Tomographic analysis of self-potential data in a seismic area of Southern Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lapenna, V; Piscitelli, S [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Tito, PZ (Italy). Ist. di Metodologie Avanzate di Analisi Ambientale; Patella, D [Naples Univ. Federico II, Naples (Italy). Dipt. di Scienze Fisiche

2000-04-01

The time and space anomalous behaviour of the self-potential (SP) field recorded in a seismic area of Southern Apennines (Italy) in the period June 1992-November 1994 are discussed. The SP data are modelled using a new tomographic method based on the search for similarities between the observed SP sequence and the surface signature of the electric field due to a scanning point source with unitary positive charge. The point scanner is ideally moved in a vertical cross-section through the profile and a regular 2D matrix of charge occurrence probability values is thus obtained. These values are used to image the state of electric polarization in the subsoil, compatible with the observed SP surface pattern. A selection of 2D tomographies across the profile is then discussed in order to outline the SP source geometry and dynamics within the faulted structure. Finally, the time pattern of the SP polarization state is compared with the local seismicity in the frame of the rock dilatancy-fluid diffusion theory. This comparison allows to exclude a direct relationship of the SP time behaviour with the seismic sequences which occurred in the area during the SP monitoring period.

Geotechnical Applications of the Self-Potential (SP) Method. Report 2. The Use of Self Potential to Detect Ground-Water Flow in Karst

Science.gov (United States)

1989-05-01

precipitation are major variables influencing SP data. An automated data collection system was devieed enc’used for:G v - taekeso JIA)-long-term...Researchers have used other geophysical techniques (electrical resis- tivity, seismic refraction, gravimetry , terrain conductivity, ground probing...artificial water injections (recharge) into sinkholes, dye trac- ing, and monitoring of soil temperature, precipitation , ground-water conduc- tivity, and

Correlation of Self Potential and Ground Magnetic Survey Techniques to Investigate Fluid Seepage in Archaeological site, Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, Kedah, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tajudeen O. Adeeko

2018-05-01

Full Text Available One of the substantial of geophysics is to investigate the subsurface condition of the earth (groundwater using appropriate geophysical techniques. In this research the correlation of self potential (SP and ground magnetic methods was used to investigate fluid seepage in Archaeological site, Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, Kedah, Malaysia. Self-potential method was used to determine flow of water, and Ground magnetic method was used to find object that can influence the result of self potential measurement and the aquifer depth, the lines were spread 0m ≤ x ≤ 9m, 0m ≤ y ≤ 30m with a trace intervals of 1.5m and 0.75m per electrode spacing respectively. The result display by Self Potential signals gives a clear understand that water flow from higher value (central towards the lower value which is mostly at the southwest part than other areas and distinct level of feasible flow at different part ranges from -30mV to +35mV,which are very related to seepage flow patterns, negative SP anomalies were related with subsurface seepage flow paths (recharge zone and positive SP anomalies were related with areas of seepage outflow (discharge zone; and Ground Magnetic signals shows good details of the buried materials with high magnetic values which was interpreted as baked clay bricks and low magnetic values indicate groundwater seepage with depth of 5m. Therefore, the two results have correlation significant at 0.8 which show good correlation in groundwater investigation in this study, which validates the results.

Self-potential monitoring of a crude oil contaminated site (Trecate, Italy): first results of the modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Giampaolo, V.; Rizzo, E.; Titov, K.; Maineult, A.; Lapenna, V.

2012-04-01

The contamination of soils and groundwater by hydrocarbon, due to blow out, leakage from tank or pipe and oil spill, is a heavy environmental problem because infiltrated oil can persist in the ground for a long time. The existing methods used for the remediation of these contaminated sites are invasive, time consuming and expensive. Therefore, in the last years, there was a growing interest in the use of geophysical methods for environmental monitoring (Atekwana et al., 2000; Chambers et al., 2004; Song et al., 2005; French et al., 2009). A particular attention is given to the self-potential (SP) method because SP is sensitive to the contaminant chemistry and redox processes generated by bacteria during the biodegradation (Atekwana et al., 2004; Naudet and Revil, 2005; Revil et al., 2010). Here we show the results of SP investigations carried out at Trecate site (Italy). This site was affected by a crude oil contamination from a well blowout in 1994. Four SP surveys (October 2009, March 2010, October 2010, and March 2011) were conducted at the site, both in the contaminated and uncontaminated regions. Significant changes are observed between SP data collected at different times. In particular, we found mostly negative electrical potential in October surveys and positive electrical potential in March surveys. The SP distributions can be interpreted as the superposition of many components, including a horizontal water-flow in the saturated shallow aquifer toward South-East, the infiltration movement of water in the unsaturated zone and, possibly, the oxidation-reduction phenomena due to bacterial activity. As the groundwater flow usually produces SP linear trends, the data were detrended by linear regression, taking into account the measured piezometric heads in the aquifer. The detrended SP data show that the SP distribution within the contaminated zone is generally bipolar in October: the southern part of the contaminated area is characterized by negative values

Modeling of self-potential anomalies near vertical dikes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitterman, D.V.

1983-01-01

The self-potential (SP) Green's function for an outcropping vertical dike is derived from solutions for the dc resistivity problem for the same geometry. The Green's functions are numerically integrated over rectangular source regions on the contacts between the dike and the surrounding material to obtain the SP anomaly. The analysis is valid for thermoelectrical source mechanisms. Two types of anomalies can be produced by this geometry. When the two source planes are polarized in opposite directions, a monopolar anomaly is produced. This corresponds to the thermoelectrical properties of the dike being in contrast with the surrounding material. When the thermoelectric coefficients change monotonically across the dike, a dipolar anomaly is produced. In either case positive and negative anomalies are possible, and the greatest variation in potential will occur in the most resistive regions. -Author

Implications of Self-Potential Distribution for Groundwater Flow System in a Nonvolcanic Mountain Slope

OpenAIRE

Goto, Tada-nori; Kondo, Kazuya; Ito, Rina; Esaki, Keisuke; Oouchi, Yasuo; Abe, Yutaka; Tsujimura, Maki

2012-01-01

Self-potential (SP) measurements were conducted at Mt. Tsukuba, Japan, which is a nonvolcanic mountain, to infer groundwater flow system in the mountain. Survey routes were set around the northern slope, and the reliability of observed SP anomaly was checked by using SP values along parallel survey routes; the error was almost within 10 mV. The FFT analysis of the spatial SP distribution allows us a separation of raw data into two components with shorter and longer wavelength. In the shorter ...

Enhancing Self-Practice/Self-Reflection (SP/SR) approach to cognitive behaviour training through the use of reflective blogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrand, Paul; Perry, Jon; Linsley, Sue

2010-07-01

Self-Practice/Self-Reflection (SP/SR) is increasingly beginning to feature as a central component of CBT training programmes (Bennett-Levy et al., 2001). Programmes including a reflective element, however, are not unproblematic and it has been documented that simply setting time aside for reflection does not necessarily result in trainees using such time to reflect. Such limitations may be overcome by including a requirement to post reflections on reflective blogs. To examine the effect that a requirement to contribute to a reflective blog had upon a SP/SR approach to CBT training. A focus group methodology was adopted with data analyzed using a general inductive qualitative approach. The requirement to use blogs to reflect upon the self-practice of CBT techniques enhanced SP/SR, established a learning community, and improved course supervision, although some technical difficulties arose. Consideration should be given towards using reflective blogs to support a SP/SR approach to CBT training. Benefits afforded by the use of reflective blogs further establish SP/SR as a valid and flexible training approach.

Using self-potential housing technique to model water seepage at the UNHAS housing Antang area

Science.gov (United States)

Syahruddin, Muhammad Hamzah

2017-01-01

The earth's surface has an electric potential that is known as self-potentiall (SP). One of the causes of the electrical potential at the earth's surface is water seepage into the ground. Electrical potential caused by water velocity seepage into the ground known as streaming potential. How to model water seepage into the ground at the housing Unhas Antang? This study was conducted to answer these questions. The self-potential measurements performed using a simple digital voltmeter Sanwa brand PC500 with a precision of 0.01 mV. While the coordinates of measurements points are self-potential using Global Positioning System. Mmeasurements results thus obtained are plotted using surfer image distribution self-potential housing Unhas Antang. The self-potential data housing Unhas Antang processed by Forward Modeling methods to get a model of water infiltration into the soil. Housing Unhas Antang self-potential has a value of 5 to 23 mV. Self-potential measurements carried out in the rainy season so it can be assumed that the measurement results caused by the velocity water seepage into the ground. The results of modeling the velocity water seepage from the surface to a depth of 3 meters was 2.4 cm/s to 0.2 cm /s. Modeling results showed that the velocity water seepage of the smaller with depth.

Tomographic analysis of self-potential data in a seismic area of Southern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Piscitelli

2000-06-01

Full Text Available The time and space anomalous behaviour of the Self-Potential (SP field recorded in a seismic area of Southern Apennines, Italy, is discussed. The SP data were collected in the period June 1992-November 1994 along a profile located north of the town of Potenza in the Basilicata region, Italy. The profile is perpendicular to an active fault system, where a W-E directed strike-slip structure has been identified from recent earthquakes. The SP data are modelled using a new tomographic method based on the search for similarities between the observed SP sequence and the surface signature of the electric field due to a scanning point source with unitary positive charge. The point scanner is ideally moved in a vertical cross-section through the profile and a regular 2D matrix of charge occurrence probability values is thus obtained. These values are used to image the state of electric polarization in the subsoil, compatible with the observed SP surface pattern. A selection of 2D tomographies across the profile is then discussed in order to outline the SP source geometry and dynamics within the faulted structure. Finally, the time pattern of the SP polarization state is compared with the local seismicity in the frame of the rock dilatancy-fluid diffusion theory. This comparison allows us to exclude a direct relationship of the SP time behaviour with the seismic sequences which occurred in the area during the SP monitoring period.

A least-squares minimisation approach to depth determination from numerical second horizontal self-potential anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelrahman, El-Sayed Mohamed; Soliman, Khalid; Essa, Khalid Sayed; Abo-Ezz, Eid Ragab; El-Araby, Tarek Mohamed

2009-06-01

This paper develops a least-squares minimisation approach to determine the depth of a buried structure from numerical second horizontal derivative anomalies obtained from self-potential (SP) data using filters of successive window lengths. The method is based on using a relationship between the depth and a combination of observations at symmetric points with respect to the coordinate of the projection of the centre of the source in the plane of the measurement points with a free parameter (graticule spacing). The problem of depth determination from second derivative SP anomalies has been transformed into the problem of finding a solution to a non-linear equation of the form f(z)=0. Formulas have been derived for horizontal cylinders, spheres, and vertical cylinders. Procedures are also formulated to determine the electric dipole moment and the polarization angle. The proposed method was tested on synthetic noisy and real SP data. In the case of the synthetic data, the least-squares method determined the correct depths of the sources. In the case of practical data (SP anomalies over a sulfide ore deposit, Sariyer, Turkey and over a Malachite Mine, Jefferson County, Colorado, USA), the estimated depths of the buried structures are in good agreement with the results obtained from drilling and surface geology.

Characterization of Fractured Reservoirs Using a Combination of Downhole Pressure and Self-Potential Transient Data

OpenAIRE

Yuji Nishi; Tsuneo Ishido

2012-01-01

In order to appraise the utility of self-potential (SP) measurements to characterize fractured reservoirs, we carried out continuous SP monitoring using multi Ag-AgCl electrodes installed within two open holes at the Kamaishi Mine, Japan. The observed ratio of SP change to pressure change associated with fluid flow showed different behaviors between intact host rock and fractured rock regions. Characteristic behavior peculiar to fractured reservoirs, which is predicted from numerical simulati...

Groundwater exploration by self-potential method; Shizen den`iho ni yoru chikasui tansa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onaru, I; Irie, S; Mizunaga, H; Ushijima, K [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-05-27

This paper describes results measured from the field experiments and data analysis of the groundwater exploration by self-potential method. The field survey was conducted in the vicinity of spring water source in the suburbs of Fukuoka City. For the field experiments, potential differences from the standard potential electrode set at the distance about 200 m were measured at multi-points, simultaneously. For the laboratory experiments, assuming that the groundwater flows in a permeable layer, streaming potential change was observed against the changes of flow rate and electrical conductivity. Thus, the generation of streaming potential was investigated. For the experiment using specimens obtained at the spring water source, the potential changed to negative and was stabilized in around -80 mV after 15 minutes. Numerical simulation was conducted by means of the three-dimensional finite difference method using parameters obtained from the laboratory experiments. From these results, the groundwater flow image could be obtained. It was also confirmed that the self-potential observed in the spring water source area was caused by the streaming potential. 11 refs., 9 figs.

The Self-Potential Anomaly Produced by a Subsurface Flow at the Contact of Two Horizontal Layers and Its Quantitative Interpretation

OpenAIRE

Skianis, Georgios Aim.

2012-01-01

In the present paper the problem of a polarized cylinder with a small cross-section, which is located at the contact of two horizontal layers with different resistivities, is studied. Such a polarization geometry simulates the self-potential (SP) field produced by a horizontal flow at the contact between the two layers. First, the expression of the self potential at the space domain is derived, applying the image technique. Then, the expression for the Fourier transform of the SP anomaly is f...

Streaming potential modeling in fractured rock: Insights into the identification of hydraulically active fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Roubinet, D.; Linde, N.; Jougnot, D.; Irving, J.

2016-05-01

Numerous field experiments suggest that the self-potential (SP) geophysical method may allow for the detection of hydraulically active fractures and provide information about fracture properties. However, a lack of suitable numerical tools for modeling streaming potentials in fractured media prevents quantitative interpretation and limits our understanding of how the SP method can be used in this regard. To address this issue, we present a highly efficient two-dimensional discrete-dual-porosity approach for solving the fluid flow and associated self-potential problems in fractured rock. Our approach is specifically designed for complex fracture networks that cannot be investigated using standard numerical methods. We then simulate SP signals associated with pumping conditions for a number of examples to show that (i) accounting for matrix fluid flow is essential for accurate SP modeling and (ii) the sensitivity of SP to hydraulically active fractures is intimately linked with fracture-matrix fluid interactions. This implies that fractures associated with strong SP amplitudes are likely to be hydraulically conductive, attracting fluid flow from the surrounding matrix.

Application of streaming potential method for detection of fractures in granitic rock. part 2; Kamaishi kozan ni okeru ryutai ryudo den`iho tekiyo shiken. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Negi, T; Yoneda, Y [Nittetsu Mining Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Senba, T [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-22

Streaming potential method has been applied in the Kamaishi Mine. In FY 1995, self-potential (SP) was monitored on the wall of gallery by varying the pressure in the well with open/close operation of the mouth of well having spring water, which was drilled from the gallery. It was confirmed that SP changes remarkably at the wall having a great number of fractures with spring water. It was considered that the change in SP is due to the streaming potential generated by the flowing underground water from the gallery side to the fractures in the well. In this paper, this continuity of the wall of gallery and the fractures in the well is estimated. In the present tests, SP changes were observed at walls of surrounding galleries by varying the pressure in the well with open/close operation of the mouth of borehole at various drilling depths during drilling of borehole. As a result, SP changes were observed at the wall of gallery when reaching to the depth with increased spring water. The results agreed well with the test results conducted at the same field in FY 1995. It was confirmed that the streaming potential method is a useful method for grasping the hydraulic continuity in the rocks. 2 refs., 9 figs.

Predicting Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Groundwater Boreholes Using Self-Potential Data

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, M.; MacAllister, D. J.; Jackson, M.; Vinogradov, J.; Butler, A. P.

2017-12-01

Many coastal groundwater abstraction wells are under threat from seawater intrusion: this is exacerbated in summer by low water tables and increased abstraction. Existing hydrochemistry or geophysical techniques often fail to predict the timing of intrusion events. We investigate whether the presence and transport of seawater can influence self-potentials (SPs) measured within groundwater boreholes, with the aim of using SP monitoring to provide early warning of saline intrusion. SP data collection: SP data were collected from a coastal groundwater borehole and an inland borehole (> 60 km from the coast) in the Seaford Chalk of southern England. The SP gradient in the inland borehole was approximately 0.05 mV/m, while that in the coastal borehole varied from 0.16-0.26 mV/m throughout the monitoring period. Spectral analysis showed that semi-diurnal fluctuations in the SP gradient were several orders of magnitude higher at the coast than inland, indicating a strong influence from oceanic tides. A characteristic decrease in the gradient, or precursor, was observed in the coastal borehole several days prior to seawater intrusion. Modelling results: Hydrodynamic transport and geoelectric modelling suggest that observed pressure changes (associated with the streaming potential) are insufficient to explain either the magnitude of the coastal SP gradient or the semi-diurnal SP fluctuations. By contrast, a model of the exclusion-diffusion potential closely matches these observations and produces a precursor similar to that observed in the field. Sensitivity analysis suggests that both a sharp saline front and spatial variations in the exclusion efficiency arising from aquifer heterogeneities are necessary to explain the SP gradient observed in the coastal borehole. The presence of the precursor in the model depends also on the presence and depth of fractures near the base of the borehole. Conclusions: Our results indicate that SP monitoring, combined with hydrodynamic

Self-potential anomalies in some Italian volcanic areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Silenziario

1996-06-01

Full Text Available The study of Self-Potential (SP space and time variations in volcanic areas may provide useful information on both the geometrical structure of the volcanic apparatuses and the dynamical behaviour of the feeding and uprising systems. In this paper, the results obtained on the islands of Vulcano (Eolian arc and Ponza (Pontine archipelago and on the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius complex are shown. On the island of Vulcano and on the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius apparatus areal SP surveys were performed with the aim of evidencing anomalies closely associated to the zones of major volcanic activity. On the island of Vulcano a profile across the fumaroles along the crater rim of the Fossa Cone was also carried out in order to have a direct relationship between fumarolic fracture migration and flow rate and SP anomaly space and time variations. The areal survey on the island of Ponza, which is considered an inactive area, is assumed as a reference test with which to compare the amplitude and pattern of the anomalies in the active areas. A tentative interpretation of the SP anomalies in volcanic areas is suggested in terms of electrokinetic phenomena, related to the movement of fluids of both volcanic and non-volcanic origin.

Quantification of self pollution from two diesel school buses using three independent methods

Science.gov (United States)

Sally Liu, L.-J.; Phuleria, Harish C.; Webber, Whitney; Davey, Mark; Lawson, Douglas R.; Ireson, Robert G.; Zielinska, Barbara; Ondov, John M.; Weaver, Christopher S.; Lapin, Charles A.; Easter, Michael; Hesterberg, Thomas W.; Larson, Timothy

2010-09-01

We monitored two Seattle school buses to quantify the buses' self pollution using the dual tracers (DT), lead vehicle (LV), and chemical mass balance (CMB) methods. Each bus drove along a residential route simulating stops, with windows closed or open. Particulate matter (PM) and its constituents were monitored in the bus and from a LV. We collected source samples from the tailpipe and crankcase emissions using an on-board dilution tunnel. Concentrations of PM 1, ultrafine particle counts, elemental and organic carbon (EC/OC) were higher on the bus than the LV. The DT method estimated that the tailpipe and the crankcase emissions contributed 1.1 and 6.8 μg m -3 of PM 2.5 inside the bus, respectively, with significantly higher crankcase self pollution (SP) when windows were closed. Approximately two-thirds of in-cabin PM 2.5 originated from background sources. Using the LV approach, SP estimates from the EC and the active personal DataRAM (pDR) measurements correlated well with the DT estimates for tailpipe and crankcase emissions, respectively, although both measurements need further calibration for accurate quantification. CMB results overestimated SP from the DT method but confirmed crankcase emissions as the major SP source. We confirmed buses' SP using three independent methods and quantified crankcase emissions as the dominant contributor.

Self-potential and Complex Conductivity Monitoring of In Situ Hydrocarbon Remediation in Microbial Fuel Cell

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Revil, A.; Ren, Z.; Karaoulis, M.; Mendonca, C. A.

2013-12-01

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination of soil and groundwater in both non-aqueous phase liquid and dissolved forms generated from spills and leaks is a wide spread environmental issue. Traditional cleanup of hydrocarbon contamination in soils and ground water using physical, chemical, and biological remedial techniques is often expensive and ineffective. Recent studies show that the microbial fuel cell (MFC) can simultaneously enhance biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater and yield electricity. Non-invasive geophysical techniques such as self-potential (SP) and complex conductivity (induced polarization) have shown the potential to detect and characterize the nature of electron transport mechanism of in situ bioremediation of organic contamination plumes. In this study, we deployed both SP and complex conductivity in lab scale MFCs to monitor time-laps geophysical response of degradation of hydrocarbons by MFC. Two different sizes of MFC reactors were used in this study (DI=15 cm cylinder reactor and 94.5cm x 43.5 cm rectangle reactor), and the initial hydrocarbon concentration is 15 g diesel/kg soil. SP and complex conductivity measurements were measured using non-polarizing Ag/AgCl electrodes. Sensitivity study was also performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to test different electrode configurations. The SP measurements showed stronger anomalies adjacent to the MFC than locations afar, and both real and imaginary parts of complex conductivity are greater in areas close to MFC than areas further away and control samples without MFC. The joint use of SP and complex conductivity could in situ evaluate the dynamic changes of electrochemical parameters during this bioremediation process at spatiotemporal scales unachievable with traditional sampling methods. The joint inversion of these two methods to evaluate the efficiency of MFC enhanced hydrocarbon remediation in the subsurface.

Protecting coastal abstraction boreholes from seawater intrusion using self-potential data

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Malcolm; Butler, Adrian; MacAllister, Donald John; Vinogradov, Jan; Ijioma, Amadi; Jackson, Matthew

2016-04-01

We investigate whether the presence and transport of seawater can influence self-potentials (SPs) measured within coastal groundwater boreholes, with a view to using SP monitoring as part of an early warning system for saline intrusion. SP data were collected over a period of 18 months from a coastal groundwater borehole in the fractured Chalk of England. Spectral analysis of the results shows semi-diurnal fluctuations that are several orders of magnitude higher than those observed from monitoring of the Chalk more than 60 km inland, indicating a strong influence from oceanic tides. Hydrodynamic and geoelectric modelling of the coastal aquifer suggests that observed pressure changes (giving rise to the streaming potential) are not sufficient to explain the magnitude of the observed SP fluctuations. Simulation of the exclusion-diffusion potential, produced by changes in concentration across the saline front, is required to match the SP data from the borehole, despite the front being located some distance away. In late summer of 2013 and 2014, seawater intrusion occurred in the coastal monitoring borehole. When referenced to the shallowest borehole electrode, there was a characteristic increase in SP within the array, several days before any measurable increase in salinity. The size of this precursor increased steadily with depth, typically reaching values close to 0.3 mV in the deepest electrode. Numerical modelling suggests that the exclusion-diffusion potential can explain the magnitude of the precursor, but that the polarity of the change in SP cannot be replicated assuming a homogeneous aquifer. Small-scale models of idealised Chalk blocks were used to simulate the effects of discrete fractures on the distribution of SP. Initial results suggest that comparatively large reductions in voltage can develop in the matrix ahead of the front, in conjunction with a reduced or absent precursor in the vicinity of a fracture. Geophysical logging indicates the presence of a

Marine self potential and CSEM measurements using an autonomous underwater vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Constable, S.; Kowalczyk, P.; Bloomer, S.

2017-12-01

Marine self potential (SP) and controlled source EM (CSEM) measurements are commonly made using instruments towed close to the seafloor, which requires dedicated ship time, is limited to slow speeds, and is subject to navigation errors of 5 to 10 m. An alternative is to mount SP and CSEM sensors on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). We tested this with a pilot study in the Iheya area of the Okinawa Trough, off Japan, using an ISE Explorer-class AUV operated by Fukada Salvage and Marine Works and equipped with a Scripps CSEM receiver system. Parts of this prospect have documented hydrothermal venting and seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits. CSEM signals were generated by deploying battery-powered seafloor transmitters, which emitted 20 amps, alternately every 30 seconds on orthogonal, 10 m antennas. CSEM signals were recorded by 3-axis AC-coupled sensors on the AUV as it flew a pattern 70 m above the seafloor around the transmitters. By transmitting two slightly different frequencies, two or more transmitters can broadcast simultaneously. Measurements were made at the same time using DC-coupled electric field amplifiers, from which self potentials were estimated using regularized inversion, yielding negative anomalies of 10 to 25 mV. Modeling suggests that the anomalies are localized and close to the seafloor. Apparent conductivities as high as 30 S/m were fit to the CSEM data, which strongly suggests that SMS mineralization is associated with the SP anomalies, although it is possible the causative mechanism is at least partly due to hydrothermal venting. In either case, we have demonstrated that AUV-mounted instrument systems are an efficient, effective, and low noise means of collecting marine CSEM and SP data. The entire data set was collected in a single day on station with a 10-hour AUV deployment.

A New Self-Constrained Inversion Method of Potential Fields Based on Probability Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, S.; Chen, C.; WANG, H.; Wang, Q.

2014-12-01

The self-constrained inversion method of potential fields uses a priori information self-extracted from potential field data. Differing from external a priori information, the self-extracted information are generally parameters derived exclusively from the analysis of the gravity and magnetic data (Paoletti et al., 2013). Here we develop a new self-constrained inversion method based on probability tomography. Probability tomography doesn't need any priori information, as well as large inversion matrix operations. Moreover, its result can describe the sources, especially the distribution of which is complex and irregular, entirely and clearly. Therefore, we attempt to use the a priori information extracted from the probability tomography results to constrain the inversion for physical properties. The magnetic anomaly data was taken as an example in this work. The probability tomography result of magnetic total field anomaly(ΔΤ) shows a smoother distribution than the anomalous source and cannot display the source edges exactly. However, the gradients of ΔΤ are with higher resolution than ΔΤ in their own direction, and this characteristic is also presented in their probability tomography results. So we use some rules to combine the probability tomography results of ∂ΔΤ⁄∂x, ∂ΔΤ⁄∂y and ∂ΔΤ⁄∂z into a new result which is used for extracting a priori information, and then incorporate the information into the model objective function as spatial weighting functions to invert the final magnetic susceptibility. Some magnetic synthetic examples incorporated with and without a priori information extracted from the probability tomography results were made to do comparison, results of which show that the former are more concentrated and with higher resolution of the source body edges. This method is finally applied in an iron mine in China with field measured ΔΤ data and performs well. ReferencesPaoletti, V., Ialongo, S., Florio, G., Fedi, M

The Electrical Self-Potential Method as a Non-Intrusive Snow-Hydrological Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Kulessa, B.; Thompson, S. S.; Luethi, M. P.; Essery, R.

2015-12-01

Building on growing momentum in the application of geophysical techniques to snow problems and, specifically, on new theory and an electrical geophysical snow hydrological model published recently; we demonstrate for the first time that the electrical self-potential geophysical technique can sense in-situ bulk meltwater fluxes. This has broad and immediate implications for snow measurement practice, modelling and operational snow forecasting. Our ability to measure, quantify and assimilate hydrological properties and processes of snow in operational models is disproportionally poor compared to the significance of seasonal snowmelt as a global water resource and major risk factor in flood and avalanche forecasting. Encouraged by recent theoretical, modelling and laboratory work, we show here that the diurnal evolution of aerially-distributed self-potential magnitudes closely track those of bulk meltwater fluxes in melting in-situ snowpacks at Rhone and Jungfraujoch glaciers, Switzerland. Numerical modelling infers temporally-evolving liquid water contents in the snowpacks on successive days in close agreement with snow-pit measurements. Muting previous concerns, the governing physical and chemical properties of snow and meltwater became temporally invariant for modelling purposes. Because measurement procedure is straightforward and readily automated for continuous monitoring over significant spatial scales, we conclude that the self-potential geophysical method is a highly-promising non-intrusive snow-hydrological sensor for measurement practice, modelling and operational snow forecasting.

The electrical self-potential method is a non-intrusive snow-hydrological sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, S. S.; Kulessa, B.; Essery, R. L. H.; Lüthi, M. P.

2015-08-01

Our ability to measure, quantify and assimilate hydrological properties and processes of snow in operational models is disproportionally poor compared to the significance of seasonal snowmelt as a global water resource and major risk factor in flood and avalanche forecasting. Encouraged by recent theoretical, modelling and laboratory work, we show here that the diurnal evolution of aerially-distributed self-potential magnitudes closely track those of bulk meltwater fluxes in melting in-situ snowpacks at Rhone and Jungfraujoch glaciers, Switzerland. Numerical modelling infers temporally-evolving liquid water contents in the snowpacks on successive days in close agreement with snow-pit measurements. Muting previous concerns, the governing physical and chemical properties of snow and meltwater became temporally invariant for modelling purposes. Because measurement procedure is straightforward and readily automated for continuous monitoring over significant spatial scales, we conclude that the self-potential geophysical method is a highly-promising non-intrusive snow-hydrological sensor for measurement practice, modelling and operational snow forecasting.

Implications of Self-Potential Distribution for Groundwater Flow System in a Nonvolcanic Mountain Slope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tada-nori Goto

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Self-potential (SP measurements were conducted at Mt. Tsukuba, Japan, which is a nonvolcanic mountain, to infer groundwater flow system in the mountain. Survey routes were set around the northern slope, and the reliability of observed SP anomaly was checked by using SP values along parallel survey routes; the error was almost within 10 mV. The FFT analysis of the spatial SP distribution allows us a separation of raw data into two components with shorter and longer wavelength. In the shorter (altitudinal wavelength than ∼200 meters, several positive SP peaks of more than 100 mV in magnitude are present, which indicate shallow perched water discharges along the slope. In the regional SP pattern of longer wavelength, there are two major perturbations from the general trend reflecting the topographic effect. By comparing the SP and hydrological data, the perturbation around the foothill is interpreted to be caused by heterogeneous infiltration at the ground surface. The perturbation around the summit is also interpreted to be caused by heterogeneous infiltration process, based on a simplified numerical modeling of SP. As a result, the SP pattern is well explained by groundwater flow and infiltration processes. Thus, SP data is thought to be very useful for understanding of groundwater flow system on a mountain scale.

Fatty acid composition of Spirulina sp., Chlorella sp. and Chaetoceros sp. microalgae and introduction as potential new sources to extinct omega 3 and omega 6

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Homan Gorjzdadeh

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: This study was carried out to determine the oil fatty acids from two special species of microalgae; Spirulina sp.,Chlorella sp. and also Chaetoceros sp. collected from Bahmanshir River. Materials and Methods: Sampling of microalgae Chaetoceros sp. from Bahmanshir River was under taken using bottle samplers during spring season of 2013. Microalgae Spirulina sp. and Chlorella sp. were supplied from Shrimp Research Institute of Iran in Bushehr Province. Samples then were cultured under controlled laboratory conditions and mass culture for 100 liters was undertaken. Isolation of microalgae species from water of cultured media was carried out using filtration and centrifugation methods. The fatty acid compositions were determined by Gas – FID chromatography. Results: Results showed that regarding Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA obtained from purified culture of Chaetoceros sp., Spirulina sp. and Chlorella sp. the maximum amount of total fatty acids were belonged to palmitic acids (C16:0 with 15.21%, 30.1% and 25.17% of total fatty acids  respectively. Analysis of Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA showed that in the Oleic acid was maximum amount of 34% in Spirulina sp. In addition the amount of MUFA in Chlorella sp. was 16.37% of total fatty acids. On the other hand the amount of palmeotic acid in purified culture of Chaetoceros sp. was 30.33% from total content of fatty acids. Analysis of Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA, Linoleic acid (C18:2 (Omega 6, revealed maximum percentage in Spirulina sp. with 18.8%. Results of Alpha linoleic acid (C18:3 (Omega3 analysis showed maximum amount of 9.66% in Chlorella sp. compared to other microalgae with lower omega 3 contents. Spirulina sp. contained maximum amount of Linoleic acid (C18:2 with 18.8% of total fatty acids. Therefore, Spirulina sp. can be considered as a rich source of omega 6 for the purpose of fatty acid extractions. The presence of PUFA in Chlorella sp. and Spirulina sp. was

Monitoring and modelling of pumping-induced self-potentials for transmissivity estimation within a heterogeneous confined aquifer

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DesRoches, Aaron J.; Butler, Karl E.

2016-12-01

Variations in self-potentials (SP) measured at surface during pumping of a heterogeneous confined fractured rock aquifer have been monitored and modelled in order to investigate capabilities and limitations of SP methods in estimating aquifer hydraulic properties. SP variations were recorded around a pumping well using an irregular grid of 31 non-polarizing Pb-PbCl2 that were referenced to a remote electrode and connected to a commercial multiplexer and digitizer/data logger through a passive lowpass filter on each channel. The lowpass filter reduced noise by a factor of 10 compared to levels obtained using the data logger's integration-based sampling method for powerline noise suppression alone. SP signals showed a linear relationship with water levels observed in the pumping and monitoring wells over the pumping period, with an apparent electrokinetic coupling coefficient of -3.4 mV · m-1. Following recent developments in SP methodology, variability of the SP response between different electrodes is taken as a proxy for lateral variations in hydraulic head within the aquifer and used to infer lateral variations in the aquifer's apparent transmissivity. In order to demonstrate the viability of this approach, SP is modelled numerically to determine its sensitivity to (i) lateral variations in the hydraulic conductivity of the confined aquifer and (ii) the electrical conductivity of the confining layer and conductive well casing. In all cases, SP simulated on the surface still varies linearly with hydraulic head modelled at the base on the confining layer although the apparent coupling coefficient changes to varying degrees. Using the linear relationship observed in the field, drawdown curves were inferred for each electrode location using SP variations observed over the duration of the pumping period. Transmissivity estimates, obtained by fitting the Theis model to inferred drawdown curves at all 31 electrodes, fell within a narrow range of (2.0-4.2) × 10-3 m2 �

Inversion of self-potential anomalies caused by 2D inclined sheets using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Kaliouby, Hesham M; Al-Garni, Mansour A

2009-01-01

The modular neural network (MNN) inversion method has been used for inversion of self-potential (SP) data anomalies caused by 2D inclined sheets of infinite horizontal extent. The analysed parameters are the depth (h), the half-width (a), the inclination (α), the zero distance from the origin (x o ) and the polarization amplitude (k). The MNN inversion has been first tested on a synthetic example and then applied to two field examples from the Surda area of Rakha mines, India, and Kalava fault zone, India. The effect of random noise has been studied, and the technique showed satisfactory results. The inversion results show good agreement with the measured field data compared with other inversion techniques in use

Formation mechanism of self-potential at ISL-amenable interlayer oxidation zone sandstone-type uranium deposit and the simulation and application of self-potential anomalies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Hongzhi; Liu Qingcheng; Su Zhaofeng; Gong Yuling

2006-01-01

Based on the analysis of geochemical characteristics and metallogenic physico-chemical conditions of ISL-amenable sandstone-type uranium deposits, the formation mechanism of self-potential field is discussed, a mathematic calculation model has been set up, and the simulation calculation has been performed for self-potential anomalies above uranium ore bodies of ordinary form, features of survey curve are analysed and methods for correcting topography at self-potential anomalies are discussed, and a simulation curve of self-potential in the area of slope topography has been presented. Finally, the availability of the method is demonstrated by an example. (authors)

Monitoring biocalcification potential of Lysinibacillus sp. isolated from alluvial soils for improved compressive strength of concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Vashisht, Rajneesh; Attri, Sampan; Sharma, Deepak; Shukla, Abhilash; Goel, Gunjan

2018-03-01

The present study reports the potential of newly isolated calcite precipitating bacteria isolated from alluvial soil to improve the strength and durability of concrete. A total of sixteen samples of alluvial soil and sewage were collected from the different locations of province Solan (India). For isolation, enrichment culture technique was used to enrich calcite precipitating strains in Urea broth. After enrichment, fourteen distinct bacterial strains were obtained on Urea agar. Based on qualitative and quantitative screening for urease activity, five isolates were obtained possessing higher calcite formation and urease activities (38-77 μmhos/cm) as compared with standard strain of Bacillus megaterium MTCC 1684 (77 μmhos/cm). An isolate I13 identified as Lysinibacillus sp. was selected for self healing property in the concrete mix of M20. An improved compressive strength of 1.5 fold was observed in concrete samples amended with Lysinibacillus sp. over the concrete amended with B. megaterium MTCC 1684 after 28 days of curing. The higher calcite precipitation activity was indicated in Lysinibacillus sp. by FE-SEM micrographs and EDX analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Self-potential monitoring of water flux at the HOBE agricultural site, Voulund, Denmark

Science.gov (United States)

Jougnot, D.; Linde, N.; Looms, M. C.

2013-12-01

The self-potential (SP) method is of interest in hydrology and environmental sciences because of its non-invasive nature and its sensitivity to flow and transport processes in the subsurface. The contribution to the SP signal by water flux is referred to as the streaming potential and is due to the presence of an electrical double layer at the mineral-pore water interface. When water flows through the pore, it gives rise to a streaming current and a resulting measurable electrical voltage between non-polarizable electrodes placed at different locations. This electrokinetic behavior is well understood in water saturated porous media, but the best way to model streaming currents under partial saturation is still under discussion. To better understand SP data within the vadose zone, we conducted field-based monitoring of the vertical distribution of the SP signal following different hydrologic events. The investigations were carried out at the Voulund agricultural test site that is part of the Danish hydrological observatory, HOBE, located in the Skjern river catchment (Denmark) in the middle of a cultivated area. It has been instrumented since 2010 to monitor suction, water content and temperature down to a depth of 3 m, together with meteorological variables and repeated geophysical campaigns (cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography and ground penetrating radar). In July 2011, we installed 15 non-polarizable electrodes at 10 depths within the vadose zone (from 0.25 to 3.10 m) and a reference electrode below the water table (7.30 m). More than 2 years of data acquired at a measurement period of 5 minutes are now available with periods indicative of various hydrologic events, such as natural infiltration, water table rises and a high salinity tracer test. We performed wavelet-based signal analysis and investigated the wavelet coherency of the SP data with other measurement variables. The wavelet coherency analysis displays an anti-correlation between SP and

Surface self-potential patterns related to transmissive fracture trends during a water injection test

Science.gov (United States)

DesRoches, A. J.; Butler, K. E.; MacQuarrie, K. TB

2018-03-01

Variations in self-potential (SP) signals were recorded over an electrode array during a constant head injection test in a fractured bedrock aquifer. Water was injected into a 2.2 m interval isolated between two inflatable packers at 44 m depth in a vertical well. Negative SP responses were recorded on surface corresponding to the start of the injection period with strongest magnitudes recorded in electrodes nearest the well. SP response decreased in magnitude at electrodes further from the well. Deflation of the packer system resulted in a strong reversal in the SP signal. Anomalous SP patterns observed at surface at steady state were found to be aligned with dominant fracture strike orientations found within the test interval. Numerical modelling of fluid and current flow within a simplified fracture network showed that azimuthal patterns in SP are mainly controlled by transmissive fracture orientations. The strongest SP gradients occur parallel to hydraulic gradients associated with water flowing out of the transmissive fractures into the tighter matrix and other less permeable cross-cutting fractures. Sensitivity studies indicate that increasing fracture frequency near the well increases the SP magnitude and enhances the SP anomaly parallel to the transmissive set. Decreasing the length of the transmissive fractures leads to more fluid flow into the matrix and into cross-cutting fractures proximal to the well, resulting in a more circular and higher magnitude SP anomaly. Results from the field experiment and modelling provide evidence that surface-based SP monitoring during constant head injection tests has the ability to identify groundwater flow pathways within a fractured bedrock aquifer.

Resistivity and self-potential tomography applied to groundwater remediation and contaminant plumes: Sandbox and field experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, D.; Revil, A.; Hort, R. D.; Munakata-Marr, J.; Atekwana, E. A.; Kulessa, B.

2015-11-01

Geophysical methods can be used to remotely characterize contaminated sites and monitor in situ enhanced remediation processes. We have conducted one sandbox experiment and one contaminated field investigation to show the robustness of electrical resistivity tomography and self-potential (SP) tomography for these applications. In the sandbox experiment, we injected permanganate in a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated environment under a constant hydraulic gradient. Inverted resistivity tomograms are able to track the evolution of the permanganate plume in agreement with visual observations made on the side of the tank. Self-potential measurements were also performed at the surface of the sandbox using non-polarizing Ag-AgCl electrodes. These data were inverted to obtain the source density distribution with and without the resistivity information. A compact horizontal dipole source located at the front of the plume was obtained from the inversion of these self-potential data. This current dipole may be related to the redox reaction occurring between TCE and permanganate and the strong concentration gradient at the front of the plume. We demonstrate that time-lapse self-potential signals can be used to track the kinetics of an advecting oxidizer plume with acceptable accuracy and, if needed, in real time, but are unable to completely resolve the shape of the plume. In the field investigation, a 3D resistivity tomography is used to characterize an organic contaminant plume (resistive domain) and an overlying zone of solid waste materials (conductive domain). After removing the influence of the streaming potential, the identified source current density had a magnitude of 0.5 A m-2. The strong source current density may be attributed to charge movement between the neighboring zones that encourage abiotic and microbially enhanced reduction and oxidation reactions. In both cases, the self-potential source current density is located in the area of strong resistivity

Potential topical natural repellent against Ae. aegypti, Culex sp. and Anopheles sp. mosquitoes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewi Nur Hodijah

2014-08-01

Full Text Available AbstrakLatar belakang:Minyak atsiri daun sirih diketahui mempunyai daya proteksi. Dibuatkan losion berdasarkan pengantar sediaan farmasi yang ditambahkan minyak atsiri daun nilam. Sediaan losion dipilih agar dapat menempel lebih lama di permukaan kulit. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk membandingkan daya proteksi antara losion dengan penambahan minyak nilam dan losion tanpa penambahan minyak nilam dibandingkan daya proteksi dengan DEET. Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimental laboratorium. Semua nyamuk uji berasal dari insektarium laboratorium penelitian kesehatan Loka litbang P2B2 Ciamis. Konsentrasi minyak atsiri daun sirih dalam losion adalah 4%; konsentrasi minyak nilam sebagai zat pengikat adalah 0,4%. Formula yang digunakan yaitu formula dasar yang ada pada pengantar sediaan farmasi. Uji repelensi dilakukan dengan menggunakan metoda yang direkomendasikan oleh Komisi pestisida.Hasil: Dihasilkan formulasi losion yang stabil dan masih memenuhi standar formulasi sediaan. Berdasarkan hasil, diperoleh data bahwa DEET dan losion hasil modifikasi memiliki rata-rata daya proteksi di atas 90% selama 6 jam terhadap nyamuk Ae.aegypti dan Culex sp. Kesimpulan: Penambahan minyak nilam pada losion sirih dapat meningkatkan daya proteksi terhadap hinggapan nyamuk Ae. aegypti dan Culex sp. (Health Science Indones 2014;1:44-8Kata kunci:repelen alamiah, minyak atsiri, daun sirih, daun nilam, Ae. aegypti, Culex sp.AbstractBackground: Betel leaf essential oil lotion has been known to have insect repellent properties. A lotion was made based on a pharmaceutical formula from a monograph where patchouli leaf essential oil was added. A lotion preparation was intended to enhance adherence of the formula on the surface of the skin. The purpose of this study was to compare protection percentage of lotion with patchouli oil and without patchouli oil lotion compared to DEET.Methods: This study is an experimental laboratory-based research. All mosquitoes

A new algorithm for gravity or self-potential data interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essa, Khalid S

2011-01-01

An inversion algorithm is developed to estimate the depth and the associated model parameters of the anomalous body from the gravity or self-potential (SP) whole measured data. The problem of the depth (z) estimation from the observed data has been transformed into a nonlinear equation of the form F(z) = 0. This equation is then solved for z by minimizing an objective functional in the least-squares sense. Using the estimated depth, the polarization angle and the dipole moment or the depth and the amplitude coefficient are computed from the measured SP or gravity data, respectively. The method is based on determining the root mean square (RMS) of the depths estimated from using all s-values for each shape factor. The minimum RMS is used as a criterion for estimating the correct shape and depth of the buried structure. When the correct shape factor is used, the RMS of the depths is always less than the RMS computed using wrong shape factors. The proposed approach is applicable to a class of geometrically simple anomalous bodies, such as the semi-infinite vertical cylinder, the dike, the horizontal cylinder and the sphere, and it is tested and verified on synthetic examples with and without noise. This technique is also successfully applied to four real datasets for mineral exploration, and it is found that the estimated depths and the associated model parameters are in good agreement with the actual values

Tracing of paleo-shear zones by self-potential data inversion: case studies from the KTB, Rittsteig, and Grossensees graphite-bearing fault planes

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Mehanee, Salah A.

2015-01-01

This paper describes a new method for tracing paleo-shear zones of the continental crust by self-potential (SP) data inversion. The method falls within the deterministic inversion framework, and it is exclusively applicable for the interpretation of the SP anomalies measured along a profile over sheet-type structures such as conductive thin films of interconnected graphite precipitations formed on shear planes. The inverse method fits a residual SP anomaly by a single thin sheet and recovers the characteristic parameters (depth to the top h, extension in depth a, amplitude coefficient k, and amount and direction of dip θ) of the sheet. This method minimizes an objective functional in the space of the logarithmed and non-logarithmed model parameters (log( h), log( a), log( k), and θ) successively by the steepest descent (SD) and Gauss-Newton (GN) techniques in order to essentially maintain the stability and convergence of this inverse method. Prior to applying the method to real data, its accuracy, convergence, and stability are successfully verified on numerical examples with and without noise. The method is then applied to SP profiles from the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (Kontinentales Tiefbohrprogramm der Bundesrepublik Deutschla - KTB), Rittsteig, and Grossensees sites in Germany for tracing paleo-shear planes coated with graphitic deposits. The comparisons of geologic sections constructed in this paper (based on the proposed deterministic approach) against the existing published interpretations (obtained based on trial-and-error modeling) for the SP data of the KTB and Rittsteig sites have revealed that the deterministic approach suggests some new details that are of some geological significance. The findings of the proposed inverse scheme are supported by available drilling and other geophysical data. Furthermore, the real SP data of the Grossensees site have been interpreted (apparently for the first time ever) by the deterministic inverse

Characterization of Fractured Reservoirs Using a Combination of Downhole Pressure and Self-Potential Transient Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuji Nishi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In order to appraise the utility of self-potential (SP measurements to characterize fractured reservoirs, we carried out continuous SP monitoring using multi Ag-AgCl electrodes installed within two open holes at the Kamaishi Mine, Japan. The observed ratio of SP change to pressure change associated with fluid flow showed different behaviors between intact host rock and fractured rock regions. Characteristic behavior peculiar to fractured reservoirs, which is predicted from numerical simulations of electrokinetic phenomena in MINC (multiple interacting continua double-porosity media, was observed near the fractures. Semilog plots of the ratio of SP change to pressure change observed in one of the two wells show obvious transition from intermediate time increasing to late time stable trends, which indicate that the time required for pressure equilibration between the fracture and matrix regions is about 800 seconds. Fracture spacing was estimated to be a few meters assuming several micro-darcies (10-18 m2 of the matrix region permeability, which is consistent with geological and hydrological observations.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Potential of the Lichen Parmotrema sp. Extracts against Various Pathogens.

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Chauhan, Ritika; Abraham, Jayanthi

2013-07-01

The ongoing increasing antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest challenges faced by global public health. The perennial need for new antimicrobials against a background of increasing antibiotic resistance in pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms obliges the scientific community to constantly develop new drugs and antimicrobial agents. Lichens are known prolific sources of natural antimicrobial drugs and biologically active natural products. This study was aimed to explore in vitro antimicrobial activity of lichen Parmotrema sp. The methanol and aqueous extracts of lichen Parmotrema sp. was extracted using Soxhlet extractor. Antibiotic assessment of methanol and aqueous extracts was done against eight bacterial (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Enterococci faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae,) clinical pathogens and five plant pathogenic fungal strains (Aspergillus terreus strain JAS1, Scedosporium sp. JAS1, Ganoderma sp. JAS4, Candida tropicalis and Fusarium sp.) by Kirby-Bauer method. The methanol lichen Parmotrema sp. extract inhibited all the test organisms. The highest antibacterial activity was found against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The weakest activity was manifested in Salmonella sp. and Scedosporium sp. JAS1. Strong antifungal effect was found against Ganoderma sp. JAS4 and Fusarium sp. The aqueous lichen Parmotrema sp. extract revealed neither antibacterial nor antifungal activity. The present study shows that tested lichen Parmotrema sp. extracts demonstrated a strong antimicrobial effect. That suggests the active components from methanol extracts of the investigated lichen Parmotrema sp. can be used as natural antimicrobial agent against pathogens.

Detecting and modeling persistent self-potential anomalies from underground nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKague, H.L.; Kansa, E.; Kasameyer, P.W.

1992-01-01

Self-potential anomalies are naturally occurring, nearly stationary electric fields that are detected by measuring the potential difference between two points on (or in) the ground. SP anomalies arise from a number of causes: principally electrochemical reactions, and heat and fluid flows. SP is routinely used to locate mineral deposits, geothermal systems, and zones of seepage. This paper is a progress report on our work toward detecting explosion-related SP signals at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and in understanding the physics of these anomalies that persist and continue changing over periods of time that range from months to years. As background, we also include a brief description of how SP signals arise, and we mention their use in other areas such as exploring for geothermal resources and locating seepage through dams. Between the years 1988 and 1991, we surveyed the areas around seven underground nuclear tests for persistent SP anomalies. We not only detected anomalies, but we also found that various phenomena could be contributing to them and that we did not know which of these were actually occurring. We analyzed our new data with existing steady state codes and with a newly developed time-dependent thermal modeling code. Our results with the new code showed that the conductive decay of the thermal pulse from an underground nuclear test could produce many of the observed signals, and that others are probably caused by movement of fluid induced by the explosion. 25 refs

Some preliminary observations on the mosquitocidal potential of Mesostoma sp. (Turbellaria: Typhloplaniidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, R

2000-09-01

Observations on the feeding and breeding behaviour of Mesostoma sp. from Delhi are presented. The species is comparable to the M. lingua (a species demonstrated to have high mosquitocidal potential) in predatory potential and may be playing an equally important role here.

Transient ElectroMagnetic and Electric Self-Potential survey in the TAG hydrothermal field in MAR

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, C.; Deng, X.; Wu, G.; Xi, Z.; Zhou, D.; Zuo, L.

2012-12-01

The TAG hydrothermal field is one of the most studied hydrothermal fields. This field covers an area of 5km×5km, which includes low-temperature Mn- and Fe-oxides and nontronites zone, relict massive sulfide mounds as well as active hydrothermal mound(TAG mound) [Thompson, 1985, Rona, 1993]. Drilling program was performed in the ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) Leg 158 in the TAG mound [Humphris, 1996]. In 1996, electrical resistivity survey in the TAG mound was conducted using innovative transient electric dipole-dipole instruments which was carried by DSV 'Alvin' [Cairns et al., 1996, Von Herzen et al., 1996]. In June 2012, the 2nd Leg of the Chinese 26th cruise was carried out in the TAG hydrothermal field at Mid Atlantic Ridge by R/V DAYANGYIHAO. Six TEM (Transient ElectroMagnetic) survey lines were deployed, with four of which across the ODP Leg 158 drilling area. Besides, two SP (Electric Self-Potential) survey lines were across the ODP drilling area. The survey results of TEM preliminary revealed the vertical structure of the TAG hydrothermal field. The survey results of both TEM and SP are consistent with the ODP drilling result, and also agree well with the temperature and water-column anomalies obtained in this leg. Preliminary results show that the TEM and SP methods are capable of revealing the horizontal and vertical distribution of the hydrothermal sulfide fields.

Extraction methods of Amaranthus sp. grain oil isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Krulj, Jelena; Brlek, Tea; Pezo, Lato; Brkljača, Jovana; Popović, Sanja; Zeković, Zoran; Bodroža Solarov, Marija

2016-08-01

Amaranthus sp. is a fast-growing crop with well-known beneficial nutritional values (rich in protein, fat, dietary fiber, ash, and minerals, especially calcium and sodium, and containing a higher amount of lysine than conventional cereals). Amaranthus sp. is an underexploited plant source of squalene, a compound of high importance in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper has examined the effects of the different extraction methods (Soxhlet, supercritical fluid and accelerated solvent extraction) on the oil and squalene yield of three genotypes of Amaranthus sp. grain. The highest yield of the extracted oil (78.1 g kg(-1) ) and squalene (4.7 g kg(-1) ) in grain was obtained by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) in genotype 16. Post hoc Tukey's HSD test at 95% confidence limit showed significant differences between observed samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used for assessing the effect of different genotypes and extraction methods on oil and squalene yield, and also the fatty acid composition profile. Using coupled PCA and CA of observed samples, possible directions for improving the quality of product can be realized. The results of this study indicate that it is very important to choose both the right genotype and the right method of extraction for optimal oil and squalene yield. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Approximate self-consistent potentials for density-functional-theory exchange-correlation functionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cafiero, Mauricio; Gonzalez, Carlos

2005-01-01

We show that potentials for exchange-correlation functionals within the Kohn-Sham density-functional-theory framework may be written as potentials for simpler functionals multiplied by a factor close to unity, and in a self-consistent field calculation, these effective potentials find the correct self-consistent solutions. This simple theory is demonstrated with self-consistent exchange-only calculations of the atomization energies of some small molecules using the Perdew-Kurth-Zupan-Blaha (PKZB) meta-generalized-gradient-approximation (meta-GGA) exchange functional. The atomization energies obtained with our method agree with or surpass previous meta-GGA calculations performed in a non-self-consistent manner. The results of this work suggest the utility of this simple theory to approximate exchange-correlation potentials corresponding to energy functionals too complicated to generate closed forms for their potentials. We hope that this method will encourage the development of complex functionals which have correct boundary conditions and are free of self-interaction errors without the worry that the functionals are too complex to differentiate to obtain potentials

Self-Potential Monitoring of Landslides on Field and Laboratory Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Heinze, T.; Limbrock, J. K.; Weigand, M.; Wagner, F. M.; Kemna, A.

2017-12-01

Among several other geophysical methods used to observe water movement in the ground, the electrical self-potential method has been applied to a broad range of monitoring studies, especially focusing on volcanism and dam leakage but also during hydraulic fracturing. Electrical self-potential signals may be caused by various mechanisms. Though, the most relevant source of the self-potential field in the given context of landslides is the streaming potential, caused by a flowing electrolyte through porous media with electrically charged internal surfaces. So far, existing models focus on monitoring water flow in non-deformable porous media. However, as the self-potential is sensitive to hydraulic parameters of the soil, any change in these parameters will cause an alteration of the electric signal. Mass movement will significantly influence the hydraulic parameters of the solid as well as the pressure field, assuming that fluid movement is faster than pressure diffusion. We present self-potential measurements from over a year of continuous monitoring at an old landslide site. Using a three-dimensional electric-resistivity underground model, the self-potential signal is analyzed with respect to precipitation and the resulting flow in the ground. Additional data from electrical measurements and conventional sensors are included to assess saturation. The field observations are supplemented by laboratory experiments in which we study the behavior of the self-potential during failure of a piled land slope. For the undrained scenarios, we observe a clear correlation between the mass movements and signals in the electric potential, which clearly differ from the underlying potential variations due to increased saturation and fluid flow. In the drained experiments, we do not observe any measurable change in the electric potential. We therefore assume that change in fluid properties and release of the load causes disturbances in flow and streaming potential. Our results

Wnt/β-catenin and LIF-Stat3 signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Shoudong; Zhang, Dongming; Cheng, Fei; Wilson, Daniel; Mackay, Jeffrey; He, Kan; Ban, Qian; Lv, Feng; Huang, Saifei; Liu, Dahai; Ying, Qi-Long

2016-01-15

Activation of leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF)-Stat3 or Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal. A myriad of downstream targets have been identified in the individual signal pathways, but their common targets remain largely elusive. In this study, we found that the LIF-Stat3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways converge on Sp5 to promote mESC self-renewal. Forced Sp5 expression can reproduce partial effects of Wnt/β-catenin signaling but mimics most features of LIF-Stat3 signaling to maintain undifferentiated mESCs. Moreover, Sp5 is able to convert mouse epiblast stem cells into a naïve pluripotent state. Thus, Sp5 is an important component of the regulatory network governing mESC naïve pluripotency. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Comparison of Pretreatment Methods on Vetiver Leaves for Efficient Processes of Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation by Neurospora sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Restiawaty, E.; Dewi, A.

2017-07-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is a potential raw material for bioethanol production. Neurospora sp. can be used to convert lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol because of its ability to perform simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. However, lignin content, degree of polymerization, and crystallinity of cellulose contained in lignocellulosic biomass can inhibit cellulosic-biomass digestion by Neurospora sp, so that a suitable pretreatment method of lignocellulosic biomass is needed. The focus of this research was to investigate the suitable pretreatment method for vetiver leaves (Vetiveria zizanioides L. Nash) used as a raw material producing bioethanol in the process of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Neurospora sp.. Vetiver plants obtained from Garut are deliberately cultivated to produce essential oils extracted from the roots of this plant. Since the vetiver leaves do not contain oil, some of harvested leaves are usually used for crafts and cattle feed, and the rest are burned. This study intended to look at other potential of vetiver leaves as a source of renewable energy. Pretreatments of the vetiver leaves were conducted using hot water, dilute acid, alkaline & dilute acid, and alkaline peroxide, in which each method was accompanied by thermal treatment. The results showed that the alkaline peroxide treatment is a suitable for vetiver leaves as indicated by the increase of cellulose content up to 65.1%, while the contents of hot water soluble, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash are 8.7%, 18.3%, 6.8%, and 1.1%, respectively. Using this pretreatment method, the vetiver leaves can be converted into bioethanol by SSF process using Neurospora sp. with a concentration of bioethanol of 6.7 g/L operated at room temperature.

3D Hydraulic tomography from joint inversion of the hydraulic heads and self-potential data. (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Jardani, A.; Soueid Ahmed, A.; Revil, A.; Dupont, J.

2013-12-01

Pumping tests are usually employed to predict the hydraulic conductivity filed from the inversion of the head measurements. Nevertheless, the inverse problem is strongly underdetermined and a reliable imaging requires a considerable number of wells. We propose to add more information to the inversion of the heads by adding (non-intrusive) streaming potentials (SP) data. The SP corresponds to perturbations in the local electrical field caused directly by the fow of the ground water. These SP are obtained with a set of the non-polarising electrodes installed at the ground surface. We developed a geostatistical method for the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity field from measurements of hydraulic heads and SP during pumping and injection experiments. We use the adjoint state method and a recent petrophysical formulation of the streaming potential problem in which the streaming coupling coefficient is derived from the hydraulic conductivity allowed reducing of the unknown parameters. The geostatistical inverse framework is applied to three synthetic case studies with different number of the wells and electrodes used to measure the hydraulic heads and the streaming potentials. To evaluate the benefits of the incorporating of the streaming potential to the hydraulic data, we compared the cases in which the data are coupled or not to map the hydraulic conductivity. The results of the inversion revealed that a dense distribution of electrodes can be used to infer the heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field. Incorporating the streaming potential information to the hydraulic head data improves the estimate of hydraulic conductivity field especially when the number of piezometers is limited.

Detecting rapid mass movements using electrical self-potential measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Heinze, Thomas; Limbrock, Jonas; Pudasaini, Shiva P.; Kemna, Andreas

2017-04-01

Rapid mass movements are a latent danger for lives and infrastructure in almost any part of the world. Often such mass movements are caused by increasing pore pressure, for example, landslides after heavy rainfall or dam breaking after intrusion of water in the dam. Among several other geophysical methods used to observe water movement, the electrical self-potential method has been applied to a broad range of monitoring studies, especially focusing on volcanism and dam leakage but also during hydraulic fracturing and for earthquake prediction. Electrical self-potential signals may be caused by various mechanisms. Though, the most relevant source of the self-potential field in the given context is the streaming potential, caused by a flowing electrolyte through porous media with electrically charged internal surfaces. So far, existing models focus on monitoring water flow in non-deformable porous media. However, as the self-potential is sensitive to hydraulic parameters of the soil, any change in these parameters will cause an alteration of the electric signal. Mass movement will significantly influence the hydraulic parameters of the solid as well as the pressure field, assuming that fluid movement is faster than the pressure diffusion. We will present results of laboratory experiments under drained and undrained conditions with fluid triggered as well as manually triggered mass movements, monitored with self-potential measurements. For the undrained scenarios, we observe a clear correlation between the mass movements and signals in the electric potential, which clearly differ from the underlying potential variations due to increased saturation and fluid flow. In the drained experiments, we do not observe any measurable change in the electric potential. We therefore assume that change in fluid properties and release of the load causes disturbances in flow and streaming potential. We will discuss results of numerical simulations reproducing the observed effect. Our

Application of potential harmonic expansion method to BEC ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

We adopt the potential harmonics expansion method for an ab initio solu- ... commonly adopted mean-field theories, our method is capable of handling ..... potentials in self-consistent mean-field calculation [7] gives wrong results as the.

THE PREVALENCE OF Salmonella sp., Listeria sp. AND Aeromonas spp. IN CATFISH (CLARIAS (Clarias gariepinus AND TILAPIA (Tilapia mossambica BY PELLETING METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Titik Budiati

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to modify the isolation methods of Aeromonas sp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria sp. in catfish (Clarias gariepinus and tilapia (Tilapia mossambica obtained from wet markets and ponds in Malaysia by pelleting the sample. A total of 108 samples (32 catfish intestines, 32 tilapia intestines, and 44 water samples were obtained from nine wet markets and eight ponds. The modified method was employed by pelleting the samples and followed by either implementing pre-enrichment or without pre-enrichment on the isolation of Salmonella and Listeria spp. The modified method (by pelleting the sample in combination with pre-enrichment was the most efficient for Salmonella and Listeria isolation. The sensitivity of the modified Salmonella isolation method was 0.53 and 0.73 for fish and water samples, respectively. The sensitivity of the modified Listeria method was 1 and 0.92 for fish and water samples, respectively. However, the sensitivity of the method by pelleting the sample was similar to those of non-pelleting the sample on Aeromonas isolation. Five species of Aeromonas spp., seven serovars of Salmonella sp., and four species of Listeria sp. were observed in catfish, tilapia and water samples. Overall, by pelleting the sample offered the beneficial to isolate Aeromonas spp., Salmonella sp. and Listeria spp. in catfish, tilapia and water.

From spent graphite to amorphous sp2+sp3 carbon-coated sp2 graphite for high-performance lithium ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zhen; Zhuang, Yuchan; Deng, Yaoming; Song, Xiaona; Zuo, Xiaoxi; Xiao, Xin; Nan, Junmin

2018-02-01

Today, with the massive application of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) in the portable devices and electric vehicles, to supply the active materials with high-performances and then to recycle their wastes are two core issues for the development of LIBs. In this paper, the spent graphite (SG) in LIBs is used as raw materials to fabricate two comparative high-capacity graphite anode materials. Based on a microsurgery-like physical reconstruction, the reconstructed graphite (RG) with a sp2+sp3 carbon surface is prepared through a microwave exfoliation and subsequent spray drying process. In contrast, the neural-network-like amorphous sp2+sp3 carbon-coated graphite (AC@G) is synthesized using a self-reconfigurable chemical reaction strategy. Compared with SG and commercial graphite (CG), both RG and AC@G have enhanced specific capacities, from 311.2 mAh g-1 and 360.7 mAh g-1 to 409.7 mAh g-1 and 420.0 mAh g-1, at 0.1C after 100 cycles. In addition, they exhibit comparable cycling stability, rate capability, and voltage plateau with CG. Because the synthesis of RG and AC@G represents two typical physical and chemical methods for the recycling of SG, these results on the sp2+sp3 carbon layer coating bulk graphite also reveal an approach for the preparation of high-performance graphite anode materials derived from SG.

Salinity induced oxidative stress enhanced biofuel production potential of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077.

Science.gov (United States)

Pancha, Imran; Chokshi, Kaumeel; Maurya, Rahulkumar; Trivedi, Khanjan; Patidar, Shailesh Kumar; Ghosh, Arup; Mishra, Sandhya

2015-01-01

Microalgal biomass is considered as potential feedstock for biofuel production. Enhancement of biomass, lipid and carbohydrate contents in microalgae is important for the commercialization of microalgal biofuels. In the present study, salinity stress induced physiological and biochemical changes in microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077 were studied. During single stage cultivation, 33.13% lipid and 35.91% carbohydrate content was found in 400 mM NaCl grown culture. During two stage cultivation, salinity stress of 400 mM for 3 days resulted in 24.77% lipid (containing 74.87% neutral lipid) along with higher biomass compared to single stage, making it an efficient strategy to enhance biofuel production potential of Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077. Apart from biochemical content, stress biomarkers like hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, ascorbate peroxidase, proline and mineral contents were also studied to understand the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated lipid accumulation in microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Presence of potentially pathogenic Babesia sp. for human in Ixodes ricinus in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Casati, Simona; Sager, Heinz; Gern, Lise; Piffaretti, Jean-Claude

2006-01-01

We have designed and performed a new PCR method based on the 18S rRNA in order to individuate the presence and the identity of Babesia parasites. Out of 1159 Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks collected in four areas of Switzerland, nine were found to contain Babesia DNA. Sequencing of the short amplicon obtained (411-452 bp) allowed the identification of three human pathogenic species: Babesia microti, B. divergens, for the first time in Switzerland, Babesia sp. EU1. We also report coinfections with B. sp. EU1-Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Babesia sp. EU1-B. afzelii.

Application of self-potential method in uranium exploration - a case study from Arbail, Karnataka, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anantharaman, K.B.; Narasimha Rao, B.; Sethuram, S.; Rao, K.K.

1986-01-01

The application of non-radiometric geophysical methods like magnetic, electrical resistivity, induced polarisation, electromagnetic and seismic for uranium exploration has been discussed by many workers. In thispaper it has been demonstrated that the self-potential technique which is simple, fast and cheap can also be effectively and meaningfully employed. For this purpose, a case study from Arbail (Lat 14 0 , 50' 40'', Long 74 0 38' 25''), India where uranium mineralisation is known to occur in association with sulphides, is presented. The method of downward continuation is used to estimate the depth to the top of the target and the results thus obtained are correlated with the data obtained from subsequent borehole drilling. (author)

A rapid technique for estimating the depth and width of a two-dimensional plate from self-potential data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehanee, Salah; Smith, Paul D; Essa, Khalid S

2011-01-01

Rapid techniques for self-potential (SP) data interpretation are of prime importance in engineering and exploration geophysics. Parameters (e.g. depth, width) estimation of the ore bodies has also been of paramount concern in mineral prospecting. In many cases, it is useful to assume that the SP anomaly is due to an ore body of simple geometric shape and to use the data to determine its parameters. In light of this, we describe a rapid approach to determine the depth and horizontal width of a two-dimensional plate from the SP anomaly. The rationale behind the scheme proposed in this paper is that, unlike the two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) SP rigorous source current inversions, it does not demand a priori information about the subsurface resistivity distribution nor high computational resources. We apply the second-order moving average operator on the SP anomaly to remove the unwanted (regional) effect, represented by up to a third-order polynomial, using filters of successive window lengths. By defining a function F at a fixed window length (s) in terms of the filtered anomaly computed at two points symmetrically distributed about the origin point of the causative body, the depth (z) corresponding to each half-width (w) is estimated by solving a nonlinear equation in the form ξ(s, w, z) = 0. The estimated depths are then plotted against their corresponding half-widths on a graph representing a continuous curve for this window length. This procedure is then repeated for each available window length. The depth and half-width solution of the buried structure is read at the common intersection of these various curves. The improvement of this method over the published first-order moving average technique for SP data is demonstrated on a synthetic data set. It is then verified on noisy synthetic data, complicated structures and successfully applied to three field examples for mineral exploration and we have found that the estimated depth is in good agreement with

ANALYSIS OR THE POTENTIAL SPERM BIOMARKER, SP22, IN HUMAN SEMEN

Science.gov (United States)

ANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL SPERM BIOMARKER SP22 IN HUMAN SEMEN Rebecca A. Morris Ph.D.1, Gary R. Klinefelter Ph.D.1, Naomi L. Roberts 1, Juan D. Suarez 1, Lillian F. Strader 1, Susan C. Jeffay 1 and Sally D. Perreault Ph.D.1 1 U.S. EPA / ORD / National Health a...

Lead biotransformation potential of allochthonous Bacillus sp. SKK11 with sesame oil cake in mine soil

Science.gov (United States)

This study was aimed at assessing the potential of allochthonous Bacillus sp. SKK11 and sesame oil cake extract for transformation of Pb in mine soil. The bacteria were isolated from a brackish environment and identified as Bacillus sp. based on partial 16S rDNA sequences. The isolate SKK11 exhibite...

A measurable impact of a self-practice/self-reflection programme on the therapeutic skills of experienced cognitive-behavioural therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Melanie L; Thwaites, Richard; Freeston, Mark H; Bennett-Levy, James

2015-01-01

The need for effective training methods for enhancing cognitive-behavioural therapist competency is not only relevant to new therapists but also to experienced therapists looking to retain and further enhance their skills. Self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) is a self-experiential cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) training programme, which combines the experience of practicing CBT methods on oneself with structured reflection on the implications of the experience for clinical practice. In order to build on previous qualitative studies of SP/SR, which have mainly focused on trainee CBT therapists, the aim of the current study was to quantify the impact of SP/SR on the therapeutic skills of an experienced cohort of CBT therapists. Fourteen CBT therapists were recruited to participate in an SP/SR programme specifically adapted for experienced therapists. In the context of a quasi-experimental design including multiple baselines within a single-case methodology, therapists provided self-ratings of technical cognitive therapy skill and interpersonal empathic skill at four critical time points: baseline, pre-SP/SR and post-SP/SR and follow-up. Analysis of programme completers (n = 7) indicated that SP/SR enhances both technical skill and interpersonal therapeutic skill. Further intention-to-treat group (n = 14) analyses including both those who left the programme early (n = 3) and those who partially completed the programme (n = 4) added to the robustness of findings with respect to technical cognitive therapy skills but not interpersonal empathic skills. It was concluded that SP/SR, as a training and development programme, could offer an avenue to further therapeutic skill enhancement in already experienced CBT therapists. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Degree of Fat Unsaturation in the Tissue and Potential Immune Response of Broiler Fed Chlorella sp.

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Sugiharto

2010-05-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Chlorella sp. administered in the diet of broilers on the degree of fat unsaturation, ratio of EPA to AA in the tissue and potential immune response of broiler. A total of 90 heads of one-day-old Ross chicks were assigned in completely randomized design by 3 dietary treatments with 6 repetitions and 5 chicks in each pen. The diets were T1: control (basal diet without enrichment with Chlorella sp.; T2: basal diet enriched with 5-g of Chlorella sp./kg feed; T3: basal diet enriched with 10-g of Chlorella sp./kg feed. Skinless breast meat was sampled for FA determination at d-36. Chickens were vaccinated at d-6 and d-17 with live vaccine against ND to activate antibodies production, and then 2 ml of blood was collected at d-24 for IgG and IgM quantification. Administration of Chlorella sp. in broiler’s diet had no significant effect on the degree of fat unsaturation, the ratio between EPA and AA contained in the breast muscle and the concentration of IgG and IgM of broiler. In conclusion administration of Chlorella sp. from tropical marine origin in the diet of broiler has no significant effect on the degree of fat unsaturation, ratio of EPA to AA in the tissue, and potential immune response of broiler. The culture temperature in which the Chlorella sp. was cultivated may affect the FA composition of Chlorella sp. (Animal Production 12(2: 96-99 (2010Abbreviations: AA: arachidonic acid, ALA: α-linolenic acid, EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid, FA: fatty acids, LA: linoleic acid, PGE2: Prostaglandin E2, PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids, SFA: saturated fatty acidKey Words: antibody, broiler, Chlorella sp., fatty acid, PUFA

A polygonal nodal SP3 method for whole core Pin-by-Pin neutronics calculation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yunzhao; Wu, Hongchun; Cao, Liangzhi, E-mail: xjtulyz@gmail.com, E-mail: hongchun@mail.xjtu.edu.cn, E-mail: caolz@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi (China)

2011-07-01

In this polygonal nodal-SP3 method, neutron transport equation is transformed by employing an isotropic SP3 method into two coupled equations that are both in the same mathematic form with the diffusion equation, and then a polygonal nodal method is proposed to solve the two coupled equations. In the polygonal nodal method, adjacent nodes are coupled through partial currents, and a nodal response matrix between incoming and outgoing currents is obtained by expanding detailed nodal flux distribution into a sum of exponential functions. This method avoids the transverse integral technique, which is widely used in regular nodal method and can not be used in triangular geometry because of the mathematical singularity. It is demonstrated by the numerical results of the test problems that the k{sub eff} and power distribution agree well with other codes, the triangular nodal-SP3 method appears faster, and that whole core pin-by-pin transport calculation with fine meshes is feasible after parallelization and acceleration. (author)

Study role of different dimensions of emotional self-regulation on addiction potential.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Nikmanesh

2014-06-01

Full Text Available To investigate relationship between addiction potentiality and different dimensions of emotional self-regulation.This descriptive and correlational study included students of Sistan and Baluchistan University, Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran. Participants were selected by random sampling method. We applied Addiction Potential Scale (APS and Difficult in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS for this study. For statistical analysis, Pearson correlation and regression analysis methods were used.The results show that there is a positive and significant relationship between the addiction potential and all dimensions of emotional self-regulation (excepting lack of awareness. The enter regression analysis for prediction of the APS by the DERS shows that the DERS predicts 16% of the APS variances.Regard to the results, it is necessary to introduce an especial program in emotional self-regulation for the youth with addiction potential.

DISTRIBUSI Solen sp DI PERAIRAN KABUPATEN BANGKALAN

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Eva Ari Wahyuni

2016-03-01

Full Text Available DISTRIBUTION OF Solen sp IN BANGKALAN WATERSSolen sp potential needs to be developed on the island of Madura, particularly in Bangkalan. Solen sp utilization has increased which has the potential to overfishing. Therefore, this study aims to determine the density of Solen sp and their ecology in the waters Modung village, Modung District, Bangkalan. The experiment was conducted in April 2015 using the descriptive method. The materials used include Solen sp and physico-chemical parameters of the environment (temperature, salinity, pH, and substrate. The analyzes were conducted at the Laboratory of Marine Science, Department of Marine Sciences, Trunojoyo University of Madura by using the tool grabsampler, sieveshaker, and pipetting with gravimetric method. The analysis shows the range of values of temperature between 29-300C, salinity between 31-32 ppt, pH were 7.9-8.0 and the type of substrate in the form of sandy mud, as well as the density of Solen sp from 8-10 individuals/m2. All measurement results indicate normal conditions and in accordance with the sea water quality standard for marine life, which can be a suitable habitat for the growth and development of Solen sp. This condition is thought to affect the density of Solen sp.Keywords: Bangkalan, density, distribution, Solen sp, substrate.ABSTRAKPotensi Solen sp perlu dikembangkan di pulau Madura, khususnya di Kabupaten Bangkalan. Pemanfaatan Solen sp mengalami peningkatan sehingga berpotensi overfishing. Untuk itu, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kepadatan Solen sp dan ekologinya di perairan desa Modung, Kecamatan Modung, Kabupaten Bangkalan. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada bulan April 2015 dengan metode deskriptif. Materi dan bahan yang digunakan diantaranya Solen sp dan parameter fisika-kimia lingkungan (suhu, salinitas, pH, dan substrat. Analisa dilakukan di Laboratorium Ilmu Kelautan, Program studi/Jurusan Ilmu Kelautan Universitas Trunojoyo Madura dengan menggunakan alat

Potential Degradation of Swainsonine by Intracellular Enzymes of Arthrobacter sp. HW08

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Haili Li

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Swainsonine (SW is a toxin produced by locoweeds and harmful to the livestock industry. Degrading SW by Arthrobacter sp. HW08 was demonstrated as a promising way to deal with SW poisoning. However, it is unknown which part of the subcellular enzymes in Arthrobacter sp. HW08 is responsible for biodegrading SW and whether the metabolites are atoxic. In this study, intracellular and extracellular enzymes of Arthrobacter sp. HW08 were isolated and their enzyme activity was evaluated. The metabolites were fed to mice, and physiological and histological properties of the treated mice were investigated. The results showed that only intracellular enzyme of Arthrobacter sp. HW08 (IEHW08 could degrade SW efficiently. Compared with mice in SW treatment group, mice in SW + IEHW08 treatment group (1 increased their body weights; (2 showed higher number of platelets and lower number of white blood cells; (3 decreased the levels of creatinine, urea nitrogen, alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase in serum; (4 reduced the number of vacuolated cells in cerebellum, liver and kidney. All these data demonstrate that IEHW08 was potentially safe for mice, while keeping the capacity of degrading SW. This study indicates a possible application of IEHW08 as an additive in the livestock industry to protect animals from SW poisoning.

Joint inversion of hydraulic head and self-potential data associated with harmonic pumping tests

Science.gov (United States)

Soueid Ahmed, A.; Jardani, A.; Revil, A.; Dupont, J. P.

2016-09-01

Harmonic pumping tests consist in stimulating an aquifer by the means of hydraulic stimulations at some discrete frequencies. The inverse problem consisting in retrieving the hydraulic properties is inherently ill posed and is usually underdetermined when considering the number of well head data available in field conditions. To better constrain this inverse problem, we add self-potential data recorded at the ground surface to the head data. The self-potential method is a passive geophysical method. Its signals are generated by the groundwater flow through an electrokinetic coupling. We showed using a 3-D saturated unconfined synthetic aquifer that the self-potential method significantly improves the results of the harmonic hydraulic tomography. The hydroelectric forward problem is obtained by solving first the Richards equation, describing the groundwater flow, and then using the result in an electrical Poisson equation describing the self-potential problem. The joint inversion problem is solved using a reduction model based on the principal component geostatistical approach. In this method, the large prior covariance matrix is truncated and replaced by its low-rank approximation, allowing thus for notable computational time and storage savings. Three test cases are studied, to assess the validity of our approach. In the first test, we show that when the number of harmonic stimulations is low, combining the harmonic hydraulic and self-potential data does not improve the inversion results. In the second test where enough harmonic stimulations are performed, a significant improvement of the hydraulic parameters is observed. In the last synthetic test, we show that the electrical conductivity field required to invert the self-potential data can be determined with enough accuracy using an electrical resistivity tomography survey using the same electrodes configuration as used for the self-potential investigation.

Ovos de Toxocara sp. e larvas de Ancylostoma sp. em praça pública de Lavras, MG Toxocara sp. eggs and Ancylostoma sp. larva in public parks, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antônio Marcos Guimarães

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Larva migrans visceral e cutânea são zoonoses parasitárias causadas pela infecção da larva de Toxocara sp. e Ancylostoma sp., respectivamente. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a contaminação por ovos de Toxocara sp. e ovos e larvas de Ancylostoma sp. em amostras de solos coletadas de praças públicas e de áreas de recreação infantil de Lavras, Estado de Minas Gerais, por meio da técnica de centrífugo-flutuação e do método de Baermann. A ocorrência de ovos de Toxocara sp. e, ovos e larvas de Ancylostoma sp. foi observada em 69,6% (16/23 das amostras de solo coletadas de praças públicas. A contaminação somente por ovos de Ancylostoma sp. em amostras de solo coletadas em escolas/creches foi de 22,2% (4/18. A percentagem de amostras de areia coletadas de escolas/creches contaminadas somente com larvas de Ancylostoma sp. foi de 11,1% (2/18. Praças públicas são as áreas com maior risco potencial de infecção por Toxocara sp. e Ancylostoma sp. Exame coproparasitológico realizado em 174 amostras de fezes de cães observou 58% e 23%, respectivamente, com ovos de Ancylostoma sp. e Toxocara sp.Visceral and cutaneous larva migrans are parasitic zoonoses caused by the infection of larval nematodes Toxocara sp. and Ancylostoma sp. respectively. The objective of this study was to investigate the contamination by Toxocara sp. eggs and Ancylostoma sp. eggs and larva of soil samples collected from public parks and children's playground areas in state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using both Baermann's method and centrifugal flotation technique. Toxocara sp. and Ancylostoma sp. eggs were observed in soil samples collected from public squares in 17.4% (4/23 and 69.6 (16/23 respectively. In schools and child day care settings the contamination by Ancylostoma sp. larva in sand samples was 11.1% (2/18. Public parks are settings of more potential risk of Toxocara sp. eggs and Ancylostoma sp. infection. Stool parasitology testing of 174 stool

Redox potential distribution of an organic-rich contaminated site obtained by the inversion of self-potential data

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, M.; Jardani, A.; Soueid Ahmed, A.; Revil, A.; Brigaud, L.; Bégassat, Ph.; Dupont, J. P.

2017-11-01

Mapping the redox potential of shallow aquifers impacted by hydrocarbon contaminant plumes is important for the characterization and remediation of such contaminated sites. The redox potential of groundwater is indicative of the biodegradation of hydrocarbons and is important in delineating the shapes of contaminant plumes. The self-potential method was used to reconstruct the redox potential of groundwater associated with an organic-rich contaminant plume in northern France. The self-potential technique is a passive technique consisting in recording the electrical potential distribution at the surface of the Earth. A self-potential map is essentially the sum of two contributions, one associated with groundwater flow referred to as the electrokinetic component, and one associated with redox potential anomalies referred to as the electroredox component (thermoelectric and diffusion potentials are generally negligible). A groundwater flow model was first used to remove the electrokinetic component from the observed self-potential data. Then, a residual self-potential map was obtained. The source current density generating the residual self-potential signals is assumed to be associated with the position of the water table, an interface characterized by a change in both the electrical conductivity and the redox potential. The source current density was obtained through an inverse problem by minimizing a cost function including a data misfit contribution and a regularizer. This inversion algorithm allows the determination of the vertical and horizontal components of the source current density taking into account the electrical conductivity distribution of the saturated and non-saturated zones obtained independently by electrical resistivity tomography. The redox potential distribution was finally determined from the inverted residual source current density. A redox map was successfully built and the estimated redox potential values correlated well with in

Moringa oleifera Seed Derivatives as Potential Bio-Coagulant for Microalgae Chlorella sp. Harvesting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azizah Endut; Azizah Endut; Siti Hajar Abdul Hamid; Fathurrahman Lananan; Helena Khatoon

2016-01-01

Microalgae is an economical and potential raw material of biomass energy, which offer a wide range of commercial potential to produce valuable substances for applications in aquaculture feed, pharmaceutical purposes and bio fuels production. However, lack of an economical, efficient and convenient method to harvest microalgae is a bottleneck to boost their full-scale application. Hence, this study was performed to investigate the potentialities of Moringa oleifera seed derivatives as an environmentally bio-coagulant to harvest microalgae Chlorella sp. biomass from the water column, which acts as a binder to coagulate particulate impurities to form larger aggregates. Results shown M. oleifera to have better biomass recovery of 122.51 % as compared to 37.08 % of alum at similar dosages of 10 mgL"-"1. In addition, it was found that the zeta potential values of mixed microalgae-coagulant suspension shows positive correlation on the flocculation parameters. For biomass recovery, the correlation for M. oleifera protein powder showed the R"2-value of 0.9565 whereas the control chemical flocculant, alum with the R"2-value of 0.7920. It was evidence that M. oleifera has a great potential in efficient and economical for environmentally microalgae harvesting and the adaptation of biological harvesting technology especially for the purpose of aquaculture feed in Malaysia. (author)

Commercial technologies from the SP-100 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truscello, V.C.; Fujita, T.; Mondt, J.F.

1995-01-01

For more than a decade, Jet Propulsion Labortory and Los Alamos have managed a multi-agency funded effort to develop a space reactor power system. This SP-100 Program has developed technologies required for space power systems that can be implemented in the industrial and commercial sectors to improve competitiveness in the global economy. Initial steps taken to transfer this technology from the laboratories to industrial and commercial entities within United States include: (1) identifying specific technologies having commercial potential; (2) distributing information describing the identified technologies and interacting with interested commercial and industrial entities to develop application-specific details and requirements; and (3) providing a technological data base that leads to transfer of technology or the forming of teaming arrangements to accomplish the transfer by tailoring the technology to meet application-specific requirements. SP-100 technologies having commercial potential encompass fabrication processes, devices, and components. Examples: a process for bonding refractory metals to graphite, a device to sense the position of an actuator and a component to enable rotating machines to operate without supplying lubrication (self-lubricating ball bearing). Shortly after the NASA Regional Technology Transfer Centers widely disseminated information covering SP-100 technologies, over one hundred expressions of interest were received, which indicate that there is a large potential benefit in transferring SP-100 technology. Interactions with industrial and commercial entities have identified a substantial need for creating teaming arrangements involving the interested entity and personnel from laboratories and their contractors, who have the knowledge and ability to tailor the technology to meet application-specific requirements. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

A transfer matrix method for the analysis of fractal quantum potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monsoriu, Juan A; Villatoro, Francisco R; Marin, Maria J; UrchueguIa, Javier F; Cordoba, Pedro Fernandez de

2005-01-01

The scattering properties of quantum particles on a sequence of potentials converging towards a fractal one are obtained by means of the transfer matrix method. The reflection coefficients for both the fractal potential and finite periodic potential are calculated and compared. It is shown that the reflection coefficient for the fractal potential has a self-similar structure associated with the fractal distribution of the potential whose degree of self-similarity has been quantified by means of the correlation function

A transfer matrix method for the analysis of fractal quantum potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monsoriu, Juan A [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, E-46022 Valencia (Spain); Villatoro, Francisco R [Departamento de Lenguajes y Ciencias de la Computacion, Universidad de Malaga, E-29071 Malaga (Spain); Marin, Maria J [Departamento de Termodinamica, Universitat de Valencia, E-46100 Burjassot (Spain); UrchueguIa, Javier F [Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, E-46022 Valencia (Spain); Cordoba, Pedro Fernandez de [Departamento de Matematica Aplicada, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, E-46022 Valencia (Spain)

2005-07-01

The scattering properties of quantum particles on a sequence of potentials converging towards a fractal one are obtained by means of the transfer matrix method. The reflection coefficients for both the fractal potential and finite periodic potential are calculated and compared. It is shown that the reflection coefficient for the fractal potential has a self-similar structure associated with the fractal distribution of the potential whose degree of self-similarity has been quantified by means of the correlation function.

Effect of SP-C on surface potential distribution in pulmonary surfactant: Atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hane, Francis; Moores, Brad; Amrein, Matthias; Leonenko, Zoya

2009-01-01

The air-lung interface is covered by a molecular film of pulmonary surfactant (PS). The major function of the film is to reduce the surface tension of the lung's air-liquid interface, providing stability to the alveolar structure and reducing the work of breathing. Earlier we have shown that function of bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES) is related to the specific molecular architecture of surfactant films. Defined molecular arrangement of the lipids and proteins of the surfactant film also give rise to a local highly variable electrical surface potential of the interface. In this work we investigated a simple model of artificial lung surfactant consisting of DPPC, eggPG, and surfactant protein C (SP-C). Effects of surface compression and the presence of SP-C on the monolayer structure and surface potential distribution were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). We show that topography and locally variable surface potential of DPPC-eggPG lipid mixture are similar to those of pulmonary surfactant BLES in the presence of SP-C and differ in surface potential when SP-C is absent.

Recent developments in the use of temperature, resistivity and self-potential methods for monitoring embankment dam performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheffer, M.R. [BC Hydro, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Johansson, S.; Sjodahl, P. [HydroResearch AB, Taby (Sweden)

2009-07-01

Significant research is being undertaken in the application and development of non-intrusive geophysical techniques as a result of the need for more comprehensive surveillance to detect internal erosion in embankment dams. Seepage and piezometric measurements are the most common methods utilized for dam surveillance. However, the spatial resolution of these measurements is generally not refined enough to detect small, local seepage changes. This paper summarized the current state of the art in the application of temperature, electrical resistivity and self-potential methods to seepage monitoring at embankment dam sites. The paper presented recent developments in using the technique and interpreting seepage parameters for each method. The methods were discussed in the context of both investigation and monitoring applications. It was concluded that the resistivity method is a non-destructive method that is well suited to long-term monitoring and has the ability to cover the entire dam. 25 refs., 11 figs.

Seroprevalencia de Leptospira sp., Rickettsia sp. Ehrlichia sp. en trabajadores rurales del departamento de Sucre, Colombia Seroprevalence of Leptospira sp., Rickettsia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. in rural workers of Sucre, Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Ríos

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Objective. Determinar la seroprevalencia de Leptospira sp., Rickettsia sp. y Ehrlichia sp. en trabajadores de áreas rurales del departamento de Sucre. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio escriptivo, prospectivo, de corte transversal, que pretendió determinar la seroprevalencia e Leptospira sp., Rickettsia sp. y Ehrlichia sp. en 90 trabajadores de áreas rurales del departamento de Sucre. Se estableció la presencia de anticuerpos séricos anti-IgM específicos anti-Leptospira por la técnica de ELISA indirecta. Para la determinación de Rickettsia sp. y Ehrlichia sp. se uso la técnica de inmunofluorescencia indirecta. Resultados. La población evaluada estaba compuesta por 27 (30% ordeñadores, 21 (23% jornaleros, 18 (20% profesionales del campo y 24 (27% que realizaban otras actividades. Ventidós (24% muestras resultaron positivas en alguna de las pruebas. De éstas, 12 (13,3% fueron positivas para Leptospira sp., 7 (7,8% para Rickettsia sp. y 3 (3,3% ara Ehrlichia sp. Conclusión. Este fue el primer estudio que se llevó a cabo en el departamento de Sucre y permitió demostrar que existe una prevalencia importante de Leptospira p.,Rickettsia sp. y Ehrlichia sp.. Los factores de riesgo ocupacional fueron factores determinantes en la seropositividad.Objective. To determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira sp., Rickettsia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. in agricultural workers of Sucre. Methods. A descriptive prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in ninety rural workers of Sucre. Presence of serum antibodies anti-IgM specific anti-Leptospira by indirect ELISA was established. For the determination of Rickettsia and Ehrlichia indirect inmunoflorescence was used. Results.The population was composed by 27 (30% milkers, 21 (23% day workers, 18 farm professionals (20% and 24 (26% workers in others activities. A total of 22 (24% samples were positive to some test. Twelve (13.3% were positive to Leptospira sp., seven (7.8% to Rickettsia sp

Inversion of self-potential anomalies caused by simple-geometry bodies using global optimization algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Göktürkler, G; Balkaya, Ç

2012-01-01

Three naturally inspired meta-heuristic algorithms—the genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO)—were used to invert some of the self-potential (SP) anomalies originated by some polarized bodies with simple geometries. Both synthetic and field data sets were considered. The tests with the synthetic data comprised of the solutions with both noise-free and noisy data; in the tests with the field data some SP anomalies observed over a copper belt (India), graphite deposits (Germany) and metallic sulfide (Turkey) were inverted. The model parameters included the electric dipole moment, polarization angle, depth, shape factor and origin of the anomaly. The estimated parameters were compared with those from previous studies using various optimization algorithms, mainly least-squares approaches, on the same data sets. During the test studies the solutions by GA, PSO and SA were characterized as being consistent with each other; a good starting model was not a requirement to reach the global minimum. It can be concluded that the global optimization algorithms considered in this study were able to yield compatible solutions with those from widely used local optimization algorithms. (paper)

Characterization of sp3 bond content of carbon films deposited by high power gas injection magnetron sputtering method by UV and VIS Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zdunek, Krzysztof; Chodun, Rafał; Wicher, Bartosz; Nowakowska-Langier, Katarzyna; Okrasa, Sebastian

2018-04-01

This paper presents the results of investigations of carbon films deposited by a modified version of the magnetron sputtering method - HiPGIMS (High Power Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering). In this experiment, the magnetron system with inversely polarized electrodes (sputtered cathode at ground potential and positively biased, spatially separated anode) was used. This arrangement allowed us to conduct the experiment using voltages ranging from 1 to 2 kV and a power supply system equipped with 25/50 μF capacitor battery. Carbon films were investigated by VIS/UV Raman spectroscopy. Sp3/sp2 bonding ratio was evaluated basing the elementary components of registered spectra. Our investigation showed that sp3 bond content increases with discharge power but up to specific value only. In extreme conditions of generating plasma impulses, we detected a reversed relation of the sp3/sp2 ratio. In our opinion, a energy of plasma pulse favors nucleation of a sp3 phase because of a relatively higher ionization state but in extreme cases the influence of energy is reversed.

Characterization of sp3 bond content of carbon films deposited by high power gas injection magnetron sputtering method by UV and VIS Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zdunek, Krzysztof; Chodun, Rafał; Wicher, Bartosz; Nowakowska-Langier, Katarzyna; Okrasa, Sebastian

2018-04-05

This paper presents the results of investigations of carbon films deposited by a modified version of the magnetron sputtering method - HiPGIMS (High Power Gas Injection Magnetron Sputtering). In this experiment, the magnetron system with inversely polarized electrodes (sputtered cathode at ground potential and positively biased, spatially separated anode) was used. This arrangement allowed us to conduct the experiment using voltages ranging from 1 to 2kV and a power supply system equipped with 25/50μF capacitor battery. Carbon films were investigated by VIS/UV Raman spectroscopy. Sp 3 /sp 2 bonding ratio was evaluated basing the elementary components of registered spectra. Our investigation showed that sp 3 bond content increases with discharge power but up to specific value only. In extreme conditions of generating plasma impulses, we detected a reversed relation of the sp 3 /sp 2 ratio. In our opinion, a energy of plasma pulse favors nucleation of a sp 3 phase because of a relatively higher ionization state but in extreme cases the influence of energy is reversed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Description of recovery method used for curdlan produced by Agrobacterium sp. IFO 13140 and its relation to the morphology and physicochemical and technological properties of the polysaccharide.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangolim, Camila Sampaio; Silva, Thamara Thaiane da; Fenelon, Vanderson Carvalho; Koga, Luciana Numata; Ferreira, Sabrina Barbosa de Souza; Bruschi, Marcos Luciano; Matioli, Graciette

2017-01-01

Curdlan is a linear polysaccharide considered a dietary fiber and with gelation properties. This study evaluated the structure, morphology and the physicochemical and technological properties of curdlan produced by Agrobacterium sp. IFO 13140 recovered by pre-gelation and precipitation methods. Commercial curdlan submitted or otherwise to the pre-gelation process was also evaluated. The data obtained from structural analysis revealed a similarity between the curdlan produced by Agrobacterium sp. IFO 13140 (recovered by both methods) and the commercial curdlans. The results showed that the curdlans evaluated differed significantly in terms of dispersibility and gelation, and only the pre-gelled ones had significant potential for food application, because this method influence on the size of the particles and in the presence of NaCl. In terms of technological properties, the curdlan produced by Agrobacterium sp. IFO 13140 (pre-gelation method) had a greater water and oil holding capacity (64% and 98% greater, respectively) and a greater thickening capacity than the pre-gelled commercial curdlan. The pre-gelled commercial curdlan displayed a greater gelling capacity at 95°C than the others. When applied to food, only the pre-gelled curdlans improved the texture parameters of yogurts and reduced syneresis. The curdlan gels, which are rigid and stable in structure, demonstrated potential for improving the texture of food products, with potential industrial use.

A 2D forward and inverse code for streaming potential problems

Science.gov (United States)

Soueid Ahmed, A.; Jardani, A.; Revil, A.

2013-12-01

The self-potential method corresponds to the passive measurement of the electrical field in response to the occurrence of natural sources of current in the ground. One of these sources corresponds to the streaming current associated with the flow of the groundwater. We can therefore apply the self- potential method to recover non-intrusively some information regarding the groundwater flow. We first solve the forward problem starting with the solution of the groundwater flow problem, then computing the source current density, and finally solving a Poisson equation for the electrical potential. We use the finite-element method to solve the relevant partial differential equations. In order to reduce the number of (petrophysical) model parameters required to solve the forward problem, we introduced an effective charge density tensor of the pore water, which can be determined directly from the permeability tensor for neutral pore waters. The second aspect of our work concerns the inversion of the self-potential data using Tikhonov regularization with smoothness and weighting depth constraints. This approach accounts for the distribution of the electrical resistivity, which can be independently and approximately determined from electrical resistivity tomography. A numerical code, SP2DINV, has been implemented in Matlab to perform both the forward and inverse modeling. Three synthetic case studies are discussed.

A Novel Lipid Extraction Method from Wet Microalga Picochlorum sp. at Room Temperature

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Fangfang Yang

2014-03-01

Full Text Available A novel method using ethanol was proposed for extracting lipids from wet microalga Picochlorum sp. at room temperature and pressure. In this study, Central Composite design (CCD was applied to investigate the optimum conditions of lipid extraction. The results revealed that the solvent to biomass ratio had the largest effect on lipid extraction efficiency, followed by extraction time and temperature. A high lipid extraction yield (33.04% of the dry weight was obtained under the following extraction conditions: 5 mL solvents per gram of wet biomass for 37 min with gentle stirring at room temperature. The extraction yield was comparable to that obtained by the widely used Bligh-Dyer method. Furthermore, no significant differences in the distribution of lipid classes and fatty acid composition were observed according to different extraction methods. In conclusion, these results indicated that the proposed procedure using ethanol could extract lipids from wet biomass efficiently and had giant potential for lipid extraction at large scale.

Elevated expression and potential roles of human Sp5, a member of Sp transcription factor family, in human cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yongxin; Guo Yingqiu; Ge Xijin; Itoh, Hirotaka; Watanabe, Akira; Fujiwara, Takeshi; Kodama, Tatsuhiko; Aburatani, Hiroyuki

2006-01-01

In this report, we describe the expression and function of human Sp5, a member of the Sp family of zinc finger transcription factors. Like other family members, the Sp5 protein contains a Cys2His2 zinc finger DNA binding domain at the C-terminus. Our experiments employing Gal4-Sp5 fusion proteins reveal multiple transcriptional domains, including a N-terminal activity domain, an intrinsic repressive element, and a C-terminal synergistic domain. Elevated expression of Sp5 was noted in several human tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, and colon cancer. To study the effects of the Sp5 protein on growth properties of human cancer cells and facilitate the identification of its downstream genes, we combined an inducible gene expression system with microarray analysis to screen for its transcriptional targets. Transfer of Sp5 into MCF-7 cells that expressed no detectable endogenous Sp5 protein elicited significant growth promotion activity. Several of the constitutively deregulated genes have been associated with tumorigenesis (CDC25C, CEACAM6, TMPRSS2, XBP1, MYBL1, ABHD2, and CXCL12) and Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathways (BAMBI, SIX1, IGFBP5, AES, and p21 WAF1 ). This information could be utilized for further mechanistic research and for devising optimized therapeutic strategies against human cancers

The Marine Fungi Rhodotorula sp. (Strain CNYC4007) as a Potential Feed Source for Fish Larvae Nutrition

Science.gov (United States)

Barra, M.; Llanos-Rivera, A.; Cruzat, F.; Pino-Maureira, N.; González-Saldía, R. R.

2017-01-01

Fish oil is used in the production of feed for cultured fish owing to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid content (PUFA). The over-exploitation of fisheries and events like “El Niño” are reducing the fish oil supply. Some marine microorganisms are considered potentially as alternative fatty acid sources. This study assesses a strain of Rhodotorula sp. (strain CNYC4007; 27% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) of total fatty acids), as feed for fish larvae. The total length and ribonucleic acid (RNA)/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ratio of Danio rerio larvae was determined at first feeding at six and 12 days old (post-yolk absorption larvae). Larvae fed with microencapsulated Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 had a significantly higher RNA/DNA ratio than control group (C1). At six days post-yolk absorption group, the RNA/DNA ratio of larvae fed with Rhodotorula sp. bioencapsulated in Brachionus sp. was significantly higher than control group fed with a commercial diet high in DHA (C2-DHA). Finally, at 12 days post-yolk absorption, the RNA/DNA ratio was significantly higher in larvae fed with Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 and C2-DHA (both bioencapsulated in Artemia sp. nauplii) than in control group (C1). These results suggest that Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 can be an alternative source of DHA for feeding fish at larval stage, providing a sustainable source of fatty acids. PMID:29194350

Towards a Kohn-Sham potential via the optimized effective-potential method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norman, M.R.; Koelling, D.D.

1984-01-01

The optimized effective-potential (OEP) method is applied to a self-interaction-corrected local-spin-density (SIC-LSD) energy functional. The local potential which results has the useful properties of being both self-interaction free and orbital independent, and it can thus be regarded as a good approximation to the exact Kohn-Sham potential. A number of atomic systems are examined in the exchange-only and in the Ceperley-Alder exchange-correlation approximations. The resulting total energies are very close to those obtained by previous applications of the LSD-SIC functional. The resultant potentials are structurally similar to those derived by applying the OEP method to a Hartree-Fock Hamiltonian: showing much improved behavior over the local-spin-density approximation in both large- and small-r regions as well as the characteristic intershell cusplike structure. The eigenvalues have less formal significance than the more standard approaches, especially those for unoccupied orbitals which seem to have no significance whatsoever. Nonetheless, the highest occupied eigenvalue agrees closely with the conventional LSD-SIC value. However, for the deeper levels, each eigenvalue lies higher than the comparable eigenvalue of the conventional SIC, although lower than the eigenvalue of the LSD potential: the deeper the level, the larger the difference. This property follows from the nonvariational character of the eigenvalues, and it is shown that one can obtain realistic excitation spectra from this formalism by utilizing the appropriate variational quantity. The results obtained illustrate some of the less understood issues in the application of the Kohn-Sham procedure within density-functional theory

On the “Tertiary Structure” of Poly-Carbenes; Self-Assembly of sp3-Carbon-Based Polymers into Liquid-Crystalline Aggregates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franssen, N.G.M.; Ensing, B.; Hegde, M.; Dingemans, T.J.; Norder, B.; Picken, S.J.; Alberda van Ekenstein, G.O.R.; van Eck, E.R.H.; Elemans, J.A.A.W; Vis, M.; Reek, J.N.H.; de Bruin, B.

2013-01-01

The self-assembly of poly(ethylidene acetate) (st-PEA) into van der Waals-stabilized liquid-crystalline (LC) aggregates is reported. The LC behavior of these materials is unexpected, and unusual for flexible sp(3)-carbon backbone polymers. Although the dense packing of polar ester functionalities

Operculum bone carp (cyprinus carprio sp.) scaffold is a new potential xenograft material: a preliminary study

Science.gov (United States)

Kartiwa, A.; Abbas, B.; Pandansari, P.; Prahasta, A.; Nandini, M.; Fadhlillah, M.; Subroto, T.; Panigoro, R.

2017-02-01

Orbital floor fracture with extensive bone loss, would cause herniation of the orbital tissue into the maxillary sinus. Graft implantation should be done on the orbital fracture with extensive bone loss. Different types of grafts have their own characteristics and advantages. Xenograft has been widely studied for use in bone defects. This study was to investigate cyprinus carprio sp. opercula bone as a potential xenograft. The aim of this study was to investigate based on EDS chemical analysis using a ZAF Standardless Method of Quantitative Analysis (Oxide) and SEM examination conducted in the laboratory of Mathematics, Institute of Technology Bandung. Particularly the mass ratio of Ca and P (5.8/3:47), the result is 1.67. This is equivalent to the stoichiometric Hydroxyapatite (HA) (Aoki H, 1991, Science and medical applications of hydroxyapatite, Tokyo: Institute for Medical and Engineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University). C N O that there is an element of protein/amino acid collagen compound, serves as a matrix together with HA. As shown in the SEM analysis that the matrix is a porous sheet-shaped (oval) that interconnect with each other, which is good scaffold. The pore is composed of large pores >200 microns and smaller pores between the large pores with a size smaller or equal to 10 microns that can serve for the attachment of osteoblast cell. In conclusion, Opercula bone carp (cyprinus carprio sp.) scaffold could be a new potential xenograft material.

Self-potential monitoring of a thermal pulse advecting through a preferential flow path

Science.gov (United States)

Ikard, S. J.; Revil, A.

2014-11-01

There is a need to develop new non-intrusive geophysical methods to detect preferential flow paths in heterogeneous porous media. A laboratory experiment is performed to non-invasively localize a preferential flow pathway in a sandbox using a heat pulse monitored by time-lapse self-potential measurements. Our goal is to investigate the amplitude of the intrinsic thermoelectric self-potential anomalies and the ability of this method to track preferential flow paths. A negative self-potential anomaly (-10 to -15 mV with respect to the background signals) is observed at the surface of the tank after hot water is injected in the upstream reservoir during steady state flow between the upstream and downstream reservoirs of the sandbox. Repeating the same experiment with the same volume of water injected upstream, but at the same temperature as the background pore water, produces a negligible self-potential anomaly. The negative self-potential anomaly is possibly associated with an intrinsic thermoelectric effect, with the temperature dependence of the streaming potential coupling coefficient, or with an apparent thermoelectric effect associated with the temperature dependence of the electrodes themselves. We model the experiment in 3D using a finite element code. Our results show that time-lapse self-potential signals can be used to track the position of traveling heat flow pulses in saturated porous materials, and therefore to find preferential flow pathways, especially in a very permeable environment and in real time. The numerical model and the data allows quantifying the intrinsic thermoelectric coupling coefficient, which is on the order of -0.3 to -1.8 mV per degree Celsius. The temperature dependence of the streaming potential during the experiment is negligible with respect to the intrinsic thermoelectric coupling. However, the temperature dependence of the potential of the electrodes needs to be accounted for and is far from being negligible if the electrodes

Sulphur fate and anaerobic biodegradation potential during co-digestion of seaweed biomass (Ulva sp.) with pig slurry.

Science.gov (United States)

Peu, P; Sassi, J-F; Girault, R; Picard, S; Saint-Cast, Patricia; Béline, F; Dabert, P

2011-12-01

Seaweed (Ulva sp.) stranded on beaches were utilized as co-substrate for anaerobic digestion of pig slurry in three-month co-digestion tests in pilot scale anaerobic digesters in the laboratory. The methanogenic potential of Ulva sp. was low compared to that of other potential co-substrates available for use by farmers: 148 N m3CH4/t of volatile solids or 19 N m3CH4/t of crude product. When used as a co-substrate with pig manure (48%/52% w/w), Ulva sp. seaweed did not notably disrupt the process of digestion; however, after pilot stabilisation, biogas produced contained 3.5% H2S, making it unsuitable for energy recovery without treatment. Sequentially addition of the sulphate reduction inhibitor, potassium molybdate, to a final concentration of 3mM, temporarily reduced H2S emissions, but was unable to sustain this reduction over the three-month period. According to these pilot tests, the use of seaweed stranded on beaches as co-substrate in farm-based biogas plants shows some limitations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Marine Fungi Rhodotorula sp. (Strain CNYC4007 as a Potential Feed Source for Fish Larvae Nutrition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Barra

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Fish oil is used in the production of feed for cultured fish owing to its high polyunsaturated fatty acid content (PUFA. The over-exploitation of fisheries and events like “El Niño” are reducing the fish oil supply. Some marine microorganisms are considered potentially as alternative fatty acid sources. This study assesses a strain of Rhodotorula sp. (strain CNYC4007; 27% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA of total fatty acids, as feed for fish larvae. The total length and ribonucleic acid (RNA/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA ratio of Danio rerio larvae was determined at first feeding at six and 12 days old (post-yolk absorption larvae. Larvae fed with microencapsulated Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 had a significantly higher RNA/DNA ratio than control group (C1. At six days post-yolk absorption group, the RNA/DNA ratio of larvae fed with Rhodotorula sp. bioencapsulated in Brachionus sp. was significantly higher than control group fed with a commercial diet high in DHA (C2-DHA. Finally, at 12 days post-yolk absorption, the RNA/DNA ratio was significantly higher in larvae fed with Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 and C2-DHA (both bioencapsulated in Artemia sp. nauplii than in control group (C1. These results suggest that Rhodotorula sp. CNYC4007 can be an alternative source of DHA for feeding fish at larval stage, providing a sustainable source of fatty acids.

First report of Anisakis sp. in Epinephelus sp. in East Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Annytha Ina Rohi Detha; Diana Agustiani Wuri; Julianty Almet; Yuni Riwu; Christin Melky

2018-01-01

Objective: The present research was conducted to identify the prevalence of Anisakis sp. as fish-borne zoonoses in Epinephelus sp. in territorial waters of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Materials and methods: A total of 50 fish (Epinephelus sp.) were collected from Kupang Fish Market in East Nusa Tenggara. Identification of Anisakis sp. was performed based on morphological observations considering shape of ventriculus, boring tooth, and mucron using binocular microscope. Results: Prev...

Spanish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-Sp

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baelum Vibeke

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The need for appraisal of oral health-related quality of life has been increasingly recognized over the last decades. The aims of this study were to develop a Spanish version (OHIP-Sp of the Oral Health Impact Profile and to evaluate its convergent and discriminative validity, and its internal consistency. Methods The original 49-items OHIP was translated to Spanish, revised for understanding and semantics by two independent dentists, and then translated back to English by an independent bilingual dentist. The data originated in a cross sectional study conducted among high school students from the Province of Santiago, Chile. The study group was sampled using a multistage random cluster procedure yielding 9,203 students aged 12–21 years. All selected students were invited to participate and all filled a questionnaire with information on socio-demographic factors; oral health related behaviors; and self-reported oral health status (good, fair or poor. From this group, 9,163 students also accepted to fill a detailed questionnaire on socio-economic indicators and to receive a clinical examination comprising direct recordings of clinical attachment levels (CAL in molars and incisors, tooth loss, and the presence of necrotizing ulcerative gingival lesions. Results The participation rate and the questionnaire completeness were high with OHIP-Sp total scores being computed for 9,133 subjects. Self-perceived oral health status was associated with the total OHIP-Sp score and all its domains (Spearman rank correlation. The OHIP-Sp total score was also directly associated with the 4 dental outcomes investigated (Mann-Whitney test and the largest impact was found for the outcomes, 'tooth loss' with a mean OHIP-Sp score = 13.5 and 'CAL >= 3 mm' with a mean OHIP-Sp score = 13.0. Conclusion The OHIP-Sp revealed suitable convergent and discriminative validity and appropriate internal consistency (Cronbach's α. Further studies on OHIP-Sp

[Micronecta sp (Corixidae) and Diplonychus sp (Belostomatidae), two aquatic Hemiptera hosts and/or potential vectors of Mycobacterium ulcerans (pathogenic agent of Buruli ulcer) in Cote d'Ivoire].

Science.gov (United States)

Doannio, J M C; Konan, K L; Dosso, F N; Koné, A B; Konan, Y L; Sankaré, Y; Ekaza, E; Coulibaly, N D; Odéhouri, K P; Dosso, M; Sess, E D; Marsollier, L; Aubry, J

2011-02-01

Buruli ulcer is currently a major public health problem in Côte d'Ivoire. It is a neglected tropical disease closely associated with aquatic environments. Aquatic insects of the Hemiptera order have been implicated in human transmission of Mycobacterium ulcerans, the pathogenic agent of Buruli ulcer. The purpose of this preliminary study using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was to evaluate aquatic insects in Sokrogbo, a village in the Tiassalé sanitary district where Buruli ulcer is endemic. Findings identified two water bugs hosting Mycobacterium ulcerans, i.e., one of the Micronecta genus in the Corixidae family and another of the Diplonychus genus in the Belostomatidae family. The PCR technique used revealed the molecular signatures of M. ulcerans in tissue from these two insects. Based on these findings, these two water bugs can be considered as potential hosts and/or vectors of M. ulcerans in the study zone. Unlike Diplonychus sp., this is the first report to describe Micronecta sp as a host of M. ulcerans. Further investigation will be needed to assess the role of these two water bugs in human transmission of M. ulcerans in Côte d'Ivoire.

Development of geothermal field following the 2000 eruption of Usu volcano as revealed by ground temperature, resistivity and self-potential variations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Mogi

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The 2000 eruption of Usu volcano, NE Japan, took place on the foot of the somma, and formed a cryptodome of 65 m high accompanying numerous faults. We made repeated measurements of ground temperature, Self-Potential (SP and electrical resistivity, in order to clarify the mechanism of development of the newly formed geothermal field on the fault zone. Prior to the expansion of the geothermal field, we detected a resistive zone at the center of the geothermal zone and it supposed to evidence that the zone involving dry steam phase had been formed beneath the fault zone. A rapid expansion of the geothermal field followed along the fault zone away from the craters. The place of maximum amplitude of the SP field also migrated following the expansion of the high ground temperature zone. The high resistive part has shrunk as a consequence of the progress of condensation to warm the surroundings. Based on the observations, we delineated the process of the hydrothermal circulation. Considering the topographic effect of the SP field observed on the highly permeable zone in the Usu somma, the potential flow along the slope of the soma was expected to play an important role to promote the rapid expansion of the geothermal field and the migration of the most active part.

Characterization of a marine-isolated mercury-resistant Pseudomonas putida strain SP1 and its potential application in marine mercury reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Weiwei; Chen, Lingxin; Liu, Dongyan [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, SD (China). Yantai Inst. of Coastal Zone Research (YICCAS); Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, SD (China). Shandong Provincial Key Lab. of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes

2012-02-15

The Pseudomonas putida strain SP1 was isolated from marine environment and was found to be resistant to 280 {mu}M HgCl{sub 2}. SP1 was also highly resistant to other metals, including CdCl{sub 2}, CoCl{sub 2}, CrCl{sub 3}, CuCl{sub 2}, PbCl{sub 2}, and ZnSO{sub 4}, and the antibiotics ampicillin (Ap), kanamycin (Kn), chloramphenicol (Cm), and tetracycline (Tc). mer operon, possessed by most mercury-resistant bacteria, and other diverse types of resistant determinants were all located on the bacterial chromosome. Cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry and a volatilization test indicated that the isolated P. putida SP1 was able to volatilize almost 100% of the total mercury it was exposed to and could potentially be used for bioremediation in marine environments. The optimal pH for the growth of P. putida SP1 in the presence of HgCl{sub 2} and the removal of HgCl{sub 2} by P. putida SP1 was between 8.0 and 9.0, whereas the optimal pH for the expression of merA, the mercuric reductase enzyme in mer operon that reduces reactive Hg{sup 2+} to volatile and relatively inert monoatomic Hg{sup 0} vapor, was around 5.0. LD50 of P. putida SP1 to flounder and turbot was 1.5 x 10{sup 9} CFU. Biofilm developed by P. putida SP1 was 1- to 3-fold lower than biofilm developed by an aquatic pathogen Pseudomonas fluorescens TSS. The results of this study indicate that P. putida SP1 is a low virulence strain that can potentially be applied in the bioremediation of HgCl{sub 2} contamination over a broad range of pH. (orig.)

Metode Direct Polymerase Chain Reaction untuk Melacak Campylobacter sp. pada Daging Ayam (DIRECT POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION METHOD FOR DETECTION CAMPYLOBACTER SP. OF POULTRY MEAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andriani .

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Campylobacter sp. is the most commonly reported as agent of foodborne zoonosis causing acutegastroenteritis in humans. Poultry meat is considered as a major source of C. jejuni infection in human.The conventional methods for detecting foodborne bacteria is time-consuming which rely on the of thebacteria in culture media, followed by biochemical identification. In this study polymerase chain reaction(PCR technique was used for rapid identification of the pathogenic Campylobacter sp. The samples usedwere 298 chicken carcass with sold in supermarkets and traditional markets, and were carried out inaccordance the isolation protocol ISO/ DIS 10272-1994. Identification was performed using biochemicalAPI Campy. The direct PCR (DPCR assay with two sets of primers was employed for isolation andidentification of C. jejuni and C. coli. The result of the isolation and identification both by conventional orPCR methods showed that chicken carcasses both from supermarket and traditional market werecontaminated with C. jejuni and or C. coli. Prevalence of Campylobacter sp. contamination in chicken meatwas higher by DPCR (62.6% than by conventional (19.8%, indicating that DPCR technique was moresensitive than conventional method with detection limit for C. jejuni was103 cfu/ml.

Acceleration and parallelization calculation of EFEN-SP_3 method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Wen; Zheng Youqi; Wu Hongchun; Cao Liangzhi; Li Yunzhao

2013-01-01

Due to the fact that the exponential function expansion nodal-SP_3 (EFEN-SP_3) method needs further improvement in computational efficiency to routinely carry out PWR whole core pin-by-pin calculation, the coarse mesh acceleration and spatial parallelization were investigated in this paper. The coarse mesh acceleration was built by considering discontinuity factor on each coarse mesh interface and preserving neutron balance within each coarse mesh in space, angle and energy. The spatial parallelization based on MPI was implemented by guaranteeing load balancing and minimizing communications cost to fully take advantage of the modern computing and storage abilities. Numerical results based on a commercial nuclear power reactor demonstrate an speedup ratio of about 40 for the coarse mesh acceleration and a parallel efficiency of higher than 60% with 40 CPUs for the spatial parallelization. With these two improvements, the EFEN code can complete a PWR whole core pin-by-pin calculation with 289 × 289 × 218 meshes and 4 energy groups within 100 s by using 48 CPUs (2.40 GHz frequency). (authors)

Self-potential signals caused by eruptions of the Galeras volcano – Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greinwald S.

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The National Institute of Geology and Mining, INGEOMINAS - Colombia, and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, BGR - Germany, perform since 1997 as a joint venture
multi-parameter measurements at the Galeras volcano, in the southwest of Colombia. Since the end of 1998 the Multi-parameter Station at Galeras (Estación Multiparámetro del Galeras - EMG includes the continuous monitoring of electromagnetic variations. The electromagnetic (EM station is located at the north-eastern foot walls of the central cone inside the caldera.
During almost six years of electromagnetic monitoring, the data did not show significant variations of the electromagnetic field, which could be related to the volcanic activity. In July 2004 a new active period of Galeras began with two strong ash emissions. During both emissions strong self potential- (SP signals were recorded lasting for several hours. The present paper will present the data which could give some indications on the movements of liquids during ash emissions.

Parameter estimation of Monod model by the Least-Squares method for microalgae Botryococcus Braunii sp

Science.gov (United States)

See, J. J.; Jamaian, S. S.; Salleh, R. M.; Nor, M. E.; Aman, F.

2018-04-01

This research aims to estimate the parameters of Monod model of microalgae Botryococcus Braunii sp growth by the Least-Squares method. Monod equation is a non-linear equation which can be transformed into a linear equation form and it is solved by implementing the Least-Squares linear regression method. Meanwhile, Gauss-Newton method is an alternative method to solve the non-linear Least-Squares problem with the aim to obtain the parameters value of Monod model by minimizing the sum of square error ( SSE). As the result, the parameters of the Monod model for microalgae Botryococcus Braunii sp can be estimated by the Least-Squares method. However, the estimated parameters value obtained by the non-linear Least-Squares method are more accurate compared to the linear Least-Squares method since the SSE of the non-linear Least-Squares method is less than the linear Least-Squares method.

Neorickettsia risticii, Rickettsia sp. and Bartonella sp. in Tadarida brasiliensis bats from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Cicuttin, Gabriel L; De Salvo, María N; La Rosa, Isabel; Dohmen, Federico E Gury

2017-06-01

Bats are potential reservoirs of many vector-borne bacterial pathogens. The aim of the present study was to detect species of Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia, Rickettsia, Borrelia and Bartonella in Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis, Molossidae) from Buenos Aires city, Argentina. Between 2012 and 2013, 61 T. brasiliensis from urban areas of Buenos Aires city were studied. The samples were molecularly screened by PCR and sequencing. Five bats (8.2%) were positive to Neorickettsia risticii, one (1.6%) was positive to Rickettsia sp. and three bats (4.9%) to Bartonella sp. For molecular characterization, the positive samples were subjected to amplification and sequencing of a fragment of p51 gene for N. risticii, a fragment of citrate synthase gene (gltA) for Rickettsia genus and a fragment of gltA for Bartonella genus. Phylogenetic tree was constructed using the maximum-likelihood method. Phylogenetic analysis of N. risticii detect in our study revealed that it relates to findings in the USA West Coast; Rickettsia sp. detected is phylogenetically within R. bellii group, which also includes many other Rickettsia endosymbionts of insects; and Bartonella sp. found is related to various Bartonella spp. described in Vespertilionidae bats, which are phylogenetically related to Molossidae. Our results are in accordance to previous findings, which demonstrate that insectivorous bats could be infected with vector-borne bacteria representing a potential risk to public health. Future research is necessary to clarify the circulation of these pathogens in bats from Buenos Aires. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autotetraploid cell Line induced by SP600125 from crucian carp and its developmental potentiality

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yonghua; Wang, Mei; Jiang, Minggui; Peng, Liangyue; Wan, Cong; Liu, Jinhui; Liu, Wenbin; Zhao, Rurong; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Hu, Wei; Liu, Shaojun; Xiao, Yamei

2016-01-01

Polyploidy has many advantages over diploidy, such as rapid growth, sterility, and disease resistance, and has been extensively applied in agriculture and aquaculture. Though generation of new polyploids via polyploidization has been achieved in plants by different ways, it is comparatively rare in animals. In this article, by a chemical compound, SP600125, polyploidization is induced in fish cells in vitro, and a stable autotetraploid cell line has been generated from diploid fibroblast cells of crucian carp. As a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (Jnk) inhibitor, SP600125 does not function during the induction process of polyploidization. Instead, the p53 signal pathway might be involved. Using the SP600125-induced tetraploid cells and eggs of crucian carp as the donors and recipients, respectively, nuclear transplantation was conducted such that tetraploid embryos were obtained. It suggests that combining polyploidization and the somatic cell nuclear transfer technique (SCNT) is an efficient way to generate polyploidy, and the presented method in this research for generating the tetraploid fish from diploid fish can provide a useful platform for polyploid breeding. PMID:26898354

Application of differential evolution algorithm on self-potential data.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiangtao; Yin, Minghao

2012-01-01

Differential evolution (DE) is a population based evolutionary algorithm widely used for solving multidimensional global optimization problems over continuous spaces, and has been successfully used to solve several kinds of problems. In this paper, differential evolution is used for quantitative interpretation of self-potential data in geophysics. Six parameters are estimated including the electrical dipole moment, the depth of the source, the distance from the origin, the polarization angle and the regional coefficients. This study considers three kinds of data from Turkey: noise-free data, contaminated synthetic data, and Field example. The differential evolution and the corresponding model parameters are constructed as regards the number of the generations. Then, we show the vibration of the parameters at the vicinity of the low misfit area. Moreover, we show how the frequency distribution of each parameter is related to the number of the DE iteration. Experimental results show the DE can be used for solving the quantitative interpretation of self-potential data efficiently compared with previous methods.

Selective C(sp2)-C(sp) bond cleavage: the nitrogenation of alkynes to amides.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Chong; Feng, Peng; Ou, Yang; Shen, Tao; Wang, Teng; Jiao, Ning

2013-07-22

Breakthrough: A novel catalyzed direct highly selective C(sp2)-C(sp) bond functionalization of alkynes to amides has been developed. Nitrogenation is achieved by the highly selective C(sp2)-C(sp) bond cleavage of aryl-substituted alkynes. The oxidant-free and mild conditions and wide substrate scope make this method very practical. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Draft genome sequences of six neonatal meningitis-causing escherichia coli isolates (SP-4, SP-5, SP-13, SP-16, SP-46, and SP-65)

Science.gov (United States)

Neonatal meningitis Escherichia coli isolates (SP-4, SP-5, SP-13, SP-16, SP-46, and SP-65) were recovered from infants in the Netherlands from 1989 to 1997. Here, we report the draft genome sequences for these six E. coli isolates, which are currently being used to validate food safety processing te...

Self-similar potential in the near wake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diebold, D.; Hershkowitz, N.; Intrator, T.; Bailey, A.

1987-01-01

The plasma potential is measured near the edge of an electrically floating obstacle placed in a steady-state, supersonic, unmagnetized, neutral plasma flow. Equipotential contours show the sheath of the upstream side of the obstacle wrapping around the edge of the obstacle and fanning out into the near wake. Both fluid theory and the data find the near-wake plasma potential to be self-similar when ionization, charge exchange, and magnetic field can be neglected. The theory also finds that fluid velocity is self-similar, the near wake is nonneutral, and plasma density is not self-similar. Strong electric fields are found near the obstacle and equipotential contours are found to conform to all boundaries

Silencing the SpMPK1, SpMPK2, and SpMPK3 Genes in Tomato Reduces Abscisic Acid—Mediated Drought Tolerance

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Yan Liang

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Drought is a major threat to agriculture production worldwide. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs play a pivotal role in sensing and converting stress signals into appropriate responses so that plants can adapt and survive. To examine the function of MAPKs in the drought tolerance of tomato plants, we silenced the SpMPK1, SpMPK2, and SpMPK3 genes in wild-type plants using the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS method. The results indicate that silencing the individual genes or co-silencing SpMPK1, SpMPK2, and SpMPK3 reduced the drought tolerance of tomato plants by varying degrees. Co-silencing SpMPK1 and SpMPK2 impaired abscisic acid (ABA-induced and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2-induced stomatal closure and enhanced ABA-induced H2O2 production. Similar results were observed when silencing SpMPK3 alone, but not when SpMPK1 and SpMPK2 were individually silenced. These data suggest that the functions of SpMPK1 and SpMPK2 are redundant, and they overlap with that of SpMPK3 in drought stress signaling pathways. In addition, we found that SpMPK3 may regulate H2O2 levels by mediating the expression of CAT1. Hence, SpMPK1, SpMPK2, and SpMPK3 may play crucial roles in enhancing tomato plants’ drought tolerance by influencing stomatal activity and H2O2 production via the ABA-H2O2 pathway.

Forward and Inverse Modeling of Self-potential. A Tomography of Groundwater Flow and Comparison Between Deterministic and Stochastic Inversion Methods

Science.gov (United States)

Quintero-Chavarria, E.; Ochoa Gutierrez, L. H.

2016-12-01

Applications of the Self-potential Method in the fields of Hydrogeology and Environmental Sciences have had significant developments during the last two decades with a strong use on groundwater flows identification. Although only few authors deal with the forward problem's solution -especially in geophysics literature- different inversion procedures are currently being developed but in most cases they are compared with unconventional groundwater velocity fields and restricted to structured meshes. This research solves the forward problem based on the finite element method using the St. Venant's Principle to transform a point dipole, which is the field generated by a single vector, into a distribution of electrical monopoles. Then, two simple aquifer models were generated with specific boundary conditions and head potentials, velocity fields and electric potentials in the medium were computed. With the model's surface electric potential, the inverse problem is solved to retrieve the source of electric potential (vector field associated to groundwater flow) using deterministic and stochastic approaches. The first approach was carried out by implementing a Tikhonov regularization with a stabilized operator adapted to the finite element mesh while for the second a hierarchical Bayesian model based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) and Markov Random Fields (MRF) was constructed. For all implemented methods, the result between the direct and inverse models was contrasted in two ways: 1) shape and distribution of the vector field, and 2) magnitude's histogram. Finally, it was concluded that inversion procedures are improved when the velocity field's behavior is considered, thus, the deterministic method is more suitable for unconfined aquifers than confined ones. McMC has restricted applications and requires a lot of information (particularly in potentials fields) while MRF has a remarkable response especially when dealing with confined aquifers.

Unscented Kalman filter assimilation of time-lapse self-potential data for monitoring solute transport

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yi-an; Liu, Lanbo; Zhu, Xiaoxiong

2017-08-01

Monitoring the extent and evolution of contaminant plumes in local and regional groundwater systems from existing landfills is critical in contamination control and remediation. The self-potential survey is an efficient and economical nondestructive geophysical technique that can be used to investigate underground contaminant plumes. Based on the unscented transform, we have built a Kalman filtering cycle to conduct time-lapse data assimilation for monitoring the transport of solute based on the solute transport experiment using a bench-scale physical model. The data assimilation was formed by modeling the evolution based on the random walk model and observation correcting based on the self-potential forward. Thus, monitoring self-potential data can be inverted by the data assimilation technique. As a result, we can reconstruct the dynamic process of the contaminant plume instead of using traditional frame-to-frame static inversion, which may cause inversion artifacts. The data assimilation inversion algorithm was evaluated through noise-added synthetic time-lapse self-potential data. The result of the numerical experiment shows validity, accuracy and tolerance to the noise of the dynamic inversion. To validate the proposed algorithm, we conducted a scaled-down sandbox self-potential observation experiment to generate time-lapse data that closely mimics the real-world contaminant monitoring setup. The results of physical experiments support the idea that the data assimilation method is a potentially useful approach for characterizing the transport of contamination plumes using the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) data assimilation technique applied to field time-lapse self-potential data.

Limited SP17 expression within tumors diminishes its therapeutic potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjerstorff, M F; Ditzel, H J

2012-01-01

In this study, we have investigated the expression of the tumor antigen sperm protein 17 (SP17) in a large panel of human cancers and compared it with the expression of two well-characterized families of tumor antigens, melanoma-associated antigen-A (MAGE-A) and G antigen (GAGE). We found that SP17...

Exploring Entertainment Medicine and Professionalization of Self-Care: Interview Study Among Doctors on the Potential Effects of Digital Self-Tracking

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Background Nowadays, digital self-tracking devices offer a plethora of possibilities to both healthy and chronically ill users who want to closely examine their body. This study suggests that self-tracking in a private setting will lead to shifting understandings in professional care. To provide more insight into these shifts, this paper seeks to lay bare the promises and challenges of self-tracking while staying close to the everyday professional experience of the physician. Objective The aim of this study was to (1) offer an analysis of how medical doctors evaluate self-tracking methods in their practice and (2) explore the anticipated shifts that digital self-care will bring about in relation to our findings and those of other studies. Methods A total of 12 in-depth semistructured interviews with general practitioners (GPs) and cardiologists were conducted in Flanders, Belgium, from November 2015 to November 2016. Thematic analysis was applied to examine the transcripts in an iterative process. Results Four major themes arose in our body of data: (1) the patient as health manager, (2) health obsession and medicalization, (3) information management, and (4) shifting roles of the doctors and impact on the health care organization. Our research findings show a nuanced understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of different forms of self-tracking. The necessity of contextualization of self-tracking data and a professionalization of self-care through digital devices come to the fore as important overarching concepts. Conclusions This interview study with Belgian doctors examines the potentials and challenges of self-monitoring while focusing on the everyday professional experience of the physician. The dialogue between our dataset and the existing literature affords a fine-grained image of digital self-care and its current meaning in a medical-professional landscape. PMID:29330140

Reconstruction and comparison of the metabolic potential of cyanobacteria Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

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Rajib Saha

Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are an important group of photoautotrophic organisms that can synthesize valuable bio-products by harnessing solar energy. They are endowed with high photosynthetic efficiencies and diverse metabolic capabilities that confer the ability to convert solar energy into a variety of biofuels and their precursors. However, less well studied are the similarities and differences in metabolism of different species of cyanobacteria as they pertain to their suitability as microbial production chassis. Here we assemble, update and compare genome-scale models (iCyt773 and iSyn731 for two phylogenetically related cyanobacterial species, namely Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. All reactions are elementally and charge balanced and localized into four different intracellular compartments (i.e., periplasm, cytosol, carboxysome and thylakoid lumen and biomass descriptions are derived based on experimental measurements. Newly added reactions absent in earlier models (266 and 322, respectively span most metabolic pathways with an emphasis on lipid biosynthesis. All thermodynamically infeasible loops are identified and eliminated from both models. Comparisons of model predictions against gene essentiality data reveal a specificity of 0.94 (94/100 and a sensitivity of 1 (19/19 for the Synechocystis iSyn731 model. The diurnal rhythm of Cyanothece 51142 metabolism is modeled by constructing separate (light/dark biomass equations and introducing regulatory restrictions over light and dark phases. Specific metabolic pathway differences between the two cyanobacteria alluding to different bio-production potentials are reflected in both models.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A) inhibits agglomeration and macrophage uptake of toxic amine modified nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Zofi; Kendall, Michaela; Mackay, Rose-Marie; Whitwell, Harry; Elgy, Christine; Ding, Ping; Mahajan, Sumeet; Morgan, Cliff; Griffiths, Mark; Clark, Howard; Madsen, Jens

2015-01-01

The lung provides the main route for nanomaterial exposure. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is an important respiratory innate immune molecule with the ability to bind or opsonise pathogens to enhance phagocytic removal from the airways. We hypothesised that SP-A, like surfactant protein D, may interact with inhaled nanoparticulates, and that this interaction will be affected by nanoparticle (NP) surface characteristics. In this study, we characterise the interaction of SP-A with unmodified (U-PS) and amine-modified (A-PS) polystyrene particles of varying size and zeta potential using dynamic light scatter analysis. SP-A associated with both 100 nm U-PS and A-PS in a calcium-independent manner. SP-A induced significant calcium-dependent agglomeration of 100 nm U-PS NPs but resulted in calcium-independent inhibition of A-PS self agglomeration. SP-A enhanced uptake of 100 nm U-PS into macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner but in contrast inhibited A-PS uptake. Reduced association of A-PS particles in RAW264.7 cells following pre-incubation of SP-A was also observed with coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. Consistent with these findings, alveolar macrophages (AMs) from SP-A(-/-) mice were more efficient at uptake of 100 nm A-PS compared with wild type C57Bl/6 macrophages. No difference in uptake was observed with 500 nm U-PS or A-PS particles. Pre-incubation with SP-A resulted in a significant decrease in uptake of 100 nm A-PS in macrophages isolated from both groups of mice. In contrast, increased uptake by AMs of U-PS was observed after pre-incubation with SP-A. Thus we have demonstrated that SP-A promotes uptake of non-toxic U-PS particles but inhibits the clearance of potentially toxic A-PS particles by blocking uptake into macrophages.

Reported positive and negative outcomes associated with a self-practice/self-reflection cognitive-behavioural therapy exercise for CBT trainees.

Science.gov (United States)

Spendelow, Jason S; Butler, Lisa J

2016-09-01

The aim of the current study was to identify outcomes of a self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) exercise for trainee clinical psychologists. Thirty-two trainees enrolled in their first year of a UK university doctoral clinical psychology training programme completed an online questionnaire following an eight-week exercise. Findings indicated an endorsement of many previously reported benefits of exercise participation, but also the identification of negative outcomes. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed that outcomes could be grouped into two main thematic domains (individual task outcomes and task organization issues) along with several subordinate themes. SP/SR is a useful tool in the development of trainee CBT therapist competences. There has been limited previous recognition of potential negative outcomes from this type of exercise. However, these can provide additional impetus for therapist skill development.

Revealing the biotechnological potential of Delftia sp. JD2 by a genomic approach

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María A. Morel

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Delftia sp. JD2 is a chromium-resistant bacterium that reduces Cr(VI to Cr(III, accumulates Pb(II, produces the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid and siderophores, and increases the plant growth performance of rhizobia in co-inoculation experiments. We aimed to analyze the biotechnological potential of JD2 using a genomic approach. JD2 has a genome of 6.76Mb, with 6,051 predicted protein coding sequences and 93 RNA genes (tRNA and rRNA. The indole-acetamide pathway was identified as responsible for the synthesis of indole-3-acetic acid. The genetic information involved in chromium resistance (the gene cluster, chrBACF, was found. At least 40 putative genes encoding for TonB-dependent receptors, probably involved in the utilization of siderophores and biopolymers, and genes for the synthesis, maturation, exportation and uptake of pyoverdine, and acquisition of Fe-pyochelin and Fe-enterobactin were also identified. The information also suggests that JD2 produce polyhydroxybutyrate, a carbon reserve polymer commonly used for manufacturing petrochemical free bioplastics. In addition, JD2 may degrade lignin-derived aromatic compounds to 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylate, a molecule used in the bio-based polymer industry. Finally, a comparative genomic analysis of JD2, Delftia sp. Cs1-4 and Delftia acidovorans SPH-1 is also discussed. The present work provides insights into the physiology and genetics of a microorganism with many potential uses in biotechnology.

ESTIMASI ALIRAN AIR LINDI TPA BANTAR GEBANG BEKASI MENGGUNAKAN METODA SP

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Syamsu Rosid

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Air lindi merupakan limbah sampah organik yang biasanya diproduksi dari sampah rumah tangga. Pencemaran air tanah (groundwater oleh air lindi menjadi ancaman yang serius bagi masyarakat. Penduduk Bantar Gebang, Bekasi merasa terancam kehidupannya dengan adanya tempat pembuangan akhir (TPA sampah yang dikirim dari DKI Jakarta. Beberapa penduduk di sekitar TPA mengeluhkan bahwa air sumurnya agak bau dan tidak lagi terasa segar. Untuk mengetahui seperti apa polusi air lindi yang terjadi, ke arah mana dan sudah sejauh mana sebarannya, dan memetakan daerah resiko tinggi terkena polusi maka telah dilakukan pengukuran geolistrik metoda self potential (SP di sebelah Tenggara dan Selatan daerah TPA Bantar Gebang, Bekasi. Dari data SP diketahui bahwa aliran air tanah bawah permukaan di daerah tersebut berarah Selatan ke Utara. Meskipun lokasi TPA berada di Utara daerah penelitian, limbah air lindi diduga telah mencemari air tanah bawah permukaan hingga radius ratusan meter dari lokasi TPA. Penyebaran air limbah ini  diperkirakan melalui proses osmosis, mekanisme kapilaritas dan proses elektrokinetik.   Kata kunci: air lindi, metoda SP, TPA Bantar Gebang.

ExaSP2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2017-09-08

ExaSP2 is a reference implementation of typical linear algebra algorithms and workloads for a quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) electronic structure code. The algorithm is based on a recursive second-order Fermi-Operator expansion method (SP2) and is tailored for density functional based tight-binding calculations of material systems.

Molecular Epidemiology of Blastocystis sp. in Various Animal Groups from Two French Zoos and Evaluation of Potential Zoonotic Risk.

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Amandine Cian

Full Text Available Blastocystis sp. is a common intestinal parasite infecting humans and a wide range of animals worldwide. It exhibits an extensive genetic diversity and 17 subtypes (STs have thus far been identified in mammalian and avian hosts. Since several STs are common to humans and animals, it was proposed that a proportion of human infections may result from zoonotic transmission. However, the contribution of each animal source to human infection remains to be clarified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to expand our knowledge of the epidemiology and host specificity of this parasite by performing the largest epidemiological survey ever conducted in animal groups in terms of numbers of species screened. A total of 307 stool samples from 161 mammalian and non-mammalian species in two French zoos were screened by real-time PCR for the presence of Blastocystis sp. Overall, 32.2% of the animal samples and 37.9% of the species tested were shown to be infected with the parasite. A total of 111 animal Blastocystis sp. isolates were subtyped, and 11 of the 17 mammalian and avian STs as well as additional STs previously identified in reptiles and insects were found with a varying prevalence according to animal groups. These data were combined with those obtained from previous surveys to evaluate the potential risk of zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis sp. through the comparison of ST distribution between human and animal hosts. This suggests that non-human primates, artiodactyls and birds may serve as reservoirs for human infection, especially in animal handlers. In contrast, other mammals such as carnivores, and non-mammalian groups including reptiles and insects, do not seem to represent significant sources of Blastocystis sp. infection in humans. In further studies, more intensive sampling and screening of potential new animal hosts will reinforce these statements and expand our understanding of the circulation of Blastocystis sp. in animal and human

Enhanced biofuel production potential with nutritional stress amelioration through optimization of carbon source and light intensity in Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077.

Science.gov (United States)

Pancha, Imran; Chokshi, Kaumeel; Mishra, Sandhya

2015-03-01

Microalgal mixotrophic cultivation is one of the most potential ways to enhance biomass and biofuel production. In the present study, first of all ability of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077 to utilize various carbon sources under mixotrophic growth condition was evaluated followed by optimization of glucose concentration and light intensity to obtain higher biomass, lipid and carbohydrate contents. Under optimized condition i.e. 4 g/L glucose and 150 μmol m(-2) s(-1) light intensity, Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077 produced 1.2g/L dry cell weight containing 23.62% total lipid and 42.68% carbohydrate. Addition of glucose shown nutritional stress ameliorating effects and around 70% carbohydrate and 25% total lipid content was found with only 21% reduction in dry cell weight under nitrogen starved condition. This study shows potential application of mixotrophically grown Scenedesmus sp. CCNM 1077 for bioethanol and biodiesel production feed stock. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-compassion: a potential resource for young women athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosewich, Amber D; Kowalski, Kent C; Sabiston, Catherine M; Sedgwick, Whitney A; Tracy, Jessica L

2011-02-01

Self-compassion has demonstrated many psychological benefits (Neff, 2009). In an effort to explore self-compassion as a potential resource for young women athletes, we explored relations among self-compassion, proneness to self-conscious emotions (i.e., shame, guilt-free shame, guilt, shame-free guilt, authentic pride, and hubristic pride), and potentially unhealthy self-evaluative thoughts and behaviors (i.e., social physique anxiety, obligatory exercise, objectified body consciousness, fear of failure, and fear of negative evaluation). Young women athletes (N = 151; Mage = 15.1 years) participated in this study. Self-compassion was negatively related to shame proneness, guilt-free shame proneness, social physique anxiety, objectified body consciousness, fear of failure, and fear of negative evaluation. In support of theoretical propositions, self-compassion explained variance beyond self-esteem on shame proneness, guilt-free shame proneness, shame-free guilt proneness, objectified body consciousness, fear of failure, and fear of negative evaluation. Results suggest that, in addition to self-esteem promotion, self-compassion development may be beneficial in cultivating positive sport experiences for young women.

Application of differential evolution algorithm on self-potential data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiangtao Li

Full Text Available Differential evolution (DE is a population based evolutionary algorithm widely used for solving multidimensional global optimization problems over continuous spaces, and has been successfully used to solve several kinds of problems. In this paper, differential evolution is used for quantitative interpretation of self-potential data in geophysics. Six parameters are estimated including the electrical dipole moment, the depth of the source, the distance from the origin, the polarization angle and the regional coefficients. This study considers three kinds of data from Turkey: noise-free data, contaminated synthetic data, and Field example. The differential evolution and the corresponding model parameters are constructed as regards the number of the generations. Then, we show the vibration of the parameters at the vicinity of the low misfit area. Moreover, we show how the frequency distribution of each parameter is related to the number of the DE iteration. Experimental results show the DE can be used for solving the quantitative interpretation of self-potential data efficiently compared with previous methods.

A comparative study on phyllosphere nitrogen fixation by newly isolated Corynebacterium sp. & Flavobacterium sp. and their potentialities as biofertilizer.

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, S; Pati, B R

2004-01-01

A number of nitrogen fixing bacteria has been isolated from forest phyllosphere on the basis of nitrogenase activity. Among them two best isolates are selected and identified as Corynebacterium sp. AN1 & Flavobacterium sp. TK2 able to reduce 88 and 132 n mol of acetylene (10(8)cells(-1)h(-1)) respectively. They were grown in large amount and sprayed on the phyllosphere of maize plants as a substitute for nitrogenous fertilizer. Marked improvements in growth and total nitrogen content of the plant have been observed by the application of these nitrogen-fixing bacteria. An average 30-37% increase in yield was obtained, which is nearer to chemical fertilizer treatment. Comparatively better effect was obtained by application of Flavobacterium sp.

Expression of sheep pathogen Babesia sp. Xinjiang rhoptry-associated protein 1 and evaluation of its diagnostic potential by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Qingli; Liu, Zhijie; Yang, Jifei; Yu, Peifa; Pan, Yuping; Zhai, Bintao; Luo, Jianxun; Guan, Guiquan; Yin, Hong

2016-12-01

Ovine babesiosis is one of the most important tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases of small ruminants. The ovine parasite Babesia sp. Xinjiang is widespread in China. In this study, recombinant full-length XJrRAP-1aα2 (rhoptry-associated protein 1aα2) and C-terminal XJrRAP-1aα2 CT of Babesia sp. Xinjiang were expressed and used to evaluate their diagnostic potential for Babesia sp. Xinjiang infections by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Purified XJrRAP-1aα2 was tested for reactivity with sera from animals experimentally infected with Babesia sp. Xinjiang and other haemoparasites using Western blotting and ELISA. The results showed no cross-reactivities between XJrRAP-1aα2 CT and sera from animals infected by other pathogens. High level of antibodies against RAP-1a usually lasted 10 weeks post-infection (wpi). A total of 3690 serum samples from small ruminants in 23 provinces located in 59 different regions of China were tested by ELISA. The results indicated that the average positive rate was 30·43%, and the infections were found in all of the investigated provinces. This is the first report on the expression and potential use of a recombinant XJrRAP-1aα2 CT antigen for the development of serological assays for the diagnosis of ovine babesiosis, caused by Babesia sp. Xinjiang.

Critical analysis of the potential for the therapeutic targeting of the Sp1 transcription factor in pancreatic cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jutooru I

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Indira Jutooru,1 Gayathri Chadalapaka,1 Stephen Safe1,21Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA; 2Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USAAbstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in developed countries and, in 2013, it is estimated that in excess of 45,220 new cases were diagnosed in the United States. PDAC is a highly aggressive disease that invariably evades early diagnosis. The mean survival time for patients with metastatic disease is only 3–6 months, and only 20%–30% of pancreatic cancer patients are alive after 12 months. Because pancreatic cancers are frequently detected at an advanced stage, treatments have provided very limited improvements in tumor regression and overall survival times after diagnosis. 5-Fluorouracil alone or in combination with other drugs has been extensively used for treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, and gemcitabine has partially replaced 5-fluorouracil as a treatment for pancreatic cancer. Gemcitabine provides increased clinical benefits in terms of response rate; however, future studies need to focus on developing treatment modalities that will improve the survival rate for pancreatic cancer patients. Specificity protein 1 (Sp1 is overexpressed in PDAC patients, and high expression is associated with poor prognosis, lymph node metastasis, and low survival. Knockdown studies have shown that Sp1 plays an important role in cell growth, angiogenesis, inflammation, survival, and metastasis. Sp1 expression is low in normal tissue when compared to tumor tissue, which makes Sp1 a potential target for development of new mechanism-based drugs for treatment of pancreatic cancer. Several drugs such as tolfenamic acid, betulinic acid, and methyl-2-cyano3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11-dien-28-oate are shown to downregulate Sp1 expression through various pathways

Self-Medication: potential risks and hazards among pregnant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Self-Medication: potential risks and hazards among pregnant women in Uyo, ... Reasons for using these substances range from protection from witches and ... shows that self-medication is common among pregnant women in our environment.

Specific storage and hydraulic conductivity tomography through the joint inversion of hydraulic heads and self-potential data

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Ahmed, A. Soueid; Jardani, A.; Revil, A.; Dupont, J. P.

2016-03-01

Transient hydraulic tomography is used to image the heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields of shallow aquifers using time series of hydraulic head data. Such ill-posed and non-unique inverse problem can be regularized using some spatial geostatistical characteristic of the two fields. In addition to hydraulic heads changes, the flow of water, during pumping tests, generates an electrical field of electrokinetic nature. These electrical field fluctuations can be passively recorded at the ground surface using a network of non-polarizing electrodes connected to a high impedance (> 10 MOhm) and sensitive (0.1 mV) voltmeter, a method known in geophysics as the self-potential method. We perform a joint inversion of the self-potential and hydraulic head data to image the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields. We work on a 3D synthetic confined aquifer and we use the adjoint state method to compute the sensitivities of the hydraulic parameters to the hydraulic head and self-potential data in both steady-state and transient conditions. The inverse problem is solved using the geostatistical quasi-linear algorithm framework of Kitanidis. When the number of piezometers is small, the record of the transient self-potential signals provides useful information to characterize the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields. These results show that the self-potential method reveals the heterogeneities of some areas of the aquifer, which could not been captured by the tomography based on the hydraulic heads alone. In our analysis, the improvement on the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage estimations were based on perfect knowledge of electrical resistivity field. This implies that electrical resistivity will need to be jointly inverted with the hydraulic parameters in future studies and the impact of its uncertainty assessed with respect to the final tomograms of the hydraulic parameters.

Pengendalian Hayati Penyakit Layu Fusarium Pisang (Fusarium Oxysporum F.sp. Cubense) dengan Trichoderma SP.

OpenAIRE

Sudirman, Albertus; Sumardiyono, Christanti; Widyastuti, Siti Muslimah

2011-01-01

The aim of this research was to study the inhibiting ability of Trichoderma sp. to control fusarium wilt of banana in greenhouse condition. The experiments consisted of the antagonism test between Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) in vitro using dual culture method and glass house experiment which was arranged in 3×3 Factorial Complete Randomized Design. First factor of the latter experiment was the dose of Trichoderma sp. culture (0, 25, and 50 g per polybag), second...

A mixed method Poisson solver for three-dimensional self-gravitating astrophysical fluid dynamical systems

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Duncan, Comer; Jones, Jim

1993-01-01

A key ingredient in the simulation of self-gravitating astrophysical fluid dynamical systems is the gravitational potential and its gradient. This paper focuses on the development of a mixed method multigrid solver of the Poisson equation formulated so that both the potential and the Cartesian components of its gradient are self-consistently and accurately generated. The method achieves this goal by formulating the problem as a system of four equations for the gravitational potential and the three Cartesian components of the gradient and solves them using a distributed relaxation technique combined with conventional full multigrid V-cycles. The method is described, some tests are presented, and the accuracy of the method is assessed. We also describe how the method has been incorporated into our three-dimensional hydrodynamics code and give an example of an application to the collision of two stars. We end with some remarks about the future developments of the method and some of the applications in which it will be used in astrophysics.

First Report of Pseudobodo sp, a New Pathogen for a Potential Energy-Producing Algae: Chlorella vulgaris Cultures

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Zhang, Bangzhou; Yang, Luxi; Zhang, Huajun; Zhang, Jingyan; Li, Yi; Zheng, Wei; Tian, Yun; Liu, Jingwen; Zheng, Tianling

2014-01-01

Chlorella vulgaris, is a kind of single-celled green algae, which could serve as a potential source of food and energy because of its photosynthetic efficiency. In our study, a pathogenic organism targeting C. vulgaris was discovered. The algae-lytic activity relates to a fraction from lysates of infected C. vulgaris that was blocked upon filtration through a 3 µm filter. 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that it shared 99.0% homology with the protist Pseudobodo tremulans. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that Pseudobodo sp. KD51 cells were approximately 4–5 µm long, biflagellate with an anterior collar around the anterior part of the cell in unstressed feeding cells. Besides the initial host, Pseudobodo sp. KD51 could also kill other algae, indicating its relatively wide predatory spectrum. Heat stability, pH and salinity tolerance experiments were conducted to understand their effects on its predatory activities, and the results showed that Pseudobodo sp. KD51 was heat-sensitive, and pH and salinity tolerant. PMID:24599263

First report of Pseudobodo sp, a new pathogen for a potential energy-producing algae: Chlorella vulgaris cultures.

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Zhangran Chen

Full Text Available Chlorella vulgaris, is a kind of single-celled green algae, which could serve as a potential source of food and energy because of its photosynthetic efficiency. In our study, a pathogenic organism targeting C. vulgaris was discovered. The algae-lytic activity relates to a fraction from lysates of infected C. vulgaris that was blocked upon filtration through a 3 µm filter. 18S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that it shared 99.0% homology with the protist Pseudobodo tremulans. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that Pseudobodo sp. KD51 cells were approximately 4-5 µm long, biflagellate with an anterior collar around the anterior part of the cell in unstressed feeding cells. Besides the initial host, Pseudobodo sp. KD51 could also kill other algae, indicating its relatively wide predatory spectrum. Heat stability, pH and salinity tolerance experiments were conducted to understand their effects on its predatory activities, and the results showed that Pseudobodo sp. KD51 was heat-sensitive, and pH and salinity tolerant.

A Preclinical Evaluation of Antimycin A as a Potential Antilung Cancer Stem Cell Agent

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Chi-Tai Yeh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Drug resistance and tumor recurrence are major obstacles in treating lung cancer patients. Accumulating evidence considers lung cancer stem cells (CSCs as the major contributor to these clinical challenges. Agents that can target lung CSCs could potentially provide a more effective treatment than traditional chemotherapy. Here, we utilized the side-population (SP method to isolate lung CSCs from A549 and PC-9 cell lines. Subsequently, a high throughput platform, connectivity maps (CMAPs, was used to identify potential anti-CSC agents. An antibiotic, antimycin A (AMA, was identified as a top candidate. SP A549 cells exhibited an elevated stemness profile, including Nanog, β-catenin, Sox2, and CD133, and increased self-renewal ability. AMA treatment was found to suppress β-catenin signaling components and tumor sphere formation. Furthermore, AMA treatment decreased the proliferation of gefitinib-resistant PC-9/GR cells and percentage of SP population. AMA demonstrated synergistic suppression of PC-9/GR cell viability when combined with gefitinib. Finally, AMA treatment suppressed tumorigenesis in mice inoculated with A549 SP cells. Collectively, we have identified AMA using CMAP as a novel antilung CSC agent, which acts to downregulate β-catenin signaling. The combination of AMA and targeted therapeutic agents could be considered for overcoming drug resistance and relapse in lung cancer patients.

Evaluation of methods to detect the cotton pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 4

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Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) is an important disease of cotton. Fov race 4, identified in the San Joaquin Valley of California, has caused serious losses and is a potential threat to US cotton production. Tests have been developed to rapidly identify race 4 i...

Self-assembling membranes and related methods thereof

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Capito, Ramille M; Azevedo, Helena S; Stupp, Samuel L

2013-08-20

The present invention relates to self-assembling membranes. In particular, the present invention provides self-assembling membranes configured for securing and/or delivering bioactive agents. In some embodiments, the self-assembling membranes are used in the treatment of diseases, and related methods (e.g., diagnostic methods, research methods, drug screening).

Training simulated patients: evaluation of a training approach using self-assessment and peer/tutor feedback to improve performance

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Abdullah Juriah

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most medical schools use simulated patients (SPs for teaching. In this context the authenticity of role play and quality of feedback provided by SPs is of paramount importance. The available literature on SP training mostly addresses instructor led training where the SPs are given direction on their roles. This study focuses on the use of peer and self evaluation as a tool to train SPs. Methods SPs at the medical school participated in a staff development and training programme which included a self-assessment of their performance while observing video-tapes of their role play using a structured guide and b peer group assessment of their performance under tutor guidance. The pre and post training performance in relation to authenticity of role play and quality of feedback was blindly assessed by students and tutors using a validated instrument and the scores were compared. A focus group discussion and a questionnaire assessed acceptability of the training programme by the SPs. Results The post-training performance assessment scores were significantly higher (p Conclusion Use of structured self-reflective and peer-interactive, practice based methods of SP training is recommended to improve SP performance. More studies on these methods of training may further refine SP training and lead to improvement of SP performance which in turn may positively impact medical education.

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by Novosphingobium sp. THG-C3 and their antimicrobial potential.

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Du, Juan; Singh, Hina; Yi, Tae-Hoo

2017-03-01

The present study described biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a bacterial strain Novosphingobium sp. THG-C3, isolated from soil, and their application in antibacterial activity. The maximum absorbance values of the synthesized AgNPs was measured at 406 nm in ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and were mostly spherical in shape with particle size in range of 8-25 nm by field emission transmission electron microscopy analysis. X-ray diffraction pattern corresponding to planes (111), (200), (220), and (311) demonstrated the crystalline nature of the AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs exhibited antimicrobial activity against various pathogens inculding Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Candida albicans, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus cereus. In addition, the AgNPs in combination with commercial antibiotics enhanced antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa, S. enterica, E. coli, and V. parahaemolyticus. The AgNPs synthesized by strain Novosphingobium sp. THG-C3 are comparatively simple, green, cost-effective, and may serve as a potential antimicrobial agent.

Control of Branchionus sp. and Amoeba sp. in cultures of Arthrospira sp. Control de Branchionus sp. y Amoeba sp. en cultivos de Arthrospira sp.

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Carlos Méndez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Cultivation of cyanobacterium Arthrospira sp. has been developed in many countries for the production of proteins, pigments and other compounds. Outdoor mass cultures are often affected by biological contamination, drastically reducing productivity as far as bringing death. This study evaluates the control of Branchionus sp. and Amoeba sp. with two chemical compounds: urea (U and ammonium bicarbonate (AB, in laboratory conditions and outdoor mass culture of Arthrospira sp. The lethal concentration 100 (LC100 at 24 h for Branchionus sp. and Amoeba sp. determined was of 60-80 mg L-1 (U and 100-150 mg L-1 (AB. The average effective inhibition concentration for 50% of the population (IC50 in Arthrospira sp., after 72 h, was 80 mg L-1 (U and 150 mg L-1 (AB. The application of doses of 60 mg L-1 (U or 100 mg L-1 (AB in the outdoor mass culture of this contaminated microalga, completely inhibited grazing and did not affect the growth of Arthrospira sp. but rather promoted rapid recovery of algal density at levels prior to infestation. These compounds provided an economical and effective control of predators in cultures of Arthrospira sp.El cultivo de la cianobacteria Arthrospira sp. ha sido desarrollado en muchos países para la obtención de proteínas, pigmentos y otros compuestos. Cultivo que a nivel industrial se ve afectado frecuentemente por contaminación biológica, reduciendo drásticamente la productividad hasta causar la muerte. Este estudio evalúa el control de Branchionus sp. y de Amoeba sp. con dos compuestos químicos, la urea (U y bicarbonato de amonio (AB en cultivos de Arthrospira sp. La concentración letal 100 (LC100 determinada a las 24 h para Branchionus sp. y Amoeba sp. fue de 60-80 mg L-1 (U y 100-150 mg L-1 (AB. La concentración media de inhibición efectiva, después de 72 h, para el 50% de la población (IC50 en Arthrospira fue de 80 mg L-1 (U y 150 mg L-1 (AB. La aplicación de dosis de 60 mg L-1 (U ó 100 mg L-1 (AB en

Draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain F1, a potential source for glycoside hydrolases isolated from Brazilian soil

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Ricardo Rodrigues de Melo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Here, we show the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. F1, a strain isolated from soil with great potential for secretion of hydrolytic enzymes used to deconstruct cellulosic biomass. The draft genome assembly of Streptomyces sp. strain F1 has 69 contigs with a total genome size of 8,142,296 bp and G + C 72.65%. Preliminary genome analysis identified 175 proteins as Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes, being 85 glycoside hydrolases organized in 33 distinct families. This draft genome information provides new insights on the key genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes involved in biomass deconstruction employed by soil bacteria.

P-type sp3-bonded BN/n-type Si heterodiode solar cell fabricated by laser-plasma synchronous CVD method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, Shojiro; Nagata, Takahiro; Chikyo, Toyohiro; Sato, Yuhei; Watanabe, Takayuki; Hirano, Daisuke; Takizawa, Takeo; Nakamura, Katsumitsu; Hashimoto, Takuya; Nakamura, Takuya; Koga, Kazunori; Shiratani, Masaharu; Yamamoto, Atsushi

2009-01-01

A heterojunction of p-type sp 3 -bonded boron nitride (BN) and n-type Si fabricated by laser-plasma synchronous chemical vapour deposition (CVD) showed excellent rectifying properties and proved to work as a solar cell with photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 1.76%. The BN film was deposited on an n-type Si (1 0 0) substrate by plasma CVD from B 2 H 6 + NH 3 + Ar while doping of Si into the BN film was induced by the simultaneous irradiation of an intense excimer laser with a pulse power of 490 mJ cm -2 , at a wavelength of 193 nm and at a repetition rate of 20 Hz. The source of dopant Si was supposed to be the Si substrate ablated at the initial stage of the film growth. The laser enhanced the doping (and/or diffusion) of Si into BN as well as the growth of sp 3 -bonded BN simultaneously in this method. P-type conduction of BN films was determined by the hot (thermoelectric) probe method. The BN/Si heterodiode with an essentially transparent p-type BN as a front layer is supposed to efficiently absorb light reaching the active region so as to potentially result in high efficiency.

Application of streaming potential method for detection of fractures in granitic rock; Kamaishi kozan ni okeru ryutai ryudo den`iho tekiyo shiken

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Negi, T; Yokoi, K; Yoneda, Y [Nittetsu Mining Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Senba, T [Power Reactor and Nuclear fuel Development Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)

1996-05-01

Measurements were made using the streaming potential method for the purpose of investigating the expansion of hydration cracks, direction of their propagation, and the chaining of cracked surfaces, in the granitic rock. Tests were conducted by use of a bore hole in the gallery wall. The bore hole yielded approximately 400 liters of water per minute, the bore hole was closed and then opened, and the change with the passage of time in the spontaneous potential (SP) on the gallery wall was measured. At a spot 31.2m from the mine entrance, the SP dropped by 15mV simultaneously with the opening of the bore hole, and rose by 14mV simultaneously with the closure of the same. The phenomenon was true for other locations, that is, for the section from the mine entrance to a spot 9.0m therefrom, and for a section beginning at 15.0m and ending at 19.2m therefrom. No change in the SP was observed in a group of cracks with water springing out of the gallery roof, beginning at a point 40m and ending at a point 54m from the mine entrance. The result suggests the possible application of the streaming potential method to the investigation of cracks. 1 ref., 10 figs.

Mirroring the self: testing neurophysiological correlates of disturbed self-experience in schizophrenia spectrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Sestito, Mariateresa; Raballo, Andrea; Umiltà, Maria Alessandra; Leuci, Emanuela; Tonna, Matteo; Fortunati, Renata; De Paola, Giancarlo; Amore, Mario; Maggini, Carlo; Gallese, Vittorio

2015-01-01

Self-disorders (SDs) have been described as a core schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability phenotype, both in classic and contemporary psychopathological literature. However, such a core phenotype has not yet been investigated adopting a trans-domain approach that combines the phenomenological and the neurophysiological levels of analysis. The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between SDs and subtle, schizophrenia-specific impairments of emotional resonance that are supposed to reflect abnormalities in the mirror neurons mechanism. Specifically, we tested whether electromyographic response to emotional stimuli (i.e. a proxy for subtle changes in facial mimicry and related motor resonance mechanisms) would predict the occurrence of anomalous subjective experiences (i.e. SDs). Eighteen schizophrenia spectrum (SzSp) patients underwent a comprehensive psychopathological examination and were contextually tested with a multimodal paradigm, recording facial electromyographic activity of muscles in response to positive and negative emotional stimuli. Experiential anomalies were explored with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS) and then condensed into rational subscales mapping SzSp anomalous self-experiences. SzSp patients showed an imbalance in emotional motor resonance with a selective bias toward negative stimuli, as well as a multisensory integration impairment. Multiple regression analysis showed that electromyographic facial reactions in response to negative stimuli presented in auditory modality specifically and strongly correlated with SD subscore. The study confirms the potential of SDs as target phenotype for neurobiological research and encourages research into disturbed motor/emotional resonance as possible body-level correlate of disturbed subjective experiences in SzSp.

Synthetic Self-Healing Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bello, Mollie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-06-02

Given enough time, pressure, temperature fluctuation, and stress any material will fail. Currently, synthesized materials make up a large part of our everyday lives, and are used in a number of important applications such as; space travel, under water devices, precise instrumentation, transportation, and infrastructure. Structural failure of these material scan lead to expensive and dangerous consequences. In an attempt to prolong the life spans of specific materials and reduce efforts put into repairing them, biologically inspired, self-healing systems have been extensively investigated. The current review explores recent advances in three methods of synthesized self-healing: capsule based, vascular, and intrinsic. Ideally, self-healing materials require no human intervention to promote healing, are capable of surviving all the steps of polymer processing, and heal the same location repeatedly. Only the vascular method holds up to all of these idealities.

Self-regulation method: psychological, physiological and clinical considerations. An overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikemi, A; Tomita, S; Kuroda, M; Hayashida, Y; Ikemi, Y

1986-01-01

Body-oriented therapies as relaxation training and certain forms of meditation are gaining popularity in the treatment and prevention of psychosomatic disorders. In this paper, a new method of self-control called self-regulation method (SRM), derived from autogenic training and Zen meditation, is presented. The technique of SRM is introduced. Secondly, physiological studies on SRM using skin temperature, galvanic skin response, and cortical evoked potentials are presented. Thirdly, the results of psychological tests conducted on SRM are presented. These psycho-physiological studies suggest that SRM may elicit a state of 'relaxed alertness'. Fourthly, clinical applications of SRM are discussed, and 3 cases are presented. Finally, SRM is discussed in relation to the psychology and physiology of 'relaxed alertness'.

Application of telluric-telluric profiling combined with magnetotelluric and self-potential methods to geothermal exploration in the Fujian Province, China

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Van-Ngoc; Boyer, Danièle; Yuan, Xue Cheng; Liu, Shao Cheng

1995-05-01

In the Fujian Province, southeastern China, most of the hot springs emerge in fluviatile valleys and the geothermal resources are mainly medium and low temperature ones by mixing of hot water with cold superficial groundwater. The occurrence of the thermal waters is controlled by deep tectonic fractures in the bedrock where higher-temperature geothermal reservoirs of economic interest are present. The objective of this study is to detect the deeper active hydrothermal zone under a thick sedimentary cover by geoelectrical methods. In the Gui-An site, the combination of telluric-telluric profiling and magnetotelluric methods turns out very efficient to delineate more accurately the width of the deep conductive fracture zone. Moreover, the self-potential method allows us to localize the most active geothermal zone by electrofiltration processes above a convective cell of hot water which flows up from a deep source. The combined results constitute a possible guide for deep geothermal exploration currently encountered in several geothermal regions over the world.

Self-practice and self-reflection in cognitive behaviour therapy training: what factors influence trainees' engagement and experience of benefit?

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett-Levy, James; Lee, Nicole K

2014-01-01

Previous studies of self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) CBT training have found that trainees report significant benefits from practising CBT techniques on themselves (self-practice) and reflecting on their experience (self-reflection) as a formal part of their CBT training. However, not all trainees experience the same level of benefit from SP/SR and not all types of training course produce benefits to the same extent. This paper examines the question: What factors influence trainees' reported benefit from SP/SR? The aim was to develop a model to maximize the value of SP/SR training. The authors used a grounded theory analysis of four SP/SR training courses, varying along several dimensions, to derive a model that could account for the data. A model was derived comprising of seven elements: Two outcomes - "Experience of Benefit" and "Engagement with the Process" - that mutually influence one another; and five other influencing factors - "Course Structure and Requirements", "Expectation of Benefit", "Feeling of Safety with the Process", "Group Process", and "Available Personal Resources" - that mediate the impact on Engagement with the Process and Experience of Benefit from SP/SR. A model that provides guidance about the best ways to set up and develop SP/SR programs has been developed. This model may now be subject to empirical testing by trainers and researchers. Implications and recommendations for the design and development of future SP/SR programs are discussed.

Radioiodine labelled SP-4 as an imaging agent for atherosclerotic plaques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yongxue; Wu Zhijian; Cao Wei

2000-01-01

The clinical prospect of radioiodinated SP-4 as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent was studied. The SP-4 was synthesized by a solid phase method and identified by an amino acid analysis after purification with HPLC. SP-4 was labelled with 131 I and 125 I by the Chloramine-T method and purified through Sephadex G-25 column. Twelve New Zealand rabbits were divided into an atherosclerotic group (n = 7, AR) and a control group (n = 5, NR). All of the atherosclerotic rabbits were intravenous administrated with bovine serum albumin, then feb with high cholesterol and fat diet. 125 I-SP-4 was intravenous administrated to the rabbits of both groups. The biodistribution of 125 I-SP-4 in rabbits was investigated. The uptakes (% ID/g) in blood and thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta were calculated 4 hours postinjection. Macro-autoradiography and micro-autoradiography were performed in 2 AR atherosclerotic abdominal aortas. The clearance of radioactivity from plasma was very rapid. 125 I-SP-4 was mainly excreted through kidneys. The radioactive uptakes of abdominal aorta and thoracic aorta of AR at 4 hours postinjection were significantly higher than that of NR. The films of macro-autoradiography showed focal accumulation of the radioactivity in the areas of a newly formed edges of atherosclerotic plaques. On the slices of micro-autoradiography, the obvious radioactive accumulation could be found in the atherosclerotic plaques. Thus it was seen that the SP-4 remained its biological activity after radioiodination and was located at atherosclerotic lesions, it is potentially useful as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent

Quality improvement on half-fin anchovy (Setipinna taty) fish sauce by Psychrobacter sp. SP-1 fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Bin; Liu, Yu; He, Xiaoxia; Hu, Shiwei; Li, Shijie; Chen, Meiling; Jiang, Wei

2017-10-01

A method of improving fish sauce quality during fermentation was investigated. Psychrobacter sp. SP-1, a halophilic protease-producing bacterium, was isolated from fish sauce with flavor-enhancing properties and non-biogenic amine-producing activity. The performance of Psychrobacter sp. SP-1 in Setipinna taty fish sauce fermentation was investigated further. The inoculation of Psychrobacter sp. SP-1 did not significantly affect pH or NaCl concentration changes (P > 0.05), although it significantly increased total moderately halophilic microbial count, protease activity, total soluble nitrogen content and amino acid nitrogen content, and also promoted the umami taste and meaty aroma (P sauce quality by fermentation. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Merozoite proteins from Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) as potential antigens for serodiagnosis by ELISA.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, G Q; Chauvin, A; Rogniaux, H; Luo, J X; Yin, H; Moreau, E

2010-05-01

Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) is a Babesia isolated from sheep infested with Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis in China, and is closely related to B. motasi based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence. In the present study, an ELISA was developed with merozoite antigens of Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) (BQMA) purified from in vitro culture. When the positive threshold was chosen as 30% of the antibodies rate, evaluated with 198 negative sera, the specificity was 95.5%. Except for Babesia sp. Tianzhu, there was no cross-reaction between BQMA and positive sera from Babesia sp. BQ1 (Ningxian)-, Babesia sp. Hebei-, Babesia sp. Xinjiang-, Theileria luwenshuni-, T. uilenbergi-, or Anaplasma ovis-infected sheep, which are the dominant haemoparasites of small ruminants in China. Specific antibodies against Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) were produced 1 or 2 weeks post-infection and a high level of antibodies persisted for more than 8 months in experimentally infected sheep. This ELISA was tested on 974 sera collected from field-grazing sheep in 3 counties of Gansu province, northwestern China to evaluate the seroprevalence of Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) infection and the average positive rate was 66.84%. The feasibility of increasing the specificity of this BQMA-based ELISA, by using some BQMA antigens for serodiagnosis is discussed.

The SP Theory of Intelligence: Benefits and Applications

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J. Gerard Wolff

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article describes existing and expected benefits of the SP theory ofintelligence, and some potential applications. The theory aims to simplify and integrate ideasacross artificial intelligence, mainstream computing, and human perception and cognition,with information compression as a unifying theme. It combines conceptual simplicitywith descriptive and explanatory power across several areas of computing and cognition.In the SP machine—an expression of the SP theory which is currently realized in theform of a computer model—there is potential for an overall simplification of computingsystems, including software. The SP theory promises deeper insights and better solutions inseveral areas of application including, most notably, unsupervised learning, natural languageprocessing, autonomous robots, computer vision, intelligent databases, software engineering,information compression, medical diagnosis and big data. There is also potential inareas such as the semantic web, bioinformatics, structuring of documents, the detection ofcomputer viruses, data fusion, new kinds of computer, and the development of scientifictheories. The theory promises seamless integration of structures and functions within andbetween different areas of application. The potential value, worldwide, of these benefits andapplications is at least $190 billion each year. Further development would be facilitatedby the creation of a high-parallel, open-source version of the SP machine, available toresearchers everywhere.

Draft Genome Sequence of Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1, a Filamentous Cyanobacterium with Biotechnological Potential for Alimentary Purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Hyung; Kang, Do-Hyung

2016-09-15

Here, we report the draft genome of cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. KIOST-1 isolated from a microalgal culture pond in South Korea. The genome consists of 13 contigs containing 6,320,172 bp, and a total of 5,327 coding sequences were predicted. This genomic information will allow further exploitation of its biotechnological potential for alimentary purposes. Copyright © 2016 Kim and Kang.

Fresh Water Cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 as an Anticancer Drug Resource.

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Akanksha Srivastava

Full Text Available An increasing number of cancer patients worldwide, especially in third world countries, have raised concern to explore natural drug resources, such as the less explored fresh water filamentous cyanobacteria. Six strains of cyanobacteria (Phormidium sp. CCC727, Geitlerinema sp. CCC728, Arthrospira sp. CCC729, Phormidium sp. CCC731, Phormidium sp. CCC730, and Leptolyngbya sp. CCC732 were isolated (paddy fields and ponds in the Banaras Hindu University, campus and five strains screened for anticancer potential using human colon adenocarcinoma (HT29 and human kidney adenocarcinoma (A498 cancer cell lines. Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 were the most potent as determined by examination of morphological features and by inhibition of growth by graded concentrations of crude extracts and thin-layer chromatography (TLC eluates. Cell cycle analysis and multiplex assays using cancer biomarkers also confirmed Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 as cancer drug resources. Apoptotic studies in the cells of A498 (cancer and MCF-10A (normal human epithelial exposed to crude extracts and TLC fractions revealed no significant impact on MCF-10A cells emphasizing its importance in the development of anticancer drug. Identification of biomolecules from these extracts are in progress.

Fresh Water Cyanobacteria Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 as an Anticancer Drug Resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Akanksha; Tiwari, Ratnakar; Srivastava, Vikas; Singh, Tej Bali; Asthana, Ravi Kumar

2015-01-01

An increasing number of cancer patients worldwide, especially in third world countries, have raised concern to explore natural drug resources, such as the less explored fresh water filamentous cyanobacteria. Six strains of cyanobacteria (Phormidium sp. CCC727, Geitlerinema sp. CCC728, Arthrospira sp. CCC729, Phormidium sp. CCC731, Phormidium sp. CCC730, and Leptolyngbya sp. CCC732) were isolated (paddy fields and ponds in the Banaras Hindu University, campus) and five strains screened for anticancer potential using human colon adenocarcinoma (HT29) and human kidney adenocarcinoma (A498) cancer cell lines. Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 were the most potent as determined by examination of morphological features and by inhibition of growth by graded concentrations of crude extracts and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) eluates. Cell cycle analysis and multiplex assays using cancer biomarkers also confirmed Geitlerinema sp. CCC728 and Arthrospira sp. CCC729 as cancer drug resources. Apoptotic studies in the cells of A498 (cancer) and MCF-10A (normal human epithelial) exposed to crude extracts and TLC fractions revealed no significant impact on MCF-10A cells emphasizing its importance in the development of anticancer drug. Identification of biomolecules from these extracts are in progress.

Potential Marine Fungi Hypocreaceae sp. as Agarase Enzyme to Hydrolyze Macroalgae Gelidium latifolium (Potensi Jamur Hypocreaceae sp. sebagai Enzim Agarase untuk menghidrolisis Makroalga Gelidium latifolium

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Mujizat Kawaroe

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Agarase dapat mendegradasi agar ke oligosakarida dan memiliki banyak manfaat untuk makanan, kosmetik, dan lain-lain. Banyak spesies pendegradasi agar adalah organismelaut. Beberapa agarase telah diisolasi dari genera yang berbeda dari mikroorganisme yang ditemukan di air dan sedimen laut. Hypocreaceae sp. diisolasi dari air laut Pulau Pari, Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta, Indonesia. Berdasarkan hasil identifikasi gen 16S rDNA dari 500 basis pasangan, isolat A10 memiliki 99% kesamaan dengan Hypocreaceae sp. Enzim agarase ekstraseluler dari Hypocreaceae sp. memiliki pH dan suhu optimum pada 8 TrisHCl (0,148 μ.mL-1 dan 50°C (0,182 μ.mL-1, masing-masing. Enzim Agarase dari Hypocreaceae sp. mencapai kondisi optimum pada aktivitas enzim tertinggi selama inkubasi dalam 24 jam (0,323 μ.mL-1. SDS page mengungkapkan bahwa ada dua band dari protein yang dihasilkan oleh agarase dari Hypocreaceae sp. yang berada di berat molekul 39 kDa dan 44 kDa dan hidrolisis Gelidium latifolium diperoleh 0,88% etanol. Kata kunci: enzim agarase, Hypocreaceae sp., hidrolisis, fungi, rDNA. Agarase can degradedagarto oligosaccharide and has a lot of benefits for food, cosmetics, and others. Many species of agar- degrader are marine-organism. Several agarases have been isolated from different genera of microorganisms found in seawater and marine sediments. Hypocreaceae sp. was isolated from sea water of Pari Islands, Seribu Islands, Jakarta, Indonesia. Based on the results of the 16S rDNA gene identification of 500 base pairs, A10 isolates had 99 % similarity toHypocreaceae sp. The extracellular agarase enzyme from Hypocreaceae sp. have optimum pH and temperature at 8 TrisHCl (0.148 µ.mL-1 and 50 °C (0.182 µ.mL-1, respectively. Agarase enzyme of Hypocreaceae sp. reach an optimum condition at the highest enzyme activity during incubation in 24 hours (0.323 µ.mL-1. SDS Page revealed that there are two bands of protein produced by agarase of Hypocreaceae sp. which are at

Burrowing by Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys sp.): A Potential Cause of Erosion in Disturbed Environments

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-01

originates at a large levee, which was built to create a water retention (to control excess water) and water bird management area. The levee and canal...each sample was dried in stainless steel trays in a 60 °C convection oven . Two methods of quantitative analysis were performed to determine the...ERDC/TN ANSRP-14-1 March 2014 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Burrowing by Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys sp.): A

Structural controls on fluid circulation at the Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (CCVC) geothermal area (Chile-Argentina), revealed by soil CO2 and temperature, self-potential, and helium isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Roulleau, Emilie; Bravo, Francisco; Pinti, Daniele L.; Barde-Cabusson, Stéphanie; Pizarro, Marcela; Tardani, Daniele; Muñoz, Carlos; Sanchez, Juan; Sano, Yuji; Takahata, Naoto; de la Cal, Federico; Esteban, Carlos; Morata, Diego

2017-07-01

Natural geothermal systems are limited areas characterized by anomalously high heat flow caused by recent tectonic or magmatic activity. The heat source at depth is the result of the emplacement of magma bodies, controlled by the regional volcano-tectonic setting. In contrast, at a local scale a well-developed fault-fracture network favors the development of hydrothermal cells, and promotes the vertical advection of fluids and heat. The Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ), straddling Chile and Argentina, has an important, yet unexplored and undeveloped geothermal potential. Studies on the lithological and tectonic controls of the hydrothermal circulation are therefore important for a correct assessment of the geothermal potential of the region. Here, new and dense self-potential (SP), soil CO2 and temperature (T) measurements, and helium isotope data measured in fumaroles and thermal springs from the geothermal area located in the north-eastern flank of the Copahue volcanic edifice, within the Caviahue Caldera (the Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex - CCVC) are presented. Our results allowed to the constraint of the structural origin of the active thermal areas and the understanding of the evolution of the geothermal system. NE-striking faults in the area, characterized by a combination of SP, CO2, and T maxima and high 3He/4He ratios (up to 8.16 ± 0.21Ra, whereas atmospheric Ra is 1.382 × 10- 6), promote the formation of vertical permeability preferential pathways for fluid circulation. WNW-striking faults represent low-permeability pathways for hydrothermal fluid ascent, but promote infiltration of meteoric water at shallow depths, which dilute the hydrothermal input. The region is scattered with SP, CO2, and T minima, representing self-sealed zones characterized by impermeable altered rocks at depth, which create local barriers for fluid ascent. The NE-striking faults seem to be associated with the upflowing zones of the geothermal system, where the boiling process

Sandbox experiments on Uraninite Ore: ERT and SP measurments.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, R. K.

2015-12-01

Nuclear energy, considering its own intrinsic merits, would be a leading source for meeting the energy requirement in present and future scenario. Concealed Uranium deposits under sedimentary cover, with poor surface indications calls for reorientation of survey with large inputs involving integrated geophysical approach. Sand Box experiments have been carried out over Uraninite ore. The tank is a glass fish tank (height 39 cm, length 75 cm, width 30 cm). It was filled with sand up to 35 cm high. The sand was saturated from below to minimize the entrapment of the gas bubbles. The average size for sand grains is ~ 0.295mm. The formation factor of the sand is 3.5, with a negligible surface conductivity because of the coarse nature of the sand grains. The dimension of considered Uraninite ore sample is 4cm x 4cm x 4cm. The depth of top of the ore sample is kept at 3cm. In this paper both resistivity and self-potential measurements were carried out for possible detection of Uraninite. The resistivity measurements were made with 64 non-polarizable electrodes using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) equipment of FlashRes Universal developed by ZZ Resistivity Imaging Pty. Ltd. We have used screws of length 3cm as electrodes. The separation between these electrodes are ~ 1cm. The resistivity tomography results clearly outlines the target Uraninite body. The resistivity tomography results also detects small heterogeneities associated with air bubbles possibly due to unsaturated pore spaces. SP measurements were made using two non-polarizing Pb/PbCl2 electrodes and a Fluke 289 voltmeter (sensitivity 0.001 mV, internal impedance 100 MOhm). The reference electrode was located on the corner of the sandbox. The other electrode was used to scan the electrical potential at the surface of the sand. SP measurements were made with a spacing of 3 cm over the same ERT profile. The SP results also shows a dip (or a low SP anomaly) over the target ore body sample. Thus, both SP and

The Presentation of Self in Letters of Application: A Mixed-Method Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Soroko, Emilia

2012-01-01

The application letter, as the first phase of employment-seeking, is an opportunity for a job applicant to make a favorable impression on a potential employer. In the current study, the author used a mixed-method approach to empirically explore strategies for self-presentation in job application letters and determine the methods used in the…

Use of geophysical methods to characterize groundwater in karstic rocks near Puerto Morelos, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

cerda Garcia, C. G.; Carpenter, P. J.; Leal-Bautista, R. M.

2017-12-01

Geophysical surveys were used to determine the depth of the freshwater/saltwater interface and groundwater preferential flow pathways along the Ruta de los Cenotes, near Puerto Morelos (northeast part of the Yucatán peninsula). The Yucatán Peninsula is a limestone platform that allows quick recharge of the aquifer, the main supply of water for this region. The water in the aquifer is divided into freshwater and saltwater zones. A Schlumberger resistivity sounding along the road near one cenote suggests the water table is 5 meters deep and the freshwater/saltwater interface is 38 meters deep. A time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) sounding suggests the freshwater/saltwater interface is 45 meters deep. The depth of the interface determines the volume of fresh water available. Preferential flow pathways in the vadose and saturated zones are karst conduits where groundwater percolates downward in the vadose zone. These were identified using resistivity profiling and spontaneous self-potential (SP) geophysical methods. Interpretation of SP profile Line SP1, located 3 m south of the cenote, suggests two fractures, which appear to extend south as far as SP profile Line SP2, 15 m south of the cenote; both lines are parallel to each other. SP anomalies suggest water flow along these fractures. The use of noninvasive geophysical methods, specifically SP, resistivity and TEM are useful for exploring the karst system in the Yucatán peninsula.

Investigating quality of life and self-stigma in Hong Kong children with specific learning disabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Yi; Chan, Yim Yuk; Cheng, Sui Lam; Chow, Man Yin; Tsang, Yau Wai; Lee, Clara; Lin, Chung-Ying

2017-09-01

Children with specific learning disabilities (SpLD) are likely to develop self-stigma and have a poor quality of life (QoL) because of their poor academic performance. Although both self-stigma and poor QoL issues are likely to be found in low academic achievers without SpLD, children with SpLD have worse situation because their diagnosis of SpLD suggests that their learning struggles are biological and permanent. Specifically, students' perception of own capabilities may be affected more by the diagnosis of SpLD than their own actual performance. We examined the self-stigma and QoL of children with SpLD in Hong Kong, a region with an academics-focused culture. Children with SpLD (n=49,M age ±SD=9.55±1.21; SpLD group) and typically developing children (n=32,M age ±SD=9.81±1.40; TD group) completed a Kid-KINDL to measure QoL and a Modified Self-Stigma Scale to measure self-stigma. All parents completed a parallel Kid-KINDL to measure QoL of their children. Compared with the TD group, the SpLD group had a higher level of self-stigma (p=0.027) and lower QoL (child-reported Kid-KINDL: p=0.001; parent-reported Kid-KINDL: plearning process of children with SpLD may be designed to overcome self-stigma and to improve QoL. In addition, the program may involve parents of the children with SpLD or other people (e.g., the peer of the children with SpLD) for improving their understanding and perceptions of SpLD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-consistent potential variations in magnetic wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kesner, J.; Knorr, G.; Nicholson, D.R.

1981-01-01

Self-consistent electrostatic potential variations are considered in a spatial region of weak magnetic field, as in the proposed tandem mirror thermal barriers (with no trapped ions). For some conditions, equivalent to ion distributions with a sufficiently high net drift speed along the magnetic field, the desired potential depressions are found. When the net drift speed is not high enough, potential depressions are found only in combination with strong electric fields on the boundaries of the system. These potential depressions are not directly related to the magnetic field depression. (author)

Comparison between bilateral cochlear implants and Neurelec Digisonic(®) SP Binaural cochlear implant: speech perception, sound localization and patient self-assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnard, Damien; Lautissier, Sylvie; Bosset-Audoit, Amélie; Coriat, Géraldine; Beraha, Max; Maunoury, Antoine; Martel, Jacques; Darrouzet, Vincent; Bébéar, Jean-Pierre; Dauman, René

2013-01-01

An alternative to bilateral cochlear implantation is offered by the Neurelec Digisonic(®) SP Binaural cochlear implant, which allows stimulation of both cochleae within a single device. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare a group of Neurelec Digisonic(®) SP Binaural implant users (denoted BINAURAL group, n = 7) with a group of bilateral adult cochlear implant users (denoted BILATERAL group, n = 6) in terms of speech perception, sound localization, and self-assessment of health status and hearing disability. Speech perception was assessed using word recognition at 60 dB SPL in quiet and in a 'cocktail party' noise delivered through five loudspeakers in the hemi-sound field facing the patient (signal-to-noise ratio = +10 dB). The sound localization task was to determine the source of a sound stimulus among five speakers positioned between -90° and +90° from midline. Change in health status was assessed using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory and hearing disability was evaluated with the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit. Speech perception was not statistically different between the two groups, even though there was a trend in favor of the BINAURAL group (mean percent word recognition in the BINAURAL and BILATERAL groups: 70 vs. 56.7% in quiet, 55.7 vs. 43.3% in noise). There was also no significant difference with regard to performance in sound localization and self-assessment of health status and hearing disability. On the basis of the BINAURAL group's performance in hearing tasks involving the detection of interaural differences, implantation with the Neurelec Digisonic(®) SP Binaural implant may be considered to restore effective binaural hearing. Based on these first comparative results, this device seems to provide benefits similar to those of traditional bilateral cochlear implantation, with a new approach to stimulate both auditory nerves. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain F1, a potential source for glycoside hydrolases isolated from Brazilian soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, Ricardo Rodrigues de; Persinoti, Gabriela Felix; Paixão, Douglas Antonio Alvaredo; Squina, Fábio Márcio; Ruller, Roberto; Sato, Helia Harumi

Here, we show the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. F1, a strain isolated from soil with great potential for secretion of hydrolytic enzymes used to deconstruct cellulosic biomass. The draft genome assembly of Streptomyces sp. strain F1 has 69 contigs with a total genome size of 8,142,296bp and G+C 72.65%. Preliminary genome analysis identified 175 proteins as Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes, being 85 glycoside hydrolases organized in 33 distinct families. This draft genome information provides new insights on the key genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes involved in biomass deconstruction employed by soil bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Thermophilic amylase from Thermus sp. isolation and its potential application for bioethanol production

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Amin Fatoni

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Limited reserves of fossil energy stimulate researchers to explore for a new alternative energy, such as bioethanol.A thermophilic amylase producing bacterium was isolated from local hot-springs and its characteristic and potential applicationfor bioethanol production was determined. The obtained amylase was studied to determine its optimum temperature, pH,enzymatic reaction time, and substrate concentration. Tapioca waste was used as the substrate to find the potential of theamylase for degrading starch into glucose, and then the process was continued by fermentation to produce bioethanol. Theamylase producer bacterium was proposed as genus Thermus sp. The crude amylase that was obtained has the optimumtemperature of 60°C and optimum pH of 8.0, optimum substrate concentration at 10% (w/w and optimum enzymatic reactiontime of 45 minutes. These enzymes convert the starches of waste tapioca at optimum conditions, with the result of 2.9%ethanol produced from raw materials.

Study on spontaneous potential exploration considering resistivity structures; Hiteiko kozo wo koryoshita shizen den`iho tansa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, H; Sakurai, K; Shimada, H [OYO Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-01

Spontaneous potential (SP) was measured on the known traverse line of resistivity structure crossing Hanaori fault in Ohara area, Kyoto city to observe change in SP around the fault and to examine the possibility of fault position exploration. The supposed causes of generation of SP are as follows: the existence of sulfide mineral deposit including polarized minerals, underground fluid flow, and the existence of stratum including chemical compositions from hot springs. The SP method estimates underground structures based on measured surface potential distributions using DC component under anomaly of SP. FEM modeling clarified that a fault fracture zone is one of the causes of generation of SP, by considering SP measurement and resistivity structure strongly affecting observed SP. Consequently, combination of SP measurement with resistivity structure exploration allows a reliable fault estimation method. Under the assumption that anomaly of SP is caused by polarization around fault, the horizontal dipole model based on polarization of current source dipole along fault can well explain the measured data. 2 refs., 6 figs.

Self-potential changes associated with volcanic activity. Short-term signals associated with March 9, 1998 eruption on La Fournaise volcano (Reunion Island)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zlotniki, J. [UMR6530, Clermont-Ferrand (France); Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Laboratoire de Geomagnetisme, Paris (France); Le Mouel, J. L. [Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Laboratoire de Geomagnetisme, Paris (France); Sasai, Y. [Tokyo Univ., Tokyo (Italy). Earthquake Research Institute; Yvetot, P.; Ardisson, M. H. [UMR6524, Laboratoire de Geophysique d' Orleans, Orleans (France)

2001-04-01

After six years of quietness La Fournaise volcano entered into activity on March 9, 1998. Fissures opened gradually downwards on the northern flank of the cone. Two cones, Kapor and Krafft built, from which lava poured until September 1998. Several other vents opened during this eruption. Mappings, surveys, and continuous recordings of the Self-Potential have been performed on the volcano for twenty years. SP mappings disclose the variability of large scale SP anomalies due to the modification of the hydrothermal system over some ten years. Most of the eruptions take place along a Main Fracture Zone (MFZ), in which ground water flows prevail. SP measurements have also regularly been made on the northern flank of the cone, on a west-east profile crossing the MFZ. Between 1981 and 1992 an enlargement and a shift of the MFZ to the east are evidenced. In particular, the eastern fissural axis trending N35{sup 0}E could be related to the possible collapse of the east flank of the volcano. After a decrease between 1992 and 1997, the SP anomaly was enhanced again by the 1998 eruption. Short scale, about 250 m wide, 750 mV amplitude anomalies were superimposed on a large scale one, 2500 m wide, and about 250 mV in amplitude. For several years, continuous stations have been measuring the electric field along two directions, with a 20 s sampling, in order to record the genesis of SP signals associated with the volcanic activity. Oscillations belonging to the ULF band were evidenced several days before the 1988 eruption, some of them at 9 km from the summit. Their amplitude reached several tens mV/km. These oscillations sometimes present a phase lag from summit. Their amplitude reached several tens mV/km. These oscillations sometimes present a phase lag from one station to another; they progressively shift towards the location of the future effusive vents. The polarisation of the oscillations is similar to the polarisation of longer SP variations (1 h period or more) and are

Self-potential chenges associated with volcanic activity: Short-term signals associated with March 9, 1998 eruption on La Fournaise volcano (Reunion Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Yvetot

2001-06-01

Full Text Available After six years of quietness La Fournaise volcano entered into activity on March 9, 1998. Fissures opened gradually downwards on the northern flank of the cone. Two cones, Kapor and Krafft built, from which lava poured until September 1998. Several other vents opened during this eruption. Mappings, surveys, and continuous recordings of the Self-Potential have been performed on the volcano for twenty years. SP mappings disclose the variability of large scale SP anomalies due to the modification of the hydrothermal system over some ten years. Most of the eruptions take place along a Main Fracture Zone (MFZ in which ground water flows prevail. SP measurements have also regularly been made on the northern flank of the cone, on a west-east profile crossing the MFZ. Between 1981 and 1992 an enlargement and a shift of the MFZ to the east are evidenced. In particular, the eastern fissural axis trending N35°E could be related to the possible collapse of the east flank of the volcano. After a decrease between 1992 and 1997, the SP anomaly was enhanced again by the 1998 eruption. Short scale, about 250 m wide, 750 mV amplitude anomalies were superimposed on a large scale one, 2500 m wide, and about 250 mV in amplitude. For several years, continuous stations have been measuring the electric field along two directions, with a 20 s sampling, in order to record the genesis of SP signals associated with the volcanic activity. Oscillations belonging to the ULF band were evidenced several days before the 1988 eruption, some of them at 9 km from the summit. Their amplitude reached several tens mV/km. These oscillations sometimes present a phase lag from one station to another; they progressively shift towards the location of the future effusive vents. The polarisation of the oscillations is similar to the polarisation of longer SP variations (1 h period or more and are correlated with the structural anisotropy. Finally, during the last hours preceding the

Self-esteem modulates automatic attentional responses to self-relevant stimuli: evidence from event-related brain potentials

OpenAIRE

Chen, Jie; Shui, Qing; Zhong, Yiping

2015-01-01

Previous studies have widely shown that self-esteem modulates the attention bias towards social rejection or emotion-related information. However, little is known about the influences of self-esteem on attention bias towards self-relevant stimuli. We aimed to investigate neural correlates that underlie the modulation effect of self-esteem on self-relevant processing. Event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded for subjects’ own names and close others’ names (the names of their friends) while...

INHIBITION OF PATHOGENS BY SPOROGENIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM HONEY OF Melipona sp. (APIDAE: APINAE: MELIPONINI

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KELY DAMIANA NOVAES DA SILVA

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to isolate sporogenic bacteria from the honey of stingless bees Melipona sp., in dry forest, and to evaluate their antagonistic potential for medicinal employment purposes and animal production. The honey samples were collected in Serra Talhada - PE, where honey was taken from four different hives (in triplicate, totaling 12 samples. The samples were diluted and subjected to 80 ºC for 20 minutes to eliminate vegetative cells. The dilutions were plated onto nutrient agar and incubated at 30 ºC for 72 hours. Then the colony forming units (CFU were quantified. The samples were also plated onto malt agar and Sabouraud agar, and incubated at 30 ºC for 14 days for the growth of yeast and molds. Total and fecal coliforms were quantified by the most probable number method (MPN. Seven isolates (I of sporogenic bacteria ( Bacillus were obtained, however only four showed probiotic potential. Isolate I - 5 showed the greatest probiotic potential and inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli , Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella sp., and Staphylococcus aureus . The growth of the Sarcina sp. was not inhibited by any isolate. No yeast, molds or coliforms were found. The Melipona sp. honey is a source of spore - forming bacteria and is antagonistic to microorganisms that contaminate honey. It has good microbiological quality.

Radioiodinate labeling of atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent SP-4 and preliminary experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Wu, Z.

2000-01-01

SP-4 was oligopeptide contained 18 amino-acid. It was a part of apolipoprotein B. To study labeling SP-4 with 131 I and its clinical prospect as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent. SP-4 was synthesized by solid phase method and identified by amino acid analysis after purification with preparation-model HPLC. SP-4 was labeled with 131 I by the Chloramine-T method and purified through Sephadex G-25, then the radiochemical purity of 131 SP-4 and its stability in vitro were analyzed. 12 New Zealand rabbits were divided into atherosclerosis group (n=7, group A) and control group (n=5, group B). All of them were administrated with bovine serum albumen through i.v., then the rabbits of group A were fed on high cholesterol and high fat diet and group B, on normal diet. Purified 131 I-SP-4 was injected intravenously. %ID/g in blood and thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta at 4 hrs after injection and biodistribution of 131 I-SP-4 was investigated. The amino acid formation of the pure product was identified to be correct through amino-acid analysis. The radiochemical purity of 131 I-SP-4 was 96.2% after being purified, but less than 90% after being stored for 20 hrs. One of 7 rabbits in group A died after being fed for three weeks, the others were alive and atherosclerotic lesions were found after being fed for two mon. On the contrary, 5 rabbits in group B were visualized not to have atherosclerotic lesions. The uptakes of group A and group B at 4 hr after injection were 0.0378±0.0028 and 0.0371±0.038 in blood (p>0.05), 0.0882 ±0.0101 and 0.0276 ±0.0044 in abdominal aorta (p 131 I-SP-4 was mainly excreted through kidneys. SP-4 remained its biological activity after radioiodination and was located at atherosclerotic lesions. It was potentially useful as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent

The Growth of Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus sp. Cells in the Presence of Thorium

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Juliana Cristina de Queiroz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Toxicity of thorium by Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus sp. was studied. Microalgal cultures were inoculated in ASM-1 medium in presence and absence of thorium. Its effect was monitored by direct counting on Fuchs-Rosenthal chamber and with software. The toxicity of thorium over the species was observed for concentrations over 50.0 mg/L. After 30 days, Monoraphidium cells decreased their concentration from 4.23×106 to 4.27×105 and 8.57×105 cells/mL, in the presence of 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L of thorium, respectively. Scenedesmus sp. cells were more resistant to thorium: for an initial cell concentration of 7.65×104 cells/mL it was observed a change to 5.25×105 and 5.12×105 cells/mL, in the presence of thorium at 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L, respectively. This is an indication that low concentrations of the radionuclide favored the growth, and that Scenedesmus cells are more resistant to thorium than Monoraphidium cells. The software used for comparison with direct count method proved to be useful for the improvement of accuracy of the results obtained, a decrease in the uncertainty and allowed recording of the data. The presence of thorium suggests that low concentrations have a positive effect on the growth, due to the presence of the nitrate, indicating its potential for ecotoxicological studies.

The Growth of Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus sp. Cells in the Presence of Thorium

Science.gov (United States)

de Queiroz, Juliana Cristina; Ferreira, Ana Cristina de Melo; da Costa, Antonio Carlos Augusto

2012-01-01

Toxicity of thorium by Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus sp. was studied. Microalgal cultures were inoculated in ASM-1 medium in presence and absence of thorium. Its effect was monitored by direct counting on Fuchs-Rosenthal chamber and with software. The toxicity of thorium over the species was observed for concentrations over 50.0 mg/L. After 30 days, Monoraphidium cells decreased their concentration from 4.23 × 106 to 4.27 × 105 and 8.57 × 105 cells/mL, in the presence of 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L of thorium, respectively. Scenedesmus sp. cells were more resistant to thorium: for an initial cell concentration of 7.65 × 104 cells/mL it was observed a change to 5.25 × 105 and 5.12 × 105 cells/mL, in the presence of thorium at 50.0 and 100.0 mg/L, respectively. This is an indication that low concentrations of the radionuclide favored the growth, and that Scenedesmus cells are more resistant to thorium than Monoraphidium cells. The software used for comparison with direct count method proved to be useful for the improvement of accuracy of the results obtained, a decrease in the uncertainty and allowed recording of the data. The presence of thorium suggests that low concentrations have a positive effect on the growth, due to the presence of the nitrate, indicating its potential for ecotoxicological studies. PMID:22649297

Nanoscale transformation of sp2 to sp3 of graphite by slow highly charged ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meguro, T.; Hida, A.; Koguchi, Y.; Miyamoto, S.; Yamamoto, Y.; Takai, H.; Maeda, K.; Aoyagi, Y.

2003-01-01

Nanoscale transformation of electronic states by highly charged ion (HCI) impact on graphite surfaces is described. The high potential energy of slow HCI, which induces multiple emission of electrons from the surface, provides a strong modification of the electronic states of the local area upon graphite surfaces. The HCI impact and the subsequent surface treatment either by electron injection from a scanning tunneling microscopy tip or by He-Cd laser irradiation induce a localized transition from sp 2 to sp 3 hybridization in graphite, resulting in the formation of nanoscale diamond-like structures (nanodiamond) at the impact region. From Raman spectroscopic measurements on sp 2 related peaks, it is found that the HCI irradiation creates vacancy complexes in contrast to ions having a lower charge state, which generate single vacancies. It is of interest that a single impact of HCI creates one nanodiamond structure, suggesting potential applications of HCI in nanoscale material processing

A laser sheet self-calibration method for scanning PIV

Science.gov (United States)

Knutsen, Anna N.; Lawson, John M.; Dawson, James R.; Worth, Nicholas A.

2017-10-01

Knowledge of laser sheet position, orientation, and thickness is a fundamental requirement of scanning PIV and other laser-scanning methods. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a new laser sheet self-calibration method for stereoscopic scanning PIV, which allows the measurement of these properties from particle images themselves. The approach is to fit a laser sheet model by treating particles as randomly distributed probes of the laser sheet profile, whose position is obtained via a triangulation procedure enhanced by matching particle images according to their variation in brightness over a scan. Numerical simulations and tests with experimental data were used to quantify the sensitivity of the method to typical experimental error sources and validate its performance in practice. The numerical simulations demonstrate the accurate recovery of the laser sheet parameters over range of different seeding densities and sheet thicknesses. Furthermore, they show that the method is robust to significant image noise and camera misalignment. Tests with experimental data confirm that the laser sheet model can be accurately reconstructed with no impairment to PIV measurement accuracy. The new method is more efficient and robust in comparison with the standard (self-) calibration approach, which requires an involved, separate calibration step that is sensitive to experimental misalignments. The method significantly improves the practicality of making accurate scanning PIV measurements and broadens its potential applicability to scanning systems with significant vibrations.

The influence of supplemented Curcuma in feed formulation to improve growth rate and feed efficiency of catfish (Clarias sp.)

Science.gov (United States)

Ulum, M. M.; Zubaidah, M.; Arief, M.; Prayogo

2018-04-01

Catfish (Clarias sp.) is very potential to be developed as a food fish. The use of the feed additive in feed intended to improve the health, productivity and compliance with animal nutrition. Feed additive is to use ginger are derived from nature.The purpose of this study was to determine the potential increase in feed formulation. The Curcuma effect on growth rate and feed efficiency of catfish (Clarias sp.). The method used experimental methods and design complete random with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The parameters examined in this study aregrowth rate and efficiency feed.The research showed that the ANOVA markedly dissimilar ( Padditive on formulations feed.

Demodex sp. as a Potential Cause of the Abandonment of Soft Contact Lenses by Their Existing Users

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Witold Tarkowski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Demodex mites may be a potential etiological factor in the development of various eye and skin disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of Demodex in the hair follicles of eyelashes and their potential influence on abandoning soft contact lenses which had been previously well tolerated by their users. A group of 62 users of contact lenses (28 with emerging discomfort and 34 without discomfort were examined. There is a need to check the existence of a relationship between D. folliculorum or/and D. brevis infestation and the emergence of intolerance to the presence of soft contact lenses. The removed lashes were examined under light microscopy, applying standard parasitological methods if demodicosis is suspected. A positive result was assumed if at least one adult stage, larva, protonymph/nymph, or egg of D. folliculorum and/or D. brevis was present. A positive correlation was observed between the presence of Demodex and intolerance to contact lenses by their existing users p<0.05, and Demodex sp. infections were observed in 92.86% of patients with intolerance to contact lenses. Our results provide further evidence for the pathogenic role played by the mites in the development of eye diseases.

Evidence for cooperative mineralization of diuron by Arthrobacter sp. BS2 and Achromobacter sp. SP1 isolated from a mixed culture enriched from diuron exposed environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Devers-Lamrani, Marion; Pesce, Stéphane; Rouard, Nadine; Martin-Laurent, Fabrice

2014-12-01

Diuron was found to be mineralized in buffer strip soil (BS) and in the sediments (SED) of the Morcille river in the Beaujolais vineyard repeatedly treated with this herbicide. Enrichment cultures from BS and SED samples led to the isolation of three bacterial strains transforming diuron to 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) its aniline derivative. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that they belonged to the genus Arthrobacter (99% of similarity to Arthrobacter globiformis strain K01-01) and were designated as Arthrobacter sp. BS1, BS2 and SED1. Diuron-degrading potential characterized by sequencing of the puhA gene, characterizing the diuron-degradaing potential, revealed 99% similarity to A. globiformis strain D47 puhA gene isolated a decade ago in the UK. These isolates were also able to use chlorotoluron for their growth. Although able to degrade linuron and monolinuron to related aniline derivatives they were not growing on them. Enrichment cultures led to the isolation of a strain from the sediments entirely degrading 3,4-DCA. 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that it was affiliated to the genus Achromobacter (99% of similarity to Achromobacter sp. CH1) and was designated as Achromobacter sp. SP1. The dcaQ gene encoding enzyme responsible for the transformation of 3,4-DCA to chlorocatechol was found in SP1 with 99% similarity to that of Comamonas testosteroni WDL7. This isolate also used for its growth a range of anilines (3-chloro-4-methyl-aniline, 4-isopropylaniline, 4-chloroaniline, 3-chloroaniline, 4-bromoaniline). The mixed culture composed of BS2 and SP1 strains entirely mineralizes (14)C-diuron to (14)CO2. Diuron-mineralization observed in the enrichment culture could result from the metabolic cooperation between these two populations. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Binding energy and momentum distribution of nuclear matter using Green's function methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, A.; Dickhoff, W.H.; Polls, A.

1991-01-01

The influence of hole-hole (h-h) propagation in addition to the conventional particle-particle (p-p) propagation, on the energy per particle and the momentum distribution is investigated for the v 2 central interaction which is derived from Reid's soft-core potential. The results are compared to Brueckner-Hartree-Fock calculations with a continuous choice for the single-particle (SP) spectrum. Calculation of the energy from a self-consistently determined SP spectrum leads to a lower saturation density. This result is not corroborated by calculating the energy from the hole spectral function, which is, however, not self-consistent. A generalization of previous calculations of the momentum distribution, based on a Goldstone diagram expansion, is introduced that allows the inclusion of h-h contributions to all orders. From this result an alternative calculation of the kinetic energy is obtained. In addition, a direct calculation of the potential energy is presented which is obtained from a solution of the ladder equation containing p-p and h-h propagation to all orders. These results can be considered as the contributions of selected Goldstone diagrams (including p-p and h-h terms on the same footing) to the kinetic and potential energy in which the SP energy is given by the quasiparticle energy. The results for the summation of Goldstone diagrams leads to a different momentum distribution than the one obtained from integrating the hole spectral function which in general gives less depletion of the Fermi sea. Various arguments, based partly on the results that are obtained, are put forward that a self-consistent determination of the spectral functions including the p-p and h-h ladder contributions (using a realistic interaction) will shed light on the question of nuclear saturation at a nonrelativistic level that is consistent with the observed depletion of SP orbitals in finite nuclei

Binding energy and momentum distribution of nuclear matter using Green's function methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, A.; Dickhoff, W.H.; Polls, A.

1990-07-01

The influence of hole-hole (hh) propagation in addition to the conventional particle-particle (pp) propagation on the energy per particle and the momentum distribution is investigated for two central interactions (v 2 and v 2 l=0 ) which are derived from Reid's soft core potential. The results are compared to Brueckner-Hartree-Fock calculations with a continuous choice for the single-particle (sp) spectrum. Calculation of the energy from a self-consistently determined sp spectrum leads to a lower saturation density. This result is not corroborated by calculating the energy from the hole spectral function which is, however, not self-consistent. A generalization of previous calculations of the momentum distribution based on a Goldstone diagram expansion is introduced which allows the inclusion of hh contributions to all orders. From this result an alternative calculation of the kinetic energy is obtained. In addition, a direct calculation of the potential energy is presented which is obtained from a solution of the ladder equation containing pp and hh propagation to all orders. These results can be considered as the contributions of selected Goldstone diagrams (including pp and hh terms on the same footing) to the kinetic and potential energy in which the sp energy is given by the quasi-article energy. The results for the summation of Goldstone diagrams leads to a different momentum distribution than the one obtained from integrating the hole spectral function which in general gives less depletion of the Fermi sea. Various arguments, based partly on the results that are obtained, are put forward that a self-consistent determination of the spectral functions including the pp and hh ladder contributions (using a realistic interaction) will shed light on the question of nuclear saturation at a non-relativistic level which is consistent with the observed depletion of sp orbitals in finite nuclei. (Author) (51 refs., 3 tabs., 15 figs)

General Retarded Contact Self-energies in and beyond the Non-equilibrium Green's Functions Method

Science.gov (United States)

Kubis, Tillmann; He, Yu; Andrawis, Robert; Klimeck, Gerhard

2016-03-01

Retarded contact self-energies in the framework of nonequilibrium Green's functions allow to model the impact of lead structures on the device without explicitly including the leads in the actual device calculation. Most of the contact self-energy algorithms are limited to homogeneous or periodic, semi-infinite lead structures. In this work, the complex absorbing potential method is extended to solve retarded contact self-energies for arbitrary lead structures, including irregular and randomly disordered leads. This method is verified for regular leads against common approaches and on physically equivalent, but numerically different irregular leads. Transmission results on randomly alloyed In0.5Ga0.5As structures show the importance of disorder in the leads. The concept of retarded contact self-energies is expanded to model passivation of atomically resolved surfaces without explicitly increasing the device's Hamiltonian.

Anaerobic Co-Digestion of the Microalgae Scenedesmus Sp.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos-Suarez, J. L.; Carreras, N.

2011-06-07

Microalgae biomass has been widely studied for biogas production over the last years and results show that anaerobic digestion is often limited by the low C/N ratio of this type of biomass. Therefore, codigestion with substrates of high C/N ratio is necessary. The objectives of this study are to set up an experimental method that ease reproducibility and control of anaerobic digestion processes in laboratory conditions and to determine the biodegradability and biogas production potential of the co-digestion process of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. and energy crop Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Miller. Results obtained showed that higher C/N ratios are preferred in order to maximize methane production. Highest methane yield obtained was 0.252m3CH4/Kg VS and degradability expressed as percentage COD reduced is around 30% for the ideal mixture found, made up of 75% O. ficus-indica and 25% Scenedesmus sp. in VS basis. A laboratory setup using MicroOxymax respirometer, after its adaptation to work under anaerobic conditions, can be used for the monitoring of anaerobic digestion processes. Scenedesmus sp. as sole substrate for anaerobic digestion does not give good results due to low C/N ratio. However, when codigesting it with O. ficus-indica methane production is satisfactory. Best mixture was made up of 75% O. ficus-indica and 25% Scenedesmus sp. in VS basis. (Author)

Intracranial self-stimulation to evaluate abuse potential of drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Negus, S Stevens; Miller, Laurence L

2014-07-01

Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) is a behavioral procedure in which operant responding is maintained by pulses of electrical brain stimulation. In research to study abuse-related drug effects, ICSS relies on electrode placements that target the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus, and experimental sessions manipulate frequency or amplitude of stimulation to engender a wide range of baseline response rates or response probabilities. Under these conditions, drug-induced increases in low rates/probabilities of responding maintained by low frequencies/amplitudes of stimulation are interpreted as an abuse-related effect. Conversely, drug-induced decreases in high rates/probabilities of responding maintained by high frequencies/amplitudes of stimulation can be interpreted as an abuse-limiting effect. Overall abuse potential can be inferred from the relative expression of abuse-related and abuse-limiting effects. The sensitivity and selectivity of ICSS to detect abuse potential of many classes of abused drugs is similar to the sensitivity and selectivity of drug self-administration procedures. Moreover, similar to progressive-ratio drug self-administration procedures, ICSS data can be used to rank the relative abuse potential of different drugs. Strengths of ICSS in comparison with drug self-administration include 1) potential for simultaneous evaluation of both abuse-related and abuse-limiting effects, 2) flexibility for use with various routes of drug administration or drug vehicles, 3) utility for studies in drug-naive subjects as well as in subjects with controlled levels of prior drug exposure, and 4) utility for studies of drug time course. Taken together, these considerations suggest that ICSS can make significant contributions to the practice of abuse potential testing. Copyright © 2014 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Pertumbuhan Chlorella sp. pada beberapa konsentrasi limbah batubara (The growth rate of the Chlorella sp. at different concentrations of coal waste water

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Zerli Selvika

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Chlorella sp. is a single-celled microalga that mostly grows in marine waters. Chlorella sp. can grow in heavy polluted waters and therefore it has potency as a bioremediation agent. This study aimed was to analyze the effect of coal on the growth of Chlorella sp. in plant isolation media and the quality of water in plant isolation media for Chlorella sp. The complete randomized design with 4 treatments of coal concentration was used in this study. Four concentration concentrations were tested namely, 0 ppt, 1 ppt, 3 ppt and 5 ppt. The results revealed that coal with different concentrations gave no significant effect on the growth of Chlorella sp. (p> 0.05. The density among the concentrations of 0 ppt, 1 ppt, 3 ppt and 5 ppt were not significantly different. In addition, the coal concentration gave no significant effect on temperature, salinity and potential hydrogen (pH (p>0.05. The Chlorella sp. can grow in the polluted water by coal, and therefore this alga can be used as potential organisms for bioremediation of coal waste. Chlorella sp. merupakan mikroalga bersel satu yang banyak tumbuh di perairan laut. Chlorella sp. dapat tumbuh di perairan yang tercemar berat sehingga berpotensi sebagai bioremediator. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh konsentrasi batubara terhadap pertumbuhan Chlorella sp. dan kualitas air pada media kultur Chlorella sp. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode eksperimen skala laboratorium. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah rancangan acak lengkap dengan 4 perlakuan konsentrasi batubara 0 ppt, 1 ppt, 3 ppt dan 5 ppt. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa batubara dengan konsentrasi yang berbeda tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap laju pertumbuhan Chlorella sp (P>0,05. Kepadatan antara konsentrasi 0 ppt, 1 ppt, 3 ppt dan 5 ppt tidak terlalu jauh berbeda. Konsentrasi batubara juga tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap parameter suhu, salinitas dan derajat keasaman (pH (p>0,05. Chlorella sp

A superhard sp3 microporous carbon with direct bandgap

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yilong; Xie, Chenlong; Xiong, Mei; Ma, Mengdong; Liu, Lingyu; Li, Zihe; Zhang, Shuangshuang; Gao, Guoying; Zhao, Zhisheng; Tian, Yongjun; Xu, Bo; He, Julong

2017-12-01

Carbon allotropes with distinct sp, sp2, and sp3 hybridization possess various different properties. Here, a novel all-sp3 hybridized tetragonal carbon, namely the P carbon, was predicted by the evolutionary particle swarm structural search. It demonstrated a low density among all-sp3 carbons, due to the corresponding distinctive microporous structure. P carbon is thermodynamically stable than the known C60 and could be formed through the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) compression. P carbon is a direct bandgap semiconductor displaying a strong and superhard nature. The unique combination of electrical and mechanical properties constitutes P carbon a potential superhard material for semiconductor industrial fields.

Tunneling in a self-consistent dynamic image potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudberg, B.G.R.; Jonson, M.

1991-01-01

We have calculated the self-consistent effective potential for an electron tunneling through a square barrier while interacting with surface plasmons. This potential reduces to the classical image potential in the static limit. In the opposite limit, when the ''velocity'' of the tunneling electron is large, it reduces to the unperturbed square-barrier potential. For a wide variety of parameters the dynamic effects on the transmission coefficient T=|t 2 | can, for instance, be related to the Buettiker-Landauer traversal time for tunneling, given by τ BL =ℎ|d lnt/dV|

Penapisan Cendawan Antagonis Indigenos Rizosfer Jahe dan Uji Daya Hambatnya terhadap Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi

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Nurbailis Nurbailis

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Ginger rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi is difficult to control because the pathogen is soil borne and is able to form clamidospore as resting structure. The aim of this study was to obtain indigenous antagonistic fungi from ginger rhizosphere which is potential for suppressing the growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi. Fungi isolated from ginger rhizosphere were subjected for antagonism assay using dual culture method. Fungi isolates showed capability to inhibit F. oxysporum f. sp. zingiberii were then identified based on morphology characters. Eleven isolates were successfully isolated, but only 9 isolates showed the potentials of suppressing the growth of F. oxysporum f. sp.  zingiberi. All 9 isolates i.e. AB4, GC1, BB1, AB1, AB2, K12, GC3, K11 and GC2 had antibiosis activity, and 3 isolates among them i.e. AB2, BB1 and K11 showed competition mechanism. Based on morphology characters the isolates were identified as Penicillium spp. (4 isolates, Trichoderma spp. (3 isolates, and Aspergillus spp. (2 isolates.

Potential of Microbispora sp. V2 as biocontrol agent against Sclerotium rolfsii, the causative agent of southern blight of Zea mays L (Baby corn)--in vitro studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, N N; Waghmode, M S; Gaikwad, P S; Gajbhiye, M H; Gunjal, A B; Nawani, N N; Kapadnis, B P

2014-11-01

The study was undertaken with the aim of exploring novel and beneficial agro activities of rare actinomycetes like Microbispora sp. V2. The antagonistic activity of Microbispora sp. V2 was evaluated as a biocontrol agents against Sclerotium rolfsii, a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen. The methodology performed for evaluation of biocontrol agent was in vitro evaluation assay which comprised of three tests viz., cellophane overlay technique, seed germination test and Thiram (fungicide) tolerance of Microbispora sp. V2. The isolate was found to inhibit the fungal pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii to 91.43% in cellophane assay. In seed germination assay, Microbispora sp. V2 treated seeds resulted in 25.75% increased germination efficiency, as compared to seeds infected by Sclerotium rolfsii. The isolate Microbispora sp. V2 could tolerate 1000 microg mL(-1) of Thiram (fungicide). The in vitro assay studies proved that Microbispora sp. V2 can be used as antifungal antagonist and thus posses' great potential as biocontrol agent against southern blight caused by Sclerotium rolfsii in Zea mays L (Baby corn) which causes large economical losses.

Potential Role of Diploscapter sp. Strain LKC25, a Bacterivorous Nematode from Soil, as a Vector of Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria to Preharvest Fruits and Vegetables

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, Daunte S.; Anderson, Gary L.; Beuchat, Larry R.; Carta, Lynn K.; Williams, Phillip L.

2005-01-01

Diploscapter, a thermotolerant, free-living soil bacterial-feeding nematode commonly found in compost, sewage, and agricultural soil in the United States, was studied to determine its potential role as a vehicle of Salmonella enterica serotype Poona, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in contaminating preharvest fruits and vegetables. The ability of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to survive on agar media, in cow manure, and in composted turkey manure and to be attracted to, ingest, and disperse food-borne pathogens inoculated into soil or a mixture of soil and composted turkey manure was investigated. Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 survived and reproduced in lawns of S. enterica serotype Poona, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes on agar media and in cow manure and composted turkey manure. Attraction of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to colonies of pathogenic bacteria on tryptic soy agar within 10, 20, 30, and 60 min and 24 h was determined. At least 85% of the worms initially placed 0.5 to 1 cm away from bacterial colonies migrated to the colonies within 1 h. Within 24 h, ≥90% of the worms were embedded in colonies. The potential of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to shed pathogenic bacteria after exposure to bacteria inoculated into soil or a mixture of soil and composted turkey manure was investigated. Results indicate that Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 can shed pathogenic bacteria after exposure to pathogens in these milieus. They also demonstrate its potential to serve as a vector of food-borne pathogenic bacteria in soil, with or without amendment with compost, to the surface of preharvest fruits and vegetables in contact with soil. PMID:15870330

Nickel-hydrogen battery self-discharge mechanism and methods for its inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Visintin, Arnaldo; Anani, Anaba; Srinivasan, Supramaniam; Appleby, A. J.; Lim, Hong S.

1992-01-01

A review of our studies on the elucidation of the self-discharge mechanism of the Ni/H2 battery and methods to inhibit this phenomena is presented. The results show that (1) the rate of heat generation from nickel hydroxide powders and from electrodes increases with increase of hydrogen pressure, simultaneously, the open-circuit potential of the nickel hydroxide electrode is shifted in a negative direction more rapidly, indicating the transformation of NiOOH to Ni(OH)2; (2) heat generation rates measured in the microcalorimeter are considerably faster for electrolyte starved electrodes than for electrolyte-flooded electrodes; (3) there is a good correlation between the extent of self-discharge, as determined by heat generation in microcalorimetric measurement and capacity change; and (4) the self-discharge in Ni/H2 battery occurs via direct reduction of the active material by pressurized hydrogen. The addition of cadmium to the electrode reduces the self-discharge.

Doubling the Spectrum of Time-Domain Induced Polarization: Removal of Harmonic Noise and Self-Potential Drift

Science.gov (United States)

Fiandaca, G.; Olsson, P. I.; Auken, E.; Larsen, J. J.; Maurya, P. K.; Dahlin, T.

2015-12-01

The extraction of spectral information in the inversion process of time-domain (TD) induced polarization (IP) data is changing the use of the IP method. Data interpretation is evolving from a qualitative description of the soil, able only to discriminate the presence of contrasts in chargeability parameters, towards a quantitative analysis of the investigated media, which allows soil-type characterization. Two major limitations restrict the extraction of the spectral information of TDIP data in the field: i) the difficulty of acquiring reliable early-time measurements, in the millisecond range and ii) the self-potential drift in the measured potentials distorting the shape of the late time IP decays, in the second range. For measuring at early-times, we developed a new method for removing the powerline noise contained in the data through a model-based approach, localizing the fundamental frequency of the powerline signal in the full-waveform IP recordings. By this, we cancel both the fundamental signal and its harmonics. This noise cancellation allows the use of earlier and narrower gates, down to a few milliseconds after the current turn-off. Even earlier gates can be measured but they will be inductively "contaminated" which we at present want to avoid. A proper removal of the self-potential drift present between the potential electrodes is essential for preserving the shape of the TD decays, especially for late times. Usually constant or linear drift-removal algorithms are used, but these algorithms fail in removing the background potentials due to the polarization of the electrodes previously used for current injection. We developed a drift-removal scheme that model the polarization effect and efficiently allows for preserving the shape of the IP decays. The removal of both the harmonic noise and self-potential drift allows for doubling the usable range of TDIP data to more than three decades in time (corresponding to three decays in frequency), and will

Saccadic spike potentials in gamma-band EEG: characterization, detection and suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Keren, Alon S; Yuval-Greenberg, Shlomit; Deouell, Leon Y

2010-02-01

Analysis of high-frequency (gamma-band) neural activity by means of non-invasive EEG is gaining increasing interest. However, we have recently shown that a saccade-related spike potential (SP) seriously confounds the analysis of EEG induced gamma-band responses (iGBR), as the SP eludes traditional EEG artifact rejection methods. Here we provide a comprehensive profile of the SP and evaluate methods for its detection and suppression, aiming to unveil true cerebral gamma-band activity. The SP appears consistently as a sharp biphasic deflection of about 22 ms starting at the saccade onset, with a frequency band of approximately 20-90 Hz. On the average, larger saccades elicit higher SP amplitudes. The SP amplitude gradually changes from the extra-ocular channels towards posterior sites with the steepest gradients around the eyes, indicating its ocular source. Although the amplitude and the sign of the SP depend on the choice of reference channel, the potential gradients remain the same and non-zero for all references. The scalp topography is modulated almost exclusively by the direction of saccades, with steeper gradients ipsilateral to the saccade target. We discuss how the above characteristics impede attempts to remove these SPs from the EEG by common temporal filtering, choice of different references, or rejection of contaminated trials. We examine the extent to which SPs can be reliably detected without an eye tracker, assess the degree to which scalp current density derivation attenuates the effect of the SP, and propose a tailored ICA procedure for minimizing the effect of the SP. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antipersistent dynamics in short time scale variability of self-potential signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Ragosta

2000-06-01

Full Text Available Time scale properties of self-potential signals are investigated through the analysis of the second order structure function (variogram, a powerful tool to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of observational data. In this work we analyse two sequences of self-potential values measured by means of a geophysical monitoring array located in a seismically active area of Southern Italy. The range of scales investigated goes from a few minutes to several days. It is shown that signal fluctuations are characterised by two time scale ranges in which self-potential variability appears to follow slightly different dynamical behaviours. Results point to the presence of fractal, non stationary features expressing a long term correlation with scaling coefficients which are the clue of stabilising mechanisms. In the scale ranges in which the series show scale invariant behaviour, self-potentials evolve like fractional Brownian motions with anticorrelated increments typical of processes regulated by negative feedback mechanisms (antipersistence. On scales below about 6 h the strength of such an antipersistence appears to be slightly greater than that observed on larger time scales where the fluctuations are less efficiently stabilised.

A new QRT-PCR assay designed for the differentiation between elements provided from Agrobacterium sp. in GMOs plant events and natural Agrobacterium sp. bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabi, Nesrine; Chaouachi, Maher; Zellama, Mohamed Salem; Ben Hafsa, Ahmed; Mrabet, Besma; Saïd, Khaled; Fathia, Harzallah Skhiri

2016-04-01

The question asked in the present work was how to differentiate between contamination of field samples with and GM plants contained sequences provided from this bacterium in order to avoid false positives in the frame of the detection and the quantification of GMO. For this, new set of primers and corresponding TaqMan Minor Groove Binder (MGB) probes were designed to target Agrobacterium sp. using the tumor-morphology-shooty gene (TMS1). Final standard curves were calculated for each pathogen by plotting the threshold cycle value against the bacterial number (log (colony forming units) per milliliter) via linear regression. The method designed was highly specific and sensitive, with a detection limit of 10CFU/ml. No significant cross-reaction was observed. Results from this study showed that TaqMan real-time PCR, is potentially an effective method for the rapid and reliable quantification of Agrobacterium sp. in samples containing GMO or non GMO samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Change in surface SP caused by pressure buildup observed at the Nigorikawa geothermal area; Nigorikawa chiiki ni okeru atsuryoku buildup ji no shizen den`i henka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yasukawa, K; Yano, Y; Matsushima, N; Ishido, T [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Takahashi, M; Suzuki, I; Aoyama, K; Kuwano, T

1996-10-01

To examine the effect of change of subsurface flow system on the surface SP (self potential), SP measurements were carried out before and after the pressure buildup and drawdown during the periodic inspection at Nigorikawa area. Relation between the SP distribution and the observed data was also examined by 2-D numerical simulation. Tendency was found that the SP increased gradually with the production near the production well, decreased during the pressure buildup, and increased again during the drawdown. There were some points having the reverse tendency in the surrounding area. Behavior during the pressure buildup and drawdown was not clear. The resistivity near the ground surface was low ranging between 2 and 5 ohm/m within the Nigorikawa basin. The variation of SP was not so large when compared with the measuring error. The SP profiles on the secondary section passing in the center of caldera at the production stop and at one week after the production start were well corresponded with the profiles under natural conditions which were reproduces using the 2-D model. It was considered that the SP profile before the production stop was affected by the production. 12 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

The computation of ionization potentials for second-row elements by ab initio and density functional theory methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jursic, B.S.

1996-01-01

Up to four ionization potentials of elements from the second-row of the periodic table were computed using the ab initio (HF, MP2, MP3, MP4, QCISD, GI, G2, and G2MP2) and DFT (B3LY, B3P86, B3PW91, XALPHA, HFS, HFB, BLYP, BP86, BPW91, BVWN, XAPLY, XAP86, XAPW91, XAVWN, SLYR SP86, SPW91 and SVWN) methods. In all of the calculations, the large 6-311++G(3df,3pd) gaussian type of basis set was used. The computed values were compared with the experimental results and suitability of the ab initio and DFF methods were discussed, in regard to reproducing the experimental data. From the computed ionization potentials of the second-row elements, it can be concluded that the HF ab initio computation is not capable of reproducing the experimental results. The computed ionization potentials are too low. However, by using the ab initio methods that include electron correlation, the computed IPs are becoming much closer to the experimental values. In all cases, with the exception of the first ionization potential for oxygen, the G2 computation result produces ionization potentials that are indistinguishable from the experimental results

Penggunaan Streptomyces sp. Sebagai Biokontrol Penyakit Layu Pada Tanaman Cabai Merah (Capsicum annuum L. yang Disebabkan Oleh Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. capsici

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ANINDA OKTAVIA RAHARINI

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A research has been conducted to find out Streptomyces bacteria at Bukit Jimbaran, to inhibitionpotency of Streptomyces sp. to pathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. capsici, and to find outantifungal activity of Streptomyces filtrate to F.oxysporum f.sp. capsici in chili (Capsicum annuumL. plants. Streptomyces sp. isolation was done by platting method with selective media YMA (ISP4.Identification of Streptomyces sp. used Bergey’s book entitled Manual Determinative Bacteriology.Test inhibition against F.oxysporum f.sp. capsici and in vivo test used by dying the roots of the chili(C.annuum L. plant with F.oxysporum f.sp. capsici and after 30 seconds the roots were dying withStreptomyces sp. culture, furthermore sterile soil on polybag watered by F.oxysporum f.sp. capsicispore and Streptomyces sp. culture at the same time. The result found five isolates Streptomyces sp.with different morphological. The antagonis test showed Streptomyces sp. 4 had ability (82% againstFusarium, Streptomyces sp.1 (72%, Streptomyces sp.2 (64%, Streptomyces sp.3 (76%, andStreptomyces sp. 5 (32%. All Streptomyces suppressed the growth of Fusarium on chili plants inglass house (p<0,05. Streptomyces sp.4 suppressed Fusarium wilt disease in chili from 80% in controlto 8%.

"SP-G", a putative new surfactant protein--tissue localization and 3D structure.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix Rausch

Full Text Available Surfactant proteins (SP are well known from human lung. These proteins assist the formation of a monolayer of surface-active phospholipids at the liquid-air interface of the alveolar lining, play a major role in lowering the surface tension of interfaces, and have functions in innate and adaptive immune defense. During recent years it became obvious that SPs are also part of other tissues and fluids such as tear fluid, gingiva, saliva, the nasolacrimal system, and kidney. Recently, a putative new surfactant protein (SFTA2 or SP-G was identified, which has no sequence or structural identity to the already know surfactant proteins. In this work, computational chemistry and molecular-biological methods were combined to localize and characterize SP-G. With the help of a protein structure model, specific antibodies were obtained which allowed the detection of SP-G not only on mRNA but also on protein level. The localization of this protein in different human tissues, sequence based prediction tools for posttranslational modifications and molecular dynamic simulations reveal that SP-G has physicochemical properties similar to the already known surfactant proteins B and C. This includes also the possibility of interactions with lipid systems and with that, a potential surface-regulatory feature of SP-G. In conclusion, the results indicate SP-G as a new surfactant protein which represents an until now unknown surfactant protein class.

The dynamics of the fungal aerospores Alternaria sp. and Cladosporium sp. in Parisian atmospheric air, in France

Science.gov (United States)

Brezoczki, V. M.

2016-08-01

The bioallergens occurring naturally in the atmospheric air are microorganisms, pollen grains, plant seeds, leaf and stem scrap, or their protein molecules. The presence of various airborne fungal spores determines a high allergenic potential for public health. This effect is due to the high number of produced spores, which under favourable meteorological conditions (dry weather and wind) reach the surrounding air. This paper traces the dynamics of two types of fungi, Alternaria sp and Cladosporium sp, fungi which can be found outdoors, in the surrounding air, as well as indoors, inside houses (especially the conidia of Cladosporium sp). The effects of these fungal spores on human health are varies, ranging from seasonal allergies (hay fever, rhinitis, sinusitis etc.) to sever afflictions of the respiratory system, onset of asthma, disfunctionalities of the nervous systems, of the immune system, zymoses etc. The monitoring of the dynamics of the aerospores Alternaria sp and Cladosporium sp was carried out between 2010 and 2013, over a period of 42 weeks during one calendar year, from February to the end of September, in the surrounding air in the French capital, Paris. The regional and global climate and meteorological conditions are directly involved in the occurrence and development of fungi colonies, the transportation and dispersion of fungal spores in the atmospheric air, as well as in the creation of the environment required for the interaction of chemical and biological components in the air. Knowledge of the dynamics of the studied fungal aerospores, coupled with climate and meteorological changes, offers a series of information on the magnitude of the allergenic potential these airborne spores can determine. Legal regulations in this domain set the allergen risk threshold for the Alternaria sp aerospores at 3500 ÷ 7000 spores/m3 air/week, and for the Cladosporium sp aerospores at 56,000 spores/m3 air/week. Besides these regulations there exist a series of

Plant growth promoting potential of pseudomonas sp. SP0113 isolated from potable water from a closed water well

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Przemieniecki Wojciech Sebastian

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The Pseudomonas sp. SP0113 strain from a partially closed aquatic environment was identified as a plant growth promoting bacterium (PGPB. Laboratory tests revealed that PS0113 has multiple plant growth promoting traits, including mineral phosphate solubilizing ability, ammonifying ability that increases nitrogen availability for plants via the root system, and phosphatase activity that plays an important role in organic phosphorus mineralization. Tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO42 solubilizing ability was described as average (2-3 mm after 7 days of incubation and as high (>3 mm after 14 days of incubation. The analyzed bacterium was an antagonist of major crop pathogenic fungi. A high degree of pathogen growth inhibition was reported with regard to Rhizoctonia solani (38%, whereas the tested strain's ability to inhibit the growth of fungi of the genera Fusarium and Microdochium nivalis was somewhat lower at 20-29%. The bacterium proliferated in Roundup 360 SL solutions with concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 mg•ml-1.

Quasiparticle self-consistent GW method: a short summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotani, Takao; Schilfgaarde, Mark van; Faleev, Sergey V; Chantis, Athanasios

2007-01-01

We have developed a quasiparticle self-consistent GW method (QSGW), which is a new self-consistent method to calculate the electronic structure within the GW approximation. The method is formulated based on the idea of a self-consistent perturbation; the non-interacting Green function G 0 , which is the starting point for GWA to obtain G, is determined self-consistently so as to minimize the perturbative correction generated by GWA. After self-consistency is attained, we have G 0 , W (the screened Coulomb interaction) and G self-consistently. This G 0 can be interpreted as the optimum non-interacting propagator for the quasiparticles. We will summarize some theoretical discussions to justify QSGW. Then we will survey results which have been obtained up to now: e.g., band gaps for normal semiconductors are predicted to a precision of 0.1-0.3 eV; the self-consistency including the off-diagonal part is required for NiO and MnO; and so on. There are still some remaining disagreements with experiments; however, they are very systematic, and can be explained from the neglect of excitonic effects

Pengendalian Hayati Penyakit Layu Fusarium Pisang (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense dengan Trichoderma sp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albertus Sudirman

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research was to study the inhibiting ability of Trichoderma sp. to control fusarium wilt of banana in greenhouse condition. The experiments consisted of the antagonism test between Trichoderma sp. and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc in vitro using dual culture method and glass house experiment which was arranged in 3×3 Factorial Complete Randomized Design. First factor of the latter experiment was the dose of Trichoderma sp. culture (0, 25, and 50 g per polybag, second factor was time of Trichoderma culture application (2 weeks before Foc inoculation, at same time with Foc inoculation and 2 weeks after Foc inoculation. Trichoderma sp. was cultured in mixed rice brand and chaff medium. The disease intensity was observed with scoring system of wilting leaves (0–4. The results showed that Trichoderma sp. was antagonistic against Foc in vitro and inhibited 86% of Foc colony development. Mechanism of antagonism between Trichoderma sp. and Foc was hyperparasitism. Trichoderma hyphae coiled around Foc hyphae. Lysis of Foc hyphae was occurred at the attached site of Trichoderma hyphae on Foc hyphae. Added banana seedling with Trichoderma sp. Culture reduced disease intensity of Fusarium wilt. Suggested dose of Trichoderma culture application in glass house was 25 g/polybag, given at the same time with Foc inoculation. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan Trichoderma sp. untuk pengendalian penyakit layu fusarium pisang di rumah kaca. Penelitian meliputi pengujian daya hambat Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc in vitro dan kemampuan menekan intensitas penyakit di rumah kaca. Penelitian in vitro meliputi uji antagonisme dan mekanismenya yang dilakukan secara dual culture. Uji pengaruh Trichoderma sp. terhadap penyakit layu Fusarium dilakukan di rumah kaca dengan Rancangan Acak Lengkap Faktorial. Faktor pertama adalah dosis biakan Trichoderma sp., dengan tiga aras (0, 25, 50 g/per bibit dalam polibag. Faktor kedua

NanoCrySP technology for generation of drug nanocrystals: translational aspects and business potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Shete, Ganesh; Bansal, Arvind Kumar

2016-08-01

Drug nanocrystals have rapidly evolved into a mature drug delivery strategy in the last decade, with almost 16 products currently on the market. Several "top-down" technologies are available in the market for generation of nanocrystals. Despite several advantages, very few bottom-up technologies have been explored for commercial purpose. This short communication highlights a novel, bottom-up, spray drying based technology-NanoCrySP-to generate drug nanocrystals. Nanocrystals are generated in the presence of non-polymeric excipients that act as crystallization inducer for the drug. Excipients encourage crystallization of drug by plasticization, primary heterogeneous nucleation, and imparting physical barrier to crystal growth. Nanocrystals have shown significant improvement in dissolution and thereby oral bioavailability. NanoCrySP technology is protected through patents in India, the USA, and the European Union. NanoCrySP can be utilized for (i) pharmaceutical development of new chemical entities, (ii) differentiated products of existing molecules, and (iii) generic drug products. The aggregation of drug nanocrystals generated using NanoCrySP poses significant challenges in the nanocrystal-based product development. Addition of stabilizers either during spray drying or during dissolution has shown beneficial effects.

A sp2+sp3 hybridized carbon allotrope transformed from AB stacking graphyne and THD-graphene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available New carbon allotropes can be designed by combining sp, sp2 and sp3 three hybridization states. And the hybridization states or coordination numbers of carbon atoms can be changed by applying high pressure on carbon materials. In this study, a common high pressure phase (named as TBBC transformed from AB-stacking graphyne or THD-graphene is predicted. Its kinetic stability is examined using finite displacement method. We find that the sp2 and sp3 hybridized carbon atoms behave different vibration features at high frequency region. Both graphene-like and diamond-like vibration peaks occurs. Phase transition energy barriers from both graphyne and THD-graphene to TBBC are estimated. Electronic structure calculations show that the TBBC is an indirect semiconductor with a bandgap of 0.66 eV. The ideal tensile strength of TBBC is high in [0001] and [11¯00] directions, but is weak along [12¯10] direction.

Truncated recombinant human SP-D attenuates emphysema and type II cell changes in SP-D deficient mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mühlfeld Christian

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Surfactant protein D (SP-D deficient mice develop emphysema-like pathology associated with focal accumulations of foamy alveolar macrophages, an excess of surfactant phospholipids in the alveolar space and both hypertrophy and hyperplasia of alveolar type II cells. These findings are associated with a chronic inflammatory state. Treatment of SP-D deficient mice with a truncated recombinant fragment of human SP-D (rfhSP-D has been shown to decrease the lipidosis and alveolar macrophage accumulation as well as production of proinflammatory chemokines. The aim of this study was to investigate if rfhSP-D treatment reduces the structural abnormalities in parenchymal architecture and type II cells characteristic of SP-D deficiency. Methods SP-D knock-out mice, aged 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 9 weeks were treated with rfhSP-D for 9, 6 and 3 weeks, respectively. All mice were sacrificed at age 12 weeks and compared to both PBS treated SP-D deficient and wild-type groups. Lung structure was quantified by design-based stereology at the light and electron microscopic level. Emphasis was put on quantification of emphysema, type II cell changes and intracellular surfactant. Data were analysed with two sided non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test. Main Results After 3 weeks of treatment, alveolar number was higher and mean alveolar size was smaller compared to saline-treated SP-D knock-out controls. There was no significant difference concerning these indices of pulmonary emphysema within rfhSP-D treated groups. Type II cell number and size were smaller as a consequence of treatment. The total volume of lamellar bodies per type II cell and per lung was smaller after 6 weeks of treatment. Conclusion Treatment of SP-D deficient mice with rfhSP-D leads to a reduction in the degree of emphysema and a correction of type II cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy. This supports the concept that rfhSP-D might become a therapeutic option in diseases that are

Molecular characterization of gluten hydrolysing Bacillus sp. and their efficacy and biotherapeutic potential as probiotics using Caco-2 cell line.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashmi, B S; Gayathri, D

2017-09-01

To isolate and characterize indigenous gluten hydrolysing bacteria from wheat sourdough and curd samples and further evaluation of their probiotic potentiality. Indigenous gluten hydrolysing isolates GS 33, GS 143, GS 181 and GS 188 were identified as Bacillus sp. by molecular-typing methods and studied extensively for their functional and probiotic attributes. All the tested isolates could survive at pH 2 and toxicity of 0·3% bile and also exhibited cell surface hydrophobicity and autoaggregation phenotype. The isolates were adhered strongly to Caco-2 cells and coaggregated with Escherichia coli MTCC 433 and Listeria monocytogenes MTCC 1143 preventing pathogen invasion into Caco-2 cells in vitro. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration of selected antibiotics for all the investigated gluten hydrolysing isolates was within the breakpoint values as recommended by the European Food Safety Authority. The indigenous high intensity gluten hydrolysing bacteria exhibited high resistance to gastric and pancreatic stress and possessed antibacterial, aggregation, adhesion and pathogen exclusion properties, and as a potential probiotics, either alone or in consortium would be useful in the development of gluten-free wheat foods. Exploring new indigenous gluten hydrolysing bacteria from wheat sourdough and curd samples would be beneficial in developing gluten-free wheat foods using potential indigenous probiotics. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

A Cyber Security Self-Assessment Method for Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glantz, Clifford S.; Coles, Garill A.; Bass, Robert B.

2004-11-01

A cyber security self-assessment method (the Method) has been developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The development of the Method was sponsored and directed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Members of the Nuclear Energy Institute Cyber Security Task Force also played a substantial role in developing the Method. The Method's structured approach guides nuclear power plants in scrutinizing their digital systems, assessing the potential consequences to the plant of a cyber exploitation, identifying vulnerabilities, estimating cyber security risks, and adopting cost-effective protective measures. The focus of the Method is on critical digital assets. A critical digital asset is a digital device or system that plays a role in the operation, maintenance, or proper functioning of a critical system (i.e., a plant system that can impact safety, security, or emergency preparedness). A critical digital asset may have a direct or indirect connection to a critical system. Direct connections include both wired and wireless communication pathways. Indirect connections include sneaker-net pathways by which software or data are manually transferred from one digital device to another. An indirect connection also may involve the use of instructions or data stored on a critical digital asset to make adjustments to a critical system. The cyber security self-assessment begins with the formation of an assessment team, and is followed by a six-stage process.

A Cyber Security Self-Assessment Method for Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glantz, Clifford S.; Coles, Garill A.; Bass, Robert B.

2004-01-01

A cyber security self-assessment method (the Method) has been developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The development of the Method was sponsored and directed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Members of the Nuclear Energy Institute Cyber Security Task Force also played a substantial role in developing the Method. The Method's structured approach guides nuclear power plants in scrutinizing their digital systems, assessing the potential consequences to the plant of a cyber exploitation, identifying vulnerabilities, estimating cyber security risks, and adopting cost-effective protective measures. The focus of the Method is on critical digital assets. A critical digital asset is a digital device or system that plays a role in the operation, maintenance, or proper functioning of a critical system (i.e., a plant system that can impact safety, security, or emergency preparedness). A critical digital asset may have a direct or indirect connection to a critical system. Direct connections include both wired and wireless communication pathways. Indirect connections include sneaker-net pathways by which software or data are manually transferred from one digital device to another. An indirect connection also may involve the use of instructions or data stored on a critical digital asset to make adjustments to a critical system. The cyber security self-assessment begins with the formation of an assessment team, and is followed by a six-stage process

Self-paced versus fixed speed walking and the effect of virtual reality in children with cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sloot, Lizeth H; Harlaar, Jaap; van der Krogt, Marjolein M

2015-10-01

While feedback-controlled treadmills with a virtual reality could potentially offer advantages for clinical gait analysis and training, the effect of self-paced walking and the virtual environment on the gait pattern of children and different patient groups remains unknown. This study examined the effect of self-paced (SP) versus fixed speed (FS) walking and of walking with and without a virtual reality (VR) in 11 typically developing (TD) children and nine children with cerebral palsy (CP). We found that subjects walked in SP mode with twice as much between-stride walking speed variability (pinteraction effects between SP and group (TD versus CP) were found for five out of 33 parameters. This suggests that children with CP might need more time to familiarize to SP walking, however, these differences were generally too small to be clinically relevant. The VR environment did not affect the kinematic or kinetic parameters, but walking with VR was rated as more similar to overground walking by both groups (p=0.02). The results of this study indicate that both SP and FS walking, with and without VR, can be used interchangeably for treadmill-based clinical gait analysis in children with and without CP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental measurements of the SP response to concentration and temperature gradients in sandstones with application to subsurface geophysical monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Leinov, E.; Jackson, M. D.

2014-09-01

Exclusion-diffusion potentials arising from temperature gradients are widely neglected in self-potential (SP) surveys, despite the ubiquitous presence of temperature gradients in subsurface settings such as volcanoes and hot springs, geothermal fields, and oil reservoirs during production via water or steam injection. Likewise, with the exception of borehole SP logging, exclusion-diffusion potentials arising from concentration gradients are also neglected or, at best, it is assumed that the diffusion potential dominates. To better interpret these SP sources requires well-constrained measurements of the various coupling terms. We report measurements of thermoelectric and electrochemical exclusion-diffusion potentials across sandstones saturated with NaCl brine and find that electrode effects can dominate the measured voltage. After correcting for these, we find that Hittorf transport numbers are the same within experimental error regardless of whether ion transport occurs in response to temperature or concentration gradients over the range of NaCl concentration investigated that is typical of natural systems. Diffusion potentials dominate only if the pore throat radius is more than approximately 4000 times larger than the diffuse layer thickness. In fine-grained sandstones with small pore throat diameter, this condition is likely to be met only if the saturating brine is of relatively high salinity; thus, in many cases of interest to earth scientists, exclusion-diffusion potentials will comprise significant contributions from both ionic diffusion through, and ionic exclusion from, the pore space of the rock. However, in coarse-grained sandstones, or sandstones saturated with high-salinity brine, exclusion-diffusion potentials can be described using end-member models in which ionic exclusion is neglected. Exclusion-diffusion potentials in sandstones depend upon pore size and salinity in a complex way: they may be positive, negative, or zero depending upon sandstone

Progress in SP-100 tribological coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ring, P.J.; Roy, P.; Schuster, G.B.; Busboom, H.J.

1992-01-01

The SP-100 reactor will operate at temperatures up to 1500K in high vacuum. To address the SP-100 needs, a tribology development program has been established at GE to investigate candidate coating materials. Materials were selected based on their high thermodynamic stability, high melting point, compatibility with the substrate, and coefficients of thermal expansion similar to niobium-1% zirconium-the candidate structural material for SP-100. An additional requirement was that the deposition processes should be commercially available to coat large components. This paper presents the details regarding the SP-100 Tribology Development Program including background information, specific bearing requirements, basis for coating material selection, testing methods and the initial results covering the early years of this program

First molecular evidence of potentially zoonotic Babesia microti and Babesia sp. EU1 in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Belgium.

Science.gov (United States)

Lempereur, Laetitia; De Cat, Ann; Caron, Yannick; Madder, Maxime; Claerebout, Edwin; Saegerman, Claude; Losson, Bertrand

2011-02-01

We report the first molecular evidence of the presence of Babesia sp. EU1 and Babesia microti in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Belgium. A 1-year national survey collected 1005 ticks from cats and dogs. A polymerase chain reaction technique amplifying a part of the 18S rRNA gene detected Babesia spp. in 11 out of 841 selected and validated tick extracts. Subsequent sequencing identified Ba. microti (n=3) and Babesia sp. EU1 (n=6). This study has demonstrated a low infection rate (1.31% with 95% CI: 0.65-2.33) of Babesia spp. carriage in I. ricinus ticks in Belgium but, for the first time, reports two potentially zoonotic species belonging to this genus. Coinfection with Ba. microti and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto also was demonstrated. In addition, this study clearly demonstrates that inhibitors of polymerase chain reaction amplification are present in engorged ticks.

Fenpropathrin biodegradation pathway in Bacillus sp. DG-02 and its potential for bioremediation of pyrethroid-contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shaohua; Chang, Changqing; Deng, Yinyue; An, Shuwen; Dong, Yi Hu; Zhou, Jianuan; Hu, Meiying; Zhong, Guohua; Zhang, Lian-Hui

2014-03-12

The widely used insecticide fenpropathrin in agriculture has become a public concern because of its heavy environmental contamination and toxic effects on mammals, yet little is known about the kinetic and metabolic behaviors of this pesticide. This study reports the degradation kinetics and metabolic pathway of fenpropathrin in Bacillus sp. DG-02, previously isolated from the pyrethroid-manufacturing wastewater treatment system. Up to 93.3% of 50 mg L(-1) fenpropathrin was degraded by Bacillus sp. DG-02 within 72 h, and the degradation rate parameters qmax, Ks, and Ki were determined to be 0.05 h(-1), 9.0 mg L(-1), and 694.8 mg L(-1), respectively. Analysis of the degradation products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry led to identification of seven metabolites of fenpropathrin, which suggest that fenpropathrin could be degraded first by cleavage of its carboxylester linkage and diaryl bond, followed by degradation of the aromatic ring and subsequent metabolism. In addition to degradation of fenpropathrin, this strain was also found to be capable of degrading a wide range of synthetic pyrethroids including deltamethrin, λ-cyhalothrin, β-cypermethrin, β-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, and permethrin, which are also widely used insecticides with environmental contamination problems with the degradation process following the first-order kinetic model. Bioaugmentation of fenpropathrin-contaminated soils with strain DG-02 significantly enhanced the disappearance rate of fenpropathrin, and its half-life was sharply reduced in the soils. Taken together, these results depict the biodegradation mechanisms of fenpropathrin and also highlight the promising potentials of Bacillus sp. DG-02 in bioremediation of pyrethroid-contaminated soils.

Analisis Fosfor pada Cacing Tanah (Megascolex sp. dan Fridericia sp.) Secara Spektrofotometri Sinar Tampak

OpenAIRE

Safira, Cut Shafa

2015-01-01

Earthworm is natural resource which can be used for medication due to its highly amount of minerals. One of these minerals is phosphorus. The aim of this research are to identify, determine and know the difference content of phosphorus in Megascolex sp. and Fridericia sp. Qualitative analysis shows positive results with addition of ammonium molybdate 4% and BaCl2 5%. Quantitative analysis was done using visible spectrophotometer with ascorbic acid method, measuring blu-colored molybdenum ...

Synthetic lung surfactants containing SP-B and SP-C peptides plus novel phospholipase-resistant lipids or glycerophospholipids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert H. Notter

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background This study examines the biophysical and preclinical pulmonary activity of synthetic lung surfactants containing novel phospholipase-resistant phosphonolipids or synthetic glycerophospholipids combined with Super Mini-B (S-MB DATK and/or SP-Css ion-lock 1 peptides that replicate the functional biophysics of surfactant proteins (SP-B and SP-C. Phospholipase-resistant phosphonolipids used in synthetic surfactants are DEPN-8 and PG-1, molecular analogs of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylglycerol (POPG, while glycerophospholipids used are active lipid components of native surfactant (DPPC:POPC:POPG 5:3:2 by weight. The objective of the work is to test whether these novel lipid/peptide synthetic surfactants have favorable preclinical activity (biophysical, pulmonary for therapeutic use in reversing surfactant deficiency or dysfunction in lung disease or injury. Methods Surface activity of synthetic lipid/peptide surfactants was assessed in vitro at 37 °C by measuring adsorption in a stirred subphase apparatus and dynamic surface tension lowering in pulsating and captive bubble surfactometers. Shear viscosity was measured as a function of shear rate on a Wells-Brookfield micro-viscometer. In vivo pulmonary activity was determined by measuring lung function (arterial oxygenation, dynamic lung compliance in ventilated rats and rabbits with surfactant deficiency/dysfunction induced by saline lavage to lower arterial PO2 to <100 mmHg, consistent with clinical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS. Results Synthetic surfactants containing 5:3:2 DPPC:POPC:POPG or 9:1 DEPN-8:PG-1 combined with 3% (by wt of S-MB DATK, 3% SP-Css ion-lock 1, or 1.5% each of both peptides all adsorbed rapidly to low equilibrium surface tensions and also reduced surface tension to ≤1 mN/m under dynamic compression at 37 °C. However, dual-peptide surfactants containing 1.5% S-MB DATK + 1.5% SP-Css ion-lock 1 combined with

Self-organized synthesis of silver dendritic nanostructures via an electroless metal deposition method

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, T.; Wu, X. L.; Mei, Y. F.; Chu, P. K.; Siu, G. G.

2005-09-01

Unique silver dendritic nanostructures, with stems, branches, and leaves, were synthesized with self-organization via a simple electroless metal deposition method in a conventional autoclave containing aqueous HF and AgNO3 solution. Their growth mechanisms are discussed in detail on the basis of a self-assembled localized microscopic electrochemical cell model. A process of diffusion-limited aggregation is suggested for the formation of the silver dendritic nanostructures. This nanostructured material is of great potential to be building blocks for assembling mini-functional devices of the next generation.

The Effect of maceration period on contents and color brightness of phycoerythrin from Gracilaria sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Lidiana, H.; Sulmartiwi, L.; Andriyono, S.

2018-04-01

Natural pigment from seaweed, is currently required by humans as one of active compounds that are usefull in the field of health, cosmetics and food. One of the pigments which potentially can be developed is red phycobilin pigment. The pigment can be obtained from Gracilaria sp. throught maceration method. This research aims to find out wheter there is influence from the long maceration time toward to the content and the phycoerytrin color brightness of Gracilaria sp. The reseach method used experimental experiment with complete randomized design (CRD) which was consisted of nine treatments of long time maceration period three replications. Data analysis was used the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and continued to Duncan’s Multiple Distance Test to. The result showed that treatments with the time of maceration for 30 hours was the best treatment on phycoerytrin content about 0.98 mg/g with the brightness value was 19.73 L*, reddish value was 7.23 a*, and yellowish value was 2.87 b* of Gracilaria sp.

Enhancement of clavulanic acid production by Streptomyces sp MU ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To enhance clavulanic acid production using UV-mutagenesis on Streptomyces sp. NRC77. Methods: UV-mutagenesis was used to study the effect of Streptomyces sp. NRC77 on CA production. Phenotypic and genotypic identification methods of the promising mutant strain were characterized. Optimization of the ...

Combined 2-D Electrical Resistivity and Self Potential Survey to Investigate the Pattern of the Watukosek Fault System Around the Lusi Eruption Site, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzini, A.; Husein, A.; Mauri, G.; Lupi, M.; Hadi, S.; Kemna, A.

2015-12-01

The Lusi mud eruption is located in the Sidoarjo area, Indonesia and is continuously erupting hot mud since its birth in May 2006. A comprehensive combined electrical resistivity and self-potential (SP) survey was performed in the 7 km2 area inside the Lusi embankment that had been built to contain the erupted mud and to prevent flooding of the surrounding roads and settlements. The goal of the geophysical survey is to map the near-surface occurrence of the Watukosek fault system, upon which LUSI resides, delineate its spatial pattern and monitor its development. We completed six lines of measurements combining resistivity measurement using Wenner configuration and SP measurements using roll-along technique. Three subparallel lines were located either to the north and to the south of the main crater. Each line was approximately W-E oriented extending for ~1.26 km. The surveyed regions consist of dried mud breccia (containing clayey-silty-sandy admixture with clast up to ~ 10 cm in size). The thickness of the dry walkable mud is approximately 2-3 m and the deeper layer consist of water saturated mud that could be vulnerable to a liquefaction scenario in case of significant seismic activity in the region. The resistivity data were inverted into 2-D resistivity images with a maximum exploration depth of almost 200 m. The resistivity images consistently reveal a region of about 300 m in width (between 30-90 m depth) characterized by anomalous resistivities, which are lower than the value observed in the surounding area. The position of these anomalies is also supported by the SP data, which suggests that their origin is related to fluid flow path in the subsurface. Thus the combined resistivity and SP results allow inference of an improved model of the Watukosek fault system.

Self-consistent field theory of collisions: Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hahn, Y.K., E-mail: ykhahn22@verizon.net

2014-12-15

The self-consistent field theory of collisions is formulated, incorporating the unique dynamics generated by the self-averaged potentials. The bound state Hartree–Fock approach is extended for the first time to scattering states, by properly resolving the principal difficulties of non-integrable continuum orbitals and imposing complex asymptotic conditions. The recently developed asymptotic source theory provides the natural theoretical basis, as the asymptotic conditions are completely transferred to the source terms and the new scattering function is made fullyintegrable. The scattering solutions can then be directly expressed in terms of bound state HF configurations, establishing the relationship between the bound and scattering state solutions. Alternatively, the integrable spin orbitals are generated by constructing the individual orbital equations that contain asymptotic sources and self-averaged potentials. However, the orbital energies are not determined by the equations, and a special channel energy fixing procedure is developed to secure the solutions. It is also shown that the variational construction of the orbital equations has intrinsic ambiguities that are generally associated with the self-consistent approach. On the other hand, when a small subset of open channels is included in the source term, the solutions are only partiallyintegrable, but the individual open channels can then be treated more simply by properly selecting the orbital energies. The configuration mixing and channel coupling are then necessary to complete the solution. The new theory improves the earlier continuum HF model. - Highlights: • First extension of HF to scattering states, with proper asymptotic conditions. • Orbital equations with asymptotic sources and integrable orbital solutions. • Construction of self-averaged potentials, and orbital energy fixing. • Channel coupling and configuration mixing, involving the new orbitals. • Critical evaluation of the

Advanced Self-Potential Inversion. Development and Use for Investigating Natural Recharge Processes at the ORNL IFC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Revil, Andre [Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)

2013-01-15

Understanding the influence of coupled biological, chemical, and hydrological processes on subsurface contaminant behavior at multiple scales is a prerequisite for developing effective remedial approaches, whether they are active remediation or natural attenuation strategies. To develop this understanding, methods are needed that can measure critical components of the natural system in real time. The self-potential method corresponds to the passive measurement of the distribution of the electrical potential at the surface of the Earth or in boreholes. This method is very complemetary to other geophysical methods like DC resistivity and induced polarization. In this report, we summarize of research efforts to advance the theory of low-frequency geoelectrical methods and their applications to the contaminant plumes in the vicinity of the former S-3 settling basins at Oak Ridge, TN.

Antipersistent dynamics in short time scale variability of self-potential signals

OpenAIRE

Cuomo, V.; Lanfredi, M.; Lapenna, V.; Macchiato, M.; Ragosta, M.; Telesca, L.

2000-01-01

Time scale properties of self-potential signals are investigated through the analysis of the second order structure function (variogram), a powerful tool to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of observational data. In this work we analyse two sequences of self-potential values measured by means of a geophysical monitoring array located in a seismically active area of Southern Italy. The range of scales investigated goes from a few minutes to several days. It is shown that signal...

Role of Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 as Bioindicators and Immobilizers of Chromium in a Contaminated Natural Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Millach, Laia; Solé, Antoni; Esteve, Isabel

2015-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the potential of the two phototrophic microorganisms, both isolated from Ebro Delta microbial mats, to be used as bioindicators and immobilizers of chromium. The results obtained indicated that (i) the Minimum Metal Concentration (MMC) significantly affecting Chlorophyll a intensity in Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 was 0.25 µM and 0.75 µM, respectively, these values being lower than those established by current legislation, and (ii) Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 was able to immobilize chromium externally in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and intracellularly in polyphosphate (PP) inclusions. Additionally, this microorganism maintained high viability, including at 500 µM. Based on these results, we postulate that Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 are good chromium-indicators of cytotoxicity and, further, that Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 plays an important role in immobilizing this metal in a contaminated natural environment.

Role of Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 as Bioindicators and Immobilizers of Chromium in a Contaminated Natural Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laia Millach

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study the potential of the two phototrophic microorganisms, both isolated from Ebro Delta microbial mats, to be used as bioindicators and immobilizers of chromium. The results obtained indicated that (i the Minimum Metal Concentration (MMC significantly affecting Chlorophyll a intensity in Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 was 0.25 µM and 0.75 µM, respectively, these values being lower than those established by current legislation, and (ii Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 was able to immobilize chromium externally in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS and intracellularly in polyphosphate (PP inclusions. Additionally, this microorganism maintained high viability, including at 500 µM. Based on these results, we postulate that Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 are good chromium-indicators of cytotoxicity and, further, that Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 plays an important role in immobilizing this metal in a contaminated natural environment.

Improved Method for the Isolation of Biosurfactant Glycolipids from Rhodococcus sp. Strain H13A

OpenAIRE

Bryant, Frank O.

1990-01-01

An improved method for the isolation of the biosurfactant glycolipids from Rhodococcus sp. strain H13A by using XM 50 diafiltration and isopropanol precipitation was devised. This procedure was advantageous since it removes protein coisolated when the glycolipids are obtained by organic extraction and silicic acid chromatography. The protein apparently does not contribute any biosurfactant characteristics to the glycolipids. The deacylated glycolipid backbone included only a disaccharide.

Integrative Gene Cloning and Expression System for Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58 Bioactive Molecule Producing Strains

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Samiha Sioud

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58, two strains producing interesting bioactive molecules, were successfully transformed using E. coli ET12567 (pUZ8002, as a conjugal donor, carrying the integrative plasmid pSET152. For the Streptomyces sp. US 24 strain, two copies of this plasmid were tandemly integrated in the chromosome, whereas for Streptomyces sp. TN 58, the integration was in single copy at the attB site. Plasmid pSET152 was inherited every time for all analysed Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58 exconjugants under nonselective conditions. The growth, morphological differentiation, and active molecules production of all studied pSET152 integrated exconjugants were identical to those of wild type strains. Consequently, conjugal transfer using pSET152 integration system is a suitable means of genes transfer and expression for both studied strains. To validate the above gene transfer system, the glucose isomerase gene (xylA from Streptomyces sp. SK was expressed in strain Streptomyces sp. TN 58. Obtained results indicated that heterologous glucose isomerase could be expressed and folded effectively. Glucose isomerase activity of the constructed TN 58 recombinant strain is of about eighteenfold higher than that of the Streptomyces sp. SK strain. Such results are certainly of importance due to the potential use of improved strains in biotechnological process for the production of high-fructose syrup from starch.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF CONVENTIONAL VERSUS RAPID METHODS FOR AMPLIFIABLE GENOMIC DNA ISOLATION OF CULTURED Azospirillum sp. JG3

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Stalis Norma Ethica

2013-12-01

Full Text Available As an initial attempt to reveal genetic information of Azospirillum sp. JG3 strain, which is still absence despite of the strains' ability in producing valued enzymes, two groups of conventional methods: lysis-enzyme and column-kit; and two rapid methods: thermal disruption and intact colony were evaluated. The aim is to determine the most practical method for obtaining high-grade PCR product using degenerate primers as part of routine-basis protocols for studying the molecular genetics of the Azospirillal bacteria. The evaluation includes the assessment of electrophoresis gel visualization, pellet appearance, preparation time, and PCR result of extracted genomic DNA from each method. Our results confirmed that the conventional methods were more superior to the rapid methods in generating genomic DNA isolates visible on electrophoresis gel. However, modification made in the previously developed DNA isolation protocol giving the simplest and most rapid method of all methods used in this study for extracting PCR-amplifiable DNA of Azospirillum sp. JG3. Intact bacterial cells (intact colony loaded on electrophoresis gel could present genomic DNA band, but could not be completely amplified by PCR without thermal treatment. It can also be inferred from our result that the 3 to 5-min heating in dH2O step is critical for the pre-treatment of colony PCR of Azospirillal cells.

Comparative genome analysis of Megasphaera sp. reveals niche specialization and its potential role in the human gut.

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Sudarshan Anand Shetty

Full Text Available With increasing number of novel bacteria being isolated from the human gut ecosystem, there is a greater need to study their role in the gut ecosystem and their effect on the host health. In the present study, we carried out in silico genome-wide analysis of two novel Megasphaera sp. isolates NM10 (DSM25563 and BL7 (DSM25562, isolated from feces of two healthy individuals and validated the key features by in vitro studies. The analysis revealed the general metabolic potential, adaptive features and the potential effects of these isolates on the host. The comparative genome analysis of the two human gut isolates NM10 and BL7 with ruminal isolate Megasphaera elsdenii (DSM20460 highlighted the differential adaptive features for their survival in human gut. The key findings include features like bile resistance, presence of various sensory and regulatory systems, stress response systems, membrane transporters and resistance to antibiotics. Comparison of the "glycobiome" based on the genomes of the ruminal isolate with the human gut isolates NM10 and BL revealed the presence of diverse and unique sets of Carbohydrate-Active enzymes (CAZymes amongst these isolates, with a higher collection of CAZymes in the human gut isolates. This could be attributed to the difference in host diet and thereby the environment, consequently suggesting host specific adaptation in these isolates. In silico analysis of metabolic potential predicted the ability of these isolates to produce important metabolites like short chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate, formate, and caproate, vitamins and essential amino acids, which was further validated by in vitro experiments. The ability of these isolates to produce important metabolites advocates for a potential healthy influence on the host. Further in vivo studies including transcriptomic and proteomic analysis will be required for better understanding the role and impact of these Megasphaera sp. isolates NM10 and BL7 on the

Detection of thermophilic Campylobacter sp. in raw chicken sausages by methods ISO 10272: 2006 in Curitiba - Parana State - Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Konell

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was the detection of Campylobacter sp. in raw chicken sausages using the methods ISO 10272-1 and ISO 10272-2. The overall prevalence of Campylobacter sp. in the samples tested was 16.67%, representing a serious risk to the health of consumers, particularly if measures guaranteeing proper cooking of foods and prevention of cross-contamination are not adopted. Furthermore, the majority of campylobacteriosis cases in humans are caused by consumption or improper handling of contaminated raw or undercooked poultry meat, which constitute the main vehicle of this infection.

Self-isospectral periodic potentials and supersymmetric quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunne, G.; Feinberg, J.

1998-01-01

We discuss supersymmetric quantum mechanical models with periodic potentials. The important new feature is that it is possible for both isospectral potentials to support zero modes, in contrast with the standard nonperiodic case where either one or neither (but not both) of the isospectral pair has a zero mode. Thus it is possible to have supersymmetry unbroken and yet also have a vanishing Witten index. We present some explicit exactly soluble examples for which the isospectral potentials have identical band spectra, and which are open-quotes self-isospectralclose quotes in the sense that the potentials have identical shape, but are translated by one half-period relative to one another. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Biodegradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Tallur, Preeti N; Mulla, Sikandar I; Megadi, Veena B; Talwar, Manjunatha P; Ninnekar, Harichandra Z

2015-01-01

Pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin is a environmental pollutant because of its widespread use, toxicity and persistence. Biodegradation of such chemicals by microorganisms may provide an cost-effective method for their detoxification. We have investigated the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 in various matrices such as, polyurethane foam (PUF), polyacrylamide, sodium alginate and agar. The optimum temperature and pH for the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. were found to be 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The rate of degradation of 10 and 20 mM of cypermethrin by freely suspended cells were compared with that of immobilized cells in batches and semi-continuous with shaken cultures. PUF-immobilized cells showed higher degradation of cypermethrin (10 mM and 20 mM) than freely suspended cells and cells immobilized in other matrices. The PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 were retain their degradation capacity. Thus, they can be reused for more than 32 cycles, without losing their degradation capacity. Hence, the PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. could potentially be used in the bioremediation of cypermethrin contaminated water.

Biodegradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Preeti N. Tallur

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin is a environmental pollutant because of its widespread use, toxicity and persistence. Biodegradation of such chemicals by microorganisms may provide an cost-effective method for their detoxification. We have investigated the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 in various matrices such as, polyurethane foam (PUF, polyacrylamide, sodium alginate and agar. The optimum temperature and pH for the degradation of cypermethrin by immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. were found to be 30 °C and 7.0, respectively. The rate of degradation of 10 and 20 mM of cypermethrin by freely suspended cells were compared with that of immobilized cells in batches and semi-continuous with shaken cultures. PUF-immobilized cells showed higher degradation of cypermethrin (10 mM and 20 mM than freely suspended cells and cells immobilized in other matrices. The PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1 were retain their degradation capacity. Thus, they can be reused for more than 32 cycles, without losing their degradation capacity. Hence, the PUF-immobilized cells of Micrococcus sp. could potentially be used in the bioremediation of cypermethrin contaminated water.

Diaphite, a new type of surface with mixed sp{sup 2}-sp{sup 3} hybridization for adsorption and functionalization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radosinski, Lukasz, E-mail: lukasz.radosinski@pwr.edu.pl [Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Chemistry Department, Group of Bioprocess and Biomedical Engineering, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland); Formalik, Filip [Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Chemistry Department, Group of Bioprocess and Biomedical Engineering, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland); Olejniczak, Adam [Department of Spectroscopy of Excited States, Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okolna 2, 50-422 Wroclaw (Poland); Radosz, Andrzej [Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Fundamental Problems of Technology, Department of Quantum Technologies, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Recent discoveries show a possibility of photoinduced formation of a structure of mixed sp{sub 2}-sp{sub 3} hybridization out of graphite and graphene–diaphite. • Ab initio and molecular mechanics calculations indicate that the surface exhibits large enhancement of binding energy due to favorable sp{sub 3} like hybridization. • The binding energy varies upon configuration of occupied adsorption sites and the adsorption sites form a regular bed-like matrix. - Abstract: We theoretically study a new carbon phase with mixed sp{sup 2}-sp{sup 3} bond hybridization called diaphite. Using ab initio calculations and the adaptive intermolecular reactive bond order (AIREBO) potential approach, we show that the surface of this structure exhibits enhanced adsorption capabilities. Specifically, using hydrogen as a test adsorbate, we calculate that the chemical binding energy, depending on the configuration of hydrogen atoms, varies from 2.08 to 2.9 eV. Furthermore, the adsorption sites form a regular matrix; thus, we postulate that this new stable carbon phase may be a universal matrix for functionalization.

General Retarded Contact Self-energies in and beyond the Non-equilibrium Green's Functions Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubis, Tillmann; He, Yu; Andrawis, Robert; Klimeck, Gerhard

2016-01-01

Retarded contact self-energies in the framework of nonequilibrium Green's functions allow to model the impact of lead structures on the device without explicitly including the leads in the actual device calculation. Most of the contact self-energy algorithms are limited to homogeneous or periodic, semi-infinite lead structures. In this work, the complex absorbing potential method is extended to solve retarded contact self-energies for arbitrary lead structures, including irregular and randomly disordered leads. This method is verified for regular leads against common approaches and on physically equivalent, but numerically different irregular leads. Transmission results on randomly alloyed In 0.5 Ga 0.5 As structures show the importance of disorder in the leads. The concept of retarded contact self-energies is expanded to model passivation of atomically resolved surfaces without explicitly increasing the device's Hamiltonian. (paper)

Theoretical studies of potential energy surfaces and computational methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepard, R. [Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States)

1993-12-01

This project involves the development, implementation, and application of theoretical methods for the calculation and characterization of potential energy surfaces involving molecular species that occur in hydrocarbon combustion. These potential energy surfaces require an accurate and balanced treatment of reactants, intermediates, and products. This difficult challenge is met with general multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) and multireference single- and double-excitation configuration interaction (MRSDCI) methods. In contrast to the more common single-reference electronic structure methods, this approach is capable of describing accurately molecular systems that are highly distorted away from their equilibrium geometries, including reactant, fragment, and transition-state geometries, and of describing regions of the potential surface that are associated with electronic wave functions of widely varying nature. The MCSCF reference wave functions are designed to be sufficiently flexible to describe qualitatively the changes in the electronic structure over the broad range of geometries of interest. The necessary mixing of ionic, covalent, and Rydberg contributions, along with the appropriate treatment of the different electron-spin components (e.g. closed shell, high-spin open-shell, low-spin open shell, radical, diradical, etc.) of the wave functions, are treated correctly at this level. Further treatment of electron correlation effects is included using large scale multireference CI wave functions, particularly including the single and double excitations relative to the MCSCF reference space. This leads to the most flexible and accurate large-scale MRSDCI wave functions that have been used to date in global PES studies.

Bacterial cellulose synthesis mechanism of facultative anaerobe Enterobacter sp. FY-07.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Kaihua; Wang, Wei; Zeng, Bing; Chen, Sibin; Zhao, Qianqian; Chen, Yueqing; Li, Guoqiang; Ma, Ting

2016-02-25

Enterobacter sp. FY-07 can produce bacterial cellulose (BC) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Three potential BC synthesis gene clusters (bcsI, bcsII and bcsIII) of Enterobacter sp. FY-07 have been predicted using genome sequencing and comparative genome analysis, in which bcsIII was confirmed as the main contributor to BC synthesis by gene knockout and functional reconstitution methods. Protein homology, gene arrangement and gene constitution analysis indicated that bcsIII had high identity to the bcsI operon of Enterobacter sp. 638; however, its arrangement and composition were same as those of BC synthesizing operon of G. xylinum ATCC53582 except for the flanking sequences. According to the BC biosynthesizing process, oxygen is not directly involved in the reactions of BC synthesis, however, energy is required to activate intermediate metabolites and synthesize the activator, c-di-GMP. Comparative transcriptome and metabolite quantitative analysis demonstrated that under anaerobic conditions genes involved in the TCA cycle were downregulated, however, genes in the nitrate reduction and gluconeogenesis pathways were upregulated, especially, genes in three pyruvate metabolism pathways. These results suggested that Enterobacter sp. FY-07 could produce energy efficiently under anaerobic conditions to meet the requirement of BC biosynthesis.

Production of *sp67*Ga at the Oslo Cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoernstad, T.; Holtebekk, T.

1983-01-01

A method for production of *sp67*Ga at the Oslo Cyclotron is described. The method is based on the nuclear reaction *sp68*Zn (p,2n)*sp67*Ga. The target is natural zinc metal of thickness 1.3 mm fixed by a thin alloy layer to a copper disc for efficient cooling during irradiation. By applying a beam of 29 MeV protons, a maximum production yield of approx. 1.8 mCi/*my*Ah was obtained. By demanding a contamination level of *sp66*Ga <=1%, the ''useful'' yield after a decaytime of 88 h is approx. 0.8 mCi/*my*Ah. Gallium has been separated carrierfree from the zinc matrix by cation exchange from 7.5M hydrocloric acid solutions and prepared as citrate complex at pH 5.5. After sterile filtering, autoclavation, pyrogene testing and analysis for iron and zinc, the *sp67*Ga-radiopharmaceutical has been applied in human investigations at the Ullevaal hospital in Oslo. (Auth.)

Forecasting with the Standardized Self-Perturbed Kalman Filter

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grassi, Stefano; Nonejad, Nima; Santucci de Magistris, Paolo

We propose and study the finite-sample properties of a modified version of the self-perturbed Kalman filter of Park and Jun (1992) for the on-line estimation of models subject to parameter instability. The perturbation term in the updating equation of the state covariance matrix is now weighted...... compared to other on-line, classical and Bayesian methods. The standardized self-perturbed Kalman filter is adopted to forecast the equity premium on the S&P500 index under several model specifications, and to investigate to what extent and how realized variance can be exploited to predict excess returns....

Citridones, new potentiators of antifungal miconazole activity, produced by Penicillium sp. FKI-1938. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and biological properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Yuichi; Masuma, Rokuro; Tomoda, Hiroshi; Omura, Satoshi

2005-05-01

New phenylfuropyridinones and related compounds, designated citridones A, B, B' and C, were isolated along with known CJ-16,173, from the culture broth of Penicillium sp. FKI-1938 by solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography and HPLC. Citridones (75 microM) potentiate the miconazole activity against Candida albicans, decreasing the IC50 value of miconazole from 14.5 nM to 3.5 to approximately 6.3 nM.

Cloning, expression and characterisation of P450-Hal1 (CYP116B62) from Halomonas sp. NCIMB 172: A self-sufficient P450 with high expression and diverse substrate scope.

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Joanne L; Sabatini, Selina; Manning, Jack; Tavanti, Michele; Galman, James L; Turner, Nicholas J; Flitsch, Sabine L

2018-06-01

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are able to catalyse a range of synthetically challenging reactions ranging from hydroxylation and demethylation to sulfoxidation and epoxidation. As such they have great potential for biocatalytic applications but are underutilised due to often-poor expression, stability and solubility in recombinant bacterial hosts. The use of self-sufficient P450 s with fused haem and reductase domains has already contributed heavily to improving catalytic efficiency and simplifying an otherwise more complex multi-component system of P450 and redox partners. Herein, we present a new addition to the class VII family with the cloning, sequencing and characterisation of the self-sufficient CYP116B62 Hal1 from Halomonas sp. NCIMB 172, the genome of which has not yet been sequenced. Hal1 exhibits high levels of expression in a recombinant E. coli host and can be utilised from cell lysate or used in purified form. Hal1 favours NADPH as electron donor and displays a diverse range of activities including hydroxylation, demethylation and sulfoxidation. These properties make Hal1 suitable for future biocatalytic applications or as a template for optimisation through engineering. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of sp3-hybridized defects on the oscillatory behavior of carbon nanotube oscillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Taiyu; Ding, Tony Weixi; Pei, Qing-Xiang; Zhang, Yong-Wei

2011-01-01

Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the oscillatory behaviors of carbon nanotube oscillators containing sp 3 -hybridized defects formed by hydrogen chemisorption. It is found that the presence of these defects significantly affects the kinetic and potential energies of the nanotube systems, which in turn affects their oscillation periods and frequencies. We have also studied the oscillatory characteristics of the oscillators containing sp 3 -hybridized Stone-Wales defects. Our results show that it is possible to control the motion of the inner nanotube by introducing sp 3 -hybridized defects on the outer nanotube, which provides a potential way to tune the oscillatory behavior of nanotube oscillators. -- Highlights: → sp 3 -hybridized defects increase energy dissipation. → sp 3 -hybridized defects arranged in a row have stronger effect than that in a ring. → sp 3 -hybridized defects reduces the effect of SW defects.

Self-esteem modulates automatic attentional responses to self-relevant stimuli: Evidence from event-related brain potentials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie eChen

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have widely shown that self-esteem modulates the attention bias towards social rejection or emotion-related information. However, little is known about the influences of self-esteem on attention bias towards self-relevant stimuli. We aimed to investigate neural correlates that underlie the modulation effect of self-esteem on self-relevant processing. Event-related potentials were recorded for subjects’ own names and close others’ names (the names of their friends while subjects performed a three-stimulus oddball task. The results showed larger P2 amplitudes for one’s own name than for close-other’s name in the low self-esteem group, whereas this P2 effect were not observed in the high self-esteem group. In addition, one’s own name elicited equivalent N250 amplitudes and larger P3 amplitudes compared with close-other’s name in both high and low self-esteem groups. However, no interaction effects were observed between self-esteem and self-relevant processing in the N250 and P3 components. Thus, we found that the modulation effects of self-esteem on self-relevant processing occurred at the early P2 stage, but not at the later N250 and P3 stages. These findings reflect that individuals with low self-esteem demonstrate automatic attention towards their own names.

SpF: Enabling Petascale Performance for Pseudospectral Dynamo Models

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, W.; Clune, T.; Vriesema, J.; Gutmann, G.

2013-12-01

Pseudospectral (PS) methods possess a number of characteristics (e.g., efficiency, accuracy, natural boundary conditions) that are extremely desirable for dynamo models. Unfortunately, dynamo models based upon PS methods face a number of daunting challenges, which include exposing additional parallelism, leveraging hardware accelerators, exploiting hybrid parallelism, and improving the scalability of global memory transposes. Although these issues are a concern for most models, solutions for PS methods tend to require far more pervasive changes to underlying data and control structures. Further, improvements in performance in one model are difficult to transfer to other models, resulting in significant duplication of effort across the research community. We have developed an extensible software framework for pseudospectral methods called SpF that is intended to enable extreme scalability and optimal performance. High-level abstractions provided by SpF unburden applications of the responsibility of managing domain decomposition and load balance while reducing the changes in code required to adapt to new computing architectures. The key design concept in SpF is that each phase of the numerical calculation is partitioned into disjoint numerical 'kernels' that can be performed entirely in-processor. The granularity of domain-decomposition provided by SpF is only constrained by the data-locality requirements of these kernels. SpF builds on top of optimized vendor libraries for common numerical operations such as transforms, matrix solvers, etc., but can also be configured to use open source alternatives for portability. SpF includes several alternative schemes for global data redistribution and is expected to serve as an ideal testbed for further research into optimal approaches for different network architectures. In this presentation, we will describe the basic architecture of SpF as well as preliminary performance data and experience with adapting legacy dynamo codes

Improved eco-friendly recombinant Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 with enhanced nitrogen biofertilizer potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaurasia, Akhilesh Kumar; Apte, Shree Kumar

2011-01-01

Photosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing Anabaena strains are native to tropical paddy fields and contribute to the carbon and nitrogen economy of such soils. Genetic engineering was employed to improve the nitrogen biofertilizer potential of Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120. Constitutive enhanced expression of an additional integrated copy of the hetR gene from a light-inducible promoter elevated HetR protein expression and enhanced functional heterocyst frequency in the recombinant strain. The recombinant strain displayed consistently higher nitrogenase activity than the wild-type strain and appeared to be in homeostasis with compatible modulation of photosynthesis and respiration. The enhanced combined nitrogen availability from the recombinant strain positively catered to the nitrogen demand of rice seedlings in short-term hydroponic experiments and supported better growth. The engineered strain is stable, eco-friendly, and useful for environmental application as nitrogen biofertilizer in paddy fields.

Systematic Education of Self-Medication at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Narui, Koji; Samizo, Kazuo; Inoue, Michiko; Watanabe, Kinzo

2016-01-01

The promotion of self-medication by pharmacies, with the aim of encouraging a patient's self-selection of proper OTC drug, is written about in the national action plan "Japan is Back". The subject of self-medication has been improved in the 2013 revised edition of "Model Core Curriculum for Pharmaceutical Education". At Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, the systematic education of self-medication was started from the onset of the six-year course in the third, fourth and fifth grade. We introduce here a new approach in our systematic education of self-medication. In the practice of the fourth grade, groups of around 5-6 students are formed. The pharmacy students assume various roles-of pharmacist, rater, observer, and chairman-and perform role-playing. We prepared a standardized patient (SP) showing various symptoms. The student of the role of pharmacist asks about the SP's symptoms, chooses an OTC drug suitable for the SP, and explains the OTC drug to the SP. After the role-playing, those in the roles of rater, observer, SP, and faculty give feedback to the student who played the role of pharmacist. Because we conduct this role-playing using SPs with a variety of symptoms, we can create a situation similar to a real drugstore.

Evolution of sp2 networks with substrate temperature in amorphous carbon films: Experiment and theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gago, R.; Vinnichenko, M.; Jaeger, H.U.; Maitz, M.F.; Belov, A.Yu.; Jimenez, I.; Huang, N.; Sun, H.

2005-01-01

The evolution of sp 2 hybrids in amorphous carbon (a-C) films deposited at different substrate temperatures was studied experimentally and theoretically. The bonding structure of a-C films prepared by filtered cathodic vacuum arc was assessed by the combination of visible Raman spectroscopy, x-ray absorption, and spectroscopic ellipsometry, while a-C structures were generated by molecular-dynamics deposition simulations with the Brenner interatomic potential to determine theoretical sp 2 site distributions. The experimental results show a transition from tetrahedral a-C (ta-C) to sp 2 -rich structures at ∼500 K. The sp 2 hybrids are mainly arranged in chains or pairs whereas graphitic structures are only promoted for sp 2 fractions above 80%. The theoretical analysis confirms the preferred pairing of isolated sp 2 sites in ta-C, the coalescence of sp 2 clusters for medium sp 2 fractions, and the pronounced formation of rings for sp 2 fractions >80%. However, the dominance of sixfold rings is not reproduced theoretically, probably related to the functional form of the interatomic potential used

Screening and Evaluation of the Bioremediation Potential of Cu/Zn-Resistant, Autochthonous Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 from Sonchus oleraceus L.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Qing; Fan, Zhengqiu; Xie, Yujing; Wang, Xiangrong; Li, Kun; Liu, Yafeng

2016-01-01

The quest for new, promising and indigenous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and a deeper understanding of their relationship with plants are important considerations in the improvement of phytoremediation. This study focuses on the screening of plant beneficial Cu/Zn-resistant strains and assessment of their bioremediation potential (metal solubilization/tolerance/biosorption and effects on growth of Brassica napus seedlings) to identify suitable rhizobacteria and examine their roles in microbes-assisted phytoremediation. Sixty Cu/Zn-resistant rhizobacteria were initially isolated from Sonchus oleraceus grown at a multi-metal-polluted site in Shanghai, China. From these strains, 19 isolates that were all resistant to 300 mg⋅L -1 Cu as well as 300 mg⋅L -1 Zn, and could simultaneously grow on Dworkin-Foster salt minimal medium containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid were preliminarily selected. Of those 19 isolates, 10 isolates with superior plant growth-promoting properties (indole-3-acetic acid production, siderophore production, and insoluble phosphate solubilization) were secondly chosen and further evaluated to identify those with the highest bioremediation potential and capacity for bioaugmentation. Strain S44, identified as Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 based on 16S rDNA sequencing, was specifically chosen as the most favorable strain owing to its strong capabilities to (1) promote the growth of rape seedlings (significantly increased root length, shoot length, and fresh weight by 92.60%, 31.00%, and 41.96%, respectively) under gnotobiotic conditions; (2) tolerate up to 1000 mg⋅L -1 Cu and 800 mg⋅L -1 Zn; (3) mobilize the highest concentrations of water-soluble Cu, Zn, Pb, and Fe (16.99, 0.98, 0.08, and 3.03 mg⋅L -1 , respectively); and (4) adsorb the greatest quantities of Cu and Zn (7.53 and 6.61 mg⋅g -1 dry cell, respectively). Our findings suggest that Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 could be exploited for bacteria-assisted phytoextraction

PRODUCTION OF FIBRINOLYTIC ENZYME (NATTOKINASE) FROM BACILLUS SP.

OpenAIRE

Padma Singh, Rekha Negi*, Vani Sharma, Alka Rani, Pallavi and Richa Prasad

2018-01-01

During present study Nattokinase which is a novel fibrinolytic enzyme was produced by Bacillus sp. To screen and extract nattokinase enzyme from Bacillus sp. were isolated from soil of different agricultural field by serial dilution method. Out of 10 isolate, one strain i.e. B3 produced nattokinase on screening medium. B3 was identified by biochemical characterization. The caseinolytic activity of Nattokinase was 0.526 U/ml and the selected isolate Bacillus sp. could produce active nattokinas...

Impact of serum SP-A and SP-D levels on comparison and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kai; Ju, Qing; Cao, Jing; Tang, Wenze; Zhang, Jian

2017-01-01

Abstract Background and objective: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a poor prognosis in general; however, it is heterogeneous to detect relative biomarkers for predicting the disease progression. Serum biomarkers can be conveniently collected to detect and help to differentially diagnose IPF and predict IPF prognosis. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the use of serum surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) for differential diagnosis and prognosis of IPF. Methods: Relevant articles were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases and reviewed by 2 independent readers. Standard mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the difference in serum levels of SP-A/D among patients with IPF, when compared to patients with non-IPF interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary infection, and healthy control. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI were used to compare the relative risk of mortality. Results: Twenty-one articles (totalling 1289 IPF patients) were included in final meta-analysis. Serum SP-A levels were significantly higher in patients with IPF than in patients with non-IPF ILD (SMD: 1.108 [0.584, 1.632], P infection (SMD: 1.320 [0.999, 1.640], P SMD: 2.802 [1.901, 3.702], P SMD: 0.459 [−0.000, 0.919], P = .050). Serum SP-D levels were significantly higher in patients with IPF than in patients with pulmonary infection (SMD: 1.308 [0.813, 1.803], P SMD: 2.235 [1.739, 2.731], P < .001). Risk of death in patients with IPF and elevated serum SP-A was increased 39% compared to patients with low SP-A groups. Elevated SP-D increased risk by 111% when compared to low SP-D. In acute exacerbation of IPF, serum SP-A/D were higher than those in stable stage. The comparisons and prognosis might be different in Asian and Caucasian patients. Conclusions: Serum SP-A/D detection might be useful for differential diagnosis and prediction of survival in patients with IPF. PMID:28591049

Streptomycetes antagonism against Cladosporium fulvum Cooke and Fusarium oxysporium f.sp. lycopersici Antagonismo de estreptomicetos a Cladosporium fulvum Cooke e Fusarium oxysporium f.sp. lycopersici

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Cristina Fermino Soares

2009-09-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to evaluate the secondary effects of secondary metabolites produced by streptomycetes on spore germination and mycelial growth of the phytopathogenic fungi Cladosporium fulvum Cooke and Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. lycopersici from tomato plants. Metabolites produced by streptomycete isolates codified as AC-147 and AC-92 caused 94.1% inhibition of C. fulvum while AC-95 isolate caused 33.9% inhibition. AC-92 was the most efficient for F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, causing 94.2% inhibition of spore germination. For mycelial growth, AC-26 and AC-92 were the most efficient in inhibiting C. fulvum growth by 46.6% and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici by 29.9%. These streptomycetes are potential agents for biocontrol development methods of these tomato plant pathogenic fungi.Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de metabólitos secundários produzidos por estreptomicetos na germinação de esporos e no crescimento micelial dos fungos Cladosporium fulvum Cooke e Fusarium oxysporum sp. f. lycopersici da cultura do tomateiro. Metabólitos produzidos pelos isolados AC-147 e AC-92 causaram 94,1% de inibição da germinação de esporos de C. fluvum, enquanto que o isolado AC-95 causou 33,9% de inibição. O AC-92 foi o mais eficiente para F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, causando 94,2% de inibição na germinação de esporos. Para o crescimento micelial, AC-26 e AC-92 foram os mais eficientes na inibição dos fungos C. fulvum, em 46,6%, e F. oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici, em 29,9%. Esses estreptomicetos são potenciais agentes para o desenvolvimento de métodos de controle biológico desses fungos fitopatogênicos do tomateiro.

Geoelectrical Methods and Monitoring for Dam Safety Assessment, Republic of Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, S. K.; Oldenburg, D.; Kang, S.; Song, S. H.

2016-12-01

Geoelectrical methods and monitoring to detect the seepage and internal erosion are essential for the safety assessment of earth dams. This work aims to develop improved methodologies to analyze the observed data and to monitor changes in seepage flow using direct current (DC) and self-potential (SP) methods. The seasonal variation of water level at dams causes a change in seepage and water saturation and hence alters the resistivity of the dam material. DC data are sensitive to water saturation and hence changes in saturation can be obtained by repeatedly measuring DC data. However, a more diagnostic parameter for safety assessment is fluid flow, and resistivity is only weakly coupled to that. Fortunately SP signals are directly related to fluid flow, and thus an SP survey has the potential to characterize fluid flow through the earth matrix. In Korea, the safety assessment of earth fill dams has been dealt by Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC). Most of the dams are relatively old ( >50 years), hence assessing deterioration and corresponding seepage of those dams are crucial. In order to evaluate the engineering geological properties of the soil at earth dams in Korea, two boreholes in each dam were drilled to a bedrock depth that exceeds the height of the dam. A large set of field tests, including standard penetration tests (SPT) and in-situ permeability tests, were carried out along the boreholes. However, seepage paths in the dam is complex hence those limited measurements at a few points is not sufficient to delineate the zone of preferential seepage flow. For this, KRC developed permanent DC monitoring systems at a number of agricultural dams in Korea. The data were automatically collected every 6 hours. During the monitoring, the measurements of the water level at two boreholes were gathered at the same time. In this presentation we select an agricultural dam and delineate an anomalous leakage zone by inverting and interpreting time-lapse DC resistivity

Research on a Pulmonary Nodule Segmentation Method Combining Fast Self-Adaptive FCM and Classification

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Hui Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The key problem of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD of lung cancer is to segment pathologically changed tissues fast and accurately. As pulmonary nodules are potential manifestation of lung cancer, we propose a fast and self-adaptive pulmonary nodules segmentation method based on a combination of FCM clustering and classification learning. The enhanced spatial function considers contributions to fuzzy membership from both the grayscale similarity between central pixels and single neighboring pixels and the spatial similarity between central pixels and neighborhood and improves effectively the convergence rate and self-adaptivity of the algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve more accurate segmentation of vascular adhesion, pleural adhesion, and ground glass opacity (GGO pulmonary nodules than other typical algorithms.

Gap junctional communication modulates gene transcription by altering the recruitment of Sp1 and Sp3 to connexin-response elements in osteoblast promoters

Science.gov (United States)

Stains, Joseph P.; Lecanda, Fernando; Screen, Joanne; Towler, Dwight A.; Civitelli, Roberto

2003-01-01

Loss-of-function mutations of gap junction proteins, connexins, represent a mechanism of disease in a variety of tissues. We have shown that recessive (gene deletion) or dominant (connexin45 overexpression) disruption of connexin43 function results in osteoblast dysfunction and abnormal expression of osteoblast genes, including down-regulation of osteocalcin transcription. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of gap junction-sensitive transcriptional regulation, we systematically analyzed the rat osteocalcin promoter for sensitivity to gap junctional intercellular communication. We identified an Sp1/Sp3 containing complex that assembles on a minimal element in the -70 to -57 region of the osteocalcin promoter in a gap junction-dependent manner. This CT-rich connexin-response element is necessary and sufficient to confer gap junction sensitivity to the osteocalcin proximal promoter. Repression of osteocalcin transcription occurs as a result of displacement of the stimulatory Sp1 by the inhibitory Sp3 on the promoter when gap junctional communication is perturbed. Modulation of Sp1/Sp3 recruitment also occurs on the collagen Ialpha1 promoter and translates into gap junction-sensitive transcriptional control of collagen Ialpha1 gene expression. Thus, regulation of Sp1/Sp3 recruitment to the promoter may represent a potential general mechanism for transcriptional control of target genes by signals passing through gap junctions.

Electromagnetic methods to characterize the Savoia di Lucania waste dump (Southern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Bavusi, M.; Rizzo, E.; Lapenna, V.

2006-11-01

The aim of this work is the joint application and integration of non-invasive geoelectrical methods for studying the landfill of Savoia di Lucania (Southern Italy). This landfill for its engineering features and small dimensions (70 m × 30 m × 6 m) represents an optimal test site to assess a geophysical survey protocol for municipal solid waste landfills investigation and monitoring. The landfill of Savoia di Lucania has been built with a reinforced concrete material and coated with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner. Three electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT), two self-potential (SP) map surveys and one induced polarization (IP) section have been performed, both in the surrounding area and inside the waste landfill. The geophysical investigations have well defined some buried boundaries of the landfill basin and localized the leachate accumulation zones inside the dumpsite. Comparison of our results with other engineering and geological investigations could be the key for evaluating the integrity of the HDPE liner. Finally, the joint use of the ERT, IP and SP methods seems to be a promising tool for studying and designing new monitoring systems able to perform a time-lapse analysis of waste landfill geometry and integrity.

Inhibitory effects of silver zeolite on in vitro growth of fish egg pathogen, Saprolegnia sp.

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Seyed Ali Johari

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the effects of powdered silver zeolite (SZ on the in vitro growth of the fish pathogen Saprolegnia sp. Methods: The antifungal activity of SZ was evaluated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations using two-fold serial dilutions of powdered SZ in a glucose yeast extract agar at 22 °C. The growth of Saprolegnia sp. on the SZ agar treatments was compared to that on SZ-free agar controls. Results: The results showed that SZ had an inhibitory effect on the in vitro growth of the tested fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration of SZ for Saprolegnia sp. was also calculated at 600 mg/L, which is equal to 0.06 percent. Conclusions: SZ is a potential good candidate to replace teratogenic and toxic agents, such as malachite green in aquaculture systems.

Indirect Manganese Removal by Stenotrophomonas sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. Isolated from Brazilian Mine Water

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Natália Rocha Barboza

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Manganese is a contaminant in the wastewaters produced by Brazilian mining operations, and the removal of the metal is notoriously difficult because of the high stability of the Mn(II ion in aqueous solutions. To explore a biological approach for removing excessive amounts of aqueous Mn(II, we investigated the potential of Mn(II oxidation by both consortium and bacterial isolates from a Brazilian manganese mine. A bacterial consortium was able to remove 99.7% of the Mn(II. A phylogenetic analysis of isolates demonstrated that the predominant microorganisms were members of Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, and Lysinibacillus genera. Mn(II removal rates between 58.5% and 70.9% were observed for Bacillus sp. and Stenotrophomonas sp. while the Lysinibacillus isolate 13P removes 82.7%. The catalytic oxidation of Mn(II mediated by multicopper oxidase was not properly detected; however, in all of the experiments, a significant increase in the pH of the culture medium was detected. No aggregates inside the cells grown for a week were found by electronic microscopy. Nevertheless, an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of the isolates revealed the presence of manganese in Stenotrophomonas sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. grown in K medium. These results suggest that members of Stenotrophomonas and Lysinibacillus genera were able to remove Mn(II by a nonenzymatic pathway.

Metagenome-Assembled Genome Sequences of Acetobacterium sp. Strain MES1 and Desulfovibrio sp. Strain MES5 from a Cathode-Associated Acetogenic Microbial Community.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Daniel E; Marshall, Christopher W; May, Harold D; Norman, R Sean

2017-09-07

Draft genome sequences of Acetobacterium sp. strain MES1 and Desulfovibrio sp. strain MES5 were obtained from the metagenome of a cathode-associated community enriched within a microbial electrosynthesis system (MES). The draft genome sequences provide insight into the functional potential of these microorganisms within an MES and a foundation for future comparative analyses. Copyright © 2017 Ross et al.

AÇÃO ANTIFÚNGICA in vitro DE ISOLADOS DE Bacillu s sp. SOBRE Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

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ODENILSON DE DEUS RIBEIRO LIMA

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate antagonism and metabolites produced by different species of Ba- cillus in the inhibition of mycelial growth in vitro against F. oxysporum f. sp . lycopersici . For evaluating the antagonism of Bacillus spp. F. oxysporum f. sp . lycopersici was performed pairing of fungus and bacteria by the method of the circle. In the method for detection for the quality for thermostable metabolites liquids. Media BD were used for growth of the isolated Bacillus sp. And incubated for 15 days. After this period, was added 3 g of agar in each flask, and autoclaved broth and poured into Petri dishes. In the center of the plates were placed discs culture of the pathogen. The experimental design was completely randomized with 11 treatments and six repetitions in both experiments. Statistical difference was found between the isolate and the control. Special mention to strains B12 ( Bacillus sp., B41 ( B. cereus , B22' ( B.pentothenticus , B45 ( B. cereus , B47 ( B. cereus that exhibited the lowest average diameter of the colony. To study the inhibition of mycelial growth of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici by thermostatable metabolites five differ statistically from the control they are: B35 ( B. pumilus , B47 ( B. cereus , B22' ( B. pentothenticus , B12 ( Bacillus sp. and B41 ( B. cereus the latter two treatments showed the best results of the pathogen colony diameters and 3.81 to 2.89 cm, respective- ly. B12 and B41 Isolates showed that their antibiotic products were able to inhibit 67.88 % and 57,66 % of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici . These results highlight the possibility of using isolates of the genus Bacillus in the fight against fusarium wilt in tomato.

Self-assembled software and method of overriding software execution

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchard, Ann M.; Osbourn, Gordon C.

2013-01-08

A computer-implemented software self-assembled system and method for providing an external override and monitoring capability to dynamically self-assembling software containing machines that self-assemble execution sequences and data structures. The method provides an external override machine that can be introduced into a system of self-assembling machines while the machines are executing such that the functionality of the executing software can be changed or paused without stopping the code execution and modifying the existing code. Additionally, a monitoring machine can be introduced without stopping code execution that can monitor specified code execution functions by designated machines and communicate the status to an output device.

Electronic structure of thin films by the self-consistent numerical-basis-set linear combination of atomic orbitals method: Ni(001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, C.S.; Freeman, A.J.

1979-01-01

We present the self-consistent numerical-basis-set linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) discrete variational method for treating the electronic structure of thin films. As in the case of bulk solids, this method provides for thin films accurate solutions of the one-particle local density equations with a non-muffin-tin potential. Hamiltonian and overlap matrix elements are evaluated accurately by means of a three-dimensional numerical Diophantine integration scheme. Application of this method is made to the self-consistent solution of one-, three-, and five-layer Ni(001) unsupported films. The LCAO Bloch basis set consists of valence orbitals (3d, 4s, and 4p states for transition metals) orthogonalized to the frozen-core wave functions. The self-consistent potential is obtained iteratively within the superposition of overlapping spherical atomic charge density model with the atomic configurations treated as adjustable parameters. Thus the crystal Coulomb potential is constructed as a superposition of overlapping spherically symmetric atomic potentials and, correspondingly, the local density Kohn-Sham (α = 2/3) potential is determined from a superposition of atomic charge densities. At each iteration in the self-consistency procedure, the crystal charge density is evaluated using a sampling of 15 independent k points in (1/8)th of the irreducible two-dimensional Brillouin zone. The total density of states (DOS) and projected local DOS (by layer plane) are calculated using an analytic linear energy triangle method (presented as an Appendix) generalized from the tetrahedron scheme for bulk systems. Distinct differences are obtained between the surface and central plane local DOS. The central plane DOS is found to converge rapidly to the DOS of bulk paramagnetic Ni obtained by Wang and Callaway. Only a very small surplus charge (0.03 electron/atom) is found on the surface planes, in agreement with jellium model calculations

Bradysia sp. em morangueiro Bradysia sp. in strawberry

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Bernadete Radin

2009-04-01

Full Text Available No trabalho, relatam-se os primeiros registros de Bradysia sp. (Insecta: Diptera: Sciaridae em morangueiro (Fragaria x ananassa Duch., cultivado no Município de Eldorado do Sul, RS. O cultivo foi realizado em sacolas com três metros de comprimento, preenchidas com substrato composto de casca de arroz e turfa, dispostas horizontalmente sobre bancadas de madeira, em ambiente protegido. A presença de Bradysia sp. foi observada na segunda quinzena de agosto de 2005. Neste trabalho, estão descritos os sintomas apresentados no morangueiro pela praga, prováveis conseqüências sobre o aparecimento de doenças e uma breve descrição morfológica da Bradysia sp., adulto e fase larval.This paper describes the first record of Bradysia sp. (Insecta; Diptera; Sciaridae in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa, cultivated in the city of Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil. Strawberry was planted in plastic bags filled with a mixture of burnt rice hulls and peat and cultivated in a greenhouse. The presence of Bradysia sp was noticed in the second fortnight of August, 2005. The symptoms in strawberry and the probable consequences in terms of disease arising were described in the present study, as well as the morphological characterization of Bradysia sp. and its illustrations.

Linear augmented plane wave method for self-consistent calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, T.; Kuebler, J.

1979-01-01

O.K. Andersen has recently introduced a linear augmented plane wave method (LAPW) for the calculation of electronic structure that was shown to be computationally fast. A more general formulation of an LAPW method is presented here. It makes use of a freely disposable number of eigenfunctions of the radial Schroedinger equation. These eigenfunctions can be selected in a self-consistent way. The present formulation also results in a computationally fast method. It is shown that Andersen's LAPW is obtained in a special limit from the present formulation. Self-consistent test calculations for copper show the present method to be remarkably accurate. As an application, scalar-relativistic self-consistent calculations are presented for the band structure of FCC lanthanum. (author)

Optimization of Protease Production by Psychrotrophic Rheinheimera sp. with Response Surface Methodology

OpenAIRE

Mrayam Mahjoubin-Tehran; Bahar Shahnavaz; Razie Ghazi-Birjandi; Mansour Mashreghi; Jamshid Fooladi

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives: Psychrotrophic bacteria can produce enzymes at low temperatures; this provides a wide biotechnological potential, and offers numerous economical advantages over the use of mesophilic bacteria. In this study, extracellular protease production by psychrotrophic Rheinheimera sp. (KM459533) was optimized by the response surface methodology.Materials and Methods: The culture medium was tryptic soy broth containing 1% (w v -1 ) skim milk. First, the effects of variables w...

Impact of serum SP-A and SP-D levels on comparison and prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

OpenAIRE

Wang, Kai; Ju, Qing; Cao, Jing; Tang, Wenze; Zhang, Jian

2017-01-01

Abstract Background and objective: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a poor prognosis in general; however, it is heterogeneous to detect relative biomarkers for predicting the disease progression. Serum biomarkers can be conveniently collected to detect and help to differentially diagnose IPF and predict IPF prognosis. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the use of serum surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) for differential diagnosis and prognosis of IPF. Methods: Relevant artic...

Students' Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: Does the Teaching Method Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Abaho, Ernest; Olomi, Donath R.; Urassa, Goodluck Charles

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the various entrepreneurship teaching methods in Uganda and how these methods relate to entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 522 final year students from selected universities and study programs was surveyed using self-reported questionnaires. Findings: There…

Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale: Two Factors or Method Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomas, Jose M.; Oliver, Amparo

1999-01-01

Results of a study with 640 Spanish high school students suggest the existence of a global self-esteem factor underlying responses to Rosenberg's (M. Rosenberg, 1965) Self-Esteem Scale, although the inclusion of method effects is needed to achieve a good model fit. Method effects are associated with item wording. (SLD)

Revisiting the stamm'ler self-shielding method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hebert, A.

2004-01-01

The generalized Stamm'ler method is been used in lattice codes such as PHOENIX, WIMS-AECL and DRAGON-IST for computing self-shielded cross sections, prior to the main flux calculation. This method is handicapped by deficiencies, such as its low accuracy and its inability to represent distributed self-shielding effects in a fuel rod or across a fuel bundle. The paper describes improvements that could be made to the generalized Stamm'ler method in order to mitigate these two defects. A validation is presented for the case of 238 U nuclides located in different geometries. The isotopic absorption rates obtained with the proposed numerical scheme are compared with exact values obtained with a fine-group elastic slowing-down calculation in the resolved energy domain. (author)

Bacterial diversity associated with the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis sp. complex determined by culture-dependent and -independent methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishino, Ryota; Iehata, Shunpei; Nakano, Miyo; Tanaka, Reiji; Yoshimatsu, Takao; Maeda, Hiroto

2012-03-01

The bacterial communities associated with rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis sp. complex) and their culture water were determined using culture-dependent and -independent methods (16S rRNA gene clone library). The bacterial communities determined by the culture-independent method were more diverse than those determined by the culture-dependent method. Although the culture-dependent method indicated the bacterial community of rotifers was relatively similar to that of the culture water, 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses revealed a great difference between the two microbiotas. Our results suggest that most bacteria associated with rotifers are not easily cultured using conventional methods, and that the microbiota of rotifers do not correspond with that of the culture water completely.

Effect of garlic solution to Bacillus sp. removal

Science.gov (United States)

Zainol, N.; Rahim, S. R.

2018-04-01

Biofilm is a microbial derived sessile community characterized by cells that are irreversibly attached to a substratum or interface to each other, embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances that they have produced. Bacillus sp. was used as biofilm model in this study. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Garlic solution in term of ratio of water and Garlic solution (W/G) and ratio of Garlic solution to Bacillus sp. (GS/B) on Bacillus sp removal. Garlic solution was used to remove Bacillus sp. In this study, Garlic solution was prepared by crushing the garlic and mixed it with water. the Garlic solution was added into Bacillus sp. mixture and mixed well. The mixture then was spread on nutrient agar. The Bacillus sp. weight on agar plate was measured by using dry weight measurement method. In this study, initially Garlic solution volume and Garlic solution concentration were studied using one factor at time (OFAT). Later two-level-factorial analysis was done to determine the most contributing factor in Bacillus sp. removal. Design Expert software (Version 7) was used to construct experimental table where all the factors were randomized. Bacilus sp removal was ranging between 42.13% to 99.6%. The analysis of the results showed that at W/G of 1:1, Bacillus sp. removal increased when more Garlic solution was added to Bacillus sp. Effect of Garlic solution to Bacillus sp. will be understood which in turn may be beneficial for the industrial purpose.

Green Decision Making: Sustainable Transport and Systemic Planning (SP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leleur, Steen

and infrastructure assessment and on the methodology and process of systemic planning (SP). SP theory development has interchanged with practical application and testing of the SP approach in a large number of cases. The word systemic in SP indicates that complex planning problems and provision of decision support...... in today’s strategic planning needs a focus on what may be addressed as systemic insights in balance with more conventional, systematically-based findings where causal linkages can be modelled and made use of. In practice this means that SP is based on a study-specific combination of hard (quantitative......) and soft (qualitative) operations research (OR) methods; especially the latter have a function as regards knowledge generation that relates to obtaining systemic insights. Furthermore, SP applies a process that drives group-based learning forward. The group should be formed with the different stakeholder...

Potential of the strain Raoultella sp KDF8 for removal of analgesics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Palyzová, Andrea; Zahradník, Jiří; Marešová, Helena; Sokolová, Lucie; Kyslíková, Eva; Grulich, Michal; Štěpánek, Václav; Řezanka, Tomáš; Kyslík, Pavel

2018-01-01

Roč. 63, č. 3 (2018), s. 273-282 ISSN 0015-5632 R&D Projects: GA TA ČR TH02030337 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:86652036 Keywords : Microbial degradation * Raoultella sp. * Analgesics Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 1.521, year: 2016

Scalability of Parallel Spatial Direct Numerical Simulations on Intel Hypercube and IBM SP1 and SP2

Science.gov (United States)

Joslin, Ronald D.; Hanebutte, Ulf R.; Zubair, Mohammad

1995-01-01

The implementation and performance of a parallel spatial direct numerical simulation (PSDNS) approach on the Intel iPSC/860 hypercube and IBM SP1 and SP2 parallel computers is documented. Spatially evolving disturbances associated with the laminar-to-turbulent transition in boundary-layer flows are computed with the PSDNS code. The feasibility of using the PSDNS to perform transition studies on these computers is examined. The results indicate that PSDNS approach can effectively be parallelized on a distributed-memory parallel machine by remapping the distributed data structure during the course of the calculation. Scalability information is provided to estimate computational costs to match the actual costs relative to changes in the number of grid points. By increasing the number of processors, slower than linear speedups are achieved with optimized (machine-dependent library) routines. This slower than linear speedup results because the computational cost is dominated by FFT routine, which yields less than ideal speedups. By using appropriate compile options and optimized library routines on the SP1, the serial code achieves 52-56 M ops on a single node of the SP1 (45 percent of theoretical peak performance). The actual performance of the PSDNS code on the SP1 is evaluated with a "real world" simulation that consists of 1.7 million grid points. One time step of this simulation is calculated on eight nodes of the SP1 in the same time as required by a Cray Y/MP supercomputer. For the same simulation, 32-nodes of the SP1 and SP2 are required to reach the performance of a Cray C-90. A 32 node SP1 (SP2) configuration is 2.9 (4.6) times faster than a Cray Y/MP for this simulation, while the hypercube is roughly 2 times slower than the Y/MP for this application. KEY WORDS: Spatial direct numerical simulations; incompressible viscous flows; spectral methods; finite differences; parallel computing.

Self-Referential Processing in Adolescents: Stability of Behavioral and Event-Related Potential Markers

Science.gov (United States)

Auerbach, Randy P.; Bondy, Erin; Stanton, Colin H.; Webb, Christian A.; Shankman, Stewart A.; Pizzagalli, Diego A.

2016-01-01

The self-referential encoding task (SRET)—an implicit measure of self-schema—has been used widely to probe cognitive biases associated with depression, including among adolescents. However, research testing the stability of behavioral and electrocortical effects is sparse. Therefore, the current study sought to evaluate the stability of behavioral markers and event-related potentials (ERP) elicited from the SRET over time in healthy, female adolescents (n = 31). At baseline, participants were administered a diagnostic interview and a self-report measure of depression severity. In addition, they completed the SRET while 128-channel event-related potential (ERP) data were recorded to examine early (P1) and late (late positive potential [LPP]) ERPs. Three months later, participants were re-administered the depression self-report measure and the SRET in conjunction with ERPs. Results revealed that healthy adolescents endorsed, recalled, and recognized more positive and fewer negative words at each assessment, and these effects were stable over time (rs = 0.44–0.83). Similarly, they reported a faster reaction time when endorsing self-relevant positive words, as opposed to negative words, at both the initial and follow-up assessment (r = 0.82). Second, ERP responses, specifically potentiated P1 and late LPP positivity to positive versus negative words, were consistent over time (rs = 0.56–0.83), and the internal reliability of ERPs were robust at each time point (rs = 0.52–0.80). As a whole, these medium-to-large effects suggest that the SRET is a reliable behavioral and neural probe of self-referential processing. PMID:27302282

MIB-producing cyanobacteria (Planktothrix sp.) in a drinking water reservoir: distribution and odor producing potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Ming; Yu, Jianwei; Zhang, Junzhi; Chen, Hui; An, Wei; Vogt, Rolf D; Andersen, Tom; Jia, Dongmin; Wang, Jingshi; Yang, Min

2015-01-01

The production of odorant 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) in water bodies by Planktothrix sp. have not been understood very well. Through a four-year investigation in Miyun Reservoir, a huge mesotrophic drinking water reservoir known to have the MIB episodes, we found that the Planktothrix sp. bloomed during September and October causing the high levels of MIB in the reservoir. The concentration of MIB and the biomass of MIB-producing cyanobacteria Planktothrix were measured (n = 887) at different sites and depths during different seasons. The results indicated that the shallow region of the reservoir is the major habitat for Planktothrix sp. due to that the light is able to penetrate down to the relatively high concentrations of nutrients close to the sediments. Quantile regression analysis between Planktothrix biomass and MIB concentration shows that the risk of MIB exceeding the odor threshold (15 ng L⁻¹) in water was as high as 90% when the Planktothrix density was more than 4.0 × 10⁵ cells L⁻¹, while the risk was reduced to 10% when the Planktothrix density remained below 1.6 × 10⁴ cells L⁻¹. This study will improve the understanding of the environmental behaviors of Planktothrix sp., and can provide useful information for better management of drinking water lakes/reservoirs experiencing the taste and odor (T&O) problems caused by deep living cyanobacterial species.

Botanical pesticides effect from shells of bean’s cashew nut on biological agents of trichoderma sp. and gliocladium sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Bande, L. O. S.; Mariadi; Gusnawaty, HS; Nuriadi; Trisulpa, L.; Rahmania

2018-02-01

A shell of cashew nut (Anacardium occidentanle) has contained Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) that is used as botanical pesticides. CNSL oil consists of active substance such as anacardat acid, cardol and cardanol. Utilization of the pesticides from shells of cashew nut to control pests and diseases of plants would be affected on biological agents. The objective of this research was to investigate pesticides inhibition on the increase of mycelium Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. by in vitro method. The tested concentration sample consisted of 0.0% (control), 2.5%, 7.5% and 10.0% in PDA media. The results of this research showed that 2.5% botanical pesticides concentration could minimize mycelium of Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. 22.73% and 21.04% respectively and also the increase shells of cashew extract could be affected the increase of mycelium inhibition. The extract with 2.5% concentration was the recommended concentration to control of fruit rot diseases and if concentration was 10.0% then its inhibition become 54.98% and 49.35%, respectively. The results proved that uncontrolled utilization of the pesticides could be affected on decrease of Trichoderma sp. and Gliocladium sp. growth.

INTERAKSI ANTARA Trichoderma Harzianum, Penicillium SP. DAN Pseudomonas SP. SERTA KAPASITAS ANTAGONISMENYA TERHADAP Phytophthora CapsicilN VITRO*[Interaction Among Trichoderma Harzianum, Penicillium SP., Pseudomonas SP. and Antagonism Capacities Against Phy

OpenAIRE

Suharna, Nandang

2003-01-01

A preliminary study has been done to know antagonism capacities of three isolates of Trichoderma harzianum, two isolates of Penicillium sp.and one isolate of Pseudomonas sp.against Phytophthora capsici in vitro and interaction among those six antagonists.The highest antagonism capacity possessed by Penicillium sp. KN1, respectively followed by Penicillium sp.KN2,Pseudomonas sp. GH1 and the three T. harzianum isolates. Except for those three T. harzianum isolates, the two Penicillium sp.isolat...

Peroxide scavenging potential of ultraviolet-B-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids isolated from a marine red alga Bryocladia sp.

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Vinod K Kannaujiya

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280-315 nm-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs were extracted and purified from a marine red alga Bryocladia sp. by using high performance liquid chromatography. We have detected four MAAs having retention times 3.23, 2.94, 3.56 and 2.67 min with absorbance maxima (λmax at 323, 328, 335 and 340 nm respectively. The effect of UV-B on the induction of these MAAs was studied. In comparison to control, there was 3 - 22 % induction of MAAs after 12 and 24 h of UV-B exposure. Apart from MAAs, other pigments such as chl a, carotenoids and total proteins were inversely affected by UV-B irradiation. In addition, peroxide scavenging potential of these MAAs were also investigated. With 2 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 concentration, only <5 % of MAAs were found to be affected. However, with the increased H2O2, 40-60 % decline in the MAAs concentration with a corresponding peak shifting towards the blue wavelength was recorded. In addition, most of the MAAs were found to be reacting slowly with increasing H2O2 (upto 10 mM concentration after an incubation period of 5 and 30 min, which indicates the remarkable scavenging potential and stability of MAAs against oxidative stress. Thus, the isolated MAAs from marine red alga Bryocladia sp. may act as an efficient peroxide scavenger.

Secure eHealth-Care Service on Self-Organizing Software Platform

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Im Y. Jung

2014-01-01

Full Text Available There are several applications connected to IT health devices on the self-organizing software platform (SoSp that allow patients or elderly users to be cared for remotely by their family doctors under normal circumstances or during emergencies. An evaluation of the SoSp applied through PAAR watch/self-organizing software platform router was conducted targeting a simple user interface for aging users, without the existence of extrasettings based on patient movement. On the other hand, like normal medical records, the access to, and transmission of, health information via PAAR watch/self-organizing software platform requires privacy protection. This paper proposes a security framework for health information management of the SoSp. The proposed framework was designed to ensure easy detection of identification information for typical users. In addition, it provides powerful protection of the user’s health information.

Mineralization of a Malaysian crude oil by Pseudomonas sp. and Achromabacter sp. isolated from coastal waters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, J.; Ahmad, M.F.

1995-12-31

Regarded as being a potentially effective tool to combat oil pollution, bioremediation involves mineralization, i.e., the conversion of complex hydrocarbons into harmless CO{sub 2} and water by action of microorganisms. Therefore, in achieving optimum effectiveness from the application of these products on crude oil in local environments, the capability of the bacteria to mineralize hydrocarbons was evaluated. The microbial laboratory testing of mineralization on local oil degraders involved, first, isolation of bacteria found at a port located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Subsequently, these bacteria were identified by means of Biomereux`s API 20E and 20 NE systems and later screened by their growth on a Malaysian crude oil. Selected strains of Pseudomonas sp. and Achromabacter sp. were then exposed individually to a similar crude oil in a mineralization unit and monitored for 16 days for release of CO{sub 2}. Pseudomonas paucimobilis was found to produce more CO{sub 2} than Achromobacter sp. When tested under similar conditions, mixed populations of these two taxa produced more CO{sub 2} than that produced by any individual strain. Effective bioremediation of local crude in Malaysian waters can therefore be achieved from biochemically developed Pseudomonas sp. strains.

Development of Streptomyces sp. FR-008 as an emerging chassis

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Qian Liu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Microbial-derived natural products are important in both the pharmaceutical industry and academic research. As the metabolic potential of original producer especially Streptomyces is often limited by slow growth rate, complicated cultivation profile, and unfeasible genetic manipulation, so exploring a Streptomyces as a super industrial chassis is valuable and urgent. Streptomyces sp. FR-008 is a fast-growing microorganism and can also produce a considerable amount of macrolide candicidin via modular polyketide synthase. In this study, we evaluated Streptomyces sp. FR-008 as a potential industrial-production chassis. First, PacBio sequencing and transcriptome analyses indicated that the Streptomyces sp. FR-008 genome size is 7.26 Mb, which represents one of the smallest of currently sequenced Streptomyces genomes. In addition, we simplified the conjugation procedure without heat-shock and pre-germination treatments but with high conjugation efficiency, suggesting it is inherently capable of accepting heterologous DNA. In addition, a series of promoters selected from literatures was assessed based on GusA activity in Streptomyces sp. FR-008. Compared with the common used promoter ermE*-p, the strength of these promoters comprise a library with a constitutive range of 60–860%, thus providing the useful regulatory elements for future genetic engineering purpose. In order to minimum the genome, we also target deleted three endogenous polyketide synthase (PKS gene clusters to generate a mutant LQ3. LQ3 is thus an “updated” version of Streptomyces sp. FR-008, producing fewer secondary metabolites profiles than Streptomyces sp. FR-008. We believe this work could facilitate further development of Streptomyces sp. FR-008 for use in biotechnological applications.

Self-constrained inversion of potential fields

Science.gov (United States)

Paoletti, V.; Ialongo, S.; Florio, G.; Fedi, M.; Cella, F.

2013-11-01

We present a potential-field-constrained inversion procedure based on a priori information derived exclusively from the analysis of the gravity and magnetic data (self-constrained inversion). The procedure is designed to be applied to underdetermined problems and involves scenarios where the source distribution can be assumed to be of simple character. To set up effective constraints, we first estimate through the analysis of the gravity or magnetic field some or all of the following source parameters: the source depth-to-the-top, the structural index, the horizontal position of the source body edges and their dip. The second step is incorporating the information related to these constraints in the objective function as depth and spatial weighting functions. We show, through 2-D and 3-D synthetic and real data examples, that potential field-based constraints, for example, structural index, source boundaries and others, are usually enough to obtain substantial improvement in the density and magnetization models.

Differences in nutrient uptake capacity of the benthic filamentous algae Cladophora sp., Klebsormidium sp. and Pseudanabaena sp. under varying N/P conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junzhuo; Vyverman, Wim

2015-03-01

The N/P ratio of wastewater can vary greatly and directly affect algal growth and nutrient removal process. Three benthic filamentous algae species Cladophora sp., Klebsormidium sp. and Pseudanabaena sp. were isolated from a periphyton bioreactor and cultured under laboratory conditions on varying N/P ratios to determine their ability to remove nitrate and phosphorus. The N/P ratio significantly influenced the algal growth and phosphorus uptake process. Appropriate N/P ratios for nitrogen and phosphorus removal were 5-15, 7-10 and 7-20 for Cladophora sp., Klebsormidium sp. and Pseudanabaena sp., respectively. Within these respective ranges, Cladophora sp. had the highest biomass production, while Pseudanabaena sp. had the highest nitrogen and phosphorus contents. This study indicated that Cladophora sp. had a high capacity of removing phosphorus from wastewaters of low N/P ratio, and Pseudanabaena sp. was highly suitable for removing nitrogen from wastewaters with high N/P ratio. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamically Controlled High-Pressure High-Temperature Synthesis of Crystalline Fluorinated sp ³ -Carbon Networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klier, Kamil; Landskron, Kai

2015-11-19

We report the feasibility of the thermodynamically controlled synthesis of crystalline sp3-carbon networks. We show that there is a critical pressure below which decomposition of the carbon network is favored and above which the carbon network is stable. Based on advanced, highly accurate quantum mechanical calculations using the all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method (FP-LAPW) and the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state, this critical pressure is 26.5 GPa (viz. table of contents graphic). Such pressures are experimentally readily accessible and afford thermodynamic control for suppression of decomposition reactions. The present results further suggest that a general pattern of pressure-directed control exists for many isolobal conversions of sp2 to sp3 allotropes, relating not only to fluorocarbon chemistry but also extending to inorganic and solid-state materials science.

Self-relevant beauty evaluation: Evidence from an event-related potentials study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Fanchang; Zhang, Yan; Tian, Yuan; Fan, Cuiying; Zhou, Zongkui

2015-03-01

This study examines the electrophysiological correlates of beauty evaluation when participants performed the self-reference task. About 13 (7 men, 6 women) undergraduates participated in the experiment using event-related potentials. Results showed that the response to self-relevant information was faster compared to other-relevant information and no significant differences for self-relevant relative to mother-relevant information were observed. Both physical and interior beauty words for self-relevant information showed an enhanced late positive component as compared to other-relevant information. Physical beauty for self-relevant information yielded a larger late positive component in contrast to mother-relevant information but not for interior beauty. This study indicates that beauty is specific to the person who judges it though an individual and one's mother may hold similar views of interior beauty.

The matrix elements of the potential energy operator between the Sp(2,R) basis generating functions. Near-magic nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filippov, G.F.; Ovcharenko, V.I.; Teryoshin, Yu.V.

1980-01-01

For near-magnetic nuclei, the matrix elements of the central exchange nucleon-nucleon interaction potential energy operator between the generating functions of the total basis of the Sn are obtained. The basis states are highest weigt vectorsp(2,R) irreducible representatio of the SO(3) irredicible representation and in addition, have a definite O(A-1) symmetry. The Sp(2,R) basis generating matrix elements simplify essentially the problem of calculating the spectrum of collective excitations of the atomic nucleus over an intrinsic function of definite O(A-1) symmetry

Enkapsulasi B. bassiana menggunakan maizena dan daya infeksinya terhadap larva Aedes aegypti, Anopheles sp., Culex sp.

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Mutiara Widawati

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract. Encapsulation formulae of mycoinsecticide have to be able to maintain fungus viability and pathogenicity. This mycoinsecticide was developed as an alternative way to control mosquito borne disease. The aim of this study was to encapsulate Beauveria bassiana as viable storage and have the capability to kill larvae of Aedes aegypti, Anopheles sp. and Culex sp. Mosquito larvae obtained from laboratory reared at health research laboratory; Loka Litbang P2B2 Ciamis. The treatments made in this study were the formu-lation of cornstarch and controls for comparison. This study showed potential formulation of cornstarch encapsulation as a biolarvacidal. Cornstarch formulations proven to be succeed in maintaining fungus viability, however, the pathogenicity of the microcapsule still not effective to kill Aedes, Culex and Anopheles larvae. Keywords: encapsulation, Beauveria bassiana, Ae.aegypti, Anopheles sp., Culex sp. Abstrak. Pembuatan formula bioinsektisida yang optimal sebagai salah satu alternatif untuk pengen-dalian nyamuk vektor perlu di kembangkan. Sediaan mikoinsektisida yang dibuat harus dapat memper-tahankan viabilitas jamur B. bassiana sehingga masih efektif pada saat penggunaannya. Salah satu cara yang digunakan untuk menjaga kestabilan sediaan mikoinsektisida yang berdampak langsung pada via-bilitas jamur adalah dengan menerapkan metode enkapsulasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meng-hasilkan sediaan mikokapsul dari Beauvaria bassiana melalui proses enkapsulasi menggunakan maizena yang memiliki kapabilitas tinggi sebagai penyimpan B. bassiana dan efektif dalam membunuh larva dan telur Aedes aegypti, Anopheles sp. dan Culex sp. Semua larva uji berasal dari insektarium laboratorium penelitian kesehatan Loka litbang P2B2 Ciamis. Pembuatan enkapsulasi dimulai dengan kultur dan pema-nenan B. bassiana, uji viabilitas, proses enkapsulasi serta uji larvasida di laboratorium. Uji dilakukan dengan satu perlakuan dan satu kontrol untuk

Draft Genome Sequence of Hoeflea sp. Strain BAL378, a Potential Producer of Bioactive Compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bentzon-Tilia, Mikkel; Riemann, Lasse; Gram, Lone

2014-01-01

Some phytoplankton-associated marine bacteria produce bioactive compounds. Members of the genus Hoeflea may be examples of such bacteria; however, data describing their metabolisms are scarce. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Hoeflea sp. strain BAL378, a putative producer of bacterioc......Some phytoplankton-associated marine bacteria produce bioactive compounds. Members of the genus Hoeflea may be examples of such bacteria; however, data describing their metabolisms are scarce. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Hoeflea sp. strain BAL378, a putative producer...

Race and Research Methods Anxiety in an Undergraduate Sample: The Potential Effects of Self-Perception

Science.gov (United States)

Eckberg, Deborah A.

2015-01-01

This study explores race as a potential predictor of research methods anxiety among a sample of undergraduates. While differences in academic achievement based on race and ethnicity have been well documented, few studies have examined racial differences in anxiety with regard to specific subject matter in undergraduate curricula. This exploratory…

Shape and depth determinations from second moving average residual self-potential anomalies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelrahman, E M; El-Araby, T M; Essa, K S

2009-01-01

We have developed a semi-automatic method to determine the depth and shape (shape factor) of a buried structure from second moving average residual self-potential anomalies obtained from observed data using filters of successive window lengths. The method involves using a relationship between the depth and the shape to source and a combination of windowed observations. The relationship represents a parametric family of curves (window curves). For a fixed window length, the depth is determined for each shape factor. The computed depths are plotted against the shape factors, representing a continuous monotonically increasing curve. The solution for the shape and depth is read at the common intersection of the window curves. The validity of the method is tested on a synthetic example with and without random errors and on two field examples from Turkey and Germany. In all cases examined, the depth and the shape solutions obtained are in very good agreement with the true ones

Isolasi dan karakterisasi bakteri berpotensi probiotik pada ikan kembung (Rastrelliger sp.

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Yuni Dewi Safrida

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Probiotics bacteria are beneficial microbes to improve microbial balance in the digestive tract. The objective of the research was to isolate and characterize of potential probiotic bacteria in mackerel fish (Rastrelliger sp.. The research was done from April to August 2012 at Laboratory of Microbiology Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh. Isolation and characterization used dilution and scratches quadrant methods. The result showed that there were five potential isolates of probiotic bacteria varied morphological colony and cell. The isolate have circular form (100%, entire margin (80%, flat (60%, cream color (40%, gram positive bacteria (80%, coccus shape (100% and non motile (60%. Keywords: Probiotics,

Effects of a self-management education program on self-efficacy in patients with COPD: a mixed-methods sequential explanatory designed study

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Wai I; Smith, Graeme Drummond

2017-01-01

Background Self-management education programs (SMEPs) are potentially effective in the symptomatic management of COPD. Little is presently known about the effectiveness of these programs in Chinese COPD patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a specifically designed SMEP on levels of self-efficacy in Chinese patients with COPD. Materials and methods Based on the Medical Research Council framework for evaluating complex interventions, an exploratory phase randomized controlled trial was employed to examine the effects of an SMEP. Self-efficacy was the primary outcome using the COPD Self-efficacy Scale, measured at baseline and 6 months after the program. Qualitative data were sequentially collected from these patients via three focus groups to supplement the quantitative findings. Results The experimental group displayed significant improvement in their general self-efficacy (Z =−2.44, P=0.015) and specifically in confronting 1) physical exertion (Z =−2.57, P=0.01), 2) weather/environment effects (Z =−2.63, PChinese patients with COPD. Further attention should be given to cultural considerations when developing this type of intervention in Chinese populations with COPD and other chronic diseases. PMID:28790816

A universal method to assess the potential of phosphorus loss from soil to aquatic ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Pöthig, Rosemarie; Behrendt, Horst; Opitz, Dieter; Furrer, Gerhard

2010-02-01

Phosphorus loss from terrestrial to the aquatic ecosystems contributes to eutrophication of surface waters. To maintain the world's vital freshwater ecosystems, the reduction of eutrophication is crucial. This needs the prevention of overfertilization of agricultural soils with phosphorus. However, the methods of risk assessment for the P loss potential from soils lack uniformity and are difficult for routine analysis. Therefore, the efficient detection of areas with a high risk of P loss requires a simple and universal soil test method that is cost effective and applicable in both industrialized and developing countries. Soils from areas which varied highly in land use and soil type were investigated regarding the degree of P saturation (DPS) as well as the equilibrium P concentration (EPC(0)) and water-soluble P (WSP) as indicators for the potential of P loss. The parameters DPS and EPC(0) were determined from P sorption isotherms. Our investigation of more than 400 soil samples revealed coherent relationships between DPS and EPC(0) as well as WSP. The complex parameter DPS, characterizing the actual P status of soil, is accessible from a simple standard measurement of WSP based on the equation [Formula: see text]. The parameter WSP in this equation is a function of remaining phosphorous sorption capacity/total accumulated phosphorous (SP/TP). This quotient is independent of soil type due to the mutual compensation of the factors SP and TP. Thus, the relationship between DPS and WSP is also independent of soil type. The degree of P saturation, which reflects the actual state of P fertilization of soil, can be calculated from the easily accessible parameter WSP. Due to the independence from soil type and land use, the relation is valid for all soils. Values of WSP, which exceed 5 mg P/kg soil, signalize a P saturation between 70% and 80% and thus a high risk of P loss from soil. These results reveal a new approach of risk assessment for P loss from soils to

Physiotherapists supporting self-management through health coaching: a mixed methods program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufour, Sinéad Patricia; Graham, Shane; Friesen, Josh; Rosenblat, Michael; Rous, Colin; Richardson, Julie

2015-01-01

To evaluate a program in support of chronic disease self-management (CDSM) that is founded on a health coaching (HC) approach, includes supervised exercise and mindfulness-based stress reduction components and is delivered within a private practice physiotherapy setting. An explanatory mixed method design, framed by theory-based program evaluation, was employed to evaluate an eight-week group-based program. Standardized self-rated and performance measures were evaluated pre- and post intervention. Additionally, participant focus groups were conducted following the intervention period. An inductive thematic approach was undertaken to analyze the qualitative data. Seventeen participants (N = 17) completed the study. Improvements were seen in both self-report and performance outcomes. Participants explained how and why they felt the program was beneficial. Six themes were generated: (1) group dynamic; (2) learning versus doing; (3) holism and comprehensive care; (4) self-efficacy and empowerment; (5) previous solutions versus new management strategies; and (6) healthcare provider support. This study established that a group program in support of CDSM founded on a HC approach demonstrated potential value from participants as well as favorable outcomes. A pragmatic randomized control trial is required to determine efficacy of this intervention.

Integrable motion of curves in self-consistent potentials: Relation to spin systems and soliton equations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Myrzakulov, R.; Mamyrbekova, G.K.; Nugmanova, G.N.; Yesmakhanova, K.R. [Eurasian International Center for Theoretical Physics and Department of General and Theoretical Physics, Eurasian National University, Astana 010008 (Kazakhstan); Lakshmanan, M., E-mail: lakshman@cnld.bdu.ac.in [Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli 620 024 (India)

2014-06-13

Motion of curves and surfaces in R{sup 3} lead to nonlinear evolution equations which are often integrable. They are also intimately connected to the dynamics of spin chains in the continuum limit and integrable soliton systems through geometric and gauge symmetric connections/equivalence. Here we point out the fact that a more general situation in which the curves evolve in the presence of additional self-consistent vector potentials can lead to interesting generalized spin systems with self-consistent potentials or soliton equations with self-consistent potentials. We obtain the general form of the evolution equations of underlying curves and report specific examples of generalized spin chains and soliton equations. These include principal chiral model and various Myrzakulov spin equations in (1+1) dimensions and their geometrically equivalent generalized nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) family of equations, including Hirota–Maxwell–Bloch equations, all in the presence of self-consistent potential fields. The associated gauge equivalent Lax pairs are also presented to confirm their integrability. - Highlights: • Geometry of continuum spin chain with self-consistent potentials explored. • Mapping on moving space curves in R{sup 3} in the presence of potential fields carried out. • Equivalent generalized nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) family of equations identified. • Integrability of identified nonlinear systems proved by deducing appropriate Lax pairs.

Statistical Methods for Stochastic Differential Equations

CERN Document Server

Kessler, Mathieu; Sorensen, Michael

2012-01-01

The seventh volume in the SemStat series, Statistical Methods for Stochastic Differential Equations presents current research trends and recent developments in statistical methods for stochastic differential equations. Written to be accessible to both new students and seasoned researchers, each self-contained chapter starts with introductions to the topic at hand and builds gradually towards discussing recent research. The book covers Wiener-driven equations as well as stochastic differential equations with jumps, including continuous-time ARMA processes and COGARCH processes. It presents a sp

Cultivation of Chlorella sp. as Biofuel Sources in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Hadiyanto

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy is essential and vital aspect for development in Indonesia especially less oil reserve for coming 15 years. Biodiesel has received much attention as renewable energy in recent years. One of potential biodiesel is produced from microalgae. Due to high content of nutrients in Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME, this waste is a potential for nutrient growth for microalgae. Chlorella is one of high potential for biodiesel since it has high lipid content (20-30%. The objective of the research is to determine growth rate and biomass productivity in Chlorella Sp cultured in POME. Chlorella Sp was cultured in 20%, 50%, 70% POME using urea concentration 0.1gr/L (low nitrogen source and 1gr/l (high nitrogen source at flask disk, pH 6.8-7.2; aerated using aquarium pump and fluorescence lamp 3000-6000 lux as light. Medium was measured using spectrophotometer Optima Sp-300 OD at 680 wave length in 15 days to calculate specific growth rate. At end of cultivation, Chlorella sp was filtered and measured as dry weight. Result indicated that Chlorella sp at 50% POME 1gr/L urea showed higher specific growth rate (0.066/day. Factor affecting growth rate of microalgae is CNP ratio, POME concentration, and urea concentration.

Effect of physicochemical parameters on nitrile-hydrolyzing potentials of newly isolated nitrilase of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi ED-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Bura Gohain, Manorama; Talukdar, Shruti; Talukdar, Madhumita; Yadav, Archana; Gogoi, Binod Kumar; Bora, Tarun Chandra; Kiran, Shashi; Gulati, Arvind

2015-01-01

In recent years, nitrilases from fungus have received increasing attention, and most of the studies are performed on nitrilases of bacterial origin. Frequently used methods are based on analytical methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography; therefore, an efficient, user friendly, and rapid method has been developed to screen nitrilase enzyme based on the principle of color change of a pH indicator. Phenol red amended with the minimal medium appears light yellow at neutral pH, which changes into pink with the formation of ammonia, indicating nitrilase activity in the reaction medium. A highly potent strain ED-3 identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi (specific activity 17.5 µmol/Min/mg dcw) was isolated using this method. The nitrilase activity of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopercisi ED-3 strain showed wide substrate specificity toward aliphatic nitriles, aromatic nitriles, and orthosubstituted heterocyclic nitriles. 4-Aminobenzonitrile was found to be a superior substrate among all the nitriles used in this study. This nitrilase was active within pH 5-10 and temperature ranging from 25 to 60 °C with optimal at pH 7.0 and temperature at 50 °C. The nitrilase activity was enhanced to several folds through optimization of culture and biotransformation conditions from 1,121 to 1,941 µmol/Min. © 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Evaluation of permeable fractures in rock aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Bok Lee, Hang

2015-04-01

In this study, the practical usefulness and fundamental applicability of a self-potential (SP) method for identifying the permeable fractures were evaluated by a comparison of SP methods with other geophysical logging methods and hydraulic tests. At a 10 m-shallow borehole in the study site, the candidates of permeable fractures crossing the borehole were first determined by conventional geophysical methods such as an acoustic borehole televiwer, temperature, electrical conductivity and gamma-gamma loggings, which was compared to the analysis by the SP method. Constant pressure injection and recovery tests were conducted for verification of the hydraulic properties of the fractures identified by various logging methods. The acoustic borehole televiwer and gamma-gamma loggings detected the open space or weathering zone within the borehole, but they cannot prove the possibility of a groundwater flow through the detected fractures. The temperature and electrical conductivity loggings had limitations to detect the fractured zones where groundwater in the borehole flows out to the surrounding rock aquifers. Comparison of results from different methods showed that there is a best correlation between the distribution of hydraulic conductivity and the variation of the SP signals, and the SP logging can estimate accurately the hydraulic activity as well as the location of permeable fractures. Based on the results, the SP method is recommended for determining the hydraulically-active fractures rather than other conventional geophysical loggings. This self-potential method can be effectively applied in the initial stage of a site investigation which selects the optimal location and evaluates the hydrogeological property of fractures in target sites for the underground structure including the geothermal reservoir and radioactive waste disposal.

Post-neonatal drop in alveolar SP-A expression

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stray-Pedersen, Arne; Vege, Ashild; Stray-Pedersen, Asbjorg

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is synthesized in the lung and is a part of the innate immune system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of SP-A in lung tissue from fetuses, infants, children and adults with special regard to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). METHODS......: A total of 160 cases were studied; 19 fetuses and neonates, 59 SIDS and 49 explained infant deaths below 1 year of age, 19 toddlers and 14 adults. Immunohistochemical detection of SP-A using monoclonal antibodies was performed by microscopy of lung tissue specimens collected at autopsy. A scoring system...

Role of Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 as Bioindicators and Immobilizers of Chromium in a Contaminated Natural Environment

OpenAIRE

Millach, Laia; Solé, Antoni; Esteve, Isabel

2015-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the potential of the two phototrophic microorganisms, both isolated from Ebro Delta microbial mats, to be used as bioindicators and immobilizers of chromium. The results obtained indicated that (i) the Minimum Metal Concentration (MMC) significantly affecting Chlorophyll a intensity in Geitlerinema sp. DE2011 and Scenedesmus sp. DE2009 was 0.25??M and 0.75??M, respectively, these values being lower than those established by current legislation, and (ii) Scene...

*sp131*I-3-iodobenzylguanidine (*sp131*I-3-IBG) as a scintigraphic agent for the visualization of adrenal medulla tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heggeli, D.E.; Brorson, B.I.; Bremper, P.O.

1983-06-01

A method of labelling 3-iodobenzylguanidine with *sp131*I is described. 3-IBG . 0.5 H*sb2*SO*sb4* and Cu(II)SO*sb4* were dissolved in a 0.1 M NH*sb4*H*sb2*PO*sb4* buffer and mixed with *sp131*I-NaI. The solution was evaporated to dryness by heating. After addition of water, the solution was heated with reflux for two hours. The I*sp-* ions were removed after labelling by anionic exchange chromatography. The final product was made isotonic and bacteriostatic by the addition of acetate buffer, saline and benzylalcohol. The product was filtered through a membrane filter with a pore size of 0.22*my*m and was apyrogenically tested by limulus test. The tumors of adrenal medulla, pheochromocytomas and neuroplastomas may in some cases be small or located extra-adrenally. In those cases *sp131*I-labelled 3-IBG is a valuable tool, since 3-IBG concentrates in adrenal medulla tumors because ot its analogy to the catecholamines. Injecting a dose of 0.5 mCi *sp131*I-3-IBG (2.5 mCi/mg), which is an adult dose, allows the scintigraphic localization of the tumours, thus guiding the surgeon. Adrenal uptake in mice and dog is described in the report, as well as a rapid method for the control of radiochemical purity. The radioactive concentration of the *sp131*I-3-IBG has been found to be important for the radiochemical stability of the product. (RF)

Cytotoxicity and Phytochemical Profiling of Sargassum Sp. Extract As Anti-Mdr Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Setyati, Wilis A.; Pramesti, Rini; Zainuddin, Muhamad; Puspita, Maya; Renta, Person P.

2018-02-01

Sargassum sp. contains bioactive compounds having the potential as an antibacterial agent. Sargassum sp. was collected from five different locations, i.e., Teluk Awur, Panjang Island, Bandengan, Ujung Piring, and Bondo. There were several different species of Sargassum sp. identified from each sampling locations. The collected seaweeds were washed, naturally dried, and ground to the powder-sized dry material. Dry seaweed was extracted gradually using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol (1:3 w/v). The antibacterial analysis was conducted based on Agar Diffusion method using Zobell as media. Resistance analysis was performed to evaluate the resistance of pathogen against commercial antibiotics, namely, chloramphenicol, ampicillin, erythromycin, amoxycillin, and tetracycline. Each Sargassum sp. extract was tested against three candidates of MDR bacteria, i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and S. epidermidis. Results showed that S. aureus was resistant towards four out of five commercial antibiotics. E. coli and S. epidermidis were not susceptible to two and three out of five commercial antibiotics, respectively. N-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol yielded 0.1-0.3%, 0.3-0.7 % and 0.8-4.7% of dry extract. Ethyl acetate extract of Sargassum from Teluk Awur performed the best antibacterial activity and contained an alkaloid, flavonoid, and phenolic compounds. Toxicity analysis showed that this ethyl acetate extract had LC50 at 463 ppm and categorized as chronic toxicity.

Screening and Evaluation of the Bioremediation Potential of Cu/Zn-resistant, Autochthonous Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 from Sonchus oleraceus L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing Fang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The quest for new, promising and indigenous plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and a deeper understanding of their relationship with plants are important considerations in the improvement of phytoremediation. This study focuses on the screening of plant beneficial Cu/Zn-resistant strains and assessment of their bioremediation potential (metal solubilization/tolerance/biosorption and effects on growth of Brassica napus seedlings to identify suitable rhizobacteria and examine their roles in microbes-assisted phytoremediation. Sixty Cu/Zn-resistant rhizobacteria were initially isolated from Sonchus oleraceus grown at a multi-metal-polluted site in Shanghai, China. From these strains, 19 isolates that were all resistant to 300 mg·L-1 Cu as well as 300 mg·L-1 Zn, and could simultaneously grow on Dworkin-Foster salt minimal medium containing 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid were preliminarily selected. Of those 19 isolates, 10 isolates with superior plant growth-promoting properties (indole-3-acetic acid production, siderophore production and insoluble phosphate solubilization were secondly chosen and further evaluated to identify those with the highest bioremediation potential and capacity for bioaugmentation. Strain S44, identified as Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 based on 16S rDNA sequencing, was specifically chosen as the most favorable strain owing to its strong capabilities to (1 promote the growth of rape seedlings (significantly increased root length, shoot length and fresh weight by 92.60%, 31.00% and 41.96%, respectively under gnotobiotic conditions; (2 tolerate up to 1000 mg·L-1 Cu and 800 mg·L-1 Zn; (3 mobilize the highest concentrations of water-soluble Cu, Zn, Pb and Fe (16.99, 0.98, 0.08 and 3.03 mg·L-1, respectively; and (4 adsorb the greatest quantities of Cu and Zn (7.53 and 6.61 mg·g-1 dry cell, respectively. Our findings suggest that Acinetobacter sp. FQ-44 could be exploited for bacteria-assisted phytoextraction. Moreover

Physician self-disclosure in primary care: a mixed methods study of GPs’ attitudes, skills, and behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Emily-Charlotte Frances; Arroll, Bruce

2015-01-01

Background There is a debate in medicine about the use and value of self-disclosure by the physician as a communication tool. There is little empirical evidence about GPs and self-disclosure. Aim To explore what GPs’ attitudes, skills, and behaviour are with regard to self-disclosure during a clinical consultation and whether there is a need for the development of training resources. Design and setting Mixed methods using open-ended and semi-structured interviews in Auckland, New Zealand, and the surrounding districts. Method Sixteen GPs were interviewed on the issue of self-disclosure in clinical practice. A general inductive approach was used for data analysis. Results Self-disclosure was common in this group of GPs, contrary to training in some of the groups, and was seen as a potentially positive activity. Family and physical topics were most common, yet psychological and relationship issues were also discussed. Knowing patients made self-disclosure more likely, but a GP’s intuition played the main role in determining when to self-disclose, and to whom. GPs have developed their own guidelines, shaped by years of experience; however, there was a consensus that training would be helpful. Conclusion Self-disclosure is common and, in general, seen as positive. Major personal issues were acceptable for some GPs to self-disclose, especially to known patients. Although participants had developed their own guidelines, exposure of trainees to the issue of self-disclosure would be of value to prevent future mistakes and to protect both doctor and patient from any unintended harm, for example, developing a dependent relationship. PMID:26324497

Screening of biodiesel production from waste tuna oil (Thunnus sp.), seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Alamsjah, Mochammad Amin; Abdillah, Annur Ahadi; Mustikawati, Hutami; Atari, Suci Dwi Purnawa

2017-09-01

Biodiesel has several advantages over solar. Compared to solar, biodiesel has more eco-friendly characteristic and produces lower greenhouse gas emissions. Biodiesel that is made from animal fats can be produced from fish oil, while other alternative sources from vegetable oils are seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii and Gracilaria sp. Waste tuna oil (Thunnus sp.) in Indonesia is commonly a side product of tuna canning industries known as tuna precook oil; on the other hand, seaweed Gracilaria sp. and Kappaphycus alvarezii are commonly found in Indonesia's seas. Seaweed waste that was used in the present study was 100 kg and in wet condition, and the waste oil was 10 liter. The seaweed was extracted with soxhletation method that used n-hexane as the solvent. To produce biodiesel, trans esterification was performed on the seaweed oil that was obtained from the soxhletation process and waste tuna oil. Biodiesel manufactured from seaweed K. alvarezii obtained the best score in flash point, freezing point, and viscosity test. However, according to level of manufacturing efficiency, biodiesel from waste tuna oil is more efficient and relatively easier compared to biodiesel from waste K. alvarezii and Gracilaria sp.

Method for Providing Semiconductors Having Self-Aligned Ion Implant

Science.gov (United States)

Neudeck, Philip G. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A method is disclosed that provides a self-aligned nitrogen-implant particularly suited for a Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) semiconductor device preferably comprised of a silicon carbide (SiC). This self-aligned nitrogen-implant allows for the realization of durable and stable electrical functionality of high temperature transistors such as JFETs. The method implements the self-aligned nitrogen-implant having predetermined dimensions, at a particular step in the fabrication process, so that the SiC junction field effect transistors are capable of being electrically operating continuously at 500.degree. C. for over 10,000 hours in an air ambient with less than a 10% change in operational transistor parameters.

Exploring the Effect of Media, Salinity and Clay on the Thermoelectric Coupling Coefficient in Self-Potential Data

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, C. D.; Revil, A.

2014-12-01

Self-potential is a non-invasive, passive geophysical technique with applications ranging from imaging oil and gas reservoirs to identifying preferential flow paths in earthen embankments. Several cross-coupled flow phenomena contribute to self-potential data, and there is a need to further quantify these various sources to enable better resolution and quantification of self-potential models. Very little research has been done to constrain thermoelectric source mechanisms that contribute to self-potential signals. A laboratory experiment has been designed to investigate the thermoelectric coupling coefficient (CTE) that relates the voltage change per degree centigrade (V/°C) in porous media. This study focuses on a sand tank experiment using a saturated silica sand. To isolate the temperature gradient dependence of self-potential measurements, no hydraulic gradient is applied to the tank, eliminating the streaming potential component of source current. Self-potential and temperature data are recorded while reservoirs of hot and cold water are established on opposite ends of the tank in order to generate thermoelectric source currents. Various thermal gradients ranging from 0 °C to 80 °C over 20 cm are examined for various salinities (10-3M- 1M NaCl), sand grain sizes and clay content to investigate influences on CTE. A short-duration contact of non-polarizing (Pb/PbCl) electrodes is implemented to minimize temperature drift of electrodes during the experiment. Surface self-potential and temperature measurements are made in 30 minute intervals. Initial measurements have revealed non-linear effects, including a decreased CTE as temperature gradient bounds approach 0 °C.

Investigation of market efficiency and Financial Stability between S&P 500 and London Stock Exchange: Monthly and yearly Forecasting of Time Series Stock Returns using ARMA model

Science.gov (United States)

Rounaghi, Mohammad Mahdi; Nassir Zadeh, Farzaneh

2016-08-01

We investigated the presence and changes in, long memory features in the returns and volatility dynamics of S&P 500 and London Stock Exchange using ARMA model. Recently, multifractal analysis has been evolved as an important way to explain the complexity of financial markets which can hardly be described by linear methods of efficient market theory. In financial markets, the weak form of the efficient market hypothesis implies that price returns are serially uncorrelated sequences. In other words, prices should follow a random walk behavior. The random walk hypothesis is evaluated against alternatives accommodating either unifractality or multifractality. Several studies find that the return volatility of stocks tends to exhibit long-range dependence, heavy tails, and clustering. Because stochastic processes with self-similarity possess long-range dependence and heavy tails, it has been suggested that self-similar processes be employed to capture these characteristics in return volatility modeling. The present study applies monthly and yearly forecasting of Time Series Stock Returns in S&P 500 and London Stock Exchange using ARMA model. The statistical analysis of S&P 500 shows that the ARMA model for S&P 500 outperforms the London stock exchange and it is capable for predicting medium or long horizons using real known values. The statistical analysis in London Stock Exchange shows that the ARMA model for monthly stock returns outperforms the yearly. ​A comparison between S&P 500 and London Stock Exchange shows that both markets are efficient and have Financial Stability during periods of boom and bust.

Isolation of high-salinity-tolerant bacterial strains, Enterobacter sp., Serratia sp., Yersinia sp., for nitrification and aerobic denitrification under cyanogenic conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mpongwana, N; Ntwampe, S K O; Mekuto, L; Akinpelu, E A; Dyantyi, S; Mpentshu, Y

2016-01-01

Cyanides (CN(-)) and soluble salts could potentially inhibit biological processes in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), such as nitrification and denitrification. Cyanide in wastewater can alter metabolic functions of microbial populations in WWTPs, thus significantly inhibiting nitrifier and denitrifier metabolic processes, rendering the water treatment processes ineffective. In this study, bacterial isolates that are tolerant to high salinity conditions, which are capable of nitrification and aerobic denitrification under cyanogenic conditions, were isolated from a poultry slaughterhouse effluent. Three of the bacterial isolates were found to be able to oxidise NH(4)-N in the presence of 65.91 mg/L of free cyanide (CN(-)) under saline conditions, i.e. 4.5% (w/v) NaCl. The isolates I, H and G, were identified as Enterobacter sp., Yersinia sp. and Serratia sp., respectively. Results showed that 81% (I), 71% (G) and 75% (H) of 400 mg/L NH(4)-N was biodegraded (nitrification) within 72 h, with the rates of biodegradation being suitably described by first order reactions, with rate constants being: 4.19 h(-1) (I), 4.21 h(-1) (H) and 3.79 h(-1) (G), respectively, with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.82 and 0.89. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates were 38% (I), 42% (H) and 48% (G), over a period of 168 h with COD reduction being highest at near neutral pH.

Biosorption of uranium by Azolla, SP, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, Ludmila C.; Alves, Eliakim G.; Marumo, Julio T.; Ferreira, Rafael V. de P.; Canevesi, Rafael L.S.; Silva, Edson A.

2015-01-01

Radioactive liquid waste needs special attention and requires suitable treatment before deposition. Among the potential technologies under development for the treatment of liquid radioactive wastes the biosorption has been highlighted by being an efficient and low cost technique. Biosorption process involves the exchange of ions contained in the biomass matrix by others present in solution. There are many biomasses that could be applied in treatment of radioactive wastes, for example, agricultural residues and macrophyte. The aim of this study is evaluate the ability of the Azolla sp., a floating aquatic plant, to absorb uranium in solution. Azolla sp. is a macrophyte that has been used to treat effluents containing heavy metals. The biosorption capacity of uranium by Azolla sp. was experimentally determined and modeled by isotherms. Experiments were performed to determine metal uptake, and then the solutions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The isotherms applied to model the data was Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips Toth, Redlich Peternson, Two-Site-Langmuir, Radke Prausnitz to develop a technique for the treatment of radioactive liquid waste generated at the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil. (author)

Biosorption of uranium by Azolla, SP, Brazil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vieira, Ludmila C.; Alves, Eliakim G.; Marumo, Julio T., E-mail: lcvieira@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Ferreira, Rafael V. de P., E-mail: rafael@itatijuca.com [Itatijuca Biotech, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Canevesi, Rafael L.S.; Silva, Edson A., E-mail: edson.silva2@unioeste.br [Universidade Estadual do Oeste Parana (UNIOESTE), Toledo, PR (Brazil)

2015-07-01

Radioactive liquid waste needs special attention and requires suitable treatment before deposition. Among the potential technologies under development for the treatment of liquid radioactive wastes the biosorption has been highlighted by being an efficient and low cost technique. Biosorption process involves the exchange of ions contained in the biomass matrix by others present in solution. There are many biomasses that could be applied in treatment of radioactive wastes, for example, agricultural residues and macrophyte. The aim of this study is evaluate the ability of the Azolla sp., a floating aquatic plant, to absorb uranium in solution. Azolla sp. is a macrophyte that has been used to treat effluents containing heavy metals. The biosorption capacity of uranium by Azolla sp. was experimentally determined and modeled by isotherms. Experiments were performed to determine metal uptake, and then the solutions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The isotherms applied to model the data was Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips Toth, Redlich Peternson, Two-Site-Langmuir, Radke Prausnitz to develop a technique for the treatment of radioactive liquid waste generated at the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Brazil. (author)

Penicillium araracuarense sp. nov., Penicillium elleniae sp. nov., Penicillium penarojense sp. nov., Penicillium vanderhammenii sp. nov. and Penicillium wotroi sp. nov., isolated from leaf litter.

Science.gov (United States)

Houbraken, Jos; López-Quintero, Carlos A; Frisvad, Jens C; Boekhout, Teun; Theelen, Bart; Franco-Molano, Ana Esperanza; Samson, Robert A

2011-06-01

Several species of the genus Penicillium were isolated during a survey of the mycobiota of leaf litter and soil in Colombian Amazon forest. Five species, Penicillium penarojense sp. nov. (type strain CBS 113178(T) = IBT 23262(T)), Penicillium wotroi sp. nov. (type strain CBS 118171(T) = IBT 23253(T)), Penicillium araracuarense sp. nov. (type strain CBS 113149(T) = IBT 23247(T)), Penicillium elleniae sp. nov. (type strain CBS 118135(T) = IBT 23229(T)) and Penicillium vanderhammenii sp. nov. (type strain CBS 126216(T) = IBT 23203(T)) are described here as novel species. Their taxonomic novelty was determined using a polyphasic approach, combining phenotypic, molecular (ITS and partial β-tubulin sequences) and extrolite data. Phylogenetic analyses showed that each novel species formed a unique clade for both loci analysed and that they were most closely related to Penicillium simplicissimum, Penicillium janthinellum, Penicillium daleae and Penicillium brasilianum. An overview of the phylogeny of this taxonomically difficult group is presented, and 33 species are accepted. Each of the five novel species had a unique extrolite profile of known and uncharacterized metabolites and various compounds, such as penicillic acid, andrastin A, pulvilloric acid, paxillin, paspaline and janthitrem, were commonly produced by these phylogenetically related species. The novel species had a high growth rate on agar media, but could be distinguished from each other by several macro- and microscopical characteristics.

Self-potential variations preceding earthquakes in central california

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corwin, R.F.; Morrison, H.G.

1977-01-01

Two earthquakes in central California were preceded by anomalous variations in the horizontal electric field (self-potential) of the earth. The first variation was an anomaly of 90 mV amplitude across electrode dipoles of 630 and 640 m, which began 55 days before an earthquake of M=5, located 37 km NW of the dipoles. The second variation had an amplitude of 4 mV across a 300 m dipole, and began 110 hours before an event of M=2.4 located on the San Andreas fault, 2.5 km from the dipole. Streaming potentials generated by the flow of groundwater into a dilatant zone are proposed as a possible mechanism for the observed variations

UJI POTENSI Gliocladium sp TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN PRODUKSI TANAMAN TOMAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lina Herlina

2013-09-01

Full Text Available AbstrakMikroorganisme tanah seperti Gliocladium sp dapat bertindak sebagai dekomposer dan juga sebagai agen pengendali hayati patogen tanaman hal ini memberikan harapan untuk mengurangi penggunaan pupuk dan fungisida sintetik. Tujuan penelitian untuk menguji potensi biofertililzer Gliocladium sp terhadap pertumbuhan dan produksi buah tomat. Variabel bebas yaitu bioferlizer Gliocladium sp  dengan dosis (g/tanaman 0,50, 100, 150, dan 200 .Variabel tergantung adalah pertumbuhan dan produksi tanaman tomat. Parameter pertumbuhan yang diukur adalah  tinggi tanaman, kandungan klorofil a dan b. Parameter hasil tanaman yang diukur adalah berat buah setelah panen. Hasil uji Anava satu jalan menunjukkan bahwa pemberian Gliocladium sp perpengaruh terhadap tinggi tanaman, kandungan klorofil a dan klorofil b, berat tomat  . Hasil uji lanjut Duncan menunjukkan bahwa dosis 100, g 150 g dan 200 g tidak berbeda signifikan terhadap tinggi tanaman, dosis 150g dan 200 g tidak berbedan nyata dalam pembentukan klorofil a dan klorofil b. Pemberian Gliocladium dosis 150g paling tinggi terhadap berat buah. Simpulan dalam penelitian ini bahwa pemberian Gliokompos sp berpengaruh terhadap pertumbuhan dan produksi buah tomat. AbstractSoil microorganisms such as Gliocladium sp. can play role in the decomposition and can also become the biological control of pathogenic plants. The animal is potentially reduce the use of fertilizers and synthetic fungidid. The aim of the study was to test the potential effect of biofertililzer Gliocladium sp. on the growth and production of tomatoes. The independent variables was biofertilizer Gliocladium sp. at various dosages (g/plant of 0, 50, 100, 150, dan 200. The dependent variables were the growth and the production of tomatoes. The growth parameter measured were plant height, as well as a and b chlorophyl contents.  The crop parameter was the fruit weight post-harvest.  A one-way anova showed that Gliocladium sp. affected the

spMC: an R-package for 3D lithological reconstructions based on spatial Markov chains

Science.gov (United States)

Sartore, Luca; Fabbri, Paolo; Gaetan, Carlo

2016-09-01

The paper presents the spatial Markov Chains (spMC) R-package and a case study of subsoil simulation/prediction located in a plain site of Northeastern Italy. spMC is a quite complete collection of advanced methods for data inspection, besides spMC implements Markov Chain models to estimate experimental transition probabilities of categorical lithological data. Furthermore, simulation methods based on most known prediction methods (as indicator Kriging and CoKriging) were implemented in spMC package. Moreover, other more advanced methods are available for simulations, e.g. path methods and Bayesian procedures, that exploit the maximum entropy. Since the spMC package was developed for intensive geostatistical computations, part of the code is implemented for parallel computations via the OpenMP constructs. A final analysis of this computational efficiency compares the simulation/prediction algorithms by using different numbers of CPU cores, and considering the example data set of the case study included in the package.

Self-protection Method for Flying Robots to Avoid Collision

OpenAIRE

Guosheng Wu; Luning Wang; Changyuan Fan; Xi Zhu

2008-01-01

This paper provides a new approach to solve the motion planning problems of flying robots in uncertain 3D dynamic environments. The robots controlled by this method can adaptively choose the fast way to avoid collision without information about the shapes and trajectories of obstacles. Based on sphere coordinates the new method accomplishes collision avoidance of flying robots without any other auxiliary positioning systems. The Self-protection System gives robots self-protection abilities to...

A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Parada, Eva; Cano-García, Jose; Aguilera, Francisco; Sandoval, Francisco; Urdiales, Cristina

2017-01-09

Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN) allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i) to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii) to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage.

Remediation of PAH-contaminated soil using Achromobacter sp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cutright, T.J.; Lee, S.

1994-01-01

Several technologies have the potential to effectively remediate soil contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): solvent extraction, coal-oil agloflotation, supercritical extraction, and bioremediation. Due to the cost effectiveness and in-situ treatment capabilities of bioremediation, studies were conducted to determine the efficiency of Achromobacter sp. to remediate an industrial contaminated soil sample. Specifically, the use of three different mineral salt solutions in conjunction with the Achromobacter sp. was investigated. The molecular identification of the contaminants and their respective levels after remediation were determined using a Hewlett-Packard 1050 HPLC. Preliminary results show a 92% remediation for the use of two of the mineral salt solutions after 20 days' treatment. After 8 weeks, the remediation efficiency reached 99%. Bioremediation was also critically compared to the other potential remediation technologies

Local self-government potential in sustainable development of region providing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Y. Bobrovska

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Ongoing decentralization of power in Ukraine enhances abilities of each region to independently choose their development path and use their own resources. It requires reviewing and updating of mechanisms and instruments of local government and public administration projected to increase the sustainability of development. This necessitates further research of issues of this extremely complex phenomenon. The problem of sustainable development of the regions and their internal capacities over the past decades has attracted the attention of many Ukrainian scientists. They considered the question of the essence and characteristics of this phenomenon, categorical apparatus, and formed approaches to the assessment of the state etc. Existing scientific researchers provided an opportunity for better understanding and deepening of the issues of processes of development formation, becoming the basis for further research. The purpose of the article is the definition of the potential of local governments in the sustainable development of the region, finding approaches for improving management and rational use of resources to enhance the regional development. Development of regions is the scope of display of results and public nature of local self-government. However, the results which are achieved by regional development and its level of sustainability do not meet the needs of society. The results of ongoing reforms, their economic, environmental and social significance do not correspond to spent resources and efforts of society. Strategies of regions for the transition to sustainable development are not systematic. To search for answers and ways to address the issues of the article attempts to identify common root causes in the organization of local government, the underlying increase its impact in the direction of creating conditions and ensure the flow of sustainable regional development through research and their potential influential factors. It is

Suicide in Sorocaba-SP: an epidemiological study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Nobrega Vasques de Freitas

2013-09-01

Introduction: suicide is a major worldwide public health issue and appears as one of the ten most frequent causes of death in all ages. Objective: to perform an epidemiological analysis of suicide rates recorded between 2000 and 2009 in the city of Sorocaba-SP and compare them to national epidemiological data. Methods: We performed a descriptive analysis of suicide data in Sorocaba-SP in the period 2000 to 2009 collected by the Surveillance of Violence and Injuries (VIVA and the Municipal Health Secretariat of Sorocaba-SP. Results: a total of 229 suicide cases were recorded between 2000 and 2009. Total suicide rate suffered an increase of 3.8% in 2005, as compared to previous years, and remained constant in subsequent years. The highest average rates were recorded in 2005 and 2007. Men are more likely to commit suicide. The highest rates of suicide were recorded in the age group 35-44 years. Being single was the most common sociodemographic characteristic of suicides during the study period. The most common methods of suicide were hanging and firearms. Conclusion: The rate of suicide in Sorocaba-SP, despite low, is consistent with the national and international growth trends. Members of the younger population are killing themselves with increasing frequency, although the highest rates of suicide are still found among those aged 35 - 44 years

Culture, Method, and the Content of Self-Concepts: Testing Trait, Individual-Self-Primacy, and Cultural Psychology Perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Prado, Alicia M; Church, A Timothy; Katigbak, Marcia S; Miramontes, Lilia G; Whitty, Monica; Curtis, Guy J; de Jesús Vargas-Flores, José; Ibáñez-Reyes, Joselina; Ortiz, Fernando A; Reyes, Jose Alberto S

2007-12-01

Three theoretical perspectives on cultural universals and differences in the content of self-concepts were tested in individualistic (United States, n = 178; Australia, n = 112) and collectivistic (Mexico, n = 157; Philippines, n = 138) cultures, using three methods of self-concept assessment. Support was found for both trait perspectives and the individual-self-primacy hypothesis. In contrast, support for cultural psychology hypotheses was limited because traits and other personal attributes were not more salient, or social attributes less salient, in individualistic cultures than collectivistic cultures. The salience of some aspects of self-concept depended on the method of assessment, calling into question conclusions based on monomethod studies.

A multidisciplinary approach for the study of the effects of active tectonics along the North Anatolian fault zone: possibilities for the application of the electrical self potential method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Balderer

1994-06-01

Full Text Available The aims of this joint interdisciplinary project “Marmara” of ETH Zurich and the Istanbul Technical University (ITO are to study the effects of active tectonics as evidenced by geology, geodesy and seismology on hydrogeology and geothermics in selected areas along the North Anatolian fault zone. Within the framework of this project thermal water systems in seven different areas have been investigated or are under investigation up to now (SchindIer et al., 1993. For three study areas along the North Anatolian fault zone (from east to west of Kuzuluk/Adapazari, Bursa and of Canakkale the investigations with respect to the geological and hydrogeological features are complete. The now possible hydrogeological characterisation shows encouraging possibilities for the application of new methods like the electrical self potential method for the following reasons: 1 a fully interdisciplinary approach, including seismic survey with especially conceived network, geodetic survey to investigate tectonic movements by the GPS method, geothermic survey combined with geological mapping and hydrogeological investigations of normal mineral and thermal waters; 2 groundwaters of very different chemical and isotopical composition e.g.: Ca-HCO3-type thermal waters of up to 82 °C temperature and total mineralisation of 500 mg/I to 1500 mg/I in the Bursa area, Na-HCO3-type cold mineral waters of up to 2500 mg/I to thermal waters of same mineralisation of up to 80 °C temperature, containing large amounts of CO2 of up to 1 l per 1 kg of water (at surface conditions in the Kuzuluk area and Na-Cl-type waters presenting real thermal brines of up to 65 000 mg/I of total mineralisation and temperatures of up to 100 °C in the Canakkale area; 3 distinct types of hydrodynamic flow regime in areas of different geological and tectonic structure. Based on the results of the investigations within these areas the possibilities of further studies including self potential methods

Self-efficacy as a potential moderator of the effects of framed health messages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werrij, M.Q.; Ruiter, R.A.C.; Riet, van 't J.P.; Vries, de H.

2011-01-01

This study focuses on self-efficacy as a potential moderator of the effects of gain- and loss-framed health messages. Undergraduate students (N = 124) received a gain- or loss-framed message about consuming ecological meat. The data revealed that for participants high in self-efficacy, the

Endometrial Cancer Side-Population Cells Show Prominent Migration and Have a Potential to Differentiate into the Mesenchymal Cell Lineage

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Kiyoko; Takao, Tomoka; Kuboyama, Ayumi; Tanaka, Yoshihiro; Ohgami, Tatsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Shinichiro; Adachi, Sawako; Yoneda, Tomoko; Ueoka, Yousuke; Kato, Keiji; Hayashi, Shinichi; Asanoma, Kazuo; Wake, Norio

2010-01-01

Cancer stem-like cell subpopulations, referred to as “side-population” (SP) cells, have been identified in several tumors based on their ability to efflux the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33342. Although SP cells have been identified in the normal human endometrium and endometrial cancer, little is known about their characteristics. In this study, we isolated and characterized the SP cells in human endometrial cancer cells and in rat endometrial cells expressing oncogenic human K-Ras protein. These SP cells showed i) reduction in the expression levels of differentiation markers; ii) long-term proliferative capacity of the cell cultures; iii) self-renewal capacity in vitro; iv) enhancement of migration, lamellipodia, and, uropodia formation; and v) enhanced tumorigenicity. In nude mice, SP cells formed large, invasive tumors, which were composed of both tumor cells and stromal-like cells with enriched extracellular matrix. The expression levels of vimentin, α-smooth muscle actin, and collagen III were enhanced in SP tumors compared with the levels in non-SP tumors. In addition, analysis of microdissected samples and fluorescence in situ hybridization of Hec1-SP-tumors showed that the stromal-like cells with enriched extracellular matrix contained human DNA, confirming that the stromal-like cells were derived from the inoculated cells. Moreober, in a Matrigel assay, SP cells differentiated into α-smooth muscle actin-expressing cells. These findings demonstrate that SP cells have cancer stem-like cell features, including the potential to differentiate into the mesenchymal cell lineage. PMID:20008133

SpEnD: Linked Data SPARQL Endpoints Discovery Using Search Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Yumusak, Semih; Dogdu, Erdogan; Kodaz, Halife; Kamilaris, Andreas; Vandenbussche, Pierre-Yves

In this study, a novel metacrawling method is proposed for discovering and monitoring linked data sources on the Web. We implemented the method in a prototype system, named SPARQL Endpoints Discovery (SpEnD). SpEnD starts with a "search keyword" discovery process for finding relevant keywords for the linked data domain and specifically SPARQL endpoints. Then, these search keywords are utilized to find linked data sources via popular search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex). By using this method, most of the currently listed SPARQL endpoints in existing endpoint repositories, as well as a significant number of new SPARQL endpoints, have been discovered. Finally, we have developed a new SPARQL endpoint crawler (SpEC) for crawling and link analysis.

Pengaruh Perbedaan Konsentrasi Ekstrak Sargassum sp. dan Lama Penyimpanan terhadap Oksidasi Lemak pada Fillet Ikan Patin (Pangasius sp.

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Fatin Hidayati

2017-05-01

storage time in inhibiting the oxidation process in catfish fillet. The materials used in this research were Sargassum sp. extracts and catfish fillet. This research was using experimental laboratories research method with factorial Completely Randomized Research Design (CRD of 2 factors which were concentrations of Sargassum sp. extracts (0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% and storage time (0 day, 2 days, 4 days, and 6 days. The results showed that the adding of different concentrations of Sargassum sp. extracts and storage time gave significant effect to the PV value, TBA value, fat content, protein content, moisture content, as well as organoleptic point (P < 0.05. The results obtained from stage I research were the yields of Sargassum sp. with ethanol 96% solvent was 1.39%, phenol content was 1.813%, flavonoid was 0.278%, and antioxidant activity was 99.1659 ppm (categorized as strong antioxidant. The results obtained from stage II research were the PV value were ranged from 2.03 to 19.82 meq/kg, TBA value were ranged from 0.63 to 6.72 mg.mal/kg. The 1.5% concentration was the best concentration of Sargassum sp. extracts in inhibiting the lipid oxidation of catfish fillet during storage. Keywords: Antioxidant, Sargassum sp. Extracts, Storage Time, Lipid Oxidation, Catfish Fillet Citation: Hidayati, F., Darmanto, Y.S. dan Romadhon. (2017. Pengaruh Perbedaan Konsentrasi Ekstrak Sargassum sp. dan Lama Penyimpanan terhadap Oksidasi Lemak pada Fillet Ikan Patin (Pangasius sp.. Jurnal Ilmu Lingkungan, 15(1, 64-73, doi:10.14710/jil.15.1.64-73

The geothermal system of Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (Chile-Argentina): New insights from self-potential, soil CO2 degassing, temperature measurements and helium isotopes, with structural and fluid circulation implications.

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Roulleau, Emilie; Bravo, Francisco; Barde-Cabusson, Stephanie; Pizarro, Marcela; Muños, Carlos; Sanchez, Juan; Tardani, Daniele; Sano, Yuji; Takahata, Naoto; de Cal, Federico; Esteban, Carlos

2016-04-01

Geothermal systems represent natural heat transfer engines in a confined volume of rock which are strongly influenced by the regional volcano-tectonic setting controlling the formation of shallow magmatic reservoirs, and by the local faults/fracture network, that permits the development of hydrothermal circulation cells and promote the vertical migration of fluids and heat. In the Southern Volcanic Zone of Chile-Argentina, geothermal resources occur in close spatial relationship with active volcanism along the Cordillera which is primarily controlled by the 1000 km long, NNE Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ), an intra-arc dextral strike-slip fault system, associated with second-order intra-arc anisotropy of overall NE-SW (extensional) and NW-SE orientation (compressional). However there is still a lack of information on how fault network (NE and WNW strinking faults) and lithology control the fluid circulation. In this study, we propose new data of dense self-potential (SP), soil CO2 emanation and temperature (T) measurements within the geothermal area from Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (CCVC), coupled with helium isotopes ratios measured in fumaroles and thermal springs. We observe that inside the geothermal system the NE-striking faults, characterized by a combination of SP-CO2 and T maxima with high 3He/4He ratios (7.86Ra), promote the formation of high vertical permeability pathways for fluid circulation. Whereas, the WNW-striking faults represent low permeability pathways for hydrothermal fluids ascent associated with moderate 3He/4He ratios (5.34Ra), promoting the infiltration of meteoric water at shallow depth. These active zones are interspersed by SP-CO2- T minima, which represent self-sealed zones (e.g. impermeable altered rocks) at depth, creating a barrier inhibiting fluids rise. The NE-striking faults seem to be associated with the upflow zones of the geothermal system, where the boiling process produces a high vapor-dominated zone close to the

Effects of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu-resistant endophytic Enterobacter sr CBSB1 and Rhodotorula sp. CBSB79 on the growth and phytoextraction of Brassica plants in multimetal contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenfeng; Deng, Zujun; Tan, Hongming; Cao, Lixiang

2013-01-01

To survey the effects of endophytic Enterobacter sp. CBSB1 and Rhodotorula sp. CBSB79 resistant to Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ on the growth and phytoextraction of Brassica, the endophytes were isolated by surface- sterilized methods and characterized. The CBSB1 significantly increased 44.2% of the dry weight of Brassica napus in the multimetal contaminated soil (P Rhodotorula sp CBSB79 showed higher potentials to improve extraction efficacy of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu by Brassica seedlings in the field.

Universal Effectiveness of Inducing Magnetic Moments in Graphene by Amino-Type sp3-Defects

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Tao Tang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Inducing magnetic moments in graphene is very important for its potential application in spintronics. Introducing sp3-defects on the graphene basal plane is deemed as the most promising approach to produce magnetic graphene. However, its universal validity has not been very well verified experimentally. By functionalization of approximately pure amino groups on graphene basal plane, a spin-generalization efficiency of ~1 μB/100 NH2 was obtained for the first time, thus providing substantial evidence for the validity of inducing magnetic moments by sp3-defects. As well, amino groups provide another potential sp3-type candidate to prepare magnetic graphene.

Wake potential in a nonuniform self-gravitating dusty magnetoplasma in the presence of ion streaming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Ehsan, Z.; Zubia, K.; Shah, H. A.; Murtaza, G.

2007-01-01

A detailed investigation of the electrostatic asymmetric shielding potential and consequent generation of the dynamical oscillatory wake potential has been examined analytically in an inhomogeneous self-gravitating dusty magnetoplasma in the presence of uniform ion streaming. It is found that the wake potential depends significantly on the test particle speed, ambient magnetic field, ion streaming velocity, and the plasma inhomogeneity. The periodic oscillatory potential might lead to an alternative approach to the Jeans instability for the formation of dust agglomeration leading to gravitational collapse of the self-gravitating systems

KIN SP: A boundary element method based code for single pile kinematic bending in layered soil

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Stefano Stacul

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In high seismicity areas, it is important to consider kinematic effects to properly design pile foundations. Kinematic effects are due to the interaction between pile and soil deformations induced by seismic waves. One of the effect is the arise of significant strains in weak soils that induce bending moments on piles. These moments can be significant in presence of a high stiffness contrast in a soil deposit. The single pile kinematic interaction problem is generally solved with beam on dynamic Winkler foundation approaches (BDWF or using continuous models. In this work, a new boundary element method (BEM based computer code (KIN SP is presented where the kinematic analysis is preceded by a free-field response analysis. The analysis results of this method, in terms of bending moments at the pile-head and at the interface of a two-layered soil, are influenced by many factors including the soil–pile interface discretization. A parametric study is presented with the aim to suggest the minimum number of boundary elements to guarantee the accuracy of a BEM solution, for typical pile–soil relative stiffness values as a function of the pile diameter, the location of the interface of a two-layered soil and of the stiffness contrast. KIN SP results have been compared with simplified solutions in literature and with those obtained using a quasi-three-dimensional (3D finite element code.

Iterated interactions method. Realistic NN potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbatov, A.M.; Skopich, V.L.; Kolganova, E.A.

1991-01-01

The method of iterated potential is tested in the case of realistic fermionic systems. As a base for comparison calculations of the 16 O system (using various versions of realistic NN potentials) by means of the angular potential-function method as well as operators of pairing correlation were used. The convergence of genealogical series is studied for the central Malfliet-Tjon potential. In addition the mathematical technique of microscopical calculations is improved: new equations for correlators in odd states are suggested and the technique of leading terms was applied for the first time to calculations of heavy p-shell nuclei in the basis of angular potential functions

A Verhulst model for microalgae Botryococcus sp. growth and nutrient removal in wastewater

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Jamaian, Siti Suhana; Bakeri, Noorhadila Mohd; Sunar, Norshuhaila Mohamed; Gani, Paran

2017-08-01

Microalgae Botryococcus sp. is a colonial green alga found in lakes and reservoirs in Malaysia. Previous studies reported that the potential of Botryococcus sp. photosynthesis as a source of fuel. The Botryococcus sp. contains hydrocarbon up to 75% of dry weight, which can be converted into petrol, diesel or turbine fuel or other liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons. Recently, an experimental study was conducted on phycoremediation technology for wastewater using Botryococcus sp. The phycoremediation technology is useful to remove the excess of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and also have the ability to remove various pollutants from wastewater. This research implements the Verhulst model to estimate the nutrient removal by microalgae Botryococcus sp. from the wastewater. This model has been validated with the experiments of microalgae Botryococcus sp. grown in domestic and palm oil wastewater. The results suggested that microalgae Botryococcus sp. could be cultured in domestic and palm oil wastewater while nutrients are reduced from these wastewaters.

Cytotoxic and antibacterial naphthoquinones from an endophytic fungus, Cladosporium sp.

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Md. Imdadul Huque Khan

Full Text Available Objective: Endophytes have the potential to synthesize various bioactive secondary metabolites. The aim of the study was to find new cytotoxic and antibacterial metabolites from endophytic fungus, Cladosporium sp. isolated from the leaves of Rauwolfia serpentina (L. Benth. ex Kurz. (Fam: Apocyanaceae. Materials and methods: The endophytic fungus was grown on potato dextrose agar medium and extracted using ethyl acetate. Secondary metabolites were isolated by chromatographic separation and re-crystallization, and structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectroscopic data. The cytotoxicity was determined by WST-1 assay and brine shrimp lethality bioassay, while antibacterial activity was assessed by disc diffusion method. Results: Two naphthoquinones, namely anhydrofusarubin (1 and methyl ether of fusarubin (2, were isolated from Cladosporium sp. The isolated compounds 1 and 2, by WST-1 assay against human leukemia cells (K-562 showed potential cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 3.97 μg/mL and 3.58 μg/mL, respectively. Initial screening of crude ethyl acetate extract and column fractions F-8 and F-10 exhibited noticeable cytotoxicity to brine shimp nauplii with LC50 values of 42.8, 1.2 and 2.1 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the isolated compound 2 (40 μg/disc showed prominent activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus megaterium with an average zone of inhibition of 27 mm, 25 mm, 24 mm and 22 mm, respectively and the activities were compared with kanamycin (30 μg/disc. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that anhydrofusarubin (1 and methyl ether of fusarubin (2 might be useful lead compounds to develop potential cytotoxic and antimicrobial drugs. Keywords: Endophytic fungi, Cladosporium species, Fusarubin, Cytoxicity, Antibacterial activity

Self-efficacy beliefs and leader potentials as predictors of leadership ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined the impact of self-efficacy beliefs and leader potentials on the leadership effectiveness of employees in managerial position. Data was collected through a survey of 164 managers (102 males and 62 females) in service and manufacturing organisations in Ibadan, Nigeria. Results of hierarchical ...

Antagonistic activity of antibiotic producing Streptomyces sp. against fish and human pathogenic bacteria

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Nazmul Hossain

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, attempts were made to isolate Streptomyces sp. from soil samples of two different regions of Bangladesh and evaluate their antagonistic activity against fish and human pathogenic bacteria. A total of 10 isolates were identified as Streptomyces sp. based on several morphological, physiological and biochemical tests. Cross streak method was used to observe the antagonistic activity of the Streptomyces sp. isolates against different fish pathogens belonging to the genus Aeromonas, Pseudomonas and Edwardsiella and human clinical isolates belonging to the genus Klebsiella, Salmonella and Streptococcus. Seven Streptomyces sp. isolates showed antagonism against both fish and human pathogenic bacteria. Four isolates viz., N24, N26, N28 and N47 showed broad spectrum of antagonistic activity (80-100% against all genera of fish and human pathogenic bacteria. The isolate N49 exhibited highest spectrum of antagonism against all fish pathogens (90-100% but comparatively lower degree of antagonism against human pathogens (50-60%. Rest of the two isolates (N21 and N23 showed variability in their antagonism. Results showed that broad spectrum antibiotic(s could be developed from the isolates N24, N26, N28 and N47against several human and fish pathogens. The isolate N49 could be a potential source of antibiotic, especially for fish pathogenic bacteria.

Accumulation of zirconium phosphate by a Serratia sp.: a benign system for the removal of radionuclides from aqueous flows.

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Mennan, Claire; Paterson-Beedle, Marion; Macaskie, Lynne E

2010-10-01

Metal phosphate deposited enzymatically on Serratia sp. has been used successfully for the removal of radionuclides from aqueous flows. Previous studies using biogenic hydrogen uranyl phosphate (HUP) on Serratia sp. biofilm showed removal of 100% of (90)Sr, (137)Cs, and (60)Co via their intercalation into biogenic HUP crystals. Zirconium phosphates (ZrP) offer a potential non-toxic and non-radioactive alternative to HUP for water decontamination. A method was developed for biomanufacturing ZrP. Biogenic ZrP removed ca. 100% of Sr(2+) and Co(2+) (0.5 mM) from solutions to a molar ratio at saturation of ca. 1:0.6 for both Zr:Sr and Zr:Co. The potential for drinking water decontamination via bio-ZrP is discussed with respect to bio-HUP and also other commercially available materials.

Isolation and Characterization of an Atypical Metschnikowia sp. Strain from the Skin Scraping of a Dermatitis Patient.

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Chee Sian Kuan

Full Text Available A yeast-like organism was isolated from the skin scraping sample of a stasis dermatitis patient in the Mycology Unit Department of Medical Microbiology, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The isolate produced no pigment and was not identifiable using chromogenic agar and API 20C AUX. The fungus was identified as Metschnikowia sp. strain UM 1034, which is close to that of Metschnikowia drosophilae based on ITS- and D1/D2 domain-based phylogenetic analysis. However, the physiology of the strain was not associated to M. drosophilae. This pathogen exhibited low sensitivity to all tested azoles, echinocandins, 5-flucytosine and amphotericin B. This study provided insight into Metschnikowia sp. strain UM 1034 phenotype profiles using a Biolog phenotypic microarray (PM. The isolate utilized 373 nutrients of 760 nutrient sources and could adapt to a broad range of osmotic and pH environments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation of Metschnikowia non-pulcherrima sp. from skin scraping, revealing this rare yeast species as a potential human pathogen that may be misidentified as Candida sp. using conventional methods. Metschnikowia sp. strain UM 1034 can survive in flexible and diverse environments with a generalist lifestyle.

A Social Potential Fields Approach for Self-Deployment and Self-Healing in Hierarchical Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

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Eva González-Parada

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Autonomous mobile nodes in mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSN allow self-deployment and self-healing. In both cases, the goals are: (i to achieve adequate coverage; and (ii to extend network life. In dynamic environments, nodes may use reactive algorithms so that each node locally decides when and where to move. This paper presents a behavior-based deployment and self-healing algorithm based on the social potential fields algorithm. In the proposed algorithm, nodes are attached to low cost robots to autonomously navigate in the coverage area. The proposed algorithm has been tested in environments with and without obstacles. Our study also analyzes the differences between non-hierarchical and hierarchical routing configurations in terms of network life and coverage.

Artificial Intelligence: Bayesian versus Heuristic Method for Diagnostic Decision Support.

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Elkin, Peter L; Schlegel, Daniel R; Anderson, Michael; Komm, Jordan; Ficheur, Gregoire; Bisson, Leslie

2018-04-01

Evoking strength is one of the important contributions of the field of Biomedical Informatics to the discipline of Artificial Intelligence. The University at Buffalo's Orthopedics Department wanted to create an expert system to assist patients with self-diagnosis of knee problems and to thereby facilitate referral to the right orthopedic subspecialist. They had two independent sports medicine physicians review 469 cases. A board-certified orthopedic sports medicine practitioner, L.B., reviewed any disagreements until a gold standard diagnosis was reached. For each case, the patients entered 126 potential answers to 26 questions into a Web interface. These were modeled by an expert sports medicine physician and the answers were reviewed by L.B. For each finding, the clinician specified the sensitivity (term frequency) and both specificity (Sp) and the heuristic evoking strength (ES). Heuristics are methods of reasoning with only partial evidence. An expert system was constructed that reflected the posttest odds of disease-ranked list for each case. We compare the accuracy of using Sp to that of using ES (original model, p  < 0.0008; term importance * disease importance [DItimesTI] model, p  < 0.0001: Wilcoxon ranked sum test). For patient referral assignment, Sp in the DItimesTI model was superior to the use of ES. By the fifth diagnosis, the advantage was lost and so there is no difference between the techniques when serving as a reminder system. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

The self-organizing fractal theory as a universal discovery method: the phenomenon of life

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Kurakin Alexei

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract A universal discovery method potentially applicable to all disciplines studying organizational phenomena has been developed. This method takes advantage of a new form of global symmetry, namely, scale-invariance of self-organizational dynamics of energy/matter at all levels of organizational hierarchy, from elementary particles through cells and organisms to the Universe as a whole. The method is based on an alternative conceptualization of physical reality postulating that the energy/matter comprising the Universe is far from equilibrium, that it exists as a flow, and that it develops via self-organization in accordance with the empirical laws of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. It is postulated that the energy/matter flowing through and comprising the Universe evolves as a multiscale, self-similar structure-process, i.e., as a self-organizing fractal. This means that certain organizational structures and processes are scale-invariant and are reproduced at all levels of the organizational hierarchy. Being a form of symmetry, scale-invariance naturally lends itself to a new discovery method that allows for the deduction of missing information by comparing scale-invariant organizational patterns across different levels of the organizational hierarchy. An application of the new discovery method to life sciences reveals that moving electrons represent a keystone physical force (flux that powers, animates, informs, and binds all living structures-processes into a planetary-wide, multiscale system of electron flow/circulation, and that all living organisms and their larger-scale organizations emerge to function as electron transport networks that are supported by and, at the same time, support the flow of electrons down the Earth's redox gradient maintained along the core-mantle-crust-ocean-atmosphere axis of the planet. The presented findings lead to a radically new perspective on the nature and origin of life, suggesting that living matter

The self-organizing fractal theory as a universal discovery method: the phenomenon of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurakin, Alexei

2011-03-29

A universal discovery method potentially applicable to all disciplines studying organizational phenomena has been developed. This method takes advantage of a new form of global symmetry, namely, scale-invariance of self-organizational dynamics of energy/matter at all levels of organizational hierarchy, from elementary particles through cells and organisms to the Universe as a whole. The method is based on an alternative conceptualization of physical reality postulating that the energy/matter comprising the Universe is far from equilibrium, that it exists as a flow, and that it develops via self-organization in accordance with the empirical laws of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. It is postulated that the energy/matter flowing through and comprising the Universe evolves as a multiscale, self-similar structure-process, i.e., as a self-organizing fractal. This means that certain organizational structures and processes are scale-invariant and are reproduced at all levels of the organizational hierarchy. Being a form of symmetry, scale-invariance naturally lends itself to a new discovery method that allows for the deduction of missing information by comparing scale-invariant organizational patterns across different levels of the organizational hierarchy.An application of the new discovery method to life sciences reveals that moving electrons represent a keystone physical force (flux) that powers, animates, informs, and binds all living structures-processes into a planetary-wide, multiscale system of electron flow/circulation, and that all living organisms and their larger-scale organizations emerge to function as electron transport networks that are supported by and, at the same time, support the flow of electrons down the Earth's redox gradient maintained along the core-mantle-crust-ocean-atmosphere axis of the planet. The presented findings lead to a radically new perspective on the nature and origin of life, suggesting that living matter is an organizational state

Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites in hemodialysis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kulik, Rose Anne; Falavigna, Dina Lúcia Morais; Nishi, Letícia; Araujo, Silvana Marques

2008-08-01

Chronic renal insufficiency disease (CRI) leads to uremia in hemodialysis patients and induces a state of immunodepression that results in higher frequencies of infections and diarrhea. Hemodialysis patients resident in the city of Campo Mourão, Paraná, Brazil were analyzed from April 2006 through September 2007 for Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites and for associated diarrhea. Fecal samples from 86 hemodialysis patients and 146 healthy (reference) persons were examined by standard methods for detecting ova, larvae and cysts, which included preservation in 10% formalin and the Kinyoun method. Thirty-three hemodialysis patients (45.1%) and 36 reference individuals (25.7%) were found to be parasitized. The differences in the percentages of parasitism and polyparasitism between the reference group and the chronic renal patients was significant (p= 0.0318 and 0.0019, respectively). Blastocystis sp. (18%-20.1%), Endolimax nana (14%-16.3%), Cryptosporidium sp. (4%-4.7%) and Entamoeba coli (4%-4.7%) were the most frequent protozoa found in the hemodialysis patients. Parasitism was not significantly associated with diarrhea (p=0.9947) or with decreased white blood cell counts (p=0.7046) in these individuals. Because parasitic infections may be an important comorbidity factor in hemodialysis patients, we suggest that parasitological stool examinations, especially for Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium sp., be included in routine medical follow-up examinations of these patients.

Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites in hemodialysis patients

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Rose Anne Kulik

Full Text Available Chronic renal insufficiency disease (CRI leads to uremia in hemodialysis patients and induces a state of immunodepression that results in higher frequencies of infections and diarrhea. Hemodialysis patients resident in the city of Campo Mourão, Paraná, Brazil were analyzed from April 2006 through September 2007 for Blastocystis sp. and other intestinal parasites and for associated diarrhea. Fecal samples from 86 hemodialysis patients and 146 healthy (reference persons were examined by standard methods for detecting ova, larvae and cysts, which included preservation in 10% formalin and the Kinyoun method. Thirty-three hemodialysis patients (45.1% and 36 reference individuals (25.7% were found to be parasitized. The differences in the percentages of parasitism and polyparasitism between the reference group and the chronic renal patients was significant (p= 0.0318 and 0.0019, respectively. Blastocystis sp. (18%-20.1%, Endolimax nana (14%-16.3%, Cryptosporidium sp. (4%-4.7% and Entamoeba coli (4%-4.7% were the most frequent protozoa found in the hemodialysis patients. Parasitism was not significantly associated with diarrhea (p=0.9947 or with decreased white blood cell counts (p=0.7046 in these individuals. Because parasitic infections may be an important comorbidity factor in hemodialysis patients, we suggest that parasitological stool examinations, especially for Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium sp., be included in routine medical follow-up examinations of these patients.

Vibrio sp. DSM 14379 pigment production--a competitive advantage in the environment?

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Starič, Nejc; Danevčič, Tjaša; Stopar, David

2010-10-01

The ability to produce several antibacterial agents greatly increases the chance of producer's survival. In this study, red-pigmented Vibrio sp. DSM 14379 and Bacillus sp., both isolated from the same sampling volume from estuarine waters of the Northern Adriatic Sea, were grown in a co-culture. The antibacterial activity of the red pigment extract was tested on Bacillus sp. in microtiter plates. The MIC(50) for Bacillus sp. was estimated to be around 10⁻⁵ mg/L. The extract prepared form the nonpigmented mutant of Vibrio sp. had no antibacterial effect. The pigment production of Vibrio sp. was studied under different physicochemical conditions. There was no pigment production at high or low temperatures, high or low salt concentrations in peptone yeast extract (PYE) medium, low glucose concentration in mineral growth medium or high glucose concentration in PYE medium. This indicates that the red pigment production is a luxurious good that Vibrio sp. makes only under favorable conditions. The Malthusian fitness of Bacillus sp. in a co-culture with Vibrio sp. under optimal environmental conditions dropped from 4.0 to -7.6, which corresponds to three orders of magnitude decrease in the number of CFU relative to the monoculture. The nonpigmented mutant of Vibrio sp. in a co-culture with Bacillus sp. had a significant antibacterial activity. This result shows that studying antibacterial properties in isolation (i.e. pigment extract only) may not reveal full antibacterial potential of the bacterial strain. The red pigment is a redundant antibacterial agent of Vibrio sp.

A physically-based analytical model to describe effective excess charge for streaming potential generation in saturated porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Jougnot, D.; Guarracino, L.

2016-12-01

The self-potential (SP) method is considered by most researchers the only geophysical method that is directly sensitive to groundwater flow. One source of SP signals, the so-called streaming potential, results from the presence of an electrical double layer at the mineral-pore water interface. When water flows through the pore space, it gives rise to a streaming current and a resulting measurable electrical voltage. Different approaches have been proposed to predict streaming potentials in porous media. One approach is based on the excess charge which is effectively dragged in the medium by the water flow. Following a recent theoretical framework, we developed a physically-based analytical model to predict the effective excess charge in saturated porous media. In this study, the porous media is described by a bundle of capillary tubes with a fractal pore-size distribution. First, an analytical relationship is derived to determine the effective excess charge for a single capillary tube as a function of the pore water salinity. Then, this relationship is used to obtain both exact and approximated expressions for the effective excess charge at the Representative Elementary Volume (REV) scale. The resulting analytical relationship allows the determination of the effective excess charge as a function of pore water salinity, fractal dimension and hydraulic parameters like porosity and permeability, which are also obtained at the REV scale. This new model has been successfully tested against data from the literature of different sources. One of the main finding of this study is that it provides a mechanistic explanation to the empirical dependence between the effective excess charge and the permeability that has been found by various researchers. The proposed petrophysical relationship also contributes to understand the role of porosity and water salinity on effective excess charge and will help to push further the use of streaming potential to monitor groundwater flow.

Sp1/Sp3 and DNA-methylation contribute to basal transcriptional activation of human podoplanin in MG63 versus Saos-2 osteoblastic cells

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Puri Christina

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Podoplanin is a membrane mucin that, among a series of tissues, is expressed on late osteoblasts and osteocytes. Since recent findings have focussed on podoplanin's potential role as a tumour progression factor, we aimed at identifying regulatory elements conferring PDPN promoter activity. Here, we characterized the molecular mechanism controlling basal PDPN transcription in human osteoblast-like MG63 versus Saos-2 cells. Results We cloned and sequenced 2056 nucleotides from the 5'-flanking region of the PDPN gene and a computational search revealed that the TATA and CAAT box-lacking promoter possesses features of a growth-related gene, such as a GC-rich 5' region and the presence of multiple putative Sp1, AP-4 and NF-1 sites. Reporter gene assays demonstrated a functional promoter in MG63 cells exhibiting 30-fold more activity than in Saos-2 cells. In vitro DNase I footprinting revealed eight protected regions flanked by DNaseI hypersensitive sites within the region bp -728 to -39 present in MG63, but not in Saos-2 cells. Among these regions, mutation and supershift electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA identified four Sp1/Sp3 binding sites and two binding sites for yet unknown transcription factors. Deletion studies demonstrated the functional importance of two Sp1/Sp3 sites for PDPN promoter activity. Overexpression of Sp1 and Sp3 independently increased the stimulatory effect of the promoter and podoplanin mRNA levels in MG63 and Saos-2 cells. In SL2 cells, Sp3 functioned as a repressor, while Sp1 and Sp3 acted positively synergistic. Weak PDPN promoter activity of Saos-2 cells correlated with low Sp1/Sp3 nuclear levels, which was confirmed by Sp1/Sp3 chromatin immunoprecipitations in vivo. Moreover, methylation-sensitive Southern blot analyses and bisulfite sequencing detected strong methylation of CpG sites upstream of bp -464 in MG63 cells, but hypomethylation of these sites in Saos-2 cells. Concomitantly

Self-anointing behaviour in captive titi monkeys (Callicebus spp.

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J. P. Souza-Alves

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Self-anointing behaviour using Bauhinia sp. was reported in two captive titi monkeys (Callicebus coimbrai and Callicebus barbarabrownae. The study was carried out from October 2013 to May 2014 during an experimental study investigating the gut passage time of these individuals at the Getúlio Vargas Zoobotanical Park, north-eastern Brazil. Although leaves, petioles and flowers of Bauhinia contain chemical substances that could affect the presence of ectoparasites, it is unclear if titi monkeys demonstrate self-anointing behaviour as a method of self-medication. However, due to the presence of large glands in C. coimbrai and C. barbarabrownae chests, and the high frequency of occurrence observed for the adult male, we cautiously suggest that the use of Bauhinia may be linked to olfactory communication.

The potential of Web-based interventions for heart disease self-management: a mixed methods investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Cicely; Murray, Elizabeth; Noble, Lorraine; Morris, Richard; Bottomley, Christian; Stevenson, Fiona; Patterson, David; Peacock, Richard; Turner, Indra; Jackson, Keith; Nazareth, Irwin

2010-12-02

Existing initiatives to support patient self-management of heart disease do not appear to be reaching patients most in need. Providing self-management programs over the Internet (web-based interventions) might help reduce health disparities by reaching a greater number of patients. However, it is unclear whether they can achieve this goal and whether their effectiveness might be limited by the digital divide. To explore the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in decreasing inequalities in access to self-management support in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore use made of a web-based intervention over a period of 9 months. Patients with CHD, with or without home Internet access or previous experience using the Internet, were recruited from primary care centers in diverse socioeconomic and ethnic areas of North London, UK. Patients without home Internet were supported in using the intervention at public Internet services. Only 10.6% of eligible patients chose to participate (N=168). Participants were predominantly Caucasian well-educated men, with greater proportions of male and younger CHD patients among participants than were registered at participating primary care practices. Most had been diagnosed with CHD a number of years prior to the study. Relatively few had been newly diagnosed or had experienced a cardiac event in the previous 5 years. Most had home Internet access and prior experience using the Internet. A greater use of the intervention was observed in older participants (for each 5-year age increase, OR 1.25 for no, low or high intervention use, 95% CI, 1.06-1.47) and in those that had home Internet access and prior Internet experience (OR 3.74, 95% CI, 1.52-9.22). Less use was observed in participants that had not recently experienced a cardiac event or diagnosis (≥ 5 years since cardiac event or diagnosis; OR 0.69, 95% CI, 0.50-0.95). Gender and level of education were not

Effects of tooth root contact on the stability of orthodontic anchor screws in the maxilla: Comparison between self-drilling and self-tapping methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwai, Hiroaki; Motoyoshi, Mitsuru; Uchida, Yasuki; Matsuoka, Miho; Shimizu, Noriyoshi

2015-04-01

We evaluated the effects of screw placement angle on the frequency of root contact and the effects of root contact on screw stability, comparing self-drilling and self-tapping methods. In total, 80 patients with 142 screws (diameter, 1.6 mm; length, 8.0 mm) were included. Cone-beam computed tomography images were taken. Cortical bone thickness, interroot distance, shortest distance between the screw and adjacent tooth root, and screw placement angle were measured. The success rates of the screws were 91.5% for the self-drilling method and 94.4% for the self-tapping method (P >0.05). The self-drilling screws tended to contact the distal tooth roots in the right maxilla. In the self-drilling method, the failure rate was significantly higher in the root contact group than in the no-contact group (P tapping methods in the maxilla. Avoidance of tooth root contact may improve the success rate more in the self-drilling method than in the self-tapping method. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Eficiencia de pseudomonas sp, rhodopseudomonas sp, micrococcus sp y bacillus sp empleados como cultivos individuales y en consorcio, en la degradación de petróleo diesel ii

OpenAIRE

Otiniano García, Nélida Milly Esther

2010-01-01

In order to evaluate the efficiency of Pseudomonas sp, Rhodopseudomonas sp, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus sp, and the consortium formed by these four microorganisms in the diesel II petroleum degradation, it was worked in 5 bioreactors of aerated and shaken tank of 1.5 litters of capacity, with speed agitation of 120 rpm, and air flow of 0.5 vvm; in which were placed; 940 mL of Minimum Broth of Davies pH 7.0; 50 mL of diesel II petroleum as source of carbon and 10 mL of a suspension of approx...

The Potential of Web-based Interventions for Heart Disease Self-Management: A Mixed Methods Investigation

OpenAIRE

Kerr, C.; Murray, E.; Noble, L.; Morris, R.; Bottomley, C.; Stevenson, F.; Patterson, D.; Peacock, R.; Turner, I.; Jackson, K.; Nazareth, I.

2010-01-01

Background: Existing initiatives to support patient self-management of heart disease do not appear to be reaching patients most in need. Providing self-management programs over the Internet (web-based interventions) might help reduce health disparities by reaching a greater number of patients. However, it is unclear whether they can achieve this goal and whether their effectiveness might be limited by the digital divide.Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in de...

The Potential of Web-based Interventions for Heart Disease Self-Management: A Mixed Methods Investigation

OpenAIRE

Kerr, Cicely; Murray, Elizabeth; Noble, Lorraine; Morris, Richard; Bottomley, Christian; Stevenson, Fiona; Patterson, David; Peacock, Richard; Turner, Indra; Jackson, Keith; Nazareth, Irwin

2010-01-01

Background: Existing initiatives to support patient self-management of heart disease do not appear to be reaching patients most in need. Providing self-management programs over the Internet (web-based interventions) might help reduce health disparities by reaching a greater number of patients. However, it is unclear whether they can achieve this goal and whether their effectiveness might be limited by the digital divide. Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in d...

A BCM theory of meta-plasticity for online self-reorganizing fuzzy-associative learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Javan; Quek, Chai

2010-06-01

Self-organizing neurofuzzy approaches have matured in their online learning of fuzzy-associative structures under time-invariant conditions. To maximize their operative value for online reasoning, these self-sustaining mechanisms must also be able to reorganize fuzzy-associative knowledge in real-time dynamic environments. Hence, it is critical to recognize that they would require self-reorganizational skills to rebuild fluid associative structures when their existing organizations fail to respond well to changing circumstances. In this light, while Hebbian theory (Hebb, 1949) is the basic computational framework for associative learning, it is less attractive for time-variant online learning because it suffers from stability limitations that impedes unlearning. Instead, this paper adopts the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro (BCM) theory of neurological learning via meta-plasticity principles (Bienenstock et al., 1982) that provides for both online associative and dissociative learning. For almost three decades, BCM theory has been shown to effectively brace physiological evidence of synaptic potentiation (association) and depression (dissociation) into a sound mathematical framework for computational learning. This paper proposes an interpretation of the BCM theory of meta-plasticity for an online self-reorganizing fuzzy-associative learning system to realize online-reasoning capabilities. Experimental findings are twofold: 1) the analysis using S&P-500 stock index illustrated that the self-reorganizing approach could follow the trajectory shifts in the time-variant S&P-500 index for about 60 years, and 2) the benchmark profiles showed that the fuzzy-associative approach yielded comparable results with other fuzzy-precision models with similar online objectives.

Self-compacting concretes (SCC: comparison of methods of dosage

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B. F. Tutikian

Full Text Available The composition of a self-compacting concrete (SCC should be defined to fulfills a number of requirements, such as self-compactibility, strength and durability. This study aims to compare three methods of dosage for SCC with local materials, so as to determine which one is the most economical and rational, thus assisting the executor in making a decision and enabling economic and technical feasibility for its application. The methods used in the experimental program were: Nan Su et al., which was developed in 2001 [1]; Repette-Melo, which was proposed in 2005 [2]; and Tutikian & Dal Molin, which was developed in 2007 [3]. From the results obtained in the experimental program, it was observed that the method which presented the lowest cost and highest compressive strength at the ages of 7, 28 and 91 days was Tutikian & Dal Molin, while the one which reached the lowest chloride ion penetration, best compactness and highest elasticity modulus was Repette-Melo. In tests carried out in the fresh state, all tested methods yielded mixtures which comply with the self-compactibility levels required by ABNT NBR 15823:2010 [4].

Adaptively loaded SP-offset-QAM OFDM for IM/DD communication systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jian; Chan, Chun-Kit

2017-09-04

In this paper, we propose adaptively loaded set-partitioned offset quadrature amplitude modulation (SP-offset-QAM) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) for low-cost intensity-modulation direct-detection (IM/DD) communication systems. We compare this scheme with multi-band carrier-less amplitude phase modulation (CAP) and conventional OFDM, and demonstrate >40 Gbit/s transmission over 50-km single-mode fiber. It is shown that the use of SP-QAM formats, together with the adaptive loading algorithm specifically designed to this group of formats, results in significant performance improvement for all these three schemes. SP-offset-QAM OFDM exhibits greatly reduced complexity compared to SP-QAM based multi-band CAP, via parallelized implementation and minimized memory length for spectral shaping. On the other hand, this scheme shows better performance than SP-QAM based conventional OFDM at both back-to-back and after transmission. We also characterize the proposed scheme in terms of enhanced tolerance to fiber intra-channel nonlinearity and the potential to increase the communication security. The studies show that adaptive SP-offset-QAM OFDM is a promising IM/DD solution for medium- and long-reach optical access networks and data center connections.

Overexpression of the transcription factor Sp1 activates the OAS-RNAse L-RIG-I pathway.

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Valéryane Dupuis-Maurin

Full Text Available Deregulated expression of oncogenes or transcription factors such as specificity protein 1 (Sp1 is observed in many human cancers and plays a role in tumor maintenance. Paradoxically in untransformed cells, Sp1 overexpression induces late apoptosis but the early intrinsic response is poorly characterized. In the present work, we studied increased Sp1 level consequences in untransformed cells and showed that it turns on an early innate immune transcriptome. Sp1 overexpression does not activate known cellular stress pathways such as DNA damage response or endoplasmic reticulum stress, but induces the activation of the OAS-RNase L pathway and the generation of small self-RNAs, leading to the upregulation of genes of the antiviral RIG-I pathway at the transcriptional and translational levels. Finally, Sp1-induced intrinsic innate immune response leads to the production of the chemokine CXCL4 and to the recruitment of inflammatory cells in vitro and in vivo. Altogether our results showed that increased Sp1 level in untransformed cells constitutes a novel danger signal sensed by the OAS-RNase L axis leading to the activation of the RIG-I pathway. These results suggested that the OAS-RNase L-RIG-I pathway may be activated in sterile condition in absence of pathogen.

Gamifying Self-Management of Chronic Illnesses: A Mixed-Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wills, Gary; Ranchhod, Ashok

2016-01-01

Background Self-management of chronic illnesses is an ongoing issue in health care research. Gamification is a concept that arose in the field of computer science and has been borrowed by many other disciplines. It is perceived by many that gamification can improve the self-management experience of people with chronic illnesses. This paper discusses the validation of a framework (called The Wheel of Sukr) that was introduced to achieve this goal. Objective This research aims to (1) discuss a gamification framework targeting the self-management of chronic illnesses and (2) validate the framework by diabetic patients, medical professionals, and game experts. Methods A mixed-method approach was used to validate the framework. Expert interviews (N=8) were conducted in order to validate the themes of the framework. Additionally, diabetic participants completed a questionnaire (N=42) in order to measure their attitudes toward the themes of the framework. Results The results provide a validation of the framework. This indicates that gamification might improve the self-management of chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. Namely, the eight themes in the Wheel of Sukr (fun, esteem, socializing, self-management, self-representation, motivation, growth, sustainability) were perceived positively by 71% (30/42) of the participants with P value gamification in the self-management of diabetes. PMID:27612632

Evolution of Self-Reporting Methods for Identifying Discrete Emotions in Science Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Stephen M.; Hudson, Peter; Bellocchi, Alberto; Henderson, Senka; King, Donna; Tobin, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Emotion researchers have grappled with challenging methodological issues in capturing emotions of participants in naturalistic settings such as school or university classrooms. Self-reporting methods have been used frequently, yet these methods are inadequate when used alone. We argue that the self-reporting methods of emotion diaries and…

Cosmological solutions in string theory with dilaton self interaction potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mora, C.; Pimentel, L.O.

2003-01-01

In this work we present homogeneous and isotropic cosmological solutions for the low energy limit of string theory with a self interacting potential for the scalar field. For a potential that is a linear combination of two exponential, a family of exact solutions are found for the different spatial curvatures. Among this family a non singular accelerating solution for positive curvature is singled out and the violation of the energy conditions for that solution is studied, and also its astrophysical consequences. The string coupling for this solution is finite. (Author)

Use of ecological niche modeling as a tool for predicting the potential distribution of Microcystis sp (cyanobacteria in the Aguamilpa Dam, Nayarit, Mexico

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Enrique Martinez-Meyer

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Ecological niche modeling is an important tool to evaluate the spatial distribution of terrestrial species, however, its applicability has been little explored in the aquatic environment. Microcystis sp., a species of cyanobacteria, is widely recognized for its ability to produce a group of toxins known as microcystins, which can cause death of animals as fish, birds and mammals depending on the amount of toxin absorbed. Like any taxonomic group, cyanobacteria has environmental thresholds, therefore, a suitable ecological niche will define their distribution. This study was conducted in Aguamilpa Hydroelectric Reservoir, an artificial ecosystem that started operations in 1994. In this system we evaluated the potential distribution of Microcystis sp., by generating a prediction model based on the concept of ecological niche MAXENT, using a Digital Elevation Model in cells of 100 m x 100 m (1 ha spatial resolution and monitoring eleven physicochemical and biological variables and nutrients in water. The distribution maps were developed using ArcMap 9.2®. The results indicated that Microcystis sp., is distributed mainly in the upper tributary basin (Huaynamota basin during the dry season. There was less chance to find cyanobacteria in the entire system during the cold dry season, while during the warm dry season cyanobacteria was recognized at the confluence of two rivers. During the rainfall season there were no reports of cyanobacteria presence. This species is often associated with arising trophic processes of anthropogenic origin; therefore, attention is required in specific areas that have been identified in this work to improve Aguamilpa’s watershed management and restoration. It was also recognized the importance of phosphorus and nitrogen interaction, which determines the distribution of Microcystis sp., in the Aguamilpa Reservoir. The results of this study demonstrated that ecological niche modeling was a suitable tool to assess the

The method of rigged spaces in singular perturbation theory of self-adjoint operators

CERN Document Server

Koshmanenko, Volodymyr; Koshmanenko, Nataliia

2016-01-01

This monograph presents the newly developed method of rigged Hilbert spaces as a modern approach in singular perturbation theory. A key notion of this approach is the Lax-Berezansky triple of Hilbert spaces embedded one into another, which specifies the well-known Gelfand topological triple. All kinds of singular interactions described by potentials supported on small sets (like the Dirac δ-potentials, fractals, singular measures, high degree super-singular expressions) admit a rigorous treatment only in terms of the equipped spaces and their scales. The main idea of the method is to use singular perturbations to change inner products in the starting rigged space, and the construction of the perturbed operator by the Berezansky canonical isomorphism (which connects the positive and negative spaces from a new rigged triplet). The approach combines three powerful tools of functional analysis based on the Birman-Krein-Vishik theory of self-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators, the theory of singular quadra...

Guidance methods in psychological «spaces» of self-determination

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Nikolai S. Prjazhnikov

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Self-determination is deemed as search and continuous refinement of the meaning of the future life. The paper discusses various options for self-determination, i.e. professional, personal, social, and other ones. Self-determination means making a certain choice. This may be career choice («career self-determination», choice of a moral position («personal self-determination», choice of one’s position in society associated with image and style of life, status in various social groups («social self-determination», choice of options («Leisure selfdetermination», or even choice of relationship type («family self-determination», etc. The generalized options and methods of orientation in various «space» of self-determination are highlighted. The psychological «spaces» are regarded as a metaphor that reflects and arranges a certain field of search for the meanings of self-determination. Each «space» is constructed according to a certain principle based on certain criteria. Psychological «space» may be determined as diverse, and in this set of self-determining personality one must be able to navigate. There are main groups of psychological «space» including the typology of options for planning life and career, the typology of work activity, the typology of professions. It is important for self-determination to define the future professional activity. Various methods are presented that allow a person to get a career orientation in complex «space» of career and life choices. Particular attention is paid to self-determination of children in adolescence. Various modern approaches in career guidance and P.Ya. Galperin’s career «orientation» principles are drawn to a concordance.

Evaluación de la estabilidad de Trichoderma sp. y Azotobacter sp. conservados por diferentes métodos

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Yvonne Sarmiento Rangel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Título en ingles: Evaluation of the stability of Trichoderma sp. and Azotobacter sp.  preserved by different methods Resumen En el Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada de la Universidad Francisco de Paula Santander (Cúcuta, Colombia constantemente ingresan al Banco de Cepas, cultivos microbianos de interés biotecnológico, especialmente del sector agrícola, los cuales son utilizados en las actividades de docencia e investigación.  Por esta razón, existe el interés de mantener viables a través del tiempo estos cultivos microbianos, para lo cual se realizó en esta investigación, la evaluación de la estabilidad de los aislados de Trichoderma sp. y Azotobacter sp., utilizando  las técnicas de conservación  en viales con solución salina estéril (0,85% NaCl en refrigeración (4°C y temperatura ambiente (30°C, suelo estéril en refrigeración (4°C, comparados con la metodología de repiques sucesivos como tratamiento control.  Los resultados no mostraron diferencias significativas según el Test de Duncan (P≤0,05 en  la tasa de supervivencia microbiana entre los métodos de conservación. Sin embargo, se observó en las técnicas de viales con solución salina  estéril y suelo estéril mantenidos en refrigeración, mayor estabilidad en la concentración celular durante los cuatros meses de evaluación, sin registrar contaminación en los cultivos.  Así mismo, se registró un óptimo crecimiento macroscópico de los cultivos microbianos y sus características microscópicas se mantuvieron estables en estos dos métodos de conservación.  Por esta razón, se seleccionaron como técnicas de conservación de estos microorganismos, teniendo en cuenta además, ventajas como la facilidad de la técnica, disponibilidad de equipos, materiales y personal con los que se cuenta en el laboratorio.  Palabras clave: banco de cepas, conservación de microorganismos, viabilidad celular, Trichoderma sp., Azotobacter sp. Abstract In the

SP140L, an Evolutionarily Recent Member of the SP100 Family, Is an Autoantigen in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

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Mario Saare

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The SP100 family members comprise a set of closely related genes on chromosome 2q37.1. The widely expressed SP100 and the leukocyte-specific proteins SP110 and SP140 have been associated with transcriptional regulation and various human diseases. Here, we have characterized the SP100 family member SP140L. The genome sequence analysis showed the formation of SP140L gene through rearrangements of the two neighboring genes, SP100 and SP140, during the evolution of higher primates. The SP140L expression is interferon-inducible with high transcript levels in B cells and other peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Subcellularly, SP140L colocalizes with SP100 and SP140 in nuclear structures that are devoid of SP110, PML, or p300 proteins. Similarly to SP100 and SP140 protein, we detected serum autoantibodies to SP140L in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis using luciferase immunoprecipitation system and immunoblotting assays. In conclusion, our results show that SP140L is phylogenetically recent member of SP100 proteins and acts as an autoantigen in primary biliary cirrhosis patients.

Potentials in N=2 supergravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinov'ev, Yu.M.

1985-01-01

The potentials and Yukava interactions, that arise while introducing a gauge interaction of vector and scalar multiplets in N=2 supergravity are presented, in this the gauge group may be either compact or noncompact. The scalar multiplets geometry corresponds to nonlinear σ, models of the form Sp(2,2n)/Sp(2)xSp(2n), SU(2,n)/SU(2)SU(n)xU(1) and O(4,n)/O(4)xO(n)

Optimization of cellulase production by Penicillium sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasanna, H N; Ramanjaneyulu, G; Rajasekhar Reddy, B

2016-12-01

The production of cellulolytic enzymes (β-exoglucanase, β-endoglucanase and β-glucosidase) by Penicillium sp. on three different media in liquid shake culture conditions was compared. The organism exhibited relatively highest activity of endoglucanase among three enzymes measured at 7-day interval during the course of its growth on Czapek-Dox medium supplemented with 0.5 % (w/v) cellulose. Cellulose at 0.5 %, lactose at 0.5 %, sawdust at 0.5 %, yeast extract at 0.2 % as a nitrogen source, pH 5.0 and 30 °C temperature were found to be optimal for growth and cellulase production by Penicillium sp. Yields of Fpase, CMCase and β-glucosidase, attained on optimized medium with Penicillium sp. were 8.7, 25 and 9.52 U/ml, respectively with increment of 9.2, 5.9 and 43.8-folds over titers of the respective enzyme on unoptimised medium. Cellulase of the fungal culture with the ratio of β-glucosidase to Fpase greater than one will hold potential for biotechnological applications.

Environmental conditions affecting exopolysaccharide production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus sp., and Ochrobactrum sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiliç, Nur Koçberber; Dönmez, Gönül

2008-06-15

Three different chromium-resistant microorganisms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus sp., and Ochrobactrum sp.) were tested with regard to their EPS production at different pH levels, temperatures, Cr(VI) concentrations, and incubation periods. The optimum pH level was 7 for P. aeruginosa and Micrococcus sp., while it was 8 for Ochrobactrum sp. according to the highest EPS amount at 100 mg/L Cr(VI) concentration. The highest production of EPSs by the three bacteria was obtained under different environmental conditions. P. aeruginosa produced the highest EPS (863.3 mg/L) after incubation for 96 h on media with 50 mg/L Cr(VI) at 20 degrees C, Micrococcus sp. gave the highest yield (444.6 mg/L) after incubation for 72 h on media with 100 mg/L Cr(VI) at the same temperature, and Ochrobactrum sp. had the highest production (430.5 mg/L) on media with 150 mg/L Cr(VI) at 30 degrees C at the end of 48 h of incubation.

Superhard sp2–sp3 hybrid carbon allotropes with tunable electronic properties

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Meng Hu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Four sp2–sp3 hybrid carbon allotropes are proposed on the basis of first principles calculations. These four carbon allotropes are energetically more favorable than graphite under suitable pressure conditions. They can be assembled from graphite through intralayer wrinkling and interlayer buckling, which is similar to the formation of diamond from graphite. For one of the sp2–sp3 hybrid carbon allotropes, mC24, the electron diffraction patterns match these of i-carbon, which is synthesized from shock-compressed graphite (H. Hirai and K. Kondo, Science, 1991, 253, 772. The allotropes exhibit tunable electronic characteristics from metallic to semiconductive with band gaps comparable to those of silicon allotropes. They are all superhard materials with Vickers hardness values comparable to that of cubic BN. The sp2–sp3 hybrid carbon allotroes are promising materials for photovoltaic electronic devices, and abrasive and grinding tools.

Self-potential anomalies preceding tectonic and volcanic crises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patella, D.

1993-01-01

In this paper I consider a possible physical mechanism capable of explaining self-potential anomalies, which are currently observed on the ground surface prior to tectonic and volcanic activities. A rock cracking-fluid diffusion-charge polarization model is described. The electrical charge polarization is assumed to be the electrokinetic effect due to invasion of fluid into new fissures, which open inside a stressed rock material because of dilatancy, in the case of tectonic activity, and of the rising of a magma intrusion in the case of volcanic activity. (author). 10 refs, 2 figs

Bosons system with finite repulsive interaction: self-consistent field method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renatino, M.M.B.

1983-01-01

Some static properties of a boson system (T = zero degree Kelvin), under the action of a repulsive potential are studied. For the repulsive potential, a model was adopted consisting of a region where it is constant (r c ), and a decay as 1/r (r > r c ). The self-consistent field approximation used takes into account short range correlations through a local field corrections, which leads to an effective field. The static structure factor S(q-vector) and the effective potential ψ(q-vector) are obtained through a self-consistent calculation. The pair-correlation function g(r-vector) and the energy of the collective excitations E(q-vector) are also obtained, from the structure factor. The density of the system and the parameters of the repulsive potential, that is, its height and the size of the constant region were used as variables for the problem. The results obtained for S(q-vector), g(r-vector) and E(q-vector) for a fixed ratio r o /r c and a variable λ, indicates the raising of a system structure, which is more noticeable when the potential became more repulsive. (author)

Prevalence and determinants of the use of self-tests by members of the public: a mixed methods study

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Wilson Sue

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Self-tests can be used by members of the public to diagnose conditions without involving a doctor, nurse or other health professional. As technologies to design and manufacture diagnostic tests have developed, a range of self-tests have become available to the public to buy over-the-counter and via the Internet. This study aims to describe how many people have used self-tests and identify factors associated with their use. Methods A postal questionnaire will elicit basic information, including sociodemographic characteristics, and whether the person has used or would use specified self-tests. Consent will be sought to recontact people who want to participate further in the study, and interviews and focus groups will be used to develop hypotheses about factors associated with self-test use. These hypotheses will be tested in a case-control study. An in-depth questionnaire will be developed incorporating the identified factors. This will be sent to: people who have used a self-test (cases; people who have not used a self-test but would use one in the future (controls; and people who have not used and would not use a self-test (controls. Logistic regression analysis will be used to establish which factors are associated with self-test use. Discussion Self-tests do have potential benefits, for example privacy and convenience, but also potential harms, for example delay seeking treatment after a true negative result when the symptoms are actually due to another condition. It is anticipated that the outcomes from this study will include recommendations about how to improve the appropriate use of self-tests and existing health services, as well as information to prepare health professionals for patients who have used self-tests.

Plant growth promotion and root colonization by EPS producing Enterobacter sp. RZS5 under heavy metal contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayyed, R Z; Patel, P R; Shaikh, S S

2015-02-01

The heavy metal resistant bacterium isolated from field soil and identified as Enterobacter sp. RZS5 tolerates a high concentration (100-2000 μM) of various heavy metal ions such as Mn2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, CO2+ and Fe2+ when grown in such environment and produces exopolysaccharides (EPS). Here, we have demonstrated EPS production by Enterobacter sp. RZS5 during 60 h of growth in yeast extract mannitol broth (YEMB). The yield increased by two fold after the addition of 60 μM of Ca2+; 50 μM of Fe2+ and 60 μM of Mg2+ ions in YEMB, and the optimization of physico-chemical parameters. EPS was extracted with 30% (v/v) of isopropanol as against the commonly used 50% (v/v) isopropanol method. EPS-rich broth promoted seed germination, shoot height, root length, number of leaves and chlorophyll content of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seed and peanut (Arachis hypogaea) seed. The higher colony-forming unit of Enterobacter sp. in soil inoculated with EPS rich broth of Enterobacter sp. indicated the root colonizing potential and rhizosphere competence of the isolate. The FTIR spectra of the EPS extract confirmed the presence of the functional group characteristics of EPS known to exhibit a high binding affinity towards certain metal ions. This overall growth and vigour in plants along with the effective root colonization, reflected the potential of the isolate as an efficient bio-inoculant in bioremediation.

Investigating the Self-Protective Potential of Immobility in Victims of Rape.

Science.gov (United States)

de Heer, Brooke A; Jones, Lynn C

2017-04-01

Using a nationwide sample of reported rape cases collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI; 389 victims; 89% stranger rapes), this study investigates assumptions about self-protective behaviors for rape victims. Past research on victim resistance strategies often specifies active resistance as self-protective, inadvertently underestimating the potential for biologically based reactions, such as tonic immobility, to be self-protective as well. Results confirm that rape victims who were verbally and physically immobile during the attack were less likely to be injured and have force used against them. In addition, victims who were verbally immobile suffered a less severe attack. The results indicate that immobility may protect the victim from increased injury, force, and severity of the attack. Implications for the legal and public definition of consent are discussed.

Genome sequence of three Psychrobacter sp. strains with potential applications in bioremediation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aide Lasa

2017-06-01

Full Text Available To date, the genus Psychrobacter consists of 37 recognized species isolated from different sources, however they are more frequently found in cold and other non-polar environments of low water activity. Some strains belonging to the genus have shown different enzymatic activities with potential applications in bioremediation or food industry. In the present study, the whole genome sequences of three Psychrobacter-like strains (C 20.9, Cmf 22.2 and Rd 27.2 isolated from reared clams in Galicia (Spain are described. The sequenced genomes resulted in an assembly size of 3,143,782 bp for C 20.9 isolate, 3,168,467 bp for Cmf 22.2 isolate and 3,028,386 bp for Rd 27.2 isolate. Among the identified coding sequences of the genomes, mercury detoxification and biogeochemistry genes were found, as well as genes related to heavy metals and antibiotic resistance. Also virulence-related features were identified such as the siderophore vibrioferrin or an aerobactin-like siderophore. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene suggested that these strains may represent novel species of the Psychrobacter genus. The genome sequences of the Psychrobacter sp. strains have been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession numbers MRYA00000000 (Cmf 22.2, MRYB00000000 (Rd 27.2 and MRYC00000000 (C 20.9, and the sequences could be found at the site https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA353858.

In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of nano-carbon particles with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, S.S.; Wu, B.J.; Deng, Q.Y. [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Guo, Y.B. [The Third People' s Hospital of Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Leng, Y.X., E-mail: yxleng@263.net [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China); Huang, N. [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031 (China)

2017-06-01

Graphitization occurs during the long-term service of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) modified artificial joint. Then, DLC wear debris, which are carbon particles with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios and sizes ranging from the nano- to micro-meter scale produced. In this paper, to promote the application of DLC coating for artificial joint modification, the cytotoxicity of DLC debris (nano-carbon particles, NCs) with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios was studied. The microstructure and physical characteristics of NCs with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Meanwhile, osteoblasts and macrophages were applied to characterize the cytotoxicity of the NCs. In vitro cytotoxicity assay results indicated that cells incubated with NCs of different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios had greater osteogenic capacity, and these particles caused a weaker immune response in comparison with CoCrMo particles. Taken together, the results indicated that NCs with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios presented a good cytocompatibility than CoCrMo particles. But no significant differences were observed among NCs with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios. The better cytocompatibility of NCs is mainly attributable to their surface charge. - Highlights: • NCs with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios have been successfully prepared by annealing treatment. • NCs with different sp{sup 2}/sp{sup 3} ratios show good osteogenic capacity and lower immune response. • The good cytocompatibility of NCs is mainly dependent on its surface charge.

Self-consistent study of nuclei far from stability with the energy density method

CERN Document Server

Tondeur, F

1981-01-01

The self-consistent energy density method has been shown to give good results with a small number of parameters for the calculation of nuclear masses, radii, deformations, neutron skins, shell and sub- shell effects. It is here used to study the properties of nuclei far from stability, like densities, shell structure, even-odd mass differences, single-particle potentials and nuclear deformations. A few possible consequences of the results for astrophysical problems are briefly considered. The predictions of the model in the super- heavy region are summarised. (34 refs).

Bethe-Salpeter equation for non-self conjugate mesons in a power-law potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikhdair, S.M.

1992-07-01

We develop an approach to the solution of the spinless Bethe-Salpeter equation for the different-mass case. Although the calculations are developed for spin-zero particles in any arbitrary spherically symmetric potential, the non-Coulombic effective power-law potential is used as a kernel to produce the spin-averaged bound states of the non-self-conjugate mesons. The analytical formulae are also applicable to the self-conjugate mesons in the equal-mass case. The flavor-independent case is investigated in this work. The calculations are carried out to the third-order correction of the energy series. Results are consistent with those obtained before. (author). 14 refs, 1 tab

Rare or rarely detected? Ceraceosorus guamensis sp. nov.: a second described species of Ceraceosorales and the potential for underdetection of rare lineages with common sampling techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Kijpornyongpan, Teeratas; Catherine Aime, M

2016-08-01

Ceraceosorales is a monotypic order in Ustilaginomycotina. Its namesake, Ceraceosorus bombacis, was described as a phytopathogen of Bombax ceiba in India. In this study, we describe Ceraceosorus guamensis sp. nov., collected on the South Pacific island of Guam, which appears to represent the second isolation of any member of this order in over 40 years. Ceraceosorus species are monokaryotic and filamentous in culture, producing conidia on potato dextrose agar. However, both species behave yeast-like when cultured on corn meal agar. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (spanning the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) in both species of Ceraceosorus is highly heterogeneous containing multiple disparate copies that can vary intragenomically by up to 3.5 %. Moreover, this region could not be amplified using the fungal ITS primers most frequently used for culture-independent methods of assessing fungal biodiversity. This fact, combined with the extremely slow growth rates on commonly employed media, may indicate that members of this lineage are potentially underdetected by current sampling methods.

Efficacy of Artesunate + Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (AS + SP and Amodiaquine + Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine (AQ + SP for Uncomplicated falciparum Malaria in Equatorial Guinea (Central Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Charle

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. The objectives of the study were (i to evaluate the efficacy of combination drugs, such as artesunate + sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS + SP and amodiaquine + sulphadoxine-pyripethamine (AQ + SP in treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria (ii to differentiate recrudescence from reinfection by analysing msp-1 and msp-2 genes of Plasmodium falciparum in treatment failure cases. Methods. We carried out an in vivo study in the year 2005 in 206 children between 6 to 59 months age groups. Of the 206, 120 received AQ + SP, and 86 received AS + SP. A clinical and parasitological followup during 14 days was undertaken. Finger-prick blood sample from each patient was taken on Whatman filter paper (no. 3 on days 0, 7, 14 and also the day when the parasite and symptoms reappeared for PCR analysis. Results. Late treatment failure was observed in 3.5% (4/114 with AQ + SP, and 2.5% (2/79 with AS + SP. The success rate was 96.5% with AQ + SP and 97.5% with AS + SP. No deaths and severe reactions were recorded. Out of the 6 treatment failure cases, one was reinfection as observed by PCR analysis of msp-1 and msp-2 genes on day 14. Discussion. Both the combinations found to be efficacious and safe and could be used as a first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Equatorial Guinea.

Black males' self-perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in advanced science classes

Science.gov (United States)

Rascoe, Barbara; Monroe Atwater, Mary

2005-10-01

The purpose of this research effort was to examine Black male students' self-perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential in science. The purposeful sample consisted of nine Black males between the ages of 14 and 18 years. Four categories of self-perceptions of academic ability and gifted potential emerged from the data. These included: (a) gifted high achievers; (b) gifted could do better high achievers; (c) gifted could do better situational nonachievers; and (d) gifted could do better underachievers. Science teachers' influences that referenced participants' academic achievement pointed to validation. Participants' perceptions regarding how science teachers' influenced their academic performance focused on science teachers' content knowledge. Power dynamics germane to Black male participants' value or worth that directed their efforts in science learning environments are discussed. Implications are posited for science teaching, science education programs, and future research. This research endeavor was based on two premises. The first premise is that Black males' self-perceptions of academic ability affect their science academic achievement. The second premise is that, given parental, peer, and community influences, science teachers have considerable influence on students' self-perceptions of academic ability. However, the focus of this research was not on parental influences, peer influences, or any potential influences that participants' communities may have on their academic achievement.

Xylanolytic enzyme systems in Arthrobacter sp MTCC 5214 and Lactobacillus sp.

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Khandeparker, R.; Jalal, T.

The production of extracellular xylanolytic enzymes such as xylanase, alfa-L-arabinofuranosidase (alfa-l-AFase), and acetyl xylan esterase (Axe) by marine Arthrobacter sp and Lactobacillus sp was investigated using different carbon sources Induction...

A critical appraisal of the potential of self healing polymeric coatings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

García, S.J.; Fischer, H.R.; Zwaag, S. van der

2011-01-01

Several approaches and concepts to self healing materials have appeared in the literature over the last years, all presenting advantages and disadvantages, but definitely showing the great potential of this new class of materials to increase the lifetime of structures and to decrease maintenance

SpEnD: Linked Data SPARQL Endpoints Discovery Using Search Engines

OpenAIRE

Yumusak, Semih; Dogdu, Erdogan; Kodaz, Halife; Kamilaris, Andreas

2016-01-01

In this study, a novel metacrawling method is proposed for discovering and monitoring linked data sources on the Web. We implemented the method in a prototype system, named SPARQL Endpoints Discovery (SpEnD). SpEnD starts with a "search keyword" discovery process for finding relevant keywords for the linked data domain and specifically SPARQL endpoints. Then, these search keywords are utilized to find linked data sources via popular search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex). By using this ...

CRISPR-Cas Defense System and Potential Prophages in Cyanobacteria Associated with the Coral Black Band Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Buerger, Patrick; Wood-Charlson, Elisha M; Weynberg, Karen D; Willis, Bette L; van Oppen, Madeleine J H

2016-01-01

Understanding how pathogens maintain their virulence is critical to developing tools to mitigate disease in animal populations. We sequenced and assembled the first draft genome of Roseofilum reptotaenium AO1, the dominant cyanobacterium underlying pathogenicity of the virulent coral black band disease (BBD), and analyzed parts of the BBD-associated Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991 genome in silico . Both cyanobacteria are equipped with an adaptive, heritable clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas defense system type I-D and have potential virulence genes located within several prophage regions. The defense system helps to prevent infection by viruses and mobile genetic elements via identification of short fingerprints of the intruding DNA, which are stored as templates in the bacterial genome, in so-called "CRISPRs." Analysis of CRISPR target sequences (protospacers) revealed an unusually high number of self-targeting spacers in R. reptotaenium AO1 and extraordinary long CRIPSR arrays of up to 260 spacers in Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991. The self-targeting spacers are unlikely to be a form of autoimmunity; instead these target an incomplete lysogenic bacteriophage. Lysogenic virus induction experiments with mitomycin C and UV light did not reveal an actively replicating virus population in R. reptotaenium AO1 cultures, suggesting that phage functionality is compromised or excision could be blocked by the CRISPR-Cas system. Potential prophages were identified in three regions of R. reptotaenium AO1 and five regions of Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991, containing putative BBD relevant virulence genes, such as an NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase (a homolog in terms of functionality to the third and fourth most expressed gene in BBD), lysozyme/metalloendopeptidases and other lipopolysaccharide modification genes. To date, viruses have not been considered to be a component of the BBD consortium or a contributor to the virulence of R. reptotaenium AO1

Improvement of the Uranium Sequestration Ability of a Chlamydomonas sp. (ChlSP Strain) Isolated From Extreme Uranium Mine Tailings Through Selection for Potential Bioremediation Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Baselga-Cervera, Beatriz; Romero-López, Julia; García-Balboa, Camino; Costas, Eduardo; López-Rodas, Victoria

2018-01-01

The extraction and processing of uranium (U) have polluted large areas worldwide, rendering anthropogenic extreme environments inhospitable to most species. Noticeably, these sites are of great interest for taxonomical and applied bioprospection of extremotolerant species successfully adapted to U tailings contamination. As an example, in this work we have studied a microalgae species that inhabits extreme U tailings ponds at the Saelices mining site (Salamanca, Spain), characterized as acidic (pH between 3 and 4), radioactive (around 4 μSv h -1 ) and contaminated with metals, mainly U (from 25 to 48 mg L -1 ) and zinc (from 17 to 87 mg L -1 ). After isolation of the extremotolerant ChlSP strain, morphological characterization and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-5.8S gene sequences placed it in the Chlamydomonadaceae , but BLAST analyses identity values, against the nucleotide datasets at the NCBI database, were very low (tailings waters based on newly evolved extremotolerants and outline the potential of artificial selection in the improvement of desired features in microalgae by experimental adaptation and selection.

Sp6 and Sp8 Transcription Factors Control AER Formation and Dorsal-Ventral Patterning in Limb Development