Multimeric, Multifunctional Derivatives of Poly(ethylene glycol

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Gian Maria Bonora

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the use of multifunctional polymers founded on high-molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol (PEG. The design of new PEG derivatives assembled in a dendrimer-like multimeric fashion or bearing different functionalities on the same molecule is described. Their use as new drug delivery systems based on the conjugation of multiple copies or diversely active drugs on the same biocompatible support is illustrated.

The ability of multimerized cyclophilin A to restrict retrovirus infection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javanbakht, Hassan; Diaz-Griffero, Felipe; Yuan Wen; Yeung, Darwin F.; Li Xing; Song Byeongwoon; Sodroski, Joseph

2007-01-01

In owl monkeys, the typical retroviral restriction factor of primates, TRIM5α, is replaced by TRIMCyp. TRIMCyp consists of the TRIM5 RING, B-box 2 and coiled-coil domains, as well as the intervening linker regions, fused with cyclophilin A. TRIMCyp restricts infection of retroviruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), with capsids that can bind cyclophilin A. The TRIM5 coiled coil promotes the trimerization of TRIMCyp. Here we show that cyclophilin A that is oligomeric as a result of fusion with a heterologous multimer exhibits substantial antiretroviral activity. The addition of the TRIM5 RING, B-box 2 and Linker 2 to oligomeric cyclophilin A generated a protein with antiretroviral activity approaching that of wild-type TRIMCyp. Multimerization increased the binding of cyclophilin A to the HIV-1 capsid, promoting accelerated uncoating of the capsid and restriction of infection

Multimerization of the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-4 is required for its ability to activate protein kinase C

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oh, E S; Woods, A; Couchman, J R

1997-01-01

of syndecan-4 (4L) containing a membrane-proximal basic sequence did not form higher order oligomers and could not regulate the activity of PKCalphabetagamma unless induced to aggregate by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. Oligomerization and PKC regulatory activity of the 4V peptide were both increased...... by addition of N-terminal cysteine and reduced by phosphorylation of the cysteine thiol group. Concentration of syndecan-4 at sites of focal adhesion formation may enhance multimerization and both localize PKC and potentiate its activity to induce stable complex formation....

Distinct subcellular trafficking resulting from monomeric vs multimeric targeting to endothelial ICAM-1: implications for drug delivery.

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Ghaffarian, Rasa; Muro, Silvia

2014-12-01

Ligand-targeted, receptor-mediated endocytosis is commonly exploited for intracellular drug delivery. However, cells-surface receptors may follow distinct endocytic fates when bound by monomeric vs multimeric ligands. Our purpose was to study this paradigm using ICAM-1, an endothelial receptor involved in inflammation, to better understand its regulation and potential for drug delivery. Our procedure involved fluorescence microscopy of human endothelial cells to determine the endocytic behavior of unbound ICAM-1 vs ICAM-1 bound by model ligands: monomeric (anti-ICAM) vs multimeric (anti-ICAM biotin-streptavidin conjugates or anti-ICAM coated onto 100 nm nanocarriers). Our findings suggest that both monomeric and multimeric ligands undergo a similar endocytic pathway sensitive to amiloride (∼50% inhibition), but not inhibitors of clathrin-pits or caveoli. After 30 min, ∼60-70% of both ligands colocalized with Rab11a-compartments. By 3-5 h, ∼65-80% of multimeric anti-ICAM colocalized with perinuclear lysosomes with ∼60-80% degradation, while 70% of monomeric anti-ICAM remained associated with Rab11a at the cell periphery and recycled to and from the cell-surface with minimal (drug delivery.

Vaccination with multimeric recombinant VP28 induces high protection against white spot syndrome virus in shrimp.

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Taengchaiyaphum, Suparat; Nakayama, Hideki; Srisala, Jiraporn; Khiev, Ratny; Aldama-Cano, Diva January; Thitamadee, Siripong; Sritunyalucksana, Kallaya

2017-11-01

To improve the efficacy of WSSV protection, multimeric (tetrameric) recombinant VP28 (4XrVP28) was produced and tested in comparison with those of monomeric VP28 (1XrVP28). In vitro binding of either 1XrVP28 or 4XrVP28 to shrimp hemocyte surface was evident as early as 10 min after protein inoculation. Similar results were obtained in vivo when shrimp were injected with recombinant proteins that the proteins bound to the hemocyte surface could be detected since 5 min after injection. Comparison of the WSSV protection efficiencies of 1XrVP28 or 4XrVP28 were performed by injection the purified 1XrVP28 or 4XrVP28 (22.5 μg/shrimp) and WSSV inoculum (1000 copies/shrimp) into shrimp. At 10 dpi, while shrimp injected with WSSV inoculum reached 100% mortality, shrimp injected with 1XrVP28 + WSSV or 4XrVP28 + WSSV showed relative percent survival (RPS) of 67% and 81%, respectively. PCR quantification revealed high number of WSSV in the moribund shrimp of WSSV- and 1XrVP28+WSSV-injected group. In contrast, lower number of WSSV copies were found in the survivors both from 1XrVP28+WSSV- or 4XrVP28+WSSV- injected groups. Histopathological analysis demonstrated the WSSV infected lesions found in the moribund from WSSV-infected group and 1XrVP28+WSSV-injected group, but less or none in the survivors. ELISA demonstrated that 4XrVP28 exhibited higher affinity binding to rPmRab7, a WSSV binding protein essential for WSSV entry to the cell than 1XrVP28. Taken together, the protection against WSSV in shrimp could be improved by application of multimeric rVP28. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nucleic acid binding properties and intermediates of HCV core protein multimerization in Pichia pastoris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acosta-Rivero, Nelson; Rodriguez, Armando; Musacchio, Alexis; Falcon, Viviana; Suarez, Viana M.; Chavez, Liudmila; Morales-Grillo, Juan; Duenas-Carrera, Santiago

2004-01-01

Little is known about the in vivo assembly pathway or structure of the hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid. In this work the intermediates of HCcAg multimerization in Pichia pastoris cells and the nucleic acid binding properties of structured nucleocapsid-like particles (NLPs) were studied. Extensive cross-linking was observed for HCcAg after glutaraldehyde treatment. Data suggest that HCcAg exists in dimeric forms probably representing P21-P21, P21-P23, and P23-P23 dimers. In addition, the presence of HCcAg species that might represent trimers and multimers was observed. After sucrose equilibrium density gradient purification and nuclease digestion, NLPs were shown to contain both RNA and DNA molecules. Finally, the analysis by electron microscopy indicated that native NLPs were resistant to nuclease treatment. These results indicated that HCcAg assembles through dimers, trimers, and multimers' intermediates into capsids in P. pastoris cells. Assembly of NLPs in its natural environment might confer stability to these particles by adopting a compact structure

Capsid protein VP4 of human rhinovirus induces membrane permeability by the formation of a size-selective multimeric pore.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anusha Panjwani

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Non-enveloped viruses must deliver their viral genome across a cell membrane without the advantage of membrane fusion. The mechanisms used to achieve this remain poorly understood. Human rhinovirus, a frequent cause of the common cold, is a non-enveloped virus of the picornavirus family, which includes other significant pathogens such as poliovirus and foot-and-mouth disease virus. During picornavirus cell entry, the small myristoylated capsid protein VP4 is released from the virus, interacts with the cell membrane and is implicated in the delivery of the viral RNA genome into the cytoplasm to initiate replication. In this study, we have produced recombinant C-terminal histidine-tagged human rhinovirus VP4 and shown it can induce membrane permeability in liposome model membranes. Dextran size-exclusion studies, chemical crosslinking and electron microscopy demonstrated that VP4 forms a multimeric membrane pore, with a channel size consistent with transfer of the single-stranded RNA genome. The membrane permeability induced by recombinant VP4 was influenced by pH and was comparable to permeability induced by infectious virions. These findings present a molecular mechanism for the involvement of VP4 in cell entry and provide a model system which will facilitate exploration of VP4 as a novel antiviral target for the picornavirus family.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel multimeric neurotensin(8-13) analogs.

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Hultsch, Christina; Pawelke, Beate; Bergmann, Ralf; Wuest, Frank

2006-09-01

Neurotensin(8-13) is a hexapeptide with subnanomolar affinity to the neurotensin receptor 1 which is expressed with high incidence in several human tumor entities. Thus, radiolabeled neurotensin(8-13) might be used for tumor targeting. However, its application is limited by insufficient metabolic stability. The present study aims at improving metabolic stability by the synthesis of multimeric neurotensin(8-13) derivatives rather than commonly employed chemical modifications of the peptide itself. Thus, different dimeric and tetrameric peptides carrying C- or N-terminal attached neurotensin(8-13) moieties have been synthesized and their binding affinity toward the neurotensin receptor has been determined. The results demonstrate that branched compounds containing neurotensin(8-13) attached via its C-terminus only show low receptor affinities, whilst derivatives with neurotensin(8-13) attached via the N-terminus show IC50 values in the nanomolar range. Moreover, within the multimeric neurotensin(8-13) derivatives with neurotensin(8-13) attached via the N-terminus an increasing number of branching units lead to higher binding affinities toward the neurotensin receptor.

Topology and Oligomerization of Mono- and Oligomeric Proteins Regulate Their Half-Lives in the Cell.

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Mallik, Saurav; Kundu, Sudip

2018-06-05

To find additional structural constraints (besides disordered segments) that regulate protein half-life in the cell, we herein assess the influence of native topology of monomeric and sequestration of oligomeric proteins into multimeric complexes in yeast, human, and mouse. Native topology acts as a molecular marker of globular protein's mechanical resistance and consequently captures their half-life variations on genome scale. Sequestration into multimeric complexes elongates oligomeric protein half-life in the cell, presumably by burying ubiquitinoylation sites and disordered segments required for proteasomal recognition. The latter effect is stronger for proteins associated with multiple complexes and for those binding early during complex self-assembly, including proteins that oligomerize with large proportions of surface buried. After gene duplication, diversification of topology and sequestration into non-identical sets of complexes alter half-lives of paralogous proteins during the course of evolution. Thus, native topology and sequestration into multimeric complexes reflect designing principles of proteins to regulate their half-lives. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

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

2013-08-01

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

Force interaction and 3D pole movement in double poling.

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Stöggl, T; Holmberg, H-C

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyze double poling using combined kinetic and 3D kinematic analysis at high skiing speeds as regards pole force components, pole angles and pole behavior during the poling and swing phase. The hypothesis was that a horizontal pole force is more predictive for maximal skiing speed (V(max)) than the resultant pole force. Sixteen elite skiers performed a double-poling V(max) test while treadmill roller skiing. Pole forces and 3D kinematics of pole movement at a speed of 30 km/h were analyzed and related to V(max). The duration of the "preparation phase" showed the strongest relationship with V(max) (r=0.87, Pmax) compared with the resultant pole force. Impact force was not related to V(max). At high skiing speeds, skiers should aim to combine high pole forces with appropriate timing of pole forces and appropriate pole and body positions during the swing and poling phase. The emphasis in training should be on the development of specific strength capacities for pole force production and the utilization of these capacities in double-poling training sessions. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The alkylation response protein AidB is localized at the new poles and constriction sites in Brucella abortus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dotreppe Delphine

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Brucella abortus is the etiological agent of a worldwide zoonosis called brucellosis. This alpha-proteobacterium is dividing asymmetrically, and PdhS, an essential histidine kinase, was reported to be an old pole marker. Results We were interested to identify functions that could be recruited to bacterial poles. The Brucella ORFeome, a collection of cloned predicted coding sequences, was placed in fusion with yellow fluorescent protein (YFP coding sequence and screened for polar localizations in B. abortus. We report that AidB-YFP was systematically localized to the new poles and at constrictions sites in B. abortus, either in culture or inside infected HeLa cells or RAW264.7 macrophages. AidB is an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD homolog, similar to E. coli AidB, an enzyme putatively involved in destroying alkylating agents. Accordingly, a B. abortus aidB mutant is more sensitive than the wild-type strain to the lethality induced by methanesulphonic acid ethyl ester (EMS. The exposure to EMS led to a very low frequency of constriction events, suggesting that cell cycle is blocked during alkylation damage. The localization of AidB-YFP at the new poles and at constriction sites seems to be specific for this ACAD homolog since two other ACAD homologs fused to YFP did not show specific localization. The overexpression of aidB, but not the two other ACAD coding sequences, leads to multiple morphological defects. Conclusions Data reported here suggest that AidB is a marker of new poles and constriction sites, that could be considered as sites of preparation of new poles in the sibling cells originating from cell division. The possible role of AidB in the generation or the function of new poles needs further investigation.

Conformational changes of the N-terminal part of Mason-Pfizer monkey virus p12 protein during multimerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knejzlik, Zdenek; Ulbrich, Pavel; Strohalm, Martin; Lastuvkova, Hana; Kodicek, Milan; Sakalian, Michael; Ruml, Tomas

2009-01-01

The Mason-Pfizer monkey virus is a prototype Betaretrovirus with the defining characteristic that it assembles spherical immature particles from Gag-related polyprotein precursors within the cytoplasm of the infected cell. It was shown previously that the N-terminal part of the Gag p12 domain (wt-Np12) is required for efficient assembly. However, the precise role for p12 in mediating Gag-Gag interaction is still poorly understood. In this study we employed detailed circular dichroism spectroscopy, electron microscopy and ultracentrifugation analyses of recombinant wt-Np12 prepared by in vitro transcription and translation. The wt-Np12 domain fragment forms fibrillar structures in a concentration-dependent manner. Assembly into fibers is linked to a conformational transition from unfolded or another non-periodical state to α-helix during multimerization.

Analysis of the protein-protein interactions between the human acidic ribosomal P-proteins: evaluation by the two hybrid system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tchórzewski, M; Boldyreff, B; Issinger, O

2000-01-01

The surface acidic ribosomal proteins (P-proteins), together with ribosomal core protein P0 form a multimeric lateral protuberance on the 60 S ribosomal subunit. This structure, also called stalk, is important for efficient translational activity of the ribosome. In order to shed more light...... forms the 60 S ribosomal stalk: P0-(P1/P2)(2). Additionally, mutual interactions among human and yeast P-proteins were analyzed. Heterodimer formation could be observed between human P2 and yeast P1 proteins....

Radiation inactivation of multimeric enzymes: application to subunit interactions of adenylate cyclase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verkman, A.S.; Skorecki, K.L.; Ausiello, D.A.

1986-01-01

Radiation inactivation has been applied extensively to determine the molecular weight of soluble enzyme and receptor systems from the slope of a linear ln (activity) vs. dose curve. Complex nonlinear inactivation curves are predicted for multimeric enzyme systems, composed of distinct subunits in equilibrium with multimeric complexes. For the system A1 + A2----A1A2, with an active A1A2 complex (associative model), the ln (activity) vs. dose curve is linear for high dissociation constant, K. If a monomer, A1, has all the enzyme activity (dissociative model), the ln (activity) vs. dose curve has an activation hump at low radiation dose if the inactive subunit, A2, has a higher molecular weight than A1 and has upward concavity when A2 is smaller than A1. In general, a radiation inactivation model for a multistep mechanism for enzyme activation fulfills the characteristics of an associative or dissociative model if the reaction step forming active enzyme is an associative or dissociative reaction. Target theory gives the molecular weight of the active enzyme subunit or complex from the limiting slope of the ln (activity) vs. dose curve at high radiation dose. If energy transfer occurs among subunits in the multimer, the ln (activity) vs. dose curve is linear for a single active component and is concave upward for two or more active components. The use of radiation inactivation as a method to determine enzyme size and multimeric subunit assembly is discussed with specific application to the hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase system. It is shown that the complex inactivation curves presented in the accompanying paper can be used select the best mechanism out of a series of seven proposed mechanisms for the activation of adenylate cyclase by hormone

Purification, isolation, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of the BTB domain of the centrosomal protein 190 from Drosophila melanogaster

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Boyko, K. M.; Nikolaeva, A. Yu.; Kachalova, G. S.; Bonchuk, A. N.; Popov, V. O.

2017-11-01

The spatial organization of the genome is controlled by a special class of architectural proteins, including proteins containing BTB domains that are able to dimerize or multimerize. The centrosomal protein 190 is one of such architectural proteins. The purification, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of the BTB domain of the centrosomal protein 190 are reported. The crystallization conditions were found by the vapor-diffusion technique. The crystals diffracted to 1.5 Å resolution and belonged to sp. gr. P3221. The structure was solved by the molecular replacement method. The structure refinement is currently underway.

Crystal structure of B acillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity: AtxA multimerization, phosphorylation and activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammerstrom, Troy G.; Lori, Horton B.; Swick, Michelle C.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Koehler, Theresa M.

2014-12-30

The Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthetic operon. AtxA activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and CO2/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the CO2/bicarbonate signal, AtxA activity and homomultimerization. AtxA activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. We show that AtxA crystallizes as a dimer. Distinct folds associated with predicted DNA-binding domains (HTH1 and HTH2) and phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system-regulated domains (PRD1 and PRD2) are apparent. We tested AtxA variants containing single and double phosphomimetic (HisAsp) and phosphoablative (HisAla) amino acid changes for activity in B.anthracis cultures and for protein-protein interactions in cell lysates. Reduced activity of AtxA H199A, lack of multimerization and activity of AtxAH379D variants, and predicted structural changes associated with phosphorylation support a model for control of AtxA function. We propose that (i) in the AtxA dimer, phosphorylation of H199 in PRD1 affects HTH2 positioning, influencing DNA-binding; and (ii) phosphorylation of H379 in PRD2 disrupts dimer formation. The AtxA structure is the first reported high-resolution full-length structure of a PRD-containing regulator, and can serve as a model for proteins of this family, especially those that link virulence to bacterial metabolism.

Downregulation of Protein 4.1R impairs centrosome function,bipolar spindle organization and anaphase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spence, Jeffrey R.; Go, Minjoung M.; Bahmanyar, S.; Barth,A.I.M.; Krauss, Sharon Wald

2006-03-17

Centrosomes nucleate and organize interphase MTs and areinstrumental in the assembly of the mitotic bipolar spindle. Here wereport that two members of the multifunctional protein 4.1 family havedistinct distributions at centrosomes. Protein 4.1R localizes to maturecentrioles whereas 4.1G is a component of the pericentriolar matrixsurrounding centrioles. To selectively probe 4.1R function, we used RNAinterference-mediated depletion of 4.1R without decreasing 4.1Gexpression. 4.1R downregulation reduces MT anchoring and organization atinterphase and impairs centrosome separation during prometaphase.Metaphase chromosomes fail to properly condense/align and spindleorganization is aberrant. Notably 4.1R depletion causes mislocalizationof its binding partner NuMA (Nuclear Mitotic Apparatus Protein),essential for spindle pole focusing, and disrupts ninein. Duringanaphase/telophase, 4.1R-depleted cells have lagging chromosomes andaberrant MT bridges. Our data provide functional evidence that 4.1R makescrucial contributions to centrosome integrity and to mitotic spindlestructure enabling mitosis and anaphase to proceed with the coordinatedprecision required to avoid pathological events.

Duplication and Nuclear Envelope Insertion of the Yeast Microtubule Organizing Centre, the Spindle Pole Body

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Rüthnick

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The main microtubule organizing centre in the unicellular model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pompe is the spindle pole body (SPB. The SPB is a multilayer structure, which duplicates exactly once per cell cycle. Unlike higher eukaryotic cells, both yeast model organisms undergo mitosis without breakdown of the nuclear envelope (NE, a so-called closed mitosis. Therefore, in order to simultaneously nucleate nuclear and cytoplasmic MTs, it is vital to embed the SPB into the NE at least during mitosis, similarly to the nuclear pore complex (NPC. This review aims to embrace the current knowledge of the SPB duplication cycle with special emphasis on the critical step of the insertion of the new SPB into the NE.

PTPBR7 binding proteins in myelinating neurons of the mouse brain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chesini, I.M.; Debyser, G.; Croes, H.J.E.; Dam, G.B. ten; Devreese, B.; Stoker, A.W.; Hendriks, W.J.A.J.

2011-01-01

Mouse protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPBR7 is a receptor-like, transmembrane protein that is localized on the surface of neuronal cells. Its protein phosphatase activity is reduced upon multimerization, and PTPBR7-deficient mice display motor coordination defects. Extracellular molecules that may

Magnet pole tips

Science.gov (United States)

Thorn, Craig E.; Chasman, Chellis; Baltz, Anthony J.

1984-04-24

An improved magnet which more easily provides a radially increasing magnetic field, as well as reduced fringe field and requires less power for a given field intensity. The subject invention comprises a pair of spaced, opposed magnetic poles which further comprise a pair of pole roots, each having a pole tip attached to its center. The pole tips define the gap between the magnetic poles and at least a portion of each pole tip is separated from its associated pole root. The separation begins at a predetermined distance from the center of the pole root and increases with increasing radial distance while being constant with azimuth within that portion. Magnets in accordance with the subject invention have been found to be particularly advantageous for use in large isochronous cyclotrons.

Live imaging of spindle pole disorganization in docetaxel-treated multicolor cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaushi, Shinji; Nishida, Kumi; Minamikawa, Harumi; Fukada, Takashi; Oka, Shigenori; Sugimoto, Kenji

2007-01-01

Treatment of cells with docetaxel at low concentrations induces aberrant bipolar spindles of which two centrosomes stay at only one pole, and also induces multipolar spindles. To gain insight into the relations between centrosome impairment and structural defects of the spindle, live-cell imaging was performed on a human MDA Auro/imp/H3 cell line in which centrosomes/mitotic spindles, nuclear membrane and chromatin were simultaneously visualized by fluorescent proteins. In the presence of docetaxel at IC 50 concentration, the centrosomes did not segregate, and multiple aster-like structures ectopically arose around the disappearing nuclear membrane. Those ectopic structures formed an acentrosomal pole opposing to the two-centrosomes-containing pole. In late metaphase, one pole often fragmented into multiple spindle poles, leading multipolar division. These results suggest that spindle pole fragility may be induced by centrosome impairment, and collapse of the pole may contribute to induction of aneuploid daughter cells

Utility poles not affected by CCA decision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Venzio, H. [Arch Wood Protection Canada, Mississauga, ON (Canada)

2002-08-01

A voluntary decision by industry to move non-industrial use of treated lumber products away from pressure-treated wood containing chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservative was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on February 12, 2002. Although new alternative wood preservatives would be used, this decision does not affect utility poles, which will continue to be sold and installed. The author provides a brief historical outline concerning the creation of CCA in 1933 and its subsequent uses. CCA has many advantages, including clean surface of the poles, ground line treatment that is not required thus eliminating the requirement to rotate the poles during extended storage periods. Conductivity is low, as is corrosivity without affecting the bending characteristics of the wood. The injection of a refined hydrocarbon oil emulsion in the outer layer of the pole after the treatment with CCA is offered by some pole producers to facilitate gaff penetration. Sawing, drilling and nailing are also made easier. Water repellents can be added to the treating solution to improve climbability, slowing down the absorption and release of moisture. Warranties, extending for 50-year periods, are offered by some companies against wood-destroying organisms. The North American Wood Pole Coalition (NAWPC) was formed in 1998 to promote the use of wood poles, and publishes brochures and technical bulletins to that effect.

Protein Delivery System Containing a Nickel-Immobilized Polymer for Multimerization of Affinity-Purified His-Tagged Proteins Enhances Cytosolic Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Postupalenko, Viktoriia; Desplancq, Dominique; Orlov, Igor; Arntz, Youri; Spehner, Danièle; Mely, Yves; Klaholz, Bruno P; Schultz, Patrick; Weiss, Etienne; Zuber, Guy

2015-09-01

Recombinant proteins with cytosolic or nuclear activities are emerging as tools for interfering with cellular functions. Because such tools rely on vehicles for crossing the plasma membrane we developed a protein delivery system consisting in the assembly of pyridylthiourea-grafted polyethylenimine (πPEI) with affinity-purified His-tagged proteins pre-organized onto a nickel-immobilized polymeric guide. The guide was prepared by functionalization of an ornithine polymer with nitrilotriacetic acid groups and shown to bind several His-tagged proteins. Superstructures were visualized by electron and atomic force microscopy using 2 nm His-tagged gold nanoparticles as probes. The whole system efficiently carried the green fluorescent protein, single-chain antibodies or caspase 3, into the cytosol of living cells. Transduction of the protease caspase 3 induced apoptosis in two cancer cell lines, demonstrating that this new protein delivery method could be used to interfere with cellular functions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Surfactant Protein D in Respiratory and Non-Respiratory Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Grith L.

2018-01-01

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a multimeric collectin that is involved in innate immune defense and expressed in pulmonary, as well as non-pulmonary, epithelia. SP-D exerts antimicrobial effects and dampens inflammation through direct microbial interactions and modulation of host cell responses via a series of cellular receptors. However, low protein concentrations, genetic variation, biochemical modification, and proteolytic breakdown can induce decomposition of multimeric SP-D into low-molecular weight forms, which may induce pro-inflammatory SP-D signaling. Multimeric SP-D can decompose into trimeric SP-D, and this process, and total SP-D levels, are partly determined by variation within the SP-D gene, SFTPD. SP-D has been implicated in the development of respiratory diseases including respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, allergic asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Disease-induced breakdown or modifications of SP-D facilitate its systemic leakage from the lung, and circulatory SP-D is a promising biomarker for lung injury. Moreover, studies in preclinical animal models have demonstrated that local pulmonary treatment with recombinant SP-D is beneficial in these diseases. In recent years, SP-D has been shown to exert antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects in various non-pulmonary organs and to have effects on lipid metabolism and pro-inflammatory effects in vessel walls, which enhance the risk of atherosclerosis. A common SFTPD polymorphism is associated with atherosclerosis and diabetes, and SP-D has been associated with metabolic disorders because of its effects in the endothelium and adipocytes and its obesity-dampening properties. This review summarizes and discusses the reported genetic associations of SP-D with disease and the clinical utility of circulating SP-D for respiratory disease prognosis. Moreover, basic research on the mechanistic links between SP-D and respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases

Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins assemble constitutively in high molecular oligomers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cong, Yingying; Kriegenburg, Franziska; de Haan, Cornelis A. M.; Reggiori, Fulvio

2017-01-01

Coronaviruses (CoV) are enveloped viruses and rely on their nucleocapsid N protein to incorporate the positive-stranded genomic RNA into the virions. CoV N proteins form oligomers but the mechanism and relevance underlying their multimerization remain to be fully understood. Using in vitro pull-down

Rab5 GTPase controls chromosome alignment through Lamin disassembly and relocation of the NuMA-like protein Mud to the poles during mitosis

Science.gov (United States)

Capalbo, Luisa; D'Avino, Pier Paolo; Archambault, Vincent; Glover, David M.

2011-01-01

The small GTPase Rab5 is a conserved regulator of membrane trafficking; it regulates the formation of early endosomes, their transport along microtubules, and the fusion to the target organelles. Although several members of the endocytic pathway were recently implicated in spindle organization, it is unclear whether Rab5 has any role during mitosis. Here, we describe that Rab5 is required for proper chromosome alignment during Drosophila mitoses. We also found that Rab5 associated in vivo with nuclear Lamin and mushroom body defect (Mud), the Drosophila counterpart of nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA). Consistent with this finding, Rab5 was required for the disassembly of the nuclear envelope at mitotic entry and the accumulation of Mud at the spindle poles. Furthermore, Mud depletion caused chromosome misalignment defects that resembled the defects of Rab5 RNAi cells, and double-knockdown experiments indicated that the two proteins function in a linear pathway. Our results indicate a role for Rab5 in mitosis and reinforce the emerging view of the contributions made by cell membrane dynamics to spindle function. PMID:21987826

Mechanisms for focusing mitotic spindle poles by minus end-directed motor proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Goshima, Gohta; Nédélec, François; Vale, Ronald D

2005-10-24

During the formation of the metaphase spindle in animal somatic cells, kinetochore microtubule bundles (K fibers) are often disconnected from centrosomes, because they are released from centrosomes or directly generated from chromosomes. To create the tightly focused, diamond-shaped appearance of the bipolar spindle, K fibers need to be interconnected with centrosomal microtubules (C-MTs) by minus end-directed motor proteins. Here, we have characterized the roles of two minus end-directed motors, dynein and Ncd, in such processes in Drosophila S2 cells using RNA interference and high resolution microscopy. Even though these two motors have overlapping functions, we show that Ncd is primarily responsible for focusing K fibers, whereas dynein has a dominant function in transporting K fibers to the centrosomes. We also report a novel localization of Ncd to the growing tips of C-MTs, which we show is mediated by the plus end-tracking protein, EB1. Computer modeling of the K fiber focusing process suggests that the plus end localization of Ncd could facilitate the capture and transport of K fibers along C-MTs. From these results and simulations, we propose a model on how two minus end-directed motors cooperate to ensure spindle pole coalescence during mitosis.

DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION OF POLE-LIKE OBJECTS FROM MOBILE MAPPING DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Fukano

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Laser scanners on a vehicle-based mobile mapping system can capture 3D point-clouds of roads and roadside objects. Since roadside objects have to be maintained periodically, their 3D models are useful for planning maintenance tasks. In our previous work, we proposed a method for detecting cylindrical poles and planar plates in a point-cloud. However, it is often required to further classify pole-like objects into utility poles, streetlights, traffic signals and signs, which are managed by different organizations. In addition, our previous method may fail to extract low pole-like objects, which are often observed in urban residential areas. In this paper, we propose new methods for extracting and classifying pole-like objects. In our method, we robustly extract a wide variety of poles by converting point-clouds into wireframe models and calculating cross-sections between wireframe models and horizontal cutting planes. For classifying pole-like objects, we subdivide a pole-like object into five subsets by extracting poles and planes, and calculate feature values of each subset. Then we apply a supervised machine learning method using feature variables of subsets. In our experiments, our method could achieve excellent results for detection and classification of pole-like objects.

Poling of Planar Silica Waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Kristensen, Martin; Jensen, Jesper Bo

1999-01-01

UV-written planar silica waveguides are poled using two different poling techniques, thermal poling and UV-poling. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.067 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. The induced electro-optic effect shows a linear dependence...

Akap350 Recruits Eb1 to The Spindle Poles, Ensuring Proper Spindle Orientation and Lumen Formation in 3d Epithelial Cell Cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Almada, Evangelina; Tonucci, Facundo M; Hidalgo, Florencia; Ferretti, Anabela; Ibarra, Solange; Pariani, Alejandro; Vena, Rodrigo; Favre, Cristián; Girardini, Javier; Kierbel, Arlinet; Larocca, M Cecilia

2017-11-02

The organization of epithelial cells to form hollow organs with a single lumen requires the accurate three-dimensional arrangement of cell divisions. Mitotic spindle orientation is defined by signaling pathways that provide molecular links between specific spots at the cell cortex and astral microtubules, which have not been fully elucidated. AKAP350 is a centrosomal/Golgi scaffold protein, implicated in the regulation of microtubule dynamics. Using 3D epithelial cell cultures, we found that cells with decreased AKAP350 expression (AKAP350KD) formed polarized cysts with abnormal lumen morphology. Analysis of mitotic cells in AKAP350KD cysts indicated defective spindle alignment. We established that AKAP350 interacts with EB1, a microtubule associated protein that regulates spindle orientation, at the spindle poles. Decrease of AKAP350 expression lead to a significant reduction of EB1 levels at spindle poles and astral microtubules. Conversely, overexpression of EB1 rescued the defective spindle orientation induced by deficient AKAP350 expression. The specific delocalization of the AKAP350/EB1complex from the centrosome decreased EB1 levels at astral microtubules and lead to the formation of 3D-organotypic structures which resembled AKAP350KD cysts. We conclude that AKAP350 recruits EB1 to the spindle poles, ensuring EB1 presence at astral microtubules and proper spindle orientation during epithelial morphogenesis.

Poling of UV-written Waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Kristensen, Martin; Hübner, Jörg

1999-01-01

We report poling of UV-written silica waveguides. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.05 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. No measurable decay in the induced electro-optic effect was detected after nine months......We report poling of UV-written silica waveguides. Thermal poling induces an electro-optic coefficient of 0.05 pm/V. We also demonstrate simultaneous UV-writing and UV-poling. No measurable decay in the induced electro-optic effect was detected after nine months...

Enhancement of Muramyldipeptide (MDP) Immunostimulatory Activity by Controlled Multimerization on Dendrimers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Nanna Skall; Boas, Ulrik; Heegaard, Peter M. H.

2011-01-01

Peptidoglycan is a widespread bacterial PAMP molecule and a powerful initiator of innate immune responses. It consists of repeating units of MDP, which as a monomer is only weakly immunostimulatory. Here, MDP-coupled dendrimers were prepared and investigated for stimulation of pig blood mononuclear...... cells. Compared to monomeric MDP, MDP-dendrimers induced a markedly enhanced production of IL-12 p40, IL-1β and IL-6 and completely down-regulated surface expression of B7 and MHC class II. These results suggest a possible novel strategy based on controlled multimerization of minimal PAMP motifs...... on dendrimers for preparing molecularly defined immunostimulators with predictable bioactivities....

Mapping the binding interface between an HIV-1 inhibiting intrabody and the viral protein Rev.

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Thomas Vercruysse

Full Text Available HIV-1 Rev is the key protein in the nucleocytoplasmic export and expression of the late viral mRNAs. An important aspect for its function is its ability to multimerize on these mRNAs. We have recently identified a llama single-domain antibody (Nb190 as the first inhibitor targeting the Rev multimerization function in cells. This nanobody is a potent intracellular antibody that efficiently inhibits HIV-1 viral production. In order to gain insight into the Nb190-Rev interaction interface, we performed mutational and docking studies to map the interface between the nanobody paratope and the Rev epitope. Alanine mutants of the hyper-variable domains of Nb190 and the Rev multimerization domains were evaluated in different assays measuring Nb190-Rev interaction or viral production. Seven residues within Nb190 and five Rev residues are demonstrated to be crucial for epitope recognition. These experimental data were used to perform docking experiments and map the Nb190-Rev structural interface. This Nb190-Rev interaction model can guide further studies of the Nb190 effect on HIV-1 Rev function and could serve as starting point for the rational development of smaller entities binding to the Nb190 epitope, aimed at interfering with protein-protein interactions of the Rev N-terminal domain.

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer system for measuring dynamic protein-protein interactions in bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Boyu; Wang, Yao; Song, Yunhong; Wang, Tietao; Li, Changfu; Wei, Yahong; Luo, Zhao-Qing; Shen, Xihui

2014-05-20

Protein-protein interactions are important for virtually every biological process, and a number of elegant approaches have been designed to detect and evaluate such interactions. However, few of these methods allow the detection of dynamic and real-time protein-protein interactions in bacteria. Here we describe a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) system based on the bacterial luciferase LuxAB. We found that enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) accepts the emission from LuxAB and emits yellow fluorescence. Importantly, BRET occurred when LuxAB and eYFP were fused, respectively, to the interacting protein pair FlgM and FliA. Furthermore, we observed sirolimus (i.e., rapamycin)-inducible interactions between FRB and FKBP12 and a dose-dependent abolishment of such interactions by FK506, the ligand of FKBP12. Using this system, we showed that osmotic stress or low pH efficiently induced multimerization of the regulatory protein OmpR and that the multimerization induced by low pH can be reversed by a neutralizing agent, further indicating the usefulness of this system in the measurement of dynamic interactions. This method can be adapted to analyze dynamic protein-protein interactions and the importance of such interactions in bacterial processes such as development and pathogenicity. Real-time measurement of protein-protein interactions in prokaryotes is highly desirable for determining the roles of protein complex in the development or virulence of bacteria, but methods that allow such measurement are not available. Here we describe the development of a bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) technology that meets this need. The use of endogenous excitation light in this strategy circumvents the requirement for the sophisticated instrument demanded by standard fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Furthermore, because the LuxAB substrate decanal is membrane permeable, the assay can be performed without lysing the bacterial cells

Significant role of PB1 and UBA domains in multimerization of Joka2, a selective autophagy cargo receptor from tobacco

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Katarzyna eZientara-Rytter

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tobacco Joka2 protein is a hybrid homolog of two mammalian selective autophagy cargo receptors, p62 and NBR1. These proteins can directly interact with the members of ATG8 family and the polyubiquitinated cargoes designed for degradation. Function of the selective autophagy cargo receptors relies on their ability to form protein aggregates. It has been shown that the N-terminal PB1 domain of p62 is involved in formation of aggregates, while the UBA domains of p62 and NBR1 have been associated mainly with cargo binding. Here we focus on roles of PB1 and UBA domains in localization and aggregation of Joka2 in plant cells. We show that Joka2 can homodimerize not only through its N-terminal PB1-PB1 interactions but also via interaction between N-terminal PB1 and C-terminal UBA domains. We also demonstrate that Joka2 co-localizes with recombinant ubiquitin and sequestrates it into aggregates and that C-terminal part (containing UBA domains is sufficient for this effect. Our results indicate that Joka2 accumulates in cytoplasmic aggregates and suggest that in addition to these multimeric forms it also exists in the nucleus and cytoplasm in a monomeric form.

Pole lengths influence O2-cost during double poling in highly trained cross-country skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsen, Camilla Høivik; Rud, Bjarne; Myklebust, Håvard; Losnegard, Thomas

2018-02-01

In elite cross-country skiing, double poling is used in different terrain. This study compared O 2 -cost and kinematics during double poling with four different pole lengths [self-selected (SS), SS - 5 cm, SS + 5 cm, SS + 10 cm] at Low versus Moderate incline. Thirteen highly trained male cross-country skiers (mean ± SD 23 ± 3 years; 182 ± 4 cm; 77 ± 6 kg) completed eight submaximal trials with roller skis on a treadmill at two conditions: "Low incline" (1.7°; 4.5 m s -1 ) and "Moderate incline" (4.5°; 2.5 m s -1 ) with each of the four pole lengths. O 2 -cost and 3D body kinematics were assessed in each trial. In Low incline, SS + 10 cm induced a lower O 2 -cost than all the other pole lengths [P size (ES) 0.5-0.8], whereas no differences were found between the remaining pole lengths (P > 0.05; ES 0.2-0.4). In Moderate incline, significant differences between all pole lengths were found for O 2 -cost, with SS - 5 cm > SS > SS + 5 cm > SS + 10 cm (P differences in O 2 -cost between SS and the other pole lengths were greater in Moderate incline than Low incline (SS - 5 cm; 1.5%, ES 0.8, SS + 5 cm; 1.3%, ES 1.0, and SS + 10 cm; 1.9%, ES 1.0, all P difference was found in cycle, poling or reposition times between pole lengths. However, at both conditions a smaller total vertical displacement of center of mass was observed with SS + 10 cm compared to the other pole lengths. Increasing pole length from SS - 5 cm to SS + 10 cm during double poling induced lower O 2 -cost and this advantage was greater in Moderate compared to Low incline.

Polymorphism in SFTPD gene affects assembly and constitutional serum levels of surfactant protein D in a Lebanese population

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fakih, Dalia; Chamat, Soulaima; Medlej-Hashim, Myrna

2014-01-01

Surfactant protein D (SP-D), an oligomeric lung-derived lectin, has essential roles in innate immunity. It can be measured in serum. Previous studies have shown that constitutional SP-D serum levels and the protein degree of multimerization are genetically influenced. We aimed to establish the di...

2D Stabilised analytic signal method in DC pole-pole potential data ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

synthetic error prone secondary pole-pole potential data. 1. Introduction. Analytical signal .... The meaning of the rest of the parameters is self- evident. The three ..... interpretation using 3-D analytic signal; Geophysics 57. 116–125. Starostenko ...

Crystal structure of Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA and effects of phosphorylated histidines on multimerization and activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammerstrom, Troy G; Horton, Lori B; Swick, Michelle C; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Koehler, Theresa M

2015-02-01

The Bacillus anthracis virulence regulator AtxA controls transcription of the anthrax toxin genes and capsule biosynthetic operon. AtxA activity is elevated during growth in media containing glucose and CO(2)/bicarbonate, and there is a positive correlation between the CO(2)/bicarbonate signal, AtxA activity and homomultimerization. AtxA activity is also affected by phosphorylation at specific histidines. We show that AtxA crystallizes as a dimer. Distinct folds associated with predicted DNA-binding domains (HTH1 and HTH2) and phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system-regulated domains (PRD1 and PRD2) are apparent. We tested AtxA variants containing single and double phosphomimetic (His→Asp) and phosphoablative (His→Ala) amino acid changes for activity in B. anthracis cultures and for protein-protein interactions in cell lysates. Reduced activity of AtxA H199A, lack of multimerization and activity of AtxAH379D variants, and predicted structural changes associated with phosphorylation support a model for control of AtxA function. We propose that (i) in the AtxA dimer, phosphorylation of H199 in PRD1 affects HTH2 positioning, influencing DNA-binding; and (ii) phosphorylation of H379 in PRD2 disrupts dimer formation. The AtxA structure is the first reported high-resolution full-length structure of a PRD-containing regulator, and can serve as a model for proteins of this family, especially those that link virulence to bacterial metabolism. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Permanent magnet machine and method with reluctance poles and non-identical PM poles for high density operation

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, John S.

2010-05-18

A method and apparatus in which a stator (11) and a rotor (12) define a primary air gap (20) for receiving AC flux and at least one source (23, 40), and preferably two sources (23, 24, 40) of DC excitation are positioned for inducing DC flux at opposite ends of the rotor (12). Portions of PM material (17, 17a) are provided as boundaries separating PM rotor pole portions from each other and from reluctance poles. The PM poles (18) and the reluctance poles (19) can be formed with poles of one polarity having enlarged flux paths in relation to flux paths for pole portions of an opposite polarity, the enlarged flux paths communicating with a core of the rotor (12) so as to increase reluctance torque produced by the electric machine. Reluctance torque is increased by providing asymmetrical pole faces. The DC excitation can also use asymmetric poles and asymmetric excitation sources. Several embodiments are disclosed with additional variations.

Protein acetylation sites mediated by Schistosoma mansoni GCN5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moraes Maciel, Renata de; Furtado Madeiro da Costa, Rodrigo; Meirelles Bastosde Oliveira, Francisco; Rumjanek, Franklin David; Fantappie, Marcelo Rosado

2008-01-01

The transcriptional co-activator GCN5, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT), is part of large multimeric complexes that are required for chromatin remodeling and transcription activation. As in other eukaryotes, the DNA from the parasite Schistosome mansoni is organized into nucleosomes and the genome encodes components of chromatin-remodeling complexes. Using a series of synthetic peptides we determined that Lys-14 of histone H3 was acetylated by the recombinant SmGCN5-HAT domain. SmGCN5 was also able to acetylate schistosome non-histone proteins, such as the nuclear receptors SmRXR1 and SmNR1, and the co-activator SmNCoA-62. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of SmGCN5 protein in the nuclei of vitelline cells. Within the nucleus, SmGCN5 was found to be located in interchromatin granule clusters (IGCs), which are transcriptionally active structures. The data suggest that SmGCN5 is involved in transcription activation

Tree-loop duality relation beyond single poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bierenbaum, Isabella [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). 2. Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Buchta, Sebastian; Draggiotis, Petros; Malamos, Ioannis; Rodrigo, German [Valencia Univ. Paterna (Spain). Inst. de Fisica Corpuscular

2012-11-15

We develop the Tree-Loop Duality Relation for two- and three-loop integrals with multiple identical propagators (multiple poles). This is the extension of the Duality Relation for single poles and multi-loop integrals derived in previous publications. We prove a generalization of the formula for single poles to multiple poles and we develop a strategy for dealing with higher-order pole integrals by reducing them to single pole integrals using Integration By Parts.

An integrated overview of spatiotemporal organization and regulation in mitosis in terms of the proteins in the functional supercomplexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yueyuan eZheng

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Eukaryotic cells may divide via the critical cellular process of cell division/mitosis, resulting in two daughter cells with the same genetic information. A large number of dedicated proteins are involved in this process and spatiotemporally assembled into three distinct super-complex structures/organelles, including the centrosome/spindle pole body, kinetochore/centromere and cleavage furrow/midbody/bud neck, so as to precisely modulate the cell division/mitosis events of chromosome alignment, chromosome segregation and cytokinesis in an orderly fashion. In recent years, many efforts have been made to identify the protein components and architecture of these subcellular organelles, aiming to uncover the organelle assembly pathways, determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the organelle functions, and thereby provide new therapeutic strategies for a variety of diseases. However, the organelles are highly dynamic structures, making it difficult to identify the entire components. Here, we review the current knowledge of the identified protein components governing the organization and functioning of organelles, especially in human and yeast cells, and discuss the multi-localized protein components mediating the communication between organelles during cell division.

A rolling circle replication mechanism produces multimeric lariats of mitochondrial DNA in Caenorhabditis elegans.

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Samantha C Lewis

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA encodes respiratory complex subunits essential to almost all eukaryotes; hence respiratory competence requires faithful duplication of this molecule. However, the mechanism(s of its synthesis remain hotly debated. Here we have developed Caenorhabditis elegans as a convenient animal model for the study of metazoan mtDNA synthesis. We demonstrate that C. elegans mtDNA replicates exclusively by a phage-like mechanism, in which multimeric molecules are synthesized from a circular template. In contrast to previous mammalian studies, we found that mtDNA synthesis in the C. elegans gonad produces branched-circular lariat structures with multimeric DNA tails; we were able to detect multimers up to four mtDNA genome unit lengths. Further, we did not detect elongation from a displacement-loop or analogue of 7S DNA, suggesting a clear difference from human mtDNA in regard to the site(s of replication initiation. We also identified cruciform mtDNA species that are sensitive to cleavage by the resolvase RusA; we suggest these four-way junctions may have a role in concatemer-to-monomer resolution. Overall these results indicate that mtDNA synthesis in C. elegans does not conform to any previously documented metazoan mtDNA replication mechanism, but instead are strongly suggestive of rolling circle replication, as employed by bacteriophages. As several components of the metazoan mitochondrial DNA replisome are likely phage-derived, these findings raise the possibility that the rolling circle mtDNA replication mechanism may be ancestral among metazoans.

Cyclodextrins as Protective Agents of Protein Aggregation: An Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveri, Valentina; Vecchio, Graziella

2016-06-06

Cyclodextrins are extensively used in different fields (e.g., catalysis, chromatography, pharma, supramolecular chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, and bioinorganic chemistry), and their applications have been widely reviewed. Their main application in the field of pharmaceutical is as a drug carrier. This review overviews, for the first time, the use of cyclodextrins and their derivatives as antiaggregant agents in a number of proteins (e.g., amyloid-β, insulin, recombinant human growth hormone, prion protein, transthyretin, and α-synuclein) and some multimeric enzymes. There are many diseases that are correlated to protein misfolding and amyloid formation processes affecting numerous organs and tissues. There are over 30 different amyloid proteins and a number of corresponding diseases. Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease. Treatment of these diseases is still a goal to reach, and many molecules are studied in this perspective. Cyclodextrins have also been studied, and they show great potential; as such, further studies could be very promising. This review aims to be a stimulus for the design of new cyclodextrin derivatives to obtain multifunctional systems with antiaggregant activity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Simplified Analytic Approach of Pole-to-Pole Faults in MMC-HVDC for AC System Backup Protection Setting Calculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tongkun Lan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available AC (alternating current system backup protection setting calculation is an important basis for ensuring the safe operation of power grids. With the increasing integration of modular multilevel converter based high voltage direct current (MMC-HVDC into power grids, it has been a big challenge for the AC system backup protection setting calculation, as the MMC-HVDC lacks the fault self-clearance capability under pole-to-pole faults. This paper focused on the pole-to-pole faults analysis for the AC system backup protection setting calculation. The principles of pole-to-pole faults analysis were discussed first according to the standard of the AC system protection setting calculation. Then, the influence of fault resistance on the fault process was investigated. A simplified analytic approach of pole-to-pole faults in MMC-HVDC for the AC system backup protection setting calculation was proposed. In the proposed approach, the derived expressions of fundamental frequency current are applicable under arbitrary fault resistance. The accuracy of the proposed approach was demonstrated by PSCAD/EMTDC (Power Systems Computer-Aided Design/Electromagnetic Transients including DC simulations.

Oscillating behavior of Clostridium difficile Min proteins in Bacillus subtilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Makroczyová, Jana; Jamroškovič, Ján; Krascsenitsová, Eva; Labajová, Nad'a; Barák, Imrich

2016-06-01

In rod-shaped bacteria, the proper placement of the division septum at the midcell relies, at least partially, on the proteins of the Min system as an inhibitor of cell division. The main principle of Min system function involves the formation of an inhibitor gradient along the cell axis; however, the establishment of this gradient differs between two well-studied gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. While in gram-negative Escherichia coli, the Min system undergoes pole-to-pole oscillation, in gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, proper spatial inhibition is achieved by the preferential attraction of the Min proteins to the cell poles. Nevertheless, when E.coli Min proteins are inserted into B.subtilis cells, they still oscillate, which negatively affects asymmetric septation during sporulation in this organism. Interestingly, homologs of both Min systems were found to be present in various combinations in the genomes of anaerobic and endospore-forming Clostridia, including the pathogenic Clostridium difficile. Here, we have investigated the localization and behavior of C.difficile Min protein homologs and showed that MinDE proteins of C.difficile can oscillate when expressed together in B.subtilis cells. We have also investigated the effects of this oscillation on B.subtilis sporulation, and observed decreased sporulation efficiency in strains harboring the MinDE genes. Additionally, we have evaluated the effects of C.difficile Min protein expression on vegetative division in this heterologous host. © 2016 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The potential of wood-based composite poles

Science.gov (United States)

Todd F. Shupe; Cheng Piao; Chung Y. Hse

2009-01-01

Wood-based composite utility poles are receiving increasing attention in the North American pole market. This interest is being driven by many increasing factors such as increasing: (1) disposal costs of solid wood poles, (2) liability and environmental concerns with traditional means of disposal of solid wood poles, (3) cost and concerns of long-term...

Sme4 coiled-coil protein mediates synaptonemal complex assembly, recombinosome relocalization, and spindle pole body morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Espagne, Eric; Vasnier, Christelle; Storlazzi, Aurora; Kleckner, Nancy E; Silar, Philippe; Zickler, Denise; Malagnac, Fabienne

2011-06-28

We identify a large coiled-coil protein, Sme4/PaMe4, that is highly conserved among the large group of Sordariales and plays central roles in two temporally and functionally distinct aspects of the fungal sexual cycle: first as a component of the meiotic synaptonemal complex (SC) and then, after disappearing and reappearing, as a component of the spindle pole body (SPB). In both cases, the protein mediates spatial juxtaposition of two major structures: linkage of homolog axes through the SC and a change in the SPB from a planar to a bent conformation. Corresponding mutants exhibit defects, respectively, in SC and SPB morphogenesis, with downstream consequences for recombination and astral-microtubule nucleation plus postmeiotic nuclear migration. Sme4 is also required for reorganization of recombination complexes in which Rad51, Mer3, and Msh4 foci relocalize from an on-axis position to a between-axis (on-SC) position concomitant with SC installation. Because involved recombinosome foci represent total recombinational interactions, these dynamics are irrespective of their designation for maturation into cross-overs or noncross-overs. The defined dual roles for Sme4 in two different structures that function at distinct phases of the sexual cycle also provide more functional links and evolutionary dynamics among the nuclear envelope, SPB, and SC.

The Staphylococcus aureus extracellular adherence protein (Eap) adopts an elongated but structured conformation in solution

OpenAIRE

Hammel, Michal; Němeček, Daniel; Keightley, J. Andrew; Thomas, George J.; Geisbrecht, Brian V.

2007-01-01

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus participates in a wide range of protein–protein interactions that facilitate the initiation and dissemination of Staphylococcal disease. In this report, we describe the use of a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the solution structure of full-length Eap. In contrast to previous reports suggesting that a six-domain isoform of Eap undergoes multimerization, sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation data r...

Geometric Modelling of Octagonal Lamp Poles

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, T. O.; Lichti, D. D.

2014-06-01

Lamp poles are one of the most abundant highway and community components in modern cities. Their supporting parts are primarily tapered octagonal cones specifically designed for wind resistance. The geometry and the positions of the lamp poles are important information for various applications. For example, they are important to monitoring deformation of aged lamp poles, maintaining an efficient highway GIS system, and also facilitating possible feature-based calibration of mobile LiDAR systems. In this paper, we present a novel geometric model for octagonal lamp poles. The model consists of seven parameters in which a rotation about the z-axis is included, and points are constrained by the trigonometric property of 2D octagons after applying the rotations. For the geometric fitting of the lamp pole point cloud captured by a terrestrial LiDAR, accurate initial parameter values are essential. They can be estimated by first fitting the points to a circular cone model and this is followed by some basic point cloud processing techniques. The model was verified by fitting both simulated and real data. The real data includes several lamp pole point clouds captured by: (1) Faro Focus 3D and (2) Velodyne HDL-32E. The fitting results using the proposed model are promising, and up to 2.9 mm improvement in fitting accuracy was realized for the real lamp pole point clouds compared to using the conventional circular cone model. The overall result suggests that the proposed model is appropriate and rigorous.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe Rad22A and Rad22B have similar biochemical properties and form multimeric structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vries, Femke A.T. de [Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands); Zonneveld, Jose B.M. [Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands); Groot, Anton J. de [Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands); Koning, Roman I. [Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden (Netherlands); Zeeland, Albert A. van [Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands); Pastink, Albert [Department of Toxicogenetics, Leiden University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden (Netherlands)]. E-mail: A.Pastink@lumc.nl

2007-02-03

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad52 protein has a crucial role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks by homologous recombination. In vitro, Rad52 displays DNA binding and strand annealing activities and promotes Rad51-mediated strand exchange. Schizosaccharomyces pombe has two Rad52 homologues, Rad22A and Rad22B. Whereas rad22A deficient strains exhibit severe defects in repair and recombination, rad22B mutants have a much less severe phenotype. To better understand the role of Rad22A and Rad22B in double-strand break repair, both proteins were purified to near homogeneity. Using gel retardation and filter binding assays, binding of Rad22A and Rad22B to short single-stranded DNAs was demonstrated. Binding of Rad22A to double-stranded oligonucleotides or linearized plasmid molecules containing blunt ends or short single-stranded overhangs could not be detected. Rad22B also does not bind efficiently to short duplex oligonucleotides but binds readily to DNA fragments containing 3'-overhangs. Rad22A as well as Rad22B efficiently promote annealing of complementary single-stranded DNAs. In the presence of Rad22A annealing of complementary DNAs is almost 90%. Whereas in reactions containing Rad22B the maximum level of annealing is 60%, most likely due to inhibition of the reaction by duplex DNA. Gel-filtration experiments and electron microscopic analyses indicate self-association of Rad22A and Rad22B and the formation of multimeric structures as has been observed for Rad52 in yeast and man.

Second-harmonic imaging of poled silica waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arentoft, Jesper; Pedersen, Kjeld; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

2000-01-01

Electric-field poled silica-based waveguides are characterized by measurements of second-harmonic generation (SHG) and of the linear electro-optic effect (LEO). A SHG scanning technique allowing for high-resolution imaging of poled devices is demonstrated. Scans along the direction of the poling...

Frequent POLE1 p.S297F mutation in Chinese patients with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou, Yang; Liu, Fa-Ying; Liu, Huai; Wang, Feng; Li, Wei; Huang, Mei-Zhen; Huang, Yan; Yuan, Xiao-Qun; Xu, Xiao-Yun; Huang, Ou-Ping; He, Ming

2014-01-01

The catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE1) functions primarily in nuclear DNA replication and repair. Recently, POLE1 mutations were detected frequently in colorectal and endometrial carcinomas while with lower frequency in several other types of cancer, and the p.P286R and p.V411L mutations were the potential mutation hotspots in human cancers. Nevertheless, the mutation frequency of POLE1 in ovarian cancer still remains largely unknown. Here, we screened a total of 251 Chinese samples with distinct subtypes of ovarian carcinoma for the presence of POLE1 hotspot mutations by direct sequencing. A heterozygous somatic POLE1 mutation, p.S297F (c.890C>T), but not p.P286R and p.V411L hotspot mutations observed in other cancer types, was identified in 3 out of 37 (8.1%) patients with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma; this mutation was evolutionarily highly conserved from Homo sapiens to Schizosaccharomyces. Of note, the POLE1 mutation coexisted with mutation in the ovarian cancer-associated PPP2R1A (protein phosphatase 2, regulatory subunit A, α) gene in a 46-year-old patient, who was also diagnosed with ectopic endometriosis in the benign ovary. In addition, a 45-year-old POLE1-mutated ovarian endometrioid carcinoma patient was also diagnosed with uterine leiomyoma while the remaining 52-year-old POLE1-mutated patient showed no additional distinctive clinical manifestation. In contrast to high frequency of POLE1 mutations in ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, no POLE1 mutations were identified in patients with other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma. Our results showed for the first time that the POLE1 p.S297F mutation, but not p.P286R and p.V411L hotspot mutations observed in other cancer types, was frequent in Chinese ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, but absent in other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma. These results implicated that POLE1 p.S297F mutation might be actively involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, but might not be actively

Frequent POLE1 p.S297F mutation in Chinese patients with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zou, Yang; Liu, Fa-Ying; Liu, Huai; Wang, Feng [Key Laboratory of Women' s Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Li, Wei [Key Laboratory of Women' s Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Graduate School of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031 (China); Huang, Mei-Zhen [Graduate School of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031 (China); Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Institute, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029 (China); Huang, Yan; Yuan, Xiao-Qun [Key Laboratory of Women' s Reproductive Health of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Central Laboratory, Jiangxi Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006 (China); Graduate School of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031 (China); Xu, Xiao-Yun [Graduate School of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031 (China); Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Institute, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029 (China); Huang, Ou-Ping, E-mail: huangouping@gmail.com [Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Institute, Jiangxi Provincial Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330029 (China); He, Ming, E-mail: jxhm56@hotmail.com [Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Nanchang University School of Pharmaceutical Science, Nanchang 330006 (China)

2014-03-15

The catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase epsilon (POLE1) functions primarily in nuclear DNA replication and repair. Recently, POLE1 mutations were detected frequently in colorectal and endometrial carcinomas while with lower frequency in several other types of cancer, and the p.P286R and p.V411L mutations were the potential mutation hotspots in human cancers. Nevertheless, the mutation frequency of POLE1 in ovarian cancer still remains largely unknown. Here, we screened a total of 251 Chinese samples with distinct subtypes of ovarian carcinoma for the presence of POLE1 hotspot mutations by direct sequencing. A heterozygous somatic POLE1 mutation, p.S297F (c.890C>T), but not p.P286R and p.V411L hotspot mutations observed in other cancer types, was identified in 3 out of 37 (8.1%) patients with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma; this mutation was evolutionarily highly conserved from Homo sapiens to Schizosaccharomyces. Of note, the POLE1 mutation coexisted with mutation in the ovarian cancer-associated PPP2R1A (protein phosphatase 2, regulatory subunit A, α) gene in a 46-year-old patient, who was also diagnosed with ectopic endometriosis in the benign ovary. In addition, a 45-year-old POLE1-mutated ovarian endometrioid carcinoma patient was also diagnosed with uterine leiomyoma while the remaining 52-year-old POLE1-mutated patient showed no additional distinctive clinical manifestation. In contrast to high frequency of POLE1 mutations in ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, no POLE1 mutations were identified in patients with other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma. Our results showed for the first time that the POLE1 p.S297F mutation, but not p.P286R and p.V411L hotspot mutations observed in other cancer types, was frequent in Chinese ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, but absent in other subtypes of ovarian carcinoma. These results implicated that POLE1 p.S297F mutation might be actively involved in the pathogenesis of ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, but might not be actively

Evaluation of the pole figure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabrera B, E.; Macias B, L.R.

1984-01-01

In the present work it's shown the possibility of obtaining a pole-figure from the data generated in a conventional X-ray equipment, with a commercial goniometer and no electronic device to process the data. The way to plot the pole-figure on-line is by means of measuring the diffractogram and plot manually the stereographic projections. The atainable precision is very low in such a cumbersome process. In this paper we substitute such method by storing the data in a punched tape from a conventional teletype. The data is processed in a computer and the pole-figure is recorded by a plotter attached to the computer. (author)

Pole shifting with constrained output feedback

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamel, D.; Mensah, S.; Boisvert, J.

1984-03-01

The concept of pole placement plays an important role in linear, multi-variable, control theory. It has received much attention since its introduction, and several pole shifting algorithms are now available. This work presents a new method which allows practical and engineering constraints such as gain limitation and controller structure to be introduced right into the pole shifting design strategy. This is achieved by formulating the pole placement problem as a constrained optimization problem. Explicit constraints (controller structure and gain limits) are defined to identify an admissible region for the feedback gain matrix. The desired pole configuration is translated into an appropriate cost function which must be closed-loop minimized. The resulting constrained optimization problem can thus be solved with optimization algorithms. The method has been implemented as an algorithmic interactive module in a computer-aided control system design package, MVPACK. The application of the method is illustrated to design controllers for an aircraft and an evaporator. The results illustrate the importance of controller structure on overall performance of a control system

Protein analysis in dissolved organic matter: What proteins from organic debris, soil leachate and surface water can tell us - a perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. X. Schulze

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Mass spectrometry based analysis of proteins is widely used to study cellular processes in model organisms. However, it has not yet routinely been applied in environmental research. Based on observations that protein can readily be detected as a component of dissolved organic matter (DOM, this article gives an example about the possible use of protein analysis in ecology and environmental sciences focusing on different terrestrial ecosystems. At this stage, there are two areas of interest: (1 the identification of phylogenetic groups contributing to the environmental protein pool, and (2 identification of the organismic origin of specific enzymes that are important for ecosystem processes. In this paper, mass spectrometric protein analysis was applied to identify proteins from decomposing plant material and DOM of soil leachates and surface water samples derived from different environments. It is concluded, that mass spectrometric protein analysis is capable of distinguishing phylogenetic origin of proteins from litter protein extracts, leachates of different soil horizons, and from various sources of terrestrial surface water. Current limitation is imposed by the limited knowledge of complete genomes of soil organisms. The protein analysis allows to relate protein presence to biogeochemical processes, and to identify the source organisms for specific active enzymes. Further applications, such as in pollution research are conceivable. In summary, the analysis of proteins opens a new area of research between the fields of microbiology and biogeochemistry.

Method and apparatus for assembling a permanent magnet pole assembly

Science.gov (United States)

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

2009-08-11

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

Low cost UV-Ozone reactor mounted for treatment of electrode anodes used in P-OLEDs devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Roberto Santos

Full Text Available Abstract Low cost UV-Ozone reactor using a high pressure mercury vapor lamp of 80 watts without outer bulb showed good results for treatment of ITO films used as anode electrode in the assembly of P-OLED (polymer-organic light emitting diode devices. This study revealed 20 minutes as effective treatment time and it was verified also that the effect of UV-Ozone treatment loses its efficiency as the elapsed time increases. It was analyzed with measurements of contact angle using a droplet of PEDOT:PSS polymer. P-OLEDs devices were mounted with architecture: ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PVK/Alq3/Al. The PVK polymer was diluted in organic solvent of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene with concentrations of: 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/mL. Results revealed better performance of P-OLED devices for concentration of 5 mg/mL resulting in lower threshold voltage, elevation of electrical current and similar diode curve.

Constraints on lateral gene transfer in promoting fimbrial usher protein diversity and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubenrauch, Christopher J; Dougan, Gordon; Lithgow, Trevor; Heinz, Eva

2017-11-01

Fimbriae are long, adhesive structures widespread throughout members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. They are multimeric extrusions, which are moved out of the bacterial cell through an integral outer membrane protein called usher. The complex folding mechanics of the usher protein were recently revealed to be catalysed by the membrane-embedded translocation and assembly module (TAM). Here, we examine the diversity of usher proteins across a wide range of extraintestinal (ExPEC) and enteropathogenic (EPEC) Escherichia coli , and further focus on a so far undescribed chaperone-usher system, with this usher referred to as UshC. The fimbrial system containing UshC is distributed across a discrete set of EPEC types, including model strains like E2348/67, as well as ExPEC ST131, currently the most prominent multi-drug-resistant uropathogenic E. coli strain worldwide. Deletion of the TAM from a naive strain of E. coli results in a drastic time delay in folding of UshC, which can be observed for a protein from EPEC as well as for two introduced proteins from related organisms, Yersinia and Enterobacter We suggest that this models why the TAM machinery is essential for efficient folding of proteins acquired via lateral gene transfer. © 2017 The Authors.

Interactions among tobacco sieve element occlusion (SEO) proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Jekat, Stephan B; Ernst, Antonia M; Zielonka, Sascia; Noll, Gundula A; Prüfer, Dirk

2012-12-01

Angiosperms transport their photoassimilates through sieve tubes, which comprise longitudinally-connected sieve elements. In dicots and also some monocots, the sieve elements contain parietal structural proteins known as phloem proteins or P-proteins. Following injury, P proteins disperse and accumulate as viscous plugs at the sieve plates to prevent the loss of valuable transport sugars. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) P-proteins are multimeric complexes comprising subunits encoded by members of the SEO (sieve element occlusion) gene family. The existence of multiple subunits suggests that P-protein assembly involves interactions between SEO proteins, but this process is largely uncharacterized and it is unclear whether the different subunits perform unique roles or are redundant. We therefore extended our analysis of the tobacco P-proteins NtSEO1 and NtSEO2 to investigate potential interactions between them, and found that both proteins can form homomeric and heteromeric complexes in planta.

Study on Pole Arrangement of the CEDM Coils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Seok; Lee, Myoung Goo; Kim, Hyun Min; Cho, Yeon Ho; Choi, Taek Sang

2013-01-01

The coil stack assembly is important for reliable operation of the CEDM, there have been efforts to improve the design by optimizing the design parameters such as dimensions and winding turns. However, magnetic forces of the CEDM can also change by different pole arrangement even if their design parameters are the same. Since the latch coil and lift coil are installed connected to each other, they produce magnetically coupled field when they are energized at the same time. This coupling field can affect the magnetic force of the CEDM significantly. In this paper, coil pole arrangement effects are studied. Electro-magnetic analysis is performed for the different pole arrangements of the CEDM coils to calculate the magnetic forces. Pole arrangement effects on magnetic forces were studied by static analysis of the CEDM magnetic field. Magnetic forces were calculated and compared for the two different pole arrangements of the coils. The results show that the magnetic poles of the lift coil and latch coil shall be arranged to have the same magnetic pole direction to achieve higher magnetic force

Rotor pole refurbishment for hydrogenerators: insulation problems and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, R.R.; Rux, L.

2005-01-01

Rotor poles for Unit 1 at Lower Granite Powerhouse were removed from the rotor and shipped to a repair facility for refurbishment. Upon inspection, it was found that all of the pole bodies exhibited a distinct bow, center to end, on the pole mounting surface. In some cases, the deflection was as much as 0.106 inch. Concerns were raised about how this condition might affect the ability to properly insulate and/or re-seat the poles. This paper presents details of the rotor pole and field winding evaluation, the problems encountered, and the solutions implemented to successfully refurbish the rotor poles and field winding. (author)

Pole Dancing Auto-ethnography – Practice, Pedagogy, Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Patricia Cadwallader

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this research paper, the author addresses the following four questions: 1 What are the implications of bringing pole dancing into concert dance, not as a caricature or theatrical version of what is performed in strip clubs, but as its own, free-standing art form? 2 In what ways will years of ballet and modern dance training influence the type of dancing that emerges from dancers when poles and other apparatuses are introduced? 3 How can the author create an original pole dancing style and pedagogical methods for teaching it? 4 Who participates in pole fitness classes and how does the demographic change based on location? What about when pole fitness classes are offered in an academic setting? The author shares first-hand experiences of investigating pole dancing in fitness classes, attending performances, engaging in a rehearsal process with highly trained dancers, and teaching pole dancing to movers with a wide range of abilities. The author addresses how research plans changed as she encountered limitations of budget and time constraints. The author also elaborates on the creative process that she engaged in with her thesis cast, collaborators, and supporting designers in the making of Super-beneath, a theatrical dance work that uses five, free-standing poles. She outline the vignettes, overall structure, and narrative of the work. The author then discusses where this research fits into the larger field of pole dancing, and the even larger field of dance. In the final sections of this paper, the author describes her pedagogical practices relating to pole classes, what “practice as research” means to her, and how she would like to continue on this research trajectory in the future.

Solar Open Flux Migration from Pole to Pole: Magnetic Field Reversal.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, G-H; Lin, C-H; Lee, L C

2017-08-25

Coronal holes are solar regions with low soft X-ray or low extreme ultraviolet intensities. The magnetic fields from coronal holes extend far away from the Sun, and thus they are identified as regions with open magnetic field lines. Coronal holes are concentrated in the polar regions during the sunspot minimum phase, and spread to lower latitude during the rising phase of solar activity. In this work, we identify coronal holes with outward and inward open magnetic fluxes being in the opposite poles during solar quiet period. We find that during the sunspot rising phase, the outward and inward open fluxes perform pole-to-pole trans-equatorial migrations in opposite directions. The migration of the open fluxes consists of three parts: open flux areas migrating across the equator, new open flux areas generated in the low latitude and migrating poleward, and new open flux areas locally generated in the polar region. All three components contribute to the reversal of magnetic polarity. The percentage of contribution from each component is different for different solar cycle. Our results also show that the sunspot number is positively correlated with the lower-latitude open magnetic flux area, but negatively correlated with the total open flux area.

Cross-poling textures in a lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Shan; Bowman, Keith J.

2000-01-01

Tetragonal ferroelectric materials are polarized to induce the anisotropy necessary for the piezoelectric effect. This poling of the material is inherently an orientation process. Pole figure texture measurements of poling and cross-poling in a lead zirconate titanate Navy VI material show domain motion. The resulting axisymmetric and three-dimensional textures demonstrate the contribution of 90 degree sign domain motion to piezoelectricity. Cross-poling results in strong orientations with lower applied fields than in the initial poling steps. (c) 2000 Materials Research Society

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YDL239C, YDR273W [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available of a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle p...it as prey (1) YDR273W DON1 Meiosis-specific component of the spindle pole body, part of the leading... edge protein (LEP) coat, forms a ring-like structure at the leading edge of the prospore...ption Protein required for spore wall formation, thought to mediate assembly of a Don1p-containing structure at the leading...description Meiosis-specific component of the spindle pole body, part of the leading edge protein (LEP) coat

Identification of a probable pore-forming domain in the multimeric vacuolar anion channel AtALMT9.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingbo; Baetz, Ulrike; Krügel, Undine; Martinoia, Enrico; De Angeli, Alexis

2013-10-01

Aluminum-activated malate transporters (ALMTs) form an important family of anion channels involved in fundamental physiological processes in plants. Because of their importance, the role of ALMTs in plant physiology is studied extensively. In contrast, the structural basis of their functional properties is largely unknown. This lack of information limits the understanding of the functional and physiological differences between ALMTs and their impact on anion transport in plants. This study aimed at investigating the structural organization of the transmembrane domain of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) vacuolar channel AtALMT9. For that purpose, we performed a large-scale mutagenesis analysis and found two residues that form a salt bridge between the first and second putative transmembrane α-helices (TMα1 and TMα2). Furthermore, using a combination of pharmacological and mutagenesis approaches, we identified citrate as an "open channel blocker" of AtALMT9 and used this tool to examine the inhibition sensitivity of different point mutants of highly conserved amino acid residues. By this means, we found a stretch within the cytosolic moiety of the TMα5 that is a probable pore-forming domain. Moreover, using a citrate-insensitive AtALMT9 mutant and biochemical approaches, we could demonstrate that AtALMT9 forms a multimeric complex that is supposedly composed of four subunits. In summary, our data provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence about the structural organization of an ion channel of the ALMT family. We suggest that AtALMT9 is a tetramer and that the TMα5 domains of the subunits contribute to form the pore of this anion channel.

Reuse of poles treated with CCA; CCA-kyllaestettyjen puupylvaeiden uudelleenkaeyttoe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmus, E. [Vtt Building and Transport, Espoo (Finland)

2005-07-01

This study investigated the feasibility of re-using utility poles or parts of poles for structural use in construction. There are more than 10 million poles in Finland and about 200 000 poles will be removed from service yearly during the next few years. The directive 2003/2/EY will restrict the use of poles treated with CCA. This will change the practice that the energy and telecommunication companies have given the removed poles to the land owners. The present study launched by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) was carried out to determine the technical condition of CCA impregnated poles removed from service and the concentration levels and leaching of remaining preservatives. To summarize the results of the tests, it is safe to say that re-use of recovered poles of 30 to 50 years of age is possible. Both the preservative concentrations and strength/load-bearing capacity are high enough to allow the use of the poles as load-bearing structures. (orig.)

The pole tide in deep oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Dickman, S. R.

1990-01-01

The fluid-dynamical theory of the pole tide is examined by describing the oceanic response to the Chandler wobble and assessing its implications for mantle anelasticity and low-frequency ocean dynamics. The Laplace tide equations accounting for bottom friction are given, and a spherical harmonic approach is delineated in which the time-independent portion of the tide height is expanded. Pole-tide height and related inertia products are linearly proportional to wobble amplitude, and the final equations are modified to account for mantle elasticity and oceanic loading. Results for pole tide effects are given for various earth models with attention to the role of boundary constraints. A dynamic effect is identified which lengthens the Chandler period by about 1 day more than static lengthening, a contribution that suggests a vigorous low-frequency response. The values derived are shown to agree with previous models that do not incorporate the effects of the pole tide.

Fundamental processes governing operation and degradation in state of the art P-OLEDs

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Matthew; Asada, Kohei; Cass, Michael; Coward, Chris; King, Simon; Lee, Andrew; Pintani, Martina; Ramon, Miguel; Foden, Clare

2010-05-01

We present a theoretical and experimental analysis of operation and degradation of model fluorescent blue bilayer polymer organic light emitting diodes (P-OLED). Optical and electrical simulations of bilayer P-OLEDs are used to highlight the key material and device parameters required for efficient recombination and outcoupling of excitons. Mobility data for a model interlayer material poly (9,9-dioctylfluorene-N-(4-(2-butyl)phenyl)-diphenylamine) (TFB) and a model fluorescent blue light emitting material poly-(9,9'- dioctylfluorene-co-bis-N, N'-(4-butylphenyl)-bis-N,N'- phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine) (95:5 mol%) (F8-PFB random copoloymer), is shown to satisfy the key charge transport characteristics required to ensure exciton formation at the optimum location for efficient extraction of the light where μh (LEP) 90%) of the quenching sites produced. This highlights the importance of understanding these reversible phenomena in improving P-OLED lifetime and commercial adoption of the technology.

POLE mutations in families predisposed to cutaneous melanoma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aoude, Lauren G; Heitzer, Ellen; Johansson, Peter

2015-01-01

Germline mutations in the exonuclease domain of POLE have been shown to predispose to colorectal cancers and adenomas. POLE is an enzyme involved in DNA repair and chromosomal DNA replication. In order to assess whether such mutations might also predispose to cutaneous melanoma, we interrogated...... variants in the exonuclease domain of POLE. Although this frequency is not significantly higher than that in unselected Caucasian controls, we observed multiple cancer types in the melanoma families, suggesting that some germline POLE mutations may predispose to a broad spectrum of cancers, including...

Plotter of pole figure using data from x-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, A.F.

1990-01-01

Any polycrystalline aggregate normally has a preferred crystallographic orientation, or texture which depends on its thermal and or mechanical history. Preferred orientation is best described by means of a pole figure. A pole figure is a stereographic projection which shows the variation in pole density with pole orientation, for a selected set of crystal planes. In this work, computer programs was developed to plot pole figures. The corrected intensities are calculated and directly transmitted to the plotter. The different intensities levels are represented by different colors in the pole figure. (author)

Effects of slotting and unipolar flux on magnetic pull in a two-pole induction motor with an extra four-pole stator winding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinervo, A.

2013-06-01

This thesis is about the radial magnetic forces between the rotor and stator in twopole induction machines. The magnetic forces arise from rotor eccentricity. The asymmetric air-gap makes the flux density on one side of the rotor stronger than on the opposite side. This produces magnetic pull. The magnetic flux density distribution in the air-gap can be expressed with spatial harmonics, i.e. flux densities with different pole-pair numbers. In two-pole machines, the main part of the magnetic force is produced by the interaction of two- and fourpole flux unless the four-pole flux is damped by parallel paths in the stator winding or an extra four-pole stator winding. The rest of the force comes from the interaction of two-pole and unipolar flux and from the higher harmonics of the air-gap flux of which the slot harmonics are a major part. The force caused by the higher harmonics and the unipolar flux is studied in the case where a four-pole stator winding is used to reduce the four-pole flux. The higher harmonics are found to produce, in addition to the traditional unbalanced magnetic pull, a force similar to the effect of the unipolar flux and the two can be distinguished only by measuring the unipolar flux. In measurements at various operation points, the higher harmonics are found to produce much more force than the unipolar flux and two-pole flux but the unipolar flux is still significant. The four-pole winding also is used to actively control the four-pole flux and the magnetic forces. Designing the controller requires a low order model of the system. Such a model is derived and the effect of the slot harmonics and the unipolar flux are included in the model. Different measurements techniques and methods are presented to identify and validate the control model. The operation point dependence of the system dynamics is studied via measurements. All results are obtained from a 30 kW test motor. The rotor of the test machine has a long flexible shaft on external

Repair and rehabilitation of wood utility poles with fibre-reinforced polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyzois, D.; Kell, J.A. [Manitoba Univ., Winnipeg, MB (Canada). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2007-01-15

In order to ensure safe and reliable service, all wood utility poles need an effective maintenance program. The service life of a wood utility pole depends on several factors, such as decay, mechanical damage, weathering, and changing design requirements. An effective preservative treatment and maintenance program can effectively extend the service life of the wood pole. However, all poles will attain a point when they are no longer suitable for their intended use. New innovative methods are therefore required to restore and maintain the structural integrity of existing wood poles, especially in light of the increasing cost of quality wood for use in poles as well as a result of environmental concerns regarding pole disposal and chemical treatment of existing poles. This article presented results from a research program carried out at the University of Manitoba to develop a repair and rehabilitation technique for wood poles using fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). It also provided a brief overview of current standards for wood utility poles and reinforcing stubs and discussed the experimental program where long, air-dried jack pine poles were tested in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed rehabilitation system consisting of FRP splines and FRP jackets. The ultimate capacity of the poles was determined using the CSA standard for wood poles. The capacity of the rehabilitated poles was nearly 93 per cent of the average ultimate capacity of the average ultimate capacity of poles tested during the first phase of the study, and 23 per cent higher than the capacity required by CSA standards. 7 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

Design of a portable CAT scanner for utility pole inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, W.H.

1986-01-01

Work is under way at the University of Missouri, Columbia (UMC) to design, build, and test a portable computerized axial tomography (CAT) device for the nondestructive, field imaging of wooden utility poles. CAT is a well-established medical technology that has recently been applied to a number of industrial applications. Wooden utility poles are prone to rot and decay at ground level; current techniques to assess this loss of strength are relatively primitive, i.e., tapping the pole (hitting the pole with a hammer) or boring into the pole for samples and then testing inside the bore hole with an electrical pulse device. The accuracy in identifying poles needing replacement using these techniques is ∼ 70%. Since the cost of replacing a pole ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars, an accurate, nondestructive method is needed. CAT can accurately image a wooden utility pole (since the size, density, and atomic elements of a pole are similar to the human head to torso), as was confirmed by imaging poles using the UMC nuclear engineering EMI-1010 medical scanner. Detailed images have been produced showing the ring structure of the wood and voids due to rot or decay. Images approaching this quality have also been produced on living trees using semiportable systems by other researchers

CABS-flex 2.0: a web server for fast simulations of flexibility of protein structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuriata, Aleksander; Gierut, Aleksandra Maria; Oleniecki, Tymoteusz; Ciemny, Maciej Pawel; Kolinski, Andrzej; Kurcinski, Mateusz; Kmiecik, Sebastian

2018-05-14

Classical simulations of protein flexibility remain computationally expensive, especially for large proteins. A few years ago, we developed a fast method for predicting protein structure fluctuations that uses a single protein model as the input. The method has been made available as the CABS-flex web server and applied in numerous studies of protein structure-function relationships. Here, we present a major update of the CABS-flex web server to version 2.0. The new features include: extension of the method to significantly larger and multimeric proteins, customizable distance restraints and simulation parameters, contact maps and a new, enhanced web server interface. CABS-flex 2.0 is freely available at http://biocomp.chem.uw.edu.pl/CABSflex2.

In Situ Poling and Imidization of Amorphous Piezoelectric Polyimides

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Cheol; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Wise, Kristopher E.; Harrison, Joycelyn S.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

An amorphous piezoelectric polyimide containing polar functional groups has been developed using a combination of experimental and molecular modeling for potential use in high temperature applications. This amorphous polyimide, (Beta-CN)APB/ODPA, has exhibited good thermal stability and piezoelectric response at temperatures up to 150C. Density functional calculations predicted that a partially cured amic acid (open imide ring) possesses a dipole moment four times larger than the fully imidized closed ring. In situ poling and imidization of the partially cured (Beta-CN)APB/ODPA, was studied in an attempt to maximize the degree of dipolar orientation and the resultant piezoelectric response. A positive corona poling was used to minimize localized arcing during poling and to allow use of higher poling fields without dielectric breakdown. The dielectric relaxation strength, remanent polarization, and piezoelectric response were evaluated as a function of the poling profile. The partially cured, corona poled polymers exhibited higher dielectric relaxation strength (delta varepsilon), remanent polarization (Pr) and piezoelectric strain coefficient (d33) than the fully cured, conventionally poled ones.

Monomeric, dimeric and multimeric system of RGD peptides radiolabeled with 177Lu for tumors therapy that expressing αβ integrin s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luna G, M. A.

2014-01-01

The conjugation of peptides to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) produces biocompatible and stable multimeric systems with target-specific molecular recognition. Peptides based on the cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence have been reported as high affinity agents for the α(v)β(3) and α(v)β(5) integrin. The aim of this research was to prepare a multimeric system of 177 Lu-labeled gold nanoparticles conjugated to c[RGDfK(C)] [cyclo(Arg-Gly-Asp-Phe-Lys(Cys)] peptides and to compare the radiation absorbed dose with that of 177 Lu-labeled monomeric and dimeric RGD peptides to α(v)β(3) integrin-positive U87MG tumors in mice, as well as, evaluate the in vitro potential 177 Lu-AuNP-c[RGDfK(C)] as a plasmonic photothermal therapy and targeted radiotherapy system in MCF7 breast cancer cells. DOTA-GGC (1,4,7,10-tetraaza cyclododecane-N,N,N-tetraacetic-Gly-Gly-Cys) and c[RGDfK(C)] peptides were synthesized and conjugated to AuNPs by the spontaneous reaction of the thiol groups. Tem, UV-Vis, XP S, Raman and Far-IR spectroscopy techniques demonstrated that AuNPs were functionalized with the peptides. To obtain 177 Lu-AuNP-c[RGDfK(C)], the 177 Lu-DOTA-GGC radio peptide was first prepared and added to a solution of AuNPs followed by c[RGDfK(C)] (25 μL, 5 μM) at 18 grades C for 15 min. 177 Lu-DOTA-GGC, 177 Lu- DOTA-cRGDfK and 177 Lu-DOTA-E-c(RGDfK) 2 were prepared by adding 177 LuCl 3 (370 MBq) to 5 μL (1 mg/ml) of the DOTA derivative diluted with 50 μL of 1 M acetate buffer at ph 5. The mixture was incubated at 90 grades C in a block heater for 30 min. Radiochemical purity was determined by ultrafiltration and HPLC analyses. After laser irradiation, the presence of c[RGDfK(C)]-AuNP in cells caused a significant increase in the temperature of the medium (50.5 grades C, compared to 40.3 grades C without AuNPs) resulting in a significant decrease in MCF7 cell viability down to 9 %. After treatment with 177 Lu-AuNP-c[RGDfK(C)], the MCF7 cell proliferation was significantly inhibited

A poling study on lead zirconate titanate composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryant, P.J.

1992-01-01

Ceramics produced by the conventional mixed oxide route are dual phased. Because the titania and zirconia are not perfectly homogenized, some parts of the ceramic are more tetragonal (titanium rich) and other parts more rhombohedral (zirconium rich). This inhomogeneity means that some domains can be more easily poled than others. Lastly, the density and porosity can affect the poling process if the flaw density becomes such that the breakdown voltage is exceeded by the required poling voltage. The phase boundary determined by most dielectric and piezoelectric measurements is significantly removed from the 44% titanium content determined by neutron diffraction. The indicators that are most consistent with this value are the minimum in the poling efficiency curve and the shape of the dissipative factor curve. The reason for the discrepancy appears to be related to the broad coexistence region of the two phases and the differing poling efficiencies of each phase. It has been established that different poling temperature profiles can substantially modify the observed properties. Such behaviour is again related to the inhomogeneity of the ceramic and the presence of the two phases. 4 refs., 5 figs

Thermal poling of multi-wire array optical fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huang, Lin; An, Honglin; Hayashi, Juliano G.

2018-01-01

We demonstrate in this paper thermal poling of multi-wire array fibers, which extends poling of fibers with two anodes to similar to 50 and similar to 500 wire array anodes. The second harmonic microscopy observations show that second order nonlinearity (SON) layers are developed surrounding all...... the rings of wires in the similar to 50 anode array fiber with poling of 1.8kV, 250 degrees C and 30min duration, and the outer rings of the similar to 500 anode array fiber at lower poling temperature. Our simulations based on a two-dimensional charge dynamics model confirm this can be explained...

Temperature development and sterilization of red pine poles during CCA treatment, elevated temperature fixation and drying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, P.; Albright, M.; Srinivasan, U.; Ung, A. [New Brunswick Univ., Fredericton, NB (Canada). Wood Science and Technology Centre

2002-07-01

The application of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treatment and fixation and drying under the conditions of the study to large red pine poles left for an air seasoning period of 10 months in Quebec, Canada progressively reduced the number of micro-organisms present. A large number of microfungi isolations were effected before the treatment from the sapwood and heartwood of all poles and wood decay fungi on 8 selected poles from the 20 test poles. They originated from the sapwood zone. A reduction of approximately 50 per cent in the number of microfungi isolated from the sapwood was noted after the CCA treatment. In the case of 9 of 30 poles, basidiomycetes were isolated after treatment primarily from the untreated heartwood. There were a few instances where basidiomycetes were isolated from unpenetrated sapwood (wet pockets). Temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Celsius were achieved under moderate temperature fixation schedules (20 hours) for approximately 5 hours at full sapwood depth. Only by the end of the schedule was a temperature of 55 degrees celsius achieved at the centre of the poles. Most of the microfungi were eliminated by this temperature regime. Trichoderma was eliminated, and only one isolation of basidiomycetes was left from the heartwood of one pole. Temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees Celsius were achieved in the wood core for 9 to 10 days during kiln drying. No basidiomycete isolations remained after this exposure. In several of the poles, there was evidence of Paecilomyces variotii, a thermo-tolerant species and a number of species of Penicillium moulds. It was concluded that there was a negligible probability of decay fungi surviving the sequence of processes as described, given the effectiveness of the fixation exposure and the higher wood temperatures sustained for longer periods. 16 refs., 5 tabs., 2 figs.

Self-Poling of BiFeO3 Thick Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Khomyakova, Evgeniya; Sadl, Matej; Ursic, Hana; Daniels, John; Malic, Barbara; Bencan, Andreja; Damjanovic, Dragan; Rojac, Tadej

2016-08-03

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) is difficult to pole because of the combination of its high coercive field and high electrical conductivity. This problem is particularly pronounced in thick films. The poling, however, must be performed to achieve a large macroscopic piezoelectric response. This study presents evidence of a prominent and reproducible self-poling effect in few-tens-of-micrometer-thick BiFeO3 films. Direct and converse piezoelectric measurements confirmed that the as-sintered BiFeO3 thick films yield d33 values of up to ∼20 pC/N. It was observed that a significant self-poling effect only appears in cases when the films are heated and cooled through the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition (Curie temperature TC ∼ 820 °C). These self-poled films exhibit a microstructure with randomly oriented columnar grains. The presence of a compressive strain gradient across the film thickness cooled from above the TC was experimentally confirmed and is suggested to be responsible for the self-poling effect. Finally, the macroscopic d33 response of the self-poled BiFeO3 film was characterized as a function of the driving-field frequency and amplitude.

Polymer poling characterization using second harmonic generation (SHG)

Science.gov (United States)

Tellier, Gildas; Averty, Dominique; Blart, Errol; Boisrobert, Christian; Gundel, Hartmut; Le Tacon, Sylvain; Monnereau, Cyrille; Odobel, Fabrice; Seveno, Raynald

2006-04-01

Several polymer molecules have structures which are suitable for the non-linear optic applications. We report on the design and fabrication of a high performance electro-optic modulator made of polymer thin films. The polymer we study contains a chromophore based on Disperse Red One covalently grafted to a host-matrix. The polymer materials are deposited in thin layers on a glass substrate by chemical solution deposition, either by spin-coating or by dip-coating. The thickness of the films is ranging from a hundred nanometers to several micrometers. Initially, the polymer molecules are randomly oriented and the films are isotropic, hence no electro-optic effect can be observed. In order to break the symmetry and align the chromophores, the films are submitted to the so-called corona poling process. As a result, their structure become non-centrosymmetric and the second-order susceptibility is no longer zero. The corona poling method consists of applying a high electric field to the polymer by means of a needle electrode, placed above the polymer film which is posed on a grounded sample support electrode. Thermal regulation of the support electrode allows to control the temperature during the poling of the films. Once the poling process has been established, a chemical cross-linking function is thermally activated in order to fix the orientation of the chromophores in the polymer matrix. The orientation and its stability in time is evaluated with a Second Harmonic Generation measurement set-up using the Makers Fringes configuration. We studied the influence of the poling temperature, the distance between the corona needle electrode and the sample, the high voltage applied, and the duration of the poling process on the efficiency of chromophore orientation in order to optimize the poling procedure. Finally, aging of poled polymer samples has been investigated at elevated temperatures, confirming the stability of the cross-linking process.

Shock wave lithotripsy outcomes for lower pole and non-lower pole stones from a university teaching hospital: Parallel group comparison during the same time period

Science.gov (United States)

Geraghty, Robert; Burr, Jacob; Simmonds, Nick; Somani, Bhaskar K.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is a treatment option for all locations of renal and ureteric stones. We compared the results of SWL for lower pole renal stones with all other non-lower pole renal and ureteric stones during the same time period. Material and Methods: All SWL procedures were carried out as day case procedures by a mobile lithotripter from January 2012 to August 2013. The follow-up imaging was a combination of KUB X-ray or USS. Following SWL treatment, the stone free rate (SFR) was defined as ≤3 mm fragments. Results: A total of 148 patients with a mean age of 62 years underwent 201 procedures. Of the 201 procedures, 93 (46%) were for lower pole stones. The non-lower pole stones included upper pole (n = 36), mid pole (n = 40), renal pelvis (n = 10), PUJ (n = 8), mid ureter (n = 3), upper ureter (n = 5) and a combination of upper, middle and/or lower pole (n = 6). The mean stone size for lower pole stones (7.4 mm; range: 4-16 mm) was slightly smaller than non-lower pole stones (8 mm; range: 4-17 mm). The stone fragmentation was successful in 124 (62%) of patients. However, the SFR was statistically significantly better (P = 0.023) for non-lower pole stones 43 (40%) compared to lower pole stones 23 (25%). There were 9 (4%) minor complications and this was not significantly different in the two groups. Conclusions: Although SWL achieves a moderately high stone fragmentation rate with a low complication rate, the SFR is variable depending on the location of stone and the definition of SFR, with lower pole stones fairing significantly worse than stones in all other locations. PMID:25657543

PNRA. South-pole directory listing

OpenAIRE

Biagioni, Stefania; Carlesi, Carlo; Carpen?, Andrea; Ramorino, Chiara; Rossi, Lucio

1992-01-01

In the following all DATA-SET descriptors (DSD) contained in the "South-Pole Directory" (vers. 1992) are listed. The "South-Pole Directory" was a joint project between ENEA and CNR. The IEI/CNR took care of the data digitalization and check and of the english translation (where necessary). The ARF/CNR and the Progetto Antartide/ENEA joined the IEI/CNR in defining the acronyms of the Sensor_Names and of the Source_Names, together with the short and long names for the Data_Centers. Finally, the...

Interim report on the fate of wood preservatives in soils adjacent to in-service utility poles in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, B.B.; Ripp, J.; Sims, R.C.

1995-06-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is studying the environmental impact of preservatives associated with in-service utility poles. As part of this endeavor, two EPRI contractors, META Environmental, Inc. (META) and Atlantic Environmental Services, Inc. (Atlantic), have collected soil samples from around wood utility poles nationwide, for various chemical and physical analyses. This report covers the results for 107 pole sites in the US. These pole sites included a range of preservative types, soil types, wood types, pole sizes, and in-service ages. The poles in this study were preserved with one of two types of preservative: pentachlorophenol (PCP) or creosote. Approximately 40 to 50 soil samples were collected from each wood pole site in this study. The soil samples collected from the pole sites were analyzed for chlorinated phenols and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) if the pole was preserved with PCP, or for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) if the pole was preserved with creosote. The soil samples were also analyzed for physical/chemical parameters, such as pH, total organic carbon (TOC), and cationic exchange capacity (CEC). Additional samples were used in studies to determine biological degradation rates, and soil-water distribution and retardation coefficients of PCP in site soils. Methods of analysis followed standard EPA and ASTM methods, with some modifications in the chemical analyses to enable the efficient processing of many samples with sufficiently low detection limits for this study. All chemical, physical, and site-specific data were stored in a relational computer database

Yeast Interacting Proteins Database: YDR176W, YDL239C [Yeast Interacting Proteins Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available a Don1p-containing structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle pole...ining structure at the leading edge of the prospore membrane via interaction with spindle pole body componen...DY3 Prey description Protein required for spore wall formation, thought to mediate assembly of a Don1p-conta

Pressure transmitter surveillance: the dominant real pole case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blazquez, J.; Ballestrin, J.

1995-01-01

There are about 500 pressure transmitters in a nuclear power plant. Due to Safety requirements, some of them must be specially surveilled. Sensor response time to a pressure ramp is the usual quantity to be measured. Response time, τ r , reflects the dynamics of the sensor and the sensing line. A real pole is due to the inner sensor structure, but the complex pole stands for the sensing line too. The real pole usually is the dominant in most sensors. On line monitoring noise analysis regards simultaneously both, the sensor and the sensing line, but the noise signal contains not only the sensor poles, but many others coming from the plant, so must be conditioned previously and the determination of τ r is not free of systematic errors. That is the price to be paid for non disturbing the plant. When the real pole is dominant, the sensing line contribution is negligible, so the on line noise monitoring methods are supported by the laboratory experiments and the real pole border in the PSD is properly identified. The mean square frequency results proportional to τ r -1 , so manual techniques are designed for response time surveillance made by non noise plant's maintenance technicians. (author)

Cloning, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of XC2981 from Xanthomonas campestris, a putative CutA1 protein involved in copper-ion homeostasis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chien-Hung; Chin, Ko-Hsin; Gao, Fei Philip; Lyu, Ping-Chiang; Shr, Hui-Lin; Wang, Andrew H.-J.; Chou, Shan-Ho

2006-01-01

A probable copper-ion tolerance protein from the plant pathogen X. campestris has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and crystallized. Divalent metal ions play key roles in all living organisms, serving as cofactors for many proteins involved in a variety of electron-transfer activities. However, copper ions are highly toxic when an excessive amount is accumulated in a cell. CutA1 is a protein found in all kingdoms of life that is believed to participate in copper-ion tolerance in Escherichia coli, although its specific function remains unknown. Several crystal structures of multimeric CutA1 with different rotation angles and degrees of interaction between trimer interfaces have been reported. Here, the cloning, expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of XC2981, a possible CutA1 protein present in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris, are reported. The XC2981 crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.6 Å. They are cubic and belong to space group I23, with unit-cell parameters a = b = c = 130.73 Å

Constitutive dimerization of the G-protein coupled receptor, neurotensin receptor 1, reconstituted into phospholipid bilayers.

Science.gov (United States)

Harding, Peter J; Attrill, Helen; Boehringer, Jonas; Ross, Simon; Wadhams, George H; Smith, Eleanor; Armitage, Judith P; Watts, Anthony

2009-02-01

Neurotensin receptor 1 (NTS1), a Family A G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR), was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion with the fluorescent proteins eCFP or eYFP. A fluorophore-tagged receptor was used to study the multimerization of NTS1 in detergent solution and in brain polar lipid bilayers, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). A detergent-solubilized receptor was unable to form FRET-competent complexes at concentrations of up to 200 nM, suggesting that the receptor is monomeric in this environment. When reconstituted into a model membrane system at low receptor density, the observed FRET was independent of agonist binding, suggesting constitutive multimer formation. In competition studies, decreased FRET in the presence of untagged NTS1 excludes the possibility of fluorescent protein-induced interactions. A simulation of the experimental data indicates that NTS1 exists predominantly as a homodimer, rather than as higher-order multimers. These observations suggest that, in common with several other Family A GPCRs, NTS1 forms a constitutive dimer in lipid bilayers, stabilized through receptor-receptor interactions in the absence of other cellular signaling components. Therefore, this work demonstrates that well-characterized model membrane systems are useful tools for the study of GPCR multimerization, allowing fine control over system composition and complexity, provided that rigorous control experiments are performed.

Bioengineered protein-based nanocage for drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun Jung; Lee, Na Kyeong; Kim, In-San

2016-11-15

Nature, in its wonders, presents and assembles the most intricate and delicate protein structures and this remarkable phenomenon occurs in all kingdom and phyla of life. Of these proteins, cage-like multimeric proteins provide spatial control to biological processes and also compartmentalizes compounds that may be toxic or unstable and avoids their contact with the environment. Protein-based nanocages are of particular interest because of their potential applicability as drug delivery carriers and their perfect and complex symmetry and ideal physical properties, which have stimulated researchers to engineer, modify or mimic these qualities. This article reviews various existing types of protein-based nanocages that are used for therapeutic purposes, and outlines their drug-loading mechanisms and bioengineering strategies via genetic and chemical functionalization. Through a critical evaluation of recent advances in protein nanocage-based drug delivery in vitro and in vivo, an outlook for de novo and in silico nanocage design, and also protein-based nanocage preclinical and future clinical applications will be presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microtubule-Organizing Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jingchao; Akhmanova, Anna

2017-10-06

The organization of microtubule networks is crucial for controlling chromosome segregation during cell division, for positioning and transport of different organelles, and for cell polarity and morphogenesis. The geometry of microtubule arrays strongly depends on the localization and activity of the sites where microtubules are nucleated and where their minus ends are anchored. Such sites are often clustered into structures known as microtubule-organizing centers, which include the centrosomes in animals and spindle pole bodies in fungi. In addition, other microtubules, as well as membrane compartments such as the cell nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, and the cell cortex, can nucleate, stabilize, and tether microtubule minus ends. These activities depend on microtubule-nucleating factors, such as γ-tubulin-containing complexes and their activators and receptors, and microtubule minus end-stabilizing proteins with their binding partners. Here, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on how such factors work together to control microtubule organization in different systems.

Jupiter's interior and deep atmosphere: The initial pole-to-pole passes with the Juno spacecraft

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bolton, S. J.; Adriani, Alberto; Adumitroaie, V.

2017-01-01

On 27 August 2016, the Juno spacecraft acquired science observations of Jupiter, passing less than 5000 kilometers above the equatorial cloud tops. Images of Jupiter's poles show a chaotic scene, unlike Saturn's poles. Microwave sounding reveals weather features at pressures deeper than 100 bars,...... of magnitude more precise. This has implications for the distribution of heavy elements in the interior, including the existence and mass of Jupiter's core. The observed magnetic field exhibits smaller spatial variations than expected, indicative of a rich harmonic content....

Particles as S-matrix poles: hadron democracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chew, G.F.

1989-01-01

The connection between two theoretical ideas of the 1950s is traced in this article, namely that hadrons are nonfundamental, ''composite'' particles and that all physically observable particles correspond to singularities of an analytic scattering matrix. The S matrix theory developed by Werner Heisenberg in the early forties now incorporated the concepts of unitarity, invariance, analyticity and causality. The meson-exchange force meant that poles must be present in nucleon-nuclear and pion-nucleon scattering as predicted by dispersion relations. Experimental work in accessible regions determined pole residues. Pole residue became associated with force strength and pole position with particle mass. In 1959, the author discovered the so-called ''bootstrap'' theory the rho meson as a force generates a rho particle. By the end of the 1950s it was clear that all hadrons had equal status, each being bound states of other hadrons, sustained by hadron exchange forces and that hadrons are self-generated by an S-matrix bootstrap mechanism that determines all their properties. (UK)

Characterization of auxin-binding proteins from zucchini plasma membrane

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, G. R.; Rice, M. S.; Lomax, T. L.

1993-01-01

We have previously identified two auxin-binding polypeptides in plasma membrane (PM) preparations from zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) (Hicks et al. 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86, 4948-4952). These polypeptides have molecular weights of 40 kDa and 42 kDa and label specifically with the photoaffinity auxin analog 5-N3-7-3H-IAA (azido-IAA). Azido-IAA permits both the covalent and radioactive tagging of auxin-binding proteins and has allowed us to characterize further the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides, including the nature of their attachment to the PM, their relationship to each other, and their potential function. The azido-IAA-labeled polypeptides remain in the pelleted membrane fraction following high-salt and detergent washes, which indicates a tight and possibly integral association with the PM. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of partially purified azido-IAA-labeled protein demonstrates that, in addition to the major isoforms of the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides, which possess isoelectric points (pIs) of 8.2 and 7.2, respectively, several less abundant isoforms that display unique pIs are apparent at both molecular masses. Tryptic and chymotryptic digestion of the auxin-binding proteins indicates that the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides are closely related or are modifications of the same polypeptide. Phase extraction with the nonionic detergent Triton X-114 results in partitioning of the azido-IAA-labeled polypeptides into the aqueous (hydrophilic) phase. This apparently paradoxical behavior is also exhibited by certain integral membrane proteins that aggregate to form channels. The results of gel filtration indicate that the auxin-binding proteins do indeed aggregate strongly and that the polypeptides associate to form a dimer or multimeric complex in vivo. These characteristics are consistent with the hypothesis that the 40-kDa and 42-kDa polypeptides are subunits of a multimeric integral membrane protein which has an auxin-binding site, and which may

The practice of pole dance as a leisure activity in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Andorra Lynn

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to explore the how pole dance is practiced as a form of leisure activity in Denmark. The methodical approach is qualitative and inspired by ethnography. I have conducted a field study where I have observed and participated in the pole dance culture in Copenhagen from May ...... addresses the difference between a focus on dance and a focus on tricks in pole dancing as well as it examines the different opinions pole studio owners have concerning ‘sexiness’ in pole dance and how this affects the way pole dance is practiced....

Pole orientation of 16 Psyche by two independent methods

Science.gov (United States)

Tedesco, E. F.; Taylor, R. C.

1985-01-01

Nineteen new lightcurves of 16 Psyche are presented along with a pole orientation derived using two independent methods, namely, photometric astrometry and magnitude-amplitude-shape-aspect. The pole orientations found using these two methods agree to within 4 deg. The results from applying photometric astrometry were prograde rotation, a sidereal period of 0.1748143 days + or - 0.0000003 days, and a pole at longitude 223 deg and latitude +37 deg, with an uncertainty of 10 deg, and, from applying magnitude-amplitude-shape-aspect a pole at 220 + or - 1 deg, +40 + or - 4 deg, and a modeled triaxial ellipsoid shape (a greater than b greater than c) and a/b = 1.33 + or - 0.07. The discrepancy between the high-pole latitude found here and the low latitudes reported by Lupishko et al. (1982) and Zhou and Yang (1982) is discussed.

Total adiponectin and adiponectin multimeric complexes in relation to weight loss-induced improvements in insulin sensitivity in obese women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Polak, J.; Kovacova, Z.; Holst, C.

2008-01-01

, and LMW). The HMW form was suggested to be closely associated with insulin sensitivity. This study investigated whether diet-induced changes in insulin sensitivity were associated with changes in adiponectin multimeric complexes. SUBJECTS: Twenty obese women with highest and twenty obese women with lowest...... diet induced changes in insulin sensitivity (responders and non-responders respectively), matched for weight loss (body mass index (BMI)=34.5 (s.d. 2.9) resp. 36.5 kg/m(2) (s.d. 4.0) for responders and non-responders), were selected from 292 women who underwent a 10-week low-caloric diet (LCD; 600 kcal...

Current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor with 8 salient poles

Science.gov (United States)

Takahara, Kazuaki; Hirata, Katsuhiro; Niguchi, Noboru; Kohara, Akira

2017-12-01

We propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor for a traction motor of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which consists of 10 salient poles in the rotor and 12 slots in the stator. However, iron losses of this motor in high rotation speed ranges is large because the number of salient poles is large. In this paper, we propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor that consists of 8 salient poles and 12 slots. The characteristics of the 10-pole-12-slot and 8-pole-12-slot current superimposition variable flux reluctance motors are compared using finite element analysis under vector control.

Current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor with 8 salient poles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takahara Kazuaki

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor for a traction motor of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, which consists of 10 salient poles in the rotor and 12 slots in the stator. However, iron losses of this motor in high rotation speed ranges is large because the number of salient poles is large. In this paper, we propose a current superimposition variable flux reluctance motor that consists of 8 salient poles and 12 slots. The characteristics of the 10-pole-12-slot and 8-pole-12-slot current superimposition variable flux reluctance motors are compared using finite element analysis under vector control.

POLE somatic mutations in advanced colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Joana; Pinto, Carla; Pinto, Diana; Pinheiro, Manuela; Silva, Romina; Peixoto, Ana; Rocha, Patrícia; Veiga, Isabel; Santos, Catarina; Santos, Rui; Cabreira, Verónica; Lopes, Paula; Henrique, Rui; Teixeira, Manuel R

2017-12-01

Despite all the knowledge already gathered, the picture of somatic genetic changes in colorectal tumorigenesis is far from complete. Recently, germline and somatic mutations in the exonuclease domain of polymerase epsilon, catalytic subunit (POLE) gene have been reported in a small subset of microsatellite-stable and hypermutated colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), affecting the proofreading activity of the enzyme and leading to misincorporation of bases during DNA replication. To evaluate the role of POLE mutations in colorectal carcinogenesis, namely in advanced CRC, we searched for somatic mutations by Sanger sequencing in tumor DNA samples from 307 cases. Microsatellite instability and mutation analyses of a panel of oncogenes were performed in the tumors harboring POLE mutations. Three heterozygous mutations were found in two tumors, the c.857C>G, p.Pro286Arg, the c.901G>A, p.Asp301Asn, and the c.1376C>T, p.Ser459Phe. Of the POLE-mutated CRCs, one tumor was microsatellite-stable and the other had low microsatellite instability, whereas KRAS and PIK3CA mutations were found in one tumor each. We conclude that POLE somatic mutations exist but are rare in advanced CRC, with further larger studies being necessary to evaluate its biological and clinical implications. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a multi-pole magnetorheological brake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiao, Yaojung; Nguyen, Quang-Anh

2013-01-01

This paper presents a new approach in the design and optimization of a novel multi-pole magnetorheological (MR) brake that employs magnetic flux more effectively on the surface of the rotor. MR brakes with conventional single ring-type electromagnetic poles have reached the limits of torque enhancement. One major reason is the limitation of the magnetic field strength within the active area of the MR fluid due to the geometric constraints of the coil. The multi-pole MR brake design features multiple electromagnetic poles surrounded by several coils. As a result, the active chaining areas for the MR fluid are greatly increased, and significant brake torque improvement is achieved. The coil structure, as a part of the stator, becomes flexible and customizable in terms of space usage for the winding and bobbin design. In addition, this brake offers extra options in its dimensions for torque enhancement because either the radial or the axial dimensions of the rotor can be increased. Magnetic circuit analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of the design parameters on the field torque. After that, simulations were done to find the optimal design under all major geometric constraints with a given power supply. The results show that the multi-pole MR brake provides a considerable braking torque increase while maintaining a compact and solid design. This is confirmation of its feasibility in actual braking applications. (paper)

Fatigue failure and cracking in high mast poles.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-01

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive research project to investigate the fatigue : cracking and failure of galvanized high mast illumination poles (HMIP). Ultrasonic inspection of : poles throughout the state has revealed the presence...

Protein folding and the organization of the protein topology universe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindorff-Larsen,, Kresten; Røgen, Peter; Paci, Emanuele

2005-01-01

residues and, in addition, that the topology of the transition state is closer to that of the native state than to that of any other fold in the protein universe. Here, we review the evidence for these conclusions and suggest a molecular mechanism that rationalizes these findings by presenting a view...... of protein folds that is based on the topological features of the polypeptide backbone, rather than the conventional view that depends on the arrangement of different types of secondary-structure elements. By linking the folding process to the organization of the protein structure universe, we propose...

Phosphorylation of CPAP by Aurora-A Maintains Spindle Pole Integrity during Mitosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

En-Ju Chou

2016-03-01

Full Text Available CPAP is required for centriole elongation during S/G2 phase, but the role of CPAP in mitosis is incompletely understood. Here, we show that CPAP maintains spindle pole integrity through its phosphorylation by Aurora-A during mitosis. Depletion of CPAP induced a prolonged delay in mitosis, pericentriolar material (PCM dispersion, and multiple mitotic abnormalities. Further studies demonstrated that CPAP directly interacts with and is phosphorylated by Aurora-A at serine 467 during mitosis. Interestingly, the dispersal of the PCM was effectively rescued by ectopic expression of wild-type CPAP or a phospho-mimic CPAP-S467D mutant, but not a non-phosphorylated CPAP-S467A mutant. Finally, we found that CPAP-S467D has a low affinity for microtubule binding but a high affinity for PCM proteins. Together, our results support a model wherein CPAP is required for proper mitotic progression, and phosphorylation of CPAP by Aurora-A is essential for maintaining spindle pole integrity.

Self-organized critical model for protein folding

Science.gov (United States)

Moret, M. A.

2011-09-01

The major factor that drives a protein toward collapse and folding is the hydrophobic effect. At the folding process a hydrophobic core is shielded by the solvent-accessible surface area of the protein. We study the fractal behavior of 5526 protein structures present in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank. Power laws of protein mass, volume and solvent-accessible surface area are measured independently. The present findings indicate that self-organized criticality is an alternative explanation for the protein folding. Also we note that the protein packing is an independent and constant value because the self-similar behavior of the volumes and protein masses have the same fractal dimension. This power law guarantees that a protein is a complex system. From the analyzed data, q-Gaussian distributions seem to fit well this class of systems.

Fibreglass as an alternative to wood poles : Transmission and distribution poles and crossarms : use of fiber reinforced composite materials for overhead electric utility lines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiles, J.R. [Shakespeare Composites and Electronics, Newberry, SC (United States)

2002-07-01

For over thirty years, Shakespeare Composites and Electronics has manufactured fiberglass composite lighting and utility poles, as well as being the number one maker of composite crossarms. Composite poles have a few advantages, such as being lightweight, they do no rust, are woodpecker and termite resistant, use no harmful chemicals, and have long life. A chart displaying the comparative pole weights is presented. The key design factors of fiberglass composite utility poles are: pole diameter, fiberglass type and wind angle, layers (thickness) of fiberglass, resin type and formulation, resin mix consistency, cure cycle and maximum curing temperature, and others. Two charts were also displayed presenting 40 feet class 4 pole bending strengths and 40 feet class 2 pole bending strengths. The author indicated that composite poles have a better strength consistency than wood, while being as consistent as steel and prestressed concrete. The design is based on an overload factor of safety of 2.5 for numerous installations. Some of the analytical methods used include mechanical testing, finite element modeling, and thermal analysis. The author describes in detail the concerns associated with attachments. Coating consists of a system of ultra violet blockers in the resin followed by an added resin rich polyester veil outer surface. In addition, there is a proprietary coating process with additional ultra violet blockers. Quality control is effected at the plant. The weathering system lasts 80 years. figs.

The cell pole: the site of cross talk between the DNA uptake and genetic recombination machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidane, Dawit; Ayora, Silvia; Sweasy, Joann B; Graumann, Peter L; Alonso, Juan C

2012-01-01

Natural transformation is a programmed mechanism characterized by binding of free double-stranded (ds) DNA from the environment to the cell pole in rod-shaped bacteria. In Bacillus subtilis some competence proteins, which process the dsDNA and translocate single-stranded (ss) DNA into the cytosol, recruit a set of recombination proteins mainly to one of the cell poles. A subset of single-stranded binding proteins, working as "guardians", protects ssDNA from degradation and limit the RecA recombinase loading. Then, the "mediators" overcome the inhibitory role of guardians, and recruit RecA onto ssDNA. A RecA·ssDNA filament searches for homology on the chromosome and, in a process that is controlled by "modulators", catalyzes strand invasion with the generation of a displacement loop (D-loop). A D-loop resolvase or "resolver" cleaves this intermediate, limited DNA replication restores missing information and a DNA ligase seals the DNA ends. However, if any step fails, the "rescuers" will repair the broken end to rescue chromosomal transformation. If the ssDNA does not share homology with resident DNA, but it contains information for autonomous replication, guardian and mediator proteins catalyze plasmid establishment after inhibition of RecA. DNA replication and ligation reconstitute the molecule (plasmid transformation). In this review, the interacting network that leads to a cross talk between proteins of the uptake and genetic recombination machinery will be placed into prospective.

Generalized pole inflation: Hilltop, natural, and chaotic inflationary attractors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terada, Takahiro, E-mail: takahiro.terada@apctp.org [Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Asia Pacific Center for Theoretical Physics, Pohang 37673 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-10

A reformulation of inflationary model analyses appeared recently, in which inflationary observables are determined by the structure of a pole in the inflaton kinetic term rather than the shape of the inflaton potential. We comprehensively study this framework with an arbitrary order of the pole taking into account possible additional poles in the kinetic term or in the potential. Depending on the setup, the canonical potential becomes the form of hilltop or plateau models, variants of natural inflation, power-law inflation, or monomial/polynomial chaotic inflation. We demonstrate attractor behaviors of these models and compute corrections from the additional poles to the inflationary observables.

Development of a field pole of 1 MW-class HTS motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, S; Kimura, Y; Miki, M; Felder, B; Tsuzuki, K; Izumi, M; Ida, T; Umemoto, K; Aizawa, K; Yokoyama, M

2010-01-01

We report a field-pole high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet designed for 1 MW-class motor for propulsion. The field pole is assembled to the rotor of the radial-type motor. Each field pole is composed of HTS-Bi2223 tape wound into coils which have been piled up as a double pancake coils. In the design concept of the motor, we employ field poles without iron core. We prepared the test field-pole coil, whose dimension is smaller than the designed one for 1 MW, and tested its performances after cooling under self-field and external magnetic field. We verified the operation with the minimum bend radius of the coils required in the motor design, while keeping an optimal current which is lower than the critical current of the field-pole coil. The test HTS field poles were successfully cooled down and operated under a magnetic field ranging up to 5 T. We report the results of the test field-pole coil and the manufacture of a practical racetrack coil with Bi2223 and discuss the adaptability to 1 MW-class motors.

Development of a field pole of 1 MW-class HTS motor

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, S.; Kimura, Y.; Miki, M.; Felder, B.; Tsuzuki, K.; Ida, T.; Izumi, M.; Umemoto, K.; Aizawa, K.; Yokoyama, M.

2010-06-01

We report a field-pole high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet designed for 1 MW-class motor for propulsion. The field pole is assembled to the rotor of the radial-type motor. Each field pole is composed of HTS-Bi2223 tape wound into coils which have been piled up as a double pancake coils. In the design concept of the motor, we employ field poles without iron core. We prepared the test field-pole coil, whose dimension is smaller than the designed one for 1 MW, and tested its performances after cooling under self-field and external magnetic field. We verified the operation with the minimum bend radius of the coils required in the motor design, while keeping an optimal current which is lower than the critical current of the field-pole coil. The test HTS field poles were successfully cooled down and operated under a magnetic field ranging up to 5 T. We report the results of the test field-pole coil and the manufacture of a practical racetrack coil with Bi2223 and discuss the adaptability to 1 MW-class motors.

Optimal pole shifting controller for interconnected power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousef, Ali M.; Kassem, Ahmed M.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Mathematical model represents a power system which consists of synchronous machine connected to infinite bus through transmission line. → Power system stabilizer was designed based on optimal pole shifting controller. → The system performances was tested through load disturbances at different operating conditions. → The system performance with the proposed optimal pole shifting controller is compared with the conventional pole placement controller. → The digital simulation results indicated that the proposed controller has a superior performance. -- Abstract: Power system stabilizer based on optimal pole shifting is proposed. An approach for shifting the real parts of the open-loop poles to any desired positions while preserving the imaginary parts is presented. In each step of this approach, it is required to solve a first-order or a second-order linear matrix Lyapunov equation for shifting one real pole or two complex conjugate poles, respectively. This presented method yields a solution, which is optimal with respect to a quadratic performance index. The attractive feature of this method is that it enables solutions of the complex problem to be easily found without solving any non-linear algebraic Riccati equation. The present power system stabilizer is based on Riccati equation approach. The control law depends on finding the feedback gain matrix, and then the control signal is synthesized by multiplying the state variables of the power system with determined gain matrix. The gain matrix is calculated one time only, and it works over wide range of operating conditions. To validate the power of the proposed PSS, a linearized model of a simple power system consisted of a single synchronous machine connected to infinite bus bar through transmission line is simulated. The studied power system is subjected to various operating points and power system parameters changes.

Optimal pole shifting controller for interconnected power system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yousef, Ali M., E-mail: drali_yousef@yahoo.co [Electrical Eng. Dept., Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University (Egypt); Kassem, Ahmed M., E-mail: kassem_ahmed53@hotmail.co [Control Technology Dep., Industrial Education College, Beni-Suef University (Egypt)

2011-05-15

Research highlights: {yields} Mathematical model represents a power system which consists of synchronous machine connected to infinite bus through transmission line. {yields} Power system stabilizer was designed based on optimal pole shifting controller. {yields} The system performances was tested through load disturbances at different operating conditions. {yields} The system performance with the proposed optimal pole shifting controller is compared with the conventional pole placement controller. {yields} The digital simulation results indicated that the proposed controller has a superior performance. -- Abstract: Power system stabilizer based on optimal pole shifting is proposed. An approach for shifting the real parts of the open-loop poles to any desired positions while preserving the imaginary parts is presented. In each step of this approach, it is required to solve a first-order or a second-order linear matrix Lyapunov equation for shifting one real pole or two complex conjugate poles, respectively. This presented method yields a solution, which is optimal with respect to a quadratic performance index. The attractive feature of this method is that it enables solutions of the complex problem to be easily found without solving any non-linear algebraic Riccati equation. The present power system stabilizer is based on Riccati equation approach. The control law depends on finding the feedback gain matrix, and then the control signal is synthesized by multiplying the state variables of the power system with determined gain matrix. The gain matrix is calculated one time only, and it works over wide range of operating conditions. To validate the power of the proposed PSS, a linearized model of a simple power system consisted of a single synchronous machine connected to infinite bus bar through transmission line is simulated. The studied power system is subjected to various operating points and power system parameters changes.

Synthetic focused array of electrical prospecting using pole-pole array potential data; Sanjigen denki tansaho ni okeru nikyokuho den`i data wo mochiita denryu shusoku haichi no goseiho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suzuki, K [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-22

Various methods have been put into practice for the conventional two-dimensional pole configuration using a single line in three-dimensional electrical prospecting. Pole configuration effective for the three-dimensional exploration has not been investigated. This paper describes synthetic focused array using four pairs of guarded poles based on pole-pole array potential data in the case of arrangement of measuring points on a grid. Results of the numerical simulation are also described. For the focused array, laterolog of electrical logging is applied to the surface prospecting. Directivity can be given to the current from the main pole by controlling the current from guarded pole. It was found from the simulation that the resistivity anomaly is concentrated directly on the embedded ball for the focused array rather than for the pole-pole array. It was also found that two conductive balls can be clearly separated for the focused array rather than for the dipole-dipole array. Accordingly, it was considered that results approximating the original structures can be obtained by analyzing using the both arrays. 5 refs., 6 figs.

Multiple pole in the electron--hydrogen-atom scattering amplitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amusia, M.Y.; Kuchiev, M.Y.

1982-01-01

It is demonstrated that the amplitude for electron--hydrogen-atom forward scattering has the third-order pole at the point E = -13.6 eV, E being the energy of the incident electron. The coefficients which characterize the pole are calculated exactly. The invalidity of the Born approximation is proved. The contribution of the pole singularity to the dispersion relation for the scattering amplitude is discussed

Electrospray droplet exposure to organic vapors: metal ion removal from proteins and protein complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

DeMuth, J Corinne; McLuckey, Scott A

2015-01-20

The exposure of aqueous nanoelectrospray droplets to various organic vapors can dramatically reduce sodium adduction on protein ions in positive ion mass spectra. Volatile alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol lead to a significant reduction in sodium ion adduction but are not as effective as acetonitrile, acetone, and ethyl acetate. Organic vapor exposure in the negative ion mode, on the other hand, has essentially no effect on alkali ion adduction. Evidence is presented to suggest that the mechanism by which organic vapor exposure reduces alkali ion adduction in the positive mode involves the depletion of alkali metal ions via ion evaporation of metal ions solvated with organic molecules. The early generation of metal/organic cluster ions during the droplet desolvation process results in fewer metal ions available to condense on the protein ions formed via the charged residue mechanism. These effects are demonstrated with holomyoglobin ions to illustrate that the metal ion reduction takes place without detectable protein denaturation, which might be revealed by heme loss or an increase in charge state distribution. No evidence is observed for denaturation with exposure to any of the organic vapors evaluated in this work.

Repeat-containing protein effectors of plant-associated organisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carl H. Mesarich

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Many plant-associated organisms, including microbes, nematodes, and insects, deliver effector proteins into the apoplast, vascular tissue, or cell cytoplasm of their prospective hosts. These effectors function to promote colonization, typically by altering host physiology or by modulating host immune responses. The same effectors however, can also trigger host immunity in the presence of cognate host immune receptor proteins, and thus prevent colonization. To circumvent effector-triggered immunity, or to further enhance host colonization, plant-associated organisms often rely on adaptive effector evolution. In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that several effectors of plant-associated organisms are repeat-containing proteins (RCPs that carry tandem or non-tandem arrays of an amino acid sequence or structural motif. In this review, we highlight the diverse roles that these repeat domains play in RCP effector function. We also draw attention to the potential role of these repeat domains in adaptive evolution with regards to RCP effector function and the evasion of effector-triggered immunity. The aim of this review is to increase the profile of RCP effectors from plant-associated organisms.

POLE-LIKE STREET FURNITURE DECOMPOSTION IN MOBILE LASER SCANNING DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Li

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii pole extraction, (iii components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Pole-Like Street Furniture Decompostion in Mobile Laser Scanning Data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, F.; Oude Elberink, S.; Vosselman, G.

2016-06-01

Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i) acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii) pole extraction, (iii) components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Essential roles of insulin, AMPK signaling and lysyl and prolyl hydroxylases in the biosynthesis and multimerization of adiponectin.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lin; Li, Ming-Ming; Corcoran, Marie; Zhang, Shaoping; Cooper, Garth J S

2015-01-05

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of the adiponectin molecule are essential for its full bioactivity, and defects in PTMs leading to its defective production and multimerization have been linked to the mechanisms of insulin resistance, obesity, and type-2 diabetes. Here we observed that, in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, decreased insulin signaling caused by blocking of insulin receptors (InsR) with an anti-InsR blocking antibody, increased rates of adiponectin secretion, whereas concomitant elevations in insulin levels counteracted this effect. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling regulated adiponectin production by modulating the expression of adiponectin receptors, the secretion of adiponectin, and eventually the expression of adiponectin itself. We found that lysyl hydroxylases (LHs) and prolyl hydroxylases (PHs) were expressed in white-adipose tissue of ob/ob mice, wherein LH3 levels were increased compared with controls. In differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, both non-specific inhibition of LHs and PHs by dipyridyl, and specific inhibition of LHs by minoxidil and of P4H with ethyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, caused significant suppression of adiponectin production, more particularly of the higher-order isoforms. Transient gene knock-down of LH3 (Plod3) caused a suppressive effect, especially on the high molecular-weight (HMW) isoforms. These data indicate that PHs and LHs are both required for physiological adiponectin production and in particular are essential for the formation/secretion of the HMW isoforms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the Spatial Organization of mRNA, Plasmids, and Ribosomes in a Bacterial Host Overexpressing Membrane Proteins.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lieke A van Gijtenbeek

2016-12-01

Full Text Available By using fluorescence imaging, we provide a time-resolved single-cell view on coupled defects in transcription, translation, and growth during expression of heterologous membrane proteins in Lactococcus lactis. Transcripts encoding poorly produced membrane proteins accumulate in mRNA-dense bodies at the cell poles, whereas transcripts of a well-expressed homologous membrane protein show membrane-proximal localization in a translation-dependent fashion. The presence of the aberrant polar mRNA foci correlates with cessation of cell division, which is restored once these bodies are cleared. In addition, activation of the heat-shock response and a loss of nucleoid-occluded ribosomes are observed. We show that the presence of a native-like N-terminal domain is key to SRP-dependent membrane localization and successful production of membrane proteins. The work presented gives new insights and detailed understanding of aberrant membrane protein biogenesis, which can be used for strategies to optimize membrane protein production.

Localization of protein aggregation in Escherichia coli is governed by diffusion and nucleoid macromolecular crowding effect.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne-Sophie Coquel

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Aggregates of misfolded proteins are a hallmark of many age-related diseases. Recently, they have been linked to aging of Escherichia coli (E. coli where protein aggregates accumulate at the old pole region of the aging bacterium. Because of the potential of E. coli as a model organism, elucidating aging and protein aggregation in this bacterium may pave the way to significant advances in our global understanding of aging. A first obstacle along this path is to decipher the mechanisms by which protein aggregates are targeted to specific intercellular locations. Here, using an integrated approach based on individual-based modeling, time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and automated image analysis, we show that the movement of aging-related protein aggregates in E. coli is purely diffusive (Brownian. Using single-particle tracking of protein aggregates in live E. coli cells, we estimated the average size and diffusion constant of the aggregates. Our results provide evidence that the aggregates passively diffuse within the cell, with diffusion constants that depend on their size in agreement with the Stokes-Einstein law. However, the aggregate displacements along the cell long axis are confined to a region that roughly corresponds to the nucleoid-free space in the cell pole, thus confirming the importance of increased macromolecular crowding in the nucleoids. We thus used 3D individual-based modeling to show that these three ingredients (diffusion, aggregation and diffusion hindrance in the nucleoids are sufficient and necessary to reproduce the available experimental data on aggregate localization in the cells. Taken together, our results strongly support the hypothesis that the localization of aging-related protein aggregates in the poles of E. coli results from the coupling of passive diffusion-aggregation with spatially non-homogeneous macromolecular crowding. They further support the importance of "soft" intracellular structuring (based on

Compact high-field superconducting quadrupole magnet with holmium poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barlow, D.B.; Kraus, R.H. Jr.; Lobb, C.T.; Menzel, M.T. (Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)); Walstrom, P.L. (Grumman Space Systems, Los Alamos, NM (United States))

1992-03-15

A compact high-field superconducting quadrupole magnet was designed and built with poles made of the rare-earth metal holmium. The magnet is intended for use in superconducting coupled-cavity linear accelerators where compact high-field quadrupoles are needed, but where the use of permanent magnets is ruled out because of trapped-flux losses. The magnet has a clear bore diameter of 1.8 cm, outside diameter of 11 cm, length of 11 cm, and pole tip length of 6 cm. The effect of using holmium, a material with a higher saturation field than iron, was investigated by replacing poles made of iron with identical poles made of holmium. The magnet was operated at a temperature of 4.2 K and reached a peak quadrupole field gradient of 355 T/m, a 10% increase over the same magnet with iron poles. This increase in performance is consistent with calculations based on B-H curves that were measured for holmium at 4.2 K. (orig.).

Synaptogenic proteins and synaptic organizers: "many hands make light work".

Science.gov (United States)

Brose, Nils

2009-03-12

Synaptogenesis is thought to be mediated by cell adhesion proteins, which induce the initial contact between an axon and its target cell and subsequently recruit and organize the presynaptic and postsynaptic protein machinery required for synaptic transmission. A new study by Linhoff and colleagues in this issue of Neuron identifies adhesion proteins of the LRRTM family as novel synaptic organizers.

Effect of materials and manufacturing on the bending stiffness of vaulting poles

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, C. L.; Kukureka, S. N.

2012-09-01

The increase in the world record height achieved in pole vaulting can be related to the improved ability of the athletes, in terms of their fitness and technique, and to the change in materials used to construct the pole. For example in 1960 there was a change in vaulting pole construction from bamboo to glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. The lighter GFRP pole enabled the athletes to have a faster run-up, resulting in a greater take-off speed, giving them more kinetic energy to convert into potential energy and hence height. GFRP poles also have a much higher failure stress than bamboo, so the poles were engineered to bend under the load of the athlete, thereby storing elastic strain energy that can be released as the pole straightens, resulting in greater energy efficiency. The bending also allowed athletes to change their vaulting technique from a style that involved the body remaining almost upright during the vault to one where the athlete goes over the bar with their feet upwards. Modern vaulting poles can be made from GFRP and/or carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The addition of carbon fibres maintains the mechanical properties of the pole, but allows a reduction in the weight. The number and arrangement of the fibres determines the mechanical properties, in particular the bending stiffness. Vaulting poles are also designed for an individual athlete to take into account each athlete’s ability and physical characteristics. The poles are rated by ‘weight’ to allow athletes to select an appropriate pole for their ability. This paper will review the development of vaulting poles and the requirements to maximize performance. The properties (bending stiffness and pre-bend) and microstructure (fibre volume fraction and lay-up) of typical vaulting poles will be discussed. Originally published as Davis C L and Kukureka S N (2004) Effect of materials and manufacturing on the bending stiffness of vaulting poles The Engineering of

Reliability assessment of power pole infrastructure incorporating deterioration and network maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryan, Paraic C.; Stewart, Mark G.; Spencer, Nathan; Li, Yue

2014-01-01

There is considerable investment in timber utility poles worldwide, and there is a need to examine the structural reliability and probability based management optimisation of these power distribution infrastructure elements. The work presented in this paper builds on the existing studies in this area through assessment of both treated and untreated timber power poles, with the effects of deterioration and network maintenance incorporated in the analysis. This more realistic assessment approach, with deterioration and maintenance considered, was achieved using event-based Monte Carlo simulation. The output from the probabilistic model is used to illustrate the importance of considering network maintenance in the time-dependent structural reliability assessment of timber power poles. Under wind load, treated and untreated poles designed and maintained in accordance with existing Australian standards were found to have similar failure rates. However, untreated pole networks required approximately twice as many maintenance based pole replacements to sustain the same level of reliability. The effect of four different network maintenance strategies on infrastructure performance was also investigated herein. This assessment highlighted the fact that slight alterations to network maintenance practices can lead to significant changes in performance of timber power pole networks. - Highlights: • A time-dependent structural reliability model was developed for timber power poles. • Deterioration and network maintenance were incorporated into this event based model. • Network maintenance had a significant impact on power pole wind vulnerability. • Treated and untreated poles designed to Australian standards had similar reliability. • Minor alterations to maintenance strategies had large effects on network performance

Determination of the crystallite orientation distribution from direct pole figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo Gomes, P.A.M. de.

1977-01-01

A method is described which allows to calculate the crystallite orientation distribution in polycrystalline material, from direct pole figures data of its crystallographic planes (Roe's Method). The programme was applied to (1010), (0002), (1011) and (1120) complete pole figures data for a commercial, thin sheet Zircaloy-4 tubing specimen. A semi-automatic Rigaku-Denki texture goniometer, which scans the reciprocal lattice sphere pointwise outputting the data in a punched tape, was used to obtain the pole figures. This is consistent with the results obtained through direct conclusion from the pole figures. (author)

Theoretical modeling and experimental analyses of laminated wood composite poles

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng Piao; Todd F. Shupe; Vijaya Gopu; Chung Y. Hse

2005-01-01

Wood laminated composite poles consist of trapezoid-shaped wood strips bonded with synthetic resin. The thick-walled hollow poles had adequate strength and stiffness properties and were a promising substitute for solid wood poles. It was necessary to develop theoretical models to facilitate the manufacture and future installation and maintenance of this novel...

Derivation of nominal strength for wood utility poles

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald W. Wolfe; Jozsef Bodig; Patricia Lebow

2001-01-01

The designated fiber stress values published in the American National Standards Institute Standard for Poles, ANSI 05.1, no longer reflect the state of the knowledge. These values are based on a combination of test data from small clear wood samples and small poles (

Honey bee protein atlas at organ-level resolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Queenie W T; Chan, Man Yi; Logan, Michelle; Fang, Yuan; Higo, Heather; Foster, Leonard J

2013-11-01

Genome sequencing has provided us with gene lists but cannot tell us where and how their encoded products work together to support life. Complex organisms rely on differential expression of subsets of genes/proteins in organs and tissues, and, in concert, evolved to their present state as they function together to improve an organism's overall reproductive fitness. Proteomics studies of individual organs help us understand their basic functions, but this reductionist approach misses the larger context of the whole organism. This problem could be circumvented if all the organs in an organism were comprehensively studied by the same methodology and analyzed together. Using honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) as a model system, we report here an initial whole proteome of a complex organism, measuring 29 different organ/tissue types among the three honey bee castes: queen, drone, and worker. The data reveal that, e.g., workers have a heightened capacity to deal with environmental toxins and queens have a far more robust pheromone detection system than their nestmates. The data also suggest that workers altruistically sacrifice not only their own reproductive capacity but also their immune potential in favor of their queen. Finally, organ-level resolution of protein expression offers a systematic insight into how organs may have developed.

Comparative Investigation on the Performance of Modified System Poles and Traditional System Poles Obtained from PDC Data for Diagnosing the Ageing Condition of Transformer Polymer Insulation Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiefeng Liu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The life expectancy of a transformer is largely depended on the service life of transformer polymer insulation materials. Nowadays, several papers have reported that the traditional system poles obtained from polarization and depolarization current (PDC data can be used to assess the condition of transformer insulation systems. However, the traditional system poles technique only provides limited ageing information for transformer polymer insulation. In this paper, the modified system poles obtained from PDC data are proposed to assess the ageing condition of transformer polymer insulation. The aim of the work is to focus on reporting a comparative investigation on the performance of modified system poles and traditional system poles for assessing the ageing condition of a transformer polymer insulation system. In the present work, a series of experiments have been performed under controlled laboratory conditions. The PDC measurement data, degree of polymerization (DP and moisture content of the oil-immersed polymer pressboard specimens were carefully monitored. It is observed that, compared to the relationships between traditional system poles and DP values, there are better correlations between the modified system poles and DP values, because the modified system poles can obtain much more ageing information on transformer polymer insulation. Therefore, the modified system poles proposed in the paper are more suitable for the diagnosis of the ageing condition of transformer polymer insulation.

Choice of wood poles can reduce greenhouse gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedjo, R. A.

2002-07-01

The first, second and third assessment reports on climate change of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are reviewed in an effort to highlight results of past studies on the total life cycle energy utilization of wood products compared with the use of substitute materials such as steel, concrete, bricks and aluminum. Without exception, all studies found that the total energy requirements associated with wood materials are substantially lower than those of other commonly substituted materials. For example, it has been clearly demonstrated that wooden poles are more environmentally benign than concrete or steel poles with regard to their energy utilization and their potential to contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. An estimate to convert wood poles to steel poles showed that while the greenhouse gas emissions associated with pole conversion were modest compared to the national total, they were nevertheless a significant percentage of US annual emission (approximately 2.8 per cent of annual US total of 5.28 billion tons of carbon dioxide). These studies provide empirical confirmation of the concept that substitution of high energy-intensive materials for low-energy-using wood materials contributes substantially to the overall increase of carbon dioxide emissions through their overall higher energy requirements.

Analysis of car’s frontal collision against pole

Science.gov (United States)

Ispas, N.; Nastasoiu, M.

2017-10-01

Reducing the effects of traffic accidents over the occupants is a major objective of collision attempts. Impacts between the car and the pole are very dangerous for the physical integrity of the car’s occupants. To minimalize the effects of such events on the passengers of a vehicle, a whole series of efforts by both designers and experienced engineers led to increasingly the vehicles safety. The main aim of these paper is to quantify the influences over the car passengers of loads involved by car against pole collisions using the same car model at different speeds. Also, this kind on occupant influences were study using a small car model. Other goal of the paper was the study of the cars stiffness in frontal collision against the pole. The paper’s experimental results were obtained by support of DSD, Dr. Steffan Datentechnik GmbH - Linz, Austria. The described tests were performed in full test facility of DSD Linz, in “Easter 2016 PC-Crash Seminar”. Cars accelerations, velocities, rotations angles after pole impact were registered and discussed. The novelty of the paper consists in studies referred for the same car model involved in car against pole collisions at different impact speeds. Paper’s conclusions can be future used for car safety improvement.

The Pole Orientation, Pole Precession, and Moment of Inertia Factor of Saturn

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, R. A.; French, R. G.; Nicholson, P. D.; Hedman, M.; Colwell, J. E.; Marouf, E.; Rappaport, N.; McGhee, C.; Sepersky, T.; Lonergan, K.

2011-01-01

This paper discusses our determination of the Saturn's pole orientation and precession using a combination of Earthbased and spacecraft based observational data. From our model of the polar motion and the observed precession rate we obtain a value for Saturn's polar moment of inertia

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and the Origins of Multicellular Organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Dunker, A. Keith

In simple multicellular organisms all of the cells are in direct contact with the surrounding milieu, whereas in complex multicellular organisms some cells are completely surrounded by other cells. Current phylogenetic trees indicate that complex multicellular organisms evolved independently from unicellular ancestors about 10 times, and only among the eukaryotes, including once for animals, twice each for green, red, and brown algae, and thrice for fungi. Given these multiple independent evolutionary lineages, we asked two questions: 1. Which molecular functions underpinned the evolution of multicellular organisms?; and, 2. Which of these molecular functions depend on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs)? Compared to unicellularity, multicellularity requires the advent of molecules for cellular adhesion, for cell-cell communication and for developmental programs. In addition, the developmental programs need to be regulated over space and time. Finally, each multicellular organism has cell-specific biochemistry and physiology. Thus, the evolution of complex multicellular organisms from unicellular ancestors required five new classes of functions. To answer the second question we used Key-words in Swiss Protein ranked for associations with predictions of protein structure or disorder. With a Z-score of 18.8 compared to random-function proteins, à differentiation was the biological process most strongly associated with IDPs. As expected from this result, large numbers of individual proteins associated with differentiation exhibit substantial regions of predicted disorder. For the animals for which there is the most readily available data all five of the underpinning molecular functions for multicellularity were found to depend critically on IDP-based mechanisms and other evidence supports these ideas. While the data are more sparse, IDPs seem to similarly underlie the five new classes of functions for plants and fungi as well, suggesting that IDPs were indeed

Affinity capture of biotinylated proteins at acidic conditions to facilitate hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis of multimeric protein complexes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Pernille Foged; Jørgensen, Thomas J. D.; Koefoed, Klaus

2013-01-01

Characterization of conformational and dynamic changes associated with protein interactions can be done by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) by comparing the deuterium uptake in the bound and unbound state of the proteins. Investigation of local hydrogen/deuterium exchange...... in heteromultimeric protein complexes poses a challenge for the method due to the increased complexity of the mixture of peptides originating from all interaction partners in the complex. Previously, interference of peptides from one interaction partner has been removed by immobilizing the intact protein on beads...... complexes without interference of peptides originating from other interaction partners in the complex. The biotin-streptavidin strategy has been successfully implemented in a model system with two recombinant monoclonal antibodies that target nonoverlapping epitopes on the human epidermal growth factor...

South Pole Region of the Moon as Seen by Clementine

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

Lunar mosaic of 1500 Clementine images of the south polar region of the moon. The projection is orthographic, centered on the south pole. The Schrodinger Basin (320 km in diameter) is located in the lower right of the mosaic. Amundsen-Ganswindt is the more subdued circular basin between Schrodinger and the pole. The polar regions of the moon are of special interest because of the postulated occurrence of ice in permanently shadowed areas. The south pole is of greater interest because the area that remains in shadow is much larger than that at the north pole.

Time domain oscillating poles: Stability redefined in Memristor based Wien-oscillators

KAUST Repository

Talukdar, Abdul Hafiz Ibne; Radwan, Ahmed G.; Salama, Khaled N.

2012-01-01

poles. The idea is verified using a Memristor based Wien oscillator. Sustained oscillations are observed without having the poles of the system fixed on the imaginary axis and the oscillating behavior of the system poles is reported. The oscillating

State-PID Feedback for Pole Placement of LTI Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarawut Sujitjorn

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Pole placement problems are especially important for disturbance rejection and stabilization of dynamical systems and regarded as algebraic inverse eigenvalue problems. In this paper, we propose gain formulae of state feedback through PID-elements to achieve desired pole placement for a delay-free LTI system with single input. Real and complex stable poles can be assigned with the proposed compact gain formulae. Numerical examples show that our proposed gain formulae can be used effectively resulting in very satisfactory responses.

Pole solutions for flame front propagation

CERN Document Server

Kupervasser, Oleg

2015-01-01

This book deals with solving mathematically the unsteady flame propagation equations. New original mathematical methods for solving complex non-linear equations and investigating their properties are presented. Pole solutions for flame front propagation are developed. Premixed flames and filtration combustion have remarkable properties: the complex nonlinear integro-differential equations for these problems have exact analytical solutions described by the motion of poles in a complex plane. Instead of complex equations, a finite set of ordinary differential equations is applied. These solutions help to investigate analytically and numerically properties of the flame front propagation equations.

On pole structure assignment in linear systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Loiseau, J.-J.; Zagalak, Petr

2009-01-01

Roč. 82, č. 7 (2009), s. 1179-1192 ISSN 0020-7179 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/07/1596 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : linear systems * linear state feedback * pole structure assignment Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 1.124, year: 2009 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2009/AS/zagalak-on pole structure assignment in linear systems.pdf

Fat-Specific DsbA-L Overexpression Promotes Adiponectin Multimerization and Protects Mice From Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Meilian; Xiang, Ruihua; Wilk, Sarah Ann; Zhang, Ning; Sloane, Lauren B.; Azarnoush, Kian; Zhou, Lijun; Chen, Hongzhi; Xiang, Guangda; Walter, Christi A.; Austad, Steven N.; Musi, Nicolas; DeFronzo, Ralph A.; Asmis, Reto; Scherer, Philipp E.; Dong, Lily Q.; Liu, Feng

2012-01-01

The antidiabetic and antiatherosclerotic effects of adiponectin make it a desirable drug target for the treatment of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. However, the adiponectin-based drug development approach turns out to be difficult due to extremely high serum levels of this adipokine. On the other hand, a significant correlation between adiponectin multimerization and its insulin-sensitizing effects has been demonstrated, suggesting a promising alternative therapeutic strategy. Here we show that transgenic mice overexpressing disulfide bond A oxidoreductase-like protein in fat (fDsbA-L) exhibited increased levels of total and the high-molecular-weight form of adiponectin compared with wild-type (WT) littermates. The fDsbA-L mice also displayed resistance to diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, and hepatic steatosis compared with WT control mice. The protective effects of DsbA-L overexpression on diet-induced insulin resistance, but not increased body weight and fat cell size, were significantly decreased in adiponectin-deficient fDsbA-L mice (fDsbA-L/Ad−/−). In addition, the fDsbA-L/Ad−/− mice displayed greater activity and energy expenditure compared with adiponectin knockout mice under a high-fat diet. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DsbA-L protects mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance through adiponectin-dependent and independent mechanisms. In addition, upregulation of DsbA-L could be an effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of obesity and its associated metabolic disorders. PMID:22807031

Phosphorylation of CPAP by Aurora-A Maintains Spindle Pole Integrity during Mitosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, En-Ju; Hung, Liang-Yi; Tang, Chieh-Ju C; Hsu, Wen-Bin; Wu, Hsin-Yi; Liao, Pao-Chi; Tang, Tang K

2016-03-29

CPAP is required for centriole elongation during S/G2 phase, but the role of CPAP in mitosis is incompletely understood. Here, we show that CPAP maintains spindle pole integrity through its phosphorylation by Aurora-A during mitosis. Depletion of CPAP induced a prolonged delay in mitosis, pericentriolar material (PCM) dispersion, and multiple mitotic abnormalities. Further studies demonstrated that CPAP directly interacts with and is phosphorylated by Aurora-A at serine 467 during mitosis. Interestingly, the dispersal of the PCM was effectively rescued by ectopic expression of wild-type CPAP or a phospho-mimic CPAP-S467D mutant, but not a non-phosphorylated CPAP-S467A mutant. Finally, we found that CPAP-S467D has a low affinity for microtubule binding but a high affinity for PCM proteins. Together, our results support a model wherein CPAP is required for proper mitotic progression, and phosphorylation of CPAP by Aurora-A is essential for maintaining spindle pole integrity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement and calculation of cosmic radiation exposure during a pole-to-pole flight sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Graeme C.; Ojjeh, Captain Aziz

2010-01-01

Cosmic ray dosimetry measurements were carried out on board a Global Express business jet operated by TAG Aviation (UK) during a pole-to-pole flight sequence that took place in November 2008. One Hawk TEPC and two EPDN2s were flown, and the TEPC measurements compared to calculated values from the route dose codes AVIDOS, CARI 6M, EPCARD versions 3.2 and 3.34, QARM and SIEVERT (online version). The largest difference between measured and calculated doses for the total flight sequence was found to be 13%. Agreement between the readings of the TEPC and the EPDN2s (once a calibration factor from the CERN High Energy Reference Field had been applied) was reasonably good given the relatively large uncertainties associated with the EPDN2 measurements.

A discussion on leading renormalon in the pole mass

Science.gov (United States)

Komijani, J.

2017-08-01

Perturbative series of some quantities in quantum field theories, such as the pole mass of a quark, suffer from a kind of divergence called renormalon divergence. In this paper, the leading renormalon in the pole mass is investigated, and a map is introduced to suppress this renormalon. The inverse of the map is then used to generate the leading renormalon and obtain an expression to calculate its overall normalization. Finally, the overall normalization of the leading renormalon of the pole mass is calculated for several values of quark flavors.

Physics on the Z-pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omori, Tsunehiko; Kurihara, Yoshimasa; Sugimoto, Yasuhiro; Fujii, Yoshiaki; Fujii, Keisuke

1994-01-01

JLC will provide a high luminosity of 2.0 x 10 33 cm -2 s -1 on the Z-pole. To realize the Z-pole running we need to add a transport line to bypass unnecessary part of the main linac. With this high luminosity, the third angle of the unitality triangle (sin 2φ 3 ) can be measured in B s (B s ) → pK s channel with 3σ sensitivity in 1 year when sin 2φ 3 = -0.5, Xs = 10, and the branching ratio of the channel is 2 x 10 -5 . Also sin 2 θw can be measured with accuracy of Δsin 2 θw/sin 2 θw = 0.1%. (J.P.N.)

Poles of the S matrix for a complex potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dabrowski, J.

1996-01-01

Trajectories of S matrix poles in complex k plane are presented for a complex square well potential. A simple rule is given for predicting the effect of an absorptive potential on the location of these poles. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Institutional Evaluation in Poles of the Open University System of Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexciano de Sousa Martins

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The study wanted to know the institutional evaluation in poles of distance education, of the Open University of Brazil (UAB system, analyzing the poles of the State of Ceará. The UAB system of the Brazilian Ministry of Education makes it possible to offer courses of higher level agreements with public universities. Ceará counts on UAB poles, since 2006, that form teachers and other professionals, even in regions lacking public higher education. The objective of this study was to discuss the importance of the institutional evaluation in the poles of the Open University of Brazil program through an exploratory and descriptive field research, showing that the institutional evaluation at the poles is minimal and out of line with the legislation in force. Suggestions on how to develop the evaluative practice.

Structural behaviour of concrete poles used in electric's power distribution network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehran Zeynalian

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Based on a preliminary study on regional electric companies, it is shown that there is no precise structural design on the concrete poles. This leads to uneconomical and overestimated networks’ components. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the lateral performance of the concrete poles which are employed in electric’s power distribution network. This paper presents a numerical study on structural performance of 12 m concrete poles used in electric’s power distribution network using Abaqus software. A sensitivity study for mesh size is carried out and concrete damaged plasticity has been employed. The results show that relatively coarse mesh (average in damaged concrete method gives more reliable result. Some experimental tests based on the Iranian standards were performed in order to make a bench mark for numerical output. Comparison between numerical and experimental results indicates a good agreement between the results. The outcomes also suggest that while the applied lateral load is less than around 400 kg which is assumed as the nominal resistance of the pole, no transverse crack occurs. Based on both experimental and numerical results, one or two transverse cracks are reported when the applied force reaches up to 600 kg. The rate of cracks is amplified by increasing the applied force; and finally, the pole would lose its capacity when the load rises much more than 1200 kg. The study also shows that the poles are very weak when the load direction changes. Also, it can be concluded that the final strength of the pole is higher than what the standards recommend. Finally, seismic behavior factor of the poles around both main axes are evaluated. The estimated seismic resistance factor for the concrete poles indicates that the prescribed R factor for such structure is relatively low; and can be improved at least 20%.

Refining low protein modular feeds for children on low protein tube feeds with organic acidaemias.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, A; Evans, S; Ashmore, C; Chahal, S; Santra, S; MacDonald, A

2017-12-01

Children with inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) who are dependent on tube feeding and require a protein restriction are commonly fed by 'modular tube feeds' consisting of several ingredients. A longitudinal, prospective two-phase study, conducted over 18 months assessed the long-term efficacy of a pre-measured protein-free composite feed. This was specifically designed to meet the non-protein nutritional requirements of children (aged over 1 year) with organic acidaemias on low protein enteral feeds and to be used as a supplement with an enteral feeding protein source. All non-protein individual feed ingredients were replaced with one protein-free composite feed supplying fat, carbohydrate, and micronutrients. Thirteen subjects, median age 7.4y (3-15.5y), all nutritionally tube dependent (supplying nutritional intake: ≥ 90%, n = 12; 75%, n = 1), and diagnosed with organic acidaemias (Propionic acidaemia, n = 6; Vitamin B 12 non-responsive methyl malonic acidaemia, n = 4; Isovaleric acidaemia, n = 2; Glutaric aciduria type1, n = 1); were studied. Nutritional intake, biochemistry and anthropometry were monitored at week - 8, 0, 12, 26 and 79. Energy intake remained unchanged, providing 76% of estimated energy requirements. Dietary intakes of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids significantly increased from week 0 to week 79, but sodium, potassium, magnesium, decosahexanoic acid and fibre did not meet suggested requirements. Plasma zinc, selenium, haemoglobin and MCV significantly improved, and growth remained satisfactory. Natural protein intake met WHO/FAO/UNU 2007 recommendations. A protein-free composite feed formulated to meet the non-protein nutritional requirements of children aged over 1 year improved nutritional intake, biochemical nutritional status, and simplified enteral tube feeding regimens in children with organic acidaemias.

The interrelationship between ligand binding and thermal unfolding of the folate binding protein. The role of self-association and pH

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Jan; Babol, Linnea N.; Markova, Natalia

2014-01-01

The present study utilized a combination of DLS (dynamic light scattering) and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) to address thermostability of high-affinity folate binding protein (FBP), a transport protein and cellular receptor for the vitamin folate. At pH7.4 (pI=7-8) ligand binding......, intermolecular forces involved in concentration-dependent multimerization thus contribute to the thermostability of holo-FBP. Hence, thermal unfolding and dissociation of holo-FBP multimers occur simultaneously consistent with a gradual decrease from octameric to monomeric holo-FBP (10μM) in DLS after a step-wise...

The self-consistent dynamic pole tide in global oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Dickman, S. R.

1985-01-01

The dynamic pole tide is characterized in a self-consistent manner by means of introducing a single nondifferential matrix equation compatible with the Liouville equation, modelling the ocean as global and of uniform depth. The deviations of the theory from the realistic ocean, associated with the nonglobality of the latter, are also given consideration, with an inference that in realistic oceans long-period modes of resonances would be increasingly likely to exist. The analysis of the nature of the pole tide and its effects on the Chandler wobble indicate that departures of the pole tide from the equilibrium may indeed be minimal.

A variable-mode stator consequent pole memory machine

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Lyu, Shukang; Lin, Heyun; Zhu, Z. Q.

2018-05-01

In this paper, a variable-mode concept is proposed for the speed range extension of a stator-consequent-pole memory machine (SCPMM). An integrated permanent magnet (PM) and electrically excited control scheme is utilized to simplify the flux-weakening control instead of relatively complicated continuous PM magnetization control. Due to the nature of memory machine, the magnetization state of low coercive force (LCF) magnets can be easily changed by applying either a positive or negative current pulse. Therefore, the number of PM poles may be changed to satisfy the specific performance requirement under different speed ranges, i.e. the machine with all PM poles can offer high torque output while that with half PM poles provides wide constant power range. In addition, the SCPMM with non-magnetized PMs can be considered as a dual-three phase electrically excited reluctance machine, which can be fed by an open-winding based dual inverters that provide direct current (DC) bias excitation to further extend the speed range. The effectiveness of the proposed variable-mode operation for extending its operating region and improving the system reliability is verified by both finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments.

Second harmonic generation from corona-poled polymer thin films ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-02-09

Feb 9, 2014 ... We characterize thermal stability of second harmonic generation (SHG) properties of four different Y-type polymers poled using corona poling method. These polymers are based on donor–acceptor–donor-type repeating unit with different aromatic moieties acting as donors and dicyanomethylene acting as ...

GPI-anchored protein organization and dynamics at the cell surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Suvrajit; Anilkumar, Anupama Ambika; Mayor, Satyajit

2016-02-01

The surface of eukaryotic cells is a multi-component fluid bilayer in which glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins are an abundant constituent. In this review, we discuss the complex nature of the organization and dynamics of GPI-anchored proteins at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Different biophysical techniques have been utilized for understanding this organization, including fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, single particle tracking, and a number of super resolution methods. Major insights into the organization and dynamics have also come from exploring the short-range interactions of GPI-anchored proteins by fluorescence (or Förster) resonance energy transfer microscopy. Based on the nanometer to micron scale organization, at the microsecond to the second time scale dynamics, a picture of the membrane bilayer emerges where the lipid bilayer appears inextricably intertwined with the underlying dynamic cytoskeleton. These observations have prompted a revision of the current models of plasma membrane organization, and suggest an active actin-membrane composite. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The Written-Pole{sup TM} motor: high efficiency - low start current

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beck, B. [C.Eng. Precise Power Corp., Bradenton, FL (United States); Friesen, D. [P.E. Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg (Canada)

2000-07-01

Written-Pole{sup TM} technology is a patented machine technology, which changes the magnetic polarity of the rotor field in a rotating machine, while the machine is operating. The number of poles is thereby changed, resulting in a constant frequency - variable speed machine. When operating as a motor, a Written-Pole machine has inherently low starting current and high operating efficiency. (orig.)

Large optical second-order nonlinearity of poled WO3-TeO2 glass.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, K; Narazaki, A; Hirao, K

2000-02-15

Second-harmonic generation, one of the second-order nonlinear optical properties of thermally and electrically poled WO>(3)-TeO>(2) glasses, has been examined. We poled glass samples with two thicknesses (0.60 and 0.86 mm) at various temperatures to explore the effects of external electric field strength and poling temperature on second-order nonlinearity. The dependence of second-harmonic intensity on the poling temperature is maximum at a specific poling temperature. A second-order nonlinear susceptibility of 2.1 pm/V was attained for the 0.60-mm-thick glass poled at 250 degrees C. This value is fairly large compared with those for poled silica and tellurite glasses reported thus far. We speculate that the large third-order nonlinear susceptibility of WO>(3)- TeO>(2) glasses gives rise to the large second-order nonlinearity by means of a X((2)) = 3X((3)) E(dc) process.

Regge poles and alpha scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceuleneer, R.

1974-01-01

The direct Regge pole model as a means of describing resonances in elastic particle scattering has been used for the analysis of the so-called ''anormalous large angle scattering'' of alpha particles by spinless nuclei. (Z.M.)

Time domain oscillating poles: Stability redefined in Memristor based Wien-oscillators

KAUST Repository

Talukdar, Abdul Hafiz Ibne

2012-07-28

Traditionally, the necessary and sufficient condition for any system to be oscillating is that its poles are located on the imaginary (jω) axis. In this paper, for the first time, we have shown that systems can oscillate with time-domain oscillating poles. The idea is verified using a Memristor based Wien oscillator. Sustained oscillations are observed without having the poles of the system fixed on the imaginary axis and the oscillating behavior of the system poles is reported. The oscillating resistance and triangular shape of FFT are also demonstrated with mathematical reasoning and simulation results to support the unusual and surprising characteristics. © 2009 IEEE.

Localization of aggregating proteins in bacteria depends on the rate of addition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karl eScheu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Many proteins are observed to localize to specific subcellular regions within bacteria. Recent experiments have shown that proteins that have self-interactions that lead them to aggregate tend to localize to the poles. Theoretical modeling of the localization of aggregating protein within bacterial cell geometries shows that aggregates can spontaneously localize to the pole due to nucleoid occlusion. The resulting polar localization, whether it be to a single pole or to both was shown to depend on the rate of protein addition. Motivated by these predictions we selected a set of genes from E. coli, whose protein products have been reported to localize when tagged with GFP, and explored the dynamics of their localization. We induced protein expression from each gene at different rates and found that in all cases unipolar patterning is favored at low rates of expression whereas bipolar is favored at higher rates of expression. Our findings are consistent with the predictions of the model, suggesting that localization may be due to aggregation plus nucleoid occlusion. When we expressed GFP by itself under the same conditions, no localization was observed. These experiments highlight the potential importance of protein aggregation, nucleoid occlusion and rate of protein expression in driving polar localization of functional proteins in bacteria.

Glass Waveguides for Periodic Poling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fage-Pedersen, Jacob; Jacobsen, Rune Shim; Kristensen, Martin

2005-01-01

Planar silica-based waveguide devices have been developed for second-harmonic generation by poling with periodic electrodes. We show that detrimental charge transport can occur along interfaces, but with proper choice of fabrication, high-quality devices are obtained....

Major vault protein/lung resistance-related protein (MVP/LRP) expression in nervous system tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Tsutomu; Hankins, Gerald R; Helm, Gregory A

2002-01-01

Lung resistance-related protein (LRP) was identified as the major vault protein (MVP), the main component of multimeric vault particles. It functions as a transport-associated protein that can be associated with multidrug resistance. In previous studies, expression of MVP/LRP has been documented in tumors of various types. In general, good correlations have been reported for expression of MVP/LRP and decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy and poor prognosis. MVP/LRP expression has been documented in glioblastomas, but its expression in nervous system tumors in general has not been well characterized. Immunohistochemistry using anti-human MVP/LRP antibody (LRP-56) was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue from 69 primary central nervous system tumors. Expression of MVP/LRP was observed in 81.2% (56/69) of primary nervous system tumors, including astrocytomas (11/13), oligodendrogliomas (1/2), oligoastrocytomas (5/5), ependymoma (1/1), meningiomas (35/45), schwannomas (2/2), and neurofibroma (1/1). Various degrees and distributions of immunoreactivity to MVP/ LRP were observed. Neither the presence nor the degree of immunoreactivity to MVP/LRP showed any correlation with either tumor grade or the presence of brain invasion.

The Achievements of the GLAMOROUS Project on Poling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Margulis, Walter; Myrén, N.; Fage-Pedersen, Jacob

2005-01-01

The GLAMOROUS project had as objective to demonstrate the feasibility of fibre and waveguide components with a second order nonlinearity induced by poling. The accomplishments of this nine-partners European Research Project are described.......The GLAMOROUS project had as objective to demonstrate the feasibility of fibre and waveguide components with a second order nonlinearity induced by poling. The accomplishments of this nine-partners European Research Project are described....

Converting point-wise nuclear cross sections to pole representation using regularized vector fitting

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xingjie; Ducru, Pablo; Liu, Shichang; Forget, Benoit; Liang, Jingang; Smith, Kord

2018-03-01

Direct Doppler broadening of nuclear cross sections in Monte Carlo codes has been widely sought for coupled reactor simulations. One recent approach proposed analytical broadening using a pole representation of the commonly used resonance models and the introduction of a local windowing scheme to improve performance (Hwang, 1987; Forget et al., 2014; Josey et al., 2015, 2016). This pole representation has been achieved in the past by converting resonance parameters in the evaluation nuclear data library into poles and residues. However, cross sections of some isotopes are only provided as point-wise data in ENDF/B-VII.1 library. To convert these isotopes to pole representation, a recent approach has been proposed using the relaxed vector fitting (RVF) algorithm (Gustavsen and Semlyen, 1999; Gustavsen, 2006; Liu et al., 2018). This approach however needs to specify ahead of time the number of poles. This article addresses this issue by adding a poles and residues filtering step to the RVF procedure. This regularized VF (ReV-Fit) algorithm is shown to efficiently converge the poles close to the physical ones, eliminating most of the superfluous poles, and thus enabling the conversion of point-wise nuclear cross sections.

Hypothesis: NDL proteins function in stress responses by regulating microtubule organization.

Science.gov (United States)

Khatri, Nisha; Mudgil, Yashwanti

2015-01-01

N-MYC DOWNREGULATED-LIKE proteins (NDL), members of the alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily were recently rediscovered as interactors of G-protein signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana. Although the precise molecular function of NDL proteins is still elusive, in animals these proteins play protective role in hypoxia and expression is induced by hypoxia and nickel, indicating role in stress. Homology of NDL1 with animal counterpart N-MYC DOWNREGULATED GENE (NDRG) suggests similar functions in animals and plants. It is well established that stress responses leads to the microtubule depolymerization and reorganization which is crucial for stress tolerance. NDRG is a microtubule-associated protein which mediates the microtubule organization in animals by causing acetylation and increases the stability of α-tubulin. As NDL1 is highly homologous to NDRG, involvement of NDL1 in the microtubule organization during plant stress can also be expected. Discovery of interaction of NDL with protein kinesin light chain- related 1, enodomembrane family protein 70, syntaxin-23, tubulin alpha-2 chain, as a part of G protein interactome initiative encourages us to postulate microtubule stabilizing functions for NDL family in plants. Our search for NDL interactors in G protein interactome also predicts the role of NDL proteins in abiotic stress tolerance management. Based on published report in animals and predicted interacting partners for NDL in G protein interactome lead us to hypothesize involvement of NDL in the microtubule organization during abiotic stress management in plants.

Efficacy of the lithotripsy in treating lower pole renal stones.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Helen; Thomee, Eeke; Noble, Jeremy G; Reynard, John M; Turney, Benjamin W

2013-06-01

Use of extracorporeal lithotripsy is declining in North America and many European countries despite international guidelines advocating it as a first-line therapy. Traditionally, lithotripsy is thought to have poor efficacy at treating lower pole renal stones. We evaluated the success rates of lithotripsy for lower pole renal stones in our unit. 50 patients with lower pole kidney stones ≤15 mm treated between 3/5/11 and 19/4/12 were included in the study. Patients received lithotripsy on a fixed-site Storz Modulith SLX F2 lithotripter according to a standard protocol. Clinical success was defined as stone-free status or asymptomatic clinically insignificant residual fragments (CIRFs) ≤3 mm at radiological follow-up. The mean stone size was 7.8 mm. The majority of stones (66 %) were between 5 and 10 mm. 28 % of stones were between 10 and 15 mm. For solitary lower pole stones complete stone clearance was achieved in 63 %. Total stone clearance including those with CIRFs was achieved in 81 % of patients. As expected, for those with multiple lower pole stones the success rates were lower: complete clearance was observed in 39 % and combined clearance including those with CIRFs was 56 %. Overall, complete stone clearance was observed in 54 % of patients and clearance with CIRFs was achieved in 72 % of patients. Success rate could not be attributed to age, stone size or gender. Our outcome data for the treatment of lower pole renal stones (≤15 mm) compare favourably with the literature. With this level of stone clearance, a non-invasive, outpatient-based treatment like lithotripsy should remain the first-line treatment option for lower pole stones. Ureteroscopy must prove that it is significantly better either in terms of clinical outcome or patient satisfaction to justify replacing lithotripsy.

Pole Shape Optimization of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors Using the Reduced Basis Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jabbari

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In the present work, an integrated method of pole shape design optimization for reduction of torque pulsation components in permanent magnet synchronous motors is developed. A progressive design process is presented to find feasible optimal shapes. This method is applied on the pole shape optimization of two prototype permanent magnet synchronous motors, i.e., 4-poles/6-slots and 4-poles-12slots.

Fluorescent tags of protein function in living cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, M

2000-02-01

A cell's biochemistry is now known to be the biochemistry of molecular machines, that is, protein complexes that are assembled and dismantled in particular locations within the cell as needed. One important element in our understanding has been the ability to begin to see where proteins are in cells and what they are doing as they go about their business. Accordingly, there is now a strong impetus to discover new ways of looking at the workings of proteins in living cells. Although the use of fluorescent tags to track individual proteins in cells has a long history, the availability of laser-based confocal microscopes and the imaginative exploitation of the green fluorescent protein from jellyfish have provided new tools of great diversity and utility. It is now possible to watch a protein bind its substrate or its partners in real time and with submicron resolution within a single cell. The importance of processes of self-organisation represented by protein folding on the one hand and subcellular organelles on the other are well recognised. Self-organisation at the intermediate level of multimeric protein complexes is now open to inspection. BioEssays 22:180-187, 2000. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Separable pole expansions in four-nucleon bound state calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofianos, S.A.; Fiedeldey, H.; Haberzettl, H.; Sandhas, W.

1982-04-01

We compare the utility of the Generalized Unitary Pole Expansion (GUPE) and the Energy-Dependent Pole Expansion (EDPE) for the three-body subsystem amplitudes in four-body state calculations for a variety of separable and local nucleon-nucleon interactions. It is found that, with the EDPE, the four-body binding energy is well reproduced with only two terms each for the (2+2)- and the (3+1)-subsystem, respectively, while the GUPE requires three terms for the (3+1)-channel and four terms for the (2+2)-channel. We thus conclude that pole dominance is of greater importance for the GUPE than for EDPE, which works equally well for both types of subsystems. It is found that both methods, in particular the EDPE, converge more rapidly with increasing repulsion in the two-body interaction, i.e. the more realistic the interaction becomes. Both expansions require similar computing times for a converged calculation and are about 15-20 times faster than the widely used Hilbert-Schmidt Expansion (HSE). The respective merits of the two pole expansions are discussed and compared with the HSE. (orig.)

Domain wall width of lithium niobate poled during growth

CERN Document Server

Brooks, R; Hole, D E; Callejo, D; Bermudez, V; Diéguez, E

2003-01-01

Good quality crystals of periodically poled lithium niobate can be generated directly during growth. However, the temperature gradients at the zone boundaries define the width of the regions where the polarity is reversed. Hence, the region influenced the domain transition may be a significant fraction of the overall poling period for material poled during growth. Evidence for the scale of this feature is reported both by chemical etching and by the less common method of ion beam luminescence and the 'domain wall' width approximately 1 mu m for these analyses. The influence of the reversal region may differ for alternative techniques but the relevance to device design for second harmonic generation is noted.

Least 1-Norm Pole-Zero Modeling with Sparse Deconvolution for Speech Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shi, Liming; Jensen, Jesper Rindom; Christensen, Mads Græsbøll

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present a speech analysis method based on sparse pole-zero modeling of speech. Instead of using the all-pole model to approximate the speech production filter, a pole-zero model is used for the combined effect of the vocal tract; radiation at the lips and the glottal pulse shape...

Lower pole renal cut injury due to the iliac wing fracture: A rare case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Çaglar Yildirim

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The most frequent causes of blunt genitourinary injuries are falls from heights, motor vehicle accidents and sports injuries. Firearm injuries and penetrating stab wounds are also frequently encountered. Skeletal system traumas in the vicinity of the urogenital system can cause urological organ injuries. Though rarely, renal traumas can be dependent on the kinetic energy of the trauma and the retroperitoneal movement capacity of the kidneys and cannot be explained with the proximity of the kidney to the skeletal system. In cases with high-energy decelerations, renal pedicle and ureteropelvic junction traumas are more frequently observed. Herein, we presented a grade 3 left kidney lower pole injury developed secondary to A2 type pelvic fracture following a high energy deceleration trauma. It should not be forgotten that especially in this type of fractures, injuries of the lower renal pole can occur.

The SUN protein Mps3 is required for spindle pole body insertion into the nuclear membrane and nuclear envelope homeostasis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer M Friederichs

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The budding yeast spindle pole body (SPB is anchored in the nuclear envelope so that it can simultaneously nucleate both nuclear and cytoplasmic microtubules. During SPB duplication, the newly formed SPB is inserted into the nuclear membrane. The mechanism of SPB insertion is poorly understood but likely involves the action of integral membrane proteins to mediate changes in the nuclear envelope itself, such as fusion of the inner and outer nuclear membranes. Analysis of the functional domains of the budding yeast SUN protein and SPB component Mps3 revealed that most regions are not essential for growth or SPB duplication under wild-type conditions. However, a novel dominant allele in the P-loop region, MPS3-G186K, displays defects in multiple steps in SPB duplication, including SPB insertion, indicating a previously unknown role for Mps3 in this step of SPB assembly. Characterization of the MPS3-G186K mutant by electron microscopy revealed severe over-proliferation of the inner nuclear membrane, which could be rescued by altering the characteristics of the nuclear envelope using both chemical and genetic methods. Lipid profiling revealed that cells lacking MPS3 contain abnormal amounts of certain types of polar and neutral lipids, and deletion or mutation of MPS3 can suppress growth defects associated with inhibition of sterol biosynthesis, suggesting that Mps3 directly affects lipid homeostasis. Therefore, we propose that Mps3 facilitates insertion of SPBs in the nuclear membrane by modulating nuclear envelope composition.

effect of number of rotor poles on ac losses of permanent magnet

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HOD

A study on permanent magnet (PM) eddy current and core losses of dual-stator PM machines is investigated in this paper. ... material in the retaining sleeves of surface-mounted ... rotor-pole numbers (13-poleand 14-pole in particular) ... Table 2: Optimized Machine Parameters. Number of rotor poles. 4. 5. 7. 8. 10. 11. 13. 14.

Expression and Activation of Horseradish Peroxidase-Protein A/G Fusion Protein in Silkworm Larvae for Diagnostic Purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Xxxx, Patmawati; Minamihata, Kosuke; Tatsuke, Tsuneyuki; Lee, Jae Man; Kusakabe, Takahiro; Kamiya, Noriho

2018-06-01

Recombinant protein production can create artificial proteins with desired functions by introducing genetic modifications to the target proteins. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) has been used extensively as a reporter enzyme in biotechnological applications; however, recombinant production of HRP has not been very successful, hampering the utilization of HRP with genetic modifications. A fusion protein comprising an antibody binding protein and HRP will be an ideal bio-probe for high-quality HRP-based diagnostic systems. A HRP-protein A/G fusion protein (HRP-pAG) is designed and its production in silkworm (Bombyx mori) is evaluated for the first time. HRP-pAG is expressed in a soluble apo form, and is activated successfully by incubating with hemin. The activated HRP-pAG is used directly for ELISA experiments and retains its activity over 20 days at 4 °C. Moreover, HRP-pAG is modified with biotin by the microbial transglutaminase (MTG) reaction. The biotinylated HRP-pAG is conjugated with streptavidin to form a HRP-pAG multimer and the multimeric HRP-pAG produced higher signals in the ELISA system than monomeric HRP-pAG. The successful production of recombinant HRP in silkworm will contribute to creating novel HRP-based bioconjugates as well as further functionalization of HRP by applying enzymatic post-translational modifications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Influence of the absorptive part of the complex potential on the S-Matrix poles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grama, C.; Grama, N.; Zamfirescu, I

2001-01-01

Although the polology of the S-matrix has been extensively studied, it occurred that some aspects remained disputable in the case of complex central potential V(r)=gV(r), g in C . These aspects are related to the origin of the observed narrow Σ-hypernuclear states that have been interpreted by Gal, Toker and Alexander as states which correspond to S-matrix poles situated in the second k-plane quadrant. From the analytical properties of the S-matrix for a real potential it results that there is no pole in the first and second k-plane quadrants, except for the imaginary k-axis. By switching on the absorption the S-matrix poles for real potential can evolve into the second quadrant of the k-plane. A critical study of the Σ-hypernuclear states needs the analysis of the motion of the S-matrix poles in the k-plane for variable complex coupling strength g. Recently contradictory opinions relative to the S-matrix poles trajectories in the complex k-plane for a complex square potential occurred. According to some authors the poles in the second quadrant can occur either from bound state poles moving anticlockwise, or from virtual state poles and capture resonant state poles moving clockwise as the absorption is switched on. Dabrowski argues that the statement made by Gal et al, Bonetti et al and Oset et al concerning the movement of the virtual poles with increasing absorptive potential is in general not correct. Dabrowski relates the direction in which the pole moves when the potential absorption increases to the direction in which the pole moves with increasing the real part of the potential, without clarifying this last question. For example, two poles moving in opposite directions along the imaginary k-axis are associated by Dabrowski to the same state. This is a wrong result, because one should associate a single pole to each quantum state. The aim of our work is to study the influence of the absorptive part of the potential on the S-matrix poles for the non

VT Green Mountain Power Pole Data

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) Green Mountain Power (GMP) pole and OVERHEAD linear distribution/sub-transmission model data. THE LINEAR DISTRIBUTION LAYER ONLY INCLUDES OVERHEAD...

Low equation, pion-nucleon scattering, and Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, K.; Nogami, Y.

1986-01-01

We examine the p-wave πN scattering at medium energies by means of the Low equation with a view to determining the form factor of the πN interaction. Solutions of the equation with and without a Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson (CDD) pole are used. The solution with no CDD pole corresponds to the old Chew-Low model, whereas the one with a CDD pole corresponds to the quark version of the Chew-Low model. The πN interaction form factor is determined so that the Δ resonance is well reproduced. We find that the solution with a CDD pole leads to a softer form factor but is not as soft as those expected from the nucleon size in the quark model. Using the solutions and form factors thus determined, we also examine the pionic contributions to the nucleon magnetic moment and the nucleon mass

Double Trouble: A Rare Case of Bilateral Upper Pole Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig A. Peters

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A 16-year-old girl presented with bilateral back pain caused by bilateral upper pole ureteropelvic junction obstructions; an extremely rare phenomenon. Bilateral robotically assisted upper pole pyeloplasties were preformed at the same setting with an excellent clinical response. Although rare, upper pole ureteropelvic junction obstruction is a defined entity that urologists should be aware of.

Poles near the thresholds in the coupled ΛN - ΣN system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamura, H.; Miyagawa, K.

1999-01-01

We find t-matrix poles near the ΣN threshold for the meson theoretical Nijmegen YN interactions including hard-core models. These poles are connected with the strength of the ΛN - ΣN coupling. We also observe antibound-state poles below the ΛN threshold which correlate with scattering lengths. Refs. 4, tabs. 2 (author)

Design of an adaptive pole assignment controller for steam generators and its experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun; No, Hee Cheon

1992-01-01

An adaptive observer is designed that both parameters and state variables of the steam generator are estimated simultaneously. A pole assignment controller is derived on the basis of the adaptive observer. The characteristics of the overall closed-loop control system can be expressed in terms of its poles, assigned poles. The troublesome tuning procedure of the P-I controller is reduced to the determination of the desired poles only. The proposed algorithm is compared with the conventional P-I controller through numerical simulation. Also, the adaptive pole assignment controller is studied experimentally by implementing it to the mock-up of the nuclear steam generator. The adaptive pole assignment controller shows better responses than the P-l controller does. (Author)

Field analysis and enhancement of multi-pole magnetic components fabricated on printed circuit board

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, K.-C.; Chen, C.-S.

2007-01-01

A multi-pole magnetic component magnetized with a fine magnetic pole pitch of less than 1 mm is very difficult to achieve by using traditional methods. Moreover, it requires a precise mechanical process and a complicated magnetization system. Different fine magnetic pole pitches of 300, 350 and 400 μm have been accomplished on 9-pole magnetic components through the printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing technology. Additionally, another fine magnetic pole pitch of 500 μm was also fabricated on a dual-layered (DL) wire circuit structure to investigate the field enhancement. After measurements, a gain factor of 1.37 was obtained in the field strength. The field variations among different magnetic pole pitches were analyzed in this paper

The self-consistent dynamic pole tide in non-global oceans

Science.gov (United States)

Dickman, S. R.

1988-01-01

The dynamic pole tide is determined by solving Laplace tide equations which take into account the presence of continents in oceans, oceanic self-gravitation and loading, and mantle elasticity. Dynamical effects are found to be only mild. It is shown that the dynamical pole tide contributes about one day more to the Chandler period than a static pole tide would, and dissipates wobble energy at a very weak rate. It is noted that, depending on the wobble period predicted for an oceanless elastic earth, mantle anelasticity at low frequencies may nevertheless contribute negligibly to the Chandler period.

NASCENT: an automatic protein interaction network generation tool for non-model organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Banky, Daniel; Ordog, Rafael; Grolmusz, Vince

2009-04-24

Large quantity of reliable protein interaction data are available for model organisms in public depositories (e.g., MINT, DIP, HPRD, INTERACT). Most data correspond to experiments with the proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Drosophila melanogaster, Homo sapiens, Caenorhabditis elegans, Escherichia coli and Mus musculus. For other important organisms the data availability is poor or non-existent. Here we present NASCENT, a completely automatic web-based tool and also a downloadable Java program, capable of modeling and generating protein interaction networks even for non-model organisms. The tool performs protein interaction network modeling through gene-name mapping, and outputs the resulting network in graphical form and also in computer-readable graph-forms, directly applicable by popular network modeling software. http://nascent.pitgroup.org.

Raapzaadeiwitconcentraat en erwteneiwitconcentraat in biologisch biggenvoer = Canola protein concentrate and pea protein concentratrate in diets for organically housed piglets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peet-Schwering, van der C.M.C.; Binnendijk, G.P.; Diepen, van J.T.M.

2011-01-01

At the Experimental Farm Raalte it was investigated whether canola protein concentrate and pea protein concentrate are suitable protein-rich feedstuffs for organically housed piglets. It is concluded that both protein concentrates are suitable protein-rich feedstuffs for piglets. Feed intake and

Iron Pole Shape Optimization of IPM Motors Using an Integrated Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JABBARI, A.

2010-02-01

Full Text Available An iron pole shape optimization method to reduce cogging torque in Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM motors is developed by using the reduced basis technique coupled by finite element and design of experiments methods. Objective function is defined as the minimum cogging torque. The experimental design of Taguchi method is used to build the approximation model and to perform optimization. This method is demonstrated on the rotor pole shape optimization of a 4-poles/24-slots IPM motor.

Sun's pole-equator flux differences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belvedere, G [Istituto di Astronomia dell' Universita di Catania, Italy; Paterno, L [Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Italy

1977-04-01

The possibility that large flux differences between the poles and the equator at the bottom of the solar convective zone are compatible with the small differences observed at the surface is studied. The consequences of increasing the depth of the convective zone due to overshooting are explored. A Boussinesq model is used for the convective zone and it is assumed that the interaction of the global convection with rotation is modelled through a convective flux coefficient whose perturbed part is proportional to the local Taylor number. The numerical integration of the equations of motion and energy shows that coexistence between large pole-equator flux differences at the bottom and small ones at the surface is possible if the solar convective zone extends to a depth of 0.4 R(Sun). The angular velocity distribution inside the convective zone is in agreement with the ..cap alpha omega..-dynamo theories of the solar cycle.

INNOVATIVE CLUSTER OR COMPETITIVENESS POLE?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana Scutaru

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the situation of clusters in Romania and their areas of activity and innovation in entrepreneurship Romanian state. It is made also a territorial distribution of clusters on the eight regions. The findings lead to the conclusion that there are some clusters that have the vocation to become poles of competitiveness in areas such as renewable energy, automotive, electronics, health, biotechnology, mechatronics or ICT (Information and Communication Technology which represent the resources for future of the Romanian economy. Regarding the degree of innovation of Romanian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs, the level is relatively modest, 30.8% of all enterprises being innovative. If we were to answer the question the title suggests, we would say "yes" to both since the innovative cluster as well as the competitiveness pole promotes par excellence, innovation through study, research and stimulation of creativity. And this is more than enough to support economic growth of Romania and maintain the competitiveness worldwide.

POLE proofreading mutations elicit an anti-tumor immune response in endometrial cancer

Science.gov (United States)

van Gool, Inge C; Eggink, Florine A; Freeman-Mills, Luke; Stelloo, Ellen; Marchi, Emanuele; de Bruyn, Marco; Palles, Claire; Nout, Remi A; de Kroon, Cor D; Osse, Elisabeth M; Klenerman, Paul; Creutzberg, Carien L; Tomlinson, Ian PM; Smit, Vincent THBM; Nijman, Hans W

2015-01-01

Purpose Recent studies have shown that 7-12% of endometrial cancers (ECs) are ultramutated due to somatic mutation in the proofreading exonuclease domain of the DNA replicase POLE. Interestingly, these tumors have an excellent prognosis. In view of the emerging data linking mutation burden, immune response and clinical outcome in cancer, we investigated whether POLE-mutant ECs showed evidence of increased immunogenicity. Experimental design We examined immune infiltration and activation according to tumor POLE proofreading mutation in a molecularly defined EC cohort including 47 POLE-mutant tumors. We sought to confirm our results by analysis of RNAseq data from the TCGA EC series and used the same series to examine whether differences in immune infiltration could be explained by an enrichment of immunogenic neoepitopes in POLE-mutant ECs. Results Compared to other ECs, POLE-mutants displayed an enhanced cytotoxic T cell response, evidenced by increased numbers of CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and CD8A expression, enrichment for a tumor-infiltrating T cell gene signature, and strong upregulation of the T cell cytotoxic differentiation and effector markers T-bet, Eomes, IFNG, PRF and granzyme B. This was accompanied by upregulation of T cell exhaustion markers, consistent with chronic antigen exposure. In-silico analysis confirmed that POLE-mutant cancers are predicted to display more antigenic neo-epitopes than other ECs, providing a potential explanation for our findings. Conclusions Ultramutated POLE proofreading-mutant ECs are characterized by a robust intratumoral T cell response, which correlates with, and may be caused by an enrichment of antigenic neo-peptides. Our study provides a plausible mechanism for the excellent prognosis of these cancers. PMID:25878334

Personaliotsinguteenust tasub kasutada siis, kui rahaline kokkuhoid pole esmane / Merike Lees

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lees, Merike, 1976-

2006-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Delovõje Vedomosti 1. veebr. lk. 13. Personaliotsinguteenuse kasutamine on õigustatud siis, kui ettevõttes pole personalispetsialisti ning rahaline kokkuhoid pole esmatähtis. Kommenteerivad: Eero Erastus, Madis Sander ja Marti Rehemaa

Secondary electron emission yield on poled silica based thick films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Braga, D.; Poumellec, B.; Cannas, V.

2004-01-01

Studies on the distribution of the electric field produced by a thermal poling process in a layer of Ge-doped silica on silicon substrate, by using secondary electron emission yield (SEEY) measurements () are presented. Comparing 0 between poled and unpoled areas, the SEEY at the origin of electr...

Clusters of cyclones encircling Jupiter’s poles

Science.gov (United States)

Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Orton, G.; Hansen, C.; Altieri, F.; Moriconi, M. L.; Rogers, J.; Eichstädt, G.; Momary, T.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Filacchione, G.; Sindoni, G.; Tabataba-Vakili, F.; Dinelli, B. M.; Fabiano, F.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Atreya, S. K.; Lunine, J. I.; Tosi, F.; Migliorini, A.; Grassi, D.; Piccioni, G.; Noschese, R.; Cicchetti, A.; Plainaki, C.; Olivieri, A.; O’Neill, M. E.; Turrini, D.; Stefani, S.; Sordini, R.; Amoroso, M.

2018-03-01

The familiar axisymmetric zones and belts that characterize Jupiter’s weather system at lower latitudes give way to pervasive cyclonic activity at higher latitudes. Two-dimensional turbulence in combination with the Coriolis β-effect (that is, the large meridionally varying Coriolis force on the giant planets of the Solar System) produces alternating zonal flows. The zonal flows weaken with rising latitude so that a transition between equatorial jets and polar turbulence on Jupiter can occur. Simulations with shallow-water models of giant planets support this transition by producing both alternating flows near the equator and circumpolar cyclones near the poles. Jovian polar regions are not visible from Earth owing to Jupiter’s low axial tilt, and were poorly characterized by previous missions because the trajectories of these missions did not venture far from Jupiter’s equatorial plane. Here we report that visible and infrared images obtained from above each pole by the Juno spacecraft during its first five orbits reveal persistent polygonal patterns of large cyclones. In the north, eight circumpolar cyclones are observed about a single polar cyclone; in the south, one polar cyclone is encircled by five circumpolar cyclones. Cyclonic circulation is established via time-lapse imagery obtained over intervals ranging from 20 minutes to 4 hours. Although migration of cyclones towards the pole might be expected as a consequence of the Coriolis β-effect, by which cyclonic vortices naturally drift towards the rotational pole, the configuration of the cyclones is without precedent on other planets (including Saturn’s polar hexagonal features). The manner in which the cyclones persist without merging and the process by which they evolve to their current configuration are unknown.

The C Terminus of the Core β-Ladder Domain in Japanese Encephalitis Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Is Flexible for Accommodation of Heterologous Epitope Fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Li-Chen; Liao, Jia-Teh; Lee, Hwei-Jen; Chou, Wei-Yuan; Chen, Chun-Wei; Lin, Yi-Ling; Liao, Ching-Len

2016-02-01

NS1 is the only nonstructural protein that enters the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where NS1 is glycosylated, forms a dimer, and is subsequently secreted during flavivirus replication as dimers or hexamers, which appear to be highly immunogenic to the infected host, as protective immunity can be elicited against homologous flavivirus infections. Here, by using a trans-complementation assay, we identified the C-terminal end of NS1 derived from Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), which was more flexible than other regions in terms of housing foreign epitopes without a significant impact on virus replication. This mapped flexible region is located in the conserved tip of the core β-ladder domain of the multimeric NS1 structure and is also known to contain certain linear epitopes, readily triggering specific antibody responses from the host. Despite becoming attenuated, recombinant JEV with insertion of a neutralizing epitope derived from enterovirus 71 (EV71) into the C-terminal end of NS1 not only could be normally released from infected cells, but also induced dual protective immunity for the host to counteract lethal challenge with either JEV or EV71 in neonatal mice. These results indicated that the secreted multimeric NS1 of flaviviruses may serve as a natural protein carrier to render epitopes of interest more immunogenic in the C terminus of the core β-ladder domain. The positive-sense RNA genomes of mosquito-borne flaviviruses appear to be flexible in terms of accommodating extra insertions of short heterologous antigens into their virus genes. Here, we illustrate that the newly identified C terminus of the core β-ladder domain in NS1 could be readily inserted into entities such as EV71 epitopes, and the resulting NS1-epitope fusion proteins appeared to maintain normal virus replication, secretion ability, and multimeric formation from infected cells. Nonetheless, such an insertion attenuated the recombinant JEV in mice, despite having retained

TERRITORIAL COHESION AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT USING EUROPEAN STRUCTURAL AND COHESION FUNDS AT THE LEVEL OF GROWTH POLES – CASE STUDY GROWTH POLE BRASOV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aida Petronela CATANA

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The growth poles were established in Romania in 2008 as centers for urban development in compliance with European and national policies and they include an urban nucleus and its rural surroundings.  According to the legal framework, for each of the growth poles an Integrated Development Plan should be adopted as basis for European Structural and Cohesion Funds investments. This is a new document in addition to local development plans/strategies of the local communities or counties and regional development plans. From another point of view, the growth poles are representing teritorial units which have to assure territorial cohesion for its urban and rural administrative units. Into this respect, there are different spatial planning documents which have to be followed by the territorial and administrative units, according to the Romanian legislation. Beyond these, there are rules and compulsory criterias for accessing European Structural and Cohesion funds the problems being faced by the associations established by local communities in order to manage the growth poles’s areas. Taking into account all these, we may say that growth poles are the crossing points for different policies translated into plans and operational programmes’s criterias for getting ESC Funds.

Don't trust equivalency presumptions when choosing distribution poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rollins, M.

2003-08-01

The variety of electric power distribution poles are described (wood, steel, prestressed concrete) in an effort to alert utilities that simple substitution of one type of pole for another based on presumed equivalency entails the risk that the replacement poles are unfit for the load conditions and do not comply with National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) requirements. A thorough evaluation of all design loads and the proper application of the appropriate overload and strength factors must take place prior to selecting the type of replacement to avoid misapplication of a product in situations for which it was not designed. Relevant provisions of NESC are described.

Russians, Jews, and Poles: Russification and Antisemitism 1881-1914

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theodor R. Weeks

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Relations between Poles and Jews deteriorated significantly in the three decades leading up to World War I. Many reasons for this phenomenon can be given, for example: economic competition, a general atmosphere of acute nationalism, increased migration, perceived threats to traditional forms of life and religion. Exacerbating all of these factors, however, was the fact of Polish statelessness and the extreme sensitivity of Poles to perceived threats to their culture and nation. In particular within the Russian Empire, Poles perceived the very future of their nation at risk. In such circumstances the continued existence of Jewish cultural difference combined with the development of specifically Jewish forms of national awakening (e.g., the Bund and Zionism were understood by many in Polish society as ingratitude and collaboration with the Russian occupier

Investigation of experimental pole-figure errors by simulation of individual spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lychagina, T. A.; Nikolaev, D. I.

2007-01-01

The errors in measuring the crystallographic texture described by pole figures are studied. A set of diffraction spectra for a sample of the MA2-1 alloy (Mg + 4.5% Al + 1% Zn) are measured, simulation of individual spectra on the basis of which the pole figures were obtained is performed, and their errors are determined. The conclusion about the possibility of determining the effect of errors of the diffraction peak half-width on the pole figure errors that was drawn in our previous studies is confirmed

Investigation Effects of Narrowing Rotor Pole Embrace to Efficiency and Cogging Torque at PM BLDC Motor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cemil Ocak

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Engineers think that pole embrace size of a PM BLDC motor affects directly the efficiency and the torque. Dealing with theexperimental research, in the studywe have investigated the effects of narrowing rotor pole embrace step by step by changing sizes parametrically. By doing so, high efficiency and low cogging torque would have been obtained for a 20 W PM BLDC motor. In order to do this,pole arc to pole pitch ratio of magnets at the rotor poles has been changed parametrically (0.5 to 1 by genetic algorithm methodfirst. Then the electromagnetic field dispersions, output parameters of the motor, new rotor constructions have been obtained; and new pole embrace has been derived from the variation of pole arc to pole pitch ratio. We have also calculatedthe magnetic flux distribution, output power, torque, cogging torque and efficiency values analytically and the effects of new pole embrace to motor efficiency and torque have been simulated. The developed 18 slots, 6 poles, surface mounted inner runner configuration rotor machine is proposed as to be used insmall dentistry apparatus.

Periodically poled silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Hon, Nick K.; Tsia, Kevin K.; Solli, Daniel R.; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Jalali, Bahram

2010-02-01

Bulk centrosymmetric silicon lacks second-order optical nonlinearity χ(2) - a foundational component of nonlinear optics. Here, we propose a new class of photonic device which enables χ(2) as well as quasi-phase matching based on periodic stress fields in silicon - periodically-poled silicon (PePSi). This concept adds the periodic poling capability to silicon photonics, and allows the excellent crystal quality and advanced manufacturing capabilities of silicon to be harnessed for devices based on χ(2)) effects. The concept can also be simply achieved by having periodic arrangement of stressed thin films along a silicon waveguide. As an example of the utility, we present simulations showing that mid-wave infrared radiation can be efficiently generated through difference frequency generation from near-infrared with a conversion efficiency of 50% based on χ(2) values measurements for strained silicon reported in the literature [Jacobson et al. Nature 441, 199 (2006)]. The use of PePSi for frequency conversion can also be extended to terahertz generation. With integrated piezoelectric material, dynamically control of χ(2)nonlinearity in PePSi waveguide may also be achieved. The successful realization of PePSi based devices depends on the strength of the stress induced χ(2) in silicon. Presently, there exists a significant discrepancy in the literature between the theoretical and experimentally measured values. We present a simple theoretical model that produces result consistent with prior theoretical works and use this model to identify possible reasons for this discrepancy.

Avoidance of a Landau pole by flat contributions in QED

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaczynski, Lutz, E-mail: lutz.klaczynski@gmx.de [Department of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin, 12489 Berlin (Germany); Kreimer, Dirk, E-mail: kreimer@mathematik.hu-berlin.de [Alexander von Humboldt Chair in Mathematical Physics, Humboldt University, Berlin 12489 (Germany)

2014-05-15

We consider massless Quantum Electrodynamics in the momentum scheme and carry forward an approach based on Dyson–Schwinger equations to approximate both the β-function and the renormalized photon self-energy (Yeats, 2011). Starting from the Callan–Symanzik equation, we derive a renormalization group (RG) recursion identity which implies a non-linear ODE for the anomalous dimension and extract a sufficient but not necessary criterion for the existence of a Landau pole. This criterion implies a necessary condition for QED to have no such pole. Solving the differential equation exactly for a toy model case, we integrate the corresponding RG equation for the running coupling and find that even though the β-function entails a Landau pole it exhibits a flat contribution capable of decreasing its growth, in other cases possibly to the extent that such a pole is avoided altogether. Finally, by applying the recursion identity, we compute the photon propagator and investigate the effect of flat contributions on both spacelike and timelike photons. -- Highlights: •We present an approach to approximate both the β-function and the photon self-energy. •We find a sufficient criterion for the self-energy to entail the existence of a Landau pole. •We study non-perturbative ‘flat’ contributions that emerge within the context of our approach. •We discuss a toy model and how it is affected by flat contributions.

Carrier Phase GPS Navigation to the North Pole

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, T.; Roberts, G. W.

Over the last few years, on-the-fly integer ambiguity resolution for GPS has proven to be successful over short baselines (500 km. New techniques have been developed at the University of Nottingham to allow very long baseline integer ambiguity resolution, on-the-fly. A major problem with the use of carrier phase data is that posed by cycle slips. A technique for detecting and correcting cycle slips has been developed, and its use is discussed in this paper. The new technique has been proven through a series of trials, one of which included two flights to the North Pole, performing centimetric level positioning all the way to the pole. For many years, the GD Aero-Systems Course of the Air Warfare Centre based at RAF Cranwell executed a series of equipment flight trials to the North Pole, called the ARIES Flights. In May 1996, the authors were fortunate to take part in both flights, via Iceland and Greenland, to the North Pole. Based on reference stations at Thule Air Base, integer ambiguity resolution was accomplished, on-the-fly, and centimetric level navigation maintained throughout the flights. Earlier trials detailed in the paper demonstrate that the technique can resolve integer ambiguities on-the-fly within a few seconds over a baseline length of approximately 134 km, resulting in an accuracy of 12 cm. The majority of the residual error source for this being the ionosphere.

Integrated fiber Michelson interferometer based on poled hollow twin-core fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhihai; Bo, Fusen; Wang, Lei; Tian, Fengjun; Yuan, Libo

2011-07-01

We propose an integrated fiber Michelson interferometer based on a poled hollow twin-core fiber. The Michelson interferometer can be used as an electro-optic modulator by thermal poling one core of the twin-core fiber and introducing second-order nonlinearity in the fiber. The proposed fiber Michelson interferometer is experimentally demonstrated under driving voltages at the frequency range of 149 to 1000 Hz. The half-wave voltage of the poled fiber is 135 V, and the effective second-order nonlinear coefficient χ² is 1.23 pm/V.

Optimizing detection of road furniture (pole-like object in Mobile Laser Scanner data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Li

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Due to the road safety problem is becoming more and more serious recent years, existing road safety assessment by using automatic method is necessary. Meanwhile, since the pole-like objects have large effect on road safety and are in high demand as facilities to be managed, the automatic pole-like objects extraction is becoming a hot issue. As a result, a robust, quick and automatic pole-like object detection algorithm in MLS data is proposed in this paper. Two datasets are tested to show performance of the proposed algorithm, it demonstrates that it is feasible to detect tree with an overall accuracy of over 92% and other pole-like object of 72% in dataset A and 82% of tree points and 75% of other pole points in dataset B.

Organic vegetable proteins and oil in feed for organic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Ivar; Dalsgaard, Anne Johanne Tang; Jokumsen, Alfred

The demand for organic trout is increasing, stressing the need for organic, vegetable feed ingredients as replacement for fish meal, as the principles of organic aquaculture encourage the development of feed that do not deplete global fish stocks. In addition, the organic code of practice does...... not allow addition of artificial amino acids to the feed, and optimization of the amino acid profile of organically based diets must therefore derive from the protein sources alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the digestibility and growth performance of organic vegetable dietary ingredients...... as replacement for fish meal and fish oil in feed for organic rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Six iso-energetic and iso- nitrogenous diets were prepared, comprising a fish meal and fish oil based control diet and three diets in which the inclusion of fish meal was gradually reduced from 59 to 35...

In-situ poling and structurization of piezoelectric particulate composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanbareh, H; van der Zwaag, S; Groen, W A

2017-11-01

Composites of lead zirconate titanate particles in an epoxy matrix are prepared in the form of 0-3 and quasi 1-3 with different ceramic volume contents from 10% to 50%. Two different processing routes are tested. Firstly a conventional dielectrophoretic structuring is used to induce a chain-like particle configuration, followed by curing the matrix and poling at a high temperature and under a high voltage. Secondly a simultaneous combination of dielectrophoresis and poling is applied at room temperature while the polymer is in the liquid state followed by subsequent curing. This new processing route is practiced in an uncured thermoset system while the polymer matrix still possess a relatively high electrical conductivity. Composites with different degrees of alignment are produced by altering the magnitude of the applied electric field. A significant improvement in piezoelectric properties of quasi 1-3 composites can be achieved by a combination of dielectrophoretic alignment of the ceramic particles and poling process. It has been observed that the degree of structuring as well as the functional properties of the in-situ structured and poled composites enhance significantly compared to those of the conventionally manufactured structured composites. Improving the alignment quality enhances the piezoelectric properties of the particulate composites.

Chiasmata promote monopolar attachment of sister chromatids and their co-segregation toward the proper pole during meiosis I.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukinobu Hirose

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The chiasma is a structure that forms between a pair of homologous chromosomes by crossover recombination and physically links the homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Chiasmata are essential for the attachment of the homologous chromosomes to opposite spindle poles (bipolar attachment and their subsequent segregation to the opposite poles during meiosis I. However, the overall function of chiasmata during meiosis is not fully understood. Here, we show that chiasmata also play a crucial role in the attachment of sister chromatids to the same spindle pole and in their co-segregation during meiosis I in fission yeast. Analysis of cells lacking chiasmata and the cohesin protector Sgo1 showed that loss of chiasmata causes frequent bipolar attachment of sister chromatids during anaphase. Furthermore, high time-resolution analysis of centromere dynamics in various types of chiasmate and achiasmate cells, including those lacking the DNA replication checkpoint factor Mrc1 or the meiotic centromere protein Moa1, showed the following three outcomes: (i during the pre-anaphase stage, the bipolar attachment of sister chromatids occurs irrespective of chiasma formation; (ii the chiasma contributes to the elimination of the pre-anaphase bipolar attachment; and (iii when the bipolar attachment remains during anaphase, the chiasmata generate a bias toward the proper pole during poleward chromosome pulling that results in appropriate chromosome segregation. Based on these results, we propose that chiasmata play a pivotal role in the selection of proper attachments and provide a backup mechanism that promotes correct chromosome segregation when improper attachments remain during anaphase I.

Recombination-stable multimeric green fluorescent protein for characterization of weak promoter outputs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rugbjerg, Peter; Knuf, Christoph; Förster, Jochen

2015-01-01

a less leaky Cu2+-inducible promoter based on CUP1. The basal expression level of the new promoter was approx. 61% below the wild-type CUP1 promoter, thus expanding the absolute range of Cu2+-based gene control. The stability of 3vGFP towards direct-repeat recombination was assayed in S. cerevisiae......Green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) are widely used for visualization of proteins to track localization and expression dynamics. However, phenotypically important processes can operate at too low expression levels for routine detection, i.e. be overshadowed by autofluorescence noise. While GFP...... functions well in translational fusions, the use of tandem GFPs to amplify fluorescence signals is currently avoided in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and many other microorganisms due to the risk of loop-out by direct-repeat recombination. We increased GFP fluorescence by translationally fusing three different...

Organization and Dynamics of Receptor Proteins in a Plasma Membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Koldsø, Heidi; Sansom, Mark S P

2015-11-25

The interactions of membrane proteins are influenced by their lipid environment, with key lipid species able to regulate membrane protein function. Advances in high-resolution microscopy can reveal the organization and dynamics of proteins and lipids within living cells at resolutions membranes of in vivo-like complexity. We explore the dynamics of proteins and lipids in crowded and complex plasma membrane models, thereby closing the gap in length and complexity between computations and experiments. Our simulations provide insights into the mutual interplay between lipids and proteins in determining mesoscale (20-100 nm) fluctuations of the bilayer, and in enabling oligomerization and clustering of membrane proteins.

Raman probes based on optically-poled double-clad fiber and coupler

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunetti, Anna Chiara; Margulis, Walter; Rottwitt, Karsten

2012-01-01

of a sample of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), when illuminating the waveguide with 1064nm laser light. The Raman signal is collected in the inner cladding, from which it is retrieved with either a bulk dichroic mirror or a double-clad fiber coupler. The coupler allows for a substantial reduction of the fiber......Two fiber Raman probes are presented, one based on an optically-poled double-clad fiber and the second based on an optically-poled double-clad fiber coupler respectively. Optical poling of the core of the fiber allows for the generation of enough 532nm light to perform Raman spectroscopy...

Building on IPY Data, Collaborations and Infrastructure to Understand the Changing Poles (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, R. E.; Krupnik, I.; Hik, D.; Alverson, K. D.; Drinkwater, M. R.

2010-12-01

In contrast to previous IPY programs that were driven by a central organizing group, the 2007-9 IPY emerged from more than 1000 ideas provided by the global science community. This global IPY planning process produced six major themes that framed the IPY programs. Three themes focused on change at the poles, one focused on probing the frontiers of the polar science, one targeted on using the polar regions as vantage points to look beyond into space and a sixth theme targeted integrated studies of polar cultural, historical and social processes. The results of the IPY 2007-9 are just beginning to emerge. Benchmark data sets were acquired such as coordinated imaging of the poles from space, systematic ocean measurements and a census of marine life. IPY programs have documented how ongoing polar change from permafrost to ecosystems varies regionally depending on local conditions. Analysis of past change in ecosystems, sediment cores and numeric models indicate that during periods with elevated temperatures and atmospheric CO2, the West Antarctic ice sheet can collapse repeatedly. Studies of the polar oceans have confirmed a strong connection between the mid-latitudes and polar processes. The efforts to explore the poles have revealed explosive volcanism beneath the Arctic Ocean, strong genetic similarities between microbes at the two poles and dynamic processes at the base of the East Antarctic ice sheet. IPY programs looking beyond the poles imaged new galaxies and identified new linkages between solar output and weather. The early insights from IPY 2007-9 are remarkable. Building on these will be a challenge for the science community and science agencies over the next decade. The IPY data must be archived and made available to the broad science community to ensure it is preserved as a vital benchmark. The collaborations between scientists, agencies, Arctic residents and institutions initiated by the IPY structure must be fostered and continued. Successful scientific

Seasonal Evolution of Titan's Stratosphere Near the Poles

Science.gov (United States)

Coustenis, A.; Jennings, D. E.; Achterberg, R. K.; Bampasidis, G.; Nixon, C. A.; Lavvas, P.; Cottini, V.; Flasar, F. M.

2018-02-01

In this Letter, we report the monitoring of seasonal evolution near Titan’s poles. We find Titan’s south pole to exhibit since 2010 a strong temperature decrease and a dramatic enhancement of several trace species such as complex hydrocarbons and nitriles (HC3N and C6H6 in particular) previously only observed at high northern latitudes. This results from the seasonal change on Titan going from winter (2002) to summer (2017) in the north and, at the same time, the onset of winter in the south pole. During this transition period atmospheric components with longer chemical lifetimes linger in the north, undergoing slow photochemical destruction, while those with shorter lifetimes decrease and reappear in the south. An opposite effect was expected in the north, but not observed with certainty until now. We present here an analysis of high-resolution nadir spectra acquired by Cassini/Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer in the past years and describe the temperature and composition variations near Titan’s poles. From 2013 until 2016, the northern polar region has shown a temperature increase of 10 K, while the south has shown a more significant decrease (up to 25 K) in a similar period of time. While the south polar region has been continuously enhanced since about 2012, the chemical content in the north is finally showing a clear depletion for most molecules only since 2015. This is indicative of a non-symmetrical response to the seasons in Titan’s stratosphere that can set constraints on photochemical and GCM models.

Second-harmonic scanning optical microscopy of poled silica waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Kjeld; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Arentoft, Jesper

2000-01-01

Second-harmonic scanning optical microscopy (SHSOM) is performed on electric-field poled silica-based waveguides. Two operation modes of SHSOM are considered. Oblique transmission reflection and normal reflection modes are used to image the spatial distribution of nonlinear susceptibilities...... and limitations of the two operation modes when used for SHSOM studies of poled silica-based waveguides are discussed. The influence of surface defects on the resulting second-harmonic images is also considered. ©2000 American Institute of Physics....

Biomechanical analysis of double poling in elite cross-country skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmberg, Hans-Christer; Lindinger, Stefan; Stöggl, Thomas; Eitzlmair, Erich; Müller, Erich

2005-05-01

To further the understanding of double poling (DP) through biomechanical analysis of upper and lower body movements during DP in cross-country (XC) skiing at racing speed. Eleven elite XC skiers performed DP at 85% of their maximal DP velocity (V85%) during roller skiing at 1 degrees inclination on a treadmill. Pole and plantar ground reaction forces, joint angles (elbow, hip, knee, and ankle), cycle characteristics, and electromyography (EMG) of upper and lower body muscles were analyzed. 1) Pole force pattern with initial impact force peak and the following active force peak (PPF) correlated to V85%, (r = 0.66, P biomechanical aspects. Future research should further investigate the relationship between biomechanical and physiological variables and elaborate training models to improve DP performance.

Non-uniformly sampled grids in double pole coordinate system for freeform reflector construction

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Donglin; Pacheco, Shaun; Feng, Zexin; Liang, Rongguang

2015-08-01

We propose a new method to design freeform reflectors by nonuniformly sampling the source intensity distribution in double pole coordinate system. In double pole coordinate system, there is no pole for the whole hemisphere because both poles of the spherical coordinate system are moved to southernmost point of the sphere and overlapped together. With symmetric definition of both angular coordinates in the modified double pole coordinate system, a better match between the source intensity distribution and target irradiance distribution can be achieved for reflectors with large acceptance solid angle, leading to higher light efficiency and better uniformity on the target surface. With non-uniform sampling of the source intensity, we can design circular freeform reflector to obtain uniform rectangular illumination pattern. Aided by the feedback optimization, the freeform reflector can achieve the collection efficiency for ideal point source over 0.7 and relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 0.1.

Selection of organisms for the co-evolution-based study of protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Dorota; Ochoa, David; Juan, David; Lopez, Daniel; Valencia, Alfonso; Pazos, Florencio

2011-09-12

The prediction and study of protein interactions and functional relationships based on similarity of phylogenetic trees, exemplified by the mirrortree and related methodologies, is being widely used. Although dependence between the performance of these methods and the set of organisms used to build the trees was suspected, so far nobody assessed it in an exhaustive way, and, in general, previous works used as many organisms as possible. In this work we asses the effect of using different sets of organism (chosen according with various phylogenetic criteria) on the performance of this methodology in detecting protein interactions of different nature. We show that the performance of three mirrortree-related methodologies depends on the set of organisms used for building the trees, and it is not always directly related to the number of organisms in a simple way. Certain subsets of organisms seem to be more suitable for the predictions of certain types of interactions. This relationship between type of interaction and optimal set of organism for detecting them makes sense in the light of the phylogenetic distribution of the organisms and the nature of the interactions. In order to obtain an optimal performance when predicting protein interactions, it is recommended to use different sets of organisms depending on the available computational resources and data, as well as the type of interactions of interest.

Conceptual design of a three-pole wiggler for the APS upgrade

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abliz, M., E-mail: mabliz@aps.anl.gov; Grimmer, J., E-mail: grimmer@aps.anl.gov; Dejus, R.; Ramanathan, M., E-mail: mohan@aps.anl.gov [The Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

2016-07-27

The current design of the Advanced Photon Source Upgrade (APS-U) project is a multi-bend achromat (MBA) lattice, which incorporates three-pole wigglers as radiation sources for the bending magnet beamlines. They are located in the short section between the M4 dipole and Q8 quadrupole magnets. Due to space constraints, a hybrid permanent magnet design is necessary to provide the required magnetic field strength. A three-pole wiggler with a flat peak field profile along the beam axis was designed to enhance the photon flux and flatten the transverse flux density distributions. The magnetic peak field at the center pole reached 1.08 Tesla for a magnetic gap of 26 mm. The maximum power density, integrated over all vertical angles, is 3.1 W/mm{sup 2}, which is substantially higher than that of the existing bending magnets at the APS (0.86 W/mm{sup 2}). Detailed designs of the three-pole wiggler is presented, including calculated spectral-angular flux distributions.

Revised paleomagnetic pole for the Sonoma Volcanics, California

Science.gov (United States)

Mankinen, E.A.

1989-01-01

Paleomagnetic sampling of the Miocene and Pliocene Sonoma Volcanics, northern California, was undertaken to supplement an earlier collection. Data from 25 cooling units yield positive fold and reversal tests, and a paleomagnetic pole located at 80.2??N., 069.2??E., with ??95 = 6.8??. This paleopole is significantly displaced (9.6?? ?? 5.3?? of latitude) to the farside of the geographic pole. A highly elliptical distribution of the data in both direction and VGP space indicates that incomplete averaging of geomagnetic secular variation is a more likely explanation for this anomaly than is northward translation of the volcanic field. -Author

Stabilization, pole placement, and regular implementability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Belur, MN; Trentelman, HL

In this paper, we study control by interconnection of linear differential systems. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for regular implementability of a-given linear, differential system. We formulate the problems of stabilization and pole placement as problems of finding a suitable,

Recent advances in poled optical fibres

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pruneri, V.; Margulis, W.; Myrén, N.

2005-01-01

A second-order nonlinearity can be induced in optical fibres through poling. We describe accomplishments of the EU project GLAMOROUS in making low-cost high performance electrooptic and nonlinear optical fibre- and waveguide-based components. In particular a comparison with more traditional...

Biomechanical pole and leg characteristics during uphill diagonal roller skiing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindinger, Stefan Josef; Göpfert, Caroline; Stöggl, Thomas; Müller, Erich; Holmberg, Hans-Christer

2009-11-01

Diagonal skiing as a major classical technique has hardly been investigated over the last two decades, although technique and racing velocities have developed substantially. The aims of the present study were to 1) analyse pole and leg kinetics and kinematics during submaximal uphill diagonal roller skiing and 2) identify biomechanical factors related to performance. Twelve elite skiers performed a time to exhaustion (performance) test on a treadmill. Joint kinematics and pole/plantar forces were recorded separately during diagonal roller skiing (9 degrees; 11 km/h). Performance was correlated to cycle length (r = 0.77; P Push-off demonstrated performance correlations for impulse of leg force (r = 0.84), relative duration (r= -0.76) and knee flexion (r = 0.73) and extension ROM (r = 0.74). Relative time to peak pole force was associated with performance (r = 0.73). In summary, diagonal roller skiing performance was linked to 1) longer cycle length, 2) greater impulse of force during a shorter push-off with larger flexion/extension ROMs in leg joints, 3) longer leg swing, and 4) later peak pole force, demonstrating the major key characteristics to be emphasised in training.

Pole-to-pole biogeography of surface and deep marine bacterial communities

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiglione, Jean-François; Galand, Pierre E.; Pommier, Thomas; Pedrós-Alió, Carlos; Maas, Elizabeth W.; Bakker, Kevin; Bertilson, Stefan; Kirchman, David L.; Lovejoy, Connie; Yager, Patricia L.; Murray, Alison E.

2012-01-01

The Antarctic and Arctic regions offer a unique opportunity to test factors shaping biogeography of marine microbial communities because these regions are geographically far apart, yet share similar selection pressures. Here, we report a comprehensive comparison of bacterioplankton diversity between polar oceans, using standardized methods for pyrosequencing the V6 region of the small subunit ribosomal (SSU) rRNA gene. Bacterial communities from lower latitude oceans were included, providing a global perspective. A clear difference between Southern and Arctic Ocean surface communities was evident, with 78% of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) unique to the Southern Ocean and 70% unique to the Arctic Ocean. Although polar ocean bacterial communities were more similar to each other than to lower latitude pelagic communities, analyses of depths, seasons, and coastal vs. open waters, the Southern and Arctic Ocean bacterioplankton communities consistently clustered separately from each other. Coastal surface Southern and Arctic Ocean communities were more dissimilar from their respective open ocean communities. In contrast, deep ocean communities differed less between poles and lower latitude deep waters and displayed different diversity patterns compared with the surface. In addition, estimated diversity (Chao1) for surface and deep communities did not correlate significantly with latitude or temperature. Our results suggest differences in environmental conditions at the poles and different selection mechanisms controlling surface and deep ocean community structure and diversity. Surface bacterioplankton may be subjected to more short-term, variable conditions, whereas deep communities appear to be structured by longer water-mass residence time and connectivity through ocean circulation. PMID:23045668

Raman Probe Based on Optically-Poled Double-Core Fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunetti, Anna Chiara; Margulis, Walter; Rottwitt, Karsten

2012-01-01

A Raman probe based on an optically-poled double-core fiber. In-fiber SHG allows for Raman spectroscopy of DMSO at 532nm when illuminating the fiber with 1064nm light. The fiber structure provides independent excitation and collection paths.......A Raman probe based on an optically-poled double-core fiber. In-fiber SHG allows for Raman spectroscopy of DMSO at 532nm when illuminating the fiber with 1064nm light. The fiber structure provides independent excitation and collection paths....

Inferior patellar pole fragmentation in children: just a normal variant?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kan, J.H.; Vogelius, Esben S.; Orth, Robert C.; Guillerman, R.P.; Jadhav, Siddharth P. [Texas Children' s Hospital, E.B. Singleton Pediatric Radiology, Houston, TX (United States)

2015-06-15

Fragmentary ossification of the inferior patella is often dismissed as a normal variant in children younger than 10 years of age. The purpose of this study was to determine whether fragmentary inferior patellar pole ossification is a normal variant or is associated with symptoms or signs of pathology using MRI and clinical exam findings as reference. A retrospective review was performed on 150 patients ages 5-10 years who underwent 164 knee radiography and MRI exams (45.1% male, mean age: 7.8 years). The presence or absence of inferior patellar pole fragmentation on radiography was correlated with the presence or absence of edema-like signal on MR images. Clinical notes were reviewed for the presence of symptoms or signs referable to the inferior patellar pole. These data were compared with a 1:1 age- and sex-matched control group without inferior pole fragmentation. Statistical analysis was performed using two-tailed t-tests. Forty of 164 (24.4%) knee radiographs showed fragmentary ossification of the inferior patella. Of these 40 knees, 62.5% (25/40) had edema-like signal of the inferior patellar bone marrow compared with 7.5% (3/40) of controls (P = 0.035). Patients with fragmentary ossification at the inferior patella had a significantly higher incidence of documented focal inferior patellar pain compared with controls (20% vs. 2.5%, P = 0.015). Inferior patellar pole fragmentation in children 5 to 10 years of age may be associated with localized symptoms and bone marrow edema-like signal and should not be routinely dismissed as a normal variant of ossification. (orig.)

Relation between bottom-quark MS Yukawa coupling and pole mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kniehl, B.A.; Piclum, J.H.; Steinhauser, M.

2004-04-01

We calculate the O (αα s ) corrections to the relationships between the MS Yukawa couplings and the pole masses of the first five quark flavours in the standard model. We also present the corresponding relationships between the MS and pole masses, which emerge as by-products of our main analysis. The occurring self-energies are evaluated using the method of asymptotic expansion. (orig.)

FEM Analysis of Brushless DC Servomotor with Fractional Number of Slots per Pole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BALUTA, G.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The authors present in this paper the analysis with Finite Element Method (FEM of the magnetic circuit for a Brushless DC servomotor with fractional number of slots/pole (9 slots and 10 poles. For this purpose, FEMM 4.2 software package was used for the analysis. To obtain the waveforms of Back-ElectroMotive Forces (BEMFs, electromagnetic and cogging torque for servomotor a program in LUA scripting language (integrated into interactive shell of FEMM4.2 has been created. A comparation with a structure with integer number of slots/pole (18 slots and 6 poles was also realized. The analysis results prove that the structure chosen is an optimal solution: sinusoidal waveforms of BEMFs, improved electromagnetic torque and reduced cogging torque. Therefore, the operating characteristics of the servomotor with 9/10 slots/poles manufactured by Sistem Euroteh Company and included in an integrated electrical drives system are presented in this paper.

A Visit to the South Pole

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

For these reasons, I could not buy many of the essential things .... Geomagnetic South Pole at 78° 27' S, 106° 48' E at an altitude of 3,488 metres on approximately .... Smokers at the station were often found searching for used cigarette butts.

Third Pole Environment (TPE): a new frontier for interdisciplinary research

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Z.; Yao, T.; Thompson, L. G.; Mosbrugger, V.; Zhang, F.; Ma, Y.; Yang, X.; Wang, W.; Joswiak, D.; Liu, X.; Devkota, L. P.; Tayal, S.; Luo, T.

2013-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain ranges, referred to by scientists as the Third Pole (TP), represent one of the largest ice masses of the Earth. The region is one of the most sensitive areas responding to global climate change due to its high altitude and the presence of permafrost and glaciers. The near 100,000 km2 of glaciers ensure the permanent flow of major rivers in this region and provide water to 1.4 billion people in Asia. Thus, environmental changes taking place on the TP significantly influences social and economic development of countries in this region such as China, India, Nepal, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan. With an average elevation higher than 4,000 metres above sea level, the Third Pole is characterized by complex interactions of atmospheric, cryospheric, hydrological, geological and environmental processes that bear special significance for the Earth's biodiversity, climate and water cycles. For a comprehensive understanding of the environment of the TP and its implications on the development of the region, we need to integrate different disciplines under a them of 'water-ice-air-ecosystem -human' interactions and reveal environmental change processes and mechanisms on the TP and their influences on and regional responses to global changes, and thus to serve for enhancement of human adaptation to the changing environment. Like Antarctica and the Arctic, the Third Pole region is drawing increased attention of the international academic community. A series of observations and monitoring programs in the Third Pole region has been widely implemented. However, data necessary to precisely assess the environmental, societal and economic changes caused by alterations in the Third Pole dynamics are either lacking or insufficient. The Third Pole Environment (TPE) program is thus established as a comprehensive and coordinated international research, monitoring and capacity building initiative, with goals to address the influence

PLANNING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR TIMISOARA GROWTH POLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cătălina-Livia POPA

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to show that planning the quality of life at local level through economic development can be a new approach for policy makers and community in improving quality of life. In this purpose, the Quality Function Deployment (QFD model will be use to planning the quality of life and to identify the main directions of economic development to support improving the quality of life at the level of Timisoara Growth Pole from Romania. The dimensions of quality of life are analyzed starting from the point of view of inhabitants. The results include a new approach in which the dimensions of quality of life are the key element that orients economic development in order to improve the quality of life of human being. The case study results refer to the main elements of quality of life at Timisoara Growth Pole and the relevant directions of economic development to improve the quality of life for Timisoara Growth Pole.

Charge Segregation and Low Hydrophobicity Are Key Features of Ribosomal Proteins from Different Organisms*

Science.gov (United States)

Fedyukina, Daria V.; Jennaro, Theodore S.; Cavagnero, Silvia

2014-01-01

Ribosomes are large and highly charged macromolecular complexes consisting of RNA and proteins. Here, we address the electrostatic and nonpolar properties of ribosomal proteins that are important for ribosome assembly and interaction with other cellular components and may influence protein folding on the ribosome. We examined 50 S ribosomal subunits from 10 species and found a clear distinction between the net charge of ribosomal proteins from halophilic and non-halophilic organisms. We found that ∼67% ribosomal proteins from halophiles are negatively charged, whereas only up to ∼15% of ribosomal proteins from non-halophiles share this property. Conversely, hydrophobicity tends to be lower for ribosomal proteins from halophiles than for the corresponding proteins from non-halophiles. Importantly, the surface electrostatic potential of ribosomal proteins from all organisms, especially halophiles, has distinct positive and negative regions across all the examined species. Positively and negatively charged residues of ribosomal proteins tend to be clustered in buried and solvent-exposed regions, respectively. Hence, the majority of ribosomal proteins is characterized by a significant degree of intramolecular charge segregation, regardless of the organism of origin. This key property enables the ribosome to accommodate proteins within its complex scaffold regardless of their overall net charge. PMID:24398678

Fault Current Distribution and Pole Earth Potential Rise (EPR) Under Substation Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Nnassereddine, M.; Rizk, J.; Hellany, A.; Nagrial, M.

2013-09-01

New high-voltage (HV) substations are fed by transmission lines. The position of these lines necessitates earthing design to ensure safety compliance of the system. Conductive structures such as steel or concrete poles are widely used in HV transmission mains. The earth potential rise (EPR) generated by a fault at the substation could result in an unsafe condition. This article discusses EPR based on substation fault. The pole EPR assessment under substation fault is assessed with and without mutual impedance consideration. Split factor determination with and without the mutual impedance of the line is also discussed. Furthermore, a simplified formula to compute the pole grid current under substation fault is included. Also, it includes the introduction of the n factor which determines the number of poles that required earthing assessments under substation fault. A case study is shown.

Improved technology for spun-cast concrete poles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dilger, W H; Ghali, A

1984-07-01

Different types of concrete were investigated with the goal of developing concrete suitable for the production of spun-cast concrete poles. A total of 65 different concrete mixes were investigated, with the suitability criteria defined as: compactability, no segregation of the mix components during the spinning operation, no shrinkage cracking, high strength, and durability. High strength normal weight concretes and semi-lightweight concretes, both with and without fly ash and/or silica fume and with different types of admixtures were used to produce spun-cast concrete pole segments. Of the 35 lightweight concretes only 3 were considered successful, as in all other specimens the inner layer of coarse aggregate was not well embedded in the mortar, and many mixes could not be compacted properly because they were too stiff, too wet, or started to set before spinning commenced. The three successful specimens contained fly ash and one contained silica fume, and had low water/cement ratios (0.26 to 0.29). Of the 23 normal weight concretes tested, only 5 were considered suitable, and all these had a sand/coarse aggregate ratio of 0.25 or smaller and a cement content between 350 and 400 kg/m{sup 3}. A theoretical study of the stresses in the end zones of pretensioned poles is presented. 10 refs., 53 figs., 14 tabs.

The South Pole and the Ross Sea

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

This image shows a rare clear view of the South Pole (lower right) and the Ross Sea, Antarctica. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) acquired the scene on December 26, 2001. The geographic South Pole is located in the center of Antarctica, at an altitude of 2,900 meters (9,300 feet). It rests on a continent-wide ice sheet that is 2,870 m thick, with the underlying bedrock only 30 m (98 feet) above sea level. The ice underlying the South Pole is as much as 140,000 years old, and is currently accumulating at about 82 cm (32 inches) per year. Roughly 2,500 km (1,550 miles) away is the green water of the Ross Sea, which indicates the presence of large numbers of phytoplankton. This is a highly productive part of the world's oceans. Also note the ice gathered around McMurdo Sound, seen toward the lefthand shoreline of the Ross Sea, at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. According to National Science Foundation researchers, this ice is making it difficult for penguins to reach their food supply. Separating the continental Antarctic ice sheet from the Ross Sea are the Queen Maud Mountains and the Ross Ice Shelf. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

Risk Management in the Original Extreme Sporting Event: The Pole Vault

Science.gov (United States)

Bemiller, Jim; Hardin, Robin

2010-01-01

The pole vault was considered the ultimate test of physical ability and daring before the advent of modern extreme sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and mountain biking. The inherent risks of the pole vault have been well documented. The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reported in 2007 that the catastrophic injury…

THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRASOV GROWTH POLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aida CATANA

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The demographic dynamics analysed in the context of the relationship between economic development and social inclusion presents an image of the sustainable development of a community as well as the manner how the financial resources have been used. With an allocation of 74.3 million euro in the programming period 2007-2013, the Brasov Growth Pole has pursued the contribution to the achievement of sustainable development since 2005 by the participation in the Agenda 21. The implementation of projects with European financing in areas such as transport, social and educational infrastructure or tourism have generated changes/demographic movements, which this paper proposes to present. The evolution of the stable population, its dynamics at the level of each locality that is part of the Brasov growth pole as well as the dynamics of the number of employees or the development of the unemployment rate are presented by the cluster analysis. The effects of the European financing obtained from Regional Operational Programme 2007-2013 are thus reflected in the sustainable development of the Brasov growth pole from the point of view of the dynamics of the population

Finite element modeling of small-scale tapered wood-laminated composite poles with biomimicry features

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng Piao; Todd F. Shupe; R.C. Tang; Chung Y. Hse

2008-01-01

Tapered composite poles with biomimicry features as in bamboo are a new generation of wood laminated composite poles that may some day be considered as an alternative to solid wood poles that are widely used in the transmission and telecommunication fields. Five finite element models were developed with ANSYS to predict and assess the performance of five types of...

Experience on impregnation of wood.en poles with water borne salts

African Journals Online (AJOL)

I. Leechability. Since the process depends on osmosis, the preservative must be highly soluble in water and rains may wash it away. 2. Diminished Mechanical Strength. Pricking of the pole at and around the ground line will diminish the mechanical strength of the pole. 3. Cost. Most important of all, the cost of the preserva-.

Organizing membrane-curving proteins: the emerging dynamical picture.

Science.gov (United States)

Simunovic, Mijo; Bassereau, Patricia; Voth, Gregory A

2018-03-30

Lipid membranes play key roles in cells, such as in trafficking, division, infection, remodeling of organelles, among others. The key step in all these processes is creating membrane curvature, typically under the control of many anchored, adhered or included proteins. However, it has become clear that the membrane itself can mediate the interactions among proteins to produce highly ordered assemblies. Computer simulations are ideally suited to investigate protein organization and the dynamics of membrane remodeling at near-micron scales, something that is extremely challenging to tackle experimentally. We review recent computational efforts in modeling protein-caused membrane deformation mechanisms, specifically focusing on coarse-grained simulations. We highlight work that exposed the membrane-mediated ordering of proteins into lines, meshwork, spirals and other assemblies, in what seems to be a very generic mechanism driven by a combination of short and long-ranged forces. Modulating the mechanical properties of membranes is an underexplored signaling mechanism in various processes deserving of more attention in the near future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature-Dependent Electric Field Poling Effects in CH3NH3PbI3 Optoelectronic Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chuang; Sun, Dali; Liu, Xiaojie; Sheng, Chuan-Xiang; Vardeny, Zeev Valy

2017-04-06

Organo-lead halide perovskites show excellent optoelectronic properties; however, the unexpected inconsistency in forward-backward I-V characteristics remains a problem for fabricating solar panels. Here we have investigated the reasons behind this "hysteresis" by following the changes in photocurrent and photoluminescence under electric field poling in transverse CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 -based devices from 300 to 10 K. We found that the hysteresis disappears at cryogenic temperatures, indicating the "freeze-out" of the ionic diffusion contribution. When the same device is cooled under continuous poling, the built-in electric field from ion accumulation brings significant photovoltaic effect even at 10 K. From the change of photoluminescence upon polling, we found a second dipole-related mechanism which enhances radiative recombination upon the alignment of the organic cations. The ionic origin of hysteresis was also verified by applying a magnetic field to affect the ion diffusion. These findings reveal the coexistence of ionic and dipole-related mechanisms for the hysteresis in hybrid perovskites.

Spontaneous Temporal Pole Encephalocele Presenting with Epilepsy: Report of Two Cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimada, Seijiro; Kunii, Naoto; Kawai, Kensuke; Usami, Kenichi; Matsuo, Takeshi; Uno, Takeshi; Koizumi, Tomoyuki; Saito, Nobuhito

2015-09-01

Refractory temporal lobe epilepsy due to spontaneous temporal pole encephalocele is a rare but increasingly recognized condition. Optimal surgical management is complicated by the lack of knowledge regarding both the extent of the epileptogenic area and the need for repair of the encephalocele. We report two cases that add significant information to these issues. In Case 1, with a 5-year history of refractory seizures, implantation of diagnostic subdural electrodes into the anterior temporal base happened to abolish the seizures completely. No structural changes were evident on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. In Case 2, with a large encephalocele and a 5-year history of refractory seizures, surgical disconnection of the temporal pole successfully abolished seizures without any need for encephalocele repair. These two cases support the view that the epileptogenic area is confined to within the temporal pole for spontaneous temporal pole encephalocele. Temporopolar disconnection represents one surgical option for this entity that achieves seizure cessation without requiring extra repair procedures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary Cell Biology of Proteins from Protists to Humans and Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Plattner, Helmut

2018-03-01

During evolution, the cell as a fine-tuned machine had to undergo permanent adjustments to match changes in its environment, while "closed for repair work" was not possible. Evolution from protists (protozoa and unicellular algae) to multicellular organisms may have occurred in basically two lineages, Unikonta and Bikonta, culminating in mammals and angiosperms (flowering plants), respectively. Unicellular models for unikont evolution are myxamoebae (Dictyostelium) and increasingly also choanoflagellates, whereas for bikonts, ciliates are preferred models. Information accumulating from combined molecular database search and experimental verification allows new insights into evolutionary diversification and maintenance of genes/proteins from protozoa on, eventually with orthologs in bacteria. However, proteins have rarely been followed up systematically for maintenance or change of function or intracellular localization, acquirement of new domains, partial deletion (e.g. of subunits), and refunctionalization, etc. These aspects are discussed in this review, envisaging "evolutionary cell biology." Protozoan heritage is found for most important cellular structures and functions up to humans and flowering plants. Examples discussed include refunctionalization of voltage-dependent Ca 2+ channels in cilia and replacement by other types during evolution. Altogether components serving Ca 2+ signaling are very flexible throughout evolution, calmodulin being a most conservative example, in contrast to calcineurin whose catalytic subunit is lost in plants, whereas both subunits are maintained up to mammals for complex functions (immune defense and learning). Domain structure of R-type SNAREs differs in mono- and bikonta, as do Ca 2+ -dependent protein kinases. Unprecedented selective expansion of the subunit a which connects multimeric base piece and head parts (V0, V1) of H + -ATPase/pump may well reflect the intriguing vesicle trafficking system in ciliates, specifically in

Organ accumulation and subcellular location of Cicer arietinum ST1 protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Albornos, Lucía; Cabrera, Javier; Hernández-Nistal, Josefina; Martín, Ignacio; Labrador, Emilia; Dopico, Berta

2014-07-01

The ST (ShooT Specific) proteins are a new family of proteins characterized by a signal peptide, tandem repeats of 25/26 amino acids, and a domain of unknown function (DUF2775), whose presence is limited to a few families of dicotyledonous plants, mainly Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Their function remains unknown, although involvement in plant growth, fruit morphogenesis or in biotic and abiotic interactions have been suggested. This work is focused on ST1, a Cicer arietinum ST protein. We established the protein accumulation in different tissues and organs of chickpea seedlings and plants and its subcellular localization, which could indicate the possible function of ST1. The raising of specific antibodies against ST1 protein revealed that its accumulation in epicotyls and radicles was related to their elongation rate. Its pattern of tissue location in cotyledons during seed formation and early seed germination, as well as its localization in the perivascular fibres of epicotyls and radicles, indicated a possible involvement in seed germination and seedling growth. ST1 protein appears both inside the cell and in the cell wall. This double subcellular localization was found in every organ in which the ST1 protein was detected: seeds, cotyledons and seedling epicotyls and radicles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

RHEED transmission mode and pole figures thin film and nanostructure texture analysis

CERN Document Server

Wang, Gwo-Ching

2014-01-01

This unique book covers the fundamental principle of electron diffraction, basic instrumentation of RHEED, definitions of textures in thin films and nanostructures, mechanisms and control of texture formation, and examples of RHEED transmission mode measurements of texture and texture evolution of thin films and nanostructures. Also presented is a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode called RHEED pole figure technique that can be used to monitor the texture evolution in thin film growth and nanostructures and is not limited to single crystal epitaxial film growth. Details of the construction of RHEED pole figures and the interpretation of observed pole figures are presented.  Materials covered include metals, semiconductors, and thin insulators. This book also: Presents a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode Introduces a variety of textures from metals, semiconductors, compound semiconductors, and their characteristics in RHEED pole figures Provides examples of RHEED measurements o...

Performance analysis of variable speed multiphase induction motor with pole phase modulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Huijuan

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The pole phase modulation (PPM technique is an effective method to extend speed range and torque capabilities for an integrated starter and hybrid electric vehicles applications. In this paper, the five pole-phase combination types of a multiphase induction motor (IM with 36 stator slots and 36 stator conductors are presented and compared quantitatively by using the time-stepping finite element method (TS-FEM. The 36 stator conductors of the proposed multiphase IM are fed by a 36 leg inverter and the current phase angle and amplitude of each stator conductor can be controlled independently. This paper focuses on the winding connection, the PPM technique and the performance comparative analysis of each pole-phase combination types of the proposed multiphase IM. The flux distribution, air-gap flux density, output torque, core losses and efficiency of five pole-phase combination types have been investigated.

Lower Pole Calyceal Stone and Lithotripsy are Issues with Clearance Fact or Reality?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Hammad Ather

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The lower pole calyceal (LPC stone continues to be an enigma. The complex anatomy of the lower pole collecting system, along with other factors like acute pelvi calyceal angle and narrow and long infundibulum, are some of the complicating factors affecting stone clearance. There have been many studies assessing the impact of collecting system anatomy and most conclude that the complex anatomy of the lower pole collecting system does impact the overall stone-free rate.

Nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the distal pole of the scaphoid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhavuk Garg

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Post traumatic osteonecrosis of distal pole of scaphoid is very rare. We present a case of 34 years old male, drill operator by occupation with nontraumatic osteonecrosis of distal pole of the scaphoid. The patient was managed conservatively and was kept under regular follow-up every three months. The patient was also asked to change his profession. Two years later, the patient had no pain and had mild restriction of wrist movements (less than 15 degrees in either direction. The radiographs revealed normal density of the scaphoid suggesting revascularization.

Pole counting and resonance classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, D.

1992-01-01

S-wave resonances occurring close to an inelastic threshold can be classified according to the number of nearby poles they possess. One then has a useful possibility of distinguishing dynamical alternatives by objective appeal to data. Making this quantitative entails developing suitable effective range expansions for various realizations of potential scattering. A key application is deciding the make-up of f 0 (976) (S*). (author)

Textured dysprosium and gadolinium poles for high-field, short-period hybrid undulators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murokh, Alex; Solovyov, Vyacheslav; Agustsson, Ron; O'Shea, Finn H.; Chubar, Oleg; Chen, Yung; Grandsaert, Thomas

2014-01-01

We discuss the feasibility of enhancement of the gap field in a short-period hybrid undulator by using pole inserts with the saturation inductance B s , over that of iron, 2 T. Dysprosium metal, with the saturation inductance of 3.4 T below 90 K, and Gadolinium with B s =2.7 T, appear as good candidates as the optimized pole material. However, due to the high magnetic anisotropy of Dy, such a high level of magnetization can only be realized when the external field lies in the basal plane. This implies that the pole has to be single-crystalline or highly textured. Considering that growing large, >10mm, Dy single crystals is difficult, we propose secondary recrystallization as a method to induce the required texture in thin Dy and Gd foils. The textured foils can be stacked to produce pole inserts of the desired geometry and orientation. Results of small-scale processing and magnetic measurements of thin (20–60 μ) foils provide evidence that the required texture quality can be achieved by a relatively simple sequence of heat-treatments and cold rolling. The advantage of textured Dy and Gd poles is demonstrated in a several period test undulator. -- Highlights: • Textured rare-earth materials for use as undulator pole materials. • We measure the development of texture in Dy and Gd. • We compare the rare-earth materials with high saturation steel in undulators. • Thin sheets of Dy and Gd materials perform similar to single crystals

Multijet final states: exact results and the leading pole approximation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, R.K.; Owens, J.F.

1984-09-01

Exact results for the process gg → ggg are compared with those obtained using the leading pole approximation. Regions of phase space where the approximation breaks down are discussed. A specific example relevant for background estimates to W boson production is presented. It is concluded that in this instance the leading pole approximation may underestimate the standard QCD background by more than a factor of two in certain kinematic regions of physical interest

Diagnosis of excessive vibration signals of two-pole generator rotors in balancing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jong Po

2000-01-01

Cause of excessive vibration with twice the rotational speed of a two-pole generator rotor for the fossil power plants was investigated. The two-pole generator rotor, treated as a typically asymmetric rotor in vibration analysis, produces asynchronous vibration with twice the rotational speed, sub-harmonic critical speeds, and potentially unstable operating zones due to its own inertia and/or stiffness asymmetry. This paper introduces a practical balancing procedure, and presents the results of the investigation on sources of the excessive vibration based on the experimental vibration data of the asymmetric two-pole rotor in balancing

Wood pole overhead lines

CERN Document Server

Wareing, Brian

2005-01-01

This new book concentrates on the mechanical aspects of distribution wood pole lines, including live line working, environmental influences, climate change and international standards. Other topics include statutory requirements, safety, profiling, traditional and probabilistic design, weather loads, bare and covered conductors, different types of overhead systems, conductor choice, construction and maintenance. A section has also been devoted to the topic of lightning, which is one of the major sources of faults on overhead lines. The book focuses on the effects of this problem and the strate

Endoscopic extradural supraorbital approach to the temporal pole and adjacent area: technical note.

Science.gov (United States)

Komatsu, Fuminari; Imai, Masaaki; Shigematsu, Hideaki; Aoki, Rie; Oda, Shinri; Shimoda, Masami; Matsumae, Mitsunori

2017-08-25

The authors' initial experience with the endoscopic extradural supraorbital approach to the temporal pole and adjacent area is reported. Fully endoscopic surgery using the extradural space via a supraorbital keyhole was performed for tumors in or around the temporal pole, including temporal pole cavernous angioma, sphenoid ridge meningioma, and cavernous sinus pituitary adenoma, mainly using 4-mm, 0° and 30° endoscopes and single-shaft instruments. After making a supraorbital keyhole, a 4-mm, 30° endoscope was advanced into the extradural space of the anterior cranial fossa during lifting of the dura mater. Following identification of the sphenoid ridge, orbital roof, and anterior clinoid process, the bone lateral to the orbital roof was drilled off until the dura mater of the anterior aspect of the temporal lobe was exposed. The dura mater of the temporal lobe was incised and opened, exposing the temporal pole under a 4-mm, 0° endoscope. Tumors in or around the temporal pole were safely removed under a superb view through the extradural corridor. The endoscopic extradural supraorbital approach was technically feasible and safe. The anterior trajectory to the temporal pole using the extradural space under endoscopy provided excellent visibility, allowing minimally invasive surgery. Further surgical experience and development of specialized instruments would promote this approach as an alternative surgical option.

Regge-pole description of potential scattering by means of the phase-integral method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amaha, A.

1992-01-01

The application of Regge-pole theory to different atomic and molecular scattering has shown to have promising interpretational power in the differential cross sections. Differential cross sections can be analysed in terms of interference between the 'background' amplitude and a few Regge-pole positions of the scattering matrix (S matrix) representing surface waves around the interaction region. By the analytic continuation of the radial Schroedinger differential equation into the complex plane of angular momentum one can determine the analytic properties of the S matrix which contains the physical information in the scattering processes. For interaction potentials fulfilling certain properties, the study of the S matrix leads to the study of the F matrix introduced by Froeman and Froeman for the treatment of connection problems for phase-integral solutions of the differential equation. In this thesis the quantum mechanical scattering problem is analysed in the framework of Regge-pole theory with the use of the complex-angular-momentum formalism. To determine the S matrix, the relevant F matrix elements which give the stokes constants are derived and their properties are studied. The poles of the S matrix for particular complex values of the angular momentum quantum number are the Regge-poles. Using the Regge-pole positions and residues together with the background integral, the differential cross sections are calculated and compared with corresponding partial-wave representations

CURRENT STATUS OF THE POLE-AND-LINE FISHERY IN EASTERN PART OF INDONESIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agustinus Anung Widodo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The promotion of pole-and-line fishery for a selective gear operating in the Indonesian tuna management area is considered as the proper policy in response to the increasing market demand with tuna eco-labeled. Appropriate information in addressing the current status of the pole-and-line fishery in Indonesia is an important step in order to support the promotion. Data used to describe the fishery were obtained through scientific port sampling program in collaboration between RCFMC and WCPFC in 2010 to 2014 and also scientific observer onboard program collaboration RCFMC and CRAC Co. Ltd. in 2013. The results show that presently the number of pole and line fleets was decreased significantly and remain about 232 fleetsin Sorong, Bitung and Kendari and Larantuka. The national annual total catch of pole-and line during 1980 – 2013 was recorded between 24,000 and 160,000 tons per year (average 98,117 tons per year. This value is estimated to contribute about 20% of Indonesia annual total catch of tuna in FMAs713-717. The pole-andline catch rates based at Bitung, Kendari and Sorong were fluctuated in each year with the range respective between 8.79 and 17.93 tons/trip/vessel, 4.78 and 5.36 ton/trip/vessel and about 7,99 ton ton/trip/vessel. Pole-and-line fishery operated in Indonesian FMAs 713-717 is considered as selective fishery, with > 80 % catches of skipjack in matured stage. The tuna-live bait fish ratio in Indonesian pole-and-line was 4.41 :1, then an improvement of live bait ratio as well as its management is required.

Texture of poled tetragonal PZT detected by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and micromechanics analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, D.A.; Steuwer, A.; Cherdhirunkorn, B.; Withers, P.J.; Mori, T.

2005-01-01

The texture and lattice elastic strain due to electrical poling of tetragonal PZT (lead zirconate titanate) ceramics have been measured using high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. It is shown that XRD peak intensity ratios associated with crystal planes of the form {002}, {112} and {202} exhibit a linear dependence on cos-bar 2 Ψ, where Ψ represents the orientation angle between the plane normal and the macroscopic poling axis. The observed dependence of texture and lattice strain on the grain orientation can be understood on the basis that the macroscopic strain due to poling is the average of the poling strains of all the individual grains

PolyPole-1: An accurate numerical algorithm for intra-granular fission gas release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pizzocri, D.; Rabiti, C.; Luzzi, L.; Barani, T.; Van Uffelen, P.; Pastore, G.

2016-01-01

The transport of fission gas from within the fuel grains to the grain boundaries (intra-granular fission gas release) is a fundamental controlling mechanism of fission gas release and gaseous swelling in nuclear fuel. Hence, accurate numerical solution of the corresponding mathematical problem needs to be included in fission gas behaviour models used in fuel performance codes. Under the assumption of equilibrium between trapping and resolution, the process can be described mathematically by a single diffusion equation for the gas atom concentration in a grain. In this paper, we propose a new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) to efficiently solve the fission gas diffusion equation in time-varying conditions. The PolyPole-1 algorithm is based on the analytic modal solution of the diffusion equation for constant conditions, combined with polynomial corrective terms that embody the information on the deviation from constant conditions. The new algorithm is verified by comparing the results to a finite difference solution over a large number of randomly generated operation histories. Furthermore, comparison to state-of-the-art algorithms used in fuel performance codes demonstrates that the accuracy of PolyPole-1 is superior to other algorithms, with similar computational effort. Finally, the concept of PolyPole-1 may be extended to the solution of the general problem of intra-granular fission gas diffusion during non-equilibrium trapping and resolution, which will be the subject of future work. - Highlights: • A new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) for intra-granular fission gas release in time-varying conditions is developed. • The concept combines the modal analytic solution for constant conditions and a polynomial correction. • PolyPole-1 is extensively verified and compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. • PolyPole-1 exhibits a superior accuracy and a similar computational time relative to other algorithms. • The PolyPole-1 algorithm can be

PolyPole-1: An accurate numerical algorithm for intra-granular fission gas release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzocri, D. [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Via La Masa 34, 20156 Milano (Italy); Rabiti, C. [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3840 (United States); Luzzi, L.; Barani, T. [Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy, Nuclear Engineering Division, Via La Masa 34, 20156 Milano (Italy); Van Uffelen, P. [European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, 76125 Karlsruhe (Germany); Pastore, G., E-mail: giovanni.pastore@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3840 (United States)

2016-09-15

The transport of fission gas from within the fuel grains to the grain boundaries (intra-granular fission gas release) is a fundamental controlling mechanism of fission gas release and gaseous swelling in nuclear fuel. Hence, accurate numerical solution of the corresponding mathematical problem needs to be included in fission gas behaviour models used in fuel performance codes. Under the assumption of equilibrium between trapping and resolution, the process can be described mathematically by a single diffusion equation for the gas atom concentration in a grain. In this paper, we propose a new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) to efficiently solve the fission gas diffusion equation in time-varying conditions. The PolyPole-1 algorithm is based on the analytic modal solution of the diffusion equation for constant conditions, combined with polynomial corrective terms that embody the information on the deviation from constant conditions. The new algorithm is verified by comparing the results to a finite difference solution over a large number of randomly generated operation histories. Furthermore, comparison to state-of-the-art algorithms used in fuel performance codes demonstrates that the accuracy of PolyPole-1 is superior to other algorithms, with similar computational effort. Finally, the concept of PolyPole-1 may be extended to the solution of the general problem of intra-granular fission gas diffusion during non-equilibrium trapping and resolution, which will be the subject of future work. - Highlights: • A new numerical algorithm (PolyPole-1) for intra-granular fission gas release in time-varying conditions is developed. • The concept combines the modal analytic solution for constant conditions and a polynomial correction. • PolyPole-1 is extensively verified and compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. • PolyPole-1 exhibits a superior accuracy and a similar computational time relative to other algorithms. • The PolyPole-1 algorithm can be

Electrical power line and pole removal radiological survey completion report: Revision 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-02-01

Each electric power pole and all wire, cross members, and attached hardware were radiologically surveyed and removed. The survey procedures did not conform in every respect with the planned procedures because the actual work differed from the removal plan. The survey showed that all contamination was fixed. Certain poles that were suspected of being contaminated with Th-230 were cut off one foot above ground level and left on site. Each truck load of materials was checked at the access point to ensure it met release criteria. Wood samples were taken from all the poles at Building 403 and 5% of all the rest and analyzed for U-238 and Th-232. Only U-238 was detected. 1903 bundles of wire (95,150 lin ft) were released, and 76 bundles (1520 lin ft) were found to be contaminated. 7163 lin ft of power pole material were released, and 1484 lin ft were contaminated. A comprehensive quality measure assurance/quality control program was applied to this work

Instrument for analysis of electric motors based on slip-poles component

Science.gov (United States)

Haynes, Howard D.; Ayers, Curtis W.; Casada, Donald A.

1996-01-01

A new instrument for monitoring the condition and speed of an operating electric motor from a remote location. The slip-poles component is derived from a motor current signal. The magnitude of the slip-poles component provides the basis for a motor condition monitor, while the frequency of the slip-poles component provides the basis for a motor speed monitor. The result is a simple-to-understand motor health monitor in an easy-to-use package. Straightforward indications of motor speed, motor running current, motor condition (e.g., rotor bar condition) and synthesized motor sound (audible indication of motor condition) are provided. With the device, a relatively untrained worker can diagnose electric motors in the field without requiring the presence of a trained engineer or technician.

POLE-LIKE STREET FURNITURE DECOMPOSTION IN MOBILE LASER SCANNING DATA

OpenAIRE

Li, F.; Oude Elberink, S.; Vosselman, G.

2016-01-01

Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A nove...

The small G-protein MglA connects to the MreB actin cytoskeleton at bacterial focal adhesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Treuner-Lange, Anke; Macia, Eric; Guzzo, Mathilde; Hot, Edina; Faure, Laura M; Jakobczak, Beata; Espinosa, Leon; Alcor, Damien; Ducret, Adrien; Keilberg, Daniela; Castaing, Jean Philippe; Lacas Gervais, Sandra; Franco, Michel; Søgaard-Andersen, Lotte; Mignot, Tâm

2015-07-20

In Myxococcus xanthus the gliding motility machinery is assembled at the leading cell pole to form focal adhesions, translocated rearward to propel the cell, and disassembled at the lagging pole. We show that MglA, a Ras-like small G-protein, is an integral part of this machinery. In this function, MglA stimulates the assembly of the motility complex by directly connecting it to the MreB actin cytoskeleton. Because the nucleotide state of MglA is regulated spatially and MglA only binds MreB in the guanosine triphosphate-bound form, the motility complexes are assembled at the leading pole and dispersed at the lagging pole where the guanosine triphosphatase activating protein MglB disrupts the MglA-MreB interaction. Thus, MglA acts as a nucleotide-dependent molecular switch to regulate the motility machinery spatially. The function of MreB in motility is independent of its function in peptidoglycan synthesis, representing a coopted function. Our findings highlight a new function for the MreB cytoskeleton and suggest that G-protein-cytoskeleton interactions are a universally conserved feature. © 2015 Treuner-Lange et al.

Gamow-Jordan vectors and non-reducible density operators from higher-order S-matrix poles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohm, A.; Loewe, M.; Maxson, S.; Patuleanu, P.; Puentmann, C.; Gadella, M.

1997-01-01

In analogy to Gamow vectors that are obtained from first-order resonance poles of the S-matrix, one can also define higher-order Gamow vectors which are derived from higher-order poles of the S-matrix. An S-matrix pole of r-th order at z R =E R -iΓ/2 leads to r generalized eigenvectors of order k=0,1,hor-ellipsis,r-1, which are also Jordan vectors of degree (k+1) with generalized eigenvalue (E R -iΓ/2). The Gamow-Jordan vectors are elements of a generalized complex eigenvector expansion, whose form suggests the definition of a state operator (density matrix) for the microphysical decaying state of this higher-order pole. This microphysical state is a mixture of non-reducible components. In spite of the fact that the k-th order Gamow-Jordan vectors has the polynomial time-dependence which one always associates with higher-order poles, the microphysical state obeys a purely exponential decay law. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Selective flocculation and precipitation for the improvement of virus-like particle recovery from yeast homogenate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsoka, S.; Ciniawskyj, O. C.; Thomas, Owen R. T.

2000-01-01

The purification of an intracellular product from a complex mixture of contaminants after cell disruption is a common problem in processes downstream of fermentation systems. This is particularly challenging for the recovery of particulate (80 nm in diameter) multimeric protein products, named vi...... the challenge of scale-up of solid-liquid separation stages for biological particle processing.......The purification of an intracellular product from a complex mixture of contaminants after cell disruption is a common problem in processes downstream of fermentation systems. This is particularly challenging for the recovery of particulate (80 nm in diameter) multimeric protein products, named...

Glass fiber -reinforced plastic tapered poles for transmission and distribution lines: development and experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, S.; Burachysnsky, V.; Polyzois, D.

1999-01-01

A research project to develop lightweight poles for use in power transmission and distribution lines and involving the use of glass fiber-reinforced plastic using the filament winding process is described. Twelve full scale specimen poles were designed, fabricated and subjected to cantilever bending to test failure modes. The test parameters included fiber orientation, ratio of longitudinal-to-circumferential fiber, and the number of layers. Results showed that local buckling was the most dominant failure mode, attributable to the high radius-to-thickness ratio of the specimen poles. Overall, however, these fiber-reinforced plastic poles compared favourably to wooden poles in carrying capacity with significant weight reduction. Lateral displacement at ultimate loads did not exceed the acceptable limit of 10 per cent of the specimen free length. 7 refs., 3 tabs., 2 figs

Charge neutralization as the major factor for the assembly of nucleocapsid-like particles from C-terminal truncated hepatitis C virus core protein.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Theo Luiz Ferraz; de Lima, Sheila Maria Barbosa; Braga, Vanessa L de Azevedo; Peabody, David S; Ferreira, Davis Fernandes; Bianconi, M Lucia; Gomes, Andre Marco de Oliveira; Silva, Jerson Lima; de Oliveira, Andréa Cheble

2016-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein, in addition to its structural role to form the nucleocapsid assembly, plays a critical role in HCV pathogenesis by interfering in several cellular processes, including microRNA and mRNA homeostasis. The C-terminal truncated HCV core protein (C124) is intrinsically unstructured in solution and is able to interact with unspecific nucleic acids, in the micromolar range, and to assemble into nucleocapsid-like particles (NLPs) in vitro . The specificity and propensity of C124 to the assembly and its implications on HCV pathogenesis are not well understood. Spectroscopic techniques, transmission electron microscopy and calorimetry were used to better understand the propensity of C124 to fold or to multimerize into NLPs when subjected to different conditions or in the presence of unspecific nucleic acids of equivalent size to cellular microRNAs. The structural analysis indicated that C124 has low propensity to self-folding. On the other hand, for the first time, we show that C124, in the absence of nucleic acids, multimerizes into empty NLPs when subjected to a pH close to its isoelectric point (pH ≈ 12), indicating that assembly is mainly driven by charge neutralization. Isothermal calorimetry data showed that the assembly of NLPs promoted by nucleic acids is enthalpy driven. Additionally, data obtained from fluorescence correlation spectroscopy show that C124, in nanomolar range, was able to interact and to sequester a large number of short unspecific nucleic acids into NLPs. Together, our data showed that the charge neutralization is the major factor for the nucleocapsid-like particles assembly from C-terminal truncated HCV core protein. This finding suggests that HCV core protein may physically interact with unspecific cellular polyanions, which may correspond to microRNAs and mRNAs in a host cell infected by HCV, triggering their confinement into infectious particles.

Loss of Function Mutation in the Palmitoyl-Transferase HHAT Leads to Syndromic 46,XY Disorder of Sex Development by Impeding Hedgehog Protein Palmitoylation and Signaling

Science.gov (United States)

Makrythanasis, Periklis; Bernard, Pascal; Kurosaka, Hiroshi; Vannier, Anne; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel; Borel, Christelle; Mazaud-Guittot, Séverine; Rolland, Antoine; Desdoits-Lethimonier, Christèle; Guipponi, Michel; Zimmermann, Céline; Stévant, Isabelle; Kuhne, Françoise; Conne, Béatrice; Santoni, Federico; Lambert, Sandy; Huet, Frederic; Mugneret, Francine; Jaruzelska, Jadwiga; Faivre, Laurence; Wilhelm, Dagmar; Jégou, Bernard; Trainor, Paul A.; Resh, Marilyn D.; Antonarakis, Stylianos E.; Nef, Serge

2014-01-01

The Hedgehog (Hh) family of secreted proteins act as morphogens to control embryonic patterning and development in a variety of organ systems. Post-translational covalent attachment of cholesterol and palmitate to Hh proteins are critical for multimerization and long range signaling potency. However, the biological impact of lipid modifications on Hh ligand distribution and signal reception in humans remains unclear. In the present study, we report a unique case of autosomal recessive syndromic 46,XY Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) with testicular dysgenesis and chondrodysplasia resulting from a homozygous G287V missense mutation in the hedgehog acyl-transferase (HHAT) gene. This mutation occurred in the conserved membrane bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) domain and experimentally disrupted the ability of HHAT to palmitoylate Hh proteins such as DHH and SHH. Consistent with the patient phenotype, HHAT was found to be expressed in the somatic cells of both XX and XY gonads at the time of sex determination, and Hhat loss of function in mice recapitulates most of the testicular, skeletal, neuronal and growth defects observed in humans. In the developing testis, HHAT is not required for Sertoli cell commitment but plays a role in proper testis cord formation and the differentiation of fetal Leydig cells. Altogether, these results shed new light on the mechanisms of action of Hh proteins. Furthermore, they provide the first clinical evidence of the essential role played by lipid modification of Hh proteins in human testicular organogenesis and embryonic development. PMID:24784881

Evolution and structural organization of the C proteins of paramyxovirinae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael K Lo

Full Text Available The phosphoprotein (P gene of most Paramyxovirinae encodes several proteins in overlapping frames: P and V, which share a common N-terminus (PNT, and C, which overlaps PNT. Overlapping genes are of particular interest because they encode proteins originated de novo, some of which have unknown structural folds, challenging the notion that nature utilizes only a limited, well-mapped area of fold space. The C proteins cluster in three groups, comprising measles, Nipah, and Sendai virus. We predicted that all C proteins have a similar organization: a variable, disordered N-terminus and a conserved, α-helical C-terminus. We confirmed this predicted organization by biophysically characterizing recombinant C proteins from Tupaia paramyxovirus (measles group and human parainfluenza virus 1 (Sendai group. We also found that the C of the measles and Nipah groups have statistically significant sequence similarity, indicating a common origin. Although the C of the Sendai group lack sequence similarity with them, we speculate that they also have a common origin, given their similar genomic location and structural organization. Since C is dispensable for viral replication, unlike PNT, we hypothesize that C may have originated de novo by overprinting PNT in the ancestor of Paramyxovirinae. Intriguingly, in measles virus and Nipah virus, PNT encodes STAT1-binding sites that overlap different regions of the C-terminus of C, indicating they have probably originated independently. This arrangement, in which the same genetic region encodes simultaneously a crucial functional motif (a STAT1-binding site and a highly constrained region (the C-terminus of C, seems paradoxical, since it should severely reduce the ability of the virus to adapt. The fact that it originated twice suggests that it must be balanced by an evolutionary advantage, perhaps from reducing the size of the genetic region vulnerable to mutations.

Biomechanical characteristics and speed adaptation during kick double poling on roller skis in elite cross-country skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Göpfert, Caroline; Holmberg, Hans-Christer; Stöggl, Thomas; Müller, Erich; Lindinger, Stefan Josef

2013-06-01

Recent developments in cross-country ski racing should promote the use of kick double poling. This technique, however, has not been the focus in athletes' training and has barely been investigated. The aims of the present study were to develop a function-based phase definition and to analyse speed adaptation mechanisms for kick double poling in elite cross-country skiers. Joint kinematics and pole/plantar forces were recorded in 10 athletes while performing kick double poling at three submaximal roller skiing speeds. A speed increase was associated with increases in cycle length and rate, while absolute poling and leg push-off durations shortened. Despite maintained impulses of force, the peak and average pole/leg forces increased. During double poling and leg push-off, ranges of motion of elbow flexion and extension increased (p push-off showed high variability among elite skiers, thus illustrating important aspects for technique training.

Organic cofactors participated more frequently than transition metals in redox reactions of primitive proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Hong-Fang; Chen, Lei; Zhang, Hong-Yu

2008-08-01

Protein redox reactions are one of the most basic and important biochemical actions. As amino acids are weak redox mediators, most protein redox functions are undertaken by protein cofactors, which include organic ligands and transition metal ions. Since both kinds of redox cofactors were available in the pre-protein RNA world, it is challenging to explore which one was more involved in redox processes of primitive proteins? In this paper, using an examination of the redox cofactor usage of putative ancient proteins, we infer that organic ligands participated more frequently than transition metals in redox reactions of primitive proteins, at least as protein cofactors. This is further supported by the relative abundance of amino acids in the primordial world. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the BioEssays website. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evidence for differentiation of cell wall poles in Bacillus subtilis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonnenfeld, E.M.

1985-01-01

Previous data have suggested that the chromosome of Bacillus subtilis was found to the cell surface at polar regions. A significant corollary of DNA attachment to cell poles is the role of the cell wall in chromosome segregation. This project was mainly concerned with visualizing the DNA-cell wall association through autoradiography. The origin and terminus of replication were labelled with ( 3 H)-thymidine using a temperature-sensitive DNA initiation mutant. It was found that most of the radioactivity was associated with cell poles. Ultrastructural analyses of cell walls stained with dilute cationized ferritin showed that the polar area contained a site of dense electronegativity. It is not immediately apparent why cell wall poles would contain an area with a high concentration of negative charge. This finding may be related to the cell pole functioning as the site of chromosome attachment. An additional observation encountered in this study was that cell wall exhibited asymmetry with regard to negative charge, the outside surface being more electronegative than the inside. A significant consequence of this finding is that both teichoic acid and muramyl peptides are situated perpendicularly to the cell surface. This favored arrangement may facilitate cell separation during the division process due to opposition of like charges at septa. The results of this work provide further convincing evidence that the cell wall of B. subtilis is differentiated

Poles Living in Ireland and their Quality of Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka NOLKA

2009-05-01

Full Text Available The economic growth of Ireland resulted in a significant number of Poles migrating to Ireland following the EU enlargement in 2004. The article explores the quality of life of Poles living in Ireland. Using data from a preliminary survey conducted in 2006, several dimensions of living conditions are analysed, including interpersonal relations, material security, health and healthcare. The study shows that evaluations of almost all aspects of quality of life improved, apart from components such as healthcare and the ability to acquire help from social organisations. Also interpersonal relations, contrary to the initial assumption, were enhanced by migration to Ireland.

The effect of poling conditions on the performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters fabricated by wet chemistry

KAUST Repository

Fuentes-Fernandez, Erika Maria-Anai

2015-03-25

The effect of poling conditions on the power output of piezoelectric energy harvesters using sol-gel based Pb(Zr0.53,Ti0.47)O3-Pb(Zn1/3,Nb2/3)O3 piezoelectric thin-films has been investigated. A strong correlation was established between the poling efficiency and harvester output. A method based on simple capacitance-voltage measurements is shown to be an effective approach to estimate the power output of harvesters poled under different conditions. The poling process was found to be thermally activated with an activation energy of 0.12 eV, and the optimum poling conditions were identified (200 kV cm-1, 250 °C for 50 min). The voltage output and power density obtained under optimum poling conditions were measured to be 558 V cm-2 and 325 μW cm-2, respectively. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.2015.

Acute effects of walking with Nordic poles in persons with mild to moderate low-back pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Revord, Landon P; Lomond, Karen V; Loubert, Peter V; Hammer, Roger L

2016-01-01

Regular walking with or without Nordic poles is effective over time at reducing discomfort in individuals with chronic low back pain (LBP). Nordic pole use increases balance and stability, distributes weight through the arms and torso, and decreases loading of the spine and lower limbs. The purpose of this study was to determine if Nordic poles would reduce perceived acute discomfort while self-paced walking in individuals with LBP. We also examined whether walking with or without poles increased heart rate (HR) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) or speed of movement. Subjects included 20 adults (12 males, 8 females; mean age of 45.1±16.3) who were experiencing LBP of at least six months' duration (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI): mean 17 ± 8%, range 6-36% indicating minimal to moderate disability) with no current active flare-up. Participants walked a predetermined dirt-path course (805 m or 0.5 mi) with and without poles in randomized order. Data were analyzed using a 2 X 2 repeated measures ANOVA (Condition X Time), where Condition was poles vs no poles and Time was pre- and post-walk. HR and RPE increased significantly from walking the course, whereas pain did not change. There were also no differences between walking with or without poles for pain (ODI Sec #1: 0.2 points, p=0.324), HR (4 bpm, p=0.522) and RPE (0 points, p=0.759). The mean course time (sec) was slower with poles: 617±87 vs 566±65 (pNordic pole use is well tolerated in those with current back pain and can be encouraged, however it cannot be recommended as a superior method of addressing acute symptoms when walking.

Semiclassical approach to Regge poles trajectories calculations for nonsingular potentials: Thomas-Fermi type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belov, S M; Avdonina, N B; Felfli, Z; Marletta, M; Msezane, A Z; Naboko, S N

2004-01-01

A simple semiclassical approach, based on the investigation of anti-Stokes line topology, is presented for calculating Regge poles for nonsingular (Thomas-Fermi type) potentials, namely potentials with singularities at the origin weaker than order -2. The anti-Stokes lines for Thomas-Fermi potentials have a more complicated structure than those of singular potentials and require careful application of complex analysis. The explicit solution of the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization condition is used to obtain approximate Regge poles. We introduce and employ three hypotheses to obtain several terms of the Regge pole approximation

Cell cycle-dependent SUMO-1 conjugation to nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Jae Sung; Kim, Ha Na; Kim, Sun-Jick; Bang, Jiyoung; Kim, Eun-A; Sung, Ki Sa [Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Hyun-Joo [TissueGene Inc. 9605 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850 (United States); Yoo, Hae Yong [Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 135-710 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Cheol Yong, E-mail: choicy@skku.ac.kr [Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-01-03

Highlights: •NuMA is modified by SUMO-1 in a cell cycle-dependent manner. •NuMA lysine 1766 is the primary target site for SUMOylation. •SUMOylation-deficient NuMA induces multiple spindle poles during mitosis. •SUMOylated NuMA induces microtubule bundling. -- Abstract: Covalent conjugation of proteins with small ubiquitin-like modifier 1 (SUMO-1) plays a critical role in a variety of cellular functions including cell cycle control, replication, and transcriptional regulation. Nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) localizes to spindle poles during mitosis, and is an essential component in the formation and maintenance of mitotic spindle poles. Here we show that NuMA is a target for covalent conjugation to SUMO-1. We find that the lysine 1766 residue is the primary NuMA acceptor site for SUMO-1 conjugation. Interestingly, SUMO modification of endogenous NuMA occurs at the entry into mitosis and this modification is reversed after exiting from mitosis. Knockdown of Ubc9 or forced expression of SENP1 results in impairment of the localization of NuMA to mitotic spindle poles during mitosis. The SUMOylation-deficient NuMA mutant is defective in microtubule bundling, and multiple spindles are induced during mitosis. The mitosis-dependent dynamic SUMO-1 modification of NuMA might contribute to NuMA-mediated formation and maintenance of mitotic spindle poles during mitosis.

Fabrication of miniature magnetic magnet pole for validate simulation of magnetic cyclotron proton 13 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subroto; Sukiya; Tony R

2013-01-01

A fabrication of miniature magnetic pole field has been made to validate the simulation system 13 MeV magnet of proton cyclotron using mild steel material. This electromagnet of magnetic pole at the end of the magnetic pole is divided into 8 parts of the valley and the hill interval to produce different magnetic field. Pole magnetic field fabrication is meet to match the design of the system simulation results 13 MeV cyclotron magnet. This requires strong cyclotron magnetic field average at 1.275 T magnetic field strength of each piece was different. So that the ion beam passing through a magnetic field. Will be focused before mashing target. The surface of magnetic pole is circular with a diameter of 100 mm and 32 mm pole spacing. Miniature of electrical pole diameter is only one-tenth the diameter of 960 mm designed this requires current 10 A with voltage 30 V to produce field strength of 0.3 T. To measure the magnetic field strength tesla meter is used and to measure the relationship curve in pole position with a magnetic field strength magnets cylinder directions X and Y the used mini lathe. Field strength measurement results with a straight, oblique and circular position show nearly equal to curve simulation results using a 3D module TOSCA opera program. (author)

Mammalian amyloidogenic proteins promote prion nucleation in yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandramowlishwaran, Pavithra; Sun, Meng; Casey, Kristin L; Romanyuk, Andrey V; Grizel, Anastasiya V; Sopova, Julia V; Rubel, Aleksandr A; Nussbaum-Krammer, Carmen; Vorberg, Ina M; Chernoff, Yury O

2018-03-02

Fibrous cross-β aggregates (amyloids) and their transmissible forms (prions) cause diseases in mammals (including humans) and control heritable traits in yeast. Initial nucleation of a yeast prion by transiently overproduced prion-forming protein or its (typically, QN-rich) prion domain is efficient only in the presence of another aggregated (in most cases, QN-rich) protein. Here, we demonstrate that a fusion of the prion domain of yeast protein Sup35 to some non-QN-rich mammalian proteins, associated with amyloid diseases, promotes nucleation of Sup35 prions in the absence of pre-existing aggregates. In contrast, both a fusion of the Sup35 prion domain to a multimeric non-amyloidogenic protein and the expression of a mammalian amyloidogenic protein that is not fused to the Sup35 prion domain failed to promote prion nucleation, further indicating that physical linkage of a mammalian amyloidogenic protein to the prion domain of a yeast protein is required for the nucleation of a yeast prion. Biochemical and cytological approaches confirmed the nucleation of protein aggregates in the yeast cell. Sequence alterations antagonizing or enhancing amyloidogenicity of human amyloid-β (associated with Alzheimer's disease) and mouse prion protein (associated with prion diseases), respectively, antagonized or enhanced nucleation of a yeast prion by these proteins. The yeast-based prion nucleation assay, developed in our work, can be employed for mutational dissection of amyloidogenic proteins. We anticipate that it will aid in the identification of chemicals that influence initial amyloid nucleation and in searching for new amyloidogenic proteins in a variety of proteomes. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

A Principle and Winding Design of Consequent-Pole Bearingless Motors

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaga, Tomohiro; Kubota, Yutaka; Chiba, Akira; Fukao, Tadashi

Recently, bearingless motors have been developed to enhance motor drive systems with magnetic suspension. Several types of motors have been proposed as bearingless motors, such as induction, surface mounted permanent magnet, inset permanent magnet, interior permanent magnet, buried permanent magnet, homopolar, hybrid, and switched reluctance bearingless motors. Permanent magnet bearingless motors have been attracting more interests in these years because of the high efficiency. In this paper, a consequent-pole bearingless motor is proposed. A rotor has buried permanent magnets, of which polarities are like. The radial force of a consequent-pole bearingless motor is generated by dc current. Thus, rotational angular position is not needed in a magnetic suspension controller. Radial force variations caused by a rotor rotation are minimized by improving arrangement of stator suspension conductors. A prototype bearingless motor and its controller are built. In experiment, principles of magnetic suspension in the proposed consequent-pole bearingless drive are confirmed.

Two-Degree-of-Freedom Self-Tuning Control for Motor Drives Using Pole-Zero Cancellation Method

Science.gov (United States)

Takano, Akio

In this paper, we present an excellent method named pole-zero cancellation (PZC) for designing motor control systems. PZC is performed in the z plane. A control system consists of three controllers, i.e., a speed controller, a position controller, and an adaptive identifier. The speed controller has two degrees of freedom: disturbance suppression and tracking speed, both of which can be regulated. The pulse transfer function used for regulating the tracking speed has two poles and one zero. When one pole and one zero coincide and cancel each other, the pulse transfer function is of the first-order lag type, and overshoots do not appear. The adaptive controller determines the coefficients of the pulse transfer function and adjusts the speed controller automatically so that the poles and zeros coincide. The transfer function of the position controller also has one pole and one zero, which cancel another pole and zero; pole 1 in the closed loop is not cancelled, and hence, position overshoots do not appear. A 2.2-kW induction motor is tested. The motor torque is controlled using a rapid torque control method. In this paper, first, the tracking-speed characteristics and the tracking-position characteristics are presented. Next, the identified transient coefficients are given, and finally, the disturbance-suppression characteristics are discussed. The experimental results prove the usefulness of the proposed method.

Molecular evolution, intracellular organization, and the quinary structure of proteins.

OpenAIRE

McConkey, E H

1982-01-01

High-resolution two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that at least half of 370 denatured polypeptides from hamster cells and human cells are indistinguishable in terms of isoelectric points and molecular weights. Molecular evolution may have been more conservative for this set of proteins than sequence studies on soluble proteins have implied. This may be a consequence of complexities of intracellular organization and the numerous macromolecular interactions in which most ...

A Technique for Resecting Occipital Pole Gliomas Using a Keyhole Lobectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Conner, Andrew K; Baker, Cordell M; Briggs, Robert G; Burks, Joshua D; Glenn, Chad A; Smitherman, Adam D; Morgan, Jake P; Pittman, Nathan A; Sughrue, Michael E

2017-10-01

Our purpose is to describe a method of resecting occipital pole gliomas through a keyhole lobectomy and share the patient outcomes of this technique. We performed a retrospective review of data obtained on all patients who underwent resection of occipital pole gliomas by the senior author between 2012 and 2016. We describe our technique for resecting these tumors using a keyhole lobectomy and share the patient outcomes of this operation. Eight patients were included in this study. Four patients (50%) had not received previous surgery. One patient (13%) was diagnosed with a World Health Organization grade II tumor, and 7 patients (88%) were diagnosed with glioblastoma. Two tumors (25%) were left sided and 6 (75%) right sided. The median size of resection was 28 cm 3 . The median extent of resection was 96%, and at least 90% of the tumor was resected in all cases. None of the patients experienced permanent postoperative complications. Temporary neurologic complications included 3 patients (38%) with encephalopathy and 1 patient (13%) with aphasia. There were no neurosurgical complications. Our study provides details on the technical aspects of occipital keyhole lobectomies and gives the outcomes of patients who have received an operation for tumors in this uncommon location. Taking white matter tract anatomy into consideration, we show that the keyhole method can be applied to gliomas of the occipital lobe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Energie- en eiwitbehoefte van biologisch gehouden pluimvee = Energy and protein requirements of organic housed poultry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knegsel, van A.T.M.; Krimpen, van M.M.

2008-01-01

In this literature review, the physiological basis for possible differences in energy and protein requirements of organic versus conventional poultry is investigated. Energy need for maintenance of organic housed poultry seems to be increased, whereas protein requirements might not differ between

Prime-boost vaccination with heterologous live vectors encoding SIV gag and multimeric HIV-1 gp160 protein: efficacy against repeated mucosal R5 clade C SHIV challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhashe, Samir K; Velu, Vijayakumar; Sciaranghella, Gaia; Siddappa, Nagadenahalli B; Dipasquale, Janet M; Hemashettar, Girish; Yoon, John K; Rasmussen, Robert A; Yang, Feng; Lee, Sandra J; Montefiori, David C; Novembre, Francis J; Villinger, François; Amara, Rama Rao; Kahn, Maria; Hu, Shiu-Lok; Li, Sufen; Li, Zhongxia; Frankel, Fred R; Robert-Guroff, Marjorie; Johnson, Welkin E; Lieberman, Judy; Ruprecht, Ruth M

2011-08-05

We sought to induce primate immunodeficiency virus-specific cellular and neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses in rhesus macaques (RM) through a bimodal vaccine approach. RM were immunized intragastrically (i.g.) with the live-attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) vector Lmdd-BdopSIVgag encoding SIVmac239 gag. SIV Gag-specific cellular responses were boosted by intranasal and intratracheal administration of replication-competent adenovirus (Ad5hr-SIVgag) encoding the same gag. To broaden antiviral immunity, the RM were immunized with multimeric HIV clade C (HIV-C) gp160 and HIV Tat. SIV Gag-specific cellular immune responses and HIV-1 nAb developed in some RM. The animals were challenged intrarectally with five low doses of R5 SHIV-1157ipEL-p, encoding a heterologous HIV-C Env (22.1% divergent to the Env immunogen). All five controls became viremic. One out of ten vaccinees was completely protected and another had low peak viremia. Sera from the completely and partially protected RM neutralized the challenge virus > 90%; these RM also had strong SIV Gag-specific proliferation of CD8⁺ T cells. Peak and area under the curve of plasma viremia (during acute phase) among vaccinees was lower than for controls, but did not attain significance. The completely protected RM showed persistently low numbers of the α4β7-expressing CD4⁺ T cells; the latter have been implicated as preferential virus targets in vivo. Thus, vaccine-induced immune responses and relatively lower numbers of potential target cells were associated with protection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renormalization Group Invariance of the Pole Mass in the Multi-Higgs System

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chungku

2018-06-01

We have investigated the renormalization group running of the pole mass in the multi-Higgs theory in two different types of gauge fixing conditions. The pole mass, when expressed in terms of the Lagrangian parameters, turns out to be invariant under the renormalization group with the beta and gamma functions of the symmetric phase.

Piezoelectric and dielectric characterization of corona and contact poled PZT-epoxy-MWCNT bulk composites

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, S.; Cook-Chennault, K. A.; Du, W.; Sundar, U.; Halim, H.; Tang, A.

2016-11-01

Three-phase lead zirconate titanate (PZT, PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3)-epoxy-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) bulk composites were prepared, where the volume fraction of PZT was held constant at 30%, while the volume fraction of the MWCNTs was varied from 1.0%-10%. The samples were poled using either a parallel plate contact or contactless (corona) poling technique. The piezoelectric strain coefficient (d33), dielectric constant (ɛ), and dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) of the samples were measured at 110 Hz, and compared as a function of poling technique and volume fraction of MWCNTs. The highest values for dielectric constant and piezoelectric strain coefficients were 465.82 and 18.87 pC/N for MWCNT volume fractions of 10% and 6%, respectively. These values were obtained for samples that were poled using the corona contactless method. The impedance and dielectric spectra of the composites were recorded over a frequency range of 100 Hz-20 MHz. The impedance values observed for parallel-plate contact poled samples are higher than that of corona poled composites. The fractured surface morphology and distribution of the PZT particles and MWCNTs were observed with the aid of electron dispersion spectroscopy and a scanning electron microscope. The surface morphology of the MWCNTs was observed with the aid of a field emission transmission electron microscope.

Novel Treatment of a Scapholunate Ligament Injury with Proximal Pole Scaphoid Nonunion

Science.gov (United States)

Gaspar, Michael P.; Kane, Patrick M.; Jacoby, Sidney M.; Culp, Randall W.

2016-01-01

Background  Nonunion of scaphoid proximal pole fractures presents a challenging management dilemma to hand surgeons. This problem is further complicated in the uncommon concurrence of scapholunate (SL) ligament disruption. Case Description  A 39-year-old male patient presented with new-onset wrist pain following a remote history of a proximal pole scaphoid fracture sustained as a teenager, which was treated nonoperatively. Six months before presentation, the patient sustained a fall while snowboarding. The patient was found to have a chronic nonunion of his scaphoid proximal pole with an associated SL ligament disruption. As the proximal fragment was too small to be amenable to fixation, the patient was treated with an arthroscopic partial scaphoid excision and SL ligament reconstruction using a scapholunateintercarpal screw placed percutaneously. At 26 months, the patient exhibited no pain, near-normal strength, and wrist motion, and expressed a high-level of satisfaction from his surgery. Literature Review  Although cases of SL ligament disruption with concomitant proximal scaphoid fractures have been reported, to our knowledge, this is the first report of SL ligament rupture occurring in the setting of a preexisting proximal pole scaphoid nonunion. Clinical Relevance  We report the use of SL ligament reconstruction augmented with intercarpal screw fixation, and excision of the proximal pole scaphoid nonunion. This minimallyinvasive approach may be a particularly useful option in young, active patients such as our own, where a motion-sacrificing salvage procedure would be less than ideal. PMID:27616829

On nonlinear differential equation with exact solutions having various pole orders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudryashov, N.A.

2015-01-01

We consider a nonlinear ordinary differential equation having solutions with various movable pole order on the complex plane. We show that the pole order of exact solution is determined by values of parameters of the equation. Exact solutions in the form of the solitary waves for the second order nonlinear differential equation are found taking into account the method of the logistic function. Exact solutions of differential equations are discussed and analyzed

Direct kinetochore?spindle pole connections are not required for chromosome segregation

OpenAIRE

Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Magidson, Valentin; Steinman, Jonathan B.; He, Jie; Le Berre, Ma?l; Tikhonenko, Irina; Ault, Jeffrey G.; McEwen, Bruce F.; Chen, James K.; Sui, Haixin; Piel, Matthieu; Kapoor, Tarun M.; Khodjakov, Alexey

2014-01-01

Segregation of genetic material occurs when chromosomes move to opposite spindle poles during mitosis. This movement depends on K-fibers, specialized microtubule (MT) bundles attached to the chromosomes? kinetochores. A long-standing assumption is that continuous K-fibers connect every kinetochore to a spindle pole and the force for chromosome movement is produced at the kinetochore and coupled with MT depolymerization. However, we found that chromosomes still maintained their position at the...

Magnetic transmission gear finite element simulation with iron pole hysteresis

Science.gov (United States)

Filippini, Mattia; Alotto, Piergiorgio; Glehn, Gregor; Hameyer, Kay

2018-04-01

Ferromagnetic poles in a magnetic transmission gear require particular attention during their design process. Usually, during the numerical simulation of these devices the effects of hysteresis for loss estimation are neglected and considered only during post-processing calculations. Since the literature lacks hysteresis models, this paper adopts a homogenized hysteretic model able to include eddy current and hysteresis losses in 2D laminated materials for iron poles. In this article the results related to the hysteresis in a magnetic gear are presented and compared to the non-hysteretic approach.

Quasiparticle pole strength in nuclear matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poggioli, R.S.; Jackson, A.D.

1975-01-01

It is argued that single-particle-like behavior in nuclear matter is much less probable than Brueckner theory suggests. In particular, the quasiparticle pole strength is evaluated for nuclear matter and it is shown that, contrary to the spirit of Brueckner theory, low momentum states play a crucial role in determining the magnitude of z/sub k/sub F/. (auth)

Separate Poles Mode for Large-Capacity HVDC System

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Lin; Gao, Qin

2017-05-01

This paper proposes a novel connection mode, separate poles mode (SPM), for large-capacity HVDC systems. The proposed mode focuses on the core issues of HVDC connection in interconnected power grids and principally aims at increasing effective electric distance between poles, which helps to mitigate the interaction problems between AC system and DC system. Receiving end of bipolar HVDC has been divided into different inverter stations under the mode, and thus significantly alleviates difficulties in power transmission and consumption of receiving-end AC grids. By investigating the changes of multi-feed short-circuit ratio (MISCR), finding that HVDC with SPM shows critical impacts upon itself and other HVDC systems with conventional connection mode, which demonstrates that SPM can make balance between MISCR increase and short-circuit current limit.

Theory-inspired development of organic electro-optic materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalton, Larry R., E-mail: dalton@chem.washington.ed [Department of Chemistry, Bagley Hall 202D, Box 351700, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700 (United States); Department of Electrical Engineering, Bagley Hall 202D, Box 351700, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700 (United States)

2009-11-30

Real-time, time-dependent density functional theory (RTTDDFT) and pseudo-atomistic Monte Carlo-molecular dynamics (PAMCMD) calculations have been used in a correlated manner to achieve quantitative definition of structure/function relationships necessary for the optimization of electro-optic activity in organic materials. Utilizing theoretical guidance, electro-optic coefficients (at telecommunication wavelengths) have been increased to 500 pm/V while keeping optical loss to less than 2 dB/cm. RTTDDFT affords the advantage of permitting explicit treatment of time-dependent electric fields, both applied fields and internal fields. This modification has permitted the quantitative simulation of the variation of linear and nonlinear optical properties of chromophores and the electro-optic activity of materials with optical frequency and dielectric permittivity. PAMCMD statistical mechanical calculations have proven an effective means of treating the full range of spatially-anisotropic intermolecular electrostatic interactions that play critical roles in defining the degree of noncentrosymmetric order that is achieved by electric field poling of organic electro-optic materials near their glass transition temperatures. New techniques have been developed for the experimental characterization of poling-induced acentric order including a modification of variable angle polarization absorption spectroscopy (VAPAS) permitting a meaningful correlation of theoretical and experimental data related to poling-induced order for a variety of complex organic electro-optic materials.

Theory-inspired development of organic electro-optic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalton, Larry R.

2009-01-01

Real-time, time-dependent density functional theory (RTTDDFT) and pseudo-atomistic Monte Carlo-molecular dynamics (PAMCMD) calculations have been used in a correlated manner to achieve quantitative definition of structure/function relationships necessary for the optimization of electro-optic activity in organic materials. Utilizing theoretical guidance, electro-optic coefficients (at telecommunication wavelengths) have been increased to 500 pm/V while keeping optical loss to less than 2 dB/cm. RTTDDFT affords the advantage of permitting explicit treatment of time-dependent electric fields, both applied fields and internal fields. This modification has permitted the quantitative simulation of the variation of linear and nonlinear optical properties of chromophores and the electro-optic activity of materials with optical frequency and dielectric permittivity. PAMCMD statistical mechanical calculations have proven an effective means of treating the full range of spatially-anisotropic intermolecular electrostatic interactions that play critical roles in defining the degree of noncentrosymmetric order that is achieved by electric field poling of organic electro-optic materials near their glass transition temperatures. New techniques have been developed for the experimental characterization of poling-induced acentric order including a modification of variable angle polarization absorption spectroscopy (VAPAS) permitting a meaningful correlation of theoretical and experimental data related to poling-induced order for a variety of complex organic electro-optic materials.

Membrane interaction of retroviral Gag proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Alfred Dick

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Assembly of an infectious retroviral particle relies on multimerization of the Gag polyprotein at the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. The three domains of Gag common to all retroviruses-- MA, CA, and NC-- provide the signals for membrane binding, assembly, and viral RNA packaging, respectively. These signals do not function independently of one another. For example, Gag multimerization enhances membrane binding and is more efficient when NC is interacting with RNA. MA binding to the plasma membrane is governed by several principles, including electrostatics, recognition of specific lipid head groups, hydrophobic interactions, and membrane order. HIV-1 uses many of these principles while Rous sarcoma virus (RSV appears to use fewer. This review describes the principles that govern Gag interactions with membranes, focusing on RSV and HIV-1 Gag. The review also defines lipid and membrane behavior, and discusses the complexities in determining how lipid and membrane behavior impact Gag membrane binding.

Integrated 3D printing and corona poling process of PVDF piezoelectric films for pressure sensor application

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hoejin; Torres, Fernando; Wu, Yanyu; Villagran, Dino; Lin, Yirong; Tseng, Tzu-Liang(Bill

2017-08-01

This paper presents a novel process to fabricate piezoelectric films from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer using integrated fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing and corona poling technique. Corona poling is one of many effective poling processes that has received attention to activate PVDF as a piezoelectric responsive material. The corona poling process occurs when a PVDF polymer is exposed to a high electric field created and controlled through an electrically charged needle and a grid electrode under heating environment. FDM 3D printing has seen extensive progress in fabricating thermoplastic materials and structures, including PVDF. However, post processing techniques such as poling is needed to align the dipoles in order to gain piezoelectric properties. To further simplify the piezoelectric sensors and structures fabrication process, this paper proposes an integrated 3D printing process with corona poling to fabricate piezoelectric PVDF sensors without post poling process. This proposed process, named ‘Integrated 3D Printing and Corona poling process’ (IPC), uses the 3D printer’s nozzle and heating bed as anode and cathode, respectively, to create poling electric fields in a controlled heating environment. The nozzle travels along the programmed path with fixed distance between nozzle tip and sample’s top surface. Simultaneously, the electric field between the nozzle and bottom heating pad promotes the alignment of dipole moment of PVDF molecular chains. The crystalline phase transformation and output current generated by printed samples under different electric fields in this process were characterized by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and through fatigue load frame. It is demonstrated that piezoelectric PVDF films with enhanced β-phase percentage can be fabricated using the IPC process. In addition, mechanical properties of printed PVDF was investigated by tensile testing. It is expected to expand the use of additive

Preliminary Analyses of Transmedia Adaptations of Pictorial Narratives and Aesthetic Pole Interpretations: Reflections on Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Chai Lai

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Transmedia narratives are a key topic of communication research. Transmedia adaptations occur when a narrator transposes an original work by using various media platforms. Considering pictorial turn, this study employed the intermediality of an animated work that was adapted from an award-winning picture book as an example to propose an analysis for theory building. After examining the literature on transmedia narratives, intermediality, and aesthetic communication, this study proposed analyses for the dimensions of transmedia adaptations of pictorial narratives and aesthetic pole interpretations. Focusing on the three layers of the artistic pole, aesthetic pole, and interactions and effects, this study cited the cases of award-winning picture books and adapted animated works as the basis for reflecting on aesthetic communication. The artistic pole of transmedia adaptation was used as an example of how a narrator employs intermediality by citing the pictures, plot, or art forms from an original work to reinvent structures and then adapts them according to intermediality. If the aesthetic pole views the adapted animated work after reading the picture book or forms an expectation of the adaptation because of intermediality, then when the audience watches the adapted animated work, their imagination could be stimulated by the intermediality (i.e., picture book graphics and scene depictions. For transmedia narrative interaction, the aesthetic pole must “fill blanks” or “negate” to continue to view the adaptation. For filling blanks, because of intermediality, the aesthetic pole must construct an “intracompositional intermediality” to connect with the visual and audio links of the same work or construct “extracompositional intermedialtiy” to associate the original work with the transmedia adaptation. For negation, when viewing the adaptation (i.e., presentation of picture book graphics, added music, or theme song, the aesthetic pole

Exploring the Spatiotemporal Organization of Membrane Proteins in Living Plant Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Li; Xue, Yiqun; Xing, Jingjing; Song, Kai; Lin, Jinxing

2018-04-29

Plasma membrane proteins have important roles in transport and signal transduction. Deciphering the spatiotemporal organization of these proteins provides crucial information for elucidating the links between the behaviors of different molecules. However, monitoring membrane proteins without disrupting their membrane environment remains difficult. Over the past decade, many studies have developed single-molecule techniques, opening avenues for probing the stoichiometry and interactions of membrane proteins in their native environment by providing nanometer-scale spatial information and nanosecond-scale temporal information. In this review, we assess recent progress in the development of labeling and imaging technology for membrane protein analysis. We focus in particular on several single-molecule techniques for quantifying the dynamics and assembly of membrane proteins. Finally, we provide examples of how these new techniques are advancing our understanding of the complex biological functions of membrane proteins.

Manufacturing aspects of the new Pole Face correcting coils for the PS main magnets

CERN Document Server

Bodart, D

2011-01-01

This document reports about the Pole Face Winding (PFW) installed in the Main Magnets of the PS accelerator. Composed by sets of 4 and installed on every magnet, they are made of copper conductors and installed directly on the poles of the magnets. Their role is to compensate the saturation effect of the pole shape of the magnet yoke and compensate the eddy current in the vacuum chambers. Their manufacturing has evolved over the years, the dedicated fabrication process and requirements are explained in this document.

Crown Release Increases Diameter Growth and Bole Sprouting of Pole-Size Yellow Birch

Science.gov (United States)

Gayne G. Erdmann; Ralph M. Jr. Peterson

1971-01-01

During the second and third years after release, dominant, codominant, and intermediate pole-size yellow birch grew nearly twice as fast in diameter as unreleased poles. Growth rates were also related to foliage density. Epicormic sprouting was increased by crown release but most sprouting occured in the second log.

The role of organic proteins on the crack growth resistance of human enamel.

Science.gov (United States)

Yahyazadehfar, Mobin; Arola, Dwayne

2015-06-01

With only 1% protein by weight, tooth enamel is the most highly mineralized tissue in mammals. The focus of this study was to evaluate contributions of the proteins on the fracture resistance of this unique structural material. Sections of enamel were obtained from the cusps of human molars and the crack growth resistance was quantified using a conventional fracture mechanics approach with complementary finite element analysis. In selected specimens the proteins were extracted using a potassium hydroxide treatment. Removal of the proteins resulted in approximately 40% decrease in the fracture toughness with respect to the fully proteinized control. The loss of organic content was most detrimental to the extrinsic toughening mechanisms, causing over 80% reduction in their contribution to the total energy to fracture. This degradation occurred by embrittlement of the unbroken bridging ligaments and consequent reduction in the crack closure stress. Although the organic content of tooth enamel is very small, it is essential to crack growth toughening by facilitating the formation of unbroken ligaments and in fortifying their potency. Replicating functions of the organic content will be critical to the successful development of bio-inspired materials that are designed for fracture resistance. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Programming by Protein Intake: The Effect of Protein on Adiposity Development and the Growth and Functionality of Vital Organs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veronica Luque

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the role of protein intake on metabolic programming early in life. The observations that breastfeeding in infancy reduces the risk of being overweight and obese later in life and the differences in the protein content between formula milk and human milk have generated the early protein hypothesis. The present review focuses on a mechanistic approach to programmed adiposity and the growth and development of other organs by protein intake in infancy, which may be mediated by branched-chain amino acids, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 via the mammalian target of rapamycin. Observational studies and clinical trials have shown that lowering the protein content in infant and follow-on formulas may reduce the risk of becoming obese later in life. The recent body of evidence is currently being translated into new policies. Therefore, the evolution of European regulatory laws and recommendations by expert panels on the protein content of infant and follow-on formulas are also reviewed. Research gaps, such as the critical window for programming adiposity by protein intake, testing formulas with modified amino acids, and the long-term consequences of differences in protein intake on organ functionality among well-nourished infants, have been identified.

Pacific Albacore Troll and Pole-and-line Fisheries

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The North Pacific and South Pacific Albacore Troll and Pole-and-line Fisheries project contains landings, logbooks, and size composition data from U.S.A. troll and...

3D complex: a structural classification of protein complexes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel D Levy

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Most of the proteins in a cell assemble into complexes to carry out their function. It is therefore crucial to understand the physicochemical properties as well as the evolution of interactions between proteins. The Protein Data Bank represents an important source of information for such studies, because more than half of the structures are homo- or heteromeric protein complexes. Here we propose the first hierarchical classification of whole protein complexes of known 3-D structure, based on representing their fundamental structural features as a graph. This classification provides the first overview of all the complexes in the Protein Data Bank and allows nonredundant sets to be derived at different levels of detail. This reveals that between one-half and two-thirds of known structures are multimeric, depending on the level of redundancy accepted. We also analyse the structures in terms of the topological arrangement of their subunits and find that they form a small number of arrangements compared with all theoretically possible ones. This is because most complexes contain four subunits or less, and the large majority are homomeric. In addition, there is a strong tendency for symmetry in complexes, even for heteromeric complexes. Finally, through comparison of Biological Units in the Protein Data Bank with the Protein Quaternary Structure database, we identified many possible errors in quaternary structure assignments. Our classification, available as a database and Web server at http://www.3Dcomplex.org, will be a starting point for future work aimed at understanding the structure and evolution of protein complexes.

Prevalent lightning sferics at 600 megahertz near Jupiter's poles

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Shannon; Janssen, Michael; Adumitroaie, Virgil; Atreya, Sushil; Bolton, Scott; Gulkis, Samuel; Ingersoll, Andrew; Levin, Steven; Li, Cheng; Li, Liming; Lunine, Jonathan; Misra, Sidharth; Orton, Glenn; Steffes, Paul; Tabataba-Vakili, Fachreddin; Kolmašová, Ivana; Imai, Masafumi; Santolík, Ondřej; Kurth, William; Hospodarsky, George; Gurnett, Donald; Connerney, John

2018-06-01

Lightning has been detected on Jupiter by all visiting spacecraft through night-side optical imaging and whistler (lightning-generated radio waves) signatures1-6. Jovian lightning is thought to be generated in the mixed-phase (liquid-ice) region of convective water clouds through a charge-separation process between condensed liquid water and water-ice particles, similar to that of terrestrial (cloud-to-cloud) lightning7-9. Unlike terrestrial lightning, which emits broadly over the radio spectrum up to gigahertz frequencies10,11, lightning on Jupiter has been detected only at kilohertz frequencies, despite a search for signals in the megahertz range12. Strong ionospheric attenuation or a lightning discharge much slower than that on Earth have been suggested as possible explanations for this discrepancy13,14. Here we report observations of Jovian lightning sferics (broadband electromagnetic impulses) at 600 megahertz from the Microwave Radiometer15 onboard the Juno spacecraft. These detections imply that Jovian lightning discharges are not distinct from terrestrial lightning, as previously thought. In the first eight orbits of Juno, we detected 377 lightning sferics from pole to pole. We found lightning to be prevalent in the polar regions, absent near the equator, and most frequent in the northern hemisphere, at latitudes higher than 40 degrees north. Because the distribution of lightning is a proxy for moist convective activity, which is thought to be an important source of outward energy transport from the interior of the planet16,17, increased convection towards the poles could indicate an outward internal heat flux that is preferentially weighted towards the poles9,16,18. The distribution of moist convection is important for understanding the composition, general circulation and energy transport on Jupiter.

Fission yeast Sec3 and Exo70 are transported on actin cables and localize the exocyst complex to cell poles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe O Bendezú

Full Text Available The exocyst complex is essential for many exocytic events, by tethering vesicles at the plasma membrane for fusion. In fission yeast, polarized exocytosis for growth relies on the combined action of the exocyst at cell poles and myosin-driven transport along actin cables. We report here the identification of fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe Sec3 protein, which we identified through sequence homology of its PH-like domain. Like other exocyst subunits, sec3 is required for secretion and cell division. Cells deleted for sec3 are only conditionally lethal and can proliferate when osmotically stabilized. Sec3 is redundant with Exo70 for viability and for the localization of other exocyst subunits, suggesting these components act as exocyst tethers at the plasma membrane. Consistently, Sec3 localizes to zones of growth independently of other exocyst subunits but depends on PIP(2 and functional Cdc42. FRAP analysis shows that Sec3, like all other exocyst subunits, localizes to cell poles largely independently of the actin cytoskeleton. However, we show that Sec3, Exo70 and Sec5 are transported by the myosin V Myo52 along actin cables. These data suggest that the exocyst holocomplex, including Sec3 and Exo70, is present on exocytic vesicles, which can reach cell poles by either myosin-driven transport or random walk.

An Analysis Of Pole/zero Cancellation In LTR-based Feedback Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niemann, Hans Henrik; Jannerup, Ole Erik

1990-01-01

The pole/zero cancellation in LTR-based feedback design will be analyzed for both full-order as well as minimal-order observers. The asymptotic behaviour of the sensitivity function from the LTR-procedure are given in explicit expressions in the case when a zero is not cancelled by an equivalent...... pole. It will be shown that the non-minimum phase case is included as a special case. The results are not based on any specific LTR-method....

Poling of PVDF matrix composites for integrated structural load sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Haghiashtiani, Ghazaleh; Greminger, Michael A.; Zhao, Ping

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study is to create and evaluate a smart composite structure that can be used for integrated load sensing and structural health monitoring. In this structure, PVDF films are used as the matrix material instead of epoxy resin or other thermoplastics. The reinforcements are two layers of carbon fiber with one layer of Kevlar separating them. Due to the electrical conductivity properties of carbon fiber and the dielectric effect of Kevlar, the structure acts as a capacitor. Furthermore, the piezoelectric properties of the PVDF matrix can be used to monitor the response of the structure under applied loads. In order to exploit the piezoelectric properties of PVDF, the PVDF material must be polarized to align the dipole moments of its crystalline structure. The optimal condition for poling the structure was found by performing a 23 factorial design of experiment (DoE). The factors that were studied in DoE were temperature, voltage, and duration of poling. Finally, the response of the poled structure was monitored by exposing the samples to an applied load.

Posterior Pole Sparing Laser Photocoagulation Combined with Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in Posterior Retinopathy of Prematurity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Kim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To report the results of the posterior pole sparing laser photocoagulation combined with intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP. Methods. A retrospective chart review of premature babies with ROP, all of whom received laser photocoagulation with IVB. Eleven eyes of 6 infants with advanced zone I ROP underwent laser ablation sparing posterior pole with concurrent IVB. The results were compared with those of full-laser treatment combined with IVB to 8 eyes of 5 infants with advanced ROP without involvement of the posterior pole. Results. The posterior pole sparing laser with IVB was performed with zone I, stage 3+ ROP at the mean postmenstrual age of 36 weeks and 5 days. The plus sign decreased significantly at postoperative day 1, the neovascular proliferation regressed by postoperative week 1, and the normal vascularization started at postoperative day 32 on the average. Two months after treatment, vascularization of the spared avascular area was completed. There was no macular dragging, tractional retinal detachment, foveal destruction by laser scars, or any other adverse event. No significant anatomical differences were identified from those of full-laser ablation combined with IVB. Conclusions. Posterior pole sparing laser with IVB can give favorable results without destruction of posterior pole retina.

Claw-pole Synchronous Generator for Compressed Air Energy Storage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PAVEL Valentina

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a claw-poles generator for compressed air energy storage systems. It is presented the structure of such a system used for compensating of the intermittency of a small wind energy system. For equipping of this system it is chosen the permanent magnet claw pole synchronous generator obtained by using ring NdFeB permanentmagnets instead of excitation coil. In such a way the complexity of the scheme is reduced and the generator become maintenance free. The new magnetic flux density in the air-gap is calculated by magneticreluctance method and by FEM method and the results are compared with measured values in the old and new generator.

Pole masses of quarks in dimensional reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avdeev, L.V.; Kalmykov, M.Yu.

1997-01-01

Pole masses of quarks in quantum chromodynamics are calculated to the two-loop order in the framework of the regularization by dimensional reduction. For the diagram with a light quark loop, the non-Euclidean asymptotic expansion is constructed with the external momentum on the mass shell of a heavy quark

CABLE MECHANISMS USED FOR ACTUATING CAR ELEVATORS WITH 2 AND 4 POLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan MESARICI

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the kinematic scheme and the operating mode of the cable mechanism used for car elevators with 2 and 4 poles. In order to increase the efficiency of the 4- pole elevator, we suggest using a new hoists type cable mechanism, which can multiply the piston travel inside the actuating cylinder twice at the platform level, when lifting and lowering.

Dissecting the function and assembly of acentriolar microtubule organizing centers in Drosophila cells in vivo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janina Baumbach

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Acentriolar microtubule organizing centers (aMTOCs are formed during meiosis and mitosis in several cell types, but their function and assembly mechanism is unclear. Importantly, aMTOCs can be overactive in cancer cells, enhancing multipolar spindle formation, merotelic kinetochore attachment and aneuploidy. Here we show that aMTOCs can form in acentriolar Drosophila somatic cells in vivo via an assembly pathway that depends on Asl, Cnn and, to a lesser extent, Spd-2--the same proteins that appear to drive mitotic centrosome assembly in flies. This finding enabled us to ablate aMTOC formation in acentriolar cells, and so perform a detailed genetic analysis of the contribution of aMTOCs to acentriolar mitotic spindle formation. Here we show that although aMTOCs can nucleate microtubules, they do not detectably increase the efficiency of acentriolar spindle assembly in somatic fly cells. We find that they are required, however, for robust microtubule array assembly in cells without centrioles that also lack microtubule nucleation from around the chromatin. Importantly, aMTOCs are also essential for dynein-dependent acentriolar spindle pole focusing and for robust cell proliferation in the absence of centrioles and HSET/Ncd (a kinesin essential for acentriolar spindle pole focusing in many systems. We propose an updated model for acentriolar spindle pole coalescence by the molecular motors Ncd/HSET and dynein in conjunction with aMTOCs.

Laminated wood as an alternative to wood poles : Engineered wood structures for electric utility and telecommunications industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reisdorff, R. [Laminated Wood Systems Inc., Seward, NE (United States)

2002-07-01

In this PowerPoint presentation, the author discusses the major advantages of laminated structures, for both the electric and telecommunication industries. The advantages include economy, quick delivery, climbing and field modifications, dimensional uniformity and stability. A series of pictures was displayed which showed the manufacturing process. Laminated structures have a proven history. They were developed in Europe in 1890, and introduced to the United States in 1934. Framing members were introduced in the late 1940s, while poles were introduced in 1963, two years ahead of steel poles. Some of the electrical utility applications include: (1) distribution structures, (2) transmission structures such as single-pole, phase over phase switch structures, tangent structures, and H-Frame construction. The applications for the telecommunication industry consist of joint use structures, such as electric and telecommunication, lighting and telecommunication, overhead telephone and wireless; mono-pole applications; three-pole Bell Towers; and tree poles. Examples of each type were shown. figs.

Integrated analysis of RNA-binding protein complexes using in vitro selection and high-throughput sequencing and sequence specificity landscapes (SEQRS).

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Tzu-Fang; Weidmann, Chase A; Killingsworth, Jordan; Tanaka Hall, Traci M; Goldstrohm, Aaron C; Campbell, Zachary T

2017-04-15

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) collaborate to control virtually every aspect of RNA function. Tremendous progress has been made in the area of global assessment of RBP specificity using next-generation sequencing approaches both in vivo and in vitro. Understanding how protein-protein interactions enable precise combinatorial regulation of RNA remains a significant problem. Addressing this challenge requires tools that can quantitatively determine the specificities of both individual proteins and multimeric complexes in an unbiased and comprehensive way. One approach utilizes in vitro selection, high-throughput sequencing, and sequence-specificity landscapes (SEQRS). We outline a SEQRS experiment focused on obtaining the specificity of a multi-protein complex between Drosophila RBPs Pumilio (Pum) and Nanos (Nos). We discuss the necessary controls in this type of experiment and examine how the resulting data can be complemented with structural and cell-based reporter assays. Additionally, SEQRS data can be integrated with functional genomics data to uncover biological function. Finally, we propose extensions of the technique that will enhance our understanding of multi-protein regulatory complexes assembled onto RNA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Study of Effect of Walking Pole on the Walking Exercise

OpenAIRE

加藤, 麻樹; 下平, 佳江; 佐藤, 健

2010-01-01

So-called metabolic syndrome is one of the medical problems in our country, because many of people have difficulty at lack of exercises. Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare suggest healthy life by exercise and moderate foods. Walking is one of the effective exercises to keep health in everyday life. Walking with poles, the exercise method of cross country skiing, is noticed as the effective exercise nowadays. Some studies show the effect of the pole walking exercise from view points of c...

Polar localization of PhoN2, a periplasmic virulence-associated factor of Shigella flexneri, is required for proper IcsA exposition at the old bacterial pole.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Scribano

Full Text Available Proper protein localization is critical for bacterial virulence. PhoN2 is a virulence-associated ATP-diphosphohydrolase (apyrase involved in IcsA-mediated actin-based motility of S. flexneri. Herein, by analyzing a ΔphoN2 mutant of the S. flexneri strain M90T and by generating phoN2::HA fusions, we show that PhoN2, is a periplasmic protein that strictly localizes at the bacterial poles, with a strong preference for the old pole, the pole where IcsA is exposed, and that it is required for proper IcsA exposition. PhoN2-HA was found to be polarly localized both when phoN2::HA was ectopically expressed in a Escherichia coli K-12 strain and in a S. flexneri virulence plasmid-cured mutant, indicating a conserved mechanism of PhoN2 polar delivery across species and that neither IcsA nor the expression of other virulence-plasmid encoded genes are involved in this process. To assess whether PhoN2 and IcsA may interact, two-hybrid and cross-linking experiments were performed. While no evidence was found of a PhoN2-IcsA interaction, unexpectedly the outer membrane protein A (OmpA was shown to bind PhoN2-HA through its periplasmic-exposed C-terminal domain. Therefore, to identify PhoN2 domains involved in its periplasmic polar delivery as well as in the interaction with OmpA, a deletion and a set of specific amino acid substitutions were generated. Analysis of these mutants indicated that neither the (183PAPAP(187 motif of OmpA, nor the N-terminal polyproline (43PPPP(46 motif and the Y155 residue of PhoN2 are involved in this interaction while P45, P46 and Y155 residues were found to be critical for the correct folding and stability of the protein. The relative rapid degradation of these amino acid-substituted recombinant proteins was found to be due to unknown S. flexneri-specific protease(s. A model depicting how the PhoN2-OmpA interaction may contribute to proper polar IcsA exposition in S. flexneri is presented.

Polar localization of PhoN2, a periplasmic virulence-associated factor of Shigella flexneri, is required for proper IcsA exposition at the old bacterial pole.

Science.gov (United States)

Scribano, Daniela; Petrucca, Andrea; Pompili, Monica; Ambrosi, Cecilia; Bruni, Elena; Zagaglia, Carlo; Prosseda, Gianni; Nencioni, Lucia; Casalino, Mariassunta; Polticelli, Fabio; Nicoletti, Mauro

2014-01-01

Proper protein localization is critical for bacterial virulence. PhoN2 is a virulence-associated ATP-diphosphohydrolase (apyrase) involved in IcsA-mediated actin-based motility of S. flexneri. Herein, by analyzing a ΔphoN2 mutant of the S. flexneri strain M90T and by generating phoN2::HA fusions, we show that PhoN2, is a periplasmic protein that strictly localizes at the bacterial poles, with a strong preference for the old pole, the pole where IcsA is exposed, and that it is required for proper IcsA exposition. PhoN2-HA was found to be polarly localized both when phoN2::HA was ectopically expressed in a Escherichia coli K-12 strain and in a S. flexneri virulence plasmid-cured mutant, indicating a conserved mechanism of PhoN2 polar delivery across species and that neither IcsA nor the expression of other virulence-plasmid encoded genes are involved in this process. To assess whether PhoN2 and IcsA may interact, two-hybrid and cross-linking experiments were performed. While no evidence was found of a PhoN2-IcsA interaction, unexpectedly the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) was shown to bind PhoN2-HA through its periplasmic-exposed C-terminal domain. Therefore, to identify PhoN2 domains involved in its periplasmic polar delivery as well as in the interaction with OmpA, a deletion and a set of specific amino acid substitutions were generated. Analysis of these mutants indicated that neither the (183)PAPAP(187) motif of OmpA, nor the N-terminal polyproline (43)PPPP(46) motif and the Y155 residue of PhoN2 are involved in this interaction while P45, P46 and Y155 residues were found to be critical for the correct folding and stability of the protein. The relative rapid degradation of these amino acid-substituted recombinant proteins was found to be due to unknown S. flexneri-specific protease(s). A model depicting how the PhoN2-OmpA interaction may contribute to proper polar IcsA exposition in S. flexneri is presented.

Tent-Poles of the Bestseller

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Thessa; Vistisen, Peter

2013-01-01

This article proposes a framework for understanding and analysing how the passive audience of a media event turns into active stakeholders. The starting point is the cross-media content quadrant (Jensen and Vistisen, 2012), which shows how the producer’s control is distributed on social media...... platforms, while storytelling evolves around a tent-pole, for example, a bestseller or blockbuster. To further explain how the audience engages, a three-step rhetoric model largely based on Bitzer (1998) and Tolkien (1971) is developed and explained....

A survey of HK, HPt, and RR domains and their organization in two-component systems and phosphorelay proteins of organisms with fully sequenced genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baldiri Salvado

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Two Component Systems and Phosphorelays (TCS/PR are environmental signal transduction cascades in prokaryotes and, less frequently, in eukaryotes. The internal domain organization of proteins and the topology of TCS/PR cascades play an important role in shaping the responses of the circuits. It is thus important to maintain updated censuses of TCS/PR proteins in order to identify the various topologies used by nature and enable a systematic study of the dynamics associated with those topologies. To create such a census, we analyzed the proteomes of 7,609 organisms from all domains of life with fully sequenced and annotated genomes. To begin, we survey each proteome searching for proteins containing domains that are associated with internal signal transmission within TCS/PR: Histidine Kinase (HK, Response Regulator (RR and Histidine Phosphotranfer (HPt domains, and analyze how these domains are arranged in the individual proteins. Then, we find all types of operon organization and calculate how much more likely are proteins that contain TCS/PR domains to be coded by neighboring genes than one would expect from the genome background of each organism. Finally, we analyze if the fusion of domains into single TCS/PR proteins is more frequently observed than one might expect from the background of each proteome. We find 50 alternative ways in which the HK, HPt, and RR domains are observed to organize into single proteins. In prokaryotes, TCS/PR coding genes tend to be clustered in operons. 90% of all proteins identified in this study contain just one of the three domains, while 8% of the remaining proteins combine one copy of an HK, a RR, and/or an HPt domain. In eukaryotes, 25% of all TCS/PR proteins have more than one domain. These results might have implications for how signals are internally transmitted within TCS/PR cascades. These implications could explain the selection of the various designs in alternative circumstances.

The effects of poling on physiological, kinematic and kinetic responses in roller ski skating.

Science.gov (United States)

Grasaas, Erik; Hegge, Ann Magdalen; Ettema, Gertjan; Sandbakk, Øyvind

2014-09-01

We investigated the effects of poling on physiological, kinematic and kinetic responses in the G4 skating technique where the poling movement is synchronized with the leg push-off on one side (strong side) followed by a forward arm swing during the leg push-off on the other side (weak side). G4 skating with (G4-P) and without (G4-NP) poling was compared in 17 elite male cross-country skiers during 4-min submaximal tests on a 2% inclined roller ski treadmill at 10, 15 and 20 km h(-1). G4-P demonstrated less ventilatory stress and higher gross efficiency compared to G4-NP at all velocities, and the blood lactate concentration was lower at the high velocity (all P skating technique. Thus, poling provides possibilities to increase total propulsion, to reduce ski forces and to enhance skiing efficiency.

The cos2φ azimuthal asymmetry of unpolarized dilepton production at the Z pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Zhun; Schmidt, Ivan

2011-01-01

We calculate the Boer-Mulders effect contribution to the cos2φ azimuthal asymmetry of unpolarized dilepton production near the Z-pole. Based on the tree-level expression in the transverse momentum dependent factorization framework, we show that the corresponding asymmetry near the Z-pole is negative, which is opposite to the asymmetry in the low Q 2 region, dominated by the production via a virtual photon. We calculate the asymmetry generated by the Boer-Mulders effect near the Z-pole at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), with √(s)=500 GeV. We find that the magnitude of the asymmetry is several percent, and therefore it is measurable. The experimental confirmation of this sign change of the asymmetry from the low Q 2 region to the Z-pole provides direct evidence of the chiral-odd structure of quarks inside an unpolarized nucleon.

Digital PI-PD controller design for arbitrary order systems: Dominant pole placement approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Dincel, Emre; Söylemez, Mehmet Turan

2018-05-02

In this paper, a digital PI-PD controller design method is proposed for arbitrary order systems with or without time-delay to achieve desired transient response in the closed-loop via dominant pole placement approach. The digital PI-PD controller design problem is solved by converting the original problem to the digital PID controller design problem. Firstly, parametrization of the digital PID controllers which assign dominant poles to desired location is done. After that the subset of digital PID controller parameters in which the remaining poles are located away from the dominant pole pair is found via Chebyshev polynomials. The obtained PID controller parameters are then transformed into the PI-PD controller parameters by considering the closed-loop controller zero and the design is completed. Success of the proposed design method is firstly demonstrated on an example transfer function and compared with the well-known PID controller methods from the literature through simulations. After that the design method is implemented on the fan and plate laboratory system in a real environment. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of radionuclide accumulation at amphibians and reptiles in the Poles'e state radioecological reserve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novitskij, R.V.

1998-01-01

It was studied the peculiarity of the radionuclide intake to organism of amphibians and reptiles in the Poles'e radioecological reserve in 1997. The radioactive contamination level of investigated area was from 15 to 40 Ci/km 2 . It was measured 38 samples (26 for amphibians and 12 for reptiles) from points with background gamma-irradiation from 35 to 800 micro R/h. For the last eleven years of investigation it was revealed the total tendency to reduction of level of gamma-radioactive accumulation in 18,8-42,6 times for amphibians and in 2,8-52,5 times for reptiles

Nordic walking versus walking without poles for rehabilitation with cardiovascular disease: Randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Girold, Sébastien; Rousseau, Jérome; Le Gal, Magalie; Coudeyre, Emmanuel; Le Henaff, Jacqueline

2017-07-01

With Nordic walking, or walking with poles, one can travel a greater distance and at a higher rate than with walking without poles, but whether the activity is beneficial for patients with cardiovascular disease is unknown. This randomized controlled trial was undertaken to determine whether Nordic walking was more effective than walking without poles on walk distance to support rehabilitation training for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Patients were recruited in a private specialized rehabilitation centre for cardiovascular diseases. The entire protocol, including patient recruitment, took place over 2 months, from September to October 2013. We divided patients into 2 groups: Nordic Walking Group (NWG, n=21) and Walking Group without poles (WG, n=21). All patients followed the same program over 4 weeks, except for the walk performed with or without poles. The main outcome was walk distance on the 6-min walk test. Secondary outcomes were maximum heart rate during exercise and walk distance and power output on a treadmill stress test. We included 42 patients (35 men; mean age 57.2±11 years and BMI 26.5±4.5kg/m 2 ). At the end of the training period, both groups showed improved walk distance on the 6-min walk test and treatment stress test as well as power on the treadmill stress test (PNordic walking training appeared more efficient than training without poles for increasing walk distance on the 6-min walk test for patients with ACS and PAOD. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Investigation of the spatial distribution of second-order nonlinearity in thermally poled optical fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Honglin; Fleming, Simon

2005-05-02

The spatial distribution of second-order nonlinearity in thermally poled optical fibers was characterized by second-harmonic microscopy. The second-order nonlinearity was found to be confined to a thin layer close to the anode surface and progressed further into the silica as the poling time increased. Position uncertainty of the anode metal wire was observed to have an effect, as the nonlinear layers were found not always symmetrically located around the nearest points between the anode and cathode. Optical microscopy results were obtained on etched poled fiber cross-sections and compared with those from second-harmonic microscopy.

Investigation of a less rare-earth permanent-magnet machine with the consequent pole rotor

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Jingang; Liu, Jiaqi; Wang, Mingqiao; Zheng, Ping; Liu, Yong; Gao, Haibo; Xiao, Lijun

2018-05-01

Due to the rising price of rare-earth materials, permanent-magnet (PM) machines in different applications have a trend of reducing the use of rare-earth materials. Since iron-core poles replace half of PM poles in the consequent pole (CP) rotor, the PM machine with CP rotor can be a promising candidate for less rare-earth PM machine. Additionally, the investigation of CP rotor in special electrical machines, like hybrid excitation permanent-magnet PM machine, bearingless motor, etc., has verified the application feasibility of CP rotor. Therefore, this paper focuses on design and performance of PM machines when traditional PM machine uses the CP rotor. In the CP rotor, all the PMs are of the same polarity and they are inserted into the rotor core. Since the fundamental PM flux density depends on the ratio of PM pole to iron-core pole, the combination rule between them is investigated by analytical and finite-element methods. On this basis, to comprehensively analyze and evaluate PM machine with CP rotor, four typical schemes, i.e., integer-slot machines with CP rotor and surface-mounted PM (SPM) rotor, fractional-slot machines with CP rotor and SPM rotor, are designed to investigate the performance of PM machine with CP rotor, including electromagnetic performance, anti-demagnetization capacity and cost.

A Direct Algorithm for Pole Placement by State-derivative Feedback for Single-input Linear Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taha H. S. Abdelaziz

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the direct solution of the pole placement problem for single-input linear systems using state-derivative feedback. This pole placement problem is always solvable for any controllable systems if all eigenvalues of the original system are nonzero. Then any arbitrary closed-loop poles can be placed in order to achieve the desired system performance. The solving procedure results in a formula similar to the Ackermann formula. Its derivation is based on the transformation of a linear single-input system into Frobenius canonical form by a special coordinate transformation, then solving the pole placement problem by state derivative feedback. Finally the solution is extended also for single-input time-varying control systems. The simulation results are included to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Flexible ureterorenoscopy for lower pole stones: influence of the collecting system's anatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Jessen, Jan Peter; Honeck, Patrick; Knoll, Thomas; Wendt-Nordahl, Gunnar

2014-02-01

The impact of renal anatomy on the success rate of flexible ureterorenoscopy (fURS) for lower pole stones is less clear than it is on shock wave lithotripsy, for which it is a recognized influence factor. We analyzed safety and efficiency of fURS using modern endoscopes for lower pole stones dependent on the collecting system's configuration. We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive sample of 111 fURS for lower pole stones at our tertiary care center between January 2010 and September 2012 from our prospectively kept database. All procedures were performed with modern flexible ureterorenoscopes, nitinol baskets, holmium laser lithotripsy, and ureteral access sheaths whenever needed. The infundibular length (IL) and width (IW) and infundibulopelvic angle (IPA) were measured and the data were stratified for stone-free status and complications classified by the Clavien-Dindo scale. Univariate and multifactorial statistical analyses were performed. Correlation of operation time (OR-time) with anatomical parameters was conducted. Ninety-eight (88.3%) of the 111 patients were stone free after a single fURS. On multifactorial analysis, the stone size and IL had significant influence on the stone-free rate (SFR) (panatomy. fURS is a safe and efficient treatment option for lower pole kidney stones. A long infundibulum and a very acute IPA (anatomy.

ENPA endine juht seisukohti muutnud pole / Hendrik Vosman

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Vosman, Hendrik

2008-01-01

Eelmisel aastal Eestit vähemuste diskrimineerimises süüdistanud Euroopa Nõukogu Parlamentaarse Assamblee endine esimees Rene van der Linden pole oma seisukohta muutnud ning usub endiselt, et tema jutt inimõiguste rikkumiste kohta Eestis peab paika. Vt. samas: Van der Linden

Lunar South Pole Illumination: Review, Reassessment, and Power System Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Fincannon, James

2007-01-01

This paper reviews past analyses and research related to lunar south pole illumination and presents results of independent illumination analyses using an analytical tool and a radar digital elevation model. The analysis tool enables assessment at most locations near the lunar poles for any time and any year. Average illumination fraction, energy storage duration, solar/horizon terrain elevation profiles and illumination fraction profiles are presented for various highly illuminated sites which have been identified for manned or unmanned operations. The format of the data can be used by power system designers to develop mass optimized solar and energy storage systems. Data are presented for the worse case lunar day (a critical power planning bottleneck) as well as three lunar days during lunar south pole winter. The main site under consideration by present lunar mission planners (on the Crater Shackleton rim) is shown to have, for the worse case lunar day, a 0.71 average illumination fraction and 73 to 117 hours required for energy storage (depending on power system type). Linking other sites and including towers at either site are shown to not completely eliminate the need for energy storage.

Twice electric field poling for engineering multiperiodic Hex-PPLN microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Pagliarulo, Vito; Gennari, Oriella; Rega, Romina; Mecozzi, Laura; Grilli, Simonetta; Ferraro, Pietro

2018-05-01

Satellite bulk ferroelectric domains were observed everywhere around the larger main inverted ferroelectric domains when a Twice Electric Field Poling (TEFP) process is applied on a z-cut lithium niobate substrate. TEFP approach can be very advantageous for engineering multiperiodic poled microstructures in ferroelectrics. In fact, it is very difficult in the experimental practice to avoid underpoling and/or overpoling when structures with different sizes are requested in the same crystal. TEFP was applied to photoresist patterned crystal with 100 μm period and then a second EP step, with a ten-times smaller periodicity of 10 μm, was accomplished on the same sample. The intriguing fact is that the shorter 10 μm pattern disappeared everywhere except that around the larger satellite ferroelectric domains. The formation of this double-periodicity in the reversed ferroelectric domains occurs very easily and in repeatedly way. We have experimentally investigated the formation of such HePPLN structures by an interference microscopy in digital holography (DH) modality. The reported results demonstrate the possibility of fabricating multi-periodic structures and open the way to investigate the possibility to achieve hierarchical PPLN structures by multiple subsequent electric poling processes.

Long-Term Bending Creep Behavior of Thin-Walled CFRP Tendon Pretensioned Spun Concrete Poles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni P. Terrasi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the long-term behavior of a series of highly-loaded, spun concrete pole specimens prestressed with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP tendons, which were subjected to outdoor four-point bending creep tests since 1996 in the frame of collaboration with the Swiss precast concrete producer, SACAC (Società Anonima Cementi Armati Centrifugati. The 2 m span cylindrical beams studied are models for lighting poles produced for the last 10 years and sold on the European market. Five thin-walled pole specimens were investigated (diameter: 100 mm; wall-thickness: 25–27 mm. All specimens were produced in a pretensioning and spinning technique and were prestressed by pultruded CFRP tendons. Initially, two reference pole specimens were tested in quasi-static four-point bending to determine the short-term failure moment and to model the short-term flexural behavior. Then, three pole specimens were loaded to different bending creep moments: while the lowest loaded specimen was initially uncracked, the second specimen was loaded with 50% of the short-term bending failure moment and exhibited cracking immediately after load introduction. The highest loaded pole specimen sustained a bending moment of 72% of the short-term bending failure moment for 16.5 years before failing in July 2013, due to the bond failure of the tendons, which led to local crushing of the high-performance spun concrete (HPSC. Besides this, long-term monitoring of the creep tests has shown a limited time- and temperature-dependent increase of the deflections over the years, mainly due to the creep of the concrete. A concrete creep-based model allowed for the calculation of the long-term bending curvatures with reasonable accuracy. Furthermore, the pole specimens showed crack patterns that were stable over time and minimal slippage of the tendons with respect to the pole’s end-faces for the two lower load levels. The latter proves the successful and durable

Looping and clustering model for the organization of protein-DNA complexes on the bacterial genome

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Jean-Charles; Walliser, Nils-Ole; David, Gabriel; Dorignac, Jérôme; Geniet, Frédéric; Palmeri, John; Parmeggiani, Andrea; Wingreen, Ned S.; Broedersz, Chase P.

2018-03-01

The bacterial genome is organized by a variety of associated proteins inside a structure called the nucleoid. These proteins can form complexes on DNA that play a central role in various biological processes, including chromosome segregation. A prominent example is the large ParB-DNA complex, which forms an essential component of the segregation machinery in many bacteria. ChIP-Seq experiments show that ParB proteins localize around centromere-like parS sites on the DNA to which ParB binds specifically, and spreads from there over large sections of the chromosome. Recent theoretical and experimental studies suggest that DNA-bound ParB proteins can interact with each other to condense into a coherent 3D complex on the DNA. However, the structural organization of this protein-DNA complex remains unclear, and a predictive quantitative theory for the distribution of ParB proteins on DNA is lacking. Here, we propose the looping and clustering model, which employs a statistical physics approach to describe protein-DNA complexes. The looping and clustering model accounts for the extrusion of DNA loops from a cluster of interacting DNA-bound proteins that is organized around a single high-affinity binding site. Conceptually, the structure of the protein-DNA complex is determined by a competition between attractive protein interactions and loop closure entropy of this protein-DNA cluster on the one hand, and the positional entropy for placing loops within the cluster on the other. Indeed, we show that the protein interaction strength determines the ‘tightness’ of the loopy protein-DNA complex. Thus, our model provides a theoretical framework for quantitatively computing the binding profiles of ParB-like proteins around a cognate (parS) binding site.

Induction Motor with Switchable Number of Poles and Toroidal Winding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MUNTEANU, A.

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study of an induction motor provided with toroidal stator winding. The ring-type coils offer a higher versatility in obtaining a different number of pole pairs by means of delta/star and series/parallel connections respectively. As consequence, the developed torque can vary within large limits and the motor can be utilized for applications that require, for example, high load torque values for a short time. The study involves experimental tests and FEM simulation for an induction machine with three configurations of pole pairs. The conclusions attest the superiority of the toroidal winding for certain applications such as electric vehicles or lifting machines.

In Silico Characterization of Pectate Lyase Protein Sequences from Different Source Organisms

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Amit Kumar Dubey

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A total of 121 protein sequences of pectate lyases were subjected to homology search, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, and motif analysis. The phylogenetic tree constructed revealed different clusters based on different source organisms representing bacterial, fungal, plant, and nematode pectate lyases. The multiple accessions of bacterial, fungal, nematode, and plant pectate lyase protein sequences were placed closely revealing a sequence level similarity. The multiple sequence alignment of these pectate lyase protein sequences from different source organisms showed conserved regions at different stretches with maximum homology from amino acid residues 439–467, 715–816, and 829–910 which could be used for designing degenerate primers or probes specific for pectate lyases. The motif analysis revealed a conserved Pec_Lyase_C domain uniformly observed in all pectate lyases irrespective of variable sources suggesting its possible role in structural and enzymatic functions.

Liz Taylor : minu van Gogh pole natsidele kuulunud

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2004-01-01

Elizabeth Taylor palus kohtult otsust, et talle kuuluvat 15 miljonit dollarit maksvat Vincent van Goghi maali "Vaade Saint-Remy varjupaigale" pole natsid Margarete Mauthneri juudiperekonna käest vägivaldselt ära võtnud. E. Taylori isa ostis maali 1963. a. Londonis oksjonilt

The effect of protein and lipid source in organic feed for (organic) rainbow trout on sensory quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldig, Grethe; Green-Petersen, Ditte; Jacobsen, Charlotte

2011-01-01

of vegetable protein. While the lipid sources were fish, linseed, sunflower, rapeseed and grape seed oil. After slaughtering all fish were frozen (-40°C) until the sensory experiment was performed, for which the trout were thawed and stored for 3, 5, 7 and 14 days in ice respectively. The sensory experiment......-life is increased by feeding the fish with vegetable protein compared to fish meal. The conclusion of the experiment therefore was that both dietary vegetable protein and lipid sources can influence on sensory characteristics of trout stored in ice.......The aim of this work was to study which effects protein and lipid source in feed for organic rainbow trout (Oncohynchus mykiss) may have on the sensory quality of the final product after up to 14 days of storage in ice. The protein sources used in the experiment were fishmeal and a mixture...

Evidence of highly oxidizing environment over the South Pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, D.

2001-01-01

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered high levels of an air purifying chemical or oxidizing agent in the near-surface atmosphere over the South Pole. This research, funded by the National Science Foundation, has implications for interpreting historical global climate records stored in Antarctic ice cores. The hydroxyl (OH) radical is higher at the South Pole than that estimated from OH measurements recorded at the equator. The OH radical is vital to scrubbing pollution and naturally occurring chemicals from the air and prevents a buildup of toxic levels of chemicals. The near surface atmospheric zone is a highly oxidizing environment at the South Pole. There is evidence that oxidizing chemistry continues to occur in the buried snow. This active chemistry could modify chemical species before they are trapped in the ice in their final chemical forms. Therefore, glaciochemists who study climate change based on analysis of trace chemicals trapped in polar ice will have to be more careful in their interpretations of Antarctic ice cores. Any significant increase of nitric oxide levels in any snow-covered area should result in high OH levels. Scientists used the selected-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometer technique to measure OH. To measure nitric oxide (NO), they used chemiluminescence with modifications to improve its sensitivity. Nitric oxide is also a radical and is a by-product of internal combustion engines. At the South Pole, it is formed when ultraviolet radiation interacts with nitrate ions. The source of NO is not clear, but it may originate from stratospheric denitrification and the long-range transport of nitric acid formed at low latitude during electrical storms. Scientists are also working to better understand the oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) under the cold conditions and high latitudes of Antarctica. This information will help glaciochemists to better interpret sulfate and methane sulfonate concentrations

Tuning characteristics of narrowband THz radiation generated via optical rectification in periodically poled lithium niobate.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, C; Torosyan, G; Meyn, J P; Wallenstein, R; Beigang, R; Avetisyan, Y

2001-04-23

The tuning properties of pulsed narrowband THz radiation generated via optical rectification in periodically poled lithium niobate have been investigated. Using a disk-shaped periodically poled crystal tuning was easily accomplished by rotating the crystal around its axis and observing the generated THz radiation in forward direction. In this way no beam deflection during tuning was observed. The total tuning range extended from 180 GHz up to 830 GHz and was limited by the poling period of 127 microm which determines the maximum THz frequency in forward direction.

Threshold for strong thermal dephasing in periodically poled KTP in external cavity frequency doubling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundeman, Jesper Holm; Jensen, Ole Bjarlin; Andersen, Peter E.

2009-01-01

We present a measurement series of the efficiency of periodically poled KTP used for second-harmonic generation in an external phase-locked cavity. Due to the high absorption (0.01 cm^−1) in the PPKTP crystal at the pump wavelength a strong thermal dephasing of the periodically poled grating...

Poles of the Zagreb analysis partial-wave T matrices

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Batinić, M.; Ceci, S.; Švarc, A.; Zauner, B.

2010-09-01

The Zagreb analysis partial-wave T matrices included in the Review of Particle Physics [by the Particle Data Group (PDG)] contain Breit-Wigner parameters only. As the advantages of pole over Breit-Wigner parameters in quantifying scattering matrix resonant states are becoming indisputable, we supplement the original solution with the pole parameters. Because of an already reported numeric error in the S11 analytic continuation [Batinić , Phys. Rev. CPRVCAN0556-281310.1103/PhysRevC.57.1004 57, 1004(E) (1997); arXiv:nucl-th/9703023], we declare the old BATINIC 95 solution, presently included by the PDG, invalid. Instead, we offer two new solutions: (A) corrected BATINIC 95 and (B) a new solution with an improved S11 πN elastic input. We endorse solution (B).

Temperament and living conditions: a comparison study of Poles and Koreans.

Science.gov (United States)

Zajenkowska, Anna; Zajenkowski, Marcin

2013-02-01

The present investigation tested the temperament traits of 319 Polish and 315 South Korean students according to the regulative theory of temperament. Poland and South Korea are two countries with a similar rate of economic growth but with distinct cultures; for instance, they differ in terms of individualism and masculinity dimensions as well as living conditions. This means that they have achieved the same goal with different resources but presumably also with different side effects. The results indicate that the Poles had higher levels of briskness, sensor sensibility and endurance, as well as lower levels of emotional reactivity and perseveration in comparison with South Koreans. The structure of one's temperament determines one's ability to meet environmental requirements and also how one deals with stressful conditions. According to previous empirical data, Poles' temperament profile can be characterized as being less prone to stress perception and therefore more advantageous. It is possible that Koreans, as they have a less adaptive temperament structure, experience higher levels of stress in a more stimulating environment than Poles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Direct kinetochore–spindle pole connections are not required for chromosome segregation

Science.gov (United States)

Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Magidson, Valentin; Steinman, Jonathan B.; He, Jie; Le Berre, Maël; Tikhonenko, Irina; Ault, Jeffrey G.; McEwen, Bruce F.; Chen, James K.; Sui, Haixin; Piel, Matthieu; Kapoor, Tarun M.

2014-01-01

Segregation of genetic material occurs when chromosomes move to opposite spindle poles during mitosis. This movement depends on K-fibers, specialized microtubule (MT) bundles attached to the chromosomes′ kinetochores. A long-standing assumption is that continuous K-fibers connect every kinetochore to a spindle pole and the force for chromosome movement is produced at the kinetochore and coupled with MT depolymerization. However, we found that chromosomes still maintained their position at the spindle equator during metaphase and segregated properly during anaphase when one of their K-fibers was severed near the kinetochore with a laser microbeam. We also found that, in normal fully assembled spindles, K-fibers of some chromosomes did not extend to the spindle pole. These K-fibers connected to adjacent K-fibers and/or nonkinetochore MTs. Poleward movement of chromosomes with short K-fibers was uncoupled from MT depolymerization at the kinetochore. Instead, these chromosomes moved by dynein-mediated transport of the entire K-fiber/kinetochore assembly. Thus, at least two distinct parallel mechanisms drive chromosome segregation in mammalian cells. PMID:25023516

Direct kinetochore-spindle pole connections are not required for chromosome segregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sikirzhytski, Vitali; Magidson, Valentin; Steinman, Jonathan B; He, Jie; Le Berre, Maël; Tikhonenko, Irina; Ault, Jeffrey G; McEwen, Bruce F; Chen, James K; Sui, Haixin; Piel, Matthieu; Kapoor, Tarun M; Khodjakov, Alexey

2014-07-21

Segregation of genetic material occurs when chromosomes move to opposite spindle poles during mitosis. This movement depends on K-fibers, specialized microtubule (MT) bundles attached to the chromosomes' kinetochores. A long-standing assumption is that continuous K-fibers connect every kinetochore to a spindle pole and the force for chromosome movement is produced at the kinetochore and coupled with MT depolymerization. However, we found that chromosomes still maintained their position at the spindle equator during metaphase and segregated properly during anaphase when one of their K-fibers was severed near the kinetochore with a laser microbeam. We also found that, in normal fully assembled spindles, K-fibers of some chromosomes did not extend to the spindle pole. These K-fibers connected to adjacent K-fibers and/or nonkinetochore MTs. Poleward movement of chromosomes with short K-fibers was uncoupled from MT depolymerization at the kinetochore. Instead, these chromosomes moved by dynein-mediated transport of the entire K-fiber/kinetochore assembly. Thus, at least two distinct parallel mechanisms drive chromosome segregation in mammalian cells.

Planar cell polarity proteins differentially regulate extracellular matrix organization and assembly during zebrafish gastrulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dohn, Michael R; Mundell, Nathan A; Sawyer, Leah M; Dunlap, Julie A; Jessen, Jason R

2013-11-01

Zebrafish gastrulation cell movements occur in the context of dynamic changes in extracellular matrix (ECM) organization and require the concerted action of planar cell polarity (PCP) proteins that regulate cell elongation and mediolateral alignment. Data obtained using Xenopus laevis gastrulae have shown that integrin-fibronectin interactions underlie the formation of polarized cell protrusions necessary for PCP and have implicated PCP proteins themselves as regulators of ECM. By contrast, the relationship between establishment of PCP and ECM assembly/remodeling during zebrafish gastrulation is unclear. We previously showed that zebrafish embryos carrying a null mutation in the four-pass transmembrane PCP protein vang-like 2 (vangl2) exhibit increased matrix metalloproteinase activity and decreased immunolabeling of fibronectin. These data implicated for the first time a core PCP protein in the regulation of pericellular proteolysis of ECM substrates and raised the question of whether other zebrafish PCP proteins also impact ECM organization. In Drosophila melanogaster, the cytoplasmic PCP protein Prickle binds Van Gogh and regulates its function. Here we report that similar to vangl2, loss of zebrafish prickle1a decreases fibronectin protein levels in gastrula embryos. We further show that Prickle1a physically binds Vangl2 and regulates both the subcellular distribution and total protein level of Vangl2. These data suggest that the ability of Prickle1a to impact fibronectin organization is at least partly due to effects on Vangl2. In contrast to loss of either Vangl2 or Prickle1a function, we find that glypican4 (a Wnt co-receptor) and frizzled7 mutant gastrula embryos with disrupted non-canonical Wnt signaling exhibit the opposite phenotype, namely increased fibronectin assembly. Our data show that glypican4 mutants do not have decreased proteolysis of ECM substrates, but instead have increased cell surface cadherin protein expression and increased intercellular

MadR1, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell cycle stress response protein that is a member of a widely conserved protein class of prokaryotic, eukaryotic and archeal origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Crew, Rebecca; Ramirez, Melissa V; England, Kathleen; Slayden, Richard A

2015-05-01

Stress-induced molecular programs designed to stall division progression are nearly ubiquitous in bacteria, with one well-known example being the participation of the SulA septum inhibiting protein in the SOS DNA damage repair response. Mycobacteria similarly demonstrate stress-altered growth kinetics, however no such regulators have been found in these organisms. We therefore set out to identify SulA-like regulatory proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A bioinformatics modeling-based approach led to the identification of rv2216 as encoding for a protein with weak similarity to SulA, further analysis distinguished this protein as belonging to a group of uncharacterized growth promoting proteins. We have named the mycobacterial protein encoded by rv2216 morphology altering division regulator protein 1, MadR1. Overexpression of madR1 modulated cell length while maintaining growth kinetics similar to wild-type, and increased the proportion of bent or V-form cells in the population. The presence of MadR1-GFP at regions of cellular elongation (poles) and morphological differentiation (V-form) suggests MadR1 involvement in phenotypic heterogeneity and longitudinal cellular growth. Global transcriptional analysis indicated that MadR1 functionality is linked to lipid editing programs required for growth and persistence. This is the first report to differentiate the larger class of these conserved proteins from SulA proteins and characterizes MadR1 effects on the mycobacterial cell. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Charge neutralization as the major factor for the assembly of nucleocapsid-like particles from C-terminal truncated hepatitis C virus core protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theo Luiz Ferraz de Souza

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV core protein, in addition to its structural role to form the nucleocapsid assembly, plays a critical role in HCV pathogenesis by interfering in several cellular processes, including microRNA and mRNA homeostasis. The C-terminal truncated HCV core protein (C124 is intrinsically unstructured in solution and is able to interact with unspecific nucleic acids, in the micromolar range, and to assemble into nucleocapsid-like particles (NLPs in vitro. The specificity and propensity of C124 to the assembly and its implications on HCV pathogenesis are not well understood. Methods Spectroscopic techniques, transmission electron microscopy and calorimetry were used to better understand the propensity of C124 to fold or to multimerize into NLPs when subjected to different conditions or in the presence of unspecific nucleic acids of equivalent size to cellular microRNAs. Results The structural analysis indicated that C124 has low propensity to self-folding. On the other hand, for the first time, we show that C124, in the absence of nucleic acids, multimerizes into empty NLPs when subjected to a pH close to its isoelectric point (pH ≈ 12, indicating that assembly is mainly driven by charge neutralization. Isothermal calorimetry data showed that the assembly of NLPs promoted by nucleic acids is enthalpy driven. Additionally, data obtained from fluorescence correlation spectroscopy show that C124, in nanomolar range, was able to interact and to sequester a large number of short unspecific nucleic acids into NLPs. Discussion Together, our data showed that the charge neutralization is the major factor for the nucleocapsid-like particles assembly from C-terminal truncated HCV core protein. This finding suggests that HCV core protein may physically interact with unspecific cellular polyanions, which may correspond to microRNAs and mRNAs in a host cell infected by HCV, triggering their confinement into infectious particles.

Pulsed field magnetization strategies and the field poles composition in a bulk-type superconducting motor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Zhen, E-mail: zhen.huang@sjtu.edu.cn [Academy of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240 (China); Ruiz, H.S., E-mail: dr.harold.ruiz@le.ac.uk [Department of Engineering, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); Coombs, T.A., E-mail: tac1000@cam.ac.uk [Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA (United Kingdom)

2017-03-15

Highlights: • Different compositions of the magnetic poles have been obtained depending on the relative orientation of the magnetizing coil and the surfaces of the columns of bulks that conform a magnetic pole. • Two bidimensional models accounting for the electromagnetic response of the top and lateral cross sections of three columns of HTS bulks subjected to multiple pulsed magnetic fields have been created. • An extended PFM strategy has been proposed by considering the magnetization of at least three successive columns of HTS bulks per pole. In the extended PFM strategy the area of each one of the poles can be seen increased by a factor of 200%-400% - Abstract: High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks offer the potential of trapping and maintaining much higher magnetic loading level compared with the conventional permanent magnets used in rotary machines, although the effective magnetization of multiple HTS bulks with different relative orientations over the surface of cylindrical rotors creates new challenges. In this paper, we present the design and numerical validation of the Pulse Field Magnetization (PFM) strategy considered for the magnetization of the four-pole synchronous fully superconducting motor developed at the University of Cambridge. In a first instance, singular columns of up to five HTS bulks aligned over the height of the rotor were subjected to up to three magnetic pulses of 1.5 T peak, and the experimental results have been simulated by considering the electrical and thermal properties of the system in a 2D approach. The entire active surface of the rotor is covered by HTS bulks of approximately the same dimensions, resulting in an uneven distribution of pole areas with at least one of the poles formed by up to 3 columns of magnetized bulks, with relatively the same peaks of trapped magnetic field. Thus, in order to effectively use the entire area of the superconducting rotor, multiple pulsed fields per column have been applied

Pulsed field magnetization strategies and the field poles composition in a bulk-type superconducting motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Zhen; Ruiz, H.S.; Coombs, T.A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Different compositions of the magnetic poles have been obtained depending on the relative orientation of the magnetizing coil and the surfaces of the columns of bulks that conform a magnetic pole. • Two bidimensional models accounting for the electromagnetic response of the top and lateral cross sections of three columns of HTS bulks subjected to multiple pulsed magnetic fields have been created. • An extended PFM strategy has been proposed by considering the magnetization of at least three successive columns of HTS bulks per pole. In the extended PFM strategy the area of each one of the poles can be seen increased by a factor of 200%-400% - Abstract: High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks offer the potential of trapping and maintaining much higher magnetic loading level compared with the conventional permanent magnets used in rotary machines, although the effective magnetization of multiple HTS bulks with different relative orientations over the surface of cylindrical rotors creates new challenges. In this paper, we present the design and numerical validation of the Pulse Field Magnetization (PFM) strategy considered for the magnetization of the four-pole synchronous fully superconducting motor developed at the University of Cambridge. In a first instance, singular columns of up to five HTS bulks aligned over the height of the rotor were subjected to up to three magnetic pulses of 1.5 T peak, and the experimental results have been simulated by considering the electrical and thermal properties of the system in a 2D approach. The entire active surface of the rotor is covered by HTS bulks of approximately the same dimensions, resulting in an uneven distribution of pole areas with at least one of the poles formed by up to 3 columns of magnetized bulks, with relatively the same peaks of trapped magnetic field. Thus, in order to effectively use the entire area of the superconducting rotor, multiple pulsed fields per column have been applied

REGION NORTH OF TEACHER EDUCATION POLICY AND EVALUATION OF POLES OPEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Celso José da Costa

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This text aims to present, in general, the north region and policies for teacher training implemented in the last 5 years, locating in this context the importance of the Brazil Open University system and its supporting poles face as methodology research linked to the project "Institutionalization of Distance Education in Brazil." Greater emphasis will be given to data from the states of Pará and Acre, given that two authors of this text act as coordinators of the poles supporting attendance System Open University of Brazil in these states. We design the text, based on testimony of poles coordinators who participated in participatory research, conducted by the Research Group "Teacher education and information and communication technologies", LANTE / UFF. We aim also to identify the structure and functioning of the Poles face Supporting UAB in the North as well as the assessment tool applied in this region.

On the ultimate uncertainty of the top quark pole mass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beneke, M. [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Physik-Department; Marquard, P. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany); Nason, P. [INFN, Sezione di Milano Bicocca (Italy); Steinhauser, M. [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Teilchenphysik

2016-05-15

We combine the known asymptotic behaviour of the QCD perturbation series expansion, which relates the pole mass of a heavy quark to the MS mass, with the exact series coefficients up to the four-loop order to determine the ultimate uncertainty of the top-quark pole mass due to the renormalon divergence. We perform extensive tests of our procedure by varying the number of colours and flavours, as well as the scale of the strong coupling and the MS mass, and conclude that this uncertainty is around 70 MeV. We further estimate the additional contribution to the mass relation from the five-loop correction and beyond to be 250 MeV.

On the ultimate uncertainty of the top quark pole mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beneke, M.; Nason, P.; Steinhauser, M.

2016-05-01

We combine the known asymptotic behaviour of the QCD perturbation series expansion, which relates the pole mass of a heavy quark to the MS mass, with the exact series coefficients up to the four-loop order to determine the ultimate uncertainty of the top-quark pole mass due to the renormalon divergence. We perform extensive tests of our procedure by varying the number of colours and flavours, as well as the scale of the strong coupling and the MS mass, and conclude that this uncertainty is around 70 MeV. We further estimate the additional contribution to the mass relation from the five-loop correction and beyond to be 250 MeV.

Optimizing FRET-FLIM Labeling Conditions to Detect Nuclear Protein Interactions at Native Expression Levels in Living Arabidopsis Roots

KAUST Repository

Long, Yuchen

2018-05-15

Protein complex formation has been extensively studied using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measured by Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM). However, implementing this technology to detect protein interactions in living multicellular organism at single-cell resolution and under native condition is still difficult to achieve. Here we describe the optimization of the labeling conditions to detect FRET-FLIM in living plants. This study exemplifies optimization procedure involving the identification of the optimal position for the labels either at the N or C terminal region and the selection of the bright and suitable, fluorescent proteins as donor and acceptor labels for the FRET study. With an effective optimization strategy, we were able to detect the interaction between the stem cell regulators SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW at endogenous expression levels in the root pole of living Arabidopsis embryos and developing lateral roots by FRET-FLIM. Using this approach we show that the spatial profile of interaction between two transcription factors can be highly modulated in reoccurring and structurally resembling organs, thus providing new information on the dynamic redistribution of nuclear protein complex configurations in different developmental stages. In principle, our optimization procedure for transcription factor complexes is applicable to any biological system.

Highly efficient periodically poled KTP-isomorphs with large apertures and extreme domain aspect-ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Canalias, Carlota; Zukauskas, Andrius; Tjörnhamman, Staffan; Viotti, Anne-Lise; Pasiskevicius, Valdas; Laurell, Fredrik

2018-02-01

Since the early 1990's, a substantial effort has been devoted to the development of quasi-phased-matched (QPM) nonlinear devices, not only in ferroelectric oxides like LiNbO3, LiTaO3 and KTiOPO4 (KTP), but also in semiconductors as GaAs, and GaP. The technology to implement QPM structures in ferroelectric oxides has by now matured enough to satisfy the most basic frequency-conversion schemes without substantial modification of the poling procedures. Here, we present a qualitative leap in periodic poling techniques that allows us to demonstrate devices and frequency conversion schemes that were deemed unfeasible just a few years ago. Thanks to our short-pulse poling and coercive-field engineering techniques, we are able to demonstrate large aperture (5 mm) periodically poled Rb-doped KTP devices with a highly-uniform conversion efficiency over the whole aperture. These devices allow parametric conversion with energies larger than 60 mJ. Moreover, by employing our coercive-field engineering technique we fabricate highlyefficient sub-µm periodically poled devices, with periodicities as short as 500 nm, uniform over 1 mm-thick crystals, which allow us to realize mirrorless optical parametric oscillators with counter-propagating signal and idler waves. These novel devices present unique spectral and tuning properties, superior to those of conventional OPOs. Furthermore, our techniques are compatible with KTA, a KTP isomorph with extended transparency in the mid-IR range. We demonstrate that our highly-efficient PPKTA is superior both for mid-IR and for green light generation - as a result of improved transmission properties in the visible range. Our KTP-isomorph poling techniques leading to highly-efficient QPM devices will be presented. Their optical performance and attractive damage thresholds will be discussed.

Direct localization of poles of a meromorphic function from measurements on an incomplete boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Nara, Takaaki; Ando, Shigeru

2010-01-01

This paper proposes an algebraic method to reconstruct the positions of multiple poles in a meromorphic function field from measurements on an arbitrary simple arc in it. A novel issue is the exactness of the algorithm depending on whether the arc is open or closed, and whether it encloses or does not enclose the poles. We first obtain a differential equation that can equivalently determine the meromorphic function field. From it, we derive linear equations that relate the elementary symmetric polynomials of the pole positions to weighted integrals of the field along the simple arc and end-point terms of the arc when it is an open one. Eliminating the end-point terms based on an appropriate choice of weighting functions and a combination of the linear equations, we obtain a simple system of linear equations for solving the elementary symmetric polynomials. We also show that our algorithm can be applied to a 2D electric impedance tomography problem. The effects of the proximity of the poles, the number of measurements and noise on the localization accuracy are numerically examined.

Cell-Free Systems Based on CHO Cell Lysates: Optimization Strategies, Synthesis of "Difficult-to-Express" Proteins and Future Perspectives.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lena Thoring

Full Text Available Nowadays, biotechnological processes play a pivotal role in target protein production. In this context, Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO cells are one of the most prominent cell lines for the expression of recombinant proteins and revealed as a safe host for nearly 40 years. Nevertheless, the major bottleneck of common in vivo protein expression platforms becomes obvious when looking at the production of so called "difficult-to-express" proteins. This class of proteins comprises in particular several ion channels and multipass membrane proteins as well as cytotoxic proteins. To enhance the production of "difficult-to-express" proteins, alternative technologies were developed, mainly based on translationally active cell lysates. These so called "cell-free" protein synthesis systems enable an efficient production of different classes of proteins. Eukaryotic cell-free systems harboring endogenous microsomal structures for the synthesis of functional membrane proteins and posttranslationally modified proteins are of particular interest for future applications. Therefore, we present current developments in cell-free protein synthesis based on translationally active CHO cell extracts, underlining the high potential of this platform. We present novel results highlighting the optimization of protein yields, the synthesis of various "difficult-to-express" proteins and the cotranslational incorporation of non-standard amino acids, which was exemplarily demonstrated by residue specific labeling of the glycoprotein Erythropoietin and the multimeric membrane protein KCSA.

Mass spectrometry based approach for identification and characterisation of fluorescent proteins from marine organisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wojdyla, Katarzyna Iwona; Rogowska-Wrzesinska, Adelina; Wrzesinski, Krzysztof

2011-01-01

We present here a new analytical strategy for identification and characterisation of fluorescent proteins from marine organisms. By applying basic proteomics tools it is possible to screen large sample collections for fluorescent proteins of desired characteristics prior to gene cloning. Our...

Pole-zero adjustment of spectroscopy amplifiers using multichannel analyzers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ianakiev, K; Grigorov, T [Inst. for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1996-12-31

The technique to eliminate the undesirable undershoot in the output signal of a spectroscopy amplifier is considered. The functional scheme of the pole-zero monitoring circuit is presented as well as its operation principles are considered. 3 refs.

Visceral organ mass and hepatic protein synthetic capacity in fed and fasted rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrin, D.G.; Britton, R.A.; Ferrell, C.L.

1986-01-01

Forty-two male rats (avg wt. = 320 g) were used to assess the effect of severe nutrient restriction (72 h fast) on visceral organ mass and hepatic protein synthetic capacity as measured by in vitro incorporation of U- 14 -C-VALINE ( 14 C-VAL) into isolated hepatocytes. Organ weights expressed as a percent of empty body weight for fed vs. fasted rats were; liver (5.21 +/- .54 vs 3.82 +/- .46), kidney (.87 +/- 0.6 vs .89 +/- .05), stomach (.60 +/- .06 vs .61 +/- .06), intestines (3.70 +/- .44 vs 3.41 +/- .37). No differences were observed in in vitro oxygen consumption (15.7 +/- 3.1 vs 16.1 +/- 3.3, umole min -1 g -1 dry tissue) or 14 -C VAL incorporation (4.93 +/- 1.28 vs 4.31 +/- 1.48, dpm min -1 mg -1 dry tissue) for hepatocytes from fed vs. fasted rats. Analysis of perfused liver tissue indicated fed rats had higher protein (152.1 +/- 16.3 vs 136.6 +/- 29.6, mg/g tissue) and RNA (8.81 +/- 1.66 vs 5.97 +/- 1.87, mg/g tissue) with lower DNA (2.19 +/- .31 vs 3.19 +/- .54, mg/g tissue) compared to fasted rats. Protein-nucleic acid ratios suggest liver tissue from fed rats had a greater capacity for protein synthesis compared to fasted rats, however, this was not evident from in vitro hepatocyte 14 -C VAL incorporation estimates. These data indicate that severe nutrient restriction (72 h fast) affects visceral organ mass largely by reduced liver and gut size as well as decreased hepatic protein synthetic capacity

Development of a superconducting claw-pole motor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, E.; Kikukawa, K.; Satoh, Y.; Torii, S.

2008-01-01

We have developed and produced a superconducting claw-pole motor for a trial purpose as a method to make the best use of the characteristic of superconductivity without collector rings or rotating superconducting coils that need to be cryocooled, and made some examinations. The unique feature in this motor is to have the mechanism that supports the reaction magnetic force generated in the axial direction

Anomalous U(1) models in four and five dimensions and their anomaly poles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armillis, Roberta; Coriano, Claudio; Delle Rose, Luigi; Guzzi, Marco

2009-01-01

We analyze the role played by anomaly poles in an anomalous gauge theory by discussing their signature in the corresponding off-shell effective action. The origin of these contributions, in the most general kinematical case, is elucidated by performing a complete analysis of the anomaly vertex at perturbative level. We use two independent (but equivalent) representations: the Rosenberg representation and the longitudinal/transverse (L/T) parameterization, used in recent studies of g-2 of the muon and in the proof of non-renormalization theorems of the anomaly vertex. The poles extracted from the L/T parameterization do not couple in the infrared for generic anomalous vertices, as in Rosenberg, but we show that they are responsible for the violations of unitarity in the UV region, using a class of pole-dominated amplitudes. We conclude that consistent formulations of anomalous models require necessarily the cancellation of these polar contributions. Establishing the UV significance of these terms provides a natural bridge between the anomalous effective action and its completion by a nonlocal theory. Some additional difficulties with unitarity of the mechanism of inflow in extra dimensional models with an anomalous theory on the brane, due to the presence of anomaly poles, are also pointed out.

Design and analysis of a transversal-flux switched-reluctance-linear-machine pole-pair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salo, J.

1999-07-01

The Switched Reluctance technology is probably best suited for industrial low-speed or zerospeed applications where the power can be small but the torque or the force in linear movement cases might be relatively high. Because of its simple structure the Sit-motor is an interesting alternative for low power applications where pneumatic or hydraulic linear drives are to be avoided. This study analyses the basic parts of an LSR-motor which are the two mover poles and one stator pole and which form the 'basic pole pair' in linear-movement transversal-flux switched-reluctance motors. The static properties of the basic pole pair are modelled and the basic design rules are derived. The models developed are validated with experiments. A one-sided one-polepair transversal-flux switched-reluctance-linear-motor prototype is demonstrated and its static properties are measured. The modelling of the static properties is performed with FEM-calculations. Two-dimensional models are accurate enough to model the static key features for the basic dimensioning of LSRmotors. Three-dimensional models must be used in order to get the most accurate calculation results of the static traction force production. The developed dimensioning and modelling methods, which could be systematically validated by laboratory measurements, are the most significant contributions of this thesis. (orig.)

Design and analysis of a transversal-flux switched-reluctance-linear-machine pole-pair

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salo, J

1999-07-01

The Switched Reluctance technology is probably best suited for industrial low-speed or zerospeed applications where the power can be small but the torque or the force in linear movement cases might be relatively high. Because of its simple structure the Sit-motor is an interesting alternative for low power applications where pneumatic or hydraulic linear drives are to be avoided. This study analyses the basic parts of an LSR-motor which are the two mover poles and one stator pole and which form the 'basic pole pair' in linear-movement transversal-flux switched-reluctance motors. The static properties of the basic pole pair are modelled and the basic design rules are derived. The models developed are validated with experiments. A one-sided one-polepair transversal-flux switched-reluctance-linear-motor prototype is demonstrated and its static properties are measured. The modelling of the static properties is performed with FEM-calculations. Two-dimensional models are accurate enough to model the static key features for the basic dimensioning of LSRmotors. Three-dimensional models must be used in order to get the most accurate calculation results of the static traction force production. The developed dimensioning and modelling methods, which could be systematically validated by laboratory measurements, are the most significant contributions of this thesis. (orig.)

The Effects of Walking or Walking-with-Poles Training on Tissue Oxygenation in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eileen G. Collins

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This randomized trial proposed to determine if there were differences in calf muscle StO2 parameters in patients before and after 12 weeks of a traditional walking or walking-with-poles exercise program. Data were collected on 85 patients who were randomized to a traditional walking program ( or walking-with-poles program ( of exercise training. Patients walked for 3 times weekly for 12 weeks. Seventy-one patients completed both the baseline and the 12-week follow-up progressive treadmill tests ( traditional walking and walking-with-poles. Using the near-infrared spectroscopy measures, StO2 was measured prior to, during, and after exercise. At baseline, calf muscle oxygenation decreased from % prior to the treadmill test to % at peak exercise. The time elapsed prior to reaching nadir StO2 values increased more in the traditional walking group when compared to the walking-with-poles group. Likewise, absolute walking time increased more in the traditional walking group than in the walking-with-poles group. Tissue oxygenation decline during treadmill testing was less for patients assigned to a 12-week traditional walking program when compared to those assigned to a 12-week walking-with-poles program. In conclusion, the 12-week traditional walking program was superior to walking-with-poles in improving tissue deoxygenation in patients with PAD.

Critical Importance of Protein 4.1 in Centrosome and Mitiotic Spindle Aberrations in Breast Cancer Pathogenesis

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Krauss, Sharon W

2005-01-01

Important pathological hallmarks of many breast cancers include centrosome amplification, spindle pole defects leading to aberrant chromosome segregation, altered nucleoskeletal proteins and perturbed cytokinesis...

Detection and classification of pole-like road objects from mobile LiDAR data in motorway environment

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Li; Li, Zan; Liu, Hua; Tan, Junxiang; Zhao, Sainan; Chen, Changjun

2017-12-01

Mobile LiDAR Scanning (MLS) can collect 3-dimensional (3D) road and road-related geospatial information accurately and efficiently. Pole-like objects located in road environment are important street furniture and they are necessary information in road inventory and road mapping. The automatic detection and classification of pole-like road objects from mobile LiDAR data can greatly reduce the cost and improve the efficiency. This paper provides a complete workflow for the detection and classification of pole-like road objects from mobile LiDAR data in motorway environment. The major workflow includes three steps: data preprocessing, pole-like road objects detection and pole-like road objects classification. In data preprocessing step, ground points are removed by an automatic ground filtering algorithm, and then off-ground points are clustered into segments and the overlapped segments containing pole-like road objects are further separated through an iterative min-cut based segmentation approach. In detection step, filters utilizing both prior and shape information are used to detect the target objects. In classification step, features of objects are calculated and classified using Random Forest classifier. Our method was tested on two datasets scanned in motorway environment, and the results showed that the Matthews correlation coefficient of the two datasets in detection step was 93.7% and 95.9% respectively and the overall accuracy of the two datasets in classification step was 96.5% and 97.9% respectively.

Nest-building behavior of Monk Parakeets and insights into potential mechanisms for reducing damage to utility poles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin R. Burgio

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus commonly uses utility poles as a substrate for building large, bulky nests. These nests often cause fires and electric power outages, creating public safety risks and increasing liability and maintenance costs for electric companies. Previous research has focused on lethal methods and chemical contraception to prevent nesting on utility poles and electrical substations. However, implementation of lethal methods has led to public protests and lawsuits, while chemical contraception may affect other than the targeted species, and must be continually reapplied for effectiveness. One non-lethal alternative, nest removal, is costly and may not be a sustainable measure if Monk Parakeet populations continue to grow. In order to identify cost-effective non-lethal solutions to problems caused by Monk Parakeet nesting, we studied their behavior as they built nests on utility poles. Monk Parakeets initiate nests by attaching sticks at the intersection of the pole and electric lines. We found that parakeets use the electric lines exclusively to gain access to the intersection of lines and pole during nest initiation, and continue to use the lines intensively throughout construction. Monk Parakeets also have more difficulty attaching sticks during the early stages of nest construction than when the nest is nearing completion. These findings suggest that intervention during the earlier stages of nest building, by excluding Monk Parakeets from electric lines adjacent to poles, may be an effective, non-lethal method of reducing or eliminating parakeets nesting on, and damaging, utility poles.

Correlation between temporal pole MRI abnormalities and surface ictal EEG patterns in patients with unilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Caboclo, Luís Otávio S F; Garzon, Eliana; Oliveira, Pedro A L; Carrete, Henrique; Centeno, Ricardo S; Bianchin, Marino M; Yacubian, Elza Márcia T; Sakamoto, Américo C

2007-01-01

The objective of this retrospective study is to analyze ictal patterns observed during continuous Video-EEG monitoring in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) due to unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (HS), and to correlate these EEG patterns to temporal pole abnormalities observed on magnetic resonance imaging exams. We analyzed 147 seizures from 35 patients with TLE and unilateral HS. Ictal patterns were classified and correlated to signal abnormalities and volumetric measures of the temporal poles. Volume differences over 10% were considered abnormal. The most frequent type of ictal pattern was rhythmic theta activity (RTA), encountered in 65.5% of the seizures. Rhythmic beta activity (RBA) was observed in 11% of the seizures, localized attenuation in 8%, interruption of epileptiform discharges in 6%, repetitive discharges in 5.5%, and rhythmic delta activity (RDA) in 4%. Sixty-six percent of the patients presented signal abnormalities in the temporal pole that were always ipsilateral to the HS. Sixty percent presented significant asymmetry of the temporal poles consisting of reduced volume that was also always ipsilateral to HS. Although patients with RTA as the predominant ictal pattern tended to present asymmetry of temporal poles (p=0.305), the ictal EEG pattern did not correlate with temporal pole asymmetry or signal abnormalities. RTA is the most frequent initial ictal pattern in patients with TLE due to unilateral HS. Temporal pole signal changes and volumetric reduction were commonly found in this group of patients, both abnormalities appearing always ipsilateral to the HS. However, neither temporal pole volume reduction nor signal abnormalities correlated with the predominant ictal pattern, suggesting that the temporal poles are not crucially involved in the process of epileptogenesis.

On the ultimate uncertainty of the top quark pole mass

Science.gov (United States)

Beneke, M.; Marquard, P.; Nason, P.; Steinhauser, M.

2017-12-01

We combine the known asymptotic behaviour of the QCD perturbation series expansion, which relates the pole mass of a heavy quark to the MS ‾ mass, with the exact series coefficients up to the four-loop order to determine the ultimate uncertainty of the top-quark pole mass due to the renormalon divergence. We perform extensive tests of our procedure by varying the number of colours and flavours, as well as the scale of the strong coupling and the MS ‾ mass. Including an estimate of the internal bottom and charm quark mass effect, we conclude that this uncertainty is around 110 MeV. We further estimate the additional contribution to the mass relation from the five-loop correction and beyond to be around 300 MeV.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloureterostomy in infants with duplex systems and upper pole hydronephrosis: Variations in double-J ureteral stenting techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Minki; Au, Jason; Huang, Gene O; Koh, Chester J

2017-04-01

We describe our experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic (RAL) pyeloureterostomy in infants with duplex systems and upper pole hydronephrosis with an emphasis on the various double J (DJ) ureteral stent placement techniques. We used our RAL pyeloureterostomy technique in two female infants with duplex systems and upper pole hydronephrosis. For case 1, we introduced the DJ stent and placed it in the recipient lower pole ureter during the robotic operation in an antegrade fashion. For case 2, we inserted the DJ stent during retrograde pyelography prior to the robotic procedure in a retrograde fashion, and the proximal portion of the stent was placed across the anastomosis into the upper pole renal pelvis. Postoperatively, each of the patients were discharged on postoperative day 1 without complications. The postoperative renal ultrasound at 3 months demonstrated marked improvement of the right upper pole hydronephrosis in both patients. RAL pyeloureterostomy represents a minimally invasive option for upper tract reconstruction of duplex systems with upper pole hydronephrosis in infants. The DJ stent can be placed at the beginning or during the procedure. The stent can be placed in the lower pole ureter or across the anastomosis into the upper pole renal pelvis. Copyright © 2017 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenging the dogma: the hidden layer of non-protein-coding RNAs in complex organisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattick, John S

2003-10-01

The central dogma of biology holds that genetic information normally flows from DNA to RNA to protein. As a consequence it has been generally assumed that genes generally code for proteins, and that proteins fulfil not only most structural and catalytic but also most regulatory functions, in all cells, from microbes to mammals. However, the latter may not be the case in complex organisms. A number of startling observations about the extent of non-protein-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcription in the higher eukaryotes and the range of genetic and epigenetic phenomena that are RNA-directed suggests that the traditional view of the structure of genetic regulatory systems in animals and plants may be incorrect. ncRNA dominates the genomic output of the higher organisms and has been shown to control chromosome architecture, mRNA turnover and the developmental timing of protein expression, and may also regulate transcription and alternative splicing. This paper re-examines the available evidence and suggests a new framework for considering and understanding the genomic programming of biological complexity, autopoietic development and phenotypic variation. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence of Bipolar Pulse Poling Technique for Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters using Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Films on 200 mm SOI Wafers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moriwaki, N; Fujimoto, K; Suzuki, K; Kobayashi, T; Itoh, T; Maeda, R; Suzuki, Y; Makimoto, N

2013-01-01

Piezoelectric vibration energy harvester arrays using Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 thin films on 200 mm SOI wafers were fabricated. In-plane distribution of influence of bipolar pulse poling technique on direct current (DC) power output from the harvesters was investigated. The results indicate that combination poling treatment of DC and bipolar pulse poling increases a piezoelectric property and reduces a dielectric constant. It means that this poling technique improves the figure of merit of sensors and harvesters. Maximum DC power from a harvester treated by DC poling after bipolar pulse poling is about five times larger than a one treated by DC poling only

Regulation of microtubule nucleation mediated by gamma-tubulin complexes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sulimenko, Vadym; Hájková, Zuzana; Klebanovych, Anastasiya; Dráber, Pavel

2017-01-01

Roč. 254, č. 3 (2017), s. 1187-1199 ISSN 0033-183X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD13015 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : mitotic spindle formation * ring complex * fission yeast * organizing centers * protein complex * golgi-complex * cell-cycle * pole body * augmin * centrosome * Centrosomes * Microtubule nucleation * Microtubule-organizing centers * Non-centrosomal nucleation sites * Spindle pole bodies * gamma-Tubulin complexes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 2.870, year: 2016

The south pole region of the moon as seen by Clementine

Science.gov (United States)

Shoemaker, E.M.; Robinson, M.S.; Eliason, E.M.

1994-01-01

The Clementine mission has provided the first comprehensive set of high-resolution images of the south pole region of the moon. Within 5?? of latitude of the pole, an area of an estimated 30,000 square kilometers remained in shadow during a full lunar rotation and is a promising target for future exploration for ice deposits. The Schrodinger Basin (320 kilometers in diameter), centered at 75??S, is one of the two youngest, least modified, great multiring impact basins on the moon. A large maar-type volcano localized along a graben within the Schrodinger Basin probably erupted between 1 and 2 billion years ago.

Characterization of a novel mutation in the von Willebrand factor propeptide in a distinct subtype of recessive von Willebrand disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lanke, Elsa; Kristoffersson, Ann-Charlotte; Philips, Malou

2008-01-01

von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a plasma protein that consists of a series of multimers of which the high-molecular-weight VWF multimers are the most potent in platelet adhesion and aggregation. The propeptide of the VWF (VWFpp) is known to be essential in the process of multimer assembly. Genetic...... mutation in the VWFpp abolishes multimerization of VWF. The mutation probably disrupts the normal configuration of the VWFpp, which is essential for correct orientation of the protomers and ultimately multimerization. The mutant amino acid is located in a region that is highly conserved across several...

Self Organizing Maps to efficiently cluster and functionally interpret protein conformational ensembles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Stella

2013-09-01

Full Text Available An approach that combines Self-Organizing maps, hierarchical clustering and network components is presented, aimed at comparing protein conformational ensembles obtained from multiple Molecular Dynamic simulations. As a first result the original ensembles can be summarized by using only the representative conformations of the clusters obtained. In addition the network components analysis allows to discover and interpret the dynamic behavior of the conformations won by each neuron. The results showed the ability of this approach to efficiently derive a functional interpretation of the protein dynamics described by the original conformational ensemble, highlighting its potential as a support for protein engineering.

Changes in vascularization of internal organs in rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis, treated with protein hydrolysate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demireva, K.; Popdimitrov, I.

1979-01-01

The vascularization of the internal organs of rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis was studied by the method of Sapirstein with 86 rubidium. Experiments were carried out on male Chinchilla rabbits, fed cholesterol in a dose of 0,2 g/kg of body weight daily for a period of 90 days. Part of the animals were treated with protein hydrolysate in a dose of 5 ml/kg of body weight subcutaneously and the remaining - with physiologic saline. There was reduced vascularization in the heart, kidneys, intestines, liver, adrenals, pancreas and other internal organs in rabbits fed cholestrol and treated with physiologic saline. Administration of protein hydrolysate had protective effect on organ vascularization. Accumulation of 86 rubidium in a large part of the animals was greater than in control group. It is shown that protein hydrolysate amino acids stabilize the endothelial cells and stimulate the local vascularization. (author)

Utilization of different waste proteins to create a novel PGPR-containing bio-organic fertilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yan; Sun, Li; Zhao, Jianshu; Huang, Rong; Li, Rong; Shen, Qirong

2015-01-01

High-quality bio-organic fertilizers (BIOs) cannot be produced without the addition of some proteins, while many waste proteins are haphazardly disposed, causing serious environmental pollution. In this study, several waste proteins were used as additives to assist with the reproduction of the functional microbe (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9) inoculated into matured composts to produce BIOs. An optimized composition of solid-state fermentation (SSF) raw materials was predicted by response surface methodology and experimental validation. The results showed that 7.61% (w/w, DW, the same below) rapeseed meal, 8.85% expanded feather meal, 6.47% dewatered blue algal sludge and 77.07% chicken compost resulted in maximum biomass of strain SQR-9 and the maximum amount of lipopeptides 7 days after SSF. Spectroscopy experiments showed that the inner material structural changes in the novel SSF differed from the control and the novel BIO had higher dissolved organic matter. This study offers a high value-added utilization of waste proteins for producing economical but high-quality BIO.

Targeting and Assembly of Components of the TOC Protein Import Complex at the Chloroplast Outer Envelope Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynn G.L. Richardson

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The translocon at the outer envelope membrane of chloroplasts (TOC initiates the import of thousands of nuclear encoded preproteins required for chloroplast biogenesis and function. The multimeric TOC complex contains two GTP-regulated receptors, Toc34 and Toc159, which recognize the transit peptides of preproteins and initiate protein import through a β–barrel membrane channel, Toc75. Different isoforms of Toc34 and Toc159 assemble with Toc75 to form structurally and functionally diverse translocons, and the composition and levels of TOC translocons is required for the import of specific subsets of coordinately expressed proteins during plant growth and development. Consequently, the proper assembly of the TOC complexes is key to ensuring organelle homeostasis. This review will focus on our current knowledge of the targeting and assembly of TOC components to form functional translocons at the outer membrane. Our analyses reveal that the targeting of TOC components involves elements common to the targeting of other outer membrane proteins, but also include unique features that appear to have evolved to specifically facilitate assembly of the import apparatus.

Targeting and assembly of components of the TOC protein import complex at the chloroplast outer envelope membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Lynn G L; Paila, Yamuna D; Siman, Steven R; Chen, Yi; Smith, Matthew D; Schnell, Danny J

2014-01-01

The translocon at the outer envelope membrane of chloroplasts (TOC) initiates the import of thousands of nuclear encoded preproteins required for chloroplast biogenesis and function. The multimeric TOC complex contains two GTP-regulated receptors, Toc34 and Toc159, which recognize the transit peptides of preproteins and initiate protein import through a β-barrel membrane channel, Toc75. Different isoforms of Toc34 and Toc159 assemble with Toc75 to form structurally and functionally diverse translocons, and the composition and levels of TOC translocons is required for the import of specific subsets of coordinately expressed proteins during plant growth and development. Consequently, the proper assembly of the TOC complexes is key to ensuring organelle homeostasis. This review will focus on our current knowledge of the targeting and assembly of TOC components to form functional translocons at the outer membrane. Our analyses reveal that the targeting of TOC components involves elements common to the targeting of other outer membrane proteins, but also include unique features that appear to have evolved to specifically facilitate assembly of the import apparatus.

Viral Organization of Human Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Wuchty, Stefan; Siwo, Geoffrey; Ferdig, Michael T.

2010-01-01

Although maps of intracellular interactions are increasingly well characterized, little is known about large-scale maps of host-pathogen protein interactions. The investigation of host-pathogen interactions can reveal features of pathogenesis and provide a foundation for the development of drugs and disease prevention strategies. A compilation of experimentally verified interactions between HIV-1 and human proteins and a set of HIV-dependency factors (HDF) allowed insights into the topology and intricate interplay between viral and host proteins on a large scale. We found that targeted and HDF proteins appear predominantly in rich-clubs, groups of human proteins that are strongly intertwined among each other. These assemblies of proteins may serve as an infection gateway, allowing the virus to take control of the human host by reaching protein pathways and diversified cellular functions in a pronounced and focused way. Particular transcription factors and protein kinases facilitate indirect interactions between HDFs and viral proteins. Discerning the entanglement of directly targeted and indirectly interacting proteins may uncover molecular and functional sites that can provide novel perspectives on the progression of HIV infection and highlight new avenues to fight this virus. PMID:20827298

Finite element analysis of boron diffusion in wooden Poles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krabbenhøft, Kristian; Hoffmeyer, Preben; Bechgaard, Carl

2004-01-01

The problem of describing the migration of dissolved boron in wood is treated with special reference to the commonly used remedial treatment of wooden poles. The governing equations are derived and discussed together with some of the material parameters required. The equations are solved...

Tööpuudus 29%, palavikku pole / Rachel Donadio

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Donadio, Rachel

2010-01-01

Lõuna-Hispaanias asuvas Cádizis on töötus 29%, ometi pole eurotsooni kõrgeim tööpuuduse määr tekitanud linnas sügavat sotsiaalset rahutust ega massilisi proteste, sest üsna kõrge elukvaliteedi tagavad töötutele kompleksne turvavõrk, mis koosneb varimajandusest, perekonna toetusest ja valitsuse toetusest

[Poles of American tegumentary leishmaniasis production in northern Paraná State, Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, Wuelton Marcelo; Neitzke, Herintha Coeto; Silveira, Thaís Gomes Verzignassi; Lonardoni, Maria Valdrinez Campana; Teodoro, Ueslei; Ferreira, Maria Eugênia Moreira Costa

2009-05-01

American tegumentary leishmaniasis is endemic in the State of Paraná, with 99.3% of the cases reported in the South of Brazil. Spatial distribution of the disease in northern Paraná was verified, identifying the most relevant geographic areas in epidemiological terms. The study used data recorded on epidemiological forms from the Teaching and Research Clinical Test Laboratory of the State University in Maringá, from 1987 to 2004. The study only included individuals that were infected in the municipalities (counties) in northern Paraná. Identification of the epidemiological units (poles and circuits) was based on spatial density of cases, according to the model proposed by the National Health Foundation, considering the most likely infection sites. Considering 1,933 reported cases, 1,611 were infected in northern Paraná. American tegumentary leishmaniasis distribution in Paraná State suggests two circuits for production of the disease: Paraná-Paranapanema, highlighting the Cinzas-Laranjinha, Tibagi, Ivaí-Pirapó, Piquiri, and Baixo Iguaçu poles, and Ribeira, highlighting the Alto Ribeira pole.

Semigroup evolution in the Wigner-Weisskopf pole approximation with Markovian spectral coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikerman, F.; Peer, A.; Horwitz, L. P.

2011-01-01

We establish the relation between the Wigner-Weisskopf theory for the description of an unstable system and the theory of coupling to an environment. According to the Wigner-Weisskopf general approach, even within the pole approximation, the evolution of a total system subspace is not an exact semigroup for multichannel decay unless the projectors into eigenstates of the reduced evolution generator W(z) are orthogonal. With multichannel decay, the projectors must be evaluated at different pole locations z α ≠z β , and since the orthogonality relation does not generally hold at different values of z, the semigroup evolution is a poor approximation for the multichannel decay, even for very weak coupling. Nevertheless, if the theory is generalized to take into account interactions with an environment, one can ensure orthogonality of the W(z) projectors regardless of the number of poles. Such a possibility occurs when W(z), and hence its eigenvectors, is independent of z, which corresponds to the Markovian limit of the coupling to the continuum spectrum.

Semigroup evolution in the Wigner-Weisskopf pole approximation with Markovian spectral coupling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shikerman, F.; Peer, A. [Physics department and BINA center for nano-technology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900 (Israel); Horwitz, L. P. [Physics department and BINA center for nano-technology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900 (Israel); School of Physics, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv 69978 (Israel); Department of Physics, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel 40700 (Israel)

2011-07-15

We establish the relation between the Wigner-Weisskopf theory for the description of an unstable system and the theory of coupling to an environment. According to the Wigner-Weisskopf general approach, even within the pole approximation, the evolution of a total system subspace is not an exact semigroup for multichannel decay unless the projectors into eigenstates of the reduced evolution generator W(z) are orthogonal. With multichannel decay, the projectors must be evaluated at different pole locations z{sub {alpha}}{ne}z{sub {beta}}, and since the orthogonality relation does not generally hold at different values of z, the semigroup evolution is a poor approximation for the multichannel decay, even for very weak coupling. Nevertheless, if the theory is generalized to take into account interactions with an environment, one can ensure orthogonality of the W(z) projectors regardless of the number of poles. Such a possibility occurs when W(z), and hence its eigenvectors, is independent of z, which corresponds to the Markovian limit of the coupling to the continuum spectrum.

Influence of PZT Coating Thickness and Electrical Pole Alignment on Microresonator Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Janusas, Giedrius; Ponelyte, Sigita; Brunius, Alfredas; Guobiene, Asta; Vilkauskas, Andrius; Palevicius, Arvydas

2016-11-10

With increasing technical requirements in the design of microresonators, the development of new techniques for lightweight, simple, and inexpensive components becomes relevant. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is a powerful tool in the formation of these components, allowing a self-actuation or self-sensing capability. Different fabrication methods lead to the variation of the properties of the device itself. This research paper covers the fabrication of a novel PZT film and the investigations of its chemical, surface, and dynamic properties when film thickness is varied. A screen-printing technique was used for the formation of smooth films of 60 µm, 68 µm, and 25 µm thickness. A custom-made poling technique was applied to enhance the piezoelectric properties of the designed films. However, poling did not change any compositional or surface characteristics of the films; changes were only seen in the electrical ones. The results showed that a thinner poled PZT film having a chemical composition with the highest amount of copper and zirconium led to better electrical characteristics (generated voltage of 3.5 mV).

The TRPC2 channel forms protein-protein interactions with Homer and RTP in the rat vomeronasal organ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brann Jessica H

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The signal transduction cascade operational in the vomeronasal organ (VNO of the olfactory system detects odorants important for prey localization, mating, and social recognition. While the protein machinery transducing these external cues has been individually well characterized, little attention has been paid to the role of protein-protein interactions among these molecules. Development of an in vitro expression system for the transient receptor potential 2 channel (TRPC2, which establishes the first electrical signal in the pheromone transduction pathway, led to the discovery of two protein partners that couple with the channel in the native VNO. Results Homer family proteins were expressed in both male and female adult VNO, particularly Homer 1b/c and Homer 3. In addition to this family of scaffolding proteins, the chaperones receptor transporting protein 1 (RTP1 and receptor expression enhancing protein 1 (REEP1 were also expressed. RTP1 was localized broadly across the VNO sensory epithelium, goblet cells, and the soft palate. Both Homer and RTP1 formed protein-protein interactions with TRPC2 in native reciprocal pull-down assays and RTP1 increased surface expression of TRPC2 in in vitro assays. The RTP1-dependent TRPC2 surface expression was paralleled with an increase in ATP-stimulated whole-cell current in an in vitro patch-clamp electrophysiological assay. Conclusions TRPC2 expression and channel activity is regulated by chaperone- and scaffolding-associated proteins, which could modulate the transduction of chemosignals. The developed in vitro expression system, as described here, will be advantageous for detailed investigations into TRPC2 channel activity and cell signalling, for a channel protein that was traditionally difficult to physiologically assess.

Iron oxide nanoparticles modulate heat shock proteins and organ specific markers expression in mice male accessory organs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sundarraj, Kiruthika; Raghunath, Azhwar; Panneerselvam, Lakshmikanthan; Perumal, Ekambaram, E-mail: ekas2009@buc.edu.in

2017-02-15

With increased industrial utilization of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs), concerns on adverse reproductive health effects following exposure have been immensely raised. In the present study, the effects of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs exposure in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland were studied in mice. Mice were exposed to two different doses (25 and 50 mg/kg) of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs along with the control and analyzed the expressions of heat shock proteins (HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90) and organ specific markers (Caltrin, PSP94, and SSLP1). Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs decreased food consumption, water intake, and organo-somatic index in mice with elevated iron levels in serum, urine, fecal matter, seminal vesicle and prostate gland. FTIR spectra revealed alterations in the functional groups of biomolecules on Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs treatment. These changes are accompanied by increased lactate dehydrogenase levels with decreased total protein and fructose levels. The investigation of oxidative stress biomarkers demonstrated a significant increase in reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and glutathione peroxidase with a concomitant decrement in the glutathione and ascorbic acid in the male accessory organs which confirmed the induction of oxidative stress. An increase in NADPH-oxidase-4 with a decrease in glutathione-S-transferase was observed in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of the treated groups. An alteration in HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, Caltrin, PSP94, and SSLP1 expression was also observed. Moreover, accumulation of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs brought pathological changes in the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of treated mice. These findings provide evidence that Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs could be an environmental risk factor for reproductive disease. - Highlights: • Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}-NPs caused adverse effects on the seminal vesicle and prostate gland of mice • Heat shock proteins (Hsp60, 70 and 90) were

Multi-pole magnetization of NdFeB magnets for magnetic micro-actuators and its characterization with a magnetic field mapping device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toepfer, J.; Pawlowski, B.; Beer, H.; Ploetner, K.; Hofmann, P.; Herrfurth, J.

2004-01-01

Multi-pole magnetization of NdFeB plate magnets of thickness between 0.25 and 2 mm with a stripe pattern and a pole pitch of 2 or 1 mm was performed by pulse magnetization. The experimental conditions of the magnetization process were optimized to give a maximum surface flux density at the poles. The magnetic field distribution above the magnets was measured with a field mapping device that automatically scans the surface of the magnet with a Hall probe. It is demonstrated for different magnet geometries that the field mapping system is a useful device to study the magnetic surface pole structure. The characterization of the pole flux density of multi-pole NdFeB flat magnets is an important prerequisite for the application of these magnets in miniature actuators

From Beale Number to Pole Placement Design of a Free Piston Stirling Engine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zare Shahryar

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, pole placement-based design and analysis of a free piston Stirling engine (FPSE is presented and compared to the well-defined Beale number design technique. First, dynamic and thermodynamic equations governing the engine system are extracted. Then, linear dynamics of the free piston Stirling engine are studied using dynamic systems theory tools such as root locus. Accordingly, the effects of variations of design parameters such as mass of pistons, stiffness of springs, and frictional damping on the locations of dominant closed-loop poles are investigated. The design procedure is thus conducted to place the dominant poles of the dynamic system at desired locations on the s-plane so that the unstable dynamics, which is the required criterion for energy generation, is achieved. Next, the closed-loop poles are selected based on a desired frequency so that a periodical system is found. Consequently, the design parameters, including mass and spring stiffness for both power and displacer pistons, are obtained. Finally, the engine power is calculated through the proposed control-based analysis and the result is compared to those of the experimental work and the Beale number approach. The outcomes of this work clearly reveal the effectiveness of the control-based design technique of FPSEs compared to the well-known approaches such as Beale number.

Crystalline texture study of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure pipes by DRX pole figures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buioli, C P; Banchik, A D; Vizcaino, P; Samper, R; Testone, S

2012-01-01

This work presents the study of crystalline texture of Zr-2.5%Nb pressure tubes (A, B and C); structural components of CANDU nuclear power reactors [1]. The study of texture was made using the RX diffraction technique, making measurements of direct pole figures [2], in a Phillips diffractometer with pole goniometer (IFIR-CONICET). The texture was determined calculating the coefficients of JJ Kearns [3]. The samples used correspond to transversal sections of the tubes, front and back, and were characterized making de measurements of five pole figures with Miller index (001), (100), (101), (102) and (110), in order to represent in a complete way the texture in the material. The calculated Kearns coefficients were compared with the specifications given by the designer of pressure tubes AECL [4] (author)

Frequency and factors effecting non clearance of lower pole renal stones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullah, A.; Zubair, M.; Khan, N.; Malik, A.

2015-01-01

Renal stone disease is a major health hazard in Pakistan and extra-corporeal shockwave lithotripsy is one of comprehensive method used to treat these stones. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of factors affecting the non-clearance of stone fragments of lower pole renal stone after extra corporeal shockwave lithotripsy. The study was done with the objective to determine the frequency the spatial anatomical factors which can influence the non-clearance of lower pole stone fragments after ESWL. Methods: One and nineteen (119) patients with lower pole renal stone less than 10 mm were subjected to maximum 3 sessions of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. KUB radiographs, ultrasonography and intravenous urography were used as investigative tools for lower pole renal calyceal anatomy. X ray KUB and ultrasound were done after a week for clearance. Data was analysed with the help of SPSS version 10.0 and presented in the forms of tables and graphs. Results: There were 77 (64.71%) males and 42 (35.29%) females. Infundibulo-pelvic angle (IPA)>40 degree was present in 93 (78.15%), Infundibular length (IL) <22 mm in 107 (89.92%) and Infundibular width (IW) >4 mm was present in 100 (84.03%) patients. The frequency of stone non clearance was noted in 31 (26.05%). Infundibulo-pelvic angle (IPA)>40 degree (p=0.000), Infundibular length (IL)<22 mm (p=0.001) and Infundibular width (IW)>4 mm (p=0.046) were significant variables affecting stone clearance. Conclusion: The frequency of non-clearance of lower calyx of kidney stone is 26.05%. The clearance of fragments of the lower calyx kidney stones is affected by three spatial anatomical factors, i.e., Infundibulopelvic angle, Infundibular width and infundibular length. (author)

Climatic Change over the 'Third Pole' from Long Tree-Ring Records

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, E.

2011-12-01

Climatic change over the Greater Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau, the 'Third Pole' of the world, is of great concern now as the Earth continues to warm at an alarming rate. While future climatic change over this region and its resulting impacts on humanity and the environment are difficult to predict with much certainty, knowing how climate has varied in the past can provide both an improved understanding of the range of variability and change that could occur in the future and the necessary context for assessing recent observed climatic change there. For this purpose, one of the best natural archives of past climate information available for study of the Third Pole environment is the changing pattern of annual ring widths found in long tree-ring chronologies. The forests of the Third Pole support many long-lived tree species, with some having life spans in excess of 1,000 years. This natural resource is steadily dwindling now due to continuing deforestation caused by human activity, but there is still enough remaining forest cover to produce a detailed network of long tree-ring chronologies for study of climate variability and change covering the past several centuries. The tree-ring records provide a mix of climate information, including that related to both temperature and precipitation. Examples of long drought-sensitive tree-ring records from the more arid parts of the Karakoram and Tibetan Plateau will be presented, along with records that primarily reflect changing temperatures in moister environments such as in Bhutan. Together they provide a glimpse of how climate of the Third Pole has changed over the past several centuries, the range of natural variability that could occur in the future independent of changes caused by greenhouse warming, and how changes during the latter part of the 20th century period of rapid global warming compare to the past.

Ecological physiological characteristic of some species of natural vegetation in the Poles'e State Radiation Ecological Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kravchenko, V.A.; Gaponenko, V.I.; Matsko, V.P.; Grushevskaya, O.M.; Bondar', Yu.I.; Evsievich, K.M.; Akadehmiya Navuk Belarusi, Minsk

1996-01-01

Influence of radiation on important ecological and physiological characteristics of Pinus silvestris L., Phleum pratense L. and Dactylis glomerata L. growing on territory of the Poles'e State Radiation Ecological Reservation has been investigated in 1992-1994. Significant changes in species and quantitative formation of natural vegetation growing on territory contaminated by the Chernobyl accident release were not observed. Positive correlation between the content of protein in needles of Pinus silvestris L., leaves of Agropyron repens L. and specific radioactivity of photosystem was established. Positive correlation between specific radioactivity of overground photosystem and quantity of nucleic acids (DNA+RNA) is leaves of Dactylis glomerata was found. 8 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

Generation of tunable narrow-band surface-emitted terahertz radiation in periodically poled lithium niobate.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, C; Torosyan, G; Avetisyan, Y; Beigang, R

2001-04-15

Generation of tunable narrow-band terahertz (THz) radiation perpendicular to the surface of periodically poled lithium niobate by optical rectification of femtosecond pulses is reported. The generated THz radiation can be tuned by use of different poling periods and different observation angles, limited only by the available bandwidth of the pump pulse. Typical bandwidths were 50-100 GHz, depending on the collection angle and the number of periods involved.

Study of recursive model for pole-zero cancellation circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Jianbin; Zhou Wei; Hong Xu; Hu Yunchuan; Wan Xinfeng; Du Xin; Wang Renbo

2014-01-01

The output of charge sensitive amplifier (CSA) is a negative exponential signal with long decay time which will result in undershoot after C-R differentiator. Pole-zero cancellation (PZC) circuit is often applied to eliminate undershoot in many radiation detectors. However, it is difficult to use a zero created by PZC circuit to cancel a pole in CSA output signal accurately because of the influences of electronic components inherent error and environmental factors. A novel recursive model for PZC circuit is presented based on Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL) in this paper. The model is established by numerical differentiation algorithm between the input and the output signal. Some simulation experiments for a negative exponential signal are carried out using Visual Basic for Application (VBA) program and a real x-ray signal is also tested. Simulated results show that the recursive model can reduce the time constant of input signal and eliminate undershoot. (authors)

1-Gb/s zero-pole cancellation CMOS transimpedance amplifier for Gigabit Ethernet applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Beiju; Zhang Xu; Chen Hongda

2009-01-01

A zero-pole cancellation transimpedance amplifier (TIA) has been realized in 0.35 μm RF CMOS technology for Gigabit Ethernet applications. The TIA exploits a zero-pole cancellation configuration to isolate the input parasitic capacitance including photodiode capacitance from bandwidth deterioration. Simulation results show that the proposed TIA has a bandwidth of 1.9 GHz and a transimpedance gain of 65 dB·Ω for 1.5 pF photodiode capacitance, with a gain-bandwidth product of 3.4 THz·Ω. Even with 2 pF photodiode capacitance, the bandwidth exhibits a decline of only 300 MHz, confirming the mechanism of the zero-pole cancellation configuration. The input resistance is 50 Ω, and the average input noise current spectral density is 9.7 pA/√Hz. Testing results shows that the eye diagram at 1 Gb/s is wide open. The chip dissipates 17 mW under a single 3.3 V supply.

1-Gb/s zero-pole cancellation CMOS transimpedance amplifier for Gigabit Ethernet applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang Beiju; Zhang Xu; Chen Hongda, E-mail: bjhuang@semi.ac.c [State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083 (China)

2009-10-15

A zero-pole cancellation transimpedance amplifier (TIA) has been realized in 0.35 {mu}m RF CMOS technology for Gigabit Ethernet applications. The TIA exploits a zero-pole cancellation configuration to isolate the input parasitic capacitance including photodiode capacitance from bandwidth deterioration. Simulation results show that the proposed TIA has a bandwidth of 1.9 GHz and a transimpedance gain of 65 dB{center_dot}{Omega} for 1.5 pF photodiode capacitance, with a gain-bandwidth product of 3.4 THz{center_dot}{Omega}. Even with 2 pF photodiode capacitance, the bandwidth exhibits a decline of only 300 MHz, confirming the mechanism of the zero-pole cancellation configuration. The input resistance is 50 {Omega}, and the average input noise current spectral density is 9.7 pA/{radical}Hz. Testing results shows that the eye diagram at 1 Gb/s is wide open. The chip dissipates 17 mW under a single 3.3 V supply.

ORGANIC MATTER AND CRUDE PROTEIN DEGRADATION SYNCHRONY IN DIETS SELECTED BY RANGE GOATS.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Ramírez Orduña

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out with the aim to asses the synchrony of organic matter and crude protein degradation in the rumen of diets selected by range goats through two years. Five esophageal cannulated adult male goats were used to collect extrusa samples during summer (August 9–13 and autumn (November 29 –December 3 of 2006, winter (February 20 – 24, spring (April 29 –May 5, summer (September 10–15 and autumn (December 4–8 of 2007 and winter (February 20 – 25 and spring (May 9 –13 of 2008. Extrusa samples were subjected to chemical analysis to determine organic matter (OM, crude protein (CP in situ and in vitro true digestibility of dry matter. OM and CP intake were estimated by total fecal collection. Effective extent of degradation of the OM and CP was calculated hourly and total 24 hours. From the hourly quantity of OM and CP degraded, a synchrony index of CP to OM was calculated, and from the total 24 hours degradation, degraded organic matter intake and crude protein intake were also estimated. Sampling date was the main effect that determined the variation of diet OM and CP degradation parameters. Degraded crude protein intake as a proportion of degraded OM was affected by sampling date and was correlated to rainfall. During winter of the first year degraded crude protein intake was below the requirements for maintenance or to promote growth for range goats weighing 40 kg. Even though, synchrony index between OM and CP degradation was affected by sampling date goats maintained a high synchrony index throughout the years.

South Pole rockets, (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Iwane

1977-01-01

Wave-particle interaction was observed, using three rockets, S-210 JA-20, -21 and S-310 JA-2, launched from the South Pole into aurora. Electron density and temperature were measured with these rockets. Simultaneous observations of waves were also made from a satellite (ISIS-II) and at two ground bases (Showa base and Mizuho base). Observed data are presented in this paper. These include electron density and temperature in relation to altitude; variation of electron (60 - 80 keV) count rate with altitude; VLF spectra measured by the PWL of S-210 JA-20 and -21 rockets and the corresponding VLF spectra at the ground bases; low-energy (<10 keV) electron flux measured by S-310 JA-2 rocket; and VLF spectrum measured with S-310 JA-2 rocket. Scheduled measurements for the next project are also briefly described. (Aoki, K.)

Fabrication of Flexible, Fully Organic, Degradable Energy Storage Devices Using Silk Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Ramendra K; Kundu, Subhas C; Yadavalli, Vamsi K

2018-03-21

Flexible and thin-film devices are of great interest in epidermal and implantable bioelectronics. The integration of energy storage and delivery devices such as supercapacitors (SCs) with properties such as flexibility, miniaturization, biocompatibility, and degradability are sought for such systems. Reducing e-waste and using sustainable materials and processes are additional desirable qualities. Herein, a silk protein-based biocompatible and degradable thin-film microSC (μSC) is reported. A protein carrier with the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate and reduced graphene oxide dopant is used as a photopatternable biocomposite ink. Active electrodes are fabricated using photolithography under benign conditions, using only water as the solvent. These electrodes are printed on flexible protein sheets to form degradable, organic devices with a benign agarose-NaCl gel electrolyte. High capacitance, power density, cycling stability over 500 cycles, and the ability to power a light-emitting diode are shown. The device is flexible, can sustain cyclic mechanical stresses over 450 cycles, and retain capacitive properties over several days in liquid. Significantly, the μSCs are cytocompatible and completely degraded over the period of ∼1 month. By precise control of the device configuration, these silk protein-based, all-polymer organic devices can be designed to be tunably transient and provide viable alternatives for powering flexible and implantable bioelectronics.

The effect of poling conditions on the performance of piezoelectric energy harvesters fabricated by wet chemistry

KAUST Repository

Fuentes-Fernandez, Erika Maria-Anai; Gnade, Bruce E; Quevedo-Ló pez, Manuel Angel; Shah, Pradeep; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

The effect of poling conditions on the power output of piezoelectric energy harvesters using sol-gel based Pb(Zr0.53,Ti0.47)O3-Pb(Zn1/3,Nb2/3)O3 piezoelectric thin-films has been investigated. A strong correlation was established between the poling

Determination of pole orientations and shapes of asteroids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magnusson, P.; Barucci, M.A.; Drummond, J.D.; Lumme, K.; Surdej, J.

1989-01-01

The principles of asteroid lightcurve inversion and the information available from photometry are reviewed. General tools as well as specific techniques for shape and pole determinations are summarized and their advantages and shortcomings are discussed. The authors present the results obtained so far in this very active field and discuss their significance in the general context of asteroid research and planetary formation

Magnetostatic calculation of fringing field for the Rogowski pole boundary with floating snake

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yan; Ming-Wu, Fan [Institute of Atomic Energy, Peking (China)

1984-01-01

A boundary integral method has been used to calculate the fringing field distribution of Rogowski pole boundary with floating snake for QMG2 type of QDDD magnetic spectrograph and the experimental EFB is nearly reproduced from BIM calculation. As a further criteria, a calculation for clamped Rogowski pole but without snake is also performed and the calculated EFB shows perfect identity with the experiment. For evaluating the effect of snake quantitatively, this work also predicts the EFB values for two different positions of snake.

Two-pole microring weight banks.

Science.gov (United States)

Tait, Alexander N; Wu, Allie X; Ferreira de Lima, Thomas; Nahmias, Mitchell A; Shastri, Bhavin J; Prucnal, Paul R

2018-05-15

Weighted addition is an elemental multi-input to single-output operation that can be implemented with high-performance photonic devices. Microring (MRR) weight banks bring programmable weighted addition to silicon photonics. Prior work showed that their channel limits are affected by coherent inter-channel effects that occur uniquely in weight banks. We fabricate two-pole designs that exploit this inter-channel interference in a way that is robust to dynamic tuning and fabrication variation. Scaling analysis predicts a channel count improvement of 3.4-fold, which is substantially greater than predicted by incoherent analysis used in conventional MRR devices. Advances in weight bank design expand the potential of reconfigurable analog photonic networks and multivariate microwave photonics.

Direct interactions of the five known Fanconi anaemia proteins suggest a common functional pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Medhurst, A L; Huber, P A; Waisfisz, Q; de Winter , J P; Mathew, C G

2001-02-15

Fanconi anaemia (FA) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder associated with a progressive aplastic anaemia, diverse congenital abnormalities and cancer. The condition is genetically heterogeneous, with at least seven complementation groups (A-G) described. Cells from individuals who are homozygous for mutations in FA genes are characterized by chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to DNA interstrand crosslinking agents. These features suggest a possible role for the encoded proteins in the recognition or repair of these lesions, but neither their function nor whether they operate in a concerted or discrete functional pathways is known. The recent cloning of the FANCF and FANCE genes has allowed us to investigate the interaction of the proteins encoded by five of the seven complementation groups of FA. We used the yeast two-hybrid system and co-immunoprecipitation analysis to test the 10 possible pairs of proteins for direct interaction. In addition to the previously described binding of FANCA to FANCG, we now demonstrate direct interaction of FANCF with FANCG, of FANCC with FANCE and a weaker interaction of FANCE with both FANCA and FANCG. These findings show that the newly identified FANCE protein is an integral part of the FA pathway, and support the concept of a functional link between all known proteins encoded by the genes that are mutated in this disorder. These proteins may act either as a multimeric complex or by sequential recruitment of subsets of the proteins in a common pathway that protects the genomic integrity of mammalian cells.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein predicts target organ damage in Chinese patients with metabolic syndrome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Zhigang; Nie, Hai; He, Hongbo

2007-01-01

with metabolic syndrome. A total of 1082 consecutive patients of Chinese origin were screened for the presence of metabolic syndrome according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and target organ damage, including cardiac hypertrophy......Observational studies established high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a risk factor for cardiovascular events in the general population. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between target organ damage and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in a cohort of Chinese patients......, carotid intima-media thickness, and renal impairment, were investigated. The median (25th and 75th percentiles) of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in 619 patients with metabolic syndrome was 2.42 mg/L (0.75 and 3.66 mg/L) compared with 1.13 mg/L (0.51 and 2.46 mg/L) among 463 control subjects (P

Protein haze formation in wines revisited. The stabilising effect of organic acids

OpenAIRE

Batista, L.; Monteiro, L.; Loureiro, V.; Teixeira, A.R.; Ferreira, R.B.

2010-01-01

The effect on the wine protein haze potential of five organic acids commonly encountered in wines (L(+)- tartaric, L( )-malic, citric, succinic and gluconic acids) was assessed. All five acids, tested at 20 mM, reduced dramatically the haze potential of proteins, either in wine or dissolved in water, throughout the range of pH values typical of wines (i.e., from 2.8 through 3.8). Subtle differences among the acid effects did not correlate with the number of their carboxyl groups, ...

Ekspert : Lähis-Idal pole Euroopa kogemusest abi / Erkki Bahovski

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Bahovski, Erkki, 1970-

2005-01-01

Saksa mõttekoja peatne direktor Volker Perthes peab Baltimaade ja Kesk-Euroopa riikide olemist araabia ja Lähis-Ida riikide õpetajateks müüdiks, kuna sealsetes riikides pole tegemist üleminekuga sotsialismilt või postsotsialismilt liberaalsele demokraatiale

Organization of chlorophyll biosynthesis and insertion of chlorophyll into the chlorophyll-binding proteins in chloroplasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Grimm, Bernhard

2015-12-01

Oxygenic photosynthesis requires chlorophyll (Chl) for the absorption of light energy, and charge separation in the reaction center of photosystem I and II, to feed electrons into the photosynthetic electron transfer chain. Chl is bound to different Chl-binding proteins assembled in the core complexes of the two photosystems and their peripheral light-harvesting antenna complexes. The structure of the photosynthetic protein complexes has been elucidated, but mechanisms of their biogenesis are in most instances unknown. These processes involve not only the assembly of interacting proteins, but also the functional integration of pigments and other cofactors. As a precondition for the association of Chl with the Chl-binding proteins in both photosystems, the synthesis of the apoproteins is synchronized with Chl biosynthesis. This review aims to summarize the present knowledge on the posttranslational organization of Chl biosynthesis and current attempts to envision the proceedings of the successive synthesis and integration of Chl into Chl-binding proteins in the thylakoid membrane. Potential auxiliary factors, contributing to the control and organization of Chl biosynthesis and the association of Chl with the Chl-binding proteins during their integration into photosynthetic complexes, are discussed in this review.

[Should morphology of the upper pole in renal duplication with preserved function and associated ureterocele be taken into account during treatment planning?].

Science.gov (United States)

Materny, Jacek; Chojnacka, Hanna; Urasińska, Elzbieta; Gawrych, Elzbieta

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess structural changes of the upper pole in renal duplication with coexisting ureterocele with regard to primary and/or secondary lesions. These changes might be of importance in treatment planning. The material of this study consisted of clinical documentation and results of histopathology of 23 upper poles removed due to renal duplication with coexisting ureterocele. The qualification criterion was preserved function of the upper pole seen with 99mTc-DTPA (99mTechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid)/99mTc-DMSA (99mTechnetium dimercaptosuccinic acid). Resection of the upper pole was indicated in patients with recurrent urinary tract infections and/or persistent vesicoureteral reflux to the lower pole following endoscopic surgery of the ureterocele and/or low function of the upper pole. Morphological lesions were classified as primary (dysplasia) or secondary lesions. The patients were operated at the Department of Pediatric and Oncologic Surgery, PMU, in 1990-2008. The study group consisted of 17 girls and 6 boys aged from 4 months to 9 years (mean 40 months). Recurrent urinary tract infections noted in 16 (70%) children were the most frequent indication for surgery. The preoperative mean function of the renal poles assessed with DTPA/DMSA represented 6% of the differential renal function. Dysplasia was identified in eight resected renal poles (34%) with coexisting secondary lesions in three of them. Secondary lesions only were seen in 15 poles (66%). There was no correlation between age and incidence of dysplasia during follow-up (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.031). Secondary lesions are a quite frequent finding in resected upper poles. As 66% of the renal poles studied with histopathology revealed secondary lesions only, we believe that renal sparing treatment is justified in cases of urinary duplication with coexisting ureterocele.

Protein multi-scale organization through graph partitioning and robustness analysis: application to the myosin–myosin light chain interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delmotte, A; Barahona, M; Tate, E W; Yaliraki, S N

2011-01-01

Despite the recognized importance of the multi-scale spatio-temporal organization of proteins, most computational tools can only access a limited spectrum of time and spatial scales, thereby ignoring the effects on protein behavior of the intricate coupling between the different scales. Starting from a physico-chemical atomistic network of interactions that encodes the structure of the protein, we introduce a methodology based on multi-scale graph partitioning that can uncover partitions and levels of organization of proteins that span the whole range of scales, revealing biological features occurring at different levels of organization and tracking their effect across scales. Additionally, we introduce a measure of robustness to quantify the relevance of the partitions through the generation of biochemically-motivated surrogate random graph models. We apply the method to four distinct conformations of myosin tail interacting protein, a protein from the molecular motor of the malaria parasite, and study properties that have been experimentally addressed such as the closing mechanism, the presence of conserved clusters, and the identification through computational mutational analysis of key residues for binding

Utilization of different waste proteins to create a novel PGPR-containing bio-organic fertilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yan; Sun, Li; Zhao, Jianshu; Huang, Rong; Li, Rong; Shen, Qirong

2015-01-01

High-quality bio-organic fertilizers (BIOs) cannot be produced without the addition of some proteins, while many waste proteins are haphazardly disposed, causing serious environmental pollution. In this study, several waste proteins were used as additives to assist with the reproduction of the functional microbe (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SQR9) inoculated into matured composts to produce BIOs. An optimized composition of solid-state fermentation (SSF) raw materials was predicted by response surface methodology and experimental validation. The results showed that 7.61% (w/w, DW, the same below) rapeseed meal, 8.85% expanded feather meal, 6.47% dewatered blue algal sludge and 77.07% chicken compost resulted in maximum biomass of strain SQR-9 and the maximum amount of lipopeptides 7 days after SSF. Spectroscopy experiments showed that the inner material structural changes in the novel SSF differed from the control and the novel BIO had higher dissolved organic matter. This study offers a high value-added utilization of waste proteins for producing economical but high-quality BIO. PMID:25586328

Device for connecting pole bridges and poles to the terminals of a set of plates for a battery cell. Vorrichtung zum Verbinden von Polbruecken und Polen mit den Fahnenableitern eines Plattensatzes fuer eine Akkumulatorenzelle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kallup, B.; Glittenberg, W.; Kubis, C.; Richter, G.; Ressel, C.

1987-12-23

The purpose of the invention is a device for attaching pole bridges and poles by casting them on to terminals of a completely mounted set of plates of electric batteries, in the form of a casting which is made to take the negative and the positive lug of the set of plates separately as a double tool. Each casting and its wall thickness are dimensioned so that the heat exchange between the bridge lead and the immersed volume of each negative or positive lug is equal. With this casting, it is also possible, using lugs made of lead or lead alloy, to cause the pole sections to solidify first and then to cause the bridge sections to solidify at the same time in a subsequent two-stage cooling process.

A method for estimating DMSA SPECT renal function for assessing the effect of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy on the treated pole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AGUIAR, Pablo; RUIBAL, Álvaro; CORTÉS, Julia; PÉREZ-FENTES, Daniel; GARCÍA, Camilo; GARRIDO, Miguel

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a method for estimating DMSA SPECT renal function on each renal pole in order to evaluate the effect of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy by focusing the measurements on the region through which the percutaneous approach is performed. Twenty patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotripsy between November 2010 and June 2012 were included in this study. Both Planar and SPECT-DMSA studies were carried out before and after nephrolithotripsy. The effect of percutaneous nephrolithotripsy was evaluated by estimating the total renal function and the regional renal function of each renal pole. Despite PCNL has been previously reported as a minimally invasive technique, our results showed regional renal function decreases in the treated pole in most patients, affecting the total renal function in a few of them. A quantification method was used for estimating the SPECT DMSA renal function of the upper, inter polar and lower renal poles. Our results confirmed that total renal function was preserved after nephrolithotripsy. Nevertheless, the proposed method showed that the regional renal function of the treated pole decreased in most patients (15 of 20 patients), allowing us to find differences in patients who had not shown changes in the total renal function obtained from conventional quantification methods. In conclusion, a method for estimating the SPECT DMSA renal function focused on the treated pole enabled us to show for the first time that nephrolithotripsy can lead to a renal parenchymal damage restricted to the treated pole.

Magnet losses in inverter-fed two-pole PM machines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gonzalez, Adolfo Garcia; Millinger, J.; Soulard, J.

2016-01-01

This article deals with the estimation of magnet losses in a permanent-magnet motor inserted in a nut-runner. This type of machine has interesting features such as being two-pole, slot-less and running at a high speed (30000 rpm). Two analytical models were chosen from the literature. A numerical...

High-resolution second-harmonic microscopy of poled silica waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beermann, Jonas; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Pedersen, Kjeld

2003-01-01

, and the spatial resolution at the pump wavelength of 790 nm is determined to be better than 0.7 m. SHSOM images of positively poled silica waveguides were obtained for different polarization combinations of the incident pump beam and the detected second-harmonic radiation. Calibration of the SHSOM with a Ga...

Rural Fuel-wood and Poles Research Project in Malawi: a general account

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nkaonja, R S.W.

1981-01-01

The Rural Fuel-wood and Poles Research Project was initiated to provide information about afforestation in the dry silvicultural zones. Plantation forestry in Malawi has concentrated on production of timber, poles, and pulpwood. It is estimated that 90% of Malawi's population of 5.5 million live in rural communities, and that the purely domestic wood requirement is 4.05 cubic m per family (of five) annually. In addition, wood is required for agricultural purposes such as tobacco curing. The remaining indigenous forest cannot meet the demand. There is an urgent need for plantations. Rather than simply planting trees, the aim is to make local communities self-sufficient in forest products. In view of the shortage of land, great emphasis is placed on trying species which have many end-uses-- e.g., poles, fuel-wood, mulch, fodder, and shade--and those which can be grown together with farm crops, a concept known as ''agroforestry.'' Over 20 ha of trials were established at locations in the three regions of the country. Acacia albida allows maize and other farm crops to grow under it, provides good shade and fodder, and--as legume--enriches the soil with nitrogen. Eucalypts were included because most produce straight poles for construction, are drought-hardy, and are rated higher than Gmelina arborea in calorific value, durability, and strength. Another tree favored for its multiple uses is Leucaena leucocephala (Hawaiian giant), but it appears that there is considerable mixture of varieties in the seeds. With the exception of one trial at Bwanje, trials have not included farm crops, but the agroforestry element will be a very important consideration in future trials.

Transformer-assisted PWM zero-voltage switching pole inverter with high output bandwidth applied to linear motor drives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Myrzik, J.M.A.; Duarte, J.L.; Haardt, de P.; Vissers, J.

2002-01-01

An application of the transformer-assisted PWM zero-voltage switching pole inverter (TRAP) is described in this paper. The TRAP is based on the auxiliary resonant commutated pole inverter (ARCP), but avoids its disadvantages. This paper describes the converter functionality and its applicability

An improved torque density Modulated Pole Machine for low speed high torque applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Washington, J. G.; Atkinson, G. J.; Baker, N. J.

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new topology for three-phase Modulated Pole Machines. This new topology the “Combined Phase Modulated Pole Machine” is analysed and compared to the more traditional technology of three separate single phase units stacked axially with a separation between phases. Three......- dimensional Finite Element calculations are used to compare performance of the machines under the same conditions, it is shown that the new Combined Phase topology produces a greater torque whilst reducing the number of components required to assemble the machine and increasing its mechanical integrity....

Metrópoles desgovernadas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erminia Maricato

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Apesar de sua importância econômica, política, social, demográfica, cultural, territorial e ambiental, há, nas metrópoles brasileiras, uma significativa falta de governo, evidenciada pelas incipientes iniciativas de cooperação administrativa intermunicipal e federativa. Este artigo aborda as mudanças estruturais - no processo de urbanização/ metropolização - devidas à reestruturação produtiva do capitalismo global, e, na escala nacional, trata da mudança no marco institucional - jurídico/político - que passou de concentrador e centralizador, durante o regime militar, para descentralizador e esvaziado, após a Constituição de 1988. O recuo verificado nas políticas sociais durante os anos 1980 e 1990, notadamente em transporte, habitação e saneamento, além do desmonte dos organismos metropolitanos, conduziu nossas metrópoles a um destino de banalização das tragédias urbanas. Em que pese sua urgência, a questão metropolitana não sensibiliza nenhuma força política ou instituição que lhe atribua lugar de destaque na agenda nacional.Despite its economic, political, social, demographic, cultural, territorial and environmental importance, there is a significant lack of government in the brazilian metropolises, evidenced by the incipient initiatives of intermunicipal and federative administrative cooperation. This article analyses the structural changes - in the process of urbanization/metropolization - due to the productive restructuring of global capitalism, and, in a national scale, analyses the change in the institutional mark - legal/political - which passed from concentrator and centralizer, during the Military Regimen, to decentralized and emptied, after 1988 Constitution. The downturn verified in social policies during the years 1980 and 1990, notably in transport, housing and sanitation, besides the dismantling of the metropolitan agencies, has led our cities to the trivialization of urban tragedies. Despite

Generalised pole-placement control of steam turbine speed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernandez-del-Busto, R. [ITESM, Cuernavaca (Mexico). Div. de Ingenieria y Ciencias; Munoz, J. [ITESM, Xochimilco (Mexico). Div. de Ingenieria y Ciencias

1996-12-31

An application of a pole-placement self-tuning predictive control algorithm is developed to regulate speed of a power plant steam turbine model. Two types of system representation (CARMA and CARIMA) are used to test the control algorithm. Simulation results show that when using a CARMA model better results are produced. Two further comparisons are made when using a PI controller and a generalised predictive controller. (author)

Proton polarimetry using an Enge split-pole spectrograph

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moss, J M; Brown, D R; Cornelius, W D [Texas Agricultural and Mechanical Univ., College Station (USA). Cyclotron Inst.

1976-05-15

A high-efficiency (4 x 10/sup -5/ at A=0.4) high resolution (150 keV) polarimeter used in conjunction with an Enge split-pole spectrograph is described. This device permits for the first time polarization transfer studies in elastic scattering. Spectra are shown for /sup 11/B(p(pol),p(pol)')/sup 11/B (2.14 MeV)at Esub(p)=31 MeV.

Poled-glass devices: Influence of surfaces and interfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fage-Pedersen, Jacob; Jacobsen, Rune Shim; Kristensen, Martin

2007-01-01

Devices in periodically poled glass must have a large periodic variation of the built-in field. We show that the periodic variation can be severely degraded by charge dynamics taking place at the external (glass–air) interface or at internal (glass–glass) interfaces if the interfaces have...... the device, one can reveal the existence of imperfect interfaces by use of electric field induced second-harmonic generation....

Solution of magnetic field and eddy current problem induced by rotating magnetic poles (abstract)

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Z. J.; Low, T. S.

1996-04-01

The magnetic field and eddy current problems induced by rotating permanent magnet poles occur in electromagnetic dampers, magnetic couplings, and many other devices. Whereas numerical techniques, for example, finite element methods can be exploited to study various features of these problems, such as heat generation and drag torque development, etc., the analytical solution is always of interest to the designers since it helps them to gain the insight into the interdependence of the parameters involved and provides an efficient tool for designing. Some of the previous work showed that the solution of the eddy current problem due to the linearly moving magnet poles can give satisfactory approximation for the eddy current problem due to rotating fields. However, in many practical cases, especially when the number of magnet poles is small, there is significant effect of flux focusing due to the geometry. The above approximation can therefore lead to marked errors in the theoretical predictions of the device performance. Bernot et al. recently described an analytical solution in a polar coordinate system where the radial field is excited by a time-varying source. A discussion of an analytical solution of the magnetic field and eddy current problems induced by moving magnet poles in radial field machines will be given in this article. The theoretical predictions obtained from this method is compared with the results obtained from finite element calculations. The validity of the method is also checked by the comparison of the theoretical predictions and the measurements from a test machine. It is shown that the introduced solution leads to a significant improvement in the air gap field prediction as compared with the results obtained from the analytical solution that models the eddy current problems induced by linearly moving magnet poles.

EFFECTS OF RUN-UP VELOCITY ON PERFORMANCE, KINEMATICS, AND ENERGY EXCHANGES IN THE POLE VAULT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas P. Linthorne

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effect of run-up velocity on the peak height achieved by the athlete in the pole vault and on the corresponding changes in the athlete's kinematics and energy exchanges. Seventeen jumps by an experienced male pole vaulter were video recorded in the sagittal plane and a wide range of run-up velocities (4.5-8.5 m/s was obtained by setting the length of the athlete's run-up (2-16 steps. A selection of performance variables, kinematic variables, energy variables, and pole variables were calculated from the digitized video data. We found that the athlete's peak height increased linearly at a rate of 0.54 m per 1 m/s increase in run-up velocity and this increase was achieved through a combination of a greater grip height and a greater push height. At the athlete's competition run-up velocity (8.4 m/s about one third of the rate of increase in peak height arose from an increase in grip height and about two thirds arose from an increase in push height. Across the range of run-up velocities examined here the athlete always performed the basic actions of running, planting, jumping, and inverting on the pole. However, he made minor systematic changes to his jumping kinematics, vaulting kinematics, and selection of pole characteristics as the run-up velocity increased. The increase in run-up velocity and changes in the athlete's vaulting kinematics resulted in substantial changes to the magnitudes of the energy exchanges during the vault. A faster run-up produced a greater loss of energy during the take-off, but this loss was not sufficient to negate the increase in run-up velocity and the increase in work done by the athlete during the pole support phase. The athlete therefore always had a net energy gain during the vault. However, the magnitude of this gain decreased slightly as run-up velocity increased

Simple Regge pole model for Compton scattering of protons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleem, M.; Fazal-e-Aleem

1978-01-01

It is shown that by a phenomenological choice of the residue functions, the differential cross section for ν p → ν p, including the very recent measurements up to - t=4.3 (GeV/c) 2 , can be explained at all measured energies greater than 2 GeV with simple Regge pole model

A variational EM method for pole-zero modeling of speech with mixed block sparse and Gaussian excitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shi, Liming; Nielsen, Jesper Kjær; Jensen, Jesper Rindom

2017-01-01

The modeling of speech can be used for speech synthesis and speech recognition. We present a speech analysis method based on pole-zero modeling of speech with mixed block sparse and Gaussian excitation. By using a pole-zero model, instead of the all-pole model, a better spectral fitting can...... be expected. Moreover, motivated by the block sparse glottal flow excitation during voiced speech and the white noise excitation for unvoiced speech, we model the excitation sequence as a combination of block sparse signals and white noise. A variational EM (VEM) method is proposed for estimating...... in reconstructing of the block sparse excitation....

Comparison of the Effects of Walking with and without Nordic Pole on Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity Muscle Activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shim, Je-Myung; Kwon, Hae-Yeon; Kim, Ha-Roo; Kim, Bo-In; Jung, Ju-Hyeon

2013-12-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nordic pole walking on the electromyographic activities of upper extremity and lower extremity muscles. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into two groups as follows: without Nordic pole walking group (n=13) and with Nordic pole walking group (n=13). The EMG data were collected by measurement while the subjects walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes by measuring from one heel strike to the next. [Results] Both the average values and maximum values of the muscle activity of the upper extremity increased in both the group that used Nordic poles and the group that did not use Nordic poles, and the values showed statistically significant differences. There was an increase in the average value for muscle activity of the latissimus dorsi, but the difference was not statistically significant, although there was a statistically significant increase in its maximum value. The average and maximum values for muscle activity of the lower extremity did not show large differences in either group, and the values did not show any statistically significant differences. [Conclusion] The use of Nordic poles by increased muscle activity of the upper extremity compared with regular walking but did not affect the lower extremity.

Pole Soccer - Implementering af netværksmodul

OpenAIRE

Knudsen, Frank B; Kierkegaard, Jakob R; Hirszhorn, Andreas J

2005-01-01

Abstrakt Målet med dette projekt er at designe og implementere et netværksmodul til spillet PoleSoccer, som er et spil udviklet i det foregående semester. Fokus i implementeringen er at opn°a bedst mulig synkronisering klienterne imellem. Programmet er udviklet i programmeringssproget Java. I rapporten diskuteres valg af netværksarkitektur, transportlagsprotokol samt hvilke metoder Java tilbyder til netværkskommunikation, med vægt på Sockets. Ydermere beskrives metoder vi har anvendt til at o...

The Impact of Obajana Cement Company as a Growth Pole in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Remember me, or Register ... Results of analysis are discussed and presented in tables, graphs and pictures. The study found ... Key words: Economic Development, Growth pole, Multiplier effect, Regional development, Spatial development ...

Design and fabrication of a nanofibrous polycaprolactone tubular nerve guide for peripheral nerve tissue engineering using a two-pole electrospinning system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panahi-Joo, Y; Abd-Emami, B; Bonakdar, S; Karkhaneh, A; Nourinia, A; Negahdari, B; Renaud, P

2016-01-01

Nerve guidance conduits are considered to be the new generation of scaffolds designed for nerve disorders. A tubular construct with a highly aligned fibrous structure, mimicking the endoneurium layer surrounding inner axons of a nerve fascicle, is a suitable candidate for a nerve guide. In this paper a new approach for the fabrication of 3D tubular nerve guides is introduced using simulation of a two-pole electrospinning system and describing its mechanism. The structure of this scaffold is then optimized using the Taguchi statistical method and after morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy, the crystallinity, tensile strength and protein adsorption of these highly aligned fibres are investigated, comparing them with semi-aligned and random fibres produced via conventional mandrel electrospinning. Cell attachment, proliferation and migration of PC12 neuronal like cells are studied on highly aligned, semi aligned and random structures, and morphological change and elongation are observed in PC12 cells. The results of these studies suggest that conduits fabricated using two-pole electrospinning are a suitable and promising scaffold for peripheral and even spinal nerve regeneration. This nerve guide has a great potential for further advanced modifications and regeneration in higher levels. (paper)

Three-dimensional structure of Wza, the protein required for translocation of group 1 capsular polysaccharide across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Beis, Konstantinos; Collins, Richard F; Ford, Robert C; Kamis, Alhaji B; Whitfield, Chris; Naismith, James H

2004-07-02

Wza is a highly conserved multimeric outer membrane protein complex required for the surface expression of the serotype K30 group 1 capsular polysaccharide in Escherichia coli. Here we present the first three-dimensional structure of this type of polysaccharide exporter at a 15.5-A resolution obtained using single particle averaging on a dataset of cryo-negatively stained protein. Previous structural studies on purified Wza have revealed a homo-oligomeric ring structure that is most probably composed of eight subunits. Symmetry analysis of the three-dimensional structure combined with biochemical two- and three-dimensional crystallographic data strongly suggest that Wza is an octameric complex with a C4 quasi-rotational symmetry and is organized as a tetramer of dimeric subunits. Wza is best described as a stack of two 4-A high rings with differing diameters providing a mushroom-like aspect from the side. The larger ring has a distinctive square shape with a diameter of 115 A, whereas the smaller is almost circular with a diameter of 90 A. In the center of the complex and enclosed by the four symmetrical arms is a small elliptical cagelike cavity of approximately 40 A in diameter. The central cavity is effectively sealed at the top and bottom of the complex but has small inter-arm holes when viewed from the side. We discuss the structure of this complex and implications in the surface translocation of cell-surface polysaccharide.

Laparoscopic upper pole heminephroureterectomy in children: Seven-year experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Marte

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Minimally invasive surgery is the current approach to perform heminephroureterectomy (HN in children. This can be obtained through a transperitoneal (TP or a retroperitoneal approach. Here, we report our experience using a TP approach. Materials and Methods: From 2005 to 2014, 22 TP laparoscopic upper poles HN were performed at our institution. There were nine girls and 13 boys aged between 20 months and 6 years (mean age 3.9. Eight patients were diagnosed prenatally, 17 patients presented with urinary tract infection (UTI and three with vomiting and failure to thrive. The indication for HN was reflux nephropathy and UTI in non-functioning upper pole in 19 patients and cystic dysplasia in 1 patient. The surgical technique involved the following steps: Cystoscopic recognition; positioning of 3-4 trocar (right HN; identification of the kidney (detachment of the colon; isolation and low ligation of the dilated ureter; decrossing from renal vessels; section of the parenchyma by LigaSure; haemostasis with clips and LigaSure; drain. Results: The mean operative time was 154 min (range: 81-220 min. All patients were discharged from the 2 nd to 4 th day. Neither major complication nor conversion was recorded. 1 patient presented leakage of urine for 7 days from the drainage which resolved spontaneously. At ultrasound follow-up, 5 patients showed a secondary perirenal cyst, 2-5 cm diameter that resolved spontaneously. Conclusion: The results indicate that laparoscopic upper pole heminephrectomy is the treatment of choice in cases of non-functioning dilated lower segments of duplicated kidneys. The use of laparoscopic approach offers a good working space, a good visual control of the vessels and allows a very low isolation of the ureteral stump which counterbalance the peritoneal violation.

Entry and exit of bacterial outer membrane proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Rajeev

2015-08-01

The sites of new outer membrane protein (OMP) deposition and the fate of pre-existing OMPs are still enigmatic despite numerous concerted efforts. Rassam et al. identified mid-cell regions as the primary entry points for new OMP insertion in clusters, driving the pre-existing OMP clusters towards cell poles for long-term storage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactions among the early Escherichia coli divisome proteins revealed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pazos, Manuel; Natale, Paolo; Margolin, William; Vicente, Miguel

2013-12-01

We used bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays to detect protein-protein interactions of all possible pairs of the essential Escherichia coli proto-ring components, FtsZ, FtsA and ZipA, as well as the non-essential FtsZ-associated proteins ZapA and ZapB. We found an unexpected interaction between ZipA and ZapB at potential cell division sites, and when co-overproduced, they induced long narrow constrictions at division sites that were dependent on FtsZ. These assays also uncovered an interaction between ZipA and ZapA that was mediated by FtsZ. BiFC with ZapA and ZapB showed that in addition to their expected interaction at midcell, they also interact at the cell poles. BiFC detected interaction between FtsZ and ZapB at midcell and close to the poles. Results from the remaining pairwise combinations confirmed known interactions between FtsZ and ZipA, and ZapB with itself. © 2013 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acoustic wave filter based on periodically poled lithium niobate.

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Courjon, Emilie; Bassignot, Florent; Ulliac, Gwenn; Benchabane, Sarah; Ballandras, Sylvain

2012-09-01

Solutions for the development of compact RF passive transducers as an alternative to standard surface or bulk acoustic wave devices are receiving increasing interest. This article presents results on the development of an acoustic band-pass filter based on periodically poled ferroelectric domains in lithium niobate. The fabrication of periodically poled transducers (PPTs) operating in the range of 20 to 650 MHz has been achieved on 3-in (76.2-mm) 500-μm-thick wafers. This kind of transducer is able to excite elliptical as well as longitudinal modes, yielding phase velocities of about 3800 and 6500 ms(-1), respectively. A new type of acoustic band-pass filter is proposed, based on the use of PPTs instead of the SAWs excited by classical interdigital transducers. The design and the fabrication of such a filter are presented, as well as experimental measurements of its electrical response and transfer function. The feasibility of such a PPT-based filter is thereby demonstrated and the limitations of this method are discussed.

Modern methods of experimental construction of texture complete direct pole figures by using X-ray data

Science.gov (United States)

Isaenkova, M.; Perlovich, Yu; Fesenko, V.

2016-04-01

Currently used methods for constructing texture complete direct pole figure (CDPF) based on the results of X-ray diffractometric measurements were considered with respect to the products of Zr-based alloys and, in particular, used in a nuclear reactor cladding tubes, for which the accuracy of determination of integral texture parameters is of the especial importance. The main attention was devoted to technical issues which are solved by means of computer processing of large arrays of obtained experimental data. Among considered questions there are amendments of the defocusing, techniques for constructing of complete direct pole figures and determination of integral textural parameters. The methods of reconstruction of complete direct pole figures by partial direct pole figures recorded up to tilt angles of sample ψ=70-80°: the method of extrapolation of data to an uninvestigated region of the stereographic projection, and the method of "sewing" of partial pole figures measured for three mutually perpendicular plane sections of the product. The limits of applicability of these methods, depending on the shape of the test product and the degree of inhomogeneity of the layer-by-layer texture, were revealed. On the basis of a large number of experimental data, the accuracy of the integral parameters used for calculation of the physical and mechanical properties of metals with a hexagonal crystal structure was found to be equal to 0.02, when taking into account the texture heterogeneity of regular products from Zr-based alloys.

Influence of heart failure on nucleolar organization and protein expression in human hearts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roselló-Lletí, Esther; Rivera, Miguel; Cortés, Raquel; Azorín, Inmaculada; Sirera, Rafael; Martínez-Dolz, Luis; Hove, Leif; Cinca, Juan; Lago, Francisca; González-Juanatey, José R.; Salvador, Antonio; Portolés, Manuel

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Heart failure alters nucleolar morphology and organization. ► Nucleolin expression is significant increased in ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. ► Ventricular function of heart failure patients was related with nucleolin levels. -- Abstract: We investigate for the first time the influence of heart failure (HF) on nucleolar organization and proteins in patients with ischemic (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). A total of 71 human hearts from ICM (n = 38) and DCM (n = 27) patients, undergoing heart transplantation and control donors (n = 6), were analysed by western-blotting, RT-PCR and cell biology methods. When we compared protein levels according to HF etiology, nucleolin was increased in both ICM (117%, p < 0.05) and DCM (141%, p < 0.01). Moreover, mRNA expression were also upregulated in ICM (1.46-fold, p < 0.05) and DCM (1.70-fold, p < 0.05. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the highest intensity of nucleolin was into nucleolus (p < 0.0001), and it was increased in pathological hearts (p < 0.0001). Ultrastructure analysis by electron microscopy showed an increase in the nucleus and nucleolus size in ICM (17%, p < 0.05 and 131%, p < 0.001) and DCM (56%, p < 0.01 and 69%, p < 0.01). Nucleolar organization was influenced by HF irrespective of etiology, increasing fibrillar centers (p < 0.001), perinucleolar chromatin (p < 0.01) and dense fibrillar components (p < 0.01). Finally, left ventricular function parameters were related with nucleolin levels in ischemic hearts (p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that HF influences on morphology and organization of nucleolar components, revealing changes in the expression and in the levels of nucleolin protein.

75 FR 65648 - Notice of Proposed Withdrawal Extension and Opportunity for Public Meeting for the Peony, Pole...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-26

..., Pole Pick, and Frank Burge Seed Orchards; Washington AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior... functionality of the seed orchards, along with the investment of Federal funds at the Peony, Pole Pick, and.../Washington State Office, (503) 808-6189, or Susan Daugherty, USFS Pacific Northwest Region, (503) 808-2416...

Performance of PV panels for solar energy conversion at the South Pole

Science.gov (United States)

Peeran, Syed M.

Expanding research facilities at the Amundson-Scott South pole station require increased electric power generation. Presently, electric power generation is by diesel generators using the JP8 fuel. As the station is accessible only for a short supply period during the austral summer, there are limitations upon the supply of fuel for power generation. This makes it necessary to seriously consider the use of the renewable energy sources. Although there is no sunlight for six months in the year, abundant solar energy is available during the remaining 6 months because of the clear skies, the clarity of air and the low humidity at the south pole. As the buildings at the south pole are built either without windows or with only porthole type windows, large areas on the walls and the roof are available for mounting the photovoltaic (PV) panels. In addition there is unlimited space around the station for constructing a PV panel 'farm'. In this paper four types of PV panels are evaluated; the 2-axis tracking panels, vertical 1-axis tracking panels, fixed vertical panels on the walls of buildings and mounted outdoors, and fixed horizontal panels on the roofs of the buildings. Equations are developed for the power output in KW/sq. ft and annual energy in kWh/sq. ft for each type of panel. The equations include the effects of the inclination of the sun above the horizon, the movement of the sun around the horizon, the direct, reflected and diffused components of the solar radiation, the characteristics of the solar cells and the types of dc/ac inverters used to interface the output of the cells with the existing ac power. A conceptual design of a 150-kW PV generation system suitable for the south pole is also discussed in this paper.

Spectroscopic Binaries near the North Galactic Pole Paper 15: HD ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

tribpo

Galactic Pole field he treated HD 106947 as if nothing were already known ... By good fortune a Palomar radial-velocity observing run in late 1986 fell near to a .... obvious to the naked eye as a grouping of fifth- and sixth-magnitude stars in an.

Real-time digital signal recovery for a multi-pole low-pass transfer function system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jhinhwan

2017-08-01

In order to solve the problems of waveform distortion and signal delay by many physical and electrical systems with multi-pole linear low-pass transfer characteristics, a simple digital-signal-processing (DSP)-based method of real-time recovery of the original source waveform from the distorted output waveform is proposed. A mathematical analysis on the convolution kernel representation of the single-pole low-pass transfer function shows that the original source waveform can be accurately recovered in real time using a particular moving average algorithm applied on the input stream of the distorted waveform, which can also significantly reduce the overall delay time constant. This method is generalized for multi-pole low-pass systems and has noise characteristics of the inverse of the low-pass filter characteristics. This method can be applied to most sensors and amplifiers operating close to their frequency response limits to improve the overall performance of data acquisition systems and digital feedback control systems.

Efficiency and economic benefits of skipjack pole and line (huhate) in central Moluccas, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Siahainenia, Stevanus M.; Hiariey, Johanis; Baskoro, Mulyono S.; Waeleruny, Wellem

2017-10-01

Excess fishing capacity is a crucial problem in marine capture fisheries. This phenomenon needed to be investigated regarding sustainability and development of the fishery. This research was aimed at analyzing technical efficiency (TE) and computing financial aspects of the skipjack pole and line. Primary data were collected from the owners of the fishing units at the different size of gross boat tonnage (GT), while secondary data were gathered from official publications relating to this research. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach was applied to estimate technical efficiency whereas a selected financial analysis was utilized to calculate economic benefits of the skipjack pole and line business. The fishing units with a size of 26-30 GT provided a higher TE value, and also achieved larger economic benefit values than that of the other fishing units. The empirical results indicate that skipjack pole and line in the size of 26-30 GT is a good fishing gear for the business development in central Moluccas.

Improvement of the piezoelectric properties of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites by poling treatment