Fluctuation theorem for channel-facilitated membrane transport of interacting and noninteracting solutes.

Science.gov (United States)

Berezhkovskii, Alexander M; Bezrukov, Sergey M

2008-05-15

In this paper, we discuss the fluctuation theorem for channel-facilitated transport of solutes through a membrane separating two reservoirs. The transport is characterized by the probability, P(n)(t), that n solute particles have been transported from one reservoir to the other in time t. The fluctuation theorem establishes a relation between P(n)(t) and P-(n)(t): The ratio P(n)(t)/P-(n)(t) is independent of time and equal to exp(nbetaA), where betaA is the affinity measured in the thermal energy units. We show that the same fluctuation theorem is true for both single- and multichannel transport of noninteracting particles and particles which strongly repel each other.

The Methodology of Selecting the Transport Mode for Companies on the Slovak Transport Market

Science.gov (United States)

Černá, Lenka; Zitrický, Vladislav; Daniš, Jozef

2017-03-01

Transport volume in the Slovak Republic is growing continuously every year. This rising trend is influenced by the development of car industry and its suppliers. Slovak republic has also a geographic strategy position in middle Europe from the side of transport corridors (east-west and north-south). The development of transport volume in freight transport depends on the transport and business processes between the European Union and China and it is an opportunity for Slovak republic to obtain transit transport flows. In the Slovak Republic, road transport has a dominant position in the transport market. The volume of road transport has gradually increased over the past years. The increase of road transport is reflected on the highways and speed roads in regions which have higher economic potential. The increase of rail transport as seen on the main rail corridors is not as significant as in road transport. Trade globalization also has an influence on the increase of transport volume in intermodal transport. Predicted increase in transport volume for this transport mode is from 2,3 mil ton per year at present to 8 mil ton in the year 2020. Selection of transport mode and carrier is an important aspect for logistic management, because companies (customers) want to reduce the number of carriers which they trade and they create the system of several key carriers. Bigger transport volume and more qualitative transport service give a possibility to reduce transport costs. This trend is positive for carriers too, because the carriers can focus only on the selected customers and provide more qualitative services. The paper is focused on the selection of transport mode based on the proposed methodology. The aims of the paper are, definition of criteria which directly influence the selection of transport modes, determination of criteria based on the subjectively methods, creation of process for the selection of transport modes and practical application of proposed

Colloid-Facilitated Radionuclide Transport: Current State of Knowledge from a Nuclear Waste Repository Risk Assessment Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reimus, Paul William; Zavarin, Mavrik; Wang, Yifeng

2017-01-01

This report provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport from a nuclear waste repository risk assessment perspective. It draws on work that has been conducted over the past 3 decades, although there is considerable emphasis given to work that has been performed over the past 3-5 years as part of the DOE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign. The timing of this report coincides with the completion of a 3-year DOE membership in the Colloids Formation and Migration (CFM) partnership, an international collaboration of scientists studying colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides at both the laboratory and field-scales in a fractured crystalline granodiorite at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. This Underground Research Laboratory has hosted the most extensive and carefully-controlled set of colloid-facilitated solute transport experiments that have ever been conducted in an in-situ setting, and a summary of the results to date from these efforts, as they relate to transport over long time and distance scales, is provided in Chapter 3 of this report.

Colloid-Facilitated Radionuclide Transport: Current State of Knowledge from a Nuclear Waste Repository Risk Assessment Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reimus, Paul William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Zavarin, Mavrik [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Wang, Yifeng [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2017-01-25

This report provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport from a nuclear waste repository risk assessment perspective. It draws on work that has been conducted over the past 3 decades, although there is considerable emphasis given to work that has been performed over the past 3-5 years as part of the DOE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign. The timing of this report coincides with the completion of a 3-year DOE membership in the Colloids Formation and Migration (CFM) partnership, an international collaboration of scientists studying colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides at both the laboratory and field-scales in a fractured crystalline granodiorite at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. This Underground Research Laboratory has hosted the most extensive and carefully-controlled set of colloid-facilitated solute transport experiments that have ever been conducted in an in-situ setting, and a summary of the results to date from these efforts, as they relate to transport over long time and distance scales, is provided in Chapter 3 of this report.

Molecular Tools for Facilitative Carbohydrate Transporters (Gluts).

Science.gov (United States)

Tanasova, Marina; Fedie, Joseph R

2017-09-19

Facilitative carbohydrate transporters-Gluts-have received wide attention over decades due to their essential role in nutrient uptake and links with various metabolic disorders, including diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Endeavors directed towards understanding the mechanisms of Glut-mediated nutrient uptake have resulted in a multidisciplinary research field spanning protein chemistry, chemical biology, organic synthesis, crystallography, and biomolecular modeling. Gluts became attractive targets for cancer research and medicinal chemistry, leading to the development of new approaches to cancer diagnostics and providing avenues for cancer-targeting therapeutics. In this review, the current state of knowledge of the molecular interactions behind Glut-mediated sugar uptake, Glut-targeting probes, therapeutics, and inhibitors are discussed. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport: a regulatory perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Dam, W. L.; Pickett, D. A.; Codell, R. B.; Nicholson, T. J.

2001-12-01

What hydrogeologic-geochemical-microbial conditions and processes affect migration of radionuclides sorbed onto microparticles or native colloid-sized radionuclide particles? The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for protecting public health, safety, and the environment at numerous nuclear facilities including a potential high-level nuclear waste disposal site. To fulfill these obligations, NRC needs to understand the mechanisms controlling radionuclide release and transport and their importance to performance. The current focus of NRC staff reviews and technical interactions dealing with colloid-facilitated transport relates to the potential nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. NRC staff performed bounding calculations to quantify radionuclide releases available for ground-water transport to potential receptors from a Yucca Mountain repository. Preliminary analyses suggest insignificant doses of plutonium and americium colloids could be derived from spent nuclear fuel. Using surface complexation models, NRC staff found that colloids can potentially lower actinide retardation factors by up to several orders of magnitude. Performance assessment calculations, in which colloidal transport of plutonium and americium was simulated by assuming no sorption or matrix diffusion, indicated no effect of colloids on human dose within the 10,000 year compliance period due largely to long waste-package lifetimes. NRC staff have identified information gaps and developed technical agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure sufficient information will be presented in any potential future Yucca Mountain license application. DOE has agreed to identify which radionuclides could be transported via colloids, incorporate uncertainties in colloid formation, release and transport parameters, and conceptual models, and address the applicability of field data using synthetic microspheres as colloid analogs. NRC is currently

Separation study of Mg+2 from seawater and RO brine through a facilitated bulk liquid membrane transport using 18-Crown-6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mir Mahdi Zahedi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A facilitated bulk liquid membrane transport approach is studied for Mg(II extraction from seawater and reversed osmosis brine simulated media using 18-Crown-6 and dibenzo (DB-18-Crown-6. The work is based on investigating the experimental parameters affecting the transport efficiency, such as pH of feed and receiving phase, type of membrane solvent, temperature, type and concentration of the carrier, and stripping solution conditions. The transported amount of magnesium ions from feed phase (Mg(II = 0.059 M, NaCl = 0.01 M, pH = 3.3 across a chloroform membrane (18C6 = 0.001 M into the receiving phase (SCN− 0.1 M pH 3 was found to be %97 (±0.7 after 2.5 hr. The selectivity of the method was evaluated by performing competitive transport experiments on the mixtures containing Ca2+, Na+, K+, and Mg2+ ions.

Transporter-Guided Delivery of Nanoparticles to Improve Drug Permeation across Cellular Barriers and Drug Exposure to Selective Cell Types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longfa Kou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Targeted nano-drug delivery systems conjugated with specific ligands to target selective cell-surface receptors or transporters could enhance the efficacy of drug delivery and therapy. Transporters are expressed differentially on the cell-surface of different cell types, and also specific transporters are expressed at higher than normal levels in selective cell types under pathological conditions. They also play a key role in intestinal absorption, delivery via non-oral routes (e.g., pulmonary route and nasal route, and transfer across biological barriers (e.g., blood–brain barrier and blood–retinal barrier. As such, the cell-surface transporters represent ideal targets for nano-drug delivery systems to facilitate drug delivery to selective cell types under normal or pathological conditions and also to avoid off-target adverse side effects of the drugs. There is increasing evidence in recent years supporting the utility of cell-surface transporters in the field of nano-drug delivery to increase oral bioavailability, to improve transfer across the blood–brain barrier, and to enhance delivery of therapeutics in a cell-type selective manner in disease states. Here we provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in this interesting and important area. We also highlight certain key aspects that need to be taken into account for optimal development of transporter-assisted nano-drug delivery systems.

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Scott Ryan; Olson, Dana C.; van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria

2018-01-02

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers are provided. In one embodiment, a method for forming a thin film charge selective transport layer comprises: providing a precursor solution comprising a metal containing reactive precursor material dissolved into a complexing solvent; depositing the precursor solution onto a surface of a substrate to form a film; and forming a charge selective transport layer on the substrate by annealing the film.

Heuristic Optimization Approach to Selecting a Transport Connection in City Public Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kul’ka Jozef

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The article presents a heuristic optimization approach to select a suitable transport connection in the framework of a city public transport. This methodology was applied on a part of the public transport in Košice, because it is the second largest city in the Slovak Republic and its network of the public transport creates a complex transport system, which consists of three different transport modes, namely from the bus transport, tram transport and trolley-bus transport. This solution focused on examining the individual transport services and their interconnection in relevant interchange points.

Poly(vinyl-alcohol)/poly(ethylene-glycol)/poly(ethylene-imine) blend membranes - structure and CO2 facilitated transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Hamouda, S.; Quang, Trong Nguyen; Langevin, D.; Sadok, Roudeslic

2010-01-01

Poly(vinyl-alcohol) (PVA)/poly(ethylene-imine) (PEI)/poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) blend membranes were prepared by solution casting followed by solvent evaporation. The effects of the blend polymer composition on the membrane structure and CO 2 /N 2 permeation characteristics were investigated. IR spectroscopy evidenced strong hydrogen bonding interactions between amorphous PVA and PEI, and weaker interactions between PVA and PEG. DSC studies showed that PVA crystallization was partially inhibited by the interactions between amorphous PVA and PEI blend, in which PEG separated into nodules. The CO 2 permeability decreased with an increase in CO 2 partial pressure in feed gas, while the N 2 permeability remained constant. This result indicated that only CO 2 was transported by the facilitated transport mechanism. The CO 2 and N 2 permeabilities increased monotonically with the PEI content in the blend membranes, whereas the ideal selectivity of CO 2 to N 2 transport showed a maximum. When CO 2 is humidified, its permeability through the blend membranes is much higher than that of dry CO 2 , but the change in permeability due to the presence of humidity is reversible. (authors)

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-05-01

This document was written to provide guidance to managers and site operators on how ground-water transport codes should be selected for assessing burial site performance. There is a need for a formal approach to selecting appropriate codes from the multitude of potentially useful ground-water transport codes that are currently available. Code selection is a problem that requires more than merely considering mathematical equation-solving methods. These guidelines are very general and flexible and are also meant for developing systems simulation models to be used to assess the environmental safety of low-level waste burial facilities. Code selection is only a single aspect of the overall objective of developing a systems simulation model for a burial site. The guidance given here is mainly directed toward applications-oriented users, but managers and site operators need to be familiar with this information to direct the development of scientifically credible and defensible transport assessment models. Some specific advice for managers and site operators on how to direct a modeling exercise is based on the following five steps: identify specific questions and study objectives; establish costs and schedules for achieving answers; enlist the aid of professional model applications group; decide on approach with applications group and guide code selection; and facilitate the availability of site-specific data. These five steps for managers/site operators are discussed in detail following an explanation of the nine systems model development steps, which are presented first to clarify what code selection entails

LONG-TERM COLLOID MOBILIZATION AND COLLOID-FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF RADIONUCLIDES IN A SEMI-ARID VADOSE ZONE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markus Flury; James B. Harsh; Fred Zhang; Glendon W. Gee; Earl D. Mattson; Peter C. L

2012-08-01

The main purpose of this project was to improve the fundamental mechanistic understanding and quantification of long-term colloid mobilization and colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides in the vadose zone, with special emphasis on the semi-arid Hanford site. While we focused some of the experiments on hydrogeological and geochemical conditions of the Hanford site, many of our results apply to colloid and colloid-facilitated transport in general. Specific objectives were (1) to determine the mechanisms of colloid mobilization and colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in undisturbed Hanford sediments under unsaturated flow, (2) to quantify in situ colloid mobilization and colloid-facilitated radionuclidetransport from Hanford sediments under field conditions, and (3) to develop a field-scale conceptual and numerical model for colloid mobilization and transport at the Hanford vadose zone, and use that model to predict long-term colloid and colloid- facilitated radionuclide transport. To achieve these goals and objectives, we have used a combination of experimental, theoretical, and numerical methods at different spatial scales, ranging from microscopic investigationsof single particle attachment and detachment to larger-scale field experiments using outdoor lysimeters at the Hanford site. Microscopic and single particle investigations provided fundamental insight into mechanisms of colloid interactions with the air-water interface. We could show that a moving air water interface (such as a moving water front during infiltration and drainage) is very effective in removing and mobilizing particles from a stationary surface. We further demonstrated that it is particularly the advancing air-water interface which is mainly responsible for colloid mobilization. Forces acting on the colloids calculated from theory corroborated our experimental results, and confirm that the detachment forces (surface tension forces) during the advancing air-water interface

Selective Ionic Transport Pathways in Phosphorene.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Anmin; Cheng, Yingchun; Ning, Shoucong; Foroozan, Tara; Yasaei, Poya; Li, Wen; Song, Boao; Yuan, Yifei; Chen, Lin; Salehi-Khojin, Amin; Mashayek, Farzad; Shahbazian-Yassar, Reza

2016-04-13

Despite many theoretical predictions indicating exceptionally low energy barriers of ionic transport in phosphorene, the ionic transport pathways in this two-dimensional (2D) material has not been experimentally demonstrated. Here, using in situ aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and density functional theory, we studied sodium ion transport in phosphorene. Our high-resolution TEM imaging complemented by electron energy loss spectroscopy demonstrates a precise description of anisotropic sodium ions migration along the [100] direction in phosphorene. This work also provides new insight into the effect of surface and the edge sites on the transport properties of phosphorene. According to our observation, the sodium ion transport is preferred in zigzag edge rather than the armchair edge. The use of this highly selective ionic transport property may endow phosphorene with new functionalities for novel chemical device applications.

A Comparative Analysis of Trade Facilitation in Selected Regional and Bilateral Trade Agreement

OpenAIRE

Institute for International Trade

2006-01-01

This study compared the treatment of trade facilitation in four selected regional trade agreements, AFTA, APEC, SAFRA and PACER, and in one bilateral free trade agreement being the Australia-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (ASFTA), with a view to determining model trade facilitation principles and measures which may be instructive for developing country negotiations and policy makers.

Hsp70 facilitates trans-membrane transport of bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxins into the cytosol of mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ernst, Katharina; Schmid, Johannes; Beck, Matthias; Hägele, Marlen; Hohwieler, Meike; Hauff, Patricia; Ückert, Anna Katharina; Anastasia, Anna; Fauler, Michael; Jank, Thomas; Aktories, Klaus; Popoff, Michel R; Schiene-Fischer, Cordelia; Kleger, Alexander; Müller, Martin; Frick, Manfred; Barth, Holger

2017-06-02

Binary enterotoxins Clostridium (C.) botulinum C2 toxin, C. perfringens iota toxin and C. difficile toxin CDT are composed of a transport (B) and a separate non-linked enzyme (A) component. Their B-components mediate endocytic uptake into mammalian cells and subsequently transport of the A-components from acidic endosomes into the cytosol, where the latter ADP-ribosylate G-actin resulting in cell rounding and cell death causing clinical symptoms. Protein folding enzymes, including Hsp90 and peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases facilitate transport of the A-components across endosomal membranes. Here, we identified Hsp70 as a novel host cell factor specifically interacting with A-components of C2, iota and CDT toxins to facilitate their transport into the cell cytosol. Pharmacological Hsp70-inhibition specifically prevented pH-dependent trans-membrane transport of A-components into the cytosol thereby protecting living cells and stem cell-derived human miniguts from intoxication. Thus, Hsp70-inhibition might lead to development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat diseases associated with bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxins.

The prototypical proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter YdgR from Escherichia coli facilitates chloramphenicol uptake into bacterial cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prabhala, Bala K; Aduri, Nanda G; Sharma, Neha

2018-01-01

. However, to date no report exists on any specific transport protein that facilitates Cam uptake. The proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter (POT) YdgR from Escherichia coli is a prototypical member of the POT family, functioning in proton-coupled uptake of di- and tripeptides. By following bacterial...

Zero-tension lysimeters: An improved design to monitor colloid-facilitated contaminant transport in the vadose zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, M.L.; Scharf, R.L.; Shang, C.

1995-01-01

There is increasing evidence that mobile colloids facilitate the long-distance transport of contaminants. The mobility of fine particles and macromolecules has been linked to the movement of actinides, organic contaminants, and heavy metals through soil. Direct evidence for colloid mobility includes the presence of humic materials in deep aquifers as well as coatings of accumulated clay, organic matter, or sesquioxides on particle or aggregate surfaces in subsoil horizons of many soils. The potential for colloid-facilitated transport of contaminants from hazardous-waste sites requires adequate monitoring before, during, and after in-situ remediation treatments. Zero-tension lysimeters (ZTLs) are especially appropriate for sampling water as it moves through saturated soil, although some unsaturated flow events may be sampled as well. Because no ceramic barrier or fiberglass wick is involved to maintain tension on the water (as is the case with other lysimeters), particles suspended in the water as well as dissolved species may be sampled with ZTLs. In this report, a ZTL design is proposed that is more suitable for monitoring colloid-facilitated contaminant migration. The improved design consists of a cylinder made of polycarbonate or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that is placed below undisturbed soil material. In many soils, a hydraulically powered tube may be used to extract an undisturbed core of soil before placement of the lysimeter. In those cases, the design has significant advantages over conventional designs with respect to simplicity and speed of installation. Therefore, it will allow colloid-facilitated transport of contaminants to be monitored at more locations at a given site

Parasitic nematodes modulate PIN-mediated auxin transport to facilitate infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wim Grunewald

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Plant-parasitic nematodes are destructive plant pathogens that cause significant yield losses. They induce highly specialized feeding sites (NFS in infected plant roots from which they withdraw nutrients. In order to establish these NFS, it is thought that the nematodes manipulate the molecular and physiological pathways of their hosts. Evidence is accumulating that the plant signalling molecule auxin is involved in the initiation and development of the feeding sites of sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes. Intercellular transport of auxin is essential for various aspects of plant growth and development. Here, we analysed the spatial and temporal expression of PIN auxin transporters during the early events of NFS establishment using promoter-GUS/GFP fusion lines. Additionally, single and double pin mutants were used in infection studies to analyse the role of the different PIN proteins during cyst nematode infection. Based on our results, we postulate a model in which PIN1-mediated auxin transport is needed to deliver auxin to the initial syncytial cell, whereas PIN3 and PIN4 distribute the accumulated auxin laterally and are involved in the radial expansion of the NFS. Our data demonstrate that cyst nematodes are able to hijack the auxin distribution network in order to facilitate the infection process.

Parasitic nematodes modulate PIN-mediated auxin transport to facilitate infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Grunewald, Wim; Cannoot, Bernard; Friml, Jirí; Gheysen, Godelieve

2009-01-01

Plant-parasitic nematodes are destructive plant pathogens that cause significant yield losses. They induce highly specialized feeding sites (NFS) in infected plant roots from which they withdraw nutrients. In order to establish these NFS, it is thought that the nematodes manipulate the molecular and physiological pathways of their hosts. Evidence is accumulating that the plant signalling molecule auxin is involved in the initiation and development of the feeding sites of sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes. Intercellular transport of auxin is essential for various aspects of plant growth and development. Here, we analysed the spatial and temporal expression of PIN auxin transporters during the early events of NFS establishment using promoter-GUS/GFP fusion lines. Additionally, single and double pin mutants were used in infection studies to analyse the role of the different PIN proteins during cyst nematode infection. Based on our results, we postulate a model in which PIN1-mediated auxin transport is needed to deliver auxin to the initial syncytial cell, whereas PIN3 and PIN4 distribute the accumulated auxin laterally and are involved in the radial expansion of the NFS. Our data demonstrate that cyst nematodes are able to hijack the auxin distribution network in order to facilitate the infection process.

A GoldSim Model for Colloid Facilitated Nuclide Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Youn Myoung; Jeong, Jong Tae

2010-01-01

Recently several total system performance assessment (TSPA) programs, called 'template' programs, ready for the safety assessment of radioactive waste repository systems which are conceptually modeled have been developed by utilizing GoldSim and AMBER at KAERI. It is generally believed that chelating agents (chelators) that could be disposed of together with radioactive wastes in the repository and natural colloids available in the geological media affect on nuclides by enhancing their transport in the geological media. A simple GoldSim module to evaluate such quantitative effects, by which colloid and chelator-facilitated nuclide release cases could be modeled and evaluated is introduced. Effects of the chelators alone are illustrated with the case associated with well pumping scenario in a hypothetical repository system

Biologically inspired water purification through selective transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freeman, E C; Soncini, R M; Weiland, L M

2013-01-01

Biologically inspired systems based on cellular mechanics demonstrate the ability to selectively transport ions across a bilayer membrane. These systems may be observed in nature in plant roots, which remove select nutrients from the surrounding soil against significant concentration gradients. Using biomimetic principles in the design of tailored active materials allows for the development of selective membranes for capturing and filtering targeted ions. Combining this biomimetic transport system with a method for reclaiming the captured ions will allow for increased removal potential. To illustrate this concept, a device for removing nutrients from waterways to aid in reducing eutrophication is outlined and discussed. Presented is a feasibility study of various cellular configurations designed for this purpose, focusing on maximizing nutrient uptake. The results enable a better understanding of the benefits and obstacles when developing these cellularly inspired systems. (paper)

GREY STATISTICS METHOD OF TECHNOLOGY SELECTION FOR ADVANCED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chien Hung WEI

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Taiwan is involved in intelligent transportation systems planning, and is now selecting its prior focus areas for investment and development. The high social and economic impact associated with which intelligent transportation systems technology are chosen explains the efforts of various electronics and transportation corporations for developing intelligent transportation systems technology to expand their business opportunities. However, there has been no detailed research conducted with regard to selecting technology for advanced public transportation systems in Taiwan. Thus, the present paper demonstrates a grey statistics method integrated with a scenario method for solving the problem of selecting advanced public transportation systems technology for Taiwan. A comprehensive questionnaire survey was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the grey statistics method. The proposed approach indicated that contactless smart card technology is the appropriate technology for Taiwan to develop in the near future. The significance of our research results implies that the grey statistics method is an effective method for selecting advanced public transportation systems technologies. We feel our information will be beneficial to the private sector for developing an appropriate intelligent transportation systems technology strategy.

Improving nuclear envelope dynamics by EBV BFRF1 facilitates intranuclear component clearance through autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guan-Ting; Kung, Hsiu-Ni; Chen, Chung-Kuan; Huang, Cheng; Wang, Yung-Li; Yu, Cheng-Pu; Lee, Chung-Pei

2018-02-26

Although a vesicular nucleocytoplasmic transport system is believed to exist in eukaryotic cells, the features of this pathway are mostly unknown. Here, we report that the BFRF1 protein of the Epstein-Barr virus improves vesicular transport of nuclear envelope (NE) to facilitate the translocation and clearance of nuclear components. BFRF1 expression induces vesicles that selectively transport nuclear components to the cytoplasm. With the use of aggregation-prone proteins as tools, we found that aggregated nuclear proteins are dispersed when these BFRF1-induced vesicles are formed. BFRF1-containing vesicles engulf the NE-associated aggregates, exit through from the NE, and putatively fuse with autophagic vacuoles. Chemical treatment and genetic ablation of autophagy-related factors indicate that autophagosome formation and autophagy-linked FYVE protein-mediated autophagic proteolysis are involved in this selective clearance of nuclear proteins. Remarkably, vesicular transport, elicited by BFRF1, also attenuated nuclear aggregates accumulated in neuroblastoma cells. Accordingly, induction of NE-derived vesicles by BFRF1 facilitates nuclear protein translocation and clearance, suggesting that autophagy-coupled transport of nucleus-derived vesicles can be elicited for nuclear component catabolism in mammalian cells.-Liu, G.-T., Kung, H.-N., Chen, C.-K., Huang, C., Wang, Y.-L., Yu, C.-P., Lee, C.-P. Improving nuclear envelope dynamics by EBV BFRF1 facilitates intranuclear component clearance through autophagy.

Route selection for the transport of hazardous materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seiler, F A

1988-12-01

The factors governing the risk-weighted selection of routes for transport of hazardous materials are analyzed. Starting from a formulation for the total risk of these transports that assumes complete information, approximations for the more realistic case of partial and uncertain information are discussed. These approximations involve well-known risk assessment techniques and mathematical methods; among the latter, Monte Carlo calculations hold the most promise. The actual route selection is based on an index of total societal cost, evaluated for a set of potential routes. (author)

Novel Protic Ionic Liquid Composite Membranes with Fast and Selective Gas Transport Nanochannels for Ethylene/Ethane Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dou, Haozhen; Jiang, Bin; Xiao, Xiaoming; Xu, Mi; Tantai, Xiaowei; Wang, Baoyu; Sun, Yongli; Zhang, Luhong

2018-04-25

Protic ionic liquids (PILs) were utilized for the fabrication of composite membranes containing silver salt as the C 2 H 4 transport carrier to perform C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 separation for the first time. The intrinsic nanostructures of PILs were adopted to construct fast and selective C 2 H 4 transport nanochannels. The investigation of structure-performance relationships of composite membranes suggested that transport nanochannels (polar domains of PILs) could be tuned by the sizes of cations, which greatly manipulated activity of the carrier and determined the separation performances of membranes. The role of different carriers in the facilitated transport was studied, which revealed that the PILs were good solvents for dissolution and activation of the carrier due to their hydrogen bond networks and waterlike properties. The operating conditions of separation process were investigated systemically and optimized, confirming C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 selectivity was enhanced with the increase of silver salt concentration, the flow rate of sweep gas, and the feed ratio of C 2 H 4 to C 2 H 6 , as well as the decrease of the transmembrane pressure and operating temperature. Furthermore, the composite membranes exhibited long-term stability and obtained very competitive separation performances compared with other results. In summary, PIL composite membranes, which possess good long-term stability, high C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 selectivity, and excellent C 2 H 4 permeability, may have a good perspective in industrial C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 separation.

Considerations in the selection of transport modes for spent nuclear fuel shipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daling, P.M.; McNair, G.W.; Andrews, W.B.

1985-07-01

This paper discusses the factors associated with selecting a particular transport mode for spent fuel shipments. These factors include transportation costs, economics of potential transportation accidents, risk/safety of spent fuel transportation, routing alternatives, shipping cask handling capabilities, and shipping cask availability. Data needed to estimate transportation costs and risks are presented and discussed. The remaining factors are discussed qualitatively and can be used as guidance for selecting a particular transport mode. 15 refs., 3 tabs

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Colloid-facilitated Plutonium Reactive Transport in Fractured Tuffaceous Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Z.; Wolfsberg, A. V.; Zhu, L.; Reimus, P. W.

2017-12-01

Colloids have the potential to enhance mobility of strongly sorbing radionuclide contaminants in fractured rocks at underground nuclear test sites. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of colloid-facilitated plutonium reactive transport in fractured porous media for identifying plutonium sorption/filtration processes. The transport parameters for dispersion, diffusion, sorption, and filtration are estimated with inverse modeling for minimizing the least squares objective function of multicomponent concentration data from multiple transport experiments with the Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM). Capitalizing on an unplanned experimental artifact that led to colloid formation and migration, we adopt a stepwise strategy to first interpret the data from each experiment separately and then to incorporate multiple experiments simultaneously to identify a suite of plutonium-colloid transport processes. Nonequilibrium or kinetic attachment and detachment of plutonium-colloid in fractures was clearly demonstrated and captured in the inverted modeling parameters along with estimates of the source plutonium fraction that formed plutonium-colloids. The results from this study provide valuable insights for understanding the transport mechanisms and environmental impacts of plutonium in fractured formations and groundwater aquifers.

Genome-Wide Characterization of Major Intrinsic Proteins in Four Grass Plants and Their Non-Aqua Transport Selectivity Profiles with Comparative Perspective.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abul Kalam Azad

Full Text Available Major intrinsic proteins (MIPs, commonly known as aquaporins, transport not only water in plants but also other substrates of physiological significance and heavy metals. In most of the higher plants, MIPs are divided into five subfamilies (PIPs, TIPs, NIPs, SIPs and XIPs. Herein, we identified 68, 42, 38 and 28 full-length MIPs, respectively in the genomes of four monocot grass plants, specifically Panicum virgatum, Setaria italica, Sorghum bicolor and Brachypodium distachyon. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the grass plants had only four MIP subfamilies including PIPs, TIPs, NIPs and SIPs without XIPs. Based on structural analysis of the homology models and comparing the primary selectivity-related motifs [two NPA regions, aromatic/arginine (ar/R selectivity filter and Froger's positions (FPs] of all plant MIPs that have been experimentally proven to transport non-aqua substrates, we predicted the transport profiles of all MIPs in the four grass plants and also in eight other plants. Groups of MIP subfamilies based on ar/R selectivity filter and FPs were linked to the non-aqua transport profiles. We further deciphered the substrate selectivity profiles of the MIPs in the four grass plants and compared them with their counterparts in rice, maize, soybean, poplar, cotton, Arabidopsis thaliana, Physcomitrella patens and Selaginella moellendorffii. In addition to two NPA regions, ar/R filter and FPs, certain residues, especially in loops B and C, contribute to the functional distinctiveness of MIP groups. Expression analysis of transcripts in different organs indicated that non-aqua transport was related to expression of MIPs since most of the unexpressed MIPs were not predicted to facilitate the transport of non-aqua molecules. Among all MIPs in every plant, TIP (BdTIP1;1, SiTIP1;2, SbTIP2;1 and PvTIP1;2 had the overall highest mean expression. Our study generates significant information for understanding the diversity, evolution, non

Differential bacterial capture and transport preferences facilitate co-growth on dietary xylan in the human gut

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leth, Maria Louise; Ejby, Morten; Workman, Christopher

2018-01-01

Metabolism of dietary glycans is pivotal in shaping the human gut microbiota. However, the mechanisms that promote competition for glycans among gut commensals remain unclear. Roseburia intestinalis, an abundant butyrate-producing Firmicute, is a key degrader of the major dietary fibre xylan...... of capture and transport preferences as a possible strategy to facilitate co-growth on abundant dietary fibres and may offer a unique route to manipulate the microbiota based on glycan transport preferences in therapeutic interventions to boost distinct taxa....

Convective transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs facilitates direct penetration into deep tissues after topical application

Science.gov (United States)

Dancik, Yuri; Anissimov, Yuri G; Jepps, Owen G; Roberts, Michael S

2012-01-01

AIMS To relate the varying dermal, subcutaneous and muscle microdialysate concentrations found in man after topical application to the nature of the drug applied and to the underlying physiology. METHODS We developed a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model in which transport to deeper tissues was determined by tissue diffusion, blood, lymphatic and intersitial flow transport and drug properties. The model was applied to interpret published human microdialysis data, estimated in vitro dermal diffusion and protein binding affinity of drugs that have been previously applied topically in vivo and measured in deep cutaneous tissues over time. RESULTS Deeper tissue microdialysis concentrations for various drugs in vivo vary widely. Here, we show that carriage by the blood to the deeper tissues below topical application sites facilitates the transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs that penetrate the skin, leading to rapid and significant concentrations in those tissues. Hence, the fractional concentration for the highly plasma protein bound diclofenac in deeper tissues is 0.79 times that in a probe 4.5 mm below a superficial probe whereas the corresponding fractional concentration for the poorly protein bound nicotine is 0.02. Their corresponding estimated in vivo lag times for appearance of the drugs in the deeper probes were 1.1 min for diclofenac and 30 min for nicotine. CONCLUSIONS Poorly plasma protein bound drugs are mainly transported to deeper tissues after topical application by tissue diffusion whereas the transport of highly plasma protein bound drugs is additionally facilitated by convective blood, lymphatic and interstitial transport to deep tissues. PMID:21999217

Selective removal of carbon dioxide from wet CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2} mixtures via facilitated transport membranes containing amine blends as carriers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heydari Gorji, A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran (Iran); Kargari, A. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran); Kaghazchi, T.

2009-01-15

The selective separation of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) from a wet gaseous mixture of CO{sub 2}/H{sub 2} through facilitated transport membranes containing immobilized aqueous solutions of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), ethylenediamine (EDA) and monoprotonated ethylenediamine (EDAH{sup +}) and their blends was experimentally investigated. The effect of CO{sub 2} partial pressure, amine concentration, feed side pressure and amine species on the CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} permeances were studied. The CO{sub 2} permeability through amine solution membranes decreased with increasing CO{sub 2} feed partial pressure but the H{sub 2} permeance was almost independent of the H{sub 2} partial pressure. A comparison of experimental results showed that single or blended amines with low viscosity and a moderate equilibrium constant, i.e., large forward and reverse reaction rate of CO{sub 2}-amine, are suitable for effective separation of CO{sub 2}. The permeability of CO{sub 2} generally increased with an increase in amine concentration, although this increase may be compromised by the salting out effect and decrease in diffusivities of species. The results obtained indicated that CO{sub 2} permeance across a variety of amines are in the order of DEA (2 M)>MD(2M) >MD(1 M)>MEA(2 M) >MEA(4 M)>MD (4 M)>DEA (1 M)> DEA(4 M)>MEA (1 M) for various concentrations of MEA+DEA blend and are in the order of EDAH{sup +}(2 M)> DEA(2 M) >MH(2 M)>DH (2 M)>ED (2 M)>EDA (2 M)> MEA(2 M) for various blends of amine. (Abstract Copyright [2009], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Electrostatics of aquaporin and aquaglyceroporin channels correlates with their transport selectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Oliva, Romina; Calamita, Giuseppe; Thornton, Janet M.; Pellegrini-Calace, Marialuisa

2010-01-01

Aquaporins are homotetrameric channel proteins, which allow the diffusion of water and small solutes across biological membranes. According to their transport function, aquaporins can be divided into “orthodox aquaporins”, which allow the flux of water molecules only, and “aquaglyceroporins”, which facilitate the diffusion of glycerol and other small solutes in addition to water. The contribution of individual residues in the pore to the selectivity of orthodox aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins is not yet fully understood. To gain insights into aquaporin selectivity, we focused on the sequence variation and electrostatics of their channels. The continuum Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic potential along the channel was calculated and compared for ten three-dimensional-structures which are representatives of different aquaporin subfamilies, and a panel of functionally characterized mutants, for which high-accuracy three-dimensional-models could be derived. Interestingly, specific electrostatic profiles associated with the main selectivity to water or glycerol could be identified. In particular: (i) orthodox aquaporins showed a distinctive electrostatic potential maximum at the periplasmic side of the channel around the aromatic/Arg (ar/R) constriction site; (ii) aquaporin-0 (AQP0), a mammalian aquaporin with considerably low water permeability, had an additional deep minimum at the cytoplasmic side; (iii) aquaglyceroporins showed a rather flat potential all along the channel; and (iv) the bifunctional protozoan PfAQP had an unusual all negative profile. Evaluation of electrostatics of the mutants, along with a thorough sequence analysis of the aquaporin pore-lining residues, illuminated the contribution of specific residues to the electrostatics of the channels and possibly to their selectivity. PMID:20147624

Development of facilitated transport membranes for the separation of olefins from gas streams; Entwicklung von Carriermembranen zur Olefinabtrennung aus Gasstroemen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, J. [GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Chemie

2001-07-01

The current work is concerned with the development of highly selective facilitated transport membranes for olefin/paraffin separation. Adsorption measurements with 7 silver salts showed that silver-perchlorate was the most promising carrier material. This carrier was embedded into two different commercial available polyetherblockamides - Pebax trademark 4011 and Pebax trademark 2533 with up to 41 wt.-% of silver ions. The solubility of the carrier in polymer and the influence of humidity on the separation characteristics of the membranes were studied in detail. The aging of the membrane samples was investigated as well. A composite membrane with a top layer of Pebax trademark 2533/silver-perchlorate showed the best performance. Ethylene permeabilities in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 m{sup 3}/m{sup 2} h bar and gas mixture selectivities of 110 to 400 were measured with an humidified equimolar gas mixture of ethylene and ethane. Best results were obtained with membranes manufactured from proposely aging coating solutions and a sub-surface-structure. These membranes showed a permeability coefficient up to 1000 Barrer for ethylene with a gas mixture selectivity of 400. (orig.)

Facilitated transport ceramic membranes for high-temperature gas cleanup. Final report, February 1990--April 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quinn, R.; Minford, E.; Damle, A.S.; Gangwal, S.K.; Hart, B.A.

1994-04-01

The objective of this program was to demonstrate the feasibility of developing high temperature, high pressure, facilitated transport ceramic membranes to control gaseous contaminants in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power generation systems. Meeting this objective requires that the contaminant gas H{sub 2}S be removed from an IGCC gas mixture without a substantial loss of the other gaseous components, specifically H{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}. As described above this requires consideration of other, nonconventional types of membranes. The solution evaluated in this program involved the use of facilitated transport membranes consisting of molten mixtures of alkali and alkaline earth carbonate salts immobilized in a microporous ceramic support. To accomplish this objective, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Golden Technologies Company Inc., and Research Triangle Institute worked together to develop and test high temperature facilitated membranes for the removal of H{sub 2}S from IGCC gas mixtures. Three basic experimental activities were pursued: (1) evaluation of the H{sub 2}S chemistry of a variety of alkali and alkaline earth carbonate salt mixtures; (2) development of microporous ceramic materials which were chemically and physically compatible with molten carbonate salt mixtures under IGCC conditions and which could function as a host to support a molten carbonate mixture and; (3) fabrication of molten carbonate/ceramic immobilized liquid membranes and evaluation of these membranes under conditions approximating those found in the intended application. Results of these activities are presented.

Sediment transport primer: estimating bed-material transport in gravel-bed rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Peter Wilcock; John Pitlick; Yantao Cui

2009-01-01

This primer accompanies the release of BAGS, software developed to calculate sediment transport rate in gravel-bed rivers. BAGS and other programs facilitate calculation and can reduce some errors, but cannot ensure that calculations are accurate or relevant. This primer was written to help the software user define relevant and tractable problems, select appropriate...

Characterization of putative multidrug resistance transporters of the major facilitator-superfamily expressed in Salmonella Typhi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shaheen, Aqsa; Ismat, Fouzia; Iqbal, Mazhar

2015-01-01

Multidrug resistance mediated by efflux pumps is a well-known phenomenon in infectious bacteria. Although much work has been carried out to characterize multidrug efflux pumps in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, such information is still lacking for many deadly pathogens. The aim...... of this study was to gain insight into the substrate specificity of previously uncharacterized transporters of Salmonella Typhi to identify their role in the development of multidrug resistance. S. Typhi genes encoding putative members of the major facilitator superfamily were cloned and expressed in the drug......-hypersensitive Escherichia coli strain KAM42, and tested for transport of 25 antibacterial compounds, including representative antibiotics of various classes, antiseptics, dyes and detergents. Of the 15 tested putative transporters, STY0901, STY2458 and STY4874 exhibited a drug-resistance phenotype. Among these, STY4874...

Structure and evolution of the plant cation diffusion facilitator family of ion transporters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zanis Michael J

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Members of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF family are integral membrane divalent cation transporters that transport metal ions out of the cytoplasm either into the extracellular space or into internal compartments such as the vacuole. The spectrum of cations known to be transported by proteins of the CDF family include Zn, Fe, Co, Cd, and Mn. Members of this family have been identified in prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and archaea, and in sequenced plant genomes. CDF families range in size from nine members in Selaginella moellendorffii to 19 members in Populus trichocarpa. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the CDF family has expanded within plants, but a definitive plant CDF family phylogeny has not been constructed. Results Representative CDF members were annotated from diverse genomes across the Viridiplantae and Rhodophyta lineages and used to identify phylogenetic relationships within the CDF family. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of CDF amino acid sequence data supports organizing land plant CDF family sequences into 7 groups. The origin of the 7 groups predates the emergence of land plants. Among these, 5 of the 7 groups are likely to have originated at the base of the tree of life, and 2 of 7 groups appear to be derived from a duplication event prior to or coincident with land plant evolution. Within land plants, local expansion continues within select groups, while several groups are strictly maintained as one gene copy per genome. Conclusions Defining the CDF gene family phylogeny contributes to our understanding of this family in several ways. First, when embarking upon functional studies of the members, defining primary groups improves the predictive power of functional assignment of orthologous/paralogous genes and aids in hypothesis generation. Second, defining groups will allow a group-specific sequence motif to be generated that will help define future CDF family sequences and aid in functional motif

Selection of organic chemicals for subsurface transport. Subsurface transport program interaction seminar series. Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachara, J.M.; Wobber, F.J.

1984-11-01

Model compounds are finding increasing use in environmental research. These individual compounds are selected as surrogates of important contaminants present in energy/defense wastes and their leachates and are used separately or as mixtures in research to define the anticipated or ''model'' environmental behavior of key waste components and to probe important physicochemical mechanisms involved in transport and fate. A seminar was held in Germantown, Maryland, April 24-25, 1984 to discuss the nature of model organic compounds being used for subsurface transport research. The seminar included participants experienced in the fields of environmental chemistry, microbiology, geohydrology, biology, and analytic chemistry. The objectives of the seminar were two-fold: (1) to review the rationale for the selection of organic compounds adopted by research groups working on the subsurface transport of organics, and (2) to evaluate the use of individual compounds to bracket the behavior of compound classes and compound constructs to approximate the behavior of complex organic mixtures

Facilitated Anion Transport Induces Hyperpolarization of the Cell Membrane That Triggers Differentiation and Cell Death in Cancer Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Soto-Cerrato, Vanessa; Manuel-Manresa, Pilar; Hernando, Elsa; Calabuig-Fariñas, Silvia; Martínez-Romero, Alicia; Fernández-Dueñas, Víctor; Sahlholm, Kristoffer; Knöpfel, Thomas; García-Valverde, María; Rodilla, Ananda M; Jantus-Lewintre, Eloisa; Farràs, Rosa; Ciruela, Francisco; Pérez-Tomás, Ricardo; Quesada, Roberto

2015-12-23

Facilitated anion transport potentially represents a powerful tool to modulate various cellular functions. However, research into the biological effects of small molecule anionophores is still at an early stage. Here we have used two potent anionophore molecules inspired in the structure of marine metabolites tambjamines to gain insight into the effect induced by these compounds at the cellular level. We show how active anionophores, capable of facilitating the transmembrane transport of chloride and bicarbonate in model phospholipid liposomes, induce acidification of the cytosol and hyperpolarization of plasma cell membranes. We demonstrate how this combined effect can be used against cancer stem cells (CSCs). Hyperpolarization of cell membrane induces cell differentiation and loss of stemness of CSCs leading to effective elimination of this cancer cell subpopulation.

Facilitated ion transport in all-solid-state flexible supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Bong Gill; Hong, Jinkee; Hong, Won Hi; Hammond, Paula T; Park, HoSeok

2011-09-27

The realization of highly flexible and all-solid-state energy-storage devices strongly depends on both the electrical properties and mechanical integrity of the constitutive materials and the controlled assembly of electrode and solid electrolyte. Herein we report the preparation of all-solid-state flexible supercapacitors (SCs) through the easy assembly of functionalized reduced graphene oxide (f-RGO) thin films (as electrode) and solvent-cast Nafion electrolyte membranes (as electrolyte and separator). In particular, the f-RGO-based SCs (f-RGO-SCs) showed a 2-fold higher specific capacitance (118.5 F/g at 1 A/g) and rate capability (90% retention at 30 A/g) compared to those of all-solid-state graphene SCs (62.3 F/g at 1A/g and 48% retention at 30 A/g). As proven by the 4-fold faster relaxation of the f-RGO-SCs than that of the RGO-SCs and more capacitive behavior of the former at the low-frequency region, these results were attributed to the facilitated ionic transport at the electrical double layer by means of the interfacial engineering of RGO by Nafion. Moreover, the superiority of all-solid-state flexible f-RGO-SCs was demonstrated by the good performance durability under the 1000 cycles of charging and discharging due to the mechanical integrity as a consequence of the interconnected networking structures. Therefore, this research provides new insight into the rational design and fabrication of all-solid-state flexible energy-storage devices as well as the fundamental understanding of ion and charge transport at the interface. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Color selective photodetector and methods of making

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Brian J.; Dorn, August; Bulovic, Vladimir; Bawendi, Moungi G.

2013-03-19

A photoelectric device, such as a photodetector, can include a semiconductor nanowire electrostatically associated with a J-aggregate. The J-aggregate can facilitate absorption of a desired wavelength of light, and the semiconductor nanowire can facilitate charge transport. The color of light detected by the device can be chosen by selecting a J-aggregate with a corresponding peak absorption wavelength.

Channel-facilitated molecular transport: The role of strength and spatial distribution of interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uppulury, Karthik, E-mail: karthik.uppulury@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Kolomeisky, Anatoly B. [Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 (United States)

2016-12-20

Highlights: • Molecular flux strongly depends on the strength of the molecule-pore interactions. • There exists an optimal molecule-pore interaction potential for maximal flux. • Volume of interactions depends inversely on the strength for maximal flux. • Stronger interactions need more number of attractive sites for maximal flux. • Channels with few special sites need more attractive sites for higher flux. - Abstract: Molecular transport across channels and pores is critically important for multiple natural and industrial processes. Recent advances in single-molecule techniques have allowed researchers to probe translocation through nanopores with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of channel-facilitated molecular transport is still not complete. We present a theoretical approach that investigates the role of molecular interactions in the transport through channels. It is based on the discrete-state stochastic analysis that provides a fully analytical description of this complex process. It is found that a spatial distribution of the interactions strongly influences the translocation dynamics. We predict that there is the optimal distribution that leads to the maximal flux through the channel. It is also argued that the channel transport depends on the strength of the molecule-pore interactions, on the shape of interaction potentials and on the relative contributions of entrance and diffusion processes in the system. These observations are discussed using simple physical-chemical arguments.

Channel-facilitated molecular transport: The role of strength and spatial distribution of interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uppulury, Karthik; Kolomeisky, Anatoly B.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Molecular flux strongly depends on the strength of the molecule-pore interactions. • There exists an optimal molecule-pore interaction potential for maximal flux. • Volume of interactions depends inversely on the strength for maximal flux. • Stronger interactions need more number of attractive sites for maximal flux. • Channels with few special sites need more attractive sites for higher flux. - Abstract: Molecular transport across channels and pores is critically important for multiple natural and industrial processes. Recent advances in single-molecule techniques have allowed researchers to probe translocation through nanopores with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of channel-facilitated molecular transport is still not complete. We present a theoretical approach that investigates the role of molecular interactions in the transport through channels. It is based on the discrete-state stochastic analysis that provides a fully analytical description of this complex process. It is found that a spatial distribution of the interactions strongly influences the translocation dynamics. We predict that there is the optimal distribution that leads to the maximal flux through the channel. It is also argued that the channel transport depends on the strength of the molecule-pore interactions, on the shape of interaction potentials and on the relative contributions of entrance and diffusion processes in the system. These observations are discussed using simple physical-chemical arguments.

Colloid-Facilitated Transport of Cations in an Unsaturated Fractured Soil Under Transient Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, Joseph [Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)

2015-01-31

Rainfall experiments were conducted using intact soil cores and an instrumented soil pedon to examine the effect of physical heterogeneity and rainfall characteristics on the mobilization of colloids, organic matter, cesium, and strontium in a fractured soil. To measure the spatial variability of infiltration of colloids and contaminants, samples were collected through a 19-port grid placed below the soil core in laboratory study and in 27 samplers at multiple depths in the soil pedon in the field study. Cesium and strontium were applied to the soil cores and the soil pedon prior to mobilization experiments. Rainwater solutions of multiple ionic strengths and organic matter concentrations were applied to the soil cores and soil pedon to mobilize in situ colloids, cesium, and strontium. The mobilization of colloids and metal cations occurred through preferential flow paths in the soil cores. Compared to steady rainfall, greater amounts of colloids were mobilized during rainfall interrupted by pauses, which indicates that the supply of colloids to be mobilized was replenished during the pauses. A maximum in the amount of mobilized colloids were mobilized during a rainfall following a pause of 2.5 d. Pauses of shorter or longer duration resulted in less colloid mobilization. Freeze-thaw cycles, a transient condition in winter, enhanced colloid mobilization and colloid-facilitated transport of cesium and strontium in the soil cores. The exchange of solutes between the soil matrix and macropores caused a hysteretic mobilization of colloids, cesium, and strontium during changes in ionic strength. Colloid-facilitated mobilization of cesium and strontium was important at low ionic strength in fractures where slow flow allowed greater exchange of flow between the fractures and the surrounding matrix. The release of cesium and strontium by cation exchange occurred at high ionic strength in fractures where there is a little exchange of pore water with the surrounding matrix

Functional mining of transporters using synthetic selections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Genee, Hans Jasper; Bali, Anne Pihl; Petersen, Søren Dalsgård

2016-01-01

transporters, PnuT, which is widely distributed across multiple bacterial phyla. We demonstrate that with modular replacement of the biosensor, we could expand our method to xanthine and identify xanthine permeases from gut and soil metagenomes. Our results demonstrate how synthetic-biology approaches can......-responsive biosensor systems that enable selective growth of cells only if they encode a ligand-specific importer. We developed such a synthetic selection system for thiamine pyrophosphate and mined soil and gut metagenomes for thiamine-uptake functions. We identified several members of a novel class of thiamine...

Sources of transportation expertise by selected technical areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) has assigned components of its Waste Transportation Program to three of the DOE Operations offices. The DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (ORO) is responsible for the transportation operations design, development, acquisition, testing, implementation, and program management, including the equipment, facilities, and services of the transportation system. Within ORO, the OCRWM transportation component is assigned to the Transportation Operations Project Office (TOPO). The specific activities involved in the ORO/TOPO include procurement, operational testing, inspection, logistics, interfaces, maintenance, management and improvements, and system operation. Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) has developed (and will maintain and enhance) a data base of sources of transportation expertise in selected technical areas for ORO. The data base includes individuals and organizations who have indicated that they have capabilities and interest in assisting ORO in the design, development, implementation, and management of the OCRWM transportation system. This assistance might be in the form of consulting or subcontract work and/or participation in peer review panels, technical evaluation committees, workshops, advisory groups, etc. This initial project was completed in the four month period of January 30, 1987 through May 31, 1987

Role of molecular charge in nucleocytoplasmic transport.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Goryaynov

Full Text Available Transport of genetic materials and proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells is mediated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs. A selective barrier formed by phenylalanine-glycine (FG nucleoporins (Nups with net positive charges in the NPC allows for passive diffusion of signal-independent small molecules and transport-receptor facilitated translocation of signal-dependent cargo molecules. Recently, negative surface charge was postulated to be another essential criterion for selective passage through the NPC. However, the charge-driven mechanism in determining the transport kinetics and spatial transport route for either passive diffusion or facilitated translocation remains obscure. Here we employed high-speed single-molecule fluorescence microscopy with an unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution of 9 nm and 400 µs to uncover these mechanistic fundamentals for nuclear transport of charged substrates through native NPCs. We found that electrostatic interaction between negative surface charges on transiting molecules and the positively charged FG Nups, although enhancing their probability of binding to the NPC, never plays a dominant role in determining their nuclear transport mode or spatial transport route. A 3D reconstruction of transport routes revealed that small signal-dependent endogenous cargo protein constructs with high positive surface charges that are destined to the nucleus, rather than repelled from the NPC as suggested in previous models, passively diffused through an axial central channel of the NPC in the absence of transport receptors. Finally, we postulated a comprehensive map of interactions between transiting molecules and FG Nups during nucleocytoplasmic transport by combining the effects of molecular size, signal and surface charge.

Facilitated transport of Cu with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in saturated sand: Effects of solution ionic strength and composition

Science.gov (United States)

Column experiments were conducted to investigate the facilitated transport of Cu in association with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) in water-saturated quartz sand at different solution concentrations of NaCl (0 to 100 mM) or CaCl2 (0.1 to 1.0 mM). The experimental breakthrough curves and retent...

Two Major Facilitator Superfamily Sugar Transporters from Trichoderma reesei and Their Roles in Induction of Cellulase Biosynthesis*

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Weixin; Kou, Yanbo; Xu, Jintao; Cao, Yanli; Zhao, Guolei; Shao, Jing; Wang, Hai; Wang, Zhixing; Bao, Xiaoming; Chen, Guanjun; Liu, Weifeng

2013-01-01

Proper perception of the extracellular insoluble cellulose is key to initiating the rapid synthesis of cellulases by cellulolytic Trichoderma reesei. Uptake of soluble oligosaccharides derived from cellulose hydrolysis represents a potential point of control in the induced cascade. In this study, we identified a major facilitator superfamily sugar transporter Stp1 capable of transporting cellobiose by reconstructing a cellobiose assimilation system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The absence of Stp1 in T. reesei resulted in differential cellulolytic response to Avicel versus cellobiose. Transcriptional profiling revealed a different expression profile in the Δstp1 strain from that of wild-type strain in response to Avicel and demonstrated that Stp1 somehow repressed induction of the bulk of major cellulase and hemicellulose genes. Two other putative major facilitator superfamily sugar transporters were, however, up-regulated in the profiling. Deletion of one of them identified Crt1 that was required for growth and enzymatic activity on cellulose or lactose, but was not required for growth or hemicellulase activity on xylan. The essential role of Crt1 in cellulase induction did not seem to rely on its transporting activity because the overall uptake of cellobiose or sophorose by T. reesei was not compromised in the absence of Crt1. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that orthologs of Crt1 exist in the genomes of many filamentous ascomycete fungi capable of degrading cellulose. These data thus shed new light on the mechanism by which T. reesei senses and transmits the cellulose signal and offers potential strategies for strain improvement. PMID:24085297

Model-independent plot of dynamic PET data facilitates data interpretation and model selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Munk, Ole Lajord

2012-02-21

When testing new PET radiotracers or new applications of existing tracers, the blood-tissue exchange and the metabolism need to be examined. However, conventional plots of measured time-activity curves from dynamic PET do not reveal the inherent kinetic information. A novel model-independent volume-influx plot (vi-plot) was developed and validated. The new vi-plot shows the time course of the instantaneous distribution volume and the instantaneous influx rate. The vi-plot visualises physiological information that facilitates model selection and it reveals when a quasi-steady state is reached, which is a prerequisite for the use of the graphical analyses by Logan and Gjedde-Patlak. Both axes of the vi-plot have direct physiological interpretation, and the plot shows kinetic parameter in close agreement with estimates obtained by non-linear kinetic modelling. The vi-plot is equally useful for analyses of PET data based on a plasma input function or a reference region input function. The vi-plot is a model-independent and informative plot for data exploration that facilitates the selection of an appropriate method for data analysis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodology for Mode Selection in Corridor Analysis of Freight Transportation

OpenAIRE

Kanafani, Adib

1984-01-01

The purpose of tins report is to outline a methodology for the analysis of mode selection in freight transportation. This methodology is intended to partake of transportation corridor analysts, a component of demand analysis that is part of a national transportation process. The methodological framework presented here provides a basis on which specific models and calculation procedures might be developed. It also provides a basis for the development of a data management system suitable for co...

Directed Evolution of Membrane Transport Using Synthetic Selections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bali, Anne Pihl; Genee, Hans J.; Sommer, Morten O. A.

2018-01-01

systems that enable selective growth of E. coli cells only if they functionally express an importer that is specific to the biosensor ligand. Using this system in a directed evolution framework, we successfully engineer the specificity of nicotinamide riboside transporters, PnuC, to accept thiamine...

Habitat selection, facilitation, and biotic settlement cues affect distribution and performance of coral recruits in French Polynesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Nichole

2010-07-01

Habitat selection can determine the distribution and performance of individuals if the precision with which sites are chosen corresponds with exposure to risks or resources. Contrastingly, facilitation can allow persistence of individuals arriving by chance and potentially maladapted to local abiotic conditions. For marine organisms, selection of a permanent attachment site at the end of their larval stage or the presence of a facilitator can be a critical determinant of recruitment success. In coral reef ecosystems, it is well known that settling planula larvae of reef-building corals use coarse environmental cues (i.e., light) for habitat selection. Although laboratory studies suggest that larvae can also use precise biotic cues produced by crustose coralline algae (CCA) to select attachment sites, the ecological consequences of biotic cues for corals are poorly understood in situ. In a field experiment exploring the relative importance of biotic cues and variability in habitat quality to recruitment of hard corals, pocilloporid and acroporid corals recruited more frequently to one species of CCA, Titanoderma prototypum, and significantly less so to other species of CCA; these results are consistent with laboratory assays from other studies. The provision of the biotic cue accurately predicted coral recruitment rates across habitats of varying quality. At the scale of CCA, corals attached to the "preferred" CCA experienced increased survivorship while recruits attached elsewhere had lower colony growth and survivorship. For reef-building corals, the behavioral selection of habitat using chemical cues both reduces the risk of incidental mortality and indicates the presence of a facilitator.

Tri-partite complex for axonal transport drug delivery achieves pharmacological effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederickson Martyn

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Targeted delivery of pharmaceutical agents into selected populations of CNS (Central Nervous System neurons is an extremely compelling goal. Currently, systemic methods are generally used for delivery of pain medications, anti-virals for treatment of dermatomal infections, anti-spasmodics, and neuroprotectants. Systemic side effects or undesirable effects on parts of the CNS that are not involved in the pathology limit efficacy and limit clinical utility for many classes of pharmaceuticals. Axonal transport from the periphery offers a possible selective route, but there has been little progress towards design of agents that can accomplish targeted delivery via this intraneural route. To achieve this goal, we developed a tripartite molecular construction concept involving an axonal transport facilitator molecule, a polymer linker, and a large number of drug molecules conjugated to the linker, then sought to evaluate its neurobiology and pharmacological behavior. Results We developed chemical synthesis methodologies for assembling these tripartite complexes using a variety of axonal transport facilitators including nerve growth factor, wheat germ agglutinin, and synthetic facilitators derived from phage display work. Loading of up to 100 drug molecules per complex was achieved. Conjugation methods were used that allowed the drugs to be released in active form inside the cell body after transport. Intramuscular and intradermal injection proved effective for introducing pharmacologically effective doses into selected populations of CNS neurons. Pharmacological efficacy with gabapentin in a paw withdrawal latency model revealed a ten fold increase in half life and a 300 fold decrease in necessary dose relative to systemic administration for gabapentin when the drug was delivered by axonal transport using the tripartite vehicle. Conclusion Specific targeting of selected subpopulations of CNS neurons for drug delivery by axonal

Selective transport of Fe(III) using ionic imprinted polymer (IIP) membrane particle

Science.gov (United States)

Djunaidi, Muhammad Cholid; Jumina, Siswanta, Dwi; Ulbricht, Mathias

2015-12-01

The membrane particles was prepared from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polymer IIP with weight ratios of 1: 2 and 1: 1 using different adsorbent templates and casting thickness. The permeability of membrane towards Fe(III) and also mecanism of transport were studied. The selectivity of the membrane for Fe(III) was studied by performing adsorption experiments also with Cr(III) separately. In this study, the preparation of Ionic Imprinted Polymer (IIP) membrane particles for selective transport of Fe (III) had been done using polyeugenol as functional polymer. Polyeugenol was then imprinted with Fe (III) and then crosslinked with PEGDE under alkaline condition to produce polyeugenol-Fe-PEGDE polymer aggregates. The agrregates was then crushed and sieved using mesh size of 80 and the powder was then used to prepare the membrane particles by mixing it with PVA (Mr 125,000) solution in 1-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solvent. The membrane was obtained after casting at a speed of 25 m/s and soaking in NaOH solution overnight. The membrane sheet was then cut and Fe(III) was removed by acid to produce IIP membrane particles. Analysis of the membrane and its constituent was done by XRD, SEM and size selectivity test. Experimental results showed the transport of Fe(III) was faster with the decrease of membrane thickness, while the higher concentration of template ion correlates with higher Fe(III) being transported. However, the transport of Fe(III) was slower for higher concentration of PVA in the membrane. IImparticles works through retarded permeation mechanism, where Fe(III) was bind to the active side of IIP. The active side of IIP membrane was dominated by the -OH groups. The selectivity of all IIP membranes was confirmed as they were all unable to transport Cr (III), while NIP (Non-imprinted Polymer) membrane was able transport Cr (III).

Effect of chemical and physical heterogeneities on colloid-facilitated cesium transport

Science.gov (United States)

Rod, Kenton; Um, Wooyong; Chun, Jaehun; Wu, Ning; Yin, Xialong; Wang, Guohui; Neeves, Keith

2018-06-01

A set of column experiments was conducted to investigate the chemical and physical heterogeneity effect on colloid facilitated transport under slow pore velocity conditions. Pore velocities were kept below 100 cm d-1 for all experiments. Glass beads were packed into columns establishing four different conditions: 1) homogeneous, 2) mixed physical heterogeneity, 3) sequentially layered physical heterogeneity, and 4) chemical heterogeneity. The homogeneous column was packed with glass beads (diameter 500-600 μm), and physical heterogeneities were created by sequential layering or mixing two sizes of glass bead (500-600 μm and 300-400 μm). A chemical heterogeneity was created using 25% of the glass beads coated with hydrophobic molecules (1H-1H-2H-2H-perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane) mixed with 75% pristine glass beads (all 500-600 μm). Input solution with 0.5 mM CsI and 50 mg L-1 colloids (1-μm diameter SiO2) was pulsed into columns under saturated conditions. The physical heterogeneity in the packed glass beads retarded the transport of colloids compared to homogeneous (R = 25.0), but showed only slight differences between sequentially layered (R = 60.7) and mixed heterogeneity(R = 62.4). The column with the chemical, hydrophobic/hydrophilic, heterogeneity removed most of the colloids from the input solution. All column conditions stripped Cs from colloids onto the column matrix of packed glass beads.

Selective pumping in a network: insect-style microscale flow transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboelkassem, Yasser; Staples, Anne E

2013-01-01

A new paradigm for selective pumping of fluids in a complex network of channels in the microscale flow regime is presented. The model is inspired by internal flow distributions produced by the rhythmic wall contractions observed in many insect tracheal networks. The approach presented here is a natural extension of previous two-dimensional modeling of insect-inspired microscale flow transport in a single channel, and aims to manipulate fluids efficiently in microscale networks without the use of any mechanical valves. This selective pumping approach enables fluids to be transported, controlled and precisely directed into a specific branch in a network while avoiding other possible routes. In order to present a quantitative analysis of the selective pumping approach presented here, the velocity and pressure fields and the time-averaged net flow that are induced by prescribed wall contractions are calculated numerically using the method of fundamental solutions. More specifically, the Stokeslets-meshfree method is used in this study to solve the Stokes equations that govern the flow motions in a network with moving wall contractions. The results presented here might help in understanding some features of the insect respiratory system function and guide efforts to fabricate novel microfluidic devices for flow transport and mixing, and targeted drug delivery applications. (paper)

On Transport Service Selection in Intermodal Rail/Road Distribution Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Bierwirth

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Intermodal rail/road freight transport constitutes an alternative to long-haul road transport for the distribution of large volumes of goods. The paper introduces the intermodal transportation problem for the tactical planning of mode and service selection. In rail mode, shippers either book train capacity on a per-unit basis or charter block trains completely. Road mode is used for short-distance haulage to intermodal terminals and for direct shipments to customers. We analyze the competition of road and intermodal transportation with regard to freight consolidation and service cost on a model basis. The approach is applied to a distribution system of an industrial company serving customers in eastern Europe. The case study investigates the impact of transport cost and consolidation on the optimal modal split.

Ocean transport and the facilitation of trade

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenstra, A.W.; Lee, C.Y.; Meng, Q.

2015-01-01

In this chapter, we describe transactions in international trade transaction, and we zoom in on the ocean transport part of that transaction. We use transaction cost economics as our theoretical framework. We highlighted a number of ocean transport related processes that generate uncertainty and

Facilitation as a teaching strategy : experiences of facilitators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Lekalakala-Mokgele

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Changes in nursing education involve the move from traditional teaching approaches that are teacher-centred to facilitation, a student centred approach. The studentcentred approach is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning that puts the learner on centre-stage. The aim of this study was to identify the challenges of facilitators of learning using facilitation as a teaching method and recommend strategies for their (facilitators development and support. A qualitative, explorative and contextual design was used. Four (4 universities in South Africa which utilize facilitation as a teaching/ learning process were identified and the facilitators were selected to be the sample of the study. The main question posed during in-depth group interviews was: How do you experience facilitation as a teaching/learning method?. Facilitators indicated different experiences and emotions when they first had to facilitate learning. All of them indicated that it was difficult to facilitate at the beginning as they were trained to lecture and that no format for facilitation was available. They experienced frustrations and anxieties as a result. The lack of knowledge of facilitation instilled fear in them. However they indicated that facilitation had many benefits for them and for the students. Amongst the ones mentioned were personal and professional growth. Challenges mentioned were the fear that they waste time and that they do not cover the content. It is therefore important that facilitation be included in the training of nurse educators.

Active colloids as mobile microelectrodes for unified label-free selective cargo transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Boymelgreen, Alicia M; Balli, Tov; Miloh, Touvia; Yossifon, Gilad

2018-02-22

Utilization of active colloids to transport both biological and inorganic cargo has been widely examined in the context of applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to sample analysis. In general, carriers are customized to load one specific target via a mechanism distinct from that driving the transport. Here we unify these tasks and extend loading capabilities to include on-demand selection of multiple nano/micro-sized targets without the need for pre-labelling or surface functionalization. An externally applied electric field is singularly used to drive the active cargo carrier and transform it into a mobile floating electrode that can attract (trap) or repel specific targets from its surface by dielectrophoresis, enabling dynamic control of target selection, loading and rate of transport via the electric field parameters. In the future, dynamic selectivity could be combined with directed motion to develop building blocks for bottom-up fabrication in applications such as additive manufacturing and soft robotics.

Resonance induced spin-selective transport behavior in carbon nanoribbon/nanotube/nanoribbon heterojunctions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xiang-Hua [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411101 (China); Wang, Ling-Ling, E-mail: llwang@hnu.edu.cn [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); Li, Xiao-Fei, E-mail: xf.li@uestc.edu.cn [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China); School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054 (China); Chen, Tong; Li, Quan [School of Physics and Microelectronics Science, Hunan University, Changsha 410082 (China)

2015-09-04

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are attractive in spintronics. Here, we propose GNR/CNT/GNR heterojunctions constructed by attaching zigzag-GNRs at the side-wall of CNT for spintronic devices. The thermal stability and electronic transport properties were explored using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and nonequilibrium Green's function methods, respectively. Results demonstrate that the sp{sup 3}-hybridized contacts formed at the interface assure a good thermal stability of the system and make the CNT to be regarded as resonator. Only the electron of one spin-orientation and resonant energy is allowed to transport, resulting in the remarkable spin-selective transport behavior at the ferromagnetic state. - Highlights: • The new mechanism for spin-selective transport in molecular junction is proposed. • The two sp{sup 3} contacts formed between CNT and GNR can be regarded as electronic isolators. • The two isolators make the CNT act as a resonator. • Only the electron of one spin-orientation and resonant energy can form standing wave and transport through the whole junction.

The Sodium Glucose Cotransporter SGLT1 Is an Extremely Efficient Facilitator of Passive Water Transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Erokhova, Liudmila; Horner, Andreas; Ollinger, Nicole; Siligan, Christine; Pohl, Peter

2016-04-29

The small intestine is void of aquaporins adept at facilitating vectorial water transport, and yet it reabsorbs ∼8 liters of fluid daily. Implications of the sodium glucose cotransporter SGLT1 in either pumping water or passively channeling water contrast with its reported water transporting capacity, which lags behind that of aquaporin-1 by 3 orders of magnitude. Here we overexpressed SGLT1 in MDCK cell monolayers and reconstituted the purified transporter into proteoliposomes. We observed the rate of osmotic proteoliposome deflation by light scattering. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy served to assess (i) SGLT1 abundance in both vesicles and plasma membranes and (ii) flow-mediated dilution of an aqueous dye adjacent to the cell monolayer. Calculation of the unitary water channel permeability, pf, yielded similar values for cell and proteoliposome experiments. Neither the absence of glucose or Na(+), nor the lack of membrane voltage in vesicles, nor the directionality of water flow grossly altered pf Such weak dependence on protein conformation indicates that a water-impermeable occluded state (glucose and Na(+) in their binding pockets) lasts for only a minor fraction of the transport cycle or, alternatively, that occlusion of the substrate does not render the transporter water-impermeable as was suggested by computational studies of the bacterial homologue vSGLT. Although the similarity between the pf values of SGLT1 and aquaporin-1 makes a transcellular pathway plausible, it renders water pumping physiologically negligible because the passive flux would be orders of magnitude larger. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Nanoengineered membranes for controlled transport

Science.gov (United States)

Doktycz, Mitchel J [Oak Ridge, TN; Simpson, Michael L [Knoxville, TN; McKnight, Timothy E [Greenback, TN; Melechko, Anatoli V [Oak Ridge, TN; Lowndes, Douglas H [Knoxville, TN; Guillorn, Michael A [Knoxville, TN; Merkulov, Vladimir I [Oak Ridge, TN

2010-01-05

A nanoengineered membrane for controlling material transport (e.g., molecular transport) is disclosed. The membrane includes a substrate, a cover definining a material transport channel between the substrate and the cover, and a plurality of fibers positioned in the channel and connected to an extending away from a surface of the substrate. The fibers are aligned perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, and have a width of 100 nanometers or less. The diffusion limits for material transport are controlled by the separation of the fibers. In one embodiment, chemical derivitization of carbon fibers may be undertaken to further affect the diffusion limits or affect selective permeability or facilitated transport. For example, a coating can be applied to at least a portion of the fibers. In another embodiment, individually addressable carbon nanofibers can be integrated with the membrane to provide an electrical driving force for material transport.

Effects of oil dispersants on settling of marine sediment particles and particle-facilitated distribution and transport of oil components.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Zhengqing; Fu, Jie; Liu, Wen; Fu, Kunming; O'Reilly, S E; Zhao, Dongye

2017-01-15

This work investigated effects of three model oil dispersants (Corexit EC9527A, Corexit EC9500A and SPC1000) on settling of fine sediment particles and particle-facilitated distribution and transport of oil components in sediment-seawater systems. All three dispersants enhanced settling of sediment particles. The nonionic surfactants (Tween 80 and Tween 85) play key roles in promoting particle aggregation. Yet, the effects varied with environmental factors (pH, salinity, DOM, and temperature). Strongest dispersant effect was observed at neutral or alkaline pH and in salinity range of 0-3.5wt%. The presence of water accommodated oil and dispersed oil accelerated settling of the particles. Total petroleum hydrocarbons in the sediment phase were increased from 6.9% to 90.1% in the presence of Corexit EC9527A, and from 11.4% to 86.7% for PAHs. The information is useful for understanding roles of oil dispersants in formation of oil-sediment aggregates and in sediment-facilitated transport of oil and PAHs in marine eco-systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxytocin selectively facilitates learning with social feedback and increases activity and functional connectivity in emotional memory and reward processing regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiehui; Qi, Song; Becker, Benjamin; Luo, Lizhu; Gao, Shan; Gong, Qiyong; Hurlemann, René; Kendrick, Keith M

2015-06-01

In male Caucasian subjects, learning is facilitated by receipt of social compared with non-social feedback, and the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) facilitates this effect. In this study, we have first shown a cultural difference in that male Chinese subjects actually perform significantly worse in the same reinforcement associated learning task with social (emotional faces) compared with non-social feedback. Nevertheless, in two independent double-blind placebo (PLC) controlled between-subject design experiments we found OXT still selectively facilitated learning with social feedback. Similar to Caucasian subjects this OXT effect was strongest with feedback using female rather than male faces. One experiment performed in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that during the response, but not feedback phase of the task, OXT selectively increased activity in the amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and putamen during the social feedback condition, and functional connectivity between the amygdala and insula and caudate. Therefore, OXT may be increasing the salience and reward value of anticipated social feedback. In the PLC group, response times and state anxiety scores during social feedback were associated with signal changes in these same regions but not in the OXT group. OXT may therefore have also facilitated learning by reducing anxiety in the social feedback condition. Overall our results provide the first evidence for cultural differences in social facilitation of learning per se, but a similar selective enhancement of learning with social feedback under OXT. This effect of OXT may be associated with enhanced responses and functional connectivity in emotional memory and reward processing regions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane proteins that facilitate ER-to-Golgi transport of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Barz, W P; Walter, P

1999-04-01

Many eukaryotic cell surface proteins are anchored in the lipid bilayer through glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). GPI anchors are covalently attached in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The modified proteins are then transported through the secretory pathway to the cell surface. We have identified two genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, LAG1 and a novel gene termed DGT1 (for "delayed GPI-anchored protein transport"), encoding structurally related proteins with multiple membrane-spanning domains. Both proteins are localized to the ER, as demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy. Deletion of either gene caused no detectable phenotype, whereas lag1Delta dgt1Delta cells displayed growth defects and a significant delay in ER-to-Golgi transport of GPI-anchored proteins, suggesting that LAG1 and DGT1 encode functionally redundant or overlapping proteins. The rate of GPI anchor attachment was not affected, nor was the transport rate of several non-GPI-anchored proteins. Consistent with a role of Lag1p and Dgt1p in GPI-anchored protein transport, lag1Delta dgt1Delta cells deposit abnormal, multilayered cell walls. Both proteins have significant sequence similarity to TRAM, a mammalian membrane protein thought to be involved in protein translocation across the ER membrane. In vivo translocation studies, however, did not detect any defects in protein translocation in lag1Delta dgt1Delta cells, suggesting that neither yeast gene plays a role in this process. Instead, we propose that Lag1p and Dgt1p facilitate efficient ER-to-Golgi transport of GPI-anchored proteins.

Thiacalix[4]arene derivatives as extractants for metal ions in aqueous solutions: Application to the selective facilitated transport of Ag(I)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaghbani, Asma [Laboratoire Eau et Technologies Membranaires, CERTE, BP 273, 8020 Soliman (Tunisia); Fontas, Claudia [Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, 17071 Girona (Spain)], E-mail: claudia.fontas@udg.edu; Hidalgo, Manuela [Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, 17071 Girona (Spain); Tayeb, Rafik; Dhahbi, Mahmoud [Laboratoire Eau et Technologies Membranaires, CERTE, BP 273, 8020 Soliman (Tunisia); Vocanson, Francis; Lamartine, Roger [Universite de Lyon, Lyon, F-69003 (France); Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622 (France); CNRS, UMR 5246, ICBMS, equipe CSAp, 43 boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, Villeurbanne, F-69622 (France); Seta, Patrick [Institut Europeen des Membranes, UMR CNRS 5635, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier (France)

2008-07-01

The complexation abilities of different thiacalix[4]arene derivatives towards some rare earth metal ions, metallic pollutants, and noble metals have been investigated in liquid-liquid experiments. Thiacalix[4]arene dissolved in chloroform effectively extracts Pd(II) (in acidic chloride media) and also Ag(I), Cd(II), Sm(III) and Ce(III), all buffered at pH 6 or 8. The modification of this compound to form an amide derivative results in an effective extraction of noble metals, ranked according to Au(III) > Pd(II) > Pt(IV) > Ag(I). Moreover, a supported liquid membrane system for silver transport has been developed based on thiacalix[4]arene dissolved in NPOE, and parameters affecting its efficiency have been investigated, such as the stripping composition and the pH of the feed solution. Finally, the selectivity of the membrane system has been evaluated by using as feed sources mixtures of silver and other metal ion000.

Facilitation of Nanoscale Thermal Transport by Hydrogen Bonds

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Lin

2017-01-01

Thermal transport performance at the nanoscale and/or of biomaterials is essential to the success of many new technologies including nanoelectronics, biomedical devices, and various nanocomposites. Due to complicated microstructures and chemical bonding, thermal transport process in these materials has not been well understood yet. In terms of chemical bonding, it is well known that the strength of atomic bonding can significantly affect thermal transport across materials or across interfaces...

Mechanism of molecular transport in novel reverse-selective nanocomposite membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkel, T.C.; Freeman, B.D.; Spontak, R.J.; Meakin, P.; Hill, A.J.; Monash University, VIC

2002-01-01

Full text: Polymer nanocomposites continue to receive tremendous attention as organic-inorganic hybrid materials exhibiting a wide range of interesting, as well as technologically relevant, properties. This work reports a novel use of polymer nanocomposites as reverse-selective membranes. We have found that physical dispersion of nonporous fumed silica [FS] into glassy poly(4-methyl-2-pentyne) [PMP] simultaneously enhances membrane permeability (by as much as 240%) and selectivity for large organic molecules over small permanent gases. This surprising observation, in stark contrast to conventional filled polymer systems, reflects silica-induced disruption of local polymer chain packing and, as discerned by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy [PALS], a resulting subtle increase in the size of free volume elements through which molecular transport occurs. Such nanoscale hybridization represents an innovative means of tuning the transport properties of glassy polymeric media through control of molecular ordering

Rate and mechanism of facilitated americium(III) transport through a supported liquid membrane containing a bifunctional organophosphorus mobile carrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danesi, P.R.; Horwitz, E.P.; Rickert, P.G.

1983-01-01

The facilitated transport of Am(III) from aqueous nitrate solutions to formic acid aqueous solutions through a supported liquid membrane (SLM) is described. The supported liquid membrane consists of a solution of a new (carbamoylmethyl)phosphine oxide in diethylbenzene (DEB) absorbed into a 48 μm thick microporous polypropylene film. The transport mechanism consists of a diffusion process through an aqueous diffusion film, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion through the membrane itself. Equations describing the rate of transport are derived. They correlate the membrane permeability coefficient to diffusional parameters and to the chemical composition of the system. Different rate-controlling processes are shown to control the membrane permeability when the composition of the system is varied and as long as the transport occurs. The experimental data are quantitatively explained with the derived equations. The diffusion coefficient of the permeating species and the equilibrium constant of the fast interfacial reactions are evaluated. 13 figures, 1 table

Automating Risk Assessments of Hazardous Material Shipments for Transportation Routes and Mode Selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolphin, Barbara H.; Richins, William D.; Novascone, Stephen R.

2010-01-01

The METEOR project at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) successfully addresses the difficult problem in risk assessment analyses of combining the results from bounding deterministic simulation results with probabilistic (Monte Carlo) risk assessment techniques. This paper describes a software suite designed to perform sensitivity and cost/benefit analyses on selected transportation routes and vehicles to minimize risk associated with the shipment of hazardous materials. METEOR uses Monte Carlo techniques to estimate the probability of an accidental release of a hazardous substance along a proposed transportation route. A METEOR user selects the mode of transportation, origin and destination points, and charts the route using interactive graphics. Inputs to METEOR (many selections built in) include crash rates for the specific aircraft, soil/rock type and population densities over the proposed route, and bounding limits for potential accident types (velocity, temperature, etc.). New vehicle, materials, and location data are added when available. If the risk estimates are unacceptable, the risks associated with alternate transportation modes or routes can be quickly evaluated and compared. Systematic optimizing methods will provide the user with the route and vehicle selection identified with the lowest risk of hazardous material release. The effects of a selected range of potential accidents such as vehicle impact, fire, fuel explosions, excessive containment pressure, flooding, etc. are evaluated primarily using hydrocodes capable of accurately simulating the material response of critical containment components. Bounding conditions that represent credible accidents (i.e; for an impact event, velocity, orientations, and soil conditions) are used as input parameters to the hydrocode models yielding correlation functions relating accident parameters to component damage. The Monte Carlo algorithms use random number generators to make selections at the various decision

Formulation of optimal international freight transport objective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jarašūnienė

2002-10-01

Full Text Available To increase the attraction of Lithuania as a transit country striving to promote carriers' border crossing activities and facilitate customs clearance procedures as well as freight delivery to clients it is necessary to identify the main obstacles, to analyse them and to select adequate measures and means for their elimination. Therefore, on the basis of the formulation of transport freight management objective, as well as basing on the assessment of indeterminacy of external impacts, it would be possible to deduce the main causes of idle time of transport means in customs, to estimate the dependence of service time in proportion to transport flow.

Magnon Mode Selective Spin Transport in Compensated Ferrimagnets.

Science.gov (United States)

Cramer, Joel; Guo, Er-Jia; Geprägs, Stephan; Kehlberger, Andreas; Ivanov, Yurii P; Ganzhorn, Kathrin; Della Coletta, Francesco; Althammer, Matthias; Huebl, Hans; Gross, Rudolf; Kosel, Jürgen; Kläui, Mathias; Goennenwein, Sebastian T B

2017-06-14

We investigate the generation of magnonic thermal spin currents and their mode selective spin transport across interfaces in insulating, compensated ferrimagnet/normal metal bilayer systems. The spin Seebeck effect signal exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence with two sign changes of the detected voltage signals. Using different ferrimagnetic garnets, we demonstrate the universality of the observed complex temperature dependence of the spin Seebeck effect. To understand its origin, we systematically vary the interface between the ferrimagnetic garnet and the metallic layer, and by using different metal layers we establish that interface effects play a dominating role. They do not only modify the magnitude of the spin Seebeck effect signal but in particular also alter its temperature dependence. By varying the temperature, we can select the dominating magnon mode and we analyze our results to reveal the mode selective interface transmission probabilities for different magnon modes and interfaces. The comparison of selected systems reveals semiquantitative details of the interfacial coupling depending on the materials involved, supported by the obtained field dependence of the signal.

Magnon Mode Selective Spin Transport in Compensated Ferrimagnets

KAUST Repository

Cramer, Joel

2017-04-13

We investigate the generation of magnonic thermal spin currents and their mode selective spin transport across interfaces in insulating, compensated ferrimagnet/normal metal bilayer systems. The spin Seebeck effect signal exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence with two sign changes of the detected voltage signals. Using different ferrimagnetic garnets, we demonstrate the universality of the observed complex temperature dependence of the spin Seebeck effect. To understand its origin, we systematically vary the interface between the ferrimagnetic garnet and the metallic layer, and by using different metal layers we establish that interface effects play a dominating role. They do not only modify the magnitude of the spin Seebeck effect signal but in particular also alter its temperature dependence. By varying the temperature, we can select the dominating magnon mode and we analyze our results to reveal the mode selective interface transmission probabilities for different magnon modes and interfaces. The comparison of selected systems reveals semiquantitative details of the interfacial coupling depending on the materials involved, supported by the obtained field dependence of the signal.

Magnon Mode Selective Spin Transport in Compensated Ferrimagnets

KAUST Repository

Cramer, Joel; Guo, Er-Jia; Geprä gs, Stephan; Kehlberger, Andreas; Ivanov, Yurii P.; Ganzhorn, Kathrin; Della Coletta, Francesco; Althammer, Matthias; Huebl, Hans; Gross, Rudolf; Kosel, Jü rgen; Klä ui, Mathias; Goennenwein, Sebastian T. B.

2017-01-01

We investigate the generation of magnonic thermal spin currents and their mode selective spin transport across interfaces in insulating, compensated ferrimagnet/normal metal bilayer systems. The spin Seebeck effect signal exhibits a nonmonotonic temperature dependence with two sign changes of the detected voltage signals. Using different ferrimagnetic garnets, we demonstrate the universality of the observed complex temperature dependence of the spin Seebeck effect. To understand its origin, we systematically vary the interface between the ferrimagnetic garnet and the metallic layer, and by using different metal layers we establish that interface effects play a dominating role. They do not only modify the magnitude of the spin Seebeck effect signal but in particular also alter its temperature dependence. By varying the temperature, we can select the dominating magnon mode and we analyze our results to reveal the mode selective interface transmission probabilities for different magnon modes and interfaces. The comparison of selected systems reveals semiquantitative details of the interfacial coupling depending on the materials involved, supported by the obtained field dependence of the signal.

Constructing robust and highly-selective hydrogel membranes by bioadhesion-inspired method for CO 2 separation

KAUST Repository

Wu, Yingzhen; Zhou, Tiantian; Wu, Hong; Fu, Weixian; Wang, Xinru; Wang, Shaofei; Yang, Leixin; Wu, Xingyu; Ren, Yanxiong; Jiang, Zhongyi; Wang, Baoyi

2018-01-01

-size gas molecules and thus enhancing the CO2/CH4 selectivity. Moreover, the abundant amine groups from PDA nanoaggregates could facilitate CO2 transport. The optimized hybrid hydrogel membrane exhibited CO2/CH4 selectivity of 43.2, which was 43.85% higher

Facilitated transport of HNO3 through a supported liquid membrane containing a tertiary amine as carrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cianetti, C.; Danesi, P.R.

1983-01-01

The facilitated transport of HNO 3 through a supported liquid membrane consisting of a porous polypropylene film containing a solution of trilaurylamine in diethylbenzene as carrier was studied as a function of the stirring speed of the aqueous solutions and the membrane composition. A physico-chemical model which takes into account diffusion through an aqueous boundary layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction leading to the formation of a membrane soluble alkylammonium salt and diffusion through the membrane was proposed. In this way, equations were derived which describe how composition changes, occurring in the course of the permeation process, influence the membrane permeability. The experimental data were quantitatively explained by the derived equations. The results indicate that the monomeric form of the trilaurylammonium nitrate salt is the species which is mainly responsible for the acid transport through the membrane. The diffusion coefficient of the permeating species and the order of magnitude of the thickness of the aqueous boundary layer were evaluated. 8 figures

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in the fractured rock: effects of decay chain and limited matrix diffusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. B.; Park, J. W.; Lee, E. Y.; Kim, C. R.

2002-01-01

Colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in the fractured rock is studies by considering radioactive decay chain and limited matrix diffusion into surrounding porous media. Semi-analytical solution in the Laplace domain is obtained from the mass balance equation of radionuclides and colloid particles. Numerical inversion of the Laplace solution is used to get the concentration profiles both in a fracture and in rock matrix. There issues are analyzed for the radionuclide concentration in a fracture by 1) formation constant of pseudo-colloid, 2) filtration coefficient of radio-colloid and 3) effective diffusion depth into the surrounding porous rock media

An approach to selecting routes over which to transport excess salt from the Deaf Smith County Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

This report presents an approach to be utilized in the identification of rail and/or highway routes for the disposal of waste salt and other salt contaminated material from repository construction. Relevant issues regarding salt transport also are identified. The report identifies a sequence of activities that precede actual route selection, i.e., final selection of a salt disposal method and its location, refined estimates of salt shipment volume and schedule, followed by selection of rail or truck or a combination thereof, as the preferred transport mode. After these factors are known, the route selection process can proceed. Chapter 2.0 of this report identifies directives and requirements that potentially could affect salt transport from the Deaf Smith site. A summary of salt disposal alternatives and reference cases is contained in Chapter 3.0. Chapter 4.0 identifies and discusses current methods of salt handling and transport in the United States, and also provides some perspective as to the volume of excess salt to be transported from the Deaf Smith site relative to current industry practices. Chapter 5.0 identifies an approach to the salt transportation issue, and suggests one system for evaluating alternative highway routes for truck shipments

Molecular determinants of transport stimulation of EAAT2 are located at interface between the trimerization and substrate transport domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Ole V; Liberato, José L; Coutinho-Netto, Joaquim; Dos Santos, Wagner F; Fontana, Andréia C K

2015-04-01

Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) regulate glutamatergic signal transmission by clearing extracellular glutamate. Dysfunction of these transporters has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurological disorders. Previous studies have shown that venom from the spider Parawixia bistriata and a purified compound (Parawixin1) stimulate EAAT2 activity and protect retinal tissue from ischemic damage. In the present study, the EAAT2 subtype specificity of this compound was explored, employing chimeric proteins between EAAT2 and EAAT3 transporter subtypes and mutants to characterize the structural region targeted by the compound. This identified a critical residue (Histidine-71 in EAAT2 and Serine-45 in EAAT3) in transmembrane domain 2 (TM2) to be important for the selectivity between EAAT2 and EAAT3 and for the activity of the venom. Using the identified residue in TM2 as a structural anchor, several neighboring amino acids within TM5 and TM8 were identified to also be important for the activity of the venom. This structural domain of the transporter lies at the interface of the rigid trimerization domain and the central substrate-binding transport domain. Our studies suggest that the mechanism of glutamate transport enhancement involves an interaction with the transporter that facilitates the movement of the transport domain. We identified a domain (purple star) in the glutamate transporter EAAT2 that is important for transport stimulation through a spider venom, and suggest a mechanism for enhanced transporter function through facilitated substrate translocation (arrow). Because the dysfunction of glutamate transporters is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, understanding the mechanisms of enhanced transport could have therapeutic implications. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

HEURISTIC METHOD OF SHIPS SELECTION FOR THE COORDINATED WORK OF WATER TRANSPORT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Shcherbina

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The study aims to develop a formulation methodology for ship selection in the coordinated work of sea and river transport using a heuristic approach. Methodology. To realize the purpose set in the study, the authors carried out an analysis of domestic and foreign literature sources on the current topic, studied specifics and conditions for the effective operation of marine mono-hulled ships and composite tug/barge towing ones. Findings. The analysis results allowed formulating the heuristics methods that ensure the selection of the type sizes of tug/barge towing ships for the mixed «river-sea» navigation from the priority range of ships of the existing fleet. The proposed method makes it possible to select ships in a more appropriate manner according to the established scheme of work. Rational combinations of technical and operational characteristics of such pairs as «barges and tows», «tug/barge towing ship and sea-going ship», «tug/barge towing ship and restrictive characteristics of the area of navigation» are a prerequisite for the shipping company profit growth by increasing the capacity of ships. Originality. For the first time, the authors applied a heuristic approach to the selection of tug/barge towing ships and sea-going ones for coordinated work with the performance of cargo operations on the raid of the estuary port when transporting bulk goods. The basis of the approach is the selection of a rational mix of technical and operational characteristics of barges and tugs. The proposed approach allows determining the best combination of ship type sizes in the organization of coordinated work of sea and river transport. At the same time, the continuity of the goods transportation process from the sea ports to the river ones located in the depth of the country (and in the opposite direction is ensured. Practical value. The presented methodology is a logical continuation of the cycle of studies performed by the authors. The

Size-Selective Modes of Aeolian Transport on Earth and Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Swann, C.; Ewing, R. C.; Sherman, D. J.; McLean, C. J.

2016-12-01

Aeolian sand transport is a dominant driver of surface change and dust emission on Mars. Estimates of aeolian sand transport on Earth and Mars rely on terrestrial transport models that do not differentiate between transport modes (e.g., creep vs. saltation), which limits estimates of the critical threshold for transport and the total sand flux during a transport event. A gap remains in understanding how the different modes contribute to the total sand flux. Experiments conducted at the MARtian Surface WInd Tunnel separated modes of transport for uniform and mixed grain size surfaces at Earth and Martian atmospheric pressures. Crushed walnut shells with a density of 1.0 gm/cm3 were used. Experiments resolved grain size distributions for creeping and saltating grains over 3 uniform surfaces, U1, U2, and U3, with median grain sizes of 308 µm, 721 µm, and 1294 µm, and a mixed grain size surface, M1, with median grain sizes of 519 µm. A mesh trap located 5 cm above the test bed and a surface creep trap were deployed to capture particles moving as saltation and creep. Grains that entered the creep trap at angles ≥ 75° were categorized as moving in creep mode only. Only U1 and M1 surfaces captured enough surface creep at both Earth and Mars pressure for statistically significant grain size analysis. Our experiments show that size selective transport differs between Earth and Mars conditions. The median grain size of particles moving in creep for both uniform and mixed surfaces are larger under Earth conditions. (U1Earth = 385 µm vs. U1Mars = 355 µm; M1Earth = 762 vs. M1Mars = 697 µm ). However, particles moving in saltation were larger under Mars conditions (U1Earth = 282 µm; U1Mars = 309 µm; M1Earth = 347 µm; M1Mars = 454 µm ). Similar to terrestrial experiments, the median size of surface creep is larger than the median grain size of saltation. Median sizes of U1, U2, U3 at Mars conditions for creep was 355 µm, 774 µm and 1574 µm. Saltation at Mars

LOCFES-B: A program for solving the one-dimensional particle transport equation with user-selected CLOF methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, R.D.; Nelson, P.

1995-01-01

LOCFES-B solves the steady-state, monoenergetic and azimuthally symmetric neutral-particle transport equation in one-dimensional plane-parallel geometry. LOCFES-B is designed to facilitate testing and comparison of different spatial approximations in neutron transport. Accordingly, it permits performance of user-provided CLOF spatial approximations to be compared directly on successively refined mesh sizes and user-input physical problems with automatic comparison of results. if desired, to user-supplied benchmark results

Crowding-facilitated macromolecular transport in attractive micropost arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Chien, Fan-Tso; Lin, Po-Keng; Chien, Wei; Hung, Cheng-Hsiang; Yu, Ming-Hung; Chou, Chia-Fu; Chen, Yeng-Long

2017-05-02

Our study of DNA dynamics in weakly attractive nanofabricated post arrays revealed crowding enhances polymer transport, contrary to hindered transport in repulsive medium. The coupling of DNA diffusion and adsorption to the microposts results in more frequent cross-post hopping and increased long-term diffusivity with increased crowding density. We performed Langevin dynamics simulations and found maximum long-term diffusivity in post arrays with gap sizes comparable to the polymer radius of gyration. We found that macromolecular transport in weakly attractive post arrays is faster than in non-attractive dense medium. Furthermore, we employed hidden Markov analysis to determine the transition of macromolecular adsorption-desorption on posts and hopping between posts. The apparent free energy barriers are comparable to theoretical estimates determined from polymer conformational fluctuations.

Transportation technology quick reference file

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepherd, E.W. (ed.)

1981-05-01

This publication is a collection of items written by different authors on subjects relating to the transportation of radioactive materials. The purpose of the document is to meet the continuing need for information on specific subjects for dissemination to the public at their request. The subjects included were selected on the basis of the questions most often asked about radioactive materials and their transportation. Additional subjects are being considered and will be included in the future. The loose-leaf notebook format is used to facilitate the updating of this material. The data used in many of the papers represent the best available at time of publication and will be updated as more current information becomes available.

Transportation technology quick reference file

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shepherd, E.W.

1981-05-01

This publication is a collection of items written by different authors on subjects relating to the transportation of radioactive materials. The purpose of the document is to meet the continuing need for information on specific subjects for dissemination to the public at their request. The subjects included were selected on the basis of the questions most often asked about radioactive materials and their transportation. Additional subjects are being considered and will be included in the future. The loose-leaf notebook format is used to facilitate the updating of this material. The data used in many of the papers represent the best available at time of publication and will be updated as more current information becomes available

Isolation and functional analysis of Thmfs1, the first major facilitator superfamily transporter from the biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mu; Liu, Jun; Wang, Wei Min

2012-10-01

A novel major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter gene, Thmfs1, was isolated from Trichoderma harzianum (T. harzianum). A Thmfs1 over-expressing mutant displayed enhanced antifungal activity and fungicide tolerance, while the Thmfs1 disruption mutant showed the opposite trend. Trichodermin production in Thmfs1 disruption group (185 mg l(-1)) was decreased by less than 17 % compared to the parental strain, suggesting that Thmfs1 is not mainly responsible for trichodermin secretion. Real-time PCR showed that Thmfs1 transcript level could be induced by a certain range of trichodermin concentrations, while expression of Tri5, encoding a trichodiene synthase, was strongly inhibited under these conditions. To our knowledge, Thmfs1 is the first MFS transporter gene identified in T. harzianum.

Colloid-Facilitated Transport of ¹³⁷Cs in Fracture-Fill Material. Experiments and Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dittrich, Timothy M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Reimus, Paul William [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-10-29

In this study, we demonstrate how a combination of batch sorption/desorption experiments and column transport experiments were used to effectively parameterize a model describing the colloid-facilitated transport of Cs in the Grimsel granodiorite/FFM system. Cs partition coefficient estimates onto both the colloids and the stationary media obtained from the batch experiments were used as initial estimates of partition coefficients in the column experiments, and then the column experiment results were used to obtain refined estimates of the number of different sorption sites and the adsorption and desorption rate constants of the sites. The desorption portion of the column breakthrough curves highlighted the importance of accounting for adsorption-desorption hysteresis (or a very nonlinear adsorption isotherm) of the Cs on the FFM in the model, and this portion of the breakthrough curves also dictated that there be at least two different types of sorption sites on the FFM. In the end, the two-site model parameters estimated from the column experiments provided excellent matches to the batch adsorption/desorption data, which provided a measure of assurance in the validity of the model.

Materials selection for a transport packaging of Mo-99

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Debora H.S.; Lucchesi, Raquel F.; Mancini, Victor A.; Rossi, Jesualdo L.; Fiore, Marina

2015-01-01

The radiopharmaceuticals are radioactive isotopes used in nuclear medicine for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of diseases or dysfunctions. Currently, the most important radionuclide for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic purposes is technetium-99m ( 99m Tc), a product of the radioactive decay of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The aim of this work was the materials selection that can enable the manufacture of a package for Mo-99 transport with the aid of CES EduPack program and the methodology developed by Ashby. The ESTAR program was used to check the occurrence of Bremsstrahlung and the XCOM program was used to calculate the attenuation coefficient of gamma radiation from some of the selected materials for the shield; after, the thickness required for radiation shielding was calculated. From the results, the materials selected as potential candidates for the manufacture of the shielding were the tungsten alloys. Related to the thermal insulation and the impact protection, woods, plywoods and particle boards stand out. With regard to internal and external coatings, the selected materials focus on groups of steels and nickel alloys. (author)

A metal-ion NMR investigation of the antibiotic facilitated transport of monovalent cations through the walls of phospholipid vesicles. II. Sulfur-33 NMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buster, D.C.

1988-01-01

A technique has been developed to investigate the antibiotic facilitated transmembrane transport of monovalent cations using 23 Na and 7 Li Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. The initial portion of this thesis outlines the production and characterization of a model lipid system amenable to the NMR detection of cation transport. Large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) have been prepared from a 4:1 mixture of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol. The presence of the anionic chemical shift reagent dysprosium (III) tripolyphosphate, either inside or outside of the vesicles, allows for the spectroscopic separation of the NMR resonances arising from the inter- and extravesicular cation pools. The cation transporting properties of the channel-forming pentadecapeptide, gramicidin D, have been studied using the NMR technique

Modified random hinge transport mechanics and multiple scattering step-size selection in EGS5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilderman, S.J.; Bielajew, A.F.

2005-01-01

The new transport mechanics in EGS5 allows for significantly longer electron transport step sizes and hence shorter computation times than required for identical problems in EGS4. But as with all Monte Carlo electron transport algorithms, certain classes of problems exhibit step-size dependencies even when operating within recommended ranges, sometimes making selection of step-sizes a daunting task for novice users. Further contributing to this problem, because of the decoupling of multiple scattering and continuous energy loss in the dual random hinge transport mechanics of EGS5, there are two independent step sizes in EGS5, one for multiple scattering and one for continuous energy loss, each of which influences speed and accuracy in a different manner. Further, whereas EGS4 used a single value of fractional energy loss (ESTEPE) to determine step sizes at all energies, to increase performance by decreasing the amount of effort expended simulating lower energy particles, EGS5 permits the fractional energy loss values which are used to determine both the multiple scattering and continuous energy loss step sizes to vary with energy. This results in requiring the user to specify four fractional energy loss values when optimizing computations for speed. Thus, in order to simplify step-size selection and to mitigate step-size dependencies, a method has been devised to automatically optimize step-size selection based on a single material dependent input related to the size of problem tally region. In this paper we discuss the new transport mechanics in EGS5 and describe the automatic step-size optimization algorithm. (author)

Game Theoretical Approaches for Transport-Aware Channel Selection in Cognitive Radio Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Shih-Ho

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Effectively sharing channels among secondary users (SUs is one of the greatest challenges in cognitive radio network (CRN. In the past, many studies have proposed channel selection schemes at the physical or the MAC layer that allow SUs swiftly respond to the spectrum states. However, they may not lead to enhance performance due to slow response of the transport layer flow control mechanism. This paper presents a cross-layer design framework called Transport Aware Channel Selection (TACS scheme to optimize the transport throughput based on states, such as RTT and congestion window size, of TCP flow control mechanism. We formulate the TACS problem as two different game theoretic approaches: Selfish Spectrum Sharing Game (SSSG and Cooperative Spectrum Sharing Game (CSSG and present novel distributed heuristic algorithms to optimize TCP throughput. Computer simulations show that SSSG and CSSG could double the SUs throughput of current MAC-based scheme when primary users (PUs use their channel infrequently, and with up to 12% to 100% throughput increase when PUs are more active. The simulation results also illustrated that CSSG performs up to 20% better than SSSG in terms of the throughput.

Practice Facilitators' and Leaders' Perspectives on a Facilitated Quality Improvement Program.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Megan; Brown, Tiffany; Liss, David T; Walunas, Theresa L; Persell, Stephen D

2018-04-01

Practice facilitation is a promising approach to helping practices implement quality improvements. Our purpose was to describe practice facilitators' and practice leaders' perspectives on implementation of a practice facilitator-supported quality improvement program and describe where their perspectives aligned and diverged. We conducted interviews with practice leaders and practice facilitators who participated in a program that included 35 improvement strategies aimed at the ABCS of heart health (aspirin use in high-risk individuals, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation). Rapid qualitative analysis was used to collect, organize, and analyze the data. We interviewed 17 of the 33 eligible practice leaders, and the 10 practice facilitators assigned to those practices. Practice leaders and practice facilitators both reported value in the program's ability to bring needed, high-quality resources to practices. Practice leaders appreciated being able to set the schedule for facilitation and select among the 35 interventions. According to practice facilitators, however, relying on practice leaders to set the pace of the intervention resulted in a lower level of program intensity than intended. Practice leaders preferred targeted assistance, particularly electronic health record documentation guidance and linkages to state smoking cessation programs. Practice facilitators reported that the easiest interventions were those that did not alter care practices. The dual perspectives of practice leaders and practice facilitators provide a more holistic picture of enablers and barriers to program implementation. There may be greater opportunities to assist small practices through simple, targeted practice facilitator-supported efforts rather than larger, comprehensive quality improvement projects. © 2018 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Plasma turbulence. Structure formation, selection rule, dynamic response and dynamics transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ito, Sanae I.

2010-01-01

The five-year project of Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research entitled general research on the structure formation and selection rule in plasma turbulence had brought many outcomes. Based on these outcomes, the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) program entitled general research on dynamic response and dynamic transport in plasma turbulence has started. In the present paper, the state-of-the-art of the research activities on the structure formation, selection rule and dynamics in plasma turbulence are reviewed with reference to outcomes of these projects. (author)

Biomechanics of the transport barrier in the nuclear pore complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, George J; Fassati, Ariberto; Hoogenboom, Bart W

2017-08-01

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the selective gateway through which all molecules must pass when entering or exiting the nucleus. It is a cog in the gene expression pathway, an entrance to the nucleus exploited by viruses, and a highly-tuned nanoscale filter. The NPC is a large proteinaceous assembly with a central lumen occluded by natively disordered proteins, known as FG-nucleoporins (or FG-nups). These FG-nups, along with a family of soluble proteins known as nuclear transport receptors (NTRs), form the selective transport barrier. Although much is known about the transport cycle and the necessity of NTRs for chaperoning cargo molecules through the NPC, the mechanism by which NTRs and NTR•cargo complexes translocate the selective transport barrier is not well understood. How can disordered FG-nups and soluble NTRs form a transport barrier that is selective, ATP-free, and fast? In this work, we review various mechanical approaches - both experimental and theoretical/computational - employed to better understand the morphology of the FG-nups, and their role in nucleocytoplasmic transport. Recent experiments on FG-nups tethered to planar surfaces, coupled with quantitative modelling work suggests that FG-nup morphologies are the result of a finely balanced system with significant contributions from FG-nup cohesiveness and entropic repulsion, and from NTR•FG-nup binding avidity; whilst AFM experiments on intact NPCs suggest that the FG-nups are sufficiently cohesive to form condensates in the centre of the NPC lumen, which may transiently dissolve to facilitate the transport of larger cargoes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation and Characterization of Facilitated Transport Membranes Composed of Chitosan-Styrene and Chitosan-Acrylonitrile Copolymers Modified by Methylimidazolium Based Ionic Liquids for CO2 Separation from CH4 and N2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ksenia V. Otvagina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available CO2 separation was found to be facilitated by transport membranes based on novel chitosan (CS–poly(styrene (PS and chitosan (CS–poly(acrylonitrile (PAN copolymer matrices doped with methylimidazolium based ionic liquids: [bmim][BF4], [bmim][PF6], and [bmim][Tf2N] (IL. CS plays the role of biodegradable film former and selectivity promoter. Copolymers were prepared implementing the latest achievements in radical copolymerization with chosen monomers, which enabled the achievement of outstanding mechanical strength values for the CS-based membranes (75–104 MPa for CS-PAN and 69–75 MPa for CS-PS. Ionic liquid (IL doping affected the surface and mechanical properties of the membranes as well as the gas separation properties. The highest CO2 permeability 400 Barrers belongs to CS-b-PS/[bmim][BF4]. The highest selectivity α (CO2/N2 = 15.5 was achieved for CS-b-PAN/[bmim][BF4]. The operational temperature of the membranes is under 220 °C.

Sample selection and taste correlation in discrete choice transport modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mabit, Stefan Lindhard

2008-01-01

explain counterintuitive results in value of travel time estimation. However, the results also point at the difficulty of finding suitable instruments for the selection mechanism. Taste heterogeneity is another important aspect of discrete choice modelling. Mixed logit models are designed to capture...... the question for a broader class of models. It is shown that the original result may be somewhat generalised. Another question investigated is whether mode choice operates as a self-selection mechanism in the estimation of the value of travel time. The results show that self-selection can at least partly...... of taste correlation in willingness-to-pay estimation are presented. The first contribution addresses how to incorporate taste correlation in the estimation of the value of travel time for public transport. Given a limited dataset the approach taken is to use theory on the value of travel time as guidance...

Separation of Olefin/Paraffin Mixtures with Carrier Facilitated Membrane Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merkel, T.C.; Blanc, R.; Zeid, J.; Suwarlim, A.; Firat, B.; Wijmans, H.; Asaro, M. (SRI); Greene, M.(Lummus)

2007-03-12

This document describes the results of a DOE funded joint effort of Membrane Technology and Research Inc. (MTR), SRI International (SRI), and ABB Lummus (ABB) to develop facilitated transport membranes for olefin/paraffin separations. Currently, olefin/paraffin separation is done by distillation—an extremely energy-intensive process because of the low relative volatilities of olefins and paraffins. If facilitated transport membranes could be successfully commercialized, the potential energy savings achievable with this membrane technology are estimated to be 48 trillion Btu per year by the year 2020. We discovered in this work that silver salt-based facilitated transport membranes are not stable even in the presence of ideal olefin/paraffin mixtures. This decline in membrane performance appears to be caused by a previously unrecognized phenomenon that we have named olefin conditioning. As the name implies, this mechanism of performance degradation becomes operative once a membrane starts permeating olefins. This project is the first study to identify olefin conditioning as a significant factor impacting the performance of facilitated olefin transport membranes. To date, we have not identified an effective strategy to mitigate the impact of olefin conditioning. other than running at low temperatures or with low olefin feed pressures. In our opinion, this issue must be addressed before further development of facilitated olefin transport membranes can proceed. In addition to olefin conditioning, traditional carrier poisoning challenges must also be overcome. Light, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and acetylene exposure adversely affect membrane performance through unwanted reaction with silver ions. Harsh poisoning tests with these species showed useful membrane lifetimes of only one week. These tests demonstrate a need to improve the stability of the olefin complexing agent to develop membranes with lifetimes satisfactory for commercial application. A successful effort

Cation diffusion facilitators transport initiation and regulation is mediated by cation induced conformational changes of the cytoplasmic domain.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalie Zeytuni

Full Text Available Cation diffusion facilitators (CDF are part of a highly conserved protein family that maintains cellular divalent cation homeostasis in all domains of life. CDF's were shown to be involved in several human diseases, such as Type-II diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we employed a multi-disciplinary approach to study the activation mechanism of the CDF protein family. For this we used MamM, one of the main ion transporters of magnetosomes--bacterial organelles that enable magnetotactic bacteria to orientate along geomagnetic fields. Our results reveal that the cytosolic domain of MamM forms a stable dimer that undergoes distinct conformational changes upon divalent cation binding. MamM conformational change is associated with three metal binding sites that were identified and characterized. Altogether, our results provide a novel auto-regulation mode of action model in which the cytosolic domain's conformational changes upon ligand binding allows the priming of the CDF into its transport mode.

M4FT-16LL080303052-State of Knowledge for Colloid Facilitated Radionuclide Transport and Update on Actinide Diffusion in Bentonite Backfill

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zavarin, Mavrik [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Glenn T. Seaborg Inst.. Physical and Life Sciences; Joseph, C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Glenn T. Seaborg Inst.. Physical and Life Sciences

2016-08-16

This progress report (Level 4 Milestone Number M4FT-16LL080303052) summarizes research conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) within the Crystalline Disposal R&D Activity Number FT-16LL080303051 and Crystalline International Collaborations Activity Number FT-16LL080303061. The focus of this research is the interaction of radionuclides with Engineered Barrier System (EBS) and host rock materials at various physico-chemical conditions relevant to subsurface repository environments. They include both chemical and physical processes such as solubility, sorption, and diffusion. The colloid-facilitated transport effort focused on preparation of a draft manuscript summarizing the state of knowledge and parameterization of colloid-facilitated transport mechanisms in support of reactive transport and performance assessment models for generic crystalline repositories. This draft manuscript is being submitted as a level 3 milestone with LANL as the primary author. LLNL’s contribution to that effort is summarized only briefly in the present report. A manuscript summarizing long-term U(VI) diffusion experiments through bentonite backfill material was recently accepted for publication; the contents of that manuscript are summarized in the present report. The Np(IV) diffusion experiments were started mid-year and are ongoing. The completion of these experiments is planned for early FY17. Our progress in quantifying Np(IV) diffusion in bentonite backfill is summarized in the present report. Our involvement with the NEA TDB project was summarized in a recent Argillite Disposal activity report. It is not included in this report.

Facilitated transport of glucose from blood to brain in man and the effect of moderate hypoglycaemia on cerebral glucose utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomqvist, G.; Widen, L.; Hellstrand, E.; Gutniak, M.; Grill, V.

1991-01-01

The effect of steady-state moderate hypoglycaemia on human brain homeostasis has been studied with positron emission tomography using D-glucose 11 C(ul) as tracer. To rule out any effects of insulin, the plasma insulin concentration was maintained at the same level under normo- and hypoglycaemic conditions. Reduction of blood glucose by 55% increased the glucose clearance through the blood-brain barrier by 50% and reduced brain glucose consumption by 40%. Blood flow was not affected. The results are consistent with facilitated transport of glucose from blood to brain in humans. The maximal transport rate of glucose from blood to brain was found to be 62±19 (mean±SEM) μmol hg -1 min -1 , and the half-saturation constant was found to be 4.1±3.2 mM. (orig.)

Effect of stochastic gating on channel-facilitated transport of non-interacting and strongly repelling solutes

Science.gov (United States)

Berezhkovskii, Alexander M.; Bezrukov, Sergey M.

2017-08-01

Ligand- or voltage-driven stochastic gating—the structural rearrangements by which the channel switches between its open and closed states—is a fundamental property of biological membrane channels. Gating underlies the channel's ability to respond to different stimuli and, therefore, to be functionally regulated by the changing environment. The accepted understanding of the gating effect on the solute flux through the channel is that the mean flux is the product of the flux through the open channel and the probability of finding the channel in the open state. Here, using a diffusion model of channel-facilitated transport, we show that this is true only when the gating is much slower than the dynamics of solute translocation through the channel. If this condition breaks, the mean flux could differ from this simple estimate by orders of magnitude.

Stochastic Pricing and Order Model with Transportation Mode Selection for Low-Carbon Retailers

OpenAIRE

Yi Zheng; Huchang Liao; Xue Yang

2016-01-01

More and more enterprises have begun to pay attention to their carbon footprint in the supply chain, of which transportation has become the second major source of carbon emissions. This paper aims to study both optimum pricing and order quantities, considering consumer demand and the selection of transportation modes by retailers, in terms of carbon emissions sensitivity and price sensitivity under the conditions of a cap-and-trade policy and uncertain market demand. Firstly, we analyze the e...

Nucleocytoplasmic Transport: A Paradigm for Molecular Logistics in Artificial Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Vujica, Suncica; Zelmer, Christina; Panatala, Radhakrishnan; Lim, Roderick Y H

2016-01-01

Artificial organelles, molecular factories and nanoreactors are membrane-bound systems envisaged to exhibit cell-like functionality. These constitute liposomes, polymersomes or hybrid lipo-polymersomes that display different membrane-spanning channels and/or enclose molecular modules. To achieve more complex functionality, an artificial organelle should ideally sustain a continuous influx of essential macromolecular modules (i.e. cargoes) and metabolites against an outflow of reaction products. This would benefit from the incorporation of selective nanopores as well as specific trafficking factors that facilitate cargo selectivity, translocation efficiency, and directionality. Towards this goal, we describe how proteinaceous cargoes are transported between the nucleus and cytoplasm by nuclear pore complexes and the biological trafficking machinery in living cells (i.e. nucleocytoplasmic transport). On this basis, we discuss how biomimetic control may be implemented to selectively import, compartmentalize and accumulate diverse macromolecular modules against concentration gradients in artificial organelles.

Theoretical analysis of selectivity mechanisms in molecular transport through channels and nanopores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agah, Shaghayegh; Pasquali, Matteo; Kolomeisky, Anatoly B.

2015-01-01

Selectivity is one of the most fundamental concepts in natural sciences, and it is also critically important in various technological, industrial, and medical applications. Although there are many experimental methods that allow to separate molecules, frequently they are expensive and not efficient. Recently, a new method of separation of chemical mixtures based on utilization of channels and nanopores has been proposed and successfully tested in several systems. However, mechanisms of selectivity in the molecular transport during the translocation are still not well understood. Here, we develop a simple theoretical approach to explain the origin of selectivity in molecular fluxes through channels. Our method utilizes discrete-state stochastic models that take into account all relevant chemical transitions and can be solved analytically. More specifically, we analyze channels with one and two binding sites employed for separating mixtures of two types of molecules. The effects of the symmetry and the strength of the molecular-pore interactions are examined. It is found that for one-site binding channels, the differences in the strength of interactions for two species drive the separation. At the same time, in more realistic two-site systems, the symmetry of interaction potential becomes also important. The most efficient separation is predicted when the specific binding site is located near the entrance to the nanopore. In addition, the selectivity is higher for large entrance rates into the channel. It is also found that the molecular transport is more selective for repulsive interactions than for attractive interactions. The physical-chemical origin of the observed phenomena is discussed

Facilitated transport of Cr(III) through activated composite membrane containing di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) as carrier agent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arslan, Gulsin [Department of Chemistry, Selcuk University, 42031, Campus, Konya (Turkey); Tor, Ali, E-mail: ator@selcuk.edu.tr [Department of Environmental Engineering, Selcuk University, 42031 Campus, Konya (Turkey); Cengeloglu, Yunus; Ersoz, Mustafa [Department of Chemistry, Selcuk University, 42031, Campus, Konya (Turkey)

2009-06-15

The facilitated transport of chromium(III) through activated composite membrane (ACM) containing di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) was investigated. DEHPA was immobilised by interfacial polymerisation on polysulfone layer which was deposited on non-woven fabric by using spin coater. Then, ACM was characterised by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Initially, batch experiments of liquid-liquid distribution of Cr(III) and the extractant (DEHPA) were carried out to determine the appropriate pH of the feed phase and the results showed that maximum extraction of Cr(III) was achieved at a pH of 4. It was also found that Cr(III) and DEHPA reacted in 1/1 molar ratio. The effects of Cr(III) (in feed phase), HCl (in stripping phase) and DEHPA (in ACM) concentrations were investigated. DEHPA concentration varies from 0.1 to 1.0 M and it was determined that the transport of Cr(III) increased with the carrier concentration up to 0.8 M. It was also observed that the transport of Cr(III) through the ACM tended to increase with Cr(III) and HCl concentrations. The stability of ACM was also confirmed with replicate experiments.

Facilitated transport of Cr(III) through activated composite membrane containing di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA) as carrier agent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arslan, Gulsin; Tor, Ali; Cengeloglu, Yunus; Ersoz, Mustafa

2009-01-01

The facilitated transport of chromium(III) through activated composite membrane (ACM) containing di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) was investigated. DEHPA was immobilised by interfacial polymerisation on polysulfone layer which was deposited on non-woven fabric by using spin coater. Then, ACM was characterised by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Initially, batch experiments of liquid-liquid distribution of Cr(III) and the extractant (DEHPA) were carried out to determine the appropriate pH of the feed phase and the results showed that maximum extraction of Cr(III) was achieved at a pH of 4. It was also found that Cr(III) and DEHPA reacted in 1/1 molar ratio. The effects of Cr(III) (in feed phase), HCl (in stripping phase) and DEHPA (in ACM) concentrations were investigated. DEHPA concentration varies from 0.1 to 1.0 M and it was determined that the transport of Cr(III) increased with the carrier concentration up to 0.8 M. It was also observed that the transport of Cr(III) through the ACM tended to increase with Cr(III) and HCl concentrations. The stability of ACM was also confirmed with replicate experiments.

Transport on prescription: How can GPs contribute to the promotion of active transport?

Science.gov (United States)

Pistoll, Chance; Furler, John

2017-10-01

Active transport (ie walking, cycling, using public transport) can play a part in reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Very little is known about how general practitioners (GPs) can contribute to promoting active transport. We explored GPs' ideas around active transport, and potential barriers and facilitators to its promotion in the clinical setting. Using a maximal variation sample, we conducted 10 semi-structured interviews with GPs in Victoria, Australia. The socioecological model informed data collection and analysis. The idea of active transport resonated with GPs. Limited awareness around active transport and safety concerns regarding commuter cycling were barriers to clinical promotion. GPs believed patients' health, cultural norms, socioeconomic position and access to supportive environments could facilitate participation. Future efforts should prioritise awareness of active transport among GPs. The perspectives of GPs would be valuable to policymakers, particularly in designing programs to mitigate inequalities around active transport access and use.

High-density nanopore array for selective biomolecule transport.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Kamlesh D.

2011-11-01

Development of sophisticated tools capable of manipulating molecules at their own length scale enables new methods for chemical synthesis and detection. Although nanoscale devices have been developed to perform individual tasks, little work has been done on developing a truly scalable platform: a system that combines multiple components for sequential processing, as well as simultaneously processing and identifying the millions of potential species that may be present in a biological sample. The development of a scalable micro-nanofluidic device is limited in part by the ability to combine different materials (polymers, metals, semiconductors) onto a single chip, and the challenges with locally controlling the chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties within a micro or nanochannel. We have developed a unique construct known as a molecular gate: a multilayered polymer based device that combines microscale fluid channels with nanofluidic interconnects. Molecular gates have been demonstrated to selectively transport molecules between channels based on size or charge. In order to fully utilize these structures, we need to develop methods to actively control transport and identify species inside a nanopore. While previous work has been limited to creating electrical connections off-channel or metallizing the entire nanopore wall, we now have the ability to create multiple, separate conductive connections at the interior surface of a nanopore. These interior electrodes will be used for direct sensing of biological molecules, probing the electrical potential and charge distribution at the surface, and to actively turn on and off electrically driven transport of molecules through nanopores.

Computational simulation of lithium ion transport through polymer nanocomposite membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, P.; Sandi, G.; Kizilel, R.; Stevens, D.

2003-01-01

We think of membranes as simple devices to facilitate filtration. In fact, membranes play a role in chemical, biological, and engineering processes such as catalysis, separation, and sensing by control of molecular transport and recognition. Critical factors that influence membrane discrimination properties include composition, pore size (as well as homogeneity), chemical functionalization, and electrical transport properties. There is increasing interest in using nanomaterials for the production of novel membranes due to the unique selectivity that can be achieved. Clay-polymer nanocomposites show particular promise due to their ease of manufacture (large sheets), their rigidity (self supporting), and their excellent mechanical properties. However, the process of lithium ion transport through the clay-polymer nanocomposite and mechanisms of pore size selection are poorly understood at the ionic and molecular level. In addition, manufacturing of clay-polymer nanocomposite membranes with desirable properties has proved challenging. We have built a general membrane-modeling tool (simulation system) to assist in developing improved membranes for selection, electromigration, and other electrochemical applications. Of particular interest are the recently formulated clay-polymer membranes. The transport mechanisms of the lithium ions membranes are not well understood and, therefore, they make an interesting test case for the model. In order to validate the model, we synthesized polymer nanocomposites membranes.

Expression, purification, and functional characterization of the insulin-responsive facilitative glucose transporter GLUT4.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft, Thomas E; Hresko, Richard C; Hruz, Paul W

2015-12-01

The insulin-responsive facilitative glucose transporter GLUT4 is of fundamental importance for maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Despite intensive effort, the ability to express and purify sufficient quantities of structurally and functionally intact protein for biophysical analysis has previously been exceedingly difficult. We report here the development of novel methods to express, purify, and functionally reconstitute GLUT4 into detergent micelles and proteoliposomes. Rat GLUT4 containing FLAG and His tags at the amino and carboxy termini, respectively, was engineered and stably transfected into HEK-293 cells. Overexpression in suspension culture yielded over 1.5 mg of protein per liter of culture. Systematic screening of detergent solubilized GLUT4-GFP fusion protein via fluorescent-detection size exclusion chromatography identified lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) as highly effective for isolating monomeric GLUT4 micelles. Preservation of structural integrity and ligand binding was demonstrated via quenching of tryptophan fluorescence and competition of ATB-BMPA photolabeling by cytochalasin B. GLUT4 was reconstituted into lipid nanodiscs and proper folding was confirmed. Reconstitution of purified GLUT4 with amphipol A8-35 stabilized the transporter at elevated temperatures for extended periods of time. Functional activity of purified GLUT4 was confirmed by reconstitution of LMNG-purified GLUT4 into proteoliposomes and measurement of saturable uptake of D-glucose over L-glucose. Taken together, these data validate the development of an efficient means to generate milligram quantities of stable and functionally intact GLUT4 that is suitable for a wide array of biochemical and biophysical analyses. © 2015 The Protein Society.

A method for selection of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation route considering socioeconomic cost based on contingent valuation method (CVM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Sik

2008-02-01

A transportation of SNF may cause an additional radiation exposure to human beings. It means that the radiological risk should be estimated and managed quantitatively for the public who live near the shipments route. Before the SNF transportation is performed, the route selection is concluded based on the radiological risk estimated with RADTRAN code in existing method generally. It means the existing method for route selection is based only on the radiological health risk but there are not only the impacts related to the radiological health risk but also the socioeconomic impacts related to the cost. In this study, a new method and its numerical formula for route selection on transporting SNF is proposed based on cost estimation because there are several costs in transporting SNF. The total cost consists of radiological health cost, transportation cost, and socioeconomic cost. Each cost is defined properly to the characteristics of SNF transportation and many coefficients and variables describing the meaning of each cost are obtained or estimated through many surveys. Especially to get the socioeconomic cost, contingent valuation method (CVM) is used with a questionnaire. The socioeconomic cost estimation is the most important part of the total cost originated from transporting SNF because it is a very dominant cost in the total cost. The route selection regarding SNF transportation can be supported with the proposed method reasonably and unnecessary or exhausting controversies about the shipments could be avoided

Outsourcing strategy selection for transportation services based on the Make or Buy decision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria CIEŚLA

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper is related to the practical approach to logistics strategies in enterprises and advanced practical applications. This article presents an analysis and solution to a specific problem, which is the subject of transport in the enterprise. It presents an analysis based on Make-or-Buy decision involving the selection of best internal or external transport service. It will be used for an exemplary production company. This case study presents the basis for the construction of logistics strategy of the company as a competitive advantage in the market.

Review on Selection and Suitability of Rail Transit Station Design Pertaining to Public Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Akabal, Farah Mohd; Masirin, Mohd Idrus Haji Mohd; Abidin Akasah, Zainal; Rohani, Munzilah Md

2017-08-01

Railway has emerged as a fast, convenient, safe, clean, and low-cost alternative to air and road transportation. Many countries have invested in rail transportation. In America, Europe and Asia, large investments are planned for rail transportation. This is because congestion problems can be reduced with the introduction of rail transportation. Rail transportation involves several components which are important to ensure the smooth and safe delivery of services such as locomotives, rail stations and railway tracks. Rail transit stations are places where trains stop to pick-up and drop-off passengers. Stations are vital for many to enable them to engage in work and social commitments. This paper focuses only on the rail transit station as it is one of the important components in rail transportation. It is also considered as a key public meeting place and space for interactions in a community. The role of rail transit station and the requirements of a good rail transit station are also described in this paper. Steps in selecting the location of rail transit station include the function and facilities in rail transit station are discussed with reference to best practices and handbooks. Selection of the appropriate rail transit station locations may help users indirectly. In addition, this paper will also elucidate on the design considerations for an efficient and effective rail transit station. Design selections for the rail transit station must be balanced between aesthetic value and functional efficiency. The right design selection may help conserve energy, assure and facilitate consumers even thought a rail transit station plays a smaller role in attracting consumers compared to a shopping complex or a residential building. This will contribute towards better and greener building for a green transportation facility. Thus, with this paper it is expected to assist the relevant authority to identify important elements in the selection and determination of suitable

Electrodriven selective transport of Cs+ using chlorinated cobalt dicarbollide in polymer inclusion membrane: a novel approach for cesium removal from simulated nuclear waste solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhury, Sanhita; Bhattacharyya, Arunasis; Goswami, Asok

2014-11-04

The work describes a novel and cleaner approach of electrodriven selective transport of Cs from simulated nuclear waste solutions through cellulose tri acetate (CTA)/poly vinyl chloride (PVC) based polymer inclusion membrane. The electrodriven cation transport together with the use of highly Cs+ selective hexachlorinated derivative of cobalt bis dicarbollide, allows to achieve selective separation of Cs+ from high concentration of Na+ and other fission products in nuclear waste solutions. The transport selectivity has been studied using radiotracer technique as well as atomic emission spectroscopic technique. Transport studies using CTA based membrane have been carried out from neutral solution as well as 0.4 M HNO3, while that with PVC based membrane has been carried out from 3 M HNO3. High decontamination factor for Cs+ over Na+ has been obtained in all the cases. Experiment with simulated high level waste solution shows selective transport of Cs+ from most of other fission products also. Significantly fast Cs+ transport rate along with high selectivity is an interesting feature observed in this membrane. The current efficiency for Cs+ transport has been found to be ∼100%. The promising results show the possibility of using this kind of electrodriven membrane transport methods for nuclear waste treatment.

50 CFR 600.752 - Use of conveners and facilitators.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Use of conveners and facilitators. 600.752..., by consensus. The facilitator may be the same person as the convener used under paragraph (a) of this... facilitator, the FNP shall select, by consensus, a person to serve as facilitator. A person designated to...

Decoupling urban transport from GHG emissions in Indian cities-A critical review and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Jun

2011-01-01

How to sustain rapid economic and urban growth with minimised detriment to environment is a key challenge for sustainable development and climate change mitigation in developing countries, which face constraints of technical and financial resources scarcity as well as dearth of infrastructure governance capacity. This paper attempts to address this question by investigating the driving forces of transport demand and relevant policy measures that facilitate mitigating GHG emissions in the urban transport sector in Indian cities based on a critical review of the literature. Our overview of existing literature and international experiences suggests that it is critical to improve urban governance in transport infrastructure quality and develop efficient public transport, coupled with integrated land use/transport planning as well as economic instruments. This will allow Indian cities to embark on a sustainable growth pathway by decoupling transport services demand of GHG emissions in the longer term. Appropriate policy instruments need to be selected to reconcile the imperatives of economic and urban growth, aspiration to higher quality of life, improvements in social welfare, urban transport-related energy consumption and GHG emissions mitigation target in Indian cities. - Highlights: → Investigating the relevant policies that facilitate mitigating GHG emissions in urban transport in Indian cities. → Determining the factors of increase in energy demand and carbon emissions in transport. → Improving urban governance in transport infrastructure with integrated transport planning. → Designing and implementing the policy and economic instruments for low-carbon urban transport in India.

Evaluation of the Montana Department of Transportation's research project solicitation, prioritization, and selection process

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-01

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) contracted the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana Missoula to conduct research to determine how other states solicit, prioritize, and select research problem statem...

Barriers to and facilitators of sports participation for people with physical disabilities: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaarsma, E A; Dijkstra, P U; Geertzen, J H B; Dekker, R

2014-12-01

Most people with physical disabilities do not participate in sports regularly, which could increase the chances of developing secondary health conditions. Therefore, knowledge about barriers to and facilitators of sports participation is needed. Barriers and facilitators for people with physical disabilities other than amputation or spinal cord injuries (SCI) are unknown. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the literature focusing on barriers to and facilitators of sports participation for all people with various physical disabilities. Four databases were searched using MeSH terms and free texts up to April 2012. The inclusion criteria were articles focusing on people with physical disabilities, sports and barriers and/or facilitators. The exclusion criteria were articles solely focusing on people with cognitive disabilities, sensory impairments or disabilities related to a recent organ transplant or similar condition. Fifty-two articles were included in this review, with 27 focusing on people with SCI. Personal barriers were disability and health; environmental barriers were lack of facilities, transport and difficulties with accessibility. Personal facilitators were fun and health, and the environmental facilitator was social contacts. Experiencing barriers to and facilitators of sports participation depends on age and type of disability and should be considered when advising people about sports. The extent of sports participation for people with physical disabilities also increases with the selection of the most appropriate sport. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of selected advanced aerodynamics and active control concepts for commercial transport aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, A. B.

1984-01-01

Work done under the Energy Efficient Transport project in the field of advanced aerodynamics and active controls is summarized. The project task selections focused on the following: the investigation of long-duct nacelle shape variation on interference drag; the investigation of the adequacy of a simple control law for the elastic modes of a wing; the development of the aerodynamic technology at cruise and low speed of high-aspect-ratio supercritical wings of high performance; and the development of winglets for a second-generation jet transport. All the tasks involved analysis and substantial wind tunnel testing. The winglet program also included flight evaluation. It is considered that the technology base has been built for the application of high-aspect-ratio supercritical wings and for the use of winglets on second-generation transports.

Maternal use of drug substrates of placental transporters and the effect of transporter-mediated drug interactions on the risk of congenital anomalies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aizati N A Daud

Full Text Available A number of transporter proteins are expressed in the placenta, and they facilitate the placental transfer of drugs. The inhibition of P-glycoprotein (P-gp was previously found to be associated with an increase in the risk of congenital anomalies caused by drug substrates of this transporter. We now explore the role of other placental transporter proteins.A population-based case-referent study was performed using cases with congenital anomalies (N = 5,131 from EUROCAT Northern Netherlands, a registry of congenital anomalies. The referent population (N = 31,055 was selected from the pregnancy IADB.nl, a pharmacy prescription database.Ten placental transporters known to have comparable expression levels in the placenta to that of P-gp, were selected in this study. In total, 147 drugs were identified to be substrates, inhibitors or inducers, of these transporters. Fifty-eight of these drugs were used by at least one mother in our cases or referent population, and 28 were used in both. The highest user rate was observed for the substrates of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1, mainly folic acid (6% of cases, 8% of referents, and breast cancer resistance protein, mainly nitrofurantoin (2.3% of cases, 2.9% of referents. In contrast to P-gp, drug interactions involving substrates of these transporters did not have a significant effect on the risk of congenital anomalies.Some of the drugs which are substrates or inhibitors of placental transporters were commonly used during pregnancy. No significant effect of transporter inhibition was found on fetal drug exposure, possibly due to a limited number of exposures.

Evaluation of selected predictive models and parameters for the environmental transport and dosimetry of radionuclides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, C.W.; Dunning, D.E. Jr.; Etnier, E.L.; Hoffman, F.O.; Little, C.A.; Meyer, H.R.; Shaeffer, D.L.; Till, J.E.

1979-07-01

Evaluations of selected predictive models and parameters used in the assessment of the environmental transport and dosimetry of radionuclides are summarized. Mator sections of this report include a validation of the Gaussian plume disperson model, comparison of the output of a model for the transport of 131 I from vegetation to milk with field data, validation of a model for the fraction of aerosols intercepted by vegetation, an evaluation of dose conversion factors for 232 Th, an evaluation of considering the effect of age dependency on population dose estimates, and a summary of validation results for hydrologic transport models

Stochastic Pricing and Order Model with Transportation Mode Selection for Low-Carbon Retailers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Zheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available More and more enterprises have begun to pay attention to their carbon footprint in the supply chain, of which transportation has become the second major source of carbon emissions. This paper aims to study both optimum pricing and order quantities, considering consumer demand and the selection of transportation modes by retailers, in terms of carbon emissions sensitivity and price sensitivity under the conditions of a cap-and-trade policy and uncertain market demand. Firstly, we analyze the effects of transportation mode (including transportation costs and transportation-induced carbon emissions, initial emissions allowances, carbon emissions trading price and consumer sensitivity to carbon emissions on the optimum decisions and profits of retailers. The results demonstrate that when consumers are less sensitive to price, the optimum retail price and the optimum order quantity of products are proportional to the transportation cost and transportation-induced carbon emissions of retailers per unit product, the carbon emissions trading price as well as consumer sensitivity to carbon emissions. However, when consumers are highly sensitive to price, the optimum order quantity of products is inversely proportional to the transportation costs and transportation-induced carbon emissions of retailers per unit product, the carbon emissions trading price and consumer sensitivity to carbon emissions. In addition, the optimum retail price of products is inversely proportional to consumer sensitivity to carbon emissions. We also find that retailers prefer a low-carbon transportation mode when the carbon emissions trading price is high. Meanwhile, the carbon emissions trading price influences the carbon emissions trading volume of retailers. These theoretical findings are further validated by some numerical analysis.

Foxp3(+) T cells regulate immunoglobulin a selection and facilitate diversification of bacterial species responsible for immune homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawamoto, Shimpei; Maruya, Mikako; Kato, Lucia M; Suda, Wataru; Atarashi, Koji; Doi, Yasuko; Tsutsui, Yumi; Qin, Hongyan; Honda, Kenya; Okada, Takaharu; Hattori, Masahira; Fagarasan, Sidonia

2014-07-17

Foxp3(+) T cells play a critical role for the maintenance of immune tolerance. Here we show that in mice, Foxp3(+) T cells contributed to diversification of gut microbiota, particularly of species belonging to Firmicutes. The control of indigenous bacteria by Foxp3(+) T cells involved regulatory functions both outside and inside germinal centers (GCs), consisting of suppression of inflammation and regulation of immunoglobulin A (IgA) selection in Peyer's patches, respectively. Diversified and selected IgAs contributed to maintenance of diversified and balanced microbiota, which in turn facilitated the expansion of Foxp3(+) T cells, induction of GCs, and IgA responses in the gut through a symbiotic regulatory loop. Thus, the adaptive immune system, through cellular and molecular components that are required for immune tolerance and through the diversification as well as selection of antibody repertoire, mediates host-microbial symbiosis by controlling the richness and balance of bacterial communities required for homeostasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Proton transport facilitating water-oxidation: the role of second sphere ligands surrounding the catalytic metal cluster.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Han; Dilbeck, Preston L; Burnap, Robert L

2013-10-01

The ability of PSII to extract electrons from water, with molecular oxygen as a by-product, is a remarkable biochemical and evolutionary innovation. From an evolutionary perspective, the invention of PSII approximately 2.7 Ga led to the accelerated accumulation of biomass in the biosphere and the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, a combination that allowed for the evolution of a much more complex and extensive biosphere than would otherwise have been possible. From the biochemical and enzymatic perspective, PSII is remarkable because of the thermodynamic and kinetic obstacles that needed to have been overcome to oxidize water as the ultimate photosynthetic electron donor. This article focuses on how proton release is an integral part of how these kinetic and thermodynamic obstacles have been overcome: the sequential removal of protons from the active site of H2O-oxidation facilitates the multistep oxidation of the substrate water at the Mn4CaOx, the catalytic heart of the H2O-oxidation reaction. As noted previously, the facilitated deprotonation of the Mn4CaOx cluster exerts a redox-leveling function preventing the accumulation of excess positive charge on the cluster, which might otherwise hinder the already energetically difficult oxidation of water. Using recent results, including the characteristics of site-directed mutants, the role of the second sphere of amino acid ligands and the associated network of water molecules surrounding the Mn4CaOx is discussed in relation to proton transport in other systems. In addition to the redox-leveling function, a trapping function is assigned to the proton release step occurring immediately prior to the dioxygen chemistry. This trapping appears to involve a yet-to-be clarified gating mechanism that facilitates to coordinated release of a proton from the neighborhood of the active site thereby insuring that the backward charge-recombination reaction does not out-compete the forward reaction of dioxygen chemistry

Engineered Dwarf Male-Sterile Rice: A Promising Genetic Tool for Facilitating Recurrent Selection in Rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansari, Afsana; Wang, Chunlian; Wang, Jian; Wang, Fujun; Liu, Piqing; Gao, Ying; Tang, Yongchao; Zhao, Kaijun

2017-01-01

Rice is a crop feeding half of the world's population. With the continuous raise of yield potential via genetic improvement, rice breeding has entered an era where multiple genes conferring complex traits must be efficiently manipulated to increase rice yield further. Recurrent selection is a sound strategy for manipulating multiple genes and it has been successfully performed in allogamous crops. However, the difficulties in emasculation and hand pollination had obstructed efficient use of recurrent selection in autogamous rice. Here, we report development of the dwarf male-sterile rice that can facilitate recurrent selection in rice breeding. We adopted RNAi technology to synergistically regulate rice plant height and male fertility to create the dwarf male-sterile rice. The RNAi construct pTCK-EGGE, targeting the OsGA20ox2 and OsEAT1 genes, was constructed and used to transform rice via Agrobacterium -mediated transformation. The transgenic T0 plants showing largely reduced plant height and complete male-sterile phenotypes were designated as the dwarf male-sterile plants. Progenies of the dwarf male-sterile plants were obtained by pollinating them with pollens from the wild-type. In the T1 and T2 populations, half of the plants were still dwarf male-sterile; the other half displayed normal plant height and male fertility which were designated as tall and male-fertile plants. The tall and male-fertile plants are transgene-free and can be self-pollinated to generate new varieties. Since emasculation and hand pollination for dwarf male-sterile rice plants is no longer needed, the dwarf male-sterile rice can be used to perform recurrent selection in rice. A dwarf male-sterile rice-based recurrent selection model has been proposed.

Animal transportation networks

Science.gov (United States)

Perna, Andrea; Latty, Tanya

2014-01-01

Many group-living animals construct transportation networks of trails, galleries and burrows by modifying the environment to facilitate faster, safer or more efficient movement. Animal transportation networks can have direct influences on the fitness of individuals, whereas the shape and structure of transportation networks can influence community dynamics by facilitating contacts between different individuals and species. In this review, we discuss three key areas in the study of animal transportation networks: the topological properties of networks, network morphogenesis and growth, and the behaviour of network users. We present a brief primer on elements of network theory, and then discuss the different ways in which animal groups deal with the fundamental trade-off between the competing network properties of travel efficiency, robustness and infrastructure cost. We consider how the behaviour of network users can impact network efficiency, and call for studies that integrate both network topology and user behaviour. We finish with a prospectus for future research. PMID:25165598

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY BY UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert C. JOHNS

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the importance of knowledge in the global economy and reviews the process in which knowledge is applied to develop innovations. It confirms the importance of innovation as a key factor for success in today's competitive environment. The paper discusses the contributions a university can make to the innovation process in the field of transportation, and offers a vision of how a university center can enhance and facilitate these contributions. It then describes the efforts of one center, including three examples of innovations facilitated by the center in traffic detection, regional planning, and pavement management. The paper concludes with suggestions that would strengthen the societal contributions of university transportation centers.

Mathematical description of adsorption and transport of reactive solutes in soil: a review of selected literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travis, C.C.

1978-10-01

This report reviews selected literature related to the mathematical description of the transport of reactive solutes through soil. The primary areas of the literature reviewed are (1) mathematical models in current use for description of the adsorption-desorption interaction between the soil solution and the soil matrix and (2) analytic solutions of the differential equations describing the convective-dispersive transport of reactive solutes through soil

Facilitated transport of titanium dioxide nanoparticles by humic substances in saturated porous media under acidic conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Ruichang [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science (China); Zhang, Haibo; Tu, Chen; Hu, Xuefeng; Li, Lianzhen [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (China); Luo, Yongming, E-mail: ymluo@yic.ac.cn; Christie, Peter [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science (China)

2015-04-15

The transport behavior of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO{sub 2} NPs, 30 nm in diameter) was studied in well-defined porous media composed of clean quartz sand over a range of solution chemistry under acidic conditions. Transport of TiO{sub 2} NPs was dramatically enhanced by humic substances (HS) at acidic pH (4.0, 5.0 and 6.0), even at a low HS concentration of 0.5 mg L{sup −1}. Facilitated transport of TiO{sub 2} NPs was likely attributable to the increased stability of TiO{sub 2} NPs and repulsive interaction between TiO{sub 2} NPs and quartz sands due to the adsorbed HS. The mobility of TiO{sub 2} NPs was also increased with increasing pH from 4.0 to 6.0. Although transport of TiO{sub 2} NPs was insensitive to low ionic strength, it was significantly inhibited by high concentrations of NaCl and CaCl{sub 2}. In addition, calculated Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) interaction energy indicated that high energy barriers were responsible for the high mobility of TiO{sub 2} NPs, while the secondary energy minimum could play an important role in the retention of TiO{sub 2} NPs at 100 mmol L{sup −1} NaCl. Straining and gravitational settlement of larger TiO{sub 2} NPs aggregates at 1 mg L{sup −1} HS, pH 5.0, and 2 mmol L{sup −1} CaCl{sub 2} could be responsible for the significant retention even in the presence of high energy barriers. Moreover, more favorable interaction between approaching TiO{sub 2} NPs and TiO{sub 2} NPs that had been already deposited on the collector resulted in a ripening-shape breakthrough curve at 2 mmol L{sup −1} CaCl{sub 2}. Overall, a combination of mechanisms including DLVO-type force, straining, and physical filtration was involved in the retention of TiO{sub 2} NPs over the range of solution chemistry examined in this study.

Use of GIS technologies to facilitate the transportation project programming process.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-01

Transportation project programming in a transportation agency is a process of matching : potential projects with available funds to accomplish the agencys mission and goals of a : given period of time. Result of this process is normally a transpor...

Spatial learning in the 5-HT1B receptor knockout mouse: selective facilitation/impairment depending on the cognitive demand.

Science.gov (United States)

Buhot, Marie-Christine; Wolff, Mathieu; Benhassine, Narimane; Costet, Pierre; Hen, René; Segu, Louis

2003-01-01

Age-related memory decline is associated with a combined dysfunction of the cholinergic and serotonergic systems in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, in particular. The 5-HT1B receptor occupies strategic cellular and subcellular locations in these structures, where it plays a role in the modulation of ACh release. In an attempt to characterize the contribution of this receptor to memory functions, 5-HT1B receptor knockout (KO) mice were submitted to various behavioral paradigms carried out in the same experimental context (water maze), which were aimed at exposing mice to various levels of memory demand. 5-HT1BKO mice exhibited a facilitation in the acquisition of a hippocampal-dependent spatial reference memory task in the Morris water maze. This facilitation was selective of task difficulty, showing thus that the genetic inactivation of the 5-HT1B receptor is associated with facilitation when the complexity of the task is increased, and reveals a protective effect on age-related hippocampal-dependent memory decline. Young-adult and aged KO and wild-type (WT) mice were equally able to learn a delayed spatial matching-to-sample working memory task in a radial-arm water maze with short (0 or 5 min) delays. However, 5-HT1BKO mice, only, exhibited a selective memory impairment at intermediate and long (15, 30, and 60 min) delays. Treatment by scopolamine induced the same pattern of performance in wild type as did the mutation for short (5 min, no impairment) and long (60 min, impairment) delays. Taken together, these studies revealed a beneficial effect of the mutation on the acquisition of a spatial reference memory task, but a deleterious effect on a working memory task for long delays. This 5-HT1BKO mouse story highlights the problem of the potential existence of "global memory enhancers."

Selective segmental sclerotherapy of the liver by transportal absolute ethanol injection: an animal experimental study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Jie; Yang Ning; Zhang Zhongzhong; Hu Libin; Chen Jie; Wu Wei; Jin Zhengyu; Liu Wei

2003-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective segmental sclerotherapy (SSS) of the liver by transportal absolute ethanol injection with an animal experimental study, and to discuss several technical points involved in this method. Methods: Thirty dogs received SSS of the liver by transportal absolute ethanol injection with the injection dose of 0.2-1.0 ml/kg, repeated examinations of blood ethanol level, WBC, and liver functions were done, and CT and pathological examinations of the liver were performed. Results: All dogs treated with SSS survived during the study. The maximum elevation of blood ethanol values occurred in group F. Its average value was (1.603 ± 0.083) mg/ml, which was much lower than that of death level. Transient elevations of blood WBC and ALT were seen. The average values of WBC and ALT were (46.36 ± 7.28) x 10 9 and (827.36 ± 147.25) U/L, respectively. CT and pathological examinations proved that the dogs given SSS by transportal absolute ethanol injection with the injection dose of 0.3-1.0 ml/kg had a complete wedge-shaped necrosis in the liver. Conclusion: Selective segmental sclerotherapy of the liver by transportal ethanol injection was quite safe and effective if the proper dose of ethanol was injected. SSS may be useful in the treatment of HCC

Discovery of the first selective inhibitor of excitatory amino acid transporter subtype 1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Anders Asbjørn; Erichsen, Mette Navy; Nielsen, Christina Wøhlk

2009-01-01

The discovery of the first class of subtype-selective inhibitors of the human excitatory amino acid transporter subtype 1 (EAAT1) and its rat orthologue GLAST is reported. An opening structure-activity relationship of 25 analogues is presented that addresses the influence of substitutions at the 4......- and 7-positions of the parental skeleton 2-amino-5-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromene-3-carbonitrile. The most potent analogue 1o displays high nanomolar inhibitory activity at EAAT1 and a >400-fold selectivity over EAAT2 and EAAT3, making it a highly valuable pharmacological tool....

Facilitated transport of Hg(II) through novel activated composite membranes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paez-Hernandez, M.E. [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Departamento de Materiales, Area de Ciencia de los Materiales, Col. Reynosa-Tamaulipas (Mexico); Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Centro de Investigaciones Quimicas, Pachuca, Hidalgo (Mexico); Aguilar-Arteaga, K. [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Centro de Investigaciones Quimicas, Pachuca, Hidalgo (Mexico); Valiente, M. [Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Departament de Quimica, Unitat Analitica, Centre GTS, Facultat de Ciencies, Bellaterra, Barcelona (Spain); Ramirez-Silva, M.T. [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Departamento de Quimica, Area de Quimica Analitica, Laboratorio R-105, Col. Vicentina, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Romero-Romo, M.; Palomar-Pardave, M. [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Departamento de Materiales, Area de Ciencia de los Materiales, Col. Reynosa-Tamaulipas (Mexico)

2004-10-01

The results presented in this work deal with the prime application of activated composite membranes (ACMs) for the transport of Hg(II) ions in a continuous extraction-re-extraction system using di-(2-ethylhexyl)dithiophosphoric acid (DTPA) as carrier. The effects of variables such as the pH, the nature of the acid and the concentration of the casting solutions on the transport of Hg(II) are also investigated. When the ACM was prepared with a 0.5 M DTPA solution and when the feed solution contained 2.5 x 10{sup -4} M Hg(II) in 0.1 M HCl, the amount of mercury extracted was greater than 76%. The re-extracted mercury was subsequently recovered by means of a stripping phase comprising 0.3 M thiourea solution in 2 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, yielding 54% of the initial amount of mercury after transport had taken place for 180 min. (orig.)

Application of SELECT and SWAT models to simulate source load, fate, and transport of fecal bacteria in watersheds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranatunga, T.

2017-12-01

Modeling of fate and transport of fecal bacteria in a watershed is a processed based approach that considers releases from manure, point sources, and septic systems. Overland transport with water and sediments, infiltration into soils, transport in the vadose zone and groundwater, die-off and growth processes, and in-stream transport are considered as the other major processes in bacteria simulation. This presentation will discuss a simulation of fecal indicator bacteria source loading and in-stream conditions of a non-tidal watershed (Cedar Bayou Watershed) in South Central Texas using two models; Spatially Explicit Load Enrichment Calculation Tool (SELECT) and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Furthermore, it will discuss a probable approach of bacteria source load reduction in order to meet the water quality standards in the streams. The selected watershed is listed as having levels of fecal indicator bacteria that posed a risk for contact recreation and wading by the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The SELECT modeling approach was used in estimating the bacteria source loading from land categories. Major bacteria sources considered were, failing septic systems, discharges from wastewater treatment facilities, excreta from livestock (Cattle, Horses, Sheep and Goat), excreta from Wildlife (Feral Hogs, and Deer), Pet waste (mainly from Dogs), and runoff from urban surfaces. The estimated source loads from SELECT model were input to the SWAT model, and simulate the bacteria transport through the land and in-stream. The calibrated SWAT model was then used to estimate the indicator bacteria in-stream concentrations for future years based on regional land use, population and household forecast (up to 2040). Based on the reductions required to meet the water quality standards in-stream, the corresponding required source load reductions were estimated.

Go girl! Facilitating exploration of transportation careers for girls

Science.gov (United States)

2007-07-01

The transportation engineering profession, like every other profession that relies heavily on the engineering, technology and science fields, faces a challenging future. A recent study by the National Science Board reported a troubling decline in the...

SELECTED ASPECTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS AND PROMOTE PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna NOSAL

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents selected aspects of the implementation of the EU’s SmartMove project, which aims to promote feeder public transport systems in rural areas through the implementation of an active marketing campaign (AMC. Campaigns of this type are connected with providing general and personalized information concerning the functioning of public transport services. In the article, characteristics of one of the implementation areas of the project are presented, namely, the Liszki district near Cracow. Transport services were also evaluated. In addition, selected results are presented from a survey that was conducted among residents of the area from the point of view of the implementation of the AMC. The results concerned data about the means of transport that were currently used for travelling, the knowledge of bus services, the reasons for their use and the factors that might encourage residents to use public transport

Online interprofessional education facilitation: A scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Sherryn Maree; Ward, Catherine; Reeves, Scott

2018-04-22

The use of online media to deliver interprofessional education (IPE) is becoming more prevalent across health professions education settings. Facilitation of IPE activities is known to be critical to the effective delivery of IPE, however, specifics about the nature of online IPE facilitation remains unclear. To explore the health professions education literature to understand the extent, range and nature of research on online IPE facilitation. Scoping review methodology was used to guide a search of four electronic databases for relevant papers. Of the 2095 abstracts initially identified, after screening of both abstracts and full-text papers, 10 studies were selected for inclusion in this review. Following abstraction of key information from each study, a thematic analysis was undertaken. Three key themes emerged to describe the nature of the IPE facilitation literature: (1) types of online IPE facilitation contributions, (2) the experience of online IPE facilitation and (3) personal outcomes of online IPE facilitation. These IPE facilitation themes were particularly focused on facilitation of interprofessional student teams on an asynchronous basis. While the included studies provide some insight into the nature of online IPE facilitation, future research is needed to better understand facilitator contributions, and the facilitation experience and associated outcomes, both relating to synchronous and asynchronous online environments.

Dual and Direction-Selective Mechanisms of Phosphate Transport by the Vesicular Glutamate Transporter

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Julia Preobraschenski

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Summary: Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs fill synaptic vesicles with glutamate and are thus essential for glutamatergic neurotransmission. However, VGLUTs were originally discovered as members of a transporter subfamily specific for inorganic phosphate (Pi. It is still unclear how VGLUTs accommodate glutamate transport coupled to an electrochemical proton gradient ΔμH+ with inversely directed Pi transport coupled to the Na+ gradient and the membrane potential. Using both functional reconstitution and heterologous expression, we show that VGLUT transports glutamate and Pi using a single substrate binding site but different coupling to cation gradients. When facing the cytoplasm, both ions are transported into synaptic vesicles in a ΔμH+-dependent fashion, with glutamate preferred over Pi. When facing the extracellular space, Pi is transported in a Na+-coupled manner, with glutamate competing for binding but at lower affinity. We conclude that VGLUTs have dual functions in both vesicle transmitter loading and Pi homeostasis within glutamatergic neurons. : Preobraschenski et al. show that the vesicular glutamate transporter functions as a bi-directional phosphate transporter that is coupled with different cations in each direction and hence may play a key role in neuronal phosphate homeostasis. Keywords: VGLUT, SLC17 family, type I Na+-dependent inorganic phosphate transporter, ATPase, proteoliposomes, hybrid vesicles, anti-VGLUT1 nanobody

Macropores and macropore transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iversen, Bo Vangsø; Lamandé, Mathieu; Torp, Søren Bent

2012-01-01

Preferential transport of water through soil macropores is a governing process in the facilitated transport of strongly sorbing compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between macropore density and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil and to test the sampling...

The expression of glycerol facilitators from various yeast species improves growth on glycerol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathias Klein

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Glycerol is an abundant by-product during biodiesel production and additionally has several assets compared to sugars when used as a carbon source for growing microorganisms in the context of biotechnological applications. However, most strains of the platform production organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae grow poorly in synthetic glycerol medium. It has been hypothesized that the uptake of glycerol could be a major bottleneck for the utilization of glycerol in S. cerevisiae. This species exclusively relies on an active transport system for glycerol uptake. This work demonstrates that the expression of predicted glycerol facilitators (Fps1 homologues from superior glycerol-utilizing yeast species such as Pachysolen tannophilus, Komagataella pastoris, Yarrowia lipolytica and Cyberlindnera jadinii significantly improves the growth performance on glycerol of the previously selected glycerol-consuming S. cerevisiae wild-type strain (CBS 6412-13A. The maximum specific growth rate increased from 0.13 up to 0.18 h−1 and a biomass yield coefficient of 0.56 gDW/gglycerol was observed. These results pave the way for exploiting the assets of glycerol in the production of fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals based on baker's yeast. Keywords: Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Glycerol, Transport, Glycerol facilitator, Fps1, Stl1

Relating transport modeling to nanofiltration membrane fabrication: Navigating the permeability-selectivity trade-off in desalination pretreatment

OpenAIRE

Labban, Omar; Lienhard, John H

2018-01-01

Faced with a pressing need for membranes with a higher permeability and selectivity, the field of membrane technology can benefit from a systematic framework for designing membranes with the necessary physical characteristics. In this work, we present an approach through which transport modeling is employed in fabricating specialized nanofiltration membranes, that experimentally demonstrate enhanced selectivity. Specifically, the Donnan-Steric Pore Model with dielectric exclusion (DSPM-DE) is...

Transport of copper as affected by titania nanoparticles in soil columns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang Jing [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012 (China); Shan Xiaoquan, E-mail: xiaoquan@rcees.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Wen Bei [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Lin Jinming [Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Owens, Gary [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Zhou Shuairen [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China)

2011-05-15

The effects of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles on the transport of Cu through four different soil columns were studied. For two soils (HB and DX), TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles acted as a Cu carrier and facilitated the transport of Cu. For a third soil (BJ) TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles also facilitated Cu transport but to a much lesser degree, but for a fourth soil (HLJ) TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles retarded the transport of Cu. Linear correlation analysis indicated that soil properties rather than sorption capacities for Cu primary governed whether TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles-facilitated Cu transport. The TiO{sub 2}-associated Cu of outflow in the Cu-contaminated soil columns was significantly positively correlated with soil pH and negatively correlated with CEC and DOC. During passage through the soil columns 46.6-99.9% of Cu initially adsorbed onto TiO{sub 2} could be 'stripped' from nanoparticles depending on soil, where Cu desorption from TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles increased with decreasing flow velocity and soil pH. - Highlights: > TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles could facilitate or retard the transport of Cu in soils. > Soil properties primarily governed TiO{sub 2}-facilitated Cu transport. > Cu initially adsorbed onto TiO{sub 2} could be 'stripped' duing transport. - TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles play an important role in mediating and transporting Cu in soil columns.

Sequential algorithm analysis to facilitate selective biliary access for difficult biliary cannulation in ERCP: a prospective clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Tae Hoon; Hwang, Soon Oh; Choi, Hyun Jong; Jung, Yunho; Cha, Sang Woo; Chung, Il-Kwun; Moon, Jong Ho; Cho, Young Deok; Park, Sang-Heum; Kim, Sun-Joo

2014-02-17

Numerous clinical trials to improve the success rate of biliary access in difficult biliary cannulation (DBC) during ERCP have been reported. However, standard guidelines or sequential protocol analysis according to different methods are limited in place. We planned to investigate a sequential protocol to facilitate selective biliary access for DBC during ERCP. This prospective clinical study enrolled 711 patients with naïve papillae at a tertiary referral center. If wire-guided cannulation was deemed to have failed due to the DBC criteria, then according to the cannulation algorithm early precut fistulotomy (EPF; cannulation time > 5 min, papillary contacts > 5 times, or hook-nose-shaped papilla), double-guidewire cannulation (DGC; unintentional pancreatic duct cannulation ≥ 3 times), and precut after placement of a pancreatic stent (PPS; if DGC was difficult or failed) were performed sequentially. The main outcome measurements were the technical success, procedure outcomes, and complications. Initially, a total of 140 (19.7%) patients with DBC underwent EPF (n = 71) and DGC (n = 69). Then, in DGC group 36 patients switched to PPS due to difficulty criteria. The successful biliary cannulation rate was 97.1% (136/140; 94.4% [67/71] with EPF, 47.8% [33/69] with DGC, and 100% [36/36] with PPS; P EPF, 314.8 (65.2) seconds in DGC, and 706.0 (469.4) seconds in PPS (P EPF, DGC, and PPS may be safe and feasible for DBC. The use of EPF in selected DBC criteria, DGC in unintentional pancreatic duct cannulations, and PPS in failed or difficult DGC may facilitate successful biliary cannulation.

Investigating selective transport and abrasion on an alluvial fan using quantitative grain size and shape analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Litwin, K. L.; Jerolmack, D. J.

2011-12-01

Selective sorting and abrasion are the two major fluvial processes that are attributed to the downstream fining of sediments in rivers and alluvial fans. Selective transport is the process by which smaller grains are preferentially transported downstream while larger grains are deposited closer to the source. Abrasion is defined by the production of fine sediments and sand that occurs by saltation of gravel, where particle-to-particle collisions supply the energy required to break apart grains. We hypothesize that abrasion results in the gradual fining of large grains and the production of fine sands and silts, while sorting accounts for the differences in transport of these two grain-size fractions produced from abrasion, thereby creating the abrupt gravel-sand transition observed in many channel systems. In this research, we explore both selective transport and abrasion processes on the Dog Canyon alluvial fan near Alamogordo, New Mexico. We complete an extensive grain size analysis down the main channel of the fan employing an image-based technique that utilizes an autocorrelation process. We also characterize changes in grain shape using standard shape parameters, as well as Fourier analysis, which allows the study of contributions of grain roughness on a variety of length scales. Sorting appears to dominate the upper portion of the fan; the grain-size distribution narrows moving downstream until reaching a point of equal mobility, at which point sorting ceases. Abrasion exerts a subtle but persistent effect on grains during transport down the fan. Shape analysis reveals that particles become more rounded by the removal of small-scale textural features, a process that is expected to only modestly influence grain size of gravel, but should produce significant quantities of sand. This study provides a better understanding of the importance of grain abrasion and sorting on the downstream fining of channel grains in an alluvial fan, as well as an improved knowledge

Theory of contributon transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Painter, J.W.; Gerstl, S.A.W.; Pomraning, G.C.

1980-10-01

A general discussion of the physics of contributon transport is presented. To facilitate this discussion, a Boltzmann-like transport equation for contributons is obtained, and special contributon cross sections are defined. However, the main goal of this study is to identify contributon transport equations and investigate possible deterministic solution techniques. Four approaches to the deterministic solution of the contributon transport problem are investigated. These approaches are an attempt to exploit certain attractive properties of the contributon flux, psi = phi phi + , where phi and phi + are the solutions to the forward and adjoint Boltzmann transport equations

U.S. and Texas international trade and transportation.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

This report, funded by the Southwest Region University Transportation Center, examines various : aspects of international trade, transportation, and foreign practices implemented facilitate and fund : transport-related infrastructure. The report is c...

TRANSPORT CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED PWR LOCA GENERATED DEBRIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MAJI, A. K.; MARSHALL, B.

2000-01-01

In the unlikely event of a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) in a pressurized water reactor (PWR), break jet impingement would dislodge thermal insulation FR-om nearby piping, as well as other materials within the containment, such as paint chips, concrete dust, and fire barrier materials. Steam/water flows induced by the break and by the containment sprays would transport debris to the containment floor. Subsequently, debris would likely transport to and accumulate on the suction sump screens of the emergency core cooling system (ECCS) pumps, thereby potentially degrading ECCS performance and possibly even failing the ECCS. In 1998, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated a generic study (Generic Safety Issue-191) to evaluate the potential for the accumulation of LOCA related debris on the PWR sump screen and the consequent loss of ECCS pump net positive suction head (NPSH). Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), supporting the resolution of GSI-191, was tasked with developing a method for estimating debris transport in PWR containments to estimate the quantity of debris that would accumulate on the sump screen for use in plant specific evaluations. The analytical method proposed by LANL, to predict debris transport within the water that would accumulate on the containment floor, is to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combined with experimental debris transport data to predict debris transport and accumulation on the screen. CFD simulations of actual plant containment designs would provide flow data for a postulated accident in that plant, e.g., three-dimensional patterns of flow velocities and flow turbulence. Small-scale experiments would determine parameters defining the debris transport characteristics for each type of debris. The containment floor transport methodology will merge debris transport characteristics with CFD results to provide a reasonable and conservative estimate of debris transport within the containment floor pool and

The Methodology of Selecting the Transport Mode for Companies on the Slovak Transport Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Černá Lenka

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Transport volume in the Slovak Republic is growing continuously every year. This rising trend is influenced by the development of car industry and its suppliers. Slovak republic has also a geographic strategy position in middle Europe from the side of transport corridors (east-west and north-south. The development of transport volume in freight transport depends on the transport and business processes between the European Union and China and it is an opportunity for Slovak republic to obtain transit transport flows.

Intensification of Development of Mixed Transportation of Freight in Ukraine through Formation of the Network of Transportation and Logistic Centres and Transportation and Logistic Clusters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karpenko Oksana O.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Development of mixed transportation is a prospective direction of development of the transportation system of Ukraine. The article analyses the modern state of development of mixed transportation of freight in Ukraine. The most popular types of combined transportation (refers to multi-modal are container and contrailer trains, which are formed both in Ukraine (Viking and Yaroslav and in other countries, first of all, Belarus (Zubr. One of the reasons of underdevelopment of mixed transportation of freight in Ukraine is absence of a developed network of transportation and logistic centres. The article offers to form a network of transportation and logistic centres in Ukraine as a way of intensification of development of mixed transportations of freight, since they facilitate co-ordination of use of various types of transport and support integrated management of material flows. Transportation and logistic centres should become a start-up complex, around which transportation and logistic clusters would be gradually formed. Transportation and logistic clusters is a new efficient form of network organisation and management of transportation and logistic services and they also ensure growth of efficiency of use of the regional transportation and logistic potential of Ukraine. The article shows prospective supporting transportation and logistic centres and centres of formation of transportation and logistic clusters in the territory of Ukraine. Formation of efficient transportation and logistic system of Ukraine on the basis of a network of transportation and logistic clusters would facilitate entering of Ukraine into the world transportation environment and would allow acceleration of introduction of efficient logistic schemes of freight delivery, in particular, mixed transportation of freight.

How the transport sector drives HIV / AIDS and how HIV/ AIDS drives transport. Economic impact: Southern Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteside, A

1998-04-01

A close connection exists between mobility and the spread of HIV infection. Being away from home and traditional social networks and constraints makes people more likely to have sex partners other than their spouses or regular partners. The transport sector has an important role in facilitating the movement of people. Indeed, improving transport is a developmental goal worldwide, with an efficient transport system seen to be a necessary precondition to economic growth. The role of the transport sector in facilitating the spread of HIV needs to be considered. South Africa has the greatest length of roads, railways, and the most registered vehicles in southern Africa. In 1997, Johannesburg International Airport became Africa's most busy airport. South Africa also has a considerable maritime transport sector. In 1994, an estimated more than 500,000 people were employed in the country's transport sector. The following risk groups must be targeted in order to control the spread of HIV in South Africa: people working in building and maintaining infrastructure; people who work in the railways, roads, airlines, and shipping services; transport sector managers; and passengers.

Possibility of Predicting Serotonin Transporter Occupancy From the In Vitro Inhibition Constant for Serotonin Transporter, the Clinically Relevant Plasma Concentration of Unbound Drugs, and Their Profiles for Substrates of Transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Yahata, Masahiro; Chiba, Koji; Watanabe, Takao; Sugiyama, Yuichi

2017-09-01

Accurate prediction of target occupancy facilitates central nervous system drug development. In this review, we discuss the predictability of serotonin transporter (SERT) occupancy in human brain estimated from in vitro K i values for human SERT and plasma concentrations of unbound drug (C u,plasma ), as well as the impact of drug transporters in the blood-brain barrier. First, the geometric means of in vitro K i values were compared with the means of in vivo K i values (K i,u,plasma ) which were calculated as C u,plasma values at 50% occupancy of SERT obtained from previous clinical positron emission tomography/single photon emission computed tomography imaging studies for 6 selective serotonin transporter reuptake inhibitors and 3 serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. The in vitro K i values for 7 drugs were comparable to their in vivo K i,u,plasma values within 3-fold difference. SERT occupancy was overestimated for 5 drugs (P-glycoprotein substrates) and underestimated for 2 drugs (presumably uptake transporter substrates, although no evidence exists as yet). In conclusion, prediction of human SERT occupancy from in vitro K i values and C u,plasma was successful for drugs that are not transporter substrates and will become possible in future even for transporter substrates, once the transporter activities will be accurately estimated from in vitro experiments. Copyright © 2017 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategic decisions in transport: a case study for a naval base selection in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaury Caruzzo

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A decision on a military strategic environment, such as the selection of a new naval base, is a complex process and involves various criteria. In this context, few studies are available on the problems of military-naval transport decisions. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present a maritime transport case study using a multi-methodology framework in a process of strategic decision making in logistics. Through a review of the literature, normative documents from the Brazilian armed forces, and interviews with military officers, criteria and preferences were identified and a hierarchical structure was constructed for a case study in the Brazilian Navy–the location of the second Fleet Headquarters. The results indicated that São Marcos Bay, in Maranhão State, was the best location among the alternatives. The multi-criteria approach was shown to be a valuable tool in assisting the decision making process and to understand the trade-offs between strategic and operational criteria in a transport decision.

Safety Standard for Oxygen and Oxygen Systems: Guidelines for Oxygen System Design, Materials Selection, Operations, Storage, and Transportation

Science.gov (United States)

1996-01-01

NASA's standard for oxygen system design, materials selection, operation, and transportation is presented. Minimum guidelines applicable to NASA Headquarters and all NASA Field Installations are contained.

Selective transport of metal ions through cation exchange membrane in the presence of a complexing agent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tingchia Huang; Jaukai Wang (National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan, Province of China))

1993-01-01

Selective transport of metal ions through a cation exchange membrane was studied in stirred batch dialyzer for the systems Ni[sup 2+]-Cu[sup 2+] and Cu[sup 2+]-Fe[sup 3+]. Oxalic acid, malonic acid, citric acid, glycine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid were employed as the complexing agents added in the feed solution in order to increase the permselectivity of metal ions. The experimental results show that the selective transport behavior of metal ions depends on the valence and the concentration of metal ions, the stoichiometric ratio of complexing agent to metal ions, and the pH value of the feed solution, but is independent of the concentration of counterion in the stripping phase. A theoretical approach was formulated on the basis of the Nernst-Planck equation and interface quasi-equilibrium. Theoretical solutions obtained from numerical calculation were in agreement with the experimental data.

Forensic toxicology in drug-facilitated sexual assault.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinis-Oliveira, Ricardo Jorge; Magalhães, Teresa

2013-09-01

The low rates of reporting, prosecution and conviction that characterize sexual assault, is likely even more evident in drug-facilitated cases. Typically, in these crimes, victims are incapacitated and left unable to resist sexual advances, unconscious, unable to fight off the abuser or to say "no" and unable to clearly remember the circumstances surrounding the events due to anterograde amnesia. The consequence is the delay in performing toxicological analysis aggravated by the reluctance of the victim to disclose the crime. Moreover since "date rape drugs" are often consumed with ethanol and exhibit similar toxicodynamic effects, the diagnosis is erroneously performed as being classical ethanol intoxication. Therefore, it is imperative to rapidly consider toxicological analysis in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. The major focus of this review is to harmonize practical approaches and guidelines to rapidly uncover drug-facilitated sexual assault, namely issues related to when to perform toxicological analysis, toxicological requests, samples to be collected, storage, preservation and transport precautions and xenobiotics or endobiotics to be analyzed.

Nanoparticle Facilitated Extracellular Electron Transfer in Microbial Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-13

harvestingelectrical power directly from waste and renewable biomass and thus represent a promising technology for sustainable energy production.1−5 Central...cell membrane (Figure 3e), serving as a porous semiconducting “ shell ” to facilitate the charge transport at bacteria/electrode or bacteria/bacteria

Comprehensive transportation risk assessment system based on unit-consequence factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biwer, B.M.; Monette, F.A.; LePoire, D.J.; Chen, S.Y.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement requires a comprehensive transportation risk analysis of radioactive waste shipments for large shipping campaigns. Thousands of unique shipments involving truck and rail transport must be analyzed; a comprehensive risk analysis is impossible with currently available methods. Argonne National Laboratory developed a modular transportation model that can handle the demands imposed by such an analysis. The modular design of the model facilitates the simple addition/updating of transportation routes and waste inventories, as required, and reduces the overhead associated with file maintenance and quality assurance. The model incorporates unit-consequences factors generated with the RADTRAN 4 transportation risk analysis code that are combined with an easy-to-use, menu-driven interface on IBM-compatible computers running under DOS. User selection of multiple origin/destination site pairs for the shipment of multiple radioactive waste inventories is permitted from pop-up lists. Over 800 predefined routes are available among more than 30 DOE sites and waste inventories that include high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel, transuranic waste, low-level waste, low-level mixed waste, and greater-than-Class C waste

The separation of radionuclide migration by solution and particle transport in LLRW repository buffer material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torok, J.; Buckley, L.P.; Woods, B.L.

1989-01-01

Laboratory-scale lysimeter experiments were performed with simulated waste forms placed in candidate buffer materials which have been chosen for a low-level radioactive waste repository. Radionuclide releases into the effluent water and radionuclide capture by the buffer material were determined. The results could not be explained by traditional solution transport mechanisms, and transport by particles released from the waste form and/or transport by buffer particles were suspected as the dominant mechanism for radionuclide release from the lysimeters. To elucidate the relative contribution of particle and solution transport, the waste forms were replaced by a wafer of neutron-activated buffer soaked with selected soluble isotopes. Particle transport was determined by the movement of gamma-emitting neutron-activation products through the lysimeter. Solution transport was quantified by comparing the migration of soluble radionuclides relative to the transport of neutron activation products. The new approach for monitoring radionuclide migration in soil is presented. It facilitates the determination of most of the fundamental coefficients required to model the transport process

An incoherent feedforward loop facilitates adaptive tuning of gene expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jungeui; Brandt, Nathan; Abdul-Rahman, Farah; Yang, Ally; Hughes, Tim; Gresham, David

2018-04-05

We studied adaptive evolution of gene expression using long-term experimental evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in ammonium-limited chemostats. We found repeated selection for non-synonymous variation in the DNA binding domain of the transcriptional activator, GAT1, which functions with the repressor, DAL80 in an incoherent type-1 feedforward loop (I1-FFL) to control expression of the high affinity ammonium transporter gene, MEP2. Missense mutations in the DNA binding domain of GAT1 reduce its binding to the GATAA consensus sequence. However, we show experimentally, and using mathematical modeling, that decreases in GAT1 binding result in increased expression of MEP2 as a consequence of properties of I1-FFLs. Our results show that I1-FFLs, one of the most commonly occurring network motifs in transcriptional networks, can facilitate adaptive tuning of gene expression through modulation of transcription factor binding affinities. Our findings highlight the importance of gene regulatory architectures in the evolution of gene expression. © 2018, Hong et al.

Analysis of the transport flows service time of the vehicles and the assessment of the ideterminancy of external impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jarašūnienė

2003-10-01

Full Text Available To increase the attraction of Lithuania as a transit country striving to promote carriers' border crossing activities and facilitate customs clearance procedures as well as freight delivery to clients it is necessary to identify the main obstacles, to analyse them and to select adequate measures and means for their elimination. Therefore, on the basis of the analysis of the transport flows service time, as well as basing on the assessment of indeterminacy of external impacts, it would be possible to deduce the main causes of idle time of transport means at customs, to estimate the dependence of service time in proportion to transport flows. Basing on theoretical estimation in this article the estimation of service time of international transport and the management of transport flows are described.

FGT-1 is a mammalian GLUT2-like facilitative glucose transporter in Caenorhabditis elegans whose malfunction induces fat accumulation in intestinal cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shun Kitaoka

Full Text Available Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans is an attractive animal model for biological and biomedical research because it permits relatively easy genetic dissection of cellular pathways, including insulin/IGF-like signaling (IIS, that are conserved in mammalian cells. To explore C. elegans as a model system to study the regulation of the facilitative glucose transporter (GLUT, we have characterized the GLUT gene homologues in C. elegans: fgt-1, R09B5.11, C35A11.4, F53H8.3, F48E3.2, F13B12.2, Y61A9LA.1, K08F9.1 and Y37A1A.3. The exogenous expression of these gene products in Xenopus oocytes showed transport activity to unmetabolized glucose analogue 2-deoxy-D-glucose only in FGT-1. The FGT-1-mediated transport activity was inhibited by the specific GLUT inhibitor phloretin and exhibited a Michaelis constant (Km of 2.8 mM. Mannose, galactose, and fructose were able to inhibit FGT-1-mediated 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake (P < 0.01, indicating that FGT-1 is also able to transport these hexose sugars. A GFP fusion protein of FGT-1 was observed only on the basolateral membrane of digestive tract epithelia in C. elegans, but not in other tissues. FGT-1::eGFP expression was observed from early embryonic stages. The knockdown or mutation of fgt-1 resulted in increased fat staining in both wild-type and daf-2 (mammalian insulin receptor homologue mutant animals. Other common phenotypes of IIS mutant animals, including dauer formation and brood size reduction, were not affected by fgt-1 knockdown in wild-type or daf-2 mutants. Our results indicated that in C. elegans, FGT-1 is mainly a mammalian GLUT2-like intestinal glucose transporter and is involved in lipid metabolism.

A software architecture for a transportation control tower

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baumgrass, A.; Dijkman, R.M.; Grefen, P.W.P.J.; Pourmirza, S.; Völzer, H.; Weske, M.H.

2014-01-01

A Transportation Control Tower is a software application that facilitates transportation planners with easily monitoring and dispatching transportation resources. This paper presents a software architecture for such an application. It focuses in particular on the novel aspects of the software

Measuring the pollutant transport capacity of dissolved organic matter in complex matrixes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, L.; Alsberg, T.; Odham, G.

2003-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) facilitated transport in contaminated groundwater was investigated through the measurement of the binding capacity of landfill leachate DOM (Vejen, Denmark) towards two model pollutants (pyrene and phenanthrene). Three different methods for measuring binding capacity....... It was further concluded that DOM facilitated transport should be taken into account for non-ionic PAHs with lg K OW above 5, at DOM concentrations above 250 mg C/L. The total DOM concentration was found to be more important for the potential of facilitated transport than differences in the DOM binding capacity....

LOCFES-B: Solving the one-dimensional transport equation with user-selected spatial approximations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, R.D.; Nelson, P.

1993-01-01

Closed linear one-cell functional (CLOF) methods constitute an abstractly defined class of spatial approximations to the one-dimensional discrete ordinates equations of linear particle transport that encompass, as specific instances, the vast majority of the spatial approximations that have been either used or suggested in the computational solution of these equations. A specific instance of the class of CLOF methods is defined by a (typically small) number of functions of the cell width, total cross section, and direction cosine of particle motion. The LOCFES code takes advantage of the latter observation by permitting the use, within a more-or-less standard source iteration solution process, of an arbitrary CLOF method as defined by a user-supplied subroutine. The design objective of LOCFES was to provide automated determination of the order of accuracy (i.e., order of the discretization error) in the fine-mesh limit for an arbitrary user-selected CLOF method. This asymptotic order of accuracy is one widely used measure of the merit of a spatial approximation. This paper discusses LOCFES-B, which is a code that uses methods developed in LOCFES to solve one-dimensional linear particle transport problems with any user-selected CLOF method. LOCFES-B provides automatic solution of a given problem to within an accuracy specified by user input and provides comparison of the computational results against results from externally provided benchmark results

A radioactive waste transportation package monitoring system for normal transport and accident emergency response conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, G.S.; Cashwell, J.W.; Apple, M.L.

1993-01-01

This paper addresses spent fuel and high level waste transportation history and prospects, discusses accident histories of radioactive material transport, discusses emergency responder needs and provides a general description of the Transportation Intelligent Monitoring System (TRANSIMS) design. The key objectives of the monitoring system are twofold: (1) to facilitate effective emergency response to accidents involving a radioactive waste transportation package, while minimizing risk to the public and emergency first-response personnel, and (2) to allow remote monitoring of transportation vehicle and payload conditions to enable research into radioactive material transportation for normal and accident conditions. (J.P.N.)

Rolling vibes : continuous transport infrastructure monitoring

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seraj, Fatjon

2017-01-01

Transport infrastructure is a people to people technology, in the sense that is build by people to serve people, by facilitating transportation, connection and communication. People improved infrastructure by applying simple methods derived from their sensing and thinking. Since the early ages,

BioEnergy transport systems. Life cycle assessment of selected bioenergy systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Forsberg, Goeran

1999-07-01

Biomass for energy conversion is usually considered as a local resource. With appropriate logistic systems, access to biomass can be improved over a large geographical area. In this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used as method to investigate the environmental impacts of selected bioenergy transport chains. As a case study, chains starting in Sweden and ending in Holland have been investigated. Biomass originates from tree sections or forest residues, the latter upgraded to bales or pellets. The study is concentrated on production of electricity, hot cooling water is considered as a loss. Electricity is, as the main case, produced from solid biomass in the importing country. Electricity can also be produced in the country of origin and exported via the trans-national grid as transportation media. As an alternative, a comparison is made with a coal cycle. The results show that contribution of emissions from long-range transportation is of minor importance. The use of fuels and electricity for operating machines and transportation carriers requires a net energy input in bioenergy systems which amounts to typically 7-9% of delivered electrical energy from the system. Emissions of key substances such as NO{sub x}, CO, S, hydrocarbons, and particles are low. Emissions of CO{sub 2} from biocombustion are considered to be zero since there is approximately no net contribution of carbon to the biosphere in an energy system based on biomass. A method to quantify non-renewability is presented. For coal, the non-renewability factor is calculated to be 110%. For most of the cases with bioenergy, the non-renewability factor is calculated to be between 6 and 11%. Reclamation of biomass results in certain losses of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and base cations such as K, Ca and Mg. These are balanced by weathering, vitalisation or ash recirculation procedures. Withdrawal of N from the ecological system is approximately 10 times the load from the technical

Semantic Ambiguity: Do Multiple Meanings Inhibit or Facilitate Word Recognition?

Science.gov (United States)

Haro, Juan; Ferré, Pilar

2018-06-01

It is not clear whether multiple unrelated meanings inhibit or facilitate word recognition. Some studies have found a disadvantage for words having multiple meanings with respect to unambiguous words in lexical decision tasks (LDT), whereas several others have shown a facilitation for such words. In the present study, we argue that these inconsistent findings may be due to the approach employed to select ambiguous words across studies. To address this issue, we conducted three LDT experiments in which we varied the measure used to classify ambiguous and unambiguous words. The results suggest that multiple unrelated meanings facilitate word recognition. In addition, we observed that the approach employed to select ambiguous words may affect the pattern of experimental results. This evidence has relevant implications for theoretical accounts of ambiguous words processing and representation.

Kinetic energy budget for electroconvective flows near ion selective membranes

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Karen; Mani, Ali

2017-11-01

Electroconvection occurs when ions are driven from a bulk fluid through an ion-selective surface. When the driving voltage is beyond a threshold, this process undergoes a hydrodynamic instability called electroconvection, which can become chaotic due to nonlinear coupling between ion-transport, fluid flow, and electrostatic forces. Electroconvection significantly enhances ion transport and plays an important role in a wide range of electrochemical applications. We investigate this phenomenon by considering a canonical geometry consisting of a symmetric binary electrolyte between an ion-selective membrane and a reservoir using 2D direct numerical simulation (DNS). Our simulations reveal that for most practical regimes, DNS of electroconvection is expensive. Thus, a plan towards development of reduced-order models is necessary to facilitate the adoption of analysis of this phenomenon in industry. Here we use DNS to analyze the kinetic energy budget to shed light into the mechanisms sustaining flow and mixing in electroconvective flows. Our analysis reveals the relative dominance of kinetic energy sources, dissipation, and transport mechanisms sustaining electroconvection at different distances from the interface and over a wide range of input parameters. Karen Wang was supported by the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG). Ali Mani was supported by the National Science Foundation Award.

Structural basis of transport function in major facilitator superfamily protein from Trichoderma harzianum.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhary, Nitika; Sandhu, Padmani; Ahmed, Mushtaq; Akhter, Yusuf

2017-02-01

Trichothecenes are the sesquiterpenes secreted by Trichoderma spp. residing in the rhizosphere. These compounds have been reported to act as plant growth promoters and bio-control agents. The structural knowledge for the transporter proteins of their efflux remained limited. In this study, three-dimensional structure of Thmfs1 protein, a trichothecene transporter from Trichoderma harzianum, was homology modelled and further Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were used to decipher its mechanism. Fourteen transmembrane helices of Thmfs1 protein are observed contributing to an inward-open conformation. The transport channel and ligand binding sites in Thmfs1 are identified based on heuristic, iterative algorithm and structural alignment with homologous proteins. MD simulations were performed to reveal the differential structural behaviour occurring in the ligand free and ligand bound forms. We found that two discrete trichothecene binding sites are located on either side of the central transport tunnel running from the cytoplasmic side to the extracellular side across the Thmfs1 protein. Detailed analysis of the MD trajectories showed an alternative access mechanism between N and C-terminal domains contributing to its function. These results also demonstrate that the transport of trichodermin occurs via hopping mechanism in which the substrate molecule jumps from one binding site to another lining the transport tunnel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen vacancies facilitate hydrogen transport kinetics in sodium hydride nanocrystallites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singh, S.; Eijt, S.W.H.

2008-01-01

We report ab initio calculations based on density-functional theory, of the vacancy-mediated hydrogen migration energy in bulk NaH and near the NaH(001) surface. The estimated rate of the vacancy mediated hydrogen transport, obtained within a hopping diffusion model, is consistent with the reaction

Localization and regulation of a facilitative urea transporter in the kidney of the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans).

Science.gov (United States)

Uchiyama, Minoru; Kikuchi, Ryosuke; Konno, Norifumi; Wakasugi, Tatsuya; Matsuda, Kouhei

2009-01-01

Urea is the major excretory end product of nitrogen metabolism in most chelonian reptiles. In the present study, we report the isolation of a 1632 base pair cDNA from turtle kidney with one open reading frame putatively encoding a 403-residue protein, the turtle urea transporter (turtle UT). The first cloned reptilian UT has high homology with UTs (facilitated urea transporters) cloned from vertebrates, and most closely resembles the UT-A subfamily. Injection of turtle UT cRNA into Xenopus oocytes induced a 6-fold increase in [(14)C]urea uptake that was inhibited by phloretin. The turtle UT mRNA expression and tissue distribution were examined by RT-PCR with total RNA from various tissues. Expression of turtle UT mRNA was restricted to the kidney, and no signal was detected in the other tissues, such as brain, heart, alimentary tract and urinary bladder. An approximately 58 kDa protein band was detected in membrane fractions of the kidney by western blot using an affinity-purified antibody that recognized turtle UT expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In an immunohistochemical study using the anti-turtle UT antibody, UT-immunopositive cells were observed along the distal tubule but not in the collecting duct. In turtles under dry conditions, plasma osmolality and urea concentration increased, and using semi-quantitative RT-PCR the UT mRNA expression level in the kidney was found to increase 2-fold compared with control. The present results, taken together, suggest that the turtle UT probably contributes to urea transport in the distal tubule segments of the kidney in response to hyperosmotic stress under dry conditions.

Calculation of health risks from spent-nuclear-fuel transportation accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, S.Y.; Yuan, Y.C.

1987-01-01

Models developed to analyze potential radiological health risks from various accident scenarios during transportation of spent nuclear fuels are described. The models are designed both for detailed route-specific risk analyses and for use in conducting overall risk analyses for route selection and related decision-making activities. The radiological risks calculated include individual dose commitments, collective dose commitments, and long-term (100-year) environmental dose commitments to a population following release of radioactivity. To facilitate route-specific analysis, a state-level database was developed and incorporated into the model. Route-specific analysis is demonstrated by the calculation of radiological risks resulting from various accident scenarios, as postulated by the recent US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Modal Study, for four representative states selected from various regions of the United States. 10 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

A Theoretical Basis for Adult Learning Facilitation: Review of Selected Articles

Science.gov (United States)

Muneja, Mussa S.

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper is to synthesize a theoretical basis for adult learning facilitation in order to provide a valuable systematic resource in the field of adult education. The paper has reviewed 6 journal articles with topics ranging from theory of andragogy; the effect of globalization on adult learning; the contribution of Malcolm Knowles;…

Magnetic type transportation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobama, Masao.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To enable automatic transportation of nuclear substances with optional setting for the transportation distance, even for a long distance, facilitating the automation of the transportation and decreasing the space for the installation of a direction converging section of the transporting path. Constitution: A transporting vehicle having a pair of permanent magnets or ferromagnetic bodies mounted with a predetermined gap to each other along the transporting direction is provided in the transporting path including a bent direction change section for transporting specimens such as nuclear materials, and a plurality of driving vehicles having permanent magnets or ferromagnetic bodies for magnetically attracting the transporting vehicle from outside of the transporting path are arranged to the outside of the transporting path. At least one of the driving vehicles is made to run along the transporting direction of the transporting path by a driving mechanism incorporating running section such as an endless chain to drive the transportation vehicle, and the transporting vehicle is successively driven by each of the driving mechanisms. (Kawakami, Y.)

Specificity of drug transport mediated by CaMDR1: a major facilitator ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

CaMDR1 encodes a major facilitator superfamily (MFS) protein in Candida albicans whose expression has been linked to .... by plaque assay and the integration of CaMDR1 at the ... with recombinant virus, vAcCaMDR1 and cells infected.

Geographic specificity and positionality of public input in transportation: a rural transportation planning case from Central Texas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg P. Griffin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Current transportation planning processes often incorporate public input, but the types of engagement techniques can affect the ability of practitioners to meaningfully include local ideas. This study incorporates literature integrating communicative rationality with participatory mapping, supported by a case study focusing on two public engagement techniques. A transportation planning process in Central Texas is evaluated in terms of the geographic specificity and positionality of comments received from open-ended responses on a questionnaire and a facilitated mapping session, and reviews this input for relevance to developing a transportation plan. Although all input received from the public can be valuable in the process, location-based comments may be more actionable by transportation planners. Participants’ perceived roles likely affect their level of engagement, which planners can facilitate to maximize the quality of involvement. Planners are advised to understand the positionality of project stakeholders and professionals, designing involvement methods considering geographic specificity appropriate for each project.

Intelligent transportation systems at international borders : a cross-cutting study : facilitating trade and enhancing transportation safety

Science.gov (United States)

2001-04-01

The International Border Clearance (IBC) program was initiated under the provisions of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991. The program was originally conceived as a means to test the feasibility of utilizing Intellig...

Peculiarities of the radioactive particles transport phenomena in the facilitated diffusion processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavryushenko, D.A.; Sisojev, V.M.; Cherevko, K.V.; Vlasenko, T.S.

2017-01-01

The work is devoted to the up to date problem that is the description of the radioactive particle diffusion processes. One of the aims of the present study is to estimate the effects caused by the irradiation of the liquid systems on the ongoing transport processes. That can allow predicting the behavior of the liquid systems in the presence of the radioactive sources. The main objective of the present work is studying the radioactive particles diffusion phenomena with the possible facilitated diffusion processes being considered. The phenomena are studied based on the fundamental relations of the nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics. The diffusive flows are evaluated with the special attention given to the accounting of the entropy effects due to the appearance of the new radioactive particles in the system. The developed approach is used to estimate the diffusive flow of the radioactive particles for the case of the plane-parallel pore with the semi-transparent walls. The choice of a model can be justified as it might be used to describe the production of the radioactive contaminated water when the radionuclide face the diffusion process after being washed from the radioactive wastes and the rests of the nuclear fuel. Within the suggested model it is shown that the diffusion coefficient depends on the structural properties of the liquid systems that might be changed under the influence of the irradiation. The obtained equations for calculating the diffusive flows show the definite stabilizing effect in respect to the concentration difference in between the boundaries of the plane-parallel pore. It leads to the decreased changes of the diffusive flow when the concentrations of the radioactive particles at the boundaries are changed in comparison with those observed for the constant diffusion coefficient. The observed behavior for the ideal solution model is explained by the entropy effects. The qualitative analysis of the possible influence of the changes in

Contribution to the logistic evaluation system in the transportation process in Santo Domingo, Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodobaldo Martínez Vivar

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The objective of the present research is to design and apply a methodology to evaluate the logistics system in the transportation process in a base vehicle fleet, which contributes to decrease the costs of distribution and to increase the performance of the logistics system of the organization. Design/methodology: The proposal of a holistic technology for the management of this process is carried out, which integrates indicators and tools that improve control and decision-making activities in this area. Findings: The application of the procedure developed in the selected organization contributed to the identification of deficiencies related to the availability of the equipment and the needs of the clients, the low technical availability of the automotive plant, the low utilization of the capacity of the freight vehicles, the absence of a plan of measures to diminish the empty routes of the transport and the overconsumption of fuel due to the accomplishment of extra trips. Aspects that contributed to the redesign of some of the main functions of physical distribution such as itinerary planning, selection of means of transport and analysis of operating indicators, aspects that favored the optimization of the number of trips and, consequently, the adequate use of the equipment and the loads to be transported, observing a saving of 15% in the fuel consumption per load transported. Originality: The originality of the present research lies in the combination of different theories and techniques that contribute from a holistic approach to the logistics evaluation of the transportation process, facilitating the optimization of transportation requirements, its operation and maintenance.

Characterization of acetate transport in colorectal cancer cells and potential therapeutic implications

Science.gov (United States)

Ferro, Suellen; Azevedo-Silva, João; Casal, Margarida; Côrte-Real, Manuela; Baltazar, Fatima; Preto, Ana

2016-01-01

Acetate, together with other short chain fatty acids has been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention/therapy. Acetate was shown to induce apoptosis in CRC cells. The precise mechanism underlying acetate transport across CRC cells membrane, that may be implicated in its selectivity towards CRC cells, is not fully understood and was addressed here. We also assessed the effect of acetate in CRC glycolytic metabolism and explored its use in combination with the glycolytic inhibitor 3-bromopyruvate (3BP). We provide evidence that acetate enters CRC cells by the secondary active transporters MCT1 and/or MCT2 and SMCT1 as well as by facilitated diffusion via aquaporins. CRC cell exposure to acetate upregulates the expression of MCT1, MCT4 and CD147, while promoting MCT1 plasma membrane localization. We also observed that acetate increases CRC cell glycolytic phenotype and that acetate-induced apoptosis and anti-proliferative effect was potentiated by 3BP. Our data suggest that acetate selectivity towards CRC cells might be explained by the fact that aquaporins and MCTs are found overexpressed in CRC clinical cases. Our work highlights the importance that acetate transport regulation has in the use of drugs such as 3BP as a new therapeutic strategy for CRC. PMID:28874966

OECD/NEA benchmark for time-dependent neutron transport calculations without spatial homogenization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Jason, E-mail: jason.hou@ncsu.edu [Department of Nuclear Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Ivanov, Kostadin N. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Boyarinov, Victor F.; Fomichenko, Peter A. [National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”, Kurchatov Sq. 1, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • A time-dependent homogenization-free neutron transport benchmark was created. • The first phase, known as the kinetics phase, was described in this work. • Preliminary results for selected 2-D transient exercises were presented. - Abstract: A Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) benchmark for the time-dependent neutron transport calculations without spatial homogenization has been established in order to facilitate the development and assessment of numerical methods for solving the space-time neutron kinetics equations. The benchmark has been named the OECD/NEA C5G7-TD benchmark, and later extended with three consecutive phases each corresponding to one modelling stage of the multi-physics transient analysis of the nuclear reactor core. This paper provides a detailed introduction of the benchmark specification of Phase I, known as the “kinetics phase”, including the geometry description, supporting neutron transport data, transient scenarios in both two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) configurations, as well as the expected output parameters from the participants. Also presented are the preliminary results for the initial state 2-D core and selected transient exercises that have been obtained using the Monte Carlo method and the Surface Harmonic Method (SHM), respectively.

ANALYISIS OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORTATION POLICIES IN TURKEY

OpenAIRE

Ali Payıdar AKGÜNGÖR; Abdulmuttalip DEMİREL

2004-01-01

Transportation systems have to be considered and analysed as a whole while transportation demand, becoming as a natural outcome of socioeconomic and socio-cultural structure, is being evaluated. It is desired that transportation system, which will be selected for both passenger and freight transport, should be rapid, economic, safe, causing least harm to environment and appropriate for the conditions of a country. However, it is difficult for a transportation system to have all these properti...

The binding, transport and fate of aluminium in biological cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Exley, Christopher; Mold, Matthew J

2015-04-01

Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust and yet, paradoxically, it has no known biological function. Aluminium is biochemically reactive, it is simply that it is not required for any essential process in extant biota. There is evidence neither of element-specific nor evolutionarily conserved aluminium biochemistry. This means that there are no ligands or chaperones which are specific to its transport, there are no transporters or channels to selectively facilitate its passage across membranes, there are no intracellular storage proteins to aid its cellular homeostasis and there are no pathways which evolved to enable the metabolism and excretion of aluminium. Of course, aluminium is found in every compartment of every cell of every organism, from virus through to Man. Herein we have investigated each of the 'silent' pathways and metabolic events which together constitute a form of aluminium homeostasis in biota, identifying and evaluating as far as is possible what is known and, equally importantly, what is unknown about its uptake, transport, storage and excretion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Transport and selective chaining of bidisperse particles in a travelling wave potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Tierno, Pietro; Straube, Arthur V

2016-05-01

We combine experiments, theory and numerical simulation to investigate the dynamics of a binary suspension of paramagnetic colloidal particles dispersed in water and transported above a stripe-patterned magnetic garnet film. The substrate generates a one-dimensional periodic energy landscape above its surface. The application of an elliptically polarized rotating magnetic field causes the landscape to translate, inducing direct transport of paramagnetic particles placed above the film. The ellipticity of the applied field can be used to control and tune the interparticle interactions, from net repulsive to net attractive. When considering particles of two distinct sizes, we find that, depending on their elevation above the surface of the magnetic substrate, the particles feel effectively different potentials, resulting in different mobilities. We exploit this feature to induce selective chaining for certain values of the applied field parameters. In particular, when driving two types of particles, we force only one type to condense into travelling parallel chains. These chains confine the movement of the other non-chaining particles within narrow colloidal channels. This phenomenon is explained by considering the balance of pairwise magnetic forces between the particles and their individual coupling with the travelling landscape.

Transport and energy selection of laser generated protons for postacceleration with a compact linac

Science.gov (United States)

Sinigardi, Stefano; Turchetti, Giorgio; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo; Sumini, Marco

2013-03-01

Laser accelerated proton beams have a considerable potential for various applications including oncological therapy. However, the most consolidated target normal sheath acceleration regime based on irradiation of solid targets provides an exponential energy spectrum with a significant divergence. The low count number at the cutoff energy seriously limits at present its possible use. One realistic scenario for the near future is offered by hybrid schemes. The use of transport lines for collimation and energy selection has been considered. We present here a scheme based on a high field pulsed solenoid and collimators which allows one to select a beam suitable for injection at 30 MeV into a compact linac in order to double its energy while preserving a significant intensity. The results are based on a fully 3D simulation starting from laser acceleration.

Herbivory-induced glucose transporter gene expression in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikuta, Shingo; Nakamura, Yuki; Hattori, Makoto; Sato, Ryoichi; Kikawada, Takahiro; Noda, Hiroaki

2015-09-01

Nilaparvata lugens, the brown planthopper (BPH) feeds on rice phloem sap, containing high amounts of sucrose as a carbon source. Nutrients such as sugars in the digestive tract are incorporated into the body cavity via transporters with substrate selectivity. Eighteen sugar transporter genes of BPH (Nlst) were reported and three transporters have been functionally characterized. However, individual characteristics of NlST members associated with sugar transport remain poorly understood. Comparative gene expression analyses using oligo-microarray and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the sugar transporter gene Nlst16 was markedly up-regulated during BPH feeding. Expression of Nlst16 was induced 2 h after BPH feeding on rice plants. Nlst16, mainly expressed in the midgut, appears to be involved in carbohydrate incorporation from the gut cavity into the hemolymph. Nlst1 (NlHT1), the most highly expressed sugar transporter gene in the midgut was not up-regulated during BPH feeding. The biochemical function of NlST16 was shown as facilitative glucose transport along gradients. Glucose uptake activity by NlST16 was higher than that of NlST1 in the Xenopus oocyte expression system. At least two NlST members are responsible for glucose uptake in the BPH midgut, suggesting that the midgut of BPH is equipped with various types of transporters having diversified manner for sugar uptake. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of alternative public transportation systems in Izmit urban transportation via axiomatic design method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülşen AKMAN

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In the world and in our country, most of urban transportation is performed by public transportation. Public transportation is a system which provides transportation easiness and opportunity to people, not to vehicles. Therefore, giving priority to public transportation system is necessary in organizing urban transportation. In this study, in order to reduce traffic intensity and to facilitate passenger transportation in Izmit urban transportation, It is tried to determine appropriate public transportation system. For this, firstly, alternatives which could be used for public transportation were determined. These alternatives are metro, metrobus, tram, light rail system and monorail. Afterwards, the variables affecting decision making about public transportation were determined. These variables are cost, transportation line features, vehicle characteristics, sensitivity to environment and customer satisfaction. Lastly, most appropriate public transportation system is proposed by using the axiomatic design method. As a result, light trail system and metrobus are determined as the most appropriate alternatives for Izmit public transportation system.Keywords: Urban transportation, Multi criteria decision making, Axiomatic design

Attention and emotion: an ERP analysis of facilitated emotional stimulus processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Schupp, Harald T; Junghöfer, Markus; Weike, Almut I; Hamm, Alfons O

2003-06-11

Recent event-related potential studies observed an early posterior negativity (EPN) reflecting facilitated processing of emotional images. The present study explored if the facilitated processing of emotional pictures is sustained while subjects perform an explicit non-emotional attention task. EEG was recorded from 129 channels while subjects viewed a rapid continuous stream of images containing emotional pictures as well as task-related checkerboard images. As expected, explicit selective attention to target images elicited large P3 waves. Interestingly, emotional stimuli guided stimulus-driven selective encoding as reflected by augmented EPN amplitudes to emotional stimuli, in particular to stimuli of evolutionary significance (erotic contents, mutilations, and threat). These data demonstrate the selective encoding of emotional stimuli while top-down attentional control was directed towards non-emotional target stimuli.

Chamber transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, Craig L.

2001-01-01

Heavy ion beam transport through the containment chamber plays a crucial role in all heavy ion fusion (HIF) scenarios. Here, several parameters are used to characterize the operating space for HIF beams; transport modes are assessed in relation to evolving target/accelerator requirements; results of recent relevant experiments and simulations of HIF transport are summarized; and relevant instabilities are reviewed. All transport options still exist, including (1) vacuum ballistic transport, (2) neutralized ballistic transport, and (3) channel-like transport. Presently, the European HIF program favors vacuum ballistic transport, while the US HIF program favors neutralized ballistic transport with channel-like transport as an alternate approach. Further transport research is needed to clearly guide selection of the most attractive, integrated HIF system

Variation in the serotonin transporter gene modulates selective attention to threat.

Science.gov (United States)

Osinsky, Roman; Reuter, Martin; Küpper, Yvonne; Schmitz, Anja; Kozyra, Eva; Alexander, Nina; Hennig, Jürgen

2008-08-01

The 5-HTTLPR is an insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene. Prior research has revealed associations between the short-allele variant of this polymorphism, enhanced self-reported negative emotionality, and hypersensitivity of fear relevant neural circuits. In a sample of 50 healthy women we examined the role of 5-HTTLPR for cognitive-affective processing of phylogenetical fear-relevant stimuli (spiders) in a dot probe task. In contrast to homozygote long-allele carriers (ll), participants carrying at least 1 short allele (ss and sl) selectively shifted attention toward pictures of spiders, when these were presented for a duration of 2,000 ms. These results argue for an involvement of 5-HTTLPR in cognitive processing of threatening stimuli and thus, underpin its general role for individual differences in negative affect.

Technetium migration in Boom Clay - Assessing the role of colloid-facilitated transport in a deep clay formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruggeman, C.; Martens, E.; Maes, N.; Jacops, E.; Van Gompel, M.; Van Ravestyn, L.

2010-01-01

independent study on the migration of natural organic matter was used to extract migration parameters. This independent study relied on both lab-scale and in situ large-scale migration experiments with 14 C-labelled NOM which were performed over a period of 15 years. A classic diffusion-advection equation, including a colloid filtration term and/or non-linear sorption, simulated the experimental data quite well and could also account for the anisotropy of the Boom Clay formation. By using information from independent experiments on processes that were assumed to occur upon transport of Tc through the Boom Clay formation, the degree of freedom of the model was seriously constrained. All parameters used in the reactive transport model (Tc solubility, complexation with inorganic ligands, stability constant for the 'colloid-colloid' interaction process, solid-solution distribution coefficient of aqueous inorganic Tc species) were either taken from established thermodynamic data sources, or from published data of batch experiments. Only the first-order kinetic rate that accounted for slow decoupling of the Tc colloid and the organic matter colloids was fitted. An accurate model simulation could be obtained both for the Tc concentration in the outflowing solution, and the Tc tracer profile across the clay cores used in the setup. The good accuracy between the reactive transport model, batch experimental data and the experimental percolation data shows that the conceptual model is strong enough to handle different types of experimental setups, and allows to make interpolations for different geochemical conditions. Moreover, the model was adapted to make predictions of Tc migration as a NOM-associated colloid over the entire height of the overlying formation. Based on these predictions, we are now able to assess the potential for colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides by dissolved NOM in Boom Clay. (authors)

Selected legal and regulatory concerns affecting domestic energy transportation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuller, C.R.

1979-07-01

This report provides assessments of eight legal and regulatory concerns that may affect energy material transportation in the US during the rest of the century: state authority to regulate nuclear materials transport, divestiture of petroleum pipelines from major integrated oil companies, problems affecting the natural gas transportation system, capabilities of energy transportation systems during emergencies, Federal coal pipeline legislation, ability of Federal agencies to anticipate railroad difficulties, abandonment of uneconomic railroad lines, and impact of the Panama Canal treaty upon US energy transportation

Mixed matrix membranes with fast and selective transport pathways for efficient CO2 separation

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Jinpeng; Li, Xueqin; Guo, Ruili; Zhang, Jianshu; Wang, Zhongming

2018-03-01

To improve CO2 separation performance, porous carbon nanosheets (PCNs) were used as a filler into a Pebax MH 1657 (Pebax) matrix, fabricating mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The PCNs exhibited a preferential horizontal orientation within the Pebax matrix because of the extremely large 2D plane and nanoscale thickness of the matrix. Therefore, the micropores of the PCNs provided fast CO2 transport pathways, which led to increased CO2 permeability. The reduced pore size of the PCNs was a consequence of the overlapping of PCNs and the polymer chains penetrating into the pores of the PCNs. The reduction in the pore size of the PCNs improved the CO2/gas selectivity. As a result, the CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selectivity of the Pebax membrane with 10 wt% PCNs-loading (Pebax-PCNs-10) were 520 barrer and 51, respectively, for CO2/CH4 mixed-gas. The CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity of the Pebax-PCNs-10 membrane were 614 barrer and 61, respectively, for CO2/N2 mixed-gas.

The emerging physiological roles of the SLC14A family of urea transporters

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Gavin

2011-01-01

In mammals, urea is the main nitrogenous breakdown product of protein catabolism and is produced in the liver. In certain tissues, the movement of urea across cell membranes is specifically mediated by a group of proteins known as the SLC14A family of facilitative urea transporters. These proteins are derived from two distinct genes, UT-A (SLC14A2) and UT-B (SLC14A1). Facilitative urea transporters play an important role in two major physiological processes – urinary concentration and urea nitrogen salvaging. Although UT-A and UT-B transporters both have a similar basic structure and mediate the transport of urea in a facilitative manner, there are a number of significant differences between them. UT-A transporters are mainly found in the kidney, are highly specific for urea, have relatively lower transport rates and are highly regulated at both gene expression and cellular localization levels. In contrast, UT-B transporters are more widespread in their tissue location, transport both urea and water, have a relatively high transport rate, are inhibited by mercurial compounds and currently appear to be less acutely regulated. This review details the fundamental research that has so far been performed to investigate the function and physiological significance of these two types of urea transporters. PMID:21449978

Identification of Selective Inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum Hexose Transporter PfHT by Screening Focused Libraries of Anti-Malarial Compounds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Ortiz

Full Text Available Development of resistance against current antimalarial drugs necessitates the search for novel drugs that interact with different targets and have distinct mechanisms of action. Malaria parasites depend upon high levels of glucose uptake followed by inefficient metabolic utilization via the glycolytic pathway, and the Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter PfHT, which mediates uptake of glucose, has thus been recognized as a promising drug target. This transporter is highly divergent from mammalian hexose transporters, and it appears to be a permease that is essential for parasite viability in intra-erythrocytic, mosquito, and liver stages of the parasite life cycle. An assay was developed that is appropriate for high throughput screening against PfHT based upon heterologous expression of PfHT in Leishmania mexicana parasites that are null mutants for their endogenous hexose transporters. Screening of two focused libraries of antimalarial compounds identified two such compounds that are high potency selective inhibitors of PfHT compared to human GLUT1. Additionally, 7 other compounds were identified that are lower potency and lower specificity PfHT inhibitors but might nonetheless serve as starting points for identification of analogs with more selective properties. These results further support the potential of PfHT as a novel drug target.

Fate and transport of selected estrogen compounds in Hawaii soils: Effect of soil type and macropores

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessio, Matteo; Vasudevan, Dharni; Lichwa, Joseph; Mohanty, Sanjay K.; Ray, Chittaranjan

2014-10-01

The fate and transport of estrogen compounds in the environment is of increasing concern due to their potential impact on freshwater organisms, ecosystems and human health. The behavior of these compounds in batch experiments suggests low mobility, while field studies indicate the persistence of estrogen compounds in the soil with the possibility of migration to surface water as well as groundwater. To better understand the movement of these chemicals through soils, we examined their transport in three different Hawaiian soils and two aqueous matrices. The three different soils used were an Oxisol, a Mollisol and a cinder, characterized by different mineralogical properties and collected at depths of 60-90 cm and 210-240 cm. Two liquid matrices were used; deionized (DI) water containing calcium chloride (CaCl2), and recycled water collected from a wastewater treatment facility. The experiments were conducted in packed and structured columns. Non-equilibrium conditions were observed during the study, especially in the structured soil. This is believed to be primarily related to the presence of macropores in the soil. The presence of macropores resulted in reduced contact time between soil and estrogens, which facilitated their transport. We found that the organic carbon content and mineralogical composition of the soils had a profound effect on the transport of the estrogens. The mobility of estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) was greater in cinder than in the other soils. In column experiments with recycled water, earlier breakthrough peaks and longer tails of estrogens were produced compared to those observed using DI water. The use of recycled water for agricultural purposes and the siting of septic tanks and cesspools should be critically reviewed in light of these findings, especially in areas where groundwater is the primary source of potable water, such as Hawaii.

Fate and transport of selected estrogen compounds in Hawaii soils: effect of soil type and macropores.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Alessio, Matteo; Vasudevan, Dharni; Lichwa, Joseph; Mohanty, Sanjay K; Ray, Chittaranjan

2014-10-01

The fate and transport of estrogen compounds in the environment is of increasing concern due to their potential impact on freshwater organisms, ecosystems and human health. The behavior of these compounds in batch experiments suggests low mobility, while field studies indicate the persistence of estrogen compounds in the soil with the possibility of migration to surface water as well as groundwater. To better understand the movement of these chemicals through soils, we examined their transport in three different Hawaiian soils and two aqueous matrices. The three different soils used were an Oxisol, a Mollisol and a cinder, characterized by different mineralogical properties and collected at depths of 60-90 cm and 210-240 cm. Two liquid matrices were used; deionized (DI) water containing calcium chloride (CaCl2), and recycled water collected from a wastewater treatment facility. The experiments were conducted in packed and structured columns. Non-equilibrium conditions were observed during the study, especially in the structured soil. This is believed to be primarily related to the presence of macropores in the soil. The presence of macropores resulted in reduced contact time between soil and estrogens, which facilitated their transport. We found that the organic carbon content and mineralogical composition of the soils had a profound effect on the transport of the estrogens. The mobility of estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2) was greater in cinder than in the other soils. In column experiments with recycled water, earlier breakthrough peaks and longer tails of estrogens were produced compared to those observed using DI water. The use of recycled water for agricultural purposes and the siting of septic tanks and cesspools should be critically reviewed in light of these findings, especially in areas where groundwater is the primary source of potable water, such as Hawaii. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DigiMemo: Facilitating the Note Taking Process

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Serhat

2009-01-01

Everyone takes notes daily for various reasons. Note taking is very popular in school settings and generally recognized as an effective learning strategy. Further, note taking is a complex process because it requires understanding, selection of information and writing. Some new technological tools may facilitate the note taking process. Among such…

Uncertainty associated with selected environmental transport models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Little, C.A.; Miller, C.W.

1979-11-01

A description is given of the capabilities of several models to predict accurately either pollutant concentrations in environmental media or radiological dose to human organs. The models are discussed in three sections: aquatic or surface water transport models, atmospheric transport models, and terrestrial and aquatic food chain models. Using data published primarily by model users, model predictions are compared to observations. This procedure is infeasible for food chain models and, therefore, the uncertainty embodied in the models input parameters, rather than the model output, is estimated. Aquatic transport models are divided into one-dimensional, longitudinal-vertical, and longitudinal-horizontal models. Several conclusions were made about the ability of the Gaussian plume atmospheric dispersion model to predict accurately downwind air concentrations from releases under several sets of conditions. It is concluded that no validation study has been conducted to test the predictions of either aquatic or terrestrial food chain models. Using the aquatic pathway from water to fish to an adult for 137 Cs as an example, a 95% one-tailed confidence limit interval for the predicted exposure is calculated by examining the distributions of the input parameters. Such an interval is found to be 16 times the value of the median exposure. A similar one-tailed limit for the air-grass-cow-milk-thyroid for 131 I and infants was 5.6 times the median dose. Of the three model types discussed in this report,the aquatic transport models appear to do the best job of predicting observed concentrations. However, this conclusion is based on many fewer aquatic validation data than were availaable for atmospheric model validation

Transport and energy selection of laser generated protons for postacceleration with a compact linac

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Sinigardi

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Laser accelerated proton beams have a considerable potential for various applications including oncological therapy. However, the most consolidated target normal sheath acceleration regime based on irradiation of solid targets provides an exponential energy spectrum with a significant divergence. The low count number at the cutoff energy seriously limits at present its possible use. One realistic scenario for the near future is offered by hybrid schemes. The use of transport lines for collimation and energy selection has been considered. We present here a scheme based on a high field pulsed solenoid and collimators which allows one to select a beam suitable for injection at 30 MeV into a compact linac in order to double its energy while preserving a significant intensity. The results are based on a fully 3D simulation starting from laser acceleration.

Progress report on colloid-facilitated transport at Yucca Mountain: Yucca Mountain site characterization program milestone 3383

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triay, I.R.; Degueldre, C.; Wistrom, A.O.; Cotter, C.R.; Lemons, W.W.

1996-06-01

To assess colloid-facilitated radionuclide transport in groundwaters at the potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, it is very important to understand the generation and stability of colloids, including naturally occurring colloids. To this end, we measured the colloid concentration in waters from Well J-13, which is on the order of 106 particles per milliliter (for particle sizes larger than 100 manometers). At this low particle loading, the sorption of radionuclides to colloids would have to be extremely high before the colloids could carry a significant amount of radionuclides from the repository to the accessible environment. We also performed aggregation experiments to evaluate the stability of silica (particle diameter: 85 nm) and clay colloids (particle diameter: 140 nm) as a function of ionic strength in a carbonate-rich synthetic groundwater. When the concentration of electrolyte is increased to induce aggregation, the aggregation is irreversible and the rate of aggregation increases with increasing electrolyte strength. We used autocorrelation photon spectroscopy to estimate the rate of particle aggregation for both types of colloids. By relating the measured aggregation rate to the Smoluchowski rate expression, we determined the stability ratio, W. Aggregation of silica particles and kaolinite clay particles decreased dramatically for an electrolyte concentration, C NaCl , below 300 mM and 200 mM, respectively

Through the eyes of the student: Best practices in clinical facilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Muthathi, Immaculate S; Thurling, Catherine H; Armstrong, Susan J

2017-08-28

Clinical facilitation is an essential part of the undergraduate nursing curriculum. A number of studies address the issue of clinical facilitation in South Africa, but there remains a lack of knowledge and understanding regarding what students perceive as best practice in clinical facilitation of their learning. To determine what type of clinical facilitation undergraduate students believe should be offered by clinical facilitators (nurse educators, professional nurses and clinical preceptors) in the clinical area in order to best facilitate their learning. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted. Purposive sampling was performed to select nursing students from the second, third and fourth year of studies from a selected nursing education institution in Johannesburg. The sampling resulted in one focus group for each level of nursing, namely second, third and fourth year nursing students. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim, thematic data analysis was used and trustworthiness was ensured by applying credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability. The data revealed that participants differentiated between best practices in clinical facilitation in the clinical skills laboratory and clinical learning environment. In the clinical skills laboratory, pre-contact preparation, demonstration technique and optimising group learning were identified as best practices. In the clinical learning environment, a need for standardisation of procedures in simulation and practice, the allocation and support for students also emerged. There is a need for all nurses involved in undergraduate nursing education to reflect on how they approach clinical facilitation, in both clinical skills laboratory and clinical learning environment. There is also a need to improve consistency in clinical practices between the nursing education institution and the clinical learning environment so as to support students' adaptation to clinical

Taking an electron-magnon duality shortcut from electron to magnon transport

Science.gov (United States)

Mook, Alexander; Göbel, Börge; Henk, Jürgen; Mertig, Ingrid

2018-04-01

The quasiparticles in insulating magnets are the charge-neutral magnons, whose magnetic moments couple to electromagnetic fields. For collinear easy-axis magnets, this coupling can be mapped elegantly onto the scenario of charged particles in electromagnetic fields. From this mapping we obtain equations of motion for magnon wave packets equal to those of electron wave packets in metals. Thus, well-established electronic transport phenomena can be carried over to magnons: this duality shortcut facilitates the discussion of magnon transport. We identify the magnon versions of normal and anomalous Hall, Nernst, Ettingshausen, and Righi-Leduc effects. They are discussed for selected types of easy-axis magnets: ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, and ferrimagnets. Besides a magnon Wiedemann-Franz law and the magnon counterpart of the negative magnetoresistance of electrons in Weyl semimetals, we predict that certain low-symmetry ferrimagnets exhibit a nonlinear version of the anomalous magnon Hall-effect family.

Transport mobility 5 years after stroke in an urban setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Persson, Hanna C; Selander, Helena

2018-04-01

Background People after stroke may have residual problems with mobility that can affect their independence and mode of transport. However, there is limited knowledge about transport mobility several years after stroke. Objective The objective was to survey the outdoor mobility and transportation in an urban setting five years post-stroke. Method This cross-sectional study was based on a mail survey focusing on long-term consequences after stroke. The survey comprises a set of self-evaluated questionnaires and was sent to 457 persons, of whom 281 responded (61.5%). From the survey, items regarding transportation and mobility were selected and analyzed. Results A high level of mobility function was reported with regard to outdoor mobility and different modes of transport. However, one-fifth still reported problems with outdoor mobility and mode of transport. Some perceived barriers were reported, predominantly mobility aspects such as transfer to/from, and getting on/off specific transportation mode/s. The respondents reported some communication problems and cognitive impairments, but these were not reported as prominent barriers when using public transport. A total of 67% were active drivers and were more often men (p = 0.002), younger (p ≤ 0.001), and were less dependent at discharge from the acute hospital (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Five years post-stroke, mobility problems were the dominant barrier reported when using transport modes. Individualized transport training is needed during rehabilitation to increase possibility to participate. Infrastructure and transportation planning should focus on older, women, and people with impairments to be able to facilitate the use of public transport and mobility.

Mathematical Models Suggest Facilitated Fatty Acids Crossing of the Luminal Membrane in the Cardiac Muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Barta, Efrath

2017-02-01

Long-chain fatty acids cross a few membranes on their way from the capillary blood to the cardiomyocyte cytosol, where they are utilized as an essential source of energy. Details of the transport mechanism across those membranes remained elusive despite decades of laboratory and theoretical work. Here we inspect several optional scenarios for the crossing of the luminal membrane of the endothelial cell, the first barrier that should be crossed: a passive diffusion, facilitation by receptors for albumin and facilitation by fatty acids transporters. Related measured rate constants are incorporated in a theoretical simulation that is based on reaction-diffusion equations. Asymptotic analytical solutions for the resulting stiff boundary value problems are formulated based on singular perturbations theory. We conclude that a passive diffusion has to be supplemented with facilitation mechanisms in order to meet energy requirements. Binding sites for albumin, scattered on the membrane face, might enhance the flux provided that they internalize the captured fatty acids and speed up the dissociation of the albumin-fatty acids complex. As such enhancement is moderate, another mechanism seems to be essential for an adequate supply of fatty acids. Lack of experimental data prohibits us from computing the quantitative effect of membrane fatty acids transporters but their involvement in the membrane crossing is inferred.

Rapid transporter regulation prevents substrate flow traffic jams in boron transport

Science.gov (United States)

Sotta, Naoyuki; Duncan, Susan; Tanaka, Mayuki; Sato, Takafumi

2017-01-01

Nutrient uptake by roots often involves substrate-dependent regulated nutrient transporters. For robust uptake, the system requires a regulatory circuit within cells and a collective, coordinated behaviour across the tissue. A paradigm for such systems is boron uptake, known for its directional transport and homeostasis, as boron is essential for plant growth but toxic at high concentrations. In Arabidopsis thaliana, boron uptake occurs via diffusion facilitators (NIPs) and exporters (BORs), each presenting distinct polarity. Intriguingly, although boron soil concentrations are homogenous and stable, both transporters manifest strikingly swift boron-dependent regulation. Through mathematical modelling, we demonstrate that slower regulation of these transporters leads to physiologically detrimental oscillatory behaviour. Cells become periodically exposed to potentially cytotoxic boron levels, and nutrient throughput to the xylem becomes hampered. We conclude that, while maintaining homeostasis, swift transporter regulation within a polarised tissue context is critical to prevent intrinsic traffic-jam like behaviour of nutrient flow. PMID:28870285

LLNL SFA FY11 Program Management and Performance Report: Environmental Transport of Plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kersting, Annie B. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Powell, Brian A. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Moser, Duane [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Carroll, Susan A. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Maxwell, Robert [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Dai, Zurong [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Williams, Ross [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Tumey, Scott [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Zhao, Pihong [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Tinnacher, Ruth [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Huang, Patrick [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Kips, Ruth [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Mason, Harris [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Begg, James [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Fisher, Jen [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Simpkins, Laura [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Zimmerman, Trevor [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Jablonski, Joseph [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Snow, Matthew [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2011-07-01

The major challenge in predicting the mobility and transport of plutonium (Pu) is determining the dominant geochemical processes that control its behavior in the subsurface. The reaction chemistry of Pu (i.e., aqueous speciation, solubility, sorptivity, redox chemistry, and affinity for colloidal particles, both abiotic and microbially mediated) is particularly complicated. It is generally thought that due to its low solubility and high sorptivity, Pu migration in the environment occurs only when facilitated by transport on particulate matter (i.e., colloidal particles). Despite the recognized importance of colloid-facilitated transport of Pu, very little is known about the geochemical and biochemical mechanisms controlling Pu-colloid formation and association, particularly at femtomolar Pu concentrations observed at DOE sites. This 5-year program is designed to test the important biogeochemical processes governing colloid-facilitated Pu transport in the field.

Tritium Suicide Selection Identifies Proteins Involved in the Uptake and Intracellular Transport of Sterols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae▿

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, David P.; Georgiev, Alexander; Menon, Anant K.

2009-01-01

Sterol transport between the plasma membrane (PM) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) occurs by a nonvesicular mechanism that is poorly understood. To identify proteins required for this process, we isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with defects in sterol transport. We used Upc2-1 cells that have the ability to take up sterols under aerobic conditions and exploited the observation that intracellular accumulation of exogenously supplied [3H]cholesterol in the form of [3H]cholesteryl ester requires an intact PM-ER sterol transport pathway. Upc2-1 cells were mutagenized using a transposon library, incubated with [3H]cholesterol, and subjected to tritium suicide selection to isolate mutants with a decreased ability to accumulate [3H]cholesterol. Many of the mutants had defects in the expression and trafficking of Aus1 and Pdr11, PM-localized ABC transporters that are required for sterol uptake. Through characterization of one of the mutants, a new role was uncovered for the transcription factor Mot3 in controlling expression of Aus1 and Pdr11. A number of mutants had transposon insertions in the uncharacterized Ydr051c gene, which we now refer to as DET1 (decreased ergosterol transport). These mutants expressed Aus1 and Pdr11 normally but were severely defective in the ability to accumulate exogenously supplied cholesterol. The transport of newly synthesized sterols from the ER to the PM was also defective in det1Δ cells. These data indicate that the cytoplasmic protein encoded by DET1 is involved in intracellular sterol transport. PMID:19060182

Graphene oxide-facilitated transport of levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin in saturated and unsaturated porous media.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Kaixuan; Dong, Shunan; Sun, Yuanyuan; Gao, Bin; Du, Wenchao; Xu, Hongxia; Wu, Jichun

2018-04-15

In this work, effects of graphene oxide (GO) on the co-transport of the two typical Fluoroquinolones (FQs) - levofloxacin (LEV) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in saturated and unsaturated quartz sand media were studied. The adsorption isotherms showed that GO had much larger sorption capacities to LEV and CIP than sand with the largest Langmuir adsorption capacity of 409 mg g -1 (CIP-GO); while the sorption affinity of the two FQs onto the two adsorbents might follow the order of CIP-sand > LEV-sand > LEV-GO > CIP-GO. GO promoted the mobility of the two FQs in both saturated and unsaturated porous media due to its strong mobility and sorption capacity. The GO-bound LEV/CIP was responsible for the LEV/CIP transport in the porous media, and transport of GO-bound FQs increased with the increasing of initial GO concentration. Under unsaturated conditions, moisture showed little effect on the transport of GO-bound CIP; however, the mobility of GO-bound LEV reduced with the decreasing of moisture content, suggesting the transport of adsorbed LEV from GO to air-water interface. GO sorption reduced the antibacterial ability of the two FQs, but they were still effective in inhibiting E. coli growth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of manure-related DOM on sulfonamide transport in arable soils

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dan; Thiele-Bruhn, Sören; Arenz-Leufen, Martina Gesine; Jacques, Diederik; Lichtner, Peter; Engelhardt, Irina

2016-09-01

Field application of livestock manure introduces colloids and veterinary antibiotics, e.g. sulfonamides (SAs), into farmland. The presence of manure colloids may potentially intensify the SAs-pollution to soils and groundwater by colloid-facilitated transport. Transport of three SAs, sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethoxypyridazine (SMPD), and sulfamoxole (SMOX), was investigated in saturated soil columns with and without manure colloids from sows and farrows, weaners, and fattening pigs. Experimental results showed that colloid-facilitated transport of SMOX was significant in the presence of manure colloids from fattening pigs with low C/N ratio, high SUVA280 nm and protein C, while manure colloids from sows and farrows and weaners had little effect on SMOX transport. In contrast, only retardation was observed for SDZ and SMPD when manure colloids were present. Breakthrough curves (BTCs) of colloids and SAs were replicated well by a newly developed numerical model that considers colloid-filtration theory, competitive kinetic sorption, and co-transport processes. Model results demonstrate that mobile colloids act as carriers for SMOX, while immobile colloids block SMOX from sorbing onto the soil. The low affinity of SMOX to sorb on immobile colloids prevents aggregation and also promotes SMOX's colloid-facilitated transport. Conversely, the high affinity of SDZ and SMPD to sorb on all types of immobile colloids retarded their transport. Thus, manure properties play a fundamental role in increasing the leaching risk of hydrophobic sulfonamides.

Office of Emergency Transportation: Mission and Function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barry, G W

1983-08-01

The Department of Transportation's Office of Emergency Transportation (OET) provides emergency resource management planning for civil transportation in crisis situations. Crises, including the worst-case emergency, war, require management of the department's operating elements: the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, and the Maritime Administration, and coordination with outside transportation agencies. The latter include the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Civil Aeronautics Board, the Corps of Engineers, the Civil Works Rivers and Harbors Division, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. During the 1979 energy crisis, OET served as a communications center to facilitate the national movement of fuel for all transportation modes.

Making Facilitation Work: The Challenges on an International DBA Action Learning Set

Science.gov (United States)

OFarrell, Jack

2018-01-01

This account relates my experiences as facilitator of an action learning set on a DBA cohort comprising international students and myself. It outlines the reasons for my selection as facilitator and describes my initial expectations and assumptions of action learning. I chart the difficulty in separating the 'what' of my own research from the…

Fluoxetine Facilitates Fear Extinction Through Amygdala Endocannabinoids

Science.gov (United States)

Gunduz-Cinar, Ozge; Flynn, Shaun; Brockway, Emma; Kaugars, Katherine; Baldi, Rita; Ramikie, Teniel S; Cinar, Resat; Kunos, George; Patel, Sachin; Holmes, Andrew

2016-01-01

Pharmacologically elevating brain endocannabinoids (eCBs) share anxiolytic and fear extinction-facilitating properties with classical therapeutics, including the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine. There are also known functional interactions between the eCB and serotonin systems and preliminary evidence that antidepressants cause alterations in brain eCBs. However, the potential role of eCBs in mediating the facilitatory effects of fluoxetine on fear extinction has not been established. Here, to test for a possible mechanistic contribution of eCBs to fluoxetine's proextinction effects, we integrated biochemical, electrophysiological, pharmacological, and behavioral techniques, using the extinction-impaired 129S1/Sv1mJ mouse strain. Chronic fluoxetine treatment produced a significant and selective increase in levels of anandamide in the BLA, and an associated decrease in activity of the anandamide-catabolizing enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase. Slice electrophysiological recordings showed that fluoxetine-induced increases in anandamide were associated with the amplification of eCB-mediated tonic constraint of inhibitory, but not excitatory, transmission in the BLA. Behaviorally, chronic fluoxetine facilitated extinction retrieval in a manner that was prevented by systemic or BLA-specific blockade of CB1 receptors. In contrast to fluoxetine, citalopram treatment did not increase BLA eCBs or facilitate extinction. Taken together, these findings reveal a novel, obligatory role for amygdala eCBs in the proextinction effects of a major pharmacotherapy for trauma- and stressor-related disorders and anxiety disorders. PMID:26514583

ERP evidence of distinct processes underlying semantic facilitation and interference in word production.

Science.gov (United States)

Python, Grégoire; Fargier, Raphaël; Laganaro, Marina

2018-02-01

In everyday conversations, we take advantage of lexical-semantic contexts to facilitate speech production, but at the same time, we also have to reduce interference and inhibit semantic competitors. The blocked cyclic naming paradigm (BCNP) has been used to investigate such context effects. Typical results on production latencies showed semantic facilitation (or no effect) during the first presentation cycle, and interference emerging in subsequent cycles. Even if semantic contexts might be just as facilitative as interfering, previous BCNP studies focused on interference, which was interpreted as reflecting lemma selection and self-monitoring processes. Facilitation in the first cycle was rarely considered/analysed, although it potentially informs on word production to the same extent as interference. Here we contrasted the event-related potential (ERP) signatures of both semantic facilitation and interference in a BCNP. ERPs differed between homogeneous and heterogeneous blocks from about 365 msec post picture onset in the first cycle (facilitation) and in an earlier time-window (270 msec post picture onset) in the third cycle (interference). Three different analyses of the ERPs converge towards distinct processes underlying semantic facilitation and interference (post-lexical vs lexical respectively). The loci of semantic facilitation and interference are interpreted in the context of different theoretical frameworks of language production: the post-lexical locus of semantic facilitation involves interactive phonological-semantic processes and/or self-monitoring, whereas the lexical locus of semantic interference is in line with selection through increased lexical competition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Divalent Metal Ion Transport across Large Biological Ion Channels and Their Effect on Conductance and Selectivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena García-Giménez

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Electrophysiological characterization of large protein channels, usually displaying multi-ionic transport and weak ion selectivity, is commonly performed at physiological conditions (moderate gradients of KCl solutions at decimolar concentrations buffered at neutral pH. We extend here the characterization of the OmpF porin, a wide channel of the outer membrane of E. coli, by studying the effect of salts of divalent cations on the transport properties of the channel. The regulation of divalent cations concentration is essential in cell metabolism and understanding their effects is of key importance, not only in the channels specifically designed to control their passage but also in other multiionic channels. In particular, in porin channels like OmpF, divalent cations modulate the efficiency of molecules having antimicrobial activity. Taking advantage of the fact that the OmpF channel atomic structure has been resolved both in water and in MgCl2 aqueous solutions, we analyze the single channel conductance and the channel selectivity inversion aiming to separate the role of the electrolyte itself, and the counterion accumulation induced by the protein channel charges and other factors (binding, steric effects, etc. that being of minor importance in salts of monovalent cations become crucial in the case of divalent cations.

Tips for Teachers Selecting Toys to Facilitate Social Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Vail, Cynthia O.; Elmore, Shannon Renee

2011-01-01

Toy selection is an important role for early childhood teachers. This research-to-practice article describes what research tells us about how toys can affect the social interactions and communication of young children including those with developmental delays.

Cross-border shipment route selection utilizing analytic hierarchy process (AHP method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veeris Ammarapala

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Becoming a member of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC, Thailand expects a growth of cross-border trade with neighboring countries, especially the agricultural products shipment. To facilitate this, a number of strategies are set, such as the utilization of single check point, the Asian Highway (AH route development, and the truck lane initiation. However, majority of agricultural products traded through the borders are transported using the rural roads, from growing area to the factory, before continuing to the borders using different highways. It is, therefore, necessary for the Department of Rural Roads (DRR to plan for rural road improvement to accommodate the growth of the cross-border trades in the near future. This research, thus, aims to select potential rural roads to support cross-border shipment utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP method. Seven key factors affecting rural roads selection, with references from transport and other related literatures, are extracted. They include:1 cross-border trade value, 2 distance from border to rural road, 3 agriculture and processed agriculture goods transported across the border, 4 compatibility with national strategies, 5 area characteristics around the rural road, 6 truck volume, and 7 number of rural roads in the radius of 50 kilometers from the border. Interviews are conducted with the experts based on seven key factors to collect data for the AHP analysis. The results identify the weight of each factor with an acceptable consistency ratio. It shows that the cross-border trade value is the most important factor as it achieves the highest weight. The distance from border to rural road and the compatibility with national strategies are also found crucial when making rural road selection decision. The Department of Rural Roads could use the results to select suitable roads, and plan for road improvement to support the crossborder shipment when the AEC is fully implemented.

Transportation Consumer Education Curriculum Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Finn, Peter; And Others

Materials in this curriculum guide represent a selection of the major transportation consumer topics and ideas and are designed to set the stage for more intensive transportation consumer education curriculum development and teacher efforts. (Eleven manuals covering the four transportation topics of public transportation, transportation and the…

Selecting the minimum risk route in the transportation of hazardous materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marijan Žura

1992-12-01

Full Text Available The transportation of hazardous materials is a broad and complex topic. Percent and iveight of accidents of vehicles carrying dangerous goods are growing fast. Modern computer based information system for dangerous materials management is becoming more and more important. In this paper I present an interactive software system for minimum risk route selection based on the PC ARC/INFO. The model computes optimal path based on accident probability is computed from traffic accident rates, highway operational speed, traffic volume and technical characteristic of the roadwidth, radius and slope. Dangerous goods are classified into nine classes according to their impact to different sensible environment elements. Those sensible elements are drinking water resourses, natural heritage, forestry, agricultural areas, cultural heritage, urban areas and tourist resorts. Some results of system implementation on Slovenia road network are be presented.

Fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethylpiperidine and piperazine derivatives: Potent and selective inhibitors of [3H]dopamine uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Hankosky, Emily R; Joolakanti, Shyam R; Nickell, Justin R; Janganati, Venumadhav; Dwoskin, Linda P; Crooks, Peter A

2017-12-15

A small library of fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperidine and fluoroethoxy-1,4-diphenethyl piperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit [ 3 H]dopamine (DA) uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) and dopamine transporter (DAT), [ 3 H]serotonin (5-HT) uptake at the serotonin transporter (SERT), and [ 3 H]dofetilide binding at the human-ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) channel. The majority of the compounds exhibited potent inhibition of [ 3 H]DA uptake at VMAT2, Ki changes in the nanomolar range (K i  = 0.014-0.073 µM). Compound 15d exhibited the highest affinity (K i  = 0.014 µM) at VMAT2, and had 160-, 5-, and 60-fold greater selectivity for VMAT2 vs. DAT, SERT and hERG, respectively. Compound 15b exhibited the greatest selectivity (>60-fold) for VMAT2 relative to all the other targets evaluated, and 15b had high affinity for VMAT2 (K i  = 0.073 µM). Compound 15b was considered the lead compound from this analog series due to its high affinity and selectivity for VMAT2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Membrane Transporters: Structure, Function and Targets for Drug Design

Science.gov (United States)

Ravna, Aina W.; Sager, Georg; Dahl, Svein G.; Sylte, Ingebrigt

Current therapeutic drugs act on four main types of molecular targets: enzymes, receptors, ion channels and transporters, among which a major part (60-70%) are membrane proteins. This review discusses the molecular structures and potential impact of membrane transporter proteins on new drug discovery. The three-dimensional (3D) molecular structure of a protein contains information about the active site and possible ligand binding, and about evolutionary relationships within the protein family. Transporters have a recognition site for a particular substrate, which may be used as a target for drugs inhibiting the transporter or acting as a false substrate. Three groups of transporters have particular interest as drug targets: the major facilitator superfamily, which includes almost 4000 different proteins transporting sugars, polyols, drugs, neurotransmitters, metabolites, amino acids, peptides, organic and inorganic anions and many other substrates; the ATP-binding cassette superfamily, which plays an important role in multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy; and the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter family, which includes the molecular targets for some of the most widely used psychotropic drugs. Recent technical advances have increased the number of known 3D structures of membrane transporters, and demonstrated that they form a divergent group of proteins with large conformational flexibility which facilitates transport of the substrate.

A review on nanomechanical resonators and their applications in sensors and molecular transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arash, Behrouz; Rabczuk, Timon; Jiang, Jin-Wu

2015-01-01

Nanotechnology has opened a new area in science and engineering, leading to the development of novel nano-electromechanical systems such as nanoresonators with ultra-high resonant frequencies. The ultra-high-frequency resonators facilitate wide-ranging applications such as ultra-high sensitive sensing, molecular transportation, molecular separation, high-frequency signal processing, and biological imaging. This paper reviews recent studies on dynamic characteristics of nanoresonators. A variety of theoretical approaches, i.e., continuum modeling, molecular simulations, and multiscale methods, in modeling of nanoresonators are reviewed. The potential application of nanoresonators in design of sensor devices and molecular transportation systems is introduced. The essence of nanoresonator sensors for detection of atoms and molecules with vibration and wave propagation analyses is outlined. The sensitivity of the resonator sensors and their feasibility in detecting different atoms and molecules are particularly discussed. Furthermore, the applicability of molecular transportation using the propagation of mechanical waves in nanoresonators is presented. An extended application of the transportation methods for building nanofiltering systems with ultra-high selectivity is surveyed. The article aims to provide an up-to-date review on the mechanical properties and applications of nanoresonators, and inspire additional potential of the resonators

A review on nanomechanical resonators and their applications in sensors and molecular transportation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arash, Behrouz; Rabczuk, Timon, E-mail: timon.rabczuk@uni-weimar.de [Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus Universität Weimar, Marienstr 15, D-99423 Weimar (Germany); Jiang, Jin-Wu [Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mechanics in Energy Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200072 (China)

2015-06-15

Nanotechnology has opened a new area in science and engineering, leading to the development of novel nano-electromechanical systems such as nanoresonators with ultra-high resonant frequencies. The ultra-high-frequency resonators facilitate wide-ranging applications such as ultra-high sensitive sensing, molecular transportation, molecular separation, high-frequency signal processing, and biological imaging. This paper reviews recent studies on dynamic characteristics of nanoresonators. A variety of theoretical approaches, i.e., continuum modeling, molecular simulations, and multiscale methods, in modeling of nanoresonators are reviewed. The potential application of nanoresonators in design of sensor devices and molecular transportation systems is introduced. The essence of nanoresonator sensors for detection of atoms and molecules with vibration and wave propagation analyses is outlined. The sensitivity of the resonator sensors and their feasibility in detecting different atoms and molecules are particularly discussed. Furthermore, the applicability of molecular transportation using the propagation of mechanical waves in nanoresonators is presented. An extended application of the transportation methods for building nanofiltering systems with ultra-high selectivity is surveyed. The article aims to provide an up-to-date review on the mechanical properties and applications of nanoresonators, and inspire additional potential of the resonators.

A Freight Transport Model for Integrated Network, Service, and Policy Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhang, M.

2013-01-01

“The goal of the European Transport Policy is to establish a sustainable transport system that meets society’s economic, social and environmental needs…” (ECE, 2009). This statement indicates the challenges that the European transport policy makers are faced with when facilitating an increasing

Attention and emotion : An ERP analysis of facilitated emotional stimulus processing

OpenAIRE

Schupp, Harald Thomas; Junghöfer, Markus; Weike, Almut I.; Hamm, Alfons

2003-01-01

Recent event-related potential studies observed an early posterior negativity (EPN) reflecting facilitated processing of emotional images. The present study explored if the facilitated processing of emotional pictures is sustained while subjects perform an explicit non-emotional attention task. EEG was recorded from 129 channels while subjects viewed a rapid continuous stream of images containing emotional pictures as well as task-related checkerboard images. As expected, explicit selective a...

An assessment of gender sensitivity in a selection of transport surveys

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mashiri, M

2006-12-01

Full Text Available at worst (Mashiri, 2001). The starting point for engendering transport data has generally been to gender-disaggregate figures and analyses in transport surveys (ibid). Gender differences in time spent on travel and transport, as well as socio...-economic and health costs relating to transport, have thus far primarily been highlighted in gender-disaggregated quantitative transport data (Venter et al, 2006). Gender- disaggregated travel time data has, in particular, raised awareness of women’s significant...

Transportation statistics annual report 2009

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

The Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR) presents data and information selected by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a component of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) Research and Innovative Technology Administra...

Combinatorial support vector machines approach for virtual screening of selective multi-target serotonin reuptake inhibitors from large compound libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Z; Ma, X H; Qin, C; Jia, J; Jiang, Y Y; Tan, C Y; Chen, Y Z

2012-02-01

Selective multi-target serotonin reuptake inhibitors enhance antidepressant efficacy. Their discovery can be facilitated by multiple methods, including in silico ones. In this study, we developed and tested an in silico method, combinatorial support vector machines (COMBI-SVMs), for virtual screening (VS) multi-target serotonin reuptake inhibitors of seven target pairs (serotonin transporter paired with noradrenaline transporter, H(3) receptor, 5-HT(1A) receptor, 5-HT(1B) receptor, 5-HT(2C) receptor, melanocortin 4 receptor and neurokinin 1 receptor respectively) from large compound libraries. COMBI-SVMs trained with 917-1951 individual target inhibitors correctly identified 22-83.3% (majority >31.1%) of the 6-216 dual inhibitors collected from literature as independent testing sets. COMBI-SVMs showed moderate to good target selectivity in misclassifying as dual inhibitors 2.2-29.8% (majority virtual hits correlate with the reported effects of their predicted targets. COMBI-SVM is potentially useful for searching selective multi-target agents without explicit knowledge of these agents. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 2. Special test cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-08-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. Volume 1, titled ''Guideline Approach,'' consists of Chapters 1 through 5 and a glossary. Chapters 2 through 5 provide the more detailed discussions about the code selection approach. This volume, Volume 2, consists of four appendices reporting on the technical evaluation test cases designed to help verify the accuracy of ground-water transport codes. 20 refs

A New Natural Product Analog of Blasticidin S Reveals Cellular Uptake Facilitated by the NorA Multidrug Transporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Jack R; Lohith, Katheryn M; Wang, Xiaoning; Bobyk, Kostyantyn; Mandadapu, Sivakoteswara R; Lee, Su-Lin; Cencic, Regina; Nelson, Justin; Simpkins, Scott; Frank, Karen M; Pelletier, Jerry; Myers, Chad L; Piotrowski, Jeff; Smith, Harold E; Bewley, Carole A

2017-06-01

The permeation of antibiotics through bacterial membranes to their target site is a crucial determinant of drug activity but in many cases remains poorly understood. During screening efforts to discover new broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds from marine sponge samples, we identified a new analog of the peptidyl nucleoside antibiotic blasticidin S that exhibited up to 16-fold-improved potency against a range of laboratory and clinical bacterial strains which we named P10. Whole-genome sequencing of laboratory-evolved strains of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to blasticidin S and P10, combined with genome-wide assessment of the fitness of barcoded Escherichia coli knockout strains in the presence of the antibiotics, revealed that restriction of cellular access was a key feature in the development of resistance to this class of drug. In particular, the gene encoding the well-characterized multidrug efflux pump NorA was found to be mutated in 69% of all S. aureus isolates resistant to blasticidin S or P10. Unexpectedly, resistance was associated with inactivation of norA , suggesting that the NorA transporter facilitates cellular entry of peptidyl nucleosides in addition to its known role in the efflux of diverse compounds, including fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Preparation of a Facilitated Transport Membrane Composed of Carboxymethyl Chitosan and Polyethylenimine for CO2/N2 Separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiang-Nan Shen

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The miscibility of carboxymethyl chitosan/polyethylenimine (CMCS/PEI blends was analyzed by FT-IR, TGA and SEM. Defect-free CMCS/PEI blend membranes were prepared with polysulfone (PSf ultrafiltration membranes as support layer for the separation of CO2/N2 mixtures. The results demonstrate that the CMCS/PEI blend is miscible, due to the hydrogen bonding interaction between the two targeted polymers. For the blended membrane without water, the permeability of CO2 gas is 3.6 × 10−7 cm3 cm−2 s−1 cmHg−1 and the corresponding separation factor for CO2 and N2 gas is about 33 at the pressure of 15.2 cmHg. Meanwhile, the blended membrane with water has the better permselectivity. The blended membrane containing water with PEI content of 30 wt% has the permeance of 6.3 × 10−4 cm3 cm−2 s−1 cmHg−1 for CO2 gas and a separation factor of 325 for CO2/N2 mixtures at the same feed pressure. This indicates that the CO2 separation performance of the CMCS/PEI blend membrane is higher than that of other facilitated transport membranes reported for CO2/N2 mixture separation.

Mode-selective vibrational modulation of charge transport in organic electronic devices

KAUST Repository

Bakulin, Artem A.

2015-08-06

The soft character of organic materials leads to strong coupling between molecular, nuclear and electronic dynamics. This coupling opens the way to influence charge transport in organic electronic devices by exciting molecular vibrational motions. However, despite encouraging theoretical predictions, experimental realization of such approach has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate experimentally that photoconductivity in a model organic optoelectronic device can be modulated by the selective excitation of molecular vibrations. Using an ultrafast infrared laser source to create a coherent superposition of vibrational motions in a pentacene/C60 photoresistor, we observe that excitation of certain modes in the 1,500–1,700 cm−1 region leads to photocurrent enhancement. Excited vibrations affect predominantly trapped carriers. The effect depends on the nature of the vibration and its mode-specific character can be well described by the vibrational modulation of intermolecular electronic couplings. This presents a new tool for studying electron–phonon coupling and charge dynamics in (bio)molecular materials.

Mode-selective vibrational modulation of charge transport in organic electronic devices

KAUST Repository

Bakulin, Artem A.; Lovrincic, Robert; Yu, Xi; Selig, Oleg; Bakker, Huib J.; Rezus, Yves L. A.; Nayak, Pabitra K.; Fonari, Alexandr; Coropceanu, Veaceslav; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Cahen, David

2015-01-01

The soft character of organic materials leads to strong coupling between molecular, nuclear and electronic dynamics. This coupling opens the way to influence charge transport in organic electronic devices by exciting molecular vibrational motions. However, despite encouraging theoretical predictions, experimental realization of such approach has remained elusive. Here we demonstrate experimentally that photoconductivity in a model organic optoelectronic device can be modulated by the selective excitation of molecular vibrations. Using an ultrafast infrared laser source to create a coherent superposition of vibrational motions in a pentacene/C60 photoresistor, we observe that excitation of certain modes in the 1,500–1,700 cm−1 region leads to photocurrent enhancement. Excited vibrations affect predominantly trapped carriers. The effect depends on the nature of the vibration and its mode-specific character can be well described by the vibrational modulation of intermolecular electronic couplings. This presents a new tool for studying electron–phonon coupling and charge dynamics in (bio)molecular materials.

The Role of Subsurface Properties on Transport of Water and Trace Gases: 1D Simulations at Selected Mars Landing Sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Karatekin, O.; Gloesener, E.; Dehant, V. M. A.

2017-12-01

In this work, water ice stability and water vapour transport through porous martian subsurface are studied using a 1D diffusive model. The role of adsorption on water transfer in martian conditions is investigated as well as the range of parameters that have the largest effect on gas transport. In addition, adsorption kinetics is considered to examine its influence on the water vapor exchange between the subsurface and the atmosphere. As methane has been detected in the martian atmosphere, the subsurface model is then used to study methane diffusion in the CH4/CO2/H2O system from variable depths under the surface. The results of subsurface gas transport at selected locations/landing sites are shown and implications for present/future observations are discussed.

Passenger transport and household activity patterns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kaj

1997-01-01

Review of Danish passenger transport patterns and analysis of energy consumption, emissions and safety impacts for selected typical households' travelling......Review of Danish passenger transport patterns and analysis of energy consumption, emissions and safety impacts for selected typical households' travelling...

A study on characteristic of selective membrane for strontium analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moon, Seung Hyun; Choi, Young Woo [Kwang-ju Institute of Science and Technology, Kwangju (Korea)

1999-04-01

In this study, supported liquid membranes (SLMs) using crown ether were prepared in order to separate strontium ion selectively from a calcium contained solution However, at the higher than 3 N nitric acid concentration of a strip solution, stability of a SLM was declined remarkably owing to the hasty loss of carrier impregnated in supporter and, on account of this phenomena, facilitated transports were not accomplished. And DC18C6 as a neutral carrier affected remarkably the selectivity of strontium and the factor determining permeabilities of metal ions was as a role of DNNS. Consequently, in order to be a optimal SLM for the high permeability and the stable selectivity of strontium, concentration of DC18C6 and DNNS should be 0.1 M and 25 mM, respectively and, at this condition, the relative removal ratio of strontium to calcium was 93.3%. And the change of calcium concentration in the feed solution affected the permeability of strontium. In particular, when the ratio of strontium to calcium concentration in the feed solution was in the range of 1/5 - 1/50, strontium could be separated selectively at stable permeabilities. (author). 17 refs., 19 figs., 3 tabs.

Facilitating Adoption of Web Tools for Problem and Project Based Learning Activities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khalid, Md. Saifuddin; Rongbutsri, Nikorn; Buus, Lillian

2012-01-01

and project based learning. In the area of problem and project based learning, facilitation is the core term and the teacher often has the role as facilitator or moderator instead of a teacher teaching. Technology adoption for learning activities needs facilitation, which is mostly absent. Sustainable......This paper builds on research directions from ‘activity theory’ and ‘learning design’ to provide ‘facilitation’ for students standing within decision making related to selection of web 2.0 tools and university provided web-based applications for supporting students activities within problem...... adoption might be facilitated based on tool appropriation with activities associated with courses and projects. Our mapping of different tools in a framework is reported based on interviews, observations, narratives and survey. A direction towards facilitation process for adoption is discussed as part...

Advances in methods for identification and characterization of plant transporter function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Bo; Xu, Deyang; Halkier, Barbara Ann

2017-01-01

Transport proteins are crucial for cellular function at all levels. Numerous importers and exporters facilitate transport of a diverse array of metabolites and ions intra- and intercellularly. Identification of transporter function is essential for understanding biological processes at both......-based approaches. In this review, we highlight examples that illustrate how new technology and tools have advanced identification and characterization of plant transporter functions....

Human transporter database: comprehensive knowledge and discovery tools in the human transporter genes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam Y Ye

Full Text Available Transporters are essential in homeostatic exchange of endogenous and exogenous substances at the systematic, organic, cellular, and subcellular levels. Gene mutations of transporters are often related to pharmacogenetics traits. Recent developments in high throughput technologies on genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics allow in depth studies of transporter genes in normal cellular processes and diverse disease conditions. The flood of high throughput data have resulted in urgent need for an updated knowledgebase with curated, organized, and annotated human transporters in an easily accessible way. Using a pipeline with the combination of automated keywords query, sequence similarity search and manual curation on transporters, we collected 1,555 human non-redundant transporter genes to develop the Human Transporter Database (HTD (http://htd.cbi.pku.edu.cn. Based on the extensive annotations, global properties of the transporter genes were illustrated, such as expression patterns and polymorphisms in relationships with their ligands. We noted that the human transporters were enriched in many fundamental biological processes such as oxidative phosphorylation and cardiac muscle contraction, and significantly associated with Mendelian and complex diseases such as epilepsy and sudden infant death syndrome. Overall, HTD provides a well-organized interface to facilitate research communities to search detailed molecular and genetic information of transporters for development of personalized medicine.

Enhanced water transport and salt rejection through hydrophobic zeolite pores

Science.gov (United States)

Humplik, Thomas; Lee, Jongho; O'Hern, Sean; Laoui, Tahar; Karnik, Rohit; Wang, Evelyn N.

2017-12-01

The potential of improvements to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination by incorporating porous nanostructured materials such as zeolites into the selective layer in the membrane has spurred substantial research efforts over the past decade. However, because of the lack of methods to probe transport across these materials, it is still unclear which pore size or internal surface chemistry is optimal for maximizing permeability and salt rejection. We developed a platform to measure the transport of water and salt across a single layer of zeolite crystals, elucidating the effects of internal wettability on water and salt transport through the ≈5.5 Å pores of MFI zeolites. MFI zeolites with a more hydrophobic (i.e., less attractive) internal surface chemistry facilitated an approximately order of magnitude increase in water permeability compared to more hydrophilic MFI zeolites, while simultaneously fully rejecting both potassium and chlorine ions. However, our results also demonstrated approximately two orders of magnitude lower permeability compared to molecular simulations. This decreased performance suggests that additional transport resistances (such as surface barriers, pore collapse or blockages due to contamination) may be limiting the performance of experimental nanostructured membranes. Nevertheless, the inclusion of hydrophobic sub-nanometer pores into the active layer of RO membranes should improve both the water permeability and salt rejection of future RO membranes (Fasano et al 2016 Nat. Commun. 7 12762).

Enhanced water transport and salt rejection through hydrophobic zeolite pores.

Science.gov (United States)

Humplik, Thomas; Lee, Jongho; O'Hern, Sean; Laoui, Tahar; Karnik, Rohit; Wang, Evelyn N

2017-12-15

The potential of improvements to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination by incorporating porous nanostructured materials such as zeolites into the selective layer in the membrane has spurred substantial research efforts over the past decade. However, because of the lack of methods to probe transport across these materials, it is still unclear which pore size or internal surface chemistry is optimal for maximizing permeability and salt rejection. We developed a platform to measure the transport of water and salt across a single layer of zeolite crystals, elucidating the effects of internal wettability on water and salt transport through the ≈5.5 Å pores of MFI zeolites. MFI zeolites with a more hydrophobic (i.e., less attractive) internal surface chemistry facilitated an approximately order of magnitude increase in water permeability compared to more hydrophilic MFI zeolites, while simultaneously fully rejecting both potassium and chlorine ions. However, our results also demonstrated approximately two orders of magnitude lower permeability compared to molecular simulations. This decreased performance suggests that additional transport resistances (such as surface barriers, pore collapse or blockages due to contamination) may be limiting the performance of experimental nanostructured membranes. Nevertheless, the inclusion of hydrophobic sub-nanometer pores into the active layer of RO membranes should improve both the water permeability and salt rejection of future RO membranes (Fasano et al 2016 Nat. Commun. 7 12762).

Three tapasin docking sites in TAP cooperate to facilitate transporter stabilization and heterodimerization

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Ralf M.; Abrahimi, Parwiz; Mitchell, Susan M.; Cresswell, Peter

2014-01-01

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) translocates peptide antigens into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for loading onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. MHC class I acquires its peptide cargo in the peptide loading complex (PLC), an oligomeric complex that the chaperone tapasin organizes by bridging TAP to MHC class I and recruiting accessory molecules such as ERp57 and calreticulin. Three tapasin binding sites on TAP have been described, two of which are located in the N-terminal domains (N domains) of TAP1 and TAP2. The third binding site is present in the core transmembrane domain (coreTMD) of TAP1 and is only used by the unassembled subunits. Tapasin is required to promote TAP stability, but through which binding site(s) it is acting is unknown. In particular the role of tapasin binding to the coreTMD of TAP1 single chains is mysterious as this interaction is lost upon TAP2 association. In this study, we map the respective binding site in TAP1 to the polar face of the amphipathic transmembrane helix TM9 and identify key residues that are essential to establish the interaction. We find that this interaction is dispensable for the peptide transport function but essential to achieve full stability of human TAP1. The interaction is also required for proper heterodimerization of the transporter. Based on similar results obtained using TAP mutants lacking tapasin binding to either N domain, we conclude that all three tapasin-binding sites in TAP cooperate to achieve high transporter stability and efficient heterodimerization. PMID:24501197

FACILITATING RADICAL FRONT-END INNOVATION THROUGH TARGETED HR PRACTICES

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aagaard, Annabeth

2017-01-01

This study examines how radical front end innovation can be actively facilitated through selected and targeted HR practices and bundles of HR practices. The empirical field is an explorative case study of front end innovation and HR practices in the pharmaceutical industry, with an in-depth case ...

Soybean SAT1 (Symbiotic Ammonium Transporter 1) encodes a bHLH transcription factor involved in nodule growth and NH4+ transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiasson, David M; Loughlin, Patrick C; Mazurkiewicz, Danielle; Mohammadidehcheshmeh, Manijeh; Fedorova, Elena E; Okamoto, Mamoru; McLean, Elizabeth; Glass, Anthony D M; Smith, Sally E; Bisseling, Ton; Tyerman, Stephen D; Day, David A; Kaiser, Brent N

2014-04-01

Glycine max symbiotic ammonium transporter 1 was first documented as a putative ammonium (NH4(+)) channel localized to the symbiosome membrane of soybean root nodules. We show that Glycine max symbiotic ammonium transporter 1 is actually a membrane-localized basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) DNA-binding transcription factor now renamed Glycine max bHLH membrane 1 (GmbHLHm1). In yeast, GmbHLHm1 enters the nucleus and transcriptionally activates a unique plasma membrane NH4(+) channel Saccharomyces cerevisiae ammonium facilitator 1. Ammonium facilitator 1 homologs are present in soybean and other plant species, where they often share chromosomal microsynteny with bHLHm1 loci. GmbHLHm1 is important to the soybean rhizobium symbiosis because loss of activity results in a reduction of nodule fitness and growth. Transcriptional changes in nodules highlight downstream signaling pathways involving circadian clock regulation, nutrient transport, hormone signaling, and cell wall modification. Collectively, these results show that GmbHLHm1 influences nodule development and activity and is linked to a novel mechanism for NH4(+) transport common to both yeast and plants.

Transporter taxonomy - a comparison of different transport protein classification schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Viereck, Michael; Gaulton, Anna; Digles, Daniela; Ecker, Gerhard F

2014-06-01

Currently, there are more than 800 well characterized human membrane transport proteins (including channels and transporters) and there are estimates that about 10% (approx. 2000) of all human genes are related to transport. Membrane transport proteins are of interest as potential drug targets, for drug delivery, and as a cause of side effects and drug–drug interactions. In light of the development of Open PHACTS, which provides an open pharmacological space, we analyzed selected membrane transport protein classification schemes (Transporter Classification Database, ChEMBL, IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology, and Gene Ontology) for their ability to serve as a basis for pharmacology driven protein classification. A comparison of these membrane transport protein classification schemes by using a set of clinically relevant transporters as use-case reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the different taxonomy approaches.

Influence of Malfunctions of Selected Bus Subsystems on Bus Transportation Safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bojar Piotr

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This article introduces division of transport systems into land transport systems (road and rail as well as land and water transport systems (inland and sea, depending on the type of environment in which these systems carry out their tasks. Such systems comprise the class of social engineering systems of the Man – Technological Object – Environment (M – TO – E type. Such systems are influenced by forcing factors, leading to changes in their condition. Such factors may be divided into operational, external and anthropotechnical and they cause the degradation of the system on various levels, including a decrease of the degree of its safety. The article attempts to evaluate the safety of the operation of transport systems on the basis of the evaluation of the safety of the transport process carried out over a defined time interval Δt. The evaluation of the safety of the implemented transport process was prepared on the basis of a set of calculated index values determined depending on the type of transport.

Field-scale variation in colloid dispersibility and transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørgaard, Trine; Møldrup, Per; Ferré, T. P. A.

2014-01-01

comparison parameters including textural, chemical, and structural (e.g. air permeability) 8 soil properties. The soil dispersibility was determined (i) using a laser diffraction method on 1-2 mm aggregates equilibrated to an initial matric potential of -100 cm H2O, (ii) using an end-over-end shaking on 6......Colloids are potential carriers for strongly sorbing chemicals in macroporous soils, but predicting the amount of colloids readily available for facilitated chemical transport is an unsolved challenge. This study addresses potential key parameters and predictive indicators when assessing colloid....... Predictions of soil dispersibility and the risk of colloid-facilitated chemical transport will therefore need to be highly scale- and area-specific....

Molecular interaction of selected phytochemicals under the charged environment of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) model.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Saumya K; Khedkar, Vijay M; Jha, Prakash C; Jasrai, Yogesh T; Pandya, Himanshu A; George, Linz-Buoy; Highland, Hyacinth N; Skelton, Adam A

2016-01-01

Phytochemicals of Catharanthus roseus Linn. and Tylophora indica have been known for their inhibition of malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum in cell culture. Resistance to chloroquine (CQ), a widely used antimalarial drug, is due to the CQ resistance transporter (CRT) system. The present study deals with computational modeling of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) protein and development of charged environment to mimic a condition of resistance. The model of PfCRT was developed using Protein homology/analogy engine (PHYRE ver 0.2) and was validated based on the results obtained using PSI-PRED. Subsequently, molecular interactions of selected phytochemicals extracted from C. roseus Linn. and T. indica were studied using multiple-iterated genetic algorithm-based docking protocol in order to investigate the translocation of these legends across the PfCRT protein. Further, molecular dynamics studies exhibiting interaction energy estimates of these compounds within the active site of the protein showed that compounds are more selective toward PfCRT. Clusters of conformations with the free energy of binding were estimated which clearly demonstrated the potential channel and by this means the translocation across the PfCRT is anticipated.

Storage and transport of hazardous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeger, P.; Haferkamp, K.

1986-01-01

The attempt has been made to characterise the present risk scenario, and to set out approaches or methods for remedy and risk control. For this purpose, a retrospective analysis has been made of accidents, damage and consequential damage that occurred in the past either during storage of hazardous materials, or during road transport. A risk-benefit model facilitates assessment of accident frequency. The history of accidents during storage or transport allows assessment of the dangerousness of various materials. Another important aspect discussed is the property and behaviour of containers used for storage or transport. (DG) [de

Motivation of Employees of Transport and Logistics Companies in the Czech Republic and in a Selected Region of the PRC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ližbetinová Lenka

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Improvement of employee performance is an inseparable part of an enterprise. It ensures the fulfilment of goals and the company profitability. The main goal of the paper is to present the results of a research focused on comparison of the motivation factors of employees of transport and logistics companies in selected regions. The research carried out in 2017 examined the level of the motivation in the conditions of transport and logistics companies in the Czech Republic and the Peking Municipality in the PRC. These territories have different historic and cultural backgrounds, which leads to a high assumption of the existence of different views of the importance of motivation factors not only in the sphere of transport. The contribution also brings comparison of the preferences from the gender point of view.

If a Student Takes Control: Facilitator's Tasks and Responsibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Väljataga, Terje

This paper presents initial research results of an intervention into higher educational teaching and studying practices from facilitators‘ point of view. The intervention was implemented into an international Master’s level online course mediated by landscapes of social media tools and services. In this course more emphasis was put on a shift of control from a facilitator to a student or a group of students in the following aspects: setting up one’s study goals, choosing activities, selecting appropriate resources, including technology and defining one’s evaluation criteria. The initial analysis showed that the facilitators gained a lot in terms of understanding the benefits of exploiting social media tools and services for their teaching practices, perceiving a need of having a different role as well as the shortages and problems while being a facilitator in such a course.

Serial transverse enteroplasty to facilitate enteral autonomy in selected children with short bowel syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wester, T; Borg, H; Naji, H; Stenström, P; Westbacke, G; Lilja, H E

2014-09-01

Serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) was first described in 2003 as a method for lengthening and tapering of the bowel in short bowel syndrome. The aim of this multicentre study was to review the outcome of a Swedish cohort of children who underwent STEP. All children who had a STEP procedure at one of the four centres of paediatric surgery in Sweden between September 2005 and January 2013 were included in this observational cohort study. Demographic details, and data from the time of STEP and at follow-up were collected from the case records and analysed. Twelve patients had a total of 16 STEP procedures; four children underwent a second STEP. The first STEP was performed at a median age of 5·8 (range 0·9-19·0) months. There was no death at a median follow-up of 37·2 (range 3·0-87·5) months and no child had small bowel transplantation. Seven of the 12 children were weaned from parenteral nutrition at a median of 19·5 (range 2·3-42·9) months after STEP. STEP is a useful procedure for selected patients with short bowel syndrome and seems to facilitate weaning from parenteral nutrition. At mid-term follow-up a majority of the children had achieved enteral autonomy. The study is limited by the small sample size and lack of a control group. © 2014 The Authors. BJS published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJS Society Ltd.

Peptide Selectivity of the Proton-Coupled Oligopeptide Transporter from Neisseria meningitidis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, Neha; Aduri, Nanda G; Iqbal, Anna

2016-01-01

POT). It has been shown that the gene encoding this transporter is upregulated during infection. NmPOT conformed to the typical chain length preference as observed in prototypical transporters of this family. In contrast to prototypical transporters, it was unable to accommodate a positively charged peptide...

Developing low-carbon transport policies in Peru with capacity-building for their implementation: Draft Transport NAMA

OpenAIRE

Tyler, N. A.; Ramirez, C.

2012-01-01

Transport has been identified as one of the biggest sectors that contribute to climate change (23%) due to its energy demand and polluting emissions and therefore one of the sectors that needs to take action to mitigate its impact. A few countries in Latin America (Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Colombia) have started their transport NAMA development and are at different stages in the process. Peru has started this process more recently and this report aims at facilitating the NAMA development and...

Functional analysis of ABC transporter genes from Botrytis cinerea identifies BcatrB as a transporter of eugenol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoonbeek, H.; Nistelrooy, van J.G.M.; Waard, de M.A.

2003-01-01

The role of multiple ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter genes from the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea in protection against natural fungitoxic compounds was studied by expression analysis and phenotyping of gene-replacement mutants. The

Acid-extrusion from tissue: the interplay between membrane transporters and pH buffers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulikova, Alzbeta; Harris, Adrian L; Vaughan-Jones, Richard D; Swietach, Pawel

2012-01-01

The acid-base balance of cells is related to the concentration of free H⁺ ions. These are highly reactive, and their intracellular concentration must be regulated to avoid detrimental effects to the cell. H⁺ ion dynamics are influenced by binding to chelator substances ('buffering'), and by the production, diffusion and membrane-transport of free H⁺ ions or of the H⁺-bound chelators. Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation aims to balance this system of diffusion-reaction-transport processes at a favourable steady-state pHi. The ability of cells to regulate pHi may set a limit to tissue growth and can be subject to selection pressures. Cancer cells have been postulated to respond favourably to such selection pressures by evolving a better means of pHi regulation. A particularly important feature of tumour pHi regulation is acid-extrusion, which involves H⁺-extrusion and HCO₃⁻-uptake by membrane-bound transporter-proteins. Extracellular CO₂/HCO₃⁻ buffer facilitates these membrane-transport processes. As a mobile pH-buffer, CO₂/HCO₃⁻ protects the extracellular space from excessive acidification that could otherwise inhibit further acid-extrusion. CO₂/HCO₃⁻ also provides substrate for HCO₃⁻-transporters. However, the inherently slow reaction kinetics of CO₂/HCO₃⁻ can be rate-limiting for acid-extrusion. To circumvent this, cells can express extracellular-facing carbonic anhydrase enzymes to accelerate the attainment of equilibrium between CO₂, HCO₃⁻ and H⁺. The acid-extrusion apparatus has been proposed as a target for anti-cancer therapy. The major targets include H⁺ pumps, Na⁺/H⁺ exchangers and carbonic anhydrases. The effectiveness of such therapy will depend on the correct identification of rate-limiting steps in pHi regulation in a specific type of cancer.

Recommendations for computer code selection of a flow and transport code to be used in undisturbed vadose zone calculations for TWRS immobilized wastes environmental analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

VOOGD, J.A.

1999-01-01

An analysis of three software proposals is performed to recommend a computer code for immobilized low activity waste flow and transport modeling. The document uses criteria restablished in HNF-1839, ''Computer Code Selection Criteria for Flow and Transport Codes to be Used in Undisturbed Vadose Zone Calculation for TWRS Environmental Analyses'' as the basis for this analysis

Evaluation of intelligent transport systems impact on school transport safety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jankowska-Karpa Dagmara

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The integrated system of safe transport of children to school using Intelligent Transport Systems was developed and implemented in four locations across Europe under the Safeway2School (SW2S project, funded by the EU. The SW2S system evaluation included speed measurements and an eye-tracking experiment carried out among drivers who used the school bus route, where selected elements of the system were tested. The subject of the evaluation were the following system elements: pedestrian safety system at the bus stop (Intelligent Bus Stop and tags for children, Driver Support System, applications for parents’ and students’ mobile phones, bus stop inventory tool and data server. A new sign designed for buses and bus stops to inform about child transportation/children waiting at the bus stop was added to the system. Training schemes for system users were also provided. The article presents evaluation results of the impact of selected elements of the SW2S system on school transport safety in Poland.

Radioactive waste transportation systems analysis and program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shappert, L.B.; Joy, D.S.; Heiskell, M.M.

1978-03-01

The objective of the Transportation/Logistics Study is to ensure the availability of a viable system for transporting the wastes to a federal repository in 1985. In order to accomplish this objective, a systems analysis of waste transportation has been directed by ORNL to determine the problems that must be solved and to develop a program plan that identifies which problems must first be pursued. To facilitate this overall approach and to provide for short- and long-range waste management, logistics models have been developed to determine the transportation fleet requirements and costs. Results of the study are described in this report

Teacher’s Mathematical Communication Profile in Facilitating and Guiding Discussion

Science.gov (United States)

Umami, R.; Budayasa, I. K.; Suwarsono, St.

2018-01-01

Teacher’s communication skill plays an important role, one of which is to guide a class discussion for teaching purposes. This study aimed to investigate a teacher’s mathematical communication profile in facilitating and guiding a class discussion. This study is qualitative. A junior teacher of high school (i.e., a teacher with 1 to 5 year teaching experience) teaching mathematics at X-Social Class was selected as the subject of this study. The data was collected by observing the teacher’s mathematical communication in facilitating and guiding a discussion with the rules of sinus as the teaching material, and it was followed by a deep interview. The result showed that the junior teacher facilitated and guided a class discussion include providing responses (answer) addressing students’ difficulties and providing chances for students to propose and explain their ideas and be active in discussion. The junior teacher provides responses at sharp, optimal, and specific manner. In addition, she provides chances for her students to explain their thinking and have a discussion in anticipative, observative, selective, and connective manner. However, the study found that some of high-school teachers develop mathematical communication skills and use them to develop students’ mathematical communication skills.

Technology evaluation for time sensitive data transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wessing, Henrik; Breach, Tony; Colmenero, Alberto

. The NREN communities must provide underlying network infrastructures and transport technologies to facilitate ser-vices with such requirements to the network. In this paper we investigate and evaluate circuit and packet based transport technologies from classic best effort IP over MPLS flavours, Provider...... Backbone Bridging (PBB), “Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links” (TRILL) to Optical Transport Network (OTN) and SDH. The transport technologies are evaluated theoreti-cally, using simulations and/or experimentally. Each transport technology is evaluated based on its performances and capabilities...... overhead and restoration time. Thirdly, complexity and automation possibilities for establishment of paths for high demanding applica-tions, and finally how the technologies are backed by research communities and major vendors like Ciena, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia-Siemens and Huawei. The technologies...

Environmental Transport of Plutonium: Biogeochemical Processes at Femtomolar Concentrations and Nanometer Scales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kersting, Annie B. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2010-10-05

The major challenge in predicting the mobility and transport of plutonium (Pu) is determining the dominant geochemical processes that control its behavior in the subsurface. The reaction chemistry of Pu (i.e., aqueous speciation, solubility, sorptivity, redox chemistry, and affinity for colloidal particles, both abiotic and microbially mediated) is particularly complicated. It is generally thought that due to its low solubility and high sorptivity, Pu migration in the environment occurs only when facilitated by transport on particulate matter (i.e., colloidal particles). Despite the recognized importance of colloid-facilitated transport of Pu, very little is known about the geochemical and biochemical mechanisms controlling Pu-colloid formation and association, particularly at femtomolar Pu concentrations observed at DOE sites.

Facilitation of Drug Transport across the Blood–Brain Barrier with Ultrasound and Microbubbles

OpenAIRE

Meairs, Stephen

2015-01-01

Medical treatment options for central nervous system (CNS) diseases are limited due to the inability of most therapeutic agents to penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Although a variety of approaches have been investigated to open the BBB for facilitation of drug delivery, none has achieved clinical applicability. Mounting evidence suggests that ultrasound in combination with microbubbles might be useful for delivery of drugs to the brain through transient opening of the BBB. This techni...

Transport in Halobacterium Halobium: Light-Induced Cation-Gradients, Amino Acid Transport Kinetics, and Properties of Transport Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Lanyi, Janos K.

1977-01-01

Cell envelope vesicles prepared from H. halobium contain bacteriorhodopsin and upon illumination protons are ejected. Coupled to the proton motive force is the efflux of Na(+). Measurements of Na-22 flux, exterior pH change, and membrane potential, Delta(psi) (with the dye 3,3'-dipentyloxadicarbocyanine) indicate that the means of Na(+) transport is sodium/proton exchange. The kinetics of the pH changes and other evidence suggests that the antiport is electrogenic (H(+)/Na(++ greater than 1). The resulting large chemical gradient for Na(+) (outside much greater than inside), as well as the membrane potential, will drive the transport of 18 amino acids. The I9th, glutamate, is unique in that its accumulation is indifferent to Delta(psi): this amino acid is transported only when a chemical gradient for Na(+) is present. Thus, when more and more NaCl is included in the vesicles glutamate transport proceeds with longer and longer lags. After illumination the gradient of H+() collapses within 1 min, while the large Na(+) gradient and glutamate transporting activity persists for 10- 15 min, indicating that proton motive force is not necessary for transport. A chemical gradient of Na(+), arranged by suspending vesicles loaded with KCl in NaCl, drives glutamate transport in the dark without other sources of energy, with V(sub max) and K(sub m) comparable to light-induced transport. These and other lines of evidence suggest that the transport of glutamate is facilitated by symport with Na(+), in an electrically neutral fashion, so that only the chemical component of the Na(+) gradient is a driving force.

Transport of polyamines in Drosophila S2 cells: kinetics, pharmacology and dependence on the plasma membrane proton gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero-Calderón, Rafael; Krantz, David E

2006-01-15

Polyamine transport activities have been described in diverse multicellular systems, but their bioenergetic mechanisms and molecular identity remain unclear. In the present paper, we describe a high-affinity spermine/spermidine transport activity expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. Ion-replacement experiments indicate that polyamine uptake across the cell membrane is Na+-, K+-, Cl-- and Ca2+-independent, but pH-sensitive. Additional experiments using ionophores suggest that polyamine uptake may be H+-coupled. Pharmacological experiments show that polyamine uptake in S2 cells is selectively blocked by MGBG {methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) or 1,1'-[(methylethanediylidine)-dinitrilo]diguanidine} and paraquat (N,N-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridylium), two known inhibitors of polyamine uptake in mammalian cells. In addition, inhibitors known to block the Slc22 (solute carrier 22) family of organic anion/cation transporters inhibit spermine uptake in S2 cells. These data and the genetic tools available in Drosophila will facilitate the molecular identification and further characterization of this activity.

User-oriented end-to-end transport protocols for the real-time distribution of telemetry data from NASA spacecraft

Science.gov (United States)

Hooke, A. J.

1979-01-01

A set of standard telemetry protocols for downlink data flow facilitating the end-to-end transport of instrument data from the spacecraft to the user in real time is proposed. The direct switching of data by autonomous message 'packets' that are assembled by the source instrument on the spacecraft is discussed. The data system consists thus of a format on a message rather than word basis, and such packet telemetry would include standardized protocol headers. Standards are being developed within the NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program for the source packet and transport frame protocols. The source packet protocol contains identification of both the sequence number of the packet as it is generated by the source and the total length of the packet, while the transport frame protocol includes a sequence count defining the serial number of the frame as it is generated by the spacecraft data system, and a field specifying any 'options' selected in the format of the frame itself.

ANALYISIS OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS AND TRANSPORTATION POLICIES IN TURKEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Payıdar AKGÜNGÖR

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Transportation systems have to be considered and analysed as a whole while transportation demand, becoming as a natural outcome of socioeconomic and socio-cultural structure, is being evaluated. It is desired that transportation system, which will be selected for both passenger and freight transport, should be rapid, economic, safe, causing least harm to environment and appropriate for the conditions of a country. However, it is difficult for a transportation system to have all these properties. Every transportation system has advantages and disadvantages over each other. Therefore, comprehensive plans for future periods have to be prepared and how the sources of the country should be reasonably distributed among transportation systems must be investigated. Also, transportation plans have to be prepared to get coordinated operations among transportation systems while great investments are instituted in the entire country. There is no doubt that it is possible with combined transportation instead of concentration on one transportation system. Transportation policies in Turkey should be questioned since the level of highway transportation usage reaches to 95 % and level of sea transportation usage drops to less than 1 % in spite of being surrounded with sea in three sides of our land. In this paper, transportation systems and transportation policies in Turkey are evaluated in general and problems are analysed. Proposals are presented for the solutions of these problems.

Doctoral Program Selection Using Pairwise Comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadisina, Suresh K.; Bhasin, Vijay

1989-01-01

The application of a pairwise comparison methodology (Saaty's Analytic Hierarchy Process) to the doctoral program selection process is illustrated. A hierarchy for structuring and facilitating the doctoral program selection decision is described. (Author/MLW)

Bacterial Multidrug Efflux Pumps of the Major Facilitator Superfamily as Targets for Modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sanath; He, Guixin; Kakarla, Prathusha; Shrestha, Ugina; Ranjana, K C; Ranaweera, Indrika; Willmon, T Mark; Barr, Sharla R; Hernandez, Alberto J; Varela, Manuel F

2016-01-01

Causative agents of infectious disease that are multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens represent a serious public health concern due to the increasingly difficult nature of achieving efficacious clinical treatments. Of the various acquired and intrinsic antimicrobial agent resistance determinants, integral-membrane multidrug efflux pumps of the major facilitator superfamily constitute a major mechanism of bacterial resistance. The major facilitator superfamily (MFS) encompasses thousands of known related secondary active and passive solute transporters, including multidrug efflux pumps, from bacteria to humans. This review article addresses recent developments involving the targeting by various modulators of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps from the major facilitator superfamily. It is currently of tremendous interest to modulate bacterial multidrug efflux pumps in order to eventually restore the clinical efficacy of therapeutic agents against recalcitrant bacterial infections. Such MFS multidrug efflux pumps are good targets for modulation.

Selección de cadenas para equipos de transporte continuo. // Chain selection software for continuous conveyors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Aguilar Parés

2003-01-01

ón, transportadores de tablillas, transportadores de rastrillos,elevadores de cangilones._____________________________________________________________________________Abstract:The design of conveyors and elevators that employ chains as driving member is commonly used in industry. An essentialelement for well functioning is the correct chain selection. There are a great variety of chains and attachments thataccomplish any requirements at manufacturers disposal. In order to supply these requirements there is a need to establish aprocedure that considers the following aspects:· Type of equipment (slat conveyor, flight conveyor, bucket conveyor, etc..· Transportation requirements (capacity, transportation velocity, material characteristics, etc..· Transportation conditions (overload, operation conditions, explotation time, etc..The resulting procedure is very annoying because there are stages in which a decision implies accommodation to latecalculations and as usual there is more than one solution. Therefore the SELCAD computation program is conceived for theuse by non experts in design and selection of continuous conveyors equipments. The program use data base from Link BeltIndustrial Chain Division catalog in which 14 types of chains are appraise with an average of 15 models for each and morethan 40 different attachments. Some of the program characteristics are:· User friendly environment (Visual Basic programation, version 5.· Help available at any moment.· Point out the characteristics of both driving member and gear.· Allows visualization of the selected real chain shape and attachment by photos.· Quick analysis of different variations.Key words: Transportation chain, slat conveyors, flight conveyor, bucket conveyor.

Safety And Reduce In Pollution Issues For Inland Waterway Transportation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Huong Dong

2017-04-01

Full Text Available According to the Ministry of Transport inland water transport is one of the five modes of transport in our country play a very important role. Inland waterway transport not only plays a major role in transporting large volumes of goods and passengers but also creates millions of jobs contributing to ensuring social security and national defense and security. However there are still many inadequacies in waterway transportation such as unequal waterway traffic The phenomenon of exploitation of river resources as planned or Process technology is not as planned exploitation of sand gravel etc. are common in most rivers and canals in the country. The signaling system is not synchronized between the signal of the inland waterway management unit and the signal of the owner The handling of domestic goods transportation and inland port management is inadequate The force of the means of development is fast uneven but concentrated in some urban areas and industrial parks. Therefore the Ministry of Transport has proposed a scheme to facilitate the development of a synchronized inland waterway infrastructure linking with other modes of transport To improve the capacity of the crew and the inland waterway transport crews. To create favorable conditions for inland waterway transportation business with reasonable transportation costs Improve the quality of water transport services Ensure safety and environmental friendliness Make a distinct advantage over other modes of transport. Specifically will develop promulgate mechanisms The policy is to facilitate the development of inland waterway infrastructure Build and promulgate mechanism The policy of supporting the development of the fleet has a reasonable structure with a fleet of about 30 self-propelled ships accounting for about 70 of the total number of inland waterway vessels To prioritize the development of the container fleet Inland waterway transportation and training retraining of human resources for

Standard casks for the transport of LWR spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, P.

1986-01-01

During the past decade, TRANSNUCLEAIRE has developed, licensed and marketed a family of standard casks for the transport of spent fuel from LWR reactors to reprocessing plants and the ancillary equipments necessary for their operation and transport. A large number of these casks have been manufactured in different countries and are presently used for european and intercontinental transports. The main advantages of these casks are: large payload, moderate cost, reliability, standardisation facilitating fabrication, operation and spare part supply [fr

IT Project Selection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Keld

2016-01-01

for initiation. Most of the research on project selection is normative, suggesting new methods, but available empirical studies indicate that many methods are seldom used in practice. This paper addresses the issue by providing increased understanding of IT project selection practice, thereby facilitating...... the development of methods that better fit current practice. The study is based on naturalistic decision-making theory and interviews with experienced project portfolio managers who, when selecting projects, primarily rely on political skills, experience and personal networks rather than on formal IT project......-selection methods, and these findings point to new areas for developing new methodological support for IT project selection....

Serotonin transporters in dopamine transporter imaging: a head-to-head comparison of dopamine transporter SPECT radioligands 123I-FP-CIT and 123I-PE2I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ziebell, Morten; Holm-Hansen, Signe; Thomsen, Gerda

2010-01-01

Current SPECT radioligands available for in vivo imaging of the dopamine transporter (DAT) also show affinity for monoamine transporters other than DAT, especially the serotonin transporter (SERT). The effect of this lack of selectivity for in vivo imaging is unknown. In this study, we compared...

Removal or transport of office furniture and PCs

CERN Multimedia

TS Department

2008-01-01

The TS/FM Group wishes to remind users that requests for the removal or transport of office furniture must be made using the EDH ‘Transport request’ form. Please select the "Removals" category from the drop-down menu to indicate the nature of the request. Requests for the transport of PCs from your office to Bldg. 513 or back must also be made using the EDH ‘Transport request’ form. In this case select the "PC transport" category from the drop-down menu. TS/FM Group Tel. 160239

The FORATOM Transport Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmann, P.

2000-01-01

Based in Brussels, the European atomic forum FORATOM is the trade association of the European nuclear industry which was established in the early 1960s to promote nuclear power and to facilitate relations with the European institutions. One of the main mechanisms which FORATOM uses, in its dealings with the European Commission and other international organisations, is the involvement of several working groups bringing together groups of experts drawn from the industrial companies in order to identify the issues and to develop the widest possible common views on which the industry must express its representative, substantial and deliverable opinion. The Transport Working Group (TWG) has the objective of dealing with transport of radioactive material, especially nuclear materials. The TWG usually meets three times a year in Brussels or another selected location. It has strong links with the European Commission which are evidenced by the fact that it officially represents the European nuclear industry, with the status of observer, at the meetings of the Standing Working Group on Safe Transport of Radioactive Material which was set up in 1982, upon a request of the European Parliament, to advise the European Commission in the field of safe transport of radioactive materials. The Standing Working Group (SWG) assists the European Union's Member States in the revision process of IAEA recommendations and helps a correct and harmonious application of these recommendations within the European Union. In previous years, the Standing Working Group has proposed over 40 different studies, financed by the European Commission, on important transport issues. The FORATOM TWG encourages its member organisations to participate in studies proposed by the Commission and has been cooperating for many years with the Commission in the field of many studies aimed to improve the application of transport regulations. The need to maintain the safe and reliable operation of plants that generate

Effect of selective blockade of oxygen consumption, glucose transport, and Ca2+ influx on thyroxine action in human mononuclear cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kvetny, J; Matzen, L E

1990-01-01

The effect of selective blockade of cellular glucose transporters, Ca2+ influx, and mitochondrial oxygen consumption on thyroxine (T4)-stimulated oxygen consumption and glucose uptake was examined in human mononuclear blood cells. Blockade of glucose transporters by cytochalasin B (1 x 10(-5) mol....../L) and of Ca2+ influx by alprenolol (1 x 10(-5) mol/L) and verapamil (4 x 10(-4) mol/L) inhibited T4-activated glucose uptaken and reduced T4-stimulated oxygen consumption by 20%. Uncoupling of mitochondrial oxygen consumption by azide (1 x 10(-3) mol/L) inhibited T4-stimulated oxygen consumption, but had...... no effect on glucose uptake. We conclude that T4-stimulated glucose uptake in human mononuclear blood cells is dependent on intact glucose transporters and Ca2+ influx, but not on mitochondrial oxygen consumption. However, oxygen consumption is, in part, dependent on intact glucose uptake....

Management System for Regulating Transport of Radioactive Material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Vietri, J.R.; Capadona, N.M.; Barenghi, L.G.

2011-01-01

The objective of this paper is to describe the main characteristics of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear - ARN) management system applied to the transport of radioactive material, in Argentina. In the frame of ARN's quality policy, 'Protection against ionizing radiation on transport of radioactive materials' was selected as one of the regulatory processes, named TMR from now on. ARN's management system is integrally based on ISO 9000 system addressed to help organizations in designing and implementing their quality management systems. TMR process was split into five sub processes in order to facilitate the implementation of the system. Such sub processes were defined taking into account of the main functions developed by ARN in the branch of safe transport of radioactive materials. For each of this processes were specified their objectives, inputs, activities and outputs, clients and stakeholders, responsibilities, supporting documents, control of documents and records, control of non-conformances, monitoring and measurements, audits, feedback and improvement. Supporting documents for sub processes were issued, validated, reviewed and improved as an essential point to achieve continuous improving. Simultaneously, some indexes were defined to monitor and measures sub processes as a way to show objective evidence of conformity with objectives. Finally, as conclusions of this paper, they will be showed the main obstacles and troubleshooting found in the design and implementation of management system as well as their solutions and state of advance. (authors)

Multi-component transport in polymers: hydrocarbon / hydrogen separation by reverse selectivity membrane; Transport multi-composants dans les polymeres: separation hydrocarbures / hydrogene par membrane a selectivite inverse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mauviel, G.

2003-12-15

Hydrogen separation by reverse selectivity membranes is investigated. The first goal is to develop materials showing an increased selectivity. Silicone membranes loaded with inorganic fillers have been prepared, but the expected enhancement is not observed. The second goal is to model the multi- component transport through rubbers. Indeed the permeability model is not able to predict correctly permeation when a vapour is present. Thus many phenomena have to be considered: diffusional inter-dependency, sorption synergy, membrane swelling and drag effect. The dependence of diffusivities with the local composition is modelled according to free-volume theory. The model resolution allows to predict the permeation flow-rates of mixed species from their pure sorption and diffusion data. For the systems under consideration, the diffusional inter-dependency is shown to be preponderant. Besides, sorption synergy importance is pointed out, whereas it is most often neglected. (author)

Web-Based Inquiry Learning: Facilitating Thoughtful Literacy with WebQuests

Science.gov (United States)

Ikpeze, Chinwe H.; Boyd, Fenice B.

2007-01-01

An action research study investigated how the multiple tasks found in WebQuests facilitate fifth-grade students' literacy skills and higher order thinking. Findings indicate that WebQuests are most successful when activities are carefully selected and systematically delivered. Implications for teaching include the necessity for adequate planning,…

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MODELING OF MULTI-SPECIES TRANSPORT IN SOILS UNDER ELECTRIC FIELDS

Science.gov (United States)

Electrokinetics employs the use of electrodes implanted in soils-contaminated media. Electrodes are supplied with direct current (dc) facilitating ionic transport and subsequent removal. This project investigates the feasibility and efficiency of electrokinetic transport of lea...

An Assessment Protocol for Selective Mutism: Analogue Assessment Using Parents as Facilitators.

Science.gov (United States)

Schill, Melissa T.; And Others

1996-01-01

Assesses protocol for conducting a functional analysis of maintaining variables for children with selective mutism. A parent was trained in and later applied various behavior strategies designed to increase speech in an eight-year-old girl with selective mutism. Parent and child ratings of treatment were positive. Presents implications for future…

The coordinated development of China＇ s inland water transport%The coordinated development of China' s inland water transport

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Deng Aimin; Tian Feng; Haasis H.D; Mao Lang; Cai Jia

2012-01-01

The coordinated development is the core of sustainable development and the hot issue of international research. Inland water transport (IWT) is an important part of the water resources exploiting system and comprehensive transport system under socio-economic context of river basin, and also the country' s sustainable development priorities to achieve resource-conserving and environment-friendly strategy. Based on the coordinated development content, the paper combined Germany' s successful development experience, explored the elements and problem of the coordinated development of IWT system of China' s national economic strategy and basin economy, water resourse system, comprehensive transport system, and system itself, and their countermeasures and suggestions, in order to facilitate rapid and coordinated development of China' s inland water transport.

Facilitators and obstacles in pre-hospital medical response to earthquakes: a qualitative study

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Earthquakes are renowned as being amongst the most dangerous and destructive types of natural disasters. Iran, a developing country in Asia, is prone to earthquakes and is ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world in this respect. The medical response in disasters is accompanied by managerial, logistic, technical, and medical challenges being also the case in the Bam earthquake in Iran. Our objective was to explore the medical response to the Bam earthquake with specific emphasis on pre-hospital medical management during the first days. Methods The study was performed in 2008; an interview based qualitative study using content analysis. We conducted nineteen interviews with experts and managers responsible for responding to the Bam earthquake, including pre-hospital emergency medical services, the Red Crescent, and Universities of Medical Sciences. The selection of participants was determined by using a purposeful sampling method. Sample size was given by data saturation. Results The pre-hospital medical service was divided into three categories; triage, emergency medical care and transportation, each category in turn was identified into facilitators and obstacles. The obstacles identified were absence of a structured disaster plan, absence of standardized medical teams, and shortage of resources. The army and skilled medical volunteers were identified as facilitators. Conclusions The most compelling, and at the same time amenable obstacle, was the lack of a disaster management plan. It was evident that implementing a comprehensive plan would not only save lives but decrease suffering and enable an effective praxis of the available resources at pre-hospital and hospital levels. PMID:21575233

Facilitators and obstacles in pre-hospital medical response to earthquakes: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Djalali, Ahmadreza; Khankeh, Hamidreza; Öhlén, Gunnar; Castrén, Maaret; Kurland, Lisa

2011-05-16

Earthquakes are renowned as being amongst the most dangerous and destructive types of natural disasters. Iran, a developing country in Asia, is prone to earthquakes and is ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world in this respect. The medical response in disasters is accompanied by managerial, logistic, technical, and medical challenges being also the case in the Bam earthquake in Iran. Our objective was to explore the medical response to the Bam earthquake with specific emphasis on pre-hospital medical management during the first days. The study was performed in 2008; an interview based qualitative study using content analysis. We conducted nineteen interviews with experts and managers responsible for responding to the Bam earthquake, including pre-hospital emergency medical services, the Red Crescent, and Universities of Medical Sciences. The selection of participants was determined by using a purposeful sampling method. Sample size was given by data saturation. The pre-hospital medical service was divided into three categories; triage, emergency medical care and transportation, each category in turn was identified into facilitators and obstacles. The obstacles identified were absence of a structured disaster plan, absence of standardized medical teams, and shortage of resources. The army and skilled medical volunteers were identified as facilitators. The most compelling, and at the same time amenable obstacle, was the lack of a disaster management plan. It was evident that implementing a comprehensive plan would not only save lives but decrease suffering and enable an effective praxis of the available resources at pre-hospital and hospital levels.

Innovation of the Process of Inventorying of the Selected Transport Units: Case Study in the Automotive Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chocholáč Jan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In the current situation, highly competitive time when the emphasis is on shortening delivery schedules, streamlining the production cycle and, ultimately, reducing the total cost businesses are forced to optimizations and innovations. The article deals with the inventory of the selected transport units in warehouses. The inventory is currently being carried out through manual labor of employees. This paper proposes a possible implementation of new and innovative approach to inventory control, with the help of an automated inventory realized by the drones.

A Major Facilitator Superfamily Transporter-Mediated Resistance to Oxidative Stress and Fungicides Requires Yap1, Skn7, and MAP Kinases in the Citrus Fungal Pathogen Alternaria alternata.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-Hung Chen

Full Text Available Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS transporters play an important role in multidrug resistance in fungi. We report an AaMFS19 gene encoding a MFS transporter required for cellular resistance to oxidative stress and fungicides in the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria alternata. AaMFS19, containing 12 transmembrane domains, displays activity toward a broad range of substrates. Fungal mutants lacking AaMFS19 display profound hypersensitivities to cumyl hydroperoxide, potassium superoxide, many singlet oxygen-generating compounds (eosin Y, rose Bengal, hematoporphyrin, methylene blue, and cercosporin, and the cell wall biosynthesis inhibitor, Congo red. AaMFS19 mutants also increase sensitivity to copper ions, clotrimazole, fludioxonil, and kocide fungicides, 2-chloro-5-hydroxypyridine (CHP, and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA. AaMFS19 mutants induce smaller necrotic lesions on leaves of a susceptible citrus cultivar. All observed phenotypes in the mutant are restored by introducing and expressing a wild-type copy of AaMFS19. The wild-type strain of A. alternata treated with either CHP or TIBA reduces radial growth and formation and germination of conidia, increases hyphal branching, and results in decreased expression of the AaMFS19 gene. The expression of AaMFS19 is regulated by the Yap1 transcription activator, the Hog1 and Fus3 mitogen-activated protein (MAP kinases, the 'two component' histidine kinase, and the Skn7 response regulator. Our results demonstrate that A. alternata confers resistance to different chemicals via a membrane-bound MFS transporter.

Concurrent Working Memory Load Can Facilitate Selective Attention: Evidence for Specialized Load

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soojin; Kim, Min-Shik; Chun, Marvin M.

2007-01-01

Load theory predicts that concurrent working memory load impairs selective attention and increases distractor interference (N. Lavie, A. Hirst, J. W. de Fockert, & E. Viding, see record 2004-17825-003). Here, the authors present new evidence that the type of concurrent working memory load determines whether load impairs selective attention or not.…

Transportation energy in global cities: Sustainable transportation comes in from the cold?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, Peter; Kenworthy, Jeffery

2001-01-01

The energy, environmental and social benefits of sustainable transportation, i.e, public transit, biking and walking, have long been recognized but are now mainstream in global and local transportation policy debates. However, the economic value of sustainable transportation has always been seen as secondary, unless many external costs were included. The results of a new global study show that cities with significant sustainable transportation systems have reduced costs on road construction and maintenance; better operating cost recovery and fuel-efficiency; fewer road accidents and less air pollution. In overall terms, the percentage of city funds going to transportation is reduced. The data show that cities with the most roads have the highest transportation costs and the most rail-oriented cities have the lowest. Further, the most sprawling cities have the highest direct and indirect costs for transportation. Thus, strategies to contain sprawl, to reurbanize, to build new rail systems info car-dependent suburbs with focussed sub-centers, and to facilitate biking and walking, not only will improve energy efficiency but will reduce costs to the economy of a city. Strategies that build freeways and add to sprawl will do the opposite. Trends indicate that moves toward sustainable urban patterns are beginning. The need to operationalize sustainable transportation strategies in planning and engineering practice and in the politics of infrastructure funding remains a major challenge. Some cities are showing how this can be done. (author)

Rail transportation of Fernald remediation waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fellman, R.T.; Lojek, D.A.; Motl, G.P.; Weddendorf, W.K.

1995-01-01

Remediation of the Department of Energy (DOE) Fernald site located north of Cincinnati will generate large quantities of low-level radwaste. This volume includes approximately 1,050,000 tons of material to be removed from eight waste pits comprising Operable Unit 1 (OU-1). The remedial alternative selected includes waste material excavation, drying and transportation by rail to a burial site in the arid west for disposal. Rail transportation was selected not only because rail transportation is safer than truck transportation, but also because of the sheer magnitude of the project and the availability of bulk rail car unloading facilities at a representative disposal site. Based upon current waste quantity estimates as presented in the Feasibility Study for OUI, a fully-loaded 47-car unit train would depart the Fernald site weekly for five years. This paper illustrates the steps taken to obtain agency and public acceptance of the Record of Decision for the remedy which hinged on rail transportation. A preliminary, but detailed, rail transportation plan was prepared for the project to support a series of CERCLA public meetings conducted in late 1994. Some of the major issues addressed in the plan included the following: (1) Scope of project leading to selection of rail transportation; (2) Waste classification; (3) Rail Company overview; (4) Train configuration and rail car selection; (5) Routing; (6) Safety; (7) Prior Notification Requirements (8) Emergency Response. A series of three public meetings identified a number of issues of prime concern to Fernald stakeholders. Following resolution of these issues during the public comment period, a Record of Decision (ROD) approving implementation of the rail transportation strategy was approved pending incorporation of EPA and State of Ohio comments on December 22, 1994

Transportation Infrastructure and the Asia-Pacific Food System

OpenAIRE

Armbruster, Walter J.; Coyle, William T.

2005-01-01

Adequate, well maintained transportation infrastructure is a critical element of the Pacific food system in addressing challenges of rapid urbanization. Policymakers must invest either in streamlining domestic supply chains and/or in facilitating food imports through market opening measures. Economic incentives, competitive transportation and logistic services, and policy reforms, both within the borders of individual economies as well as across the Asia-Pacific region, are also necessary. Im...

Calculation of Selected Emissions from Transport Services in Road Public Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konečný Vladimír

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with road public transport and its impact on the environment. According to the methodology given in EN 16258, CO2 emission value has been calculated. The input data for the calculation and the results are shown in the tables. The declaration is created according to STN CEN / TR 14310, which contains recommendations for compiling environmental reports. Finally, the comparison of the environmental impact of a bus and a passenger car, when converted to one passenger, bus has a lower CO2 emission than a passenger car in that section.

Standard casks for the transport of LWR spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blum, P.

1985-01-01

During the past decade, TRANSNUCLEAIRE has developed, licensed and marketed a family of standard casks for the transport of spent fuel from LWR reactors to reprocessing plants and the ancillary equipments necessary for their operation and transport. A large number of these casks have been manufacturer under TRANSNUCLEAIRE supervision in different countries and are presently used for European and intercontinental transports. The main advantages of these casks are: - large payload for considered modes of transport, - moderate cost, - reliability due to the large experience gained by TRANSNUCLEAIRE as concerns fabrication and operation problems, - standardisation facilitating fabrication, operation and spare part supply [fr

Transport of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

The purpose of this Norm is to establish, relating to the TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS, safety and radiological protection requirements to ensure an adequate control level of the eventual exposure of persons, properties and environment to the ionizing radiation comprising: specifications on radioactive materials for transport; package type selection; specification of the package design and acceptance test requirements; arrangements relating to the transport itself; administrative requirements and responsibilities. (author)

Interactive FORTRAN IV computer programs for the thermodynamic and transport properties of selected cryogens (fluids pack)

Science.gov (United States)

Mccarty, R. D.

1980-01-01

The thermodynamic and transport properties of selected cryogens had programmed into a series of computer routines. Input variables are any two of P, rho or T in the single phase regions and either P or T for the saturated liquid or vapor state. The output is pressure, density, temperature, entropy, enthalpy for all of the fluids and in most cases specific heat capacity and speed of sound. Viscosity and thermal conductivity are also given for most of the fluids. The programs are designed for access by remote terminal; however, they have been written in a modular form to allow the user to select either specific fluids or specific properties for particular needs. The program includes properties for hydrogen, helium, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and methane. The programs include properties for gaseous and liquid states usually from the triple point to some upper limit of pressure and temperature which varies from fluid to fluid.

A Glimpse of Membrane Transport through Structures-Advances in the Structural Biology of the GLUT Glucose Transporters.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Nieng

2017-08-18

The cellular uptake of glucose is an essential physiological process, and movement of glucose across biological membranes requires specialized transporters. The major facilitator superfamily glucose transporters GLUTs, encoded by the SLC2A genes, have been a paradigm for functional, mechanistic, and structural understanding of solute transport in the past century. This review starts with a glimpse into the structural biology of membrane proteins and particularly membrane transport proteins, enumerating the landmark structures in the past 25years. The recent breakthrough in the structural elucidation of GLUTs is then elaborated following a brief overview of the research history of these archetypal transporters, their functional specificity, and physiological and pathophysiological significances. Structures of GLUT1, GLUT3, and GLUT5 in distinct transport and/or ligand-binding states reveal detailed mechanisms of the alternating access transport cycle and substrate recognition, and thus illuminate a path by which structure-based drug design may be applied to help discover novel therapeutics against several debilitating human diseases associated with GLUT malfunction and/or misregulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lattice Boltzmann simulations of water transport in gas diffusion layer of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao, Liang; Cheng, Ping [Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, DongChuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2010-06-15

The effect of wettability on water transport dynamics in gas diffusion layer (GDL) is investigated by simulating water invasion in an initially gas-filled GDL using the multiphase free-energy lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The results show that wettability plays a significant role on water saturation distribution in two-phase flow in the uniform wetting GDL. For highly hydrophobicity, the water transport falls in the regime of capillary fingering, while for neutral wettability, water transport exhibits the characteristic of stable displacement, although both processes are capillary force dominated flow with same capillary numbers. In addition, the introduction of hydrophilic paths in the GDL leads the water to flow through the hydrophilic pores preferentially. The resulting water saturation distributions show that the saturation in the GDL has little change after water breaks through the GDL, and further confirm that the selective introduction of hydrophilic passages in the GDL would facilitate the removal of liquid water more effectively, thus alleviating the flooding in catalyst layer (CL) and GDL. The LBM approach presented in this study provides an effective tool to investigate water transport phenomenon in the GDL at pore-scale level with wettability distribution taken into consideration. (author)

The mechanisms of neurotoxicity and the selective vulnerability of nervous system sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Maurer, Laura L; Philbert, Martin A

2015-01-01

The spatial heterogeneity of the structure, function, and cellular composition of the nervous system confers extraordinary complexity and a multiplicity of mechanisms of chemical neurotoxicity. Because of its relatively high metabolic demands and functional dependence on postmitotic neurons, the nervous system is vulnerable to a variety of xenobiotics that affect essential homeostatic mechanisms that support function. Despite protection from the neuroglia and blood-brain barrier, the central nervous system is prone to attack from lipophilic toxicants and those that hijack endogenous transport, receptor, metabolic, and other biochemical systems. The inherent predilection of chemicals for highly conserved biochemical systems confers selective vulnerability of the nervous system to neurotoxicants. This chapter discusses selective vulnerability of the nervous system in the context of neuron-specific decrements (axonopathy, myelinopathy, disruption of neurotransmission), and the degree to which neuronal damage is facilitated or ameliorated by surrounding nonneural cells in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanopolaritonics with a continuum of molecules: simulations of molecular-induced selectivity in plasmonics transport through a continuous Y-shape.

Science.gov (United States)

Neuhauser, Daniel

2011-11-28

Using the recent NF (near-field) formulation for electrodynamics on the nanoscale, we simulate transport in a Y-shape gold nanostructure in the presence of 2-level molecules. NF is shown to be easily integrated with the Liouville equation, producing a simple and efficient nanopolaritons (plasmons-excitons) solver, with a large time step. Two cases are considered: coating of the gold structure with molecular layers thinner than the structure, and filling space with aligned molecules. In both cases significant effects on the radiation transport are obtained even for low molecular densities. At low densities the effects are primarily an overall reduction of the plasmonics peak, but at higher densities there is a significant selectivity control by the molecules. A redshift is predicted, especially for the space-filling case. The combined nanopolariton shows qualitative hybridization, and the spectral peaks separate with increasing coupling, i.e., with increasing molecular densities. The results open the way to "control of light by light," i.e., controlling plasmonic light transport by inducing a change in the direction of the guiding molecular dipoles through radiation or other means.

Diuretics and salt transport along the nephron.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernstein, Paul L; Ellison, David H

2011-11-01

The clinical use of diuretics almost uniformly predated the localization of their site of action. The consequence of diuretic specificity predicts clinical application and side effect, and the proximity of the sodium transporters, one to the next, often dictates potency or diuretic efficiency. All diuretics function by inhibiting the normal transport of sodium from the filtrate into the renal tubular cells. This movement of sodium into the renal epithelial cells on the apical side is facilitated by a series of transporters whose function is, in turn, dependent on the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent Na-K cotransporter on the basolateral side of the cell. Our growing understanding of the physiology of sodium transport has spawned new possibilities for diuretic development. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transport modelling and gyrokinetic analysis of advanced high performance discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinsey, J.E.; Imbeaux, F.; Staebler, G.M.; Budny, R.; Bourdelle, C.; Fukuyama, A.; Garbet, X.; Tala, T.; Parail, V.

2005-01-01

Predictive transport modelling and gyrokinetic stability analyses of demonstration hybrid (HYBRID) and advanced tokamak (AT) discharges from the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) profile database are presented. Both regimes have exhibited enhanced core confinement (above the conventional ITER reference H-mode scenario) but differ in their current density profiles. Recent contributions to the ITPA database have facilitated an effort to study the underlying physics governing confinement in these advanced scenarios. In this paper, we assess the level of commonality of the turbulent transport physics and the relative roles of the transport suppression mechanisms (i.e. E x B shear and Shafranov shift (α) stabilization) using data for select HYBRID and AT discharges from the DIII-D, JET and AUG tokamaks. GLF23 transport modelling and gyrokinetic stability analysis indicate that E x B shear and Shafranov shift stabilization play essential roles in producing the improved core confinement in both HYBRID and AT discharges. Shafranov shift stabilization is found to be more important in AT discharges than in HYBRID discharges. We have also examined the competition between the stabilizing effects of E x B shear and Shafranov shift stabilization and the destabilizing effects of higher safety factors and parallel velocity shear. Linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of idealized low and high safety factor cases reveal some interesting consequences. A low safety factor (i.e. HYBRID relevant) is directly beneficial in reducing the transport, and E x B shear stabilization can dominate parallel velocity shear destabilization allowing the turbulence to be quenched. However, at low-q/high current, Shafranov shift stabilization plays less of a role. Higher safety factors (as found in AT discharges), on the other hand, have larger amounts of Shafranov shift stabilization, but parallel velocity shear destabilization can prevent E x B shear quenching of the turbulent

Transport modeling and gyrokinetic analysis of advanced high performance discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinsey, J.; Imbeaux, F.; Bourdelle, C.; Garbet, X.; Staebler, G.; Budny, R.; Fukuyama, A.; Tala, T.; Parail, V.

2005-01-01

Predictive transport modeling and gyrokinetic stability analyses of demonstration hybrid (HYBRID) and Advanced Tokamak (AT) discharges from the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) profile database are presented. Both regimes have exhibited enhanced core confinement (above the conventional ITER reference H-mode scenario) but differ in their current density profiles. Recent contributions to the ITPA database have facilitated an effort to study the underlying physics governing confinement in these advanced scenarios. In this paper, we assess the level of commonality of the turbulent transport physics and the relative roles of the transport suppression mechanisms (i.e. ExB shear and Shafranov shift (α) stabilization) using data for select HYBRID and AT discharges from the DIII-D, JET, and AUG tokamaks. GLF23 transport modeling and gyrokinetic stability analysis indicates that ExB shear and Shafranov shift stabilization play essential roles in producing the improved core confinement in both HYBRID and AT discharges. Shafranov shift stabilization is found to be more important in AT discharges than in HYBRID discharges. We have also examined the competition between the stabilizing effects of ExB shear and Shafranov shift stabilization and the destabilizing effects of higher safety factors and parallel velocity shear. Linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of idealized low and high safety factor cases reveals some interesting consequences. A low safety factor (i.e. HYBRID relevant) is directly beneficial in reducing the transport, and ExB shear stabilization can win out over parallel velocity shear destabilization allowing the turbulence to be quenched. However, at low-q/high current, Shafranov shift stabilization plays less of a role. Higher safety factors (as found in AT discharges), on the other hand, have larger amounts of Shafranov shift stabilization, but parallel velocity shear destabilization can prevent ExB shear quenching of the turbulent

Perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity for children with disability: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Nora; Synnot, Anneliese Jane; Barr, Megan

2012-11-01

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the perceived barriers and facilitators to physical activity among children with disability. 10 electronic databases were searched from the earliest time available to September 2010 to identify relevant articles. Articles were included if they examined the barriers or facilitators to physical activity for children with disability and were written in English. Articles were excluded if they included children with an acute, transient or chronic medical condition, examined sedentary leisure activities, or societal participation in general. Two reviewers independently assessed the search yields, extracted the data and assessed trial quality. Data were analysed descriptively. 14 articles met the inclusion criteria. Barriers included lack of knowledge and skills, the child's preferences, fear, parental behaviour, negative attitudes to disability, inadequate facilities, lack of transport, programmes and staff capacity, and cost. Facilitators included the child's desire to be active, practising skills, involvement of peers, family support, accessible facilities, proximity of location, better opportunities, skilled staff and information. Personal, social, environmental, and policy and programme-related barriers and facilitators influence the amount of activity children with disability undertake. The barriers to physical activity have been studied more comprehensively than the facilitators.

Two zinc-binding domains in the transporter AdcA from Streptococcus pyogenes facilitate high-affinity binding and fast transport of zinc.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Kun; Li, Nan; Wang, Hongcui; Cao, Xin; He, Jiaojiao; Zhang, Bing; He, Qing-Yu; Zhang, Gong; Sun, Xuesong

2018-04-20

Zinc is an essential metal in bacteria. One important bacterial zinc transporter is AdcA, and most bacteria possess AdcA homologs that are single-domain small proteins due to better efficiency of protein biogenesis. However, a double-domain AdcA with two zinc-binding sites is significantly overrepresented in Streptococcus species, many of which are major human pathogens. Using molecular simulation and experimental validations of AdcA from Streptococcus pyogenes , we found here that the two AdcA domains sequentially stabilize the structure upon zinc binding, indicating an organization required for both increased zinc affinity and transfer speed. This structural organization appears to endow Streptococcus species with distinct advantages in zinc-depleted environments, which would not be achieved by each single AdcA domain alone. This enhanced zinc transport mechanism sheds light on the significance of the evolution of the AdcA domain fusion, provides new insights into double-domain transporter proteins with two binding sites for the same ion, and indicates a potential target of antimicrobial drugs against pathogenic Streptococcus species. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Facilitated transport of hydrophilic salts by mixtures of anion and cation carriers and by ditopic carriers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chrisstoffels, L.A.J.; de Jong, Feike; Reinhoudt, David; Sivelli, Stefano; Gazzola, Licia; Casnati, Alessandro; Ungaro, Rocco

1999-01-01

Anion transfer to the membrane phase affects the extraction efficiency of salt transport by cation carriers 1 and 3. Addition of anion receptors 5 or 6 to cation carriers 1, 3, or 4 in the membrane phase enhances the transport of salts under conditions in which the cation carriers alone do not

Si Nanopores Development for External Control of Transport of Biomolecules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ileri, N.; Tringe, J.; Letant, S.; Palozoglu, A.; Stroeve, P.; Faller, R.

2008-01-01

Nazar Ileri has been involved in an independent, multidisciplinary effort to create a new class of molecular sieves for proteins and viruses. Her experimental work has been performed concurrently at two campuses, LLNL and UC Davis, while theoretical components have been largely accomplished at UC Davis. As will be described, the devices she is creating have great potential to improve very significantly the efficiency and selectivity of molecular transport over what is presently available from state-of-the-art membranes. Our biotechnology training program is based on an integrated study of the transport of biomolecules through conically-shaped, nanoporous silicon membranes. The overall objective of this effort is to demonstrate an efficient, highly selective membrane technology that is manufacturable for macroscopic areas and can be employed in sensing, diagnostic and biomedical applications. Our specific aims are to (1) fabricate and characterize the physical characteristics of the membranes, (2) to demonstrate their utility for molecular transport and separation, and (3) to develop models that will facilitate understanding of these devices as well as improved performance of the next generation of devices. We have proposed that the conical pores have superior performance characteristics compared to other porous filters. To study this hypothesis, complementary approaches from different disciplines, such as membrane synthesis, experiment, and molecular simulation need to be combined. This provides an ideal training environment for a future leader in biotechnology. Hence, for this study, Nazar Ileri has started to carry out a full range of experimental and theoretical investigations under our guidance. First, she has begun fabrication of filters with conical/pyramidal pores. She characterized the pores by AFM and SEM, and analyzed the images using wavelets and other mathematical tools. She has also started to conduct biomolecule transport experiments to compare the

Transcellular movement of hydroxyurea is mediated by specific solute carrier transporters

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Aisha L.; Franke, Ryan M.; Sparreboom, Alex; Ware, Russell E.

2015-01-01

Objective Hydroxyurea has proven laboratory and clinical therapeutic benefits for sickle cell anemia (SCA) and other diseases, yet many questions remain regarding its in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles. Previous reports suggest that hydroxyurea passively diffuses across cells, but its observed rapid absorption and distribution are more consistent with facilitated or active transport. We investigated the potential role of solute carrier (SLC) transporters in cellular uptake and accumulation of hydroxyurea. Materials and Methods Passive diffusion of hydroxyurea across cell membranes was determined using the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay. SLC transporter screens were conducted using in vitro intracellular drug accumulation and transcellular transport assays in cell lines and oocytes overexpressing SLC transporters. Gene expression of SLC transporters was measured by real-time PCR in human tissues and cell lines. Results Hydroxyurea had minimal diffusion across a lipid bilayer but was a substrate for 5 different SLC transporters belonging to the OCTN and OATP families of transporters and urea transporters A and B. Further characterization of hydroxyurea transport revealed that cellular uptake by OATP1B3 is time and temperature dependent and inhibited by known substrates of OATP1B3. Urea transporters A and B are expressed differentially in human tissues and erythroid cells, and transport hydroxyurea bidirectionally via facilitated diffusion. Conclusions These studies provide new insight into drug transport proteins that may be involved in the in vivo absorption, cellular distribution, and elimination of hydroxyurea. Elucidation of hydroxyurea transcellular movement should improve our understanding of its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and may help explain some of the inter-patient drug variability observed in patients with SCA. PMID:21256917

Golgi localized barley MTP8 proteins facilitate Mn transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedas, Pai Rosager; Schiller, Michaela; Hegelund, Josefine Nymark

2014-01-01

Many metabolic processes in plants are regulated by manganese (Mn) but limited information is available on the molecular mechanisms controlling cellular Mn homeostasis. In this study, a yeast assay was used to isolate and characterize two genes, MTP8.1 and MTP8.2 , which encode membrane...... in yeast, MTP8.1 and MTP8.2 were found to be Mn transporters catalysing Mn efflux in a similar manner as the Golgi localized endogenous yeast protein Pmr1p. The level of MTP8.1 transcripts in barley roots increased with external Mn supply ranging from deficiency to toxicity, while MTP8.2 transcripts...

Barriers and facilitators for vaginal breech births in Australia: Clinician's experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Catling, C; Petrovska, K; Watts, N; Bisits, A; Homer, C S E

2016-04-01

Since the Term Breech Trial in 2000, few Australian clinicians have been able to maintain their skills to facilitate vaginal breech births. The overwhelming majority of women with a breech presentation have been given one birth option, that is, caesarean section. The aim of this study was to explore clinician's experiences of caring for women when facilitating a vaginal breech birth. A descriptive exploratory design was undertaken. Nine clinicians (obstetricians and midwives) from two tertiary hospitals in Australia who regularly facilitate vaginal breech birth were interviewed. The interviews were analysed thematically. Participants were five obstetricians and four midwives. There were two overarching themes that arose from the data: Facilitation of and Barriers to vaginal breech birth. A number of sub-themes are described in the paper. In order to facilitate vaginal breech birth and ensure it is given as an option to women, it is necessary to educate, upskill and support colleagues to increase their confidence and abilities, carefully counsel and select suitable women, and approach the option in a calm, collaborative way. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Low Carbon Transport Scenarios for India

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shukla, P.R.; Dhar, Subash; Mittal, Shivika

2014-01-01

and local air quality that can be accrued by mainstreaming climate change polices into national sustainable development goals and sectoral plans are also estimated. There is no silver bullet that would enable the transition towards low carbon transport. An optimal mix of policies that includes fuel economy...... standards, modal shifts and cleaner energy supply is required to align climate and sustainable development goals in the long-term....... are delineated that would facilitate the sustainable low carbon transformation of India’s transport sector. The long term energy and emission trajectory of India’s transport sector is assessed under alternate scenarios using the integrated assessment modelling framework. Co-benefits like energy security...

Facilitated movement of inertial Brownian motors driven by a load under an asymmetric potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Bao-quan; Liu, Liang-gang

2007-10-01

Based on recent work [L. Machura, M. Kostur, P. Talkner, J. Luczka, and P. Hanggi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 040601 (2007)], we extend the study of inertial Brownian motors to the case of an asymmetric potential. It is found that some transport phenomena appear in the presence of an asymmetric potential. Within tailored parameter regimes, there exists two optimal values of the load at which the mean velocity takes its maximum, which means that a load can facilitate the transport in the two parameter regimes. In addition, the phenomenon of multiple current reversals can be observed when the load is increased.

Activity-Dependent Regulation of Surface Glucose Transporter-3

OpenAIRE

Ferreira, Jainne M.; Burnett, Arthur L.; Rameau, Gerald A.

2011-01-01

Glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) is the main facilitative glucose transporter in neurons. Glucose provides neurons with a critical energy source for neuronal activity. However, the mechanism by which neuronal activity controls glucose influx via GLUT3 is unknown. We investigated the influence of synaptic stimulation on GLUT3 surface expression and glucose import in primary cultured cortical and hippocampal neurons. Synaptic activity increased surface expression of GLUT3 leading to an elevation o...

Cellular fatty acid transport in heart and skeletal muscle as facilitated by proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luiken, J. J.; Schaap, F. G.; van Nieuwenhoven, F. A.; van der Vusse, G. J.; Bonen, A.; Glatz, J. F.

1999-01-01

Despite the importance of long-chain fatty acids (FA) as fuels for heart and skeletal muscles, the mechanism of their cellular uptake has not yet been clarified. There is dispute as to whether FA are taken up by the muscle cells via passive diffusion and/or carrier-mediated transport. Kinetic

Digital dissemination platform of transportation engineering education materials.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

National agencies have called for more widespread adoption of best practices in engineering education. To facilitate this sharing of practices we will develop a web-based system that will be used by transportation engineering educators to share curri...

Facilitated and selective oxidation of thiophenic sulfur compounds using MoOx/Al₂O₃-H₂O₂ system under ultrasonic irradiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, Azam; Omidkhah, Mohammadreza; Towfighi Darian, Jafar

2015-03-01

Oxidative desulfurization of thiophenic sulfur compounds of benzothiophene (BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) with MoOx/Al₂O₃ catalyst and H₂O₂ oxidant has been facilitated and more selective under ultrasonic irradiation. The catalyst with the optimum 10% of Mo loading consisted of isolated tetrahedral molybdenum oxide species based on FTIR analysis. The increase of Mo loading to 15% and 20% caused to generation of polymolybdate and MoO₃ crystals which decreased desulfurization activity. Sonication enhanced the apparent reaction rate constants in oxidation of all three sulfur compounds. An increase in the Arrhenius factor (A0), which is the total number of collisions per second, could explain the acceleration in the rate constants by sonication. The apparent activated energy (Ea) of BT oxidation was reduced from 96.6 to 75.3 kJ/mol by using ultrasound. This indicated that ultrasound had also a chemical effect, like a catalytic influence, in the acceleration of BT removal. DBT oxidation was reduced when investigated in the presence of tetralin, naphthalene and 2-methyl naphthalene as the model aromatic compounds of actual light oils. A higher selectivity toward DBT elimination in the presence of aromatics was obtained by sonication when compared with the silent treatment. Ultrasound cleaned the catalyst surface from adsorbed aromatics. On the basis of the obtained results, a mechanistic proposal for this desulfurization was explained. Oxidation was performed by nucleophilic attack of sulfur atom to the molybdenum peroxide species of tetrahedral molybdates, which was more advanced by sonication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composite Transport Model and Water and Solute Transport across Plant Roots: An Update.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yangmin X; Ranathunge, Kosala; Lee, Seulbi; Lee, Yejin; Lee, Deogbae; Sung, Jwakyung

2018-01-01

The present review examines recent experimental findings in root transport phenomena in terms of the composite transport model (CTM). It has been a well-accepted conceptual model to explain the complex water and solute flows across the root that has been related to the composite anatomical structure. There are three parallel pathways involved in the transport of water and solutes in roots - apoplast, symplast, and transcellular paths. The role of aquaporins (AQPs), which facilitate water flows through the transcellular path, and root apoplast is examined in terms of the CTM. The contribution of the plasma membrane bound AQPs for the overall water transport in the whole plant level was varying depending on the plant species, age of roots with varying developmental stages of apoplastic barriers, and driving forces (hydrostatic vs. osmotic). Many studies have demonstrated that the apoplastic barriers, such as Casparian bands in the primary anticlinal walls and suberin lamellae in the secondary cell walls, in the endo- and exodermis are not perfect barriers and unable to completely block the transport of water and some solute transport into the stele. Recent research on water and solute transport of roots with and without exodermis triggered the importance of the extension of conventional CTM adding resistances that arrange in series (epidermis, exodermis, mid-cortex, endodermis, and pericycle). The extension of the model may answer current questions about the applicability of CTM for composite water and solute transport of roots that contain complex anatomical structures with heterogeneous cell layers.

Diversity in the glucose transporter-4 gene (SLC2A4 in humans reflects the action of natural selection along the old-world primates evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Tarazona-Santos

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Glucose is an important source of energy for living organisms. In vertebrates it is ingested with the diet and transported into the cells by conserved mechanisms and molecules, such as the trans-membrane Glucose Transporters (GLUTs. Members of this family have tissue specific expression, biochemical properties and physiologic functions that together regulate glucose levels and distribution. GLUT4 -coded by SLC2A4 (17p13 is an insulin-sensitive transporter with a critical role in glucose homeostasis and diabetes pathogenesis, preferentially expressed in the adipose tissue, heart muscle and skeletal muscle. We tested the hypothesis that natural selection acted on SLC2A4. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We re-sequenced SLC2A4 and genotyped 104 SNPs along a approximately 1 Mb region flanking this gene in 102 ethnically diverse individuals. Across the studied populations (African, European, Asian and Latin-American, all the eight common SNPs are concentrated in the N-terminal region upstream of exon 7 ( approximately 3700 bp, while the C-terminal region downstream of intron 6 ( approximately 2600 bp harbors only 6 singletons, a pattern that is not compatible with neutrality for this part of the gene. Tests of neutrality based on comparative genomics suggest that: (1 episodes of natural selection (likely a selective sweep predating the coalescent of human lineages, within the last 25 million years, account for the observed reduced diversity downstream of intron 6 and, (2 the target of natural selection may not be in the SLC2A4 coding sequence. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the contrast in the pattern of genetic variation between the N-terminal and C-terminal regions are signatures of the action of natural selection and thus follow-up studies should investigate the functional importance of different regions of the SLC2A4 gene.

Lactate transport and receptor actions in cerebral malaria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mariga, Shelton T; Kolko, Miriam; Gjedde, Albert

2014-01-01

in order to identify therapeutic targets. Here, we argue that cerebral energy metabolic defects are probable etiological factors in CM pathogenesis, because malaria parasites consume large amounts of glucose metabolized mostly to lactate. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) mediate facilitated transfer...

Optimization of existing transport services – case study of the Niko Transport d.o.o. Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igor TRUPAC

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The operational efficiency of the transport-logistics chains is affected by all actors involved: linear companies, port authorities, stevedores, forwarders, agents as well as of the level of integration of terminals and hinterland transportation modes. At the moment, only the company Niko Transport d.o.o. offers the intermodal way of transport in Slovenia. As for any other transportation problem, time window constraints and the availability of alternative routings of intermodal transport poses additional challenges.The new strategy of the company was named »We select green«. Its main goal is the same effect with lower pollution. They understand they are part of whole logistic chains for which it is typical to become more and more sensible to the demands that concerns the protection of the environment. That is also one of the priority strategies of the EU. Launched in the Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan, Green Corridors support today the EU's agenda towards decarbonising transport while emphasising the need for efficient logistics. The goal of the article is to present the business of the Niko Transport d.o.o. company on the UK market, the introduction of the multimodal transport, the approval of the Marco Polo project, the selection of courses and partners. A research of the students of the Caledonian University of Glasgow as a part of the project is also presented in the article.

Learning facilitating leadership

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Lauge Baungaard; Hansen, Mette Sanne

2016-01-01

This paper explains how engineering students at a Danish university acquired the necessary skills to become emergent facilitators of organisational development. The implications of this approach are discussed and related to relevant viewpoints and findings in the literature. The methodology deplo....... By connecting the literature, the authors’ and engineering students’ reflections on facilitator skills, this paper adds value to existing academic and practical discussions on learning facilitating leadership....

A new structural class of subtype-selective inhibitor of cloned excitatory amino acid transporter, EAAT2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Hermit, M B; Nielsen, B

2000-01-01

We have studied the pharmacological effects of (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazol-4-yl)propionic acid (AMPA) and the enantiomers of (RS)-2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-1,2, 5-thiadiazol-4-yl)propionic acid (TDPA) on cloned human excitatory amino acid transporter subtypes 1, 2 and 3 (EAAT1......-3) expressed in Cos-7 cells. Whereas AMPA and (R)-TDPA were both inactive as inhibitors of [3H]-(R)-aspartic acid uptake on all three EAAT subtypes, (S)-TDPA was shown to selectively inhibit uptake by EAAT2 with a potency equal to that of the endogenous ligand (S)-glutamic acid. (S)-TDPA thus represents a new...

The competitive advantage of a dual-transporter system.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Sagi; Kafri, Moshe; Carmi, Miri; Barkai, Naama

2011-12-09

Cells use transporters of different affinities to regulate nutrient influx. When nutrients are depleted, low-affinity transporters are replaced by high-affinity ones. High-affinity transporters are helpful when concentrations of nutrients are low, but the advantage of reducing their abundance when nutrients are abundant is less clear. When we eliminated such reduced production of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae high-affinity transporters for phosphate and zinc, the elapsed time from the initiation of the starvation program until the lack of nutrients limited growth was shortened, and recovery from starvation was delayed. The latter phenotype was rescued by constitutive activation of the starvation program. Dual-transporter systems appear to prolong preparation for starvation and to facilitate subsequent recovery, which may optimize sensing of nutrient depletion by integrating internal and external information about nutrient availability.

An Agent-Based Approach for a Smart Transport System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristian PEÑARANDA

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a proposal for a Smart Transport System which is an application that facilitates the interconnection between people (citizens, tourists and transport providers (Bus, metro, trains, trams, defining the services that everyone can request or offer. The system has been defined as a virtual organization where agents (representing actors of the transport system can enter or leave into the system consuming or offering services. Due to the fact that modern urban public transport is increasingly an important service used by citizens in current cities, the proposed system will improve the use of resources while also ensuring time flexible mobility solutions for citizens.

Transport device of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Takashi.

1976-01-01

Object: To provide a transport device of spent fuel particularly used in a fast breeder, which can enhance accessibility to travelling mechanism portions and exchangeability thereof to facilitate maintenance in the event of failure. Structure: On a travelling floor, which has a function to shield radioactive rays, extending in a direction of transporting spent fuel and being formed with a break passing through in a direction wall thickness, a travelling body is moved along the break. The travelling body has a support rod member mounted thereon, and the support rod member is moved within the break, the support rod member having a fuel support pocket suspended therefrom. (Furukawa, Y.)

A Decision Support System to Compare the Transportation Modes in Logistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eren Özceylan

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The selection of an optimal transportation mode is one of the most important factors in supply chain and logistic planning. Furthermore, the selection transportation mode is a complex, multi-criteria decision problem. The decision makers have to face and take attention with a lot of criteria; such as cost, quality, delivery time, safety, accessibility and etc while choosing the best mode. Under these criteria, there must be a selection between motorway, seaway, airway, pipeline, railway and also intermodal modes. Selection the transportation mode is very promising issue because it affects about 60-65 % of total logistic cake. There are some techniques which can be heuristics and logical approaches are used to reach the best option. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP which is one of the mathematical methods can be very useful in involving several decision makers with different conflicting objectives to arrive at a consensus decision. In this paper, the selection of an optimal transportation mode using an AHP-based model was evaluated for logistic activities. To solve this transportation mode selection problem, we developed a decision support system based AHP. By using the developed decision support system, the best transportation modes is determined and discussed.

Facile spray-coating process for the fabrication of tunable adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces with heterogeneous chemical compositions used for selective transportation of microdroplets with different volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Jing, Zhijiao; Zha, Fei; Yang, Yaoxia; Wang, Qingtao; Lei, Ziqiang

2014-06-11

In this paper, tunable adhesive superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces have been fabricated successfully by spraying ZnO nanoparticle (NP) suspensions onto desired substrates. We regulate the spray-coating process by changing the mass percentage of hydrophobic ZnO NPs (which were achieved by modifying hydrophilic ZnO NPs with stearic acid) in the hydrophobic/hydrophilic ZnO NP mixtures to control heterogeneous chemical composition of the ZnO surfaces. Thus, the water adhesion on the same superhydrophobic ZnO surface could be effectively tuned by controlling the surface chemical composition without altering the surface morphology. Compared with the conventional tunable adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces, on which there were only three different water sliding angle values: lower than 10°, 90° (the water droplet is firmly pinned on the surface at any tilted angles), and the value between the two ones, the water adhesion on the superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces has been tuned effectively, on which the sliding angle is controlled from 2 ± 1° to 9 ± 1°, 21 ± 2°, 39 ± 3°, and 90°. Accordingly, the adhesive force can be adjusted from extremely low (∼2.5 μN) to very high (∼111.6 μN). On the basis of the different adhesive forces of the tunable adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces, the selective transportation of microdroplets with different volumes was achieved, which has never been reported before. In addition, we demonstrated a proof of selective transportation of microdroplets with different volumes for application in the droplet-based microreactors via our tunable adhesive superhydrophobic surfaces for the quantitative detection of AgNO3 and NaOH. The results reported herein realize the selective transportation of microdroplets with different volumes and we believe that this method would potentially be used in many important applications, such as selective water droplet transportation, biomolecular quantitative detection and droplet-based biodetection.

Transport and error sensitivity in a heavy-ion recirculator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharp, W.M.; Barnard, J.J.; Yu, S.S.

1991-05-01

An envelope code has been developed to facilitate the design of a recirculating accelerator for a heavy-ion fusion reactor. A novel feature of the model is the treatment of the beam charge density as a Lagrangian fluid in the axial direction. Transport results for a preliminary recirculator design are presented, and sensitivity of the transport to errors in the magnet strength is discussed. 4 refs., 4 figs

PCR detection of groundwater bacteria associated with colloidal transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz-Perez, P.; Stetzenbach, L.D.; Alvarez, A.J.

1996-02-29

Colloidal transport may increase the amount of contaminant material than that which could be transported by water flow alone. The role of colloids in groundwater contaminant transport is complicated and may involve many different processes, including sorption of elements onto colloidal particles, coagulation/dissolution, adsorption onto solid surfaces, filtration, and migration. Bacteria are known to concentrate minerals and influence the transport of compounds in aqueous environments and may also serve as organic colloids, thereby influencing subsurface transport of radionuclides and other contaminants. The initial phase of the project consisted of assembling a list of bacteria capable of sequestering or facilitating mineral transport. The development and optimization of the PCR amplification assay for the detection of the organisms of interest, and the examination of regional groundwaters for those organisms, are presented for subsequent research.

PCR detection of groundwater bacteria associated with colloidal transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cruz-Perez, P.; Stetzenbach, L.D.; Alvarez, A.J.

1996-01-01

Colloidal transport may increase the amount of contaminant material than that which could be transported by water flow alone. The role of colloids in groundwater contaminant transport is complicated and may involve many different processes, including sorption of elements onto colloidal particles, coagulation/dissolution, adsorption onto solid surfaces, filtration, and migration. Bacteria are known to concentrate minerals and influence the transport of compounds in aqueous environments and may also serve as organic colloids, thereby influencing subsurface transport of radionuclides and other contaminants. The initial phase of the project consisted of assembling a list of bacteria capable of sequestering or facilitating mineral transport. The development and optimization of the PCR amplification assay for the detection of the organisms of interest, and the examination of regional groundwaters for those organisms, are presented for subsequent research

Calixarene-mediated liquid membrane transport of choline conjugates 3: The effect of handle variation on neurotransmitter transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, James L; Fujii, Ayu; Roshandel, Sahar; To, Cuong-Alexander; Schramm, Michael P

2017-07-01

Upper rim phosphonic acid functionalized calix[4]arene affects selective transport of multiple molecular payloads through a liquid membrane. The secret is in the attachment of a receptor-complementary handle to the payload. We find that the trimethylammonium ethylene group present in choline is one of several general handles for the transport of drug and drug-like species. Herein we compare the effect of handle variation against the transport of serotonin and dopamine. We find that several ionizable amine termini handles are sufficient for transport and identify two ideal candidates. Their performance is significantly enhanced in HEPES buffered solutions. This inquiry completes a series of 3 studies aimed at optimization of this strategy. In completion a new approach towards synthetic receptor mediated selective small molecule transport has emerged; future work in vesicular and cellular systems will follow. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Updated Site Scale Saturated Zone Ground Water Transport Model For Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

S. Kelkar; H. Viswanathan; A. Eddebbarrh; M. Ding; P. Reimus; B. Robinson; B. Arnold; A. Meijer

2006-01-01

The Yucca Mountain site scale saturated zone transport model has been revised to incorporate the updated flow model based on a hydrogeologic framework model using the latest lithology data, increased grid resolution that better resolves the geology within the model domain, updated Kd distributions for radionuclides of interest, and updated retardation factor distributions for colloid filtration. The resulting numerical transport model is used for performance assessment predictions of radionuclide transport and to guide future data collection and modeling activities. The transport model results are validated by comparing the model transport pathways with those derived from geochemical data, and by comparing the transit times from the repository footprint to the compliance boundary at the accessible environment with those derived from 14 C-based age estimates. The transport model includes the processes of advection, dispersion, fracture flow, matrix diffusion, sorption, and colloid-facilitated transport. The transport of sorbing radionuclides in the aqueous phase is modeled as a linear, equilibrium process using the Kd model. The colloid-facilitated transport of radionuclides is modeled using two approaches: the colloids with irreversibly embedded radionuclides undergo reversible filtration only, while the migration of radionuclides that reversibly sorb to colloids is modeled with modified values for sorption coefficient and matrix diffusion coefficients. Model breakthrough curves for various radionuclides at the compliance boundary are presented along with their sensitivity to various parameters

Information services in social networked transportation : governance and ITS.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-06-01

The purpose of this research seeks to understand the functions and the benefits of social : networked transportation (SNT), the processes that make SNT possible, and the institutional : innovations needed to facilitate those processes. First, this re...

Facilitating Peer Discourse to Support Third Graders' Comprehension of the News

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Michelle; Massad, Michael, Sr.

2014-01-01

This study explored how one third-grade teacher facilitated daily peer-led discussions around articles from a local newspaper. Two students were assigned to select and summarize an article, then lead a whole-class discussion with the teacher's help. The teacher differentially scaffolded engagement with newspaper articles, adaptively responding to…

GROUND TRANSPORTATION OF NUCLEAR PROPULSION STAGES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marjon, P. L.

1963-08-15

The results of studies on transportation problems associated with the development and testing of nuclear rocket powered space vehicles at the static test size are presented. Factors involved in selecting a transport mode are discussed. Radiation shutdown considerations and a conceptual transporter capable of handling test articles of foreseeable size are examined. (D.C.W.)

Head Teachers and Teachers as Pioneers in Facilitating Dyslexic Children in Primary Mainstream Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fahima Salman Jaka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study explores the perceptions of school heads and teachers in facilitating young dyslexic children in primary mainstream schools of Pakistan. Through purposive sampling, the researcher selected eight participants: Four primary school heads and four primary teachers from elite schools of Karachi. The research instrument selected for this study was in-depth interviews to get a deeper insight of school heads and teachers perceptions regarding the facilitation of dyslexic children. The findings revealed that children with dyslexia face many emotional and academic problems and only a few elite schools provide policy to facilitate them in mainstream education. Findings showed that some schools hired remedial teaching services or special education services and the school heads and primary teachers put in immense effort in preparing intervention plans and evaluation plans to suit individual and young dyslexic children needs. It was also suggested that positivity of the learning environment depends upon the teachers. The findings further disclosed that unlike the more developed nations, apart from a few elite schools in Pakistan, there is no importance paid to professional training related to dyslexia.

Mucolipin 1 positively regulates TLR7 responses in dendritic cells by facilitating RNA transportation to lysosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaobing; Saitoh, Shin-Ichiroh; Shibata, Takuma; Tanimura, Natsuko; Fukui, Ryutaro; Miyake, Kensuke

2015-02-01

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and TLR9 sense microbial single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and ssDNA in endolysosomes. Nucleic acid (NA)-sensing in endolysosomes is thought to be important for avoiding TLR7/9 responses to self-derived NAs. Aberrant self-derived NA transportation to endolysosomes predisposes to autoimmune diseases. To restrict NA-sensing in endolysosomes, TLR7/9 trafficking is tightly controlled by a multiple transmembrane protein Unc93B1. In contrast to TLR7/9 trafficking, little is known about a mechanism underlying NA transportation. We here show that Mucolipin 1 (Mcoln1), a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel gene family, has an important role in ssRNA trafficking into lysosomes. Mcoln1(-/-) dendritic cells (DCs) showed impaired TLR7 responses to ssRNA. A mucolipin agonist specifically enhanced TLR7 responses to ssRNAs. The channel activity of Mcoln1 is activated by a phospholipid phosphatidylinositol (3,5) bisphosphate (PtdIns(3,5)P2), which is generated by a class III lipid kinase PIKfyve. A PIKfyve inhibitor completely inhibited TLR7 responses to ssRNA in DCs. Confocal analyses showed that ssRNA transportation to lysosomes in DCs was impaired by PIKfyve inhibitor as well as by the lack of Mcoln1. Transportation of TLR9 ligands was also impaired by the PIKfyve inhibitor. These results demonstrate that the PtdIns(3,5)P2-Mcoln1 axis has an important role in ssRNA transportation into lysosomes in DCs. © The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Low-level radioactive waste technology: a selected, annotated bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fore, C.S.; Vaughan, N.D.; Hyder, L.K.

1980-10-01

This annotated bibliography of 447 references contains scientific, technical, economic, and regulatory information relevant to low-level radioactive waste technology. The bibliography focuses on environmental transport, disposal site, and waste treatment studies. The publication covers both domestic and foreign literature for the period 1952 to 1979. Major chapters selected are Chemical and Physical Aspects; Container Design and Performance; Disposal Site; Environmental Transport; General Studies and Reviews; Geology, Hydrology and Site Resources; Regulatory and Economic Aspects; Transportation Technology; Waste Production; and Waste Treatment. Specialized data fields have been incorporated into the data file to improve the ease and accuracy of locating pertinent references. Specific radionuclides for which data are presented are listed in the Measured Radionuclides field, and specific parameters which affect the migration of these radionuclides are presented in the Measured Parameters field. In addition, each document referenced in this bibliography has been assigned a relevance number to facilitate sorting the documents according to their pertinence to low-level radioactive waste technology. The documents are rated 1, 2, 3, or 4, with 1 indicating direct applicability to low-level radioactive waste technology and 4 indicating that a considerable amount of interpretation is required for the information presented to be applied. The references within each chapter are arranged alphabetically by leading author, corporate affiliation, or title of the document. Indexes are provide for (1) author(s), (2) keywords, (3) subject category, (4) title, (5) geographic location, (6) measured parameters, (7) measured radionuclides, and (8) publication description

Low-level radioactive waste technology: a selected, annotated bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fore, C.S.; Vaughan, N.D.; Hyder, L.K.

1980-10-01

This annotated bibliography of 447 references contains scientific, technical, economic, and regulatory information relevant to low-level radioactive waste technology. The bibliography focuses on environmental transport, disposal site, and waste treatment studies. The publication covers both domestic and foreign literature for the period 1952 to 1979. Major chapters selected are Chemical and Physical Aspects; Container Design and Performance; Disposal Site; Environmental Transport; General Studies and Reviews; Geology, Hydrology and Site Resources; Regulatory and Economic Aspects; Transportation Technology; Waste Production; and Waste Treatment. Specialized data fields have been incorporated into the data file to improve the ease and accuracy of locating pertinent references. Specific radionuclides for which data are presented are listed in the Measured Radionuclides field, and specific parameters which affect the migration of these radionuclides are presented in the Measured Parameters field. In addition, each document referenced in this bibliography has been assigned a relevance number to facilitate sorting the documents according to their pertinence to low-level radioactive waste technology. The documents are rated 1, 2, 3, or 4, with 1 indicating direct applicability to low-level radioactive waste technology and 4 indicating that a considerable amount of interpretation is required for the information presented to be applied. The references within each chapter are arranged alphabetically by leading author, corporate affiliation, or title of the document. Indexes are provide for (1) author(s), (2) keywords, (3) subject category, (4) title, (5) geographic location, (6) measured parameters, (7) measured radionuclides, and (8) publication description.

Targeting Type 2 Diabetes with C-Glucosyl Dihydrochalcones as Selective Sodium Glucose Co-Transporter 2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jesus, Ana R; Vila-Viçosa, Diogo; Machuqueiro, Miguel; Marques, Ana P; Dore, Timothy M; Rauter, Amélia P

2017-01-26

Inhibiting glucose reabsorption by sodium glucose co-transporter proteins (SGLTs) in the kidneys is a relatively new strategy for treating type 2 diabetes. Selective inhibition of SGLT2 over SGLT1 is critical for minimizing adverse side effects associated with SGLT1 inhibition. A library of C-glucosyl dihydrochalcones and their dihydrochalcone and chalcone precursors was synthesized and tested as SGLT1/SGLT2 inhibitors using a cell-based fluorescence assay of glucose uptake. The most potent inhibitors of SGLT2 (IC 50 = 9-23 nM) were considerably weaker inhibitors of SGLT1 (IC 50 = 10-19 μM). They showed no effect on the sodium independent GLUT family of glucose transporters, and the most potent ones were not acutely toxic to cultured cells. The interaction of a C-glucosyl dihydrochalcone with a POPC membrane was modeled computationally, providing evidence that it is not a pan-assay interference compound. These results point toward the discovery of structures that are potent and highly selective inhibitors of SGLT2.

Crew Transportation Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Zeitler, Pamela S. (Compiler); Mango, Edward J.

2013-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Commercial Crew Program (CCP) has been chartered to facilitate the development of a United States (U.S.) commercial crew space transportation capability with the goal of achieving safe, reliable, and cost effective access to and from low Earth orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as possible. Once the capability is matured and is available to the Government and other customers, NASA expects to purchase commercial services to meet its ISS crew rotation and emergency return objectives.

Humic acid facilitates the transport of ARS-labeled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in iron oxyhydroxide-coated sand

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dengjun; Bradford, Scott A.; Harvey, Ronald W.; Gao, Bin; Cang, Long; Zhou, Dongmei

2012-01-01

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHAP) have been widely used to remediate soil and wastewater contaminated with metals and radionuclides. However, our understanding of nHAP transport and fate is limited in natural environments that exhibit significant variability in solid and solution chemistry. The transport and retention kinetics of Alizarin red S (ARS)-labeled nHAP were investigated in water-saturated packed columns that encompassed a range of humic acid concentrations (HA, 0–10 mg L–1), fractional surface coverage of iron oxyhydroxide coatings on sand grains (λ, 0–0.75), and pH (6.0–10.5). HA was found to have a marked effect on the electrokinetic properties of ARS-nHAP, and on the transport and retention of ARS-nHAP in granular media. The transport of ARS-nHAP was found to increase with increasing HA concentration because of enhanced colloidal stability and the reduced aggregate size. When HA = 10 mg L–1, greater ARS-nHAP attachment occurred with increasing λ because of increased electrostatic attraction between negatively charged nanoparticles and positively charged iron oxyhydroxides, although alkaline conditions (pH 8.0 and 10.5) reversed the surface charge of the iron oxyhydroxides and therefore decreased deposition. The retention profiles of ARS-nHAP exhibited a hyperexponential shape for all test conditions, suggesting some unfavorable attachment conditions. Retarded breakthrough curves occurred in sands with iron oxyhydroxide coatings because of time-dependent occupation of favorable deposition sites. Consideration of the above effects is necessary to improve remediation efficiency of nHAP for metals and actinides in soils and subsurface environments.

Composite Transport Model and Water and Solute Transport across Plant Roots: An Update

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yangmin X. Kim

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The present review examines recent experimental findings in root transport phenomena in terms of the composite transport model (CTM. It has been a well-accepted conceptual model to explain the complex water and solute flows across the root that has been related to the composite anatomical structure. There are three parallel pathways involved in the transport of water and solutes in roots – apoplast, symplast, and transcellular paths. The role of aquaporins (AQPs, which facilitate water flows through the transcellular path, and root apoplast is examined in terms of the CTM. The contribution of the plasma membrane bound AQPs for the overall water transport in the whole plant level was varying depending on the plant species, age of roots with varying developmental stages of apoplastic barriers, and driving forces (hydrostatic vs. osmotic. Many studies have demonstrated that the apoplastic barriers, such as Casparian bands in the primary anticlinal walls and suberin lamellae in the secondary cell walls, in the endo- and exodermis are not perfect barriers and unable to completely block the transport of water and some solute transport into the stele. Recent research on water and solute transport of roots with and without exodermis triggered the importance of the extension of conventional CTM adding resistances that arrange in series (epidermis, exodermis, mid-cortex, endodermis, and pericycle. The extension of the model may answer current questions about the applicability of CTM for composite water and solute transport of roots that contain complex anatomical structures with heterogeneous cell layers.

The application of a selection of decision-making techniques by employees in a transport work environment in conjunction with their perceived decision-making success and practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theuns F.J. Oosthuizen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A lack of optimum selection and application of decision-making techniques, in conjunction with suitable decision-making practice and perception of employees in a transport work environment demands attention to improve overall performance. Although multiple decision-making techniques exist, five prevalent techniques were considered in this article, namely the Kepner-Tregoe, Delphi, stepladder, nominal group and brainstorming techniques. A descriptive research design was followed, using an empirical survey which was conducted among 210 workers employed in a transport work environment and studying in the field of transport management. The purpose was to establish to what extent the five decision-making techniques are used in their work environment and furthermore how the decision-making practice of using gut-feel and/or a step-by-step decision-making process and their perception of their decision-making success relate. The research confirmed that the use of decision-making techniques is correlated to perceived decision-making success. Furthermore, the Kepner-Tregoe, stepladder, Delphi and brainstorming techniques are associated with a step-by-step decision-making process. No significant association was confirmed between the use of gut-feel and decision-making techniques. Brainstorming was found to be the technique most frequently used by transport employees; however, it has limitations as a comprehensive decision-making technique. Employees working in a transport work environment need training in order to select and use the four comprehensive decision-making techniques.

Transport proteins of parasitic protists and their role in nutrient salvage.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Paul; Major, Peter; Nakjang, Sirintra; Hirt, Robert P; Embley, T Martin

2014-01-01

The loss of key biosynthetic pathways is a common feature of important parasitic protists, making them heavily dependent on scavenging nutrients from their hosts. This is often mediated by specialized transporter proteins that ensure the nutritional requirements of the parasite are met. Over the past decade, the completion of several parasite genome projects has facilitated the identification of parasite transporter proteins. This has been complemented by functional characterization of individual transporters along with investigations into their importance for parasite survival. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on transporters from parasitic protists and highlight commonalities and differences in the transporter repertoires of different parasitic species, with particular focus on characterized transporters that act at the host-pathogen interface.

Strategies to overcome obstacles in the facilitation of critical thinking in nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangena, Agnes; Chabeli, Mary M

2005-05-01

This paper seeks to describe strategies that can be used to overcome obstacles in the facilitation of critical thinking in nursing education. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used to conduct the research in which fourth year basic comprehensive students and nurse educators volunteered to take part in the study by signing an informed consent. The participants were purposively selected. Focus group interviews were used to collect data from both groups. Tesch's descriptive method of open coding described in (Creswell, J. 1994. Qualitative and quantitative approach. Sage, London.) was used to analyse data. (Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, 1998. Ethical standards for nurse researchers. Denosa, Pretoria) ethical standards for research were observed to maintain the standard and quality of the research. (Lincoln, Y.S., Guba, E.G. 1985. Naturalistic inquiry. Sage, London.) framework was used to ensure trustworthiness of the study. The following obstacles were identified and recontextualised within the existing literature to be able to describe the strategies to overcome the identified obstacles to the facilitation of critical thinking of students: the educators' lack of knowledge; use of teaching and assessment methods that do not facilitate critical thinking of learners; the negative attitudes of educators and their resistance to change; inappropriate selection process and poor educational background that did not facilitate critical thinking of students; inadequate socialisation, cultural and instructional language incompetence. Findings indicated that there is a need for nurse educators to model critical thinking in all aspects of nursing education. It is recommended that there be a whole paradigm shift in nursing education from the traditional teacher-centred methods to a more learner-centred approach that will facilitate critical thinking of student nurses.

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 1. Guideline approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-05-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. This volume includes specific recommendations for decision-making managers and site operators on how to use these guidelines. The more detailed discussions about the code selection approach are provided. 242 refs., 6 figs.

Guidelines for selecting codes for ground-water transport modeling of low-level waste burial sites. Volume 1. Guideline approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, C.S.; Cole, C.R.

1985-05-01

This document was written for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program to provide guidance for managers and site operators who need to select ground-water transport codes for assessing shallow-land burial site performance. The guidance given in this report also serves the needs of applications-oriented users who work under the direction of a manager or site operator. The guidelines are published in two volumes designed to support the needs of users having different technical backgrounds. An executive summary, published separately, gives managers and site operators an overview of the main guideline report. This volume includes specific recommendations for decision-making managers and site operators on how to use these guidelines. The more detailed discussions about the code selection approach are provided. 242 refs., 6 figs

Interplay between toxin transport and flotillin localization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pust, Sascha; Dyve, Anne Berit; Torgersen, Maria L

2010-01-01

The flotillin proteins are localized in lipid domains at the plasma membrane as well as in intracellular compartments. In the present study, we examined the importance of flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 for the uptake and transport of the bacterial Shiga toxin (Stx) and the plant toxin ricin and we...... for flotillin-1 or -2. However, the Golgi-dependent sulfation of both toxins was significantly reduced in flotillin knockdown cells. Interestingly, when the transport of ricin to the ER was investigated, we obtained an increased mannosylation of ricin in flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 knockdown cells. The toxicity...... of both toxins was twofold increased in flotillin-depleted cells. Since BFA (Brefeldin A) inhibits the toxicity even in flotillin knockdown cells, the retrograde toxin transport is apparently still Golgi-dependent. Thus, flotillin proteins regulate and facilitate the retrograde transport of Stx and ricin....

GGVS. Ordinance on road transport of hazardous materials, including the European agreement on international road transport of hazardous materials (ADR), in their wording. Annexes A and B. Ordinances regarding exceptions from GGVS and from the ordinance on rail transport of hazardous materials, GGVE. Reasons. Selected guidelines. List of materials. 6. rev. and enlarged ed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ridder, K.

1990-01-01

The brochure contains the following texts: (1) Ordinance on road transport of hazardous materials (GGVS), including the European agreement on international road transport of hazardous materials (ADR), as of 1990: Skeleton ordinance, annexes A and B, reasons given for the first version, and for the first amendment in 1988, execution guidelines - RS 002 (guidelines for executing the ordinance on road transport of hazardous materials, with catalogue of penalties), guidelines for drawing up written instructions for the event of accidents - RS 006, guiding principles for the training of vehicle conductors; (2) ordinance regarding exceptions from the ordinance on road transport of hazardous materials; (3) ordinance regarding exceptions from the ordinance on rail transport of hazardous materials; (4) selected guidelines: Technical guidelines TR IBC K 001, TRS 003, TRS 004, TRS 005, TRS 006; (5) listing of materials and objects governed by the ordinance on hazardous materials transport; (6) catalogue of penalties relative to road transport of hazardous materials. (orig./HP) [de

Emission of volatile organic compounds from petunia flowers is facilitated by an ABC transporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Adebesin, Funmilayo; Widhalm, Joshua R; Boachon, Benoît; Lefèvre, François; Pierman, Baptiste; Lynch, Joseph H; Alam, Iftekhar; Junqueira, Bruna; Benke, Ryan; Ray, Shaunak; Porter, Justin A; Yanagisawa, Makoto; Wetzstein, Hazel Y; Morgan, John A; Boutry, Marc; Schuurink, Robert C; Dudareva, Natalia

2017-06-30

Plants synthesize a diversity of volatile molecules that are important for reproduction and defense, serve as practical products for humans, and influence atmospheric chemistry and climate. Despite progress in deciphering plant volatile biosynthesis, their release from the cell has been poorly understood. The default assumption has been that volatiles passively diffuse out of cells. By characterization of a Petunia hybrida adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, PhABCG1, we demonstrate that passage of volatiles across the plasma membrane relies on active transport. PhABCG1 down-regulation by RNA interference results in decreased emission of volatiles, which accumulate to toxic levels in the plasma membrane. This study provides direct proof of a biologically mediated mechanism of volatile emission. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Transport and Environment 2011. Selected indicators for the transport sector; Samferdsel og miljoe 2011. Utvalgte indikatorer for samferdselssektoren

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunvoll, Frode; Monsrud, Jan

2011-06-15

This report contains statistics and indicators for the transport sector that show the relationships between the environment and transport. Norwegian data are compared to international data. In 2008, the average daily per capita distance driven by passenger cars in Norway was 32.4 kilometres. Among the European countries, Italy had the longest daily per capita distance driven by passenger cars, 33.1 km. In 2009, the total transport demand of passenger cars in Norway was 58.3 billion passenger kilometres. This is well over ten times higher than in 1960. In 2008, the statistics show a decrease by 2 per cent in freight transport demand on road in the EU. The decrease continued with an additional decrease of 10 per cent in 2009. The financial crisis had a negative impact on the freight transport demand in Norway also, but not before 2009, when the production decreased at the same rate as in the EU. By the end of 2010, the vehicle fleet in Norway had increased to around 3.2 million, of which over 2.3 million were passenger cars. In 2009, there were 462 passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants in Norway. In Italy there were 606, the highest in Europe. By the end of 2010, the number of diesel passenger cars were a little over 807 000, which corresponded to 35 per cent of the total number of passenger cars. The number of gasoline driven passenger cars has decreased steadily from 2004. At the end of 2010, the average age of passenger cars in Norway was 10.5 years. Gasoline driven cars had an average age of 13.0 years and diesel cars only 5.9 years. A total of 98 662 passenger cars and vans were scrapped in 2010. The average age of scrapped passenger cars was 18.4 years. As of 31 December 2010, the length of public roads in Norway was 93 509 km, of which 381 km are motorways. This is by far the shortest motorway length in the Nordic countries. The length of railways in Norway is a little over 4 000 km. Fragmentation of areas due to the expansion of transport infrastructure and

Evolutionary ancestry and novel functions of the mammalian glucose transporter (GLUT) family.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson-O'Brien, Amy L; Patron, Nicola; Rogers, Suzanne

2010-05-21

In general, sugar porters function by proton-coupled symport or facilitative transport modes. Symporters, coupled to electrochemical energy, transport nutrients against a substrate gradient. Facilitative carriers transport sugars along a concentration gradient, thus transport is dependent upon extracellular nutrient levels. Across bacteria, fungi, unicellular non-vertebrates and plants, proton-coupled hexose symport is a crucial process supplying energy under conditions of nutrient flux. In mammals it has been assumed that evolution of whole body regulatory mechanisms would eliminate this need. To determine whether any isoforms bearing this function might be conserved in mammals, we investigated the relationship between the transporters of animals and the proton-coupled hexose symporters found in other species. We took a comparative genomic approach and have performed the first comprehensive and statistically supported phylogenetic analysis of all mammalian glucose transporter (GLUT) isoforms. Our data reveals the mammalian GLUT proteins segregate into five distinct classes. This evolutionary ancestry gives insight to structure, function and transport mechanisms within the groups. Combined with biological assays, we present novel evidence that, in response to changing nutrient availability and environmental pH, proton-coupled, active glucose symport function is maintained in mammalian cells. The analyses show the ancestry, evolutionary conservation and biological importance of the GLUT classes. These findings significantly extend our understanding of the evolution of mammalian glucose transport systems. They also reveal that mammals may have conserved an adaptive response to nutrient demand that would have important physiological implications to cell survival and growth.

Safety Standard for Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems: Guidelines for Hydrogen System Design, Materials Selection, Operations, Storage and Transportation. Revision

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

The NASA Safety Standard, which establishes a uniform process for hydrogen system design, materials selection, operation, storage, and transportation, is presented. The guidelines include suggestions for safely storing, handling, and using hydrogen in gaseous (GH2), liquid (LH2), or slush (SLH2) form whether used as a propellant or non-propellant. The handbook contains 9 chapters detailing properties and hazards, facility design, design of components, materials compatibility, detection, and transportation. Chapter 10 serves as a reference and the appendices contained therein include: assessment examples; scaling laws, explosions, blast effects, and fragmentation; codes, standards, and NASA directives; and relief devices along with a list of tables and figures, abbreviations, a glossary and an index for ease of use. The intent of the handbook is to provide enough information that it can be used alone, but at the same time, reference data sources that can provide much more detail if required.

Facilitating Group Decision-Making: Facilitator's Subjective Theories on Group Coordination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michaela Kolbe

2008-10-01

Full Text Available A key feature of group facilitation is motivating and coordinating people to perform their joint work. This paper focuses on group coordination which is a prerequisite to group effectiveness, especially in complex tasks. Decision-making in groups is a complex task that consequently needs to be coordinated by explicit rather than implicit coordination mechanisms. Based on the embedded definition that explicit coordination does not just happen but is purposely executed by individuals, we argue that individual coordination intentions and mechanisms should be taken into account. Thus far, the subjective perspective of coordination has been neglected in coordination theory, which is understandable given the difficulties in defining and measuring subjective aspects of group facilitation. We therefore conducted focused interviews with eight experts who either worked as senior managers or as experienced group facilitators and analysed their approaches to group coordination using methods of content analysis. Results show that these experts possess sophisticated mental representations of their coordination behaviour. These subjective coordination theories can be organised in terms of coordination schemes in which coordination-releasing situations are facilitated by special coordination mechanisms that, in turn, lead to the perception of specific consequences. We discuss the importance of these subjective coordination theories for effectively facilitating group decision-making and minimising process losses. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0901287

Barriers and facilitators to being physically active on a rural U.S. Northern Plains American Indian reservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Jahns, Lisa; McDonald, Leander R; Wadsworth, Ann; Morin, Charles; Liu, Yan

2014-11-21

The objective of the present study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of physical activity among American Indian adults living on a rural, U.S. Northern Plains reservation using the nominal group technique (NGT). NGT is a method of data generation and interpretation that combines aspects of qualitative (free generation of responses) and quantitative (systematic ranking of responses) methodologies. Adults participated in one of two NGT sessions asking about either barriers to (n = 6), or facilitators of (n = 5), being physically active. Participants nominated and ranked 21 barriers and 18 facilitators. Barriers indicated lack of knowledge of how to fit physical activity into a daily schedule, work, caring for family members, and prioritizing sedentary pursuits. Other responses included environmental barriers such as lack of access and transportation to a gym, unsafe walking conditions, and inclement weather. Facilitators to following recommendations included knowledge of health benefits of physical activity and the perception of physical activity as enjoyable, including feeling good when working out. Environmental facilitators included being outdoors walking and biking as well as parks and exercise facilities. Responses provided direction for locally designed community-based programs to promote facilitators and decrease barriers to individual's engagement in physical activity.

Highly Scalable Trip Grouping for Large Scale Collective Transportation Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gidofalvi, Gyozo; Pedersen, Torben Bach; Risch, Tore

2008-01-01

Transportation-related problems, like road congestion, parking, and pollution, are increasing in most cities. In order to reduce traffic, recent work has proposed methods for vehicle sharing, for example for sharing cabs by grouping "closeby" cab requests and thus minimizing transportation cost...... and utilizing cab space. However, the methods published so far do not scale to large data volumes, which is necessary to facilitate large-scale collective transportation systems, e.g., ride-sharing systems for large cities. This paper presents highly scalable trip grouping algorithms, which generalize previous...

Uranium facilitated transport by water-dispersible colloids in field and soil columns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crancon, P., E-mail: pierre.crancon@cea.fr [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Pili, E. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France); Charlet, L. [Laboratoire de Geophysique Interne et Tectonophysique (LGIT-OSUG), University of Grenoble-I, UMR5559-CNRS-UJF, BP53, 38041 Grenoble cedex 9 (France)

2010-04-01

The transport of uranium through a sandy podzolic soil has been investigated in the field and in column experiments. Field monitoring, numerous years after surface contamination by depleted uranium deposits, revealed a 20 cm deep uranium migration in soil. Uranium retention in soil is controlled by the < 50 {mu}m mixed humic and clayey coatings in the first 40 cm i.e. in the E horizon. Column experiments of uranium transport under various conditions were run using isotopic spiking. After 100 pore volumes elution, 60% of the total input uranium is retained in the first 2 cm of the column. Retardation factor of uranium on E horizon material ranges from 1300 (column) to 3000 (batch). In parallel to this slow uranium migration, we experimentally observed a fast elution related to humic colloids of about 1-5% of the total-uranium input, transferred at the mean porewater velocity through the soil column. In order to understand the effect of rain events, ionic strength of the input solution was sharply changed. Humic colloids are retarded when ionic strength increases, while a major mobilization of humic colloids and colloid-borne uranium occurs as ionic strength decreases. Isotopic spiking shows that both {sup 238}U initially present in the soil column and {sup 233}U brought by input solution are desorbed. The mobilization process observed experimentally after a drop of ionic strength may account for a rapid uranium migration in the field after a rainfall event, and for the significant uranium concentrations found in deep soil horizons and in groundwater, 1 km downstream from the pollution source.

Selected Topics on Mass Transport in Gas-solid Interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Somers, Marcel A.J.

2004-01-01

The present article is a short review containing examples of the role of mass transport in the solid state during gas-solid interactions. Examples are taken from the authors' research on the interaction of carbon and/or nitrogen with iron-based metals. Topics dealt with are diffusion-controlled d......The present article is a short review containing examples of the role of mass transport in the solid state during gas-solid interactions. Examples are taken from the authors' research on the interaction of carbon and/or nitrogen with iron-based metals. Topics dealt with are diffusion...... on the kinetics of phenomena in the solid state. Various experimental techniques were applied to investigate these phenomena; it is however beyond the scope of the present article to treat experimental conditions in detail. The interested reader is referred to the original work for in depth discussions...

Perceptions of transport corridors and intermodal transport - as ways to control the space of freight transport flows

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Leif Gjesing

2009-01-01

This paper presents empirical findings and results from a study conducted as a part of an INTERREG IIIB project on intermodal transport solutions and corridors in the North Sea Region (SUTRANET - Sustainable Transport Research & Development Network in the North Sea Region (Hansen et.al., 2007......; Kristiansen et.al., 2005 and http://www.sutranet.org/ ). The aim of the study has been to explore possibilities and barriers for the development of intermodal transport solutions in selected corridors in the North Sea Region. The North Sea Region is one among several regions appointed by the EU......-Commission to exemplify the operationalisation of the concept Motorways of the Sea (European Commission, 2004). The policies of promoting Motorways of the Sea is aiming at revitalise the short-sea-shipping within Europe as a transport industry, but also to relieve the heavily congested road network in central regions...

Designing Artificial Solid-Electrolyte Interphases for Single-Ion and High-Efficiency Transport in Batteries

KAUST Repository

Tu, Zhengyuan

2017-09-21

Substrates able to rectify transport of ions based on charge and/or size are ubiquitous in biological systems. Electrolytes and interphases that selectively transport electrochemically active ions are likewise of broad interest in all electrical energy storage technologies. In lithium-ion batteries, electrolytes with single- or near-single-ion conductivity reduce losses caused by ion polarization. In emergent lithium or sodium metal batteries, they maintain high conductivity at the anode and stabilize metal deposition by fundamental mechanisms. We report that 20- to 300-nm-thick, single-ion-conducting membranes deposited at the anode enable electrolytes with the highest combination of cation transference number, ionic conductivity, and electrochemical stability reported. By means of direct visualization we find that single-ion membranes also reduce dendritic deposition of Li in liquids. Galvanostatic measurements further show that the electrolytes facilitate long (3 mAh) recharge of full Li/LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) cells with high cathode loadings (3 mAh cm−2/19.9 mg cm−2) and at high current densities (3 mA cm−2).

76 FR 11554 - Fiscal Year 2010 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program Project Selections

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-02

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Fiscal Year 2010 Public Transportation... Interior for public transportation capital projects, operating costs and planning activities that are... authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users...

Riders on the storm: selective tidal movements facilitate the spawning migration of threatened delta smelt in the San Francisco Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, W.A.; Burau, Jon R.

2015-01-01

Migration strategies in estuarine fishes typically include behavioral adaptations for reducing energetic costs and mortality during travel to optimize reproductive success. The influence of tidal currents and water turbidity on individual movement behavior were investigated during the spawning migration of the threatened delta smelt, Hypomesus transpacificus, in the northern San Francisco Estuary, California, USA. Water current velocities and turbidity levels were measured concurrently with delta smelt occurrence at sites in the lower Sacramento River and San Joaquin River as turbidity increased due to first-flush winter rainstorms in January and December 2010. The presence/absence of fish at the shoal-channel interface and near the shoreline was quantified hourly over complete tidal cycles. Delta smelt were caught consistently at the shoal-channel interface during flood tides and near the shoreline during ebb tides in the turbid Sacramento River, but were rare in the clearer San Joaquin River. The apparent selective tidal movements by delta smelt would facilitate either maintaining position or moving upriver on flood tides, and minimizing advection down-estuary on ebb tides. These movements also may reflect responses to lateral gradients in water turbidity created by temporal lags in tidal velocities between the near-shore and mid-channel habitats. This migration strategy can minimize the energy spent swimming against strong river and tidal currents, as well as predation risks by remaining in turbid water. Selection pressure on individuals to remain in turbid water may underlie population-level observations suggesting that turbidity is a key habitat feature and cue initiating the delta smelt spawning migration.

77 FR 547 - Fiscal Year 2011 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program Project Selections

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-05

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Fiscal Year 2011 Public Transportation... 5311 (c), Public Transportation on Indian Reservations program funds in support of the Tribal Transit... for public transportation services on and around Indian reservations. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...

Current issues in the impacts of transport on health.

Science.gov (United States)

van Schalkwyk, M C I; Mindell, J S

2018-03-01

Transport affects health in many ways. Benefits include access to education, employment, goods, services and leisure, and opportunities for incorporating physical activity into daily living. There are major inequalities: benefits generally accrue to wealthier people and harms to the more deprived, nationally and globally. Health on the Move 2; Journal of Transport and Health. Benefits of travel for access and physical activity. Harms include health impacts of air and noise pollution; injuries and fatalities from falls or collisions; sedentary behaviour with motorized transport; community severance (barrier effect of busy roads and transport infrastructure); global climate change; impacts on inequalities; transport's role in facilitating spread of communicable diseases. Biofuels; cycle safety; driving by older people. Effects of default 20 mph speed limits; impacts of autonomous vehicles on health and inequalities.

Design evaluaion: pneumatic transport and classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNair, J.M.

1979-10-01

This report describes the evaluation of selected design features of the cold engineering scale pneumatic transport and classification subsystems used in the development of the head-end equipment for HTGR fuel reprocessing. The report identifies areas that require further design effort and evaluation of alternatives prior to the design of the HTGR reference recycle facility (HRRF). Seven areas in the transport subsystem and three in the classification subsystem were selected for evaluation. Seventeen specific recommendations are presented for further design effort

Plasma transport studies using transient techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonen, T.C.; Brower, D.L.; Efthimion, P.

1991-01-01

Selected topics from the Transient Transport sessions of the Transport Task Force Workshop, held February 19-23, 1990, in Hilton Head, South Carolina are summarized. Presentations on sawtooth propagation, ECH modulation, particle modulation, and H-mode transitions are included. The research results presented indicated a growing theoretical understanding and experimental sophistication in the application of transient techniques to transport studies. (Author)

STUDY ON PROJECTS CONTRACTED BY ROP - AXIS 2 PRIORITY - IMPROVING REGIONAL TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOCAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ceausescu Aurelian Ionut

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This axis priority is to increase the main purpose of accessibility regions, the population mobility, goods and services to stimulate sustainable economic. Investment in transport infrastructure to facilitate mobility of people and goods, reducing the costs of transport of goods and passengers, improving access to the regional markets, increase the efficiency of economic activities, energy saving and time, creating conditions for expanding trade and implicitly productive investment. Developing transport networks will facilitate the cooperation interregional and will contribute significantly to increase competitiveness of enterprises/firms and the labour mobility, and, therefore, a development faster to Romania on the whole, but also of each region. The development of urban transport network will take into account the existing structure of public transportation to ensure where possible, improve the infrastructure of roads, which will contribute to use in a more efficient way of public transportation. Rehabilitation and upgrading urban streets, and construction, rehabilitation and upgrading of roads to his belt (the status of county Road will contribute to urban improve traffic, cut on the time of transport, road and face elimination in their localities crossing safely.

Containers, facilitators, innovators?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Makkonen, Teemu; Merisalo, Maria; Inkinen, Tommi

2018-01-01

: are they containers, facilitators or innovators? This is investigated here through empirical material derived from 27 interviews with top departmental management in three Finnish cities (Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa). The results show that local city governments (LCGs) consider cities as facilitators of innovation...

78 FR 1301 - Fiscal Year 2012 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program Project Selections

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-08

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Fiscal Year 2012 Public Transportation... Affairs (BIA) in the U.S. Department of the Interior for public transportation. An additional $500,000 is... Fiscal Year 2013 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program, which: (1) Introduces FTA's...

Pulsatile Flow and Transport of Blood past a Cylinder: Basic Transport for an Artificial Lung.

Science.gov (United States)

Zierenberg, Jennifer R.

2005-11-01

The fluid mechanics and transport for flow of blood past a single cylinder is investigated using CFD. This work refers to an artificial lung in which oxygen travels through fibers oriented perpendicularly to the incoming blood flow. A pulsatile blood flow was considered: Ux=U0[ 1+A( φt ) ], where Ux is the velocity far from the cylinder. The Casson equation was used to describe the shear thinning and yield stress properties of blood. The presence of hemoglobin (i.e. facilitated diffusion) was considered. We examined the effect of A, U0 and φ on the flow and transport by varying the dimensionless parameters: A; Reynolds number, Re; and Womersley parameter, α. Two different feed gases were considered: pure O2 and air. The flow and concentration fields were computed for Re = 5, 10, and 40, 0 transport is found to primarily depend on Re and to increase with increasing Re, α and decreasing A. The presence of hemoglobin increases mass transport. Supported by NIH HL69420, NSF Fellowship

Experiences of practice facilitators working on the Improved Delivery of Cardiovascular Care project: Retrospective case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Liddy, Clare; Rowan, Margo; Valiquette-Tessier, Sophie-Claire; Drosinis, Paul; Crowe, Lois; Hogg, William

2018-01-01

To examine the barriers to and facilitators of practice facilitation experienced by participants in the Improving Delivery of Cardiovascular Care (IDOCC) project. Case studies of practice facilitators' narrative reports. Eastern Ontario. Primary care practices that participated in the IDOCC project. Cases were identified by calculating sum scores in order to determine practices' performance relative to their peers. Two case exemplars were selected that scored within ± 1 SD of the total mean score, and a qualitative analysis of practice facilitators' narrative reports was conducted using a 5-factor implementation framework to identify barriers and facilitators. Narratives were divided into 3 phases: planning, implementation, and sustainability. Barriers and facilitators fluctuated over the intervention's 3 phases. Site A reported more barriers (n = 47) than facilitators (n = 38), while site B reported a roughly equal number of barriers (n = 144) and facilitators (n = 136). In both sites, the most common barriers involved organizational and provider factors and the most common facilitators were associated with innovation and structural factors. Both practices encountered various barriers and facilitators throughout the IDOCC's 3 phases. The case studies reveal the complex interactions of these factors over time, and provide insight into the implementation of practice facilitation programs. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Implementation of transportation asset management in Grandview, Missouri : final report.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-02-01

The successful implementation of transportation asset management (TAM) by local governments facilitates the optimization of limited resources. The use of a data-driven TAM program helps to identify and prioritize needs, identify and dedicate resource...

Hypoxic tumor environments exhibit disrupted collagen I fibers and low macromolecular transport.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samata M Kakkad

Full Text Available Hypoxic tumor microenvironments result in an aggressive phenotype and resistance to therapy that lead to tumor progression, recurrence, and metastasis. While poor vascularization and the resultant inadequate drug delivery are known to contribute to drug resistance, the effect of hypoxia on molecular transport through the interstitium, and the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM in mediating this transport are unexplored. The dense mesh of fibers present in the ECM can especially influence the movement of macromolecules. Collagen 1 (Col1 fibers form a key component of the ECM in breast cancers. Here we characterized the influence of hypoxia on macromolecular transport in tumors, and the role of Col1 fibers in mediating this transport using an MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft model engineered to express red fluorescent protein under hypoxia. Magnetic resonance imaging of macromolecular transport was combined with second harmonic generation microscopy of Col1 fibers. Hypoxic tumor regions displayed significantly decreased Col1 fiber density and volume, as well as significantly lower macromolecular draining and pooling rates, than normoxic regions. Regions adjacent to severely hypoxic areas revealed higher deposition of Col1 fibers and increased macromolecular transport. These data suggest that Col1 fibers may facilitate macromolecular transport in tumors, and their reduction in hypoxic regions may reduce this transport. Decreased macromolecular transport in hypoxic regions may also contribute to poor drug delivery and tumor recurrence in hypoxic regions. High Col1 fiber density observed around hypoxic regions may facilitate the escape of aggressive cancer cells from hypoxic regions.

Transendothelial Transport and Its Role in Therapeutics

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Ravi Kant

2014-01-01

Present review paper highlights role of BBB in endothelial transport of various substances into the brain. More specifically, permeability functions of BBB in transendothelial transport of various substances such as metabolic fuels, ethanol, amino acids, proteins, peptides, lipids, vitamins, neurotransmitters, monocarbxylic acids, gases, water, and minerals in the peripheral circulation and into the brain have been widely explained. In addition, roles of various receptors, ATP powered pumps, channels, and transporters in transport of vital molecules in maintenance of homeostasis and normal body functions have been described in detail. Major role of integral membrane proteins, carriers, or transporters in drug transport is highlighted. Both diffusion and carrier mediated transport mechanisms which facilitate molecular trafficking through transcellular route to maintain influx and outflux of important nutrients and metabolic substances are elucidated. Present review paper aims to emphasize role of important transport systems with their recent advancements in CNS protection mainly for providing a rapid clinical aid to patients. This review also suggests requirement of new well-designed therapeutic strategies mainly potential techniques, appropriate drug formulations, and new transport systems for quick, easy, and safe delivery of drugs across blood brain barrier to save the life of tumor and virus infected patients. PMID:27355037

Transport and Deposition of Suspended Soil-Colloids in Saturated Sand Columns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, Anu; Kawamoto, Ken; Møldrup, Per

2011-01-01

Understanding colloid mobilization, transport and deposition in the subsurface is a prerequisite for predicting colloid‐facilitated transport of strongly adsorbing contaminants and further developing remedial activities. This study investigated the transport behavior of soil‐colloids extracted from...... caused tailing of colloid BTCs with higher reversible entrapment and release of colloids than high flow velocity. The finer Toyoura sand retained more colloids than the coarser Narita sand at low pH conditions. The deposition profile and particle size distribution of colloids in the Toyoura sand clearly...

76 FR 55886 - Selection Criteria-Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Associated With Medical Facilities...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-09

... applicants for funding from the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) for construction of Transportation... be passed through another Federal agency for implementation. Response: For direct OEA construction... accident (negative factor) of an existing or proposed transportation facility. Response: The commenter...

Content-based image retrieval: Color-selection exploited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broek, E.L. van den; Vuurpijl, L.G.; Kisters, P. M. F.; Schmid, J.C.M. von; Moens, M.F.; Busser, R. de; Hiemstra, D.; Kraaij, W.

2002-01-01

This research presents a new color selection interface that facilitates query-by-color in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). Existing CBIR color selection interfaces, are being judged as non-intuitive and difficult to use. Our interface copes with these problems of usability. It is based on 11

Content-Based Image Retrieval: Color-selection exploited

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moens, Marie-Francine; van den Broek, Egon; Vuurpijl, L.G.; de Brusser, Rik; Kisters, P.M.F.; Hiemstra, Djoerd; Kraaij, Wessel; von Schmid, J.C.M.

2002-01-01

This research presents a new color selection interface that facilitates query-by-color in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). Existing CBIR color selection interfaces, are being judged as non-intuitive and difficult to use. Our interface copes with these problems of usability. It is based on 11

Gibbs Free-Energy Gradient along the Path of Glucose Transport through Human Glucose Transporter 3.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Huiyun; Bourdon, Allen K; Chen, Liao Y; Phelix, Clyde F; Perry, George

2018-06-11

Fourteen glucose transporters (GLUTs) play essential roles in human physiology by facilitating glucose diffusion across the cell membrane. Due to its central role in the energy metabolism of the central nervous system, GLUT3 has been thoroughly investigated. However, the Gibbs free-energy gradient (what drives the facilitated diffusion of glucose) has not been mapped out along the transport path. Some fundamental questions remain. Here we present a molecular dynamics study of GLUT3 embedded in a lipid bilayer to quantify the free-energy profile along the entire transport path of attracting a β-d-glucose from the interstitium to the inside of GLUT3 and, from there, releasing it to the cytoplasm by Arrhenius thermal activation. From the free-energy profile, we elucidate the unique Michaelis-Menten characteristics of GLUT3, low K M and high V MAX , specifically suitable for neurons' high and constant demand of energy from their low-glucose environments. We compute GLUT3's binding free energy for β-d-glucose to be -4.6 kcal/mol in agreement with the experimental value of -4.4 kcal/mol ( K M = 1.4 mM). We also compute the hydration energy of β-d-glucose, -18.0 kcal/mol vs the experimental data, -17.8 kcal/mol. In this, we establish a dynamics-based connection from GLUT3's crystal structure to its cellular thermodynamics with quantitative accuracy. We predict equal Arrhenius barriers for glucose uptake and efflux through GLUT3 to be tested in future experiments.

Identifying and ranking the factors affecting entrepreneurial marketing to facilitate exports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Habibzadeh

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Small and medium enterprises (SMEs are believed the most important components of today’s businesses and they can boost the growth of economy. This paper presents an empirical investigation to identify and rank important factors influencing on entrepreneurial marketing to facilitate exports of SMEs. The study designs a questionnaire in Likert scale and distributes it among 387 randomly selected entrepreneurs who act as managers of some SMEs in city of Tehran, Iran. Cronbach alpha is calculated as 0.873, which is well above the acceptable level. Using principle component analysis, the study has determined four factors including competitive intelligence, competitive advantage, external factors and internal factors to facilitate the export of SMEs.

Uranium facilitated transport by water-dispersible colloids in field and soil columns

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crancon, P.; Pili, E. [CEA Bruyeres-le-Chatel, DIF, 91 (France); Charlet, L. [Univ Grenoble 1, Lab Geophys Interne and Tectonophys LGIT OSUG, CNRS, UJF, UMR5559, F-38041 Grenoble 9 (France)

2010-07-01

The transport of uranium through a sandy podsolic soil has been investigated in the field and in column experiments. Field monitoring, numerous years after surface contamination by depleted uranium deposits, revealed a 20 cm deep uranium migration in soil. Uranium retention in soil is controlled by the {<=} 50 {mu}m mixed humic and clayey coatings in the first 40 cm i.e. in the E horizon. Column experiments of uranium transport under various conditions were run using isotopic spiking. After 100 pore volumes elution, 60% of the total input uranium is retained in the first 2 cm of the column. Retardation factor of uranium on E horizon material ranges from 1300 (column) to 3000 (batch). In parallel to this slow uranium migration, we experimentally observed a fast elution related to humic colloids of about 1-5% of the total-uranium input, transferred at the mean pore-water velocity through the soil column. In order to understand the effect of rain events, ionic strength of the input solution was sharply changed. Humic colloids are retarded when ionic strength increases, while a major mobilization of humic colloids and colloid-borne uranium occurs as ionic strength decreases. Isotopic spiking shows that both {sup 238}U initially present in the soil column and {sup 233}U brought by input solution are desorbed. The mobilization process observed experimentally after a drop of ionic strength may account for a rapid uranium migration in the field after a rainfall event, and for the significant uranium concentrations found in deep soil horizons and in groundwater, 1 km downstream from the pollution source. (authors)

Ultrasound-facilitated transport of silver chloride (AgCl) particles in fish skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Frenkel, V; Kimmel, E; Iger, Y

2000-08-10

Electron-dense nano-particles in aqueous suspension were administered by immersion into the epidermis of fish using ultrasound in the therapeutic range. Enhanced permeability of the tissues to the particles was achieved by acoustic cavitation, which induced a controlled level of necrosis in the outer cell layers, and by non-cavitational exposures, which widened intercellular spaces of non-necrosed tissue in deeper regions of the epidermis. Both particle concentration and penetration depth were quantified using transmission electron microscopy. While cavitation-induced perforation was necessary for particles to penetrate into the tissues, non-cavitational exposures during immersions increased the particle flux towards the skin surface, as well as the diffusion rate of the particles within the epidermis and their depth of penetration. The technique described above may potentially be applied for non-stressful, mass-administration of substances into aquatic animals, as well as the relatively new field of ultrasound-facilitated delivery in moist epithelial tissues in humans.

Transport of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-07-01

The norm which establishes the requirements of radiation protection and safety related to the transport of radioactive materials, aiming to keep a suitable control level of eventual exposure of personnels, materials and environment of ionizing radiation, including: specifications on radioactive materials for transport, selection of package type; specification of requirements of the design and assays of acceptance of packages; disposal related to the transport; and liability and administrative requirements, are presented. This norm is applied to: truckage, water carriage and air service; design, fabrication, assays and mantenaince of packages; preparation, despatching, handling, loading storage in transition and reception in the ultimate storage of packages; and transport of void packages which have been contained radioactive materials. (M.C.K.) [pt

Barriers and facilitators to implementing continuous quality improvement programs in colonoscopy services: a mixed methods systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Candas, Bernard; Jobin, Gilles; Dubé, Catherine; Tousignant, Mario; Abdeljelil, Anis Ben; Grenier, Sonya; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre

2016-02-01

Continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs may result in quality of care and outcome improvement. However, the implementation of such programs has proven to be very challenging. This mixed methods systematic review identifies barriers and facilitators pertaining to the implementation of CQI programs in colonoscopy services and how they relate to endoscopists, nurses, managers, and patients. We developed a search strategy adapted to 15 databases. Studies had to report on the implementation of a CQI intervention and identified barriers or facilitators relating to any of the four groups of actors directly concerned by the provision of colonoscopies. The quality of the selected studies was assessed and findings were extracted, categorized, and synthesized using a generic extraction grid customized through an iterative process. We extracted 99 findings from the 15 selected publications. Although involving all actors is the most cited factor, the literature mainly focuses on the facilitators and barriers associated with the endoscopists' perspective. The most reported facilitators to CQI implementation are perception of feasibility, adoption of a formative approach, training and education, confidentiality, and assessing a limited number of quality indicators. Receptive attitudes, a sense of ownership and perceptions of positive impacts also facilitate the implementation. Finally, an organizational environment conducive to quality improvement has to be inclusive of all user groups, explicitly supportive, and provide appropriate resources. Our findings corroborate the current models of adoption of innovations. However, a significant knowledge gap remains with respect to barriers and facilitators pertaining to nurses, patients, and managers.

Chronic inhibition of dopamine β-hydroxylase facilitates behavioral responses to cocaine in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meriem Gaval-Cruz

Full Text Available The anti-alcoholism medication, disulfiram (Antabuse, decreases cocaine use in humans regardless of concurrent alcohol consumption and facilitates cocaine sensitization in rats, but the functional targets are unknown. Disulfiram inhibits dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH, the enzyme that converts dopamine (DA to norepinephrine (NE in noradrenergic neurons. The goal of this study was to test the effects of chronic genetic or pharmacological DBH inhibition on behavioral responses to cocaine using DBH knockout (Dbh -/- mice, disulfiram, and the selective DBH inhibitor, nepicastat. Locomotor activity was measured in control (Dbh +/- and Dbh -/- mice during a 5 day regimen of saline+saline, disulfiram+saline, nepicastat+saline, saline+cocaine, disulfiram+cocaine, or nepicastat+cocaine. After a 10 day withdrawal period, all groups were administered cocaine, and locomotor activity and stereotypy were measured. Drug-naïve Dbh -/- mice were hypersensitive to cocaine-induced locomotion and resembled cocaine-sensitized Dbh +/- mice. Chronic disulfiram administration facilitated cocaine-induced locomotion in some mice and induced stereotypy in others during the development of sensitization, while cocaine-induced stereotypy was evident in all nepicastat-treated mice. Cocaine-induced stereotypy was profoundly increased in the disulfiram+cocaine, nepicastat+cocaine, and nepicastat+saline groups upon cocaine challenge after withdrawal in Dbh +/- mice. Disulfiram or nepicastat treatment had no effect on behavioral responses to cocaine in Dbh -/- mice. These results demonstrate that chronic DBH inhibition facilitates behavioral responses to cocaine, although different methods of inhibition (genetic vs. non-selective inhibitor vs. selective inhibitor enhance qualitatively different cocaine-induced behaviors.

Chronic Inhibition of Dopamine β-Hydroxylase Facilitates Behavioral Responses to Cocaine in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Gaval-Cruz, Meriem; Liles, Larry Cameron; Iuvone, Paul Michael; Weinshenker, David

2012-01-01

The anti-alcoholism medication, disulfiram (Antabuse), decreases cocaine use in humans regardless of concurrent alcohol consumption and facilitates cocaine sensitization in rats, but the functional targets are unknown. Disulfiram inhibits dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), the enzyme that converts dopamine (DA) to norepinephrine (NE) in noradrenergic neurons. The goal of this study was to test the effects of chronic genetic or pharmacological DBH inhibition on behavioral responses to cocaine using DBH knockout (Dbh −/−) mice, disulfiram, and the selective DBH inhibitor, nepicastat. Locomotor activity was measured in control (Dbh +/−) and Dbh −/− mice during a 5 day regimen of saline+saline, disulfiram+saline, nepicastat+saline, saline+cocaine, disulfiram+cocaine, or nepicastat+cocaine. After a 10 day withdrawal period, all groups were administered cocaine, and locomotor activity and stereotypy were measured. Drug-naïve Dbh −/− mice were hypersensitive to cocaine-induced locomotion and resembled cocaine-sensitized Dbh +/− mice. Chronic disulfiram administration facilitated cocaine-induced locomotion in some mice and induced stereotypy in others during the development of sensitization, while cocaine-induced stereotypy was evident in all nepicastat-treated mice. Cocaine-induced stereotypy was profoundly increased in the disulfiram+cocaine, nepicastat+cocaine, and nepicastat+saline groups upon cocaine challenge after withdrawal in Dbh +/− mice. Disulfiram or nepicastat treatment had no effect on behavioral responses to cocaine in Dbh −/− mice. These results demonstrate that chronic DBH inhibition facilitates behavioral responses to cocaine, although different methods of inhibition (genetic vs. non-selective inhibitor vs. selective inhibitor) enhance qualitatively different cocaine-induced behaviors. PMID:23209785

Uranium facilitated transport by water-dispersible colloids in field and soil columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crancon, P.; Pili, E.; Charlet, L.

2010-01-01

The transport of uranium through a sandy podzolic soil has been investigated in the field and in column experiments. Field monitoring, numerous years after surface contamination by depleted uranium deposits, revealed a 20 cm deep uranium migration in soil. Uranium retention in soil is controlled by the 238 U initially present in the soil column and 233 U brought by input solution are desorbed. The mobilization process observed experimentally after a drop of ionic strength may account for a rapid uranium migration in the field after a rainfall event, and for the significant uranium concentrations found in deep soil horizons and in groundwater, 1 km downstream from the pollution source.

tran-SAS v1.0: a numerical model to compute catchment-scale hydrologic transport using StorAge Selection functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Benettin

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the tran-SAS package, which includes a set of codes to model solute transport and water residence times through a hydrological system. The model is based on a catchment-scale approach that aims at reproducing the integrated response of the system at one of its outlets. The codes are implemented in MATLAB and are meant to be easy to edit, so that users with minimal programming knowledge can adapt them to the desired application. The problem of large-scale solute transport has both theoretical and practical implications. On the one side, the ability to represent the ensemble of water flow trajectories through a heterogeneous system helps unraveling streamflow generation processes and allows us to make inferences on plant–water interactions. On the other side, transport models are a practical tool that can be used to estimate the persistence of solutes in the environment. The core of the package is based on the implementation of an age master equation (ME, which is solved using general StorAge Selection (SAS functions. The age ME is first converted into a set of ordinary differential equations, each addressing the transport of an individual precipitation input through the catchment, and then it is discretized using an explicit numerical scheme. Results show that the implementation is efficient and allows the model to run in short times. The numerical accuracy is critically evaluated and it is shown to be satisfactory in most cases of hydrologic interest. Additionally, a higher-order implementation is provided within the package to evaluate and, if necessary, to improve the numerical accuracy of the results. The codes can be used to model streamflow age and solute concentration, but a number of additional outputs can be obtained by editing the codes to further advance the ability to understand and model catchment transport processes.

tran-SAS v1.0: a numerical model to compute catchment-scale hydrologic transport using StorAge Selection functions

Science.gov (United States)

Benettin, Paolo; Bertuzzo, Enrico

2018-04-01

This paper presents the tran-SAS package, which includes a set of codes to model solute transport and water residence times through a hydrological system. The model is based on a catchment-scale approach that aims at reproducing the integrated response of the system at one of its outlets. The codes are implemented in MATLAB and are meant to be easy to edit, so that users with minimal programming knowledge can adapt them to the desired application. The problem of large-scale solute transport has both theoretical and practical implications. On the one side, the ability to represent the ensemble of water flow trajectories through a heterogeneous system helps unraveling streamflow generation processes and allows us to make inferences on plant-water interactions. On the other side, transport models are a practical tool that can be used to estimate the persistence of solutes in the environment. The core of the package is based on the implementation of an age master equation (ME), which is solved using general StorAge Selection (SAS) functions. The age ME is first converted into a set of ordinary differential equations, each addressing the transport of an individual precipitation input through the catchment, and then it is discretized using an explicit numerical scheme. Results show that the implementation is efficient and allows the model to run in short times. The numerical accuracy is critically evaluated and it is shown to be satisfactory in most cases of hydrologic interest. Additionally, a higher-order implementation is provided within the package to evaluate and, if necessary, to improve the numerical accuracy of the results. The codes can be used to model streamflow age and solute concentration, but a number of additional outputs can be obtained by editing the codes to further advance the ability to understand and model catchment transport processes.

Spin and tunneling dynamics in an asymmetrical double quantum dot with spin-orbit coupling: Selective spin transport device

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Madhav K.; Jha, Pradeep K.; Bhattacherjee, Aranya B.

2017-09-01

In this article, we study the spin and tunneling dynamics as a function of magnetic field in a one-dimensional GaAs double quantum dot with both the Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit coupling. In particular, we consider different spatial widths for the spin-up and spin-down electronic states. We find that the spin dynamics is a superposition of slow as well as fast Rabi oscillations. It is found that the Rashba interaction strength as well as the external magnetic field strongly modifies the slow Rabi oscillations which is particularly useful for implementing solid state selective spin transport device.

Plant–Water Relations (1): Uptake and Transport

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Summary Plants, like all living things, are mostly water. Water is the matrix of life, and its availability determines the distribution and productivity of plants on earth. Vascular plants evolved structures that enable them to transport water long distances with little input of energy, but the hollow tracheary elements are just one of many adaptations that enable plants to cope with a very dry atmosphere. This lecture examines the physical laws that govern water uptake and transport, the biological properties of cells and plant tissues that facilitate it, and the strategies that enable plants to survive in diverse environments

Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Kate L.; Panitchob, Nuttanont; Crocker, Ian P.; Please, Colin P.; Hanson, Mark A.; Sibley, Colin P.; Johnstone, Edward D.; Sengers, Bram G.; Lewis, Rohan M.; Glazier, Jocelyn D.

2015-01-01

Uptake of system L amino acid substrates into isolated placental plasma membrane vesicles in the absence of opposing side amino acid (zero-trans uptake) is incompatible with the concept of obligatory exchange, where influx of amino acid is coupled to efflux. We therefore hypothesized that system L amino acid exchange transporters are not fully obligatory and/or that amino acids are initially present inside the vesicles. To address this, we combined computational modeling with vesicle transport assays and transporter localization studies to investigate the mechanisms mediating [14C]l-serine (a system L substrate) transport into human placental microvillous plasma membrane (MVM) vesicles. The carrier model provided a quantitative framework to test the 2 hypotheses that l-serine transport occurs by either obligate exchange or nonobligate exchange coupled with facilitated transport (mixed transport model). The computational model could only account for experimental [14C]l-serine uptake data when the transporter was not exclusively in exchange mode, best described by the mixed transport model. MVM vesicle isolates contained endogenous amino acids allowing for potential contribution to zero-trans uptake. Both L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and LAT2 subtypes of system L were distributed to MVM, with l-serine transport attributed to LAT2. These findings suggest that exchange transporters do not function exclusively as obligate exchangers.—Widdows, K. L., Panitchob, N., Crocker, I. P., Please, C. P., Hanson, M. A., Sibley, C. P., Johnstone, E. D., Sengers, B. G., Lewis, R. M., Glazier, J. D. Integration of computational modeling with membrane transport studies reveals new insights into amino acid exchange transport mechanisms. PMID:25761365

Influence of selected variables on transport of plutonium to spores of Aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Au, F.H.F.; Beckert, W.F.

1975-01-01

Studies were carried out on the influences of different chemical forms and concentrations of Pu at two hydrogen ion concentrations of the culture medium on uptake and transport of 238 Pu to the spores of Aspergillus niger. Results indicated that Pu, when added to the culture medium as dioxide microspheres, nitrate, or citrate complex, was transported to the spores, and that an almost linear relationship existed between transport and concentration. Raising the pH of the culture medium from 2.5 to 5.5 generally increased transport of Pu to spores for all three chemical forms. At Pu concentrations of 224 pCi/g in the culture media, and for both pH 2.5 and 5.5, transport of Pu to spores was approximately three times as high from the nitrate or citrate form as from the dioxide microspheres. (auth)

Si Nanopores Development for External Control of Transport of Biomolecules

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ileri, N; Tringe, J; Letant, S; Palozoglu, A; Stroeve, P; Faller, R

2008-06-13

Nazar Ileri has been involved in an independent, multidisciplinary effort to create a new class of molecular sieves for proteins and viruses. Her experimental work has been performed concurrently at two campuses, LLNL and UC Davis, while theoretical components have been largely accomplished at UC Davis. As will be described, the devices she is creating have great potential to improve very significantly the efficiency and selectivity of molecular transport over what is presently available from state-of-the-art membranes. Our biotechnology training program is based on an integrated study of the transport of biomolecules through conically-shaped, nanoporous silicon membranes. The overall objective of this effort is to demonstrate an efficient, highly selective membrane technology that is manufacturable for macroscopic areas and can be employed in sensing, diagnostic and biomedical applications. Our specific aims are to (1) fabricate and characterize the physical characteristics of the membranes, (2) to demonstrate their utility for molecular transport and separation, and (3) to develop models that will facilitate understanding of these devices as well as improved performance of the next generation of devices. We have proposed that the conical pores have superior performance characteristics compared to other porous filters. To study this hypothesis, complementary approaches from different disciplines, such as membrane synthesis, experiment, and molecular simulation need to be combined. This provides an ideal training environment for a future leader in biotechnology. Hence, for this study, Nazar Ileri has started to carry out a full range of experimental and theoretical investigations under our guidance. First, she has begun fabrication of filters with conical/pyramidal pores. She characterized the pores by AFM and SEM, and analyzed the images using wavelets and other mathematical tools. She has also started to conduct biomolecule transport experiments to compare the

Synchromodal Transport Planning at a Logistics Service Provider

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mes, Martijn R.K.; Iacob, Maria Eugenia; Zijm, Henk; Klumpp, Matthias; Clausen, Uwe; ten Hompel, Michael

2016-01-01

In this chapter, we consider synchromodal planning of transport orders with the objective to minimize costs, delays, and CO2 emissions. Synchromodal planning is a form of multimodal planning in which the best possible combination of transport modes is selected for every transport order. The

A solution-processed binary cathode interfacial layer facilitates electron extraction for inverted polymer solar cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xinyuan; Li, Zhiqi; Liu, Chunyu; Guo, Jiaxin; Shen, Liang; Guo, Wenbin

2018-03-15

The charge transfer and separation are significantly affected by the electron properties of the interface between the electron-donor layer and the carrier-transporting layer in polymer solar cells (PSCs). In this study, we investigate the electron extraction mechanism of PSCs with a low temperature solution-processed ZnO/PEI as electron transport layer. The incorporation of PEI layer can decrease the work function of ZnO and reduce interfacial barrier, which facilitates electron extraction and suppresses bimolecular recombination, leading to a significant performance enhancement. Furthermore, PEI layer can induce phase separation and passivite inorganic surface trap states as well as shift the interfacial energy offset between metal oxide and organic materials. This work offers a simple and effective way to improve the charge transporting property of organic photovoltaic devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary ancestry and novel functions of the mammalian glucose transporter (GLUT family

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patron Nicola

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In general, sugar porters function by proton-coupled symport or facilitative transport modes. Symporters, coupled to electrochemical energy, transport nutrients against a substrate gradient. Facilitative carriers transport sugars along a concentration gradient, thus transport is dependent upon extracellular nutrient levels. Across bacteria, fungi, unicellular non-vertebrates and plants, proton-coupled hexose symport is a crucial process supplying energy under conditions of nutrient flux. In mammals it has been assumed that evolution of whole body regulatory mechanisms would eliminate this need. To determine whether any isoforms bearing this function might be conserved in mammals, we investigated the relationship between the transporters of animals and the proton-coupled hexose symporters found in other species. Results We took a comparative genomic approach and have performed the first comprehensive and statistically supported phylogenetic analysis of all mammalian glucose transporter (GLUT isoforms. Our data reveals the mammalian GLUT proteins segregate into five distinct classes. This evolutionary ancestry gives insight to structure, function and transport mechanisms within the groups. Combined with biological assays, we present novel evidence that, in response to changing nutrient availability and environmental pH, proton-coupled, active glucose symport function is maintained in mammalian cells. Conclusions The analyses show the ancestry, evolutionary conservation and biological importance of the GLUT classes. These findings significantly extend our understanding of the evolution of mammalian glucose transport systems. They also reveal that mammals may have conserved an adaptive response to nutrient demand that would have important physiological implications to cell survival and growth.

Energy Consumption of Fast Ferries in Danish Domestic Transport

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Morten Steen; Jørgensen, Kaj

1997-01-01

Analysis of energy consumption in connection with selected passenger transport trip chains. In particular the publication aims to evaluate the energy consumption of fast ferries in Denmark.......Analysis of energy consumption in connection with selected passenger transport trip chains. In particular the publication aims to evaluate the energy consumption of fast ferries in Denmark....

Cognitive implications of facilitating echoic persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Baldwin, Carryl L

2007-06-01

Seventeen participants performed a tone-pattern-matching task at different presentation levels while concurrently engaged in a simulated-driving task. Presentation levels of 60, 65, and 70 dBC (SPL) were combined factorially with tone-matching delays of 2, 3, and 4 sec. Intensity had no effect on performance in single-task conditions and short-delay conditions. However, when the participants were engaged concurrently in the driving task, a significant interaction between presentation level and delay was observed. In the longest delay condition, the participants performed the tone-pattern-matching task more efficiently (more quickly and without additional errors) as presentation intensity increased. These findings demonstrate the interaction between sensory and cognitive processes and point to a direct-intensity relationship where intensity affects the persistence of echoic memory. Implications for facilitating auditory processing and improving auditory interfaces in complex systems (i.e., transportation environments), particularly for older and hearing-impaired listeners, are discussed.

Sustainable transportation for tourism : indicators and standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

The overall project goal of guiding planning and management of transportation to serve the needs of : sustainable tourism focused on three tourism-related transportation contexts. The first context was : selected types of roads important to tourism i...

Sustainable transportation for tourism : green certification programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

The overall project goal of guiding planning and management of transportation to serve the needs of : sustainable tourism focused on three tourism-related transportation contexts. The first context was : selected types of roads important to tourism i...

Proposed draft standard ANS 11.18: recommendations to facilitate decontamination and decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, C.E.; LaGuardia, T.S.; Jones, J.W.

1981-01-01

The purpose of ANS Standard 11.18 is to recommend design guides to facilitate decontamination and eventual decommissioning of a remotely operated radioactive facility. This design guide contains generic recommendations to assist in the planning, selection and arrangement of equipment and materials, and the protection of surfaces to enhance system decontamination and disassembly

Antigenic Variation of TprK Facilitates Development of Secondary Syphilis

OpenAIRE

Reid, Tara B.; Molini, Barbara J.; Fernandez, Mark C.; Lukehart, Sheila A.

2014-01-01

Although primary syphilis lesions heal spontaneously, the infection is chronic, with subsequent clinical stages. Healing of the primary chancre occurs as antibodies against outer membrane antigens facilitate opsonophagocytosis of the bacteria by activated macrophages. TprK is an outer membrane protein that undergoes antigenic variation at 7 variable regions, and variants are selected by immune pressure. We hypothesized that individual TprK variants escape immune clearance and seed new dissemi...

Novice facilitators and the use of scripts for managing facilitated modelling workshops

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tavella, Elena; Papadopoulos, Thanos

2015-01-01

There is limited research on the use of scripts by novice facilitators (novices) in Facilitated Modelling (FM) workshops. To address this gap, this paper illustrates how novices—supported by scripts—switch between and combine facilitation skills and competencies to successfully manage FM workshops...... and achieve outcomes. This illustration is based on a micro-level analysis of a transcript from a Viable System Model workshop held in a food cooperative in Copenhagen, Denmark. Through our findings we identify two distinct script-supported FM behaviours and related script-supported facilitation practices...... that enable novices to (a) acquire skills and competencies; and (b) switch between and combine skills and competencies to successfully manage workshops and achieve outcomes. Our study links micro-level considerations to a meta-level framework that relates the script-supported FM behaviours and practices...

Facilitators and Barriers to Performing Activities and Participation in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Caregivers' Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Earde, Pinailug Tantilipikorn; Praipruk, Aina; Rodpradit, Phanlerd; Seanjumla, Parichad

2018-01-01

To investigate contextual factors that were facilitators and barriers to performing activity and participation for children with cerebral palsy from the caregivers' perspective. Qualitative in-depth interview with primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 12 years was conducted in the metropolitan area of Thailand. Semistructured questions related to environmental and personal factors were recorded. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for main themes on the basis of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health-Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY) classification. Twenty-seven caregivers participated. Facilitators were appropriateness of assistive devices, support and acceptance from family, friends, and society, health services, willingness, and self-acceptance. Barriers were inappropriate design and facilities, overprotection of family, nonacceptance from family, friends, and society, inconvenient transportation, financial problems, limited health services, limited access to education, frustration, and being an introvert. Contextual factors that can be facilitators and barriers to perform activities and participation should be considered for improving lives of children with cerebral palsy.

Elucidation of the glucose transport pathway in glucose transporter 4 via steered molecular dynamics simulations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aswathy Sheena

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: GLUT4 is a predominant insulin regulated glucose transporter expressed in major glucose disposal tissues such as adipocytes and muscles. Under the unstimulated state, GLUT4 resides within intracellular vesicles. Various stimuli such as insulin translocate this protein to the plasma membrane for glucose transport. In the absence of a crystal structure for GLUT4, very little is known about the mechanism of glucose transport by this protein. Earlier we proposed a homology model for GLUT4 and performed a conventional molecular dynamics study revealing the conformational rearrangements during glucose and ATP binding. However, this study could not explain the transport of glucose through the permeation tunnel. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To elucidate the molecular mechanism of glucose transport and its energetic, a steered molecular dynamics study (SMD was used. Glucose was pulled from the extracellular end of GLUT4 to the cytoplasm along the pathway using constant velocity pulling method. We identified several key residues within the tunnel that interact directly with either the backbone ring or the hydroxyl groups of glucose. A rotation of glucose molecule was seen near the sugar binding site facilitating the sugar recognition process at the QLS binding site. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study proposes a possible glucose transport pathway and aids the identification of several residues that make direct interactions with glucose during glucose transport. Mutational studies are required to further validate the observation made in this study.

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Exercise and Healthy Dietary Choices: A Study of Employees and Managers within a Large Transport Organisation

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson-Feilder, Emma; Lewis, Rachel; Pavey, Louisa; Jones, Bethan; Green, Melanie; Webster, Angela

2017-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine employees' perceived barriers and facilitators of physical activity and healthy dietary choices, and managers' perceptions of how best to facilitate physical activity and healthy dietary choices among their team members. Design: Single time-point survey with categorical and open-ended…

Barriers and Facilitators to Being Physically Active on a Rural U.S. Northern Plains American Indian Reservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Jahns

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of physical activity among American Indian adults living on a rural, U.S. Northern Plains reservation using the nominal group technique (NGT. NGT is a method of data generation and interpretation that combines aspects of qualitative (free generation of responses and quantitative (systematic ranking of responses methodologies. Adults participated in one of two NGT sessions asking about either barriers to (n = 6, or facilitators of (n = 5, being physically active. Participants nominated and ranked 21 barriers and 18 facilitators. Barriers indicated lack of knowledge of how to fit physical activity into a daily schedule, work, caring for family members, and prioritizing sedentary pursuits. Other responses included environmental barriers such as lack of access and transportation to a gym, unsafe walking conditions, and inclement weather. Facilitators to following recommendations included knowledge of health benefits of physical activity and the perception of physical activity as enjoyable, including feeling good when working out. Environmental facilitators included being outdoors walking and biking as well as parks and exercise facilities. Responses provided direction for locally designed community-based programs to promote facilitators and decrease barriers to individual’s engagement in physical activity.

Selective, electrochemical etching of a semiconductor

Science.gov (United States)

Dahal, Rajendra P.; Bhat, Ishwara B.; Chow, Tat-Sing

2018-03-20

Methods for facilitating fabricating semiconductor structures are provided which include: providing a multilayer structure including a semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer including a dopant and having an increased conductivity; selectively increasing, using electrochemical processing, porosity of the semiconductor layer, at least in part, the selectively increasing porosity utilizing the increased conductivity of the semiconductor layer; and removing, at least in part, the semiconductor layer with the selectively increased porosity from the multilayer structure. By way of example, the selectively increasing porosity may include selectively, anodically oxidizing, at least in part, the semiconductor layer of the multilayer structure.

A state-of-the-art review of transportation systems evaluation techniques relevant to air transportation, volume 1. [urban planning and urban transportation using decision theory

Science.gov (United States)

Haefner, L. E.

1975-01-01

Mathematical and philosophical approaches are presented for evaluation and implementation of ground and air transportation systems. Basic decision processes are examined that are used for cost analyses and planning (i.e, statistical decision theory, linear and dynamic programming, optimization, game theory). The effects on the environment and the community that a transportation system may have are discussed and modelled. Algorithmic structures are examined and selected bibliographic annotations are included. Transportation dynamic models were developed. Citizen participation in transportation projects (i.e, in Maryland and Massachusetts) is discussed. The relevance of the modelling and evaluation approaches to air transportation (i.e, airport planning) is examined in a case study in St. Louis, Missouri.

OPTIMIZATION METHODS IN TRANSPORTATION OF FOREST PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selçuk Gümüş

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Turkey has total of 21.2 million ha (27 % forest land. In this area, average 9 million m3 of logs and 5 million stere of fuel wood have been annually produced by the government forest enterprises. The total annual production is approximately 13million m3 Considering the fact that the costs of transporting forest products was about . 160 million TL in the year of 2006, the importance of optimizing the total costs in transportation can be better understood. Today, there is not common optimization method used at whole transportation problems. However, the decision makers select the most appropriate methods according to their aims.Comprehending of features and capacity of optimization methods is important for selecting of the most appropriate method. The evaluation of optimization methods that can be used at forest products transportation is aimed in this study.

Blockade of the high-affinity noradrenaline transporter (NET) by the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor escitalopram: an in vivo microdialysis study in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Hai T; Guiard, Bruno P; Bacq, Alexandre; David, Denis J; David, Indira; Quesseveur, Gaël; Gautron, Sophie; Sanchez, Connie; Gardier, Alain M

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Escitalopram, the S(+)-enantiomer of citalopram is the most selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor approved. Although all 5-HT selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase extracellular levels of 5-HT ([5-HT]ext). some also enhance, to a lesser extent, extracellular levels of noradrenaline ([NA]ext). However, the mechanisms by which SSRIs activate noradrenergic transmission in the brain remain to be determined. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH This study examined the effects of escitalopram, on both [5-HT]ext and [NA]ext in the frontal cortex (FCx) of freely moving wild-type (WT) and mutant mice lacking the 5-HT transporter (SERT−/−) by using intracerebral microdialysis. We explored the possibilities that escitalopram enhances [NA]ext, either by a direct mechanism involving the inhibition of the low- or high-affinity noradrenaline transporters, or by an indirect mechanism promoted by [5-HT]ext elevation. The forced swim test (FST) was used to investigate whether enhancing cortical [5-HT]ext and/or [NA]ext affected the antidepressant-like activity of escitalopram. KEY RESULTS In WT mice, a single systemic administration of escitalopram produced a significant increase in cortical [5-HT]ext and [NA]ext. As expected, escitalopram failed to increase cortical [5-HT]ext in SERT−/− mice, whereas its neurochemical effects on [NA]ext persisted in these mutants. In WT mice subjected to the FST, escitalopram increased swimming parameters without affecting climbing behaviour. Finally, escitalopram, at relevant concentrations, failed to inhibit cortical noradrenaline and 5-HT uptake mediated by low-affinity monoamine transporters. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These experiments suggest that escitalopram enhances, although moderately, cortical [NA]extin vivo by a direct mechanism involving the inhibition of the high-affinity noradrenaline transporter (NET). PMID:22233336

Photon transport in thin disordered slabs

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We examine using Monte Carlo simulations, photon transport in optically `thin' slabs whose thickness is only a few times the transport mean free path *, with particles of different scattering anisotropies. The confined geometry causes an auto-selection of only photons with looping paths to remain within the slab.

Impact of physician-less pediatric critical care transport: Making a decision on team composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawaguchi, Atsushi; Nielsen, Charlene C; Saunders, L Duncan; Yasui, Yutaka; de Caen, Allan

2018-06-01

To explore the impact of a physician non-accompanying pediatric critical care transport program, and to identify factors associated with the selection of specific transport team compositions. Children transported to a Canadian academic children's hospital were included. Two eras (Physician-accompanying Transport (PT)-era: 2000-07 when physicians commonly accompanied the transport team; and Physician-Less Transport (PLT)-era: 2010-15 when a physician non-accompanying team was increasingly used) were compared with respect to transport and PICU outcomes. Transport and patient characteristics for the PLT-era cohort were examined to identify factors associated with the selection of a physician accompanying team, with multivariable logistic regression with triage physicians as random effects. In the PLT-era (N=1177), compared to the PT-era (N=1490) the probability of PICU admission was significantly lower, and patient outcomes including mortality were not significantly different. Associations were noted between the selection of a physician non-accompanying team and specific transport characteristics. There was appreciable variability among the triage physicians for the selection of a physician non-accompanying team. No significant differences were observed with increasing use of a physician non-accompanying team. Selection of transport team compositions was influenced by clinical and system factors, but appreciable variation still remained among triage physicians. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.