Prevention of pneumonic plague in mice, rats, guinea pigs and non-human primates with clinical grade rV10, rV10-2 or F1-V vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Quenee, Lauriane E.; Ciletti, Nancy A.; Elli, Derek; Hermanas, Timothy M.; Schneewind, Olaf

2012-01-01

Yersinia pestis causes plague, a disease with high mortality in humans that can be transmitted by fleabite or aerosol. A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed plague vaccine is currently not available. Vaccine developers have focused on two subunits of Y. pestis: LcrV, a protein at the tip of type III secretion needles, and F1, the fraction 1 pilus antigen. F1-V, a hybrid generated via translational fusion of both antigens, is being developed for licensure as a plague vaccine. The rV10 vaccine is a non-toxigenic variant of LcrV lacking residues 271–300. Here we developed Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) protocols for rV10. Comparison of clinical grade rV10 with F1-V did not reveal significant differences in plague protection in mice, guinea pigs or cynomolgus macaques. We also developed cGMP protocols for rV10-2, a variant of rV10 with an altered affinity tag. Immunization with rV10-2 adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide elicited antibodies against LcrV and conferred pneumonic plague protection in mice, rats, guinea pigs, cynomolgus macaques and African Green monkeys. The data support further development of rV10-2 for FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) authorization review and clinical testing. PMID:21763383

Rv3634c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv encodes an enzyme with UDP-Gal/Glc and UDP-GalNAc 4-epimerase activities.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peehu Pardeshi

Full Text Available A bioinformatics study revealed that Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb contains sequence homologs of Campylobacter jejuni protein glycosylation enzymes. The ORF Rv3634c from Mtb was identified as a sequence homolog of C. jejuni UDP-Gal/GalNAc 4-epimerase. This study reports the cloning of Rv3634c and its expression as an N-terminal His-tagged protein. The recombinant protein was shown to have UDP-Gal/Glc 4-epimerase activity by GOD-POD assay and by reverse phase HPLC. This enzyme was shown to have UDP-GalNAc 4-epimerase activity also. Residues Ser121, Tyr146 and Lys150 were shown by site-directed mutagenesis to be important for enzyme activity. Mutation of Ser121 and Tyr146 to Ala and Phe, respectively, led to complete loss of activity whereas mutation of Lys150 to Arg led to partial loss of activity. There were no gross changes in the secondary structures of any of these three mutants. These results suggest that Ser121 and Tyr146 are essential for epimerase activity of Rv3634c. UDP-Gal/Glc 4-epimerases from other organisms also have a catalytic triad consisting of Ser, Tyr and Lys. The triad carries out proton transfer from nucleotide sugar to NAD+ and back, thus effecting the epimerization of the substrate. Addition of NAD+ to Lys150 significantly abrogates the loss of activity, suggesting that, as in other epimerases, NAD+ is associated with Rv3634c.

Relationships between residue Voronoi volume and sequence conservation in proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jen-Wei; Cheng, Chih-Wen; Lin, Yu-Feng; Chen, Shao-Yu; Hwang, Jenn-Kang; Yen, Shih-Chung

2018-02-01

Functional and biophysical constraints can cause different levels of sequence conservation in proteins. Previously, structural properties, e.g., relative solvent accessibility (RSA) and packing density of the weighted contact number (WCN), have been found to be related to protein sequence conservation (CS). The Voronoi volume has recently been recognized as a new structural property of the local protein structural environment reflecting CS. However, for surface residues, it is sensitive to water molecules surrounding the protein structure. Herein, we present a simple structural determinant termed the relative space of Voronoi volume (RSV); it uses the Voronoi volume and the van der Waals volume of particular residues to quantify the local structural environment. RSV (range, 0-1) is defined as (Voronoi volume-van der Waals volume)/Voronoi volume of the target residue. The concept of RSV describes the extent of available space for every protein residue. RSV and Voronoi profiles with and without water molecules (RSVw, RSV, VOw, and VO) were compared for 554 non-homologous proteins. RSV (without water) showed better Pearson's correlations with CS than did RSVw, VO, or VOw values. The mean correlation coefficient between RSV and CS was 0.51, which is comparable to the correlation between RSA and CS (0.49) and that between WCN and CS (0.56). RSV is a robust structural descriptor with and without water molecules and can quantitatively reflect evolutionary information in a single protein structure. Therefore, it may represent a practical structural determinant to study protein sequence, structure, and function relationships. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lung volumes and maximal respiratory pressures in collegiate swimmers and runners.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordain, L; Tucker, A; Moon, D; Stager, J M

1990-03-01

To determine whether respiratory muscle strength is related to pulmonary volume differences in athletes and nonathletes, 11 intercollegiate female swimmers, 11 female cross-country runners, and two nonathletic control groups, matched to the athletes in height and age, were evaluated for pulmonary parameters including maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax). Swimmers exhibited larger (p less than .05) vital capacities (VC), residual lung volumes (RV), inspiratory capacities (IC), and functional residual capacities (FRC) than both the runners or the controls but no difference (p greater than .05) in either PImax or inspiratory flow (FIV 25%-75%). Timed expiratory volumes (FEV 0.5 and FEV 1.0) were significantly (p less than .05) lower in the swimmers than in the controls. These data suggest that an adaptational growth may be responsible, in part, for the augmented static lung volumes demonstrated in swimmers.

Right ventricular volume estimation with cine MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawachika, Takashi

1993-01-01

To quantitate right ventricular (RV) volumes easily using cine MRI, we developed a new method called 'modified area-length method (MOAL method)'. To validate this method, we compared it to the conventional Simpson's rule. Magnetom H15 (Siemens) was used and 6 normal volunteers and 21 patients with various RV sizes were imaged with ECG triggered gradient echo method (FISP, TR 50 ms, TE 12 ms, slice thickness 9 mm). For Simpson's rule transverse images of 12 sequential views which cover whole heart were acquired. For the MOAL method, two orthogonal views were imaged. One was the sagittal view which includes RV outflow tract and the other was the coronal view defined from the sagittal image to cover the whole RV. From these images the area (As, Ac) of RV and the longest distance between RV apex and pulmonary valve (Lmax) were determined. By correlating RV volumes measured by Simpson's rule to As*Ac/Lmax the RV volume could be estimated as follows: V=0.85*As*Ac/Lmax+4.55. Thus the MOAL method demonstrated excellent accuracy to quantitate RV volume and the acquisition time abbreviated to one fifth compared with Simpson's rule. This should be a highly promising method for routine clinical application. (author)

Forkhead-associated (FHA) Domain Containing ABC Transporter Rv1747 Is Positively Regulated by Ser/Thr Phosphorylation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis*

Science.gov (United States)

Spivey, Vicky L.; Molle, Virginie; Whalan, Rachael H.; Rodgers, Angela; Leiba, Jade; Stach, Lasse; Walker, K. Barry; Smerdon, Stephen J.; Buxton, Roger S.

2011-01-01

One major signaling method employed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is through reversible phosphorylation of proteins mediated by protein kinases and phosphatases. This study concerns one of these enzymes, the serine/threonine protein kinase PknF, that is encoded in an operon with Rv1747, an ABC transporter that is necessary for growth of M. tuberculosis in vivo and contains two forkhead-associated (FHA) domains. FHA domains are phosphopeptide recognition motifs that specifically recognize phosphothreonine-containing epitopes. Experiments to determine how PknF regulates the function of Rv1747 demonstrated that phosphorylation occurs on two specific threonine residues, Thr-150 and Thr-208. To determine the in vivo consequences of phosphorylation, infection experiments were performed in bone marrow-derived macrophages and in mice using threonine-to-alanine mutants of Rv1747 that prevent specific phosphorylation and revealed that phosphorylation positively modulates Rv1747 function in vivo. The role of the FHA domains in this regulation was further demonstrated by isothermal titration calorimetry, using peptides containing both phosphothreonine residues. FHA-1 domain mutation resulted in attenuation in macrophages highlighting the critical role of this domain in Rv1747 function. A mutant deleted for pknF did not, however, have a growth phenotype in an infection, suggesting that other kinases can fulfill its role when it is absent. This study provides the first information on the molecular mechanism(s) regulating Rv1747 through PknF-dependent phosphorylation but also indicates that phosphorylation activates Rv1747, which may have important consequences in regulating growth of M. tuberculosis. PMID:21622570

Rv2477c is an antibiotic-sensitive manganese-dependent ABC-F ATPase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Jaiyanth; Abraham, Liz; Martin, Amanda; Pablo, Xyryl; Reyes, Shelby

2018-01-01

The Rv2477c protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) subfamily F that contains proteins with tandem nucleotide-binding domains but lacking transmembrane domains. ABC-F subfamily proteins have been implicated in diverse cellular processes such as translation, antibiotic resistance, cell growth and nutrient sensing. In order to investigate the biochemical characteristics of Rv2477c, we expressed it in Escherichia coli, purified it and characterized its enzymatic functions. We show that Rv2477c displays strong ATPase activity (V max  = 45.5 nmol/mg/min; K m  = 90.5 μM) that is sensitive to orthovanadate. The ATPase activity was maximal in the presence of Mn 2+ at pH 5.2. The Rv2477c protein was also able to hydrolyze GTP, TTP and CTP but at lower rates. Glutamate to glutamine substitutions at amino acid residues 185 and 468 in the two Walker B motifs of Rv2477c severely inhibited its ATPase activity. The antibiotics tetracycline and erythromycin, which target protein translation, were able to inhibit the ATPase activity of Rv2477c. We postulate that Rv2477c could be involved in mycobacterial protein translation and in resistance to tetracyclines and macrolides. This is the first report of the biochemical characterization of an ABC-F subfamily protein in Mtb. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating Residual Solids Volume In Underground Storage Tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, Jason L.; Worthy, S. Jason; Martin, Bruce A.; Tihey, John R.

2014-01-01

The Savannah River Site liquid waste system consists of multiple facilities to safely receive and store legacy radioactive waste, treat, and permanently dispose waste. The large underground storage tanks and associated equipment, known as the 'tank farms', include a complex interconnected transfer system which includes underground transfer pipelines and ancillary equipment to direct the flow of waste. The waste in the tanks is present in three forms: supernatant, sludge, and salt. The supernatant is a multi-component aqueous mixture, while sludge is a gel-like substance which consists of insoluble solids and entrapped supernatant. The waste from these tanks is retrieved and treated as sludge or salt. The high level (radioactive) fraction of the waste is vitrified into a glass waste form, while the low-level waste is immobilized in a cementitious grout waste form called saltstone. Once the waste is retrieved and processed, the tanks are closed via removing the bulk of the waste, chemical cleaning, heel removal, stabilizing remaining residuals with tailored grout formulations and severing/sealing external penetrations. The comprehensive liquid waste disposition system, currently managed by Savannah River Remediation, consists of 1) safe storage and retrieval of the waste as it is prepared for permanent disposition; (2) definition of the waste processing techniques utilized to separate the high-level waste fraction/low-level waste fraction; (3) disposition of LLW in saltstone; (4) disposition of the HLW in glass; and (5) closure state of the facilities, including tanks. This paper focuses on determining the effectiveness of waste removal campaigns through monitoring the volume of residual solids in the waste tanks. Volume estimates of the residual solids are performed by creating a map of the residual solids on the waste tank bottom using video and still digital images. The map is then used to calculate the volume of solids remaining in the waste tank. The ability to

The ratio of right ventricular volume to left ventricular volume reflects the impact of pulmonary regurgitation independently of the method of pulmonary regurgitation quantification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Śpiewak, Mateusz, E-mail: mspiewak@ikard.pl [Department of Coronary Artery Disease and Structural Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Małek, Łukasz A., E-mail: lmalek@ikard.pl [Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Department of Interventional Cardiology and Angiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Petryka, Joanna, E-mail: joannapetryka@hotmail.com [Department of Coronary Artery Disease and Structural Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Mazurkiewicz, Łukasz, E-mail: lmazurkiewicz@ikard.pl [Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Department of Cardiomyopathy, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Miłosz, Barbara, E-mail: barbara-milosz@o2.pl [Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Department of Radiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Biernacka, Elżbieta K., E-mail: kbiernacka@ikard.pl [Department of Congenital Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Kowalski, Mirosław, E-mail: mkowalski@ikard.pl [Department of Congenital Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Hoffman, Piotr, E-mail: phoffman@ikard.pl [Department of Congenital Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Demkow, Marcin, E-mail: mdemkow@ikard.pl [Department of Coronary Artery Disease and Structural Heart Diseases, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Miśko, Jolanta, E-mail: jmisko@wp.pl [Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Unit, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Department of Radiology, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland); Rużyłło, Witold, E-mail: wruzyllo@ikard.pl [Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw (Poland)

2012-10-15

Background: Previous studies have advocated quantifying pulmonary regurgitation (PR) by using PR volume (PRV) instead of commonly used PR fraction (PRF). However, physicians are not familiar with the use of PRV in clinical practice. The ratio of right ventricle (RV) volume to left ventricle volume (RV/LV) may better reflect the impact of PR on the heart than RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) alone. We aimed to compare the impact of PRV and PRF on RV size expressed as either the RV/LV ratio or RVEDV (mL/m{sup 2}). Methods: Consecutive patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot were included (n = 53). PRV, PRF and ventricular volumes were measured with the use of cardiac magnetic resonance. Results: RVEDV was more closely correlated with PRV when compared with PRF (r = 0.686, p < 0.0001, and r = 0.430, p = 0.0014, respectively). On the other hand, both PRV and PRF showed a good correlation with the RV/LV ratio (r = 0.691, p < 0.0001, and r = 0.685, p < 0.0001, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that both measures of PR had similar ability to predict severe RV dilatation when the RV/LV ratio-based criterion was used, namely the RV/LV ratio > 2.0 [area under the curve (AUC){sub PRV} = 0.770 vs AUC{sub PRF} = 0.777, p = 0.86]. Conversely, with the use of the RVEDV-based criterion (>170 mL/m{sup 2}), PRV proved to be superior over PRF (AUC{sub PRV} = 0.770 vs AUC{sub PRF} = 0.656, p = 0.0028]. Conclusions: PRV and PRF have similar significance as measures of PR when the RV/LV ratio is used instead of RVEDV. The RV/LV ratio is a universal marker of RV dilatation independent of the method of PR quantification applied (PRF vs PRV)

The ratio of right ventricular volume to left ventricular volume reflects the impact of pulmonary regurgitation independently of the method of pulmonary regurgitation quantification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Śpiewak, Mateusz; Małek, Łukasz A.; Petryka, Joanna; Mazurkiewicz, Łukasz; Miłosz, Barbara; Biernacka, Elżbieta K.; Kowalski, Mirosław; Hoffman, Piotr; Demkow, Marcin; Miśko, Jolanta; Rużyłło, Witold

2012-01-01

Background: Previous studies have advocated quantifying pulmonary regurgitation (PR) by using PR volume (PRV) instead of commonly used PR fraction (PRF). However, physicians are not familiar with the use of PRV in clinical practice. The ratio of right ventricle (RV) volume to left ventricle volume (RV/LV) may better reflect the impact of PR on the heart than RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) alone. We aimed to compare the impact of PRV and PRF on RV size expressed as either the RV/LV ratio or RVEDV (mL/m 2 ). Methods: Consecutive patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot were included (n = 53). PRV, PRF and ventricular volumes were measured with the use of cardiac magnetic resonance. Results: RVEDV was more closely correlated with PRV when compared with PRF (r = 0.686, p 2.0 [area under the curve (AUC) PRV = 0.770 vs AUC PRF = 0.777, p = 0.86]. Conversely, with the use of the RVEDV-based criterion (>170 mL/m 2 ), PRV proved to be superior over PRF (AUC PRV = 0.770 vs AUC PRF = 0.656, p = 0.0028]. Conclusions: PRV and PRF have similar significance as measures of PR when the RV/LV ratio is used instead of RVEDV. The RV/LV ratio is a universal marker of RV dilatation independent of the method of PR quantification applied (PRF vs PRV)

Volume-weighted measure for eternal inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winitzki, Sergei

2008-01-01

I propose a new volume-weighted probability measure for cosmological 'multiverse' scenarios involving eternal inflation. The 'reheating-volume (RV) cutoff' calculates the distribution of observable quantities on a portion of the reheating hypersurface that is conditioned to be finite. The RV measure is gauge-invariant, does not suffer from the 'youngness paradox', and is independent of initial conditions at the beginning of inflation. In slow-roll inflationary models with a scalar inflaton, the RV-regulated probability distributions can be obtained by solving nonlinear diffusion equations. I discuss possible applications of the new measure to 'landscape' scenarios with bubble nucleation. As an illustration, I compute the predictions of the RV measure in a simple toy landscape.

Cloning, overexpression, purification and preliminary X-ray analysis of a feast/famine regulatory protein (Rv2779c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Abhishek; Ramachandran, Ravishankar

2014-01-01

Rv2779c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a feast/famine regulatory protein. This class of proteins are also known as the leucine-responsive regulatory protein/asparagine synthase C family (Lrp/AsnC) of transcriptional regulators and are known to be involved in various metabolic processes in bacteria and fungi. They contain a RAM (regulator of amino-acid metabolism) domain that is rarely found in humans and acts as the oligomerization domain. Since the oligomeric status is often linked to the particular functional role in these proteins, binding of ligands to the domain can elicit specific functional responses. Full-length Rv2779c corresponding to a molecular mass of 19.8 kDa and 179 residues was cloned and purified to homogeneity following transformation into Escherichia coli C41 (DE3) cells. Crystals were grown by vapour diffusion using the hanging-drop method. Diffraction data extending to 2.8 Å resolution were collected from a single crystal that belonged to space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 99.6, b = 146.0, c = 49.9 Å. Matthews coefficient (VM) calculations suggest that four molecules are present in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to a solvent content of ∼46%. Molecular-replacement calculations using the crystal structure of a homologue, Rv3291c, as the search model gave an unambiguous solution corresponding to four subunits in the asymmetric unit.

The accuracy of ventricular volume measurement and the optimal slice thickness by using multislice helical computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Wei; Guo Yuyin

2005-01-01

Objective: To determine the optimal slice thickness for ventricular volume measurement by tomographic multislice Simpson's method and to evaluate the accuracy of ventricular volume measured by multislice helical computed tomography (MSCT) in human ventricular casts. Methods: Fourteen human left ventricular (LV) and 15 right ventricular (RV) casts were scanned with MSCT scanner by using a scanning protocol similar to clinical practice. A series of LV and RV short-axis images were reconstructed with slice thickness of 2 mm, 3.5 mm, 5 mm, 7 mm, and 10 mm, respectively. Multislice Simpson's method was used to calculate LV and RV volumes and true cast volume was determined by water displacement. Results: The true LV and RV volumes were (55.57 ± 28.91) ml, and (64.23 ± 24.51) ml, respectively. The calculated volumes from different slice thickness ranged from (58.78 ± 28.93) ml to (68.15 ± 32.57) ml for LV casts, and (74.45 ± 27.81) ml to (88.14 ± 32.91) ml for RV casts, respectively. Both the calculated LV and RV volumes correlated closely with the corresponding true volumes (all r > 0.95, P<0.001), but overestimated the corresponding true volume by (3.21 ± 5.95) to (12.58 ± 8.56) ml for LV and (10.22 ± 8.45) to (23.91 ± 12.24) ml for RV (all P<0.01). There was a close correlation between the overestimation and the selected slice thickness for both LV and RV volume measurements (r=0.998 and 0.996, P<0.001). However, when slice thickness was reduced to 5.0 mm, the overestimation became nonsignificant for slice thickness through 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm, and also for both LV and RV volume measurements. Conclusion: Both LV and RV volumes can be accurately calculated with MSCT. A 5 mm slice thickness is enough and most efficient for accurate measurement of LV and RV volume. (authors)

Molecular analysis of Rv0679c and Rv0180c genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from clinical isolates of pulmonary tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L Rupa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Two novel proteins/genes Rv0679c and Rv0180c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB H37Rv were classified as a hypothetical membrane and transmembrane proteins which might have a role in the invasion. Molecular analysis of these genes in human clinical isolates of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB patients was not well characterised. Aims: To assess the molecular diversity of Rv0679c and Rv0180c genes of MTB from clinical isolates of PTB patients. Settings and Design: DNA from 97 clinical isolates was extracted and subjected to amplification using selective primers by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. The PCR product obtained was sequenced commercially. Patients and Methods: Clinical isolates obtained from tuberculosis patients were investigated for polymorphisms in the Rv0679c and Rv0180c genes by PCR and DNA sequencing. Genomic DNA isolated by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method was used for amplification of genes. Results: Rv0679c gene was highly conserved in 61 out of 65 clinical isolates assessed for sequence homology with wild-type H37Rv gene and was identical using ClustalW. Fifty-five out of 78 (70.5% clinical isolates assessed for Rv0180c were positive for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP at 258th position where the nucleotide G was replaced with T (G to T. In clinical isolates of untreated cases, the frequency was 54.5% for SNP at 258th position which is low compared to cases undergoing treatment where the frequency was 73.1%. Conclusions: Molecular analysis of Rv0180c in clinical isolates of PTB assessed in this study was the first report, where an SNP at 258th position G to T was identified within the gene. Rv0679c gene was highly conserved (94%, within Indian clinical isolates as compared to reports from other nations.

The irradiation lung volume in tangential fields for the treatment of a breast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Y. T.; Kim, J. R.; Kang, H. J.; Sohn, J. H.; Kang, S. H.; Chun, M. S.

1997-01-01

Radiation pneumonitis is one of the complications caused by radiation therapy that includes a portion of the lung tissue. The severity of radiation induced pulmonary dysfunction depends on the irradiated lung volume, total dose, dose rate and underlying pulmonary function. The lung volume was measured for 25 patients with breast cancer irradiated with tangential field from Jan. 1995 to Aug. 1996. Parameters that can predict the irradiated lung volume included; (1) the perpendicular distance from the posterior tangential edge to the posterior part of the anterior chest wall at the center of the field (CLD); (2) the maximum perpendicular distance from the posterior tangential field edge to the posterior part of the anterior chest wall (MLD); (3) the greatest perpendicular distance from the posterior tangential edge to the posterior part of anterior chest wall on CT image at the center of the longitudinal field (GPD); (4) the length of the longitudinal field (L). The irradiated lung volume(RV), the entire both lung volume(EV) and the ipsilateral lung volume(IV) were measured using dose volume histogram. The RV is 61-279cc, the RV/EV is 2.9-13.0% and the RV/EN is 4.9-29.6%. The CLD, the MLD and the GPD are 1.9-3.3cm and 1.4-3.1cm respectively. The significant relations between the irradiated lung volume such as RV, RV/EV, RV/IV and parameters such as CLD, MLD, GPD, L, CLD x L, MLD x L and GPD x L are not found with little variances in parameters. The RV/IV of the left breast irradiation is significances. The significant relationship between the irradiated lung volume and predictors is not found with little variation on parameters. The irradiated lung volume in the tangential field is less than 10% of entire lung volume when CLD is less than 3cm. The RV/IV of the left tangential field is larger than that of the right but there was no significant differences in RV/EVs. Symptomatic radiation pneumonitis has not occurred during minimum 6 months follow up. (author)

EMTP-RV at a glance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahseredjian, J.; Dennetiere, S. [IREQ Headquarters, PQ (Canada); Saad, O.; Khodabakhchian, B. [TransEnergie Technologies, PQ (Canada)

2004-10-01

A new restructured version of an electromagnetic transient program, EMTP-RV, which is a combination of the well-known EMTP and a powerful graphical interface EMTPWorks, is described. EMTP-RV provides a higher level of capabilities in the simulation of large scale electrical networks, making it possible to rapidly design, simulate and view large and complex systems, without the usual large expenditure of engineering and development time, and at the same time allowing more detailed studies on the complex phenomena of power system transients. EMTP-RV has a completely new control system solver, an optional Newton method for finding the simultaneous solution of all control system blocks, and a complex matrix-based steady-state solution, used primarily in automatic initialization of state-variables. The article also describes the highly efficient, intuitive and user-friendly graphical user interface EMTPWorks, which has an open architecture for maximized user configurability from basic user-defined model assemblies to more advanced script-based programming. The EMTP-RV package also includes an efficient data acquisition and processing software, named ScopeView and another visualization function called MPLOT. ScopeView offers multi-page and multi-column capabilities, an advanced built-in function editor, and is especially well adapted for the simultaneous viewing and mathematical post-processing of EMTP-RV. MPLOT, a compiled version of a set of m-files, is well suited for waveform viewing and statistical analysis. A one-week seminar and computer workshop on different aspects of transient system studies and analysis with EMTP-RV is provided twice a year by TransEnergie Technologies. 1 fig.

Kohtujurist Ivo Raudjärv peab etteheiteid maksuametile põhjendatuiks / Ivo Raudjärv ; interv. Edith Kiilmaa

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Raudjärv, Ivo, 1976-

2003-01-01

Maksumaksja intervjuu juristibüroo Raudjärv & Ko UÜ juhataja Ivo Raudjärvega. Kommentaarid: Lasse Lehis (TÜ finantsõiguse dotsent, Riigikohtu halduskolleegiumi nõunik) "Ivo Raudjärv - asendamatu asjatundja", Aivar Pau (Maksuameti pressiesindaja) "Maksuameti statistika põhineb jõustunud kohtulahenditel", Jüri Allikalt (Jüri Allikaltþi õigusbüroo jurist-maksukonsultant) "Analüütiline Ivo Raudjärv". Lisatud Ivo Raudjärve CV

Measurement properties and usability of non-contact scanners for measuring transtibial residual limb volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Kofman, Rianne; Beekman, Anna M; Emmelot, Cornelis H; Geertzen, Jan H B; Dijkstra, Pieter U

2018-06-01

Non-contact scanners may have potential for measurement of residual limb volume. Different non-contact scanners have been introduced during the last decades. Reliability and usability (practicality and user friendliness) should be assessed before introducing these systems in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to analyze the measurement properties and usability of four non-contact scanners (TT Design, Omega Scanner, BioSculptor Bioscanner, and Rodin4D Scanner). Quasi experimental. Nine (geometric and residual limb) models were measured on two occasions, each consisting of two sessions, thus in total 4 sessions. In each session, four observers used the four systems for volume measurement. Mean for each model, repeatability coefficients for each system, variance components, and their two-way interactions of measurement conditions were calculated. User satisfaction was evaluated with the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire. Systematic differences between the systems were found in volume measurements. Most of the variances were explained by the model (97%), while error variance was 3%. Measurement system and the interaction between system and model explained 44% of the error variance. Repeatability coefficient of the systems ranged from 0.101 (Omega Scanner) to 0.131 L (Rodin4D). Differences in Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire scores between the systems were small and not significant. The systems were reliable in determining residual limb volume. Measurement systems and the interaction between system and residual limb model explained most of the error variances. The differences in repeatability coefficient and usability between the four CAD/CAM systems were small. Clinical relevance If accurate measurements of residual limb volume are required (in case of research), modern non-contact scanners should be taken in consideration nowadays.

Physiological Modeling of Responses to Upper vs Lower Lobe Lung Volume Reduction in Homogeneous Emphysema

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arschang eValipour

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Rationale: In clinical trials, homogeneous emphysema patients have responded well to upper lobe volume reduction but not lower lobe volume reduction. Materials/Methods: To understand the physiological basis for this observation, a computer model was developed to simulate the effects of upper and lower lobe lung volume reduction on RV/TLC and lung recoil in homogeneous emphysema.Results: Patients with homogeneous emphysema received either upper or lower lobe volume reduction therapy based on findings of radionucleotide scintigraphy scanning. CT analysis of lobar volumes showed that patients undergoing upper (n=18; -265 mL/site and lower lobe treatment (n=11; -217 mL/site experienced similar reductions in lung volume. However, only upper lobe treatment improved FEV1 (+11.1±14.7% vs -4.4±15.8% and RV/TLC (-5.4± 8.1% vs -2.4±8.6%. Model simulations provided an unexpected explanation for this response. Increases in transpulmonary pressure subsequent to volume reduction increased RV/TLC in upper lobe alveoli, while caudal shifts in airway closure decreased RV/TLC in lower lobe alveoli. Upper lobe treatment, which eliminates apical alveoli with high RV/TLC values, lowers the average RV/TLC of the lung. Conversely, lower lobe treatment, which eliminates caudal alveoli with low RV/TLC values, has less effect. Conclusions: Lower lobe treatment in homogeneous emphysema is uniformly less effective than upper lobe treatment.

Lung volumes identify an at-risk group in persons with prolonged secondhand tobacco smoke exposure but without overt airflow obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Arjomandi, Mehrdad; Zeng, Siyang; Geerts, Jeroen; Stiner, Rachel K; Bos, Bruce; van Koeverden, Ian; Keene, Jason; Elicker, Brett; Blanc, Paul D; Gold, Warren M

2018-01-01

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is associated with occult obstructive lung disease as evident by abnormal airflow indices representing small airway disease despite having preserved spirometry (normal forced expiratory volume in 1 s-to-forced vital capacity ratio, FEV 1 /FVC). The significance of lung volumes that reflect air trapping in the presence of preserved spirometry is unclear. To investigate whether lung volumes representing air trapping could determine susceptibility to respiratory morbidity in people with SHS exposure but without spirometric chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we examined a cohort of 256 subjects with prolonged occupational SHS exposure and preserved spirometry. We elicited symptom prevalence by structured questionnaires, examined functional capacity (maximum oxygen uptake, VO 2max ) by exercise testing, and estimated associations of those outcomes with air trapping (plethysmography-measured residual volume-to-total lung capacity ratio, RV/TLC), and progressive air trapping with exertion (increase in fraction of tidal breathing that is flow limited on expiration during exercise (per cent of expiratory flow limitation, %EFL)). RV/TLC was within the predicted normal limits, but was highly variable spanning 22%±13% and 16%±8% across the increments of FEV 1 /FVC and FEV 1 , respectively. Respiratory complaints were prevalent (50.4%) with the most common symptom being ≥2 episodes of cough per year (44.5%). Higher RV/TLC was associated with higher OR of reporting respiratory symptoms (n=256; r 2 =0.03; p=0.011) and lower VO 2max (n=179; r 2 =0.47; p=0.013), and %EFL was negatively associated with VO 2max (n=32; r 2 =0.40; p=0.017). In those at risk for obstruction due to SHS exposure but with preserved spirometry, higher RV/TLC identifies a subgroup with increased respiratory symptoms and lower exercise capacity.

Transfer factor, lung volumes, resistance and ventilation distribution in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Verbanck, Sylvia; Van Muylem, Alain; Schuermans, Daniel; Bautmans, Ivan; Thompson, Bruce; Vincken, Walter

2016-01-01

Monitoring of chronic lung disease requires reference values of lung function indices, including putative markers of small airway function, spanning a wide age range.We measured spirometry, transfer factor of the lung for carbon monoxide (TLCO), static lung volume, resistance and ventilation distribution in a healthy population, studying at least 20 subjects per sex and per decade between the ages of 20 and 80 years.With respect to the Global Lung Function Initiative reference data, our subjects had average z-scores for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC of -0.12, 0.04 and -0.32, respectively. Reference equations were obtained which could account for a potential dependence of index variability on age and height. This was done for (but not limited to) indices that are pertinent to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease studies: forced expired volume in 6 s, forced expiratory flow, TLCO, specific airway conductance, residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC), and ventilation heterogeneity in acinar and conductive lung zones.Deterioration in acinar ventilation heterogeneity and lung clearance index with age were more marked beyond 60 years, and conductive ventilation heterogeneity showed the greatest increase in variability with age. The most clinically relevant deviation from published reference values concerned RV/TLC values, which were considerably smaller than American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society-endorsed reference values. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

Analysis on Dynamic Transmission Accuracy for RV Reducer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Fengshou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available By taking rotate vector (RV reducer as the research object, the factors affecting the transmission accuracy are studied, including the machining errors of the main parts, assembly errors, clearance, micro-displacement, gear mesh stiffness and damping, bearing stiffness. Based on Newton second law, the transmission error mathematical model of RV reducer is set up. Then, the RV reducer transmission error curve is achieved by solving the mathematical model using the Runge-Kutta methods under the combined action of various error factors. Through the analysis of RV reducer transmission test, it can be found that there are similar variation trend and frequency components compared the theoretical research and experimental result. The presented method is useful to the research on dynamic transmission accuracy of RV reducer, and also applies to research the transmission accuracy of other cycloid drive systems.

Evaluation of pulmonary disease using static lung volumes in primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Pifferi, Massimo; Bush, Andrew; Pioggia, Giovanni; Caramella, Davide; Tartarisco, Gennaro; Di Cicco, Maria; Zangani, Marta; Chinellato, Iolanda; Maggi, Fabrizio; Tezza, Giovanna; Macchia, Pierantonio; Boner, Attilio

2012-11-01

In primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) lung damage is usually evaluated by high-resolution CT (HRCT). To evaluate whether HRCT abnormalities and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection were better predicted by spirometry or plethysmography. A cross-sectional study performed in consecutive patients with PCD who underwent sputum culture, spirometry, plethysmography and HRCT within 48 h. Principal component analysis and soft computing were used for data evaluation. Fifty patients (26 children) were studied. P aeruginosa infection was found in 40% of the patients and bronchiectasis in 88%. There was a correlation between infection with P aeruginosa and extent of bronchiectasis (p=0.009; r =0.367) and air-trapping (p=0.03; r =0.315). Moreover, there was an association between infection with P aeruginosa and residual volume (RV) values >150% (p=0.04) and RV/total lung capacity (TLC) ratio >140% (p=0.001), but not between infection with P aeruginosa and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1))<80%, or forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEF(25-75%))<70% or FEV(1)/FVC<70% (<80% in children). Severity of the total lung impairment on chest HRCT directly correlated with RV when expressed as per cent predicted (p=0.003; r =0.423), and RV/TLC (p<0.001; r =0.513) or when expressed as z scores (p=0.002, r =0.451 and p<0.001, r =0.536 respectively). Principal component analysis on plethysmographic but not on spirometry data allowed recognition of different severities of focal air trapping, atelectasis and extent of bronchiectasis. Plethysmography better predicts HRCT abnormalities than spirometry. Whether it might be a useful test to define populations of patients with PCD who should or should not have HRCT scans requires further longitudinal studies.

Validity and reliability of a novel 3D scanner for assessment of the shape and volume of amputees' residual limb models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Seminati

Full Text Available Objective assessment methods to monitor residual limb volume following lower-limb amputation are required to enhance practitioner-led prosthetic fitting. Computer aided systems, including 3D scanners, present numerous advantages and the recent Artec Eva scanner, based on laser free technology, could potentially be an effective solution for monitoring residual limb volumes.The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Artec Eva scanner (practical measurement against a high precision laser 3D scanner (criterion measurement for the determination of residual limb model shape and volume.Three observers completed three repeat assessments of ten residual limb models, using both the scanners. Validity of the Artec Eva scanner was assessed (mean percentage error <2% and Bland-Altman statistics were adopted to assess the agreement between the two scanners. Intra and inter-rater reliability (repeatability coefficient <5% of the Artec Eva scanner was calculated for measuring indices of residual limb model volume and shape (i.e. residual limb cross sectional areas and perimeters.Residual limb model volumes ranged from 885 to 4399 ml. Mean percentage error of the Artec Eva scanner (validity was 1.4% of the criterion volumes. Correlation coefficients between the Artec Eva and the Romer determined variables were higher than 0.9. Volume intra-rater and inter-rater reliability coefficients were 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively. Shape percentage maximal error was 2% at the distal end of the residual limb, with intra-rater reliability coefficients presenting the lowest errors (0.2%, both for cross sectional areas and perimeters of the residual limb models.The Artec Eva scanner is a valid and reliable method for assessing residual limb model shapes and volumes. While the method needs to be tested on human residual limbs and the results compared with the current system used in clinical practice, it has the potential to quantify shape and volume

Chemical Compositions of RV Tauri Stars and Related Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, S. S.; Giridhar, S.

2014-04-01

We have undertaken a comprehensive abundance analysis for a sample of relatively unexplored RV Tauri and RV Tauri like stars to further our understanding of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) evolution. From our study based on high resolution spectra and a grid of model atmospheres, we find indications of mild s-processing for V820 Cen and IRAS 06165+3158. On the other hand, SU Gem and BT Lac exhibit the effects of mild dust-gas winnowing. We have also compiled the existing abundance data on RV Tauri objects and find that a large fraction of them are afflicted by dust-gas winnowing and aided by the present work, we find a small group of two RV Tauris showing mild s-process enhancement in our Galaxy. With two out of three reported s-process enhanced objects belonging to RV Tauri spectroscopic class C, these intrinsically metal-poor objects appear to be promising candidates to analyse the possible s-processing in RV Tauri stars.

Three-Dimensional Echocardiography-Derived Non-Invasive Right Ventricular Pressure-Volume Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Kuan-Chih; Lin, Lian-Yu; Hwang, Juey-Jen; Lin, Lung-Chun

2017-09-01

In patients with pulmonary hypertension, repeated evaluations of right ventricular (RV) function are still required for clinical decision making, but the invasive nature of current pressure-volume analysis makes conducting regular follow-ups in a clinical setting infeasible. We enrolled 12 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and 10 with pulmonary venous hypertension (PVH) May 2016-October 2016. All patients underwent a clinically indicated right heart catheterization (RHC), from which the yielded right ventricular pressure recordings were conjugated with RV volume by 3-D echocardiography to generate a pressure-volume loop. A continuous-wave Doppler envelope of tricuspid regurgitation was transformed into a pressure gradient recording by the simplified Bernoulli equation, and then a systolic pressure gradient-volume (PG-V) diagram was generated from similar methods. The area enclosed by the pressure-volume loop was calculated to represent semi-invasive right ventricular stroke work (RVSW RHC ). The area between the PG-V diagram and x-axis was calculated to estimate non-invasive RVSW (RVSW echo ). Patients with PAH have higher RV pressure, lower pulmonary arterial wedge pressure and larger RV volume that was contributed by the dilation of RV mid-cavity minor dimension. We found no significant difference of traditional parameters between these two groups, but RVSW values were significantly higher in PAH patients. The RVSW values of these two methods were significantly correlated by the equation RVSW echo  = 0.8447 RVSW RHC  + 129.38 (R 2  = 0.9151, p rights reserved.

Stringent DDI-based prediction of H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hufeng; Rezaei, Javad; Hugo, Willy; Gao, Shangzhi; Jin, Jingjing; Fan, Mengyuan; Yong, Chern-Han; Wozniak, Michal; Wong, Limsoon

2013-01-01

H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interaction (PPI) data are very important information to illuminate the infection mechanism of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. But current H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPI data are very scarce. This seriously limits the study of the interaction between this important pathogen and its host H. sapiens. Computational prediction of H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPIs is an important strategy to fill in the gap. Domain-domain interaction (DDI) based prediction is one of the frequently used computational approaches in predicting both intra-species and inter-species PPIs. However, the performance of DDI-based host-pathogen PPI prediction has been rather limited. We develop a stringent DDI-based prediction approach with emphasis on (i) differences between the specific domain sequences on annotated regions of proteins under the same domain ID and (ii) calculation of the interaction strength of predicted PPIs based on the interacting residues in their interaction interfaces. We compare our stringent DDI-based approach to a conventional DDI-based approach for predicting PPIs based on gold standard intra-species PPIs and coherent informative Gene Ontology terms assessment. The assessment results show that our stringent DDI-based approach achieves much better performance in predicting PPIs than the conventional approach. Using our stringent DDI-based approach, we have predicted a small set of reliable H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPIs which could be very useful for a variety of related studies. We also analyze the H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPIs predicted by our stringent DDI-based approach using cellular compartment distribution analysis, functional category enrichment analysis and pathway enrichment analysis. The analyses support the validity of our prediction result. Also, based on an analysis of the H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPI network predicted by our stringent DDI-based approach, we have discovered some

Reference absolute and indexed values for left and right ventricular volume, function and mass from cardiac computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stojanovska, Jadranka; Prasitdumrong, Hutsaya; Patel, Smita; Sundaram, Baskaran; Gross, Barry H.; Yilmaz, Zeynep N.; Kazerooni, Ella A.

2014-01-01

Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) volumetric and functional parameters are important biomarkers for morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure. To retrospectively determine reference mean values of LV and RV volume, function and mass normalised by age, gender and body surface area (BSA) from retrospectively electrocardiographically gated 64-slice cardiac computed tomography (CCT) by using automated analysis software in healthy adults. The study was approved by the institutional review board with a waiver of informed consent. Seventy-four healthy subjects (49% female, mean age 49.6±11) free of hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia with a normal CCT formed the study population. Analyses of LV and RV volume (end-diastolic, end-systolic and stroke volumes), function (ejection fraction), LV mass and inter-rater reproducibility were performed with commercially available analysis software capable of automated contour detection. General linear model analysis was performed to assess statistical significance by age group after adjustment for gender and BSA. Bland–Altman analysis assessed the inter-rater agreement. The reference range for LV and RV volume, function, and LV mass was normalised to age, gender and BSA. Statistically significant differences were noted between genders in both LV mass and RV volume (P-value<0.0001). Age, in concert with gender, was associated with significant differences in RV end-diastolic volume and LV ejection fraction (P-values 0.027 and 0.03). Bland–Altman analysis showed acceptable limits of agreement (±1.5% for ejection fraction) without systematic error. LV and RV volume, function and mass normalised to age, gender and BSA can be reported from CCT datasets, providing additional information important for patient management.

Transcriptional analysis of genetic region RvD1 of Mycobacterium bovis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor Manuel Tibatá R.

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Mycobacterium bovis, shares 99.9% of genomic identity with M. tuberculosis, M. africanum and M. microti. Within this 0.1 % of difference, there are two genetic regions characteristics of M. bovis that are deleted in M. tuberculo­sis H37Rv: RvD1 and RvD2. According to bioinformatic analysis, these regions contain Open Reading Frames (ORFs. With the purpose of determining if the RvD1 region transcribes the ORFs predicted by bioinformatics (ORF1, ORF2 and Rv2024; total RNA was extracted from a culture of M. bovis BCG Pasteur, at different time points along the growth curve. The RNA samples were analyzed by Real Time Reverse Transcription - Poly-merase Chain Reaction (RTq-PCR. The findings show that ORF1, ORF2 and Rv2024, were transcribed consti-tutively, something that has not been reported previously. These results are a first step in order to determine the function of M. bovis RvD1 region, its possible role in pathogenesis and its interaction with both cattle and humans. Key words: Mycobacterium bovis, BCG, RNA, Real Time, RT-PCR, RvD1

Functional evaluation of lung by Xe-133 lung ventilation scintigraphy before and after lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in patients with pulmonary emphysema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurose, Taichi; Okumura, Yoshihiro; Sato, Shuhei

2004-01-01

We evaluated the respiratory functions of patients with pulmonary emphysema who underwent lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) by the mean transit time (MTT) with Xe-133 lung ventilation scintigraphy, forced expiration volume in 1 sec (FEV1.0), residual volume (RV), distance walked in 6 min (6-min walk), and the Hugh-Jones classification (H-J classification) before and after LVRS. In 69 patients with pulmonary emphysema (62 men, 7 women; age range, 47-75 years; mean age, 65.4 years±6.1, preoperative H-J classification, III (two were II)-V) who underwent LVRS, all preoperative and postoperative parameters (MTT 3 weeks after LVRS and the others 3 months after LVRS) were judged statistically by the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and Odds ratio. Every postoperative parameter was improved with a significant difference (P<0.05) compared to preoperative parameters. MTT at 3 weeks after LVRS was not associated with %FEV1.0 and the H-J classification at 3 months after LVRS, but was associated with RV and a 6-min walk at 3 months after LVRS. MTT was useful for the clinical evaluation of aerobic capability after LVRS. (author)

Right ventricular volume estimation with cine MRI; A comparative study between Simpson's rule and a new modified area-length method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sawachika, Takashi (Yamaguchi Univ., Ube (Japan). School of Medicine)

1993-04-01

To quantitate right ventricular (RV) volumes easily using cine MRI, we developed a new method called 'modified area-length method (MOAL method)'. To validate this method, we compared it to the conventional Simpson's rule. Magnetom H15 (Siemens) was used and 6 normal volunteers and 21 patients with various RV sizes were imaged with ECG triggered gradient echo method (FISP, TR 50 ms, TE 12 ms, slice thickness 9 mm). For Simpson's rule transverse images of 12 sequential views which cover whole heart were acquired. For the MOAL method, two orthogonal views were imaged. One was the sagittal view which includes RV outflow tract and the other was the coronal view defined from the sagittal image to cover the whole RV. From these images the area (As, Ac) of RV and the longest distance between RV apex and pulmonary valve (Lmax) were determined. By correlating RV volumes measured by Simpson's rule to As*Ac/Lmax the RV volume could be estimated as follows: V=0.85*As*Ac/Lmax+4.55. Thus the MOAL method demonstrated excellent accuracy to quantitate RV volume and the acquisition time abbreviated to one fifth compared with Simpson's rule. This should be a highly promising method for routine clinical application. (author).

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2017-03-09

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

Influence of heart failure on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Aline Soares; Sperandio, Priscila Abreu; Mazzuco, Adriana; Alencar, Maria Clara; Arbex, Flávio Ferlin; de Oliveira, Mayron Faria; O'Donnell, Denis Eunan; Neder, José Alberto

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the influence of chronic heart failure (CHF) on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD, i.e., inspiratory fraction-inspiratory capacity (IC)/TLC-and relative inspiratory reserve-[1 − (end-inspiratory lung volume/TLC)]. Methods: This was a prospective study involving 56 patients with COPD-24 (23 males/1 female) with COPD+CHF and 32 (28 males/4 females) with COPD only-who, after careful clinical stabilization, underwent spirometry (with forced and slow maneuvers) and whole-body plethysmography. Results: Although FEV1, as well as the FEV1/FVC and FEV1/slow vital capacity ratios, were higher in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group, all major "static" volumes-RV, functional residual capacity (FRC), and TLC-were lower in the former group (p < 0.05). There was a greater reduction in FRC than in RV, resulting in the expiratory reserve volume being lower in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group. There were relatively proportional reductions in FRC and TLC in the two groups; therefore, IC was also comparable. Consequently, the inspiratory fraction was higher in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group (0.42 ± 0.10 vs. 0.36 ± 0.10; p < 0.05). Although the tidal volume/IC ratio was higher in the COPD+CHF group, the relative inspiratory reserve was remarkably similar between the two groups (0.35 ± 0.09 vs. 0.44 ± 0.14; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the restrictive effects of CHF, patients with COPD+CHF have relatively higher inspiratory limits (a greater inspiratory fraction). However, those patients use only a part of those limits, probably in order to avoid critical reductions in inspiratory reserve and increases in elastic recoil. PMID:27832235

Residual limb fluid volume change and volume accommodation: Relationships to activity and self-report outcomes in people with trans-tibial amputation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Joan E; Youngblood, Robert T; Hafner, Brian J; Ciol, Marcia A; Allyn, Katheryn J; Gardner, David; Cagle, John C; Redd, Christian B; Dietrich, Colin R

2018-02-01

Fluctuations in limb volume degrade prosthesis fit and require users to accommodate changes using management strategies, such as donning and doffing prosthetic socks. To examine how activities and self-report outcomes relate to daily changes in residual limb fluid volume and volume accommodation. Standardized, two-part laboratory protocol with an interim observational period. Participants were classified as "accommodators" or "non-accommodators," based on self-report prosthetic sock use. Participants' residual limb fluid volume change was measured using a custom bioimpedance analyzer and a standardized in-laboratory activity protocol. Self-report health outcomes were assessed with the Socket Comfort Score and Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire. Activity was monitored while participants left the laboratory for at least 3 h. They then returned to repeat the bioimpedance test protocol. Twenty-nine people were enrolled. Morning-to-afternoon percent limb fluid volume change per hour was not strongly correlated to percent time weight-bearing or to self-report outcomes. As a group, non-accommodators ( n = 15) spent more time with their prosthesis doffed and reported better outcomes than accommodators. Factors other than time weight-bearing may contribute to morning-to-afternoon limb fluid volume changes and reported satisfaction with the prosthesis among trans-tibial prosthesis users. Temporary doffing may be a more effective and satisfying accommodation method than sock addition. Clinical relevance Practitioners should be mindful that daily limb fluid volume change and prosthesis satisfaction are not dictated exclusively by activity. Temporarily doffing the prosthesis may slow daily limb fluid volume loss and should be investigated as an alternative strategy to sock addition.

Computing and Visualizing Reachable Volumes for Maneuvering Satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, M.; de Vries, W.; Pertica, A.; Olivier, S.

2011-09-01

Detecting and predicting maneuvering satellites is an important problem for Space Situational Awareness. The spatial envelope of all possible locations within reach of such a maneuvering satellite is known as the Reachable Volume (RV). As soon as custody of a satellite is lost, calculating the RV and its subsequent time evolution is a critical component in the rapid recovery of the satellite. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo approach to computing the RV for a given object. Essentially, our approach samples all possible trajectories by randomizing thrust-vectors, thrust magnitudes and time of burn. At any given instance, the distribution of the "point-cloud" of the virtual particles defines the RV. For short orbital time-scales, the temporal evolution of the point-cloud can result in complex, multi-reentrant manifolds. Visualization plays an important role in gaining insight and understanding into this complex and evolving manifold. In the second part of this paper, we focus on how to effectively visualize the large number of virtual trajectories and the computed RV. We present a real-time out-of-core rendering technique for visualizing the large number of virtual trajectories. We also examine different techniques for visualizing the computed volume of probability density distribution, including volume slicing, convex hull and isosurfacing. We compare and contrast these techniques in terms of computational cost and visualization effectiveness, and describe the main implementation issues encountered during our development process. Finally, we will present some of the results from our end-to-end system for computing and visualizing RVs using examples of maneuvering satellites.

Computing and Visualizing Reachable Volumes for Maneuvering Satellites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, M.; de Vries, W.H.; Pertica, A.J.; Olivier, S.S.

2011-01-01

Detecting and predicting maneuvering satellites is an important problem for Space Situational Awareness. The spatial envelope of all possible locations within reach of such a maneuvering satellite is known as the Reachable Volume (RV). As soon as custody of a satellite is lost, calculating the RV and its subsequent time evolution is a critical component in the rapid recovery of the satellite. In this paper, we present a Monte Carlo approach to computing the RV for a given object. Essentially, our approach samples all possible trajectories by randomizing thrust-vectors, thrust magnitudes and time of burn. At any given instance, the distribution of the 'point-cloud' of the virtual particles defines the RV. For short orbital time-scales, the temporal evolution of the point-cloud can result in complex, multi-reentrant manifolds. Visualization plays an important role in gaining insight and understanding into this complex and evolving manifold. In the second part of this paper, we focus on how to effectively visualize the large number of virtual trajectories and the computed RV. We present a real-time out-of-core rendering technique for visualizing the large number of virtual trajectories. We also examine different techniques for visualizing the computed volume of probability density distribution, including volume slicing, convex hull and isosurfacing. We compare and contrast these techniques in terms of computational cost and visualization effectiveness, and describe the main implementation issues encountered during our development process. Finally, we will present some of the results from our end-to-end system for computing and visualizing RVs using examples of maneuvering satellites.

Reheating-volume measure for random-walk inflation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winitzki, Sergei

2008-01-01

The recently proposed 'reheating-volume' (RV) measure promises to solve the long-standing problem of extracting probabilistic predictions from cosmological multiverse scenarios involving eternal inflation. I give a detailed description of the new measure and its applications to generic models of eternal inflation of random-walk type. For those models I derive a general formula for RV-regulated probability distributions that is suitable for numerical computations. I show that the results of the RV cutoff in random-walk type models are always gauge invariant and independent of the initial conditions at the beginning of inflation. In a toy model where equal-time cutoffs lead to the 'youngness paradox', the RV cutoff yields unbiased results that are distinct from previously proposed measures.

Measurement of cardiac ventricular volumes using multidetector row computed tomography: comparison of two- and three-dimensional methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montaudon, M.; Laffon, E.; Berger, P.; Corneloup, O.; Latrabe, V.; Laurent, F.

2006-01-01

This study compared a three-dimensional volumetric threshold-based method to a two-dimensional Simpson's rule based short-axis multiplanar method for measuring right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) volumes, stroke volumes, and ejection fraction using electrocardiography-gated multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) data sets. End-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) of RV and LV were measured independently and blindly by two observers from contrast-enhanced MDCT images using commercial software in 18 patients. For RV and LV the three-dimensionally calculated EDV and ESV values were smaller than those provided by two-dimensional short axis (10%, 5%, 15% and 26% differences respectively). Agreement between the two methods was found for LV (EDV/ESV: r=0.974/0.910, ICC=0.905/0.890) but not for RV (r=0.882/0.930, ICC=0.663/0.544). Measurement errors were significant only for EDV of LV using the two-dimensional method. Similar reproducibility was found for LV measurements, but the three-dimensional method provided greater reproducibility for RV measurements than the two-dimensional. The threshold value supported three-dimensional method provides reproducible cardiac ventricular volume measurements, comparable to those obtained using the short-axis Simpson based method. (orig.)

Evaluation of methods for MR imaging of human right ventricular heart volumes and mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jauhiainen, T.; Jaervinen, V.M.; Hekali, P.E.

2002-01-01

Purpose: To assess the utility of two different imaging directions in the evaluation of human right ventricular (RV) heart volumes and mass with MR imaging; to compare breath-hold vs. non-breath-hold imaging in volume analysis; and to compare turbo inversion recovery imaging (TIR) with gradient echo imaging in RV mass measurement. Material and Methods: We examined 12 healthy volunteers (age 27-59 years). Breath-hold gradient echo MR imaging was performed in two imaging planes: 1) perpendicular to the RV inflow tract (RVIT view), and 2) in the transaxial view (TA view). The imaging was repeated in the TA view while the subjects were breathing freely. To analyze RV mass using TIR images, the RV was again imaged at end-diastole using the two views. The RV end-diastolic cavity (RVEDV) and muscle volume as well as end-systolic cavity volume (RVESV) were determined with the method of discs. All measurements were done blindly twice to assess repeatability of image analysis. To assess reproducibility of the measurements, 6 of the subjects were imaged twice at an interval of 5-9 weeks. Results: RVEDV averaged 133.2 ml, RVESV 61.5 ml and the RVmass 46.2 g in the RVIT view and 119.9 ml, 56.9 ml and 38.3 g in the TA view, respectively. The volumes obtained with breath-holding were slightly but not significantly smaller than the volumes obtained during normal breathing. There were no marked differences in the RV muscle mass obtained with gradient echo imaging compared to TIR imaging in either views. Repeatability of volume analysis was better in TA than RVIT view: the mean differences were 0.7±4.0 ml and 5.4±14.0 ml in end-diastole and 1.6±3.1 ml and 1.5±13.9 ml in end-systole, respectively. Repeatability of mass analysis was good in both TIR and cine images in the RVIT view but slightly better in TIR images: 0.5±2.4 g compared to 0.8±2.9 g in cine images. Reproducibility of imaging was good, mean differences for RVEDV and RVESV were 1.0±4.8 ml and 0.8±2.8 ml

Differing responses in right and left ventricular filling, loading and volumes during positive end-expiratory pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulman, D.S.; Biondi, J.W.; Matthay, R.A.; Zaret, B.L.; Soufer, R.

1989-01-01

Using a combined hemodynamic and radionuclide technique, 20 patients with varied ventricular function were evaluated during positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) application. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) ejection fractions and cardiac output were measured, and ventricular volumes were derived. Seven patients (group 1) who had an increase in LV end-diastolic volume with PEEP and 13 patients (group 2) who had the more typical response, a decrease in LV end-diastolic volume with PEEP, were identified. Compared with group 2, group 1 patients had a higher incidence of coronary artery disease (5 of 7 vs 1 of 13, p less than 0.005) and lower cardiac output (3.9 +/- 1.6 vs 9.1 +/- 3.2 liters/min, p less than 0.005), LV ejection fraction (27 +/- 13 vs 51 +/- 21%, p less than 0.05), RV ejection fraction (15 +/- 6 vs 32 +/- 8%, p less than 0.005) and peak filling rate (1.32 +/- 0.43 vs 3.51 +/- 1.70 end-diastolic volumes/s, p less than 0.05). LV and RV volumes increased and peak filling rate decreased with PEEP in group 1, whereas in group 2 LV volume decreased and RV volume and peak filling rate remained unchanged. Using stepwise regression analysis, the change in LV volume with PEEP was related directly to baseline systemic vascular resistance and inversely to baseline blood pressure. Similarly, the change in peak filling rate with PEEP was inversely related to the change in RV end-diastolic volume. Thus, the hemodynamic response to PEEP is heterogeneous and may be related to LV ischemia

Rotavirus shedding following administration of RV3-BB human neonatal rotavirus vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowley, Daniel; Boniface, Karen; Bogdanovic-Sakran, Nada; Kirkwood, Carl D; Bines, Julie E

2017-08-03

The RV3-BB human neonatal rotavirus vaccine aims to provide protection from severe rotavirus disease from birth. A phase IIa safety and immunogenicity trial was undertaken in Dunedin, New Zealand between January 2012 and April 2014. Healthy, full-term (≥ 36 weeks gestation) babies, who were 0-5 d old were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive 3 doses of oral RV3-BB vaccine with the first dose given at 0-5 d after birth (neonatal schedule), or the first dose given at about 8 weeks after birth (infant schedule), or to receive placebo (placebo schedule). Vaccine take (serum immune response or stool shedding of vaccine virus after any dose) was detected after 3 doses of RV3-BB vaccine in >90% of participants when the first dose was administered in the neonatal and infant schedules. The aim of the current study was to characterize RV3-BB shedding and virus replication following administration of RV3-BB in a neonatal and infant vaccination schedule. Shedding was defined as detection of rotavirus by VP6 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in stool on days 3-7 after administration of RV3-BB. Shedding of rotavirus was highest following vaccination at 8 weeks of age in both neonatal and infant schedules (19/30 and 17/27, respectively). Rotavirus was detected in stool on days 3-7, after at least one dose of RV3-BB, in 70% (21/30) of neonate, 78% (21/27) of infant and 3% (1/32) placebo participants. In participants who shed RV3-BB, rotavirus was detectable in stool on day 1 following RV3-BB administration and remained positive until day 4-5 after administration. The distinct pattern of RV3-BB stool viral load demonstrated using a NSP3 quantitative qRT-PCR in participants who shed RV3-BB, suggests that detection of RV3-BB at day 3-7 was the result of replication rather than passage through the gastrointestinal tract.

Structure Determination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Serine Protease Hip1 (Rv2224c)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naffin-Olivos, Jacqueline L.; Daab, Andrew; White, Andre; Goldfarb, Nathan E.; Milne, Amy C.; Liu, Dali; Baikovitz, Jacqueline; Dunn, Ben M.; Rengarajan, Jyothi; Petsko, Gregory A.; Ringe, Dagmar

2017-04-07

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) serine protease Hip1 (hydrolase important for pathogenesis; Rv2224c) promotes tuberculosis (TB) pathogenesis by impairing host immune responses through proteolysis of a protein substrate, Mtb GroEL2. The cell surface localization of Hip1 and its immunomodulatory functions make Hip1 a good drug target for new adjunctive immune therapies for TB. Here, we report the crystal structure of Hip1 to a resolution of 2.6 Å and the kinetic studies of the enzyme against model substrates and the protein GroEL2. The structure shows a two-domain protein, one of which contains the catalytic residues that are the signature of a serine protease. Surprisingly, a threonine is located within the active site close enough to hydrogen bond with the catalytic residues Asp463 and His490. Mutation of this residue, Thr466, to alanine established its importance for function. Our studies provide insights into the structure of a member of a novel family of proteases. Knowledge of the Hip1 structure will aid in designing inhibitors that could block Hip1 activity

1993 recreational vehicle (RV) park census in Beatty and Pahrump, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, L.E.; Housel, M.D.

1994-01-01

This paper reports on the second annual study of seasonal nonpermanent residents in the towns of Beatty and Pahrump in southern Nye County, Nevada, situs county of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The study used a census of recreational vehicle (RV) park managers to enumerate and characterize in demographic terms nonpermanent residents staying in RV parks. The questionnaire sought information from RV park managers which ordinarily would come from a household survey. The main objective was to study open-quotes snowbirdsclose quotes, the households of older couples who stay for a month or more each winter. The findings suggest that snowbirds are a majority of the seasonal influx of nonpermanent residents to RV parks in Pahrump. In contrast, a group called open-quotes seasonal travelersclose quotes, similar demographically but who stay less than a month, dominate the seasonal nonpermanent population in Beatty's RV parks. The study also tentatively identified the seasonality of nonpermanent resident occupancy. Because only RV parks were contacted, the study left unanswered the question of how many snowbirds live in other types of accommodations in Beatty and Pahrump

Right Ventricular Volumes and Systolic Function by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and the Impact of Sex, Age, and Obesity in a Longitudinally Followed Cohort Free of Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Disease: The Framingham Heart Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Foppa, Murilo; Arora, Garima; Gona, Philimon; Ashrafi, Arman; Salton, Carol J; Yeon, Susan B; Blease, Susan J; Levy, Daniel; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Manning, Warren J; Chuang, Michael L

2016-03-01

Cardiac magnetic resonance is uniquely well suited for noninvasive imaging of the right ventricle. We sought to define normal cardiac magnetic resonance reference values and to identify the main determinants of right ventricular (RV) volumes and systolic function using a modern imaging sequence in a community-dwelling, longitudinally followed cohort free of clinical cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. The Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort has been followed since 1971. We scanned 1794 Offspring cohort members using steady-state free precession cardiac magnetic resonance and identified a reference group of 1336 adults (64±9 years, 576 men) free of prevalent cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. RV trabeculations and papillary muscles were considered cavity volume. Men had greater RV volumes and cardiac output before and after indexation to body size (all Pheart rate account for most of the variability in RV volumes and function in this community-dwelling population. We report sex-specific normative values for RV measurements among principally middle-aged and older adults. RV ejection fraction is greater in women. RV volumes increase with body size, are greater in men, and are smaller in older people. Body surface area seems to be appropriate for indexation of cardiac magnetic resonance-derived RV volumes. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Effect of the spray volume adjustment model on the efficiency of fungicides and residues in processing tomato

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ratajkiewicz, H.; Kierzek, R.; Raczkowski, M.; Hołodyńska-Kulas, A.; Łacka, A.; Wójtowicz, A.; Wachowiak, M.

2016-11-01

This study compared the effects of a proportionate spray volume (PSV) adjustment model and a fixed model (300 L/ha) on the infestation of processing tomato with potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) (PLB) and azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil residues in fruits in three consecutive seasons. The fungicides were applied in alternating system with or without two spreader adjuvants. The proportionate spray volume adjustment model was based on the number of leaves on plants and spray volume index. The modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) method was optimized and validated for extraction of azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil residue. Gas chromatography with a nitrogen and phosphorus detector and an electron capture detector were used for the analysis of fungicides. The results showed that higher fungicidal residues were connected with lower infestation of tomato with PLB. PSV adjustment model resulted in lower infestation of tomato than the fixed model (300 L/ha) when fungicides were applied at half the dose without adjuvants. Higher expected spray interception into the tomato canopy with the PSV system was recognized as the reasons of better control of PLB. The spreader adjuvants did not have positive effect on the biological efficacy of spray volume application systems. The results suggest that PSV adjustment model can be used to determine the spray volume for fungicide application for processing tomato crop. (Author)

Effect of the spray volume adjustment model on the efficiency of fungicides and residues in processing tomato

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henryk Ratajkiewicz

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This study compared the effects of a proportionate spray volume (PSV adjustment model and a fixed model (300 L/ha on the infestation of processing tomato with potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont. de Bary (PLB and azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil residues in fruits in three consecutive seasons. The fungicides were applied in alternating system with or without two spreader adjuvants. The proportionate spray volume adjustment model was based on the number of leaves on plants and spray volume index. The modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS method was optimized and validated for extraction of azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil residue. Gas chromatography with a nitrogen and phosphorus detector and an electron capture detector were used for the analysis of fungicides. The results showed that higher fungicidal residues were connected with lower infestation of tomato with PLB. PSV adjustment model resulted in lower infestation of tomato than the fixed model (300 L/ha when fungicides were applied at half the dose without adjuvants. Higher expected spray interception into the tomato canopy with the PSV system was recognized as the reasons of better control of PLB. The spreader adjuvants did not have positive effect on the biological efficacy of spray volume application systems. The results suggest that PSV adjustment model can be used to determine the spray volume for fungicide application for processing tomato crop.

Representative volume size: A comparison of statistical continuum mechanics and statistical physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

AIDUN,JOHN B.; TRUCANO,TIMOTHY G.; LO,CHI S.; FYE,RICHARD M.

1999-05-01

In this combination background and position paper, the authors argue that careful work is needed to develop accurate methods for relating the results of fine-scale numerical simulations of material processes to meaningful values of macroscopic properties for use in constitutive models suitable for finite element solid mechanics simulations. To provide a definite context for this discussion, the problem is couched in terms of the lack of general objective criteria for identifying the size of the representative volume (RV) of a material. The objective of this report is to lay out at least the beginnings of an approach for applying results and methods from statistical physics to develop concepts and tools necessary for determining the RV size, as well as alternatives to RV volume-averaging for situations in which the RV is unmanageably large. The background necessary to understand the pertinent issues and statistical physics concepts is presented.

Association of Right Ventricular Pressure and Volume Overload with Non-Ischemic Septal Fibrosis on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiwon Kim

Full Text Available Non-ischemic fibrosis (NIF on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR has been linked to poor prognosis, but its association with adverse right ventricular (RV remodeling is unknown. This study examined a broad cohort of patients with RV dysfunction, so as to identify relationships between NIF and RV remodeling indices, including RV pressure load, volume and wall stress.The population comprised patients with RV dysfunction (EF 6-fold more common in the highest, vs. the lowest, common tertile of PASP and RV size (p<0.001.Among wall stress components, NIF was independently associated with RV chamber dilation and afterload, supporting the concept that NIF is linked to adverse RV chamber remodeling.

Emphysema lung lobe volume reduction: effects on the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Matthew S.; Kim, Hyun J.; Abtin, Fereidoun G.; Galperin-Aizenberg, Maya; Pais, Richard; Da Costa, Irene G.; Ordookhani, Arash; Chong, Daniel; Ni, Chiayi; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.; Goldin, Jonathan G. [David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Center for Computer Vision and Imaging Biomarkers, Department of Radiological Sciences, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Strange, Charlie [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Columbia, SC (United States); Tashkin, Donald P. [David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2012-07-15

To investigate volumetric and density changes in the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes following volume reduction of an emphysematous target lobe. The study included 289 subjects with heterogeneous emphysema, who underwent bronchoscopic volume reduction of the most diseased lobe with endobronchial valves and 132 untreated controls. Lobar volume and low-attenuation relative area (RA) changes post-procedure were measured from computed tomography images. Regression analysis (Spearman's rho) was performed to test the association between change in the target lobe volume and changes in volume and density variables in the other lobes. The target lobe volume at full inspiration in the treatment group had a mean reduction of -0.45 L (SE = 0.034, P < 0.0001), and was associated with volume increases in the ipsilateral lobe (rho = -0.68, P < 0.0001) and contralateral lung (rho = -0.16, P = 0.006), and overall reductions in expiratory RA (rho = 0.31, P < 0.0001) and residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) (rho = 0.13, P = 0.03). When the volume of an emphysematous target lobe is reduced, the volume is redistributed primarily to the ipsilateral lobe, with an overall reduction. Image-based changes in lobar volumes and densities indicate that target lobe volume reduction is associated with statistically significant overall reductions in air trapping, consistent with expansion of the healthier lung. (orig.)

Emphysema lung lobe volume reduction: effects on the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Matthew S.; Kim, Hyun J.; Abtin, Fereidoun G.; Galperin-Aizenberg, Maya; Pais, Richard; Da Costa, Irene G.; Ordookhani, Arash; Chong, Daniel; Ni, Chiayi; McNitt-Gray, Michael F.; Goldin, Jonathan G.; Strange, Charlie; Tashkin, Donald P.

2012-01-01

To investigate volumetric and density changes in the ipsilateral and contralateral lobes following volume reduction of an emphysematous target lobe. The study included 289 subjects with heterogeneous emphysema, who underwent bronchoscopic volume reduction of the most diseased lobe with endobronchial valves and 132 untreated controls. Lobar volume and low-attenuation relative area (RA) changes post-procedure were measured from computed tomography images. Regression analysis (Spearman's rho) was performed to test the association between change in the target lobe volume and changes in volume and density variables in the other lobes. The target lobe volume at full inspiration in the treatment group had a mean reduction of -0.45 L (SE = 0.034, P < 0.0001), and was associated with volume increases in the ipsilateral lobe (rho = -0.68, P < 0.0001) and contralateral lung (rho = -0.16, P = 0.006), and overall reductions in expiratory RA (rho = 0.31, P < 0.0001) and residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC) (rho = 0.13, P = 0.03). When the volume of an emphysematous target lobe is reduced, the volume is redistributed primarily to the ipsilateral lobe, with an overall reduction. Image-based changes in lobar volumes and densities indicate that target lobe volume reduction is associated with statistically significant overall reductions in air trapping, consistent with expansion of the healthier lung. (orig.)

Radial Velocities of Subgiant Stars and New Astrophysical Insights into RV Jitter

Science.gov (United States)

Luhn, Jacob; Bastien, Fabienne; Wright, Jason T.

2018-01-01

For nearly 20 years, the California Planet Search (CPS) has simultaneously monitored precise radial velocities and chromospheric activity levels of stars from Keck observatory to search for exoplanets. This sample provides a useful set of stars to better determine the dependence of RV jitter on flicker (which traces surface gravity) first shown in Bastien et al. (2014). We expand upon this initial work by examining a much larger sample of stars covering a much wider range of stellar parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, and activity, among others). For more than 600 stars, there are enough RV measurements to distinguish this astrophysical jitter from accelerations due to orbital companions. To properly isolate RV jitter from these effects, we must first remove the RV signal due to these companions, including several previously unannounced giant planets around subgiant stars. We highlight some new results from our analysis of the CPS data. A more thorough understanding of the various sources of RV jitter and the underlying stellar phenomena that drive these intrinsic RV variations will enable more precise jitter estimates for RV follow-up targets such as those from K2 or the upcoming TESS mission.

TIME VARIATION OF AV AND RV FOR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE BEHIND INTERSTELLAR DUST

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaosheng; Biederman, M.; Herger, B.; Aldering, G. S.

2014-01-01

TIME VARIATION OF AV AND RV FOR TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE BEHIND NON-UNIFORM INTERSTELLAR DUST ABSTRACT We investigate the time variation of the visual extinction, AV, and the total-to-selective extinction ratio, RV, resulting from interstellar dust in front of an expanding photospheric disk of a type Ia supernova (SN Ia). We simulate interstellar dust clouds according to a power law power spectrum and produce extinction maps that either follow a pseudo-Gaussian distribution or a lognormal distribution. The RV maps are produced through a correlation between AV and RV. With maps of AV and RV generated in each case (pseudo-Gaussian and lognormal), we then compute the effective AV and RV for a SN as its photospheric disk expands behind the dust screen. We find for a small percentage of SNe the AV and RV values can vary by a large factor from day to day in the first 40 days after explosion.

Oligomeric stability of Rapana venosa hemocyanin (RvH) and its structural subunits.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolashka-Angelova, Pavlina; Schwarz, Heinz; Dolashki, Aleksandar; Stevanovic, Stefan; Fecker, Miriam; Saeed, Muhammad; Voelter, Wolfgang

2003-03-21

The two structural subunits RvH1 and RvH2 were separated after overnight dialysis of Rapana venosa Hc against 130 mM Gly/NaOH buffer, pH 9.6, on an ion exchange column Hiload 26/10 Sepharose Q using a fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. The reassociation characteristics of these two RvH isoforms and the native molecule were studied in buffers with different pH values and concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). Reassociation of mixed RvH subunits was performed over a period of several days using a stabilizing buffer (SB) of pH 7.0 containing different concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) ions. After 2 days of dialysis, an RvH subunit mixture of didecamers and multidecamers was observed in the presence of 100 mM CaCl(2) and MgCl(2), though RvH1 and RvH2 are biochemically and immunologically different and have also different dissociation properties. The reassociation, performed at pH 9.6 with 2 mM CaCl(2) and MgCl(2) at 4 degrees C over a period of one to several weeks, led to the formation of decameric oligomers, while didecamers formed predominantly in the SB at pH 7.0. Higher concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions led to a more rapid reassociation of RvH1 resulting in long stable multidecamers and helical tubules, which were stable and slowly dissociated into shorter multidecamers and decamers at higher pH values. The reassociation of the RvH2 structural subunit in the same buffers processed slowly and yielded didecamers, shorter tubule polymers and long multidecamers which are less stable at higher pH values. The stability of RvH isoforms under varying ionic conditions is compared with the stability of keyhole limpet (KLH, Megathura crenulata) hemocyanin (KLH) and Haliotis tuberculata hemocyanin (HtH) isoforms. The process of dissociation and reassociation is connected with changes of the fluorescence intensity at 600 nm, which can be explained by differences in opalescence of the solutions of these two isoforms. The solutions of longer tubule

[Assessment of the right ventricular function in healthy volunteers with one beat full-volume real-time three-dimensional echocardiography].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei-hong; Zhang, Jin; Tong, Kai; Zhi, Guang; He, Kun-lun

2012-08-01

To determine the normal value of right ventricle using one beat full-volume real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) and assess the feasibility of this technique. One beat full volume images were acquired at the apical 4 chamber view in 129 healthy volunteers. The right and left ventricular volumes were examined with the eSie LVA and RVA. The subjects were divided into 2 gender groups (male and female) and 3 age groups (20 - 39 years old, 40 - 59 years old, 60 years old and above). Adequate data were obtained in 129 subjects. The RV-EDV was (92.4 ± 21.3) ml, RV-ESV (34.6 ± 9.2) ml, RV-SV (57.8 ± 13.9) ml, RV-EF (62.5 ± 5.0) ml. EDV, ESV, and EF were significant different while SV was similar between RV and LV (all P Right ventricle function can be measured noninvasively by RT-3DE with high feasibility. This novel method contributes to the detailed study of right heart function in various cardiovascular diseases.

NT-pro-BNP levels in patients with acute pulmonary embolism are correlated to right but not left ventricular volume and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasha, Sharif M; Klok, Frederikus A; van der Bijl, Noortje; de Roos, Albert; Kroft, Lucia J M; Huisman, Menno V

2012-08-01

N-terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is primarily secreted by left ventricular (LV) stretch and wall tension. Notably, NT-pro-BNP is a prognostic marker in acute pulmonary embolism (PE), which primarily stresses the right ventricle (RV). We sought to evaluate the relative contribution of the RV to NT-pro-BNP levels during PE. A post-hoc analysis of an observational prospective outcome study in 113 consecutive patients with computed tomography (CT)-proven PE and 226 patients in whom PE was clinically suspected but ruled out by CT. In all patients RV and LV function was established by assessing ECG-triggered-CT measured ventricular end-diastolic-volumes and ejection fraction (EF). NT-pro-BNP was assessed in all patients. The correlation between RV and LV end-diastolic-volumes and systolic function was evaluated by multiple linear regression corrected for known confounders. In the PE cohort increased RVEF (β-coefficient (95% confidence interval [CI]) -0.044 (± -0.011); p<0.001) and higher RV end-diastolic-volume (β-coefficient 0.005 (± 0.001); p<0.001) were significantly correlated to NT-pro-BNP, while no correlation was found with LVEF (β-coefficient 0.005 (± 0.010); p=0.587) and LV end-diastolic-volume (β-coefficient -0.003 (± 0.002); p=0.074). In control patients without PE we found a strong correlation between NT-pro-BNP levels and LVEF (β-coefficient -0.027 (± -0.006); p<0.001) although not LV end-diastolic-volume (β-coefficient 0.001 (± 0.001); p=0.418). RVEF (β-coefficient -0.002 (± -0.006); p=0.802) and RV end-diastolic-volume (β-coefficient <0.001 (± 0.001); p=0.730) were not correlated in patients without PE. In PE patients, lower RVEF and higher RV end-diastolic-volume were significantly correlated to NT-pro-BNP levels as compared to control patients without PE. These observations provide pathophysiological ground for the well-known prognostic value of NT-pro-BNP in acute PE.

"Pulmonary valve replacement diminishes the presence of restrictive physiology and reduces atrial volumes": a prospective study in Tetralogy of Fallot patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Pijuan-Domenech, Antonia; Pineda, Victor; Castro, Miguel Angel; Sureda-Barbosa, Carlos; Ribera, Aida; Cruz, Luz M; Ferreira-Gonzalez, Ignacio; Dos-Subirà, Laura; Subirana-Domènech, Teresa; Garcia-Dorado, David; Casaldàliga-Ferrer, Jaume

2014-11-15

Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) reduces right ventricular (RV) volumes in the setting of long-term pulmonary regurgitation after Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) repair; however, little is known of its effect on RV diastolic function. Right atrial volumes may reflect the burden of RV diastolic dysfunction. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the clinical, echocardiographic, biochemical and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) variables, focusing particularly on right atrial response and right ventricular diastolic function prior to and after elective PVR in adult patients with ToF. This prospective study was conducted from January 2009 to April 2013 in consecutive patients > 18 years of age who had undergone ToF repair in childhood and were accepted for elective PVR. Twenty patients (mean age: 35 years; 70% men) agreed to enter the study. PVR was performed with a bioporcine prosthesis. Concomitant RV reduction was performed in all cases when technically possible. Pulmonary end-diastolic forward flow (EDFF) decreased significantly from 5.4 ml/m(2) to 0.3 ml/m(2) (p volumes by 25% (p = 0.0024): mean indexed diastolic/systolic atrial volumes prior to surgery were 43 ml/m(2) (SD+/-4.6)/63 ml/m(2) (SD+/-5.5), and dropped to 33 ml/m(2) (SD+/-3)/46 ml/m(2) (SD+/-2.55) post-surgery. All patients presented right ventricular diastolic and systolic volume reductions, with a mean volume reduction of 35% (p volumes in keeping with the known reduction in RV volumes, after PVR. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rv0004 is a new essential member of the mycobacterial DNA replication machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

Mann, Katherine M; Huang, Deborah L; Hooppaw, Anna J; Logsdon, Michelle M; Richardson, Kirill; Lee, Hark Joon; Kimmey, Jacqueline M; Aldridge, Bree B; Stallings, Christina L

2017-11-01

DNA replication is fundamental for life, yet a detailed understanding of bacterial DNA replication is limited outside the organisms Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Many bacteria, including mycobacteria, encode no identified homologs of helicase loaders or regulators of the initiator protein DnaA, despite these factors being essential for DNA replication in E. coli and B. subtilis. In this study we discover that a previously uncharacterized protein, Rv0004, from the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for bacterial viability and that depletion of Rv0004 leads to a block in cell cycle progression. Using a combination of genetic and biochemical approaches, we found that Rv0004 has a role in DNA replication, interacts with DNA and the replicative helicase DnaB, and affects DnaB-DnaA complex formation. We also identify a conserved domain in Rv0004 that is predicted to structurally resemble the N-terminal protein-protein interaction domain of DnaA. Mutation of a single conserved tryptophan within Rv0004's DnaA N-terminal-like domain leads to phenotypes similar to those observed upon Rv0004 depletion and can affect the association of Rv0004 with DnaB. In addition, using live cell imaging during depletion of Rv0004, we have uncovered a previously unappreciated role for DNA replication in coordinating mycobacterial cell division and cell size. Together, our data support that Rv0004 encodes a homolog of the recently identified DciA family of proteins found in most bacteria that lack the DnaC-DnaI helicase loaders in E. coli and B. subtilis. Therefore, the mechanisms of Rv0004 elucidated here likely apply to other DciA homologs and reveal insight into the diversity of bacterial strategies in even the most conserved biological processes.

Gastric residual volume (GRV) and gastric contents measurement by refractometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Wei-Kuo; McClave, Stephen A; Hsieh, Chung-Bao; Chao, You-Chen

2007-01-01

Traditional use of gastric residual volumes (GRVs), obtained by aspiration from a nasogastric tube, is inaccurate and cannot differentiate components of the gastric contents (gastric secretion vs delivered formula). The use of refractometry and 3 mathematical equations has been proposed as a method to calculate the formula concentration, GRV, and formula volume. In this paper, we have validated these mathematical equations so that they can be implemented in clinical practice. Each of 16 patients receiving a nasogastric tube had 50 mL of water followed by 100 mL of dietary formula (Osmolite HN, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH) infused into the stomach. After mixing, gastric content was aspirated for the first Brix value (BV) measurement by refractometry. Then, 50 mL of water was infused into the stomach and a second BV was measured. The procedure of infusion of dietary formula (100 mL) and then water (50 mL) was repeated and followed by subsequent BV measurement. The same procedure was performed in an in vitro experiment. Formula concentration, GRV, and formula volume were calculated from the derived mathematical equations. The formula concentrations, GRVs, and formula volumes calculated by using refractometry and the mathematical equations were close to the true values obtained from both in vivo and in vitro validation experiments. Using this method, measurement of the BV of gastric contents is simple, reproducible, and inexpensive. Refractometry and the derived mathematical equations may be used to measure formula concentration, GRV, and formula volume, and also to serve as a tool for monitoring the gastric contents of patients receiving nasogastric feeding.

Evaluation of right ventricular function by coronary computed tomography angiography using a novel automated 3D right ventricle volume segmentation approach: a validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Burghard, Philipp; Plank, Fabian; Beyer, Christoph; Müller, Silvana; Dörler, Jakob; Zaruba, Marc-Michael; Pölzl, Leo; Pölzl, Gerhard; Klauser, Andrea; Rauch, Stefan; Barbieri, Fabian; Langer, Christian-Ekkehardt; Schgoer, Wilfried; Williamson, Eric E; Feuchtner, Gudrun

2018-06-04

To evaluate right ventricle (RV) function by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) using a novel automated three-dimensional (3D) RV volume segmentation tool in comparison with clinical reference modalities. Twenty-six patients with severe end-stage heart failure [left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (EF) right heart invasive catheterisation (IC). Automated 3D RV volume segmentation was successful in 26 (100%) patients. Read-out time was 3 min 33 s (range, 1 min 50s-4 min 33s). RV EF by CTA was stronger correlated with right atrial pressure (RAP) by IC (r = -0.595; p = 0.006) but weaker with TAPSE (r = 0.366, p = 0.94). When comparing TAPSE with RAP by IC (r = -0.317, p = 0.231), a weak-to-moderate non-significant inverse correlation was found. Interobserver correlation was high with r = 0.96 (p right atrium (RA) and right ventricle (RV) was 196.9 ± 75.3 and 217.5 ± 76.1 HU, respectively. Measurement of RV function by CTA using a novel 3D volumetric segmentation tool is fast and reliable by applying a dedicated biphasic injection protocol. The RV EF from CTA is a closer surrogate of RAP than TAPSE by TTE. • Evaluation of RV function by cardiac CTA by using a novel 3D volume segmentation tool is fast and reliable. • A biphasic contrast agent injection protocol ensures homogenous RV contrast attenuation. • Cardiac CT is a valuable alternative modality to CMR for the evaluation of RV function.

Involved Node, Site, Field and Residual Volume Radiotherapy for Lymphoma: A Comparison of Organ at Risk Dosimetry and Second Malignancy Risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, L; Sethugavalar, B; Robertshaw, H; Bayman, E; Thomas, E; Gilson, D; Prestwich, R J D

2015-07-01

Recent radiotherapy guidelines for lymphoma have included involved site radiotherapy (ISRT), involved node radiotherapy (INRT) and irradiation of residual volume after full-course chemotherapy. In the absence of late toxicity data, we aim to compare organ at risk (OAR) dose-metrics and calculated second malignancy risks. Fifteen consecutive patients who had received mediastinal radiotherapy were included. Four radiotherapy plans were generated for each patient using a parallel pair photon technique: (i) involved field radiotherapy (IFRT), (ii) ISRT, (iii) INRT, (iv) residual post-chemotherapy volume. The radiotherapy dose was 30 Gy in 15 fractions. The OARs evaluated were: breasts, lungs, thyroid, heart, oesophagus. Relative and absolute second malignancy rates were estimated using the concept of organ equivalent dose. Significance was defined as P risks of second cancers were significantly higher with IFRT compared with ISRT for lung, breast and thyroid; INRT and residual volume resulted in significantly lower relative risks compared with ISRT for lung, breast and thyroid. The median excess absolute risks of second cancers were consistently lowest for the residual technique and highest for IFRT in terms of thyroid, lung and breast cancers. The risk of oesophageal cancer was similar for all four techniques. Overall, the absolute risk of second cancers was very similar for ISRT and INRT. Decreasing treatment volumes from IFRT to ISRT, INRT or residual volume reduces radiation exposure to OARs. Second malignancy modelling suggests that this reduction in treatment volumes will lead to a reduction in absolute excess second malignancy. Little difference was observed in second malignancy risks between ISRT and INRT, supporting the use of ISRT in the absence of a pre-chemotherapy positron emission tomography scan in the radiotherapy treatment position. Copyright © 2015 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical application of a right ventricular pressure-volume loop determined by gated blood-pool imaging and simultaneously measured right ventricular pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasue, Takao; Watanabe, Sachiro; Sugishita, Nobuyoshi; Tanaka, Tsutomu; Yokoyama, Hideo

1983-01-01

The data obtained by ECG-gated radionuclide angiography were collected simultaneously with right ventricular pressure and thermal cardiac output (CO) obtained by a Swan-Ganz catheter in Scintipac 1200 (Shimazu Co) in order to create a right ventricular pressure-volume (RV P-V) loop. Subjects consisted of 15 patients with old myocardial infarction (MI group), seven with angina pectoris (AP group), six with congestive cardiomyopathy (CCM group) and five with neurocirculatory asthenia (NCA group). Right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) was calculated as RVEDV = CO/(EF x HR) (CO = cardiac output; HR = heart rate). Systolic work (W sub(S)), diastolic work (W sub(D)) and net work (W sub(N)) were calculated from a RV P-V loop by Simpson's method. The measurements were performed before and 5 min after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin (NG) (0.3 mg). The results were as follows: 1. RV P-V loops shifted towards the left lower part of the P-V plane after sublingual administration of nitroglycerin, indicating the reduction of pressure and volume of the right ventricle. 2. Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) in the MI, AP and CCM groups showed smaller values than that of the NCA group. 3. Right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI) showed a converse relation with RVEF. 4. Cardiac index in all groups decreased after NG and a statistical significance was seen in the MI, AP and NCA groups (p<0.05). 5. RV W sub(S), RV W sub(D) and RV W sub(N) showed no difference among each groups in the control state, and significantly decreased after NG. We conclude that the present method using RV P-V loop might be useful as a noninvasive bedside monitoring and permits the evaluation of RV function in a clinical setting

Nærvær i pædagogisk praksis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nærvær i pædagogisk praksis handler om, hvordan lærere og pædagoger kan arbejde med mindfulness i skole og daginstitution. Målet er at give inspiration til, hvordan man kan skabe et lærings- og udviklingsmiljø, som understøtter en praksis, hvor børn får erfaringer med at være til stede i sig selv......, ligesom de giver eksempler på nærværende kunst- og musikundervisning.   Den røde tråd er ønsket om at bistå barnet i at rumme sig selv og andre og en interesse for de muligheder, som øget nærvær kan give det enkelte barn og fællesskabet....

Changes in right ventricular function assessed by echocardiography in dog models of mild RV pressure overload.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Tomoya; Nakamura, Kensuke; Osuga, Tatsuyuki; Yokoyama, Nozomu; Morishita, Keitaro; Sasaki, Noboru; Ohta, Hiroshi; Takiguchi, Mitsuyoshi

2017-07-01

The assessment of hemodynamic change by echocardiography is clinically useful in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Recently, mild elevation of the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) has been shown to be associated with increased mortality. However, changes in the echocardiographic indices of right ventricular (RV) function are still unknown. The objective of this study was to validate the relationship between echocardiographic indices of RV function and right heart catheterization variables under a mild RV pressure overload condition. Echocardiography and right heart catheterization were performed in dog models of mild RV pressure overload induced by thromboxane A 2 analog (U46619) (n=7). The mean PAP was mildly increased (19.3±1.1 mm Hg), and the cardiac index was decreased. Most echocardiographic indices of RV function were significantly impaired even under a mild RV pressure overload condition. Multivariate analysis revealed that the RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVLS), standard deviation of the time-to-peak longitudinal strain of RV six segments (RV-SD) by speckle-tracking echocardiography, and Tei index were independent echocardiographic predictors of the mean PAP (free wall RVLS, β=-0.60, P<.001; RV-SD, β=0.40, P=.011), pulmonary vascular resistance (free wall RVLS, β=-0.39, P=.020; RV-SD, β=0.47, P=.0086; Tei index, β=0.34, P=.047), and cardiac index (Tei index, β=-0.65, P<.001). Free wall RVLS, RV-SD, and Tei index are useful for assessing the hemodynamic change under a mild RV pressure overload condition. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydrochemical data from R/V MIKHAIL LOMONSOV and R/V AKADEMIK VERNADSKIY in the Indian Ocean from 16 May 1966 to 01 October 1981 (NODC Accession 0000277)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Hydrochemical data were collected from R/V MIKHAIL LOMONSOV and R/V AKADEMIK VERNADSKIY in the Indian Ocean from 16 May 1966 to 01 October 1981. Data were collected...

Mycobacterium tuberculosislpdC, Rv0462, induces dendritic cell maturation and Th1 polarization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heo, Deok Rim [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Sung Jae; Kim, Woo Sik [Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Munwha-Dong, Jung-Ku, Daejeon 301-747 (Korea, Republic of); Noh, Kyung Tae; Park, Jin Wook; Son, Kwang Hee [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Won Sun [Department of Physiology, Kangwon National University, School of Medicine, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Min-Goo [Department of Physiology, Korea University, College of Medicine, Anam-dong, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul 136-705 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Daejin [Department of Anatomy, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, 221 Heuksuk-Dong, Dongjak-Ku, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Yong Kyoo [Department of Pharmacology, Chung-Ang University, College of Medicine, 221 Heuksuk-Dong, Dongjak-Ku, Seoul 156-756 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, In Duk, E-mail: jungid@pusan.ac.kr [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Yeong-Min, E-mail: immunpym@pusan.ac.kr [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute of Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Beom-eo Ri, Mulgum Eop, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do 626-770 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-08-05

Highlights: {yields} Treatment with Rv0462 induces the expression of surface molecules and the production of cytokines in DCs. {yields} Rv0462 induces the activation of MAPKs. {yields} Rv0462-treated DCs enhances the proliferation of CD4{sup +} T cells. -- Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological factor of pulmonary tuberculosis, causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Activation of host immune responses for containment of mycobacterial infections involves participation of innate immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we demonstrated that the gene encoding lipoamide dehydrogenase C (lpdC) from M. tuberculosis, Rv0462, induce maturation and activation of DCs involved in the MAPKs signaling pathway. Moreover, Rv0462-treated DCs activated naive T cells, polarized CD4{sup +} and CD8{sup +} T cells to secrete IFN-{gamma} in syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions, which would be expected to contribute to Th1 polarization of the immune response. Our results suggest that Rv0462 can contribute to the innate and adaptive immune responses during tuberculosis infection, and thus modulate the clinical course of tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosislpdC, Rv0462, induces dendritic cell maturation and Th1 polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, Deok Rim; Shin, Sung Jae; Kim, Woo Sik; Noh, Kyung Tae; Park, Jin Wook; Son, Kwang Hee; Park, Won Sun; Lee, Min-Goo; Kim, Daejin; Shin, Yong Kyoo; Jung, In Duk; Park, Yeong-Min

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Treatment with Rv0462 induces the expression of surface molecules and the production of cytokines in DCs. → Rv0462 induces the activation of MAPKs. → Rv0462-treated DCs enhances the proliferation of CD4 + T cells. -- Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological factor of pulmonary tuberculosis, causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Activation of host immune responses for containment of mycobacterial infections involves participation of innate immune cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs). In this study, we demonstrated that the gene encoding lipoamide dehydrogenase C (lpdC) from M. tuberculosis, Rv0462, induce maturation and activation of DCs involved in the MAPKs signaling pathway. Moreover, Rv0462-treated DCs activated naive T cells, polarized CD4 + and CD8 + T cells to secrete IFN-γ in syngeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions, which would be expected to contribute to Th1 polarization of the immune response. Our results suggest that Rv0462 can contribute to the innate and adaptive immune responses during tuberculosis infection, and thus modulate the clinical course of tuberculosis.

Which is the better forecasting model? A comparison between HAR-RV and multifractality volatility

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Feng; Wei, Yu; Huang, Dengshi; Chen, Yixiang

2014-07-01

In this paper, by taking the 5-min high frequency data of the Shanghai Composite Index as example, we compare the forecasting performance of HAR-RV and Multifractal volatility, Realized volatility, Realized Bipower Variation and their corresponding short memory model with rolling windows forecasting method and the Model Confidence Set which is proved superior to SPA test. The empirical results show that, for six loss functions, HAR-RV outperforms other models. Moreover, to make the conclusions more precise and robust, we use the MCS test to compare the performance of their logarithms form models, and find that the HAR-log(RV) has a better performance in predicting future volatility. Furthermore, by comparing the two models of HAR-RV and HAR-log(RV), we conclude that, in terms of performance forecasting, the HAR-log(RV) model is the best model among models we have discussed in this paper.

Cellular and molecular basis of RV hypertrophy in congenital heart disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacobazzi, D; Suleiman, M-S; Ghorbel, M; George, S J; Caputo, M; Tulloh, R M

2016-01-01

RV hypertrophy (RVH) is one of the triggers of RV failure in congenital heart disease (CHD). Therefore, improving our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of this pathology will help in developing strategic therapeutic interventions to enhance patient benefit in the future. This review describes the potential mechanisms that underlie the transition from RVH to RV failure. In particular, it addresses structural and functional remodelling that encompass contractile dysfunction, metabolic changes, shifts in gene expression and extracellular matrix remodelling. Both ischaemic stress and reactive oxygen species production are implicated in triggering these changes and will be discussed. Finally, RV remodelling in response to various CHDs as well as the potential role of biomarkers will be addressed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Residual viraemia in HIV-1-infected patients with plasma viral load

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ostrowski, S R; Katzenstein, T L; Pedersen, B K

2008-01-01

Despite undetectable viral load in conventional assays, probably all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infected patients have residual viraemia (RV) detectable by ultra-sensitive assays. To study this issue, this study investigated virologic and immunologic consequences of RV in highly active......-count, CD4+HLA-DR+, CD8+HLA-DR+CD38+, CD4+CD45RA-CD45RO+, CD8+CD45RA-CD45RO+, CD4+CD45RA+CD62L+, CD8+CD45RA+CD62L+ T cells, IgG or IgM. In conclusion, RV was associated with increased blood levels of soluble immune activation markers in HAART-treated HIV-1-infected patients. The finding that RV...... antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated HIV-1-infected patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA or=1 episode with TMA-RV whereas 9 patients had undetectable TMA-RV throughout the study-period. Time-points with TMA-RV and PCR-RV were associated with higher circulating sTNFrII (+0.234 ng/ml, P = 0.030) and beta(2...

Right ventricular volumes and function in thalassemia major patients in the absence of myocardial iron overload

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Porter John B

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aim We aimed to define reference ranges for right ventricular (RV volumes, ejection fraction (EF in thalassemia major patients (TM without myocardial iron overload. Methods and results RV volumes, EF and mass were measured in 80 TM patients who had no myocardial iron overload (myocardial T2* > 20 ms by cardiovascular magnetic resonance. All patients were receiving deferoxamine chelation and none had evidence of pulmonary hypertension or other cardiovascular comorbidity. Forty age and sex matched healthy non-anemic volunteers acted as controls. The mean RV EF was higher in TM patients than controls (males 66.2 ± 4.1% vs 61.6 ± 6%, p = 0.0009; females 66.3 ± 5.1% vs 62.6 ± 6.4%, p = 0.017, which yielded a raised lower threshold of normality for RV EF in TM patients (males 58.0% vs 50.0% and females 56.4% vs 50.1%. RV end-diastolic volume index was higher in male TM patients (mean 98.1 ± 17.3 mL vs 88.4 ± 11.2 mL/m2, p = 0.027, with a higher upper limit (132 vs 110 mL/m2 but this difference was of borderline significance for females (mean 86.5 ± 13.6 mL vs 80.3 ± 12.8 mL/m2, p = 0.09, with upper limit of 113 vs 105 mL/m2. The cardiac index was raised in TM patients (males 4.8 ± 1.0 L/min vs 3.4 ± 0.7 L/min, p Conclusion The normal ranges for functional RV parameters in TM patients with no evidence of myocardial iron overload differ from healthy non-anemic controls. The new reference RV ranges are important for determining the functional effects of myocardial iron overload in TM patients.

Influence of the temperature, volume and type of solution in the mercury vaporization of dental amalgam residue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Costa, Raquel dalla [Department of Chemical Engineering, State University of Maringa, Maringa - PR (Brazil)], E-mail: raqueldc_eng@yahoo.com.br; Cossich, Eneida Sala; Tavares, Celia Regina Granhen [Department of Chemical Engineering, State University of Maringa, Maringa - PR (Brazil)

2008-12-15

One of the qualitative methods for the identification of mercury vapor is what it occurs as a way of chemical reaction between palladium chloride and metallic mercury. Palladium chloride ribbons with yellowish coloration put in contact with the vaporized mercury of dental amalgam residue, liberates palladium and forms mercury chloride in your surface, and starts to have black coloration; this form identify the presence of the mercury vapor in the system. This work studies the influence of temperature, volume and type of barrier-solution in the vaporization of mercury during the period of storage of dental amalgam residues, aiming to establish the best conditions for storage of these residues. It was found that for all tested solutions, the longest storage times without any occurrence of mercury vaporization were obtained in the lowest temperatures tested and the largest solution volumes of barrier-solution. The radiographic effluent presented bigger efficacy in the reduction of the volatilization, increasing the period when the residue was stored, however the analysis of this solution after the vaporization test showed the presence of organic mercury. These results show that water is the most efficient barrier against the vaporization of mercury, since it did not result in organic mercury formation in the effluent solution from the storage process.

Influence of the temperature, volume and type of solution in the mercury vaporization of dental amalgam residue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Raquel dalla; Cossich, Eneida Sala; Tavares, Celia Regina Granhen

2008-01-01

One of the qualitative methods for the identification of mercury vapor is what it occurs as a way of chemical reaction between palladium chloride and metallic mercury. Palladium chloride ribbons with yellowish coloration put in contact with the vaporized mercury of dental amalgam residue, liberates palladium and forms mercury chloride in your surface, and starts to have black coloration; this form identify the presence of the mercury vapor in the system. This work studies the influence of temperature, volume and type of barrier-solution in the vaporization of mercury during the period of storage of dental amalgam residues, aiming to establish the best conditions for storage of these residues. It was found that for all tested solutions, the longest storage times without any occurrence of mercury vaporization were obtained in the lowest temperatures tested and the largest solution volumes of barrier-solution. The radiographic effluent presented bigger efficacy in the reduction of the volatilization, increasing the period when the residue was stored, however the analysis of this solution after the vaporization test showed the presence of organic mercury. These results show that water is the most efficient barrier against the vaporization of mercury, since it did not result in organic mercury formation in the effluent solution from the storage process

Gastric pH and residual volume after 1 and 2 h fasting time for clear fluids in children†.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, A R; Buehler, P; Seglias, L; Stark, T; Brotschi, B; Renner, T; Sabandal, C; Klaghofer, R; Weiss, M; Schmitz, A

2015-03-01

Current guidelines suggest a fasting time of 2 h for clear fluids, which is often exceeded in clinical practice, leading to discomfort, dehydration and stressful anaesthesia induction to patients, especially in the paediatric population. Shorter fluid fasting might be a strategy to improve patient comfort but has not been investigated yet. This prospective clinical trial compares gastric pH and residual volume after 1 vs 2 h of preoperative clear fluid fasting. Children (1-16 yr, ASA I or II) undergoing elective procedures in general anaesthesia requiring tracheal intubation were randomized into group A with 60 min or B with 120 min preoperative clear fluid fasting. To determine gastric pH and residual volume, the gastric content was sampled in supine, left and right lateral patient position using an oro-gastric tube after intubation. Data are median (interquartile range) for group A or B (PPatient characteristic data were similar between the two groups, except for gender (46/33 males in group A/B; P=0.02). Despite significantly shorter fasting times for clear fluids in group A compared with group B (76/136 min; P<0.001), no significant difference was observed regarding gastric pH [1.43 (1.30-1.56)/1.44 (1.29-1.68), P=0.66] or residual volume [0.43 (0.21-0.84)/0.46 (0.19-0.78) ml kg(-1), P=0.47]. One hour clear fluid fasting does not alter gastric pH or residual volume significantly compared with 2 h fasting. The study was approved by the local ethics committee (KEK-ZH-Nr. 2011-0034) and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01516775). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Residual stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macherauch, E.

1978-01-01

Residual stresses are stresses which exist in a material without the influence of external powers and moments. They come into existence when the volume of a material constantly changes its form as a consequence of mechanical, thermal, and/or chemical processes and is hindered by neighbouring volumes. Bodies with residual stress are in mechanical balance. These residual stresses can be manifested by means of all mechanical interventions disturbing this balance. Acoustical, optical, radiological, and magnetical methods involving material changes caused by residual stress can also serve for determining residual stress. Residual stresses have an ambivalent character. In technical practice, they are feared and liked at the same time. They cause trouble because they can be the cause for unexpected behaviour of construction elements. They are feared since they can cause failure, in the worst case with catastrophical consequences. They are appreciated, on the other hand, because, in many cases, they can contribute to improvements of the material behaviour under certain circumstances. But they are especially liked for their giving convenient and (this is most important) mostly uncontrollable explanations. For only in very few cases we have enough knowledge and possibilities for the objective evaluation of residual stresses. (orig.) [de

Reheating-volume measure in the string theory landscape

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winitzki, Sergei

2008-01-01

I recently proposed the ''reheating-volume'' (RV) prescription as a possible solution to the measure problem in ''multiverse'' cosmology. The goal of this work is to extend the RV measure to scenarios involving bubble nucleation, such as the string theory landscape. In the spirit of the RV prescription, I propose to calculate the distribution of observable quantities in a landscape that is conditioned in probability to nucleate a finite total number of bubbles to the future of an initial bubble. A general formula for the relative number of bubbles of different types can be derived. I show that the RV measure is well defined and independent of the choice of the initial bubble type, as long as that type supports further bubble nucleation. Applying the RV measure to a generic landscape, I find that the abundance of Boltzmann brains is always negligibly small compared with the abundance of ordinary observers in the bubbles of the same type. As an illustration, I present explicit results for a toy landscape containing four vacuum states, and for landscapes with a single high-energy vacuum and a large number of low-energy vacua.

Application of Kr-81m gas for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A comparison of various inhalation techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawakami, K; Katsuyama, N i; Anno, I i; Harada, J; Kuroda, T [Jikei Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine

1978-11-01

The Kr-81m ventilation study was performed by the following four inhalation techniques. 1) Spontaneous respiration with Kr-81m in air (Sp). 2) Serial inhalation of Kr-81m from residual volume to total lung capacity (VC). 3) Bolus inhalation of 50 ml of Kr-81m from the level of functional residual capacity (FRC), and 4) residual volume (RV), followed by air, to total lung capacity. Scintiphotos were taken during 10 sec of breathholding for VC, FRC, RV inhalation techniques and during tidal breathing for Sp technique, in a sitting position, by a scinticamera (Pho/Gamma HP). Twenty-three of the 28 subjects showed uneven distribution of the washout time in the Xe-133 study, 5 cases have a normal Xe-133 study. In severe obstructive changes with marked delay of the Xe-133 washout time, inhalation defects of Kr-81m were imaged in all techniques. In minor degrees of obstruction associated with slight delay of the washout, FRC and RV techniques detected abnormalities, whilst images by Sp and VC techniques showed homogeneous distribution of Kr-81m. This is due to rebreathing effect on Sp and to opening of partial airway obstruction in a high lung volume on VC technique. RV technique had a disadvantage for imaging of abnormalities in the lower lung fields, because Kr-81m concentration is low in the lower lung fields, due to physiological closure of the small airway. In 3 of 5 cases of asymptomatic asthma with a normal Xe-133 study, uneven distribution in RV technique was the only abnormality detected. FRC technique was most sensitive for slight obstructive changes in the upper lung fields as well as in the lower. For the ventilation study using Kr-81m, a combined test of Sp, VC, RV and FRC inhalation techniques is useful for early detection of the small airway disease and evaluation of the degree of abnormalities.

Ülemiste City kvartal Tallinnas / Mattias Agabus, Eero Endjärv, Illimar Truverk...[jt.] ; fotod: Kaido Haagen

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2008-01-01

asendiplaan, 3 korruste plaani, 3 värv. välisvaadet, restorani Mercado sisevaade; projekteerijad: M. Agabus, E. Endjärv, I.Truverk (Agabus, Endjärv & Truverk Arhitektid); hoonete arhitektuurne osa: E. Endjärv; sisearhitektid: K. Lents, H. Kääramees, T. Aunre (restoran Mercado); konstruktorid: Ü. Suvemaa, A. Lehtla, K. Adoberg; maastikuarhitektuur: Ü. Grišakov, M. Agabus, E. Endjärv

Structure of Rv1848 (UreA), the Mycobacterium tuberculosis urease γ subunit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habel, Jeff E.; Bursey, Evan H.; Rho, Beom-Seop; Kim, Chang-Yub; Segelke, Brent W.; Rupp, Bernhard; Park, Min S.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Hung, Li-Wei

2010-01-01

Crystal and solution structures of Rv1848 protein and their implications in the biological assembly of Mtb urease is presented. The crystal structure of the urease γ subunit (UreA) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rv1848, has been determined at 1.8 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contains three copies of Rv1848 arranged into a homotrimer that is similar to the UreA trimer in the structure of urease from Klebsiella aerogenes. Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments indicate that the Rv1848 protein also forms trimers in solution. The observed homotrimer and the organization of urease genes within the M. tuberculosis genome suggest that M. tuberculosis urease has the (αβγ) 3 composition observed for other bacterial ureases. The γ subunit may be of primary importance for the formation of the urease quaternary structure

Effect of residue hematoma volume on inflammation factors in hypertensive intracranial hemorrhage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

You-san ZHANG

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives 　In this study, the relationships of residue hematoma volume to brain edema and inflammation factors were studied after intracerebral hematoma was evacuated with a frameless stereotactic aspiration. Methods 　Eighty-nine patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH were treated by frameless stereotactic aspiration. According to residual volume of the hematoma, the patients were divided into gross-total removal of hematoma (GTRH (≤5ml and sub-total removal of hematoma (STRH (≥10ml groups after the operation. The pre-operative and postoperative data of the patients were compared between the two groups. The pre-operative data included age, sex, hematoma volume, time interval from the ictus to the operation, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS scores. The post-operative information included edema grade, level of thromboxane B2 (TXB2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α(6-K-PGF1α, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α and endothelin (ET in hematoma cavity or cerebral spinal fluid (CSF. Results 　There were 46 patients in GTRH group and 43 in STRH group respectively. There was no statistical difference in the pre-operative data between the two groups. The levels of TXB2, 6-K-PGF1α, TNF-αand ET were significantly lower in the GTRH group than in the STRH group at different post-operative time points. There was a significant difference between the two groups. The post-operative CT scan at different time points showed that the brain edema grades were better in the GTRH group than in the STRH group. Conclusions 　GTRH is helpful for decreasing ICH-induced injury to brain tissue, which is related to decreased perihematomal edema formation and secondary injury by coagulation end products activated inflammatory cascade. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.09.12

[Glomerular filtration and renal volume in type II diabetes (non-insulin-dependent): study in normal and microalbuminuria patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Signorini, A M; Tanganelli, I; Fondelli, C; Vattimo, A; Ferrari, F; Borgogni, P; Borgogni, L; Gragnoli, G

1991-08-01

In type 2 diabetes elevated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and increased renal volume (RV), often accompanied to normo or microalbuminuria, were demonstrated. This condition is considered a pathogenetic factor for clinical nephropathy. As this topic is little studied in type 2 diabetes, we have investigated 73 type 2 diabetic patients (34 normo and 39 microalbuminuric), looking for a correlation between GFR, RV, hypertension, duration of diabetes and indexes of metabolic control. GFR was measured by a scintigraphy, after infusion of 99Tc-DTPA. Renal volume was determined by ultrasound scanning. Between the groups GFR and RV weren't different; elevated GFR was demonstrated in 3 patients; increased RV in 1 patient. In the hypertensive group GFR was lower than in normotensive group and in controls. Multivariate analysis in stepwise demonstrated that GFR presents a negative correlation to systolic blood pressure as in normo as in microalbuminuric patients. In the normotensive group GFR didn't correlate to the other variables. The present data suggest that in type 2 diabetes there is a little prevalence of glomerular hyperfiltration and increased renal volume and that hypertension plays a role on GFR of hypertensive diabetic patients.

Phase I trial of RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine: a human neonatal rotavirus vaccine.

Science.gov (United States)

Danchin, M; Kirkwood, C D; Lee, K J; Bishop, R F; Watts, E; Justice, F A; Clifford, V; Cowley, D; Buttery, J P; Bines, J E

2013-05-28

RV3 is a human neonatal rotavirus strain (G3P[6]) that has been associated with asymptomatic neonatal infection and replicates well in the infant gut. RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine has been developed as a rotavirus vaccine candidate for administration at birth. A single-centre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled Phase I study evaluated the safety and tolerability of a single oral dose of the second generation RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine (8.3×10(6)FFU/mL) in 20 adults, 20 children and 20 infants (10 vaccine and 10 placebo per age cohort). Vaccine take was defined as seroconversion (a 3-fold increase in serum anti-rotavirus IgA or serum neutralising antibody (SNA) from baseline at day 28 post-dose) or evidence of RV3-BB viral replication in the faeces by RT-PCR analysis 3-6 days post-vaccination. RV3-BB presence was confirmed by sequence analysis. The RV3-BB vaccine was well tolerated in all participants, with no pattern of adverse events shown to be associated with the study vaccine. In the infant cohort, vaccine take was demonstrated in 8/9 infants following a single dose of vaccine compared with 2/7 placebo recipients. In the infant vaccine group, 5/9 infants exhibited either IgA or SNA seroconversion and 7/9 infants had evidence of RV3-BB replication on days 3-6, compared with 2/7 infants who seroconverted and 0/10 infants with evidence of replication in the placebo group. Two infants in the placebo group had serological evidence of a rotavirus infection within the 28-day study period: one demonstrated an IgA and the other an SNA response, with wild-type virus replication detected in another infant. A single dose of RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine was well tolerated in adults, children and infants. Most infants (8/9) who received RV3-BB demonstrated vaccine take following a single dose. These data support progression of RV3-BB to Phase II immunogenicity and efficacy trials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teadlase eetika / Magnus Ilmjärv

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ilmjärv, Magnus, 1961-

2008-01-01

Vastukaja art.: Valge, Jaak. Pätsi riigipööret ei inspireeritud väljastpoolt // Postimees (2008) 26. apr., lk. 13. President Konstantin Pätsi kohta leitud uutest arhiivimaterjalidest. Raamatu "Hääletu alistumine" autor, ajaloolane Magnus Ilmjärv peab Jaak Valge kriitikat tema suhtes põhjendamatult suureks

Potential of right to left ventricular volume ratio measured on chest CT for the prediction of pulmonary hypertension: correlation with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure estimated by echocardiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Heon [Soon Chun Hyang University, Department of Radiology, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Seok Yeon [Seoul Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Soo Jeong [Terarecon Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jae Kyun [Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Reddy, Ryan P.; Schoepf, U.J. [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Charleston, SC (United States)

2012-09-15

To investigate the correlation of right ventricular (RV) to left ventricular (LV) volume ratio measured by chest CT with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) estimated by echocardiography. 104 patients (72.47 {+-} 13.64 years; 39 male) who had undergone chest CT and echocardiography were divided into two groups (hypertensive and normotensive) based upon an echocardiography-derived PASP of 25 mmHg. RV to LV volume ratios (RV{sub V}/LV{sub V}) were calculated. RV{sub V}/LV{sub V} was then correlated with PASP using regression analysis. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) for predicting pulmonary hypertension on chest CT was calculated. In the hypertensive group, the mean PASP was 46.29 {+-} 14.42 mmHg (29-98 mmHg) and there was strong correlation between the RV{sub V}/LV{sub V} and PASP (R = 0.82, p < 0.001). The intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients for RV{sub V}/LV{sub V} were 0.990 and 0.892. RV{sub V}/LV{sub V} was 1.01 {+-} 0.44 (0.51-2.77) in the hypertensive and 0.72 {+-} 0.14 (0.52-1.11) in the normotensive group (P <0.05). With 0.9 as the cutoff for RV{sub V}/LV{sub V}, sensitivity and specificity for predicting pulmonary hypertension over 40 mmHg were 79.5 % and 90 %, respectively. The AUC for predicting pulmonary hypertension was 0.87 RV/LV volume ratios on chest CT correlate well with PASP estimated by echocardiography and can be used to predict pulmonary hypertension over 40 mmHg with high sensitivity and specificity. (orig.)

Rationale and design of the ranolazine PH-RV study: a multicentred randomised and placebo-controlled study of ranolazine to improve RV function in patients with non-group 2 pulmonary hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yuchi; Forfia, Paul R; Vaidya, Anjali; Mazurek, Jeremy A; Park, Myung H; Ramani, Gautam; Chan, Stephen Y; Waxman, Aaron B

2018-01-01

A major determining factor on outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is right ventricular (RV) function. Ranolazine, which is currently approved for chronic stable angina, has been shown to improve RV function in an animal model and has been shown to be safe in small human studies with PAH. We aim to study the effect of ranolazine on RV function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (non-group 2 patients) and monitor the effect of ranolazine on metabolism using metabolic profiling and changes of microRNA. This study is a longitudinal, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre proof-of-concept study in 24 subjects with pulmonary hypertension and RV dysfunction treated with ranolazine over 6 months. Subjects who meet the protocol definition of RV dysfunction (CMR RV ejection fraction (EF) <45%) will be randomised to ranolazine or placebo with a ratio of 2:1. Enrolled subjects will be assessed for functional class, 6 min walk test and health outcome based on SF-36 tool. Peripheral blood will be obtained for N-terminal-pro brain natriuretic peptide, metabolic profiling, and microRNA at baseline and the conclusion of the treatment period. CMR will be performed at baseline and the conclusion of the treatment period. The primary outcome is change in RVEF. The exploratory outcomes include clinical, other CMR parameters, metabolic and microRNA changes. The trial protocol was approved by Institutional Review Boards. The trial findings will be disseminated in scientific journals and meetings. NCT01839110 and NCT02829034; Pre-results.

Factors affecting the lung perfused blood volume in patients with intrapulmonary clots after anti-coagulation therapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okada, Munemasa, E-mail: radokada@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505 (Japan); Masuda, Yu [4th Grade of 6-year Medicine Doctor Program, Department of Medicine, Yamaguchi University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505 (Japan); Nakashima, Yoshiteru [Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi Grand Medical Center, Oosaki 77, Hofu, Yamaguchi 747-8511 (Japan); Nomura, Takafumi; Nakao, Sei [Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505 (Japan); Suga, Kazuyoshi [Department of Radiology, St Hills Hospital, Imamurakita 3-7-18, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-0155 (Japan); Kido, Shoji [Computer-aided Diagnosis and Biomedical Imaging Research Biomedical Engineering, Applied Medical Engineering Science Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Tokiwadai 2-16-1, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8611 (Japan); Matsunaga, Naofumi [Department of Radiology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine 1-1-1 Minamikogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505 (Japan)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Dual-energy CT can provide morphological and functional lung images in the same examination. • The subsequent dual-energy CT demonstrates the increased whole lung perfused blood volume (V{sub 120}) despite the residual intrapulmonary clots after treatment in one examination. • The increased whole lung perfusion (V{sub 120}) and a decreased low perfusion volume (V{sub 5}) result in the improvement in the low perfusion rate (%V{sub 5}) in the patients with acute pulmonary embolism after treatment. - Abstract: Objectives: Factors affecting the improvement in the lung perfused blood volume (LPBV) were evaluated based on the presence of intrapulmonary clots (IPCs) after anti-coagulation therapy using 64-slice dual-energy CT. Materials and methods: 96 patients exhibiting venous thromboembolism underwent initial and repeated LPBV examinations between December 2008 and July 2014. Fifteen patients were excluded due to pulmonary comorbidities, and a total of 81 patients were included in this study. Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) was diagnosed in 46 of the patients (56.7%). LPBV images were three-dimensionally reconstructed with two threshold ranges: 1–120 HU (V{sub 120}) and 1–5 HU (V{sub 5}), and the relative value of V{sub 5} per V{sub 120} expressed as %V{sub 5}. These values were subsequently compared with indicators of the severity of PE, such as the D-dimer level, heart rate and CT measurements. This study was approved by the local ethics committee. Results: In patients with IPCs, the D-dimer, V{sub 5} and %V{sub 5}values were significantly larger (p ≤ 0.01) in the initial LPBV, although these differences disappeared in subsequent LPBV after treatment. The right ventricular (RV) diameter, RV/left ventricular (RV/LV) diameter ratio and %V{sub 5} values were also significantly reduced, whereas the V{sub 5} value did not significantly decrease (p = 0.07), but V{sub 120} value significantly increased (p < 0.001) after treatment. However, in

Potential of right to left ventricular volume ratio measured on chest CT for the prediction of pulmonary hypertension: correlation with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure estimated by echocardiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Heon; Kim, Seok Yeon; Lee, Soo Jeong; Kim, Jae Kyun; Reddy, Ryan P.; Schoepf, U.J.

2012-01-01

To investigate the correlation of right ventricular (RV) to left ventricular (LV) volume ratio measured by chest CT with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) estimated by echocardiography. 104 patients (72.47 ± 13.64 years; 39 male) who had undergone chest CT and echocardiography were divided into two groups (hypertensive and normotensive) based upon an echocardiography-derived PASP of 25 mmHg. RV to LV volume ratios (RV V /LV V ) were calculated. RV V /LV V was then correlated with PASP using regression analysis. The Area Under the Curve (AUC) for predicting pulmonary hypertension on chest CT was calculated. In the hypertensive group, the mean PASP was 46.29 ± 14.42 mmHg (29-98 mmHg) and there was strong correlation between the RV V /LV V and PASP (R = 0.82, p V /LV V were 0.990 and 0.892. RV V /LV V was 1.01 ± 0.44 (0.51-2.77) in the hypertensive and 0.72 ± 0.14 (0.52-1.11) in the normotensive group (P V /LV V , sensitivity and specificity for predicting pulmonary hypertension over 40 mmHg were 79.5 % and 90 %, respectively. The AUC for predicting pulmonary hypertension was 0.87 RV/LV volume ratios on chest CT correlate well with PASP estimated by echocardiography and can be used to predict pulmonary hypertension over 40 mmHg with high sensitivity and specificity. (orig.)

Diffusing capacity for lung carbon monoxide (dlco) in chemical lung injuries due to the use of mustard gas in the poisoned soldiers of Iran-Iraq war 2006

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rouhi, H.; Ganji, F.

2010-01-01

To assess the Mustard gas exposure effects on pulmonary system, particularly on diffusing capacity for lung carbon monoxide (DLCO) and simple spirometry. Sixty-five sulfur mustard- poisoned soldiers from Mostazafan and Janbazan organization were referred to our center in 2005. Complete history, physical examination, chest X ray, Echocardiography, Arterial blood gas, high - resolution computerized tomography, diffusion capacity for lung carbon monoxide and spirometry of these were performed and compared this result with normal value. The mean value of indices in studied injured subjects was: Spirometry: forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) = 70.4, Forced vital capacity (FVC) = 66.5, EFE 25-75=81.1, FEV1/FVC=101.9, Flow 25% = 28.7, Flow 50%= 72.9, Flow 75%= 100.1, Sample volume: Functional residual capacity of lungs (FRC) = 131.5, residual volume (RV) = 157.3, RV/TLC= 169.1, Total lung capacity (TLC) = 91.3, KCO= 131.6, TLCO= 116.3. No significant correlation was observed between TLCO values with HRCT, echocardiography, ABG and spirometry values (P>0.05). We recommend TLCO and RV/TLV tests to assess severity of Injuries as there is no a suitable criterion to measure the real consequences of mustard gas on affected combatants. and Biological markers are also needed to determine cause effect relations. (author)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Universal Stress Protein Rv2623 Regulates Bacillary Growth by ATP Binding: Requirement for Establishing Chronic Persistent Infection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drumm, J.; Mi, K; Bilder, P; Sun, M; Lim, J; Bielefeldt-Ohmann, H; Basaraba, R; So, M; Zhu, G; et. al.

2009-01-01

Tuberculous latency and reactivation play a significant role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis, yet the mechanisms that regulate these processes remain unclear. The Mycobacterium tuberculosisuniversal stress protein (USP) homolog, rv2623, is among the most highly induced genes when the tubercle bacillus is subjected to hypoxia and nitrosative stress, conditions thought to promote latency. Induction of rv2623 also occurs when M. tuberculosis encounters conditions associated with growth arrest, such as the intracellular milieu of macrophages and in the lungs of mice with chronic tuberculosis. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that Rv2623 regulates tuberculosis latency. We observed that an Rv2623-deficient mutant fails to establish chronic tuberculous infection in guinea pigs and mice, exhibiting a hypervirulence phenotype associated with increased bacterial burden and mortality. Consistent with this in vivo growth-regulatory role, constitutive overexpression of rv2623 attenuates mycobacterial growth in vitro. Biochemical analysis of purified Rv2623 suggested that this mycobacterial USP binds ATP, and the 2.9-A-resolution crystal structure revealed that Rv2623 engages ATP in a novel nucleotide-binding pocket. Structure-guided mutagenesis yielded Rv2623 mutants with reduced ATP-binding capacity. Analysis of mycobacteria overexpressing these mutants revealed that the in vitro growth-inhibitory property of Rv2623 correlates with its ability to bind ATP. Together, the results indicate that i M. tuberculosis Rv2623 regulates mycobacterial growth in vitro and in vivo, and ii Rv2623 is required for the entry of the tubercle bacillus into the chronic phase of infection in the host; in addition, iii Rv2623 binds ATP; and iv the growth-regulatory attribute of this USP is dependent on its ATP-binding activity. We propose that Rv2623 may function as an ATP-dependent signaling intermediate in a pathway that promotes persistent infection.

Three-dimensional models of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins Rv1555, Rv1554 and their docking analyses with sildenafil, tadalafil, vardenafil drugs, suggest interference with quinol binding likely to affect protein's function.

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Pallabini; Bala Divya, M; Guruprasad, Lalitha; Guruprasad, Kunchur

2018-04-18

Earlier based on bioinformatics analyses, we had predicted the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) proteins; Rv1555 and Rv1554, among the potential new tuberculosis drug targets. According to the 'TB-drugome' the Rv1555 protein is 'druggable' with sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and vardenafil (Levitra) drugs. In the present work, we intended to understand via computer modeling studies, how the above drugs are likely to inhibit the M.tb protein's function. The three-dimensional computer models for M.tb proteins; Rv1555 and Rv1554 constructed on the template of equivalent membrane anchor subunits of the homologous E.coli quinol fumarate reductase respiratory protein complex, followed by drug docking analyses, suggested that the binding of above drugs interferes with quinol binding sites. Also, we experimentally observed the in-vitro growth inhibition of E.coli bacteria containing the homologous M.tb protein sequences with sildenafil and tadalafil drugs. The predicted binding sites of the drugs is likely to affect the above M.tb proteins function as quinol binding is known to be essential for electron transfer function during anaerobic respiration in the homologous E.coli protein complex. Therefore, sildenafil and related drugs currently used in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction targeting the human phosphodiesterase 5 enzyme may be evaluated for their plausible role as repurposed drugs to treat human tuberculosis.

Comparison the effect of two ways of tube feeding including bolus and continuous infusion on gastric residual volume and diarrhea in patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahriari M

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: Proper nutritional support is one of the important caring aspects in patients who were hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit. Although the several studies have been done concerning the selection of proper nutrition method for patients, but there is no agreement on this issue. The aim of current study was the compare the effect of two ways of tube feeding including bolus and continuous infusion on gastric residual volume and diarrhea in patients hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit.  Materials and Method: The current clinical trial was conducted on patients who were hospitalized in intensive care unit in Alzahra hospital in Isfahan, 2013. Fifty patients were selected through convenient sampling and were randomly assigned into two groups of 25 people of intervention and control. Nutrition was done through infusion pump in intervention group and by bolus in control group. Gastric residual volume and diarrhea was assessed each four hours for four days. Data were gathered through checklist and were analyzed by SPSS18 using descriptive and inferential statistics including independent T-test, Fisher's exact test and repeated measures ANOVA.  Results: The results showed that the mean of gastric residual volume in control group was more than the intervention group on the third day (p=0.04. Also, the mean of gastric residual volume did not show significant difference at different times in intervention group, but the mean of gastric residual volume was significantly increased in control group at different times (p=0.04. Fisher's exact test showed no significant difference between two groups concerning the diarrhea frequency.  Conclusion: In nutritional support with continuous infusion method, gastric residual volume was not increased and gastric emptying rate was not diminished. Therefore, this method can be used as an appropriate nutritional support in intensive care unit.

Immobilization of acid digestion residue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenhalgh, W.O.; Allen, C.R.

1983-01-01

Acid digestion treatment of nuclear waste is similar to incineration processes and results in the bulk of the waste being reduced in volume and weight to some residual solids termed residue. The residue is composed of various dispersible solid materials and typically contains the resultant radioactivity from the waste. This report describes the immobilization of the residue in portland cement, borosilicate glass, and some other waste forms. Diagrams showing the cement and glass virtification parameters are included in the report as well as process steps and candidate waste product forms. Cement immobilization is simplest and probably least expensive; glass vitrification exhibits the best overall volume reduction ratio

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

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Damien P.

2016-01-01

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

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a novel esterase Rv0045c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Lipeng; Guo, Jiubiao; Zheng, Xiangdong; Wen, Tingyi; Sun, Fei; Liu, Siguo; Pang, Hai

2010-01-01

The novel esterase Rv0045c from M. tuberculosis was expressed and purified to homogeneity. The crystals of native and SeMet-labelled Rv0045c protein that were obtained diffracted to resolutions of 2.7 and 3.0 Å, respectively. The Rv0045c protein is predicted to be an esterase that is involved in lipid metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The protein was overproduced in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The Rv0045c protein crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.7 Å using a synchrotron-radiation source and belonged to space group P3 1 or P3 2 , with unit-cell parameters a = b = 73.465, c = 48.064 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°. Purified SeMet-labelled Rv0045c protein was also crystallized and formed crystals that diffracted to a resolution of 3.0 Å using an in-house X-ray radiation source

Quantifying the residual volume transport through a multiple-inlet system in response to wind forcing: The case of the western Dutch Wadden Sea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Duran-Matute, M.; Gerkema, T.; Sassi, M.

2016-01-01

In multiple-inlet coastal systems like the western Dutch Wadden Sea, the tides (and their interaction with the bathymetry), the fresh water discharge, and the wind drive a residual flow through the system. In the current paper, we study the effect of the wind on the residual volume transport through

Should measurement of maximum urinary flow rate and residual urine volume be a part of a "minimal care" assessment programme in female incontinence?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sander, Pia; Mouritsen, L; Andersen, J Thorup

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of routine measurements of urinary flow rate and residual urine volume as a part of a "minimal care" assessment programme for women with urinary incontinence in detecting clinical significant bladder emptying problems. MATERIAL AND METHODS....... Twenty-six per cent had a maximum flow rate less than 15 ml/s, but only 4% at a voided volume > or =200 ml. Residual urine more than 149 ml was found in 6%. Two women had chronic retention with overflow incontinence. Both had typical symptoms with continuous leakage, stranguria and chronic cystitis...

Antigenicity and Immunogenicity of RV144 Vaccine AIDSVAX Clade E Envelope Immunogen Is Enhanced by a gp120 N-Terminal Deletion

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Hua-Xin; Tomaras, Georgia D.; Bonsignori, Mattia; Tsao, Chun-Yen; Hwang, Kwan-Ki; Chen, Haiyan; Lloyd, Krissey E.; Bowman, Cindy; Sutherland, Laura; Jeffries, Thomas L.; Kozink, Daniel M.; Stewart, Shelley; Anasti, Kara; Jaeger, Frederick H.; Parks, Robert; Yates, Nicole L.; Overman, R. Glenn; Sinangil, Faruk; Berman, Phillip W.; Pitisuttithum, Punnee; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit; Nitayaphan, Sorachai; Karasavva, Nicos; Rerks-Ngarm, Supachai; Kim, Jerome H.; Michael, Nelson L.; Zolla-Pazner, Susan; Santra, Sampa; Letvin, Norman L.; Harrison, Stephen C.

2013-01-01

An immune correlates analysis of the RV144 HIV-1 vaccine trial revealed that antibody responses to the gp120 V1/V2 region correlated inversely with infection risk. The RV144 protein immunogens (A244-rp120 and MN-rgp120) were modified by an N-terminal 11-amino-acid deletion (Δ11) and addition of a herpes simplex virus (HSV) gD protein-derived tag (gD). We investigated the effects of these modifications on gp120 expression, antigenicity, and immunogenicity by comparing unmodified A244 gp120 with both Δ11 deletion and gD tag and with Δ11 only. Analysis of A244 gp120, with or without Δ11 or gD, demonstrated that the Δ11 deletion, without the addition of gD, was sufficient for enhanced antigenicity to gp120 C1 region, conformational V2, and V1/V2 gp120 conformational epitopes. RV144 vaccinee serum IgGs bound more avidly to A244 gp120 Δ11 than to the unmodified gp120, and their binding was blocked by C1, V2, and V1/V2 antibodies. Rhesus macaques immunized with the three different forms of A244 gp120 proteins gave similar levels of gp120 antibody titers, although higher antibody titers developed earlier in A244 Δ11 gp120-immunized animals. Conformational V1/V2 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) gave significantly higher levels of blocking of plasma IgG from A244 Δ11 gp120-immunized animals than IgG from animals immunized with unmodified A244 gp120, thus indicating a qualitative difference in the V1/V2 antibodies induced by A244 Δ11 gp120. These results demonstrate that deletion of N-terminal residues in the RV144 A244 gp120 immunogen improves both envelope antigenicity and immunogenicity. PMID:23175357

Right Ventricular Adaptation in Congenital Heart Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrijs Bartelds

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In the last four decades, enormous progress has been made in the treatment of congenital heart diseases (CHD; most patients now survive into adulthood, albeit with residual lesions. As a consequence, the focus has shifted from initial treatment to long-term morbidity and mortality. An important predictor for long-term outcome is right ventricular (RV dysfunction, but knowledge on the mechanisms of RV adaptation and dysfunction is still scarce. This review will summarize the main features of RV adaptation to CHD, focusing on recent knowledge obtained in experimental models of the most prevalent abnormal loading conditions, i.e., pressure load and volume load. Models of increased pressure load for the RV have shown a similar pattern of responses, i.e., increased contractility, RV dilatation and hypertrophy. Evidence is accumulating that RV failure in response to increased pressure load is marked by progressive diastolic dysfunction. The mechanisms of this progressive dysfunction are insufficiently known. The RV response to pressure load shares similarities with that of the LV, but also has specific features, e.g., capillary rarefaction, oxidative stress and inflammation. The contribution of these pathways to the development of failure needs further exploration. The RV adaptation to increased volume load is an understudied area, but becomes increasingly important in the growing groups of survivors of CHD, especially with tetralogy of Fallot. Recently developed animal models may add to the investigation of the mechanisms of RV adaptation and failure, leading to the development of new RV-specific therapies.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of Rv3705c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Feifei; Gao, Feng; Li, Honglin; Gong, Weimin; Zhou, Lin; Bi, Lijun

2014-01-01

The cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Rv3705c from M. tuberculosis are described. The conserved protein Rv3705c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3350 as a precipitant. The Rv3705c crystals exhibited space group P6 1 22 or P6 5 22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 198.0, c = 364.1 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°, and diffracted to a resolution of 3.3 Å

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of Rv3705c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Feifei [East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of (China); Gao, Feng [Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of (China); Li, Honglin [East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of (China); Gong, Weimin [Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of (China); Zhou, Lin, E-mail: gdtb-bg@vip.163.com [Center for Tuberculosis Control of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of (China); Bi, Lijun, E-mail: gdtb-bg@vip.163.com [East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, People’s Republic of (China)

2014-07-23

The cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Rv3705c from M. tuberculosis are described. The conserved protein Rv3705c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been cloned, expressed, purified and crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using PEG 3350 as a precipitant. The Rv3705c crystals exhibited space group P6{sub 1}22 or P6{sub 5}22, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 198.0, c = 364.1 Å, α = β = 90, γ = 120°, and diffracted to a resolution of 3.3 Å.

Unnoticed Post-Void Residual Urine Volume in People with Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disabilities: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Science.gov (United States)

de Waal, K. H.; Tinselboer, B. M.; Evenhuis, H. M.; Penning, C.

2009-01-01

Background: Increased post-void residual urine volume (PVR) is often seen in geriatric populations. People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have risk factors in common with these populations. Aims: To investigate in adults with ID: (1) Feasibility of portable ultrasound bladder scanning; (2) Prevalence of PVR; and (3) Relations with proposed…

Influence of postsurgical residual tumor volume on local control in radiotherapy for maxillary sinus cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawashima, Mitsuhiko; Ogino, Takashi; Hayashi, Ryuichi; Ishikura, Satoshi; Nihei, Keiji; Ito, Yoshinori; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Ebihara, Satoshi [National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Chiba (Japan). Hospital East; Itai, Yuji

2001-05-01

The aim was to study the influence of postsurgical gross residual tumor volume on local control of maxillary sinus cancer treated with radiotherapy combined with debulking surgery. Forty-three patients who underwent combined surgery and radiotherapy (50-72 Gy, median 60 Gy) for squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus were reviewed. Gross residual tumor volume (GRTV) after surgery was measured on computed tomograms obtained during the radiotherapy planning. Patients were classified according to GRTV as follows: group AA, GRTV=0 (microscopic residual, n=2); group A, GRTV <10 cm{sup 3} (n=24); group B, 10-40 cm{sup 3} (n=9); and group C, {>=}40 cm{sup 3} (n=8). The relationship between local control and GRTV was analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis. The 2-year local control rate for all patients was 62%. The differences in local control rates between groups AA, A and B were not significant (P<0.05), but the rate was significantly lower in group C than in the other groups (69% at 2 years vs 31% at 1 year, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that GRTV (P=0.002) and histological differentiation (poorly differentiated histology was favorable, P=0.035) were independent prognostic factors and that intraarterial chemotherapy and administered total dose were not. Local control in groups A and B significantly depended on the total dose of radiotherapy, with 2-year control rates of patients receiving 50 Gy (n=6) and {>=}60 Gy (n=27) of 17% vs 79%, respectively (P<0.001). Our data suggest that adequate, not complete, debulking associated with a total radiotherapy dose of {>=}60 Gy can provide satisfactory local control for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus. (author)

Cardiac magnetic resonance markers of progressive RV dilation and dysfunction after tetralogy of Fallot repair

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wald, Rachel M.; Valente, Anne Marie; Gauvreau, Kimberlee; Babu-Narayan, Sonya V.; Assenza, Gabriele Egidy; Schreier, Jenna; Gatzoulis, Michael A.; Kilner, Philip J.; Koyak, Zeliha; Mulder, Barbara; Powell, Andrew J.; Geva, Tal

2015-01-01

Patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) are followed serially by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) for surveillance of RV dilation and dysfunction. We sought to define the prevalence of progressive RV disease and the optimal time interval between CMR evaluations. Candidates were selected

Crystal structure of the toxin Msmeg_6760, the structural homolog of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2035, a novel type II toxin involved in the hypoxic response

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bajaj, R. Alexandra; Arbing, Mark A.; Shin, Annie; Cascio, Duilio; Miallau, Linda (UCLA)

2016-11-19

The structure of Msmeg_6760, a protein of unknown function, has been determined. Biochemical and bioinformatics analyses determined that Msmeg_6760 interacts with a protein encoded in the same operon, Msmeg_6762, and predicted that the operon is a toxin–antitoxin (TA) system. Structural comparison of Msmeg_6760 with proteins of known function suggests that Msmeg_6760 binds a hydrophobic ligand in a buried cavity lined by large hydrophobic residues. Access to this cavity could be controlled by a gate–latch mechanism. The function of the Msmeg_6760 toxin is unknown, but structure-based predictions revealed that Msmeg_6760 and Msmeg_6762 are homologous to Rv2034 and Rv2035, a predicted novel TA system involved inMycobacterium tuberculosislatency during macrophage infection. The Msmeg_6760 toxin fold has not been previously described for bacterial toxins and its unique structural features suggest that toxin activation is likely to be mediated by a novel mechanism.

[The importance of lung volumes in the investigation of heavy smokers].

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Saad, H; Ben Amor, L; Ben Mdalla, S; Ghannouchi, I; Ben Essghair, M; Sfaxi, R; Garrouche, A; Rouatbi, N; Rouatbi, S

2014-01-01

Lung hyperinflation (LH) has become a major concern in the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To evaluate the role of lung volumes in the positive diagnosis of COPD and in the assessment of airway obstruction reversibility. Three hundred and sixty-six male smokers over the age of 35 with more than 40 pack-years exposure were included in the study. Plethysmographic data were determined before/after taking a bronchodilator (BBD, ABD). Applied definitions: airflow obstruction: BBD FEV1/FVCvolume (RV)>upper limit of normal. Expressions of reversibility: Δvariable=(ABD-BBD) values; Δinit%=Δvariable/BBD value and Δref%=Δvariable/reference value. A 12%init and a 0.2L increase in either FEV1 or FVC or a 10%ref or - 300 mL decrease in RV were considered as clinically significant. Over the 85 smokers without airflow obstruction, 68% had LH. In the hyperinflated group (n=314), and compared to changes in FEV1 and FVC, these RV changes detected more respondents (54% for FEV1 and FVC vs. 65% for RV, P=0.002). This was not the case for the group free from LH (n=52) (23% for FEV1 and FVC vs. 35% for RV, P=0.09). In the 58 hyperinflated groups free from airflow obstruction, and compared to changes in FEV1 and FVC, changes in RV detected more respondents (24% for FEV1 and FVC vs. 71% for RV, P=0.0001). In heavy smokers, it seems essential to include LH as a criterion for a positive diagnosis of COPD and of reversibility evaluation. Copyright © 2013 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Registration of cytoplasmic male-sterile oilseed sunflower genetic stocks CMS GIG2 and CMS GIG2-RV, and fertility restoration lines RF GIG2-MAX 1631 and RF GIG2-MAX 1631-RV

Science.gov (United States)

Two cytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) oilseed sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genetic stocks, CMS GIG2 (Reg. No. xxx, PI xxxx), and CMS GIG2-RV (Reg. No. xxx, PI xxxx), and corresponding fertility restoration lines RF GIG2-MAX 1631 (Reg. No. xxx, PI xxxx) and RF GIG2-MAX 1631-RV (Reg. No. xxx, PI xxx...

Comparison of echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measurements of functional single ventricular volumes, mass, and ejection fraction (from the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Cross-Sectional Study).

Science.gov (United States)

Margossian, Renee; Schwartz, Marcy L; Prakash, Ashwin; Wruck, Lisa; Colan, Steven D; Atz, Andrew M; Bradley, Timothy J; Fogel, Mark A; Hurwitz, Lynne M; Marcus, Edward; Powell, Andrew J; Printz, Beth F; Puchalski, Michael D; Rychik, Jack; Shirali, Girish; Williams, Richard; Yoo, Shi-Joon; Geva, Tal

2009-08-01

Assessment of the size and function of a functional single ventricle (FSV) is a key element in the management of patients after the Fontan procedure. Measurement variability of ventricular mass, volume, and ejection fraction (EF) among observers by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and their reproducibility among readers in these patients have not been described. From the 546 patients enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Cross-Sectional Study (mean age 11.9 +/- 3.4 years), 100 echocardiograms and 50 CMR studies were assessed for measurement reproducibility; 124 subjects with paired studies were selected for comparison between modalities. Interobserver agreement for qualitative grading of ventricular function by echocardiography was modest for left ventricular (LV) morphology (kappa = 0.42) and weak for right ventricular (RV) morphology (kappa = 0.12). For quantitative assessment, high intraclass correlation coefficients were found for echocardiographic interobserver agreement (LV 0.87 to 0.92, RV 0.82 to 0.85) of systolic and diastolic volumes, respectively. In contrast, intraclass correlation coefficients for LV and RV mass were moderate (LV 0.78, RV 0.72). The corresponding intraclass correlation coefficients by CMR were high (LV 0.96, RV 0.85). Volumes by echocardiography averaged 70% of CMR values. Interobserver reproducibility for the EF was similar for the 2 modalities. Although the absolute mean difference between modalities for the EF was small (<2%), 95% limits of agreement were wide. In conclusion, agreement between observers of qualitative FSV function by echocardiography is modest. Measurements of FSV volume by 2-dimensional echocardiography underestimate CMR measurements, but their reproducibility is high. Echocardiographic and CMR measurements of FSV EF demonstrate similar interobserver reproducibility, whereas measurements of FSV mass and LV diastolic volume are more reproducible by CMR.

Avastatud maa-alune järv võib lõpetada Darfuri kodusõja / Karin Volmer

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Volmer, Karin

2007-01-01

Ilmunud ka: Postimees : na russkom jazõke, 23. juuli 2007, lk. 6. Teadlaste hinnangul võib Darfuri konflikti lõpetada Darfuris avastatud maa-alune järv, sest kodusõda araablastest karjakasvatajate ja põlluharijatest põliselanike vahel võib tingitud olla veepuudusest. Kaart: Darfuri maa-alune järv. Lisa: Darfuri konflikt

Structural and Biophysical Characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Protein Rv0577, a Protein Associated with Neutral Red Staining of Virulent Tuberculosis Strains and Homologue of the Streptomyces coelicolor Protein KbpA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buchko, Garry W.; Echols, Nathaniel; Flynn, E. M.; Ng, Ho-Leung; Stephenson, Sam; Kim, Heungbok; Myler, Peter J.; Terwilliger, Thomas C.; Alber, Tom; Kim, Chang Y.

2017-07-25

The 261-residue Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Rv0577 is a prominent antigen in tuberculosis patients, the responsible component for neutral red staining of virulent strains of M. tuberculosis, a putative component in a methylglyoxal detoxification pathway, and an agonist of toll-like receptor 2. It also has 36% sequence identity to AfsK-binding protein A (KbpA), a component in the complex secondary metabolite pathways in the Streptomycetes genus from which many commercial antibiotics are derived. To gain insight into the biological function of Rv0577 and the family of KpbA kinase regulators, the crystal structure for Rv0577 was determined to a resolution of 1.75 Å (3OXH), binding properties with neutral red and deoxyadenosine (Ado) surveyed, backbone dynamics measured, and thermal stability assayed by CD spectroscopy. The protein is composed of four approximate repeats with an topology arranged radially in consecutive pairs to form two continuous eight-strand -sheets capped on both ends with an -helix. The two -sheets intersect in the center at roughly a right angle and form an asymmetric deep “saddle” on both sides of the protein, saddle one (P11 to A129) and saddle two (L143 to A258), that may serve to bind ligands. NMR chemical shift perturbation experiments show that neutral red binds to Rv0577, further cementing the role of Rv0577 in the neutral red staining of virulent strains of M. tuberculosis. Similar experiments show that adenosine also bind to Rv0577, although less tightly, with estimated dissociation constants of 4.1 ± 0.3 mM for saddle one and > 1 M for saddle two. Heteronuclear steady-state {1H}-15N NOE, T1, and T2 values were generally uniform through-out the sequence with only a few modest pockets of differences suggestive of slightly different motion in loops between -strands in saddle 1. Circular dichroism spectroscopy characterization of the thermal stability of Rv0577 indicated irreversible unfolding upon heating with an estimated

The total right/left-volume index: a new and simplified cardiac magnetic resonance measure to evaluate the severity of Ebstein anomaly of the tricuspid valve: a comparison with heart failure markers from various modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Hösch, Olga; Sohns, Jan Martin; Nguyen, Thuy-Trang; Lauerer, Peter; Rosenberg, Christina; Kowallick, Johannes Tammo; Kutty, Shelby; Unterberg, Christina; Schuster, Andreas; Faßhauer, Martin; Staab, Wieland; Paul, Thomas; Lotz, Joachim; Steinmetz, Michael

2014-07-01

The classification of clinical severity of Ebstein anomaly still remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to focus on the interaction of the pathologically altered right heart with the anatomically-supposedly-normal left heart and to derive from cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) a simple imaging measure for the clinical severity of Ebstein anomaly. Twenty-five patients at a mean age of 26±14 years with unrepaired Ebstein anomaly were examined in a prospective study. Disease severity was classified using CMR volumes and functional measurements in comparison with heart failure markers from clinical data, ECG, laboratory and cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and echocardiography. All examinations were completed within 24 hours. A total right/left-volume index was defined from end-diastolic volume measurements in CMR: total right/left-volume index=(RA+aRV+fRV)/(LA+LV). Mean total right/left-volume index was 2.6±1.7 (normal values: 1.1±0.1). This new total right/left-volume index correlated with almost all clinically used biomarkers of heart failure: brain natriuretic peptide (r=0.691; P=0.0003), QRS (r=0.432; P=0.039), peak oxygen consumption/kg (r=-0.479; P=0.024), ventilatory response to carbon dioxide production at anaerobic threshold (r=0.426; P=0.048), the severity of tricuspid regurgitation (r=0.692; P=0.009), tricuspid valve offset (r=0.583; P=0.004), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (r=0.554; P=0.006). Previously described severity indices ([RA+aRV]/[fRV+LA+LV]) and fRV/LV end-diastolic volume corresponded only to some parameters. In patients with Ebstein anomaly, the easily acquired index of right-sided to left-sided heart volumes from CMR correlated well with established heart failure markers. Our data suggest that the total right/left-volume index should be used as a new and simplified CMR measure, allowing more accurate assessment of disease severity than previously described scoring systems. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

The Norwood procedure: in favor of the RV-PA conduit.

Science.gov (United States)

Barron, David J

2013-01-01

Evolution of the Norwood procedure has culminated in there currently being three treatment strategies available for initial management: the 'classical' Norwood (utilizing a Blalock-Taussig shunt), the Norwood with right-ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit, and the 'hybrid' Norwood procedure utilizing bilateral pulmonary artery banding and ductal stenting. Each variant has its potential advantages and disadvantages, and this paper looks to examine the evidence in favor of each strategy, with emphasis on the supportive data for the RV-PA conduit. The 'classical' procedure has the benefit of the greatest accumulated surgical experience and avoids any incision into the ventricle. However, the diastolic run-off of the Blalock-Taussig shunt can cause hemodynamic instability and unpredictable coronary steal phenomenon. The RV-PA conduit has the advantage of maintaining diastolic pressure with a more stable postoperative course, but at the cost of a ventriculotomy that may have detrimental long-term sequelae. The 'hybrid' procedure has the advantage of avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass, but does not always secure coronary blood flow and has a high inter-stage morbidity and reintervention rate. The evidence shows that each technique may have its place in future management, and that treatment algorithms could emerge that direct the choice of procedure for specific patient groups. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disposal of Rocky Flats residues as waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dustin, D.F.; Sendelweck, V.S.

1993-01-01

Work is underway at the Rocky Flats Plant to evaluate alternatives for the removal of a large inventory of plutonium-contaminated residues from the plant. One alternative under consideration is to package the residues as transuranic wastes for ultimate shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Current waste acceptance criteria and transportation regulations require that approximately 1000 cubic yards of residues be repackaged to produce over 20,000 cubic yards of WIPP certified waste. The major regulatory drivers leading to this increase in waste volume are the fissile gram equivalent, surface radiation dose rate, and thermal power limits. In the interest of waste minimization, analyses have been conducted to determine, for each residue type, the controlling criterion leading to the volume increase, the impact of relaxing that criterion on subsequent waste volume, and the means by which rules changes may be implemented. The results of this study have identified the most appropriate changes to be proposed in regulatory requirements in order to minimize the costs of disposing of Rocky Flats residues as transuranic wastes

Right ventricular function during one-lung ventilation: effects of pressure-controlled and volume-controlled ventilation.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Shehri, Abdullah M; El-Tahan, Mohamed R; Al Metwally, Roshdi; Qutub, Hatem; El Ghoneimy, Yasser F; Regal, Mohamed A; Zien, Haytham

2014-08-01

To test the effects of pressure-controlled (PCV) and volume-controlled (VCV) ventilation during one-lung ventilation (OLV) for thoracic surgery on right ventricular (RV) function. A prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover study. A single university hospital. Fourteen pairs of consecutive patients scheduled for elective thoracotomy. Patients were assigned randomly to ventilate the dependent lung with PCV or VCV mode, each in a randomized crossover order using tidal volume of 6 mL/kg, I: E ratio 1: 2.5, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 5 cm H2O and respiratory rate adjusted to maintain normocapnia. Intraoperative changes in RV function (systolic and early diastolic tricuspid annular velocity (TAV), end-systolic volume (ESV), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and fractional area changes (FAC)), airway pressures, compliance and oxygenation index were recorded. The use of PCV during OLV resulted in faster systolic (10.1±2.39 vs. 5.8±1.67 cm/s, respectively), diastolic TAV (9.2±1.99 vs. 4.6±1.42 cm/s, respectively) (prights reserved.

Radial velocity variations of photometrically quiet, chromospherically inactive Kepler stars: A link between RV jitter and photometric flicker

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bastien, Fabienne A.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Pepper, Joshua [Physics and Astronomy Department, Vanderbilt University, 1807 Station B, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Wright, Jason T. [Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16803 (United States); Aigrain, Suzanne [Sub-department of Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Basri, Gibor [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Johnson, John A. [Department of Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Howard, Andrew W. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Walkowicz, Lucianne M. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2014-02-01

We compare stellar photometric variability, as measured from Kepler light curves by Basri et al., with measurements of radial velocity (RV) rms variations of all California Planet Search overlap stars. We newly derive rotation periods from the Kepler light curves for all of the stars in our study sample. The RV variations reported herein range from less than 4 to 135 m s{sup –1}, yet the stars all have amplitudes of photometric variability less than 3 mmag, reflecting the preference of the RV program for chromospherically 'quiet' stars. Despite the small size of our sample, we find with high statistical significance that the RV rms manifests strongly in the Fourier power spectrum of the light curve: stars that are noisier in RV have a greater number of frequency components in the light curve. We also find that spot models of the observed light curves systematically underpredict the observed RV variations by factors of ∼2-1000, likely because the low-level photometric variations in our sample are driven by processes not included in simple spot models. The stars best fit by these models tend to have simpler light curves, dominated by a single relatively high-amplitude component of variability. Finally, we demonstrate that the RV rms behavior of our sample can be explained in the context of the photometric variability evolutionary diagram introduced by Bastien et al. We use this diagram to derive the surface gravities of the stars in our sample, revealing many of them to have moved off the main sequence. More generally, we find that the stars with the largest RV rms are those that have evolved onto the 'flicker floor' sequence in that diagram, characterized by relatively low amplitude but highly complex photometric variations which grow as the stars evolve to become subgiants.

Mutation of Rv2887, a marR-like gene, confers Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to an imidazopyridine-based agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Winglee, Kathryn; Lun, Shichun; Pieroni, Marco; Kozikowski, Alan; Bishai, William

2015-11-01

Drug resistance is a major problem in Mycobacterium tuberculosis control, and it is critical to identify novel drug targets and new antimycobacterial compounds. We have previously identified an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-4-carbonitrile-based agent, MP-III-71, with strong activity against M. tuberculosis. In this study, we evaluated mechanisms of resistance to MP-III-71. We derived three independent M. tuberculosis mutants resistant to MP-III-71 and conducted whole-genome sequencing of these mutants. Loss-of-function mutations in Rv2887 were common to all three MP-III-71-resistant mutants, and we confirmed the role of Rv2887 as a gene required for MP-III-71 susceptibility using complementation. The Rv2887 protein was previously unannotated, but domain and homology analyses suggested it to be a transcriptional regulator in the MarR (multiple antibiotic resistance repressor) family, a group of proteins first identified in Escherichia coli to negatively regulate efflux pumps and other mechanisms of multidrug resistance. We found that two efflux pump inhibitors, verapamil and chlorpromazine, potentiate the action of MP-III-71 and that mutation of Rv2887 abrogates their activity. We also used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify genes which are differentially expressed in the presence and absence of a functional Rv2887 protein. We found that genes involved in benzoquinone and menaquinone biosynthesis were repressed by functional Rv2887. Thus, inactivating mutations of Rv2887, encoding a putative MarR-like transcriptional regulator, confer resistance to MP-III-71, an effective antimycobacterial compound that shows no cross-resistance to existing antituberculosis drugs. The mechanism of resistance of M. tuberculosis Rv2887 mutants may involve efflux pump upregulation and also drug methylation. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison between total lung capacity and residual volume values obtained by pletysmography and single breath methods with methane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Marques Dias

2006-11-01

Full Text Available We analyzed pulmonary function tests of twenty asthmatic patients from Gaffrée e Guinle University Hospital, classified according to Brazilian Guidelines for Asthma (2002, similar to GINA, into mild persistent or moderate (9 or severe (11 asthma. We obtained parameters from spirometry, plethysmograph(PL and single breath technique for diffusion capacity (SB, with methane. Total lung capacity and residual volume were called TLCPL and RVPL when measured by pletysmography and TLCSB and RVSB when determined by single breath test. There were 13 women and 7 men with mean age of 47.6 years. The pulmonary dysfunction degree to FEV1/FVC was 58.8% with CI95=53.9 to 63.6. The mean values in litres for TLCPL (5.94 and RVPL (2.55 were significantly higher than for TLCSB (4.73 and RVSB (1.66. Multiple regression equations were determined for TLCPL e RVPL using only single breath values, TLCSB or RVSB, and spirographic parameters, with significant regression coefficients. However, the inclusion of spirometric parameters, except for FVC, did not improve the predicted capacity for the equations. Considering only the TLCSB, r2=0.79, the equation is: TLCPL=(TLCSB*1.025+1.088, with EPE=0.64. The regression for RVPL, r2=0.23, is: RVPL=(RVSB*0.9268+1.012. The results obtained after bronchodilation with 400 mcg of salbutamol did not improve the regression. We concluded that the SB technique did not obtain the same results as pletysmography for TLC and RV, but for TLC this difference can be predicted. Resumo: Foram analisados exames de função pulmonar de 20 asmáticos, em acompanhamento no HU Gaffrée Guinle, classificados, segundo o Consenso Brasileiro (2002, em asma leve persistente ou moderada (9 e grave (11. Foram obtidos os valores dos parâmetros da espirografia, da pletismografia e da técnica de respiração única, com metano, para a medida da difusão pulmonar (DLco. Assim, a capacidade pulmonar total e o volume residual, quando

Archive of Digitized Analog Boomer and Minisparker Seismic Reflection Data Collected from the Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana Shelf During Cruises Onboard the R/V Carancahua and R/V Gyre, April and July, 1981

Science.gov (United States)

Sanford, Jordan M.; Harrison, Arnell S.; Wiese, Dana S.; Flocks, James G.

2009-01-01

In April and July of 1981, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical surveys to investigate the shallow geologic framework of the Alabama-Mississippi-Louisiana Shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Work was conducted onboard the Texas A&M University R/V Carancahua and the R/V Gyre to develop a geologic understanding of the study area and to locate potential hazards related to offshore oil and gas production. While the R/V Carancahua only collected boomer data, the R/V Gyre used a 400-Joule minisparker, 3.5-kilohertz (kHz) subbottom profiler, 12-kHz precision depth recorder, and two air guns. The authors selected the minisparker data set because, unlike with the boomer data, it provided the most complete record. This report is part of a series to digitally archive the legacy analog data collected from the Mississippi-Alabama SHelf (MASH). The MASH data rescue project is a cooperative effort by the USGS and the Minerals Management Service (MMS). This report serves as an archive of high-resolution scanned Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) and Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) images of the original boomer and minisparker paper records, navigation files, trackline maps, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, cruise logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.

The Cauchy method of residues

CERN Document Server

Mitrinović, Dragoslav S

1993-01-01

Volume 1, i. e. the monograph The Cauchy Method of Residues - Theory and Applications published by D. Reidel Publishing Company in 1984 is the only book that covers all known applications of the calculus of residues. They range from the theory of equations, theory of numbers, matrix analysis, evaluation of real definite integrals, summation of finite and infinite series, expansions of functions into infinite series and products, ordinary and partial differential equations, mathematical and theoretical physics, to the calculus of finite differences and difference equations. The appearance of Volume 1 was acknowledged by the mathematical community. Favourable reviews and many private communications encouraged the authors to continue their work, the result being the present book, Volume 2, a sequel to Volume 1. We mention that Volume 1 is a revised, extended and updated translation of the book Cauchyjev raeun ostataka sa primenama published in Serbian by Nau~na knjiga, Belgrade in 1978, whereas the greater part ...

A novel vaccine p846 encoding Rv3615c, Mtb10.4, and Rv2660c elicits robust immune response and alleviates lung injury induced by Mycobacterium infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Hongmei; Dong, Chunsheng; Xiong, Sidong

2014-01-01

Development of effective anti-tuberculosis (TB) vaccines is one of the important steps to improve control of TB. Cell-mediated immune response significantly affects the control of M. tuberculosis infection. Thus, vaccines able to elicit strong cellular immune response hold special advantages against TB. In this study, three well-defined mycobacterial antigens (Rv3615c, Mtb10.4 [Rv0228], and Rv2660c) were engineered as a novel triple-antigen fusion DNA vaccine p846. The p846 vaccine consists of a high density of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell epitopes. Intramuscular immunization of p846 induced robust T cells mediated immune response comparable to that of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination but more effective than that of individual antigen vaccination. After mycobacterial challenge, p846 immunization decreased bacterial burden at least 15-fold compared with individual antigen-based vaccination. Notably, the lungs of mice immunized with p846 exhibited fewer inflammatory cell infiltrates and less damage than those of control group mice. Our data demonstrate that the potential of p846 vaccine to protect against TB and the feasibility of this design strategy for further TB vaccine development.

Imunogenicidade da cepa avirulenta RV194-2 do vírus rábico em camundongos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rugimar Marcovistz

1996-12-01

Full Text Available O vírus rábico RV194-2, uma variante avirulenta da cepa CVS (Challenge Vírus Standard, produz uma infecção inaparente quando inoculado intracerebralmente em camundongos adultos. Sugerindo que a resposta imunológica do hospedeiro permite a eliminação do vírus do sistema nervoso central. Por esta razão foram estudadas a indução de interferon e a resposta imune humoral em camundongos BALB/c inoculados com vírus RV194-2. Durante a infecção, estes camundongos apresentaram elevados níveis de interferon no plasma e no cérebro com altos títulos de anticorpos neutralizantes anti-rábicos. A 2-5A sintetase. um marcador da ação dos interferons,foi também analisada no cérebro destes animais. Sua atividade, aumentou, paralelamente, á produção de interferon, demonstrando que este interferon é bioquímicamente ativo. O vírus RV194-2 também induziu, 45 dias após sua inoculação, proteção aos animais quando desafiados com a cepa virulenta CVS. Estes resultados demonstram que a cepa RV194-2possui um alto nível imunogênico.RV194-2 rabies virus, an avirulent mutant of CVS strain, induces an inapparent infection limited to the central nervous system (CNS in adult mice inoculated intracerebrally. This fact suggest that immune response of the host is able to eliminate the virus in CNS. For this reason, we have studied the induction of interferon and the humoral immune responses in BALB/c mice after RV194-2 inoculation. These mice presented high levels of interferon in the plasma and in the brain, with elevated levels of neutralizing antirabies antibodies. The 2-5A synthetase, an enzyme marker of interferon action, was analyzed in the brain of inoculated animals. Its enhancement in parallel to the interferon production in the brain, showed biochemical evidence that this interferon is active. Forty five days after RV194-2 virus inoculation, mice were protected against a challenge with the CVS virulent strain. The results presented

Obesity and Pulmonary Function in African Americans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alem Mehari

Full Text Available Obesity prevalence in United States (US adults exceeds 30% with highest prevalence being among blacks. Obesity is known to have significant effects on respiratory function and obese patients commonly report respiratory complaints requiring pulmonary function tests (PFTs. However, there is no large study showing the relationship between body mass index (BMI and PFTs in healthy African Americans (AA.To determine the effect of BMI on PFTs in AA patients who did not have evidence of underlying diseases of the respiratory system.We reviewed PFTs of 339 individuals sent for lung function testing who had normal spirometry and lung diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO with wide range of BMI.Functional residual capacity (FRC and expiratory reserve volume (ERV decreased exponentially with increasing BMI, such that morbid obesity resulted in patients breathing near their residual volume (RV. However, the effects on the extremes of lung volumes, at total lung capacity (TLC and residual volume (RV were modest. There was a significant linear inverse relationship between BMI and DLCO, but the group means values remained within the normal ranges even for morbidly obese patients.We showed that BMI has significant effects on lung function in AA adults and the greatest effects were on FRC and ERV, which occurred at BMI values < 30 kg/m2. These physiological effects of weight gain should be considered when interpreting PFTs and their effects on respiratory symptoms even in the absence of disease and may also exaggerate existing lung diseases.

Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2714, a representative of a duplicated gene family in Actinobacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graña, Martin; Bellinzoni, Marco; Miras, Isabelle; Fiez-Vandal, Cedric; Haouz, Ahmed; Shepard, William; Buschiazzo, Alejandro; Alzari, Pedro M.

2009-01-01

The crystal structure of Rv2714, a protein of unknown function from M. tuberculosis, has been determined at 2.6 Å resolution using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction methods. The gene Rv2714 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which codes for a hypothetical protein of unknown function, is a representative member of a gene family that is largely confined to the order Actinomycetales of Actinobacteria. Sequence analysis indicates the presence of two paralogous genes in most mycobacterial genomes and suggests that gene duplication was an ancient event in bacterial evolution. The crystal structure of Rv2714 has been determined at 2.6 Å resolution, revealing a trimer in which the topology of the protomer core is similar to that observed in a functionally diverse set of enzymes, including purine nucleoside phosphorylases, some carboxypeptidases, bacterial peptidyl-tRNA hydrolases and even the plastidic form of an intron splicing factor. However, some structural elements, such as a β-hairpin insertion involved in protein oligomerization and a C-terminal α-helical domain that serves as a lid to the putative substrate-binding (or ligand-binding) site, are only found in Rv2714 bacterial homologues and represent specific signatures of this protein family

Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2714, a representative of a duplicated gene family in Actinobacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graña, Martin; Bellinzoni, Marco [Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biochimie Structurale, URA CNRS 2185, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris (France); Miras, Isabelle; Fiez-Vandal, Cedric; Haouz, Ahmed; Shepard, William [Institut Pasteur, Plate-forme de Cristallogenèse et Diffraction des Rayons X, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris (France); Buschiazzo, Alejandro; Alzari, Pedro M., E-mail: alzari@pasteur.fr [Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biochimie Structurale, URA CNRS 2185, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris (France)

2009-10-01

The crystal structure of Rv2714, a protein of unknown function from M. tuberculosis, has been determined at 2.6 Å resolution using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction methods. The gene Rv2714 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which codes for a hypothetical protein of unknown function, is a representative member of a gene family that is largely confined to the order Actinomycetales of Actinobacteria. Sequence analysis indicates the presence of two paralogous genes in most mycobacterial genomes and suggests that gene duplication was an ancient event in bacterial evolution. The crystal structure of Rv2714 has been determined at 2.6 Å resolution, revealing a trimer in which the topology of the protomer core is similar to that observed in a functionally diverse set of enzymes, including purine nucleoside phosphorylases, some carboxypeptidases, bacterial peptidyl-tRNA hydrolases and even the plastidic form of an intron splicing factor. However, some structural elements, such as a β-hairpin insertion involved in protein oligomerization and a C-terminal α-helical domain that serves as a lid to the putative substrate-binding (or ligand-binding) site, are only found in Rv2714 bacterial homologues and represent specific signatures of this protein family.

Logging residues under different stand and harvesting conditions, Rocky Mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Robert E. Benson; Cameron M. Johnston

1976-01-01

Volume and characteristics of logging residues from 34 harvest areas are presented. Clearcuts and partial cuts logged to conventional utilization levels and to close utilization levels are included. Residue volumes ranged from almost 3, 600 ft3 /acre of wood 3-inches-plus down to about 550 ft3 /acre, depending on treatment. More than 60 percent of the residues were...

A logging residue "yield" table for Appalachian hardwoods

Science.gov (United States)

A. Jeff Martin

1976-01-01

An equation for predicting logging-residue volume per acre for Appalachian hardwoods was developed from data collected on 20 timber sales in national forests in West Virginia and Virginia. The independent variables of type-of-cut, products removed, basal area per acre, and stand age explained 95 percent of the variation in residue volume per acre. A "yield"...

Karakterisasi Klon Rekombinan pGEMT-Rv1984c Sebagai Antigen untuk Imunodiagnostik Tuberkulosis Laten

OpenAIRE

Baharaeni, Wa Ode

2017-01-01

The research about "Characterization of Recombinant Clones pGEMT-Rv1984c as Antigen for Latent Tuberculosis Immunodiagnostic" has been done. Rv1984c gene is the gene that is owned by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and encodes a protein formation CFP21 which serve as antigen candidate for latent tuberculosis immunodiagnostic through gene cloning. The result of transformation of gene cloning still has the possibility of failure of the process of transformation and ligation, so we need a character...

Pulmonary function in adolescents with ataxia telangiectasia.

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath-Morrow, Sharon; Lefton-Greif, Maureen; Rosquist, Karen; Crawford, Thomas; Kelly, Amber; Zeitlin, Pamela; Carson, Kathryn A; Lederman, Howard M

2008-01-01

Pulmonary complications are common in adolescents with ataxia telangiectasia (A-T), however objective measurements of lung function may be difficult to obtain because of underlying bulbar weakness, tremors, and difficulty coordinating voluntary respiratory maneuvers. To increase the reliability of pulmonary testing, minor adjustments were made to stabilize the head and to minimize leaks in the system. Fifteen A-T adolescents completed lung volume measurements by helium dilution. To assess for reproducibility of spirometry testing, 10 A-T adolescents performed spirometry on three separate occasions. Total lung capacity (TLC) was normal or just mildly decreased in 12/15 adolescents tested. TLC correlated positively with functional residual capacity (FRC), a measurement independent of patient effort (R2=0.71). The majority of individuals had residual volumes (RV) greater than 120% predicted (10/15) and slow vital capacities (VC) less than 70% predicted (9/15). By spirometry, force vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) values were reproducible in the 10 individuals who underwent testing on three separate occasions (R=0.97 and 0.96 respectively). Seven of the 10 adolescents had FEV1/FVC ratios>90%. Lung volume measurements from A-T adolescents revealed near normal TLC values with increased RV and decreased VC values. These findings indicate a decreased ability to expire to residual volume rather then a restrictive defect. Spirometry was also found to be reproducible in A-T adolescents suggesting that spirometry testing may be useful for tracking changes in pulmonary function over time in this population. Copyright (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Identification of novel adhesins of M. tuberculosis H37Rv using integrated approach of multiple computational algorithms and experimental analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjiv Kumar

Full Text Available Pathogenic bacteria interacting with eukaryotic host express adhesins on their surface. These adhesins aid in bacterial attachment to the host cell receptors during colonization. A few adhesins such as Heparin binding hemagglutinin adhesin (HBHA, Apa, Malate Synthase of M. tuberculosis have been identified using specific experimental interaction models based on the biological knowledge of the pathogen. In the present work, we carried out computational screening for adhesins of M. tuberculosis. We used an integrated computational approach using SPAAN for predicting adhesins, PSORTb, SubLoc and LocTree for extracellular localization, and BLAST for verifying non-similarity to human proteins. These steps are among the first of reverse vaccinology. Multiple claims and attacks from different algorithms were processed through argumentative approach. Additional filtration criteria included selection for proteins with low molecular weights and absence of literature reports. We examined binding potential of the selected proteins using an image based ELISA. The protein Rv2599 (membrane protein binds to human fibronectin, laminin and collagen. Rv3717 (N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase and Rv0309 (L,D-transpeptidase bind to fibronectin and laminin. We report Rv2599 (membrane protein, Rv0309 and Rv3717 as novel adhesins of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Our results expand the number of known adhesins of M. tuberculosis and suggest their regulated expression in different stages.

Stringent homology-based prediction of H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hufeng; Gao, Shangzhi; Nguyen, Nam Ninh; Fan, Mengyuan; Jin, Jingjing; Liu, Bing; Zhao, Liang; Xiong, Geng; Tan, Min; Li, Shijun; Wong, Limsoon

2014-04-08

H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interaction (PPI) data are essential for understanding the infection mechanism of the formidable pathogen M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Computational prediction is an important strategy to fill the gap in experimental H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPI data. Homology-based prediction is frequently used in predicting both intra-species and inter-species PPIs. However, some limitations are not properly resolved in several published works that predict eukaryote-prokaryote inter-species PPIs using intra-species template PPIs. We develop a stringent homology-based prediction approach by taking into account (i) differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic proteins and (ii) differences between inter-species and intra-species PPI interfaces. We compare our stringent homology-based approach to a conventional homology-based approach for predicting host-pathogen PPIs, based on cellular compartment distribution analysis, disease gene list enrichment analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and functional category enrichment analysis. These analyses support the validity of our prediction result, and clearly show that our approach has better performance in predicting H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPIs. Using our stringent homology-based approach, we have predicted a set of highly plausible H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPIs which might be useful for many of related studies. Based on our analysis of the H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv PPI network predicted by our stringent homology-based approach, we have discovered several interesting properties which are reported here for the first time. We find that both host proteins and pathogen proteins involved in the host-pathogen PPIs tend to be hubs in their own intra-species PPI network. Also, both host and pathogen proteins involved in host-pathogen PPIs tend to have longer primary sequence, tend to have more domains, tend to be more hydrophilic, etc. And the protein domains from both

Using higher doses to compensate for tubing residuals in extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Wendy J; Bhowmick, Tanaya; Gross, Alan; Vanschooneveld, Trevor C; Weinstein, Melvin P

2013-06-01

To mathematically assess drug losses due to infusion line residuals and evaluate methods to compensate for drug loss due to residual volumes in intravenous pump tubing. Literature was accessed through Ovid MEDLINE (1996-February 2013), using combinations of the search terms tubing residuals, residual volume, residual medication, intravenous infusions, intravenous injections, piperacillin, piperacillin-tazobactam, β-lactams, equipment design, infusion pumps, extended infusion, extended administration, and prolonged infusion. In addition, select reference citations from publications identified were reviewed. All articles that involved extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam implementation strategies were included in the review. Infusion pump characteristics and tubing residuals can affect extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam dosing strategies. Two studies addressing tubing residuals were identified. Both studies recommended increasing infusion volumes to compensate for tubing residuals. One study also recommended decreasing infusion-line dead space by using alternative infusion pump systems. Study calculations suggest that higher doses of piperacillin-tazobactam may be used to account for medication left in tubing residuals if alternative infusion pump systems cannot be obtained, and increased infusion volumes are not an option. Extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam has been used as a method of maximizing pharmacodynamic target attainment. Use of higher doses of piperacillin-tazobactam may be a reasonable method to compensate for drug loss due to residual volumes in large-bore intravenous pump tubing.

Role of myocardial hypertrophy on acute and chronic right ventricular performance in relation to chronic volume overload in a porcine model: relevance for the surgical management of tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Bove, Thierry; Vandekerckhove, Kristof; Bouchez, Stefaan; Wouters, Patrick; Somers, Pamela; Van Nooten, Guido

2014-06-01

The age for correction of tetralogy of Fallot has progressively declined to the postnatal period, often despite an increased rate of transannular patch repair. However, the long-term effect of premature exposure to chronic pulmonary insufficiency on the right ventricle remains unknown. On the basis of the relationship between the duration of pressure overload and age, the role of previous pressure load-related hypertrophy on right ventricular (RV) performance after chronic volume overload was investigated in a porcine model. RV hypertrophy (RVH), induced by pulmonary artery banding, was studied in pigs with (RVH plus pulmonary insufficiency [PI]) and without (RVH) subsequent PI. The effect of volume overload was compared between these 2 groups and pigs without RVH but with PI and controls (sham). Both acute and chronic effects on RV function were studied using conductance technology and validated using echocardiography. After chronic volume overload, the end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were smaller in the RVH+PI group than in the PI group, including a lower pulmonary regurgitation fraction (25% ± 5% vs 35% ± 5%; P = .002). RVH resulted in better preserved systolic function, confirmed by an increased preload recruitable stroke work slope (14.7 ± 1.8 vs 9.3 ± 1.3 Mw.s/mL; P = .025) and higher RV ejection fraction (51% ± 3% vs 45% ± 4%; P = .05). Myocardial stiffness was impaired in the RVH+PI group versus the PI group (β, 0.19 ± 0.03 vs 0.12 ± 0.02 mL(-1); P = .001), presenting restrictive physiology only in the condition associating RVH and PI. The results of the present study have demonstrated that RVH attenuates the RV remodeling process related to chronic PI. It enables better preservation of contractility but at the cost of sustained diastolic impairment. These findings might help to determine the timing and strategy for repair of tetralogy of Fallot when RV outflow tract morphology indicates a definite need for transannular reconstruction

Benthic data from bottom grabs from Prince William Sound in support of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project from the R/V DAVIDSON and R/V BIG VALLEY from 03 July 1990 to 25 June of 1991 (NODC Accession 0000447)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Benthic samples and other data were collected from the R/V DAVIDSON and R/V BIG VALLEY from the Prince William Sound from 03 July 1990 to 25 June of 1991 . Data were...

Relative volume measured with magnetic resonance imaging is an articular collapse predictor in hematological pediatric patients with femoral head osteonecrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ippolito, Davide; Masetto, Alessandro; Talei Franzesi, Cammillo; Bonaffini, Pietro A; Casiraghi, Alessandra; Sironi, Sandro

2016-08-28

To assess the potential value of femoral head (FH) volume measurements to predict joint collapse, as compared to articular surface involvement, in post-treatment osteonecrosis (ON) in pediatric patients affected by lymphoproliferative diseases. Considering 114 young patients with lymphoproliferative diseases undergone a lower-limbs magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination between November 2006 and August 2012 for a suspected post-treatment ON, we finally considered a total of 13 cases (7 males, mean age 15.2 ± 4.8 years), which developed a FH ON lesions (n = 23). The MRI protocol included coronal short tau inversion recovery and T1-weighted sequences, from the hips to the ankles. During the follow-up (elapsed time: 9.2 ± 2 mo), 13/23 FH articular surface (FHS) developed articular deformity. The first MRI studies with diagnosis of ON were retrospectively analyzed, measuring FH volume (FHV), FHS, ON volume (ONV) and the articular surface involved by ON (ONS). The relative involvement of FHS, in terms of volume [relative volume (RV): ONV/FHV] and articular surface [relative surface (RS): ONS/FHS], was then calculated. By using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (threshold of 23% of volume involvement), RV predicted articular deformity in 13/13 FHS [sensitivity 100%, specificity 90%, accuracy 95%, positive predictive value (PPV) 93%, negative predictive value (NPV) 100%]. Considering a threshold of 50% of articular involvement, RS predicted articular deformity in 10/13 femoral heads (sensitivity 77%, specificity 100%, accuracy 87%, PPV 100%, NPV 77%). RV might be a more reliable parameter than RS in predicting FH deformity and could represent a potential complementary diagnostic tool in the follow-up of femoral heads ON lesions.

The development of remote controlled linear guide and mast vertical guide of repair robot for RV head CRDM nozzle region in NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seung Ho; Seo, Yong Chil; Shin, Ho Cheol; Lee, Sung Uk; Jung, Kyung Min

2006-11-01

Reactor vessel which is core instrument in NPP must maintains integrity in the high temperature, high pressure and high radiation environment. Therefore RV must be inspected periodically. If there is defect, the RV must be repaired. A remote controlled linear guide and a vertical guide were developed for a welding repair robot of the RV head CRDM nozzle region. During inspection/maintenance, the RV head is placed RV head storage which is a double circled concrete structure. A linear guide was developed to provide a linear motion to the repair robot, which locates the robot under the RV head. The linear guide also provides a strong support to the robot not to overturn when the robot repairs the RV head. The robot needs lifting about 2m to reach the CRDM nozzle, therefore a vertical guide was developed. For easy traveling, the linear guide is designed 4 parts and the vertical guide is designed 3 parts. A control system was developed to remotely control the guide system which is composed of a connecter box, cables, control box, a computer and a control program. A monitoring system was developed to monitor operation of the guide system

The development of remote controlled linear guide and mast vertical guide of repair robot for RV head CRDM nozzle region in NPP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Seung Ho; Seo, Yong Chil; Shin, Ho Cheol; Lee, Sung Uk; Jung, Kyung Min

2006-11-15

Reactor vessel which is core instrument in NPP must maintains integrity in the high temperature, high pressure and high radiation environment. Therefore RV must be inspected periodically. If there is defect, the RV must be repaired. A remote controlled linear guide and a vertical guide were developed for a welding repair robot of the RV head CRDM nozzle region. During inspection/maintenance, the RV head is placed RV head storage which is a double circled concrete structure. A linear guide was developed to provide a linear motion to the repair robot, which locates the robot under the RV head. The linear guide also provides a strong support to the robot not to overturn when the robot repairs the RV head. The robot needs lifting about 2m to reach the CRDM nozzle, therefore a vertical guide was developed. For easy traveling, the linear guide is designed 4 parts and the vertical guide is designed 3 parts. A control system was developed to remotely control the guide system which is composed of a connecter box, cables, control box, a computer and a control program. A monitoring system was developed to monitor operation of the guide system.

Quantitative assessment of primary mitral regurgitation using left ventricular volumes obtained with new automated three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic software: A comparison with 3-Tesla cardiac magnetic resonance.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Franck; Marechaux, Sylvestre; Iacuzio, Laura; Schouver, Elie Dan; Castel, Anne Laure; Toledano, Manuel; Rusek, Stephane; Dor, Vincent; Tribouilloy, Christophe; Dreyfus, Gilles

2018-03-30

Quantitative assessment of primary mitral regurgitation (MR) using left ventricular (LV) volumes obtained with three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3D TTE) recently showed encouraging results. Nevertheless, 3D TTE is not incorporated into everyday practice, as current LV chamber quantification software products are time consuming. To investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of new automated fast 3D TTE software (HeartModel A.I. ; Philips Healthcare, Andover, MA, USA) for the quantification of LV volumes and MR severity in patients with isolated degenerative primary MR; and to compare regurgitant volume (RV) obtained with 3D TTE with a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) reference. Fifty-three patients (37 men; mean age 64±12 years) with at least mild primary isolated MR, and having comprehensive 3D TTE and CMR studies within 24h, were eligible for inclusion. MR RV was calculated using the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method and the volumetric method (total LV stroke volume minus aortic stroke volume) with either CMR or 3D TTE. Inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of 3D TTE was excellent (coefficient of variation≤10%) for LV volumes. MR RV was similar using CMR and 3D TTE (57±23mL vs 56±28mL; P=0.22), but was significantly higher using the PISA method (69±30mL; P<0.05 compared with CMR and 3D TTE). The PISA method consistently overestimated MR RV compared with CMR (bias 12±21mL), while no significant bias was found between 3D TTE and CMR (bias 2±14mL). Concordance between echocardiography and CMR was higher using 3D TTE MR grading (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]=0.89) than with PISA MR grading (ICC=0.78). Complete agreement with CMR grading was more frequent with 3D TTE than with the PISA method (76% vs 63%). 3D TTE RV assessment using the new generation of automated software correlates well with CMR in patients with isolated degenerative primary MR. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Performances of cutting fluids in turning. Vegetable based oil - RV

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Axinte, Dragos Aurelian; Belluco, Walter

1999-01-01

Scope of the present measurement campaign is the evaluation of the cutting fluid performance. The report presents the standard routine and the results obtained when turning stainless steel and brass with a commercial vegetable based oil called RV. The methods were developed to be applicable...

Time course of reversed cardiac remodeling after pulmonary endarterectomy in patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iino, Misako; Dymarkowski, Steven; Chaothawee, Lertlak; Bogaert, Jan [UZ Leuven, Department of Radiology, Leuven (Belgium); Delcroix, Marion [UZ Leuven, Department of Pneumology, Leuven (Belgium)

2008-04-15

To evaluate the time course of reversed remodeling after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension(CTPEH), we studied 22 patients (age: 60 {+-} 13 years) with MRI immediately before, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after PEA. MRI included assessment of biventricular function, aortic and pulmonary artery(PA) flow, and right ventricular (RV) overload using the ratio of RV-to-biventricular diameter. Except in one patient, who died 2 months post-surgery, clinical improvement occurred early after PEA (NYHA class: 3.3 {+-} 0.6 to 1.5 {+-} 0.8, p < 0.0001) with a decrease of systolic pulmonary artery pressures (79 {+-} 14 to 44 {+-} 14 mmHg, p < 0.0001). At 1 month post PEA, RV end-diastolic volumes decreased (198 {+-} 72 to 137 {+-} 59 ml, p < 0.0001), and the RV ejection fraction (EF) improved (31 {+-} 9 to 47 {+-} 10%, p < 0.0001). No further significant improvement in pulmonary pressures or RV function occurred at 3 months or 6 months. Although no significant change was found in LV volumes or function, aortic flow increased early after surgery. PEA had only a beneficial effect on right PA flow. RV overload decreased early after PEA (ratio RV-to-biventricular diameter: before: 0.67 {+-} 0.04, after: 0.54 {+-} 0.06, p < 0.0001), showing a good correlation with the improvement in RVEF (r = 0.7, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, reversed cardiac remodeling occurs early after PEA, to slow down after 1 month. At 6 months, cardiac remodeling is incomplete as witnessed by low-normal RV function and residually elevated PA pressures. (orig.)

Patient preferences for clean intermittent catheterisation and transurethral indwelling catheterisation for treatment of abnormal post-void residual bladder volume after vaginal prolapse surgery

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hakvoort, R. A.; Nieuwkerk, P. T.; Burger, M. P.; Emanuel, M. H.; Roovers, J. P.

2011-01-01

To determine patient preferences for clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) relative to transurethral indwelling catheterisation (TIC) as the treatment of abnormal post-void residual bladder volume (PVR) following vaginal prolapse surgery. Scenario-based preference assessment during face-to-face

Logging and Agricultural Residue Supply Curves for the Pacific Northwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerstetter, James D.; Lyons, John Kim

2001-01-01

This report quantified the volume of logging residues at the county level for current timber harvests. The cost of recovering logging residues was determined for skidding, yearding, loading, chipping and transporting the residues. Supply curves were developed for ten candidate conversion sites in the Pacific Northwest Region. Agricultural field residues were also quantified at the county level using five-year average crop yields. Agronomic constraints were applied to arrive at the volumes available for energy use. Collection costs and transportation costs were determined and supply curves generated for thirteen candidate conversion sites.

Nutrients and physical data from the R/V Thomas Washington and the R/V Oshoru Maru using bottle and CTD casts as part of the Inner Shelf Transport and Recycling (ISHTAR) project from 12 June 1986 to 19 October 1988 (NODC Accession 0000333)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Nutrients and physical data were collected from the R/V THOMAS WASHINGTON and R/V OSHORU MARU from June 12, 1986 to October 19, 1988. Data were submitted by...

Novel mechanism of gene regulation: the protein Rv1222 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis inhibits transcription by anchoring the RNA polymerase onto DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudra, Paulami; Prajapati, Ranjit Kumar; Banerjee, Rajdeep; Sengupta, Shreya; Mukhopadhyay, Jayanta

2015-07-13

We propose a novel mechanism of gene regulation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis where the protein Rv1222 inhibits transcription by anchoring RNA polymerase (RNAP) onto DNA. In contrast to our existing knowledge that transcriptional repressors function either by binding to DNA at specific sequences or by binding to RNAP, we show that Rv1222-mediated transcription inhibition requires simultaneous binding of the protein to both RNAP and DNA. We demonstrate that the positively charged C-terminus tail of Rv1222 is responsible for anchoring RNAP on DNA, hence the protein slows down the movement of RNAP along the DNA during transcription elongation. The interaction between Rv1222 and DNA is electrostatic, thus the protein could inhibit transcription from any gene. As Rv1222 slows down the RNA synthesis, upon expression of the protein in Mycobacterium smegmatis or Escherichia coli, the growth rate of the bacteria is severely impaired. The protein does not possess any significant affinity for DNA polymerase, thus, is unable to inhibit DNA synthesis. The proposed mechanism by which Rv1222 inhibits transcription reveals a new repertoire of prokaryotic gene regulation. © Crown copyright 2015.

A functional role of Rv1738 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence suggested by racemic protein crystallography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunker, Richard D; Mandal, Kalyaneswar; Bashiri, Ghader; Chaston, Jessica J; Pentelute, Bradley L; Lott, J Shaun; Kent, Stephen B H; Baker, Edward N

2015-04-07

Protein 3D structure can be a powerful predictor of function, but it often faces a critical roadblock at the crystallization step. Rv1738, a protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is strongly implicated in the onset of nonreplicating persistence, and thereby latent tuberculosis, resisted extensive attempts at crystallization. Chemical synthesis of the L- and D-enantiomeric forms of Rv1738 enabled facile crystallization of the D/L-racemic mixture. The structure was solved by an ab initio approach that took advantage of the quantized phases characteristic of diffraction by centrosymmetric crystals. The structure, containing L- and D-dimers in a centrosymmetric space group, revealed unexpected homology with bacterial hibernation-promoting factors that bind to ribosomes and suppress translation. This suggests that the functional role of Rv1738 is to contribute to the shutdown of ribosomal protein synthesis during the onset of nonreplicating persistence of M. tuberculosis.

Influence of heart failure on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Aline Soares de; Sperandio, Priscila Abreu; Mazzuco, Adriana; Alencar, Maria Clara; Arbex, Flávio Ferlin; Oliveira, Mayron Faria de; O'Donnell, Denis Eunan; Neder, José Alberto

2016-01-01

To evaluate the influence of chronic heart failure (CHF) on resting lung volumes in patients with COPD, i.e., inspiratory fraction-inspiratory capacity (IC)/TLC-and relative inspiratory reserve-[1 - (end-inspiratory lung volume/TLC)]. This was a prospective study involving 56 patients with COPD-24 (23 males/1 female) with COPD+CHF and 32 (28 males/4 females) with COPD only-who, after careful clinical stabilization, underwent spirometry (with forced and slow maneuvers) and whole-body plethysmography. Although FEV1, as well as the FEV1/FVC and FEV1/slow vital capacity ratios, were higher in the COPD+CHF group than in the COPD group, all major "static" volumes-RV, functional residual capacity (FRC), and TLC-were lower in the former group (p grupo DPOC+ICC; 23 homens/1 mulher) e 32 (28 homens/4 mulheres) com DPOC isolada foram submetidos à espirometria forçada e lenta e pletismografia de corpo inteiro. Os pacientes do grupo DPOC+ICC apresentaram maior VEF1, VEF1/CVF e VEF1/capacidade vital lenta; porém, todos os principais volumes "estáticos" - VR, capacidade residual funcional (CRF) e CPT - foram menores que aqueles do grupo DPOC (p grupo DPOC+ICC que no grupo DPOC. Houve redução relativamente proporcional da CRF e da CPT nos dois grupos; logo, a CI também foi similar. Consequentemente, a fração inspiratória no grupo DPOC+ICC foi maior que no grupo DPOC (0,42 ± 0,10 vs. 0,36 ± 0,10; p grupo DPOC+ICC, a reserva inspiratória relativa foi notadamente similar entre os grupos (0,35 ± 0,09 vs. 0,44 ± 0,14; p < 0,05). Apesar dos efeitos restritivos da ICC, pacientes com DPOC+ICC apresentam elevações relativas dos limites inspiratórios (maior fração inspiratória). Entretanto, esses pacientes utilizam apenas parte desses limites, com o provável intuito de evitar reduções críticas da reserva inspiratória e maior trabalho elástico.

The ORF59 DNA polymerase processivity factor homologs of Old World primate RV2 rhadinoviruses are highly conserved nuclear antigens expressed in differentiated epithelium in infected macaques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burnside Kellie L

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background ORF59 DNA polymerase processivity factor of the human rhadinovirus, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, is required for efficient copying of the genome during virus replication. KSHV ORF59 is antigenic in the infected host and is used as a marker for virus activation and replication. Results We cloned, sequenced and expressed the genes encoding related ORF59 proteins from the RV1 rhadinovirus homologs of KSHV from chimpanzee (PtrRV1 and three species of macaques (RFHVMm, RFHVMn and RFHVMf, and have compared them with ORF59 proteins obtained from members of the more distantly-related RV2 rhadinovirus lineage infecting the same non-human primate species (PtrRV2, RRV, MneRV2, and MfaRV2, respectively. We found that ORF59 homologs of the RV1 and RV2 Old World primate rhadinoviruses are highly conserved with distinct phylogenetic clustering of the two rhadinovirus lineages. RV1 and RV2 ORF59 C-terminal domains exhibit a strong lineage-specific conservation. Rabbit antiserum was developed against a C-terminal polypeptide that is highly conserved between the macaque RV2 ORF59 sequences. This anti-serum showed strong reactivity towards ORF59 encoded by the macaque RV2 rhadinoviruses, RRV (rhesus and MneRV2 (pig-tail, with no cross reaction to human or macaque RV1 ORF59 proteins. Using this antiserum and RT-qPCR, we determined that RRV ORF59 is expressed early after permissive infection of both rhesus primary fetal fibroblasts and African green monkey kidney epithelial cells (Vero in vitro. RRV- and MneRV2-infected foci showed strong nuclear expression of ORF59 that correlated with production of infectious progeny virus. Immunohistochemical studies of an MneRV2-infected macaque revealed strong nuclear expression of ORF59 in infected cells within the differentiating layer of epidermis corroborating previous observations that differentiated epithelial cells are permissive for replication of KSHV-like rhadinoviruses

Integrity evaluation of Alloy 600 RV head penetration tubes in Korean PWR plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Young Hwan; Park, Sung Ho; Hong, Sung Yull; Choi, Kwang Hee

1995-01-01

The structural integrity assessment of Alloy 600 RV head penetration tubes has been an important issue for the economical and reliable operation of power plants. In this paper, an overview of the integrity evaluation program for the RV head penetration tubes in Korean nuclear power plants is presented. Since the crack growth mechanism of the penetration tube is due to the primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) which is mainly related to the stress at the tube, the present paper consists of three primary activities: the stress evaluation, the flaw evaluation, and data generation through material and mechanical tests. (author). 5 refs, 2 figs, 1 tab

Continuous nasogastric tube feeding: monitoring by combined use of refractometry and traditional gastric residual volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, W-K; McClave, S-A; Chao, Y-C

2004-02-01

Traditional use of gastric residual volumes (GRVs) is insensitive and cannot distinguish retained enteral formula from the large volume of endogenous secretions. We designed this prospective study to determine whether refractometry and Brix value (BV) measurements could be used to monitor gastric emptying and tolerance in patients receiving continuous enteral feeding. Thirty-six patients on continuous nasogastric tube feeding were divided into two groups; patients with lower GRVs (75 ml) in Group 2. Upon entry, all gastric contents were aspirated, the volume was recorded (Asp GRV), BV measurements were made by refractometry, and then the contents were reinstilled but diluted with 30 ml additional water. Finally, a small amount was reaspirated and repeat BV measurements were made. Three hours later, the entire procedure was repeated a second time. The BV ratio, calculated (Cal) GRV, and volume of formula remaining were calculated by derived equations. Mean BV ratios were significantly higher for those patients in Group 2 compared to those in Group 1. All but one of the 22 patients (95%) in Group 1 had a volume of formula remaining in the stomach estimated on both measurements to be less than the hourly infusion rate (all these patients had BV ratios 70%). Three of the Group 2 patients (21%) whose initial measurement showed evidence for retention of formula, improved on repeat follow-up measurement assuring adequate gastric emptying. The remaining five patients from Group 2 (35%) had a volume of formula remaining that was less than the hourly infusion rate on both measurements. The pattern of Asp GRVs and serial pre- and post-dilution BVs failed to differentiate these patients in Group 2 with potential emptying problems from those with sufficient gastric emptying. Refractometry and measurement of the BV may improve the clinical utilization of GRVs, by its ability to identify the component of formula within gastric contents and track changes in that component related

Mycothiol acetyltransferase (Rv0819) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a potential biomarker for direct diagnosis of tuberculosis using patient serum specimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitoun, H; Bahey-El-Din, M; Kassem, M A; Aboushleib, H M

2017-12-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection constitutes a global threat that results in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Efficient and early diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is of paramount importance for successful treatment. The aim of the current study is to investigate the mycobacterial mycothiol acetyltransferase Rv0819 as a potential novel biomarker for the diagnosis of active TB infection. The gene encoding Rv0819 was cloned and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant Rv0819 was purified using metal affinity chromatography and was used to raise murine polyclonal antibodies against Rv0819. The raised antibodies were employed for direct detection of Rv0819 in patient serum samples using dot blot assay and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum samples were obtained from 68 confirmed new TB patients and 35 healthy volunteers as negative controls. The dot blot assay showed sensitivity of 64·7% and specificity of 100%, whereas the competitive ELISA assay showed lower sensitivity (54·4%) and specificity (88·57%). The overall sensitivity of the combined results of the two tests was found to be 89·7%. Overall, the mycobacterial Rv0819 is a potential TB serum biomarker that can be exploited, in combination with other TB biomarkers, for efficient and reliable diagnosis of active TB infection. The early and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis infection is of paramount importance for initiating treatment and avoiding clinical complications. Most current diagnostic tests have poor sensitivity and/or specificity and in many cases they are too expensive for routine diagnostic testing in resource-limited settings. In the current study, we examined a novel mycobacterial serum biomarker, namely mycothiol acetyltransferase Rv0819. The antigen was detectable in serum specimens of a significant number of tuberculosis patients. This article proves the importance of Rv0819 and paves the way towards its future use as a useful

Lung deflation and oxygen pulse in COPD: results from the NETT randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Come, Carolyn E; Divo, Miguel J; San José Estépar, Raúl; Sciurba, Frank C; Criner, Gerard J; Marchetti, Nathaniel; Scharf, Steven M; Mosenifar, Zab; Make, Barry J; Keller, Cesar A; Minai, Omar A; Martinez, Fernando J; Han, MeiLan K; Reilly, John J; Celli, Bartolome R; Washko, George R

2012-01-01

In COPD patients, hyperinflation impairs cardiac function. We examined whether lung deflation improves oxygen pulse, a surrogate marker of stroke volume. In 129 NETT patients with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and arterial blood gases (ABG substudy), hyperinflation was assessed with residual volume to total lung capacity ratio (RV/TLC), and cardiac function with oxygen pulse (O(2) pulse=VO(2)/HR) at baseline and 6 months. Medical and surgical patients were divided into "deflators" and "non-deflators" based on change in RV/TLC from baseline (∆RV/TLC). We defined deflation as the ∆RV/TLC experienced by 75% of surgical patients. We examined changes in O(2) pulse at peak and similar (iso-work) exercise. Findings were validated in 718 patients who underwent CPET without ABGs. In the ABG substudy, surgical and medical deflators improved their RV/TLC and peak O(2) pulse (median ∆RV/TLC -18.0% vs. -9.3%, p=0.0003; median ∆O(2) pulse 13.6% vs. 1.8%, p=0.12). Surgical deflators also improved iso-work O(2) pulse (0.53 mL/beat, p=0.04 at 20 W). In the validation cohort, surgical deflators experienced a greater improvement in peak O(2) pulse than medical deflators (mean 18.9% vs. 1.1%). In surgical deflators improvements in O(2) pulse at rest and during unloaded pedaling (0.32 mL/beat, pdeflators were 88% more likely than non-deflators to have an improvement in O(2) pulse (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.30-2.72, p=0.0008). In COPD, decreased hyperinflation through lung volume reduction is associated with improved O(2) pulse. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

cExternal beam radiation results in minimal changes in post void residual urine volumes during the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orio, Peter F III; Merrick, Gregory S; Allen, Zachariah A; Butler, Wayne M; Wallner, Kent E; Kurko, Brian S; Galbreath, Robert W

2009-01-01

To evaluate the impact of external beam radiation therapy (XRT) on weekly ultrasound determined post-void residual (PVR) urine volumes in patients with prostate cancer. 125 patients received XRT for clinically localized prostate cancer. XRT was delivered to the prostate only (n = 66) or if the risk of lymph node involvement was greater than 10% to the whole pelvis followed by a prostate boost (n = 59). All patients were irradiated in the prone position in a custom hip-fix mobilization device with an empty bladder and rectum. PVR was obtained at baseline and weekly. Multiple clinical and treatment parameters were evaluated as predictors for weekly PVR changes. The mean patient age was 73.9 years with a mean pre-treatment prostate volume of 53.3 cc, a mean IPSS of 11.3 and a mean baseline PVR of 57.6 cc. During treatment, PVR decreased from baseline in both cohorts with the absolute difference within the limits of accuracy of the bladder scanner. Alpha-blockers did not predict for a lower PVR during treatment. There was no significant difference in mean PVR urine volumes or differences from baseline in either the prostate only or pelvic radiation groups (p = 0.664 and p = 0.458, respectively). Patients with a larger baseline PVR (>40 cc) had a greater reduction in PVR, although the greatest reduction was seen between weeks one and three. Patients with a small PVR (<40 cc) had no demonstrable change throughout treatment. Prostate XRT results in clinically insignificant changes in weekly PVR volumes, suggesting that radiation induced bladder irritation does not substantially influence bladder residual urine volumes

cExternal beam radiation results in minimal changes in post void residual urine volumes during the treatment of clinically localized prostate cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wallner Kent E

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To evaluate the impact of external beam radiation therapy (XRT on weekly ultrasound determined post-void residual (PVR urine volumes in patients with prostate cancer. Methods 125 patients received XRT for clinically localized prostate cancer. XRT was delivered to the prostate only (n = 66 or if the risk of lymph node involvement was greater than 10% to the whole pelvis followed by a prostate boost (n = 59. All patients were irradiated in the prone position in a custom hip-fix mobilization device with an empty bladder and rectum. PVR was obtained at baseline and weekly. Multiple clinical and treatment parameters were evaluated as predictors for weekly PVR changes. Results The mean patient age was 73.9 years with a mean pre-treatment prostate volume of 53.3 cc, a mean IPSS of 11.3 and a mean baseline PVR of 57.6 cc. During treatment, PVR decreased from baseline in both cohorts with the absolute difference within the limits of accuracy of the bladder scanner. Alpha-blockers did not predict for a lower PVR during treatment. There was no significant difference in mean PVR urine volumes or differences from baseline in either the prostate only or pelvic radiation groups (p = 0.664 and p = 0.458, respectively. Patients with a larger baseline PVR (>40 cc had a greater reduction in PVR, although the greatest reduction was seen between weeks one and three. Patients with a small PVR ( Conclusion Prostate XRT results in clinically insignificant changes in weekly PVR volumes, suggesting that radiation induced bladder irritation does not substantially influence bladder residual urine volumes.

Identification of Rv0222 from RD4 as a novel serodiagnostic target for tuberculosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenkrands, Ida; Aagaard, Claus; Weldingh, Karin

2008-01-01

tuberculosis patients and healthy controls led to identification of Rv0222 as the most promising serodiagnostic antigen. Recognition of the Rv0222 was compared with the 38 kDa protein and a fusion protein of the RD1 proteins ESAT-6 and CFP10 in a serum panel from pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients from......Forty-seven Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes from the 'regions of difference' RD2-7, RD9-13 and RD15 were cloned and expressed, and the purified recombinant proteins were screened for their serodiagnostic potential. Evaluation of six selected proteins in serum samples from Danish resident...

Det Digitale Nærvær

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heilesen, Simon

Computer-medieret kommunikation (CMC – via intranet- og internet, ”allestedsnærværende computing” mm. ), er grundlaget for det informations- og videnssamfund, der begynder at tage form i disse år. CMC er blevet kolossalt udbredt de seneste 10 – 15 år og har forandret den måde vi udsender og søger...... information, kommunikerer med hinanden både privat og i organisationer, samarbejder, underviser og tilegner os viden. Denne bog går tæt på tre udvalgte områder inden for den computer-medierede kommunikation: · Videndeling i formelle og uformelle organisationer, · Netbaseret samarbejde og læring, · Design af...

Evaluation of the relationship between renal function and renal volume-vascular indices using 3D power Doppler ultrasound

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cansu, Aysegul, E-mail: drcansu@gmail.com; Kupeli, Ali; Kul, Sibel; Eyuboglu, Ilker; Oguz, Sukru; Ozturk, Mehmet Halil; Dinc, Hasan

2014-07-15

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between renal function and total renal volume-vascular indices using 3D power Doppler ultrasound (3DPDUS). Materials and methods: One hundred six patients with hypertensive proteinuric nephropathy (HPN) (49 male, 57 female) and 65 healthy controls (32 male, 33 female) were evaluated prospectively using 3DPDUS. Total renal volume (RV), vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI) were calculated using Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis (VOCAL). The estimated glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) of the patients with HPN and the control group were calculated. The patients with HPN were divided into two groups on the basis of GFR, normal (≥90) or reduced (<90). Differences between groups were compared using ANOVA. Correlations between GFR, renal volume and vascular indices were analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean total RV, VI, FI and VFI values in the reduced GFR, normal GFR and control groups were RV (ml): 234.7, 280.7 and 294.6; VI: 17.6, 27.6 and 46.8; FI: 79.1, 88.7 and 93.9 and VFI: 7.1, 12.7 and 23.8. There were statistically significant differences between the groups (p < 0.001). Total RVs and vascular indices exhibited significant correlations with estimated GFR (r = 0.53–0.59, p < 0.001) Conclusion: Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound is a reliable predictive technique in renal function analysis.

Prevalence, Predictors and Clinical Outcome of Residual Pulmonary Hypertension Following Tricuspid Annuloplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yan; Liu, Ju-Hua; Chan, Daniel; Sit, Ko-Yung; Wong, Chun-Ka; Ho, Kar-Lai; Ho, Lai-Ming; Zhen, Zhe; Lam, Yui-Ming; Lau, Chu-Pak; Au, Wing-Kok; Tse, Hung-Fat; Yiu, Kai-Hang

2016-07-22

Tricuspid annuloplasty is increasingly performed during left heart valve surgery, but the long-term clinical outcome postoperatively is not satisfactory. The aim of this study was to determine whether residual pulmonary hypertension (PHT) contributes to the adverse outcome. One-hundred thirty-seven patients (age 61±11 years; men, 30%) who underwent tricuspid annuloplasty during left-side valve surgery were enrolled. The mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure before surgery was 49±13 mm Hg and 32±15 mm Hg following surgery. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to postoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure: no residual PHT (n=78, 57%), mild residual PHT (n=43, 31%), or significant residual PHT (n=16, 12%). A preoperative larger right ventricular (RV) geometry and tricuspid valve tethering area were associated with mild or significant residual PHT. A total of 24 adverse events (20 heart failures and 4 cardiovascular deaths) occurred during a median follow-up of 25 months. Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated that patients with significant residual PHT had the highest percentage of adverse events followed by those with mild residual PHT. Patients with no residual PHT had a very low risk of adverse events. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that both mild (hazard ratio=4.94; 95% CI =1.34-18.16; P=0.02) and significant residual PHT (hazard ratio=8.67; 95% CI =2.43-30.98; P<0.01) were independent factors associated with adverse events. The present study demonstrated that 43% of patients who underwent tricuspid annuloplasty had residual PHT. The presence of mild or significant residual PHT was associated with adverse events in these patients. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Maximal respiratory pressures and pulmonary function in male runners.

OpenAIRE

Cordain, L; Glisan, B J; Latin, R W; Tucker, A; Stager, J M

1987-01-01

To determine the effects of long term exercise on respiratory muscle strength, maximal inspiratory (Pl max) and expiratory (PE max) pressures, pulmonary volumes and capacities and anthropometric parameters were measured in a group of 101 male runners aged 16 to 58 years. The runners exhibited significantly (p less than 0.05) lower PE max (202 +/- 41 cm H2O and significantly greater residual lung volumes (RV) (2.08 +/- 0.49 L) than predicted values for normal subjects of similar height and age...

Crystal Structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv AldR (Rv2779c), a Regulator of the ald Gene: DNA BINDING AND IDENTIFICATION OF SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS.

Science.gov (United States)

Dey, Abhishek; Shree, Sonal; Pandey, Sarvesh Kumar; Tripathi, Rama Pati; Ramachandran, Ravishankar

2016-06-03

Here we report the crystal structure of M. tuberculosis AldR (Rv2779c) showing that the N-terminal DNA-binding domains are swapped, forming a dimer, and four dimers are assembled into an octamer through crystal symmetry. The C-terminal domain is involved in oligomeric interactions that stabilize the oligomer, and it contains the effector-binding sites. The latter sites are 30-60% larger compared with homologs like MtbFFRP (Rv3291c) and can consequently accommodate larger molecules. MtbAldR binds to the region upstream to the ald gene that is highly up-regulated in nutrient-starved tuberculosis models and codes for l-alanine dehydrogenase (MtbAld; Rv2780). Further, the MtbAldR-DNA complex is inhibited upon binding of Ala, Tyr, Trp and Asp to the protein. Studies involving a ligand-binding site G131T mutant show that the mutant forms a DNA complex that cannot be inhibited by adding the amino acids. Comparative studies suggest that binding of the amino acids changes the relative spatial disposition of the DNA-binding domains and thereby disrupt the protein-DNA complex. Finally, we identified small molecules, including a tetrahydroquinoline carbonitrile derivative (S010-0261), that inhibit the MtbAldR-DNA complex. The latter molecules represent the very first inhibitors of a feast/famine regulatory protein from any source and set the stage for exploring MtbAldR as a potential anti-tuberculosis target. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Identification of Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Left-Sided Heart Disease (World Health Organization Group 2) Based on Cardiac Chamber Volumes Derived From Chest CT Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Aviram, Galit; Rozenbaum, Zach; Ziv-Baran, Tomer; Berliner, Shlomo; Topilsky, Yan; Fleischmann, Dominik; Sung, Yon K; Zamanian, Roham T; Guo, Haiwei Henry

2017-10-01

Evaluations of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) commonly include chest CT imaging. We hypothesized that cardiac chamber volumes calculated from the same CT scans can yield additional information to distinguish PH related to left-sided heart disease (World Health Organization group 2) from other PH subtypes. Patients who had PH confirmed by right heart catheterization and contrast-enhanced chest CT studies were enrolled in this retrospective multicenter study. Cardiac chamber volumes were calculated using automated segmentation software and compared between group 2 and non-group 2 patients with PH. This study included 114 patients with PH, 27 (24%) of whom were classified as group 2 based on their pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Patients with group 2 PH exhibited significantly larger median left atrial (LA) volumes (118 mL vs 63 mL; P volumes (90 mL vs 76 mL; P = .02), and smaller median right ventricular (RV) volumes (173 mL vs 210 mL; P = .005) than did non-group 2 patients. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure, group 2 PH was significantly associated with larger median LA and LV volumes (P volume ratios of RA/LA, RV/LV, and RV/LA (P = .001, P = .004, and P volumes demonstrated a high discriminatory ability for group 2 PH (area under the curve, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.870-0.968). Volumetric analysis of the cardiac chambers from nongated chest CT scans, particularly with findings of an enlarged left atrium, exhibited high discriminatory ability for identifying patients with PH due to left-sided heart disease. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Dosimetry using Gafchromic XR-RV2 radiochromic films in interventional radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neocleous, A.; Yakoumakis, E.; Gialousis, G.; Dimitriadis, A.; Yakoumakis, N.; Georgiou, E.

2011-01-01

Patient dose measurements of local entrance dose to the skin have been carried out using radiochromic film (Gafchromic XR-RV2) in a sample of interventional procedures. The major aim of the work was to measure patient entrance dose from such examinations using Gafchromic XR-RV2. Forty-five various interventional procedures (including nephrostomies and urinary stenting, biliary stenting and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and aorta stent grafting) were evaluated. Maximum entrance doses were 537±119 mGy in nephrostomies, 943±631 mGy in biliary stenting and PTBD and 2425±569 mGy in aorta stent grafting. Results indicate that all patients undergoing aorta stent grafting received skin dose above 1500 mGy, which means that there is an increasing potential to suffer radiation-induced skin injuries. The film provides dose mapping, the position of the skin area with highest dose and can be used for immediate qualitative and as well as for quantitative assessment of patient skin dose. (authors)

Potential Mechanism of Action of meso-Dihydroguaiaretic Acid on Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldo F. Clemente-Soto

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The isolation and characterization of the lignan meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (MDGA from Larrea tridentata and its activity against Mycobacterial tuberculosis has been demonstrated, but no information regarding its mechanism of action has been documented. Therefore, in this study we carry out the gene expression from total RNA obtained from M. tuberculosis H37Rv treated with MDGA using microarray technology, which was validated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that the alpha subunit of coenzyme A transferase of M. tuberculosis H37Rv is present in both geraniol and 1-and 2-methylnaphthalene degradation pathways, which are targeted by MDGA. This assumption was supported by molecular docking which showed stable interaction between MDGA with the active site of the enzyme. We propose that inhibition of coenzyme A transferase of M. tuberculosis H37Rv results in the accumulation of geraniol and 1-and 2-methylnaphtalene inside bacteria, causing membrane destabilization and death of the pathogen. The natural product MDGA is thus an attractive template to develop new anti-tuberculosis drugs, because its target is different from those of known anti-tubercular agents.

Statistical study of overvoltages by maneuvering in switches in high voltage using EMTP-RV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez Herrera, Diego Armando

2013-01-01

The transient overvoltages produced by maneuvering of switches are studied in a statistical way and through a variation the sequential closing times of switches in networks larger than 230 kV. This study is performed according to time delays and typical deviation ranges, using the tool EMTP- RV (ElectroMagnetic Trasient Program Restructured Version). A conceptual framework related with the electromagnetic transients by maneuver is developed in triphasic switches installed in nominal voltages higher than 230 kV. The methodology established for the execution of statistical studies of overvoltages by switch maneuver is reviewed and evaluated by simulating two fictitious cases in EMTP-RV [es

Disentangling evolutionary signals: conservation, specificity determining positions and coevolution. Implication for catalytic residue prediction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teppa, Elin; Wilkins, Angela D.; Nielsen, Morten

2012-01-01

Background: A large panel of methods exists that aim to identify residues with critical impact on protein function based on evolutionary signals, sequence and structure information. However, it is not clear to what extent these different methods overlap, and if any of the methods have higher...... predictive potential compared to others when it comes to, in particular, the identification of catalytic residues (CR) in proteins. Using a large set of enzymatic protein families and measures based on different evolutionary signals, we sought to break up the different components of the information content......-value Evolutionary Trace (rvET) methods and conservation, another containing mutual information (MI) methods, and the last containing methods designed explicitly for the identification of specificity determining positions (SDPs): integer-value Evolutionary Trace (ivET), SDPfox, and XDET. In terms of prediction of CR...

Human neonatal rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) targets rotavirus from birth

Science.gov (United States)

Thobari, Jarir At; Satria, Cahya Dewi; Handley, Amanda; Watts, Emma; Cowley, Daniel; Nirwati, Hera; Ackland, James; Standish, Jane; Justice, Frances; Byars, Gabrielle; Lee, Katherine J.; Barnes, Graeme L.; Bachtiar, Novilia S.; Icanervilia, Ajeng Viska; Boniface, Karen; Bogdanovic-Sakran, Nada; Pavlic, Daniel; Bishop, Ruth F.; Kirkwood, Carl D.; Buttery, Jim P.; Soenarto, Yati

2018-01-01

Background A birth dose strategy using a neonatal rotavirus vaccine to target early prevention of rotavirus disease may address remaining barriers to global vaccine implementation. Methods We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Indonesia to evaluate the efficacy of an oral human neonatal rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis. Healthy newborns received three doses of RV3-BB administered in a neonatal schedule at 0-5 days, 8 and 14 weeks or infant schedule at 8, 14 and 18 weeks, or placebo. Laboratory-confirmed rotavirus gastroenteritis was graded using a modified Vesikari score. The primary analysis was efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis from two weeks after all doses to 18 months in the combined vaccine group (neonatal and infant schedule) compared with placebo. Results Vaccine efficacy against severe rotavirus gastroenteritis to 18 months was 63% in the combined vaccine group (95% CI 34, 80; p<0.001), 75% in the neonatal vaccine group (95% confidence interval [CI] 44, 91; p<0.001) and 51% in the infant vaccine group (95% CI 7, 76; p=0.03) in the per protocol analysis, with similar results in the intention-to-treat analysis. Vaccine efficacy to 12 months was 94% in the neonatal vaccine group (95%CI 56, 99; p=0.006). Vaccine take occurred in 78/83 (94%) in the neonatal vaccine group and 83/84 (99%) in the infant vaccine group. The vaccine was well tolerated, with similar incidence of adverse events in vaccine and placebo recipients. Conclusion RV3-BB was efficacious, immunogenic and well-tolerated when administered in a neonatal or infant schedule in Indonesia. PMID:29466164

Solid-Phase Extraction and Large-Volume Sample Stacking-Capillary Electrophoresis for Determination of Tetracycline Residues in Milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Islas

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Solid-phase extraction in combination with large-volume sample stacking-capillary electrophoresis (SPE-LVSS-CE was applied to measure chlortetracycline, doxycycline, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline in milk samples. Under optimal conditions, the proposed method had a linear range of 29 to 200 µg·L−1, with limits of detection ranging from 18.6 to 23.8 µg·L−1 with inter- and intraday repeatabilities < 10% (as a relative standard deviation in all cases. The enrichment factors obtained were from 50.33 to 70.85 for all the TCs compared with a conventional capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE. This method is adequate to analyze tetracyclines below the most restrictive established maximum residue limits. The proposed method was employed in the analysis of 15 milk samples from different brands. Two of the tested samples were positive for the presence of oxytetracycline with concentrations of 95 and 126 µg·L−1. SPE-LVSS-CE is a robust, easy, and efficient strategy for online preconcentration of tetracycline residues in complex matrices.

Overview of errors in the reference sequence and annotation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, and variation amongst its isolates

KAUST Repository

Köser, Claudio U.

2012-06-01

Since its publication in 1998, the genome sequence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv laboratory strain has acted as the cornerstone for the study of tuberculosis. In this review we address some of the practical aspects that have come to light relating to the use of H37Rv throughout the past decade which are of relevance for the ongoing genomic and laboratory studies of this pathogen. These include errors in the genome reference sequence and its annotation, as well as the recently detected variation amongst isolates of H37Rv from different laboratories. © 2011 Elsevier B.V..

Analysis and radiological assessment of residues containing NORM materials resulting from earlier activities including modelling of typical industrial residues. Pt. 1. Historical investigation of the radiological relevance of NORM residues and concepts for site identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reichelt, Andreas; Niedermayer, Matthias; Sitte, Beate; Hamel, Peter Michael

2007-01-01

Natural radionuclides are part of the human environment and of the raw materials used. Technical processes may cause their accumulation in residues, and the result will be so-called NORM materials (Naturally occurring radioactive material). The amended Radiation Protection Ordinance (StrlSchV 2001) specifies how the public should be protected, but there are also residues dating back before the issuing of the StrlSchV 2001, the so-called NORM residues. The project intended to assess the risks resulting from these residues. It comprises four parts. Part 1 was for clarification of the radiological relevance of NORM residues and for the development of concepts to detect them. The criterion for their radiological relevance was their activity per mass unit and the material volume accumulated through the centuries. The former was calculated from a wide bibliographic search in the relevant literature on radiation protection, while the mass volume was obtained by a detailed historical search of the consumption of materials that may leave NORM residues. These are, in particular, residues from coal and ore mining and processing. To identify concrete sites, relevant data sources were identified, and a concept for identification of concrete NORM residues was developed on this basis. (orig.) [de

SDSS-III MARVELS Planet Candidate RV Follow-up

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Jian; Thomas, Neil; Ma, Bo; Li, Rui; SIthajan, Sirinrat

2014-02-01

Planetary systems, discovered by the radial velocity (RV) surveys, reveal strong correlations between the planet frequency and stellar properties, such as metallicity and mass, and a greater diversity in planets than found in the solar system. However, due to the sample sizes of extant surveys (~100 to a few hundreds of stars) and their heterogeneity, many key questions remained to be addressed: Do metal poor stars obey the same trends for planet occurrence as metal rich stars? What is the distribution of giant planets around intermediate- mass stars and binaries? Is the ``planet desert'' within 0.6 AU in the planet orbital distribution of intermediate-mass stars real? The MARVELS survey has produced the largest homogeneous RV measurements of 3300 V=7.6-12 FGK stars. The latest data pipeline effort at UF has been able to remove long term systematic errors suffered in the earlier data pipeline. 18 high confident giant planet candidates have been identified among newly processed data. We propose to follow up these giant planet candidates with the KPNO EXPERT instrument to confirm the detection and also characterize their orbits. The confirmed planets will be used to measure occurrence rates, distributions and multiplicity of giants planets around F,G,K stars with a broad range of mass (~0.6-2.5 M_⊙) and metallicity ([Fe/H]~-1.5-0.5). The well defined MARVELS survey cadence allows robust determinations of completeness limits for rigorously testing giant planet formation theories and constraining models.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Latent Antigen Rv2029c from the Multistage DNA Vaccine A39 Drives TH1 Responses via TLR-mediated Macrophage Activation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haibo Su

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Targeting of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB latent antigens comprises a crucial strategy for the development of alternative tuberculosis (TB vaccine(s that protects against TB reactivation. Here, we generated a multistage DNA vaccine, A39, containing the early antigens Ag85A and Rv3425 as well as the latency-associated protein Rv2029c, which conferred protective immunity in a pre-exposure mouse model. Moreover, administration of the A39 vaccination after MTB exposure inhibited reactivation and resulted in significantly lower bacterial loads in the lungs and spleen of mice, compared to those in the control population. Subsequently, we investigated the effect of Rv2029c on innate immunity and characterized the molecular details of the interaction of this protein with the host via iTRAQ proteomic and biochemical assay analyses. Rv2029c activated macrophages, triggered the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promoted toll-like receptor/mitogen-activated protein kinase (TLR/MAPK-dependent macrophage apoptosis. Furthermore, Rv2029c treatment enhanced the ability of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG-infected macrophages to present antigens to CD4+ T cells in vitro, which correlated with an increase in MHC-II expression. Lastly, Rv2029c-treated macrophages activated T cells, effectively polarized CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to secrete IFN-γ and IL-2, and specifically expanded a population of CD44highCD62LlowCD4+/CD8+ effector/memory cells, indicating that Rv2029c, as a specific recall antigen, contributes to Th1 polarization in T cell immunity. These results suggest that Rv2029c and A39 comprise promising targets for the development of next-generation clinical TB therapeutic vaccines.

Measuring mental health in the clinical setting: what is important to service users? The Mini-Service user Recovery Evaluation scale (Mini-SeRvE).

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Joanna M; Parsons, Helen; Wilson, Carol A; Cook, Christopher C H

2017-12-01

Since 2001, a policy of positive mental health recovery has been promoted in the UK, with service user involvement. This has not been easy to implement in the clinical setting. To develop and validate a brief self-report, service user-designed, outcome measure (Mini-SeRvE), for clinical use, including spiritual and religious issues. From the previously developed Service user Recovery Evaluation scale (SeRvE), 15 questions were selected for Mini-SeRvE which was self-completed by 207 people; 100 service users and, for comparison, 107 staff. Results were analysed using SPSS software (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Mini-SeRvE is reliable, Cronbach's alpha 0.852. Correlation with another recovery scale, Mental Health Recovery Measure, was high, r = 0.819. Three reliable subscales emerged; existential well-being (EWB), mental ill-being (MIB) and religious well-being (RWB). Scores of the EWB and MIB subscales were higher for staff, consistent with higher mental well-being. Religious well-being scores were higher in service users, who also rated religion as more important to them. Mini-SeRvE is a valid measure of service user recovery. The importance of religion/spiritual belief for our users is highlighted, this being reflected in the subject matter of Mini-SeRvE. Mini-SeRvE assessments could show individual priorities, evaluate therapy and aid clinical decision-making.

Molecular characterization of tlyA gene product, Rv1694 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A non-conventional hemolysin and a ribosomal RNA methyl transferase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Neesar

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a virulent bacillus causing tuberculosis, a disease responsible for million deaths each year worldwide. In order to understand its mechanism of pathogenesis in humans and to help control tuberculosis, functions of numerous Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes are being characterized. In this study we report the dual functionality of tlyA gene product of Mycobacterium tuberculosis annotated as Rv1694, a 268 amino acid long basic protein. Results The recombinant purified Rv1694 protein was found to exhibit hemolytic activity in vitro. It showed concentration and time-dependent hemolysis of rabbit and human erythrocytes. Multiple oligomeric forms (dimers to heptamers of this protein were seen on the membranes of the lysed erythrocytes. Like the oligomers of conventional, well-known, pore-forming toxins, the oligomers of Rv1694 were found to be resistant to heat and SDS, but were susceptible to reducing agents like β-mercaptoethanol as it had abolished the hemolytic activity of Rv1694 indicating the role of disulfide bond(s. The Rv1694 generated de novo by in vitro transcription and translation also exhibited unambiguous hemolysis confirming the self assembly and oligomerization properties of this protein. Limited proteolytic digestion of this protein has revealed that the amino terminus is susceptible while in solution but is protected in presence of membrane. Striking feature of Rv1694 is its presence on the cell wall of E. coli as visualized by confocal microscopy. The surface expression is consistent with the contact dependent haemolytic ability of E. coli expressing this protein. Also, immune serum specific to this protein inhibits the contact dependent hemolysis. Moreover, Rv1694 protein binds to and forms stable oligomers on the macrophage phagosomal membranes. In addition to all these properties, E. coli expressing Rv1694 was found to be susceptible to the antibiotic capreomycin as its growth

[Function in patients with chronic fibrocavernous tuberculosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Nefedov, V B; Popova, L A; Shergina, E A

2008-01-01

Vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/VC%, PEF, MEF25, MEF50, MEF75, TLC, TGV, residual volume (RV), R(aw), R(in), R(ex), DLCO-SB, DLCO-SS, PaO2, and PaCO2 were determined in 62 patients with chronic fibrocavernous tuberculosis. Lung dysfunctions were detected in 96.8% of the patients. Changes in lung volumes and capacities were found in 90.3%, impaired bronchial patency was in 90.3%, and pulmonary gas exchange dysfunction was in 79.0%. The lung volume and capacity changes appeared as decreased VC and FVC, decreased and increased TLC, TGV, RV; impaired bronchial patency presented as decreased PEF, MEF25, MEF50, MEF75, and FEV1/VC%; and increased R(aw), R(in), R(ex); pulmonary gas exchange dysfunction manifested itself as reduced DLCO-SB, DLCO-SS, PaO2, and decreased and increased PaCO2. The magnitude of the observed functional changes ranges from slight to significant and drastic with a predominance of considerable and drastic changes in lung volumes and capacities and mild impairments of bronchial patency and pulmonary gas exchange function.

SU-E-T-599: Patient Safety Enhancements Through a Study of R&V System Override Data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hendrickson, K; Vimolchalao, S [University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Record and verify (R&V) software systems include safety checks that compare actual machine parameters with prescribed values for a patient’s treatment, such as treatment couch position, linac, energy, and MUs. The therapist is warned of a mismatch with a pop-up and prompted to approve an override in order to continue without changes. Override approval is often legitimate, but the pop-up can also genuinely indicate a problem that would Result in the wrong treatment. When there are numerous pop-up warnings, human nature leads us to approve any override without careful reading, undermining the effectiveness of the safety mechanism. Methods: Override data was collected from our R&V system for all patients treated between October 8 and 29, 2012, on four linacs and entered into a spreadsheet. Additional data collected included treatment technique, disease site, immobilization, time, linac, and whether localization images were obtained. Data were analyzed using spreadsheet tools to reveal trends, patterns and associations that might suggest appropriate process changes that could decrease the total number of overrides. Results: 76 out of 113 patients had overrides. Out of the 944 treatments, 599 override items were generated. The majority were due to couch positions. 74 of the 84 overrides on a linac equipped with a 6D couch were due to the use of the rotational corrections and the fact that the 6D couch control does not communicate with the R&V system; translations required to rotate the couch appear to the R&V system as translations outside the tolerance range. Conclusion: Many findings were interesting but did not suggest a process change. Proposed process changes include creating site-specific instead of just technique-specific tolerance tables for couch shifts. Proposed improvements to the vendor are to facilitate direct communication between the 6D couch and the R&V system to eliminate those override warnings related to lack of communication.

Physical and chemical data collected by bottle and CTD in the Gulf of Mexico from the R/V Gyre and R/V Pelican, April 2004 - July 2009 to help resolve the dominant oceanographic processes that control the timing, duration, and severity of hypoxia of the region (NODC Accession 0088164)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Physical and chemical oceanographic observational data collected by bottle and CTD in the Gulf of Mexico from the R/V Gyre and R/V Pelican, April 2004 - July 2009....

Current meter and other data collected using current meter casts from R/V RESEARCHER and R/V CALANUS in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean as part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean Circulation Study (EPOCS) and Subtropical Atlantic Current Study (STACS), 23 March 1983 - 19 November 1986 (NODC Accession 8700226)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Current meter and other data were collected using current meter casts from R/V RESEARCHER and R/V CALANUS in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean from March 23, 1983 to...

PEMBUATAN PROGRAM INTERFACE UNTUK PENGONTROLAN RV-M1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endra Endra

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Article explores the making of interface of RV-M1 hand robot control that replaced the cosiprog program,a program that is able to help student in Mecatronica-1 Practice, and able to control the hand robot by localnetwork by two user or more. The used methods were literature study, and field study, that is design method. Theresearch result are control of hand robot on X,Y,Z axis and point to point, the use of local network to control thehand robot, save certain position, and use several user to control the robot.Keywords: interface program, robot, local network

Millisele õpetajale kingiksite imerohu? / Karl Martin Sinijärv, Vahur Keller, Kaarel Tarand ... [jt.

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2010-01-01

Küsimusele vastavad: Eesti kirjanike liidu esimees Karl Martin Sinijärv, nuku- ja noorsooteatri lavastaja Vahur Keller, Sirbi peatoimetaja Kaarel Tarand, kirjanik Andrus Kivirähk, ajakirjanik Juhani Püttsepp

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

OpenAIRE

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

2017-01-01

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

Heat Flow Data Cruise MD72 RV Marion Dufresne over the Mascarene Ridge

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Data were gathered by the R/V Marion Dufresne in May and June of 1992 over the Mascarene Ridge in the Indian Ocean on cruise MD72/MASCAFLUX. Heat flow measurements...

Pulmonary Emphysema in Cystic Fibrosis Detected by Densitometry on Chest Multidetector Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Wielpütz, Mark O.; Weinheimer, Oliver; Eichinger, Monika; Wiebel, Matthias; Biederer, Jürgen; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Heußel, Claus P.

2013-01-01

Background Histopathological studies on lung specimens from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and recent results from a mouse model indicate that emphysema may contribute to CF lung disease. However, little is known about the relevance of emphysema in patients with CF. In the present study, we used computationally generated density masks based on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) of the chest for non-invasive characterization and quantification of emphysema in CF. Methods Volumetric MDCT scans were acquired in parallel to pulmonary function testing in 41 patients with CF (median age 20.1 years; range 7-66 years) and 21 non-CF controls (median age 30.4 years; range 4-68 years), and subjected to dedicated software. The lung was segmented, low attenuation volumes below a threshold of -950 Hounsfield units were assigned to emphysema volume (EV), and the emphysema index was computed (EI). Results were correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1 s percent predicted (FEV1%), residual volume (RV), and RV/total lung capacity (RV/TLC). Results We show that EV was increased in CF (457±530 ml) compared to non-CF controls (78±90 ml) (PEmphysema in CF was detected from early adolescence (~13 years) and increased with age (rs=0.67, Pemphysema detected by densitometry on chest MDCT is a characteristic pathology that contributes to airflow limitation and may serve as a novel endpoint for monitoring lung disease in CF. PMID:23991177

The Prognostic Impact of the Evolution of RV Function in Idiopathic DCM.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlo, Marco; Gobbo, Marco; Stolfo, Davide; Losurdo, Pasquale; Ramani, Federica; Barbati, Giulia; Pivetta, Alberto; Di Lenarda, Andrea; Anzini, Marco; Gigli, Marta; Pinamonti, Bruno; Sinagra, Gianfranco

2016-09-01

In this study, the authors analyzed the prognostic role of right ventricular systolic function (RVF) longitudinal trends in a large cohort of patients affected by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). RVF is a known prognostic predictor in DCM; however, whether RVF changes over time to better predict the long-term disease progression has not been investigated. From 1993 to 2008, we analyzed 512 patients with DCM (46 years of age [36 to 55 years of age], left ventricular ejection fraction 32% [25% to 41%]) with a potential follow-up of ≥72 months and available data at baseline and at least 1 pre-specified follow-up evaluation (i.e., 6, 24, 48, or 72 months). RV dysfunction was defined as RV fractional area change model, RVF revaluation over time maintained an independent predictive value (hazard ratio: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.57 to 5.11; p = 0.0006). Patients with DCM frequently present RV dysfunction at first evaluation. However, a complete RVF recovery is largely observed early after optimization of medical therapy and predates subsequent left ventricular reverse remodeling. Systematic revaluation of patients including RVF throughout regular follow-up conferred additive long-term prognostic value to the baseline evaluation. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rv2131c gene product: An unconventional enzyme that is both inositol monophosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Xiaoling; Chen Mao; Shen Hongbo; Jiang Xin; Huang Yishu; Wang Honghai

2006-01-01

Inositol monophosphatase is an enzyme in the biosynthesis of myo-inostiol, a crucial substrate for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol, which has been demonstrated to be an essential component of mycobacteria. In this study, the Rv2131c gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was cloned into the pET28a vector and the recombinant plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain, allowing the expression of the enzyme in fusion with a histidine-rich peptide on the N-terminal. The fusion protein was purified from the soluble fraction of the lysed cells under native conditions by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The purified Rv2131c gene product showed inositol monophosphatase activity but with substrate specificity that was broader than those of several bacterial and eukaryotic inositol monophosphatases, and it also acted as fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. The dimeric enzyme exhibited dual activities of IMPase and FBPase, with K m of 0.22 ± 0.03 mM for inositol-1-phosphate and K m of 0.45 ± 0.05 mM for fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. To better understand the relationship between the function and structure of the Rv2131c enzyme, we constructed D40N, L71A, and D94N mutants and purified these corresponding proteins. Mutations of D40N and D94N caused the proteins to almost completely lose both the inositol monophosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities. However, L71A mutant did not cause loss either of the activities, but the activity toward the inositol was 12-fold more resistant to inhibition by lithium (IC 5 ∼ 60 mM). Based on the substrate specificity and presence of conserved sequence motifs of the M. tuberculosis Rv2131c, we proposed that the enzyme belonged to class IV fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase IV)

Cardiothoracic ratio on chest radiograph in pediatric heart disease: How does it correlate with heart volumes at magnetic resonance imaging?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grotenhuis, Heynric B. [The University of Toronto, Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Labatt Family Heart Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada); Zhou, Cheng; Isaac, Kathryn V. [The University of Toronto, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada); Tomlinson, George [University of Toronto, Department of Medicine, Toronto General Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto (Canada); Seed, Mike; Grosse-Wortmann, Lars; Yoo, Shi-Joon [The University of Toronto, Division of Cardiology, Department of Paediatrics, The Labatt Family Heart Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada); The University of Toronto, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto (Canada)

2015-10-15

The cardiothoracic ratio by chest radiograph is widely used as a marker of cardiac size. The purpose of this study is to correlate cardiothoracic ratio and cardiac volumes as measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) in common structural and myopathic heart disease with increased cardiac size due to volume overload or hypertrophy. A retrospective single center study was performed in all patients between 2007 and 2013 with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), aortic regurgitation, isolated left-to-right shunt and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) who underwent cardiovascular MR and chest radiograph within 6 months of each other. Cardiothoracic ratios by chest radiograph (frontal and lateral) were compared to cardiac volumes (indexed for body surface area) by cardiovascular MR. One hundred twenty-seven patients (mean age: 11.2 ± 5.5 years) were included in this study (76 with TOF, 23 with isolated left-to-right shunt, 16 with aortic regurgitation and 12 with HCM). Frontal cardiothoracic ratio of all groups correlated with indexed right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume (EDVI) (r = 0.40, P < 0.01) and indexed total heart volume (THVI) (r = 0.27, P < 0.01). In TOF patients, frontal cardiothoracic ratio correlated with RVEDVI (r = 0.34, P < 0.01; coefficient of variation = 27.6%), indexed RV end-systolic volume (ESVI) (r = 0.44, P < 0.01; coefficient of variation = 33.3%) and THVI (r = 0.35, P < 0.01; coefficient of variation = 19.6%), although RV volumes and THVI showed widespread variation given the high coefficients of variation. In patients with aortic regurgitation, frontal cardiothoracic ratio correlated with left ventricular (LV) EDVI (r = 0.50, P = 0.047), but not with THVI and aortic regurgitant fraction, and widespread variation for LV EDVI (coefficient of variation = 19.2%), LV ESVI (coefficient of variation = 32.5%) and THVI (coefficient of variation = 13.6%) was also observed. Frontal cardiothoracic ratio was not correlated with cardiac volumes

Inhibition of apoptosis by Rv2456c through nuclear factor-κB extends the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen L. Jurcic Smith

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is an intracellular pathogen with several survival mechanisms aimed at subverting the host immune system. Apoptosis has been shown to be mycobactericidal, to activate CD8+ T cells, and to be modulated by mycobacterial proteins. Since few mycobacterial proteins have so far been directly implicated in the interactions between M. Tuberculosis and host cell apoptosis, we screened M. Tuberculosis H37Rv transposon mutants to identify mutants that fail to inhibit cell death (FID. One of these FID mutants, FID19, had a transposon insertion in Rv2456c and is important for survival in host cells. The lack of the protein resulted in enhanced caspase-3 mediated apoptosis, which is probably due to an inability to activate nuclear factor-κB. Additionally, FID19 infection enhanced polyfunctional CD8+ T cells and induced a higher frequency of interferon-γ secreting immune cells in a murine model. Taken together, our data suggest that Rv2456c is important for the survival of H37Rv by subduing the innate and ultimately adaptive immune responses of its host by preventing apoptosis of the infected cell. Better understanding of the host-mycobacterial interactions may be beneficial to develop novel drug targets and engineer more efficacious vaccine strains against tuberculosis.

Evaluation of right ventricular volume and function by 2D and 3D echocardiography compared to MRI

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjaergaard, Jesper; Petersen, Claus Leth; Kjaer, Andreas

2005-01-01

: Thirty-four subjects with (a) prior inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (n=17), (b) a history of pulmonary embolism and persistent dyspnea (n=7) or (c) normal subjects (n=10) had 2D and 3D echocardiography, SPECT and MRI within 24h. End-diastolic volume and peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity...... were increased in patients with a history of pulmonary embolism compared to healthy subjects, 130+/-26 ml vs. 94+/-26 ml, P... volume showed significant correlation to RV volumes by MRI. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) had the better correlation to RVEF by MRI, r=0.48, P

Der Peipussee/Peipsi järv Fischereiche Ostgrenze der EU / Arne von Maydell

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Maydell, Arne von

2012-01-01

Mööda Peipsi järve kulgeb alates 1. maist 2004 Euroopa Liidu ja Venemaa vaheline piir. Suur siseeveekogu on üks suuremaid järvi Euroopas. Järv on väga kalarikas. Nii vene kui eesti kultuuris on Peipsi järvel oma koht

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3402c enhances mycobacterial survival within macrophages and modulates the host pro-inflammatory cytokines production via NF-kappa B/ERK/p38 signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu Li

Full Text Available Intracellular survival plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a process which depends on an array of virulence factors to colonize and replicate within the host. The M. tuberculosis iron regulated open reading frame (ORF rv3402c, encoding a conserved hypothetical protein, was shown to be up-regulated upon infection in both human and mice macrophages. To explore the function of this ORF, we heterologously expressed the rv3402c gene in the non-pathogenic fast-growing Mycobacterium smegmatis strain, and demonstrated that Rv3402c, a cell envelope-associated protein, was able to enhance the intracellular survival of recombinant M. smegmatis. Enhanced growth was not found to be the result of an increased resistance to intracellular stresses, as growth of the Rv3402c expressing strain was unaffected by iron depletion, H2O2 exposure, or acidic conditions. Colonization of macrophages by M. smegmatis expressing Rv3402c was associated with substantial cell death and significantly greater amount of TNF-α and IL-1β compared with controls. Rv3402c-induced TNF-α and IL-1β production was found to be mediated by NF-κB, ERK and p38 pathway in macrophages. In summary, our study suggests that Rv3402c delivered in a live M. smegmatis vehicle can modify the cytokines profile of macrophage, promote host cell death and enhance the persistence of mycobacterium within host cells.

Minimization of zirconium chlorinator residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, G.K.; Harbuck, D.D.

1995-01-01

Zirconium chlorinator residues contain an array of rare earths, scandium, unreacted coke, and radioactive thorium and radium. Because of the radioactivity, the residues must be disposed in special waste containment facilities. As these sites become more congested, and with stricter environmental regulations, disposal of large volumes of wastes may become more difficult. To reduce the mass of disposed material, the US Bureau of Mines (USBM) developed technology to recover rare earths, thorium and radium, and unreacted coke from these residues. This technology employs an HCl leach to solubilize over 99% of the scandium and thorium, and over 90% of the rare earths. The leach liquor is processed through several solvent extraction stages to selectively recover scandium, thorium, and rare earths. The leach residue is further leached with an organic acid to solubilize radium, thus allowing unreacted coke to be recycled to the chlorinator. The thorium and radium waste products, which comprise only 2.1% of the original residue mass, can then be sent to the radioactive waste facility

Sedimentary record of heavy metals in Lake Rõuge Liinjärv, southern Estonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lepane, Viia

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Anthropogenic impact on Lake Liinjärv (Rõuge, southern Estonia was studied back to the mid-19th century on the basis of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Hg and geochemical parameters of a short sediment core dated by 210Pb isotopes. The development of the lake and its sediment composition are heavily influenced by the inflow of saturated calcareous waters that cause precipitation of calcium carbonates. The concentrations of most of the metals started to increase at the end of the 1970s. This is most clearly observable for Zn, Cu, and Pb. At the same time the distribution pattern of Mn seems to be controlled mainly by the redox conditions in the hypolimneon. The main sources of pollutants in Lake Liinjärv, due to its large catchment area, are the influence of agricultural activity and atmospheric input. Organic matter is the main factor affecting heavy metal (Pb, Hg, Cu, and Zn distribution in lake sediments.

Assessment of right ventricular longitudinal strain by 2D speckle tracking imaging compared with RV function and hemodynamics in pulmonary hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yidan; Wang, Yidan; Meng, Xiangli; Zhu, Weiwei; Lu, Xiuzhang

2017-11-01

The right ventricular longitudinal strain (RVLS) of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and its relationship with RV function parameters measured by echocardiography and hemodynamic parameters measured by right heart catheterization was investigated. According to the WHO functional class (FC), 66 PH patients were divided into FC I/II (group 1) and III/IV (group 2). RV function parameters were measured by echocardiographic examinations. Hemodynamic parameters were obtained by right heart catheterization. Patients in group 2 had higher systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP; P good sensitivity and specificity. Evidence has shown that RVLS measurement can provide the much-needed and reliable information on RV function and hemodynamics. Therefore, this qualifies as a patient-friendly approach for the clinical management of PH patients.

Cardiac MRI assessment of right ventricular function: impact of right bundle branch block on the evaluation of cardiac performance parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marterer, Robert; Tschauner, Sebastian; Sorantin, Erich [Medical University of Graz, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, Graz (Austria); Zeng, Hongchun [First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Department of Ultrasonography, Urumqi (China); Koestenberger, Martin [Medical University of Graz, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Graz (Austria)

2015-12-15

Right ventricular (RV) function represents a prognostic marker in patients with corrected congenital heart disease. In up to 80 % of these patients, right branch bundle block (RBBB) exists and leads to asynchronous ventricular contraction. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the change of RV performance parameters considering delayed RV end-systolic contraction. RV volumes of 33 patients were assessed twice: 1) not taking account of RBBB (group I), and 2) considering RBBB (group II). According to the RV ejection fraction (EF) for both groups, RV function was classified in different categories (>50 % = normal, 40-50 % = mildly-, 30-40 % = moderately-, <30 % = severely-reduced). The mean time difference between maximal systolic contraction of the septum and RV free wall was 90.7 ms ± 42.6. Consequently, RV end-systolic volume was significantly decreased in group II (p < 0.001). Accordingly, RV stroke volume and RV EF were significantly higher in group II (p < 0.001). There was also a significant change in the assessment of RV function (p < 0.02). RBBB induced delayed RV contraction can be detected at CMR. Ignoring the RV physiology in RBBB patients leads to a statistically significant underscoring of RV performance parameters. (orig.)

Renal volume assessed by magnetic resonance imaging volumetry correlates with renal function in living kidney donors pre- and postdonation: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Daniel; Helck, Andreas; Rominger, Axel; Crispin, Alexander; Meiser, Bruno; Werner, Jens; Fischereder, Michael; Stangl, Manfred; Habicht, Antje

2018-07-01

Renal function of potential living kidney donors is routinely assessed with scintigraphy. Kidney anatomy is evaluated by imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated if a MRI-based renal volumetry is a good predictor of kidney function pre- and postdonation. We retrospectively analyzed the renal volume (RV) in a MRI of 100 living kidney donors. RV was correlated with the tubular excretion rate (TER) of MAG3-scintigraphy, a measured creatinine clearance (CrCl), and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by Cockcroft-Gault (CG), CKD-EPI, and modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) formula pre- and postdonation during a follow-up of 3 years. RV correlated significantly with the TER (total: r = 0.6735, P volumetry might be an alternative technique for the evaluation of split renal function and prediction of renal function postdonation in living kidney donors. © 2018 Steunstichting ESOT.

Evaluating the systemic right ventricle by CMR: the importance of consistent and reproducible delineation of the cavity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van Dijk Arie PJ

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The method used to delineate the boundary of the right ventricle (RV, relative to the trabeculations and papillary muscles in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR ventricular volume analysis, may matter more when these structures are hypertrophied than in individuals with normal cardiovascular anatomy. This study aimed to compare two methods of cavity delineation in patients with systemic RV. Methods Twenty-nine patients (mean age 34.7 ± 12.4 years with a systemic RV (12 with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA and 17 with atrially switched (TGA underwent CMR. We compared measurements of systemic RV volumes and function using two analysis protocols. The RV trabeculations and papillary muscles were either included in the calculated blood volume, the boundary drawn immediately within the apparently compacted myocardial layer, or they were manually outlined and excluded. RV stroke volume (SV calculated using each method was compared with corresponding left ventricular (LV SV. Additionally, we compared the differences in analysis time, and in intra- and inter-observer variability between the two methods. Paired samples t-test was used to test for differences in volumes, function and analysis time between the two methods. Differences in intra- and inter-observer reproducibility were tested using an extension of the Bland-Altman method. Results The inclusion of trabeculations and papillary muscles in the ventricular volume resulted in higher values for systemic RV end diastolic volume (mean difference 28.7 ± 10.6 ml, p Conclusion The choice of method for systemic RV cavity delineation significantly affected volume measurements, given the CMR acquisition and analysis systems used. We recommend delineation outside the trabeculations for routine clinical measurements of systemic RV volumes as this approach took less time and gave more reproducible measurements.

The ABC transporter Rv1272c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis enhances the import of long-chain fatty acids in Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Audrey; Daniel, Jaiyanth

2018-02-05

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which causes tuberculosis, is capable of accumulating triacylglycerol (TAG) by utilizing fatty acids from host cells. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in transport processes in all organisms. Among the classical ABC transporters in Mtb none have been implicated in fatty acid import. Since the transport of fatty acids from the host cell is important for dormancy-associated TAG synthesis in the pathogen, mycobacterial ABC transporter(s) could potentially be involved in this process. Based on sequence identities with a bacterial ABC transporter that mediates fatty acid import for TAG synthesis, we identified Rv1272c, a hitherto uncharacterized ABC-transporter in Mtb that also shows sequence identities with a plant ABC transporter involved in fatty acid transport. We expressed Rv1272c in E. coli and show that it enhances the import of radiolabeled fatty acids. We also show that Rv1272c causes a significant increase in the metabolic incorporation of radiolabeled long-chain fatty acids into cardiolipin, a tetra-acylated phospholipid, and phosphatidylglycerol in E. coli. This is the first report on the function of Rv1272c showing that it displays a long-chain fatty acid transport function. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comprehensive sieve analysis of breakthrough HIV-1 sequences in the RV144 vaccine efficacy trial.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul T Edlefsen

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The RV144 clinical trial showed the partial efficacy of a vaccine regimen with an estimated vaccine efficacy (VE of 31% for protecting low-risk Thai volunteers against acquisition of HIV-1. The impact of vaccine-induced immune responses can be investigated through sieve analysis of HIV-1 breakthrough infections (infected vaccine and placebo recipients. A V1/V2-targeted comparison of the genomes of HIV-1 breakthrough viruses identified two V2 amino acid sites that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Here we extended the V1/V2 analysis to the entire HIV-1 genome using an array of methods based on individual sites, k-mers and genes/proteins. We identified 56 amino acid sites or "signatures" and 119 k-mers that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Of those, 19 sites and 38 k-mers were located in the regions comprising the RV144 vaccine (Env-gp120, Gag, and Pro. The nine signature sites in Env-gp120 were significantly enriched for known antibody-associated sites (p = 0.0021. In particular, site 317 in the third variable loop (V3 overlapped with a hotspot of antibody recognition, and sites 369 and 424 were linked to CD4 binding site neutralization. The identified signature sites significantly covaried with other sites across the genome (mean = 32.1 more than did non-signature sites (mean = 0.9 (p < 0.0001, suggesting functional and/or structural relevance of the signature sites. Since signature sites were not preferentially restricted to the vaccine immunogens and because most of the associations were insignificant following correction for multiple testing, we predict that few of the genetic differences are strongly linked to the RV144 vaccine-induced immune pressure. In addition to presenting results of the first complete-genome analysis of the breakthrough infections in the RV144 trial, this work describes a set of statistical methods and tools applicable to analysis of breakthrough infection genomes in general vaccine

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of phosphoglucose isomerase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathur, Divya; Anand, Kanchan; Mathur, Deepika; Jagadish, Nirmala; Suri, Anil; Garg, Lalit C.

2007-01-01

The phosphoglucose isomerase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was crystallized and diffraction data were collected to 2.8 Å resolution. Phosphoglucose isomerase is a ubiquitous enzyme that catalyzes the isomerization of d-glucopyranose-6-phosphate to d-fructofuranose-6-phosphate. The present investigation reports the expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic studies of the phosphoglucose isomerase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, which shares 46% sequence identity with that of its human host. The recombinant protein, which was prepared using an Escherichia coli expression system, was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to a resolution of 2.8 Å and belonged to the orthorhombic space group I2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 109.0, b = 119.8, c = 138.9 Å

Optimized waste management: Less volume and less radiotoxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fournier, Ph.; Nigon, J.L.

2001-01-01

This paper describes efforts to optimize fuel cycle back end solid wastes, in order to reduce both volume and radioactivity of final residues. An integrated strategy of standardized conditioning of all residues from reprocessing, called the Universal Canister Strategy, has been adopted. The application of feedback from over 30 years of operating experience and research and development to minimization of waste volume and radioactivity is presented. (author)

ORF73 LANA homologs of RRV and MneRV2 contain an extended RGG/RG-rich nuclear and nucleolar localization signal that interacts directly with importin β1 for non-classical nuclear import.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Kellie; Cherezova, Lidia; DeMaster, Laura K; Rose, Timothy M

2017-11-01

The latency-associated nuclear antigens (LANA) of KSHV and macaque RFHVMn, members of the RV1 rhadinovirus lineage, are closely related with conservation of complex nuclear localization signals (NLS) containing bipartite KR-rich motifs and RG-rich domains, which interact distinctly with importins α and ß1 for nuclear import via classical and non-classical pathways, respectively. RV1 LANAs are expressed in the nucleus of latently-infected cells where they inhibit replication and establish a dominant RV1 latency. Here we show that LANA homologs of macaque RRV and MneRV2 from the more distantly-related RV2 lineage, lack the KR-rich NLS, and instead have a large RG-rich NLS with multiple RG dipeptides and a conserved RGG motif. The RG-NLS interacts uniquely with importin β1, which mediates nuclear import and accumulation of RV2 LANA in the nucleolus. The alternative nuclear import and localization of RV2 LANA homologs may contribute to the dominant RV2 lytic replication phenotype. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Comparison between biventricular cine MRI and MR flow quantification in ascending aorta and pulmonary outflow tract for the assessment of intracardial shunt volumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rominger, M.B.; Kluge, A.; Bachmann, G.F.; Dinkel, H.P.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Comparison between biventricular volumetric measurements and flow measurements in ascending aorta (Ao) and pulmonary outflow tract (Pu) for quantification of intracardial shunts, and evaluation of the combination of biventricular cine MRI with flow measurements for the assessment of RV and LV heart failure and valvular regurgitation (VR). Material and Methods: In 24 patients, right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular volumetric and flow measurements were performed in the Ao and Pu to assess the ratio of RV stroke volume (SV) or, respectively, pulmonary SV to LV SV or, respectively, systemic aortic SV (Qp/Qs). 34 patients without echocardiographically proven shunt or VR served as control group for measurement accuracy. Left-to-right shunt ratios were calculated from RV and LV SV, Pu and Ao SV, Pu and LV SV, and RV and Ao SV. Left ventricular VR was calculated by the difference of LV SV and Ao SV, and right ventricular VR by the difference of RV SV and Pu SV. Global systolic function was evaluated by biventricular cine MRI. Results: Intracardial shunts with Qp/Qs>1,16 can be quantified by flow measurements in Ao and Pu. Using biventricular volumetric measurements in cases without VR, requires a Qp/Qs>1.21. 17 of 18 intracardiac shunts were identified on MRI, and all 8 hemodynamically significant shunts were quantitatively confirmed. The diagnosis of complete shunt closure or absent shunt was correctly made in all 6 cases RV EF reduction was found in 6 of 24 patients. LV EF reduction was also found in 6 of 24 patients. Conclusion: Flow measurements in Ao and Pu are more accurate than biventricular cine MRI for the assessment of Qp/Qs ratios. Flow measurements in Ao and Pu combined with biventricular cine MRI enables the quantification of hemodynamic significant shunts, higher grade VR and biventricular global systolic function with a single examination. (orig.) [de

Bactericidal impact of Ag, ZnO and mixed AgZnO colloidal nanoparticles on H37Rv Mycobacterium tuberculosis phagocytized by THP-1 cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Jafari, Alireza; Mosavari, Nader; Movahedzadeh, Farahnaz; Nodooshan, Saeedeh Jafari; Safarkar, Roya; Moro, Rossella; Kamalzadeh, Morteza; Majidpour, Ali; Boustanshenas, Mina; Mosavi, Tahereh

2017-09-01

The purpose of this research project was to infection of human macrophages (THP-1) cell lines by H 37 Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H 37 RvMTB) and find out the ratio/dilution of mixture silver (Ag NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) whose ability to eliminate phagocytized bacteria compared to rifampicin. The colloidal Ag NPs and ZnO NPs were synthesized and their characteristics were evaluated. The THP-1 cell lines were infected with different concentration of H 37 RvMTB. Next, the infected cells were treated with different ratios/dilutions of Ag NPs, ZnO NPs and rifampicin. The THP-1 were lysed and were cultured in Lowenstein-Jensen agar medium, for eight weeks. The TEM and AFM images of NPs and H 37 RvMTB were supplied. It is observed that Ag NPs, 2 Ag :8 ZnO and 8 Ag :2 ZnO did not have any anti-tubercular effects on phagocytized H 37 RvMTB. Conversely, ZnO NPs somehow eliminated 18.7 × 10 4  CFU ml -1 of H 37 RvMTB in concentration of ∼ 0.468 ppm. To compare with 40 ppm of rifampicin, ∼ 0.663 ppm of 5 Ag :5 ZnO had the ability to kill of H 37 RvMTB, too. Based on previous research, ZnO NPs had strong anti-tubercular impact against H 37 RvMTB to in-vitro condition, but it was toxic in concentration of ∼ 0.468 ppm to both of THP-1 and normal lung (MRC-5) cell lines. It also seems that 5 Ag :5 ZnO is justified because in concentration of ∼ 0.663 ppm of 5 Ag :5 ZnO , phagocytized H 37 RvMTB into the THP-1 had died without any toxicity effects against THP-1 and also MRC-5 cell lines. It is obvious that the mixture of colloidal silver and zinc oxide NPs with ratio of 5 Ag :5 ZnO would be trustworthy options as anti-tubercular nano-drugs in future researches. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Impact of a Geometric Correction for Proximal Flow Constraint on the Assessment of Mitral Regurgitation Severity Using the Proximal Flow Convergence Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Jeong Yoon; Kang, Joon-Won; Yang, Dong Hyun; Lee, Sahmin; Sun, Byung Joo; Kim, Dae-Hee; Song, Jong-Min; Kang, Duk-Hyun; Song, Jae-Kwan

2018-03-01

Overestimation of the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) by the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method has been reported. We sought to test whether angle correction (AC) of the constrained flow field is helpful to eliminate overestimation in patients with eccentric MR. In a total of 33 patients with MR due to prolapse or flail mitral valve, both echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance image (CMR) were performed to calculate regurgitant volume (RV). In addition to RV by conventional PISA (RV PISA ), convergence angle (α) was measured from 2-dimensional Doppler color flow maps and RV was corrected by multiplying by α/180 (RV AC ). RV measured by CMR (RV CMR ) was used as a gold standard, which was calculated by the difference between total stroke volume measured by planimetry of the short axis slices and aortic stroke volume by phase-contrast image. The correlation between RV CMR and RV by echocardiography was modest [RV CMR vs. RV PISA (r = 0.712, p < 0.001) and RV CMR vs. RV AC (r = 0.766, p < 0.001)]. However, RV PISA showed significant overestimation (RV PISA - RV CMR = 50.6 ± 40.6 mL vs. RV AC - RV CMR = 7.7 ± 23.4 mL, p < 0.001). The overall accuracy of RV PISA for diagnosis of severe MR, defined as RV ≥ 60 mL, was 57.6% (19/33), whereas it increased to 84.8% (28/33) by using RV AC ( p = 0.028). Conventional PISA method tends to provide falsely large RV in patients with eccentric MR and a simple geometric AC of the proximal constraint flow largely eliminates overestimation.

Validity of the accuracy of right ventricular volume measurement with single plane Simpson's rule based on a new half-circle model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Wei

2003-01-01

Objective: Right ventricular volume calculation is the basis of right ventricular function evaluation. The complexity of right ventricular shape makes it more difficult for measuring right ventricular volume, and therefore limits the widespread use of right ventricular function assessment. However, the short-axis view of the right ventricle is usually crescent, and might be assumed as half of a circle. This hypothesis can be applied to calculate right ventricular volume by using the plane Simpson's rule, but the final right ventricular volume should be about half of the original calculated value. The aim of this study was to test the accuracy of right ventricular volume measurement based on this new assumption in human right ventricular casts. Methods: Fifteen human right ventricular casts were obtained within 24 hours after death from 15 subjects who did not have overt cardiac disease. These casts were scanned with Toshiba multislice helical CT (Aquilion) using a scanning protocol similar to clinical practice. Right ventricular sagittal MPR images that correspond to right anterior oblique view were reconstructed later and single-plane Simpson's method was used to calculate right ventricular volumes. The calculated right ventricular volume was defined as the original calculated value divided by 2. The actual right ventricular casts volumes were determined by water displacement method. Results: The actual right ventricular volume was (64.23±24.51) ml, while the calculated volume was (53.18±26.22) ml. The calculated right ventricular volume significantly underestimated the actual volume by (11.05±13.09) ml (t=3.27, P=0.006). However, there was a close correlation between the actual cast volume and the calculated volume (r=0.869, P<0.001), with a regression equation of RV actual volume=21.04+0.812 x RV calculated volume. Conclusion: Right ventricular volume could be calculated accurately with single-plane Simpson's rule based on our new proposed half

Benefits of a 7-week outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program in COPD patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Croitoru, Alina; Ioniţă, Diana; Stroescu, Carmen; Pele, Irina; Gologanu, Daniela; Dumitrescu, Andreea; Marinescu, Lucia; Anghelescu, Dana; Alexandru, Miron; Bogdan

2013-01-01

Respiratory rehabilitation programs (RR) are essential tools in the management of COPD. We present the results of a 7-week outpatient rehabilitation program in terms of dyspnea, exercise tolerance and quality of life. The following parameters were evaluated before and after RR: dyspnea (mMRC scale), pulmonary function (FEVI, RV- residual volume), exercise tolerance (6MWT- 6 minutes walk test, CPET - cardiopulmonary exercise test), quality of life (SGROQ questionnaire). The RR program was outpatient, hospital based (7 weeks, 3 sessions/ week) and included: exercise training, therapeutic education, and psychological support. 25 patients, COPD stage II-IV GOLD (mean FEVI 44.5 +/-13% predicted), mean age 60.4 +/-12 years, 7 females, average BMI 27.14+/-4 kg/m2, average RV residual volume 221.55+/-86% predicted. Mean 6MWTdistance: 407.48 +/- 84 m and mean maximum power (Pmax) obtained on CPET: 75.67+/-30 Watts. All patients were symptomatic with significant dyspnea (3.06+/-0.7 on mMRC scale) and showed a significant impairment of quality of life: SGRO score 46.23+/- 14. At the end of RR program: dyspnea decreased with 0.67points on mMRC scale (p = 0.000), 6MWT distance increased with 58.5 m (p = 0.0071), Pmax obtained during CPET increased with 11.2 W, without reaching statistical significance (p> 0.05). SGRO score decreased by 5.59 points (p = 0.02). There were no significant improvements in FEV1 and RV values (p> 0.05). In our COPD patients, the 7 week outpatient rehabilitation program was effective, leading to improvement ofsymptoms, exercise tolerance and quality of life.

Conserved hypothetical protein Rv1977 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains contains sequence polymorphisms and might be involved in ongoing immune evasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yi; Liu, Haican; Wang, Xuezhi; Li, Guilian; Qiu, Yan; Dou, Xiangfeng; Wan, Kanglin

2015-01-01

Host immune pressure and associated parasite immune evasion are key features of host-pathogen co-evolution. A previous study showed that human T cell epitopes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are evolutionarily hyperconserved and thus it was deduced that M. tuberculosis lacks antigenic variation and immune evasion. Here, we selected 151 clinical Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from China, amplified gene encoding Rv1977 and compared the sequences. The results showed that Rv1977, a conserved hypothetical protein, is not conserved in M. tuberculosis strains and there are polymorphisms existed in the protein. Some mutations, especially one frameshift mutation, occurred in the antigen Rv1977, which is uncommon in M.tb strains and may lead to the protein function altering. Mutations and deletion in the gene all affect one of three T cell epitopes and the changed T cell epitope contained more than one variable position, which may suggest ongoing immune evasion.

A Study on the Marketing Strategy of RV Travel in China%国内房车旅游营销策略研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

梁磊

2011-01-01

With the advent of experience economy, RV travel is increasingly welcomed as a fashionable way to travel. At present, the domestic RV tourism development is far behind the developed countries, and there exist such problems as delayed construction of camping and related facilities, the inadequate consumption capacity, the inadequate RV tourism marketing and delayed tourism facilities and services. To solve these problems, this paper puts forward some marketing strategies, including carrying out camp marketing, subdividing RV tourism market, strengthening cooperation among related industries and enterprises, improving ways and means of RV tourism information dissemination, and promoting the construction of RV rental network.%随着体验经济时代的到来，房车旅游作为一种时尚的旅游方式日益受到人们的青睐。当前，国内房车旅游发展远远落后于发达国家，并存在露营地及相关设施建设滞后、居民消费能力不足、房车旅游营销力度不够和房车旅游设施及服务滞后的问题，针对这些问题，提出开展营地营销、细分房车旅游市场、加强房车旅游相关行业企业之间的合作、优化房车旅游信息传播方式和手段、加强房车租赁网络建设的房车旅游具体营销策略。

Study of mortars with industrial residual plastic scales

OpenAIRE

Magariños, O. E.; Alderete, C. E.; Arias, L. E.; Lucca, M. E.

1998-01-01

This work proposes the utilization of industrial residues of PET (Polyethylene Terephtalate) as a partial substitute of arids (sand) in mortar making for construction components. Therefore, the environmental impact of large volumes of plastic of urban residues could be decreased. When PET scales were added to mortars in partial replacement of sand, lower unitary weight, acceptable absorption and resistances according to international specifications were achieved. Mortars with 66% of sand...

Grain size influence on residual stresses in alumina/zirconia composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergo, V.; Sbaizero, O.; Pezzotti, G.; Nishida, T.

1998-01-01

The grain size (GS) and volume fraction of alumina have been systematically varied in composites with a zirconia matrix and the corresponding residual stresses have been assessed by means of piezospectroscopy. The compressive stress in alumina depends on the volume fraction and it is well predicted by a stochastic model based on information theory. No dependence with GS has been detected, except at the highest volume content (20% vol. alumina). Conversely the stress distribution is independent from the volume fraction and depends on GS: intermediate values of GS exhibit the wider stress distribution. The tensile stress in zirconia shows no clear correlation with the volume fraction and increases with increasing zirconia GS. This latter behavior has been compared with a model based on diffusion relaxation of stresses. The model reproduces correctly the stress change due to different alumina contents, but it diverges from the experimental data at smaller GSs, overestimating the residual stress. It is suggested that grain boundary sliding may also contribute to the relaxation of stresses

The effect of motorcycle helmet fit on estimating head impact kinematics from residual liner crush.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, Stephanie J; Gardiner, John C; Onar-Thomas, Arzu; Asfour, Shihab S; Siegmund, Gunter P

2017-09-01

Proper helmet fit is important for optimizing head protection during an impact, yet many motorcyclists wear helmets that do not properly fit their heads. The goals of this study are i) to quantify how a mismatch in headform size and motorcycle helmet size affects headform peak acceleration and head injury criteria (HIC), and ii) to determine if peak acceleration, HIC, and impact speed can be estimated from the foam liner's maximum residual crush depth or residual crush volume. Shorty-style helmets (4 sizes of a single model) were tested on instrumented headforms (4 sizes) during linear impacts between 2.0 and 10.5m/s to the forehead region. Helmets were CT scanned to quantify residual crush depth and volume. Separate linear regression models were used to quantify how the response variables (peak acceleration (g), HIC, and impact speed (m/s)) were related to the predictor variables (maximum crush depth (mm), crush volume (cm 3 ), and the difference in circumference between the helmet and headform (cm)). Overall, we found that increasingly oversized helmets reduced peak headform acceleration and HIC for a given impact speed for maximum residual crush depths less than 7.9mm and residual crush volume less than 40cm 3 . Below these levels of residual crush, we found that peak headform acceleration, HIC, and impact speed can be estimated from a helmet's residual crush. Above these crush thresholds, large variations in headform kinematics are present, possibly related to densification of the foam liner during the impact. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Power loss and right ventricular efficiency in patients after tetralogy of Fallot repair with pulmonary insufficiency: clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Mark A; Sundareswaran, Kartik S; de Zelicourt, Diane; Dasi, Lakshmi P; Pawlowski, Tom; Rome, Jack; Yoganathan, Ajit P

2012-06-01

To quantify right ventricular output power and efficiency and correlate these to ventricular function in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. This might aid in determining the optimal timing for pulmonary valve replacement. We reviewed the cardiac catheterization and magnetic resonance imaging data of 13 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (age, 22 ± 17 years). Using pressure and flow measurements in the main pulmonary artery, cardiac output and regurgitation fraction, right ventricular (RV) power output, loss, and efficiency were calculated. The RV function was evaluated using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The RV systolic power was 1.08 ± 0.62 W, with 20.3% ± 8.6% power loss owing to 41% ± 14% pulmonary regurgitation (efficiency, 79.7% ± 8.6%; 0.84 ± 0.73 W), resulting in a net cardiac output of 4.24 ± 1.82 L/min. Power loss correlated significantly with the indexed RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (R = 0.78, P = .002 and R = 0.69, P = .009, respectively). The normalized RV power output had a significant negative correlation with RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes (both R = -0.87, P = .002 and R = -0.68, P = .023, respectively). A rapid decrease occurred in the RV power capacity with an increasing RV volume, with the curve flattening out at an indexed RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume threshold of 139 mL/m(2) and 75 mL/m(2), respectively. Significant power loss is present in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary regurgitation. A rapid decrease in efficiency occurs with increasing RV volume, suggesting that pulmonary valve replacement should be done before the critical value of 139 mL/m(2) and 75 mL/m(2) for the RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, respectively, to preserve RV function. Copyright © 2012 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein Thermostability Is Owing to Their Preferences to Non-Polar Smaller Volume Amino Acids, Variations in Residual Physico-Chemical Properties and More Salt-Bridges.

Science.gov (United States)

Panja, Anindya Sundar; Bandopadhyay, Bidyut; Maiti, Smarajit

2015-01-01

Protein thermostability is an important field for its evolutionary perspective of mesophilic versus thermophilic relationship and for its industrial/ therapeutic applications. Presently, a total 400 (200 thermophilic and 200 mesophilic homologue) proteins were studied utilizing several software/databases to evaluate their amino acid preferences. Randomly selected 50 homologous proteins with available PDB-structure of each group were explored for the understanding of the protein charges, isoelectric-points, hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, tyrosine phosphorylation and salt-bridge occurrences. These 100 proteins were further probed to generate Ramachandran plot/data for the gross secondary structure prediction in and comparison between the thermophilic and mesophilic proteins. Present results strongly suggest that nonpolar smaller volume amino acids Ala (χ2 = 238.54, psalt bridges in this study. The average percentage of salt-bridge of thermophiles is found to be higher by 20% than their mesophilic homologue. The GLU-HIS and GLU-LYS salt-bridge dyads are calculated to be significantly higher (psalt-bridges and smaller volume nonpolar residues (Gly, Ala and Val) and lesser occurrence of bulky polar residues in the thermophilic proteins. A more stoichiometric relationship amongst these factors minimized the hindrance due to side chain burial and increased compactness and secondary structural stability in thermophilic proteins.

Peculiarities of component interaction in {Gd, Er}-V-Sn Ternary systems at 870 K and crystal structure of RV6Sn6 stannides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romaka, L.; Stadnyk, Yu.; Romaka, V.V.; Demchenko, P.; Stadnyshyn, M.; Konyk, M.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → {Gd, Er}-V-Sn ternary systems at 870 K are characterized by formation of stannides with general compositions RV 6 Sn 6 . → Isostructural RV 6 Sn 6 compounds were also found with Y, Dy, Ho, Tm, and Lu. → The crystal structure of RV 6 Sn 6 compounds was determined by powder diffraction method. → Structural analysis showed that RV 6 Sn 6 compounds (R = Gd, Dy-Tm, Lu) are disordered; YV 6 Sn 6 is characterized by structure ordering. - Abstract: The phase equilibria in the Gd-V-Sn and Er-V-Sn ternary systems were studied at 870 K by means of X-ray and metallographic analyses in the whole concentration range. Both Gd-V-Sn and Er-V-Sn systems are characterized by formation of one ternary compound at investigated temperature, with stoichiometry RV 6 Sn 6 (SmMn 6 Sn 6 -type, space group P6/mmm, a = 0.55322(3) nm, c = 0.91949(7) nm for Gd, a = 0.55191(2) nm, c = 0.91869(8) nm for Er). Solubility of the third component in the binary compounds was not observed. Compounds with the SmMn 6 Sn 6 -type were also found with Dy, Ho, Tm, and Lu, while YV 6 Sn 6 compound crystallizes in HfFe 6 Ge 6 structure type. All investigated compounds are the first ternary stannides with rare earth elements and vanadium.

Development of Deterministic and Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Analysis Code PROFAS-RV for Reactor Pressure Vessel - Progress of the Work

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jong Min; Lee, Bong Sang [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In this study, a deterministic/probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis program for reactor pressure vessel, PROFAS-RV, is developed. This program can evaluate failure probability of RPV using recent radiation embrittlement model of 10CFR50.61a and stress intensity factor calculation method of RCC-MRx code as well as the required basic functions of PFM program. Applications of some new radiation embrittlement model, material database, calculation method of stress intensity factors, and others which can improve fracture mechanics assessment of RPV are introduced. The purpose of this study is to develop a probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analysis program for RPV considering above modification and application of newly developed models and calculation methods. In this paper, it deals with the development progress of the PFM analysis program for RPV, PROFAS-RV. The PROFAS-RV is being tested with other codes, and it is expected to revise and upgrade by reflecting the latest model and calculation method continuously. These efforts can minimize the uncertainty of the integrity evaluation for the reactor pressure vessel.

Rotavirus specific maternal antibodies and immune response to RV3-BB neonatal rotavirus vaccine in New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mee-Yew; Kirkwood, Carl D.; Bines, Julie; Cowley, Daniel; Pavlic, Daniel; Lee, Katherine J.; Orsini, Francesca; Watts, Emma; Barnes, Graeme; Danchin, Margaret

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Maternal antibodies, acquired passively via placenta and/or breast milk, may contribute to the reduced efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines observed in children in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of rotavirus specific maternal antibodies on the serum IgA response or stool excretion of vaccine virus after any dose of an oral rotavirus vaccine, RV3-BB, in parallel to a Phase IIa clinical trial conducted at Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand. At the time of the study rotavirus vaccines had not been introduced in New Zealand and the burden of rotavirus disease was evident. Methods: Rotavirus specific IgG and serum neutralizing antibody (SNA) levels in cord blood and IgA levels in colostrum and breast milk samples collected ∼4 weeks, ∼20 weeks and ∼28 weeks after birth were measured. Infants were randomized to receive the first dose of vaccine at 0–5 d (neonatal schedule) or 8 weeks (infant schedule). Breast feeding was with-held for 30 minutes before and after vaccine administration. The relationship between rotavirus specific IgG and SNA levels in cord blood and IgA in colostrum and breast milk at the time of first active dose of RV3-BB vaccine and level of IgA response and stool excretion after 3 doses of vaccine was assessed using linear and logistic regression. Results: Forty infants received 3 doses of RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine and were included in the analysis of the neonatal and infant groups. Rotavirus specific IgA in colostrum (neonatal schedule group) and breast milk at 4 weeks (infant schedule group) was identified in 14/21 (67%) and 14/17 (82%) of infants respectively. There was little evidence of an association between IgA in colostrum or breast milk IgA at 4 weeks, or between cord IgG or SNA level, and IgA response or stool excretion after 3 doses of RV3-BB, or after one dose (neonatal schedule) (all p>0.05). Conclusions: The level of IgA in colostrum or breast milk and level of placental Ig

Rotavirus specific maternal antibodies and immune response to RV3-BB neonatal rotavirus vaccine in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mee-Yew; Kirkwood, Carl D; Bines, Julie; Cowley, Daniel; Pavlic, Daniel; Lee, Katherine J; Orsini, Francesca; Watts, Emma; Barnes, Graeme; Danchin, Margaret

2017-05-04

Maternal antibodies, acquired passively via placenta and/or breast milk, may contribute to the reduced efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines observed in children in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of rotavirus specific maternal antibodies on the serum IgA response or stool excretion of vaccine virus after any dose of an oral rotavirus vaccine, RV3-BB, in parallel to a Phase IIa clinical trial conducted at Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand. At the time of the study rotavirus vaccines had not been introduced in New Zealand and the burden of rotavirus disease was evident. Rotavirus specific IgG and serum neutralizing antibody (SNA) levels in cord blood and IgA levels in colostrum and breast milk samples collected ∼4 weeks, ∼20 weeks and ∼28 weeks after birth were measured. Infants were randomized to receive the first dose of vaccine at 0-5 d (neonatal schedule) or 8 weeks (infant schedule). Breast feeding was with-held for 30 minutes before and after vaccine administration. The relationship between rotavirus specific IgG and SNA levels in cord blood and IgA in colostrum and breast milk at the time of first active dose of RV3-BB vaccine and level of IgA response and stool excretion after 3 doses of vaccine was assessed using linear and logistic regression. Forty infants received 3 doses of RV3-BB rotavirus vaccine and were included in the analysis of the neonatal and infant groups. Rotavirus specific IgA in colostrum (neonatal schedule group) and breast milk at 4 weeks (infant schedule group) was identified in 14/21 (67%) and 14/17 (82%) of infants respectively. There was little evidence of an association between IgA in colostrum or breast milk IgA at 4 weeks, or between cord IgG or SNA level, and IgA response or stool excretion after 3 doses of RV3-BB, or after one dose (neonatal schedule) (all p>0.05). The level of IgA in colostrum or breast milk and level of placental IgG and SNA did not impact on the serum IgA response or

Evaluation of passive cardiomyoplasty using left- and right-ventricular volume measurements by EBCT and MRI in patients with chronic congestive heart failure; Evaluierung der passiven Kardiomyoplastie mittels links- und rechtsventrikulaerer EBCT- und MRT-Volumetrie bei Patienten mit chronischer Herzinsuffizienz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lembcke, A.; Enzweiler, C.N.H.; Wiese, T.H.; Kivelitz, D.E.; Rogalla, P.; Hamm, B. [Inst. fuer Radiologie, Universitaetsklinikum Charite, Campus Charite Mitte, Humboldt Univ. zu Berlin (Germany); Hotz, H.; Dushe, S.; Konertz, W. [Klinik fuer Kardiovaskulaere Chirurgie, Universitaetsklinikum Charite, Campus Charite Mitte, Humboldt Univ. zu Berlin (Germany)

2003-08-01

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of passive cardiomyoplasty with the determination of biventricular volumes, global systolic function as well as left-ventricular muscle mass. Materials and Methods: In 19 patients with congestive heart failure of idiopathic or ischemic origin, a polyester mesh-graft was implanted around both ventricles for stabilization and functional support. Before and three months after surgery, 15 patients underwent EBCT and 4 patients with impaired renal function underwent MRI, for the evaluation of the volume and ejection fraction of both ventricles. Results: EBCT demonstrated a decrease from 385 to 310 ml in LV-EDV, from 312 to 242 ml in LV-ESV, from 209 to 160 ml in RV-EDV and from 149 to 87 ml in RV-ESV, and an increase from 20 to 26% in LV-EF and from 37 to 50% in RV-EF as well as a reduction of LV-MM from 300 to 274 g (p < 0.05 each). Similar results were obtained by MRI. Conclusion: Following passive cardiomyoplasty, EBCT and MRI revealed an improvement of the global systolic function as well as a reduction of biventricular volumes and left-ventricular muscle mass. (orig.) [German] Ziel: Evaluierung des Therapieerfolges der passiven Kardiomyoplastie durch Bestimmung der biventrikulaeren Volumina und global systolischen Funktion sowie der linksventrikulaeren Muskelmasse. Methoden: Bei 19 Patienten mit idiopathisch und ischaemisch bedingter Herzinsuffizienz erfolgte die Implantation eines Polyesternetzes um die Ventrikel zu deren Stabilisierung und funktioneller Unterstuetzung. Praeoperativ sowie drei Monate postoperativ wurden bei 15 Patienten durch EBCT und bei 4 Patienten mit eingeschraenkter Nierenfunktion durch MRT die Volumina und Ejektionsfraktion beider Ventrikel sowie die linksventrikulaere Muskelmasse bestimmt. Ergebnisse: Die EBCT zeigte eine Abnahme des LV-EDV von 385 auf 310 ml, des LV-ESV von 312 auf 242 ml, des RV-EDV von 209 auf 160 ml und des RV-ESV von 149 auf 87 ml, eine Zunahme der LV-EF von 20 auf 26% und der RV

Investigating the properties of residues. Characterization of pellets from fermentation residues; Den Eigenschaften der Reststoffe auf der Spur. Untersuchung widmet sich der Charakterisierung von Pellets aus Gaerresten

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kratzeisen, Martin; Mueller, Joachim [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Inst. fuer Agrartechnik; Starcevic, Nikica [Hohenheim Univ., Stuttgart (Germany). Inst. fuer Agrartechnik; Strabag Umweltanlagen GmbH, Muenchen (Germany). Projekt Produktentwicklung/Schlammbehandlung

2009-09-15

Fermentation residues are by-products of the biogas process. Farmers use them as fertilizers, but as the size of biogas plants grows, so does the residues volume. It is now too much for local use, and transport to other sites is expensive. Fuel pellets production may be an alternative. Pellets from fermentation residues are not accepted as yet because too little is known about their characteristics. The contribution describes an investigation that intends to identify the fuel characteristics of pellets from fermentation residues. (orig.)

A first look at logging residue characteristics in West Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

A. Jeff Martin

1975-01-01

In 1973 and 1974, the Forest Products Marketing Laboratory obtained some preliminary information about characteristics of logging residues in West Virginia. Sixteen 1-acre plots were measured in conjunction with a test of the line-intersect sampling method. Findings from the 16 plots showed that hardwood residue volumes ranged from 100 to 1,300 cubic feet per acre,...

Outcomes of pulmonary valve replacement in 170 patients with chronic pulmonary regurgitation after relief of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction: implications for optimal timing of pulmonary valve replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Cheul; Kim, Yang Min; Lee, Chang-Ha; Kwak, Jae Gun; Park, Chun Soo; Song, Jin Young; Shim, Woo-Sup; Choi, Eun Young; Lee, Sang Yun; Baek, Jae Suk

2012-09-11

The objectives of this study were to evaluate outcomes of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with chronic pulmonary regurgitation (PR) and to better define the optimal timing of PVR. Although PVR is effective in reducing right ventricular (RV) volume overload in patients with chronic PR, the optimal timing of PVR is not well defined. A total of 170 patients who underwent PVR between January 1998 and March 2011 for chronic PR were retrospectively analyzed. To define the optimal timing of PVR, pre-operative and post-operative cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data (n = 67) were analyzed. The median age at the time of PVR was 16.7 years. Follow-up completeness was 95%, and the median follow-up duration was 5.9 years. Overall and event-free survival at 10 years was 98% and 70%, respectively. Post-operative MRI showed significant reduction in RV volumes and significant improvement in biventricular function. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed a cutoff value of 168 ml/m(2) for non-normalization of RV end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) and 80 ml/m(2) for RV end-systolic volume index (ESVI). Cutoff values for optimal outcome (normalized RV volumes and function) were 163 ml/m(2) for RV EDVI and 80 ml/m(2) for RV ESVI. Higher pre-operative RV ESVI was identified as a sole independent risk factor for suboptimal outcome. Midterm outcomes of PVR in patients with chronic PR were acceptable. PVR should be considered before RV EDVI exceeds 163 ml/m(2) or RV ESVI exceeds 80 ml/m(2), with more attention to RV ESVI. Copyright © 2012 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obtention of ceramic pigments with residue from electroplating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boss, A.; Kniess, C.T.; Aguiar, B.M. de; Prates, P.B.; Milanez, K.

2011-01-01

The incorporation of industrial residues in industrial processes opens up new business opportunities and reduces the volume of extraction of raw materials, preserving natural resources, which are limited. An important residue is the mud from galvanic industry, consisting of alkali and transition metals. According to NBR 10004/2004, this residue can be classified as Class I (hazardous), depending on the concentration of metals present in the mud. This paper proposes a method for reusing the residue from electroplating in ceramic pigments. The characterization of residual plating was obtained by chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis and pH measurements. The electroplating waste was incorporated in different percentages on a standard pigment formula of industrial ceramic, consisting mainly of Zn, Fe and Cr. The obtained pigments were applied in ceramic glazes to colorimetric and visual analysis, which showed good results with the addition of up to 15% of industrial waste. (author)

Medical Image of the Week: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Severe RV Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wickstrom K

2018-05-01

Full Text Available No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. A 56-year-old man with history a of alcohol abuse presents with progressive shortness of breath on exertion, bilateral lower extremity swelling and 12-pound weight gain over two weeks. His transthoracic echocardiography (Figure 1 demonstrated severely increased global right ventricle (RV size, severely dilated right atrium (RA, severe pulmonary artery (PA dilation, moderate tricuspid regurgitation (TR and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP estimated at 85 + central venous pressure (CVP in the context of severely reduced RV systolic function. Right heart catheterization (RHC showed PA pressure (systolic/diastolic, mean of 94/28, 51 mmHg with a PA occlusion pressure of 12 mmHg. After extensive evaluation, our patient’s presentation of right heart failure seemed to be a manifestation of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Our patient subsequently had cardiac MRI (cMRI with findings shown above (Figure 2. CMRI is a valuable, three-dimensional imaging modality that provides detailed morphology of the cardiac chambers along with accurate …

Machine learning methods enable predictive modeling of antibody feature:function relationships in RV144 vaccinees.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Ickwon; Chung, Amy W; Suscovich, Todd J; Rerks-Ngarm, Supachai; Pitisuttithum, Punnee; Nitayaphan, Sorachai; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit; O'Connell, Robert J; Francis, Donald; Robb, Merlin L; Michael, Nelson L; Kim, Jerome H; Alter, Galit; Ackerman, Margaret E; Bailey-Kellogg, Chris

2015-04-01

The adaptive immune response to vaccination or infection can lead to the production of specific antibodies to neutralize the pathogen or recruit innate immune effector cells for help. The non-neutralizing role of antibodies in stimulating effector cell responses may have been a key mechanism of the protection observed in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. In an extensive investigation of a rich set of data collected from RV144 vaccine recipients, we here employ machine learning methods to identify and model associations between antibody features (IgG subclass and antigen specificity) and effector function activities (antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis, cellular cytotoxicity, and cytokine release). We demonstrate via cross-validation that classification and regression approaches can effectively use the antibody features to robustly predict qualitative and quantitative functional outcomes. This integration of antibody feature and function data within a machine learning framework provides a new, objective approach to discovering and assessing multivariate immune correlates.

Machine learning methods enable predictive modeling of antibody feature:function relationships in RV144 vaccinees.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ickwon Choi

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The adaptive immune response to vaccination or infection can lead to the production of specific antibodies to neutralize the pathogen or recruit innate immune effector cells for help. The non-neutralizing role of antibodies in stimulating effector cell responses may have been a key mechanism of the protection observed in the RV144 HIV vaccine trial. In an extensive investigation of a rich set of data collected from RV144 vaccine recipients, we here employ machine learning methods to identify and model associations between antibody features (IgG subclass and antigen specificity and effector function activities (antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis, cellular cytotoxicity, and cytokine release. We demonstrate via cross-validation that classification and regression approaches can effectively use the antibody features to robustly predict qualitative and quantitative functional outcomes. This integration of antibody feature and function data within a machine learning framework provides a new, objective approach to discovering and assessing multivariate immune correlates.

Contribution of CT quantified emphysema, air trapping and airway wall thickness on pulmonary function in male smokers with and without COPD.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed Hoesein, Firdaus A A; de Jong, Pim A; Lammers, Jan-Willem J; Mali, Willem P Th M; Mets, Onno M; Schmidt, Michael; de Koning, Harry J; Aalst, Carlijn van der; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Ginneken, Bram van; van Rikxoort, Eva M; Zanen, Pieter

2014-09-01

Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). All three can be quantified by computed tomography (CT) of the chest. The goal of the current study is to determine the relative contribution of CT derived parameters on spirometry, lung volume and lung diffusion testing. Emphysema, airway wall thickening and air trapping were quantified automatically on CT in 1,138 male smokers with and without COPD. Emphysema was quantified by the percentage of voxels below -950 Hounsfield Units (HU), airway wall thickness by the square root of wall area for a theoretical airway with 10 mm lumen perimeter (Pi10) and air trapping by the ratio of mean lung density at expiration and inspiration (E/I-ratio). Spirometry, residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC) and diffusion capacity (Kco) were obtained. Standardized regression coefficients (β) were used to analyze the relative contribution of CT changes to pulmonary function measures. The independent contribution of the three CT measures differed per lung function parameter. For the FEV1 airway wall thickness was the most contributing structural lung change (β = -0.46), while for the FEV1/FVC this was emphysema (β = -0.55). For the residual volume (RV) air trapping was most contributing (β = -0.35). Lung diffusion capacity was most influenced by emphysema (β = -0.42). In a cohort of smokers with and without COPD the effect of different CT changes varies per lung function measure and therefore emphysema, airway wall thickness and air trapping need to be taken in account.

Residual Tumor After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Outside the Radiation Therapy Target Volume: A New Prognostic Factor for Survival in Esophageal Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muijs, Christina; Smit, Justin; Karrenbeld, Arend; Beukema, Jannet; Mul, Veronique; Dam, Go van; Hospers, Geke; Kluin, Phillip; Langendijk, Johannes; Plukker, John

2014-01-01

Purpose/Objective(s): The aim of this study was to analyze the accuracy of gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation and clinical target volume (CTV) margins for neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (neo-CRT) in esophageal carcinoma at pathologic examination and to determine the impact on survival. Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of 63 esophageal cancer patients treated with neo-CRT. GTV and CTV borders were demarcated in situ during surgery on the esophagus, using anatomical reference points to provide accurate information regarding tumor location at pathologic evaluation. To identify prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), a Cox regression analysis was performed. Results: After resection, macroscopic residual tumor was found outside the GTV in 7 patients (11%). Microscopic residual tumor was located outside the CTV in 9 patients (14%). The median follow-up was 15.6 months. With multivariate analysis, only microscopic tumor outside the CTV (hazard ratio [HR], 4.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-15.36), and perineural growth (HR, 5.77; 95% CI, 1.27-26.13) were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS. The 1-year OS was 20% for patients with tumor outside the CTV and 86% for those without (P<.01). For DFS, microscopic tumor outside the CTV (HR, 5.92; 95% CI, 1.89-18.54) and ypN+ (HR, 3.36; 95% CI, 1.33-8.48) were identified as independent adverse prognostic factors. The 1-year DFS was 23% versus 77% for patients with or without tumor outside the CTV (P<.01). Conclusions: Microscopic tumor outside the CTV is associated with markedly worse OS after neo-CRT. This may either stress the importance of accurate tumor delineation or reflect aggressive tumor behavior requiring new adjuvant treatment modalities

The effect of coarse-droplet spraying with double flat fan air induction nozzle and spray volume adjustment model on the efficiency of fungicides and residues in processing tomato

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henryk Ratajkiewicz

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted for the purpose of improving the application of fungicides against potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont. de Bary (PLB in processing tomato. The usability of coarse spray quality with double flat fan air induction IDKT12003 nozzle and the impact of fixed and variable spray volume and adjuvants during alternate application of azoxystrobin and chlorothalonil were analysed on the basis of plant infestation and fungicide residues. The variable spray volume was calculated based on the number of leaves on a plant. The study was conducted during three vegetation seasons. Spraying of plants with significantly flattened canopies during the peak of the fructification season using an IDKT12003 nozzle was as effective as in the case of fine spraying performed with an XR11003 nozzle and facilitated the increase of fungicides residue. In the case of plants with high-spreading canopy at the beginning of fructification, XR11003 nozzle favoured the reduction of PLB infestation. Both spray volume adjustment systems enabled the same level of protection of tomato against PLB, which could result from alternate application of systemic and contact fungicides. Polyalkyleneoxide modified heptamethyltrisiloxane adjuvant, which causes siginificant increase in wetting and droplet spreading, facilitated the reduction of tomato PLB infestation during the application of fungicides using an IDKT12003 nozzle.

Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of the C-terminal domain of Rv3262 (FbiB) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehan, Aisyah M.; Bashiri, Ghader; Paterson, Neil G.; Baker, Edward N.; Squire, Christopher J.

2011-01-01

The C-terminal domain of FbiB, a bifunctional protein that is essential for the biosynthesis of cofactor F 420 in M. tuberculosis, has been expressed, purified and crystallized. The crystals diffracted to 2.0 Å resolution and were suitable for structure determination. During cofactor F 420 biosynthesis, the enzyme F 420 -γ-glutamyl ligase (FbiB) catalyzes the addition of γ-linked l-glutamate residues to form polyglutamylated F 420 derivatives. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rv3262 (FbiB) consists of two domains: an N-terminal domain from the F 420 ligase superfamily and a C-terminal domain with sequence similarity to nitro-FMN reductase superfamily proteins. To characterize the role of the C-terminal domain of FbiB in polyglutamyl ligation, it has been purified and crystallized in an apo form. The crystals diffracted to 2.0 Å resolution using a synchrotron source and belonged to the tetragonal space group P4 1 2 1 2 (or P4 3 2 1 2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 136.6, c = 101.7 Å, α = β = γ = 90°

Relationship of airway dimensions with airflow limitation or lung volumes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaru Hasegawa

2006-12-01

Full Text Available We have recently developed new software to obtain longitudinal images and accurate short axis images of airways with an inner diameter > 2 mm located anywhere in the lung, using curved multiplanar reconstruction. Using this software, we demonstrated in patients with COPD that FEV1 (%predicted was highly correlated with airway dimensions and the correlation coefficients improved as the airway became smaller in size (3. In this study, our aims are to further confirm the significant relationship between airway dimensions and airflow limitation in larger number of subjects, and to examine the relationship of airway dimensions with lung volumes in 95 patients with COPD (stage 0, 10; stage I, 23; stage II, 35; stage III, 24; stage IV, 3. We analyzed the airway dimensions from the 3rd to the 6th generations of the apical bronchus (B1 of the right upper lobe and the anterior basal bronchus (B8 of the right lower lobe. Lung volumes were measured by the helium closed circuit method. Both airway luminal area (Ai and wall area percent (WA% of all the generations, except a few, from the two bronchi were significantly correlated with RV and RV/TLC, but not with TLC or FRC. More importantly, the correlation coefficients (r between airway dimensions and RV/TLC improved as the airways became smaller in size from the 3rd to 6th generations in both bronchi (r = –0.483, –0482, –0.553, –0.624 for Ai of B8; r = 0.316, 0.380, 0.499, 0.551 for WA% of B8. These findings provide further evidence that distal (small airways rather than proximal (large airways are the determinants for airflow limitation in COPD.

Hydrogen production by co-cultures of Lactobacillus and a photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asada, Yasuo; Ishimi, Katsuhiro [Department of General Education, College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, Narashinodai, Chiba 274-8501 (Japan); Tokumoto, Masaru; Aihara, Yasuyuki; Oku, Masayo; Kohno, Hideki [Department of Applied Molecular Chemistry, College of Industrial Technology, Nihon University, Izumi-cho, Chiba 275-8575 (Japan); Wakayama, Tatsuki; Miyake, Jun [Research Institute for Cell Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Nakoji, Amagasaki, Hyogo 661-0974 (Japan); Tomiyama, Masamitsu [Genetic Diversity Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602 (Japan)

2006-09-15

Hydrogen production with glucose by using co-immobilized cultures of a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus delbrueckii NBRC13953, and a photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV, in agar gels was studied. Glucose was converted to hydrogen gas in a yield of 7.1mol of hydrogen per mole of glucose at a maximum under illuminated conditions. (author)

Comprehensive sieve analysis of breakthrough HIV-1 sequences in the RV144 vaccine efficacy trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Edlefsen, Paul T; Rolland, Morgane; Hertz, Tomer; Tovanabutra, Sodsai; Gartland, Andrew J; deCamp, Allan C; Magaret, Craig A; Ahmed, Hasan; Gottardo, Raphael; Juraska, Michal; McCoy, Connor; Larsen, Brendan B; Sanders-Buell, Eric; Carrico, Chris; Menis, Sergey; Kijak, Gustavo H; Bose, Meera; Arroyo, Miguel A; O'Connell, Robert J; Nitayaphan, Sorachai; Pitisuttithum, Punnee; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit; Rerks-Ngarm, Supachai; Robb, Merlin L; Kirys, Tatsiana; Georgiev, Ivelin S; Kwong, Peter D; Scheffler, Konrad; Pond, Sergei L Kosakovsky; Carlson, Jonathan M; Michael, Nelson L; Schief, William R; Mullins, James I; Kim, Jerome H; Gilbert, Peter B

2015-02-01

The RV144 clinical trial showed the partial efficacy of a vaccine regimen with an estimated vaccine efficacy (VE) of 31% for protecting low-risk Thai volunteers against acquisition of HIV-1. The impact of vaccine-induced immune responses can be investigated through sieve analysis of HIV-1 breakthrough infections (infected vaccine and placebo recipients). A V1/V2-targeted comparison of the genomes of HIV-1 breakthrough viruses identified two V2 amino acid sites that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Here we extended the V1/V2 analysis to the entire HIV-1 genome using an array of methods based on individual sites, k-mers and genes/proteins. We identified 56 amino acid sites or "signatures" and 119 k-mers that differed between the vaccine and placebo groups. Of those, 19 sites and 38 k-mers were located in the regions comprising the RV144 vaccine (Env-gp120, Gag, and Pro). The nine signature sites in Env-gp120 were significantly enriched for known antibody-associated sites (p = 0.0021). In particular, site 317 in the third variable loop (V3) overlapped with a hotspot of antibody recognition, and sites 369 and 424 were linked to CD4 binding site neutralization. The identified signature sites significantly covaried with other sites across the genome (mean = 32.1) more than did non-signature sites (mean = 0.9) (p analysis of the breakthrough infections in the RV144 trial, this work describes a set of statistical methods and tools applicable to analysis of breakthrough infection genomes in general vaccine efficacy trials for diverse pathogens.

Carbon Dioxide, Hydrographic, and Chemical Data Obtained During the R/V Meteor Cruise 28/1 in the South Atlantic Ocean (WOCE Section A8, March 29 - May 12, 1994)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kozyr, A.

2002-05-09

This data documentation discusses the procedures and methods used to measure total carbon dioxide (TCO{sub 2}) and the fugacity of CO{sub 2} (fCO{sub 2}) at hydrographic stations during the R/V Meteor oceanographic cruise 28/1 in the South Atlantic Ocean (Section A8). Conducted as part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), the cruise began in Recife, Brazil, on March 29, 1994, and ended after 35 days at sea in Walvis Bay, Namibia, on May 12, 1994. Instructions for accessing the data are provided. TCO{sub 2} was measured using two single-operator multiparameter metabolic analyzers (SOMMA) coupled to a coulometer for extracting and detecting CO{sub 2} from seawater samples. The overall precision and accuracy of the analyses was {+-}1.17 {micro}mol/kg. For the second carbonate system parameter, the fCO{sub 2} was measured in discrete samples by equilibrating a known volume of liquid phase (seawater) with a known volume of a gas phase containing a known mixture of CO{sub 2} in gaseous nitrogen (N{sub 2}). After equilibration, the gas phase CO{sub 2} concentration was determined by flame ionization detection following the catalytic conversion of CO{sub 2} to methane (CH{sub 4}). The precision of these measurements was less than or equal to 1.0%. The R/V Meteor Cruise 28/1 data set is available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. The NDP consists of two oceanographic data files, two FORTRAN 90 data retrieval routine files, a readme file, and this printed documentation that describes the contents and format of all files as well as the procedures and methods used to obtain the data.

Extracellular Sphingomyelinase Rv0888 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Contributes to Pathological Lung Injury of Mycobacterium smegmatis in Mice via Inducing Formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps.

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Guanghui; Cui, Yingying; Wang, Lei; Li, Tiantian; Cui, Ziyin; Song, Ningning; Chen, Liping; Pang, Hai; Liu, Siguo

2018-01-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), which mainly causes pulmonary injury and tubercles. Although macrophages are generally considered to harbor the main cells of M. tuberculosis , new evidence suggests that neutrophils are rapidly recruited to the infected lung. M. tuberculosis itself, or its early secreted antigenic target protein 6 (ESAT-6), can induce formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). However, NETs trap mycobacteria but are unable to kill them. The role of NETs' formation in the pathogenesis of mycobacteria remains unclear. Here, we report a new M. tuberculosis extracellular factor, bifunctional enzyme Rv0888, with both nuclease and sphingomyelinase activities. Rv0888 sphingomyelinase activity can induce NETs' formation in vitro and in the lung of the mice and enhance the colonization ability of Mycobacterium smegmatis in the lungs of mice. Mice infected by M. smegmatis harboring Rv0888 sphingomyelinase induced pathological injury and inflammation of the lung, which was mainly mediated by NETs, induced by Rv0888 sphingomyelinase, associated protein (myeloperoxidase) triggered caspase-3. In summary, the study sheds new light on the pathogenesis of mycobacteria and reveals a novel target for TB treatment.

Radionuclide determination of right and left ventricular stroke volumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Wei Feng; Roubin, G S; Choong, C Y.P.; Harris, P J; Flether, P J; Kelly, D T; Uren, R F; Hutton, B F

1985-03-01

The relationship between radionuclide and thermodilution measurement of stroke volumes (SV) was investigated in 30 patients without valvular regurgitation or intracardiac shunt (group A) at rest and during exercise. Both attenuated radionuclide right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) SV measurements correlated well with the SV determined by the thermodilution method (r = 0.87 and r = 0.93, all P < 0.001). The reliability of the radionuclide method to estimate SV was evaluated prospectively in two additional groups of patients. In 11 patients without valvular regurgitation or intracardiac shunt (group B) the radionuclide RVSV and LVSV closely approximated to thermodilution SV at rest and during exercise. In 15 patients with aortic regurgitation (group C) the radionuclide stroke volume ratio correlated well with the angiographic regurgitant fraction. Thus, both RVSV and LVSV and the severity of aortic regurgitation can be reliably measured with gated radionuclide ventriculography.

Overexpression of Adenylyl Cyclase Encoded by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2212 Gene Confers Improved Fitness, Accelerated Recovery from Dormancy and Enhanced Virulence in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margarita O. Shleeva

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Earlier we demonstrated that the adenylyl cyclase (AC encoded by the MSMEG_4279 gene plays a key role in the resuscitation and growth of dormant Mycobacterium smegmatis and that overexpression of this gene leads to an increase in intracellular cAMP concentration and prevents the transition of M. smegmatis from active growth to dormancy in an extended stationary phase accompanied by medium acidification. We surmised that the homologous Rv2212 gene of M. tuberculosis (Mtb, the main cAMP producer, plays similar physiological roles by supporting, under these conditions, the active state and reactivation of dormant bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we established Mtb strain overexpressing Rv2212 and compared its in vitro and in vivo growth characteristics with a control strain. In vitro, the AC-overexpressing pMindRv2212 strain demonstrated faster growth in a liquid medium, prolonged capacity to form CFUs and a significant delay or even prevention of transition toward dormancy. AC-overexpressing cells exhibited easier recovery from dormancy. In vivo, AC-overexpressing bacteria demonstrated significantly higher growth rates (virulence in the lungs and spleens of infected mice compared to the control strain, and, unlike the latter, killed mice in the TB-resistant strain before month 8 of infection. Even in the absence of selecting hygromycin B, all pMindRv2212 CFUs retained the Rv2212 insert during in vivo growth, strongly suggesting that AC overexpression is beneficial for bacteria. Taken together, our results indicate that cAMP supports the maintenance of Mtb cells vitality under unfavorable conditions in vitro and their virulence in vivo.

Dehalogenation of Haloalkanes by Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and Other Mycobacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Jesenská, Andrea; Sedlác̆ek, Ivo; Damborský, Jir̆í

2000-01-01

Haloalkane dehalogenases convert haloalkanes to their corresponding alcohols by a hydrolytic mechanism. To date, various haloalkane dehalogenases have been isolated from bacteria colonizing environments that are contaminated with halogenated compounds. A search of current databases with the sequences of these known haloalkane dehalogenases revealed the presence of three different genes encoding putative haloalkane dehalogenases in the genome of the human parasite Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. The ability of M. tuberculosis and several other mycobacterial strains to dehalogenate haloaliphatic compounds was therefore studied. Intact cells of M. tuberculosis H37Rv were found to dehalogenate 1-chlorobutane, 1-chlorodecane, 1-bromobutane, and 1,2-dibromoethane. Nine isolates of mycobacteria from clinical material and four strains from a collection of microorganisms were found to be capable of dehalogenating 1,2-dibromoethane. Crude extracts prepared from two of these strains, Mycobacterium avium MU1 and Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 4622, showed broad substrate specificity toward a number of halogenated substrates. Dehalogenase activity in the absence of oxygen and the identification of primary alcohols as the products of the reaction suggest a hydrolytic dehalogenation mechanism. The presence of dehalogenases in bacterial isolates from clinical material, including the species colonizing both animal tissues and free environment, indicates a possible role of parasitic microorganisms in the distribution of degradation genes in the environment. PMID:10618227

Specific features of the determination of residual stresses in materials by diffraction techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Gorkunov, E. S.; Zadvorkin, S. M.; Goruleva, L. S.

2017-12-01

Residual stresses arising in separate machine parts and structural components during production and use to a large extent govern their lifetime. In this connection, the development and improvement of nondestructive methods for the determination of residual stresses is an important task for nondestructive testing. Standards regulate only the determination of macroscopic stresses, and in practice these stresses are most often determined with the application of the sin2ψ method. This paper, using quenched structural steels as an example, compares the results of residual stress determination by the sin2ψ method with those obtained by the method based on the analysis of the diffraction line profile as dependent on the value of the irradiated volume. It is demonstrated that, as the irradiated volume decreases, the value of residual stresses determined by the sin2ψ method may vary considerably, up to the change of the sign. For a more complete characteristic of residual stresses it is proposed to use, besides the determination of macrostresses by the shift of the diffraction lines, the value of microscopic stresses calculated from the line profile analysis.

Measurement of right ventricular volumes using 131I-MAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekimoto, T.; Grover, R.F.

1975-01-01

A method is presented for determining the right ventricular residual ratio, that is, the ratio of the end-systolic volume to the end-diastolic volume during each cardiac cycle. 131 I-MAA was injected as a bolus into the right ventricle, and the ratio of isotope remaining in the chamber during the succeeding cardiac cycles was determined with a collimated scintillation counter placed over the right ventricle. Since the counter detected the radioactivity from the entire right ventricular cavity, potential errors from incomplete mixing were minimized. The washout curve from the ventricle was distorted somewhat by the accumulation of isotope in intervening lung tissue. This distortion was eliminated by subtracting the build-up curve of radioactivity in the lung recorded simultaneously with a second scintillation counter positioned over the lateral chest wall. In 14 dogs anesthetized with chloralose, the right ventricular residual ratio was relatively constant at 40.4 +- 3.1 per cent. Duplicate measurements differed by less than 3 percent indicating the good reproducibility of the method. Right ventricular stroke volume was determined from cardiac output (dye dilution) and heart rate. With this and the simultaneously determined residual ratio ( 131 I-MAA), end-diastolic volume could be calculated. Stroke volume and stroke work were highly correlated with end-diastolic volume, in keeping with the Frank-Starling mechanism. (U.S.)

Mindfulness og nærværende opmærksomhed i skole og daginstitution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Maj; Herskind, Mia

Mindfulness og nærværende opmærksomhed i skole og daginstitution Vi præsenterer resultater fra undersøgelser af, hvordan lærere og pædagoger lærer mindfulness og hvordan det får betydning for deres praksis og forholdemåder i pædagogik og undervisning. Undersøgelserne er kvalitative og i...

Suitability of the line intersect method for sampling hardwood logging residues

Science.gov (United States)

A. Jeff Martin

1976-01-01

The line intersect method of sampling logging residues was tested in Appalachian hardwoods and was found to provide unbiased estimates of the volume of residue in cubic feet per acre. Thirty-two chains of sample line were established on each of sixteen 1-acre plots on cutover areas in a variety of conditions. Estimates from these samples were then compared to actual...

Subfamily-specific adaptations in the structures of two penicillin-binding proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniil M Prigozhin

Full Text Available Beta-lactam antibiotics target penicillin-binding proteins including several enzyme classes essential for bacterial cell-wall homeostasis. To better understand the functional and inhibitor-binding specificities of penicillin-binding proteins from the pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we carried out structural and phylogenetic analysis of two predicted D,D-carboxypeptidases, Rv2911 and Rv3330. Optimization of Rv2911 for crystallization using directed evolution and the GFP folding reporter method yielded a soluble quadruple mutant. Structures of optimized Rv2911 bound to phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and Rv3330 bound to meropenem show that, in contrast to the nonspecific inhibitor, meropenem forms an extended interaction with the enzyme along a conserved surface. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Rv2911 and Rv3330 belong to different clades that emerged in Actinobacteria and are not represented in model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Clade-specific adaptations allow these enzymes to fulfill distinct physiological roles despite strict conservation of core catalytic residues. The characteristic differences include potential protein-protein interaction surfaces and specificity-determining residues surrounding the catalytic site. Overall, these structural insights lay the groundwork to develop improved beta-lactam therapeutics for tuberculosis.

The 22Rv1 prostate cancer cell line carries mixed genetic ancestry: Implications for prostate cancer health disparities research using pre-clinical models.

Science.gov (United States)

Woods-Burnham, Leanne; Basu, Anamika; Cajigas-Du Ross, Christina K; Love, Arthur; Yates, Clayton; De Leon, Marino; Roy, Sourav; Casiano, Carlos A

2017-12-01

Understanding how biological factors contribute to prostate cancer (PCa) health disparities requires mechanistic functional analysis of specific genes or pathways in pre-clinical cellular and animal models of this malignancy. The 22Rv1 human prostatic carcinoma cell line was originally derived from the parental CWR22R cell line. Although 22Rv1 has been well characterized and used in numerous mechanistic studies, no racial identifier has ever been disclosed for this cell line. In accordance with the need for racial diversity in cancer biospecimens and recent guidelines by the NIH on authentication of key biological resources, we sought to determine the ancestry of 22RV1 and authenticate previously reported racial identifications for four other PCa cell lines. We used 29 established Ancestry Informative Marker (AIM) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to conduct DNA ancestry analysis and assign ancestral proportions to a panel of five PCa cell lines that included 22Rv1, PC3, DU145, MDA-PCa-2b, and RC-77T/E. We found that 22Rv1 carries mixed genetic ancestry. The main ancestry proportions for this cell line were 0.41 West African (AFR) and 0.42 European (EUR). In addition, we verified the previously reported racial identifications for PC3 (0.73 EUR), DU145 (0.63 EUR), MDA-PCa-2b (0.73 AFR), and RC-77T/E (0.74 AFR) cell lines. Considering the mortality disparities associated with PCa, which disproportionately affect African American men, there remains a burden on the scientific community to diversify the availability of biospecimens, including cell lines, for mechanistic studies on potential biological mediators of these disparities. This study is beneficial by identifying another PCa cell line that carries substantial AFR ancestry. This finding may also open the door to new perspectives on previously published studies using this cell line. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Managing woodwaste: Yield from residue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielson, E. [LNS Services, Inc., North Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Rayner, S. [Pacific Waste Energy Inc., Burnaby, British Columbia (Canada)

1993-12-31

Historically, the majority of sawmill waste has been burned or buried for the sole purpose of disposal. In most jurisdictions, environmental legislation will prohibit, or render uneconomic, these practices. Many reports have been prepared to describe the forest industry`s residue and its environmental effect; although these help those looking for industry-wide or regional solutions, such as electricity generation, they have limited value for the mill manager, who has the on-hands responsibility for generation and disposal of the waste. If the mill manager can evaluate waste streams and break them down into their usable components, he can find niche market solutions for portions of the plant residue and redirect waste to poor/no-return, rather than disposal-cost, end uses. In the modern mill, residue is collected at the individual machine centre by waste conveyors that combine and mix sawdust, shavings, bark, etc. and send the result to the hog-fuel pile. The mill waste system should be analyzed to determine the measures that can improve the quality of residues and determine the volumes of any particular category before the mixing, mentioned above, occurs. After this analysis, the mill may find a niche market for a portion of its woodwaste.

Limitations of intraoperative adrenal remnant volume measurement in patients undergoing subtotal adrenalectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brauckhoff, Michael; Stock, Karsten; Stock, Susanne; Lorenz, Kerstin; Sekulla, Carsten; Brauckhoff, Katrin; Thanh, Phuong Nguyen; Gimm, Oliver; Spielmann, Rolf Peter; Dralle, Henning

2008-05-01

Recent studies have shown that a minimum of approximately one-third of one normal adrenal gland is required for sufficient adrenocortical stress capacity. Correlation between intraoperative measurement, determination of remnant size by computed tomography (CT), and adrenocortical stress capacity has not been examined so far. Twenty-two patients with familial pheochromocytoma (n=13), sporadic pheochromocytoma (n=3), and adrenocortical tumors (n=6) who underwent unilateral or bilateral subtotal adrenalectomy (STAE, 28 adrenal remnants) were prospectively studied. Patients were examined in a multi-slice CT to determine residual adrenal tissue and by ACTH test 4 days and 3 months postoperatively. There was a slight significant correlation between intraoperative and CT calculated volumes (r=0.77; pSTAE has limitations. CT gives larger volumes compared with intraoperative determination. For calculation of a volume-function correlation of residual adrenal tissue, in clinical practice, the determination of relative adrenal residual volume is acceptable.

Selgusid kirjanduse aastapreemiate saajad / Rein Veidemann ; komment. Karl Martin Sinijärv, Viivi Luik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Veidemann, Rein, 1946-

2006-01-01

Eesti Kultuurkapitali aastapreemiad: Kristiina Ehini luulekogu "Kaitseala" ja Jürgen Rooste luulekogu "Ilusaks inimeseks", Piret Raud "Sanna ja salakütid", Merle Karusoo näidend "Misjonärid", Madis Kõivu artiklikogumik "Luhta-minek". Tõlkepreemiad tõlkijatele Anu Saluäär, Heili Einasto, Lembi Loigu, Veronika Kivisilla, Risto Järv. Vabaauhind Käbi Laretei. Artiklipreemia Aare Pilv. Venekeelse autori kirjandusauhind Gohar Markosjan-Käsper, Svetlan Semenenko

The influence of obturators on the respiration of patients with maxillary defects: a clinical study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xian Dong

Full Text Available The study evaluated the effects of obturators on respiratory function by analyzing the changes in nasal anatomic structures and physiologic function in maxillectomy patients with and without obturators. Twenty-six patients who underwent maxillectomy were chosen and rehabilitated with obturators by a single maxillofacial prosthodontist. The geometric shape of the nasal cavity, the nasal airway resistance, and the ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC were evaluated using acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, and a pulmonary function test apparatus, respectively. All patients were tested twice, with and without their obturators. The results were statistically analyzed with a paired t-test. The nasal cavities (0-7 cm to the anterior nostril of the patients with obturators had a significantly smaller volume ([-8.92, -0.60], P = 0.027, smaller effective nasal cross-sectional area MCA2 ([-3.80, -1,81], P < 0.0001, increased airflow in the nasal cavity ([17.76, 147.39], P = 0.015, reduced nasal airway resistance ([-0.11, -0.02], P = 0.009, and reduced RV/TLC ([-5.32, -1.30], P = 0.004 compared with the patients without obturators. According to the results of this study, obturators can improve respiratory function by effectively decreasing the volume of enlarged nasal cavities as well as the nasal air resistance and volume of anatomical dead space after maxillectomy.

Incorporation feasibility of leather residues in bricks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguiar, J.B. [Minho Univ. (Portugal). Civil Engineering Dept.; Valente, A.; Pires, M.J. [Inst. of Development and Innovation Technology of Minho, Braga (Portugal); Tavares, T. [Biological Engineering Dept., Univ. of Minho, Braga (Portugal)

2002-07-01

The footwear industry has strips of leather as one of its by-products. These leather residues, due to their high chromium content, can be regarded as a threat to the environment, particularly if no care is taken with their disposal. With the incorporation of the residues in ceramic products, after trituration, is possible to neutralise the eventual toxicity of chromium. In a laboratory study we produced prismatic bricks using clay from the region and incorporating 1, 3 and 5% (by mass) of leather residues. This corresponds at about 20, 60 and 100% (by apparent volume). The moulds were filled up with paste and, in order to have some compactness, the ceramic paste was compressed with a spatula. After that, it began the process of drying and burning the bricks. They were tested to flexure, compression and leaching. The results showed that the toxicity of chromium disappeared in the bricks. The mechanical tests showed a decrease in strength for the specimens with leather residue. The compressive strength decreases about 22% for 1% of incorporation of leather residue. However, as bricks were lighter and more porous, we can expect that they are better for thermal isolation. (orig.)

Crystal Structure of Full-length Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv Glycogen Branching Enzyme; Insights of N-Terminal [beta]-Sandwich in Sustrate Specifity and Enzymatic Activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, Kuntal; Kumar, Shiva; Sharma, Shikha; Garg, Saurabh Kumar; Alam, Mohammad Suhail; Xu, H. Eric; Agrawal, Pushpa; Swaminathan, Kunchithapadam (NU Sinapore); (Van Andel); (IMT-India)

2010-07-13

The open reading frame Rv1326c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) H37Rv encodes for an {alpha}-1,4-glucan branching enzyme (MtbGlgB, EC 2.4.1.18, Uniprot entry Q10625). This enzyme belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 13 and catalyzes the branching of a linear glucose chain during glycogenesis by cleaving a 1 {yields} 4 bond and making a new 1 {yields} 6 bond. Here, we show the crystal structure of full-length MtbGlgB (MtbGlgBWT) at 2.33-{angstrom} resolution. MtbGlgBWT contains four domains: N1 {beta}-sandwich, N2 {beta}-sandwich, a central ({beta}/{alpha}){sub 8} domain that houses the catalytic site, and a C-terminal {beta}-sandwich. We have assayed the amylase activity with amylose and starch as substrates and the glycogen branching activity using amylose as a substrate for MtbGlgBWT and the N1 domain-deleted (the first 108 residues deleted) Mtb{Delta}108GlgB protein. The N1 {beta}-sandwich, which is formed by the first 105 amino acids and superimposes well with the N2 {beta}-sandwich, is shown to have an influence in substrate binding in the amylase assay. Also, we have checked and shown that several GH13 family inhibitors are ineffective against MtbGlgBWT and Mtb{Delta}108GlgB. We propose a two-step reaction mechanism, for the amylase activity (1 {yields} 4 bond breakage) and isomerization (1 {yields} 6 bond formation), which occurs in the same catalytic pocket. The structural and functional properties of MtbGlgB and Mtb{Delta}108GlgB are compared with those of the N-terminal 112-amino acid-deleted Escherichia coli GlgB (EC{Delta}112GlgB).

Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of syngas electricity from woody biomass residues

Science.gov (United States)

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman

2017-01-01

Forest restoration and fire suppression activities in the western United States have resulted in large volumes of low-to-no value residues. An environmental assessment would enable greater use while maintaining environmental sustainability of these residues for energy products. One internationally accepted sustainable metric tool that can assess environmental impacts...

Human Neonatal Rotavirus Vaccine (RV3-BB) to Target Rotavirus from Birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Bines, Julie E; At Thobari, Jarir; Satria, Cahya Dewi; Handley, Amanda; Watts, Emma; Cowley, Daniel; Nirwati, Hera; Ackland, James; Standish, Jane; Justice, Frances; Byars, Gabrielle; Lee, Katherine J; Barnes, Graeme L; Bachtiar, Novilia S; Viska Icanervilia, Ajeng; Boniface, Karen; Bogdanovic-Sakran, Nada; Pavlic, Daniel; Bishop, Ruth F; Kirkwood, Carl D; Buttery, Jim P; Soenarto, Yati

2018-02-22

A strategy of administering a neonatal rotavirus vaccine at birth to target early prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis may address some of the barriers to global implementation of a rotavirus vaccine. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Indonesia to evaluate the efficacy of an oral human neonatal rotavirus vaccine (RV3-BB) in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis. Healthy newborns received three doses of RV3-BB, administered according to a neonatal schedule (0 to 5 days, 8 weeks, and 14 weeks of age) or an infant schedule (8 weeks, 14 weeks, and 18 weeks of age), or placebo. The primary analysis was conducted in the per-protocol population, which included only participants who received all four doses of vaccine or placebo within the visit windows, with secondary analyses performed in the intention-to-treat population, which included all participants who underwent randomization. Among the 1513 participants in the per-protocol population, severe rotavirus gastroenteritis occurred up to the age of 18 months in 5.6% of the participants in the placebo group (28 of 504 babies), in 1.4% in the neonatal-schedule vaccine group (7 of 498), and in 2.7% in the infant-schedule vaccine group (14 of 511). This resulted in a vaccine efficacy of 75% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44 to 91) in the neonatal-schedule group (PBill and Melinda Gates Foundation and others; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12612001282875 .).

Effect of Pregnancy on Ventricular and Aortic Dimensions in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Cauldwell, Matthew; Quail, Michael A; Smith, Gillian S; Heng, Ee Ling; Ghonim, Sarah; Uebing, Anselm; Swan, Lorna; Li, Wei; Patel, Roshni R; Pennell, Dudley J; Steer, Philip J; Johnson, Mark R; Gatzoulis, Michael A; Babu-Narayan, Sonya V

2017-07-23

The aim was to assess whether cardiovascular adaptation to pregnancy in women with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) adversely affects hemodynamic stability, in particular with respect to right ventricular (RV) dilatation, pulmonary regurgitation, or aortic root dilatation. This was a retrospective cohort study of women with repaired TOF with paired cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans before and after their first pregnancy (baseline RV end systolic volume index 49 mL/m 2 and RV end diastolic volume index 118 mL/m 2 ) matched with a comparison group of nulliparous women with TOF. Cases were matched for age at baseline cardiovascular magnetic resonance scan, time between follow-up of cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans, QRS duration, RV ejection fraction, and indexed RV end systolic and diastolic volume at baseline. Effect of pregnancy and time on parameters was assessed using mixed-effects modelling. Nineteen women with repaired TOF who had completed their first pregnancy were identified and matched with 38 nulliparous women. We observed no deleterious effects of pregnancy on RV volumes, aortic dimensions, or exercise data. There was an effect of pregnancy observed in both left ventricular end diastolic volume and left ventricular stroke volume, consistent with a sustained small increase in left ventricular stroke volume attributed to pregnancy (53-55 mL/m 2 ). Women with repaired TOF and with mild-to-moderate RV dilatation considering pregnancy can be reassured that pregnancy is unlikely to cause deterioration in their cardiovascular status. We recommend that women are routinely assessed and followed up before and after pregnancy and that prepregnancy counseling is tailored to their individual clinical status. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Echocardiographic knowledge-based reconstruction for quantification of the systemic right ventricle in young adults with repaired D-transposition of great arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutty, Shelby; Li, Ling; Polak, Amanda; Gribben, Paul; Danford, David A

2012-03-15

The systemic right ventricle (RV) in congenital heart disease is susceptible to progressive dilation and dysfunction. A 2-dimensional echocardiographic means for serial monitoring of the RV would be of great value in this clinical setting. We used 2-dimensional echocardiography with knowledge-based reconstruction (2DE-KBR) for evaluation of systemic RV. Patients with d-transposition of great arteries repaired with an atrial switch and without implanted pacemakers were prospectively recruited for same-day 2DE-KBR and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. RV images were acquired in various 2-dimensional imaging planes using a 3-dimensional space-localizing device attached to the imaging transducer and 3-dimensional reconstruction was performed. RV end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction (EF) were calculated and compared to volumetric CMR analysis. Fifteen patients (7 women, 8 men, 24 ± 7 years old, weight 67 ± 12 kg) were studied. There was good agreement of 2DE-KBR and CMR measurements. Mean RV end-diastolic volume was 221 ± 39 ml with 2DE-KBR and 231 ± 35 ml with CMR (r = 0.80); mean end-systolic volume was 129 ± 35 ml with KBR and 132 ± 30 ml with CMR (r = 0.82), and EF was 42 ± 10% with KBR and 43 ± 7% with CMR (r = 0.86). For 2DE-KBR mean interobserver variabilities were 4.6%, 2.6%, and 4.3%; intraobserver variabilities were 3.2%, 3.1%, and 2.3%, respectively, for end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and EF. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the clinical feasibility of quantifying systemic RV volumes and function using 2DE-KBR in adolescents and young adults with repaired d-transposition of great arteries and good agreement of measurements with CMR. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medical Image of the Week: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Severe RV Failure

OpenAIRE

Wickstrom K; Ateeli H; Chaudhary S

2018-01-01

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. A 56-year-old man with history a of alcohol abuse presents with progressive shortness of breath on exertion, bilateral lower extremity swelling and 12-pound weight gain over two weeks. His transthoracic echocardiography (Figure 1) demonstrated severely increased global right ventricle (RV) size, severely dilated right atrium (RA), severe pulmonary artery (PA) dilation, moderate tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and right ventricular systo...

Estimation of diaphragm length in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, D K; Gorman, R B; Tolman, J; Pride, N B; Gandevia, S C

2000-11-01

In patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diaphragm function may be compromised because of reduced muscle fibre length. Diaphragm length (L(Di)) can be estimated from measurements of transverse diameter of the rib cage (D(Rc)) and the length of the zone of apposition (L(Zapp)) in healthy subjects, but this method has not been validated in patients with COPD. Postero-anterior chest radiographs were obtained at total lung capacity (TLC), functional residual capacity (FRC) and residual volume (RV) in nine male patients with severe COPD (mean [S.D.]; FEV(1), 23 [6] %pred.; FRC, 199 [15] %pred.). Radiographs taken at TLC were used to identify the lateral costal insertions of the diaphragm (L(Zapp) assumed to approach zero at TLC). L(Di) was measured directly and also estimated from measurements of L(Zapp) and D(Rc) using a prediction equation derived from healthy subjects. The estimation of L(Di) was highly accurate with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.93 and 95% CI of approximately +/-8% of the true value. L(Di) decreased from 426 (64) mm at RV to 305 (31) mm at TLC. As there were only small and variable changes in D(Rc) across the lung volume range, most of the L(Di) changes occurred in the zone of apposition. Additional studies showed that measurements of L(Di) from PA and lateral radiographs performed at different lung volumes were tightly correlated. These results suggest that non-invasive measurements of L(Zapp) in the coronal plane (e.g. using ultrasonography) and D(Rc) (e.g. using magnetometers) can be used to provide an accurate estimate of L(Di) in COPD patients.

Sectional analysis for volume determination and selection of volume equations for the Tapajos Nacional Forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Bezerra da Silva Ribeiro

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze different sections lengths for volume determination, fitting of volumetric models for timber production estimation in an area of forest management in the Tapajós National Forest (FNT. Six treatments for sectioning were tested in 152 logs of 12 commercial species. The obtained volumes were statistically compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA for the choice of the best method of sectioning and calculating the actual volume of 2,094 sample trees in different diameter commercial classes. Ten mathematical models were fitted to the whole data and to the species Manilkara huberi (Ducke Chevalier (maçaranduba Lecythis lurida (Miers Samori (jarana and Hymenaea courbaril L. (Jatobá. The criteria to choose the best model were adjusted coefficient of determination in percentage (R2adj%, standard error of estimate in percentage (Syx%, significance of the parameters, normality of residuals, Variance Inflation Factor (VIF and residuals graphic distribution. There was no statistical difference between the methods of sectioning and thus the total length of the logs was more operational in the field. The models in logarithmic form of Schumacher and Hall and Spurr were the best to estimate the volume for the species and for the whole sample set.

Research Vessel R/V Sikuliaq: Joining the UNOLS Fleet in 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Whitledge, T. E.

2013-12-01

The global class research vessel R/V Sikuliaq is being constructed on behalf of the NSF to support future scientific studies in high latitude waters. The 261 foot vessel will be capable of breaking 2.5 foot thick ice at 2 knots with an endurance of 45 days at sea and cruising at 11 knots. The R/V Sikuliaq has a beam of 52 feet and a draft of 18.9 feet that will carry 26 scientists and a crew of 20. Berthing accommodations are a combination of single/double rooms with one stateroom and the common areas of the vessel are designed for ADA access and accommodations. The total laboratory space (main, analytical, electronics, wet, upper, and Baltic room are 2100 square feet. The 4360 square foot working deck that is approximately 70 feet in length will accommodate 2-4 vans and multiple science operations. The vessel design strives to have the lowest possible environmental impact, including a low underwater-radiated noise signature. The science systems are prescribed to be state-of-the-art for bottom mapping, over-the-side 'hands free' gear handling, broad band communications and scientific walk-in freezer and environmental chamber. More details and photos of the construction progress are available on the website at www.sfos.uaf.edu/arrv. The vessel was launched in October 2012 and delivery to the University of Alaska Fairbanks is scheduled for November 2013. Scientific operations following testing and science sea trials are planned to start in summer of 2014. Questions about the science systems or vessel capabilities should be directed to Terry Whitledge (terry@ims.uaf.edu).

Quantitation of right and left ventricular volume with MR imaging in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boxt, L.M.; Katz, J.; Kolb, T.; Czegledy, F.P.; Barst, R.J.

1990-01-01

This paper tests the utility of MR imaging in quantitating changes in ventricular volume and function in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) volumes were determined in six patients with PPH and in eight controls. Short-axis images were obtained from the cardiac apex to the base at ED and ES, and the ventricular cavities were planimetered. Volumes were computed by summing the areas of the cavities times the thickness of the sections (12-14 mm). The intersection gap (1-3 mm) was averaged between adjacent sections. Results were indexed to the subject's body surface area. This technique was verified by comparison of results obtained by this method with the water displacement volumes of ventricular casts of eight excised bovine hearts and six water-filled balloons. Linear regression and the unpaired Students t test were used to test significance

Alternative fuels from forest residues for passenger cars - an assessment under German framework conditions

OpenAIRE

Hurtig, O.; Leible, L.; Kälber, S.; Kappler, g.; Spicher, U.

2014-01-01

Background Due to the available volumes, biogenic residues are a promising resource for renewable fuels for passenger cars to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this study, we compare three fuels from forest residues under German framework conditions: biogenic electricity, substitute natural gas (SNG), and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel. Methods Fuels from forest residues are compared with regard to their technical efficiency (here defined as ‘pkm per kg b...

Characterization of GafChromic XR-RV2 film and comparator strip using a flatbed scanner in reflection mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza-Moctezuma, A. I.; Aguilar, J. Garcia; Garcia-Garduno, O. A.

2010-01-01

Interventional cardiology procedures are an effective alternative for the reestablishment of correct sanguineous circulation in the heart. However, this kind of procedures exposes to the patients to a relatively high radiation doses. Usually, the surface peak skin dose is evaluated using a visual scale with a comparator strip, nevertheless, even if the comparator strip provides a simple and quick method for estimating the dose it has an uncertainty of ±25%. For this reason, a better evaluation method is needed. The objective of our project is to determine the surface peak skin dose of interventional cardiology procedures using GafChromic XR-RV2 film together with a commercial flatbed scanner in reflection mode. Here we report a protocol to handle GafChromic XR-RV2 film using a commercial flat bed scanner in reflection mode aiming at an uncertainty of ±3%.

On the Existence and Uniqueness of Rv-Generalized Solution for Dirichlet Problem with Singularity on All Boundary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Rukavishnikov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The existence and uniqueness of the Rv-generalized solution for the first boundary value problem and a second order elliptic equation with coordinated and uncoordinated degeneracy of input data and with strong singularity solution on all boundary of a two-dimensional domain are established.

Comparison of stroke work between repaired tetralogy of Fallot and normal right ventricular physiologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Namheon; Das, Ashish; Banerjee, Rupak K; Gottliebson, William M

2013-01-01

Adult patients who underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair surgery (rTOF) confront life-threatening ailments due to right ventricular (RV) myocardial dysfunction. Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) needs to be performed to restore the deteriorating RV function. Determination of correct timing to perform PVR in an rTOF patient remains subjective, due to the unavailability of quantifiable clinical diagnostic parameters. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possibility of using RV body surface area (BSA)-indexed stroke work (SW(I)) to quantify RV inefficiency in TOF patients. We hypothesized that RV SW(I) required to push blood to the lungs in rTOF patients is significantly higher than that of normal subjects. Seven patients with rTOF pathophysiology and eight controls with normal RV physiology were registered for this study. Right ventricular volume and pressure were measured using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and catheterization, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed to quantify the difference in SW(I) between the RV of the rTOF and control groups. Right ventricular SW(I) in rTOF patients (0.176 ± 0.055 J/m(2)) was significantly higher by 93.4% (P = 0.0026) than that of controls (0.091 ± 0.030 J/m(2)). Further, rTOF patients were found to have significantly higher (P < 0.05) BSA normalized RV end-systolic volume, end-systolic pressure, and regurgitation fraction than control subjects. Ejection fraction and peak ejection rate of rTOF patients were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of controls. Patients with rTOF pathophysiology had significantly higher RV SW(I) compared with subjects with normal RV physiology. Therefore, RV SW(I) may be useful to quantify RV inefficiency in rTOF patients along with currently used clinical end points such as RV volume, pressure, regurgitation fraction, and ejection fraction.

Anaerobic treatment of solid and liquid residues. Papers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maerkl, H.; Stegmann, R.

1994-01-01

Anaerobic processes are getting increasing attention in the disposal of liquid waste of the food industry and chemical industry and solid organic residues of the municipal sector. The main advantages of anaerobic processes are the favourable energy balance and the comparatively small volume of new biomass produced. There are new satisfactory technical solutions for nearly all problems encountered in practice. A conference on ''Anaerobic treatment of solid and liquid residues'' was held on 2-4 November 1994. The state of the art and new developments were presented in lectures by experts from research and practice. (orig.) [de

Plasma Levels of High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T in Adults with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Clare T. M.; Wong, Sophia J.; Ip, Janice J. K.; Wong, Wai-keung; Tsang, Kwong-cheong; Lam, Wendy W. M.; Cheung, Yiu-fai

2015-01-01

Detectable low circulating level of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) may reflect subclinical myocardial injury. We tested the hypothesis that circulating levels of hs-cTnT are altered in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and associated with ventricular volume load and function. Eighty-eight TOF patients and 48 controls were studied. Plasma hs-cTnT levels were determined using a highly sensitive assay (hs-cTnT). The right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fraction (EF) were measured using 3D echocardiography and, in 52 patients, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The median (interquartile range) for male and female patients were 4.87 (3.83–6.62) ng/L and 3.11 (1.00–3.87) ng/L, respectively. Thirty percent of female but none of the male patients had increased hs-cTnT levels. Female patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels, compared to those without, had greater RV end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and LV systolic dyssynchrony index (all p < 0.05). For patient cohort only, hs-cTnT levels correlated positively with CMR-derived RV end-diastolic volume and negatively with echocardiography-derived LV and RV EF (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression identified sex and RV EF as significant correlates of log-transformed hs-cTnT levels. Increased hs-cTnT levels occur in 30% of female patients after TOF repair, and are associated with greater RV volumes and worse RV EF. PMID:26360613

Rv2969c, essential for optimal growth in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a DsbA-like enzyme that interacts with VKOR-derived peptides and has atypical features of DsbA-like disulfide oxidases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Premkumar, Lakshmanane; Heras, Begoña; Duprez, Wilko; Walden, Patricia; Halili, Maria; Kurth, Fabian; Fairlie, David P.; Martin, Jennifer L.

2013-01-01

The gene product of M. tuberculosis Rv2969c is shown to be a disulfide oxidase enzyme that has a canonical DsbA-like fold with novel structural and functional characteristics. The bacterial disulfide machinery is an attractive molecular target for developing new antibacterials because it is required for the production of multiple virulence factors. The archetypal disulfide oxidase proteins in Escherichia coli (Ec) are DsbA and DsbB, which together form a functional unit: DsbA introduces disulfides into folding proteins and DsbB reoxidizes DsbA to maintain it in the active form. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), no DsbB homologue is encoded but a functionally similar but structurally divergent protein, MtbVKOR, has been identified. Here, the Mtb protein Rv2969c is investigated and it is shown that it is the DsbA-like partner protein of MtbVKOR. It is found that it has the characteristic redox features of a DsbA-like protein: a highly acidic catalytic cysteine, a highly oxidizing potential and a destabilizing active-site disulfide bond. Rv2969c also has peptide-oxidizing activity and recognizes peptide segments derived from the periplasmic loops of MtbVKOR. Unlike the archetypal EcDsbA enzyme, Rv2969c has little or no activity in disulfide-reducing and disulfide-isomerase assays. The crystal structure of Rv2969c reveals a canonical DsbA fold comprising a thioredoxin domain with an embedded helical domain. However, Rv2969c diverges considerably from other DsbAs, including having an additional C-terminal helix (H8) that may restrain the mobility of the catalytic helix H1. The enzyme is also characterized by a very shallow hydrophobic binding surface and a negative electrostatic surface potential surrounding the catalytic cysteine. The structure of Rv2969c was also used to model the structure of a paralogous DsbA-like domain of the Ser/Thr protein kinase PknE. Together, these results show that Rv2969c is a DsbA-like protein with unique properties and a limited

Rv2969c, essential for optimal growth in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a DsbA-like enzyme that interacts with VKOR-derived peptides and has atypical features of DsbA-like disulfide oxidases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Premkumar, Lakshmanane, E-mail: p.lakshmanane@imb.uq.edu.au; Heras, Begoña; Duprez, Wilko; Walden, Patricia; Halili, Maria; Kurth, Fabian; Fairlie, David P.; Martin, Jennifer L., E-mail: p.lakshmanane@imb.uq.edu.au [University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067 (Australia)

2013-10-01

The gene product of M. tuberculosis Rv2969c is shown to be a disulfide oxidase enzyme that has a canonical DsbA-like fold with novel structural and functional characteristics. The bacterial disulfide machinery is an attractive molecular target for developing new antibacterials because it is required for the production of multiple virulence factors. The archetypal disulfide oxidase proteins in Escherichia coli (Ec) are DsbA and DsbB, which together form a functional unit: DsbA introduces disulfides into folding proteins and DsbB reoxidizes DsbA to maintain it in the active form. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), no DsbB homologue is encoded but a functionally similar but structurally divergent protein, MtbVKOR, has been identified. Here, the Mtb protein Rv2969c is investigated and it is shown that it is the DsbA-like partner protein of MtbVKOR. It is found that it has the characteristic redox features of a DsbA-like protein: a highly acidic catalytic cysteine, a highly oxidizing potential and a destabilizing active-site disulfide bond. Rv2969c also has peptide-oxidizing activity and recognizes peptide segments derived from the periplasmic loops of MtbVKOR. Unlike the archetypal EcDsbA enzyme, Rv2969c has little or no activity in disulfide-reducing and disulfide-isomerase assays. The crystal structure of Rv2969c reveals a canonical DsbA fold comprising a thioredoxin domain with an embedded helical domain. However, Rv2969c diverges considerably from other DsbAs, including having an additional C-terminal helix (H8) that may restrain the mobility of the catalytic helix H1. The enzyme is also characterized by a very shallow hydrophobic binding surface and a negative electrostatic surface potential surrounding the catalytic cysteine. The structure of Rv2969c was also used to model the structure of a paralogous DsbA-like domain of the Ser/Thr protein kinase PknE. Together, these results show that Rv2969c is a DsbA-like protein with unique properties and a limited

Treatment of marine sewage pumpout and RV park pumpout wastewater containing high strength concentrations of formaldehyde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salonich, J.

2002-01-01

'Full text:' A consortium of companies has developed an integrated 'on-site' wastewater treatment technology that is capable of handling and degrading RV Park and Marine Sewage Pumpout Wastes which contain formaldehyde [35 - 80 mg/L]. Boat and RV owners add formaldehyde to their toilets to eliminate odors. When these materials are pumped out they are high in solids content and have high concentrations of HCHO, which makes them difficult to degrade at POTWs. At the heart of this process is 1. An aeration tank with a Venturi Aerator totally external to the tank and 2. The addition of a blend of cultured bacteria that have selected for their ability to degrade formaldehyde. For a complete 'on-site' treatment system Bioclere Trickling Filters can follow this aeration/bacterial treatment system. This is an ideal system configuration for remote locations (RV Parks) or for fresh water lake Marinas looking to reduce their disposal costs and for groundwater discharge with no adverse effect on water quality. Until the development of the formaldehyde degrading bacteria for an industrial wastewater process there were no cultures commercially available specifically for degrading formaldehyde. The most commonly used bacteria were pseudomonas strains for carbohydrate or hydrocarbon wastewater extracted from activated sludge plants. And since formaldehyde is infinitely soluble in a liquid it is difficult to degrade or mineralize. The process in an activated sludge WWTP plant took over 72 hours. With the newly selected consortia of cultures, HCHO can be degraded in 12-14 hours on a batch basis. This is accomplished in a uniquely configured aeration tank where the 'environment' of the tank is constantly conditioned by a Venturi Aerator which strips carbon dioxide generated by the aerobes to maintain a neutral pH, and provide high levels of DO (>5.0 mg/L) to keep the process aerobic. (author)

Immediate and Midterm Cardiac Remodeling After Surgical Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Adults With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot: A Prospective Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and Clinical Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Heng, Ee Ling; Gatzoulis, Michael A; Uebing, Anselm; Sethia, Babulal; Uemura, Hideki; Smith, Gillian C; Diller, Gerhard-Paul; McCarthy, Karen P; Ho, Siew Yen; Li, Wei; Wright, Piers; Spadotto, Veronica; Kilner, Philip J; Oldershaw, Paul; Pennell, Dudley J; Shore, Darryl F; Babu-Narayan, Sonya V

2017-10-31

Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot provides symptomatic benefit and right ventricular (RV) volume reduction. However, data on the rate of ventricular structural and functional adaptation are scarce. We aimed to assess immediate and midterm post-PVR changes and predictors of reverse remoeling. Fifty-seven patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (age ≥16 y; mean age, 35.8±10.1 y; 38 male) undergoing PVR were prospectively recruited for cardiovascular magnetic resonance performed before PVR (pPVR), immediately after PVR (median, 6 d), and midterm after PVR (mPVR; median, 3 y). There were immediate and midterm reductions in indexed RV end-diastolic volumes and RV end-systolic volumes (RVESVi) (indexed RV end-diastolic volume pPVR versus immediately after PVR versus mPVR, 156.1±41.9 versus 104.9±28.4 versus 104.2±34.4 mL/m 2 ; RVESVi pPVR versus immediately after PVR versus mPVR, 74.9±26.2 versus 57.4±22.7 versus 50.5±21.7 mL/m 2 ; P <0.01). Normal postoperative diastolic and systolic RV volumes (the primary end point) achieved in 70% of patients were predicted by a preoperative indexed RV end-diastolic volume ≤158 mL/m 2 and RVESVi ≤82 mL/m 2 . RVESVi showed a progressive decrease from baseline to immediate to midterm follow-up, indicating ongoing intrinsic RV functional improvement after PVR. Left ventricular ejection fraction improved (pPVR versus mPVR, 59.4±7.6% versus 61.9±6.8%; P <0.01), and right atrial reverse remodeling occurred (pPVR versus mPVR, 15.2±3.4 versus 13.8±3.6 cm 2 /m 2 ; P <0.01). Larger preoperative RV outflow tract scar was associated with a smaller improvement in post-PVR RV/left ventricular ejection fraction. RV ejection fraction and peak oxygen uptake predicted mortality ( P =0.03) over a median of 9.5 years of follow-up. Significant right heart structural reverse remodeling takes place immediately after PVR, followed by a continuing process of further biological remodeling

Gastric residual volume in critically ill patients: a dead marker or still alive?

Science.gov (United States)

Elke, Gunnar; Felbinger, Thomas W; Heyland, Daren K

2015-02-01

Early enteral nutrition (EN) is consistently recommended as first-line nutrition therapy in critically ill patients since it favorably alters outcome, providing both nutrition and nonnutrition benefits. However, critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation are at risk for regurgitation, pulmonary aspiration, and eventually ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). EN may increase these risks when gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is present. Gastric residual volume (GRV) is considered a surrogate parameter of GI dysfunction during the progression of enteral feeding in the early phase of critical illness and beyond. By monitoring GRV, clinicians may detect patients with delayed gastric emptying earlier and intervene with strategies that minimize or prevent VAP as one of the major risks of EN. The value of periodic GRV measurements with regard to risk reduction of VAP incidence has frequently been questioned in the past years. Increasing the GRV threshold before interrupting gastric feeding results in marginal increases in EN delivery. More recently, a large randomized clinical trial revealed that abandoning GRV monitoring did not negatively affect clinical outcomes (including VAP) in mechanically ventilated patients. The results have revived the discussion on the role of GRV monitoring in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients receiving early EN. This review summarizes the most recent clinical evidence on the use of GRV monitoring in critically ill patients. Based on the clinical evidence, it discusses the pros and cons and further addresses whether GRV is a dead marker or still alive for the nutrition management of critically ill patients. © 2014 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

WATER TEMPERATURE and Other Data from R.V. MADIDIHANG and Other Platforms from 19780722 to 19780726 (NODC Accession 9700129)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Zooplankton, temperature, hydrochemical, and other data were collected from bottle and nets casts in the South China Sea from the R/V Madidihang and other platforms...

Biodrying of animal slaughterhouse residues and heat production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, Y. [Centre de recherche industrielle, Quebec City, PQ (Canada)

2010-07-01

Animal carcasses from slaughterhouses are usually composted on farms, but the composting process is not optimized and a large volumes of carbonaceous residues are needed. This type of composting takes place over a period of 6 to 9 months in a nonaerated static pile. Quebec's industrial research centre (CRIQ) developed an organic biodrying process (BIOSECO) adapted to large-scale operations in order to optimize the treatment of slaughterhouse residues. Biodrying is a form of composting, in which the thermophilic phase is optimized, making it possible to evaporate large amounts of water. Biodrying is done inside a building and reduces the amount of carbonaceous residues considerably. The process is optimized by the sequence in which the slaughterhouse residues are added, the choice of input and the aeration flow. Slaughterhouse residues can be treated non-stop throughout the entire year. Since the odours are nearly completed limited to the building, the biodrying can be done near the slaughterhouse. A large amount of heat was produced by the process during the pilot project. It was concluded that the BIOSECO biodrying process is suitable for treating slaughterhouse residues in an effective and economic manner, and has the added advantage of producing heat that could be used for various purposes.

RV Fractional Area Change and TAPSE as Predictors of Severe Right Ventricular Dysfunction in Pulmonary Hypertension: A CMR Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoette, Susana; Creuzé, Nicolas; Günther, Sven; Montani, David; Savale, Laurent; Jaïs, Xavier; Parent, Florence; Sitbon, Olivier; Rochitte, Carlos Eduardo; Simonneau, Gerald; Humbert, Marc; Souza, Rogerio; Chemla, Denis

2018-04-01

The right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) is a surrogate marker of right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension (PH), but its measurement is complicated and time consuming. The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) measures only the longitudinal component of RV contraction while the right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) takes into account both the longitudinal and the transversal components. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between RVEF, RVFAC, and TAPSE according to hemodynamic severity in two groups of patients with PH: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Fifty-four patients with PAH (n = 15) and CTEPH (n = 39) underwent right heart catheterization and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The ventricular volumes and areas, TAPSE, and eccentricity index were measured. The RVFAC was more strongly correlated with the RVEF (r = 0.81, p good index to estimate RVEF in PH patients; even better than the TAPSE in patients with more severe hemodynamic profile, possibly for including the transversal component of right ventricular function in its measurement. Furthermore, RVFAC performance was similar in the two PH groups (PAH and CTEPH).

Compostagem da fração sólida da água residuária de suinocultura Solid fraction composting of residual water from pig farms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco A. P. Orrico Júnior

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Avaliar o desenvolvimento do processo de compostagem utilizando como substrato à fração sólida da água residuária de suinocultura foi o objetivo deste trabalho. Para a obtenção da fração sólida, a água residuária de suinocultura foi submetida ao peneiramento, utilizando-se de peneira com malha de 1 milímetro. Após separação, a fração sólida foi utilizada para a confecção de três leiras de compostagem, em pátio com piso de concreto e cobertura plástica. Durante a compostagem da fração sólida da água residuária de suinocultura, foram avaliados: temperatura, reduções de sólidos totais (ST, sólidos voláteis (SV, demanda química de oxigênio (DQO, carbono orgânico, matéria orgânica compostável (MOC, matéria orgânica resistente à compostagem (MORC, números mais prováveis (NMPs de coliformes totais e coliformes termotolerantes, além do volume e dos teores de nutrientes no composto. A compostagem mostrou-se eficiente no tratamento da fração sólida da água residuária de suinocultura devido à elevada minimização do poder poluente dos dejetos, observando-se reduções de 71,24% nos teores de ST, 64,55% no volume, 56,89% no teor de DQO e 56,89% na MOC. Foram verificadas reduções de 100% nos NMPs de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, o que possibilita seu uso como adubo orgânico.This work aimed to evaluate the development of the composting process by using the solid fraction of residual water from a pig farm. To obtain the solid fraction, the residual water was sewed in a 1mm screen sew. After separation, the solid fraction was used to form three composting piles, on a patio with concrete floor and plastic cover. During composting the solid fraction of residual water from pig farms was monitored: temperature, total solids reduction (TS, volatile solids (VS chemical demand for oxygen (CDO, organic carbon, compostable organic matter (COM, organic matter resistant to composting (OMRC, most probable

Förvärmning av tilluften med återvunnen värme

OpenAIRE

Kader, Aza; Yousif, Peter

2017-01-01

Idag är det vanligt för fjärrvärmebolagen att basera sin taxa på effektbehovet för fastigheten. Effekttaxeringsmetod skiljer sig mellan olika fjärrvärmeleverantörer. Dock är toppeffektbehoven för fastigheterna en gemensam nämnare för bolagen när debiteringsunderlag beslutas.I Sverige finns det idag befintlig teknik som sänker effektbehovet genom förvärmning av uteluft, vilket reducerar frostbildning i värmeväxlaren och förbättras dess verkningsgrad. Denna teknik utnyttjar geoenergi som värmek...

Residual stress analysis in carbon fiber-reinforced SiC ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, M.

1998-01-01

Systematic residual stress analyses are reported, carried out in long-fiber reinforced SiC ceramics. The laminated C fiber /SiC matrix specimens used were prepared by polymer pyrolysis, and the structural component specimens used are industrial products. Various diffraction methods have been applied for non-destructive evaluation of residual stress fields, so as to completely detect the residual stresses and their distribution in the specimens. The residual stress fields at the surface (μm) have been measured using characteristic X-radiation and applying the sin 2 ψ method as well as the scatter vector method. For residual stress field analysis in the mass volume (cm), neutron diffraction has been applied. The stress fields in the fiber layers (approx. 250μm) have been measured as a function of their location within the laminated composite by using an energy-dispersive method and synchrotron radiation. By means of the systematic, process-accompanying residual stress and phase analyses, conclusions can be drawn as to possible approaches for optimization of fabrication parameters. (orig./CB) [de

Measuring depth profiles of residual stress with Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enloe, W.S.; Sparks, R.G.; Paesler, M.A.

1988-12-01

Knowledge of the variation of residual stress is a very important factor in understanding the properties of machined surfaces. The nature of the residual stress can determine a part`s susceptibility to wear deformation, and cracking. Raman spectroscopy is known to be a very useful technique for measuring residual stress in many materials. These measurements are routinely made with a lateral resolution of 1{mu}m and an accuracy of 0.1 kbar. The variation of stress with depth; however, has not received much attention in the past. A novel technique has been developed that allows quantitative measurement of the variation of the residual stress with depth with an accuracy of 10nm in the z direction. Qualitative techniques for determining whether the stress is varying with depth are presented. It is also demonstrated that when the stress is changing over the volume sampled, errors can be introduced if the variation of the stress with depth is ignored. Computer aided data analysis is used to determine the depth dependence of the residual stress.

The R/V Folger a Floating Laboratory: Teaching Marine Science Skills on Lake Champlain (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Manley, P.; Manley, T.

2013-12-01

Undergraduate senior work has been required at Middlebury College as far back as 1960's and hands-on experiential learning was and still is the mode for our geology courses. The history of Middlebury College having a research vessel started in the 1970's when Dave Folger started the marine component of our curriculum and obtained the first Middlebury College's research vessel - a coast guard rescue surf boat (Bruno Schmidt). The second Middlebury College research vessel, the R/V Baldwin was purchased in 1985 and was used exclusively in a river-like setting due to its open cockpit and minimal research equipment. In 1990, Middlebury College received a grant from NSF-MRI to upgrade the vessel, to a then state-of the-art small oceanographic vessel including new equipment (CTD, side-scan sonar, ROV, met station, coring devices, computers and navigation). Middlebury College contributed monies to enclose the wheelhouse, install safer diesel engines, as well as a winch and an A-frame to haul in equipment. Over 600+ students used the Baldwin in a variety of geology courses; mainly Oceanography and Marine Geology. In 2010, Middlebury College received an NSF -ARRA grant (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) to replace the ailing R/V Baldwin with a floating state-of-the art laboratory with the specific goals of increasing 1) access to lake research for Middlebury faculty and students in the biological, chemical, and environmental sciences, 2) the scope of lake research by reducing transit times over this 100km long lake, 3) stability for broad-lake research, 4) improve and expand research capabilities on Lake Champlain, 5) the carrying capacity (both equipment and people), and 6) instructional capability and overnight capabilities. The newly built R/V Folger is a sophisticated research vessel with advanced capabilities that provides a greater capacity to the research infrastructure on Lake Champlain, enhancing interdisciplinary inquiry not only for Middlebury College, but

Advanced new technologies for residue upgrading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillis, D.

1997-01-01

Viewgraphs summarizing UOP technologies for residue are provided. The upgrading technologies include: (1) Aquaconversion, (2) the Discriminatory Destructive Distillation process (3D), and (3) the RCD uniflex process. The Aquaconversion process is based on catalytic hydrovisbreaking. It makes use of a homogeneous (liquid phase) catalyst. The hydrogen is derived from water. The advantages of this process are improved residue stability and quality at higher conversion levels, high synthetic crude yields, low operational complexity, reduced transportation costs. The 3D process is a unique carbon rejection contaminant removal process which can process whole crudes through viscous residues. FCC type equipment is used. Performance characteristics and advantages of the process were highlighted. The RCD uniflex process makes use of proven fixed bed and ebullated bed technologies in a new process configuration in which the fixed bed system is located upstream of the ebullated bed system. In this process, the catalyst volume increases exponentially with increasing processing severity. Performance characteristics, design features, benefits and development progress to date are described. 1 tab., 21 figs

Formulation of morning product using food residues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria do Rosário de Fátima Padilha

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In Brazil, there is resistance of the population to the use of stalks, leaves, peels and seeds of vegetables and fruits, leading to trash important parts of the food in good physiological conditions and with the presence of potential nutrients. In this research, a morning product was elaborated using green and dry coconut residue, jerimum and melon seed, crystallized sicilian lemon peel, cashew nut, common rapadura sweet and ginger. The bacteriological tests proved the hygienic-sanitary quality of the product, therefore suitable for consumption, that is, according to RDC 12/2001. It was also observed that the dehydration of all the residues reached the legal levels and accepted by ANVISA that limits in 25% the water content in the dehydrated foods. As for the centesimal composition, it was observed that the elaborated product with residues and other ingredients had a good content of macro nutrients. A use of the type of waste as a new food proposal constitutes an alternative to avoid and reduce: the serious environmental problem caused by the large residual volume generated, and the inadequate places in which they are stored or deposited, aggravating the scenario of food-borne pollutants.

Right ventricular longitudinal strain and right ventricular stroke work index in patients with severe heart failure: left ventricular assist device suitability for transplant candidates.

Science.gov (United States)

Cameli, M; Bernazzali, S; Lisi, M; Tsioulpas, C; Croccia, M G; Lisi, G; Maccherini, M; Mondillo, S

2012-09-01

Right ventricular (RV) systolic function has a critical role in determining the clinical outcome and the success of using left ventricular assist devices in patients with refractory heart failure. RV deformation analysis by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has recently allowed the analysis of RV longitudinal function. Using cardiac catheterization as the reference standard, this study aimed to explore the correlation between RV longitudinal function by STE and RV stroke work index (RVSWI) among patients referred for cardiac transplantation. Right heart catheterization and transthoracic echo-Doppler were simultaneously performed in 47 patients referred for cardiac transplant assessment due to refractory heart failure (ejection fraction 25.1 ± 4.5%). Thermodilution RV stroke volume and invasive pulmonary pressures were used to obtain RVSWI. RV longitudinal strain (RVLS) by STE was assessed averaging RV free-wall segments (free-wall RVLS). We also calculated. Tricuspid S' and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). No significant correlation was observed for TAPSE on tricuspid S' with RV stroke volume (r = 0.14 and r = 0.06, respectively). A close negative correlation between free-wall RVLS and RVSWI was found (r = -0.82; P rights reserved.

Influence of Residual Tumor Volume and Radiation Dose Coverage in Outcomes for Clival Chordoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDonald, Mark W., E-mail: markmcdonaldmd@gmail.com [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States); Indiana University Health Proton Therapy Center, Bloomington, Indiana (United States); Linton, Okechukwu R. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States); Moore, Michael G.; Ting, Jonathan Y. [Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States); Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Shah, Mitesh V. [Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States); Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States)

2016-05-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors associated with tumor control in clival chordomas. Methods and Materials: A retrospective review of 39 patients treated with surgery and proton therapy for clival chordomas between 2004 and 2014 was performed. The median prescribed dose was 77.4 Gy (relative biological effectiveness [RBE]); range was 70.2-79.2 Gy (RBE). Minimum and median doses to gross tumor volume (GTV), radiation dose received by 1 cm{sup 3} of GTV (D1cm{sup 3}), and the equivalent uniform dose were calculated. Receiver operating characteristics curves evaluated the predictive sensitivity and specificity for local failure of potential cutpoint values for GTV and D1cm{sup 3}. Results: After a median follow-up of 51 months, the 5-year estimate of local control (LC) was 69.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50.0%-89.2%), and overall survival (OS) was 81.4% (95% CI: 65.3%-97.5%). Tumor histology, GTV at the time of radiation, and prescribed radiation dose were significantly associated with local control on multivariate analysis, whereas D1cm{sup 3} was associated with overall survival. Compared to those patients whose conditions remained controlled, patients experiencing tumor failure had statistically significant larger GTVs and lower D1cm{sup 3}, and prescribed and median doses to GTV. A subset of 21 patients with GTV of ≤20 cm{sup 3} and D1cm{sup 3} of >67 Gy (RBE) had a median follow-up of 47 months. The 5-year estimate of local control in this subset was 81.1% (95% CI: 61.7%-100%; P=.004, overall comparison by GTV ≤20 cm{sup 3} stratified by D1cm{sup 3}). A D1cm{sup 3} of 74.5 Gy (RBE) had 80% sensitivity for local control and 60% specificity, whereas a GTV of 9.3 cm{sup 3} had 80% sensitivity for local control and 66.7% specificity. Conclusions: Local control of clival chordomas was associated with both smaller size of residual tumor and more complete high-dose coverage of residual tumor. Multidisciplinary care should seek

Energy and raw material potentials of wood residue in the Pacific Coast States: a summary of a preliminary feasibility investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

John B. Grantham; Eldon Estep; John M. Pierovich; Harold Tarkow; Thomas C. Adams

1974-01-01

Results are reported of a preliminary investigation of feasibility of using wood residue to meet energy and raw material needs in the Pacific Coast States. Magnitude of needs was examined and volume of logging-residue and unused mill residue was estimated. Costs of obtaining and preprocessing logging residue for energy and pulp and particle board raw material were...

Multimodal actions of the phytochemical sulforaphane suppress both AR and AR-V7 in 22Rv1 cells: Advocating a potent pharmaceutical combination against castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurana, Namrata; Kim, Hogyoung; Chandra, Partha K; Talwar, Sudha; Sharma, Pankaj; Abdel-Mageed, Asim B; Sikka, Suresh C; Mondal, Debasis

2017-11-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) cells expressing full-length androgen receptor (AR-FL) are susceptible to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). However, outgrowth of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) can occur due to the expression of constitutively active (ligand-independent) AR splice variants, particularly AR-V7. We previously demonstrated that sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate phytochemical, can decrease AR-FL levels in the PCa cell lines, LNCaP and C4-2B. Here, we examined the efficacy of SFN in targeting both AR-FL and AR-V7 in the CRPC cell line, CWR22Rv1 (22Rv1). MTT cell viability, wound-heal assay, and colony forming unit (CFU) measurements revealed that 22Rv1 cells are resistant to the anti-androgen, enzalutamide (ENZ). However, co-exposure to SFN sensitized these cells to the potent anticancer effects of ENZ (PAR-FL and AR-V7 levels, and immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) depicted decreased AR in both cytoplasm and nucleus with SFN treatment. SFN increased both ubiquitination and proteasomal activity in 22Rv1 cells. Studies using a protein synthesis inhibitor (cycloheximide) or a proteasomal inhibitor (MG132) indicated that SFN increases both ubiquitin-mediated aggregation and subsequent proteasomal-degradation of AR proteins. Previous studies reported that SFN inhibits the chaperone activity of heat-shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and induces the nuclear factor erythroid-2-like 2 (Nrf2) transcription factor. Therefore, we investigated whether the Hsp90 inhibitor, ganetespib (G) or the Nrf2 activator, bardoxolone methyl (BM) can similarly suppress AR levels in 22Rv1 cells. Low doses of G and BM, alone or in combination, decreased both AR-FL and AR-V7 levels, and combined exposure to G+BM sensitized 22Rv1 cells to ENZ. Therefore, adjunct treatment with the phytochemical SFN or a safe pharmaceutical combination of G+BM may be effective against CRPC cells, especially those expressing AR-V7.

Research Vessel R/V Sikuliaq: A New Asset For The UNOLS Fleet

Science.gov (United States)

Whitledge, T. E.

2012-12-01

The research vessel R/V Sikuliaq is currently being constructed on behalf of the NSF to support future scientific studies in high latitude waters. The 261 foot global class vessel will be capable of breaking 2.5 foot thick ice at 2 knots with an endurance of 45 days at sea and cruising at 11 knots. The R/V Sikuliaq will have a beam of 52 feet and a draft of 18.9 feet that will carry 26 scientists and a crew of 20. Berthing accommodations are a combination of single/double rooms with one stateroom and the common areas of the vessel are designed for ADA access and accommodations. The total laboratory space (main, analytical, electronics, wet, upper, and Baltic room will be 2100 square feet. The 4360 square foot working deck that is approximately 70 feet in length will accommodate 2-4 vans and multiple science operations. The vessel design strives to have the lowest possible environmental impact, including a low underwater-radiated noise signature. The science systems are prescribed to be state-of-the-art for bottom mapping, over-the-side "hands free" gear handling, broad band communications and scientific walk-in freezer and environmental chamber. More details and photos of the construction progress are available on the website at www.sfos.uaf.edu/arrv. The shipyard schedule has a launch date of October 2012 and delivery to the University of Alaska Fairbanks in July 2013. Scientific operations following trials and testing is planned to start in January 2014. Questions about the science systems or vessel capabilities should be directed to Terry Whitledge (terry@ims.uaf.edu).;

Efeitos da ELTGOL e do Flutter® nos volumes pulmonares dinâmicos e estáticos e na remoção de secreção de pacientes com bronquiectasia Effects of ELTGOL and Flutter VRP1® on the dynamic and static pulmonary volumes and on the secretion clearance of patients with bronchiectasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando S. Guimarães

2012-04-01

with clinical and radiological diagnosis of bronchiectasis were included. Patients underwent three interventions in a randomized order and with a one-week washout interval between them. Before all interventions patients inhaled two puffs of 100 mcg of salbutamol. There was a cough period of five minutes before and after the control protocol and the interventions (ELTGOL and Flutter VRP1®. After each cough series patients underwent assessments of dynamic and static lung volumes by spirometry and plethysmography. The expectorated secretions were collected during the interventions and during the second cough series, and quantified by its dry weight. Results: We studied 10 patients, two males and eight females (mean age: 55.9±18.1 years. After using Flutter VRP1®and ELTGOL there was a significant decrease in residual volume (RV, functional residual capacity (FRC and total lung capacity (TLC (p<0.05. There was a higher sputum production during ELTGOL compared with Control and Flutter VRP1® (p<0.05. Conclusion: The ELTGOL and Flutter VRP1® techniques acutely reduced lung hyperinflation, but only the ELTGOL increased the removal of pulmonary secretions from patients with bronchiectasis.

Eco RV RFLP at the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF I) locus on chromosome 12

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneid, H; Noguiez, P; Girard, F; Binoux, M; Le Bouc, Y [INSERM U 142, Paris (France)

1988-09-26

The human liver IFG I cDNA insert from the {lambda}TG03 (1) was subcloned in PGEM4 (pTG 3906). The 660 bp Eco RI-Bam HI fragment containing the 5{prime} untranslated, the coding and the 3{prime} untranslated region of the IGF IA gene (exons 1, 2, 3 and 5) was used. Eco RV digestion of genomic DNA and hybridization with the IGF I probe reveals invariant fragments of 20; 8, 7 and 5 kb and polymorphic fragments of 13 kb (allele 1) and 11, 5 kb (allele 2). The frequency of alleles was studied in 51 unrelated European Caucasians. Co-dominant segregation was observed in 2 European families (9 individuals). Hind III and Pvu II digestions show previous described RFLP. Allelic frequencies however were: Hind III (5, 2 kb allele = 0, 14 and 4, 9 kb allele = 0, 86) and Pvu II (5 kb allele = 0, 14 and 4, 7 kb allele = 0, 86). Hind III and Pvu II RFLPs are linked. Among the DNA of the 14 individuals, where Eco RV RFLP was found, only one exhibited Hind III and Pvu II RFLPs.

ASIAEX, East China Sea, Cruise Report of the Activities of the R/V Melville, 29 May to 9 June 2001

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dahl, Peter

2001-01-01

Science teams from APL-UW, MPL-SIO, and URI deployed a constellation of instruments from the R/V Melville to measure acoustic propagation and scattering over a broad frequency range (100 Hz to 20 kHz...

Assessment of Diffuse Ventricular Myocardial Fibrosis Using Native T1 in Children With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Yim, Deane; Riesenkampff, Eugenie; Caro-Dominguez, Pablo; Yoo, Shi-Joon; Seed, Mike; Grosse-Wortmann, Lars

2017-03-01

Myocardial fibrosis is linked with adverse clinical outcomes in adults after tetralogy of Fallot repair (rTOF). Native T1 times (T1) by cardiac magnetic resonance have been shown to be a surrogate marker of diffuse myocardial fibrosis. The objective was to quantify native T1 in children post-rTOF and to evaluate their relationship with surgical, imaging, and clinical factors. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed. Midventricular native T1 were obtained in 100 children post-rTOF using a modified look-locker inversion recovery cardiac magnetic resonance sequence and compared with 35 pediatric controls. rTOF patients, aged 13.0±2.9 years, had higher indexed right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic (range 85-326 mL/m 2 , mean 148 mL/m 2 ) volumes, and lower RV and left ventricular (LV) ejection fractions compared with controls. RV, but not LV, T1 were higher in patients than in controls (1031±74 versus 954±32 ms, P <0.001) and female patients had higher RV T1 compared with males (1051±79 versus 1017±68 ms, P =0.02). LV T1 correlated with RV T1 ( r =0.45, P <0.001), cardiopulmonary bypass ( r =0.30, P =0.007), and aortic cross-clamp times ( r =0.32, P =0.004). RV T1 correlated inversely with RV outflow tract gradient ( r =-0.28, P =0.02). Longer aortic cross-clamp times were independently associated with LV and RV T1 on multivariable analysis. There was no association between exercise intolerance, arrhythmia, and native T1 or LV extracellular volume. Children after rTOF do not have elevated LV native T1 or LV extracellular volume, but show evidence of increased RV native T1 suggestive of diffuse RV fibrosis, for which volume loading seems to be a risk factor. Surgical bypass and cross-clamp times are associated with fibrotic remodeling over a decade later. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Semi-quantitative assessment of right ventricular function in comparison to a 3D volumetric approach: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nijveldt, Robin; Germans, Tjeerd; Rossum, Albert C. van [VU University Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands, Utrecht (Netherlands); McCann, Gerald P. [University Hospitals Leicester, Department of Cardiology, Leicester (United Kingdom); Beek, Aernout M. [VU University Medical Center, Department of Cardiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2008-11-15

Right ventricular (RV) volume measurements with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the gold standard, but acquisition and analysis remain time-consuming. The aim of our study was therefore to investigate the accuracy and performance of a semi-quantitative assessment of RV function in CMR, compared to the standard quantitative approach. Seventy-five subjects with pulmonary hypertension (15), anterior myocardial infarction (15), inferior myocardial infarction (15), Brugada syndrome (15) and normal subjects (15) underwent cine CMR. RV end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes were determined to calculate RV ejection fraction (EF). Four-chamber cine images were used to measure tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). RV fractional shortening (RVFS) was calculated by dividing TAPSE by the RV end-diastolic length. RV EF correlated significantly with TAPSE (r = 0.62, p < 0.01) and RVFS (r = 0.67, p < 0.01). Sensitivity to predict RV dysfunction was comparable between TAPSE and RVFS, with higher specificity for RVFS, but comparable areas under the ROC curve. Intra- and inter-observer variability of RV EF was better than TAPSE (3%/4% versus 7%/15%, respectively). For routine screening in clinical practice, TAPSE and RVFS seem reliable and easy methods to identify patients with RV dysfunction. The 3D volumetric approach is preferred to assess RV function for research purposes or to evaluate treatment response. (orig.)

Evaluation of the effectiveness of olive cake residue as an expansive soil stabilizer

Science.gov (United States)

Nalbantoglu, Zalihe; Tawfiq, Salma

2006-08-01

The quantity of the by-product olive cake residue generated in most parts of the Mediterranean countries continues to increase and expected to double in amount within 10 15 years. This increase intensifies the problems associated with the disposal of this by-product. Olive cake residue has a potential for use as a soil stabilizer and large volumes can be beneficially used. This study is directed toward determining if olive cake residue can be utilized to increase the strength and stability of expansive soils which constitute a costly natural hazard to lightweight structures on shallow foundations. A series of laboratory tests using engineering properties, such as Atterberg limits, moisture-density relationship (compaction), swell, unconfined compressive strength were undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the olive cake residue as a soil stabilizer. Test results indicate that an addition of only 3% burned olive waste into the soil causes a reduction in plasticity, volume change and an increase in the unconfined compressive strength. However, it was observed that the presence of burned olive waste in the soil greater than 3% caused an increase in the compressibility and a decrease in the unconfined compressive strength. Test results indicate that the use of olive waste in soil stabilization gives greater benefits to the environment than simply disposing of the by-product, olive cake residue.

New substrate containing agroindustrial carnauba residue for production of papaya under foliar fertilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisca G. Albano

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The use of organic waste in the composition of substrates for seedlings constitutes an alternative to the recycling of these materials. Thus, an experiment was conducted with the objective to evaluate the production of ‘Formosa’ papaya seedlings in substrate containing carnauba wax residue, under foliar fertilization. The experimental design was completely randomized with five replicates, with treatments distributed in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, corresponding to five materials used as substrates, in the presence and absence of foliar fertilization. The materials used were: earthworm humus, carnauba residue + fresh rice husk; carnauba residue in powder; carnauba residue semi-decomposed and mixture of carnauba residues: carnauba residue + fresh rice husk + carnauba residue semi-decomposed + carnauba residue in powder, at the proportion 1:1:1. The agroindustrial residue of carnauba wax semi-decomposed can be used as substrates in the production of ‘Formosa’ papaya seedlings. The foliar fertilization increases the quality of papaya seedlings, leading to increment in leaf area, root volume and sulfur content in the leaves, thus becoming a necessary practice.

Numerical and Experimental Study on the Residual Stresses in the Nitrided Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Song, X.; Zhang, Zhi-Qian; Narayanaswamy, S.; Huang, Y. Z.; Zarinejad, M.

2016-09-01

In the present work, residual stresses distribution in the gas nitrided AISI 4140 sample has been studied using finite element (FE) simulation. The nitrogen concentration profile is obtained from the diffusion-controlled compound layer growth model, and nitrogen concentration controls the material volume change through phase transformation and lattice interstitials which results in residual stresses. Such model is validated through residual stress measurement technique—micro-ring-core method, which is applied to the nitriding process to obtain the residual stresses profiles in both the compound and diffusion layer. The numerical and experimental results are in good agreement with each other; they both indicate significant stress variation in the compound layer, which was not captured in previous research works due to the resolution limit of the traditional methods.

Impacts of acute severe pulmonary regurgitation on right ventricular geometry and contractility assessed by tissue-Doppler echocardiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjaergaard, Jesper; K. Iversen, Kasper; G Vejlstrup, Niels

2010-01-01

AIMS: Little is known of the impact of acute right ventricular (RV) volume overload on RV function. We assessed the impact of acute severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) on global and regional RV function by applying novel quantitative echocardiographic markers of myocardial performance in an animal...

Impacts of acute severe pulmonary regurgitation on right ventricular geometry and contractility assessed by tissue-Doppler echocardiography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjaergaard, Jesper; Iversen, Kasper K; Vejlstrup, Niels G

2010-01-01

Little is known of the impact of acute right ventricular (RV) volume overload on RV function. We assessed the impact of acute severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) on global and regional RV function by applying novel quantitative echocardiographic markers of myocardial performance in an animal model....

Residual nilpotence and residual solubility of groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikhailov, R V

2005-01-01

The properties of the residual nilpotence and the residual solubility of groups are studied. The main objects under investigation are the class of residually nilpotent groups such that each central extension of these groups is also residually nilpotent and the class of residually soluble groups such that each Abelian extension of these groups is residually soluble. Various examples of groups not belonging to these classes are constructed by homological methods and methods of the theory of modules over group rings. Several applications of the theory under consideration are presented and problems concerning the residual nilpotence of one-relator groups are considered.

Deep down: Isopod biodiversity of the Kuril-Kamchatka abyssal area including a comparison with data of previous expeditions of the RV Vityaz

Science.gov (United States)

Elsner, Nikolaus O.; Malyutina, Marina V.; Golovan, Olga A.; Brenke, Nils; Riehl, Torben; Brandt, Angelika

2015-01-01

This study focusses on the isopod biodiversity in the abyssal area southeast of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. The KuramBio (Kuril-Kamchatka Biodiversity Studies) expedition in summer 2012 collected altogether 10,169 isopods from 21 C-EBS hauls at 12 stations, belonging to 19 families, 73 genera and 207 species from the depth range between 4830 and 5780 m. Munnopsidae and Desmosomatidae were the most abundant and species-rich families, Eurycope (Munnopsidae) and Macrostylis (Macrostylidae) the most abundant genera. An nMDS plot on the basis of the Cosine similarity index reveals no clear pattern and all hauls to be different from each other. We compared our data with 12 stations from the same depth range sampled by the Russian RV Vityaz about 50 years ago and were able to identify several species collected by the RV Vityaz. The identified isopod species belonged to the families Munnopsidae, Macrostylidae, Haploniscidae, Desmosomatidae, Ischnomesidae and Nannoniscidae. Of the 333 individuals collected by the RV Vityaz, Haploniscidae and Munnopsidae were the most abundant families. Desmosomatidae were only represented by rarefaction curves of both the KuramBio and the Vityaz samples are not approaching an asymptote, indicating that even after repeated sampling just a part of the local fauna has been recorded so far.

Optimized R functions for analysis of ecological community data using the R virtual laboratory (RvLab).

Science.gov (United States)

Varsos, Constantinos; Patkos, Theodore; Oulas, Anastasis; Pavloudi, Christina; Gougousis, Alexandros; Ijaz, Umer Zeeshan; Filiopoulou, Irene; Pattakos, Nikolaos; Vanden Berghe, Edward; Fernández-Guerra, Antonio; Faulwetter, Sarah; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Pafilis, Evangelos; Bekiari, Chryssoula; Doerr, Martin; Arvanitidis, Christos

2016-01-01

Parallel data manipulation using R has previously been addressed by members of the R community, however most of these studies produce ad hoc solutions that are not readily available to the average R user. Our targeted users, ranging from the expert ecologist/microbiologists to computational biologists, often experience difficulties in finding optimal ways to exploit the full capacity of their computational resources. In addition, improving performance of commonly used R scripts becomes increasingly difficult especially with large datasets. Furthermore, the implementations described here can be of significant interest to expert bioinformaticians or R developers. Therefore, our goals can be summarized as: (i) description of a complete methodology for the analysis of large datasets by combining capabilities of diverse R packages, (ii) presentation of their application through a virtual R laboratory (RvLab) that makes execution of complex functions and visualization of results easy and readily available to the end-user. In this paper, the novelty stems from implementations of parallel methodologies which rely on the processing of data on different levels of abstraction and the availability of these processes through an integrated portal. Parallel implementation R packages, such as the pbdMPI (Programming with Big Data - Interface to MPI) package, are used to implement Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) parallelization on primitive mathematical operations, allowing for interplay with functions of the vegan package. The dplyr and RPostgreSQL R packages are further integrated offering connections to dataframe like objects (databases) as secondary storage solutions whenever memory demands exceed available RAM resources. The RvLab is running on a PC cluster, using version 3.1.2 (2014-10-31) on a x86_64-pc-linux-gnu (64-bit) platform, and offers an intuitive virtual environmet interface enabling users to perform analysis of ecological and microbial communities based on

Quantification of the relative contribution of the different right ventricular wall motion components to right ventricular ejection fraction: the ReVISION method.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakatos, Bálint; Tősér, Zoltán; Tokodi, Márton; Doronina, Alexandra; Kosztin, Annamária; Muraru, Denisa; Badano, Luigi P; Kovács, Attila; Merkely, Béla

2017-03-27

Three major mechanisms contribute to right ventricular (RV) pump function: (i) shortening of the longitudinal axis with traction of the tricuspid annulus towards the apex; (ii) inward movement of the RV free wall; (iii) bulging of the interventricular septum into the RV and stretching the free wall over the septum. The relative contribution of the aforementioned mechanisms to RV pump function may change in different pathological conditions.Our aim was to develop a custom method to separately assess the extent of longitudinal, radial and anteroposterior displacement of the RV walls and to quantify their relative contribution to global RV ejection fraction using 3D data sets obtained by echocardiography.Accordingly, we decomposed the movement of the exported RV beutel wall in a vertex based manner. The volumes of the beutels accounting for the RV wall motion in only one direction (either longitudinal, radial, or anteroposterior) were calculated at each time frame using the signed tetrahedron method. Then, the relative contribution of the RV wall motion along the three different directions to global RV ejection fraction was calculated either as the ratio of the given direction's ejection fraction to global ejection fraction and as the frame-by-frame RV volume change (∆V/∆t) along the three motion directions.The ReVISION (Right VentrIcular Separate wall motIon quantificatiON) method may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of RV mechanical adaptations to different loading conditions and diseases.

CTD data from R/V Kilo Moana Cruise KM1123 during 2011-08 north of Hawaii (NODC Accession 0125443)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Profiles were taken with a Sea-Bird SBE-911 plus CTD from the R/V Kilo Moana on cruise KM1123 2011-08-11 to 2011-08-25 in the vicinity of Station ALOHA, the Hawaii...

Dynamic Response and Residual Helmet Liner Crush Using Cadaver Heads and Standard Headforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, S J; Luck, J F; Bass, C R; Gardiner, J C; Onar-Thomas, A; Asfour, S S; Siegmund, G P

2017-03-01

Biomechanical headforms are used for helmet certification testing and reconstructing helmeted head impacts; however, their biofidelity and direct applicability to human head and helmet responses remain unclear. Dynamic responses of cadaver heads and three headforms and residual foam liner deformations were compared during motorcycle helmet impacts. Instrumented, helmeted heads/headforms were dropped onto the forehead region against an instrumented flat anvil at 75, 150, and 195 J. Helmets were CT scanned to quantify maximum liner crush depth and crush volume. General linear models were used to quantify the effect of head type and impact energy on linear acceleration, head injury criterion (HIC), force, maximum liner crush depth, and liner crush volume and regression models were used to quantify the relationship between acceleration and both maximum crush depth and crush volume. The cadaver heads generated larger peak accelerations than all three headforms, larger HICs than the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), larger forces than the Hybrid III and ISO, larger maximum crush depth than the ISO, and larger crush volumes than the DOT. These significant differences between the cadaver heads and headforms need to be accounted for when attempting to estimate an impact exposure using a helmet's residual crush depth or volume.

Peculiarities of component interaction in {l_brace}Gd, Er{r_brace}-V-Sn Ternary systems at 870 K and crystal structure of RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} stannides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romaka, L., E-mail: romakal@franko.lviv.ua [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine); Stadnyk, Yu. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine); Romaka, V.V. [Department of Materials Engineering and Applied Physics, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ustyyanovycha Str. 5, 79013 Lviv (Ukraine); Demchenko, P.; Stadnyshyn, M.; Konyk, M. [Inorganic Chemistry Department, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Kyryla and Mefodiya str. 6, 79005 Lviv (Ukraine)

2011-09-08

Highlights: > {l_brace}Gd, Er{r_brace}-V-Sn ternary systems at 870 K are characterized by formation of stannides with general compositions RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6}. > Isostructural RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} compounds were also found with Y, Dy, Ho, Tm, and Lu. > The crystal structure of RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} compounds was determined by powder diffraction method. > Structural analysis showed that RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} compounds (R = Gd, Dy-Tm, Lu) are disordered; YV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} is characterized by structure ordering. - Abstract: The phase equilibria in the Gd-V-Sn and Er-V-Sn ternary systems were studied at 870 K by means of X-ray and metallographic analyses in the whole concentration range. Both Gd-V-Sn and Er-V-Sn systems are characterized by formation of one ternary compound at investigated temperature, with stoichiometry RV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} (SmMn{sub 6}Sn{sub 6}-type, space group P6/mmm, a = 0.55322(3) nm, c = 0.91949(7) nm for Gd, a = 0.55191(2) nm, c = 0.91869(8) nm for Er). Solubility of the third component in the binary compounds was not observed. Compounds with the SmMn{sub 6}Sn{sub 6}-type were also found with Dy, Ho, Tm, and Lu, while YV{sub 6}Sn{sub 6} compound crystallizes in HfFe{sub 6}Ge{sub 6} structure type. All investigated compounds are the first ternary stannides with rare earth elements and vanadium.

Anaerobic fermentation of agricultural residue: potential for improvement and implementation. Final report, Volume II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jewell, W. J.; Dell' orto, S.; Fanfoni, K. J.; Hayes, T. D.; Leuschner, A. P.; Sherman, D. F.

1980-04-01

Earlier studies have shown that although large quantities of agricultural residues are generated on small farms, it was difficult to economically justify use of conventional anaerobic digestion technology, such as used for sewage sludge digestion. A simple, unmixed, earthen-supported structure appeared to be capable of producing significant quantities of biogas at a cost that would make it competitive with many existing fuels. The goal of this study was to define and demonstrate a methane fermentation technology that could be practical and economically feasible on small farms. This study provides the first long term, large scale (reactor volumes of 34 m/sup 3/) parallel testing of the major theory, design, construction, and operation of a low cost approach to animal manure fermentation as compared to the more costly and complex designs. The main objectives were to define the lower limits for successful fermentor operation in terms of mixing, insulation, temperature, feed rate, and management requirements in a cold climate with both pilot scale and full scale fermentors. Over a period of four years, innovative fermentation processes for animal manures were developed from theoretical concept to successful full scale demonstration. Reactors were sized for 50 to 65 dairy animals, or for the one-family dairy size. The results show that a small farm biogas generation system that should be widely applicable and economically feasible was operated successfully for nearly two years. Although this low cost system out-performed the completely mixed unit throughout the study, perhaps the greatest advantage of this approach is its ease of modification, operation, and maintenance.

Cisapride does not alter gastric volume or pH in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lydon, A

2012-02-03

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of 20 mg cisapride p.o. in reducing residual gastric volume and pH in adult ambulatory surgical patients. METHODS: Using a prospective randomised double-blind controlled design, we administered either 20 mg cisapride p.o. or placebo preoperatively to 64 ASA 1-2 ambulatory surgical patients. Following induction of anesthesia we measured volume and pH of residual gastric contents, using blind aspiration through an orogastric tube. Parametric data were analysed using unpaired, one tail Students\\' t test. Non-parametric data were analysed using Fishers Exact test and Chi square analysis. Statistical significance was accepted at the probability level of < 0.05. RESULTS: Residual gastric volumes were similar in the two groups (19.5 +\\/- 23.8, 23.9 +\\/- 24.4 ml), in the cisapride and placebo groups respectively, P=0.24). Data shown are mean (+\\/- SD). The proportions of patients with a residual gastric volume exceeding 0.4 ml x kg(-1) were similar in the two groups (4 of 28, and 8 of 23 patients in the cisapride and placebo groups respectively, P=0.09). The pH of the residual gastric contents were similar in the cisapride and placebo groups (1.6 +\\/- 0.5, 1.4 +\\/- 0.5, respectively, P=0.26). The proportions of patients with pH < 2.5 was also similar in the cisapride and placebo groups (21 of 25, and 20 of 21 patients respectively, P=0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative administration of 20 mg cisapride p.o. to patients scheduled for outpatient surgery does not alter either the volume or the pH of gastric contents. Its use in this setting is of no apparent clinical benefit.

Revisiting host preference in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex: experimental infection shows M. tuberculosis H37Rv to be avirulent in cattle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam O Whelan

Full Text Available Experiments in the late 19th century sought to define the host specificity of the causative agents of tuberculosis in mammals. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the human tubercle bacillus, was independently shown by Smith, Koch, and von Behring to be avirulent in cattle. This finding was erroneously used by Koch to argue the converse, namely that Mycobacterium bovis, the agent of bovine tuberculosis, was avirulent for man, a view that was subsequently discredited. However, reports in the literature of M. tuberculosis isolation from cattle with tuberculoid lesions suggests that the virulence of M. tuberculosis for cattle needs to be readdressed. We used an experimental bovine infection model to test the virulence of well-characterized strains of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis in cattle, choosing the genome-sequenced strains M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. bovis 2122/97. Cattle were infected with approximately 10(6 CFU of M. tuberculosis H37Rv or M. bovis 2122/97, and sacrificed 17 weeks post-infection. IFN-gamma and tuberculin skin tests indicated that both M. bovis 2122 and M. tuberculosis H37Rv were equally infective and triggered strong cell-mediated immune responses, albeit with some indication of differential antigen-specific responses. Postmortem examination revealed that while M. bovis 2122/97-infected animals all showed clear pathology indicative of bovine tuberculosis, the M. tuberculosis-infected animals showed no pathology. Culturing of infected tissues revealed that M. tuberculosis was able to persist in the majority of animals, albeit at relatively low bacillary loads. In revisiting the early work on host preference across the M. tuberculosis complex, we have shown M. tuberculosis H37Rv is avirulent for cattle, and propose that the immune status of the animal, or genotype of the infecting bacillus, may have significant bearing on the virulence of a strain for cattle. This work will serve as a baseline for future studies into the genetic basis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis PPE44 (Rv2770c) is involved in response to multiple stresses and promotes the macrophage expression of IL-12 p40 and IL-6 via the p38, ERK, and NF-κB signaling axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhaoxiao; Zhang, Chenhui; Zhou, Mingliang; Li, Qiming; Li, Hui; Duan, Wei; Li, Xue; Feng, Yonghong; Xie, Jianping

2017-09-01

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains a formidable threat to global public health. The successful intracellular persistence of M. tuberculosis significantly contributes to the intractability of tuberculosis. Proline-glutamic acid (PE) and proline-proline-glutamic acid (PPE) are mycobacterial exclusive protein families that widely reported to be involved in the bacterial virulence, physiology and interaction with host. Rv2770c (PPE44), a predicted virulence factor, was up-regulated upon the infected guinea pig lungs. To investigate the role of Rv2770c, we heterologously expressed the PPE44 in the nonpathogenic fast-growing M. smegmatis strain. Subcellular location analysis demonstrated that Rv2770c is a cell wall associated protein, suggestive of a potential candidate involved in host-pathogen interaction. The Rv2770c can enhance M. smegmatis survival within macrophages and under stresses such as H 2 O 2 , SDS, diamide exposure, and low pH condition. M. smegmatis expressing Rv2770c is more virulent as testified by the increased death of macrophages and the increased expression of interlukin-6 (IL-6) and interlukin-12p40 (IL-12p40). Moreover, Rv2770c altered the secretion of IL-6 and IL-12p40 of macrophages via NF-κB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK axis. Taken together, this study implicated that Rv2770c was a virulent factor actively engaged in the interaction with host macrophage. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

TOF-SIMS Analysis of Crater Residues from Wild 2 Cometary on Stardust Aluminum Foil

Science.gov (United States)

Leutner, Jan; Stephan, Thomas; Kearsley, T.; Horz, Friedrich; Flynn, George J.; Sandford, Scott A.

2006-01-01

Impact residues of cometary particles on aluminum foils from the Stardust mission were investigated with TOF-SIMS for their elemental and organic composition. The residual matter from comet 81P/Wild 2 shows a wide compositional range, from nearly monomineralic grains to polymict aggregates. Despite the comparably small analyzed sample volume, the average element composition of the investigated residues is similar to bulk CI chondritic values. Analysis of organic components in impact residues is complicated, due to fragmentation and alteration of the compounds during the impact process and by the presence of contaminants on the aluminum foils. Nevertheless, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are unambiguously associated with the impact residues were observed, and thus are most likely of cometary origin.

Application of X-rays and Synchrotron X Rays to Residual Stress Evaluation Near Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyzalla, Anke

1999-01-01

A nondestructive residual stress analysis can be performed using diffraction methods. The easiest accessible radiation is characteristic X radiation that has a penetration depth of ∼10 microm suitable for the determination of the residual stresses in near-surface layers. Special techniques have been developed, e.g., with respect to in situ analyses of the stress state in oxide layers and the residual stress analysis in coarse grained zones of steel welds or annealed Ni-base alloys. Depending on the size of the gauge volume, neutron diffraction can provide information at depths of tens of millimetres of steel and many tens of millimetres of Al. An alternative to the use of the characteristic synchrotron radiation is the use of a high-energy polychromatic beam in an energy dispersive arrangement, which gives access to higher penetration depths at still gauge volumes as small as 100 microm x 100 microm x 1 mm in steel rods of 15-mm diameter. The combination of neutrons with conventional X rays and monochromatic and polychromatic synchrotron radiation allows for a comprehensive investigation of the phase composition, the texture, and the residual stresses

Estimation of lung volume and pulmonary blood volume from radioisotopic images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanazawa, Minoru

1989-01-01

Lung volume and pulmonary blood volume in man were estimated from the radioisotopic image using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Six healthy volunteers were studied in a supine position with normal and altered lung volumes by applying continuous negative body-surface pressure (CNP) and by positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). 99m Tc labeled human serum albumin was administered as an aerosol to image the lungs. The CNP caused the diaphragm to be lowered and it increased the mean lung tissue volume obtained by SPECT from 3.09±0.49 l for baseline to 3.67±0.62 l for 10 cmH 2 O (p 2 O (p 2 O), respectively. The PEEP also increased the lung tissue volume to 3.68±0.68 l for 10 cmH 2 O as compared with the baseline (p 2 O PEEP. The lung tissue volume obtained by SPECT showed a positive correlation with functional residual capacity measured by the He dilution method (r=0.91, p 99m Tc-labeled red blood cells. The L/H ratio decreased after either the CNP or PEEP, suggesting a decrease in the blood volume per unit lung volume. However, it was suggested that the total pulmonary blood volume increased slightly either on the CNP (+7.4% for 10 cmH 2 O, p 2 O,p<0.05) when we extrapolated the L/H ratio to the whole lungs by multiplying the lung tissue volume obtained by SPECT. We concluded that SPECT could offer access to the estimation of lung volume and pulmonary blood volume in vivo. (author)

How Does Subclinical Hyperthyroidism Affect Right Heart Function and Mechanics?

Science.gov (United States)

Tadic, Marijana; Celic, Vera; Cuspidi, Cesare; Ilic, Sanja; Zivanovic, Vladimir; Marjanovic, Tamara

2016-02-01

Right heart function and mechanics have not been investigated in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. Our aim was to investigate right ventricular (RV) and right atrial (RA) function and deformation as evaluated by 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and speckle-tracking 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) in these individuals. We included 39 untreated women with endogenous subclinical hyperthyroidism and 39 healthy women matched by age. All participants underwent laboratory analyses that included thyroid hormone levels and comprehensive 2DE and 3DE examinations. Three-dimensional echocardiographic RV volumes were significantly elevated in the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (P < .05), whereas the 3DE RV ejection fraction was reduced in this group, but with borderline significance. Two-dimensional echocardiographic longitudinal RV and RA strain were significantly reduced in the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. Two-dimensional echocardiographic RV systolic and early diastolic strain rates were reduced, whereas late diastolic strain rates were increased in the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. The same changes were detected in RA mechanics among the patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. The thyrotropin (TSH) level correlated with the left ventricular mass index, transmitral early diastolic peak flow velocity (E)/late diastolic flow velocity (A) ratio, tricuspid E/A ratio, 2DE RV global strain, 2DE RA, strain, and 3DE RV end-diastolic volume. A multivariate regression analysis showed that the mitral E/A ratio, 2DE RV global strain, and 3DE RV end-diastolic volume were independently associated with the TSH level. Right ventricular and RA function as evaluated by 3DE and speckle-tracking 2DE is significantly impaired in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. The TSH level correlated with parameters for RV function and mechanics in the whole study population. © 2016 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Characteristics of residues from thermally treated anaerobic sludges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedman, A.A.; Smith, J.E.; De Santis, J.; Ptak, T.; Ganley, R.C.

1988-01-01

Sludge management and disposal are probably the most difficult and expensive operations involved in wastewater treatment today. To minimize final disposal costs many waste treatment facilities practice some form of anaerobic digestion and dewatering to reduce the volume and offensiveness of their by-product sludges. One potential alternative for reducing sludge volumes consists of high temperature, partial oxidation of these previously digested sludges (PDS) and subsequent anaerobic biological conversion of resulting soluble organics to methane. This paper describes solids destruction, residue characteristics and biodegradability factors that should be considered in the design of liquid thermal treatment processes for the management of anaerobic sludges. To date only very limited information is available concerning the suitability of thermally treated PDS to serve as a substrate for the generation of methane. The primary objective of this research was to determine the feasibility of producing methane efficiently from the residual VSS in anaerobically digested sludges. Secondary goals were to establish the ''best'' conditions for thermal treatment for solubilizing PDS, to observe the effect of the soluble products on methanogenesis and to evaluate process sidestreams for dewaterability and anaerobic biodegradability

Volume of baseline data on radioactivity in drinking water, ground water, waste water, sewage sludge, residues and wastes of the annual report 1988 'Environmental radioactivity and radiation exposure'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abelmann, S.; Buenger, T.; Fusban, H.U.; Ruehle, H.; Viertel, H.; Gans, I.

1991-01-01

This WaBoLu volume is a shortened version of the annual report by the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Reactor Safety 'Environmental radioactivity and radiation exposure' and gives an overview of the data on radioactivity in drinking water, ground water, waste water, sewage sludge, residues and wastes, compiled for the area of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1988 by the Institute of Water, Soil and Air Hygiene (WaBoLu) of the Federal Health Office. (BBR) With 22 figs., 15 tabs [de

Elevated postvoid residual urine volume predicting recurrence of urinary tract infections in toilet-trained children.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shang-Jen; Tsai, Li-Ping; Hsu, Chun-Kai; Yang, Stephen S

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether toilet-trained children with a history of febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) and elevated postvoid residual (PVR) urine volume according to a recently published PVR nomogram were at greater risk of UTI recurrence. One month after recovery from febrile UTI, constipation was diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria, and lower urinary tract (LUT) function was evaluated with two sets of uroflowmetry and PVR by ultrasonography. For children aged ≦ 6 and ≧ 7 years, elevated PVR is defined as >20 and >10 ml, respectively. Cox proportion hazards regression was used to evaluate the risk factors for recurrence of UTI. Between 2005 and 2011, 60 children aged 6.5 ± 2.5 years (boy:girl ratio 27:33) were enrolled for analysis. Univariate analysis showed that recurrent febrile UTI was more commonly observed in children with elevated PVR [repetitive elevated PVR: hazard ratio (HR) 5.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-23.4; one elevated PVR: HR 4.53, 95% CI 1.01-20.2] and high-grade vesicoureteral reflux (VUR; HR 4.53, 95% CI 1.46-14.07). Multivariate analysis showed that younger age (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.03-1.82, p UTI--but not gender, presence of high-grade VUR and constipation. Elevated PVR defined by the new PVR nomogram predicted recurrent UTI in children with history of febrile UTI. Care should be taken to manage children with elevated PVR.

ICPP calcined solids storage facility closure study. Volume III: Engineering design files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-02-01

The following information was calculated to support cost estimates and radiation exposure calculations for closure activities at the Calcined Solids Storage Facility (CSSF). Within the estimate, volumes were calculated to determine the required amount of grout to be used during closure activities. The remaining calcine on the bin walls, supports, piping, and floor was also calculated to approximate the remaining residual calcine volumes at different stages of the removal process. The estimates for remaining calcine and vault void volume are higher than what would actually be experienced in the field, but are necessary for bounding purposes. The residual calcine in the bins may be higher than was is experienced in the field as it was assumed that the entire bin volume is full of calcine before removal activities commence. The vault void volumes are higher as the vault roof beam volumes were neglected. The estimations that follow should be considered rough order of magnitude, due to the time constraints as dictated by the project's scope of work. Should more accurate numbers be required, a new analysis would be necessary

ICPP calcined solids storage facility closure study. Volume III: Engineering design files

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-02-01

The following information was calculated to support cost estimates and radiation exposure calculations for closure activities at the Calcined Solids Storage Facility (CSSF). Within the estimate, volumes were calculated to determine the required amount of grout to be used during closure activities. The remaining calcine on the bin walls, supports, piping, and floor was also calculated to approximate the remaining residual calcine volumes at different stages of the removal process. The estimates for remaining calcine and vault void volume are higher than what would actually be experienced in the field, but are necessary for bounding purposes. The residual calcine in the bins may be higher than was is experienced in the field as it was assumed that the entire bin volume is full of calcine before removal activities commence. The vault void volumes are higher as the vault roof beam volumes were neglected. The estimations that follow should be considered rough order of magnitude, due to the time constraints as dictated by the project`s scope of work. Should more accurate numbers be required, a new analysis would be necessary.

Overview of errors in the reference sequence and annotation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, and variation amongst its isolates

KAUST Repository

Kö ser, Claudio U.; Niemann, Stefan; Summers, David K.; Archer, John A.C.

2012-01-01

Since its publication in 1998, the genome sequence of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv laboratory strain has acted as the cornerstone for the study of tuberculosis. In this review we address some of the practical aspects that have come to light

HDHPLUS/SHP : heavy residue hydroconversion technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morel, F. [Axens, Rueil Malmaison (France)

2009-07-01

This presentation described an integrated refinery process that achieves nearly full conversion of heavy and refractory residues into ultra high quality and ultra low sulphur transportation fuels with a yield great than 100 volume per cent. The Axens, IFP and Intevep/PDVSA Alliance combined the HDHPLUS vacuum residue slurry technology with Sequential Hydro Processing (SHP) of primary hydrocracked products. Both technologies have undergone extensive testing at a refinery in Puerto La Cruz (RPLC), Venezuela to begin production of 50,000 BPSD in 2012. The demonstration unit at Intevep has been used to investigate production of effluent for the downstream SHP processing. This paper also reviewed the SHP bench unit operations at IFP's Lyon research center in France and disclosed the final product yields and qualities. The test results have shown the expected RPLC deep conversion commercial unit performances and fully secure its design basis. tabs., figs.

Clonal analysis of the T-cell response to in vivo expressed Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein Rv2034, using a CD154 expression based T-cell cloning method.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanna Commandeur

Full Text Available Tuberculosis (TB, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb, remains a leading cause of death worldwide. A better understanding of the role of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which are both important to TB protection, is essential to unravel the mechanisms of protection and to identify the key antigens seen by these T cells. We have recently identified a set of in vivo expressed Mtb genes (IVE-TB which is expressed during in vivo pulmonary infection in mice, and shown that their encoded antigens are potently recognized by polyclonal T cells from tuberculin skin test-positive, in vitro ESAT-6/CFP10-responsive individuals. Here we have cloned T cells specific for one of these newly identified in vivo expressed Mtb (IVE-TB antigens, Rv2034. T cells were enriched based on the expression of CD154 (CD40L, which represents a new method for selecting antigen-specific (low frequency T cells independent of their specific function. An Rv2034-specific CD4+ T-cell clone expressed the Th1 markers T-bet, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2 and the cytotoxicity related markers granzyme B and CD107a as measured by flow cytometry. The clone specifically recognized Rv2034 protein, Rv2034 peptide p81-100 and Mtb lysate. Remarkably, while the recognition of the dominant p81-100 epitope was HLA-DR restricted, the T-cell clone also recognized a neighboring epitope (p88-107 in an HLA-DR- as well as HLA-DQ1-restricted fashion. Importantly, the T-cell clone was able to inhibit Mtb outgrowth from infected monocytes significantly. The characterization of the polyfunctional and Mtb inhibitory T-cell response to IVE-TB Rv2034 at the clonal level provides detailed further insights into the potential of IVE-TB antigens as new vaccine candidate antigens in TB. Our new approach allowed the identification of T-cell subsets that likely play a significant role in controlling Mtb infection, and can be applied to the analysis of T-cell responses in patient populations.

2002 EM1002 and EM120 Multibeam Sonar Data from Cruise R/V Kilo Moana KM-02-06 - Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — EM1002 and EM120 multibeam Data were collected in October/November 2002 aboard R/V Kilo Moana between Kauai Island and Lisianski Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian...

Accuracy of right and left ventricular functional assessment by short-axis vs axial cine steady-state free-precession magnetic resonance imaging: intrapatient correlation with main pulmonary artery and ascending aorta phase-contrast flow measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Susan H; Wald, Rachel; Wintersperger, Bernd J; Jimenez-Juan, Laura; Deva, Djeven; Crean, Andrew M; Nguyen, Elsie; Paul, Narinder S; Ley, Sebastian

2013-08-01

The left ventricle (LV) is routinely assessed with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by using short-axis orientation; it remains unclear whether the right ventricle (RV) can also be adequately assessed in this orientation or whether dedicated axial orientation is required. We used phase-contrast (PC) flow measurements in the main pulmonary artery (MPA) and the ascending aorta (Aorta) as nonvolumetric standard of reference and compared RV and LV volumes in short-axis and axial orientations. A retrospective analysis identified 30 patients with cardiac MRI data sets. Patients underwent MRI (1.5 T or 3 T), with retrospectively gated cine steady-state free-precession in axial and short-axis orientations. PC flow analyses of MPA and Aorta were used as the reference measure of RV and LV output. There was a high linear correlation between MPA-PC flow and RV-stroke volume (SV) short axis (r = 0.9) and RV-SV axial (r = 0.9). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a mean offset of 1.4 mL for RV axial and -2.3 mL for RV-short-axis vs MPA-PC flow. There was a high linear correlation between Aorta-PC flow and LV-SV short-axis (r = 0.9) and LV-SV axial (r = 0.9). Bland-Altman analysis revealed a mean offset of 4.8 m for LV short axis and 7.0 mL for LV axial vs Aorta-PC flow. There was no significant difference (P = .6) between short-axis-LV SV and short-axis-RV SV. No significant impact of the slice acquisition orientation for determination of RV and LV stroke volumes was found. Therefore, cardiac magnetic resonance workflow does not need to be extended by an axial data set for patients without complex cardiac disease for assessment of biventricular function and volumes. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Engineering assessment of radioactive sands and residues, Lowman Site, Lowman, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-09-01

Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has reevaluated the Lowman site in order to revise the December 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive sands and residues at Lowman, Idaho. This engineering assessment has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of radioactive sands and residues and radiation exposure of individuals and nearby populations, and investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 191,000 tons of radioactive sands, residues, and contaminated soils at the Lowman site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown radioactive sands and external gamma radiation also are factors

Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease: diagnostic and prognostic value of CT in chronic systolic heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Colin, Geoffrey C; Gerber, Bernhard L; de Meester de Ravenstein, Christophe; Byl, David; Dietz, Anna; Kamga, Michele; Pasquet, Agnes; Vancraeynest, David; Vanoverschelde, Jean-Louis; D'Hondt, Anne-Marie; Ghaye, Benoit; Pouleur, Anne-Catherine

2018-05-14

To evaluate the ability of chest computed tomography (CT) to predict pulmonary hypertension (PH) and outcome in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We reviewed 119 consecutive patients with HFrEF by CT, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and right heart catheterization (RHC). CT-derived pulmonary artery (PA) diameter and PA to ascending aorta diameter ratio (PA:A ratio), left atrial, right atrial, right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular volumes were correlated with RHC mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) . Diagnostic accuracy to predict PH and ability to predict primary composite endpoint of all-cause mortality and HF events were evaluated. RV volume was significantly higher in 81 patients with PH compared to 38 patients without PH (133 ml/m 2 vs. 79 ml/m 2 , p < 0.001) and was moderately correlated with mPAP (r=0.55, p < 0.001). Also, RV volume had higher ability to predict PH (area under the curve: 0.88) than PA diameter (0.79), PA:A ratio (0.76) by CT and tricuspid regurgitation gradient (0.83) and RV basal diameter by TTE (0.84, all p < 0.001). During the follow-up period (median: 3.4 years), 51 patients (43%) had HF events or died. After correction for important clinical, TTE and RHC parameters, RV volume (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.71, 95% CI 1.31-2.23, p < 0.001) and PA diameter (HR: 1.61, 95% CI 1.18-2.22, p = 0.003) were independent predictors of the primary endpoint. In patients with HFrEF, measurement of RV volume and PA diameter on ungated CT are non-invasive markers of PH and may help to predict the patient outcome. • Right ventricular (RV) volume measured by chest CT has good ability to identify pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). • The accuracy of pulmonary artery (PA) diameter and PA to ascending aorta diameter ratio (PA:A ratio) to predict PH was similar to previous studies, however, with lower cut-offs (28.1 mm and 0

Geophysical exploration of historical mine dumps for the estimation of valuable residuals

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Tina; Knieß, Rudolf; Noell, Ursula; Hupfer, Sarah; Kuhn, Kerstin; Günther, Thomas

2015-04-01

Within the project ROBEHA, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (033R105) the economic potential of different abandoned dump sites for mine waste in the Harz Mountains was investigated. Two different mining dumps were geophysically and mineralogically analysed in order to characterize the mine dump structure and to estimate the volume of the potential recycling material. The geophysical methods comprised geoelectrics, radar, and spectral induced polarization (SIP). One about 100-year old mining dump containing residues from density separated Ag- and Sb-rich Pb (Zn)-gangue ores was investigated in detail. Like most small-scale mining waste disposal sites this investigated dump is very heterogeneously structured. Therefore, 27 geoelectrical profiles, more than 50 radar profiles, and several SIP profiles were measured and analysed. The results from the radar measurements, registered with the GSSI system and a shielded 200 MHz antenna, show the near surface boundary layer (down to 3-4 m beneath surface) of the waste residuals. These results can be used as pre-information for the inversion process of the geoelectrical data. The geoelectrical results reveal the mineral residues as layers with higher resistivities (> 300 Ohm*m) than the surrounding material. The SIP method found low phase signals (mine dump and other parameters we get a first estimate for the volume of the residues but the economical viability and the environmental impact of the reworking of the dump still needs to be evaluated in detail. The results of the second mine dump, an abandoned Cu and Zn-rich slag heap, show that the slag residues are characterized by higher resistivities and higher phases. A localization of the slag residues which are covered by organic material could be realized applying these geophysical methods.

Effects of delayed cord clamping on residual placental blood volume, hemoglobin and bilirubin levels in term infants: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer, J S; Erickson-Owens, D A; Collins, J; Barcelos, M O; Parker, A B; Padbury, J F

2017-03-01

The objective of the study was to measure the effects of a 5-min delay (DCC) versus immediate cord clamping (ICC) on residual placental blood volume (RPBV) at birth, and hemoglobin and serum bilirubin at 24 to 48 h of age. In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 73 women with term (37 to 41 weeks) singleton fetuses were randomized to DCC (⩾5 min; n=37) or ICC (protocol violations. Cord milking was the proxy for DCC (n=11) when the provider could not wait. Infants randomized to DCC compared with ICC had significantly less RPBV (20.0 versus 30.8 ml kg -1 , Phemoglobin levels (19.4 versus 17.8 g dl -1 , P=0.002) at 24 to 48 h, with no difference in bilirubin levels. Term infants had early hematological advantage of DCC without increases in hyperbilirubinemia or symptomatic polycythemia.

Use of gypsum residues as a corrective for saline-sodic soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Medeiros dos Santos

2014-03-01

Full Text Available One of the hugest problems faced by the civil construction sector is the final destination of residues, especially gypsum, which presents recycling restrictions. However, these residues present a high amount of calcium in their composition, and can be alternatively used for replacing mined gypsum as a saline-sodic soil corrective. This study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of gypsum residues from the civil construction, when compared to mined gypsum, for correcting a saline-sodic soil. A randomized blocks design was used, in a factorial arrangement consisting of two kinds of corrective (gypsum residue and mined gypsum and five leaching depths (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 times the soil pores volume, with three replications. Electric conductivity, soluble cations and sodium adsorption ratio were evaluated in the soil saturation extract. The use of gypsum residue proved to be effective in leaching salts and soluble sodium in saline-sodic soil, and can be recommended as a calcium source for recovering from sodicity.

Sonographic Dimensions of Normal Kidney in Korean Male

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hyeon Kyeong

1996-01-01

This study was performed to determine the sonographic dimensions of normal kidney in Korean male and to investigate their correlation with age, height, and weight. The ultrasound examinations were performed in 532healthy Korean male from July 1993 to December 1993. We measured the length, the width, and the thickness of both kidneys and those of both central echogenic area. Then renal shape index (RSI), renal volume (RV), volume of central (CEV) echogenic area, and renal parenchymal volume (RPV) were calculated from these measurements. The mean RV of the right kidney was 129.30 ± 30.20 cm 3 (Mean ± Standard Deviation) and that of the left kidney was 137.06± 29.73 cm 3 . Meanwhile the mean renal length of right kidney was 10.42 ± 0.61 cm and that of the left kidney was 10.63 ± 0.62 cm being distributed more compactly near mean value than the RV. Therefore the renal length could be more useful than RV in discrimination of abnormally increased or decreased kidney. While renal width, thickness and RV were increased with age, CEV showed no corresponding change. Therefore, the increase in RV could be attributed to the increase in RPV. Meanwhile the RSI was decreased with age. The renal length, renal thickness,thickness of central echogenic area, RV, CEV, and RPV showed strong correlation with weight. The renal length and the length of central echogenic area showed good correlation with height

Efficacy and safety of a pentavalent live human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine (RV5) in healthy Chinese infants: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mo, Zhaojun; Mo, Yi; Li, Mingqiang; Tao, Junhui; Yang, Xu; Kong, Jilian; Wei, Dingkai; Fu, Botao; Liao, Xueyan; Chu, Jianli; Qiu, Yuanzheng; Hille, Darcy A; Nelson, Micki; Kaplan, Susan S

2017-10-13

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial was conducted in healthy Chinese infants to assess the efficacy and safety of a pentavalent live human-bovine reassortant rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq™, RV5) against rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE). 4040 participants aged 6-12weeks were enrolled and randomly assigned to either 3 oral doses of RV5 (n=2020) or placebo (n=2020), administered ∼4weeks apart. The participants also received OPV and DTaP in a concomitant or staggered fashion. The primary objective was to evaluate vaccine efficacy (VE) against naturally-occurring RVGE at least 14days following the third dose. Key secondary objectives included: VE against naturally-occurring severe RVGE and VE against severe and any-severity RVGE caused by rotavirus serotypes contained in the vaccine, occurring at least 14days after the third dose. All adverse events (AEs) were collected for 30days following each dose. Serious AEs (SAEs) and intussusception cases were collected during the entire study. (ClinicalTrials.gov registry: NCT02062385). VE against RVGE of any-severity caused by any serotype was 69.3% (95% CI: 54.5, 79.7). The secondary efficacy analysis showed an efficacy of: 78.9% (95% CI: 59.1, 90.1) against severe RVGE caused by any serotype; 69.9% (95% CI: 55.2, 80.3) and 78.9% (95% CI: 59.1, 90.1) against any-severity and severe RVGE caused by serotypes contained in the vaccine, respectively. Within 30days following any vaccination, 53.5% (1079/2015) and 53.3% (1077/2019) of participants reported at least one AE, and 5.8% (116/2015) and 5.7% (116/2019) reported SAEs in the vaccine and placebo groups, respectively. No SAEs were considered vaccine-related in recipients of RV5. Two intussusception cases were reported in recipients of RV5 who recovered after receiving treatment. Neither was considered vaccine-related. In Chinese infants, RV5 was efficacious against any-severity and severe RVGE caused by any serotype and generally well

Role of grain boundary nature and residual strain in controlling sensitisation of type 304 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmedabadi, Parag M.; Kain, Vivekanand; Dangi, Bhupinder Kumar; Samajdar, I.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Low-level of residual strain improved resistance to sensitisation. ► High fraction of special boundaries did not always reduce sensitisation. ► Area attacked during the EPR test correlated well with degree of sensitisation. ► Volume loss during the EPR test also correlated well with degree of sensitisation. - Abstract: The effects of residual strain and grain boundary character distribution on sensitisation of type 304 stainless steel at 525 °C were evaluated using electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) technique. The results indicated that a very low level of residual strain and a high fraction of annealing twins significantly improved the resistance to sensitisation. Image analysis indicated that the fraction of area attacked during the EPR test correlated well with the EPR data. The volume loss, calculated using atomic force microscopic examinations, during the EPR tests also correlated well with the EPR results.

Quadratic residues and non-residues selected topics

CERN Document Server

Wright, Steve

2016-01-01

This book offers an account of the classical theory of quadratic residues and non-residues with the goal of using that theory as a lens through which to view the development of some of the fundamental methods employed in modern elementary, algebraic, and analytic number theory. The first three chapters present some basic facts and the history of quadratic residues and non-residues and discuss various proofs of the Law of Quadratic Reciprosity in depth, with an emphasis on the six proofs that Gauss published. The remaining seven chapters explore some interesting applications of the Law of Quadratic Reciprocity, prove some results concerning the distribution and arithmetic structure of quadratic residues and non-residues, provide a detailed proof of Dirichlet’s Class-Number Formula, and discuss the question of whether quadratic residues are randomly distributed. The text is a valuable resource for graduate and advanced undergraduate students as well as for mathematicians interested in number theory.

Thermal residual stresses in amorphous thermoplastic polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Grassia, Luigi; D'Amore, Alberto

2010-06-01

An attempt to calculate the internal stresses in a cylindrically shaped polycarbonate (LEXAN-GE) component, subjected to an arbitrary cooling rate, will be described. The differential volume relaxation arising as a result of the different thermal history suffered by each body point was considered as the primary source of stresses build up [1-3]. A numerical routine was developed accounting for the simultaneous stress and structural relaxation processes and implemented within an Ansys® environment. The volume relaxation kinetics was modeled by coupling the KAHR (Kovacs, Aklonis, Hutchinson, Ramos) phenomenological theory [4] with the linear viscoelastic theory [5-7]. The numerical algorithm translates the specific volume theoretical predictions at each body point as applied non-mechanical loads acting on the component. The viscoelastic functions were obtained from two simple experimental data, namely the linear viscoelastic response in shear and the PVT (pressure volume temperature) behavior. The dimensionless bulk compliance was extracted from PVT data since it coincides with the memory function appearing in the KAHR phenomenological theory [7]. It is showed that the residual stress scales linearly with the logarithm of the Biot's number.

The Effect of Milrinone on the Right Ventriclular Function in Patients with Reduced Right Ventricular Function Undergoing Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jong Hwa; Oh, Young Jun; Shim, Yon Hee; Hong, Yong Woo; Yi, Gijong

2006-01-01

This investigation evaluated the effect of continuous milrinone infusion on right ventriclular (RV) function during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery in patients with reduced RV function. Fifty patients scheduled for OPCAB, with thermodilution RV ejection fraction (RVEF) milrinone (0.5 µg/kg/min) or control (saline) group. Hemodynamic variables and RV volumetric data measured by thermodilution method were collected as follows: after anesthesia induction (T1); 10 min after heart displacement for obtuse marginal artery anastomosis (T2); after pericardial closure (T3). Cardiac index and heart rate increased and systemic vascular resistance significantly decreased in milrinone group at T2. Initially lower RVEF of milrinone group was eventually comparable to control group after milrinone infusion. RVEF did not significantly change at T2 and T3 in both groups. RV end-diastolic volume in milrinone group consistently decreased from the baseline at T2 and T3. Continuous infusion of milrinone without a bolus demonstrated potentially beneficial effect on cardiac output and RV afterload in patients with reduced RV function during OPCAB. However, aggressive augmentation of intravascular volume seems to be necessary to maximize the effect of the milrinone in these patients. PMID:17043419

Predicting logging residues: an interim equation for Appalachian oak sawtimber

Science.gov (United States)

A. Jeff Martin

1975-01-01

An equation, using dbh, dbh², bole length, and sawlog height to predict the cubic-foot volume of logging residue per tree, was developed from data collected on 36 mixed oaks in southwestern Virginia. The equation produced reliable results for small sawtimber trees, but additional research is needed for other species, sites, and utilization practices.

Anaerobic digestion of cider apple residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Contreras Lopez, A. (E.T.S.I.I., U.N.E.D., Madrid (Spain). Dept. Quimica Applicada a la Ingenieria); Lopez Bobo, R. (E.T.S. Ingeneiros Industriales, Asturias (Spain). Dept. de Energia)

1992-12-01

Apple residue from the cider industry is used here for anaerobic fermentation. The effect of retention time and volatile solids concentration on the production of biogas and methane was investigated by using continuously mixed anaerobic fermentors with a working volume of 1 1. The maximum proportions of biogas and methane obtained were 430 1 biogas/kg per day (12 days' retention time and 3% of volatile solids) and 281 1 of methane per day (a retention time of 30 days and 2% of volatile solids), respectively. (author)

Evaluation of knowledge-based reconstruction for magnetic resonance volumetry of the right ventricle after arterial switch operation for dextro-transposition of the great arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyns, Emile C A; Dragulescu, Andreea; Yoo, Shi-Joon; Grosse-Wortmann, Lars

2016-09-01

Right ventricular (RV) volume and function evaluation is essential in the follow-up of patients after arterial switch operation (ASO) for dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging using the Simpson's method is the gold-standard for measuring these parameters. However, this method can be challenging and time-consuming, especially in congenital heart disease. Knowledge-based reconstruction (KBR) is an alternative method to derive volumes from CMR datasets. It is based on the identification of a finite number of anatomical RV landmarks in various planes, followed by computer-based reconstruction of the endocardial contours by matching these landmarks with a reference library of representative RV shapes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy, reproducibility and labor intensity of KBR for RV volumetry in patients after ASO for d-TGA. The CMR datasets of 17 children and adolescents (males 11, median age 15) were studied for RV volumetry using both KBR and Simpson's method. The intraobserver, interobserver and intermethod variabilities were assessed using Bland-Altman analyses. Good correlation between KBR and Simpson's method was noted. Intraobserver and interobserver variability for KBR showed excellent agreement. Volume and function assessment using KBR was faster when compared with the Simpson's method (5.1 ± 0.6 vs. 6.7 ± 0.9 min, p < 0.001). KBR is a feasible, accurate, reproducible and fast method for measuring RV volumes and function derived from CMR in patients after ASO for d-TGA.

Calculation method for residual stress analysis of filament-wound spherical pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knight, C.E. Jr.

1976-01-01

Filament wound spherical pressure vessels may be produced with very high performance factors. These performance factors are a calculation of contained pressure times enclosed volume divided by structure weight. A number of parameters are important in determining the level of performance achieved. One of these is the residual stress state in the fabricated unit. A significant level of an unfavorable residual stress state could seriously impair the performance of the vessel. Residual stresses are of more concern for vessels with relatively thick walls and/or vessels constructed with the highly anisotropic graphite or aramid fibers. A method is established for measuring these stresses. A theoretical model of the composite structure is required. Data collection procedures and techniques are developed. The data are reduced by means of the model and result in the residual stress analysis. The analysis method can be used in process parameter studies to establish the best fabrication procedures

Construction Progress and Science Planning for the New Research Vessel R/V Sikuliaq

Science.gov (United States)

Whitledge, T. E.

2011-12-01

The research vessel R/V Sikuliaq (pronounced [see-KOO-lee-auk]) is currently being constructed on behalf of the NSF to support future scientific studies in high latitude waters. The 261 foot global class vessel will be capable of breaking 2.5 foot thick ice at 2 knots with an endurance of 45 days at sea and cruising at 11 knots. The R/V Sikuliaq will have a beam of 52 feet and a draft of 18.9 feet that will carry 26 scientists and a crew of 20. Berthing accommodations are a combination of single/double rooms with one stateroom and the common areas of the vessel are designed for ADA access and accommodations. The total laboratory space (main, analytical, electronics, wet, upper, and Baltic room will be 2100 square feet. The 4360 square foot working deck that is approximately 70 feet in length will accommodate 2-4 vans and multiple science operations. The vessel design strives to have the lowest possible environmental impact, including a low underwater-radiated noise signature. The science systems are prescribed to be state-of-the-art for bottom mapping, over-the-side "hands free" gear handling, broad band communications and scientific walk-in freezer and environmental chamber. More details and photos of the construction progress are available on the website at www.sfos.uaf.edu/arrv. The tentative shipyard schedule has a launch date of June 2012 and delivery to the University of Alaska Fairbanks in June 2013. Scientific operations following trials and testing is planned to start in January 2014. A Sikuliaq science planning workshop has been arranged for 18-19 February 2012 in Salt Lake City, UT just prior to the 2012 Ocean Sciences meeting. Interested participants should contact Terry Whitledge (terry@ims.uaf.edu).

Conservation in gene encoding Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen Rv2660 and a high predicted population coverage of H56 multistage vaccine in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Martinez, Angy P; Ong, Edison; Zhang, Lixin; Marrs, Carl F; He, Yongqun; Yang, Zhenhua

2017-11-01

H56/AERAS-456+IC31 (H56), composed of two early secretion proteins, Ag85B and ESAT-6, and a latency associated protein, Rv2660, and the IC31 Intercell adjuvant, is a new fusion subunit vaccine candidate designed to induce immunity against both new infection and reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection. Efficacy of subunit vaccines may be affected by the diversity of vaccine antigens among clinical strains and the extent of recognition by the diverse HLA molecules in the recipient population. Although a previous study showed the conservative nature of Ag85B- and ESAT-6-encoding genes, genetic diversity of Rv2660c that encodes RV2660 is largely unknown. The population coverage of H56 as a whole yet remains to be assessed. The present study was conducted to address these important knowledge gaps. DNA sequence analysis of Rv2660c found no variation among 83 of the 84 investigated clinical strains belonging to four genetic lineages. H56 was predicted to have as high as 99.6% population coverage in the South Africa population using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) Population Coverage Tool. Further comparison of H56 population coverage between South African Blacks and Caucasians based on the phenotypic frequencies of binding MHC Class I and Class II supertype alleles found that all of the nine MHC-I and six of eight MHC-II human leukocyte antigen (HLA) supertype alleles analyzed were significantly differentially expressed between the two subpopulations. This finding suggests the presence of race-specific functional binding motifs of MHC-I and MHC-II HLA alleles, which, in turn, highlights the importance of including diverse populations in vaccine clinical evaluation. In conclusion, H56 vaccine is predicted to have a promising population coverage in South Africa; this study demonstrates the utility of integrating comparative genomics and bioinformatics in bridging animal and clinical studies of novel TB vaccines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Underway pCO2 Measurements in Surface Waters and the Atmosphere During the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer 2016 Expeditions (NCEI Accession 0166630)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NCEI Accession 0166630 includes Surface underway data collected from R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer in the South Pacific Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Oceans from...

Tidal residual current and its role in the mean flow on the Changjiang Bank

Science.gov (United States)

Xuan, Jiliang; Yang, Zhaoqing; Huang, Daji; Wang, Taiping; Zhou, Feng

2016-02-01

The tidal residual current may play an important role in the mean flow in the Changjiang Bank region, in addition to other residual currents, such as the Taiwan Warm Current, the Yellow Sea Coastal Current, and the Yellow Sea Warm Current. In this paper, a detailed structure of the tidal residual current, in particular the meso-scale eddies, in the Changjiang Bank region is observed from model simulations, and its role in the mean flow is quantified using the well-validated Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model. The tidal residual current in the Changjiang Bank region consists of two components: an anticyclonic regional-scale tidal residual circulation around the edge of the Changjiang Bank and some cyclonic meso-scale tidal residual eddies across the Changjiang Bank. The meso-scale tidal residual eddies occur across the Changjiang Bank and contribute to the regional-scale tidal residual circulation offshore at the northwest boundary and on the northeast edge of the Changjiang Bank, southeastward along the 50 m isobath. Tidal rectification is the major mechanism causing the tidal residual current to flow along the isobaths. Both components of the tidal residual current have significant effects on the mean flow. A comparison between the tidal residual current and the mean flow indicates that the contribution of the tidal residual current to the mean flow is greater than 50%.

Tidal residual current and its role in the mean flow on the Changjiang Bank

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xuan, Jiliang; Yang, Zhaoqing; Huang, Daji; Wang, Taiping; Zhou, Feng

2016-02-01

Tidal residual current may play an important role in the mean flow in the Changjiang Bank region, in addition to other residual currents, such as the Taiwan Warm Current, the Yellow Sea Coastal Current, and the Yellow Sea Warm Current. In this paper, a detailed structure of the tidal residual current, in particular the meso-scale eddies, in the Changjiang Bank region is observed from model simulations, and its role in the mean flow is quantified using the well-validated Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model). The tidal residual current in the Changjiang Bank region consists of two components: an anticyclonic regional-scale tidal residual circulation around the edge of the Changjiang Bank and some cyclonic meso-scale tidal residual eddies across the Changjiang Bank. The meso-scale tidal residual eddies occur across the Changjiang Bank and contribute to the regional-scale tidal residual circulation offshore at the northwest boundary and at the northeast edge of the Changjiang Bank, southeastward along the 50 m isobath. Tidal rectification is the major mechanism causing the tidal residual current to flow along the isobaths. Both components of the tidal residual current have significant effects on the mean flow. A comparison between the tidal residual current and the mean flow indicates that the contribution of the tidal residual current to the mean flow is greater than 50%.

Acute effects of high-dose furosemide on residual renal function in CAPD patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Olden, Rudolf W.; Guchelaar, Henk-Jan; Struijk, Dirk G.; Krediet, Raymond T.; Arisz, Lambertus

2003-01-01

BACKGROUND: High doses of furosemide can increase urine volume in chronic peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. However, no information is available about effects on urinary solute excretion in relation to residual glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinary furosemide excretion, and peritoneal solute

Age- and gender-specific differences in left and right ventricular cardiac function and mass determined by cine magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandstede, J.; Lipke, C.; Beer, M.; Hofmann, S.; Pabst, T.; Kenn, W.; Hahn, D.; Neubauer, S.

2000-01-01

We examined possible age- and gender-specific differences in the function and mass of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricles in 36 healthy volunteers using cine gradient-recalled echo magnetic resonance imaging. Subjects were divided into four groups (nine men and nine women in each): men aged under 45 years (32 ± 7), women aged under 45 (27 ± 6), men aged over 45 (59 ± 8), and women aged over 45 (57 ± 9). Functional analysis of cardiac volume and mass and of LV wall motion was performed by manual segmentation of the endocardial and epicardial borders of the end-diastolic and end-systolic frame; both absolute and normalized (per square meter body surface area) values were evaluated. With age there was a significant decrease in both absolute and normalized LV and RV chamber volumes (EDV, ESV), while LV and RV masses remained unchanged. Gender-specific differences were found in cardiac mass and volume (for men and women, respectively: LV mass, 155 ± 18 and 110 ± 16 g; LV EDV, 118 ± 27 and 96 ± 21 ml; LV ESV, 40 ± 13 and 29 ± 9 ml; RV mass, 52 ± 10 and 39 ± 5 g; RV EDV, 131 ± 28 and 100 ± 23 ml; RV ESV, 53 ± 17 and 33 ± 15 ml). Normalization to body surface area eliminated differences in LV volumes but not those in LV mass, RV mass, or RV function. Functional parameters such as cardiac output and LV ejection fraction showed nonsignificant or only slight differences and were thus largely independent of age and gender. Intra- and interobserver variability ranged between 1.4 % and 5.9 % for all parameters. Cine magnetic resonance imaging thus shows age- and gender-specific differences in cardiac function, and therefore the evaluation of cardiac function in patients should consider age- and gender-matched normative values. (orig.)

Stable right ventricular size and function during short-term follow-up in patients with pulmonary regurgitation after tetralogy of Fallot repair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Śpiewak, M.; Małek, Ł.A.; Petryka, J.; Biernacka, E.K.; Hoffman, P.; Demkow, M.; Miśko, J.; Rużyłło, W.

2013-01-01

Aim: To assess changes in ventricular size and function over time in conservatively treated adult patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and significant pulmonary regurgitation (PR). Materials and methods: Patients with repaired TOF who had undergone more than one cardiac magnetic resonance study were identified. To confine the cause of ventricular size and function deviation to PR, patients with residual ventricular septal defect, more than mild regurgitation at a valve other than the pulmonary valve, and known coronary artery disease were excluded. Results: The final analysis included 27 adults with PR fraction >20%. During a follow-up of mean 2.1 ± 0.8 years, there was no change in right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume (EDV; 162.1 ± 27.6 versus 164 ± 29.6 ml/m 2 , p = 0.5). Left ventricular (LV) EDV showed a small decrease (85.1 ± 16.2 versus 81.5 ± 14.1 ml/m 2 , p = 0.02). The mean PR fraction, PR volume, and peak RV outflow tract gradient did not change. Additionally, both RV ejection fraction (EF) and LVEF remained stable over the follow-up period (48.1 ± 6.5 versus 48.4 ± 6.7%, p = 0.83, and 57.3 ± 5.4 versus 57.2 ± 5.1 %, p = 0.91, respectively). Only two asymptomatic patients (7.4% of the study group) developed symptoms and the remaining did not deteriorate. Conclusion: The RVEDV, RVEF, and LVEF remained stable over a mean follow-up of approximately 2 years in the majority of adult patients after TOF repair with significant PR and a wide range of RVEDV

Underway pCO2 Measurements in Surface Waters and the Atmosphere During the R/V Laurence M. Gould 2016 Expeditions (NCEI Accession 0166525)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — NCEI Accession 0166525 includes Surface underway data collected from R/V Laurence M. Gould in the South Atlantic Ocean, South Pacific Ocean and Southern Oceans from...

Calculating residual flows through a multiple-inlet system: the conundrum of the tidal period

Science.gov (United States)

Duran-Matute, Matias; Gerkema, Theo

2015-11-01

The concept of residual, i.e., tidally-averaged, flows through a multiple inlet system is reappraised. The evaluation of the residual through-flow depends on the time interval over which is integrated, in other words, on how one defines the tidal period. It is demonstrated that this definition is ambiguous and that different definitions (based on, e.g., high waters, slack tides, etc.) yield very different results for the residual, also in terms of their long-term statistical properties (median and standard deviation). A basin-wide applicable method of defining the tidal period, in terms of enclosed water volume, is analyzed. We compare the different methods on the basis of high-resolution model results for the Western Dutch Wadden Sea. The multitude of tidal constituents together with wind variability creates broad distributions for the residuals, with standard deviations much larger than the mean or median residual flows.

Effect of Selective Prostaglandin E2 EP2 Receptor Agonist CP-533,536 on Voiding Efficiency in Rats with Midodrine-Induced Functional Urethral Obstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurihara, Ryoko; Imazumi, Katsunori; Takamatsu, Hajime; Ishizu, Kenichiro; Yoshino, Taiji; Masuda, Noriyuki

2016-05-01

We investigated the effect of the selective prostaglandin E2 EP2 receptor agonist CP-533,536 on voiding efficiency in rats with midodrine-induced functional urethral obstruction. The effect of CP-533,536 (0.03-0.3 mg/kg, intravenous [i.v.]) on urethral perfusion pressure (UPP) was investigated in anesthetized rats pre-treated with midodrine (1 mg/kg, i.v.), which forms an active metabolite that acts as an α1 -adrenoceptor agonist. The effect of CP-533,536 (0.03-0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) on cystometric parameters was also investigated in anesthetized rats. In addition, the effect of CP-533,536 (0.03-0.3 mg/kg, i.v.) on residual urine volume (RV) and voiding efficiency (VE) was investigated in conscious rats treated with midodrine (1 mg/kg, i.v.). CP-533,536 dose-dependently decreased UPP elevated by midodrine in anesthetized rats. In contrast, CP-533,536 did not affect maximum voiding pressure, intercontraction interval, or intravesical threshold pressure. In conscious rats, midodrine (1 mg/kg, i.v.) markedly increased RV and reduced VE. CP-533,536 dose-dependently ameliorated increases in RV and decreases in VE induced by midodrine. These results suggest that a selective EP2 receptor agonist could ameliorate the elevation of RV and improve the reduction of VE in rats with functional urethral obstruction caused by stimulation of α1 -adrenoceptors. The mechanism of action might be not potentiation of bladder contraction but rather preferential relief of urethral constriction. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Automatic transfer function generation using contour tree controlled residue flow model and color harmonics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jianlong; Takatsuka, Masahiro

2009-01-01

Transfer functions facilitate the volumetric data visualization by assigning optical properties to various data features and scalar values. Automation of transfer function specifications still remains a challenge in volume rendering. This paper presents an approach for automating transfer function generations by utilizing topological attributes derived from the contour tree of a volume. The contour tree acts as a visual index to volume segments, and captures associated topological attributes involved in volumetric data. A residue flow model based on Darcy's Law is employed to control distributions of opacity between branches of the contour tree. Topological attributes are also used to control color selection in a perceptual color space and create harmonic color transfer functions. The generated transfer functions can depict inclusion relationship between structures and maximize opacity and color differences between them. The proposed approach allows efficient automation of transfer function generations, and exploration on the data to be carried out based on controlling of opacity residue flow rate instead of complex low-level transfer function parameter adjustments. Experiments on various data sets demonstrate the practical use of our approach in transfer function generations.

Vibrational-rotational model of odd-odd nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanas'ev, A.V.; Guseva, T.V.; Tamberg, Yu.Ya.

1988-01-01

The rotational vibrational (RV) model of odd nuclei is generalized to odd-odd nuclei. The hamiltonian, wave functions and matrix elements of the RV-model of odd-odd nuclei are obtained. The expressions obtained for matrix elements of the RV-model of odd-odd nuclei can be used to study the role of vibrational additions in low-lying two-particle states of odd-odd deformed nuclei. Such calculations permit to study more correctly the residual neutron-proton interaction of valent nucleons with respect to collectivization effects

Waste volume reduction by acid digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerch, R.E.; Divine, J.R.

1975-06-01

Acid digestion is a process being developed at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) in Richland, Washington, to reduce the volume of alpha-contaminated combustible waste by converting it into a non-combustible residue. Typical waste materials such as polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene, paper and other cellulosic materials, ion exchange resin, all types of rubber, etc., are digested in hot (230 0 C--270 0 C) concentrated sulfuric acid containing nitric acid oxidant to form inert residues generally having less than four percent of their original volume and less than twenty-five percent of their original mass. The process is currently being tested using non-radioactive waste in an Acid Digestion Test Unit (ADTU) with all glass equipment. Engineering tests to date have shown acid digestion to be a potentially attractive method for treating combustible waste materials. Based on results of the engineering tests, an acid digestion pilot unit capable of treating radioactive wastes is being designed and constructed. Design capacity of the pilot unit for radioactive waste will be 100 kg of waste per day. (U.S.)

SigG Does Not Control Gene Expression in Response to DNA Damage in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv ▿ §

OpenAIRE

Smollett, Katherine L.; Dawson, Lisa F.; Davis, Elaine O.

2010-01-01

Expression of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis sigG sigma factor was induced by a variety of DNA-damaging agents, but inactivation of sigG did not affect induction of gene expression or bacterial survival under these conditions. Therefore, SigG does not control the DNA repair response of M. tuberculosis H37Rv.

Theoretical study of a novel refrigeration compressor - Part II: Performance of a rotating discharge valve in the revolving vane (RV) compressor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teh, Y.L.; Ooi, K.T. [Thermal and Fluids Engineering Division, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, S639798 (Singapore); Djamari, D. Wibowo [Engineering Mechanics Division, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, S639798 (Singapore)

2009-08-15

A new refrigeration compressor, named 'Revolving Vane (RV) compressor', has been introduced in Part I of this paper series. For a first time in refrigeration compressors, a rotating discharge valve is employed in the RV compressor mainly due to the rotation of the entire cylinder. This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the dynamic behavior of a reed-type discharge valve undergoing rotatory motion, with the primary objective of elucidating the applicability of such valves in refrigeration compressors. Under the application of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a mathematical model of the rotating valve is formulated and the transient response of the valve under centrifugal loads in addition to pressure forces is analyzed. Results have shown that under careful design considerations, the performance as well as the reliability of the rotating discharge valve can be enhanced as compared to a non-rotating valve that has been used in all refrigeration compressors currently. (author)

Evaluation of right heart function in a rat model using modified echocardiographic views.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardo, Ivan; Wong, James; Wlodek, Mary E; Vlahos, Ross; Soeding, Paul

2017-01-01

Echocardiography plays a major role in assessing cardiac function in animal models. We investigated use of a modified parasternal mid right-ventricular (MRV) and right ventricle (RV) outflow (RVOT) view, in assessing RV size and function, and the suitability of advanced 2D-strain analysis. 15 WKY rats were examined using transthoracic echocardiography. The left heart was assessed using standard short and long axis views. For the right ventricle a MRV and RVOT view were used to measure RV chamber and free wall area. 2D-strain analysis was applied to both ventricles using off-line analysis. RV chamber volume was determined by injection of 2% agarose gel, and RV free wall dissected and weighed. Echocardiography measurement was correlated with necropsy findings. The RV mid-ventricular dimension (R1) was 0.42±0.07cm and the right ventricular outflow tract dimension (R2) was 0.34±0.06cm, chamber end-diastolic area measurements were 0.38±0.09cm2 and 0.29±0.08cm2 for MRV and RVOT views respectively. RVOT and MRV chamber area correlated with gel mass. Doppler RV stroke volume was 0.32±0.08ml, cardiac output (CO) 110±27 ml.min-1 and RV free wall contractility assessed using 2D-strain analysis was demonstrated. We have shown that modified MRV and RVOT views can provide detailed assessment of the RV in rodents, with 2D-strain analysis of the RV free wall potentially feasible.

Modelling and experimental characterisation of a residual stress field in a ferritic compact tension specimen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenman, M.R.; Price, A.J.; Steuwer, A.; Chard-Tuckey, P.R.; Crocombe, A.

2009-01-01

The aim of the work is to elucidate the influence of plasticity behaviour on the residual stress field in a ferritic reactor pressure vessel steel. To this end, we investigate two compressively pre-loaded compact tension (CT) specimens to generate a mechanical residual stress field. One specimen was subsequently pre-cracked by fatigue before both specimens were measured using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. A fine grain size microstructure (∼5-10 μm grain size) allowed a small X-ray beam slit size and therefore gauge volume. The results provide an excellent data set for validation of finite element (FE) modelling predictions against which they have been compared. The results of both mechanical testing and modelling suggest that the use of a combined hardening model is needed to accurately predict the residual stress field present in the specimen after pre-loading. Some discrepancy between the modelled crack tip stress values and those found by X-ray diffraction remain which can be partly explained by volume averaging effects in the presence of very high stress/strain gradients.

Modelling and experimental characterisation of a residual stress field in a ferritic compact tension specimen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wenman, M.R., E-mail: m.wenman@imperial.ac.u [Department of Materials, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Price, A.J. [Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (J5), University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Steuwer, A. [ESS Scandinavia, Stora Algatan 4, 22350 Lund (Sweden) and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031 (South Africa); Chard-Tuckey, P.R. [Nuclear Department, Defence College of Management and Technology, HMS Sultan, Gosport, Hants PO12 3BY (United Kingdom); Crocombe, A. [Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences (J5), University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

2009-12-15

The aim of the work is to elucidate the influence of plasticity behaviour on the residual stress field in a ferritic reactor pressure vessel steel. To this end, we investigate two compressively pre-loaded compact tension (CT) specimens to generate a mechanical residual stress field. One specimen was subsequently pre-cracked by fatigue before both specimens were measured using high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. A fine grain size microstructure (approx5-10 mum grain size) allowed a small X-ray beam slit size and therefore gauge volume. The results provide an excellent data set for validation of finite element (FE) modelling predictions against which they have been compared. The results of both mechanical testing and modelling suggest that the use of a combined hardening model is needed to accurately predict the residual stress field present in the specimen after pre-loading. Some discrepancy between the modelled crack tip stress values and those found by X-ray diffraction remain which can be partly explained by volume averaging effects in the presence of very high stress/strain gradients.

Influence of ageing of residues on the availability of herbicides for leaching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, A.; Rodriguez-Cruz, M.S.; Mitchell, M.J.

2005-01-01

Losses by leaching of chlorotoluron, isoproturon and triasulfuron from small intact columns of a structured clay loam and an unstructured sandy loam soil were measured in five separate field experiments. In general, losses of all three herbicides were greater from the clay loam than from the sandy loam soil and the order between herbicides was always triasulfuron>>isoproturon>chlorotoluron. Differences between experiments were also consistent for every soil/herbicide combination. There was no relationship between total loss and either total rainfall or cumulative leachate volume. When weighting factors were applied to the rainfall data to make early rainfall more important than later rainfall, there were significant positive relationships between cumulative weighted rainfall and total losses. Also, there were significant negative correlations between total losses and the delay to accumulation of 25 mm rainfall (equivalent to one pore volume of available water) in the different experiments. In laboratory incubations, there was a more rapid decline in aqueous (0.01 M calcium chloride) extractable residues than in total solvent extractable residues indicating increasing sorption with residence time. However, the rate of change in water extractable residues could not completely explain the decrease in leachability with ageing of residues in the field. Short-term sorption studies with aggregates of the two soils indicated slower sorption by those of the clay loam than by those of the sandy loam suggesting that diffusion into and out of aggregates may affect availability for leaching in the more structured soil. Small scale leaching studies with aggregates of the soils also demonstrated reductions in availability for leaching as residence time in soil was increased, which could not be explained by degradation. These results therefore indicate that time-dependent sorption processes are important in controlling pesticide movement in soils, although the data do not give a

Influence of ageing of residues on the availability of herbicides for leaching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, A.; Rodriguez-Cruz, M.S.; Mitchell, M.J

2005-01-01

Losses by leaching of chlorotoluron, isoproturon and triasulfuron from small intact columns of a structured clay loam and an unstructured sandy loam soil were measured in five separate field experiments. In general, losses of all three herbicides were greater from the clay loam than from the sandy loam soil and the order between herbicides was always triasulfuron>>isoproturon>chlorotoluron. Differences between experiments were also consistent for every soil/herbicide combination. There was no relationship between total loss and either total rainfall or cumulative leachate volume. When weighting factors were applied to the rainfall data to make early rainfall more important than later rainfall, there were significant positive relationships between cumulative weighted rainfall and total losses. Also, there were significant negative correlations between total losses and the delay to accumulation of 25 mm rainfall (equivalent to one pore volume of available water) in the different experiments. In laboratory incubations, there was a more rapid decline in aqueous (0.01 M calcium chloride) extractable residues than in total solvent extractable residues indicating increasing sorption with residence time. However, the rate of change in water extractable residues could not completely explain the decrease in leachability with ageing of residues in the field. Short-term sorption studies with aggregates of the two soils indicated slower sorption by those of the clay loam than by those of the sandy loam suggesting that diffusion into and out of aggregates may affect availability for leaching in the more structured soil. Small scale leaching studies with aggregates of the soils also demonstrated reductions in availability for leaching as residence time in soil was increased, which could not be explained by degradation. These results therefore indicate that time-dependent sorption processes are important in controlling pesticide movement in soils, although the data do not give a

Report of the Task Force on Sawmill Wood Residue Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-11-01

The Sawmill Wood Residue Task Force was established in 1993 to seek solutions to managing wood residue at sawmills, shingle mills, and log sort yards in British Columbia without burning or landfilling. In particular, the Task Force was formed to address the phaseout of beehive-type wood waste burners by January 1, 1996. The Task Force was formed at the forest product industry's request and included representatives from industry associations and government. It reviewed existing information on the quantities of mill residues and the options available for reducing, reusing, and recycling the residues. Nearly half of all the province's residues of 5 million bone dry tonnes/y is disposed of by burning with no energy recovery, or by landfilling. It was recognized that the total volume of wood residue cannot be handled by any one method suitable for all sources but that in the near term, electricity generation could deal with a significant percentage of wood currently being burned. The most immediate technically viable opportnity by industry in this area may be in cogeneration of electricity for load displacement at pulp mills. Other opportunities exist such as conversion of wood residue to liquid fuels but these require greater commitments to research and development. The need to handle bark and sawdust was identified as a critical requirement for alternate uses. Small niche uses for wood residue must be examined on a case by case basis for each company or group of companies in a region. The provincial government can also promote better use of wood wastes through policies such as social costing of power generation options and sales tax exemption for ethanol fuel. 1 tab

The period analysis of V418 AQL, SU BOO, RV CVn, CR CAS, GV CYG, V432 PER, and BD+42 2782

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zasche, P.; Wolf, M.; Kučáková, H.; Uhlař, R.

2014-01-01

The minimum timings of eclipsing binaries V418 Aql, SU Boo, RV CVn, CR Cas, GV Cyg, V432 Per, and BD+42 2782 were collected and analyzed. Their long-term behavior was studied via period analysis, revealing a periodic term in eclipse times. We derived 576 new times of minimum. Hence, to describe the periodic variation, a third-body hypothesis was proposed and the resulting orbital periods are as follows: 70, 7.4, 53, 37, 27, 53, and 18 yr, respectively. For the system V432 Per an additional 9.5 yr variation was also found. The predicted minimum masses of these distant bodies were calculated and their detectability discussed. The light curves of SU Boo and RV CVn were analyzed using the PHOEBE program, resulting in physical parameters of the components. New variable stars in the field of V418 Aql were discovered.

Right ventricular outflow tract systolic function correlates with exercise capacity in patients with severe right ventricle dilatation after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Shuhua; Li, Jianhua; Yang, Dan; Zhou, Yaxin; An, Qi; Chen, Yucheng

2017-05-01

The relationship between exercise capacity and right ventricular (RV) components function in repaired tetralogy of Fallot patients with severely dilated right ventricles is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the exercise capacity and its relationship to RV global and components function in repaired tetralogy of Fallot patients with RV end-diastolic volume index  >150 ml/m 2 , a currently accepted threshold for pulmonary valve replacement. The medical records and results of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and cardiopulmonary exercise testing of 25 consecutive eligible patients were reviewed. Twenty age- and gender-matched normal subjects were enrolled as cardiac magnetic resonance control. End-diastolic, end-systolic and stroke volumes, and ejection fraction (EF) were determined for the total RV and its components. Of the 25 patients, 44% maintained normal exercise capacity. RV outlet EF was higher ( P  = 0.02) and RV incisions smaller ( P  = 0.04) in patients with normal exercise capacity than those with subnormal exercise capacity. Predicted peak oxygen consumption correlated better with the RV outflow tract EF than with the EF of other components of the RV or the global EF ( r  = 0.59; P  = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed the RV outflow tract EF to be the only independent predictor of exercise capacity (ß = 0.442; P  = 0.02). Exercise capacity is preserved in some tetralogy of Fallot patients with severe RV dilatation. RV outflow tract EF is independently associated with exercise capacity in such patients, and could be a reliable determinant of intrinsic RV performance. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Residual stress measurements by means of neutron diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pintschovius, L.; Jung, V.; Macherauch, E.; Voehringer, O.

1983-01-01

A new method for the analysis of multiaxial residual stress states is presented, which is based on high resolution neutron diffraction. It is analogous to X-ray stress analysis, but the use of neutrons instead of X-rays allows the analysis of the stress distributions also in the interior of technical components in a non-destructive way. To prove the feasibility of the method, investigations of the loading stress distributions of an aluminium bar subjected to purely elastic bending were performed. Limiting factors due to the volume of the internal probe region and the sample thickness are discussed. Complete neutron residual stress analyses were carried out for a plastically deformed bending bar and a transformation-free water-quenched steel cylinder. The results are in fairly good agreement with theoretical expectations and with X-ray control measurements at the surface of the objects. (Auth.)

A study on thermal residual stresses in the matrix and fiber of a misoriented short fiber composite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Bong Jin; Lee, Joon Hyun

1994-01-01

An elastic model is developed to predict the average thermal residual stresses in the matrix and fiber of a misoriented short fiber composite. The thermal residual stresses are induced by the mismatch in the coefficient of the thermal expansion of the matrix and fiber when the composite is subjected to a uniform temperature change. The model considers two special cases of fiber misorientation; two-dimensional in-plane and three-dimensional axisymmetric. The analytical formulation of the model is based on Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method and is unique in that it is able to account for interactions among fibers. The model is more general than past models and it is able to treat prior analyses of the simpler composite systems as extream cases. The present model is to investigate the effects of fiber volume fraction, distribution type, distribution cut-off angle, and aspect ratio on thermal residual stress for both in-plane and axisymmetric fiber misorientation. Fiber volume fraction, aspect ratio, and disturbution cut-off angle are shown to have more significant effects on the magnitude of the thermal residual stresses than fiber distrubution type for both in-plane and axisymmetric misorientation.

Thermal treatment of solid residues from WtE units: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindberg, Daniel; Molin, Camilla; Hupa, Mikko

2015-03-01

Thermal treatment methods of bottom ash, fly ash and various types of APC (air pollution control) residues from waste-to-energy plants can be used to obtain environmentally stable material. The thermal treatment processes are meant to reduce the leachability of harmful residue constituents, destroy toxic organic compounds, reduce residue volume, and produce material suitable for utilization. Fly ash and APC residues often have high levels of soluble salts, particularly chlorides, metals such as cadmium, lead, copper and zinc, and trace levels of organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans. Different thermal treatment methods can be used to either decompose or stabilize harmful elements and compounds in the ash, or separate them from the ash to get a material that can be safely stored or used as products or raw materials. In the present paper, thermal treatment methods, such as sintering, vitrification, and melting have been reviewed. In addition to a review of the scientific literature, a survey has been made of the extensive patent literature in the field. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lysine as helix C-capping residue in a synthetic peptide.

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, G; Dhanapal, B; Dumy, P; Varma, V; Mutter, M; Bodenhausen, G

1997-01-01

The structure of the synthetic peptide CH3CO(Leu-Ser-Leu-Leu-Leu-Ser-Leu)3Lys-NH2 in trifluoroethanol/water 60/40 (volume ratio) was characterized by two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy. The peptide, closely related to the amphiphilic helix models designed by W. F. De-Grado and co-workers to mimic protein ion channels [(1988) Science, Vol. 240, p. 1177-1181], folds into a regular helix spanning residues 1-20. Evidence for a helix C-terminal capping conformation, involving the terminal lysine residue, was observed from Overhauser effects and checked for consistency by restrained molecular dynamics simulations. The side-chain amino group of Lys22 forms a hydrogen bond with the carbonyl of Leu18, and the distorted helical geometry of the terminal dipeptide allows the inclusion of a water bridge between the backbone NH of the Lys22 residue and the carbonyls of Leu19 and Ser20.

Implantación de un Controlador para la Cinemática Inversa del Brazo Robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ a través de una Tarjeta ARM y MatLab

OpenAIRE

Cajamarca Peñafiel, Jorge Andres; Portilla Vargas, Alexis David

2016-01-01

The project involves the design and construction of a controller for handling the inverse and forward kinematics of the robot Mitsubishi RV-2AJ arm, it is located in the laboratories of the Salesian University in order to create a direct communication through an external card ARM and MatLab software. This driver allows the user to manipulate the robot arm Mitsubishi RV-2AJ in two categories, by joints and coordinates, with a compact hardware and easy to use interface, the autonomy is given...

Self-activation of biochar from furfural residues by recycled pyrolysis gas.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Yulei; Gao, Yuan; Li, Aimin

2018-04-17

Biochar samples with controllable specific surface area and mesopore ratio were self-activated from furfural residues by recycled pyrolysis gas. The objective of this study was to develop a new cyclic utilization method for the gas produced by pyrolysis. The influences of preparation parameters on the resulting biochar were studied by varying the pyrolysis-gas flow rate, activation time and temperature. Structural characterization of the produced biochar was performed by analysis of nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77 K and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The pyrolysis gas compositions before and after activation were determined by a gas chromatograph. The results indicated that the surface area of the biochar was increased from 167 m 2 /g to 567 m 2 /g, the total pore volume increased from 0.121 cm 3 /g to 0.380 cm 3 /g, and the ratio of the mesopore pore volume to the total pore volume increased 17-39.7%. The CO volume fraction of the pyrolysis gas changed from 34.66 to 62.29% and the CO 2 volume fraction decreased from 48.26% to 12.17% under different conditions of pyrolysis-gas flow rate, activation time and temperature. The calorific values of pyrolysis gas changed from 8.82 J/cm 3 to 14.00 J/cm 3 , which were higher than those of conventional pyrolysis gases. The slower pyrolysis-gas flow rate and higher activation time increased the efficiency of the reaction between carbon and pyrolysis gas. These results demonstrated the feasibility of treatment of the furfural residues to produce microporous and mesoporous biochar. The pyrolysis gas that results from the activation process could be used as fuel. Overall, this new self-activation method meets the development requirements of cyclic economy and cleaner production. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comprehensive Utilization of Filter Residue from the Preparation Process of Zeolite-Based Catalysts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shu-Qin Zheng

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A novel utilization method of filter residue from the preparation process of zeolite-based catalysts was investigated. Y zeolite and a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC catalyst were synthesized from filter residue. Compared to the Y zeolite synthesized by the conventional method, the Y zeolite synthesized from filter residue exhibited better thermal stability. The catalyst possessed wide-pore distribution. In addition, the pore volume, specific surface area, attrition resistance were superior to those of the reference catalyst. The yields of gasoline and light oil increased by 1.93 and 1.48 %, respectively. At the same time, the coke yield decreased by 0.41 %. The catalyst exhibited better gasoline and coke selectivity. The quality of the cracked gasoline had been improved.

Analysis of the technical capabilities of DOE sites for disposal of residuals from the treatment of mixed low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waters, R.D.; Gruebel, M.M.; Langkopf, B.S.; Kuehne, P.B.

1997-04-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has stored or expects to generate over the next five years more than 130,000 m 3 of mixed low-level waste (MLLW). Before disposal, MLLW is usually treated to comply with the land disposal restrictions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Depending on the type of treatment, the original volume of MLLW and the radionuclide concentrations in the waste streams may change. These changes must be taken into account in determining the necessary disposal capacity at a site. Treatment may remove the characteristic in some waste that caused it to be classified as mixed. Treatment of some waste may, by reduction of the mass, increase the concentrations of some transuranic radionuclides sufficiently so that it becomes transuranic waste. In this report, the DOE MLLW streams were analyzed to determine after-treatment volumes and radionuclide concentrations. The waste streams were reclassified as residual MLLW or low-level or transuranic waste resulting from treatment. The volume analysis indicated that about 89,000 m 3 of waste will require disposal as residual MLLW. Fifteen DOE sites were then evaluated to determine their capabilities for hosting disposal facilities for some or all of the residual MLLW. Waste streams associated with about 90% of the total residual MLLW volume are likely to present no significant issues for disposal and require little additional analysis. Future studies should focus on the remaining waste streams that are potentially problematic by examining site-specific waste acceptance criteria, alternative treatment processes, alternative waste forms for disposal, and pending changes in regulatory requirements

Measurement of left-to-right shunts by gated radionuclide angiography: concise communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigo, P.; Chevigne, M.

1982-01-01

Gated cardiac blood-pool scans allow comparison of left- and right-ventricular stroke volume. We have applied these measurements to the quantification of left-to-right shunts (QP/QS) in nine patients with atrial septal defects, one patients with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, four patients with ventricular septal defects, and two patients with patent ductus arteriosus. None of these patients had combined lesions. QP/QS was measured as the right-ventricular (RV) stroke counts divided by the left-ventricular (LV) stroke counts and as the LV stroke counts divided by the RV stroke counts in patients with RV and LV diastolic volume overload respectively. All patients had also QP/QS measurements by oximetry and first-pass radionuclide angiography. The stroke-count measurements indicated the overloaded ventricle in all patients. QP/QS determined by equilibrium gated studies correlated well with those obtained by oximetry (r . 0.79). Reproducibility of the equilibrium measurements was good. We conclude that gated cardiac blood-pool scans can measure left-to-right shunts and can distinguish between shunts with RV and LV volume overload

Effect of natural ageing on volume stability of MSW and wood waste incineration residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gori, Manuela; Bergfeldt, Britta; Reichelt, Jürgen; Sirini, Piero

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Natural weathering on BA from MSW and wood waste incineration was evaluated. ► Type of mineral phases, pH and volume stability were considered. ► Weathering reactions effect in improved stability of the materials. - Abstract: This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of natural weathering on volume stability of bottom ash (BA) from municipal solid waste (MSW) and wood waste incineration. BA samples were taken at different steps of treatment (fresh, 4 weeks and 12 weeks aged) and then characterised for their chemical and mineralogical composition and for volume stability by means of the mineralogical test method (M HMVA-StB), which is part of the German quality control system for using aggregates in road construction (TL Gestein-StB 04). Changes of mineralogical composition with the proceeding of the weathering treatment were also monitored by leaching tests. At the end of the 12 weeks of treatment, almost all the considered samples resulted to be usable without restrictions in road construction with reference to the test parameter volume stability

The relationship between pulmonary artery wedge pressure and pulmonary blood volume derived from contrast echocardiography: A proof-of-concept study.

Science.gov (United States)

Monahan, Ken; Lenihan, Daniel; Brittain, Evan L; Saliba, Linda; Piana, Robert N; Robison, Leslie L; Hudson, Melissa M; Armstrong, Gregory T

2018-05-14

Pulmonary transit time (PTT) obtained from contrast echocardiography is a marker of global cardiopulmonary function. Pulmonary blood volume (PBV), derived from PTT, may be a noninvasive surrogate for left-sided filling pressures, such as pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP). We sought to assess the relationship between PBV obtained from contrast echocardiography and PAWP. Participants were adult survivors of childhood cancer that had contrast echocardiography performed nearly simultaneously with right-heart catheterization. PTT was derived from time-intensity curves of contrast passage through the right ventricle (RV) and left atrium (LA). PBV relative to overall stroke volume (rPBV) was estimated from the product of PTT and heart rate during RV-LA transit. PAWP was obtained during standard right-heart catheterization. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between rPBV and PAWP. The study population consisted of 7 individuals who had contrast echocardiography and right-heart catheterization within 3 hours of each other. There was a wide range of right atrial (1-17 mm Hg), mean pulmonary artery (18-42 mm Hg), and PAW pressures (4-26 mm Hg) as well as pulmonary vascular resistance (<1-6 Wood Units). We observed a statistically significant correlation between rPBV and PAWP (r = .85; P = .02). Relative PBV derived from contrast echocardiography correlates with PAWP. If validated in larger studies, rPBV could potentially be used as an alternative to invasively determine left-sided filling pressure. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Robustness of the healthcare utilization results from the Rotavirus Efficacy and Safety Trial (REST evaluating the human-bovine (WC3 reassortant pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Damme Pierre

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Rotavirus Efficacy and Safety Trial was a placebo-controlled Phase III study that evaluated the safety and efficacy of a three-dose pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5 including its effect on healthcare utilization for rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE. The per-protocol (PP analyses, which counted events occurring 14 days after dose 3 among infants without protocol violations, have already been published. This paper evaluates the consistency of the healthcare utilization results based on the modified intention to treat (MITT analyses with the PP analyses. The MITT analyses include all infants receiving at least one dose of vaccine or placebo and follow-up begins after dose 1. The paper also explores the consistency of the results for different subgroups of the study population with different types of surveillance. Methods Data on healthcare utilization for acute gastroenteritis were collected via telephone interviews after administration of the first dose. Parents were either contacted every 6 weeks or every 2 weeks depending on the substudy in which they were enrolled. Those contacted every 2 weeks were also asked to complete symptom diaries. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the effect of RV5 on the rates of RVGE-associated healthcare encounters in all of the analyses. Results In the first 2 years after vaccination, RV5 reduced the combined rate of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED visits 88.9% (95% CI: 84.9, 91.9 for all RVGE regardless of serotype in the MITT analysis compared with a 94.5% (95% CI: 91.2, 96.6 reduction based on the G1-G4 PP analysis. By type of surveillance, the rate reductions for the G1-G4 PP analysis were 91.0% (95% CI: 81.7, 95.5 and 95.9% (95% CI: 92.2, 97.8 among parents contacted every 2 weeks (number evaluable = 4,451 and every 6 weeks (number evaluable = 52,683 respectively. Conclusions Our analyses demonstrated that the effect of RV5 on reducing the rate of hospitalizations

Rotavirus specific maternal antibodies and immune response to RV3-BB neonatal rotavirus vaccine in New Zealand

OpenAIRE

Chen, Mee-Yew; Kirkwood, Carl D.; Bines, Julie; Cowley, Daniel; Pavlic, Daniel; Lee, Katherine J.; Orsini, Francesca; Watts, Emma; Barnes, Graeme; Danchin, Margaret

2017-01-01

Background: Maternal antibodies, acquired passively via placenta and/or breast milk, may contribute to the reduced efficacy of oral rotavirus vaccines observed in children in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the effect of rotavirus specific maternal antibodies on the serum IgA response or stool excretion of vaccine virus after any dose of an oral rotavirus vaccine, RV3-BB, in parallel to a Phase IIa clinical trial conducted at Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand. At the time o...

[Isoproterenol stress test for the evaluation of the residual stenosis of the right ventricular outflow tract].

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, T; Fukuda, T; Kashima, I; Sato, M; Miura, M; Ueda, H; Yoshiba, S

2001-07-01

Hemodynamic changes of the right side of the heart during isoproterenol stress test were assessed and analyzed in 36 patients who underwent definitive repair of tetralogy of Fallot or double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis. Patients having atresia of the pulmonary artery were excluded from the study. 24 of the patients had previously undergone reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) with preserving the pulmonary valvar annulus (group N), whilst the remaining 12 patients had undergone transannular enlargement of RVOT with a patch (group T). Preservation of the pulmonary valvar annulus was determined when the intra-operative measurement of diameter of the pulmonary valvar annulus showed values greater than 90% of normal. In both groups, the isoproterenol infusion increased the right to left ventricular peak pressure (RVP/LVP) ratio, pressure gradient between the right ventricle and main pulmonary artery (RV-mPAP), and pressure gradient between the main pulmonary artery and peripheral pulmonary artery (m-pPAP). These values were significantly higher than those measured at rest. When comparisons were made between groups, RV-mPAP of group N was significantly higher than that of group T, both at rest and during stress test. By contrast, m-pPAP of group T was significantly higher than that of group N, both at rest and during stress test. Although no significant difference was found between the groups in RVP/LVP at rest and during stress test, RVP/LVP of both groups increased to the level of more than 0.6 after the isoproterenol infusion. These results led us to conclude that preservation of the pulmonary valvar annulus was better to be applied only to the patients who fulfilled our criterions. Additionally, in the setting of patch reconstruction of the pulmonary artery, every effort should be made so as not to leave the residual stenosis of the peripheral pulmonary artery.

Right ventricular remodelling after transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagourelias, Efstathios D; Daraban, Ana M; Mada, Razvan O; Duchenne, Jürgen; Mirea, Oana; Cools, Bjorn; Heying, Ruth; Boshoff, Derize; Bogaert, Jan; Budts, Werner; Gewillig, Marc; Voigt, Jens-Uwe

2017-09-01

To define the optimal timing for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) after Fallot's Tetralogy (ToF) correction. PPVI among the aforementioned patients is mainly driven by symptoms or by severe right ventricular (RV) dilatation/dysfunction. The optimal timing for PPVI is still disputed. Twenty patients [age 13.9 ± 9.2 years, (range 4.3-44.9), male 70%] with severe PR (≥3 grade) secondary to previous correction of ToF, underwent Melody valve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) implantation, after a pre-stent placement. Full echocardiographic assessment (traditional and deformation analysis) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance evaluation were performed before and at 3 months after the intervention. 'Favorable remodelling' was considered the upper quartile of RV size decrease (>20% in 3 months). After PPVI, indexed RV effective stroke volume increased from 38.4 ± 9.5 to 51.4 ± 10.7 mL/m 2 , (P = 0.005), while RV end-diastolic volume and strain indices decreased (123.1 ± 24.1-101.5 ± 18.3 mL/m 2 , P = 0.005 and -23.5 ± 2.5 to -21 ± 2.5%, P = 0.002, respectively). After inserting pre-PPVI clinical, RV volumetric and deformation parameters in a multiple regression model, only time after last surgical correction causing PR remained as significant regressor of RV remodelling [R 2  = 0.60, beta = 0.387, 95%CI(0.07-0.7), P = 0.019]. Volume reduction and functional improvement were more pronounced in patients treated with PPVI earlier than 7 years after last RV outflow tract (RVOT) correction, reaching close-to-normal values. Early PPVI (<7 years after last RVOT operation) is associated with a more favorable RV reverse remodelling toward normal range and should be considered, before symptoms or RV damage become apparent. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Radiological evaluation of lung volume among Koreans with silicosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rhee, Byung Chull

1975-01-01

1. Radiological evaluation of lung volumes was carried out thirty Korean males patients with silicosis, and following results were obtained. 2. The mean radiological lung volume among those patients was 7,587 ml. 3. When compared with the group of normal Korean male adults ranging from 31 to 55 years of age, the mean lung volume was increased by 2,346 ml. 4. The lung volume of these patients was even slightly larger than that of the group of Korean athletes of all ages. 5. On the other hand, the vital capacity in patients with silicosis was markedly diminished, the mean vital capacity being 2,909 ml. 6. The patients with silicosis also revealed emphysematous changes in the lung as well as increased residual volumes. The vital capacity was smallest in the latest stage.

Influence of pulmonary emphysema on COPD assessment test-oriented categorization in GOLD document.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Toshio; Tada, Yuji; Kawata, Naoko; Ikari, Jun; Kasahara, Yasunori; Sakurai, Yoriko; Iesato, Ken; Nishimura, Rintaro; West, James; Tatsumi, Koichiro

2015-01-01

The COPD assessment test (CAT) score is a key component of the multifactorial assessment of COPD in the Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines of 2014. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the differences among COPD categories in terms of clinical parameters such as pulmonary function or radiological findings. Thus, our aims in this study were to evaluate the associations between CAT scores and pulmonary clinical parameters, and to investigate factors that could discriminate between a "less symptomatic group" (categories A and C) and a "more symptomatic group" (categories B and D) among stable COPD patients. We enrolled 200 outpatients at Chiba University Hospital. Study subjects were assessed by CAT, pulmonary function testing, and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). We assessed possible correlations between these indices. CAT scores were negatively correlated with percentage of the forced expiratory volume in 1 second predicted value (FEV1 %predicted) and percentage of the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide per liter of lung volume predicted value (DLCO/VA [%predicted]) results and positively correlated with low attenuation volume percentage (LAV%) and residual volume to total lung capacity ratios (RV/TLC). In the "more symptomatic group" (category B or D), the mean DLCO/VA (%predicted) was significantly lower and the mean LAV% and RV/TLC was significantly higher than those in the "less symptomatic group" (category A or C), respectively. Interestingly, those in category B had higher mean LAV% compared to those in category C. CAT scores were significantly correlated with pulmonary function parameters and emphysematous changes on MDCT. The new GOLD classification system would be a step toward a phenotypic approach, especially taking into account the degree of emphysema and hyperinflation.

A look at worldwide usage of residual wood for energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekstrom, H.; Hall, M.M.

2007-01-01

Wood Resources International was established in 1987, offering on-site evaluation services of forest resources and forest industry developments in over 20 countries worldwide. This presentation reviewed residual wood markets in North America and Europe. Wood chip trade and wood pellet markets were also reviewed. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the wood harvested worldwide is used for heating and cooking. Although sawmill wood residue has been typically used for particle board manufacturing, the energy sector in North America and Europe is now competing for low cost residuals, including sawdust, shavings and wood chips. With demand for renewable resources increasing, district heating plants have revived an interest in collecting the nearly 35 per cent of biomass left behind after traditional clear cutting. This biomass represents branches, tops and stumps left behind after the roundwood has been removed. In Canada, demand for mill residuals has grown and wood pellet manufacturers have the opportunity to invest in capacity while continuing to produce competitively priced pellets for the European market. It is anticipated that in the next decade, large volumes of beetle-killed wood are going to be available in British Columbia for energy consumption, including wood pellet production. Prices for sawdust have doubled over the past 3 years as a result of increased competition. The biomass supply potential in the United States is 7 times the current consumption. There is an increased interest in bioenergy in California due to the declining lumber sector. As such, the use of forest and agricultural waste is on the rise, along with prices for wood residues. There has also been a large increase in demand for wood biomass in Europe over the past 5 years, resulting in higher costs of all wood fiber sources used for energy. By 2020, Europe has set a target that all energy should come from renewable energy sources, with a minimum of 10 per cent being biofuel for

Intra-individual comparison of magnesium citrate and sodium phosphate for bowel preparation at CT colonography: Automated volumetric analysis of residual fluid for quality assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bannas, P.; Bakke, J.; Munoz del Rio, A.; Pickhardt, P.J.

2014-01-01

Aim: To perform an objective, intra-individual comparison of residual colonic fluid volume and attenuation associated with the current front-line laxative magnesium citrate (MgC) versus the former front-line laxative sodium phosphate (NaP) at CT colonography (CTC). Materials and methods: This retrospective Health Insurance and Portability and Accountability Act-compliant study had institutional review board approval; informed consent was waived. The study cohort included 250 asymptomatic adults (mean age at index 56.1 years; 124 male/126 female) who underwent CTC screening twice over a 5 year interval. Colon catharsis at initial and follow-up screening employed single-dose NaP and double-dose MgC, respectively, allowing for intra-patient comparison. Automated volumetric analysis of residual colonic fluid volume and attenuation was performed on all 500 CTC studies. Colonic fluid volume <200 ml and mean attenuation between 300–900 HU were considered optimal. Paired t-test and McNemar's test were used to compare differences. Results: Residual fluid volumes <200 ml were recorded in 192 examinations (76.8%) following MgC and in 204 examinations (81.6%) following NaP (p = 0.23). The mean total residual fluid volume was 155 ± 114 ml for MgC and 143 ± 100 ml for NaP (p = 0.01). The attenuation range of 300–900 HU was significantly more frequent for MgC (n = 220, 88%) than for NaP (n = 127, 50.8%; p < 0.001). Mean fluid attenuation was significantly lower for MgC (700 ± 165 HU) than for NaP (878 ± 155 HU; p < 0.001). Concomitant presence of both optimal fluid volume and attenuation was significantly more frequent for MgC 65.2% than for NaP (38%; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Objective intra-individual comparison using automated volumetric analysis suggests that the replacement of NaP by MgC as the front-line laxative for CTC has not compromised overall examination quality. - Highlights: • Automated volumetric analysis provides

Detection of pyridaben residue levels in hot pepper fruit and leaves by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: effect of household processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung-Woo; Abd El-Aty, A M; Rahman, Md Musfiqur; Choi, Jeong-Heui; Choi, Ok-Ja; Rhee, Gyu-Seek; Chang, Moon-Ik; Kim, Heejung; Abid, Morad D N; Shin, Sung Chul; Shim, Jae-Han

2015-07-01

Following quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) and LC/MS/MS analysis, pyridaben residual levels were determined in unprocessed and processed hot pepper fruit and leaves. The linearities were satisfactory with determination coefficients (R(2)) in excess of 0.995 in processed and unprocessed pepper fruit and leaves. Recoveries at various concentrations were 79.9-105.1% with relative standard deviations ≤15%. The limits of quantitation of 0.003-0.012 mg/kg were very low compared with the maximum residue limits (2-5 mg/kg) set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Republic of Korea. The effects of various household processes, including washing, blanching, frying and drying under different conditions (water volume, blanching time and temperature) on residual concentrations were evaluated. Both washing and blanching (in combination with high water volume and time factor) significantly reduced residue levels in hot pepper fruit and leaves compared with other processes. In sum, the developed method was satisfactory and could be used to accurately detect residues in unprocessed and processed pepper fruit and leaves. It is recommended that pepper fruit/leaves be blanched after washing before being consumed to protect consumers from the negative health effects of detected pesticide residues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Application of direct passive residual heat removal system to the SMART reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yeon-Sik; Bae, Sung-Won; Cho, Seok; Kang, Kyoung-Ho; Park, Hyun-Sik

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An applicability study of the DRHRS to the SMART reactor was conducted. • Evaluations were performed for a station blackout scenario. • The adoption of the DRHRS in the SMART reactor was found feasible. - Abstract: A feasibility study on the application of the DRHRS to the SMART reactor was performed, using the MARS code. As a limiting event for the evaluation, an SBO event was used. From the MARS analysis on the DRHRS evaluation, most of the thermal hydraulic behaviors showed reasonable trends in pressure, temperature, and water levels. During the simulation, it was found out that mass transfer takes place between regions in the reactor vessel, especially from 2500 s to 11,000 s. Most of the mass transfer occurred from the outer regions in the reactor vessel, e.g., RV-outer1 and RV-outer2 regions, to the RV-inner region. The cooling flowrate in the CHX of the DRHRS was maintained between 7 and 8 kg/s for the simulation time. From this feasibility study, it can be concluded that the adoption of the DRHRS to the SMART reactor is reasonable at least from the view point of an SBO event.

Effects of logging residue management on the growth and nutriend distribution of a pinus taeda plantation in central Louisiana, USA

Science.gov (United States)

A. Tiarks; M. Elliot-Smith; R. Stagg

2004-01-01

A 37-year-old pine plantation was harvested. An experiment was established at the site with three levels of logging residue retention and two levels of weed control. By age 10 years retaining harvest residue increased pine volumes by 10 m3 ha-land weed control increased production by another 20 m3 ha

Residual stresses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahotra, I.M.

2006-01-01

The principal effect of unloading a material strained into the plastic range is to create a permanent set (plastic deformation), which if restricted somehow, gives rise to a system of self-balancing within the same member or reaction balanced by other members of the structure., known as residual stresses. These stresses stay there as locked-in stresses, in the body or a part of it in the absence of any external loading. Residual stresses are induced during hot-rolling and welding differential cooling, cold-forming and extruding: cold straightening and spot heating, fabrication and forced fitting of components constraining the structure to a particular geometry. The areas which cool more quickly develop residual compressive stresses, while the slower cooling areas develop residual tensile stresses, and a self-balancing or reaction balanced system of residual stresses is formed. The phenomenon of residual stresses is the most challenging in its application in surface modification techniques determining endurance mechanism against fracture and fatigue failures. This paper discusses the mechanism of residual stresses, that how the residual stresses are fanned and what their behavior is under the action of external forces. Such as in the case of a circular bar under limit torque, rectangular beam under limt moment, reclaiming of shafts welds and peening etc. (author)

Perspective on sequence evolution of microsatellite locus (CCGn in Rv0050 gene from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Ruiliang

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mycobacterial genome is inclined to polymerase slippage and a high mutation rate in microsatellite regions due to high GC content and absence of a mismatch repair system. However, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying microsatellite variation have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated mutation events in the hyper-variable trinucleotide microsatellite locus MML0050 located in the Rv0050 gene of W-Beijing and non-W-Beijing Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in order to gain insight into the genomic structure and activity of repeated regions. Results Size analysis indicated the presence of five alleles that differed in length by three base pairs. Moreover, nucleotide gains occurred more frequently than loses in this trinucleotide microsatellite. Mutation frequency was not completely related with the total length, though the relative frequency in the longest allele was remarkably higher than that in the shortest. Sequence analysis was able to detect seven alleles and revealed that point mutations enhanced the level of locus variation. Introduction of an interruptive motif correlated with the total allele length and genetic lineage, rather than the length of the longest stretch of perfect repeats. Finally, the level of locus variation was drastically different between the two genetic lineages. Conclusion The Rv0050 locus encodes the bifunctional penicillin-binding protein ponA1 and is essential to mycobacterial survival. Our investigations of this particularly dynamic genomic region provide insights into the overall mode of microsatellite evolution. Specifically, replication slippage was implicated in the mutational process of this microsatellite and a sequence-based genetic analysis was necessary to determine that point mutation events acted to maintain microsatellite size integrity while providing genomic diversity.

Transporting large volumes of residual radioactive material: FUSRAP solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pressnell, T.; McDaniel, P.; Darby, J.

1997-01-01

During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, many sites in the United States were used by the Manhattan Engineer District and the Atomic Energy Commission for processing and storing uranium and thorium ores and metals. Some of the sites were owned by the federal government; others were owned by universities or other institutions; and still others, such as chemical plants, were privately owned. The Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) is one of several U.S. Department of Energy programs created to address radioactive contamination in excess of guidelines at these sites. FUSRAP currently includes 46 sites in 14 states. This article includes the following topics in describing FUSRAP work: Logistics challenges; engineering challenges (package inspection, equipment compatability, moisture content requirements, waste volume estimation); Traffic management

Finite Element Simulation of Shot Peening: Prediction of Residual Stresses and Surface Roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Gariépy, Alexandre; Perron, Claude; Bocher, Philippe; Lévesque, Martin

Shot peening is a surface treatment that consists of bombarding a ductile surface with numerous small and hard particles. Each impact creates localized plastic strains that permanently stretch the surface. Since the underlying material constrains this stretching, compressive residual stresses are generated near the surface. This process is commonly used in the automotive and aerospace industries to improve fatigue life. Finite element analyses can be used to predict residual stress profiles and surface roughness created by shot peening. This study investigates further the parameters and capabilities of a random impact model by evaluating the representative volume element and the calculated stress distribution. Using an isotropic-kinematic hardening constitutive law to describe the behaviour of AA2024-T351 aluminium alloy, promising results were achieved in terms of residual stresses.

Availability and conversion to energy potentials of wood-based industry residues in Cameroon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simo, A.; Siyam Siew, S.

2000-01-01

The importance of biomass as the most accessible primary energy source in Cameroon is presented. The valorization of wood wastes and residues is seen as a way of implementing the sustainable use of biomass resources. A recent survey of wood-based industries in Cameroon reveals that large volumes of industrial wood residues are generated in the rain forest areas and are inefficiently used. Important quantities are lost in the form of burning in the four main forestry provinces, while other parts of the country suffer from fuelwood shortage. With the exception of the plywood factories, the wood industry is essentially dependent on commercial energy. An analysis made to show the economic and environmental benefits of converting wood residues to energy for industrial and domestic use is presented. (author)

Tensile Residual Stress Mitigation Using Low Temperature Phase Transformation Filler Wire in Welded Armor Plates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Zhili [ORNL; Bunn, Jeffrey R [ORNL; Tzelepis, Demetrios A [ORNL; Payzant, E Andrew [ORNL; Yu, Xinghua [ORNL

2016-01-01

Hydrogen induced cracking (HIC) has been a persistent issue in welding of high-strength steels. Mitigating residual stresses is one of the most efficient ways to control HIC. The current study develops a proactive in-process weld residual stress mitigation technique, which manipulates the thermal expansion and contraction sequence in the weldments during welding process. When the steel weld is cooled after welding, martensitic transformation will occur at a temperature below 400 C. Volume expansion in the weld due to the martensitic transformation will reduce tensile stresses in the weld and heat affected zone and in some cases produce compressive residual stresses in the weld. Based on this concept, a customized filler wire which undergoes a martensitic phase transformation during cooling was developed. The new filler wire shows significant improvement in terms of reducing the tendency of HIC in high strength steels. Bulk residual stress mapping using neutron diffraction revealed reduced tensile and compressive residual stresses in the welds made by the new filler wire.

A modified Glenn shunt reduces right ventricular stroke work during left ventricular assist device therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Petter; Vikholm, Per; Hellgren, Laila

2016-03-01

Right ventricular (RV) failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement and remains hard to predict. We hypothesized that partial surgical exclusion of the RV with a modified Glenn shunt during LVAD treatment would reduce RV stroke work. An LVAD was implanted in eight pigs and a modified Glenn shunt was constructed. A conductance pressure-volume catheter was placed in the right ventricle through the apex. Haemodynamic data and pressure-volume loops were obtained at the following time periods: (i) baseline, (ii) open shunt, (iii) LVAD with closed shunt and (iii) LVAD and open shunt. During LVAD therapy, the right atrial (RA) pressure increased from 9 mmHg (9-9) to 15 mmHg (12-15), P = 0.01. RV stroke volume increased from 30 ml (29-40) to 51 ml (42-53), P work increased to 708 mmHg ml (654-1193) from 535 mmHg ml (424-717), P = 0.04, compared with baseline. During LVAD therapy in combination with a Glenn shunt, the RA pressure decreased from 15 mmHg (12-15) to 10 mmHg (7-11) when compared with LVAD therapy only, P = 0.01. A decrease in RV stroke work from 708 mmHg ml (654-1193) to 465 mmHg ml (366-711), P = 0.04, was seen when the LVAD was combined with a shunt, not significantly different from the baseline value (535 mmHg ml). The developed pressure in the right ventricle decreased from 29 mmHg (26-32) to 21 mmHg (20-24), P work during the use of the shunt with LVAD treatment. A modified Glenn shunt reduced RV volumes, RV stroke work and RA pressure during LVAD therapy in an experimental model of heart failure in pigs. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Conductivity, temperature, depth, water quality and pigment data from R/V Bellows cruise BE-1311, 2012-12-12 to 2012-12-14 (NCEI Accession 0159411)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains conductivity, temperature, and depth data collected during R/V Bellows cruise BE-1311 of the offshore shelf of the Florida Panhandle Bight at...

Summary of the engineering assessment of radioactive sands and residues, Lowman Site, Lowman, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-09-01

Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has reevaluated the Lowman site in order to revise the December 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive sands and residues at Lowman, Idaho. This engineering assessment has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of radioactive sands and residues and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 191,000 tons of radioactive sands, residues, and contaminated soils at the Lowman site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown radioactive sands and external gamma radiation also are factors

Left and right ventricle assessment with Cardiac CT: validation study vs. Cardiac MR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maffei, Erica; Seitun, Sara [Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Cardiovascular Radiology Unit, Monastier di Treviso (Italy); Messalli, Giancarlo; Catalano, Onofrio [SDN Foundation - IRCCS, Naples (Italy); Martini, Chiara; Cademartiri, Filippo [Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Cardiovascular Radiology Unit, Monastier di Treviso (Italy); Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Nieman, Koen; Rossi, Alexia; Mollet, Nico R. [Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Radiology and Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Guaricci, Andrea I. [Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Foggia, Department of Cardiology, Foggia (Italy); Tedeschi, Carlo [Ospedale San Gennaro, Department of Cardiology, Naples (Italy)

2012-05-15

To compare Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Computed Tomography (CT) for the assessment of left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular functional parameters. Seventy nine patients underwent both Cardiac CT and Cardiac MR. Images were acquired using short axis (SAX) reconstructions for CT and 2D cine b-SSFP (balanced-steady state free precession) SAX sequence for MR, and evaluated using dedicated software. CT and MR images showed good agreement: LV EF (Ejection Fraction) (52 {+-} 14% for CT vs. 52 {+-} 14% for MR; r = 0.73; p > 0.05); RV EF (47 {+-} 12% for CT vs. 47 {+-} 12% for MR; r = 0.74; p > 0.05); LV EDV (End Diastolic Volume) (74 {+-} 21 ml/m{sup 2} for CT vs. 76 {+-} 25 ml/m{sup 2} for MR; r = 0.59; p > 0.05); RV EDV (84 {+-} 25 ml/m{sup 2} for CT vs. 80 {+-} 23 ml/m{sup 2} for MR; r = 0.58; p > 0.05); LV ESV (End Systolic Volume)(37 {+-} 19 ml/m{sup 2} for CT vs. 38 {+-} 23 ml/m{sup 2} for MR; r = 0.76; p > 0.05); RV ESV (46 {+-} 21 ml/m{sup 2} for CT vs. 43 {+-} 18 ml/m{sup 2} for MR; r = 0.70; p > 0.05). Intra- and inter-observer variability were good, and the performance of CT was maintained for different EF subgroups. Cardiac CT provides accurate and reproducible LV and RV volume parameters compared with MR, and can be considered as a reliable alternative for patients who are not suitable to undergo MR. circle Cardiac-CT is able to provide Left and Right Ventricular function. circle Cardiac-CT is accurate as MR for LV and RV volume assessment. (orig.)

Contributions to the workshop `Residual ponds from open pit brown coal mining`; Beitraege zum Workshop ``Braunkohlebergbaurestseen``

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

The contributions to the workshop ``Investigations on flooding in residual ponds from open-pit mining`` deal, inter alia, with the hydrochemical development of flushing waters, the stability of the water quality of residual lakes, especially under the impact of land contamination, the influence of brine receipts by flushed residual lakes, and with the microbiological ecology of residual lakes from mining. Furthermore, geophysical studies for demonstrating paths of flow and for calculating the depth and volume of residual lakes from open-pit mining are discussed. (MSK) [Deutsch] Die Beitraege zu dem Workshop `Untersuchungen zu Flutungen in Tagebaurestseen` befassen sich unter anderem mit der hydrochemischen Entwicklung von Flutungsgewaessern, mit der Qualitaetsstabilitaet von Restseewaessern - insbesonders bei Einwirkung von Altlasten - und mit den Einfluessen von Solezufluessen bei Restseeflutung sowie mit Untersuchungen zur mikrobiologischen Oekologie in Bergbaurestseen. Desweiteren werden geophysikalische Untersuchungen zum Nachweis von Fliesswegen und die Tiefen- und Volumenberechnung eines Tagebaurestlochsees erlaeutert. (MSK)

Contributions to the workshop `Residual ponds from open pit brown coal mining`; Beitraege zum Workshop ``Braunkohlebergbaurestseen``

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-31

The contributions to the workshop ``Investigations on flooding in residual ponds from open-pit mining`` deal, inter alia, with the hydrochemical development of flushing waters, the stability of the water quality of residual lakes, especially under the impact of land contamination, the influence of brine receipts by flushed residual lakes, and with the microbiological ecology of residual lakes from mining. Furthermore, geophysical studies for demonstrating paths of flow and for calculating the depth and volume of residual lakes from open-pit mining are discussed. (MSK) [Deutsch] Die Beitraege zu dem Workshop `Untersuchungen zu Flutungen in Tagebaurestseen` befassen sich unter anderem mit der hydrochemischen Entwicklung von Flutungsgewaessern, mit der Qualitaetsstabilitaet von Restseewaessern - insbesonders bei Einwirkung von Altlasten - und mit den Einfluessen von Solezufluessen bei Restseeflutung sowie mit Untersuchungen zur mikrobiologischen Oekologie in Bergbaurestseen. Desweiteren werden geophysikalische Untersuchungen zum Nachweis von Fliesswegen und die Tiefen- und Volumenberechnung eines Tagebaurestlochsees erlaeutert. (MSK)

Preoperative thresholds for pulmonary valve replacement in patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot using cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterhof, T.; Straten, A. van; Vliegen, H.W.; Meijboom, F.J.; Dijk, A.P.J. van; Spijkerboer, A.M.; Bouma, B.J.; Zwinderman, A.H.; Hazekamp, M.G.; Roos, A.; Mulder, B.J.M.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: To facilitate the optimal timing of pulmonary valve replacement, we analyzed preoperative thresholds of right ventricular (RV) volumes above which no decrease or normalization of RV size takes place after surgery. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1993 and 2006, 71 adult patients with

Preoperative thresholds for pulmonary valve replacement in patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot using cardiovascular magnetic resonance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterhof, Thomas; van Straten, Alexander; Vliegen, Hubert W.; Meijboom, Folkert J.; van Dijk, Arie P. J.; Spijkerboer, Anje M.; Bouma, Berto J.; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.; Hazekamp, Mark G.; de Roos, Albert; Mulder, Barbara J. M.

2007-01-01

Background - To facilitate the optimal timing of pulmonary valve replacement, we analyzed preoperative thresholds of right ventricular ( RV) volumes above which no decrease or normalization of RV size takes place after surgery. Methods and Results - Between 1993 and 2006, 71 adult patients with

ULTRA-LOW AMPLITUDE VARIABLES IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD-CLASSICAL CEPHEIDS, POP. II CEPHEIDS, RV TAU STARS, AND BINARY VARIABLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert Buchler, J.; Wood, Peter R.; Soszynski, Igor

2009-01-01

A search for variable stars with ultra-low amplitudes (ULAs), in the millimagnitude range, has been made in the combined MACHO and OGLE databases in the broad vicinity of the Cepheid instability strip in the HR diagram. A total of 25 singly periodic and 4 multiply periodic ULA objects have been uncovered. Our analysis does not allow us to distinguish between pulsational and ellipsoidal (binary) variabilities, nor between Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and foreground objects. However, the objects are strongly clustered and appear to be associated with the pulsational instability strips of LMC Pop. I and II variables. When combined with the ULA variables of Buchler et al., a total of 20 objects fall close to the classical Cepheid instability strip. However, they appear to fall on parallel period-magnitude (PM) relations that are shifted to slightly higher magnitude which would confer them a different evolutionary status. Low-amplitude RV Tauri and Pop. II Cepheids have been uncovered that do not appear in the MACHO or OGLE catalogs. Interestingly, a set of binaries seem to lie on a PM relation that is essentially parallel to that of the RV Tauri/Pop. II Cepheids.

The application of white radiation to residual stress analysis in the intermediate zone between surface and volume

CERN Document Server

Genzel, C; Wallis, B; Reimers, W

2001-01-01

Mechanical surface processing is known to give rise to complex residual stress fields in the near surface region of polycrystalline materials. Consequently, their analysis by means of non-destructive X-ray and neutron diffraction methods has become an important topic in materials science. However, there remains a gap with respect to the accessible near surface zone, which concerns a range between about 10 mu m and 1 mm, where the conventional X-ray methods are no longer and the neutron methods are not yet sensitive. In order to achieve the necessary penetration depth tau to perform residual stress analysis (RSA) in this region, advantageous use can be made of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction of synchrotron radiation (15-60 keV) in the reflection mode. Besides an example concerning the adaptation of methods applied so far in the angle dispersive RSA to the energy dispersive case, the concept of a new materials science beamline at BESSY II for residual stress and texture analysis is presented.

The application of white radiation to residual stress analysis in the intermediate zone between surface and volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genzel, Ch.; Stock, C.; Wallis, B.; Reimers, W.

2001-01-01

Mechanical surface processing is known to give rise to complex residual stress fields in the near surface region of polycrystalline materials. Consequently, their analysis by means of non-destructive X-ray and neutron diffraction methods has become an important topic in materials science. However, there remains a gap with respect to the accessible near surface zone, which concerns a range between about 10 μm and 1 mm, where the conventional X-ray methods are no longer and the neutron methods are not yet sensitive. In order to achieve the necessary penetration depth τ to perform residual stress analysis (RSA) in this region, advantageous use can be made of energy dispersive X-ray diffraction of synchrotron radiation (15-60 keV) in the reflection mode. Besides an example concerning the adaptation of methods applied so far in the angle dispersive RSA to the energy dispersive case, the concept of a new materials science beamline at BESSY II for residual stress and texture analysis is presented

Polylactide-based renewable green composites from agricultural residues and their hybrids.

Science.gov (United States)

Nyambo, Calistor; Mohanty, Amar K; Misra, Manjusri

2010-06-14

Agricultural natural fibers like jute, kenaf, sisal, flax, and industrial hemp have been extensively studied in green composites. The continuous supply of biofibers in high volumes to automotive part makers has raised concerns. Because extrusion followed by injection molding drastically reduces the aspect ratio of biofibers, the mechanical performance of injection molded agricultural residue and agricultural fiber-based composites are comparable. Here, the use of inexpensive agricultural residues and their hybrids that are 8-10 times cheaper than agricultural fibers is demonstrated to be a better way of getting sustainable materials with better performance. Green renewable composites from polylactide (PLA), agricultural residues (wheat straw, corn stover, soy stalks, and their hybrids) were successfully prepared through twin-screw extrusion, followed by injection molding. The effect on mechanical properties of varying the wheat straw amount from 10 to 40 wt % in PLA-wheat straw composites was studied. Tensile moduli were compared with theoretical calculations from the rule of mixture (ROM). Combination of agricultural residues as hybrids is proved to reduce the supply chain concerns for injection molded green composites. Densities of the green composites were found to be lower than those of conventional glass fiber composites.

Crop residues quantification to obtain self-consumption compost in an organic garden

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez de Fuentes, Pilar; Lopez Merino, María; Remedios Alvir, María; Briz de Felipe, Teresa

2013-04-01

This research focuses on quantifying the crop residue left after the campaign fall/winter (2011) for the organic garden crops of Agricultural ETSI, located in practice fields, to get compost for self-generated residues arising from within their own fields. This compost is produced by mixing this material with an organic residues source animal. In this way the plant organic residues provided the nitrogen required for an appropriate C/N and the animal organic residues can provide the carbon amount required to achieve an optimal scenario. The garden has a surface area of 180 m2 which was cultured with different seasonal vegetables, different families and attending practices and species associations' rotations, proper of farming techniques. The organic material of animal origin referred to, is rest from sheep renew bed, sustained management support the precepts of organic farming and cottage belongs to practice fields too. At the end of crop cycle, we proceeded to the harvest and sorting of usable crop residues, which was considered as net crop residues. In each case, these residues were subjected to a cutting treatment by the action of a mincing machine and then weighed to estimate the amounts given by each crop. For the sheep bed residue 1m2 was collected after three months having renewed. It had been made by providing 84 kg of straw bales in July and introducing about 12 Kg each. The herd consisted of three females and one playe. Each one of them was feed 300g and 600 g of straw per day. Two alternating different pens were used to simulate a regime of semi-intensive housing. A balance on how much organic residue material was obtained at the end and how much was obtained in the compost process is discussed in terms of volume and nutrients content is discussed.

Is residual memory variance a valid method for quantifying cognitive reserve? A longitudinal application

Science.gov (United States)

Zahodne, Laura B.; Manly, Jennifer J.; Brickman, Adam M.; Narkhede, Atul; Griffith, Erica Y.; Guzman, Vanessa A.; Schupf, Nicole; Stern, Yaakov

2016-01-01

Cognitive reserve describes the mismatch between brain integrity and cognitive performance. Older adults with high cognitive reserve are more resilient to age-related brain pathology. Traditionally, cognitive reserve is indexed indirectly via static proxy variables (e.g., years of education). More recently, cross-sectional studies have suggested that reserve can be expressed as residual variance in episodic memory performance that remains after accounting for demographic factors and brain pathology (whole brain, hippocampal, and white matter hyperintensity volumes). The present study extends these methods to a longitudinal framework in a community-based cohort of 244 older adults who underwent two comprehensive neuropsychological and structural magnetic resonance imaging sessions over 4.6 years. On average, residual memory variance decreased over time, consistent with the idea that cognitive reserve is depleted over time. Individual differences in change in residual memory variance predicted incident dementia, independent of baseline residual memory variance. Multiple-group latent difference score models revealed tighter coupling between brain and language changes among individuals with decreasing residual memory variance. These results suggest that changes in residual memory variance may capture a dynamic aspect of cognitive reserve and could be a useful way to summarize individual cognitive responses to brain changes. Change in residual memory variance among initially non-demented older adults was a better predictor of incident dementia than residual memory variance measured at one time-point. PMID:26348002

Cardiac magnetic resonance findings predicting mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baggen, Vivan J.M.; Leiner, Tim; Habets, Jesse; Post, Marco C.; Dijk, Arie P. van; Sieswerda, Gertjan T.; Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W.; Boersma, Eric

2016-01-01

To provide a comprehensive overview of all reported cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings that predict clinical deterioration in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies published by April 2015 that reported associations between CMR findings and adverse clinical outcome in PAH. Studies were appraised using previously developed criteria for prognostic studies. Meta-analysis using random effect models was performed for CMR findings investigated by three or more studies. Eight papers (539 patients) investigating 21 different CMR findings were included. Meta-analysis showed that right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction was the strongest predictor of mortality in PAH (pooled HR 1.23 [95 % CI 1.07-1.41], p = 0.003) per 5 % decrease. In addition, RV end-diastolic volume index (pooled HR 1.06 [95 % CI 1.00-1.12], p = 0.049), RV end-systolic volume index (pooled HR 1.05 [95 % CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.013) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (pooled HR 1.16 [95 % CI 1.00-1.34], p = 0.045) were of prognostic importance. RV and LV mass did not provide prognostic information (p = 0.852 and p = 0.983, respectively). This meta-analysis substantiates the clinical yield of specific CMR findings in the prognostication of PAH patients. Decreased RV ejection is the strongest and most well established predictor of mortality. (orig.)

Cardiac magnetic resonance findings predicting mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baggen, Vivan J.M. [AHMaZON Centre for Adult Congenital Heart Disease, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen and St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Department of Cardiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Erasmus Medical Centre, Department of Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Leiner, Tim; Habets, Jesse [University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Radiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Post, Marco C.; Dijk, Arie P. van; Sieswerda, Gertjan T. [AHMaZON Centre for Adult Congenital Heart Disease, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen and St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Department of Cardiology, Utrecht (Netherlands); Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W. [Erasmus Medical Centre, Department of Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Boersma, Eric [Erasmus Medical Centre, Department of Cardiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands); Erasmus Medical Centre, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2016-11-15

To provide a comprehensive overview of all reported cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings that predict clinical deterioration in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies published by April 2015 that reported associations between CMR findings and adverse clinical outcome in PAH. Studies were appraised using previously developed criteria for prognostic studies. Meta-analysis using random effect models was performed for CMR findings investigated by three or more studies. Eight papers (539 patients) investigating 21 different CMR findings were included. Meta-analysis showed that right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction was the strongest predictor of mortality in PAH (pooled HR 1.23 [95 % CI 1.07-1.41], p = 0.003) per 5 % decrease. In addition, RV end-diastolic volume index (pooled HR 1.06 [95 % CI 1.00-1.12], p = 0.049), RV end-systolic volume index (pooled HR 1.05 [95 % CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.013) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (pooled HR 1.16 [95 % CI 1.00-1.34], p = 0.045) were of prognostic importance. RV and LV mass did not provide prognostic information (p = 0.852 and p = 0.983, respectively). This meta-analysis substantiates the clinical yield of specific CMR findings in the prognostication of PAH patients. Decreased RV ejection is the strongest and most well established predictor of mortality. (orig.)

Euroopa Sotsiaalfondi vahendid Eesti noortekeskustes - kasutus, tulemused ja mõju noortekeskustele ning ühiskonnale / Heidi Paabort ; kommenteerinud Kerli Kõiv, Tiina Sinijärv, Aire Pruus

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Paabort, Heidi

2013-01-01

ESFi programmide tulemusel toimunud muutusi noorsootöös kommenteerivad Rõuge vallavalitsuse noorsootöö spetsialist Kerli Kõiv, Keila ANK ja Keila Noortekeskuse juhataja Tiina Sinijärv ja Nursi noorsootöös osaleja Aire Pruus

Evaluation of residue-residue contact predictions in CASP9

KAUST Repository

Monastyrskyy, Bohdan

2011-01-01

This work presents the results of the assessment of the intramolecular residue-residue contact predictions submitted to CASP9. The methodology for the assessment does not differ from that used in previous CASPs, with two basic evaluation measures being the precision in recognizing contacts and the difference between the distribution of distances in the subset of predicted contact pairs versus all pairs of residues in the structure. The emphasis is placed on the prediction of long-range contacts (i.e., contacts between residues separated by at least 24 residues along sequence) in target proteins that cannot be easily modeled by homology. Although there is considerable activity in the field, the current analysis reports no discernable progress since CASP8.

Thallium-201 myocardial imaging for evaluation of right-ventricular overloading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, M.; Kubo, A.; Yamazaki, H.; Ohsuzu, F.; Handa, S.; Tsugu, T.; Masaki, H.; Kinoshita, F.; Hashimoto, S.

1978-01-01

This study evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of Tl-201 myocardial imaging in the detection of right-ventricular (RV) overloading. Right-ventricular visualization (RVV) after administration of Tl-201 chloride was studied on 99 patients with various heart diseases. Tracer uptake in the free wall of the RV was graded in four degrees. The degree of RVV was compared with the findings of cardiac catheterization. The comparisons indicated that the uptake increased in step with the inreases in RV systolic pressure, RV end-diastolic pressure, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, total pulmonary vascular resistance, and stroke-work index of the right ventricle (P < 0.05--P < 0.001). Of the patients with visible RV, all but three had RV overloading, and all but three of those without RVV had normal RV systolic pressure. Myocardial images also reflect the type of RV overloading. In patients with RV pressure overloading, the septum showed a tendency to appear straight. In patients with atrial septal defect leading to RV volume overloading, the RV cavity was dilated, the LV image small, and the septum convex toward the RV cavity. These results indicate that Tl-201 myocardial imaging is a sensitive and specific method for the study of RV overloading

Biogas production from energy crops and agriculture residues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, G.

2010-12-15

In this thesis, the feasibility of utilizing energy crops (willow and miscanthus) and agriculture residues (wheat straw and corn stalker) in an anaerobic digestion process for biogas production was evaluated. Potential energy crops and agriculture residues were screened according to their suitability for biogas production. Moreover, pretreatment of these biomasses by using wet explosion method was studied and the effect of the wet explosion process was evaluated based on the increase of (a) sugar release and (b) methane potential when comparing the pretreated biomass and raw biomass. Ensiling of perennial crops was tested as a storage method and pretreatment method for enhancement of the biodegradability of the crops. The efficiency of the silage process was evaluated based on (a) the amount of biomass loss during storage and (b) the effect of the silage on methane potential. Co-digestion of raw and wet explosion pretreated energy crops and agriculture residues with swine manure at various volatile solids (VS) ratio between crop and manure was carried out by batch tests and continuous experiments. The efficiency of the co-digestion experiment was evaluated based on (a) the methane potential in term of ml CH4 produced per g of VS-added and (b) the amount of methane produced per m3 of reactor volume. (Author)

Increasing the Resolution of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Definition. Lessons from a Cohort with Remote but Extensive Exposure to Secondhand Tobacco Smoke.

Science.gov (United States)

Arjomandi, Mehrdad; Zeng, Siyang; Blanc, Paul D; Gold, Warren M

2018-04-01

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria require a ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) to forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEV 1 /FVC) of less than 0.70 for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, whereas other criteria emphasize a lower limit of normal approach. However, the use of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (or lower limit of normal) criteria may result in classification of many smokers with respiratory morbidities as not having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Additional accuracy in defining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease could improve its management. To determine whether in a cohort with remote but longstanding exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, air trapping as measured by ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity (RV/TLC) can identify a subgroup at risk for respiratory morbidity among those without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease defined by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (or lower limit of normal) criteria. We performed an observational study of symptoms and lung function in a cohort of 256 subjects with a history of extensive occupational exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke but with preserved spirometry (FEV 1 /FVC and FEV 1  ≥ lower limit of normal). We elicited symptom prevalence by structured questionnaire, and estimated the correlations between plethysmography-measured RV/TLC and spirometry-measured FEV 1 /FVC and FEV 1 . In subgroups of the cohort, we examined the association of maximum oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text]o 2 max) on exercise testing with RV/TLC (n = 179), dynamic hyperinflation (exercise-induced changes in fraction of tidal breathing that is flow-limited on expiration [percentage of expiratory flow limitation, %EFL] and end-expiratory lung volume) (n = 32), and radiographic gas trapping (percent low attenuation area in -860 to -950 Hounsfield units at end-expiration on computerized

Proceedings of the seventh symposium on containment of underground nuclear explosions. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsen, C.W.

1993-01-01

This is Volume 2 of two unclassified volumes of a meeting of workers at all levels in the science and technology of containment. Papers on containment and related geological, geophysical, engineering, chemical, and computational topics were included. Particular topics in this volume include: Low-yield test beds, modeling and residual stress, material properties, collapse phenomena and shock diagnostics, stemming practices and performance, geophysics, and geosciences and weapons destruction. Individual papers are indexed separately on the data base

Proceedings of the seventh symposium on containment of underground nuclear explosions. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olsen, C.W. [ed.

1993-12-31

This is Volume 2 of two unclassified volumes of a meeting of workers at all levels in the science and technology of containment. Papers on containment and related geological, geophysical, engineering, chemical, and computational topics were included. Particular topics in this volume include: Low-yield test beds, modeling and residual stress, material properties, collapse phenomena and shock diagnostics, stemming practices and performance, geophysics, and geosciences and weapons destruction. Individual papers are indexed separately on the data base.

Thermal treatment of solid residues from WtE units: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindberg, Daniel; Molin, Camilla; Hupa, Mikko

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We review the thermal treatment methods for ashes and residues from WtE plants. • We review the results from extensive laboratory work on vitrification, melting and vaporization of ash. • We analyze the results from the extensive patent literature on thermal treatment. • We review industrial concepts for thermal treatment of ash. - Abstract: Thermal treatment methods of bottom ash, fly ash and various types of APC (air pollution control) residues from waste-to-energy plants can be used to obtain environmentally stable material. The thermal treatment processes are meant to reduce the leachability of harmful residue constituents, destroy toxic organic compounds, reduce residue volume, and produce material suitable for utilization. Fly ash and APC residues often have high levels of soluble salts, particularly chlorides, metals such as cadmium, lead, copper and zinc, and trace levels of organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans. Different thermal treatment methods can be used to either decompose or stabilize harmful elements and compounds in the ash, or separate them from the ash to get a material that can be safely stored or used as products or raw materials. In the present paper, thermal treatment methods, such as sintering, vitrification, and melting have been reviewed. In addition to a review of the scientific literature, a survey has been made of the extensive patent literature in the field

Thermal treatment of solid residues from WtE units: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindberg, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.lindberg@abo.fi; Molin, Camilla, E-mail: camilla.molin@abo.fi; Hupa, Mikko, E-mail: mikko.hupa@abo.fi

2015-03-15

Highlights: • We review the thermal treatment methods for ashes and residues from WtE plants. • We review the results from extensive laboratory work on vitrification, melting and vaporization of ash. • We analyze the results from the extensive patent literature on thermal treatment. • We review industrial concepts for thermal treatment of ash. - Abstract: Thermal treatment methods of bottom ash, fly ash and various types of APC (air pollution control) residues from waste-to-energy plants can be used to obtain environmentally stable material. The thermal treatment processes are meant to reduce the leachability of harmful residue constituents, destroy toxic organic compounds, reduce residue volume, and produce material suitable for utilization. Fly ash and APC residues often have high levels of soluble salts, particularly chlorides, metals such as cadmium, lead, copper and zinc, and trace levels of organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans. Different thermal treatment methods can be used to either decompose or stabilize harmful elements and compounds in the ash, or separate them from the ash to get a material that can be safely stored or used as products or raw materials. In the present paper, thermal treatment methods, such as sintering, vitrification, and melting have been reviewed. In addition to a review of the scientific literature, a survey has been made of the extensive patent literature in the field.

Hemodynamic effects of closure of residual arteriovenous fistulae during in situ graft procedures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laustsen, Jesper; Nielsen, Henriette Svarre; Pedersen, Erik Morre

2011-01-01