrastructure of RV assembly-replication intermediates (RIs) using transmission electron microscopy (EM). Specifically, we examined a replicase-competent, subcellular fraction that contains all known RV RIs. Three never-before-seen complexes were visualized in this fraction. Using in vitro reconstitution, we showed that ~15-nm doughnut-shaped proteins in strings were nonstructural protein 2 (NSP2) bound to viral RNA transcripts. Moreover, using immunoaffinity-capture EM, we revealed that ~20-nm pebble-shaped complexes contain the viral RNA polymerase (VP1) and RNA capping enzyme (VP3). Finally, using a gel purification method, we demonstrated that ~30–70-nm electron-dense, particle-shaped complexes represent replicase-competent core RIs, containing VP1, VP3, and NSP2 as well as capsid proteins VP2 and VP6. The results of this study raise new questions about the interactions among viral proteins and RNA during the concerted assembly–replicase process. - Highlights: • Rotaviruses replicate their genomes in tandem with early virion assembly. • Little is known about rotavirus assembly-replication intermediates. • Assembly-replication intermediates were imaged using electron microscopy.

Profilin-Dependent Nucleation and Assembly of Actin Filaments Controls Cell Elongation in Arabidopsis1[OPEN

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Lingyan; Blanchoin, Laurent; Staiger, Christopher J.

2016-01-01

Actin filaments in plant cells are incredibly dynamic; they undergo incessant remodeling and assembly or disassembly within seconds. These dynamic events are choreographed by a plethora of actin-binding proteins, but the exact mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we dissect the contribution of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) PROFILIN1 (PRF1), a conserved actin monomer-binding protein, to actin organization and single filament dynamics during axial cell expansion of living epidermal cells. We found that reduced PRF1 levels enhanced cell and organ growth. Surprisingly, we observed that the overall frequency of nucleation events in prf1 mutants was dramatically decreased and that a subpopulation of actin filaments that assemble at high rates was reduced. To test whether profilin cooperates with plant formin proteins to execute actin nucleation and rapid filament elongation in cells, we used a pharmacological approach. Here, we used Small Molecule Inhibitor of Formin FH2 (SMIFH2), after validating its mode of action on a plant formin in vitro, and observed a reduced nucleation frequency of actin filaments in live cells. Treatment of wild-type epidermal cells with SMIFH2 mimicked the phenotype of prf1 mutants, and the nucleation frequency in prf1-2 mutant was completely insensitive to these treatments. Our data provide compelling evidence that PRF1 coordinates the stochastic dynamic properties of actin filaments by modulating formin-mediated actin nucleation and assembly during plant cell expansion. PMID:26574597

Qualification Approach for the CMC Nose Cap of X-38

Science.gov (United States)

Weihs, H.; Gülhan, A.

2002-01-01

In October 2001 the flight hardware of the TPS nose assembly of X-38 has been installed at the main structure of the X-38 V201 vehicle at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas. X-38 is a test vehicle for the planned Crew Return Vehicle CRV for the International Space Station ISS. Currently the flight of the X-38 is scheduled for 2005. Besides the Body flaps (MAN-T) and the nose skirt system (ASTRIUM, MAN-T) the nose cap system is one of the essential hot structure components that were developed within Germany's national TETRA (Technologies for future space transportation systems) programme. The integration of the hardware was an important milestone for the nose cap development which started approx. 5 years ago. DLR-Stuttgart is responsible for the design and manufacturing of the CMC based nose cap system, which has to withstand the extreme thermal loads during re-entry which will induce a maximum temperature up to 1750 °C on the surface of the cap. Thus, the shell of the cap system is designed and manufactured using DLR's C/C-SiC material which is a special kind of carbon based ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material produced via the in house liquid silicon infiltration process of DLR. This material has demonstrated its good temperature resistance during FOTON and EXPRESS re-entry capsule missions. Besides the design and manufacturing of the nose cap system, the qualification approach was an important effort of the development work. Missing a test facility which is able to simulate all loading conditions from lift off to re-entry and landing, is was necessary to separate the loads and to use different test facilities. Considering the limitations of the facilities, the budget and time constraints, an optimized test philosophy has been established. The goal was to use a full scale qualification unit including all TPS components of the nose area for most of the tests. These were the simulation of ascent loads given by the shuttle requirements and descent loads

RNA processing and ribonucleoprotein assembly studied in vivo by RNA transfection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleinschmidt, A.M.; Pederson, T.

1990-01-01

The authors present a method for studying RNA processing and ribonucleoprotein assembly in vivo, by using RNA synthesized in vitro. SP6-transcribed 32 P-labeled U2 small nuclear RNA precursor molecules were introduced into cultured human 293 cells by calcium phosphate-mediated uptake, as in standard DNA transfection experiments. RNase protection mapping demonstrated that the introduced pre-U2 RNA underwent accurate 3' end processing. The introduced U2 RNA was assembled into ribonucleoprotein particles that reacted with an antibody specific for proteins known to be associated with the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle. The 3' end-processed, ribonucleoprotein-assembled U2 RNA accumulated in the nuclear fraction. When pre-U2 RNA with a 7-methylguanosine group at the 5' end was introduced into cells, it underwent conversion to a 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine cap structure, a characteristic feature of the U-small nuclear RNAs. Pre-U2 RNA introduced with an adenosine cap (Ap-ppG) also underwent processing, small nuclear ribonucleoprotein assembly, and nuclear accumulation, establishing that a methylated guanosine cap structure is not required for these steps in U2 small nuclear ribonucleprotein biosynthesis. Beyond its demonstrated usefulness in the study of small nuclear ribonucleoprotein biosynthesis, RNA transfection may be of general applicability to the investigation of eukaryotic RNA processing in vivo and may also offer opportunities for introducing therapeutically targeted RNAs (ribozymes or antisense RNA) into cells

A novel fluorescent biosensor for adrenaline detection and tyrosinase inhibitor screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ziping; Liu, Shasha

2018-04-17

In this work, a novel simple fluorescent biosensor for the highly sensitive and selective detection of adrenaline was established. Firstly, water-soluble CuInS 2 quantum dots (QDs) capped by L-Cys were synthesized via a hydrothermal synthesis method. Then, the positively charged adrenaline was assembled on the surface of CuInS 2 QDs due to the electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, which led to the formation of adrenaline-CuInS 2 QD (Adr-CuInS 2 QD) electrostatic complexes. Tyrosinase (TYR) can catalyze adrenaline to generate H 2 O 2 , and additionally oxidize the adrenaline to adrenaline quinone. Both the H 2 O 2 and the adrenaline quinone can quench the fluorescence of the CuInS 2 QDs through the electron transfer (ET) process. Thus, the determination of adrenaline could be facilely achieved by taking advantage of the fluorescence "turn off" feature of CuInS 2 QDs. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence quenching ratio I f /I f0 (I f and I f0 were the fluorescence intensity of Adr-CuInS 2 QDs in the presence and absence of TYR, respectively) was proportional to the logarithm of adrenaline concentration in the range of 1 × 10 -8 -1 × 10 -4  mol L -1 with the detection limit of 3.6 nmol L -1 . The feasibility of the proposed biosensor in real sample assay was also studied and satisfactory results were obtained. Significantly, the proposed fluorescent biosensor can also be utilized to screen TYR inhibitors. Graphical abstract Schematic illustration of the fluorescent biosensor for adrenaline detection (A) and tyrosinase inhibitor screening (B).

Model for capping of membrane receptors based on boundary surface effects

Science.gov (United States)

Gershon, N. D.

1978-01-01

Crosslinking of membrane surface receptors may lead to their segregation into patches and then into a single large aggregate at one pole of the cell. This process is called capping. Here, a novel explanation of such a process is presented in which the membrane is viewed as a supersaturated solution of receptors in the lipid bilayer and the adjacent two aqueous layers. Without a crosslinking agent, a patch of receptors that is less than a certain size cannot stay in equilibrium with the solution and thus should dissolve. Patches greater than a certain size are stable and can, in principle, grow by the precipitation of the remaining dissolved receptors from the supersaturated solution. The task of the crosslinking molecules is to form such stable patches. These considerations are based on a qualitative thermodynamic calculation that takes into account the existence of a boundary tension in a patch (in analogy to the surface tension of a droplet). Thermodynamically, these systems should cap spontaneously after the patches have reached a certain size. But, in practice, such a process can be very slow. A suspension of patches may stay practically stable. The ways in which a cell may abolish this metastable equilibrium and thus achieve capping are considered and possible effects of capping inhibitors are discussed. PMID:274724

Human recombinant cementum attachment protein (hrPTPLa/CAP) promotes hydroxyapatite crystal formation in vitro and bone healing in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Gonzalo; Arenas, Jesús; Romo, Enrique; Zeichner-David, Margarita; Alvarez, Marco; Narayanan, A Sampath; Velázquez, Ulises; Mercado, Gabriela; Arzate, Higinio

2014-12-01

Cementum extracellular matrix is similar to other mineralized tissues; however, this unique tissue contains molecules only present in cementum. A cDNA of these molecules, cementum attachment protein (hrPTPLa/CAP) was cloned and expressed in a prokaryotic system. This molecule is an alternative splicing of protein tyrosine phosphatase-like A (PTPLa). In this study, we wanted to determine the structural and functional characteristics of this protein. Our results indicate that hrPTPLa/CAP contains a 43.2% α-helix, 8.9% β-sheet, 2% β-turn and 45.9% random coil secondary structure. Dynamic light scattering shows that this molecule has a size distribution of 4.8 nm and aggregates as an estimated mass of 137 kDa species. AFM characterization and FE-SEM studies indicate that this protein self-assembles into nanospheres with sizes ranging from 7.0 to 27 nm in diameter. Functional studies demonstrate that hrPTPLa/CAP promotes hydroxyapatite crystal nucleation: EDS analysis revealed that hrPTPLa/CAP-induced crystals had a 1.59 ± 0.06 Ca/P ratio. Further confirmation with MicroRaman spectrometry and TEM confirm the presence of hydroxyapatite. In vivo studies using critical-size defects in rat cranium showed that hrPTPLa/CAP promoted 73% ± 2.19% and 87% ± 1.97% new bone formation at 4 and 8 weeks respectively. Although originally identified in cementum, PTPLa/CAP is very effective at inducing bone repair and healing and therefore this novel molecule has a great potential to be used for mineralized tissue bioengineering and tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mapping of the Mouse Actin Capping Protein Beta Subunit Gene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cooper John A

2000-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Capping protein (CP, a heterodimer of α and β subunits, is found in all eukaryotes. CP binds to the barbed ends of actin filaments in vitro and controls actin assembly and cell motility in vivo. Vertebrates have three isoforms of CPβ produced by alternatively splicing from one gene; lower organisms have one gene and one isoform. Results We isolated genomic clones corresponding to the β subunit of mouse CP and identified its chromosomal location by interspecies backcross mapping. Conclusions The CPβ gene (Cappb1 mapped to Chromosome 4 between Cdc42 and D4Mit312. Three mouse mutations, snubnose, curly tail, and cribriform degeneration, map in the vicinity of the β gene.

The effects of residual platelets in plasma on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1-related assays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Pieters (Marlien); S.A. Barnard (Sunelle A.); D.T. Loots (Du Toit); D.C. Rijken (Dingeman)

2017-01-01

textabstractDue to controversial evidence in the literature pertaining to the activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in platelets, we examined the effects of residual platelets present in plasma (a potential pre-analytical variable) on various plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and plasminogen

Drosophila homologues of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and the formin diaphanous collaborate by a conserved mechanism to stimulate actin filament assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, Richa; Stepanik, Vince; Rankova, Aneliya; Molinar, Olivia; Goode, Bruce L; McCartney, Brooke M

2013-05-10

Vertebrate APC collaborates with Dia through its Basic domain to assemble actin filaments. Despite limited sequence homology between the vertebrate and Drosophila APC Basic domains, Drosophila APC1 collaborates with Dia to stimulate actin assembly in vitro. The mechanism of actin assembly is highly conserved over evolution. APC-Dia collaborations may be crucial in a wide range of animal cells. Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) is a large multidomain protein that regulates the cytoskeleton. Recently, it was shown that vertebrate APC through its Basic domain directly collaborates with the formin mDia1 to stimulate actin filament assembly in the presence of nucleation barriers. However, it has been unclear whether these activities extend to homologues of APC and Dia in other organisms. Drosophila APC and Dia are each required to promote actin furrow formation in the syncytial embryo, suggesting a potential collaboration in actin assembly, but low sequence homology between the Basic domains of Drosophila and vertebrate APC has left their functional and mechanistic parallels uncertain. To address this question, we purified Drosophila APC1 and Dia and determined their individual and combined effects on actin assembly using both bulk fluorescence assays and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Our data show that APC1, similar to its vertebrate homologue, bound to actin monomers and nucleated and bundled filaments. Further, Drosophila Dia nucleated actin assembly and protected growing filament barbed ends from capping protein. Drosophila APC1 and Dia directly interacted and collaborated to promote actin assembly in the combined presence of profilin and capping protein. Thus, despite limited sequence homology, Drosophila and vertebrate APCs exhibit highly related activities and mechanisms and directly collaborate with formins. These results suggest that APC-Dia interactions in actin assembly are conserved and may underlie important in vivo functions in a broad

Diagnostic criteria for cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Kuemmerle-Deschner, Jasmin B; Ozen, Seza; Tyrrell, Pascal N; Kone-Paut, Isabelle; Goldbach-Mansky, Raphaela; Lachmann, Helen; Blank, Norbert; Hoffman, Hal M; Weissbarth-Riedel, Elisabeth; Hugle, Boris; Kallinich, Tilmann; Gattorno, Marco; Gul, Ahmet; Ter Haar, Nienke; Oswald, Marlen; Dedeoglu, Fatma; Cantarini, Luca; Benseler, Susanne M

2017-06-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a rare, heterogeneous disease entity associated with NLRP3 gene mutations and increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion. Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of IL-1 inhibition prevent organ damage. The aim of the study was to develop and validate diagnostic criteria for CAPS. An innovative process was followed including interdisciplinary team building, item generation: review of CAPS registries, systematic literature review, expert surveys, consensus conferences for item refinement, item reduction and weighting using 1000Minds decision software. Resulting CAPS criteria were tested in large cohorts of CAPS cases and controls using correspondence analysis. Diagnostic models were explored using sensitivity analyses. The international team included 16 experts. Systematic literature and registry review identified 33 CAPS-typical items; the consensus conferences reduced these to 14. 1000Minds exercises ranked variables based on importance for the diagnosis. Correspondence analysis determined variables consistently associated with the diagnosis of CAPS using 284 cases and 837 controls. Seven variables were significantly associated with CAPS (pCAPS-typical symptoms: urticaria-like rash, cold-triggered episodes, sensorineural hearing loss, musculoskeletal symptoms, chronic aseptic meningitis and skeletal abnormalities. Sensitivity was 81%, specificity 94%. It performed well for all CAPS subtypes and regardless of NLRP3 mutation. The novel approach integrated traditional methods of evidence synthesis with expert consensus, web-based decision tools and innovative statistical methods and may serve as model for other rare diseases. These criteria will enable a rapid diagnosis for children and adults with CAPS. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Enhancement of device performance by using quaternary capping over ternary capping in strain-coupled InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tongbram, B.; Shetty, S.; Ghadi, H.; Adhikary, S.; Chakrabarti, S.

2015-01-01

We investigate and compare the performance of 30 layers strain-coupled quantum dot (SCQD) infrared photodetectors capped with one of two different layers: a quaternary (In 0.21 Al 0.21 Ga 0.58 As) or ternary (In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As) alloy of 30 Aa and a GaAs layer with a thickness of 120-150 Aa. Measurements of optical properties, spectral responsivity, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy were conducted. Results showed that quaternary capping yielded more superior multilayer QD infrared photodetectors than ternary capping. Quaternary capping resulted in enhanced dot size, order, and uniformity of the QD array. The presence of Al in the capped layer helped in the reduction in dark current density and spectral linewidth as well as led to higher electron confinement of the QDs and enhanced device detectivity. The vertically ordered SCQD system with quaternary capping exhibited higher peak detectivity (∝10 10 cm Hz 1/2 /W) than that with ternary capping (∝10 7 cm Hz 1/2 /W). In addition, a very low noise current density of ∝10 -16 A/cm 2 Hz 1/2 at 77 K was achieved with quaternary-capped QDs. (orig.)

Zwint-1 is required for spindle assembly checkpoint function and kinetochore-microtubule attachment during oocyte meiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Woo Seo, Dong; Yeop You, Seung; Chung, Woo-Jae; Cho, Dong-Hyung; Kim, Jae-Sung; Su Oh, Jeong

2015-10-21

The key step for faithful chromosome segregation during meiosis is kinetochore assembly. Defects in this process result in aneuploidy, leading to miscarriages, infertility and various birth defects. However, the roles of kinetochores in homologous chromosome segregation during meiosis are ill-defined. Here we found that Zwint-1 is required for homologous chromosome segregation during meiosis. Knockdown of Zwint-1 accelerated the first meiosis by abrogating the kinetochore recruitment of Mad2, leading to chromosome misalignment and a high incidence of aneuploidy. Although Zwint-1 knockdown did not affect Aurora C kinase activity, the meiotic defects following Zwint-1 knockdown were similar to those observed with ZM447439 treatment. Importantly, the chromosome misalignment following Aurora C kinase inhibition was not restored after removing the inhibitor in Zwint-1-knockdown oocytes, whereas the defect was rescued after the inhibitor washout in the control oocytes. These results suggest that Aurora C kinase-mediated correction of erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachment is primarily regulated by Zwint-1. Our results provide the first evidence that Zwint-1 is required to correct erroneous kinetochore-microtubule attachment and regulate spindle checkpoint function during meiosis.

20 CFR 606.22 - Application for cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Application for cap. 606.22 Section 606.22... Reduction § 606.22 Application for cap. (a) Application. (1) The Governor of the State shall make... a State requests a cap on tax credit reduction. The Governor is required to notify the Department on...

Cradle Cap: Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Cradle cap Treatment Cradle cap usually doesn't require medical treatment. It clears up on its own within a few months. In the meantime, wash ... tips can help you control and manage cradle cap. Gently rub your baby's scalp with your fingers ...

PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors for Immuno-oncology: From Antibodies to Small Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Qiaohong; Jiao, Peifu; Jin, Peng; Su, Gaoxing; Dong, Jinlong; Yan, Bing

2018-02-12

The recent regulatory approvals of immune checkpoint protein inhibitors, such as ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab ushered a new era in cancer therapy. These inhibitors do not attack tumor cells directly but instead mobilize the immune system to re-recognize and eradicate tumors, which endows them with unique advantages including durable clinical responses and substantial clinical benefits. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, a pillar of immune checkpoint protein inhibitors, have demonstrated unprecedented clinical efficacy in more than 20 cancer types. Besides monoclonal antibodies, diverse PD- 1/PD-L1 inhibiting candidates, such as peptides, small molecules have formed a powerful collection of weapons to fight cancer. The goal of this review is to summarize and discuss the current PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors including candidates under clinical development, their molecular interactions with PD-1 or PD-L1, the disclosed structureactivity relationships of peptides and small molecules as inhibitors. Current PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors under clinical development are exclusively dominated by antibodies. The molecular interactions of therapeutic antibodies with PD-1 or PD-L1 have been gradually elucidated for the design of novel inhibitors. Various peptides and traditional small molecules have been investigated in preclinical model to discover novel PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Peptides and small molecules may play an important role in immuno-oncology because they may bind to multiple immune checkpoint proteins via rational design, opening opportunity for a new generation of novel PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The Antibacterial Cell Division Inhibitor PC190723 Is an FtsZ Polymer-stabilizing Agent That Induces Filament Assembly and Condensation*

OpenAIRE

Andreu, José M.; Schaffner-Barbero, Claudia; Huecas, Sonia; Alonso, Dulce; Lopez-Rodriguez, María L.; Ruiz-Avila, Laura B.; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Llorca, Oscar; Martín-Galiano, Antonio J.

2010-01-01

Cell division protein FtsZ can form single-stranded filaments with a cooperative behavior by self-switching assembly. Subsequent condensation and bending of FtsZ filaments are important for the formation and constriction of the cytokinetic ring. PC190723 is an effective bactericidal cell division inhibitor that targets FtsZ in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and does not affect Escherichia coli cells, which apparently binds to a zone equivalent to the binding site of ...

Long term management of patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS): focus on rilonacept (IL-1 Trap).

Science.gov (United States)

Church, Leigh D; Savic, Sinisa; McDermott, Michael F

2008-12-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) are a group of inherited inflammatory disorders consisting of familial cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS), Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID; also known as chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular [CINCA] syndrome). These rare disorders are associated with heterozygous mutations in the NLRP3 (CIAS1) gene, which encodes the protein NALP3 or cryopyrin, and inflammation driven by excessive production of the cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta). Amyloidosis is a serious complication with 25% of MWS patients developing amyloidosis, with occasional fatal consequences, whilst up to 20% of CINCA/NOMID patients die from various complications, before reaching the early adulthood. In some CINCA/NOMID adult survivors amyloidosis can also occur. Prior to the discovery of the CIAS1 gene mutations and the advent of IL-1 targeted therapy, treatment was aimed at suppressing inflammation, with limited success. The selective blockade of IL-1beta, with anakinra (IL-1 receptor antagonist), not only provided supportive evidence for the role of IL-1beta in CAPS, but also demonstrated the efficacy of targeting IL-1beta for treatment of these conditions. In February, 2008, 'Orphan Drug' approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for rilonacept (IL-1 Trap/Arcalyst(), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc) was given for the treatment of two CAPS disorders, FCAS and MWS in adults and children 12 years and older, making rilonacept the first therapy approved for the treatment of CAPS.

Preparation of radioiodinated insulin and thyroid stimulating hormone using 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3. cap alpha. , 6. cap alpha. -diphenylglycouril (iodogen) for radioimmunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pillai, M R.A.; Gupte, J H; Jyotsna, T; Mani, R S

1987-11-01

Radioiodinated insulin and thyroid stimulating hormones were prepared using 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3..cap alpha.., 6..cap alpha..-diphenylglycouril (iodogen). Conditions of iodination like concentration of iodogen, reaction time, etc. were optimized to get maximum yield. Stability studies of iodogen coated tubes were carried out over a period of time. The dependence of iodination yield on varying amounts of activity and protein concentration were investigated. Iodination yield over a range of pH was also studied. The radiolabelled hormones prepared by this method were used in radioimmunoassay and compared with tracers prepared by the Chloramine-T method. (author) 16 refs.; 5 tabs.

Self-assembly of virus-like particles of porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein expressed from Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cai Xuepeng

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2 is a serious problem to the swine industry and can lead to significant negative impacts on profitability of pork production. Syndrome associated with PCV2 is known as porcine circovirus closely associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS. The capsid (Cap protein of PCV2 is a major candidate antigen for development of recombinant vaccine and serological diagnostic method. The recombinant Cap protein has the ability to self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs in vitro, it is particularly opportunity to develop the PV2 VLPs vaccine in Escherichia coli,(E.coli , because where the cost of the vaccine must be weighed against the value of the vaccinated pig, when it was to extend use the VLPs vaccine of PCV2. Results In this report, a highly soluble Cap-tag protein expressed in E.coli was constructed with a p-SMK expression vector with a fusion tag of small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO. The recombinant Cap was purified using Ni2+ affinity resins, whereas the tag was used to remove the SUMO protease. Simultaneously, the whole native Cap protein was able to self-assemble into VLPs in vitro when viewed under an electron microscope. The Cap-like particles had a size and shape that resembled the authentic Cap. The result could also be applied in the large-scale production of VLPs of PCV2 and could be used as a diagnostic antigen or a potential VLP vaccine against PCV2 infection in pigs. Conclusion we have, for the first time, utilized the SUMO fusion motif to successfully express the entire authentic Cap protein of PCV2 in E. coli. After the cleavage of the fusion motif, the nCap protein has the ability to self-assemble into VLPs, which can be used as as a potential vaccine to protect pigs from PCV2-infection.

Self-assembly of virus-like particles of porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein expressed from Escherichia coli

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) is a serious problem to the swine industry and can lead to significant negative impacts on profitability of pork production. Syndrome associated with PCV2 is known as porcine circovirus closely associated with post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). The capsid (Cap) protein of PCV2 is a major candidate antigen for development of recombinant vaccine and serological diagnostic method. The recombinant Cap protein has the ability to self-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) in vitro, it is particularly opportunity to develop the PV2 VLPs vaccine in Escherichia coli,(E.coli ), because where the cost of the vaccine must be weighed against the value of the vaccinated pig, when it was to extend use the VLPs vaccine of PCV2. Results In this report, a highly soluble Cap-tag protein expressed in E.coli was constructed with a p-SMK expression vector with a fusion tag of small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMO). The recombinant Cap was purified using Ni2+ affinity resins, whereas the tag was used to remove the SUMO protease. Simultaneously, the whole native Cap protein was able to self-assemble into VLPs in vitro when viewed under an electron microscope. The Cap-like particles had a size and shape that resembled the authentic Cap. The result could also be applied in the large-scale production of VLPs of PCV2 and could be used as a diagnostic antigen or a potential VLP vaccine against PCV2 infection in pigs. Conclusion we have, for the first time, utilized the SUMO fusion motif to successfully express the entire authentic Cap protein of PCV2 in E. coli. After the cleavage of the fusion motif, the nCap protein has the ability to self-assemble into VLPs, which can be used as as a potential vaccine to protect pigs from PCV2-infection. PMID:20646322

Differential expression of cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI) gene of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJL

2012-03-08

Mar 8, 2012 ... cDNA synthesis was performed using SmartTM. RACE cDNA ... minipreps) and used as a template for DNA sequencing. Nucleotide sequence analysis. The fragments were linked by the soft Bio-Edit CAP contig assembly ...

Polar Ice Caps: a Canary for the Greenland Ice Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Honsaker, W.; Lowell, T. V.; Sagredo, E.; Kelly, M. A.; Hall, B. L.

2010-12-01

changes in ELA where you can track an “on-off” type of mass balance switch. To place these ELA changes into temporal context, we propose to investigate proglacial lake environments below the various catchments. We intend to take rock flour as an indicator that the individual catchment is above the ELA. By contrasting the chronology from different catchments we can assemble minor ELA changes. Such an approach could be applied for other ice caps in Greenland and other areas, such as the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru.

Assessment of radionuclide databases in CAP88 mainframe version 1.0 and Windows-based version 3.0.

Science.gov (United States)

LaBone, Elizabeth D; Farfán, Eduardo B; Lee, Patricia L; Jannik, G Timothy; Donnelly, Elizabeth H; Foley, Trevor Q

2009-09-01

In this study the radionuclide databases for two versions of the Clean Air Act Assessment Package-1988 (CAP88) computer model were assessed in detail. CAP88 estimates radiation dose and the risk of health effects to human populations from radionuclide emissions to air. This program is used by several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities to comply with National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants regulations. CAP88 Mainframe, referred to as version 1.0 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site (http://www.epa.gov/radiation/assessment/CAP88/), was the very first CAP88 version released in 1988. Some DOE facilities including the Savannah River Site still employ this version (1.0) while others use the more user-friendly personal computer Windows-based version 3.0 released in December 2007. Version 1.0 uses the program RADRISK based on International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 30 as its radionuclide database. Version 3.0 uses half-life, dose, and risk factor values based on Federal Guidance Report 13. Differences in these values could cause different results for the same input exposure data (same scenario), depending on which version of CAP88 is used. Consequently, the differences between the two versions are being assessed in detail at Savannah River National Laboratory. The version 1.0 and 3.0 database files contain 496 and 838 radionuclides, respectively, and though one would expect the newer version to include all the 496 radionuclides, 35 radionuclides are listed in version 1.0 that are not included in version 3.0. The majority of these has either extremely short or long half-lives or is no longer in production; however, some of the short-lived radionuclides might produce progeny of great interest at DOE sites. In addition, 122 radionuclides were found to have different half-lives in the two versions, with 21 over 3 percent different and 12 over 10 percent different.

IAA transport in corn roots includes the root cap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasenstein, K.H.

1989-01-01

In earlier reports we concluded that auxin is the growth regulator that controls gravicurvature in roots and that the redistribution of auxin occurs within the root cap. Since other reports did not detect auxin in the root cap, we attempted to confirm the IAA does move through the cap. Agar blocks containing 3 H-IAA were applied to the cut surface of 5 mm long apical segments of primary roots of corn (mo17xB73). After 30 to 120 min radioactivity (RA) of the cap and root tissue was determined. While segments suspended in water-saturated air accumulated very little RA in the cap, application of 0.5 μ1 of dist. water to the cap (=controls) increased RA of the cap dramatically. Application to the cap of 0.5 μ1 of sorbitol or the Ca 2+ chelator EGTA reduced cap RA to 46% and 70% respectively compared to water, without affecting uptake. Control root segments gravireacted faster than non-treated or osmoticum or EGTA treated segments. The data indicate that both the degree of hydration and calcium control the amount of auxin moving through the cap

Immunoprecipitation of Tri-methylated Capped RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Karen E; Barr, Jamie A; Xie, Mingyi; Steitz, Joan A; Martinez, Ivan

2018-02-05

Cellular quiescence (also known as G 0 arrest) is characterized by reduced DNA replication, increased autophagy, and increased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase p27 Kip1 . Quiescence is essential for wound healing, organ regeneration, and preventing neoplasia. Previous findings indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating cellular quiescence. Our recent publication demonstrated the existence of an alternative miRNA biogenesis pathway in primary human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells during quiescence. Indeed, we have identified a group of pri-miRNAs (whose mature miRNAs were found induced during quiescence) modified with a 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine (TMG)-cap by the trimethylguanosine synthase 1 (TGS1) protein and transported to the cytoplasm by the Exportin-1 (XPO1) protein. We used an antibody against (TMG)-caps (which does not cross-react with the (m 7 G)-caps that most pri-miRNAs or mRNAs contain [Luhrmann et al ., 1982]) to perform RNA immunoprecipitations from total RNA extracts of proliferating or quiescent HFFs. The novelty of this assay is the specific isolation of pri-miRNAs as well as other non-coding RNAs containing a TMG-cap modification.

Photoactivable caps for reactive metal nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Ashish

The synthesis and stabilization of reactive metal nanoparticles is often challenging under normal atmospheric conditions. This problem can be alleviated by capping and passivation. Our lab has focused on forming polymer coatings on the surface of reactive metal nanoparticles. We discovered a convenient and effective route for stabilization of aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs), which uses the nascent metal core as a polymerization initiator for various organic monomers. In our previous work, we used this method to passivate the Al NPs using variety of epoxides and copolymers of epoxides and alkenes. These products have demonstrated air stability for weeks to months with little to no degradation in the active Al content. Since our previously synthesized Al NP's were not beneficial for rapid and efficient thermodynamic access to the active Al core, our goal was find polymers that could easily be photochemically activated to enhance such access. Since poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has photodegrading properties, we used PMMA as a capping agent to passivate Al NPs. In this work, we present capping and stabilization of Al NPs with PMMA, and also with 1,2-epoxyhexane/ PMMA. In our previous work, we increased the stability of Al NP capped with 1,2-epoxy-9-decene by adding 1,13-tetradecadiene as a cross-linker. Here, we used the methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer as cross-linker for Al NP capped with 1,2-epoxy-9-decene. We have also used the MMA as capping agent. We use powder x-ray diffractametry (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravity analysis (TGA) to confirm the presence of elemental Al and ATR-FTIR to confirm the presence of polymers.

Inhibition of translation by 7-methyl guanosine (m7G) nucleotide cap analogs with derivatized 5'-monophosphates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tahara, S.M.; Darzynkiewicz, E.; Ekiel, I.

1986-01-01

Recognition of the 5'-m 7 GpppN (cap) structure of eukaryote mRNA is an important step of translation initiation as shown by the potent inhibitory effect of m 7 G nucleotides on this process. A comparison of cap analogs as competitive inhibitors of initiation has allowed the authors to map probable protein-ligand contact points between the cap and cognate cap binding proteins (CBPs). Recently, several new derivatives of m 7 GMP (1) with modified phosphates were synthesized: m 7 G 5'-phosphite (2), m 7 G 5'-phosphoramidate (3), m 7 G 5'-methylphosphonate (4), and m 7 G 5'-phosphate-O-methyl ester (5). In addition, 7,8-dimethyl GMP (6) and 7-methyl 8-amino GMP (7) were synthesized. 6 and7 are primarily syn and anti respectively, relative to the glycosidic bond as shown by solution NMR studies. Inhibition by analogs on total translation in reticulocyte lysate and binding of mRNA to rabbit reticulocyte ribosomes was found to be: 1 = 3 > 5 > 4 > 2. The inhibitory activity of 3 was unexpected since it is isosteric with 4, however it suggested that electron configuration and/or the ability to form a hydrogen bond between protein and the phosphate moiety might be important for ligand binding. 7 was more inhibitory than 6. The latter two are isosteric therefore differences in electron delocalization and/or syn-anti conformation are likely to be the reason(s) for the observed difference

Mechanisms Underlying the Delayed Activation of the Cap1 Transcription Factor in Candida albicans following Combinatorial Oxidative and Cationic Stress Important for Phagocytic Potency.

Science.gov (United States)

Kos, Iaroslava; Patterson, Miranda J; Znaidi, Sadri; Kaloriti, Despoina; da Silva Dantas, Alessandra; Herrero-de-Dios, Carmen M; d'Enfert, Christophe; Brown, Alistair J P; Quinn, Janet

2016-03-29

Following phagocytosis, microbes are exposed to an array of antimicrobial weapons that include reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cationic fluxes. This is significant as combinations of oxidative and cationic stresses are much more potent than the corresponding single stresses, triggering the synergistic killing of the fungal pathogenCandida albicansby "stress pathway interference." Previously we demonstrated that combinatorial oxidative plus cationic stress triggers a dramatic increase in intracellular ROS levels compared to oxidative stress alone. Here we show that activation of Cap1, the major regulator of antioxidant gene expression inC. albicans, is significantly delayed in response to combinatorial stress treatments and to high levels of H2O2 Cap1 is normally oxidized in response to H2O2; this masks the nuclear export sequence, resulting in the rapid nuclear accumulation of Cap1 and the induction of Cap1-dependent genes. Here we demonstrate that following exposure of cells to combinatorial stress or to high levels of H2O2, Cap1 becomes trapped in a partially oxidized form, Cap1(OX-1) Notably, Cap1-dependent gene expression is not induced when Cap1 is in this partially oxidized form. However, while Cap1(OX-1)readily accumulates in the nucleus and binds to target genes following high-H2O2stress, the nuclear accumulation of Cap1(OX-1)following combinatorial H2O2and NaCl stress is delayed due to a cationic stress-enhanced interaction with the Crm1 nuclear export factor. These findings define novel mechanisms that delay activation of the Cap1 transcription factor, thus preventing the rapid activation of the stress responses vital for the survival ofC. albicanswithin the host. Combinatorial stress-mediated synergistic killing represents a new unchartered area in the field of stress signaling. This phenomenon contrasts starkly with "stress cross-protection," where exposure to one stress protects against subsequent exposure to a different stress. Previously we

Technology-derived storage solutions for stabilizing insulin in extreme weather conditions I: the ViViCap-1 device.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfützner, Andreas; Pesach, Gidi; Nagar, Ron

2017-06-01

Injectable life-saving drugs should not be exposed to temperatures 30°C/86°F. Frequently, weather conditions exceed these temperature thresholds in many countries. Insulin is to be kept at 4-8°C/~ 39-47°F until use and once opened, is supposed to be stable for up to 31 days at room temperature (exception: 42 days for insulin levemir). Extremely hot or cold external temperature can lead to insulin degradation in a very short time with loss of its glucose-lowering efficacy. Combined chemical and engineering solutions for heat protection are employed in ViViCap-1 for disposable insulin pens. The device works based on vacuum insulation and heat consumption by phase-change material. Laboratory studies with exposure of ViViCap-1 to hot outside conditions were performed to evaluate the device performance. ViViCap-1 keeps insulin at an internal temperature phase-change process and 'recharges' the device for further use. ViViCap-1 performed within its specifications. The small and convenient device maintains the efficacy and safety of using insulin even when carried under hot weather conditions.

DNA-directed control of enzyme-inhibitor complex formation: a modular approach to reversibly switch enzyme activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, B.M.G.; Engelen, W.; Merkx, M.

2015-01-01

DNA-templated reversible assembly of an enzyme–inhibitor complex is presented as a new and highly modular approach to control enzyme activity. TEM1-ß-lactamase and its inhibitor protein BLIP were conjugated to different oligonucleotides, resulting in enzyme inhibition in the presence of template

Quantitative self-assembly prediction yields targeted nanomedicines

Science.gov (United States)

Shamay, Yosi; Shah, Janki; Işık, Mehtap; Mizrachi, Aviram; Leibold, Josef; Tschaharganeh, Darjus F.; Roxbury, Daniel; Budhathoki-Uprety, Januka; Nawaly, Karla; Sugarman, James L.; Baut, Emily; Neiman, Michelle R.; Dacek, Megan; Ganesh, Kripa S.; Johnson, Darren C.; Sridharan, Ramya; Chu, Karen L.; Rajasekhar, Vinagolu K.; Lowe, Scott W.; Chodera, John D.; Heller, Daniel A.

2018-02-01

Development of targeted nanoparticle drug carriers often requires complex synthetic schemes involving both supramolecular self-assembly and chemical modification. These processes are generally difficult to predict, execute, and control. We describe herein a targeted drug delivery system that is accurately and quantitatively predicted to self-assemble into nanoparticles based on the molecular structures of precursor molecules, which are the drugs themselves. The drugs assemble with the aid of sulfated indocyanines into particles with ultrahigh drug loadings of up to 90%. We devised quantitative structure-nanoparticle assembly prediction (QSNAP) models to identify and validate electrotopological molecular descriptors as highly predictive indicators of nano-assembly and nanoparticle size. The resulting nanoparticles selectively targeted kinase inhibitors to caveolin-1-expressing human colon cancer and autochthonous liver cancer models to yield striking therapeutic effects while avoiding pERK inhibition in healthy skin. This finding enables the computational design of nanomedicines based on quantitative models for drug payload selection.

MAS NMR of HIV-1 protein assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Suiter, Christopher L.; Quinn, Caitlin M.; Lu, Manman; Hou, Guangjin; Zhang, Huilan; Polenova, Tatyana

2015-04-01

The negative global impact of the AIDS pandemic is well known. In this perspective article, the utility of magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy to answer pressing questions related to the structure and dynamics of HIV-1 protein assemblies is examined. In recent years, MAS NMR has undergone major technological developments enabling studies of large viral assemblies. We discuss some of these evolving methods and technologies and provide a perspective on the current state of MAS NMR as applied to the investigations into structure and dynamics of HIV-1 assemblies of CA capsid protein and of Gag maturation intermediates.

Development of cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence markers and a CAPS-based genetic linkage map in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. and Nakai) constructed using whole-genome re-sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shi; Gao, Peng; Zhu, Qianglong; Luan, Feishi; Davis, Angela R; Wang, Xiaolu

2016-03-01

Cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers are useful tools for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This study detected and converted SNP sites into CAPS markers based on high-throughput re-sequencing data in watermelon, for linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Two inbred lines, Cream of Saskatchewan (COS) and LSW-177 had been re-sequenced and analyzed by Perl self-compiled script for CAPS marker development. 88.7% and 78.5% of the assembled sequences of the two parental materials could map to the reference watermelon genome, respectively. Comparative assembled genome data analysis provided 225,693 and 19,268 SNPs and indels between the two materials. 532 pairs of CAPS markers were designed with 16 restriction enzymes, among which 271 pairs of primers gave distinct bands of the expected length and polymorphic bands, via PCR and enzyme digestion, with a polymorphic rate of 50.94%. Using the new CAPS markers, an initial CAPS-based genetic linkage map was constructed with the F2 population, spanning 1836.51 cM with 11 linkage groups and 301 markers. 12 QTLs were detected related to fruit flesh color, length, width, shape index, and brix content. These newly CAPS markers will be a valuable resource for breeding programs and genetic studies of watermelon.

Analysis of the subcellular localization of the proteins Rep, Rep' and Cap of porcine circovirus type 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finsterbusch, T.; Steinfeldt, T.; Caliskan, R.; Mankertz, A.

2005-01-01

Porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) encodes two major ORFs. The cap gene comprises the major structural protein of PCV, the rep gene specifies Rep and Rep', which are both essential for initiating the replication of the viral DNA. Rep corresponds to the full-length protein, whereas Rep' is a truncated splice product that is frame-shifted in its C-terminal sequence. In this study, the cellular localization of PCV1-encoded proteins was investigated by immune fluorescence techniques using antibodies against Rep, Rep' and Cap and by expression of viral proteins fused to green and red fluorescence proteins. Rep and Rep' protein co-localized in the nucleus of infected cells as well as in cells transfected with plasmids expressing Rep and Rep' fused to fluorescence proteins, but no signal was seen in the nucleoli. Rep and Rep' carry three potential nuclear localization signals in their identical N-termini, and the contribution of these motifs to nuclear import was experimentally dissected. In contrast to the rep gene products, the localization of the Cap protein varied. While the Cap protein was restricted to the nucleoli in plasmid-transfected cells and was also localized in the nucleoli at an early stage of PCV1 infection, it was seen in the nucleoplasm and the cytoplasm later in infection, suggesting that a shuttling between distinct cellular compartments occurs

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-pyridinylpyrimidines as inhibitors of HIV-1 structural protein assembly

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kožíšek, Milan; Štěpánek, Ondřej; Parkan, Kamil; Albinana, C. B.; Pávová, Marcela; Weber, Jan; Kräusslich, H. G.; Konvalinka, Jan; Machara, A.

2016-01-01

Roč. 26, č. 15 (2016), s. 3487-3490 ISSN 0960-894X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-19561S; GA MŠk(CZ) LK11207 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : assay * assembly * capsid * inhibition * pyrimidine Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.454, year: 2016 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960894X16306503

Characterization of a mimivirus RNA cap guanine-N2 methyltransferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Benarroch, Delphine; Qiu, Zhicheng R; Schwer, Beate; Shuman, Stewart

2009-04-01

A 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine (TMG) cap is a signature feature of eukaryal snRNAs, telomerase RNAs, and trans-spliced nematode mRNAs. TMG and 2,7-dimethylguanosine (DMG) caps are also present on mRNAs of two species of alphaviruses (positive strand RNA viruses of the Togaviridae family). It is presently not known how viral mRNAs might acquire a hypermethylated cap. Mimivirus, a giant DNA virus that infects amoeba, encodes many putative enzymes and proteins implicated in RNA transactions, including the synthesis and capping of viral mRNAs and the promotion of cap-dependent translation. Here we report the identification, purification, and characterization of a mimivirus cap-specific guanine-N2 methyltransferase (MimiTgs), a monomeric enzyme that catalyzes a single round of methyl transfer from AdoMet to an m(7)G cap substrate to form a DMG cap product. MimiTgs, is apparently unable to convert a DMG cap to a TMG cap, and is thereby distinguished from the structurally homologous yeast and human Tgs1 enzymes. Nonetheless, we show genetically that MimiTgs is a true ortholog of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tgs1. Our results hint that DMG caps can satisfy many of the functions of TMG caps in vivo. We speculate that DMG capping of mimivirus mRNAs might favor viral protein synthesis in the infected host.

Photoswitching in azobenzene self-assembled monolayers capped on zinc oxide: nanodots vs nanorods.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Syed Mujtaba; Martini, Cyril; Ackermann, Jörg; Fages, Frédéric

2012-02-01

We report the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of nanohybrid structures consisting of an azobenzene compound grafted on the surface of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Characteristic bathochromic shifts indicate that the azobenzene photochromic molecules self-assemble onto the surface of the nanocrystals. The extent of packing is dependent on the shape of the nanoparticle. ZnO nanorods, with flat facets, enable a tighter organization of the molecules in the self-assembled monolayer than in the case of nanodots that display a more curvated shape. Consistently, the efficiency of photochromic switching of the self-assembled monolayer on ZnO nanoparticles is also shown to be strongly affected by nanoparticle shape. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moyer, Benjamin J. [Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 (United States); Rojas, Itzel Y. [Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 (United States); Murray, Iain A. [Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Lee, Seokwon; Hazlett, Haley F. [Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 (United States); Perdew, Gary H. [Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Tomlinson, Craig R., E-mail: Craig.R.Tomlinson@Dartmouth.edu [Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 (United States); Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756 (United States)

2017-05-15

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) plays a key role in the immune system by regulating tryptophan levels and T cell differentiation. Several tumor types overexpress IDO1 to avoid immune surveillance making IDO1 of interest as a target for therapeutic intervention. As a result, several IDO1 inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment as well as several other diseases. Many of the IDO1 inhibitors in clinical trials naturally bear structural similarities to the IDO1 substrate tryptophan, as such, they fulfill many of the structural and functional criteria as potential AHR ligands. Using mouse and human cell-based luciferase gene reporter assays, qPCR confirmation experiments, and CYP1A1 enzyme activity assays, we report that some of the promising clinical IDO1 inhibitors also act as agonists for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), best known for its roles in xenobiotic metabolism and as another key regulator of the immune response. The dual role as IDO antagonist and AHR agonist for many of these IDO target drugs should be considered for full interrogation of their biological mechanisms and clinical outcomes. - Highlights: • Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors are in cancer clinical trials. • Some IDO1 inhibitors also potently activate AHR signaling. • The dual role of the IDO1 inhibitors may explain some past paradoxical findings. • AHR induction studies must be included in assessing clinical suitability.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyer, Benjamin J.; Rojas, Itzel Y.; Murray, Iain A.; Lee, Seokwon; Hazlett, Haley F.; Perdew, Gary H.; Tomlinson, Craig R.

2017-01-01

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) plays a key role in the immune system by regulating tryptophan levels and T cell differentiation. Several tumor types overexpress IDO1 to avoid immune surveillance making IDO1 of interest as a target for therapeutic intervention. As a result, several IDO1 inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials for cancer treatment as well as several other diseases. Many of the IDO1 inhibitors in clinical trials naturally bear structural similarities to the IDO1 substrate tryptophan, as such, they fulfill many of the structural and functional criteria as potential AHR ligands. Using mouse and human cell-based luciferase gene reporter assays, qPCR confirmation experiments, and CYP1A1 enzyme activity assays, we report that some of the promising clinical IDO1 inhibitors also act as agonists for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), best known for its roles in xenobiotic metabolism and as another key regulator of the immune response. The dual role as IDO antagonist and AHR agonist for many of these IDO target drugs should be considered for full interrogation of their biological mechanisms and clinical outcomes. - Highlights: • Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors are in cancer clinical trials. • Some IDO1 inhibitors also potently activate AHR signaling. • The dual role of the IDO1 inhibitors may explain some past paradoxical findings. • AHR induction studies must be included in assessing clinical suitability.

Grasp Assist Device with Shared Tendon Actuator Assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Ihrke, Chris A. (Inventor); Bergelin, Bryan J. (Inventor); Bridgwater, Lyndon (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A grasp assist device includes a glove with first and second tendon-driven fingers, a tendon, and a sleeve with a shared tendon actuator assembly. Tendon ends are connected to the respective first and second fingers. The actuator assembly includes a drive assembly having a drive axis and a tendon hook. The tendon hook, which defines an arcuate surface slot, is linearly translatable along the drive axis via the drive assembly, e.g., a servo motor thereof. The flexible tendon is routed through the surface slot such that the surface slot divides the flexible tendon into two portions each terminating in a respective one of the first and second ends. The drive assembly may include a ball screw and nut. An end cap of the actuator assembly may define two channels through which the respective tendon portions pass. The servo motor may be positioned off-axis with respect to the drive axis.

Construction of an end-cap module prototype for the ATLAS transition radiation tracker

CERN Document Server

Danielsson, H

2000-01-01

We have designed, built and tested an 8-plane module prototype for the end-cap of the ATLAS TRT (Transition Radiation Tracker). The overall mechanics as well as the detailed design of individual components are presented. The prototype contains over 6000 straw tubes with a diameter of 4 mm, filled with an active gas mixture of 70% Xe, 20% CF4 and 10% CO//2. Very tight requirements on radiation hardness (10 Mrad and 2 multiplied by l0**1**4 neutrons per cm**2) straw straightness (sagitta less than 300 m), wire positions and leak tightness put great demands upon design and assembly. In order to verify the design, the stability of the wire tension, straw straightness, high-voltage performance and total leak rate have been measured and the results are presented. Some examples of dedicated assembly tooling and testing procedures are also given. Finally, the results of the calculations and measurements of both mechanical behaviour and wire offset are presented. 6 Refs.

Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Qingxin; Tong, Yanhong; Jain, Titoo; Hassenkam, Tue; Wan, Qing; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjørnholm, Thomas

2009-06-17

A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during self-assembly and the gap length was determined by the molecule length. The gold nanorods and gold nanoparticles, respectively covalently bonded at the two ends of the molecule, had very small dimensions, e.g. a width of approximately 20 nm, and hence were expected to minimize the screening effect. The ultra-long conducting SnO2:Sb nanowires provided the bridge to connect one of the electrodes of the molecular device (gold nanoparticle) to the external circuit. The tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) was contacted onto the other electrode (gold nanorod) for the electrical measurement of the OPV device. The conductance measurement confirmed that the self-assembly of the molecules and the subsequent self-assembly of the gold nanorods was a feasible method for the fabrication of the nanogap of the molecular devices.

Self-assembled nanogaps for molecular electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Qingxin; Tong Yanhong; Jain, Titoo; Hassenkam, Tue; Moth-Poulsen, Kasper; Bjoernholm, Thomas; Wan Qing

2009-01-01

A nanogap for molecular devices was realized using solution-based self-assembly. Gold nanorods were assembled to gold nanoparticle-coated conducting SnO 2 :Sb nanowires via thiol end-capped oligo(phenylenevinylene)s (OPVs). The molecular gap was easily created by the rigid molecule itself during self-assembly and the gap length was determined by the molecule length. The gold nanorods and gold nanoparticles, respectively covalently bonded at the two ends of the molecule, had very small dimensions, e.g. a width of ∼20 nm, and hence were expected to minimize the screening effect. The ultra-long conducting SnO 2 :Sb nanowires provided the bridge to connect one of the electrodes of the molecular device (gold nanoparticle) to the external circuit. The tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) was contacted onto the other electrode (gold nanorod) for the electrical measurement of the OPV device. The conductance measurement confirmed that the self-assembly of the molecules and the subsequent self-assembly of the gold nanorods was a feasible method for the fabrication of the nanogap of the molecular devices.

Passivation of cobalt nanocluster assembled thin films with hydrogen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Romero, C.P.; Volodin, A.; Di Vece, M.

2012-01-01

The effect of hydrogen passivation on bare and Pd capped cobalt nanocluster assembled thin films was studied with Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) after exposure to ambient conditions. The nanoclusters are produced in a laser vaporization cluster...... source in which the helium carrier gas was mixed with hydrogen. RBS revealed that oxidation of the Co nanoclusters is considerably reduced by the presence of hydrogen during cluster formation. The capping did not modify the influence of the passivation. The hydrogen passivation method is especially...... effective in cases when capping of the films is not desirable, for example for magnetic studies. Clear differences in the magnetic domain structures between hydrogen passivated and non-passivated Co nanocluster films were demonstrated by MFM and are attributed to a difference in inter-cluster magnetic...

Electrostatic assembly of Cu2O nanoparticles on DNA templates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Li; Wei Gang; Qi Bin; Zhou Hualan; Liu Zhiguo; Song Yonghai; Yang Xiurong; Li Zhuang

2006-01-01

In this paper, a method for highly ordered assembly of cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) nanoparticles (NPs) by DNA templates was reported. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-capped Cu 2 O NPs were adsorbed onto well-aligned λ-DNA chains to form necklace-like one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. UV-vis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the nanostructure. The Cu 2 O nanostructures fabricated with the method are both highly ordered and quite straight

Dynamical analysis of critical assembly CC-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleman Fernandez, J.R.

1990-01-01

The computer code CC-1, elaborated for the analysis of transients in Critical Assemblies is described. The results by the program are compared with the ones presented in the Safety Report for the Critical Assembly of ''La Quebrada'' Nuclear Research Centre (CIN). 7 refs

Examination of stainless steel-clad Connecticut Yankee fuel assembly S004 after storage in borated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langstaff, D.C.; Bailey, W.J.; Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Landow, M.P.; Pasupathi, V.; Klingensmith, R.W.

1982-09-01

A Connecticut Yankee fuel assembly (S004) was tested nondestructively and destructively. It was concluded that no obvious degradation of the 304L stainless steel-clad spent fuel from assembly S004 occurred during 5 y of storage in borated water. Furthermore, no obvious degradation due to the pool environment occurred on 304 stainless steel-clad rods in assemblies H07 and G11, which were stored for shorter periods but contained operationally induced cladding defects. The seam welds in the cladding on fuel rods from assembly S004, H07, and G11 were similar in that they showed a wrought microstructure with grains noticeably smaller than those in the cladding base metal. The end cap welds showed a dendritically cored structure, typical of rapidly quenched austenitic weld metal. Some intergranular melting may have occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the cladding adjacent to the end cap welds in rods from assemblies S004 and H07. However, the weld areas did not show evidence of corrosion-induced degradation

Empiric penicillin monotherapy of CAP is not associated with increased mortality; experiences from the retrospective CAP-North cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baunbæk-Knudsen, Getrud; Vestergaard Jensen, Andreas; Andersen, Stine

2016-01-01

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a severe infection, with high morbidity and mortality. The antibiotic strategies for CAP differ across Europe. Objective: To assess the usage of Penicillin monotherapy in a real-life cohort and to evaluate predictors of treatment duration and the ......Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a severe infection, with high morbidity and mortality. The antibiotic strategies for CAP differ across Europe. Objective: To assess the usage of Penicillin monotherapy in a real-life cohort and to evaluate predictors of treatment duration......, and evaluated predictors of treatment duration by linear regression. Mortality of patients receiving empiric penicillin-G/V was compared to others by logistic regression analysis. The CAPNETZ database technology was used for data-capture. Results: We included 1320 patients. The incidence of hospitalized CAP...... was 3.1 per 1000 inhabitants. The median age was 71 years (IQR; 58.81). In-hospital mortality was 8%. Patients treated with penicillin-G/V as empiric monotherapy (45%) did not have a higher mortality than those treated with broader spectrum antibiotics (OR 1.30, CI 95% 0.84-2-02). The median duration...

Guidelines for the management and treatment of periodic fever syndromes: Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (cryopyrinopathies - CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Terreri, Maria Teresa R A; Bernardo, Wanderley Marques; Len, Claudio Arnaldo; da Silva, Clovis Artur Almeida; de Magalhães, Cristina Medeiros Ribeiro; Sacchetti, Silvana B; Ferriani, Virgínia Paes Leme; Piotto, Daniela Gerent Petry; Cavalcanti, André de Souza; de Moraes, Ana Júlia Pantoja; Sztajnbok, Flavio Roberto; de Oliveira, Sheila Knupp Feitosa; Campos, Lucia Maria Arruda; Bandeira, Marcia; Santos, Flávia Patricia Sena Teixeira; Magalhães, Claudia Saad

2016-01-01

To establish guidelines based on cientific evidences for the management of cryopyrin associated periodic syndromes. The Guideline was prepared from 4 clinical questions that were structured through PICO (Patient, Intervention or indicator, Comparison and Outcome), to search in key primary scientific information databases. After defining the potential studies to support the recommendations, these were graduated considering their strength of evidence and grade of recommendation. 1215 articles were retrieved and evaluated by title and abstract; from these, 42 articles were selected to support the recommendations. 1. The diagnosis of CAPS is based on clinical history and clinical manifestations, and later confirmed by genetic study. CAPS may manifest itself in three phenotypes: FCAS (mild form), MWS (intermediate form) and CINCA (severe form). Neurological, ophthalmic, otorhinolaryngological and radiological assessments may be highly valuable in distinguishing between syndromes; 2. The genetic diagnosis with NLRP3 gene analysis must be conducted in suspected cases of CAPS, i.e., individuals presenting before 20 years of age, recurrent episodes of inflammation expressed by a mild fever and urticaria; 3. Laboratory abnormalities include leukocytosis and elevated serum levels of inflammatory proteins; and 4. Targeted therapies directed against interleukin-1 lead to rapid remission of symptoms in most patients. However, there are important limitations on the long-term safety. None of the three anti-IL-1β inhibitors prevents progression of bone lesions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Long term management of patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS: focus on rilonacept (IL-1 Trap

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leigh D Church

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Leigh D Church1, Sinisa Savic2, Michael F McDermott21Department of Rheumatology, Division of Immunity, Infection and Inflammation, Institute for Biomedical Research, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 2Section of Musculoskeletal Disease, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, UKAbstract: Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS are a group of inherited inflammatory disorders consisting of familial cold-induced autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS, Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS, and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease (NOMID; also known as chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular [CINCA] syndrome. These rare disorders are associated with heterozygous mutations in the NLRP3 (CIAS1 gene, which encodes the protein NALP3 or cryopyrin, and inflammation driven by excessive production of the cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β. Amyloidosis is a serious complication with 25% of MWS patients developing amyloidosis, with occasional fatal consequences, whilst up to 20% of CINCA/NOMID patients die from various complications, before reaching the early adulthood. In some CINCA/NOMID adult survivors amyloidosis can also occur. Prior to the discovery of the CIAS1 gene mutations and the advent of IL-1 targeted therapy, treatment was aimed at suppressing inflammation, with limited success. The selective blockade of IL-1β, with anakinra (IL-1 receptor antagonist, not only provided supportive evidence for the role of IL-1β in CAPS, but also demonstrated the efficacy of targeting IL-1β for treatment of these conditions. In February, 2008, ‘Orphan Drug’ approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA for rilonacept (IL-1 Trap/Arcalyst™, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc was given for the treatment of two CAPS disorders, FCAS and MWS in adults and children 12 years and older, making rilonacept the first therapy approved for the treatment of CAPS.Keywords: cryopyrin

Distinct Developmental Functions of Prostasin (CAP1/PRSS8) Zymogen and Activated Prostasin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Friis, Stine; Madsen, Daniel H.; Bugge, Thomas H.

2016-01-01

The membrane-anchored serine prostasin (CAP1/PRSS8) is essential for barrier acquisition of the interfollicular epidermis and for normal hair follicle development. Consequently, prostasin null mice die shortly after birth. Prostasin is found in two forms in the epidermis: a one-chain zymogen and ...

Canakinumab (ACZ885, a fully human IgG1 anti-IL-1β mAb) induces sustained remission in pediatric patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Kuemmerle-Deschner, Jasmin B; Ramos, Eduardo; Blank, Norbert; Roesler, Joachim; Felix, Sandra D; Jung, Thomas; Stricker, Kirstin; Chakraborty, Abhijit; Tannenbaum, Stacey; Wright, Andrew M; Rordorf, Christiane

2011-02-28

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) represents a spectrum of three auto-inflammatory syndromes, familial cold auto-inflammatory syndrome (FCAS), Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease/chronic infantile neurological cutaneous and articular syndrome (NOMID/CINCA) with etiology linked to mutations in the NLRP3 gene resulting in elevated interleukin-1β (IL-1β) release. CAPS is a rare hereditary auto-inflammatory disease, which may start early in childhood and requires a life-long treatment. Canakinumab, a fully human anti-IL-1β antibody, produces sustained selective inhibition of IL-1β. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of canakinumab in the treatment of pediatric CAPS patients. Seven pediatric patients (five children and two adolescents) with CAPS were enrolled in a phase II, open-label study of canakinumab in patients with CAPS. Canakinumab was administered at a dose of 2 mg/kg subcutaneously (s.c.) (for patients with body weight ≤ 40 kg) or 150 mg s.c. (for patients with body weight > 40 kg) with re-dosing upon each relapse. The primary efficacy variable was time to relapse following achievement of a complete response (defined as a global assessment of no or minimal disease activity and no or minimal rash and values for serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or serum amyloid A (SAA) within the normal range, CAPS. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00487708.

22 CFR 121.11 - Military demolition blocks and blasting caps.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Military demolition blocks and blasting caps... blasting caps. Military demolition blocks and blasting caps referred to in Category IV(a) do not include the following articles: (a) Electric squibs. (b) No. 6 and No. 8 blasting caps, including electric...

The assembly of GM1 glycolipid- and cholesterol-enriched raft-like membrane microdomains is important for giardial encystation.

Science.gov (United States)

De Chatterjee, Atasi; Mendez, Tavis L; Roychowdhury, Sukla; Das, Siddhartha

2015-05-01

Although encystation (or cyst formation) is an important step of the life cycle of Giardia, the cellular events that trigger encystation are poorly understood. Because membrane microdomains are involved in inducing growth and differentiation in many eukaryotes, we wondered if these raft-like domains are assembled by this parasite and participate in the encystation process. Since the GM1 ganglioside is a major constituent of mammalian lipid rafts (LRs) and known to react with cholera toxin B (CTXB), we used Alexa Fluor-conjugated CTXB and GM1 antibodies to detect giardial LRs. Raft-like structures in trophozoites are located in the plasma membranes and on the periphery of ventral discs. In cysts, however, they are localized in the membranes beneath the cyst wall. Nystatin and filipin III, two cholesterol-binding agents, and oseltamivir (Tamiflu), a viral neuraminidase inhibitor, disassembled the microdomains, as evidenced by reduced staining of trophozoites with CTXB and GM1 antibodies. GM1- and cholesterol-enriched LRs were isolated from Giardia by density gradient centrifugation and found to be sensitive to nystatin and oseltamivir. The involvement of LRs in encystation could be supported by the observation that raft inhibitors interrupted the biogenesis of encystation-specific vesicles and cyst production. Furthermore, culturing of trophozoites in dialyzed medium containing fetal bovine serum (which is low in cholesterol) reduced raft assembly and encystation, which could be rescued by adding cholesterol from the outside. Our results suggest that Giardia is able to form GM1- and cholesterol-enriched lipid rafts and these raft domains are important for encystation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Sequence-Dependent Self-Assembly and Structural Diversity of Islet Amyloid Polypeptide-Derived β-Sheet Fibrils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Shih-Ting; Lin, Yiyang; Spencer, Ryan K.; Thomas, Michael R.; Nguyen, Andy I.

2017-01-01

Determining the structural origins of amyloid fibrillation is essential for understanding both the pathology of amyloidosis and the rational design of inhibitors to prevent or reverse amyloid formation. In this work, the decisive roles of peptide structures on amyloid self-assembly and morphological diversity were investigated by the design of eight amyloidogenic peptides derived from islet amyloid polypeptide. Among the segments, two distinct morphologies were highlighted in the form of twisted and planar (untwisted) ribbons with varied diameters, thicknesses, and lengths. In particular, transformation of amyloid fibrils from twisted ribbons into untwisted structures was triggered by substitution of the C-terminal serine with threonine, where the side chain methyl group was responsible for the distinct morphological change. This effect was confirmed following serine substitution with alanine and valine and was ascribed to the restriction of intersheet torsional strain through the increased hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. We also studied the variation of fibril morphology (i.e., association and helicity) and peptide aggregation propensity by increasing the hydrophobicity of the peptide side group, capping the N-terminus, and extending sequence length. Lastly, we anticipate that our insights into sequence-dependent fibrillation and morphological diversity will shed light on the structural interpretation of amyloidogenesis and development of structure-specific imaging agents and aggregation inhibitors.

Novel orally bioavailable EZH1/2 dual inhibitors with greater antitumor efficacy than an EZH2 selective inhibitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Honma, Daisuke; Kanno, Osamu; Watanabe, Jun; Kinoshita, Junzo; Hirasawa, Makoto; Nosaka, Emi; Shiroishi, Machiko; Takizawa, Takeshi; Yasumatsu, Isao; Horiuchi, Takao; Nakao, Akira; Suzuki, Keisuke; Yamasaki, Tomonori; Nakajima, Katsuyoshi; Hayakawa, Miho; Yamazaki, Takanori; Yadav, Ajay Singh; Adachi, Nobuaki

2017-10-01

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) methylates histone H3 lysine 27 and represses gene expression to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) or its close homolog EZH1 functions as a catalytic subunit of PRC2, so there are two PRC2 complexes containing either EZH2 or EZH1. Tumorigenic functions of EZH2 and its synthetic lethality with some subunits of SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complexes have been observed. However, little is known about the function of EZH1 in tumorigenesis. Herein, we developed novel, orally bioavailable EZH1/2 dual inhibitors that strongly and selectively inhibited methyltransferase activity of both EZH2 and EZH1. EZH1/2 dual inhibitors suppressed trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 in cells more than EZH2 selective inhibitors. They also showed greater antitumor efficacy than EZH2 selective inhibitor in vitro and in vivo against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells harboring gain-of-function mutation in EZH2. A hematological cancer panel assay indicated that EZH1/2 dual inhibitor has efficacy against some lymphomas, multiple myeloma, and leukemia with fusion genes such as MLL-AF9, MLL-AF4, and AML1-ETO. A solid cancer panel assay demonstrated that some cancer cell lines are sensitive to EZH1/2 dual inhibitor in vitro and in vivo. No clear correlation was detected between sensitivity to EZH1/2 dual inhibitor and SWI/SNF mutations, with a few exceptions. Severe toxicity was not seen in rats treated with EZH1/2 dual inhibitor for 14 days at drug levels higher than those used in the antitumor study. Our results indicate the possibility of EZH1/2 dual inhibitors for clinical applications. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life1

Science.gov (United States)

Wallis, M. K.; Wickramasinghe, N. C.

2009-04-01

Ices in the Martian polar caps are potential habitats for various species of microorganisms. Salts in the ice and biological anti-freeze polymers maintain liquid in cracks in the ices far below 0°C, possibly down to the mean 220-240 K. Sub-surface microbial life is shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but could potentially be activated on south-facing slopes under the midday, midsummer Sun. Such life would be limited by low levels of vapour, little transport of nutrients, low light levels below a protective dirt-crust, frost accumulation at night and in shadows, and little if any active translocation of organisms. As in the Antarctic and in permafrost, movement to new habitats depends on geo-climatic changes, which for Mars's north polar cap occur on a 50 000 year scale, except for rare meteorite impacts.

Contabilidad de Costos II. - Capítulo 4. Respuestas

OpenAIRE

Morillo Moreno, Marysela C.

2008-01-01

ÍNDICE Presentación Orientaciones para el usuario Capítulo 1: Contabilidad de costos por procesos Sistemas de Contabilidad de Costos por Proceso Costos de Producción Conjunta. Productos Principales y Secundarios Capítulo 2: Contabilidad de costos predeterminados Presupuesto Estático y Presupuesto Flexible Sistema de Costos Estándar Capítulo 3: Sistema de costos variables Capítulo 4: Respuestas Bibliografía recomendada Pr...

Munc18-1-regulated stage-wise SNARE assembly underlying synaptic exocytosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Lu; Rebane, Aleksander A; Yang, Guangcan; Xi, Zhiqun; Kang, Yuhao; Gao, Ying; Zhang, Yongli

2015-12-23

Synaptic-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment receptor (SNARE) proteins couple their stage-wise folding/assembly to rapid exocytosis of neurotransmitters in a Munc18-1-dependent manner. The functions of the different assembly stages in exocytosis and the role of Munc18-1 in SNARE assembly are not well understood. Using optical tweezers, we observed four distinct stages of assembly in SNARE N-terminal, middle, C-terminal, and linker domains (or NTD, MD, CTD, and LD, respectively). We found that SNARE layer mutations differentially affect SNARE assembly. Comparison of their effects on SNARE assembly and on exocytosis reveals that NTD and CTD are responsible for vesicle docking and fusion, respectively, whereas MD regulates SNARE assembly and fusion. Munc18-1 initiates SNARE assembly and structures t-SNARE C-terminus independent of syntaxin N-terminal regulatory domain (NRD) and stabilizes the half-zippered SNARE complex dependent upon the NRD. Our observations demonstrate distinct functions of SNARE domains whose assembly is intimately chaperoned by Munc18-1.

The upstream open reading frame of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A mRNA negatively regulates translation of the downstream main open reading frame

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Kyoung Mi; Cho, Hana [School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yoon Ki, E-mail: yk-kim@korea.ac.kr [School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-08-03

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CDKN1A mRNA is a bona fide NMD substrate. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The uORF of CDKN1A mRNA is efficiently translated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Translation of downstream main ORF is negatively regulated by translation of uORF in CDKN1A mRNA. -- Abstract: The first round of translation occurs on mRNAs bound by nuclear cap-binding complex (CBC), which is composed of nuclear cap-binding protein 80 and 20 (CBP80/20). During this round of translation, aberrant mRNAs are recognized and downregulated in abundance by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), which is one of the mRNA quality control mechanisms. Here, our microarray analysis reveals that the level of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A; also known as Waf1/p21) mRNAs increases in cells depleted of cellular NMD factors. Intriguingly, CDKN1A mRNA contains an upstream open reading frame (uORF), which is a NMD-inducing feature. Using chimeric reporter constructs, we find that the uORF of CDKN1A mRNA negatively modulates translation of the main downstream ORF. These findings provide biological insights into the possible role of NMD in diverse biological pathways mediated by CDKN1A.

Inhibition properties of self-assembled corrosion inhibitor talloil diethylenetriamine imidazoline for mild steel corrosion in chloride solution saturated with carbon dioxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jevremović, Ivana; Singer, Marc; Nešić, Srđan; Mišković-Stanković, Vesna

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Corrosion inhibitor talloil diethylenetriamine imidazoline effectively protects mild steel from CO 2 corrosion. •Quartz crystal microbalance measurements were used to the investigate kinetics of corrosion inhibitor adsorption. •Adsorption of talloil diethylenetriamine imidazoline can be described by Langmuir adsorption isotherm. -- Abstract: The inhibition effect of talloil diethylenetriamine imidazoline (TOFA/DETA imidazoline) on corrosion of mild steel in chloride solutions saturated with CO 2 was investigated by weight loss measurements (WL) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Adsorption mechanism and kinetics of self-assembled (TOFA/DETA imidazoline) monolayers formation on gold were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance measurements (QCM). WL and AFM results demonstrated that TOFA/DETA imidazoline can effectively protect mild steel surface from corrosion. QCM measurements shown that the adsorption of TOFA/DETA imidazoline onto gold follows Langmuir adsorption isotherm and further investigation of the adsorption process will be carried out on a corroding metal surface

/sup 58,60,62/Ni (. cap alpha. ,p) three--nucleon transfer reactions and. cap alpha. optical potential ambiguities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yuanda, Wang; Xiuming, Bao; Zhiqiang, Mao; Rongfang, Yuan; Keling, Wen; Binyin, Huang; Zhifu, Wang; Shuming, Li; Jianan, Wang; Zuxun, Sun; others, and

1985-11-01

The differential cross sections are measured using 26.0 MeV ..cap alpha.. particle for /sup 58,62/Ni(..cap alpha.., ..cap alpha..) /sup 58,62/Ni and /sup 58,62/Ni(..cap alpha..,p) /sup 61,65/Cu reactions as well as 25.4 MeV ..cap alpha.. particle for /sup 60/Ni(..cap alpha.., ..cap alpha..)/sup 69/Ni and /sup 60/Ni(..cap alpha.., p)/sup 63/Cu reactions. Consistent calculations with optical model and ZR DWBA are made for (..cap alpha.., ..cap alpha..) and (..cap alpha.., p) reactions by using of single, two, three and four nucleon optical potential parameters. For elastic scattering due to the ..cap alpha.. optical potential ambiguities, all the above optical potential can reproduce the experimental angular distributions. However, the single, two and three nucleon potential, including the Baird's mass systematics and the Chang's energy systematics of ..cap alpha.. potentials, obviously can not provide a reasonable fitting with the (..cap alpha..,p) reaction experimental data. Only the results from the four nucleon potential is in good agreement with the (..cap alpha..,p) reaction experimental data. This reveals that in the ..cap alpha..-particle induced transfer reactions, the real depth of the ..cap alpha..-nucleus optical potential should be rather deep.

How does the antagonism between capping and anti-capping proteins affect actin network dynamics?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Longhua; Papoian, Garegin A

2011-01-01

Actin-based cell motility is essential to many biological processes. We built a simplified, three-dimensional computational model and subsequently performed stochastic simulations to study the growth dynamics of lamellipodia-like branched networks. In this work, we shed light on the antagonism between capping and anti-capping proteins in regulating actin dynamics in the filamentous network. We discuss detailed mechanisms by which capping and anti-capping proteins affect the protrusion speed of the actin network and the rate of nucleation of filaments. We computed a phase diagram showing the regimes of motility enhancement and inhibition by these proteins. Our work shows that the effects of capping and anti-capping proteins are mainly transmitted by modulation of the filamentous network density and local availability of monomeric actin. We discovered that the combination of the capping/anti-capping regulatory network with nucleation-promoting proteins introduces robustness and redundancy in cell motility machinery, allowing the cell to easily achieve maximal protrusion speeds under a broader set of conditions. Finally, we discuss distributions of filament lengths under various conditions and speculate on their potential implication for the emergence of filopodia from the lamellipodial network.

Characterization of cap binding proteins associated with the nucleus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patzelt, E.

1986-04-01

Eucaryotic mRNAs a carry 7-methylguanosine triphosphate residue (called cap structure) at their 5' terminus. The cap plays an important role in RNA recognition. Cap binding proteins (CBP) of HeLa cells were identified by photoaffinity labelling using the cap analogue γ-( 32 P)-(4-(benzoyl-phenyl)methylamido)-7-methylguanosine-5'-triphosphate (BP-m 7 GTP). Photoreaction of this cap analogue with HeLa cell initiation factors resulted in specific labelling of two polypeptides of Msub(r) 37000 and 26000. The latter was also labelled in crude initiation factors prepared from reticulocytes and is identical to the cap binding protein CBP I previously identified. These cap binding proteins were also affinity labelled in poliovirus infected cell extracts. Photoaffinity reaction with BP-m 7 GTP of whole HeLa cell homogenate showed three additional polypeptides with Msub(r) 120000, 89000 and 80000. These cap binding proteins were found to be associated with the nucleus and are therefore referred to as nuclear cap binding proteins, i.e. NCBP 1, NCBP 2 and NCBP 3. They were also present in splicing extracts. Photoaffinity labelling in these nuclear extracts was differentially inhibited by various cap analogues and capped mRNAs. Affinity chromatography on immobilized globin mRNA led to a partial separation of the three nuclear cap binding proteins. Chromatography on m 7 GTP-Sepharose resulted in a specific binding of NCBP 3. The different behaviour of the cap binding proteins suggests that they are functionally distinct and that they might be involved in different processes requiring cap recognition. (Author)

MYBPH inhibits NM IIA assembly via direct interaction with NMHC IIA and reduces cell motility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosono, Yasuyuki; Usukura, Jiro; Yamaguchi, Tomoya; Yanagisawa, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Motoshi; Takahashi, Takashi

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► MYBPH inhibits NMHC IIA assembly and cell motility. ► MYBPH interacts to assembly-competent NM IIA. ► MYBPH inhibits RLC and NMHC IIA, independent components of NM IIA. -- Abstract: Actomyosin filament assembly is a critical step in tumor cell migration. We previously found that myosin binding protein H (MYBPH) is directly transactivated by the TTF-1 lineage-survival oncogene in lung adenocarcinomas and inhibits phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) of non-muscle myosin IIA (NM IIA) via direct interaction with Rho kinase 1 (ROCK1). Here, we report that MYBPH also directly interacts with an additional molecule, non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NMHC IIA), which was found to occur between MYBPH and the rod portion of NMHC IIA. MYBPH inhibited NMHC IIA assembly and reduced cell motility. Conversely, siMYBPH-induced increased motility was partially, yet significantly, suppressed by blebbistatin, a non-muscle myosin II inhibitor, while more profound effects were attained by combined treatment with siROCK1 and blebbistatin. Electron microscopy observations showed well-ordered paracrystals of NMHC IIA reflecting an assembled state, which were significantly less frequently observed in the presence of MYBPH. Furthermore, an in vitro sedimentation assay showed that a greater amount of NMHC IIA was in an unassembled state in the presence of MYBPH. Interestingly, treatment with a ROCK inhibitor that impairs transition of NM IIA from an assembly-incompetent to assembly-competent state reduced the interaction between MYBPH and NMHC IIA, suggesting that MYBPH has higher affinity to assembly-competent NM IIA. These results suggest that MYBPH inhibits RLC and NMHC IIA, independent components of NM IIA, and negatively regulates actomyosin organization at 2 distinct steps, resulting in firm inhibition of NM IIA assembly.

47 CFR 54.623 - Cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cap. 54.623 Section 54.623 Telecommunication... Universal Service Support for Health Care Providers § 54.623 Cap. (a) Amount of the annual cap. The annual cap on federal universal service support for health care providers shall be $400 million per funding...

47 CFR 54.507 - Cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cap. 54.507 Section 54.507 Telecommunication... Universal Service Support for Schools and Libraries § 54.507 Cap. (a) Amount of the annual cap. The annual funding cap on federal universal service support for schools and libraries shall be $2.25 billion per...

Assembly of Layered Monetite-Chitosan Nanocomposite and Its Transition to Organized Hydroxyapatite.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruan, Qichao; Liberman, David; Zhang, Yuzheng; Ren, Dongni; Zhang, Yunpeng; Nutt, Steven; Moradian-Oldak, Janet

2016-06-13

Bioinspired synthesis of hierarchically structured calcium phosphate (CaP) material is a highly promising strategy for developing improved bone substitute materials. However, synthesis of CaP materials with outstanding mechanical properties still remains an ongoing challenge. Inspired by the formation of lamellar structure in nacre, we designed an organic matrix composed of chitosan and cis-butenediolic acid (maleic acid, MAc) that could assemble into a layered complex and further guide the mineralization of monetite crystals, resulting in the formation of organized and parallel arrays of monetite platelets with a brick-and-mortar structure. Using the layered monetite-chitosan composite as a precursor, we were able to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HAp) with multiscale hierarchically ordered structure via a topotactic phase transformation process. On the nanoscale, needlelike HAp crystallites assembled into organized bundles that aligned to form highly oriented plates on the microscale. On the large-scale level, these plates with different crystal orientations were stacked together to form a layered structure. The organized structures and composite feature yielded CaP materials with improved mechanical properties close to those of bone. Our study introduces a biomimetic approach that may be practical for the design of advanced, mechanically robust materials for biomedical applications.

Interdependence of Inhibitor Recognition in HIV-1 Protease.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulsen, Janet L; Leidner, Florian; Ragland, Debra A; Kurt Yilmaz, Nese; Schiffer, Celia A

2017-05-09

Molecular recognition is a highly interdependent process. Subsite couplings within the active site of proteases are most often revealed through conditional amino acid preferences in substrate recognition. However, the potential effect of these couplings on inhibition and thus inhibitor design is largely unexplored. The present study examines the interdependency of subsites in HIV-1 protease using a focused library of protease inhibitors, to aid in future inhibitor design. Previously a series of darunavir (DRV) analogs was designed to systematically probe the S1' and S2' subsites. Co-crystal structures of these analogs with HIV-1 protease provide the ideal opportunity to probe subsite interdependency. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations starting from these structures were performed and systematically analyzed in terms of atomic fluctuations, intermolecular interactions, and water structure. These analyses reveal that the S1' subsite highly influences other subsites: the extension of the hydrophobic P1' moiety results in 1) reduced van der Waals contacts in the P2' subsite, 2) more variability in the hydrogen bond frequencies with catalytic residues and the flap water, and 3) changes in the occupancy of conserved water sites both proximal and distal to the active site. In addition, one of the monomers in this homodimeric enzyme has atomic fluctuations more highly correlated with DRV than the other monomer. These relationships intricately link the HIV-1 protease subsites and are critical to understanding molecular recognition and inhibitor binding. More broadly, the interdependency of subsite recognition within an active site requires consideration in the selection of chemical moieties in drug design; this strategy is in contrast to what is traditionally done with independent optimization of chemical moieties of an inhibitor.

The kinase inhibitor SFV785 dislocates dengue virus envelope protein from the replication complex and blocks virus assembly.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Azlinda Anwar

Full Text Available Dengue virus (DENV is the etiologic agent for dengue fever, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific anti-viral drug. As a remedy for this, we explored the use of compounds that interfere with the action of required host factors and describe here the characterization of a kinase inhibitor (SFV785, which has selective effects on NTRK1 and MAPKAPK5 kinase activity, and anti-viral activity on Hepatitis C, DENV and yellow fever viruses. SFV785 inhibited DENV propagation without inhibiting DENV RNA synthesis or translation. The compound did not cause any changes in the cellular distribution of non-structural 3, a protein critical for DENV RNA synthesis, but altered the distribution of the structural envelope protein from a reticulate network to enlarged discrete vesicles, which altered the co-localization with the DENV replication complex. Ultrastructural electron microscopy analyses of DENV-infected SFV785-treated cells showed the presence of viral particles that were distinctly different from viable enveloped virions within enlarged ER cisternae. These viral particles were devoid of the dense nucleocapsid. The secretion of the viral particles was not inhibited by SFV785, however a reduction in the amount of secreted infectious virions, DENV RNA and capsid were observed. Collectively, these observations suggest that SFV785 inhibited the recruitment and assembly of the nucleocapsid in specific ER compartments during the DENV assembly process and hence the production of infectious DENV. SFV785 and derivative compounds could be useful biochemical probes to explore the DENV lifecycle and could also represent a new class of anti-virals.

Apical cap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLoud, T.C.; Isler, R.J.; Novelline, R.A.; Putman, C.E.; Simeone, J.; Stark, P.

1981-01-01

Apical caps, either unilateral or bilateral, are a common feature of advancing age and are usually the result of subpleural scarring unassociated with other diseases. Pancoast (superior sulcus) tumors are a well recognized cause of unilateral asymmetric apical density. Other lesions arising in the lung, pleura, or extrapleural space may produce unilateral or bilateral apical caps. These include: (1) inflammatory: tuberculosis and extrapleural abscesses extending from the neck; (2) post radiation fibrosis after mantle therapy for Hodgkin disease or supraclavicular radiation in the treatment of breast carcinoma; (3) neoplasm: lymphoma extending from the neck or mediastinum, superior sulcus bronchogenic carcinoma, and metastases; (4) traumatic: extrapleural dissection of blood from a ruptured aorta, fractures of the ribs or spine, or hemorrhage due to subclavian line placement; (5) vascular: coarctation of the aorta with dilated collaterals over the apex, fistula between the subclavian artery and vein; and (6) miscellaneous: mediastinal lipomatosis with subcostal fat extending over the apices

The pharmaceutical vial capping process: Container closure systems, capping equipment, regulatory framework, and seal quality tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathaes, Roman; Mahler, Hanns-Christian; Buettiker, Jean-Pierre; Roehl, Holger; Lam, Philippe; Brown, Helen; Luemkemann, Joerg; Adler, Michael; Huwyler, Joerg; Streubel, Alexander; Mohl, Silke

2016-02-01

Parenteral drug products are protected by appropriate primary packaging to protect against environmental factors, including potential microbial contamination during shelf life duration. The most commonly used CCS configuration for parenteral drug products is the glass vial, sealed with a rubber stopper and an aluminum crimp cap. In combination with an adequately designed and controlled aseptic fill/finish processes, a well-designed and characterized capping process is indispensable to ensure product quality and integrity and to minimize rejections during the manufacturing process. In this review, the health authority requirements and expectations related to container closure system quality and container closure integrity are summarized. The pharmaceutical vial, the rubber stopper, and the crimp cap are described. Different capping techniques are critically compared: The most common capping equipment with a rotating capping plate produces the lowest amount of particle. The strength and challenges of methods to control the capping process are discussed. The residual seal force method can characterize the capping process independent of the used capping equipment or CCS. We analyze the root causes of several cosmetic defects associated with the vial capping process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

(3-Aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine End-capped Poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol)-based Multilayer Films for Gene Delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuicui; Tzeng, Stephany Y; Tellier, Liane E.; Green, Jordan J

2013-01-01

Biodegradable polyelectrolyte surfaces for gene delivery were created through electrospinning of biodegradable polycations combined with iterative solution-based multilayer coating. Poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol) end-capped with 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine was utilized due to its ability to electrostatically interact with anionic molecules like DNA, its biodegradability, and its low cytotoxicity. A new DNA release system was developed for sustained release of DNA over 24 hours, accompanied by high exogenous gene expression in primary human glioblastoma (GB) cells. Electrospinning a different PBAE, poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4,4′-trimethylenedipiperidine), and its combination with polyelectrolyte 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine end-capped poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol)-based multilayers are promising for DNA release and intracellular delivery from a surface. PMID:23755861

(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine end-capped poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol)-based multilayer films for gene delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cuicui; Tzeng, Stephany Y; Tellier, Liane E; Green, Jordan J

2013-07-10

Biodegradable polyelectrolyte surfaces for gene delivery were created through electrospinning of biodegradable polycations combined with iterative solution-based multilayer coating. Poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol) end-capped with 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine was utilized because of its ability to electrostatically interact with anionic molecules like DNA, its biodegradability, and its low cytotoxicity. A new DNA release system was developed for sustained release of DNA over 24 h, accompanied by high exogenous gene expression in primary human glioblastoma (GB) cells. Electrospinning a different PBAE, poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4,4'-trimethylenedipiperidine), and its combination with polyelectrolyte 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine end-capped poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol)-based multilayers are promising for DNA release and intracellular delivery from a surface.

20 CFR 606.21 - Criteria for cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Criteria for cap. 606.21 Section 606.21 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TAX CREDITS UNDER THE... Reduction § 606.21 Criteria for cap. (a) Reduction in unemployment tax effort. (1) For purposes of paragraph...

Rilonacept for the treatment of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Hal M

2009-04-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) encompass a group of rare inherited, autoinflammatory disorders that represent a spectrum of one disease with varying degrees of severity. Until recently, there was no effective treatment for CAPS, but identification of the genetic basis of CAPS highlighted the pathogenic role of IL-1beta. Rilonacept is a recently FDA approved biologic therapy for CAPS with high affinity for IL-1beta. Limited pharmacological data has been reported to date. A review of the phamacokinetics and pharmacodynamics data as well as the results of a pilot study and Phase III placebo-controlled trials of rilonacept in CAPS. Unpublished data on an open-label extension study in adult and pediatric subjects is also reviewed. Rilonacept produced rapid and profound improvements in symptoms and also reduced high-sesitivity C-reactive protein levels and normalized elevated serum amyloid A concentrations, an important risk factor for amyloidosis. The primary adverse events were injection- site reactions and upper respiratory tract infections. Rilonacept, the only IL-1 Trap, is the first of many novel IL-1-targeted therapies being developed. In a very short time it has changed the lives of CAPS patients.

CAPS--pathogenesis, presentation and treatment of an autoinflammatory disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuemmerle-Deschner, Jasmin B

2015-07-01

The cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a severity spectrum of rare diseases. CAPS comprises the three conditions previously described as familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS), Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS), and neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disorder (NOMID), also known as chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, and articular (CINCA) syndrome. The clinical phenotype of CAPS is characterized by systemic inflammation. General symptoms are fatigue and fever. Local manifestations affect multiple tissues such as skin, joints, muscles, eyes, and the central nervous system. Distinct clinical features are characteristic for each subphenotype. In FCAS, these are cold-induced urticaria and fever, in MWS systemic amyloidosis and hearing loss and in NOMID/CINCA central nervous system inflammation and bone deformities. CAPS is caused by single heterozygous germline or somatic gain of function mutations in the NLRP3 gene encoding the protein cryopyrin. Cryopyrin nucleates an NLRP3 inflammasome, which regulates the activation and cleavage of caspase-1 that cleaves the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and IL-18. IL-1β plays the key role in the induction of inflammation in CAPS. This has been confirmed by the application of IL-1 blocking agents, which lead not only to a rapid and sustained reversal of daily symptoms but also to some extent of long-term disease sequelae. To prevent CAPS-induced organ damage, early diagnosis and swift initiation of effective treatment are mandatory.

Bacterial flagellar capping proteins adopt diverse oligomeric states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Postel, Sandra; Deredge, Daniel; Bonsor, Daniel A.; Yu, Xiong; Diederichs, Kay; Helmsing, Saskia; Vromen, Aviv; Friedler, Assaf; Hust, Michael; Egelman, Edward H.; Beckett, Dorothy; Wintrode, Patrick L.; Sundberg, Eric J. (UV); (Braunschweig); (Maryland-MED); (Konstanz); (Maryland); (Hebrew)

2016-09-24

Flagella are crucial for bacterial motility and pathogenesis. The flagellar capping protein (FliD) regulates filament assembly by chaperoning and sorting flagellin (FliC) proteins after they traverse the hollow filament and exit the growing flagellum tip. In the absence of FliD, flagella are not formed, resulting in impaired motility and infectivity. Here, we report the 2.2 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of FliD fromPseudomonas aeruginosa, the first high-resolution structure of any FliD protein from any bacterium. Using this evidence in combination with a multitude of biophysical and functional analyses, we find thatPseudomonasFliD exhibits unexpected structural similarity to other flagellar proteins at the domain level, adopts a unique hexameric oligomeric state, and depends on flexible determinants for oligomerization. Considering that the flagellin filaments on which FliD oligomers are affixed vary in protofilament number between bacteria, our results suggest that FliD oligomer stoichiometries vary across bacteria to complement their filament assemblies.

Size and shape tunability of self-assembled InAs/GaAs nanostructures through the capping rate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Utrilla, Antonio D.; Grossi, Davide F.; Reyes, Daniel F.; Gonzalo, Alicia; Braza, Verónica; Ben, Teresa; González, David; Guzman, Alvaro; Hierro, Adrian; Koenraad, Paul M.; Ulloa, Jose M.

2018-01-01

The practical realization of epitaxial quantum dot (QD) nanocrystals led before long to impressive experimental advances in optoelectronic devices, as well as to the emergence of new technological fields. However, the necessary capping process is well-known to hinder a precise control of the QD

Who's (Still) Above the Social Security Payroll Tax Cap?

OpenAIRE

Nicole Woo; Janelle Jones; John Schmitt

2012-01-01

The Social Security payroll tax cap is the earnings level above which no further Social Security taxes are collected. The cap is currently at $110,100, though legislation has been introduced in Congress to apply the Social Security payroll tax to earnings above $250,000 (but not between the current cap and this level). This issue brief updates earlier work, finding that 5.8 percent of workers would be affected if the Social Security cap were eliminated entirely and 1.4 percent would be affect...

Enzymatic synthesis of RNAs capped with nucleotide analogues reveals the molecular basis for substrate selectivity of RNA capping enzyme: impacts on RNA metabolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moheshwarnath Issur

Full Text Available RNA cap binding proteins have evolved to specifically bind to the N7-methyl guanosine cap structure found at the 5' ends of eukaryotic mRNAs. The specificity of RNA capping enzymes towards GTP for the synthesis of this structure is therefore crucial for mRNA metabolism. The fact that ribavirin triphosphate was described as a substrate of a viral RNA capping enzyme, raised the possibility that RNAs capped with nucleotide analogues could be generated in cellulo. Owing to the fact that this prospect potentially has wide pharmacological implications, we decided to investigate whether the active site of the model Paramecium bursaria Chlorella virus-1 RNA capping enzyme was flexible enough to accommodate various purine analogues. Using this approach, we identified several key structural determinants at each step of the RNA capping reaction and generated RNAs harboring various different cap analogues. Moreover, we monitored the binding affinity of these novel capped RNAs to the eIF4E protein and evaluated their translational properties in cellulo. Overall, this study establishes a molecular rationale for the specific selection of GTP over other NTPs by RNA capping enzyme It also demonstrates that RNAs can be enzymatically capped with certain purine nucleotide analogs, and it also describes the impacts of modified RNA caps on specific steps involved in mRNA metabolism. For instance, our results indicate that the N7-methyl group of the classical N7-methyl guanosine cap is not always indispensable for binding to eIF4E and subsequently for translation when compensatory modifications are present on the capped residue. Overall, these findings have important implications for our understanding of the molecular determinants involved in both RNA capping and RNA metabolism.

RhoA and RhoC are involved in stromal cell-derived factor-1-induced cell migration by regulating F-actin redistribution and assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Jixian; Li, Dingyun; Wei, Dan; Wang, Xiaoguang; Wang, Lan; Zeng, Xianlu

2017-12-01

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) signaling is important to the maintenance and progression of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by inducing chemotaxis migration. To identify the mechanism of SDF-1 signaling in the migration of T-ALL, Jurkat acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells were used. Results showed that SDF-1 induces Jurkat cell migration by F-actin redistribution and assembly, which is dependent on Rho activity. SDF-1 induced RhoA and RhoC activation, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which was inhibited by Rho inhibitor. The Rho-dependent ROS production led to subsequent cytoskeleton redistribution and assembly in the process of migration. Additionally, RhoA and RhoC were involved in SDF-1-induced Jurkat cell migration. Taken together, we found a SDF-1/CXCR4-RhoA and RhoC-ROS-cytoskeleton pathway that regulates Jurkat cell migration in response to SDF-1. This work will contribute to a clearer insight into the migration mechanism of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS): Descriptive analysis of 500 patients from the International CAPS Registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Pintó, Ignasi; Moitinho, Marta; Santacreu, Irene; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Erkan, Doruk; Espinosa, Gerard; Cervera, Ricard

2016-12-01

To analyze the clinical and immunologic manifestations of patients with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) from the "CAPS Registry". The demographic, clinical and serological features of 500 patients included in the website-based "CAPS Registry" were analyzed. Frequency distribution and measures of central tendency were used to describe the cohort. Comparison between groups regarding qualitative variables was undertaken by chi-square or Fisher exact test while T-test for independent variables was used to compare groups regarding continuous variables. 500 patients (female: 343 [69%]; mean age 38±17) accounting for 522 episodes of CAPS were included in the analysis. Forty percent of patients had an associated autoimmune disease, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (75%). The majority of CAPS episodes were triggered by a precipitating factor (65%), mostly infections (49%). Clinically, CAPS was characterized by several organ involvement affecting kidneys (73%), lungs (60%), brain (56%), heart (50%), and skin (47%). Lupus anticoagulant, IgG anticardiolipin and IgG anti-β2-glycprotein antibodies were the most often implicated antiphospholipid antibodies (83%, 81% and 78% respectively). Mortality accounted for 37% of episodes of CAPS. Several clinical differences could be observed based on the age of presentation and its association to SLE. Those cases triggered by a malignancy tended to occur in older patients, while CAPS episodes in young patients were associated with an infectious trigger and peripheral vessels involvement. Additionally, CAPS associated with SLE were more likely to have severe cardiac and brain involvement leading to a higher mortality (48%). Although the presentation of CAPS is characterized by multiorgan thrombosis and failure, clinical differences among patients exist based on age and underlying chronic diseases, e.g. malignancy and SLE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Escherichia coli P and Type 1 Pilus Assembly Chaperones PapD and FimC Are Monomeric in Solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarowar, Samema; Hu, Olivia J.; Werneburg, Glenn T.; Thanassi, David G.; Li, Huilin; Christie, P. J.

2016-06-27

The chaperone/usher pathway is used by Gram-negative bacteria to assemble adhesive surface structures known as pili or fimbriae. Uropathogenic strains ofEscherichia coliuse this pathway to assemble P and type 1 pili, which facilitate colonization of the kidney and bladder, respectively. Pilus assembly requires a periplasmic chaperone and outer membrane protein termed the usher. The chaperone allows folding of pilus subunits and escorts the subunits to the usher for polymerization into pili and secretion to the cell surface. Based on previous structures of mutant versions of the P pilus chaperone PapD, it was suggested that the chaperone dimerizes in the periplasm as a self-capping mechanism. Such dimerization is counterintuitive because the chaperone G1 strand, important for chaperone-subunit interaction, is buried at the dimer interface. Here, we show that the wild-type PapD chaperone also forms a dimer in the crystal lattice; however, the dimer interface is different from the previously solved structures. In contrast to the crystal structures, we found that both PapD and the type 1 pilus chaperone, FimC, are monomeric in solution. Our findings indicate that pilus chaperones do not sequester their G1 β-strand by forming a dimer. Instead, the chaperones may expose their G1 strand for facile interaction with pilus subunits. We also found that the type 1 pilus adhesin, FimH, is flexible in solution while in complex with its chaperone, whereas the P pilus adhesin, PapGII, is rigid. Our study clarifies a crucial step in pilus biogenesis and reveals pilus-specific differences that may relate to biological function.

IMPORTANCEPili are critical virulence factors for many bacterial pathogens. UropathogenicE. colirelies on P and type 1 pili assembled by the chaperone/usher pathway to

Involvement of reactive oxygen species in endosperm cap weakening and embryo elongation growth during lettuce seed germination

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Chen, Bingxian; Xu, Zhenjiang; Shi, Zhaowan; Chen, Shanli; Huang, Xi; Chen, Jianxun; Wang, Xiaofeng

2014-01-01

Endosperm cap (CAP) weakening and embryo elongation growth are prerequisites for the completion of lettuce seed germination. Although it has been proposed that the cell wall loosening underlying these processes results from an enzymatic mechanism, it is still unclear which enzymes are involved. Here it is shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are non-enzymatic factors, may be involved in the two processes. In Guasihong lettuce seeds imbibed in water, O2·– and H2O2 accumulated and peroxidase activity increased in the CAP, whereas its puncture force decreased. In addition, in the radicle, the increase in embryo growth potential was accompanied by accumulation of O2·– and an increase in peroxidase activity. Imbibing seeds in 0.3% sodium dichloroisocyanurate (SDIC) reduced endosperm viability and the levels of O2·–, H2O2, and peroxidase activity in the CAP, whereas the decrease in its puncture force was inhibited. However, in the embryo, SDIC did not affect the accumulation of O2·–, peroxidase activity, and the embryo growth potential. As a result, SDIC caused atypical germination, in which the endosperm ruptured at the boundary between the CAP and lateral endosperm. ROS scavengers and ROS generation inhibitors inhibited the CAP weakening and also decreased the embryo growth potential, thus decreasing the percentage of seed germination. Exogenous ROS and ROS generation inducers increased the percentage of CAP rupture to some extent, and the addition of H2O2 to 0.3% SDIC enabled some seeds to undergo typical germination. PMID:24744430

Time domain measurements for fast metal assemblies with /sup 252/Cf

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mihalczo, J T

1975-06-01

Time correlation measurements between the pulses from an ionization counter containing a /sup 252/Cf neutron source, which provided the initiators of fission chains in a neutron multiplying assembly and from sensors that detected particles from the fission chains are reviewed for fast uranium or plutonium metal assemblies. Comparisons are made between the correlated count rate from a /sup 252/Cf measurement and that from both one and two-detector Rossi-..cap alpha.. measurements. The assemblies studied were (1) unmoderated and polyethylene-moderated uranium (93 wt percent /sup 235/U) cylinders with masses from 12 to 160 kg; prompt neutron decay constants from 3 to 10/sup 3/ to 10/sup 8/ sec/sup -1/ and (2) unmoderated plutonium spheres and parts of spheres with plutonium masses from 2.2 to 16 kg with /sup 240/Pu contents of 4.5 to 20.1 at. percent. Measurements with a delayed critical uranium metal sphere determined the effective delayed neutron fraction and served as the basis for verification of the theory of the /sup 252/Cf measurement method in the time domain within a few per cent. (auth)

The rebirth of the cervical cap.

Science.gov (United States)

Cappiello, J D; Grainger-Harrison, M

1981-01-01

In an effort to dispel myths surrounding the cervical cap, the historical and political factors affecting the cap's use in the U.S. are described. Clinical aspects of cap fitting are also included. The cervical cap has found only limited acceptance in the U.S. Skepticisms on the part of physicians may be the result of 2 factors: confusion of the cervical cap with intracervical devices used for artificial insemination and confusion with stem pessaries; and the lack of clinical research and statistical evaluation of efficacy rates. The latter factor prompted Tietze et al. to conduct the only U.S. statistical study of the cap in 1953. Of the 143 women studied, the pregnancy rate was 7.6/100 years of use. Of the 28 unplanned pregnancies, 6 were related to faulty technique or omission of a spermicide and 10 were instances of admittedly irregular use. When these failures are omitted, the theoretical effectiveness rate is about 98%. Some practitioners are concerned about an increased incidence of cervical erosion with cap use. Possibly currently conducted studies will show that cap and spermicide users have a lower incidence of cervical erosion than women using no contraceptive method. Study findings suggest that the cervical cap may afford protection without any spermicidal supplement, but the use of spermicides continues to be recommended to clients. Advantages of the cervical cap include the following: it can be left in place longer than a diaphragm without additional applications of spermicide in the vagina; and the insertion of the cap is unrelated to the time of intercourse. Despite research on toleration of the cap for 3 weeks at a time, it is recommended that the cap be worn for only a few days at a time. At this time there are no manufacturers of cervical caps for contraceptive use in the U.S. The cap is now being imported from England and it costs $6.00. A factor that has made the cap unpopular with many physicians is the lengthy time required for fitting. An

Assessment of TRAC-PF1/MOD3 Mark-22 assembly model using SRL ''A'' tank single-assembly flow experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, S.R.; Lam, K.; Lin, J.C.

1991-01-01

This paper summarizes the results of an assessment of our TRAC-PF1/MOD3 Mark-22 prototype fuel assembly model against single-assembly data obtained from the ''A'' Tank single-assembly tests that were performed at the Savannah River Laboratory. We felt the data characterize prototypic assembly behavior over a range of air-water flow conditions of interest for loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) calculations. This study was part of a benchmarking effort performed to evaluate and validate a multiple-assembly, full-plant model that is being developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory to study various aspects of the Savannah River plant operating conditions, including LOCA transients, using TRAC-PF1/MOD3 Version 1.10. The results of this benchmarking effort demonstrate that TRAC-PF1/MOD3 is capable pf calculating plenum conditions and assembly flows during conditions thought to be typical of the Emergency Cooling System (ECS) phase of a LOCA. 10 refs., 12 fig

Discovery of novel selenium derivatives as Pin1 inhibitors by high-throughput screening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subedi, Amit; Shimizu, Takeshi; Ryo, Akihide; Sanada, Emiko; Watanabe, Nobumoto; Osada, Hiroyuki

2016-01-01

Peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerization by Pin1 regulates various oncogenic signals during cancer progression, and its inhibition through multiple approaches has established Pin1 as a therapeutic target. However, lack of simplified screening systems has limited the discovery of potent Pin1 inhibitors. We utilized phosphorylation-dependent binding of Pin1 to its specific substrate to develop a screening system for Pin1 inhibitors. Using this system, we screened a chemical library, and identified a novel selenium derivative as Pin1 inhibitor. Based on structure-activity guided chemical synthesis, we developed more potent Pin1 inhibitors that inhibited cancer cell proliferation. -- Highlights: •Novel screening for Pin1 inhibitors based on Pin1 binding is developed. •A novel selenium compound is discovered as Pin1 inhibitor. •Activity guided chemical synthesis of selenium derivatives resulted potent Pin1 inhibitors.

Allosteric Mutant IDH1 Inhibitors Reveal Mechanisms for IDH1 Mutant and Isoform Selectivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Xiaoling; Baird, Daniel; Bowen, Kimberly; Capka, Vladimir; Chen, Jinyun; Chenail, Gregg; Cho, YoungShin; Dooley, Julia; Farsidjani, Ali; Fortin, Pascal; Kohls, Darcy; Kulathila, Raviraj; Lin, Fallon; McKay, Daniel; Rodrigues, Lindsey; Sage, David; Touré, B. Barry; van der Plas, Simon; Wright, Kirk; Xu, Ming; Yin, Hong; Levell, Julian; Pagliarini, Raymond A. (Novartis)

2017-03-01

Oncogenic IDH1 and IDH2 mutations contribute to cancer via production of R-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Here, we characterize two structurally distinct mutant- and isoform-selective IDH1 inhibitors that inhibit 2-HG production. Both bind to an allosteric pocket on IDH1, yet shape it differently, highlighting the plasticity of this site. Oncogenic IDH1R132H mutation destabilizes an IDH1 “regulatory segment,” which otherwise restricts compound access to the allosteric pocket. Regulatory segment destabilization in wild-type IDH1 promotes inhibitor binding, suggesting that destabilization is critical for mutant selectivity. We also report crystal structures of oncogenic IDH2 mutant isoforms, highlighting the fact that the analogous segment of IDH2 is not similarly destabilized. This intrinsic stability of IDH2 may contribute to observed inhibitor IDH1 isoform selectivity. Moreover, discrete residues in the IDH1 allosteric pocket that differ from IDH2 may also guide IDH1 isoform selectivity. These data provide a deeper understanding of how IDH1 inhibitors achieve mutant and isoform selectivity.

Cytoplasmic Actin: Purification and Single Molecule Assembly Assays

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Scott D.; Zuchero, J. Bradley; Mullins, R. Dyche

2014-01-01

The actin cytoskeleton is essential to all eukaryotic cells. In addition to playing important structural roles, assembly of actin into filaments powers diverse cellular processes, including cell motility, cytokinesis, and endocytosis. Actin polymerization is tightly regulated by its numerous cofactors, which control spatial and temporal assembly of actin as well as the physical properties of these filaments. Development of an in vitro model of actin polymerization from purified components has allowed for great advances in determining the effects of these proteins on the actin cytoskeleton. Here we describe how to use the pyrene actin assembly assay to determine the effect of a protein on the kinetics of actin assembly, either directly or as mediated by proteins such as nucleation or capping factors. Secondly, we show how fluorescently labeled phalloidin can be used to visualize the filaments that are created in vitro to give insight into how proteins regulate actin filament structure. Finally, we describe a method for visualizing dynamic assembly and disassembly of single actin filaments and fluorescently labeled actin binding proteins using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. PMID:23868587

Interleukine-1-remming in cryopyrinegeassocieerd periodiek syndroom (CAPS) en schnitzlersyndroom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Koning, H.D.; Schalkwijk, J.; van der Meer, J.W.; Simon, A.

2012-01-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disorder. Patients suffer from chronic systemic inflammation involving the skin (urticaria), joints arthritis) and in some cases also peritoneum (peritonitis) and meninges (meningitis). Recently, a causative mutation was

PTP1B inhibitor promotes endothelial cell motility by activating the DOCK180/Rac1 pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuan; Yan, Feng; Ye, Qing; Wu, Xiao; Jiang, Fan

2016-04-07

Promoting endothelial cell (EC) migration is important not only for therapeutic angiogenesis, but also for accelerating re-endothelialization after vessel injury. Several recent studies have shown that inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) may promote EC migration and angiogenesis by enhancing the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) signalling. In the present study, we demonstrated that PTP1B inhibitor could promote EC adhesion, spreading and migration, which were abolished by the inhibitor of Rac1 but not RhoA GTPase. PTP1B inhibitor significantly increased phosphorylation of p130Cas, and the interactions among p130Cas, Crk and DOCK180; whereas the phosphorylation levels of focal adhesion kinase, Src, paxillin, or Vav2 were unchanged. Gene silencing of DOCK180, but not Vav2, abrogated the effects of PTP1B inhibitor on EC motility. The effects of PTP1B inhibitor on EC motility and p130Cas/DOCK180 activation persisted in the presence of the VEGFR2 antagonist. In conclusion, we suggest that stimulation of the DOCK180 pathway represents an alternative mechanism of PTP1B inhibitor-stimulated EC motility, which does not require concomitant VEGFR2 activation as a prerequisite. Therefore, PTP1B inhibitor may be a useful therapeutic strategy for promoting EC migration in cardiovascular patients in which the VEGF/VEGFR functions are compromised.

Impaired cytokine responses in patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Haverkamp, M H; van de Vosse, E; Goldbach-Mansky, R; Holland, S M

2014-09-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is characterized by dysregulated inflammation with excessive interleukin (IL)-1β activation and secretion. Neonatal-onset multi-system inflammatory disease (NOMID) is the most severe form. We explored cytokine responses in 32 CAPS patients before and after IL-1β blocking therapy. We measured cytokines produced by activated peripheral blood monuclear cells (PBMCs) from treated and untreated CAPS patients after stimulation for 48 h with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), PHA plus IL-12, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or LPS plus interferon (IFN)-γ. We measured IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF), IL-12p70 and IFN-γ in the supernatants. PBMCs from three untreated CAPS patients were cultured in the presence of the IL-1β blocker Anakinra. Fifty healthy individuals served as controls. CAPS patients had high spontaneous production of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF and IFN-γ by unstimulated cells. However, stimulation indexes (SIs, ratio of stimulated to unstimulated production) of these cytokines to PHA and LPS were low in NOMID patients compared to controls. Unstimulated IL-10 and IL-12p70 production was normal, but up-regulation after PHA and LPS was also low. LPS plus IFN-γ inadequately up-regulated the production of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF and IL-10 in CAPS patients. In-vitro but not in-vivo treatment with Anakinra improved SIs by lowering spontaneous cytokine production. However, in-vitro treatment did not improve the low stimulated cytokine levels. Activating mutations in NLRP3 in CAPS are correlated with poor SIs to PHA, LPS and IFN-γ. The impairment in stimulated cytokine responses in spite of IL-1β blocking therapy suggests a broader intrinsic defect in CAPS patients, which is not corrected by targeting IL-1β. © 2014 British Society for Immunology.

Microtubule's conformational cap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flyvbjerg, H.

1999-01-01

The molecular mechanisms that allow elongation of the unstable microtubule lattice remain unclear. It is usually thought that the GDP-liganded tubulin lattice is capped by a small layer of GTP- or GDP-P(i)-liganded molecules, the so called "GTP-cap". Here, we point-out that the elastic properties...

Distributional effects and structural change induced by various CAP Pillar 1 proposals; the case of the Czech Republic

OpenAIRE

Ratinger, Tomas; Foltyn, Ivan; Jelinek, Ladislav; Kristkova, Zuzana

2012-01-01

This paper deals with the potential effects of the CAP pillar 1 on farm incomes and structural changes. It uses a dynamic Computable General Equilibrium model and a specific analysis on distributional effects. The effect of payments ceiling in the current CAP 2020 proposal with subtracting labour costs will bring only insignificant payment reduction for most farmers except large extensive beef breeders whose direct payments will drop by 13% on average. However, if the condition on labour cost...

75 FR 49527 - Caps Visual Communications, LLC; Black Dot Group; Formerly Known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-13

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-74,195] Caps Visual Communications, LLC; Black Dot Group; Formerly Known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC Chicago, IL; Amended... of Caps Visual Communications, LLC, Black Dot Group, formerly known as Caps Group Acquisition, LLC...

Macrophage Capping Protein CapG Is a Putative Oncogene Involved in Migration and Invasiveness in Ovarian Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Glaser

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The actin binding protein CapG modulates cell motility by interacting with the cytoskeleton. CapG is associated with tumor progression in different nongynecologic tumor entities and overexpression in breast cancer cell lines correlates with a more invasive phenotype in vitro. Here, we report a significant CapG overexpression in 18/47 (38% of ovarian carcinomas (OC analyzed by qRealTime-PCR analyses. Functional analyses in OC cell lines through siRNA mediated CapG knockdown and CapG overexpression showed CapG-dependent cell migration and invasiveness. A single nucleotide polymorphism rs6886 inside the CapG gene was identified, affecting a CapG phosphorylation site and thus potentially modifying CapG function. The minor allele frequency (MAF of SNP rs6886 (c.1004A/G was higher and the homozygous (A/A, His335 genotype was significantly more prevalent in patients with fallopian tube carcinomas (50% as in controls (10%. With OC being one of the most lethal cancer diseases, the detection of novel biomarkers such as CapG could reveal new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Moreover, in-depth analyses of SNP rs6886 related to FTC and OC will contribute to a better understanding of carcinogenesis and progression of OC.

Pulp tissue inflammation and angiogenesis after pulp capping with transforming growth factor β1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Kunarti

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In Restorative dentistry the opportunity to develop biomemitic approaches has been signalled by the possible use of various biological macromolecules in direct pulp capping reparation. The presence of growth factors in dentin matrix and the putative role indicating odontoblast differentiation during embryogenesis has led to the examination on the effect of endogenous TGF-β1. TGF-β1 is one of the Growth Factors that plays an important role in pulp healing. The application of exogenous TGF-β1 in direct pulp capping treatment should be experimented in fibroblast tissue in-vivo to see the responses of inflammatory cells and development of new blood vessels. The increase in food supplies always occurs in the process of inflammation therefore the development of angiogenesis is required to fulfil the requirement. This in-vivo study done on orthodontic patients indicated for premolar extraction between 10–15 years of age. A class V cavity preparation was created in the buccal aspect 1 mm above gingival margin to pulp exposure. The cavity was slowly irrigated with saline solution and dried using a sterile small cotton pellet. The sterile absorbable collagen membrane was applied and soaked in 5 ml TGF-β1. It was covered by a Teflon pledge to separate from Glass Ionomer Cement restoration. Evaluation was performed on day 7; 14; and 21. All samples were histopathologycally examined and data was statistically analysed using one way ANOVA and Dunnet T3.There were no inflammatory symptoms in clinical examination on both Ca(OH2 and TGF-β1, but they increased the infiltration of inflammatory cells on histopathological examination. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05 between Ca(OH2 and TGF-β1 in inflammation cell and significant differences (p < 0.05 in angiogenesis on day 7 and 14. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05 in inflammation cell with in TGF-β1 groups and significant differences (p < 0.05 with in Ca(OH2 groups on day 7

The design strategy of selective PTP1B inhibitors over TCPTP.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, XiangQian; Wang, LiJun; Shi, DaYong

2016-08-15

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has already been well studied as a highly validated therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity. However, the lack of selectivity limited further studies and clinical applications of PTP1B inhibitors, especially over T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP). In this review, we enumerate the published specific inhibitors of PTP1B, discuss the structure-activity relationships by analysis of their X-ray structures or docking results, and summarize the characteristic of selectivity related residues and groups. Furthermore, the design strategy of selective PTP1B inhibitors over TCPTP is also proposed. We hope our work could provide an effective way to gain specific PTP1B inhibitors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV-1 transcripts use IRES-initiation under conditions where Cap-dependent translation is restricted by poliovirus 2A protease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Amorim

Full Text Available The 30 different species of mRNAs synthesized during the HIV-1 replication cycle are all capped and polyadenilated. Internal ribosome entry sites have been recognized in the 5' untranslated region of some mRNA species of HIV-1, which would contribute to an alternative mechanism of initiation of mRNA translation. However, the Cap-dependent translation is assumed to be the main mechanism driving the initiation of HIV-1 protein synthesis. In this work, we describe a cell system in which lower to higher levels of transient expression of the poliovirus 2A protease strongly inhibited cellular Cap-dependent translation with no toxic effect to the cells during a 72-hour time frame. In this system, the synthesis of HIV-1 proteins was inhibited in a temporal dose-dependent way. Higher levels of 2A protease expression severely inhibited HIV-1 protein synthesis during the first 24 hours of infection consequently inhibiting viral production and infectivity. Intermediate to lower levels of 2A Protease expression caused the inhibition of viral protein synthesis only during the first 48 hours of viral replication. After this period both protein synthesis and viral release were recovered to the control levels. However, the infectivity of viral progeny was still partially inhibited. These results indicate that two mechanisms of mRNA translation initiation contribute to the synthesis of HIV-1 proteins; during the first 24-48 hours of viral replication HIV-1 protein synthesis is strongly dependent on Cap-initiation, while at later time points IRES-driven translation initiation is sufficient to produce high amounts of viral particles.

Classification of Cytochrome P450 1A2 Inhibitors and Non-Inhibitors by Machine Learning Techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vasanthanathan, Poongavanam; Taboureau, Olivier; Oostenbrink, Chris

2009-01-01

of CYP1A2 inhibitors and non-inhibitors. Training and test sets consisted of about 400 and 7000 compounds, respectively. Various machine learning techniques, like binary QSAR, support vector machine (SVM), random forest, kappa nearest neighbors (kNN), and decision tree methods were used to develop...

Rilonacept in the management of cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS).

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Justin; Mathews, Rebeccah; McDermott, Michael F

2010-01-01

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) are a subgroup of the hereditary periodic fever syndromes, which are rare autoinflammatory and inherited disorders, characterized by recurrent inflammation and varying degrees of severity. CAPS are thought to be driven by excessive production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), through over-activation of the inflammasome by gain of function mutations in the gene encoding cryopyrin (NLRP3). This conclusion is supported by the remarkable efficacy of IL-1β blockade in these conditions. Rilonacept (Arcalyst(TM); Regeneron) is the first us Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome and Muckle-Wells syndrome and the first in a new line of drugs designed for longer-acting IL-1 blockade. Rilonacept has been associated with a decrease in disease activity, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) in the treatment of CAPS. The clinical safety and efficacy of rilonacept in CAPS and non-CAPS populations will be summarized in this review. Rilonacept is also beneficial for patients who tolerate injections poorly, due to an extended half-life over the unapproved CAPS treatment, anakinra, requiring weekly rather than daily self-administration. Other autoinflammatory disorders may also benefit from rilonacept treatment, with clinical trials in progress for systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis, gout and familial mediterranean fever.

Self-Assembly of Nanoclusters into Mono-, Few-, and Multilayered Sheets via Dipole-Induced Asymmetric van der Waals Attraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhennan; Liu, Jiale; Li, Yanchun; Cheng, Ziyi; Li, Tingting; Zhang, Hao; Lu, Zhongyuan; Yang, Bai

2015-06-23

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials possessing regular layered structures and versatile chemical composition are highly expected in many applications. Despite the importance of van der Waals (vdW) attraction in constructing and maintaining layered structures, the origin of 2D anisotropy is not fully understood, yet. Here, we report the 2D self-assembly of ligand-capped Au15 nanoclusters into mono-, few-, and multilayered sheets in colloidal solution. Both the experimental results and computer simulation reveal that the 2D self-assembly is initiated by 1D dipolar attraction common in nanometer-sized objects. The dense 1D attachment of Au15 leads to a redistribution of the surface ligands, thus generating asymmetric vdW attraction. The deliberate control of the coordination of dipolar and vdW attraction further allows to manipulate the thickness and morphologies of 2D self-assembly architectures.

Structure-Based Design of Potent and Selective 3-Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase-1 (PDK1) Inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Medina, Jesus R.; Becker, Christopher J.; Blackledge, Charles W.; Duquenne, Celine; Feng, Yanhong; Grant, Seth W.; Heerding, Dirk; Li, William H.; Miller, William H.; Romeril, Stuart P.; Scherzer, Daryl; Shu, Arthur; Bobko, Mark A.; Chadderton, Antony R.; Dumble, Melissa; Gardiner, Christine M.; Gilbert, Seth; Liu, Qi; Rabindran, Sridhar K.; Sudakin, Valery; Xiang, Hong; Brady, Pat G.; Campobasso, Nino; Ward, Paris; Axten, Jeffrey M. (GSKPA)

2014-10-02

Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1(PDK1) is a master regulator of the AGC family of kinases and an integral component of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. As this pathway is among the most commonly deregulated across all cancers, a selective inhibitor of PDK1 might have utility as an anticancer agent. Herein we describe our lead optimization of compound 1 toward highly potent and selective PDK1 inhibitors via a structure-based design strategy. The most potent and selective inhibitors demonstrated submicromolar activity as measured by inhibition of phosphorylation of PDK1 substrates as well as antiproliferative activity against a subset of AML cell lines. In addition, reduction of phosphorylation of PDK1 substrates was demonstrated in vivo in mice bearing OCl-AML2 xenografts. These observations demonstrate the utility of these molecules as tools to further delineate the biology of PDK1 and the potential pharmacological uses of a PDK1 inhibitor.

Controlled assembly of silver nano-fluid in Heliotropium crispum extract: A potent anti-biofilm and bactericidal formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Faria; Hashmi, Muhammad Uzair; Khalid, Nauman; Hayat, Muhammad Qasim; Ikram, Aamer; Janjua, Hussnain A.

2016-11-01

The study describes the optimized method for silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) synthesis using Heliotropium crispum (HC) plant extract. Optimization of physicochemical parameters resulted in stable and rapidly assembled AgNPs. FTIR results suggest presence of plant phytochemicals that helped in the reduction, stabilization and capping of AgNPs. The assembled Ag nano-composites displayed the peak surface plasmon resonance (SPR) around 428 nm. The presence of uniquely assembled Ag-biomolecule composites, cap and stabilize nanoparticles in aqueous plant suspension. Spherical, uniform-shaped AgNPs with low poly-dispersion and average particle size of 42 nm and was determined through dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning election microscopy (SEM) which present robust interaction with microbes. The study also evaluates the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of biologically synthesized AgNPs on clinical isolates of MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Minimum inhibitory concentration (0.5 mg mL-1) of nanoparticles that presented bactericidal effect was made through inhibition assays on bacterial strains. The concentration which presented potent bactericidal response was then evaluated through growth inhibition in liquid medium for anti-biofilm studies at 2.0 mg mL-1. HC-Ag nanoparticles mediated anti-biofilm effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa was revealed through SEM. Complete breakdown of biofilm's extracellular polymeric substances resulted after incubation with AgNPs. Peptidoglycan cell wall destruction was also revealed on planktonic bacterial images after 24 h of incubation.

North Polar Cap

Science.gov (United States)

2004-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site] This week we will be looking at five examples of laminar wind flow on the north polar cap. On Earth, gravity-driven south polar cap winds are termed 'catabatic' winds. Catabatic winds begin over the smooth expanse of the cap interior due to temperature differences between the atmosphere and the surface. Once begun, the winds sweep outward along the surface of the polar cap toward the sea. As the polar surface slopes down toward sealevel, the wind speeds increase. Catabatic wind speeds in the Antartic can reach several hundreds of miles per hour. In the images of the Martian north polar cap we can see these same type of winds. Notice the streamers of dust moving downslope over the darker trough sides, these streamers show the laminar flow regime coming off the cap. Within the trough we see turbulent clouds of dust, kicked up at the trough base as the winds slow down and enter a chaotic flow regime. The horizontal lines in these images are due to framelet overlap and lighting conditions over the bright polar cap. Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 86.5, Longitude 64.5 East (295.5 West). 40 meter/pixel resolution. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen

FoxM1 is a general target for proteasome inhibitors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uppoor G Bhat

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Proteasome inhibitors are currently in the clinic or in clinical trials, but the mechanism of their anticancer activity is not completely understood. The oncogenic transcription factor FoxM1 is one of the most overexpressed genes in human tumors, while its expression is usually halted in normal non-proliferating cells. Previously, we established that thiazole antibiotics Siomycin A and thiostrepton inhibit FoxM1 and induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. Here, we report that Siomycin A and thiostrepton stabilize the expression of a variety of proteins, such as p21, Mcl-1, p53 and hdm-2 and also act as proteasome inhibitors in vitro. More importantly, we also found that well-known proteasome inhibitors such as MG115, MG132 and bortezomib inhibit FoxM1 transcriptional activity and FoxM1 expression. In addition, overexpression of FoxM1 specifically protects against bortezomib-, but not doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. These data suggest that negative regulation of FoxM1 by proteasome inhibitors is a general feature of these drugs and it may contribute to their anticancer properties.

488-1D Ash Basin closure cap help modeling- Microdrain® liner option

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyer, J. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-08-03

At the request of Area Completion Engineering and in support of the 488-1D Ash Basin closure, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed hydrologic simulations of the revised 488-1D Ash Basin closure cap design using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. The revised design substitutes a MicroDrain Liner®—60-mil low-density polyethylene geomembrane structurally integrated with 130-mil drainage layer—for the previously planned drainage/barrier system—300-mil geosynthetic drainage layer (GDL), 300-mil geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), and 6-inch common fill soil layer. For a 25-year, 24-hour storm event, HELP model v3.07 was employed to (1) predict the peak maximum daily hydraulic head for the geomembrane layer, and (2) ensure that South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements for the barrier layer (i.e., ≤ 12 inches hydraulic head on top of a barrier having a saturated hydraulic conductivity ≤ 1.0E-05 cm/s) will not be exceeded. A 25-year, 24-hour storm event at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is 6.1 inches rainfall (Weber 1998). HELP model v3.07 results based upon the new planned cap design suggest that the peak maximum daily hydraulic head on the geomembrane barrier layer will be 0.15 inches for a minimum slope equal to 3%, which is two orders of magnitude below the SCDHEC upper limit of 12 inches.

488-1D Ash basin closure cap help modeling-Microdrain® liner option

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dyer, J. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2017-09-06

At the request of Area Completion Engineering and in support of the 488-1D Ash Basin closure, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed hydrologic simulations of the revised 488-1D Ash Basin closure cap design using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. The revised design substitutes a MicroDrain Liner®—50-mil linear low-density polyethylene geomembrane structurally integrated with 130-mil drainage layer—for the previously planned drainage/barrier system—300-mil geosynthetic drainage layer (GDL), 300-mil geosynthetic clay liner (GCL), and 6-inch common fill soil layer. For a 25-year, 24-hour storm event, HELP model v3.07 was employed to (1) predict the peak maximum daily hydraulic head for the geomembrane layer, and (2) ensure that South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) requirements for the barrier layer (i.e., ≤ 12 inches hydraulic head on top of a barrier having a saturated hydraulic conductivity ≤ 1.0E-05 cm/s) will not be exceeded. A 25-year, 24-hour storm event at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is 6.1 inches rainfall (Weber 1998). HELP model v3.07 results based upon the new planned cap design suggest that the peak maximum daily hydraulic head on the geomembrane barrier layer will be 0.179 inches for a minimum slope equal to 3%, which is approximately two orders of magnitude below the SCDHEC upper limit of 12 inches.

Structure of a two-CAP-domain protein from the human hookworm parasite Necator americanus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asojo, Oluwatoyin A., E-mail: oasojo@unmc.edu [Pathology and Microbiology Department, 986495 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6495 (United States)

2011-05-01

The first structure of a two-CAP-domain protein, Na-ASP-1, from the major human hookworm parasite N. americanus refined to a resolution limit of 2.2 Å is presented. Major proteins secreted by the infective larval stage hookworms upon host entry include Ancylostoma secreted proteins (ASPs), which are characterized by one or two CAP (cysteine-rich secretory protein/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1) domains. The CAP domain has been reported in diverse phylogenetically unrelated proteins, but has no confirmed function. The first structure of a two-CAP-domain protein, Na-ASP-1, from the major human hookworm parasite Necator americanus was refined to a resolution limit of 2.2 Å. The structure was solved by molecular replacement (MR) using Na-ASP-2, a one-CAP-domain ASP, as the search model. The correct MR solution could only be obtained by truncating the polyalanine model of Na-ASP-2 and removing several loops. The structure reveals two CAP domains linked by an extended loop. Overall, the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain is more similar to Na-ASP-2 than to the amino-terminal CAP domain. A large central cavity extends from the amino-terminal CAP domain to the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain, encompassing the putative CAP-binding cavity. The putative CAP-binding cavity is a characteristic cavity in the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain that contains a His and Glu pair. These residues are conserved in all single-CAP-domain proteins, but are absent in the amino-terminal CAP domain. The conserved His residues are oriented such that they appear to be capable of directly coordinating a zinc ion as observed for CAP proteins from reptile venoms. This first structure of a two-CAP-domain ASP can serve as a template for homology modeling of other two-CAP-domain proteins.

Structure of a two-CAP-domain protein from the human hookworm parasite Necator americanus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asojo, Oluwatoyin A.

2011-01-01

The first structure of a two-CAP-domain protein, Na-ASP-1, from the major human hookworm parasite N. americanus refined to a resolution limit of 2.2 Å is presented. Major proteins secreted by the infective larval stage hookworms upon host entry include Ancylostoma secreted proteins (ASPs), which are characterized by one or two CAP (cysteine-rich secretory protein/antigen 5/pathogenesis related-1) domains. The CAP domain has been reported in diverse phylogenetically unrelated proteins, but has no confirmed function. The first structure of a two-CAP-domain protein, Na-ASP-1, from the major human hookworm parasite Necator americanus was refined to a resolution limit of 2.2 Å. The structure was solved by molecular replacement (MR) using Na-ASP-2, a one-CAP-domain ASP, as the search model. The correct MR solution could only be obtained by truncating the polyalanine model of Na-ASP-2 and removing several loops. The structure reveals two CAP domains linked by an extended loop. Overall, the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain is more similar to Na-ASP-2 than to the amino-terminal CAP domain. A large central cavity extends from the amino-terminal CAP domain to the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain, encompassing the putative CAP-binding cavity. The putative CAP-binding cavity is a characteristic cavity in the carboxyl-terminal CAP domain that contains a His and Glu pair. These residues are conserved in all single-CAP-domain proteins, but are absent in the amino-terminal CAP domain. The conserved His residues are oriented such that they appear to be capable of directly coordinating a zinc ion as observed for CAP proteins from reptile venoms. This first structure of a two-CAP-domain ASP can serve as a template for homology modeling of other two-CAP-domain proteins

Identification of Leishmania donovani Topoisomerase 1 inhibitors via intuitive scaffold hopping and bioisosteric modification of known Top 1 inhibitors

Science.gov (United States)

Mamidala, Rajinikanth; Majumdar, Papiya; Jha, Kunal Kumar; Bathula, Chandramohan; Agarwal, Rahul; Chary, M. Thirumala; Mazumdar, H. K.; Munshi, Parthapratim; Sen, Subhabrata

2016-05-01

A library of arylidenefuropyridinediones was discovered as potent inhibitors of Leishmania donovani Topoisomerase 1 (LdTop1) where the active molecules displayed considerable inhibition with single digit micromolar EC50 values. This molecular library was designed via intuitive scaffold hopping and bioisosteric modification of known topoisomerase 1 inhibitors such as camptothecin, edotecarin and etc. The design was rationalized by molecular docking analysis of the compound prototype with human topoisomerase 1 (HTop1) and Leishmania donovani topoisomerase 1(LdTop1). The most active compound 4 displayed no cytotoxicity against normal mammalian COS7 cell line (~100 fold less inhibition at the EC50). Similar to camptothecin, 4 interacted with free LdTop1 as observed in the preincubation DNA relaxation inhibition experiment. It also displayed anti-protozoal activity against Leishmania donovani promastigote. Crystal structure investigation of 4 and its molecular modelling with LdTop1 revealed putative binding sites in the enzyme that could be harnessed to generate molecules with better potency.

The nucleosome assembly activity of NAP1 is enhanced by Alien.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckey, Maren; Hong, Wei; Papaioannou, Maria; Baniahmad, Aria

2007-05-01

The assembly of nucleosomes into chromatin is essential for the compaction of DNA and inactivation of the DNA template to modulate and repress gene expression. The nucleosome assembly protein 1, NAP1, assembles nucleosomes independent of DNA synthesis and was shown to enhance coactivator-mediated gene expression, suggesting a role for NAP1 in transcriptional regulation. Here, we show that Alien, known to harbor characteristics of a corepressor of nuclear hormone receptors such as of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), binds in vivo and in vitro to NAP1 and modulates its activity by enhancing NAP1-mediated nucleosome assembly on DNA. Furthermore, Alien reduces the accessibility of the histones H3 and H4 for NAP1-promoted assembly reaction. This indicates that Alien sustains and reinforces the formation of nucleosomes. Employing deletion mutants of Alien suggests that different regions of Alien are involved in enhancement of NAP1-mediated nucleosome assembly and in inhibiting the accessibility of the histones H3 and H4. In addition, we provide evidence that Alien is associated with chromatin and with micrococcus nuclease-prepared nucleosome fractions and interacts with the histones H3 and H4. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation and reimmunoprecipitation experiments suggest that NAP1 and Alien localize to the endogenous CYP24 promoter in vivo, a VDR target gene. Based on these findings, we present here a novel pathway linking corepressor function with nucleosome assembly activity.

Designing Smart Charter School Caps

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Erin

2010-01-01

In 2007, Andrew J. Rotherham proposed a new approach to the contentious issue of charter school caps, the statutory limits on charter school growth in place in several states. Rotherham's proposal, termed "smart charter school caps," called for quality sensitive caps that allow the expansion of high-performing charter schools while also…

NATURE MANAGEMENT, LANDSCAPE AND THE CAP

OpenAIRE

Brouwer, Floor M.; Godeschalk, Frans E.

2004-01-01

The integration of nature management, landscape and environmental concerns into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has gained momentum with the CAP reforms adopted in June 2003. The report explores instruments and approaches that contribute to the inte-gration of nature conservation and landscape concerns into the CAP. A broader use of the CAP instruments might help to achieve nature types in the Netherlands.

Comparing de novo assemblers for 454 transcriptome data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sujai; Blaxter, Mark L

2010-10-16

Roche 454 pyrosequencing has become a method of choice for generating transcriptome data from non-model organisms. Once the tens to hundreds of thousands of short (250-450 base) reads have been produced, it is important to correctly assemble these to estimate the sequence of all the transcripts. Most transcriptome assembly projects use only one program for assembling 454 pyrosequencing reads, but there is no evidence that the programs used to date are optimal. We have carried out a systematic comparison of five assemblers (CAP3, MIRA, Newbler, SeqMan and CLC) to establish best practices for transcriptome assemblies, using a new dataset from the parasitic nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis. Although no single assembler performed best on all our criteria, Newbler 2.5 gave longer contigs, better alignments to some reference sequences, and was fast and easy to use. SeqMan assemblies performed best on the criterion of recapitulating known transcripts, and had more novel sequence than the other assemblers, but generated an excess of small, redundant contigs. The remaining assemblers all performed almost as well, with the exception of Newbler 2.3 (the version currently used by most assembly projects), which generated assemblies that had significantly lower total length. As different assemblers use different underlying algorithms to generate contigs, we also explored merging of assemblies and found that the merged datasets not only aligned better to reference sequences than individual assemblies, but were also more consistent in the number and size of contigs. Transcriptome assemblies are smaller than genome assemblies and thus should be more computationally tractable, but are often harder because individual contigs can have highly variable read coverage. Comparing single assemblers, Newbler 2.5 performed best on our trial data set, but other assemblers were closely comparable. Combining differently optimal assemblies from different programs however gave a more credible

PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Associated Autoimmune Encephalitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Schneider

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To report first-hand narrative experience of autoimmune encephalitis and to briefly review currently available evidence of autoimmune encephalitis in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Setting: A case study is presented on the management of a patient who developed autoimmune encephalitis during nivolumab monotherapy occurring after 28 weeks on anti-PD-1 monotherapy (nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks for non-small cell lung cancer. Results: No substantial improvement was observed by antiepileptic treatment. After administration of 80 mg methylprednisolone, neurologic symptoms disappeared within 24 h and the patient fully recovered. Conclusions: Immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment can lead to autoimmune encephalitis. Clinical trial data indicate a frequency of autoimmune encephalitis of ≥0.1 to <1% with a higher probability during combined or sequential anti-CTLA-4/anti-PD-1 therapy than during anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. Further collection of evidence and translational research is warranted.

CAPS Simulation Environment Development

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Douglas G.; Hoffman, James A.

2005-01-01

The final design for an effective Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS) will likely come after a number of competing designs have been simulated and evaluated. Because of the large number of design parameters involved in a system capable of detecting an object, accurately determining its orbit, and diverting the impact threat, a comprehensive simulation environment will be an extremely valuable tool for the CAPS designers. A successful simulation/design tool will aid the user in identifying the critical parameters in the system and eventually allow for automatic optimization of the design once the relationships of the key parameters are understood. A CAPS configuration will consist of space-based detectors whose purpose is to scan the celestial sphere in search of objects likely to make a close approach to Earth and to determine with the greatest possible accuracy the orbits of those objects. Other components of a CAPS configuration may include systems for modifying the orbits of approaching objects, either for the purpose of preventing a collision or for positioning the object into an orbit where it can be studied or used as a mineral resource. The Synergistic Engineering Environment (SEE) is a space-systems design, evaluation, and visualization software tool being leveraged to simulate these aspects of the CAPS study. The long-term goal of the SEE is to provide capabilities to allow the user to build and compare various CAPS designs by running end-to-end simulations that encompass the scanning phase, the orbit determination phase, and the orbit modification phase of a given scenario. Herein, a brief description of the expected simulation phases is provided, the current status and available features of the SEE software system is reported, and examples are shown of how the system is used to build and evaluate a CAPS detection design. Conclusions and the roadmap for future development of the SEE are also presented.

The cervical cap (image)

Science.gov (United States)

The cervical cap is a flexible rubber cup-like device that is filled with spermicide and self-inserted over the cervix ... left in place several hours after intercourse. The cap is a prescribed device fitted by a health ...

Does uncertainty justify intensity emission caps?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quirion, Philippe

2005-01-01

Environmental policies often set 'relative' or 'intensity' emission caps, i.e. emission limits proportional to the polluting firm's output. One of the arguments put forth in favour of relative caps is based on the uncertainty on business-as-usual output: if the firm's production level is higher than expected, so will be business-as-usual emissions, hence reaching a given level of emissions will be more costly than expected. As a consequence, it is argued, a higher emission level should be allowed if the production level is more important than expected. We assess this argument with a stochastic analytical model featuring two random variables: the business-as-usual emission level, proportional to output, and the slope of the marginal abatement cost curve. We compare the relative cap to an absolute cap and to a price instrument, in terms of welfare impact. It turns out that in most plausible cases, either a price instrument or an absolute cap yields a higher expected welfare than a relative cap. Quantitatively, the difference in expected welfare is typically very small between the absolute and the relative cap but may be significant between the relative cap and the price instrument. (author)

Fuel sub-assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolly, R.

1988-01-01

A nuclear fuel sub-assembly includes a hexagonal bundle of parallel, spaced apart fuel pins coupled at one end to an end-holding grid comprising a number of transverse spaced apart rails to each of which is connected a series of pin-receiving cells which render the pins axially captive with the rails. The series of cells are defined by a pair of metal strips each of which has a series of pocket formations such that when the pocket formations are in registry they define cylindrical shaped cells provided with internal projections which engage annular recesses in the end caps of the fuel pins to effect axial constraint of the pins. (author)

The Antibacterial Cell Division Inhibitor PC190723 Is an FtsZ Polymer-stabilizing Agent That Induces Filament Assembly and Condensation*

Science.gov (United States)

Andreu, José M.; Schaffner-Barbero, Claudia; Huecas, Sonia; Alonso, Dulce; Lopez-Rodriguez, María L.; Ruiz-Avila, Laura B.; Núñez-Ramírez, Rafael; Llorca, Oscar; Martín-Galiano, Antonio J.

2010-01-01

Cell division protein FtsZ can form single-stranded filaments with a cooperative behavior by self-switching assembly. Subsequent condensation and bending of FtsZ filaments are important for the formation and constriction of the cytokinetic ring. PC190723 is an effective bactericidal cell division inhibitor that targets FtsZ in the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and does not affect Escherichia coli cells, which apparently binds to a zone equivalent to the binding site of the antitumor drug taxol in tubulin (Haydon, D. J., Stokes, N. R., Ure, R., Galbraith, G., Bennett, J. M., Brown, D. R., Baker, P. J., Barynin, V. V., Rice, D. W., Sedelnikova, S. E., Heal, J. R., Sheridan, J. M., Aiwale, S. T., Chauhan, P. K., Srivastava, A., Taneja, A., Collins, I., Errington, J., and Czaplewski, L. G. (2008) Science 312, 1673–1675). We have found that the benzamide derivative PC190723 is an FtsZ polymer-stabilizing agent. PC190723 induced nucleated assembly of Bs-FtsZ into single-stranded coiled protofilaments and polymorphic condensates, including bundles, coils, and toroids, whose formation could be modulated with different solution conditions. Under conditions for reversible assembly of Bs-FtsZ, PC190723 binding reduced the GTPase activity and induced the formation of straight bundles and ribbons, which was also observed with Sa-FtsZ but not with nonsusceptible Ec-FtsZ. The fragment 2,6-difluoro-3-methoxybenzamide also induced Bs-FtsZ bundling. We propose that polymer stabilization by PC190723 suppresses in vivo FtsZ polymer dynamics and bacterial division. The biochemical action of PC190723 on FtsZ parallels that of the microtubule-stabilizing agent taxol on the eukaryotic structural homologue tubulin. Both taxol and PC190723 stabilize polymers against disassembly by preferential binding to each assembled protein. It is yet to be investigated whether both ligands target structurally related assembly switches. PMID:20212044

Rapid thermal annealing of InAs/GaAs quantum dots under a GaAs proximity cap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babinski, Adam; Jasinski, J.; Bozek, R.; Szepielow, A.; Baranowski, J. M.

2001-01-01

The effect of postgrowth rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on GaAs proximity-capped structures with self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) is investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL). As can be seen from the TEM images, QDs increase their lateral sizes with increasing annealing temperature (up to 700 C). QDs cannot be distinguished after RTA at temperature 800 C or higher, and substantial thickening of the wetting layer can be seen instead. The main PL peak blueshifts as a result of RTA. We propose that in the as-grown sample as well, as in samples annealed at temperatures up to 700 C, the peak is due to the QDs. After RTA at 800 C and higher the PL peak is due to a modified wetting layer. Relatively fast dissolution of QDs is explained in terms of strain-induced lateral Ga/In interdiffusion. It is proposed that such a process may be of importance in proximity-capped RTA, when no group-III vacancy formation takes place at the sample/capping interface

The first Inner Detector End-Cap is lowered into the cavern

CERN Multimedia

Heinz Pernegger

The first Inner Detector End-Cap, containing both the SCT and TRT detectors, arriving down the access shaft on the A-side. . The Inner Detector End-Cap A approaching the installation platform. During the difficult phase of inserting the Inner Detector into the cryostat. On Thursday, May 24, the first Inner Detector end-cap, with both the TRT and SCT end-caps, was taken down to the pit. More pictures can be found on the transfer from SR1 to SX1 as well as the lowering into the cavern and reception on the platform which can also be seen as a slide show

PAVE: Program for assembling and viewing ESTs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bomhoff Matthew

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background New sequencing technologies are rapidly emerging. Many laboratories are simultaneously working with the traditional Sanger ESTs and experimenting with ESTs generated by the 454 Life Science sequencers. Though Sanger ESTs have been used to generate contigs for many years, no program takes full advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information, hence, many tentative transcripts are assembled into two separate contigs. The new 454 technology has the benefit of high-throughput expression profiling, but introduces time and space problems for assembling large contigs. Results The PAVE (Program for Assembling and Viewing ESTs assembler takes advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information by requiring that the mate-pairs be assembled into the same contig and joined by n's if the two sub-contigs do not overlap. It handles the depth of 454 data sets by "burying" similar ESTs during assembly, which retains the expression level information while circumventing time and space problems. PAVE uses MegaBLAST for the clustering step and CAP3 for assembly, however it assembles incrementally to enforce the mate-pair constraint, bury ESTs, and reduce incorrect joins and splits. The PAVE data management system uses a MySQL database to store multiple libraries of ESTs along with their metadata; the management system allows multiple assemblies with variations on libraries and parameters. Analysis routines provide standard annotation for the contigs including a measure of differentially expressed genes across the libraries. A Java viewer program is provided for display and analysis of the results. Our results clearly show the benefit of using the PAVE assembler to explicitly use mate-pair information and bury ESTs for large contigs. Conclusion The PAVE assembler provides a software package for assembling Sanger and/or 454 ESTs. The assembly software, data management software, Java viewer and user's guide are freely available.

PAVE: program for assembling and viewing ESTs.

Science.gov (United States)

Soderlund, Carol; Johnson, Eric; Bomhoff, Matthew; Descour, Anne

2009-08-26

New sequencing technologies are rapidly emerging. Many laboratories are simultaneously working with the traditional Sanger ESTs and experimenting with ESTs generated by the 454 Life Science sequencers. Though Sanger ESTs have been used to generate contigs for many years, no program takes full advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information, hence, many tentative transcripts are assembled into two separate contigs. The new 454 technology has the benefit of high-throughput expression profiling, but introduces time and space problems for assembling large contigs. The PAVE (Program for Assembling and Viewing ESTs) assembler takes advantage of the 5' and 3' mate-pair information by requiring that the mate-pairs be assembled into the same contig and joined by n's if the two sub-contigs do not overlap. It handles the depth of 454 data sets by "burying" similar ESTs during assembly, which retains the expression level information while circumventing time and space problems. PAVE uses MegaBLAST for the clustering step and CAP3 for assembly, however it assembles incrementally to enforce the mate-pair constraint, bury ESTs, and reduce incorrect joins and splits. The PAVE data management system uses a MySQL database to store multiple libraries of ESTs along with their metadata; the management system allows multiple assemblies with variations on libraries and parameters. Analysis routines provide standard annotation for the contigs including a measure of differentially expressed genes across the libraries. A Java viewer program is provided for display and analysis of the results. Our results clearly show the benefit of using the PAVE assembler to explicitly use mate-pair information and bury ESTs for large contigs. The PAVE assembler provides a software package for assembling Sanger and/or 454 ESTs. The assembly software, data management software, Java viewer and user's guide are freely available.

Antimalarial activity of HIV-1 protease inhibitor in chromone series.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerdsirisuk, Pradith; Maicheen, Chirattikan; Ungwitayatorn, Jiraporn

2014-12-01

Increasing parasite resistance to nearly all available antimalarial drugs becomes a serious problem to human health and necessitates the need to continue the search for new effective drugs. Recent studies have shown that clinically utilized HIV-1 protease (HIV-1 PR) inhibitors can inhibit the in vitro and in vivo growth of Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, a series of chromone derivatives possessing HIV-1 PR inhibitory activity has been tested for antimalarial activity against P. falciparum (K1 multi-drug resistant strain). Chromone 15, the potent HIV-1 PR inhibitor (IC50=0.65μM), was found to be the most potent antimalarial compound with IC50=0.95μM while primaquine and tafenoquine showed IC50=2.41 and 1.95μM, respectively. Molecular docking study of chromone compounds against plasmepsin II, an aspartic protease enzyme important in hemoglobin degradation, revealed that chromone 15 exhibited the higher binding affinity (binding energy=-13.24kcal/mol) than the known PM II inhibitors. Thus, HIV-1 PR inhibitor in chromone series has the potential to be a new class of antimalarial agent. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure based design of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Suresh; Tice, Colin

2010-11-01

Controlling elevated tissue-specific levels of cortisol may provide a novel therapeutic approach for treating metabolic syndrome. This concept has spurred large scale medicinal chemistry efforts in the pharmaceutical industry for the design of 11β-HSD1 inhibitors. High resolution X-ray crystal structures of inhibitors in complex with the enzyme have facilitated the structure-based design of diverse classes of molecules. A summary of binding modes, trends in structure-activity relationships, and the pharmacodynamic data of inhibitors from each class is presented.

Inhibitors of nuclease and redox activity of apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox effector factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1).

Science.gov (United States)

Laev, Sergey S; Salakhutdinov, Nariman F; Lavrik, Olga I

2017-05-01

Human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox effector factor 1 (APE1/Ref-1) is a multifunctional protein which is essential in the base excision repair (BER) pathway of DNA lesions caused by oxidation and alkylation. This protein hydrolyzes DNA adjacent to the 5'-end of an apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) site to produce a nick with a 3'-hydroxyl group and a 5'-deoxyribose phosphate moiety or activates the DNA-binding activity of certain transcription factors through its redox function. Studies have indicated a role for APE1/Ref-1 in the pathogenesis of cancer and in resistance to DNA-interactive drugs. Thus, this protein has potential as a target in cancer treatment. As a result, major efforts have been directed to identify small molecule inhibitors against APE1/Ref-1 activities. These agents have the potential to become anticancer drugs. The aim of this review is to present recent progress in studies of all published small molecule APE1/Ref-1 inhibitors. The structures and activities of APE1/Ref-1 inhibitors, that target both DNA repair and redox activities, are presented and discussed. To date, there is an urgent need for further development of the design and synthesis of APE1/Ref-1 inhibitors due to high importance of this protein target. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis of high quality graphene on capped (1 1 1) Cu thin films obtained by high temperature secondary grain growth on c-plane sapphire substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngwoo; Moyen, Eric; Yi, Hemian; Avila, José; Chen, Chaoyu; Asensio, Maria C.; Lee, Young Hee; Pribat, Didier

2018-07-01

We propose a novel growth technique, in which graphene is synthesized on capped Cu thin films deposited on c-plane sapphire. The cap is another sapphire plate which is just laid upon the Cu thin film, in direct contact with it. Thanks to this ‘contact cap’, Cu evaporation can be suppressed at high temperature and the 400 nm-thick Cu films can be annealed above 1000 °C, resulting in (1 1 1)-oriented grains of millimeter size. Following this high temperature annealing, graphene is grown by chemical vapor deposition during the same pump-down operation, without removing the contact cap. The orientation and doping type of the as-grown graphene were first studied, using low energy electron diffraction, as well as high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. In particular, the orientation relationships between the graphene and copper thin film with respect to the sapphire substrate were precisely determined. We find that the graphene sheets exhibit a minimal rotational disorder, with ~90% of the grains aligned along the copper high symmetry direction. Detailed transport measurements were also performed using field-effect transistor structures. Carrier mobility values as high as 8460 cm2 V‑1 s‑1 have been measured on top gate transistors fabricated directly on the sapphire substrate, by etching the Cu film from underneath the graphene sheets. This is by far the best carrier mobility value obtained to date for graphene sheets synthesized on a thin film-type metal substrate.

Activated Carbon Fibers "Thickly Overgrown" by Ag Nanohair Through Self-Assembly and Rapid Thermal Annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Xuefeng; Xu, Sijun; Wang, Qiang; Fan, Xuerong

2017-11-01

Anisotropic nanomaterial-modified carbon fibers attract increasing attention because of their superior properties over traditional ones. In this study, activated carbon fibers (ACFs) "thickly overgrown" by Ag nanohair were prepared through self-assembly and rapid thermal annealing. Viscose fibers with well-dispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on surfaces were first prepared through self-assembly of hyperbranched poly(amino-amine) (HBPAA)-capped AgNPs on viscose surfaces. HBPAA endowed the AgNP surfaces with negative charges and abundant amino groups, allowing AgNPs to monodispersively self-assemble to fiber surfaces. Ag nanohair-grown ACFs were prepared by sequential pre-oxidation and carbonization. Because the carbonization furnace was open-ended, ACFs are immediately transferrable to the outside of the furnace. Therefore, the Ag liquid adsorbed by ACF pores squeezed out to form Ag nanowires through thermal contraction. FESEM characterization indicated that Ag nanohairs stood on ACF surface and grew from ACF caps. XPS and XRD characterization showed that Ag successfully assembled to fiber surfaces and retained its metallic state even after high-temperature carbonization. TG analysis suggested that Ag nanohair-grown ACFs maintained their excellent thermal stabilities. Finally, the fabricated ACFs showed excellent and durable antibacterial activities, and the developed method may provide a potential strategy for preparing metal nanowire-grown ACFs.

Mutations in RCA1 and AFG3 inhibit F1-ATPase assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, M F; Tzagoloff, A

1995-10-02

The RCA1 (YTA12) and AFG3 (YTA10) genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae code for homologous mitochondrial proteins that belong to the recently described AAA protein-family [Kunau et al. (1993) Biochimie 75,209-224]. Mutations in either gene have been shown to induce a respiratory defect. In the case of rca1 mutants this phenotype has been ascribed to defective assembly of cytochrome oxidase and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase. In the present study we show that the respiratory defect of afg3 mutants, like that of rca1 mutants, is also caused by an arrest in assembly of cytochrome oxidase and ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase. In addition to the absence of the respiratory complexes, rca1 and afg3 mutants exhibit reduced mitochondrial ATPase activity. As a first step to an understanding of the biochemical basis for the ATPase defect we have examined the assembly of the F1 and F0 constituents of the ATPase complex. We present evidence that the ATPase lesion stems at least in part from the failure of rca1 and afg3 mutants to assemble F1. Although the mutants also display lower steady-state concentrations of some F0 subunits, this could be a secondary effect of defective F1 assembly.

Supramolecular assembled three-dimensional graphene hybrids: Synthesis and applications in supercapacitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ni, Lubin [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu (China); Zhang, Wang [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu (China); Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Wu, Zhen; Sun, Chunyu; Cai, Yin; Yang, Guang; Chen, Ming [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu (China); Piao, Yuanzhe, E-mail: parkat9@snu.ac.kr [Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Diao, Guowang, E-mail: gwdiao@yzu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu (China)

2017-02-28

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular assembled three-dimensdional graphene-based architectures were built by host-guest interactions of β-cyclodextrin polymers(β-CDPs) with adamantine end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) polymer linker (PEG-AD), exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performances of supercapacitor in terms of high specific capacitance, remarkable rate capability, and excellent cycling stability compared to pristine reduced graphene oxide. - Highlights: • Supramolecular assembled three-Dimensional (3D) graphene was first fabricated by host-guest interactions of β-CDPs with PEG-AD linkers. • The incorporation of PEG-AD linker into rGO sheets can provide efficient 3D electron transfer pathways and ion diffusion channels. • The 3D self-assembled graphene exhibits high specific capacitance, remarkable rate capability, and excellent cycling stability. • This study shed new lights to design 3D self-assembled graphene materials and their urgent applications in energy storage. - Abstract: Graphene-based materials have received worldwide attention in the focus of forefront energy storage investigations. Currently, the design of novel three-dimensional (3D) graphene structures with high energy capability, superior electron and ion conductivity, and robust mechanical flexibility is still a great challenge. Herein, we have successfully demonstrated a novel approach to fabricate 3D assembled graphene through the supramolecular interactions of β-cyclodextrin polymers (β-CDP) with an adamantine end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) polymer linker (PEG-AD). The incorporation of PEG-AD linker into rGO sheets increased the interlayer spacing of rGO sheets to form 3D graphene materials, which can provide efficient 3D electron transfer pathways and ion diffusion channels, and facilitate the infiltration of gel electrolyte. The as-prepared 3D self-assembled graphene materials exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performances of supercapacitor in terms

Supramolecular assembled three-dimensional graphene hybrids: Synthesis and applications in supercapacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni, Lubin; Zhang, Wang; Wu, Zhen; Sun, Chunyu; Cai, Yin; Yang, Guang; Chen, Ming; Piao, Yuanzhe; Diao, Guowang

2017-01-01

Graphical abstract: Supramolecular assembled three-dimensdional graphene-based architectures were built by host-guest interactions of β-cyclodextrin polymers(β-CDPs) with adamantine end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) polymer linker (PEG-AD), exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performances of supercapacitor in terms of high specific capacitance, remarkable rate capability, and excellent cycling stability compared to pristine reduced graphene oxide. - Highlights: • Supramolecular assembled three-Dimensional (3D) graphene was first fabricated by host-guest interactions of β-CDPs with PEG-AD linkers. • The incorporation of PEG-AD linker into rGO sheets can provide efficient 3D electron transfer pathways and ion diffusion channels. • The 3D self-assembled graphene exhibits high specific capacitance, remarkable rate capability, and excellent cycling stability. • This study shed new lights to design 3D self-assembled graphene materials and their urgent applications in energy storage. - Abstract: Graphene-based materials have received worldwide attention in the focus of forefront energy storage investigations. Currently, the design of novel three-dimensional (3D) graphene structures with high energy capability, superior electron and ion conductivity, and robust mechanical flexibility is still a great challenge. Herein, we have successfully demonstrated a novel approach to fabricate 3D assembled graphene through the supramolecular interactions of β-cyclodextrin polymers (β-CDP) with an adamantine end-capped poly(ethylene oxide) polymer linker (PEG-AD). The incorporation of PEG-AD linker into rGO sheets increased the interlayer spacing of rGO sheets to form 3D graphene materials, which can provide efficient 3D electron transfer pathways and ion diffusion channels, and facilitate the infiltration of gel electrolyte. The as-prepared 3D self-assembled graphene materials exhibit significantly improved electrochemical performances of supercapacitor in terms

The North Zealand CAP Monitor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Minna; Ravn, Pernille; Notander Clausen, Lise

with CAP. We started with 34 audit variables. Through repeated cycles of testing, feedback and discussions, we reduced the number of indicators to 22 and time per audit from 20 to 10 minutes. Strategy for change To link the monitoring system with our patient pathway for CAP we established an improvement...... Designing a database Designing and testing a dashboard to present indicators in a balanced way Messages for others Auditing patients with a common disease as CAP is useful to identify areas for improvement for a large group of patients. The baseline audit can serve as a basis for a monitoring system......Contect We describe how we developed a monitoring system for community acquired pneumonia (CAP) at North Zealand Regional hospital. We serve 310.000 inhabitants and annually around 3200 patients with CAP are admitted. As part of a program of clinical pathways for common conditions, a pathway...

Preparation and characterization of highly water-soluble magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles via surface double-layered self-assembly method of sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Honghong; Qin, Li; Feng, Ying; Hu, Lihua; Zhou, Chunhua

2015-01-01

A kind of double-layered self-assembly sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOS) capped Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN) with highly water-solubility was prepared by a wet co-precipitation method with a pH of 4.8. The resulting Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN could be dispersed into water to form stable magnetic fluid without other treatments. The result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN maintained original crystalline structure and exhibited a diameter of about 7.5 nm. The iron oxide phase of nanoparticles determined by Raman spectroscopy is Fe 3 O 4 . Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed that the Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN with spherical morphology were uniformly dispersed in water. FT-IR spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) verified the successful preparation of Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN capped with double-layered self-assembled AOS. The corresponding capacities of monolayer chemical absorption and the second-layer self-assembly absorption were respectively 4.07 and 14.71 wt% of Fe 3 O 4 -MN, which were much lower than those of other surfactants. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) test result showed Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN possessed superparamagnetic behavior with the saturation magnetization value of about 44.45 emu/g. The blocking temperature T B of Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS is 170 K. - Highlights: • Double-layered self-assembly sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOS) capped Fe 3 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles are prepared by a wet co-precipitation method. • Double-layered Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN exhibits highly water-solubility. • The iron oxide phase is determined by Raman spectroscopy. • Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS possesses super-paramagnetic behavior. • The blocking temperature T B of Fe 3 O 4 -AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS is 170 K

50 CFR 679.82 - Rockfish Program use caps and sideboard limits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Rockfish Program use caps and sideboard... ECONOMIC ZONE OFF ALASKA Rockfish Program § 679.82 Rockfish Program use caps and sideboard limits. (a) Use caps—(1) General. Use caps limit the amount of rockfish QS and CQ of primary rockfish species that may...

The Nucleosome Assembly Activity of NAP1 Is Enhanced by Alien▿

OpenAIRE

Eckey, Maren; Hong, Wei; Papaioannou, Maria; Baniahmad, Aria

2007-01-01

The assembly of nucleosomes into chromatin is essential for the compaction of DNA and inactivation of the DNA template to modulate and repress gene expression. The nucleosome assembly protein 1, NAP1, assembles nucleosomes independent of DNA synthesis and was shown to enhance coactivator-mediated gene expression, suggesting a role for NAP1 in transcriptional regulation. Here, we show that Alien, known to harbor characteristics of a corepressor of nuclear hormone receptors such as of the vitam...

Developing HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors through Stereospecific Reactions in Protein Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Olajuyigbe, Folasade M; Demitri, Nicola; De Zorzi, Rita; Geremia, Silvano

2016-10-31

Protease inhibitors are key components in the chemotherapy of HIV infection. However, the appearance of viral mutants routinely compromises their clinical efficacy, creating a constant need for new and more potent inhibitors. Recently, a new class of epoxide-based inhibitors of HIV-1 protease was investigated and the configuration of the epoxide carbons was demonstrated to play a crucial role in determining the binding affinity. Here we report the comparison between three crystal structures at near-atomic resolution of HIV-1 protease in complex with the epoxide-based inhibitor, revealing an in-situ epoxide ring opening triggered by a pH change in the mother solution of the crystal. Increased pH in the crystal allows a stereospecific nucleophile attack of an ammonia molecule onto an epoxide carbon, with formation of a new inhibitor containing amino-alcohol functions. The described experiments open a pathway for the development of new stereospecific protease inhibitors from a reactive lead compound.

Developing HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors through Stereospecific Reactions in Protein Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Folasade M. Olajuyigbe

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Protease inhibitors are key components in the chemotherapy of HIV infection. However, the appearance of viral mutants routinely compromises their clinical efficacy, creating a constant need for new and more potent inhibitors. Recently, a new class of epoxide-based inhibitors of HIV-1 protease was investigated and the configuration of the epoxide carbons was demonstrated to play a crucial role in determining the binding affinity. Here we report the comparison between three crystal structures at near-atomic resolution of HIV-1 protease in complex with the epoxide-based inhibitor, revealing an in-situ epoxide ring opening triggered by a pH change in the mother solution of the crystal. Increased pH in the crystal allows a stereospecific nucleophile attack of an ammonia molecule onto an epoxide carbon, with formation of a new inhibitor containing amino-alcohol functions. The described experiments open a pathway for the development of new stereospecific protease inhibitors from a reactive lead compound.

Construction of the CMS Tracker End-Caps and an Impact Study on Defects

CERN Document Server

Linn, Alexander

2008-01-01

The CMS experiment at the LHC accelerator at the research center CERN close to Geneva will study proton proton collisions at up to now unprecedented centre of mass energies from the year 2008 on. To discover theoretically predicted elementary particles, CMS was equipped with the largest silicon tracker so far with a sensitive area of 198m2. Partitioned into more than 15.000 silicon strip modules, the construction and test of the tracker was a huge challenge for the involved institutes. The III. Physikalisches Institut B of the RWTH Aachen had a leading role in the construction and test of substructures, so called petals, for the end caps of the tracker. The petals were assembled in a clean room and underwent first basic tests to ensure the general operationability of each component. Failures detected during the assembly are described and improvements of the silicon strip modules are discussed. After the assembly the petals underwent a cold test for several days. For the first time all readout components of th...

Explicit all-atom modeling of realistically sized ligand-capped nanocrystals

KAUST Repository

Kaushik, Ananth P.

2012-01-01

We present a study of an explicit all-atom representation of nanocrystals of experimentally relevant sizes (up to 6 nm), capped with alkyl chain ligands, in vacuum. We employ all-atom molecular dynamics simulation methods in concert with a well-tested intermolecular potential model, MM3 (molecular mechanics 3), for the studies presented here. These studies include determining the preferred conformation of an isolated single nanocrystal (NC), pairs of isolated NCs, and (presaging studies of superlattice arrays) unit cells of NC superlattices. We observe that very small NCs (3 nm) behave differently in a superlattice as compared to larger NCs (6 nm and above) due to the conformations adopted by the capping ligands on the NC surface. Short ligands adopt a uniform distribution of orientational preferences, including some that lie against the face of the nanocrystal. In contrast, longer ligands prefer to interdigitate. We also study the effect of changing ligand length and ligand coverage on the NCs on the preferred ligand configurations. Since explicit all-atom modeling constrains the maximum system size that can be studied, we discuss issues related to coarse-graining the representation of the ligands, including a comparison of two commonly used coarse-grained models. We find that care has to be exercised in the choice of coarse-grained model. The data provided by these realistically sized ligand-capped NCs, determined using explicit all-atom models, should serve as a reference standard for future models of coarse-graining ligands using united atom models, especially for self-assembly processes. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Electronic structure and self-assembly of cross-linked semiconductor nanocrystal arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, Dov; Azulay, Doron; Aharoni, Assaf; Salant, Assaf; Banin, Uri; Millo, Oded

2008-01-01

We studied the electronic level structure of assemblies of InAs quantum dots and CdSe nanorods cross-linked by 1,4-phenylenediamine molecules using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. We found that the bandgap in these arrays is reduced with respect to the corresponding ligand-capped nanocrystal arrays. In addition, a pronounced sub-gap spectral structure commonly appeared which can be attributed to unpassivated nanocrystal surface states or associated with linker-molecule-related levels. The exchange of the ligands by the linker molecules also affected the structural array properties. Most significantly, clusters of close-packed standing CdSe nanorods were formed

A small molecule polyamine oxidase inhibitor blocks androgen-induced oxidative stress and delays prostate cancer progression in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate model.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Hirak S; Thompson, Todd A; Church, Dawn R; Clower, Cynthia C; Mehraein-Ghomi, Farideh; Amlong, Corey A; Martin, Christopher T; Woster, Patrick M; Lindstrom, Mary J; Wilding, George

2009-10-01

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in human prostate epithelia are an important etiologic factor in prostate cancer (CaP) occurrence, recurrence, and progression. Androgen induces ROS production in the prostate by a yet unknown mechanism. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time that androgen induces an overexpression of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine oxidation pathway. As prostatic epithelia produce a large excess of polyamines, the androgen-induced polyamine oxidation that produces H2O2 could be a major reason for the high ROS levels in the prostate epithelia. A small molecule polyamine oxidase inhibitor N,N'-butanedienyl butanediamine (MDL 72,527 or CPC-200) effectively blocks androgen-induced ROS production in human CaP cells, as well as significantly delays CaP progression and death in animals developing spontaneous CaP. These data show that polyamine oxidation is not only a major pathway for ROS production in prostate, but inhibiting this pathway also successfully delays CaP progression.

Development of CAP code for nuclear power plant containment: Lumped model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Soon Joon, E-mail: sjhong90@fnctech.com [FNC Tech. Co. Ltd., Heungdeok 1 ro 13, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-908 (Korea, Republic of); Choo, Yeon Joon; Hwang, Su Hyun; Lee, Byung Chul [FNC Tech. Co. Ltd., Heungdeok 1 ro 13, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-908 (Korea, Republic of); Ha, Sang Jun [Central Research Institute, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company, Ltd., 70, 1312-gil, Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • State-of-art containment analysis code, CAP, has been developed. • CAP uses 3-field equations, water level oriented upwind scheme, local head model. • CAP has a function of linked calculation with reactor coolant system code. • CAP code assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities. - Abstract: CAP (nuclear Containment Analysis Package) code has been developed in Korean nuclear society for the analysis of nuclear containment thermal hydraulic behaviors including pressure and temperature trends and hydrogen concentration. Lumped model of CAP code uses 2-phase, 3-field equations for fluid behaviors, and has appropriate constitutive equations, 1-dimensional heat conductor model, component models, trip and control models, and special process models. CAP can run in a standalone mode or a linked mode with a reactor coolant system analysis code. The linked mode enables the more realistic calculation of a containment response and is expected to be applicable to a more complicated advanced plant design calculation. CAP code assessments were carried out by gradual approaches: conceptual problems, fundamental phenomena, component and principal phenomena, experimental validation, and finally comparison with other code calculations on the base of important phenomena identifications. The assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities of CAP.

Development of CAP code for nuclear power plant containment: Lumped model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Soon Joon; Choo, Yeon Joon; Hwang, Su Hyun; Lee, Byung Chul; Ha, Sang Jun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • State-of-art containment analysis code, CAP, has been developed. • CAP uses 3-field equations, water level oriented upwind scheme, local head model. • CAP has a function of linked calculation with reactor coolant system code. • CAP code assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities. - Abstract: CAP (nuclear Containment Analysis Package) code has been developed in Korean nuclear society for the analysis of nuclear containment thermal hydraulic behaviors including pressure and temperature trends and hydrogen concentration. Lumped model of CAP code uses 2-phase, 3-field equations for fluid behaviors, and has appropriate constitutive equations, 1-dimensional heat conductor model, component models, trip and control models, and special process models. CAP can run in a standalone mode or a linked mode with a reactor coolant system analysis code. The linked mode enables the more realistic calculation of a containment response and is expected to be applicable to a more complicated advanced plant design calculation. CAP code assessments were carried out by gradual approaches: conceptual problems, fundamental phenomena, component and principal phenomena, experimental validation, and finally comparison with other code calculations on the base of important phenomena identifications. The assessments showed appropriate prediction capabilities of CAP

A Small Molecule Polyamine Oxidase Inhibitor Blocks Androgen-Induced Oxidative Stress and Delays Prostate Cancer Progression in the TRAMP Mouse Model

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Hirak S.; Thompson, Todd A.; Church, Dawn R.; Clower, Cynthia C.; Mehraein-Ghomi, Farideh; Amlong, Corey A.; Martin, Christopher T.; Woster, Patrick M.; Lindstrom, Mary J.; Wilding, George

2009-01-01

High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) present in human prostate epithelia are an important etiological factor in prostate cancer (CaP) occurrence, recurrence and progression. Androgen induces ROS production in the prostate by a yet unknown mechanism. Here, to the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time that androgen induces an overexpression of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine oxidation pathway. As prostatic epithelia produce a large excess of polyamines, the androgen-induced polyamine oxidation that produces H2O2 could be a major reason for the high ROS levels in the prostate epithelia. A small molecule polyamine oxidase inhibitor N,N'-butanedienyl butanediamine (MDL 72,527 or CPC-200) effectively blocks androgen-induced ROS production in human CaP cells as well as significantly delays CaP progression and death in animals developing spontaneous CaP. These data demonstrate that polyamine oxidation is not only a major pathway for ROS production in prostate, but inhibiting this pathway also successfully delays prostate cancer progression. PMID:19773450

Impact of out-of-pocket spending caps on financial burden of those with group health insurance.

Science.gov (United States)

Riggs, Kevin R; Buttorff, Christine; Alexander, G Caleb

2015-05-01

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that all private health insurance include out-of-pocket spending caps. Insurance purchased through the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace may qualify for income-based caps, whereas group insurance will not have income-based caps. Little is known about how out-of-pocket caps impact individuals' health care financial burden. We aimed to estimate what proportion of non-elderly individuals with group insurance will benefit from out-of-pocket caps, and the effect that various cap levels would have on their financial burden. We applied the expected uniform spending caps, hypothetical reduced uniform spending caps (reduced by one-third), and hypothetical income-based spending caps (similar to the caps on Health Insurance Marketplace plans) to nationally representative data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Participants were non-elderly individuals (aged health insurance in the 2011 and 2012 MEPS surveys (n =26,666). (1) The percentage of individuals with reduced family out-of-pocket spending as a result of the various caps; and (2) the percentage of individuals experiencing health care services financial burden (family out-of-pocket spending on health care, not including premiums, greater than 10% of total family income) under each scenario. With the uniform caps, 1.2% of individuals had lower out-of-pocket spending, compared with 3.8% with reduced uniform caps and 2.1% with income-based caps. Uniform caps led to a small reduction in percentage of individuals experiencing financial burden (from 3.3% to 3.1%), with a modestly larger reduction as a result of reduced uniform caps (2.9%) and income-based caps (2.8%). Mandated uniform out-of-pocket caps for those with group insurance will benefit very few individuals, and will not result in substantial reductions in financial burden.

Estimated release from the saltstone landfill effect of landfill caps and landfill-cap/monolith-liner combinations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhite, E.L.

1985-01-01

The effect of capping the entire saltstone landfill is dependent on the effectiveness of the clay cap in preventing infiltration. A cap that is 99% effective will reduce releases from the saltstone landfill by a factor of 7.7. Several combinations of landfill design alterations will result in meeting ground water standards

/sup 56/Fe (. gamma. ,. cap alpha. /sub 0/) reaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tamae, T; Sugawara, M [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Lab. of Nuclear Science; Tsubota, H

1974-12-01

The reaction cross section of /sup 56/Fe (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) was measured from the electron energy of 15 to 25 MeV. The measured data were compared with the calculated ones based on statistic theory. Both agreed with each other. Therefore, the affirmative result was obtained for the presumption that the reaction of (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) of the nuclei around these energy levels can be explained by the statistical theory. The angular distribution of /sup 56/Fe (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) with 17 MeV electron energy was also measured, and the E2/E1 ratio was obtained. In the measurement of the /sup 56/Fe ( Gamma , ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction cross section, a natural target of 2.69 mg/cm/sup 2/ was irradiated with an electron beam with energy from 15 MeV to 25 MeV at intervals of 0.5 MeV, and the emitted ..cap alpha.. particles were detected by a broad band magnetic distribution meter. The measured cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction agreed with the calculated one based on statistical theory. If this fact is recognized in many nuclei, the cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction on those nuclei has the following characteristics. When the increasing rate of the product of a complex nucleus formation cross section and ..cap alpha../sub 0/ penetration factor is larger than that of the sum of all penetration factors of possible channels, the cross section of the (..gamma.., ..cap alpha../sub 0/) reaction increases, and takes a peak value when the above two increasing rates agree with each other.

Analysis of the modified optical properties and band structure of GaAs1-xSbx-capped InAs/GaAs quantum dots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ulloa, J.M.; Llorens, J.M.; Moral, del M.; Bozkurt, M.; Koenraad, P.M.; Hierro, A.

2012-01-01

The origin of the modified optical properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QD) capped with a thin GaAs1-xSbx layer is analyzed in terms of the band structure. To do so, the size, shape, and composition of the QDs and capping layer are determined through cross-sectional scanning tunnelling microscopy

Curcumin derivatives as HIV-1 protease inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sui, Z.; Li, J.; Craik, C.S.; Ortiz de Montellano, P.R. [Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States)

1993-12-31

Curcumin, a non-toxic natural compound from Curcuma longa, has been found to be an HIV-1 protease inhibitor. Some of its derivatives were synthesized and their inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 protease was tested. Curcumin analogues containing boron enhanced the inhibitory activity. At least of the the synthesized compounds irreversibly inhibits the HIV-1 protease.

Assembly & Metrology of First Wall Components of SST-1

Science.gov (United States)

Parekh, Tejas; Santra, Prosenjit; Biswas, Prabal; Patel, Hiteshkumar; Paravastu, Yuvakiran; Jaiswal, Snehal; Chauhan, Pradeep; Babu, Gattu Ramesh; A, Arun Prakash; Bhavsar, Dhaval; Raval, Dilip C.; Khan, Ziauddin; Pradhan, Subrata

2017-04-01

First Wall Components (FWC) of SST-1 tokamak, which are in the immediate vicinity of plasma comprises of limiters, divertors, baffles, passive stabilizers are designed to operate long duration (1000 s) discharges of elongated plasma. All FWC consists of a copper alloy heat sink modules with SS cooling tubes brazed onto it, graphite tiles acting as armour material facing the plasma, and are mounted to the vacuum vessels with suitable Inconel support structures at ring & port locations. The FWC are very recently assembled and commissioned successfully inside the vacuum vessel of SST-1 undergoing a meticulous planning of assembly sequence, quality checks at every stage of the assembly process. This paper will present the metrology aspects & procedure of each FWC, both outside the vacuum vessel, and inside the vessel, assembly tolerances, tools, equipment and jig/fixtures, used at each stage of assembly, starting from location of support bases on vessel rings, fixing of copper modules on support structures, around 3800 graphite tile mounting on 136 copper modules with proper tightening torques, till final toroidal and poloidal geometry of the in-vessel components are obtained within acceptable limits, also ensuring electrical continuity of passive stabilizers to form a closed saddle loop, electrical isolation of passive stabilizers from vacuum vessel.

Status of Design and Manufacturing of ITER 1st batch Assembly Tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Jin Ho; Nam, Kyoun Go; Chung, Si Kun; Ha, Min Su [ITER Korea National Fusion Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Geun Hong [ITER Organization, St Paul lez Durance (France)

2016-05-15

The ITER tokamak assembly tools are purpose-built and specially designed to complete the ITER tokamak machine which includes; Vacuum Vessel (VV), VV Thermal Shield (VVTS), Toroidal Field Coil (TFC) and other components contained in the cryostat. KODA has carried out the preliminary and final design of these assembly tools. This paper shows that the current status, first quarter of the 2016, including manufacturing of ITER 1st batch assembly tools and briefly summarized the design process through design work of Sector Sub-assembly Tool (SSAT) that is most important tool representing ITER 1st batch assembly tools. KODA (Korea Domestic Agency) should provide 128 kinds of the purpose-built assembly tools for ITER Tokamak machine, and the ITER 1st batch assembly tools are split into 3 groups. The FDR for Group A was performed in December 2014, and design of SSAT has been verified by FE analysis and engineering calculation using EN cords. The SSAT is now under manufacturing phase to meet the ITER milestone. After factory acceptance test of SSAT on end of 2016, the 1st SSAT will be delivered and arrived in ITER site on second quarter of the 2017.

Glutathione-capped CdTe nanocrystals as probe for the determination of fenbendazole

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qin; Tan, Xuanping; Li, Jin; Pan, Li; Liu, Xiaorong

2015-04-01

Water-soluble glutathione (GSH)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized. In pH 7.1 PBS buffer solution, the interaction between GSH-capped CdTe QDs and fenbendazole (FBZ) was investigated by spectroscopic methods, including fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, and resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) spectroscopy. In GSH-capped CdTe QDs solution, the addition of FBZ results in the fluorescence quenching and RRS enhancement of GSH-capped CdTe QDs. And the quenching intensity (enhanced RRS intensity) was proportional to the concentration of FBZ in a certain range. Investigation of the interaction mechanism, proved that the fluorescence quenching and RRS enhancement of GSH-capped CdTe QDs by FBZ is the result of electrostatic attraction. Based on the quenching of fluorescence (enhancement of RRS) of GSH-capped CdTe QDs by FBZ, a novel, simple, rapid and specific method for FBZ determination was proposed. The detection limit for FBZ was 42 ng mL-1 (3.4 ng mL-1) and the quantitative determination range was 0-2.8 μg mL-1 with a correlation of 0.9985 (0.9979). The method has been applied to detect FBZ in real simples and with satisfactory results.

Cold electronics for the liquid argon hadronic end-cap calorimeter of ATLAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ban, J.; Brettel, H.; Cwienk, W.D.; Fent, J.; Kurchaninov, L.; Ladygin, E.; Oberlack, H.; Schacht, P.; Stenzel, H.; Strizenec, P.

2006-01-01

This paper describes the on-detector electronics of the ATLAS hadronic end-cap calorimeter (HEC). The electronics is operated in liquid argon; therefore attention is paid to its performance at low temperatures. The core of the electronics are Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) preamplifiers. We present design, layout and results of various tests of the preamplifier chips and summing boards. The calibration and signal cables have been studied under laboratory conditions and the signal distortion is modeled. All parts of the electronics have been produced, tested and assembled on the calorimeter modules. The summary of the commissioning tests is presented

ATLAS electromagnetic end-cap detector

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2003-01-01

After the insertion of the first end-cap into this cryostat, the team proceed to the wiring operations. Millions of wires are connected to the electromagnetic calorimeter on this end-cap, whch must be carefully fed out from the detector so that data can be read out. The energy of photons, electrons and positrons will be measured as they pass through the end-cap having been created along the line of the beams in the proton-proton collisions.

ATLAS end-cap detector

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2003-01-01

Three scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Phyiscs at Novossibirsk with one of the end-caps of the ATLAS detector. The end-caps will be used to detect particles produced in the proton-proton collisions at the heart of the ATLAS experiment that are travelling close to the axis of the two beams.

Fabrication of Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles by self-assembly of nanoparticles via simple wet chemical route

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumarakuru, Haridas, E-mail: haridas.kumarakuru@nmmu.ac.za; Coombes, Matthew J.; Neethling, Johannes H.; Westraadt, Johan E.

2014-03-15

Highlights: • An inexpensive wet chemical method was used at room temperature to grow Cu{sub 2}S. • Growth of Cu{sub 2}S nanostructures influences by the Cl{sup −} ion concentration. • Thioglycerol and Cl{sup −} ions are used as a blend capping agents. • Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles were formed via self-assembly of nanoparticles. • We can propose a growth model for Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles based on our observations. -- Abstract: Cu{sub 2}S nanoneedles, fabricated by self-assembly of Cu{sub 2}S nanoparticles via wet chemical method are investigated. Crystallinity and surface morphologies of the as-grown needles are examined using X-ray diffraction and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. It is observed that the nanoparticle formation is controlled by the blend concentration of capping agents, thioglycerol, added during the synthesis and the Cl{sup −} ions delivered by the CuCl source. The likely reasons for the elongated structure of the nanoparticle self-assembly are also discussed.

Characteristics of helmet or knit cap use in head injury of snowboarders.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Osamu; Hirashima, Yutaka; Origasa, Hideki; Endo, Shunro

2007-11-01

The rate of head injury is 1.86-6 times higher for snowboarding than for skiing. Detailed data about the usefulness of a helmet or knit cap for protecting against serious head injuries have not been reported. The present study evaluated the use of a helmet or knit cap for preventing head injuries. Questionnaire data were collected from 1,190 consecutive patients in a hospital during the 1999/2000-2002/2003 winter seasons at Uonuma ski resort, Niigata, Japan. Patients were divided into the helmet, knit cap, and no cap groups. Upper technical level was highest and jumping as the cause of injury was most frequent in the helmet group. After adjustment for other confounders, there was a significant negative association between the occurrence of serious head injury during snowboarding and female sex (adjusted odds ratio 0.55, 95% confidence interval 0.421-0.718, p jumping (adjusted odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.48-3.43, p = 0.0001). Among snowboarding maneuvers, only jumping showed a significant negative association between wearing of a helmet or knit cap and the occurrence of serious head injury (p = 0.036). Snowboarders who wear helmets might attempt dangerous maneuvers causing injuries. Wearing of a helmet or knit cap protected against serious head injuries on jumping. Every snowboarder should wear a helmet or knit cap on jumping to prevent head injury.

Medicinal chemistry insights in the discovery of novel LSD1 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xueshun; Huang, Boshi; Suzuki, Takayoshi; Liu, Xinyong; Zhan, Peng

2015-01-01

LSD1 is an epigenetic modulator associated with transcriptional regulation of genes involved in a broad spectrum of key cellular processes, and its activity is often altered under pathological conditions. LSD1 inhibitors are considered to be candidates for therapy of cancer, viral diseases and neurodegeneration. Many LSD1 inhibitors with various scaffolds have been disclosed, and a few potent molecules are in different stages of clinical development. In this review, we summarize recent biological findings on the roles of LSD1 and the current understanding of the clinical significance of LSD1, and focus on the medicinal chemistry strategies used in the design and development of LSD1 inhibitors as drug-like epigenetic modulators since 2012, including a brief consideration of structure-activity relationships.

Comparing de novo assemblers for 454 transcriptome data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blaxter Mark L

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Roche 454 pyrosequencing has become a method of choice for generating transcriptome data from non-model organisms. Once the tens to hundreds of thousands of short (250-450 base reads have been produced, it is important to correctly assemble these to estimate the sequence of all the transcripts. Most transcriptome assembly projects use only one program for assembling 454 pyrosequencing reads, but there is no evidence that the programs used to date are optimal. We have carried out a systematic comparison of five assemblers (CAP3, MIRA, Newbler, SeqMan and CLC to establish best practices for transcriptome assemblies, using a new dataset from the parasitic nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis. Results Although no single assembler performed best on all our criteria, Newbler 2.5 gave longer contigs, better alignments to some reference sequences, and was fast and easy to use. SeqMan assemblies performed best on the criterion of recapitulating known transcripts, and had more novel sequence than the other assemblers, but generated an excess of small, redundant contigs. The remaining assemblers all performed almost as well, with the exception of Newbler 2.3 (the version currently used by most assembly projects, which generated assemblies that had significantly lower total length. As different assemblers use different underlying algorithms to generate contigs, we also explored merging of assemblies and found that the merged datasets not only aligned better to reference sequences than individual assemblies, but were also more consistent in the number and size of contigs. Conclusions Transcriptome assemblies are smaller than genome assemblies and thus should be more computationally tractable, but are often harder because individual contigs can have highly variable read coverage. Comparing single assemblers, Newbler 2.5 performed best on our trial data set, but other assemblers were closely comparable. Combining differently optimal assemblies

21 CFR 884.5250 - Cervical cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cervical cap. 884.5250 Section 884.5250 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES... cap. (a) Identification. A cervical cap is a flexible cuplike receptacle that fits over the cervix to...

21 CFR 888.3000 - Bone cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Bone cap. 888.3000 Section 888.3000 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ORTHOPEDIC DEVICES Prosthetic Devices § 888.3000 Bone cap. (a) Identification. A bone cap is a mushroom...

Genetic ablation of root cap cells in Arabidopsis

OpenAIRE

Tsugeki, Ryuji; Fedoroff, Nina V.

1999-01-01

The root cap is increasingly appreciated as a complex and dynamic plant organ. Root caps sense and transmit environmental signals, synthesize and secrete small molecules and macromolecules, and in some species shed metabolically active cells. However, it is not known whether root caps are essential for normal shoot and root development. We report the identification of a root cap-specific promoter and describe its use to genetically ablate root caps by directing root cap-specific expression of...

Thermally oxidized formation of new Ge dots over as-grown Ge dots in the Si capping layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nie Tianxiao; Lin Jinhui; Shao Yuanmin; Wu Yueqin; Yang Xinju; Fan Yongliang; Jiang Zuimin; Chen Zhigang; Zou Jin

2011-01-01

A Si-capped Ge quantum dot sample was self-assembly grown via Stranski-Krastanov mode in a molecular beam epitaxy system with the Si capping layer deposited at 300 deg. C. After annealing the sample in an oxygen atmosphere at 1000 deg. C, a structure, namely two layers of quantum dots, was formed with the newly formed Ge-rich quantum dots embedded in the oxidized matrix with the position accurately located upon the as-grown quantum dots. It has been found that the formation of such nanostructures strongly depends upon the growth temperature and oxygen atmosphere. A growth mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of the nanostructure based on the Ge diffusion from the as-grown quantum dots, Ge segregation from the growing oxide, and subsequent migration/agglomeration.

CENTRIFUGE END CAP

Science.gov (United States)

Beams, J.W.; Snoddy, L.B.

1960-08-01

An end cap for ultra-gas centrifuges is designed to impart or remove angular momentum to or from the gas and to bring the entering gas to the temperature of the gas inside the centrifuge. The end cap is provided with slots or fins for adjusting the temperature and the angular momentum of the entering gas to the temperature and momentum of the gas in the centrifuge and is constructed to introduce both the inner and the peripheral stream into the centrifuge.

Controlled synthesis of PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers and cap-like Au nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Nana; Li, Lianshan; Huang, Teng; Qi, Limin

2010-11-01

Uniform PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers consisting of one Au nanoparticle grown on one horn of a well-defined six-horn PbS nanostar were prepared using the PbS nanostars as growth substrates for the selective deposition of Au nanoparticles. The size of the Au nanoparticles on the horns of the PbS nanostars could be readily adjusted by changing the PbS concentration for the deposition of Au nanoparticles. An optimum cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration and temperature were essential for the selective deposition of uniform Au nanoparticles on single horns of the PbS nanostars. Unusual PbS-Au nanoframe-nanoparticle heterodimers were obtained by etching the PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers with oxalic acid while novel cap-like Au nanoparticles were obtained by etching with hydrochloric acid. The obtained heterodimeric nanostructures and cap-like nanoparticles are promising candidates for anisotropic nanoscale building blocks for the controllable assembly of useful, complex architectures.

Green wet chemical route to synthesize capped CdSe quantum dots

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In the present work, we report green synthesis of tartaric acid (TA) and triethanolamine (TEA) capped ... CdSe quantum dots; chemical bath deposition; capping; green chemistry; nanomaterials. 1. .... at high concentration of nanoparticles.

Design and Testing of the Fusion Virtual Assembly System FVAS1.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pengcheng Long; Songlin Liu; Yican Wu

2006-01-01

Virtual assembly (VA), utilizing virtual reality (VR) technologies to plan and evaluate assembly process, retains the benefits (time-saving, inexpensive and no hazardous) of VR technologies and conquers the shortcoming of physical prototypes, such as long circle, high cost, low precision, and so on. Presented in this paper is the Fusion Virtual Assembly System FVAS 1.0 that makes possible engineering application for assemblies of large-scale complex nuclear facilities. FVAS 1.0 is designed to support the planning, evaluation and demonstration of assembly process, and training assemblers, and to work on PC (personal computer) platform. In this paper, architecture and main features of FVAS are introduced firstly. Then, design of the key sections (such as collision detection, virtual roaming) are described in detail. Finally, some successful application cases are presented. To enhance the real-time performance for large-scale nuclear facilities simulation, a policy based on separation of display scene and collision detection scene has been adopted. The display scene can be predigested to reduce the time of scene refreshment, and the collision detection performance is greatly improved by using the mature interference check ability of commercial CAD systems. Convenient observation mechanism brings more practicability. So a multi-viewpoints roaming scheme has been utilized to facilitate users' assembly operation. Users can obtain much optical information from multiple angles by switching between multi-viewpoints. The ESAT superconducting tokamak is characterized by large volume, complicated constitution and high assembly precision, e.g. the strict precision requirement in the assembly for the three tori (the tori of vacuum vessel, thermal shield, and toroidal coil). FVAS 1.0 has succeeded in demonstrating the assembly process of ESAT components. Furthermore, FVAS 1.0 has been applied to evaluate FDS-I (Fusion-Driven Sub-critical system) concept from assembly point of

Two-state dynamics of the SH3-SH2 tandem of Abl kinase and the allosteric role of the N-cap.

Science.gov (United States)

Corbi-Verge, Carles; Marinelli, Fabrizio; Zafra-Ruano, Ana; Ruiz-Sanz, Javier; Luque, Irene; Faraldo-Gómez, José D

2013-09-03

The regulation and localization of signaling enzymes is often mediated by accessory modular domains, which frequently function in tandems. The ability of these tandems to adopt multiple conformations is as important for proper regulation as the individual domain specificity. A paradigmatic example is Abl, a ubiquitous tyrosine kinase of significant pharmacological interest. SH3 and SH2 domains inhibit Abl by assembling onto the catalytic domain, allosterically clamping it in an inactive state. We investigate the dynamics of this SH3-SH2 tandem, using microsecond all-atom simulations and differential scanning calorimetry. Our results indicate that the Abl tandem is a two-state switch, alternating between the conformation observed in the structure of the autoinhibited enzyme and another configuration that is consistent with existing scattering data for an activated form. Intriguingly, we find that the latter is the most probable when the tandem is disengaged from the catalytic domain. Nevertheless, an amino acid stretch preceding the SH3 domain, the so-called N-cap, reshapes the free-energy landscape of the tandem and favors the interaction of this domain with the SH2-kinase linker, an intermediate step necessary for assembly of the autoinhibited complex. This allosteric effect arises from interactions between N-cap and the SH2 domain and SH3-SH2 connector, which involve a phosphorylation site. We also show that the SH3-SH2 connector plays a determinant role in the assembly equilibrium of Abl, because mutations thereof hinder the engagement of the SH2-kinase linker. These results provide a thermodynamic rationale for the involvement of N-cap and SH3-SH2 connector in Abl regulation and expand our understanding of the principles of modular domain organization.

Combined effect of kinetin and radiation treatment on the cap opening of Agaricus bisporus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacs, E.

1982-01-01

Cultivated mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) with a cap diameter of 3-5 cm were incubated at 20 deg C during the experimental period (30-72 h). The degree of cap opening was determined and the data were evaluated. It was found that kinetin solutions in the 0 to 32 mg kg -1 range stimulated the opening of the mushroom cap. The shorter the time elapsed between picking and treating the mushrooms, the greater was the effect. A kinetin solution with a concentration of 100 mg kg -1 inhibited the opening of the cap. Cap opening in irradiated mushrooms cannot be induced even with kinetin concentrations that stimulate cap opening. Treatment with 0, 2.5 and 10 kGy doses of radiation the stimulating effect on cap opening decreased as a function of the rising dose. The radiation effects in kinetin solutions and various natural cytokinins (zeatin, 2iP and 2iPA) were studied and it was found that cytokinin solutions lost 50-60% of their activity after a radiation dose of only 1 kGy. (author)

THE TURN OF THE MONTH EFFECT CONTINUED: A COMPARISON OF SMALL CAP STOCKS AND LARGE CAP STOCKS

OpenAIRE

Ramsundhar, Shamman

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the turn of the month effect occurs in small cap and large cap stocks and if it occurs in both categories, to determine whether there is a difference in the magnitude. My research, for the period of 1963-2008, based on the CRSP value weighted index, shows that there is a significant turn of the month effect in small and large cap stocks, however the effect is larger in small cap stocks. Furthermore, this effect is not limited to a short time...

PTP1B Inhibitors from the Entomogenous Fungi Isaria fumosorosea

OpenAIRE

Jun Zhang; Lin-Lin Meng; Jing-Jing Wei; Peng Fan; Sha-Sha Liu; Wei-Yu Yuan; You-Xing Zhao; Du-Qiang Luo

2017-01-01

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is implicated as a negative regulator of insulin receptor (IR) signaling and a potential drug target for the treatment of type II diabetes and other associated metabolic syndromes. Thus, small molecule inhibitors of PTP1B can be considered as an attractive approach for the design of new therapeutic agents of type II diabetes and cancer diseases. In a continuing search for new PTP1B inhibitors, a new tetramic acid possessing a rare pyrrolidinedione skele...

Progress of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhansheng JIANG

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Pembrolizumab, an inhibitor target programmed death 1 (PD-1, was approved into the first line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC. It was a milestone that immune checkpoints drugs have played an important role in the treatment system of NSCLC. The results of clinical trials revealed the superiority of PD-1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1 inhibitors compared with chemotherapy in first-line, second-line and multidrug resistance phase therapy. Objective response rate (ORR was up to 80% with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy, and progression-free survival (PFS with single pembrolizumab in first line was nearly 1 year (10.3 months, the hazard ratio for death fell by 40%. Overall survival (OS was more or less 1 year with single drug pembrolizumab, nivolumab and atezolizumab for second line therapy. PD-L1 expression was a predictor of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The positive rate of PD-L1 (more than 1% in advanced NSCLC was about 60% with little difference between the tissue types. However, there was no gold standard test of PD-L1 expression.

50 CFR 679.92 - Amendment 80 Program use caps and sideboard limits.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Amendment 80 Program use caps and... ECONOMIC ZONE OFF ALASKA Amendment 80 Program § 679.92 Amendment 80 Program use caps and sideboard limits. (a) Use caps—(1) General. Use caps limit the amount of Amendment 80 QS units and Amendment 80 species...

Retention Strength of Conical Welding Caps for Fixed Implant-Supported Prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Nardi, Diego; Degidi, Marco; Sighinolfi, Gianluca; Tebbel, Florian; Marchetti, Claudio

This study evaluated the retention strength of welding caps for Ankylos standard abutments using a pull-out test. Each sample consisted of an implant abutment and its welding cap. The tests were performed with a Zwick Roell testing machine with a 1-kN load cell. The retention strength of the welding caps increased with higher abutment diameters and higher head heights and was comparable or superior to the values reported in the literature for the temporary cements used in implant dentistry. Welding caps provide a reliable connection between an abutment and a fixed prosthesis without the use of cement.

Self-assembly growth of alloyed NiPt nanocrystals with holothuria-like shape for oxygen evolution reaction with enhanced catalytic activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Ding

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Self-assembly growth of alloyed NiPt nanocrystals with holothuria-like wire shape has been achieved via a facile and moderate hydrothermal process at 120 °C for 1 h from the reaction of nickel nitrate and chloroplatinic acid in alkaline solution in the presence of ethanediamine and hydrazine hydrate. The holothuria-like alloyed NiPt wires are Ni-rich in composition (Ni23.6Pt and uniform in diameter with many tiny tips outstretched from the wires surface. The holothuria-like wires are assembled from granular subunits with the assistance of capping molecular of ethanediamine and the wires display an improved oxygen evolution reaction catalytic activity.

Discovery and study of novel protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qian; Chen, Xi; Feng, Changgen

2017-10-01

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is considered to be a target for therapy of type II diabetes and obesity. So it is of great significance to take advantage of a computer aided drug design protocol involving the structured-based virtual screening with docking simulations for fast searching small molecule PTP1B inhibitors. Based on optimized complex structure of PTP1B bound with specific inhibitor of IX1, structured-based virtual screening against a library of natural products containing 35308 molecules, which was constructed based on Traditional Chinese Medicine database@ Taiwan (TCM database@ Taiwan), was conducted to determine the occurrence of PTP1B inhibitors using the Lubbock module and CDOCKER module from Discovery Studio 3.1 software package. The results were further filtered by predictive ADME simulation and predictive toxic simulation. As a result, 2 good drug-like molecules, namely para-benzoquinone compound 1 and Clavepictine analogue 2 were identified ultimately with the dock score of original inhibitor (IX1) and the receptor as a threshold. Binding model analyses revealed that these two candidate compounds have good interactions with PTP1B. The PTP1B inhibitory activity of compound 2 hasn't been reported before. The optimized compound 2 has higher scores and deserves further study.

Light-enabled reversible self-assembly and tunable optical properties of stable hairy nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yihuang; Wang, Zewei; He, Yanjie; Yoon, Young Jun; Jung, Jaehan; Zhang, Guangzhao; Lin, Zhiqun

2018-02-01

The ability to dynamically organize functional nanoparticles (NPs) via the use of environmental triggers (temperature, pH, light, or solvent polarity) opens up important perspectives for rapid and convenient construction of a rich variety of complex assemblies and materials with new structures and functionalities. Here, we report an unconventional strategy for crafting stable hairy NPs with light-enabled reversible and reliable self-assembly and tunable optical properties. Central to our strategy is to judiciously design amphiphilic star-like diblock copolymers comprising inner hydrophilic blocks and outer hydrophobic photoresponsive blocks as nanoreactors to direct the synthesis of monodisperse plasmonic NPs intimately and permanently capped with photoresponsive polymers. The size and shape of hairy NPs can be precisely tailored by modulating the length of inner hydrophilic block of star-like diblock copolymers. The perpetual anchoring of photoresponsive polymers on the NP surface renders the attractive feature of self-assembly and disassembly of NPs on demand using light of different wavelengths, as revealed by tunable surface plasmon resonance absorption of NPs and the reversible transformation of NPs between their dispersed and aggregated states. The dye encapsulation/release studies manifested that such photoresponsive NPs may be exploited as smart guest molecule nanocarriers. By extension, the star-like block copolymer strategy enables the crafting of a family of stable stimuli-responsive NPs (e.g., temperature- or pH-sensitive polymer-capped magnetic, ferroelectric, upconversion, or semiconducting NPs) and their assemblies for fundamental research in self-assembly and crystallization kinetics of NPs as well as potential applications in optics, optoelectronics, magnetic technologies, sensory materials and devices, catalysis, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.

Unsteady-Flow Modeling for Emergency Shutdown of the CAP Canal

OpenAIRE

Clemmens, Bert; Wahlin, Brian; Shapiro, Marcus; Dent, Patrick

2016-01-01

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is designed to bring about 1.9 ML of Colorado River water per year to Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties in Arizona. CAP carries water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu toTucson. The CAP canal system is a 540 km long system of conveyance system aqueducts, tunnels, pumping plants,pipelines and a large reservoir (just north of Phoenix, AZ). Water is pumped uphill from the Colorado River. This study was conducted for the Hayden-Rhodes Aqueduct of the Centra...

The cardiovascular safety trials of DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Secrest, Matthew H; Udell, Jacob A; Filion, Kristian B

2017-04-01

In this paper, we review the results of large, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trials mandated by the US Food and Drug Administration to examine the cardiovascular safety of newly-approved antihyperglycemic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes. The cardiovascular effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors remain controversial: while these drugs did not reduce or increase the risk of primary, pre-specified composite cardiovascular outcomes, one DPP-4 inhibitor (saxagliptin) increased the risk of hospitalization for heart failure in the overall population; another (alogliptin) demonstrated inconsistent effects on heart failure hospitalization across subgroups of patients, and a third (sitagliptin) demonstrated no effect on heart failure. Evidence for cardiovascular benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists has been similarly heterogeneous, with liraglutide and semaglutide reducing the risk of composite cardiovascular outcomes, but lixisenatide having no reduction or increase in cardiovascular risk. The effect of GLP-1 agonists on retinopathy remains a potential concern. In the only completed trial to date to assess a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, empagliflozin reduced the risk of composite cardiovascular endpoints, predominantly through its impact on cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of layer-by-layer self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer films doped with surface-capped SiO2 nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Guangbin; Ma, Hongxia; Yu, Laigui; Zhang, Pingyu

2009-05-15

SiO(2) nanoparticles capped with gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane were doped into polyelectrolyte (poly(allylamine hydrochloride), PAH, and poly(acrylic acid), PAA) multilayer films via spin-assisted layer-by-layer self-assembly. The resulting as-prepared multilayer films were heated at a proper temperature to generate cross-linked composite films with increased adhesion to substrates. The tribological behavior of the multilayer films was evaluated on a microtribometer. It was found that SiO(2)-doped composite films had better wear resistance than pure polyelectrolyte multilayers, possibly because doped SiO(2) nanoparticles were capable of enhancing load-carrying capacity and had "miniature ball bearings" effect. Moreover, heat-treatment had significant effect on the morphology of the composite films. Namely, heat-treated (SiO(2)/PAA)(9) film had a larger roughness than the as-prepared one, due to heat-treatment-induced agglomeration of SiO(2) nanoparticles and initiation of defects. However, heat-treated (PAH/PAA)(3)/(SiO(2)/PAA)(3)(PAH/PAA)(3) film had greatly reduced roughness than the as-prepared one, and it showed considerably improved wear resistance as well. This could be closely related to the "sandwich-like" structure of the composite multilayer film. Namely, the outermost strata of composite multilayer film were able to eliminate defects associated with the middle strata, allowing nanoparticles therein to maintain strength and robustness while keeping soft and fluid-like exposed surface. And the inner strata were well anchored to substrate and acted as an initial "bed" for SiO(2) nanoparticles to be inhabited, resulting in good antiwear ability.

Plasma membrane is the site of productive HIV-1 particle assembly.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nolwenn Jouvenet

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Recently proposed models that have gained wide acceptance posit that HIV-1 virion morphogenesis is initiated by targeting the major structural protein (Gag to late endosomal membranes. Thereafter, late endosome-based secretory pathways are thought to deliver Gag or assembled virions to the plasma membrane (PM and extracellular milieu. We present several findings that are inconsistent with this model. Specifically, we demonstrate that HIV-1 Gag is delivered to the PM, and virions are efficiently released into the extracellular medium, when late endosome motility is abolished. Furthermore, we show that HIV-1 virions are efficiently released when assembly is rationally targeted to the PM, but not when targeted to late endosomes. Recently synthesized Gag first accumulates and assembles at the PM, but a proportion is subsequently internalized via endocytosis or phagocytosis, thus accounting for observations of endosomal localization. We conclude that HIV-1 assembly is initiated and completed at the PM, and not at endosomal membranes.

Surface tectonics of nanoporous networks of melamine-capped molecular building blocks formed through interface Schiff-base reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xuan-He; Wang, Dong; Wan, Li-Jun

2013-10-01

Control over the assembly of molecules on a surface is of great importance for the fabrication of molecule-based miniature devices. Melamine (MA) and molecules with terminal MA units are promising candidates for supramolecular interfacial packing patterning, owing to their multiple hydrogen-bonding sites. Herein, we report the formation of self-assembled structures of MA-capped molecules through a simple on-surface synthetic route. MA terminal groups were successfully fabricated onto rigid molecular cores with 2-fold and 3-fold symmetry through interfacial Schiff-base reactions between MA and aldehyde groups. Sub-molecular scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging of the resultant adlayer revealed the formation of nanoporous networks. Detailed structural analysis indicated that strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between the MA groups persistently drove the formation of nanoporous networks. Herein, we demonstrate that functional groups with strong hydrogen-bond-formation ability are promising building blocks for the guided assembly of nanoporous networks and other hierarchical 2D assemblies. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Atomic-scale structure and formation of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Offermans, P.; Koenraad, P.M.; Wolter, J.H.; Granados, D.; Garcia, J.M.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Devreese, J.T.

2006-01-01

The authors present an at.-scale anal. of the In distribution of self-assembled (In,Ga)As quantum rings (QRs), which are formed from InAs quantum dots by capping with a thin layer of GaAs and subsequent annealing. The size and shape of QRs as obsd. by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy

Biochemical Importance of Glycosylation of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gils, Ann; Pedersen, Katrine Egelund; Skottrup, Peter

2003-01-01

The serpin plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a potential target for anti-thrombotic and anti-cancer therapy. PAI-1 has 3 potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. We demonstrate here that PAI-1 expressed recombinantly or naturally by human cell lines display a heterogeneous glycosyla......The serpin plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a potential target for anti-thrombotic and anti-cancer therapy. PAI-1 has 3 potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. We demonstrate here that PAI-1 expressed recombinantly or naturally by human cell lines display a heterogeneous...... with the glycosylation sites could be excluded as explanation for the differential reactivity. The latency transition of non-glycosylated, but not of glycosylated PAI-1, was strongly accelerated by a non-ionic detergent. The different biochemical properties of glycosylated and non-glycosylated PAI-1 depended...

Identification of Small Molecule Translesion Synthesis Inhibitors That Target the Rev1-CT/RIR Protein-Protein Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sail, Vibhavari; Rizzo, Alessandro A; Chatterjee, Nimrat; Dash, Radha C; Ozen, Zuleyha; Walker, Graham C; Korzhnev, Dmitry M; Hadden, M Kyle

2017-07-21

Translesion synthesis (TLS) is an important mechanism through which proliferating cells tolerate DNA damage during replication. The mutagenic Rev1/Polζ-dependent branch of TLS helps cancer cells survive first-line genotoxic chemotherapy and introduces mutations that can contribute to the acquired resistance so often observed with standard anticancer regimens. As such, inhibition of Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS has recently emerged as a strategy to enhance the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy and reduce the acquisition of chemoresistance by decreasing tumor mutation rate. The TLS DNA polymerase Rev1 serves as an integral scaffolding protein that mediates the assembly of the active multiprotein TLS complexes. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the C-terminal domain of Rev1 (Rev1-CT) and the Rev1-interacting region (RIR) of other TLS DNA polymerases play an essential role in regulating TLS activity. To probe whether disrupting the Rev1-CT/RIR PPI is a valid approach for developing a new class of targeted anticancer agents, we designed a fluorescence polarization-based assay that was utilized in a pilot screen for small molecule inhibitors of this PPI. Two small molecule scaffolds that disrupt this interaction were identified, and secondary validation assays confirmed that compound 5 binds to Rev1-CT at the RIR interface. Finally, survival and mutagenesis assays in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells treated with cisplatin and ultraviolet light indicate that these compounds inhibit mutagenic Rev1/Polζ-dependent TLS in cells, validating the Rev1-CT/RIR PPI for future anticancer drug discovery and identifying the first small molecule inhibitors of TLS that target Rev1-CT.

Scientific programme and manufacture of types DK-1 and DK-2 diagnostic assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krett, V.; Kott, J.; Vlcek, J.; Mlady, Z.

1980-01-01

The programme is described of measurements to be effected on the Rheinsberg WWER-2 reactor using diagnostic assemblies DK-1 and DK-2. The DK-1 assemblies were manufactured in the USSR and tested in the big water loop at SKODA Works. The insertion of the assemblies in the reactor is being prepared. The DK-2 assemblies are developed by SKODA Works in cooperation with the USSR, Hungary and Poland. (Ha)

30 CFR 75.1719-4 - Mining machines, cap lamps; requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mining machines, cap lamps; requirements. 75... Mining machines, cap lamps; requirements. (a) Paint used on exterior surfaces of mining machines shall... frames or reflecting tape shall be installed on each end of mining machines, except that continuous...

Wooden beverage cases cause little damage to bottle caps

Science.gov (United States)

R. Bruce Anderson; William C. Miller

1973-01-01

Wooden beverage cases cause little damage to aluminum resealable caps during distribution. A study at bottling plants and distribution warehouses showed that an average of 1 bottle out of 4,000 has cap damage. Most of the damage was attributed to handling at the warehouse and in transit. Some recommendations are given for improvement of wooden beverage cases to prevent...

Late-glacial and Holocene history of changes in Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, M. A.; Lowell, T. V.; Schaefer, J. M.; Finkel, R. C.

2008-12-01

Quelccaya Ice Cap in the southeastern Peruvian Andes (~13-14° S latitude) is an icon for climate change. Its rapidly receding outlet, Qori Kalis Glacier, has been monitored since the 1970's. Cores from Quelccaya Ice Cap provide high-resolution information about temperature and precipitation during the past 1,500 years. We extend the understanding of past changes in Quelccaya Ice Cap based on mapping and dating of glacial moraines and associated deposits. Our results include fifty 10Be ages of moraines and bedrock as well as twenty-nine 14C ages of organic material associated with moraines. These results form the basis of a chronology of changes in Quelccaya Ice Cap from ~16,000 yr BP to late Holocene time. Results from 10Be and 14C dating indicate that Quelccaya Ice Cap experienced a significant advance at 12,700-11,400 yr BP. Subsequent to this advance, the ice margin deposited at least three recessional moraine sets. Quelccaya Ice Cap receded to near its present-day margin by ~10,000 yr BP. Neoglacial advances began by ~3,000 yr BP and culminated with a maximum advance during the Little Ice Age. This chronology fits well with prior work which indicates a restricted Quelccaya Ice Cap during middle Holocene time. Moreover, the overlap between moraine and ice core data for the last 1,500 years provides a unique opportunity to assess the influences of temperature and precipitation on past ice cap extents.

Sum frequency generation image reconstruction: Aliphatic membrane under spherical cap geometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Volkov, Victor [Bereozovaya 2A, Konstantinovo, Moscow Region 140207 (Russian Federation)

2014-10-07

The article explores an opportunity to approach structural properties of phospholipid membranes using Sum Frequency Generation microscopy. To establish the principles of sum frequency generation image reconstruction in such systems, at first approach, we may adopt an idealistic spherical cap uniform assembly of hydrocarbon molecules. Quantum mechanical studies for decanoic acid (used here as a representative molecular system) provide necessary information on transition dipole moments and Raman tensors of the normal modes specific to methyl terminal – a typical moiety in aliphatic (and phospholipid) membranes. Relative degree of localization and frequencies of the normal modes of methyl terminals make nonlinearities of this moiety to be promising in structural analysis using Sum Frequency Generation imaging. Accordingly, the article describes derivations of relevant macroscopic nonlinearities and suggests a mapping procedure to translate amplitudes of the nonlinearities onto microscopy image plane according to geometry of spherical assembly, local molecular orientation, and optical geometry. Reconstructed images indicate a possibility to extract local curvature of bilayer envelopes of spherical character. This may have practical implications for structural extractions in membrane systems of practical relevance.

C-CAP Niihau 2005 Land Cover

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set consists of land cover derived from high resolution imagery according to the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) protocol. This data set utilized 1...

(3-Aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine End-capped Poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol)-based Multilayer Films for Gene Delivery

OpenAIRE

Li, Cuicui; Tzeng, Stephany Y; Tellier, Liane E.; Green, Jordan J

2013-01-01

Biodegradable polyelectrolyte surfaces for gene delivery were created through electrospinning of biodegradable polycations combined with iterative solution-based multilayer coating. Poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) poly(1,4-butanediol diacrylate-co-4-amino-1-butanol) end-capped with 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine was utilized due to its ability to electrostatically interact with anionic molecules like DNA, its biodegradability, and its low cytotoxicity. A new DNA release system was developed ...

Two-state dynamics of the SH3–SH2 tandem of Abl kinase and the allosteric role of the N-cap

Science.gov (United States)

Corbi-Verge, Carles; Marinelli, Fabrizio; Zafra-Ruano, Ana; Ruiz-Sanz, Javier; Luque, Irene; Faraldo-Gómez, José D.

2013-01-01

The regulation and localization of signaling enzymes is often mediated by accessory modular domains, which frequently function in tandems. The ability of these tandems to adopt multiple conformations is as important for proper regulation as the individual domain specificity. A paradigmatic example is Abl, a ubiquitous tyrosine kinase of significant pharmacological interest. SH3 and SH2 domains inhibit Abl by assembling onto the catalytic domain, allosterically clamping it in an inactive state. We investigate the dynamics of this SH3–SH2 tandem, using microsecond all-atom simulations and differential scanning calorimetry. Our results indicate that the Abl tandem is a two-state switch, alternating between the conformation observed in the structure of the autoinhibited enzyme and another configuration that is consistent with existing scattering data for an activated form. Intriguingly, we find that the latter is the most probable when the tandem is disengaged from the catalytic domain. Nevertheless, an amino acid stretch preceding the SH3 domain, the so-called N-cap, reshapes the free-energy landscape of the tandem and favors the interaction of this domain with the SH2-kinase linker, an intermediate step necessary for assembly of the autoinhibited complex. This allosteric effect arises from interactions between N-cap and the SH2 domain and SH3–SH2 connector, which involve a phosphorylation site. We also show that the SH3–SH2 connector plays a determinant role in the assembly equilibrium of Abl, because mutations thereof hinder the engagement of the SH2-kinase linker. These results provide a thermodynamic rationale for the involvement of N-cap and SH3–SH2 connector in Abl regulation and expand our understanding of the principles of modular domain organization. PMID:23959873

Saururus cernuus lignans-Potent small molecule inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, Chowdhury Faiz; Kim, Yong-Pil; Baerson, Scott R.; Zhang Lei; Bruick, Richard K.; Mohammed, Kaleem A.; Agarwal, Ameeta K.; Nagle, Dale G.; Zhou Yudong

2005-01-01

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) represents an important tumor-selective therapeutic target for solid tumors. In search of novel small molecule HIF-1 inhibitors, 5400 natural product-rich extracts from plants, marine organisms, and microbes were examined for HIF-1 inhibitory activities using a cell-based reporter assay. Bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation, followed by structure elucidation, yielded three potent natural product-derived HIF-1 inhibitors and two structurally related inactive compounds. In a T47D cell-based reporter assay, manassantin B 1 , manassantin A, and 4-O-methylsaucerneol inhibited hypoxia-induced HIF-1 activation with IC 50 values of 3, 3, and 20 nM, respectively. All three compounds are relatively hypoxia-specific inhibitors of HIF-1 activation, in comparison to other stimuli. The hypoxic induction of HIF-1 target genes CDKN1A, VEGF, and GLUT-1 were also inhibited. These compounds inhibit HIF-1 by blocking hypoxia-induced nuclear HIF-1α protein accumulation without affecting HIF-1α mRNA levels. In addition, preliminary structure-activity studies suggest specific structural requirements for this class of HIF-1 inhibitors

Evaluation of the NucliSens EasyQ v2.0 assay in comparison with the Roche Amplicor v1.5 and the Roche CAP/CTM HIV-1 Test v2.0 in quantification of C-clade HIV-1 in plasma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximilian Muenchhoff

Full Text Available Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 genetic diversity poses a challenge to reliable viral load monitoring. Discrepancies between different testing platforms have been observed, especially for non-clade-B virus. Therefore we compare, in antiretroviral therapy (ART-naïve South African subjects predominantly infected with HIV-1 clade-C, three commercially available assays: the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 Test version 2.0 by Roche (CAP/CTM v2.0, the BioMérieux NucliSens Version 2.0 Easy Q/Easy Mag (NucliSens v2.0 and the Roche COBAS Amplicor HIV-1 Monitor Test Version 1.5 (Amplicor v1.5. Strong linear correlation was observed and Bland-Altman analyses showed overall good agreement between the assays with mean viral load differences of 0.078 log cp/ml (NucliSens v2.0 - Amplicor v1.5, 0.260 log cp/ml (CAP/CTM v2.0 - Amplicor v1.5 and 0.164 log cp/ml (CAP/CTM v2.0 - NucliSens v2.0, indicating lower mean viral load results for the Amplicor v1.5 and higher mean readings for the CAP/CTM v2.0. Consistent with observations following previous comparisons of CAP/CTM v2.0 versus Amplicor v1.5, the CAP/CTM v2.0 assay detected low-level viremia (median 65 cp/ml in more than one-third of those in whom viremia had been undetectable (<20 cp/ml in assays using the NucliSens platform. These levels of viremia are of uncertain clinical significance but may be of importance in early detection of ART resistance in those on treatment. Overall the three assays showed good comparability of results but with consistent, albeit relatively small, discrepancies for HIV-1 clade-C samples, especially in the low-viremic range that should be taken into account when interpreting viral load data.

Interaction of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H with an acylhydrazone inhibitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Qingguo; Menon, Lakshmi; Ilina, Tatiana; Miller, Lena G; Ahn, Jinwoo; Parniak, Michael A; Ishima, Rieko

2011-01-01

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is a bifunctional enzyme, having both DNA polymerase (RNA- and DNA-dependent) and ribonuclease H activities. HIV-1 reverse transcriptase has been an exceptionally important target for antiretroviral therapeutic development, and nearly half of the current clinically used antiretrovirals target reverse transcriptase DNA polymerase. However, no inhibitors of reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H are on the market or in preclinical development. Several drug-like small molecule inhibitors of reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H have been described, but little structural information is available about the interactions between reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H and inhibitors that exhibit antiviral activity. In this report, we describe NMR studies of the interaction of a new ribonuclease H inhibitor, BHMP07, with a catalytically active HIV-1 reverse transcriptase ribonuclease H domain fragment. We carried out solution NMR experiments to identify the interaction interface of BHMP07 with the ribonuclease H domain fragment. Chemical shift changes of backbone amide signals at different BHMP07 concentrations clearly demonstrate that BHMP07 mainly recognizes the substrate handle region in the ribonuclease H fragment. Using ribonuclease H inhibition assays and reverse transcriptase mutants, the binding specificity of BHMP07 was compared with another inhibitor, dihydroxy benzoyl naphthyl hydrazone. Our results provide a structural characterization of the ribonuclease H inhibitor interaction and are likely to be useful for further improvements of the inhibitors. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Cap Bubble Drift Velocity in a Confined Test Section

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiaodong Sun; Seungjin Kim; Mamoru Ishii; Lincoln, Frank W.; Beus, Stephen G.

2002-01-01

In the two-group interfacial area transport equation, bubbles are categorized into two groups, i.e., spherical/distorted bubbles as group 1 and cap/slug/churn-turbulent bubbles as group 2. The bubble rise velocities for both groups of bubbles may be estimated by the drift flux model by applying different distribution parameters and drift velocities for both groups. However, the drift velocity for group 2 bubbles is not always applicable (when the wall effect becomes important) as in the current test loop of interest where the flow channel is confined by two parallel flat walls, with a dimension of 200-mm in width and 10-mm in gap. The previous experiments indicated that no stable slug flow existed in this test section, which was designed to permit visualization of the flow patterns and bubble characteristics without the distortion associated with curved surfaces. In fact, distorted cap bubbly and churn-turbulent flow was observed. Therefore, it is essential to developed a correlation for cap bubble drift velocity in this confined flow channel. Since the rise velocity of a cap bubble depends on its size, a high-speed movie camera is used to capture images of cap bubbles to obtain the bubble size information. Meanwhile, the rise velocity of cap and elongated bubbles (called cap bubbles hereafter) is investigated by examining the captured images frame by frame. As a result, the conventional correlation of drift velocity for slug bubbles is modified and acceptable agreements between the measurements and correlation estimation are achieved

Functional C1-inhibitor diagnostics in hereditary angioedema: assay evaluation and recommendations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wagenaar-Bos, Ineke G A; Drouet, Christian; Aygören-Pursun, Emel

2008-01-01

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by recurrent episodes of potentially life-threatening angioedema. The most widespread underlying genetic deficiency is a heterozygous deficiency of the serine protease inhibitor C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-Inh). In addition ...

One of the two end-cap vacuum chambers for the CMS experiment has been completed.

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2005-01-01

This 7.5-metre-long cone-shaped object is the fruit of many years' development and its machining and assembly were performed with the utmost precision. Part of the team involved in the design and production of the end-cap vacuum chamber for CMS, standing behind the completed segment. Picture 02 from left to right : Thierry Tardy (TS/MME), Luigi Leggiero (TS/MME), Patrick Lepeule (AT/VAC), Gérard Faber (ETH Zürich), Stefano Bongiovani (CINEL Project Manager), Giuseppe Foffano (TS/MME) and Marc Thiebert (TS/MME).

Escape from Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol D. Weiss

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV enters cells through a series of molecular interactions between the HIV envelope protein and cellular receptors, thus providing many opportunities to block infection. Entry inhibitors are currently being used in the clinic, and many more are under development. Unfortunately, as is the case for other classes of antiretroviral drugs that target later steps in the viral life cycle, HIV can become resistant to entry inhibitors. In contrast to inhibitors that block viral enzymes in intracellular compartments, entry inhibitors interfere with the function of the highly variable envelope glycoprotein as it continuously adapts to changing immune pressure and available target cells in the extracellular environment. Consequently, pathways and mechanisms of resistance for entry inhibitors are varied and often involve mutations across the envelope gene. This review provides a broad overview of entry inhibitor resistance mechanisms that inform our understanding of HIV entry and the design of new inhibitors and vaccines.

Adventures in Scaffold Morphing: Discovery of Fused Ring Heterocyclic Checkpoint Kinase 1 (CHK1) Inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Bin; Vasbinder, Melissa M; Hird, Alexander W; Su, Qibin; Wang, Haixia; Yu, Yan; Toader, Dorin; Lyne, Paul D; Read, Jon A; Breed, Jason; Ioannidis, Stephanos; Deng, Chun; Grondine, Michael; DeGrace, Nancy; Whitston, David; Brassil, Patrick; Janetka, James W

2018-02-08

Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) inhibitors are potential cancer therapeutics that can be utilized for enhancing the efficacy of DNA damaging agents. Multiple small molecule CHK1 inhibitors from different chemical scaffolds have been developed and evaluated in clinical trials in combination with chemotherapeutics and radiation treatment. Scaffold morphing of thiophene carboxamide ureas (TCUs), such as AZD7762 (1) and a related series of triazoloquinolines (TZQs), led to the identification of fused-ring bicyclic CHK1 inhibitors, 7-carboxamide thienopyridines (7-CTPs), and 7-carboxamide indoles. X-ray crystal structures reveal a key intramolecular noncovalent sulfur-oxygen interaction in aligning the hinge-binding carboxamide group to the thienopyridine core in a coplanar fashion. An intramolecular hydrogen bond to an indole NH was also effective in locking the carboxamide in the preferred bound conformation to CHK1. Optimization on the 7-CTP series resulted in the identification of lead compound 44, which displayed respectable drug-like properties and good in vitro and in vivo potency.

Discovery of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-based CHK1 inhibitors: A template-based approach-Part 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labroli, Marc; Paruch, Kamil; Dwyer, Michael P.; Alvarez, Carmen; Keertikar, Kartik; Poker, Cory; Rossman, Randall; Duca, Jose S.; Fischmann, Thierry O.; Madison, Vincent; Parry, David; Davis, Nicole; Seghezzi, Wolfgang; Wiswell, Derek; Guzi, Timothy J. [Merck

2013-11-20

Previous efforts by our group have established pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine as a viable core for the development of potent and selective CDK inhibitors. As part of an effort to utilize the pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine core as a template for the design and synthesis of potent and selective kinase inhibitors, we focused on a key regulator in the cell cycle progression, CHK1. Continued SAR development of the pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine core at the C5 and C6 positions, in conjunction with previously disclosed SAR at the C3 and C7 positions, led to the discovery of potent and selective CHK1 inhibitors.

Synthesis, Structural and Optical Properties of TOPO and HDA Capped Cadmium Sulphide Nanocrystals, and the Effect of Capping Ligand Concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damian C. Onwudiwe

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The thermal decomposition of bis(N,N-diallyldithiocarbamatoCd(II in a “one-pot” synthesis in tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO and hexadecylamine (HDA afforded CdS (TOPO-CdS and HDA-CdS of varying optical properties and morphologies. The influence of the ratio of the precursor concentration to the capping molecule, as a factor affecting the morphology and size of the nanoparticles, was investigated. The particles varied in shape from spheres to rods and show quantum size effects in their optical spectra with clear differences in the photoluminescence (PL spectra. The PL spectrum of the HDA capped CdS nanoparticles has an emission maximum centred at 468, 472, and 484 nm for the precursor to HDA concentration ratio of 1 : 10, 1 : 15, and 1 : 20, respectively, while the TOPO capped nanoparticles show emission peaks at 483, 494, and 498 nm at the same concentration ratio. Powdered X-ray diffraction (p-XRD shows the nanoparticles to be hexagonal. The crystallinity of the nanoparticles was evident from high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM which gave well-defined images of particles with clear lattice fringes.

Method of assembling and disassembling a control component structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, G.T.; Schluderberg, D.C.

1982-01-01

A technique is provided for engaging and disengaging burnable poison rods from the spider in a fuel assembly. The cap on the end of each of the burnable poison rods is provided with a shank that is received in the respective bore formed in the spider. A frangible flange secures the shank and rod to the spider. Pressing the shank in the direction of the bore axis ruptures the frangible flange to release the rod from the spider

An amphipathic alpha-helix controls multiple roles of brome mosaic virus protein 1a in RNA replication complex assembly and function.

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Ling Liu

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Brome mosaic virus (BMV protein 1a has multiple key roles in viral RNA replication. 1a localizes to perinuclear endoplasmic reticulum (ER membranes as a peripheral membrane protein, induces ER membrane invaginations in which RNA replication complexes form, and recruits and stabilizes BMV 2a polymerase (2a(Pol and RNA replication templates at these sites to establish active replication complexes. During replication, 1a provides RNA capping, NTPase and possibly RNA helicase functions. Here we identify in BMV 1a an amphipathic alpha-helix, helix A, and use NMR analysis to define its structure and propensity to insert in hydrophobic membrane-mimicking micelles. We show that helix A is essential for efficient 1a-ER membrane association and normal perinuclear ER localization, and that deletion or mutation of helix A abolishes RNA replication. Strikingly, mutations in helix A give rise to two dramatically opposite 1a function phenotypes, implying that helix A acts as a molecular switch regulating the intricate balance between separable 1a functions. One class of helix A deletions and amino acid substitutions markedly inhibits 1a-membrane association and abolishes ER membrane invagination, viral RNA template recruitment, and replication, but doubles the 1a-mediated increase in 2a(Pol accumulation. The second class of helix A mutations not only maintains efficient 1a-membrane association but also amplifies the number of 1a-induced membrane invaginations 5- to 8-fold and enhances viral RNA template recruitment, while failing to stimulate 2a(Pol accumulation. The results provide new insights into the pathways of RNA replication complex assembly and show that helix A is critical for assembly and function of the viral RNA replication complex, including its central role in targeting replication components and controlling modes of 1a action.

Structural investigation of HIV-1 nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: 2-Aryl-substituted benzimidazoles

Science.gov (United States)

Ziółkowska, Natasza E.; Michejda, Christopher J.; Bujacz, Grzegorz D.

2009-11-01

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most destructive epidemics in history. Inhibitors of HIV enzymes are the main targets to develop drugs against that disease. Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors of HIV-1 (NNRTIs) are potentially effective and nontoxic. Structural studies provide information necessary to design more active compounds. The crystal structures of four NNRTI derivatives of 2-aryl-substituted N-benzyl-benzimidazole are presented here. Analysis of the geometrical parameters shows that the structures of the investigated inhibitors are rigid. The important geometrical parameter is the dihedral angle between the planes of the π-electron systems of the benzymidazole and benzyl moieties. The values of these dihedral angles are in a narrow range for all investigated inhibitors. There is no significant difference between the structure of the free inhibitor and the inhibitor in the complex with RT HIV-1. X-ray structures of the investigated inhibitors are a good basis for modeling enzyme-inhibitor interactions in rational drug design.

Mapping of the mouse actin capping protein {alpha} subunit genes and pseudogenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hart, M.C.; Korshunova, Y.O.; Cooper, J.A. [Washington Univ. School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO (United States)

1997-02-01

Capping protein (CP), a heterodimer of {alpha} and {beta} subunits, is found in all eukaryotes. CP binds to the barbed ends of actin filaments in vitro and controls actin assembly and cell motility in vivo. Vertebrates have three {alpha} isoforms ({alpha}1, {alpha}2, {alpha}3) produced from different genes, whereas lower organisms have only one gene and one isoform. We isolated genomic clones corresponding to the a subunits of mouse CP and found three {alpha}1 genes, two of which are pseudogenes, and a single gene for both {alpha}2 and {alpha}3. Their chromosomal locations were identified by interspecies backcross mapping. The {alpha}1 gene (Cappa1) mapped to Chromosome 3 between D3Mit11 and D3Mit13. The {alpha}1 pseudogenes (Cappa1-ps1 and Cappa1-ps2) mapped to Chromosomes 1 and 9, respectively. The {alpha}2 gene (Cappa2) mapped to Chromosome 6 near Ptn. The {alpha}3 gene (Cappa3) also mapped to Chromosome 6, approximately 68 cM distal from Cappa2 near Kras2. One mouse mutation, de, maps in the vicinity of the {alpha}1 gene. No known mouse mutations map to regions near the {alpha}2 or {alpha}3 genes. 29 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

Nuclear Waste Vitrification Efficiency: Cold Cap Reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kruger, A.A.; Hrma, P.R.; Pokorny, R.

2011-01-01

The cost and schedule of nuclear waste treatment and immobilization are greatly affected by the rate of glass production. Various factors influence the performance of a waste-glass melter. One of the most significant, and also one of the least understood, is the process of batch melting. Studies are being conducted to gain fundamental understanding of the batch reactions, particularly those that influence the rate of melting, and models are being developed to link batch makeup and melter operation to the melting rate. Batch melting takes place within the cold cap, i.e., a batch layer floating on the surface of molten glass. The conversion of batch to glass consists of various chemical reactions, phase transitions, and diffusion-controlled processes. These include water evaporation (slurry feed contains as high as 60% water), gas evolution, the melting of salts, the formation of borate melt, reactions of borate melt with molten salts and with amorphous oxides (Fe 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 ), the formation of intermediate crystalline phases, the formation of a continuous glass-forming melt, the growth and collapse of primary foam, and the dissolution of residual solids. To this list we also need to add the formation of secondary foam that originates from molten glass but accumulates on the bottom of the cold cap. This study presents relevant data obtained for a high-level-waste melter feed and introduces a one-dimensional (1D) mathematical model of the cold cap as a step toward an advanced three-dimensional (3D) version for a complete model of the waste glass melter. The 1D model describes the batch-to-glass conversion within the cold cap as it progresses in a vertical direction. With constitutive equations and key parameters based on measured data, and simplified boundary conditions on the cold-cap interfaces with the glass melt and the plenum space of the melter, the model provides sensitivity analysis of the response of the cold cap to the batch makeup and melter

Higher Desolvation Energy Reduces Molecular Recognition in Multi-Drug Resistant HIV-1 Protease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislau C. Kovari

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Designing HIV-1 protease inhibitors that overcome drug-resistance is still a challenging task. In this study, four clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases that exhibit resistance to all the US FDA-approved HIV-1 protease inhibitors and also reduce the substrate recognition ability were examined. A multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease isolate, MDR 769, was co-crystallized with the p2/NC substrate and the mutated CA/p2 substrate, CA/p2 P1’F. Both substrates display different levels of molecular recognition by the wild-type and multi-drug resistant HIV-1 protease. From the crystal structures, only limited differences can be identified between the wild-type and multi-drug resistant protease. Therefore, a wild-type HIV-1 protease and four multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases in complex with the two peptides were modeled based on the crystal structures and examined during a 10 ns-molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results reveal that the multi-drug resistant HIV-1 proteases require higher desolvation energy to form complexes with the peptides. This result suggests that the desolvation of the HIV-1 protease active site is an important step of protease-ligand complex formation as well as drug resistance. Therefore, desolvation energy could be considered as a parameter in the evaluation of future HIV-1 protease inhibitor candidates.

Analyses of hydraulic performance of velocity caps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Erik Damgaard; Degn Eskesen, Mark Chr.; Buhrkall, Jeppe

2014-01-01

The hydraulic performance of a velocity cap has been investigated. Velocity caps are often used in connection with offshore intakes. CFD (computational fluid dynamics) examined the flow through the cap openings and further down into the intake pipes. This was combined with dimension analyses...

Human Polycomb group EED protein negatively affects HIV-1 assembly and release

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Darlix Jean-Luc

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The human EED protein, a member of the superfamily of Polycomb group (PcG proteins with WD-40 repeats, has been found to interact with three HIV-1 components, namely the structural Gag matrix protein (MA, the integrase enzyme (IN and the Nef protein. The aim of the present study was to analyze the possible biological role of EED in HIV-1 replication, using the HIV-1-based vector HIV-Luc and EED protein expressed by DNA transfection of 293T cells. Results During the early phase of HIV-1 infection, a slight negative effect on virus infectivity occurred in EED-expressing cells, which appeared to be dependent on EED-MA interaction. At late times post infection, EED caused an important reduction of virus production, from 20- to 25-fold as determined by CAp24 immunoassay, to 10- to 80-fold based on genomic RNA levels, and this decrease was not due to a reduction of Gag protein synthesis. Coexpression of WTNef, or the non-N-myristoylated mutant NefG2A, restored virus yields to levels obtained in the absence of exogenous EED protein. This effect was not observed with mutant NefΔ57 mimicking the Nef core, or with the lipid raft-retargeted fusion protein LAT-Nef. LATAA-Nef, a mutant defective in the lipid raft addressing function, had the same anti-EED effect as WTNef. Cell fractionation and confocal imaging showed that, in the absence of Nef, EED mainly localized in membrane domains different from the lipid rafts. Upon co-expression with WTNef, NefG2A or LATAA-Nef, but not with NefΔ57 or LAT-Nef, EED was found to relocate into an insoluble fraction along with Nef protein. Electron microscopy of HIV-Luc producer cells overexpressing EED showed significant less virus budding at the cell surface compared to control cells, and ectopic assembly and clustering of nuclear pore complexes within the cytoplasm. Conclusion Our data suggested that EED exerted an antiviral activity at the late stage of HIV-1 replication, which included genomic

49 CFR 230.41 - Flexible staybolts with caps.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flexible staybolts with caps. 230.41 Section 230... Appurtenances Staybolts § 230.41 Flexible staybolts with caps. (a) General. Flexible staybolts with caps shall have their caps removed during every 5th annual inspection for the purpose of inspecting the bolts for...

Identification of Ppd-B1 alleles in common wheat cultivars by CAPS marker.

Science.gov (United States)

Okoń, S; Kowalczyk, K; Miazga, D

2012-05-01

Photoperiod response is a major determinant of the duration of growth stages in common wheat. In common wheat, many genes play a role in determining flowering time, but the Ppd genes located on the homoeologous group 2 play a major role. Of these Ppd-B1 is located on the short arm of 2B. In 107 common wheat cultivars grown in Poland and neighboring countries, the identification of Ppd-B1 alleles using in-del analysis by using a CAPS markers was investigated. 87 cultivars were shown to carry dominant Ppd-B1 alleles. This shows that Ppd-B1 alleles is have been widely used in common wheat breeding programme in these countries. Recessive ppd-B1 alleles were found only in 20 cultivars (12 Polish, 5 former Soviet Union, 2 German, 1 Swedish).

Experience with construction and assembly of V-1 nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prochazka, J.; Stepanek, S.; Drahy, J.

1981-01-01

The model is discussed of the constructions of the V-1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovske Bohunice with SKODA Trust fulfilling the role of the general supplier of the secondary part technology and the chief and special assembly contractor. The SKODA Trust mediated the Soviet supplies of technology, Soviet assembly and special assembly, and the mounting of the primary part according to Soviet projects. Plant start-up was safeguarded by the investor through Bohunice power plant staff and Soviet experts. The assembly of the primary circuit and the test assembly of reactor parts are described and the experience gained is discussed. The technological requirements are illustrated by the most important characteristics of the individual parts of the primary circuit. Also described are the design specifications of the 220 MW saturated steam turbine and the experience with its assembly and start-up. (B.S.)

The Ca2+ pump inhibitor, thapsigargin, inhibits root gravitropism in Arabidopsis thaliana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DANIELA C URBINA

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Thapsigargin, a specific inhibitor of most animal intracellular SERCA-type Ca2+ pumps present in the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum, was originally isolated from the roots of the Mediterranean plant Thapsia gargancia L. Here, we demonstrate that this root-derived compound is capable of altering root gravitropism in Arabidopsis thaliana. Thapsigargin concentrations as low as 0.1 µM alter root gravitropism whereas under similar conditions cyclopiazonic acid does not. Furthermore, a fluorescently conjugated thapsigargin (BODIPY FL thapsigargin suggests that target sites for thapsigargin are located in intracellular organelles in the root distal elongation zone and the root cap, regions known to regulate root gravitropism

Assembly and metrology of first wall components of SST-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parekh, Tejas; Santra, Prosenjit; Biswas, Prabal

2015-01-01

First Wall components (FWC) of SST-1 tokamak, which are in the immediate vicinity of plasma comprises of limiters, divertors, baffles, passive stabilizers are designed to operate long duration (1000 s) discharges of elongated plasma. All FWC consists of a copper alloy heat sink modules with SS cooling tubes brazed onto it, graphite tiles acting as armour material facing the plasma, and are mounted to the vacuum vessels with suitable Inconel support structures at ring and port locations. The FWC are very recently assembled and commissioned successfully inside the vacuum vessel of SST-1 under going a meticulous planning of assembly sequence, quality checks at every stage of the assembly process. This paper will present the metrology aspects and procedure of each FWC, both outside the vacuum vessel, and inside the vessel, assembly tolerances, tools, equipment and jig/fixtures, used at each stage of assembly, starting from location of support bases on vessel rings, fixing of copper modules on support structures, around 3800 graphite tile mounting on 136 copper modules with proper tightening torques, till final toroidal and poloidal geometry of the in-vessel components are obtained within acceptable limits, also ensuring electrical continuity of passive stabilizers to form a closed saddle loop, electrical isolation of passive stabilizers from vacuum vessel. (author)

Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Assay for High-Throughput Screening of ADAMTS1 Inhibitors

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Guanhua Du

2011-12-01

Full Text Available A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I motifs-1 (ADAMTS1 plays a crucial role in inflammatory joint diseases and its inhibitors are potential candidates for anti-arthritis drugs. For the purposes of drug discovery, we reported the development and validation of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET assay for high-throughput screening (HTS of the ADAMTS1 inhibitors. A FRET substrate was designed for a quantitative assay of ADAMTS1 activity and enzyme kinetics studies. The assay was developed into a 50-µL, 384-well assay format for high throughput screening of ADAMTS1 inhibitors with an overall Z’ factor of 0.89. ADAMTS1 inhibitors were screened against a diverse library of 40,960 total compounds with the established HTS system. Four structurally related hits, naturally occurring compounds, kuwanon P, kuwanon X, albafuran C and mulberrofuran J, extracted from the Chinese herb Morus alba L., were identified for further investigation. The results suggest that this FRET assay is an excellent tool, not only for measurement of ADAMTS1 activity but also for discovery of novel ADAMTS1 inhibitors with HTS.

A new series of HAPs as anti-HBV agents targeting at capsid assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiu-yan; Xu, Xiao-qian; Guan, Hua; Wang, Li-li; Wu, Qin; Zhao, Guo-ming; Li, Song

2014-09-01

A series of novel Heteroaryldihydropyrimidines (HAPs) derivatives were designed and synthesized as potent inhibitors of HBV capsid assembly. These compounds were prepared from efforts to optimize an earlier series of HAPs, and compounds Mo1, Mo7, Mo8, Mo10, Mo12, and Mo13 demonstrated potent inhibition of HBV DNA replication at submicromolar range. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Studies on ligand exchange reaction of functionalized mercaptothiadiazole compounds onto citrate capped gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalimuthu, Palraj; John, S. Abraham

2010-01-01

Mercaptothiadiazole ligands functionalized with thiol (2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMT)) and methyl (5-methyl-2-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (MMT)) groups capped onto citrate capped gold nanoparticles (C-AuNPs) by ligand exchange reaction was investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The surface plasmon resonance band at 522 nm for C-AuNPs was shifted to 530 nm after capping with DMT whereas an additional band was observed at 630 nm due to aggregation in addition to a shift in the band at 522 nm after capping of MMT onto C-AuNPs. Thus, capping of DMT onto C-AuNPs leads to the formation of stable AuNPs while capping of MMT leads to the formation of unstable AuNPs. FT-IR studies show that the citrate ions were completely replaced by both DMT and MMT ligands from the AuNPs. TEM images indicate that the size and shape of the AuNPs remain same after capping of these ligands.

Designing cyclopentapeptide inhibitor as potential antiviral drug for dengue virus ns5 methyltransferase.

Science.gov (United States)

Idrus, Syarifuddin; Tambunan, Usman Sumo Friend; Zubaidi, Ahmad Ardilla

2012-01-01

NS5 methyltransferase (Mtase) has a crucial role in the replication of dengue virus. There are two active sites on NS5 Mtase i.e., SAM and RNA-cap binding sites. Inhibition of the NS5 Mtase activity is expected to prevent the propagation of dengue virus. This study was conducted to design cyclic peptide ligands as enzyme inhibitors of dengue virus NS5 Mtase through computational approach. Cyclopentapeptides were designed as ligand of SAM binding site as much as 1635 and 736 cyclopentpeptides were designed as ligand of RNA-cap binding site. Interaction between ligand and NS5 Mtase has been conducted on the Docking simulation. The result shows that cyclopentapeptide CTWYC was the best peptide candidate on SAM binding site, with estimated free binding energy -30.72 kca/mol. Cyclopentapeptide CYEFC was the best peptide on RNA-cap binding site with estimated free binding energy -22.89 kcal/mol. Both peptides did not have tendency toward toxicity properties. So it is expected that both CTWYC and CYEFC ligands could be used as a potential antiviral drug candidates, which can inhibit the SAM and RNA-cap binding sites of dengue virus NS5 Mtase.

Reference Cap of Poly Vinyl Alcohol for Quantitative Elastography of the Human Uterine Cervix

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leonhard, Anne Katrine; Sandager, Puk; Rasmussen, Christina Kjærgaard

different caps were consistent. The approximated E of the cervical tissue in non-pregnant women was 0.25 N/mm2 (0.09-0.72) using Cap 1 vs. 0.18 (0.8-0.38) using Cap 2, p= 0.74 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The approximated E in the full-term pregnant women was 0.02 (0.01-0.04) using Cap 1 vs 0.02 (0.......01-0.03) using Cap 2, p= 0.45 (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The stiffness of the tissue was significantly different between non-pregnant and full-term pregnant women, p= 0.003 (Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Inter-observer and intra-observer limits-of-agreements were 55% and 23% respectively. Conclusions: The reference...

Stable aqueous ZnS quantum dots obtained using (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane as a capping molecule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Hui; Shih, Wan Y; Shih, W-H

2007-01-01

We have examined the synthesis and stability of ZnS quantum dots (QDs) using an all-aqueous route at pH = 12 with (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPS) as the capping molecule. The MPS-capped ZnS QDs obtained were well dispersed with a particle size around 5 nm and a cubic zinc blende crystalline structure. The QDs exhibited optimal photoluminescence (PL) emission when the MPS:Zn:S ratio was between 1/4:2:1 and 1/2:2:1. Compared with the earlier obtained ZnS QDs capped with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA), the MPS-capped ZnS QDs exhibited a similar, high quantum yield, 42% and 25% for MPS:Zn:S 1/2:2:1 and 1/4:2:1, respectively, but much better photostability. With the MPS:Zn:S ratio of 1/4:2:1, we showed that at room temperature and under the normal laboratory lighting conditions, the MPS-capped QDs were able to maintain their PL intensity for more than 50 days without degradation. We further showed that the MPS-capped QDs were stable not only in their synthesis solution but also in deionized (DI) water and in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution. The QDs with MPS:Zn:S=1/2:2:1 were able to stay at 50 deg. C for more than 20 h without degrading the PL intensity. They were also stable under continuous UV exposure for 3 h. With the high quantum yield and significantly improved photostability, the MPS-capped ZnS QDs could be good imaging tools for many biological applications

DISTRIBUTION AND ELIMINATION OF THE GLYCOSIDASE INHIBITORS 1-DEOXYMANNOJIRIMYCIN AND N-METHYL-1-DEOXYNOJIRIMYCIN IN THE RAT INVIVO

NARCIS (Netherlands)

FABER, ED; NEEFJES, JJ; PLOEGH, HL; MEIJER, DKF

1992-01-01

We studied the pharmacokinetics of two synthetic derivatives of 1-deoxynojirimycin in the rat after intravenous administration. The mannosidase IA/B inhibitor 1-deoxymannojirimycin and the glucosidase inhibitor N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin exhibited minimal plasma protein binding and showed a rapid

Acidic tumor microenvironment abrogates the efficacy of mTORC1 inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Faes, Seraina; Duval, Adrian P; Planche, Anne; Uldry, Emilie; Santoro, Tania; Pythoud, Catherine; Stehle, Jean-Christophe; Horlbeck, Janine; Letovanec, Igor; Riggi, Nicolo; Demartines, Nicolas; Dormond, Olivier

2016-12-05

Blocking the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex-1 (mTORC1) with chemical inhibitors such as rapamycin has shown limited clinical efficacy in cancer. The tumor microenvironment is characterized by an acidic pH which interferes with cancer therapies. The consequences of acidity on the anti-cancer efficacy of mTORC1 inhibitors have not been characterized and are thus the focus of our study. Cancer cell lines were treated with rapamycin in acidic or physiological conditions and cell proliferation was investigated. The effect of acidity on mTORC1 activity was determined by Western blot. The anticancer efficacy of rapamycin in combination with sodium bicarbonate to increase the intratumoral pH was tested in two different mouse models and compared to rapamycin treatment alone. Histological analysis was performed on tumor samples to evaluate proliferation, apoptosis and necrosis. Exposing cancer cells to acidic pH in vitro significantly reduced the anti-proliferative effect of rapamycin. At the molecular level, acidity significantly decreased mTORC1 activity, suggesting that cancer cell proliferation is independent of mTORC1 in acidic conditions. In contrast, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) or AKT were not affected by acidity, and blocking MAPK or AKT with a chemical inhibitor maintained an anti-proliferative effect at low pH. In tumor mouse models, the use of sodium bicarbonate increased mTORC1 activity in cancer cells and potentiated the anti-cancer efficacy of rapamycin. Combining sodium bicarbonate with rapamycin resulted in increased tumor necrosis, increased cancer cell apoptosis and decreased cancer cell proliferation as compared to single treatment. Taken together, these results emphasize the inefficacy of mTORC1 inhibitors in acidic conditions. They further highlight the potential of combining sodium bicarbonate with mTORC1 inhibitors to improve their anti-tumoral efficacy.

Theoretical model of polar cap auroral arcs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kan, J.R.; Burke, W.J.; USAF, Bedford, MA)

1985-01-01

A theory of the polar cap auroral arcs is proposed under the assumption that the magnetic field reconnection occurs in the cusp region on tail field lines during northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. Requirements of a convection model during northward IMF are enumerated based on observations and fundamental theoretical considerations. The theta aurora can be expected to occur on the closed field lines convecting sunward in the central polar cap, while the less intense regular polar cap arcs can occur either on closed or open field lines. The dynamo region for the polar cap arcs is required to be on closed field lines convecting tailward in the plasma sheet which is magnetically connected to the sunward convection in the central polar cap. 43 references

Atomic-scale structure of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings in GaAs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Offermans, P.; Koenraad, P.M.; Wolter, J.H.; Granados, D.; Garcia, J.M.; Fomin, V.; Gladilin, V.N.; Devreese, J.T.

2005-01-01

We present an atomic-scale analysis of the indium distribution of self-assembled In(Ga)As quantum rings (QRs) which are formed from InAs quantum dots by capping with a thin layer of GaAs and subsequent annealing. We find that the size and shape of QRs as observed by cross-sectional scanning

Multimerized CHR-derived peptides as HIV-1 fusion inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Nomura, Wataru; Hashimoto, Chie; Suzuki, Takaharu; Ohashi, Nami; Fujino, Masayuki; Murakami, Tsutomu; Yamamoto, Naoki; Tamamura, Hirokazu

2013-08-01

To date, several HIV-1 fusion inhibitors based on the carboxy-terminal leucine/isoleucine heptad repeat (CHR) region of an HIV-1 envelope protein gp41 have been discovered. We have shown that a synthetic peptide mimetic of a trimer form of the CHR-derived peptide C34 has potent inhibitory activity against the HIV-1 fusion mechanism, compared to a monomer C34 peptide. The present study revealed that a dimeric form of C34 is evidently structurally critical for fusion inhibitors, and that the activity of multimerized CHR-derived peptides in fusion inhibition is affected by the properties of the unit peptides C34, SC34EK, and T20. The fluorescence-based study suggested that the N36-interactive sites of the C34 trimer, including hydrophobic residues, are exposed outside the trimer and that trimerization of C34 caused a remarkable increase in fusion inhibitory activity. The present results could be useful in the design of fusion inhibitors against viral infections which proceed via membrane fusion with host cells. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Adenovirus DNA binding protein inhibits SrCap-activated CBP and CREB-mediated transcription

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiequn; Tarakanova, Vera; Chrivia, John; Yaciuk, Peter

2003-01-01

The SNF2-related CBP activator protein (SrCap) is a potent activator of transcription mediated by CBP and CREB. We have previously demonstrated that the Adenovirus 2 DNA Binding Protein (DBP) binds to SrCap and inhibits the transcription mediated by the carboxyl-terminal region of SrCap (amino acids 1275-2971). We report here that DBP inhibits the ability of full-length SrCap (1-2971) to activate transcription mediated by Gal-CREB and Gal-CBP. In addition, DBP also inhibits the ability of SrCap to enhance Protein Kinase A (PKA) activated transcription of the enkaphalin promoter. DBP was found to dramatically inhibit transcription of a mammalian two-hybrid system that was dependent on the interaction of SrCap and CBP binding domains. We also found that DBP has no effect on transcription mediated by a transcriptional activator that is not related to SrCap, indicating that our reported transcriptional inhibition is specific for SrCap and not due to nonspecific effects of DBP's DNA binding activity on the CAT reporter plasmid. Taken together, these results suggest a model in which DBP inhibits cellular transcription mediated by the interaction between SrCap and CBP

Recombination and population mosaic of a multifunctional viral gene, adeno-associated virus cap.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasuhiro Takeuchi

Full Text Available Homologous recombination is a dominant force in evolution and results in genetic mosaics. To detect evidence of recombination events and assess the biological significance of genetic mosaics, genome sequences for various viral populations of reasonably large size are now available in the GenBank. We studied a multi-functional viral gene, the adeno-associated virus (AAV cap gene, which codes for three capsid proteins, VP1, VP2 and VP3. VP1-3 share a common C-terminal domain corresponding to VP3, which forms the viral core structure, while the VP1 unique N-terminal part contains an enzymatic domain with phospholipase A2 activity. Our recombinant detection program (RecI revealed five novel recombination events, four of which have their cross-over points in the N-terminal, VP1 and VP2 unique region. Comparison of phylogenetic trees for different cap gene regions confirmed discordant phylogenies for the recombinant sequences. Furthermore, differences in the phylogenetic tree structures for the VP1 unique (VP1u region and the rest of cap highlighted the mosaic nature of cap gene in the AAV population: two dominant forms of VP1u sequences were identified and these forms are linked to diverse sequences in the rest of cap gene. This observation together with the finding of frequent recombination in the VP1 and 2 unique regions suggests that this region is a recombination hot spot. Recombination events in this region preserve protein blocks of distinctive functions and contribute to convergence in VP1u and divergence of the rest of cap. Additionally the possible biological significance of two dominant VP1u forms is inferred.

Preparation and characterization of highly water-soluble magnetic Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles via surface double-layered self-assembly method of sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Honghong; Qin, Li [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China); Feng, Ying [Department of Bridge Engineering, Shanxi Railway Institute, Weinan 714000 (China); Hu, Lihua [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China); Zhou, Chunhua, E-mail: chm_zhouch@ujn.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022 (China)

2015-06-15

A kind of double-layered self-assembly sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOS) capped Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN) with highly water-solubility was prepared by a wet co-precipitation method with a pH of 4.8. The resulting Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN could be dispersed into water to form stable magnetic fluid without other treatments. The result of X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN maintained original crystalline structure and exhibited a diameter of about 7.5 nm. The iron oxide phase of nanoparticles determined by Raman spectroscopy is Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis confirmed that the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN with spherical morphology were uniformly dispersed in water. FT-IR spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) verified the successful preparation of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN capped with double-layered self-assembled AOS. The corresponding capacities of monolayer chemical absorption and the second-layer self-assembly absorption were respectively 4.07 and 14.71 wt% of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-MN, which were much lower than those of other surfactants. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) test result showed Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN possessed superparamagnetic behavior with the saturation magnetization value of about 44.45 emu/g. The blocking temperature T{sub B} of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS is 170 K. - Highlights: • Double-layered self-assembly sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOS) capped Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} magnetic nanoparticles are prepared by a wet co-precipitation method. • Double-layered Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN exhibits highly water-solubility. • The iron oxide phase is determined by Raman spectroscopy. • Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS possesses super-paramagnetic behavior. • The blocking temperature T{sub B} of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}-AOS-MN capped with double-layered AOS is 170 K.

Quality control of FWC during assembly/commissioning on SST-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Hiteshkumar; Santra, Prosenjit; Jaiswal, Snehal

2015-01-01

First Wall components (FWC) of SST-1 tokamak, which are in the immediate vicinity of plasma comprises of limiters, divertors, baffles, passive stabilizers are designed to operate long duration (1000 s) discharges of elongated plasma. All FWC consists of a copper alloy heat sink modules with SS cooling tubes brazed onto it, graphite tiles acting as armour material facing the plasma, and are mounted to the vacuum vessels with suitable Inconel support structures at ring and port locations. The FWC are very recently assembled and commissioned successfully inside the vacuum vessel of SST-1 under going a rigorous quality control and checks at every stage of the assembly process. This paper will present the quality control and checks of FWC from commencement of assembly procedure, namely material test reports, leak testing of high temperature baked components, assembled dimensional tolerances, leak testing of all welded joints, graphite tile tightening torques, electrical continuity of passive stabilizers, and electrical isolation of passive stabilizers from vacuum vessel, baking and cooling hydraulic connections inside vacuum vessel. (author)

Pengelolaan Fraktur Dentoalveolar pada Anak-Anak dengan Cap Splint Akrilik

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dedy Sigit Nur Cahyo

2015-12-01

Management of Dentoalveolar Fractures in Children Using Acrylic Cap Splint. The purpose of fracture treatment in children is basically the same as that in adults with different management, while the choice of treatment method mainly relies on the development of jaws and teeth. It reports two cases of dentoalveolar fractures in children under 5 years old who were treated using acrylic cap splint with circum-mandibular wiring under general anesthetic. Two children, aged 1 year and 3 years old were referred to the emergency department of Dr. Sardjito Hospital with the diagnosis of dentoalveolar fractures. Both cases were treated using cap splint with circum-mandibular wiring-based fixation under general anesthetic. After 3 weeks, the acrylic cap splint and the circum-mandibular wiring were released under sedation. No loose teeth were found in the fracture area. In the following 6 weeks, the teeth were stable with normal occlusion and no infection found. Acrylic cap splint with circum-mandibular wiring is a simple, effective and minimally invasive method for dentoalveolar treatment in children.

Nondestructive examination of Oconee 1 fuel assemblies after four cycles of irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyecha, T.D.; Mayer, J.T.; Guthrie, B.A. III; Riordan, J.E.

1980-12-01

Five B and W Mark B (15 x 15) pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies were nondestructively examined after four cycles of irradiation in the Oconee 1 reactor. Four of the five assemblies examined had a burnup of 40,000 MWd/mtU; the fifth assembly had a burnup of 36,800 MWd/mtU. This effort is part of a Department of Energy program to improve uranium utilization by extending the burnup of light water reactor fuel. The examinations were conducted in the Oconee 1 and 2 spent fuel storage pool. Data obtained included fuel assembly and fuel rod dimensions, water channel spacings, spacer grid and holddown spring forces, fuel column stack and axial gap lengths, and crud samples. The results indicate that the assemblies performed well through four cycles of operation; all of the data were within design limits

Ultrasensitive colorimetric detection of heparin based on self-assembly of gold nanoparticles on graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xiuli; Chen, Lingxin; Li, Jinhua

2012-08-21

A novel colorimetric method was developed for ultrasensitive detection of heparin based on self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the surface of graphene oxide (GO). Polycationic protamine was used as a medium for inducing the self-assembly of citrate-capped AuNPs on GO through electrostatic interaction, resulting in a shift in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption of AuNPs and exhibiting a blue color. Addition of polyanionic heparin disturbed the self-assemble of AuNPs due to its strong affinity to protamine. With the increase of heparin concentration, the amounts of self-assembly AuNPs decreased and the color changed from blue to red in solution. Therefore, a "blue-to-red" colorimetric sensing strategy based on self-assembly of AuNPs could be established for heparin detection. Compared with the commonly reported aggregation-based methods ("red-to-blue"), the color change from blue to red was more eye-sensitive, especially in low concentration of target. Moreover, stronger interaction between protamine and heparin led to distinguish heparin from its analogues as well as various potentially coexistent physiological species. The strategy was simply achieved by the self-assembly nature of AuNPs and the application of two types of polyionic media, showing it to be label-free, simple, rapid and visual. This method could selectively detect heparin with a detection limit of 3.0 ng mL(-1) in standard aqueous solution and good linearity was obtained over the range 0.06-0.36 μg mL(-1) (R = 0.9936). It was successfully applied to determination of heparin in fetal bovine serum samples as low as 1.7 ng mL(-1) with a linear range of 0-0.8 μg mL(-1).

De novo transcriptome assembly for a non-model species, the blood-sucking bug Triatoma brasiliensis, a vector of Chagas disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchant, A; Mougel, F; Almeida, C; Jacquin-Joly, E; Costa, J; Harry, M

2015-04-01

High throughput sequencing (HTS) provides new research opportunities for work on non-model organisms, such as differential expression studies between populations exposed to different environmental conditions. However, such transcriptomic studies first require the production of a reference assembly. The choice of sampling procedure, sequencing strategy and assembly workflow is crucial. To develop a reliable reference transcriptome for Triatoma brasiliensis, the major Chagas disease vector in Northeastern Brazil, different de novo assembly protocols were generated using various datasets and software. Both 454 and Illumina sequencing technologies were applied on RNA extracted from antennae and mouthparts from single or pooled individuals. The 454 library yielded 278 Mb. Fifteen Illumina libraries were constructed and yielded nearly 360 million RNA-seq single reads and 46 million RNA-seq paired-end reads for nearly 45 Gb. For the 454 reads, we used three assemblers, Newbler, CAP3 and/or MIRA and for the Illumina reads, the Trinity assembler. Ten assembly workflows were compared using these programs separately or in combination. To compare the assemblies obtained, quantitative and qualitative criteria were used, including contig length, N50, contig number and the percentage of chimeric contigs. Completeness of the assemblies was estimated using the CEGMA pipeline. The best assembly (57,657 contigs, completeness of 80 %, <1 % chimeric contigs) was a hybrid assembly leading to recommend the use of (1) a single individual with large representation of biological tissues, (2) merging both long reads and short paired-end Illumina reads, (3) several assemblers in order to combine the specific advantages of each.

Design of novel HIV-1 protease inhibitors incorporating isophthalamide-derived P2-P3 ligands: Synthesis, biological evaluation and X-ray structural studies of inhibitor-HIV-1 protease complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Arun K.; Brindisi, Margherita; Nyalapatla, Prasanth R.; Takayama, Jun; Ella-Menye, Jean-Rene; Yashchuk, Sofiya; Agniswamy, Johnson; Wang, Yuan-Fang; Aoki, Manabu; Amano, Masayuki; Weber, Irene T.; Mitsuya, Hiroaki

2017-10-01

Based upon molecular insights from the X-ray structures of inhibitor-bound HIV-1 protease complexes, we have designed a series of isophthalamide-derived inhibitors incorporating substituted pyrrolidines, piperidines and thiazolidines as P2-P3 ligands for specific interactions in the S2-S3 extended site. Compound 4b has shown an enzyme Ki of 0.025 nM and antiviral IC50 of 69 nM. An X-ray crystal structure of inhibitor 4b-HIV-1 protease complex was determined at 1.33 Å resolution. We have also determined X-ray structure of 3b-bound HIV-1 protease at 1.27 Å resolution. These structures revealed important molecular insight into the inhibitor–HIV-1 protease interactions in the active site.

Interactions Between HIV-1 Gag and Viral RNA Genome Enhance Virion Assembly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dilley, Kari A; Nikolaitchik, Olga A; Galli, Andrea

2017-01-01

between Gag and viral RNA are required for the enhancement of particle production. Taken together, these studies are consistent with our previous hypothesis that specific dimeric viral RNA:Gag interactions are the nucleation event of infectious virion assembly, ensuring that one RNA dimer is packaged......Most HIV-1 virions contain two copies of full-length viral RNA, indicating that genome packaging is efficient and tightly regulated. However, the structural protein Gag is the only component required for the assembly of noninfectious virus-like particles and the viral RNA is dispensable...... in this process. The mechanism that allows HIV-1 to achieve such high efficiency of genome packaging when a packageable viral RNA is not required for virus assembly is currently unknown. In this report, we examined the role of HIV-1 RNA in virus assembly and found that packageable HIV-1 RNA enhances particle...

Experimental demonstration of optical data links using a hybrid CAP/QAM modulation scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, J L; Ingham, J D; Cheng, Q; Cunningham, D G; Penty, R V; White, I H

2014-03-15

The first known experimental demonstrations of a 10  Gb/s hybrid CAP-2/QAM-2 and a 20  Gb/s hybrid CAP-4/QAM-4 transmitter/receiver-based optical data link are performed. Successful transmission over 4.3 km of standard single-mode fiber (SMF) is achieved, with a link power penalty ∼0.4  dBo for CAP-2/QAM-2 and ∼1.5  dBo for CAP-4/QAM-4 at BER=10(-9).

Corrosion prevention of iron with novel organic inhibitor of hydroxamic acid and UV irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Huihua; Nanjo, Hiroshi; Qian, Pu; Xia Zhengbin; Ishikawa, Ikuo; Suzuki, Toshishige M.

2008-01-01

Corrosion prevention by self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of monomer and polymer inhibitor on iron covered with air-formed oxide films was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in borate buffer solution. Anti-corrosion efficiency of the SAM-coated Fe electrodes depends on UV irradiation duration on Fe electrodes prior to coating and inhibitor concentration to form SAM. The 1-h UV-irradiated Fe electrodes coated with SAM exhibits the most effective corrosion resistance despite the anti-corrosion efficiency of air-formed films on Fe was linearly increased with UV irradiation. The addition of monomer in polymer solution improves the stability and corrosion resistance of SAM

Synthesis of tritium or deuterium labelled 19-nor-3. cap alpha. -hydroxy-5. cap alpha. -androstan-17-one from nortestosterone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Protiva, J; Klinotova, E [Karlova Univ., Prague (Czechoslovakia). Prirodovedecka Fakulta; Filip, J [Ustav pro Vyzkum, Vyrobu a Vyuziti Radioisotopu, Prague (Czechoslovakia); Hampl, R [Research Inst. of Endocrinology, Praha (Czechoslovakia)

1982-10-20

Tritium and/or deuterium (5-H) labelled 19-nor-3..cap alpha..-hydroxy-5..cap alpha..-androstan-17-one (norandrosterone) was prepared from nortestosterone in view to use it as a radioligand for radioimmunoassay of the main nortestosterone metabolites. Based upon model experiments using testosterone and deuterium labelling, the following four step procedure was established: nortestosterone was oxidized with pyridine chlorochromate and the resulting 19-nor-4-androsten-3,17-dione was tritiated with tritium gas under catalysis with tris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium chloride to give (4,5..cap alpha..-/sup 3/H)19-nor-5..cap alpha..-androstan-3,17-dione. A selective reduction of the latter compound yielded (5-/sup 3/H)19-nor-3..cap alpha..-hydroxy-5..cap alpha..-androstan-17-one of the molar radioactivity 0.3 TBq (8.15 Ci)/mmol.

Atomic-resolution structure of the CAP-Gly domain of dynactin on polymeric microtubules determined by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Si; Guo, Changmiao; Hou, Guangjin; Zhang, Huilan; Lu, Xingyu; Williams, John Charles; Polenova, Tatyana

2015-11-24

Microtubules and their associated proteins perform a broad array of essential physiological functions, including mitosis, polarization and differentiation, cell migration, and vesicle and organelle transport. As such, they have been extensively studied at multiple levels of resolution (e.g., from structural biology to cell biology). Despite these efforts, there remain significant gaps in our knowledge concerning how microtubule-binding proteins bind to microtubules, how dynamics connect different conformational states, and how these interactions and dynamics affect cellular processes. Structures of microtubule-associated proteins assembled on polymeric microtubules are not known at atomic resolution. Here, we report a structure of the cytoskeleton-associated protein glycine-rich (CAP-Gly) domain of dynactin motor on polymeric microtubules, solved by magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. We present the intermolecular interface of CAP-Gly with microtubules, derived by recording direct dipolar contacts between CAP-Gly and tubulin using double rotational echo double resonance (dREDOR)-filtered experiments. Our results indicate that the structure adopted by CAP-Gly varies, particularly around its loop regions, permitting its interaction with multiple binding partners and with the microtubules. To our knowledge, this study reports the first atomic-resolution structure of a microtubule-associated protein on polymeric microtubules. Our approach lays the foundation for atomic-resolution structural analysis of other microtubule-associated motors.

11-Hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(1 1 1)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Albayrak, Erol [Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir 40000 (Turkey); Karabuga, Semistan [Department of Chemistry, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş 46030 (Turkey); Bracco, Gianangelo [CNR-IMEM and Department of Physics, University of Genoa, via Dodecaneso 33, Genoa 16146 (Italy); Danışman, M. Fatih, E-mail: danisman@metu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800 (Turkey)

2014-08-30

Highlights: • 11-Hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(1 1 1) surface were grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition. • Two different lying down monolayer phases were observed depending on the substrate temperature. • High temperature monolayer phase has a diffraction pattern similar to that of mercaptoundecanol SAMs. • Desorption from several different chemisorbed and physisorbed states were observed. - Abstract: Here, we report a helium atom diffraction study of 11-hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide (CH{sub 3}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 17}-S-S-(CH{sub 2}){sub 11}-OH, HOD) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) produced by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SMBD). Two different lying down monolayer phases were observed depending on the substrate temperature. At low temperatures a poorly ordered phase was observed, while the diffraction patterns of the film grown at high temperatures were similar to that of mercaptoundecanol (MUD) SAMs reported previously in the literature. The transition from the low temperature phase to the high temperature phase is due to S-S bond cleavage at the surface. Desorption from several different chemisorbed and physisorbed states were observed with energies in the same range as observed for MUD and octadecanelthiol (ODT) SAMs.

Technical Note: Dosimetry of Leipzig and Valencia applicators without the plastic cap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granero, D., E-mail: dgranero@eresa.com [Department of Radiation Physics, ERESA, Hospital General Universitario, Valencia 46014 (Spain); Candela-Juan, C. [National Dosimetry Centre (CND), Instituto Nacional de Gestión Sanitaria, Valencia 46009 (Spain); Vijande, J. [Department of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics, University of Valencia, Burjassot 46100, Spain and Instituto de Física Corpuscular (UV-CSIC), Burjassot 46100 (Spain); Ballester, F. [Department of Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Physics, University of Valencia, Burjassot 46100, Spain and Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular (UV-CSIC), Burjassot 46100 (Spain); Perez-Calatayud, J. [Radiation Oncology Department, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia 46026, Spain and Department of Radiotherapy, Clínica Benidorm, Benidorm 03501 (Spain); Jacob, D.; Mourtada, F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware 19713 (United States)

2016-05-15

Purpose: High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treatment of small skin lesions using the Leipzig and Valencia applicators is a widely used technique. These applicators are equipped with an attachable plastic cap to be placed during fraction delivery to ensure electronic equilibrium and to prevent secondary electrons from reaching the skin surface. The purpose of this study is to report on the dosimetric impact of the cap being absent during HDR fraction delivery, which has not been explored previously in the literature. Methods: GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulations (version 10.0) have been performed for the Leipzig and Valencia applicators with and without the plastic cap. In order to validate the Monte Carlo simulations, experimental measurements using radiochromic films have been done. Results: Dose absorbed within 1 mm of the skin surface increases by a factor of 1500% for the Leipzig applicators and of 180% for the Valencia applicators. Deeper than 1 mm, the overdosage flattens up to a 10% increase. Conclusions: Differences of treating with or without the plastic cap are significant. Users must check always that the plastic cap is in place before any treatment in order to avoid overdosage of the skin. Prior to skin HDR fraction delivery, the timeout checklist should include verification of the cap placement.

Biochemical Importance of Glycosylation of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gils, Ann; Pedersen, Katrine Egelund; Skottrup, Peter Durand

2003-01-01

The serpin plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is a potential target for anti-thrombotic and anti-cancer therapy. PAI-1 has 3 potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. We demonstrate here that PAI-1 expressed recombinantly or naturally by human cell lines display a heterogeneous glycosyla...

Structure-Based Design of Novel HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors to Combat Drug Resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh,A.; Sridhar, P.; Leshchenko, S.; Hussain, A.; Li, J.; Kovalevsky, A.; Walters, D.; Wedelind, J.; Grum-Tokars, V.; et al.

2006-01-01

Structure-based design and synthesis of novel HIV protease inhibitors are described. The inhibitors are designed specifically to interact with the backbone of HIV protease active site to combat drug resistance. Inhibitor 3 has exhibited exceedingly potent enzyme inhibitory and antiviral potency. Furthermore, this inhibitor maintains impressive potency against a wide spectrum of HIV including a variety of multi-PI-resistant clinical strains. The inhibitors incorporated a stereochemically defined 5-hexahydrocyclopenta[b]furanyl urethane as the P2-ligand into the (R)-(hydroxyethylamino)sulfonamide isostere. Optically active (3aS,5R,6aR)-5-hydroxy-hexahydrocyclopenta[b]furan was prepared by an enzymatic asymmetrization of meso-diacetate with acetyl cholinesterase, radical cyclization, and Lewis acid-catalyzed anomeric reduction as the key steps. A protein-ligand X-ray crystal structure of inhibitor 3-bound HIV-1 protease (1.35 Angstroms resolution) revealed extensive interactions in the HIV protease active site including strong hydrogen bonding interactions with the backbone. This design strategy may lead to novel inhibitors that can combat drug resistance.

Convection flow structure in the central polar cap

Science.gov (United States)

Bristow, W. A.

2017-12-01

A previous study of spatially averaged flow velocity in the central polar cap [Bristow et al., 2015] observed under steady IMF conditions found that it was extremely rare for the average to exceed 850 m/s (less than 0.2 % of the time). Anecdotally, however it is not uncommon to observe line-of-sight velocities in excess of 100 m/s in the McMurdo radar field of view directly over the magnetic pole. This discrepancy motivated this study, which examines the conditions under which high-velocity flows are observed at latitudes greater than 80° magnetic latitude. It was found that highly structured flows are common in the central polar cap, which leads to the flow within regions to have significant deviation from the average. In addition, the high-speed flow regions are usually directed away from the earth-sun line. No specific set of driving conditions was identified to be associated with high-speed flows. The study did conclude that 1)Polar cap velocities are generally highly structured. 2)Flow patterns typically illustrate narrow channels, vortical flow regions, and propagating features. 3) Persistent waves are a regular occurrence. 3)Features are observed to propagate from day side to night side, and from night side to day side.. 4)Convection often exhibits significant difference between the two hemispheres. And 5)About 10% of the time the velocity somewhere in the cap exceeds 1 Km/s The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the physical reasons for the flow structure. Bristow, W. A., E. Amata, J. Spaleta, and M. F. Marcucci (2015), Observations of the relationship between ionospheric central polar cap and dayside throat convection velocities, and solar wind/IMF driving, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JA021199.

7 CFR 1714.7 - Interest rate cap.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interest rate cap. 1714.7 Section 1714.7 Agriculture... PRE-LOAN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR INSURED ELECTRIC LOANS General § 1714.7 Interest rate cap. Except... section, or both the rate disparity test for the interest rate cap and the consumer income test set forth...

Inhibitor discovery of full-length New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bingzheng Shen

Full Text Available New Delhi metallo-β-lactmase-1 (NDM-1 has recently attracted extensive attention for its biological activities to catalyze the hydrolysis of almost all of β-lactam antibiotics. To study the catalytic property of NDM-1, the steady-kinetic parameters of NDM-1 toward several kinds of β-lactam antibiotics have been detected. It could effectively hydrolyze most β-lactams (k cat/K m ratios between 0.03 to 1.28 µmol⁻¹.s⁻¹, except aztreonam. We also found that thiophene-carboxylic acid derivatives could inhibit NDM-1 and have shown synergistic antibacterial activity in combination with meropenem. Flexible docking and quantum mechanics (QM study revealed electrostatic interactions between the sulfur atom of thiophene-carboxylic acid derivatives and the zinc ion of NDM-1, along with hydrogen bond between inhibitor and His189 of NDM-1. The interaction models proposed here can be used in rational design of NDM-1 inhibitors.

Structural integrity assessment and stress measurement of CHASNUPP-1 fuel assembly

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waseem

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fuel assembly of the PWR nuclear power plant is a long and flexible structure. This study has been made in an attempt to find the structural integrity of the fuel assembly (FA of Chashma Nuclear Power Plant-1 (CHASNUPP-1 at room temperature in air. The non-linear contact and structural tensile analysis have been performed using ANSYS 13.0, in order to determine the fuel assembly (FA elongation behaviour as well as the location and values of the stress intensity and stresses developed in axial direction under applied tensile load of 9800 N or 2 g being the fuel assembly handling or lifting load [Y. Zhang et al., Fuel assembly design report, SNERDI, China, 1994]. The finite element (FE model comprises spacer grids, fuel rods, flexible contacts between the fuel rods and grid's supports system and guide thimbles with dash-pots and flow holes, in addition to the spot welds between spacer grids and guide thimbles, has been developed using Shell181, Conta174 and Targe170 elements. FA is a non-straight structure. The actual behavior of the geometry is non-linear due to its curvature or design tolerance. It has been observed that fuel assembly elongation values obtained through FE analysis and experiment [SNERDI Tech. Doc., Mechanical strength and calculation for fuel assembly, Technical Report, F3.2.1, China, 1994] under applied tensile load are comparable and show approximately linear behaviors. Therefore, it seems that the permanent elongation of fuel assembly may not occur at the specified load. Moreover, the values of stresses obtained at different locations of the fuel assembly are also comparable with the stress values of the experiment determined at the same locations through strain gauges. Since the results of both studies (analytical and experimental are comparable, therefore, validation of the FE methodology is confirmed. The stress intensity of the FE model and maximum stresses developed along the guide thimbles in axial direction are

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is an independent prognostic factor of ovarian cancer and IMD-4482, a novel plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 inhibitor, inhibits ovarian cancer peritoneal dissemination.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakatsuka, Erika; Sawada, Kenjiro; Nakamura, Koji; Yoshimura, Akihito; Kinose, Yasuto; Kodama, Michiko; Hashimoto, Kae; Mabuchi, Seiji; Makino, Hiroshi; Morii, Eiichi; Yamaguchi, Yoichi; Yanase, Takeshi; Itai, Akiko; Morishige, Ken-Ichirou; Kimura, Tadashi

2017-10-27

In the present study, the therapeutic potential of targeting plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in ovarian cancer was tested. Tissues samples from 154 cases of ovarian carcinoma were immunostained with anti-PAI-1 antibody, and the prognostic value was analyzed. Among the samples, 67% (104/154) showed strong PAI-1 expression; this was significantly associated with poor prognosis (progression-free survival: 20 vs. 31 months, P = 0.0033). In particular, among patients with stage II-IV serous adenocarcinoma, PAI-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor. The effect of a novel PAI-1 inhibitor, IMD-4482, on ovarian cancer cell lines was assessed and its therapeutic potential was examined using a xenograft mouse model of ovarian cancer. IMD-4482 inhibited in vitro cell adhesion to vitronectin in PAI-1-positive ovarian cancer cells, followed by the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation through dissociation of the PAI-urokinase receptor complex from integrin αVβ3. IMD-4482 caused G0/G1 cell arrest and inhibited the proliferation of PAI-1-positive ovarian cancer cells. In the xenograft model, IMD-4482 significantly inhibited peritoneal dissemination with the reduction of PAI-1 expression and the inhibition of focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation. Collectively, the functional inhibition of PAI-1 significantly inhibited ovarian cancer progression, and targeting PAI-1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy in ovarian cancer.

Cap-independent translation mechanism of red clover necrotic mosaic virus RNA2 differs from that of RNA1 and is linked to RNA replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizumoto, Hiroyuki; Iwakawa, Hiro-Oki; Kaido, Masanori; Mise, Kazuyuki; Okuno, Tetsuro

2006-04-01

The genome of Red clover necrotic mosaic virus (RCNMV) in the genus Dianthovirus is divided into two RNA molecules of RNA1 and RNA2, which have no cap structure at the 5' end and no poly(A) tail at the 3' end. The 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of RCNMV RNA1 contains an essential RNA element (3'TE-DR1), which is required for cap-independent translation. In this study, we investigated a cap-independent translational mechanism of RNA2 using a firefly luciferase (Luc) gene expression assay system in cowpea protoplasts and a cell-free lysate (BYL) prepared from evacuolated tobacco BY2 protoplasts. We were unable to detect cis-acting RNA sequences in RNA2 that can replace the function of a cap structure, such as the 3'TE-DR1 of RNA1. However, the uncapped reporter RNA2, RNA2-Luc, in which the Luc open reading frame (ORF) was inserted between the 5' UTR and the movement protein ORF, was effectively translated in the presence of p27 and p88 in protoplasts in which RNA2-Luc was replicated. Time course experiments in protoplasts showed that the translational activity of RNA2-Luc did not reflect the amount of RNA2. Mutations in cis-acting RNA replication elements of RNA2 abolished the cap-independent translational activity of RNA2-Luc, suggesting that the translational activity of RNA2-Luc is coupled to RNA replication. Our results show that the translational mechanism differs between two segmented genomic RNAs of RCNMV. We present a model in which only RNA2 that is generated de novo through the viral RNA replication machinery functions as mRNA for translation.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 and Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 and Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein Expression Defines the Proliferative Nature of Cervical Cancer Stem Cells. ... of cervical cancer stem cells and also to validate them in initial and advanced stages of cervical cancer. Keywords: Cervical cancer, ALDH1, BALB/c-nu/nu, HeLa cells, RKIP, Sox2 ...

YB-1 promotes microtubule assembly in vitro through interaction with tubulin and microtubules

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Baconnais Sonia

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background YB-1 is a major regulator of gene expression in eukaryotic cells. In addition to its role in transcription, YB-1 plays a key role in translation and stabilization of mRNAs. Results We show here that YB-1 interacts with tubulin and microtubules and stimulates microtubule assembly in vitro. High resolution imaging via electron and atomic force microscopy revealed that microtubules assembled in the presence of YB-1 exhibited a normal single wall ultrastructure and indicated that YB-1 most probably coats the outer microtubule wall. Furthermore, we found that YB-1 also promotes the assembly of MAPs-tubulin and subtilisin-treated tubulin. Finally, we demonstrated that tubulin interferes with RNA:YB-1 complexes. Conclusion These results suggest that YB-1 may regulate microtubule assembly in vivo and that its interaction with tubulin may contribute to the control of mRNA translation.

Role of seminal plasma in the anti-HIV-1 activity of candidate microbicides

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Li Yun-Yao

2006-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evaluation of microbicides for prevention of HIV-1 infection in macaque models for vaginal infection has indicated that the concentrations of active compounds needed for protection by far exceed levels sufficient for complete inhibition of infection in vitro. These experiments were done in the absence of seminal plasma (SP, a vehicle for sexual transmission of the virus. To gain insight into the possible effect of SP on the performance of selected microbicides, their anti-HIV-1 activity in the presence, and absence of SP, was determined. Methods The inhibitory activity of compounds against the X4 virus, HIV-1 IIIB, and the R5 virus, HIV-1 BaL was determined using TZM-bl indicator cells and quantitated by measuring β-galactosidase induced by infection. The virucidal properties of cellulose acetate 1,2-benzene-dicarboxylate (CAP, the only microbicide provided in water insoluble, micronized form, in the presence of SP was measured. Results The HIV-1 inhibitory activity of the polymeric microbicides, poly(naphthalene sulfonate, cellulose sulfate, carrageenan, CAP (in soluble form and polystyrene sulfonate, respectively, was considerably (range ≈ 4 to ≈ 73-fold diminished in the presence of SP (33.3%. Formulations of micronized CAP, providing an acidic buffering system even in the presence of an SP volume excess, effectively inactivated HIV-1 infectivity. Conclusion The data presented here suggest that the in vivo efficacy of polymeric microbicides, acting as HIV-1 entry inhibitors, might become at least partly compromised by the inevitable presence of SP. These possible disadvantages could be overcome by combining the respective polymers with acidic pH buffering systems (built-in for formulations of micronized CAP or with other anti-HIV-1 compounds, the activity of which is not affected by SP, e.g. reverse transcriptase and zinc finger inhibitors.

Genetics Home Reference: complete plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 deficiency

Science.gov (United States)

... well studied in a large family belonging to the Old Order Amish population of eastern and southern Indiana. Additional cases in North ... Human plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) deficiency: characterization of a large kindred with a null mutation in the PAI-1 gene. Blood. 1997 Jul 1;90( ...

Increased 5. cap alpha. -reductase activity in idiopathic hirsutism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serafini, P.; Lobo, R.A.

1985-01-01

In vitro, genital skin 5..cap alpha..-reductase activity (5..cap alpha..-RA) was measured in ten hirsute women with normal androgen levels (idiopathic hirsutism (IH)) and in ten hirsute women with elevated androgen levels (polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO)) in order to determine the influence of secreted androgens on 5..cap alpha..-RA. In vitro 5..cap alpha..-RA was assessed by incubations of skin with /sup 14/C-testosterone (T) for 2 hours, after which steroids were separated and the radioactivity of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 5..cap alpha..-androstane 3..cap alpha..-17..beta..-estradiol (3..cap alpha..-diol) in specific eluates were determined. All androgens were normal in IH with the exception of higher levels of 3..cap alpha..-diol glucuronide which were similar to the levels of PCO. The conversion ratio (CR) of T to DHT in IH and PCO were similar, yet significantly greater than the CR of control subjects. The CR of T to 3..cap alpha..-diol in IH and PCO were similar, yet higher than in control subjects. Serum androgens showed no correlation with 5..cap alpha..-RA, while the CR of T to DHT showed a significant positive correlation with the Ferriman and Gallwey score. The increased 5..cap alpha..-RA in IH appears to be independent of serum androgen levels and is, therefore, an inherent abnormality. The term idiopathic is a misnomer, because hirsutism in these patients may be explained on the basis of increased skin 5..cap alpha..-RA.

Changes in glucose-induced plasma active glucagon-like peptide-1 levels by co-administration of sodium–glucose cotransporter inhibitors with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in rodents

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Takahiro Oguma

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We investigated whether structurally different sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT 2 inhibitors, when co-administered with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4 inhibitors, could enhance glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 secretion during oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs in rodents. Three different SGLT inhibitors—1-(β-d-Glucopyranosyl-4-chloro-3-[5-(6-fluoro-2-pyridyl-2-thienylmethyl]benzene (GTB, TA-1887, and canagliflozin—were examined to assess the effect of chemical structure. Oral treatment with GTB plus a DPP4 inhibitor enhanced glucose-induced plasma active GLP-1 (aGLP-1 elevation and suppressed glucose excursions in both normal and diabetic rodents. In DPP4-deficient rats, GTB enhanced glucose-induced aGLP-1 elevation without affecting the basal level, whereas metformin, previously reported to enhance GLP-1 secretion, increased both the basal level and glucose-induced elevation. Oral treatment with canagliflozin and TA-1887 also enhanced glucose-induced aGLP-1 elevation when co-administered with either teneligliptin or sitagliptin. These data suggest that structurally different SGLT2 inhibitors enhance plasma aGLP-1 elevation and suppress glucose excursions during OGTT when co-administered with DPP4 inhibitors, regardless of the difference in chemical structure. Combination treatment with DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors having moderate SGLT1 inhibitory activity may be a promising therapeutic option for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Imidazopyridine- and purine-thioacetamide derivatives: potent inhibitors of nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (NPP1).