WorldWideScience

Sample records for intact plant coupled

  1. (Photosynthesis in intact plants)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1990-01-01

    Progress in the two years since the last renewal application has been excellent. We have made substantial contributions on both main fronts of the projects, and are particularly happy with the progress of our research on intact plants. The approach of basing our field work on a sound foundation of laboratory studies has enabled is to use methods which provide unambiguous assays of well characterized reactions. We have also made excellent progress in several laboratory studies which will have direct applications in future field work, and have introduced to the laboratory a range of molecular genetics techniques which will allow us to explore new options in the attempt to understand function at the level of molecular structure.

  2. Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid on the mitochondrial coupling efficiency and hydrogen peroxide emission of intact skeletal myoblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tueller, Daniel J; Harley, Jackson S; Hancock, Chad R

    2017-10-21

    Curcumin may improve blood glucose management, but the mechanism is not fully established. We demonstrated that curcumin (40 μM) reduced the mitochondrial coupling efficiency (percentage of oxygen consumption coupled to ATP synthesis) of intact skeletal muscle cells. A 30-minute pretreatment with curcumin reduced mitochondrial coupling efficiency by 17.0 ± 0.4% relative to vehicle (p Curcumin pretreatment also decreased the rate of hydrogen peroxide emission by 43 ± 13% compared to vehicle (p curcumin revealed a 40 ± 4% increase in the rate of oxygen consumption upon curcumin administration (p curcumin-pretreated cells after permeabilization of cell membranes (p > 0.7). The interaction between curcumin and ursolic acid, another natural compound that may improve blood glucose management, was also examined. Pretreatment with ursolic acid (0.12 μM) increased the mitochondrial coupling efficiency of intact cells by 4.1 ± 1.1% relative to vehicle (p curcumin when the two compounds were used in combination. The observed changes to mitochondrial coupling efficiency and hydrogen peroxide emission were consistent with the established effects of curcumin on blood glucose control. Our findings also show that changes to mitochondrial coupling efficiency after curcumin pretreatment may go undetected unless cells are assessed in the intact condition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Metabolism of fluoranthene in different plant cell cultures and intact plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kolb, M.; Harms, H.

    2000-05-01

    The metabolism of fluoranthene was investigated in 11 cell cultures of different plant species using a [{sup 14}C]-labeled standard. Most species metabolized less than 5% of fluoranthene to soluble metabolites and formed less than 5% nonextractable residues during the standardized 48-h test procedure. Higher metabolic rates were observed in lettuce (Lactuca sativa, 6%), wheat (Tricitum aestivum, 9%), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, 15%). A special high metabolic rate of nearly 50% was determined for the rose species Paul's Scarlet. Chromatographic analysis of metabolites extracted from aseptically grown tomato plants proved that the metabolites detected in the cell cultures were also formed in the intact plants. Metabolites produced in tomato and rose cells from [{sup 14}C]-fluoranthene were conjugated with glucose, glucuronic acid, and other cell components. After acid hydrolyses, the main metabolite of both species was 1-hydroxyfluoranthene as identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The second metabolite formed by both species was 8-hydroxyfluoranthene. A third metabolite in tomatoes was 3-hydroxyfluoranthene.

  4. Single guard cell recordings in intact plants : light-induced hyperpolarization of the plasma membrane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelfsema, MRG; Steinmeyer, R; Staal, M; Hedrich, R

    Guard cells are electrically isolated from other plant cells and therefore offer the unique possibility to conduct current- and voltage-clamp recordings on single cells in an intact plant. Guard cells in their natural environment were impaled with double-barreled electrodes and found to exhibit

  5. Effects of reactive Mn(III)-oxalate complexes on structurally intact plant cell walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summering, J. A.; Keiluweit, M.; Goni, M. A.; Nico, P. S.; Kleber, M.

    2011-12-01

    Lignin components in the in plant litter are commonly assumed to have longer residence times in soil than many other compounds, which are supposedly, more easily degradable. The supposed resistance of lignin compounds to decomposition is generally attributed to the complex chain of biochemical steps required to create footholds in the non-porous structure of ligno-cellulose in cell walls. Interestingly, Mn(III) complexes have shown the ability to degrade ligno-cellulose. Mn(III) chelated by ligands such as oxalate are soluble oxidizers with a high affinity for lignin structures. Here we determined (i) the formation and decay kinetics of the Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in aqueous solution and (ii) the effects that these complexes have on intact ligno-cellulose. UV/vis spectroscopy and iodometric titrations confirmed the transient nature of Mn(III)-oxalate complexes with decay rates being in the order of hours. Zinnia elegans tracheary elements - a model ligno-cellulose substrate - were treated with Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in a newly developed flow-through reactor. Soluble decomposition products released during the treatment were analyzed by GC/MS and the degree of cell integrity was measured by cell counts, pre- and post-treatment counts indicate a decrease in intact Zinnia elegans as a result of Mn(III)-treatment. GC/MS results showed the release of a multitude of solubilized lignin breakdown products from plant cell walls. We conclude that Mn(III)-oxalate complexes have the ability to lyse intact plant cells and solubilize lignin. Lignin decomposition may thus be seen as resource dependent, with Mn(III) a powerful resource that should be abundant in terrestrial characterized by frequent redox fluctuations.

  6. Temperature dependence of 1H NMR relaxation time, T2, for intact and neoplastic plant tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewa, Czesław J.; Lewa, Maria

    Temperature dependences of the spin-spin proton relaxation time, T2, have been shown for normal and tumorous tissues collected from kalus culture Nicotiana tabacum and from the plant Kalanchoe daigremontiana. For neoplastic plant tissues, time T2 was increased compared to that for intact plants, a finding similar to that for animal and human tissues. The temperature dependences obtained were compared to analogous relations observed with animal tissues.

  7. Thermal coupling system analysis of a nuclear desalination plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adak, A.K.; Srivastava, V.K.; Tewari, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    When a nuclear reactor is used to supply steam for desalination plant, the method of coupling has a significant technical and economic impact. The exact method of coupling depends upon the type of reactor and type of desalination plant. As a part of Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project (NDDP), BARC has successfully commissioned a 4500 m 3 /day MSF desalination plant coupled to Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) at Kalpakkam. Desalination plant coupled to nuclear power plant of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) type is a good example of dual-purpose nuclear desalination plant. This paper presents the thermal coupling system analysis of this plant along with technical and safety aspects. (author)

  8. Manipulation of the apoplastic pH of intact plants mimics stomatal and growth responses to water availability and microclimatic variation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Sally; Davies, William J

    2008-01-01

    The apoplastic pH of intact Forsythiaxintermedia (cv. Lynwood) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants has been manipulated using buffered foliar sprays, and thereby stomatal conductance (g(s)), leaf growth rate, and plant water loss have been controlled. The more alkaline the pH of the foliar spray, the lower the g(s) and/or leaf growth rate subsequently measured. The most alkaline pH that was applied corresponds to that measured in sap extracted from shoots of tomato and Forsythia plants experiencing, respectively, soil drying or a relatively high photon flux density (PFD), vapour pressure deficit (VPD), and temperature in the leaf microclimate. The negative correlation between PFD/VPD/temperature and g(s) determined in well-watered Forsythia plants exposed to a naturally varying summer microclimate was eliminated by spraying the plants with relatively alkaline but not acidic buffers, providing evidence for a novel pH-based signalling mechanism linking the aerial microclimate with stomatal aperture. Increasing the pH of the foliar spray only reduced g(s) in plants of the abscisic acid (ABA)-deficient flacca mutant of tomato when ABA was simultaneously sprayed onto leaves or injected into stems. In well-watered Forsythia plants exposed to a naturally varying summer microclimate (variable PFD, VPD, and temperature), xylem pH and leaf ABA concentration fluctuated but were positively correlated. Manipulation of foliar apoplastic pH also affected the response of g(s) and leaf growth to ABA injected into stems of intact Forsythia plants. The techniques used here to control physiology and water use in intact growing plants could easily be applied in a horticultural context.

  9. Isolation of intact and pure chloroplasts from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana plants acclimated to low irradiance for studies on Rubisco regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Grabsztunowicz

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available A protocol is presented for low-cost and fast isolation of intact and pure chloroplasts from leaves of plants acclimated to low irradiance. The protocol is based on a differential centrifugation of cleared leaf homogenate and omits a centrifugation on Percoll gradient step. The intactness and purity of the chloroplasts isolated from leaves of low irradiance-acclimated plants by using this protocol (confirmed by phase contrast microscopy as well as enzymatic and immunological approaches allows plausible studies on low irradiance-dependent Rubisco regulation.

  10. Regulatory requirements for desalination plant coupled with nuclear reactor plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yune, Young Gill; Kim, Woong Sik; Jo, Jong Chull; Kim, Hho Jung; Song, Jae Myung

    2005-01-01

    A small-to-medium sized reactor has been developed for multi-purposes such as seawater desalination, ship propulsion, and district heating since early 1990s in Korea. Now, the construction of its scaled-down research reactor, equipped with a seawater desalination plant, is planned to demonstrate the safety and performance of the design of the multi-purpose reactor. And the licensing application of the research reactor is expected in the near future. Therefore, a development of regulatory requirements/guides for a desalination plant coupled with a nuclear reactor plant is necessary for the preparation of the forthcoming licensing review of the research reactor. In this paper, the following contents are presented: the design of the desalination plant, domestic and foreign regulatory requirements relevant to desalination plants, and a draft of regulatory requirements/guides for a desalination plant coupled with a nuclear reactor plant

  11. Intact plant MRI for the study of cell water relations, membrane permeability, cell-to-cell and long distance water transport

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    As, van H.

    2007-01-01

    Water content and hydraulic conductivity, including transport within cells, over membranes, cell-to-cell, and long-distance xylem and phloem transport, are strongly affected by plant water stress. By being able to measure these transport processes non-invasely in the intact plant situation in

  12. Coupling technology for dual-purpose nuclear-desalting plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, J.E. Jr.; Anderson, T.D.; Reed, S.A.

    1976-11-01

    Although the basic technology for the various components of nuclear dual-purpose plants is reasonably well developed, the techniques of coupling the elements together to form a reliable, economical system that will satisfy the diverse operating requirements are not well established. The purpose of the study reported is to examine the technical, economic, and safety considerations in coupling nuclear power plants with distillation units to form a dual-purpose power and water distillation plant. The basic coupling arrangement required to provide a large-scale dual-purpose water plant is to supply steam to the water plant from the exhaust of a back-pressure turbine. The principal component at the interface that may require major research and development is the back-pressure turbine. To satisfy the operational requirements, two major auxiliary systems will be needed. These are: (1) a prime-steam bypass system, and (2) auxiliary condensers. These systems will provide a degree of independence between water and power production and can be justified economically

  13. Purification of intact chloroplasts from marine plant Posidonia oceanica suitable for organelle proteomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piro, Amalia; Serra, Ilia Anna; Spadafora, Antonia; Cardilio, Monica; Bianco, Linda; Perrotta, Gaetano; Santos, Rui; Mazzuca, Silvia

    2015-12-01

    Posidonia oceanica is a marine angiosperm, or seagrass, adapted to grow to the underwater life from shallow waters to 50 m depth. This raises questions of how their photosynthesis adapted to the attenuation of light through the water column and leads to the assumption that biochemistry and metabolism of the chloroplast are the basis of adaptive capacity. In the present study, we described a protocol that was adapted from those optimized for terrestrial plants, to extract chloroplasts from as minimal tissue as possible. We obtained the best balance between tissue amount/intact chloroplasts yield using one leaf from one plant. After isopynic separations, the chloroplasts purity and integrity were evaluated by biochemical assay and using a proteomic approach. Chloroplast proteins were extracted from highly purified organelles and resolved by 1DE SDS-PAGE. Proteins were sequenced by nLC-ESI-IT-MS/MS of 1DE gel bands and identified against NCBInr green plant databases, Dr. Zompo database for seagrasses in a local customized dataset. The curated localization of proteins in sub-plastidial compartments (i.e. envelope, stroma and thylakoids) was retrieved in the AT_CHLORO database. This purification protocol and the validation of compartment markers may serve as basis for sub-cellular proteomics in P. oceanica and other seagrasses. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Capillary zone electrophoresis-mass spectromet of intact proteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Domínguez-Vega, Elena; Haselberg, Rob; Somsen, Govert W.

    2016-01-01

    Capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has proven to be a powerful analytical tool for the characterization of intact proteins. It combines the high separation efficiency, short analysis time, and versatility of CE with the mass selectivity and sensitivity offered by MS

  15. Comparison of the degree of homology of DNA and quantity of repeated sequences in an intact plant and cell structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solov'yan, V.T.; Kunaleh, V.A.; Shumnyl, V.K.; Vershinin, A.V.

    1986-01-01

    This paper attempts to assess the quantity of repeated sequences and degree of homology of DNA in the intact plant and two lines of callus tissue of Rauwolfia serpentina Benth maintained for 20 years, which differ among themselves in the level of biosynthesis of the pharmacologically valuable alkaloid ajmaline. The tritium-labeled repeats of plants and calli were used in direct and reverse hybridization on nitrocellulose filters. Hybridization of H 3-labeled repeats with phage 17 DNA was used as control. The radioactivity of filters after washing was measured in a liquid scintillation counter

  16. Coupling of Groundwater Transport and Plant Uptake Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rein, Arno; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter; Trapp, Stefan

    2010-01-01

    in environmental systems at different scale. Feedback mechanisms between plants and hydrological systems can play an important role, however having received little attention to date. Here, a new model concept for dynamic plant uptake models applying analytical matrix solutions is presented, which can be coupled...

  17. On Plant Detection of Intact Tomato Fruits Using Image Analysis and Machine Learning Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyosuke Yamamoto

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Fully automated yield estimation of intact fruits prior to harvesting provides various benefits to farmers. Until now, several studies have been conducted to estimate fruit yield using image-processing technologies. However, most of these techniques require thresholds for features such as color, shape and size. In addition, their performance strongly depends on the thresholds used, although optimal thresholds tend to vary with images. Furthermore, most of these techniques have attempted to detect only mature and immature fruits, although the number of young fruits is more important for the prediction of long-term fluctuations in yield. In this study, we aimed to develop a method to accurately detect individual intact tomato fruits including mature, immature and young fruits on a plant using a conventional RGB digital camera in conjunction with machine learning approaches. The developed method did not require an adjustment of threshold values for fruit detection from each image because image segmentation was conducted based on classification models generated in accordance with the color, shape, texture and size of the images. The results of fruit detection in the test images showed that the developed method achieved a recall of 0.80, while the precision was 0.88. The recall values of mature, immature and young fruits were 1.00, 0.80 and 0.78, respectively.

  18. Visualization of plant viral suppressor silencing activity in intact leaf lamina by quantitative fluorescent imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francis Kevin P

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transient expression of proteins in plants has become a favoured method over the production of stably transformed plants because, in addition to enabling high protein yields, it is both fast and easy to apply. An enhancement of transient protein expression can be achieved by plant virus-encoded RNA silencing suppressor proteins. Since viral suppressor proteins differ in their efficiency to enhance transient protein expression in plants, we developed a whole-leaf green fluorescent protein (GFP-based imaging assay to quantitatively assess suppressor protein activity. Results In a transient GFP-expression assay using wild-type and GFP-transgenic N. benthamiana, addition of the plant viral suppressors Beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV-IPP P0 or Plum pox virus (PPV HC-Pro was shown to increase fluorescent protein expression 3-4-fold, 7 days post inoculation (dpi when compared to control plants. In contrast, in agroinfiltrated patches without suppressor activity, near complete silencing of the GFP transgene was observed in the transgenic N. benthamiana at 21 dpi. Both co-infiltrated suppressors significantly enhanced GFP expression over time, with HC-Pro co-infiltrations leading to higher short term GFP fluorescence (at 7 dpi and P0 giving higher long term GFP fluorescence (at 21 dpi. Additionally, in contrast to HC-Pro co-infiltrations, an area of complete GFP silencing was observed at the edge of P0 co-infiltrated areas. Conclusions Fluorescence imaging of whole intact leaves proved to be an easy and effective method for spatially and quantitatively observing viral suppressor efficiency in plants. This suppressor assay demonstrates that plant viral suppressors greatly enhanced transient GFP expression, with P0 showing a more prolonged suppressor activity over time than HC-Pro. Both suppressors could prove to be ideal candidates for enhancing target protein expression in plants.

  19. Visual Speech Fills in Both Discrimination and Identification of Non-Intact Auditory Speech in Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerger, Susan; Damian, Markus F.; McAlpine, Rachel P.; Abdi, Herve

    2018-01-01

    To communicate, children must discriminate and identify speech sounds. Because visual speech plays an important role in this process, we explored how visual speech influences phoneme discrimination and identification by children. Critical items had intact visual speech (e.g. baez) coupled to non-intact (excised onsets) auditory speech (signified…

  20. Direct detection of radicals in intact soybean nodules

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mathieu, C; Moreau, S; Frendo, P

    1998-01-01

    Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy has been employed to examine the nature of the metal ions and radicals present in intact root nodules of soybean plants grown in the absence of nitrate. The spectra obtained from nodules of different ages using this non-invasive technique show dramatic...... differences, suggesting that there are both qualitative and quantitative changes in the metal ion and radical species present. A major component of the spectra obtained from young nodules is assigned to a complex (Lb-NO) of nitric oxide (NO.) with the heme protein leghemoglobin (Lb). This Lb-NO species, which...... has not been previously detected in intact root nodules of plants grown in the absence of nitrate, is thought to be formed by reaction of nitric oxide with iron(II) leghemoglobin. The nitric oxide may be generated from arginine via a nitric oxide synthase-like activity present in the nodules...

  1. An intact action-perception coupling depends on the integrity of the cerebellum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, Andrea; Giese, Martin A; Sultan, Fahad; Mueller, Oliver M; Goericke, Sophia L; Ilg, Winfried; Timmann, Dagmar

    2014-05-07

    It is widely accepted that action and perception in humans functionally interact on multiple levels. Moreover, areas originally suggested to be predominantly motor-related, as the cerebellum, are also involved in action observation. However, as yet, few studies provided unequivocal evidence that the cerebellum is involved in the action perception coupling (APC), specifically in the integration of motor and multisensory information for perception. We addressed this question studying patients with focal cerebellar lesions in a virtual-reality paradigm measuring the effect of action execution on action perception presenting self-generated movements as point lights. We measured the visual sensitivity to the point light stimuli based on signal detection theory. Compared with healthy controls cerebellar patients showed no beneficial influence of action execution on perception indicating deficits in APC. Applying lesion symptom mapping, we identified distinct areas in the dentate nucleus and the lateral cerebellum of both hemispheres that are causally involved in APC. Lesions of the right ventral dentate, the ipsilateral motor representations (lobules V/VI), and most interestingly the contralateral posterior cerebellum (lobule VII) impede the benefits of motor execution on perception. We conclude that the cerebellum establishes time-dependent multisensory representations on different levels, relevant for motor control as well as supporting action perception. Ipsilateral cerebellar motor representations are thought to support the somatosensory state estimate of ongoing movements, whereas the ventral dentate and the contralateral posterior cerebellum likely support sensorimotor integration in the cerebellar-parietal loops. Both the correct somatosensory as well as the multisensory state representations are vital for an intact APC.

  2. Transient behaviour and coupling aspects of a hybrid MSF-RO nuclear desalination plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tewari, P.K.; Misra, B.M.

    1998-01-01

    BARC is setting up a 6300 M 3 /day (1.4 MGD) hybrid MSF-RO nuclear desalination plant for sea water desalination at Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) coupled to a 170 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR). The transient behaviour and coupling aspects of this dual purpose plant has been discussed. A hybrid desalination plant appears to offer high availability factor. (author)

  3. Incorporation of 14CO2 by illuminated intact leaves of bean (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS) plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, A.G. de

    1980-01-01

    Bean plants were grown in hydroponic nutrient solution, maintained in controlled environment. Measurements of the photosynthetic activity using the method of 14 CO 2 incorporation in intact leaves with portable equipment were made on the central leaflet of the first trifoliate leaf except when the effect of leaf age was studied in which case all central leaflets of the same branch were used. The data obtained indicated differences in the photosynthetic efficiency of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars. Relative differences in RuDP carboxylase activity in the crude extracts of leaves, leaf area and leaf chlorophyll content were also observed. Rates of 14 CO 2 incorporation at saturating light varied from 14.94 to 22.96 mg CO 2 .dm -2 .h and the 6 studied cultivars could be divided into two classes: Classe 1 (above 20 mg CO 2 .dm -2 .h): Pirata-1, Rosinha G-2, and Pintadinho Precoce; Classe 2 (below 20 mg CO 2 .dm - 2 .h): Carioca, Rosinha Precoce and Pintado. Plants of the same cultivar showed a relatively high variability and a strong dependence in relation to environmental conditions. Differences among cultivars in relation to RuDP carboxylase activity, leaf area and leaf age were correlated to photosynthetic rate. (Author) [pt

  4. Femtosecond optical injection of intact plant cells using a reconfigurable platform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Claire A.; Kalies, Stefan; Cizmar, Tomas; Bellini, Nicola; Kubasik-Thayil, Anisha; Heisterkamp, Alexander; Torrance, Lesley; Roberts, Alison G.; Gunn-Moore, Frank J.; Dholakia, Kishan

    2014-03-01

    The use of ultrashort-pulsed lasers for molecule delivery and transfection has proved to be a non-invasive and highly efficient technique for a wide range of mammalian cells. This present study investigates the effectiveness of femtosecond photoporation in plant cells, a hard-to-manipulate yet agriculturally relevant cell type, specifically suspension tobacco BY-2 cells. Both spatial and temporal shaping of the light field is employed to optimise the delivery of membrane impermeable molecules into plant cells using a reconfigurable optical system designed to be able to switch easily between different spatial modes and pulse durations. The use of a propagation invariant Bessel beam was found to increase the number of cells that could be viably optoinjected, when compared to the use of a Gaussian beam. Photoporation with a laser producing sub-12 fs pulses, coupled with a dispersion compensation system to retain the pulse duration at focus, reduced the power required for efficient optical injection by 1.5-1.8 times when compared to a photoporation with a 140 fs laser output.

  5. Seawater desalination plant using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2000-01-01

    A small size plant for seawater desalination using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China. This seawater desalination plant was designed to supply potable water demand to some coastal location or island where both fresh water and energy source are severely lacking. It is also recommended as a demonstration and training facility for seawater desalination using nuclear energy. The design of small size of seawater desalination plant couples two proven technologies: Nuclear Heating Reactor (NHR) and Multi-Effect Destination (MED) process. The NHR design possesses intrinsic and passive safety features, which was demonstrated by the experiences of the project NHR-5. The intermediate circuit and steam circuit were designed as the safety barriers between the NHR reactor and MED desalination system. Within 10~200 MWt of the power range of the heating reactor, the desalination plant could provide 8000 to 150,000 m3/d of high quality potable water. The design concept and parameters, safety features and coupling scheme are presented.

  6. Seawater desalination plant using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Shaorong; Dong Duo; Zhang Dafang; Wang Xiuzhen

    2000-01-01

    A small size plant for seawater desalination using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China. this seawater desalination plant was designed to supply potable water demand to some coastal location or island where both fresh water and energy source are severely lacking. It is also recommended as a demonstration and training facility for seawater desalination using nuclear energy. The design of small size of seawater desalination plant couples two proven technologies: Nuclear Heating Reactor (NHR) and Multi-Effect Destination (MED) process. The NHR design possesses intrinsic and passive safety features, which was demonstrated by the experiences of the project NHR-5. the intermediate circuit and steam circuit were designed as the safety barriers between the NHR reactor and MED desalination system. Within 10-200 MWt of the power range of the heating reactor, the desalination plant could provide 8000 to 150,000 m 3 /d of high quality potable water. The design concept and parameters, safety features and coupling scheme are presented

  7. Coupling of RO-MSF hybrid desalination plants with nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Sulaiman, Khalil; Al-Mutaz, Ibrahim S.

    1999-01-01

    Full text.Reverse osmosis (RO) and multistage flash (MSF) desalination are the most widely commercial available processes. MSF utilizes stream in the brine heater as a primary source of energy. RO is derived mainly by electricity that pumps the feed water against the mambranes. Steam and electricity and be produced easily by nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors may be coupled with deslination plants (MSF, RO or combined (hybrid) RO/MSF configuration). This integrated plant will be capable of producing power and water at reasonable cost. The capital and operating cost will be reduced and the excess power can be efficiently utilized. Maintenance and operating cost will drop significantly. In this paper, a techno-economic study of hybrid reverses osmosis /multistage flash desalination will be carried. The proposed configuration (hybrid RO/MSF) coupled with nuclear reactor is considered the most appropriate candidate system for the application of dual-purpose nuclear desalination plants. the design parameters for such a desalination hybrid system will be the applied pressure and recovery for reverse osmosis plant and the number of stages and the heat transfer areas for multistage flash plant

  8. Genotypic response of detached leaves versus intact plants for chlorophyll fluorescence parameters under high temperature stress in wheat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sharma, Dew Kumari; Fernández, Juan Olivares; Rosenqvist, Eva

    2014-01-01

    The genotypic response of wheat cultivars as affected by two methods of heat stress treatment (treatment of intact plants in growth chambers versus treatment of detached leaves in test tubes) in a temperature controlled water bath were compared to investigate how such different methods of heat...... to high temperatures. Further, the results suggest that genetic factors associated with cultivar differences are different for the two methods of heat treatment........ The responses of the same cultivars to heat stress were compared between the two methods of heat treatment. The results showed that in detached leaves, all of the fluorescence parameters remained almost unaffected in control (20°C at all durations tested), indicating that the detachment itself did not affect...

  9. PV-Plants in autarky or network coupled operation: technical and economic comparison accordingly to practical investigations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajib, Salman; Seitz, Thomas; Petzold, Reinhardt

    2006-01-01

    PV-Plants can be operated, as known, using autarky or network coupled operation modes, The first operation mode is recommended in the places which locate away from the electrical supply network. However the PV-plants, when using network coupled mode, can be used in all of the places, where the sunlight is suitable and there is a sufficient place to establish these plants in the required size. The differences between the two operation modes are the additional components and the dimensioning of the PV-plants. The whole needed electrical energy must be obtained from the PV-plants, when the autarky operation mode is used. In contrast to this, this energy can be provided by the PV-plants or by the electrical supply network when the network coupled operation mode is used, therefore a network coupled PV-plants need a careful initial planning and installation. In this paper the function principles and the components of these PV-plants in the two operation modes will be presented. In addition to this, the results obtained from the investigation of PV-plants while working with nominal power of P= 1 kW p will be analyzed and discussed too. After that the dimensioning steps and the economic evaluation will be depicted.(Author)

  10. Selective dansylation of M protein within intact influenza virions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Robertson, B.H.; Bennett, J.C.; Compans, R.W.

    1982-12-01

    Exposure of purified influenza virions to (/sup 14/C)dansyl chloride resulted in the covalent attachment of the dansyl chromophore to the virion. Gel electrophoresis revealed that the dansyl chromophore was specifically coupled to the internal membrane (M) protein. Purification of the M protein by gel filtration followed by cyanogen bromide cleavage and peptide fractionation revealed that four of six peptide peaks contained dansyl label. Acid hydrolysis of the separated peptide peaks followed by thin-layer chromatography revealed that dansyl label was coupled to lysine residues present in these peptides. The results of these investigations have demonstrated that the M protein molecule is the major viral polypeptide labeled when intact virions are exposed to dansyl chloride.

  11. Selective dansylation of M protein within intact influenza virions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robertson, B.H.; Bennett, J.C.; Compans, R.W.

    1982-01-01

    Exposure of purified influenza virions to [ 14 C]dansyl chloride resulted in the covalent attachment of the dansyl chromophore to the virion. Gel electrophoresis revealed that the dansyl chromophore was specifically coupled to the internal membrane (M) protein. Purification of the M protein by gel filtration followed by cyanogen bromide cleavage and peptide fractionation revealed that four of six peptide peaks contained dansyl label. Acid hydrolysis of the separated peptide peaks followed by thin-layer chromatography revealed that dansyl label was coupled to lysine residues present in these peptides. The results of these investigations have demonstrated that the M protein molecule is the major viral polypeptide labeled when intact virions are exposed to dansyl chloride

  12. Development of regulatory requirements/guides for desalination unit coupled with nuclear plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jo, Jong Chull; Yune, Young Gill; Kim, Woong Sik

    2005-10-01

    The basic design of System-integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART), a small-to-medium sized integral type pressurized water reactor (PWR) with the capacity of 330MWth, has been developed in Korea. In order to demonstrate the safety and performance of the SMART design, 'Development Project of SMART-P (SMART-Pilot Plant)' has been being performed as one of the 'National Mid and Long-term Atomic Energy R and D Programs', which includes design, construction, and start-up operation of the SMART-P with the capacity of 65MWth, a 1/5 scaled-down design of the SMART. At the same time, a study on the development of regulatory requirements/guides for the desalination unit coupled with nuclear plant has been carried out by KINS in order to prepare for the forthcoming SMART-P licensing. The results of this study performed from August of 2002 to October of 2005 can be summarized as follows: (1) The general status of desalination technologies has been survey. (2) The design of the desalination plant coupled with the SMART-P has been investigated. (3) The regulatory requirements/guides relevant to a desalination unit coupled with a nuclear plant have been surveyed. (4) A direction on the development of domestic regulatory requirements/guides for a desalination unit has been established. (5) A draft of regulatory requirements/guides for a desalination unit has been developed. (6) Expert technical reviews have been performed for the draft regulatory requirements/guides for a desalination unit. The draft regulatory requirements/guides developed in this study will be finalized and can be applied directly to the licensing of the SMART-P and SMART. Furthermore, it will be also applied to the licensing of the desalination unit coupled with the nuclear plant

  13. Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis applied to coupled code calculations for a VVER plant transient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langenbuch, S.; Krzykacz-Hausmann, B.; Schmidt, K. D.

    2004-01-01

    The development of coupled codes, combining thermal-hydraulic system codes and 3D neutron kinetics, is an important step to perform best-estimate plant transient calculations. It is generally agreed that the application of best-estimate methods should be supplemented by an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis to quantify the uncertainty of the results. The paper presents results from the application of the GRS uncertainty and sensitivity method for a VVER-440 plant transient, which was already studied earlier for the validation of coupled codes. For this application, the main steps of the uncertainty method are described. Typical results of the method applied to the analysis of the plant transient by several working groups using different coupled codes are presented and discussed The results demonstrate the capability of an uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. (authors)

  14. Development of an experimental approach to study coupled soil-plant-atmosphere processes using plant analogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trautz, Andrew C.; Illangasekare, Tissa H.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Ignacio; Heck, Katharina; Helmig, Rainer

    2017-04-01

    The atmosphere, soils, and vegetation near the land-atmosphere interface are in a state of continuous dynamic interaction via a myriad of complex interrelated feedback processes which collectively, remain poorly understood. Studying the fundamental nature and dynamics of such processes in atmospheric, ecological, and/or hydrological contexts in the field setting presents many challenges; current experimental approaches are an important factor given a general lack of control and high measurement uncertainty. In an effort to address these issues and reduce overall complexity, new experimental design considerations (two-dimensional intermediate-scale coupled wind tunnel-synthetic aquifer testing using synthetic plants) for studying soil-plant-atmosphere continuum soil moisture dynamics are introduced and tested in this study. Validation of these experimental considerations, particularly the adoption of synthetic plants, is required prior to their application in future research. A comparison of three experiments with bare soil surfaces or transplanted with a Stargazer lily/limestone block was used to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed approaches. Results demonstrate that coupled wind tunnel-porous media experimentation, used to simulate field conditions, reduces complexity, and enhances control while allowing fine spatial-temporal resolution measurements to be made using state-of-the-art technologies. Synthetic plants further help reduce system complexity (e.g., airflow) while preserving the basic hydrodynamic functions of plants (e.g., water uptake and transpiration). The trends and distributions of key measured atmospheric and subsurface spatial and temporal variables (e.g., soil moisture, relative humidity, temperature, air velocity) were comparable, showing that synthetic plants can be used as simple, idealized, nonbiological analogs for living vegetation in fundamental hydrodynamic studies.

  15. Variable-angle total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy of intact cells of Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Myung K

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM is a powerful tool for observing fluorescently labeled molecules on the plasma membrane surface of animal cells. However, the utility of TIRFM in plant cell studies has been limited by the fact that plants have cell walls, thick peripheral layers surrounding the plasma membrane. Recently, a new technique known as variable-angle epifluorescence microscopy (VAEM was developed to circumvent this problem. However, the lack of a detailed analysis of the optical principles underlying VAEM has limited its applications in plant-cell biology. Results Here, we present theoretical and experimental evidence supporting the use of variable-angle TIRFM in observations of intact plant cells. We show that when total internal reflection occurs at the cell wall/cytosol interface with an appropriate angle of incidence, an evanescent wave field of constant depth is produced inside the cytosol. Results of experimental TIRFM observations of the dynamic behaviors of phototropin 1 (a membrane receptor protein and clathrin light chain (a vesicle coat protein support our theoretical analysis. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that variable-angle TIRFM is appropriate for quantitative live imaging of cells in intact tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana.

  16. Visual speech alters the discrimination and identification of non-intact auditory speech in children with hearing loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerger, Susan; Damian, Markus F; McAlpine, Rachel P; Abdi, Hervé

    2017-03-01

    Understanding spoken language is an audiovisual event that depends critically on the ability to discriminate and identify phonemes yet we have little evidence about the role of early auditory experience and visual speech on the development of these fundamental perceptual skills. Objectives of this research were to determine 1) how visual speech influences phoneme discrimination and identification; 2) whether visual speech influences these two processes in a like manner, such that discrimination predicts identification; and 3) how the degree of hearing loss affects this relationship. Such evidence is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of hearing loss on language development. Participants were 58 children with early-onset sensorineural hearing loss (CHL, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs) and 58 children with normal hearing (CNH, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs). Test items were consonant-vowel (CV) syllables and nonwords with intact visual speech coupled to non-intact auditory speech (excised onsets) as, for example, an intact consonant/rhyme in the visual track (Baa or Baz) coupled to non-intact onset/rhyme in the auditory track (/-B/aa or/-B/az). The items started with an easy-to-speechread/B/or difficult-to-speechread/G/onset and were presented in the auditory (static face) vs. audiovisual (dynamic face) modes. We assessed discrimination for intact vs. non-intact different pairs (e.g., Baa:/-B/aa). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more same-as opposed to different-responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. We assessed identification by repetition of nonwords with non-intact onsets (e.g.,/-B/az). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more Baz-as opposed to az- responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. Performance in the audiovisual mode showed more same

  17. Visual Speech Alters the Discrimination and Identification of Non-Intact Auditory Speech in Children with Hearing Loss

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jerger, Susan; Damian, Markus F.; McAlpine, Rachel P.; Abdi, Hervé

    2017-01-01

    Objectives Understanding spoken language is an audiovisual event that depends critically on the ability to discriminate and identify phonemes yet we have little evidence about the role of early auditory experience and visual speech on the development of these fundamental perceptual skills. Objectives of this research were to determine 1) how visual speech influences phoneme discrimination and identification; 2) whether visual speech influences these two processes in a like manner, such that discrimination predicts identification; and 3) how the degree of hearing loss affects this relationship. Such evidence is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of hearing loss on language development. Methods Participants were 58 children with early-onset sensorineural hearing loss (CHL, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs) and 58 children with normal hearing (CNH, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs). Test items were consonant-vowel (CV) syllables and nonwords with intact visual speech coupled to non-intact auditory speech (excised onsets) as, for example, an intact consonant/rhyme in the visual track (Baa or Baz) coupled to non-intact onset/rhyme in the auditory track (/–B/aa or /–B/az). The items started with an easy-to-speechread /B/ or difficult-to-speechread /G/ onset and were presented in the auditory (static face) vs. audiovisual (dynamic face) modes. We assessed discrimination for intact vs. non-intact different pairs (e.g., Baa:/–B/aa). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more same—as opposed to different—responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. We assessed identification by repetition of nonwords with non-intact onsets (e.g., /–B/az). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more Baz—as opposed to az— responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. Results

  18. Coupling Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOE) and ammonia production plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cinti, Giovanni; Frattini, Domenico; Jannelli, Elio; Desideri, Umberto; Bidini, Gianni

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • An innovative NH 3 production plant was designed. • CO 2 emissions and energy consumption are studied in three different designs. • High temperature electrolysis allows to achieve high efficiency and heat recovery. • The coupling permits storage of electricity into a liquid carbon free chemical. - Abstract: Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals worldwide and is currently synthesized using nitrogen separated from air and hydrogen from natural gas reforming with consequent high consumption of fossil fuel and high emission of CO 2 . A renewable path for ammonia production is desirable considering the potential development of ammonia as energy carrier. This study reports design and analysis of an innovative system for the production of green ammonia using electricity from renewable energy sources. This concept couples Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE), for the production of hydrogen, with an improved Haber Bosch Reactor (HBR), for ammonia synthesis. An air separator is also introduced to supply pure nitrogen. SOE operates with extremely high efficiency recovering high temperature heat from the Haber-Bosch reactor. Aspen was used to develop a model to study the performance of the plant. Both the SOE and the HBR operate at 650 °C. Ammonia production with zero emission of CO 2 can be obtained with a reduction of 40% of power input compared to equivalent plants.

  19. Comparison of Intact PTH and Bio-Intact PTH Assays Among Non-Dialysis Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Einbinder, Yael; Benchetrit, Sydney; Golan, Eliezer; Zitman-Gal, Tali

    2017-09-01

    The third-generation bio-intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) (1-84) assay was designed to overcome problems associated with the detection of C-terminal fragments by the second-generation intact PTH assay. The two assays have been compared primarily among dialysis populations. The present study evaluated the correlations and differences between these two PTH assays among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 3 to 5 not yet on dialysis. Blood samples were collected from 98 patients with CKD stages 3 to 5. PTH concentrations were measured simultaneously by using the second-generation - PTH intact-STAT and third-generation bio-intact 1-84 PTH assays. Other serum biomarkers of bone mineral disorders were also assessed. CKD stage was calculated by using the CKD-Epidemiology Collaboration (EPI) formula. Serum bio-intact PTH concentrations were strongly correlated but significantly lower than the intact PTH concentrations (r=0.963, Pbio-intact PTH) positively correlated with urea (r=0.523, r=0.504; P=0.002, respectively), phosphorus (r=0.532, r=0.521; Pbio-intact PTH assay detected significantly lower PTH concentrations compared with intact PTH assay. Additional studies that correlate the diagnosis and management of CKD mineral and bone disorders with bone histomorphometric findings are needed to determine whether bio-intact PTH assay results are better surrogate markers in these early stages of CKD. © The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine

  20. Quantitative proteomic analysis of intact plastids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiraya, Takeshi; Kaneko, Kentaro; Mitsui, Toshiaki

    2014-01-01

    Plastids are specialized cell organelles in plant cells that are differentiated into various forms including chloroplasts, chromoplasts, and amyloplasts, and fulfill important functions in maintaining the overall cell metabolism and sensing environmental factors such as sunlight. It is therefore important to grasp the mechanisms of differentiation and functional changes of plastids in order to enhance the understanding of vegetality. In this chapter, details of a method for the extraction of intact plastids that makes analysis possible while maintaining the plastid functions are provided; in addition, a quantitative shotgun method for analyzing the composition and changes in the content of proteins in plastids as a result of environmental impacts is described.

  1. Problems of autonomy in coupled double-circuit systems of modern power plant automatic control systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilenko, V.A.; Davydov, N.I.

    1979-01-01

    Studied is the problem of autonomy in multicircuit systems of modern power plant automatic control systems; each part of the system has been carried out using the double-circuit scheme. Presented are the problems of neutralization of coupling between separate channels of power plant automatic control system. The conditions of autonomy in coupled double-circuit systems are obtained. The transfer functions of compensation devices are obtained and the variants of their connecting schemes are presented. Analyzed are possible variants of simplification of the coupled system adjustment process by its reduction to the series of consequent steps without using iteration procedures

  2. Plant stress signalling: understanding and exploiting plant-plant interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pickett, J A; Rasmussen, H B; Woodcock, C M; Matthes, M; Napier, J A

    2003-02-01

    When plants are attacked by insects, volatile chemical signals can be released, not only from the damaged parts, but also systemically from other parts of the plant and this continues after cessation of feeding by the insect. These signals are perceived by olfactory sensory mechanisms in both the herbivorous insects and their parasites. Molecular structures involved can be characterized by means of electrophysiological assays, using the insect sensory system linked to chemical analysis. Evidence is mounting that such signals can also affect neighbouring intact plants, which initiate defence by the induction of further signalling systems, such as those that increase parasitoid foraging. Furthermore, insect electrophysiology can be used in the identification of plant compounds having effects on the plants themselves. It has been found recently that certain plants can release stress signals even when undamaged, and that these can cause defence responses in intact plants. These discoveries provide the basis for new crop protection strategies, that are either delivered by genetic modification of plants or by conventionally produced plants to which the signal is externally applied. Delivery can also be made by means of mixed seed strategies in which the provoking and recipient plants are grown together. Related signalling discoveries within the rhizosphere seem set to extend these approaches into new ways of controlling weeds, by exploiting the elusive potential of allelopathy, but through signalling rather than by direct physiological effects.

  3. Electric power generating plant having direct-coupled steam and compressed-air cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drost, M.K.

    1981-01-07

    An electric power generating plant is provided with a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system which is directly coupled to the steam cycle of the generating plant. The CAES system is charged by the steam boiler during off peak hours, and drives a separate generator during peak load hours. The steam boiler load is thereby levelized throughout an operating day.

  4. Electric power generating plant having direct coupled steam and compressed air cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drost, Monte K.

    1982-01-01

    An electric power generating plant is provided with a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system which is directly coupled to the steam cycle of the generating plant. The CAES system is charged by the steam boiler during off peak hours, and drives a separate generator during peak load hours. The steam boiler load is thereby levelized throughout an operating day.

  5. System Simulation of Nuclear Power Plant by Coupling RELAP5 and Matlab/Simulink

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meng Lin; Dong Hou; Zhihong Xu; Yanhua Yang; Ronghua Zhang

    2006-01-01

    Since RELAP5 code has general and advanced features in thermal-hydraulic computation, it has been widely used in transient and accident safety analysis, experiment planning analysis, and system simulation, etc. So we wish to design, analyze, verify a new Instrumentation And Control (I and C) system of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) based on the best-estimated code, and even develop our engineering simulator. But because of limited function of simulating control and protection system in RELAP5, it is necessary to expand the function for high efficient, accurate, flexible design and simulation of I and C system. Matlab/Simulink, a scientific computation software, just can compensate the limitation, which is a powerful tool in research and simulation of plant process control. The software is selected as I and C part to be coupled with RELAP5 code to realize system simulation of NPPs. There are two key techniques to be solved. One is the dynamic data exchange, by which Matlab/Simulink receives plant parameters and returns control results. Database is used to communicate the two codes. Accordingly, Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is applied to link database in RELAP5, while DLL and S-Function is applied in Matlab/Simulink. The other problem is synchronization between the two codes for ensuring consistency in global simulation time. Because Matlab/Simulink always computes faster than RELAP5, the simulation time is sent by RELAP5 and received by Matlab/Simulink. A time control subroutine is added into the simulation procedure of Matlab/Simulink to control its simulation advancement. Through these ways, Matlab/Simulink is dynamically coupled with RELAP5. Thus, in Matlab/Simulink, we can freely design control and protection logic of NPPs and test it with best-estimated plant model feedback. A test will be shown to illuminate that results of coupling calculation are nearly the same with one of single RELAP5 with control logic. In practice, a real Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) is

  6. Coupling sensing to crop models for closed-loop plant production in advanced life support systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cavazzoni, James; Ling, Peter P.

    1999-01-01

    We present a conceptual framework for coupling sensing to crop models for closed-loop analysis of plant production for NASA's program in advanced life support. Crop status may be monitored through non-destructive observations, while models may be independently applied to crop production planning and decision support. To achieve coupling, environmental variables and observations are linked to mode inputs and outputs, and monitoring results compared with model predictions of plant growth and development. The information thus provided may be useful in diagnosing problems with the plant growth system, or as a feedback to the model for evaluation of plant scheduling and potential yield. In this paper, we demonstrate this coupling using machine vision sensing of canopy height and top projected canopy area, and the CROPGRO crop growth model. Model simulations and scenarios are used for illustration. We also compare model predictions of the machine vision variables with data from soybean experiments conducted at New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station Horticulture Greenhouse Facility, Rutgers University. Model simulations produce reasonable agreement with the available data, supporting our illustration.

  7. Decarboxylation of Malate in the Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Plant Bryophyllum (Kalanchoe) fedtschenkoi (Role of NAD-Malic Enzyme).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, R. M.; Lindsay, J. G.; Wilkins, M. B.; Nimmo, H. G.

    1995-01-01

    The role of NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) in the Crassulacean acid metabolism plant Bryophyllum (Kalanchoe) fedtschenkoi was investigated using preparations of intact and solubilized mitochondria from fully expanded leaves. Intact, coupled mitochondria isolated during the day or night did not differ in their ability to take up [14C]malic acid from the surrounding medium or to respire using malate or succinate as substrate. However, intact mitochondria isolated from plants during the day decarboxylated added malate to pyruvate significantly faster than mitochondria isolated from plants at night. NAD-ME activity in solubilized mitochondrial extracts showed hysteretic kinetics and was stimulated by a number of activators, including acetyl-coenzyme A, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, and sulfate ions. In the absence of these effectors, reaction progress curves were nonlinear, with a pronounced acceleration phase. The lag period before a steady-state rate was reached in assays of mitochondrial extracts decreased during the photoperiod and increased slowly during the period of darkness. However, these changes in the kinetic properties of the enzyme could not account for the changes in the rate of decarboxylation of malate by intact mitochondria. Gel-filtration experiments showed that mitochondrial extracts contained three forms of NAD-ME with different molecular weights. The relative proportions of the three forms varied somewhat throughout the light/dark cycle, but this did not account for the changes in the kinetics behavior of the enzyme during the diurnal cycle. PMID:12228671

  8. Quantitative Analysis of Human Salivary Gland-Derived Intact Proteome Using Top-Down Mass Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Si; Brown, Joseph N.; Tolic, Nikola; Meng, Da; Liu, Xiaowen; Zhang, Haizhen; Zhao, Rui; Moore, Ronald J.; Pevzner, Pavel A.; Smith, Richard D.; Pasa-Tolic, Ljiljana

    2014-05-31

    There are several notable challenges inherent to fully characterizing the entirety of the human saliva proteome using bottom-up approaches, including polymorphic isoforms, post-translational modifications, unique splice variants, deletions, and truncations. To address these challenges, we have developed a top-down based liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach, which cataloged 20 major human salivary proteins with a total of 83 proteoforms, containing a broad range of post-translational modifications. Among these proteins, several previously reported disease biomarker proteins were identified at the intact protein level, such as beta-2 microglobulin (B2M). In addition, intact glycosylated proteoforms of several saliva proteins were also characterized, including intact N-glycosylated protein prolactin inducible protein (PIP) and O-glycosylated acidic protein rich protein (aPRP). These characterized proteoforms constitute an intact saliva proteoform database, which was used for quantitative comparison of intact salivary proteoforms among six healthy individuals. Human parotid (PS) and submandibular/sublingual gland (SMSL) secretion samples (2 μg of protein each) from six healthy individuals were compared using RPLC coupled with the 12T FTICR mass spectrometer. Significantly different protein and PTM patterns were resolved with high reproducibility between PS and SMSL glands. The results from this study provide further insight into the potential mechanisms of PTM pathways in oral glandular secretion, expanding our knowledge of this complex yet easily accessible fluid. Intact protein LC-MS approach presented herein can potentially be applied for rapid and accurate identification of biomarkers from only a few microliters of human glandular saliva.

  9. Trace coupled with PARCS benchmark against Leibstadt plant data during the turbine trip test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sekhri, Abdelkrim; Baumann, Peter, E-mail: abdelkrim.sekhri@kkl.ch, E-mail: peter.Baumann@kkl.ch [KernkraftwerkLeibstadt AG, Leibstadt (Switzerland); Hidalga, Patricio; Morera, Daniel; Miro, Rafael; Barrachina, Teresa; Verdu, Gumersindo, E-mail: pathigar@etsii.upv.es, E-mail: dmorera@isirym.upv.es, E-mail: rmiro@isirym.upv.es, E-mail: tbarrachina@isirym.upv.es, E-mail: gverdu@isirym.upv.es [Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (ISIRYM/UPV), Valencia, (Spain). Institute for Industrial, Radiophysical and Environmental Safety

    2013-07-01

    In order to enhance the modeling of Nuclear Power Plant Leibstadt (KKL), the coupling of 3D neutron kinetics PARCS code with TRACE has been developed. To test its performance a complex transient of Turbine Trip has been simulated comparing the results with the existing plant data of Turbine Trip test. For this transient also Cross Sections have been generated and used by PARCS. The thermal-hydraulic TRACE model is retrieved from the already existing model. For the benchmarking the Turbine Trip transient has been simulated according to the test resulting in the closure of the turbine control valve (TCV) and the following opening of the bypass valve (TBV). This transient caused a pressure shock wave towards the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) which provoked the decreasing of the void level and the consequent slight power excursion. The power control capacity of the system showed a good response with the procedure of a Selected Rod Insertion (SRI) and the recirculation loops performance which resulted in the proper thermal power reduction comparable to APRM data recorder from the plant. The comparison with plant data shows good agreement in general and assesses the performance of the coupled model. Due to this, it can be concluded that the coupling of PARCS and TRACE codes in addition with the Cross Section used works successfully for simulating the behavior of the reactor core during complex plant transients. Nevertheless the TRACE model shall be improved and the core neutronics corresponding to the test shall be used in the future to allow quantitative comparison between TRACE and plant recorded data. (author)

  10. The effect of plant water storage on water fluxes within the coupled soil-plant system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cheng-Wei; Domec, Jean-Christophe; Ward, Eric J; Duman, Tomer; Manoli, Gabriele; Parolari, Anthony J; Katul, Gabriel G

    2017-02-01

    In addition to buffering plants from water stress during severe droughts, plant water storage (PWS) alters many features of the spatio-temporal dynamics of water movement in the soil-plant system. How PWS impacts water dynamics and drought resilience is explored using a multi-layer porous media model. The model numerically resolves soil-plant hydrodynamics by coupling them to leaf-level gas exchange and soil-root interfacial layers. Novel features of the model are the considerations of a coordinated relationship between stomatal aperture variation and whole-system hydraulics and of the effects of PWS and nocturnal transpiration (Fe,night) on hydraulic redistribution (HR) in the soil. The model results suggest that daytime PWS usage and Fe,night generate a residual water potential gradient (Δψp,night) along the plant vascular system overnight. This Δψp,night represents a non-negligible competing sink strength that diminishes the significance of HR. Considering the co-occurrence of PWS usage and HR during a single extended dry-down, a wide range of plant attributes and environmental/soil conditions selected to enhance or suppress plant drought resilience is discussed. When compared with HR, model calculations suggest that increased root water influx into plant conducting-tissues overnight maintains a more favorable water status at the leaf, thereby delaying the onset of drought stress. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  11. Positive Youth Development, Life Satisfaction and Problem Behaviors of Adolescents in Intact and Non-Intact Families in Hong Kong

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Tan Lei Shek

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated whether Chinese adolescents living in intact and non-intact families differed in their positive development, life satisfaction, and risk behavior. A total of 3,328 Secondary 1 students responded to measures of positive youth development (such as resilience and psychosocial competencies, life satisfaction, and risk behavior (substance abuse, delinquency, Internet addiction, consumption of pornographic materials, self-harm, and behavioral intention to engage in problem behavior. Findings revealed that adolescents growing up in intact families reported higher levels of positive developmental outcomes and life satisfaction as compared with adolescents from non-intact families. Adolescents in non-intact families also reported higher levels of risk behaviors than those growing up in intact families.

  12. Predicting water-holding capacity of intact chicken broiler breast fillets with Vis/NIR spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ability of using visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy to predict water-holding capacity (WHC) of intact chicken broiler breast fillets (pectoralis major) was assessed in this study. Boneless and skinless chicken fillets (214 in total) were procured from a commercial processing plant ...

  13. Investigating uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS quantum dot nanoparticles by Arabidopsis thaliana plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Navarro, Divina A.; Bisson, Mary A.; Aga, Diana S.

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: This study highlights the importance of quantum dot (QD) structural stability in preventing phytotoxicity. Overall, there is no evidence that Arabidopsis thaliana plants can internalize intact QDs within 1–7 days of exposure, with or without humic acids. Highlights: ► Potential uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS QDs by Arabidopsis was demonstrated. ► QDs were not internalized by Arabidopsis as intact particles. ► Plants exposed to Cd-, Se-, and QD + HA suspensions experienced oxidative stress. ► An effective LC–MS method proves detection of low levels of glutathione in plants. ► Uptake of Cd and/or Se leached from QDs is of major concern. - Abstract: Interest on the environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials has rapidly increased over the past years because it is expected that these materials will eventually be released into the environment. The present work investigates the potential root uptake of water-dispersible CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) by the model plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. Experiments revealed that Arabidopsis exposed to QDs that are dispersed in Hoagland's solution for 1–7 days did not internalize intact QDs. Analysis of Cd and Se concentrations in roots and leaves by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicated that Cd and Se from QD-treated plants were not translocated into the leaves, and remained in the root system of Arabidopsis. Furthermore, fluorescence microscopy showed strong evidence that the QDs were generally on the outside surfaces of the roots, where the amount of QDs adsorbed is dependent on the stability of the QDs in suspension. Despite no evidence of nanoparticle internalization, the ratio of reduced glutathione levels (GSH) relative to the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in plants decreased when plants were exposed to QD dispersions containing humic acids, suggesting that QDs caused oxidative stress on the plant at this condition.

  14. A small floating seawater desalination plant using a nuclear heating reactor coupled with the MED process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Duo; Wu Shaorong; Zhang Dafang; Wu Zongxin

    1997-01-01

    A small floating seawater desalination plant using a nuclear heating reactor coupled with a multi-effect distillation (MED) process was designed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University of China. It was intended to supply potable water to remove coastal areas or islands where both fresh water and energy are severely lacking, and also to serve as a demonstration and training facility. The design of a small floating plant coupled two proven technologies in the cogeneration mode: a nuclear heating reactor (NHR-10), with inherent, passive safety features based on NHR-5 experience, and a low temperature MED process. The secondary loop was designed as a safety barrier between the primary loop and the steam loop. With a 10 MW(th) heating reactor, the floating plant could provide 4,000 m 3 /d of potable water and 750 kW of electricity. The design concept and parameters, safety features, coupling scheme and floating plant layout are presented in the paper. (author). 3 refs, 4 figs, 3 tabs

  15. Exploratory investigations of hypervelocity intact capture spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsou, P.; Griffiths, D. J.

    1993-01-01

    The ability to capture hypervelocity projectiles intact opens a new technique available for hypervelocity research. A determination of the reactions taking place between the projectile and the capture medium during the process of intact capture is extremely important to an understanding of the intact capture phenomenon, to improving the capture technique, and to developing a theory describing the phenomenon. The intact capture of hypervelocity projectiles by underdense media generates spectra, characteristic of the material species of projectile and capture medium involved. Initial exploratory results into real-time characterization of hypervelocity intact capture techniques by spectroscopy include ultra-violet and visible spectra obtained by use of reflecting gratings, transmitting gratings, and prisms, and recorded by photographic and electronic means. Spectrometry proved to be a valuable real-time diagnostic tool for hypervelocity intact capture events, offering understanding of the interactions of the projectile and the capture medium during the initial period and providing information not obtainable by other characterizations. Preliminary results and analyses of spectra produced by the intact capture of hypervelocity aluminum spheres in polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU) foams are presented. Included are tentative emission species identifications, as well as gray body temperatures produced in the intact capture process.

  16. Plant uptake of pentachlorophenol from sludge-amended soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellin, C.A.; O'Connor, G.A.

    1990-01-01

    A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effects of sludge on plant uptake of 14 C-pentachlorophenol (PCP). Plants included tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), lettuce (Latuca sativa L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.), and chile pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Minimal intact PCP was detected in the fescue and lettuce by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. No intact PCP was detected in the carrot tissue extracts. Chile pepper was not analyzed for intact PCP because methylene chloride extracts contained minimal 14 C. The GC/MS analysis of soil extracts at harvest suggests a half-life of PCP of about 10 d independent of sludge rate or PCP loading rate. Rapid degradation of PCP in the soil apparently limited PCP availability to the plant. Bioconcentration factors (dry plant wt./initial soil PCP concentration) based on intact PCP were < 0.01 for all crops, suggesting little PCP uptake. Thus, food-chain crop PCP uptake in these alkaline soils should not limit land application of sludge

  17. Intact glycopeptide characterization using mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Li; Qu, Yi; Zhang, Zhaorui; Wang, Zhe; Prytkova, Iya; Wu, Si

    2016-05-01

    Glycosylation is one of the most prominent and extensively studied protein post-translational modifications. However, traditional proteomic studies at the peptide level (bottom-up) rarely characterize intact glycopeptides (glycosylated peptides without removing glycans), so no glycoprotein heterogeneity information is retained. Intact glycopeptide characterization, on the other hand, provides opportunities to simultaneously elucidate the glycan structure and the glycosylation site needed to reveal the actual biological function of protein glycosylation. Recently, significant improvements have been made in the characterization of intact glycopeptides, ranging from enrichment and separation, mass spectroscopy (MS) detection, to bioinformatics analysis. In this review, we recapitulated currently available intact glycopeptide characterization methods with respect to their advantages and limitations as well as their potential applications.

  18. Intactness of cell wall structure controls the in vitro digestion of starch in legumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhital, Sushil; Bhattarai, Rewati R; Gorham, John; Gidley, Michael J

    2016-03-01

    Increasing the level of starch that is not digested by the end of the small intestine and therefore enters the colon ('resistant starch') is a major opportunity for improving the nutritional profile of foods. One mechanism that has been shown to be successful is entrapment of starch within an intact plant tissue structure. However, the level of tissue intactness required for resistance to amylase digestion has not been defined. In this study, intact cells were isolated from a range of legumes after thermal treatment at 60 °C (starch not gelatinised) or 95 °C (starch gelatinised) followed by hydrolysis using pancreatic alpha amylase. It was found that intact cells, isolated at either temperature, were impervious to amylase. However, application of mechanical force damaged the cell wall and made starch accessible to digestive enzymes. This shows that the access of enzymes to the entrapped swollen starch is the rate limiting step controlling hydrolysis of starch in cooked legumes. The results suggest that a single cell wall could be sufficient to provide an effective delivery of starch to the large intestine with consequent nutritional benefits, provided that mechanical damage during digestion is avoided.

  19. Coupling methods for parallel running RELAPSim codes in nuclear power plant simulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yankai; Lin, Meng, E-mail: linmeng@sjtu.edu.cn; Yang, Yanhua

    2016-02-15

    When the plant is modeled detailedly for high precision, it is hard to achieve real-time calculation for one single RELAP5 in a large-scale simulation. To improve the speed and ensure the precision of simulation at the same time, coupling methods for parallel running RELAPSim codes were proposed in this study. Explicit coupling method via coupling boundaries was realized based on a data-exchange and procedure-control environment. Compromise of synchronization frequency was well considered to improve the precision of simulation and guarantee the real-time simulation at the same time. The coupling methods were assessed using both single-phase flow models and two-phase flow models and good agreements were obtained between the splitting–coupling models and the integrated model. The mitigation of SGTR was performed as an integral application of the coupling models. A large-scope NPP simulator was developed adopting six splitting–coupling models of RELAPSim and other simulation codes. The coupling models could improve the speed of simulation significantly and make it possible for real-time calculation. In this paper, the coupling of the models in the engineering simulator is taken as an example to expound the coupling methods, i.e., coupling between parallel running RELAPSim codes, and coupling between RELAPSim code and other types of simulation codes. However, the coupling methods are also referable in other simulator, for example, a simulator employing ATHLETE instead of RELAP5, other logic code instead of SIMULINK. It is believed the coupling method is commonly used for NPP simulator regardless of the specific codes chosen in this paper.

  20. 2-Methoxyestradiol Reduces Angiotensin II-Induced Hypertension and Renal Dysfunction in Ovariectomized Female and Intact Male Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pingili, Ajeeth K; Davidge, Karen N; Thirunavukkarasu, Shyamala; Khan, Nayaab S; Katsurada, Akemi; Majid, Dewan S A; Gonzalez, Frank J; Navar, L Gabriel; Malik, Kafait U

    2017-06-01

    Cytochrome P450 1B1 protects against angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and associated cardiovascular changes in female mice, most likely via production of 2-methoxyestradiol. This study was conducted to determine whether 2-methoxyestradiol ameliorates Ang II-induced hypertension, renal dysfunction, and end-organ damage in intact Cyp1b1 -/- , ovariectomized female, and Cyp1b1 +/+ male mice. Ang II or vehicle was infused for 2 weeks and administered concurrently with 2-methoxyestradiol. Mice were placed in metabolic cages on day 12 of Ang II infusion for urine collection for 24 hours. 2-Methoxyestradiol reduced Ang II-induced increases in systolic blood pressure, water consumption, urine output, and proteinuria in intact female Cyp1b1 -/- and ovariectomized mice. 2-Methoxyestradiol also reduced Ang II-induced increase in blood pressure, water intake, urine output, and proteinuria in Cyp1b1 +/+ male mice. Treatment with 2-methoxyestradiol attenuated Ang II-induced end-organ damage in intact Cyp1b1 -/- and ovariectomized Cyp1b1 +/+ and Cyp1b1 -/- female mice and Cyp1b1 +/+ male mice. 2-Methoxyestradiol mitigated Ang II-induced increase in urinary excretion of angiotensinogen in intact Cyp1b1 -/- and ovariectomized Cyp1b1 +/+ and Cyp1b1 -/- female mice but not in Cyp1b1 +/+ male mice. The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 antagonist G-15 failed to alter Ang II-induced increases in blood pressure and renal function in Cyp1b1 +/+ female mice. These data suggest that 2-methoxyestradiol reduces Ang II-induced hypertension and associated end-organ damage in intact Cyp1b1 -/- , ovariectomized Cyp1b1 +/+ and Cyp1b1 -/- female mice, and Cyp1b1 +/+ male mice independent of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1. Therefore, 2-methoxyestradiol could serve as a therapeutic agent for treating hypertension and associated pathogenesis in postmenopausal females, and in males. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  1. A small floating seawater desalination plant by using a nuclear heating reactor coupled with the MED process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xue Dazhi; Zhang Dafang; Dong Duo [Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

    2000-03-01

    Based on the experience of development of nuclear district heating reactor (NHR) a seawater desalination plant using NHR coupled with the multi-effect distillation (MED) process is being designed. With the same technology a floating desalination plant was proposed to supply potable water to remote areas or islands. With a 10 MWth NHR the floating plant could produce 4000 m{sup 3}/d of potable water and 750 kW of electricity. The design of NHR-10 and the safety features are described. The coupling scheme and parameters are given. Some special considerations for using in ship condition are also presented in this paper. (author)

  2. Cotton leaf curl Burewala virus with intact or mutant transcriptional activator proteins: complexity of cotton leaf curl disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Jitendra; Gunapati, Samatha; Alok, Anshu; Lalit, Adarsh; Gadre, Rekha; Sharma, Naresh C; Roy, Joy K; Singh, Sudhir P

    2015-05-01

    Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is a serious disease of cotton on the Indian subcontinent. In the present study, three cotton leaf curl viruses, cotton leaf curl Burewala virus (CLCuBuV), cotton leaf curl Kokhran virus (CLCuKoV) and cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMV), and their associated satellites, cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB) and cotton leaf curl Multan alphasatellite (CLCuMA), were detected. CLCuBuV with either intact (CLCuBuV-1) or mutant (CLCuBuV-2) transcriptional activator protein (TrAP) were detected in different plants. Agroinoculation with CLCuBuV-1 or CLCuBuV-2 together with CLCuMB and CLCuMA, resulted in typical leaf curling and stunting of tobacco plants. Inoculation with CLCuKoV or an isolate of CLCuMV (CLCuMV-2), together with CLCuMB and CLCuMA, induced severe leaf curling, while the other isolate of CLCuMV (CLCuMV-1), which was recombinant in origin, showed mild leaf curling in tobacco. To investigate the effect of intact or mutant TrAP and also the recombination events, CLCuBuV-1, CLCuBuV-2, CLCuMV-1 or CLCuMV-2 together with the satellites (CLCuMA and CLCuMB) were transferred to cotton via whitefly-mediated transmission. Cotton plants containing CLCuBuV-1, CLCuBuV-2 or CLCuMV-2 together with satellites showed curling and stunting, whereas the plants having CLCuMV-1 and the satellites showed only mild and indistinguishable symptoms. CLCuBuV-1 (intact TrAP) showed severe symptoms in comparison to CLCuBuV-2 (mutant TrAP). The present study reveals that two types of CLCuBuV, one with an intact TrAP and the other with a mutant TrAP, exist in natural infection of cotton in India. Additionally, CLCuMuV-1, which has a recombinant origin, induces mild symptoms in comparison to the other CLCuMV isolates.

  3. Quantification of plant cell coupling with three-dimensional photoactivation microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesche, J; Schulz, A

    2012-07-01

    Plant cells are directly connected by plasmodesmata that form channels through the cell wall and enable the intercellular movement of cytosolic solutes, membrane lipids and signalling molecules. Transport through plasmodesmata is regulated not only by a fixed size-exclusion limit, but also by physiological and pathological adaptation. To understand plant cell communication, carbon allocation and pathogen attack, the capacities for a specific molecule to pass a specific cell-wall interface is an essential parameter. So far, the degree of cell coupling was derived from frequency and diameter of plasmodesmata in relevant tissues as assessed by electron microscopy of fixed material. However, plasmodesmata functionality and capacity can only be determined in live material, not from electron microscopy, which is static and prone to fixation artefacts. Plasmodesmata functionality was a few times assessed using fluorescent tracers with diffusion properties similar to cytosolic solutes. Here, we used three-dimensional photoactivation microscopy to quantify plasmodesmata-mediated cell-wall permeability between living Cucurbita maxima leaf mesophyll cells with caged fluorescein as tracer. For the first time, all necessary functional and anatomical data were gathered for each individual cell from three-dimensional time series. This approach utilized a confocal microscope equipped with resonant scanner, which provides the high acquisition speed necessary to record optical sections of whole cells and offers time resolution high enough to follow the kinetics of photoactivation. The results were compared to two-dimensional measurements, which are shown to give a good estimate of cell coupling adequate for homogenous tissues. The two-dimensional approach is limited whenever tissues interfaces are studied that couple different cell types with diverse cell geometries. © 2011 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2011 Royal Microscopical Society.

  4. Serum steroid levels in intact and endocrine ablated BALB/c nude mice and their intact littermates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brünner, N; Svenstrup, B; Spang-Thomsen, M

    1986-01-01

    An investigation was made of the serum steroid levels found in intact and endocrine ablated nude mice of both sexes and in their intact homozygous littermates. The results showed that nude mice have a normal steroidogenesis, but with decreased levels of circulating steroids compared to those...

  5. A new infusion pathway intactness monitoring system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Hidekuni; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Maki, Hiromichi; Ninomiya, Ishio; Sata, Koji; Hamada, Shingo; Caldwell, W Morton

    2006-01-01

    A new infusion pathway monitoring system has been developed for hospital and home use. The system consists of linear integrated circuits and a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer which constantly monitors the infusion pathway intactness. An AC (alternating current) voltage is induced on the patient's body by electrostatic coupling from the normal 100 volt, 60 Hz AC power line wiring field in the patient's room. The induced AC voltage can be recorded by a main electrode wrapped around the infusion polyvinyl chloride tube. A reference electrode is wrapped on the electrode to monitor the AC voltage around the main electrode. If the injection needle or infusion tube becomes detached, then the system detects changes in the induced AC voltages and alerts the nursing station, via the nurse call system or PHS (personal handy phone system).

  6. Safety study of the coupling of a VHTR with a hydrogen production plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertrand, F.; Germain, T.; Bentivoglio, F.; Bonnet, F.; Moyart, Q.; Aujollet, P.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → The paper deals with safety issues of the coupling of a VHTR with a H 2 production plant. → Internal incidents/accidents in the coupling system have been studied with the CATHARE2 code. → Transient studies have indicated a substantial grace delay when the VHTR faces the H 2 plant disturbances. → Hydrogen release and combustion leads to safety distances of about 100 m. → No showstopper has been put in evidence regarding the feasibility of the VHTR/H 2 plant coupling. - Abstract: The present paper deals with specific safety issues resulting from the coupling of a nuclear reactor (very high temperature reactor, VHTR) with a hydrogen production plant (HYPP). The first part is devoted to the safety approach consisting in taking into account the safety standards and rules dedicated to the nuclear facility as well as those dedicated to the process industry. This approach enabled two main families of events to be distinguished: the so-called internal events taking place in the coupling circuit (transients, breaks in pipes and in heat exchangers) and the external events able to threat the integrity of the various equipments (in particular the VHTR containment and emergency cooling system) that could result from accidents in the HYPP. By considering a hydrogen production by means of the iodine/sulfur (IS) process, the consequences of the both families of events aforementioned have been assessed in order to provide an order of magnitude of the effects of the incidents and accidents and also in order to propose safety provisions to mitigate these effects when it is necessary. The study of transients induced by a failure of a part of the HYPP has shown the possibility to keep the part of the HYPP unaffected by the transient under operation by means of an adapted regulation set. Moreover, the time to react in case of transfer of corrosive products in the VHTR containment has been assessed as well as the thermohydraulic loading that would experience the

  7. A proposal for safety design philosophy of HTGR for coupling hydrogen production plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Tazawa, Yujiro; Imai, Yoshiyuki; Nakagawa, Shigeaki; Tachibana, Yukio; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

    2013-06-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting research and development for hydrogen production utilizing heat from High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs). Towards the realization of nuclear hydrogen production, coupled hydrogen production plants should not be treated as an extension of a nuclear plant in order to open the door for the entry of non-nuclear industries as well as assuring reactor safety against postulated abnormal events initiated in the hydrogen production plants. Since hydrogen production plant utilizing nuclear heat has never been built in the world, little attention has been given to the establishment of a safety design for such system including the High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). In the present study, requirements in order to design, construct and operate hydrogen production plants under conventional chemical plant standards are identified. In addition, design considerations for safety design of nuclear facility are suggested. Furthermore, feasibility of proposed safety design and design considerations are evaluated. (author)

  8. Examining an underappreciated control on lignin decomposition in soils? Effects of reactive manganese species on intact plant cell walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiluweit, M.; Bougoure, J.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Kleber, M.; Nico, P. S.

    2011-12-01

    Lignin comprises a dominant proportion of carbon fluxes into the soil (representing up to 50% of plant litter and roots). Two lines of evidence suggest that manganese (Mn) acts as a strong controlling factor on the residence time of lignin in soil ecosystems. First, Mn content is highly correlated with litter decomposition in temperate and boreal forest soil ecosystems and, second, microbial agents of lignin degradation have been reported to rely on reactive Mn(III)-complexes to specifically oxidize lignin. However, few attempts have been made to isolate the mechanisms responsible for the apparent Mn-dependence of lignin decomposition in soils. Here we tested the hypothesis that Mn(III)-oxalate complexes may act as a perforating 'pretreatment' for structurally intact plant cell walls. We propose that these diffusible oxidizers are small enough to penetrate and react with non-porous ligno-cellulose in cell walls. This process was investigated by reacting single Zinnia elegans tracheary elements with Mn(III)-oxalate complexes in a continuous flow-through microreactor. The uniformity of cultured tracheary elements allowed us to examine Mn(III)-induced changes in cell wall chemistry and ultrastructure on the micro-scale using fluorescence and electron microscopy as well as synchrotron-based infrared and X-ray spectromicroscopy. Our results show that Mn(III)-complexes substantially oxidize specific lignin components of the cell wall, solubilize decomposition products, severely undermine the cell wall integrity, and cause cell lysis. We conclude that Mn(III)-complexes induce oxidative damage in plant cell walls that renders ligno-cellulose substrates more accessible for microbial lignin- and cellulose-decomposing enzymes. Implications of our results for the rate limiting impact of soil Mn speciation and availability on litter decomposition in forest soils will be discussed.

  9. Isolation of intact sub-dermal secretory cavities from Eucalyptus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goodger Jason QD

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The biosynthesis of plant natural products in sub-dermal secretory cavities is poorly understood at the molecular level, largely due to the difficulty of physically isolating these structures for study. Our aim was to develop a protocol for isolating live and intact sub-dermal secretory cavities, and to do this, we used leaves from three species of Eucalyptus with cavities that are relatively large and rich in essential oils. Results Leaves were digested using a variety of commercially available enzymes. A pectinase from Aspergillus niger was found to allow isolation of intact cavities after a relatively short incubation (12 h, with no visible artifacts from digestion and no loss of cellular integrity or cavity contents. Several measurements indicated the potential of the isolated cavities for further functional studies. First, the cavities were found to consume oxygen at a rate that is comparable to that estimated from leaf respiratory rates. Second, mRNA was extracted from cavities, and it was used to amplify a cDNA fragment with high similarity to that of a monoterpene synthase. Third, the contents of the cavity lumen were extracted, showing an unexpectedly low abundance of volatile essential oils and a sizeable amount of non-volatile material, which is contrary to the widely accepted role of secretory cavities as predominantly essential oil repositories. Conclusions The protocol described herein is likely to be adaptable to a range of Eucalyptus species with sub-dermal secretory cavities, and should find wide application in studies of the developmental and functional biology of these structures, and the biosynthesis of the plant natural products they contain.

  10. Design Configurations and Coupling High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor and Hydrogen Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang H. Oh; Eung Soo Kim; Steven Sherman

    2008-01-01

    The US Department of Energy is investigating the use of high-temperature nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen using either thermochemical cycles or high-temperature electrolysis. Although the hydrogen production processes are in an early stage of development, coupling either of these processes to the high-temperature reactor requires both efficient heat transfer and adequate separation of the facilities to assure that off-normal events in the production facility do not impact the nuclear power plant. An intermediate heat transport loop will be required to separate the operations and safety functions of the nuclear and hydrogen plants. A next generation high-temperature reactor could be envisioned as a single-purpose facility that produces hydrogen or a dual-purpose facility that produces hydrogen and electricity. Early plants, such as the proposed Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), may be dual-purpose facilities that demonstrate both hydrogen and efficient electrical generation. Later plants could be single-purpose facilities. At this stage of development, both single- and dual-purpose facilities need to be understood

  11. In Vivo Quantification of Cell Coupling in Plants with Different Phloem-Loading Strategies[W][OA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesche, Johannes; Schulz, Alexander

    2012-01-01

    Uptake of photoassimilates into the leaf phloem is the key step in carbon partitioning and phloem transport. Symplasmic and apoplasmic loading strategies have been defined in different plant taxa based on the abundance of plasmodesmata between mesophyll and phloem. For apoplasmic loading to occur, an absence of plasmodesmata is a sufficient but not a necessary criterion, as passage of molecules through plasmodesmata might well be blocked or restricted. Here, we present a noninvasive, whole-plant approach to test symplasmic coupling and quantify the intercellular flux of small molecules using photoactivation microscopy. Quantification of coupling between all cells along the prephloem pathways of the apoplasmic loader Vicia faba and Nicotiana tabacum showed, to our knowledge for the first time in vivo, that small solutes like sucrose can diffuse through plasmodesmata up to the phloem sieve element companion cell complex (SECCC). As expected, the SECCC was found to be symplasmically isolated for small solutes. In contrast, the prephloem pathway of the symplasmic loader Cucurbita maxima was found to be well coupled with the SECCC. Phloem loading in gymnosperms is not well understood, due to a profoundly different leaf anatomy and a scarcity of molecular data compared with angiosperms. A cell-coupling analysis for Pinus sylvestris showed high symplasmic coupling along the entire prephloem pathway, comprising at least seven cell border interfaces between mesophyll and sieve elements. Cell coupling together with measurements of leaf sap osmolality indicate a passive symplasmic loading type. Similarities and differences of this loading type with that of angiosperm trees are discussed. PMID:22422939

  12. MRI of plants and foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van As, Henk; van Duynhoven, John

    2013-04-01

    The importance and prospects for MRI as applied to intact plants and to foods are presented in view of one of humanity's most pressing concerns, the sustainable and healthy feeding of a worldwide increasing population. Intact plants and foods have in common that their functionality is determined by complex multiple length scale architectures. Intact plants have an additional level of complexity since they are living systems which critically depend on transport and signalling processes between and within tissues and organs. The combination of recent cutting-edge technical advances and integration of MRI accessible parameters has the perspective to contribute to breakthroughs in understanding complex regulatory plant performance mechanisms. In food science and technology MRI allows for quantitative multi-length scale structural assessment of food systems, non-invasive monitoring of heat and mass transport during shelf-life and processing, and for a unique view on food properties under shear. These MRI applications are powerful enablers of rationally (re)designed food formulations and processes. Limitations and bottlenecks of the present plant and food MRI methods are mainly related to short T2 values and susceptibility artefacts originating from small air spaces in tissues/materials. We envisage cross-fertilisation of solutions to overcome these hurdles in MRI applications in plants and foods. For both application areas we witness a development where MRI is moving from highly specialised equipment to mobile and downscaled versions to be used by a broad user base in the field, greenhouse, food laboratory or factory.

  13. Intact glycopeptide characterization using mass spectrometry

    OpenAIRE

    Cao, Li; Qu, Yi; Zhang, Zhaorui; Wang, Zhe; Prykova, Iya; Wu, Si

    2016-01-01

    Glycosylation is one of the most prominent and extensively studied protein post-translational modifications. However, traditional proteomic studies at the peptide level (bottom-up) rarely characterize intact glycopeptides (glycosylated peptides without removing glycans), so no glycoprotein heterogeneity information is retained. Intact glycopeptide characterization, on the other hand, provides opportunities to simultaneously elucidate the glycan structure and the glycosylation site needed to r...

  14. Common mycorrhizal networks amplify competition by preferential mineral nutrient allocation to large host plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weremijewicz, Joanna; Sternberg, Leonel da Silveira Lobo O'Reilly; Janos, David P

    2016-10-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi interconnect plants in common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) which can amplify competition among neighbors. Amplified competition might result from the fungi supplying mineral nutrients preferentially to hosts that abundantly provide fixed carbon, as suggested by research with organ-cultured roots. We examined whether CMNs supplied (15) N preferentially to large, nonshaded, whole plants. We conducted an intraspecific target-neighbor pot experiment with Andropogon gerardii and several AM fungi in intact, severed or prevented CMNs. Neighbors were supplied (15) N, and half of the target plants were shaded. Intact CMNs increased target dry weight (DW), intensified competition and increased size inequality. Shading decreased target weight, but shaded plants in intact CMNs had mycorrhizal colonization similar to that of sunlit plants. AM fungi in intact CMNs acquired (15) N from the substrate of neighbors and preferentially allocated it to sunlit, large, target plants. Sunlit, intact CMN, target plants acquired as much as 27% of their nitrogen from the vicinity of their neighbors, but shaded targets did not. These results suggest that AM fungi in CMNs preferentially provide mineral nutrients to those conspecific host individuals best able to provide them with fixed carbon or representing the strongest sinks, thereby potentially amplifying asymmetric competition below ground. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

  15. The Cornwall-Norton model in the strong coupling regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Natale, A.A.

    1991-01-01

    The Cornwall-Norton model is studied in the strong coupling regime. It is shown that the fermionic self-energy at large momenta behaves as Σ(p) ∼ (m 2 /p) ln (p/m). We verify that in the strong coupling phase the dynamically generated masses of gauge and scalar bosons are of the same order, and the essential features of the model remain intact. (author)

  16. Prototypic and Arkypallidal Neurons in the Dopamine-Intact External Globus Pallidus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdi, Azzedine; Mallet, Nicolas; Mohamed, Foad Y.; Sharott, Andrew; Dodson, Paul D.; Nakamura, Kouichi C.; Suri, Sana; Avery, Sophie V.; Larvin, Joseph T.; Garas, Farid N.; Garas, Shady N.; Vinciati, Federica; Morin, Stéphanie; Bezard, Erwan

    2015-01-01

    Studies in dopamine-depleted rats indicate that the external globus pallidus (GPe) contains two main types of GABAergic projection cell; so-called “prototypic” and “arkypallidal” neurons. Here, we used correlative anatomical and electrophysiological approaches in rats to determine whether and how this dichotomous organization applies to the dopamine-intact GPe. Prototypic neurons coexpressed the transcription factors Nkx2-1 and Lhx6, comprised approximately two-thirds of all GPe neurons, and were the major GPe cell type innervating the subthalamic nucleus (STN). In contrast, arkypallidal neurons expressed the transcription factor FoxP2, constituted just over one-fourth of GPe neurons, and innervated the striatum but not STN. In anesthetized dopamine-intact rats, molecularly identified prototypic neurons fired at relatively high rates and with high regularity, regardless of brain state (slow-wave activity or spontaneous activation). On average, arkypallidal neurons fired at lower rates and regularities than prototypic neurons, and the two cell types could be further distinguished by the temporal coupling of their firing to ongoing cortical oscillations. Complementing the activity differences observed in vivo, the autonomous firing of identified arkypallidal neurons in vitro was slower and more variable than that of prototypic neurons, which tallied with arkypallidal neurons displaying lower amplitudes of a “persistent” sodium current important for such pacemaking. Arkypallidal neurons also exhibited weaker driven and rebound firing compared with prototypic neurons. In conclusion, our data support the concept that a dichotomous functional organization, as actioned by arkypallidal and prototypic neurons with specialized molecular, structural, and physiological properties, is fundamental to the operations of the dopamine-intact GPe. PMID:25926446

  17. Strategies for Analyzing Data from Intact Groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cross, Lawrence H.; Lane, Carolyn E.

    Action research often necessitates the use of intact groups for the comparison of educational treatments or programs. This paper considers several analytical methods that might be used for such situations when pretest scores indicate that these intact groups differ significantly initially. The methods considered include gain score analysis of…

  18. Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishioka, Ken-Ji; Carle, G. C.; Bunch, T. E.; Mendez, David J.; Ryder, J. T.

    1994-01-01

    The Small Particles Intact Capture Experiment (SPICE) will develop technologies and engineering techniques necessary to capture nearly intact, uncontaminated cosmic and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's). Successful capture of such particles will benefit the exobiology and planetary science communities by providing particulate samples that may have survived unaltered since the formation of the solar system. Characterization of these particles may contribute fundamental data to our knowledge of how these particles could have formed into our planet Earth and, perhaps, contributed to the beginnings of life. The term 'uncontaminated' means that captured cosmic and IDP particles are free of organic contamination from the capture process and the term 'nearly intact capture' means that their chemical and elemental components are not materially altered during capture. The key to capturing cosmic and IDP particles that are organic-contamination free and nearly intact is the capture medium. Initial screening of capture media included organic foams, multiple thin foil layers, and aerogel (a silica gel); but, with the exception of aerogel, the requirements of no contamination or nearly intact capture were not met. To ensure no contamination of particles in the capture process, high-purity aerogel was chosen. High-purity aerogel results in high clarity (visual clearness), a useful quality in detection and recovery of embedded captured particles from the aerogel. P. Tsou at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) originally described the use of aerogel for this purpose and reported laboratory test results. He has flown aerogel as a 'GAS-can Lid' payload on STS-47 and is evaluating the results. The Timeband Capture Cell Experiment (TICCE), a Eureca 1 experiment, is also flying aerogel and is scheduled for recovery in late April.

  19. Inductively coupled plasma for atomic emission spectroscopy at the Savannah River Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coleman, J.T.

    1986-01-01

    The Savannah River Plant atomic emission spectroscopy laboratory has been in operation for over 30 years. Routine analytical methods and instrumentation are being replaced with current technology. Laboratory renovation will include the installation of contained dual excitation sources (inductively coupled plasma and d-c arc) with a direct reading spectrometer. The instrument will be used to provide impurity analyses of plutonium, uranium, and other nuclear fuel cycle materials

  20. 50 CFR 622.38 - Landing fish intact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... that is operating under the respective trip limits. Such cut-off fish also may be sold. A maximum of... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Landing fish intact. 622.38 Section 622.38... Landing fish intact. The operator of a vessel that fishes in the EEZ is responsible for ensuring that fish...

  1. Effects of hydrolysed casein, intact casein and intact whey protein on energy expenditure and appetite regulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bendtsen, Line Quist; Lorenzen, Janne Kunchel; Gomes, Sisse

    2014-01-01

    Casein and whey differ in amino acid composition and in the rate of absorption; however, the absorption rate of casein can be increased to mimic that of whey by exogenous hydrolysis. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of hydrolysed casein (HC), intact casein (IC......) and intact whey (IW) on energy expenditure (EE) and appetite regulation, and thereby to investigate the influence of amino acid composition and the rate of absorption. In the present randomised cross-over study, twenty-four overweight and moderately obese young men and women consumed three isoenergetic...

  2. Pharmacokinetics of erythropoietin in intact and anephric dogs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, J.S.; Lertora, J.J.; Brookins, J.; Rice, J.C.; Fisher, J.W.

    1988-01-01

    The present studies were performed to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of erythropoietin in intact and anephric dogs by use of unlabeled crude native erythropoietin (nEp) and iodine 125-labeled purified recombinant erythropoietin (rEp) given by intravenous infusion for 15 minutes. Sephadex G-75 gel filtration was used to confirm that the 125I-rEp molecule remained iodinated in dog plasma during the 24-hour period of these studies. The plasma disappearance of erythropoietin conformed to a biexponential equation for both nEp and 125I-rEp, with the central compartment being larger than the peripheral compartment. The mean distribution half-life of 75.3 +/- 21.2 minutes for nEp was significantly (p less than 0.05) longer than that of 125I-rEp (23.7 +/- 5.0 minutes) in intact dogs. The intercompartmental clearance (CIic) for nEp (0.018 +/- 0.006 L/kg/hr) was significantly smaller than that of 125I-rEp (0.068 +/- 0.018 L/kg/hr) in intact dogs (p less than 0.05). There were no significant differences in apparent volume of distribution, elimination half-life, and elimination clearance (CIe) for nEp and rEp in intact dogs. The mean elimination half-life for 125I-rEp in intact dogs (9.0 +/- 0.6 hours) and anephric dogs (13.8 +/- 1.4 hours) was significantly different (p less than 0.05). The CIe for 125I-rEp in anephric dogs (0.008 +/- 0.001 L/kg/hr) was significantly (p less than 0.05) smaller than that of 125I-rEp in intact dogs (0.011 +/- 0.001 L/kg/hr). There were no significant differences in apparent volume of distribution, distribution half-life, and CIic for 125I-rEp in intact and anephric dogs

  3. Intact neurovascular coupling during executive function in migraine without aura: interictal near-infrared spectroscopy study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schytz, H W; Ciftçi, K; Akin, A

    2010-01-01

    An altered neurovascular coupling has been proposed in migraine. We aimed to investigate neurovascular coupling during a mental task interictally in patients with migraine without aura (MO) by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Twelve migraineurs and 12 healthy controls were included. Using NIRS,...

  4. Elicitation of Pharmacologically Active Substances in Intact Medical Plant

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kužel, S.; Vydra, J.; Tříska, Jan; Vrchotová, Naděžda; Hrubý, Martin; Cígler, P.

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 17 (2009), s. 7907-7911 ISSN 0021-8561 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60870520; CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : elicitation * medical plant * Echinacea purpurea * secondary metabolite * foliar application * phenolics Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 2.469, year: 2009

  5. Isolation of intact RNA from murine CD4+ T cells after intracellular cytokine staining and fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunnath-Velayudhan, Shajo; Porcelli, Steven A

    2018-05-01

    Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) is a powerful method for identifying functionally distinct lymphocyte subsets, and for isolating these by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). Although transcriptomic analysis of cells sorted on the basis of ICS has many potential applications, this is rarely performed because of the difficulty in isolating intact RNA from cells processed using standard fixation and permeabilization buffers for ICS. To address this issue, we compared three buffers shown previously to preserve RNA in nonhematopoietic cells subjected to intracellular staining for their effects on RNA isolated from T lymphocytes processed for ICS. Our results showed that buffers containing the recombinant ribonuclease inhibitor RNasin or high molar concentrations of salt yielded intact RNA from fixed and permeabilized T cells. As proof of principle, we successfully used the buffer containing RNasin to isolate intact RNA from CD4 + T cells that were sorted by FACS on the basis of specific cytokine production, thus demonstrating the potential of this approach for coupling ICS with transcriptomic analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Safety Philosophy in Process Heat Plants Coupled to High Temperature Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

    2011-01-01

    With the future availability of fossil fuel resources in doubt, high temperature nuclear reactors have the potential to be an important technology in the near term. Due to a high coolant outlet temperature, high temperature reactors (HTR) can be used to drive chemical plants that directly utilize process heat. Additionally, the high temperature improves the thermodynamic efficiency of the energy utilization. Many applications of high temperature reactors exist as a thermal driving vector for endothermic chemical process plants. Hydrogen generation using the General Atomics (GA) sulfur iodine (SI) cycle is one promising application of high temperature nuclear heat. The main chemical reactions in the SI cycle are: 1. I 2 +SO 2 + 2H 2 O → 2HI + H 2 SO 4 (Bunsen reaction) 2. H 2 SO 4 → H 2 O + SO 2 + 1/2O 2 (Sulfuric acid decomposition) 3. 2HI → H 2 + I 2 (Hydrogen Iodide decomposition). With the exception of hydrogen and oxygen, all relevant reactants are recycled within the process. However, there are many unresolved safety and operational issues related to implementation of such a coupled plant

  7. Reducing strength prevailing at root surface of plants promotes reduction of Ag+ and generation of Ag(0/Ag2O nanoparticles exogenously in aqueous phase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peddisetty Pardha-Saradhi

    Full Text Available Potential of root system of plants from wide range of families to effectively reduce membrane impermeable ferricyanide to ferrocyanide and blue coloured 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (DCPIP to colourless DCPIPH2 both under non-sterile and sterile conditions, revealed prevalence of immense reducing strength at root surface. As generation of silver nanoparticles (NPs from Ag+ involves reduction, present investigations were carried to evaluate if reducing strength prevailing at surface of root system can be exploited for reduction of Ag+ and exogenous generation of silver-NPs. Root system of intact plants of 16 species from 11 diverse families of angiosperms turned clear colorless AgNO3 solutions, turbid brown. Absorption spectra of these turbid brown solutions showed silver-NPs specific surface plasmon resonance peak. Transmission electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray confirmed the presence of distinct NPs in the range of 5-50 nm containing Ag. Selected area electron diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction patterns of the silver NPs showed Bragg reflections, characteristic of crystalline face-centered cubic structure of Ag(0 and cubic structure of Ag2O. Root system of intact plants raised under sterile conditions also generated Ag(0/Ag2O-NPs under strict sterile conditions in a manner similar to that recorded under non-sterile conditions. This revealed the inbuilt potential of root system to generate Ag(0/Ag2O-NPs independent of any microorganism. Roots of intact plants reduced triphenyltetrazolium to triphenylformazon and impermeable ferricyanide to ferrocyanide, suggesting involvement of plasma membrane bound dehydrogenases in reduction of Ag+ and formation of Ag(0/Ag2O-NPs. Root enzyme extract reduced triphenyltetrazolium to triphenylformazon and Ag+ to Ag(0 in presence of NADH, clearly establishing potential of dehydrogenases to reduce Ag+ to Ag(0, which generate Ag(0/Ag2O-NPs. Findings presented in this manuscript put

  8. Isolation of intact elastin fibers devoid of microfibrils.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Daamen, W.F.; Hafmans, T.G.M.; Veerkamp, J.H.; Kuppevelt, A.H.M.S.M. van

    2005-01-01

    Purification protocols for elastin generally result in greatly damaged elastin fibers and this likely influences the biological response. We here describe a novel protocol for the isolation of elastin whereby the fibers stay intact, and introduce the term "elastin fiber" for intact elastic fibers

  9. System analysis for HTTR-GT/H2 plant. Safety analysis of HTTR for coupling helium gas turbine and H2 plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Hiroyuki; Yan, Xing L.; Ohashi, Hirofumi

    2017-08-01

    High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) is expected to extend the use of nuclear heat to a wider spectrum of industrial applications because of the high temperature heat supply capability and inherently safe characteristics. Japan Atomic Energy Agency initiated a nuclear cogeneration demonstration project with helium gas turbine power generation and thermochemical hydrogen production utilizing the High Temperature engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), the first HTGR in Japan. This study carries out safety evaluation for the HTTR gas turbine hydrogen cogeneration test plant (HTTR-GT/H 2 plant). The evaluation was conducted for the events newly identified corresponding to the coupling of helium gas turbine and hydrogen production plant to the HTTR. The results showed that loss of load event does not have impact on temperature of fuel and reactor coolant pressure boundary. In addition, reactor coolant pressure does not exceed the evaluation criteria. Furthermore, it was shown that reactor operation can be maintained against temperature transients induced by abnormal events in hydrogen production plant. (author)

  10. An endothermic chemical process facility coupled to a high temperature reactor. Part I: Proposed accident scenarios within the chemical plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Nicholas R.; Seker, Volkan; Revankar, Shripad T.; Downar, Thomas J.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► The paper identifies possible transient and accident scenarios in a coupled PBMR and thermochemical sulfur cycle based hydrogen plant. ► Key accidents scenarios were investigated through qualitative reasoning. ► The accidents were found to constitute loss of heat sink event for the nuclear reactor. - Abstract: Hydrogen generation using a high temperature nuclear reactor as a thermal driving vector is a promising future option for energy carrier production. In this scheme, the heat from the nuclear reactor drives an endothermic water-splitting plant, via coupling, through an intermediate heat exchanger. Quantitative study of the possible operational or accident events within the coupled plant is largely absent from the literature. In this paper, seven unique case studies are proposed based on a thorough review of possible events. The case studies are: (1) feed flow failure from one section of the chemical plant to another with an accompanying parametric study of the temperature in an individual reaction chamber, (2) product flow failure (recycle) within the chemical plant, (3) rupture or explosion within the chemical plant, (4) nuclear reactor helium inlet overcooling due to a process holding tank failure, (5) helium inlet overcooling as an anticipated transient without emergency nuclear reactor shutdown, (6) total failure of the chemical plant, (7) control rod insertion in the nuclear reactor. The qualitative parameters of each case study are outlined as well as the basis in literature. A previously published modeling scheme is described and adapted for application as a simulation platform for these transient events. The results of the quantitative case studies are described within part II of this paper.

  11. Coupling a Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction Model with Large-Eddy Simulation for Realistic Wind Plant Aerodynamics Simulations (Poster)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Draxl, C.; Churchfield, M.; Mirocha, J.; Lee, S.; Lundquist, J.; Michalakes, J.; Moriarty, P.; Purkayastha, A.; Sprague, M.; Vanderwende, B.

    2014-06-01

    Wind plant aerodynamics are influenced by a combination of microscale and mesoscale phenomena. Incorporating mesoscale atmospheric forcing (e.g., diurnal cycles and frontal passages) into wind plant simulations can lead to a more accurate representation of microscale flows, aerodynamics, and wind turbine/plant performance. Our goal is to couple a numerical weather prediction model that can represent mesoscale flow [specifically the Weather Research and Forecasting model] with a microscale LES model (OpenFOAM) that can predict microscale turbulence and wake losses.

  12. Fructans and water suppression on intact and fragmented rhizophores of Vernonia herbacea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gláucia M. Dias-Tagliacozzo

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to evaluate the involvement of fructans in drought tolerance, experiments were conducted using intact plants and excised rhizophores of Vernonia herbacea. The water content in rhizophores of intact plants was maintained for 30 days when plants were watered every 7 and 15 days, whereas plants remained alive up to 60 days without water. Total fructan, oligo- to polysaccharides ratio and mean molecular mass of polysaccharides increased in these plants indicating depolymerization of median size molecules. In apical fragments of rhizophores kept dry the oligosaccharides increased in relation to polysaccharides one day after excision in treated tissues. This was reflected in the HPLC profile of the oligosaccharides in which the proportion of free fructose and fructans with DP 4-10 increased markedly. Results indicate that fructan metabolism is involved in drought tolerance of V. herbacea.A vegetação herbácea do cerrado brasileiro apresenta sistemas subterrâneos ricos em frutanos e estacionalmente expostos à restrição hídrica. A fim de avaliar o envolvimento dos frutanos na tolerância à dessecação foram conduzidos experimentos utilizando plantas intactas e fragmentos de rizóforos de Vernonia herbacea. O conteúdo de água nos rizóforos de plantas intactas foi mantido por 30 dias, quando as plantas foram molhadas a cada 7 ou 15 dias, sendo que as plantas permaneceram vivas até 60 dias sem água. O conteúdo total de frutanos, a razão oligo/polissacarídeos e a massa molecular média dos polissacarídeos nessas plantas aumentaram, indicando haver ocorrido despolimerização de moléculas com tamanho intermediário das cadeias. Nos fragmentos apicais de rizóforos submetidos à dessecação, os oligossacarídeos aumentaram em relação aos polissacarídeos, um dia após a excisão dos tecidos tratados. Essas alterações foram facilmente detectadas através dos perfis de oligossacarídeos analisados por HPLC, nos quais a propor

  13. Comparative gas-exchange in leaves of intact and clipped, natural and planted cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) seedlings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brian R. Lockhart; John D. Hodges

    2005-01-01

    Gas-exchange measurements, including C022-exchange rate (net photosynthesis), stomatal conductance, and transpiration, were conducted on intact and clipped cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) seedlings growing in the field and in a nursery bed. Seedlings in the field, released from midstory and understory woody competition,...

  14. Autism Spectrum Disorder and intact executive functioning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrara, R; Ansermet, F; Massoni, F; Petrone, L; Onofri, E; Ricci, P; Archer, T; Ricci, S

    2016-01-01

    Earliest notions concerning autism (Autism Spectrum Disorders, ASD) describe the disturbance in executive functioning. Despite altered definition, executive functioning, expressed as higher cognitive skills required complex behaviors linked to the prefrontal cortex, are defective in autism. Specific difficulties in children presenting autism or verbal disabilities at executive functioning levels have been identified. Nevertheless, the developmental deficit of executive functioning in autism is highly diversified with huge individual variation and may even be absent. The aim of the present study to examine the current standing of intact executive functioning intact in ASD. Analysis of ASD populations, whether high-functioning, Asperger's or autism Broad Phenotype, studied over a range of executive functions including response inhibition, planning, cognitive flexibility, cognitive inhibition, and alerting networks indicates an absence of damage/impairment compared to the typically-developed normal control subjects. These findings of intact executive functioning in ASD subjects provide a strong foundation on which to construct applications for growth environments and the rehabilitation of autistic subjects.

  15. A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S.; Yamaguchi, M.

    2009-01-01

    The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

  16. A monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution for research on plant physiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzui, N.; Kawachi, N.; Ishioka, N.; Fujimaki, S. [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan); Yamaguchi, M. [Takasaki Advanced Radiation Research Institute, Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma 370-1292 (Japan)

    2009-07-01

    The mechanism of nutrient uptake in plants has received considerable attention in the field of plant science. Here we describe the development of a new monitoring system of radioactive tracers in hydroponic solution, which enables the noninvasive measurement of radioactive tracer uptake by an intact plant. In addition, we incorporated a weighing instrument into this system in order to simultaneously monitor water uptake by the same plant. For an evaluation of this monitoring system, we conducted a tracer experiment with a rice plant and a positron-emitting radioactive tracer, and successfully obtained continuous data for the amounts of radioactive tracer and water taken up by the intact plant over 36 h. (authors)

  17. Design precautions for coupling interfaces between nuclear heating reactor and heating grid or desalination plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Wenxiang

    1998-01-01

    Nuclear heating reactor (NHR) has been developed by INET since the early eighties. To achieve its economic viability and safety goal, the NHR is designed with a number of advanced and innovative features, including integrated arrangement, natural circulation, self-pressurized performance, dynamically hydraulic control rod drive and passive safety systems. As a new promising energy system, the NHR can serve for district heating, air conditioning, sea-water desalination and other industrial processes. For all of these applications, it is vital that the design and performance of the coupling interfaces shall insure protection of user ends against radioactive contamination. Therefore, an intermediate circuit is provided in the NHR as a physical barrier, and the operating pressure in the intermediate circuit is higher than that in the primary system. In addition, the radioactivity in the intermediate circuit is monitored continuously, and there are also other protection measures in the design for isolating the intermediate circuit and the heating grid or desalination plant under some emergency conditions. The excellent performance of the above design precautions for the coupling interfaces has been demonstrated by operational practice from the NHR-5, a 5 MW(thermal) experimental NHR, which was put into operation in 1989. This paper presents the main design features of the NHR as well as the special provisions taken in the design for coupling the NHR to the heating grid or desalination plant and some operating experience from the NHR-5. (author)

  18. Competition for light and water in a coupled soil-plant system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manoli, Gabriele; Huang, Cheng-Wei; Bonetti, Sara; Domec, Jean-Christophe; Marani, Marco; Katul, Gabriel

    2017-10-01

    It is generally accepted that resource availability shapes the structure and function of many ecosystems. Within the soil-plant-atmosphere (SPA) system, resource availability fluctuates in space and time whereas access to resources by individuals is further impacted by plant-to-plant competition. Likewise, transport and transformation of resources within an individual plant is governed by numerous interacting biotic and abiotic processes. The work here explores the co-limitations on water losses and carbon uptake within the SPA arising from fluctuating resource availability and competition. In particular, the goal is to unfold the interplay between plant access and competition for water and light, as well as the impact of transport/redistribution processes on leaf-level carbon assimilation and water fluxes within forest stands. A framework is proposed that couples a three-dimensional representation of soil-root exchanges with a one-dimensional description of stem water flow and storage, canopy photosynthesis, and transpiration. The model links soil moisture redistribution, root water uptake, xylem water flow and storage, leaf potential and stomatal conductance as driven by supply and demand for water and carbon. The model is then used to investigate plant drought resilience of overstory-understory trees simultaneously competing for water and light. Simulation results reveal that understory-overstory interactions increase ecosystem resilience to drought (i.e. stand-level carbon assimilation rates and water fluxes can be sustained at lower root-zone soil water potentials). This resilience enhancement originates from reduced transpiration (due to shading) and hydraulic redistribution in soil supporting photosynthesis over prolonged periods of drought. In particular, the presence of different rooting systems generates localized hydraulic redistribution fluxes that sustain understory transpiration through overstory-understory interactions. Such complex SPA dynamics

  19. Molecular and FISH analyses of a 53-kbp intact DNA fragment inserted by biolistics in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Partier, A; Gay, G; Tassy, C; Beckert, M; Feuillet, C; Barret, P

    2017-10-01

    A large, 53-kbp, intact DNA fragment was inserted into the wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) genome. FISH analyses of individual transgenic events revealed multiple insertions of intact fragments. Transferring large intact DNA fragments containing clusters of resistance genes or complete metabolic pathways into the wheat genome remains a challenge. In a previous work, we showed that the use of dephosphorylated cassettes for wheat transformation enabled the production of simple integration patterns. Here, we used the same technology to produce a cassette containing a 44-kb Arabidopsis thaliana BAC, flanked by one selection gene and one reporter gene. This 53-kb linear cassette was integrated in the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genome by biolistic transformation. Our results showed that transgenic plants harboring the entire cassette were generated. The inheritability of the cassette was demonstrated in the T1 and T2 generation. Surprisingly, FISH analysis performed on T1 progeny of independent events identified double genomic insertions of intact fragments in non-homoeologous positions. Inheritability of these double insertions was demonstrated by FISH analysis of the T1 generation. Relative conclusions that can be drawn from molecular or FISH analysis are discussed along with future prospects of the engineering of large fragments for wheat transformation or genome editing.

  20. Experimental benchmarks and simulation of GAMMA-T for overcooling and undercooling transients in HTGRs coupled with MED desalination plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ho Sik; Kim, In Hun; NO, Hee Cheon; Jin, Hyung Gon

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The GAMMA-T code was well validated through benchmark experiments. ► Based on the KAIST coupling scheme, the GTHTR300 + MED systems were made. ► Safety analysis was performed for overcooling and undercooling accidents. ► In all accidents, maximum peak fuel temperatures were well below than 1600 °C. ► In all accidents, the HTGR + MED system could be operated continuously. -- Abstracts: The nuclear desalination based on the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) with gas turbomachinery and multi-effect distillation (MED) is attracting attention because the coupling system can utilize the waste heat of the nuclear power system for the MED desalination system. In previous work, KAIST proposed the new HTGR + MED coupling scheme, evaluated desalination performance, and performed cost analysis for the system. In this paper, in order to confirm the safety and the performance of the coupling system, we performed the transient analysis with GAMMA-T (GAs Multidimensional Multicomponent mixture Analysis–Turbomachinery) code for the KAIST HTGR + MED systems. The experimental benchmarks of GAMMA-T code were set up before the transient analysis for several accident scenarios. The GAMMA-T code was well validated against steady state and transient scenarios of the He–Water test loop such as changes in water mass flow rate and water inlet temperatures. Then, for transient analysis, the GTHTR300 was chosen as a reference plant. The GTHTR300 + MED systems were made, based on the KAIST HTGR + MED coupling scheme. Transient analysis was performed for three kinds of accidents scenarios: (1) loss of heat rejection through MED plant, (2) loss of heat rejection through heat sink, and (3) overcooling due to abnormal cold temperature of seawater. In all kinds of accident scenarios, maximum peak fuel temperatures were well below than the fuel failure criterion, 1600 °C and the GTHTR300 + MED system could be operated continuously and safely. Specially, in the

  1. The Use of Coupled Code Technique for Best Estimate Safety Analysis of Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bousbia Salah, A.; D'Auria, F.

    2006-01-01

    Issues connected with the thermal-hydraulics and neutronics of nuclear plants still challenge the design, safety and the operation of Light Water nuclear Reactors (LWR). The lack of full understanding of complex mechanisms related to the interaction between these issues imposed the adoption of conservative safety limits. Those safety margins put restrictions on the optimal exploitation of the plants and consequently reduced economic profit of the plant. In the light of the sustained development in computer technology, the possibilities of code capabilities have been enlarged substantially. Consequently, advanced safety evaluations and design optimizations that were not possible few years ago can now be performed. In fact, during the last decades Best Estimate (BE) neutronic and thermal-hydraulic calculations were so far carried out following rather parallel paths with only few interactions between them. Nowadays, it becomes possible to switch to new generation of computational tools, namely, Coupled Code technique. The application of such method is mandatory for the analysis of accident conditions where strong coupling between the core neutronics and the primary circuit thermal-hydraulics, and more especially when asymmetrical processes take place in the core leading to local space-dependent power generation. Through the current study, a demonstration of the maturity level achieved in the calculation of 3-D core performance during complex accident scenarios in NPPs is emphasized. Typical applications are outlined and discussed showing the main features and limitations of this technique. (author)

  2. An endothermic chemical process facility coupled to a high temperature reactor. Part II: Transient simulation of accident scenarios within the chemical plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Seven quantitative transient case studies were analyzed in a coupled PBMR and thermochemical sulfur cycle based hydrogen plant. ► Positive power excursion in the nuclear reactor were found for helium-inlet overcoolings. ► In all cases studied the maximum fuel temperatures in the nuclear reactor were 200 K below the design basis limit. - Abstract: Hydrogen generation using a high temperature nuclear reactor as a thermal driving vector is a promising future option for energy carrier production. In this scheme, the heat from the nuclear reactor drives an endothermic water-splitting plant, via coupling, through an intermediate heat exchanger. Transient study of the operational or accident events within the coupled plant is largely absent from the literature. In this paper, seven quantitative transient case studies are analyzed. The case studies consist of: (1) feed flow failure from one section of the chemical plant to another with an accompanying parametric study of the temperature in an individual reaction chamber, (2) product flow failure (recycle) within the chemical plant, (3) rupture or explosion within the chemical plant, (4) nuclear reactor helium inlet overcooling due to a process holding tank failure, (5) helium inlet overcooling as an anticipated transient without emergency nuclear reactor shutdown, (6) total failure of the chemical plant, (7) control rod insertion in the nuclear reactor. Various parametric studies based on the magnitude of the events were also performed. The only chemical plant initiated events that caused a positive power excursion in the nuclear reactor were helium-inlet overcoolings due to process holding tank failures or reaction chamber ruptures. Even for a severe sustained overcooling, the calculated maximum fuel temperatures in the nuclear reactor were 200 K below the design basis limit. The qualitative basis for the case studies and the analysis models are summarized in part I of this paper.

  3. Determination of rare earth elements in tomato plants by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spalla, S; Baffi, C; Barbante, C; Turetta, C; Turretta, C; Cozzi, G; Beone, G M; Bettinelli, M

    2009-10-30

    In recent years identification of the geographical origin of food has grown more important as consumers have become interested in knowing the provenance of the food that they purchase and eat. Certification schemes and labels have thus been developed to protect consumers and genuine producers from the improper use of popular brand names or renowned geographical origins. As the tomato is one of the major components of what is considered to be the healthy Mediterranean diet, it is important to be able to determine the geographical origin of tomatoes and tomato-based products such as tomato sauce. The aim of this work is to develop an analytical method to determine rare earth elements (RRE) for the control of the geographic origin of tomatoes. The content of REE in tomato plant samples collected from an agricultural area in Piacenza, Italy, was determined, using four different digestion procedures with and without HF. Microwave dissolution with HNO3 + H2O2 proved to be the most suitable digestion procedure. Inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICPQMS) and inductively coupled plasma sector field plasma mass spectrometry (ICPSFMS) instruments, both coupled with a desolvation system, were used to determine the REE in tomato plants in two different laboratories. A matched calibration curve method was used for the quantification of the analytes. The detection limits (MDLs) of the method ranged from 0.03 ng g(-1) for Ho, Tm, and Lu to 2 ng g(-1) for La and Ce. The precision, in terms of relative standard deviation on six replicates, was good, with values ranging, on average, from 6.0% for LREE (light rare earth elements) to 16.5% for HREE (heavy rare earth elements). These detection limits allowed the determination of the very low concentrations of REE present in tomato berries. For the concentrations of REE in tomato plants, the following trend was observed: roots > leaves > stems > berries. Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Intact collagen and atelocollagen sponges: Characterization and ESEM observation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruozi, Barbara; Tosi, Giovanni; Leo, Eliana; Parma, Bruna; Vismara, Susanna; Forni, Flavio; Vandelli, Maria Angela

    2007-01-01

    In this study we have investigated the chemical-physical and morphological properties of intact and atelocollagen sponges used for tissue engineering. The porous sponges were prepared by lyophilization and their physico-chemical characteristics (water binding capacity, denaturing temperature, amino group content) were investigated. Considering the importance of the 'in vivo' interactions between these sponges and the tissue, our attention was addressed (a) to clarify the relationships between the morphology and the amount of water absorbed and (b) to evaluate the influence of pepsin-alkaline treatment on the reorganization of the atelocollagen fibres. Conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) were employed to study the morphology and wetting behaviour of the intact and atelocollagen sponges. The observations by SEM indicated remarkable differences both in the structure and dimension of the pores between intact and atelocollagen sponges. At the data are related to a different water binding capacity. However, the ESEM observations, achieved by changing the relative humidity in the operative chamber, demonstrated that the water adsorbed can be removed with major difficulty from atelocollagen sponges than from intact ones

  5. Assessment of antioxidative, chelating, and DNA-protective effects of selected essential oil components (eugenol, carvacrol, thymol, borneol, eucalyptol) of plants and intact Rosmarinus officinalis oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horvathova, Eva; Navarova, Jana; Galova, Eliska; Sevcovicova, Andrea; Chodakova, Lenka; Snahnicanova, Zuzana; Melusova, Martina; Kozics, Katarina; Slamenova, Darina

    2014-07-16

    Selected components of plant essential oils and intact Rosmarinus officinalis oil (RO) were investigated for their antioxidant, iron-chelating, and DNA-protective effects. Antioxidant activities were assessed using four different techniques. DNA-protective effects on human hepatoma HepG2 cells and plasmid DNA were evaluated with the help of the comet assay and the DNA topology test, respectively. It was observed that whereas eugenol, carvacrol, and thymol showed high antioxidative effectiveness in all assays used, RO manifested only antiradical effect and borneol and eucalyptol did not express antioxidant activity at all. DNA-protective ability against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced DNA lesions was manifested by two antioxidants (carvacrol and thymol) and two compounds that do not show antioxidant effects (RO and borneol). Borneol was able to preserve not only DNA of HepG2 cells but also plasmid DNA against Fe(2+)-induced damage. This paper evaluates the results in the light of experiences of other scientists.

  6. Impact of soil nematodes on salt-marsh plants : a pilot experiment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dormann, CF; van der Wal, R

    2001-01-01

    We tested whether the removal of nematodes by means of nematicide application changed plant performance or influenced plant competition. The study involved the two common plant species Artemisia maritima and Festuca rubra growing in intact sods collected from a temperate salt marsh. Half of the sods

  7. Measurement of diffusive properties of intact rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harvey, K B

    1996-12-01

    In the Postclosure Assessment of a Reference System for the Disposal of Canada`s Nuclear Fuel Waste (Goodwin et al. 1994) the disposal vault is assumed to be surrounded by a zone of intact rock, referred to as the `exclusion zone.` A sensitivity analysis of the relative effectiveness of the several engineered and natural barriers that contribute to the safety of the reference disposal system has shown that this zone of intact rock is the most effective of these barriers to the movement of radionuclides through the reference system. Peer review of the geosphere model used in the case study for the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program has identified the need to quantify the properties of the intact rock surrounding the disposal vault that would control the transport of radionuclides by diffusion. The Postclosure Assessment also identified the need for appropriate values of the free water diffusion coefficient (D{sub o}) for {sup 129}1 and {sup 14}C. The measurement of rock resistivity allows the calculation of the Formation Factor for a rock This review describes the Formation Factor, diffusivity, permeability, and porosity, and how these properties might be measured or inferred for insitu rock under the conditions that apply to the intact rock surrounding a potential disposal vault. The importance of measuring the intrinsic diffusion coefficient (D{sup i}) of diffusing species under solution salinities simulating those of groundwaters is emphasised, and a method of measurement is described that is independent of the diffusing medium, and which would be appropriate for measurements made in chemically complex media such as groundwaters. (author). 95 refs., 4 tabs., 39 figs.

  8. Measurement of diffusive properties of intact rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harvey, K.B.

    1996-12-01

    In the Postclosure Assessment of a Reference System for the Disposal of Canada's Nuclear Fuel Waste (Goodwin et al. 1994) the disposal vault is assumed to be surrounded by a zone of intact rock, referred to as the 'exclusion zone.' A sensitivity analysis of the relative effectiveness of the several engineered and natural barriers that contribute to the safety of the reference disposal system has shown that this zone of intact rock is the most effective of these barriers to the movement of radionuclides through the reference system. Peer review of the geosphere model used in the case study for the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program has identified the need to quantify the properties of the intact rock surrounding the disposal vault that would control the transport of radionuclides by diffusion. The Postclosure Assessment also identified the need for appropriate values of the free water diffusion coefficient (D o ) for 129 1 and 14 C. The measurement of rock resistivity allows the calculation of the Formation Factor for a rock This review describes the Formation Factor, diffusivity, permeability, and porosity, and how these properties might be measured or inferred for insitu rock under the conditions that apply to the intact rock surrounding a potential disposal vault. The importance of measuring the intrinsic diffusion coefficient (D i ) of diffusing species under solution salinities simulating those of groundwaters is emphasised, and a method of measurement is described that is independent of the diffusing medium, and which would be appropriate for measurements made in chemically complex media such as groundwaters. (author). 95 refs., 4 tabs., 39 figs

  9. Cut-loading: a useful tool for examining the extent of gap junction tracer coupling between retinal neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hee Joo; Ribelayga, Christophe P; Mangel, Stuart C

    2012-01-12

    In addition to chemical synaptic transmission, neurons that are connected by gap junctions can also communicate rapidly via electrical synaptic transmission. Increasing evidence indicates that gap junctions not only permit electrical current flow and synchronous activity between interconnected or coupled cells, but that the strength or effectiveness of electrical communication between coupled cells can be modulated to a great extent(1,2). In addition, the large internal diameter (~1.2 nm) of many gap junction channels permits not only electric current flow, but also the diffusion of intracellular signaling molecules and small metabolites between interconnected cells, so that gap junctions may also mediate metabolic and chemical communication. The strength of gap junctional communication between neurons and its modulation by neurotransmitters and other factors can be studied by simultaneously electrically recording from coupled cells and by determining the extent of diffusion of tracer molecules, which are gap junction permeable, but not membrane permeable, following iontophoretic injection into single cells. However, these procedures can be extremely difficult to perform on neurons with small somata in intact neural tissue. Numerous studies on electrical synapses and the modulation of electrical communication have been conducted in the vertebrate retina, since each of the five retinal neuron types is electrically connected by gap junctions(3,4). Increasing evidence has shown that the circadian (24-hour) clock in the retina and changes in light stimulation regulate gap junction coupling(3-8). For example, recent work has demonstrated that the retinal circadian clock decreases gap junction coupling between rod and cone photoreceptor cells during the day by increasing dopamine D2 receptor activation, and dramatically increases rod-cone coupling at night by reducing D2 receptor activation(7,8). However, not only are these studies extremely difficult to perform on

  10. Liver polyribosome distribution in intact and adrenalectomized rats exposed to. gamma. radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yatvin, M B; Abdel-Halim, M N [Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Radiology; Wisconsin Univ., Madison (USA). Dept. of Human Oncology)

    1978-06-01

    The mechanism(s) by which gamma radiation influences liver polyribosome distribution was studied in groups of intact and adrenalectomized male rats. A shift from light to heavy aggregates occurred in the polyribosomes of both intact and adrenalectomized rats after they were exposed to gamma rays. In irradiated adrenalectomized rats, however, the shift to heavier aggregates was not as great as that which occurred in irradiated adrenal-intact animals. Subcutaneous injection of cortisone acetate (10 mg/100 g body weight) also altered the liver polyribosome patterns of both intact and adrenalectomized rats within 8 hours of its administration. The shift which occurred following cortisone administration, however, was less striking than that seen after irradiation only. Thus, although adrenal glucocorticoids contribute to the radiation-indu ied shift in liver polyribosomes in adrenal-intact rats, other factors appear to be involved, since the shift is also obtained in adrenalectomized animals.

  11. Polonium-210 and lead-210 contamination of plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Popova, O N; Taskaev, A I

    1977-01-01

    A model experiment with a water culture of barley grown in closed vessels, with an increased content of radon-222 in the air, has demonstrated an intensive contamination of the overground part and roots of the plant with polonium-210 and lead-210. Roots having no overground part were affected by radionuclides in a similar way as those of intact plants. Contamination was minimal in the plants grown from soil cultures.

  12. Uptake, transport and persistence of 14C yeast mannans in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovalenko, A.G.; Kluge, S.

    1988-01-01

    Low-molecular branched-chain 14 C-mannan from Candida tropicalis and high-molecular linear 14 C-mannan from Rhodotorula rubra are not taken up by intact plants. Mechanical injury of plants is a prerequisite for the uptake and transport of polysaccharides in plant tissues. Mannans injected through the epidermis into the parenchyma of tobacco leaves remain mostly confined to the place of injection or to the respective intercostal field. The presence of dimethyl sulfoxide in the solution stimulates the uptake of mannans through intact roots of tobacco, thorn apple and potato plants. Mannans injected in the intercellular space of the parenchyma tissue of tobacco leaves maintain their polymeric structure for at least five days, which almost corresponds with the duration of their antiviral activity in the plants. These results suggest the antiphytoviral activity in fact to be due to the mannans or to principles stimulated by them rather than to their catabolites. (author)

  13. Levels of Essential Elements in Different Medicinal Plants Determined by Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eid I. Brima

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the content of essential elements in medicinal plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA. Five different medical plants (mahareeb (Cymbopogon schoenanthus, sheeh (Artemisia vulgaris, harjal (Cynanchum argel delile, nabipoot (Equisetum arvense, and cafmariam (Vitex agnus-castus were collected from Madina city in the KSA. Five elements Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Se were determined by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS. Fe levels were the highest and Se levels were the lowest in all plants. The range levels of all elements in all plants were as follows: Fe 193.4–1757.9, Mn 23.6–143.7, Zn 15.4–32.7, Se 0.13–0.92, and Cu 11.3–21.8 µg/g. Intakes of essential elements from the medical plants in infusion were calculated: Fe 4.6–13.4, Mn 6.7–123.2, Zn 7.0–42.7, Se 0.14–1.5, and Cu 1.5–5.0 µg/dose. The calculated intakes of essential elements for all plants did not exceed the daily intake set by the World Health Organization (WHO and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA. These medicinal plants may be useful sources of essential elements, which are vital for health.

  14. Sorption of cesium in intact rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puukko, E.

    2014-04-01

    The mass distribution coefficient K d is used in performance assessment (PA) to describe sorption of a radionuclide on rock. The R d is determined using crushed rock which causes uncertainty in converting the R d values to K d values for intact rock. This work describes a method to determine the equilibrium of sorption on intact rock. The rock types of the planned Olkiluoto waste disposal site were T-series mica gneiss (T-MGN), T-series tonalite granodiorite granite gneiss (T-TGG), P-series tonalite granodiorite granite gneiss (P-TGG) and pegmatitic granite (PGR). These rocks contain different amount of biotite which is the main sorbing mineral. The sorption of cesium on intact rock slices was studied by applying an electrical field to speed up migration of cesium into the rock. Cesium is in the solution as a noncomplex cation Cs + and it is sorbed by ion exchange. The tracer used in the experiments was 134 Cs. The experimental sorption on the intact rock is compared with values calculated using the in house cation exchange sorption model (HYRL model) in PHREEQC program. The observed sorption on T-MGN and T-TGG rocks was close to the calculated values. Two PGR samples were from a depth of 70 m and three samples were from a depth of 150 m. Cesium sorbed more than predicted on the two 70 m PGR samples. The sorption of Cs on the three 150 m PGR samples was small which was consistent with the calculations. The pegmatitic granite PGR has the smallest content of biotite of the four rock types. In the case of P-TGG rock the observed values of sorption were only half of the calculated values. Two kind of slices were cut from P-TGG drill core. The slices were against and to the direction of the foliation of the biotite rims. The sorption of cesium on P-TGG rock was same in both cases. The results indicated that there was no effect of the directions of the electric field and the foliation of biotite in the P-TGG rock. (orig.)

  15. Xenopus egg cytoplasm with intact actin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Field, Christine M; Nguyen, Phuong A; Ishihara, Keisuke; Groen, Aaron C; Mitchison, Timothy J

    2014-01-01

    We report optimized methods for preparing Xenopus egg extracts without cytochalasin D, that we term "actin-intact egg extract." These are undiluted egg cytoplasm that contains abundant organelles, and glycogen which supplies energy, and represents the least perturbed cell-free cytoplasm preparation we know of. We used this system to probe cell cycle regulation of actin and myosin-II dynamics (Field et al., 2011), and to reconstitute the large, interphase asters that organize early Xenopus embryos (Mitchison et al., 2012; Wühr, Tan, Parker, Detrich, & Mitchison, 2010). Actin-intact Xenopus egg extracts are useful for analysis of actin dynamics, and interaction of actin with other cytoplasmic systems, in a cell-free system that closely mimics egg physiology, and more generally for probing the biochemistry and biophysics of the egg, zygote, and early embryo. Detailed protocols are provided along with assays used to check cell cycle state and tips for handling and storing undiluted egg extracts. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Regrowth of Cirsium arvense from intact roots and root fragments at different soil depths

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomsen, Mette Goul

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available In the present work we measured the shoot rate from intact roots and from root fragments of Cirsium arvense at different digging depths and the number of leaves were used as estimate of minimum regenerative capacity. The experiments were performed on four sites with three or four repetitions of each treatment. On each site plot, the soil was removed down to a given depth within a 1 x 1 m square. All plant parts was excavated from the soil and the soil was either replaced without any root material, or roots of C. arvense was cut into 10 cm long fragments and replaced into the source hole. Shoot number, aboveground biomass and number of leaves were measured. Digging depth and time explained 50% - 60% of the variation in biomass (P<0.001. Replacement of root fragments increased the shoot number in one out of four treatments but did not affect biomass produced compared to production from undisturbed root systems. Number of leaves showed that shoots from all digging depths passed the level of minimum regenerative capacity. We conclude that the intact root system from all depths was able to regenerate within one season and it has a high contribution to the produced biomass compared with root fragments in the upper soil layers.

  17. Insect Counter-Adaptations to Plant Cyanogenic Glucosides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pentzold, Stefan

    . This thesis presents evidence that larvae of the sequestering lepidopteran specialist Zygaena filipendulae have evolved diverse behavioural, morphological, physiological and metabolic adaptations to keep cyanogenic glucosides from its food plant Lotus corniculatus (Fabaceae) intact and thus non-toxic during...

  18. Coupling mammalian demography to climate through satellite time series of plant phenology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoner, D.; Sexton, J. O.; Nagol, J. R.; Ironside, K.; Choate, D.; Longshore, K.; Edwards, T., Jr.

    2016-12-01

    The seasonality of plant productivity governs the demography of primary and secondary consumers, and in arid ecosystems primary production is constrained by water availability. We relate the behavior, demography, and spatial distribution of large mammalian herbivores and their principal predator to remotely sensed indices of climate and vegetation across the western United States from 2000-2014. Terrain and plant community composition moderate the effects of climatological drought on primary productivity, resulting in spatial variation in ecosystem susceptibility to water stress. Herbivores track these patterns through habitat selection during key periods such as birthing and migration. Across a broad climatological gradient, timing of the start of growing season explains 75% of the variation in herbivore birth timing and 56% of the variation in neonatal survival rates. Initiation of autumn migration corresponds with the end of the growing season. Although indirectly coupled to primary production, carnivore home range size and population density are strongly correlated with plant productivity and growing-season length. Satellite measures of green reflectance during the peak of the growing season explain over 84% of the variation in carnivore home range size and 59% of the variation in density. Climate projections for the western United States predict warming temperatures and shifts in the timing and form of precipitation. Our analyses suggest that increased climatological variability will contribute to fluctuations in the composition and phenology of plant communities. These changes will propagate through consumer trophic levels, manifesting as increased home range area, shifts in the timing of migration, and greater volatility in large mammal populations. Combined with expansion and amplification of human land uses, these changes will likely have economic implications stemming from increased human-wildlife conflict and loss of ecosystem services.

  19. APROS couplings from core to containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puska, E.K.; Ylijoki, J.

    2005-01-01

    APROS simulation environment is able to describe the 1-D and 3-D neutronics of the reactor core. It is also able to describe the thermal hydraulics of the core and circuits either with 5- equation or 6-equation thermal hydraulics. It can also describe the plant automation and electrical systems, as well as the behaviour of the containment. The peculiar feature of APROS in comparison to other coupled systems is that all parts in the coupled system are described with the same code instead of coupling two or three separate codes together with information exchange between the separate codes. The most recent possibility is the coupled calculation of the process and the containment. The more traditional coupling, the coupling of the process containing both the process description and the automation description with more or less detailed description of the 3-D core either for safety analysis or real-time simulation purposes has been discussed in previous work. The paper presents and discusses the capabilities of the code in coupling the plant process and automation description with the plant containment description with two example transient cases. An improved boron concentration solution with second order upwind discretization has been recently included in APROS. An example on the increased accuracy acquired in the 3-D core model has been included. (authors)

  20. Modeling coupled nitrogen and water use strategies of plant productivity through hydraulic traits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackay, D. S.; Savoy, P.; Pleban, J. R.; Tai, X.; Ewers, B. E.; Sperry, J.; Weinig, C.

    2016-12-01

    Changes in heat, nutrient, and drought stresses create novel environments that threaten the health of forests and viability of crop production. Here a trait-based conceptual model finds tradeoffs in maximum hydraulic conductance (Kmax), root to leaf area ratio (RLA) and vulnerability to cavitation (VC) based on the energy costs of acquiring water and nitrogen (N) to support gross primary production (GPP). The atmosphere supplies carbon to and demands water from plants via their stomata. The demand for water increases at higher temperatures due to increased vapor pressure deficits. The lost water is replenished by a passive wicking process that pulls water and N from the soil into roots and up water-filled xylem tubes. When water is in short supply the cost of getting it is high as measured by a decline in K and stomatal closure. Soil N dynamics also influence plant water use. When N is abundant, plants grow low VC fine roots with lower specific root length (m g-1), low Kmax, and maintain a relatively low RLA. In low N environments, N is costly and fine roots gain efficiency by building less robust (or higher VC) xylem with higher Kmax and higher RLA. What happens when the cost of acquiring water changes from high to low under low and high N costs? We incorporated the conceptual model into TREES, which couples whole plant hydraulics to carbon allocation, root-rhizosphere expansion/contraction and, also new for this study, a rhizosphere-root centric microbe-plant N dynamics. We used two experimental studies (drought, N) and two drought-prone fluxnet sites to test the conceptual model at individual plant and regional scales, respectively, and with frequent short versus infrequent long dry periods. When water was not limiting the hydraulic tradeoffs suppressed differences in GPP between the N use strategies. When water was in short supply, however, low RLA&VC plants dropped GPP early during drought because of low Kmax. Since these plants had low VC roots they also

  1. Assessment of geomechanical properties of intact Opalinus Clay - Expert report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amann, F.; Vogelhuber, M.

    2015-11-01

    This comprehensive report published by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI presents an expert report published on the assessment of the geomechanical properties of intact Opalinus Clay. This review report addresses the conceptual constitutive framework for repositories in Opalinus Clay. The author addresses the geomechanical fundamentals that are necessary in order to adequately judge experiments on intact Opalinus Clay and the interpretation of the results. The report assesses in detail the various test series on intact Opalinus Clay carried out along with the interpretations made by experts and NAGRA. Further assessments are quoted including those on sample geometries tested, effective strength properties, undrained shear strength properties and elastic properties. The results of work done by other experts are also presented and discussed. The report is completed with a list of relevant literature

  2. Assessment of geomechanical properties of intact Opalinus Clay - Expert report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Amann, F. [Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule ETHZ, Zürich (Switzerland); Vogelhuber, M. [Dr. von Moos AG, Geotechnisches Büro, Zürich (Switzerland)

    2015-11-15

    This comprehensive report published by the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate ENSI presents an expert report published on the assessment of the geomechanical properties of intact Opalinus Clay. This review report addresses the conceptual constitutive framework for repositories in Opalinus Clay. The author addresses the geomechanical fundamentals that are necessary in order to adequately judge experiments on intact Opalinus Clay and the interpretation of the results. The report assesses in detail the various test series on intact Opalinus Clay carried out along with the interpretations made by experts and NAGRA. Further assessments are quoted including those on sample geometries tested, effective strength properties, undrained shear strength properties and elastic properties. The results of work done by other experts are also presented and discussed. The report is completed with a list of relevant literature.

  3. Spatially Distributed, Coupled Modeling of Plant Growth, Nitrogen and Water Fluxes in an Alpine Catchment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, K.

    2001-12-01

    Carbon, water and nitrogen fluxes are closely coupled. They interact and have many feedbacks. Human interference, in particular through land use management and global change strongly modifies these fluxes. Increasing demands and conflicting interests result in an increasing need for regulation targeting different aspects of the system. Without being their main target, many of these measures directly affect water quantity, quality and availability. Improved management and planning of our water resources requires the development of integrated tools, in particular since interactions of the involved environmental and social systems often lead to unexpected or adverse results. To investigate the effect of plant growth, land use management and global change on water fluxes and quality, the PROcess oriented Modular EnvironmenT and Vegetation Model (PROMET-V) was developed. PROMET-V models the spatial patterns and temporal course of water, carbon and nitrogen fluxes using process oriented and mechanistic model components. The hydrological model is based on the Penman-Monteith approach, it uses a plant-physiological model to calculate the canopy conductance, and a multi-layer soil water model. Plant growth for different vegetation is modelled by calculating canopy photosynthesis, respiration, phenology and allocation. Plant growth and water fluxes are coupled directly through photosynthesis and transpiration. Many indirect feedbacks and interactions occur due to their mutual dependency upon leaf area, root distribution, water and nutrient availability for instance. PROMET-V calculates nitrogen fluxes and transformations. The time step used depends upon the modelled process and varies from 1 hour to 1 day. The kernel model is integrated in a raster GIS system for spatially distributed modelling. PROMET-V was tested in a pre-alpine landscape (Ammer river, 709 km**2, located in Southern Germany) which is characterized by small scale spatial heterogeneities of climate, soil and

  4. Culture Methodology for Experimental Investigations Involving Rooted Submersed Aquatic Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-11-01

    stolons or runners are best planted as intact plants (Sculthorpe 1967). Many species can be propagated from seed in addition to the above methods...J. 1984. Growth response of Myriophyllwm spicatu and Hydrilla verticillata when exposed to continuous, low concentrations of fluridone . Tech. Rept. A...aquatic plants, water, and bottom sediments. Weed Sci. 20:482-486. Sastroutomo, S. S. 1980. Dormancy and germination in axillary turions of iijiilZla

  5. Self-etching adhesive on intact enamel, with and without pre-etching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devarasa, G M; Subba Reddy, V V; Chaitra, N L; Swarna, Y M

    2012-05-01

    Bond strengths of composite resin to enamel using self-etch adhesive (SEA) Clearfil SE bond system on intact enamel and enamel pre-etched with phosphoric acid were compared. The objective was to determine if the pre-etching would increase the bond strengths of the SEA systems to intact enamel and to evaluate the effect of pre-etching on bond formation of self-etch adhesives on intact enamel. Labial surfaces of 40 caries free permanent upper central and lateral incisors were cleaned, sectioned of their roots. All specimens were mounted on acrylic block and divided randomly into four groups. In two groups the application of self-etch adhesive, Clearfil SE bond was carried as per manufacturer's instructions, composite cylinders were built, whereas in the other two groups, 37% phosphoric acid etching was done before the application of self-etching adhesives. Then the resin tags were analyzed using scanning electron microscope and shear bond strength was measured using Instron universal testing machine. When phosphoric acid was used, there was significant increase in the depth of penetration of resin tags and in the Shear Bond Strength of composite to enamel. The results indicate that out of both treatment groups, pre-etching the intact enamel with 37% phosphoric acid resulted in formation of longer resin tags and higher depth of penetration of resin tags of the Clearfil SE bond, and attaining higher bond strength of the Clearfil SE bond to intact enamel. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Neural activation differences in amputees during imitation of intact versus amputee movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William F Cusack

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The mirror neuron system has been attributed with increased activation in motor-related cortical areas upon viewing of another’s actions. Recent work suggests that limb movements that are similar and dissimilar in appearance to that of the viewer equivalently activate the mirror neuron system. It is unclear if this result can be observed in the action encoding areas in amputees who use prosthetic devices. Intact subjects and upper extremity amputee prosthesis users were recruited to view video demonstrations of tools being used by an intact actor and a prosthetic device user. All subjects were asked to pantomime the movements seen in the video while recording electroencephalography. Intact subjects showed equivalent left parietofrontal activity during imitation after watching the intact or prosthetic arm. Likewise, when prosthesis users imitated prosthesis demonstrations, typical left parietofrontal activation was observed during planning. When prosthesis users imitated intact actors, a new pattern was revealed which showed greater bilateral parietal and occipital activity during movement planning (p<0.001. This change may be required for prosthesis users to imitate movements in which the limb states between the observed and the observer do not match. The finding that prosthesis users imitating other prosthesis users showed typical left parietofrontal activation suggests that these subjects engage normal planning related activity when they are able to imitate a limb matching their own. This result has significant implications on rehabilitation, as standard therapy involves training with an intact occupational therapist, which could necessitate atypical planning mechanisms in amputees when learning to use their prosthesis.

  7. The Multilevel Mixed Intact Group Analysis: A Mixed Method to Seek, Detect, Describe and Explain Differences Between Intact Groups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schoonenboom, J.I.

    2014-01-01

    Educational innovations often involve intact subgroups, such as school classes or university departments. In small-scale educational evaluation research, typically involving 1 to 20 subgroups, differences among these subgroups are often neglected. This article presents a mixed method from a

  8. Leaf spray: direct chemical analysis of plant material and living plants by mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiangjiang; Wang, He; Cooks, R Graham; Ouyang, Zheng

    2011-10-15

    The chemical constituents of intact plant material, including living plants, are examined by a simple spray method that provides real-time information on sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, and alkaloids. The experiment is applicable to various plant parts and is demonstrated for a wide variety of species. An electrical potential is applied to the plant and its natural sap, or an applied solvent generates an electrospray that carries endogenous chemicals into an adjacent benchtop or miniature mass spectrometer. The sharp tip needed to create a high electric field can be either natural (e.g., bean sprout) or a small nick can be cut in a leaf, fruit, bark, etc. Stress-induced changes in glucosinolates can be followed on the minute time scale in several plants, including potted vegetables. Differences in spatial distributions and the possibility of studying plant metabolism are demonstrated. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  9. Threats to intact tropical peatlands and opportunities for their conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roucoux, K H; Lawson, I T; Baker, T R; Del Castillo Torres, D; Draper, F C; Lähteenoja, O; Gilmore, M P; Honorio Coronado, E N; Kelly, T J; Mitchard, E T A; Vriesendorp, C F

    2017-12-01

    Large, intact areas of tropical peatland are highly threatened at a global scale by the expansion of commercial agriculture and other forms of economic development. Conserving peatlands on a landscape scale, with their hydrology intact, is of international conservation importance to preserve their distinctive biodiversity and ecosystem services and maintain their resilience to future environmental change. We explored threats to and opportunities for conserving remaining intact tropical peatlands; thus, we excluded peatlands of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive deforestation, drainage, and conversion to plantations means conservation in this region can protect only small fragments of the original ecosystem. We focused on a case study, the Pastaza-Marañón Foreland Basin (PMFB) in Peru, which is among the largest known intact tropical peatland landscapes in the world and is representative of peatland vulnerability. Maintenance of the hydrological conditions critical for carbon storage and ecosystem function of peatlands is, in the PMFB, primarily threatened by expansion of commercial agriculture linked to new transport infrastructure that is facilitating access to remote areas. There remain opportunities in the PMFB and elsewhere to develop alternative, more sustainable land-use practices. Although some of the peatlands in the PMFB fall within existing legally protected areas, this protection does not include the most carbon-dense (domed pole forest) areas. New carbon-based conservation instruments (e.g., REDD+, Green Climate Fund), developing markets for sustainable peatland products, transferring land title to local communities, and expanding protected areas offer pathways to increased protection for intact tropical peatlands in Amazonia and elsewhere, such as those in New Guinea and Central Africa which remain, for the moment, broadly beyond the frontier of commercial development. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

  10. Femtosecond optoinjection of intact tobacco BY-2 cells using a reconfigurable photoporation platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Claire A; Kalies, Stefan; Cizmár, Tomás; Heisterkamp, Alexander; Torrance, Lesley; Roberts, Alison G; Gunn-Moore, Frank J; Dholakia, Kishan

    2013-01-01

    A tightly-focused ultrashort pulsed laser beam incident upon a cell membrane has previously been shown to transiently increase cell membrane permeability while maintaining the viability of the cell, a technique known as photoporation. This permeability can be used to aid the passage of membrane-impermeable biologically-relevant substances such as dyes, proteins and nucleic acids into the cell. Ultrashort-pulsed lasers have proven to be indispensable for photoporating mammalian cells but they have rarely been applied to plant cells due to their larger sizes and rigid and thick cell walls, which significantly hinders the intracellular delivery of exogenous substances. Here we demonstrate and quantify femtosecond optical injection of membrane impermeable dyes into intact BY-2 tobacco plant cells growing in culture, investigating both optical and biological parameters. Specifically, we show that the long axial extent of a propagation invariant ("diffraction-free") Bessel beam, which relaxes the requirements for tight focusing on the cell membrane, outperforms a standard Gaussian photoporation beam, achieving up to 70% optoinjection efficiency. Studies on the osmotic effects of culture media show that a hypertonic extracellular medium was found to be necessary to reduce turgor pressure and facilitate molecular entry into the cells.

  11. Nitrogen-15 uptake by whole plants and root callus cultures of inbred maize lines and their F1 hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mladenova, Y.; Karadimova, M.

    1981-01-01

    The uptake of nitrogen-15 by 3 maize genotypes was investigated. Comparative analysis of N15 assimilation and distribution in the organs of intact plants of two self-pollinated lines and their F1 hybrid and also in a callus tissue of roots of the same genotypes was made. From the results the conclusion is drawn that the N-use efficiency of the female line is higher than that of the male line both in intact plants and callus tissues from roots. This fact indicates that the N-use efficiency is determined not only by the functions of the cells in the shoots, suggesting the participation of the photosynthetic carboxylases but also by the functions of cells without a photosynthesizing apparatus. The N-use efficiency in the F1 hybrid manifests ''heterosis'', in spite of the intact plants or root callus tissues are being studied. (author)

  12. Use and development of coupled computer codes for the analysis of accidents at nuclear power plants. Proceedings of a technical meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    Computer codes are widely used in Member States for the analysis of safety at nuclear power plants (NPPs). Coupling of computer codes, a further tool for safety analysis, is especially beneficial to safety analysis. The significantly increased capacity of new computation technology has made it possible to switch to a newer generation of computer codes, which are capable of representing physical phenomena in detail and include a more precise consideration of multidimensional effects. The coupling of advanced, best estimate computer codes is an efficient method of addressing the multidisciplinary nature of reactor accidents with complex interfaces between disciplines. Coupling of computer codes is very advantageous for studies which relate to licensing of new NPPs, safety upgrading programmes for existing plants, periodic safety reviews, renewal of operating licences, use of safety margins for reactor power uprating, better utilization of nuclear fuel and higher operational flexibility, justification for lifetime extensions, development of new emergency operating procedures, analysis of operational events and development of accident management programmes. In this connection, the OECD/NEA Working Group on the Analysis and Management of Accidents (GAMA) recently highlighted the application of coupled computer codes as an area of 'high collective interest'. Coupled computer codes are being developed in many Member States independently or within small groups composed of several technical organizations. These developments revealed that there are many types and methods of code coupling. In this context, it was believed that an exchange of views and experience while addressing these problems at an international meeting could contribute to the more efficient and reliable use of advanced computer codes in nuclear safety applications. The present publication constitutes the report on the Technical Meeting on Progress in the Development and Use of Coupled Codes for Accident

  13. Use and development of coupled computer codes for the analysis of accidents at nuclear power plants. Proceedings of a technical meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    Computer codes are widely used in Member States for the analysis of safety at nuclear power plants (NPPs). Coupling of computer codes, a further tool for safety analysis, is especially beneficial to safety analysis. The significantly increased capacity of new computation technology has made it possible to switch to a newer generation of computer codes, which are capable of representing physical phenomena in detail and include a more precise consideration of multidimensional effects. The coupling of advanced, best estimate computer codes is an efficient method of addressing the multidisciplinary nature of reactor accidents with complex interfaces between disciplines. Coupling of computer codes is very advantageous for studies which relate to licensing of new NPPs, safety upgrading programmes for existing plants, periodic safety reviews, renewal of operating licences, use of safety margins for reactor power uprating, better utilization of nuclear fuel and higher operational flexibility, justification for lifetime extensions, development of new emergency operating procedures, analysis of operational events and development of accident management programmes. In this connection, the OECD/NEA Working Group on the Analysis and Management of Accidents (GAMA) recently highlighted the application of coupled computer codes as an area of 'high collective interest'. Coupled computer codes are being developed in many Member States independently or within small groups composed of several technical organizations. These developments revealed that there are many types and methods of code coupling. In this context, it was believed that an exchange of views and experience while addressing these problems at an international meeting could contribute to the more efficient and reliable use of advanced computer codes in nuclear safety applications. The present publication constitutes the report on the Technical Meeting on Progress in the Development and Use of Coupled Codes for Accident

  14. Epispadias in boys with an intact prepuce

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bos, E. M. E.; Kuijper, C. F.; Chrzan, R. J.; Dik, P.; Klijn, A. J.; de Jong, T. P. V. M.

    2014-01-01

    To present an overview of the clinical presentation and pathological anatomy, and the results of surgical correction of 7 cases of epispadias with intact prepuce; a rare condition that has only occasionally been reported in literature. A retrospective search was performed in the surgical and

  15. HYDROCARBON VAPOR DIFFUSION IN INTACT CORE SLEEVES

    Science.gov (United States)

    The diffusion of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) and 2,2,5-trimethylhexane (TMH) vapors put of residually contaminated sandy soil from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) field research site at Traverse City, Michigan, was measured and modeled. The headspace of an intact ...

  16. Digested BLG can induce tolerance when co-administered with intact BLG in Brown Norway rats

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm; Barkholt, Vibeke; Madsen, Charlotte Bernhard

    the human gastro-duodenal digestion process. Four different fractions of BLG-digest was made, based on sizes of peptides or aggregates hereof. Intact BLG and the four fractions of BLG-digesta were characterized by protein chemical analyses. Brown Norway (BN) rats were immunised i.p. three times without......Background: Milk is a major constituent of small children’s diet. Milk allergy is also one of the most common allergies in small children. Prevention, treatment and general understanding of this allergy are therefore important. Methods: Intact BLG was digested in an in vitro model simulating...... the use of adjuvant with either PBS (control), 200 µg of intact BLG, 30 µg of intact BLG, 200 µg of digested BLG (with 30 µg of intact BLG), 200 µg of digested BLG, 200 µg of a fraction of large complexes or 200 µg of a fraction of small complexes (all three without intact BLG). Sera from BN rats were...

  17. Cell cycle and cell death are not necessary for appressorium formation and plant infection in the fungal plant pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barhoom Sima

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to initiate plant infection, fungal spores must germinate and penetrate into the host plant. Many fungal species differentiate specialized infection structures called appressoria on the host surface, which are essential for successful pathogenic development. In the model plant pathogen Magnaporthe grisea completion of mitosis and autophagy cell death of the spore are necessary for appressoria-mediated plant infection; blocking of mitosis prevents appressoria formation, and prevention of autophagy cell death results in non-functional appressoria. Results We found that in the closely related plant pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, blocking of the cell cycle did not prevent spore germination and appressoria formation. The cell cycle always lagged behind the morphogenetic changes that follow spore germination, including germ tube and appressorium formation, differentiation of the penetrating hypha, and in planta formation of primary hyphae. Nuclear division was arrested following appressorium formation and was resumed in mature appressoria after plant penetration. Unlike in M. grisea, blocking of mitosis had only a marginal effect on appressoria formation; development in hydroxyurea-treated spores continued only for a limited number of cell divisions, but normal numbers of fully developed mature appressoria were formed under conditions that support appressoria formation. Similar results were also observed in other Colletotrichum species. Spores, germ tubes, and appressoria retained intact nuclei and remained viable for several days post plant infection. Conclusion We showed that in C. gloeosporioides the differentiation of infection structures including appressoria precedes mitosis and can occur without nuclear division. This phenomenon was also found to be common in other Colletotrichum species. Spore cell death did not occur during plant infection and the fungus primary infection structures remained viable

  18. Intacting Integrity in coping with health issues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jepsen, Stine Leegaard; Bastrup Jørgensen, Lene; Fridlund, Bengt

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a formal substantive theory (FST) on the multidimensional behavioral process of coping with health issues. Intacting integrity while coping with health issues emerged as the core category of this FST. People facing health issues strive to safeguard and keep...

  19. Performance of intact and castrated beef cattle in an intensive croppasture rotation system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tercilio Turini

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available This research had as objective to evaluate the performance of intact or castrated beef cattle in a croppasture rotation system. The experiment was conducted during 2004 and 2005, and carried out at the Cooperativa Agropecuária Mourãoense (COAMO Experimental Farm, in Campo Mourão city, Paraná state. It was used a completely randomized design, with two treatments, intact or castrated. Forty ½Angus+½Nelore crossbred animals, with average age of nine months, were used. Half of the animals were castrated at weaning, and the other half was kept intact. Pasture was composed of two areas. The winter field, established after soybean crop, was composed by a mixture of black oat (Avena strigosa and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiforum. The summer field was composed by stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis and Mombaça grass (Panicum maximum. During the winter time it was used a continues grazing system, with regulator animals (put and take, and during the summer an intensive rotational system, with regulator animals and fixed grazing period. Intact animals presented higher average daily weight gain (0.907 vs 0.698 kg, slaughter weight (490.9 vs 442.2 kg, and hot carcass weight (250.2 vs 232.6 kg. Slaughter age was influenced by sexual condition, being lesser in the intact animals. Carcass dressing percentage was similar for the groups. Castrated animals showed better finishing fat cover and backfat thickness (3.45 vs 2.70 mm compared to intact ones. Therefore, it can be concluded that intact animals presents better performance than castrated ones when finished in an intensive crop-pasture rotation system, however, they may not present the minimum required fat cover, when slaughter at young ages.

  20. Cholesteatoma behind an intact tympanic membrane: histopathologic evidence for a tympanic membrane origin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sudhoff, H; Linthicum, F H

    2001-07-01

    Several theories have been proposed with respect to the origin and pathogenesis of cholesteatoma behind an intact tympanic membrane. The authors describe a case of cholesteatoma behind an intact tympanic membrane in a 71-year-old man with a history of tympanic membrane retraction fixed to the incus without evidence of a perforation. The membrane eventually became detached, and remnants of keratinizing squamous epithelium were found on the incus. Mechanisms such as metaplasia, ectopic epidermis rests, or ingrowth of meatal epidermis have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of cholesteatoma behind an intact tympanic membrane. These findings, based on temporal bone histopathology, support the role of an acquired epidermal rest. This case report provides evidence that cholesteatoma behind an intact tympanic membrane can be established from a resolved retraction of the pars tensa of the tympanic membrane.

  1. The Multilevel Mixed Intact Group Analysis: A Mixed Method to Seek, Detect, Describe, and Explain Differences Among Intact Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoonenboom, Judith

    2016-01-01

    Educational innovations often involve intact subgroups, such as school classes or university departments. In small-scale educational evaluation research, typically involving 1 to 20 subgroups, differences among these subgroups are often neglected. This article presents a mixed method from a qualitative perspective, in which differences among…

  2. Structural determination of intact proteins using mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruppa, Gary [San Francisco, CA; Schoeniger, Joseph S [Oakland, CA; Young, Malin M [Livermore, CA

    2008-05-06

    The present invention relates to novel methods of determining the sequence and structure of proteins. Specifically, the present invention allows for the analysis of intact proteins within a mass spectrometer. Therefore, preparatory separations need not be performed prior to introducing a protein sample into the mass spectrometer. Also disclosed herein are new instrumental developments for enhancing the signal from the desired modified proteins, methods for producing controlled protein fragments in the mass spectrometer, eliminating complex microseparations, and protein preparatory chemical steps necessary for cross-linking based protein structure determination.Additionally, the preferred method of the present invention involves the determination of protein structures utilizing a top-down analysis of protein structures to search for covalent modifications. In the preferred method, intact proteins are ionized and fragmented within the mass spectrometer.

  3. Direct observation of local xylem embolisms induced by soil drying in intact Zea mays leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Jeongeun; Hwang, Bae Geun; Kim, Yangmin X; Lee, Sang Joon

    2016-04-01

    The vulnerability of vascular plants to xylem embolism is closely related to their stable long-distance water transport, growth, and survival. Direct measurements of xylem embolism are required to understand what causes embolism and what strategies plants employ against it. In this study, synchrotron X-ray microscopy was used to non-destructively investigate both the anatomical structures of xylem vessels and embolism occurrence in the leaves of intact Zea mays (maize) plants. Xylem embolism was induced by water stress at various soil drying periods and soil water contents. X-ray images of dehydrated maize leaves showed that the ratio of gas-filled vessels to all xylem vessels increased with decreased soil water content and reached approximately 30% under severe water stress. Embolism occurred in some but not all vessels. Embolism in maize leaves was not strongly correlated with xylem diameter but was more likely to occur in the peripheral veins. The rate of embolism formation in metaxylem vessels was higher than in protoxylem vessels. This work has demonstrated that xylem embolism remains low in maize leaves under water stress and that there xylem has characteristic spatial traits of vulnerability to embolism. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  4. How can we conserve intact tropical peatlands?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawson, Ian; Roucoux, Katherine

    2017-04-01

    The scientific community has, for more than three decades, been expressing increasing alarm about the fate of peatlands in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, where extensive land-use conversion and drainage for rice and oil palm have greatly compromised peatland hydrology, ecology, biological richness, and carbon storage. The discourse in the literature on these peatlands is now moving on from attempts to preserve the last remaining fragments of peat-swamp forest, towards discussion of how best to restore damaged ecosystems, and whether it is possible to manage plantations more 'sustainably'. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that peatlands occur quite widely in other parts of the lowland tropics, including parts of Amazonia and the Congo Basin, and many of these peatlands can reasonably be described as 'intact': although few if any parts of the tropics are totally unaffected by human actions, the hydrology and functional ecology of these systems appear to be close to a 'natural' state. The question then arises as to what should be done with the knowledge of their existence. Here we analyse the arguments in favour of protecting intact peatlands, and the potential conflicts with other priorities such as economic development and social justice. We evaluate alternative mechanisms for protecting intact peatlands, focusing on the particular issues raised by peatlands as opposed to other kinds of tropical ecosystem. We identify ways in which natural science agendas can help to inform these arguments, using our own contributions in palaeoecology and carbon mapping as examples. Finally, we argue for a radical reconsideration of research agendas in tropical peatlands, highlighting the potential contribution of methodologies borrowed from the social sciences and humanities.

  5. Effects of sewage sludge on Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate uptake by plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aranda, J.M.; O'Connor, G.A.; Eiceman, G.A.

    1989-01-01

    Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a priority organic pollutant frequently found in municipal sludges. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of sludge on plant uptake of 14 C-DEHP (carbonyl labeled). Plants grown included three food chain crops, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), carrot (Daucus carota L.) and chile pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Net 14 C concentration in plants grown in soil amended with 14 C-DEHP-contaminated sludge was independent of sludge rate (at the same DEHP loading) for lettuce, chile fruit, and carrot roots. Net 14 C concentration, however, was inversely related to sludge rate in carrot tops, fescue, and chile plants. Intact DEHP was not detected in plants by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Calculated plant DEHP concentrations (based on measured net 14 C concentrations and DEHP specific activities) were generally correlated better with DEHP soil solution concentrations than with total DEHP soil concentrations. Net 14 C-DEHP bioconcentration factors were calculated from initial soil DEHP concentration and plant fresh weights. Bioconcentration factors ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 for fescue, lettuce, carrots, and chile, suggesting little DEHP uptake. Additionally, because intact DEHP was not detected in any plants, DEHP uptake by plants was of minor importance and would not limit sludge additions to soils used to grow these crops

  6. Hydrolyzable tannins of tamaricaceous plants. IV: Micropropagation and ellagitannin production in shoot cultures of Tamarix tetrandra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orabi, Mohamed A A; Taniguchi, Shoko; Terabayashi, Susumu; Hatano, Tsutomu

    2011-11-01

    Shoot cultures of Tamarix tetrandra on Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) agar medium with 30 g l(-1) sucrose, 2.13 mg l(-1) indoleacetic acid and 2.25 mg l(-1) benzyl adenine produced ellagitannins found in intact plants of the Tamaricaceae. This was demonstrated by the isolation of 14 monomeric-tetrameric ellagitannins from the aq. Me2CO extract of the cultured tissues. This is the first report on the production of ellagitannin tetramers by plant tissue culture. The effects of light and certain medium constituents on tissue growth and ellagitannin production were examined. The contents of representative tannins of different types [i.e., tellimagrandin II (monomer), hirtellin A (linear GOG-type dimer), hirtellin B (hellinoyl-type dimer), hirtellin C (macrocyclic-type dimer), and hirtellin T1 (linear GOG-type trimer)] in the resultant tissues in response to these factors were estimated by HPLC, and the optimal condition for production of these tannins were established. Shoots cultured on LS hormone-free medium promoted root development, and regenerated plants could adapt to ordinary soil and climate. Acclimatized and intact T. tetrandra plants that were collected in November and May, respectively, demonstrated seasonal differences in individual ellagitannin contents. HPLC comparison of individual ellagitannin contents in different plant materials (i.e., leaves, stems, and roots) of intact T. tetrandra plants is also reported. The results are discussed with respect to cellular deposition and biosynthetic relationship of tannins. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Quantitative images of metals in plant tissues measured by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.S.; Dietrich, R.C.; Matusch, A.; Pozebon, D.; Dressler, V.L.

    2008-01-01

    Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used for quantitative imaging of toxic and essential elements in thin sections (thickness of 30 or 40 μm) of tobacco plant tissues. Two-dimensional images of Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cd, Rh, Pt and Pb in leaves, shoots and roots of tobacco were produced. Sections of the plant tissues (fixed onto glass slides) were scanned by a focused beam of a Nd:YAG laser in a laser ablation chamber. The ablated material was transported with argon as carrier gas to the ICP ion source at a quadrupole ICP-MS instrument. Ion intensities of the investigated elements were measured together with 13 C + , 33 S + and 34 S + within the entire plant tissue section. Matrix matching standards (prepared using powder of dried tobacco leaves) were used to constitute calibration curves, whereas the regression coefficient of the attained calibration curves was typically 0.99. The variability of LA-ICP-MS process, sample heterogeneity and water content in the sample were corrected by using 13 C + as internal standard. Quantitative imaging of the selected elements revealed their inhomogeneous distribution in leaves, shoots and roots

  8. Proficiency in Positive versus Negative Emotion Identification and Subjective Well-being among Long-term Married Elderly Couples

    OpenAIRE

    Raluca ePetrican; Morris eMoscovitch; Cheryl eGrady

    2014-01-01

    Evidence is accruing that positive emotions play a crucial role in shaping a healthy interpersonal climate. Inspired by this research, the current investigation sought to shed light on the link between proficiency in identifying positive versus negative emotions and a close partner’s well-being. To this end, we conducted two studies with neurologically intact elderly married couples (Study 1) and an age-matched clinical sample, comprising married couples in which one spouse had been diagnosed...

  9. Release of proteins from intact chloroplasts induced by reactive oxygen species during biotic and abiotic stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwon, Kwang-Chul; Verma, Dheeraj; Jin, Shuangxia; Singh, Nameirakpam D; Daniell, Henry

    2013-01-01

    Plastids sustain life on this planet by providing food, feed, essential biomolecules and oxygen. Such diverse metabolic and biosynthetic functions require efficient communication between plastids and the nucleus. However, specific factors, especially large molecules, released from plastids that regulate nuclear genes have not yet been fully elucidated. When tobacco and lettuce transplastomic plants expressing GFP within chloroplasts, were challenged with Erwinia carotovora (biotic stress) or paraquat (abiotic stress), GFP was released into the cytoplasm. During this process GFP moves gradually towards the envelope, creating a central red zone of chlorophyll fluorescence. GFP was then gradually released from intact chloroplasts into the cytoplasm with an intact vacuole and no other visible cellular damage. Different stages of GFP release were observed inside the same cell with a few chloroplasts completely releasing GFP with detection of only red chlorophyll fluorescence or with no reduction in GFP fluorescence or transitional steps between these two phases. Time lapse imaging by confocal microscopy clearly identified sequence of these events. Intactness of chloroplasts during this process was evident from chlorophyll fluorescence emanated from thylakoid membranes and in vivo Chla fluorescence measurements (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II) made before or after infection with pathogens to evaluate their photosynthetic competence. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion serve as signal molecules for generation of reactive oxygen species and Tiron, scavenger of superoxide anion, blocked release of GFP from chloroplasts. Significant increase in ion leakage in the presence of paraquat and light suggests changes in the chloroplast envelope to facilitate protein release. Release of GFP-RC101 (an antimicrobial peptide), which was triggered by Erwinia infection, ceased after conferring protection, further confirming this export phenomenon. These results suggest a

  10. Release of proteins from intact chloroplasts induced by reactive oxygen species during biotic and abiotic stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kwang-Chul Kwon

    Full Text Available Plastids sustain life on this planet by providing food, feed, essential biomolecules and oxygen. Such diverse metabolic and biosynthetic functions require efficient communication between plastids and the nucleus. However, specific factors, especially large molecules, released from plastids that regulate nuclear genes have not yet been fully elucidated. When tobacco and lettuce transplastomic plants expressing GFP within chloroplasts, were challenged with Erwinia carotovora (biotic stress or paraquat (abiotic stress, GFP was released into the cytoplasm. During this process GFP moves gradually towards the envelope, creating a central red zone of chlorophyll fluorescence. GFP was then gradually released from intact chloroplasts into the cytoplasm with an intact vacuole and no other visible cellular damage. Different stages of GFP release were observed inside the same cell with a few chloroplasts completely releasing GFP with detection of only red chlorophyll fluorescence or with no reduction in GFP fluorescence or transitional steps between these two phases. Time lapse imaging by confocal microscopy clearly identified sequence of these events. Intactness of chloroplasts during this process was evident from chlorophyll fluorescence emanated from thylakoid membranes and in vivo Chla fluorescence measurements (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II made before or after infection with pathogens to evaluate their photosynthetic competence. Hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion serve as signal molecules for generation of reactive oxygen species and Tiron, scavenger of superoxide anion, blocked release of GFP from chloroplasts. Significant increase in ion leakage in the presence of paraquat and light suggests changes in the chloroplast envelope to facilitate protein release. Release of GFP-RC101 (an antimicrobial peptide, which was triggered by Erwinia infection, ceased after conferring protection, further confirming this export phenomenon. These

  11. Does human leukocyte elastase degrade intact skin elastin?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmelzer, Christian E H; Jung, Michael C; Wohlrab, Johannes

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of intact fibrillar human elastin to human leukocyte elastase and cathepsin G. Elastin is a vital protein of the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, and provides exceptional properties including elasticity and tensile strength to many tissues...... and organs, including the aorta, lung, cartilage, elastic ligaments and skin, and is thus critical for their long-term function. Mature elastin is an insoluble and extremely durable protein that undergoes very little turnover, but sustained exposure to proteases may lead to irreversible and severe damage......, and thus to functional loss of the elastic fiber network. Hence, it is a key issue to understand which enzymes actually initiate elastolysis under certain pathological conditions or during intrinsic aging. In this paper, we provide a complete workflow for isolation of pure and intact elastin from very...

  12. DNA synthesis in periportal and perivenous hepatocytes of intact and hepatectomized young mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Blanco, A; Inda, A M; Errecalde, A L

    2015-01-01

    DNA synthesis of hepatocytes in two areas of Intact and Hepatectomized young mice liver along a circadian period was studied. DNA synthesis was significantly different at all analyzed time points in Intact and Hepatectomized animals. Differences between periportal and perivenous hepatocytes were found in hepatectomized animals at 04/42 and 08/46 hr of day/hour post-hepatectomy. DNAs peak in periportal hepatocytes regenerating liver occurs 4 hr earlier than in perivenous hepatocytes, probably reflecting their shorter G1 phase. Besides, daily mean values of regenerating livers were higher than those observed in Intact animals, as a consequence of surgical removal.

  13. /sup 31/P-NMR studies of respiratory regulation in the intact myocardium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    From, A H.L.; Petein, M A; Zimmer, S W; Michurski, S P; Ugurbil, K

    1986-10-06

    The mechanism by which mitochondrial respiration is coupled to ATP consumption in intact tissues is unclear. The authors determined the relationship between high-energy phosphate levels and oxygen consumption rate in rat hearts operating over a range of workloads and perfused with different substrates. With pyruvate + glucose perfusion, ADP levels were in general very low, and varied with MVO/sub 2/ yielding an apparent K/sub m/ of 25 +- 5 ..mu..M, suggesting regulation of oxidative phosphorylation through availability of ADP. In contrast, with glucose perfusion in the presence or absence of insulin, ADP levels, ADP/ATP ratio or the phosphate potential were relatively constant over the workload range examined and generally not correlated with alterations in MVO/sub 2/; it is suggested that under these conditions, carbon substrate delivery to the mitochondria may control mitochondrial respiration. The common feature of both of the suggested regulatory mechanisms is substrate limitation which, however, is exercised at different metabolic points depending on the carbon substrate available to the myocardium. 19 refs.; 2 figs.; 1 table.

  14. Multi-Axis Prosthetic Knee Resembles Alpine Skiing Movements of an Intact Leg

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demšar, Ivan; Duhovnik, Jože; Lešnik, Blaž; Supej, Matej

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to analyse the flexion angles of the ski boot, ankle and knee joints of an above-knee prosthesis and to compare them with an intact leg and a control group of skiers. One subject with an above-knee amputation of the right leg and eight healthy subjects simulated the movement of a skiing turn by performing two-leg squats in laboratory conditions. By adding additional loads in proportion to body weight (BW; +1/3 BW, +2/3 BW, +3/3 BW), various skiing regimes were simulated. Change of Flexion Angle (CoFA) and Range of Motion (RoM) in the ski boot, ankle and knee joints were calculated and compared. An average RoM in the skiing boot on the side of prosthesis (4.4 ± 1.1°) was significantly lower compared to an intact leg (5.9 ± 1.8°) and the control group (6.5 ± 2.3°). In the ankle joint, the average RoM was determined to be 13.2±2.9° in the prosthesis, 12.7 ± 2.8° in an intact leg and 14.8±3.6 in the control group. However, the RoM of the knee joint in the prosthesis (42.2 ± 4.2°) was significantly larger than that of the intact leg (34.7 ± 4.4°). The average RoM of the knee joint in the control group was 47.8 ± 5.4°. The influences of additional loads on the kinematics of the lower extremities were different on the side of the prosthesis and on the intact leg. In contrast, additional loads did not produce any significant differences in the control group. Although different CoFAs in the ski boot, ankle and knee joints were used, an above-knee prosthesis with a built-in multi-axis prosthetic knee enables comparable leg kinematics in simulated alpine skiing. Key points The RoM in the ski boot on the side of the prosthetic leg was smaller than the RoM of the intact leg and the control group of healthy subjects. The RoM in the ankle joint of prosthetic leg was comparable to that of the intact leg and the control group of healthy subjects. The RoM in the prosthetic knee joint was greater than the RoM in the knee joint of the

  15. Coupled Flow and Mechanics in Porous and Fractured Media*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, M. J.; Newell, P.; Bishop, J.

    2012-12-01

    Numerical models describing subsurface flow through deformable porous materials are important for understanding and enabling energy security and climate security. Some applications of current interest come from such diverse areas as geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO2, hydro-fracturing for stimulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, and modeling electrochemistry-induced swelling of fluid-filled porous electrodes. Induced stress fields in any of these applications can lead to structural failure and fracture. The ultimate goal of this research is to model evolving faults and fracture networks and flow within the networks while coupling to flow and mechanics within the intact porous structure. We report here on a new computational capability for coupling of multiphase porous flow with geomechanics including assessment of over-pressure-induced structural damage. The geomechanics is coupled to the flow via the variation in the fluid pore pressures, whereas the flow problem is coupled to mechanics by the concomitant material strains which alter the pore volume (porosity field) and hence the permeability field. For linear elastic solid mechanics a monolithic coupling strategy is utilized. For nonlinear elastic/plastic and fractured media, a segregated coupling is presented. To facilitate coupling with disparate flow and mechanics time scales, the coupling strategy allows for different time steps in the flow solve compared to the mechanics solve. If time steps are synchronized, the controller allows user-specified intra-time-step iterations. The iterative coupling is dynamically controlled based on a norm measuring the degree of variation in the deformed porosity. The model is applied for evaluation of the integrity of jointed caprock systems during CO2 sequestration operations. Creation or reactivation of joints can lead to enhanced pathways for leakage. Similarly, over-pressures can induce flow along faults. Fluid flow rates in fractures are strongly dependent on the

  16. Antimicrobial activity of a new intact skin antisepsis formulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Russo, Antonello; Viotti, Pier Luigi; Vitali, Matteo; Clementi, Massimo

    2003-04-01

    Different antiseptic formulations have shown limitations when applied to disinfecting intact skin, notably short-term tolerability and/or efficacy. The purpose of this study was optimizing a new antiseptic formulation specifically targeted at intact skin disinfection and evaluating its in vitro microbicidal activity and in vivo efficacy. The biocidal properties of the antiseptic solution containing 0.5% chloramine-T diluted in 50% isopropyl alcohol (Cloral; Eurospital SpA Trieste, Italy) were measured in vitro versus gram-positive-, gram-negative-, and acid-alcohol-resistant germs and fungi with standard suspension tests in the presence of fetal bovine serum. Virus-inhibiting activity was evaluated in vitro against human cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, poliovirus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. Tests used different methods for the different biologic and in vitro replication capacity of these human viruses. Lastly, Cloral tolerability and skin colonization retardation efficacy after disinfection were studied in vivo. The antiseptic under review showed fast and sustained antimicrobial activity. The efficacy of Cloral against clinically important bacterial and viral pathogens and fungi was highlighted under the experimental conditions described in this article. Finally, microbial regrowth lag and no side effects were documented in vivo after disinfection of 11 volunteers. A stable chloramine-T solution in isopropyl alcohol may be suggested for intact skin antisepsis.

  17. Optimization of prosthetic foot stiffness to reduce metabolic cost and intact knee loading during below-knee amputee walking: a theoretical study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fey, Nicholas P; Klute, Glenn K; Neptune, Richard R

    2012-11-01

    Unilateral below-knee amputees develop abnormal gait characteristics that include bilateral asymmetries and an elevated metabolic cost relative to non-amputees. In addition, long-term prosthesis use has been linked to an increased prevalence of joint pain and osteoarthritis in the intact leg knee. To improve amputee mobility, prosthetic feet that utilize elastic energy storage and return (ESAR) have been designed, which perform important biomechanical functions such as providing body support and forward propulsion. However, the prescription of appropriate design characteristics (e.g., stiffness) is not well-defined since its influence on foot function and important in vivo biomechanical quantities such as metabolic cost and joint loading remain unclear. The design of feet that improve these quantities could provide considerable advancements in amputee care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to couple design optimization with dynamic simulations of amputee walking to identify the optimal foot stiffness that minimizes metabolic cost and intact knee joint loading. A musculoskeletal model and distributed stiffness ESAR prosthetic foot model were developed to generate muscle-actuated forward dynamics simulations of amputee walking. Dynamic optimization was used to solve for the optimal muscle excitation patterns and foot stiffness profile that produced simulations that tracked experimental amputee walking data while minimizing metabolic cost and intact leg internal knee contact forces. Muscle and foot function were evaluated by calculating their contributions to the important walking subtasks of body support, forward propulsion and leg swing. The analyses showed that altering a nominal prosthetic foot stiffness distribution by stiffening the toe and mid-foot while making the ankle and heel less stiff improved ESAR foot performance by offloading the intact knee during early to mid-stance of the intact leg and reducing metabolic cost. The optimal design also

  18. Investigation of Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Sequential Microplate-Based Respiration Measurements from Intact and Permeabilized Neurons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clerc, Pascaline; Polster, Brian M.

    2012-01-01

    Mitochondrial dysfunction is a component of many neurodegenerative conditions. Measurement of oxygen consumption from intact neurons enables evaluation of mitochondrial bioenergetics under conditions that are more physiologically realistic compared to isolated mitochondria. However, mechanistic analysis of mitochondrial function in cells is complicated by changing energy demands and lack of substrate control. Here we describe a technique for sequentially measuring respiration from intact and saponin-permeabilized cortical neurons on single microplates. This technique allows control of substrates to individual electron transport chain complexes following permeabilization, as well as side-by-side comparisons to intact cells. To illustrate the utility of the technique, we demonstrate that inhibition of respiration by the drug KB-R7943 in intact neurons is relieved by delivery of the complex II substrate succinate, but not by complex I substrates, via acute saponin permeabilization. In contrast, methyl succinate, a putative cell permeable complex II substrate, failed to rescue respiration in intact neurons and was a poor complex II substrate in permeabilized cells. Sequential measurements of intact and permeabilized cell respiration should be particularly useful for evaluating indirect mitochondrial toxicity due to drugs or cellular signaling events which cannot be readily studied using isolated mitochondria. PMID:22496810

  19. Impulse radar scanning of intact salt at the Avery Island Mine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cook, C.W.

    1980-05-01

    A series of experiments was run in the Avery Island Mine to evaluate the capability of an impulse radar to locate anomalies and simulated waste targets in intact dome salt. Voids in salt were difficult to detect. On the positive side, metal targets and simulated waste (glass) were easily located in intact salt. Radar scanning at ranges of greater than 25 meters and short-range resolution of target positions to within a few centimeters were achieved

  20. Performance of intact and partially degraded concrete barriers in limiting fluid flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walton, J.C.; Seitz, R.R.

    1991-07-01

    Concrete barriers will play a critical role in the long-term isolation of low-level radioactive wastes. Over time the barriers will degrade, and in many cases, the fundamental processes controlling performance of the barriers will be different for intact and degraded conditions. This document examines factors controlling fluid flow through intact and degraded concrete disposal facilities. Simplified models are presented fro predicting build up of fluid above a vault; fluid flow through and around intact vaults, through flaws in coatings/liners applied to a vault, and through cracks in a concrete vault; and the influence of different backfill materials around the outside of the vault. Example calculations are presented to illustrate the parameters and processes that influence fluid flow. 46 refs., 49 figs., 2 tabs

  1. Bioavailability and in vivo metabolism of intact glucosinolates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Jens Christian; Frandsen, Heidi Blok; Jensen, Søren Krogh

    2016-01-01

    Health benefits associated with consumption of cruciferous vegetables have received considerable attention with a hitherto focus on the role and bioactivity of glucosinolate degradation products. We investigated the in vivo metabolism of intact glucosinolates by following their fate in digesta an...

  2. Femtosecond optoinjection of intact tobacco BY-2 cells using a reconfigurable photoporation platform.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire A Mitchell

    Full Text Available A tightly-focused ultrashort pulsed laser beam incident upon a cell membrane has previously been shown to transiently increase cell membrane permeability while maintaining the viability of the cell, a technique known as photoporation. This permeability can be used to aid the passage of membrane-impermeable biologically-relevant substances such as dyes, proteins and nucleic acids into the cell. Ultrashort-pulsed lasers have proven to be indispensable for photoporating mammalian cells but they have rarely been applied to plant cells due to their larger sizes and rigid and thick cell walls, which significantly hinders the intracellular delivery of exogenous substances. Here we demonstrate and quantify femtosecond optical injection of membrane impermeable dyes into intact BY-2 tobacco plant cells growing in culture, investigating both optical and biological parameters. Specifically, we show that the long axial extent of a propagation invariant ("diffraction-free" Bessel beam, which relaxes the requirements for tight focusing on the cell membrane, outperforms a standard Gaussian photoporation beam, achieving up to 70% optoinjection efficiency. Studies on the osmotic effects of culture media show that a hypertonic extracellular medium was found to be necessary to reduce turgor pressure and facilitate molecular entry into the cells.

  3. Occurence of translocations between irradiated and intact chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myasnyankina, E.N.; Abeleva, Eh.A.; Generalova, M.V.

    1980-01-01

    Two translocations between irradiated father and intact mother autosomes are obtained in Drosophila melanogaster. Five out of 283 regular translocations (between the second and the third chromosomes of an irradiated male) are accompanied by a recombination over the second or the third chromosomes. Nine flies out of twenty considered to be recombinants, could originate due to mutations. The data obtained prove that intact female autosomes can take part in the exchange with homologic (recombinations) and heterologic (translocations) irradiated male autosomes

  4. Direct comparison of phosphate uptake by adnate and loosely attached microalgae within an intact biofilm matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkholder, J.M.; Wetzel, R.G.; Klomparens, K.L.

    1990-01-01

    We report a direct comparison of phosphate uptake by adnate and loosely attached microalgae in an intact biofilm matrix, with resolution at the level of individual cells. Track scanning electron microscope autoradiography enabled assay of [ 33 P]phosphate uptake from the overlying water by adnate algae left undisturbed on mature leaves of the macrophyte Potamogeton illinoensis or on artificial plant mimics. The epiphyte communities developed in either phosphate-poor or moderately phosphate-enriched water, and they were assayed on both natural and artificial plants. All adnate taxa examined from both natural and artificial plants in both habitats took up significantly less radiolabel when assayed beneath the overlying matrix than when they were exposed to the water upon removal of the overstory material. Track scanning electron microscope autoradiography and track light microscope autoradiography were intercalibrated to enable comparison of [ 33 P]phosphate uptake by adnate and loosely attached components of the epiphyte matrix. Loosley attached cells on substrata from both habitats took up significantly more radiolabel than did underlying adnate cells, indicating that access to phosphate supplies from the water depended on the position of microbial cells in the matrix. In this short-term assay, the adnate microalgae were relatively isolated from the water column nutrient source

  5. Losing a jewel—Rapid declines in Myanmar’s intact forests from 2002-2014

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horning, Ned; Khaing, Thiri; Thein, Zaw Min; Aung, Kyaw Moe; Aung, Kyaw Htet; Phyo, Paing; Tun, Ye Lin; Oo, Aung Htat; Neil, Anthony; Thu, Win Myo; Songer, Melissa; Huang, Qiongyu; Connette, Grant; Leimgruber, Peter

    2017-01-01

    New and rapid political and economic changes in Myanmar are increasing the pressures on the country’s forests. Yet, little is known about the past and current condition of these forests and how fast they are declining. We mapped forest cover in Myanmar through a consortium of international organizations and environmental non-governmental groups, using freely-available public domain data and open source software tools. We used Landsat satellite imagery to assess the condition and spatial distribution of Myanmar’s intact and degraded forests with special focus on changes in intact forest between 2002 and 2014. We found that forests cover 42,365,729 ha or 63% of Myanmar, making it one of the most forested countries in the region. However, severe logging, expanding plantations, and degradation pose increasing threats. Only 38% of the country’s forests can be considered intact with canopy cover >80%. Between 2002 and 2014, intact forests declined at a rate of 0.94% annually, totaling more than 2 million ha forest loss. Losses can be extremely high locally and we identified 9 townships as forest conversion hotspots. We also delineated 13 large (>100,000 ha) and contiguous intact forest landscapes, which are dispersed across Myanmar. The Northern Forest Complex supports four of these landscapes, totaling over 6.1 million ha of intact forest, followed by the Southern Forest Complex with three landscapes, comprising 1.5 million ha. These remaining contiguous forest landscape should have high priority for protection. Our project demonstrates how open source data and software can be used to develop and share critical information on forests when such data are not readily available elsewhere. We provide all data, code, and outputs freely via the internet at (for scripts: https://bitbucket.org/rsbiodiv/; for the data: http://geonode.themimu.info/layers/geonode%3Amyan_lvl2_smoothed_dec2015_resamp) PMID:28520726

  6. Non-intact zona improves development of murine preimplantation ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ajl5

    2012-09-25

    Sep 25, 2012 ... 2College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, ... Key words: Mouse, non-intact zona embryos, adenovirus vector with green fluorescent protein (pAd-GFP), .... Based on microscopic examination, the ZP of some ..... permeable structure of ZP that allowed penetration of.

  7. Does a decade of elevated [CO2] affect a desert perennial plant community?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newingham, Beth A; Vanier, Cheryl H; Kelly, Lauren J; Charlet, Therese N; Smith, Stanley D

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the effects of elevated [CO2 ] on plant community structure is crucial to predicting ecosystem responses to global change. Early predictions suggested that productivity in deserts would increase via enhanced water-use efficiency under elevated [CO2], but the response of intact arid plant communities to elevated [CO2 ] is largely unknown. We measured changes in perennial plant community characteristics (cover, species richness and diversity) after 10 yr of elevated [CO2] exposure in an intact Mojave Desert community at the Nevada Desert Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) Facility. Contrary to expectations, total cover, species richness, and diversity were not affected by elevated [CO2]. Over the course of the experiment, elevated [CO2] had no effect on changes in cover of the evergreen C3 shrub, Larrea tridentata; alleviated decreases in cover of the C4 bunchgrass, Pleuraphis rigida; and slightly reduced the cover of C3 drought-deciduous shrubs. Thus, we generally found no effect of elevated [CO2] on plant communities in this arid ecosystem. Extended drought, slow plant growth rates, and highly episodic germination and recruitment of new individuals explain the lack of strong perennial plant community shifts after a decade of elevated [CO2]. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

  8. How common is within-plant signaling via volatiles?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tao; Blande, James D

    2017-08-03

    Many plants respond to herbivory by releasing a complex blend of volatiles that may differ from that emitted by intact counterparts. These herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPV) mediate many interactions among plants and their community members, including alerting undamaged leaves of the attacked or neighboring plants to impending danger. It has been postulated that HIPVs evolved for within-plant signaling and that other organisms subsequently evolved to use them. However, only 7 studies have reported HIPV-mediated within-plant signaling, most conducted in the laboratory or greenhouse. This leaves open the ecological relevance and evolutionary underpinning of the phenomenon. We recently observed within-plant signaling in hybrid aspen under laboratory and field conditions. Greenhouse experiments showed that HIPVs mediated the process. While our study adds an aspen hybrid to the list of plants in which within-plant signaling has been demonstrated, we lack understanding of how common the process is and whether plants obtain fitness benefits.

  9. The European wool-carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) eavesdrops on plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during trichome collection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graham, Kelsey K; Brown, Steve; Clarke, Stephanie; Röse, Ursula S R; Starks, Philip T

    2017-11-01

    The plant-pollinator relationship is generally considered mutualistic. This relationship is less clear, however, when pollinators also cause tissue damage. Some Megachilidae bees collect plant material for nests from the plants they pollinate. In this study, we examined the relationship between Anthidium manicatum, the European wool-carder bee, and the source of its preferred nesting material - Stachys byzantina, lamb's ear. Female A. manicatum use their mandibles to trim trichomes from plants for nesting material (a behaviour dubbed "carding"). Using volatile organic compound (VOC) headspace analysis and behavioural observations, we explored (a) how carding effects S. byzantina and (b) how A. manicatum may choose specific S. byzantina plants. We found that removal of trichomes leads to a dissimilar VOC bouquet compared to intact leaves, with a significant increase in VOC detection following damage. A. manicatum also visit S. byzantina plants with trichomes removed at a greater frequency compared to plants with trichomes intact. Our data suggest that A. manicatum eavesdrop on VOCs produced by damaged plants, leading to more carding damage for individual plants due to increased detectability by A. manicatum. Accordingly, visitation by A. manicatum to S. byzantina may incur both a benefit (pollination) and cost (tissue damage) to the plant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for predicting amino acids content in intact processed animal proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De la Haba, Maria José; Garrido-Varo, Ana; Guerrero-Ginel, José Emilio; Pérez-Marín, Dolores C

    2006-10-04

    Near-infrared calibrations were developed for the instantaneous prediction of amino acids composition of processed animal proteins (PAPs). Two sample presentation modes were compared (ground vs intact) for demonstrating the viability of the analysis in the intact form, avoiding the need for milling. Modified partial least-squares (MPLS) equations for the prediction of amino acids in PAPs were developed using the same set of samples (N = 92 PAPs) analyzed in ground and intact form and in three cups differing in the optical window size. The standard error for cross validation (SECV) and the coefficient of determination (1-VR) values yielded with the calibrations developed using the samples analyzed in the intact form showed similar or even better accuracy than those obtained with finely ground samples. The excellent predictive ability (1-VR > 0.90; CV marketing of these important protein feed ingredients, alleviating the costs and time associated with the routine quality controls.

  11. Priming of antiherbivore defensive responses in plants

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jinwon Kim; Gary W.Felton

    2013-01-01

    Defense priming is defined as increased readiness of defense induction.A growing body of literature indicates that plants (or intact parts of a plant) are primed in anticipation of impending environmental stresses,both biotic and abiotic,and upon the following stimulus,induce defenses more quickly and strongly.For instance,some plants previously exposed to herbivore-inducible plant volatiles (HIPVs) from neighboring plants under herbivore attack show faster or stronger defense activation and enhanced insect resistance when challenged with secondary insect feeding.Research on priming of antiherbivore defense has been limited to the HIPV-mediated mechanism until recently,but significant advances were made in the past three years,including non-HIPV-mediated defense priming,epigenetic modifications as the molecular mechanism of priming,and others.It is timely to consider the advances in research on defense priming in the plantinsect interactions.

  12. Aboveground Biomass Variability Across Intact and Degraded Forests in the Brazilian Amazon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longo, Marcos; Keller, Michael; Dos-Santos, Maiza N.; Leitold, Veronika; Pinage, Ekena R.; Baccini, Alessandro; Saatchi, Sassan; Nogueira, Euler M.; Batistella, Mateus; Morton, Douglas C.

    2016-01-01

    Deforestation rates have declined in the Brazilian Amazon since 2005, yet degradation from logging, re, and fragmentation has continued in frontier forests. In this study we quantified the aboveground carbon density (ACD) in intact and degraded forests using the largest data set of integrated forest inventory plots (n 359) and airborne lidar data (18,000 ha) assembled to date for the Brazilian Amazon. We developed statistical models relating inventory ACD estimates to lidar metrics that explained70 of the variance across forest types. Airborne lidar-ACD estimates for intact forests ranged between 5.0 +/- 2.5 and 31.9 +/- 10.8 kg C m(exp -2). Degradation carbon losses were large and persistent. Sites that burned multiple times within a decade lost up to 15.0 +/- 0.7 kg C m(-2)(94%) of ACD. Forests that burned nearly15 years ago had between 4.1 +/- 0.5 and 6.8 +/- 0.3 kg C m(exp -2) (22-40%) less ACD than intact forests. Even for low-impact logging disturbances, ACD was between 0.7 +/- 0.3 and 4.4 +/- 0.4 kg C m(exp -2)(4-21%) lower than unlogged forests. Comparing biomass estimates from airborne lidar to existing biomass maps, we found that regional and pan-tropical products consistently overestimated ACD in degraded forests, under-estimated ACD in intact forests, and showed little sensitivity to res and logging. Fine-scale heterogeneity in ACD across intact and degraded forests highlights the benefits of airborne lidar for carbon mapping. Differences between airborne lidar and regional biomass maps underscore the need to improve and update biomass estimates for dynamic land use frontiers, to better characterize deforestation and degradation carbon emissions for regional carbon budgets and Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation(REDD+).

  13. Phosphorylation of intact erythrocytes in human muscular dystrophy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, R.M.; Nigro, M.

    1986-01-01

    The uptake of exogenous 32 Pi into the membrane proteins of intact erythrocytes was measured in 8 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. No abnormalities were noted after autoradiographic analysis. This contrasts with earlier results obtained when isolated membranes were phosphorylated with gamma-[ 32 P]ATP, and suggests a possible reinterpretation of those experiments

  14. Evolution of plant virus movement proteins from the 30K superfamily and of their homologs integrated in plant genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mushegian, Arcady R., E-mail: mushegian2@gmail.com [Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230 (United States); Elena, Santiago F., E-mail: sfelena@ibmcp.upv.es [Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, CSIC-UPV, 46022 València (Spain); The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (United States)

    2015-02-15

    Homologs of Tobacco mosaic virus 30K cell-to-cell movement protein are encoded by diverse plant viruses. Mechanisms of action and evolutionary origins of these proteins remain obscure. We expand the picture of conservation and evolution of the 30K proteins, producing sequence alignment of the 30K superfamily with the broadest phylogenetic coverage thus far and illuminating structural features of the core all-beta fold of these proteins. Integrated copies of pararetrovirus 30K movement genes are prevalent in euphyllophytes, with at least one copy intact in nearly every examined species, and mRNAs detected for most of them. Sequence analysis suggests repeated integrations, pseudogenizations, and positive selection in those provirus genes. An unannotated 30K-superfamily gene in Arabidopsis thaliana genome is likely expressed as a fusion with the At1g37113 transcript. This molecular background of endopararetrovirus gene products in plants may change our view of virus infection and pathogenesis, and perhaps of cellular homeostasis in the hosts. - Highlights: • Sequence region shared by plant virus “30K” movement proteins has an all-beta fold. • Most euphyllophyte genomes contain integrated copies of pararetroviruses. • These integrated virus genomes often include intact movement protein genes. • Molecular evidence suggests that these “30K” genes may be selected for function.

  15. Sympathetic Nervous Regulation of Calcium and Action Potential Alternans in the Intact Heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, James; Bishop, Martin J; Wilder, Catherine D E; O'Shea, Christopher; Pavlovic, Davor; Shattock, Michael J

    2018-01-01

    Rationale: Arrhythmogenic cardiac alternans are thought to be an important determinant for the initiation of ventricular fibrillation. There is limited information on the effects of sympathetic nerve stimulation (SNS) on alternans in the intact heart and the conclusions of existing studies, focused on investigating electrical alternans, are conflicted. Meanwhile, several lines of evidence implicate instabilities in Ca handling, not electrical restitution, as the primary mechanism underpinning alternans. Despite this, there have been no studies on Ca alternans and SNS in the intact heart. The present study sought to address this, by application of voltage and Ca optical mapping for the simultaneous study of APD and Ca alternans in the intact guinea pig heart during direct SNS. Objective : To determine the effects of SNS on APD and Ca alternans in the intact guinea pig heart and to examine the mechanism(s) by which the effects of SNS are mediated. Methods and Results : Studies utilized simultaneous voltage and Ca optical mapping in isolated guinea pig hearts with intact innervation. Alternans were induced using a rapid dynamic pacing protocol. SNS was associated with rate-independent shortening of action potential duration (APD) and the suppression of APD and Ca alternans, as indicated by a shift in the alternans threshold to faster pacing rates. Qualitatively similar results were observed with exogenous noradrenaline perfusion. In contrast with previous reports, both SNS and noradrenaline acted to flatten the slope of the electrical restitution curve. Pharmacological block of the slow delayed rectifying potassium current (I Ks ), sufficient to abolish I Ks -mediated APD-adaptation, partially reversed the effects of SNS on pacing-induced alternans. Treatment with cyclopiazonic acid, an inhibitor of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum ATPase, had opposite effects to that of SNS, acting to increase susceptibility to alternans, and suggesting that accelerated Ca reuptake

  16. Near-term feasibility of nuclear reactors for seawater desalting. Coupling of standard condensing nuclear power stations to low-grade heat multieffect distillation plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adar, J.; Manor, S.; Schaal, M.

    1977-01-01

    The paper describes the horizontal aluminium tube, multieffect distillation process developed by Israel Desalination Engineering Ltd., which is very suitable for the use of low-grade heat from standard condensing nuclear turbines operating at increased back-pressure. A special flash-chamber constitutes a positive barrier against any possible contamination being carried over by the steam exhausted from the turbine to the desalination plant. Flow sheets, heat and mass balances have been prepared for two standard sizes of NSSS and turbines, two back-pressures, and corresponding desalination plants. Only standard equipment is being used in the steam and electricity-producing plant. The desalination plant consists of 6 to 12 parallel double lines, each of them similar to a large prototype now being designed and which will be coupled to an old fossil-fuel power station. Total energy requirements of the desalination plant represent only 19 to 50% of the total water cost as against 75% for a single-purpose plant. Costs are based on actual bids for the power plant and actual estimates for the desalination prototype. The operation is designed to be flexible so that the power plant can be operated either in conjunction with the desalination plant, or as a single-purpose plant. (author)

  17. Conflict resolution patterns and longevity of adolescent romantic couples: a 2-year follow-up study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shulman, Shmuel; Tuval-Mashiach, Rivka; Levran, Elisheva; Anbar, Shmuel

    2006-08-01

    This study examined the predictors of longevity among 40 late adolescent romantic couples (mean age males=17.71 years; mean age females=17.18 years). Subjects were given a revealed differences task where they were asked to solve their disagreements. The joint task was recorded, transcribed and analysed by two raters. At 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after this procedure, partners were contacted by telephone and asked whether their relationship was still intact. A cluster analysis was performed on couples' interaction indices and yielded three distinctive conflict resolution patterns. The Downplaying pattern was characterized by a high tendency to minimize the conflict. The relationships of the adolescents displaying this pattern stayed intact for a period of 9 months. Half of them were still together after 24 months. The adolescents displaying the Integrative pattern, which shows a good ability to negotiate differences tended to stay together over a period of 24 months. Those showing the Conflictive pattern, characterized by a confrontative interaction, were separated by the 3 months follow-up. Results are discussed within the context of developmental perspectives of conflict resolution tendencies and adolescent romance.

  18. Biosynthesis of digalactosyldiacylglycerol in plastids from 16:3 and 18:3 plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heemskerk, J.W.M.; Heinz, E. (Univ. of Hamburg (West Germany)); Storz, T.; Schmidt, R.R. (Univ. of Konstanz (West Germany))

    1990-08-01

    Intact chloroplasts isolated from leaves of eight species of 16:3 and 18:3 plants and chromoplasts isolated from Narcissus pseudonarcissus L. flowers synthesize galactose-labeled mono-, di-, and trigalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG, DGDG, and TGDG) when incubated with UDP-(6-{sup 3}H)galactose. In all plastids, galactolipid synthesis, and especially synthesis of DGDG and TGDG, is reduced by treatment of the organelles with the nonpenetrating protease thermolysin. Envelope membranes isolated from thermolysin-treated chloroplasts of Spinacia oleracea L. (16:3 plant) and Pisum sativum L. (18:3 plant) or membranes isolated from thermolysin-treated chromoplasts are strongly reduced in galactolipid:galactolipid galactosyltransferase activity, but not with regard to UDP-Gal:diacylglycerol galactosyltransferase. For the intact plastids, this indicates that thermolysin treatment specifically blocks DGDG (and TGDG) synthesis, whereas MGDG synthesis is not affected. Neither in chloroplast nor in chromoplast membranes is DGDG synthesis stimulated by UDP-Gal. DGDG synthesis in S. oleracea chloroplasts is not stimulated by nucleoside 5{prime}-diphospho digalactosides. Therefore, galactolipid:galactolipid galactosyltransferase is so far the only detectable enzyme synthesizing DGDG.

  19. Biosynthesis of digalactosyldiacylglycerol in plastids from 16:3 and 18:3 plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heemskerk, J.W.M.; Heinz, E.; Storz, T.; Schmidt, R.R.

    1990-01-01

    Intact chloroplasts isolated from leaves of eight species of 16:3 and 18:3 plants and chromoplasts isolated from Narcissus pseudonarcissus L. flowers synthesize galactose-labeled mono-, di-, and trigalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG, DGDG, and TGDG) when incubated with UDP-[6- 3 H]galactose. In all plastids, galactolipid synthesis, and especially synthesis of DGDG and TGDG, is reduced by treatment of the organelles with the nonpenetrating protease thermolysin. Envelope membranes isolated from thermolysin-treated chloroplasts of Spinacia oleracea L. (16:3 plant) and Pisum sativum L. (18:3 plant) or membranes isolated from thermolysin-treated chromoplasts are strongly reduced in galactolipid:galactolipid galactosyltransferase activity, but not with regard to UDP-Gal:diacylglycerol galactosyltransferase. For the intact plastids, this indicates that thermolysin treatment specifically blocks DGDG (and TGDG) synthesis, whereas MGDG synthesis is not affected. Neither in chloroplast nor in chromoplast membranes is DGDG synthesis stimulated by UDP-Gal. DGDG synthesis in S. oleracea chloroplasts is not stimulated by nucleoside 5'-diphospho digalactosides. Therefore, galactolipid:galactolipid galactosyltransferase is so far the only detectable enzyme synthesizing DGDG

  20. Spontaneous and light-induced photon emission from intact brains of chick embryos

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张锦珠; 于文斗; 孙彤

    1997-01-01

    Photon emission (PE) and light-induced photon emission(LPE) of intact brains isolated from chick embryos have been measured by using the single photon counting device. Experimental results showed that the intensi-ty level of photon emission was detected to be higher from intact brain than from the medium in which the brain was immerged during measuring, and the emission intensity was related to the developmental stages, the healthy situation of the measured embryos, and the freshness of isolated brains as well. After white light illumination, a short-life de-layed emission from intact brains was observed, and its relaxation behavior followed a hyperbolic rather than an expo-nential law. According to the hypothesis of biophoton emission originating from a delocalized coherent electromagnetic field and Frohlich’s idea of coherent long-range interactions in biological systems, discussions were made on the signifi-cance of photon emission in studying cell communication, biological regulation, living system’

  1. Predictors of attachment security in preschool children from intact and divorced families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Hira; Murray, Ann D

    2005-09-01

    The authors selected 58 mother-child dyads from divorced and intact families to participate in a study on the impact of divorce on preschoolers' attachment security. The authors explored pathways that lead to security of attachment. They found that mothers from divorced families were younger, had lower income levels, and had lower levels of education compared with their intact counterparts. Divorced mothers also reported significantly higher levels of stress, depression, need for social support, and conflict with their spouses. Mothers from intact families were more likely to use positive (authoritative) parenting styles compared with divorced mothers. Children in the divorced group had lower security scores on the Attachment Q-Set instrument (E. Waters, 1995). Regression analyses indicated that parenting style made a direct (independent) contribution to attachment security. In addition, temperament was related to attachment security, but temperament did not diminish the association of parenting style with attachment security. Furthermore, regression analyses indicated that the relationship of divorce to attachment security was mediated by parenting style.

  2. Toward best practices in data processing and analysis for intact biotherapeutics by MS in quantitative bioanalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kellie, John F; Kehler, Jonathan R; Karlinsey, Molly Z; Summerfield, Scott G

    2017-12-01

    Typically, quantitation of biotherapeutics from biological matrices by LC-MS is based on a surrogate peptide approach to determine molecule concentration. Recent efforts have focused on quantitation of the intact protein molecules or larger mass subunits of monoclonal antibodies. To date, there has been limited guidance for large or intact protein mass quantitation for quantitative bioanalysis. Intact- and subunit-level analyses of biotherapeutics from biological matrices are performed at 12-25 kDa mass range with quantitation data presented. Linearity, bias and other metrics are presented along with recommendations made on the viability of existing quantitation approaches. This communication is intended to start a discussion around intact protein data analysis and processing, recognizing that other published contributions will be required.

  3. SOLITARY CHEMORECEPTOR CELL SURVIVAL IS INDEPENDENT OF INTACT TRIGEMINAL INNERVATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulbransen, Brian; Silver, Wayne; Finger, Tom

    2008-01-01

    Nasal solitary chemoreceptor cells (SCCs) are a population of specialized chemosensory epithelial cells presumed to broaden trigeminal chemoreceptivity in mammals (Finger et al., 2003). SCCs are innervated by peptidergic trigeminal nerve fibers (Finger et al., 2003) but it is currently unknown if intact innervation is necessary for SCC development or survival. We tested the dependence of SCCs on innervation by eliminating trigeminal nerve fibers during development with neurogenin-1 knockout mice, during early postnatal development with capsaicin desensitization, and during adulthood with trigeminal lesioning. Our results demonstrate that elimination of innervation at any of these times does not result in decreased SCC numbers. In conclusion, neither SCC development nor mature cell maintenance is dependent on intact trigeminal innervation. PMID:18300260

  4. The impact of family intactness on family functioning, parental control and parent-child relational qualities in a Chinese context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Tan Lei Shek

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The current study investigated the differences between intact and non-intact families in family processes, including systematic family functioning, parental behavioral control, parental psychological control, and parent-child relational qualities. The participants were 3,328 Secondary One students, with a mean age of 12.59 years, recruited from 28 secondary schools in Hong Kong. Four validated scales were used to assess family processes. Results showed that adolescents in non-intact families perceived relatively poorer family functioning, lower level of paternal and maternal behavioral control, lower level of paternal psychological control and poorer parent-child relational qualities than did adolescents in intact families. This generally indicated that family processes were poorer in non-intact families, compared with those in intact families. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed.

  5. The Majority of Genotypes of the Virulence Gene inlA Are Intact among Natural Watershed Isolates of Listeria monocytogenes from the Central California Coast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Gorski

    Full Text Available Internalin A is an essential virulence gene involved in the uptake of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes into host cells. It is intact in clinical strains and often truncated due to Premature Stop Codons (PMSCs in isolates from processed foods and processing facilities. Less information is known about environmental isolates. We sequenced the inlA alleles and did Multi Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA on 112 L. monocytogenes isolates from a 3-year period from naturally contaminated watersheds near a leafy green growing area in Central California. The collection contained 14 serotype 1/2a, 12 serotype 1/2b, and 86 serotype 4b strains. Twenty-seven different inlA alleles were found. Twenty-three of the alleles are predicted to encode intact copies of InlA, while three contain PMSCs. Another allele has a 9-nucleotide deletion, previously described for a clinical strain, indicating that it is still functional. Intact inlA genes were found in 101 isolates, and 8 isolates contained the allele predicted to contain the 3-amino acid deletion. Both allele types were found throughout the 3-year sampling period. Three strains contained inlA alleles with PMSCs, and these were found only during the first 3 months of the study. SNP analysis of the intact alleles indicated clustering of alleles based on serotype and lineage with serotypes 1/2b and 4b (lineage I strains clustering together, and serotype 1/2a (lineage II strains clustering separately. The combination of serotype, MLVA types, and inlA allele types indicate that the 112 isolates reflect at least 49 different strains of L. monocytogenes. The finding that 90% of environmental L. monocytogenes isolates contain intact inlA alleles varies significantly from isolates found in processing plants. This information is important to public health labs and growers as to the varieties of L. monocytogenes that could potentially contaminate fresh produce in the field by various means.

  6. The influence of vapor superheating on the level of heat regeneration in a subcritical ORC coupled with gas power plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiśniewski, Sławomir; Borsukiewicz-Gozdur, Aleksandra

    2010-09-01

    The authors presented problems related to utilization of exhaust gases of the gas turbine unit for production of electricity in an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power plant. The study shows that the thermal coupling of ORC cycle with a gas turbine unit improves the efficiency of the system. The undertaken analysis concerned four the so called "dry" organic fluids: benzene, cyclohexane, decane and toluene. The paper also presents the way how to improve thermal efficiency of Clausius-Rankine cycle in ORC power plant. This method depends on applying heat regeneration in ORC cycle, which involves pre-heating the organic fluid via vapour leaving the ORC turbine. As calculations showed this solution allows to considerably raise the thermal efficiency of Clausius-Rankine cycle.

  7. Global forest loss disproportionately erodes biodiversity in intact landscapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betts, Matthew G; Wolf, Christopher; Ripple, William J; Phalan, Ben; Millers, Kimberley A; Duarte, Adam; Butchart, Stuart H M; Levi, Taal

    2017-07-27

    Global biodiversity loss is a critical environmental crisis, yet the lack of spatial data on biodiversity threats has hindered conservation strategies. Theory predicts that abrupt biodiversity declines are most likely to occur when habitat availability is reduced to very low levels in the landscape (10-30%). Alternatively, recent evidence indicates that biodiversity is best conserved by minimizing human intrusion into intact and relatively unfragmented landscapes. Here we use recently available forest loss data to test deforestation effects on International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List categories of extinction risk for 19,432 vertebrate species worldwide. As expected, deforestation substantially increased the odds of a species being listed as threatened, undergoing recent upgrading to a higher threat category and exhibiting declining populations. More importantly, we show that these risks were disproportionately high in relatively intact landscapes; even minimal deforestation has had severe consequences for vertebrate biodiversity. We found little support for the alternative hypothesis that forest loss is most detrimental in already fragmented landscapes. Spatial analysis revealed high-risk hot spots in Borneo, the central Amazon and the Congo Basin. In these regions, our model predicts that 121-219 species will become threatened under current rates of forest loss over the next 30 years. Given that only 17.9% of these high-risk areas are formally protected and only 8.9% have strict protection, new large-scale conservation efforts to protect intact forests are necessary to slow deforestation rates and to avert a new wave of global extinctions.

  8. Ag-protein plasmonic architectures for surface plasmon-coupled emission enhancements and Fabry-Perot mode-coupled directional fluorescence emission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Patnaik, Sai Gourang; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Reddy, Narendra; Manohar, Chelli Sai; Vedarajan, Raman; Mastumi, Noriyoshi; Belliraj, Siva Kumar; Ramamurthy, Sai Sathish

    2017-10-01

    We report the use of silver decorated plant proteins as spacer material for augmented surface plasmon-coupled emission (120-fold enhancement) and plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering. We extracted several proteins from different plant sources [Triticum aestivum (TA), Aegle marmelos (AM), Ricinus communis (RC), Jatropha curcas (JC) and Simarouba glauca (SG)] followed by evaluation of their optical properties and simulations to rationalize observed surface plasmon resonance. Since the properties exhibited by protein thin films is currently gaining research interest, we have also carried out simulation studies with Ag-protein biocomposites as spacer materials in metal-dielectric-metal planar microcavity architecture for guided emission of Fabry-Perot mode-coupled fluorescence.

  9. Compartmental analysis of roots in intact rapidly-growing Spergularia marina and Lactuca sativa: partial characterization of the symplasms functional in the radial transport of Na+ and K+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazof, D.B.

    1987-01-01

    Techniques of compartmental analysis were adapted to the study of intact roots of rapidly-growing Spergularia marine and Lactuca sativa. Using large numbers of plants short time-courses of uptake and chase, 42 K + and 22 Na + transport could be resolved, even during a chase following a brief 10 minute labeling period. The use of intact plant systems allowed distinction of that portion of the isotope flux into the root, associated with the ion-conducting symplasms. A small compartment, which rapidly (t/sub .5/ + , accounting for the observed obtention of linear translocation rates within minutes of transferring to labeled solution. The ion contents of this compartment varied in proportion to the external ion concentration. When K + was at a high external concentration, labeled K + exchanged into this same symplasm, but chasing a short pulse indicated that K + transport to the xylem was not through a rapidly-exchanging compartment. At physiological concentrations of K + the evidence indicated that transport of K + across the root proceeded through a compartment which was not exchanging rapidly with the external medium. The rise to a linear rate of isotope translocation was gradual and translocation during a chase, following a brief pulse,was prolonged, indicating that this compartment retained its specific activity for a considerable period

  10. Superolateral Dislocation of Intact Mandibular Condyle: A Case Report and Review of Literature

    OpenAIRE

    Saikrishna, Degala; Shyam Sundar, S.; Mamata, K. S.

    2015-01-01

    Anteromedial fracture dislocation of the mandibular condyle is common but a superolateral dislocation of an intact condyle is quite rare. This type of dislocation is often misdiagnosed or completely overlooked and hence inadequately addressed. We report a case of a 41-year-old male patient who experienced superolateral dislocation of the intact condyle with symphysis fracture and panfacial fracture following a road-traffic accident, and review of literature of superolateral dislocations from ...

  11. Prediction of valid acidity in intact apples with Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy*

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Yan-de; Ying, Yi-bin; Fu, Xia-ping

    2005-01-01

    To develop nondestructive acidity prediction for intact Fuji apples, the potential of Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) method with fiber optics in interactance mode was investigated. Interactance in the 800 nm to 2619 nm region was measured for intact apples, harvested from early to late maturity stages. Spectral data were analyzed by two multivariate calibration techniques including partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) methods. A total of 120 Fuji appl...

  12. Subcellular site and nature of intracellular cadmium in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, G.J.

    1979-01-01

    The mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation, toxicity, and tolerance in higher plants are poorly understood. Since subcellular processes are undoubtedly involved in all these phenomena, it is of interest to study the extent, subcellular site and nature of intracellularly accumulated cadmium in higher plants. Whole plants supplied 109 CdCl 2 or 112 CdSO 4 accumulated Cd into roots and aerial tissues. Preparation of protoplasts from aerial tissues followed by subcellular fractionation of the protoplasts to obtain intact vacuoles, chloroplasts and cytosol revealed the presence of Cd in the cytosol but not in vacuoles or chloroplasts. No evidence was obtained for the production of volatile Cd complexes in tobacco

  13. Nitrogen limitation, 15N tracer retention, and growth response in intact and Bromus tectorum-invaded Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witwicki, Dana L.; Doescher, Paul S.; Pyke, David A.; DeCrappeo, Nicole M.; Perakis, Steven S.

    2012-01-01

    Annual grass invasion into shrub-dominated ecosystems is associated with changes in nutrient cycling that may alter nitrogen (N) limitation and retention. Carbon (C) applications that reduce plant-available N have been suggested to give native perennial vegetation a competitive advantage over exotic annual grasses, but plant community and N retention responses to C addition remain poorly understood in these ecosystems. The main objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the degree of N limitation of plant biomass in intact versus B. tectorum-invaded sagebrush communities, (2) determine if plant N limitation patterns are reflected in the strength of tracer 15N retention over two growing seasons, and (3) assess if the strength of plant N limitation predicts the efficacy of carbon additions intended to reduce soil N availability and plant growth. Labile C additions reduced biomass of exotic annual species; however, growth of native A. tridentata shrubs also declined. Exotic annual and native perennial plant communities had divergent responses to added N, with B. tectorum displaying greater ability to use added N to rapidly increase aboveground biomass, and native perennials increasing their tissue N concentration but showing little growth response. Few differences in N pools between the annual and native communities were detected. In contrast to expectations, however, more 15N was retained over two growing seasons in the invaded annual grass than in the native shrub community. Our data suggest that N cycling in converted exotic annual grasslands of the northern Intermountain West, USA, may retain N more strongly than previously thought.

  14. Characterization of plant polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale by multiple chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Huiying; Zhang, Keke; Jiang, Qing; Dai, Diya; Li, Hongli; Bi, Wentao; Chen, David Da Yong

    2018-04-27

    Plant polysaccharides have numerous medicinal functions. Due to the differences in their origins, regions of production, and cultivation conditions, the quality and the functions of polysaccharides can vary significantly. They are macromolecules with large molecular weight (MW) and complex structure, and pose great challenge for the analytical technology used. Taking Dendrobium officinale (DO) from various origins and locations as model samples. In this investigation, mechanochemical extraction method was used to successfully extract polysaccharides from DO using water as solvent, the process is simple, fast (40 s) and with high yield. The MWs of the intact saccharides from calibration curve and light scattering measurement were determined and compared after separation with size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The large polysaccharide was acid hydrolyzed to oligosaccharides and the products were efficiently separated and identified using liquid chromatography coupled to a high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS 2 ). Obvious differences were observed among LC-MS 2 chromatograms of digested products, and the chemical structures for the products were proposed based on accurate mass values. More importantly, isomeric digested carbohydrate compounds were explored and characterized. All the chromatographic and mass spectrometric results in this study provided a multi-dimensional characterization, fingerprint analysis, and molecular structure level assessment of plant polysaccharides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Multi-Axis Prosthetic Knee Resembles Alpine Skiing Movements of an Intact Leg

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Demšar, Jože Duhovnik, Blaž Lešnik, Matej Supej

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to analyse the flexion angles of the ski boot, ankle and knee joints of an above-knee prosthesis and to compare them with an intact leg and a control group of skiers. One subject with an above-knee amputation of the right leg and eight healthy subjects simulated the movement of a skiing turn by performing two-leg squats in laboratory conditions. By adding additional loads in proportion to body weight (BW; +1/3 BW, +2/3 BW, +3/3 BW, various skiing regimes were simulated. Change of Flexion Angle (CoFA and Range of Motion (RoM in the ski boot, ankle and knee joints were calculated and compared. An average RoM in the skiing boot on the side of prosthesis (4.4 ± 1.1° was significantly lower compared to an intact leg (5.9 ± 1.8° and the control group (6.5 ± 2.3°. In the ankle joint, the average RoM was determined to be 13.2±2.9° in the prosthesis, 12.7 ± 2.8° in an intact leg and 14.8±3.6 in the control group. However, the RoM of the knee joint in the prosthesis (42.2 ± 4.2° was significantly larger than that of the intact leg (34.7 ± 4.4°. The average RoM of the knee joint in the control group was 47.8 ± 5.4°. The influences of additional loads on the kinematics of the lower extremities were different on the side of the prosthesis and on the intact leg. In contrast, additional loads did not produce any significant differences in the control group. Although different CoFAs in the ski boot, ankle and knee joints were used, an above-knee prosthesis with a built-in multi-axis prosthetic knee enables comparable leg kinematics in simulated alpine skiing.

  16. Nutrient uptake by intact mycorrhizal Pinus sylvestris seedlings: a diagnostic tool to detect copper toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Tichelen, Katia K.; Vanstraelen, Tom; Colpaert, Jan V.

    1999-03-01

    We developed a nondestructive method for detecting early toxic effects of inflethal copper (Cu) concentrations on ectomycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal (NM) Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings. The fungal symbionts examined were Paxillus involutus (Fr.) Fr., Suillus luteus (Fr.) S.F. Gray and Thelephora terrestris (Ehrh.) Fr. The accumulation of Cu in needles and fungal development (ergosterol) in roots and infstrate were assessed. Inorganic phosphate (P(i)) and ammonium (NH(4) (+)) uptake capacities were determined in a semi-hydroponic cultivation system on intact P-limited plants that were exposed for 3 weeks to 0.32 (control), 8 or 16 &mgr;moles Cu(2+). Short-term effects of a 1-hour exposure to 32 &mgr;moles Cu(2+) on nutrient uptake rates were also determined. None of the Cu(2+) treatments affected plant growth or root ergosterol concentrations. The active fungal biomass in infstrate invaded by S. luteus was reduced by 50% in the 16 &mgr;M Cu(2+) treatment compared with the control treatment; however, colonization by S. luteus prevented an increased accumulation of Cu in the needles. In contrast, the 16 &mgr;M Cu(2+) treatment caused a 2.2-fold increase in needle Cu concentration in NM plants. Ergosterol concentrations in the infstrate colonized by P. involutus and T. terrestris were not affected by 16 &mgr;molar Cu(2+). Although P. involutus and T. terrestris were less sensitive to Cu(2+) than S. luteus, T. terrestris did not prevent the accumulation of Cu in needles of its host plant in the 16 &mgr;molar Cu(2+) treatment. Mycorrhizal plants consistently had higher P(i) and NH(4) (+) uptake capacities than NM plants. In the control treatment, specific P(i) uptake rates were almost 10, 4 and 3 times higher in plants associated with P. involutus, S. luteus and T. terrestris, respectively, than in NM plants, and specific NH(4) (+) uptake rates were about 2, 2 and 5 times higher, respectively, than those of NM seedlings. Compared with the corresponding

  17. A rapid, simple method for the genetic discrimination of intact Arabidopsis thaliana mutant seeds using metabolic profiling by direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jang Young

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Efficient high throughput screening systems of useful mutants are prerequisite for study of plant functional genomics and lots of application fields. Advance in such screening tools, thanks to the development of analytic instruments. Direct analysis in real-time (DART-mass spectrometry (MS by ionization of complex materials at atmospheric pressure is a rapid, simple, high-resolution analytical technique. Here we describe a rapid, simple method for the genetic discrimination of intact Arabidopsis thaliana mutant seeds using metabolic profiling by DART-MS. Results To determine whether this DART-MS combined by multivariate analysis can perform genetic discrimination based on global metabolic profiling, intact Arabidopsis thaliana mutant seeds were subjected to DART-MS without any sample preparation. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA of DART-MS spectral data from intact seeds classified 14 different lines of seeds into two distinct groups: Columbia (Col-0 and Landsberg erecta (Ler ecotype backgrounds. A hierarchical dendrogram based on partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA subdivided the Col-0 ecotype into two groups: mutant lines harboring defects in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway and mutants without these defects. These results indicated that metabolic profiling with DART-MS could discriminate intact Arabidopsis seeds at least ecotype level and metabolic pathway level within same ecotype. Conclusion The described DART-MS combined by multivariate analysis allows for rapid screening and metabolic characterization of lots of Arabidopsis mutant seeds without complex metabolic preparation steps. Moreover, potential novel metabolic markers can be detected and used to clarify the genetic relationship between Arabidopsis cultivars. Furthermore this technique can be applied to predict the novel gene function of metabolic mutants regardless of morphological phenotypes.

  18. How to observe water movement in plants using neutron imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsushima, Uzuki

    2011-01-01

    Water in plants is one of the most important factors for life. Water availability, water distribution and water flow also regulate various plant physiological phenomena. However, non-destructive methods for the in-situ study of water transport are quite limited. Neutron Radiography (NR) seem to be appropriate methods to study water distribution in intact plants. Also the combination of NR with the low-contrast tracer D 2 O allows the direct visualization of water flow and the calculation of water flow rates in plants with a high resolution at the tissue level. This article gives general introduction into those two methods and report about most recent results of our experiments in this field. (author)

  19. Differences in School Behavior and Achievement between Children from Intact, Reconstituted, and Single-Parent Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Featherstone, Darin R.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Analyzed differences in school behavior and achievement among students (n=530) in grades six through nine from intact, reconstituted, and single-parent families. Students from intact, two-parent families had fewer absences and tardies, higher grade point averages, and fewer negative and more positive teacher behavioral ratings than did those from…

  20. Dynamic Analysis of a Hybrid Energy Storage System (H-ESS Coupled to a Photovoltaic (PV Plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda Barelli

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays energy storage is strongly needed to allow grid safety and stability due to the wide penetration of renewable plants. Mainly economic and technological issues impede a relevant integration of conventional storage devices in the energy system. In this scenario, the hybridization of different storage technologies can be a techno-economic solution useful to overcome these issues and promote their diffusion. Hybridization allows multi-operation modes of the Energy Storage System (ESS, merging the positive features of base-technologies and extending their application ranges. This paper provides a dynamic analysis of a hybrid energy storage system (H-ESS consisting of a flywheel and a battery pack coupled to a photovoltaic generation plant and a residential load up to 20 kW. A dynamic model of the overall micro-grid (MG was developed implementing the H-ESS preliminary sizing and a suitable management algorithm. The instantaneous behavior of each component was evaluated. A brief summary of the MG performance at different weather and load conditions was provided together with a characterization of the impact of power fluctuations on the battery current and on the power exchange with the grid.

  1. [Determination of iodine and its species in plant samples using ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Li; Chen, Guang; Chen, Yuhong

    2011-07-01

    A method was established for the determination of iodine and its species in plant samples using ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP/ MS). Alkaline extraction and IC-ICP/MS were applied as the sample pre-treatment method and the detection technique respectively, for iodate and iodide determination. Moreover, high-temperature pyrolysis absorption was adopted as the pre-treatment method for total iodine analysis, which finally converted all the iodine species into iodide and measured the iodide by IC-ICP/MS. The recoveries of iodine for alkaline extraction and high-temperature pyrolysis absorption were 89.6%-97.5% and 95.2%-111.2%, respectively. The results were satisfactory. The detection limit of iodine was 0.010 mg/kg. The iodine and its speciation contents in several kinds of plant samples such as seaweeds, kelp, cabbage, tea leaf and spinach were investigated. It was shown that the iodine in seaweeds mainly existed as organic iodine; while the ones in kelp, cabbage, tea leaf and spinach mainly existed as inorganic iodine.

  2. An Indirect Defence Trait Mediated through Egg-Induced Maize Volatiles from Neighbouring Plants.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel M Mutyambai

    Full Text Available Attack of plants by herbivorous arthropods may result in considerable changes to the plant's chemical phenotype with respect to emission of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs. These HIPVs have been shown to act as repellents to the attacking insects as well as attractants for the insects antagonistic to these herbivores. Plants can also respond to HIPV signals from other plants that warn them of impending attack. Recent investigations have shown that certain maize varieties are able to emit volatiles following stemborer egg deposition. These volatiles attract the herbivore's parasitoids and directly deter further oviposition. However, it was not known whether these oviposition-induced maize (Zea mays, L. volatiles can mediate chemical phenotypic changes in neighbouring unattacked maize plants. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the effect of oviposition-induced maize volatiles on intact neighbouring maize plants in 'Nyamula', a landrace known to respond to oviposition, and a standard commercial hybrid, HB515, that did not. Headspace volatile samples were collected from maize plants exposed to Chilo partellus (Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae egg deposition and unoviposited neighbouring plants as well as from control plants kept away from the volatile emitting ones. Behavioural bioassays were carried out in a four-arm olfactometer using egg (Trichogramma bournieri Pintureau & Babault (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae and larval (Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae parasitoids. Coupled Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS was used for volatile analysis. For the 'Nyamula' landrace, GC-MS analysis revealed HIPV production not only in the oviposited plants but also in neighbouring plants not exposed to insect eggs. Higher amounts of EAG-active biogenic volatiles such as (E-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene were emitted from these plants compared to control plants. Subsequent behavioural assays with female T. bournieri and

  3. Binding of radiolabelled luteinizing hormone to intact and ovariectomised rat uterus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sen, S.; Bhattacharya, S.

    1992-01-01

    Binding of ovine LH to uterine tissue preparation from intact and ovariectomised rat clearly indicates that uterus possesses specific binding sites for LH. Binding characteristics of LH to uterine tissue preparation from intact rat showed saturability with high affinity and low capacity. Scatchard plot analysis showed dissociation constant of the specific binding site to be 0.12 x 10 -9 mol/l and the number of binding sites was 2.31±0.05 fmol/mg protein. Ovariectomy did not change the binding affinity but effected a decrease in the number of binding sites (1.7 ± 0.08 f mol/mg protein). LH treatment of ovariectomized (ovx) rat had no effect on binding affinity but significantly increased the number of binding sites (3.23 ± 0.1 f mol/mg protein). Reduction of uterine weight due to ovariectomy and marked increase of ovx rat uterine weight by LH administration indicate a source of estrogen in ovx rat. An in vitro uterine tissue slice (from intact and ovx rat) incubation showed depletion of 17 β-estradiol (E 2 ) content in ovx rat which significantly elevated on LH addition. Data suggest the LH binding to rat uterine tissue has biological relevance. (author). 16 refs., 4 figs. 1 tab

  4. Common arbuscular mycorrhizal networks amplify competition for phosphorus between seedlings and established plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrild, Marie P; Ambus, Per; Rosendahl, Søren; Jakobsen, Iver

    2013-10-01

    Common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) influence competition between plants, but reports regarding their precise effect are conflicting. We studied CMN effects on phosphorus (P) uptake and growth of seedlings as influenced by various disruptions of network components. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon) seedlings grew into established networks of Rhizophagus irregularis and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) in two experiments. One experiment studied seedling uptake of (32)P in the network in response to cutting of cucumber shoots; the other analysed seedling uptake of P and nitrogen (N) in the presence of intact or severed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus networks and at two soil P concentrations. Pre-established and intact networks suppressed growth of tomato seedlings. Cutting of cucumber shoots mitigated P deficiency symptoms of seedlings, which obtained access to P in the extraradical mycelium and thereby showed improved growth. Solitary seedlings growing in a network patch that had been severed from the CMN also grew much better than seedlings of the corresponding CMN. Interspecific and size-asymmetric competition between plants may be amplified rather than relaxed by CMNs that transfer P to large plants providing most carbon and render small plants P deficient. It is likely that grazing or senescence of the large plants will alleviate the network-induced suppression of seedling growth. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

  5. Proposed chemical plant initiated accident scenarios in a sulphur-iodine cycle plant coupled to a pebble bed modular reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, N.R.; Revankar, S.T.; Seker, V.; Downar, Th.J.

    2010-01-01

    In the sulphur-iodine (S-I) cycle nuclear hydrogen generation scheme the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the very high temperature nuclear reactor (VHTR). Thus, any accident which occurs in the chemical plant must feedback to the nuclear reactor. There are many different types of accidents which can occur in a chemical plant. These accidents include intra-reactor piping failure, inter-reactor piping failure, reaction chamber failure and heat exchanger failure. Since the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the nuclear reactor, any of these accidents induce a loss-of-heat-sink accident in the nuclear reactor. In this paper, several chemical plant initiated accident scenarios are presented. The following accident scenarios are proposed: i) failure of the Bunsen chemical reactor; ii) product flow failure from either the H 2 SO 4 decomposition section or HI decomposition section; iii) reactant flow failure from either the H 2 SO 4 decomposition section or HI decomposition section; iv) rupture of a reaction chamber. Qualitative analysis of these accident scenarios indicates that each result in either partial or total loss of heat sink accidents for the nuclear reactor. These scenarios are reduced to two types: i) discharge rate limited accidents; ii) discontinuous reaction chamber accidents. A discharge rate limited rupture of the SO 3 decomposition section of the SI cycle is proposed and modelled. Since SO 3 decomposition occurs in the gaseous phase, critical flow out of the rupture is calculated assuming ideal gas behaviour. The accident scenario is modelled using a fully transient control volume model of the S-I cycle coupled to a THERMIX model of a 268 MW pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR-268) and a point kinetics model. The Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot source model for choked gas flows from a pressurised chamber was utilised as a discharge rate model. A discharge coefficient of 0.62 was assumed. Feedback due to the rupture is observed in the nuclear

  6. Coupling of copper-chloride hybrid thermochemical water splitting cycle with a desalination plant for hydrogen production from nuclear energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orhan, Mehmet F.; Dincer, Ibrahim; Naterer, Greg F.; Rosen, Marc A.

    2010-01-01

    Energy and environmental concerns have motivated research on clean energy resources. Nuclear energy has the potential to provide a significant share of energy supply without contributing to environmental emissions and climate change. Nuclear energy has been used mainly for electric power generation, but hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition provides another pathway for the utilization of nuclear thermal energy. One option for nuclear-based hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition uses a copper-chloride (Cu-Cl) cycle. Another societal concern relates to supplies of fresh water. Thus, to avoid causing one problem while solving another, hydrogen could be produced from seawater rather than limited fresh water sources. In this study we analyze a coupling of the Cu-Cl cycle with a desalination plant for hydrogen production from nuclear energy and seawater. Desalination technologies are reviewed comprehensively to determine the most appropriate option for the Cu-Cl cycle and a thermodynamic analysis and several parametric studies of this coupled system are presented for various configurations. (author)

  7. The rupture and repair of the couple's communal body with prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fergus, Karen D

    2011-06-01

    Intimate partners' ability to adopt a "we" outlook in relation to cancer has consistently been associated with optimal adaptation for couples. This investigation adds to the growing body of literature on dyadic coping and resiliency in couples through an in-depth examination of five well-adjusted couples' experiences with prostate cancer. Of specific interest were (1) how the experience of prostate cancer affected the couple's unique intersubjective identity, and how in turn (2) the couple's identity and relationship culture influenced their adjustment to cancer. An ethnographic mode of inquiry was adopted. Marital partners were interviewed together on two separate occasions with the intention of having them deepen their conjoint reflexive processing of their relationship. During the interviews, couples were asked to reflect upon and articulate their sense of themselves as a couple, their experience of "we-ness" and shared identity, and the interaction between the illness and we-ness. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the grounded theory method. The grounded theory analysis yielded three main themes portraying the couples' experience of prostate cancer: (1) riding the vortex, (2) holding the communal body intact, and (3) invincibility and its underbelly. A more broad understanding to arise from this investigation was the notion of a "communal body" and that couples participated in a shared corporeality, to which each partner's identity and sense of self was intricately tied. It is concluded that the intersubjective embodiment displayed by couples in this study was instrumental to the "repair" of the communal body ruptured by prostate cancer. ©2011 APA

  8. Mixing of maize and wheat genomic DNA by somatic hybridization in regenerated sterile maize plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szarka, B.; Göntér, I.; Molnár-Láng, M.; Mórocz, S.; Dudits, D.

    2002-07-01

    Intergeneric somatic hybridization was performed between albino maize ( Zea mays L.) protoplasts and mesophyll protoplasts of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) by polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments. None of the parental protoplasts were able to produce green plants without fusion. The maize cells regenerated only rudimentary albino plantlets of limited viability, and the wheat mesophyll protoplasts were unable to divide. PEG-mediated fusion treatments resulted in hybrid cells with mixed cytoplasm. Six months after fusion green embryogenic calli were selected as putative hybrids. The first-regenerates were discovered as aborted embryos. Regeneration of intact, green, maize-like plants needed 6 months of further subcultures on hormone-free medium. These plants were sterile, although had both male and female flowers. The cytological analysis of cells from callus tissues and root tips revealed 56 chromosomes, but intact wheat chromosomes were not observed. Using total DNA from hybrid plants, three RAPD primer combinations produced bands resembling the wheat profile. Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) using total wheat DNA as a probe revealed the presence of wheat DNA islands in the maize chromosomal background. The increased viability and the restored green color were the most-significant new traits as compared to the original maize parent. Other intermediate morphological traits of plants with hybrid origin were not found.

  9. Risks for Conduct Disorder Symptoms Associated with Parental Alcoholism in Stepfather Families versus Intact Families from a Community Sample

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foley, Debra L.; Pickles, Andrew; Rutter, Michael; Gardner, Charles O.; Maes, Hermine H.; Silberg, Judy L.; Eaves, Lindon J.

    2004-01-01

    Background: It is not known if the prevalence of parental psychiatric disorders is higher in stepfather than intact families, or if parental alcoholism is differentially associated with risk for conduct disorder (CD) symptoms in stepfather families versus intact families. Method: The sample comprised 839 girls and 741 boys from 792 intact families…

  10. Behavior Management Style of Single Parents and Intact Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Douglas K.; And Others

    Studies examining the behavior management styles of parents as a function of family intactness and parent employment status are lacking. To assess parental style of behavior management, the Parental Management Questionnaire (PMQ) was completed by 1,957 parents of elementary school children (50% response rate). The PMQ is based on Aronfreed's…

  11. Chromosome engineering: power tools for plant genetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Simon W L

    2010-12-01

    The term "chromosome engineering" describes technologies in which chromosomes are manipulated to change their mode of genetic inheritance. This review examines recent innovations in chromosome engineering that promise to greatly increase the efficiency of plant breeding. Haploid Arabidopsis thaliana have been produced by altering the kinetochore protein CENH3, yielding instant homozygous lines. Haploid production will facilitate reverse breeding, a method that downregulates recombination to ensure progeny contain intact parental chromosomes. Another chromosome engineering success is the conversion of meiosis into mitosis, which produces diploid gametes that are clones of the parent plant. This is a key step in apomixis (asexual reproduction through seeds) and could help to preserve hybrid vigor in the future. New homologous recombination methods in plants will potentiate many chromosome engineering applications. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Presence of orally administered rice bran oil γ-oryzanol in its intact form in mouse plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Eri; Ito, Junya; Kato, Shunji; Sawada, Kazue; Matsuki, Midori; Hashimoto, Hiroyuki; Miyazawa, Teruo; Nakagawa, Kiyotaka

    2016-12-07

    Although the beneficial effects (e.g., lipid-lowering activity) of γ-oryzanol (OZ), a mixture of ferulic acid esters of plant sterols and triterpene alcohols, have been extensively investigated, few studies have evaluated the absorption and metabolism of OZ. Moreover, it is unclear whether OZ, once ingested, is directly absorbed by the intestine into the bloodstream at a sufficient level to exhibit activity. Here, we prepared OZ concentrate from purified rice bran oil (Rice Oil OZ), determined the concentration of OZ in the preparation (cycloartenyl ferulate equivalent concentration; 52.2%), and then carried out chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of plasma samples from mice after oral administration of Rice Oil OZ. The OZ concentrations of plasma from the control (vehicle-treated) mice were low (trace levels); however, at 5 h after a single oral administration of the Rice Oil OZ (600 mg per kg body weight), the levels significantly increased, reaching 17.6 ng mL -1 for cycloartenyl ferulate, 28.2 ng mL -1 for 24-methylenecycloartanyl ferulate isomers, 15.6 ng mL -1 for campesteryl ferulate, and 5.1 ng mL -1 for β-sitosteryl ferulate, respectively, expressed in equivalence of cycloartenyl ferulate in plasma. These results provided the first mass spectrometric evidence suggesting that a portion of orally administered OZ is directly absorbed by the intestine and is present in the intact form in plasma. The presence of a significant amount of OZ in its intact form in plasma may explain the beneficial effects of OZ in vivo.

  13. Comparison of allergenicity and immunogenicity of an intact allergen vaccine and commercially available allergoid products for birch pollen immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, L; Henmar, H; Würtzen, P A; Lund, G; Hjortskov, N; Larsen, J N

    2007-04-01

    Specific immunotherapy with intact allergen vaccine is a well-documented treatment for allergic diseases. Different vaccine formulations are currently commercially available, the active ingredient either being intact allergens or chemically modified allergoids. The rationale behind allergoids is to decrease allergenicity while maintaining immunogenicity. However, data from the German health authorities based on reporting of adverse events over a 10-year period did not indicate increased safety of allergoids over intact allergens. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of chemical modification on allergenicity and immunogenicity comparing four commercial allergoid products for birch pollen immunotherapy with an intact allergen vaccine. Solid-phase IgE inhibition and histamine release assays were selected as model systems for allergenicity, and a combination of human T cell proliferation and IgG titres following mouse immunizations were used to address the immunogenicity of the intact allergen vaccine and the four allergoids. In all assays, the products were normalized with respect to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance dose. IgE inhibition experiments showed a change in epitope composition comparing intact allergen vaccine with allergoid. One allergoid product induced enhanced histamine release compared to the intact allergens, while the other three allergoids showed reduced release. Standard T cell stimulation assays using lines from allergic patients showed a reduced response for all allergoids compared with the intact allergen vaccine regardless of the cell type used for antigen presentation. All allergoids showed reduced capacity to induce allergen-specific IgG responses in mice. While some allergoids were associated with reduced allergenicity, a clear reduction in immunogenicity was observed for all allergoid products compared with the intact allergen vaccine, and the commercial allergoids tested therefore do not fulfil the allergoid

  14. Raman spectroscopy of normal oral buccal mucosa tissues: study on intact and incised biopsies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deshmukh, Atul; Singh, S. P.; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Krishna, C. Murali

    2011-12-01

    Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of among the top 10 malignancies. Optical spectroscopy, including Raman, is being actively pursued as alternative/adjunct for cancer diagnosis. Earlier studies have demonstrated the feasibility of classifying normal, premalignant, and malignant oral ex vivo tissues. Spectral features showed predominance of lipids and proteins in normal and cancer conditions, respectively, which were attributed to membrane lipids and surface proteins. In view of recent developments in deep tissue Raman spectroscopy, we have recorded Raman spectra from superior and inferior surfaces of 10 normal oral tissues on intact, as well as incised, biopsies after separation of epithelium from connective tissue. Spectral variations and similarities among different groups were explored by unsupervised (principal component analysis) and supervised (linear discriminant analysis, factorial discriminant analysis) methodologies. Clusters of spectra from superior and inferior surfaces of intact tissues show a high overlap; whereas spectra from separated epithelium and connective tissue sections yielded clear clusters, though they also overlap on clusters of intact tissues. Spectra of all four groups of normal tissues gave exclusive clusters when tested against malignant spectra. Thus, this study demonstrates that spectra recorded from the superior surface of an intact tissue may have contributions from deeper layers but has no bearing from the classification of a malignant tissues point of view.

  15. Secretion of intact proteins and peptide fragments by lysosomal pathways of protein degradation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isenman, L.D.; Dice, J.F.

    1989-01-01

    We report that degradation of proteins microinjected into human fibroblasts is accompanied by release into the culture medium of peptide fragments and intact proteins as well as single amino acids. For the nine proteins and polypeptides microinjected, acid-precipitable radioactivity, i.e. peptide fragments and/or intact proteins, ranged from 10 to 67% of the total released radioactivity. Peptide fragments and/or intact protein accounted for 60% of the radioactivity released into the medium by cells microinjected with ribonuclease A. Two major radiolabeled peptide fragments were found, and one was of an appropriate size to function as an antigen in antigen-presenting cells. The peptides released from microinjected ribonuclease A were derived from lysosomal pathways of proteolysis based on several lines of evidence. Previous studies have shown that microinjected ribonuclease A is degraded to single amino acids entirely within lysosomes. We show that release of free amino acids and peptide fragments and/or intact protein was equivalently stimulated by serum deprivation and equivalently inhibited by NH4Cl. We also show that lysosomal degradation of endocytosed [3H]ribonuclease A was accompanied by the release of two peptide fragments similar in size and charge to those from microinjected [ 3 H]ribonuclease A. These findings demonstrate that degradation within lysosomes occurs in a manner that spares specific peptides; they also suggest a previously unsuspected pathway by which cells can secrete cytosol-derived polypeptides

  16. 40 CFR 261.40 - Conditional Exclusion for Used, Intact Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) Exported for Recycling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Conditional Exclusion for Used, Intact Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) Exported for Recycling. 261.40 Section 261.40 Protection of Environment...) Exported for Recycling. Used, intact CRTs exported for recycling are not solid wastes if they meet the...

  17. Radioimmunolocalization and selective delivery of radiation in a rat model system: comparison of intact and fragmented antibody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, K.Z.; Seymour-Munn, K.; Axiak, S.M.; Raison, R.L.; Basten, A.; Towson, J.E.; Bautovitch, G.J.; Morris, J.

    1988-01-01

    Monoclonal antibody (MoAb) fragments are known to have advantages over intact immunoglobulins for radioimmunoscintigraphy. It is less clear whether they are as effective in the delivery of radioimmunotherapy. The imaging and dosimetric properties of an intact MoAb, K-1-21, reactive against human kappa light chains (LC) were compared with that of its F(ab') 2 and Fab fragments using a normal rat model system. Two days after injection of 131 I-K-1-21 into rats bearing antigen-sepharose implants, gamma camera images showed specific localization of the MoAb to the target (kappa LC) but not to the control (lambda LC) implant. Better images were obtained with K-1-21 F(ab') 2 than with Fab or intact antibody. Mean kappa implant: blood ratios were 8.6 ± 3.9 for Fab, 7.9 ± 1.8 for F(ab') 2 and 2.0 ± 0.3 for intact K-1-21. The improvement associated with the use of 131 I-K-1-21 fragments was, however, achieved at the expense of lower absolute values of activity at the target site. Thus the absorbed dose delivered to the implant by the intact K-1-21 was double that delivered with F(ab') 2 and six times that delivered with Fab. As intact K-1-21 also delivered a greater radiation dose to normal tissues, F(ab') 2 fragments may have the greatest overall advantages for therapy with radionuclide MoAb conjugates. (author)

  18. Kinetic analyses and mathematical modeling of primary photochemical and photoelectrochemical processes in plant photosystems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vredenberg, W.J.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper the model and simulation of primary photochemical and photo-electrochemical reactions in dark-adapted intact plant leaves is presented. A descriptive algorithm has been derived from analyses of variable chlorophyll a fluorescence and P700 oxidation kinetics upon excitation with

  19. Oxidation of molecular tritium by intact soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sweet, C.W.; Murphy, C.E. Jr.

    1980-01-01

    The effects of environmental factors on the rate of oxidation of molecular tritium (T 2 ) to tritiated water (HTO) were determined for intact soils during field exposures. Maximum deposition velocities of approximately 0.03 cm/sec were measured for T 2 at low wind speeds for a variety of soils over a wide range of conditions. Deposition velocities were slightly inhibited in wet soils and at 0 0 C. In dry soils, oxidation of T 2 to HTO occurred deeper in the soil profile, but deposition velocities were unaffected

  20. Decomposition of intact chicken feathers by a thermophile in combination with an acidulocomposting garbage-treatment process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shigeri, Yasushi; Matsui, Tatsunobu; Watanabe, Kunihiko

    2009-11-01

    In order to develop a practical method for the decomposition of intact chicken feathers, a moderate thermophile strain, Meiothermus ruber H328, having strong keratinolytic activity, was used in a bio-type garbage-treatment machine working with an acidulocomposting process. The addition of strain H328 cells (15 g) combined with acidulocomposting in the garbage machine resulted in 70% degradation of intact chicken feathers (30 g) within 14 d. This degradation efficiency is comparable to a previous result employing the strain as a single bacterium in flask culture, and it indicates that strain H328 can promote intact feather degradation activity in a garbage machine currently on the market.

  1. Off-shore nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakanishi, T.

    1980-01-01

    In order to avoid losses of energy and seawater pollution an off-shore nuclear power plant is coupled with a power plant which utilizes the temperature difference between seawater and hot reactor cooling water. According to the invention the power plant has a working media loop which is separated from the nuclear power plant. The apparative equipment and the operational characteristics of the power plant are the subject of the patent. (UWI) [de

  2. Prevalence of depressive symptoms in older nursing home residents with intact cognitive function in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Sophia H; Chuang, Yeu-Hui; Ting, Yeh-Feng; Lin, Kuan-Yu; Hsieh, Chia-Jung

    2018-03-25

    The investigators aimed to explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors among older residents with intact cognitive function in nursing homes in Taiwan. A cross-sectional descriptive and correlational research design was used. A convenience sample of 178 older residents without cognitive impairment was recruited from 36 nursing homes in Southern Taiwan. The questionnaires included demographic data; the Barthel Index, which assesses the ability to perform activities of daily living; and the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form. Among older residents in nursing homes with intact cognitive function, 39.3% had depressive symptoms. Age, religion, previous living status, previous working status, being totally dependent in physical function, and being severely dependent in physical function were significant predictors of depressive symptoms among cognitively intact older residents. The findings highlight the critical mental healthcare issues among older residents with intact cognitive function in nursing homes. Practical strategies for preventing the occurrence of depressive symptoms and caring for those who have depressive symptoms should be developed, especially for younger or dependent older residents or residents who have never been employed, have no religious beliefs, or have lived alone before they moved into an institution. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Effect of pesticides on the uptake and transport of radiophosphorus in horse-bean and cucumber plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanker, I; Taimr, L; Kudelova, A [Vyzkumne Ustavy Rostlinne Vyroby, Prague (Czechoslovakia). Ustav Ochrany Rostlin

    1977-01-01

    During the treatment of the roots of intact bean and cucumber plants with the preparation Pirimor (pirimicarb) and on the second day after application of the insecticides Bi 58 (dimethoate), Pirimor and Lannate (methomyl) to roots diminished /sup 32/P uptake was also noted after treatment of overground parts of bean plants with the preparation Pirimor. On the other hand, on the second day after application of the fungicide Folcidin (cypendazole) to the roots of cucumber plants /sup 32/P uptake was significantly stimulated, radioactivity being accumulated in the overground parts of plants.

  4. Genistein Stimulates Jejunum Chloride Secretion via an Akt-Mediated Pathway in Intact Female Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lana Leung

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: We have previously shown that daily subcutaneous injections with the naturally occurring phytoestrogen genistein (600 mg genistein/kg body weight/day, 600G results in a significantly increased basal intestinal chloride, Cl-, secretion (Isc, a measure of transepithelial secretion in intact C57BL/6J female mice after 1-week of treatment, compared to controls (DMSO vehicle injected. Removal of endogenous estrogen via ovariectomy (OVX had no effect on the 600G-mediated increase in basal Isc. Methods: Given the estrogen-like characteristics of genistein, we compared the effects of daily estradiol (E2 injections (10 mg E2/kg body weight/day, 10E2 on basal Isc in intact and OVX mice. In intact mice, 10E2 was without effect on basal Isc, however, in OVX mice, 10E2 significantly increased basal Isc (mimicked 600G. The goal of the current study was to characterize the intracellular signaling pathways responsible for mediating 600G- or 10E2-stimulated increases in basal Isc in intact female or OVX mice. Results: We measured total protein expression in isolated segments of jejunum using western blot from the following six groups of mice; intact or OVX with; 600G, 10E2 or control. The proteins of interest were: Akt, p-Akt, p-PDK1, p-PTEN, p-c-Raf, p-GSK-3β, rap-1 and ERK1/2. All blots were normalized to GAPDH levels (n = 6-18/group. Conclusion: These data suggest that the presence of the endogenous sex steroid, estrogen, modifies the intracellular signaling pathway required to mediate Cl- secretion when the intestine is exposed to exogenous 600G or E2. These studies may have relevance for designing pharmacological tools for women with intestinal chloride secretory dysfunctions.

  5. Preliminary risk analysis of an Hydrogen production plant using the reformed process of methane with vapor coupled to a high temperature nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flores y Flores, A.; Nelson E, P.F.; Francois L, J.L.

    2004-01-01

    It is necessary to identify the different types of dangers, as well as their causes, probabilities and consequences of the same ones, inside plants, industries and any process to classify the risks. This work is focused in particular to a study using the technical HAZOP (Hazard and Operability) for a plant of reformed of methane with vapor coupled to a nuclear reactor of the type HTTR (High Temperature Test Reactor), which is designed to be built in Japan. In particular in this study the interaction is analyzed between the nuclear reactor and the plant of reformed of methane with vapor. After knowing the possible causes of risk one it is built chart of results of HAZOP to have a better vision of the consequences of this faults toward the buildings and constructions, to people and the influence of the fault on each plant; for what there are proposed solutions to mitigate these consequences or to avoid them. The work is divided in three sections: a brief introduction about the technique of HAZOP; some important aspects of the plant of reformed of methane with vapor; and the construction of the chart of results of HAZOP. (Author)

  6. Analysis of plant hormones by microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography coupled with on-line large volume sample stacking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zongbao; Lin, Zian; Zhang, Lin; Cai, Yan; Zhang, Lan

    2012-04-07

    A novel method of microemulsion electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEEKC) coupled with on-line large volume sample stacking was developed for the analysis of six plant hormones including indole-3-acetic acid, indole-3-butyric acid, indole-3-propionic acid, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid, abscisic acid and salicylic acid. Baseline separation of six plant hormones was achieved within 10 min by using the microemulsion background electrolyte containing a 97.2% (w/w) 10 mM borate buffer at pH 9.2, 1.0% (w/w) ethyl acetate as oil droplets, 0.6% (w/w) sodium dodecyl sulphate as surfactant and 1.2% (w/w) 1-butanol as cosurfactant. In addition, an on-line concentration method based on a large volume sample stacking technique and multiple wavelength detection was adopted for improving the detection sensitivity in order to determine trace level hormones in a real sample. The optimal method provided about 50-100 fold increase in detection sensitivity compared with a single MEEKC method, and the detection limits (S/N = 3) were between 0.005 and 0.02 μg mL(-1). The proposed method was simple, rapid and sensitive and could be applied to the determination of six plant hormones in spiked water samples, tobacco leaves and 1-naphthylacetic acid in leaf fertilizer. The recoveries ranged from 76.0% to 119.1%, and good reproducibilities were obtained with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 6.6%.

  7. 46 CFR 173.025 - Additional intact stability standards: Counterballasted vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...) SUBDIVISION AND STABILITY SPECIAL RULES PERTAINING TO VESSEL USE Lifting § 173.025 Additional intact stability standards: Counterballasted vessels. (a) Each vessel equipped to counterballast while lifting must be shown... loading and operation and at each combination of hook load and crane radius. (b) When doing the...

  8. In vitro permeation of palladium powders through intact and damaged human skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crosera, Matteo; Mauro, Marcella; Bovenzi, Massimo; Adami, Gianpiero; Baracchini, Elena; Maina, Giovanni; Larese Filon, Francesca

    2018-05-01

    The use of palladium (Pd) has grown in the last decades, commonly used in automotive catalytic converters, jewellery and dental restorations sectors. Both general and working population can be exposed to this metal, which may act as skin sensitizer. This study investigated in vitro palladium powders permeation through excised intact and damaged human skin using the Franz diffusion cell method and the effect of rapid skin decontamination using sodium laureth-sulphate. 1 mL of a 10 min sonicated suspension made of 2.5 g of Pd powder in 50 mL synthetic sweat at pH 4.5 and room temperature was applied to the outer surface of the skin membranes for 24 h. Pd permeation, assessed by ICP-MS, was higher when damaged skin was used (p = 0.03). Final flux permeation values and lag times were 0.02 ± 0.01 μg cm -2  h -1 and 6.00 ± 3.95 h for intact, and 0.10 ± 0.02 μg cm -2  h -1 and 2.05 ± 1.49 h for damaged skin samples, respectively. Damaged skin protocol enhances Pd skin penetration inside dermal layer (p = 0.04), thus making the metal available for systemic uptake. Pd penetration (p = 0.02) and permeation (p = 0.012) through intact skin decreased significantly when a cleaning procedure was applied. This study demonstrates that after skin exposure to Pd powders a small permeation of the metal happen both through intact and damaged skin and that an early decontamination with a common cleanser can significantly decrease the final amount of metal available forsystemic uptake. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Transient simulation of an endothermic chemical process facility coupled to a high temperature reactor: Model development and validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Nicholas R.; Seker, Volkan; Revankar, Shripad T.; Downar, Thomas J.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Models for PBMR and thermochemical sulfur cycle based hydrogen plant are developed. ► Models are validated against available data in literature. ► Transient in coupled reactor and hydrogen plant system is studied. ► For loss-of-heat sink accident, temperature feedback within the reactor core enables shut down of the reactor. - Abstract: A high temperature reactor (HTR) is a candidate to drive high temperature water-splitting using process heat. While both high temperature nuclear reactors and hydrogen generation plants have high individual degrees of development, study of the coupled plant is lacking. Particularly absent are considerations of the transient behavior of the coupled plant, as well as studies of the safety of the overall plant. The aim of this document is to contribute knowledge to the effort of nuclear hydrogen generation. In particular, this study regards identification of safety issues in the coupled plant and the transient modeling of some leading candidates for implementation in the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI). The Sulfur Iodine (SI) and Hybrid Sulfur (HyS) cycles are considered as candidate hydrogen generation schemes. Three thermodynamically derived chemical reaction chamber models are coupled to a well-known reference design of a high temperature nuclear reactor. These chemical reaction chamber models have several dimensions of validation, including detailed steady state flowsheets, integrated loop test data, and bench scale chemical kinetics. The models and coupling scheme are presented here, as well as a transient test case initiated within the chemical plant. The 50% feed flow failure within the chemical plant results in a slow loss-of-heat sink (LOHS) accident in the nuclear reactor. Due to the temperature feedback within the reactor core the nuclear reactor partially shuts down over 1500 s. Two distinct regions are identified within the coupled plant response: (1) immediate LOHS due to the loss of the sulfuric

  10. IgE epitopes of intact and digested Ara h 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bøgh, Katrine Lindholm; Nielsen, H.; Madsen, Charlotte Bernhard

    2012-01-01

    epitopes have been suggested to be of great importance. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify IgE specific epitopes of intact and digested Ara h 1, and to compare epitope patterns between humans and rats. MethodsSera from five peanut allergic patients and five Brown Norway rats were used...... to identify intact and digested Ara h 1-specific IgE epitopes by competitive immunoscreening of a phage-displayed random hepta-mer peptide library using polyclonal IgE from the individual sera. The resulting peptide sequences were mapped on the surface of a three-dimensional structure of the Ara h 1 molecule...... to mimic epitopes using a computer-based algorithm. ResultsPatients as well as rats were shown to have individual IgE epitope patterns. All epitope mimics were conformational and found to cluster into three different areas of the Ara h 1 molecule. Five epitope motifs were identified by patient IgE, which...

  11. Discrimination between intact and decayed pulp regions in carious teeth by ADC mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cankar, Ksenija; Nemeth, Lidija; Bajd, Franci; Vidmar, Jernej; Serša, Igor

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping, in the functional assessment of carious teeth. 38 extracted human teeth with scores of 0, 3 and 6 according to International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) criteria were screened and subsequently analyzed by MRI at 2.35 T. Histology sectioning of teeth was used for the gold standard by analyzing two extreme cases (intact and severely decayed). ADC maps of the same teeth were calculated from corresponding diffusion-weighted images and used to obtain ADC distributions along dental pulp as functions of the relative pulp length measured from the occlusal pulp side. The measured distributions were analyzed for the best fit by a four-parameter three-segment linear regression model for ADC distribution along the pulp. MRI results were in good agreement with findings in histological sections of identical teeth. The best fit model parameters, relative decayed region depth, relative transition region width and ADC values of intact and decayed pulp tissue, showed statistically significant differences between the ADC values of intact and decayed pulp tissue (1.0 × 10(-9) m(2)/s vs. 0.74-0.89 × 10(-9) m(2)/s) and the relative decayed region depth progressing with ICDAS score (3 vs. 46% with ICDAS 3 vs. ICDAS 6). The results of this feasibility study confirmed relevance of ADC mapping for the discrimination and localization of intact and decayed regions in dental pulps of carious teeth. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  12. Study on the in vitro culture of cut plants in wheat haploid embryo induction by a wheat × maize cross

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jian GU; Kun LIU; Shaoxiang LI; Yuxian TIAN; Hexian YANG; Mujun YANG

    2008-01-01

    The wheat × maize system is one of the most effective ways to produce haploids in wheat. Whether and how it could be successfully applied in practical breeding mostly depends upon the efficiency of haploid embryo pro-duction. To perfect the protocols of haploid embryo induc-tion, the efficiency of haploid embryo production between in vitro culture of cut plant and intact plant growth for hybrid spikes with two F1 wheat hybrids and two maize varieties was compared. Effects of different cutting plant times and formulas of nutrient solutions for cut plant cul-ture on haploid embryo formation were also studied. Results indicated that the embryo rate of in vitro culture was 3.29 times that of intact plant growth, with the figures of 31.6% vs 9.6%, respectively. The optimal time for cut plant culture was 24 h after pollination. Formulas of nutri-ent solutions significantly affected the efficiency of haploid embryo induction. With an embryo rate of 0-35.5%, add-could raise the caryopsis and embryo rates. According to this study, the best medium for cut plant culture was: phate, with which a caryopsis rate of 95% and an embryo rate of about 30% could be obtained.

  13. Blood epididymal barrier to [3H]-inulin in intact and vasectomized hamsters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turner, T.T.; D'Addario, D.A.; Howards, S.S.

    1981-01-01

    The net transport of [ 3 H]-inulin into the fluids of the hamster seminiferous and caput, corpus, and cauda epididymal tubules was examined in both intact animals and those vasectomized 10 months previously. Mean isotope concentrations in reproductive tract tubule fluids did not exceeded 10 per cent of blood plasma isotope concentrations during the experiment. There were no significant differences in net transport of [ 3 H]-inulin into any of the tubule fluids sampled. Ten months after vasectomy, the seminiferous tubule, and all regions of the epididymal tubule retain the capacity to exclude [ 3 H]-insulin. Thus in the hamster 10 months after vasectomy, the blood testis and blood epididymal barriers to inulin are intact

  14. Effects of ignoring baseline on modeling transitions from intact cognition to dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Lei; Tyas, Suzanne L; Snowdon, David A; Kryscio, Richard J

    2009-07-01

    This paper evaluates the effect of ignoring baseline when modeling transitions from intact cognition to dementia with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and global impairment (GI) as intervening cognitive states. Transitions among states are modeled by a discrete-time Markov chain having three transient (intact cognition, MCI, and GI) and two competing absorbing states (death and dementia). Transition probabilities depend on two covariates, age and the presence/absence of an apolipoprotein E-epsilon4 allele, through a multinomial logistic model with shared random effects. Results are illustrated with an application to the Nun Study, a cohort of 678 participants 75+ years of age at baseline and followed longitudinally with up to ten cognitive assessments per nun.

  15. Intact and Degraded Component Criticality Calculations of N Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    L. Angers

    2001-01-01

    The objective of this calculation is to perform intact and degraded mode criticality evaluations of the Department of Energy's (DOE) N Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel codisposed in a 2-Defense High-Level Waste (2-DHLW)/2-Multi-Canister Overpack (MCO) Waste Package (WP) and emplaced in a monitored geologic repository (MGR) (see Attachment I). The scope of this calculation is limited to the determination of the effective neutron multiplication factor (k eff ) for both intact and degraded mode internal configurations of the codisposal waste package. This calculation will support the analysis that will be performed to demonstrate the technical viability for disposing of U-metal (N Reactor) spent nuclear fuel in the potential MGR

  16. Comparison of umbilical cord interleukin-6 in preterm infants with premature rupture of membranes and intact membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gharebaghi, Manizheh M.; Peirovifar, A.; Gharebaghi, Parvin M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective was to compare inflammatory mediators in the cord blood of premature newborn infants with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and intact membranes. Eighty-nine premature neonates with gestational age of 27-34 weeks that delivered in Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, Iran from June 2005 to March 2006 were enrolled in a prospective observational study and their umbilical cord plasma was collected at birth. They were allocated into 2 groups (45 patients with PROM and 44 neonates with intact membranes). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in cord plasma by the enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) method. Mean cord plasma IL-6 levels in preterm neonates with PROM was 205.71 pg/ml and in neonates with intact membranes was 33.3 pg/ml for IL-6 (p=0.000). The mean cord blood CRP level in newborns was 10.2 ug/ml, and in those with intact membranes was 1.6 ug/ml and in those with intact membranes was 1.6 ug/ml (p=0.41). Early onset sepsis was more frequent in infants with PROM than premature infants with intact membrane (38% versus 10%, p=0.001). In neonates with PROM, the mean cord blood IL-6 level was significantly higher in septic newborns (414.28 versus 40.44 pg/ml, p=0.000). The premature newborn infants with PROM had increased IL-6 levels in cord blood, which was significantly higher in neonates that developed early onset sepsis. (author)

  17. Radiation-induced adaptive response in the intact mouse

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yonezawa, Morio

    2009-01-01

    The author and coworkers have revealed that radiation adaptive response (AR) is seen also in the bone marrow of the intact mouse, of which details are described here. First, SPF ICR mice were pre-irradiated (PI) with 0-0.1 Gy of X-ray and after 2 months, subsequently irradiated (SI) with 7.75 Gy. Survival rates at 30 days after SI were about 14% in mice with PI 0-0.025 Gy whereas 40% or more in animals with PI 0.05-0.1 Gy: bone marrow death was found significantly suppressed in this effective PI dose range. The death 2 weeks after SI was found also inhibited at PI 0.3-0.5 Gy. Second, PI doses and interval between PI and SI for acquiring the radio-resistance (RR) were studied and third, the PI 0.3-0.5 Gy with SI 8.0 Gy at 9-17 days later revealed that regional PI of the head (central nervous system) was found unnecessary for RR and of abdomen (systems of hemopoiesis, immunity and digestion), essential. Fourth, strain difference of RR was shown by the fact that RR was observed only in C57BL mouse as well, but neither in BALB/c nor C3H strain. Next, at 12 days after SI 4.25-6.75 Gy (PI 0.5 Gy at 14 days before), mouse spleen cells were subjected to colony formation analysis by counting the endogenous hemopoietic stem cells, which revealed that those cells were increased to about 5 times by PI. Suppression of SI-induced hemorrhage was found in mice with PI by the decreased fecal hemoglobin content. Finally, AR was similarly studied in p53 +/+ and its knockout C57BL mice and was not found in the latter animal, indicating the participation of p53 in AR of the intact mouse. Elucidation of AR mechanisms in the intact animal seems to require somewhat different aspect from that in cells. The results were controvertible to the general concept that radiation risk is proportional to cumulative dose, suggesting that low dose radiation differs from high dose one in biological effect. (K.T.)

  18. Exergoeconomic performance optimization of an endoreversible intercooled regenerative Brayton combined heat and power plant coupled to variable-temperature heat reservoirs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Bo; Chen, Lingen; Sun, Fengrui [College of Naval Architecture and Power, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033 (China)

    2012-07-01

    An endoreversible intercooled regenerative Brayton combined heat and power (CHP) plant model coupled to variable-temperature heat reservoirs is established. The exergoeconomic performance of the CHP plant is investigated using finite time thermodynamics. The analytical formulae about dimensionless profit rate and exergy efficiency of the CHP plant with the heat resistance losses in the hot-, cold- and consumer-side heat exchangers, the intercooler and the regenerator are deduced. By taking the maximum profit rate as the objective, the heat conductance allocation among the five heat exchangers and the choice of intercooling pressure ratio are optimized by numerical examples, the characteristic of the optimal dimensionless profit rate versus corresponding exergy efficiency is investigated. When the optimization is performed further with respect to the total pressure ratio, a double-maximum profit rate is obtained. The effects of the design parameters on the double-maximum dimensionless profit rate and corresponding exergy efficiency, optimal total pressure ratio and optimal intercooling pressure ratio are analyzed in detail, and it is found that there exist an optimal consumer-side temperature and an optimal thermal capacitance rate matching between the working fluid and the heat reservoir, respectively, corresponding to a thrice-maximum dimensionless profit rate.

  19. Investigation of gold nanoparticles uptake and their tissue level distribution in rice plants by laser ablation-inductively coupled-mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koelmel, Jeremy; Leland, Thomas; Wang, Huanhua; Amarasiriwardena, Dulasiri; Xing, Baoshan

    2013-01-01

    The tissue level uptake and spatial distribution of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in rice (Oryza sativa L.) roots and shoots under hydroponic conditions was investigated using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Rice plants were hydroponically exposed to positively, neutrally, and negatively charged AuNPs [AuNP1(+), AuNP2(0), AuNP3(−)] with a core diameter of 2 nm. Plants were exposed to AuNPs having 1.6 mg Au/L for 5 days or 0.14 mg Au/L for 3 months to elucidate how the surface charges of the nanoparticles affects their uptake into living plant tissues. The results demonstrate that terminal functional groups greatly affected the AuNP uptake into plant tissues. Au concentration determined by LA-ICP-MS in 5 day treated rice roots followed this order: AuNP1(+) > AuNP2(0) > AuNP3(−) but this order was reversed for rice shoots, indicating preferential translocation of AuNP3(−). Bioimages revealed distributions of mesophyll and vascular AuNP dependent on organ or AuNP concentration. Highlights: ► LA-ICP-MS technique was effectively used to quantify engineered AuNP in rice plant. ► Uptake and translocation of AuNPs are evident in rice roots and shoots. ► Organ level distribution of AuNPs is affected by their surface charges. ► Bioimaging of AuNP distribution in rice tissues by LA-ICP-MS was demonstrated. -- The tissue level uptake and spatial distribution of engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNP) by rice plants was demonstrated by LA-ICP-MS bioimaging

  20. Interaction of electromagnetic pulse with commercial nuclear-power-plant systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Strawe, D.F.; Sandberg, S.J.; Jones, V.K.; Rensner, G.D.; Shoup, R.W.; Hanson, R.J.; Williams, C.B.

    1983-02-01

    This study examines the interaction of the electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear burst with commercial nuclear power plant systems. The potential vulnerability of systems required for safe shutdown of a specific nuclear power plant are explored. EMP signal coupling, induced plant response and component damage thresholds are established using techniques developed over several decades under Defense Nuclear Agency sponsorship. A limited test program was conducted to verify the coupling analysis technique as applied to a nuclear power plant. The results are extended, insofar as possible, to other nuclear plants.

  1. Interaction of electromagnetic pulse with commercial nuclear-power-plant systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Strawe, D.F.; Sandberg, S.J.; Jones, V.K.; Rensner, G.D.; Shoup, R.W.; Hanson, R.J.; Williams, C.B.

    1983-02-01

    This study examines the interaction of the electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear burst with commercial nuclear power plant systems. The potential vulnerability of systems required for safe shutdown of a specific nuclear power plant are explored. EMP signal coupling, induced plant response and component damage thresholds are established using techniques developed over several decades under Defense Nuclear Agency sponsorship. A limited test program was conducted to verify the coupling analysis technique as applied to a nuclear power plant. The results are extended, insofar as possible, to other nuclear plants

  2. Transfer Comparison Study Nitrogen on the Intact and Decapitated Legumes by Using the 15N Labeling Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widjayanto, Didik W.

    1998-01-01

    The experiment was done in order to evaluate the N transfer from the intact and decapitated legumes by using the 15 N labeling technique. Seven days after final labeling the above ground biomass from labeled legume species was removed and the remaining stalks capped to prevent regrowth. Twenty days after final labeling (fourteen days after capping) the all treatments were sample and analyzed. The decapitated legumes appeared to transfer more percentage N than the intact legumes. Although both decapitated and intact legumes transferred, the transfer of N did not incur a dry matter and N yield benefit

  3. Exploring the geochemical distribution of organic carbon in early land plants: a novel approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, Geoffrey D; Fletcher, Ian W; Tardio, Sabrina; Hack, Ethan

    2018-02-05

    Terrestrialization depended on the evolution of biosynthetic pathways for biopolymers including lignin, cutin and suberin, which were concentrated in specific tissues, layers or organs such as the xylem, cuticle and roots on the submillimetre scale. However, it is often difficult, or even impossible especially for individual cells, to resolve the biomolecular composition of the different components of fossil plants on such a scale using the well-established coupled techniques of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Here, we report the application of techniques for surface analysis to investigate the composition of Rhynia gwynne-vaughanii X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of two different spots (both 300 µm × 600 µm) confirmed the presence of carbon. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) revealed 'chemical maps' (imaging mode with 300 nm resolution) of aliphatic and aromatic carbon in the intact fossil that correlate with the vascular structures observed in high-resolution optical images. This study shows that imaging ToF-SIMS has value for determining the location of the molecular components of fossil embryophytes while retaining structural information that will help elucidate how terrestrialization shaped the early evolution of land plant cell wall biochemistry.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  4. Coupling of Yang-Mills to N=4, d=4 supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergshoeff, E.; Koh, I.G.; Sezgin, E.

    1985-01-01

    We couple N=4, d=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory to supergravity. The scalars of the theory parametrize the coset (SO(n,6)/[SO(n)xSO(6)])xSU(1,1)/U(1)). Keeping the composite local SO(n)xSO(6)xU(1) invariance intact, we gauge an (n+6) parameter subgroup of SO(n,6) which is either (i) SU(2)xSU(2)xH(dim H=n), (ii) SO(4,1)xH(dim H=n-4) or (iii) SO(6,1)xH(dim H=n-15). In all these cases the theory has an indefinite potential. (orig.)

  5. Coupling of Yang-Mills to N=4, d=4 supergravity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergshoeff, E.; Koh, I.G.; Sezgin, E.

    1985-01-01

    We couple N=4, d=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory to supergravity. The scalars of the theory parametrize the coset ((SO(n,6)/SO(n)xSO(6))x((SU(1,1)/U(1)). Keeping the composite local SO(n)xSO(6)xU(1) invariance intact, we gauge an (n+6) parameter subgroup of SO(n,6) which is either (i) SU(2)xSU(2)xH (dim H=n), (ii) SO(4,1)xH (dim H=n-4) or (iii) SO(6,1)xH (dim H=n-15). In all these cases the theory has an indefinite potential. (author)

  6. Prediction of canned black bean texture (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from intact dry seeds using visible/near infrared spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, Fernando A; Cichy, Karen A; Sprague, Christy; Goffnett, Amanda; Lu, Renfu; Kelly, James D

    2018-01-01

    Texture is a major quality parameter for the acceptability of canned whole beans. Prior knowledge of this quality trait before processing would be useful to guide variety development by bean breeders and optimize handling protocols by processors. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the predictive power of visible and near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (visible/NIRS, 400-2498 nm) and hyperspectral imaging (HYPERS, 400-1000 nm) techniques for predicting texture of canned black beans from intact dry seeds. Black beans were grown in Michigan (USA) over three field seasons. The samples exhibited phenotypic variability for canned bean texture due to genetic variability and processing practice. Spectral preprocessing methods (i.e. smoothing, first and second derivatives, continuous wavelet transform, and two-band ratios), coupled with a feature selection method, were tested for optimizing the prediction accuracy in both techniques based on partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. Visible/NIRS and HYPERS were effective in predicting texture of canned beans using intact dry seeds, as indicated by their correlation coefficients for prediction (R pred ) and standard errors of prediction (SEP). Visible/NIRS was superior (R pred = 0.546-0.923, SEP = 7.5-1.9 kg 100 g -1 ) to HYPERS (R pred = 0.401-0.883, SEP = 7.6-2.4 kg 100 g -1 ), which is likely due to the wider wavelength range collected in visible/NIRS. However, a significant improvement was reached in both techniques when the two-band ratios preprocessing method was applied to the data, reducing SEP by at least 10.4% and 16.2% for visible/NIRS and HYPERS, respectively. Moreover, results from using the combination of the three-season data sets based on the two-band ratios showed that visible/NIRS (R pred = 0.886, SEP = 4.0 kg 100 g -1 ) and HYPERS (R pred = 0.844, SEP = 4.6 kg 100 g -1 ) models were consistently successful in predicting texture over a wide range of measurements. Visible

  7. Refinement of glucagon-like peptide 1 docking to its intact receptor using mid-region photolabile probes and molecular modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Laurence J; Chen, Quan; Lam, Polo C-H; Pinon, Delia I; Sexton, Patrick M; Abagyan, Ruben; Dong, Maoqing

    2011-05-06

    The glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) receptor is an important drug target within the B family of G protein-coupled receptors. Its natural agonist ligand, GLP1, has incretin-like actions and the receptor is a recognized target for management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite recent solution of the structure of the amino terminus of the GLP1 receptor and several close family members, the molecular basis for GLP1 binding to and activation of the intact receptor remains unclear. We previously demonstrated molecular approximations between amino- and carboxyl-terminal residues of GLP1 and its receptor. In this work, we study spatial approximations with the mid-region of this peptide to gain insights into the orientation of the intact receptor and the ligand-receptor complex. We have prepared two new photolabile probes incorporating a p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine into positions 16 and 20 of GLP1(7-36). Both probes bound to the GLP1 receptor specifically and with high affinity. These were each fully efficacious agonists, stimulating cAMP accumulation in receptor-bearing CHO cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Each probe specifically labeled a single receptor site. Protease cleavage and radiochemical sequencing identified receptor residue Leu(141) above transmembrane segment one as its site of labeling for the position 16 probe, whereas the position 20 probe labeled receptor residue Trp(297) within the second extracellular loop. Establishing ligand residue approximation with this loop region is unique among family members and may help to orient the receptor amino-terminal domain relative to its helical bundle region.

  8. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for analysis of pellets of plant materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomes, Marcos S. [Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rod. Washington Luís, km 235, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Centenário 303, 13416-000 Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Schenk, Emily R. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States); International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States); Santos, Dário [Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Professor Arthur Riedel 275, Diadema, SP (Brazil); Krug, Francisco José [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Centenário 303, 13416-000 Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Almirall, José R., E-mail: almirall@fiu.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States); International Forensic Research Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL (United States)

    2014-04-01

    An evaluation of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (LAICP OES) for the direct analysis of pelleted plant material is reported. Ground leaves of orange citrus, soy and sugarcane were comminuted using a high-speed ball mill, pressed into pellets and sampled directly with laser ablation and analyzed by ICP OES. The limits of detection (LODs) for the method ranged from as low as 0.1 mg kg{sup −1} for Zn to as high as 94 mg kg{sup −1} for K but were generally below 6 mg kg{sup −1} for most of the elements of interest. A certified reference material consisting of a similar matrix (NIST SRM 1547 peach leaves) was used to check the accuracy of the calibration and the reported method resulted in an average bias of ∼ 5% for all the elements of interest. The precision for the reported method ranged from as low as 4% relative standard deviation (RSD) for Mn to as high as 17% RSD for Zn but averaged ∼ 6.5% RSD for all the elements (n = 10). The proposed method was tested for the determination of Ca, Mg, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and B, and the results were in good agreement with those obtained for the corresponding acid digests by ICP-OES, no differences being observed by applying a paired t-test at the 95% confidence level. The reported direct solid sampling method provides a fast alternative to acid digestion that results in similar and appropriate analytical figures of merit with regard to sensitivity, accuracy and precision for plant material analysis. - Highlights: • An evaluation of LA-ICP-OES for the direct analysis of pelleted plant material is reported. • Orange citrus, soy and sugarcane plants were pressed into pellets and sampled directly. • The element menu consisted of Ca, Mg, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and B. • LODs for the method ranged from 0.1 mg kg{sup −1} for Zn to 94 mg kg{sup −1} for K. • The precision ranged from 4% RSD for Mn to 17% RSD for Zn (∼ 6.5% RSD average)

  9. In vitro evaluation of percutaneous diffusion of uranyl nitrate through intact or excoriated skin of rat and pig

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petitot, F.; Moreels, A.M.; Paquet, F.

    2004-01-01

    At the present time, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has not published any model concerning internal radioactive contamination by uptake from wounds. The aims of our work were to determine the time available to treat contamination of intact or wounded skin before a significant uptake of uranium occurred and to evaluate the consequences of incomplete decontamination on uranium uptake. The kinetics of percutaneous diffusion of uranium through intact or excoriated skin and its distribution in skin layers were evaluated using an in vitro technique. Our data demonstrated a dramatic increase of uranium percutaneous diffusion through excoriated skin compared with intact skin. Significant uptake of uranium through excoriated skin occurred in only 30 min, indicating that there is only a short interval available to treat a contaminated wound effectively. Moreover, in the case of an incompletely decontaminated superficial wound, viable epidermis behaved as a reservoir for uranium that remained bioavailable. At the present time, potential uptake of uranium and perhaps other radionuclides through intact or wounded skin is not adequately taken into account by radiological protection agencies. Our results emphasize the need for further study and modeling of uptake of radionuclides through intact or wounded skin. (author)

  10. Influence of fluoride varnish on shear bond strength of a universal adhesive on intact and demineralized enamel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz-Ruiz, Antonio José; Muñoz-Gómez, Iban Jesús; Pérez-Pardo, Ana; Germán-Cecilia, Concepción; Martínez-Beneyto, Yolanda; Vicente, Ascensión

    2018-04-27

    The aim was to evaluate the effect of fluoride varnish on the shear bond strength (SBS) on polished and non-polished intact and demineralized enamel. Bovine incisors (half demineralized) were used. Bifluorid 12™ was applied. Bonding was made with Futurabond ® M + and GrandioSO, 24 h and 7 days after varnishing. In some groups, varnish was removed by polishing before bonding. SBS was measured. Fracture type was determined by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of the enamel surface were made. Between-group differences were determined by one-way ANOVA and the Tukey test. Associations between study factors and fracture modes were analysed using contingency tables and Pearson's chi-squared test. For intact enamel, SBS on varnished enamel at 24 h was significantly less than in the other groups. SBS recovered 7 days after varnishing. Varnish elimination after 24 h significantly increased the SBS. However, removal at 7 days did not modify SBS. SBS on demineralized enamel groups was significantly less than in intact enamel, except for demineralized enamel varnished and removed at 7 days. Demineralized enamel was associated with cohesive enamel fractures and intact enamel with cohesive fractures of the composite and adhesive fractures. SEM of varnish surfaces showed a homogenous layer scattered with amorphous precipitate. In conclusion, on intact enamel fluoride varnish had a negative effect on SBS at 24 h, which disappeared after 7 days. On demineralized enamel, varnish did not reduce SBS at either time. Polishing the varnished enamel surface showed a similar SBS to intact enamel after 7 days.

  11. Using Spores for Fusarium spp. Classification by MALDI-Based Intact Cell/Spore Mass Spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang Winkler

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Fusarium is a widespread genus of filamentous fungi and a member of the soil microbial community. Certain subspecies are health threatening because of their mycotoxin production that affects the human and animal food chain. Thus, for early and effective pest control, species identification is of particular interest; however, differentiation on the subspecies level is challenging and time-consuming for this fungus. In the present study, we show the possibilities of intact cell mass spectrometry for spore analysis of 22 different Fusarium strains belonging to six Fusarium subspecies. We found that species differentiation is possible if mass spectrometric analyses are performed under well-defined conditions with fixed parameters. A critical point for analysis is a proper sample preparation of spores, which increases the quality of mass spectra with respect to signal intensity and m/z value variations. It was concluded that data acquistion has to be performed automatically; otherwise, user-specific variations are introduced generating data which cannot fit the existing datasets. Data that show clearly that matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-based intact cell/intact spore mass spectrometry (IC/ISMS can be applied to differentiate closely related Fusarium spp. are presented. Results show a potential to build a database on Fusarium species for accurate species identification, for fast response in the case of infections in the cornfield. We furthermore demonstrate the high precision of our approach in classification of intact Fusarium species according to the location of their collection.

  12. The multiple strategies of an insect herbivore to overcome plant cyanogenic glucoside defence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pentzold, Stefan; Zagrobelny, Mika; Roelsgaard, Pernille Sølvhøj

    2014-01-01

    Cyanogenic glucosides (CNglcs) are widespread plant defence compounds that release toxic hydrogen cyanide by plant bglucosidase activity after tissue damage. Specialised insect herbivores have evolved counter strategies and some sequester CNglcs, but the underlying mechanisms to keep CNglcs intact...... during feeding and digestion are unknown. We show that CNglc-sequestering Zygaena filipendulae larvae combine behavioural, morphological, physiological and biochemical strategies at different time points during feeding and digestion to avoid toxic hydrolysis of the CNglcs present in their Lotus food...

  13. Problems of power-heat-coupling in industry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1977-03-01

    The coupled heat and electric power supply from counter-pressure and partly also from extraction-condensing plants theoretically offers the best possibilities for saving energy in comparison to other measures which reduce the primary energy employed at equal useful energy. A basic requirement for the use of this principle of power-heat coupling is a somewhat simultaneous need of heat and electrical energy as well as a relatively short distance between production point and consumption point, since the transfer ability of the heat is limited due to the considerable cost of the transportation system. Numerous industrial enterprises offer favorable conditions for the use of power-heat coupling. Because of the existing legal and contract rights restraints, the incentive for a free development of industrial power-heat coupling with the aim of saving energy is strongly weakened. Therefore a new order to road rights is nececessary, which would make possible the construction and operation of common plants for several industrial operations and which would insure the right to lay industrial energy lines in public roads where reasonably possible. It has been proven necessary to make it the duty of the cartel authorities to orient their examinations of price regulations for auxiliary and reserve electric power supply solely on the objective electricity economy facts, but not on so-called advantageous points of view. Ultimately the regulation for common use of the utilities own piping system for the purpose of saving and piping free energy and free power from its own plants can be reasonably necessary in the utilities realm, if free agreements between the utility and the industry are not enough in this question.

  14. Influence of Pecan Nut Pretreatment on the Physical Quality of Oil Bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pujuan Zhang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A supply of pure, intact oil bodies is essential for carrying out morphological and biochemical studies of these plant organelles and exploring their application. Preparation requires a carefully controlled breakage of plant cells, followed by separation of the oil bodies from cytoplasm and cell debris. This paper focuses on the recovery and characterisation of oil bodies from pecan nuts where no work has been published to date. The results showed that soaking softens the nut tissue and appears to reduce the damage to oil bodies during grinding and centrifugal force must be carefully selected to minimise oil bodies damage on recovery. A 24 h soaking time coupled with a 5500 RCF recovery force allows for the recovery of intact pecan nut oil bodies.

  15. The effect of self-transcendence on depression in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Innstrand, Siw Tone

    2012-01-01

    Aims. This study's aim was to test the effects of self-transcendence on depression among cognitively intact nursing home patients. Background. Depression is considered the most frequent mental disorder among the elderly population. Specifically, the depression rate among nursing home patients is three to four times higher than that among community-dwelling elderly. Therefore, finding new and alternative ways to prevent and decrease depression is of great importance for nursing home patients' well-being. Self-transcendence is related to spiritual as well as nonspiritual factors, and it is described as a correlate and resource for well-being among vulnerable populations and at the end of life. Methods. A two-factor construct of the self-transcendence scale (interpersonal and intrapersonal) and the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) was applied. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients in central Norway was selected to respond to the questionnaires in 2008/2009. Results. A hypothesized SEM model demonstrated significant direct relationships and total effects of self-transcendence on depression. Conclusion and Implication for Practice. Facilitating patients' self-transcendence, both interpersonally and intrapersonally, might decrease depression among cognitively intact nursing home patients.

  16. Dynamic Modeling and Plantwide Control of a Hybrid Power and Chemical Plant: An Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Coupled with a Methanol Plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, Patrick J.

    Gasification has been used in industry on a relatively limited scale for many years, but it is emerging as the premier unit operation in the energy and chemical industries. The switch from expensive and insecure petroleum to solid hydrocarbon sources (coal and biomass) is occurring due to the vast amount of domestic solid resources, national security and global warming issues. Gasification (or partial oxidation) is a vital component of "clean coal" technology. Sulfur and nitrogen emissions can be reduced, overall energy efficiency is increased and carbon dioxide recovery and sequestration are facilitated. Gasification units in an electric power generation plant produce a fuel gas for driving combustion turbines. Gasification units in a chemical plant generate synthesis gas, which can be used to produce a wide spectrum of chemical products. Future plants are predicted to be hybrid power/chemical plants with gasification as the key unit operation. The coupling of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) with a methanol plant can handle swings in power demand by diverting hydrogen gas from a combustion turbine and synthesis gas from the gasifier to a methanol plant for the production of an easily-stored, hydrogen-consuming liquid product. An additional control degree of freedom is provided with this hybrid plant, fundamentally improving the controllability of the process. The idea is to base-load the gasifier and use the more responsive gas-phase units to handle disturbances. During the summer days, power demand can fluctuate up to 50% over a 12-hour period. The winter provides a different problem where spikes of power demand can go up 15% within the hour. The following dissertation develops a hybrid IGCC / methanol plant model, validates the steady-state results with a National Energy Technical Laboratory study, and tests a proposed control structure to handle these significant disturbances. All modeling was performed in the widely used chemical process

  17. Construction of disturbed and intact soil blocks to develop percolating soil based treatment systems for dirty water from dairy farms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookman, S K E; Chadwick, D R; Headon, D M

    2002-03-01

    Intact soil blocks with a surface area of 1.8 x 1.6 m, 1.0 m deep, were excavated in a coarse sandy loam. The sides of the soil blocks were supported with plywood before using hydraulic rams to force a steel cutting plate beneath them. Disturbed soil blocks of the same depth as the intact blocks were also established. Experiments were conducted to determine purification efficiencies for biological oxygen demand (BOD), molybdate reactive phosphorus (MRP), nitrate and ammonium-N after the application of dirty water. A preliminary experiment is described where a low application of dirty water was applied to the soil blocks, 2 mm day(-1). In addition, a chloride tracer was conducted for the duration of the experiment. Disturbed soil had a purification efficiency for BOD of 99% compared to 96% from intact soil (Pammonium-N were 100 and 99%, respectively, for the intact and disturbed soils. Nitrate-N concentration increased in leachate from both treatments reaching maximum concentrations of 15 and 8 mg l(-1) from disturbed and intact soils, respectively. Chloride traces for each soil block followed similar patterns with 47 and 51% loss from disturbed and intact soils, respectively.

  18. Tightly coupled transient analysis of EBR-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makowitz, H.; Lehto, W.K.; Sackett, J.I.

    1988-01-01

    A Tightly Coupled transient analysis system for the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) is currently being tested. The system consists of a faster than real time high fidelity reactor simulation, advanced graphics displays, expert system coupling, and real time data coupling via the EBR-II data acquisition system to and from the plant and the control system. The base, first generation software has been developed and is presently being tested. Various subsystem couplings and the total system integration are being checked out. This system should enhance the diagnostic and prognostic capability of EBR-II in the near term and provide automatic control during startup and power maneuvering in the future, as well as serve as a testbed for new control system development for advanced reactors

  19. Coupled CFD - system-code simulation of a gas cooled reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Yizhou; Rizwan-uddin

    2011-01-01

    A generic coupled CFD - system-code thermal hydraulic simulation approach was developed based on FLUENT and RELAP-3D, and applied to LWRs. The flexibility of the coupling methodology enables its application to advanced nuclear energy systems. Gas Turbine - Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) is a Gen IV reactor design which can benefit from this innovative coupled simulation approach. Mixing in the lower plenum of the GT-MHR is investigated here using the CFD - system-code coupled simulation tool. Results of coupled simulations are presented and discussed. The potential of the coupled CFD - system-code approach for next generation of nuclear power plants is demonstrated. (author)

  20. Plant root absorption and metabolic fate of technetium in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cataldo, D.A.; Garland, T.R.; Wildung, R.E.

    1984-10-01

    Root absorption characteristics for the pertechnetate ion (TcO 4 - ) were determined using hydroponically grown soybean seedlings (Glycine max, cv. Williams). Absorption of TcO 4 - was found to be linear with time, sensitive to metabolic inhibitors, and exhibit multiple absorption isotherms over the concentration range 0.02 to 10 μM. The isotherms had calculated K/sub s/ values of 0.09, 8.9, and 54 μM for intact seedlings. The uptake of TcO 4 - (0.25 μM) was inhibited by a fourfold concentration excess of sulfate, phosphate, and selenate, but not by borate, nitrate, tungstate, perrhenate, iodate or vanadate. Kinetic studies demonstrated that sulfate, phosphate, and selenate were competitive inhibitors of TcO 4 - absorption. Once absorbed, Tc was readily transported as TcO 4 - to shoot tissues of soybean and subsequently associated with protein constituents. The chemical fate of Tc in plants varies with plant species. Plants high in nonprotein sulfhydryl compounds (Allium species) exhibited markedly different root/shoot distribution and protein incorporation patterns from species with low sulfur requirements (soybean, alfalfa, mustard). Based on these differences, Tc/S/Se tracer studies were employed to resolve the comparative fate of these probable analogs. 20 references, 5 figures, 5 tables

  1. Numerical Modeling for the Solute Uptake from Groundwater by Plants-Plant Uptake Package

    OpenAIRE

    El-Sayed, Amr A.

    2006-01-01

    A numerical model is presented to describe solute transport in groundwater coupled to sorption by plant roots, translocation into plant stems, and finally evapotranspiration. The conceptual model takes into account both Root Concentration Factor, RCF, and Transpiration Stream Concentration Factor, TSCF for chemicals which are a function of Kow. A similar technique used to simulate the solute transport in groundwater to simulate sorption and plant uptake is used. The mathematical equation is s...

  2. Feasible pickup from intact ossicular chain with floating piezoelectric microphone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hou-Yong; Na, Gao; Chi, Fang-Lu; Jin, Kai; Pan, Tie-Zheng; Gao, Zhen

    2012-02-22

    Many microphones have been developed to meet with the implantable requirement of totally implantable cochlear implant (TICI). However, a biocompatible one without destroying the intactness of the ossicular chain still remains under investigation. Such an implantable floating piezoelectric microphone (FPM) has been manufactured and shows an efficient electroacoustic performance in vitro test at our lab. We examined whether it pick up sensitively from the intact ossicular chain and postulated whether it be an optimal implantable one. Animal controlled experiment: five adult cats (eight ears) were sacrificed as the model to test the electroacoustic performance of the FPM. Three groups were studied: (1) the experiment group (on malleus): the FPM glued onto the handle of the malleus of the intact ossicular chains; (2) negative control group (in vivo): the FPM only hung into the tympanic cavity; (3) positive control group (Hy-M30): a HiFi commercial microphone placed close to the site of the experiment ear. The testing speaker played pure tones orderly ranged from 0.25 to 8.0 kHz. The FPM inside the ear and the HiFi microphone simultaneously picked up acoustic vibration which recorded as .wav files to analyze. The FPM transformed acoustic vibration sensitively and flatly as did the in vitro test across the frequencies above 2.0 kHz, whereas inefficiently below 1.0 kHz for its overloading mass. Although the HiFi microphone presented more efficiently than the FPM did, there was no significant difference at 3.0 kHz and 8.0 kHz. It is feasible to develop such an implantable FPM for future TICIs and TIHAs system on condition that the improvement of Micro Electromechanical System and piezoelectric ceramic material technology would be applied to reduce its weight and minimize its size.

  3. Feasible pickup from intact ossicular chain with floating piezoelectric microphone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kang Hou-Yong

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives Many microphones have been developed to meet with the implantable requirement of totally implantable cochlear implant (TICI. However, a biocompatible one without destroying the intactness of the ossicular chain still remains under investigation. Such an implantable floating piezoelectric microphone (FPM has been manufactured and shows an efficient electroacoustic performance in vitro test at our lab. We examined whether it pick up sensitively from the intact ossicular chain and postulated whether it be an optimal implantable one. Methods Animal controlled experiment: five adult cats (eight ears were sacrificed as the model to test the electroacoustic performance of the FPM. Three groups were studied: (1 the experiment group (on malleus: the FPM glued onto the handle of the malleus of the intact ossicular chains; (2 negative control group (in vivo: the FPM only hung into the tympanic cavity; (3 positive control group (Hy-M30: a HiFi commercial microphone placed close to the site of the experiment ear. The testing speaker played pure tones orderly ranged from 0.25 to 8.0 kHz. The FPM inside the ear and the HiFi microphone simultaneously picked up acoustic vibration which recorded as .wav files to analyze. Results The FPM transformed acoustic vibration sensitively and flatly as did the in vitro test across the frequencies above 2.0 kHz, whereas inefficiently below 1.0 kHz for its overloading mass. Although the HiFi microphone presented more efficiently than the FPM did, there was no significant difference at 3.0 kHz and 8.0 kHz. Conclusions It is feasible to develop such an implantable FPM for future TICIs and TIHAs system on condition that the improvement of Micro Electromechanical System and piezoelectric ceramic material technology would be applied to reduce its weight and minimize its size.

  4. The uptake of radioactive iodine in rat intact Graafian follicles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lieberman, L.M.; Lieberman, G.L.; Lieberman, M.E.

    1984-01-01

    The concentration of iodine-131 in the ovaries of mammals has important implications in the use of I-131 for the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease in women. The authors studied the I-131 uptake in whole ovaries and in isolated Graafian follicles of sexually mature rats. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats, in groups of 5-6 animals, were injected IP with 10-50 μCi of I-131, at 3, 12, and 24 hrs prior to the day of proestrus and killed on the day of proestrus. The thyroid gland and ovaries were removed intact and these organs, as well as eight other tissue specimens, were weighed. The large preovulatory follicles (6-9/ovary) were then isolated under a dissecting microscope and the remaining ovary weighed. All samples were counted in a gamma well counter and the % dose/g estimated. The thyroid gland showed 23.7% dose/organ at 24 hrs. Blood decreased from 1.6% dose/g at 3 hrs to 0.5% dose/g at 24 hrs with the uterus showing 1.1% dose/g and 0.4% dose/g at the same times. Ovarian tissue was 0.5, 0.1, and 0.1% dose/g at 3,12, and 24 hrs respectively, while the intact Graafian follicles had from one-tenth to one-third the concentration of the ovary at the same times. (0.05, 0.03, and 0.03% dose/g). The authors found that the intact Graafian follicle concentrates approximately one-thirtieth to one-sixteenth of the I-131 in the blood and one-tenth to one-third of the I-131 in the ovary. This suggests that there is no active uptake of I-131 in the follicle or follicular fluid

  5. Electrophysiological approach to determine kinetic parameters of sucrose uptake by single sieve elements or phloem parenchyma cells in intact Vicia faba plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafke, Jens B; Höll, Sabina-Roxana; Kühn, Christina; van Bel, Aart J E

    2013-01-01

    Apart from cut aphid stylets in combination with electrophysiology, no attempts have been made thus far to measure in vivo sucrose-uptake properties of sieve elements. We investigated the kinetics of sucrose uptake by single sieve elements and phloem parenchyma cells in Vicia faba plants. To this end, microelectrodes were inserted into free-lying phloem cells in the main vein of the youngest fully-expanded leaf, half-way along the stem, in the transition zone between the autotrophic and heterotrophic part of the stem, and in the root axis. A top-to-bottom membrane potential gradient of sieve elements was observed along the stem (-130 mV to -110 mV), while the membrane potential of the phloem parenchyma cells was stable (approx. -100 mV). In roots, the membrane potential of sieve elements dropped abruptly to -55 mV. Bathing solutions having various sucrose concentrations were administered and sucrose/H(+)-induced depolarizations were recorded. Data analysis by non-linear least-square data fittings as well as by linear Eadie-Hofstee (EH) -transformations pointed at biphasic Michaelis-Menten kinetics (2 MM, EH: K m1 1.2-1.8 mM, K m2 6.6-9.0 mM) of sucrose uptake by sieve elements. However, Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) favored single MM kinetics. Using single MM as the best-fitting model, K m values for sucrose uptake by sieve elements decreased along the plant axis from 1 to 7 mM. For phloem parenchyma cells, higher K m values (EH: K m1 10 mM, K m2 70 mM) as compared to sieve elements were found. In preliminary patch-clamp experiments with sieve-element protoplasts, small sucrose-coupled proton currents (-0.1 to -0.3 pA/pF) were detected in the whole-cell mode. In conclusion (a) K m values for sucrose uptake measured by electrophysiology are similar to those obtained with heterologous systems, (b) electrophysiology provides a useful tool for in situ determination of K m values, (c) As yet, it remains unclear if one or two uptake systems are involved in sucrose

  6. Coupling of 3D neutronics models with the system code ATHLET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langenbuch, S.; Velkov, K.

    1999-01-01

    The system code ATHLET for plant transient and accident analysis has been coupled with 3D neutronics models, like QUABOX/CUBBOX, for the realistic evaluation of some specific safety problems under discussion. The considerations for the coupling approach and its realization are discussed. The specific features of the coupled code system established are explained and experience from first applications is presented. (author)

  7. Calculation of ion currents across the inner membrane of functionally intact mitochondria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kane, Daniel A; Pavlov, Evgeny V

    2013-01-01

    Mitochondrial ion transport systems play a central role in cell physiology. Rates of Ca2+ and K+ transport across the inner mitochondrial membrane have been derived from the measurement of ion accumulation over time within functional isolated mitochondria or mitochondria of cultured cells. Alternatively, the electrical currents generated by ionic flux have been directly measured in purified and swollen mitochondrial samples (mitoplasts) or reconstituted channels, and typically range from 1 pA to several 100s pA. However, the direct electrophysiological approach necessarily requires extensive processing of the mitochondria prior to measurement, which can only be performed on isolated mitoplasts. To compare rates of mitochondrial ion transport measured in electrophysiological experiments to those measured in intact mitochondria and cells, we converted published rates of mitochondrial ion uptake into units of ionic current. We estimate that for monovalent ions, uptake by intact mitochondria at the rate of 1 nmol ∙ mg−1 protein ∙ min−1 is equivalent to 0.2 fA of current per whole single mitochondrion (0.4 fA for divalent ions). In intact mitochondria, estimated rates of electrogenic cation uptake are limited to 1–100 fA of integral current per single mitochondrion. These estimates are orders of magnitude lower than the currents through mitochondrial channels directly measured via patch-clamp or artificial lipid bilayer approaches. PMID:24037064

  8. Accurate determination of bromine and iodine in medicinal plants by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry after microwave-induced combustion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nascimento, Mariele S.; Mendes, Ana Luiza G.; Henn, Alessandra S.; Picoloto, Rochele S.; Mello, Paola A.; Flores, Erico M. M.

    2017-12-01

    In this work, a method for the determination of bromine and iodine in medicinal plants by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after digestion by microwave-induced combustion (MIC) was developed. Medicinal plants were pressed as pellets and combusted at 20 bar of oxygen. The suitability of absorbing solution (water, 50 mmol L- 1 (NH4)2CO3, 10 mmol L- 1, 25 mmol L- 1, 50 mmol L- 1 or 100 mmol L- 1 NH4OH) was evaluated and a reflux step of 5 min was applied after combustion. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by using certified reference materials (CRMs) of apple leaves and peach leaves and also by spiked samples. Using 50 mmol L- 1 NH4OH as absorbing solution, recoveries close to 100% for bromine and iodine were obtained as well as a low relative standard deviation (5%). No statistical difference (t-test, 95% of confidence level) was observed between the values obtained by ICP-MS after MIC digestion and the certified values. One of the important advantages of the proposed method is that it allowed the use of a relatively high sample mass (1000 mg) of medicinal plant resulting in low limits of quantification (0.033 μg g- 1 and 0.003 μg g- 1 for Br and I, respectively). Blanks were always negligible and only diluted solutions were used, in agreement with current recommendations for analytical methods. A high digestion efficiency was achieved (> 99%) assuring quantitative results. The concentration of analytes in medicinal plants was in the range of 0.17 μg g- 1 to 53.1 μg g- 1 for Br and medicinal plants (125 μg g- 1).

  9. Transport of beta-aminopropionitrile through intact skin or scar tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibeault, J.D.; Cravens, R.B. Jr.; Chvapil, M.

    1989-01-01

    A lathyrogen, [ 14 C]aminopropionitrile (beta APN), was administered to 34 rats either in K-Y jelly or saline vehicles onto intact shaven skin or onto a healed splinted deep excision wound. The dynamics of beta APN transport and content in the skin or repair tissue was observed after 2, 5, 8, and 24 hr of topical administration. The repair tissue quickly absorbed the lathyrogen and reached maximum at the 2-hr sampling. The content of beta APN in the repair tissue was twice as high as that in K-Y jelly vehicle and remained high and stable for at least 24 hr only when beta APN was administered through a saline vehicle. The transport of beta APN through intact skin, irrespective of the vehicle tested, was slow and continuously increased. The study showed that almost 20% of the beta APN administered onto the wounded skin area was transported into the repair tissue within 2 hr. We suggest that, due to the absence of epidermal stratum corneum from the repair tissue, drugs, such as beta APN, penetrate quickly into the wound

  10. Enzymatic methylation of band 3 anion transporter in intact human erythrocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lou, L.L.; Clarke, S.

    1987-01-01

    Band 3, the anion transport protein of erythrocyte membranes, is a major methyl-accepting substrate of the intracellular erythrocyte protein carboxyl methyltransferase (S-adenosyl-L-methionine: protein-D-aspartate O-methyltransferase; EC 2.1.1.77). The localization of methylation sites in intact cells by analysis of proteolytic fragments indicated that sites were present in the cytoplasmic N-terminal domain as well as the membranous C-terminal portion of the polypeptide. The amino acid residues that serve as carboxyl methylation sites of the erythrocyte anion transporter were also investigated. 3 H-Methylated band 3 was purified from intact erythrocytes incubated with L-[methyl- 3 H]methionine and from trypsinized and lysed erythrocytes incubated with S-adenosyl-L-[methyl- 3 H]methionine. After proteolytic digestion with carboxypeptidase Y, D-aspartic acid beta-[ 3 H]methyl ester was isolated in low yields (9% and 1%, respectively) from each preparation. The bulk of the radioactivity was recovered as [ 3 H]methanol, and the amino acid residue(s) originally associated with these methyl groups could not be determined. No L-aspartic acid beta-[ 3 H]methyl ester or glutamyl gamma-[ 3 H]methyl ester was detected. The formation of D-aspartic acid beta-[ 3 H]methyl esters in this protein in intact cells resulted from protein carboxyl methyltransferase activity since it was inhibited by adenosine and homocysteine thiolactone, which increases the intracellular concentration of the potent product inhibitor S-adenosylhomocysteine, and cycloleucine, which prevents the formation of the substrate S-adenosyl-L-[methyl- 3 H]methionine

  11. Proceedings of the international workshop on mechanistic understanding of radionuclide migration in compacted/intact systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tachi, Yukio; Yui, Mikazu

    2010-03-01

    The international workshop on mechanistic understanding of radionuclide migration in compacted / intact systems was held at ENTRY, JAEA, Tokai on 21st - 23rd January, 2009. This workshop was hosted by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) as part of the project on the mechanistic model/database development for radionuclide sorption and diffusion behavior in compacted / intact systems. The overall goal of the project is to develop the mechanistic model / database for a consistent understanding and prediction of migration parameters and its uncertainties for performance assessment of geological disposal of radioactive waste. The objective of the workshop is to integrate the state-of-the-art of mechanistic sorption and diffusion model in compacted / intact systems, especially in bentonite / clay systems, and discuss the JAEA's mechanistic approaches and future challenges, especially the following discussions points; 1) What's the status and difficulties for mechanistic model/database development? 2) What's the status and difficulties for applicability of mechanistic model to the compacted/intact system? 3) What's the status and difficulties for obtaining evidences for mechanistic model? 4) What's the status and difficulties for standardization of experimental methodology for batch sorption and diffusion? 5) What's the uncertainties of transport parameters in radionuclides migration analysis due to a lack of understanding/experimental methodologies, and how do we derive them? This report includes workshop program, overview and materials of each presentation, summary of discussions. (author)

  12. Forest Loss in Protected Areas and Intact Forest Landscapes: A Global Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heino, Matias; Kummu, Matti; Makkonen, Marika; Mulligan, Mark; Verburg, Peter H; Jalava, Mika; Räsänen, Timo A

    2015-01-01

    In spite of the high importance of forests, global forest loss has remained alarmingly high during the last decades. Forest loss at a global scale has been unveiled with increasingly finer spatial resolution, but the forest extent and loss in protected areas (PAs) and in large intact forest landscapes (IFLs) have not so far been systematically assessed. Moreover, the impact of protection on preserving the IFLs is not well understood. In this study we conducted a consistent assessment of the global forest loss in PAs and IFLs over the period 2000-2012. We used recently published global remote sensing based spatial forest cover change data, being a uniform and consistent dataset over space and time, together with global datasets on PAs' and IFLs' locations. Our analyses revealed that on a global scale 3% of the protected forest, 2.5% of the intact forest, and 1.5% of the protected intact forest were lost during the study period. These forest loss rates are relatively high compared to global total forest loss of 5% for the same time period. The variation in forest losses and in protection effect was large among geographical regions and countries. In some regions the loss in protected forests exceeded 5% (e.g. in Australia and Oceania, and North America) and the relative forest loss was higher inside protected areas than outside those areas (e.g. in Mongolia and parts of Africa, Central Asia, and Europe). At the same time, protection was found to prevent forest loss in several countries (e.g. in South America and Southeast Asia). Globally, high area-weighted forest loss rates of protected and intact forests were associated with high gross domestic product and in the case of protected forests also with high proportions of agricultural land. Our findings reinforce the need for improved understanding of the reasons for the high forest losses in PAs and IFLs and strategies to prevent further losses.

  13. Intact proinsulin and beta-cell function in lean and obese subjects with and without type 2 diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Røder, M E; Dinesen, B; Hartling, S G

    1999-01-01

    , total proinsulin immunoreactivity (PIM), intact insulin, and C-peptide (by radioimmunoassay) by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in the fasting state and during a 120-min glucagon (1 mg i.v.) stimulation test. Lean (BMI 23.5 +/- 0.3 kg/m2) (LD) and obese (30.1 +/- 0.4 kg/m2) (OD) type 2...... diabetic patients matched for fasting glucose (10.2 +/- 0.6 vs. 10.3 +/- 0.4 mmol/l) were compared with age- and BMI-matched lean (22.4 +/- 0.6 kg/m2) (LC) and obese (30.8 +/- 0.9 kg/m2) (OC) normal control subjects. RESULTS: Diabetic patients (LD vs. LC and OD vs. OC) had elevated fasting levels of intact......, most pronounced in the lean group. The ratio of intact proinsulin to PIM was higher in diabetic patients after stimulation in both LD versus LC: 32 +/- 3 vs. 23 +/- 2%, and OD versus OC: 28 +/- 4 vs. 16 +/- 2%, both P obese normal subjects, intact proinsulin/PIM was lower both in the fasting...

  14. Protein methylation reactions in intact pea chloroplasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemi, K.J.

    1989-01-01

    Post-translational protein methylation was investigated in Pisum sativum chloroplasts. Intact pea chloroplasts were incubated with ( 3 H-methyl)-S-adenosylmethionine under various conditions. The chloroplasts were then separated into stromal and thylakoid fractions and analyzed for radioactivity transferred to protein. Light enhanced the magnitude of labeling in both fractions. One thylakoid polypeptide with an apparent molecular mass of 43 kDa was labeled only in the light. Several other thylakoid and stromal proteins were labeled in both light and dark-labeling conditions. Both base-labile methylation, carboxy-methylesters and base-stable groups, N-methylations were found. Further characterization of the methyl-transfer reactions will be presented

  15. Nanodiamonds coupled with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, a plant bioactive metabolite, interfere with the mitotic process in B16F10 cells altering the actin organization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gismondi A

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Angelo Gismondi,1 Valentina Nanni,1 Giacomo Reina,2 Silvia Orlanducci,2 Maria Letizia Terranova,2 Antonella Canini1 1Department of Biology, 2Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy Abstract: For the first time, we coupled reduced detonation nanodiamonds (NDs with a plant secondary metabolite, citropten (5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, and demonstrated how this complex was able to reduce B16F10 tumor cell growth more effectively than treatment with the pure molecule. These results encouraged us to find out the specific mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Internalization kinetics and quantification of citropten in cells after treatment with its pure or ND-conjugated form were measured, and it was revealed that the coupling between NDs and citropten was essential for the biological properties of the complex. We showed that the adduct was not able to induce apoptosis, senescence, or differentiation, but it determined cell cycle arrest, morphological changes, and alteration of mRNA levels of the cytoskeletal-related genes. The identification of metaphasic nuclei and irregular disposition of β-actin in the cell cytoplasm supported the hypothesis that citropten conjugated with NDs showed antimitotic properties in B16F10 cells. This work can be considered a pioneering piece of research that could promote and support the biomedical use of plant drug-functionalized NDs in cancer therapy. Keywords: citropten, cytoskeletal structure, plant secondary metabolite, melanoma, internalization kinetics

  16. Application of carbohydrate arrays coupled with mass spectrometry to detect activity of plant-polysaccharide degradative enzymes from the fungus Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Munster, Jolanda M; Thomas, Baptiste; Riese, Michel; Davis, Adrienne L; Gray, Christopher J; Archer, David B; Flitsch, Sabine L

    2017-02-21

    Renewables-based biotechnology depends on enzymes to degrade plant lignocellulose to simple sugars that are converted to fuels or high-value products. Identification and characterization of such lignocellulose degradative enzymes could be fast-tracked by availability of an enzyme activity measurement method that is fast, label-free, uses minimal resources and allows direct identification of generated products. We developed such a method by applying carbohydrate arrays coupled with MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry to identify reaction products of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. We describe the production and characterization of plant polysaccharide-derived oligosaccharides and their attachment to hydrophobic self-assembling monolayers on a gold target. We verify effectiveness of this array for detecting exo- and endo-acting glycoside hydrolase activity using commercial enzymes, and demonstrate how this platform is suitable for detection of enzyme activity in relevant biological samples, the culture filtrate of A. niger grown on wheat straw. In conclusion, this versatile method is broadly applicable in screening and characterisation of activity of CAZymes, such as fungal enzymes for plant lignocellulose degradation with relevance to biotechnological applications as biofuel production, the food and animal feed industry.

  17. Characterization of the anion sensitive ATPase in intact vacuoles of Kalanchoe diagremontiana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kobza, J.; Uribe, E.G.

    1986-04-01

    A method for the isolation of intact vacuoles from K. daigremontiana was developed which produced high yields of relatively pure vacuoles as determined by marker enzyme contamination. Upon isolation, the vacuoles were stabilized by the inclusion of 5% (w/v) ficoll. Enzyme activity was insensitive to vanadate and azide but was strongly inhibited by DCCD. Enzyme activity was strictly dependent on the inclusion of Mg/sup 2 +/ and was stimulated by anions as depicted by the series, NO/sub 3//sup -/ < Br/sup -/ < SO/sub 4//sup -/ < HCO/sub 3//sup -/ < Cl/sup -/. It was found that in intact vacuoles the ATPase activity was stimulated by phosphate to a level equivalent to that found with the chloride. The enzyme exhibited Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a Km for Mg-ATP complex of 0.51 mM.

  18. Authenticity analyses of Phyllanthus amarus using barcoding coupled with HRM analysis to control its quality for medicinal plant product.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buddhachat, Kittisak; Osathanunkul, Maslin; Madesis, Panagiotis; Chomdej, Siriwadee; Ongchai, Siriwan

    2015-11-15

    The Phyllanthus genus, a plant used in traditional Thai medicine, has according to several pharmacopeias hepatoprotective properties. Not only is the anatomical morphology of these species relatively similar but they also share the Thai common names Look-Tai-Bai (ลูกใต้ใบ) and Yah-Tai-Bai (หญ้าใต้ใบ), which might cause confusion for laypersons. This study attempted to develop a method for accurate identification of Phyllanthus species, especially Phyllanthus amarus, and to detect contaminants in P. amarus products by using DNA barcoding coupled with high resolution melting (HRM) analysis (bar-HRM). Two plastid loci (rbcL and trnL) were chosen for DNA barcoding to generate a suitable primer for distinguishing Phyllanthus species by HRM analysis. The five species of Phyllanthus were subjected to amplification for testing the specificity and discrimination power of the designed primers derived from rbcL and trnL regions. Sensitivity of the method (DNA barcoding conjugated with HRM) to detect adulterant in P. amarus samples was evaluated. The commercial P. amarus products obtained from a local market were authenticated. The primer pair derived from trnL DNA barcoding (PhylltrnL) had more specificity and power of discrimination for Phyllanthus species than that derived from rbcL DNA barcoding (PhyllrbcL). The result showed that Tm of P. amarus, Phyllanthus urinaria, Phyllanthus debilis, Phyllanthus airy-shawii, and Phyllanthus virgatus was 74.3±0.08, 73.04±0.07, 73.36±0.05, 72.21±0.06, 72.77±0.15°C, respectively. This method proved to be a very sensitive tool that can be used for rapid detection of contamination as low as 1% of other Phyllanthus species in P. amarus admixtures. All commercial products of P. amarus obtained from a local market in Thailand were found to contain pure raw materials of P. amarus without any substitution or contamination. Our results indicated that the use of DNA barcoding coupled with HRM was an

  19. Microseismic Analysis of Fracture of an Intact Rock Asperity Traversing a Sawcut Fault

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mclaskey, G.; Lockner, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    Microseismic events carry information related to stress state, fault geometry, and other subsurface properties, but their relationship to large and potentially damaging earthquakes is not well defined. We conducted laboratory rock mechanics experiments that highlight the interaction between a sawcut fault and an asperity composed of an intact rock "pin". The sample is a 76 mm diameter cylinder of Westerly granite with a 21 mm diameter cylinder (the pin) of intact Westerly granite that crosses the sawcut fault. Upon loading to 80 MPa in a triaxial machine, we first observed a slip event that ruptured the sawcut fault, slipped about 35 mm, but was halted by the rock pin. With continued loading, the rock pin failed in a swarm of thousands of M -7 seismic events similar to the localized microcracking that occurs during the final fracture nucleation phase in an intact rock sample. Once the pin was fractured to a critical point, it permitted complete rupture events on the sawcut fault (stick-slip instabilities). No seismicity was detected on the sawcut fault plane until the pin was sheared. Subsequent slip events were preceded by 10s of foreshocks, all located on the fault plane. We also identified an aseismic zone on the fault plane surrounding the fractured rock pin. A post-mortem analysis of the sample showed a thick gouge layer where the pin intersected the fault, suggesting that this gouge propped open the fault and prevented microseismic events in its vicinity. This experiment is an excellent case study in microseismicity since the events separate neatly into three categories: slip on the sawcut fault, fracture of the intact rock pin, and off-fault seismicity associated with pin-related rock joints. The distinct locations, timing, and focal mechanisms of the different categories of microseismic events allow us to study how their occurrence is related to the mechanics of the deforming rock.

  20. Nanodiamonds coupled with 5,7-dimethoxycoumarin, a plant bioactive metabolite, interfere with the mitotic process in B16F10 cells altering the actin organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gismondi, Angelo; Nanni, Valentina; Reina, Giacomo; Orlanducci, Silvia; Terranova, Maria Letizia; Canini, Antonella

    2016-01-01

    For the first time, we coupled reduced detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) with a plant secondary metabolite, citropten (5,7-dimethoxycoumarin), and demonstrated how this complex was able to reduce B16F10 tumor cell growth more effectively than treatment with the pure molecule. These results encouraged us to find out the specific mechanism underlying this phenomenon. Internalization kinetics and quantification of citropten in cells after treatment with its pure or ND-conjugated form were measured, and it was revealed that the coupling between NDs and citropten was essential for the biological properties of the complex. We showed that the adduct was not able to induce apoptosis, senescence, or differentiation, but it determined cell cycle arrest, morphological changes, and alteration of mRNA levels of the cytoskeletal-related genes. The identification of metaphasic nuclei and irregular disposition of β-actin in the cell cytoplasm supported the hypothesis that citropten conjugated with NDs showed antimitotic properties in B16F10 cells. This work can be considered a pioneering piece of research that could promote and support the biomedical use of plant drug-functionalized NDs in cancer therapy.

  1. How to store plant tissues in the absence of liquid nitrogen? Ethanol preserves the RNA integrity of Cannabis sativa stem tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauralie Mangeot-Peter

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The preservation of intact RNA is a limiting step when gene expression profiling is performed using field-collected plant material. The use of liquid nitrogen ensures the optimal preservation of RNA, however it is not always practical, especially if the plant material has to be sampled in remote locations. Ethanol is known to preserve DNA in plant tissues even after a long storage period and here its suitability to preserve the RNA of textile hemp cortical tissues was tested. Hemp (Cannabis sativa L. is an economically important fibre crop because it supplies cellulosic bast fibres used in different industrial sectors. In this study we demonstrate the suitability of ethanol for RNA preservation by analyzing tissues stored at 4 °C for 1, 2, 4 and 8 days. We show that in all the cases the extracted RNA is intact. We finally analyze hemp stem tissues stored in ethanol for 1 month and demonstrate the preservation of the tissue structure, particularly of bast fibres.

  2. Length of time domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) spend smelling urine of gonadectomised and intact conspecifics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riach, Anna C; Asquith, Rachel; Fallon, Melissa L D

    2017-09-01

    Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use urine to communicate among themselves, however, it is unknown whether the gonadectomy (neutering or spaying) of a dog affects this communication in anyway. Urine samples from 10 intact and 10 gonadectomised, unfamiliar dogs were presented to 12 tester dogs to sniff under controlled conditions in a pilot study. The amount of time the tester dogs spent sniffing each sample was recorded. Overall, tester dogs were recorded smelling the urine of gonadectomised individuals for a longer time. In addition to the type of urine sample, the result is likely to have been influenced by the sex and status (gonadectomised or intact) of the tester dogs. The observed increase in the length of time spent sniffing urine from gonadectomised individuals could be explained by the tester dogs experiencing more difficulty in gaining information from the urine or facing more confusion while analysing the urine compared to the intact urine they have evolved to smell. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Unsteady interfacial coupling of two-phase flow models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hurisse, O.

    2006-01-01

    The primary coolant circuit in a nuclear power plant contains several distinct components (vessel, core, pipes,...). For all components, specific codes based on the discretization of partial differential equations have already been developed. In order to obtain simulations for the whole circuit, the interfacial coupling of these codes is required. The approach examined within this work consists in coupling codes by providing unsteady information through the coupling interface. The numerical technique relies on the use of an interface model, which is combined with the basic strategy that was introduced by Greenberg and Leroux in order to compute approximations of steady solutions of non-homogeneous hyperbolic systems. Three different coupling cases have been examined: (i) the coupling of a one-dimensional Euler system with a two-dimensional Euler system; (ii) the coupling of two distinct homogeneous two-phase flow models; (iii) the coupling of a four-equation homogeneous model with the standard two-fluid model. (author)

  4. Infection of potato mesophyll protoplasts with five plant viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barker, H; Harrison, B D

    1982-12-01

    Methods are described for preparing potato mesophyll protoplasts that are suitable for infection with inocula of virus nucleoprotein or RNA. The protoplasts could be infected with four sap-transmissible viruses (tobacco mosaic, tobacco rattle, tobacco ringspot and tomato black ring viruses) and with potato leafroll virus, which is not saptransmissible. No differences were observed in ability to infect protoplasts with potato leafroll virus strains differing either in virulence in intact plants or in aphid transmissibility.

  5. Isolation and Properties of Intact Chromoplasts from Tomato Fruits

    OpenAIRE

    Norio, Iwatsuki; Ryuichi, Moriyama; Tadashi, Asahi; Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University; Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University; Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University

    1984-01-01

    Intact chromoplasts were isolated from tomato fruits at different ripening stages by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The isolated chromoplast fractions were contaminated very little by other organelles, although the fraction from fully ripened fruits contained some mitochondria and microbodies. As the transformation of chloroplasts to chromoplasts proceeded, the density of the plastids decreased from 1.096 to 1.075g・cm^ and the decrease was related to a decrease in chlorophyll and an...

  6. Conductive hearing loss with an intact tympanic membrane due to non-inflammatory causes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Jin Hyuk; Lee, Min Young; Park, Ji Hye; Lee, Kyu-Yup; Lee, Sang Heun; Jang, Jeong Hun

    2016-04-01

    We analyzed audiologic and surgical findings in patients with conductive hearing loss (CHL) with an intact tympanic membrane (TM) that was of a non-inflammatory origin. We reviewed data from patients who underwent exploratory tympanotomy for CHL with intact TM from January 1995 to November 2012. Patients with diseases of non-inflammatory origin were enrolled (69 patients; 79 ears). Patients were categorized into two groups: non-trauma (50 ears) and trauma (29 ears). Demographic data, intraoperative findings, and audiologic results were obtained and analyzed. Overall, the second decade was the most common age of diagnosis in both the non-trauma and trauma groups. Operative findings showed that ossicular dislocation was more prevalent than ossicular fixation; all trauma group subjects had ossicular dislocation. Short columellization or partial ossicular replacement was the most frequently adopted surgical procedures in both groups. Overall, audiologically, air-conduction thresholds (ACs) and air-bone gaps were significantly improved over the short- and long-term period in both groups. However, the non-trauma group had significantly higher preoperative ACs than the trauma group, especially at low frequencies. This study provides clinicians with useful information regarding the clinical characteristics of CHL with intact TM of non-inflammatory origin. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Hydrophilic interaction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for determination of nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases in Ziziphus plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Sheng; Duan, Jin-ao; Qian, Dawei; Wang, Hanqing; Tang, Yuping; Qian, Yefei; Wu, Dawei; Su, Shulan; Shang, Erxin

    2013-08-02

    In this study, a rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for the determination of 20 nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides in Ziziphus plants at trace levels by using hydrophilic interaction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS) in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, good separation for 20 target compounds were obtained on a UHPLC Amide column with sub-2μm particles within 10min. The overall LODs and LOQs were between 0.11-3.12ngmL(-1) and 0.29-12.48ngmL(-1) for the 20 analytes, respectively. It is the first report about simultaneous analysis of nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides in medicinal plants using HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS method, which affords good linearity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. The developed method was successfully applied to Ziziphus plant (Z. jujuba, Z. jujuba var. spinosa and Z. mauritiana) samples. The analysis showed that the fruits and leaves of Ziziphus plants are rich in nucleosides and nucleobases as well as nucleotides, and could be selected as the healthy food resources. Our results in present study suggest that HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS method could be employed as a useful tool for quality assessment of the samples from the Ziziphus plants as well as other medicinal plants or food samples using nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases as markers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Technical aspects of coupling a 6300 m3/day MSF-RO desalination plant to a PHWR nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verma, R.K.

    1998-01-01

    Presently, eight pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) each of 235 MWe capacity are operational in India. Four more units of similar capacity are expected to be commissioned soon. Work on two units each of 500 MWe capacity is also initiated. Extensive engineering development work has also been carried out in India, both on the MSF process and the membrane process. Based on the experience obtained from the presently operating 425 m 3 /d MSF plant and from the R and D work on the RO process, a 6300 m 3 /d MSF-RO plant (4500 m 3 /d MSF and 1800 m 3 /d RO) has been designed and the work for setting up this plant is undertaken. The steam for the heating duty in the brine heater as well as the steam for the evacuation purpose for the MSF plant is proposed to be obtained from the nuclear plant steam cycle. Sea water feed for the MSF plant as well as for the RO plant will be derived from the sea water discharge system of the nuclear power plant. Provision is made for supply of electrical power also from the power plant. The details of the heating steam supply circuit starting from the steam tapping point on the nuclear plant side to the MSF plant brine heater inlet and the arrangement for the return of condensate to the nuclear plant has been described with component requirement and various technical considerations. All the liquid streams and the steam supplied from the nuclear plant to the desalination plant as well as the product water will be monitored to ensure that there is no radioactive contamination. (author)

  9. Insight into the Supramolecular Architecture of Intact Diatom Biosilica from DNP-Supported Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jantschke, Anne; Koers, Eline; Mance, Deni; Weingarth, Markus; Brunner, Eike; Baldus, Marc

    2015-12-07

    Diatom biosilica is an inorganic/organic hybrid with interesting properties. The molecular architecture of the organic material at the atomic and nanometer scale has so far remained unknown, in particular for intact biosilica. A DNP-supported ssNMR approach assisted by microscopy, MS, and MD simulations was applied to study the structural organization of intact biosilica. For the first time, the secondary structure elements of tightly biosilica-associated native proteins in diatom biosilica were characterized in situ. Our data suggest that these proteins are rich in a limited set of amino acids and adopt a mixture of random-coil and β-strand conformations. Furthermore, biosilica-associated long-chain polyamines and carbohydrates were characterized, thereby leading to a model for the supramolecular organization of intact biosilica. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Agroecology: Implications for plant response to climate change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agricultural ecosystems (agroecosystems) represent the balance between the physiological responses of plants and plant canopies and the energy exchanges. Rising temperature and increasing CO2 coupled with an increase in variability of precipitation will create a complex set of interactions on plant ...

  11. A biome-scale assessment of the impact of invasive alien plants on ecosystem services in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wilgen, B W; Reyers, B; Le Maitre, D C; Richardson, D M; Schonegevel, L

    2008-12-01

    This paper reports an assessment of the current and potential impacts of invasive alien plants on selected ecosystem services in South Africa. We used data on the current and potential future distribution of 56 invasive alien plant species to estimate their impact on four services (surface water runoff, groundwater recharge, livestock production and biodiversity) in five terrestrial biomes. The estimated reductions in surface water runoff as a result of current invasions were >3000 million m(3) (about 7% of the national total), most of which is from the fynbos (shrubland) and grassland biomes; the potential reductions would be more than eight times greater if invasive alien plants were to occupy the full extent of their potential range. Impacts on groundwater recharge would be less severe, potentially amounting to approximately 1.5% of the estimated maximum reductions in surface water runoff. Reductions in grazing capacity as a result of current levels of invasion amounted to just over 1% of the potential number of livestock that could be supported. However, future impacts could increase to 71%. A 'biodiversity intactness index' (the remaining proportion of pre-modern populations) ranged from 89% to 71% for the five biomes. With the exception of the fynbos biome, current invasions have almost no impact on biodiversity intactness. Under future levels of invasion, however, these intactness values decrease to around 30% for the savanna, fynbos and grassland biomes, but to even lower values (13% and 4%) for the two karoo biomes. Thus, while the current impacts of invasive alien plants are relatively low (with the exception of those on surface water runoff), the future impacts could be very high. While the errors in these estimates are likely to be substantial, the predicted impacts are sufficiently large to suggest that there is serious cause for concern.

  12. Front-End Electron Transfer Dissociation Coupled to a 21 Tesla FT-ICR Mass Spectrometer for Intact Protein Sequence Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisbrod, Chad R.; Kaiser, Nathan K.; Syka, John E. P.; Early, Lee; Mullen, Christopher; Dunyach, Jean-Jacques; English, A. Michelle; Anderson, Lissa C.; Blakney, Greg T.; Shabanowitz, Jeffrey; Hendrickson, Christopher L.; Marshall, Alan G.; Hunt, Donald F.

    2017-09-01

    High resolution mass spectrometry is a key technology for in-depth protein characterization. High-field Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) enables high-level interrogation of intact proteins in the most detail to date. However, an appropriate complement of fragmentation technologies must be paired with FTMS to provide comprehensive sequence coverage, as well as characterization of sequence variants, and post-translational modifications. Here we describe the integration of front-end electron transfer dissociation (FETD) with a custom-built 21 tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometer, which yields unprecedented sequence coverage for proteins ranging from 2.8 to 29 kDa, without the need for extensive spectral averaging (e.g., 60% sequence coverage for apo-myoglobin with four averaged acquisitions). The system is equipped with a multipole storage device separate from the ETD reaction device, which allows accumulation of multiple ETD fragment ion fills. Consequently, an optimally large product ion population is accumulated prior to transfer to the ICR cell for mass analysis, which improves mass spectral signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range, and scan rate. We find a linear relationship between protein molecular weight and minimum number of ETD reaction fills to achieve optimum sequence coverage, thereby enabling more efficient use of instrument data acquisition time. Finally, real-time scaling of the number of ETD reactions fills during method-based acquisition is shown, and the implications for LC-MS/MS top-down analysis are discussed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  13. Forest understory plant and soil microbial response to an experimentally induced drought and heat-pulse event: the importance of maintaining the continuum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isabell von Rein; Arthur Gessler; Katrin Premke; Claudia Keitel; Andreas Ulrich; Zachary E. Kayler

    2016-01-01

    Drought duration and intensity are expected to increase with global climate change. How changes in water availability and temperature affect the combined plant–soil–microorganism response remains uncertain. We excavated soil monoliths from a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest, thus keeping the understory plant–microbe communities intact, imposed an...

  14. ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy on intact dried leaves of sage (Salvia officinalis L. – chemotaxonomic discrimination and essential oil composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gudi, Gennadi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Sage (Salvia officinalis L. is cultivated worldwide for its aromatic leaves which are used as herbal spice and for phytopharmaceutical applications. Fast analytical strategies for essential oil analysis, performed directly on plant material would reduce the delay between sampling and analytical results. This would enhance product quality by improving technical control of cultivation. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR spectroscopy method described here provides a reliable calibration model for quantification of essential oil components (EOC and its main constituents (e.g. -thujone and -thujone directly on dried, intact leaves of sage. Except for drying no further sample preparation is required for ATR-FTIR and the measurement time of less than 5 min per sample contrasts with the most common alternative of hydro-distillation followed by GC analysis which can take several hours per sample.

  15. Ingested soluble CD14 from milk is transferred intact into the blood of newborn rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, Tonya L; Spencer, William J; Davis, Laura D R; Harrold, Joann; Mack, David R; Altosaar, Illimar

    2014-02-01

    Milk acts as an edible immune system that is transferred from mother to newborn. Soluble Cluster of Differentiation 14 (sCD14) is a protein found in significant quantities in human milk (~8-29 µg/ml). At a 10-fold lower concentration in the blood (~3 µg/ml), the most notable role of sCD14 is to sequester lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria from immune cells. To explore the pharmacodynamics of this milk protein and its biological fate, the biodistribution of radiolabeled sCD14 ((14)C, (125)I) was monitored in 10-d-old rat pups. Up to 3.4 ± 2.2% of the radiolabeled sCD14 administered was observed, intact, in the pup blood for up to 8 h post-ingestion. Additionally, 30.3 ± 13.0% of the radiolabeled sCD14 administered was observed degraded in the stomach at 8 h post-ingestion. A reservoir of intact, administered sCD14 (3.2 ± 0.3%), however, remained in the stomach at 8 h post-ingestion. Intact sCD14 was observed in the small intestine at 5.5 ± 1.6% of the dose fed at 8 h post-ingestion. The presence of intact sCD14 in the blood and the gastrointestinal tract of newborns post-ingestion has implications in the development of allergies, obesity, and other inflammation-related pathogeneses later in life.

  16. A method to detect transfected chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression in intact animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narayanan, R.; Jastreboff, M.M.; Chiu, Chang Fang; Ito, Etsuro; Bertino, J.R.

    1988-01-01

    A rapid procedure is described for assaying chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enzyme activity in intact animals following transfection of the RSV CAT plasmid into mouse bone marrow cells by electroporation. The reconstituted mice were injected with [ 14 C]chloramphenicol and ethyl acetate extracts of 24-h urine samples were analyzed by TLC autoradiography for the excretion of 14 C-labeled metabolites. CAT expression in vivo can be detected by the presence of acetylated 14 C-labeled metabolites in the urine within 1 week after bone marrow transplantation and, under the conditions described, these metabolites can be detected for at least 3 months. CAT expression in intact mice as monitored by the urine assay correlates with the CAT expression in the hematopoietic tissues assayed in vitro. This method offers a quick mode of screening for introduced CAT gene expression in vivo without sacrificing the mice

  17. Semi-Automated Air-Coupled Impact-Echo Method for Large-Scale Parkade Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyler Epp

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Structural Health Monitoring (SHM has moved to data-dense systems, utilizing numerous sensor types to monitor infrastructure, such as bridges and dams, more regularly. One of the issues faced in this endeavour is the scale of the inspected structures and the time it takes to carry out testing. Installing automated systems that can provide measurements in a timely manner is one way of overcoming these obstacles. This study proposes an Artificial Neural Network (ANN application that determines intact and damaged locations from a small training sample of impact-echo data, using air-coupled microphones from a reinforced concrete beam in lab conditions and data collected from a field experiment in a parking garage. The impact-echo testing in the field is carried out in a semi-autonomous manner to expedite the front end of the in situ damage detection testing. The use of an ANN removes the need for a user-defined cutoff value for the classification of intact and damaged locations when a least-square distance approach is used. It is postulated that this may contribute significantly to testing time reduction when monitoring large-scale civil Reinforced Concrete (RC structures.

  18. Subcellular site and nature of intracellular cadmium in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, G.J.

    1979-01-01

    The mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation, toxicity and tolerance in higher plants are poorly understood. Since subcellular processes are undoubtedly involved in all these phenomena, it is of interest to study the extent of, subcellular site of and nature of intracellularly accumulated cadmium in higher plants. Whole plants supplied 109 CdCl 2 or 112 CdSO 4 accumulated Cd into roots and aerial tissues. Preparation of protoplasts from aerial tissue followed by subcellular fractionation of the protoplasts to obtain intact vacuoles, chloroplasts and cytosol revealed the presence of Cd in the cytosol but not in vacuoles or chloroplasts. Particulate materials containing other cell components were also labeled. Of the 109 Cd supplied to plants, 2 to 10% was recovered in both cytosol preparations and in particulate materials. Cytosol contained proteinaceous--Cd complexes, free metal and low molecular weight Cd complexes. Labeling of protoplasts gave similar results. No evidence was obtained for the production of volatile Cd complexes in tobacco

  19. Influence of the fungicide Folcidin on the distribution and metabolism of /sup 32/P in gherkin plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanker, I; Kudelova, A; Taimr, L [Vyzkumne Ustavy Rostlinne Vyroby, Prague (Czechoslovakia). Ustav Ochrany Rostlin; Friedrich, A [Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Prague. Ustav Experimentalni Botaniky

    1976-01-01

    A high accumulation of /sup 32/P was observed in the leaves of intact gherkin plants 9 days after their roots had been treated with a 0.005% suspension of the systemic fungicide Folcidin 50WP (cypendazole), and 8 days after the roots had been exposed to labelled phosphate. Folcidin also affected phosphorus metabolism in the plants. A high biological cytokinin-like activity of the fungicide was established using a callus cytokinin bioassay.

  20. Challenges in coupled thermal-hydraulics and neutronics simulations for LWR safety analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, Kostadin; Avramova, Maria

    2007-01-01

    The simulation of nuclear power plant accident conditions requires three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the reactor core to ensure a realistic description of physical phenomena. The operational flexibility of Light Water Reactor (LWR) plants can be improved by utilizing accurate 3D coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics calculations for safety margins evaluations. There are certain requirements to the coupling of thermal-hydraulic system codes and neutron-kinetics codes that ought to be considered. The objective of these requirements is to provide accurate solutions in a reasonable amount of CPU time in coupled simulations of detailed operational transient and accident scenarios. These requirements are met by the development and implementation of six basic components of the coupling methodologies: ways of coupling (internal or external coupling); coupling approach (integration algorithm or parallel processing); spatial mesh overlays; coupled time-step algorithms; coupling numerics (explicit, semi-implicit and implicit schemes); and coupled convergence schemes. These principles of the coupled simulations are discussed in details along with the scientific issues associated with the development of appropriate neutron cross-section libraries for coupled code transient modeling. The current trends in LWR nuclear power generation and regulation as well as the design of next generation LWR reactor concepts along with the continuing computer technology progress stimulate further development of these coupled code systems. These efforts have been focused towards extending the analysis capabilities as well as refining the scale and level of detail of the coupling. This article analyses the coupled phenomena and modeling challenges on both global (assembly-wise) and local (pin-wise) levels. The issues related to the consistent qualification of coupled code systems as well as their application to different types of LWR transients are presented. Finally, the advances in numerical

  1. Beta Adrenergic Regulation of Intrapulmonary Arteriovenous Anastomoses in Intact Rat and Isolated Rat Lungs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa L. Bates

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Intrapulmonary arteriovenous anastomoses (IPAVA allow large diameter particles of venous origin to bypass the pulmonary capillary bed and embolize the systemic arterial circulation. IPAVA have been routinely observed in healthy humans with exercise, hypoxia, and catecholamine infusion, but the mechanism by which they are recruited is not well-defined. We hypothesized that beta-adrenergic receptor stimulation recruits IPAVA and that receptor blockade would limit hypoxia-induced IPAVA recruitment. To test our hypothesis, we evaluated the transpulmonary passage of microspheres in intact rats and isolated rats lung infused with the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol. We also evaluated IPAVA recruitment in intact rats with hypoxia and the beta-adrenergic receptor blocker propranolol. We found that IPAVA are recruited in the intact rat by isoproterenol and their recruitment by hypoxia can be minimized by propranolol, suggesting a role for the adrenergic system in the recruitment of IPAVA by hypoxia. IPAVA recruitment is completely abolished by ventilation with 100% oxygen. Isoproterenol also recruits IPAVA in isolated rat lungs. The fact that isoproterenol can recruit IPAVA in isolated lungs, without increased pulmonary flow, suggests that elevated cardiac output is not required for IPAVA recruitment.

  2. Perineal hernia repair using an autologous tunica vaginalis communis in nine intact male dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pratummintra, Kittiya; Chuthatep, Suwicha; Banlunara, Wijit; Kalpravidh, Marissak

    2013-01-01

    Perineal hernia in dogs is very problematic and mostly requires surgical reconstruction of the weak pelvic diaphragm. Tissue or synthetic grafts have been used for the correction after failure of the conventional herniorrhaphy. Aim of this clinical trial was to assess the possible use of the autologous tunica vaginalis communis as a free graft for perineal hernia repair in intact male dogs. Seven unilateral and 2 bilateral perineal hernias in nine intact male dogs free from testicular and scrotal neoplasms were included in this study. The median surgical time for unilateral herniorrhaphy was 75 min. The median follow-up time was 13 months. The success of the autografting, based on no recurrence and comfort of the animals during urination and defecation, was found in ten of 11 hernias; giving a success rate of 90.91%. One hernia (9.09%) recurred 10 days after surgery. Histopathological examination of the apposing area between the graft and the adjacent tissue, taken during the repair of the recurred case at day 20, revealed neovascularization and connective tissue ingrowth. In conclusion, the tunica vaginalis autograft can be used for perineal herniorrhaphy in intact male dogs.

  3. Hydroponics on a chip: analysis of the Fe deficient Arabidopsis thylakoid membrane proteome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laganowsky, Arthur; Gómez, Stephen M; Whitelegge, Julian P; Nishio, John N

    2009-04-13

    The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana was used to evaluate the thylakoid membrane proteome under Fe-deficient conditions. Plants were cultivated using a novel hydroponic system, called "hydroponics on a chip", which yields highly reproducible plant tissue samples for physiological analyses, and can be easily used for in vivo stable isotope labeling. The thylakoid membrane proteome, from intact chloroplasts isolated from Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient plants grown with hydroponics on a chip, was analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Intact masses of thylakoid membrane proteins were measured, many for the first time, and several proteins were identified with post-translational modifications that were altered by Fe deficiency; for example, the doubly phosphorylated form of the photosystem II oxygen evolving complex, PSBH, increased under Fe-deficiency. Increased levels of photosystem II protein subunit PSBS were detected in the Fe-deficient samples. Antioxidant enzymes, including ascorbate peroxidase and peroxiredoxin Q, were only detected in the Fe-deficient samples. We present the first biochemical evidence that the two major LHC IIb proteins (LHCB1 and LHCB2) may have significantly different functions in the thylakoid membrane. The study illustrates the utility of intact mass proteomics as an indispensable tool for functional genomics. "Hydroponics on a chip" provides the ability to grow A. thaliana under defined conditions that will be useful for systems biology.

  4. Synthesis report on thermally driven coupled processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardin, E.L.

    1997-01-01

    The main purpose of this report is to document observations and data on thermally coupled processes for conditions that are expected to occur within and around a repository at Yucca Mountain. Some attempt is made to summarize values of properties (e.g., thermal properties, hydrologic properties) that can be measured in the laboratory on intact samples of the rock matrix. Variation of these properties with temperature, or with conditions likely to be encountered at elevated temperature in the host rock, is of particular interest. However, the main emphasis of this report is on direct observation of thermally coupled processes at various scales. Direct phenomenological observations are vitally important in developing and testing conceptual models. If the mathematical implementation of a conceptual model predicts a consequence that is not observed, either (1) the parameters or the boundary conditions used in the calculation are incorrect or (2) the conceptual basis of the model does not fit the experiment; in either case, the model must be revised. For example, the effective continuum model that has been used in thermohydrology studies combines matrix and fracture flow in a way that is equivalent to an assumption that water is imbibed instantaneously from fractures into adjacent, partially saturated matrix. Based on this approximation, the continuum-flow response that is analogous to fracture flow will not occur until the effective continuum is almost completely saturated. This approximation is not entirely consistent with some of the experimental data presented in this report. This report documents laboratory work and field studies undertaken in FY96 and FY97 to investigate thermally coupled processes such as heat pipes and fracture-matrix coupling. In addition, relevant activities from past years, and work undertaken outside the Yucca Mountain project are summarized and discussed. Natural and artificial analogs are also discussed to provide a convenient source of

  5. Metabolism of inhaled ethane and pentane by the intact rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daugherty, M.S.; Luddent, T.M.; Burk, R.F.

    1986-01-01

    Measurement of exhaled ethane or pentane is a noninvasive technique for studying in vivo lipid peroxidation. Many past studies have assumed that pentane and ethane are not metabolized. Radiolabeled ( 14 C) ethane and pentane were used to study the disposition of these compounds in intact rats. Rats were placed for 8 h in a closed plexiglass chamber fitted with a system for replenishing chamber atmospheric O 2 . Evolved CO 2 was trapped by recirculating chamber air through 3 N NaOH contained in a vessel external to the chamber. Radiolabeled ethane or pentane was injected into the chamber at the start of each experiment. The percent of 14 C-activity added to the chamber recovered in the CO 2 trap, urine, and chamber air at the end of the experiment (8 h) in the [ 14 C]-ethane (n=5) and [ 14 C]-pentane (n=4) studies are presented. Results indicate that both ethane and pentane are metabolized to CO 2 in the intact rat. Possible changes in ethane and pentane metabolism must be considered if the exhalation rates of these hydrocarbons are to be used as indices of in vivo lipid peroxidation

  6. Accumulation of phenanthrene by roots of intact wheat (Triticum acstivnm L. seedlings: passive or active uptake?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Ting-Hui

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs are of particular concern due to their hydrophobic, recalcitrant, persistent, potentially carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic properties, and their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment. Most of the PAHs in the environment are present in surface soil. Plants grown in PAH-contaminated soils or water can become contaminated with PAHs because of their uptake. Therefore, they may threaten human and animal health. However, the mechanism for PAHs uptake by crop roots is little understood. It is important to understand exactly how PAHs are transported into the plant root system and into the human food chain, since it is beneficial in governing crop contamination by PAHs, remedying soils or waters polluted by PAHs with plants, and modeling potential uptake for risk assessment. Results The possibility that plant roots may take up phenanthrene (PHE, a representative of PAHs, via active process was investigated using intact wheat (Triticum acstivnm L. seedlings in a series of hydroponic experiments. The time course for PHE uptake into wheat roots grown in Hoagland solution containing 5.62 μM PHE for 36 h could be separated into two periods: a fast uptake process during the initial 2 h and a slow uptake component thereafter. Concentration-dependent PHE uptake was characterized by a smooth, saturable curve with an apparent Km of 23.7 μM and a Vmax of 208 nmol g-1 fresh weight h-1, suggesting a carrier-mediated uptake system. Competition between PHE and naphthalene for their uptake by the roots further supported the carrier-mediated uptake system. Low temperature and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP could inhibit PHE uptake equally, indicating that metabolism plays a role in PHE uptake. The inhibitions by low temperature and DNP were strengthened with increasing concentration of PHE in external solution within PHE water solubility (7.3 μM. The contribution of active uptake to total absorption was almost 40

  7. Glutathione-supported arsenate reduction coupled to arsenolysis catalyzed by ornithine carbamoyl transferase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemeti, Balazs; Gregus, Zoltan

    2009-01-01

    Three cytosolic phosphorolytic/arsenolytic enzymes, (purine nucleoside phosphorylase [PNP], glycogen phosphorylase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) have been shown to mediate reduction of arsenate (AsV) to the more toxic arsenite (AsIII) in a thiol-dependent manner. With unknown mechanism, hepatic mitochondria also reduce AsV. Mitochondria possess ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT), which catalyzes phosphorolytic or arsenolytic citrulline cleavage; therefore, we examined if mitochondrial OCT facilitated AsV reduction in presence of glutathione. Isolated rat liver mitochondria were incubated with AsV, and AsIII formed was quantified. Glutathione-supplemented permeabilized or solubilized mitochondria reduced AsV. Citrulline (substrate for OCT-catalyzed arsenolysis) increased AsV reduction. The citrulline-stimulated AsV reduction was abolished by ornithine (OCT substrate inhibiting citrulline cleavage), phosphate (OCT substrate competing with AsV), and the OCT inhibitor norvaline or PALO, indicating that AsV reduction is coupled to OCT-catalyzed arsenolysis of citrulline. Corroborating this conclusion, purified bacterial OCT mediated AsV reduction in presence of citrulline and glutathione with similar responsiveness to these agents. In contrast, AsIII formation by intact mitochondria was unaffected by PALO and slightly stimulated by citrulline, ornithine, and norvaline, suggesting minimal role for OCT in AsV reduction in intact mitochondria. In addition to OCT, mitochondrial PNP can also mediate AsIII formation; however, its role in AsV reduction appears severely limited by purine nucleoside supply. Collectively, mitochondrial and bacterial OCT promote glutathione-dependent AsV reduction with coupled arsenolysis of citrulline, supporting the hypothesis that AsV reduction is mediated by phosphorolytic/arsenolytic enzymes. Nevertheless, because citrulline cleavage is disfavored physiologically, OCT may have little role in AsV reduction in vivo.

  8. Temperature dependence of filament-coupling in Bi-2223 tapes: magneto-optical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bobyl, A.V.; Shantsev, D.V.; Galperin, Y.M.; Johansen, T.H.; Baziljevich, M.; Gaevski, M.E.

    2000-01-01

    Coupling through random superconducting bridges between filaments in a multifilamentary Ag-sheathed Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+δ tape has been investigated by magneto-optical imaging at temperatures from 20 K up to T c . Magnetic flux distributions have been measured on the surface of an intact tape in the remanent state on applying a strong perpendicular magnetic field. The flux distributions observed at low temperatures reflect the arrangement of individual filaments. At high temperatures, the distribution becomes more similar to that for a uniform monocore tape, indicating that superconducting connections appear between the filaments. To discuss the relative contributions of the intra- and inter-filament currents, a simple model based on the Bean critical state was proposed and applied to analyse the temperature dependent behaviour. The inter-filament coupling, increasing with temperature, reaches at 77 K a point where the currents flowing in large inter-filament loops are roughly equal to the intra-filament currents. (author)

  9. Allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose-relationship of three intact allergen vaccines and four allergoid vaccines for subcutaneous grass pollen immunotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henmar, H; Lund, G; Lund, L; Petersen, A; Würtzen, P A

    2008-09-01

    Different vaccines containing intact allergens or chemically modified allergoids as active ingredients are commercially available for specific immunotherapy. Allergoids are claimed to have decreased allergenicity without loss of immunogenicity and this is stated to allow administration of high allergoid doses. We compared the allergenicity and immunogenicity of four commercially available chemically modified grass pollen allergoid products with three commercially available intact grass pollen allergen vaccines. The allergenicity was investigated with immunoglobulin (Ig)E-inhibition and basophil activation assays. Human T cell proliferation and specific IgG-titres following mouse immunizations were used to address immunogenicity. Furthermore, intact allergen vaccines with different contents of active ingredients were selected to study the influence of the allergen dose. In general, a lower allergenicity for allergen vaccines was clearly linked to a reduced immunogenicity. Compared with the vaccine with the highest amount of intact allergen, the allergoids caused reduced basophil activation as well as diminished immunogenicity demonstrated by reduced T cell activation and/or reduced induction of murine grass-specific IgG antibodies. Interestingly, intact allergen vaccines with lower content of active ingredient exhibited similarly reduced allergenicity, while immunogenicity was still higher or equal to that of allergoids. The low allergenicity observed for some allergoids was inherently linked to a significantly lower immunogenic response questioning the rationale behind the chemical modification into allergoids. In addition, the linkage between allergenicity, immunogenicity and dose found for intact allergen vaccines and the immunogen as well as allergenic immune responses observed for allergoids suggest that the modified allergen vaccines do not contain high doses of immunologically active ingredients.

  10. Chemical Plant Accidents in a Nuclear Hydrogen Generation Scheme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

    2011-01-01

    A high temperature nuclear reactor (HTR) could be used to drive a steam reformation plant, a coal gasification facility, an electrolysis plant, or a thermochemical hydrogen production cycle. Most thermochemical cycles are purely thermodynamic, and thus achieve high thermodynamic efficiency. HTRs produce large amounts of heat at high temperature (1100 K). Helium-cooled HTRs have many passive, or inherent, safety characteristics. This inherent safety is due to the high design basis limit of the maximum fuel temperature. Due to the severity of a potential release, containment of fission products is the single most important safety issue in any nuclear reactor facility. A HTR coupled to a chemical plant presents a complex system, due primarily to the interactive nature of both plants. Since the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the nuclear reactor, it important to understand the interaction and feedback between the two systems. Process heat plants and HTRs are generally very different. Some of the major differences include: time constants of plants, safety standards, failure probability, and transient response. While both the chemical plant and the HTR are at advanced stages of testing individually, no serious effort has been made to understand the operation of the integrated system, especially during accident events that are initiated in the chemical plant. There is a significant lack of knowledge base regarding scaling and system integration for large scale process heat plants coupled to HTRs. Consideration of feedback between the two plants during time-dependent scenarios is absent from literature. Additionally, no conceptual studies of the accidents that could occur in either plant and impact the entire coupled system are present in literature

  11. Operative findings of conductive hearing loss with intact tympanic membrane and normal temporal bone computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Se-Hyung; Cho, Yang-Sun; Kim, Hye Jeong; Kim, Hyung-Jin

    2014-06-01

    Despite recent technological advances in diagnostic methods including imaging technology, it is often difficult to establish a preoperative diagnosis of conductive hearing loss (CHL) in patients with an intact tympanic membrane (TM). Especially, in patients with a normal temporal bone computed tomography (TBCT), preoperative diagnosis is more difficult. We investigated middle ear disorders encountered in patients with CHL involving an intact TM and normal TBCT. We also analyzed the surgical results with special reference to the pathology. We reviewed the medical records of 365 patients with intact TM, who underwent exploratory tympanotomy for CHL. Fifty nine patients (67 ears, eight bilateral surgeries) had a normal preoperative TBCT findings reported by neuro-radiologists. Demographic data, otologic history, TM findings, preoperative imaging findings, intraoperative findings, and pre- and postoperative audiologic data were obtained and analyzed. Exploration was performed most frequently in the second and fifth decades. The most common postoperative diagnosis was stapedial fixation with non-progressive hearing loss. The most commonly performed hearing-restoring procedure was stapedotomy with piston wire prosthesis insertion. Various types of hearing-restoring procedures during exploration resulted in effective hearing improvement, especially with better outcome in the ossicular chain fixation group. In patients with CHL who have intact TM and normal TBCT, we should consider an exploratory tympanotomy for exact diagnosis and hearing improvement. Information of the common operative findings from this study may help in preoperative counseling.

  12. Recent developments in plant science involving use of gamma-ray imaging technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawachi, Naoki

    2014-01-01

    Gamma-ray imaging technologies based on the use of radiotracers enable us to clearly determine the physiological function of an organ not only during pre-clinical and clinical studies but also in the field of plant science. Serial time-course images can be used to indicate the changing spatial distribution of a radiotracer within a living plant system and to describe the dynamics and kinetics of a substance in an intact plant. Gamma-rays almost completely penetrate a plant body, and the image data obtained using them can potentially be used to quantitatively analyze physiological function parameters. This paper briefly reviews recent progress in the field of plant science to explore the use of positron emission tomography, a gamma camera, and the positron-emitting tracer imaging system, which is one of the most advanced gamma-ray imaging systems available for studying plant physiology, for solving problems in the field of environment and agriculture. (author)

  13. Biodiversity intactness index

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Scholes, RJ

    2005-03-03

    Full Text Available score in the year 2000 is about 84%: in other words, averaged across all plant and vertebrate species in the region, populations have declined to 84% of their presumed pre-modern levels. The taxonomic group with the greatest loss is mammals, at 71...

  14. Proton movement and coupling in the POT family of peptide transporters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Joanne L; Li, Chenghan; Brinth, Allete; Wang, Zhi; Vogeley, Lutz; Solcan, Nicolae; Ledderboge-Vucinic, Gregory; Swanson, Jessica M J; Caffrey, Martin; Voth, Gregory A; Newstead, Simon

    2017-12-12

    POT transporters represent an evolutionarily well-conserved family of proton-coupled transport systems in biology. An unusual feature of the family is their ability to couple the transport of chemically diverse ligands to an inwardly directed proton electrochemical gradient. For example, in mammals, fungi, and bacteria they are predominantly peptide transporters, whereas in plants the family has diverged to recognize nitrate, plant defense compounds, and hormones. Although recent structural and biochemical studies have identified conserved sites of proton binding, the mechanism through which transport is coupled to proton movement remains enigmatic. Here we show that different POT transporters operate through distinct proton-coupled mechanisms through changes in the extracellular gate. A high-resolution crystal structure reveals the presence of ordered water molecules within the peptide binding site. Multiscale molecular dynamics simulations confirm proton transport occurs through these waters via Grotthuss shuttling and reveal that proton binding to the extracellular side of the transporter facilitates a reorientation from an inward- to outward-facing state. Together these results demonstrate that within the POT family multiple mechanisms of proton coupling have likely evolved in conjunction with variation of the extracellular gate. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  15. Analysis of Naturally Occurring Phenolic Compounds in Aromatic Plants by RP-HPLC Coupled to Diode Array Detector (DAD and GC-MS after Silylation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charalampos Proestos

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The following aromatic plants of Greek origin, Origanum dictamnus (dictamus, Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus, Origanum vulgare L. (oregano, Mellisa officinalis L. (balm mint and Sideritis cretica (mountain tea, were examined for the content of phenolic substances. Reversed phase HPLC coupled to diode array detector (DAD was used for the analysis of the plant extracts. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method (GC-MS was also used for identification of phenolic compounds after silylation. The most abundant phenolic acids were: gallic acid (1.5–2.6 mg/100 g dry sample, ferulic acid (0.34–6.9 mg/100 g dry sample and caffeic acid (1.0–13.8 mg/100 g dry sample. (+-Catechin and (−-epicatechin were the main flavonoids identified in oregano and mountain tea. Quercetin was detected only in eucalyptus and mountain tea.

  16. Safety aspects of nuclear plants coupled with seawater desalination units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-08-01

    The purpose of this publication is to address the safety and licensing aspects of nuclear power plants for which a significant portion of the heat energy produced by the reactor is intended for use in heat utilization applications. Although intended to cover the broad spectrum of nuclear heat applications, the focus of the discussion will be the desalination of sea water using nuclear power plants as the energy source for the desalination process

  17. Fossilized intact polar lipids of photosynthetic organisms in ancient subsurface sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauersachs, T.; Schouten, S.; Hopmans, E. C.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

    2009-12-01

    In recent years, the idea of a rich microbial biosphere in the marine sea floor has been widely accepted. This so-called “deep biosphere” is estimated to contain ca. 50 % of Earth’s total prokaryotic biomass with the overall order of magnitude of microbial cells in the sea floor being the same as the biomass of all surface plant life (Whitman et al. 1998). Evidence for the existence of a deep biosphere comes, among others, from the analysis of intact polar lipids (IPLs). This approach presumes that IPLs almost instantaneously lose their polar head group after cell death and thus do not preserve on geological timescales. Consequently, IPLs in the subsurface should derive from in situ production and hence indicate the presence of living prokaryotic cells. For example, in various oceanic subsurface sediments archaeal IPLs have been found, suggesting that Archaea constitute a major fraction of the deep biosphere biomass (Lipp et al. 2008). In this study, we found IPLs of heterocystous cyanobacteria in a number of ancient and deeply buried sediments. Heterocystous cyanobacteria are strictly photoautotrophic organisms that are a common constituent of the phytoplankton community in many freshwater and brackish environments but are also encountered in the marine realm as endosymbionts of diatom species. Under nitrogen-depleted conditions, these organisms carry out nitrogen fixation in specialized cells, known as heterocysts. These cells contain a suite of heterocyst glycolipids (HGs) that have not been identified in any other organism and are thus unique biological markers for nitrogen-fixing heterocystous cyanobacteria. Using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS), we detected HGs in Pleistocene and Pliocene Mediterranean sapropels buried up to 60 m below the seafloor. In addition, these HGs were also found in lacustrine deposits of the Oligocene Lake Enspel (35 Ma), the Eocene Lake Messel

  18. Human skin penetration of silver nanoparticles through intact and damaged skin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larese, Francesca Filon; D'Agostin, Flavia; Crosera, Matteo; Adami, Gianpiero; Renzi, Nadia; Bovenzi, Massimo; Maina, Giovanni

    2009-01-01

    There is a growing interest on nanoparticle safety for topical use. The benefits of nanoparticles have been shown in several scientific fields, but little is known about their potential to penetrate the skin. This study aims at evaluating in vitro skin penetration of silver nanoparticles. Experiments were performed using the Franz diffusion cell method with intact and damaged human skin. Physiological solution was used as receiving phase and 70 μg/cm 2 of silver nanoparticles coated with polyvinylpirrolidone dispersed in synthetic sweat were applied as donor phase to the outer surface of the skin for 24 h. The receptor fluid measurements were performed by electro thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS). Human skin penetration was also determined by using transmission electron microscope (TEM) to verify the location of silver nanoparticles in exposed membranes. Median silver concentrations of 0.46 ng cm -2 (range -2 (range 0.43-11.6) were found in the receiving solutions of cells where the nanoparticles solution was applied on intact skin (eight cells) and on damaged skin (eight cells), respectively. Twenty-four hours silver flux permeation in damaged skin was 0.62 ± 0.2 ng cm -2 with a lag time <1 h. Our experimental data showed that silver nanoparticles absorption through intact and damaged skin was very low but detectable, and that in case of damaged skin it was possible an increasing permeation of silver applied as nanoparticles. Moreover, silver nanoparticles could be detected in the stratum corneum and the outermost surface of the epidermis by electron microscopy. We demonstrated for the first time that silver applied as nanoparticles coated with polyvinylpirrolidone is able to permeate the damaged skin in an in vitro diffusion cell system

  19. Spatially Rearranged Object Parts Can Facilitate Perception of Intact Whole Objects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura eCacciamani

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The familiarity of an object depends on the spatial arrangement of its parts; when the parts are spatially rearranged, they form a novel, unrecognizable configuration. Yet the same collection of parts comprises both the familiar and novel configuration. Is it possible that the collection of familiar parts activates a representation of the intact familiar configuration even when they are spatially rearranged? We presented novel configurations as primes before test displays that assayed effects on figure-ground perception from memories of intact familiar objects. In our test displays, two equal-area regions shared a central border; one region depicted a portion of a familiar object. Previous research with such displays has shown that participants are more likely to perceive the region depicting a familiar object as the figure and the abutting region as its ground when the familiar object is depicted in its upright orientation rather than upside down. The novel primes comprised either the same or a different collection of parts as the familiar object in the test display (part-rearranged and control primes, respectively. We found that participants were more likely to perceive the familiar region as figure in upright vs. inverted displays following part-rearranged primes but not control primes. Thus, priming with a novel configuration comprising the same familiar parts as the upcoming figure-ground display facilitated orientation-dependent effects of object memories on figure assignment. Similar results were obtained when the spatially rearranged collection of parts was suggested on the groundside of the prime’s border, suggesting that familiar parts in novel configurations access the representation of their corresponding intact whole object before figure assignment. These data demonstrate that familiar parts access memories of familiar objects even when they are arranged in a novel configuration.

  20. Spatially rearranged object parts can facilitate perception of intact whole objects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cacciamani, Laura; Ayars, Alisabeth A; Peterson, Mary A

    2014-01-01

    The familiarity of an object depends on the spatial arrangement of its parts; when the parts are spatially rearranged, they form a novel, unrecognizable configuration. Yet the same collection of parts comprises both the familiar and novel configuration. Is it possible that the collection of familiar parts activates a representation of the intact familiar configuration even when they are spatially rearranged? We presented novel configurations as primes before test displays that assayed effects on figure-ground perception from memories of intact familiar objects. In our test displays, two equal-area regions shared a central border; one region depicted a portion of a familiar object. Previous research with such displays has shown that participants are more likely to perceive the region depicting a familiar object as the figure and the abutting region as its ground when the familiar object is depicted in its upright orientation rather than upside down. The novel primes comprised either the same or a different collection of parts as the familiar object in the test display (part-rearranged and control primes, respectively). We found that participants were more likely to perceive the familiar region as figure in upright vs. inverted displays following part-rearranged primes but not control primes. Thus, priming with a novel configuration comprising the same familiar parts as the upcoming figure-ground display facilitated orientation-dependent effects of object memories on figure assignment. Similar results were obtained when the spatially rearranged collection of parts was suggested on the groundside of the prime's border, suggesting that familiar parts in novel configurations access the representation of their corresponding intact whole object before figure assignment. These data demonstrate that familiar parts access memories of familiar objects even when they are arranged in a novel configuration.

  1. Spectrophotometric Evaluation of the Pulpal Peroxide Levels in Intact and Restored Teeth - An Invitro Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patri, Gaurav; Acharya, Gourismita; Agrawal, Pratik; Panda, Vijeta

    2016-08-01

    Hydrogen peroxide (30%) is a commonly used "in office" bleaching agent. Deleterious effects of hydrogen peroxide on the pulp have been observed. The present study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the penetration of 30% hydrogen peroxide into the pulp chamber through intact teeth and through the surface of teeth, restored with either hybrid composite or Resin Modified Glass Ionomer Cement (RMGIC). Sixty extracted human maxillary central incisors were selected and divided into six groups. Two groups were restored with hybrid composite resin and two with RMGIC, while two groups were left intact. The teeth with acetate buffer solution in their pulp cavity were then immersed in either 30% hydrogen peroxide or distilled water depending upon the group, for 60 minutes at 37°C. Then horseradish peroxidase and leucocrystal violet were added to the acetate buffer solution present in the pulp chamber after it was transferred to a test tube and the optical density of the resultant blue solution obtained was measured spectrophotometrically. The data obtained were analyzed using one way ANOVA and Student's t-test. The data obtained established that hydrogen peroxide penetrated into the pulp from the bleaching agent used. Hydrogen peroxide (30%) showed the highest pulpal peroxide level in teeth restored with RMGIC followed by teeth restored with hybrid composite resin and the least amount of penetration was observed in intact teeth. The amount of peroxide penetration into the tooth is more through restored tooth than intact tooth and is also dependant on the type of restorative materials used.

  2. The relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haugan, Gørill; Rannestad, Toril; Hammervold, Randi; Garåsen, Helge; Espnes, Geir A

    2014-03-01

    Self-transcendence is considered a developmental process of personal maturity and a vital resource of well-being in later adulthood. Measurement of the associations between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients has not been previously published. The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being in cognitively intact nursing home patients. A cross-sectional design using the self-transcendence scale and the FACIT-Sp spiritual well-being questionnaire was adopted. A sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing home patients in mid-Norway was selected to respond to the questionnaires in 2008 and 2009. Statistical analyses were conducted using lisrel 8.8 (Scientific Software International, Chicago, IL, USA) and structural equation modelling. A hypothesised structural equation model comprising a two-factor construct of self-transcendence and a three-factor construct of spiritual well-being demonstrated significant direct relationships between self-transcendence and spiritual well-being and total effects of self-transcendence on spiritual well-being. Facilitating patients' self-transcendence, both interpersonally and intrapersonally, might increase spiritual well-being among cognitively intact nursing home patients, which is seen to be of great importance to nursing home patients' overall satisfaction and satisfaction with staff. The two-factor construct of self-transcendence and the three-factor construct of FACIT-Sp allow a more complex examination of the associations between the constructs and prove more specific guidelines for nursing interventions promoting well-being in nursing home patients. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  3. Genetics coupled to quantitative intact proteomics links heritable aphid and endosymbiont protein expression to circulative polerovirus transmission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cilia, M; Tamborindeguy, C; Fish, T; Howe, K; Thannhauser, T W; Gray, S

    2011-03-01

    Yellow dwarf viruses in the family Luteoviridae, which are the causal agents of yellow dwarf disease in cereal crops, are each transmitted most efficiently by different species of aphids in a circulative manner that requires the virus to interact with a multitude of aphid proteins. Aphid proteins differentially expressed in F2 Schizaphis graminum genotypes segregating for the ability to transmit Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV) were identified using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) coupled to either matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem mass spectrometry or online nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 50 protein spots, containing aphid proteins and proteins from the aphid's obligate and maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont, Buchnera, were identified as differentially expressed between transmission-competent and refractive aphids. Surprisingly, in virus transmission-competent F2 genotypes, the isoelectric points of the Buchnera proteins did not match those in the maternal Buchnera proteome as expected, but instead they aligned with the Buchnera proteome of the transmission-competent paternal parent. Among the aphid proteins identified, many were involved in energy metabolism, membrane trafficking, lipid signaling, and the cytoskeleton. At least eight aphid proteins were expressed as heritable, isoelectric point isoform pairs, one derived from each parental lineage. In the F2 genotypes, the expression of aphid protein isoforms derived from the competent parental lineage aligned with the virus transmission phenotype with high precision. Thus, these isoforms are candidate biomarkers for CYDV-RPV transmission in S. graminum. Our combined genetic and DIGE approach also made it possible to predict where several of the proteins may be expressed in refractive aphids with different barriers to transmission. Twelve proteins were predicted to act in the hindgut of the aphid

  4. Heavy components coupling effect on building response spectra generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, T.H.; Johnson, E.R.

    1985-01-01

    This study investigates the dynamic coupling effect on the floor response spectra between the heavy components and the Reactor Interior (R/I) building in a PWR. The following cases were studied: (I) simplified models of one and two lump mass models representing building and heavy components, and (II) actual plant building and heavy component models. Response spectra are developed at building nodes for all models, using time-history analysis methods. Comparisons of response spectra from various models are made to observe the coupling effects. In some cases, this study found that the coupling would reduce the response spectra values in certain frequency regions even if the coupling is not required according to the above criteria. (orig./HP)

  5. Coupling auto trophic in vitro plant cultivation system to scanning electron microscope to study plant-fungal interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaeger, N. de; Decock, C.; Declereck, S.; Providencia, I. E. de la

    2010-07-01

    The interactions of plants with pathogens and beneficial micro-organisms have been seldom compared on the same host and under strict controlled auto trophic in vitro culture conditions. Here, the life cycle of two plant beneficial (Glomus sp. MUCL 41833 and Trichoderma harzianum) and one plant pathogen (Rhizoctonia solani) fungi were described on potato (Solanum tuberosum) plantlets under auto trophic in vitro culture conditions using video camera imaging and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). (i) The colony developmental pattern of the extraradical mycelium within the substrate, (ii) the reproduction structures and (iii) the three-dimensional spatial arrangements of the fungal hyphae within the potato root cells were successfully visualized, monitored and described. The combination of the autotrophic in vitro culture system and SEM represent a powerful tool for improving our knowledge on the dynamics of plant-fungal interactions. (Author) 41 refs.

  6. Differential effects of androgens on coronary blood flow regulation and arteriolar diameter in intact and castrated swine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O’Connor Erin K

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Low endogenous testosterone levels have been shown to be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular benefits associated with testosterone replacement therapy are being advocated; however, the effects of endogenous testosterone levels on acute coronary vasomotor responses to androgen administration are not clear. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of acute androgen administration on in vivo coronary conductance and in vitro coronary microvascular diameter in intact and castrated male swine. Methods Pigs received intracoronary infusions of physiologic levels (1–100 nM of testosterone, the metabolite 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and the epimer epitestosterone while left anterior descending coronary blood flow and mean arterial pressure were continuously monitored. Following sacrifice, coronary arterioles were isolated, cannulated, and exposed to physiologic concentrations (1–100 nM of testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and epitestosterone. To evaluate effects of the androgen receptor on acute androgen dilation responses, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry for androgen receptor were performed on conduit and resistance coronary vessels. Results In vivo, testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone produced greater increases in coronary conductance in the intact compared to the castrated males. In vitro, percent maximal dilation of microvessels was similar between intact and castrated males for testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone. In both studies epitestosterone produced significant increases in conductance and microvessel diameter from baseline in the intact males. Androgen receptor mRNA expression and immunohistochemical staining were similar in intact and castrated males. Conclusions Acute coronary vascular responses to exogenous androgen administration are increased by endogenous testosterone, an effect unrelated to changes in androgen receptor expression.

  7. Sub-cellular Electrical Heterogeneity Revealed by Loose Patch Recording Reflects Differential Localization of Sarcolemmal Ion Channels in Intact Rat Hearts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Igor V. Kubasov

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The cardiac action potential (AP is commonly recoded as an integral signal from isolated myocytes or ensembles of myocytes (with intracellular microelectrodes and extracellular macroelectrodes, respectively. These signals, however, do not provide a direct measure of activity of ion channels and transporters located in two major compartments of a cardiac myocyte: surface sarcolemma and the T-tubule system, which differentially contribute to impulse propagation and excitation-contraction (EC coupling. In the present study we investigated electrical properties of myocytes within perfused intact rat heart employing loose patch recording with narrow-tip (2 μm diameter extracellular electrodes. Using this approach, we demonstrated two distinct types of electric signals with distinct waveforms (single peak and multi-peak AP; AP1 and AP2, respectively during intrinsic pacemaker activity. These two types of waveforms depend on the position of the electrode tip on the myocyte surface. Such heterogeneity of electrical signals was lost when electrodes of larger pipette diameter were used (5 or 10 μm, which indicates that the electric signal was assessed from a region of <5 μm. Importantly, both pharmacological and mathematical simulation based on transverse (T-tubular distribution suggested that while the AP1 and the initial peak of AP2 are predominantly attributable to the fast, inward Na+ current in myocyte's surface sarcolemma, the late components of AP2 are likely representative of currents associated with L-type Ca2+ channel and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX currents which are predominantly located in T-tubules. Thus, loose patch recording with narrow-tip pipette provides a valuable tool for studying cardiac electric activity on the subcellular level in the intact heart.

  8. The effect of hepatoprotective preparations thioctacid and flavobion on histones in intact and regenerating lever in irradiated rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozhurkova, M.; Kropachova, E.; Mishurova, R.; Reksa, R.

    1992-01-01

    The changes in concentration, total content of histones and relative proportion of individual histone fractions in intact and regenerating liver were followed in rats after administration of hepatoprotective agents flavobion and thioctacid and after whole-body gamma irradiation with a dose 5.7 Gy. Thioctacid alone caused an increase in histone concentration in intact liver whereas flavobion alone did not produce significant quantitative changes. Irradiation alone decreased markedly the concentration and total content of histones in intact as well as regenerating liver of unprotected rats. Administration of thioctacid or flavobion protected from these quantitative histone changes or alleviated them consideradly. In relative proportion of individual histone fractions, the most profound changes were found in H1 histone after flavobion application

  9. Effects of intraoperative electron irradiation in the dog on cell turnover in intact and surgically-anastomosed aorta and intestine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sindelar, W.F.; Morrow, B.M.; Travis, E.L.; Tepper, J.; Merkel, A.B.; Kranda, K.; Terrill, R.

    1983-01-01

    Adults dogs were subjected to laparotomy and intraoperative electron irradiation after division and reanastomosis of aorta or after construction of a blind loop of small intestine having a transverse suture line and an end-to-side anastomosis. Dogs received intraoperative irradiation of both intact and anastomosed aorta or intestine in doses of 0, 2000, 3000, or 4500 rad. Animals were sacrificed at seven days or three months following treatment. At 24 hours prior to sacrifice, dogs received 5 mCi tritiated thymidine intravenously. Irradiated and non-irradiated segments of aorta and small intestine, including intact and anastomotic regions, were analyzed for tritiated thymidine incorporation and were subjected to autoradiography. Incorporation studies showed diminution in tritiated thymidine uptake by irradiated portions of aorta and small intestine, in both intact and anastomotic regions. Autoradiograms revealed that irradiated areas of intact or anastomotic aorta or intestine had diminished labeling of stromal cells, suggesting a lowered cell proliferative capacity of irradiated tissue compared to non-irradiated portions. Inflammatory cells showed similar labeling indices in irradiated and non-irradiated tissues, both intact and surgically-manipulated, suggesting that irradiation does not significantly affect a subsequent local inflammatory response. Radiation-induced decreases in tritiated thymidine incoporation in irradiated aorta and small intestine were generally more marked at seven days than at three months following irradiation, suggesting that radiation-induced depression of cell turnover rates decreases with time

  10. The Fate of Dissolved Creosote Compounds in an Intact Fratured Clay Column

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Broholm, Kim; Arvin, Erik; Hansen, Asger

    1995-01-01

    The fate of 16 different organics typical for creosote was studied under aerobic conditions in a large intact fractured clay column experiment. Some of the organics (benzene, toluene, o-xylene, phenol, and o-cresol) were transported at the same rate as bromide through the fractured clay, whereas ...

  11. Speciation of arsenic in water, sediment, and plants of the Moira watershed, Canada, using HPLC coupled to high resolution ICP-MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, Jian; Hintelmann, Holger; Dimock, Brian; Dzurko, Mark Stephen [Department of Chemistry, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, K9J 7B8, Peterborough, Ontario (Canada)

    2003-09-01

    High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with high-resolution sector field ICP-MS was applied to the speciation of arsenic in environmental samples collected from the Moira watershed, Ontario, Canada. Arsenic contamination in Moira River and Moira Lake from historic gold mine operations is of increasing environmental concern to the local community. In this study, the current arsenic contamination status in water, sediment, and plants was investigated. Elevated levels of arsenic in the surface water of up to 75 ng mL{sup -1} in Moira River and 50 ng mL{sup -1} in Moira Lake were detected, 98% of which was present as arsenate. High concentrations of arsenic (>300 ng mL{sup -1}), mainly present as arsenite, were detected in sediment porewaters. A sediment profile of As from the West basin of Moira Lake showed lower As concentrations compared with data from the 1990s. An optimized extraction procedure using a phosphoric acid-ascorbic acid mixture demonstrated that an unknown ''As-complex'' which may consist of As, sulfide and organic matter is potentially responsible for the release of arsenite from the sediment to the overlying water column. Arsenic concentrations in plant samples ranged from 2.6 to 117 mg kg{sup -1}, dry weight. Accumulation of arsenic was observed in submerged plants collected from Moira River and Moira Lake. Only a small part of the arsenic (6.3-16.1%) in the plants was extractable with methanol-water (9:1), and most of this arsenic (70-93%) was inorganic arsenic. A variety of organic arsenic compounds, including simple methylated compounds (methylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid), trimethylarsine oxide, and tetramethylarsonium cation were detected at trace levels. No arsenobetaine and arsenocholine was found in any plant sample. An unknown compound, most probably an arsenosugar was detected in the two submerged plants, coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) and long-stemmed waterwort (Elatine triandra). These

  12. Near term feasibility of nuclear reactor for sea-water desalting: coupling of standard condensing nuclear power stations to low grade heat multieffect distillation plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adar, J.; Manor, S.; Schaal, M.

    1977-01-01

    Commercial nuclear power reactors exist only in standard sizes and designs. No large nuclear back-pressure turbines are available today. Therefore, near term large scale nuclear desalination plants must be tailored to the NSSS sizes and available turbines and not the contrary. Standard condensing nuclear turbines could operate continuously with a back-presure of up to 5-7'' Hg (depending on the supplier). It means that they can exhaust huge amounts of steam at 56 0 C - 64 0 C with a loss of electricity production of 6% - 10% when compared to 2 1/2'' Hg normal condensing pressure. The horizontal aluminium tube multi-effect distillation process developed by ''Israel Desalination Engineering'' Ltd. is very suitable for the use of such low-grade heat: 4 to 9 effects can operate within these temperature ranges. A special flash-chamber constitutes a positive barrier against any possible contamination being carried over by the steam exhausted from the turbine to the desalination plant. Flow sheets, heat and mass balances have been prepared for two standard sizes of NSSS and turbines (1882sup(Mwth) and 2785sup(Mwth)), two ''back-pressures'' (5 1/2'' and 7'' Hg), and corresponding desalination plants. Only standard equipment is being used in the steam and electricity producing plant. The desalination plant consists of 6 to 12 parallel double lines, each of them similar to a large prototype now being designed and which is going to be coupled to an old fossil power station. Water production varies between 50 and 123 sup(us MGD) and water cost between 23 and 36 sup(cents)/M 3 . Total energy requirements of the desalination plant represent only 19 to 50% of the total water cost as against 75% for a single purpose plant. Costs are based on actual bids for the power plant and actual estimates for the desalination prototype. The operation is designed to be flexible so that the power plant can be operated either in conjunction with the desalination plant, or as a single purpose

  13. Implementation of the dual-purpose principle in Iran, Bushehr desalination and nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edalat, M.; Mansoori, F.S.; Entessari, J.; Hamidi, H.

    1978-01-01

    The requirements for electrical power and fresh water and the past and present desalination projects in Iran are discussed. The different methods usually employed in coupling the desalination plants with power plants are outlined, and the interdependency of the two plants and the safety aspects due to radioactive contamination are considered. Finally, the method utilizing a pressurized hot water loop as a safety barrier for the two proposed desalination plants to be coupled with the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plants under construction in Iran is described. (author)

  14. Tolerance of a standard intact protein formula versus a partially hydrolyzed formula in healthy, term infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marunycz John D

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Parents who perceive common infant behaviors as formula intolerance-related often switch formulas without consulting a health professional. Up to one-half of formula-fed infants experience a formula change during the first six months of life. Methods The objective of this study was to assess discontinuance due to study physician-assessed formula intolerance in healthy, term infants. Infants (335 were randomized to receive either a standard intact cow milk protein formula (INTACT or a partially hydrolyzed cow milk protein formula (PH in a 60 day non-inferiority trial. Discontinuance due to study physician-assessed formula intolerance was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included number of infants who discontinued for any reason, including parent-assessed. Results Formula intolerance between groups (INTACT, 12.3% vs. PH, 13.7% was similar for infants who completed the study or discontinued due to study physician-assessed formula intolerance. Overall study discontinuance based on parent- vs. study physician-assessed intolerance for all infants (14.4 vs.11.1% was significantly different (P = 0.001. Conclusion This study demonstrated no difference in infant tolerance of intact vs. partially hydrolyzed cow milk protein formulas for healthy, term infants over a 60-day feeding trial, suggesting nonstandard partially hydrolyzed formulas are not necessary as a first-choice for healthy infants. Parents frequently perceived infant behavior as formula intolerance, paralleling previous reports of unnecessary formula changes. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00666120

  15. Clonal expansion of genome-intact HIV-1 in functionally polarized Th1 CD4+ T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Guinevere Q; Orlova-Fink, Nina; Einkauf, Kevin; Chowdhury, Fatema Z; Sun, Xiaoming; Harrington, Sean; Kuo, Hsiao-Hsuan; Hua, Stephane; Chen, Hsiao-Rong; Ouyang, Zhengyu; Reddy, Kavidha; Dong, Krista; Ndung'u, Thumbi; Walker, Bruce D; Rosenberg, Eric S; Yu, Xu G; Lichterfeld, Mathias

    2017-06-30

    HIV-1 causes a chronic, incurable disease due to its persistence in CD4+ T cells that contain replication-competent provirus, but exhibit little or no active viral gene expression and effectively resist combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). These latently infected T cells represent an extremely small proportion of all circulating CD4+ T cells but possess a remarkable long-term stability and typically persist throughout life, for reasons that are not fully understood. Here we performed massive single-genome, near-full-length next-generation sequencing of HIV-1 DNA derived from unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, ex vivo-isolated CD4+ T cells, and subsets of functionally polarized memory CD4+ T cells. This approach identified multiple sets of independent, near-full-length proviral sequences from cART-treated individuals that were completely identical, consistent with clonal expansion of CD4+ T cells harboring intact HIV-1. Intact, near-full-genome HIV-1 DNA sequences that were derived from such clonally expanded CD4+ T cells constituted 62% of all analyzed genome-intact sequences in memory CD4 T cells, were preferentially observed in Th1-polarized cells, were longitudinally detected over a duration of up to 5 years, and were fully replication- and infection-competent. Together, these data suggest that clonal proliferation of Th1-polarized CD4+ T cells encoding for intact HIV-1 represents a driving force for stabilizing the pool of latently infected CD4+ T cells.

  16. Uptake and clearance of plutonium-238 from intact liver and liver cells transplanted into fat pads of F344/N rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brooks, A.L.; Guilmette, R.A.; Hahn, F.F.; Jirtle, R.L.

    1985-01-01

    An understanding of the role of liver cells and the intact liver in plutonium biokinetics is needed. Liver cells were isolated from rats, injected into fat pads of recipient rats, and allowed 21 days to form cell colonies. Rats then received a single intraperitoneal injection of 1 μCi 238 Pu-citrate and were serially sacrificed. Uptake, retention, and distribution of Pu in intact liver and in liver cells growing in fat pads were determined. Intact liver cells took up about twice as much 238 Pu as liver cells transplanted into fat pads. However, the retention kinetics of Pu were similar for both the liver cells in the fat pads and the intact liver cells when the retention was expressed as activity per cell. 4 references, 1 figure, 1 table

  17. Radionuclide sorption on crushed and intact granitic rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eriksen, Tryggve E.; Locklund, Birgitta

    1989-05-01

    The specific surface areas and distribution ratios for sorption of 85 Sr, 137 Cs and 152 Eu were measured for crushed and intact granite rock. The experimental data can be accommodated by a sorption model encompassing sorption on outer and inner surface. It is clearly demonstrated that the time required to obtain reliable Kd-values for the sorption of strongly sorbing radionuclides like 152 Eu is very long due to solution depletion and slow diffusion into the rock. A combination of surface area measurements and batch sorption with small particles may therefore be preferable when studying strongly sorbing nuclides. (authors) (17 figs., 6 tabs.)

  18. Sediment carbon and nutrient fluxes from cleared and intact temperate mangrove ecosystems and adjacent sandflats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bulmer, Richard H; Schwendenmann, Luitgard; Lohrer, Andrew M; Lundquist, Carolyn J

    2017-12-01

    The loss of mangrove ecosystems is associated with numerous impacts on coastal and estuarine function, including sediment carbon and nutrient cycling. In this study we compared in situ fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the sediment to the atmosphere, and fluxes of dissolved inorganic nutrients and oxygen across the sediment-water interface, in intact and cleared mangrove and sandflat ecosystems in a temperate estuary. Measurements were made 20 and 25months after mangrove clearance, in summer and winter, respectively. Sediment CO 2 efflux was over two-fold higher from cleared than intact mangrove ecosystems at 20 and 25months after mangrove clearance. The higher CO 2 efflux from the cleared site was explained by an increase in respiration of dead root material along with sediment disturbance following mangrove clearance. In contrast, sediment CO 2 efflux from the sandflat site was negligible (≤9.13±1.18mmolm -2 d -1 ), associated with lower sediment organic matter content. The fluxes of inorganic nutrients (NH 4 + , NO x and PO 4 3- ) from intact and cleared mangrove sediments were low (≤20.37±18.66μmolm -2 h - 1 ). The highest NH 4 + fluxes were measured at the sandflat site (69.21±13.49μmolm -2 h - 1 ). Lower inorganic nutrient fluxes within the cleared and intact mangrove sites compared to the sandflat site were associated with lower abundance of larger burrowing macrofauna. Further, a higher fraction of organic matter, silt and clay content in mangrove sediments may have limited nutrient exchange. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Collagen fibril size and crimp morphology in ruptured and intact Achilles tendons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magnusson, S P; Qvortrup, K; Larsen, Jytte Overgaard

    2002-01-01

    tendons. Crimp angle did not display any region-specific differences, or any difference between the rupture and intact tendons. In conclusion, these data suggest that although crimp morphology is unchanged there appears to be a site-specific loss of larger fibrils in the core and periphery of the Achilles...

  20. 46 CFR 173.020 - Intact stability standards: Counterballasted and non-counterballasted vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...) SUBDIVISION AND STABILITY SPECIAL RULES PERTAINING TO VESSEL USE Lifting § 173.020 Intact stability standards... vessel that is not equipped to counter-ballast while lifting must be shown by design calculations to... and crane radius. (b) Each vessel must have a righting arm curve with the following characteristics...

  1. Forest loss in protected areas and intact forest landscapes : A global analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heino, Matias; Kummu, Matti; Makkonen, Marika; Mulligan, Mark; Verburg, Peter H.; Jalava, Mika; Räsänen, Timo A.

    2015-01-01

    In spite of the high importance of forests, global forest loss has remained alarmingly high during the last decades. Forest loss at a global scale has been unveiled with increasingly finer spatial resolution, but the forest extent and loss in protected areas (PAs) and in large intact forest

  2. Industry Application ECCS / LOCA Integrated Cladding/Emergency Core Cooling System Performance: Demonstration of LOTUS-Baseline Coupled Analysis of the South Texas Plant Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Hongbin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Szilard, Ronaldo [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Epiney, Aaron [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Parisi, Carlo [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Vaghetto, Rodolfo [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Vanni, Alessandro [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States); Neptune, Kaleb [Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)

    2017-06-01

    Under the auspices of the DOE LWRS Program RISMC Industry Application ECCS/LOCA, INL has engaged staff from both South Texas Project (STP) and the Texas A&M University (TAMU) to produce a generic pressurized water reactor (PWR) model including reactor core, clad/fuel design and systems thermal hydraulics based on the South Texas Project (STP) nuclear power plant, a 4-Loop Westinghouse PWR. A RISMC toolkit, named LOCA Toolkit for the U.S. (LOTUS), has been developed for use in this generic PWR plant model to assess safety margins for the proposed NRC 10 CFR 50.46c rule, Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) performance during LOCA. This demonstration includes coupled analysis of core design, fuel design, thermalhydraulics and systems analysis, using advanced risk analysis tools and methods to investigate a wide range of results. Within this context, a multi-physics best estimate plus uncertainty (MPBEPU) methodology framework is proposed.

  3. Cutaneous mast cell maturation does not depend on an intact bone marrow microenvironment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charley, M.R.; Mikhael, A.; Sontheimer, R.D.; Gilliam, J.N.; Bennett, M.

    1984-01-01

    A study was made to determine whether the maturation of murine cutaneous mast cells from stem cells depends on an intact bone marrow microenvironment. Normal bone marrow cells (+/+) were infused into 2 groups of mast cell-deficient mice: WBB6F1-W/Wv mice and 89 Sr-pretreated W/Wv mice. 89 Sr is a long-lived bone-seeking radioisotope which provides continuous irradiation of the marrow and thereby ablates the marrow microenvironment. Skin biopsies revealed that the 89 Sr-pretreated mice and the controls had repopulated their skin with mast cells equally well. Natural killer cell function was significantly depressed in the 89 Sr-treated mice, confirming that the marrow microenvironment had been functionally altered. It appears that, although the precursors for cutaneous mast cells are marrow derived, they do not need an intact marrow microenvironment for maturation

  4. HPLC-UV Analysis Coupled with Chemometry to Identify Phenolic Biomarkers from Medicinal Plants, used as Ingredients in Two Food Supplement Formulas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raluca Maria Pop

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available . High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC with UV detection is nowadays the reference method to identify and quantify the biomarkers of quality and authenticity of plants and food supplements. Seven medicinal plants were collected from wild flora: Taraxacum officinalis (1, Cynara scolimus (2, Silybum marianum (3, Hypericum perforatum (4,  Chelidonium majus (5, Lycopodium clavatum (6 and  Hippophae rhamnoides (7  leaves and fruits.  Two products (A and B were obtained by mixing individual plant powders. Therefore product A was obtained by mixing dandelion, artichoke and milk thistle, 1:1:1 while product B by mixing St John’s wort, Celandine and Wolf’s claw, 1:1:1. The methanolic extracts of individual plants as well as three different extracts of products A and B (using acidulated water, neutral water and acidulated methanol were analyzed using HPLC-UV for their phenolics’ fingerprint and composition. The qualitative (untargeted analysis and quantitative (targeted analysis results were further compared using Principal Component Analysis (PCA in order to identify their specific biomarkers. Thus, quantitative evaluation of individual phenolics in case of individual plants and products A and B extracts, showed specific and significant differences of composition. Both products A and B contained elagic acid as major compound. For product A, good biomarkers were trans-cinnamic, chlorogenic, caffeic and p-coumaric acids, as well silymarin and silibine originating from milk thistle. For product B, good biomarkers were quercetin and kaempherol, gallic and protocatecuic acids, this product being rich in flavonoids. In conclusion, HPLC-UV coupled with PCA analysis proved to be a rapid and useful way to identify the main biomarkers of plants’ authentication, as well of final products’ quality and safety.

  5. Palladium nanoparticles exposure: Evaluation of permeation through damaged and intact human skin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larese Filon, Francesca; Crosera, Matteo; Mauro, Marcella; Baracchini, Elena; Bovenzi, Massimo; Montini, Tiziano; Fornasiero, Paolo; Adami, Gianpiero

    2016-07-01

    The intensified use of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) in many chemical reactions, jewellery, electronic devices, in car catalytic converters and in biomedical applications lead to a significant increase in palladium exposure. Pd can cause allergic contact dermatitis when in contact with the skin. However, there is still a lack of toxicological data related to nano-structured palladium and information on human cutaneous absorption. In fact, PdNPs, can be absorbed through the skin in higher amounts than bulk Pd because NPs can release more ions. In our study, we evaluated the absorption of PdNPs, with a size of 10.7 ± 2.8 nm, using intact and damaged human skin in Franz cells. 0.60 mg cm(-2) of PdNPs were applied on skin surface for 24 h. Pd concentrations in the receiving solutions at the end of experiments were 0.098 ± 0.067 μg cm(-2) and 1.06 ± 0.44 μg cm(-2) in intact skin and damaged skin, respectively. Pd flux permeation after 24 h was 0.005 ± 0.003 μg cm(-2) h(-1) and 0.057 ± 0.030 μg cm(-2) h(-1) and lag time 4.8 ± 1.7 and 4.2 ± 3.6 h, for intact and damaged skin respectively. This study indicates that Pd can penetrate human skin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Isotope inequilibrium of glucose metabolites in intact cells and particlefree supernatants of Ehrlich ascites tumor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daehnfeldt, J.L.; Winge, P.

    1975-01-01

    With an enzyme degradative technique, isotope inequilibrium of glucose metabolites was demonstrated in intact cells and particle-free supernatants of Ehrlich ascites tumor using I- 14 C-glucose as tracer. Inequilibrium was found between glucose and glucose-6-phosphate, glucose and fructose-6-phosphate, glucose and 6-phosphogluconate, while glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate were found to be in near equilibrium within the incubation time investigated. Glucose and lactate were found to be in near equilibrium after 8 min in intact cells. Calculations based on the equilibrium levels found, showed that these inequilibria could not be explained by the effects of the pentose cycle. (U.S.)

  7. Boron-11 MRI and MRS of intact animals infused with a boron neutron capture agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabalka, G.W.; Davis, M.; Bendel, P.

    1988-01-01

    Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) depends on the delivery of boron-containing drugs to a targeted lesion. Currently, the verification and quantification of in vivo boron content is a difficult problem. Boron-11 spectroscopy was utilized to confirm the presence of a dimeric sulfhydryl dodecaborane BNCT agent contained in an intact animal. Spectroscopy experiments revealed that the decay time of transverse magnetization of the boron-11 spins was less than 1 ms which precluded the use of a 2DFT imaging protocol. A back-projection protocol was developed and utilized to generate the first boron-11 image of a BNCT agent in the liver of an intact Fisher 344 rat

  8. Plant specification of a generic human-error data through a two-stage Bayesian approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heising, C.D.; Patterson, E.I.

    1984-01-01

    Expert judgement concerning human performance in nuclear power plants is quantitatively coupled with actuarial data on such performance in order to derive plant-specific human-error rate probability distributions. The coupling procedure consists of a two-stage application of Bayes' theorem to information which is grouped by type. The first information type contains expert judgement concerning human performance at nuclear power plants in general. Data collected on human performance at a group of similar plants forms the second information type. The third information type consists of data on human performance in a specific plant which has the same characteristics as the group members. The first and second information types are coupled in the first application of Bayes' theorem to derive a probability distribution for population performance. This distribution is then combined with the third information type in a second application of Bayes' theorem to determine a plant-specific human-error rate probability distribution. The two stage Bayesian procedure thus provides a means to quantitatively couple sparse data with expert judgement in order to obtain a human performance probability distribution based upon available information. Example calculations for a group of like reactors are also given. (author)

  9. The action of cobra venom phospholipase A2 isoenzymes towards intact human erythrocytes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roelofsen, B.; Sibenius Trip, M.; Verheij, H.M.; Zevenbergen, J.L.

    1980-01-01

    1. 1. Cobra venom phospholipase A2 from three different sources has been fractionated into different isoenzymes by DEAE ion-exchange chromatography. 2. 2. Treatment of intact human erythrocytes with the various isoenzymes revealed significant differences in the degree of phosphatidylcholine

  10. The application of HTR type modular plants in refinieries and for aluminium oxide production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schad, M.; Clausen, E.; Funke, A.; Heng, R.; Poesche, W.; Simon, P.; Schwarz, T.; Feltes, W.; Hague, H.; Heidkamp, H.; Hesse, K.; Kohtz, N.; Mendte, K.; Ullrich, M.; Wild, W.; Zipper, E.

    1991-02-01

    The aim of the second study of coupling the HTR module to process plants consistsed in developing concepts for potential plants and analysing them again for their technical and economic feasibility. At each of the three process plants, heat is coupled in by a He/He intermediate heat exchanger. This principle of heat coupling was consistently aimed at - in order to keep the expensive nuclear part of plant coupling as small as possible, and - in order to avoid that primary helium can get into the process plants, just as vice versa process media into the HTRM-helium circuit. For refineries this principle is easy to comply with because of the low process temperatures of below 600deg C. For aluminium oxide production which conventionally requires a temperature of about 950deg C, calcination tests were made at lower process temperatures, and parallely the feed-in of heat to reach the highest process temperature through electric heating was studied. For petrochemistry, heat transfer during naptha cracking was closely analysed. (orig./GL) [de

  11. Coupled code analysis of uncertainty and sensitivity of Kalinin-3 benchmark

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pasichnyk, Ihor; Zwermann, Winfried; Velkov, Kiril [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Garching (Germany); Nikonov, Sergey [VNIIAES, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2016-09-15

    An uncertainty and sensitivity analysis is performed for the OECD/NEA coolant transient Benchmark (K-3) on measured data at Kalinin-3 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). A switch off of one main coolant pump (MCP) at nominal reactor power is calculated using a coupled thermohydraulic and neutron-kinetic ATHLET-PARCS code. The objectives are to study uncertainty of total reactor power and to identify the main sources of reactor power uncertainty. The GRS uncertainty and sensitivity software package XSUSA is applied to propagate uncertainties in nuclear data libraries to the full core coupled transient calculations. A set of most important thermal-hydraulic parameters of the primary circuit is identified and a total of 23 thermohydraulic parameters are statistically varied using GRS code SUSA. The ATHLET model contains also a balance-of-plant (BOP) model which is simulated using ATHLET GCSM module. In particular the operation of the main steam generator regulators is modelled in detail. A set of 200 varied coupled ATHLET-PARCS calculations is analyzed. The results obtained show a clustering effect in the behavior of global reactor parameters. It is found that the GCSM system together with varied input parameters strongly influence the overall nuclear power plant behavior and can even lead to a new scenario. Possible reasons of the clustering effect are discussed in the paper. This work is a step forward in establishing a ''best-estimate calculations in combination with performing uncertainty analysis'' methodology for coupled full core calculations.

  12. Estimation of the solubility parameters of model plant surfaces and agrochemicals: a valuable tool for understanding plant surface interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khayet, Mohamed; Fernández, Victoria

    2012-11-14

    Most aerial plant parts are covered with a hydrophobic lipid-rich cuticle, which is the interface between the plant organs and the surrounding environment. Plant surfaces may have a high degree of hydrophobicity because of the combined effects of surface chemistry and roughness. The physical and chemical complexity of the plant cuticle limits the development of models that explain its internal structure and interactions with surface-applied agrochemicals. In this article we introduce a thermodynamic method for estimating the solubilities of model plant surface constituents and relating them to the effects of agrochemicals. Following the van Krevelen and Hoftyzer method, we calculated the solubility parameters of three model plant species and eight compounds that differ in hydrophobicity and polarity. In addition, intact tissues were examined by scanning electron microscopy and the surface free energy, polarity, solubility parameter and work of adhesion of each were calculated from contact angle measurements of three liquids with different polarities. By comparing the affinities between plant surface constituents and agrochemicals derived from (a) theoretical calculations and (b) contact angle measurements we were able to distinguish the physical effect of surface roughness from the effect of the chemical nature of the epicuticular waxes. A solubility parameter model for plant surfaces is proposed on the basis of an increasing gradient from the cuticular surface towards the underlying cell wall. The procedure enabled us to predict the interactions among agrochemicals, plant surfaces, and cuticular and cell wall components, and promises to be a useful tool for improving our understanding of biological surface interactions.

  13. Electromagnetic compatibility of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabayan, H.S.

    1983-01-01

    Lately, there has been a mounting concern about the electromagnetic compatibility of nuclear-power-plant systems mainly because of the effects due to the nuclear electromagnetic pulse, and also because of the introduction of more-sophisticated and, therefore, more-susceptible solid-state devices into the plants. Questions have been raised about the adequacy of solid-state-device protection against plant electromagnetic-interference sources and transients due to the nuclear electromagnetic pulse. In this paper, the author briefly reviews the environment, and the coupling, susceptibility, and vulnerability assessment issues of commercial nuclear power plants

  14. System for In-Situ Detection of Plant Exposure to Trichloroethylene (TCE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Mark D. (Inventor); Anderson, Daniel J. (Inventor); Newman, Lee A. (Inventor); Keith, Amy G. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A system detects a plant's exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) through plant leaf imaging. White light impinging upon a plant's leaf interacts therewith to produce interacted light. A detector is positioned to detect at least one spectral band of the interacted light. A processor coupled to the detector performs comparisons between photonic energy of the interacted light at the one or more spectral bands thereof and reference data defining spectral responses indicative of leaf exposure to TCE. An output device coupled to the processor provides indications of the comparisons.

  15. Interactive plant functional group and water table effects on decomposition and extracellular enzyme activity in Sphagnum peatlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magdalena M. Wiedermann; Evan S. Kane; Lynette R. Potvin; Erik A. Lilleskov

    2017-01-01

    Peatland decomposition may be altered by hydrology and plant functional groups (PFGs), but exactly how the latter influences decomposition is unclear, as are potential interactions of these factors.We used a factorial mesocosm experiment with intact 1 m3 peat monoliths to explore how PFGs (sedges vs Ericaceae) and water table level individually...

  16. Machine learning modeling of plant phenology based on coupling satellite and gridded meteorological dataset

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czernecki, Bartosz; Nowosad, Jakub; Jabłońska, Katarzyna

    2018-04-01

    Changes in the timing of plant phenological phases are important proxies in contemporary climate research. However, most of the commonly used traditional phenological observations do not give any coherent spatial information. While consistent spatial data can be obtained from airborne sensors and preprocessed gridded meteorological data, not many studies robustly benefit from these data sources. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to create and evaluate different statistical models for reconstructing, predicting, and improving quality of phenological phases monitoring with the use of satellite and meteorological products. A quality-controlled dataset of the 13 BBCH plant phenophases in Poland was collected for the period 2007-2014. For each phenophase, statistical models were built using the most commonly applied regression-based machine learning techniques, such as multiple linear regression, lasso, principal component regression, generalized boosted models, and random forest. The quality of the models was estimated using a k-fold cross-validation. The obtained results showed varying potential for coupling meteorological derived indices with remote sensing products in terms of phenological modeling; however, application of both data sources improves models' accuracy from 0.6 to 4.6 day in terms of obtained RMSE. It is shown that a robust prediction of early phenological phases is mostly related to meteorological indices, whereas for autumn phenophases, there is a stronger information signal provided by satellite-derived vegetation metrics. Choosing a specific set of predictors and applying a robust preprocessing procedures is more important for final results than the selection of a particular statistical model. The average RMSE for the best models of all phenophases is 6.3, while the individual RMSE vary seasonally from 3.5 to 10 days. Models give reliable proxy for ground observations with RMSE below 5 days for early spring and late spring phenophases. For

  17. Optimized Planning Target Volume for Intact Cervical Cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, Alvin; Jensen, Lindsay G.; Sun Shuai; Song, William Y.; Yashar, Catheryn M.; Mundt, Arno J.; Zhang Fuquan; Jiang, Steve B.; Mell, Loren K.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To model interfraction clinical target volume (CTV) variation in patients with intact cervical cancer and design a planning target volume (PTV) that minimizes normal tissue dose while maximizing CTV coverage. Methods and Materials: We analyzed 50 patients undergoing external-beam radiotherapy for intact cervical cancer using daily online cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The CBCTs (n = 972) for each patient were rigidly registered to the planning CT. The CTV was delineated on the planning CT (CTV 0 ) and the set of CBCTs ({CTV 1 –CTV 25 }). Manual (n = 98) and automated (n = 668) landmarks were placed over the surface of CTV 0 with reference to defined anatomic structures. Normal vectors were extended from each landmark, and the minimum length required for a given probability of encompassing CTV 1 –CTV 25 was computed. The resulting expansions were used to generate an optimized PTV. Results: The mean (SD; range) normal vector length to ensure 95% coverage was 4.3 mm (2.7 mm; 1–16 mm). The uniform expansion required to ensure 95% probability of CTV coverage was 13 mm. An anisotropic margin of 20 mm anteriorly and posteriorly and 10 mm superiorly, inferiorly, and laterally also would have ensured a 95% probability of CTV coverage. The volume of the 95% optimized PTV (1470 cm 3 ) was significantly lower than both the anisotropic PTV (2220 cm 3 ) and the uniformly expanded PTV (2110 cm 3 ) (p 0 , 5–10 mm along the interfaces of CTV 0 with the bladder and rectum, and 10–14 mm along the anterior surface of CTV 0 at the level of the uterus. Conclusion: Optimizing PTV definition according to surface landmarking resulted in a high probability of CTV coverage with reduced PTV volumes. Our results provide data justifying planning margins to use in practice and clinical trials.

  18. Family relationships and the psychosocial adjustment of school-aged children in intact families

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hakvoort, E.M.; Bos, H.M.W.; van Balen, F.; Hermanns, J.M.A.

    2010-01-01

    The authors investigated whether the quality of three family relationships (i.e., marital, parent-child, sibling) in intact families are associated with each other and with children's psychosocial adjustment. Data were collected by means of maternal and child reports (N = 88) using standardized

  19. Intrahippocampal administration of an androgen receptor antagonist, flutamide, can increase anxiety-like behavior in intact and DHT-replaced male rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edinger, Kassandra L; Frye, Cheryl A

    2006-08-01

    Testosterone (T) and its 5alpha-reduced metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), can decrease anxiety-like behavior; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been established. First, we hypothesized that if T reduces anxiety-like behavior through actions of its 5alpha-reduced metabolite, DHT, then gonadectomy (GDX) would increase anxiety-like behavior, an effect which would be reversed by systemic administration of DHT. Second, we hypothesized that if T and DHT reduce anxiety-like behavior in part through actions at intracellular androgen receptors in the hippocampus, then administration of an androgen receptor antagonist, flutamide, directly to the hippocampus should increase anxiety-like behavior of intact and DHT-replaced, but not GDX, male rats. Inserts that were empty or contained flutamide were applied directly to the dorsal hippocampus of intact, GDX, or GDX and DHT-replaced rats 2 h prior to testing in the open field, elevated plus maze, or defensive freezing tasks. GDX rats exhibited significantly more anxiety-like behaviors than intact or DHT-replaced rats. Intact and DHT-replaced rats administered flutamide to the hippocampus showed significantly more anxiety-like behavior than did intact and DHT-replaced controls. However, flutamide alone did not increase anxiety-like behavior of GDX rats. Together, these findings suggest that androgens can decrease anxiety-like behavior of male rats in part through DHT's actions at androgen receptors in the hippocampus.

  20. Seed dispersal networks in the Galápagos and the consequences of alien plant invasions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heleno, R. H.; Olesen, Jens Mogens; Nogales, M.

    2013-01-01

    Alien plants are a growing threat to the Gala´pagos unique biota. We evaluated the impact of alien plants on eight seed dispersal networks from two islands of the archipelago. Nearly 10 000 intact seeds from 58 species were recovered from the droppings of 18 bird and reptile dispersers. The most......, followed by small ground finch, two mockingbirds, the giant tortoise and two insectivorous birds. Most animals dispersed alien seeds, but these formed a relatively small proportion of the interactions. Nevertheless, the integration of aliens was higher in the island that has been invaded for longest......, suggesting a time-lag between alien plant introductions and their impacts on seed dispersal networks. Alien plants become more specialized with advancing invasion, favouring more simplified plant and disperser communities. However, only habitat type significantly affected the overall network structure. Alien...

  1. Intact Four-atom Organic Tetracation Stabilized by Charge Localization in the Gas Phase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yatsuhashi, Tomoyuki; Toyota, Kazuo; Mitsubayashi, Naoya; Kozaki, Masatoshi; Okada, Keiji; Nakashima, Nobuaki

    2016-10-05

    Several features distinguish intact multiply charged molecular cations (MMCs) from other species such as monocations and polycations: high potential energy, high electron affinity, a high density of electronic states with various spin multiplicities, and charge-dependent reactions. However, repulsive Coulombic interactions make MMCs quite unstable, and hence small organic MMCs are currently not readily available. Herein, we report that the isolated four-atom molecule diiodoacetylene survives after the removal of four electrons via tunneling. We show that the tetracation remains metastable towards dissociation because of the localization (91-95 %) of the positive charges on the terminal iodine atoms, ensuring minimum Coulomb repulsion between adjacent atoms as well as maximum charge-induced attractive dipole interactions between iodine and carbon. Our approach making use of iodines as the positively charged sites enables small organic MMCs to remain intact. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Oxidation and reduction of pyridine nucleotides in alamethicin-permeabilized plant mitochondria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Johansson, F.I.; Michalecka, A.M.; Møller, I.M.

    2004-01-01

    method to permearbilize mitochondria and study the highly branched electron-transport chain in potato tuber (Solanum tuberosum) and pea leaf (Pisum sativum) mitochondria. We show that AlaM permeabilized the inner membrane of plant mitochondria to NAD(P)H, allowing the quantification of internal NAD......M-treated mitochondria was much higher than what has been previously measured by other techniques. Our results also show a difference in substrate specificities for complex I in mitochondria as compared with inside-out submitochondrial particles. AlaM facilitated the passage of cofactors to and from the mitochondrial...... environment not only in plant mitochondria but also in other membrane-enclosed compartments, such as intact cells, chloroplasts and peroxisomes....

  3. Does intact pleura during internal mammary artery harvesting decreases pleuropulmonary complications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paracha, V.I.; Iqbal, M.A.; Rashid, A.

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effects on postoperative pulmonary function of pleural integrity versus opened pleura, in patients who receive a left internal mammary artery graft. Study Design: Randomized control trial. Place and Duration of study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi from June 2009 to Feb 2010. Patients and Methods: The study was conducted on 62 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A consisted of patients who underwent internal mammary artery harvesting with opened pleura (n=31) while Group B consisted of patients having internal mammary artery harvested with intact pleura (n=31). To monitor pleuro-pulmonary complications, chest radiography was performed routinely 1 day before operation and on the second, fourth and sixth postoperative days. The preoperative, after extubation, and first postoperative day values of partial oxygen pressure (PaO/sub 2/), partial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO/sub 2/), oxygen (O/sub 2/) saturation and haematocrit were recorded for comparison. The effect of intact pleura on IMA traction was also recorded by serial cardiac enzymes measurement and electrocardiography in the immediate postoperative period. Results: Pleural effusion occurred more often in patients of Group A (35.5% versus 12.9%) which was statistically significant (P 0.038). However, no significant differences were recorded in postoperative respiratory complications. Reoperation for postoperative bleeding and tamponade was done in 6.5% and 3.2% of cases in Group B respectively but none Group A; however it was not statistically significant (P 0.076). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.84 days for Group A and 7.58 days for Group B. Conclusion: Pleural integrity during IMA harvesting decreases pleural effusion. Although, no significant differences were recorded in postoperative lung complications, intact pleural technique of IMA

  4. Effects of near ultraviolet and green radiations on plant growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, R.M.; Edsall, P.C.; Gentile, A.C.

    1965-01-01

    Selective removal of near ultraviolet and green wavelengths from white light permitted enhanced growth of marigold, tomato, corn, and Impatiens plants, Chlamydomonas cells and the mycelium of Sordaria. Additions of near ultraviolet and green radiations caused repressions in the growth of marigold and Sordaria. These wavelengths do not alter the oxidative mechanisms of mitochondria, intact algal cells or marigold leaf tissues. The capacity for chlorophyll and carotenoid synthesis by Euglena cells was unaffected by these wavelengths. 23 references, 2 figures, 4 tables.

  5. Plant Extract Mediated Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Pd@Graphene Nanocatalyst: An Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for the Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mujeeb Khan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction catalyzed by the palladium (Pd-based nanomaterials is one of the most versatile methods for the preparation of biaryls. However, use of organic solvents as reaction medium causes a big threat to environment due to the generation of toxic byproducts as waste during the work up of these reactions. Therefore, the use of water as reaction media has attracted tremendous attention due to its environmental, economic, and safety benefits. In this study, we report on the synthesis of green Pd@graphene nanocatalyst based on an in situ functionalization approach which exhibited excellent catalytic activity towards the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of phenyl halides with phenyl boronic acids under facile conditions in water. The green and environmentally friendly synthesis of Pd@graphene nanocatalyst (PG-HRG-Pd is carried out by simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide (GRO and PdCl2 using Pulicaria glutinosa extract (PGE as reducing and stabilizing agent. The phytomolecules present in the plant extract (PE not only facilitated the reduction of PdCl2, but also helped to stabilize the surface of PG-HRG-Pd nanocatalyst, which significantly enhanced the dispersibility of nanocatalyst in water. The identification of PG-HRG-Pd was established by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques, including, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR, and Raman spectroscopy. The as-prepared PG-HRG-Pd nanocatalyst demonstrated excellent catalytic activity towards the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reactions under aqueous, ligand free, and aerobic conditions. Apart from this the reusability of the catalyst was also evaluated and the catalyst yielded excellent results upon reuse for several times with marginal loss of its catalytic performance. Therefore, the method developed for the green

  6. Predictors of Attachment Security in Preschool Children from Intact and Divorced Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Hira; Murray, Ann D.

    2005-01-01

    The authors selected 58 mother-child dyads from divorced and intact families to participate in a study on the impact of divorce on preschoolers' attachment security. The authors explored pathways that lead to security of attachment. They found that mothers from divorced families were younger, had lower income levels, and had lower levels of…

  7. Borehole Summary Report for Core Hole C4998 – Waste Treatment Plant Seismic Boreholes Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnett, D. BRENT; Garcia, Benjamin J.

    2006-12-15

    Seismic borehole C4998 was cored through the upper portion of the Columbia River Basalt Group and Ellensburg Formation to provide detailed lithologic information and intact rock samples that represent the geology at the Waste Treatment Plant. This report describes the drilling of borehole C4998 and documents the geologic data collected during the drilling of the cored portion of the borehole.

  8. Detection of intact megadalton protein assemblies of vanillyl-alcohol oxidase by mass spectrometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Berkel, van W.J.H.; Heuvel, van den R.H.H.; Versluis, C.; Heck, A.

    2000-01-01

    Well-resolved ion signals of intact large protein assemblies, with molecular masses extending above one million Dalton, have been detected and mass analyzed using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, with an uncertainty in mass of <0.2&Eth;The mass spectral data seem to reflect known

  9. pGlyco 2.0 enables precision N-glycoproteomics with comprehensive quality control and one-step mass spectrometry for intact glycopeptide identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ming-Qi; Zeng, Wen-Feng; Fang, Pan; Cao, Wei-Qian; Liu, Chao; Yan, Guo-Quan; Zhang, Yang; Peng, Chao; Wu, Jian-Qiang; Zhang, Xiao-Jin; Tu, Hui-Jun; Chi, Hao; Sun, Rui-Xiang; Cao, Yong; Dong, Meng-Qiu; Jiang, Bi-Yun; Huang, Jiang-Ming; Shen, Hua-Li; Wong, Catherine C L; He, Si-Min; Yang, Peng-Yuan

    2017-09-05

    The precise and large-scale identification of intact glycopeptides is a critical step in glycoproteomics. Owing to the complexity of glycosylation, the current overall throughput, data quality and accessibility of intact glycopeptide identification lack behind those in routine proteomic analyses. Here, we propose a workflow for the precise high-throughput identification of intact N-glycopeptides at the proteome scale using stepped-energy fragmentation and a dedicated search engine. pGlyco 2.0 conducts comprehensive quality control including false discovery rate evaluation at all three levels of matches to glycans, peptides and glycopeptides, improving the current level of accuracy of intact glycopeptide identification. The N-glycoproteome of samples metabolically labeled with 15 N/ 13 C were analyzed quantitatively and utilized to validate the glycopeptide identification, which could be used as a novel benchmark pipeline to compare different search engines. Finally, we report a large-scale glycoproteome dataset consisting of 10,009 distinct site-specific N-glycans on 1988 glycosylation sites from 955 glycoproteins in five mouse tissues.Protein glycosylation is a heterogeneous post-translational modification that generates greater proteomic diversity that is difficult to analyze. Here the authors describe pGlyco 2.0, a workflow for the precise one step identification of intact N-glycopeptides at the proteome scale.

  10. Intact cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry on single bovine oocyte and follicular cells combined with top-down proteomics: A novel approach to characterise markers of oocyte maturation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labas, Valérie; Teixeira-Gomes, Ana-Paula; Bouguereau, Laura; Gargaros, Audrey; Spina, Lucie; Marestaing, Aurélie; Uzbekova, Svetlana

    2018-03-20

    Intact cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (ICM-MS) was adapted to bovine follicular cells from individual ovarian follicles to obtain the protein/peptide signatures (top-down workflow using high resolution MS/MS (TD HR-MS) was performed on the protein extracts from oocytes, CC and GC. The TD HR-MS proteomic approach allowed for: (1) identification of 386 peptide/proteoforms encoded by 194 genes; and (2) characterisation of proteolysis products likely resulting from the action of kallikreins and caspases. In total, 136 peaks observed by ICM-MS were annotated by TD HR-MS (ProteomeXchange PXD004892). Among these, 16 markers of maturation were identified, including IGF2 binding protein 3 and hemoglobin B in the oocyte, thymosins beta-4 and beta-10, histone H2B and ubiquitin in CC. The combination of ICM-MS and TD HR-MS proved to be a suitable strategy to identify non-invasive markers of oocyte quality using limited biological samples. Intact cell MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry on single oocytes and their surrounding cumulus cells, coupled to an optimised top-down HR-MS proteomic approach on ovarian follicular cells, was used to identify specific markers of oocyte meiotic maturation represented by whole low molecular weight proteins or products of degradation by specific proteases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Screening for triterpenoid saponins in plants using hyphenated analytical platforms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khakimov, Bekzod; Tseng, Li Hong; Godejohann, Markus

    2016-01-01

    of saponin profiles from intact plant extracts as well as saponin aglycone profiles from hydrolysed samples. Continuously measured 1D proton NMR data during LC separation along with mass spectrometry data revealed significant differences, including contents of saponins, types of aglycones and numbers......Recently the number of studies investigating triterpenoid saponins has drastically increased due to their diverse and potentially attractive biological activities. Currently the literature contains chemical structures of few hundreds of triterpenoid saponins of plant and animal origin. Triterpenoid...... saponins consist of a triterpene aglycone with one or more sugar moieties attached to it. However, due to similar physico-chemical properties, isolation and identification of a large diversity of triterpenoid saponins remain challenging. This study demonstrates a methodology to screen saponins using...

  12. Subsequent influences of feeding intact green seaweed Ulva lactuca to growing lambs on the seminal and testicular characteristics in rams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samara, E M; Okab, A B; Abdoun, K A; El-Waziry, A M; Al-Haidary, A A

    2013-12-01

    The present experiment was designed to investigate the subsequent influences of supplementing different levels of intact green seaweed Ulva lactuca (0%, 3%, and 5% DM) to growing sexually immature lambs during the growth period (74 d) on the seminal and testicular characteristics of sexually mature rams. Ulva lactuca was manually collected, adequately prepared, and then incorporated into lambs' diets. Eighteen male 3-mo-old lambs of the Awassi breed with a mean BW of 22.57 kg (SD = 1.08) were randomly assigned into treatments. The obtained results indicate that offering Ulva lactuca at the level of 3% or 5% DM to lambs during the growth period had no subsequent impacts (P > 0.05) on liver and kidney functions as well as blood water balance in rams, thereby suggesting that Ulva lactuca can be safely supplemented to lambs during growing. However, our findings point out that feeding a lamb diet supplemented with intact Ulva lactuca failed to demonstrate any subsequent benefit (P > 0.05) on the growth performance, thermoregulatory responses, and plasma oxidative status in rams. Above all, it was clearly evident that supplementing intact Ulva lactuca to lambs had demonstrated subsequent negative influences (P Ulva lactuca during the growth period compared to control rams. The deleterious impacts of feeding intact Ulva lactuca on spermatogenesis and germ cell loss were proven to be attributed to the dysfunction of Sertoli cells. Collectively, these results provide novel insights on the subsequent influences of dietary supplementation of intact Ulva lactuca to lambs. The consistent evidence of profound negative impacts on seminal and testicular characteristics as well as the resulting data of no improvement of subsequent growth, thermoregulation, and plasma oxidative status in rams prompts us to tentatively recommend the avoidance of feeding intact Ulva lactuca to lambs.

  13. Differential isotope dansylation labeling combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantification of intact and N-terminal truncated proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, Yanan; Li, Liang

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •LC–MS was developed for quantifying protein mixtures containing both intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. • 12 C 2 -Dansylation of the N-terminal amino acid of proteins was done first, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. •The released 12 C 2 -dansyl labeled N-terminal amino acid was quantified using 13 C 2 -dansyl labeled amino acid standards. •The method provided accurate and precise results for quantifying intact and N-terminal truncated proteins within 8 h. -- Abstract: The N-terminal amino acids of proteins are important structure units for maintaining the biological function, localization, and interaction networks of proteins. Under different biological conditions, one or several N-terminal amino acids could be cleaved from an intact protein due to processes, such as proteolysis, resulting in the change of protein properties. Thus, the ability to quantify the N-terminal truncated forms of proteins is of great importance, particularly in the area of development and production of protein-based drugs where the relative quantity of the intact protein and its truncated form needs to be monitored. In this work, we describe a rapid method for absolute quantification of protein mixtures containing intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. This method is based on dansylation labeling of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of the proteins into amino acids. It is shown that dansyl labeled amino acids are stable in acidic conditions and can be quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with the use of isotope analog standards

  14. Biodiversity hotspots house most undiscovered plant species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joppa, Lucas N; Roberts, David L; Myers, Norman; Pimm, Stuart L

    2011-08-09

    For most organisms, the number of described species considerably underestimates how many exist. This is itself a problem and causes secondary complications given present high rates of species extinction. Known numbers of flowering plants form the basis of biodiversity "hotspots"--places where high levels of endemism and habitat loss coincide to produce high extinction rates. How different would conservation priorities be if the catalog were complete? Approximately 15% more species of flowering plant are likely still undiscovered. They are almost certainly rare, and depending on where they live, suffer high risks of extinction from habitat loss and global climate disruption. By using a model that incorporates taxonomic effort over time, regions predicted to contain large numbers of undiscovered species are already conservation priorities. Our results leave global conservation priorities more or less intact, but suggest considerably higher levels of species imperilment than previously acknowledged.

  15. Colocalization properties of elementary Ca(2+) release signals with structures specific to the contractile filaments and the tubular system of intact mouse skeletal muscle fibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georgiev, Tihomir; Zapiec, Bolek; Förderer, Moritz; Fink, Rainer H A; Vogel, Martin

    2015-12-01

    Ca(2+) regulates several important intracellular processes. We combined second harmonic generation (SHG) and two photon excited fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) to simultaneously record the SHG signal of the myosin filaments and localized elementary Ca(2+) release signals (LCSs). We found LCSs associated with Y-shaped structures of the myosin filament pattern (YMs), so called verniers, in intact mouse skeletal muscle fibers under hypertonic treatment. Ion channels crucial for the Ca(2+) regulation are located in the tubular system, a system that is important for Ca(2+) regulation and excitation-contraction coupling. We investigated the tubular system of intact, living mouse skeletal muscle fibers using 2PFM and the fluorescent Ca(2+) indicator Fluo-4 dissolved in the external solution or the membrane dye di-8-ANEPPS. We simultaneously measured the SHG signal from the myosin filaments of the skeletal muscle fibers. We found that at least a subset of the YMs observed in SHG images are closely juxtaposed with Y-shaped structures of the transverse tubules (YTs). The distances of corresponding YMs and YTs yield values between 1.3 μm and 4.1 μm including pixel uncertainty with a mean distance of 2.52±0.10 μm (S.E.M., n=41). Additionally, we observed that some of the linear-shaped areas in the tubular system are colocalized with linear-shaped areas in the SHG images. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The Role of Plant Water Storage on Water Fluxes within the Coupled Soil-Plant-Atmosphere System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, C. W.; Duman, T.; Parolari, A.; Katul, G. G.

    2015-12-01

    Plant water storage (PWS) contributes to whole-plant transpiration (up to 50%), especially in large trees and during severe drought conditions. PWS also can impact water-carbon economy as well as the degree of resistance to drought. A 1-D porous media model is employed to accommodate transient water flow through the plant hydraulic system. This model provides a mechanistic representation of biophysical processes constraining water transport, accounting for plant hydraulic architecture and the nonlinear relation between stomatal aperture and leaf water potential when limited by soil water availability. Water transport within the vascular system from the stem base to the leaf-lamina is modeled using Richards's equation, parameterized with the hydraulic properties of the plant tissues. For simplicity, the conducting flow in the radial direction is not considered here and the capacitance at the leaf-lamina is assumed to be independent of leaf water potential. The water mass balance in the leaf lamina sets the upper boundary condition for the flow system, which links the leaf-level transpiration to the leaf water potential. Thus, the leaf-level gas exchange can be impacted by soil water availability through the water potential gradient from the leaf lamina to the soil, and vice versa. The root water uptake is modeled by a multi-layered macroscopic scheme to account for possible hydraulic redistribution (HR) in certain conditions. The main findings from the model calculations are that (1) HR can be diminished by the residual water potential gradient from roots to leaves at night due to aboveground capacitance, tree height, nocturnal transpiration or the combination of the three. The degree of reduction depends on the magnitude of residual water potential gradient; (2) nocturnal refilling to PWS elevates the leaf water potential that subsequently delays the onset of drought stress at the leaf; (3) Lifting water into the PWS instead of HR can be an advantageous strategy

  17. Engineered plant biomass feedstock particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dooley, James H [Federal Way, WA; Lanning, David N [Federal Way, WA; Broderick, Thomas F [Lake Forest Park, WA

    2012-04-17

    A new class of plant biomass feedstock particles characterized by consistent piece size and shape uniformity, high skeletal surface area, and good flow properties. The particles of plant biomass material having fibers aligned in a grain are characterized by a length dimension (L) aligned substantially parallel to the grain and defining a substantially uniform distance along the grain, a width dimension (W) normal to L and aligned cross grain, and a height dimension (H) normal to W and L. In particular, the L.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel side surfaces characterized by substantially intact longitudinally arrayed fibers, the W.times.H dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel end surfaces characterized by crosscut fibers and end checking between fibers, and the L.times.W dimensions define a pair of substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces. The L.times.W surfaces of particles with L/H dimension ratios of 4:1 or less are further elaborated by surface checking between longitudinally arrayed fibers. The length dimension L is preferably aligned within 30.degree. parallel to the grain, and more preferably within 10.degree. parallel to the grain. The plant biomass material is preferably selected from among wood, agricultural crop residues, plantation grasses, hemp, bagasse, and bamboo.

  18. Aboveground biomass variability across intact and degraded forests in the Brazilian Amazon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcos Longo; Michael Keller; Maiza N. dos-Santos; Veronika Leitold; Ekena R. Pinagé; Alessandro Baccini; Sassan Saatchi; Euler M. Nogueira; Mateus Batistella; Douglas C. Morton

    2016-01-01

    Deforestation rates have declined in the Brazilian Amazon since 2005, yet degradation from logging, fire, and fragmentation has continued in frontier forests. In this study we quantified the aboveground carbon density (ACD) in intact and degraded forests using the largest data set of integrated forest inventory plots (n = 359) and airborne lidar data (18,000 ha)...

  19. Genetics Coupled to Quantitative Intact Proteomics Links Heritable Aphid and Endosymbiont Protein Expression to Circulative Polerovirus Transmission▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cilia, M.; Tamborindeguy, C.; Fish, T.; Howe, K.; Thannhauser, T. W.; Gray, S.

    2011-01-01

    Yellow dwarf viruses in the family Luteoviridae, which are the causal agents of yellow dwarf disease in cereal crops, are each transmitted most efficiently by different species of aphids in a circulative manner that requires the virus to interact with a multitude of aphid proteins. Aphid proteins differentially expressed in F2 Schizaphis graminum genotypes segregating for the ability to transmit Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV) were identified using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) coupled to either matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem mass spectrometry or online nanoscale liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 50 protein spots, containing aphid proteins and proteins from the aphid's obligate and maternally inherited bacterial endosymbiont, Buchnera, were identified as differentially expressed between transmission-competent and refractive aphids. Surprisingly, in virus transmission-competent F2 genotypes, the isoelectric points of the Buchnera proteins did not match those in the maternal Buchnera proteome as expected, but instead they aligned with the Buchnera proteome of the transmission-competent paternal parent. Among the aphid proteins identified, many were involved in energy metabolism, membrane trafficking, lipid signaling, and the cytoskeleton. At least eight aphid proteins were expressed as heritable, isoelectric point isoform pairs, one derived from each parental lineage. In the F2 genotypes, the expression of aphid protein isoforms derived from the competent parental lineage aligned with the virus transmission phenotype with high precision. Thus, these isoforms are candidate biomarkers for CYDV-RPV transmission in S. graminum. Our combined genetic and DIGE approach also made it possible to predict where several of the proteins may be expressed in refractive aphids with different barriers to transmission. Twelve proteins were predicted to act in the hindgut of the aphid

  20. Biodegradable bags for the production of plant seedlings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Bilck

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The production of plant seedlings has traditionally used polyethylene bags, which are thrown out in the soil or burned after transplant because the large amount of organic material attached to the bags makes recycling difficult. Additionally, when a seedling is taken from the bag for transplant, there is the risk of root damage, which compromises the plant’s development. In this study, we developed biodegradable bags to be used in seedling production, and we verify their influence on the development of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng Pedersen, when the plant is planted without being removed from the bag. Both black and white biodegradable bags remained intact throughout the seedling production period (60 days. After being transplanted into containers (240 days, they were completely biodegraded, and there was no significant difference between the dry mass of these plants and that of plants that were transplanted without the bags. The plants that were cultivated without being removed from the polyethylene bags had root development difficulties, and the wrapping showed no signs of degradation. The use of biodegradable films is an alternative for the production of bags for seedlings, as these can then be transplanted directly into the soil without removing the bag, reducing the risk of damage to the roots during the moment of transplant.

  1. A structured approach to the study of metabolic control principles in intact and impaired mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Heinrich J; Connolly, Niamh M C; Dussmann, Heiko; Prehn, Jochen H M

    2012-03-01

    We devised an approach to extract control principles of cellular bioenergetics for intact and impaired mitochondria from ODE-based models and applied it to a recently established bioenergetic model of cancer cells. The approach used two methods for varying ODE model parameters to determine those model components that, either alone or in combination with other components, most decisively regulated bioenergetic state variables. We found that, while polarisation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ(m)) and, therefore, the protomotive force were critically determined by respiratory complex I activity in healthy mitochondria, complex III activity was dominant for ΔΨ(m) during conditions of cytochrome-c deficiency. As a further important result, cellular bioenergetics in healthy, ATP-producing mitochondria was regulated by three parameter clusters that describe (1) mitochondrial respiration, (2) ATP production and consumption and (3) coupling of ATP-production and respiration. These parameter clusters resembled metabolic blocks and their intermediaries from top-down control analyses. However, parameter clusters changed significantly when cells changed from low to high ATP levels or when mitochondria were considered to be impaired by loss of cytochrome-c. This change suggests that the assumption of static metabolic blocks by conventional top-down control analyses is not valid under these conditions. Our approach is complementary to both ODE and top-down control analysis approaches and allows a better insight into cellular bioenergetics and its pathological alterations.

  2. Single molecule approaches for quantifying transcription and degradation rates in intact mammalian tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahar Halpern, Keren; Itzkovitz, Shalev

    2016-04-01

    A key challenge in mammalian biology is to understand how rates of transcription and mRNA degradation jointly shape cellular gene expression. Powerful techniques have been developed for measuring these rates either genome-wide or at the single-molecule level, however these techniques are not applicable to assessment of cells within their native tissue microenvironment. Here we describe a technique based on single molecule Fluorescence in-situ Hybridization (smFISH) to measure transcription and degradation rates in intact mammalian tissues. The technique is based on dual-color libraries targeting the introns and exons of the genes of interest, enabling visualization and quantification of both nascent and mature mRNA. We present a software, TransQuant, that facilitates quantifying these rates from smFISH images. Our approach enables assessment of both transcription and degradation rates of any gene of interest while controlling for the inherent heterogeneity of intact tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Magnetic field exposure stiffens regenerating plant protoplast cell walls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haneda, Toshihiko; Fujimura, Yuu; Iino, Masaaki

    2006-02-01

    Single suspension-cultured plant cells (Catharanthus roseus) and their protoplasts were anchored to a glass plate and exposed to a magnetic field of 302 +/- 8 mT for several hours. Compression forces required to produce constant cell deformation were measured parallel to the magnetic field by means of a cantilever-type force sensor. Exposure of intact cells to the magnetic field did not result in any changes within experimental error, while exposure of regenerating protoplasts significantly increased the measured forces and stiffened regenerating protoplasts. The diameters of intact cells or regenerating protoplasts were not changed after exposure to the magnetic field. Measured forces for regenerating protoplasts with and without exposure to the magnetic field increased linearly with incubation time, with these forces being divided into components based on the elasticity of synthesized cell walls and cytoplasm. Cell wall synthesis was also measured using a cell wall-specific fluorescent dye, and no changes were noted after exposure to the magnetic field. Analysis suggested that exposure to the magnetic field roughly tripled the Young's modulus of the newly synthesized cell wall without any lag.

  4. Coupling constant metamorphosis as an integrability-preserving transformation for general finite-dimensional dynamical systems and ODEs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sergyeyev, Artur, E-mail: Artur.Sergyeyev@math.slu.cz [Mathematical Institute, Silesian University in Opava, Na Rybníčku 1, 746 01 Opava (Czech Republic)

    2012-06-04

    In the present Letter we extend the multiparameter coupling constant metamorphosis, also known as the generalized Stäckel transform, from Hamiltonian dynamical systems to general finite-dimensional dynamical systems and ODEs. This transform interchanges the values of integrals of motion with the parameters these integrals depend on but leaves the phase space coordinates intact. Sufficient conditions under which the transformation in question preserves integrability and a simple formula relating the solutions of the original system to those of the transformed one are given. -- Highlights: ► We consider the multiparameter coupling constant metamorphosis (MCCM). ► The latter is also known as the generalized Stäckel transform. ► This transform is extended to general (non-Hamiltonian) finite-dimensional dynamical systems. ► The extended transform preserves integrability just as the original MCCM. ► A simple formula for transforming solutions under MCCM is given.

  5. Coupling constant metamorphosis as an integrability-preserving transformation for general finite-dimensional dynamical systems and ODEs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sergyeyev, Artur

    2012-01-01

    In the present Letter we extend the multiparameter coupling constant metamorphosis, also known as the generalized Stäckel transform, from Hamiltonian dynamical systems to general finite-dimensional dynamical systems and ODEs. This transform interchanges the values of integrals of motion with the parameters these integrals depend on but leaves the phase space coordinates intact. Sufficient conditions under which the transformation in question preserves integrability and a simple formula relating the solutions of the original system to those of the transformed one are given. -- Highlights: ► We consider the multiparameter coupling constant metamorphosis (MCCM). ► The latter is also known as the generalized Stäckel transform. ► This transform is extended to general (non-Hamiltonian) finite-dimensional dynamical systems. ► The extended transform preserves integrability just as the original MCCM. ► A simple formula for transforming solutions under MCCM is given.

  6. Biochar may physically entrap nitrate during field aging or co-composting which become plant available under controlled conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haider, Ghulam; Steffens, Diedrich; Müller, Christoph; Kammann, Claudia

    2017-04-01

    Conversion of organic biomass (agriculture/forestry residues) to biochar (BC) for carbon sequestration in soil to abate global warming has received much attention in recent years. However, apart from carbon sequestration, the incorporation of freshly produced biochars in agricultural soils have shown varying effects on soil-plant-moisture and nutrient interactions. It has been frequently reported that BC amendment may accelerate soil N transformations, reduce nitrate leaching, increase nutrient availability and soil fertility thereby increase crop yields by 10-15%. In addition, recent meta-studies suggested that BC-nitrogen (N) interactions in agricultural soils have the potential to reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 50% with the underlying mechanisms not well understood. Also, mechanisms of BC-N sorption and desorption or plant availability of captured N in BC remain poorly understood. In this study we conducted two different experiments aiming (a) to understand the mechanism of nitrate capture by field aged (>3 years) BC (wood chip, pruning, bark and leaves (550-600°C)) and (b) to test the availability of captured nitrate by field-aged and composted BC to plants (quinoa, ryegrass) in a pot study under controlled conditions. Experiment (A): We hypothesized that N captured in the pores of BC may remain inaccessible to extraction solutions due to clogging of BC pores by the development of hydrophobic layer on BC surface following oxidation under field conditions. Therefore (i) physically breaking the structure or (ii) exerting under-pressure to water-immersed aged BC particles may allow extracting greater nitrate with the standard 2 M KCl method compared to intact particles. Study (A) encompassed 1) extraction from intact field-aged BC particles, 2) extraction after immersion in water and evacuation in vacutainers, 3) extraction after grinding of BC to powder and 4) prolonged shaking (48 hours at 80°C) of intact field aged BC particles and then extraction

  7. Double Outlet Right Ventricle With Intact Ventricular Septum: Avulsion or Exclusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menon, Sabarinath; Kumar, C J Ashok; Mathew, Thomas; Venkateshwarn, S; Jayakumar, K; Dharan, Baiju S

    2016-03-01

    Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is almost always associated with a ventricular septal defect. The variant of DORV with intact ventricular septum is very uncommon and may be associated with fetal demise or death immediately after birth. Reports of successful palliation of these patients to the stage of superior cavopulmonary anastomosis (bidirectional Glenn shunt) are rare. We describe the case of a child with DORV with intact ventricular septum who underwent successful palliation. This condition often provides a diagnostic, interventional, and surgical challenge. Patients generally require either balloon atrial septostomy or surgical atrial septectomy for survival, with the addition of a Blalock-Tausig shunt or pulmonary artery band depending on the pulmonary blood flow. Very few patients survive to a Glenn procedure. For those who do survive, a decision must be made regarding the management of the hypertensive and hypoplastic left ventricle (LV) and associated mitral regurgitation. The LV can be excluded by either mitral valve avulsion or closure (exclusion) of the mitral valve with a patch. The choice of the technique should be carefully made and depends in part on the size of the LV. In our patient, who was successfully palliated by bidirectional Glenn shunt, the LV was managed by means of mitral valve avulsion. © The Author(s) 2015.

  8. Assessment of characteristic failure envelopes for intact rock using results from triaxial tests

    OpenAIRE

    Muralha, J.; Lamas, L.

    2014-01-01

    The paper presents contributions to the statistical study of the parameters of the Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown strength criteria, in order to assess the characteristic failure envelopes for intact rock, based on the results of several sets of triaxial tests performed by LNEC. 10p DBB/NMMR

  9. Importance of an intact dura in management of compound elevated fractures; a short series and literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohindra, Sandeep; Singh, Harnarayan; Savardekar, Amey

    2012-01-01

    To describe compound elevated fractures (CEFs) of the skull vault, with radiological pictures, management problems and prognosticative factors. The authors describe three cases of CEFs of the cranium, their mode of injury, clinical findings, radiological images and management problems. The authors have reviewed the existing literature regarding epidemiological data, neurological status, dural breech, methods of management and final outcome, in respect of CEFs. The first case had no dural breech, the second case had completely shattered dura, with extruding brain matter from the wound, while the third case had an elevated bone flap in consequence to large extradural haematoma. The patients with intact dura had relatively favourable outcome, when compared to patients with shattered dura. Three cases are added to the existing 10 such cases described in English literature. The major cause of unfavourable outcome remains sepsis and the presence of intact dura places these cases in the relatively safe category, regarding infective complications. The authors attempt at highlighting the importance of intact dura with such an injury. The review of literature supports favourable outcomes in patients having no dural breech.

  10. Transport of indoleacetic acid in intact corn coleoptiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, K.E.; Briggs, W.R.

    1990-01-01

    We have characterized the transport of [ 3 H]indoleacetic acid (IAA) in intact corn (Zea mays L.) coleoptiles. We have used a wide range of concentrations of added IAA (28 femtomoles to 100 picomoles taken up over 60 minutes). The shape of the transport curve varies with the concentration of added IAA, although the rate of movement of the observed front of tracer is invariant with concentration. At the lowest concentration of tracer used, the labeled IAA in the transport stream is not detectably metabolized or immobilized, curvature does not develop as a result of tracer application, and normal phototropic and gravitropic responsiveness are not affected. Therefore we believe we are observing the transport of true tracer quantities of labeled auxin at this lowest concentration

  11. ICRH antenna S-matrix measurements and plasma coupling characterisation at JET

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monakhov, I.; Jacquet, P.; Blackman, T.; Bobkov, V.; Dumortier, P.; Helou, W.; Lerche, E.; Kirov, K.; Milanesio, D.; Maggiora, R.; Noble, C.; Contributors, JET

    2018-04-01

    The paper is dedicated to the characterisation of multi-strap ICRH antenna coupling to plasma. Relevance of traditional concept of coupling resistance to antennas with mutually coupled straps is revised and the importance of antenna port excitation consistency for application of the concept is highlighted. A method of antenna S-matrix measurement in presence of plasma is discussed allowing deeper insight into the problem of antenna-plasma coupling. The method is based entirely on the RF plant hardware and control facilities available at JET and it involves application of variable phasing between the antenna straps during the RF plant operations at  >100 kW. Unlike traditional techniques relying on low-power (~10 mW) network analysers, the applied antenna voltage amplitudes are relevant to practical conditions of ICRH operations; crucially, they are high enough to minimise possible effects of antenna loading non-linearity due to the RF sheath effects and other phenomena which could affect low-power measurements. The method has been successfully applied at JET to conventional 4-port ICRH antennas energised at frequencies of 33 MHz, 42 MHz and 51 MHz during L-mode plasma discharges while different gas injection modules (GIMs) were used to maintain comparable plasma densities during the pulses. The S-matrix assessment and its subsequent processing yielding ‘global’ antenna coupling resistances in conditions of equalised port maximum voltages allowed consistent description of antenna coupling to plasma at different strap phasing, operational frequencies and applied GIMs. Comprehensive experimental characterisation of mutually coupled antenna straps in presence of plasma also provided a unique opportunity for in-depth verification of TOPICA computer simulations.

  12. Differential isotope dansylation labeling combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantification of intact and N-terminal truncated proteins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Yanan; Li, Liang, E-mail: Liang.Li@ualberta.ca

    2013-08-20

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •LC–MS was developed for quantifying protein mixtures containing both intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. •{sup 12}C{sub 2}-Dansylation of the N-terminal amino acid of proteins was done first, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. •The released {sup 12}C{sub 2}-dansyl labeled N-terminal amino acid was quantified using {sup 13}C{sub 2}-dansyl labeled amino acid standards. •The method provided accurate and precise results for quantifying intact and N-terminal truncated proteins within 8 h. -- Abstract: The N-terminal amino acids of proteins are important structure units for maintaining the biological function, localization, and interaction networks of proteins. Under different biological conditions, one or several N-terminal amino acids could be cleaved from an intact protein due to processes, such as proteolysis, resulting in the change of protein properties. Thus, the ability to quantify the N-terminal truncated forms of proteins is of great importance, particularly in the area of development and production of protein-based drugs where the relative quantity of the intact protein and its truncated form needs to be monitored. In this work, we describe a rapid method for absolute quantification of protein mixtures containing intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. This method is based on dansylation labeling of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of the proteins into amino acids. It is shown that dansyl labeled amino acids are stable in acidic conditions and can be quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with the use of isotope analog standards.

  13. Reconciling certification and intact forest landscape conservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinschroth, Fritz; Garcia, Claude; Ghazoul, Jaboury

    2018-05-29

    In 2014, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) added a new criterion to its principles that requires protection of intact forest landscapes (IFLs). An IFL is an extensive area of forest that lacks roads and other signs of human activity as detected through remote sensing. In the Congo basin, our analysis of road networks in formally approved concessionary logging areas revealed greater loss of IFL in certified than in noncertified concessions. In areas of informal (i.e., nonregulated) extraction, road networks are known to be less detectable by remote sensing. Under the current definition of IFL, companies certified under FSC standards are likely to be penalized relative to the noncertified as well as the informal logging sector on account of their planned road networks, despite an otherwise better standard of forest management. This could ultimately undermine certification and its wider adoption, with implications for the future of sustainable forest management.

  14. Wind power plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kling, A

    1977-01-13

    The wind power plant described has at least one rotor which is coupled to an electricity generator. The systems are fixed to a suspended body so that it is possible to set up the wind power plant at greater height where one can expect stronger and more uniform winds. The anchoring on the ground or on a floating body is done by mooring cables which can simultaneously have the function of an electric cable. The whole system can be steered by fins. The rotor system itself consists of at least one pair of contrarotating, momentum balanced rotors.

  15. KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennewitz, F.; Hummel, R.; Oelmann, K.

    1986-01-01

    The KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer is a real time engineering simulator based on the KWU computer programs used in plant transient analysis and licensing. The primary goal is to promote the understanding of the technical and physical processes of a nuclear power plant at an on-site training facility. Thus the KWU Nuclear Plant Analyzer is available with comparable low costs right at the time when technical questions or training needs arise. This has been achieved by (1) application of the transient code NLOOP; (2) unrestricted operator interaction including all simulator functions; (3) using the mainframe computer Control Data Cyber 176 in the KWU computing center; (4) four color graphic displays controlled by a dedicated graphic computer, no control room equipment; and (5) coupling of computers by telecommunication via telephone

  16. Plastic Change along the Intact Crossed Pathway in Acute Phase of Cerebral Ischemia Revealed by Optical Intrinsic Signal Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoli Guo

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The intact crossed pathway via which the contralesional hemisphere responds to the ipsilesional somatosensory input has shown to be affected by unilateral stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasticity of the intact crossed pathway in response to different intensities of stimulation in a rodent photothrombotic stroke model. Using optical intrinsic signal imaging, an overall increase of the contralesional cortical response was observed in the acute phase (≤48 hours after stroke. In particular, the contralesional hyperactivation is more prominent under weak stimulations, while a strong stimulation would even elicit a depressed response. The results suggest a distinct stimulation-response pattern along the intact crossed pathway after stroke. We speculate that the contralesional hyperactivation under weak stimulations was due to the reorganization for compensatory response to the weak ipsilateral somatosensory input.

  17. Environmental cost benefit analysis for a coal-fired power plant. An application of dispersion modelling coupled with GIS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oguz, M.; Balta, T.

    1998-01-01

    In this study, local air quality impacts of a proposed conventional coal-fired power at Icel region has been investigated using numerical dispersion modeling studies coupled with a GIS application. Within the impact area of the facility, Industrial Source Complex Short Term (ISCST2) dispersion model has been used to estimate ground level concentrations of air pollutants originating from the power plant. For the same impact area, GIS applications have been utilized to determine the agricultural yield distribution. For this purpose, relevant satellite images were digitized, classified and statistically analyzed. Based on the predicted ground level pollutant concentrations and sensitivity of the agricultural crops to those, agricultural yield loss was estimated for the impact area. The results have been quantified and validated in monetary terms for the purpose of performing an environmental cost benefit analysis. Comparison of the conventional cost benefit analysis with the environmental cost benefit analysis showed the significance of the external cost of the proposed facility, resulting from the environmental damages. 6 refs

  18. Surface plasmon resonance sensing: from purified biomolecules to intact cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Yu-Wen; Wang, Wei

    2018-04-12

    Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has become a well-recognized label-free technique for measuring the binding kinetics between biomolecules since the invention of the first SPR-based immunosensor in 1980s. The most popular and traditional format for SPR analysis is to monitor the real-time optical signals when a solution containing ligand molecules is flowing over a sensor substrate functionalized with purified receptor molecules. In recent years, rapid development of several kinds of SPR imaging techniques have allowed for mapping the dynamic distribution of local mass density within single living cells with high spatial and temporal resolutions and reliable sensitivity. Such capability immediately enabled one to investigate the interaction between important biomolecules and intact cells in a label-free, quantitative, and single cell manner, leading to an exciting new trend of cell-based SPR bioanalysis. In this Trend Article, we first describe the principle and technical features of two types of SPR imaging techniques based on prism and objective, respectively. Then we survey the intact cell-based applications in both fundamental cell biology and drug discovery. We conclude the article with comments and perspectives on the future developments. Graphical abstract Recent developments in surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging techniques allow for label-free mapping the mass-distribution within single living cells, leading to great expansions in biomolecular interactions studies from homogeneous substrates functionalized with purified biomolecules to heterogeneous substrates containing individual living cells.

  19. Demonstration of Coupled Multievent Scenario at a Subject Nuclear Power Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coleman, Justin Leigh; Prescott, Steven Ralph; Smith, Curtis; Sampath, Ram

    2015-01-01

    This report discusses how to perform a coupled, seismic and flooding, multievent risk-informed analysis. Presented in the following sections are the need for multievent risk-informed analysis, the tools needed to perform the analysis, and an example of solving a demonstration problem.

  20. Plant Respiration and Climate Change Effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruhn, D.

    2002-04-01

    Plant respiration is one of the key processes in terms of an understanding of plant growth and functioning in a future climate. Short- and long-term effects of temperature and CO 2 on plant respiration were investigated in a number of plant species. The experiments tested effects of either temperature and/or CO 2 from the level of individual respiratory enzymes, isolated mitochondria, whole-tissue, and up to the whole canopy level. The short-term effects of elevated atmospheric CO 2 on plant respiration appeared to be less than suggested so far in the literature. This was true both at the tissue level and for intact mitochondria. Respiratory enzymes can, however, be affected already at low CO 2 . These effects did not manifest itself at the tissue level, though, due to low degrees of control on the whole respiratory process exerted by the particular enzymes. Plant respiration on the other hand was affected by long-term growth at elevated atmospheric CO 2 . The findings of the reduced plant respiration at the leaf level were consistent with the literature and potential causes are discussed. Short-term effects of temperature on plant respiration were demonstrated to be dependent on the actual measurement temperature. Further, it is shown that mitochondrial leaf respiration in darkness and light differ substantially in the temperature sensitivity with the former being the far most sensitive. This has implications for modelling CO 2 exchange between vegetation and atmosphere as demonstrated here, since this has so far been neglected. Long-term effects of temperature resulted in respiratory acclimation in a number of species. Respiratory acclimation appeared not to occur to any one single type of growth temperature. The implications of this finding in combination with the timing of acclimation are discussed for modelling respiratory CO 2 release. (au)

  1. Plant Respiration and Climate Change Effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruhn, D

    2002-04-01

    Plant respiration is one of the key processes in terms of an understanding of plant growth and functioning in a future climate. Short- and long-term effects of temperature and CO{sub 2} on plant respiration were investigated in a number of plant species. The experiments tested effects of either temperature and/or CO{sub 2} from the level of individual respiratory enzymes, isolated mitochondria, whole-tissue, and up to the whole canopy level. The short-term effects of elevated atmospheric CO{sub 2} on plant respiration appeared to be less than suggested so far in the literature. This was true both at the tissue level and for intact mitochondria. Respiratory enzymes can, however, be affected already at low CO{sub 2}. These effects did not manifest itself at the tissue level, though, due to low degrees of control on the whole respiratory process exerted by the particular enzymes. Plant respiration on the other hand was affected by long-term growth at elevated atmospheric CO{sub 2}. The findings of the reduced plant respiration at the leaf level were consistent with the literature and potential causes are discussed. Short-term effects of temperature on plant respiration were demonstrated to be dependent on the actual measurement temperature. Further, it is shown that mitochondrial leaf respiration in darkness and light differ substantially in the temperature sensitivity with the former being the far most sensitive. This has implications for modelling CO{sub 2} exchange between vegetation and atmosphere as demonstrated here, since this has so far been neglected. Long-term effects of temperature resulted in respiratory acclimation in a number of species. Respiratory acclimation appeared not to occur to any one single type of growth temperature. The implications of this finding in combination with the timing of acclimation are discussed for modelling respiratory CO{sub 2} release. (au)

  2. Family Relationships and the Psychosocial Adjustment of School-Aged Children in Intact Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hakvoort, Esther M.; Bos, Henny M. W.; Van Balen, Frank; Hermanns, Jo M. A.

    2010-01-01

    The authors investigated whether the quality of three family relationships (i.e., marital, parent-child, sibling) in intact families are associated with each other and with children's psychosocial adjustment. Data were collected by means of maternal and child reports (N = 88) using standardized instruments (i.e., Marital Satisfaction Scale,…

  3. Estimating Carbon Dynamics in an Intact Lowland Mixed Dipterocarp Forest Using a Forest Carbon Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jongyeol Lee

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Intact dipterocarp forests in Asia act as crucial carbon (C reservoirs, and it is therefore important to investigate the C dynamics in these forests. We estimated C dynamics, together with net ecosystem production (NEP, in an intact tropical dipterocarp forest of Brunei Darussalam. Fifty-four simulation units (plots; 20 m × 20 m were established and initial C stocks were determined via direct field measurement. The C dynamics were annually simulated with a regression model and the Forest Biomass and Dead organic matter Carbon (FBDC model. The initial C stock (Mg C·ha−1 of biomass, litter, dead wood and mineral soil were 213.1 ± 104.8, 2.0 ± 0.8, 31.3 ± 38.8, and 80.7 ± 15.5, respectively. Their annual changes (Mg C·ha−1·year−1 were 3.2 ± 1.1, 0.2 ± 0.2, −3.7 ± 6.1, and −0.3 ± 1.1, respectively. NEP was −0.6 ± 6.1 Mg C·ha−1·year−1, showing large heterogeneity among the plots. The initial C stocks of biomass and dead wood, biomass turnover rates and dead wood decay rates were elucidated as dominant factors determining NEP in a sensitivity analysis. Accordingly, investigation on those input data can constrain an uncertainty in determining NEP in the intact tropical forests.

  4. Herbivore preference for native vs. exotic plants: generalist herbivores from multiple continents prefer exotic plants that are evolutionarily naïve.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wendy E Morrison

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Enemy release and biotic resistance are competing, but not mutually exclusive, hypotheses addressing the success or failure of non-native plants entering a new region. Enemy release predicts that exotic plants become invasive by escaping their co-adapted herbivores and by being unrecognized or unpalatable to native herbivores that have not been selected to consume them. In contrast, biotic resistance predicts that native generalist herbivores will suppress exotic plants that will not have been selected to deter these herbivores. We tested these hypotheses using five generalist herbivores from North or South America and nine confamilial pairs of native and exotic aquatic plants. Four of five herbivores showed 2.4-17.3 fold preferences for exotic over native plants. Three species of South American apple snails (Pomacea sp. preferred North American over South American macrophytes, while a North American crayfish Procambarus spiculifer preferred South American, Asian, and Australian macrophytes over North American relatives. Apple snails have their center of diversity in South America, but a single species (Pomacea paludosa occurs in North America. This species, with a South American lineage but a North American distribution, did not differentiate between South American and North American plants. Its preferences correlated with preferences of its South American relatives rather than with preferences of the North American crayfish, consistent with evolutionary inertia due to its South American lineage. Tests of plant traits indicated that the crayfish responded primarily to plant structure, the apple snails primarily to plant chemistry, and that plant protein concentration played no detectable role. Generalist herbivores preferred non-native plants, suggesting that intact guilds of native, generalist herbivores may provide biotic resistance to plant invasions. Past invasions may have been facilitated by removal of native herbivores, introduction of

  5. Application of the coupled Relap5/Panther codes for PWR steam. Line break accident analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guisset, J.-P.; Bosso, S.; Charlier, A.; Delhaye, X.; Ergo, O.; Ouliddren, K.; Schneidesch, C.; Zhang, J.

    2001-01-01

    A dynamic coupling between the existing 1-dimensional thermal-hydraulics system code RELAP5 and the 3-dimensional neutronics code PANTHER is applied via the transient analysis code linkage program TALINK. An interface between PANTHER and the subchannel thermal-hydraulic analysis code COBRA 3C allows direct evaluation of the Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio in parallel with the coupled PANTHER/RELAP5 simulation. The coupled codes are applied to develop a Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) accident analysis methodology for the major Steam Line Break (SLB) accident at hot zero power in a typical three-loop pressurised water reactor. In this methodology, the uncertainties related to the plant, core thermal-hydraulic and neutronic parameters are combined in a deterministic bounding approach based on sensitivity studies. The results of coupled thermal-hydraulic and neutronic analysis of SLB are presented and discussed. It is shown that there exists an important margin in the traditional FSAR accident analysis for SLB, which can be attributed by the conservatism's introduced by de-coupling the plant sub-systems. (author)

  6. Application of the coupled Relap5/Panther codes for PWR steam. Line break accident analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guisset, J.-P.; Bosso, S.; Charlier, A.; Delhaye, X.; Ergo, O.; Ouliddren, K.; Schneidesch, C.; Zhang, J. [Tractebel Energy Engineering, Brussels (Belgium)

    2001-07-01

    A dynamic coupling between the existing 1-dimensional thermal-hydraulics system code RELAP5 and the 3-dimensional neutronics code PANTHER is applied via the transient analysis code linkage program TALINK. An interface between PANTHER and the subchannel thermal-hydraulic analysis code COBRA 3C allows direct evaluation of the Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio in parallel with the coupled PANTHER/RELAP5 simulation. The coupled codes are applied to develop a Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) accident analysis methodology for the major Steam Line Break (SLB) accident at hot zero power in a typical three-loop pressurised water reactor. In this methodology, the uncertainties related to the plant, core thermal-hydraulic and neutronic parameters are combined in a deterministic bounding approach based on sensitivity studies. The results of coupled thermal-hydraulic and neutronic analysis of SLB are presented and discussed. It is shown that there exists an important margin in the traditional FSAR accident analysis for SLB, which can be attributed by the conservatism's introduced by de-coupling the plant sub-systems. (author)

  7. Transformation and regeneration of the holoparasitic plant Phelipanche aegyptiaca

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernández-Aparicio Mónica

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transformation and subsequent regeneration of holoparasitic plants has never been reported, in part due to challenges in developing transformation protocols, but also because regeneration of obligate parasites is difficult since their survival depends completely on successful haustorium penetration of a host and the formation of vascular connections. The recent completion of a massive transcriptome sequencing project (the Parasitic Plant Genome Project will fuel the use of genomic tools for studies on parasitic plants. A reliable system for holoparasite transformation is needed to realize the full value of this resource for reverse genetics and functional genomics studies. Results Here we demonstrate that transformation of Phelipanche aegyptiaca is achieved by infection of 3 month-old in vitro grown P. aegyptiaca calli with Agrobacterium rhizogenes harboring the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP. Four months later, YFP-positive regenerated calli were inoculated onto tomato plants growing in a minirhizotron system. Eight days after inoculation, transgenic parasite tissue formed lateral haustoria that penetrated the host and could be visualized under UV illumination through intact host root tissue. YFP-positive shoot buds were observed one month after inoculation. Conclusions This work constitutes a breakthrough in holoparasitic plant research methods. The method described here is a robust system for transformation and regeneration of a holoparasitic plant and will facilitate research on unique parasitic plant capabilities such as host plant recognition, haustorial formation, penetration and vascular connection.

  8. Rapid differentiation of Listeria monocytogenes epidemic clones III and IV and their intact compared with heat-killed populations using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyarko, Esmond B; Puzey, Kenneth A; Donnelly, Catherine W

    2014-06-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine if Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis (chemometrics) could be used to rapidly differentiate epidemic clones (ECs) of Listeria monocytogenes, as well as their intact compared with heat-killed populations. FT-IR spectra were collected from dried thin smears on infrared slides prepared from aliquots of 10 μL of each L. monocytogenes ECs (ECIII: J1-101 and R2-499; ECIV: J1-129 and J1-220), and also from intact and heat-killed cell populations of each EC strain using 250 scans at a resolution of 4 cm(-1) in the mid-infrared region in a reflectance mode. Chemometric analysis of spectra involved the application of the multivariate discriminant method for canonical variate analysis (CVA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). CVA of the spectra in the wavelength region 4000 to 600 cm(-1) separated the EC strains while LDA resulted in a 100% accurate classification of all spectra in the data set. Further, CVA separated intact and heat-killed cells of each EC strain and there was 100% accuracy in the classification of all spectra when LDA was applied. FT-IR spectral wavenumbers 1650 to 1390 cm(-1) were used to separate heat-killed and intact populations of L. monocytogenes. The FT-IR spectroscopy method allowed discrimination between strains that belong to the same EC. FT-IR is a highly discriminatory and reproducible method that can be used for the rapid subtyping of L. monocytogenes, as well as for the detection of live compared with dead populations of the organism. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis can be used for L. monocytogenes source tracking and for clinical case isolate comparison during epidemiological investigations since the method is capable of differentiating epidemic clones and it uses a library of well-characterized strains. The FT-IR method is potentially less expensive and more rapid compared to genetic

  9. Radioiodination of an outer membrane protein in intact Rickettsia prowazekii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, D.K.; Winkler, H.H.

    1980-01-01

    Intact Rickettsia prowazekii was radiolabeled with the glucose oxidase-lactoperoxidase method of iodination. Separation of the rickettsial extract into cytoplasmic, outer and inner membrane fractions demonstrated that the outer membrane was preferentially labeled. Analysis of the polypeptides of these fractions on high-resolution slab polyacrylamide gels showed that most of the 125 I was in polypeptide T49, an outer membrane constituent. Additional outer membrane polypeptides were iodinated in broken envelope preparations, demonstrating that T49 is uniquely accessible to the external environment and the asymmetric polypeptide organization of the outer membrane

  10. Effects of radiation quality on the opening of stomata in intact Phaseolus vulgaris leaves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sikorska, K.; Kozłowska, B.; Ciereszko, I.; Maleszewski, S.

    1997-01-01

    In intact French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) leaves blue radiation enhanced opening of stomata both when it was used individually and when it was used as preirradiation before ''white light'' irradiation. Effects of red radiation were just the contrary

  11. Fluorescent-protein stabilization and high-resolution imaging of cleared, intact mouse brains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin K Schwarz

    Full Text Available In order to observe and quantify long-range neuronal connections in intact mouse brain by light microscopy, it is first necessary to clear the brain, thus suppressing refractive-index variations. Here we describe a method that clears the brain and preserves the signal from proteinaceous fluorophores using a pH-adjusted non-aqueous index-matching medium. Successful clearing is enabled through the use of either 1-propanol or tert-butanol during dehydration whilst maintaining a basic pH. We show that high-resolution fluorescence imaging of entire, structurally intact juvenile and adult mouse brains is possible at subcellular resolution, even following many months in clearing solution. We also show that axonal long-range projections that are EGFP-labelled by modified Rabies virus can be imaged throughout the brain using a purpose-built light-sheet fluorescence microscope. To demonstrate the viability of the technique, we determined a detailed map of the monosynaptic projections onto a target cell population in the lateral entorhinal cortex. This example demonstrates that our method permits the quantification of whole-brain connectivity patterns at the subcellular level in the uncut brain.

  12. Intact skull chronic windows for mesoscopic wide-field imaging in awake mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silasi, Gergely; Xiao, Dongsheng; Vanni, Matthieu P.; Chen, Andrew C. N.; Murphy, Timothy H.

    2016-01-01

    Background Craniotomy-based window implants are commonly used for microscopic imaging, in head-fixed rodents, however their field of view is typically small and incompatible with mesoscopic functional mapping of cortex. New Method We describe a reproducible and simple procedure for chronic through-bone wide-field imaging in awake head-fixed mice providing stable optical access for chronic imaging over large areas of the cortex for months. Results The preparation is produced by applying clear-drying dental cement to the intact mouse skull, followed by a glass coverslip to create a partially transparent imaging surface. Surgery time takes about 30 minutes. A single set-screw provides a stable means of attachment for mesoscale assessment without obscuring the cortical field of view. Comparison with Existing Methods We demonstrate the utility of this method by showing seed-pixel functional connectivity maps generated from spontaneous cortical activity of GCAMP6 signals in both awake and anesthetized mice. Conclusions We propose that the intact skull preparation described here may be used for most longitudinal studies that do not require micron scale resolution and where cortical neural or vascular signals are recorded with intrinsic sensors. PMID:27102043

  13. Determination of the intracellular pH of intact erythrocytes by 1H NMR spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabenstein, D.L.; Isab, A.A.

    1982-01-01

    A method is described for determining the intracellular pH of intact erythrocytes by 1 H NMR. The determination is based on the pH dependence of the chemical shifts of resonances for carbon-bounded protons of an indicator molecule (imidazole) in intact cells. The imidazole is introduced into the erythrocytes by incubation in an isotonic saline solution of the indicator. The pH dependence of the chemical shifts of the imidazole resonances is calibrated from 1 H NMR spectra of the imidazole-containing red cell lysates whose pH is varied by the addition of acid or base and measured directly with a pH electrode. To reduce in intensity or eliminate the much more intense envelope of resonances from the hemoglobin, the 1 H NMR measurements are made by either the spin-echo Fourier transform technique or by the transfer-or-saturation by cross-relaxation method

  14. Supracapsular glued intraocular lens in progressive subluxated cataracts: Technique to retain an intact vitreous face.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Soosan; Narasimhan, Smita; Agarwal, Amar; Mazzotta, Cosimo; Rechichi, Miguel; Agarwal, Athiya

    2017-03-01

    We describe a technique to prevent late intraocular lens (IOL) subluxation and dislocation that can be associated with progressive zonulopathy. Supracapsular glued IOL fixation is done to retain an intact anterior hyaloid face and avoid vitreous disturbance while providing stable long-term IOL fixation. Phacoemulsification is followed by glued IOL implantation above intact anterior and posterior capsules. Sclerotomies are created ab interno in a supracapsular plane under diametrically opposite lamellar scleral flaps without entering the vitreous cavity. Haptics are externalized in the supracapsular plane and tucked into intrascleral tunnels. Intraoperative or postoperative posterior capsulorhexis or capsulotomy and anterior capsule relaxing cuts can prevent capsule phimosis. Copyright © 2017 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Teaching laser-induced fluorescence of plant leaves

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenk, Sándor; Gádoros, Patrik; Kocsányi, László; Barócsi, Attila

    2016-11-01

    Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars using the energy of sunlight. Absorbed light unused for conversion is dissipated primarily as heat with a small fraction re-emitted as fluorescence at longer wavelengths. One can use the latter to estimate photosynthetic activity. The illumination of intact leaves with strong light after keeping them in dark for tens of minutes results in a rapid increase followed by a slow decay of fluorescence emission from the fluorophore chlorophyll-a, called the Kautsky effect. This paper describes a laboratory practice that introduces students of physics or engineering into this research field. It begins with the spectral measurement of the fluorescence emitted by a plant leaf upon UV excitation. Then it focuses on the red and far-red components of the fluorescence emission spectrum characteristic to the chlorophyll-a molecule and presents an inexpensive demonstration of the Kautsky effect. As researchers use more complex measurement techniques and tools, the practice ends up with the demonstration of an intelligent fluorosensor, a compact tool developed for plant physiological research and horticulture applications together with a brief interpretation of some important fluorescence parameters.

  16. Teaching laser-induced fluorescence of plant leaves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lenk, Sándor; Gádoros, Patrik; Kocsányi, László; Barócsi, Attila

    2016-01-01

    Plants convert carbon dioxide into sugars using the energy of sunlight. Absorbed light unused for conversion is dissipated primarily as heat with a small fraction re-emitted as fluorescence at longer wavelengths. One can use the latter to estimate photosynthetic activity. The illumination of intact leaves with strong light after keeping them in dark for tens of minutes results in a rapid increase followed by a slow decay of fluorescence emission from the fluorophore chlorophyll -a , called the Kautsky effect. This paper describes a laboratory practice that introduces students of physics or engineering into this research field. It begins with the spectral measurement of the fluorescence emitted by a plant leaf upon UV excitation. Then it focuses on the red and far-red components of the fluorescence emission spectrum characteristic to the chlorophyll -a molecule and presents an inexpensive demonstration of the Kautsky effect. As researchers use more complex measurement techniques and tools, the practice ends up with the demonstration of an intelligent fluorosensor, a compact tool developed for plant physiological research and horticulture applications together with a brief interpretation of some important fluorescence parameters. (paper)

  17. TMI-2 fuel-recovery plant. Feasibility study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, D.L.

    1982-12-01

    This project is a feasibility study for constructing a TMI-2 core Fuel Recovery Plant at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The primary objectives of the Fuel Recovery Plant (FRP) are to recover and account for the fuel and to process, isolate, and package the waste material from the TMI-2 core. This feasibility study is predicated on a baseline plant and covers its design, fabrication, installation, testing and operation. Alternative methods for the disposal of the TMI-2 core have also been considered, but not examined in detail for their feasibility. The FRP will receive TMI-2 fuel in canisters. The fuel will vary from core debris to intact fuel assemblies and include some core structural materials. The canister contents will be shredded and subsequently fed to a dissolver. Uranium, plutonium, fission products, and some core structural material will be dissolved. The uranium will be separated by solvent extraction and solidified by calcination. The plutonium will also be separated by solvent extraction and routed to the Plutonium Extraction Facility. The wastes will be packaged for further treatment, temporary storage or permanent disposal

  18. Degradation behaviour of phosphinothricin in nontransgenic and transgenic maize- and rape cells as well as in whole plants. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Engelhardt, G.; Pawlizki, K.H.; Ruhland, M.

    2000-01-01

    Up to now only very few publications are available about the metabolism of phosphinothricin (D/L-PPT, trade names: BASTA trademark , LIBERTY trademark ) in plants. In most of these reports degradation studies with cell cultures using very low herbicide concentrations are described. There are no publications about the degradation in transgenic intact plants under outdoor conditions yet. In order to clarify the question, whether the degradation in transgenic crops may differ from that in nontransgenic plants and if there exist differences between D- and L-PPT, the degradation of 14 C-D/L-, -L- and -D-PPT in transgenic and nontransgenic cell cultures as well as in intact, transgenic rape and maize plants was studied under outdoor conditions. D-PPT was not metabolised to a reasonable extent both in cell cultures and whole plants, all metabolites were formed from L-PPT. At harvest the amounts of total residues in maize plants ranged from 9 to 16% of the applied herbicide dosage and in rape plants from 35 to 47%. In nontransgenic plant cells L-PPT was exclusively metabolised to different methylphosphinico fatty acids. The main metabolite both in transgenic cells and whole plants with a content of 60 to 90% of total residues in rape and maize was N-acetyl-L-PPT, which seems to be stable in transgenic plants. In addition very low amounts of the same methylphosphinico fatty acids as in nontransgenic cells were detected in transgenic plants. More than 95% of the total residues were extractable by water, the formation of nonpolar and nonextractable residues was below 4%. At harvest the highest amounts of the residues were found in the treated leaves (4-15%), the lowest in the kernals (0,07-0,6%). According to these results total residues of PPT will not exceed the official tolerances in transgenic rape and maize if application follows good agricultural practice. (orig.) [de

  19. Association of Bystander Interventions With Neurologically Intact Survival Among Patients With Bystander-Witnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakahara, Shinji; Tomio, Jun; Ichikawa, Masao; Nakamura, Fumiaki; Nishida, Masamichi; Takahashi, Hideto; Morimura, Naoto; Sakamoto, Tetsuya

    2015-07-21

    Neurologically intact survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been increasing in Japan. However, associations between increased prehospital care, including bystander interventions and increases in survival, have not been well estimated. To estimate the associations between bystander interventions and changes in neurologically intact survival among patients with OHCA in Japan. Retrospective descriptive study using data from Japan's nationwide OHCA registry, which started in January 2005. The registry includes all patients with OHCA transported to the hospital by emergency medical services (EMS) and recorded patients' characteristics, prehospital interventions, and outcomes. Participants were 167,912 patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA of presumed cardiac origin in the registry between January 2005 and December 2012. Prehospital interventions by bystander, including defibrillation using public-access automated external defibrillators and chest compression. Neurologically intact survival was defined as Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category score 1 or 2 and overall performance category scores 1 or 2 at 1 month or at discharge. The association between the interventions and neurologically intact survival was evaluated. From 2005 to 2012, the number of bystander-witnessed OHCAs of presumed cardiac origin increased from 17,882 (14.0 per 100,000 persons [95% CI, 13.8-14.2]) to 23,797 (18.7 per 100,000 persons [95% CI, 18.4-18.9]), and neurologically intact survival increased from 587 cases (age-adjusted proportion, 3.3% [95% CI, 3.0%-3.5%]) to 1710 cases (8.2% [95% CI, 7.8%-8.6%]). The rates of bystander chest compression increased from 38.6% to 50.9%, bystander-only defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 2.3%, bystander defibrillation combined with EMS defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 1.4%, and EMS-only defibrillation decreased from 26.6% to 23.5%. Performance of bystander chest compression, compared with no bystander chest compression

  20. New auxin analogs with growth-promoting effects in intact plants reveal a chemical strategy to improve hormone delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savaldi-Goldstein, Sigal; Baiga, Thomas J; Pojer, Florence; Dabi, Tsegeye; Butterfield, Cristina; Parry, Geraint; Santner, Aaron; Dharmasiri, Nihal; Tao, Yi; Estelle, Mark; Noel, Joseph P; Chory, Joanne

    2008-09-30

    Plant growth depends on the integration of environmental cues and phytohormone-signaling pathways. During seedling emergence, elongation of the embryonic stem (hypocotyl) serves as a readout for light and hormone-dependent responses. We screened 10,000 chemicals provided exogenously to light-grown seedlings and identified 100 compounds that promote hypocotyl elongation. Notably, one subset of these chemicals shares structural characteristics with the synthetic auxins, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (1-NAA); however, traditional auxins (e.g., indole-3-acetic acid [IAA], 2,4-D, 1-NAA) have no effect on hypocotyl elongation. We show that the new compounds act as "proauxins" akin to prodrugs. Our data suggest that these compounds diffuse efficiently to the hypocotyls, where they undergo cleavage at varying rates, releasing functional auxins. To investigate this principle, we applied a masking strategy and designed a pro-2,4-D. Unlike 2,4-D alone, this pro-2,4-D enhanced hypocotyl elongation. We further demonstrated the utility of the proauxins by characterizing auxin responses in light-grown hypocotyls of several auxin receptor mutants. These new compounds thus provide experimental access to a tissue previously inaccessible to exogenous application of auxins. Our studies exemplify the combined power of chemical genetics and biochemical analyses for discovering and refining prohormone analogs with selective activity in specific plant tissues. In addition to the utility of these compounds for addressing questions related to auxin and light-signaling interactions, one can envision using these simple principles to study other plant hormone and small molecule responses in temporally and spatially controlled ways.

  1. Phonological abilities in literacy-impaired children: Brain potentials reveal deficient phoneme discrimination, but intact prosodic processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Männel

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Intact phonological processing is crucial for successful literacy acquisition. While individuals with difficulties in reading and spelling (i.e., developmental dyslexia are known to experience deficient phoneme discrimination (i.e., segmental phonology, findings concerning their prosodic processing (i.e., suprasegmental phonology are controversial. Because there are no behavior-independent studies on the underlying neural correlates of prosodic processing in dyslexia, these controversial findings might be explained by different task demands. To provide an objective behavior-independent picture of segmental and suprasegmental phonological processing in impaired literacy acquisition, we investigated event-related brain potentials during passive listening in typically and poor-spelling German school children. For segmental phonology, we analyzed the Mismatch Negativity (MMN during vowel length discrimination, capturing automatic auditory deviancy detection in repetitive contexts. For suprasegmental phonology, we analyzed the Closure Positive Shift (CPS that automatically occurs in response to prosodic boundaries. Our results revealed spelling group differences for the MMN, but not for the CPS, indicating deficient segmental, but intact suprasegmental phonological processing in poor spellers. The present findings point towards a differential role of segmental and suprasegmental phonology in literacy disorders and call for interventions that invigorate impaired literacy by utilizing intact prosody in addition to training deficient phonemic awareness.

  2. In Vivo Real-Time Imaging of Exogenous HGF-Triggered Cell Migration in Rat Intact Soleus Muscles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishido, Minenori; Kasuga, Norikatsu

    2012-01-01

    The transplantation of myogenic cells is a potentially effective therapy for muscular dystrophy. However, this therapy has achieved little success because the diffusion of transplanted myogenic cells is limited. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is one of the primary triggers to induce myogenic cell migration in vitro. However, to our knowledge, whether exogenous HGF can trigger the migration of myogenic cells (i.e. satellite cells) in intact skeletal muscles in vivo has not been reported. We previously reported a novel in vivo real-time imaging method in rat skeletal muscles. Therefore, the present study examined the relationship between exogenous HGF treatment and cell migration in rat intact soleus muscles using this imaging method. As a result, it was indicated that the cell migration velocity was enhanced in response to increasing exogenous HGF concentration in skeletal muscles. Furthermore, the expression of MyoD was induced in satellite cells in response to HGF treatment. We first demonstrated in vivo real-time imaging of cell migration triggered by exogenous HGF in intact soleus muscles. The experimental method used in the present study will be a useful tool to understand further the regulatory mechanism of HGF-induced satellite cell migration in skeletal muscles in vivo

  3. Dissolution of intact UO2 pellet in batch and rotary dissolver conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayendra Kumar Gelatar; Bijendra Kumar; Sampath, M.; Shekhar Kumar; Kamachi Mudali, U.; Natarajan, R.

    2015-01-01

    Comparative dissolution of intact un-irradiated UO 2 pellet of PHWR fuel dimensions was performed in batch and dynamic rotary dissolver conditions in aqueous nitric acid solutions at elevated temperatures. The extent of dissolution was estimated by determining the uranium concentration of the resulting aqueous solution. It was observed that rate of dissolution was much faster in dynamic conditions as compared to static batch conditions. (author)

  4. Glycine uptake in heath plants and soil microbes responds to elevated temperature, CO2 and drought

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andresen, Luise C.; Michelsen, Anders; Jonasson, Sven

    2009-01-01

    the responses to single factors treatments. The soil microbes were superior to plants in the short-term competition for the added glycine, as indicated by an 18 times larger 15N recovery in the microbial biomass compared to the plant biomass. The soil microbes acquired glycine largely as an intact compound (87...... here present results from a field experiment in which the effects of these three climate change factors are investigated solely and in all combinations at a temperate heath dominated by heather (Calluna vulgaris) and wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa). Climate induced increases in plant production...... may increase plant root exudation of dissolved organic compounds such as amino acids, and the release of amino acids during decomposition of organic matter. Such free amino acids in soil serve as substrates for soil microorganisms and are also acquired as nutrients directly by plants. We investigated...

  5. Preparation of intact mitochondria using free-flow isoelectric focusing with post-pH gradient sample injection for morphological, functional and proteomics studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He, Yu-Chen; Kong, Fan-Zhi; Fan, Liu-Yin; Wu, Jane Y.; Liu, Xiao-Ping; Li, Jun; Sun, Yan; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Ying; Wu, Xue-Jing; Xiao, Hua; Cao, Cheng-Xi

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondria play essential roles in both energy metabolism and cell signaling, which are critical for cell survival. Although significant efforts have been invested in understanding mitochondrial biology, methods for intact mitochondria preparation are technically challenging and remain to be improved. New methods for heterogeneous mitochondria purification will therefore boost our understanding on their physiological and biophysical properties. Herein, we developed a novel recycling free-flow isoelectric focusing (RFFIEF) with post-pH gradient sample injection (post-PGSI) for preparative separation of mitochondria. Crude mitochondria of rabbit liver obtained from differential centrifugation were purified by the developed method according to their pI values as six fractions. Transmission electron microscope images revealed that intact mitochondria existed in two fractions of pH 6.24 and 6.61, degenerative mitochondria were in two fractions of pH 5.46 and 5.72, and inner membrane vesicles (IMVs) appeared in the fractions of pH 4.70 and 5.04. Membrane potential measurement proved a dramatic difference between intact mitochondria and IMVs, which reflected the bioactivity of obtained populations. Particularly, proteomics analyses revealed that more number of proteins were identified in the intact fractions than that of IMVs or crude mitochondria, which demonstrated that RFFIEF could be powerful tool for the preparation of intact organelle as well as their proteomic and in-depth biological analysis. - Highlights: • Mitochondrial subpopulation was successfully separated according to their pIs via the developed RFFIEF method. • The post-PGSI method was introduced for the first time to achieve higher recovery of intact mitochondria. • Quick preparation of mitochondria subpopulation via the developed RFFIEF for both pI determination and downstream research.

  6. High-throughput phenotyping of plant resistance to aphids by automated video tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kloth, Karen J; Ten Broeke, Cindy Jm; Thoen, Manus Pm; Hanhart-van den Brink, Marianne; Wiegers, Gerrie L; Krips, Olga E; Noldus, Lucas Pjj; Dicke, Marcel; Jongsma, Maarten A

    2015-01-01

    Piercing-sucking insects are major vectors of plant viruses causing significant yield losses in crops. Functional genomics of plant resistance to these insects would greatly benefit from the availability of high-throughput, quantitative phenotyping methods. We have developed an automated video tracking platform that quantifies aphid feeding behaviour on leaf discs to assess the level of plant resistance. Through the analysis of aphid movement, the start and duration of plant penetrations by aphids were estimated. As a case study, video tracking confirmed the near-complete resistance of lettuce cultivar 'Corbana' against Nasonovia ribisnigri (Mosely), biotype Nr:0, and revealed quantitative resistance in Arabidopsis accession Co-2 against Myzus persicae (Sulzer). The video tracking platform was benchmarked against Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) recordings and aphid population development assays. The use of leaf discs instead of intact plants reduced the intensity of the resistance effect in video tracking, but sufficiently replicated experiments resulted in similar conclusions as EPG recordings and aphid population assays. One video tracking platform could screen 100 samples in parallel. Automated video tracking can be used to screen large plant populations for resistance to aphids and other piercing-sucking insects.

  7. Pathophysiology of preterm labor with intact membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talati, Asha N; Hackney, David N; Mesiano, Sam

    2017-11-01

    Preterm labor with intact membranes is a major cause of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). To prevent sPTB a clear understanding is needed of the hormonal interactions that initiate labor. The steroid hormone progesterone acting via its nuclear progesterone receptors (PRs) in uterine cells is essential for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy and disruption of PR signaling (i.e., functional progesterone/PR withdrawal) is key trigger for labor. The process of parturition is also associated with inflammation within the uterine tissues and it is now generally accepted that inflammatory stimuli from multiple extrinsic and intrinsic sources induce labor. Recent studies suggest inflammatory stimuli induce labor by affecting PR transcriptional activity in uterine cells to cause functional progesterone/PR withdrawal. Advances in understanding the functional interaction of inflammatory load on the pregnancy uterus and progesterone/PR signaling is opening novel areas of research and may lead to rational therapeutic strategies to effectively prevent sPTB. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Virtual Plant Tissue: Building Blocks for Next-Generation Plant Growth Simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dirk De Vos

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Motivation: Computational modeling of plant developmental processes is becoming increasingly important. Cellular resolution plant tissue simulators have been developed, yet they are typically describing physiological processes in an isolated way, strongly delimited in space and time.Results: With plant systems biology moving toward an integrative perspective on development we have built the Virtual Plant Tissue (VPTissue package to couple functional modules or models in the same framework and across different frameworks. Multiple levels of model integration and coordination enable combining existing and new models from different sources, with diverse options in terms of input/output. Besides the core simulator the toolset also comprises a tissue editor for manipulating tissue geometry and cell, wall, and node attributes in an interactive manner. A parameter exploration tool is available to study parameter dependence of simulation results by distributing calculations over multiple systems.Availability: Virtual Plant Tissue is available as open source (EUPL license on Bitbucket (https://bitbucket.org/vptissue/vptissue. The project has a website https://vptissue.bitbucket.io.

  9. Bioengineered human IAS reconstructs with functional and molecular properties similar to intact IAS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Jagmohan

    2012-01-01

    Because of its critical importance in rectoanal incontinence, we determined the feasibility to reconstruct internal anal sphincter (IAS) from human IAS smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with functional and molecular attributes similar to the intact sphincter. The reconstructs were developed using SMCs from the circular smooth muscle layer of the human IAS, grown in smooth muscle differentiation media under sterile conditions in Sylgard-coated tissue culture plates with central Sylgard posts. The basal tone in the reconstructs and its changes were recorded following 0 Ca2+, KCl, bethanechol, isoproterenol, protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, and Rho kinase (ROCK) and PKC inhibitors Y-27632 and Gö-6850, respectively. Western blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunocytochemical (IC) analyses were also performed. The reconstructs developed spontaneous tone (0.68 ± 0.26 mN). Bethanechol (a muscarinic agonist) and K+ depolarization produced contraction, whereas isoproterenol (β-adrenoceptor agonist) and Y-27632 produced a concentration-dependent decrease in the tone. Maximal decrease in basal tone with Y-27632 and Gö-6850 (each 10−5 M) was 80.45 ± 3.29 and 17.76 ± 3.50%, respectively. WB data with the IAS constructs′ SMCs revealed higher levels of RhoA/ROCK, protein kinase C-potentiated inhibitor or inhibitory phosphoprotein for myosin phosphatase (CPI-17), phospho-CPI-17, MYPT1, and 20-kDa myosin light chain vs. rectal smooth muscle. WB, IF, and IC studies of original SMCs and redispersed from the reconstructs for the relative distribution of different signal transduction proteins confirmed the feasibility of reconstruction of IAS with functional properties similar to intact IAS and demonstrated the development of myogenic tone with critical dependence on RhoA/ROCK. We conclude that it is feasible to bioengineer IAS constructs using human IAS SMCs that behave like intact IAS. PMID:22790596

  10. Nanodiamonds coupled with plant bioactive metabolites: a nanotech approach for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gismondi, Angelo; Reina, Giacomo; Orlanducci, Silvia; Mizzoni, Francesca; Gay, Stefano; Terranova, Maria L; Canini, Antonella

    2015-01-01

    Nanodiamond application in biotechnological and medical fields is nowadays in continuous progress. In fact, biocompatibility, reduced dimensions and high surface chemical interaction are specific features that make nanodiamonds perfect intracellular carriers of bioactive compounds. By confocal microscopy, we confirmed that nanodiamonds were able to penetrate in cell cytoplasm but we also demonstrated how they remained embedded in nuclear membrane just exposing some little portions into nuclear area, definitively clarifying this topic. In this work, for the first time, nanodiamonds were conjugated with plant secondary metabolites, ciproten and quercetin. Moreover, since drug-loading on nanoparticles was strongly conditioned by their chemical surface, different types of nanodiamonds (oxidized, wet chemical reduced and plasma reduced) were synthesized in this work and then functionalized with plant compounds. We found that ciproten and quercetin antiproliferative effects, on human (HeLa) and murine (B16F10) tumor cells, were improved after nanodiamond conjugation. Moreover, plant molecules highly reduced their in vitro pro-oxidant, cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activity when associated with nanodiamond. We are led to suppose that natural drug-nanodiamond adducts would act at cellular level by different molecular mechanisms with respect to plant metabolite pure forms. Finally, our results showed that chemical and structural modifications of nanodiamond surfaces influenced the bioactivity of transported drugs. According to all these evidences, this work can be considered as a promotional research to favor the use of bioactive plant molecules associated with nanodiamonds for therapeutic purposes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Linguistic control of a nuclear power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feeley, J.J.; Johnson, J.C.

    1987-01-01

    A multivariable linguistic controller based on fuzzy set theory is discussed and its application to a pressurized water nuclear power plant control is illustrated by computer simulation. The nonlinear power plant simulation model has nine states, two control inputs, one disturbance input, and two outputs. Although relatively simple, the model captures the essential coupled nonlinear plant dynamics and is convenient to use for control system studies. The use of an adaptive version of the controller is also demonstrated by computer simulation

  12. Acute Genotoxic Effects of Effluent Water of Thermo-Power Plant “Kosova” In Tradescantia Pallida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. R. Elezaj, L.B.Millaku, R.H. Imeri-Millaku, Q.I. Selimi, and K. Rr. Letaj

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was the evaluation of acute genotoxic effect of effluent water of thermo-power plant by means of Tradescantia root tips micronucleus test (MN, mitotic index and cell aberrations.   Tradescantia, was experimentally treated (for 24 h, with effluent water of thermo-power plant in different dilution ratios (negative control – distilled water; primary untreated effluent water and 1:1; 1:2; 1:3; 1:4; 1:5; 1:6 and 1:7 respectively. Number of aberrant cells, and frequency of micronuclei (MN, in meristematic root tip cells of treated plants (Tradescantia, were significantly increased (P<0.001; P<0.001 respectively, while the mitotic index in all treated plants was progressively decreased in comparison to the negative control. The results of present study indicate that Tradescantia root-tip micronucleus assay with direct exposure of intact plants is an appropriate method which enables to detect genotoxic effects of effluent waters.

  13. [Management of threatening preterm labor with intact membranes: indications for antibiotics].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winer, N

    2002-11-01

    To analyse the benefits and disadvantages of systematic antibiotic therapy in patient presenting a preterm labor with intact membranes. We reviewed French and English reports on Medline using to the following key words: "antibiotic therapy and preterm labor, preterm labor, streptococcus B, vaginose, mycoplasma, antenatal infection". The systematic prescription of antibiotics is not recommended for patients presenting preterm labor who have intact membranes and no symptoms of infection. The benefit of antibiotics is small and shows a tendency to prolong the pregnancy and the reduction of maternal infection. No benefit has been shown for neonatal results. When early-onset neonatal sepsis develops in a case in which antepartum chemoprophylaxis was used, the isolated bacteria will present an increasing risk of bacterial drug resistance. Local treatment (cream or pessary) do not belong in the treatment of threatening preterm labor and are not recommended for the prevention of prematurity or materno fetal infection. Risk groups of patients who present a positive vaginal colonization are subject to discussion. Studies do not allow us to ascertain that antibiotics have a beneficial effect on prematurity in these groups. Antibiotics are recommended for the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria. This treatment reduces prematurity and maternal infections. Despite poor consensus criteria, if threatening preterm labor is associated with a bacteriuria, experts usually recommend treatment.

  14. Intact calcium signaling in adrenergic-deficient embryonic mouse hearts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peoples, Jessica N; Taylor, David G; Katchman, Alexander N; Ebert, Steven N

    2018-01-22

    Mouse embryos that lack the ability to produce the adrenergic hormones, norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI), due to disruption of the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (Dbh -/- ) gene inevitably perish from heart failure during mid-gestation. Since adrenergic stimulation is well-known to enhance calcium signaling in developing as well as adult myocardium, and impairments in calcium signaling are typically associated with heart failure, we hypothesized that adrenergic-deficient embryonic hearts would display deficiencies in cardiac calcium signaling relative to adrenergic-competent controls at a developmental stage immediately preceding the onset of heart failure, which first appears beginning or shortly after mouse embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). To test this hypothesis, we used ratiometric fluorescent calcium imaging techniques to measure cytosolic calcium transients, [Ca 2+ ] i in isolated E10.5 mouse hearts. Our results show that spontaneous [Ca 2+ ] i oscillations were intact and robustly responded to a variety of stimuli including extracellular calcium (5 mM), caffeine (5 mM), and NE (100 nM) in a manner that was indistinguishable from controls. Further, we show similar patterns of distribution (via immunofluorescent histochemical staining) and activity (via patch-clamp recording techniques) for the major voltage-gated plasma membrane calcium channel responsible for the L-type calcium current, I Ca,L , in adrenergic-deficient and control embryonic cardiac cells. These results demonstrate that despite the absence of vital adrenergic hormones that consistently leads to embryonic lethality in vivo, intracellular and extracellular calcium signaling remain essentially intact and functional in embryonic mouse hearts through E10.5. These findings suggest that adrenergic stimulation is not required for the development of intracellular calcium oscillations or extracellular calcium signaling through I Ca,L and that aberrant calcium signaling does not likely contribute

  15. The plant vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkla, B J; Apse, M P; Manolson, M F; Blumwald, E

    1994-01-01

    Salt stress imposes severe limitations on plant growth, however, the extent of growth reduction depends upon the soil salinity level and the plant species. One of the mechanisms employed by salt tolerant plants is the effective vacuolar compartmentalization of sodium. The sequestration of sodium into the vacuole occurs by the operation of a Na+/H+ antiport located at the tonoplast. Evidence for a plant vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport has been demonstrated in tissues, intact vacuoles and isolated tonoplast vesicles. In sugar beet cell suspensions, the activity of the vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport increased with increasing NaCl concentrations in the growth medium. This increased activity was correlated with the increased synthesis of a 170 kDa tonoplast polypeptide. In vivo labelling of tonoplast proteins showed the enhanced synthesis of the 170 kDa polypeptide not only upon exposure of the cells to salt, but also when the cells were grown in the presence of amiloride. Exposure of the cells to amiloride also resulted in increased vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport activity. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the 170 kDa polypeptide almost completely inhibited the antiport activity, suggesting the association of this protein with the plant vacuolar Na+/H+ antiport. Antibodies against the Na+/H+ antiport-associated polypeptide were used to screen a Beta lambda ZAP expression library. A partial clone of 1.65 kb was sequenced and found to encode a polypeptide with a putative transmembrane domain and a large hydrophilic C terminus. This clone showed no homology to any previously cloned gene at either the nucleic acid or the amino acid level.

  16. Air pollutants and the cuticle: implications for plant physiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riederer, M.; Jetter, R.; Markstaedter, C.; Schreiber, L.

    1994-01-01

    The physiologically most important function of the plant cuticle is to control the loss of water and of inorganic and organic constituents of plants via the surfaces of leaves and fruits. In a polluted environment, the cuticle may also affect the rates of uptake of extraneous chemicals. It will be shown how the essential transport properties of plant cuticles can be determined experimentally using intact leaves, isolated cuticles, and reconstituted cuticular waxes. The transport properties will be related to the physico-chemical properties of the permeants in order to achieve a general description of pollutant transport across the leaf/atmosphere interface and to assess the relative contributions of the cuticular and the stomatal pathways to the total flow rate. The correlation of the transport properties of cuticles with their chemical composition will be discussed and a model of the molecular structure of the transport-limiting barrier of the cuticle and of epicuticular waxes be presented. The effects of chemicals of anthropogenic and biogenic origin on cuticular permeability will be described quantitatively. (orig.)

  17. Dual pathways for the intracellular processing of insulin. Relationship between retroendocytosis of intact hormone and the recycling of insulin receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marshall, S.

    1985-01-01

    Adipocytes process insulin through either of two pathways: a retroendocytotic pathway that culminates in the release of intact insulin, and a degradative pathway that terminates in the intracellular catabolism and release of degraded ligand. Mechanistically, these pathways were found to differ in several ways. First, temporal differences were found in the rate at which intact and degraded products were extruded. After 125 I-insulin was preloaded into the cell interior, intact ligand was completely released during the first 10 min (t 1/2 = 2 min), whereas degraded insulin was released at a much slower rate over 1 h (t 1/2 greater than 8 min). Secondly, it was found that chloroquine profoundly inhibited the insulin degradative pathway, resulting in the intracellular accumulation of intact ligand and a reduction in the release of degraded products. In contrast, however, chloroquine was without effect on the retroendocytotic processing of insulin. Based on the known actions of chloroquine, it appears that retroendocytosis of insulin does not involve vesicular acidification or dissociation of the insulin-receptor complex and that insulin is most likely carried to the cell exterior in the same vesicles (either receptor-bound or free) as those mediating recycling receptors. Interestingly, accumulation of undergraded insulin within chloroquine-treated cells did not result in the release of additional intact ligand, suggesting that once insulin enters the degradative compartment it is committed to catabolism and cannot exit the cell through the retroendocytotic pathway. A third difference was revealed by the finding that extracellular unlabeled insulin (100 ng/ml) markedly accelerated the rate at which preloaded 125 I-insulin was released from adipocytes (t 1/2 of 3 min versus 7 min in controls cells)

  18. Automated setup for characterization of intact histone tails in Suz12-/- stem cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sidoli, Simone; Schwämmle, Veit; Hansen, Thomas Aarup

    Epigenetics is defined as the study of heritable changes that occur without modifying the DNA sequence. Histone proteins are crucial components of epigenetic mechanisms and regulation, since they are fundamental for chromatin structure. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is already an integrated...... developed a high-resolving and automated LC-MS/MS setup to characterize intact histone tails (middle-down strategy)...

  19. Safety analysis of coupling system of hybrid (MED-RO) nuclear desalination system utilising waste heat from HTGR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raha, Abhijit; Kishore, G.; Rao, I.S.; Adak, A.K.; Srivastava, V.K.; Prabhakar, S.; Tewari, P.K.

    2010-01-01

    To meet the generation IV goals, High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) are designed to have relatively higher thermal efficiency and enhanced safety and environmental characteristics. It can provide energy for combined production of hydrogen, electricity and other industrial applications. The waste heat available in the HTGR power cycle can also be utilized for the desalination of seawater for producing potable water. Desalination is an energy intensive process, so use of waste heat from HTGR certainly makes desalination process more affordable to create fresh water resources. So design of the coupling system, as per the safety design requirement of nuclear desalination plant, of desalination plant with HTGR is very crucial. In the first part of this paper, design of the coupling system between hybrid Multi Effect Desalination-Reverse Osmosis (MED-RO) nuclear desalination plant and HTGR to utilize the waste heat in HTGR are discussed. In the next part deterministic safety analysis of the designed coupling system of are presented in detail. It was found that all the coupling system meets the acceptance criteria for all the Postulated Initiating Events (PIE's) limited to DBA. (author)

  20. Mechanisms of blood pressure changes following renal irradiation of intact, adrenalectomized, and adrenal regenerating rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenblum, M.

    1977-01-01

    This study was conducted to determine the differences in changes in systolic arterial blood pressure following renal x irradiation (1100 R) in adrenal-intact, adrenalectomized, and adrenal-regenerating rats and to elucidate the involvement or roles of the kidneys and of the adrenal glands in the blood pressure changes. The parameters studied included the following: systolic blood pressure; body weight; food and fluid consumption; urine output; plasma and urine electrolytes; sodium balance; plasma renin activity; plasma corticosterone; renal vascular volume; renal vascular permeability (using 125 I-polyvinylpyrrolidone extravasation rate as an indicator); renal blood flow (using 42 K extraction); kidney weight; hematocrit; and total vascular, plasma, and red cell volumes. Renal x irradiation of intact rats caused polydipsia, polyuria, and reduced urine concentrations of sodium and potassium without significantly affecting blood pressure during the period of study (80 days); plasma renin activity was significantly lowered and had a positive correlation with blood volume; an abnormal blood volume-plasma renin activity relationship is suggested. Adrenalectomy caused prolonged hypotension in saline-maintained rats even though their sodium balance was more positive than that in adrenal-intact or adrenal-regenerating rats with normal or elevated blood pressure. The blood pressure of renally irrradiated, adrenalectomized rats was greater than non-irradiated adrenalectomized rats, but with only borderline significance; it is concluded that the absence of the adrenal glands does not affect the degree or duration of the effects of renal irradiation on blood pressure

  1. Coupling of standard condensing nuclear power stations to horizontal aluminium tubes multieffect distillation plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adar, J.

    1977-01-01

    No large nuclear back-pressure turbines are available to-day. Standard condensing nuclear turbines could operate continuously with a back-pressure of up to 7'' Hg, exhausting huge amounts of steam at 56degC-64degC with a loss of electricity production of only 6%-10%. The horizontal aluminium tube multieffect distillation process developed by 'Israel Desalination Engineering Ltd' is very suitable for the use of such low-grade heat. A special flash-chamber loop constitutes a positive barrier against any possible contamination being carried over by the steam exhausted from the turbine to the desalination plant. The operation is designed to be flexible so that the power plant can be operated either in conjunction with the desalination plant or as a single purpose plant. Flow sheets, heat and mass balances have been prepared for eight different combinations of plants. Only standard equipment is being used in the power plant. The desalination plant consists of 6 to 12 parallel double lines, each of them similar to a large prototype now being designed. Water production varies between 50 and 123 MGD and water cost between 90 and 137 c/1000 gallons. Costs are based on actual bids

  2. Abilities of some higher plants to hydrolyze the acetates of phenols and aromatic-aliphatic alcohols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Mironowicz

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In the biotransformations carried out under the same conditions, the whole intact plants of Spirodela punctata, Nephrolepis exaltata, Cyrtomium falcatum, Nephrolepis cordifolia and the suspension cultures of Helianthus tuberosus, Daucus carota and Petunia hybrida hydrolyze (partially or totally the ester bonds of the acetates of phenols and aromatic-aliphatic alcohols and also the menthyl acetate. Nevertheless, the methyl esters of aromatic acids, structurally similar to the former substrates, do not undergo hydrolysis. At the same time, the viability of first four plants was observed for different levels of acetate concentration. The method of continuous preparative hydrolysis of the same acetates was worked out in Cyrtomium falcatum culture.

  3. The response of leaves to heat stress in tomato plants with source-sink modulated by growth regulators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zofia Starck

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The response to heat stress was investigated in heat-sensitive, Roma V. F. and heat-tolerant, Robin, cultivars whose fruit growth was stimulated by NOA + GA3 , or NOA + GA3 + zeatin. The treated plants were compared with untreated control plant. In each of these series half of the plants were subjected to one or three cycles of heat stress. A single cycle of 38°/25°C day and night did not significantly affect either the respiration rate or chlorophyll content. In PGR-untreated intact cv. Roma, heat stress inhibited starch formation during the day and strongly depressed night export from the blades. High temperature depressed the night transport less in plants having a higher sink demand of fruits in plant treated with PGR. In this case the amount of substances available for export was much higher and both sugars and starch were more intensively remobilized at night. In intact Robin plants, PGR and heat stress much less affected sugar and starch content. High temperature diminished noctural starch remobilization only in the NOA + GA3 series. Leaf disc growth was evaluated as a measure of response to heat stress after elimination of the direct effect of fruit demands. One cycle of high temperature did not negatively affect the growth of leaf discs; it even caused thermal low growth activation in both cultivars. Three cycles of heat stress depressed leaf disc growth after short-term stimulation, especially in Roma plants. Immediately after 3-day heat stress, there was no response of discs to GA3 or zeatin added to the solution on which the discs were floated. Leaf disc growth of Robin control and NOA + GA3 series was very similar in plants from optimal temperature conditions. High temperature inhibited only disc growth of the NOA + GA3 series owing to depression of starch break-down, diminishing the pool of sugars. In contrast, leaf discs of Roma cv. excided from NOA + GA3 treated plants from the optimal temperature series, grew more intensively

  4. General model for Pc-based simulation of PWR and BWR plant components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ratemi, W M; Abomustafa, A M [Faculty of enginnering, alfateh univerity Tripoli, (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)

    1995-10-01

    In this paper, we present a basic mathematical model derived from physical principles to suit the simulation of PWR-components such as pressurizer, intact steam generator, ruptured steam generator, and the reactor component of a BWR-plant. In our development, we produced an NMMS-package for nuclear modular modelling simulation. Such package is installed on a personal computer and it is designed to be user friendly through color graphics windows interfacing. The package works under three environments, namely, pre-processor, simulation, and post-processor. Our analysis of results using cross graphing technique for steam generator tube rupture (SGTR) accident, yielded a new proposal for on-line monitoring of control strategy of SGTR-accident for nuclear or conventional power plant. 4 figs.

  5. Power-to-Gas coupling to biomethane production. A feasibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saric, M.; Dijkstra, J.W.; Walspurger, S. [ECN Biomass and Energy Efficiency, Petten (Netherlands)

    2013-09-15

    This preliminary feasibility study on coupling 'Power-to-gas' conversion chain to the bio-methane from producer gas shows a promising potential for efficient and cost effective operation. The production capacity of the biomethane plant can be doubled, while cold gas efficiency remains the same as compared to a standalone biomethane plant. The specifications of the natural gas grid can be reached at the condition that the allowed H2 content is not too strict. The study showed that such coupling implies that both methanation and SNG upgrade sections need to be designed to withstand variable operation conditions and part-load. The methanation section would have to deal with a turndown factor of 2 when switching from E-demand to E-excess operating mode while the CO2 removal section must work efficiently in part-load and respond well in shutdown/start-up operations.

  6. Development of hot water utilizing power plant in fiscal 1998. Development of a binary cycle power generation plant (development of a 10-MW class plant); 1998 nendo nessui riyo hatsuden plant nado kaihatsu. Binary cycle hatsuden plant no kaihatsu (10MW kyu plant no kaihatsu)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    This paper summarizes the achievements in fiscal 1998 on developing a 10-MW geothermal power plant in the Hohi-Sugawara area being a representative area of middle-to-high temperature hot water resources. In designing the plant, domestic and overseas surveys were carried out on media suitable for binary cycle power plants, thermal cycle characteristics, construction cost, environmental effects, safety, operation, maintenance and control. Latest technologies were also surveyed and analyzed. The plant construction performed development construction around the testing devices, new construction of a plant control room building, constructions for installing electrical machines including the hot water system testing devices, river water intake facility construction, and cooling water intake facility installing construction. The environmental effect investigation included investigations on rain falls, river flow rates, hot springs, spring water, monitoring during the construction, and the state of transplantation of precious plants, and observation on groundwater variation. In verifying the geothermal water pumping system, factory tests were carried out on DHP3 demonstration machine which couples the pump section of a down-hole pump with the motor section, whose performance and functions were verified. (NEDO)

  7. Plant-wide control of coupled distillation columns with partial condensers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebrahimzadeh, Edris; Baxter, Larry L.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Extractive distillation system for CO_2–ethane azeotrope separation. • Control of distillation column systems that have interconnected partial condenser and total condenser columns. • Single-end temperature control of distillation columns. • Aspen Dynamics tools applied for rigorous steady-state and dynamic simulations. - Abstract: Conventional distillation control processes use vapor distillate flowrate to control column pressure and condenser heat removal to control the reflux drum level. These intuitive control systems work well for isolated columns or columns with total condensers. However, these controls are not effective when columns with partial condensers occur in series. The pressure and reflux drum level interact in such systems in ways that defeat conventional control systems, rendering them unable to maintain product purities in the presence of large feed flowrate and composition disturbances. This investigation documents a plant-wide control structure that can address this issue by controlling pressure through reflux heat removal rate and reflux drum level by reflux flow rate. This control system demonstrates its capability to handle large disturbances in throughput and feed composition through a series of Aspen simulations. This alternative system is no more complicated than the conventional system and should work on distillation columns of nearly all designs, not just the coupled partial condenser designs for which it is essential. Common natural gas processing provides a specific example of this alternative control system. Natural gas commonly includes high concentrations of CO_2 that must be removed prior to pipeline or LNG distribution. The existence of a minimum-boiling temperature azeotrope between ethane, virtually always present in natural gas, and carbon dioxide complicates the separation of CO_2 from the hydrocarbons. This separation commonly employs extractive distillation with high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons. Our

  8. Bacterially produced Pt-GFP as ratiometric dual-excitation sensor for in planta mapping of leaf apoplastic pH in intact Avena sativa and Vicia faba.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geilfus, Christoph-Martin; Mühling, Karl H; Kaiser, Hartmut; Plieth, Christoph

    2014-01-01

    Ratiometric analysis with H(+)-sensitive fluorescent sensors is a suitable approach for monitoring apoplastic pH dynamics. For the acidic range, the acidotropic dual-excitation dye Oregon Green 488 is an excellent pH sensor. Long lasting (hours) recordings of apoplastic pH in the near neutral range, however, are more problematic because suitable pH indicators that combine a good pH responsiveness at a near neutral pH with a high photostability are lacking. The fluorescent pH reporter protein from Ptilosarcus gurneyi (Pt-GFP) comprises both properties. But, as a genetically encoded indicator and expressed by the plant itself, it can be used almost exclusively in readily transformed plants. In this study we present a novel approach and use purified recombinant indicators for measuring ion concentrations in the apoplast of crop plants such as Vicia faba L. and Avena sativa L. Pt-GFP was purified using a bacterial expression system and subsequently loaded through stomata into the leaf apoplast of intact plants. Imaging verified the apoplastic localization of Pt-GFP and excluded its presence in the symplast. The pH-dependent emission signal stood out clearly from the background. PtGFP is highly photostable, allowing ratiometric measurements over hours. By using this approach, a chloride-induced alkalinizations of the apoplast was demonstrated for the first in oat. Pt-GFP appears to be an excellent sensor for the quantification of leaf apoplastic pH in the neutral range. The presented approach encourages to also use other genetically encoded biosensors for spatiotemporal mapping of apoplastic ion dynamics.

  9. Technetium accumulation, fate, and behavior in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cataldo, D.A.; Wildung, R.E.; Garland, T.R.

    1978-01-01

    Technetium, a product of the nuclear fuel cycle, is highly soluble in water and mobile in soils as the pertechnetate ion (TcO - 4 ). Soluble ions in soil have the potential for competing with nutrient ions for membrane carrier sites involved in ion uptake by plants. A study was, therefore, undertaken to determine the availability, toxicity, and mechanism of pertechnetate uptake by soybean (Glycine max cv. Williams). Technetium was effectively accumulated by plants at soil concentrations of 0.01 to 0.1 μg/g and in nutrient culture at levels as low as 0.02 pg/ml. Plants grown on soils containing technetium at levels below 0.1 μg/g effectively removed up to 90% of the technetium from soil. Minimal mobilization of technetium from vegetative tissues to the seed occurred during senescence. Chemical analyses indicated that the xylem-mobile form of technetium was TcO 4 - . The uptake rate of technetium by intact plants was multiphasic over the concentration range of 0.01 to 10μM; this suggests active uptake and a specificity for technetium in the root absorption process. Because of the efficiency of technetium accumulation and the probability of its chemical toxicity, competition kinetic studies were undertaken to identify possible nutrient analogs. Nutrients effective in reducing technetium uptake included the Mn 2+ , SO 4 2- , H 2 PO 4 - , and MoO 4 2- ions

  10. Perceived Parental Acceptance Related to Self-Esteem, GPA, Sex-Role Identity, and Substance Use of Adolescents From Intact and Reconstituted Families

    OpenAIRE

    Sniteman, Stephen B.

    1993-01-01

    This investigation assessed the relationship between adolescents of intact families and adolescents in reconstituted families with regard to the effects of perception of parental acceptance on the variables of self-esteem, academic performance, sex role identity, and use o f substances. Observed differences between adolescents of intact and reconstituted families from a structural perspective, eliminating process variables, were also examined. Participants included two hundred fifty-six high ...

  11. Development and verification of a coupled code system RETRAN-MASTER-TORC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, J.Y.; Song, J.S.; Joo, H.G.; Zee, S.Q.

    2004-01-01

    Recently, coupled thermal-hydraulics (T-H) and three-dimensional kinetics codes have been widely used for the best-estimate simulations such as the main steam line break (MSLB) and locked rotor problems. This work is to develop and verify one of such codes by coupling the system T-H code RETRAN, the 3-D kinetics code MASTER and sub-channel analysis code TORC. The MASTER code has already been applied to such simulations after coupling with the MARS or RETRAN-3D multi-dimensional system T-H codes. The MASTER code contains a sub-channel analysis code COBRA-III C/P, and the coupled systems MARSMASTER-COBRA and RETRAN-MASTER-COBRA had been already developed and verified. With these previous studies, a new coupled system of RETRAN-MASTER-TORC is to be developed and verified for the standard best-estimate simulation code package in Korea. The TORC code has already been applied to the thermal hydraulics design of the several ABB/CE type plants and Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants (KSNP). This justifies the choice of TORC rather than COBRA. Because the coupling between RETRAN and MASTER codes are already established and verified, this work is simplified to couple the TORC sub-channel T-H code with the MASTER neutronics code. The TORC code is a standalone code that solves the T-H equations for a given core problem from reading the input file and finally printing the converged solutions. However, in the coupled system, because TORC receives the pin power distributions from the neutronics code MASTER and transfers the T-H results to MASTER iteratively, TORC needs to be controlled by the MASTER code and does not need to solve the given problem completely at each iteration step. By this reason, the coupling of the TORC code with the MASTER code requires several modifications in the I/O treatment, flow iteration and calculation logics. The next section of this paper describes the modifications in the TORC code. The TORC control logic of the MASTER code is then followed. The

  12. Medicinal plants used for the management of diabetes mellitus in Zaria, Kaduna state, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umar S. Abubakar

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Context: The knowledge of traditional uses of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes mellitus in Zaria is still intact with the traditional medicine practitioners. Aims: To collect, identify and document medicinal plants used traditionally for the management of diabetes mellitus in Zaria city. Methods: Open-ended informal interviews and general conversation were administered to twenty-two (22 traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs and herb sellers. The data collected included the local names of plants, parts used, method of preparations and mode of administration. Results: Twenty-six (26 species of plants belonging to eighteen (18 families were identified. Herbal remedies were mostly prepared from freshly collected plants, while decoction was the main method of preparation. Leaves and stem bark formed the major parts of plants for herbal preparations. Conclusions: The study has documented different traditional practices used for the management of diabetes mellitus in the study area. Further studies should be conducted to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of plant species that have not yet been studied and to identify the bioactive compounds responsible for the antidiabetic activity as claimed by the traditional healers.

  13. Genetic transformation of intact Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis by high-voltage electroporation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIntyre, D.A.; Harlander, S.K. (Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul (USA))

    1989-03-01

    The objective of this study was to develop a system for electroporating intact cells of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis LM0230 (previously designated Streptococcus lactis LM0230) with a commercially available electroporation unit. Parameters which influenced the efficiency of transformation included growth phase and final concentration of cells, ionic strength of the suspending medium, concentration of plasmid DNA, and the amplitude and duration of the pulse. Washed suspensions of intact cells suspended in deionized distilled water were subjected to one high-voltage electric pulse varying in voltage (300 to 900 V corresponding to field strengths of 5 to 17 kV/cm) and duration (100 {mu}s to 1 s). Transformation efficiencies of 10{sup 3} transformants per {mu}g of DNA were obtained when dense suspensions (final concentration, 5 {times} 10{sup 10} CFU/ml) of stationary-phase cells were subjected to one pulse with a peak voltage of 900 V (field strength, 17 kV/cm) and a pulse duration of 5 ms in the presence of plasmid DNA. Dilution of porated cells in broth medium followed by an expression period of 2 h at 30{degree}C was beneficial in enhancing transformation efficiencies. Plasmids ranging in size from 9.8 to 30.0 kilobase pairs could be transformed by this procedure.

  14. Ethylene and carbon dioxide exchange in leaves and whole plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woodrow, L

    1989-01-01

    This investigation addresses the interactions between CO{sub 2}, ethylene, and photosynthetic carbon metabolism in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and Xanthium strumarium L. Rates of ethylene release were examined at alternate leaf positions on vegetative tomato plants. The rates of endogenous and ACC-stimulated ethylene release per unit leaf area were highest in the young, rapidly expanding leaves. When plants were grown under CO{sub 2} enrichment rates of ethylene release from the leaf tissue were consistently higher than from tissue grown at ambient levels. Elevated CO{sub 2} concentrations during short-term incubations further enhanced the rates of ethylene release. Ethylene release from ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) applied to intact tomato plants provided a model system in which to study the effects of ethylene on photosynthetic metabolism and carbon partitioning. The ethephon treated plants exhibited leaf epinasty, flower bud abscission, inhibition of leaf expansion, adventitious root development, and reduction of dry matter accumulation and growth over time. Rates of steady state photosynthesis, respiration, photorespiration, transpiration, and partitioning of recently fixed {sup 14}C into neutral, acidic, basic, and insoluble leaf fractions were unaltered 24 h after ethephon application.

  15. Accumulation and phytotoxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Xinping; Ye, Chengchen; Liu, Yu; Zhao, Fang-Jie

    2015-01-01

    Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is widely used in the manufacture of many industrial and household products. To assess the potential environmental risk of PFOA, its accumulation, translocation and phytotoxic effects were investigated using the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Exposure to 18 μM PFOA-F in agar plates did not affect plant growth, but 181–1811 μM PFOA-F inhibited root and shoot growth. PFOA was more phytotoxic on shoot growth than NaF at the equivalent F concentration, with the latter having 3.9–7.6 times higher EC50 for shoot biomass than PFOA. PFOA was efficiently translocated from roots to shoots, where it existed as intact PFOA molecules without transformation evidenced by the 19 F NMR spectra. PFOA caused a significant increase in the concentration of H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) in shoots, indicating that oxidative stress is a likely cause of PFOA phytotoxicity. - Highlights: • PFOA is more phytotoxic on shoot growth than NaF at the equivalent F concentration. • PFOA is readily taken up and translocated from roots to shoots. • PFOA exists as intact molecules without transformation in Arabidopsis shoots. • PFOA causes oxidative stress in Arabidopsis shoots. - Perfluorooctanoic acid causes oxidative stress and is more phytotoxic on shoot growth than inorganic fluoride at the equivalent F concentration.

  16. Experimental Studies on Permeability of Intact and Singly Jointed Meta-Sedimentary Rocks Under Confining Pressure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Louis Ngai Yuen; Li, Diyuan; Liu, Gang

    2013-01-01

    Three different types of permeability tests were conducted on 23 intact and singly jointed rock specimens, which were cored from rock blocks collected from a rock cavern under construction in Singapore. The studied rock types belong to inter-bedded meta-sandstone and meta-siltstone with very low porosity and high uniaxial compressive strength. The transient pulse water flow method was employed to measure the permeability of intact meta-sandstone under a confining pressure up to 30 MPa. It showed that the magnitude order of meta-sandstone's intrinsic permeability is about 10-18 m2. The steady-state gas flow method was used to measure the permeability of both intact meta-siltstone and meta-sandstone in a triaxial cell under different confining pressures spanning from 2.5 to 10 MPa. The measured permeability of both rock types ranged from 10-21 to 10-20 m2. The influence of a single natural joint on the permeability of both rock types was studied by using the steady-state water flow method under different confining pressures spanning from 1.25 to 5.0 MPa, including loading and unloading phases. The measured permeability of both jointed rocks ranged from 10-13 to 10-11 m2, where the permeability of jointed meta-siltstone was usually slightly lower than that of jointed meta-sandstone. The permeability of jointed rocks decreases with increasing confining pressure, which can be well fitted by an empirical power law relationship between the permeability and confining pressure or effective pressure. The permeability of partly open cracked specimens is lower than that of open cracked specimens, but it is higher than that of the specimen with a dominant vein for the meta-sandstone under the same confining pressure. The permeability of open cracked rock specimens will partially recover during the unloading confining pressure process. The equivalent crack (joint) aperture is as narrow as a magnitude order of 10-6 m (1 μm) in the rock specimens under confining pressures

  17. Potential of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry as a rapid detection technique in plant pathology: identification of plant-associated microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Faheem; Babalola, Olubukola O; Tak, Hamid I

    2012-09-01

    Plant diseases caused by plant pathogens substantially reduce crop production every year, resulting in massive economic losses throughout the world. Accurate detection and identification of plant pathogens is fundamental to plant pathogen diagnostics and, thus, plant disease management. Diagnostics and disease-management strategies require techniques to enable simultaneous detection and quantification of a wide range of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. Over the past decade, rapid development of matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) techniques for characterization of microorganisms has enabled substantially improved detection and identification of microorganisms. In the biological sciences, MALDI-TOF MS is used to analyze specific peptides or proteins directly desorbed from intact bacteria, fungal spores, nematodes, and other microorganisms. The ability to record biomarker ions, in a broad m/z range, which are unique to and representative of individual microorganisms, forms the basis of taxonomic identification of microorganisms by MALDI-TOF MS. Recent advances in mass spectrometry have initiated new research, i.e. analysis of more complex microbial communities. Such studies are just beginning but have great potential for elucidation not only of the interactions between microorganisms and their host plants but also those among different microbial taxa living in association with plants. There has been a recent effort by the mass spectrometry community to make data from large scale mass spectrometry experiments publicly available in the form of a centralized repository. Such a resource could enable the use of MALDI-TOF MS as a universal technique for detection of plant pathogens and non-pathogens. The effects of experimental conditions are sufficiently understood, reproducible spectra can be obtained from computational database search, and microorganisms can be rapidly characterized by genus, species

  18. Plant cells which aid in pollen digestion within a beetle's gut.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rickson, Fred R; Cresti, M; Beach, James H

    1990-03-01

    The peach palm, Bactris gasipaes H.B.K., in Costa Rica, possesses unusual trichomes on the inflorescence epidermal surface. Certain cells of the trichome possess a thick, highly lignified cell wall and are consumed by the beetle Cyclocephala amazona L. before it ingests pollen from the same inflorescence. Chemical analyses show the trichome to possess no nutritive value. The thick-walled trichome cells pass intact through the beetle's digestive system, while ingested pollen is crushed. We suggest that the specialized plant cells function as gastroliths in the beetle's digestive tract.

  19. Isolation of tissues and preservation of RNA from intact, germinated barley grain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Betts, Natalie S; Berkowitz, Oliver; Liu, Ruijie; Collins, Helen M; Skadhauge, Birgitte; Dockter, Christoph; Burton, Rachel A; Whelan, James; Fincher, Geoffrey B

    2017-08-01

    Isolated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone layers have been widely used as a model system for studying gene expression and hormonal regulation in germinating cereal grains. A serious technological limitation of this approach has been the inability to confidently extrapolate conclusions obtained from isolated tissues back to the whole grain, where the co-location of several living and non-living tissues results in complex tissue-tissue interactions and regulatory pathways coordinated across the multiple tissues. Here we have developed methods for isolating fragments of aleurone, starchy endosperm, embryo, scutellum, pericarp-testa, husk and crushed cell layers from germinated grain. An important step in the procedure involves the rapid fixation of the intact grain to freeze the transcriptional activity of individual tissues while dissection is effected for subsequent transcriptomic analyses. The developmental profiles of 19 611 gene transcripts were precisely defined in the purified tissues and in whole grain during the first 24 h of germination by RNA sequencing. Spatial and temporal patterns of transcription were validated against well-defined data on enzyme activities in both whole grain and isolated tissues. Transcript profiles of genes involved in mitochondrial assembly and function were used to validate the very early stages of germination, while the profiles of genes involved in starch and cell wall mobilisation matched existing data on activities of corresponding enzymes. The data will be broadly applicable for the interrogation of co-expression and differential expression patterns and for the identification of transcription factors that are important in the early stages of grain and seed germination. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Family Conflict and Children's Self-Concepts: A Comparison of Intact and Single-Parent Families.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raschke, Helen J.; Raschke, Vernon J.

    1979-01-01

    Using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale to measure self-concept, and self-reports for family structure and family conflict, no significant differences in self-concept scores of children from intact, single-parent, reconstituted, or other types of families were found. Self-concept scores were significantly lower for children reporting…

  1. Proficiency in positive vs. negative emotion identification and subjective well-being among long-term married elderly couples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrican, Raluca; Moscovitch, Morris; Grady, Cheryl

    2014-01-01

    Evidence is accruing that positive emotions play a crucial role in shaping a healthy interpersonal climate. Inspired by this research, the current investigation sought to shed light on the link between proficiency in identifying positive vs. negative emotions and a close partner's well-being. To this end, we conducted two studies with neurologically intact elderly married couples (Study 1) and an age-matched clinical sample, comprising married couples in which one spouse had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (Study 2), which tends to hinder emotional expressivity. To assess proficiency in identifying emotions from whole body postures, we had participants in both studies complete a pointlight walker task, featuring four actors (two male, two female) expressing one positive (i.e., happiness) and three negative (i.e., sadness, anger, fear) basic emotions. Participants also filled out measures of subjective well-being. Among Study 1's neurologically intact spouses, greater expertise in identifying positive (but not negative) emotions was linked to greater partner life satisfaction (but not hedonic balance). Spouses of PD patients exhibited increased proficiency in identifying positive emotions relative to controls, possibly reflective of compensatory mechanisms. Complementarily, relative to controls, spouses of PD patients exhibited reduced proficiency in identifying negative emotions and a tendency to underestimate their intensity. Importantly, all of these effects attenuated with longer years from PD onset. Finally, there was evidence that it was increased partner expertise in identifying negative (rather than positive) emotional states that predicted greater life satisfaction levels among the PD patients and their spouses. Our results thus suggest that positive vs. negative emotions may play distinct roles in close relationship dynamics as a function of neurological status and disability trajectory.

  2. Antifungal compounds from turmeric and nutmeg with activity against plant pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    The antifungal activity of twenty-two common spices was evaluated against plant pathogens using direct-bioautography coupled Colletotrichum bioassays. Turmeric, nutmeg, ginger, clove, oregano, cinnamon, anise, fennel, basil, black cumin, and black pepper showed antifungal activity against the plant ...

  3. Microbial genome-enabled insights into plant-microorganism interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guttman, David S; McHardy, Alice C; Schulze-Lefert, Paul

    2014-12-01

    Advances in genome-based studies on plant-associated microorganisms have transformed our understanding of many plant pathogens and are beginning to greatly widen our knowledge of plant interactions with mutualistic and commensal microorganisms. Pathogenomics has revealed how pathogenic microorganisms adapt to particular hosts, subvert innate immune responses and change host range, as well as how new pathogen species emerge. Similarly, culture-independent community profiling methods, coupled with metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies, have provided the first insights into the emerging field of research on plant-associated microbial communities. Together, these approaches have the potential to bridge the gap between plant microbial ecology and plant pathology, which have traditionally been two distinct research fields.

  4. Evaluation of a commercial electro-kinetically pumped sheath-flow nanospray interface coupled to an automated capillary zone electrophoresis system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peuchen, Elizabeth H; Zhu, Guije; Sun, Liangliang; Dovichi, Norman J

    2017-03-01

    Capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (CZE-ESI-MS) is attracting renewed attention for proteomic and metabolomic analysis. An important reason for this interest is the maturation and commercialization of interfaces for coupling CZE with ESI-MS. One of these interfaces is an electro-kinetically pumped sheath flow nanospray interface developed by the Dovichi group, in which a very low sheath flow is generated based on electroosmosis within a glass emitter. CMP Scientific has commercialized this interface as the EMASS-II ion source. In this work, we compared the performance of the EMASS-II ion source with our in-house system. The performance of the systems is equivalent. We also coupled the EMASS-II ion source with a PrinCE Next|480 capillary electrophoresis autosampler and an Orbitrap mass spectrometer, and analyzed this system's performance in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, and separation performance for separation of tryptic digests, intact proteins, and amino acids. The system produced reproducible analysis of BSA digest; the RSDs of peptide intensity and migration time across 24 runs were less than 20 and 6%, respectively. The system produced a linear calibration curve of intensity across a 30-fold range of tryptic digest concentration. The combination of a commercial autosampler and electrospray interface efficiently separated amino acids, peptides, and intact proteins, and only required 5 μL of sample for analysis. Graphical Abstract The commercial and locally constructed versions of the interface provide similar numbers of protein identifications from a Xenopus laevis fertilized egg digest.

  5. Early disrupted neurovascular coupling and changed event level hemodynamic response function in type 2 diabetes: an fMRI study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, João V; Pereira, João M S; Quendera, Bruno; Raimundo, Miguel; Moreno, Carolina; Gomes, Leonor; Carrilho, Francisco; Castelo-Branco, Miguel

    2015-10-01

    Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients develop vascular complications and have increased risk for neurophysiological impairment. Vascular pathophysiology may alter the blood flow regulation in cerebral microvasculature, affecting neurovascular coupling. Reduced fMRI signal can result from decreased neuronal activation or disrupted neurovascular coupling. The uncertainty about pathophysiological mechanisms (neurodegenerative, vascular, or both) underlying brain function impairments remains. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated if the hemodynamic response function (HRF) in lesion-free brains of patients is altered by measuring BOLD (Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent) response to visual motion stimuli. We used a standard block design to examine the BOLD response and an event-related deconvolution approach. Importantly, the latter allowed for the first time to directly extract the true shape of HRF without any assumption and probe neurovascular coupling, using performance-matched stimuli. We discovered a change in HRF in early stages of diabetes. T2DM patients show significantly different fMRI response profiles. Our visual paradigm therefore demonstrated impaired neurovascular coupling in intact brain tissue. This implies that functional studies in T2DM require the definition of HRF, only achievable with deconvolution in event-related experiments. Further investigation of the mechanisms underlying impaired neurovascular coupling is needed to understand and potentially prevent the progression of brain function decrements in diabetes.

  6. Application of the SPA in the design of a hydrogen producer plant coupled to a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruiz S, T.; Nelson, P. F.; Francois, J. L.; Cruz G, M. J.

    2013-10-01

    At the present time, one of the processes that is broadly investigated and that, theoretically demonstrates to be one of the most efficient for the hydrogen production, is the thermal-chemistry cycle Sulfur-Iodine (S-I) coupled to a nuclear reactor of very high temperature (VHTR). Because this chemical process of hydrogen production requires of a great inventory of toxic materials (sulphide compounds, hydriodic acid and iodine), is necessary the design of emergency systems with the purpose of protecting the facilities and the equipment s, the environment, as well as the near population. Given the impact of an accidental liberation of the process materials, as well as the proximity with the nuclear plant, is necessary that these emergency systems are the most reliable possible. This way, the results of the consequences analysis are utilized for the optimal localization of the gas sensors that activate the emergency systems, and the flows of the substances that are used for the leakage control. For all this, the use of the Safety Probabilistic Analysis methodology, as well as some standards of the nuclear industry, can be applied to the chemical installation to determine the fault sequences that can take to final states of not controlled leakage. This way, the use of methodologies of Event Tree Analysis and Fault Trees show in their results the components that but contribute in fault of such systems. In this work, is presented the evaluation of the joined models of event and fault trees and like with the obtained results, some proposals to increase the safety of the facilities are exposed. Also, the results of the evaluations of these proposals, and their impact of the probability of the not controlled fault sequences in a plant that is still in design stage are showed. (Author)

  7. Impact of location of CaCO3 precipitation on the development of intact anaerobic sludge

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Langerak, van E.P.A.; Ramaekers, H.; Wiechers, J.; Veeken, A.H.M.; Hamelers, H.V.M.; Lettinga, G.

    2000-01-01

    The development of intact anaerobic granular sludge was studied in UASB reactors under varying conditions of CaCO3 precipitation and biomass yield. Varying precipitating quantities were obtained using different calcium concentrations in the influent and different biomass yields were obtained by

  8. Common cause failure: enhancing defenses against root cause and coupling factor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaushik, Poorva; Kim, Sok Chul [KINS, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    A Common Cause Failure(CCF) event refers to a specific class of dependent events that result from co-existence of two main factors: Susceptibility of components to fail or become unavailable due to particular root cause of failure, and coupling factor coupling mechanism) that creates the condition for multiple components getting affected. PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) operating experience of Nuclear Power Plants have demonstrated that dependent events such as CCF events are major contributor to risk during operation. From cost-benefit consideration, putting significant design modifications in place to prevent CCF would not be desirable in terms of risk management regulatory effectiveness and efficiency. The aim of this study was to propose feasible defenses against CCF from cost benefit consideration to enhance the safety. This study provides the CDM and CFDM of EDG. Defenses employed against cause and coupling factor can be easily employed in operation and maintenance programme of NPP and are not an additional cost burden. Such enhancement of defense against the CCF can give a modest improvement in CDF. This approach is specifically helpful in plants that are already under operation and significant modifications are not economically feasible.

  9. Superresolution and Fluorescence Dynamics Evidence Reveal That Intact Liposomes Do Not Cross the Human Skin Barrier

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dreier, Jes; Sørensen, Jens A; Brewer, Jonathan R

    2016-01-01

    In this study we use the combination of super resolution optical microscopy and raster image correlation spectroscopy (RICS) to study the mechanism of action of liposomes as transdermal drug delivery systems in human skin. Two different compositions of liposomes were applied to newly excised human...... skin, a POPC liposome and a more flexible liposome containing the surfactant sodium cholate. Stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED) images of intact skin and cryo-sections of skin treated with labeled liposomes were recorded displaying an optical resolution low enough to resolve the 100 nm...... liposomes in the skin. The images revealed that virtually none of the liposomes remained intact beneath the skin surface. RICS two color cross correlation diffusion measurements of double labeled liposomes confirmed these observations. Our results suggest that the liposomes do not act as carriers...

  10. Biosorption of arsenic from groundwater using Vallisneria gigantea plants. Kinetics, equilibrium and photophysical considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iriel, Analia; Lagorio, M Gabriela; Fernández Cirelli, Alicia

    2015-11-01

    Arsenic (V) uptake from groundwater by using Vallisneria gigantea plants was studied using batch experiments. Reflectance and fluorescence of intact plants were investigated and changes in photophysical properties following arsenic absorption were reported. Good correlations have been found between arsenic concentration in groundwater and parameters derived from reflectance and fluorescence measurements. This system reached its equilibrium after seven days when the removal quantities were strongly dependent on the initial arsenic concentration. Interestingly, Vallisneria plants were able to accumulate from 100 to 600 mg As kg(-1) in roots and fronds although the translocation factors were low (0.6-1.6). Kinetic data for biosorption process followed a first-order law. At low arsenic concentrations the uptake in plants was governed by diffusion aspects. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were applied and results demonstrated that arsenic uptake was better described by the Langmuir model. As a final remark we concluded that a plant of this species should be able to remove 1mg As per week. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. A Study on Cost Allocation in Nuclear Power Coupled with Desalination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, ManKi; Kim, SeungSu; Moon, KeeHwan; Lim, ChaeYoung

    2004-01-01

    As for a single-purpose desalination plant, there is no particular difficulty in computing the unit cost of the water, which is obtained by dividing the annual total costs by the output of fresh water. When it comes to a dual-purpose plant, cost allocation is needed between the two products. No cost allocation is needed in some cases where two alternatives producing the same water and electricity output are to be compared. In these cases, the consideration of the total cost is then sufficient. This study assumes MED (Multi-Effect Distillation) technology is adopted when nuclear power is coupled with desalination. The total production cost of the two commodities in dual-purpose plant can easily be obtained by using costing methods, if the necessary raw data are available. However, it is not easy to calculate a separate cost for each product, because high-pressure steam plant costs cannot be allocated to one or the other without adopting arbitrary methods. Investigation on power credit method is carried out focusing on the cost allocation of combined benefits due to dual production, electricity and water. The illustrative calculation is taken from Preliminary Economic Feasibility Study of Nuclear Desalination in Madura Island, Indonesia. The study is being performed by BATAN (National Nuclear Energy Agency), KAERI (Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute) and under support of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) started in the year 2002 in order to perform a preliminary economic feasibility in providing the Madurese with sufficient power and potable water for the public and to support industrialization and tourism in Madura Region. The SMART reactor coupled with MED is considered to be an option to produce electricity and potable water. This study indicates that the correct recognition of combined benefits attributable to dual production is important in carrying out economics of desalination coupled with nuclear power. (authors)

  12. Intact skin and not stripped skin is crucial for the safety and efficacy of peanut epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mondoulet Lucie

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT on intact skin with an epicutaneous delivery system has already been used in preclinical and clinical studies. In epicutaneous vaccination and immunotherapy, the stripping of skin before application of the allergen is suggested to facilitate the passage of allergen through immune cells. Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the immunological response induced by EPIT performed on intact and stripped skin in a mouse model of peanut allergy. Methods After oral sensitization with peanut and cholera toxin, BALB/c mice were epicutaneously treated using an epicutaneous delivery system (Viaskin® (DBV Technologies, Paris applied either on intact skin or on stripped skin. Following EPIT, mice received an exclusive oral peanut regimen, aimed at triggering esophageal and jejunal lesions. We assessed eosinophil infiltration by histology, mRNA expression in the esophagus, antibody levels and peripheral T-cell response. Results EPIT on intact skin significantly reduced Th2 immunological response (IgE response and splenocyte secretion of Th2 cytokines as well as esophageal eosinophilia (2.7 ± 0.9, compared to Sham 19.9 ± 1.5, p  Conclusions Epicutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy needs the integrity of superficial layers of the stratum corneum to warranty safety of treatment and to induce a tolerogenic profile of the immune response.

  13. A coupled carbon and plant hydraulic model to predict ecosystem carbon and water flux responses to disturbance and environmental change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackay, D. S.; Ewers, B. E.; Roberts, D. E.; McDowell, N. G.; Pendall, E.; Frank, J. M.; Reed, D. E.; Massman, W. J.; Mitra, B.

    2011-12-01

    Changing climate drivers including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations directly control land surface exchanges of CO2 and water. In a profound way these responses are modulated by disturbances that are driven by or exacerbated by climate change. Predicting these changes is challenging given that the feedbacks between environmental controls, disturbances, and fluxes are complex. Flux data in areas of bark beetle outbreaks in the western U.S.A. show differential declines in carbon and water flux in response to the occlusion of xylem by associated fungi. For example, bark beetle infestation at the GLEES AmeriFlux site manifested in a decline in summer water use efficiency to 60% in the year after peak infestation compared to previous years, and no recovery of carbon uptake following a period of high vapor pressure deficit. This points to complex feedbacks between disturbance and differential ecosystem reaction and relaxation responses. Theory based on plant hydraulics and extending to include links to carbon storage and exhaustion has potential for explaining these dynamics with simple, yet rigorous models. In this spirit we developed a coupled model that combines an existing model of canopy water and carbon flow, TREES [e.g., Loranty et al., 2010], with the Sperry et al., [1998] plant hydraulic model. The new model simultaneously solves carbon uptake and losses along with plant hydraulics, and allows for testing specific hypotheses on feedbacks between xylem dysfunction, stomatal and non-stomatal controls on photosynthesis and carbon allocation, and autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. These are constrained through gas exchange, root vulnerability to cavitation, sap flux, and eddy covariance data in a novel model complexity-testing framework. Our analysis focuses on an ecosystem gradient spanning sagebrush to subalpine forests. Our modeling results support hypotheses on feedbacks between hydraulic dysfunction and 1) non

  14. An agent-based negotiation approach for balancing multiple coupled control domains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Umair, Aisha; Clausen, Anders; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

    2015-01-01

    Solving multi-objective multi-issue negotiation problems involving interdependent issues distributed among multiple control domains is inherent to most non-trivial cyber-physical systems. In these systems, the coordinated operation of interconnected subsystems performing autonomous control....... The proposed approach can solve negotiation problems with interdependent issues across multiple coupled control domains. We demonstrate our approach by solving a coordination problem where a Combined Heat and Power Plant must allocate electricity for three commercial greenhouses to ensure the required plant...

  15. Differential transcriptional profiling of damaged and intact adjacent dorsal root ganglia neurons in neuropathic pain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A K Reinhold

    Full Text Available Neuropathic pain, caused by a lesion in the somatosensory system, is a severely impairing mostly chronic disease. While its underlying molecular mechanisms are not thoroughly understood, neuroimmune interactions as well as changes in the pain pathway such as sensitization of nociceptors have been implicated. It has been shown that not only are different cell types involved in generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, like neurons, immune and glial cells, but, also, intact adjacent neurons are relevant to the process. Here, we describe an experimental approach to discriminate damaged from intact adjacent neurons in the same dorsal root ganglion (DRG using differential fluorescent neuronal labelling and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS. Two fluorescent tracers, Fluoroemerald (FE and 1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI, were used, whose properties allow us to distinguish between damaged and intact neurons. Subsequent sorting permitted transcriptional analysis of both groups. Results and qPCR validation show a strong regulation in damaged neurons versus contralateral controls as well as a moderate regulation in adjacent neurons. Data for damaged neurons reveal an mRNA expression pattern consistent with established upregulated genes like galanin, which supports our approach. Moreover, novel genes were found strongly regulated such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, providing novel targets for further research. Differential fluorescent neuronal labelling and sorting allows for a clear distinction between primarily damaged neuropathic neurons and "bystanders," thereby facilitating a more detailed understanding of their respective roles in neuropathic processes in the DRG.

  16. Prediction of valid acidity in intact apples with Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan-De; Ying, Yi-Bin; Fu, Xia-Ping

    2005-03-01

    To develop nondestructive acidity prediction for intact Fuji apples, the potential of Fourier transform near infrared (FT-NIR) method with fiber optics in interactance mode was investigated. Interactance in the 800 nm to 2619 nm region was measured for intact apples, harvested from early to late maturity stages. Spectral data were analyzed by two multivariate calibration techniques including partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) methods. A total of 120 Fuji apples were tested and 80 of them were used to form a calibration data set. The influences of different data preprocessing and spectra treatments were also quantified. Calibration models based on smoothing spectra were slightly worse than that based on derivative spectra, and the best result was obtained when the segment length was 5 nm and the gap size was 10 points. Depending on data preprocessing and PLS method, the best prediction model yielded correlation coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.759, low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.0677, low root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) of 0.0562. The results indicated the feasibility of FT-NIR spectral analysis for predicting apple valid acidity in a nondestructive way.

  17. Intersegmental coordination of cockroach locomotion: adaptive control of centrally coupled pattern generator circuits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Einat eFuchs

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Animals’ ability to demonstrate both stereotyped and adaptive locomotor behavior is largely dependent on the interplay between centrally-generated motor patterns and the sensory inputs that shape them. We utilized a combined experimental and theoretical approach to investigate the relative importance of CPG interconnections vs. intersegmental afferents in the cockroach: an animal that is renowned for rapid and stable locomotion. We simultaneously recorded coxal levator and depressor motor neurons (MN in the thoracic ganglia of Periplaneta americana, while sensory feedback was completely blocked or allowed only from one intact stepping leg. In the absence of sensory feedback, we observed a coordination pattern with consistent phase relationship that shares similarities with a double tripod gait, suggesting central, feedforward control. This intersegmental coordination pattern was then reinforced in the presence of sensory feedback from a single stepping leg. Specifically, we report on transient stabilization of phase differences between activity recorded in the middle and hind thoracic MN following individual front-leg steps, suggesting a role for afferent phasic information in the coordination of motor circuits at the different hemiganglia. Data were further analyzed using stochastic models of coupled oscillators and maximum likelihood techniques to estimate underlying physiological parameters, such as uncoupled endogenous frequencies of hemisegmental oscillators and coupling strengths and directions. We found that descending ipsilateral coupling is stronger than ascending coupling, while left-right coupling in both the meso- and meta-thoracic ganglia appear to be symmetrical. We discuss our results in comparison with recent findings in stick insects that share similar neural and body architectures, and argue that the two species may exemplify opposite extremes of a fast-slow locomotion continuum, mediated through different intersegmental

  18. Simulation of the first step of the coupling of the PARCS/RELAP5 codes to ANGRA 2 facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Del Pozzo, Andrea Sanchez; Andrade, Delvonei A. de; Sabundjian, Gaiane

    2015-01-01

    Since the Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986) accidents, the International Agency of Energy Atomic (IAEA) has worked with the authorities of other countries that use nuclear power plants in order to guarantee the safe of those facilities. The utilities have simulated design basic accidents to verify the integrity of the nuclear power plant to these events. However, after Fukushima accident in Japan (2011), the people have felt insecure and been afraid in relation to nuclear power plants. Today, the international and national organizations, such as the International Agency of Energy Atomic (IAEA) and Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), respectively, have worked very hard to prevent some accidents and transients in nuclear power plants in order to ensure the security of the general population. In case of accidents, as the Rod Ejection Accident (REA), it is very important to do the coupling between neutronic and thermal hydraulic areas of nuclear reactors. To solve this type of problem there is the coupling between PARCS/RELAP5 codes. However, to perform this analysis it is necessary to simulate three steps. The first step is simulating the steady state of one nuclear power plant by using RELAP5 code. The second step is to run the steady state of this reactor using the coupling PARCS/RELAP5, and the final step is simulating the REA of this facility with PARCS/RELAP5 coupling. The aim of this work is to show the results of the first step of this analysis, i.e., by means of simulation the steady state of Angra 2 nuclear power plant using RELAP5 version 3.3. In this case, the modeling from the core was more detailed than in the original version developed some years ago for Angra 2. The results obtained in this work were satisfactory. (author)

  19. Simulation of the first step of the coupling of the PARCS/RELAP5 codes to ANGRA 2 facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Del Pozzo, Andrea Sanchez; Andrade, Delvonei A. de; Sabundjian, Gaiane, E-mail: delvonei@ipen.br, E-mail: gdjian@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    Since the Three Mile Island (1979) and Chernobyl (1986) accidents, the International Agency of Energy Atomic (IAEA) has worked with the authorities of other countries that use nuclear power plants in order to guarantee the safe of those facilities. The utilities have simulated design basic accidents to verify the integrity of the nuclear power plant to these events. However, after Fukushima accident in Japan (2011), the people have felt insecure and been afraid in relation to nuclear power plants. Today, the international and national organizations, such as the International Agency of Energy Atomic (IAEA) and Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), respectively, have worked very hard to prevent some accidents and transients in nuclear power plants in order to ensure the security of the general population. In case of accidents, as the Rod Ejection Accident (REA), it is very important to do the coupling between neutronic and thermal hydraulic areas of nuclear reactors. To solve this type of problem there is the coupling between PARCS/RELAP5 codes. However, to perform this analysis it is necessary to simulate three steps. The first step is simulating the steady state of one nuclear power plant by using RELAP5 code. The second step is to run the steady state of this reactor using the coupling PARCS/RELAP5, and the final step is simulating the REA of this facility with PARCS/RELAP5 coupling. The aim of this work is to show the results of the first step of this analysis, i.e., by means of simulation the steady state of Angra 2 nuclear power plant using RELAP5 version 3.3. In this case, the modeling from the core was more detailed than in the original version developed some years ago for Angra 2. The results obtained in this work were satisfactory. (author)

  20. Solid oxide fuel cell technology coupled with methane dry reforming: A viable option for high efficiency plant with reduced CO2 emissions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barelli, L.; Ottaviano, A.

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays the control of greenhouse gas is probably the most challenging environmental policy issue. Since CO 2 is considered the major greenhouse gas (GHG) that contributes to the global warming, enforcing technological strategies aiming to avoid or reuse CO 2 emissions becomes crucial, in order to mitigate GHG environmental impact. Currently, solutions conventionally adopted to this purpose are carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. In this context, instead, the followed strategy aims to further improvements in energetic conversion efficiency with related reduced specific CO 2 emissions (per produced kWh e ). Therefore, with particular reference to the electric power generation, this paper proposes an innovative energy conversion system, based on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), characterized by higher efficiency and reduced CO 2 emission factor respect to an analogous conventional energy plant. In particular, the innovative solution consists of combining SOFC to methane dry reforming technology, while the conventional system refers to steam methane reforming-SOFC coupling. The innovative system performance up to 65% electric efficiency as cited in the paper, was validated through simulations carried out in Aspen Plus environment. - Highlights: • An innovative high efficiency plant with low CO 2 emissions is presented. • The new solution combined SOFC to methane dry reforming technology (CDR–SOFC). • A comparison between CDR–SOFC and SMR–SOFC system was carried out in Aspen Plus. • CDR–SOFC efficiency is greater of 6.4% percentage points respect to SMR–SOFC. • A CO 2 emission factor reduction of about 10% was achieved by CDR–SOFC plant

  1. Uptake and translocation of [14C]-monoethanolamine in barley plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckert, H.; Bergmann, H.; Reissmann, P.

    1988-01-01

    Uptake and translocation of 14 C-monoethanolamine (EA) and its hydrochloride were investigated after application to an unwounded part of the fifth leaf from the main shoot of intact spring barley plants. After 48 and 72 h, resp., the free EA base was both absorbed rapidly and translocated out of the feeding leaf. The absorbed 14 C preferably migrated to the tillers, which resulted in an approximately uniform distribution of the radioactivity in the above ground parts of the plant after the uptake phase (similar 14 C concentrations in the main shoot and tillers), whereas only few radioactivity moved to the roots. On the other hand, the protonated EA (EA-HCl) exhibited both a reduced uptake and a restricted mobility. The bulk of radioactivity remained in the main shoot. As a consequence of the principally analogous metabolism of EA and its protonated form, the translocation differences are compensated during ontogenesis. When the plants reached maturity, similar distribution patterns could be found in which the kernels represented a considerable sink. (author)

  2. Carcinoma of the cervical stump: comparison of radiation therapy factors, survival and patterns of failure with carcinoma of the intact uterus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igboeli, P.; Kapp, D.S.; Lawrence, R.; Schwartz, P.E.

    1983-01-01

    Eighty-nine patients with previously untreated invasive carcinoma of the cervical stump were seen at Yale-New Haven Hospital from 1953 through 1977. This represented 9.4% of the carcinomas of the cervix seen during this time period. Eighty-five of the 89 patients (95.5%) had ''true'' cancers of the cervical stump diagnosed 2 years or more after subtotal hysterectomy, while 4 of the 89 patients (4.5%) had ''coincident'' cancers diagnosed within 2 years of the subtotal hysterectomy. All cervical cancers were staged by the F.I.G.O. classification. Patient characteristics, methods of management, failure sites and survival of patients with carcinoma of the cervical stump were compared to those patients with carcinoma in the intact uterus. Patients with cervical stump cancers were treated in a similar manner to those with carcinomas of the intact uterus, using a combination of external beam irradiation and intracavitary radium. The stump cancer patients had a similar stage distribution to the patients with cancers of the intact uterus but, on the average, they were older and received less irradiation. The patterns of failure were similar on a stage for stage basis, but the survival and disease-free survival for stump cancer patients were superior to those of the patients with carcinoma of the intact uterus

  3. Mechanisms of blood pressure changes following renal irradiation of intact, adrenalectomized and adrenal regenerating rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenblum, M.

    1976-01-01

    Results are reported from studies on the differences in changes in systolic arterial blood pressure following renal x-irradiation (1100 R) in adrenal-intact, adrenalectomized, and adrenal-regenerating rats and the roles of the kidneys and of the adrenal glands in the blood pressure changes

  4. Fertility, pregnancy, and delivery after biventricular repair for pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drenthen, Willem; Pieper, Petronella G.; Roos-Hesselink, Jollen W.; Zoon, Nicole; Voors, Adrlaan A.; Mulder, Barbara J. M.; van Dijk, Arie P. J.; Vliegen, Hubert W.; Sollie, Krystyna M.; Ebels, Tjark; van Veldhuisen, Dirk J.

    2006-01-01

    The objective of the present study to investigate fertility, pregnancy, and delivery in women with biventricular repair for pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum (PAIVS). Using a nationwide registry (CONCOR), 37 patients with pulmonary atresia were identified, 6 of whom (aged 21 to 34

  5. Fertility, pregnancy, and delivery after biventricular repair for pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Drenthen, W.; Pieper, P.G.; Roos-Hesselink, J.W.; Zoon, N.; Voors, A.A.; Mulder, B.J.M.; Dijk, A.P.J. van; Vliegen, H.W.; Sollie, K.M.; Ebels, T.; Veldhuisen, D.J. van

    2006-01-01

    The objective of the present study to investigate fertility, pregnancy, and delivery in women with biventricular repair for pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum (PAIVS). Using a nationwide registry (CONCOR), 37 patients with pulmonary atresia were identified, 6 of whom (aged 21 to 34

  6. Biotransformation of the citrus flavone tangeretin in rats. Identification of metabolites with intact flavane nucleus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, S.E.; Breinholt, V.; Cornett, C.

    2000-01-01

    were separated and identified by HPLC and the structures elucidated by LC/MS and H-1 NMR. Ten new, major metabolites with intact flavonoid structure were identified. The metabolites identified were either demethylated or hydroxylated derivatives of the parent compound and metabolic changes were found...

  7. Aggression toward Familiar People, Strangers, and Conspecifics in Gonadectomized and Intact Dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhoody, Parvene; Mallawaarachchi, Indika; Tarwater, Patrick M; Serpell, James A; Duffy, Deborah L; Zink, Chris

    2018-01-01

    Gonadectomy is widely used to treat and prevent behavior problems including the aggressive behavior of dogs. The aim of this study was to determine whether aggressive behavior toward familiar people, strangers, or other dogs was significantly different in dogs gonadectomized at various ages vs. intact dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) with multivariate analysis. Of 15,370 initial surveys, those for dogs reported to have been gonadectomized at less than 6 weeks of age or to correct a behavior problem, and those with incomplete answers to questions regarding independent or dependent variables were excluded, leaving 13,795 for the analysis of aggressive behavior toward familiar people: 13,498 for aggressive behavior toward strangers and 13,237 for aggressive behavior toward dogs. Aggressive behavior was defined (a) using mean scores for all questions on the C-BARQ for aggressive behavior (range 0-4) and (b) comparing dogs with no aggressive behavior (all questions answered 0) to dogs with moderate or severe aggression (at least one score of 2, 3, or 4). Data for intact dogs were compared with those for dogs gonadectomized at 6 months or less, 7-12 months, 11-18 months, and >18 months. Neither gonadectomy nor age at gonadectomy showed an association with aggression toward familiar people or dogs. However, there was a low but significant increase in the odds of moderate or severe aggression toward strangers for all gonadectomized dogs compared with intact dogs, but this effect was driven entirely by data for dogs gonadectomized at 7-12 months of age, which were 26% more likely to demonstrate aggression toward strangers. This large, comprehensive study of the relationships between gonadectomy and aggressive behavior in dogs demonstrates that when the many factors affecting aggressive behavior are considered, there is no evidence that gonadectomy at any age alters aggressive behavior toward familiar people or dogs

  8. Coupling solar photo-Fenton and biotreatment at industrial scale: Main results of a demonstration plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malato, Sixto; Blanco, Julian; Maldonado, Manuel I.; Oller, Isabel; Gernjak, Wolfgang; Perez-Estrada, Leonidas

    2007-01-01

    This paper reports on the combined solar photo-Fenton/biological treatment of an industrial effluent (initial total organic carbon, TOC, around 500 mg L -1 ) containing a non-biodegradable organic substance (α-methylphenylglycine at 500 mg L -1 ), focusing on pilot plant tests performed for design of an industrial plant, the design itself and the plant layout. Pilot plant tests have demonstrated that biodegradability enhancement is closely related to disappearance of the parent compound, for which a certain illumination time and hydrogen peroxide consumption are required, working at pH 2.8 and adding Fe 2+ = 20 mg L -1 . Based on pilot plant results, an industrial plant with 100 m 2 of CPC collectors for a 250 L/h treatment capacity has been designed. The solar system discharges the wastewater (WW) pre-treated by photo-Fenton into a biotreatment based on an immobilized biomass reactor. First, results of the industrial plant are also presented, demonstrating that it is able to treat up to 500 L h -1 at an average solar ultraviolet radiation of 22.9 W m -2 , under the same conditions (pH, hydrogen peroxide consumption) tested in the pilot plant

  9. Treatment of a Textile Effluent by Electrochemical Oxidation and Coupled System Electooxidation–Salix babylonica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Sánchez-Sánchez

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The removal of pollutants from textile wastewater via electrochemical oxidation and a coupled system electrooxidation—Salix babylonica, using boron-doped diamond electrodes was evaluated. Under optimal conditions of pH 5.23 and 3.5 mA·cm−2 of current density, the electrochemical method yields an effective reduction of chemical oxygen demand by 41.95%, biochemical oxygen demand by 83.33%, color by 60.83%, and turbidity by 26.53% at 300 minutes of treatment. The raw and treated wastewater was characterized by infrared spectroscopy to confirm the degradation of pollutants. The wastewater was oxidized at 15-minute intervals for one hour and was placed in contact with willow plants for 15 days. The coupled system yielded a reduction of the chemical oxygen demand by 14%, color by 85%, and turbidity by 93%. The best efficiency for the coupled system was achieved at 60 minutes, at which time the plants achieved more biomass and photosynthetic pigments.

  10. 31P NMR study of phosphate metabolites in intact developing seeds of wheat, soybean and mustard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gambhir, P.N.; Pande, P.C.; Ratcliffe, R.G.

    1994-01-01

    The study of 31 P NMR spectra of intact developing seeds of wheat, soybean and mustard and its possible use for assessing the relative degree of hypoxia under in vivo conditions are reported. 7 refs., 2 figs

  11. Conservation experiments applying radiation-curable impregnating agents to intact and artifically decayed wood samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaudy, R.; Slais, E.

    1983-02-01

    Conservation experiments have been performed applying 10 selected impregnating agents to intact and chemically as well as biologically decayed wood samples. The quality of the radiation-curable impregnating agents could be valued by determination of the monomer uptake, the alteration of dimensions and volume and the deformation of the samples. The results are to be discussed. (Author) [de

  12. Interpretation of Actinide-Distribution Data Obtained from Non-Destructive and Destructive Post-Test Analyses of an Intact-Core Column of Culebra Dolomite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LUCERO, DANIEL A.; PERKINS, W. GEORGE

    1999-01-01

    The US DOE, with technical assistance from Sandia National Laboratories, has successfully received EPA certification and opened the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a nuclear waste disposal facility located approximately 42 km east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Performance assessment analyses indicate that human intrusions by inadvertent, intermittent drilling for resources provide the only credible mechanisms for releases of radionuclides from the disposal system. In modeling long-term brine releases, subsequent to a drilling event, potential migration pathways through the permeable layers of rock above the Salado formation were analyzed. Major emphasis is placed on the Culebra Member of the Rustler Formation because this is the most transmissive geologic layer overlying the WIPP site. In order to help quantify parameters for the calculated releases, radionuclide transport experiments have been earned out using intact-core columns obtained from the Culebra dolomite member of the Rustler Formation within the WIPP site. This paper deals primarily with results of analyses for 241 Pu and 241 Am distributions developed during transport experiments in one of these cores. Transport experiments were done using a synthetic brine that simulates Culebra brine at the core recovery location (the WIPP air-intake shaft--AIS). Hydraulic characteristics (i.e., apparent porosity and apparent dispersion coefficient) for intact-core columns were obtained via experiments using the conservative tracer 22 Na. Elution experiments carried out over periods of a few days with tracers 232 U and 239 Np indicated that these tracers were weakly retarded as indicated by delayed elution of the species. Elution experiments with tracers 241 Pu and 241 Am were attempted, but no elution of either species has been observed to date, including experiments of many months' duration. In order to quantify retardation of the non-eluted species 241 Pu and 241 Am after a period of brine flow, non-destructive and

  13. Applicability of a septic tank/engineered wetland coupled system in the treatment and recycling of wastewater from a small community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mbuligwe, Stephen E

    2005-01-01

    A septic tank (ST)/engineered wetland coupled system used to treat and recycle wastewater from a small community in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was monitored to assess its performance. The engineered wetland system (EWS) had two parallel units each with two serial beds packed with different sizes of media and vegetated differently. The larger-sized medium bed was upstream and was planted with Phragmites (reeds) and the smaller-sized medium bed was downstream and was planted with Typha (cattails). The ST/EWS coupled system was able to remove ammonia by an average of 60%, nitrate by 71%, sulfate by 55%, chemical oxygen demand by 91%, and fecal coliform as well as total coliform by almost 100%. The effluent from the ST/EWS coupled system is used for irrigation. Notably, users of the recycled irrigation water do not harbor any negative feelings about it. This study demonstrates that it is possible to treat and recycle domestic wastewater using ST/ EWS coupled systems. The study also brings attention to the fact that an ST/EWS coupled system has operation and maintenance (O&M) needs that must be fulfilled for its effectiveness and acceptability. These include removal of unwanted weeds, harvesting of wetland plants when the EWS becomes unappealingly bushy, and routine repair.

  14. DETERMINATION OF THE MINIMUM INTACT DIMENSIONS AVAILABLE IN PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF LASER CUTTING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Gyorgy HORVATH

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The reuse of wastes is one of the main requirements of sustainable wood processing. Technologies available for waste management however are currently suited to the reuse of large quantities. This study investigates the utilisation of individual pieces of sawn wood and veneer wastes by laser cutting, with special emphasis on the search for the practical minimum intact dimension that can be produced by laser cutting

  15. Transbilayer distribution and mobility of phosphatidylcholine in intact erythrocyte membranes. A study with phosphatidylcholine exchange protein

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Meer, G.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/068570368; Poorthuis, B.J.H.M.; Wirtz, K.W.A.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/068427956; op den Kamp, J.A.F.; van Deenen, L.L.M.

    1980-01-01

    The exchange of phosphatidylcholine between intact human or rat erythrocytes and rat liver microsomes was greatly stimulated by phosphatidylcholine-specific exchange proteins from rat liver and beef liver. It was found, however, that compared to the exchange reaction between phospholipid vesicles

  16. The Fluctuation Niche in Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaume Terradas

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Classical approaches to niche in coexisting plants have undervalued temporal fluctuations. We propose that fluctuation niche is an important dimension of the total niche and interacts with habitat and life-history niches to provide a better understanding of the multidimensional niche space where ecological interactions occur. To scale a fluctuation niche, it is necessary to relate environmental constrictions or species performance not only to the absolute values of the usual environmental and ecophysiological variables but also to their variances or other measures of variability. We use Mediterranean plant communities as examples, because they present characteristic large seasonal and interannual fluctuations in water and nutrient availabilities, along an episodic-constant gradient, and because the plant responses include a number of syndromes coupled to this gradient.

  17. The Fluctuation Niche in Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Terradas, J.; Penuelas, J.; Lloret, F.; Penuelas, J.

    2009-01-01

    Classical approaches to niche in coexisting plants have undervalued temporal fluctuations. We propose that fluctuation niche is an important dimension of the total niche and interacts with habitat and life-history niches to provide a better understanding of the multidimensional niche space where ecological interactions occur. To scale a fluctuation niche, it is necessary to relate environmental constrictions or species performance not only to the absolute values of the usual environmental and eco physiological variables but also to their variances or other measures of variability. We use Mediterranean plant communities as examples, because they present characteristic large seasonal and inter annual fluctuations in water and nutrient availabilities, along an episodic-constant gradient, and because the plant responses include a number of syndromes coupled to this gradient.

  18. Intact long-type dupA as a marker for gastroduodenal diseases in Okinawan subpopulation, Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Ayaka; Shiota, Seiji; Matsunari, Osamu; Watada, Masahide; Suzuki, Rumiko; Nakachi, Saori; Kinjo, Nagisa; Kinjo, Fukunori; Yamaoka, Yoshio

    2013-02-01

    Helicobacter pylori dupA can be divided into two types according to the presence or absence of the mutation. In addition, full-sequenced data revealed that dupA has two types with different lengths depend on the presence of approximately 600 bp in the putative 5' region (presence; long-type and absence; short-type), which has not been taken into account in previous studies. A total of 319 strains isolated from Okinawa, the south islands of Japan, were included. The status of dupA and cagA was determined by polymerase chain reaction. The presence of mutations in long-type dupA was determined by DNA sequencing. The prevalence of long-type dupA was 26.3% (84/319). Sequence analysis showed that there were only six cases (7.1%) with point mutations lead to stop codon among 84 long-type dupA strains studied. Interestingly, intact long-type dupA without frameshift mutation, but not short-type dupA, was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer than gastritis (p = .001 and p = .019, respectively). After adjustment by age, gender, and cagA, the presence of intact long-type dupA was significantly associated with gastric ulcer and gastric cancer compared with gastritis (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.55-7.24 and OR = 4.14, 95% CI = 1.23-13.94, respectively). Intact long-type dupA is a real virulence marker for severe outcomes in Okinawa, Japan. The previous information gained from PCR-based methods without taking long-type dupA into account must be interpreted with caution. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  19. Remotex and servomanipulator needs in nuclear fuel reprocessing plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garin, J.

    1981-01-01

    Work on the conceptual design of a pilot-scale plant for reprocessing breeder reactor fuels is being performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The plant design will meet all current federal regulations for repocessing plants and will serve as prototype for future production plants. A unique future of the concept is the incorporation of totally remote operation and maintenance of the process equipment within a large barn-like hot cell. This approach, caled Remotex, utilizes servomanipulators coupled with television viewing to extend man's capabilities into the hostile cell environment. The Remotex concept provides significant improvements for fuel reprocessing plants and other nuclear facilities in the areas of safeguarding nuclear materials, reducing radiation exposure, improving plant availability, recovering from unplanned events, and plant decommissioning

  20. Using TOUGH2 to model the coupled effects of gas generation, repository consolidation, and multiphase brine and gas flow at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freeze, G.A.; Larson, K.W.; Davies, P.B.; Webb, S.W.

    1995-01-01

    The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a US Department of Energy facility designed to demonstrate the safe underground disposal of transuranic waste. Following waste emplacement, each room will be backfilled with crushed salt. Due to deviatoric stress introduced by excavation, the walls of the waste disposal rooms in the repository will deform over time, consolidating waste containers and salt backfill, thereby decreasing the void volume of the repository. Long-term repository assessment must consider the processes of gas generation, room closure and expansion due to salt creep, and multiphase (brine and gas) fluid flow, as well as the complex coupling between these three processes. Stone (1992) used the mechanical creep closure code SANCHO to simulate the closure of a single, perfectly sealed disposal room filled with waste and backfill. The results of the SANCHO f-series simulations provide a relationship between gas generation, room closure, and room pressure. Several methods for coupling this relationship with multiphase fluid flow into and out of a room were examined by Freeze et al. TOUGH2 was employed to couple the processes of gas generation, room closure/consolidation, and multiphase brine and gas flow. Two empirically-based methods for approximating salt creep and room consolidation were implemented in TOUGH2: the pressure-time-porosity line interpolation approach and the fluid-phase-salt approach. Both approaches utilized links to the SANCHO f-series simulation results to calculate room-void-volume changes with time during a simulation