Mammary Stem Cells and Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Molecular Connections and Clinical Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Celià-Terrassa, Toni

2018-05-04

Cancer arises from subpopulations of transformed cells with high tumor initiation and repopulation ability, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), which share many similarities with their normal counterparts. In the mammary gland, several studies have shown common molecular regulators between adult mammary stem cells (MaSCs) and breast cancer stem cells (bCSCs). Cell plasticity and self-renewal are essential abilities for MaSCs to maintain tissue homeostasis and regenerate the gland after pregnancy. Intriguingly, these properties are similarly executed in breast cancer stem cells to drive tumor initiation, tumor heterogeneity and recurrence after chemotherapy. In addition, both stem cell phenotypes are strongly influenced by external signals from the microenvironment, immune cells and supportive specific niches. This review focuses on the intrinsic and extrinsic connections of MaSC and bCSCs with clinical implications for breast cancer progression and their possible therapeutic applications.

Structure and bonding of ScCN and ScNC: Ground and low-lying states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalemos, Apostolos; Metropoulos, Aristophanes; Mavridis, Aristides

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: The experimentally unknown systems ScCN and ScNC have been studied through single reference CISD and CCSD(T) methods. A total of 20 = 10 (ScCN) + 10 (ScNC) states were examined. All states are quite ionic whereas ScNC(X ∼3 Δ) is stabler than ScCN(X ∼3 Δ) by ∼5 kcal/mol. Display Omitted Highlights: ► We have studied through ab initio methods the polytopic system Sc[CN]. ► A series of low lying states for both isomeric forms have been examined. ► Around equilibrium the system displays a pronounced Sc + [CN] − ionic character. - Abstract: We have studied the experimentally unknown Sc[CN] molecular system in both its isomeric forms, scandium cyanide (ScCN) and isocyanide (ScNC), through ab initio computations. We report energetics, geometries, harmonic frequencies, and dipole moments for the first 20 Sc[CN] states correlating diabatically to Sc + ( 3 D, 1 D, 3 F) + CN − (X 1 Σ + ). Both isomers have a pronounced ionic character around equilibrium due to the high electron affinity of the CN group and the low ionization energy of the Sc atom. According to our calculations the ScNC isomer (X ∼3 Δ) is stabler than the ScCN(X ∼3 Δ) by ∼5 kcal/mol.

Mammary stem cells: Novel markers and novel approaches to increase lactation efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Mammary stem cells (MaSC) provide for net growth, renewal and turnover of mammary epithelial cells, and are therefore potential targets for strategies to increase production efficiency. Appropriate regulation of MaSC can potentially benefit milk yield, persistency, dry period management and tissue r...

Stem cells and their role in renal ischaemia reperfusion injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagul, Atul; Frost, Jodie H; Drage, Martin

2013-01-01

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains one of the leading causes of acute kidney injury (AKI). IRI is an underlying multifactorial pathophysiological process which affects the outcome in both native and transplanted patients. The high morbidity and mortality associated with IRI/AKI and disappointing results from current available clinical therapeutic approaches prompt further research. Stem cells (SC) are undifferentiated cells that can undergo both renewal and differentiation into one or more cell types which can possibly ameliorate IRI. To carry out a detailed literature analysis and construct a comprehensive literature review addressing the role of SC in AKI secondary to IRI. Evidence favouring the role of SC in renal IRI and evidence showing no benefits of SC in renal IRI are the two main aspects to be studied. The search strategy was based on an extensive search addressing MESH terms and free text terms. The majority of studies in the field of renal IRI and stem cell therapy show substantial benefits. Studies were mostly conducted in small animal models, thus underscoring the need for further pre-clinical studies in larger animal models, and results should be taken with caution. SC therapy may be promising though controversy exists in the exact mechanism. Thorough scientific exploration is required to assess mechanism, safety profile, reproducibility and methods to monitor administered SC. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Sc-45 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of precipitation in dilute Al-Sc alloys

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Celotto, S; Bastow, TJ

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with Sc-45 is used to determine the solid solubility of scandium in aluminium and to follow the precipitation of Al3Sc during the ageing of an Al-0.06 at.% Sc alloy via the two fully resolved peaks, corresponding to Sc in the solid solution Al matrix and to Sc in the

Magnetism in Sc-doped ZnO with zinc vacancies: A hybrid density functional and GGA + U approaches

KAUST Repository

Kanoun, Mohammed; Goumri-Said, Souraya; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Manchon, Aurelien

2012-01-01

We investigate the zinc vacancy effects on the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Sc-doped ZnO, by performing first-principles calculations within both GGA + U and Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional methods. We find that Sc impurities stabilize considerably Zn vacancies. The electronic and magnetic analysis shows a half metallic ferromagnetic character with a total magnetic moment of 2.01 μ B. The magnetism mainly stems from the O 2p states around the Zn vacancies. Calculations with the hybrid density functional agree with the GGA + U results but give an accurate description of the electronic structure for pure ZnO and Sc-doped ZnO with Zn vacancies. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetism in Sc-doped ZnO with zinc vacancies: A hybrid density functional and GGA + U approaches

KAUST Repository

Kanoun, Mohammed

2012-04-01

We investigate the zinc vacancy effects on the electronic structures and magnetic properties of Sc-doped ZnO, by performing first-principles calculations within both GGA + U and Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional methods. We find that Sc impurities stabilize considerably Zn vacancies. The electronic and magnetic analysis shows a half metallic ferromagnetic character with a total magnetic moment of 2.01 μ B. The magnetism mainly stems from the O 2p states around the Zn vacancies. Calculations with the hybrid density functional agree with the GGA + U results but give an accurate description of the electronic structure for pure ZnO and Sc-doped ZnO with Zn vacancies. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Crystal structure and phase stability of AlSc in the near-equiatomic Al–Sc alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Juan; Huang, Li; Liang, Yongfeng [State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Ye, Feng, E-mail: yefeng@skl.ustb.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Lin, Junpin [State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 30 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083 (China); Shang, Shunli; Liu, Zikui [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2015-01-05

Highlights: • Two lattice structures of equiatomic Al–Sc compounds are confirmed. • Al–Sc phase at Sc 50 at.% has a space group of Pbam. • Al–Sc phase at Sc 55 at.% has a space group of B2. • B2 AlSc is a metastable phase with Sc 50 at.%. • Lattice transition between two compounds is proposed under local thermal stress. - Abstract: Intermetallic compound AlSc is found in the equiatomic Al–Sc binary alloy. The present work indicates that the orthorhombic AlSc with the Au{sub 2}CuZn-type structure can be formed at 50 at.% Sc, while the CsCl-type (B2) AlSc will be formed at 55 at.% Sc. After annealing at 1100 °C, some orthorhombic AlSc grains transit to the B2 structure, and the annealing at lower temperatures leads to the disappearance of B2 phase, indicating that the B2 AlSc is also a metastable phase in the alloy at lower Sc content (<50 at.%). First-principle calculations at 0 K reveal that the orthorhombic AlSc is more stable than the B2 AlSc with the energy difference between them being 5.4 meV/atom. The fast transition between these two phases, which cannot be interpreted by the mechanism of atomic diffusion, was tentatively analyzed by the volume change based on the calculated atomic positions of these two phases.

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. 7.70 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...′ W. (Port Royal Sound Lighted Whistle Buoy “2PR”); thence to the easternmost extremity of Hilton Head...

Radiation-induced bystander effects in cultured human stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mykyta V Sokolov

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The radiation-induced "bystander effect" (RIBE was shown to occur in a number of experimental systems both in vitro and in vivo as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation (IR. RIBE manifests itself by intercellular communication from irradiated cells to non-irradiated cells which may cause DNA damage and eventual death in these bystander cells. It is known that human stem cells (hSC are ultimately involved in numerous crucial biological processes such as embryologic development; maintenance of normal homeostasis; aging; and aging-related pathologies such as cancerogenesis and other diseases. However, very little is known about radiation-induced bystander effect in hSC. To mechanistically interrogate RIBE responses and to gain novel insights into RIBE specifically in hSC compartment, both medium transfer and cell co-culture bystander protocols were employed.Human bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC and embryonic stem cells (hESC were irradiated with doses 0.2 Gy, 2 Gy and 10 Gy of X-rays, allowed to recover either for 1 hr or 24 hr. Then conditioned medium was collected and transferred to non-irradiated hSC for time course studies. In addition, irradiated hMSC were labeled with a vital CMRA dye and co-cultured with non-irradiated bystander hMSC. The medium transfer data showed no evidence for RIBE either in hMSC and hESC by the criteria of induction of DNA damage and for apoptotic cell death compared to non-irradiated cells (p>0.05. A lack of robust RIBE was also demonstrated in hMSC co-cultured with irradiated cells (p>0.05.These data indicate that hSC might not be susceptible to damaging effects of RIBE signaling compared to differentiated adult human somatic cells as shown previously. This finding could have profound implications in a field of radiation biology/oncology, in evaluating radiation risk of IR exposures, and for the safety and efficacy of hSC regenerative-based therapies.

High-resolution clean-sc

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sijtsma, P.; Snellen, M.

2016-01-01

In this paper a high-resolution extension of CLEAN-SC is proposed: HR-CLEAN-SC. Where CLEAN-SC uses peak sources in “dirty maps” to define so-called source components, HR-CLEAN-SC takes advantage of the fact that source components can likewise be derived from points at some distance from the peak,

Application of stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelium in retinal degenerative diseases: present and future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingyue Luo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available As a constituent of blood-retinal barrier and retinal outer segment (ROS scavenger, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE is fundamental to normal function of retina. Malfunctioning of RPE contributes to the onset and advance of retinal degenerative diseases. Up to date, RPE replacement therapy is the only possible method to completely reverse retinal degeneration. Transplantation of human RPE stem cell-derived RPE (hRPESC-RPE has shown some good results in animal models. With promising results in terms of safety and visual improvement, human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE (hESC-RPE can be expected in clinical settings in the near future. Despite twists and turns, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE (iPSC-RPE is now being intensely investigated to overcome genetic and epigenetic instability. By far, only one patient has received iPSC-RPE transplant, which is a hallmark of iPSC technology development. During follow-up, no major complications such as immunogenicity or tumorigenesis have been observed. Future trials should keep focusing on the safety of stem cell-derived RPE (SC-RPE especially in long period, and better understanding of the nature of stem cell and the molecular events in the process to generate SC-RPE is necessary to the prosperity of SC-RPE clinical application.

Application of stem cell-derived retinal pigmented epithelium in retinal degenerative diseases: present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Mingyue; Chen, Youxin

2018-01-01

As a constituent of blood-retinal barrier and retinal outer segment (ROS) scavenger, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) is fundamental to normal function of retina. Malfunctioning of RPE contributes to the onset and advance of retinal degenerative diseases. Up to date, RPE replacement therapy is the only possible method to completely reverse retinal degeneration. Transplantation of human RPE stem cell-derived RPE (hRPESC-RPE) has shown some good results in animal models. With promising results in terms of safety and visual improvement, human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE (hESC-RPE) can be expected in clinical settings in the near future. Despite twists and turns, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE (iPSC-RPE) is now being intensely investigated to overcome genetic and epigenetic instability. By far, only one patient has received iPSC-RPE transplant, which is a hallmark of iPSC technology development. During follow-up, no major complications such as immunogenicity or tumorigenesis have been observed. Future trials should keep focusing on the safety of stem cell-derived RPE (SC-RPE) especially in long period, and better understanding of the nature of stem cell and the molecular events in the process to generate SC-RPE is necessary to the prosperity of SC-RPE clinical application.

Profiling stem cell states in three-dimensional biomaterial niches using high content image informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhaliwal, Anandika; Brenner, Matthew; Wolujewicz, Paul; Zhang, Zheng; Mao, Yong; Batish, Mona; Kohn, Joachim; Moghe, Prabhas V

2016-11-01

A predictive framework for the evolution of stem cell biology in 3-D is currently lacking. In this study we propose deep image informatics of the nuclear biology of stem cells to elucidate how 3-D biomaterials steer stem cell lineage phenotypes. The approach is based on high content imaging informatics to capture minute variations in the 3-D spatial organization of splicing factor SC-35 in the nucleoplasm as a marker to classify emergent cell phenotypes of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The cells were cultured in varied 3-D culture systems including hydrogels, electrospun mats and salt leached scaffolds. The approach encompasses high resolution 3-D imaging of SC-35 domains and high content image analysis (HCIA) to compute quantitative 3-D nuclear metrics for SC-35 organization in single cells in concert with machine learning approaches to construct a predictive cell-state classification model. Our findings indicate that hMSCs cultured in collagen hydrogels and induced to differentiate into osteogenic or adipogenic lineages could be classified into the three lineages (stem, adipogenic, osteogenic) with ⩾80% precision and sensitivity, within 72h. Using this framework, the augmentation of osteogenesis by scaffold design exerted by porogen leached scaffolds was also profiled within 72h with ∼80% high sensitivity. Furthermore, by employing 3-D SC-35 organizational metrics, differential osteogenesis induced by novel electrospun fibrous polymer mats incorporating decellularized matrix could also be elucidated and predictably modeled at just 3days with high precision. We demonstrate that 3-D SC-35 organizational metrics can be applied to model the stem cell state in 3-D scaffolds. We propose that this methodology can robustly discern minute changes in stem cell states within complex 3-D architectures and map single cell biological readouts that are critical to assessing population level cell heterogeneity. The sustained development and validation of bioactive

"NeuroStem Chip": a novel highly specialized tool to study neural differentiation pathways in human stem cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Jia-Yi

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Human stem cells are viewed as a possible source of neurons for a cell-based therapy of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. Several protocols that generate different types of neurons from human stem cells (hSCs have been developed. Nevertheless, the cellular mechanisms that underlie the development of neurons in vitro as they are subjected to the specific differentiation protocols are often poorly understood. Results We have designed a focused DNA (oligonucleotide-based large-scale microarray platform (named "NeuroStem Chip" and used it to study gene expression patterns in hSCs as they differentiate into neurons. We have selected genes that are relevant to cells (i being stem cells, (ii becoming neurons, and (iii being neurons. The NeuroStem Chip has over 1,300 pre-selected gene targets and multiple controls spotted in quadruplicates (~46,000 spots total. In this study, we present the NeuroStem Chip in detail and describe the special advantages it offers to the fields of experimental neurology and stem cell biology. To illustrate the utility of NeuroStem Chip platform, we have characterized an undifferentiated population of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs, cell line SA02. In addition, we have performed a comparative gene expression analysis of those cells versus a heterogeneous population of hESC-derived cells committed towards neuronal/dopaminergic differentiation pathway by co-culturing with PA6 stromal cells for 16 days and containing a few tyrosine hydroxylase-positive dopaminergic neurons. Conclusion We characterized the gene expression profiles of undifferentiated and dopaminergic lineage-committed hESC-derived cells using a highly focused custom microarray platform (NeuroStem Chip that can become an important research tool in human stem cell biology. We propose that the areas of application for NeuroStem microarray platform could be the following: (i characterization of the

Scientists' perspectives on the ethical issues of stem cell research.

Science.gov (United States)

Longstaff, Holly; Schuppli, Catherine A; Preto, Nina; Lafrenière, Darquise; McDonald, Michael

2009-06-01

This paper describes findings from an ethics education project funded by the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN). The project is part of a larger research initiative entitled "The Stem Cell Research Environment: Drawing the Evidence and Experience Together". The ethics education study began with a series of focus groups with SCN researchers and trainees as part of a "needs assessment" effort. The purpose of these discussions was to identify the main ethical issues associated with stem cell (SC) research from the perspective of the stem cell community. This paper will focus on five prominent themes that emerged from the focus group data including: (1) the source of stem cells; (2) the power of stem cells; (3) working within a charged research environment; (4) the regulatory context; and (5) ethics training for scientists. Additional discussions are planned with others involved in Canadian stem cell research (e.g., research ethics board members, policy makers) to supplement initial findings. These assessment results combined with existing bioethics literature will ultimately inform a web-based ethics education module for the SCN. We believe that our efforts are important for those analyzing the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in this area because our in depth understanding of stem cell researcher perspectives will enable us to develop more relevant and effective education material, which in turn should help SC researchers address the important ethical challenges in their area.

Determination of Sc and Th in ScI3-NaI-ThI4 sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Hui; Yang Zhihong

1999-01-01

Determination of Sc and Th in ScI 3 -NaI-ThI 4 sample is studied by X-ray fluorescence and complexometry. The effect of working condition of Sc on X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and different sample-making method on the determination of Sc and Th are studied experimentally. The X-ray fluorescence analysis of determination of Sc and Th is developed by polyester film sample-making technique, the measuring precision of Sc and Th is better than 4%. The effect of acidity and temperature on the determining end point of titration is obvious. The results of different complexometric methods are compared. The precision of Sc and Th is less than 2% by comlexometry, it is fit for the routine analysis of ScI 3 -NaI-ThI 4 sample

Update on the NSF PAARE Program at SC State

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Donald K.; Ajello, Marco; Brittain, Sean D.; Cash, Jennifer; Hartmann, Dieter; Ho, Shirley; Howell, Steve B.; King, Jeremy R.; Leising, Mark D.; Smith, Daniel M.

2017-01-01

We report on results from our NSF PAARE program during Year 2 of the project. Our partnership under this PAARE award includes South Carolina State University (a Historically Black College/University), Clemson University (a Ph.D. granting institution) as well as individual investigators at NASA Ames and Carnegie Mellon University. Our recent work on variable and peculiar stars, work with the Kepler Observatory and our educational products in cosmology for non-STEM majors will be presented. We have successfully piloted sharing our teaching resources by offering an upper-level astrophysics course taught at Clemson via video conferencing , allowing a graduating senior from SC State to take a course not available through his home institution. Additionally, we are working on a memorandum of agreement between the two institutions that will allow for the seamless transfer of an undergraduate from SC State to Clemson’s graduate program in physics and astronomy. Our curriculum work includes new web-based cosmology activities and laboratory experiments. SC State undergraduates are reporting at this conference on their work with the light curves of semiregular variables using Kepler data. Additionally, we are heavily involved in the Citizen CATE Experiment. A PAARE scholarship student from SC State and the PAARE PI traveled to Indonesia for the March 2016 solar eclipse. Their results are also being presented elsewhere at this conference (see Myles McKay’s poster). Support for this work includes our NSF PAARE award AST-1358913 as well as resources and support provided by Clemson University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Additional support has been provided by the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium and from NASA to SC State under awards NNX11AB82G and NNX13AC24G. CATE work has been supported by NASA SMD award NNX16AB92A to the National Solar Observatory. Additional details can be found at: http://physics.scsu.edu

The Drosophila BCL6 homolog Ken and Barbie promotes somatic stem cell self-renewal in the testis niche.

Science.gov (United States)

Issigonis, Melanie; Matunis, Erika

2012-08-15

Stem cells sustain tissue regeneration by their remarkable ability to replenish the stem cell pool and to generate differentiating progeny. Signals from local microenvironments, or niches, control stem cell behavior. In the Drosophila testis, a group of somatic support cells called the hub creates a stem cell niche by locally activating the Janus Kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway in two adjacent types of stem cells: germline stem cells (GSCs) and somatic cyst stem cells (CySCs). Here, we find that ken and barbie (ken) is autonomously required for the self-renewal of CySCs but not GSCs. Furthermore, Ken misexpression in the CySC lineage induces the cell-autonomous self-renewal of somatic cells as well as the nonautonomous self-renewal of germ cells outside the niche. Thus, Ken, like Stat92E and its targets ZFH1 (Leatherman and Dinardo, 2008) and Chinmo (Flaherty et al., 2010), is necessary and sufficient for CySC renewal. However, ken is not a JAK-STAT target in the testis, but instead acts in parallel to Stat92E to ensure CySC self-renewal. Ken represses a subset of Stat92E targets in the embryo (Arbouzova et al., 2006) suggesting that Ken maintains CySCs by repressing differentiation factors. In support of this hypothesis, we find that the global JAK-STAT inhibitor Protein tyrosine phosphatase 61F (Ptp61F) is a JAK-STAT target in the testis that is repressed by Ken. Together, our work demonstrates that Ken has an important role in the inhibition of CySC differentiation. Studies of ken may inform our understanding of its vertebrate orthologue B-Cell Lymphoma 6 (BCL6) and how misregulation of this oncogene leads to human lymphomas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... easternmost extremity of Hilton Head at latitude 32°13.0′ N. longitude 80°40.1′ W. [CGD 77-118a, 42 FR 35784...

FGL-functionalized self-assembling nanofiber hydrogel as a scaffold for spinal cord-derived neural stem cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jian [Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Zheng, Jin [Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Zheng, Qixin, E-mail: zheng-qx@163.com [Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China); Wu, Yongchao; Wu, Bin; Huang, Shuai; Fang, Weizhi; Guo, Xiaodong [Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022 (China)

2015-01-01

A class of designed self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds has been shown to be a good biomimetic material in tissue engineering. Here, we specifically made a new peptide hydrogel scaffold FGLmx by mixing the pure RADA{sub 16} and designer functional peptide RADA{sub 16}-FGL solution, and we analyzed the physiochemical properties of each peptide with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and circular dichroism (CD). In addition, we examined the biocompatibility and bioactivity of FGLmx as well as RADA{sub 16} scaffold on spinal cord-derived neural stem cells (SC-NSCs) isolated from neonatal rats. Our results showed that RADA{sub 16}-FGL displayed a weaker β-sheet structure and FGLmx could self-assemble into nanofibrous morphology. Moreover, we found that FGLmx was not only noncytotoxic to SC-NSCs but also promoted SC-NSC proliferation and migration into the three-dimensional (3-D) scaffold, meanwhile, the adhesion and lineage differentiation of SC-NSCs on FGLmx were similar to that on RADA{sub 16}. Our results indicated that the FGL-functionalized peptide scaffold might be very beneficial for tissue engineering and suggested its further application for spinal cord injury (SCI) repair. - Highlights: • RADA{sub 16} and RADA{sub 16}-FGL peptides were synthesized and characterized. • Rat spinal cord neural stem cells were successfully isolated and characterized. • We provided an induction method for mixed differentiation of neural stem cells. • FGL scaffold had good biocompatibility and bioactivity with neural stem cells.

Toxicity, tissue distribution and excretion of 46ScCl3 and 46Sc-EDTA in mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lachine, E.E.; Noujaim, A.A.; Ediss, C.; Wiebe, L.I.

1976-01-01

The acute toxicity, differential distribution in tissue, and elimination of ScCl 3 , 46 ScCl 3 , Sc-EDTA and 46 Sc-EDTA, in mice, has been investigated. The LD 50 sup(24hr) doses for ScCl 3 were 440 and 24 mg kg -1 respectively after intraperitioneal and intravenous injection, and 720 and 108 mg kg -1 respectively for Sc-EDTA. 46 ScCl 3 was extensively deposited in the liver and the spleen. 46 Sc-EDTA was rapidly taken up by the kidney with subsequent elimation via the urine. While-body desaturation kinetics for 46 Sc-EDTA were found to fit a three compartmental model. The fast elimination phase (T1/2 = 12.75 min; K = 0.05540 min -1 ) accounted for 74.6% of the dose; the intermediate phase (T1/2 = 40.2 min; K = 0.01722 min -1 ) for 21.8%, and the slow (T1/2 = 5351 min; K = 0.00013 min -1 ) for 3.6% of the dose. (author)

Pluripotent Stem Cells for Schwann Cell Engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ma, Ming-San; Boddeke, Erik; Copray, Sjef

Tissue engineering of Schwann cells (SCs) can serve a number of purposes, such as in vitro SC-related disease modeling, treatment of peripheral nerve diseases or peripheral nerve injury, and, potentially, treatment of CNS diseases. SCs can be generated from autologous stem cells in vitro by

Magnetic moment of {sup 48}Sc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohtsubo, T., E-mail: tohtsubo@np.gs.niigata-u.ac.jp; Kawamura, Y.; Ohya, S. [Niigata University, Department of Physics (Japan); Izumikawa, T. [Niigata University, Radioisotope Center (Japan); Nishimura, K. [Toyama University, Faculty of Engineering (Japan); Muto, S. [Neutron Science Laboratory, KEK (Japan); Shinozuka, T. [Tohoku University, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center (Japan)

2007-11-15

Nuclear magnetic resonances were measured for {sup 48}Sc and {sup 44m}Sc oriented at 8 mK in an Fe host metal. The magnetic hyperfine splitting frequencies at an external magnetic field of 0.2 T were determined to be 63.22(11) MHz and 64.81(1) MHz for {sup 48}Sc and {sup 44m}Sc, respectively. With the known magnetic moment of {mu}({sup 44m}Sc)=+3.88 (1) {mu}{sub N}, the magnetic moment of {sup 48}Sc is deduced as {mu}({sup 44}Sc)=+3.785(12) {mu}{sub N}. The measured magnetic moment of {sup 48}Sc is discussed in terms of the shell model using the effective interactions.

Aging of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix drives a stem cell fibrogenic conversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Stearns-Reider, Kristen M; D'Amore, Antonio; Beezhold, Kevin; Rothrauff, Benjamin; Cavalli, Loredana; Wagner, William R; Vorp, David A; Tsamis, Alkiviadis; Shinde, Sunita; Zhang, Changqing; Barchowsky, Aaron; Rando, Thomas A; Tuan, Rocky S; Ambrosio, Fabrisia

2017-06-01

Age-related declines in skeletal muscle regeneration have been attributed to muscle stem cell (MuSC) dysfunction. Aged MuSCs display a fibrogenic conversion, leading to fibrosis and impaired recovery after injury. Although studies have demonstrated the influence of in vitro substrate characteristics on stem cell fate, whether and how aging of the extracellular matrix (ECM) affects stem cell behavior has not been investigated. Here, we investigated the direct effect of the aged muscle ECM on MuSC lineage specification. Quantification of ECM topology and muscle mechanical properties reveals decreased collagen tortuosity and muscle stiffening with increasing age. Age-related ECM alterations directly disrupt MuSC responses, and MuSCs seeded ex vivo onto decellularized ECM constructs derived from aged muscle display increased expression of fibrogenic markers and decreased myogenicity, compared to MuSCs seeded onto young ECM. This fibrogenic conversion is recapitulated in vitro when MuSCs are seeded directly onto matrices elaborated by aged fibroblasts. When compared to young fibroblasts, fibroblasts isolated from aged muscle display increased nuclear levels of the mechanosensors, Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), consistent with exposure to a stiff microenvironment in vivo. Accordingly, preconditioning of young fibroblasts by seeding them onto a substrate engineered to mimic the stiffness of aged muscle increases YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation and promotes secretion of a matrix that favors MuSC fibrogenesis. The findings here suggest that an age-related increase in muscle stiffness drives YAP/TAZ-mediated pathogenic expression of matricellular proteins by fibroblasts, ultimately disrupting MuSC fate. © 2017 The Authors. Aging Cell published by the Anatomical Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lessons Learned about Human Stem Cell Responses to Ionizing Radiation Exposures: A Long Road Still Ahead of Us

OpenAIRE

Sokolov, Mykyta; Neumann, Ronald

2013-01-01

Human stem cells (hSC) possess several distinct characteristics that set them apart from other cell types. First, hSC are self-renewing, capable of undergoing both asymmetric and symmetric cell divisions. Second, these cells can be coaxed to differentiate into various specialized cell types and, as such, hold great promise for regenerative medicine. Recent progresses in hSC biology fostered the characterization of the responses of hSC to genotoxic stresses, including ionizing radiation (IR). ...

Infrapatellar Fat Pad: An Alternative Source of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Tangchitphisut

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The Infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP represents an emerging alternative source of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs. We compared the characteristics and differentiation capacity of ASCs isolated from IPFP and SC. Materials and Methods. ASCs were harvested from either IPFP or SC. IPFPs were collected from patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA, whereas subcutaneous tissues were collected from patients undergoing lipoaspiration. Immunophenotypes of surface antigens were evaluated. Their ability to form colony-forming units (CFUs and their differentiation potential were determined. The ASCs karyotype was evaluated. Results. There was no difference in the number of CFUs and size of CFUs between IPFP and SC sources. ASCs isolated from both sources had a normal karyotype. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs markers on flow cytometry was equivalent. IPFP-ASCs demonstrated significantly higher expression of SOX-9 and RUNX-2 over ASCs isolated from SC (6.19 ± 5.56-, 0.47 ± 0.62-fold; p value = 0.047, and 17.33 ± 10.80-, 1.56 ± 1.31-fold; p value = 0.030, resp.. Discussion and Conclusion. CFU assay of IPFP-ASCs and SC-ASCs harvested by lipoaspiration technique was equivalent. The expression of key chondrogenic and osteogenic genes was increased in cells isolated from IPFP. IPFP should be considered a high quality alternative source of ASCs.

Topotactic oxidation pathway of ScTiO3 and high-temperature structure evolution of ScTiO3.5 and Sc4Ti3O12-type phases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafi, Shahid P; Hernden, Bradley C; Cranswick, Lachlan M D; Hansen, Thomas C; Bieringer, Mario

2012-02-06

The novel oxide defect fluorite phase ScTiO(3.5) is formed during the topotactic oxidation of ScTiO(3) bixbyite. We report the oxidation pathway of ScTiO(3) and structure evolution of ScTiO(3.5), Sc(4)Ti(3)O(12), and related scandium-deficient phases as well as high-temperature phase transitions between room temperature and 1300 °Cusing in-situ X-ray diffraction. We provide the first detailed powder neutron diffraction study for ScTiO(3). ScTiO(3) crystallizes in the cubic bixbyite structure in space group Ia3 (206) with a = 9.7099(4) Å. The topotactic oxidation product ScTiO(3.5) crystallizes in an oxide defect fluorite structure in space group Fm3m (225) with a = 4.89199(5) Å. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis experiments combined with in-situ X-ray powder diffraction studies illustrate a complex sequence of a topotactic oxidation pathway, phase segregation, and ion ordering at high temperatures. The optimized bulk synthesis for phase pure ScTiO(3.5) is presented. In contrast to the vanadium-based defect fluorite phases AVO(3.5+x) (A = Sc, In) the novel titanium analogue ScTiO(3.5) is stable over a wide temperature range. Above 950 °C ScTiO(3.5) undergoes decomposition with the final products being Sc(4)Ti(3)O(12) and TiO(2). Simultaneous Rietveld refinements against powder X-ray and neutron diffraction data showed that Sc(4)Ti(3)O(12) also exists in the defect fluorite structure in space group Fm3m (225) with a = 4.90077(4) Å. Sc(4)Ti(3)O(12) undergoes partial reduction in CO/Ar atmosphere to form Sc(4)Ti(3)O(11.69(2)).

CERN: SC-33

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1991-06-15

On 22 April a forward-looking CERN also looked back for a day, when the 'SC-33' event reviewed the achievements of CERN's first machine, the 600 MeV SynchroCyclotron (SC), which closed down on 17 December after 33 years of valiant service.

CERN: SC-33

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1991-01-01

On 22 April a forward-looking CERN also looked back for a day, when the 'SC-33' event reviewed the achievements of CERN's first machine, the 600 MeV SynchroCyclotron (SC), which closed down on 17 December after 33 years of valiant service

S-C Mylonites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lister, G.S.; Snoke, A.W.

1984-01-01

Two types of foliations are commonly developed in mylonites and mylonitic rocks: (a) S-surfaces related to the accumulation of finite strain and (b) C-surfaces related to displacement discontinuities or zones of relatively high shear strain. There are two types of S-C mylonites. Type I S-C

Survivin Modulates Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Derived Stem-Like Cell Proliferation, Viability and Tumor Formation in Vivo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Lotti

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Squamous Cell Carcinoma-derived Stem-like Cells (SCC-SC originate from alterations in keratinocyte stem cells (KSC gene expression and sustain tumor development, invasion and recurrence. Since survivin, a KSC marker, is highly expressed in SCC-SC, we evaluate its role in SCC-SC cell growth and SCC models. Survivin silencing by siRNA decreases clonal growth of SCC keratinocytes and viability of total, rapidly adhering (RAD and non-RAD (NRAD cells from primary SCC. Similarly, survivin silencing reduces the expression of stem cell markers (OCT4, NOTCH1, CD133, β1-integrin, while it increases the level of differentiation markers (K10, involucrin. Moreover, survivin silencing improves the malignant phenotype of SCC 3D-reconstruct, as demonstrated by reduced epidermal thickness, lower Ki-67 positive cell number, and decreased expression of MMP9 and psoriasin. Furthermore, survivin depletion by siRNA in RasG12V-IκBα-derived tumors leads to smaller tumor formation characterized by lower mitotic index and reduced expression of the tumor-associated marker HIF1α, VEGF and CD51. Therefore, our results indicate survivin as a key gene in regulating SCC cancer stem cell formation and cSCC development.

Determination of 46Sc in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo Bijun; Ji Zhaogang; Wang Juying

1985-01-01

Analytical procedures for the determination of 46 Sc in water is presented. 46 Sc in water is concentrated with Fe(OH) 3 ; Then 46 Sc is extracted with TBP and purified by precipitating it with Amygdalic Acid. Finally the precipitate is ignited into Sc 2 O 3 under 800 deg C and β-activity is counted. In this method chemical reeovery for Sc was (90.8 +- 2.8)% and radiochemical recovery for 46 Sc was (89.8 +- 3.8)%. Purification factors for some of the relevant Radionuclides ranged from 10 3 to 10 5

The effect of Sc additions on the microstructure and age hardening behaviour of as cast Al–Sc alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, S.; Puga, H.; Barbosa, J.; Pinto, A.M.P.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The Sc effect on the microstructure and ageing behaviour of Al–Sc alloys is studied. ► Cast into copper mould allows the elimination of solution heat treatment. ► Directly aged as cast alloys exhibits higher hardness and precipitation kinetics. ► Sc addition and optimised ageing result in an increase in Al–Sc mechanical properties. -- Abstract: The grain refinement effect and the ageing behaviour of Al–0.5 wt.% Sc, Al–0.7 wt.% Sc, and Al–1 wt.% Sc alloys are studied on the basis of optic microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) observations and hardness measurements. In Al–Sc alloys the higher grain refinement is observed for Sc contents greater than 0.5 wt.% accompanied by a notorious morphology modification, from coarse columnar grains to a fine perfect equiaxed structure. The as cast structures are characterised by a rich supersaturated solid solution in Sc, that promotes a great age hardening response at 250 °C and 300 °C. The age hardening curves also demonstrate a low overageing kinetics for all the alloys. Although the higher Sc content in solid solution for the alloys with 0.7 and 1 wt.% Sc, the age hardening response of all the Al–Sc alloys remains similar. The direct age hardening response of the as cast Al–0.5 wt.% Sc is shown to be greater than the solutionised and age hardened alloy.

The requirement for freshly isolated human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in isolating CRC stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, F; Bellister, S; Lu, J; Ye, X; Boulbes, D R; Tozzi, F; Sceusi, E; Kopetz, S; Tian, F; Xia, L; Zhou, Y; Bhattacharya, R; Ellis, L M

2015-02-03

Isolation of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell populations enriched for cancer stem cells (CSCs) may facilitate target identification. There is no consensus regarding the best methods for isolating CRC stem cells (CRC-SCs). We determined the suitability of various cellular models and various stem cell markers for the isolation of CRC-SCs. Established human CRC cell lines, established CRC cell lines passaged through mice, patient-derived xenograft (PDX)-derived cells, early passage/newly established cell lines, and cells directly from clinical specimens were studied. Cells were FAC-sorted for the CRC-SC markers CD44, CD133, and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Sphere formation and in vivo tumorigenicity studies were used to validate CRC-SC enrichment. None of the markers studied in established cell lines, grown either in vitro or in vivo, consistently enriched for CRC-SCs. In the three other cellular models, CD44 and CD133 did not reliably enrich for stemness. In contrast, freshly isolated PDX-derived cells or early passage/newly established CRC cell lines with high ALDH activity formed spheres in vitro and enhanced tumorigenicity in vivo, whereas cells with low ALDH activity did not. PDX-derived cells, early passages/newly established CRC cell lines and cells from clinical specimen with high ALDH activity can be used to identify CRC-SC-enriched populations. Established CRC cell lines should not be used to isolate CSCs.

Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy Proves the Presence of Penta-coordinated Sc Sites in MIL-100(Sc).

Science.gov (United States)

Giovine, Raynald; Volkringer, Christophe; Ashbrook, Sharon E; Trébosc, Julien; McKay, David; Loiseau, Thierry; Amoureux, Jean-Paul; Lafon, Olivier; Pourpoint, Frédérique

2017-07-18

Advanced solid-state NMR methods and first-principles calculations demonstrate for the first time the formation of penta-coordinated scandium sites. These coordinatively unsaturated sites were shown during the thermal activation of scandium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). A 45 Sc NMR experiment allows their specific observation in activated Sc 3 BTB 2 (H 3 BTB=1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene) and MIL-100(Sc) MOFs. The assignment of the ScO 5 groups is supported by the DFT calculations of NMR parameters. The presence of ScO 5 Lewis acid sites in MIL-100(Sc) explains furthermore its catalytic activity. The first NMR experiment to probe 13 C- 45 Sc distances is also introduced. This advanced solid-state NMR pulse sequence allows the demonstration of the shrinkage of the MIL-100(Sc) network when the activation temperature is raised. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Oncogenic KRAS activates an embryonic stem cell-like program in human colon cancer initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Rolle, Anne-France; Chiu, Thang K; Zeng, Zhaoshi; Shia, Jinru; Weiser, Martin R; Paty, Philip B; Chiu, Vi K

2016-01-19

Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide. Prevention of colorectal cancer initiation represents the most effective overall strategy to reduce its associated morbidity and mortality. Activating KRAS mutation (KRASmut) is the most prevalent oncogenic driver in colorectal cancer development, and KRASmut inhibition represents an unmet clinical need. We apply a systems-level approach to study the impact of KRASmut on stem cell signaling during human colon cancer initiation by performing gene set enrichment analysis on gene expression from human colon tissues. We find that KRASmut imposes the embryonic stem cell-like program during human colon cancer initiation from colon adenoma to stage I carcinoma. Expression of miR145, an embryonic SC program inhibitor, promotes cell lineage differentiation marker expression in KRASmut colon cancer cells and significantly suppresses their tumorigenicity. Our data support an in vivo plasticity model of human colon cancer initiation that merges the intrinsic stem cell properties of aberrant colon stem cells with the embryonic stem cell-like program induced by KRASmut to optimize malignant transformation. Inhibition of the embryonic SC-like program in KRASmut colon cancer cells reveals a novel therapeutic strategy to programmatically inhibit KRASmut tumors and prevent colon cancer.

Redesigning Introductory Science Courses to Teach Sustainability: Introducing the L(SC)2 Paradigm

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, J. D.; Campbell-Stone, E.; Massey, G.

2008-12-01

promoting scientific literacy, L(SC)2 courses explicitly promote mastery of fundamental quantitative and qualitative skills critical to science and commonly a barrier to student success in science. Scientific content addresses the principles and disciplines necessary to tackle the multifaceted problems that must be solved in any sustainability transition and illustrates the limitations on what can be accomplished. Finally, social context adds the place-based component that is critical to sustainability science while revealing how science impacts students' everyday lives. Experience in addressing realistic, real-life problems fosters the habits of mind necessary to address these problems and instills a sense of social and political efficacy and responsibility. The L(SC)2 course paradigm employs a variety of educational tools (active problem-based learning, collaborative work, peer instruction, interdisciplinarity, and global context-based instruction) that improve lasting comprehension by creating a more effective learning environment. In this paradigm, STEM students learn that although there may be a technically or scientifically optimal solution to a problem, it must be responsive to a society's social, legal, cultural and religious parameters. Conversely, students in non-STEM fields learn that solutions to societal problems must be scientifically valid and technologically feasible. The interaction of STEM and non-STEM students in L(SC)2 courses builds bridges between the natural and social sciences that are critical for a successful sustainability transition and lacking in most traditional science courses.

Infectivity-associated PrP(Sc) and disease duration-associated PrP(Sc) of mouse BSE prions.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyazawa, Kohtaro; Okada, Hiroyuki; Masujin, Kentaro; Iwamaru, Yoshifumi; Yokoyama, Takashi

2015-01-01

Disease-related prion protein (PrP(Sc)), which is a structural isoform of the host-encoded cellular prion protein, is thought to be a causative agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. However, the specific role of PrP(Sc) in prion pathogenesis and its relationship to infectivity remain controversial. A time-course study of prion-affected mice was conducted, which showed that the prion infectivity was not simply proportional to the amount of PrP(Sc) in the brain. Centrifugation (20,000 ×g) of the brain homogenate showed that most of the PrP(Sc) was precipitated into the pellet, and the supernatant contained only a slight amount of PrP(Sc). Interestingly, mice inoculated with the obtained supernatant showed incubation periods that were approximately 15 d longer than those of mice inoculated with the crude homogenate even though both inocula contained almost the same infectivity. Our results suggest that a small population of fine PrP(Sc) may be responsible for prion infectivity and that large, aggregated PrP(Sc) may contribute to determining prion disease duration.

SC tuning fork

CERN Document Server

The tuning fork used to modulate the radiofrequency system of the synchro cyclotron (SC) from 1957 to 1973. This piece is an unused spare part. The SC was the 1st accelerator built at CERN. It operated from August 1957 until it was closed down at the end of 1990. In the SC the magnetic field did not change with time, and the particles were accelerated in successive pulses by a radiofrequency voltage of some 20kV which varied in frequency as they spiraled outwards towards the extraction radius. The frequency varied from 30MHz to about 17Mz in each pulse. The tuning fork vibrated at 55MHz in vacuum in an enclosure which formed a variable capacitor in the tuning circuit of the RF system, allowing the RF to vary over the appropriate range to accelerate protons from the centre of the macine up to 600Mev at extraction radius. In operation the tips of the tuning fork blade had an amplitude of movement of over 1 cm. The SC accelerator underwent extensive improvements from 1973 to 1975, including the installation of a...

Measurement for commercial exposives with SC-DSC test. Sangyoyo bakuhayaku no SC-DSC sokutei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yabashi, H.; Wada, Y.; Hwang, D.; Akutsu, Y.; Tamura, M.; Yoshida, T. (The University of Tokyo, Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering); Matsuzawa, T. (Nippon Kayaku Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan))

1991-08-30

The sealed cell differential scanning calorimetry (SC-DSC) was sintroduced of commercial blasting explosives. As a series of testing the commercial blasting explosives in performance, an SC-DSC test was made to compare the critical detonability line with that resulting therefrom. From the result of SC-DSC measurement, the critical dilution rate was estimated of commercial blasting explosives to become without detonating propagation. As a result, all the explosives with exception of ANFO one were assumed to have a possibility of detonating propagation so that the ANFO explosive was known to be material, unable to exactly evaluate the detonability by the SC-DSC test. The explosion heat, then calculated by the REITP2 in order to assume how the reaction proceeded in the DSC cell, was compared with the reaction heat measured by the SC-DSC test. As a result, the calculated value was known to be almost equal to or slightly larger than the measured one. 15 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

α-ScVSe2O8, β-ScVSe2O8, and ScVTe2O8: new quaternary mixed metal oxides composed of only second-order Jahn-Teller distortive cations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeong Hun; Lee, Dong Woo; Ok, Kang Min

2013-10-07

Three new quaternary scandium vanadium selenium/tellurium oxides, α-ScVSe2O8, β-ScVSe2O8, and ScVTe2O8 have been synthesized through hydrothermal and standard solid-state reactions. Although all three reported materials are stoichiometrically similar, they exhibit different crystal structures: α-ScVSe2O8 has a three-dimensional framework structure consisting of ScO6, VO6, and SeO3 groups. β-ScVSe2O8 reveals another three-dimensional framework composed of ScO7, VO5, and SeO3 polyhedra. ScVTe2O8 shows a layered structure with ScO6, VO4, and TeO4 polyhedra. Interestingly, the constituent cations, that is, Sc(3+), V(5+), Se(4+), and Te(4+) are all in a distorted coordination environment attributable to second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) effects. Complete characterizations including infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses, thermal analyses, dipole moment calculation, and the magnitudes of out-of-center distortions for the compounds are reported. Transformation reactions suggest that α-ScVSe2O8 may change to β-ScVSe2O8, and then to Sc2(SeO3)3·H2O under hydrothermal conditions.

Stem cells therapy for ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzini, Letizia; Vescovi, Angelo; Cantello, Roberto; Gelati, Maurizio; Vercelli, Alessandro

2016-01-01

Despite knowledge on the molecular basis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) having quickly progressed over the last few years, such discoveries have not yet translated into new therapeutics. With the advancement of stem cell technologies there is hope for stem cell therapeutics as novel treatments for ALS. We discuss in detail the therapeutic potential of different types of stem cells in preclinical and clinical works. Moreover, we address many open questions in clinical translation. SC therapy is a potentially promising new treatment for ALS and the need to better understand how to develop cell-based experimental treatments, and how to implement them in clinical trials, becomes more pressing. Mesenchymal stem cells and neural fetal stem cells have emerged as safe and potentially effective cell types, but there is a need to carry out appropriately designed experimental studies to verify their long-term safety and possibly efficacy. Moreover, the cost-benefit analysis of the results must take into account the quality of life of the patients as a major end point. It is our opinion that a multicenter international clinical program aime d at fine-tuning and coordinating transplantation procedures and protocols is mandatory.

Novel Regenerative Therapies Based on Regionally Induced Multipotent Stem Cells in Post-Stroke Brains: Their Origin, Characterization, and Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Takagi, Toshinori; Yoshimura, Shinichi; Sakuma, Rika; Nakano-Doi, Akiko; Matsuyama, Tomohiro; Nakagomi, Takayuki

2017-12-01

Brain injuries such as ischemic stroke cause severe neural loss. Until recently, it was believed that post-ischemic areas mainly contain necrotic tissue and inflammatory cells. However, using a mouse model of cerebral infarction, we demonstrated that stem cells develop within ischemic areas. Ischemia-induced stem cells can function as neural progenitors; thus, we initially named them injury/ischemia-induced neural stem/progenitor cells (iNSPCs). However, because they differentiate into more than neural lineages, we now refer to them as ischemia-induced multipotent stem cells (iSCs). Very recently, we showed that putative iNSPCs/iSCs are present within post-stroke areas in human brains. Because iNSPCs/iSCs isolated from mouse and human ischemic tissues can differentiate into neuronal lineages in vitro, it is possible that a clearer understanding of iNSPC/iSC profiles and the molecules that regulate iNSPC/iSC fate (e.g., proliferation, differentiation, and survival) would make it possible to perform neural regeneration/repair in patients following stroke. In this article, we introduce the origin and traits of iNSPCs/iSCs based on our reports and recent viewpoints. We also discuss their possible contribution to neurogenesis through endogenous and exogenous iNSPC/iSC therapies following ischemic stroke.

Radiation-induced frequency transients in AT, BT, and SC cut quartz resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koehler, D.R.

1979-01-01

Earlier studies of transient frequency changes in high-purity swept AT quartz resonators led to the conclusion that impurity-induced effects were small, while the observed changes were qualitatively and quantitatively well characterized in terms of the time changing temperature of the vibrating quartz and its effect on frequency. 5 MHz, AT cut fifth overtone, and BT and SC cut third overtone resonators were prepared from a single stone of Sawyer swept Premium-Q quartz. The resonators were operated in precision ovenized oscillators at or near their turnover temperatures. Pulsed irradiation, at dose levels of the order of 10 4 rads (Si) per pulse, was accomplished at Sandia. The experimental data display negative frequency transients for the AT cut resonators, positive frequency transients for the BT cut resonators, and very small transient effects for the SC cut resonators. From these experimental results, it is concluded that no measurable impurity-induced frequency changes are observed in this high-purity swept-quartz and that the frequency transients are accurately modelled in terms of transient temperature effects stemming from the thermal characteristics of the resonator structure

Two anionically derivatized scandium oxoselenates(IV): ScF[SeO3] and Sc2O2[SeO3

Science.gov (United States)

Greiner, Stefan; Chou, Sheng-Chun; Schleid, Thomas

2017-02-01

Scandium fluoride oxoselenate(IV) ScF[SeO3] and scandium oxide oxoselenate(IV) Sc2O2[SeO3] could be synthesized through solid-state reactions. ScF[SeO3] was obtained phase-pure, by reacting mixtures of Sc2O3, ScF3 and SeO2 (molar ratio: 1:1:3) together with CsBr as fluxing agent in corundum crucibles embedded into evacuated glassy silica ampoules after firing at 700 °C for seven days. Sc2O2[SeO3] first emerged as by-product during the attempts to synthesize ScCl[SeO3] following aforementioned synthesis route and could later be reproduced from appropriate Sc2O3/SeO3 mixtures. ScF[SeO3] crystallizes monoclinically in space group P21/m with a=406.43(2), b =661.09(4), c=632.35(4) pm, β=93.298(3)° and Z=2. Sc2O2[SeO3] also crystallizes in the monoclinic system, but in space group P21/n with a=786.02(6), b=527.98(4), c=1086.11(8) pm, β=108.672(3)° for Z=4. The crystal structures of both compounds are strongly influenced by the stereochemically active lone pairs of the ψ1-tetrahedral [SeO3]2- anions. They also show partial structures, where the derivatizing F- or O2- anions play an important role. For ScF[SeO3] chains of the composition 2+∞ 1[FS c 2 / 2 ] form from connected [FSc2]5+ dumbbells, while [OSc3]7+ pyramids and [OSc4]10+ tetrahedra units are condensed to layers according to 2+ ∞ 2[O2Sc2 ] in Sc2O2[SeO3].

Compensation of native donor doping in ScN: Carrier concentration control and p-type ScN

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Bivas; Garbrecht, Magnus; Perez-Taborda, Jaime A.; Fawey, Mohammed H.; Koh, Yee Rui; Shakouri, Ali; Martin-Gonzalez, Marisol; Hultman, Lars; Sands, Timothy D.

2017-06-01

Scandium nitride (ScN) is an emerging indirect bandgap rocksalt semiconductor that has attracted significant attention in recent years for its potential applications in thermoelectric energy conversion devices, as a semiconducting component in epitaxial metal/semiconductor superlattices and as a substrate material for high quality GaN growth. Due to the presence of oxygen impurities and native defects such as nitrogen vacancies, sputter-deposited ScN thin-films are highly degenerate n-type semiconductors with carrier concentrations in the (1-6) × 1020 cm-3 range. In this letter, we show that magnesium nitride (MgxNy) acts as an efficient hole dopant in ScN and reduces the n-type carrier concentration, turning ScN into a p-type semiconductor at high doping levels. Employing a combination of high-resolution X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and room temperature optical and temperature dependent electrical measurements, we demonstrate that p-type Sc1-xMgxN thin-film alloys (a) are substitutional solid solutions without MgxNy precipitation, phase segregation, or secondary phase formation within the studied compositional region, (b) exhibit a maximum hole-concentration of 2.2 × 1020 cm-3 and a hole mobility of 21 cm2/Vs, (c) do not show any defect states inside the direct gap of ScN, thus retaining their basic electronic structure, and (d) exhibit alloy scattering dominating hole conduction at high temperatures. These results demonstrate MgxNy doped p-type ScN and compare well with our previous reports on p-type ScN with manganese nitride (MnxNy) doping.

Reduced Self-Diploidization and Improved Survival of Semi-cloned Mice Produced from Androgenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells through Overexpression of Dnmt3b

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenteng He

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Summary: Androgenetic haploid embryonic stem cells (AG-haESCs hold great promise for exploring gene functions and generating gene-edited semi-cloned (SC mice. However, the high incidence of self-diploidization and low efficiency of SC mouse production are major obstacles preventing widespread use of these cells. Moreover, although SC mice generation could be greatly improved by knocking out the differentially methylated regions of two imprinted genes, 50% of the SC mice did not survive into adulthood. Here, we found that the genome-wide DNA methylation level in AG-haESCs is extremely low. Subsequently, downregulation of both de novo methyltransferase Dnmt3b and other methylation-related genes was determined to be responsible for DNA hypomethylation. We further demonstrated that ectopic expression of Dnmt3b in AG-haESCs could effectively improve DNA methylation level, and the high incidence of self-diploidization could be markedly rescued. More importantly, the developmental potential of SC embryos was improved, and most SC mice could survive into adulthood. : Ectopic expression of Dnmt3b could rescue DNA methylation level in repetitive sequences of hypomethylated AG-haESCs, suppress high incidence of self-diploidization, and promote developmental potential of SC embryos, and most SC mice could survive into adulthood. Keywords: androgenetic haploid embryonic stem cells, self-diploidization, semi-cloned mice, DNA methylation, Dnmt3b

Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of the Stem Bark ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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A. F. Gabriel and H.O. Onigbanjo Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Screening of the Stem Bark Extracts of Pterocarpus erinaceus (Poir). 3. Table 2: Sensitivity test results of the extracts. Extracts. Organisms / Zones of Inhibition (mm). Ca. S a. Ec. Bs. Ps. OV. C. E. S. C. M. SC. Crude Methanol. -. -. 20. 20. 20. N. N. N. Hexane ...

Investigation of Sc(3) state in nonaqueous solutions by the 45Sc NMR method of high permission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buslaev, Yu.A.; Kirakosyan, G.A.; Tarasov, V.P.

1980-01-01

The ScCl 3 + CH 3 CN and ScCl 3 + KNCS + CH 3 CN solutions have been studied by a high-resolution NMR 45 Sc method. It has been estimated that in acetonitrile solutions, with competing ligands of Cl - and NCS - being available, hexacoordination Sc(3) complexes of various compositions are formed, and solvent molecules also take part in formation of the coordination sphere of scandium. Chemical shifts in NMR 45 Sc signals depend linearly on the number of chlor- or NCS - ions bound to scandium(3). This made it possible to determine the value of chemical shifts in signals of all 28 potential complexes formed in a system with three competing ligands

HOXB7 overexpression in lung cancer is a hallmark of acquired stem-like phenotype.

Science.gov (United States)

Monterisi, Simona; Lo Riso, Pietro; Russo, Karin; Bertalot, Giovanni; Vecchi, Manuela; Testa, Giuseppe; Di Fiore, Pier Paolo; Bianchi, Fabrizio

2018-03-26

HOXB7 is a homeodomain (HOX) transcription factor involved in regional body patterning of invertebrates and vertebrates. We previously identified HOXB7 within a ten-gene prognostic signature for lung adenocarcinoma, where increased expression of HOXB7 was associated with poor prognosis. This raises the question of how HOXB7 overexpression can influence the metastatic behavior of lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we analyzed publicly available microarray and RNA-seq lung cancer expression datasets and found that HOXB7-overexpressing tumors are enriched in gene signatures characterizing adult and embryonic stem cells (SC), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Experimentally, we found that HOXB7 upregulates several canonical SC/iPSC markers and sustains the expansion of a subpopulation of cells with SC characteristics, through modulation of LIN28B, an emerging cancer gene and pluripotency factor, which we discovered to be a direct target of HOXB7. We validated this new circuit by showing that HOXB7 enhances reprogramming to iPSC with comparable efficiency to LIN28B or its target c-MYC, which is a canonical reprogramming factor.

[The characters and specific features of new human embryonic stem cells lines].

Science.gov (United States)

Krylova, T A; Kol'tsova, A M; Zenin, V V; Gordeeva, O F; Musorina, A S; Goriachaia, T S; Shlykova, S A; Kamenetskaia, Iu K; Pinaev, G P; Polianskaia, G G

2009-01-01

Four continuous human embryonic stem cell lines (SC1, SC2, SC3 and SC4), derived from the blastocysts has been described. The cell lines were cultivated on mitotically inactivated human feeder cells. The cell lines SC1 and SC2 have passed through 150 population doublings and the cell lines SC3 and SC4 -- near 120 populations doublings, which exceeds Hayflick limit sufficiently. These cell lines maintain high activity of alkaline phosphatase, expression of transcription factor OCT-4 and cell surface antigens (SSEA-4, TRA-1-60 and TRA-1-81), confirming their ESC status and human specificity. Immunofluorescent detection of antigens, characteristic of ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm confirms the ability of these cells to retain their pluripotency under in vitro condition. PCR analysis revealed expression of six genes specific for pluripotent cells (OCT-4, NANOG, DPPA3/STELLA, TDGF/CRIPTO and LEFTYA). Correlation between the level of proliferative activity and the character of DNA-bound fluorescent staining was found. Fluorescent dyes, Hoechst 33342 and PI, produced diffuse staining of the nuclei in slowly proliferating cells of the SC1 and SC2 lines. In contrast, in actively proliferating cells of the SC3 and SC4 lines, the clear staining of the nuclei was observed. Upon changing the cultivation condition, proliferative activity of SC3 and SC4 lines decreased and became similar to that of SC1 and SC2 lines. The character of the fluorescent staining of all these lines was also shown to be similar. These results show that quality of the fluorescent staining with Hoechst 33342 and PI reflects the level of proliferation. Possible causes and mechanisms of this feature of human ESC are discussed.

DNMT1 is essential for mammary and cancer stem cell maintenance and tumorigenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pathania, Rajneesh; Ramachandran, Sabarish; Elangovan, Selvakumar; Padia, Ravi; Yang, Pengyi; Cinghu, Senthilkumar; Veeranan-Karmegam, Rajalakshmi; Arjunan, Pachiappan; Gnana-Prakasam, Jaya P; Sadanand, Fulzele; Pei, Lirong; Chang, Chang-Sheng; Choi, Jeong-Hyeon; Shi, Huidong; Manicassamy, Santhakumar; Prasad, Puttur D; Sharma, Suash; Ganapathy, Vadivel; Jothi, Raja; Thangaraju, Muthusamy

2015-04-24

Mammary stem/progenitor cells (MaSCs) maintain self-renewal of the mammary epithelium during puberty and pregnancy. DNA methylation provides a potential epigenetic mechanism for maintaining cellular memory during self-renewal. Although DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) are dispensable for embryonic stem cell maintenance, their role in maintaining MaSCs and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in constantly replenishing mammary epithelium is unclear. Here we show that DNMT1 is indispensable for MaSC maintenance. Furthermore, we find that DNMT1 expression is elevated in mammary tumours, and mammary gland-specific DNMT1 deletion protects mice from mammary tumorigenesis by limiting the CSC pool. Through genome-scale methylation studies, we identify ISL1 as a direct DNMT1 target, hypermethylated and downregulated in mammary tumours and CSCs. DNMT inhibition or ISL1 expression in breast cancer cells limits CSC population. Altogether, our studies uncover an essential role for DNMT1 in MaSC and CSC maintenance and identify DNMT1-ISL1 axis as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.

Development of standardized radioactive 46Sc solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Hongshan; Jia Zhang; Yu Yiguang; Sun Naiyao

1988-01-01

A method of preparation of standardized radioactive 46 Sc solution is developed. The separation of 46 Sc, the composition of 46 Sc solution and its stability, and radioactivity measurement of 46 Sc are systematically studied. The results obtained in the study and in the applications in many laboratories have shown that our method is effective and reliable

Knowledge insufficient: the management of haemoglobin SC disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecker, Lydia H; Schaefer, Beverly A; Luchtman-Jones, Lori

2017-02-01

Although haemoglobin SC (HbSC) accounts for 30% of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and United Kingdom, evidence-based guidelines for genotype specific management are lacking. The unique pathology of HbSC disease is complex, characterized by erythrocyte dehydration, intracellular sickling and increased blood viscosity. The evaluation and treatment of patients with HbSC is largely inferred from studies of SCD consisting mostly of haemoglobin SS (HbSS) patients. These studies are underpowered to allow definitive conclusions about HbSC. We review the pathophysiology of HbSC disease, including known and potential differences between HbSS and HbSC, and highlight knowledge gaps in HbSC disease management. Clinical and translational research is needed to develop targeted treatments and to validate management recommendations for efficacy, safety and impact on quality of life for people with HbSC. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A small molecule (pluripotin as a tool for studying cancer stem cell biology: proof of concept.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan D Mertins

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSC are thought to be responsible for tumor maintenance and heterogeneity. Bona fide CSC purified from tumor biopsies are limited in supply and this hampers study of CSC biology. Furthermore, purified stem-like CSC subpopulations from existing tumor lines are unstable in culture. Finding a means to overcome these technical challenges would be a useful goal. In a first effort towards this, we examined whether a chemical probe that promotes survival of murine embryonic stem cells without added exogenous factors can alter functional characteristics in extant tumor lines in a fashion consistent with a CSC phenotype. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The seven tumor lines of the NCI60 colon subpanel were exposed to SC-1 (pluripotin, a dual kinase and GTPase inhibitor that promotes self-renewal, and then examined for tumorigenicity under limiting dilution conditions and clonogenic activity in soft agar. A statistically significant increase in tumor formation following SC-1 treatment was observed (p<0.04. Cloning efficiencies and expression of putative CSC surface antigens (CD133 and CD44 were also increased. SC-1 treatment led to sphere formation in some colon tumor lines. Finally, SC-1 inhibited in vitro kinase activity of RSK2, and another RSK2 inhibitor increased colony formation implicating a role for this kinase in eliciting a CSC phenotype. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings validate a proof of concept study exposure of extant tumor lines to a small molecule may provide a tractable in vitro model for understanding CSC biology.

A Large-Scale RNAi Screen Identifies SGK1 as a Key Survival Kinase for GBM Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Shreya; Goel-Bhattacharya, Surbhi; Sengupta, Sejuti; Cochran, Brent H

2018-01-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common type of primary malignant brain cancer and has a very poor prognosis. A subpopulation of cells known as GBM stem-like cells (GBM-SC) have the capacity to initiate and sustain tumor growth and possess molecular characteristics similar to the parental tumor. GBM-SCs are known to be enriched in hypoxic niches and may contribute to therapeutic resistance. Therefore, to identify genetic determinants important for the proliferation and survival of GBM stem cells, an unbiased pooled shRNA screen of 10,000 genes was conducted under normoxic as well as hypoxic conditions. A number of essential genes were identified that are required for GBM-SC growth, under either or both oxygen conditions, in two different GBM-SC lines. Interestingly, only about a third of the essential genes were common to both cell lines. The oxygen environment significantly impacts the cellular genetic dependencies as 30% of the genes required under hypoxia were not required under normoxic conditions. In addition to identifying essential genes already implicated in GBM such as CDK4, KIF11 , and RAN , the screen also identified new genes that have not been previously implicated in GBM stem cell biology. The importance of the serum and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) for cellular survival was validated in multiple patient-derived GBM stem cell lines using shRNA, CRISPR, and pharmacologic inhibitors. However, SGK1 depletion and inhibition has little effect on traditional serum grown glioma lines and on differentiated GBM-SCs indicating its specific importance in GBM stem cell survival. Implications: This study identifies genes required for the growth and survival of GBM stem cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions and finds SGK1 as a novel potential drug target for GBM. Mol Cancer Res; 16(1); 103-14. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

SC-FDMA for mobile communications

CERN Document Server

Abd El-Samie, Fathi E

2013-01-01

SC-FDMA for Mobile Communications examines Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA). Explaining this rapidly evolving system for mobile communications, it describes its advantages and limitations and outlines possible solutions for addressing its current limitations. The book explores the emerging trend of cooperative communication with SC-FDMA and how it can improve the physical layer security. It considers the design of distributed coding schemes and protocols for wireless relay networks where users cooperate to send their data to the destination. Supplying you with the re

Precipitation in cold-rolled Al-Sc-Zr and Al-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys prepared by powder metallurgy

KAUST Repository

Vlach, Martin

2013-12-01

The effects of cold-rolling on thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, microstructure and recrystallization behaviour of the AlScZr and AlMnScZr alloys prepared by powder metallurgy were studied. The powder was produced by atomising in argon with 1% oxygen and then consolidated by hot extrusion at 350 C. The electrical resistometry and microhardness together with differential scanning calorimetry measurements were compared with microstructure development observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. Fine (sub)grain structure developed and fine coherent Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles precipitated during extrusion at 350 C in the alloys studied. Additional precipitation of the Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles and/or their coarsening was slightly facilitated by the previous cold rolling. The presence of Sc,Zr-containing particles has a significant antirecrystallization effect that prevents recrystallization at temperatures minimally up to 420 C. The precipitation of the Al6Mn- and/or Al 6(Mn,Fe) particles of a size ~ 1.0 μm at subgrain boundaries has also an essential antirecrystallization effect and totally suppresses recrystallization during 32 h long annealing at 550 C. The texture development of the alloys seems to be affected by high solid solution strengthening by Mn. The precipitation of the Mn-containing alloy is highly enhanced by a cold rolling. The apparent activation energy of the Al3Sc particles formation and/or coarsening and that of the Al6Mn and/or Al 6(Mn,Fe) particle precipitation in the powder and in the compacted alloys were determined. The cold deformation has no effect on the apparent activation energy values of the Al3Sc-phase and the Al 6Mn-phase precipitation. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Precipitation in cold-rolled Al-Sc-Zr and Al-Mn-Sc-Zr alloys prepared by powder metallurgy

KAUST Repository

Vlach, Martin; Stulí ková , Ivana; Smola, Bohumil; Kekule, Tomá š; Kudrnová , Hana; Daniš, Stanislav; Gemma, Ryota; Očená šek, Vladivoj; Má lek, Jaroslav; Tanprayoon, Dhritti; Neubert, Volkmar

2013-01-01

The effects of cold-rolling on thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, microstructure and recrystallization behaviour of the AlScZr and AlMnScZr alloys prepared by powder metallurgy were studied. The powder was produced by atomising in argon with 1% oxygen and then consolidated by hot extrusion at 350 C. The electrical resistometry and microhardness together with differential scanning calorimetry measurements were compared with microstructure development observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction. Fine (sub)grain structure developed and fine coherent Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles precipitated during extrusion at 350 C in the alloys studied. Additional precipitation of the Al3Sc and/or Al3(Sc,Zr) particles and/or their coarsening was slightly facilitated by the previous cold rolling. The presence of Sc,Zr-containing particles has a significant antirecrystallization effect that prevents recrystallization at temperatures minimally up to 420 C. The precipitation of the Al6Mn- and/or Al 6(Mn,Fe) particles of a size ~ 1.0 μm at subgrain boundaries has also an essential antirecrystallization effect and totally suppresses recrystallization during 32 h long annealing at 550 C. The texture development of the alloys seems to be affected by high solid solution strengthening by Mn. The precipitation of the Mn-containing alloy is highly enhanced by a cold rolling. The apparent activation energy of the Al3Sc particles formation and/or coarsening and that of the Al6Mn and/or Al 6(Mn,Fe) particle precipitation in the powder and in the compacted alloys were determined. The cold deformation has no effect on the apparent activation energy values of the Al3Sc-phase and the Al 6Mn-phase precipitation. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Economic 3D-printing approach for transplantation of human stem cell-derived β-like cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jiwon; Millman, Jeffrey R

2016-12-01

Transplantation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) differentiated into insulin-producing β cells is a regenerative medicine approach being investigated for diabetes cell replacement therapy. This report presents a multifaceted transplantation strategy that combines differentiation into stem cell-derived β (SC-β) cells with 3D printing. By modulating the parameters of a low-cost 3D printer, we created a macroporous device composed of polylactic acid (PLA) that houses SC-β cell clusters within a degradable fibrin gel. Using finite element modeling of cellular oxygen diffusion-consumption and an in vitro culture system that allows for culture of devices at physiological oxygen levels, we identified cluster sizes that avoid severe hypoxia within 3D-printed devices and developed a microwell-based technique for resizing clusters within this range. Upon transplantation into mice, SC-β cell-embedded 3D-printed devices function for 12 weeks, are retrievable, and maintain structural integrity. Here, we demonstrate a novel 3D-printing approach that advances the use of differentiated hPSC for regenerative medicine applications and serves as a platform for future transplantation strategies.

Band structure of the quaternary Heusler alloys ScMnFeSn and ScFeCoAl

Science.gov (United States)

Shanthi, N.; Teja, Y. N.; Shaji, Shephine M.; Hosamani, Shashikala; Divya, H. S.

2018-04-01

In our quest for materials with specific applications, a theoretical study plays an important role in predicting the properties of compounds. Heusler alloys or compounds are the most studied in this context. More recently, a lot of quaternary Heusler compounds are investigated for potential applications in fields like Spintronics. We report here our preliminary study of the alloys ScMnFeSn and ScFeCoAl, using the ab-initio linear muffin-tin orbital method within the atomic sphere approximation (LMTO-ASA). The alloy ScMnFeSn shows perfect half-metallicity, namely, one of the spins shows a metallic behaviour and the other spin shows semi-conducting behaviour. Such materials find application in devices such as the spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-MRAM). In addition, the alloy ScMnFeSn is found to have an integral magnetic moment of 4 µB, as predicted by the Slater-Pauling rule. The alloy ScFeCoAl does not show half-metallicity.

Piwi Is Required to Limit Exhaustion of Aging Somatic Stem Cells

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Pedro Sousa-Victor

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Sophisticated mechanisms that preserve genome integrity are critical to ensure the maintenance of regenerative capacity while preventing transformation of somatic stem cells (SCs, yet little is known about mechanisms regulating genome maintenance in these cells. Here, we show that intestinal stem cells (ISCs induce the Argonaute family protein Piwi in response to JAK/STAT signaling during acute proliferative episodes. Piwi function is critical to ensure heterochromatin maintenance, suppress retrotransposon activation, and prevent DNA damage in homeostasis and under regenerative pressure. Accordingly, loss of Piwi results in the loss of actively dividing ISCs and their progenies by apoptosis. We further show that Piwi expression is sufficient to allay age-related retrotransposon expression, DNA damage, apoptosis, and mis-differentiation phenotypes in the ISC lineage, improving epithelial homeostasis. Our data identify a role for Piwi in the regulation of somatic SC function, and they highlight the importance of retrotransposon control in somatic SC maintenance.

Biocompatibility Assessment of PLCL-Sericin Copolymer Membranes Using Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kewalin Inthanon

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cells based tissue engineering requires biocompatible materials, which allow the cells to adhere, expand, and differentiate in a large scale. An ideal biomaterial for clinical application should be free from mammalian products which cause immune reactivities and pathogen infections. We invented a novel biodegradable poly(L-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone-sericin (PLCL-SC copolymer membrane which was fabricated by electrospinning. Membranes with concentrations of 2.5 or 5% (w/v SC exhibited qualified texture characteristics with a noncytotoxic release profile. The hydrophilic properties of the membranes were 35–40% higher than those of a standard PLCL and commercial polystyrene (PS. The improved characteristics of the membranes were due to an addition of new functional amide groups, C=O, N–H, and C–N, onto their surfaces. Degradation of the membranes was controllable, depending on the content proportion of SC. Results of thermogram indicated the superior stability and crystallinity of the membranes. These membranes enhanced human Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSC proliferation by increasing cyclin A and also promoted cell adhesion by upregulating focal adhesion kinase (FAK. On the membranes, hWJMSC differentiated into a neuronal lineage with the occurrence of nestin. These data suggest that PLCL-SC electrospun membrane represents some properties which will be useful for tissue engineering and medical applications.

Three-Dimensional Spatiotemporal Modeling of Colon Cancer Organoids Reveals that Multimodal Control of Stem Cell Self-Renewal is a Critical Determinant of Size and Shape in Early Stages of Tumor Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Huaming; Konstorum, Anna; Lowengrub, John S

2018-05-01

We develop a three-dimensional multispecies mathematical model to simulate the growth of colon cancer organoids containing stem, progenitor and terminally differentiated cells, as a model of early (prevascular) tumor growth. Stem cells (SCs) secrete short-range self-renewal promoters (e.g., Wnt) and their long-range inhibitors (e.g., Dkk) and proliferate slowly. Committed progenitor (CP) cells proliferate more rapidly and differentiate to produce post-mitotic terminally differentiated cells that release differentiation promoters, forming negative feedback loops on SC and CP self-renewal. We demonstrate that SCs play a central role in normal and cancer colon organoids. Spatial patterning of the SC self-renewal promoter gives rise to SC clusters, which mimic stem cell niches, around the organoid surface, and drive the development of invasive fingers. We also study the effects of externally applied signaling factors. Applying bone morphogenic proteins, which inhibit SC and CP self-renewal, reduces invasiveness and organoid size. Applying hepatocyte growth factor, which enhances SC self-renewal, produces larger sizes and enhances finger development at low concentrations but suppresses fingers at high concentrations. These results are consistent with recent experiments on colon organoids. Because many cancers are hierarchically organized and are subject to feedback regulation similar to that in normal tissues, our results suggest that in cancer, control of cancer stem cell self-renewal should influence the size and shape in similar ways, thereby opening the door to novel therapies.

The LiHCOO-Sc(HCOO)3-H2O system at 25 and 50 deg C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrova, E.V.; Itkina, L.S.

1980-01-01

Solubility in the LiHCOO-Sc(HCOO) 3 -H 2 O system at 25 and 50 deg C has been investigated using the isothermal method It has been ascertainedy s stem is a simple eutonic one. Solubility isotherms consist of two crystallization branches: lithium formate monohydrate and scandium formate. Scandium formate salts-out lithium formate from the solution. Lithium formate increases the solubility of scandium formate (in the eutonic solution more than 2 times as compared to its solubility in the pure water)

Insights into cell-free therapeutic approach: Role of stem cell "soup-ernatant".

Science.gov (United States)

Raik, Shalini; Kumar, Ajay; Bhattacharyya, Shalmoli

2018-03-01

Current advances in medicine have revolutionized the field of regenerative medicine dramatically with newly evolved therapies for repair or replacement of degenerating or injured tissues. Stem cells (SCs) can be harvested from different sources for clinical therapeutics, which include fetal tissues, umbilical cord blood, embryos, and adult tissues. SCs can be isolated and differentiated into desired lineages for tissue regeneration and cell replacement therapy. However, several loopholes need to be addressed properly before this can be extended for large-scale therapeutic application. These include a careful approach for patient safety during SC treatments and tolerance of recipients. SC treatments are associated with a number of risk factors and require successful integration and survival of transplanted cells in the desired microenvironment with concurrent tissue regeneration. Recent studies have focused on developing alternatives that can replace the cell-based therapy using paracrine factors. The development of stem "cell free" therapies can be devoted mainly to the use of soluble factors (secretome), extracellular vesicles, and mitochondrial transfer. The present review emphasizes on the paradigms related to the use of SC-based therapeutics and the potential applications of a cell-free approach as an alternative to cell-based therapy in the area of regenerative medicine. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The colours of Hubble Sc galaxy nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iskudaryan, S.G.

1975-01-01

The colorimetric data on the nuclei of the Sc galaxies are given. Comparison of the following parameters: color of a nucleus, integral color of a galaxy, Byurakan class, and spectral type of normal spirals gives the possibility to conclude: (1) The colors of the nuclei of the Sc galaxies have a high dispersion in its values. In all Byurakan classes the galaxies with intensely red and blue nuclei occur; (2) Some Sc galaxies exhibit a discrepancy between the spectral and morphological types. The results of colorimetry of nuclei indicate that almost all such Sc galaxies have intensely red nuclei which, naturally, provide for these late spectral types. It can be assumed that the intensely red color of the nuclei of such Sc galaxies is a result of a new type of activity of these nuclei; and (3) some Sc galaxies show the characteristics of the Markarian objects

Stretching the limits: from homeostasis to stem cell plasticity in wound healing and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Yejing; Fuchs, Elaine

2018-05-01

Stem cells (SCs) govern tissue homeostasis and wound repair. They reside within niches, the special microenvironments within tissues that control SC lineage outputs. Upon injury or stress, new signals emanating from damaged tissue can divert nearby cells into adopting behaviours that are not part of their homeostatic repertoire. This behaviour, known as SC plasticity, typically resolves as wounds heal. However, in cancer, it can endure. Recent studies have yielded insights into the orchestrators of maintenance and lineage commitment for SCs belonging to three mammalian tissues: the haematopoietic system, the skin epithelium and the intestinal epithelium. We delineate the multifactorial determinants and general principles underlying the remarkable facets of SC plasticity, which lend promise for regenerative medicine and cancer therapeutics.

Mammary Stem Cells: Premise, Properties, and Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Lewis, Bethan; Harris, Olivia B; Watson, Christine J; Davis, Felicity M

2017-08-01

Adult mammary stem cells (MaSCs) drive postnatal organogenesis and remodeling in the mammary gland, and their longevity and potential have important implications for breast cancer. However, despite intense investigation the identity, location, and differentiation potential of MaSCs remain subject to deliberation. The application of genetic lineage-tracing models, combined with quantitative 3D imaging and biophysical methods, has provided new insights into the mammary epithelial hierarchy that challenge classical definitions of MaSC potency and behaviors. We review here recent advances - discussing fundamental unresolved properties of MaSC potency, dynamics, and plasticity - and point to evolving technologies that promise to shed new light on this intractable debate. Elucidation of the physiological mammary differentiation hierarchy is paramount to understanding the complex heterogeneous breast cancer landscape. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomimetic chimeric peptide-tethered hydrogels for human mesenchymal stem cell delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Gayong; Kim, Gunwoo; Choi, Junhyeok; Yi, TacGhee; Cho, Yun Kyoung; Song, Sun Uk; Byun, Youngro; Oh, Yu-Kyoung

2015-12-01

Here, we report a chimeric peptide-tethered fibrin hydrogel scaffold for delivery of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Osteopontin-derived peptide (OP) was used as an hMSC-tethering moiety. OP showed hMSC adhesion properties and enhanced hMSC proliferation. A natural fibrin-binding protein-derived peptide (FBP) was tested for its ability to tether hMSC to the fibrin gel matrix. FBP loading on fibrin gels was 8.2-fold higher than that of a scrambled peptide (scFBP). FBP-loaded fibrin gels were retained at injection sites longer than scFBP-loaded fibrin gels, showing a 15.9-fold higher photon intensity of fluorescent FBP-grafted fibrin gels than fluorescent scFBP-loaded fibrin gels 48 h after injection. On the basis of the fibrin gel-binding properties of FBP and the hMSC-binding and proliferation-supporting properties of OP, we constructed chimeric peptides containing FBP and OP linked with a spacer (FBPsOP). Four days after transplantation, the survival of hMSC in FBPsOP-grafted fibrin gels was 3.9-fold higher than hMSC in fibrin gels alone. Our results suggest the potential of FBPsOP-grafted fibrin gels as a bioactive delivery system for enhanced survival of stem cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Differential Functionalization of Presumed ScALT1 and ScALT2 Alanine Transaminases Has Been Driven by Diversification of Pyridoxal Phosphate Interactions

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Erendira Rojas-Ortega

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Saccharomyces cerevisiae arose from an interspecies hybridization (allopolyploidiza-tion, followed by Whole Genome Duplication. Diversification analysis of ScAlt1/ScAlt2 indicated that while ScAlt1 is an alanine transaminase, ScAlt2 lost this activity, constituting an example in which one of the members of the gene pair lacks the apparent ancestral physiological role. This paper analyzes structural organization and pyridoxal phosphate (PLP binding properties of ScAlt1 and ScAlt2 indicating functional diversification could have determined loss of ScAlt2 alanine transaminase activity and thus its role in alanine metabolism. It was found that ScAlt1 and ScAlt2 are dimeric enzymes harboring 67% identity and intact conservation of the catalytic residues, with very similar structures. However, tertiary structure analysis indicated that ScAlt2 has a more open conformation than that of ScAlt1 so that under physiological conditions, while PLP interaction with ScAlt1 allows the formation of two tautomeric PLP isomers (enolimine and ketoenamine ScAlt2 preferentially forms the ketoenamine PLP tautomer, indicating a modified polarity of the active sites which affect the interaction of PLP with these proteins, that could result in lack of alanine transaminase activity in ScAlt2. The fact that ScAlt2 forms a catalytically active Schiff base with PLP and its position in an independent clade in “sensu strictu” yeasts suggests this protein has a yet undiscovered physiological function.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Differential Functionalization of Presumed ScALT1 and ScALT2 Alanine Transaminases Has Been Driven by Diversification of Pyridoxal Phosphate Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas-Ortega, Erendira; Aguirre-López, Beatriz; Reyes-Vivas, Horacio; González-Andrade, Martín; Campero-Basaldúa, Jose C.; Pardo, Juan P.; González, Alicia

2018-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae arose from an interspecies hybridization (allopolyploidiza-tion), followed by Whole Genome Duplication. Diversification analysis of ScAlt1/ScAlt2 indicated that while ScAlt1 is an alanine transaminase, ScAlt2 lost this activity, constituting an example in which one of the members of the gene pair lacks the apparent ancestral physiological role. This paper analyzes structural organization and pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) binding properties of ScAlt1 and ScAlt2 indicating functional diversification could have determined loss of ScAlt2 alanine transaminase activity and thus its role in alanine metabolism. It was found that ScAlt1 and ScAlt2 are dimeric enzymes harboring 67% identity and intact conservation of the catalytic residues, with very similar structures. However, tertiary structure analysis indicated that ScAlt2 has a more open conformation than that of ScAlt1 so that under physiological conditions, while PLP interaction with ScAlt1 allows the formation of two tautomeric PLP isomers (enolimine and ketoenamine) ScAlt2 preferentially forms the ketoenamine PLP tautomer, indicating a modified polarity of the active sites which affect the interaction of PLP with these proteins, that could result in lack of alanine transaminase activity in ScAlt2. The fact that ScAlt2 forms a catalytically active Schiff base with PLP and its position in an independent clade in “sensu strictu” yeasts suggests this protein has a yet undiscovered physiological function. PMID:29867852

The ternary systems Sc-Sm(Dy)-Si at 870 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotur, B.Ya.; Mokra, I.Ya.; Toporinskij, A.Ya.

1991-01-01

Isothermal cross sections of the ternary systems Sc-Sm-Si and Sc-Dy-Si at 870 K have been plotted. Investigation of scandium and disprosium in ternary systems have been examined by X-ray diffraction and microstructure analysis. Besides literary data on binary systems Sc-Si, Sm-Si, Dy-Si have been used. Formation of limited (Sc-Sm-Si, Sc-Dy-Si) and continuous (Sc-Dy-Si) solid solutions based on bisilicides of Sc and Sm(Dy) is discovered. Two and five ternary compounds in Sc-Sm-Si and Sc-Dy-Si systems have been determined and their crystal structure has been established. When investigating of Sc-(rare earth element)-Si ternary systems and should take into account the specific interaction of scandium and samarium with REE

Tissue-specific stem cells: Lessons from the skeletal muscle satellite cell

Science.gov (United States)

Brack, Andrew S.; Rando, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

In 1961, the satellite cell was first identified when electron microscopic examination of skeletal muscle demonstrated a cell wedged between the plasma membrane of the muscle fiber and the basement membrane. In recent years it has been conclusively demonstrated that the satellite cell is the primary cellular source for muscle regeneration and is equipped with the potential to self renew, thus functioning as a bone fide skeletal muscle stem cell (MuSC). As we move past the 50th anniversary of the satellite cell, we take this opportunity to discuss the current state of the art and dissect the unknowns in the MuSC field. PMID:22560074

Mammary stem cells: angels or demons in mammary gland?

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xueman; Liu, Qiang; Song, Erwei

2017-01-01

A highly dynamic development process exits within the epithelia of mammary gland, featuring morphogenetic variation during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, and regression. The identification of mammary stem cells (MaSCs) via lineage-tracing studies has substantiated a hierarchical organization of the mammary epithelia. A single MaSC is capable of reconstituting the entirely functional mammary gland upon orthotopic transplantation. Although different mammary cell subpopulations can be candidate cells-of-origin for distinct breast tumor subtypes, it still lacks experimental proofs whether MaSCs, the most primitive cells, are the 'seeds' of malignant transformation during most, if not all, tumorigenesis in the breast. Here, we review current knowledge of mammary epithelial hierarchy, highlighting the roles of mammary stem/progenitor cells and breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) along with their key molecular regulators in organ development and cancer evolution. Clarifying these issues will pave the way for developing novel interventions toward stem/progenitor cells in either prevention or treatment of breast cancer (BrCa).

Hydride vapor phase epitaxy growth of GaN, InGaN, ScN, and ScAIN

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bohnen, T.

2010-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD); hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE); gallium nitride (GaN); indium gallium nitride (InGaN); scandium nitride (ScN); scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN); semiconductors; thin films; nanowires; III nitrides; crystal growth - We studied the HVPE growth of different III

Plasticity of the Muscle Stem Cell Microenvironment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinulovic, Ivana; Furrer, Regula; Handschin, Christoph

2017-01-01

Satellite cells (SCs) are adult muscle stem cells capable of repairing damaged and creating new muscle tissue throughout life. Their functionality is tightly controlled by a microenvironment composed of a wide variety of factors, such as numerous secreted molecules and different cell types, including blood vessels, oxygen, hormones, motor neurons, immune cells, cytokines, fibroblasts, growth factors, myofibers, myofiber metabolism, the extracellular matrix and tissue stiffness. This complex niche controls SC biology-quiescence, activation, proliferation, differentiation or renewal and return to quiescence. In this review, we attempt to give a brief overview of the most important players in the niche and their mutual interaction with SCs. We address the importance of the niche to SC behavior under physiological and pathological conditions, and finally survey the significance of an artificial niche both for basic and translational research purposes.

Rapid establishment of the European Bank for induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC - the Hot Start experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul A. De Sousa

2017-04-01

eTOC: The report focuses on the EBiSC experience of rapidly establishing an operational capacity to procure, bank and distribute a foundational collection of established hiPSC lines. It validates the feasibility and defines the challenges of harnessing and integrating the capability and productivity of centres across Europe using commonly available resources currently in the field.

Final Technical Report for DE-SC0012297

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dell' Antonio, Ian [Brown Univ., Providence, RI (United States)

2017-08-01

This is the final report on the work performed in award DE-SC0012297, Cosmic Frontier work in support of the LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration's work to develop algorithms, simulations, and statistical tests to ensure optimal extraction of the dark energy properties from galaxy clusters observed with LSST. This work focused on effects that could produce a systematic error on the measurement of cluster masses (that will be used to probe the effects of dark energy on the growth of structure). These effects stem from the deviations from pure ellipticity of the gravitational lensing signal and from the blending of light of neighboring galaxies. Both these effects are expected to be more significant for LSST than for the stage III experiments such as the Dark Energy Survey. We calculate the magnitude of the mass error (or bias) for the first time and demonstrate that it can be treated as a multiplicative correction and calibrated out, allowing mass measurements of clusters from gravitational lensing to meet the requirements of LSST's dark energy investigation.

Ultimate internal pressure capacity assessment of SC structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Hyungkui; Choi, Inkil

2013-01-01

An SC structure applied to a containment building can be quite effective. However, an SC structure cannot be applied to a containment building, because its internal pressure resistance performance has not been verified. The containment building, which undergoes ultimate internal pressure, resists the internal pressure through a pre-stress tendon. It is hard to apply a tendon to an SC structure because of its structural characteristics. Therefore, the internal pressure resistance performance of the SC structure itself should be ensured to apply it to a structure with internal pressure resistance. In this study, the suitability of an SC structure as a substitution for the tendon of a pressure resistant structure was evaluated. A containment structure model was used in this study, because it was representative structures that resistance of ultimate internal pressure be required. In this study, a nonlinear analysis was performed to evaluate and compare the behaviors of tendon model and SC structure model. By comparing the internal pressure-displacement according to the structure type, the stability of SC structure model was assessed

SCA-1 Labels a Subset of Estrogen-Responsive Bipotential Repopulating Cells within the CD24+ CD49fhi Mammary Stem Cell-Enriched Compartment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genevieve V. Dall

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Estrogen stimulates breast development during puberty and mammary tumors in adulthood through estrogen receptor-α (ERα. These effects are proposed to occur via ERα+ luminal cells and not the mammary stem cells (MaSCs that are ERαneg. Since ERα+ luminal cells express stem cell antigen-1 (SCA-1, we sought to determine if SCA-1 could define an ERα+ subset of EpCAM+/CD24+/CD49fhi MaSCs. We show that the MaSC population has a distinct SCA-1+ population that is abundant in pre-pubertal mammary glands. The SCA-1+ MaSCs have less stem cell markers and less in vivo repopulating activity than their SCA-1neg counterparts. However, they express ERα and specifically enter the cell cycle at puberty. Using estrogen-deficient aromatase knockouts (ArKO, we showed that the SCA-1+ MaSC could be directly modulated by estrogen supplementation. Thus, SCA-1 enriches for an ERα+, estrogen-sensitive subpopulation within the CD24+/CD49fhi MaSC population that may be responsible for the hormonal sensitivity of the developing mammary gland.

Ab-initio studies of the Sc adsorption and the ScN thin film formation on the GaN(000-1)-(2 × 2) surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrero-Sánchez, J.; Sánchez-Ochoa, F.; Cocoletzi, Gregorio H.; Rivas-Silva, J.F.; Takeuchi, Noboru

2013-01-01

First principles total energy calculations have been performed to investigate the initial stages of the Sc adsorption and ScN thin film formation on the GaN(000-1)-(2 × 2) surface. Studies are done within the periodic density functional theory as implemented in the PWscf code of the Quantum ESPRESSO package. The Sc adsorption at high symmetry sites results in the bridge site as the most stable structure. When a Sc monolayer is deposited above the surface the T4 site results as the most stable geometry. The Sc migration into the first Ga monolayer induces the Ga displaced ad-atom to be adsorbed at the T4-2 site. A ScN bilayer may be obtained under the Ga monolayer. Finally a ScN bilayer may be formed in the wurtzite phase above the surface. The formation energy plots show that in the moderate Ga-rich conditions we obtain the formation of a ScN bilayer under the gallium monolayer. However at N-rich conditions the formation of ScN bilayer above the surface is the most favorable structure. We report the density of states to explain the electronic structure of the most favorable geometries. - Highlights: • Studies of the initial stages in the formation of Sc and ScN structures on GaN • In the adsorption of Sc on the GaN the Br site is the most favorable geometry. • When a Sc replaces a Ga of the first monolayer the displaced Ga occupies a T4-2 site. • For Ga-rich conditions there is formation of ScN under the Ga monolayer. • In N-rich conditions there is formation of ScN in the wurtzite phase

Energy Levels and Radiative Rates for Transitions in F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX

Science.gov (United States)

Aggarwal, Kanti

2018-05-01

Energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes are reported for F-like Sc~XIII and Ne-like Sc~XII and Y~XXX for which the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package ({\\sc grasp}) has been adopted. For all three ions limited data exist in the literature but comparisons have been made wherever possible to assess the accuracy of the calculations. In the present work the lowest 102, 125 and 139 levels have been considered for the respective ions. Additionally, calculations have also been performed with the flexible atomic code ({\\sc fac}) to (particularly) confirm the accuracy of energy levels.

Cyclotron production of {sup 44}Sc for clinical application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krajewski, S.; Bilewicz, A. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland); Cydzik, I. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (Poland); European Commission Joint Research Center, Ispra (Italy). Inst. for Health and Consumer Protection; Warsaw Univ. (Poland). Heavy Ion Lab.; Abbas, K. [European Commission Joint Research Center, Ispra (Italy). Institute for Transuranium Elements; Bulgheroni, A.; Simonelli, F.; Holzwarth, U. [European Commission Joint Research Center, Ispra (Italy). Inst. for Health and Consumer Protection

2013-08-01

{sup 44} is a promising {beta}{sup +}-emitter for molecular imaging with intermediate half-life of 4 h. Due to the chemical similarity of Sc{sup 3+} to the Lu{sup 3+} and Y{sup 3+} cations, {sup 44}Sc-DOTA bioconjugates are expected to demonstrate similar properties in vivo as the {sup 177}Lu- and {sup 90}Y-bioconjugates, what is important in planning the radionuclide therapy. {sup 44}Sc can be obtained from the {sup 44}Ti/{sup 44}Sc generator. An alternative method for {sup 44}Sc production can be the irradiation of {sup 44}Ca target at small cyclotrons. The aim of our work was to optimize the parameters of {sup 44}CaCO{sub 3} irradiation and to develop a simple procedure for {sup 44}Sc separation from the calcium target. For optimization study, {sup 44}CaCO{sub 3} targets were irradiated by protons in the energy range of 5.6-17.5 MeV with 9 MeV being found to be the best energy for {sup 44}Ca irradiations. A simple and fast separation procedure of {sup 44}Sc from calcium target was developed using chelating resin Chelex 100. DOTATATE conjugate was successfully radiolabelled with high yield at elevated temperature using the produced {sup 44}Sc. While {sup 44}CaCO{sub 3} is relatively expensive, the cost of {sup 44}Sc-DOTATATE production can be reduced by target recovery. Due to low proton energy required to produce GBq activity level of {sup 44}Sc, the availability of {sup 44}Sc radioisotope could be enhanced to open new opportunities for applications in medical imaging. (orig.)

Radiation Protection Section (SC/SL/RP)

CERN Document Server

2006-01-01

We should like to inform you that the Radiation Protection Section (SC/SL/RP) located on the Prévessin site has moved from Building 865 (ground floor) to new premises in Wing A of Building 892 (second floor). Telephone numbers remain the same. SC/SL/RP section

Cyclotron production of {sup 43}Sc for PET imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walczak, Rafał [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw (Poland); Krajewski, Seweryn [Synektik S.A., Research and Development Center, Warsaw (Poland); Szkliniarz, Katarzyna [Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Silesia, Katowice (Poland); Sitarz, Mateusz [Heavy Ion Laboratory, University of Warsaw, Warsaw (Poland); Abbas, Kamel [Nuclear Security Unit, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, European Commission, Ispra (Italy); Choiński, Jarosław; Jakubowski, Andrzej; Jastrzębski, Jerzy [Heavy Ion Laboratory, University of Warsaw, Warsaw (Poland); Majkowska, Agnieszka [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw (Poland); Simonelli, Federica [Nuclear Decommissioning Unit, Joint Research Centre, Ispra Site Management Directorate, European Commission, Ispra (Italy); Stolarz, Anna; Trzcińska, Agnieszka [Heavy Ion Laboratory, University of Warsaw, Warsaw (Poland); Zipper, Wiktor [Department of Nuclear Physics, University of Silesia, Katowice (Poland); Bilewicz, Aleksander [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw (Poland)

2015-12-04

Recently, significant interest in {sup 44}Sc as a tracer for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been observed. Unfortunately, the co-emission by {sup 44}Sc of high-energy γ rays (E{sub γ} = 1157, 1499 keV) causes a dangerous increase of the radiation dose to the patients and clinical staff. However, it is possible to produce another radionuclide of scandium—{sup 43}Sc—having properties similar to {sup 44}Sc but is characterized by much lower energy of the concurrent gamma emissions. This work presents the production route of {sup 43}Sc by α irradiation of natural calcium, its separation and purification processes, and the labeling of [DOTA,Tyr3] octreotate (DOTATATE) bioconjugate. Natural CaCO{sub 3} and enriched [{sup 40}Ca]CaCO{sub 3} were irradiated with alpha particles for 1 h in an energy range of 14.8–30 MeV at a beam current of 0.5 or 0.25 μA. In order to find the optimum method for the separation of {sup 43}Sc from irradiated calcium targets, three processes previously developed for {sup 44}Sc were tested. Radiolabeling experiments were performed with DOTATATE radiobioconjugate, and the stability of the obtained {sup 43}Sc-DOTATATE was tested in human serum. Studies of {sup nat}CaCO{sub 3} target irradiation by alpha particles show that the optimum alpha particle energies are in the range of 24–27 MeV, giving 102 MBq/μA/h of {sup 43}Sc radioactivity which creates the opportunity to produce several GBq of {sup 43}Sc. The separation experiments performed indicate that, as with {sup 44}Sc, due to the simplicity of the operations and because of the chemical purity of the {sup 43}Sc obtained, the best separation process is when UTEVA resin is used. The DOTATATE conjugate was labeled by the obtained {sup 43}Sc with a yield >98 % at elevated temperature. Tens of GBq activities of {sup 43}Sc of high radionuclidic purity can be obtainable for clinical applications by irradiation of natural calcium with an alpha beam.

Neutral competition of stem cells is skewed by proliferative changes downstream of Hh and Hpo.

Science.gov (United States)

Amoyel, Marc; Simons, Benjamin D; Bach, Erika A

2014-10-16

Neutral competition, an emerging feature of stem cell homeostasis, posits that individual stem cells can be lost and replaced by their neighbors stochastically, resulting in chance dominance of a clone at the niche. A single stem cell with an oncogenic mutation could bias this process and clonally spread the mutation throughout the stem cell pool. The Drosophila testis provides an ideal system for testing this model. The niche supports two stem cell populations that compete for niche occupancy. Here, we show that cyst stem cells (CySCs) conform to the paradigm of neutral competition and that clonal deregulation of either the Hedgehog (Hh) or Hippo (Hpo) pathway allows a single CySC to colonize the niche. We find that the driving force behind such behavior is accelerated proliferation. Our results demonstrate that a single stem cell colonizes its niche through oncogenic mutation by co-opting an underlying homeostatic process. © 2014 The Authors.

Spinning cylinder experiments SC-I and SC-II: A review of results and analyses provided to the FALSIRE project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morland, E.; Sherry, A.H.

1993-01-01

A series of six large-scale experiments have been carried out at AEA Technology using the Spinning Cylinder test facility. Results from two of those experiments (SC-I and SC-II) have been provided to Project FALSIRE and are reviewed in this paper. The Spinning Cylinder tests were carried out using hollow cylinders of 1.4m outer diameter, 0.2m wall thickness and 1.3m length, containing full-length axial defects and fabricated from a modified A508 Class 3 steel. The first Spinning Cylinder test (SC-I) was an investigation of stable ductile growth induced via mechanical (primary) loading and under conditions of contained yielding. Mechanical loading was provided in the hoop direction by rotating the cylinder about its major axis within an enclosed oven. The second test (SC-II) investigated stable ductile growth under severe thermal shock (secondary) loading again under conditions of contained yielding. In this case thermal shock was produced by spraying cold water on the inside surface of the heated cylinder whilst it was rotating. For each experiment, results are presented in terms of a number of variables, eg. crack growth, temperature, stress, strain and applied K and J. In addition, an overview of the analyses of the FALSIRE Phase-1 report is also presented with respect to test SC-I and SC-II. 4 refs., 14 figs., 13 tabs

Effective single chain antibody (scFv) concentrations in vivo via adenoviral vector mediated expression of secretory scFv

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arafat, WO; Gomez-Navarro, J; Buchsbaum, DJ; Xiang, J; Casado, E; Barker, SD; Mahasreshti, PJ; Haisma, HJ; Barnes, MN; Siegal, GP; Alvarez, RD; Hemminki, A; Nettelbeck, DM; Curiel, DT

Single chain antibodies (scFv) represent powerful interventional agents for the achievement of targeted therapeutics. The practical utility of these agents have been limited, however, by difficulties related to production of recombinant scFv and the achievement of effective and sustained levels of

Hemoglobin C, S-C, and E Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

... quickly than others, resulting in chronic anemia. Hemoglobin C disease Hemoglobin C disease occurs mostly in blacks. ... a common complication of hemoglobin C disease. Hemoglobin S-C disease Hemoglobin S-C disease occurs in people who ...

Stem Cell-Associated Marker Expression in Canine Hair Follicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerhards, Nora M; Sayar, Beyza S; Origgi, Francesco C; Galichet, Arnaud; Müller, Eliane J; Welle, Monika M; Wiener, Dominique J

2016-03-01

Functional hair follicle (HF) stem cells (SCs) are crucial to maintain the constant recurring growth of hair. In mice and humans, SC subpopulations with different biomarker expression profiles have been identified in discrete anatomic compartments of the HF. The rare studies investigating canine HF SCs have shown similarities in biomarker expression profiles to that of mouse and human SCs. The aim of our study was to broaden the current repertoire of SC-associated markers and their expression patterns in the dog. We combined analyses on the expression levels of CD34, K15, Sox9, CD200, Nestin, LGR5 and LGR6 in canine skin using RT-qPCR, the corresponding proteins in dog skin lysates, and their expression patterns in canine HFs using immunohistochemistry. Using validated antibodies, we were able to define the location of CD34, Sox9, Keratin15, LGR5 and Nestin in canine HFs and confirm that all tested biomarkers are expressed in canine skin. Our results show similarities between the expression profile of canine, human and mouse HF SC markers. This repertoire of biomarkers will allow us to conduct functional studies and investigate alterations in the canine SC compartment of different diseases, like alopecia or skin cancer with the possibility to extend relevant findings to human patients. © 2016 The Histochemical Society.

INCREASING OF THE EXPRESSION OF RECOMBINANT scFv-ANTIBODIES EFFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O.V. Galkin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Obtaining single-chain variable fragments (scFv of recombinant antibodies in E. coli cells is often associated with numerous problems causing low yields or inactive conformation of the product. The aim of this work was to study the influence of staphylococcal protein A fragment fused with scFv antibodies (SpA-tag on the efficiency of expression of final product. Examination of scFv antibodies of different origin and specificity has shown that in similar expression systems fused scFv is synthesized in much higher quantities than free scFv. Furthermore, the scFv antibodies in fused form retained their antigen-binding properties and the SpA fragment the ability to bind other immunoglobulins. Thus, the proposed strategy can be considered effective in improving the efficiency of scFv-antibodies production in E. coli cells.

Effects of Drying Temperature on Flavonoids Extraction Rate from Young Stems and Leaves of Two Cassava Varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Ding-mei

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To improve flavonoids resources utilization level of young cassava stems and leaves, using cassava varieties SC09 and SC205 as ob jects, investigated the effect of different drying temperatures(40~120℃on the flavonoids extraction rate(FERand their stability in 120 d storage period after drying, explored a right drying storage method for postharvest young cassava stems and leaves. The research showed that total FER rised first, and then fell and rised again with the increase of drying temperature. During 40~80℃, the total FER was obviously in fluenced by variety and temperature, but only temperature was main factor affecting total FER during 90~120℃. Extract degree of flavonoids include rutin, amentoflavone or catechin, kaempferol, hesperidin, quercetin minished in order; the effect of cassava variety on the extraction rate of catechin and hesperidin was greater than that of drying temperature, but that contrary to other 4 flavonoids. Variety and temperature had a maximum impact respectively on catechin and rutin extraction rates. Whereas both of variety and temperature had a minimum impact on kaempferol extraction rate. FER reached higher levels of 1.42%and 1.53% respectively in SC09 after 120℃drying and SC205 after 110℃drying, and had best stability during 120 d storage period. The extraction rate of hesperidin increased after drying storage, and that of other 5 ingredients were changing with different varieties and temperatures; the coefficient variation(CV=1.03%~6.86%of kaempferol was minimum and its stability was best; extraction rates of rutin and kaempferol in SC205 after 110℃drying were maximum, whose increasing rates were 44.89%and 7.27%respectively with a small separate degree(CV were 6.94%, 4.59%and good extraction stability. Maximum in creasing rates of catechin, amentoflavone, quercetin and hesperidin were 211.60%，17.60%，186.39% and 538.08% respectively. However,their stabilities of extraction efficiency were poor

PET imaging of 64Cu-DOTA-scFv-anti-PSMA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs): Enhanced tumor targeting over anti-PSMA scFv or untargeted LNPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, Patty; Li, Lin; Chea, Junie; Delgado, Melissa K.; Crow, Desiree; Poku, Erasmus; Szpikowska, Barbara; Bowles, Nicole; Channappa, Divya; Colcher, David; Wong, Jeffrey Y.C.; Shively, John E.; Yazaki, Paul J.

2017-01-01

Introduction: Single chain (scFv) antibodies are ideal targeting ligands due to their modular structure, high antigen specificity and affinity. These monovalent ligands display rapid tumor targeting but have limitations due to their fast urinary clearance. Methods: An anti-prostate membrane antigen (PSMA) scFv with a site-specific cysteine was expressed and evaluated in a prostate cancer xenograft model by Cu-64 PET imaging. To enhance tumor accumulation, the scFv-cys was conjugated to the co-polymer DSPE-PEG-maleimide that spontaneously assembled into a homogeneous multivalent lipid nanoparticle (LNP). Results: The targeted LNP exhibited a 2-fold increase in tumor uptake compared to the scFv alone using two different thiol ester chemistries. The anti-PSMA scFv-LNP exhibited a 1.6 fold increase in tumor targeting over the untargeted LNP. Conclusions: The targeted anti-PSMA scFv-LNP showed enhanced tumor accumulation over the scFv alone or the untargeted DOTA-micelle providing evidence for the development of this system for drug delivery. Advances in knowledge and implications for patient care: Anti-tumor scFv antibody fragments have not achieved their therapeutic potential due to their fast blood clearance. Conjugation to an LNP enables multivalency to the tumor antigen as well as increased molecular size for chemotherapy drug delivery.

A Further Study of the Products of Sc and Dioxygen Reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Zhou, Mingfei; Andrews, Lester; Johnson, J. R. Tobias; Panas, Itai; Snis, Anders; Roos, Bjoern O.; Arnold, James O. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

The products of the reaction of Sc and dioxygen have been reinvestigated. By adding the electron-trapping molecule CC14, additional information about the IR spectra has been obtained, as well as the observation of new bands. New ab initio calculations are also performed on possible products of the Sc plus O2 reaction. The previously observed band at 722.5 per cm is assigned as the b2 mode of ScO2(-). Bands arising from ScO(+), Sc(O2)(+), and(O2)ScO are also assigned. We are still unable to assign any bands to OScO. The problems associated with the computational study of ScO2 are discussed.

Synthesis and Isolation of the Titanium-Scandium Endohedral Fullerenes-Sc2 TiC@Ih -C80 , Sc2 TiC@D5h -C80 and Sc2 TiC2 @Ih -C80 : Metal Size Tuning of the Ti(IV) /Ti(III) Redox Potentials.

Science.gov (United States)

Junghans, Katrin; Ghiassi, Kamran B; Samoylova, Nataliya A; Deng, Qingming; Rosenkranz, Marco; Olmstead, Marilyn M; Balch, Alan L; Popov, Alexey A

2016-09-05

The formation of endohedral metallofullerenes (EMFs) in an electric arc is reported for the mixed-metal Sc-Ti system utilizing methane as a reactive gas. Comparison of these results with those from the Sc/CH4 and Ti/CH4 systems as well as syntheses without methane revealed a strong mutual influence of all key components on the product distribution. Whereas a methane atmosphere alone suppresses the formation of empty cage fullerenes, the Ti/CH4 system forms mainly empty cage fullerenes. In contrast, the main fullerene products in the Sc/CH4 system are Sc4 C2 @C80 (the most abundant EMF from this synthesis), Sc3 C2 @C80 , isomers of Sc2 C2 @C82 , and the family Sc2 C2 n (2 n=74, 76, 82, 86, 90, etc.), as well as Sc3 CH@C80 . The Sc-Ti/CH4 system produces the mixed-metal Sc2 TiC@C2 n (2 n=68, 78, 80) and Sc2 TiC2 @C2 n (2 n=80) clusterfullerene families. The molecular structures of the new, transition-metal-containing endohedral fullerenes, Sc2 TiC@Ih -C80 , Sc2 TiC@D5h -C80 , and Sc2 TiC2 @Ih -C80 , were characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The structure of Sc2 TiC@Ih -C80 was also determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which demonstrated the presence of a short Ti=C double bond. Both Sc2 TiC- and Sc2 TiC2 -containing clusterfullerenes have Ti-localized LUMOs. Encapsulation of the redox-active Ti ion inside the fullerene cage enables analysis of the cluster-cage strain in the endohedral fullerenes through electrochemical measurements. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Energy Levels, wavelengths and hyperfine structure measurements of Sc II

Science.gov (United States)

Hala, Fnu; Nave, Gillian

2018-01-01

Lines of singly ionized Scandium (Sc II) along with other Iron group elements have been observed [1] in the region surrounding the massive star Eta Carinae [2,3] called the strontium filament (SrF). The last extensive analysis of Sc II was the four-decade old work of Johansson & Litzen [4], using low-resolution grating spectroscopy. To update and extend the Sc II spectra, we have made observation of Sc/Ar, Sc/Ne and Sc/Ge/Ar hollow cathode emission spectrum on the NIST high resolution FT700 UV/Vis and 2 m UV/Vis/IR Fourier transform spectrometers (FTS). More than 850 Sc II lines have been measured in the wavelength range of 187 nm to 3.2 μm. connecting a total of 152 energy levels. The present work also focuses to resolve hyperfine structure (HFS) in Sc II lines. We aim to obtain accurate transition wavelengths, improved energy levels and HFS constants of Sc II. The latest results from work in progress will be presented.Reference[1] Hartman H, Gull T, Johansson S and Smith N 2004 Astron. Astrophys. 419 215[2] Smith N, Morse J A and Gull T R 2004 Astrophys. J. 605 405[3] Davidson K and Humphreys R M 1997 Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 35[4] Johansson S and Litzén U 1980 Phys. Scr. 22 49

Sc-Decorated WS_2 Nanoribbons as Hydrogen Storage Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Bin; Wang Yu-Sheng; Zhang Jing; Song Na-Hong; Li Meng; Yi Lin

2016-01-01

The hydrogen storage behavior of Sc-decorated WS_2 monolayer and WS_2 nanoribbons is systematically studied by using first principles calculations based on the density functional theory. The present results indicate that an Sc-decorated WS_2 monolayer is not suitable for storing hydrogen due to the weak interaction between the monolayer WS_2 sheet and the Sc atoms. It is found that both the hybridization mechanism and the Coulomb attraction make the Sc atoms stably adsorb on the edges of WS_2 nanoribbons without clustering. The 2Sc/WS_2 NRs system can adsorb at most eight H_2 molecules with average adsorption energy of 0.20 eV/H_2. The results show that the desorption of H_2 is possible by lowering the pressure or by increasing the temperature. (paper)

CORRELATION BETWEEN SEED TESTS AND FIELD EMERGENCE OF TWO MAIZE HYBRIDS (SC704 AND SC500)

OpenAIRE

A.A. ALILOO; B. SHOKATI

2011-01-01

Early emergence and stand establishment of maize (Zea mays L.) are considered to be the most important yield-contributing factors. The influence of seed vigor on these factors is vital. Therefore, five laboratory tests and field experiment were conducted on basis of a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications in 2011, to evaluate the correlation among the seed vigor tests and field emergence of two maize hybrids (SC704 and SC500). In laboratory tests, differences between ...

Hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients following Stem Cell Educator therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanjia; Yan, Baoyong; Wang, Hepeng; Li, Heng; Li, Quanhai; Zhao, Dong; Chen, Yana; Zhang, Ye; Li, Wenxia; Zhang, Jun; Wang, Shanfeng; Shen, Jie; Li, Yunxiang; Guindi, Edward; Zhao, Yong

2015-04-20

Alopecia areata (AA) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases and targets the hair follicles, with high impact on the quality of life and self-esteem of patients due to hair loss. Clinical management and outcomes are challenged by current limited immunosuppressive and immunomodulating regimens. We have developed a Stem Cell Educator therapy in which a patient's blood is circulated through a closed-loop system that separates mononuclear cells from the whole blood, allows the cells to briefly interact with adherent human cord blood-derived multipotent stem cells (CB-SC), and returns the "educated" autologous cells to the patient's circulation. In an open-label, phase 1/phase 2 study, patients (N = 9) with severe AA received one treatment with the Stem Cell Educator therapy. The median age was 20 years (median alopecic duration, 5 years). Clinical data demonstrated that patients with severe AA achieved improved hair regrowth and quality of life after receiving Stem Cell Educator therapy. Flow cytometry revealed the up-regulation of Th2 cytokines and restoration of balancing Th1/Th2/Th3 cytokine production in the peripheral blood of AA subjects. Immunohistochemistry indicated the formation of a "ring of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)" around the hair follicles, leading to the restoration of immune privilege of hair follicles and the protection of newly generated hair follicles against autoimmune destruction. Mechanistic studies revealed that co-culture with CB-SC may up-regulate the expression of coinhibitory molecules B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) and programmed death-1 receptor (PD-1) on CD8β(+)NKG2D(+) effector T cells and suppress their proliferation via herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) ligands and programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1) on CB-SCs. Current clinical data demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the Stem Cell Educator therapy for the treatment of AA. This innovative approach produced lasting improvement in hair regrowth in

Depletion of Arabidopsis SC35 and SC35-like serine/arginine-rich proteins affects the transcription and splicing of a subset of genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qingqing; Xia, Xi; Sun, Zhenfei; Fang, Yuda

2017-03-01

Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are important splicing factors which play significant roles in spliceosome assembly and splicing regulation. However, little is known regarding their biological functions in plants. Here, we analyzed the phenotypes of mutants upon depleting different subfamilies of Arabidopsis SR proteins. We found that loss of the functions of SC35 and SC35-like (SCL) proteins cause pleiotropic changes in plant morphology and development, including serrated leaves, late flowering, shorter roots and abnormal silique phyllotaxy. Using RNA-seq, we found that SC35 and SCL proteins play roles in the pre-mRNA splicing. Motif analysis revealed that SC35 and SCL proteins preferentially bind to a specific RNA sequence containing the AGAAGA motif. In addition, the transcriptions of a subset of genes are affected by the deletion of SC35 and SCL proteins which interact with NRPB4, a specific subunit of RNA polymerase II. The splicing of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) intron1 and transcription of FLC were significantly regulated by SC35 and SCL proteins to control Arabidopsis flowering. Therefore, our findings provide mechanistic insight into the functions of plant SC35 and SCL proteins in the regulation of splicing and transcription in a direct or indirect manner to maintain the proper expression of genes and development.

DiSC-OPAL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kemal, Mohammed Seifu; Pedersen, Rasmus; Iov, Florin

2017-01-01

of such systems. The simulation tool should be able to model Electrical Grid and flexible assets with different time scales and resolution levels fulfilling specific functionalities. In this paper DiSC-OPAL, an OPAL-RT compatible toolbox library for modelling of assets is presented. The library is suitable...

New indides Sc{sub 6}Co{sub 2.18}In{sub 0.82}, Sc{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 19.44} and ScCu{sub 4}In-synthesis, structure, and crystal chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaremba, R.I.; Rodewald, U. Ch.; Poettgen, R. [Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Westfaelische Wilhelms-Univ. Muenster (Germany); Kalychak, Y.M.; Zaremba, V.I. [Inorganic Chemistry Dept., Ivan Franko National Univ. of Lviv, Lviv (Ukraine)

2006-08-15

New indides Sc{sub 6}Co{sub 2.18}In{sub 0.82}, Sc{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 19.44} and ScCu{sub 4}In have been synthesized from the elements by arc-melting. Single crystals were grown by special annealing modes. The thee indides were investigated via X-ray powder and single crystal diffraction: Ho{sub 6}Co{sub 2}Ga type, Immm, a = 886.7(3), b = 878.0(2), c = 932.1(3) pm, wR2 = 0.0517, 711 F{sup 2} values, 35 variables for Sc{sub 6}Co{sub 2.18}In{sub 0.82}, Ho{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 20} type, P4/nmm, a = 1287.5(2), c = 884.7(1) pm, wR2 = 0.0642, 1221 F{sup 2} values, 63 variables for Sc{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 19.44}, and MgCu{sub 4}Sn type, anti F 43m, a = 704.03(7) pm, wR2 = 0.0267, 101 F{sup 2} values, and 7 variables for ScCu{sub 4}In. The scandium rich indide Sc{sub 6}Co{sub 2.18}In{sub 0.82} contains two Co{sub 2} dumb-bells at Co-Co distances of 221 and 230 pm. Each cobalt atom within these dumb-bells has a tricapped trigonal prismatic coordination. The In1 site has a distorted cube-like coordination by scandium and shows a mixed occupancy (36%) with cobalt. The In2 atoms have distorted icosahedral scandium coordination. As a consequence of the small size of the scandium atoms, the In4 site in Sc{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 19.44} shows defects and was furthermore refined with a split model leading to a new distorted variant within the family of Ho{sub 10}Ni{sub 9}In{sub 20} compounds. ScCu{sub 4}In is an ordered version of the cubic Laves phase with scandium and indium atoms in the CN16 voids of the copper substructure. The Cu-Cu distances within the three-dimensional network of corner-sharing tetrahedra are 248.6 and 249.2 pm. The crystal chemical peculiarities of these three indide structures are briefly discussed. (orig.)

PET Imaging of 64Cu-DOTA-scFv-Anti-PSMA Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs): Enhanced Tumor Targeting over Anti-PSMA scFv or Untargeted LNPs

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Patty; Li, Lin; Chea, Junie; Delgado, Melissa K.; Crow, Desiree; Poku, Erasmus; Szpikowska, Barbara; Bowles, Nicole; Channappa, Divya; Colcher, David; Wong, Jeffrey Y.C.; Shively, John E.; Yazaki, Paul J.

2017-01-01

Introduction Single chain (scFv) antibodies are ideal targeting ligands due to their modular structure, high antigen specificity and affinity. These monovalent ligands display rapid tumor targeting but have limitations due to their fast urinary clearance. Methods An anti-prostate membrane antigen (PSMA) scFv with a site-specific cysteine was expressed and evaluated in a prostate cancer xenograft model by Cu-64 PET imaging. To enhance tumor accumulation, the scFv-cys was conjugated to the co-polymer DSPE-PEG-maleimide that spontaneously assembled into a homogeneous multivalent lipid nanoparticle (LNP). Results The targeted LNP exhibited a 2-fold increase in tumor uptake compared to the scFv alone using two different thiol ester chemistries. The anti-PSMA scFv-LNP exhibited a 1.6 fold increase in tumor targeting over the untargeted LNP. Conclusions The targeted anti-PSMA scFv-LNP showed enhanced tumor accumulation over the scFv alone or the untargeted DOTA-micelle providing evidence for the development of this system for drug delivery. Advances in Knowledge and implications for patient care Anti-tumor scFv antibody fragments have not achieved their therapeutic potential due to their fast blood clearance. Conjugation to a LNP enables multivalency to the tumor antigen as well as increased molecular size for chemotherapy drug delivery. PMID:28126683

Moving epithelia: Tracking the fate of mammalian limbal epithelial stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Girolamo, Nick

2015-09-01

Lineage tracing allows the destiny of a stem cell (SC) and its progeny to be followed through time. In order to track their long-term fate, SC must be permanently marked to discern their distribution, division, displacement and differentiation. This information is essential for unravelling the mysteries that govern their replenishing activity while they remain anchored within their niche microenvironment. Modern-day lineage tracing uses inducible genetic recombination to illuminate cells within embryonic, newborn and adult tissues, and the advent of powerful high-resolution microscopy has enabled the behaviour of labelled cells to be monitored in real-time in a living organism. The simple structural organization of the mammalian cornea, including its accessibility and transparency, renders it the ideal tissue to study SC fate using lineage tracing assisted by non-invasive intravital microscopy. Despite more than a century of research devoted to understanding how this tissue is maintained and repaired, many limitations and controversies continue to plague the field, including uncertainties about the specificity of current SC markers, the number of SC within the cornea, their mode of division, their location, and importantly the signals that dictate cell migration. This communication will highlight historical discoveries as well as recent developments in the corneal SC field; more specifically how the progeny of these cells are mobilised to replenish this dynamic tissue during steady-state, disease and transplantation. Also discussed is how insights gleaned from animal studies can be used to advance our knowledge of the fundamental mechanisms that govern modelling and remodelling of the human cornea in health and disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular and functional characterization of peptidoglycan-recognition protein SC2 (PGRP-SC2) from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) involved in the immune response to Streptococcus agalactiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Gan, Zhen; Chen, Shannan; Hou, Jing; Huo, Huijun; Zhang, Xiaolin; Ruan, Baiye; Laghari, Zubair Ahmed; Li, Li; Lu, Yishan; Nie, Pin

2016-07-01

PGRP-SC2, the member of PGRP family, plays an important role in regulation of innate immune response. In this paper, a PGRP-SC2 gene of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (designated as On-PGRP-SC2) was cloned and its expression pattern under the infection of Streptococcus agalactiae was investigated. Sequence analysis showed main structural features required for amidase activity were detected in the deduced amino acid sequence of On-PGRP-SC2. In healthy tilapia, the On-PGRP-SC2 transcripts could be detected in all the examined tissues, with the most abundant expression in the muscle. When infected with S. agalactiae, there was a clear time-dependent expression pattern of On-PGRP-SC2 in the spleen, head kidney and brain. The assays for the amidase activity suggested that recombinant On-PGRP-SC2 protein had a Zn(2+)-dependent PGN-degrading activity. Moreover, our works showed that recombinant On-PGRP-SC2 protein could significantly reduce bacterial load in target organs attacked by S. agalactiae. These findings indicated that On-PGRP-SC2 may play important roles in the immune response to S. agalactiae in Nile tilapia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of SC structure modularization in Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mun, Taeyoup

2008-01-01

New Focus on NPP are Rising Concerns on Global Warming, Potential energy crisis (geo-political), Improved reliability and safety of nuclear power plant, Advent of Generation 3+ NPP technology and Economical Energy Resource. New NPPs are 6 units in Korea and 23 in Asia being built, 32 units being planned in China by 2020 (150 by 2050), 10 units being planned in US by 2020 and IAEA expects $200 billions on NPP construction next 25 years (up to 30% of total world energy). □ SC(Steel Plate Concrete) structure · Steel Plate is used as a Structural Element instead of Reinforcing Bars in RC · SC structure consists of Steel Plate with Headed Studs. Connected by Tie-bars - The Primary Purpose of Tie-bars is to Stiffen and Hold Together the Plates during Construction Process - Headed Studs are Welded to the Inside of Steel Plate for composite action □ Benefits of SC Structure · Shorten Construction Duration for Re bar, Forming and Scaffolding Works · Minimize Site Labors · Improve the Construction Quality · Enable Construction Sites to be kept Clean □ SC Modularization · Fit for Modular Construction for Structural Features · Fit for Modular Construction for Structural Features · Inattentively Effective for Integrated Modules · Pre-fabrication, Pre-assembly and Modularization □ Project Overview · Project Name: Development of SC structure for Modularization in NPP · Project Type: Electric Power Industry R and D (Ministry of Knowledge Economy) · Duration: Sep. 2005 ∼ Aug. 2008 (36 Months) · Research Team and Scopes - Project Management: Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) - Development of Code and Standards for SC Structure: Korea Society of Steel Construction (KSSC) Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) - Development of SC Structural Analysis and Design: Korea Power Engineering Company (KOPEC) - Development of Construction Techniques for SC Modularization: KHNP, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety(KINS), KOPEC □ Performance

Pascal-SC a computer language for scientific computation

CERN Document Server

Bohlender, Gerd; von Gudenberg, Jürgen Wolff; Rheinboldt, Werner; Siewiorek, Daniel

1987-01-01

Perspectives in Computing, Vol. 17: Pascal-SC: A Computer Language for Scientific Computation focuses on the application of Pascal-SC, a programming language developed as an extension of standard Pascal, in scientific computation. The publication first elaborates on the introduction to Pascal-SC, a review of standard Pascal, and real floating-point arithmetic. Discussions focus on optimal scalar product, standard functions, real expressions, program structure, simple extensions, real floating-point arithmetic, vector and matrix arithmetic, and dynamic arrays. The text then examines functions a

Thermodynamic modeling of the Sc-Zn system coupled with first-principles calculation

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Tang C.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Sc-Zn system has been critically reviewed and assessed by means of CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram approach. By means of first-principles calculation, the enthalpies of formation at 0 K for the ScZn, ScZn2, Sc17Zn58, Sc3Zn17 and ScZn12 have been computed with the desire to assist thermodynamic modeling. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Sc-Zn system is then obtained. The calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties agree well with the experimental data and first-principles calculations, respectively.

Skeletal Muscle Regeneration, Repair and Remodelling in Aging: The Importance of Muscle Stem Cells and Vascularization.

Science.gov (United States)

Joanisse, Sophie; Nederveen, Joshua P; Snijders, Tim; McKay, Bryon R; Parise, Gianni

2017-01-01

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. Ultimately, sarcopenia results in the loss of independence, which imposes a large financial burden on healthcare systems worldwide. A critical facet of sarcopenia is the diminished ability for aged muscle to regenerate, repair and remodel. Over the years, research has focused on elucidating underlying mechanisms of sarcopenia and the impaired ability of muscle to respond to stimuli with aging. Muscle-specific stem cells, termed satellite cells (SC), play an important role in maintaining muscle health throughout the lifespan. It is well established that SC are essential in skeletal muscle regeneration, and it has been hypothesized that a reduction and/or dysregulation of the SC pool, may contribute to accelerated loss of skeletal muscle mass that is observed with advancing age. The preservation of skeletal muscle tissue and its ability to respond to stimuli may be impacted by reduced SC content and impaired function observed with aging. Aging is also associated with a reduction in capillarization of skeletal muscle. We have recently demonstrated that the distance between type II fibre-associated SC and capillaries is greater in older compared to younger adults. The greater distance between SC and capillaries in older adults may contribute to the dysregulation in SC activation ultimately impairing muscle's ability to remodel and, in extreme circumstances, regenerate. This viewpoint will highlight the importance of optimal SC activation in addition to skeletal muscle capillarization to maximize the regenerative potential of skeletal muscle in older adults. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Ethanol yield and energy potential of stems from a spectrum of sorghum biomass types

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McBee, G.G.; Creelman, R.A.; Miller, F.R.

1988-01-01

Sorghum biomass is a renewable resource that offers significant potential for energy utilization. Six sorghum cultivars, representing an array of stem types, were evaluated for ethanol yield. Ethanol production was individually obtained for both the total stem and the pith of each type by anaerobic yeast fermentation. Value of the energy contained in the rind was determined by calorimetry. The highest yield of ethanol from total stem fermentation was 3418.3 liters ha/sup -1/ produced from Rio. Fermentation of Rio pith to ethanol and combustion of the rind resulted in the highest total energy value of the cultivars. The least and greatest energy values were 6.3 and 44.3 x 10/sup 6/ kcal ha/sup -1/ for SC0056-14 and Rio, respectively. Conversion ratios of potentially fermentable carbohydrates (within the vegetative biomass) to ethanol produced, averaged 0.438 for the pith and 0.406 for total stems.

Lifetime and g-factor measurements in 44Sc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevallier, A.; Chavallier, J.; Gross, J.L.; Haas, B.; Schulz, N.; Styczen, J.; Toulemonde, M.

1975-01-01

The lifetimes of the 235 keV, 2 - state and 350 keV, 4 + state in 44 Sc have been measured via the 44 Ca(p, n) 44 Sc reaction with a pulsed proton beam. The time integral perturbed angular distribution technique with an external field was used to measure the precession angles of the 2 - and 4 + states populated by the 30 Si( 16 O, pnγ) 44 Sc reaction. The following values for the mean-lives and g-factors were obtained: π(2 - ) = 8.83(33) ns, g(2 - ) = 0.30(13) and π(4 + ) = 4.52(27)ns, g(4 + ) = 0.90(12). The results for the 2 - state support a rotational description of the negative parity states in 44 Sc. The magnetic moment of the 4 + state is compared to shell model predictions. (orig.) [de

Electronic structure and local distortions in epitaxial ScGaN films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knoll, S M; Zhang, S; Rovezzi, M; Joyce, T B; Moram, M A

2014-01-01

High energy resolution fluorescence-detected x-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations were used to investigate the local bonding and electronic structure of Sc in epitaxial wurtzite-structure Sc x Ga 1−x N films with x ≤ 0.059. Sc atoms are found to substitute for Ga atoms, accompanied by a local distortion involving an increase in the internal lattice parameter u around the Sc atoms. The local bonding and electronic structure at Sc are not affected strongly by the strain state or the defect microstructure of the films. These data are consistent with theoretical predictions regarding the electronic structure of dilute Sc x Ga 1−x N alloys. (paper)

Differential properties of human ACL and MCL stem cells may be responsible for their differential healing capacity

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Fu Freddie H

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The human anterior cruciate ligament (hACL and medial collateral ligament (hMCL of the knee joint are frequently injured, especially in athletic settings. It has been known that, while injuries to the MCL typically heal with conservative treatment, ACL injuries usually do not heal. As adult stem cells repair injured tissues through proliferation and differentiation, we hypothesized that the hACL and hMCL contain stem cells exhibiting unique properties that could be responsible for the differential healing capacity of the two ligaments. Methods To test the above hypothesis, we derived ligament stem cells from normal hACL and hMCL samples from the same adult donors using tissue culture techniques and characterized their properties using immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and flow cytometry. Results We found that both hACL stem cells (hACL-SCs and hMCL stem cells (hMCL-SCs formed colonies in culture and expressed stem cell markers nucleostemin and stage-specific embryonic antigen-4 (SSEA-4. Moreover, both hACL-SCs and hMCL-SCs expressed CD surface markers for mesenchymal stem cells, including CD44 and CD90, but not those markers for vascular cells, CD31, CD34, CD45, and CD146. However, hACL-SCs differed from hMCL-SCs in that the size and number of hACL-SC colonies in culture were much smaller and grew more slowly than hMCL-SC colonies. Moreover, fewer hACL-SCs in cell colonies expressed stem cell markers STRO-1 and octamer-binding transcription factor-4 (Oct-4 than hMCL-SCs. Finally, hACL-SCs had less multi-differentiation potential than hMCL-SCs, evidenced by differing extents of adipogenesis, chondrogenesis, and osteogenesis in the respective induction media. Conclusions This study shows for the first time that hACL-SCs are intrinsically different from hMCL-SCs. We suggest that the differences in their properties contribute to the known disparity in healing capabilities between the two ligaments.

Stem cell therapy for the treatment of early stage avascular necrosis of the femoral head: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head (FH) is believed to be caused by a multitude of etiologic factors and is associated with significant morbidity in younger populations. Eventually, the disease progresses and results in FH collapse. Thus, a focus on early disease management aimed at joint preservation by preventing or delaying progression is key. The use of stem cells (SC) for the treatment of AVN of the FH has been proposed. We undertook a systematic review of the medical literature examining the use of SC for the treatment of early stage (precollapse) AVN of the FH, in both pre-clinical and clinical studies. Methods Data collected included: Pre-clinical studies – model of AVN, variety and dosage of SC, histologic and imaging analyses. Clinical studies – study design, classification and etiology of AVN, SC dosage and treatment protocol, incidence of disease progression, patient reported outcomes, volume of necrotic lesion and hip survivorship. Results In pre-clinical studies, the use of SC uniformly demonstrated improvements in osteogenesis and angiogenesis, yet source of implanted SC was variable. In clinical studies, groups treated with SC showed significant improvements in patient reported outcomes; however hip survivorship was not affected. Discrepancies regarding dose of SC, AVN etiology and disease severity were present. Conclusions Routine use of this treatment method will first require further research into dose and quality optimization as well as confirmed improvements in hip survivorship. PMID:24886648

How dysregulated colonic crypt dynamics cause stem cell overpopulation and initiate colon cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Boman, Bruce M; Fields, Jeremy Z; Cavanaugh, Kenneth L; Guetter, Arthur; Runquist, Olaf A

2008-05-01

Based on investigation of the earliest colonic tissue alteration in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients, we present the hypothesis that initiation of colorectal cancer by adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutation is mediated by dysregulation of two cellular mechanisms. One involves differentiation, which normally decreases the proportion (proliferative fraction) of colonic crypt cells that can proliferate; the other is a cell cycle mechanism that simultaneously increases the probability that proliferative cells are in S phase. In normal crypts, stem cells (SC) at the crypt bottom generate rapidly proliferating cells, which undergo differentiation while migrating up the crypt. Our modeling of normal crypts suggests that these transitions are mediated by mechanisms that regulate proliferative fraction and S-phase probability. In FAP crypts, the population of rapidly proliferating cells is shifted upwards, as indicated by the labeling index (LI; i.e., crypt distribution of cells in S phase). Our analysis of FAP indicates that these transitions are delayed because the proliferative fraction and S-phase probability change more slowly as a function of crypt level. This leads to expansion of the proliferative cell population, including a subpopulation that has a low frequency of S-phase cells. We previously reported that crypt SC overpopulation explains the LI shift. Here, we determine that SCs (or cells having high stemness) are proliferative cells with a low probability of being in S phase. Thus, dysregulation of mechanisms that control proliferative fraction and S-phase probability explains how APC mutations induce SC overpopulation at the crypt bottom, shift the rapidly proliferating cell population upwards, and initiate colon tumorigenesis.

Effects of hydroxyurea treatment for patients with hemoglobin SC disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Luchtman-Jones, Lori; Pressel, Sara; Hilliard, Lee; Brown, R Clark; Smith, Mary G; Thompson, Alexis A; Lee, Margaret T; Rothman, Jennifer; Rogers, Zora R; Owen, William; Imran, Hamayun; Thornburg, Courtney; Kwiatkowski, Janet L; Aygun, Banu; Nelson, Stephen; Roberts, Carla; Gauger, Cynthia; Piccone, Connie; Kalfa, Theodosia; Alvarez, Ofelia; Hassell, Kathryn; Davis, Barry R; Ware, Russell E

2016-02-01

Although hemoglobin SC (HbSC) disease is usually considered less severe than sickle cell anemia (SCA), which includes HbSS and HbS/β(0) -thalassemia genotypes, many patients with HbSC experience severe disease complications, including vaso-occlusive pain, acute chest syndrome, avascular necrosis, retinopathy, and poor quality of life. Fully 20 years after the clinical and laboratory efficacy of hydroxyurea was proven in adult SCA patients, the safety and utility of hydroxyurea treatment for HbSC patients remain unclear. Recent NHLBI evidence-based guidelines highlight this as a critical knowledge gap, noting HbSC accounts for ∼30% of sickle cell patients within the United States. To date, only 5 publications have reported short-term, incomplete, or conflicting laboratory and clinical outcomes of hydroxyurea treatment in a total of 71 adults and children with HbSC. We now report on a cohort of 133 adult and pediatric HbSC patients who received hydroxyurea, typically for recurrent vaso-occlusive pain. Hydroxyurea treatment was associated with a stable hemoglobin concentration; increased fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV); and reduced white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and absolute reticulocyte count (ARC). Reversible cytopenias occurred in 22% of patients, primarily neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Painful events were reduced with hydroxyurea, more in patients >15 years old. These multicenter data support the safety and potentially salutary effects of hydroxyurea treatment for HbSC disease; however, a multicenter, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 clinical trial is needed to determine if hydroxyurea therapy has efficacy for patients with HbSC disease. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design of SC walls and slabs for impulsive loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varma, Amit H. [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

2015-11-11

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures have historically been the preferred choice for blast resistant structures because of their mass and the ductility provided by steel reinforcement. Steel-plate composite (SC) walls are a viable alternative to RC for protecting the infrastructure against explosive threats. SC structures consist of two steel faceplates with a plain concrete core between them. The steel faceplates are anchored to the concrete using stud anchors and connected to each other using tie bars. SC structures provide mass from the concrete infill and ductility from the continuous external steel faceplates. This dissertation presents findings and recommendations from experimental and analytical investigations of the performance of SC walls subjected to far-field blast loads.

LOCAL COLLISION SIMULATION OF AN SC WALL USING ENERGY ABSORBING STEEL

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CHUL-HUN CHUNG

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This study evaluates the local damage of a turbine in an auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant due to an external impact by using the LS-DYNA finite element program. The wall of the auxiliary building is SC structure and the material of the SC wall plate is high manganese steel, which has superior ductility and energy absorbance compared to the ordinary steel used for other SC wall plates. The effects of the material of the wall, collision speed, and angle on the magnitude of the local damage were evaluated by local collision analysis. The analysis revealed that the SC wall made of manganese steel had significantly less damage than the SC wall made of ordinary steel. In conclusion, an SC wall made of manganese steel can have higher effective resistance than an SC wall made of ordinary steel against the local collision of an airplane engine or against a turbine impact.

Local Collision Simulation of an SC Wall Using Energy Absorbing Steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, Chulhun; Choi, Hyun; Park, Jaegyun [Dankook Univ., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2013-08-15

This study evaluates the local damage of a turbine in an auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant due to an external impact by using the LS-DYNA finite element program. The wall of the auxiliary building is SC structure and the material of the SC wall plate is high manganese steel, which has superior ductility and energy absorbance compared to the ordinary steel used for other SC wall plates. The effects of the material of the wall, collision speed, and angle on the magnitude of the local damage were evaluated by local collision analysis. The analysis revealed that the SC wall made of manganese steel had significantly less damage than the SC wall made of ordinary steel. In conclusion, an SC wall made of manganese steel can have higher effective resistance than an SC wall made of ordinary steel against the local collision of an airplane engine or against a turbine impact.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Ampelopsis grossedentata Stems: Process Optimization and Antioxidant Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Da Sun

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2 extraction of bioactive compounds including flavonoids and phenolics from Ampelopsis grossedentata stems was carried out. Extraction parameters such as pressure, temperature, dynamic time and modifier, were optimized using an orthogonal array design of L9 (34, and antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH free radical scavenging assay and ferrous ion chelating (FIC assay. The best conditions obtained for SC-CO2 extraction of flavonoids was 250 bar, 40 °C, 50 min, and with a modifier of methanol/ethanol (1:3, v/v, and that for phenolics extraction was 250 bar, 40 °C, 50 min, and with a modifier of methanol/ethanol (1:1, v/v. Meantime, flavonoids and phenolics were found to be mainly responsible for the DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts, but not for the chelating activity on ferrous ion according to Pearson correlation analysis. Furthermore, several unreported flavonoids such as apigenin, vitexin, luteolin, etc., have been detected in the extracts from A. grossedentata stems.

Atomic bonding and mechanical properties of Al-Mg-Zr-Sc alloy

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

高英俊; 班冬梅; 韩永剑; 钟夏平; 刘慧

2004-01-01

The valence electron structures of Al-Mg alloy with minor Sc and Zr were calculated according to the empirical electron theory(EET) in solid. The results show that because of the strong interaction of Al atom with Zr and Sc atom in melting during solidification, the Al3 Sc and Al3 (Sc1-xZrx) particles which act as heterogeneous nuclear are firstly crystallized in alloy to make grains refine. In progress of solidification, the Al-Sc, Al-Zr-Sc segregation regions are formed in solid solution matrix of Al-Mg alloy owing to the strong interaction of Al atom with Zr, Scatoms in bulk of alloy, so in the following homogenization treatment, the finer dispersed Al3 Sc and Al3 (Sc1-x Zrx) second-particles which are coherence with the matrix are precipitated in the segregation region. These finer second particles with the strong Al-Zr, Al-Sc covalent bonds can strengthen the covalent bonds in matrix of the alloy, and also enhance the hardness and strength of Al-Mg alloy. Those finer second-particles precipitated in interface of sub-grains can also strengthen the covalence bonds there, and effectively hinder the interface of sub-grains from migrating and restrain the sub-grains from growing, and cause better thermal stability of Al-Mg alloy.

Identification, expansion and characterization of cancer cells with stem cell properties from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaseb, Hatem O. [Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Department of Clinical Pathology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Cairo (Egypt); Fohrer-Ting, Helene [Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (United States); Lewis, Dale W. [Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); Lagasse, Eric [Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (United States); Gollin, Susanne M., E-mail: gollin@pitt.edu [Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 (United States); University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 (United States)

2016-10-15

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a major public health concern. Recent data indicate the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) in many solid tumors, including HNSCC. Here, we assessed the stem cell (SC) characteristics, including cell surface markers, radioresistance, chromosomal instability, and in vivo tumorigenic capacity of CSC isolated from HNSCC patient specimens. We show that spheroid enrichment of CSC from early and short-term HNSCC cell cultures was associated with increased expression of CD44, CD133, SOX2 and BMI1 compared with normal oral epithelial cells. On immunophenotyping, five of 12 SC/CSC markers were homogenously expressed in all tumor cultures, while one of 12 was negative, four of 12 showed variable expression, and two of the 12 were expressed heterogeneously. We showed that irradiated CSCs survived and retained their self-renewal capacity across different ionizing radiation (IR) regimens. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses of parental and clonally-derived tumor cells revealed different chromosome copy numbers from cell to cell, suggesting the presence of chromosomal instability in HNSCC CSC. Further, our in vitro and in vivo mouse engraftment studies suggest that CD44+/CD66− is a promising, consistent biomarker combination for HNSCC CSC. Overall, our findings add further evidence to the proposed role of HNSCC CSCs in therapeutic resistance. - Highlights: • Spheroid enrichment selects cancer stem cells (CSC) from head & neck tumors (HNSCC). • Compared to normal epithelial cells, isolated CSC express increased SC/CSC markers. • Isolated CSC display enhanced radioresistance, clonogenicity and tumorigenicity. • HNSCC CSC express chromosomal instability. • CD44+/CD66− is a promising, consistent biomarker for HNSCC CSC.

Identification, expansion and characterization of cancer cells with stem cell properties from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaseb, Hatem O.; Fohrer-Ting, Helene; Lewis, Dale W.; Lagasse, Eric; Gollin, Susanne M.

2016-01-01

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a major public health concern. Recent data indicate the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) in many solid tumors, including HNSCC. Here, we assessed the stem cell (SC) characteristics, including cell surface markers, radioresistance, chromosomal instability, and in vivo tumorigenic capacity of CSC isolated from HNSCC patient specimens. We show that spheroid enrichment of CSC from early and short-term HNSCC cell cultures was associated with increased expression of CD44, CD133, SOX2 and BMI1 compared with normal oral epithelial cells. On immunophenotyping, five of 12 SC/CSC markers were homogenously expressed in all tumor cultures, while one of 12 was negative, four of 12 showed variable expression, and two of the 12 were expressed heterogeneously. We showed that irradiated CSCs survived and retained their self-renewal capacity across different ionizing radiation (IR) regimens. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses of parental and clonally-derived tumor cells revealed different chromosome copy numbers from cell to cell, suggesting the presence of chromosomal instability in HNSCC CSC. Further, our in vitro and in vivo mouse engraftment studies suggest that CD44+/CD66− is a promising, consistent biomarker combination for HNSCC CSC. Overall, our findings add further evidence to the proposed role of HNSCC CSCs in therapeutic resistance. - Highlights: • Spheroid enrichment selects cancer stem cells (CSC) from head & neck tumors (HNSCC). • Compared to normal epithelial cells, isolated CSC express increased SC/CSC markers. • Isolated CSC display enhanced radioresistance, clonogenicity and tumorigenicity. • HNSCC CSC express chromosomal instability. • CD44+/CD66− is a promising, consistent biomarker for HNSCC CSC.

Microstructure evolution of the 1469 Al–Cu–Li–Sc alloy during homogenization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Min, E-mail: jm_lushan@163.com; Zheng, Ziqiao, E-mail: csu1469@163.com; Gong, Zhu, E-mail: start123gz@163.com

2014-11-25

Highlights: • The formation of the W phase (AlCuSc) was found in the 1469 Al-Cu–Li–Sc alloy. • The W phase formed during the homogenization process. • We model the formation process of the W phase. • The formation of the W phase consumes lots of Cu and Sc atoms. - Abstract: The present work aims to clarify the formation of the W phase (AlCuSc) and its formation time in the high Cu content alloy with Sc addition. The microstructure evolution during the two-step homogenization annealing process was investigated in the 1469 Al–Cu–Li–Sc alloy. No evidences of the Al{sub 3}Sc phase and the W phase were found in the solidification structure. The arrays of the W phases were found to form after homogenization. The AlCu phases with traces of Sc that formed during solidification suppose to be the precursor of the W phases, and then transform into the W phases by consuming the Sc atoms that fixed in the supersaturate solid solution. The formation of the W phase inhibits the precipitation of the Al{sub 3}Sc phase. A corresponding model of the W phase formation mechanism is proposed.

Development of SC structure modularization in Nuclear Power Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mun, Taeyoup [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2008-04-15

New Focus on NPP are Rising Concerns on Global Warming, Potential energy crisis (geo-political), Improved reliability and safety of nuclear power plant, Advent of Generation 3+ NPP technology and Economical Energy Resource. New NPPs are 6 units in Korea and 23 in Asia being built, 32 units being planned in China by 2020 (150 by 2050), 10 units being planned in US by 2020 and IAEA expects $200 billions on NPP construction next 25 years (up to 30% of total world energy). {open_square} SC(Steel Plate Concrete) structure {center_dot} Steel Plate is used as a Structural Element instead of Reinforcing Bars in RC {center_dot} SC structure consists of Steel Plate with Headed Studs. Connected by Tie-bars - The Primary Purpose of Tie-bars is to Stiffen and Hold Together the Plates during Construction Process - Headed Studs are Welded to the Inside of Steel Plate for composite action {open_square} Benefits of SC Structure {center_dot} Shorten Construction Duration for Re bar, Forming and Scaffolding Works {center_dot} Minimize Site Labors {center_dot} Improve the Construction Quality {center_dot} Enable Construction Sites to be kept Clean {open_square} SC Modularization {center_dot} Fit for Modular Construction for Structural Features {center_dot} Fit for Modular Construction for Structural Features {center_dot} Inattentively Effective for Integrated Modules {center_dot} Pre-fabrication, Pre-assembly and Modularization {open_square} Project Overview {center_dot} Project Name: Development of SC structure for Modularization in NPP {center_dot} Project Type: Electric Power Industry R and D (Ministry of Knowledge Economy) {center_dot} Duration: Sep. 2005 {approx} Aug. 2008 (36 Months) {center_dot} Research Team and Scopes - Project Management: Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) - Development of Code and Standards for SC Structure: Korea Society of Steel Construction (KSSC) Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI) - Development of SC Structural Analysis and Design

A small-molecule/cytokine combination enhances hematopoietic stem cell proliferation via inhibition of cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lan; Guan, Xin; Wang, Huihui; Shen, Bin; Zhang, Yu; Ren, Zhihua; Ma, Yupo; Ding, Xinxin; Jiang, Yongping

2017-07-18

Accumulated evidence supports the potent stimulating effects of multiple small molecules on the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) which are important for the therapy of various hematological disorders. Here, we report a novel, optimized formula, named the SC cocktail, which contains a combination of three such small molecules and four cytokines. Small-molecule candidates were individually screened and then combined at their optimal concentration with the presence of cytokines to achieve maximum capacity for stimulating the human CD34 + cell expansion ex vivo. The extent of cell expansion and the immunophenotype of expanded cells were assessed through flow cytometry. The functional preservation of HSC stemness was confirmed by additional cell and molecular assays in vitro. Subsequently, the expanded cells were transplanted into sublethally irradiated NOD/SCID mice for the assessment of human cell viability and engraftment potential in vivo. Furthermore, the expression of several genes in the cell proliferation and differentiation pathways was analyzed through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) during the process of CD34 + cell expansion. The SC cocktail supported the retention of the immunophenotype of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells remarkably well, by yielding purities of 86.6 ± 11.2% for CD34 + cells and 76.2 ± 10.5% for CD34 + CD38 - cells, respectively, for a 7-day culture. On day 7, the enhancement of expansion of CD34 + cells and CD34 + CD38 - cells reached a maxima of 28.0 ± 5.5-fold and 27.9 ± 4.3-fold, respectively. The SC cocktail-expanded CD34 + cells preserved the characteristics of HSCs by effectively inhibiting their differentiation in vitro and retained the multilineage differentiation potential in primary and secondary in vivo murine xenotransplantation trials. Further gene expression analysis suggested that the small-molecule combination strengthened the ability of the cytokines to enhance the Notch

Lightweight hydrogen-storage material Mg0.65Sc0.35D2 studied with 2H and 2H–{45Sc} MAS NMR exchange spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Srinivasan, S.; Magusin, P.C.M.M.

2011-01-01

Using double-quantum 2H MAS NMR with 45Sc recoupling and Bloch–Siegert compensated 2H–{45Sc} TRAPDOR we have identified the overlapping NMR signals of deuterium with and without scandium neighbors in Mg0.65Sc0.35D2, a candidate lightweight material for hydrogen storage. At room temperature we also

Role of cell death in the propagation of PrP(Sc) in immune cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kenichi; Inoshima, Yasuo; Ishiguro, Naotaka

2015-03-01

A number of studies have suggested that macrophages, dendritic cells, and follicular dendritic cells play an important role in the propagation of PrP(Sc). Both accumulation and proteolysis of PrP(Sc) have been demonstrated in peripheral macrophages. Macrophages may act as reservoirs for PrP(Sc) particles if the cells die during transient PrP(Sc) propagation. However, whether cell death plays a role in PrP(Sc) propagation in macrophages remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the possibility of propagation and transmission of PrP(Sc) between dead immune cells and living neural cells. We found that under specific conditions, transient PrP(Sc) propagation occurs in dead cells, indicating that interaction between PrP(C) and PrP(Sc) on plasma membrane lipid rafts might be important for PrP(Sc) propagation. Co-culturing of killed donor PrP(Sc)-infected macrophages with recipient N2a-3 neuroblastoma cells accelerated PrP(Sc) transmission. Our results suggest that cell death may play an important role in PrP(Sc) propagation, whereas transient PrP(Sc) propagation in macrophages has little effect on PrP(Sc) transmission.

CERN Technical Training 2004: New Short Courses (SC) on Microsoft Outlook

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The CERN Technical Training programme is now proposing a new format for courses on Microsoft Outlook. Three two-hours Short Courses (SC) will cover basic and advanced functionalities of the recommended mail client for email at CERN. Each module can be followed independently. The next scheduled sessions will take place as follows: Outlook (SC I): E-mail. Next session: 22.10.2004 (9h00-11h00) Outlook (SC II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes. Next session: 22.10.2004 (14h00-16h00) Outlook (SC III): Meetings and Delegation. Next session: 9.11.2004 (14h00-16h00) In particular, SC I will cover how to open, create and send email, work with attachments, use stationery, organise mail, and work with the address book, SC II will show how to work with the calendar, tasks and notes, and SC III will cover how to organise and manage meetings, work with meeting requests, share tasks, and use email and calendar delegation. The number of participants to each session is limited to 8. The instructor is English-French bilingual, and...

Electrochemical Characterization of Ni/(Sc)YSZ Electrodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramos, Tania; Thydén, Karl Tor Sune; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2010-01-01

Investigations of Ni/(Sc)YSZ cermets for solid oxide cells (SOCs) were performed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), under varying experimental conditions and upon redox cycling, using three different designs of symmetric cells. The deconvolution and fitting of the obtained impedance...... parameters. Initial degradation results for both Ni/ScYSZ and Ni/YSZ based anodes under very high steam content are also reported. ©2010 COPYRIGHT ECS - The Electrochemical Society...

One-Step Partially Purified Lipases (ScLipA and ScLipB from Schizophyllum commune UTARA1 Obtained via Solid State Fermentation and Their Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yew Chee Kam

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Lipases with unique characteristics are of value in industrial applications, especially those targeting cost-effectiveness and less downstream processes. The aims of this research were to: (i optimize the fermentation parameters via solid state fermentation (SSF; and (ii study the performance in hydrolysis and esterification processes of the one-step partially purified Schizophyllum commune UTARA1 lipases. Lipase was produced by cultivating S. commune UTARA1 on sugarcane bagasse (SB with used cooking oil (UCO via SSF and its production was optimized using Design-Expert® 7.0.0. Fractions 30% (ScLipA and 70% (ScLipB which contained high lipase activity were obtained by stepwise (NH42SO4 precipitation. Crude fish oil, coconut oil and butter were used to investigate the lipase hydrolysis capabilities by a free glycerol assay. Results showed that ScLipA has affinities for long, medium and short chain triglycerides, as all the oils investigated were degraded, whereas ScLipB has affinities for long chain triglycerides as it only degrades crude fish oil. During esterification, ScLipA was able to synthesize trilaurin and triacetin. Conversely, ScLipB was specific towards the formation of 2-mono-olein and triacetin. From the results obtained, it was determined that ScLipA and ScLipB are sn-2 regioselective lipases. Hence, the one-step partial purification strategy proved to be feasible for partial purification of S. commune UTARA1 lipases that has potential use in industrial applications.

Baculovirus display of single chain antibody (scFv using a novel signal peptide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gonzalez Gaëlle

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cells permissive to virus can become refractory to viral replication upon intracellular expression of single chain fragment variable (scFv antibodies directed towards viral structural or regulatory proteins, or virus-coded enzymes. For example, an intrabody derived from MH-SVM33, a monoclonal antibody against a conserved C-terminal epitope of the HIV-1 matrix protein (MAp17, was found to exert an inhibitory effect on HIV-1 replication. Results Two versions of MH-SVM33-derived scFv were constructed in recombinant baculoviruses (BVs and expressed in BV-infected Sf9 cells, N-myristoylation-competent scFvG2/p17 and N-myristoylation-incompetent scFvE2/p17 protein, both carrying a C-terminal HA tag. ScFvG2/p17 expression resulted in an insoluble, membrane-associated protein, whereas scFvE2/p17 was recovered in both soluble and membrane-incorporated forms. When coexpressed with the HIV-1 Pr55Gag precursor, scFvG2/p17 and scFvE2/p17 did not show any detectable negative effect on virus-like particle (VLP assembly and egress, and both failed to be encapsidated in VLP. However, soluble scFvE2/p17 isolated from Sf9 cell lysates was capable of binding to its specific antigen, in the form of a synthetic p17 peptide or as Gag polyprotein-embedded epitope. Significant amounts of scFvE2/p17 were released in the extracellular medium of BV-infected cells in high-molecular weight, pelletable form. This particulate form corresponded to BV particles displaying scFvE2/p17 molecules, inserted into the BV envelope via the scFv N-terminal region. The BV-displayed scFvE2/p17 molecules were found to be immunologically functional, as they reacted with the C-terminal epitope of MAp17. Fusion of the N-terminal 18 amino acid residues from the scFvE2/p17 sequence (N18E2 to another scFv recognizing CD147 (scFv-M6-1B9 conferred the property of BV-display to the resulting chimeric scFv-N18E2/M6. Conclusion Expression of scFvE2/p17 in insect cells using a BV

IEC SC15E: Report on liaison activities of CIGRÉ-SC15

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Mogens

2000-01-01

WG’s activities under CIGRÉ SC15:WG 15.01 - Fluid impregnated systems.WG 15.02 - Dielectric Liquids.WG 15.03 - Gas Insulation.WG 15.04 - Outdoor Insulation.WG 15.05 - Capacitors.WG 15.07 - Solid Insulating Materials for Rotating Machines.WG 15/33.08 - Insulation Monitoring and Life Estimation. WG...

Laser photoelectron spectrometry of Sc- and Y-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feigerle, C.S.; Herman, Z.; Lineberger, W.C.

1981-01-01

The photoelectron spectra of Sc - and Y - have been obtained in a crossed ion- and laser-beam experiment. Analysis of the Sc - spectrum yields two bound terms of 3d4s 2 4p configuration ( 1 D 0 and 3 D 0 ), with EA(Sc) = 0.189 +- 0.020 eV and an excited-state binding energy of 0.042 +- 0.020 eV. Similarly, the (4d5s 2 5p) 1 D 0 ground state of Y - is bound by 0.308 +- 0.012 eV and a (4d5s 2 5p) 3 D 0 excited term is bound by 0.165 +- 0.025 eV. With the determination of the bound electronic configuration of Sc - as 3d4s 2 4p, the order of filling of electron shells of the first transition series negative ions is found to be 4s 2 ep, 3d4s 2 4p, the order of filling of electron shells of the first transition series negative ions is found to be 4s 2 4p, 3d4s 2 4p, followed by 3dsup(k) 4s 2 (k = 3, 4, ..., 10). (orig.)

The SC gets ready for visitors

CERN Multimedia

Antonella Del Rosso

2012-01-01

Hall 300, which houses the Synchrocyclotron (SC), CERN’s first accelerator, is getting ready to host a brand-new exhibition. The site will be one of the stops on the new visit itineraries that will be inaugurated for the 2013 CERN Open Day.   The Synchrocyclotron through the years. Just as it did in the late 1950s, when the accelerator was first installed, the gigantic red structure of the Synchrocyclotron's magnet occupies a large part of the 300-square-metre hall. “We have completed the first phase of the project that will give the SC a new lease of life,” says Marco Silari, the project leader and a member of CERN’s Radiation Protection Group. “We have removed all the equipment that was not an integral part of the accelerator. The hall is now ready for the civil-engineering work that will precede the installation of the exhibition.” The SC was witness to a big part of the history of CERN. The accelerator produced ...

CERN Technical Training 2004: New Short Courses (SC) on Microsoft Outlook

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The CERN Technical Training programme is now proposing a new format for courses on Microsoft Outlook. Three two-hours Short Courses (SC) will cover basic and advanced functionalities of the recommended mail client for email at CERN. Each module can be followed independently. The next scheduled sessions will take place as follows: Outlook (SC I): E-mail. Next session: 31.8.2004 (9h00-11h00) Outlook (SC II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes. Next session: 31.8.2004 (14h00-16h00) Outlook (SC III): Meetings and Delegation. Next session: 7.9.2004 (14h00-16h00) In particular, SC I will cover how to open, create and send email, work with attachments, use stationery, organise mail, and work with the address book, SC II will show how to work with the calendar, tasks and notes, and SC III will cover how to organise and manage meetings, work with meeting requests, share tasks, and use email and calendar delegation. The number of participants to each session is limited to 8. The instructor is English-French bilingual, and she...

Polymorphous GdScO3 as high permittivity dielectric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schäfer, A.; Rahmanizadeh, K.; Bihlmayer, G.; Luysberg, M.; Wendt, F.; Besmehn, A.; Fox, A.

2015-01-01

Four different polymorphs of GdScO 3 are assessed theoretically and experimentally with respect to their suitability as a dielectric. The calculations carried out by density functional theory reveal lattice constants, band gaps and the energies of formation of three crystal phases. Experimentally all three crystal phases and the amorphous phase can be realized as thin films by pulsed laser deposition using various growth templates. Their respective crystal structures are confirmed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reflecting the calculated lattice constants. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy unveils the band gaps of the different polymorphs of GdScO 3 which are above 5 eV for all films demonstrating good insulating properties. From capacitance voltage measurements, high permittivities of up to 27 for hexagonal GdScO 3 are deduced. - Highlights: • Different epitaxial polymorph phases of GdScO 3 were grown by pulsed laser deposition. • The cubic phase of GdScO 3 is reported for the first time. • All phases are proven to be useful for the use in silicon based and III–V based microelectronic devices.

Piezoelectric coefficients and spontaneous polarization of ScAlN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caro, Miguel A; Laurila, Tomi; Zhang, Siyuan; Moram, Michelle A; Riekkinen, Tommi; Ylilammi, Markku; Molarius, Jyrki; Lopez-Acevedo, Olga

2015-01-01

We present a computational study of spontaneous polarization and piezoelectricity in Sc x Al 1−x N alloys in the compositional range from x = 0 to x = 0.5, obtained in the context of density functional theory and the Berry-phase theory of electric polarization using large periodic supercells. We report composition-dependent values of piezoelectric coefficients e ij , piezoelectric moduli d ij and elastic constants C ij . The theoretical findings are complemented with experimental measurement of e 33 for a series of sputtered ScAlN films carried out with a piezoelectric resonator. The rapid increase with Sc content of the piezoelectric response reported in previous studies is confirmed for the available data. A detailed description of the full methodology required to calculate the piezoelectric properties of ScAlN, with application to other complex alloys, is presented. In particular, we find that the large amount of internal strain present in ScAlN and its intricate relation with electric polarization make configurational sampling and the use of large supercells at different compositions necessary in order to accurately derive the piezoelectric response of the material. (paper)

The SC15 protein of Schizophyllum commune mediates formation of aerial hyphae and attachment in the absence of the SC3 hydrophobin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lugones, L G; de Jong, J F; de Vries, O M H; Jalving, R; Dijksterhuis, J; Wösten, H A B

Disruption of the SC3 gene in the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune affected not only formation of aerial hyphae but also attachment to hydrophobic surfaces. However, these processes were not completely abolished, indicating involvement of other molecules. We here show that the SC15 protein

FRACTIONAL RECRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS IN DIRECTLY COLD ROLLED Al-Mg, Al-Mg-Sc AND Al-Mg-Sc-Zr ALLOY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. Kaiser

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of texture as a function of recrystallization has been characterized for directly cold rolled Al-6Mg, Al-6Mg-0.4Sc and Al-6Mg-0.4Sc-0.2Zr alloys. Samples were annealed isothermally at 400 °C for 1 to 240 minutes to allow recrystallization. Recrystallization kinetics of the alloys is analyzed from the micro-hardness variation. Isothermally annealed samples of aluminum alloys were also studied using JMAK type analysis to see if there exists any correlation between the methods. Recrystallization fraction behavior between two methods the scandium added alloys show the higher variation due to precipitation hardening and higher recrystallization behavior. The scandium and zirconium as a combined shows the more variation due to formation of Al3(Sc, Zr precipitate. From the microstructure it is also observed that the base Al-Mg alloy attained almost fully re-crystallized state after annealing at 400 °C for 60 minutes

Metformin kills and radiosensitizes cancer cells and preferentially kills cancer stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Chang W.; Lee, Hyemi; Dings, Ruud P. M.; Williams, Brent; Powers, John; Santos, Troy Dos; Choi, Bo-Hwa; Park, Heon Joo

2012-01-01

The anti-cancer effects of metformin, the most widely used drug for type 2 diabetes, alone or in combination with ionizing radiation were studied with MCF-7 human breast cancer cells and FSaII mouse fibrosarcoma cells. Clinically achievable concentrations of metformin caused significant clonogenic death in cancer cells. Importantly, metformin was preferentially cytotoxic to cancer stem cells relative to non-cancer stem cells. Metformin increased the radiosensitivity of cancer cells in vitro, and significantly enhanced the radiation-induced growth delay of FSaII tumors (s.c.) in the legs of C3H mice. Both metformin and ionizing radiation activated AMPK leading to inactivation of mTOR and suppression of its downstream effectors such as S6K1 and 4EBP1, a crucial signaling pathway for proliferation and survival of cancer cells, in vitro as well as in the in vivo tumors. Conclusion: Metformin kills and radiosensitizes cancer cells and eradicates radioresistant cancer stem cells by activating AMPK and suppressing mTOR. PMID:22500211

Creep properties and precipitate evolution in Al-Li alloys microalloyed with Sc and Yb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krug, Matthew E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Seidman, David N. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Northwestern Center for Atom Probe Tomography, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Dunand, David C., E-mail: dunand@northwestern.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2220 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States)

2012-07-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examine the creep behavior of Al-alloys with Li and rare earth element additions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer These alloys exhibit threshold stresses below which no measurable creep occurs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Larger precipitate size and lattice parameter mismatch increase creep resistance. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A simple parameter describes the threshold stress behavior in ternary Al-Sc-X alloys. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The findings are explained by a recent model of dislocation-precipitate interactions. - Abstract: A dilute Al-Sc alloy (Al-0.12 Sc, at.%, Al-Sc), its counterpart with a Li addition (Al-2.9 Li-0.11 Sc, at.%, Al-Li-Sc), as well as a quaternary alloy (Al-5.53 Li-0.048 Sc-0.009 Yb, at.%, Al-Li-Sc-Yb) were isothermally aged at 325 Degree-Sign C, and in some cases isochronally aged to 450 Degree-Sign C. As the {alpha} Prime -Al{sub 3}(Li,Sc) and Al{sub 3}(Li,Sc,Yb) precipitates, with L1{sub 2} structure, coarsen in the two Li-containing alloys, their Li and Yb concentrations decrease and their Sc concentration increases. A significant interfacial excess of Li also segregates at the {alpha}-Al matrix/{alpha} Prime -Al{sub 3}Sc(Li,Sc,Yb) precipitate interface: 5.99 {+-} 0.05 atoms nm{sup -2} in Al-Li-Sc and 13.2 {+-} 0.4 atoms nm{sup -2} in Al-Li-Sc-Yb after aging isochronally to 450 Degree-Sign C. During compression creep at 300 Degree-Sign C, the aged alloys exhibit threshold stresses between 8 and 22 MPa. A recent threshold stress model based on elastic interactions between dislocations and precipitates predicts correctly that Li additions in the Al-Li-Sc alloy reduce the threshold stress, while Yb in the Al-Li-Sc-Yb alloy increases it. The model is also in agreement with the threshold stresses of all Al-Sc-X alloys published to date.

Local Impact Simulation of SC Wall Structures using Aircraft Engine Projectile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Chulhun; Lee, Jungwhee; Lee, Hanjoo; Jung, Raeyoung; Hyun, Changhun

2013-01-01

SC wall structure developed for nuclear power plant buildings consists of plain concrete and two steel plates on both surface of the concrete, while RC structure consists of re bar and concrete. SC structure has higher scabbing resistance than RC structure due to the action of steel plate on the rear side of impact. Therefore SC structure is known as more effective structure from the viewpoint of aircraft crash than RC structure. However, most of the recent researches and experiments about local impact damage deal with RC structures, and the effect of re bar and steel plate is not considered reasonably. Although Walter et al. and Make-work et al. suggested a formula for evaluating perforation depth of steel plate covered RC walls, most of the previous researches about SC structure are focused on perforation and scabbing due to the impact of hard projectile, rather than soft projectile such as an aircraft. In this research a soft projectile, i. e. aircraft engine, is utilized for impact simulation of RC and SC walls. To evaluate local damage of SC wall structures, parametric study with the variables of wall thickness and steel ratio of the cover plate is performed, and the results are compared with those of RC structures. Since scabbing was prevented by the steel plates, penetration mode of damage was observed in SC walls while scabbing damage was occurred in RC walls. It is confirmed that the rear steel plate not only contains concrete debris, but also reduces the internal damage of the concrete walls. Penetration depth of SC walls did not largely vary due to the increasing steel ratio, and similar results to RC walls were observed when the wall thickness is larger than a certain value since the impact resistance of SC wall is mainly governed by the thickness of concrete part. Therefore, it is expected that similar level of impact resistance to RC structure can be produced with the minimum thickness of steel plates of SC structure. According to these results, SC

Radiolabeling of DOTATOC with the long-lived positron emitter {sup 44}Sc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pruszynski, Marek; Majkowska-Pilip, Agnieszka [Centre of Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry, Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warszawa (Poland); Loktionova, Natalia S.; Eppard, Elisabeth [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Roesch, Frank, E-mail: frank.roesch@uni-mainz.de [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Fritz-Strassmann-Weg 2, D-55128 Mainz (Germany)

2012-06-15

The positron-emitting radionuclide {sup 44}Sc with a half-life of 3.97 h and a {beta}{sup +} branching of 94.3% is of potential interest for clinical PET. As so far it is available from a {sup 44}Ti/{sup 44}Sc generator in Mainz, where long-lived {sup 44}Ti decays to no-carrier-added (nca) {sup 44}Sc. The {sup 44}Sc is a trivalent metal cation and should be suitable for complexation with many well established bifunctional chelators conjugated to peptides or other molecular targeting vectors. Thus, the aim of this work was to investigate the potential of {sup 44}Sc for labeling of DOTA-conjugated peptides. DOTA-D-Phe{sup 1}-Tyr{sup 3}-octreotide (DOTATOC) was used as a model molecule to study and optimize labeling procedure. Reaction parameters such as buffer conditions, concentration of peptide, pH range, reaction temperature and time were optimized. Addition of 21 nmol of DOTATOC to {sup 44}Sc in ammonium acetate buffer pH 4.0 provided labeling yields >98% within 25 min of heating in an oil-bath at 95 Degree-Sign C. This time can be reduced to 3 min only by applying microwave supported heating. {sup 44}Sc-DOTATOC was found to be stable in 0.9% NaCl, PBS pH 7.4, fetal calf and human serums, and also in the presence of competing metal cations (Fe{sup 3+}, Ca{sup 2+}, Cu{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+}), as well as other ligand competitors, like EDTA and DTPA, even after almost 25 h incubation at 37 Degree-Sign C. Present study shows that nca {sup 44}Sc forms stable complexes with the macrocyclic ligand DOTA and that {sup 44}Sc-DOTATOC and analog targeting vectors may be synthesized for further preclinical and clinical investigations. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Labeling of somatostatin analouges with positron emitter {sup 44}Sc was tested. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DOTATOC was labeled with {sup 44}Sc isotope. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optimal conditions for {sup 44}Sc-DOTATOC synthesis were found. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Stability of {sup 44}Sc

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Anti-HIV scFv Efficiently Protects CD4 T Cells from HIV-1 Infection and Deletion in hu-PBL Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Chaobaihui; Wang, Weiming; Cheng, Liang; Li, Guangming; Wen, Michael; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Qing; Li, Dan

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Despite success in viral inhibition and CD4 T cell recovery by highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), HIV-1 is still not curable due to the persistence of the HIV-1 reservoir during treatment. One patient with acute myeloid leukemia who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a homozygous CCR5 Δ32 donor has had no detectable viremia for 9 years after HAART cessation. This case has inspired a field of HIV-1 cure research focusing on engineering HIV-1 resistance in permissive cells. Here, we employed a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-scFv X5 approach to confer resistance of human primary CD4 T cells to HIV-1. We showed that primary CD4 T cells expressing GPI-scFv X5 were resistant to CCR5 (R5)-, CXCR4 (X4)-, and dual-tropic HIV-1 and had a survival advantage compared to control cells ex vivo. In a hu-PBL mouse study, GPI-scFv X5-transduced CD4 T cells were selected in peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues upon HIV-1 infection. Finally, GPI-scFv X5-transduced CD4 T cells, after being cotransfused with HIV-infected cells, showed significantly reduced viral loads and viral RNA copy numbers relative to CD4 cells in hu-PBL mice compared to mice with GPI-scFv AB65-transduced CD4 T cells. We conclude that GPI-scFv X5-modified CD4 T cells could potentially be used as a genetic intervention against both R5- and X4-tropic HIV-1 infections. IMPORTANCE Blocking of HIV-1 entry is one of most promising approaches for therapy. Genetic disruption of the HIV-1 coreceptor CCR5 by nucleases in T cells is under 2 clinical trials and leads to reduced viremia in patients. However, the emergence of viruses using the CXCR4 coreceptor is a concern for therapies applying single-coreceptor disruption. Here, we report that HIV-1-permissive CD4 T cells engineered with GPI-scFv X5 are resistant to R5-, X4-, or dual-tropic virus infection ex vivo. In a preclinical study using hu-PBL mice, we show that CD4 T cells were protected and that GPI-scFv X5

Stable integration of recombinant adeno-associated virus vector genomes after transduction of murine hematopoietic stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Zongchao; Zhong, Li; Maina, Njeri; Hu, Zhongbo; Li, Xiaomiao; Chouthai, Nitin S; Bischof, Daniela; Weigel-Van Aken, Kirsten A; Slayton, William B; Yoder, Mervin C; Srivastava, Arun

2008-03-01

We previously reported that among single-stranded adeno-associated virus (ssAAV) vectors, serotypes 1 through 5, ssAAV1 is the most efficient in transducing murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but viral second-strand DNA synthesis remains a rate-limiting step. Subsequently, using double-stranded, self-complementary AAV (scAAV) vectors, serotypes 7 through 10, we observed that scAAV7 vectors also transduce murine HSCs efficiently. In the present study, we used scAAV1 and scAAV7 shuttle vectors to transduce HSCs in a murine bone marrow serial transplant model in vivo, which allowed examination of the AAV proviral integration pattern in the mouse genome, as well as recovery and nucleotide sequence analyses of AAV-HSC DNA junction fragments. The proviral genomes were stably integrated, and integration sites were localized to different mouse chromosomes. None of the integration sites was found to be in a transcribed gene, or near a cellular oncogene. None of the animals, monitored for up to 1 year, exhibited pathological abnormalities. Thus, AAV proviral integration-induced risk of oncogenesis was not found in our study, which provides functional confirmation of stable transduction of self-renewing multipotential HSCs by scAAV vectors as well as promise for the use of these vectors in the potential treatment of disorders of the hematopoietic system.

Gadolinium scandium germanide, Gd2Sc3Ge4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumohan Misra

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Gd2Sc3Ge4 adopts the orthorhombic Pu5Rh4-type structure. The crystal structure contains six sites in the asymmetric unit: two sites are statistically occupied by rare-earth atoms with Gd:Sc ratios of 0.967 (4:0.033 (4 and 0.031 (3:0.969 (3, one site (.m. symmetry is occupied by Sc atoms, and three distinct sites (two of which with .m. symmetry are occupied by Ge atoms. The rare-earth atoms form two-dimensional slabs with Ge atoms occupying the trigonal-prismatic voids.

The hair follicle bulge: a niche for adult stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasolli, Hilda Amalia

2011-08-01

Adult stem cells (SCs) are essential for tissue homeostasis and wound repair. They have the ability to both self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types. They often reside in specialized microenvironments or niches that preserve their proliferative and tissue regenerative capacity. The murine hair follicle (HF) has a specialized and permanent compartment--the bulge, which safely lodges SCs and provides the necessary molecular cues to regulate their function. The HF undergoes cyclic periods of destruction, regeneration, and rest, making it an excellent system to study SC biology.

Monitor of SC beam profiles

CERN Document Server

CERN PhotoLab

1977-01-01

A high-resolution secondary emission grid for the measurement of SC beam profiles. Modern techniques of metal-ceramic bonding, developed for micro-electronics, have been used in its construction. (See Annual Report 1977 p. 105 Fig. 12.)

Performance Analysis of OFDM 60GHz System and SC-FDE 60GHz System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Xueyan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the performance of 60GHz wireless communication system with SC and OFDM is studied, the models of OFDM 60GHz system and SC 60GHz frequency domain equalization (SC-FDE system are established, and the bit error rate (BER performance of OFDM 60GHz system and SC-FDE 60GHz system in 802.15.3c channels is compared. The simulation results show that SC-FDE 60GHz system has a slight advantage over OFDM system in line-of-sight (LOS channels, while OFDM 60GHz system has a slight advantage over SC-FDE system in non-line-of-sight (NLOS channels. For 60GHz system, OFDM 60GHz system has a slight advantage over SC-FDE system in overcoming multipath fading, but the performance of both is close whether in the LOS or NLOS case.

Gallium-containing Heusler phases ScRh{sub 2}Ga, ScPd{sub 2}Ga, TmRh{sub 2}Ga and LuRh{sub 2}Ga. Magnetic and solid state NMR-spectroscopic characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heletta, Lukas; Seidel, Stefan; Poettgen, Rainer [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Benndorf, Christopher [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Mineralogie, Kristallographie und Materialwissenschaften; Eckert, Hellmut [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Physikalische Chemie; Sao Paulo Univ., Sao Carlos (Brazil). Inst. of Physics

2017-10-01

The gallium-containing Heusler phases ScRh{sub 2}Ga, ScPd{sub 2}Ga, TmRh{sub 2}Ga and LuRh{sub 2}Ga have been synthesized by arc-melting of the elements followed by different annealing sequences to improve phase purity. The samples have been studied by powder X-ray diffraction. The structures of Lu{sub 0.97}Rh{sub 2}Ga{sub 1.03} (Fm3m, a=632.94(5) pm, wR2=0.0590, 46 F{sup 2} values, seven variables) and Sc{sub 0.88}Rh{sub 2}Ga{sub 1.12} (a=618.91(4) pm, wR2=0.0284, 44 F{sup 2} values, six variables) have been refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data. Both gallides show structural disorder through Lu/Ga and Sc/Ga mixing. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements showed Pauli paramagnetism for ScRh{sub 2}Ga, ScPd{sub 2}Ga, and LuRh{sub 2}Ga and Curie-Weiss paramagnetism for TmRh{sub 2}Ga. {sup 45}Sc and {sup 71}Ga solid state MAS NMR spectroscopic investigations of the Sc containing compounds confirmed the site mixing effects typically observed for Heusler phases. The data indicate that the effect of mixed Sc/Ga occupancy is significantly stronger in ScRh{sub 2}Ga than in ScPd{sub 2}Ga.

Proteome of human stem cells from periodontal ligament and dental pulp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrica Eleuterio

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Many adult tissues contain a population of stem cells with the ability to regenerate structures similar to the microenvironments from which they are derived in vivo and represent a promising therapy for the regeneration of complex tissues in the clinical disorder. Human adult stem cells (SCs including bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs have been characterized for their high proliferative potential, expression of characteristic SC-associated markers and for the plasticity to differentiate in different lineage in vitro. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The aim of this study is to define the molecular features of stem cells from oral tissue by comparing the proteomic profiles obtained with 2-DE followed by MALDI-TOF/TOF of ex-vivo cultured human PDLSCs, DPSCs and BMSCs. Our results showed qualitative similarities in the proteome profiles among the SCs examined including some significant quantitative differences. To enrich the knowledge of oral SCs proteome we performed an analysis in narrow range pH 4-7 and 6-9, and we found that DPSCs vs PDLSCs express differentially regulated proteins that are potentially related to growth, regulation and genesis of neuronal cells, suggesting that SCs derived from oral tissue source populations may possess the potential ability of neuronal differentiation which is very consistent with their neural crest origin. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study identifies some differentially expressed proteins by using comparative analysis between DPSCs and PDLSCs and BMSCs and suggests that stem cells from oral tissue could have a different cell lineage potency compared to BMSCs.

PEMODELAN KONDUKTIVITAS ION DALAM STRUKTUR Li2Sc3(PO43 (Modeling Ionic Conductivity in Li2Sc3(PO43 Structure

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Akram La Kilo

2011-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAK Fasa Li2Sc3(PO43 merupakan material konduktor superionik yang dapat diaplikasikan sebagai baterai yang dapat diisi ulang (rechargeable. Ion Li+ dalam struktur Li2Sc3(PO4 dapat mengalami migrasi dari posisi terisi ke posisi kosong. Penelitian ini telah memodelkan migrasi ion Li+ dalam struktur Li2Sc3(PO4 dengan menggunakan metode bond valence sum (BVS. Metode ini dapat memprediksi bilangan oksidasi suatu atom berdasarkan jarak dengan atom-atom tetangga. Source code berbasis BVS yang digunakan adalah JUMPITER yang mensimulasi efek gaya listrik eksternal yang bertindak pada ion litium sehingga nilai BVS litium dapat dipetakan terhadap jarak. Hasil simulasi menunjukkan bahwa konduksi ion Li+ dapat terjadi pada arah [010], [101], dan [120]. Namun, lintasan konduksi ion Li+ lebih mudah terjadi pada arah [120] atau bidang ab dengan nilai maksimum BVS adalah 0,982. ABSTRACT g-phase of Li2Sc3(PO43 is a lithium super ionic conductor which can be applied as a rechargeable lithium battery. Lithium ions of g-Li2Sc3(PO43 can migrate from occupied site to vacant site. In this research, simulation of Li+ ions migration in the structure of g-Li2Sc3(PO43 carried out using bond valence sum (BVS to predict the oxidation state of Li+ion based on the distance of the ion to neighboring atoms. BVS-based code used JUMPITER to simulate the effect of external electrical force acting on the lithium ions to produce the lithium BVS value which can be mapped to the distance. The simulation results shows that Li+ ion conduction can be occurred on [010], [101], and [120] directions. However, the Li ion conduction pathway occur more easily in the direction of [120] or ab plane with the BVS maximum value is 0.982.

Prostaglandin E2 is essential for efficacious skeletal muscle stem-cell function, augmenting regeneration and strength.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Andrew T V; Palla, Adelaida R; Blake, Matthew R; Yucel, Nora D; Wang, Yu Xin; Magnusson, Klas E G; Holbrook, Colin A; Kraft, Peggy E; Delp, Scott L; Blau, Helen M

2017-06-27

Skeletal muscles harbor quiescent muscle-specific stem cells (MuSCs) capable of tissue regeneration throughout life. Muscle injury precipitates a complex inflammatory response in which a multiplicity of cell types, cytokines, and growth factors participate. Here we show that Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an inflammatory cytokine that directly targets MuSCs via the EP4 receptor, leading to MuSC expansion. An acute treatment with PGE2 suffices to robustly augment muscle regeneration by either endogenous or transplanted MuSCs. Loss of PGE2 signaling by specific genetic ablation of the EP4 receptor in MuSCs impairs regeneration, leading to decreased muscle force. Inhibition of PGE2 production through nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration just after injury similarly hinders regeneration and compromises muscle strength. Mechanistically, the PGE2 EP4 interaction causes MuSC expansion by triggering a cAMP/phosphoCREB pathway that activates the proliferation-inducing transcription factor, Nurr1 Our findings reveal that loss of PGE2 signaling to MuSCs during recovery from injury impedes muscle repair and strength. Through such gain- or loss-of-function experiments, we found that PGE2 signaling acts as a rheostat for muscle stem-cell function. Decreased PGE2 signaling due to NSAIDs or increased PGE2 due to exogenous delivery dictates MuSC function, which determines the outcome of regeneration. The markedly enhanced and accelerated repair of damaged muscles following intramuscular delivery of PGE2 suggests a previously unrecognized indication for this therapeutic agent.

Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masahiko Yamaguchi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Calcitonin receptor (Calcr is expressed in adult muscle stem cells (muscle satellite cells [MuSCs]. To elucidate the role of Calcr, we conditionally depleted Calcr from adult MuSCs and found that impaired regeneration after muscle injury correlated with the decreased number of MuSCs in Calcr-conditional knockout (cKO mice. Calcr signaling maintained MuSC dormancy via the cAMP-PKA pathway but had no impact on myogenic differentiation of MuSCs in an undifferentiated state. The abnormal quiescent state in Calcr-cKO mice resulted in a reduction of the MuSC pool by apoptosis. Furthermore, MuSCs were found outside their niche in Calcr-cKO mice, demonstrating cell relocation. This emergence from the sublaminar niche was prevented by the Calcr-cAMP-PKA and Calcr-cAMP-Epac pathways downstream of Calcr. Altogether, the findings demonstrated that Calcr exerts its effect specifically by keeping MuSCs in a quiescent state and in their location, maintaining the MuSC pool.

FOXO3 Promotes Quiescence in Adult Muscle Stem Cells during the Process of Self-Renewal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchitra D. Gopinath

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Skeletal muscle stem cells, or “satellite cells” (SCs, are required for the regeneration of damaged muscle tissue. Although SCs self-renew during regeneration, the mechanisms that govern SC re-entry into quiescence remain elusive. We show that FOXO3, a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors, is expressed in quiescent SCs (QSCs. Conditional deletion of Foxo3 in QSCs impairs self-renewal and increases the propensity of SCs to adopt a differentiated fate. Transcriptional analysis of SCs lacking FOXO3 revealed a downregulation of Notch signaling, a key regulator of SC quiescence. Conversely, overexpression of Notch intracellular domain (NICD rescued the self-renewal deficit of FOXO3-deficient SCs. We show that FOXO3 regulates NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 receptor expression and that decreasing expression of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 receptors phenocopies the effect of FOXO3 deficiency in SCs. We demonstrate that FOXO3, perhaps by activating Notch signaling, promotes the quiescent state during SC self-renewal in adult muscle regeneration.

Phase relationship in AL-Cu-Sc alloys at 450-500 deg C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kharakterova, M.L.

1991-01-01

Al-Cu-Sc alloys containing up to 40% Cu and up to 6% Sc at 450 deg C and 500 deg C are studied using light microscopy, X-ray-spectral microanalysis, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, measurement of microhardness and electric resistance. It is determined, that in equilibrium with aluminium solid solution under the given temperature ther are Al 3 Sc, CuAl 2 phases of the respective binary systems and W (ScCu 6.6-4 Al 5.4-8 ) ternary phase. Isothermal cross sections of Al-Cu-Sc system at 450 and 500 deg C are plotted. Microhardness of equilibrium phases is measured. Combined solubility of copper and scandium in aluminium is determined

Effect of Sc addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of 1460 alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Ma

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The effect of minor addition of Sc on microstructure, age hardening behavior, tensile properties and fracture morphology of 1460 alloy have been studied. It is found that Sc content increase from 0.11 wt% to 0.22 wt% is favorable for grain refinement in as-cast alloy but results in a coarsening of Cu-rich particles. The alloy with 0.11 wt% Sc exhibits enhanced mechanical properties and age hardening effect. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM investigations on the alloy with 0.11 wt% Sc have suggested that a large amount of Al3(Sc, Zr particles precipitated at the earlier aging may inhibit recrystallization effectively.

Mathematical models of some geomagnetic storms with SC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanova, P.K.

1990-01-01

Regressive equations for H horizontal component of three geomagnetic storms with Sc:0.1.03.82, 24.01.74 and 23.03.69 -are calculated using step-by-step regression analysis. These equations relate H with parameters of solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field. Nonlinear, square, logarithmic and trigonometric dependences are considered, as well. Most essential parameters, which contribute mostly into Sc, are determined from multiplicity (46 factors) of independent parameters

Radiation protection Group (SC/RP) desperately seeking...

CERN Document Server

A. Hervé, Y. Donjoux / SC

2006-01-01

We are trying to trace two transit permits (passavants), which constitute the customs clearance documentation for two 'AD6'portable radiation detectors. The two permits (No. 1308 and No. 1309) were sent in the same internal mail envelope towards the middle of March 2006 but never reached their final destination. After weeks of searching in vain, we are now appealing for your help. If you have these two permits in your possession, please get in touch with us. Many thanks in advance. A.HERVE - SC/RP- ( 163168 / 70927) Y.DONJOUX - SC/RP - (160105 / 73171)

[Roberts-SC phocomelia syndrome].

Science.gov (United States)

Musfeld, D A; Bühler, E M; Heinzl, S

2001-01-01

The Roberts-SC phocomelia syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder clinically manifested by tetraphocomelia, pre- and postnatal growth retardation, and craniofacial abnormalities (skull, eyes, lip, and palate), accompanied at times by centromer puffing and splitting, renal abnormalities, heart defect, clitoral or penile enlargement, and bilateral corneal opacities. Mental retardation is common in surviving patients.

Model of Dees and Rotco for the 600 MeV SC

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1978-01-01

The accelerating frequency of the 600 MeV Synchro-Cyclotron (SC) was modulated by the varying capacity of a rotating condenser ("Rotco", the most delicate component of the SC). A 1/5-scale model, dating from the design-period of the SC, was used to study improvements to the SC RF-system, and also the acceleration of ions, first Helium and, at the time of this picture, Carbon. In the middle of the picture is the case containing the Dees. To the left, at the wide end of the cone, a rotco. Reinhold Hohbach is busy with measurements. See also 7805235 (Annual Report 1978, p.110).

First coil for the SC

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1955-01-01

The coils for the SC magnet were stored in the large hangar of the Cointrin Airport (to make sure that they would be available before snow and ice would block the roads and canals from Belgium, where they were built).

Some peculiarities of ScFe2 and ScNi2 interaction with ammonia in the presence of NH4Cl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shilkin, S.P.; Fokin, V.N.; Fokina, Eh.Eh.; Tarasov, B.P.; Korobkov, I.I.

2000-01-01

Interaction of ScFe 2 and ScNi 2 intermetallic compounds with ammonia in the presence of NH 4 Cl (10 mass % from intermetallide introduced in reaction) as an activator of the process in initial ammonia pressure 0.6-0.8 MPa is investigated. Possibility of preparation of crystalline intermetallide hydrides and amorphous products in highly dispersed state at different temperature are shown. It is established that intermetallides decompose in ammonia medium at ≥ 450 Deg C [ru

Methods for production of UNK SC-dipoles magnetic measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, N.L.

1991-01-01

Many SC-dipoles for UNK will require from the chosen magnetic measurement methods high accuracy and efficiency. The brief of using methods, their possibilities and analysis of their errors are given. The measurements results for a full-scale model of SC-dipole SPDM1 are presented. 5 refs.; 4 figs.; 4 tabs

Study of the hyperfine magnetic field at Ta181 site in the Heusler Co2 Sc Sn, Co2 Sc Ga and Co2 Hf Sn alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Attili, R.N.

1992-01-01

The hyperfine magnetic fields acting on 181 Ta nuclei at the Sc and Hf sites have been measured in Heusler alloys Co 2 Sc Sn and Co 2 Sc Ga and Co 2 Hf Sn using the Time Differential Perturbed γ-γ Angular Correlation (TDPAC) technique. The measurements were carried out using an automatic spectrometer consisting of two Ba F 2 detectors and the conventional electronics. The magnitude of hyperfine magnetic field at 181 Ta was measured for all the alloys. The signs of the were determined in the cases of Co 2 Sc Sn and Co 2 Hf Sn alloys by performing the Perturbed Angular Correlation measurements with an external polarizing magnetic field of ≅ 5 k Gauss. The hyperfine magnetic fields obtained are -187,6± 3,3 and 90,0 ± 2,1 kOe measured at 77 K for Co 2 Sc Sn and Co 2 Sc Ga alloys respectively, and -342,4 ± 10,1 kOe measured at the room temperature for Co 2 Hf Sn alloy. These results are discussed and compared with the hyperfine magnetic field systematics in Co-based Heusler alloy. (author)

Small Molecules Affect Human Dental Pulp Stem Cell Properties Via Multiple Signaling Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Habib, Mey; Yu, Zongdong

2013-01-01

One fundamental issue regarding stem cells for regenerative medicine is the maintenance of stem cell stemness. The purpose of the study was to test whether small molecules can enhance stem cell properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human dental pulp (hDPSCs), which have potential for multiple clinical applications. We identified the effects of small molecules (Pluripotin (SC1), 6-bromoindirubin-3-oxime and rapamycin) on the maintenance of hDPSC properties in vitro and the mechanisms involved in exerting the effects. Primary cultures of hDPSCs were exposed to optimal concentrations of these small molecules. Treated hDPSCs were analyzed for their proliferation, the expression levels of pluripotent and MSC markers, differentiation capacities, and intracellular signaling activations. We found that small molecule treatments decreased cell proliferation and increased the expression of STRO-1, NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2, while diminishing cell differentiation into odonto/osteogenic, adipogenic, and neurogenic lineages in vitro. These effects involved Ras-GAP-, ERK1/2-, and mTOR-signaling pathways, which may preserve the cell self-renewal capacity, while suppressing differentiation. We conclude that small molecules appear to enhance the immature state of hDPSCs in culture, which may be used as a strategy for adult stem cell maintenance and extend their capacity for regenerative applications. PMID:23573877

Level densities and γ strength functions in light Sc and Ti isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burger, A.; Larsen, A.C.; Syed, N.U.H.; Guttormsen, M.; Nyhus, H.; Siem, S.; Harissopulos, S.; Konstantinopoulos, T.; Lagoyannis, A.; Perdidakis, G.; Spyrou, A.; Kmiecik, M.; Mazurek, K.; Krticka, M.; Loennroth, T.; Norby, M.; Voinov, A.

2010-01-01

We present preliminary results from a measurement of nuclear level densities and the γ-ray strength of light Sc (Sc 43 , Sc 45 ) and Ti (Ti 44 , Ti 45 and Ti 46 ) isotopes using the Oslo Method. The article begins with a presentation of the experimental setup. (authors)

The data acquisition system (DAS) for the improved CERN SC

CERN Document Server

Beger, H; Fiebig, A; Schroot, H

1975-01-01

A digital data acquisition system (DAS) based on a minicomputer is described which registers the failure sequences in various equipment areas of the CERN synchrocyclotron (henceforward referred to as the SC). The avalanches of failure signals which occur from time to time are tapped from the alarm/security systems, time-resolved to 10 msec and recorded on a printer in order to aid SC failure diagnosis. The mechanisms of the DAS and its relation to the SC equipment are explained in some detail. All programs were constructed at assembler language level for speed and for ease of on-line program maintenance. The alarm sequences recorded have been of considerable help during the running in of the new radiofrequency system. Now that the new SC is operational, the DAS furnishes useful data from several equipment areas to the operators and engineers.

Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds increase the efficacy of stem cell-mediated therapy of surgically resected glioblastoma

Science.gov (United States)

Bagó, Juli R.; Pegna, Guillaume J.; Okolie, Onyi; Mohiti-Asli, Mahsa; Loboa, Elizabeth G.; Hingtgen, Shawn D.

2017-01-01

Engineered stem cell (SC)-based therapy holds enormous promise for treating the incurable brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM). Retaining the cytotoxic SCs in the surgical cavity after GBM resection is one of the greatest challenges to this approach. Here, we describe a biocompatible electrospun nanofibrous scaffold (bENS) implant capable of delivering and retaining tumor-homing cytotoxic stem cells that suppress recurrence of post-surgical GBM. As a new approach to GBM therapy, we created poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA) bENS bearing drug-releasing human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). We discovered that bENS-based implant increased hMSC retention in the surgical cavity 5-fold and prolonged persistence 3-fold compared to standard direct injection using our mouse model of GBM surgical resection/recurrence. Time-lapse imaging showed cytotoxic hMSC/bENS treatment killed co-cultured human GBM cells, and allowed hMSCs to rapidly migrate off the scaffolds as they homed to GBMs. In vivo, bENS loaded with hMSCs releasing the anti-tumor protein TRAIL (bENSsTR) reduced the volume of established GBM xenografts 3-fold. Mimicking clinical GBM patient therapy, lining the post-operative GBM surgical cavity with bENSsTR implants inhibited the re-growth of residual GBM foci 2.3-fold and prolonged post-surgical median survival from 13.5 to 31 days in mice. These results suggest that nanofibrous-based SC therapies could be an innovative new approach to improve the outcomes of patients suffering from terminal brain cancer. PMID:27016620

Response of normal stem cells to ionizing radiation: A balance between homeostasis and genomic stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harfouche, G.; Martin, M.T.

2010-01-01

Stem cells have been described in most adult tissues, where they play a key role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. As they self-renew throughout life, accumulating genetic anomalies can compromise their genomic integrity and potentially give rise to cancer. Stem cells (SCs) may thus be a major target of radiation carcinogenesis. In addition, unrepaired genotoxic damage may cause cell death and stem cell pool depletion, impairing lineage functionality and accelerating aging. Developments in SC biology enabled the characterization of the responses of stem cells to genotoxic stress and their role in tissue damage. We here examine how these cells react to ionizing radiation (IR), and more specifically their radiosensitivity, stress signaling and DNA repair. We first review embryonic SCs, as a paradigm of primitive pluri-potent cells, then three adult tissues, bone marrow, skin and intestine, capable of long-term regeneration and at high risk for acute radiation syndromes and long-term carcinogenesis. We discuss IR disruption of the fine balance between maintenance of tissue homeostasis and genomic stability. We show that stem cell radiosensitivity does not follow a unique model, but differs notably according to the turnover rates of the tissues. (authors)

Combination of systemic chemotherapy with local stem cell delivered S-TRAIL in resected brain tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Redjal, Navid; Zhu, Yanni; Shah, Khalid

2015-01-01

Despite advances in standard therapies, the survival of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients has not improved. Limitations to successful translation of new therapies include poor delivery of systemic therapies and use of simplified preclinical models which fail to reflect the clinical complexity of GBMs. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis specifically in tumor cells and we have tested its efficacy by on-site delivery via engineered stem cells (SC) in mouse models of GBM that mimic the clinical scenario of tumor aggressiveness and resection. However, about half of tumor lines are resistant to TRAIL and overcoming TRAIL-resistance in GBM by combining therapeutic agents that are currently in clinical trials with SC-TRAIL and understanding the molecular dynamics of these combination therapies are critical to the broad use of TRAIL as a therapeutic agent in clinics. In this study, we screened clinically relevant chemotherapeutic agents for their ability to sensitize resistant GBM cell lines to TRAIL induced apoptosis. We show that low dose cisplatin increases surface receptor expression of death receptor 4/5 post G2 cycle arrest and sensitizes GBM cells to TRAIL induced apoptosis. In vivo, using an intracranial resection model of resistant primary human-derived GBM and real-time optical imaging, we show that a low dose of cisplatin in combination with synthetic extracellular matrix encapsulated SC-TRAIL significantly decreases tumor regrowth and increases survival in mice bearing GBM. This study has the potential to help expedite effective translation of local stem cell-based delivery of TRAIL into the clinical setting to target a broad spectrum of GBMs. © 2014 AlphaMed Press.

Paracyclophane functionalized with Sc and Li for hydrogen storage

Science.gov (United States)

Sathe, Rohit Y.; Dhilip Kumar, T. J.

2018-01-01

Li and Sc metals functionalized on the delocalized π -electrons of benzene rings in [2,2]paracyclophane structure are studied for hydrogen storage efficiency by using the M06 DFT functional with 6-311G(d,p) basis set. It is found that Sc and Li functionalized [2,2]paracyclophane complexes can hold up to 10 H2 molecules and 8 H2 molecules by Kubas-Niu-Jena interaction and charge polarization mechanism with hydrogen weight percentage of 11.4 and 13.5, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation at various temperatures showed appreciable thermal stability while the chemical potential calculation at room temperature reveals that Sc functionalized [2,2]paracyclophane system will be a promising hydrogen storage material.

Communicating risks and benefits about ethically controversial topics: the case of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Longstaff, Holly; McDonald, Michael; Bailey, Jennifer

2013-08-01

Many are supportive of approaches that incorporate lay citizens into policy making and risk management decisions. However, a great deal of learning must first take place about how citizen engagement for controversial topics is best accomplished. Online risk communication efforts are increasing in popularity but there is little empirical evidence accrued to demonstrate the effectiveness of such methods. The intention of our overall study is to create a powerful method for in-depth two-way communication with the public and expert communities about complex and sensitive issues at the heart of stem cell (SC) research. The fundamental objective is to raise awareness of SC science with lay citizens by fostering more holistic or "all things considered" ethical judgments. Our risk communication study demonstrates that lay citizens are both interested in, and capable of learning about, complex scientific issues provided the right tools are used to convey information and assess understanding. Our results show that it is worth the time and effort for SC researchers to continue posting podcasts and FAQ's about their work for non-expert communities to view. In addition, despite having increased our participants' risk perceptions about induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research, almost all were very supportive of this type of research in Canada by the end of the survey. In other words, participants understood that this research did in fact pose some risks and learned a great deal about both the risks and benefits of iPS cell research, and still thought this research was worthwhile to pursue.

Regeneration of hyaline-like cartilage in situ with SOX9 stimulation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaowei Zhang

Full Text Available Microfracture, a common procedure for treatment of cartilage injury, induces fibrocartilage repair by recruiting bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC to the site of cartilage injury. However, fibrocartilage is inferior biomechanically to hyaline cartilage. SRY-type high-mobility group box-9 (SOX9 is a master regulator of chondrogenesis by promoting proliferation and differentiation of MSC into chondrocytes. In this study we aimed to test the therapeutic potential of cell penetrating recombinant SOX9 protein in regeneration of hyaline cartilage in situ at the site of cartilage injury. We generated a recombinant SOX9 protein which was fused with super positively charged green fluorescence protein (GFP (scSOX9 to facilitate cell penetration. scSOX9 was able to induce chondrogenesis of bone marrow derived MSC in vitro. In a rabbit cartilage injury model, scSOX9 in combination with microfracture significantly improved quality of repaired cartilage as shown by macroscopic appearance. Histological analysis revealed that the reparative tissue induced by microfracture with scSOX9 had features of hyaline cartilage; and collagen type II to type I ratio was similar to that in normal cartilage. This short term in vivo study demonstrated that when administered at the site of microfracture, scSOX9 was able to induce reparative tissue with features of hyaline cartilage.

Regeneration of hyaline-like cartilage in situ with SOX9 stimulation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaowei; Wu, Shili; Naccarato, Ty; Prakash-Damani, Manan; Chou, Yuan; Chu, Cong-Qiu; Zhu, Yong

2017-01-01

Microfracture, a common procedure for treatment of cartilage injury, induces fibrocartilage repair by recruiting bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to the site of cartilage injury. However, fibrocartilage is inferior biomechanically to hyaline cartilage. SRY-type high-mobility group box-9 (SOX9) is a master regulator of chondrogenesis by promoting proliferation and differentiation of MSC into chondrocytes. In this study we aimed to test the therapeutic potential of cell penetrating recombinant SOX9 protein in regeneration of hyaline cartilage in situ at the site of cartilage injury. We generated a recombinant SOX9 protein which was fused with super positively charged green fluorescence protein (GFP) (scSOX9) to facilitate cell penetration. scSOX9 was able to induce chondrogenesis of bone marrow derived MSC in vitro. In a rabbit cartilage injury model, scSOX9 in combination with microfracture significantly improved quality of repaired cartilage as shown by macroscopic appearance. Histological analysis revealed that the reparative tissue induced by microfracture with scSOX9 had features of hyaline cartilage; and collagen type II to type I ratio was similar to that in normal cartilage. This short term in vivo study demonstrated that when administered at the site of microfracture, scSOX9 was able to induce reparative tissue with features of hyaline cartilage.

Toward low-cost affinity reagents: lyophilized yeast-scFv probes specific for pathogen antigens.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean A Gray

Full Text Available The generation of affinity reagents, usually monoclonal antibodies, remains a critical bottleneck in biomedical research and diagnostic test development. Recombinant antibody-like proteins such as scFv have yet to replace traditional monoclonal antibodies in antigen detection applications, in large part because of poor performance of scFv in solution. To address this limitation, we have developed assays that use whole yeast cells expressing scFv on their surfaces (yeast-scFv in place of soluble purified scFv or traditional monoclonal antibodies. In this study, a nonimmune library of human scFv displayed on the surfaces of yeast cells was screened for clones that bind to recombinant cyst proteins of Entamoeba histolytica, an enteric pathogen of humans. Selected yeast-scFv clones were stabilized by lyophilization and used in detection assay formats in which the yeast-scFv served as solid support-bound monoclonal antibodies. Specific binding of antigen to the yeast-scFv was detected by staining with rabbit polyclonal antibodies. In flow cytometry-based assays, lyophilized yeast-scFv reagents retained full binding activity and specificity for their cognate antigens after 4 weeks of storage at room temperature in the absence of desiccants or stabilizers. Because flow cytometry is not available to all potential assay users, an immunofluorescence assay was also developed that detects antigen with similar sensitivity and specificity. Antigen-specific whole-cell yeast-scFv reagents can be selected from nonimmune libraries in 2-3 weeks, produced in vast quantities, and packaged in lyophilized form for extended shelf life. Lyophilized yeast-scFv show promise as low cost, renewable alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for diagnosis and research.

Morphologies and growth mechanisms of the eutectic particles in as-cast Al-Mg-Sc alloy; Morphologien und Wachstumsmechanismen eutektischer Partikel in Al-Mg-Sc-Legierung im Gusszustand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Dejiang; Zhou, Shi' ang; Li, Heng [Hefei Univ. of Technology (China); Zhang, Zhen; Wu, Yucheng [Laboratories of Nonferrous Metal Material and Processing Engineering of Anhui Province, Hefei (China); Li, Ming [Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd, Hefei (China)

2017-04-15

Primary particles with faceted cubic morphology were produced in as-cast Al-Mg alloy due to the addition of Sc. The cross-section of the particles revealed some eutectic structure composed of multilayer of 'Al{sub 3}Sc + α-Al + Al{sub 3}Sc..'. At the cooling rate of 200 - 300 K/s, Al{sub 3}Sc primary phase nucleated initially on oxides within the melt and developed to a cubic structure with a 'cellular-dendritic' mode of growth. The formation of α-Al structural shells was attributed as a reason for the segregation of Mg-rich lamellar dendrites at later stages. A growth mechanism for multilayer structure was proposed using the results presented.

Bayesian narrowband interference mitigation in SC-FDMA

KAUST Repository

Ali, Anum; Masood, Mudassir; Al-Ghadhban, Samir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a novel narrowband interference (NBI) mitigation scheme for SC-FDMA systems. The proposed scheme exploits the frequency domain sparsity of the unknown NBI signal and adopts a low complexity Bayesian sparse recovery procedure. In practice, however, the sparsity of the NBI is destroyed by a grid mismatch between NBI sources and SC-FDMA system. Towards this end, an accurate grid mismatch model is presented and a sparsifying transform is utilized to restore the sparsity of the unknown signal. Numerical results are presented that depict the suitability of the proposed scheme for NBI mitigation.

Bayesian narrowband interference mitigation in SC-FDMA

KAUST Repository

Ali, Anum

2015-08-12

This paper presents a novel narrowband interference (NBI) mitigation scheme for SC-FDMA systems. The proposed scheme exploits the frequency domain sparsity of the unknown NBI signal and adopts a low complexity Bayesian sparse recovery procedure. In practice, however, the sparsity of the NBI is destroyed by a grid mismatch between NBI sources and SC-FDMA system. Towards this end, an accurate grid mismatch model is presented and a sparsifying transform is utilized to restore the sparsity of the unknown signal. Numerical results are presented that depict the suitability of the proposed scheme for NBI mitigation.

Ternary scandium-rich indides Sc{sub 50}T{sub 13}In{sub 3} and Sc{sub 50}Rh{sub 13}In{sub 3}O{sub y} (T = Rh, Ir; y {approx} 8) - synthesis and crystal structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaremba, R.; Poettgen, R. [Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, Univ. Muenster (Germany)

2007-12-15

New intermetallic compounds Sc{sub 50}Rh{sub 13.3}In{sub 2.7} and Sc{sub 50}Ir{sub 13.6}In{sub 2.4} and the suboxides Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13}In{sub 3.8}O{sub 8.8} and Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13.7}In{sub 2.8}O{sub 8.0} were synthesized from the elements or with Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} as an oxygen source, respectively, in sealed tantalum tubes in a water-cooled sample chamber of an induction furnace. They crystallize with a new cubic structure type, space group F m anti 3, a = 1772.5(6) pm, wR2 = 0.032, 1111 F{sup 2} values, 34 variables for Sc{sub 50}Rh{sub 13.3}In{sub 2.7}, a = 1766.5(6) pm, wR2 = 0.041, 745 F{sup 2} values, 34 variables for Sc{sub 50}Ir{sub 13.6}In{sub 2.4}, a = 1764.4(2) pm, wR2 = 0.044, 640 F{sup 2} values, 41 variables for Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13}In{sub 3.8}O{sub 8.8}, and a = 1761.5(6) pm, wR2 = 0.054, 740 F{sup 2} values, 42 variables for Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13.7}In{sub 2.8}O{sub 8.0}. The main structural motifs are rhodium-centered indium cubes in an fcc like arrangement in which the octahedral and tetrahedral voids are filled by In2Sc{sub 12} and In1Sc{sub 12} icosahedra, respectively, resembling a Li{sub 3}Bi-like structure. The Rh1 (Ir1) and Sc4 atoms lie between these polyhedral units. The oxygen atoms partially fill Sc{sub 6} octahedra in Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13}In{sub 3.8}O{sub 8.8} and Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13.7}In{sub 2.8}O{sub 8.0} with Sc-O distances of 214 - 230 pm. These octahedra are condensed via common edges and faces, encapsulating the In2Sc{sub 12} icosahedra. Due to the high scandium content one observes strong Sc-Sc bonding with Sc-Sc distances ranging from 303 to 362 pm in Sc{sub 49.2}Rh{sub 13}In{sub 3.8}O{sub 8.8}. The shortest distances occur for Sc-Rh (267 - 295 pm). The crystal chemical relationship with the Li{sub 3}Bi-related suboxide Ti{sub 12}Sn{sub 3}O{sub 10} is discussed. (orig.)

Static resistance function for steel-plate composite (SC) walls subject to impactive loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruhl, Jakob C.; Varma, Amit H.; Kim, Joo Min

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An idealized static resistance function for SC walls is proposed. • The influence of design parameters on static resistance is explained. • SDOF models can accurately estimate global response of SC walls to missile impact. - Abstract: Steel-plate composite (SC) walls consist of a plain concrete core reinforced with two steel faceplates on the surfaces. Modules (consisting of steel faceplates, shear connectors and tie-bars) can be shop-fabricated and shipped to the site for erection and concrete casting, which expedites construction schedule and thus economy. SC structures have recently been used in nuclear power plant designs and are being considered for the next generation of small modular reactors. Design for impactive and impulsive loading is an important consideration for SC walls in safety-related nuclear facilities. The authors have previously developed design methods to prevent local failure (perforation) of SC walls due to missile impact. This paper presents the development of static resistance functions for use in single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analyses to predict the maximum displacement response of SC walls subjected to missile impact and designed to resist local failure (perforation). The static resistance function for SC walls is developed using results of numerical analyses and parametric studies conducted using benchmarked 3D finite element (FE) models. The influence of various design parameters are discussed and used to develop idealized bilinear resistance functions for SC walls with fixed edges and simply supported edges. Results from dynamic non-linear FE analysis of SC panels subjected to rigid missile impact are compared with the maximum displacements predicted by SDOF analyses using the bilinear resistance function.

Static resistance function for steel-plate composite (SC) walls subject to impactive loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruhl, Jakob C., E-mail: jbruhl@purdue.edu; Varma, Amit H., E-mail: ahvarma@purdue.edu; Kim, Joo Min, E-mail: kim1493@purdue.edu

2015-12-15

Highlights: • An idealized static resistance function for SC walls is proposed. • The influence of design parameters on static resistance is explained. • SDOF models can accurately estimate global response of SC walls to missile impact. - Abstract: Steel-plate composite (SC) walls consist of a plain concrete core reinforced with two steel faceplates on the surfaces. Modules (consisting of steel faceplates, shear connectors and tie-bars) can be shop-fabricated and shipped to the site for erection and concrete casting, which expedites construction schedule and thus economy. SC structures have recently been used in nuclear power plant designs and are being considered for the next generation of small modular reactors. Design for impactive and impulsive loading is an important consideration for SC walls in safety-related nuclear facilities. The authors have previously developed design methods to prevent local failure (perforation) of SC walls due to missile impact. This paper presents the development of static resistance functions for use in single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) analyses to predict the maximum displacement response of SC walls subjected to missile impact and designed to resist local failure (perforation). The static resistance function for SC walls is developed using results of numerical analyses and parametric studies conducted using benchmarked 3D finite element (FE) models. The influence of various design parameters are discussed and used to develop idealized bilinear resistance functions for SC walls with fixed edges and simply supported edges. Results from dynamic non-linear FE analysis of SC panels subjected to rigid missile impact are compared with the maximum displacements predicted by SDOF analyses using the bilinear resistance function.

Sc-Decorated Porous Graphene for High-Capacity Hydrogen Storage: First-Principles Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuhong; Wang, Jing; Yuan, Lihua; Zhang, Meiling; Zhang, Cairong

2017-08-02

The generalized gradient approximation (GGA) function based on density functional theory is adopted to investigate the optimized geometrical structure, electron structure and hydrogen storage performance of Sc modified porous graphene (PG). It is found that the carbon ring center is the most stable adsorbed position for a single Sc atom on PG, and the maximum number of adsorbed H₂ molecules is four with the average adsorption energy of -0.429 eV/H₂. By adding a second Sc atom on the other side of the system, the hydrogen storage capacity of the system can be improved effectively. Two Sc atoms located on opposite sides of the PG carbon ring center hole is the most suitable hydrogen storage structure, and the hydrogen storage capacity reach a maximum 9.09 wt % at the average adsorption energy of -0.296 eV/H₂. The adsorption of H₂ molecules in the PG system is mainly attributed to orbital hybridization among H, Sc, and C atoms, and Coulomb attraction between negatively charged H₂ molecules and positively charged Sc atoms.

Establishment and characterization of Roberts syndrome and SC phocomelia model medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Akihiro; Nakahira, Kumiko; Hasegawa, Taeko; Uchida, Kaoru; Taniguchi, Yoshihito; Takeda, Shunichi; Toyoda, Atsushi; Sakaki, Yoshiyuki; Shimada, Atsuko; Takeda, Hiroyuki; Yanagihara, Itaru

2012-06-01

Roberts syndrome and SC phocomelia (RBS/SC) are genetic autosomal recessive syndromes caused by establishment of cohesion 1 homolog 2 ( ESCO 2) mutation. RBS/SC appear to have a variety of clinical features, even with the same mutation of the ESCO2 gene. Here, we established and genetically characterized a medaka model of RBS/SC by reverse genetics. The RBS/SC model was screened from a mutant medaka library produced by the Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes method. The medaka mutant carrying the homozygous mutation at R80S in the conserved region of ESCO2 exhibited clinical variety (i.e. developmental arrest with craniofacial and chromosomal abnormalities and embryonic lethality) as characterized in RBS/SC. Moreover, widespread apoptosis and downregulation of some gene expression, including notch1a, were detected in the R80S mutant. The R80S mutant is the animal model for RBS/SC and a valuable resource that provides the opportunity to extend knowledge of ESCO2. Downregulation of some gene expression in the R80S mutant is an important clue explaining non-correlation between genotype and phenotype in RBS/SC. © 2012 The Authors Development, Growth & Differentiation © 2012 Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists.

MuSC is involved in regulating axonal fasciculation of mouse primary vestibular afferents.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawauchi, Daisuke; Kobayashi, Hiroaki; Sekine-Aizawa, Yoko; Fujita, Shinobu C; Murakami, Fujio

2003-10-01

Regulation of axonal fasciculation plays an important role in the precise patterning of neural circuits. Selective fasciculation contributes to the sorting of different types of axons and prevents the misrouting of axons. However, axons must defasciculate once they reach the target area. To study the regulation of fasciculation, we focused on the primary vestibulo-cerebellar afferents (PVAs), which show a dramatic change from fasciculated axon bundles to defasciculated individual axons at their target region, the cerebellar primordium. To understand how fasciculation and defasciculation are regulated in this system, we investigated the roles of murine SC1-related protein (MuSC), a molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. We show: (i) by comparing 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (Dil) labelling and anti-MuSC immunohistochemistry, that downregulation of MuSC in PVAs during development is concomitant with the defasciculation of PVA axons; (ii) in a binding assay with cells expressing MuSC, that MuSC has cell-adhesive activity via a homophilic binding mechanism, and this activity is increased by multimerization; and (iii) that MuSC also displays neurite outgrowth-promoting activity in vestibular ganglion cultures. These findings suggest that MuSC is involved in axonal fasciculation and its downregulation may help to initiate the defasciculation of PVAs.

Improved Soluble ScFv ELISA Screening Approach for Antibody Discovery Using Phage Display Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tohidkia, Mohammad R; Sepehri, Maryam; Khajeh, Shirin; Barar, Jaleh; Omidi, Yadollah

2017-09-01

Phage display technology (PDT) is a powerful tool for the isolation of recombinant antibody (Ab) fragments. Using PDT, target molecule-specific phage-Ab clones are enriched through the "biopanning" process. The individual specific binders are screened by the monoclonal scFv enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that may associate with inevitable false-negative results. Thus, in this study, three strategies were investigated for optimization of the scFvs screening using Tomlinson I and J libraries, including (1) optimizing the expression of functional scFvs, (2) improving the sensitivity of ELISA, and (3) preparing different samples containing scFvs. The expression of all scFv Abs was significantly enhanced when scFv clones were cultivated in the terrific broth (TB) medium at the optimum temperature of 30 °C. The protein A-conjugated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was found to be a well-suited reagent for the detection of Ag-bound scFvs in comparison with either anti-c-myc Ab or the mixing procedure. Based on our findings, it seems there is no universal media supplement for an improved expression of all scFvs derived from both Tomlinson I and J libraries. We thus propose that expression of scFv fragments in a microplate scale is largely dependent on a variety of parameters, in particular the scFv clones and relevant sequences.

Pancrea's generation and regeneration by stem cells : possible treatment for diabetes and other pancreatic diseases

OpenAIRE

Pedrosa Aguilar, Leire

2015-01-01

There are a lot of diseases caused by tissue degeneration or errors in the organs. Current treatment are organ transplants or using mechanical systems such as dialyzer. However, all of them have defect. Thus, researchers are interested in tissue engineering. Tissue engineering develops biological structures to generate tissues that allow restore, maintain or improve tissue or organ functionality. For instance, is been investigated the differentiation of Stem Cells (SC) to pancreatic cells tha...

In Situ Immunofluorescent Staining of Autophagy in Muscle Stem Cells

KAUST Repository

Castagnetti, Francesco

2017-06-13

Increasing evidence points to autophagy as a crucial regulatory process to preserve tissue homeostasis. It is known that autophagy is involved in skeletal muscle development and regeneration, and the autophagic process has been described in several muscular pathologies and agerelated muscle disorders. A recently described block of the autophagic process that correlates with the functional exhaustion of satellite cells during muscle repair supports the notion that active autophagy is coupled with productive muscle regeneration. These data uncover the crucial role of autophagy in satellite cell activation during muscle regeneration in both normal and pathological conditions, such as muscular dystrophies. Here, we provide a protocol to monitor the autophagic process in the adult Muscle Stem Cell (MuSC) compartment during muscle regenerative conditions. This protocol describes the setup methodology to perform in situ immunofluorescence imaging of LC3, an autophagy marker, and MyoD, a myogenic lineage marker, in muscle tissue sections from control and injured mice. The methodology reported allows for monitoring the autophagic process in one specific cell compartment, the MuSC compartment, which plays a central role in orchestrating muscle regeneration.

Rotary condenser for SC2

CERN Multimedia

1975-01-01

During 1975 the SC2 performance was improved among other things by redesigning some of the elements of the ROTCO (Annual Report 1975, p. 55). The photo shows an interior wiew of the housing of the rotary condenser and of the sixteen sets of shaped stator blades.

Low-β SC linacs: past, present, and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollinger, L. M.

1998-01-01

This paper is a general review of superconducting low-β technology and applications from its beginning in 1969 into the near-term future. The emphasis is on studies of accelerating resonators and on SC linacs that boost the energy of heavy-ion beams from tandem electrostatic accelerators used for nuclear-physics research. Other topics are positive-ion SC injectors to replace tandems and the need for accelerating structures with β outside of the present proven range, 0.008 < β < 0.2

SC-HTGR Performance Impact for Arid Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lommers, L.; Geschwindt, J.; Southworth, F.; Shahrokhi, F.

2014-01-01

The SC-HTGR provides high temperature steam which can support industrial process heat applications as well as high efficiency electricity generation. The increased generating efficiency resulting from using high steam temperature provides greater plant output than lower temperature concepts, and it also reduces the fraction of waste heat which must be rejected. This capability is particularly attractive for sites with little or no water for heat rejection. This high temperature capability provides greater flexibility for these sites, and it results in a smaller performance penalty than for lower temperature systems when dry cooling must be used. The performance of the SC-HTGR for a conventional site with wet cooling is discussed first. Then the performance for arid sites is evaluated. Dry cooling performance is evaluated for both moderately arid sites and very hot sites. Offdesign performance of the dry cooling system under extreme conditions is also considered. Finally, operating strategies are explored for sites where some cooling water may be available but only in very limited quantities. Results of these assessments confirm that the higher operating temperatures of the SC-HTGR are very beneficial for arid sites, providing significant advantages for both gross and net power generation. (author)

Technical Training: CERN Technical Training 2004 - New Short Courses (SC) on Microsoft Outlook

CERN Multimedia

Monique Duval

2004-01-01

The CERN Technical Training programme is now proposing a new format for courses on Microsoft Outlook. Three two-hours Short Courses (SC) will cover basic and advanced functionalities of the recommended mail client for email at CERN. Each module can be followed independently. The next scheduled sessions will take place as follows: Outlook (SC I): E-mail. Next session: 31.8.2004 (9h00-11h00) Outlook (SC II): Calendar, Tasks and Notes. Next session: 31.8.2004 (14h00-16h00) Outlook (SC III): Meetings and Delegation. Next session: 7.9.2004 (14h00-16h00) In particular, SC I will cover how to open, create and send email, work with attachments, use stationery, organise mail, and work with the address book, SC II will show how to work with the calendar, tasks and notes, and SC III will cover how to organise and manage meetings, work with meeting requests, share tasks, and use email and calendar delegation. The number of participants to each session is limited to 8. The instructor is English-French bilingual, and s...

Sc-Decorated Porous Graphene for High-Capacity Hydrogen Storage: First-Principles Calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuhong Chen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The generalized gradient approximation (GGA function based on density functional theory is adopted to investigate the optimized geometrical structure, electron structure and hydrogen storage performance of Sc modified porous graphene (PG. It is found that the carbon ring center is the most stable adsorbed position for a single Sc atom on PG, and the maximum number of adsorbed H2 molecules is four with the average adsorption energy of −0.429 eV/H2. By adding a second Sc atom on the other side of the system, the hydrogen storage capacity of the system can be improved effectively. Two Sc atoms located on opposite sides of the PG carbon ring center hole is the most suitable hydrogen storage structure, and the hydrogen storage capacity reach a maximum 9.09 wt % at the average adsorption energy of −0.296 eV/H2. The adsorption of H2 molecules in the PG system is mainly attributed to orbital hybridization among H, Sc, and C atoms, and Coulomb attraction between negatively charged H2 molecules and positively charged Sc atoms.

Emission ability of La-Sc-Mo cathode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jiancan; Nie Zuoren; Xi Xiaoli; Wang Yiman

2004-01-01

In this paper La-Sc-Mo cathode has been prepared and its electron emission ability was measured. This type of cathode shows good electron emission performance that the saturated current density is 6.74 A cm -1 and the work function is about 2.59 eV at 1300 deg. C, which is much lower than thoriated tungsten cathode (Th-W). So it is a potential cathode to replace the Th-W cathode with radioactive pollution. Surface analysis shows that good emission ability due to the 20 nm surplus La layer and the element Sc may do good to the La diffusion to the surface

Human scFv antibodies (Afribumabs) against Africanized bee venom: Advances in melittin recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Pessenda, Gabriela; Silva, Luciano C; Campos, Lucas B; Pacello, Elenice M; Pucca, Manuela B; Martinez, Edson Z; Barbosa, José E

2016-03-15

Africanized Apis mellifera bees, also known as killer bees, have an exceptional defensive instinct, characterized by mass attacks that may cause envenomation or death. From the years 2000-2013, 77,066 bee accidents occurred in Brazil. Bee venom comprises several substances, including melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Due to the lack of antivenom for bee envenomation, this study aimed to produce human monoclonal antibody fragments (single chain fragment variable; scFv), by using phage display technology. These fragments targeted melittin and PLA2, the two major components of bee venom, to minimize their toxic effects in cases of mass envenomation. Two phage antibody selections were performed using purified melittin. As the commercial melittin is contaminated with PLA2, phages specific to PLA2 were also obtained during one of the selections. Specific clones for melittin and PLA2 were selected for the production of soluble scFvs, named here Afribumabs: prefix: afrib- (from Africanized bee); stem/suffix: -umab (fully human antibody). Afribumabs 1 and 2 were tested in in vitro and in vivo assays to assess their ability to inhibit the toxic actions of purified melittin, PLA2, and crude bee venom. Afribumabs reduced hemolysis caused by purified melittin and PLA2 and by crude venom in vitro and reduced edema formation in the paws of mice and prolonged the survival of venom-injected animals in vivo. These results demonstrate that Afribumabs may contribute to the production of the first non-heterologous antivenom treatment against bee envenomation. Such a treatment may overcome some of the difficulties associated with conventional immunotherapy techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DIMM-SC: a Dirichlet mixture model for clustering droplet-based single cell transcriptomic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhe; Wang, Ting; Deng, Ke; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Lafyatis, Robert; Ding, Ying; Hu, Ming; Chen, Wei

2018-01-01

Single cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-Seq) has become a revolutionary tool to study cellular and molecular processes at single cell resolution. Among existing technologies, the recently developed droplet-based platform enables efficient parallel processing of thousands of single cells with direct counting of transcript copies using Unique Molecular Identifier (UMI). Despite the technology advances, statistical methods and computational tools are still lacking for analyzing droplet-based scRNA-Seq data. Particularly, model-based approaches for clustering large-scale single cell transcriptomic data are still under-explored. We developed DIMM-SC, a Dirichlet Mixture Model for clustering droplet-based Single Cell transcriptomic data. This approach explicitly models UMI count data from scRNA-Seq experiments and characterizes variations across different cell clusters via a Dirichlet mixture prior. We performed comprehensive simulations to evaluate DIMM-SC and compared it with existing clustering methods such as K-means, CellTree and Seurat. In addition, we analyzed public scRNA-Seq datasets with known cluster labels and in-house scRNA-Seq datasets from a study of systemic sclerosis with prior biological knowledge to benchmark and validate DIMM-SC. Both simulation studies and real data applications demonstrated that overall, DIMM-SC achieves substantially improved clustering accuracy and much lower clustering variability compared to other existing clustering methods. More importantly, as a model-based approach, DIMM-SC is able to quantify the clustering uncertainty for each single cell, facilitating rigorous statistical inference and biological interpretations, which are typically unavailable from existing clustering methods. DIMM-SC has been implemented in a user-friendly R package with a detailed tutorial available on www.pitt.edu/∼wec47/singlecell.html. wei.chen@chp.edu or hum@ccf.org. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author

Mitigation of arsenic-induced acquired cancer phenotype in prostate cancer stem cells by miR-143 restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngalame, Ntube N.O., E-mail: ngalamenn@niehs.nih.gov; Makia, Ngome L., E-mail: makianl@niehs.nih.gov; Waalkes, Michael P., E-mail: waalkes@niehs.nih.gov; Tokar, Erik J., E-mail: tokare@mail.nih.gov

2016-12-01

Inorganic arsenic, an environmental contaminant and a human carcinogen is associated with prostate cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the driving force of carcinogenesis. Chronic arsenic exposure malignantly transforms the human normal prostate stem/progenitor cell (SC) line, WPE-stem to arsenic-cancer SCs (As-CSCs), through unknown mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. In prior work, miR-143 was markedly downregulated in As-CSCs, suggesting a role in arsenic-induced malignant transformation. In the present study, we investigated whether loss of miR-143 expression is important in arsenic-induced transformation of prostate SCs. Restoration of miR-143 in As-CSCs was achieved by lentivirus-mediated miR-143 overexpression. Cells were assessed bi-weekly for up to 30 weeks to examine mitigation of cancer phenotype. Secreted matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was increased by arsenic-induced malignant transformation, but miR-143 restoration decreased secreted MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activities compared with scramble controls. Increased cell proliferation and apoptotic resistance, two hallmarks of cancer, were decreased upon miR-143 restoration. Increased apoptosis was associated with decreased BCL2 and BCL-XL expression. miR-143 restoration dysregulated the expression of SC/CSC self-renewal genes including NOTCH-1, BMI-1, OCT4 and ABCG2. The anticancer effects of miR-143 overexpression appeared to be mediated by targeting and inhibiting LIMK1 protein, and the phosphorylation of cofilin, a LIMK1 substrate. These findings clearly show that miR-143 restoration mitigated multiple cancer characteristics in the As-CSCs, suggesting a potential role in arsenic-induced transformation of prostate SCs. Thus, miR-143 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for arsenic-induced prostate cancer. - Highlights: • Chronic arsenic exposure

Mitigation of arsenic-induced acquired cancer phenotype in prostate cancer stem cells by miR-143 restoration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngalame, Ntube N.O.; Makia, Ngome L.; Waalkes, Michael P.; Tokar, Erik J.

2016-01-01

Inorganic arsenic, an environmental contaminant and a human carcinogen is associated with prostate cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are the driving force of carcinogenesis. Chronic arsenic exposure malignantly transforms the human normal prostate stem/progenitor cell (SC) line, WPE-stem to arsenic-cancer SCs (As-CSCs), through unknown mechanisms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. In prior work, miR-143 was markedly downregulated in As-CSCs, suggesting a role in arsenic-induced malignant transformation. In the present study, we investigated whether loss of miR-143 expression is important in arsenic-induced transformation of prostate SCs. Restoration of miR-143 in As-CSCs was achieved by lentivirus-mediated miR-143 overexpression. Cells were assessed bi-weekly for up to 30 weeks to examine mitigation of cancer phenotype. Secreted matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity was increased by arsenic-induced malignant transformation, but miR-143 restoration decreased secreted MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activities compared with scramble controls. Increased cell proliferation and apoptotic resistance, two hallmarks of cancer, were decreased upon miR-143 restoration. Increased apoptosis was associated with decreased BCL2 and BCL-XL expression. miR-143 restoration dysregulated the expression of SC/CSC self-renewal genes including NOTCH-1, BMI-1, OCT4 and ABCG2. The anticancer effects of miR-143 overexpression appeared to be mediated by targeting and inhibiting LIMK1 protein, and the phosphorylation of cofilin, a LIMK1 substrate. These findings clearly show that miR-143 restoration mitigated multiple cancer characteristics in the As-CSCs, suggesting a potential role in arsenic-induced transformation of prostate SCs. Thus, miR-143 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for arsenic-induced prostate cancer. - Highlights: • Chronic arsenic exposure

4SC-202 activates ASK1-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Meili; Wan, Fuqiang; Li, Zhengling; Zhang, Fenghua

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell activity by 4SC-202, a novel class I HDAC inhibitor (HDACi). The associated signaling mechanisms were also analyzed. We showed that 4SC-202 treatment induced potent cytotoxic and proliferation–inhibitory activities against established HCC cell lines (HepG2, HepB3, SMMC-7721) and patient-derived primary HCC cells. Further, adding 4SC-202 in HCC cells activated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, which was evidenced by mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, cytochrome C cytosol release and caspase-3/-9 activation. Inhibition of this apoptosis pathway, by caspase-3/-9 inhibitors, mPTP blockers, or by shRNA-mediated knockdown of cyclophilin-D (Cyp-D, a key component of mPTP), significantly attenuated 4SC-202-induced HCC cell death and apoptosis. Reversely, over-expression of Cyp-D enhanced 4SC-202's sensitivity in HCC cells. Further studies showed that 4SC-202 induced apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) activation, causing it translocation to mitochondria and physical association with Cyp-D. This mitochondrial ASK1-Cyp-D complexation appeared required for mediating 4SC-202-induced apoptosis activation. ASK1 stable knockdown by targeted-shRNAs largely inhibited 4SC-202-induced mPTP opening, cytochrome C release, and following HCC cell apoptotic death. Together, we suggest that 4SC-202 activates ASK1-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway to potently inhibit human HCC cells. - Highlights: • 4SC-202 exerts potent anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activity against established/primary HCC cells. • SC-202-induced anti-HCC cell activity relies on caspase-dependent apoptosis activation. • 4SC-202 activates Cyp-D-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in HCC cells. • 4SC-202 activates ASK1 in HCC cells, causing it translocation to mitochondria. • Mitochondrial ASK1-Cyp-D complexation mediates 4SC-202's activity in HCC cells.

4SC-202 activates ASK1-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu, Meili, E-mail: fumeilidrlinyi@tom.com [Department of Infectious Disease, Linyi People' s Hospital, Linyi 276000 (China); Wan, Fuqiang [Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Linyi Tumor Hospital, Linyi 276000 (China); Li, Zhengling [Department of Nursing, Tengzhou Central People' s Hospital, Tengzhou 277500 (China); Zhang, Fenghua [Department of Operating Room, Linyi People' s Hospital, Linyi 276000 (China)

2016-03-04

The aim of the present study is to investigate the potential anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell activity by 4SC-202, a novel class I HDAC inhibitor (HDACi). The associated signaling mechanisms were also analyzed. We showed that 4SC-202 treatment induced potent cytotoxic and proliferation–inhibitory activities against established HCC cell lines (HepG2, HepB3, SMMC-7721) and patient-derived primary HCC cells. Further, adding 4SC-202 in HCC cells activated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, which was evidenced by mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, cytochrome C cytosol release and caspase-3/-9 activation. Inhibition of this apoptosis pathway, by caspase-3/-9 inhibitors, mPTP blockers, or by shRNA-mediated knockdown of cyclophilin-D (Cyp-D, a key component of mPTP), significantly attenuated 4SC-202-induced HCC cell death and apoptosis. Reversely, over-expression of Cyp-D enhanced 4SC-202's sensitivity in HCC cells. Further studies showed that 4SC-202 induced apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) activation, causing it translocation to mitochondria and physical association with Cyp-D. This mitochondrial ASK1-Cyp-D complexation appeared required for mediating 4SC-202-induced apoptosis activation. ASK1 stable knockdown by targeted-shRNAs largely inhibited 4SC-202-induced mPTP opening, cytochrome C release, and following HCC cell apoptotic death. Together, we suggest that 4SC-202 activates ASK1-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway to potently inhibit human HCC cells. - Highlights: • 4SC-202 exerts potent anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activity against established/primary HCC cells. • SC-202-induced anti-HCC cell activity relies on caspase-dependent apoptosis activation. • 4SC-202 activates Cyp-D-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in HCC cells. • 4SC-202 activates ASK1 in HCC cells, causing it translocation to mitochondria. • Mitochondrial ASK1-Cyp-D complexation mediates 4SC-202's activity in HCC cells.

Telocytes and stem cells in limbus and uvea of mouse eye.

Science.gov (United States)

Luesma, María José; Gherghiceanu, Mihaela; Popescu, Laurenţiu M

2013-08-01

The potential of stem cell (SC) therapies for eye diseases is well-recognized. However, the results remain only encouraging as little is known about the mechanisms responsible for eye renewal, regeneration and/or repair. Therefore, it is critical to gain knowledge about the specific tissue environment (niches) where the stem/progenitor cells reside in eye. A new type of interstitial cell-telocyte (TC) (www.telocytes.com) was recently identified by electron microscopy (EM). TCs have very long (tens of micrometres) and thin (below 200 nm) prolongations named telopodes (Tp) that form heterocellular networks in which SCs are embedded. We found TCs by EM and electron tomography in sclera, limbus and uvea of the mouse eye. Furthermore, EM showed that SCs were present in the anterior layer of the iris and limbus. Adhaerens and gap junctions were found to connect TCs within a network in uvea and sclera. Nanocontacts (electron-dense structures) were observed between TCs and other cells: SCs, melanocytes, nerve endings and macrophages. These intercellular 'feet' bridged the intercellular clefts (about 10 nm wide). Moreover, exosomes (extracellular vesicles with a diameter up to 100 nm) were delivered by TCs to other cells of the iris stroma. The ultrastructural nanocontacts of TCs with SCs and the TCs paracrine influence via exosomes in the epithelial and stromal SC niches suggest an important participation of TCs in eye regeneration. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine Published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Thermoelectric performance of functionalized Sc2C MXenes

KAUST Repository

Kumar, S.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2016-01-01

Functionalization of the MXene Sc2C, which has the rare property to realize semiconducting states for various functionalizations including O, F, and OH, is studied with respect to the electronic and thermal behavior. The lowest lattice thermal conductivity is obtained for OH functionalization and an additional 30% decrease can be achieved by confining the phonon mean free path to 100 nm. Despite a relatively low Seebeck coefficient, Sc2C(OH)2 is a candidate for intermediate-temperature thermoelectric applications due to compensation by a high electrical conductivity and very low lattice thermal conductivity.

Thermoelectric performance of functionalized Sc2C MXenes

KAUST Repository

Kumar, S.

2016-07-05

Functionalization of the MXene Sc2C, which has the rare property to realize semiconducting states for various functionalizations including O, F, and OH, is studied with respect to the electronic and thermal behavior. The lowest lattice thermal conductivity is obtained for OH functionalization and an additional 30% decrease can be achieved by confining the phonon mean free path to 100 nm. Despite a relatively low Seebeck coefficient, Sc2C(OH)2 is a candidate for intermediate-temperature thermoelectric applications due to compensation by a high electrical conductivity and very low lattice thermal conductivity.

Energy Levels and Radiative Rates for Transitions in F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanti M. Aggarwal

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes are reported for F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX for which the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package (GRASP has been adopted. For all three ions, limited data exist in the literature but comparisons have been made wherever possible to assess the accuracy of the calculations. In the present work, the lowest 102, 125 and 139 levels have been considered for the respective ions. Additionally, calculations have also been performed with the flexible atomic code (FAC to (particularly confirm the accuracy of energy levels.

An ideal scintillator – ZnO:Sc for sub-nanosecond pulsed radiation detection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Kan, E-mail: zhangkan8414@163.com [Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024 (China); Ouyang, Xiaoping [Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024 (China); Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Song, Zhaohui; Han, Hetong [Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024 (China); Zuo, Yanbin [China Nonferrous Metal Guilin Research Institute of Geology for Mineral Resource, Guilin 541004 (China); Guan, Xingyin [Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024 (China); Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049 (China); Tan, Xinjian; Zhang, Zichuan; Liu, Junhong [Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi’an 710024 (China)

2014-08-21

ZnO-based scintillators are particularly well suited for use as ultrafast pulsed radiation detectors which have shown broad application prospects in various fields such as the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) diagnosis, the nuclear reaction mechanism, etc. Using the hydro-thermal method, a ZnO single-crystal doped with Scandium (ZnO:Sc) sample was prepared. As a new ZnO-based scintillator, the scintillation characteristics of ZnO:Sc have not been reported previously. In this paper, optical and scintillation characteristics of ZnO:Sc single-crystal were studied. Also a scintillation detector based on ZnO:Sc was designed. Excited by the alpha-particle, the rise time of ZnO:Sc detectors was from 162.5 to 170.7 ps, and the fall time was from 300.4 to 328.8 ps.

An ideal scintillator – ZnO:Sc for sub-nanosecond pulsed radiation detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Kan; Ouyang, Xiaoping; Song, Zhaohui; Han, Hetong; Zuo, Yanbin; Guan, Xingyin; Tan, Xinjian; Zhang, Zichuan; Liu, Junhong

2014-01-01

ZnO-based scintillators are particularly well suited for use as ultrafast pulsed radiation detectors which have shown broad application prospects in various fields such as the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) diagnosis, the nuclear reaction mechanism, etc. Using the hydro-thermal method, a ZnO single-crystal doped with Scandium (ZnO:Sc) sample was prepared. As a new ZnO-based scintillator, the scintillation characteristics of ZnO:Sc have not been reported previously. In this paper, optical and scintillation characteristics of ZnO:Sc single-crystal were studied. Also a scintillation detector based on ZnO:Sc was designed. Excited by the alpha-particle, the rise time of ZnO:Sc detectors was from 162.5 to 170.7 ps, and the fall time was from 300.4 to 328.8 ps

Chronic hypoxia suppresses the CO2 response of solitary complex (SC) neurons from rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Nicole L; Wilkinson, Katherine A; Powell, Frank L; Dean, Jay B; Putnam, Robert W

2009-09-30

We studied the effect of chronic hypobaric hypoxia (CHx; 10-11% O(2)) on the response to hypercapnia (15% CO(2)) of individual solitary complex (SC) neurons from adult rats. We simultaneously measured the intracellular pH and firing rate responses to hypercapnia of SC neurons in superfused medullary slices from control and CHx-adapted adult rats using the blind whole cell patch clamp technique and fluorescence imaging microscopy. We found that CHx caused the percentage of SC neurons inhibited by hypercapnia to significantly increase from about 10% up to about 30%, but did not significantly alter the percentage of SC neurons activated by hypercapnia (50% in control vs. 35% in CHx). Further, the magnitudes of the responses of SC neurons from control rats (chemosensitivity index for activated neurons of 166+/-11% and for inhibited neurons of 45+/-15%) were the same in SC neurons from CHx-adapted rats. This plasticity induced in chemosensitive SC neurons by CHx appears to involve intrinsic changes in neuronal properties since they were the same in synaptic blockade medium.

Dll1- and Dll4-mediated Notch signaling is required for homeostasis of intestinal stem cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pellegrinet, Luca; Rodilla, Veronica; Liu, Zhenyi; Chen, Shuang; Koch, Ute; Espinosa, Lluis; Kaestner, Klaus H.; Kopan, Raphael; Lewis, Julian; Radtke, Freddy

2011-01-01

Background & Aims Ablation of Notch signaling within the intestinal epithelium results in loss of proliferating crypt progenitors, due to their conversion into post-mitotic secretory cells. We aimed to confirm that Notch was active in stem cells (SC), investigate consequences of loss of Notch signaling within the intestinal SC compartment, and identify the physiological ligands of Notch in mouse intestine. Furthermore, we investigated whether the induction of goblet cell differentiation that results from loss of Notch requires the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4). Methods Trasgenic mice that carried a reporter of Notch1 activation were used for lineage tracing experiments. The in vivo functions of the Notch ligands Jagged1 (Jag1), Delta-like1 (Dll1), Delta-like4 (Dll4), and the transcription factor Klf4 were assessed in mice with inducible, gut-specific gene targeting (Vil-Cre-ERT2). Results Notch1 signaling was found to be activated in intestinal SC. Although deletion of Jag1 or Dll4 did not perturb the intestinal epithelium, inactivation of Dll1 resulted in a moderate increase in number of goblet cells without noticeable effects of progenitor proliferation. However, simultaneous inactivation of Dll1 and Dll4 resulted in the complete conversion of proliferating progenitors into post-mitotic goblet cells, concomitant with loss of SC (Olfm4+, Lgr5+ and Ascl2+). Klf4 inactivation did not interfere with goblet cell differentiation in adult wild-type or in Notch pathway-deficient gut. Conclusions Notch signaling in SC and progenitors is activated by Dll1 and Dll4 ligands and is required for maintenance of intestinal progenitor and SC. Klf4 is dispensable for goblet cell differentiation in intestines of adult Notch-deficient mice. PMID:21238454

Use of antifungal Saponin SC-2 of Solanum chrysotrichum for the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fungistatic and fungicidal activity of saponin SC-2 on Candida albicans and other Candida species, fluconazole and ketoconazole resistaent strains was demostrated. SC-2-associated ultrastructural alterations in several Candida species were observed. An exploratory clinical, randomized, double-blind, and controlled ...

Biological characteristics of human menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yanli; Niu, Rongcheng; Yang, Fen; Yan, Yan; Liang, Shengying; Sun, Yuliang; Shen, Ping; Lin, Juntang

2018-03-01

Successful isolation of human endometrial stem cells from menstrual blood, namely menstrual blood-derived endometrial stem cells (MenSCs), has provided enticing alternative seed cells for stem cell-based therapy. MenSCs are enriched in the self-regenerative tissue, endometrium, which shed along the periodic menstrual blood and thus their acquisition involves no physical invasiveness. However, the impact of the storage duration of menstrual blood prior to stem cell isolation, the age of the donor, the number of passages on the self-renewing of MenSCs, the paracrine production of biological factors in MenSCs and expression of adhesion molecules on MenSCs remain elusive. In this study, we confirmed that MenSCs reside in shedding endometrium, and documented that up to 3 days of storage at 4°C has little impact on MenSCs, while the age of the donor and the number of passages are negatively associated with proliferation capacity of MenSCs. Moreover, we found that MenSCs were actually immune-privileged and projected no risk of tumour formation. Also, we documented a lung- and liver-dominated, spleen- and kidney-involved organic distribution profile of MenSC 3 days after intravenous transfer into mice. At last, we suggested that MenSCs may have potentially therapeutic effects on diseases through paracrine effect and immunomodulation. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Electrical Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Schwann-Cell-Like Phenotypes Using Inkjet-Printed Graphene Circuits.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Suprem R; Uz, Metin; Ding, Shaowei; Lentner, Matthew T; Hondred, John A; Cargill, Allison A; Sakaguchi, Donald S; Mallapragada, Surya; Claussen, Jonathan C

2017-04-01

Graphene-based materials (GBMs) have displayed tremendous promise for use as neurointerfacial substrates as they enable favorable adhesion, growth, proliferation, spreading, and migration of immobilized cells. This study reports the first case of the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into Schwann cell (SC)-like phenotypes through the application of electrical stimuli from a graphene-based electrode. Electrical differentiation of MSCs into SC-like phenotypes is carried out on a flexible, inkjet-printed graphene interdigitated electrode (IDE) circuit that is made highly conductive (sheet resistance electrically stimulated/treated (etMSCs) display significant enhanced cellular differentiation and paracrine activity above conventional chemical treatment strategies [≈85% of the etMSCs differentiated into SC-like phenotypes with ≈80 ng mL -1 of nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion vs. 75% and ≈55 ng mL -1 for chemically treated MSCs (ctMSCs)]. These results help pave the way for in vivo peripheral nerve regeneration where the flexible graphene electrodes could conform to the injury site and provide intimate electrical simulation for nerve cell regrowth. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The role of the bimodal distribution of ultra-fine silicon phase and nano-scale V-phase (AlSi2Sc2) on spark plasma sintered hypereutectic Al–Si–Sc alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghukiran, Nadimpalli; Kumar, Ravi

2016-01-01

Hypereutectic Al–Si and Al–Si–Sc alloys were spark plasma sintered from corresponding gas-atomized powders. The microstructures of the Al–Si and Al–Si–Sc alloys possessed remarkably refined silicon particles in the size range of 0.38–3.5 µm and 0.35–1.16 µm respectively in contrast to the silicon particles of size greater than 100 µm typically found in conventionally cast alloys. All the sintered alloys exhibited significant ductility of as high as 85% compressive strain without failure even with the presence of relatively higher weight fraction of the brittle silicon phase. Moreover, the Al–Si–Sc alloys have shown appreciable improvement in the compressive strength over their binary counterparts due to the presence of intermetallic compound AlSi 2 Sc 2 of size 10–20 nm distributed uniformly in the matrix of those alloys. The dry sliding pin-on-disc wear tests showed improvement in the wear performance of the sintered alloys with increase in silicon content in the alloys. Further, the Al–Si–Sc ternary alloys with relatively lesser silicon content exhibited appreciable improvement in the wear resistance over their binary counterparts. The Al–Si–Sc alloys with bimodal distribution of the strengthening phases consisting of ultra-fine (sub-micron size) silicon particles and the nano-scale AlSi 2 Sc 2 improved the strength and wear properties of the alloys while retaining significant amount of ductility.

Magnet measuring equipment of SC2

CERN Multimedia

CERN PhotoLab

1974-01-01

Checking the positioning of the magnet measuring equipment installed between the poles of SC2. The steel structure in front of the magnet is designed to house the rotary condenser and to shield it from the stray magnetic field of the accelerator.

Phase equilibria in the system Li2O - MoO3 - Sc2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Safonov, V.V.; Chaban, N.G.; Porotnikov, N.V.

1984-01-01

Using the methods of DTA and X-ray phase analysis, interaction of components in the system Li 2 O-MoO 3 -Sc 2 O 3 in concentration range, adjacent to the vertex of MoO 3 , has been studied. Projection of the Li 2 MoO 4 -MoO 3 -Sc 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 system liquidus on concentrational triangle of the compositions Li 2 O-MoO 3 -Sc 2 O 3 , which consists of the fields of primary separation of Li 2 MoO 4 , Li 2 Mo 5 O 17 , Li 2 Mo 4 O 13 , MoO 3 , Sc 2 (MoO 4 ) 3 , Li 3 Sc(MoO 4 ) 3 and LiSc(MoO 4 ) 2 , is built

LHCb Data Replication During SC3

CERN Multimedia

Smith, A

2006-01-01

LHCb's participation in LCG's Service Challenge 3 involves testing the bulk data transfer infrastructure developed to allow high bandwidth distribution of data across the grid in accordance with the computing model. To enable reliable bulk replication of data, LHCb's DIRAC system has been integrated with gLite's File Transfer Service middleware component to make use of dedicated network links between LHCb computing centres. DIRAC's Data Management tools previously allowed the replication, registration and deletion of files on the grid. For SC3 supplementary functionality has been added to allow bulk replication of data (using FTS) and efficient mass registration to the LFC replica catalog.Provisional performance results have shown that the system developed can meet the expected data replication rate required by the computing model in 2007. This paper details the experience and results of integration and utilisation of DIRAC with the SC3 transfer machinery.

Mise en scène ja kertova lavastus

OpenAIRE

Bruun, Ida

2013-01-01

Tämä opinnäytetyö tutkii mise en scèneä ja lavastuksen kerronnallista vaikutusta elokuvassa. Työ on toteutettu toiminnallisena ja koostuu kirjallisesta osasta ja teososasta. Teososa on vuonna 2012 ensi-iltansa saanut fiktiivinen lyhytelokuva Varjelus. Toimin elokuvassa lavastajana ja rekvisitöörinä. Kirjallinen osuus alkaa käsittelemällä mise en scènen, eli ’näyttämöllepanon’ määritelmää ja sen syntyä elokuvalliseksi konseptiksi. Työ etenee esittelemään ja tarkastelemaan käsitteen eri vis...

Phonon and thermodynamical properties of CuSc: A DFT study

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Ekta; Pagare, Gitanjali; Dubey, Shubha; Sanyal, S. P.

2018-05-01

A detailed systematic theoretical investigation of phonon and thermodynamical behavior of CuSc intermetallic compound has been carried out by uing first-principles density functional theory in B2-type (CsCl) crystal structure. Phonon dispersion curve and phonon density of states (PhDOS) are studied which confirm the stability of CuSc intermetallic compound in B2 phase. It is found that PhDOS at high frequencies mostly composed of Sc states. We have also presented some temperature dependent properties such as entropy, free energy, heat capacity, internal energy and thermal displacement, which are computed under PHONON code. The various features of these quantities are discussed in detail. From these results we demonstrate that the particular intermetallic have better ductility and larger thermal expansion.

Original Research: Use of hydroxyurea and phlebotomy in pediatric patients with hemoglobin SC disease

OpenAIRE

Summarell, Carly C Ginter; Sheehan, Vivien A

2016-01-01

Hydroxyurea is an excellent therapeutic agent for the pharmacological induction of HbF in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, all completed clinical trials of hydroxyurea have excluded patients with hemoglobin SC (HbSC) disease. HbSC differs significantly in pathophysiology from HbSS, as HbC does not sickle, but instead causes cellular dehydration which potentiates sickling of HbS. Many severely affected HbSC patients have been placed on hydroxyurea on a case by case basis, but ...

First-principles study of the nucleation and stability of ordered precipitates in ternary Al-Sc-Li alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Z.; Chen, W.; Seidman, D.N.; Wolverton, C.

2011-01-01

First-principles density functional calculations are used to study the nucleation and stability of L1 2 -ordered precipitates in Al-Sc-Li alloys. For dilute Al alloys, there are three possible ordered L1 2 precipitates: Al 3 Sc, Al 3 Li and an Al 3 Sc/Al 3 Li core/shell structure. To calculate the nucleation behavior, information about bulk thermodynamics (both static total energies and vibrational free energies), interfacial energetics and coherency strain is required. The study finds the following: (1) the coherency strain energies for forming coherent interfaces between Al/Al 3 Sc, Al/Al 3 Li and Al 3 Sc/Al 3 Li are relatively small, owing to the small atomic size mismatches in these systems; (2) the sublattice site preferences of Sc and Li are calculated, and it is demonstrated that Sc and Li share the same sublattice sites in both Al 3 Sc(L1 2 ) and Al 3 Li(L1 2 ), in agreement with recent experimental results; (3) the calculated solubilities of Sc and Li in α-Al alloys are in good agreement with experimental values and, for Sc, agree well with prior first-principles results; (4) the interfacial energies for Al/Al 3 Sc, Al/Al 3 Li and Al 3 Sc/Al 3 Li for (1 0 0), (1 1 0) and (1 1 1) interfaces are calculated: the values of the Al/Al 3 Sc interfacial energies are significantly larger than those of the Al/Al 3 Li and Al 3 Sc/Al 3 Li interfaces; (5) combining the bulk and interfacial energies yields the nucleation barriers and critical radii for Al 3 Sc and Al 3 Li precipitates; and (6) the energetic stability of the Al 3 Sc/Al 3 Li core/shell structure is compared with individual Al 3 Sc and Al 3 Li nuclei, and the range of precipitate sizes for which the core/shell structure is energetically favored is determined quantitatively.

Label-free assessment of adipose-derived stem cell differentiation using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering and multiphoton microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Mouras, Rabah; Bagnaninchi, Pierre O.; Downes, Andrew R.; Elfick, Alistair P. D.

2012-11-01

Adult stem cells (SCs) hold great potential as likely candidates for disease therapy but also as sources of differentiated human cells in vitro models of disease. In both cases, the label-free assessment of SC differentiation state is highly desirable, either as a quality-control technology ensuring cells to be used clinically are of the desired lineage or to facilitate in vitro time-course studies of cell differentiation. We investigate the potential of nonlinear optical microscopy as a minimally invasive technology to monitor the differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into adipocytes and osteoblasts. The induction of ADSCs toward these two different cell lineages was monitored simultaneously using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, two photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF), and second harmonic generation at different time points. Changes in the cell's morphology, together with the appearance of biochemical markers of cell maturity were observed, such as lipid droplet accumulation for adipo-induced cells and the formation of extra-cellular matrix for osteo-induced cells. In addition, TPEF of flavoproteins was identified as a proxy for changes in cell metabolism that occurred throughout ADSC differentiation toward both osteoblasts and adipocytes. These results indicate that multimodal microscopy has significant potential as an enabling technology for the label-free investigation of SC differentiation.

Design of SC solenoid with high homogeneity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Xiaoliang; Liu Zhong; Luo Min; Luo Guangyao; Kang Qiang; Tan Jie; Wu Wei

2014-01-01

A novel kind of SC (superconducting) solenoid coil is designed to satisfy the homogeneity requirement of the magnetic field. In this paper, we first calculate the current density distribution of the solenoid coil section through the linear programming method. Then a traditional solenoid and a nonrectangular section solenoid are designed to produce a central field up to 7 T with a homogeneity to the greatest extent. After comparison of the two solenoid coils designed in magnet field quality, fabrication cost and other aspects, the new design of the nonrectangular section of a solenoid coil can be realized through improving the techniques of framework fabrication and winding. Finally, the outlook and error analysis of this kind of SC magnet coil are also discussed briefly. (authors)

Impregnated cathode coated with tungsten thin film containing Sc2O3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, S.; Taguchi, S.; Watanabe, I.; Kawase, S.

1987-01-01

An impregnated cathode of a novel structure is proposed, fabricated, and evaluated. A thin tungsten film 100--400 nm in thickness containing various amounts of Sc 2 O 3 is coated on a standard impregnated cathode composed of a porous tungsten body in which electron emissive materials are impregnated. The electron emission property measured with a diode configuration is found to be dependent on Sc 2 O 3 content and surface atom distribution. Surface atom distribution is depicted by means of Auger electron spectroscopy. For high electron emission enhancement it is necessary for Sc 2 O 3 content to be 2.5--6.5 wt. % and for a layer of the order of a monolayer in thickness composed of Ba, Sc, and O to develop on the cathode surface

Differential dynamics of splicing factor SC35 during the cell cycle

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments revealed that the mobility of GFP-SC35 was distinct in different mitotic compartments. Interestingly, the mobility of GFP-SC35 was 3-fold higher in the cytoplasm of metaphase cells compared with interphase speckles, the nucleoplasm or MIGs. Treatment of ...

BOOK REVIEW: Assessing Sc1 for GCSE

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, H.

2000-01-01

It is well known that investigations that `fit' the National Curriculum or examination board criteria are few in number. The fair testing emphasis means that pupils all over the country are finding out what affects the rate of a chemical reaction, the rate of photosynthesis or, in the case of Physics, the resistance of a wire. This book focuses on nine of the most common Sc1 investigations and how to prepare for them, manage and assess them. The author, a GCSE examiner, has turned his expertise into a handbook for improving Sc1 performance in the classroom. He has produced a book that would be extremely useful to both newly qualified teachers and experienced teachers. The first aim of the book, however, is to explain the requirements of Sc1. This is done comprehensively with examples of what the jargon means in practice. By breaking down the elements of planning, obtaining evidence, analysing evidence and evaluating, it is easy to see the subtleties of the mark descriptors. At first glance there seems to be little difference between the type of scientific knowledge needed for planning at level 6 and level 8. However, the level 8 statement specifies `detailed' scientific knowledge and understanding, which would mean a student should use equations from physics or symbolic chemical equations to support their arguments. One of the most useful sections in the book details the marking problems that can arise with some investigations. For example, in an investigation into electromagnets it is difficult for students to provide sufficient relevant scientific theory to satisfy the requirements of planning at level 6. One of the problems with Sc1 is that certain requirements, such as graph plotting, are difficult for many students. This book provides exercises that can be given to students to improve those skills. Each of the nine investigations is covered in great detail. Each investigation begins with an introduction detailing the rationale for choosing it, whether students

44Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH2 in comparison to 68Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH2 in pre-clinical investigation. Is 44Sc a potential radionuclide for PET?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koumarianou, E.; Loktionova, N.S.; Fellner, M.; Roesch, F.; Thews, O.; Pawlak, D.; Archimandritis, S.C.; Mikolajczak, R.

2012-01-01

Aim: In the present study we demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo comparison of the 44 Sc and 68 Ga labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 . 44 Sc is a positron emitter with a half life of 3.92 h. Hence it could be used for PET imaging with ligands requiring longer observation time than in the case of 68 Ga. Methods: The binding affinity of nat Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 and nat Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 to GRP receptors was studied in competition to [ 125 I-Tyr 4 ]-Bombesin in the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3. A preliminary biodistribution in normal rats was performed, while first microPET images were assessed in male Copenhagen rats bearing the androgen-independent Dunning R-3327-AT-1 prostate cancer tumor. Results: The affinity to GRP receptors in the PC-3 cell line was higher for nat Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 (IC 50 (nM)=0.85±0.06) than that of nat Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 (IC 50 (nM)=6.49±0.13). The internalization rate of 68 Ga labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 was slower than that of 44 Sc, but their final internalization percents were comparable. 68 Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 was externalized faster than 44 Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 . The biodistribution of 44 Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 and 68 Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 in normal rats revealed a higher uptake in target organs and tissues of the first one while both excreted mainly through urinary tract. In microPET images both tracers were accumulated in the tumor with similar uptake patterns. Conclusions: Despite the differences in the receptor affinity both the 68 Ga- and the 44 Sc-labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 tracers showed comparable distribution and similar time constants of uptake and elimination. Moreover no differences in tumor accumulation (neither in the overall uptake nor in the dynamics) were observed from the microPet imaging. From that perspective the use of either 44 Sc or 68 Ga for detecting tumors with GRP receptors is equivalent. - Highlights: ► In vitro and in vivo evaluation of 44 Sc- and 68 Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH 2 in reference to published

New separation method of no-carrier-added {sup 47}Sc from titanium targets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartos, B.; Majkowska, A.; Kasperek, A.; Krajewski, S.; Bilewicz, A. [Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warszawa (Poland). Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Center

2012-07-01

Radionuclides with medium energy beta emission and a several day half-life are attractive candidates for radioimmunotherapy. Among the most promising in this category is {sup 47}Sc produced by fast neutron irradiation (E{sub n} > 1 MeV) of titanium target with high energy neutrons in {sup 47}Ti(n,p){sup 47}Sc nuclear reaction. In the previously reported production scheme the dissolution of the TiO{sub 2} target in hot concentrated H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and evaporation of the resulting solution were the most time-consuming steps. The present paper describes new, simple and efficient production method of {sup 47}Sc, where the slow dissolution of the target is avoided. After irradiation in fast neutron flux {sup 47}TiO{sub 2} and Li{sub 2}{sup 47}TiF{sub 6} targets were dissolved in HF solutions. Next {sup 47}Sc was separated from the target using anion exchange resin Dowex 1 with 0.4 M HF + 0.06 M HNO{sub 3} solution as eluent. The eluted {sup 47}Sc was adsorbed on cation exchange resin and eluted with 0.5 M of ammonium acetate. The 47Sc separation yield in the proposed procedure is about 90% with the separation time less than 2 h. The obtained no-carrier-added {sup 47}Sc was used to label DOTATATE conjugate with 96% labeling yield. (orig.)

Enhanced hardness in epitaxial TiAlScN alloy thin films and rocksalt TiN/(Al,Sc)N superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha, Bivas [School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Lawrence, Samantha K.; Bahr, David F. [School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Schroeder, Jeremy L.; Birch, Jens [Thin Film Physics Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping (Sweden); Sands, Timothy D. [School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

2014-10-13

High hardness TiAlN alloys for wear-resistant coatings exhibit limited lifetimes at elevated temperatures due to a cubic-AlN to hexagonal-AlN phase transformation that leads to decreasing hardness. We enhance the hardness (up to 46 GPa) and maximum operating temperature (up to 1050 °C) of TiAlN-based coatings by alloying with scandium nitride to form both an epitaxial TiAlScN alloy film and epitaxial rocksalt TiN/(Al,Sc)N superlattices on MgO substrates. The superlattice hardness increases with decreasing period thickness, which is understood by the Orowan bowing mechanism of the confined layer slip model. These results make them worthy of additional research for industrial coating applications.

Martensitic Transformation in a β-Type Mg-Sc Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Yukiko; Ando, Daisuke; Sutou, Yuji; Somekawa, Hidetoshi; Koike, Junichi

2018-03-01

Recently, we found that a Mg-Sc alloy with a bcc (β) phase exhibits superelasticity and a shape memory effect at low temperature. In this work, we examined the stress-induced and thermally induced martensitic transformation of the β-type Mg-Sc alloy and investigated the crystal structure of the thermally induced martensite phase based on in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The lattice constants of the martensite phase were calculated to be a = 0.3285 nm, b = 0.5544 nm, and c = 0.5223 nm when we assumed that the martensite phase has an orthorhombic structure (Cmcm). Based on the lattice correspondence between a bcc and an orthorhombic structures such as that in the case of β-Ti shape memory alloys, we estimated the transformation strain of the β Mg-Sc alloy. As a result, the transformation strains along the 001, 011, and 111 directions in the β phase were calculated to be + 5.7, + 8.8, and + 3.3%, respectively.

Martensitic Transformation in a β-Type Mg-Sc Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Yukiko; Ando, Daisuke; Sutou, Yuji; Somekawa, Hidetoshi; Koike, Junichi

2017-12-01

Recently, we found that a Mg-Sc alloy with a bcc (β) phase exhibits superelasticity and a shape memory effect at low temperature. In this work, we examined the stress-induced and thermally induced martensitic transformation of the β-type Mg-Sc alloy and investigated the crystal structure of the thermally induced martensite phase based on in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The lattice constants of the martensite phase were calculated to be a = 0.3285 nm, b = 0.5544 nm, and c = 0.5223 nm when we assumed that the martensite phase has an orthorhombic structure (Cmcm). Based on the lattice correspondence between a bcc and an orthorhombic structures such as that in the case of β-Ti shape memory alloys, we estimated the transformation strain of the β Mg-Sc alloy. As a result, the transformation strains along the 001, 011, and 111 directions in the β phase were calculated to be + 5.7, + 8.8, and + 3.3%, respectively.

The development of the code package PERMAK--3D//SC--1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolobov, P. A.; Oleksuk, D. A.

2011-01-01

Code package PERMAK-3D//SC-1 was developed for performing pin-by-pin coupled neutronic and thermal hydraulic calculation of the core fragment of seven fuel assemblies and was designed on the basis of 3D multigroup pin-by-pin code PERMAK-3D and 3D (subchannel) thermal hydraulic code SC-1 The code package predicts axial and radial pin-by-pin power distribution and coolant parameters in stimulated region (enthalpies,, velocities,, void fractions,, boiling and DNBR margins).. The report describes some new steps in code package development. Some PERMAK-3D//SC-1 outcomes of WWER calculations are presented in the report. (Authors)

Assembly of a supercrystal (SC) of the CMS endcap electromagnetic calorimeter

CERN Multimedia

J. Williams et al., RAL

2004-01-01

The first three pictures show the insertion of the first three rows of crystals into the supercrystal SC03 on Jan. 2004 and the completion of the SC endstops. Fig. 4 shows a complete supercrystal and Fig. 5 its components (alveolar, interface plate, housing, optical fibre, insert, crystal and VPT, endstop). A set of 25 inserts is shown in Fig. 6, while Fig. 7 shows housing, interface plates and inserts. Finally, a SC rear view showing the Vacum Phototriode (VPT) wires through the inserts can be seen in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 and 10 show two supercrystals under test on Dee F and R, respectively.

Experimental Study on Temperature Behavior of SC Structures under Pure Bending

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ham, K. W.; Lee, K. J.; Park, D. S.; Jeon, J. H.

2006-01-01

SC(Steel plate Concrete) module method uses steel plate instead of reinforcing bar and mold in existing RC structure. Steel plate modules are fabricated in advance, installed and poured with concrete in construction field, so construction period is remarkably shortened by SC module technique. In case of existence of temperature gap between internal and external structure surface such as spent fuel storage pool, thermal stress is taken place and as a result of it, structural strength is deteriorated. In this study, we designed three test specimens and several tests with or without temperature heating were conducted to evaluate temperature behavior of SC structures under pure bending loading condition

Vinorelbine-Cyclophosphamide compared to cyclophosphamide in peripheral blood stem cell mobilization for multiple myeloma.

Science.gov (United States)

de Mel, Sanjay; Chen, Yunxin; Lin, Adeline; Soh, Teck Guan; Ooi, Melissa; Yap, Eng Soo; Donato, Lara Kristina Sioco; Halim, Nurul Aidah Abdul; Mah, Joanna; Lim, Karen; Poon, Li Mei; Tan, Belinda; Yelly; Lim, Hui Li; Koh, Liang Piu; Tai, Bee Choo; Chen, Zhaojin; Chng, Wee Joo; Gopalakrishnan, Satish Kumar; Tan, Lip Kun

2018-04-23

High dose Cyclophosphamide (Cy) and Vinorelbine Cyclophosphamide (Vino-Cy) are stem cell (SC) mobilisation options for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We present a comparison of mobilisation outcomes using these regimens. Vino-Cy patients received Vinorelbine 25 mg/m 2 on day 1, cyclophosphamide 1500 mg/m 2 on day 2, and pegylated GCSF on day 4 or GCSF 10 mcg/kg/day from day 4 onwards. Cy patients were given cyclophosphamide 4000 mg/m 2 on day 1 and GCSF10 mcg/kg/day from day 5 onwards. The target CD34 + SC collection was 5 × 10 6  per kg/BW. 149 patients were included. SC collection was lower in the Vino-Cy group (8.20 × 10 6 /Kg BW) compared to the Cy group (11.43 × 10 6 /Kg BW), with adjusted geometric mean ratio of 0.59 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.86, p = 0.006). Time taken to achieve an adequate PB SC count was shorter for Vino-Cy (9 ± 1 day compared to 12 ± 2 days for Cy, adjusted absolute mean difference -3.95, 95% CI -4.85 to -3.06, P < .001). Mobilisation related toxicities (in particular, neutropaenic fever) were greater for Cy. Vino-Cy is a potential alternative to Cy given the need for effective mobilisation protocols with acceptable toxicity. Copyright © 2018 King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final Scientific Report: DE-SC0008580

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seidler, Gerald T. [Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

2017-03-16

We report scientific, technical, and organizational accomplishments under DE-SC0008580. This includes 10 publications, 5 patent or provisional patent applications, beamtime with important results at both LCLS and APS, and new progress in understanding target design for x-ray heating experiments at x-ray heating facilities.

Observed travel times for Multiply-reflected ScS waves from a deep-focus earthquake

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. F. ESPISOSA

1966-06-01

Full Text Available Tlie deep-focus Argentinean earthquake of December 8
1962, generated multiply reflected ScS phases which were recorded very
clearly at stations of the IGY and the TJSC&GS standardized worldwide
networks and at Canadian stations. The data gathered from this earthquake
for the multiply-reflected ScS and sScS were used to construct the
travel times and to extend them to shorter epicentral distances. These
new data brought to light an error in published travel times for the 2(ScS
phase.

Transport of one SC coil through the village of Meyrin

CERN Multimedia

1956-01-01

In 1952, before CERN was officially founded, two accelerator projects were launched: one for an innovative accelerator to operate at an energy level unequalled at the time, the other for a more standard machine, a Synchro-Cyclotron (SC) to operate at 600 MeV. Design work on the SC was started in 1952 and carried out by teams scattered throughout Europe. Once construction began in 1954, CERN had to arrange road transport for the first of what has since been a long series of spectacular component deliveries, such as those of the machine's two magnetic coils each weighing 60 tonnes and measuring 7.2 metres in diameter. Above, one of them is seen passing through the village of Meyrin. The SC was commissioned in 1957 and was operational for 34 years!

Identification of a developmental gene expression signature, including HOX genes, for the normal human colonic crypt stem cell niche: overexpression of the signature parallels stem cell overpopulation during colon tumorigenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatlekar, Seema; Addya, Sankar; Salunek, Moreh; Orr, Christopher R; Surrey, Saul; McKenzie, Steven; Fields, Jeremy Z; Boman, Bruce M

2014-01-15

Our goal was to identify a unique gene expression signature for human colonic stem cells (SCs). Accordingly, we determined the gene expression pattern for a known SC-enriched region--the crypt bottom. Colonic crypts and isolated crypt subsections (top, middle, and bottom) were purified from fresh, normal, human, surgical specimens. We then used an innovative strategy that used two-color microarrays (∼18,500 genes) to compare gene expression in the crypt bottom with expression in the other crypt subsections (middle or top). Array results were validated by PCR and immunostaining. About 25% of genes analyzed were expressed in crypts: 88 preferentially in the bottom, 68 in the middle, and 131 in the top. Among genes upregulated in the bottom, ∼30% were classified as growth and/or developmental genes including several in the PI3 kinase pathway, a six-transmembrane protein STAMP1, and two homeobox (HOXA4, HOXD10) genes. qPCR and immunostaining validated that HOXA4 and HOXD10 are selectively expressed in the normal crypt bottom and are overexpressed in colon carcinomas (CRCs). Immunostaining showed that HOXA4 and HOXD10 are co-expressed with the SC markers CD166 and ALDH1 in cells at the normal crypt bottom, and the number of these co-expressing cells is increased in CRCs. Thus, our findings show that these two HOX genes are selectively expressed in colonic SCs and that HOX overexpression in CRCs parallels the SC overpopulation that occurs during CRC development. Our study suggests that developmental genes play key roles in the maintenance of normal SCs and crypt renewal, and contribute to the SC overpopulation that drives colon tumorigenesis.

Neonatal Desensitization Supports Long-Term Survival and Functional Integration of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Rat Joint Cartilage Without Immunosuppression

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shufang; Jiang, Yang Zi; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Longkun; Tong, Tong; Liu, Wanlu; Mu, Qin; Liu, Hua; Ji, Junfeng; Ouyang, Hong Wei

2013-01-01

Immunological response hampers the investigation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or their derivates for tissue regeneration in vivo. Immunosuppression is often used after surgery, but exhibits side effects of significant weight loss and allows only short-term observation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether neonatal desensitization supports relative long-term survival of hESC-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hESC-MSCs) and promotes cartilage regeneration. hESC-MSCs were injected on the day of birth in rats. Six weeks after neonatal injection, a full-thickness cylindrical cartilage defect was created and transplanted with a hESC-MSC-seeded collagen bilayer scaffold (group d+s+c) or a collagen bilayer scaffold (group d+s). Rats without neonatal injection were transplanted with the hESC-MSC-seeded collagen bilayer scaffold to serve as controls (group s+c). Cartilage regeneration was evaluated by histological analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and biomechanical test. The role of hESC-MSCs in cartilage regeneration was analyzed by CD4 immunostaining, cell death detection, and visualization of human cells in regenerated tissues. hESC-MSCs expressed CD105, CD73, CD90, CD29, and CD44, but not CD45 and CD34, and possessed trilineage differentiation potential. Group d+s+c exhibited greater International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) scores than group d+s or group s+c. Abundant collagen type II and improved mechanical properties were detected in group d+s+c. There were less CD4+ inflammatory cell infiltration and cell death at week 1, and hESC-MSCs were found to survive as long as 8 weeks after transplantation in group d+s+c. Our study suggests that neonatal desensitization before transplantation may be an efficient way to develop a powerful tool for preclinical study of human cell-based therapies in animal models. PMID:22788986

A drought severity climatology for the Carpathian Region using Sc-PDSI

Science.gov (United States)

Antofie, Tiberiu; Naumann, Gustavo; Spinoni, Jonathan; Weynants, Melanie; Szalai, Sandor; Szentimrey, Tamas; Bihari, Zita; Vogt, Jürgen

2013-04-01

Monthly grids of the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (Sc-PDSI) have been calculated for the period 1961-2010 for the Carpathian Region (17˚-27˚E, 44˚-50˚N) with a spatial resolution of 0.1˚x 0.1˚. Using the Sc-PDSI and the assumptions of the Palmer Drought Model (PDM), the approximated precipitation required for drought termination (achieved when the Sc-PDSI turns back above -0.5) and amelioration (achieved when the Sc-PDSI value turns back above -2.0) are computed for periods of 1, 3, 6, and 9 months. The Sc-PDSI is based on a modified version of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), first introduced by Palmer (1965) with the intent to measure the cumulative departure (related to local normal conditions) of moisture supply and demand. Due to its empirically derived climatic characteristic (K) and duration factors - limited to U.S. climatic conditions - Wells et al. (2004) improved it and transformed the PDSI into the Sc-PDSI, which is more appropriate for spatial comparisons in different climatic regions. The Sc-PDSI is based on the supply-and-demand concept of a complex water budget system based on precipitation and temperature records and also on the soil characteristics at any location. The inputs used in this study are the Available Water Capacity of the soil (AWC) derived from the soil texture (European Soil Database of JRC) with a spatial resolution of 0.1˚x0.1˚, Potential Evapo-Transpiration (PET), and 6 hydrological parameters of the soil water balance: recharge, runoff, loss, and their potential values (used in the calculation of Palmer's constants to define the normal climate for the specific location, i.e. the so called CAFEC). PET has been computed using the 0.1˚x 0.1˚ gridded monthly precipitation and mean temperature for 1961-2010 provided by the CARPATCLIM project in the framework of the construction of a Climate Atlas for the Carpathian Region. The Sc-PDSI focuses on the monthly anomalies of the soil moisture, thus it

L-Arginine ethylester enhances in vitro amplification of PrP(Sc) in macaques with atypical L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy and enables presymptomatic detection of PrP(Sc) in the bodily fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Murayama, Y; Ono, F; Shimozaki, N; Shibata, H

2016-02-12

Protease-resistant, misfolded isoforms (PrP(Sc)) of a normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) in the bodily fluids, including blood, urine, and saliva, are expected to be useful diagnostic markers of prion diseases, and nonhuman primate models are suited for performing valid diagnostic tests for human Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). We developed an effective amplification method for PrP(Sc) derived from macaques infected with the atypical L-type bovine spongiform encephalopathy (L-BSE) prion by using mouse brain homogenate as a substrate in the presence of polyanions and L-arginine ethylester. This method was highly sensitive and detected PrP(Sc) in infected brain homogenate diluted up to 10(10) by sequential amplification. This method in combination with PrP(Sc) precipitation by sodium phosphotungstic acid is capable of amplifying very small amounts of PrP(Sc) contained in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), saliva, urine, and plasma of macaques that have been intracerebrally inoculated with the L-BSE prion. Furthermore, PrP(Sc) was detectable in the saliva or urine samples as well as CSF samples obtained at the preclinical phases of the disease. Thus, our novel method may be useful for furthering the understanding of bodily fluid leakage of PrP(Sc) in nonhuman primate models. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlative characterization of primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phase in an Al–Zn–Mg based alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, J.H., E-mail: jie-hua.li@hotmail.com [Institute of Casting Research, Montanuniversität Leoben, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Wiessner, M. [Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Albu, M. [Institute for Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis, Graz University of Technology, Center for Electron Microscopy (Austria); Wurster, S. [Department of Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Erich Schmid Institute of Materials Science of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Sartory, B. [Materials Center Leoben Forschung GmbH, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Hofer, F. [Institute for Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis, Graz University of Technology, Center for Electron Microscopy (Austria); Schumacher, P. [Institute of Casting Research, Montanuniversität Leoben, A-8700 Leoben (Austria); Austrian Foundry Research Institute, A-8700 Leoben (Austria)

2015-04-15

Three-dimensional electron backscatter diffraction, focused ion beam, transmission electron microscopy and energy filtered transmission electron microscopy were employed to investigate the structural information of primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phase, i.e. size, shape, element distribution and orientation relationship with the α-Al matrix. It was found that (i) most primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases have a cubic three-dimensional morphology, with a size of about 6–10 μm, (ii) most primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases are located within the α-Al matrix, and exhibit a cube to cube orientation relationship with the α-Al matrix, and (iii) a layer by layer growth was observed within primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases. Al, Cu, Si and Fe are enriched in the α-Al matrix between the layers of cellular eutectic Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phase, while Sc, Ti and Zr are enriched in small Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases. A peritectic reaction and subsequent eutectic reaction between Al{sub 3}Sc and Al was proposed to interpret the observed layer by layer growth. This paper demonstrates that the presence of impurities (Fe, Si, Cu, Ti) in the diffusion field surrounding the growing Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) particle enhances the heterogeneous nucleation of Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases. - Highlights: • Most fine cubic primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phases were observed within the α-Al matrix. • A layer by layer growth within primary Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr) phase was observed. • A peritectic and subsequent eutectic reaction between Al{sub 3}Sc and Al was proposed. • Impurities in diffusion fields enhance heterogeneous nucleation of Al{sub 3}(Sc,Zr)

Concise Review: Wnt Signaling Pathways in Skin Development and Epidermal Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Veltri, Anthony; Lang, Christopher; Lien, Wen-Hui

2018-01-01

Mammalian skin and its appendages constitute the integumentary system forming a barrier between the organism and its environment. During development, skin epidermal cells divide rapidly and stratify into a multilayered epithelium, as well as invaginate downward in the underlying mesenchyme to form hair follicles (HFs). In postnatal skin, the interfollicular epidermal (IFE) cells continuously proliferate and differentiate while HFs undergo cycles of regeneration. Epidermal regeneration is fueled by epidermal stem cells (SCs) located in the basal layer of the IFE and the outer layer of the bulge in the HF. Epidermal development and SC behavior are mainly regulated by various extrinsic cues, among which Wnt-dependent signaling pathways play crucial roles. This review not only summarizes the current knowledge of Wnt signaling pathways in the regulation of skin development and governance of SCs during tissue homeostasis, but also discusses the potential crosstalk of Wnt signaling with other pathways involved in these processes. Stem Cells 2018;36:22-35. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

Lanthanide-doped NaScF4 nanoprobes: crystal structure, optical spectroscopy and biodetection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Yu; Tu, Datao; Zheng, Wei; Liu, Yongsheng; Kong, Jintao; Hu, Ping; Chen, Zhuo; Huang, Mingdong; Chen, Xueyuan

2013-07-21

Trivalent lanthanide ions (Ln(3+))-doped inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) as potential luminescent bioprobes have been attracting tremendous interest because of their unique upconversion (UC) and downconversion (DC) luminescence properties. NaScF4, as an important host material, has been rarely reported and its crystal structure remains unclear. Herein, based on the single crystal X-ray diffraction, the space group of NaScF4 crystals was determined to be P31 containing multiple sites of Sc(3+) with crystallographic site symmetry of C1, which was verified by high-resolution photoluminescence spectroscopy of Eu(3+) at low temperature (10 K). Furthermore, monodisperse and size-controllable NaScF4:Ln(3+) NPs were synthesized via a facile thermal decomposition method. The biotinylated NaScF4:Er(3+)/Yb(3+) NPs were demonstrated for their applications as a heterogeneous UC luminescence bioprobe to detect avidin with a detection limit of 180 pM. After bioconjugation with amino-terminal fragment (ATF) of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), NaScF4:Ln(3+) NPs also exhibited specific recognition of cancer cells overexpressed with uPA receptor (uPAR, an important marker of tumor biology and metastasis), showing great potentials in tumor-targeted bioimaging.

Reduction of the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric material ScN by Nb alloying

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tureson, Nina; Van Nong, Ngo; Fournier, Daniele

2017-01-01

) orientation. The crystal structure, morphology, thermal conductivity, and thermoelectric and electrical properties were investigated. The ScN reference film exhibited a Seebeck coefficient of −45 μV/K and a power factor of 6 × 10−4 W/m K2 at 750 K. Estimated from room temperature Hall measurements, all...... samples exhibit a high carrier density of the order of 1021 cm−3. Inclusion of heavy transition metals into ScN enables the reduction in thermal conductivity by an increase in phonon scattering. The Nb inserted ScN thin films exhibited a thermal conductivity lower than the value of the ScN reference (10.......5 W m−1 K−1) down to a minimum value of 2.2 Wm−1 K−1. Insertion of Nb into ScN thus resulted in a reduction in thermal conductivity by a factor of ∼5 due to the mass contrast in ScN, which increases the phonon scattering in the material....

Data-driven discovery of energy materials: efficient BaM2Si3O10 : Eu2+ (M = Sc, Lu) phosphors for application in solid state white lighting.

Science.gov (United States)

Brgoch, Jakoah; Hasz, Kathryn; Denault, Kristin A; Borg, Christopher K H; Mikhailovsky, Alexander A; Seshadri, Ram

2014-01-01

In developing phosphors for application in solid state lighting, it is advantageous to target structures from databases with highly condensed polyhedral networks that produce rigid host compounds. Rigidity limits channels for non-radiative decay that will decrease the luminescence quantum yield. BaM(2)Si(3)O(10) (M = Sc, Lu) follows this design criterion and is studied here as an efficient Eu(2+)-based phosphor. M = Sc(3+) and Lu(3+) compounds with Eu(2+) substitution were prepared and characterized using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Substitution with Eu(2+) according to Ba(1-x)Eu(x)Sc(2)Si(3)O(10) and Ba(1-x)Eu(x)Lu(2)Si(3)O(10) results in UV-to-blue and UV-to-blue-green phosphors, respectively. Interestingly, substitution with Eu(2+) in the Lu(3+) containing material produces two emission peaks at low temperature and with 365 nm excitation, as allowed by the two substitution sites. The photoluminescence of the Sc(3+) compound is robust at high temperature, decreasing by only 25% of its room temperature intensity at 503 K, while the Lu-analogue suffers a large drop (75%) from its room temperature intensity. The decrease in emission intensity is explained as stemming from charge transfer quenching due to the short distances separating the luminescent centers on the Lu(3+) substitution site. The correlation between structure and optical response in these two compounds indicates that even though the structures are three-dimensionally connected, high symmetry is required to prevent structural distortions that could impact photoluminescence.

Optimizing complex scandium-3,3 benzilidene BIS [4-hydroxycoumarin] with 46Sc radiotracer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khanza Aktari Dewi; Muhamad Basit Febrian; Duyeh Setiawan

2015-01-01

Coumarin, coumarin derivatives and coumarin complex compounds known to possess biological activities such as anticancer and antiviral. The reaction between the active compound coumarin derivatives with radioisotopes Sc-46 is expected to give a complex that will be marked for further investigation of its biological activity in purpose of drug development based on coumarin. This study aims to determine the optimum conditions in the synthesis of its complex compounds as well as the physico chemical characteristics including physical properties and radiochemical purity of the complex. 3.3 benzilidene bis [4-hydroxycoumarin] ligand has successfully synthesized by reacting 4-hydroxycoumarin with benzaldehyde. Complex solids formed instantly when the solution ScCl 3 labeled by Sc-46 with a pH of 5 is reacted with a ligand solution with a pH of 11 with the optimum ratio of Sc: ligand were 1:2 with optimum labeling percentage of 99,75 ± 0,02%. FTIR analysis of complex compounds and ligands show some shift in absorption due to the formation of complex. Melting point of ligand was 234°C whilst complex compound was not yet melted in maximum range of Fischer-Jons instrument at 300°C. The complex was white reddish coloured and well soluble in DMSO. Radiochemical purity of the complex Sc-(3,3 benzilidene bis [4-hydroxycoumarin]) 2 .2H 2 O was 91.22%. Complex compound of coumarin labeled by Sc-46 has been successfully synthesized and characterized with proposed molecular formula of Sc-(3,3 benzilidene bis [4-hydroxycoumarin]) 2 .2H 2 O. (author)

High Reflectance Nanoscale V/Sc Multilayer for Soft X-ray Water Window Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Qiushi; Yi, Qiang; Cao, Zhaodong; Qi, Runze; Loch, Rolf A; Jonnard, Philippe; Wu, Meiyi; Giglia, Angelo; Li, Wenbin; Louis, Eric; Bijkerk, Fred; Zhang, Zhong; Wang, Zhanshan

2017-10-10

V/Sc multilayer is experimentally demonstrated for the first time as a high reflectance mirror for the soft X-ray water window region. It primarily works at above the Sc-L edge (λ = 3.11 nm) under near normal incidence while a second peak appears at above the V-L edge (λ = 2.42 nm) under grazing incidence. The V/Sc multilayer fabricated with a d-spacing of 1.59 nm and 30 bilayers has a smaller interface width (σ = 0.27 and 0.32 nm) than the conventional used Cr/Sc (σ = 0.28 and 0.47 nm). For V/Sc multilayer with 30 bilayers, the introduction of B 4 C barrier layers has little improvement on the interface structure. As the number of bilayers increasing to 400, the growth morphology and microstructure of the V/Sc layers evolves with slightly increased crystallization. Nevertheless, the surface roughness remains to be 0.25 nm. A maximum soft X-ray reflectance of 18.4% is measured at λ = 3.129 nm at 9° off-normal incidence using the 400-bilayers V/Sc multilayer. According to the fitted model, an s-polarization reflectance of 5.2% can also be expected at λ = 2.425 nm under 40° incidence. Based on the promising experimental results, further improvement of the reflectance can be achieved by using a more stable deposition system, exploring different interface engineering methods and so on.

An Original Transformer and Switched-Capacitor (T & SC-Based Extension for DC-DC Boost Converter for High-Voltage/Low-Current Renewable Energy Applications: Hardware Implementation of a New T & SC Boost Converter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this article a new Transformer and Switched Capacitor-based Boost Converter (T & SC-BC is proposed for high-voltage/low-current renewable energy applications. The proposed T & SC-BC is an original extension for DC-DC boost converter which is designed by utilizing a transformer and switched capacitor (T & SC. Photovoltaic (PV energy is a fast emergent segment among the renewable energy systems. The proposed T & SC-BC combines the features of the conventional boost converter and T & SC to achieve a high voltage conversion ratio. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT controller is compulsory and necessary in a PV system to extract maximum power. Thus, a photovoltaic MPPT control mechanism also articulated for the proposed T & SC-BC. The voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin of proposed converter is (1 + k/(1 − D where, k is the turns ratio of the transformer and D is the duty cycle (thus, the converter provides 9.26, 13.88, 50/3 voltage conversion ratios at 78.4 duty cycle with k = 1, 2, 2.6, respectively. The conspicuous features of proposed T & SC-BC are: (i a high voltage conversion ratio (Vo/Vin; (ii continuous input current (Iin; (iii single switch topology; (iv single input source; (v low drain to source voltage (VDS rating of control switch; (vi a single inductor and a single untapped transformer are used. Moreover, the proposed T & SC-BC topology was compared with recently addressed DC-DC converters in terms of number of components, cost, voltage conversion ratio, ripples, efficiency and power range. Simulation and experimental results are provided which validate the functionality, design and concept of the proposed approach.

Ferromagnetism carried by highly delocalized hybrid states in Sc-doped ZnO thin films

KAUST Repository

Benali Kanoun, Mohammed

2012-05-29

We present first-principles results for Sc-doped ZnOthin films. Neighboring Sc atoms in the surface and/or subsurface layers are found to be coupled ferromagnetically, where only two of the possible configurations induce spin polarization. In the first configuration, the polarization is carried by the Sc d states as expected for transition metaldoping. However, there is a second configuration which is energetically favorable. It is governed by polarized hybrid states of the Zns, O p, and Sc d orbitals. Such highly delocalized states can be an important ingredient for understanding the magnetism of dopedZnOthin films.

Isospin excitation of nucleus in 42,44,48Ca (p,n)42,44,48Sc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Keiji

2002-01-01

To obtain information of (p,n) reaction of heavy nucleus in 100 MeV or less, 42,44,48 Ca(p,n) 42,44,48 Sc was observed on the Cyclotron Radio Isotope Center in Tohoku University. The experimental results showed that 7, 8 and 10 spin parities were determined for 42 Sc, 44 Sc and 48 SC, respectively. It was the first determination of one and two negative parity transition of 42 Sc and 48 Sc,respectively, by (p,n) reaction. The full space wave function made by 0f1p shell effective interaction by Richter,et al is good accuracy and reliability. On the (p,n) reaction at E p =35 MeV, the transition matrix elements of 42 Ca, 44 Ca and 48 Ca were derived. On the experiment of 42 Ca(p,n) 42 Sc at E p 2 on energy was agreed with the calculation results by Franey and Love. The nuclear structure of 42 Ca was thought to show more stronger U(4) symmetry, because strong GT transition at T=1 was not observed, which was expected by j-j bonding shell model calculation. (S.Y.)

Immunoregulatory effects of human dental pulp-derived stem cells on T cells: comparison of transwell co-culture and mixed lymphocyte reaction systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Demircan, Pinar Cetinalp; Sariboyaci, Ayla Eker; Unal, Zehra Seda; Gacar, Gulcin; Subasi, Cansu; Karaoz, Erdal

2011-11-01

BACKGROUND AIMS. Studies performed using human and animal models have indicated the immunoregulatory capability of mesenchymal stromal cells in several lineages. We investigated whether human dental pulp-derived stem cells (hDP-SC) have regulatory effects on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated CD3(+) T cells. We aimed to define the regulatory mechanisms associated with hDP-SC that occur in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and transwell systems with PHA-CD3(+) T cells and hDP-SC at a ratio of 1:1. METHODS. Proliferation, apoptosis and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines of PHA-CD3(+)T cells, the expression of Regulatory T cells (Treg) markers and some regulatory factors related to hDP-SC, were studied in Both transwell and MLR are co-cultures systems. RESULTS. Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of hDP-SC were determined in co-culture systems. Elevated expression levels of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-β1, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1)-1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by hDP-SC were detected in the co-culture systems. We observed decreased expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-2, IL-6 receptor (R), IL-12, Interleukin-17A (IL-17A), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] and increased expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine [inducible protein (IP)-10] from PHA-CD3(+) T cells in the transwell system. Expression of Treg (CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+)) markers was significantly induced by hDP-SC in both co-culture systems. We observed apoptosis of PHA-CD3(+) T cells with 24 h using time-lapse camera photographs and active caspase labeling; it is likely that paracrine soluble factors and molecular signals secreted by hDP-SC led this apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS. We suggest that hDP-SC have potent immunoregulatory functions because of their soluble factors and cytokines via paracrine

Crystal, magnetic, calorimetric and electronic structure investigation of GdScGe1-x Sb x compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Guillou, F.; Pathak, A. K.; Hackett, T. A.; Paudyal, D.; Mudryk, Y.; Pecharsky, V. K.

2017-12-01

Experimental investigations of crystal structure, magnetism and heat capacity of compounds in the pseudoternary GdScGe-GdScSb system combined with density functional theory projections have been employed to clarify the interplay between the crystal structure and magnetism in this series of RTX materials (R  =  rare-earth, T   =  transition metal and X  =  p-block element). We demonstrate that the CeScSi-type structure adopted by GdScGe and CeFeSi-type structure adopted by GdScSb coexist over a limited range of compositions 0.65 ≤slant x ≤slant 0.9 . Antimony for Ge substitutions in GdScGe result in an anisotropic expansion of the unit cell of the parent that is most pronounced along the c axis. We believe that such expansion acts as the driving force for the instability of the double layer CeScSi-type structure of the parent germanide. Extensive, yet limited Sb substitutions 0 ≤slant x disappearance of the induced magnetic moments on Sc. For the parent antimonide, heat capacity measurements indicate an additional transition below the main antiferromagnetic transition.

Fast conversion of scFv to Fab antibodies using type IIs restriction enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanmark, Hanna; Huovinen, Tuomas; Matikka, Tero; Pettersson, Tiina; Lahti, Maria; Lamminmäki, Urpo

2015-11-01

Single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody libraries are widely used for developing novel bioaffinity reagents, although Fab or IgG molecules are the preferred antibody formats in many final applications. Therefore, rapid conversion methods for combining multiple DNA fragments are needed to attach constant domains to the scFv derived variable domains. In this study we describe a fast and easy cloning method for the conversion of single framework scFv fragments to Fab fragments using type IIS restriction enzymes. All cloning steps excluding plating of the Fab transformants can be done in 96 well plates and the procedure can be completed in one working day. The concept was tested by converting 69 scFv clones into Fab format on 96 well plates, which resulted in 93% success rate. The method is particularly useful as a high-throughput tool for the conversion of the chosen scFv clones into Fab molecules in order to analyze them as early as possible, as the conversion can significantly affect the binding properties of the chosen clones. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

β decay and isomeric properties of neutron-rich Ca and Sc isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, H. L.; Mantica, P. F.; Berryman, J. S.; Stoker, J. B.; Janssens, R. V. F.; Carpenter, M. P.; Kay, B. P.; Lauritsen, T.; Zhu, S.; Broda, R.; Cieplicka, N.; Fornal, B.; Grinyer, G. F.; Minamisono, K.; Hoteling, N.; Stefanescu, I.; Walters, W. B.

2010-01-01

The isomeric and β-decay properties of neutron-rich 53-57 Sc and 53,54 Ca nuclei near neutron number N=32 are reported, and the low-energy level schemes of 53,54,56 Sc and 53-57 Ti are presented. The low-energy level structures of the 21 Sc isotopes are discussed in terms of the coupling of the valence 1f 7/2 proton to states in the corresponding 20 Ca cores. Implications with respect to the robustness of the N=32 subshell closure are discussed, as well as the repercussions for a possible N=34 subshell closure.

Investigating the local structure of B-site cations in (1-x)BaTiO3-xBiScO3 and (1-x)PbTiO3-xBiScO3 using X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Peter E. R.; Grosvenor, Andrew P.

2018-05-01

The structural properties of (1-x)BaTiO3-xBiScO3 and (1-x)PbTiO3-xBiScO3 were investigated using powder X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Diffraction measurements confirmed that substituting small amounts of BiScO3 into BaTiO3 initially stabilizes a cubic phase at x = 0.2 before impurity phases begin to form at x = 0.5. BiScO3 substitution also resulted in noticeable changes in the local coordination environment of Ti4+. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) analysis showed that replacing Ti4+ with Sc3+ results in an increase in the off-centre displacement of Ti4+ cations. Surprisingly, BiScO3 substitution has no effect on the displacement of the Ti4+ cation in the (1-x)PbTiO3-xBiScO3 solid solution.

Roberts-SC phocomelia syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Maheshwari, A; Kumar, P; Dutta, S; Narang, A

2001-06-01

A severely growth retarded baby was born at 38 weeks gestation. He had multiple craniofacial anomalies, microbrachycephaly, phocomelia in the upper limbs and renal cysts visible on ultrasound. He died of recurrent apneas. The autopsy showed left sided multicystic dysplastic kidney and absence of one testis. Cytogenetic studies did not reveal any abnormality. The phenotypic features match those described in the Roberts-SC phocomelia syndrome. A literature review revealed that 50% of these patients have chromosomal defects and antenatal detection is possible on ultrasound and by chromosome analysis of the amniocytes.

Original Research: Use of hydroxyurea and phlebotomy in pediatric patients with hemoglobin SC disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Summarell, Carly C Ginter; Sheehan, Vivien A

2016-04-01

Hydroxyurea is an excellent therapeutic agent for the pharmacological induction of HbF in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). However, all completed clinical trials of hydroxyurea have excluded patients with hemoglobin SC (HbSC) disease. HbSC differs significantly in pathophysiology from HbSS, as HbC does not sickle, but instead causes cellular dehydration which potentiates sickling of HbS. Many severely affected HbSC patients have been placed on hydroxyurea on a case by case basis, but there are no large scale prospective data on safety or efficacy of hydroxyurea in this subset of patients with SCD. Here, we report a case series of 14 pediatric patients with HbSC treated to maximum tolerated dose (MTD) with hydroxyurea. Those who failed to show clinical improvement after at least six months at MTD were offered phlebotomy in addition to hydroxyurea. Five out of 11 patients with HbSC who achieved MTD failed to demonstrate clinical improvement on hydroxyurea. Of the four placed on dual hydroxyurea and phlebotomy therapy, all showed at least partial clinical improvement. Percent dense red blood cells (%DRBC) were measured via an ADVIA hematology analyzer. A marked rise in percent dense cells preceded clinical complications in three patients. Dual therapy with hydroxyurea and phlebotomy may be an effective approach to patients with HbSC that do not experience improvement with hydroxyurea alone. Monitoring of %DRBC may predict adverse events and aid in assessing hydroxyurea compliance. Large scale clinical trials are needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hydroxyurea and hydroxyurea with phlebotomy in patients with HbSC disease. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Recruiting endogenous stem cells: a novel therapeutic approach for erectile dysfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhong-Cheng Xin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Transplanted stem cells (SCs, owing to their regenerative capacity, represent one of the most promising methods to restore erectile dysfunction (ED. However, insufficient source, invasive procedures, ethical and regulatory issues hamper their use in clinical applications. The endogenous SCs/progenitor cells resident in organ and tissues play critical roles for organogenesis during development and for tissue homeostasis in adulthood. Even without any therapeutic intervention, human body has a robust self-healing capability to repair the damaged tissues or organs. Therefore, SCs-for-ED therapy should not be limited to a supply-side approach. The resident endogenous SCs existing in patients could also be a potential target for ED therapy. The aim of this review was to summarize contemporary evidence regarding: (1 SC niche and SC biological features in vitro; (2 localization and mobilization of endogenous SCs; (3 existing evidence of penile endogenous SCs and their possible mode of mobilization. We performed a search on PubMed for articles related to these aspects in a wide range of basic studies. Together, numerous evidences hold the promise that endogenous SCs would be a novel therapeutic approach for the therapy of ED.

Curcumin Increase the Expression of Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells and Improves Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Science.gov (United States)

Bang, Woo-Seok; Kim, Kyoung-Tae; Seo, Ye Jin; Cho, Dae-Chul; Sung, Joo-Kyung; Kim, Chi Heon

2018-01-01

Objective To investigates the effect of curcumin on proliferation of spinal cord neural stem/progenitor cells (SC-NSPCs) and functional outcome in a rat spinal cord injury (SCI) model. Methods Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and blindly allocated into three groups (sham control group; curcumin treated group after SCI; vehicle treated group after SCI). Functional recovery was evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale during 6 weeks after SCI. The expression of SC-NSPC proliferation and astrogliosis were analyzed by nestin/Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining. The injured spinal cord was then examined histologically, including quantification of cavitation. Results The BBB score of the SCI-curcumin group was better than that of SCI-vehicle group up to 14 days (p<0.05). The co-immunoreactivity of nestin/BrdU in the SCI-curcumin group was much higher than that of the SCI-vehicle group 1 week after surgery (p<0.05). The GFAP immunoreactivity of the SCI-curcumin group was remarkably lower than that of the SCI-vehicle group 4 weeks after surgery (p<0.05). The lesion cavity was significantly reduced in the curcumin group as compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion These results indicate that curcumin could increase the expression of SC-NSPCs, and reduce the activity of reactive astrogliosis and lesion cavity. Consequently curcumin could improve the functional recovery after SCI via SC-NSPC properties. PMID:29354231

Timescale differences between SC-PDSI and SPEI for drought monitoring in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Haiyan; Gao, Ge; An, Wei; Zou, Xukai; Li, Haitao; Hou, Meiting

2017-12-01

The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) has been widely used to monitor drought. Its characteristics are more suitable for measuring droughts of longer timescales, and this fact has not received much attention. The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) can better reflect the climatic water balance, owing to its combination of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. In this study, we selected monthly average air temperature and precipitation data from 589 meteorological stations of China's National Meteorological Information Center, to compare the effects of applying a self-calibrating PDSI (SC-PDSI) and SPEI to monitor drought events in the station regions, with a special focus on differences of event timescale. The results show the following. 1) Comparative analysis using SC-PDSI and SPEI for drought years and characters of three dry periods from 1961 to 2011 in the Beijing region showed that durations of SC-PDSI-based dry spells were longer than those of 3-month and 6-month SPEIs, but equal to those of 12-month or longer timescale SPEIs. 2) For monitoring evolution of the fall 2009 to spring 2010 Southwest China drought and spring 2000 Huang-Huai drought, 3-month SPEI could better monitor the initiation, aggravation, alleviation and relief of drought in the two regions, whereas the SC-PDSI was insensitive to drought recovery because of its long-term memory of previous climate conditions. 3) Analysis of the relationship between SC-PDSI for different regions and SPEI for different timescales showed that correlation of the two indexes changed with region, and SC-PDSI was maximally correlated with SPEI of 9-19 months in China. Therefore, SC-PDSI is only suitable for monitoring mid- and long-term droughts, owing to the strong lagged autocorrelation such as 0.4786 for 12-month lagged ones in Beijing, whereas SPEI is suitable for both short- and long-term drought-monitoring and should have greater application prospects in China.

Cytogenetic diagnosis of Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome: First ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tahir M. Malla

2015-07-14

/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). 1. Introduction. Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome is an autosomal recessive developmental disorder characterized by pre and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies,.

77 FR 51475 - Safety Zone; Apache Pier Labor Day Fireworks; Myrtle Beach, SC

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-24

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Apache Pier Labor Day Fireworks; Myrtle Beach, SC AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION... Atlantic Ocean in the vicinity of Apache Pier in Myrtle Beach, SC, during the Labor Day fireworks... [[Page 51476

Intracellular scFvs against the viral E6 oncoprotein provoke apoptosis in human papillomavirus-positive cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lagrange, Magali; Boulade-Ladame, Charlotte; Mailly, Laurent; Weiss, Etienne; Orfanoudakis, Georges; Deryckere, Francois

2007-01-01

The E6 protein of human papillomavirus type 16 (16E6) is involved in the tumorigenesis of human cervical cells by targeting numerous cellular proteins. We have designed a strategy for neutralizing 16E6 based on the intracellular expression of single-chain Fv antibodies (scFvs) specific to 16E6. Recombinant adenovirus vectors were constructed to allow expression of two 16E6-binding scFvs and one 16E6-non-binding scFv in HPV16-positive and -negative cells. Expression of the scFvs provoked two types of effects: (i) inhibition of proliferation of all cell lines tested, this aspecific toxicity being likely due to the aggregation of unfolded scFvs; and (ii) apoptosis observed only in HPV16-positive cervical cancer cell lines after expression of 16E6-binding scFvs, this specific effect being proportional to the intracellular solubility of the scFvs. These data demonstrate the feasibility of intracellular immunization with anti-16E6 scFvs and highlight the importance of the solubility of the intracellular antibodies

Synthesis and crystal structure of the first Sc-Nb-O-N phases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Orthmann, Steven; Lerch, Martin [Institut fuer Chemie, Technische Universitaet Berlin (Germany)

2017-11-17

Synthesis of phase-pure materials in the system Sc-Nb-O-N is challenging. In this contribution we report on the preparation of the first scandium niobium oxide nitrides via reaction of water-saturated gaseous ammonia or an ammonia-oxygen mixture with amorphous scandium niobium oxides. Two new phases were obtained: rutile-type ScNb{sub 4}O{sub 7}N{sub 3}, which crystallizes in space group P4{sub 2}/mnm, and an anion-deficient fluorite-type Sc{sub 2}Nb(O,N,⬜){sub 6} phase crystallizing in space group Fm anti 3m. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Magnet measuring equipment of SC2

CERN Multimedia

1974-01-01

Checking the positioning of the magnet measuring equipment installed between the poles of SC2. The steel structure in front of the magnet is designed to house the rotary condenser and to shield it from the stray magnetic field of the accelerator. On the left, Marinus van Gulik. (See Photo Archive 7402005 and Annual Report 1974, p. 44.)

Upfront plerixafor plus G-CSF versus cyclophosphamide plus G-CSF for stem cell mobilization in multiple myeloma: efficacy and cost analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Afifi, S; Adel, N G; Devlin, S; Duck, E; Vanak, J; Landau, H; Chung, D J; Lendvai, N; Lesokhin, A; Korde, N; Reich, L; Landgren, O; Giralt, S; Hassoun, H

2016-04-01

Cyclophosphamide plus G-CSF (C+G-CSF) is one of the most widely used stem cell (SC) mobilization regimens for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Plerixafor plus G-CSF (P+G-CSF) has demonstrated superior SC mobilization efficacy when compared with G-CSF alone and has been shown to rescue patients who fail mobilization with G-CSF or C+G-CSF. Despite the proven efficacy of P+G-CSF in upfront SC mobilization, its use has been limited, mostly due to concerns of high price of the drug. However, a comprehensive comparison of the efficacy and cost effectiveness of SC mobilization using C+G-CSF versus P+G-CSF is not available. In this study, we compared 111 patients receiving C+G-CSF to 112 patients receiving P+G-CSF. The use of P+G-CSF was associated with a higher success rate of SC collection defined as ⩾5 × 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg (94 versus 83%, P=0.013) and less toxicities. Thirteen patients in the C+G-CSF arm were hospitalized owing to complications while none in the P+G-CSF group. C+G-CSF was associated with higher financial burden as assessed using institutional-specific costs and charges (P<0.001) as well as using Medicare reimbursement rates (P=0.27). Higher rate of hospitalization, increased need for salvage mobilization, and increased G-CSF use account for these differences.

Measurement of the elastic tensor of SmScO3 and NdScO3 using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy with ab initio calculations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. A. Pestka II

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The complete elastic tensors of SmScO3 and NdScO3 were measured using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS in combination with ab-initio calculations. Measurement of the elastic tensor of these recently synthesized single crystal RE scandates is essential for understanding dynamic lattice applications including phonon confinement, strain induced thin film growth and superlattice construction. On average, the experimental elastic constants differed by less than 5% of the theoretical values, further validating the accuracy of modern ab-initio calculations as a means of estimating the initial elastic constants used in RUS measurements.

A novel fusion protein of IP10-scFv retains antibody specificity and chemokine function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Junqing; Chen Liu; Ai Hongwu; Jing Jiannian; Zhou Jiyong; Zhang Chuyu; You Shangyou

2004-01-01

We combined the specificity of tumor-specific antibody with the chemokine function of interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10) to recruit immune effector cells in the vicinity of tumor cells. A novel fusion protein of IP10-scFv was constructed by fusing mouse IP-10 to V H region of single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) against acidic isoferritin (AIF), and expressed in NS0 murine myeloma cells. The IP10-scFv fusion protein was shown to maintain the specificity of the antiAIF scFv with similar affinity constant, and bind to the human hepatocarcinoma SMMC 7721 cells secreting AIF as well as the activated mouse T lymphocytes expressing CXCR3 receptor. Furthermore, the IP10-scFv protein either in solution or bound on the surface of SMMC 7721 cells induced significant chemotaxis of mouse T cells in vitro. The results indicate that the IP10-scFv fusion protein possesses both bioactivities of the tumor-specific antibody and IP-10 chemokine, suggesting its possibility to induce an enhanced immune response against the residual tumor cells in vivo

Conductivity ageing studies on 1M10ScSZ (M4+=Ce, Hf)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omar, Shobit; Bin Najib, Waqas; Bonanos, Nikolaos

2011-01-01

The long-term conductivity stability is tested on zirconia based electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cell applications. The ageing studies have been performed on the samples of ZrO2 co-doped with 10mol% of Sc2O3 and 1mol% MO2, where M = Ce or Hf (denoted respectively 1Ce10ScSZ and 1Hf10Sc......SZ) in oxidising and reducing atmospheres, at 600°C for 3000h. At 600°C, these compositions show initial conductivity of around 9–12mS∙cm−1 in air. After 3000h of ageing, no phase transitions are observed in any of the samples. For the first 1000h, the degradation rate is higher than in the subsequent 2000h......; thereafter, conductivity degrades linearly with time for all samples. In air, the loss in the conductivity is lower than in reducing conditions. The 1Ce10ScSZ shows the highest degradation rate of 3.8%/1000h in wet H2/N2 after the first 1000h of ageing. A colour change of the 1Ce10ScSZ sample from white...

Cytogenetic diagnosis of Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome: First report from Kashmir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tahir M. Malla

2016-01-01

Full Text Available There are several syndromes in which specific mitotic chromosomal abnormalities can be seen, like premature centromere separation, premature (sister chromatid separation, and somatic aneuploidies. Identifications of such specific cytogenetic findings can be the key factor that leads towards the diagnosis of syndromes like Roberts SC phocomelia. The case presented here as Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome was identified as a child with multiple congenital anomalies and dysmorphic features. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of the case revealed premature sister chromatid separation. The premature centromeric separation was also confirmed by C banding analysis of the child. It is the first and the only case of Roberts SC phocomelia diagnosed from this part of the world. The present case report emphasizes the importance of conventional cytogenetics in the diagnosis of such syndromes.

Magnetic properties of Sc{sub x}Ti{sub 1-x}Fe{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kessler, M. [Lab. de Cristallographie, CNRS, 38 - Grenoble (France); Deportes, J. [Lab. Louis Neel, CNRS, 38 - Grenoble (France); Ouladdiaf, B. [Institut Laue-Langevin, 38 - Grenoble (France); Sayetat, F. [Lab. de Cristallographie, CNRS, 38 - Grenoble (France)

1995-02-09

The magnetic properties and their thermal dependences of Sc{sub 0.1}Ti{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 1.96}, Sc{sub 0.1}Ti{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 2} and Sc{sub 0.1}Ti{sub 0.9}Fe{sub 2.04} are compared with those of TiFe{sub 2}. The substitution changes the iron-iron distances. Consequently, the Fe atoms on the 6h site show in addition to the antiferromagnetic component a small ferromagnetic one, and a weak magnetic moment appears on the 2a site. ((orig.)).

44Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH2 in comparison to 68Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH2 in pre-clinical investigation. Is 44Sc a potential radionuclide for PET?

Science.gov (United States)

Koumarianou, E; Loktionova, N S; Fellner, M; Roesch, F; Thews, O; Pawlak, D; Archimandritis, S C; Mikolajczak, R

2012-12-01

In the present study we demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo comparison of the (44)Sc and (68)Ga labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2). (44)Sc is a positron emitter with a half life of 3.92 h. Hence it could be used for PET imaging with ligands requiring longer observation time than in the case of (68)Ga. The binding affinity of (nat)Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) and (nat)Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) to GRP receptors was studied in competition to [(125)I-Tyr(4)]-Bombesin in the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3. A preliminary biodistribution in normal rats was performed, while first microPET images were assessed in male Copenhagen rats bearing the androgen-independent Dunning R-3327-AT-1 prostate cancer tumor. The affinity to GRP receptors in the PC-3 cell line was higher for (nat)Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) (IC(50)(nM)=0.85 ± 0.06) than that of (nat)Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) (IC(50) (nM)=6.49 ± 0.13). The internalization rate of (68)Ga labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) was slower than that of (44)Sc, but their final internalization percents were comparable. (68)Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) was externalized faster than (44)Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2). The biodistribution of (44)Sc-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) and (68)Ga-DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) in normal rats revealed a higher uptake in target organs and tissues of the first one while both excreted mainly through urinary tract. In microPET images both tracers were accumulated in the tumor with similar uptake patterns. Despite the differences in the receptor affinity both the (68)Ga- and the (44)Sc-labeled DOTA-BN[2-14]NH(2) tracers showed comparable distribution and similar time constants of uptake and elimination. Moreover no differences in tumor accumulation (neither in the overall uptake nor in the dynamics) were observed from the microPet imaging. From that perspective the use of either (44)Sc or (68)Ga for detecting tumors with GRP receptors is equivalent. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Piezoelectric characterization of Sc0.26Al0.74N layers on Si (001) substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Sinusía Lozano, M.; Pérez-Campos, A.; Reusch, M.; Kirste, L.; Fuchs, Th; Žukauskaitė, A.; Chen, Z.; Iriarte, G. F.

2018-03-01

Scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN) films have been synthesized by pulsed-DC reactive magnetron sputtering. The degree of c-axis orientation as well as piezoelectric characteristics of the Sc0.26Al0.74N thin films grown on Si (001) at various discharge powers and processing pressures values have been investigated. According to x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, the texture of the as-grown Sc0.26Al0.74N thin films becomes more prominent in the [0001]-direction at the highest target power (700 W) and at the lowest processing pressure (4 mTorr). The piezoelectric response, as determined by measuring the d33 piezoelectric constant, shows a maximum value of -12 pC/N also at 4 mTorr and 700 W, confirming a direct correlation between the d33 piezoelectric constant and the degree of orientation in the [0001]-direction. The atomic concentration of Sc and Al in the synthesized ScAlN thin film, determined by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), reveals a Sc concentration lower than in the ScAl alloy target. The piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) shows homogeneous polarity distribution with no inversion domains. The piezoelectric layers have been used to fabricate and measure surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators on a Sc0.26Al0.74N/Si (001) bilayer system with resonance frequency of 1.4 GHz and coupling coefficient of 0.567. Such characteristic in the frequency response reveals the potential of these materials for advanced SAW devices in applications such as next generation (5 G) wireless communication systems.

Early Stages of Precipitation Process in Al-(Mn-)Sc-Zr Alloy Characterized by Positron Annihilation

KAUST Repository

Vlach, Martin; Cizek, Jakub; Melikhova, Oksana; Stulikova, Ivana; Smola, Bohumil; Kekule, Tomas; Kudrnova, Hana; Gemma, Ryota; Neubert, Volkmar

2015-01-01

Thermal effects on the precipitation stages in as-cast Al-0.70 at. pct Mn-0.15 at. pct Sc-0.05 at. pct Zr alloy were studied. The role of lattice defects was elucidated by positron annihilation spectroscopy (lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening) enabling investigation of solutes clustering at the atomic scale. This technique has never been used in the Al-Sc- and/or Al-Zr-based alloys so far. Studies by positron annihilation were combined with resistometry, hardness measurements, and microstructure observations. Positrons trapped at defects are preferentially annihilated by Sc electrons. Lifetime of trapped positrons indicates that Sc atoms segregate at dislocations. Maximum fraction of positrons annihilated by Sc electrons occurring at 453 K (180 °C) suggests that clustering of Sc bound with vacancies takes place. It is followed by peak of this fraction at 573 K (300 °C). A rise of the contribution of trapped positrons annihilated by Zr electrons starting at 513 K (240 °C) and attaining maximum also at 573 K (300 °C) confirms that Zr participates in precipitation of the Al3Sc particles already at these temperatures. The pronounced hardening at 573 K (300 °C) has its nature in the precipitation of the Al3Sc particles with a Zr-rich shell. The contribution of trapped positrons annihilated by Mn electrons was found to be negligible. © 2015, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.

Early Stages of Precipitation Process in Al-(Mn-)Sc-Zr Alloy Characterized by Positron Annihilation

KAUST Repository

Vlach, Martin

2015-01-29

Thermal effects on the precipitation stages in as-cast Al-0.70 at. pct Mn-0.15 at. pct Sc-0.05 at. pct Zr alloy were studied. The role of lattice defects was elucidated by positron annihilation spectroscopy (lifetime and coincidence Doppler broadening) enabling investigation of solutes clustering at the atomic scale. This technique has never been used in the Al-Sc- and/or Al-Zr-based alloys so far. Studies by positron annihilation were combined with resistometry, hardness measurements, and microstructure observations. Positrons trapped at defects are preferentially annihilated by Sc electrons. Lifetime of trapped positrons indicates that Sc atoms segregate at dislocations. Maximum fraction of positrons annihilated by Sc electrons occurring at 453 K (180 °C) suggests that clustering of Sc bound with vacancies takes place. It is followed by peak of this fraction at 573 K (300 °C). A rise of the contribution of trapped positrons annihilated by Zr electrons starting at 513 K (240 °C) and attaining maximum also at 573 K (300 °C) confirms that Zr participates in precipitation of the Al3Sc particles already at these temperatures. The pronounced hardening at 573 K (300 °C) has its nature in the precipitation of the Al3Sc particles with a Zr-rich shell. The contribution of trapped positrons annihilated by Mn electrons was found to be negligible. © 2015, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.

Flexural behavior and design of steel-plate composite (SC) walls for accident thermal loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Booth, Peter N., E-mail: boothpn@purdue.edu [Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Varma, Amit H., E-mail: ahvarma@purdue.edu [Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Sener, Kadir C., E-mail: ksener@purdue.edu [Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (United States); Malushte, Sanjeev R. [Bechtel Corp., Frederick, MD (United States)

2015-12-15

Modular steel-plate composite (SC) safety-related nuclear power plant structures must be designed to resist accident thermal and mechanical loads. The design accident thermal load represents the condition where high pressure and temperature steam is released as result of a mechanical failure and applied against the surfaces of power plant structural walls. The effect of heating and pressure can have both short and long term effects on the mechanical integrity of SC structures including degradation and cracking of concrete infill, residual stresses, and out-of-plane deformations. The purpose of this research is to study the effects of thermal and mechanical loads on the out-of-plane flexural response of SC walls and to develop simplified equations that can be used to predict behavior. Four experimental beam tests are reported that represent full-scale cross-sections of SC walls subjected to combinations of mechanical and thermal loads. The study determined that thermal loads reduce the out-of-plane flexural stiffness of SC walls. For the ambient condition, the flexural stiffness closely matches a conventional elastic cracked-transformed model, and at elevated temperatures, the stiffness is reduced to a fully-cracked flexural stiffness that only takes into account the stiffness of the steel faceplates. A method is presented for estimating the thermal curvature, ϕ{sub th}, and thermal moment, M{sub th}, resulting from unequal heating of opposing faces of an SC wall. Based on the tests in this study, the application of accident thermal loads did not result in a reduction of the flexural strength of the SC section.

Roberts-SC syndrome, a rare syndrome and cleft palate repair

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murthy Jyotsna

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Roberts SC syndrome is a rare syndrome with only 17 previously recognized patients reported in medical literature. The syndrome is characterized by multiple malformations, particularly, symmetrical limb reduction, craniofacial anomalies such as bilateral cleft lip and palate, micrognathia, and severe growth and mental retardation. Our patient, a young child of five years having Roberts-SC, was successfully operated for cleft palate under general anesthesia. The main features of the syndrome and the technical problems of anesthesia and surgery are discussed in this report.

CMS ECAL Endcap (EE) Dee Assembly - SC mounting on Dee 1

CERN Multimedia

Cockerill, D

2007-01-01

Protection panels on back of Dee 1, Completion of SC mounting, 03/10/2007: Completion of SC mounting (aart from the inner 3-2-1)on the first quadrant of Dee 1 and subsequent survey. 22-28/08/2007: The first supercrystals on Dee1, Dee1 in 867 with the first column of SCs ready for mounting, Dee1 with its protection panels over the laser monitoring fibre system

Cytogenetic diagnosis of Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome: First report from Kashmir

OpenAIRE

Tahir M. Malla; Arshad A. Pandith; Fayaz A. Dar; Mahrukh H. Zargar

2016-01-01

There are several syndromes in which specific mitotic chromosomal abnormalities can be seen, like premature centromere separation, premature (sister) chromatid separation, and somatic aneuploidies. Identifications of such specific cytogenetic findings can be the key factor that leads towards the diagnosis of syndromes like Roberts SC phocomelia. The case presented here as Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome was identified as a child with multiple congenital anomalies and dysmorphic features. Conve...

Thermal neutron capture and resonance integral cross sections of {sup 45}Sc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Do, Nguyen; Duc Khue, Pham; Tien Thanh, Kim [Institute of Physics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 10 Dao Tan, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Thi Hien, Nguyen [Institute of Physics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 10 Dao Tan, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Department of Physics and Center for High Energy Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Guinyun, E-mail: gnkim@knu.ac.kr [Department of Physics and Center for High Energy Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kwangsoo [Department of Physics and Center for High Energy Physics, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Sung-Gyun; Cho, Moo-Hyun [Department of Advanced Nuclear Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Manwoo [Research Center, Dongnam Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Busan 619-953 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-01

The thermal neutron cross section (σ{sub 0}) and resonance integral (I{sub 0}) of the {sup 45}Sc(n,γ){sup 46}Sc reaction have been measured relative to that of the {sup 197}Au(n,γ){sup 198}Au reaction by means of the activation method. High-purity natural scandium and gold foils without and with a cadmium cover of 0.5 mm thickness were irradiated with moderated pulsed neutrons produced from the Pohang Neutron Facility (PNF). The induced activities in the activated foils were measured with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. In order to improve the accuracy of the experimental results the counting losses caused by the thermal (G{sub th}) and resonance (G{sub epi}) neutron self-shielding, the γ-ray attenuation (F{sub g}) and the true γ-ray coincidence summing effects were made. In addition, the effect of non-ideal epithermal spectrum was also taken into account by determining the neutron spectrum shape factor (α). The thermal neutron cross-section and resonance integral of the {sup 45}Sc(n,γ){sup 46}Sc reaction have been determined relative to the reference values of the {sup 197}Au(n,γ){sup 198}Au reaction, with σ{sub o,Au} = 98.65 ± 0.09 barn and I{sub o,Au} = 1550 ± 28 barn. The present thermal neutron cross section has been determined to be σ{sub o,Sc} = 27.5 ± 0.8 barn. According to the definition of cadmium cut-off energy at 0.55 eV, the present resonance integral cross section has been determined to be I{sub o,Sc} = 12.4 ± 0.7 barn. The present results are compared with literature values and discussed.

Ionic conductivity of co-doped Sc2O3-ZrO2 ceramics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omar, Shobit; bin Najib, Waqas; Chen, Weiwu

2012-01-01

The oxide ionic conductivity of Sc0.18Zr0.82O1.91 doped with 0.5 mol.% of both Yb2O3 and In2O3 is evaluated at various temperatures in air. Among various co-doped compositions, In0.02Sc0.18Zr0.80O1.90 exhibits the highest grain ionic conductivity followed by Yb0.02Sc0.18Zr0.80O1.90 at 500°C....... However, it also possesses phase transformation from c- to β-phase at 475°C on cooling. In the present work, an attempt is made to completely stabilize the cphase in In0.02Sc0.18Zr0.80O1.90 by substituting 0.5 mol.% of In2O3 with Yb2O3, which can enhance the ionic conductivity in co-doped compositions....

Crystal structure of Na3Sc2(PO4)3 at 60 deg C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazoryak, B.I.; Kalinin, V.B.; Stefanovich, S.Yu.; Efremov, V.A.

1980-01-01

The structure of the ferroelectric phase of Na 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 compound was studied. Na 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 monocrystal heated by a jet of warm N 2 was investigated at 60 deg C. The rhombohedron modification was determined: a=8.927(3), c=22.34(4) A, Z=6, space group R anti 3c. Interatomic distances and inner angles of polyhedrons in Na 3 Sc 2 (PO 4 ) 3 structure were determined

Reaction of intermetallic compounds of the ScT composition (T=Ag, Cu, Zn, Ni) with hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shilkin, S.P.; Volkova, L.S.; Tarasov, B.P.

1995-01-01

Reaction of intermetallic compounds of ScT composition (T=Ag, Cu, Zn, Ni), crystallized in CsCl structural type, with hydrogen at 0.2-10 MPa pressure and 293-673 K temperature is studied by chemical, x-ray phase and complex thermogravimetry analysis methods. It is shown that under such conditions hydrogen absorption by ScAg and ScCu is accompanied by the decay of their source matrices into scandium dihydride and metal silver and copper respectively. For ScZn a fine-dispersion mixture of scandium dihydride with zinc and hydride phase of a new zinc-containing intermetallic compound appears to be the finite reaction product. In case of ScNi a hydride phase of ScNiH 2.6 composition is produced, which is crystallized in a rhombic syngony with the lattice periods: a=0.5281±0.0007, b=0.7393±0.0009 and c=0.3327±0.0004 nm. 9 refs.; 2 tabs

The Synchrocyclotron (SC) in building 300

CERN Multimedia

Maximilien Brice

2012-01-01

The red magnet of CERN's first accelerator, the Synchrocyclotron (SC), has occupied a large part of Hall 300 since it was installed in the late 1950s. The remaining part of the 300-square-metre building has been used as a storage room since the accelerator was shut down in 1990. Now a public exhibition will breathe new life into the hall.

In the presence of fluoride, free Sc³⁺ is not a good predictor of Sc bioaccumulation by two unicellular algae: possible role of fluoro-complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Crémazy, Anne; Campbell, Peter G C; Fortin, Claude

2014-08-19

We investigated the effect of fluoride complexation on scandium accumulation by two unicellular algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. This trivalent metal was selected for its chemical similarities with aluminum and for its convenient radioisotope (Sc-46), which can be used as a tracer in short-term bioaccumulation studies. Scandium surface-bound concentrations (Sc(ads)) and uptake fluxes (J(int)) were estimated in the two algae over short-term (organisms.

44Sc for labeling of DOTA- and NODAGA-functionalized peptides: preclinical in vitro and in vivo investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Domnanich, Katharina A; Müller, Cristina; Farkas, Renata; Schmid, Raffaella M; Ponsard, Bernard; Schibli, Roger; Türler, Andreas; van der Meulen, Nicholas P

2017-01-01

Recently, 44 Sc (T 1/2  = 3.97 h, Eβ + av  = 632 keV, I = 94.3 %) has emerged as an attractive radiometal candidate for PET imaging using DOTA-functionalized biomolecules. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using NODAGA for the coordination of 44 Sc. Two pairs of DOTA/NODAGA-derivatized peptides were investigated in vitro and in vivo and the results obtained with 44 Sc compared with its 68 Ga-labeled counterparts.DOTA-RGD and NODAGA-RGD, as well as DOTA-NOC and NODAGA-NOC, were labeled with 44 Sc and 68 Ga, respectively. The radiopeptides were investigated with regard to their stability in buffer solution and under metal challenge conditions using Fe 3+ and Cu 2+ . Time-dependent biodistribution studies and PET/CT imaging were performed in U87MG and AR42J tumor-bearing mice. Both RGD- and NOC-based peptides with a DOTA chelator were readily labeled with 44 Sc and 68 Ga, respectively, and remained stable over at least 4 half-lives of the corresponding radionuclide. In contrast, the labeling of NODAGA-functionalized peptides with 44 Sc was more challenging and the resulting radiopeptides were clearly less stable than the DOTA-derivatized matches. 44 Sc-NODAGA peptides were clearly more susceptible to metal challenge than 44 Sc-DOTA peptides under the same conditions. Instability of 68 Ga-labeled peptides was only observed if they were coordinated with a DOTA in the presence of excess Cu 2+ . Biodistribution data of the 44 Sc-labeled peptides were largely comparable with the data obtained with the 68 Ga-labeled counterparts. It was only in the liver tissue that the uptake of 68 Ga-labeled DOTA compounds was markedly higher than for the 44 Sc-labeled version and this was also visible on PET/CT images. The 44 Sc-labeled NODAGA-peptides showed a similar tissue distribution to those of the DOTA peptides without any obvious signs of in vivo instability. Although DOTA revealed to be the preferred chelator for stable coordination of 44

Fermilab's SC Accelerator Magnet Program for Future U.S. HEP Facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamm, Michael; Zlobin, Alexander

2010-01-01

The invention of SC accelerator magnets in the 1970s opened wide the possibilities for advancing the energy frontier of particle accelerators, while limiting the machine circumference and reducing their energy consumption. The successful development of SC accelerator magnets based on NbTi superconductor have made possible a proton-antiproton collider (Tevatron) at Fermilab, an electron-proton collider (HERA) at DESY, a relativistic heavy ion collider (RHIC) at BNL and recently a proton-proton collider (LHC) at CERN. Further technological innovations and inventions are required as the US HEP looks forward towards the post-LHC energy or/and intensity frontiers. A strong, goal oriented national SC accelerator magnet program must take on this challenge to provide a strong base for the future of HEP in the U.S. The results and experience obtained by Fermilab during the past 30 years will allow us to play a leadership role in the SC accelerator magnet development in the U.S., in particular, focusing on magnets for a Muon Collider/Neutrino Factory (1)-(2). In this paper, we summarize the required Muon Collider magnet needs and challenges, summarize the technology advances in the Fermilab accelerator magnet development over the past few years, and present and discuss our vision and long-term plans for these Fermilab-supported accelerator initiatives.

Spectrophotometric determination of Sc in eriochrome cyanine R(chrome azurol S) - phosphatidyl choline system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Y.; Chen, X.; Hu, Z.

1987-01-01

Eriochrome cyanine R(chrome azurol S) is used as a color reagent to determine Sc in the presence of phosphatidyl choline, eta = 3.7 * 10 4 (4.5 * 10 4 ). This method has been connected to extraction separation to determine Sc in the presence of rare earth elements, and good results have been obtained. Phosphatidyl choline(PC) is a biochemical reagent, which can be used as a surfactant. It has been reported that chrome azurol S(CAS) can be used to determine Be in the presence of PC but it has not been reported that eriochrome cyanine R(ECR) and CAS can been used to determine Sc in the presence of PC. This paper has put forward a method by which Sc can be determined. ECR (CAS) has been used as a color reagent and PC as a surfactant. Conditional experiments have been made and this method has been connected to extraction separation. Tributyl phosphate (TBP) extracts Sc from rare earth elements to make a determination and good results have been obtained

Reviewing and Updating the Major Molecular Markers for Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Calloni, Raquel; Cordero, Elvira Alicia Aparicio; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas

2013-01-01

Stem cells (SC) are able to self-renew and to differentiate into many types of committed cells, making SCs interesting for cellular therapy. However, the pool of SCs in vivo and in vitro consists of a mix of cells at several stages of differentiation, making it difficult to obtain a homogeneous population of SCs for research. Therefore, it is important to isolate and characterize unambiguous molecular markers that can be applied to SCs. Here, we review classical and new candidate molecular markers that have been established to show a molecular profile for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The commonly cited markers for embryonic ESCs are Nanog, Oct-4, Sox-2, Rex-1, Dnmt3b, Lin-28, Tdgf1, FoxD3, Tert, Utf-1, Gal, Cx43, Gdf3, Gtcm1, Terf1, Terf2, Lefty A, and Lefty B. MSCs are primarily identified by the expression of CD13, CD29, CD44, CD49e, CD54, CD71, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD106, CD166, and HLA-ABC and lack CD14, CD31, CD34, CD45, CD62E, CD62L, CD62P, and HLA-DR expression. HSCs are mainly isolated based on the expression of CD34, but the combination of this marker with CD133 and CD90, together with a lack of CD38 and other lineage markers, provides the most homogeneous pool of SCs. Here, we present new and alternative markers for SCs, along with microRNA profiles, for these cells. PMID:23336433

Issues associated with the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of ScGaN and YGaN alloys.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koleske, Daniel David; Knapp, James Arthur; Lee, Stephen Roger; Crawford, Mary Hagerott; Creighton, James Randall; Cross, Karen Charlene; Thaler, Gerald

2009-07-01

The most energy efficient solid state white light source will likely be a combination of individually efficient red, green, and blue LED. For any multi-color approach to be successful the efficiency of deep green LEDs must be significantly improved. While traditional approaches to improve InGaN materials have yielded incremental success, we proposed a novel approach using group IIIA and IIIB nitride semiconductors to produce efficient green and high wavelength LEDs. To obtain longer wavelength LEDs in the nitrides, we attempted to combine scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y) with gallium (Ga) to produce ScGaN and YGaN for the quantum well (QW) active regions. Based on linear extrapolation of the proposed bandgaps of ScN (2.15 eV), YN (0.8 eV) and GaN (3.4 eV), we expected that LEDs could be fabricated from the UV (410 nm) to the IR (1600 nm), and therefore cover all visible wavelengths. The growth of these novel alloys potentially provided several advantages over the more traditional InGaN QW regions including: higher growth temperatures more compatible with GaN growth, closer lattice matching to GaN, and reduced phase separation than is commonly observed in InGaN growth. One drawback to using ScGaN and YGaN films as the active regions in LEDs is that little research has been conducted on their growth, specifically, are there metalorganic precursors that are suitable for growth, are the bandgaps direct or indirect, can the materials be grown directly on GaN with a minimal defect formation, as well as other issues related to growth. The major impediment to the growth of ScGaN and YGaN alloys was the low volatility of metalorganic precursors. Despite this impediment some progress was made in incorporation of Sc and Y into GaN which is detailed in this report. Primarily, we were able to incorporate up to 5 x 10{sup 18} cm{sup -3} Y atoms into a GaN film, which are far below the alloy concentrations needed to evaluate the YGaN optical properties. After a no-cost extension was

Lanthanide-doped Na xScF 3+ x nanocrystals: Crystal structure evolution and multicolor tuning

KAUST Repository

Teng, Xue

2012-05-23

Rare-earth-based nanomaterials have recently drawn considerable attention because of their unique energy upconversion (UC) capabilities. However, studies of Sc 3+-based nanomaterials are still absent. Herein we report the synthesis and fine control of Na xScF 3+x nanocrystals by tuning of the ratio of oleic acid (OA, polar surfactant) to 1-octadecene (OD, nonpolar solvent). When the OA:OD ratio was increased from low (3:17) to high (3:7), the nanocrystals changed from pure monoclinic phase (Na 3ScF 6) to pure hexagonal phase (NaScF 4) via a transition stage at an intermediate OA:OD ratio (3:9) where a mixture of nanocrystals in monoclinic and hexagonal phases was obtained and the coexistence of the two phases inside individual nanocrystals was also observed. More significantly, because of the small radius of Sc 3+, Na xScF 3+x:Yb/Er nanocrystals show different UC emission from that of NaYF 4:Yb/Er nanocrystals, which broadens the applications of rare-earth-based nanomaterials ranging from optical communications to disease diagnosis. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

A novel fusion protein of IP10-scFv retains antibody specificity and chemokine function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Junqing, Guo; Liu, Chen; Hongwu, Ai; Jiannian, Jing; Jiyong, Zhou; Chuyu, Zhang; Shangyou, You

2004-07-23

We combined the specificity of tumor-specific antibody with the chemokine function of interferon-{gamma} inducible protein 10 (IP-10) to recruit immune effector cells in the vicinity of tumor cells. A novel fusion protein of IP10-scFv was constructed by fusing mouse IP-10 to V{sub H} region of single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) against acidic isoferritin (AIF), and expressed in NS0 murine myeloma cells. The IP10-scFv fusion protein was shown to maintain the specificity of the antiAIF scFv with similar affinity constant, and bind to the human hepatocarcinoma SMMC 7721 cells secreting AIF as well as the activated mouse T lymphocytes expressing CXCR3 receptor. Furthermore, the IP10-scFv protein either in solution or bound on the surface of SMMC 7721 cells induced significant chemotaxis of mouse T cells in vitro. The results indicate that the IP10-scFv fusion protein possesses both bioactivities of the tumor-specific antibody and IP-10 chemokine, suggesting its possibility to induce an enhanced immune response against the residual tumor cells in vivo.

Overexpression of HOXA4 and HOXA9 genes promotes self-renewal and contributes to colon cancer stem cell overpopulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatlekar, Seema; Viswanathan, Vignesh; Fields, Jeremy Z; Boman, Bruce M

2018-02-01

Because HOX genes encode master regulatory transcription factors that regulate stem cells (SCs) during development and aberrant expression of HOX genes occurs in various cancers, our goal was to determine if dysregulation of HOX genes is involved in the SC origin of colorectal cancer (CRC). We previously reported that HOXA4 and HOXD10 are expressed in the colonic SC niche and are overexpressed in CRC. HOX gene expression was studied in SCs from human colon tissue and CRC cells (CSCs) using qPCR and immunostaining. siRNA-mediated knockdown of HOX expression was used to evaluate the role of HOX genes in modulating cancer SC (CSC) phenotype at the level of proliferation, SC marker expression, and sphere formation. All-trans-retinoic-acid (ATRA), a differentiation-inducing agent was evaluated for its effects on HOX expression and CSC growth. We found that HOXA4 and HOXA9 are up-regulated in CRC SCs. siRNA knockdown of HOXA4 and HOXA9 reduced: (i) proliferation and sphere-formation and (ii) gene expression of known SC markers (ALDH1, CD166, LGR5). These results indicate that proliferation and self-renewal ability of CRC SCs are reduced in HOXA4 and HOXA9 knockdown cells. ATRA decreased HOXA4, HOXA9, and HOXD10 expression in parallel with reduction in ALDH1 expression, self-renewal, and proliferation. Overall, our findings indicate that overexpression of HOXA4 and HOXA9 contributes to self-renewal and overpopulation of SCs in CRC. Strategies designed to modulate HOX expression may provide ways to target malignant SCs and to develop more effective therapies for CRC. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate mediates proliferation maintaining the multipotency of human adult bone marrow and adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiaoli; H'ng, Shiau-Chen; Leong, David T; Hutmacher, Dietmar W; Melendez, Alirio J

2010-08-01

High renewal and maintenance of multipotency of human adult stem cells (hSCs), are a prerequisite for experimental analysis as well as for potential clinical usages. The most widely used strategy for hSC culture and proliferation is using serum. However, serum is poorly defined and has a considerable degree of inter-batch variation, which makes it difficult for large-scale mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) expansion in homogeneous culture conditions. Moreover, it is often observed that cells grown in serum-containing media spontaneously differentiate into unknown and/or undesired phenotypes. Another way of maintaining hSC development is using cytokines and/or tissue-specific growth factors; this is a very expensive approach and can lead to early unwanted differentiation. In order to circumvent these issues, we investigated the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), in the growth and multipotency maintenance of human bone marrow and adipose tissue-derived MSCs. We show that S1P induces growth, and in combination with reduced serum, or with the growth factors FGF and platelet-derived growth factor-AB, S1P has an enhancing effect on growth. We also show that the MSCs cultured in S1P-supplemented media are able to maintain their differentiation potential for at least as long as that for cells grown in the usual serum-containing media. This is shown by the ability of cells grown in S1P-containing media to be able to undergo osteogenic as well as adipogenic differentiation. This is of interest, since S1P is a relatively inexpensive natural product, which can be obtained in homogeneous high-purity batches: this will minimize costs and potentially reduce the unwanted side effects observed with serum. Taken together, S1P is able to induce proliferation while maintaining the multipotency of different human stem cells, suggesting a potential for S1P in developing serum-free or serum-reduced defined medium for adult stem cell cultures.

A single amino acid mutation in Spo0A results in sporulation deficiency of Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xiaoyang; Yu, Xiaoning; Du, Binghai; Liu, Kai; Yao, Liangtong; Zhang, Sicheng; Selin, C; Fernando, W G D; Wang, Chengqiang; Ding, Yanqin

2016-01-01

Sporulating bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and Paenibacillus polymyxa exhibit sporulation deficiencies during their lifetime in a laboratory environment. In this study, spontaneous mutants SC2-M1 and SC2-M2, of P. polymyxa SC2 lost the ability to form endospores. A global genetic and transcriptomic analysis of wild-type SC2 and spontaneous mutants was carried out. Genome resequencing analysis revealed 14 variants in the genome of SC2-M1, including three insertions and deletions (indels), 10 single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and one intrachromosomal translocation (ITX). There were nine variants in the genome of SC2-M2, including two indels and seven SNVs. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that 266 and 272 genes showed significant differences in expression in SC2-M1 and SC2-M2, respectively, compared with the wild-type SC2. Besides sporulation-related genes, genes related to exopolysaccharide biosynthesis (eps), antibiotic (fusaricidin) synthesis, motility (flgB) and other functions were also affected in these mutants. In SC2-M2, reversion of spo0A resulted in the complete recovery of sporulation. This is the first global analysis of mutations related to sporulation deficiency in P. polymyxa. Our results demonstrate that a SNV within spo0A caused the sporulation deficiency of SC2-M2 and provide strong evidence that an arginine residue at position 211 is essential for the function of Spo0A. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

AlScN thin film based surface acoustic wave devices with enhanced microfluidic performance

OpenAIRE

Wang, Wenbo; Fu, Yong Qing; Chen, Jinju; Xuan, Weipeng; Chen, Jinkai; Mayrhofer, Paul; Duan, Pengfei; Bittner, Elmar; Luo, Jikui

2016-01-01

This paper reports the characterization of scandium aluminum nitride (Al1−x Sc x N, x  =  27%) films and discusses surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices based on them. Both AlScN and AlN films were deposited on silicon by sputtering and possessed columnar microstructures with (0 0 0 2) crystal orientation. The AlScN/Si SAW devices showed improved electromechanical coupling coefficients (K 2, ~2%) compared with pure AlN films (

Avance normativo del SC 8 de AENOR “Conservación, restauración y rehabilitación de edificios” = Standardisation Advance of AENOR SC 8 “Conservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation of Buildings”

OpenAIRE

Recopar, Editor

2014-01-01

Avance normativo del SC 8 de AENOR “Conservación, restauración y rehabilitación de edificios” = Standardisation Advance of AENOR SC 8 “Conservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation of Buildings”

Cross-sections of 45Sc(n,2n)44m,gSc reaction from the reaction threshold to 20 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, J.; Peking Univ., Beijing; Liu, R.; Jiang, L.; Liu, Z.; Sun, G.; Ge, S.

2013-01-01

Cross sections of 45 Sc(n,2n) 44m,g Sc reactions and their isomeric cross section ratios σ m /σ g have been measured at three neutron energies between 13.5 and 14.8 MeV using the activation technique. The pure cross section of the groundstate was then obtained by utilizing the absolute cross section of the metastable state and analysis methods of residual nuclear decay. The monoenergetic neutron beam was produced via the 3 H(d, n) 4 He reaction. The cross sections were also estimated with the TALYS-1.2 nuclear model code using different level density options, at neutron energies varying from the reaction threshold to 20 MeV. Results are also discussed and compared with some corresponding values found in the literature. (orig.)

Effect of Trace Be and Sc Additions on the Mechanical Properties of A357 Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Chih Tzeng

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The effect of the addition of Be and Sc on the microstructure and mechanical properties of A357 alloy were systematically investigated. The results show that the addition of small amounts of Be and Sc could change the acicular structure of iron-bearing intermetallic compounds to harmless compact Al-Fe-Si and Sc-Fe iron-bearing intermetallic compounds. Compact iron-bearing intermetallic compounds could improve fluidity, causing a reduction in interdendritic shrinkage during solidification. The addition of 0.05 wt % Be enhanced the quality index of the A357 alloy by 11% and increased the notch-yield ratio of fracture toughness by 4.5%. In contrast, the addition of 0.05 wt % Sc increased the quality index and the notch to yield ratio of fracture toughness up to 17% and 9%, respectively. Therefore, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the A357 alloy could be improved by substituting Be with Sc.

Reactive diffusion in Sc/Si multilayer X-ray mirrors with CrB2 barrier layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pershyn, Y.P.; Zubarev, E.N.; Kondratenko, V.V.; Sevryukova, V.A.; Kurbatova, S.V.

2011-01-01

Processes undergoing in Sc/Si multilayer X-ray mirrors (MXMs) with periods of ∝27 nm and barrier layers of CrB 2 0.3- and 0.7-nm thick within the temperature range of 420-780 K were studied by methods of small-angle X-ray reflectivity (λ=0.154 nm) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. All layers with the exception of Sc ones are amorphous. Barrier layers are stable at least up to a temperature of 625 K and double the activation energy of diffusional intermixing at moderate temperatures. Introduction of barriers improves the thermal stability of Sc/Si MXMs at least by 80 degrees. Diffusion of Si atoms through barrier layers into Sc layers with formation of silicides was shown to be the main degradation mechanism of MXMs. A comparison of the stability for Sc/Si MXMs with different barriers published in the literature is conducted. The ways of further improvement of barrier properties are discussed. (orig.)

Ferromagnetism carried by highly delocalized hybrid states in Sc-doped ZnO thin films

KAUST Repository

Benali Kanoun, Mohammed; Goumri-Said, Souraya; Manchon, Aurelien; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2012-01-01

We present first-principles results for Sc-doped ZnOthin films. Neighboring Sc atoms in the surface and/or subsurface layers are found to be coupled ferromagnetically, where only two of the possible configurations induce spin polarization

Effect of lectin (ScLL on fibroblasts stimulated with LPS - an in vitro study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuella Verdinelli de Paula REIS

Full Text Available Abstract: The lectin (ScLL extracted from the Synadenium carinatum plant has been evaluated as an immunomodulator in diseases such as asthma, neosporosis and leishmaniasis. However, it has not yet been evaluated in the oral cavity. This study evaluated the effect of ScLL on viability, proliferation and release of IL-10 in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS. HGF were stimulated with LPS 1 µg/ml and treated with ScLL in concentrations of 10, 5 and 2 µg/ml for 1 and 5 h, and evaluated by flow cytometry for viability, apoptosis (initial/advanced and necrosis. The supernatant was collected to detect release of IL-10 by ELISA. The proliferation was assessed with the BrdU assay. Positive control consisted of cells maintained in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM, and the negative control, of those kept in tap water. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Dunnett's test (α = 0.05. No significant difference was found for ScLL concentrations regarding viability or initial and advanced apoptosis (p=0.455. All the groups, including the positive control, had a significantly lower necrosis parameter than negative control at 5 h (p < 0.001. No difference was found for proliferation among the experimental groups (p = 0.832. ScLL at 5 and 2 µg/ml resulted in a lower release of IL-10 than positive and negative controls at 5 h (p = 0.047. The results indicated that ScLL concentrations tested were not cytotoxic, and had no effect on proliferation and release of IL-10 parameters. A thorough understanding of ScLL, regarding its immunomodulatory potential, may open the door to new perspectives for dentistry.

Isolation and characterization of anti c-met single chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Qamsari, Elmira Safaie; Sharifzadeh, Zahra; Bagheri, Salman; Riazi-Rad, Farhad; Younesi, Vahid; Abolhassani, Mohsen; Ghaderi, Sepideh Safaei; Baradaran, Behzad; Somi, Mohammad Hossein; Yousefi, Mehdi

2017-12-01

The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Met is the cell surface receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) involved in invasive growth programs during embryogenesis and tumorgenesis. There is compelling evidence suggesting important roles for c-Met in colorectal cancer proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and survival. Hence, a molecular inhibitor of an extracellular domain of c-Met receptor that blocks c-Met-cell surface interactions could be of great thera-peutic importance. In an attempt to develop molecular inhibitors of c-Met, single chain variable fragment (scFv) phage display libraries Tomlinson I + J against a specific synthetic oligopeptide from the extracellular domain of c-Met receptor were screened; selected scFv were then characterized using various immune techniques. Three c-Met specific scFv (ES1, ES2, and ES3) were selected following five rounds of panning procedures. The scFv showed specific binding to c-Met receptor, and significantly inhibited proliferation responses of a human colorectal carcinoma cell line (HCT-116). Moreover, anti- apoptotic effects of selected scFv antibodies on the HCT-116 cell line were also evaluated using Annexin V/PI assays. The results demonstrated rates of apoptotic cell death of 46.0, 25.5, and 37.8% among these cells were induced by use of ES1, ES2, and ES3, respectively. The results demonstrated ability to successfully isolate/char-acterize specific c-Met scFv that could ultimately have a great therapeutic potential in immuno-therapies against (colorectal) cancers.

Topological phase, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of ScPdBi compound with Gd, Np and Cm impurities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narimani, Mitra; Nourbakhsh, Zahra, E-mail: z.nourbakhsh@sci.ui.ac.ir

2017-07-15

Highlights: • Gd, Np and Cm impurities induce the magnetic moment in ScPdBi compound. • ScPdBi compound with Gd, Np and Cm impurities has normal band order. • The ε(0) and R(0) increase by increasing the atomic number of X atom. - Abstract: The electronic, magnetic and optical properties of X-doped ScPdBi (X = Gd, Np, Cm) are investigated in the framework of density functional theory. The exchange-correlation potential is treated using generalized gradient approximation with Coulomb interaction parameter. The band order and energy band gap of X-doped ScPdBi are investigated by calculation of band structure. The effect of doping impurity on magnetic properties of ScPdBi compound is studied by calculation of total and partial magnetic moments of X-doped ScPdBi compound. Furthermore, the optical properties of X-doped ScPdBi are calculated and compared in the energy range of 0–25 eV.

Design and initial characterization of the SC-200 proteomics standard mixture.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauman, Andrew; Higdon, Roger; Rapson, Sean; Loiue, Brenton; Hogan, Jason; Stacy, Robin; Napuli, Alberto; Guo, Wenjin; van Voorhis, Wesley; Roach, Jared; Lu, Vincent; Landorf, Elizabeth; Stewart, Elizabeth; Kolker, Natali; Collart, Frank; Myler, Peter; van Belle, Gerald; Kolker, Eugene

2011-01-01

High-throughput (HTP) proteomics studies generate large amounts of data. Interpretation of these data requires effective approaches to distinguish noise from biological signal, particularly as instrument and computational capacity increase and studies become more complex. Resolving this issue requires validated and reproducible methods and models, which in turn requires complex experimental and computational standards. The absence of appropriate standards and data sets for validating experimental and computational workflows hinders the development of HTP proteomics methods. Most protein standards are simple mixtures of proteins or peptides, or undercharacterized reference standards in which the identity and concentration of the constituent proteins is unknown. The Seattle Children's 200 (SC-200) proposed proteomics standard mixture is the next step toward developing realistic, fully characterized HTP proteomics standards. The SC-200 exhibits a unique modular design to extend its functionality, and consists of 200 proteins of known identities and molar concentrations from 6 microbial genomes, distributed into 10 molar concentration tiers spanning a 1,000-fold range. We describe the SC-200's design, potential uses, and initial characterization. We identified 84% of SC-200 proteins with an LTQ-Orbitrap and 65% with an LTQ-Velos (false discovery rate = 1% for both). There were obvious trends in success rate, sequence coverage, and spectral counts with protein concentration; however, protein identification, sequence coverage, and spectral counts vary greatly within concentration levels.

Effects of co-sintering in self-standing CGO/YSZ and CGO/ ScYSZ dense bi-layers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teocoli, Francesca; Ni, De Wei; Brodersen, Karen

2014-01-01

-layers are critical due to the mismatch of thermo-mechanical and sintering properties among the materials. Despite the better sinteractivity of ScYSZ, the self-standing CGO/ScYSZ bilayer presents more challenges in terms of densification compared with the CGO/YSZ bi-layer. In particular, above 1200 C, ScYSZ and CGO......-standing bi-layered electrolyte system. The combined use of thermo-mechanical analysis, optical dilatometry, and scanning electron microscopy ensures a systematic characterization of both the individual layers and CGO/YSZ and CGO/ScYSZ bi-layered laminates. The results of the co-firing process of the bi...

Effect of Recrystallization and Natural Aging on Mechanical Properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sc Alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Min Kyu; Hong, Soon Hyung; Kwon, Oh Yeol; Lee, Yong Yeon

2015-01-01

In this study, the recrystallization volume fraction of the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sc alloy after solid solution heat treatment varied with different temperatures (445℃ - 465℃). The highest elongation of the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sc alloy was obtained at 465℃. Further, the hardness and strength of the solid solution heat treated Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sc alloy increased at room temperature due to G.P zone precipitates. The results confirmed that we can obtain advanced mechanical properties for the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu-Sc alloy from solid solution heat treatment and natural aging.

Asymmetric diffusion of Zr, Sc and Ce, Gd at the interface between zirconia electrolyte and ceria interlayer for solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Bo, E-mail: Liangbo@gdut.edu.cn; Tao, Tao; Zhang, Silong; Huang, Yongan; Cai, Zhihong; Lu, Shenguo, E-mail: sglu@gdut.edu.cn

2016-09-15

The microstructures of cathode interlayer and elemental diffusion behaviors across the interfacial region (electrolyte/interlayer) have been characterized using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning TEM combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS). A densified film about 100 nm is locally formed at the interface of electrolyte/interlayer as the interlayer using dip-coating method and being sintered at 1200 °C. It is observed that the compositional distribution curves across the interface are asymmetric. More amount of the Zr, Sc component is detected in gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) than that of the Ce, Gd component is detected in scandia-stabilized-zirconia (SSZ). XRD and EDS results show that the densified layer might consist of (Zr, Ce)O{sub 2}-based solid solution. The high open circuit voltage of the cell is related to the dense structure of electrolyte, while the increased activation energy in overpotential resistance is attributed to the porous structure of interlayer as well as the high resistance phases locally formed at its interface. - Highlights: • The (Ce−Zr)O{sub 2} based solid solution was locally formed at 1200 °C. • More Zr, Sc elements were detected in GDC than Ce, Gd elements in SSZ. • Zirconia nanodomain was embedded in GDC beside grain boundary. • High OCVs were achieved due to the highly dense electrolyte layer.

Production of in vivo biotinylated scFv specific to almond (Prunus dulcis) proteins by recombinant Pichia pastoris.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Cruz, Silvia; Alcocer, Marcos; Madrid, Raquel; García, Aina; Martín, Rosario; González, Isabel; García, Teresa

2016-06-10

The methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris has demonstrated its suitability for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. As an eukaryotic organism P. pastoris presents a series of advantages at expression and processing of heterologous proteins when compared with Escherichia coli. In this work, P. pastoris has been used to express a scFv from a human synthetic library previously shown to bind almond proteins. In order to facilitate purification and post processing manipulations, the scFv was engineered with a C-terminal tag and biotinylated in vivo. After purification, biotinylated scFv were bound to avidin conjugated with HRP producing a multimeric scFv. The multimeric scFv showed to maintain their ability to recognize almond protein when assayed in ELISA, reaching a LOD of 470mgkg(-1). This study describes an easy method to produce large quantities of in vivo biotinylated scFv in P. pastoris. By substituting the enzyme or fluorochromes linked to avidin, it will be possible to generate a diverse number of multimeric scFv as probes to suit different analytical platforms in the detection of almond in food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calibration of the DLP-SC-3300-02 probe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pivnenko, Sergey; Breinbjerg, Olav

This report douments the calibration measurement of the DLP-SC-3300-02 dual-linearly polarized near-field probe. The measurement comprises radiation pattern, diretivity, gain, spetra of spherial wave coefients, polarization charateristis, and complex channel balance at 41 frequencies, as well...

Zero lattice mismatch and twin-free single crystalline ScN buffer layers for GaN growth on silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lupina, L.; Zoellner, M. H.; Dietrich, B.; Capellini, G. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt, Oder (Germany); Niermann, T.; Lehmann, M. [Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Optik und Atomare Physik, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin (Germany); Thapa, S. B.; Haeberlen, M.; Storck, P. [SILTRONIC AG, Hanns-Seidel-Platz 4, 81737 München (Germany); Schroeder, T. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt, Oder (Germany); BTU Cottbus, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)

2015-11-16

We report the growth of thin ScN layers deposited by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Si(111) substrates. Using x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, we find that ScN films grown at 600 °C are single crystalline, twin-free with rock-salt crystal structure, and exhibit a direct optical band gap of 2.2 eV. A high degree of crystalline perfection and a very good lattice matching between ScN and GaN (misfit < 0.1%) makes the ScN/Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} buffer system a very promising template for the growth of high quality GaN layers on silicon.

X-ray spectra, chemical bonding, and electron structure of ScM2Si2 (M = Fe, Co, Ni)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shcherba, I.D.; Kotur, B.Ya.

1990-01-01

In a study of the interaction of the components in the ternary systems Sc-M-Si (where M is a 3d transition metal) it was established that there are compounds of the empirical formula ScM 2 Si 2 (M = Fe, Co, Ni). They crystallize in two structural types, HfFe 2 Si 2 (the compound ScFe 2 Si 2 ) and CeGa 2 Al 2 (ScCo 2 Si 2 and ScNi 2 Si 2 ) (ref. 1), leading to different coordination environment of the atoms in the structures of the compounds. With the aim of investigating the electron structure and the type ofin these compounds, they authors made a systematic x-ray spectral investigation with simultaneous analysis of the crystal structures of ScM 2 Si 2

Bulk viscosity in 2SC quark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alford, Mark G; Schmitt, Andreas

2007-01-01

The bulk viscosity of three-flavour colour-superconducting quark matter originating from the nonleptonic process u + s ↔ u + d is computed. It is assumed that up and down quarks form Cooper pairs while the strange quark remains unpaired (2SC phase). A general derivation of the rate of strangeness production is presented, involving contributions from a multitude of different subprocesses, including subprocesses that involve different numbers of gapped quarks as well as creation and annihilation of particles in the condensate. The rate is then used to compute the bulk viscosity as a function of the temperature, for an external oscillation frequency typical of a compact star r-mode. We find that, for temperatures far below the critical temperature T c for 2SC pairing, the bulk viscosity of colour-superconducting quark matter is suppressed relative to that of unpaired quark matter, but for T ∼> T c /30 the colour-superconducting quark matter has a higher bulk viscosity. This is potentially relevant for the suppression of r-mode instabilities early in the life of a compact star

The Effect of Surfactant Content over Cu-Ni Coatings Electroplated by the sc-CO₂ Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Ho-Chiao; Sánchez, Jorge; Cheng, Hsiang-Yun

2017-04-19

Co-plating of Cu-Ni coatings by supercritical CO₂ (sc-CO₂) and conventional electroplating processes was studied in this work. 1,4-butynediol was chosen as the surfactant and the effects of adjusting the surfactant content were described. Although the sc-CO₂ process displayed lower current efficiency, it effectively removed excess hydrogen that causes defects on the coating surface, refined grain size, reduced surface roughness, and increased electrochemical resistance. Surface roughness of coatings fabricated by the sc-CO₂ process was reduced by an average of 10%, and a maximum of 55%, compared to conventional process at different fabrication parameters. Cu-Ni coatings produced by the sc-CO₂ process displayed increased corrosion potential of ~0.05 V over Cu-Ni coatings produced by the conventional process, and 0.175 V over pure Cu coatings produced by the conventional process. For coatings ~10 µm thick, internal stress developed from the sc-CO₂ process were ~20 MPa lower than conventional process. Finally, the preferred crystal orientation of the fabricated coatings remained in the (111) direction regardless of the process used or surfactant content.

Simultaneous reduction and adsorption for immobilization of uranium from aqueous solution by nano-flake Fe-SC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kong, Lingjun, E-mail: kongl_jun@163.com [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of radioactive contamination control and resources, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Zhu, Yuting; Wang, Min; Li, Zhixuan; Tan, Zhicong; Xu, Ruibin; Tang, Hongmei; Chang, Xiangyang [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of radioactive contamination control and resources, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Xiong, Ya [Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Chen, Diyun, E-mail: cdy@gzhu.edu.cn [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China); Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of radioactive contamination control and resources, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510275 (China)

2016-12-15

Uranium containing radioactive wastewater is seriously hazardous to the natural environment if it is being discharged directly. Herein, nano-flake like Fe loaded sludge carbon (Fe-SC) is synthesized by carbothermal process from Fe-rich sludge waste and applied in the immobilization of uranium in aqueous. Batch isotherm and kinetic adsorption experiments are adopted to investigate the adsorption behavior of Fe-SC to uranium in aqueous. XPS analyses were conducted to evaluate the immobilized mechanism. It was found that the carbonized temperature played significant role in the characteristics and immobilization ability of the resulted Fe-SC. The Fe-SC-800 carbonized at 800 °C takes more advantageous ability in immobilization of uranium from aqueous than the commercial available AC and powder zero valent iron. The adsorption behavior could be fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model and pseudo-second order model. The equilibrium adsorption amount and rate for Fe-SC-800 is high to 148.99 mg g{sup -1} and 0.015 g mg{sup -1} min{sup -1}, respectively. Both reductive precipitation and physical adsorption are the main mechanisms of immobilization of uranium from aqueous by Fe-SC-800.

Preliminary Analysis of the Social and Scientific Impact of the UAEM-ININ M.Sc. and D.Sc. Graduate Programme in Medical Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsoura, Eleni; Isaac-Olive, Keila; Torres-Garcia, Eugenio; Camacho-Lopez, Miguel Angel; Hardy-Perez, Alberto

2010-12-01

Sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1994, the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) started in Mexico a teaching and training programme (Diplomado) in Radiotherapy Medical Physics. Based on this experience, the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM) and the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) launched two years later, the first Graduate Programme in Science (M.Sc. and D.Sc.), specialised in Medical Physics in Mexico. A preliminary analysis of the social and scientific impact of the UAEM-ININ Programme is presented in this work based on the achievements attained, regarding the number of graduated Medical Physicists, their geographic and academic origin, their current professional activities and the number of scientific publications produced as a result of the thesis, as well as their citations.

Assessment of the GLLB-SC potential for solid-state properties and attempts for improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Tran, Fabien; Ehsan, Sohaib; Blaha, Peter

2018-02-01

Based on the work of Gritsenko et al. (GLLB) [Phys. Rev. A 51, 1944 (1995), 10.1103/PhysRevA.51.1944], the method of Kuisma et al. [Phys. Rev. B 82, 115106 (2010), 10.1103/PhysRevB.82.115106] to calculate the band gap in solids was shown to be much more accurate than the common local density approximation (LDA) and generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The main feature of the GLLB-SC potential (SC stands for solid and correlation) is to lead to a nonzero derivative discontinuity that can be conveniently calculated and then added to the Kohn-Sham band gap for a comparison with the experimental band gap. In this work, a thorough comparison of GLLB-SC with other methods, e.g., the modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) potential [Tran and Blaha, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 226401 (2009), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.226401], for electronic, magnetic, and density-related properties is presented. It is shown that for the band gap, GLLB-SC does not perform as well as mBJ for systems with a small band gap and strongly correlated systems, but is on average of similar accuracy as hybrid functionals. The results on itinerant metals indicate that GLLB-SC overestimates significantly the magnetic moment (much more than mBJ does), but leads to excellent results for the electric field gradient, for which mBJ is in general not recommended. In the aim of improving the results, variants of the GLLB-SC potential are also tested.

Properties of the low-lying negative parity states in 45Sc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevallier, J.; Haas, B.; Schulz, N.; Toulemonde, M.

1975-01-01

The electromagnetic decay of negative parity states in 45 Sc up to an excitation energy of 2107keV have been investigated via the 42 Ca(α,pγ) 45 Sc reaction at a bombarding energy of 10.5MeV. Spin and lifetime of the levels as well as branching and mixing ratios of their decay γ-rays have been obtained from proton-gamma angular correlation measurements. Calculations based on the strong coupling model have been performed. The results are compared with experiment [fr

Structural characteristics of ScBx genes controlling the biosynthesis of hydroxamic acids in rye (Secale cereale L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Bakera, Beata; Makowska, Bogna; Groszyk, Jolanta; Niziołek, Michał; Orczyk, Wacław; Bolibok-Brągoszewska, Hanna; Hromada-Judycka, Aneta; Rakoczy-Trojanowska, Monika

2015-08-01

Benzoxazinoids (BX) are major secondary metabolites of gramineous plants that play an important role in disease resistance and allelopathy. They also have many other unique properties including anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity, and the ability to reduce alfa-amylase activity. The biosynthesis and modification of BX are controlled by the genes Bx1 ÷ Bx10, GT and glu, and the majority of these Bx genes have been mapped in maize, wheat and rye. However, the genetic basis of BX biosynthesis remains largely uncharacterized apart from some data from maize and wheat. The aim of this study was to isolate, sequence and characterize five genes (ScBx1, ScBx2, ScBx3, ScBx4 and ScBx5) encoding enzymes involved in the synthesis of DIBOA, an important defense compound of rye. Using a modified 3D procedure of BAC library screening, seven BAC clones containing all of the ScBx genes were isolated and sequenced. Bioinformatic analyses of the resulting contigs were used to examine the structure and other features of these genes, including their promoters, introns and 3'UTRs. Comparative analysis showed that the ScBx genes are similar to those of other Poaceae species, especially to the TaBx genes. The polymorphisms present both in the coding sequences and non-coding regions of ScBx in relation to other Bx genes are predicted to have an impact on the expression, structure and properties of the encoded proteins.

Impact of stem cell source on allogeneic stem cell transplantation outcome in hematological malignancies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stamatović Dragana

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. Peripheral blood (PB is used more frequently as a source of stem cells (SCs for allogeneic transplantation. However, the influence of cell source on the clinical outcome of SC transplantation is not yet well established. The aim of this study was to compare the results of PBSC transplantation (PBSCT with bone marrow transplantation (BMT on the basis of engraftment, frequency and severity of immediate (mucositis, acute Graft versus Host Disease - aGvHD and delayed (chronic GvHD - cGvHD complications, as well as transplant-related mortality (TRM, transfusion needs, relapses and overall survival (OS. Methods. We analyzed 158 patients, women/men ratio 64/94 median age 29 (range 9-57, who underwent allogeneic SC transplantation between 1989 and 2009. All included patients had diseases as follows: acute myeloid leukemia (AML - 39, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL - 47, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML - 32, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS - 10, Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL - 2, multiple myeloma (MM - 3, granulocytic sarcoma (GrSa - 3, severe aplastic anemia (sAA - 22. The patients underwent transplantations were divided into two groups: BMT group (74 patients and PBSCT group (84 patients. Each recipient had HLA identical sibling donor. SCs from bone marrow were collected by multiple aspirations of iliac bone and from PB by one “Large Volume Leukapheresis” (after recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor, rHuG-CSF application (5-12 μg/kgbm, 5 days. Conditioning regimens were applied according to primary disease, GvHD prophylaxis consisted of combination of a cyclosporine A and methotrexate. Results. Engraftment, according to the count of polymorphonuclear and platelets, were significantly (p < 0.001 faster in the PBSCT vs BMT group. The needs for transfusion support were significantly (p < 0.01 higher in the BMT group. Those patients had more frequently oropharingeal mucositis grade 3/4 (33.3% vs 10.0%, p < 0.05. There were

A Computational Model of the SC Multisensory Neurons: Integrative Capabilities, Maturation, and Plasticity

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Cristiano Cuppini

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Different cortical and subcortical structures present neurons able to integrate stimuli of different sensory modalities. Among the others, one of the most investigated integrative regions is the Superior Colliculus (SC, a midbrain structure whose aim is to guide attentive behaviour and motor responses toward external events. Despite the large amount of experimental data in the literature, the neural mechanisms underlying the SC response are not completely understood. Moreover, recent data indicate that multisensory integration ability is the result of maturation after birth, depending on sensory experience. Mathematical models and computer simulations can be of value to investigate and clarify these phenomena. In the last few years, several models have been implemented to shed light on these mechanisms and to gain a deeper comprehension of the SC capabilities. Here, a neural network model (Cuppini et al., 2010 is extensively discussed. The model considers visual-auditory interaction, and is able to reproduce and explain the main physiological features of multisensory integration in SC neurons, and their acquisition during postnatal life. To reproduce a neonatal condition, the model assumes that during early life: 1 cortical-SC synapses are present but not active; 2 in this phase, responses are driven by non-cortical inputs with very large receptive fields (RFs and little spatial tuning; 3 a slight spatial preference for the visual inputs is present. Sensory experience is modeled by a “training phase” in which the network is repeatedly exposed to modality-specific and cross-modal stimuli at different locations. As results, Cortical-SC synapses are crafted during this period thanks to the Hebbian rules of potentiation and depression, RFs are reduced in size, and neurons exhibit integrative capabilities to cross-modal stimuli, such as multisensory enhancement, inverse effectiveness, and multisensory depression. The utility of the modelling

Crystal structure and magnetic properties of the solid-solution phase Ca3Co2-v Sc v O6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hervoches, Charles H.; Fredenborg, Vivian Miksch; Kjekshus, Arne; Fjellvag, Helmer; Hauback, Bjorn C.

2007-01-01

The two crystallographically non-equivalent Co atoms of the quasi-one-dimensional crystal structure of Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 form chains with alternating, face-sharing polyhedra of Co2O 6 trigonal prisms and Co1O 6 octahedra. This compound forms a substitutional solid-solution phase with Sc, in which the Sc atoms enter the Co2 sublattice exclusively. The homogeneity range of Ca 3 Co 2- v Sc v O 6 (more specifically Ca 3 Co1Co2 1- v Sc v O 6 ) extends up to v∼0.55. The crystal structure belongs to space group R3-barc with lattice parameters (in hexagonal setting): 9.0846(3)≤a≤9.1300(2) A and 10.3885(4)≤c≤10.4677(4) A. The magnetic moment decreases rapidly with increasing amount of the non-magnetic Sc solute in the lattice. - Graphical abstract: The quasi-one-dimensional Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 phase forms a substitutional solid-solution system with Sc, in which the Sc atoms enter the Co2 sublattice exclusively. The homogeneity range of Ca 3 Co 2- v Sc v O 6 extends up to v∼0.55. The magnetic moment decreases rapidly with increasing amount of the non-magnetic Sc solute in the lattice

TSE strain differentiation in mice by immunohistochemical PrP(Sc) profiles and triplex Western blot.

Science.gov (United States)

van Keulen, Lucien J M; Langeveld, Jan P M; Dolstra, Corry H; Jacobs, Jorg; Bossers, Alex; van Zijderveld, Fred G

2015-10-01

TSE strains are routinely identified by their incubation period and vacuolation profile in the brain after intracerebral inoculation and serial passaging in inbred mouse lines. There are some major drawbacks to this method that are related to the variation in vacuolation that exists in the brains of mice infected with the same TSE strain and to variation between observers and laboratories in scoring vacuolation and determining the final incubation period. We investigated the potential of PrP(Sc) immunohistochemistry and triplex Western blotting as possible alternative methods to differentiate between TSE strains. TSE reference strains ME7, 87A/87V, 22A/22C, 79A/79V and 301C/301V were intracerebrally inoculated in RIII or VM inbred mice that differ in their PrP genotype. Immunohistochemical PrP(Sc) profiles were drawn up by scanning light microscopy both on coronal and sagittal sections. On the basis of the localization of PrP(Sc) in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellar cortex and the overall type of PrP(Sc) staining, all TSE strains could be well differentiated from each other through their typical strain dependent characteristics. In addition, Western blot showed that the combination of glycosylation profile and 12B2 epitope content of PrP(Sc) allowed to distinguish between all reference strains except for ME7 and 22A in VM mice. TSE strains in mice can be identified on the basis of their PrP(Sc) profile alone. The potential to identify TSE strains in ruminants with these PrP(Sc) profiles after a single primary passage in mice will be the topic of future studies. © 2014 British Neuropathological Society.

AlScN thin film based surface acoustic wave devices with enhanced microfluidic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, W B; Xuan, W P; Chen, J K; Wang, X Z; Luo, J K; Fu, Y Q; Chen, J J; Duan, P F; Mayrhofer, P; Bittner, A; Schmid, U

2016-01-01

This paper reports the characterization of scandium aluminum nitride (Al 1−xS c xN , x   =  27%) films and discusses surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices based on them. Both AlScN and AlN films were deposited on silicon by sputtering and possessed columnar microstructures with (0 0 0 2) crystal orientation. The AlScN/Si SAW devices showed improved electromechanical coupling coefficients ( K 2 , ∼2%) compared with pure AlN films (<0.5%). The performance of the two types of devices was also investigated and compared, using acoustofluidics as an example. The AlScN/Si SAW devices achieved much lower threshold powers for the acoustic streaming and pumping of liquid droplets, and the acoustic streaming and pumping velocities were 2  ×  and 3  ×  those of the AlN/Si SAW devices, respectively. Mechanical characterization showed that the Young’s modulus and hardness of the AlN film decreased significantly when Sc was doped, and this was responsible for the decreased acoustic velocity and resonant frequency, and the increased temperature coefficient of frequency, of the AlScN SAW devices. (paper)

Experimental Studies on the Interaction of scCO2 and scCO2-SO2 With Rock Forming Minerals at Conditions of Geologic Carbon Storages - First Results

Science.gov (United States)

Erzinger, J.; Wilke, F.; Wiersberg, T.; Vasquez Parra, M.

2010-12-01

Co-injection of SO2 (plus possibly NOx and O2) during CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers may cause stronger brine acidification than CO2 alone. Because of that, we investigate chemical corrosion of rocks and rock-forming minerals with impure supercritical CO2 (scCO2) at possible storage conditions of >73.7 bar and >31°C. Contaminates were chosen with respect to the composition of CO2 captured industrially from coal-fired power plants using the oxyfuel technology. The resulting data should build a base for the long-term prediction of the behavior of CO2 in geologic storage reservoirs. Experiments of up to 1000 hrs duration have been performed with 10 natural mineral concentrates (calcite, dolomite, siderite, anhydrite, hematite, albite, microcline, kaolinite, muscovite, biotite) in 3n NaCl solution and pure scCO2 or scCO2+SO2 (99.5+0.5 vol%). The NaCl reaction fluid resembles the average salinity of deep formation waters of the North German Basin and is not free of oxygen. To increase reaction rates all minerals were ground and the reagents agitated either by stirring or shaking in autoclaves of about one liter in volume. The autoclaves consist of Hastelloy™ or ferromagnetic stainless steel fully coated with PTFE. We used in average 15 g of solids, 700 ml liquid, and the vessels were pressurized up to 100 bars with CO2 or CO2-SO2 mixture. Experiments were run at temperatures up to 90°C. Before, during and after the experiments small amounts fluids were sampled and analyzed for dissolved constituents and pH. Solid phases were characterized by XRF, XRD, and EMPA before and after the experiments. Pure scCO2 corrodes all carbonates, reacts only slightly with anhydrite, albite, and microcline at a minimum pH of 4, and does not recognizably interact with the others. After the experiment, albite has gained in a, not yet fully identified, carbonate phase which might be dawsonite. Reaction fluids of the experiments with scCO2+SO2 have mostly lower pH than using scCO2

Characterization of Anti-Citrinin Specific ScFvs Selected from Non-Immunized Mouse Splenocytes by Eukaryotic Ribosome Display.

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Haiwei Cheng

Full Text Available Single chain variable fragments (scFvs against citrinin (CIT were selected from a scFv library constructed from the splenocytes of non-immunized mice by an improved eukaryotic ribosome display technology in this study. Bovine serum albumin (BSA/ CIT-BSA and ovalbumin (OVA/ CIT-OVA were used as the antigens to select specific anti-CIT scFvs. Eukaryotic in situ RT-PCR method was used to recover the selected mRNA after every affinity selection. After six rounds of ribosome display, expression vector pTIG-TRX carrying specific scFv DNAs were constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3 for protein expression. Thirteen positive clones were selected out of which three (designated 23, 68 and 109 showed high binding activity and specificity to CIT by indirect ELISA, while no clone showed binding activity with carrier proteins. The three scFvs showed high specificity to CIT and the cross reactivity with other mycotoxins was below 0.01% as determined by indirect competitive ELISA. These specific scFvs offer a potential novel immunoassay method for CIT residues. This study confirmed the effectiveness of the improved eukaryotic ribosome display system and could be used as a reference for the selection of scFvs specific to other small molecules using ribosome display.

Recombinant norovirus-specific scFv inhibit virus-like particle binding to cellular ligands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hardy Michele E

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Noroviruses cause epidemic outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in all age-groups. The rapid onset and ease of person-to-person transmission suggest that inhibitors of the initial steps of virus binding to susceptible cells have value in limiting spread and outbreak persistence. We previously generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb 54.6 that blocks binding of recombinant norovirus-like particles (VLP to Caco-2 intestinal cells and inhibits VLP-mediated hemagglutination. In this study, we engineered the antigen binding domains of mAb 54.6 into a single chain variable fragment (scFv and tested whether these scFv could function as cell binding inhibitors, similar to the parent mAb. Results The scFv54.6 construct was engineered to encode the light (VL and heavy (VH variable domains of mAb 54.6 separated by a flexible peptide linker, and this recombinant protein was expressed in Pichia pastoris. Purified scFv54.6 recognized native VLPs by immunoblot, inhibited VLP-mediated hemagglutination, and blocked VLP binding to H carbohydrate antigen expressed on the surface of a CHO cell line stably transfected to express α 1,2-fucosyltransferase. Conclusion scFv54.6 retained the functional properties of the parent mAb with respect to inhibiting norovirus particle interactions with cells. With further engineering into a form deliverable to the gut mucosa, norovirus neutralizing antibodies represent a prophylactic strategy that would be valuable in outbreak settings.

DiSC aitab käitumist parandada / Ain Kivesti

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kivesti, Ain

2008-01-01

DiSC testi abil on võimalik saada ülevaade personaalsetest käitumishoiakutest ning vastavalt olukorrale on võimalik harjumuspärast reageerimisstiili radikaalselt muuta. Kommenteerivad Jorma Sarv ja Paavo Pilv

Cosmogenic 45Sc in Gibeon iron meteorite by radioanalytical neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oura, Y.; Honda, M.; Ebihara, M.; Bajo, K.; Nagao, K.

2011-01-01

Cosmogenic nuclides in many fragments of Gibeon iron meteorite have been studied by Honda and coworkers. They observed that their concentrations varied by 5 orders and found that Gibeon gives two different exposure ages using pair of stable noble gas isotopes and radinuclide. To assess one possible cause for the difference, namely loss of partial noble gases due to atmospheric heating of the incoming meteoroid, concentrations of non-volatile and stable cosmogenic 45 Sc of Gibeon were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA). For RNAA, a radiochemical procedure using extraction chromatography was developed to separate Sc from an iron meteorite. Concentrations of 45 Sc in 7 fragments ranged from 0.0064 to 0.11 ppb and correlated with cosmogenic 4 He concentrations. This correlation suggests that noble gases in Gibeon were not lost during the fall to the earth. (orig.)

Electronic structure and physical properties of ScN in pressure: density-functional theory calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan Pengfei; Wang Chongyu; Yu Tao

2008-01-01

Local density functional is investigated by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method for ScN in the hexagonal structure and the rocksalt structure and for hexagonal structures linking a layered hexagonal phase with wurtzite structure along a homogeneous strain transition path. It is found that the wurtzite ScN is unstable and the layered hexagonal phase, labelled as h o , in which atoms are approximately fivefold coordinated, is metastable, and the rocksalt ScN is stable. The electronic structure, the physical properties of the intermediate structures and the energy band structure along the transition are presented. It is found that the band gaps change from 4.0 to 1.0 eV continuously when c/a value varies from 1.68 to 1.26. It is noticeable that the study of ScN provides an opportunity to apply this kind of material (in wurtzite[h]-derived phase). (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Linking Gateway Technical College with Workforce Development: The SC Johnson-A Family Company Story.

Science.gov (United States)

Knudson, Edward

2004-01-01

Seven years ago, SC Johnson--A Family Company approached Gateway Technical College with a need to further strengthen their incumbent workforce's technical training and education. Retirements, brain drain, and competition for technical expertise were the forces driving SC Johnson to develop a comprehensive, flexible, and timely workplace education…

33 CFR 165.708 - Safety/Security Zone; Charleston Harbor and Cooper River, Charleston, SC.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Harbor and Cooper River, Charleston, SC. 165.708 Section 165.708 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST... Guard District § 165.708 Safety/Security Zone; Charleston Harbor and Cooper River, Charleston, SC. (a... Cooper River. All coordinates referenced use datum: NAD 1983. (2) All waters within 100 yards of the...

Production of a germline-humanized cetuximab scFv and evaluation of its activity in recognizing EGFR- overexpressing cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Banisadr, Arsham; Safdari, Yaghoub; Kianmehr, Anvarsadat; Pourafshar, Mahdieh

2018-04-03

The aim of this study was to produce a humanized single chain antibody (scFv) as a potential improved product design to target EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) overexpressing cancer cells. To this end, CDR loops of cetuximab (an FDA-approved anti-EGFR antibody) were grafted on framework regions derived from type 3 (VH3 and VL3 kappa) human germline sequences to obtain recombinant VH and VL domainslinked together with a flexible linker [(Gly 4 Ser) 3 ] to form a scFv. Codon optimized synthetic gene encoding the scFv (with NH2-VH-linker-VL-COOH orientation) was expressed in E. coli Origami™ 2(DE3) cells and the resultant scFv purified by using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The scFv, called cet.Hum scFv, was evaluated in ELISA and immunoblot to determine whether it can recognize EGFR. The scFv was able to recognize EGFR over-expressing cancer cells (A-431) but failed to detect cancer cells with low levels of EGFR (MCF-7 cells). Although the affinity of the scFv forA-431 cells was 9 fold lower than that of cetuximab, it was strong enough to recognize these cells. Considering its ability to bind EGFR molecules, the scFv may exhibit a potential application for the detection of EGFR-overexpressing cancer cells.

Evaluation of the first 44Sc-labeled Affibody molecule for imaging of HER2-expressing tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honarvar, Hadis; Müller, Cristina; Cohrs, Susan; Haller, Stephanie; Westerlund, Kristina; Karlström, Amelie Eriksson; Meulen, Nicholas P. van der; Schibli, Roger; Tolmachev, Vladimir

2017-01-01

Introduction: Affibody molecules are small (58 amino acids) high-affinity proteins based on a tri-helix non-immunoglobulin scaffold. A clinical study has demonstrated that PET imaging using Affibody molecules labeled with 68 Ga (T ½ = 68 min) can visualize metastases of breast cancer expressing human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) and provide discrimination between tumors with high and low expression level. This may help to identify breast cancer patients benefiting from HER2-targeting therapies. The best discrimination was at 4 h post injection. Due to longer half-life, a positron-emitting radionuclide 44 Sc (T ½ = 4.04 h) might be a preferable label for Affibody molecules for imaging at several hours after injection. Methods: A synthetic second-generation anti-HER2 Affibody molecule Z HER2:2891 was labeled with 44 Sc via a DOTA-chelator conjugated to the N-terminal amino group. Binding specificity, affinity and cellular processing 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 and 68 Ga-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 were compared in vitro using HER2-expressing cells. Biodistribution and imaging properties of 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 and 68 Ga-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 were evaluated in Balb/c nude mice bearing HER2-expression xenografts. Results: The labeling yield of 98 ± 2% and specific activity of 7.8 GBq/μmol were obtained. The conjugate demonstrated specific binding to HER2-expressing SKOV3.ip cells in vitro and to SKOV3.ip xenografts in nude mice. The distribution of radioactivity at 3 h post injection was similar for 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 and 68 Ga-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 , but the blood clearance of the 44 Sc-labeled variant was slower and the tumor-to-blood ratio was reduced (15 ± 2 for 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 vs 46 ± 9 for 68 Ga-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 ). At 6 h after injection of 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 the tumor uptake was 8 ± 2% IA/g and the tumor-to-blood ratio was 51 ± 8. Imaging using small-animal PET/CT demonstrated that 44 Sc-DOTA-Z HER2:2891 provides specific and high

M.Sc. in Civil and Structural Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The following pages contain a list of project ideas proposed by the scientific staff at the Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, and a number of companies. Most of the project ideas in this catalogue may form the basis for long and short master projects as well as regular 3rd...... semester projects at the M.Sc. programme in Civil and Structural Engineering....

M.Sc. in Civil and Structural Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Johan

The report contain a list of project ideas proposed by the scientific staff at the Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, and a number of companies. Most of the project ideas in this catalogue may form the basis for long and short candidate projects as well as regular 3rd semester...... projects at the M.Sc. programme in Civil and Structural Engineering....

M.Sc. in Civil and Structural Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The catalogue contain a list of project ideas proposed by the scientific staff at the Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, and a number of companies. Most of the project ideas in this catalogue may form the basis for long and short candidate projects as well as regular 3rd semester...... projects at the M.Sc. programme in Civil and Structural Engineering....

M.Sc. in Civil and Structural Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This catalogue contains a list of project ideas proposed by the scientific staff at the Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, and a number of companies. Most of the project ideas in this catalogue may form the basis for long and short candidate projects as well as regular 3rd...... semester projects at the M.Sc. programme in Civil and Structural Engineering....

Solution Synthesis, Structure, and CO2 Reduction Reactivity of a Scandium(II) Complex, {Sc[N(SiMe3 )2 ]3 }.

Science.gov (United States)

Woen, David H; Chen, Guo P; Ziller, Joseph W; Boyle, Timothy J; Furche, Filipp; Evans, William J

2017-02-13

The first crystallographically characterizable complex of Sc 2+ , [Sc(NR 2 ) 3 ] - (R=SiMe 3 ), has been obtained by LnA 3 /M reactions (Ln=rare earth metal; A=anionic ligand; M=alkali metal) involving reduction of Sc(NR 2 ) 3 with K in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) and 18-crown-6 (18-c-6) and with Cs in the presence of crypt. Dark maroon [K(crypt)] + , [K(18-c-6)] + , and [Cs(crypt)] + salts of the [Sc(NR 2 ) 3 ] - anion are formed, respectively. The formation of this oxidation state of Sc is also indicated by the eight-line EPR spectra arising from the I=7/2 45 Sc nucleus. The Sc(NR 2 ) 3 reduction differs from Ln(NR 2 ) 3 reactions (Ln=Y and lanthanides) in that it occurs under N 2 without formation of isolable reduced dinitrogen species. [K(18-c-6)][Sc(NR 2 ) 3 ] reacts with CO 2 to produce an oxalate complex, {K 2 (18-c-6) 3 }{[(R 2 N) 3 Sc] 2 (μ-C 2 O 4 -κ 1 O:κ 1 O'')}, and a CO 2 - radical anion complex, [(R 2 N) 3 Sc(μ-OCO-κ 1 O:κ 1 O')K(18-c-6)] n . © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Safety and adverse events of neoadjuvant short-course hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (SC-HART) for rectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doi, Hiroshi; Kamikonya, Norihiko; Hirota, Shozo; Beppu, Naohito; Yanagi, Hidenori

2014-01-01

We presented good tolerability and short-term outcomes of neoadjuvant short-course hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (SC-HART; 25 Gy in 10 fractions for 5 days) combined with chemotherapy in a total of 73 patients with lower rectal cancer. Age, gender, tumor differentiation, and the type of surgery seemed to have no apparent effects on toxicity of SC-HART. SC-HART appeared to have a good feasibility for use in further clinical trials. (author)

First-in-Human PET/CT Imaging of Metastatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms with Cyclotron-Produced 44Sc-DOTATOC: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Aviral; van der Meulen, Nicholas P; Müller, Cristina; Klette, Ingo; Kulkarni, Harshad R; Türler, Andreas; Schibli, Roger; Baum, Richard P

2017-05-01

44 Sc is a promising positron emission tomography (PET) radionuclide (T 1/2  = 4.04 hours, E β+average  = 632 keV) and can be made available, using a cyclotron production route, in substantial quantities as a highly pure product. Herein, the authors report on a first-in-human PET/CT study using 44 Sc-DOTATOC prepared with cyclotron-produced 44 Sc. The production of 44 Sc was carried out through the 44 Ca(p,n) 44 Sc nuclear reaction at Paul Scherrer Institut, Switzerland. After separation, 44 Sc was shipped to Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Germany, where radiolabeling was performed, yielding radiochemically pure 44 Sc-DOTATOC. Two patients, currently followed up after peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, participated in this proof-of-concept study. Blood sampling was performed before and after application of 44 Sc-DOTATOC. PET/CT acquisitions, performed at different time points after injection of 44 Sc-DOTATOC, allowed detection of even very small lesions on delayed scans. No clinical adverse effects were observed and the laboratory hematological, renal, and hepatic profiles remained unchanged. In this study, cyclotron-produced 44 Sc was used in the clinic for the first time. It is attractive for theranostic application with 177 Lu, 90 Y, or 47 Sc as therapeutic counterparts. 44 Sc-based radiopharmaceuticals will be of particular value for PET facilities without radiopharmacy, to which they can be shipped from a centralized production site.

AAZTA: an ideal chelating agent for the development of {sup 44}Sc PET imaging agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagy, Gabor; Szikra, Dezso; Trencsenyi, Gyoergy [Scanomed Ltd., Debrecen (Hungary); University of Debrecen, Medical Imaging Clinic (Hungary); Fekete, Aniko [University of Debrecen, Medical Imaging Clinic (Hungary); Garai, Ildiko [Scanomed Ltd., Debrecen (Hungary); Giani, Arianna M.; Negri, Roberto [Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Novara (Italy); Masciocchi, Norberto [Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia e To.Sca.Lab, Universita degli Studi dell' Insubria, Como (Italy); Maiocchi, Alessandro; Uggeri, Fulvio [Bracco Imaging spa, Bracco Research Centre, Colleretto Giacosa (Italy); Toth, Imre [Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen (Hungary); Aime, Silvio [Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze della Salute, Centro di Imaging Molecolare e Preclinico, Universita degli Studi di Torino (Italy); Giovenzana, Giovanni B. [Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Universita del Piemonte Orientale, Novara (Italy); CAGE Chemicals srl, Novara (Italy); Baranyai, Zsolt [Bracco Imaging spa, Bracco Research Centre, Colleretto Giacosa (Italy); Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen (Hungary)

2017-02-13

Unprecedented fast and efficient complexation of Sc{sup III} was demonstrated with the chelating agent AAZTA (AAZTA=1,4-bis(carboxymethyl)-6-[bis(carboxymethyl)] amino-6-methylperhydro-1,4-d iazepine) under mild experimental conditions. The robustness of the {sup 44}Sc(AAZTA){sup -} chelate and conjugated biomolecules thereof is further shown by in vivo PET imaging in healthy and tumor mice models. The new results pave the way towards development of efficient Sc-based radiopharmaceuticals using the AAZTA chelator. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Calibration of the 46Sc sand tracer detector and it's application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhangsu; Du Xiaoyun

1993-01-01

The authors describe the process and result for the calibration of radioactive 46 Sc detector in details. The calibration was carried out under the hydrological conditions similar to the field test. The relation between the intensity of the scattered γ-rays and the various water depths was studied by using a 46 Sc plane source. The purpose of calibration of the detector with the plane source is to determine both the detector sensitivity factor and the γ-ray absorption coefficient for san/water mixture in order to calculate the thickness of the mobile water layer by means of the count rate balance method. The relation curve between the various thicknesses of the mobile layers and count rates was studied in detailed in details by using a slab source and the uniformly mixed layers with 46 Sc glass. The curve is used as the calibration curve for determining the recovery of tracking radioactive tracer in situ. The recovery of tracer shows whether the field tracer data can be used to calculate the transport sediment rate or the in fill rate of sediment

Palmetto Academy: Undergraduates Exploring and Communicating the Multidisciplinary Nature of STEM

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, C.; Ali, A.; Runyon, C. J.; Colgan, M. W.

2012-12-01

One of the pillars of the US economy is a well-trained Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce (National Academy of Sciences, 2007). The number of students choosing to study science and engineering has taken a dramatic decline. The percentage of those degrees conferred in SC was substantially lower than the national average and the percentage of those occupations within the SC workforce also falls below the national average, supporting the need for engaging and educational STEM programs. The NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium's Palmetto Research Academy (PRA) program is an immersive and integrated multidisciplinary exposure and training for undergraduate students with various backgrounds and career aspirations of critical importance to the Nation. This program offers exciting and inspiring hands-on research experiences that are aligned with NASA missions. The PRA advances NASA's research interest in areas such as aeronautics, biomedical science, sun-earth connections, planetary and Earth science. The PRA helps to develop the STEM workforce in STEM disciplines, a necessity in South Carolina. In addition, the PRA incorporates an education/outreach component, where the students engage secondary educators and students in NASA scientific and technical expertise. In 2012, the PRA had 10 research projects across the state in disciplines of mechanical and chemical engineering, bioengineering, chemistry, biogeooptical sciences, physics and astronomy and biomedical sciences. 18 undergraduates and 2 technical college students participated in authentic hands-on research mentored by leading scientists and engineers throughout the state. Examples projects include: A) Development of a series of astronomical telescopes to be mounted on a commercial human-tended suborbital rockets. The students built the instrument, including the power system and the mechanical interface, and performed function and fit testing on the XCOR Aerospace Lynx vehicle mock-up. B

Characterization of corneal pannus removed from patients with total limbal stem cell deficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Espana, Edgar M; Di Pascuale, Mario A; He, Hua; Kawakita, Tetsuya; Raju, Vadrevu K; Liu, Chia-Yang; Tseng, Scheffer C G

2004-09-01

To determine the epithelial lineage of origin in corneal pannus tissue surgically removed from patients with total limbal stem cell (SC) deficiency. The lineage of origin of the entire conjunctivalized pannus removed from eight corneas with a diagnosis of total limbal SC deficiency was characterized by anti-keratin (K)-3 and anti-K19 monoclonal antibodies. The protein and mRNA of epithelial outgrowth from segments of five such pannus specimens were analyzed by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Cross sections of all eight specimens showed a stratified epithelium with goblet cells expressing mucin (MUC)-5AC, and a stroma showing blood vessels and inflammatory cell infiltrates. Immunostaining showed full-thickness expression of K19 in the entire pannus of all eight specimens. Expression of K3 was negative in seven patients, but was sporadically positive in a patient with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. In culture, all five pannus specimens generated a compact, small epithelial cell outgrowth, and except for one, reached confluence in 2 to 3 weeks. The K3/K12 pair was expressed by extracts of cell outgrowth from the control limbal epithelial explant, but not in all five pannus specimens. A 60-kDa band of DeltaNp63 was expressed in the control specimen and in all five pannus specimens. Cell outgrowth expressed K3 transcript in three, but none showed K12 transcript. The resultant epithelial phenotype of the pannus tissue was not corneal, as evidenced by the negative staining to cornea-specific K12 mRNA and protein, but was conjunctival, as evidenced by the presence of goblet cells, the weak expression of K3, and the strong expression of K19. The abundant expression of DeltaNp63 in such conjunctiva-derived epithelium in eyes with total limbal SC deficiency raises doubts as to its validity as a limbal SC marker. Copyright Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

PEGylation of polylysine dendrimers improves absorption and lymphatic targeting following SC administration in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaminskas, Lisa M; Kota, Jagannath; McLeod, Victoria M; Kelly, Brian D; Karellas, Peter; Porter, Christopher Jh

2009-12-03

Polylysine dendrimers have potential as highly flexible, biodegradable nanoparticular carriers that may also promote lymphatic transport. The current study was undertaken to determine the impact of PEGylation on the absorption and lymphatic transport of polylysine dendrimers modified by surface derivatisation with PEG (200, 570 or 2000Da) or 4-benzene sulphonate following SC or IV dosing. PEGylation led to the PEG(200) derived dendrimer being rapidly and completely absorbed into the blood after SC administration, however only 3% of the administered dose was recovered in pooled thoracic lymph over 30h. Increasing the PEG chain length led to a systematic decrease in absorption into the blood and an enhancement of the proportion recovered in the lymphatics (up to 29% over 30h). For the PEG(570) and PEG(2000) derived dendrimers, indirect access to the lymph via equilibration across the capillary beds also appeared to play a role in lymphatic targeting after both IV and SC dosing. In contrast, the anionic benzene sulphonate-capped dendrimer was not well absorbed from the SC injection site (26% bioavailability) into either the blood or the lymph. The data suggest that PEGylated poly-L-lysine dendrimers are well absorbed from SC injection sites and that the extent of lymphatic transport may be enhanced by increasing the size of the PEGylated dendrimer complex.

Transmission/reception of a partial sc-fdm symbol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

A method is disclosed for signal processing in a radio system. The method comprises generating (801), in an apparatus (602), a single carrier frequency division multiplexing SC-FDM signal having a shorter duration than a time symbol duration defined by a radio standard applied in the radio system...

Meta-DiSc: a software for meta-analysis of test accuracy data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamora, Javier; Abraira, Victor; Muriel, Alfonso; Khan, Khalid; Coomarasamy, Arri

2006-07-12

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of test accuracy studies are increasingly being recognised as central in guiding clinical practice. However, there is currently no dedicated and comprehensive software for meta-analysis of diagnostic data. In this article, we present Meta-DiSc, a Windows-based, user-friendly, freely available (for academic use) software that we have developed, piloted, and validated to perform diagnostic meta-analysis. Meta-DiSc a) allows exploration of heterogeneity, with a variety of statistics including chi-square, I-squared and Spearman correlation tests, b) implements meta-regression techniques to explore the relationships between study characteristics and accuracy estimates, c) performs statistical pooling of sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios and diagnostic odds ratios using fixed and random effects models, both overall and in subgroups and d) produces high quality figures, including forest plots and summary receiver operating characteristic curves that can be exported for use in manuscripts for publication. All computational algorithms have been validated through comparison with different statistical tools and published meta-analyses. Meta-DiSc has a Graphical User Interface with roll-down menus, dialog boxes, and online help facilities. Meta-DiSc is a comprehensive and dedicated test accuracy meta-analysis software. It has already been used and cited in several meta-analyses published in high-ranking journals. The software is publicly available at http://www.hrc.es/investigacion/metadisc_en.htm.

Gene function in early mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation

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Campbell Pearl A

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Little is known about the genes that drive embryonic stem cell differentiation. However, such knowledge is necessary if we are to exploit the therapeutic potential of stem cells. To uncover the genetic determinants of mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC differentiation, we have generated and analyzed 11-point time-series of DNA microarray data for three biologically equivalent but genetically distinct mESC lines (R1, J1, and V6.5 undergoing undirected differentiation into embryoid bodies (EBs over a period of two weeks. Results We identified the initial 12 hour period as reflecting the early stages of mESC differentiation and studied probe sets showing consistent changes of gene expression in that period. Gene function analysis indicated significant up-regulation of genes related to regulation of transcription and mRNA splicing, and down-regulation of genes related to intracellular signaling. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the genes showing the largest expression changes were more likely to have originated in metazoans. The probe sets with the most consistent gene changes in the three cell lines represented 24 down-regulated and 12 up-regulated genes, all with closely related human homologues. Whereas some of these genes are known to be involved in embryonic developmental processes (e.g. Klf4, Otx2, Smn1, Socs3, Tagln, Tdgf1, our analysis points to others (such as transcription factor Phf21a, extracellular matrix related Lama1 and Cyr61, or endoplasmic reticulum related Sc4mol and Scd2 that have not been previously related to mESC function. The majority of identified functions were related to transcriptional regulation, intracellular signaling, and cytoskeleton. Genes involved in other cellular functions important in ESC differentiation such as chromatin remodeling and transmembrane receptors were not observed in this set. Conclusion Our analysis profiles for the first time gene expression at a very early stage of m

Tunable band gap and optical properties of surface functionalized Sc2C monolayer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Shun; Du Yu-Lei; Liao Wen-He

2017-01-01

Using the density functional theory, we have investigated the electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional Sc 2 C monolayer with OH, F, or O chemical groups. The electronic structures reveal that the functionalized Sc 2 C monolayers are semiconductors with a band gap of 0.44–1.55 eV. The band gap dependent optical parameters, like dielectric function, absorption coefficients, reflectivity, loss function, and refraction index were also calculated for photon energy up to 20 eV. At the low-energy region, each optical parameter shifts to red, and the peak increases obviously with the increase of the energy gap. Consequently, Sc 2 C monolayer with a tunable band gap by changing the type of surface chemical groups is a promising 2D material for optoelectronic devices. (paper)

QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF BAKERY PRODUCTS: A CASE STUDY IN SC

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Nicoleta- Luminiţa STRÂMBEANU RISTEA

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The paper aimed to present the benefits of implementing HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points to company S.C. "DOBRE AND SONS" S.R.L. Constanta, Romania. The data have been provided by the above mentioned manufacturer. The objectives of S.C. "DOBRE AND SONS" S.R.L. are protecting the health of the consumers of the products and their satisfaction regarding the consumption of products that are nutritional, tasty, fresh, free from microbiological, chemical and physical hazard, as well as possessing stable properties during the validity for consumption. In this respect, there has been implemented and maintained an integrated management system of food quality and safety according to SR EN ISO 9001:2008, SR EN ISO 22000:2005 and according to IFS standard, version 5/2007, which consists of determining the potential biological, chemical and physical hazards that might affect the safety of bread and bakery products, or the health of the consumer. HACCP team is analyzing hazard using one of the recommended techniques: brainstorming or the cause - effect diagram. In conclusion, the company S.C. "DOBRE AND SONS" S.R.L. Constanta, Romania provides awareness and employee involvement at all levels in achieving the appointed objectives.

Semisolid slurry of 7A04 aluminum alloy prepared by electromagnetic stirring and Sc, Zr additions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-wen Zhao

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Slurry preparation is one of the most critical steps for semisolid casting, and its primary goal is to prepare slurry with uniformly distributed fine globules. In this work, electromagnetic stirring (EMS and the addition of Sc and Zr elements were used to prepare semisolid slurry of 7A04 aluminum alloy in a large diameter slurry maker. The effects of different treatments on the microstructure, composition and their radial homogeneity were investigated. The results show that, compared to the slurry without any treatment, large volume slurry with finer and more uniform microstructure can be obtained when treated by EMS, Sc, or Zr additions individually. EMS is more competent in the microstructural and chemical homogenization of the slurry while Sc and Zr additions are more excellent in its microstructural refinement. The combined treatment of EMS, Sc and Zr produces premium 7A04 aluminum alloy slurry with uniformly distributed fine α-Al globules and composition. The interaction mechanism between EMS and Sc and Zr additions was also discussed.

Behavior of Equipment Support Beam Joint Directly Connected to A Steel-plate Concrete(SC) Wall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. S.; Kwon, K. J.

2008-01-01

To decrease the time for building nuclear power plants, a modular construction method, 'Steel-plate Concrete(SC)', has been investigated for over a decade. To construct a SC wall, a pair of steel plates are placed in parallel similar to a form-work in conventional reinforced concrete (RC) structures, and concrete is filled between the steel plates. Instead of removing the steel plates after the concrete has cured, the steel plates serve as components of the structural member. The exposed steel plate of SC structures serves as the base plate for the equipment support, and the headed studs welded to the steel plates are used as anchor bolts. Then, a support beam can be directly welded to the surface of the steel plate in any preferred position. In this study, we discuss the behavior and evaluation method of the equipment support joint directly connected to exposed steel plate of SC wall

High intensity training may reverse the fiber type specific decline in myogenic stem cells in multiple sclerosis patients

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Jean eFarup

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Multiple sclerosis (MS is associated with loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. The myogenic stem cells (satellite cells – SCs are instrumental to accretion of myonuclei, but remain to be investigated in MS. The present study aimed to compare the SC and myonuclei content between MS patients (n=23 and age matched healthy controls (HC, n=18. Furthermore, the effects of 12 weeks of high intensity training on SC and myonuclei content were explored in MS. Muscle biopsies were obtained from m. Vastus Lateralis at baseline (MS+HC and following 12 weeks of training (MS only. Frozen biopsies were sectioned followed by immunohistochemical analysis for fiber type specific SCs (Pax7+, myonuclei (MN and central nuclei content and fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA using ATPase histochemistry. At baseline the SCs per fiber was lower in type II compared to type I fiber in both MS (119%, p<0.01 and HC (69%, p<0.05, whereas the SCs per fCSA was lower in type II fibers compared to type I only in MS (72%, p<0.05. No differences were observed in MN or central nuclei between MS and HC. Following training the type II fiber SCs per fiber and fCSA in MS patients increased by 165% (p<0.05 and 135% (p<0.05, respectively. Furthermore, the type II fiber MN content increased by 35% (p<0.05 following training. In conclusion, the SC content is lower in type II compared to type I fibers in both MS and HC. Furthermore, high intensity training was observed to selectively increase the SC and myonuclei content in type II fibers in MS patients.

Comparison of renal allograft (AG) biopsy diagnosis and temporal quantitation of Tc-99m sulfur colloid (SC) in clinically suspected AG rejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, E.A.; Brown, W.N.; Carney, K.; Naidu, R.G.; Palmer, D.C.

1984-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of temporal quantitation of SC compared to tissue diagnosis of AG needle biopsy (Bx). The principal clinical criteria for patient selection were sequential or persistent reduction (at least 40-50%) of AG function as determined by serial serum creatinine levels. Thirty-four AG recipients were examined with SC and subsequent AG Bx in 37 instances. %SC AG accumulation and bone marrow extraction were interpreted in view of the significant sequential of persistent reduction of Ag function. Each AG Bx was collected from multiple needle aspirates and processed for light microscopy and immunoflorescent staining. Bx and SC exam were evaluated for acute rejection (AR), chronic rejection (CR) or other, non-rejection pathology. Acute tissue changes superimposed on chronic were regarded as AR. Acute tissue changes and % SC AG accumulation in the rejection range were graded as mild, moderate and marked. In AR there was 28/28 agreement of Bx and SC diagnosis; of which 7/28 were superimposed on CR. In Cr Bx and SC agreed in 3/7 instances, in 3/7 SC Dx was AR and in 1/7 SC exam was normal. Sensitivity and specificity of the SC diagnosis in this series was 100% and 63% for AR, 43% and 100% for CR and 97% and 100% in all instances of rejection. Bx and SC grading of AR agreed in 64%. In conclusion, temporal quantitation of SC demonstrated overall good correlation with AG Bx diagnosis in this series. The poor sensitivity of 43% of SC in Cr and only 64% correlation in grading AR may be due to inherent Bx sampling and SC data analysis error

Effect of solution treatment on precipitation behaviors and age hardening response of Al–Cu alloys with Sc addition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, B.A.; Pan, L.; Wang, R.H.; Liu, G.; Cheng, P.M.; Xiao, L.; Sun, J.

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Effects of Sc addition on the precipitation and age hardening of Al–Cu alloy were investigated. ► The critical influence of solution treatment on the Sc effect was revealed. ► A significant enhancement in age hardening response was experimentally found and quantitatively assessed. - Abstract: Influences of solution treatment on precipitation behaviors and age hardening response of Al–2.5 wt% Cu–0.3 wt% Sc alloys were investigated, in comparison with Sc-free one. The Al 3 Sc dispersoids, formed during homogenization, were either survived or dissolved to become Sc solute atoms in solution treatment, depending on the solution temperature. When the temperature for solution treatment is 873 K, most of the Al 3 Sc dispersoids were dissolved and a significant enhancement in the uniform precipitation of finer θ′-Al 2 Cu particles was achieved in following aging treatment, causing a noticeable increase in peak-aging hardness by about 90% compared to Sc-free alloys. The enhanced age hardening effect was quantitatively related to the remarkable reduction in effective inter-particle spacing of the plate-shaped θ′-Al 2 Cu precipitates. When the temperature for solution treatment is 793 K, however, most of the Al 3 Sc dispersoids were survived after solution treatment and facilitated the heterogeneous precipitation of θ′-Al 2 Cu plates directly on the {1 0 0} facets of dispersoids in following aging treatment. Concomitantly, the uniform precipitation of θ′-Al 2 Cu plates was greatly suppressed, resulting in a reduced age hardening response. The age hardening responses were quantitatively assessed by using a modified strengthening model that is applicable to the plate-shaped precipitates. The calculations were in good agreement with experimental results. The present results show the importance of controlling solution treatments to achieve significant promotion effect of Sc addition on the precipitation hardening in heat-treatable aluminum

Synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amezaga-Madrid, P.; Antunez-Flores, W.; Ledezma-Sillas, J.E.; Murillo-Ramirez, J.G.; Solis-Canto, O.; Vega-Becerra, O.E.; Martinez-Sanchez, R.; Miki-Yoshida, M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Undoped, V and Sc doped ZnO thin films by Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition. → Optimum substrate temperatures of 673 K and 623 K for Sc and V doped films. → Around one third of the dopants in solution were deposited into the films. → Crystallite and grain size decreased with the increase of dopant concentration. → Optical band gap increased from 3.29 to 3.32 eV for undoped to 7 Sc/Zn at. %. - Abstract: Many semiconductor oxides (ZnO, TiO 2 , SnO 2 ) when doped with a low percentage of non-magnetic (V, Sc) or magnetic 3d (Co, Mn, Ni, Fe) cation behave ferromagnetically. They have attracted a great deal of interest due to the integration of semiconducting and magnetic properties in a material. ZnO is one of the most promising materials to carry out these tasks in view of the fact that it is optically transparent and has n or p type conductivity. Here, we report the synthesis, microstructural characterization and optical properties of undoped, V and Sc doped zinc oxide thin films. ZnO based thin films with additions of V and Sc were deposited by the Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapour Deposition method. V and Sc were incorporated separately in the precursor solution. The films were uniform, transparent and non-light scattering. The microstructure of the films was characterized by Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Scanning Probe Microscopy. Average grain size and surface rms roughness were estimated by the measurement of Atomic Force Microscopy. The microstructure of doped ZnO thin films depended on the type and amount of dopant material incorporated. The optical properties were determined from specular reflectance and transmittance spectra. Results were analyzed to determine the optical constant and band gap of the films. An increase in the optical band gap with the content of Sc dopant was obtained.

Influence of Sc on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Si-Mg-Cu-Zr alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yukun; Du, Xiaodong; Zhang, Ya; Zhang, Zhen; Fu, Junwei; Zhou, Shi'ang; Wu, Yucheng

2018-02-01

In the present study, the effects of Mg, Cu, Sc and Zr combined additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hypoeutectic Al-Si cast alloy were systematically investigated. Characterization techniques such as optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brinell hardness tester and universal testing machine were employed to analyze the microstructure and mechanical properties. The results showed that Sc served as modifier on the microstructure of Al-3Si-0.45Mg-0.45Cu-0.2Zr alloys, including modification of eutectic Si and grains. Extraordinarily, grain refinement was found to be related to the primary particles, which exhibited a close orientation to matrix. After T6 heat treatment, the grain structures were composed of nano-scaled secondary Al3(Sc, Zr) precipitates and spherical eutectic Si. Combined with T6 heat treatment, the highest hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation were achieved in 0.56 wt.% Sc-modified alloy. Interestingly, the strength and ductility had a similar tendency. This paper demonstrated that combined additions of Mg, Cu, Sc and Zr could significantly improve the microstructure and performance of the hypoeutectic Al-Si cast alloy.

Purification and refolding of anti-T-antigen single chain antibodies (scFvs) expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion bodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuasa, Noriyuki; Koyama, Tsubasa; Fujita-Yamaguchi, Yoko

2014-02-01

T-antigen (Galβ1-3GalNAcα-1-Ser/Thr) is an oncofetal antigen that is commonly expressed as a carbohydrate determinant in many adenocarcinomas. Since it is associated with tumor progression and metastasis, production of recombinant antibodies specific for T-antigen could lead to the development of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Previously, we isolated and characterized 11 anti-T-antigen phage clones from a phage library displaying human single-chain antibodies (scFvs) and purified one scFv protein, 1G11. More recently, we purified and characterized 1E8 scFv protein using a Drosophila S2 expression system. In the current study, four anti-T-antigen scFv genes belonging to Groups 1-4 were purified from inclusion bodies expressed in Escherichia coli cells. Inclusion bodies isolated from E. coli cells were denatured in 3.5 M Gdn-HCl. Solubilized His-tagged scFv proteins were purified using Ni(2+)-Sepharose column chromatography in the presence of 3.5 M Gdn-HCl. Purified scFv proteins were refolded according to a previously published method of step-wise dialysis. Two anti-T-antigen scFv proteins, 1E6 and 1E8 that belong to Groups 1 and 2, respectively, were produced in sufficient amounts, thus allowing further characterization of their binding activity with T-antigen. Specificity and affinity constants determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR), respectively, provided evidence that both 1E8 and 1E6 scFv proteins are T-antigen specific and suggested that 1E8 scFv protein has a higher affinity for T-antigen than 1E6 scFv protein.

Comparative study of Tm-doped and Tm-Sc co-doped Lu3Al5O12 scintillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, Makoto; Yanagida, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Yutaka

2014-01-01

The crystals of Tm doped and Tm-Sc co-doped Lu 3 Al 5 O 12 (LuAG) grown by the floating zone (FZ) method were examined for their optical and scintillation properties. In transmittance spectra, strong absorption lines due to Tm 3+ 4f–4f transitions were observed. X-ray excited radioluminescence spectra were measured and broad and sharp emission peaks were detected. The former one was attributed to Sc 3+ and the latter one was due to Tm 3+ 4f–4f transitions. Scintillation yield enhancement due to Sc co-doping was observed by means of 137 Cs pulse height spectra. Scintillation decay times were several tens of μs under pulse X-ray excitation. - Highlights: • LuAG:Tm and LuAG:Tm, Sc single crystals have been grown by the FZ method. • Tm 3+ 4f–4f absorption has been observed in transmittance spectra. • Scintillation yield of Tm-doped LuAG has been enhanced by Sc co-doping

Neural differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells by indirect co-culture with Schwann cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xiaojie

2009-01-01

Full Text Available To investigate whether adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs could be subject to neural differentiation induced only by Schwann cell (SC factors, we co-cultured ADSCs and SCs in transwell culture dishes. Immunoassaying, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR were performed (1, 3, 7, 14 d and the co-cultured ADSCs showed gene and protein expression of S-100, Nestin, and GFAP. Further, qRT-PCR disclosed relative quantitative differences in the above three gene expressions. We think ADSCs can undergo induced neural differentiation by being co-cultured with SCs, and such differentia­tions begin 1 day after co-culture, become apparent after 7 days, and thereafter remain stable till the 14th day.

Stem Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Stem cells are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body. ... the body. There are two main types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Stem ...

Cross-sections of {sup 45}Sc(n,2n){sup 44m,g}Sc reaction from the reaction threshold to 20 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luo, J. [Hexi Univ., Zhangye (China). School of Physics and Electromechanical Engineering; Peking Univ., Beijing (China). State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology; Liu, R.; Jiang, L. [Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang (China). Inst. of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry; Liu, Z.; Sun, G.; Ge, S. [Hexi Univ., Zhangye (China). School of Physics and Electromechanical Engineering

2013-07-01

Cross sections of {sup 45}Sc(n,2n){sup 44m,g}Sc reactions and their isomeric cross section ratios {sigma}{sub m}/{sigma}{sub g} have been measured at three neutron energies between 13.5 and 14.8 MeV using the activation technique. The pure cross section of the groundstate was then obtained by utilizing the absolute cross section of the metastable state and analysis methods of residual nuclear decay. The monoenergetic neutron beam was produced via the {sup 3}H(d, n){sup 4}He reaction. The cross sections were also estimated with the TALYS-1.2 nuclear model code using different level density options, at neutron energies varying from the reaction threshold to 20 MeV. Results are also discussed and compared with some corresponding values found in the literature. (orig.)

SC: A NOVEL FUZZY CRITERION FOR SOLVING ENGINEERING AND CONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio G. De los Cobos Silva

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper a novel fuzzy convergence system (SC and its fundamentals are presented. The model was implemented on a monoobjetive PSO algorithm with three phases: 1 Stabilization, 2 generation and breadth-first search, and 3 generation and depth-first. The system SC-PSO-3P was tested with several benchmark engineering problems and with several CEC2006 problems. The computing experience and comparison with previously reported results is presented. In some cases the results reported in the literature are improved.

Results on testing pilot industrial batch of SC magnets for the UNK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ageev, A.I.; Andreev, N.I.; Balbekov, V.I.; Chirkov, P.N.; Dolzhenkov, V.I.; Gertsev, K.F.; Gridasov, V.I.; Myznikov, K.P.; Smirnov, N.L.; Sychev, V.A.

1992-01-01

IHEP has developed and studied the superconducting dipoles and quadrupoles of the regular part of the UNK main ring which satisfy the requirements imposed on them. The pilot-industrial batch of the UNK SC magnets has been produced now. The reproducibility of the magnet characteristics is studied and the mass production technology is optimized with this batch. The results of the cryogenic tests and the magnetic field measurements for the UNK SC dipoles of the pilot-industrial batch are presented. (author) 5 refs.; 6 figs.; 1 tab

Electrical characterization of high-pressure reactive sputtered ScOx films on silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castan, H.; Duenas, S.; Gomez, A.; Garcia, H.; Bailon, L.; Feijoo, P.C.; Toledano-Luque, M.; Prado, A. del; San Andres, E.; Lucia, M.L.

2011-01-01

Al/ScO x /SiN x /n-Si and Al/ScO x /SiO x /n-Si metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors have been electrically characterized. Scandium oxide was grown by high-pressure sputtering on different substrates to study the dielectric/insulator interface quality. The substrates were silicon nitride and native silicon oxide. The use of a silicon nitride interfacial layer between the silicon substrate and the scandium oxide layer improves interface quality, as interfacial state density and defect density inside the insulator are decreased.

pPKCδ activates SC35 splicing factor during H9c2 myoblastic differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zara, Susi; Falconi, Mirella; Rapino, Monica; Zago, Michela; Orsini, Giovanna; Mazzotti, Giovanni; Cataldi, Amelia; Teti, Gabriella

2011-01-01

Although Protein Kinase C (PKC) isoforms' role in the neonatal and adult cardiac tissue development and ageing has been widely described "in vivo", the interaction of such enzymes with specific nuclear substrates needs to be investigated. The aim of our research has been the study of the expression, localization and interaction with the splicing factor SC35 of PKC isoforms (α, δ, ε, ζ) and their potential role in modulating the transcription machinery. H9c2 cells induced to myoblast differentiation in the presence of 1% Horse Serum (HS) have represented our experimental model. The expression of PKC isoforms, their distribution and interaction with SC35 have been evaluated by western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation and double gold immunolabeling for transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Our results show PKCδ as the most expressed isoform in differentiated cells. Surprisingly, the distribution of PKCδ and SC35 does not show any significant modification between 10%FBS and 1%HS treated samples and no co-localization is observed. Moreover the interaction between the phosphorylated form of PKCδ (pPKCδ) and SC35 increases, is distributed and co-localizes within the nucleus of differentiated H9c2. These data represent reasonable evidence of pPKCδ mediated SC35 splicing factor activation, suggesting its direct effect on transcription via interaction with the transcription machinery. Furthermore, this co-localization represents a crucial event resulting in downstream changes in transcription of components which determine the morphological modifications related to cardiomyoblast differentiated phenotype.

Medialogi (Dansk informations brochure om Medialogi-uddannelsen, 1. til 10. semester (B.Sc. & Cand.Scient))

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordahl, Rolf; Andersen, Hans Jørgen

2006-01-01

Informationsbrochure, 28 sider, om Medialogi uddannelsen (Cand. Scient.), der udbydes af Aalborg Universitet i Aalborg, Esbjerg og København. Brochuren beskriver 1. til 10. semester af uddannelsen (B.Sc. og M.Sc.). Informationen er primært rettet mod potentielle ansøgere til Medialogi uddannelsen...

Effect of Sc addition and T6 aging treatment on the microstructure modification and mechanical properties of A356 alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pramod, S.L. [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Ravikirana [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM University, Chennai 603203 (India); Rao, A.K. Prasada [College of Engineering and Design, Alliance University, Bengaluru 562106 (India); Murty, B.S., E-mail: murty@iitm.ac.in [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India); Bakshi, Srinivasa R., E-mail: sbakshi@iitm.ac.in [Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2016-09-30

Effect of Sc addition and T6 aging treatment on the secondary dendritic arm spacing (SDAS), modification of eutectic Si morphology, β-Al{sub 5}FeSiand π-Al{sub 8}Mg{sub 3}Si{sub 6}Fe{sub 1} phases and its effect on mechanical properties in A356 alloy has been investigated. Addition of 0.4 wt%Sc in A356 alloy resulted in a 50%reduction in the secondary dendritic arm spacing (SDAS). Sc addition changed the morphology of eutectic Si from plate like to fibrous and globular. The needle like morphology of β-Al{sub 5}FeSi phase in A356 alloy changed to Al{sub 5}Fe(Si,Sc) phase having smaller size and irregular morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) diffraction pattern and Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed the presence of β-Al{sub 5}FeSiand π-Al{sub 8}Mg{sub 3}Si{sub 6}Fe{sub 1} phases in A356 alloy which changed to β-Al{sub 5}Fe(Si,Sc), π-Al{sub 8}Mg{sub 3}(Si,Sc){sub 6}Fe{sub 1} and additional V-AlSi{sub 2}Sc{sub 2}phase was observed in Sc containing alloys. Addition of 0.4 wt%Sc to A356 alloy improved its Vickers hardness, Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), Yield strength (YS) and ductility by 20%, 25%, 20% and 30% respectively. Artificial aging treatment resulted in significant improvement in the tensile properties for both A356 and Sc added A356 alloys.

Magnetic anisotropy in the incommensurate ScFe{sub 4}Al{sub 8} system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rećko, K., E-mail: k.recko@uwb.edu.pl [Faculty of Physics, University of Białystok, K. Ciołkowskiego 1L, 15-245 Białystok (Poland); Dobrzyński, L. [National Centre for Nuclear Research, A. Soltan 7, 05-400 Otwock-Świerk (Poland); Waliszewski, J.; Szymański, K. [Faculty of Physics, University of Białystok, K. Ciołkowskiego 1L, 15-245 Białystok (Poland)

2015-08-15

Neutron scattering and magnetization data are used for estimation of the spin ordering in ScFe{sub 4}Al{sub 8}. Results of experimental measurements are compared with the ground state configurations obtained by simulated annealing algorithms. The origins of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the scandium intermetallic alloy and the conditions of the coexistence of two different magnetic modulations as a function of the exchange integrals are discussed. The influence of the dipolar interactions for the noncollinearity and incommensurability in ScFe{sub 4}Al{sub 8} was determined. - Highlights: • We found dipolar and DM interactions as the anisotropy origins of 3d–3d–3p alloy. • We covered the explanation of incommensurability and noncollinearity of ScFe{sub 4}Al{sub 8}. • We discussed the magnetism resulting from competitiveness of exchange effects.

Extended defects in epitaxial Sc2O3 films grown on (111) Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klenov, Dmitri O.; Edge, Lisa F.; Schlom, Darrell G.; Stemmer, Susanne

2005-01-01

Epitaxial Sc 2 O 3 films with the cubic bixbyite structure were grown on (111) Si by reactive molecular beam epitaxy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed an abrupt, reaction-layer free interface between Sc 2 O 3 and Si. The ∼10% lattice mismatch between Si and Sc 2 O 3 was relieved by the formation of a hexagonal misfit dislocation network with Burgers vectors of 1/2 Si and line directions parallel to Si . A high density of planar defects and threading dislocations was observed. Analysis of lattice shifts across the planar defects in HRTEM showed that these faults were likely antiphase boundaries (APBs). ABPs form when film islands coalesce during growth because films nucleate with no unique arrangement of the ordered oxygen vacancies in the bixbyite structure relative to the Si lattice

Luminescence of La3+ and Sc3+ impurity centers in YAlO3 single-crystalline films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zorenko, Yu.; Gorbenko, V.; Voznyak, T.; Zorenko, T.; Nikl, M.; Nejezchleb, K.

2008-01-01

The luminescence of La Y 3+ and Sc Y 3+ and Sc Al 3+ centers created by lanthanum and scandium ions at Y 3+ and Al 3+ cation sites of YAlO 3 perovskite lattice was investigated. The features of emission of excitons localized at the mentioned centers in YAlO 3 :La and YAlO 3 :Sc single-crystalline films were analyzed by means of time-resolved emission spectroscopy and luminescence decay kinetics measurements under excitation by synchrotron radiation at 9 and 300 K

Implementation of LTE SC-FDMA on the USRP2 Software Defined Radio Platform

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter Bjørn; Hansen, Thomas Lundgaard; Sørensen, Troels Bundgaard

2011-01-01

In this paper we discuss the implementation of a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) transceiver running over the Universal Software Radio Peripheral 2 (USRP2). SC-FDMA is the air interface which has been selected for the uplink in the latest Long Term Evolution (LTE....../s. Experimental results on the Bit Error Rate (BER) versus Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) are presented and compared to theoretical and simulated performance....

Enrichment of Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} from bauxite ore residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Bona; Li, Guanghui, E-mail: liguangh@csu.edu.cn; Luo, Jun; Ye, Qing; Liu, Mingxia; Peng, Zhiwei; Jiang, Tao

2017-06-05

Highlights: • Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} from bauxite ore residue were successfully enriched. • H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} and NaOH were efficient for enriching Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} by removing SiO{sub 2}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and partial Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and CaO. • Enriching mechanism of Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} was explicitly explained. - Abstract: As a major byproduct generated in the alumina industry, bauxite ore residue is an important reserve of scandium and titanium. In this study, the feasibility and mechanism of enriching Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} from a non-magnetic material, which was obtained from carbothermal reductive roasting and magnetic separation of bauxite ore residue, were investigated based on a two-step (acidic and alkali) leaching process. It was revealed that approximately 78% SiO{sub 2} and 30–40% of CaO, FeO and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were removed from a non-magnetic material with 0.0134 wt.% Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 7.64 wt.% TiO{sub 2} by phosphoric acidic leaching, while about 95% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and P{sub 2}O{sub 5} were further leached by subsequent sodium hydroxide leaching of the upper-stream leach residue. A Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3}-, TiO{sub 2}- rich material containing 0.044 wt.% Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 25.5 wt.% TiO{sub 2} was obtained, the recovery and the enrichment factor of Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} were about 85% and 5, respectively. The enrichment of Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} was attributed to higher pH (>3.3) of phosphoric acid solution than its dissolution pH{sup 0}, and the enrichment of TiO{sub 2} was mainly associated with the insoluble perovskite (CaTiO{sub 3}) in the acidic solution at ambient temperature. As Sc{sub 2}O{sub 3} and TiO{sub 2} cannot be dissolved in the alkali solution, they were further enriched in the leach residue.

Isothermal cross-sections of Hf-Sc-Ga(800 deg C) and Hf-Ti-Ga (750 deg C) phase diagrams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markiv, V.Ya.; Belyavina, N.N.

1981-01-01

Isothermal cross sections of Hf-Sc-Ga (800 deg C) and Hf-Ti-Ga (750 deg C) state diagrams are plotted. The existence of two ternary Hfsub(0.1-0.8)Scsub(0.9)-sub(0.2)Ga and Hfsub(0.8)Scsub(0.2)Gasub(3) phases is stated in the Hf-Sc-Ga system. The crystal structure of these compounds investigated by the powder method belongs to the structural α-MoB and ZrAl 3 types respectively. Continuous rows of (Hf, Sc 5 Ga 5 , (Hf, Ti)Ga 3 and (Hf, Ti)Ga 2 solid solutions are formed in the investigated systems. Essential quantity of the third component dissolve binary Sc 5 Ga 4 , Sc 2 Ga 3 (15 and 30 at % Hf respectively), Hf 5 Ga 4 , HfGa 2 (20, 10 at. % Sc), Hf 5 Ga 4 , HfGa, Hf 5 Ga 3 , Hf 2 Ga 3 (48, 30, 46, 20 at. % Ti) gallides [ru

Fabrication and characterization of novel antimicrobial films derived from thymol-loaded zein-sodium caseinate (SC) nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kang-Kang; Yin, Shou-Wei; Yang, Xiao-Quan; Tang, Chuan-He; Wei, Zi-Hao

2012-11-21

The objective of this research was to fabricate novel antimicrobial films based on zein colloidal nanoparticles coated with sodium caseinate (SC), an emulsifier/stabilizer. Thymol-loaded zein-SC nanoparticles were prepared using an antisolvent technique, with the average particle size and zeta potential about 200 ± 20 nm and -40 mV, respectively. Zein-SC nanoparticle-based films exhibited higher mechanical resistance and water barrier capacity than the SC films and concomitant good extensibility as compared with zein films. Thymol loadings endowed zein-SC nanoparticle-based films with antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella as well as DPPH radical scavenging activity. Water vapor permeability, microstructure, mechanical, and controlled release properties of the films were evaluated. The possible relationship between some selected physical properties and microstructure were also discussed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis indicated that thymol loadings resulted in the emergence phenomena of the nanoparticles to form large particles or packed structure, consisting of clusters of nanoparticles, within the film matrix, in a thymol loading dependent manner. The appearance of large particles or an agglomerate of particles may weaken the compactness of protein network of films and thus impair the water barrier capacity, mechanical resistance, and extensibility of the films. The release kinetics of thymol from nanoparticle-based films can be described as a two-step biphasic process, that is, an initial burst effect followed by subsequent slower release, and zein-SC nanoparticles within the films matrices gave them the ability to sustain the release of thymol. In addition, a schematic illustration of the formation pathway of zein-SC nanoparticle-based films with or without thymol was proposed to illuminate the possible relationship between some selected physical properties and the microstructure of the films.

Effect of Agri-SC as a soil conditioner on runoff, soil loss and crust ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to determine the effect of Agri-SC as a soil conditioner at different doses (0, 18.50, 37.00, 55.50 and 74.00 l ha-1) on water erosion and crust strengths under laboratory conditions with three replicates. The Agri-SC solutions were sprayed and two consecutive simulated rainfalls (60 mm h-1) were ...

A comprehensive framework for optimising the effects of inverse logistics practices in SC sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina López Vargas

2017-06-01

Full Text Available With growing sustainability concern in mind, firms seek to implement reverse logistic systems in their operations. However, if these practices were not properly implemented, they would be costly and even ineffective. In order to guide company efforts, the present study provide a comprehensive framework based on two dimensions. On one hand, it suits a reverse logistic management model stage-by-stage. On the other hand, the framework brings together concrete measures to optimize SC sustainability from three perspectives: operative, economical and environmental. The proposed framework thus allow to balance reverse logistic practices and SC sustainability. Furthermore, we validated it by analysing six real case in different industries. Findings highlight how reverse logistic activities may improve each SC sustainability dimension.

Primary beam-loading tests on DC-SC photoinjector at Peking University

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Jiankui; Lu Xiangyang; Ding, Yuantao; Quan Shengwen; Huang Senlin; Zhao Kui; Zhang Baocheng; Wang Lifang; Lin Lin; Jiao Fei; Wang Guimei; Xie Datao; Zhu Feng; Xiao Binping; Xiang Rong; Chen Jia'er

2006-01-01

The DC-SC photoinjector is a compact electron gun integrating a DC pierce gun with a 1.3 GHz 1+1/2 cell superconducting cavity. A test facility of the DC-SC photoinjector had been installed in Peking University and beam-loading tests at 4.4 K have been finished. To date the gradient of 6 MV/m has been achieved. The maximum energy gain is 1.1 MeV at 4.4 K. With average beam current of 270 μA, the measured rms emittance is about 5 mm mrad at the beam energy of 500 keV. In this paper some of the experimental results are summarized

Regeneration of cervical reserve cell-like cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs): A new approach to finding targets for cervical cancer stem cell treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Masakazu; Kawana, Kei; Adachi, Katsuyuki; Fujimoto, Asaha; Yoshida, Mitsuyo; Nakamura, Hiroe; Nishida, Haruka; Inoue, Tomoko; Taguchi, Ayumi; Ogishima, Juri; Eguchi, Satoko; Yamashita, Aki; Tomio, Kensuke; Wada-Hiraike, Osamu; Oda, Katsutoshi; Nagamatsu, Takeshi; Osuga, Yutaka; Fujii, Tomoyuki

2017-06-20

Cervical reserve cells are epithelial progenitor cells that are pathologically evident as the origin of cervical cancer. Thus, investigating the characteristics of cervical reserve cells could yield insight into the features of cervical cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this study, we established a method for the regeneration of cervical reserve cell-like properties from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and named these cells induced reserve cell-like cells (iRCs). Approximately 70% of iRCs were positive for the reserve cell markers p63, CK5 and CK8. iRCs also expressed the SC junction markers CK7, AGR2, CD63, MMP7 and GDA. While iRCs expressed neither ERα nor ERβ, they expressed CA125. These data indicated that iRCs possessed characteristics of cervical epithelial progenitor cells. iRCs secreted higher levels of several inflammatory cytokines such as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) and C-X-C motif ligand 10 (CXCL-10) compared with normal cervical epithelial cells. iRCs also expressed human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G), which is an important cell-surface antigen for immune tolerance and carcinogenesis. Together with the fact that cervical CSCs can originate from reserve cells, our data suggested that iRCs were potent immune modulators that might favor cervical cancer cell survival. In conclusion, by generating reserve cell-like properties from iPSCs, we provide a new approach that may yield new insight into cervical cancer stem cells and help find new oncogenic targets.

Valence electron structure analysis of refining mecha-nism of Sc and Ti additions on aluminum

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LI PieJie; YE YiCong; HE LiangJu

2009-01-01

The mechanism of the difference of refining effect between Sc and Ti adding to aluminum can not be explained substantially with traditional theory. Valence electron structures of AI-Ti and Al-Sc alloys have been studied by using the empirical electron theory of solids and molecules (EET). The covalent bond electron numbers and interfacial electron density differences are calculated. The conclusion is that, in the two alloys, different covalent bond electron numbers of nucleation particles, and different electron densities on the interface between the second phase particles and the matrix, fundamentally lead to the difference of refining effect between Sc and Ti adding to aluminum.

Reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings--Social Competence (DBR-SC) Data: How Many Ratings Are Necessary?

Science.gov (United States)

Kilgus, Stephen P.; Riley-Tillman, T. Chris; Stichter, Janine P.; Schoemann, Alexander M.; Bellesheim, Katie

2016-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings--Social Competence (DBR-SC) ratings. Participants included 60 students identified as possessing deficits in social competence, as well as their 23 classroom teachers. Teachers used DBR-SC to complete ratings of 5 student behaviors within the general…

Hydroxyurea decreases hospitalizations in pediatric patients with Hb SC and Hb SB+ thalassemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lebensburger JD

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Jeffrey D Lebensburger, Rakeshkumar J Patel, Prasannalaxmi Palabindela, Christina J Bemrich-Stolz, Thomas H Howard, Lee M HilliardDivision of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USAPurpose: Patients with hemoglobin SC (Hb SC and hemoglobin SB+ (Hb SB+ thalassemia suffer from frequent hospitalizations yet strong evidence of a clinical benefit of hydroxyurea (HU in this population is lacking. Patients with recurrent hospitalizations for pain crisis are offered HU at our institution based on small cohort data and anecdotal benefit. This study identifies outcomes from a large cohort of patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia who were treated with HU for 2 years.Materials and methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 32 patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia who were treated with HU. We reviewed the number, and reasons for hospitalization in the 2 years prior to, and 2 years post-HU treatment as well as laboratory changes from baseline, over 1 year.Results: Patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia started on HU for frequent pain, had a significant reduction in hospitalizations over 2 years as compared to the 2 years prior to HU initiation (mean total hospitalizations/year: pre-HU: 1.6 vs post-HU 0.4 hospitalizations, P<0.001; mean pain hospitalizations/year: pre-HU 1.5 vs post-HU 0.3 hospitalizations, P<0.001. Patients demonstrated hematologic changes including an increase in percent fetal hemoglobin (%HbF pre–post HU (4.5% to 7.7%, P=0.002, mean corpuscular volume (74 to 86 fL, P<0,0001, and decrease in absolute neutrophil count (5.0 to 3.2×109/L, P=0.007. Patients with higher doses of HU demonstrated the greatest reduction in hospitalizations but this was unrelated to absolute neutrophil count.Conclusion: This cohort of patients with Hb SC and SB+ thalassemia provides additional support for using HU in patients with recurrent hospitalizations for pain. A large randomized multicenter trial of

Local structure of perovskites ReO3 and ScF3 with negative thermal expansion: interpretation beyond the quasiharmonic approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purans, Juris; Piskunov, Sergei; Bocharov, Dmitry; Kalinko, Aleksandr; Kuzmin, Alexei; Ali, Shehab E.; Rocca, Francesco

2016-01-01

We propose an approach beyond the quasiharmonic approximation for interpretation of EXAFS and XRD data and for ab initio calculations of electronic and vibration properties of materials with negative thermal expansion. Ab initio electronic structure and lattice dynamics calculations for cubic and distorted ScF 3 were performed using the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) method. The band gap obtained in calculations for ScF 3 is equal to 10.54 eV and agree well with the expected value. The calculated infrared spectra of F displaced (FD) cubic ScF 3 allow us to predict that its mean Sc-F-Sc angle within NTE deviates from 180 degree. (paper)

Annual evapotranspiration of a forested wetland watershed, SC

Science.gov (United States)

Devendra M. Amatya; Carl Trettin

2007-01-01

In this study, hydro-meteorological data collected from 1 964 to 1 9 76 on an approximately 5, 000 ha predominantly forested coastal watershed (Turkey Creek) at the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston, SC were analyzed to estimate annual evapotranspiration (E T) using four different empirical methods. The first one, reported by Zhang et a/. (2001), that...

Curcumin Suppresses In Vitro Proliferation and Invasion of Human Prostate Cancer Stem Cells by Modulating DLK1-DIO3 Imprinted Gene Cluster MicroRNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hu; Zheng, Jiajia; Shen, Hongliang; Huang, Yongyi; Liu, Te; Xi, Hao; Chen, Chuan

2018-01-01

Curcumin can suppress human prostate cancer (HuPCa) cell proliferation and invasion. However, it is not known whether curcumin can inhibit HuPCa stem cell (HuPCaSC) proliferation and invasion. We used methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and Transwell assays to examine the proliferation and invasion of the HuPCaSC lines DU145 and 22Rv1 following curcumin or dimethyl sulfoxide (control) treatment. The microRNA (miRNA) expression levels in the DLK1-DIO3 imprinted genomic region in the cells and in tumor tissues from patients with PCa were examined using microarray and quantitative PCR. The median inhibitory concentration of curcumin for HuPCa cells significantly inhibited HuPCaSC proliferation and invasion in vitro. The miR-770-5p and miR-1247 expression levels in the DLK1-DIO3 imprinted gene cluster were significantly different between the curcumin-treated and control HuPCaSCs. Overexpression of these positive miRNAs significantly increased the inhibition rates of miR-770-5p- and miR-1247-transfected HuPCaSCs compared to the control miR-Mut-transfected HuPCaSCs. Lastly, low-tumor grade PCa tissues had higher miR-770-5p and miR-1247 expression levels than high-grade tumor tissues. Curcumin can suppress HuPCaSC proliferation and invasion in vitro by modulating specific miRNAs in the DLK1-DIO3 imprinted gene cluster.

44gSc from metal calcium targets for PET

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Severin, Gregory; Gagnon, K.; Engle, J. W.

2012-01-01

A low-cost and efficient method for producing pre-clinical scale quantities of 44gSc is presented. Production involves proton irradiation of natural unenriched calcium metal followed by rapid separation of radioscandium from the target using hydroxmate functionalized resin.© 2012 American Institute...

Laboratory oscillator strengths of Sc i in the near-infrared region for astrophysical applications

Science.gov (United States)

Pehlivan, A.; Nilsson, H.; Hartman, H.

2015-10-01

Context. Atomic data is crucial for astrophysical investigations. To understand the formation and evolution of stars, we need to analyse their observed spectra. Analysing a spectrum of a star requires information about the properties of atomic lines, such as wavelengths and oscillator strengths. However, atomic data of some elements are scarce, particularly in the infrared region, and this paper is part of an effort to improve the situation on near-IR atomic data. Aims: This paper investigates the spectrum of neutral scandium, Sc I, from laboratory measurements and improves the atomic data of Sc I lines in the infrared region covering lines in R, I, J, and K bands. Especially, we focus on measuring oscillator strengths for Sc I lines connecting the levels with 4p and 4s configurations. Methods: We combined experimental branching fractions with radiative lifetimes from the literature to derive oscillator strengths (f-values). Intensity-calibrated spectra with high spectral resolution were recorded with Fourier transform spectrometer from a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The spectra were used to derive accurate oscillator strengths and wavelengths for Sc I lines, with emphasis on the infrared region. Results: This project provides the first set of experimental Sc I lines in the near-infrared region for accurate spectral analysis of astronomical objects. We derived 63 log(gf) values for the lines between 5300 Å and 24 300 Å. The uncertainties in the f-values vary from 5% to 20%. The small uncertainties in our values allow for an increased accuracy in astrophysical abundance determinations.

Density-functional band-structure calculations for La-, Y-, and Sc-filled CoP3-based skutterudite structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loevvik, O.M.; Prytz, O.

2004-01-01

The crystal structure, thermodynamic stability, and electronic structure of La-, Y-, and Sc-filled CoP 3 are predicted from density-functional band-structure calculations. The size of the cubic voids in the skutterudite structure is changed much less than the difference in size between the different filling atoms, and we expect that the larger rattling amplitude of the smaller Sc and Y atoms may decrease the lattice thermal conductivity of Sc- and Y-filled structures significantly compared to La-filled structures. The solubility of La, Y, and Sc in CoP 3 is calculated to be around 5, 3-6 %, and below 1% at 0 K, respectively. Based on similar systems, this is expected to increase considerably if Fe is substituted for Co. Fe substitution is also expected to compensate the increased charge carrier concentration of the filled structures that is seen in the calculated electron density of states. In conclusion, Sc- or Y-filled (FeCo)P 3 skutterudite structures are promising materials for thermoelectric applications

Extraction mechanism of Sc(III) from sulphuric acid solution by primary amine N1923

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Shaoming; Li Deqian; Ni Jiazan

1987-01-01

The extraction mechanism of Sc(III) from sulphuric acid solution by primary amine N 1923 (RNH 2 ) has been investigated by means of slope, isomolar continuous variation and saturation methods. The effect of temperature on the extraction of Sc(III) is observed. The extraction equilibrium constant and thermodynamic functions (ΔH, ΔS and ΔG) are obtained. The IR and NMR of extracted compound are measured

Sc2C2@D3h(14246)-C74: A Missing Piece of the Clusterfullerene Puzzle.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yaofeng; Tang, Qiangqiang; Feng, Lai; Chen, Ning

2017-02-20

Clusterfullerenes with variable carbon cages have been extensively studied in recent years. However, despite all these efforts, C 74 cage-based clusterfullerene remains a missing piece of the puzzle. Herein, we show that single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis unambiguously assigns the previously reported dimetallofullerene Sc 2 @C 76 to a novel carbide clusterfullerene, Sc 2 C 2 @D 3h (14246)-C 74 , the first experimentally proven clusterfullerene with a C 74 cage. In addition, Sc 2 C 2 @D 3h (14246)-C 74 was charaterized by mass spectrometry, ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared absorption spectroscopy, 45 Sc nuclear magnetic resonance, and cyclic voltammetry. Comparative studies of the motion of the carbide cluster in Sc 2 C 2 @D 3h (14246)-C 74 and Sc 2 C 2 @C 2n (n = 40-44) revealed that a combination of factors, involving both the shape and size of the cage, is crucial in dictating the cluster motion. Moreover, structural studies of D 3h (14246)-C 74 revealed that it can be easily converted to C s (10528)-C 72 and T d (19151)-C 76 cages via C 2 desertion/insertion and Stone-Wales transformation. This suggests that D 3h (14246)-C 74 might play an important role in the growth pathway of clusterfullerenes.

Podoplanin regulates mammary stem cell function and tumorigenesis by potentiating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bresson, Laura; Faraldo, Marisa M; Di-Cicco, Amandine; Quintanilla, Miguel; Glukhova, Marina A; Deugnier, Marie-Ange

2018-02-21

Stem cells (SCs) drive mammary development, giving rise postnatally to an epithelial bilayer composed of luminal and basal myoepithelial cells. Dysregulation of SCs is thought to be at the origin of certain breast cancers; however, the molecular identity of SCs and the factors regulating their function remain poorly defined. We identified the transmembrane protein podoplanin (Pdpn) as a specific marker of the basal compartment, including multipotent SCs, and found Pdpn localized at the basal-luminal interface. Embryonic deletion of Pdpn targeted to basal cells diminished basal and luminal SC activity and affected the expression of several Wnt/β-catenin signaling components in basal cells. Moreover, Pdpn loss attenuated mammary tumor formation in a mouse model of β-catenin-induced breast cancer, limiting tumor-initiating cell expansion and promoting molecular features associated with mesenchymal-to-epithelial cell transition. In line with the loss-of-function data, we demonstrated that mechanistically Pdpn enhances Wnt/β-catenin signaling in mammary basal cells. Overall, this study uncovers a role for Pdpn in mammary SC function and, importantly, identifies Pdpn as a new regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, a key pathway in mammary development and tumorigenesis. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Single-cell transcriptomics uncovers distinct molecular signatures of stem cells in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Giustacchini, Alice; Thongjuea, Supat; Barkas, Nikolaos; Woll, Petter S; Povinelli, Benjamin J; Booth, Christopher A G; Sopp, Paul; Norfo, Ruggiero; Rodriguez-Meira, Alba; Ashley, Neil; Jamieson, Lauren; Vyas, Paresh; Anderson, Kristina; Segerstolpe, Åsa; Qian, Hong; Olsson-Strömberg, Ulla; Mustjoki, Satu; Sandberg, Rickard; Jacobsen, Sten Eirik W; Mead, Adam J

2017-06-01

Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics are ideally placed to unravel intratumoral heterogeneity and selective resistance of cancer stem cell (SC) subpopulations to molecularly targeted cancer therapies. However, current single-cell RNA-sequencing approaches lack the sensitivity required to reliably detect somatic mutations. We developed a method that combines high-sensitivity mutation detection with whole-transcriptome analysis of the same single cell. We applied this technique to analyze more than 2,000 SCs from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) throughout the disease course, revealing heterogeneity of CML-SCs, including the identification of a subgroup of CML-SCs with a distinct molecular signature that selectively persisted during prolonged therapy. Analysis of nonleukemic SCs from patients with CML also provided new insights into cell-extrinsic disruption of hematopoiesis in CML associated with clinical outcome. Furthermore, we used this single-cell approach to identify a blast-crisis-specific SC population, which was also present in a subclone of CML-SCs during the chronic phase in a patient who subsequently developed blast crisis. This approach, which might be broadly applied to any malignancy, illustrates how single-cell analysis can identify subpopulations of therapy-resistant SCs that are not apparent through cell-population analysis.

Development of Field-Controlled Smart Optic Materials (ScN, AlN) with Rare Earth Dopants

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon; King, Glen C.; Choi, Sang H.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this investigation is to develop the fundamental materials and fabrication technology for field-controlled spectrally active optics that are essential for industry, NASA, and DOD applications such as: membrane optics, filters for LIDARs, windows for sensors, telescopes, spectroscopes, cameras, flat-panel displays, etc. ScN and AlN thin films were fabricated on c-axis Sapphire (0001) or quartz substrate with the RF and DC magnetron sputtering. The crystal structure of AlN in fcc (rocksalt) and hcp (wurtzite) were controlled. Advanced electrical characterizations were performed, including I-V and Hall Effect Measurement. ScN film has a free carrier density of 5.8 x 10(exp 20)/per cubic centimeter and a conductivity of 1.1 x 10(exp 3) per centimeter. The background ntype conductivity of as-grown ScN has enough free electrons that can readily interact with the photons. The high density of free electrons and relatively low mobility indicate that these films contain a high level of shallow donors as well as deep levels. Also, the UV-Vis spectrum of ScN and AlN thin films with rare earth elements (Er or Ho) were measured at room temperature. Their optical band gaps were estimated to be about 2.33eV and 2.24eV, respectively, which are obviously smaller than that of undoped thin film ScN (2.4eV). The red-shifted absorption onset gives direct evidence for the decrease of band gap (Eg) and the energy broadening of valence band states are attributable to the doping. As the doped elements enter the ScN crystal lattices, the localized band edge states form at the doped sites with a reduction of Eg. Using a variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer, the decrease in refractive index with applied field is observed with a smaller shift in absorption coefficient.

Negative thermal expansion in Sc2(WO4)3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.S.O.; Mary, T.A.; Sleight, A.W.

1998-01-01

Sc 2 (WO 4 ) 3 has been found to show the highly unusual property of negative thermal expansion over a temperature range of 10 to 1,073 K. Powder neutron diffraction data from 10 to 450 K shows an essentially linear decrease in cell volume as a function of temperature. The intrinsic linear coefficient of thermal expansion from this data is -2.2 x 10 -6 K -1 . The linear coefficient of thermal expansion measured on a ceramic bar of Sc 2 (WO 4 ) 3 can be as negative as -11 x 10 -6 K -1 due to microstructure changes as a function of temperature. Rietveld refinement as a function of temperature suggests that the intrinsic negative thermal expansion can be related to transverse vibrations of bridging oxygen atoms in the structure. The anharmonic nature of these vibrations leads to a coupled tilting of the quasi-rigid framework polyhedra. This tilting in turn causes the structure to become more dense with increasing temperature

Renormalized molecular levels in a Sc3N@C-80 molecular electronic device

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larade, Brian; Taylor, Jeremy Philip; Zheng, Q. R.

2001-01-01

We address several general questions about quantum transport through molecular systems by an ab initio analysis of a scandium-nitrogen doped C-80 metallofullerene device. Charge transfer from the Sc3N is found to drastically change the current-voltage characteristics: the current through the Sc3N...... levels and main transmission features shift in energy corresponding to half the applied bias voltage. This is also consistent with our finding that the voltage drops by V-b/2 at each molecule/electrode contact....

Sc2O@Cs(126339)-C92: Di-scandium oxide cluster encapsulated into a large fullerene cage

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yong-Xin; Li, Qiao-Zhi; Li, De-Huai; Zhao, Rui-Sheng; Zhao, Xiang

2018-04-01

The geometric, electronic structure and thermodynamic stability of Sc2O@C92 has been characterized by using hybrid density functional theory calculations combined with statistical thermodynamic analyses. Results indicate that the isolated pentagon rule (IPR) isomers Sc2O@Cs(126339)-C92, Sc2O@C1(126367)-C92 and Sc2O@C1(126390)-C92 are favorable. Noteworthy, it is the first time to declare that fullerene isomer Cs(126339)-C92 could be considered as the suitable cage to encapsulate metallic cluster. The electronic properties of these three isomers were performed with frontier molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO) analyses and bond order calculations. Finally, 13C NMR and UV-vis-NIR spectra were simulated to provide valuable information for future experiments.

Creation of Dystrophin Expressing Chimeric Cells of Myoblast Origin as a Novel Stem Cell Based Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Siemionow, M; Cwykiel, J; Heydemann, A; Garcia-Martinez, J; Siemionow, K; Szilagyi, E

2018-04-01

Over the past decade different stem cell (SC) based approaches were tested to treat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a lethal X-linked disorder caused by mutations in dystrophin gene. Despite research efforts, there is no curative therapy for DMD. Allogeneic SC therapies aim to restore dystrophin in the affected muscles; however, they are challenged by rejection and limited engraftment. Thus, there is a need to develop new more efficacious SC therapies. Chimeric Cells (CC), created via ex vivo fusion of donor and recipient cells, represent a promising therapeutic option for tissue regeneration and Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) due to tolerogenic properties that eliminate the need for lifelong immunosuppression. This proof of concept study tested feasibility of myoblast fusion for Dystrophin Expressing. Chimeric Cell (DEC) therapy through in vitro characterization and in vivo assessment of engraftment, survival, and efficacy in the mdx mouse model of DMD. Murine DEC were created via ex vivo fusion of normal (snj) and dystrophin-deficient (mdx) myoblasts using polyethylene glycol. Efficacy of myoblast fusion was confirmed by flow cytometry and dystrophin immunostaining, while proliferative and myogenic differentiation capacity of DEC were assessed in vitro. Therapeutic effect after DEC transplant (0.5 × 10 6 ) into the gastrocnemius muscle (GM) of mdx mice was assessed by muscle functional tests. At 30 days post-transplant dystrophin expression in GM of injected mdx mice increased to 37.27 ± 12.1% and correlated with improvement of muscle strength and function. Our study confirmed feasibility and efficacy of DEC therapy and represents a novel SC based approach for treatment of muscular dystrophies.

Electrical Conductivity of 10 mol% Sc2O3-1 mol% M2O3-ZrO2 Ceramics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Omar, Shobit; Bin Najib, Waqas; Chen, Weiwu

2012-01-01

follow similar conductivity trends with the maximum at 1In10ScSZ and 1Y10ScSZ, respectively. Around 475 degrees C, 1In10ScSZ but not other compositions exhibits an abrupt drop in the conductivity on cooling, due to the cubic to beta-phase transformation. At 600 degrees C, the activation energy...

Bullying prevention in schools by targeting cognitions, emotions, and behavior: Evaluating the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC program.

Science.gov (United States)

Trip, Simona; Bora, Carmen; Sipos-Gug, Sebastian; Tocai, Ioana; Gradinger, Petra; Yanagida, Takuya; Strohmeier, Dagmar

2015-10-01

The effectiveness of a class-based antibullying prevention program on cognitions, emotions, and behaviors was investigated. The program consists of a cognitive-behavioral (Rational Emotive Behavioral Education; REBE) and a behavioral (Viennese Social Competence; ViSC) component. The REBE program is based on rational emotive behavioral theory and contains 9 student lessons. The ViSC program is based on social learning theory and comprises 10 student lessons. The order of the programs was experimentally manipulated. The REBE-ViSC program was implemented in 5 schools (14 classes), the ViSC-REBE program was implemented in 3 schools (9 classes), and 3 schools (11 classes) served as an untreated control group. Data were collected during 1 school year at pretest, midpoint, and posttest. Emotions (overt and internalizing anger), cognitions (learning and entitlement), and behaviors (bullying perpetration and bullying victimization) were measured with self-assessments. To examine the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC/ViSC-REBE program, multilevel growth models were applied (time points at Level 1, individuals at Level 2, and classes at Level 3). The analyses revealed that the program effects differed depending on the order of the programs. The REBE-ViSC condition was more effective in changing negative emotions than the ViSC-REBE condition; both experimental conditions were effective in reducing dysfunctional cognitions, whereas no behavioral change was found in the 2 experimental groups when compared with the control group. To improve program effectiveness regarding behavioral changes, a multilevel whole-school approach including a teacher component is recommended. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Magnetic dipole moment of the doubly closed-shell plus one proton nucleus $^{49}$Sc

CERN Multimedia

Gaulard, C V; Walters, W; Nishimura, K; Muto, S; Bingham, C R

It is proposed to measure the magnetic moment of $^{49}$Sc by the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on Oriented Nuclei (NMR-ON) method using the NICOLE on-line nuclear orientation facility. $^{49}$Sc is the neutron rich, doubly closed-shell, nucleus $^{48}$Ca plus one proton. Results will be used to deduce the effective g-factors in the $^{48}$Ca region with reference to nuclear structure and meson exchange current effects.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of Cr_1-xSc_xN solid solutions for thermoelectrics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kerdsongpanya, Sit; Sun, Bo; Eriksson, Fredrik

2016-01-01

The ScN- and CrN-based transition-metal nitrides have recently emerged as a novel and unexpected class of materials for thermoelectrics. These materials constitute well-defined model systems for investigating mixing thermodynamics, phase stability, and band structure aiming for property tailoring......-factor improvement by Sc3d orbital delocalization on Cr3d electrons giving decreasing electrical resistivity, while localized Cr3d orbitals with a large DOS slope may yield an improved Seebeck coefficient. Sc-rich solid solutions show a large improvement in power factor compared to pure ScN, and all films have power...

Targeted mutation of the SC3 hydrophobin gene of Schizophyllum commune affects formation of aerial hyphae

NARCIS (Netherlands)

vanWetter, MA; Schuren, FHJ; Schuurs, TA; Wessels, JGH

1996-01-01

The SC3 hydrophobin gene of Schizophyllum commune was disrupted by homologous integration of an SC3 genomic fragment interrupted by a phleomycin resistance cassette. The phenotype of the mutant was particularly clear in sealed plates in which formation of aerial hyphae was blocked. In non-sealed

Brief Report: Interleukin-17A-Dependent Asymmetric Stem Cell Divisions Are Increased in Human Psoriasis: A Mechanism Underlying Benign Hyperproliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Charruyer, Alexandra; Fong, Stephen; Vitcov, Giselle G; Sklar, Samuel; Tabernik, Leah; Taneja, Monica; Caputo, Melinda; Soeung, Catherine; Yue, Lili; Uchida, Yoshi; Arron, Sarah T; Horton, Karen M; Foster, Robert D; Sano, Shigetoshi; North, Jeffrey P; Ghadially, Ruby

2017-08-01

The balance between asymmetric and symmetric stem cell (SC) divisions is key to tissue homeostasis, and dysregulation of this balance has been shown in cancers. We hypothesized that the balance between asymmetric cell divisions (ACDs) and symmetric cell divisions (SCDs) would be dysregulated in the benign hyperproliferation of psoriasis. We found that, while SCDs were increased in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (human and murine), ACDs were increased in the benign hyperproliferation of psoriasis (human and murine). Furthermore, while sonic hedgehog (linked to human cancer) and pifithrinα (p53 inhibitor) promoted SCDs, interleukin (IL)-1α and amphiregulin (associated with benign epidermal hyperproliferation) promoted ACDs. While there was dysregulation of the ACD:SCD ratio, no change in SC frequency was detected in epidermis from psoriasis patients, or in human keratinocytes treated with IL-1α or amphiregulin. We investigated the mechanism whereby immune alterations of psoriasis result in ACDs. IL17 inhibitors are effective new therapies for psoriasis. We found that IL17A increased ACDs in human keratinocytes. Additionally, studies in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model revealed that ACDs in psoriasis are IL17A-dependent. In summary, our studies suggest an association between benign hyperproliferation and increased ACDs. This work begins to elucidate the mechanisms by which immune alteration can induce keratinocyte hyperproliferation. Altogether, this work affirms that a finely tuned balance of ACDs and SCDs is important and that manipulating this balance may constitute an effective treatment strategy for hyperproliferative diseases. Stem Cells 2017;35:2001-2007. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of TIG and FSW Joints of a New Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guofu; Qian, Jian; Xiao, Dan; Deng, Ying; Lu, Liying; Yin, Zhimin

2016-04-01

A new Al-5.8%Mg-0.4%Mn-0.25%Sc-0.10%Zr (wt.%) alloy was successfully welded by tungsten inert gas (TIG) and friction stir welding (FSW) techniques, respectively. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the welded joints were investigated by microhardness measurements, tensile tests, and microscopy methods. The results show that the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation to failure are 358, 234 MPa, and 27.6% for TIG welded joint, and 376, 245 MPa and 31.9% for FSW joint, respectively, showing high strength and superior ductility. The TIG welded joint fails in the heat-affected zone and the fracture of FSW joint is located in stirred zone. Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy is characterized by lots of dislocation tangles and secondary coherent Al3(Sc,Zr) particles. The superior mechanical properties of the TIG and FSW joints are mainly derived from the Orowan strengthening and grain boundary strengthening caused by secondary coherent Al3(Sc,Zr) nano-particles (20-40 nm). For new Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr alloy, the positive effect from secondary Al3(Sc, Zr) particles in the base metal can be better preserved in FSW joint than in TIG welded joint.

Empty-electronic-state evolution for Sc and electron dynamics at the 3p-3d giant dipole resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Y.; Wagener, T.J.; Gao, Y.; Weaver, J.H.

1989-01-01

Inverse photoemission has been used to study the developing electronic states of an early transition metal, Sc, during thin-film growth and to investigate the effects of these states on the 3p-3d giant dipole resonance. Energy- and coverage-dependent intensity variations of the empty Sc states show that the 3d maximum moves 1.1 eV toward the Fermi level as the thickness of the Sc film increases from 1 to 300 A as measured with an incident electron energy of 41.25 eV, an effect attributed to metallic band formation via hybridization of atomic 4s and 3d states. Incident-energy-dependent intensity variations for these empty Sc features show resonant photon emission for incident electron energies above the 3p threshold, with maxima at 43 and 44 eV for 300- and 5-A-thick films, respectively. Considerations of hybridization-induced energy shifts of the empty Sc 3d states demonstrate that the radiative energy changes very little with Sc coverages. These studies indicate coupling of decay channels involving the inverse photoemission continuum and the recombination of the atomic 3p-3d giant dipole transition, the energy of the latter being determined by atomic 3p-3d excitation processes

Stem cell markers (cytokeratin 17 and cytokeratin 19 in scarring and nonscarring alopecia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalia El Sakka

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Alopecia is one of the most important hair follicle (HF disorders, which is divided into scarring (cicatricial and nonscarring (noncicatricial types. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of stem cell (SC markers such as cytokeratin (CK 17 and CK19 in scarring and nonscarring alopecia. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with scalp alopecia (15 with scarring alopecia and 15 without together with ten healthy volunteers were included in this study. Biopsies were taken from all participants and stained for CK17 and CK19 using immunohistochemistry. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the nonscarring group and the control group with regard to CK17 expression in the outer layers of the HFs (P = 0.00 and CK19 staining of the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.008. There was a statistically significant difference between the scarring and the control groups regarding CK17 expression in the outer (P = 0.00 and the inner layers (P = 0.00 of the HFs and CK19 expression in the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00. CK17 expression in the outer layers (P = 0.02 and the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00 together with CK19 expression in the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00 showed statistically significant differences between scarring and nonscarring alopecia groups. Conclusions: The presence of SC markers (CK17 and CK19 in the HFs was affected in both scarring and nonscarring alopecia, but the defect in scarring alopecia is more evident than that of nonscarring alopecia. The persistence of SC markers in some types of scarring alopecia could give a hope for the recovery of these lesions. Further studies are recommended to clarify the benefit from using HF SCs in the treatment of alopecia.

Stem Cell Markers (Cytokeratin 17 and Cytokeratin 19) in Scarring and Nonscarring Alopecia

Science.gov (United States)

El Sakka, Dalia; Gaber, Mohamed Abdel Wahed; Abdou, Asmaa Gaber; Wahed, Moshira Abdel; Saleh, Ahmed Abdel-Wahab; Shehata, Walla

2016-01-01

Background: Alopecia is one of the most important hair follicle (HF) disorders, which is divided into scarring (cicatricial) and nonscarring (noncicatricial) types. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of stem cell (SC) markers such as cytokeratin (CK) 17 and CK19 in scarring and nonscarring alopecia. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with scalp alopecia (15 with scarring alopecia and 15 without) together with ten healthy volunteers were included in this study. Biopsies were taken from all participants and stained for CK17 and CK19 using immunohistochemistry. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the nonscarring group and the control group with regard to CK17 expression in the outer layers of the HFs (P = 0.00) and CK19 staining of the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.008). There was a statistically significant difference between the scarring and the control groups regarding CK17 expression in the outer (P = 0.00) and the inner layers (P = 0.00) of the HFs and CK19 expression in the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00). CK17 expression in the outer layers (P = 0.02) and the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00) together with CK19 expression in the inner layers of the HFs (P = 0.00) showed statistically significant differences between scarring and nonscarring alopecia groups. Conclusions: The presence of SC markers (CK17 and CK19) in the HFs was affected in both scarring and nonscarring alopecia, but the defect in scarring alopecia is more evident than that of nonscarring alopecia. The persistence of SC markers in some types of scarring alopecia could give a hope for the recovery of these lesions. Further studies are recommended to clarify the benefit from using HF SCs in the treatment of alopecia. PMID:27761086

Detection of Metallothionein in Javanese Medaka (Oryzias javanicus, Using a scFv-Immobilized Protein Chip

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euiyeon Lee

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Environmental pollution by various industrial chemicals and biological agents poses serious risks to human health. Especially, marine contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs has become a global concern in recent years. Many efforts have been undertaken to monitor the PTE contamination of the aquatic environment. However, there are few approaches available to assess the PTE exposure of aquatic organisms. In this research, we developed a strategy to evaluate the heavy metal exposure of marine organisms, by measuring the expression levels of metallothionein protein derived from Oryzias javanicus (OjaMT. OjaMT is a biomarker of heavy metal exposure because the expression level increases upon heavy metal exposure. The developed assay is based on a real-time, label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR measurement. Anti-OjaMT antibody and anti-OjaMT single-chain fragment of variable region (scFv were used as detection probes. Two types of SPR sensor chips were fabricated, by immobilizing antibody or Cys3-tagged scFv (scFv-Cys3 in a controlled orientation and were tested for in situ label-free OjaMT detection. Compared to the antibody-presenting sensor chips, the scFv-presenting sensor chips showed improved performance, displaying enhanced sensitivity and enabling semi-quantitative detection. The portable SPR system combined with scFv-immobilized sensor chips is expected to provide an excellent point-of-care testing system that can monitor target biomarkers in real time.

Reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings - Social Competence (DBR-SC) data: How many ratings are necessary?

Science.gov (United States)

Kilgus, Stephen P; Riley-Tillman, T Chris; Stichter, Janine P; Schoemann, Alexander M; Bellesheim, Katie

2016-09-01

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the reliability of Direct Behavior Ratings-Social Competence (DBR-SC) ratings. Participants included 60 students identified as possessing deficits in social competence, as well as their 23 classroom teachers. Teachers used DBR-SC to complete ratings of 5 student behaviors within the general education setting on a daily basis across approximately 5 months. During this time, each student was assigned to 1 of 2 intervention conditions, including the Social Competence Intervention-Adolescent (SCI-A) and a business-as-usual (BAU) intervention. Ratings were collected across 3 intervention phases, including pre-, mid-, and postintervention. Results suggested DBR-SC ratings were highly consistent across time within each student, with reliability coefficients predominantly falling in the .80 and .90 ranges. Findings further indicated such levels of reliability could be achieved with only a small number of ratings, with estimates varying between 2 and 10 data points. Group comparison analyses further suggested the reliability of DBR-SC ratings increased over time, such that student behavior became more consistent throughout the intervention period. Furthermore, analyses revealed that for 2 of the 5 DBR-SC behavior targets, the increase in reliability over time was moderated by intervention grouping, with students receiving SCI-A demonstrating greater increases in reliability relative to those in the BAU group. Limitations of the investigation as well as directions for future research are discussed herein. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparison of the early response of human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells to ionizing radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Suchorska, Wiktoria Maria; Augustyniak, Ewelina; Łukjanow, Magdalena

2017-04-01

Despite the well-demonstrated efficacy of stem cell (SC) therapy, this approach has a number of key drawbacks. One important concern is the response of pluripotent SCs to treatment with ionizing radiation (IR), given that SCs used in regenerative medicine will eventually be exposed to IR for diagnostic or treatment‑associated purposes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine and compare early IR‑induced responses of pluripotent SCs to assess their radioresistance and radiosensitivity. In the present study, 3 cell lines; human embryonic SCs (hESCs), human induced pluripotent SCs (hiPSCs) and primary human dermal fibroblasts (PHDFs); were exposed to IR at doses ranging from 0 to 15 gray (Gy). Double strand breaks (DSBs), and the gene expression of the following DNA repair genes were analyzed: P53; RAD51; BRCA2; PRKDC; and XRCC4. hiPSCs demonstrated greater radioresistance, as fewer DSBs were identified, compared with hESCs. Both pluripotent SC lines exhibited distinct gene expression profiles in the most common DNA repair genes that are involved in homologous recombination, non‑homologous end‑joining and enhanced DNA damage response following IR exposure. Although hESCs and hiPSCs are equivalent in terms of capacity for pluripotency and differentiation into 3 germ layers, the results of the present study indicate that these 2 types of SCs differ in gene expression following exposure to IR. Consequently, further research is required to determine whether hiPSCs and hESCs are equally safe for application in clinical practice. The present study contributes to a greater understanding of DNA damage response (DDR) mechanisms activated in pluripotent SCs and may aid in the future development of safe SC‑based clinical protocols.

Observing environmental European legislation - strategic priority of SC Termoelectrica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pop, Ovidiu; Motiu, Cornel

2004-01-01

Defined as the main Romanian power producer, SC Termoelectrica is also a Company that faced over 50 years of experience and confrontations with different technical, economical and legislative problems. The measures of restructuring that were taken during the last years, also included a program of retiring of use of some inefficient and in excess units. That brought our company at its actual structure that consists in producing, repairs and services units, organized as commercial societies and subsidiaries of SC Termoelectrica. The activity of producing thermal and electric power using old power equipment (33.84% of them are over 30 years old, 46.54% are between 10-20 years old and only 0.64 % are under 10 years old) and without control pollution installations or having inefficient installations, led to the increasing of some environmental problems along the years. The paper has the following structure: - Introduction; - Actual situation; - The accession to the European Union - the control of industrial pollution (The abatement of atmospheric, water and soil pollution); - The mitigation of greenhouse gases. In conclusion one stresses that no matter which will be the way of organization the environmental approach at European or national level, these will become a strategic priority for SC Termoelectrica. The way these environmental problems will be solved will have a great influence on: - The company's thermal power plants work, while their impact upon the local, regional and global environment will be almost nonexistent; - The offer of electric power produced by thermal power plants in national and international transactions; - The fulfillment of the three objectives of a power producer: accessibility, availability and acceptability

Comparative clinical characteristics and natural history of three variants of sclerosing cholangitis: IgG4-related SC, PSC/AIH and PSC alone.

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Min; Li, Bo; Xiao, Xiao; Yang, Yue; Jiang, Pan; Yan, Li; Sun, Chunyan; Zhang, Jun; Wei, Yiran; Li, Yanmei; Chen, Weihua; Jiang, Xiang; Miao, Qi; Chen, Xiaoyu; Qiu, Dekai; Sheng, Li; Hua, Jing; Tang, Ruqi; Wang, Qixia; Eric Gershwin, M; Ma, Xiong

2017-08-01

There is increased interest and recognition of the clinical variants of Sclerosing Cholangitis (SC) namely IgG4-SC, PSC/AIH overlap and PSC. For most Centers, the characteristic of IgG4-SC has not been thoroughly clinically compared with other sclerosing cholangitis variants. Further there are relatively few PSC/AIH overlap patients and the clinical outcome is not well characterized, especially for the PSC/AIH overlap syndrome. Our objective herein is to clarify the differences and similarities of the natural history of IgG4-SC, the PSC/AIH overlap and PSC alone. We also place in perspective the diagnostic value of serum IgG4 for IgG4-SC and investigate biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of sclerosing cholangitis. In this study, we took advantage of our large and well-defined patient cohort to perform a retrospective cohort study including 57 IgG4-SC, 36 PSC/AIH overlap patients, and 55 PSC patients. Firstly, as expected, we noted significant differences among immunoglobulin profiles and all patients exhibited similar cholestatic profiles at presentation. Cirrhotic events were found in 20 of total 57 IgG4-SC, 15 of 36 PSC/AIH overlap, and 18 of 55 PSC patients. Serum IgG4 was elevated in 92.65% of IgG4-SC patients with an 86% sensitivity and 98% specificity for diagnosis. IgG4-SC patients had a better treatment response at 6-month and 1-year than PSC/AIH patients, while the latter responded better with steroids than PSC patients. Importantly the adverse outcome-free survival of IgG4-SC patients was reduced, unlike earlier reports, and therefore similar to the PSC/AIH overlap syndrome. Serum IgG and total bilirubin were useful to predict long-term survival of IgG4-SC and PSC/AIH, respectively. In conclusion, serum IgG4≧1.25 ULN shows an excellent predictability to distinguish IgG4-SC among SC patients. IgG4-SC appears to be immune-mediated inflammatory process, while PSC/AIH overlap more tends to be cholestatic disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

EMP Attachment 3 DOE-SC PNNL Site Dose Assessment Guidance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Snyder, Sandra F.

2011-12-21

This Dose Assessment Guidance (DAG) describes methods to use to determine the Maximally-Exposed Individual (MEI) location and to estimate dose impact to that individual under the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Site Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP). This guidance applies to public dose from radioactive material releases to the air from PNNL Site operations. This document is an attachment to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) and describes dose assessment guidance for radiological air emissions. The impact of radiological air emissions from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) PNNL Site is indicated by dose estimates to a maximally exposed member of the public, referred to as the maximally exposed individual (MEI). Reporting requirements associated with dose to members of the public from radiological air emissions are in 40 CFR Part 61.94, WAC 246-247-080, and DOE Order 458.1. The DOE Order and state standards for dose from radioactive air emissions are consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dose standards in 40 CFR 61.92 (i.e., 10 mrem/yr to a MEI). Despite the fact that the current Contract Requirements Document (CRD) for the DOE-SC PNNL Site operations does not include the requirement to meet DOE CRD 458.1, paragraph 2.b, public dose limits, the DOE dose limits would be met when EPA limits are met.

Experimental, numerical, and analytical studies on the seismic response of steel-plate concrete (SC) composite shear walls

Science.gov (United States)

Epackachi, Siamak

The seismic performance of rectangular steel-plate concrete (SC) composite shear walls is assessed for application to buildings and mission-critical infrastructure. The SC walls considered in this study were composed of two steel faceplates and infill concrete. The steel faceplates were connected together and to the infill concrete using tie rods and headed studs, respectively. The research focused on the in-plane behavior of flexure- and flexure-shear-critical SC walls. An experimental program was executed in the NEES laboratory at the University at Buffalo and was followed by numerical and analytical studies. In the experimental program, four large-size specimens were tested under displacement-controlled cyclic loading. The design variables considered in the testing program included wall thickness, reinforcement ratio, and slenderness ratio. The aspect ratio (height-to-length) of the four walls was 1.0. Each SC wall was installed on top of a re-usable foundation block. A bolted baseplate to RC foundation connection was used for all four walls. The walls were identified to be flexure- and flexure-shear critical. The progression of damage in the four walls was identical, namely, cracking and crushing of the infill concrete at the toes of the walls, outward buckling and yielding of the steel faceplates near the base of the wall, and tearing of the faceplates at their junctions with the baseplate. A robust finite element model was developed in LS-DYNA for nonlinear cyclic analysis of the flexure- and flexure-shear-critical SC walls. The DYNA model was validated using the results of the cyclic tests of the four SC walls. The validated and benchmarked models were then used to conduct a parametric study, which investigated the effects of wall aspect ratio, reinforcement ratio, wall thickness, and uniaxial concrete compressive strength on the in-plane response of SC walls. Simplified analytical models, suitable for preliminary analysis and design of SC walls, were

On measuring the UNK SC-dipole bending strength with rotating pick-up coil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smirnov, N.L.; Tikhov, A.V.

1993-01-01

The experience in measuring the SC-dipole bending strength with the spotting method shown this measurement to be the most complicated and expensive. A convenient and simple method of rotating pick-up coil, which can not provide the required accuracy, may be used for this measurement combined with NMR measurements in the dipole central part. The physical ground and description of the method are given in the paper. The analysis of the errors and measurement results of the SPDMI SC-dipoles are presented. 9 refs..; 7 figs

Influence of Sc doping concentration on electronic structure and optical properties of ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yuxi; Zhang Hao; Han Long; Qu Licheng; Gu Shulin; Li Teng

2011-01-01

In this paper, we adopt the density functional theory (DFT) plane wave pseudopotential method to study the crystal structure, electronic structure and optical property for the different concentrations of Sc doped ZnO system. We optimize the structure of Sc and get the basis of numerical simulation. The results show that with the adoption of Sc, the lattice constants of the system increase gradually, the energy of the system becomes larger, the Fermi level enters into the conduction band, the system shows Metallic gradually and the band gap becomes wider. On the other hand, certain changes of the optical properties of doped ZnO have taken place, i. e., a new absorption peak happens in ZnO absorption spectrum and the blue shift of absorption edge with the new peak occurs in the imagery part of dielectric function. (authors)

The stability boundary of group-III transition metal diboride ScB 2 (0 0 0 1) surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hui; Qin, Na

2012-01-01

Experimental observations and theoretical investigations exhibit that a group-IV(V) transition metal diboride (0 0 0 1) surface is terminated with a 1 × 1 TM(B) layer. As to a group-III transition metal diboride, we have investigated the stability boundary of ScB2 (0 0 0 1) surfaces using first principles total energy plane-wave pseudopotential method based on density functional theory. The Mulliken charge population analysis shows that Sc atoms in the second layer cannot provide B atoms in the first layer with sufficient electrons to form a complete graphene-like boron layer. We also found that the charge transfer between the first and the second layer for the B-terminated surface is more than that for Sc-terminated surface. It elucidates the reason that the outermost interlayer spacing contract more strongly in the B-terminated surface than in the Sc-terminated surface. The surface energies of both terminated ScB2 (0 0 0 1) surfaces as a function of the chemical potential of B are also calculated to check the relative stability of the two surface structures.

Stem cells in dentistry--part I: stem cell sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Egusa, Hiroshi; Sonoyama, Wataru; Nishimura, Masahiro; Atsuta, Ikiru; Akiyama, Kentaro

2012-07-01

Stem cells can self-renew and produce different cell types, thus providing new strategies to regenerate missing tissues and treat diseases. In the field of dentistry, adult mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have been identified in several oral and maxillofacial tissues, which suggests that the oral tissues are a rich source of stem cells, and oral stem and mucosal cells are expected to provide an ideal source for genetically reprogrammed cells such as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Furthermore, oral tissues are expected to be not only a source but also a therapeutic target for stem cells, as stem cell and tissue engineering therapies in dentistry continue to attract increasing clinical interest. Part I of this review outlines various types of intra- and extra-oral tissue-derived stem cells with regard to clinical availability and applications in dentistry. Additionally, appropriate sources of stem cells for regenerative dentistry are discussed with regard to differentiation capacity, accessibility and possible immunomodulatory properties. Copyright © 2012 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modification and application of the ATHLET-SC code to trans-critical simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, S.-W.; Zhou, C.; Xu, Z.-H.; Liu, X.-J.; Yang, Y.-H.; Cheng, H.

2011-01-01

In the simulation of trans-critical transients of Supercritical water cooled reactor (SCWR), calculation will terminate because of the sudden change in void fraction across the critical point. To solve this problem, a pseudo two-phase method is proposed with a virtual region of latent heat at pseudo-critical temperatures. A smooth variation of void fraction can be realized by using liquid-field conservation equations at temperatures lower than the pseudo-critical temperature, and vapor-field conservation equations at temperatures higher than the pseudo-critical temperature. Using this method, the system code ATHLET is modified to ATHLET-SC mod 2 on the basic of the previous modified version ATHLET-SC by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The results of tests are verified that the calculation error with the pseudo two-phase method for supercritical fluid is acceptable, when the virtual region of latent heat is kept small. Moreover, the ATHLET-SC mod 2 code is used to simulate the pressurization and depressurization process of a single flow channel with the pressure transition as well as blowdown process. The results indicate a good applicability of the modified code. (author)

Kampelite, Ba3Mg1.5Sc4(PO4)6(OH)3·4H2O, a new very complex Ba-Sc phosphate mineral from the Kovdor phoscorite-carbonatite complex (Kola Peninsula, Russia)

Science.gov (United States)

Yakovenchuk, Victor N.; Ivanyuk, Gregory Yu.; Pakhomovsky, Yakov A.; Panikorovskii, Taras L.; Britvin, Sergei N.; Krivovichev, Sergey V.; Shilovskikh, Vladimir V.; Bocharov, Vladimir N.

2018-02-01

Kampelite, Ba3Mg1.5Sc4(PO4)6(OH)3·4H2O, is a new Ba-Sc phosphate from the Kovdor phoscorite-carbonatite complex (Kola Peninsula, Russia). It is orthorhombic, Pnma, a = 11.256(1), b = 8.512(1), c = 27.707(4) Å, V = 2654.6(3) Å3 and Z = 4 (from powder diffraction data) or a = 11.2261(9), b = 8.5039(6), c = 27.699(2) Å, V = 2644.3(3) Å3 (from single-crystal diffraction data). The mineral was found in a void within the calcite-magnetite phoscorite (enriched in hydroxylapatite and Sc-rich baddeleyite) inside the axial zone of the Kovdor phoscorite-carbonatite pipe. Kampelite forms radiated aggregates (up to 1.5 mm in diameter) of platy crystals grown on the surfaces of crystals of quintinite-2 H in close association with pyrite, bobierrite and quintinite-3 R. Kampelite is colourless, with a pearly lustre and a white streak. The cleavage is perfect on {001}, the fracture is smooth. Mohs hardness is about 1. In transmitted light, the mineral is colourless without pleochroism or dispersion. Kampelite is biaxial + (pseudouniaxial), α ≈ β = 1.607(2), γ = 1.612(2) (589 nm), and 2 V calc = 0°. The calculated and measured densities are 3.28 and 3.07(3) g·cm-3, respectively. The mean chemical composition determined by electron microprobe is: MgO 4.79, Al2O3 0.45, P2O5 31.66, K2O 0.34, Sc2O3 16.17, Mn2O3 1.62, Fe2O3 1.38, SrO 3.44, and BaO 29.81 wt%. The H2O content estimated from the crystal-structure refinement is 7.12 wt%, giving a total of 96.51 wt%. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of P = 6 apfu (atoms per formula unit) is (Ba2.62Sr0.45K0.10Ca0.06)Σ3.23Mg1.60Mn0.28(Sc3.15Fe3+ 0.23Al0.12)Σ3.50(PO4)6(OH)2.61·4.01H2O. The simplified formula is Ba3Mg1.5Sc4(PO4)6(OH)3·4H2O. The mineral easily dissolves in 10% cold HCl. The strongest X-ray powder-diffraction lines [listed as d in Å ( I) ( hkl)] are as follows: 15.80(100)(001), 13.86(45)(002), 3.184(18)(223), 3.129(19)(026), 2.756(16)(402), 2.688(24)(10 10). The crystal structure of kampelite was

The impact of ScO{sub x}N{sub y} interlayers on unintentional doping and threading dislocations in GaN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, T; Moram, M A; Rao, D V Sridhara; Li, H; Kappers, M J; Oliver, R A, E-mail: tz234@cam.ac.u [Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom)

2010-02-01

To reduce the threading dislocation density in (0001) GaN grown on c-plane sapphire, a series of samples have been grown using scandium oxynitride (ScO{sub x}N{sub y}) interlayers (ILs) on AlN-on-sapphire templates. Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) has been employed to investigate the unintentional doping in GaN with varying ScO{sub x}N{sub y} IL thicknesses. The use of ScO{sub x}N{sub y} ILs decreases the threading dislocation density. An unintentionally n-doped layer has been identified by SCM close to the GaN/ScO{sub x}N{sub y} interface. The average width of this conductive layer has been quantified and found to increase as the ScO{sub x}N{sub y} IL thickness increases up to 13 nm.

A CREB-MPP7-AMOT Regulatory Axis Controls Muscle Stem Cell Expansion and Self-Renewal Competence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lydia Li

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Summary: Skeletal muscle regeneration requires resident muscle stem cells, termed satellite cells (SCs. SCs are largely quiescent during homeostasis yet become activated upon injury to supply myonuclei and self-renewed SCs. Molecular mechanisms underlying the competence of SCs to proliferate and self-renew in response to injury remain unclear. Here, we show that CREB activity establishes proliferative potential during SC quiescence. SCs with inhibited CREB activity remain quiescent and positioned in their niche, but upon injury, they cannot enter or maintain a proliferative state for expansion and self-renewal. We demonstrate mechanistically that Mpp7 is a CREB target and its functional mediator. MPP7 loss affects the level and sub-cellular localization of AMOT and YAP1 in quiescent SCs. Furthermore, MPP7 and AMOT are required for YAP1 nuclear accumulation, and the three are individually required for a proliferative state in myoblasts. We propose that the CREB-MPP7-AMOT-YAP1 axis establishes the competence of quiescent SCs to expand and self-renew, thereby preserving stem cell function. : Satellite cells are quiescent muscle stem cells that have the ability to regenerate muscles after injury. Li and Fan reveal an MPP7-AMOT-YAP1 regulatory axis that acts downstream of CREB to instill satellite cell competence. They also show how this regulatory axis prepares satellite cells for robust muscle regeneration after injury.

First-principles calculations of bulk and interfacial thermodynamic properties for fcc-based Al-Sc alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asta, M.; Foiles, S.M.; Quong, A.A.

1998-01-01

The configurational thermodynamic properties of fcc-based Al-Sc alloys and coherent Al/Al 3 Sc interphase-boundary interfaces have been calculated from first principles. The computational approach used in this study combines the results of pseudopotential total-energy calculations with a cluster-expansion description of the alloy energetics. Bulk and interface configurational-thermodynamic properties are computed using a low-temperature-expansion technique. Calculated values of the {100} and {111} Al/Al 3 Sc interfacial energies at zero temperature are, respectively, 192 and 226mJ/m 2 . The temperature dependence of the calculated interfacial free energies is found to be very weak for {100} and more appreciable for {111} orientations; the primary effect of configurational disordering at finite temperature is to reduce the degree of crystallographic anisotropy associated with calculated interfacial free energies. The first-principles-computed solid-solubility limits for Sc in bulk fcc Al are found to be underestimated significantly in comparison with experimental measurements. It is argued that this discrepancy can be largely attributed to nonconfigurational contributions to the entropy which have been neglected in the present thermodynamic calculations. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Solution synthesis, structure, and CO{sub 2} reduction reactivity of a Scandium(II) complex, {Sc[N(SiMe_3)_2]_3}{sup -}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woen, David H.; Chen, Guo P.; Ziller, Joseph W.; Furche, Filipp; Evans, William J. [Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA (United States); Boyle, Timothy J. [Sandia National Laboratories, Advanced Materials Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-02-13

The first crystallographically characterizable complex of Sc{sup 2+}, [Sc(NR{sub 2}){sub 3}]{sup -} (R=SiMe{sub 3}), has been obtained by LnA{sub 3}/M reactions (Ln=rare earth metal; A=anionic ligand; M=alkali metal) involving reduction of Sc(NR{sub 2}){sub 3} with K in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) and 18-crown-6 (18-c-6) and with Cs in the presence of crypt. Dark maroon [K(crypt)]{sup +}, [K(18-c-6)]{sup +}, and [Cs(crypt)]{sup +} salts of the [Sc(NR{sub 2}){sub 3}]{sup -} anion are formed, respectively. The formation of this oxidation state of Sc is also indicated by the eight-line EPR spectra arising from the I=7/2 {sup 45}Sc nucleus. The Sc(NR{sub 2}){sub 3} reduction differs from Ln(NR{sub 2}){sub 3} reactions (Ln=Y and lanthanides) in that it occurs under N{sub 2} without formation of isolable reduced dinitrogen species. [K(18-c-6)][Sc(NR{sub 2}){sub 3}] reacts with CO{sub 2} to produce an oxalate complex, {K_2(18-c-6)_3}{[(R_2N)_3Sc]_2(μ-C_2O_4-κ"1O:κ"1O'')}, and a CO{sub 2}{sup -} radical anion complex, [(R{sub 2}N){sub 3}Sc(μ-OCO-κ{sup 1}O:κ{sup 1}O')K(18-c-6)]{sub n}. (copyright 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Topography Estimation of the Core Mantle Boundary with ScS Reverberations and Diffraction Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, B. E.; Nakata, N.

2017-12-01

In this study, we use the propagation of global seismic waves to study the Core Mantle Boundary (CMB). We focus on the use of S-wave reflections at the CMB (ScS reverberations) and outer-core diffracted waves. It is difficult imaging the CMB with the ScS wave because the complexity of the structure in the near surface ( 50 km); the complex structure degrades the signal-to-noise ratio of of the ScS. To avoid estimating the structure in the crust, we rely on the concept of seismic interferometry to extract wave propagation through mantle, but not through the crust. Our approach is compute the deconvolution between the ScS (and its reverberation) and direct S waves generated by intermediate to deep earthquakes (>50 km depth). Through this deconvolution, we have the ability to filter out the direct S wave and retrieve the wave field propagating from only the hypocenter to the outer core, but not between the hypocenter to the receiver. After the deconvolution, we can isolate the CMB reflected waves from the complicated wave phenomena because of the near-surface structure. Utilizing intermediate and deep earthquakes is key since we can suppress the near-surface effect from the surface to the hypocenter of the earthquakes. The variation of such waves (e.g., travel-time perturbation and/or wavefield decorrelation) at different receivers and earthquakes provides the information of the topography of the CMB. In order to get a more detailed image of the topography of the CMB we use diffracted seismic waves such as Pdiff , Sdiff, and P'P'. By using two intermediate to deep earthquakes on a great circle path with a station we can extract the wave propagation between the two earthquakes to simplify the waveform, similar to how it is preformed using the ScS wave. We generate more illumination of the CMB by using diffracted waves rather than only using ScS reverberations. The accurate topography of CMB obtained by these deconvolution analyses may provide new insight of the

Supercritical SC-CO2 and Soxhlet n-Hexane Extract of Tunisian Opuntia ficus indica Seeds and Fatty Acids Analysis