Deletion of ALS5, ALS6 or ALS7 increases adhesion of Candida albicans to human vascular endothelial and buccal epithelial cells

OpenAIRE

ZHAO, XIAOMIN; OH, SOON-HWAN; HOYER, LOIS L.

2007-01-01

C. albicans yeast forms deleted for ALS5, ALS6 or ALS7 are more adherent than a relevant control strain to human vascular endothelial cell monolayers and buccal epithelial cells. In the buccal and vaginal reconstituted human epithelium (RHE) disease models, however, mutant and control strains caused a similar degree of tissue destruction. Deletion of ALS5 or ALS6 significantly slowed growth of the mutant strain; this phenotype was not affected by addition of excess uridine to the culture medi...

Serum metabolomics of slow vs. rapid motor progression Parkinson's disease: a pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James R Roede

Full Text Available Progression of Parkinson's disease (PD is highly variable, indicating that differences between slow and rapid progression forms could provide valuable information for improved early detection and management. Unfortunately, this represents a complex problem due to the heterogeneous nature of humans in regards to demographic characteristics, genetics, diet, environmental exposures and health behaviors. In this pilot study, we employed high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling to investigate the metabolic signatures of slow versus rapidly progressing PD present in human serum. Archival serum samples from PD patients obtained within 3 years of disease onset were analyzed via dual chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, with data extraction by xMSanalyzer and used to predict rapid or slow motor progression of these patients during follow-up. Statistical analyses, such as false discovery rate analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis, yielded a list of statistically significant metabolic features and further investigation revealed potential biomarkers. In particular, N8-acetyl spermidine was found to be significantly elevated in the rapid progressors compared to both control subjects and slow progressors. Our exploratory data indicate that a fast motor progression disease phenotype can be distinguished early in disease using high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolic profiling and that altered polyamine metabolism may be a predictive marker of rapidly progressing PD.

The Potential of/for 'Slow': Slow Tourists and Slow Destinations

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J. Guiver

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Slow tourism practices are nothing new; in fact, they were once the norm and still are for millions of people whose annual holiday is spent camping, staying in caravans, rented accommodation, with friends and relations or perhaps in a second home, who immerse themselves in their holiday environment, eat local food, drink local wine and walk or cycle around the area. So why a special edition about slow tourism? Like many aspects of life once considered normal (such as organic farming or free-range eggs, the emergence of new practices has highlighted differences and prompted a re-evaluation of once accepted practices and values. In this way, the concept of ‘slow tourism’ has recently appeared as a type of tourism that contrasts with many contemporary mainstream tourism practices. It has also been associated with similar trends already ‘branded’ slow: slow food and cittaslow (slow towns and concepts such as mindfulness, savouring and well-being.

Neurofilament markers for ALS correlate with extent of upper and lower motor neuron disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Poesen, Koen; De Schaepdryver, Maxim; Stubendorff, Beatrice; Gille, Benjamin; Muckova, Petra; Wendler, Sindy; Prell, Tino; Ringer, Thomas M; Rhode, Heidrun; Stevens, Olivier; Claeys, Kristl G; Couwelier, Goedele; D'Hondt, Ann; Lamaire, Nikita; Tilkin, Petra; Van Reijen, Dimphna; Gourmaud, Sarah; Fedtke, Nadin; Heiling, Bianka; Rumpel, Matthias; Rödiger, Annekathrin; Gunkel, Anne; Witte, Otto W; Paquet, Claire; Vandenberghe, Rik; Grosskreutz, Julian; Van Damme, Philip

2017-06-13

To determine the diagnostic performance and prognostic value of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNfH) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in CSF as possible biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the diagnostic phase. We measured CSF pNfH and NfL concentrations in 220 patients with ALS, 316 neurologic disease controls (DC), and 50 genuine disease mimics (DM) to determine and assess the accuracy of the diagnostic cutoff value for pNfH and NfL and to correlate with other clinical parameters. pNfH was most specific for motor neuron disease (specificity 88.2% [confidence interval (CI) 83.0%-92.3%]). pNfH had the best performance to differentially diagnose patients with ALS from DM with a sensitivity of 90.7% (CI 84.9%-94.8%), a specificity of 88.0% (CI 75.7%-95.5%) and a likelihood ratio of 7.6 (CI 3.6-16.0) at a cutoff of 768 pg/mL. CSF pNfH and NfL levels were significantly lower in slow disease progressors, however, with a poor prognostic performance with respect to the disease progression rate. CSF pNfH and NfL levels increased significantly as function of the number of regions with both upper and lower motor involvement. In particular, CSF pNfH concentrations show an added value as diagnostic biomarkers for ALS, whereas the prognostic value of pNfH and NfL warrants further investigation. Both pNfH and NfL correlated with the extent of motor neuron degeneration. This study provides Class II evidence that elevated concentrations of CSF pNfH and NfL can accurately identify patients with ALS. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Synthesis and structural transformations of hydrotalcite-like materials Mg-Al and Zn-Al

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Prihod'ko, R.V.; Sychev, M.V.; Astrelin, I.M.; Erdmann, K.; Mangel, A.; Santen, van R.A.

2001-01-01

Mg-Al and Zn-Al hydrotalcite-like layered double hydroxides of various compositions were synthesized and characterized. A detailed comparative analysis of the structure and composition of starting and reconstructed layered double hydroxides was made

SAP-like ultrafine-grained Al composites dispersion strengthened with nanometric AlN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balog, M.; Krizik, P.; Yan, M.; Simancik, F.; Schaffer, G.B.; Qian, M.

2013-01-01

This paper reports the development of novel Sinter-Aluminum-Pulver (SAP)-like Al–AlN nanocomposites via replacing the native Al 2 O 3 thin films on fine Al powder with a large volume fraction of in situ formed nanometric AlN dispersoids. Fine gas-atomized Al powder (d 50 =1.3 µm) compacts were first partially nitrided at 590 °C in flowing nitrogen, controlled by a small addition of Sn (0.3–0.4 wt%), and subsequently consolidated by hot direct extrusion. The resulting Al–AlN composites consisted of submicrometric Al grains reinforced with nanometric AlN dispersoids together with some nanometric Al 2 O 3 dispersoids. An Al–13 vol% AlN nanocomposite fabricated this way achieved exceptional ultimate tensile strength of 227 MPa, yield strength of 195 MPa and Young's modulus of 66 GPa at 300 °C, superior to typical SAP materials and coarse grained Al–AlN composites. In addition, the Al–13 vol% AlN nanocomposite exhibited good thermal stability up to 500 °C. The strengthening mechanism is discussed

Moyamoya disease in two patients with Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Fu-Sung; Wang, Chao-Jan; Wong, Mun-Ching; Lee, Ni-Chung

2015-06-01

Moyamoya disease is a unique chronic cerebrovascular condition caused by progressive stenosis of the arteries around the circle of Willis with prominent arterial collateral circulation. Noonan-like syndrome with loose anagen hair (NSLH) is characterized by short stature, characteristic facial phenotype, darkly pigmented and hairless skin, mild psychomotor delay with attention deficit disorder, and easily pluckable, sparse, thin, slow growing hair. Mutations in SHOC2 have been reported to underlie NSLH. In this paper, we describe two individuals with NSLH who also have moyamoya disease and in whom heterozygous germline mutation in SHOC2 was found. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Recurrent slow slip event likely hastened by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Hirose, Hitoshi; Kimura, Hisanori; Enescu, Bogdan; Aoi, Shin

2012-01-01

Slow slip events (SSEs) are another mode of fault deformation than the fast faulting of regular earthquakes. Such transient episodes have been observed at plate boundaries in a number of subduction zones around the globe. The SSEs near the Boso Peninsula, central Japan, are among the most documented SSEs, with the longest repeating history, of almost 30 y, and have a recurrence interval of 5 to 7 y. A remarkable characteristic of the slow slip episodes is the accompanying earthquake swarm activity. Our stable, long-term seismic observations enable us to detect SSEs using the recorded earthquake catalog, by considering an earthquake swarm as a proxy for a slow slip episode. Six recurrent episodes are identified in this way since 1982. The average duration of the SSE interoccurrence interval is 68 mo; however, there are significant fluctuations from this mean. While a regular cycle can be explained using a simple physical model, the mechanisms that are responsible for the observed fluctuations are poorly known. Here we show that the latest SSE in the Boso Peninsula was likely hastened by the stress transfer from the March 11, 2011 great Tohoku earthquake. Moreover, a similar mechanism accounts for the delay of an SSE in 1990 by a nearby earthquake. The low stress buildups and drops during the SSE cycle can explain the strong sensitivity of these SSEs to stress transfer from external sources. PMID:22949688

Slow breathing and cardiovascular disease

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Ashish Chaddha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide. Much emphasis has been placed on the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. While depression and anxiety increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease also increases the risk of developing anxiety and depression. Thus, promoting optimal mental health may be important for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Like lowering blood pressure, lipids, and body weight, lowering anger and hostility and improving depression and anxiety may also be an important intervention in preventive cardiology. As we strive to further improve cardiovascular outcomes, the next bridge to cross may be one of offering patients nonpharmacologic means for combating daily mental stress and promoting mental health, such as yoga and pranayama. Indeed, the best preventive cardiovascular medicine may be a blend of both Western and Eastern medicine.

MicroRNA Profiling Reveals Marker of Motor Neuron Disease in ALS Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoye, Mariah L; Koval, Erica D; Wegener, Amy J; Hyman, Theodore S; Yang, Chengran; O'Brien, David R; Miller, Rebecca L; Cole, Tracy; Schoch, Kathleen M; Shen, Tao; Kunikata, Tomonori; Richard, Jean-Philippe; Gutmann, David H; Maragakis, Nicholas J; Kordasiewicz, Holly B; Dougherty, Joseph D; Miller, Timothy M

2017-05-31

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by the loss of motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord, leading to fatally debilitating weakness. Because this disease predominantly affects MNs, we aimed to characterize the distinct expression profile of that cell type to elucidate underlying disease mechanisms and to identify novel targets that inform on MN health during ALS disease time course. microRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding RNAs that can shape the expression profile of a cell and thus often exhibit cell-type-enriched expression. To determine MN-enriched miRNA expression, we used Cre recombinase-dependent miRNA tagging and affinity purification in mice. By defining the in vivo miRNA expression of MNs, all neurons, astrocytes, and microglia, we then focused on MN-enriched miRNAs via a comparative analysis and found that they may functionally distinguish MNs postnatally from other spinal neurons. Characterizing the levels of the MN-enriched miRNAs in CSF harvested from ALS models of MN disease demonstrated that one miRNA (miR-218) tracked with MN loss and was responsive to an ALS therapy in rodent models. Therefore, we have used cellular expression profiling tools to define the distinct miRNA expression of MNs, which is likely to enrich future studies of MN disease. This approach enabled the development of a novel, drug-responsive marker of MN disease in ALS rodents. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and spinal cord are selectively lost. To develop tools to aid in our understanding of the distinct expression profiles of MNs and, ultimately, to monitor MN disease progression, we identified small regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) that were highly enriched or exclusive in MNs. The signal for one of these MN-enriched miRNAs is detectable in spinal tap biofluid from an ALS rat model, where its levels change as disease

Slow light effect with high group index and wideband by saddle-like mode in PC-CROW

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yong; Jiang, Li-Jun; Xu, Sheng; Li, Meng-Xue; Liu, Meng-Nan; Jiang, Cheng-Yi; Yuan, Feng

2018-04-01

Slow light with high group index and wideband is achieved in photonic crystal coupled-resonator optical waveguides (PC-CROWs). According to the eye-shaped scatterers and various microcavities, saddle-like curves between the normalized frequency f and wave number k can be obtained by adjusting the parameters of the scatterers, parameters of the coupling microcavities, and positions of the scatterers. Slow light with decent flat band and group index can then be achieved by optimizing the parameters. Simulations prove that the maximal value of the group index is > 104, and the normalized delay bandwidth product within a new varying range of n g > 102 or n g > 103 can be a new and effective criterion of evaluation for the slow light in PC-CROWs.

Evolution of voids in Al+-implanted ZnO probed by a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Yamamoto, S.; Kawasuso, A.; Yuan, X.L.; Sekiguchi, T.; Suzuki, R.; Ohdaira, T.

2004-01-01

Undoped ZnO single crystals were implanted with aluminum ions up to a dose of 10 15 Al + /cm 2 . Vacancy defects in the implanted layers were detected using positron lifetime and Doppler broadening measurements with slow positron beams. It shows that vacancy clusters, which are close to the size of V 8 , are generated by implantation. Postimplantation annealing shows that the Doppler broadening S parameter increases in the temperature range from 200 deg. C to 600 deg. C suggesting further agglomeration of vacancy clusters to voids. Detailed analyses of Doppler broadening spectra show formation of positronium after 600 deg. C annealing of the implanted samples with doses higher than 10 14 Al + /cm 2 . Positron lifetime measurements further suggest that the void diameter is about 0.8 nm. The voids disappear and the vacancy concentration reaches the detection limit after annealing at 600-900 deg. C. Hall measurement shows that the implanted Al + ions are fully activated with improved carrier mobility after final annealing. Cathodoluminescence measurements show that the ultraviolet luminescence is much stronger than the unimplanted state. These findings also suggest that the electrical and optical properties of ZnO become much better by Al + implantation and subsequent annealing

Parkinson's disease-like midbrain hyperechogenicity is frequent in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fathinia, Panteha; Hermann, Andreas; Reuner, Ulrike; Kassubek, Jan; Storch, Alexander; Ludolph, Albert C

2013-02-01

Clinical and neuroimaging data suggest impairment of the nigrostriatal system in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We thus hypothesized whether Parkinson's disease (PD)-like midbrain sonography findings are also present in ALS. Eighty-six patients with the diagnosis of possible or definite ALS according to revised El Escorial criteria were examined by transcranial B-mode sonography compared to 76 age- and gender-matched controls and 33 PD patients. Hyperechogenic areas of the midbrain representing the substantia nigra were measured planimetrically using standard protocols. In subjects with sufficient temporal acoustic bone windows, mean midbrain hyperechogenic areas were significantly higher in ALS (0.251 ± 0.104 cm(2)) and PD patients (0.286 ± 0.078 cm(2)) compared to controls (0.091 ± 0.054 cm(2)) with no significant difference between ALS and PD patients (one-way ANOVA: F value = 94.3; P diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PD and ALS alike.

A Pilot Trial of Pioglitazone HCl and Tretinoin in ALS: Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers to Monitor Drug Efficacy and Predict Rate of Disease Progression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Todd D. Levine

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives. To determine if therapy with pioglitazone HCl and tretinoin could slow disease progression in patients with ALS. Levels of tau and pNFH in the cerebrospinal fluid were measured to see if they could serve as prognostic indicators. Methods. 27 subjects on stable doses of riluzole were enrolled. Subjects were randomized to receive pioglitazone 30 mg/d and tretinoin 10 mg/BID for six months or two matching placebos. ALSFRS-R scores were followed monthly. At baseline and at the final visit, lumbar punctures (LPs were performed to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF biomarker levels. Results. Subjects treated with tretinoin, pioglitazone, and riluzole had an average rate of decline on the ALSFRS-R scale of −1.02 points per month; subjects treated with placebo and riluzole had a rate of decline of -.86 (P=.18. Over six months of therapy, CSF tau levels decreased in subjects randomized to active treatment and increased in subjects on placebo. Further higher levels of pNF-H at baseline correlated with a faster rate of progression. Conclusion. ALS patients who were treated with tretinoin and pioglitazone demonstrated no slowing on their disease progression. Interestingly, the rate of disease progression was strongly correlated with levels of pNFH in the CSF at baseline.

Transitions in Al-like, Mg-like and Na-like Kr and Mo, observed in the JET tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jupen, C; Denne, B; Martinson, I [JET Joint Undertaking, Abingdon, Oxon (UK)

1990-05-01

Spectra of highly ionized Kr and Mo, emitted from the JET tokamak plasmas, have been recorded in the region 30-335 A. Detailed analysis of the n=3, {Delta}n=0 transitions in Kr XXIV-XXVI and Mo XXX-XXXII has resulted in a number of new spectral classifications. Some isoelectronic regularities for Al-like and Mg-like ions are discussed. (orig.).

Are There Any Connections between Language Deficits and Cognitive Slowing in Alzheimer's Disease

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Michael Schecker

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Speech disorders already occur in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease (AD. As a possible cause, problems of executive processes are discussed. Cognitive slowing is also repeatedly addressed. Aims: Are there any connections between cognitive slowing and speech disorders in AD? And is there a relationship between cognitive slowing and executive processes? Methods: The data of 72 healthy controls and 52 AD patients were examined with regard to their language performance and their response times in a computerized Stroop paradigm. Results: The AD patients showed significantly worse results in all language tests as well as much longer reaction times in all Stroop conditions, especially in the interference condition (Stroop 3. Speech errors and response times correlated with severity (MMSE, and the speech errors correlated with the reaction times in Stroop 3 (interference condition, which reflects the processing time of executive processes. Conclusion: The most interesting question now is: How are language processing and executive processing time (Stroop 3 related?

Possible Diamond-Like Nanoscale Structures Induced by Slow Highly-Charged Ions on Graphite (HOPG)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sideras-Haddad, E.; Schenkel, T.; Shrivastava, S.; Makgato, T.; Batra, A.; Weis, C. D.; Persaud, A.; Erasmus, R.; Mwakikunga, B.

2009-01-06

The interaction between slow highly-charged ions (SHCI) of different charge states from an electron-beam ion trap and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces is studied in terms of modification of electronic states at single-ion impact nanosizeareas. Results are presented from AFM/STM analysis of the induced-surface topological features combined with Raman spectroscopy. I-V characteristics for a number of different impact regions were measured with STM and the results argue for possible formation of diamond-like nanoscale structures at the impact sites.

Slow flow and mural thrombus in aortic diseases: Spin-echo MR findings and their differentiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Jin Wook; Park, Jae Hyung; Han, Man Chung

1993-01-01

In order to evaluate the ability of spin-echo MR imaging to differentiate slow flow from mural thrombus in aortic diseases, we reviewed the spin-echo MR images of 13 patients with intraaortic thrombus documented by CT (N=11) or aortography (N=2). Six patients had aortic aneurysms and seven had aortic dissections. Intraaortic mural thrombi were accompanied by flow-related intraluminal signal of various pattern and extents in all 13 patients. On 10 gated MR studies, slow flow regions showed ever-echo rephasing phenomenon (N=8), interslice variation of signal intensities of the intraluminal signal (N=7) and flow-related ghost artifact (N=2). However, these MR flow phenomena were obscured on two of three non-gated studies. Seven of 13 intraaortic thrombi remained hyperintense on T2-weighted second-echo images. In these circumstance, a hypointense boundary layer between slow flow and mural thrombus, which was caused by either ' boundary layer dephasing phenomenon' of slow flow or 'paramagnetic T2 shortening' of fresh clot at the edge of mural thrombus, was very useful in discriminating the area of slow flow from that of mural thrombus. Proper interpretation of spin-echo MR images may obviate the need for phase display imaging or gradient-echo imaging in differentiating slow flow and mural thrombus

Timely Referral to Outpatient Nephrology Care Slows Progression and Reduces Treatment Costs of Chronic Kidney Diseases

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Gerhard Lonnemann

2017-03-01

Discussion: Timely referral to outpatient nephrology care is associated with slowed disease progression, less hospital admissions, reduced total treatment costs, and improved survival in patients with CKD.

Chinese Script vs Plate-Like Precipitation of Beta-Al9Fe2Si2 Phase in an Al-6.5Si-1Fe Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Ferdian, Deni; Josse, Claudie; Nguyen, Patrick; Gey, Nathalie; Ratel-Ramond, Nicolas; de Parseval, Philippe; Thebault, Yannick; Malard, Benoit; Lacaze, Jacques; Salvo, Luc

2015-07-01

The microstructure of a high-purity Al-6.5Si-1Fe (wt pct) alloy after solidification at various cooling rates was investigated. In most of the cases, the monoclinic beta-Al9Fe2Si2 phase was observed as long and thin lamellae. However, at a very slow cooling rate, Fe-bearing precipitates with Chinese script morphology appeared together with lamellae. Further analysis showed all these Chinese script precipitates correspond also to the monoclinic beta phase. This finding stresses that differentiating second phases according to their shape may be misleading.

Slowing the Next Pandemic: Survey of Community Mitigation Strategies

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2008-04-15

During the next influenza pandemic, it will take time to develop a vaccine and there may be limited medication to treat or prevent illness. To slow the spread of disease, CDC and other public health officials will likely ask Americans to decrease contact with others through altering work schedules, school dismissals and other measures. Researchers recently surveyed the public to see whether people could follow those recommendations and what kind of impact they might have.  Created: 4/15/2008 by Emerging Infectious Diseases.   Date Released: 4/29/2008.

Gray matter perfusion correlates with disease severity in ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Rule, Randall R; Schuff, Norbert; Miller, Robert G; Weiner, Michael W

2010-03-09

The goal of this study is to determine if regional brain perfusion, as measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, is correlated with clinical measures of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease severity. The presence of such a relationship would indicate a possible role for ASL perfusion as a marker of disease severity and upper motor neuron involvement in ALS. Disease severity was assessed in 16 subjects with ALS (age 54 +/- 11) using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS) and the pulmonary function measure, forced vital capacity (FVC). Upper motor neuron involvement was assessed by testing rapid tapping of the fingers and feet. Magnetic resonance perfusion images were coregistered with structural T1-weighted MRI, corrected for partial volume effects using the structural images and normalized to a study-specific atlas. Correlations between perfusion and ALS disease severity were analyzed, using statistical parametric mapping, and including age as a factor. Analyses were adjusted for multiple clusters. ALS severity, as measured by the ALSFRS and FVC, was correlated with gray matter perfusion. This correlation was predominantly observed in the hemisphere contralateral to the more affected limbs. ALSFRS scores correlated with perfusion in the contralateral frontal and parietal lobe (p frontal lobe (p frontal lobe (p Upper motor neuron involvement, as measured by rapid finger tapping, correlated bilaterally with perfusion in the middle cingulate gyrus (p < 0.001). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) severity is correlated with brain perfusion as measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion. This correlation appears to be independent of brain atrophy. ASL perfusion may be a useful tool for monitoring disease progression and assessing treatment effects in ALS.

Characteristics of broadband slow earthquakes explained by a Brownian model

Science.gov (United States)

Ide, S.; Takeo, A.

2017-12-01

Brownian slow earthquake (BSE) model (Ide, 2008; 2010) is a stochastic model for the temporal change of seismic moment release by slow earthquakes, which can be considered as a broadband phenomena including tectonic tremors, low frequency earthquakes, and very low frequency (VLF) earthquakes in the seismological frequency range, and slow slip events in geodetic range. Although the concept of broadband slow earthquake may not have been widely accepted, most of recent observations are consistent with this concept. Then, we review the characteristics of slow earthquakes and how they are explained by BSE model. In BSE model, the characteristic size of slow earthquake source is represented by a random variable, changed by a Gaussian fluctuation added at every time step. The model also includes a time constant, which divides the model behavior into short- and long-time regimes. In nature, the time constant corresponds to the spatial limit of tremor/SSE zone. In the long-time regime, the seismic moment rate is constant, which explains the moment-duration scaling law (Ide et al., 2007). For a shorter duration, the moment rate increases with size, as often observed for VLF earthquakes (Ide et al., 2008). The ratio between seismic energy and seismic moment is constant, as shown in Japan, Cascadia, and Mexico (Maury et al., 2017). The moment rate spectrum has a section of -1 slope, limited by two frequencies corresponding to the above time constant and the time increment of the stochastic process. Such broadband spectra have been observed for slow earthquakes near the trench axis (Kaneko et al., 2017). This spectrum also explains why we can obtain VLF signals by stacking broadband seismograms relative to tremor occurrence (e.g., Takeo et al., 2010; Ide and Yabe, 2014). The fluctuation in BSE model can be non-Gaussian, as far as the variance is finite, as supported by the central limit theorem. Recent observations suggest that tremors and LFEs are spatially characteristic

IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS in adult patients with chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lepenies, Julia; Wu, Zida; Stewart, Paul M; Strasburger, Christian J; Quinkler, Marcus

2010-04-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) is for the most part bound in a ternary complex with IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and acid-labile subunit (ALS). This ternary complex is a storage form of IGF-1 in blood and passes not through the renal glomerulus. Little information is available in regard to the components of the ternary complex in adult renal disease. To investigate levels of serum IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS in relation to renal function and extent of proteinuria. We measured IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS concentrations in 137 patients who were investigated due to proteinuria and/or haematuria and/or renal impairment. The patients received renal biopsies and the histological diagnosis was documented. Urinary albumin excretion and relevant clinical parameter were evaluated. IGF-1 showed a highly positive correlation to IGFBP-3 and ALS, and the latter to IGFBP-3. IGF-1, IGFBP-3 and ALS decreased with increasing age. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 showed no significant change depending on the creatinine clearance. However, ALS decreased with decreasing renal function. In patients with heavy proteinuria ALS levels, but not IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels, decreased significantly. Patients with chronic ischaemic renal damage and diabetic glomerulopathy showed higher IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels compared to patients with thin glomerular basement membrane disease despite their older age. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels seem to be independent of renal function and severity of proteinuria. However, ALS levels are altered in renal failure and nephrotic syndrome, which may be due to increased renal loss or diminished hepatic production or both. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slowing the Next Pandemic: Survey of Community Mitigation Strategies

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

During the next influenza pandemic, it will take time to develop a vaccine and there may be limited medication to treat or prevent illness. To slow the spread of disease, CDC and other public health officials will likely ask Americans to decrease contact with others through altering work schedules, school dismissals and other measures. Researchers recently surveyed the public to see whether people could follow those recommendations and what kind of impact they might have.

Excitatory Neuronal Hubs Configure Multisensory Integration of Slow Waves in Association Cortex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi Kuroki

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Summary: Multisensory integration (MSI is a fundamental emergent property of the mammalian brain. During MSI, perceptual information encoded in patterned activity is processed in multimodal association cortex. The systems-level neuronal dynamics that coordinate MSI, however, are unknown. Here, we demonstrate intrinsic hub-like network activity in the association cortex that regulates MSI. We engineered calcium reporter mouse lines based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer sensor yellow cameleon (YC2.60 expressed in excitatory or inhibitory neurons. In medial and parietal association cortex, we observed spontaneous slow waves that self-organized into hubs defined by long-range excitatory and local inhibitory circuits. Unlike directional source/sink-like flows in sensory areas, medial/parietal excitatory and inhibitory hubs had net-zero balanced inputs. Remarkably, multisensory stimulation triggered rapid phase-locking mainly of excitatory hub activity persisting for seconds after the stimulus offset. Therefore, association cortex tends to form balanced excitatory networks that configure slow-wave phase-locking for MSI. Video Abstract: : Kuroki et al. performed cell-type-specific, wide-field FRET-based calcium imaging to visualize cortical network activity induced by multisensory inputs. They observed phase-locking of cortical slow waves in excitatory neuronal hubs in association cortical areas that may underlie multisensory integration. Keywords: wide-field calcium imaging, multisensory integration, cortical slow waves, association cortex, phase locking, fluorescence resonance energy transfer, spontaneous activity, excitatory neuron, inhibitory neuron, mouse

Evidence for graphite-like hexagonal AlN nanosheets epitaxially grown on single crystal Ag(111)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsipas, P.; Kassavetis, S.; Tsoutsou, D.; Xenogiannopoulou, E.; Golias, E.; Giamini, S. A.; Dimoulas, A. [National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos,” 15310 Athens (Greece); Grazianetti, C.; Fanciulli, M. [Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, I-20864, Agrate Brianza (MB) (Italy); Dipartimento di Scienza dei Materiali, Università degli Studi di Milano Bicocca, I-20126, Milano (Italy); Chiappe, D.; Molle, A. [Laboratorio MDM, IMM-CNR, I-20864, Agrate Brianza (MB) (Italy)

2013-12-16

Ultrathin (sub-monolayer to 12 monolayers) AlN nanosheets are grown epitaxially by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Ag(111) single crystals. Electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy provide evidence that AlN on Ag adopts a graphite-like hexagonal structure with a larger lattice constant compared to bulk-like wurtzite AlN. This claim is further supported by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy indicating a reduced energy bandgap as expected for hexagonal AlN.

Candida albicans Agglutinin-Like Sequence (Als) Family Vignettes: A Review of Als Protein Structure and Function

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyer, Lois L.; Cota, Ernesto

2016-01-01

Approximately two decades have passed since the description of the first gene in the Candida albicans ALS (agglutinin-like sequence) family. Since that time, much has been learned about the composition of the family and the function of its encoded cell-surface glycoproteins. Solution of the structure of the Als adhesive domain provides the opportunity to evaluate the molecular basis for protein function. This review article is formatted as a series of fundamental questions and explores the diversity of the Als proteins, as well as their role in ligand binding, aggregative effects, and attachment to abiotic surfaces. Interaction of Als proteins with each other, their functional equivalence, and the effects of protein abundance on phenotypic conclusions are also examined. Structural features of Als proteins that may facilitate invasive function are considered. Conclusions that are firmly supported by the literature are presented while highlighting areas that require additional investigation to reveal basic features of the Als proteins, their relatedness to each other, and their roles in C. albicans biology. PMID:27014205

Growth of uniform lath-like α-(Fe,Al)OOH and disc-like α-(Fe,Al)2O3 nanoparticles in a highly alkaline medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krehula, Stjepko; Music, Svetozar

2010-01-01

The effects of aluminium (Al 3+ )-dopant on the precipitation of uniform lath-like α-FeOOH particles, the obtention and growth of α-(Fe,Al)OOH and α-(Fe,Al) 2 O 3 solid solutions, particle size and shape were investigated using X-ray powder diffraction, Moessbauer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Acicular α-FeOOH particles, precipitated in a highly alkaline medium with the addition of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), were used as reference material. The influence of Al-dopant was investigated by adding varying amounts of Al 3+ ions to the initial FeCl 3 solution. In the presence of lower concentrations of aluminium ions (up to 11.11 mol%) α-(Fe,Al)OOH as a single phase was formed, whereas higher concentrations led to an additional obtention and growth of α-(Fe,Al) 2 O 3 . Al-for-Fe substitution in the α-FeOOH and α-Fe 2 O 3 structures was confirmed by a decrease in the unit-cell dimensions, a decrease in the hyperfine magnetic field and an increase in the wave number of the infrared absorption bands. The presence of lower concentrations of aluminium ions (up to 11.11 mol%) in the precipitation system did not affect the size and shape of the α-(Fe,Al)OOH particles, whereas higher concentrations influenced a decrease in the length and aspect ratio. In the presence of 42.86 mol% Al 3+ ions fairly uniform disc-shaped α-(Fe,Al) 2 O 3 were formed.

Intercalation of diclofenac in modified Zn/Al hydrotalcite-like preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Heraldy, E.; Suprihatin, R. W.; Pranoto

2016-02-01

The intercalation of a pharmaceutically active material diclofenac into modified Zn/Al Hydrotalcite-like (Zn/Al HTlc) preparation has been investigated by the coprecipitation and ion exchange method, respectively. The synthetic materials were characterized using X- Ray Diffraction (XRD); Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM); X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and surface area analyzer. The results show that the basal spacing of the product was expanded to 11.03 A for direct synthesis and 10.68 A for indirect synthesis, suggesting that diclofenac anion was intercalated into Zn/Al HTlc and arranged in a tilted bilayer fashion and the specific surface area of material increased after the intercalation of diclofenac.

Use of biomarkers in ALS drug development and clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakkar, Nadine; Boehringer, Ashley; Bowser, Robert

2015-05-14

The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the discovery of candidate biomarkers for ALS. These biomarkers typically can either differentiate ALS from control subjects or predict disease course (slow versus fast progression). At the same time, late-stage clinical trials for ALS have failed to generate improved drug treatments for ALS patients. Incorporation of biomarkers into the ALS drug development pipeline and the use of biologic and/or imaging biomarkers in early- and late-stage ALS clinical trials have been absent and only recently pursued in early-phase clinical trials. Further clinical research studies are needed to validate biomarkers for disease progression and develop biomarkers that can help determine that a drug has reached its target within the central nervous system. In this review we summarize recent progress in biomarkers across ALS model systems and patient population, and highlight continued research directions for biomarkers that stratify the patient population to enrich for patients that may best respond to a drug candidate, monitor disease progression and track drug responses in clinical trials. It is crucial that we further develop and validate ALS biomarkers and incorporate these biomarkers into the ALS drug development process. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ALS complex pathogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observing and modeling the spectrum of a slow slip event: Constraints on the scaling of slow slip and tremor

Science.gov (United States)

Hawthorne, J. C.; Bartlow, N. M.; Ghosh, A.

2017-12-01

We estimate the normalized moment rate spectrum of a slow slip event in Cascadia and then attempt to reproduce it. Our goal is to further assess whether a single physical mechanism could govern slow slip and tremor events, with durations that span 6 orders of magnitude, so we construct the spectrum by parameterizing a large slow slip event as the sum of a number of subevents with various durations. The spectrum estimate uses data from three sources: the GPS-based slip inversion of Bartlow et al (2011), PBO borehole strain measurements, and beamforming-based tremor moment estimates of Ghosh et al (2009). We find that at periods shorter than 1 day, the moment rate power spectrum decays as frequencyn, where n is between 0.7 and 1.4 when measured from strain and between 1.2 and 1.4 when inferred from tremor. The spectrum appears roughly flat at periods of 1 to 10 days, as both the 1-day-period strain and tremor data and the 6-day-period slip inversion data imply a moment rate power of 0.02 times the the total moment squared. We demonstrate one way to reproduce this spectrum: by constructing the large-scale slow slip event as the sum of a series of subevents. The shortest of these subevents could be interpreted as VLFEs or even LFEs, while longer subevents might represent the aseismic slip that drives rapid tremor reverals, streaks, or rapid tremor migrations. We pick the subevent magnitudes from a Gutenberg-Richter distribution and place the events randomly throughout a 30-day interval. Then we assign each subevent a duration that scales with its moment to a specified power. Finally, we create a moment rate function for each subevent and sum all of the moment rates. We compute the summed slow slip moment rate spectra with two approaches: a time-domain numerical computation and a frequency-domain analytical summation. Several sets of subevent parameters can allow the constructed slow slip event to match the observed spectrum. One allowable set of parameters is of

Slow positrons in single-crystal samples of Al and Al-AlxOy

Science.gov (United States)

Lynn, K. G.; Lutz, H.

1980-11-01

Well-characterized Al(111) and Al(100) samples were studied with monoenergetic positrons before and after exposure to oxygen. Both positronium-formation and positron-emission curves were obtained for various incident positron energies at sample temperatures ranging from 160-900 K. The orthopositronium decay signal provides a unique signature that the positron has emerged from the surface region of a clean metal. In the clean Al crystals part of the positronium formed near the surface is found to be associated with a temperature-activated process described as the thermally activated detrapping of a positron from a surface state. A simple positron diffusion model, including surface and vacancy trapping, is fitted to the positronium data and an estimate of the binding energy of the positron in this trap is made. The positron diffusion constant is found to have a negative temperature dependence before the onset of positron trapping at thermally generated monovacancies (>500 K), in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions. The depth of the positron surface state is reduced or positronium is formed in the chemisorbed layer as oxygen is adsorbed on both Al sample surfaces, thus increasing the positronium fraction and decreasing the positron emission. At higher oxygen exposures [>500 L (1 L = 10-6 torr sec)] positron or positronium traps are generated in the overlayer and the positronium fraction is reduced. The amorphous-to-crystalline surface transition of AlxOy on Al is observed between 650 and 800 K by the change in the positronium fraction and is interpreted as the removal of trapping centers in the metal-oxide overlayer. At the higher temperatures and incident energies vacancy trapping is observed by the decrease in the positron diffusion length in both the clean and the underlying Al of the oxygen-exposed samples. Similar vacancy formation enthalpies for Al are extracted in both the clean and oxygen-covered samples by a simple model and are in good

RandomForest4Life: a Random Forest for predicting ALS disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Hothorn, Torsten; Jung, Hans H

2014-09-01

We describe a method for predicting disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The method was developed as a submission to the DREAM Phil Bowen ALS Prediction Prize4Life Challenge of summer 2012. Based on repeated patient examinations over a three- month period, we used a random forest algorithm to predict future disease progression. The procedure was set up and internally evaluated using data from 1197 ALS patients. External validation by an expert jury was based on undisclosed information of an additional 625 patients; all patient data were obtained from the PRO-ACT database. In terms of prediction accuracy, the approach described here ranked third best. Our interpretation of the prediction model confirmed previous reports suggesting that past disease progression is a strong predictor of future disease progression measured on the ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS). We also found that larger variability in initial ALSFRS scores is linked to faster future disease progression. The results reported here furthermore suggested that approaches taking the multidimensionality of the ALSFRS into account promise some potential for improved ALS disease prediction.

Complete blood cell count components and coronary slow-flow phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arjmand N

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Nasim Arjmand, Mohammad Reza Dehghani Department of Cardiology, Seyyed-al-Shohada Heart Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, IranDespite the implementation of preventive strategies, ischemic heart disease and stroke remain the main causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide.1,2 Of the cardiovascular diseases, coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP, with a prevalence rate of 1%–7% among patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography, has been found to be associated with cardiovascular events, including cardiac arrhythmia and acute coronary syndrome.3–5 However, the potential mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of CSFP remain unknown. Microvascular and endothelial dysfunctions, inflammation, diffuse atherosclerosis, and increased platelet aggregability have been reported to be the main possible etiologies for CSFP.6,7View original paper by Atlas and colleagues.

Kinetic slow mode-type solitons

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K. Baumgärtel

2005-01-01

Full Text Available One-dimensional hybrid code simulations are presented, carried out in order both to study solitary waves of the slow mode branch in an isotropic, collisionless, medium-β plasma (βi=0.25 and to test the fluid based soliton interpretation of Cluster observed strong magnetic depressions (Stasiewicz et al., 2003; Stasiewicz, 2004 against kinetic theory. In the simulations, a variety of strongly oblique, large amplitude, solitons are seen, including solitons with Alfvenic polarization, similar to those predicted by the Hall-MHD theory, and robust, almost non-propagating, solitary structures of slow magnetosonic type with strong magnetic field depressions and perpendicular ion heating, which have no counterpart in fluid theory. The results support the soliton-based interpretation of the Cluster observations, but reveal substantial deficiencies of Hall-MHD theory in describing slow mode-type solitons in a plasma of moderate beta.

De novo design of RNA-binding proteins with a prion-like domain related to ALS/FTD proteinopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsuhashi, Kana; Ito, Daisuke; Mashima, Kyoko; Oyama, Munenori; Takahashi, Shinichi; Suzuki, Norihiro

2017-12-04

Aberrant RNA-binding proteins form the core of the neurodegeneration cascade in spectrums of disease, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Six ALS-related molecules, TDP-43, FUS, TAF15, EWSR1, heterogeneous nuclear (hn)RNPA1 and hnRNPA2 are RNA-binding proteins containing candidate mutations identified in ALS patients and those share several common features, including harboring an aggregation-prone prion-like domain (PrLD) containing a glycine/serine-tyrosine-glycine/serine (G/S-Y-G/S)-motif-enriched low-complexity sequence and rich in glutamine and/or asparagine. Additinally, these six molecules are components of RNA granules involved in RNA quality control and become mislocated from the nucleus to form cytoplasmic inclusion bodies (IBs) in the ALS/FTD-affected brain. To reveal the essential mechanisms involved in ALS/FTD-related cytotoxicity associated with RNA-binding proteins containing PrLDs, we designed artificial RNA-binding proteins harboring G/S-Y-G/S-motif repeats with and without enriched glutamine residues and nuclear-import/export-signal sequences and examined their cytotoxicity in vitro. These proteins recapitulated features of ALS-linked molecules, including insoluble aggregation, formation of cytoplasmic IBs and components of RNA granules, and cytotoxicity instigation. These findings indicated that these artificial RNA-binding proteins mimicked features of ALS-linked molecules and allowed the study of mechanisms associated with gain of toxic functions related to ALS/FTD pathogenesis.

Thinking in a foreign language, fast and slow

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Turula Anna

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Several studies (Keysar et al., 2012; Lazar et al., 2014 suggest that decisions made in a foreign language are more rational. The authors imply that when thinking in a language which is not our native tongue, analytical, slow, deep-thinking is activated. The question that underlies the present article is whether this is a characteristic of every mental operation in the foreign medium. Studies carried out by Costa et al. (2014, Geipel et al. (2015 and Hadjichristidis et al. (2015 suggest the issue is much more complex than it may seem.

Effect of low and high heating rates on reaction path of Ni(V)/Al multilayer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maj, Łukasz, E-mail: l.maj@imim.pl [Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, 25 Reymonta St., 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Morgiel, Jerzy; Szlezynger, Maciej [Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, 25 Reymonta St., 30-059 Kraków (Poland); Bała, Piotr; Cios, Grzegorz [AGH University of Science and Technology, Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, 30 Kawiory St., 30-055 Kraków (Poland)

2017-06-01

The effect of heating rates of Ni(V)/Al NanoFoils{sup ®} was investigated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Ni(V)/Al were subjected to heating by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in-situ TEM or electric pulse. Local chemical analysis was carried out using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Phase analysis was done with X-ray diffractions (XRD) and selected area electron diffractions (SAED). The experiments showed that slow heating in DSC results in development of separate exothermic effects at ∼230 °C, ∼280 °C and ∼390 °C, corresponding to precipitation of Al{sub 3}Ni, Al{sub 3}Ni{sub 2} and NiAl phases, respectively, i.e. like in vanadium free Ni/Al multilayers. Further heating to 700 °C allowed to obtain a single phase NiAl foil. The average grain size (g.s.) of NiAl phase produced in the DSC heat treated foil was comparable with the Ni(V)/Al multilayer period (∼50 nm), whereas in the case of reaction initiated with electric pulse the g.s. was in the micrometer range. Upon slow heating vanadium tends to segregate to zones parallel to the original multilayer internal interfaces, while in SHS process vanadium-rich phases precipitates at grain boundaries of the NiAl phase. - Highlights: • Peaks in DSC heating of Ni(V)/Al were explained by in-situ TEM observations. • Nucleation of Al{sub 3}Ni, Al{sub 3}Ni{sub 2} and NiAl at slow heating of Ni(V)/Al was documented. • Near surface NiAl obtained from NanoFoil show Ag precipitates at grain boundaries.

Nonlinear dynamical triggering of slow slip

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Paul A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Knuth, Matthew W [WISCONSIN; Kaproth, Bryan M [PENN STATE; Carpenter, Brett [PENN STATE; Guyer, Robert A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Le Bas, Pierre - Yves [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Daub, Eric G [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Marone, Chris [PENN STATE

2010-12-10

Among the most fascinating, recent discoveries in seismology have been the phenomena of triggered slip, including triggered earthquakes and triggered-tremor, as well as triggered slow, silent-slip during which no seismic energy is radiated. Because fault nucleation depths cannot be probed directly, the physical regimes in which these phenomena occur are poorly understood. Thus determining physical properties that control diverse types of triggered fault sliding and what frictional constitutive laws govern triggered faulting variability is challenging. We are characterizing the physical controls of triggered faulting with the goal of developing constitutive relations by conducting laboratory and numerical modeling experiments in sheared granular media at varying load conditions. In order to simulate granular fault zone gouge in the laboratory, glass beads are sheared in a double-direct configuration under constant normal stress, while subject to transient perturbation by acoustic waves. We find that triggered, slow, silent-slip occurs at very small confining loads ({approx}1-3 MPa) that are smaller than those where dynamic earthquake triggering takes place (4-7 MPa), and that triggered slow-slip is associated with bursts of LFE-like acoustic emission. Experimental evidence suggests that the nonlinear dynamical response of the gouge material induced by dynamic waves may be responsible for the triggered slip behavior: the slip-duration, stress-drop and along-strike slip displacement are proportional to the triggering wave amplitude. Further, we observe a shear-modulus decrease corresponding to dynamic-wave triggering relative to the shear modulus of stick-slips. Modulus decrease in response to dynamical wave amplitudes of roughly a microstrain and above is a hallmark of elastic nonlinear behavior. We believe that the dynamical waves increase the material non-affine elastic deformation during shearing, simultaneously leading to instability and slow-slip. The inferred

Slow and fast dynamics model of a Malaria with Sickle-Cell genetic disease with multi-stage infections of the mosquitoes population

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi Siawanta, Shanti; Adi-Kusumo, Fajar; Irwan Endrayanto, Aluicius

2018-03-01

Malaria, which is caused by Plasmodium, is a common disease in tropical areas. There are three types of Plasmodium i.e. Plasmodium Vivax, Plasmodium Malariae, and Plasmodium Falciparum. The most dangerous cases of the Malaria are mainly caused by the Plasmodium Falciparum. One of the important characteristics for the Plasmodium infection is due to the immunity of erythrocyte that contains HbS (Haemoglobin Sickle-cell) genes. The individuals who has the HbS gene has better immunity against the disease. In this paper, we consider a model that shows the spread of malaria involving the interaction between the mosquitos population, the human who has HbS genes population and the human with normal gene population. We do some analytical and numerical simulation to study the basic reproduction ratio and the slow-fast dynamics of the phase-portrait. The slow dynamics in our model represents the response of the human population with HbS gene to the Malaria disease while the fast dynamics show the response of the human population with the normal gene to the disease. The slow and fast dynamics phenomena are due to the fact that the population of the individuals who have HbS gene is much smaller than the individuals who has normal genes.

Slow late myocardial clearance of thallium: a characteristic phenomenon in coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sklar, J.; Kirch, D.; Johnson, T.; Hasegawa, B.; Peck, S.; Steele, P.

1982-01-01

Researchers extended the quantitative seven-pinhole method to follow the dynamics of thallium redistribution after exercise. Researchers observed a pattern of slow late thallium clearance that appears to be characteristic of myocardium supplied by obstructed coronary arteries. In 28 subjects, quantitative thallium scintigrams and blood samples for thallium concentration were taken immediately, 2 hours and 4 hours after maximal treadmill exercise. Twenty subjects had coronary artery disease (CAD) and eight were normal. The rate of thallium clearance from the blood (TCB) was compared with the rate of thallium clearance from each segmental region of myocardium between the 2- and 4-hour images. In seven of the eight normal subjects, TCM exceeded TCB in all regions of all images. Seventeen of the 20 CAD patients had at least one region where TCM was less than TCB. Of the 13 patients with multivessel CAD 11 had multiple regions with TCM less than TCB. Using this criterion, we detected 31 of 39 obstructed coronary arteries. Of the 37 regions that were abnormal by this analysis, 30 corresponded to obstructed coronary arteries. In contrast, while conventional circumferential count profile analysis also was abnormal in 17 of the 20 CAD patients, it diagnosed multivessel CAD in only five of the 13 patients that had it. These results show that slow late thallium clearance from myocardium is characteristic of regions of myocardium supplied by diseased coronary arteries and that observation of this phenomenon may improve diagnostic sensitivity for the presence of multivessel CAD

Slow rupture of frictional interfaces

OpenAIRE

Sinai, Yohai Bar; Brener, Efim A.; Bouchbinder, Eran

2011-01-01

The failure of frictional interfaces and the spatiotemporal structures that accompany it are central to a wide range of geophysical, physical and engineering systems. Recent geophysical and laboratory observations indicated that interfacial failure can be mediated by slow slip rupture phenomena which are distinct from ordinary, earthquake-like, fast rupture. These discoveries have influenced the way we think about frictional motion, yet the nature and properties of slow rupture are not comple...

FROM SLOW FOOD TO SLOW TOURISM

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Bac Dorin Paul

2014-12-01

Full Text Available One of the effects of globalization is the faster pace of our lives. This rhythm can be noticed in all aspects of life: travel, work, shopping, etc. and it has serious negative effects. It has become common knowledge that stress and speed generate serious medical issues. Food and eating habits in the modern world have taken their toll on our health. However, some people took a stand and argued for a new kind of lifestyle. It all started in the field of gastronomy, where a new movement emerged – Slow Food, based on the ideas and philosophy of Carlo Petrini. Slow Food represents an important adversary to the concept of fast food, and is promoting local products, enjoyable meals and healthy food. The philosophy of the Slow Food movement developed in several directions: Cittaslow, slow travel and tourism, slow religion and slow money etc. The present paper will account the evolution of the concept and its development during the most recent years. We will present how the philosophy of slow food was applied in all the other fields it reached and some critical points of view. Also we will focus on the presence of the slow movement in Romania, although it is in a very early stage of development. The main objectives of the present paper are: to present the chronological and ideological evolution of the slow movement; to establish a clear separation of slow travel and slow tourism, as many mistake on for the other; to review the presence of the slow movement in Romania. Regarding the research methodology, information was gathered from relevant academic papers and books and also from interviews and discussions with local entrepreneurs. The research is mostly theoretical and empirical, as slow food and slow tourism are emerging research themes in academic circles.

Highly conductive Al-doped tetra-needle-like ZnO whiskers prepared by a solid state method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Cuifeng; Tan Hairen; Jin Shengming; Yang Huaming; Tang Motang; He Jing

2008-01-01

Tetra-needle-like zinc oxide whiskers (T-ZnO W ) were doped with Al 3+ by a solid state method. In this study, modification conditions were thoroughly investigated to obtain low resistivity T-ZnO W , without destroying the tetra-needle-like structure. The Al-doped T-ZnO W was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transition infrared (FT-IR) spectra and electrical resistance measurement. The SEM and XRD results indicated that the tetra-needle-like structure of ZnO whiskers could be well maintained after modification and the doped (0 0 2) face was preferred. FT-IR results showed that the decrease of resistivity of Al-doped T-ZnO W resulted from formation of [AlO 4 ] configuration in T-ZnO W bulk. Experiment results showed that the annealing temperature, doping concentration and type of Al sources affected the resistivity of T-ZnO W considerably. The optimum Al-doped concentration was 7.0 at.% and the resistivity of T-ZnO W could be considerably decreased from 10 8 to 10 2 Ω cm

Slow rupture of frictional interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Bar Sinai, Yohai; Brener, Efim A.; Bouchbinder, Eran

2012-02-01

The failure of frictional interfaces and the spatiotemporal structures that accompany it are central to a wide range of geophysical, physical and engineering systems. Recent geophysical and laboratory observations indicated that interfacial failure can be mediated by slow slip rupture phenomena which are distinct from ordinary, earthquake-like, fast rupture. These discoveries have influenced the way we think about frictional motion, yet the nature and properties of slow rupture are not completely understood. We show that slow rupture is an intrinsic and robust property of simple non-monotonic rate-and-state friction laws. It is associated with a new velocity scale cmin, determined by the friction law, below which steady state rupture cannot propagate. We further show that rupture can occur in a continuum of states, spanning a wide range of velocities from cmin to elastic wave-speeds, and predict different properties for slow rupture and ordinary fast rupture. Our results are qualitatively consistent with recent high-resolution laboratory experiments and may provide a theoretical framework for understanding slow rupture phenomena along frictional interfaces.

Slow progression of paediatric HIV disease: Selective adaptation or ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the European Caucasian populations, the chemokine-cell receptor variant CCR5 \\"Delta 32\\" is a the genetic determinant of HIV disease progression that is believed to have been selected for in the general population by exposure to antigens closely interlinked to HIV like Yersinia pestis or small pox virus. Among African ...

Berberine slows cell growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonon, Anna; Mangolini, Alessandra; Pinton, Paolo; Senno, Laura del; Aguiari, Gianluca

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Berberine at appropriate doses slows cell proliferation in ADPKD cystic cells. •Reduction of cell growth by berberine occurs by inhibition of ERK and p70-S6 kinase. •Higher doses of berberine cause an overall cytotoxic effect. •Berberine overdose induces apoptotic bodies formation and DNA fragmentation. •Antiproliferative properties of this drug make it a new candidate for ADPKD therapy. -- Abstract: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary monogenic disorder characterized by development and enlargement of kidney cysts that lead to loss of renal function. It is caused by mutations in two genes (PKD1 and PKD2) encoding for polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 proteins which regulate different signals including cAMP, mTOR and EGFR pathways. Abnormal activation of these signals following PC1 or PC2 loss of function causes an increased cell proliferation which is a typical hallmark of this disease. Despite the promising findings obtained in animal models with targeted inhibitors able to reduce cystic cell growth, currently, no specific approved therapy for ADPKD is available. Therefore, the research of new more effective molecules could be crucial for the treatment of this severe pathology. In this regard, we have studied the effect of berberine, an isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid, on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human and mouse ADPKD cystic cell lines. Berberine treatment slows cell proliferation of ADPKD cystic cells in a dose-dependent manner and at high doses (100 μg/mL) it induces cell death in cystic cells as well as in normal kidney tubule cells. However, at 10 μg/mL, berberine reduces cell growth in ADPKD cystic cells only enhancing G 0 /G 1 phase of cell cycle and inhibiting ERK and p70-S6 kinases. Our results indicate that berberine shows a selected antiproliferative activity in cellular models for ADPKD, suggesting that this molecule and similar natural compounds could open new opportunities

Berberine slows cell growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonon, Anna; Mangolini, Alessandra [Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara (Italy); Pinton, Paolo [Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of General Pathology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara (Italy); Senno, Laura del [Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara (Italy); Aguiari, Gianluca, E-mail: dsn@unife.it [Department of Biomedical and Specialty Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara (Italy)

2013-11-22

Highlights: •Berberine at appropriate doses slows cell proliferation in ADPKD cystic cells. •Reduction of cell growth by berberine occurs by inhibition of ERK and p70-S6 kinase. •Higher doses of berberine cause an overall cytotoxic effect. •Berberine overdose induces apoptotic bodies formation and DNA fragmentation. •Antiproliferative properties of this drug make it a new candidate for ADPKD therapy. -- Abstract: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary monogenic disorder characterized by development and enlargement of kidney cysts that lead to loss of renal function. It is caused by mutations in two genes (PKD1 and PKD2) encoding for polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 proteins which regulate different signals including cAMP, mTOR and EGFR pathways. Abnormal activation of these signals following PC1 or PC2 loss of function causes an increased cell proliferation which is a typical hallmark of this disease. Despite the promising findings obtained in animal models with targeted inhibitors able to reduce cystic cell growth, currently, no specific approved therapy for ADPKD is available. Therefore, the research of new more effective molecules could be crucial for the treatment of this severe pathology. In this regard, we have studied the effect of berberine, an isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid, on cell proliferation and apoptosis in human and mouse ADPKD cystic cell lines. Berberine treatment slows cell proliferation of ADPKD cystic cells in a dose-dependent manner and at high doses (100 μg/mL) it induces cell death in cystic cells as well as in normal kidney tubule cells. However, at 10 μg/mL, berberine reduces cell growth in ADPKD cystic cells only enhancing G{sub 0}/G{sub 1} phase of cell cycle and inhibiting ERK and p70-S6 kinases. Our results indicate that berberine shows a selected antiproliferative activity in cellular models for ADPKD, suggesting that this molecule and similar natural compounds could open new

Elevated free nitrotyrosine levels, but not protein-bound nitrotyrosine or hydroxyl radicals, throughout amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-like disease implicate tyrosine nitration as an aberrant in vivo property of one familial ALS-linked superoxide dismutase 1 mutant.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruijn, L I; Beal, M F; Becher, M W; Schulz, J B; Wong, P C; Price, D L; Cleveland, D W

1997-07-08

Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1; EC 1.15.1.1) are responsible for a proportion of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through acquisition of an as-yet-unidentified toxic property or properties. Two proposed possibilities are that toxicity may arise from imperfectly folded mutant SOD1 catalyzing the nitration of tyrosines [Beckman, J. S., Carson, M., Smith, C. D. & Koppenol, W. H. (1993) Nature (London) 364, 584] through use of peroxynitrite or from peroxidation arising from elevated production of hydroxyl radicals through use of hydrogen peroxide as a substrate [Wiedau-Pazos, M., Goto, J. J., Rabizadeh, S., Gralla, E. D., Roe, J. A., Valentine, J. S. & Bredesen, D. E. (1996) Science 271, 515-518]. To test these possibilities, levels of nitrotyrosine and markers for hydroxyl radical formation were measured in two lines of transgenic mice that develop progressive motor neuron disease from expressing human familial ALS-linked SOD1 mutation G37R. Relative to normal mice or mice expressing high levels of wild-type human SOD1, 3-nitrotyrosine levels were elevated by 2- to 3-fold in spinal cords coincident with the earliest pathological abnormalities and remained elevated in spinal cord throughout progression of disease. However, no increases in protein-bound nitrotyrosine were found during any stage of SOD1-mutant-mediated disease in mice or at end stage of sporadic or SOD1-mediated familial human ALS. When salicylate trapping of hydroxyl radicals and measurement of levels of malondialdehyde were used, there was no evidence throughout disease progression in mice for enhanced production of hydroxyl radicals or lipid peroxidation, respectively. The presence of elevated nitrotyrosine levels beginning at the earliest stages of cellular pathology and continuing throughout progression of disease demonstrates that tyrosine nitration is one in vivo aberrant property of this ALS-linked SOD1 mutant.

Immobilization of kojic acid in ZnAl-hydrotalcite like compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrogi, Valeria; Perioli, Luana; Nocchetti, Morena; Latterini, Loredana; Pagano, Cinzia; Massetti, Elena; Rossi, Carlo

2012-01-01

Kojic acid (KOJ) is a melanin synthesis inhibitor widely used as skin lightening agent in topical preparations. Unfortunately it is easily susceptible to photo-oxidation, phenomenon responsible for chemical and organoleptic modifications. The aim of this work was the intercalation of KOJ in hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTlc) in order to stabilize KOJ and to reduce its photolability. Hydrotalcite containing Zn and Al (ZnAl-HTlc) was used as host to obtain the final compound ZnAl-HTlc-KOJ. The intercalation was carried out, after many attempts, by ionic exchange mechanism by means of the strong base EtO- in anhydrous ethanol/dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) mixture as solvent in order to generate KOJ- anions. The final product was characterized by the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and elemental analysis. The intercalated compound was formulated in a siliconic water free self-emulsifying ointment and the in vitro release profile was evaluated. All samples (intercalation compound and its formulation) were submitted also to spectrophotometric assays in order to evaluate the matrix protective effect towards ultraviolet rays.

Prognostic role of ‘prion-like propagation’ in SOD1-linked familial ALS: an alternative view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keizo eSugaya

2014-10-01

Full Text Available ‘Prion-like propagation’ has recently been proposed for disease spread in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1-linked familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. Pathological SOD1 conformers are presumed to propagate via cell-to-cell transmission. In this model, the risk-based kinetics of neuronal cell loss over time appears to be represented by a sigmoidal function that reflects the kinetics of intercellular transmission. Here, we describe an alternative view of prion-like propagation in SOD1-linked ALS−its relation to disease prognosis under the protective-aggregation hypothesis. Nucleation-dependent polymerization has been widely accepted as the molecular mechanism of prion propagation. If toxic species of misfolded SOD1, as soluble oligomers, are formed as on-pathway intermediates of nucleation-dependent polymerization, further fibril extension via sequential addition of monomeric mutant SOD1 would be protective against neurodegeneration. This is because the concentration of unfolded mutant SOD1 monomers, which serve as precursor of nucleation and toxic species of mutant SOD1, would decline in proportion to the extent of aggregation. The nucleation process requires that native conformers exist in an unfolded state that may result from escaping the cellular protein quality control machinery. However, prion-like propagation−SOD1 aggregated form self-propagates by imposing its altered conformation on normal SOD1−appears to antagonize the protective role of aggregate growth. The cross-seeding reaction with normal SOD1 would lead to a failure to reduce the concentration of unfolded mutant SOD1 monomers, resulting in continuous nucleation and subsequent generation of toxic species, and influence disease prognosis. In this alternative view, the kinetics of neuronal loss appears to be represented by an exponential function, with decreasing risk reflecting the protective role of aggregate and the potential for cross-seeding reactions between

[An early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development].

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Koji

2018-03-28

The present review focuses an early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development. In relation to foreign previous reports, five topics are introduced and discussed on ALS with dementia, ALS/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), familial ALS (FALS), spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and multisystem involvement especially in cerebellar system of ALS including ALS/SCA (spinocerebellar ataxia) crossroad mutation Asidan. This review found the great contribution of Japanese reports on the above five topics, and confirmed the great development of ALS-related diseases over the past 120 years.

The tip of the iceberg: RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains in neurodegenerative disease

Science.gov (United States)

King, Oliver D.; Gitler, Aaron D.; Shorter, James

2012-01-01

Prions are self-templating protein conformers that are naturally transmitted between individuals and promote phenotypic change. In yeast, prion-encoded phenotypes can be beneficial, neutral or deleterious depending upon genetic background and environmental conditions. A distinctive and portable ‘prion domain’ enriched in asparagine, glutamine, tyrosine and glycine residues unifies the majority of yeast prion proteins. Deletion of this domain precludes prionogenesis and appending this domain to reporter proteins can confer prionogenicity. An algorithm designed to detect prion domains has successfully identified 19 domains that can confer prion behavior. Scouring the human genome with this algorithm enriches a select group of RNA-binding proteins harboring a canonical RNA recognition motif (RRM) and a putative prion domain. Indeed, of 210 human RRM-bearing proteins, 29 have a putative prion domain, and 12 of these are in the top 60 prion candidates in the entire genome. Startlingly, these RNA-binding prion candidates are inexorably emerging, one by one, in the pathology and genetics of devastating neurodegenerative disorders, including: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U), Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s disease. For example, FUS and TDP-43, which rank 1st and 10th among RRM-bearing prion candidates, form cytoplasmic inclusions in the degenerating motor neurons of ALS patients and mutations in TDP-43 and FUS cause familial ALS. Recently, perturbed RNA-binding proteostasis of TAF15, which is the 2nd ranked RRM-bearing prion candidate, has been connected with ALS and FTLD-U. We strongly suspect that we have now merely reached the tip of the iceberg. We predict that additional RNA-binding prion candidates identified by our algorithm will soon surface as genetic modifiers or causes of diverse neurodegenerative conditions. Indeed, simple prion-like transfer mechanisms involving the

Vowel Acoustics in Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis: Comparison of Clear, Loud, and Slow Speaking Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Tjaden, Kris; Lam, Jennifer; Wilding, Greg

2013-01-01

Purpose: The impact of clear speech, increased vocal intensity, and rate reduction on acoustic characteristics of vowels was compared in speakers with Parkinson's disease (PD), speakers with multiple sclerosis (MS), and healthy controls. Method: Speakers read sentences in habitual, clear, loud, and slow conditions. Variations in clarity,…

From animal models to human disease: a genetic approach for personalized medicine in ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Picher-Martel, Vincent; Valdmanis, Paul N; Gould, Peter V; Julien, Jean-Pierre; Dupré, Nicolas

2016-07-11

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent motor neuron disease in adults. Classical ALS is characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons leading to progressive paralysis. Approximately 10 % of ALS patients have familial form of the disease. Numerous different gene mutations have been found in familial cases of ALS, such as mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), C9ORF72, ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2), optineurin (OPTN) and others. Multiple animal models were generated to mimic the disease and to test future treatments. However, no animal model fully replicates the spectrum of phenotypes in the human disease and it is difficult to assess how a therapeutic effect in disease models can predict efficacy in humans. Importantly, the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of ALS leads to a variety of responses to similar treatment regimens. From this has emerged the concept of personalized medicine (PM), which is a medical scheme that combines study of genetic, environmental and clinical diagnostic testing, including biomarkers, to individualized patient care. In this perspective, we used subgroups of specific ALS-linked gene mutations to go through existing animal models and to provide a comprehensive profile of the differences and similarities between animal models of disease and human disease. Finally, we reviewed application of biomarkers and gene therapies relevant in personalized medicine approach. For instance, this includes viral delivering of antisense oligonucleotide and small interfering RNA in SOD1, TDP-43 and C9orf72 mice models. Promising gene therapies raised possibilities for treating differently the major mutations in familial ALS cases.

NMR study on the low-temperature state of LaMn4Al8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muro, Y.; Nakamura, H.; Kohara, T.

2007-01-01

The ground state of the quasi-one-dimensional itinerant electron magnet LaMn 4 Al 8 with strong electron correlation has been investigated by NMR. The presence of weak and broad zero-field 55 Mn resonance, corresponding to internal field of 8-11T, indicates slowing down of spins partially released from the spin-singlet-like state in the spin chains

Exchange-bias-like effect in Pr{sub 0.75}Tb{sub 0.25}Al{sub 2} and Pr{sub 0.7}Tb{sub 0.3}Al{sub 2} samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tedesco, J.C.G., E-mail: tedesco.jcg@gmail.com [Instituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin”, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, 13083-859 Campinas, SP (Brazil); Pires, M.J.M. [Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia—ICT, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri—UFVJM, 39100-000 Diamantina, MG (Brazil); Carvalho, A. Magnus G. [Divisão de Metrologia de Materiais (DIMAT), INMETRO, 25250-020 Duque de Caxias, RJ (Brazil); Sousa, V.S.R. de [Instituto de Física “Armando Dias Tavares”, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—UERJ, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Cardoso, L.P.; Coelho, A.A. [Instituto de Física “Gleb Wataghin”, Universidade Estadual de Campinas—UNICAMP, 13083-859 Campinas, SP (Brazil)

2013-08-15

The magnetic behavior of pseudobinary Pr{sub 0.7}Tb{sub 0.3}Al{sub 2} and Pr{sub 0.75}Tb{sub 0.25}Al{sub 2} compounds was studied, and a predominant ferrimagnetic ordering was observed. Noteworthy characteristics such as negative magnetization, compensation points and exchange-bias-like (EB-like) effect were found. This EB-like effect was observed at temperatures below the compensation points. The effect is somewhat different from the one already studied in similar systems combining light and heavy rare earths. The results indicate that the EB-like effect characteristics are related to the conduction electron magnetic polarization and an induced unidirectional anisotropy present in these compounds. - Highlights: ► Ferrimagnetic behavior is observed in Pr{sub 0.7}Tb{sub 0.3}Al{sub 2} and Pr{sub 0.75}Tb{sub 0.25}Al{sub 2} materials. ► Magnetic data indicate a strong unidirectional anisotropy in studied materials. ► Studied materials present the exchange-bias-like effect. ► Exchange-bias-like effect explained in analogy with the known mechanism of thin films.

Vascular care in patients with Alzheimer disease with cerebrovascular lesions slows progression of white matter lesions on MRI: the evaluation of vascular care in Alzheimer's disease (EVA) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, Edo; Gouw, Alida A; Scheltens, Philip; van Gool, Willem A

2010-03-01

White matter lesions (WMLs) and cerebral infarcts are common findings in Alzheimer disease and may contribute to dementia severity. WMLs and lacunar infarcts may provide a potential target for intervention strategies. This study assessed whether multicomponent vascular care in patients with Alzheimer disease with cerebrovascular lesions slows progression of WMLs and prevents occurrence of new infarcts. A randomized controlled clinical trial, including 123 subjects, compared vascular care with standard care in patients with Alzheimer disease with cerebrovascular lesions on MRI. Progression of WMLs, lacunes, medial temporal lobe atrophy, and global cortical atrophy were semiquantitatively scored after 2-year follow-up. Sixty-five subjects (36 vascular care, 29 standard care) had a baseline and a follow-up MRI and in 58 subjects, a follow-up scan could not be obtained due to advanced dementia or death. Subjects in the vascular care group had less progression of WMLs as measured with the WML change score (1.4 versus 2.3, P=0.03). There was no difference in the number of new lacunes or change in global cortical atrophy or medial temporal lobe atrophy between the 2 groups. Vascular care in patients with Alzheimer disease with cerebrovascular lesions slows progression of WMLs. Treatment aimed at vascular risk factors in patients with early Alzheimer disease may be beneficial, possibly in an even earlier stage of the disease.

A Virus-like disease of chinook salmon

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, A.J.; Pelnar, J.; Rucker, R.R.

1960-01-01

Consideration is given to a recurring disease of early feeding chinook salmon fingerlings at the Coleman, California, Federal Fish Cultural Station. The infection becomes manifest in the early spring months at low water temperatures and abates as the water temperature rises. Bacteriological studies have failed to yield the presence of a disease agent, either by cultural or staining procedures. The disease has been successfully transmitted from infected fish to healthy fish by the injection of bacteria-free filtrates prepared from diseased fish tissue. The causative agent is therefore believed to be a virus-like entity.

Phase transformations, heat evolution, and atomic diffusion during slow heating of Al-rich Al/Zr multilayered foils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, Kaitlynn; Barron, S. C.; Knepper, R.; Weihs, T. P., E-mail: weihs@jhu.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2689 (United States); Bonds, M. A.; Browning, N. D. [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States); Condensed Matter and Materials Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Livi, K. J. T. [High-Resolution Analytical Electron Microbeam Facility, Integrated Imaging Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 (United States); Campbell, G. H. [Condensed Matter and Materials Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

2013-12-28

We describe the energy and sequence of phase transformations in multilayered Al/Zr foils with atomic ratios of 3 Al:1 Zr during low temperature (<350 °C) heat treatments in a differential scanning calorimeter. The initial phase formed is an Al-rich amorphous phase that appears to grow by Zr diffusion through the amorphous phase. The subsequent nucleation and growth of tetragonal Al{sub 3}Zr along the Al/amorphous layer interface is mediated by Al diffusion through the crystalline intermetallic phase. Diffusion coefficients associated with these processes are higher than expected from reports of diffusivities measured at higher temperatures. The inferred heat of formation of the tetragonal Al{sub 3}Zr phase is 1240 ± 40 J/g (53 ± 2 kJ/mol atom). No anomalous variation in the energy or sequence of phase transformations is found with bilayer thickness for samples with bilayer thickness in the range of 17 nm to 90 nm despite anomalies in the bilayer dependence of self-propagating reaction velocities in the same foils.

Increased dependence on slow filling for left ventricular diastolic filling in patients with coronary artery disease and a depressed systolic function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagishi, Takashi; Ozaki, Masaharu; Furutani, Yuhji; Yamamoto, Kouzo; Saeki, Atsushi; Satoh, Shinichi; Kusukawa, Reizo

1990-01-01

Contributions of rapid filling, slow filling and atrial systole to the left ventricular(LV) filling volume were analyzed with the use of radionuclide ventriculography at rest, both globally and regionally, in 34 patients with isolated disease of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The patients included 17 with a normal ejection fraction (EF≥50%; group 1) and 17 with a depressed EF (<50%; group 2), and the data were compared with those obtained from 13 normal subjects. A computer program subdivided the LV image into 4 regions, and time-activity curves were constructed globally and regionally by reverse-gating from the R wave. In both groups the contribution of rapid filling to the LV filling volume was decreased significantly in the affected septal and apical regions, and in the global left ventricle compared with that in normal subjects. In group 1, the contribution of atrial systole showed an increase in these affected regions and in the global left ventricle. In contrast, in group 2, the atrial contribution was not increased globally or regionally as much as was expected. However, the contribution of slow filling was either increased significantly or tended to increase in the affected regions and in the global left ventricle. There were negative correlations between the contribution of rapid filling and that of slow filling in the global left ventricle (r=-0.73, p<0.001) and in each of the septal, apical and lateral regions (r≥-0.60, p<0.001), which suggested that the contribution of slow filling as well as of atrial systole undergoes an increase as rapid filling is impaired. Thus, in patients with coronary artery disease, the left ventricle relies on slow filling as well as atrial systole to affect diastolic LV filling in the affected regions and in the global left ventricle in the presence of LV systolic dysfunction. (author)

Toll-like receptors and NOD-like receptors in rheumatic diseases.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McCormack, William J

2012-02-01

The past 10 years have seen the description of families of receptors that drive proinflammatory cytokine production in infection and tissue injury. Two major classes have been examined in the context of inflammatory joint disease--the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs). TLRs such as TLR2 and TLR4 are being implicated in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lyme arthritis and osteoarthritis. Nalp3 has been identified as a key NLR for IL-1beta production and has been shown to have a particular role in gout. These findings present new therapeutic opportunities, possibly allowing for the replacement of biologics with small molecule inhibitors.

Consumption of polyphenol plants may slow aging and associated diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Uysal, Utku; Seremet, Sila; Lamping, Jeffrey W; Adams, Jerome M; Liu, Deede Y; Swerdlow, Russell H; Aires, Daniel J

2013-01-01

Slowing aging is a widely shared goal. Plant-derived polyphenols, which are found in commonly consumed food plants such as tea, cocoa, blueberry and grape, have been proposed to have many health benefits, including slowing aging. In-vivo studies have demonstrated the lifespan-extending ability of six polyphenol-containing plants. These include five widely consumed foods (tea, blueberry, cocoa, apple, pomegranate) and a flower commonly used as a folk medicine (betony). These and multiple other plant polyphenols have been shown to have beneficial effects on aging-associated changes across a variety of organisms from worm and fly to rodent and human.

Post-ischemic azotemia as a partial 'brake', slowing progressive kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zager, Richard A; Johnson, Ali C; Becker, Kirsten

2013-06-01

Recent experimental work suggests a paradox: although uremia evokes systemic toxicities, in the setting of AKI, it can induce intrarenal cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Whether these influences can attenuate post-ischemic kidney disease progression remains unknown. To explore this possibility, male CD-1 mice were subjected to a 30-min unilateral (left) kidney ischemia model, previously shown to reduce renal mass by ∼50% over 2-3 weeks. Stepwise azotemia/acute uremia was superimposed by inducing different lengths of contralateral (right) kidney ischemia (0, 15, 18, 20 min). Subsequent loss of left renal mass (kidney weight) was assessed 2 weeks later and contrasted with the degree of initial azotemia 24-h BUN. A striking correlation between 24-h BUNs and 2-week left renal mass was observed (r, 0.77; P < 0.001). With 20 min of right kidney ischemia, left kidney size was completely preserved. This preservation did not result from increased tubular cell proliferation or decreased microvascular loss, as gauged by KI-67 and CD-34 immunohistochemistry, respectively. Rather, an early reduction in proximal tubule cell dropout (as judged by renal cortical N-acetyl-glucosaminidase content), with a subsequent preservation of tubule mass, was observed. In summary, these findings advance a novel concept: acute uremia can confer early post-ischemic cytoprotection resulting in a slowed progression of post-ischemic kidney disease.

MicroRNA-124 slows down the progression of Huntington′s disease by promoting neurogenesis in the striatum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNA-124 contributes to neurogenesis through regulating its targets, but its expression both in the brain of Huntington′s disease mouse models and patients is decreased. However, the effects of microRNA-124 on the progression of Huntington′s disease have not been reported. Results from this study showed that microRNA-124 increased the latency to fall for each R6/2 Huntington′s disease transgenic mouse in the rotarod test. 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU staining of the striatum shows an increase in neurogenesis. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha protein levels in the striatum were increased and SRY-related HMG box transcription factor 9 protein level was decreased. These findings suggest that microRNA-124 slows down the progression of Huntington′s disease possibly through its important role in neuronal differentiation and survival.

Production of verbs related to body movement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Science.gov (United States)

Cousins, Katheryn A Q; Ash, Sharon; Grossman, Murray

2018-03-01

Theories of grounded cognition propose that action verb knowledge relies in part on motor processing regions, including premotor cortex. Accordingly, impaired action verb knowledge in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) is thought to be due to motor system degeneration. Upper motor neuron disease in ALS degrades the motor cortex and related pyramidal motor system, while disease in PD is centered in the basal ganglia and can spread to frontostriatal areas that are important to language functioning. These anatomical distinctions in disease may yield subtle differences in the action verb impairment between patient groups. Here we compare verbs where the body is the agent of the action to verbs where the body is the theme. To examine the role of motor functioning in body verb production, we split patient groups into patients with high motor impairment (HMI) and those with low motor impairment (LMI), using disease-specific measures of motor impairment. Regression analyses assessed how verb production in ALS and PD was related to motor system atrophy. We find a dissociation between agent- and theme-body verbs in ALS: ALS HMI were impaired for agent body verbs but not theme verbs, compared to ALS LMI. This dissociation was not present in PD patients, who instead show depressed production for all body verbs. Although patients with cognitive impairment were excluded from this study, cognitive performance significantly correlated with the production of theme verbs in ALS and cognitive/stative verbs in PD. Finally, regression analyses related the agent-theme dissociation in ALS to grey matter atrophy of premotor cortex. These findings support the view that motor dysfunction and disease in premotor cortex contributes to the agent body verb deficit in ALS, and begin to identify some distinct characteristics of impairment for verbs in ALS and PD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stochastic dynamic modeling of regular and slow earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Aso, N.; Ando, R.; Ide, S.

2017-12-01

Both regular and slow earthquakes are slip phenomena on plate boundaries and are simulated by a (quasi-)dynamic modeling [Liu and Rice, 2005]. In these numerical simulations, spatial heterogeneity is usually considered not only for explaining real physical properties but also for evaluating the stability of the calculations or the sensitivity of the results on the condition. However, even though we discretize the model space with small grids, heterogeneity at smaller scales than the grid size is not considered in the models with deterministic governing equations. To evaluate the effect of heterogeneity at the smaller scales we need to consider stochastic interactions between slip and stress in a dynamic modeling. Tidal stress is known to trigger or affect both regular and slow earthquakes [Yabe et al., 2015; Ide et al., 2016], and such an external force with fluctuation can also be considered as a stochastic external force. A healing process of faults may also be stochastic, so we introduce stochastic friction law. In the present study, we propose a stochastic dynamic model to explain both regular and slow earthquakes. We solve mode III problem, which corresponds to the rupture propagation along the strike direction. We use BIEM (boundary integral equation method) scheme to simulate slip evolution, but we add stochastic perturbations in the governing equations, which is usually written in a deterministic manner. As the simplest type of perturbations, we adopt Gaussian deviations in the formulation of the slip-stress kernel, external force, and friction. By increasing the amplitude of perturbations of the slip-stress kernel, we reproduce complicated rupture process of regular earthquakes including unilateral and bilateral ruptures. By perturbing external force, we reproduce slow rupture propagation at a scale of km/day. The slow propagation generated by a combination of fast interaction at S-wave velocity is analogous to the kinetic theory of gasses: thermal

Slow media. Comunicación, cambio social y sostenibilidad en la era del torrente mediático

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Barranquero-Carretero

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Desde una crítica al culto a la velocidad en el moderno sistema capitalista, el movimiento slow insiste en la raíz temporal de la crisis sistémica planetaria. Este artículo ofrece una primera aproximación al origen y fundamentos de los slow media, que abogan por un abordaje en clave lenta, reflexiva y sostenible de la comunicación humana, mediada y digital.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a definite cause of Huntington's disease-like syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Moreno, Hector; Fassihi, Hiva; Sarkany, Robert P E; Phukan, Julie; Warner, Thomas; Lehmann, Alan R; Giunti, Paola

2018-01-01

Xeroderma pigmentosum is characterized by cutaneous, ophthalmological, and neurological features. Although it is typical of childhood, late presentations can mimic different neurodegenerative conditions. We report two families presenting as Huntington's disease-like syndromes. The first case (group G) presented with neuropsychiatric features, cognitive decline and chorea. Typical lentigines were only noticed after the neurological disease started. The second case (group B) presented adult-onset chorea and neuropsychiatric symptoms after an aggressive ocular melanoma. Xeroderma pigmentosum can manifest as a Huntington's Disease-like syndrome. Classic dermatological and oncological features have to be investigated in choreic patients with negative genetic tests for Huntington's disease-like phenotypes.

Synthesis of flower-like Boehmite (γ-AlOOH) via a one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Zhe; Liang, Jilei; Li, Xuehui; Li, Jingfeng; Guo, Hailing; Liu, Yunqi; Liu, Chenguang

2013-01-01

A simple and novel synthesis process, one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal synthesis route, has been developed in the work to synthesize Bohemithe (γ-AlOOH) with flower-like structure. The samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Ionic liquid [Omim] + Cl − , as a template, plays an important role in the morphology and pore structure of the products due to its strong interactions with reaction particles. With the increase in the dosage of ionic liquid [Omim] + Cl − , the morphology of the γ-AlOOH was changed from initial bundles of nanosheets (without ionic liquid) into final well-developed monodispersed 3D flower-like architectures ([Omim] + Cl − =72 mmol). The pore structure was also altered gradually from initial disordered slit-like pore into final relatively ordered ink-bottle pore. Furthermore, the proposed formation mechanism and other influencing factors such as reaction temperature and urea on formation and morphology of the γ-AlOOH have also been investigated. - Graphical abstract: The flower-like γ-AlOOH architectures composed by nanosheets with narrow size distribution (1.6–2.2 μm) and uniform pore size (6.92 nm) have been synthesized via a one-step ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route. - Highlights: • The γ-AlOOH microflowers were synthesized via an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal route. • Ionic liquid plays an important role on the morphology and porous structure of the products. • Ionic liquid can be easily removed from the products and reused in recycling experiments. • A “aggregation–recrystallization–Ostwald Ripening“formation mechanism may occur

Ameliorating Role Exerted by Al-Hijamah in Autoimmune Diseases: Effect on Serum Autoantibodies and Inflammatory Mediators

Science.gov (United States)

Baghdadi, Hussam; Abdel-Aziz, Nada; Ahmed, Nagwa Sayed; Mahmoud, Hany Salah; Barghash, Ayman; Nasrat, Abdullah; Nabo, Manal Mohamed Helmy; El Sayed, Salah Mohamed

2015-01-01

Autoimmune diseases have common properties characterized by abnormal blood chemistry with high serum autoimmune antibodies, and inflammatory mediators. Those causative pathological substances (CPS) cannot be excreted by physiological mechanisms. Current treatments for autoimmune diseases involve steroids, cytotoxic drugs, plasmapheresis and monoclonal antibodies. Wet cupping therapy (WCT) of prophetic medicine is called Al-hijamah that treats numerous diseases having different etiology and pathogenesis via a pressure-dependent and size-dependent non-specific filtration then excretion of CPS causing clearance of blood and interstitial fluids. Al-hijamah clears blood passing through the fenestrated skin capillaries. Medical bases of Al-hijamah were reported in the evidence-based Taibah mechanism (Taibah theory). Al-hijamah was reported to be an excellent treatment for rheumatoid arthritis that improved patients’ blood chemistry and induced significant clinical improvement and pharmacological potentiation. Al-hijamah improved the natural immunity and suppressed the pathological immunity through decreasing the serum level of autoantibodies, inflammatory mediators, and serum ferritin (a key player in autoimmunity). Al-hijamah reduced significantly pain severity, number of swollen joints and disease activity with no significant side effects. Main steps of Al-hijamah are skin suction (cupping), scarification (sharatmihjam in Arabic) and second suction (triple S technique) that is better therapeutically than the traditional WCT (double S technique). Whenever an excess noxious substance is to be removed from patients’ blood and interstitial fluids, Al-hijamah is indicated. Shartatmihjam is a curative treatment in prophetic teachings according to the prophetic hadeeth: “Cure is in three: in shartatmihjam, oral honey and cauterization. I do not recommend my nation to cauterize”. Al-hijamah may have better therapeutic benefits than plasmapheresis. Al-hijamah may be

NMR study on the low-temperature state of LaMn{sub 4}Al{sub 8}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muro, Y. [Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297 (Japan)]. E-mail: rk04j052@stkt.u-hyogo.ac.jp; Nakamura, H. [Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297 (Japan); Kohara, T. [Graduate School of Material Science, University of Hyogo, Kamigori, Ako-gun, Hyogo 678-1297 (Japan)

2007-03-15

The ground state of the quasi-one-dimensional itinerant electron magnet LaMn{sub 4}Al{sub 8} with strong electron correlation has been investigated by NMR. The presence of weak and broad zero-field {sup 55}Mn resonance, corresponding to internal field of 8-11T, indicates slowing down of spins partially released from the spin-singlet-like state in the spin chains.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

Science.gov (United States)

... FDA) has approved the drugs riluzole (Rilutek) and edaravone (Radicava) to treat ALS. Riluzole is believed to ... reverse the damage already done to motor neurons. Edaravone has been shown to slow the decline in ...

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Science.gov (United States)

... found for ALS. However, the drugs riluzole and edaravone have approved by the Food and Drug Administration ( ... 2-3 months but does not relieve symptoms. Edaravone can slow the clinical decline in daily functioning ...

Wear and Friction Characteristics of AlN/Diamond-Like Carbon Hybrid Coatings on Aluminum Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Nakamura, Masashi; Kubota, Sadayuki; Suzuki, Hideto; Haraguchi, Tadao

2015-10-01

The use of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings has the potential to greatly improve the wear resistance and friction of aluminum alloys, but practical application has so far been limited by poor adhesion due to large difference in hardness and elasticity between the two materials. This study investigates the deposition of DLC onto an Al-alloy using an intermediate AlN layer with a graded hardness to create a hybrid coating. By controlling the hardness of the AlN film, it was found that the wear life of the DLC film could be improved 80-fold compared to a DLC film deposited directly onto Al-alloy. Furthermore, it was demonstrated through finite element simulation that creating a hardness gradient in the AlN intermediate layer reduces the distribution of stress in the DLC film, while also increasing the force of adhesion between the DLC and AlN layers. Given that both the DLC and AlN films were deposited using the same unbalanced magnetron sputtering method, this process is considered to represent a simple and effective means of improving the wear resistance of Al-alloy components commonly used within the aerospace and automotive industries.

Direct Lineage Reprogramming Reveals Disease-Specific Phenotypes of Motor Neurons from Human ALS Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Lu Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Subtype-specific neurons obtained from adult humans will be critical to modeling neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. Here, we show that adult human skin fibroblasts can be directly and efficiently converted into highly pure motor neurons without passing through an induced pluripotent stem cell stage. These adult human induced motor neurons (hiMNs exhibit the cytological and electrophysiological features of spinal motor neurons and form functional neuromuscular junctions (NMJs with skeletal muscles. Importantly, hiMNs converted from ALS patient fibroblasts show disease-specific degeneration manifested through poor survival, soma shrinkage, hypoactivity, and an inability to form NMJs. A chemical screen revealed that the degenerative features of ALS hiMNs can be remarkably rescued by the small molecule kenpaullone. Taken together, our results define a direct and efficient strategy to obtain disease-relevant neuronal subtypes from adult human patients and reveal their promising value in disease modeling and drug identification.

Riluzole does not improve lifespan or motor function in three ALS mouse models.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogg, Marion C; Halang, Luise; Woods, Ina; Coughlan, Karen S; Prehn, Jochen H M

2017-12-08

Riluzole is the most widespread therapeutic for treatment of the progressive degenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Riluzole gained FDA approval in 1995 before the development of ALS mouse models. We assessed riluzole in three transgenic ALS mouse models: the SOD1 G93A model, the TDP-43 A315T model, and the recently developed FUS (1-359) model. Age, sex and litter-matched mice were treated with riluzole (22 mg/kg) in drinking water or vehicle (DMSO) from symptom onset. Lifespan was assessed and motor function tests were carried out twice weekly to determine whether riluzole slowed disease progression. Riluzole treatment had no significant benefit on lifespan in any of the ALS mouse models tested. Riluzole had no significant impact on decline in motor performance in the FUS (1-359) and SOD1 G93A transgenic mice as assessed by Rotarod and stride length analysis. Riluzole is widely prescribed for ALS patients despite questions surrounding its efficacy. Our data suggest that if riluzole was identified as a therapeutic candidate today it would not progress past pre-clinical assessment. This raises questions about the standards used in pre-clinical assessment of therapeutic candidates for the treatment of ALS.

Spliceosome integrity is defective in the motor neuron diseases ALS and SMA

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuiji, Hitomi; Iguchi, Yohei; Furuya, Asako; Kataoka, Ayane; Hatsuta, Hiroyuki; Atsuta, Naoki; Tanaka, Fumiaki; Hashizume, Yoshio; Akatsu, Hiroyasu; Murayama, Shigeo; Sobue, Gen; Yamanaka, Koji

2013-01-01

Two motor neuron diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), are caused by distinct genes involved in RNA metabolism, TDP-43 and FUS/TLS, and SMN, respectively. However, whether there is a shared defective mechanism in RNA metabolism common to these two diseases remains unclear. Here, we show that TDP-43 and FUS/TLS localize in nuclear Gems through an association with SMN, and that all three proteins function in spliceosome maintenance. We also show that in ALS, Gems are lost, U snRNA levels are up-regulated and spliceosomal U snRNPs abnormally and extensively accumulate in motor neuron nuclei, but not in the temporal lobe of FTLD with TDP-43 pathology. This aberrant accumulation of U snRNAs in ALS motor neurons is in direct contrast to SMA motor neurons, which show reduced amounts of U snRNAs, while both have defects in the spliceosome. These findings indicate that a profound loss of spliceosome integrity is a critical mechanism common to neurodegeneration in ALS and SMA, and may explain cell-type specific vulnerability of motor neurons. PMID:23255347

GLUT4 is reduced in slow muscle fibers of type 2 diabetic patients: is insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes a slow, type 1 fiber disease?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaster, M; Staehr, P; Beck-Nielsen, H

2001-01-01

To gain further insight into the mechanisms underlying muscle insulin resistance, the influence of obesity and type 2 diabetes on GLUT4 immunoreactivity in slow and fast skeletal muscle fibers was studied. Through a newly developed, very sensitive method using immunohistochemistry combined...... with morphometry, GLUT4 density was found to be significantly higher in slow compared with fast fibers in biopsy specimens from lean and obese subjects. In contrast, in type 2 diabetic subjects, GLUT4 density was significantly lower in slow compared with fast fibers. GLUT4 density in slow fibers from diabetic...... was reduced to 77% in the obese subjects and to 61% in type 2 diabetic patients compared with the control subjects. We propose that a reduction in the fraction of slow-twitch fibers, combined with a reduction in GLUT4 expression in slow fibers, may reduce the insulin-sensitive GLUT4 pool in type 2 diabetes...

Toward standardization of slow earthquake catalog -Development of database website-

Science.gov (United States)

Kano, M.; Aso, N.; Annoura, S.; Arai, R.; Ito, Y.; Kamaya, N.; Maury, J.; Nakamura, M.; Nishimura, T.; Obana, K.; Sugioka, H.; Takagi, R.; Takahashi, T.; Takeo, A.; Yamashita, Y.; Matsuzawa, T.; Ide, S.; Obara, K.

2017-12-01

Slow earthquakes have now been widely discovered in the world based on the recent development of geodetic and seismic observations. Many researchers detect a wide frequency range of slow earthquakes including low frequency tremors, low frequency earthquakes, very low frequency earthquakes and slow slip events by using various methods. Catalogs of the detected slow earthquakes are open to us in different formats by each referring paper or through a website (e.g., Wech 2010; Idehara et al. 2014). However, we need to download catalogs from different sources, to deal with unformatted catalogs and to understand the characteristics of different catalogs, which may be somewhat complex especially for those who are not familiar with slow earthquakes. In order to standardize slow earthquake catalogs and to make such a complicated work easier, Scientific Research on Innovative Areas "Science of Slow Earthquakes" has been developing a slow earthquake catalog website. In the website, we can plot locations of various slow earthquakes via the Google Maps by compiling a variety of slow earthquake catalogs including slow slip events. This enables us to clearly visualize spatial relations among slow earthquakes at a glance and to compare the regional activities of slow earthquakes or the locations of different catalogs. In addition, we can download catalogs in the unified format and refer the information on each catalog on the single website. Such standardization will make it more convenient for users to utilize the previous achievements and to promote research on slow earthquakes, which eventually leads to collaborations with researchers in various fields and further understanding of the mechanisms, environmental conditions, and underlying physics of slow earthquakes. Furthermore, we expect that the website has a leading role in the international standardization of slow earthquake catalogs. We report the overview of the website and the progress of construction. Acknowledgment: This

Black yeast-like fungi in skin and nail

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saunte, D M; Tarazooie, B; Arendrup, M C

2011-01-01

Black yeast-like fungi are rarely reported from superficial infections. We noticed a consistent prevalence of these organisms as single isolations from mycological routine specimens. To investigate the prevalence of black yeast-like fungi in skin, hair and nail specimens and to discuss...... the probability of these species to be involved in disease. Slow-growing black yeast-like fungi in routine specimens were prospectively collected and identified. A questionnaire regarding patient information was sent to physicians regarding black yeast-like fungus positive patients. A total of 20 746...... dermatological specimens were examined by culture. Black yeast-like fungi accounted for 2.2% (n = 108) of the positive cultures. Only 31.0% of the samples, culture positive for black yeast-like fungi were direct microscopy positive when compared with overall 68.8% of the culture positive specimens. The most...

Reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in ALS patients: a window to disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Rohani, Mohammad; Meysamie, Alipasha; Zamani, Babak; Sowlat, Mohammad Mahdi; Akhoundi, Fahimeh Haji

2018-04-30

To assess RNFL thickness in ALS patients and compare it to healthy controls, and to detect possible correlations between RNFL thickness in ALS patients and disease severity and duration. Study population consisted of ALS patients and age- and sex-matched controls. We used the revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) as a measure of disease severity. RNFL thickness in the four quadrants were measured with a spectral domain OCT (Topcon 3D, 2015). We evaluated 20 ALS patients (40 eyes) and 25 healthy matched controls. Average RNFL thickness in ALS patients was significantly reduced compared to controls (102.57 ± 13.46 compared to 97.11 ± 10.76, p 0.04). There was a significant positive correlation between the functional abilities of the patients based on the ALSFRS-R and average RNFL thickness and also RNFL thickness in most quadrants. A linear regression analysis proved that this correlation was independent of age. In ALS patients, RNFL thickness in the nasal quadrant of the left eyes was significantly reduced compared to the corresponding quadrant in the right eyes even after adjustment for multiplicity (85.80 ± 23.20 compared to 96.80 ± 16.96, p = 0.008). RNFL thickness in ALS patients is reduced compared to healthy controls. OCT probably could serve as a marker of neurodegeneration and progression of the disease in ALS patients. RNFL thickness is different among the right and left eyes of ALS patients pointing to the fact that asymmetric CNS involvement in ALS is not confined to the motor system.

Identification of a STOP1-like protein in Eucalyptus that regulates transcription of Al tolerance genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawaki, Yoshiharu; Kobayashi, Yuriko; Kihara-Doi, Tomonori; Nishikubo, Nobuyuki; Kawazu, Tetsu; Kobayashi, Masatomo; Kobayashi, Yasufumi; Iuchi, Satoshi; Koyama, Hiroyuki; Sato, Shigeru

2014-06-01

Tolerance to soil acidity is an important trait for eucalyptus clones that are introduced to commercial forestry plantations in pacific Asian countries, where acidic soil is dominant in many locations. A conserved transcription factor regulating aluminum (Al) and proton (H⁺) tolerance in land-plant species, STOP1 (SENSITIVE TOPROTON RHIZOTOXICITY 1)-like protein, was isolated by polymerase chain reaction-based cloning, and then suppressed by RNA interference in hairy roots produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation. Eucalyptus STOP1-like protein complemented proton tolerance in an Arabidopsis thaliana stop1-mutant, and localized to the nucleus in a transient assay of a green fluorescent protein fusion protein expressed in tobacco leaves by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Genes encoding a citrate transporting MULTIDRUGS AND TOXIC COMPOUND EXTRUSION protein and an orthologue of ALUMINUM SENSITIVE 3 were suppressed in transgenic hairy roots in which the STOP1 orthologue was knocked down. In summary, we identified a series of genes for Al-tolerance in eucalyptus, including a gene for STOP1-like protein and the Al-tolerance genes it regulates. These genes may be useful for molecular breeding and genomic selection of elite clones to introduce into acid soil regions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation-induced external ear canal cholesteatoma-like disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishihara, Akiko; Okuno, Hideji; Noguchi, Keisuke; Komatsuzaki, Atsushi [Tokyo Medical and Dental Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

1999-06-01

Three cases of cholesteatoma-like disease in the ear canals after radiation therapy for head and neck tumor were reported. Effect of irradiation on bone and soft tissue including skin brings about pathological reaction to the external ear canal as well. Two types of disease resembling cholesteatomas have been recognized: keratosis obturans (KO) and external auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC). KO appears to be derived from disease of canal skin involved with keratinization, creating a widning of the canal. EACC, on the other hand, seems to develop in the disease of bony canal where a localized absorption of its bone with invasion of squamous epithelium takes place. (author)

Ogbu et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2013) 10(5):325 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cadewumi

likely the fastest growing metabolic disease (Ugochukwu and Babady, 2003; ... global rise in diabetes-related mortality, although several drugs for diabetes ... et al., 2002; Rayner et al., 2001). ..... The rapid spread of type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing burden on healthcare worldwide (Heine et al., ..... projections for 2030.

Building energetic material from novel salix leaf-like CuO and nano-Al through electrophoretic deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Yan Jun; Li, Xueming [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing (China)

2016-11-15

In this study, an energetic material was prepared by depositing nano-Al on CuO arrays via electrophoretic deposition (EPD), which offers a feasible route for nano-Al integration. The morphology and structure of the CuO arrays and Al/CuO composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The CuO arrays were homogenously salix leaf-like structure with a width of ⁓150 to 200 nm. The energy density of Al/CuO composites was approximate to 1454.5 J/g by integrating the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) plot and the combustion performance was recorded by a high-speed camera. Moreover, the combustion flames were violent and the whole reaction process only lasted 72.2 ms, indicating that the energy of the Al/CuO nanothermite can be released effectively.

Comprehensive analysis of the mutation spectrum in 301 German ALS families.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Kathrin; Brenner, David; Weydt, Patrick; Meyer, Thomas; Grehl, Torsten; Petri, Susanne; Grosskreutz, Julian; Schuster, Joachim; Volk, Alexander E; Borck, Guntram; Kubisch, Christian; Klopstock, Thomas; Zeller, Daniel; Jablonka, Sibylle; Sendtner, Michael; Klebe, Stephan; Knehr, Antje; Günther, Kornelia; Weis, Joachim; Claeys, Kristl G; Schrank, Berthold; Sperfeld, Anne-Dorte; Hübers, Annemarie; Otto, Markus; Dorst, Johannes; Meitinger, Thomas; Strom, Tim M; Andersen, Peter M; Ludolph, Albert C; Weishaupt, Jochen H

2018-04-12

Recent advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genetics have revealed that mutations in any of more than 25 genes can cause ALS, mostly as an autosomal-dominant Mendelian trait. Detailed knowledge about the genetic architecture of ALS in a specific population will be important for genetic counselling but also for genotype-specific therapeutic interventions. Here we combined fragment length analysis, repeat-primed PCR, Southern blotting, Sanger sequencing and whole exome sequencing to obtain a comprehensive profile of genetic variants in ALS disease genes in 301 German pedigrees with familial ALS. We report C9orf72 mutations as well as variants in consensus splice sites and non-synonymous variants in protein-coding regions of ALS genes. We furthermore estimate their pathogenicity by taking into account type and frequency of the respective variant as well as segregation within the families. 49% of our German ALS families carried a likely pathogenic variant in at least one of the earlier identified ALS genes. In 45% of the ALS families, likely pathogenic variants were detected in C9orf72, SOD1, FUS, TARDBP or TBK1 , whereas the relative contribution of the other ALS genes in this familial ALS cohort was 4%. We identified several previously unreported rare variants and demonstrated the absence of likely pathogenic variants in some of the recently described ALS disease genes. We here present a comprehensive genetic characterisation of German familial ALS. The present findings are of importance for genetic counselling in clinical practice, for molecular research and for the design of diagnostic gene panels or genotype-specific therapeutic interventions in Europe. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Initial test of a T9-like P300-based speller by an ALS patient

Science.gov (United States)

Ron-Angevin, R.; Varona-Moya, S.; da Silva-Sauer, L.

2015-08-01

Objective. Visual P300-based brain-computer interface spellers offer a useful communication channel for locked-in patients, who are completely dependent in their daily lives. One of the research goals for these systems is to achieve greater communication rates by means of modifying some features of their interfaces, e.g., reducing the matrix size. However, such modifications may not work well with disabled end-users, such as patients of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), due to a supposed reduction of their cognitive resources. The purpose of the present study was to provide a proof of concept that ALS patients could efficiently use a P300-based speller with a 4 × 3 symbol matrix based on the T9 interface developed for mobile phones. Approach. We conducted an experiment with a sample of 11 able-bodied participants and one locked-in patient with ALS. All participants tested our T9-like visual P300-based speller and also two different 7 × 6 matrix spellers based on Farwell and Donchin’s classic proposal—one of them included a word predictor system like the T9-like speller did. Main results. The performance analyses indicated that the locked-in patient benefited from using a reduced matrix size as much as healthy users did, spelling words almost 1.6 times faster and equally accurately when using the T9-like speller than when using the alternative spellers. Significance. Due to counting on only one locked-in patient, the current work constitutes a feasibility study. The actual usability of systems such as the one proposed in this paper should be determined by means of studies with a greater number of end-users in real-life conditions.

Can Co-Activation of Nrf2 and Neurotrophic Signaling Pathway Slow Alzheimer’s Disease?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelsey E. Murphy

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is a multifaceted disease that is hard to treat by single-modal treatment. AD starts with amyloid peptides, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress and later is accompanied with chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress and autophagy dysfunction, resulting in more complicated pathogenesis. Currently, few treatments can modify the complicated pathogenic progress of AD. Compared to the treatment with exogenous antioxidants, the activation of global antioxidant defense system via Nrf2 looks more promising in attenuating oxidative stress in AD brains. Accompanying the activation of the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defense system that reduce the AD-causative factor, oxidative stress, it is also necessary to activate the neurotrophic signaling pathway that replaces damaged organelles and molecules with new ones. Thus, the dual actions to activate both the Nrf2 antioxidant system and neurotrophic signaling pathway are expected to provide a better strategy to modify AD pathogenesis. Here, we review the current understanding of AD pathogenesis and neuronal defense systems and discuss a possible way to co-activate the Nrf2 antioxidant system and neurotrophic signaling pathway with the hope of helping to find a better strategy to slow AD.

Slow Movement/Slow University: Critical Engagements. Introduction to the Thematic Section

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maggie O'Neill

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This thematic section emerged from two seminars that took place at Durham University in England in November 2013 and March 2014 on the possibilities for thinking through what a change movement towards slow might mean for the University. Slow movements have emerged in relation to a number of topics: Slow food, Citta slow and more recently, slow science. What motivated us in the seminars was to explore how far these movements could help us address the acceleration and intensification of work within our own and other universities, and indeed, what new learning, research, philosophies, practices, structures and governance might emerge. This editorial introduction presents the concept of the "slow university" and introduces our critical engagements with slow. The articles presented here interrogate the potentialities, challenges, problems and pitfalls of the slow university in an era of corporate culture and management rationality. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1403166

Riluzole protects against glutamate-induced slowing of neurofilament axonal transport.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Stevenson, Alison

2009-04-24

Riluzole is the only drug approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) but its precise mode of action is not properly understood. Damage to axonal transport of neurofilaments is believed to be part of the pathogenic mechanism in ALS and this has been linked to defective glutamate handling and increased phosphorylation of neurofilament side-arm domains. Here, we show that riluzole protects against glutamate-induced slowing of neurofilament transport. Protection is associated with decreased neurofilament side-arm phosphorylation and inhibition of the activities of two neurofilament kinases, ERK and p38 that are activated in ALS. Thus, the anti-glutamatergic properties of riluzole include protection against glutamate-induced changes to neurofilament phosphorylation and transport.

Ion-implantation induced defects in ZnO studied by a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Sekiguchi, T.; Suzuki, R.

2004-01-01

Introduction and annealing behavior of defects in Al + -implanted ZnO have been studied using an energy variable slow positron beam. Vacancy clusters are produced after Al + -implantation. With increasing ion dose above 10 14 Al + /cm 2 the implanted layer is amorphized. Heat treatment up to 600 C enhances the creation of large voids that allow the positronium formation. The large voids disappear accompanying the recrystallization process by further heat treatment above 600 C. Afterwards, implanted Al impurities are completely activated to contribute to the n-type conduction. The ZnO crystal quality is also improved after recrystallization. (orig.)

Slow Slip Predictions Based on Gabbro Dehydration and Friction Data Compared to GPS Measurements in Northern Cascadia

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, J. R.; Liu, Y.

2008-12-01

For episodic slow slip transients in subduction zones, a large uncertainty in comparing surface deformations predicted by rate and state friction modeling [Liu and Rice, JGR, 2007] to GPS measurements lies in our limited knowledge of the frictional properties and fluid pore pressure along the fault. In this study, we apply petrological data [Peacock et al., USGS, 2002; Hacker et al., JGR 2003; Wada et al., JGR, 2008] and recently reported friction data [He et al., Tectonophys, 2006, 2007] for gabbro, as a reasonable representation of the seafloor, to a Cascadia-like 2D model in order to produce simulations which show spontaneous aseismic transients. We compare the resulting inter-transient and transient surface deformations to GPS observations along the northern Cascadia margin. An inferred region along dip of elevated fluid pressure is constrained by seismological observations where available, and by thermal and petrological models for the Cascadia and SW Japan subduction zones. For the assumed a and a-b profiles, we search the model parameter space, by varying the level of effective normal stress σ, characteristic slip distance L in the source areas of transients, and the fault width under that low σ, to identify simulation cases which produce transient aseismic slip and recurrence interval similar to the observed 20-30 mm and 14 months, respectively, in northern Cascadia. Using a simple planar fault geometry and extrapolating the 2D fault slip to a 3D distribution, we find that the gabbro gouge friction data allows a much better fit to GPS observations than is possible with the granite data [Blanpied et al., JGR, 1995, 1998] which, for lack of a suitable alternative, has been used as the basis for most previous subduction earthquake modeling, including ours. Nevertheless, the values of L required to reasonably fit the geodetic data during a transient event are somewhat larger than 100 microns, rather than in the range of 10 to a few 10s of microns as might be

When does ALS start? ADAR2-GluA2 hypothesis for the etiology of sporadic ALS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuto eHideyama

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease. More than 90% of ALS cases are sporadic, and the majority of sporadic ALS patients do not carry mutations in genes causative of familial ALS; therefore, investigation specifically targeting sporadic ALS is needed to discover the pathogenesis. The motor neurons of sporadic ALS patients express unedited GluA2 mRNA at the Q/R site in a disease-specific and motor neuron-selective manner. GluA2 is a subunit of the AMPA receptor, and it has a regulatory role in the Ca2+-permeability of the AMPA receptor after the genomic Q codon is replaced with the R codon in mRNA by adenosine-inosine conversion, which is mediated by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 2 (ADAR2. Therefore, ADAR2 activity may not be sufficient to edit all GluA2 mRNA expressed in the motor neurons of ALS patients. To investigate whether deficient ADAR2 activity plays pathogenic roles in sporadic ALS, we generated genetically modified mice (AR2 in which the ADAR2 gene was conditionally knocked out in the motor neurons. AR2 mice showed an ALS-like phenotype with the death of ADAR2-lacking motor neurons. Notably, the motor neurons deficient in ADAR2 survived when they expressed only edited GluA2 in AR2/GluR-BR/R (AR2res mice, in which the endogenous GluA2 alleles were replaced by the GluR-BR allele that encoded edited GluA2. In heterozygous AR2 mice with only one ADAR2 allele, approximately 20% of the spinal motor neurons expressed unedited GluA2 and underwent degeneration, indicating that half-normal ADAR2 activity is not sufficient to edit all GluA2 expressed in motor neurons. It is likely therefore that the expression of unedited GluA2 causes the death of motor neurons in sporadic ALS. We hypothesize that a progressive downregulation of ADAR2 activity plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of sporadic ALS and that the pathological process commences when motor neurons express unedited GluA2.

Effect of fluoxetine on disease progression in a mouse model of ALS

Science.gov (United States)

Koschnitzky, J. E.; Quinlan, K. A.; Lukas, T. J.; Kajtaz, E.; Kocevar, E. J.; Mayers, W. F.; Siddique, T.

2014-01-01

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressants are often prescribed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients; however, the impact of these prescriptions on ALS disease progression has not been systematically tested. To determine whether SSRIs impact disease progression, fluoxetine (Prozac, 5 or 10 mg/kg) was administered to mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) mice during one of three age ranges: neonatal [postnatal day (P)5–11], adult presymptomatic (P30 to end stage), and adult symptomatic (P70 to end stage). Long-term adult fluoxetine treatment (started at either P30 or P70 and continuing until end stage) had no significant effect on disease progression. In contrast, neonatal fluoxetine treatment (P5-11) had two effects. First, all animals (mutant SOD1G93A and control: nontransgenic and SOD1WT) receiving the highest dose (10 mg/kg) had a sustained decrease in weight from P30 onward. Second, the high-dose SOD1G93A mice reached end stage ∼8 days (∼6% decrease in life span) sooner than vehicle and low-dose animals because of an increased rate of motor impairment. Fluoxetine increases synaptic serotonin (5-HT) levels, which is known to increase spinal motoneuron excitability. We confirmed that 5-HT increases spinal motoneuron excitability during this neonatal time period and therefore hypothesized that antagonizing 5-HT receptors during the same time period would improve disease outcome. However, cyproheptadine (1 or 5 mg/kg), a 5-HT receptor antagonist, had no effect on disease progression. These results show that a brief period of antidepressant treatment during a critical time window (the transition from neonatal to juvenile states) can be detrimental in ALS mouse models. PMID:24598527

Explicit and Implicit Processes Constitute the Fast and Slow Processes of Sensorimotor Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

McDougle, Samuel D; Bond, Krista M; Taylor, Jordan A

2015-07-01

A popular model of human sensorimotor learning suggests that a fast process and a slow process work in parallel to produce the canonical learning curve (Smith et al., 2006). Recent evidence supports the subdivision of sensorimotor learning into explicit and implicit processes that simultaneously subserve task performance (Taylor et al., 2014). We set out to test whether these two accounts of learning processes are homologous. Using a recently developed method to assay explicit and implicit learning directly in a sensorimotor task, along with a computational modeling analysis, we show that the fast process closely resembles explicit learning and the slow process approximates implicit learning. In addition, we provide evidence for a subdivision of the slow/implicit process into distinct manifestations of motor memory. We conclude that the two-state model of motor learning is a close approximation of sensorimotor learning, but it is unable to describe adequately the various implicit learning operations that forge the learning curve. Our results suggest that a wider net be cast in the search for the putative psychological mechanisms and neural substrates underlying the multiplicity of processes involved in motor learning. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/359568-12$15.00/0.

Hemoglobin H disease in the Al-Qatif region of Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ankra-Badu, George A.; Al-Jama, A.; Al-Kadim, Y.

2001-01-01

The Al-Qatif region in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has thehighest prevalence of alpha-thalassemia genes in the Kingdom. Hemoglobin H(Hb H) disease, however, has been rarely reported. We decided therefore toverify the rarity of disease and characterize the presenting features incases identified. All patients seen in Qatif Central Hospital betweenSeptember 1988 and November 1990 with low red cell indices were screened forHb H disease and those found positive had clinical data compiled from theirhospital records and analyzed. Thirty-nine cases of Hb H were diagnosed. Themean age of patients was 18 years. The mean hemoglobin was 13.5 g/dL forneonates and 7.6 g/dL for others. The mean Hb Bart's level was 27.5% inneonates and the mean Hb H level in others was 11.1%. In addition to low redcell indices, all patients had a high red cell distribution width (RDW) meanof 25.6%. The main clinical signs were jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly.Concurrent glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was seen in28.2% of patients. Hemoglobin H disease is not uncommon in the Al-Qatifregion of Saudi Arabia. The red cell indices may mimic iron deficiency, whichshould be excluded by the presence of jaundice and organomegaly. Thecondition often co-exists with G6PD deficiency. (author)

Embryonic Stem Cells-loaded Gelatin Microcryogels Slow Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Xiao-Dong; Zheng, Wei; Wu, Cong-Mei; Wang, Shu-Qiang; Hong, Quan; Cai, Guang-Yan; Chen, Xiang-Mei; Wu, Di

2016-01-01

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a public health problem. New interventions to slow or prevent disease progression are urgently needed. In this setting, cell therapies associated with regenerative effects are attracting increasing interest. We evaluated the effect of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) on the progression of CKD. Methods: Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy. We used pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded gelatin microcryogels (GMs) on the 5/6 nephrectomized kidney. The viability of ESCs within the GMs was detected using in vitro two-photon fluorescence confocal imaging. Rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks. Renal injury was evaluated using serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, 24 h protein, renal pathology, and tubular injury score results. Structural damage was evaluated by periodic acid-Schiff and Masson trichrome staining. Results: In vitro, ESCs could be automatically loaded into the GMs. Uniform cell distribution, good cell attachment, and viability were achieved from day 1 to 7 in vitro. After 12 weeks, in the pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded GMs on 5/6 nephrectomized rats group, the plasma urea nitrogen levels were 26% lower than in the right nephrectomy group, glomerulosclerosis index was 62% lower and tubular injury index was 40% lower than in the 5/6 nephrectomized rats group without GMs. Conclusions: In a rat model of established CKD, we demonstrated that the pedicled greater omentum flaps packing ESC-loaded GMs on the 5/6 nephrectomized kidney have a long-lasting therapeutic rescue function, as shown by the decreased progression of CKD and reduced glomerular injury. PMID:26879011

DMPD: Toll-like receptors regulation of viral infection and disease. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 18280610 Toll-like receptors regulation of viral infection and disease. Thompson JM...how Toll-like receptors regulation of viral infection and disease. PubmedID 18280610 Title Toll-like recepto...rs regulation of viral infection and disease. Authors Thompson JM, Iwasaki A. Pub

Mass-Like Fibrocystic Disease of the Breast : Characteristic Findings on Mammogram and Sonogram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

KIm, Hyeon Hee; Yun, Duk Hee; Hwang, Ho Kyumg; Kim, Jang Min; Kim, Young Sun; Lee, Jung Hee

1995-01-01

This study was performed to evaluate the mammographic and sonographic features of mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast to differentiate from other breast mass. We retrospectively analyzed characteristics mammographic(16 cases) and sonographic findings(39 cases) of histopathologically proven mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast in 39 patients. Of 16 patients with mammogram, mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast was round shape in 12 cases, high density in 14 cases.The margin of the mass was well marginated in 8 cases, poorly marginated in 8 cases. The calcification within the mass was not detected in 13 cases. In 39 patients with sonogram, mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast was mostly ovoid shape in 24 cases, hypoechoic in 23 cases, with homogenous internal echo in 36 cases, well defined in 28 cases, and with equivocal posterior shadowing in 26 cases. The T/AP ratios of the mass was not less than 1.5 in 29 cases. The bilateral edge-shadowing of the mass was not noted in 24 cases. Characteristic findings of the mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast are round shape, high density, well defined mass on mammograrn and ovoid shape, homogeneous internal echo, well marginated mass on sonogram which were similar to those in other benign lesion. Mass-like fibrocystic disease, which in a frequent cause of breast lumps, should be included in the differential diagnosis of breast mass with benign mammographic and/or sonographic findings

Mass-Like Fibrocystic Disease of the Breast : Characteristic Findings on Mammogram and Sonogram

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

KIm, Hyeon Hee; Yun, Duk Hee; Hwang, Ho Kyumg; Kim, Jang Min; Kim, Young Sun; Lee, Jung Hee [Kwang Myung Sung Ae Hospital, Gwangmyeong (Korea, Republic of)

1995-12-15

This study was performed to evaluate the mammographic and sonographic features of mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast to differentiate from other breast mass. We retrospectively analyzed characteristics mammographic(16 cases) and sonographic findings(39 cases) of histopathologically proven mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast in 39 patients. Of 16 patients with mammogram, mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast was round shape in 12 cases, high density in 14 cases.The margin of the mass was well marginated in 8 cases, poorly marginated in 8 cases. The calcification within the mass was not detected in 13 cases. In 39 patients with sonogram, mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast was mostly ovoid shape in 24 cases, hypoechoic in 23 cases, with homogenous internal echo in 36 cases, well defined in 28 cases, and with equivocal posterior shadowing in 26 cases. The T/AP ratios of the mass was not less than 1.5 in 29 cases. The bilateral edge-shadowing of the mass was not noted in 24 cases. Characteristic findings of the mass-like fibrocystic disease of the breast are round shape, high density, well defined mass on mammograrn and ovoid shape, homogeneous internal echo, well marginated mass on sonogram which were similar to those in other benign lesion. Mass-like fibrocystic disease, which in a frequent cause of breast lumps, should be included in the differential diagnosis of breast mass with benign mammographic and/or sonographic findings

Genetic factors associated with slow progression of HIV among perinatally-infected Indian children.

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Chaudhuri, Riya Pal; Neogi, Ujjwal; Rao, Shwetha D; Shet, Anita

2014-10-01

To study the association between common AIDS restriction genes and slow disease progression among perinatally-infected children in India. ART-naïve children were identified and selected host factors including CCR5-∆32, SDF1-3'A, CCR5-59029G, HLA-B*27, B*57 were studied using allele-specific PCR-RFLP and SSPGo HLA typing kits. Among 165 children, 10 (6%) long-term non-progressors and 8 (5%) slow progressors were identified. For comparison, 12 children with normal progression of HIV were included. The frequencies of CCR5-∆32 deletion, SDF1-3'A and CCR5-59029G did not differ significantly. HLA-B*27 and B*57 were observed only in long-term non-progressors or slow progressors, who also harbored either SDF1-3'A and/or CCR5-59029G. There is an association between host genetic factors and slow disease progression in this population.

Ion-implantation induced defects in ZnO studied by a slow positron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Gunma (Japan); Sekiguchi, T. [National Inst. for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Suzuki, R. [National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan)

2004-07-01

Introduction and annealing behavior of defects in Al{sup +}-implanted ZnO have been studied using an energy variable slow positron beam. Vacancy clusters are produced after Al{sup +}-implantation. With increasing ion dose above 10{sup 14} Al{sup +}/cm{sup 2} the implanted layer is amorphized. Heat treatment up to 600 C enhances the creation of large voids that allow the positronium formation. The large voids disappear accompanying the recrystallization process by further heat treatment above 600 C. Afterwards, implanted Al impurities are completely activated to contribute to the n-type conduction. The ZnO crystal quality is also improved after recrystallization. (orig.)

On novel mechanisms of slow ion induced electron emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eder, H.

2000-09-01

The present work has contributed in new ways to the field of slow ion induced electron emission. First, measurements of the total electron yield γ for impact of slow singly and multiply charged ions on atomically clean polycrystalline gold and graphite have been made. The respective yields were determined by current measurements and measurements of the electron number statistics. A new mechanism for kinetic emission (KE) below the so called 'classical threshold' was found and discussed. For a given ion species and impact velocity a slight decrease of the yields was found for ion charge state q = 1 toward 3, but no significant differences in KE yields for higher q values. Comparison of the results from gold and graphite showed overall similar behavior, but for C+ a relatively strong difference was observed and ascribed to more effective electron promotion in the C-C- than in the C-Au system. Secondly, for the very specific system H0 on LiF we investigated single electron excitation processes under grazing incidence conditions. In this way long-range interactions of hydrogen atoms with the ionic crystal surface could be probed. Position- and velocity-dependent electron production rates were found which indicate that an electron promotion mechanism is responsible for the observed electron emission. Thirdly, in order to investigate the importance of plasmon excitation and -decay in slow ion induced electron emission, measurements of electron energy distributions from impact of singly and doubly charged ions on poly- and monocrystalline aluminum surfaces were performed. From the results we conclude that direct plasmon excitation by slow ions occurs due to the potential energy of the projectile in a quasi-resonant fashion. The highest relative plasmon intensities were found for impact of 5 keV Ne+ on Al(111) with 5 % of the total yield. For impact of H + and H 2 + characteristical differences were observed for Al(111) and polycrystalline aluminum. We show that

The Slow Learner in Homemaking Classes in Junior and Senior High Schools.

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McKay, Shirley E.

This thesis is the result of efforts made to gain an understanding of the slow learner in order to obtain background material for the future writing of a homemaking textbook, which will be geared to the needs and objectives of below average individuals. Included are discussions of such topics as: (1) What Is the Slow Learner Like, (2) Identifying…

Interleukin-6 Deficiency Does Not Affect Motor Neuron Disease Caused by Superoxide Dismutase 1 Mutation.

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Han, Yongmei; Ripley, Barry; Serada, Satoshi; Naka, Tetsuji; Fujimoto, Minoru

2016-01-01

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset, progressive, motor neuron degenerative disease. Recent evidence indicates that inflammation is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases including ALS. Previously, abnormal levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were described in ALS patients and/or in mouse ALS models. In addition, one study showed that blocking IL-1β could slow down progression of ALS-like symptoms in mice. In this study, we examined a role for IL-6 in ALS, using an animal model for familial ALS. Mice with mutant SOD1 (G93A) transgene, a model for familial ALS, were used in this study. The expression of the major inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, in spinal cords of these SOD1 transgenic (TG) mice were assessed by real time PCR. Mice were then crossed with IL-6(-/-) mice to generate SOD1TG/IL-6(-/-) mice. SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/-) mice (n = 17) were compared with SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/-) mice (n = 18), SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/+) mice (n = 11), WT mice (n = 15), IL-6(+/-) mice (n = 5) and IL-6(-/-) mice (n = 8), with respect to neurological disease severity score, body weight and the survival. We also histologically compared the motor neuron loss in lumber spinal cords and the atrophy of hamstring muscles between these mouse groups. Levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in spinal cords of SOD1 TG mice was increased compared to WT mice. However, SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/-) mice exhibited weight loss, deterioration in motor function and shortened lifespan (167.55 ± 11.52 days), similarly to SOD1 TG /IL-6(+/+) mice (164.31±12.16 days). Motor neuron numbers and IL-1β and TNF-α levels in spinal cords were not significantly different in SOD1 TG /IL-6(-/-) mice and SOD1 TG /IL-6 (+/+) mice. These results provide compelling preclinical evidence indicating that IL-6 does not directly contribute to motor neuron disease caused by SOD1 mutations.

Interleukin-6 Deficiency Does Not Affect Motor Neuron Disease Caused by Superoxide Dismutase 1 Mutation.

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Yongmei Han

Full Text Available Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS is an adult-onset, progressive, motor neuron degenerative disease. Recent evidence indicates that inflammation is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases including ALS. Previously, abnormal levels of inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were described in ALS patients and/or in mouse ALS models. In addition, one study showed that blocking IL-1β could slow down progression of ALS-like symptoms in mice. In this study, we examined a role for IL-6 in ALS, using an animal model for familial ALS.Mice with mutant SOD1 (G93A transgene, a model for familial ALS, were used in this study. The expression of the major inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α, in spinal cords of these SOD1 transgenic (TG mice were assessed by real time PCR. Mice were then crossed with IL-6(-/- mice to generate SOD1TG/IL-6(-/- mice. SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/- mice (n = 17 were compared with SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/- mice (n = 18, SOD1 TG/IL-6(+/+ mice (n = 11, WT mice (n = 15, IL-6(+/- mice (n = 5 and IL-6(-/- mice (n = 8, with respect to neurological disease severity score, body weight and the survival. We also histologically compared the motor neuron loss in lumber spinal cords and the atrophy of hamstring muscles between these mouse groups.Levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in spinal cords of SOD1 TG mice was increased compared to WT mice. However, SOD1 TG/IL-6(-/- mice exhibited weight loss, deterioration in motor function and shortened lifespan (167.55 ± 11.52 days, similarly to SOD1 TG /IL-6(+/+ mice (164.31±12.16 days. Motor neuron numbers and IL-1β and TNF-α levels in spinal cords were not significantly different in SOD1 TG /IL-6(-/- mice and SOD1 TG /IL-6 (+/+ mice.These results provide compelling preclinical evidence indicating that IL-6 does not directly contribute to motor neuron disease caused by SOD1 mutations.

Experimental studies of heavy-ion slowing down in matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geissel, H.; Weick, H.; Scheidenberger, C.; Bimbot, R.; Gardes, D.

2002-08-01

Measurements of heavy-ion slowing down in matter differ in many aspects from experiments with light particles like protons and α-particles. An overview of the special experimental requirements, methods, data analysis and interpretation is presented for heavy-ion stopping powers, energy- and angular-straggling and ranges in the energy domain from keV/u up to GeV/u. Characteristic experimental results are presented and compared with theory and semiempirical predictions. New applications are outlined, which represent a challenge to continuously improve the knowledge of heavy-ion slowing down. (orig.)

Dysregulation of chemokine receptor expression and function in leukocytes from ALS patients.

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Perner, Caroline; Perner, Florian; Stubendorff, Beatrice; Förster, Martin; Witte, Otto W; Heidel, Florian H; Prell, Tino; Grosskreutz, Julian

2018-03-28

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is rapidly progressive adult-onset motor neuron disease characterized by the neurodegeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons in the cortex and the spinal cord; the majority of patients succumb to respiratory failure. Although the etiology is not yet fully understood, there is compelling evidence that ALS is a multi-systemic disorder, with peripheral inflammation critically contributing to the disease process. However, the full extent and nature of this immunological dysregulation remains to be established, particularly within circulating blood cells. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify dysregulated inflammatory molecules in peripheral blood cells of ALS patients and analyze for functional consequences of the observed findings. To this end, we employed flow cytometry-based screening to quantify the surface expression of major chemokine receptors and integrins. A significantly increased expression of CXCR3, CXCR4, CCL2, and CCL5 was observed on T cells in ALS patients compared to healthy controls. Intriguingly, the expression was even more pronounced in patients with a slow progressive phenotype. To further investigate the functional consequences of this altered surface expression, we used a modified Boyden chamber assay to measure chemotaxis in ALS patient-derived lymphocytes. Interestingly, chemoattraction with the CXCR3-Ligand IP10 led to upregulated migratory behavior of ALS lymphocytes compared to healthy controls. Taken together, our data provides evidence for a functional dysregulation of IP10-directed chemotaxis in peripheral blood cells in ALS patients. However, whether the chemokine itself or its receptor CXCR3, or both, could serve as potential therapeutic targets in ALS requires further investigations.

Fishery-induced selection for slow somatic growth in European eel.

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Daniele Bevacqua

Full Text Available Both theoretical and experimental studies have shown that fishing mortality can induce adaptive responses in body growth rates of fishes in the opposite direction of natural selection. We compared body growth rates in European eel (Anguilla anguilla from three Mediterranean stocks subject to different fishing pressure. Results are consistent with the hypotheses that i fast-growing individuals are more likely to survive until sexual maturity than slow-growing ones under natural conditions (no fishing and ii fishing can select for slow-growing individuals by removing fast-growing ones. Although the possibility of human-induced evolution seems remote for a panmictic species like such as the European eel, further research is desirable to assess the implications of the intensive exploitation on this critically endangered fish.

Observation of Ultra-Slow Antiprotons using Micro-channel Plate

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Imao, H.; Torii, H. A.; Nagata, Y.; Toyoda, H.; Shimoyama, T.; Enomoto, Y.; Higaki, H.; Kanai, Y.; Mohri, A.; Yamazaki, Y.

2008-08-01

Our group ASACUSA-MUSASHI has succeeded in accumulating several million antiprotons and extracting them as monochromatic ultra-slow antiproton beams (10 eV-1 keV) at CERN AD. We have observed ultra-slow antiprotons using micro-channel plates (MCP). The integrated pulse area of the output signals generated when the MCP was irradiated by ultra-slow antiprotons was 6 times higher than that by electrons. As a long-term effect, we also observed an increase in the background rate presumably due to the radioactivation of the MCP surface. Irradiating the antiproton beams on the MCP induces antiproton-nuclear annihilations only on the first layer of the surface. Low-energy and short-range secondary particles like charged nuclear fragments caused by the "surface nuclear reactions" would be the origin of our observed phenomena.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

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Lou Gehrig disease; ALS; Upper and lower motor neuron disease; Motor neuron disease ... One out of 10 cases of ALS is due to a genetic defect. The cause is unknown in most other cases. In ALS, motor nerve cells (neurons) waste away ...

The Staphylococcus aureus α-Acetolactate Synthase ALS Confers Resistance to Nitrosative Stress

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Sandra M. Carvalho

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a worldwide pathogen that colonizes the human nasal cavity and is a major cause of respiratory and cutaneous infections. In the nasal cavity, S. aureus thrives with high concentrations of nitric oxide (NO produced by the innate immune effectors and has available for growth slow-metabolizing free hexoses, such as galactose. Here, we have used deep sequencing transcriptomic analysis (RNA-Seq and 1H-NMR to uncover how S. aureus grown on galactose, a major carbon source present in the nasopharynx, survives the deleterious action of NO. We observed that, like on glucose, S. aureus withstands high concentrations of NO when using galactose. Data indicate that this resistance is, most likely, achieved through a distinct metabolism that relies on the increased production of amino acids, such as glutamate, threonine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs. Moreover, we found that under NO stress the S. aureus α-acetolactate synthase (ALS enzyme, which converts pyruvate into α-acetolactate, plays an important role. ALS is proposed to prevent intracellular acidification, to promote the production of BCAAs and the activation of the TCA cycle. Additionally, ALS is shown to contribute to the successful infection of murine macrophages. Furthermore, ALS contributes to the resistance of S. aureus to beta-lactam antibiotics such as methicillin and oxacillin.

A Simple Slow-Sand Filter for Drinking Water Purification

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K. O. Yusuf

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Water-borne diseases are commonly encountered when pathogen-contaminated water is consumed. In rural areas, water is usually obtained from ponds, open shallow wells, streams and rain water during rainy season. Rain water is often contaminated by pathogens due to unhygienic of physical and chemical conditions of the roofs thereby making it unsafe for consumption. A simple slow sand filter mechanism was designed and fabricated for purification of water in rural areas where electricity is not available to power water purification devices. Rain water samples were collected from aluminum roof, galvanized roof and thatched roof. The waters samples were allowed to flow through the slow sand filter. The values of turbidity, total dissolved solids, calcium, nitrite, faecal coliform and total coliform from unfiltered water through thatched roof were 0.92 NTU, 27.23 mg/l, 6 mg/l, 0.16 mg/l, 5cfu/100ml and 6.0 cfu/100ml, respectively while the corresponding values for slow sand filter from thatched roof were 0.01 NTU, 0.23 mg/l, 2.5 mg/l, 0.1 mg/l, 0 cfu/100ml and 0 cfu/100ml, respectively. The values of turbidity, total dissolved solid, nitrite, calcium, faecal coliform and total coliform from unfiltered water for aluminum roof were 0.82 NTU, 23.68 mg/l, 2.70 mg/l, 1.0 mg/l, 4 cfu/100ml and 4cfu/100ml, respectively while the corresponding values for slow sand filter were 0.01 NTU, 0.16 mg/l, 0.57 mg/l, 0.2 mg/l, 0 cfu/100ml and 0 cfu/100ml, respectively. The values obtained for galvanized roof were also satisfactory. The slow sand filter is recommended for used in rural areas for water purification to prevent risk of water-borne diseases.

Revealing the cluster of slow transients behind a large slow slip event.

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Frank, William B; Rousset, Baptiste; Lasserre, Cécile; Campillo, Michel

2018-05-01

Capable of reaching similar magnitudes to large megathrust earthquakes [ M w (moment magnitude) > 7], slow slip events play a major role in accommodating tectonic motion on plate boundaries through predominantly aseismic rupture. We demonstrate here that large slow slip events are a cluster of short-duration slow transients. Using a dense catalog of low-frequency earthquakes as a guide, we investigate the M w 7.5 slow slip event that occurred in 2006 along the subduction interface 40 km beneath Guerrero, Mexico. We show that while the long-period surface displacement, as recorded by Global Positioning System, suggests a 6-month duration, the motion in the direction of tectonic release only sporadically occurs over 55 days, and its surface signature is attenuated by rapid relocking of the plate interface. Our proposed description of slow slip as a cluster of slow transients forces us to re-evaluate our understanding of the physics and scaling of slow earthquakes.

Effect of Al3+ substitution on the structural, magnetic, and electric properties in multiferroic Bi2Fe4O9 ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, S.; Shi, L.R.; Tian, Z.M.; Yuan, S.L.; Zhu, C.M.; Gong, G.S.; Qiu, Y.

2015-01-01

Structural, magnetic, and electric properties have been investigated in polycrystalline Bi 2 (Fe 1−x Al x ) 4 O 9 (0≤x≤0.25) ceramics synthesized by a modified Pechini method. Structural analysis reveals that Al 3+ doped Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 crystallizes in orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group. Surface morphology of the end products is examined by scanning electron microscopy and the grain size has a tendency to decrease with increase in Al 3+ doping level. Compared with pure Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 , room temperature coexistent multiferroic-like behavior is observed in Al 3+ doped Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 . By analyzing magnetic properties, the Néel temperature monotonously shifts to low temperatures from ~260 K (x=0) to ~35 K (x=0.25). Moreover, the spin dynamic measured by the shift in ac magnetic susceptibility as a function of frequency provides a possibility of spin-glass-like behavior, which is further confirmed by fitting the critical slowing down power law and memory effect. - Graphical abstract: Compared with pure Bi 2 Fe 4 O 9 , room temperature weak ferromagnetic property and enhanced ferroelectric-like behavior can be achieved simultaneously with proper Al 3+ doping. - Highlights: • Bi 2 (Fe 1−x Al x ) 4 O 9 (0≤x≤0.25) ceramics are fabricated via a Pechini method. • Weak ferromagnetic and ferroelectric behaviors can be achieved simultaneously. • Spin-glass-like behavior is detected with proper Al 3+ doping. • The memory and aging effects are observed with proper Al 3+ doping

Genetic biomarkers for ALS disease in transgenic SOD1(G93A mice.

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Ana C Calvo

Full Text Available The pathophysiological mechanisms of both familial and sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS are unknown, although growing evidence suggests that skeletal muscle tissue is a primary target of ALS toxicity. Skeletal muscle biopsies were performed on transgenic SOD1(G93A mice, a mouse model of ALS, to determine genetic biomarkers of disease longevity. Mice were anesthetized with isoflurane, and three biopsy samples were obtained per animal at the three main stages of the disease. Transcriptional expression levels of seventeen genes, Ankrd1, Calm1, Col19a1, Fbxo32, Gsr, Impa1, Mef2c, Mt2, Myf5, Myod1, Myog, Nnt, Nogo A, Pax7, Rrad, Sln and Snx10, were tested in each muscle biopsy sample. Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol Reagent according to the manufacturer's protocol, and variations in gene expression were assayed by real-time PCR for all of the samples. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the linear correlation between transcriptional expression levels throughout disease progression and longevity. Consistent with the results obtained from total skeletal muscle of transgenic SOD1(G93A mice and 74-day-old denervated mice, five genes (Mef2c, Gsr, Col19a1, Calm1 and Snx10 could be considered potential genetic biomarkers of longevity in transgenic SOD1(G93A mice. These results are important because they may lead to the exploration of previously unexamined tissues in the search for new disease biomarkers and even to the application of these findings in human studies.

AlTiN layer effect on mechanical properties of Ti-doped diamond-like carbon composite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang Xiaolu; Yang Huisheng; Gao Kewei; Wang Yanbin; Volinsky, Alex A.

2011-01-01

Ti/Ti-doped diamond-like carbon (DLC) and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC composite coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering on W18Cr4V high speed steel substrates. The effect of the AlTiN support layer on the properties of these composite coatings was investigated through microstructure and mechanical properties characterization, including hardness, elastic modulus, coefficient of friction and wear properties measured by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scratch and ball-on-disk friction tests. Ti and AlTiN interlayers have a columnar structure with 50-80 nm grains. The hardness and elastic modulus of Ti/Ti-DLC and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings is 25.9 ± 0.4, 222.2 ± 6.3 GPa and 19.3 ± 1, 205.6 ± 6.7 GPa, respectively. Adhesion of Ti-DLC, Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC and AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings expressed as the critical lateral force is 26.5 N, 38.2 N, and 47.8 N, respectively. Substrate coefficient of friction without coatings is 0.44, and it is 0.1 for Ti/Ti-DLC and Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC coatings. Wear resistance of Ti/AlTiN/Ti-DLC composite coatings is much higher than Ti/Ti-DLC coatings based on the wear track width of 169.8 and 73.2 μm, respectively, for the same experimental conditions.

Glass-like dynamics of the strain-induced coil/helix transition on a permanent polymer network.

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Ronsin, O; Caroli, C; Baumberger, T

2016-02-14

We study the stress response to a step strain of covalently bonded gelatin gels in the temperature range where triple helix reversible crosslink formation is prohibited. We observe slow stress relaxation towards a T-dependent finite asymptotic level. We show that this is assignable to the strain-induced coil → helix transition, previously evidenced by Courty et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 102, 13457 (2005)], of a fraction of the polymer strands. Relaxation proceeds, in a first stage, according to a stretched exponential dynamics, then crosses over to a terminal simple exponential decay. The respective characteristic times τK and τf exhibit an Arrhenius-like T-dependence with an associated energy E incompatibly larger than the activation barrier height for the isomerisation process which sets the clock for an elementary coil → helix transformation event. We tentatively assign this glass-like slowing down of the dynamics to the long-range couplings due to the mechanical noise generated by the local elementary events in this random elastic medium.

Slow Growth and Optimal Approximation of Pseudoanalytic Functions on the Disk

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Devendra Kumar

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Pseudoanalytic functions (PAF are constructed as complex combination of real-valued analytic solutions to the Stokes-Betrami System. These solutions include the generalized biaxisymmetric potentials. McCoy [10] considered the approximation of pseudoanalytic functions on the disk. Kumar et al. [9] studied the generalized order and generalized type of PAF in terms of the Fourier coefficients occurring in its local expansion and optimal approximation errors in Bernstein sense on the disk. The aim of this paper is to improve the results of McCoy [10] and Kumar et al. [9]. Our results apply satisfactorily for slow growth.

Enhancement of sleep slow waves: underlying mechanisms and practical consequences.

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Michele eBellesi

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Even modest sleep restriction, especially the loss of sleep slow wave activity, is invariably associated with slower EEG activity during wake, the occurrence of local sleep in an otherwise awake brain, and impaired performance due to cognitive and memory deficits. Recent studies not only confirm the beneficial role of sleep in memory consolidation, but also point to a specific role for sleep slow waves. Thus, the implementation of methods to enhance sleep slow waves without unwanted arousals or lightening of sleep could have significant practical implications. Here we first review the evidence that it is possible to enhance sleep slow waves in humans using transcranial direct-current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Since these methods are currently impractical and their safety is questionable, especially for chronic long-term exposure, we then discuss novel data suggesting that it is possible to enhance slow waves using sensory stimuli. We consider the physiology of the K-complex, a peripheral evoked slow wave, and show that, among different sensory modalities, acoustic stimulation is the most effective in increasing the magnitude of slow waves, likely through the activation of non-lemniscal ascending pathways to the thalamo-cortical system. In addition, we discuss how intensity and frequency of the acoustic stimuli, as well as exact timing and pattern of stimulation, affect sleep enhancement. Finally, we discuss automated algorithms that read the EEG and, in real-time, adjust the stimulation parameters in a closed-loop manner to obtain an increase in sleep slow waves and avoid undesirable arousals. In conclusion, while discussing the mechanisms that underlie the generation of sleep slow waves, we review the converging evidence showing that acoustic stimulation is safe and represents an ideal tool for slow wave sleep enhancement.

Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Manoj Kumar Jaiswal

2017-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurodegenera-tive diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs/LMNs), brain stem and spinal cord.The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons (MNs), mus-cular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3–5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro"disease in dish"and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.

Therapeutic opportunities and challenges of induced pluripotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaiswal, Manoj Kumar

2017-05-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurodegenerative diseases that affect nerve cells in the brain affecting upper and lower motor neurons (UMNs/LMNs), brain stem and spinal cord. The clinical phenotype is characterized by loss of motor neurons (MNs), muscular weakness and atrophy eventually leading to paralysis and death due to respiratory failure within 3-5 years after disease onset. No effective treatment or cure is currently available that halts or reverses ALS and MND except FDA approved drug riluzole that only modestly slows the progression of ALS in some patients. Recent advances in human derived induced pluripotent stem cells have made it possible for the first time to obtain substantial amounts of human cells to recapitulate in vitro " disease in dish " and test some of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms involved in ALS and MNDs. In this review, I discussed the opportunities and challenges of induced pluropotent stem cells-derived motor neurons for treatment of ALS and MND patients with special emphasis on their implications in finding a cure for ALS and MNDs.

Defect-induced room temperature ferromagnetic properties of the Al-doped and undoped ZnO rod-like nanostructure

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jule, L

2017-07-01

Full Text Available : 151-155 Defect-induced room temperature ferromagnetic properties of the Al-doped and undoped ZnO rod-like nanostructure Jule L Dejene F Ali AG Roro KT Mwakikunga BW ABSTRACT: In this work, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR...

Polarization-independent electromagnetically induced transparency-like metasurface

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Jia, Xiuli; Wang, Xiaoou

2018-01-01

A classical electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) metasurface is numerically simulated. This metasurface is composed of two identical and orthogonal double-end semitoroidals (DESTs) metal resonators. Under the excitation of the normal incidence waves, each of the two DESTs structure exhibits electromagnetic dipole responses at different frequencies, which leads to the polarization-independent EIT-like effect. The features of the EIT-like effect are qualitatively analyzed based on the surface current and magnetic field distribution. In addition, the large index is extracted to verify the slow-light property within the transmission window. The EIT-like metasurface structure with the above-mentioned characteristics may have potential applications in some areas, such as sensing, slow light, and filtering devices.

Endothelin-A receptor blockade slows the progression of renal injury in experimental renovascular disease.

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Kelsen, Silvia; Hall, John E; Chade, Alejandro R

2011-07-01

Endothelin (ET)-1, a potent renal vasoconstrictor with mitogenic properties, is upregulated by ischemia and has been shown to induce renal injury via the ET-A receptor. The potential role of ET-A blockade in chronic renovascular disease (RVD) has not, to our knowledge, been previously reported. We hypothesized that chronic ET-A receptor blockade would preserve renal hemodynamics and slow the progression of injury of the stenotic kidney in experimental RVD. Renal artery stenosis, a major cause of chronic RVD, was induced in 14 pigs and observed for 6 wk. In half of the pigs, chronic ET-A blockade was initiated (RVD+ET-A, 0.75 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1)) at the onset of RVD. Single-kidney renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate, and perfusion were quantified in vivo after 6 wk using multidetector computer tomography. Renal microvascular density was quantified ex vivo using three-dimensional microcomputer tomography, and growth factors, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis were determined in renal tissue. The degree of stenosis and increase in blood pressure were similar in RVD and RVD+ET-A pigs. Renal hemodynamics, function, and microvascular density were decreased in the stenotic kidney but preserved by ET-A blockade, accompanied by increased renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and downstream mediators such as phosphorilated-Akt, angiopoietins, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase. ET-A blockade also reduced renal apoptosis, inflammation, and glomerulosclerosis. This study shows that ET-A blockade slows the progression of renal injury in experimental RVD and preserves renal hemodynamics, function, and microvascular density in the stenotic kidney. These results support a role for ET-1/ET-A as a potential therapeutic target in chronic RVD.

Crystal plastic earthquakes in dolostones: from slow to fast ruptures.

Science.gov (United States)

Passelegue, F. X.; Aubry, J.; Nicolas, A.; Fondriest, M.; Schubnel, A.; Di Toro, G.

2017-12-01

Dolostone is the most dominant lithology of the seismogenic upper crust around the Mediterranean Sea. Understanding the internal mechanisms controlling fault friction is crucial for understanding seismicity along active faults. Displacement in such fault zones is frequently highlighted by highly reflective (mirror-like) slip surfaces, created by thin films of nanogranular fault rock. Using saw-cut dolostone samples coming from natural fault zones, we conducted stick-slip experiments under triaxial loading conditions at 30, 60 and 90 MPa confining pressure and temperature ranging from 30 to 100 degrees C. At 30 and 65 degrees C, only slow rupture was observed and the experimental fault exhibits frictional behaviour, i.e. a dependence of normal stress on peak shear stress. At 65 degrees C, a strengthening behaviour is observed after the main rupture, leading to a succession of slow rupture. At 100 degrees C, the macroscopic behaviour of the fault becomes ductile, and no dependence of pressure on the peak shear stress is observed. In addition, the increase of the confining pressure up to 60 and 90 MPa allow the transition from slow to fast rupture, highlighted by the records of acoustic activity and by dynamic stress drop occurring in a few tens of microseconds. Using strain gages located along the fault surface and acoustic transducers, we were able to measure the rupture velocities during slow and fast rupture. Slow ruptures propagated around 0.1 m/s, in agreement with natural observations. Fast ruptures propagated up to supershear velocities, i.e. faster than the shear wave speed (>3500 m/s). A complete study of the microstructures was realized before and after ruptures. Slow ruptures lead to the production of mirror-like surface driven by the production of nanograins due to dislocation processes. Fast ruptures induce the production of amorphous material along the fault surface, which may come from decarbonation and melting processes. We demonstrate that the

Toll-Like Receptor Pathways in Autoimmune Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ji-Qing; Szodoray, Peter; Zeher, Margit

2016-02-01

Autoimmune diseases are a family of chronic systemic inflammatory disorders, characterized by the dysregulation of the immune system which finally results in the break of tolerance to self-antigen. Several studies suggest that Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an essential role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. TLRs belong to the family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that recognize a wide range of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). TLRs are type I transmembrane proteins and located on various cellular membranes. Two main groups have been classified based on their location; the extracelluar group referred to the ones located on the plasma membrane while the intracellular group all located in endosomal compartments responsible for the recognition of nucleic acids. They are released by the host cells and trigger various intracellular pathways which results in the production of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, as well as the expression of co-stimulatory molecules to protect against invading microorganisms. In particular, TLR pathway-associated proteins, such as IRAK, TRAF, and SOCS, are often dysregulated in this group of diseases. TLR-associated gene expression profile analysis together with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assessment could be important to explain the pathomechanism driving autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarize recent findings on TLR pathway regulation in various autoimmune diseases, including Sjögren's syndrome (SS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and psoriasis.

Measurement of the Fermi potential of diamond-like carbon and other materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atchison, F.; Blau, B.; Daum, M.; Fierlinger, P.; Geltenbort, P.; Gupta, M.; Henneck, R.; Heule, S.; Kasprzak, M.; Knecht, A.; Kuzniak, M.; Kirch, K.; Meier, M.; Pichlmaier, A.; Reiser, R.; Theiler, B.; Zimmer, O.; Zsigmond, G.

2007-01-01

The Fermi potential V f of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings produced with laser-controlled vacuum arc deposition and that of diamond, Al, Si, Be, Cu, Fe and Ni was measured using two different methods, (i) transmission of slow neutrons through foils in a time-of-flight experiment and (ii) cold neutron reflectometry (CNR). For diamond-like carbon in transmission we obtain V f = (249 ± 14) neV. This is approximately the same as for beryllium and consistent with the theoretical expectations for the measured diamond (sp 3 ) content of 45%. For an sp 3 -content of 67%, we find V f (271 ± 13) neV from reflectometry, again in agreement with theory. These findings open new perspectives in using DLC as storage volume and neutron guide coatings for ultracold neutron sources

Slow briefs: slow food....slow architecture

OpenAIRE

Crotch, Joanna

2012-01-01

We are moving too fast…fast lives, fast cars, fast food…..and fast architecture. We are caught up in a world that allows no time to stop and think; to appreciate and enjoy all the really important things in our lives. Recent responses to this seemingly unstoppable trend are the growing movements of Slow Food and Cittaslow. Both initiatives are, within their own realms, attempting to reverse speed, homogeny, expediency and globalisation, considering the values of regionality, patience, craft, ...

Molecular Evolution of Slow and Quick Anion Channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs).

Science.gov (United States)

Dreyer, Ingo; Gomez-Porras, Judith Lucia; Riaño-Pachón, Diego Mauricio; Hedrich, Rainer; Geiger, Dietmar

2012-01-01

Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant) SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant) ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Molecular evolution of slow and quick anion channels (SLACs and QUACs/ALMTs

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Ingo eDreyer

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Electrophysiological analyses conducted about 25 years ago detected two types of anion channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells. One type of channel responds slowly to changes in membrane voltage while the other responds quickly. Consequently, they were named SLAC, for SLow Anion Channel, and QUAC, for QUick Anion Channel. Recently, genes SLAC1 and QUAC1/ALMT12, underlying the two different anion current components, could be identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression of the gene products in Xenopus oocytes confirmed the quick and slow current kinetics. In this study we provide an overview on our current knowledge on slow and quick anion channels in plants and analyze the molecular evolution of ALMT/QUAC-like and SLAC-like channels. We discovered fingerprints that allow screening databases for these channel types and were able to identify 192 (177 non-redundant SLAC-like and 422 (402 non-redundant ALMT/QUAC-like proteins in the fully sequenced genomes of 32 plant species. Phylogenetic analyses provided new insights into the molecular evolution of these channel types. We also combined sequence alignment and clustering with predictions of protein features, leading to the identification of known conserved phosphorylation sites in SLAC1-like channels along with potential sites that have not been yet experimentally confirmed. Using a similar strategy to analyze the hydropathicity of ALMT/QUAC-like channels, we propose a modified topology with additional transmembrane regions that integrates structure and function of these membrane proteins. Our results suggest that cross-referencing phylogenetic analyses with position-specific protein properties and functional data could be a very powerful tool for genome research approaches in general.

Physiological background of the change point in VO2 and the slow component of oxygen uptake kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoładź, J A; Korzeniewski, B

2001-06-01

It is generally believed that oxygen uptake during incremental exercise--until VO2max, increases linearly with power output (see eg. Astrand & Rodahl, 1986). On the other hand, it is well established that the oxygen uptake reaches a steady state only during a low power output exercise, but during a high power output exercise, performed above the lactate threshold (LT), the oxygen uptake shows a continuous increase until the end of the exercise. This effect has been called the slow component of VO2 kinetics (Whipp & Wasserman, 1972). The presence of a slow component in VO2 kinetics implies that during an incremental exercise test, after the LT has been exceeded, the VO2 to power output relationship has to become curvilinear. Indeed, it has recently been shown that during the incremental exercise, the exceeding of the power output, at which blood lactate begins to accumulate (LT), causes a non-proportional increase in VO2 (Zoladz et al. 1995) which indicates a drop in muscle mechanical efficiency. The power output at which VO2 starts to rise non-proportionally to the power output has been called "the change point in VO2" (Zoladz et al. 1998). In this paper, the significance of the factors most likely involved in the physiological mechanism responsible for the change point in oxygen uptake (CP-VO2) and for the slow component of VO2 kinetics, including: increase of activation of additional muscle groups, intensification of the respiratory muscle activity, recruitment of type II muscle fibres, increase of muscle temperature, increase of the basal metabolic rate, lactate and hydrogen ion accumulation, proton leak through the inner mitochondrial membrane, slipping of the ATP synthase and a decrease in the cytosolic phosphorylation potential, are discussed. Finally, an original own model describing the sequence of events leading to the non-proportional increase of oxygen cost of work at a high exercise intensity is presented.

An inducer of VGF protects cells against ER stress-induced cell death and prolongs survival in the mutant SOD1 animal models of familial ALS.

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Masamitsu Shimazawa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is the most frequent adult-onset motor neuron disease, and recent evidence has suggested that endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of ALS. Here we identified a small molecule, SUN N8075, which has a marked protective effect on ER stress-induced cell death, in an in vitro cell-based screening, and its protective mechanism was mediated by an induction of VGF nerve growth factor inducible (VGF: VGF knockdown with siRNA completely abolished the protective effect of SUN N8075 against ER-induced cell death, and overexpression of VGF inhibited ER-stress-induced cell death. VGF level was lower in the spinal cords of sporadic ALS patients than in the control patients. Furthermore, SUN N8075 slowed disease progression and prolonged survival in mutant SOD1 transgenic mouse and rat models of ALS, preventing the decrease of VGF expression in the spinal cords of ALS mice. These data suggest that VGF plays a critical role in motor neuron survival and may be a potential new therapeutic target for ALS, and SUN N8075 may become a potential therapeutic candidate for treatment of ALS.

Relationship between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and coronary slow flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Oylumlu, Muhammed; Doğan, Adnan; Oylumlu, Mustafa; Yıldız, Abdülkadir; Yüksel, Murat; Kayan, Fethullah; Kilit, Celal; Amasyalı, Basri

2015-05-01

The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP), which is characterized by delayed distal vessel opacification in the absence of significant epicardial coronary disease, is an angiographic finding. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and coronary blood flow rate. This is a retrospective observational study. It was based on two medical centers. A total of 197 patients undergoing coronary angiography were included in the study, 95 of whom were patients with coronary slow flow without stenosis in coronary angiography and 102 of whom had normal coronary arteries and normal flow. The PLR was higher in the coronary slow flow group compared with the control groups (p=0.001). In the correlation analysis, PLR showed a significant correlation with left anterior descending (LAD) artery thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count. After multiple logistic regression, high levels of PLR were independently associated with coronary slow flow, together with hemoglobin. PLR was higher in patients with CSFP, and we also showed that PLR was significantly and independently associated with CSFP.

EEG slow-wave coherence changes in propofol-induced general anesthesia: Experiment and theory

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Kaier eWang

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The electroencephalogram (EEG patterns recorded during general anesthetic-induced coma are closely similar to those seen during slow-wave sleep, the deepest stage of natural sleep; both states show patterns dominated by large amplitude slow waves. Slow oscillations are believed to be important for memory consolidation during natural sleep. Tracking the emergence of slow-wave oscillations during transition to unconsciousness may help us to identify drug-induced alterations of the underlying brain state, and provide insight into the mechanisms of general anesthesia. Although cellular-based mechanisms have been proposed, the origin of the slow oscillation has not yet been unambiguously established. A recent theoretical study by Steyn-Ross et al. [Physical Review X 3(2, 021005 (2013] proposes that the slow oscillation is a network, rather than cellular phenomenon. Modeling anesthesia as a moderate reduction in gap-junction interneuronal coupling, they predict an unconscious state signposted by emergent low-frequency oscillations with chaotic dynamics in space and time. They suggest that anesthetic slow-waves arise from a competitive interaction between symmetry-breaking instabilities in space (Turing and time (Hopf, modulated by gap-junction coupling strength. A significant prediction of their model is that EEG phase coherence will decrease as the cortex transits from Turing--Hopf balance (wake to Hopf-dominated chaotic slow-waves (unconsciousness. Here, we investigate changes in phase coherence during induction of general anesthesia. After examining 128-channel EEG traces recorded from five volunteers undergoing propofol anesthesia, we report a significant drop in sub-delta band (0.05--1.5 Hz slow-wave coherence between frontal, occipital, and frontal-occipital electrode pairs, with the most pronounced wake-versus-unconscious coherence changes occurring at the frontal cortex.

Small Jovian Trojan Asteroids: An Excess of Slow Rotators

Science.gov (United States)

French, Linda M.

2016-01-01

Several lines of evidence support a common origin for, and possible hereditary link between, cometary nuclei and jovian Trojan asteroids. Due to their distance and low albedos, few comet-sized Trojans have been studied. We discuss the rotation properties of Jovian Trojan asteroids less than 30 km in diameter. Approximately half of the objects discussed here were studied using densely sampled lightcurves (French et al. 2015a, b); Stephens et al. 2015), and the other half were sparse lightcurves obtained by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF; Waszcazk et al. 2015). A significant fraction (~40%) of the objects in the ground-based sample rotate slowly (P > 24h), with measured periods as long as 375 h (Warner and Stephens 2011). The PTF data show a similar excess of slow rotators. Only 5 objects in the combined data set have rotation periods of less than six hours. Three of these fast rotators were contained in the data set of French et al. these three had a geometric mean rotation period of 5.29 hours. A prolate spheroid held together by gravity rotating with this period would have a critical density of 0.43 gm/cm3, a density similar to that of comets (Lamy et al. 2004). Harris et al. (2012) and Warner et al. (2011) have explored the possible effects on asteroid rotational statistics with the results from wide-field surveys. We will examine Trojan rotation statistics with and without the results from the PTF.

Metabolic therapy with Deanna Protocol supplementation delays disease progression and extends survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS mouse model.

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Csilla Ari

Full Text Available Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disorder of motor neurons causing progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual death from respiratory failure. There is currently no cure or effective treatment for ALS. Besides motor neuron degeneration, ALS is associated with impaired energy metabolism, which is pathophysiologically linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and glutamate excitotoxicity. The Deanna Protocol (DP is a metabolic therapy that has been reported to alleviate symptoms in patients with ALS. In this study we hypothesized that alternative fuels in the form of TCA cycle intermediates, specifically arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG, the main ingredient of the DP, and the ketogenic diet (KD, would increase motor function and survival in a mouse model of ALS (SOD1-G93A. ALS mice were fed standard rodent diet (SD, KD, or either diets containing a metabolic therapy of the primary ingredients of the DP consisting of AAKG, gamma-aminobutyric acid, Coenzyme Q10, and medium chain triglyceride high in caprylic triglyceride. Assessment of ALS-like pathology was performed using a pre-defined criteria for neurological score, accelerated rotarod test, paw grip endurance test, and grip strength test. Blood glucose, blood beta-hydroxybutyrate, and body weight were also monitored. SD+DP-fed mice exhibited improved neurological score from age 116 to 136 days compared to control mice. KD-fed mice exhibited better motor performance on all motor function tests at 15 and 16 weeks of age compared to controls. SD+DP and KD+DP therapies significantly extended survival time of SOD1-G93A mice by 7.5% (p = 0.001 and 4.2% (p = 0.006, respectively. Sixty-three percent of mice in the KD+DP and 72.7% of the SD+DP group lived past 125 days, while only 9% of the control animals survived past that point. Targeting energy metabolism with metabolic therapy produces a therapeutic effect in ALS mice which

Metabolic therapy with Deanna Protocol supplementation delays disease progression and extends survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Ari, Csilla; Poff, Angela M; Held, Heather E; Landon, Carol S; Goldhagen, Craig R; Mavromates, Nicholas; D'Agostino, Dominic P

2014-01-01

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disorder of motor neurons causing progressive muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual death from respiratory failure. There is currently no cure or effective treatment for ALS. Besides motor neuron degeneration, ALS is associated with impaired energy metabolism, which is pathophysiologically linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and glutamate excitotoxicity. The Deanna Protocol (DP) is a metabolic therapy that has been reported to alleviate symptoms in patients with ALS. In this study we hypothesized that alternative fuels in the form of TCA cycle intermediates, specifically arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG), the main ingredient of the DP, and the ketogenic diet (KD), would increase motor function and survival in a mouse model of ALS (SOD1-G93A). ALS mice were fed standard rodent diet (SD), KD, or either diets containing a metabolic therapy of the primary ingredients of the DP consisting of AAKG, gamma-aminobutyric acid, Coenzyme Q10, and medium chain triglyceride high in caprylic triglyceride. Assessment of ALS-like pathology was performed using a pre-defined criteria for neurological score, accelerated rotarod test, paw grip endurance test, and grip strength test. Blood glucose, blood beta-hydroxybutyrate, and body weight were also monitored. SD+DP-fed mice exhibited improved neurological score from age 116 to 136 days compared to control mice. KD-fed mice exhibited better motor performance on all motor function tests at 15 and 16 weeks of age compared to controls. SD+DP and KD+DP therapies significantly extended survival time of SOD1-G93A mice by 7.5% (p = 0.001) and 4.2% (p = 0.006), respectively. Sixty-three percent of mice in the KD+DP and 72.7% of the SD+DP group lived past 125 days, while only 9% of the control animals survived past that point. Targeting energy metabolism with metabolic therapy produces a therapeutic effect in ALS mice which may prolong

Phase of Spontaneous Slow Oscillations during Sleep Influences Memory-Related Processing of Auditory Cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Batterink, Laura J; Creery, Jessica D; Paller, Ken A

2016-01-27

Slow oscillations during slow-wave sleep (SWS) may facilitate memory consolidation by regulating interactions between hippocampal and cortical networks. Slow oscillations appear as high-amplitude, synchronized EEG activity, corresponding to upstates of neuronal depolarization and downstates of hyperpolarization. Memory reactivations occur spontaneously during SWS, and can also be induced by presenting learning-related cues associated with a prior learning episode during sleep. This technique, targeted memory reactivation (TMR), selectively enhances memory consolidation. Given that memory reactivation is thought to occur preferentially during the slow-oscillation upstate, we hypothesized that TMR stimulation effects would depend on the phase of the slow oscillation. Participants learned arbitrary spatial locations for objects that were each paired with a characteristic sound (eg, cat-meow). Then, during SWS periods of an afternoon nap, one-half of the sounds were presented at low intensity. When object location memory was subsequently tested, recall accuracy was significantly better for those objects cued during sleep. We report here for the first time that this memory benefit was predicted by slow-wave phase at the time of stimulation. For cued objects, location memories were categorized according to amount of forgetting from pre- to post-nap. Conditions of high versus low forgetting corresponded to stimulation timing at different slow-oscillation phases, suggesting that learning-related stimuli were more likely to be processed and trigger memory reactivation when they occurred at the optimal phase of a slow oscillation. These findings provide insight into mechanisms of memory reactivation during sleep, supporting the idea that reactivation is most likely during cortical upstates. Slow-wave sleep (SWS) is characterized by synchronized neural activity alternating between active upstates and quiet downstates. The slow-oscillation upstates are thought to provide a

SDSS-IV MaNGA: a distinct mass distribution explored in slow-rotating early-type galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Yu; Li, Hongyu; Wang, Jie; Gao, Liang; Li, Ran; Ge, Junqiang; Jing, Yingjie; Pan, Jun; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Valenzuela, Octavio; Ortíz, Erik Aquino

2018-06-01

We study the radial acceleration relation (RAR) for early-type galaxies (ETGs) in the SDSS MaNGA MPL5 data set. The complete ETG sample show a slightly offset RAR from the relation reported by McGaugh et al. (2016) at the low-acceleration end; we find that the deviation is due to the fact that the slow rotators show a systematically higher acceleration relation than the McGaugh's RAR, while the fast rotators show a consistent acceleration relation to McGaugh's RAR. There is a 1σ significant difference between the acceleration relations of the fast and slow rotators, suggesting that the acceleration relation correlates with the galactic spins, and that the slow rotators may have a different mass distribution compared with fast rotators and late-type galaxies. We suspect that the acceleration relation deviation of slow rotators may be attributed to more galaxy merger events, which would disrupt the original spins and correlated distributions of baryons and dark matter orbits in galaxies.

Slow Release of Plant Volatiles Using Sol-Gel Dispensers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, L; Sun, X L; Cai, X M; Chen, Z M

2014-12-01

The black citrus aphid, also known as the tea aphid, (Toxoptera aurantii Boyer) attacks economically important crops, including tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). In the current study, silica sol-gel formulations were screened to find one that could carry and release C. sinensis plant volatiles to lure black citrus aphids in a greenhouse. The common plant volatile trans-2-hexen-1-al was used as a model molecule to screen for suitable sol-gel formulations. A zNose (Electronic Sensor Technology, Newbury Park, CA) transportable gas chromatograph was used to continuously monitor the volatile emissions. A sol-gel formulation containing tetramethyl orthosilicate and methyltrimethoxysilane in an 8:2 (vol:vol) ratio was selected to develop a slow-release dispenser. The half-life of trans-2-hexen-1-al in the sol-gel dispenser increased slightly with the volume of this compound in the dispenser. Ten different volatiles were tested in the sol-gel dispenser. Alcohols of 6-10 carbons had the longest half-lives (3.01-3.77 d), while esters of 6-12 carbons had the shortest (1.53-2.28 d). Release of these volatiles from the dispensers could not be detected by the zNose after 16 d (cis-3-hexenyl acetate) to 26 d (3,7-dimethylocta-1,6-dien-3-ol). In greenhouse experiments, trans-2-hexen-1-al and cis-3-hexen-1-ol released from the sol-gel dispensers attracted aphids for ≍17 d, and release of these volatiles could not be detected by the zNose after ≍24 d. The sol-gel dispensers performed adequately for the slow release of plant volatiles to trap aphids in the greenhouse. © 2014 Entomological Society of America.

A Cystine-Rich Whey Supplement (Immunocal® Delays Disease Onset and Prevents Spinal Cord Glutathione Depletion in the hSOD1G93A Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Erika K. Ross

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Depletion of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione (GSH, underlies progression of the devastating neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. Thus, strategies aimed at elevating GSH may yield new therapeutics for ALS. Here, we investigated the effects of a unique non-denatured whey protein supplement, Immunocal®, in the transgenic Gly position 93 to Ala (G93A mutant hSOD1 (hSOD1G93A mouse model of ALS. Immunocal® is rich in the GSH precursor, cystine, and is therefore capable of bolstering GSH content. Transgenic hSOD1G93A mice receiving Immunocal® displayed a significant delay in disease onset compared to untreated hSOD1G93A controls. Additionally, Immunocal® treatment significantly decreased the rate of decline in grip strength and prevented disease-associated reductions in whole blood and spinal cord tissue GSH levels in end-stage hSOD1G93A mice. However, Immunocal® did not extend survival, likely due to its inability to preserve the mitochondrial GSH pool in spinal cord. Combination treatment with Immunocal® and the anti-glutamatergic compound, riluzole, delayed disease onset and extended survival in hSOD1G93A mice. These findings demonstrate that sustaining tissue GSH with Immunocal® only modestly delays disease onset and slows the loss of skeletal muscle strength in hSOD1G93A mice. Moreover, the inability of Immunocal® to rescue mitochondrial GSH in spinal cord provides a possible mechanism for its lack of effect on survival and is a limiting factor in the potential utility of this supplement as a therapeutic for ALS.

Implementation of a population-based epidemiological rare disease registry: study protocol of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)--registry Swabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagel, Gabriele; Unal, Hatice; Rosenbohm, Angela; Ludolph, Albert C; Rothenbacher, Dietrich

2013-02-17

The social and medical impact of rare diseases is increasingly recognized. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most prevalent of the motor neuron diseases. It is characterized by rapidly progressive damage to the motor neurons with a survival of 2-5 years for the majority of patients. The objective of this work is to describe the study protocol and the implementation steps of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) registry Swabia, located in the South of Germany. The ALS registry Swabia started in October 2010 with both, the retrospective (01.10.2008-30.09.2010) and prospective (from 01.10.2010) collection of ALS cases, in a target population of 8.6 million persons in Southern Germany. In addition, a population based case-control study was implemented based on the registry that also included the collection of various biological materials.Retrospectively, 420 patients (222 men and 198 women) were identified. Prospectively data of ALS patients were collected, of which about 70% agreed to participate in the population-based case-control study. All participants in the case-control study provided also a blood sample. The prospective part of the study is ongoing. The ALS registry Swabia has been implemented successfully. In rare diseases such as ALS, the collaboration of registries, the comparison with external samples and biorepositories will facilitate to identify risk factors and to further explore the potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

EGFR inhibitor erlotinib delays disease progression but does not extend survival in the SOD1 mouse model of ALS.

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Claire E Le Pichon

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis due to motor neuron death. Several lines of published evidence suggested that inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR signaling might protect neurons from degeneration. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we treated the SOD1 transgenic mouse model of ALS with erlotinib, an EGFR inhibitor clinically approved for oncology indications. Although erlotinib failed to extend ALS mouse survival it did provide a modest but significant delay in the onset of multiple behavioral measures of disease progression. However, given the lack of protection of motor neuron synapses and the lack of survival extension, the small benefits observed after erlotinib treatment appear purely symptomatic, with no modification of disease course.

A fast-slow logic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawashima, Hideo.

1977-01-01

A fast-slow logic system has been made for use in multi-detector experiments in nuclear physics such as particle-gamma and particle-particle coincidence experiments. The system consists of a fast logic system and a slow logic system. The fast logic system has a function of fast coincidences and provides timing signals for the slow logic system. The slow logic system has a function of slow coincidences and a routing control of input analog signals to the ADCs. (auth.)

A proteomic network approach across the ALS-FTD disease spectrum resolves clinical phenotypes and genetic vulnerability in human brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Umoh, Mfon E; Dammer, Eric B; Dai, Jingting; Duong, Duc M; Lah, James J; Levey, Allan I; Gearing, Marla; Glass, Jonathan D; Seyfried, Nicholas T

2018-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are neurodegenerative diseases with overlap in clinical presentation, neuropathology, and genetic underpinnings. The molecular basis for the overlap of these disorders is not well established. We performed a comparative unbiased mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of frontal cortical tissues from postmortem cases clinically defined as ALS, FTD, ALS and FTD (ALS/FTD), and controls. We also included a subset of patients with the C9orf72 expansion mutation, the most common genetic cause of both ALS and FTD Our systems-level analysis of the brain proteome integrated both differential expression and co-expression approaches to assess the relationship of these differences to clinical and pathological phenotypes. Weighted co-expression network analysis revealed 15 modules of co-expressed proteins, eight of which were significantly different across the ALS-FTD disease spectrum. These included modules associated with RNA binding proteins, synaptic transmission, and inflammation with cell-type specificity that showed correlation with TDP-43 pathology and cognitive dysfunction. Modules were also examined for their overlap with TDP-43 protein-protein interactions, revealing one module enriched with RNA-binding proteins and other causal ALS genes that increased in FTD/ALS and FTD cases. A module enriched with astrocyte and microglia proteins was significantly increased in ALS cases carrying the C9orf72 mutation compared to sporadic ALS cases, suggesting that the genetic expansion is associated with inflammation in the brain even without clinical evidence of dementia. Together, these findings highlight the utility of integrative systems-level proteomic approaches to resolve clinical phenotypes and genetic mechanisms underlying the ALS-FTD disease spectrum in human brain. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Efficient KF loaded on MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds in the transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzmán-Vargas, Ariel; Santos-Gutiérrez, Teresa; Lima, Enrique; Flores-Moreno, Jorge L.; Oliver-Tolentino, Miguel A.; Martínez-Ortiz, María de J.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds were synthetized. • After KF impregnation and calcination fluorinated species were detected. • Fluorinated species were stables and actives. • LDH composition and KF load effect were evaluated in biodiesel production. - Abstract: In this work a series of MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds were synthetized by coprecipitation method at constant pH. In order to obtain the catalysts, the samples were modified with KF by incipient wetness impregnation at different wt%, after that, they were dried and calcined to obtain the mixed oxides. The effect of divalent cations ratio and KF load were studied in the transesterification reaction of Jatropha curcas oil to obtain biodiesel employing an inedible oil. XRD analysis showed typical diffraction patterns of LDH, by nitrogen physisorption the LDH mesoporous structure was also confirmed, 27 Al NMR spectra showed bands at 10 and 88 ppm attributed to the Al coordination before and after thermal treatment. While for the impregnated samples after calcination the profiles exhibited the mixed oxide formation, in addition, another peaks appeared associated to the formation of various fluorinated species as shown by XRD, additionally, 19 F NMR showed a main signal at −180 ppm indicating the presence of active tetrahedral aluminum fluoride species. The reaction evolution was monitoring calculating the oil conversion to biodiesel by integration of the signal spectra using 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The results of catalytic tests in transesterification reaction showed a direct correlation between Mg/Ca ratio and KF content in the oil conversion to biodiesel, the higher conversion was achieved (90%) when Mg/Ca = 1 and KF load was 30 wt%

Efficient KF loaded on MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds in the transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guzmán-Vargas, Ariel, E-mail: aguzmanv@ipn.mx [ESIQIE-IPN, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Laboratorio de Investigación en Materiales Porosos, Catálisis Ambiental y Química Fina, UPALM Edif.7 P.B. Zacatenco, México D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Santos-Gutiérrez, Teresa [ESIQIE-IPN, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Laboratorio de Investigación en Materiales Porosos, Catálisis Ambiental y Química Fina, UPALM Edif.7 P.B. Zacatenco, México D.F. 07738 (Mexico); Lima, Enrique [IIM-Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito exterior s/n, Cd. Universitaria, 04510 México DF (Mexico); Flores-Moreno, Jorge L. [UAM-Azcapotzalco, Área de Química de Materiales, Av. San Pablo 180, Col. Reynosa Tamaulipas, 02200 México DF (Mexico); Oliver-Tolentino, Miguel A.; Martínez-Ortiz, María de J. [ESIQIE-IPN, Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Laboratorio de Investigación en Materiales Porosos, Catálisis Ambiental y Química Fina, UPALM Edif.7 P.B. Zacatenco, México D.F. 07738 (Mexico)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds were synthetized. • After KF impregnation and calcination fluorinated species were detected. • Fluorinated species were stables and actives. • LDH composition and KF load effect were evaluated in biodiesel production. - Abstract: In this work a series of MgCaAl hydrotalcite-like compounds were synthetized by coprecipitation method at constant pH. In order to obtain the catalysts, the samples were modified with KF by incipient wetness impregnation at different wt%, after that, they were dried and calcined to obtain the mixed oxides. The effect of divalent cations ratio and KF load were studied in the transesterification reaction of Jatropha curcas oil to obtain biodiesel employing an inedible oil. XRD analysis showed typical diffraction patterns of LDH, by nitrogen physisorption the LDH mesoporous structure was also confirmed, {sup 27}Al NMR spectra showed bands at 10 and 88 ppm attributed to the Al coordination before and after thermal treatment. While for the impregnated samples after calcination the profiles exhibited the mixed oxide formation, in addition, another peaks appeared associated to the formation of various fluorinated species as shown by XRD, additionally, {sup 19}F NMR showed a main signal at −180 ppm indicating the presence of active tetrahedral aluminum fluoride species. The reaction evolution was monitoring calculating the oil conversion to biodiesel by integration of the signal spectra using {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy. The results of catalytic tests in transesterification reaction showed a direct correlation between Mg/Ca ratio and KF content in the oil conversion to biodiesel, the higher conversion was achieved (90%) when Mg/Ca = 1 and KF load was 30 wt%.

Scientists, do it like Al Gore

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Greco

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Human health has currently to face a growing series of global issues. From the spread of HIV/AIDS to a fresh outbreak of tuberculosis, increasingly drug-resistant, the world is witnessing a return, mostly unexpected, of infectious diseases. At the same time, the economic growth in many regions of the globe is generating a sort of “epidemics of wellbeing diseases”: obesity, diabetes, heart disease.

Towards the mass production of slow, trappable molecules

Science.gov (United States)

McCarron, Daniel J.

2018-05-01

The Fast Track Communication by Petzold et al (2018 New J. Phys. 20 042001) demonstrates the first Zeeman slowing scheme for species with type-II optical cycling transitions. This new approach is directly applicable to those 2Σ molecules that have recently been captured and cooled in molecular magneto-optical traps (MOTs) and has the potential to efficiently and continuously load these traps for the first time. This advance could produce molecular MOTs with populations comparable to their atomic counterparts and realize an ideal platform for a wide range of studies using large, dense samples of ultracold molecules.

[Italy's Slow Medicine: a new paradigm in medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Bonaldi, Antonio; Vernero, Sandra

2015-02-01

Italy's Slow Medicine was founded in 2011 as a movement aimed to promote processes of care based on appropriateness, but within a relation of listening, dialogue and decision sharing with the patient. The mission of Slow Medicine is synthetized by three key words: measured, because it acts with moderation, gradually and without waste; respectful, because it is careful in preserving the dignity and values of each person; and equitable, because it is committed to ensuring access to appropriate care for all. In a short time, the association spreads at national and international level, gathering the needs of change of a growing number of health professionals, patients and citizens, committed to manage health problems with a new cultural and methodological paradigm. Medicine is soaked with inappropriateness, wastes, conflicts of interest, and many clichés induce professionals and patients to consume more and more healthcare services in the illusion that it is always better doing more for improving health. Moreover, the dominant reductionist cultural model, on which the concept of health and disease is based today, considers man as a machine, investigated by a growing number of specialists, particularly interested in the pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases. The interest is mainly focused on technologies, while the person along with the relations with his/her family and the social environment are completely neglected. The systemic approach adopted by Slow Medicine, on the contrary, teaches us that health and disease are complex phenomena and the life of a person is more than the sum of the chemical reactions that occur in its cells. At different levels of complexity, in fact, new and unexpected properties appear, such as thinking, emotions, pleasure, health. These properties are not detectable in the individual elements and can only be studied using methods of analysis and knowledge belonging to other domains of knowledge, such as humanity sciences: philosophy

ALS5/SPG11/ KIAA1840 mutations cause autosomal recessive axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease

Science.gov (United States)

Montecchiani, Celeste; Pedace, Lucia; Lo Giudice, Temistocle; Casella, Antonella; Mearini, Marzia; Gaudiello, Fabrizio; Pedroso, José L.; Terracciano, Chiara; Caltagirone, Carlo; Massa, Roberto; St George-Hyslop, Peter H.; Barsottini, Orlando G. P.; Kawarai, Toshitaka

2016-01-01

Abstract Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease is a group of hereditary peripheral neuropathies that share clinical characteristics of progressive distal muscle weakness and atrophy, foot deformities, distal sensory loss, as well as diminished tendon reflexes. Hundreds of causative DNA changes have been found, but much of the genetic basis of the disease is still unexplained. Mutations in the ALS5/SPG11/ KIAA1840 gene are a frequent cause of autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and peripheral axonal neuropathy, and account for ∼40% of autosomal recessive juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The overlap of axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease with both diseases, as well as the common autosomal recessive inheritance pattern of thin corpus callosum and axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease in three related patients, prompted us to analyse the ALS5/SPG11/ KIAA1840 gene in affected individuals with autosomal recessive axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease. We investigated 28 unrelated families with autosomal recessive axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease defined by clinical, electrophysiological, as well as pathological evaluation. Besides, we screened for all the known genes related to axonal autosomal recessive Charcot–Marie-Tooth disease (CMT2A2/HMSN2A2/ MFN2 , CMT2B1/ LMNA , CMT2B2/ MED25 , CMT2B5/ NEFL , ARCMT2F/dHMN2B/ HSPB1 , CMT2K/ GDAP1 , CMT2P/ LRSAM1 , CMT2R/ TRIM2 , CMT2S/ IGHMBP2 , CMT2T/ HSJ1 , CMTRID/ COX6A1 , ARAN-NM/ HINT and GAN/ GAN ), for the genes related to autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and axonal peripheral neuropathy (SPG7/ PGN , SPG15/ ZFYVE26, SPG21/ ACP33 , SPG35/ FA2H , SPG46/ GBA2 , SPG55/ C12orf65 and SPG56/ CYP2U1 ), as well as for the causative gene of peripheral neuropathy with or without agenesis of the corpus callosum ( SLC12A6 ) . Mitochondrial disorders related to Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 2 were also excluded by sequencing POLG and

ALS5/SPG11/KIAA1840 mutations cause autosomal recessive axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Montecchiani, Celeste; Pedace, Lucia; Lo Giudice, Temistocle; Casella, Antonella; Mearini, Marzia; Gaudiello, Fabrizio; Pedroso, José L; Terracciano, Chiara; Caltagirone, Carlo; Massa, Roberto; St George-Hyslop, Peter H; Barsottini, Orlando G P; Kawarai, Toshitaka; Orlacchio, Antonio

2016-01-01

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a group of hereditary peripheral neuropathies that share clinical characteristics of progressive distal muscle weakness and atrophy, foot deformities, distal sensory loss, as well as diminished tendon reflexes. Hundreds of causative DNA changes have been found, but much of the genetic basis of the disease is still unexplained. Mutations in the ALS5/SPG11/KIAA1840 gene are a frequent cause of autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and peripheral axonal neuropathy, and account for ∼ 40% of autosomal recessive juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The overlap of axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease with both diseases, as well as the common autosomal recessive inheritance pattern of thin corpus callosum and axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in three related patients, prompted us to analyse the ALS5/SPG11/KIAA1840 gene in affected individuals with autosomal recessive axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. We investigated 28 unrelated families with autosomal recessive axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease defined by clinical, electrophysiological, as well as pathological evaluation. Besides, we screened for all the known genes related to axonal autosomal recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT2A2/HMSN2A2/MFN2, CMT2B1/LMNA, CMT2B2/MED25, CMT2B5/NEFL, ARCMT2F/dHMN2B/HSPB1, CMT2K/GDAP1, CMT2P/LRSAM1, CMT2R/TRIM2, CMT2S/IGHMBP2, CMT2T/HSJ1, CMTRID/COX6A1, ARAN-NM/HINT and GAN/GAN), for the genes related to autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum and axonal peripheral neuropathy (SPG7/PGN, SPG15/ZFYVE26, SPG21/ACP33, SPG35/FA2H, SPG46/GBA2, SPG55/C12orf65 and SPG56/CYP2U1), as well as for the causative gene of peripheral neuropathy with or without agenesis of the corpus callosum (SLC12A6). Mitochondrial disorders related to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 were also excluded by sequencing POLG and TYMP genes. An additional locus for autosomal recessive Charcot

Very slow neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frank, A.

1983-01-01

The history is briefly presented of the research so far of very slow neutrons and their basic properties are explained. The methods are described of obtaining very slow neutrons and the problems of their preservation are discussed. The existence of very slow neutrons makes it possible to perform experiments which may deepen the knowledge of the fundamental properties of neutrons. Their wavelength approximates that of visible radiation. The possibilities and use are discussed of neutron optical systems (neutron microscope) which could be an effective instrument for the study of the detailed arrangement, especially of organic substances. (B.S.)

The unappreciated slowness of conventional tourism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.R. Larsen

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Most tourists are not consciously engaging in ‘slow travel’, but a number of travel behaviours displayed by conventional tourists can be interpreted as slow travel behaviour. Based on Danish tourists’ engagement with the distances they travel across to reach their holiday destination, this paper explores unintended slow travel behaviours displayed by these tourists. None of the tourists participating in this research were consciously doing ‘slow travel’, and yet some of their most valued holiday memories are linked to slow travel behaviours. Based on the analysis of these unintended slow travel behaviours, this paper will discuss the potential this insight might hold for promotion of slow travel. If unappreciated and unintentional slow travel behaviours could be utilised in the deliberate effort of encouraging more people to travel slow, ‘slow travel’ will be in a better position to become integrated into conventional travel behaviour.

Superplasticity-like deformation of a coarse-grained Al5052 alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chow, K.K.; Chan, K.C.

2000-01-01

In the present paper, hot forming properties of a commercially available coarse-grained Al5052 alloy under uniaxial and biaxial stress states were examined. In hot tensile tests, the alloy exhibits a superplastic-like behaviour with a maximum tensile elongation of 194% at a temperature of 873 K and at an initial strain rate of 2.08 x 10 -1 s -1 . Dislocation slip and grain boundary sliding were considered to be the deformation mechanisms. The alloy was also bulged at a constant polar strain-rate of 2.0 x 10 -1 s -1 and at an optimum temperature of 873 K using elliptical dies with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 2:1, 8:3 and 4:1. The strain distributions revealed that the strain gradient obtained in the minor axis was much greater than that in major axis. Moreover, it was shown that the deformation behavior of the alloy was basically isotropic and the volume strain of the alloy sheet did not equal to zero which was considered to relate to its cavitation behaviour. (orig.)

Loss of metal ions, disulfide reduction and mutations related to familial ALS promote formation of amyloid-like aggregates from superoxide dismutase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeynep A Oztug Durer

Full Text Available Mutations in the gene encoding Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1 are one of the causes of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS. Fibrillar inclusions containing SOD1 and SOD1 inclusions that bind the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin S have been found in neurons of transgenic mice expressing mutant SOD1. Therefore, the formation of amyloid fibrils from human SOD1 was investigated. When agitated at acidic pH in the presence of low concentrations of guanidine or acetonitrile, metalated SOD1 formed fibrillar material which bound both thioflavin T and Congo red and had circular dichroism and infrared spectra characteristic of amyloid. While metalated SOD1 did not form amyloid-like aggregates at neutral pH, either removing metals from SOD1 with its intramolecular disulfide bond intact or reducing the intramolecular disulfide bond of metalated SOD1 was sufficient to promote formation of these aggregates. SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates both with and without intermolecular disulfide bonds, depending on the incubation conditions, and a mutant SOD1 lacking free sulfhydryl groups (AS-SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates at neutral pH under reducing conditions. ALS mutations enhanced the ability of disulfide-reduced SOD1 to form amyloid-like aggregates, and apo-AS-SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates at pH 7 only when an ALS mutation was also present. These results indicate that some mutations related to ALS promote formation of amyloid-like aggregates by facilitating the loss of metals and/or by making the intramolecular disulfide bond more susceptible to reduction, thus allowing the conversion of SOD1 to a form that aggregates to form resembling amyloid. Furthermore, the occurrence of amyloid-like aggregates per se does not depend on forming intermolecular disulfide bonds, and multiple forms of such aggregates can be produced from SOD1.

Relativistic multireference many-body perturbation theory calculations on F-, Ne-, Na-, Mg-, Al-, Si- and P-like xenon ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vilkas, Marius J; Ishikawa, Yasuyuki; Traebert, Elmar

2006-01-01

Many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) has been employed to calculate with high wavelength accuracy the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra of F-like to P-like Xe ions. We discuss the reliability of the new calculations using the example of EUV beam-foil spectra of Xe, in which n = 3, Δn = 0 transitions of Na-, Mg-, Al- and Si-like ions have been found to dominate. A further comparison is made with spectra from an electron beam ion trap, that is, from a device with a very different (low density) excitation balance

Slow Design: "cultivar" cultura y sensorialidad en la forma y en el uso de los artefactos

OpenAIRE

Lupo, Eleonora

2012-01-01

Este artículo pretende aportar principios clave y ejemplos de aplicación de un "enfoque slow" en el diseño de las funciones y experiencias propias de un producto. Algunos ejemplos mostrarán como incorporar las "cualidades soft" y los elementos culturales/intangibles presentes en los "artefactos culturalmente intensivos", en pro de una experiencia verdaderamente slow, pero al mismo tiempo densa y profunda, en el ámbito de las relaciones y la apropiación entre las personas y la producción de ma...

A taste of ethical consumption at a slow food festival.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Lauren T; Germov, John; Fuller, Sascha; Freij, Maria

2015-08-01

This paper examines the motives and experiences of attendees at a Slow Food festival to gain an understanding of how people engage with ethical consumer projects. Slow Food is a global social movement aimed at promoting food that is regionally, ethically, and sustainably produced, and convivially consumed. The movement uses culinary tourist events, such as food festivals and farmers' markets, to promote its philosophy and attract new members. There have been no empirical studies of ethical consumption using a Slow Food event as a case study. This study uses an ethnographic approach and a framework of virtue ethics to explore the views of people attending a major Slow Food festival in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in situ with 33 participants (19 consumers and 14 stallholders) to discover their rationales for attending the festival, and their perspectives on ethical consumption. Transcripts were coded and thematically analysed, resulting in three themes reflecting varying degrees of public virtues (altruistic motivations) and private virtues (personal wellbeing): the quest for virtuous lifestyles through ethical consumption, the importance of co-production, and the challenges of putting ethical consumer projects like Slow Food into daily practice. The findings reveal the manner in which virtue ethics affects foodways and highlights the contingent and challenging nature of practising ethical eating. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of a population-based epidemiological rare disease registry: study protocol of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS - registry Swabia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagel Gabriele

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The social and medical impact of rare diseases is increasingly recognized. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is the most prevalent of the motor neuron diseases. It is characterized by rapidly progressive damage to the motor neurons with a survival of 2–5 years for the majority of patients. The objective of this work is to describe the study protocol and the implementation steps of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS registry Swabia, located in the South of Germany. Methods/Design The ALS registry Swabia started in October 2010 with both, the retrospective (01.10.2008-30.09.2010 and prospective (from 01.10.2010 collection of ALS cases, in a target population of 8.6 million persons in Southern Germany. In addition, a population based case–control study was implemented based on the registry that also included the collection of various biological materials. Retrospectively, 420 patients (222 men and 198 women were identified. Prospectively data of ALS patients were collected, of which about 70% agreed to participate in the population-based case–control study. All participants in the case–control study provided also a blood sample. The prospective part of the study is ongoing. Discussion The ALS registry Swabia has been implemented successfully. In rare diseases such as ALS, the collaboration of registries, the comparison with external samples and biorepositories will facilitate to identify risk factors and to further explore the potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Sandwich-Like CoAl-LDH/Polypyrrole/Graphene Nanocomposites with Enhanced Capacitive Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Du, Dongfeng; Li, Xuejin; Sun, Hongman; Li, Li; Bai, Peng; Xing, Wei; Xue, Qingzhong; Yan, Zifeng

2017-09-20

A novel sandwich-like composite with ultrathin CoAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoplates electrostatically assembled on both sides of two-dimensional polypyrrole/graphene (PG) substrate has been successfully fabricated using facile hydrothermal techniques. The PG not only serves as an excellent conductive and structural scaffold to enhance the transmission of electrons and prevent aggregation of CoAl-LDH nanoplates but also contributes to the enhancement of the specific capacitance. Owing to the homogeneous dispersion of CoAl-LDH nanoplates and its intimate interaction with PG substrate, the resulting CoAl-LDH/PG nanocomposite material exhibits excellent capacitive performance, for example, enhanced gravimetric specific capacitance (864 F g -1 at 1 A g -1 ), high rate performance (75% retention at 20 A g -1 ), and excellent cycle life (almost no degradation in supercapacitor performance after 5000 cycles) in aqueous KOH solution. Furthermore, the assembled asymmetric capacitor is able to deliver a superhigh energy density of 46.8 Wh kg -1 at 1.2 kW kg -1 and maintain 90.1% of its initial capacitance after 10 000 cycles. These results indicate a rational assembly strategy toward a high-performance pseudocapacitive electrode material with excellent rate performance, high specific capacitance, and outstanding cycle stability.

Chronic unremitting headache associated with Lyme disease-like illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Andre Kowacs

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Brazilian Lyme-disease-like illness (BLDLI or Baggio-Yoshinari syndrome is a unique zoonosis found in Brazil. It reproduces all the clinical symptoms of Lyme disease except for the high frequencies of relapse and the presence of autoimmune manifestations. Two cases of borreliosis manifesting with unremitting headache, which is a symptom associated with late-stage BLDLI, were presented. Clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects of the BLDLI and its associated headaches were showed and discussed in this article. BLDLI diagnosis requires additional attention by physicians, since the disease has a tendency to progress to the late, recurrent stage or the chronic form, and the associated headache can be confused with chronic primary headache or with analgesic-overuse one. Special attention should be paid to patients with headaches who have traveled to endemic areas.

Enhanced photoresponsivity in graphene-silicon slow-light photonic crystal waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Hao; Gu, Tingyi; McMillan, James F.; Yu, Mingbin; Lo, Guoqiang; Kwong, Dim-Lee; Feng, Guoying; Zhou, Shouhuan; Wong, Chee Wei

2016-01-01

We demonstrate the enhanced fast photoresponsivity in graphene hybrid structures by combining the ultrafast dynamics of graphene with improved light-matter interactions in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides. With a 200 μm interaction length, a 0.8 mA/W photoresponsivity is achieved in a graphene-silicon Schottky-like photodetector, with an operating bandwidth in excess of 5 GHz and wavelength range at least from 1480 nm to 1580 nm. Fourfold enhancement of the photocurrent is observed in the slow light region, compared to the wavelength far from the photonic crystal bandedge, for a chip-scale broadband fast photodetector.

Familial ALS

Science.gov (United States)

Boylan, Kevin

2015-01-01

Synopsis Genes linked to ALS susceptibility are being identified at an increasing rate owing to advances in molecular genetic technology. Genetic mechanisms in ALS pathogenesis appear to exert major effects in ~10% of patients, but genetic factors at some level may be important components of disease risk in most ALS patients. Identification of gene variants associated with ALS has informed concepts of the pathogenesis of ALS, aided the identification of therapeutic targets, facilitated research to develop new ALS biomarkers, and supported the establishment of clinical diagnostic tests for ALS-linked genes. Translation of this knowledge to ALS therapy development is ongoing. PMID:26515623

Novel Au- and Ge-based two-dimensional materials formed through topotactic transitions of AlB2-like structures

Science.gov (United States)

Tsetseris, Leonidas

2016-07-01

The topotactic reaction of a layered compound, for example CaGe2, with HCl solution is a common and facile method to produce two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this work we demonstrate with first-principles calculations that this technique can potentially lead to a whole new family of 2D materials starting from three-dimensional crystals with AlB2-like structures. As representative cases, we show here that the de-intercalation of Sc and Ca atoms from ScAuGe and Ca2AuGe3 crystals is strongly exothermic and produces the stable 2D monolayers AuGeH and AuGe3H3, respectively. Remarkably, both metals (AuGeH) and semiconductors (AuGe3H3) can be prepared by this method. Based on the broad availability of AlB2-like structures with varying stoichiometries, there are several possibilities to prepare novel functional 2D materials with suitable topotactic transitions.

SLOW MAGNETOACOUSTIC WAVES OBSERVED ABOVE A QUIET-SUN REGION IN A DARK CAVITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Jiajia; Zhou Zhenjun; Wang Yuming; Liu Rui; Liao Chijian; Shen Chenglong; Zheng Huinan; Miao Bin; Su Zhenpeng; Wang, S. [CAS Key Laboratory of Geospace Environment, Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Wang Bin, E-mail: ymwang@ustc.edu.cn, E-mail: ymwang@ustc.edu.cn [Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunication Technology, Beijing 100094 (China)

2012-10-20

Waves play a crucial role in diagnosing the plasma properties of various structures in the solar corona and coronal heating. Slow magnetoacoustic (MA) waves are one of the important types of magnetohydrodynamic waves. In past decades, numerous slow MA waves were detected above active regions and coronal holes, but were rarely found elsewhere. Here, we investigate a 'tornado'-like structure consisting of quasi-periodic streaks within a dark cavity at about 40-110 Mm above a quiet-Sun region on 2011 September 25. Our analysis reveals that these streaks are actually slow MA wave trains. The properties of these wave trains, including phase speed, compression ratio, and kinetic energy density, are similar to those of the reported slow MA waves, except that the period of these waves is about 50 s, much shorter than the typical reported values (3-5 minutes).

Hydrodeoxygenation of furfuryl alcohol over Cu/MgAl and Cu/ZnAl catalysts derived from hydrotalcite-like precursors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Andrea Pino

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aqueous phase hydrodeoxygenation (HDO of furfuryl alcohol over Cu/MgAl and Cu/ZnAl catalysts with different Mg/Al and Zn/Al molar ratios, were investigated. Mg-Al and Zn-Al mixed oxides derived from hydrotalcites precursors were used as supports, which were impregnated with an aqueous solution of copper nitrate by incipient wetness impregnation. The HDO reaction was carried out in a typical batch reactor at 5 MPa of H2 and 200 °C for 4 h. Among the catalysts studied, the Cu/MgAl-0.5 catalyst exhibited the higher furfuryl alcohol conversion (86% and yield of cyclopentanol (35%, which is the reaction product with the highest hydrogen-carbon (H/C ratio. With the Cu/MgAl-3 catalyst a high cyclopentanone yield (67% was achieved. The results obtained, showed that copper supported on mixed oxides catalysts derived from hydrotalcite precursors are a promising alternative to improve the bio-oil quality.

Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higginson, A. K.; Zurbuchen, T. H. [Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R. [Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Wyper, P. F., E-mail: aleida@umich.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2017-05-01

A major challenge in solar and heliospheric physics is understanding the origin and nature of the so-called slow solar wind. The Sun’s atmosphere is divided into magnetically open regions, known as coronal holes, where the plasma streams out freely and fills the solar system, and closed regions, where the plasma is confined to coronal loops. The boundary between these regions extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Measurements of plasma composition strongly imply that much of the slow wind consists of plasma from the closed corona that escapes onto open field lines, presumably by field-line opening or by interchange reconnection. Both of these processes are expected to release closed-field plasma into the solar wind within and immediately adjacent to the HCS. Mysteriously, however, slow wind with closed-field plasma composition is often observed in situ far from the HCS. We use high-resolution, three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the dynamics of a coronal hole with a geometry that includes a narrow corridor flanked by closed field and is driven by supergranule-like flows at the coronal-hole boundary. These dynamics produce giant arcs of closed-field plasma that originate at the open-closed boundary in the corona, but extend far from the HCS and span tens of degrees in latitude and longitude at Earth. We conclude that such structures can account for the long-puzzling slow-wind observations.

Movement - uncontrolled or slow

Science.gov (United States)

Dystonia; Involuntary slow and twisting movements; Choreoathetosis; Leg and arm movements - uncontrollable; Arm and leg movements - uncontrollable; Slow involuntary movements of large muscle groups; Athetoid movements

KEK-IMSS Slow Positron Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyodo, T; Wada, K; Yagishita, A; Kosuge, T; Saito, Y; Kurihara, T; Kikuchi, T; Shirakawa, A; Sanami, T; Ikeda, M; Ohsawa, S; Kakihara, K; Shidara, T, E-mail: toshio.hyodo@kek.jp [High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0801 (Japan)

2011-12-01

The Slow Positron Facility at the Institute of Material Structure Science (IMSS) of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) is a user dedicated facility with an energy tunable (0.1 - 35 keV) slow positron beam produced by a dedicated 55MeV linac. The present beam line branches have been used for the positronium time-of-flight (Ps-TOF) measurements, the transmission positron microscope (TPM) and the photo-detachment of Ps negative ions (Ps{sup -}). During the year 2010, a reflection high-energy positron diffraction (RHEPD) measurement station is going to be installed. The slow positron generator (converter/ moderator) system will be modified to get a higher slow positron intensity, and a new user-friendly beam line power-supply control and vacuum monitoring system is being developed. Another plan for this year is the transfer of a {sup 22}Na-based slow positron beam from RIKEN. This machine will be used for the continuous slow positron beam applications and for the orientation training of those who are interested in beginning researches with a slow positron beam.

Deposition and properties of Al-containing diamond-like carbon films by a hybrid ion beam sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai Wei; Wang Aiying

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Weak carbide former, Al element, was incorporated into DLC films using a hybrid ion beams system comprising an anode-layer ion source and a magnetron sputtering unit. → The structure disorder of the films tended to decrease with Al atoms doping, which resulted in the distinct reduction of the film internal stress and hardness, but the internal stress dropped faster than the hardness. → The DLC films with low internal stress and high hardness can be acquired by Al incorporation. - Abstract: Metal incorporation is one of the most effective methods for relaxing internal stress in diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. It was reported that the chemical state of the incorporated metal atoms has a significant influence on the film internal stress. The doped atoms embedding in the DLC matrix without bonding with C atoms can reduce the structure disorder of the DLC films through bond angle distortion and thus relax the internal stress of the films. In present paper, Al atoms, which are inert to carbon, were incorporated into the DLC films deposited by a hybrid ion beams system comprising an anode-layer ion source and a magnetron sputtering unit. The film composition, microstructure and atomic bond structure were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The internal stress, mechanical properties and tribogoical behavior were studied as a function of Al concentration using a stress-tester, nanoindentation and ball-on-disc tribo-tester, respectively. The results indicated that the incorporated Al atoms were dissolved in the DLC matrix without bonding with C atoms and the films exhibited the feature of amorphous carbon. The structure disorder of the films tended to decrease with Al atoms incorporation. This resulted in the distinct reduction of the internal stress in the films. All Al-DLC films exhibited a lower friction coefficient compared with pure DLC film. The formation of the

Study on fast luminescence component induced by gamma-rays in Ce doped LiCaAlF6 scintillators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Kenichi; Kondo, Yoshiyuki; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Uritani, Akira; Iguchi, Tetsuo; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Fukuda, Kentaro; Ishizu, Sumito; Yanagida, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Yoshikawa, Akira

2014-01-01

We discuss the origin of the fast luminescence component induced by fast electrons generated in gamma-ray interactions in Ce doped LiCaAlF 6 scintillators. Although the slow luminescence component induced by Ce 3+ emissions depends on the Ce concentration in the LiCaAlF 6 scintillator, the fast component is independent. The fast component is suggested to be generated in the host matrix of the LiCaAlF 6 crystal. From quantitative considerations based on Frank–Tamm equation, which shows the light yield of the Cherenkov radiation, the Cherenkov radiation was determined as the origin of the fast component. We, additionally, found that the slow rise time of main Ce 3+ emissions in the Ce:LiCaAlF 6 scintillator plays an important role to perform the pulse shape discrimination. - Highlights: • The fast luminescence in Ce:LiCaAlF 6 scintillator is generated in the host matrix. • The origin of the fast luminescence is determined as the Cherenkov radiation. • The slow rise time also plays an important role to perform PSD

Too slow, for Milton

OpenAIRE

Armstrong, N.

2011-01-01

Too slow, for Milton was written in 2011, as part of a memorial project for Milton Babbitt. The piece borrows harmonies from Babbitt's Composition for 12 Instruments (harmonies which Babbitt had in turn borrowed from Schoenberg's Ode to Napoleon), but unfolds them as part of a musical texture characterised by repetition, resonance, and a slow rate of change. As Babbitt once told me that my music was 'too slow', this seemed an appropriately obstinate form of homage.

Treating ALS by Targeting Pathological TDP-43

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

43) is the major aggregating disease protein in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our previous work demonstrated pS409/410 TDP-43 mediates motor...or are likely to make an impact on the base of knowledge, theory , and research in the principal disciplinary field(s) of the project. Summarize using...provide the name only and indicate “no change.” Example: Name: Mary Smith Project Role : Graduate Student Researcher Identifier (e.g

Public health impact of disease-behavior dynamics. Comment on "Coupled disease-behavior dynamics on complex networks: A review" by Z. Wang et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Chad R.; Galvani, Alison P.

2015-12-01

In a loop of dynamic feedback, behavior such as the decision to vaccinate, hand washing, or avoidance influences the progression of the epidemic, yet behavior is driven by the individual's and population's perceived risk of infection during an outbreak. In what we believe will become a seminal paper that stimulates future research as well as an informative teaching aid, Wang et. al. comprehensively review methodological advances that have been used to incorporate human behavior into epidemiological models on the effects of coupling disease transmission and behavior on complex social networks [1]. As illustrated by the recent outbreaks of measles and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), here we highlight the importance of coupling behavior and disease transmission that Wang et al. address.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Improve Salivary Function and Reduce Lymphocytic Infiltrates in Mice with Sjogren's-Like Disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khalili, Saeed; Liu, Younan; Kornete, Mara; Roescher, Nienke; Kodama, Shohta; Peterson, Alan; Piccirillo, Ciriaco A.; Tran, Simon D.

2012-01-01

Background: Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice develop Sjogren's-like disease (SS-like) with loss of saliva flow and increased lymphocytic infiltrates in salivary glands (SGs). There are recent reports using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diseases

Plastic Changes in the Spinal Cord in Motor Neuron Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Fornai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, we analyze the cell number within lamina X at the end stage of disease in a G93A mouse model of ALS; the effects induced by lithium; the stem-cell like phenotype of lamina X cells during ALS; the differentiation of these cells towards either a glial or neuronal phenotype. In summary we found that G93A mouse model of ALS produces an increase in lamina X cells which is further augmented by lithium administration. In the absence of lithium these nestin positive stem-like cells preferentially differentiate into glia (GFAP positive, while in the presence of lithium these cells differentiate towards a neuron-like phenotype (βIII-tubulin, NeuN, and calbindin-D28K positive. These effects of lithium are observed concomitantly with attenuation in disease progression and are reminiscent of neurogenetic effects induced by lithium in the subependymal ventricular zone of the hippocampus.

Critical slowing down of spin fluctuations in BiFeO3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, J F; Singh, M K; Katiyar, R S

2008-01-01

In earlier work we reported the discovery of phase transitions in BiFeO 3 evidenced by divergences in the magnon light-scattering cross-sections at 140 and 201 K (Singh et al 2008 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20 252203) and fitted these intensity data to critical exponents α = 0.06 and α' = 0.10 (Scott et al 2008 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20 322203), under the assumption that the transitions are strongly magnetoelastic (Redfern et al 2008 at press) and couple to strain divergences through the Pippard relationship (Pippard 1956 Phil. Mag. 1 473). In the present paper we extend those criticality studies to examine the magnon linewidths, which exhibit critical slowing down (and hence linewidth narrowing) of spin fluctuations. The linewidth data near the two transitions are qualitatively different and we cannot reliably extract a critical exponent ν, although the mean field value ν = 1/2 gives a good fit near the lower transition.

[Better performance of Western blotting: quick vs slow protein transfer, blotting membranes and the visualization methods].

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Ling-Quan; Pu, Ying-Hui; Ma, Shi-Kun

2008-01-01

To study how the choices of the quick vs slow protein transfer, the blotting membranes and the visualization methods influence the performance of Western blotting. The cellular proteins were abstracted from human breast cell line MDA-MB-231 for analysis with Western blotting using quick (2 h) and slow (overnight) protein transfer, different blotting membranes (nitrocellulose, PVDF and nylon membranes) and different visualization methods (ECL and DAB). In Western blotting with slow and quick protein transfer, the prestained marker presented more distinct bands on nitrocellulose membrane than on the nylon and PVDF membranes, and the latter also showed clear bands on the back of the membrane to very likely cause confusion, which did not occur with nitrocellulose membrane. PVDF membrane allowed slightly clearer visualization of the proteins with DAB method as compared with nitrocellulose and nylon membranes, and on the latter two membranes, quick protein transfer was likely to result in somehow irregular bands in comparison with slow protein transfer. With slow protein transfer and chemiluminescence for visualization, all the 3 membranes showed clear background, while with quick protein transfer, nylon membrane gave rise to obvious background noise but the other two membranes did not. Different membranes should be selected for immunoblotting according to the actual needs of the experiment. Slow transfer of the proteins onto the membranes often has better effect than quick transfer, and enhanced chemiluminescence is superior to DAB for protein visualization and allows highly specific and sensitive analysis of the protein expressions.

On Kinetic Slow Modes, Fluid Slow Modes, and Pressure-balanced Structures in the Solar Wind

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verscharen, Daniel [Space Science Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Chen, Christopher H. K. [Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Wicks, Robert T., E-mail: daniel.verscharen@unh.edu, E-mail: christopher.chen@imperial.ac.uk, E-mail: r.wicks@ucl.ac.uk [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)

2017-05-10

Observations in the solar wind suggest that the compressive component of inertial-range solar-wind turbulence is dominated by slow modes. The low collisionality of the solar wind allows for nonthermal features to survive, which suggests the requirement of a kinetic plasma description. The least-damped kinetic slow mode is associated with the ion-acoustic (IA) wave and a nonpropagating (NP) mode. We derive analytical expressions for the IA-wave dispersion relation in an anisotropic plasma in the framework of gyrokinetics and then compare them to fully kinetic numerical calculations, results from two-fluid theory, and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). This comparison shows major discrepancies in the predicted wave phase speeds from MHD and kinetic theory at moderate to high β . MHD and kinetic theory also dictate that all plasma normal modes exhibit a unique signature in terms of their polarization. We quantify the relative amplitude of fluctuations in the three lowest particle velocity moments associated with IA and NP modes in the gyrokinetic limit and compare these predictions with MHD results and in situ observations of the solar-wind turbulence. The agreement between the observations of the wave polarization and our MHD predictions is better than the kinetic predictions, which suggests that the plasma behaves more like a fluid in the solar wind than expected.

On Kinetic Slow Modes, Fluid Slow Modes, and Pressure-balanced Structures in the Solar Wind

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verscharen, Daniel; Chen, Christopher H. K.; Wicks, Robert T.

2017-01-01

Observations in the solar wind suggest that the compressive component of inertial-range solar-wind turbulence is dominated by slow modes. The low collisionality of the solar wind allows for nonthermal features to survive, which suggests the requirement of a kinetic plasma description. The least-damped kinetic slow mode is associated with the ion-acoustic (IA) wave and a nonpropagating (NP) mode. We derive analytical expressions for the IA-wave dispersion relation in an anisotropic plasma in the framework of gyrokinetics and then compare them to fully kinetic numerical calculations, results from two-fluid theory, and magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). This comparison shows major discrepancies in the predicted wave phase speeds from MHD and kinetic theory at moderate to high β . MHD and kinetic theory also dictate that all plasma normal modes exhibit a unique signature in terms of their polarization. We quantify the relative amplitude of fluctuations in the three lowest particle velocity moments associated with IA and NP modes in the gyrokinetic limit and compare these predictions with MHD results and in situ observations of the solar-wind turbulence. The agreement between the observations of the wave polarization and our MHD predictions is better than the kinetic predictions, which suggests that the plasma behaves more like a fluid in the solar wind than expected.

A spatial analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases in the United States and their proximity to multidisciplinary ALS clinics, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Horton, D Kevin; Graham, Shannon; Punjani, Reshma; Wilt, Grete; Kaye, Wendy; Maginnis, Kimberly; Webb, Lauren; Richman, Judy; Bedlack, Richard; Tessaro, Edward; Mehta, Paul

2018-02-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease that typically results in death within 2-5 years of initial symptom onset. Multidisciplinary ALS clinics (MDCs) have been established to provide specialty care to people living with the disease. To estimate the proximity of ALS prevalence cases to the nearest MDC in the US to help evaluate one aspect of access to care. Using 2013 prevalence data from the National ALS Registry, cases were geocoded by city using geographic information system (GIS) software, along with the locations of all MDCs in operation during 2013. Case-to-MDC proximity was calculated and analyzed by sex, race, and age group. During 2013, there were 72 MDCs in operation in 30 different states. A total of 15,633 ALS cases were geocoded and were distributed throughout all 50 states. Of these, 62.6% were male, 77.9% were white, and 76.2% were 50-79 years old. For overall case-to-MDC proximity, nearly half (44.9%) of all geocoded cases in the US lived >50 miles from an MDC, including approximately a quarter who lived >100 miles from an MDC. There was a statistically significant difference between distance to MDC by race and age group. The high percentage of those living more than 50 miles from the nearest specialized clinic underscores one of the many challenges of ALS. Having better access to care, whether at MDCs or through other modalities, is likely key to increasing survivability and obtaining appropriate end-of-life treatment and support for people with ALS.

Table-like magnetocaloric effect in Gd56Ni15Al27Zr2 alloy and its field independence feature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agurgo Balfour, E.; Ma, Z.; Fu, H.; Wang, L.; Luo, Y.; Hadimani, R. L.; Jiles, D. C.; Wang, S. F.

2015-01-01

In order to obtain “table-like” magnetocaloric effect (MCE), multiple-phase Gd 56 Ni 15 Al 27 Zr 2 alloy was prepared by arc-melting followed by suck-casting method. Powder x-ray diffraction and calorimetric measurements reveal that the sample contains both glassy and crystalline phases. The fraction of the glassy phase is about 62%, estimated from the heat enthalpy of the crystallization. The crystalline phases, Gd 2 Al and GdNiAl further broadened the relatively wider magnetic entropy change (−ΔS M ) peak of the amorphous phase, which resulted in the table-like MCE over a maximum temperature range of 52.5 K to 77.5 K. The plateau feature of the MCE was found to be nearly independent of the applied magnetic field from 3 T to 5 T. The maximum −ΔS M value of the MCE platforms is 6.0 J/kg K under applied magnetic field change of 5 T. Below 3 T, the field independence of the table-like feature disappears. The relatively large constant values of −ΔS M for the respective applied magnetic fields have promising applications in magnetic refrigeration using regenerative Ericsson cycle

Interface traps at Al2O3/InAlN/GaN MOS-HEMT -on- 200 mm Si

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sandeep; Remesh, Nayana; Dolmanan, S. B.; Tripathy, S.; Raghavan, S.; Muralidharan, R.; Nath, Digbijoy N.

2017-11-01

We report on the characterization of the interfaces of Al2O3/InAlN/GaN HEMT structure grown on 200 mm diameter silicon using conductance dispersion technique. Irreversible threshold voltage (VTH) shift of up to +∼2.5 V was observed due to the gate stress induced activation of acceptor states. Further, frequency dependent VTH shift during capacitance voltage measurements were also recorded due to the presence of slow traps at InAlN/GaN interface. The conductance dispersion indicated the presence of acceptor traps of the order of ∼4 × 1012 to 7 × 1013 cm-2 eV-1 with a time constant of ∼10 to 350 μs at the InAlN/GaN interface. Trap density at the Al2O3/InAlN was found to be in similar range but with a time constant of ∼2 μs. The presence of high density of traps at InAlN/GaN interface is attributed to the unavoidable growth interruption before the start of InAlN growth.

Thermal stability of atomic layer deposition Al2O3 film on HgCdTe

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, P.; Sun, C. H.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, X.; He, K.; Chen, Y. Y.; Ye, Z. H.

2015-06-01

Thermal stability of Atomic Layer Deposition Al2O3 film on HgCdTe was investigated by Al2O3 film post-deposition annealing treatment and Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor device low-temperature baking treatment. The effectiveness of Al2O3 film was evaluated by measuring the minority carrier lifetime and capacitance versus voltage characteristics. After annealing treatment, the minority carrier lifetime of the HgCdTe sample presented a slight decrease. Furthermore, the fixed charge density and the slow charge density decreased significantly in the annealed MIS device. After baking treatment, the fixed charge density and the slow charge density of the unannealed and annealed MIS devices decreased and increased, respectively.

Intermediate behaviour of reaction mechanisms in 27Al + 63Cu collisions at 13.4 MeV/nucleon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bougault, R.

1983-09-01

This experiment aimed to investigate the nuclear reaction mechanisms in the energy transition region between 10 and 20 MeV/Nucleon. So, collisions between 27 Al (projectile) and 63 Cu (target) were studied for a bombarding energy of 13.4 MeV/nucleon. For that purpose, projectile-like fragments were detected at the grazing angle (thetasub(g)) for that system by a spectrometer and an E-ΔE telescope. A second telescope was set at various angles for light particle detection; both inclusive and coincident measurements were performed. Isotope production at angle thetasub(g) cannot be clearly explained neither by inelastic transfers nor by ''cold'' projectile fragmentation. This production seems rather to occur through an intermediate process where the Al nucleus is slowed down, and excited, and then dissociates. Moreover, kinematical correlations between fragments show evidence for a mechanism where the projectile is splitted after picking up some nucleons to the target. Finally, light particles are shown to araise essentially from a fusion-like system thermalized at T=3,5 MeV; such a temperature may be considered as an intermediate value [fr

Implementation of a population-based epidemiological rare disease registry: study protocol of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - registry Swabia

OpenAIRE

Nagel, Gabriele; ?nal, Hatice; Rosenbohm, Angela; Ludolph, Albert C; Rothenbacher, Dietrich

2013-01-01

Abstract Background The social and medical impact of rare diseases is increasingly recognized. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most prevalent of the motor neuron diseases. It is characterized by rapidly progressive damage to the motor neurons with a survival of 2–5 years for the majority of patients. The objective of this work is to describe the study protocol and the implementation steps of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) registry Swabia, located in the South of Germany. M...

Slow Tourism: Exploring the discourses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Guiver

2016-05-01

Full Text Available ‘Slow travel’ and ‘slow tourism’ are relatively new, but contested, concepts. This paper examines the meanings ascribed to them in the academic literature and websites targeted at potential tourists. It finds concurrence on aspects of savouring time at the destination and investing time to appreciate the locality, its people, history, culture and products, but detects different emphases. The academic literature stresses the benefits to the destination and global sustainability, while the websites focus on the personal benefits and ways of becoming a ‘slow tourist’. Food and drink epitomise the immersion in and absorption of the destination and the multi-dimensional tourism experience, contrasted with the superficiality of mainstream tourism. The paper discusses whether tourists practising slow tourism without using the label are slow tourists or not.

Immunodeficiencies and autoimmune diseases: common variable immunodeficiency and Crohn-like

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Saldaña-Dueñas

Full Text Available Background: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVI gives a major risk of principally respiratory and digestive infections. It is associated with autoimmune diseases, granulomatous process and neoplasias. The digestive clinic is common, in 10% of patients it is the only symptom, and 60% present chronic diarrhea. Clinically it can be confused and related with other pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease which is infrequent (2-13%. Case report: We present the case of a patient with CVI with digestive symptoms being diagnosed of Crohn-like disease with extent ileal affectation. The main treatment of these patients is the same as classical Crohn disease although in the most severe cases, as this one, the use of immunosupresors is necessary. At this time the patient remains on clinical remmision with infliximab. She presented a previous adverse reaction with adalimumab. Discussion: The few case series in this pathology makes the treatment with immunomodulators in this immunodeficiency a real diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

The emerging role of toll-like receptor pathways in surgical diseases.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Romics, Laszlo Jr

2012-02-03

OBJECTIVE: To outline the emerging significance of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathways in surgical diseases. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken by searching the MEDLINE database for the period 1966 to 2005 without language restriction. STUDY SELECTION: Original or review articles that described experimental data on the activation of TLR signaling pathways in surgically relevant diseases were selected for inclusion in this review. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were obtained from peer-reviewed articles and references. DATA SYNTHESIS: The role of TLRs in the recognition of pathogens renders them a key figure in the activation of both innate and adaptive immune responses during sepsis. However, emerging evidence points to fundamentally important roles in ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, and Helicobacter pylori infection in the gastrointestinal tract and in the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that the regulation of the TLR pathway fulfills a central role in anticancer immunotherapy and in organ rejection after transplantation. CONCLUSION: Given the clinical significance of TLR pathways, the targeting of individual molecular components is likely to offer a broad range of future therapeutic modalities.

Myelin Breakdown Mediates Age-Related Slowing in Cognitive Processing Speed in Healthy Elderly Men

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Po H.; Lee, Grace J.; Tishler, Todd A.; Meghpara, Michael; Thompson, Paul M.; Bartzokis, George

2013-01-01

Background: To assess the hypothesis that in a sample of very healthy elderly men selected to minimize risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease, myelin breakdown in late-myelinating regions mediates age-related slowing in cognitive processing speed (CPS). Materials and methods: The prefrontal lobe white matter and the genu of…

Bilateral stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus has differential effects on reactive and proactive inhibition and conflict-induced slowing in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Obeso, Ignacio; Wilkinson, Leonora; Rodríguez-Oroz, Maria-Cruz; Obeso, Jose A; Jahanshahi, Marjan

2013-05-01

It has been proposed that the subthalamic nucleus (STN) mediates response inhibition and conflict resolution through the fronto-basal ganglia pathways. Our aim was to compare the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the STN on reactive and proactive inhibition and conflict resolution in Parkinson's disease using a single task. We used the conditional Stop signal reaction time task that provides the Stop signal reaction time (SSRT) as a measure of reactive inhibition, the response delay effect (RDE) as a measure of proactive inhibition and conflict-induced slowing (CIS) as a measure of conflict resolution. DBS of the STN significantly prolonged SSRT relative to stimulation off. However, while the RDE measure of proactive inhibition was not significantly altered by DBS of the STN, relative to healthy controls, RDE was significantly lower with DBS off but not DBS on. DBS of the STN did not alter the mean CIS but produced a significant differential effect on the slowest and fastest RTs on conflict trials, further prolonging the slowest RTs on the conflict trials relative to DBS off and to controls. These results are the first demonstration, using a single task in the same patient sample, that DBS of the STN produces differential effects on reactive and proactive inhibition and on conflict resolution, suggesting that these effects are likely to be mediated through the impact of STN stimulation on different fronto-basal ganglia pathways: hyperdirect, direct and indirect.

Deoxygenation of palm kernel oil to jet fuel-like hydrocarbons using Ni-MoS_2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itthibenchapong, Vorranutch; Srifa, Atthapon; Kaewmeesri, Rungnapa; Kidkhunthod, Pinit; Faungnawakij, Kajornsak

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The Ni-MoS_2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalysts synthesized using thiourea solution processing. • The Ni-MoS_2 showed semi-amorphous crystallinity with crystallite size of 5–10 nm. • The Ni K-edge XANES and EXAFS indicated the Ni substitution in MoS_2 structure. • A high yield of jet fuel-like hydrocarbon (>90%) from the palm kernel oil feedstock. • The HDO pathway was highly selective, while the DCO_2 and DCO pathways were minor. - Abstract: In the current study, palm kernel oil was used as a renewable feedstock for production of jet fuel-like hydrocarbons via the deoxygenation over the Ni-MoS_2/γ-Al_2O_3 catalyst. The dominant C12 fatty acid content in palm kernel oil makes it promising for jet fuel application. Synthesized by a liquid processing method with thiourea organosulfur agent, the catalyst revealed MoS_2 structure with low stacking, while Ni substitution in the MoS_2 structure and interaction with the Al_2O_3 support were determined based on the Ni K-edge XANES and EXAFS results. A high hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) activity, which as the major pathway in the deoxygenation, was observed upon application of a H_2 pressure of 30–50 bar over Ni-MoS_2/γ-Al_2O_3. The optimum product yield of approximately 92% was obtained mainly from the HDO pathway (∼60%) with 58% selectivity to C10–C12 jet fuel hydrocarbons. The flow property of the jet fuel-like hydrocarbons was more desirable than those obtained from palm olein oil-derived fuel.

SLOWNESS SURFACE CALCULATION FOR DIFFERENT MEDIA USING THE SYMBOLIC MATHEMATICS LANGUAGE MAPLE®

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piedrahita Carlos

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Starting from the equation in different media, we obtain the different type of waves that can exists in such media. The evaluation of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors let us construct the slowness surfaces. In general complex calculations case have to be made. In this work, routines were implemented in the symbolic language MAPLE® and the slowness surfaces were plotted. This work is relevant for the modelling of equivalent media that simulates natural fractured reservoirs, like those common in the Colombian foothills. It is important to understand the seismic response of this reservoirs for exploration of this areas.

Slow Earthquake Hunters: A New Citizen Science Project to Identify and Catalog Slow Slip Events in Geodetic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlow, N. M.

2017-12-01

Slow Earthquake Hunters is a new citizen science project to detect, catalog, and monitor slow slip events. Slow slip events, also called "slow earthquakes", occur when faults slip too slowly to generate significant seismic radiation. They typically take between a few days and over a year to occur, and are most often found on subduction zone plate interfaces. While not dangerous in and of themselves, recent evidence suggests that monitoring slow slip events is important for earthquake hazards, as slow slip events have been known to trigger damaging "regular" earthquakes. Slow slip events, because they do not radiate seismically, are detected with a variety of methods, most commonly continuous geodetic Global Positioning System (GPS) stations. There is now a wealth of GPS data in some regions that experience slow slip events, but a reliable automated method to detect them in GPS data remains elusive. This project aims to recruit human users to view GPS time series data, with some post-processing to highlight slow slip signals, and flag slow slip events for further analysis by the scientific team. Slow Earthquake Hunters will begin with data from the Cascadia subduction zone, where geodetically detectable slow slip events with a duration of at least a few days recur at regular intervals. The project will then expand to other areas with slow slip events or other transient geodetic signals, including other subduction zones, and areas with strike-slip faults. This project has not yet rolled out to the public, and is in a beta testing phase. This presentation will show results from an initial pilot group of student participants at the University of Missouri, and solicit feedback for the future of Slow Earthquake Hunters.

A slowing-down problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlvik, I; Pershagen, B

1958-06-15

An infinitely long circular cylinder of radius a is surrounded by an infinite moderator. Both media are non-capturing. The cylinder emits neutrons of age zero with a constant source density of S. We assume that the ratios of the slowing-down powers and of the diffusion constants are independent of the neutron energy. The slowing-down density is calculated for two cases, a) when the slowing-down power of the cylinder medium is very small, and b) when the cylinder medium is identical with the moderator. The ratios of the slowing-down density at the age {tau} and the source density in the two cases are called {psi}{sub V}, and {psi}{sub M} respectively. {psi}{sub V} and {psi}{sub M} are functions of y=a{sup 2}/4{tau}. These two functions ({psi}{sub V} and {psi}{sub M}) are calculated and tabulated for y = 0-0.25.

Memantine Attenuates Alzheimer's Disease-Like Pathology and Cognitive Impairment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaochuan Wang

Full Text Available Deficiency of protein phosphatase-2A is a key event in Alzheimer's disease. An endogenous inhibitor of protein phosphatase-2A, inhibitor-1, I1PP2A, which inhibits the phosphatase activity by interacting with its catalytic subunit protein phosphatase-2Ac, is known to be upregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain. In the present study, we overexpressed I1PP2A by intracerebroventricular injection with adeno-associated virus vector-1-I1PP2A in Wistar rats. The I1PP2A rats showed a decrease in brain protein phosphatase-2A activity, abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau, neurodegeneration, an increase in the level of activated glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, enhanced expression of intraneuronal amyloid-beta and spatial reference memory deficit; littermates treated identically but with vector only, i.e., adeno-associated virus vector-1-enhanced GFP, served as a control. Treatment with memantine, a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist which is an approved drug for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, rescued protein phosphatase-2A activity by decreasing its demethylation at Leu309 selectively and attenuated Alzheimer's disease-like pathology and cognitive impairment in adeno-associated virus vector-1-I1PP2A rats. These findings provide new clues into the possible mechanism of the beneficial therapeutic effect of memantine in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Tumor-like diseases of the knee joint; Tumoraehnliche Erkrankungen im Kniegelenk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freyschmidt, J. [Klinikum Bremen-Mitte, Beratungsstelle und Referenzzentrum fuer Osteoradiologie, Bremen (Germany)

2012-11-15

Radiological diagnostics of tumor-like lesions of the knee joint. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and X-ray imaging. Up to now there have been no studies regarding sensitivity and specificity of the various diagnostic tools (MRI, CT, X-ray) for the visualization of soft tissue tumors of the knee. The method of first choice for detecting soft tissue tumors and tumor-like lesions in the knee joint is MRI. (orig.) [German] Radiologische Diagnostik tumoraehnlicher Laesionen im Kniegelenk. Eingesetzte Verfahren sind die MRT, CT und Projektionsradiographie. Da es sich um Weichteiltumoren handelt, ist die MRT bei der Diagnostik dominierend. Sensitivitaet und Spezifitaet sind unserer Kenntnis nach bisher nicht untersucht worden. In manchen Faellen werden jedoch noch zusaetzliche Roentgen- oder CT-Bilder benoetigt. Bei Verdacht auf einen Tumor im Kniegelenk wird als erste Untersuchung eine MRT empfohlen. (orig.)

Treatment in patients with osteoarthritis at different sites: Place of slow-acting drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Chichasova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The main goal of osteoarthritis (OA treatment is to perform rational analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapy, to slow down the progression of the disease, and to preserve quality of life in patients. The performance of analgesic therapy in the elderly is impeded by the presence of a concomitant disease, primarily that of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. A group of experts has elaborated the algorithm for managing OA patients, which tracks a careful approach to using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and confirms the efficacy of slow-acting agents (chondroitin sulfate (CS and glucosamine and intraarticular hyaluronate. The experts have concluded that the use of symptomatic slow-acting drugs for the treatment of OA (SYSADOA, if need be, in combination with short-term paracetanol cycles as basic therapy for this condition is safer and more effective. The 2003 EULAR guidelines identify CS and glucosamine as chondroprotectors. Many studies have shown that CS and glucosamine have a moderate or significant effect on joint pain syndrome and functional mobility in OA; they are safe and characterized by minimal side effects. Long-term qualitative randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that CS and glucosamine are able to slow down the progression of joint space narrowing in OA. It is also shown that the use of a combination of glucosamine and CS allows cartilage loss to be prevented.

Temperature behavior of SNS-like Nb/Al-AlO x/Nb Josephson junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacquaniti, V.; Andreone, D.; Maggi, S.; Rocci, R.; Sosso, A.; Steni, R.

2006-01-01

Overdamped Nb/Al-AlO x /Nb Josephson junctions are an intermediate state between the SIS and SNS Josephson junctions. Stable and reproducible non-hysteretic current-voltage characteristics have been obtained with a proper choice of the fabrication parameters, featuring critical current densities J c up to 25 kA/cm 2 and characteristic voltages up to 450 μV. While these values make the junctions interesting for RSFQ electronic circuits, their response to an RF signal at 70 GHz has demonstrated their suitability for both programmable and ac voltage standard. In these work we analyse the temperature behavior of these junctions up to T/T c = 1, T c being the niobium critical temperature, which gives relevant information on the junction structure and, especially, on the oxide insulator/metallic film barrier, which is the key for the reproducible transition from an hysteretic to a non-hysteretic behavior. The results are also compared with other data of hysteretic and overdamped junctions

Spinor Slow Light and Two-Color Qubits

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Ite; Lee, Meng-Jung; Ruseckas, Julius; Lee, Chin-Yuan; Kudriasov, Viaceslav; Chang, Kao-Fang; Cho, Hung-Wen; Juzeliunas, Gediminas; Yu, Ite A.

2015-05-01

We report the first experimental demonstration of two-component or spinor slow light (SSL) using a double tripod (DT) atom-light coupling scheme. The scheme involves three atomic ground states coupled to two excited states by six light fields. The oscillation due to the interaction between the two components was observed. SSL can be used to achieve high conversion efficiencies in the sum frequency generation and is a better method than the widely-used double- Λ scheme. On the basis of the stored light, our data showed that the DT scheme behaves like the two outcomes of an interferometer enabling precision measurements of frequency detuning. Furthermore, the single-photon SSL can be considered as the qubit with the superposition state of two frequency modes or, simply, as the two-color qubit. We experimentally demonstrated a possible application of the DT scheme as quantum memory/rotator for the two-color qubit. This work opens up a new direction in the EIT/slow light research. yu@phys.nthu.edu.tw

Is Tickling Torture? Assessing Welfare towards Slow Lorises (Nycticebus spp.) within Web 2.0 Videos.

Science.gov (United States)

Nekaris, K Anne I; Musing, Louisa; Vazquez, Asier Gil; Donati, Giuseppe

2015-01-01

Videos, memes and images of pet slow lorises have become increasingly popular on the Internet. Although some video sites allow viewers to tag material as 'animal cruelty', no site has yet acknowledged the presence of cruelty in slow loris videos. We examined 100 online videos to assess whether they violated the 'five freedoms' of animal welfare and whether presence or absence of these conditions contributed to the number of thumbs up and views received by the videos. We found that all 100 videos showed at least 1 condition known as negative for lorises, indicating absence of the necessary freedom; 4% showed only 1 condition, but in nearly one third (31.3%) all 5 chosen criteria were present, including human contact (57%), daylight (87%), signs of stress/ill health (53%), unnatural environment (91%) and isolation from conspecifics (77%). The public were more likely to like videos where a slow loris was kept in the light or displayed signs of stress. Recent work on primates has shown that imagery of primates in a human context can cause viewers to perceive them as less threatened. Prevalence of a positive public opinion of such videos is a real threat towards awareness of the conservation crisis faced by slow lorises. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Lessons from Guam ALS/PDC study].

Science.gov (United States)

Asao, Hirano

2007-11-01

An extraordinarily high incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism-dementia complex (PDC) affecting the native population was discovered on the island of Guam a half century ago. Guam ALS is identical to classic ALS clinically and pathologically while PDC is marked by progressive parkinsonism and dementia. The unusual histological finding in these fetal neurodegenerative diseases is the presence of numerous neurofibrillary tangles in a selective topographic distribution unassociated with senile plaques. There have been remarkable advances in field of age-associated neurodegenerative disease after our initial study of Guam cases. Four noteworthy topics are presented in this communication. 1) Clinically, the coexistence of parkinsonism and dementia was frequently recognized in Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. Some other new disease entities characterized by coexistence of parkinsonism and dementia have been reported. These include progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. 2) Neuropathologically, abundant neurofibrillary tangles unassociated with senile plaques were demonstrated in many diseases such as aftermath of boxing and tangle-only dementia. Furthermore, tau-positive structures were recognized not only in neurons but in glial cells in certain diseases. Tauopathy is one of the current hot research subjects. 3) Familial aggregation of Guam ALS patients provoked investigation of familial ALS elsewhere. Familial motor neuron disease with SOD1 mutation is the target of worldwide intense investigation at the present time. SOD1 gene mutation is, however, not found in Guam ALS. 4) The most striking findings of the Guam study is the gradual decline in the incidence of ALS on Guam during a quarter century and virtual disappearance of new patients. This may be linked to a remarkable change in environment and life style of the Chamorro population. The etiology of ALS is still unknown and

Pyrosequencing revealed shifts of prokaryotic communities between healthy and disease-like tissues of the Red Sea sponge Crella cyathophora

KAUST Repository

Gao, Zhao-Ming

2015-06-11

Sponge diseases have been widely reported, yet the causal factors and major pathogenic microbes remain elusive. In this study, two individuals of the sponge Crella cyathophora in total that showed similar disease-like characteristics were collected from two different locations along the Red Sea coast separated by more than 30 kilometers. The disease-like parts of the two individuals were both covered by green surfaces, and the body size was much smaller compared with adjacent healthy regions. Here, using high-throughput pyrosequencing technology, we investigated the prokaryotic communities in healthy and disease-like sponge tissues as well as adjacent seawater. Microbes in healthy tissues belonged mainly to the Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes, and were much more diverse at the phylum level than reported previously. Interestingly, the disease-like tissues from the two sponge individuals underwent shifts of prokaryotic communities and were both enriched with a novel clade affiliated with the phylum Verrucomicrobia, implying its intimate connection with the disease-like Red Sea sponge C. cyathophora. Enrichment of the phylum Verrucomicrobia was also considered to be correlated with the presence of algae assemblages forming the green surface of the disease-like sponge tissues. This finding represents an interesting case of sponge disease and is valuable for further study.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in inflammatory bowel disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirman, Irena; Whelan, Richard Larry; Jain, Suvinit

2005-01-01

Epithelial cell growth regulation has been reported to be altered in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. The cell growth regulatory factor, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), may be partly responsible for this phenomenon. So far, IGFBP-3 levels have been assessed...

ALS-Plus Syndrome: Non-Pyramidal Features in a Large ALS Cohort

Science.gov (United States)

McCluskey, Leo; Vandriel, Shannon; Elman, Lauren; Van Deerlin, Vivianna M.; Powers, John; Boller, Ashley; Wood, Elisabeth McCarty; Woo, John; McMillan, Corey T.; Rascovsky, Katya; Grossman, Murray

2014-01-01

Objective Autopsy studies show widespread pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but clinical surveys of multisystem disease in ALS are rare. We investigated ALS-Plus syndrome, an understudied group of patients with clinical features extending beyond pyramidal and neuromuscular systems with or without cognitive/behavioral deficits. Methods In a large, consecutively-ascertained cohort of 550 patients with ALS, we documented atypical clinical manifestations. Genetic screening for C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansions was performed in 343 patients, and SOD1, TARDBP, and VCP were tested in the subgroup of patients with a family history of ALS. Gray matter and white matter imaging was available in a subgroup of 30 patients. Results Seventy-five (13.6%) patients were identified with ALS-Plus syndrome. We found disorders of ocular motility, cerebellar, extrapyramidal and autonomic functioning. Relative to those without ALS-Plus, cognitive impairment (8.0% vs 2.9%, p=0.029), bulbar-onset (49.3% vs 23.2%, pALS-Plus. Survival was significantly shorter in ALS-Plus (29.66 months vs 42.50 months, p=0.02), regardless of bulbar-onset or mutation status. Imaging revealed significantly greater cerebellar and cerebral disease in ALS-Plus compared to those without ALS-Plus. Conclusions ALS-Plus syndrome is not uncommon, and the presence of these atypical features is consistent with neuropathological observations that ALS is a multisystem disorder. ALS-Plus syndrome is associated with increased risk for poor survival and the presence of a pathogenic mutation. PMID:25086858

Nutrition management methods effective in increasing weight, survival time and functional status in ALS patients: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellogg, Jaylin; Bottman, Lindsey; Arra, Erin J; Selkirk, Stephen M; Kozlowski, Frances

2018-02-01

Poor prognosis and decreased survival time correlate with the nutritional status of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Various studies were reviewed which assessed weight, body mass index (BMI), survival time and ALS functional rating scale revised (ALSFRS-R) in order to determine the best nutrition management methods for this patient population. A systematic review was conducted using CINAHL, Medline, and PubMed, and various search terms in order to determine the most recent clinical trials and observational studies that have been conducted concerning nutrition and ALS. Four articles met criteria to be included in the review. Data were extracted from these articles and were inputted into the Data Extraction Tool (DET) provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). Results showed that nutrition supplementation does promote weight stabilisation or weight gain in individuals with ALS. Given the low risk and low cost associated with intervention, early and aggressive nutrition intervention is recommended. This systematic review shows that there is a lack of high quality evidence regarding the efficacy of any dietary interventions for promoting survival in ALS or slowing disease progression; therefore more research is necessary related to effects of nutrition interventions.

Virus like particle-based vaccines against emerging infectious disease viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jinliang; Dai, Shiyu; Wang, Manli; Hu, Zhihong; Wang, Hualin; Deng, Fei

2016-08-01

Emerging infectious diseases are major threats to human health. Most severe viral disease outbreaks occur in developing regions where health conditions are poor. With increased international travel and business, the possibility of eventually transmitting infectious viruses between different countries is increasing. The most effective approach in preventing viral diseases is vaccination. However, vaccines are not currently available for numerous viral diseases. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are engineered vaccine candidates that have been studied for decades. VLPs are constructed by viral protein expression in various expression systems that promote the selfassembly of proteins into structures resembling virus particles. VLPs have antigenicity similar to that of the native virus, but are non-infectious as they lack key viral genetic material. VLP vaccines have attracted considerable research interest because they offer several advantages over traditional vaccines. Studies have shown that VLP vaccines can stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses, which may offer effective antiviral protection. Here we review recent developments with VLP-based vaccines for several highly virulent emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. The infectious agents discussed include RNA viruses from different virus families, such as the Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Togaviridae families.

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds for high-performance cathode catalyst layers of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, KwangHyun; Cho, Seonghun; Lim, Eun Ja; Park, Seok-Hee; Yim, Sung-Dae

2018-03-01

Rambutan-like CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds are introduced as a potential candidate for CNT-based catalyst supports to overcome the CNT issues, such as the easy bundling in catalyst ink and the poor pore structure of the CNT-based catalyst layers, and to achieve high MEA performance in PEFCs. Non-porous α-phase Al2O3 balls are introduced to enable the growth of multiwalled CNTs, and Pt nanoparticles are loaded onto the CNT surfaces. In a half-cell, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 catalyst shows much higher durability than those of a commercial Pt/C catalyst even though it shows lower oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than Pt/C. After using the decal process for MEA formation, the Pt/CNT-Al2O3 shows comparable initial performance characteristics to Pt/C, overcoming the lower ORR activity, mainly due to the facile oxygen transport in the cathode catalyst layers fabricated with the CNT-Al2O3 scaffolds. The Pt/CNT-Al2O3 also exhibits much higher durability against carbon corrosion than Pt/C owing to the durable characteristics of CNTs. Systematic analysis of single cell performance for both initial and after degradation is provided to understand the origin of the high initial performance and durable behavior of Pt/CNT-Al2O3-based catalyst layers. This will provide insights into the design of electrocatalysts for high-performance MEAs in PEFCs.

A united refinement technology for commercial pure Al by Al-10Ti and Al-Ti-C master alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Xiaoguang; Liu Xiangfa; Ding Haimin

2009-01-01

Because flake-like TiAl 3 particles in Al-Ti-C master alloys prepared in a melt reaction method dissolve slowly when they are added into Al melt at 720 deg. C, Ti atoms cannot be released rapidly to play the assistant role of grain refinement, leading to a poor refinement efficiency of Al-Ti-C master alloys. A united refinement technology by Al-10Ti and Al-Ti-C master alloys was put forward in this paper. The rational combination of fine blocky TiAl 3 particles in Al-10Ti and TiC particles in Al-Ti-C can improve the nucleation rate of α-Al. It not only improves the grain refinement efficiency of Al-Ti-C master alloys, but also reduces the consumption

Studies of Environmental Risk Factors in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and a Phase I Clinical Trial of L-Serine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Walter G; Miller, R X; Levine, T D; Stommel, E W; Cox, P A

2018-01-01

β-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been linked to Guam ALS/PDC and shown to produce neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo (Drosophila, mice, rats, primates). BMAA misincorporation into neuroproteins produces protein misfolding and is inhibited by L-serine. Case-control studies in Northern New England indicate that living near to water-bodies with cyanobacterial blooms increases the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The distribution of addresses of ALS cases in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Florida was compared to that of controls. Areas of statistically significantly increased numbers of ALS cases were examined for sources of environmental toxins. A phase I trial of oral L-serine was performed in 20 ALS patients (0.5 to 15 g twice daily). Safety and tolerability were assessed by comparing the rate of deterioration with 430 matched placebo controls. The distribution of residential addresses of ALS cases in New England and Florida revealed many areas where the age- and gender-adjusted frequency of ALS was greater than expected (P ALS patients suggests that residential exposure to environmental pollutants may play an important role in the etiology of ALS. L-Serine in doses up to 15 g twice daily appears to be safe in patients with ALS. Exploratory studies of efficacy suggested that L-serine might slow disease progression. A phase II trial is planned.

The Function of CD3+CD56+ NKT-Like Cells in HIV-Infected Individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongjun Jiang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells are one of the critical effectors in the immune response to viral infection and tumors, but the functional features of NKT-like cells in HIV infection have been rarely reported. In this study, we observed and described the state of NKT-like cell functions in primary HIV-infected individuals (PHIs, chronic HIV-infected individuals (CHIs, long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs, and HIV-negative controls (NCs. The results showed that the percentage of IFN-γ+CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells was notably higher in LTNPs compared with CHIs, and the proportion of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells with dual function (IFN-γ+CD107a+ NKT-like cells in LTNPs was also much higher than in CHIs. Additionally, the percentages of IFN-γ+CD107a+ NKT-like cells negatively correlated with viral load. Taken together, our data demonstrated that good functions of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in LTNPs likely occurred as a protective mechanism that slows down HIV disease progression.

The function of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in HIV-infected individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yongjun; Cui, Xiaojian; Cui, Chen; Zhang, Jian; Zhou, Fangyuan; Zhang, Zining; Fu, Yajing; Xu, Junjie; Chu, Zhenxing; Liu, Jing; Han, Xiaoxu; Liao, Christina; Wang, Yanan; Cao, Yaming; Shang, Hong

2014-01-01

CD3(+)CD56(+) NKT-like cells are one of the critical effectors in the immune response to viral infection and tumors, but the functional features of NKT-like cells in HIV infection have been rarely reported. In this study, we observed and described the state of NKT-like cell functions in primary HIV-infected individuals (PHIs), chronic HIV-infected individuals (CHIs), long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs), and HIV-negative controls (NCs). The results showed that the percentage of IFN-γ(+)CD3(+)CD56(+) NKT-like cells was notably higher in LTNPs compared with CHIs, and the proportion of CD3(+)CD56(+) NKT-like cells with dual function (IFN-γ(+)CD107a(+) NKT-like cells) in LTNPs was also much higher than in CHIs. Additionally, the percentages of IFN-γ(+)CD107a(+) NKT-like cells negatively correlated with viral load. Taken together, our data demonstrated that good functions of CD3(+)CD56(+) NKT-like cells in LTNPs likely occurred as a protective mechanism that slows down HIV disease progression.

Progressive recruitment of muscle fibers is not necessary for the slow component of VO2 kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoladz, Jerzy A; Gladden, L Bruce; Hogan, Michael C; Nieckarz, Zenon; Grassi, Bruno

2008-08-01

The "slow component" of O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics during constant-load heavy-intensity exercise is traditionally thought to derive from a progressive recruitment of muscle fibers. In this study, which represents a reanalysis of data taken from a previous study by our group (Grassi B, Hogan MC, Greenhaff PL, Hamann JJ, Kelley KM, Aschenbach WG, Constantin-Teodosiu D, Gladden LB. J Physiol 538: 195-207, 2002) we evaluated the presence of a slow component-like response in the isolated dog gastrocnemius in situ (n=6) during 4 min of contractions at approximately 60-70% of peak VO2. In this preparation all muscle fibers are maximally activated by electrical stimulation from the beginning of the contraction period, and no progressive recruitment of fibers is possible. Muscle VO2 was calculated as blood flow multiplied by arteriovenous O2 content difference. The muscle fatigued (force decreased by approximately 20-25%) during contractions. Kinetics of adjustment were evaluated for 1) VO2, uncorrected for force development; 2) VO2 normalized for peak force; 3) VO2 normalized for force-time integral. A slow component-like response, described in only one muscle out of six when uncorrected VO2 was considered, was observed in all muscles when VO2/peak force and VO2/force-time were considered. The amplitude of the slow component-like response, expressed as a fraction of the total response, was higher for VO2/peak force (0.18+/-0.06, means+/-SE) and for VO2/force-time (0.22+/-0.05) compared with uncorrected VO2 (0.04+/-0.04). A progressive recruitment of muscle fibers may not be necessary for the development of the slow component of VO2 kinetics, which may be caused by the metabolic factors that induce muscle fatigue and, as a consequence, reduce the efficiency of muscle contractions.

Evidence for charge exchange effects in electronic excitations in Al by slow singly charged He ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riccardi, P., E-mail: Pierfrancesco.riccardi@fis.unical.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria and INFN Gruppo collegato di Cosenza, Via P. Bucci cubo 31C, 87036 – Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza (Italy); Sindona, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria and INFN Gruppo collegato di Cosenza, Via P. Bucci cubo 31C, 87036 – Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza (Italy); Dukes, C.A. [Laboratory for Astrophysics and Surface Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States)

2016-09-01

We report on experiments of secondary electron emission in the interaction of helium ions with aluminum surfaces. Comparison between the electron emission induced by the impact of {sup 3}He{sup +} and {sup 4}He{sup +} on Al illustrates similarities and differences between the two projectiles. The intensity of emission shows the same dependence on velocity for the two isotopes, showing that KEE yields for helium ions impact on Al are dominated by direct excitation of valence electrons and not by electron promotion. Electron promotion and charge transfer processes are unambiguously identified by the observation of Auger electron emission from Al, at energies below the excitation threshold of Al–Al collisions, indicating energy losses for the projectiles higher than those commonly considered.

Connecting slow earthquakes to huge earthquakes

OpenAIRE

Obara, Kazushige; Kato, Aitaro

2016-01-01

Slow earthquakes are characterized by a wide spectrum of fault slip behaviors and seismic radiation patterns that differ from those of traditional earthquakes. However, slow earthquakes and huge megathrust earthquakes can have common slip mechanisms and are located in neighboring regions of the seismogenic zone. The frequent occurrence of slow earthquakes may help to reveal the physics underlying megathrust events as useful analogs. Slow earthquakes may function as stress meters because of th...

Integrated Photonics Enabled by Slow Light

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørk, Jesper; Chen, Yuntian; Ek, Sara

2012-01-01

In this talk we will discuss the physics of slow light in semiconductor materials and in particular the possibilities offered for integrated photonics. This includes ultra-compact slow light enabled optical amplifiers, lasers and pulse sources.......In this talk we will discuss the physics of slow light in semiconductor materials and in particular the possibilities offered for integrated photonics. This includes ultra-compact slow light enabled optical amplifiers, lasers and pulse sources....

Fast and slow spindles during the sleep slow oscillation: disparate coalescence and engagement in memory processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Mölle, Matthias; Bergmann, Til O; Marshall, Lisa; Born, Jan

2011-10-01

Thalamo-cortical spindles driven by the up-state of neocortical slow (memory consolidation during sleep. We examined interactions between SOs and spindles in human slow wave sleep, focusing on the presumed existence of 2 kinds of spindles, i.e., slow frontocortical and fast centro-parietal spindles. Two experiments were performed in healthy humans (24.5 ± 0.9 y) investigating undisturbed sleep (Experiment I) and the effects of prior learning (word paired associates) vs. non-learning (Experiment II) on multichannel EEG recordings during sleep. Only fast spindles (12-15 Hz) were synchronized to the depolarizing SO up-state. Slow spindles (9-12 Hz) occurred preferentially at the transition into the SO down-state, i.e., during waning depolarization. Slow spindles also revealed a higher probability to follow rather than precede fast spindles. For sequences of individual SOs, fast spindle activity was largest for "initial" SOs, whereas SO amplitude and slow spindle activity were largest for succeeding SOs. Prior learning enhanced this pattern. The finding that fast and slow spindles occur at different times of the SO cycle points to disparate generating mechanisms for the 2 kinds of spindles. The reported temporal relationships during SO sequences suggest that fast spindles, driven by the SO up-state feed back to enhance the likelihood of succeeding SOs together with slow spindles. By enforcing such SO-spindle cycles, particularly after prior learning, fast spindles possibly play a key role in sleep-dependent memory processing.

Light storage via slow-light four-wave mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, Yun-Fei; Wang, Hai-Hua; Wei, Xiao-Gang; Li, Ai-Jun; Kang, Zhi-Hui; Wu, Jin-Hui; Zhang, Han-Zhuang; Xu, Huai-Liang; Gao, Jin-Yue

2012-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate a light storage via slow-light four-wave mixing in a solid-state medium with a four-level double lambda scheme. Using slow light based on electromagnetically induced transparency, we obtain a slowed four-wave mixing signal pulse together with the slowed probe pulse. During the propagation of light pulses, the storage and retrieval of both the slowed four-wave mixing pulse and the slowed probe pulse are studied by manipulating the intensities of the control fields. -- Highlights: ► A light storage via slow-light four-wave mixing is observed in a solid. ► The probe pulse is slowed under electromagnetically induced transparency. ► A slowed four-wave mixing pulse is obtained by slow light. ► The storage of slowed double pulses is studied.

RNA sequencing reveals a slow to fast muscle fiber type transition after olanzapine infusion in rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J Lynch

Full Text Available Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs, like olanzapine, exhibit acute metabolic side effects leading to metabolic inflexibility, hyperglycemia, adiposity and diabetes. Understanding how SGAs affect the skeletal muscle transcriptome could elucidate approaches for mitigating these side effects. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infused intravenously with vehicle or olanzapine for 24h using a dose leading to a mild hyperglycemia. RNA-Seq was performed on gastrocnemius muscle, followed by alignment of the data with the Rat Genome Assembly 5.0. Olanzapine altered expression of 1347 out of 26407 genes. Genes encoding skeletal muscle fiber-type specific sarcomeric, ion channel, glycolytic, O2- and Ca2+-handling, TCA cycle, vascularization and lipid oxidation proteins and pathways, along with NADH shuttles and LDH isoforms were affected. Bioinformatics analyses indicate that olanzapine decreased the expression of slower and more oxidative fiber type genes (e.g., type 1, while up regulating those for the most glycolytic and least metabolically flexible, fast twitch fiber type, IIb. Protein turnover genes, necessary to bring about transition, were also up regulated. Potential upstream regulators were also identified. Olanzapine appears to be rapidly affecting the muscle transcriptome to bring about a change to a fast-glycolytic fiber type. Such fiber types are more susceptible than slow muscle to atrophy, and such transitions are observed in chronic metabolic diseases. Thus these effects could contribute to the altered body composition and metabolic disease olanzapine causes. A potential interventional strategy is implicated because aerobic exercise, in contrast to resistance exercise, can oppose such slow to fast fiber transitions.

Electrom emission from slow highly charged ions interacting with a metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aumayr, F.; Kurz, H.; Toeglhofer, K.; Winter, H.

1992-01-01

Recent progress in investigating electron emission from slow highly charged ions approaching a metal surface is discussed. In particular, new informations on generation and decay of transient multiply excited ''hollow atoms'' developing during these processes have been gained from measurement of the statistics of emitted electrons (ES). ES and precise total electron yields derived from the former have been measured for normal incidence of slow (impact velocity 1/15.10 4 ms -1 ) multicharged ions N q+ (q≤6), Ne q+ (q≤10), Ar q+ (q≤16), Kr q+ (q≤10), Xe q+ (q≤10) and I q+ (q≤25) on clean polycrystalline gold. A classical over-barrier approach as recently introduced by Burgdoerfer et al. 1991 has been extended and successfully applied to model the measured impact-velocity dependences of total electron yields. In this way contributions from different electron emission mechanisms could be identified. (orig.)

Hobi-like pestivirus: both biotypes isolated from a diseased animal.

Science.gov (United States)

Decaro, Nicola; Mari, Viviana; Pinto, Pierfrancesco; Lucente, Maria Stella; Sciarretta, Rossana; Cirone, Francesco; Colaianni, Maria Loredana; Elia, Gabriella; Thiel, Heinz-Jürgen; Buonavoglia, Canio

2012-09-01

A Hobi-like pestivirus pair consisting of cytopathogenic (cp) and non-cytopathogenic (noncp) strains, Italy 83/10cp and Italy 83/10ncp, was isolated from the lung of a heifer that died of respiratory disease. The noncp and cp viruses were isolated on Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells and separated by plaque purification and end point dilution. Analysis of the nearly full-length genomes revealed that the two viruses were very closely related to each other and to the noncp Hobi-like strain Italy 1/10-1, which had been isolated a few weeks earlier from the same herd. One major difference between noncp and cp viruses concerned the presence of a cellular Jiv sequence in the 3' domain of the NS2-encoding region of the cp strain. This is the first study, to our knowledge, reporting the isolation and molecular characterization of a Hobi-like virus pair.

Calculations for energies, transition rates, and lifetimes in Al-like Kr XXIV

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C. Y.; Si, R.; Liu, Y. W.; Yao, K.; Wang, K.; Guo, X. L.; Li, S.; Chen, C. Y.

2018-05-01

Using the second-order many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) method, a complete and accurate data set of excitation energies, lifetimes, wavelengths, and electric dipole (E1), magnetic dipole (M1), electric quadrupole (E2), and magnetic quadrupole (M2) line strengths, transition rates, and oscillator strengths for the lowest 880 levels arising from the 3l3 (0 ≤ l ≤ 2), 3l2 4l‧ (0 ≤ l ≤ 2, 0 ≤l‧ ≤ 3), 3s2 5 l (0 ≤ l ≤ 4), 3p2 5 l (0 ≤ l ≤ 1), and 3s3p5 l (0 ≤ l ≤ 4) configurations in Al-like Kr XXIV is provided. Comparisons are made with available experimental and theoretical results. Our calculated energies are expected to be accurate enough to facilitate identifications of observed lines involving the n = 4 , 5 levels. The complete data set is also useful for modeling and diagnosing fusion plasma.

Microstructure and property of diamond-like carbon films with Al and Cr co-doping deposited using a hybrid beams system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Wei; Liu, Jingmao; Geng, Dongsen; Guo, Peng; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Qimin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Diamond-like carbon films with Al and Cr doping were deposited. • Alternate multilayered structure consisted of Al-poor layer and Al-rich layer was formed. • The periodic Al-rich layers can greatly improve the residual stress and elastic resilience of the films. - Abstract: DLC films with weak carbide former Al and carbide former Cr co-doping (Al:Cr-DLC) were deposited by a hybrid beams system comprising an anode-layer linear ion beam source (LIS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering using a gas mixture of C 2 H 2 and Ar as the precursor. The doped Al and Cr contents were controlled via adjusting the C 2 H 2 fraction in the gas mixture. The composition, microstructure, compressive stress, mechanical properties and tribological behaviors of the Al:Cr-DLC films were researched carefully using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, stress-tester, nanoindentation and ball-on-plate tribometer as function of the C 2 H 2 fraction. The results show that the Al and Cr contents in the films increased continuously as the C 2 H 2 fraction decreased. The doped Cr atoms preferred to bond with the carbon while the Al atoms mainly existed in metallic state. Structure modulation with alternate multilayer consisted of Al-poor DLC layer and Al-rich DLC layer was found in the films. Those periodic Al-rich DLC layers can effectively release the residual stress of the films. On the other hand, the formation of the carbide component due to Cr incorporation can help to increase the film hardness. Accordingly, the residual stress of the DLC films can be reduced without sacrificing the film hardness though co-doping Al and Cr atoms. Furthermore, it was found that the periodic Al-rich layer can greatly improve the elastic resilience of the DLC films and thus decreases the film friction coefficient and wear rate significantly. However, the existence of the carbide component would cause abrasive wear and thus

Is Parkinson’s Disease Truly a Prion-Like Disorder? An Appraisal of Current Evidence

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Aneesha Chauhan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Parkinson’s disease (PD is the world’s second most common neurodegenerative disease and most common movement disorder. Characterised by a loss of dopaminergic neurons and the development of intraneuronal inclusions known as Lewy bodies, it has classically been thought of as a cell-autonomous disease. However, in 2008, two groups reported the startling observation of Lewy bodies within embryonic neuronal grafts transplanted into PD patients little more than a decade previously, suggesting that PD pathology can be propagated to neighbouring cells and calling basic assumptions of our understanding of the disease into question. Subsequent research has largely served to confirm this interpretation, pointing towards a prion-like intercellular transfer of misfolded α-synuclein, the main component of Lewy bodies, as central to PD. This shift in thinking offers a revolutionary approach to PD treatment, potentially enabling a transition from purely symptomatic therapy to direct targeting of the pathology that drives disease progression. In this short review, we appraise current experimental support for PD as a prion-like disease, whilst highlighting areas of controversy or inconsistency which must be resolved. We also offer a brief discussion of the therapeutic implications of these discoveries.

A united refinement technology for commercial pure Al by Al-10Ti and Al-Ti-C master alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma Xiaoguang [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Liu Xiangfa [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China)], E-mail: xfliu@sdu.edu.cn; Ding Haimin [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China)

2009-03-05

Because flake-like TiAl{sub 3} particles in Al-Ti-C master alloys prepared in a melt reaction method dissolve slowly when they are added into Al melt at 720 deg. C, Ti atoms cannot be released rapidly to play the assistant role of grain refinement, leading to a poor refinement efficiency of Al-Ti-C master alloys. A united refinement technology by Al-10Ti and Al-Ti-C master alloys was put forward in this paper. The rational combination of fine blocky TiAl{sub 3} particles in Al-10Ti and TiC particles in Al-Ti-C can improve the nucleation rate of {alpha}-Al. It not only improves the grain refinement efficiency of Al-Ti-C master alloys, but also reduces the consumption.

Modes and implications of mantle and lower-crust denudation at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges

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Schroeder, Timothy John

Slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges (Cann, 1993, Cannat, 1993). Extension at mid-ocean ridges is most commonly manifested by slip on high angle (˜60°) normal faults that dip into, and define the rift valley walls (Smith and Cann, 1993). Less commonly, extension occurs by long periods of slip along low-angle normal faults that penetrate to structurally deep levels of oceanic lithosphere and denude gabbro and/or pendotite to the seafloor in domal massifs termed "oceanic core complexes" (Dick et al., 1981; Dick et al., 1991; Tucholke et al., 1998; Mutter and Karson, 1992; Cann et al., 1997; MacLeod et al., 2002). This dissertation addresses processes and implications of tectonic extension at two oceanic core complexes. Atlantis Massif (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) is formed dominantly of serpentinized peridotite with lesser gabbro, and Atlantis Bank (57°E, Southwest Indian Ridge) is dominated by gabbro. Localization of brittle strain at Atlantis Massif occurred by reaction-softening processes associated with metasomatic alteration of peridotite and serpentmite to amphibole-, chlorite- and talc-bearing assemblages. Ductile strain at Atlantis Massif and Atlantis Bank is localized into intervals of highly-fractionated, oxide-rich gabbro. Two-oxide geothermometry of gabbro indicates that it was not penetratively deformed below ˜500°C. Denuded peridotite at Atlantis Massif is host to hydrothermal circulation driven in part by exothermic serpentinization reactions. Serpentinization decreases the seismic velocity of peridotite and leads to acquisition of a magnetic signature. Venting of highly-alkaline, methane- and hydrogen-rich serpentinization-derived fluids leads to lithification of seafloor carbonate ooze by precipitation of carbonate cement in a zone of mixing with "normal" seawater. This process may be the primary depositional mechanism of ophicalcite deposits and likely occurs wherever peridotite is exposed near the Earth's surface and is fractured to permit water

Infectivity versus Seeding in Neurodegenerative Diseases Sharing a Prion-Like Mechanism

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Natalia Fernández-Borges

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Prions are considered the best example to prove that the biological information can be transferred protein to protein through a conformational change. The term “prion-like” is used to describe molecular mechanisms that share similarities with the mammalian prion protein self-perpetuating aggregation and spreading characteristics. Since prions are presumably composed only of protein and are infectious, the more similar the mechanisms that occur in the different neurodegenerative diseases, the more these processes will resemble an infection. In vitro and in vivo experiments carried out during the last decade in different neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD, Parkinson's diseases (PD, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS have shown a convergence toward a unique mechanism of misfolded protein propagation. In spite of the term “infection” that could be used to explain the mechanism governing the diversity of the pathological processes, other concepts as “seeding” or “de novo induction” are being used to describe the in vivo propagation and transmissibility of misfolded proteins. The current studies are demanding an extended definition of “disease-causing agents” to include those already accepted as well as other misfolded proteins. In this new scenario, “seeding” would be a type of mechanism by which an infectious agent can be transmitted but should not be used to define a whole “infection” process.

Hemodynamic effects of rapid and slow infusions of manganese chloride and gadolinium-DTPA in dogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slutsky, R.A.; Peterson, T.; Strich, G.; Brown, J.J.

1985-01-01

The acute hemodynamic effects of two paramagnetic contrast materials, manganese chloride and gadolinium-DTPA, were examined in dogs using ultrasonic dimension gauge crystals. Slow infusions (more than 15 minutes) of MnCl 2 or Gd-DTPA via an infusion pump had no significant hemodynamic effects. When given in just over 1 minute, Gd-DTPA produced elevated left ventricular (LV) end diastolic pressure and minor dilation of the ventricle and slowed diastolic filling. MnCl 2 , given rapidly, reduced systemic vascular resistance, resulting in hypotension. With both agents, these side effects waned after 5-10 minutes. It is concluded that both Gd-DTPA and MnCl 2 can be given safely in 0.1-mm/kg doses when administered as a slow, continuous infusion. Slow, intravenous infusion of Gd-DTPA or MnCl 2 is likely to be tolerated well by even severely ill individuals

Investigation of Slow-wave Activity Saturation during Surgical Anesthesia Reveals a Signature of Neural Inertia in Humans.

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Warnaby, Catherine E; Sleigh, Jamie W; Hight, Darren; Jbabdi, Saad; Tracey, Irene

2017-10-01

Previously, we showed experimentally that saturation of slow-wave activity provides a potentially individualized neurophysiologic endpoint for perception loss during anesthesia. Furthermore, it is clear that induction and emergence from anesthesia are not symmetrically reversible processes. The observed hysteresis is potentially underpinned by a neural inertia mechanism as proposed in animal studies. In an advanced secondary analysis of 393 individual electroencephalographic data sets, we used slow-wave activity dose-response relationships to parameterize slow-wave activity saturation during induction and emergence from surgical anesthesia. We determined whether neural inertia exists in humans by comparing slow-wave activity dose responses on induction and emergence. Slow-wave activity saturation occurs for different anesthetics and when opioids and muscle relaxants are used during surgery. There was wide interpatient variability in the hypnotic concentrations required to achieve slow-wave activity saturation. Age negatively correlated with power at slow-wave activity saturation. On emergence, we observed abrupt decreases in slow-wave activity dose responses coincident with recovery of behavioral responsiveness in ~33% individuals. These patients are more likely to have lower power at slow-wave activity saturation, be older, and suffer from short-term confusion on emergence. Slow-wave activity saturation during surgical anesthesia implies that large variability in dosing is required to achieve a targeted potential loss of perception in individual patients. A signature for neural inertia in humans is the maintenance of slow-wave activity even in the presence of very-low hypnotic concentrations during emergence from anesthesia.

Rotation Frequencies of Small Jovian Trojan Asteroids: An Excess of Slow Rotators

Science.gov (United States)

French, Linda M.; Stephens, Robert D.; James, David J.; Coley, Daniel; Connour, Kyle

2015-11-01

Several lines of evidence support a common origin for, and possible hereditary link between, cometary nuclei and jovian Trojan asteroids. Due to their distance and low albedos, few comet-sized Trojans have been studied. We discuss the rotation properties of Jovian Trojan asteroids less than 30 km in diameter. Approximately half the 131 objects discussed here were studied using densely sampled lightcurves (French et al. 2015a, b); Stephens et al. 2015), and the other half were sparse lightcurves obtained by the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF; Waszcazk et al. 2015).A significant fraction (~40%) of the objects in the ground-based sample rotate slowly (P > 24h), with measured periods as long as 375 h (Warner and Stephens 2011). The PTF data show a similar excess of slow rotators. Only 5 objects in the combined data set have rotation periods of less than six hours. Three of these fast rotators were contained in the data set of French et al. these three had a geometric mean rotation period of 5.29 hours. A prolate spheroid held together by gravity rotating with this period would have a critical density of 0.43 gm/cm3, a density similar to that of comets (Lamy et al. 2004).Harris et al. (2012) and Warner et al. (2011) have explored the possible effects on asteroid rotational statistics with the results from wide-field surveys. We will examine Trojan rotation statistics with and without the results from the PTF.

Mg/Al HYDROTALCITE-LIKE SYNTHESIZED FROM BRINE WATER FOR EOSIN YELLOW REMOVAL

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Eddy Heraldy

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Attempts to synthesis of Mg/Al HTlc using magnesium from several raw material resources are widely investigated. One of raw material would purpose as source of magnesium to synthesis of Mg/Al HTlc is brine water which is well known as the desalination process wastewater. Mg/Al HTlc are widely investigated for their potential applications in research and industrial processes as adsorbents, anionic exchange, catalysts and /or catalyst precursors for the preparation of inorganic materials and pharmaceutical industry excipients. As adsorbents, Mg/Al HTlc are receiving greater interests in the environmental community due to their high adsorption capacity. However, there is no literature available on the synthesis of Mg/Al HTlc from brine water except from artificial seawater. The objective of this research is to synthesis of Mg/Al HTlc from brine water and its ability tested for eosin yellow (EY removal. Characterization of the Mg/Al HTlc synthesized was confirmed through X-ray Diffraction and FT-IR Spectroscopy. The effect of various experimental parameters was investigated using a batch adsorption technique. In this manner, the adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics, and pH effects upon EY adsorption on Mg/Al HTlc were examined. The result showed that EY data fit well with the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The isothermal data could be well described by the Freundlich equation. The adsorption capacity was 2.41 × 10-1 mol g-1, and adsorption energy of EY was 24.89 kJ mol-1.

Seeking environmental causes of neurodegenerative disease and envisioning primary prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Peter S; Palmer, Valerie S; Kisby, Glen E

2016-09-01

Pathological changes of the aging brain are expressed in a range of neurodegenerative disorders that will impact increasing numbers of people across the globe. Research on the causes of these disorders has focused heavily on genetics, and strategies for prevention envision drug-induced slowing or arresting disease advance before its clinical appearance. We discuss a strategic shift that seeks to identify the environmental causes or contributions to neurodegeneration, and the vision of primary disease prevention by removing or controlling exposure to culpable agents. The plausibility of this approach is illustrated by the prototypical neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and parkinsonism-dementia complex (ALS-PDC). This often-familial long-latency disease, once thought to be an inherited genetic disorder but now known to have a predominant or exclusive environmental origin, is in the process of disappearing from the three heavily affected populations, namely Chamorros of Guam and Rota, Japanese residents of Kii Peninsula, Honshu, and Auyu and Jaqai linguistic groups on the island of New Guinea in West Papua, Indonesia. Exposure via traditional food and/or medicine (the only common exposure in all three geographic isolates) to one or more neurotoxins in seed of cycad plants is the most plausible if yet unproven etiology. Neurotoxin dosage and/or subject age at exposure might explain the stratified epidemic of neurodegenerative disease on Guam in which high-incidence ALS peaked and declined before that of PD, only to be replaced today by a dementing disorder comparable to Alzheimer's disease. Exposure to the Guam environment is also linked to the delayed development of ALS among a subset of Chamorro and non-Chamorro Gulf War/Era veterans, a summary of which is reported here for the first time. Lessons learned from this study and from 65 years of research on ALS-PDC include the exceptional value of initial, field-based informal investigation of

On stochastic differential equations with arbitrarily slow convergence rates for strong approximation in two space dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerencsér, Máté; Jentzen, Arnulf; Salimova, Diyora

2017-11-01

In a recent article (Jentzen et al. 2016 Commun. Math. Sci. 14 , 1477-1500 (doi:10.4310/CMS.2016.v14.n6.a1)), it has been established that, for every arbitrarily slow convergence speed and every natural number d ∈{4,5,…}, there exist d -dimensional stochastic differential equations with infinitely often differentiable and globally bounded coefficients such that no approximation method based on finitely many observations of the driving Brownian motion can converge in absolute mean to the solution faster than the given speed of convergence. In this paper, we strengthen the above result by proving that this slow convergence phenomenon also arises in two ( d =2) and three ( d =3) space dimensions.

Toll-Like Receptors in the Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases

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Mohammad Hosseini, Akbar; Majidi, Jafar; Baradaran, Behzad; Yousefi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Human Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane receptors, which play a key role in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Beside of recognizing specific molecular patterns that associated with different types of pathogens, TLRs may also detect a number of self-proteins and endogenous nucleic acids. Activating TLRs lead to the heightened expression of various inflammatory genes, which have a protective role against infection. Data rising predominantly from human patients and animal models of autoimmune disease indicate that, inappropriate triggering of TLR pathways by exogenous or endogenous ligands may cause the initiation and/or perpetuation of autoimmune reactions and tissue damage. Given their important role in infectious and non-infectious disease process, TLRs and its signaling pathways emerge as appealing targets for therapeutics. In this review, we demonstrate how TLRs pathways could be involved in autoimmune disorders and their therapeutic application. PMID:26793605

Lafora's-like disease in a fennec fox (Vulpes zerda).

Science.gov (United States)

Honnold, Shelley P; Schulman, F Yvonne; Bauman, Karen; Nelson, Kevin

2010-09-01

A 6-yr-old captive-born female fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) had a history of multiple seizures and was treated with diazepam and phenobarbital therapy. Despite medical treatment, the seizures continued. They were intermittent and progressive, resulting in neurologic deficits and death of the animal within 6 mo of onset of the clinical signs. At necropsy, the animal was in good nutritional condition, and no gross lesions were noted in the brain. Histologically, amphophilic to basophilic, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive, diastase-resistant inclusions were present in the brain, heart, and liver. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions were variably electron dense, fibrillary to occasionally granular, and non-membrane bound. The clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural findings were consistent with Lafora's disease, which in humans is a rare, fatal, autosomal recessive hereditary neurometabolic disorder characterized by progressive myoclonic epilepsy. This is the first report of Lafora's-like disease in a fennec fox.

A point implicit time integration technique for slow transient flow problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kadioglu, Samet Y., E-mail: kadioglu@yildiz.edu.tr [Department of Mathematical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, 34210 Davutpasa-Esenler, Istanbul (Turkey); Berry, Ray A., E-mail: ray.berry@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, MS 3840, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States); Martineau, Richard C. [Idaho National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1625, MS 3840, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States)

2015-05-15

Highlights: • This new method does not require implicit iteration; instead it time advances the solutions in a similar spirit to explicit methods. • It is unconditionally stable, as a fully implicit method would be. • It exhibits the simplicity of implementation of an explicit method. • It is specifically designed for slow transient flow problems of long duration such as can occur inside nuclear reactor coolant systems. • Our findings indicate the new method can integrate slow transient problems very efficiently; and its implementation is very robust. - Abstract: We introduce a point implicit time integration technique for slow transient flow problems. The method treats the solution variables of interest (that can be located at cell centers, cell edges, or cell nodes) implicitly and the rest of the information related to same or other variables are handled explicitly. The method does not require implicit iteration; instead it time advances the solutions in a similar spirit to explicit methods, except it involves a few additional function(s) evaluation steps. Moreover, the method is unconditionally stable, as a fully implicit method would be. This new approach exhibits the simplicity of implementation of explicit methods and the stability of implicit methods. It is specifically designed for slow transient flow problems of long duration wherein one would like to perform time integrations with very large time steps. Because the method can be time inaccurate for fast transient problems, particularly with larger time steps, an appropriate solution strategy for a problem that evolves from a fast to a slow transient would be to integrate the fast transient with an explicit or semi-implicit technique and then switch to this point implicit method as soon as the time variation slows sufficiently. We have solved several test problems that result from scalar or systems of flow equations. Our findings indicate the new method can integrate slow transient problems very

A point implicit time integration technique for slow transient flow problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kadioglu, Samet Y.; Berry, Ray A.; Martineau, Richard C.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This new method does not require implicit iteration; instead it time advances the solutions in a similar spirit to explicit methods. • It is unconditionally stable, as a fully implicit method would be. • It exhibits the simplicity of implementation of an explicit method. • It is specifically designed for slow transient flow problems of long duration such as can occur inside nuclear reactor coolant systems. • Our findings indicate the new method can integrate slow transient problems very efficiently; and its implementation is very robust. - Abstract: We introduce a point implicit time integration technique for slow transient flow problems. The method treats the solution variables of interest (that can be located at cell centers, cell edges, or cell nodes) implicitly and the rest of the information related to same or other variables are handled explicitly. The method does not require implicit iteration; instead it time advances the solutions in a similar spirit to explicit methods, except it involves a few additional function(s) evaluation steps. Moreover, the method is unconditionally stable, as a fully implicit method would be. This new approach exhibits the simplicity of implementation of explicit methods and the stability of implicit methods. It is specifically designed for slow transient flow problems of long duration wherein one would like to perform time integrations with very large time steps. Because the method can be time inaccurate for fast transient problems, particularly with larger time steps, an appropriate solution strategy for a problem that evolves from a fast to a slow transient would be to integrate the fast transient with an explicit or semi-implicit technique and then switch to this point implicit method as soon as the time variation slows sufficiently. We have solved several test problems that result from scalar or systems of flow equations. Our findings indicate the new method can integrate slow transient problems very

Kinetic Alfven waves and electron physics. II. Oblique slow shocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, L.; Winske, D.; Daughton, W.

2007-01-01

One-dimensional (1D) particle-in-cell (PIC; kinetic ions and electrons) and hybrid (kinetic ions; adiabatic and massless fluid electrons) simulations of highly oblique slow shocks (θ Bn =84 deg. and β=0.1) [Yin et al., J. Geophys. Res., 110, A09217 (2005)] have shown that the dissipation from the ions is too weak to form a shock and that kinetic electron physics is required. The PIC simulations also showed that the downstream electron temperature becomes anisotropic (T e parallel )>T e perpendicular ), as observed in slow shocks in space. The electron anisotropy results, in part, from the electron acceleration/heating by parallel electric fields of obliquely propagating kinetic Alfven waves (KAWs) excited by ion-ion streaming, which cannot be modeled accurately in hybrid simulations. In the shock ramp, spiky structures occur in density and electron parallel temperature, where the ion parallel temperature decreases due to the reduction of the ion backstreaming speed. In this paper, KAW and electron physics in oblique slow shocks are further examined under lower electron beta conditions. It is found that as the electron beta is reduced, the resonant interaction between electrons and the wave parallel electric fields shifts to the tail of the electron velocity distribution, providing more efficient parallel heating. As a consequence, for β e =0.02, the electron physics is shown to influence the formation of a θ Bn =75 deg. shock. Electron effects are further enhanced at a more oblique shock angle (θ Bn =84 deg.) when both the growth rate and the range of unstable modes on the KAW branch increase. Small-scale electron and ion phase-space vortices in the shock ramp formed by electron-KAW interactions and the reduction of the ion backstreaming speed, respectively, are observed in the simulations and confirmed in homogeneous geometries in one and two spatial dimensions in the accompanying paper [Yin et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 062104 (2007)]. Results from this study

Connecting slow earthquakes to huge earthquakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Obara, Kazushige; Kato, Aitaro

2016-07-15

Slow earthquakes are characterized by a wide spectrum of fault slip behaviors and seismic radiation patterns that differ from those of traditional earthquakes. However, slow earthquakes and huge megathrust earthquakes can have common slip mechanisms and are located in neighboring regions of the seismogenic zone. The frequent occurrence of slow earthquakes may help to reveal the physics underlying megathrust events as useful analogs. Slow earthquakes may function as stress meters because of their high sensitivity to stress changes in the seismogenic zone. Episodic stress transfer to megathrust source faults leads to an increased probability of triggering huge earthquakes if the adjacent locked region is critically loaded. Careful and precise monitoring of slow earthquakes may provide new information on the likelihood of impending huge earthquakes. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Early Detection of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS using the Gait Motor Signal Frequency Analysis

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Behzad Abedi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: ALS is a progressive neuro-muscular disease, which is characterized by motor neuron loss in the Central Nervous System (CNS and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS. Up to now, no accurate clinical method for diagnosis of the disease have been provided. In most cases, ALS patients are unable to walk normally due to abnormalities in the nervous system. For this reason, one of the most appropriate methods in the diagnosis of ALS from other neurological diseases or from healthy volunteers is the gait motor signal analysis. Materials and Methods: In this study, gait signals available in Physionet database have been used. The database consists of 13 patients with ALS (ALS1, ALS2, …, ALS13 and 16 normal subjects (CO1, CO2, …, CO16. The patients participating in this study had no history of any psychiatric disorders and did not use any assistive device for walking, like wheelchair. The power spectrum of stride, swing, and stance of normal subjects and patients was computed for both left and right legs. To provide appropriate inputs for the classifier, the frequency band of the power spectrum of all signals was divided into eight equal parts. The area of all regions was computed. Three frequency band of the lower range of power spectra selected as inputs of the classifier. Results: In this study, power spectra, as frequency attributes, were used to explore probable differences of time series in both patients and healthy subjects. Conclusion: Artificial Neural Network was used to classify normal and ALS groups with the accuracy of 83% for the test data set. It seems that the present algorithm can be used in discriminating patients from normal subjects in the early stages of the disease.

Parkinson's disease and narcolepsy-like symptoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ylikoski, Ari; Martikainen, Kirsti; Sarkanen, Tomi; Partinen, Markku

2015-04-01

Various sleep-related problems, for example, insomnia and symptoms of rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD), are common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We studied the prevalence of symptoms of narcolepsy (NARC), hallucinations, and RBD and their association with other symptoms. Altogether, 1447 randomly selected patients with PD, aged 43-89 years, participated in a questionnaire study. A structured questionnaire with 207 items was based on the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire. Questions on demographics, PD, RBD, and other issues were included. The response rate was 59.0%; of these patients, 73% had answered to all questions that were used in the analyses (N = 623). The occurrence of suspected narcolepsy (Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale ≥ 14 and Epworth Sleepiness Scale ≥ 11) was observed in 9.3% of the subjects (PD with NARC), RBD (REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire ≥ 6) in 39.2% of all patients with PD, and in 62.1% of those with PD and NARC. In patients with PD, hallucinations before going to bed in the evening occurred in 5.8%, hypnagogic hallucinations in 4.0%, hallucinations during night 8.3%, and hypnopompic hallucinations in 3.2%. Cataplexy symptoms occurred in 43.1% of subjects with PD and NARC. In a logistic regression analysis, PD with NARC was associated with RBD, all types of hallucinations, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, insomnia, and intense dreaming also when adjusted for age, sex, disease duration, and levodopa. Narcolepsy-like symptoms may be present in patients with PD. Symptoms of RBD were associated with symptoms of narcolepsy including symptoms of cataplexy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

26Al tracer experiment by accelerator mass spectrometry and its application to the studies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Koichi; Yumoto, Sakae; Nagai, Hisao; Hosoyama, Yoshiyuki; Imamura, Mineo; Masuzawa, Shin-ichirou; Koizumi, Yoshinobu; Yamashita, Hiroshi.

1990-01-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied for 26 Al tracer experiment to study the aluminum toxicity and metabolism in rats. To investigate the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, the aluminum incorporation into the brain (cerebrum) was studied by AMS using 26 Al as a tracer. When 26 Al was intraperitoneally injected into rats, a considerable amount of 26 Al was incorporated into the cerebrum after 5-35 days of the injection. (author)

Chitinase-3-like Protein 1: A Progranulin Downstream Molecule and Potential Biomarker for Gaucher Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinlong Jian

2018-02-01

Full Text Available We recently reported that progranulin (PGRN is a novel regulator of glucocerebrosidase and its deficiency associates with Gaucher Diseases (GD (Jian et al., 2016a; Jian et al., 2018. To isolate the relevant downstream molecules, we performed a whole genome microarray and mass spectrometry analysis, which led to the isolation of Chitinase-3-like-1 (CHI3L1 as one of the up-regulated genes in PGRN null mice. Elevated levels of CHI3L1 were confirmed by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. In contrast, treatment with recombinant Pcgin, a derivative of PGRN, as well as imigluerase, significantly reduced the expressions of CHI3L1 in both PGRN null GD model and the fibroblasts from GD patients. Serum levels of CHIT1, a clinical biomarker for GD, were significantly higher in GD patients than healthy controls (51.16 ± 2.824 ng/ml vs 35.07 ± 2.099 ng/ml, p < 0.001. Similar to CHIT1, serum CHI3L1 was also significantly increased in GD patients compared with healthy controls (1736 ± 152.1 pg/ml vs 684.7 ± 68.20 pg/ml, p < 0.001. Whereas the PGRN level is significantly reduced in GD patients as compared to the healthy control (91.56 ± 3.986 ng/ml vs 150.6 ± 4.501, p < 0.001. Collectively, these results indicate that CHI3L1 may be a previously unrecognized biomarker for diagnosing GD and for evaluating the therapeutic effects of new GD drug(s.

Effect of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce Master Alloy on the Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Commercial Pure Al and Hypoeutectic Al-8Si Alloy

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Wanwu Ding

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy was synthesized by a method of thermal explosion reaction in pure molten aluminum and used to modify commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The microstructure and tensile properties of commercial pure Al and hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy with different additions of Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy were investigated. The results show that the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce alloy was composed of α-Al, granular TiC, lump-like TiAl3 and block-like Ti2Al20Ce. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min can significantly refine macro grains of commercial pure Al into tiny equiaxed grains. The Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 30 min still has a good refinement effect. The tensile strength and elongation of commercial pure Al modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (0.3 wt %, 5 min increased by roughly 19.26% and 61.83%, respectively. Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min can significantly refine both α-Al grains and eutectic Si of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy. The dendritic α-Al grains were significantly refined to tiny equiaxed grains. The morphology of the eutectic Si crystals was significantly refined from coarse needle-shape or lath-shape to short rod-like or grain-like eutectic Si. The tensile strength and elongation of hypoeutectic Al-8Si alloy modified by the Al-5Ti-0.62C-0.2Ce master alloy (1.5 wt %, 10 min increased by roughly 20.53% and 50%, respectively. The change in mechanical properties corresponds to evolution of the microstructure.

Microstructure and property of diamond-like carbon films with Al and Cr co-doping deposited using a hybrid beams system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Wei, E-mail: popdw@126.com [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Liu, Jingmao; Geng, Dongsen [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Guo, Peng [Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201 (China); Zheng, Jun [Science and Technology on Surface Engineering Laboratory, Lanzhou Institute of Physics, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Wang, Qimin, E-mail: qmwang@gdut.edu.cn [School of Electromechanical Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

2016-12-01

Highlights: • Diamond-like carbon films with Al and Cr doping were deposited. • Alternate multilayered structure consisted of Al-poor layer and Al-rich layer was formed. • The periodic Al-rich layers can greatly improve the residual stress and elastic resilience of the films. - Abstract: DLC films with weak carbide former Al and carbide former Cr co-doping (Al:Cr-DLC) were deposited by a hybrid beams system comprising an anode-layer linear ion beam source (LIS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering using a gas mixture of C{sub 2}H{sub 2} and Ar as the precursor. The doped Al and Cr contents were controlled via adjusting the C{sub 2}H{sub 2} fraction in the gas mixture. The composition, microstructure, compressive stress, mechanical properties and tribological behaviors of the Al:Cr-DLC films were researched carefully using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, stress-tester, nanoindentation and ball-on-plate tribometer as function of the C{sub 2}H{sub 2} fraction. The results show that the Al and Cr contents in the films increased continuously as the C{sub 2}H{sub 2} fraction decreased. The doped Cr atoms preferred to bond with the carbon while the Al atoms mainly existed in metallic state. Structure modulation with alternate multilayer consisted of Al-poor DLC layer and Al-rich DLC layer was found in the films. Those periodic Al-rich DLC layers can effectively release the residual stress of the films. On the other hand, the formation of the carbide component due to Cr incorporation can help to increase the film hardness. Accordingly, the residual stress of the DLC films can be reduced without sacrificing the film hardness though co-doping Al and Cr atoms. Furthermore, it was found that the periodic Al-rich layer can greatly improve the elastic resilience of the DLC films and thus decreases the film friction coefficient and wear rate significantly. However, the existence of the carbide component would

Scientific research on diseases: the distinct profile of developed and developing countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yegros-Yegros, A.; Rafols, I.; Abad-Garcia, M.F.; Mugnaini, R.; Meijer, I.

2016-07-01

In most of the countries across the globe, health is seen as a priority. The European Commission (2013), for example, considers health as a precondition for economic prosperity given that people’s health influences economic outcomes in terms of productivity, labor supply, human capital and public spending. Accordingly, the Commission places health in one of the big Societal Challenges (‘health, demographic change and wellbeing’) in Horizon 2020. Part of the investment on research and development is devoted to specific diseases. In order to assess whether scientific research is targeting the most pressing diseases, some studies have tried to analyze the degree of alignment between the funding allocated to specific diseases and the burden of disease (e.g. Gillum et al, 2011; Kingel et al, 2014). Others, like Evans et al (2014), focus on the relationship between research outputs dealing with specific diseases and the burden of disease. (Author)

Mismanagement of Wilson's disease as psychotic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bidaki, Reza; Zarei, Mina; Mirhosseini, S M Mahdy; Moghadami, Samar; Hejrati, Maral; Kohnavard, Marjan; Shariati, Behnam

2012-01-01

Wilson's disease (WD) or hepatolenticular degeneration is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder of copper metabolism (autosomal recessive, chromosome13). Psychiatric disorders in WD include dementia, characterized by mental slowness, poor concentration, and memory impairment. Symptoms may progress rapidly, especially in younger patients, but are more often gradual in development with periods of remission and exacerbation. Delusional disorder and schizophrenia-like psychosis are rare forms of psychiatric presentation. In this report, the patient with WD presented by psychosis symptoms and treated mistaken as schizophrenia for almost ten years. Although he has treated with antipsychotics, he had periods of remissions and relapses and never was symptoms free. Since psychosis can be the manifestation of medical diseases such as WD, overall view of these patients is necessary and medical diseases should be considered as a differential diagnosis.

Compositionally modulated multilayer diamond-like carbon coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping by reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Wei; Gao, Xiang; Liu, Jingmao; Kwon, Se-Hun; Wang, Qimin

2017-12-01

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings with AlTiSi multi-doping were prepared by a reactive high power impulse magnetron sputtering with using a gas mixture of Ar and C2H2 as precursor. The composition, microstructure, compressive stress, and mechanical property of the as-deposited DLC coatings were studied systemically by using SEM, XPS, TEM, Raman spectrum, stress-tester, and nanoindentation as a function of the Ar fraction. The results show that the doping concentrations of the Al, Ti and Si atoms increased as the Ar fraction increased. The doped Ti and Si preferred to bond with C while the doped Al mainly existed in oxidation state without bonding with C. As the doping concentrations increased, TiC carbide nanocrystals were formed in the DLC matrix. The microstructure of coatings changed from an amorphous feature dominant AlTiSi-DLC to a carbide nanocomposite AlTiSi-DLC with TiC nanoparticles embedding. In addition, the coatings exhibited the compositionally modulated multilayer consisting of alternate Al-rich layer and Al-poor layer due to the rotation of the substrate holder and the diffusion behavior of the doped Al which tended to separate from C and diffuse towards the DLC matrix surface owing to its weak interactions with C. The periodic Al-rich layer can effectively release the compressive stress of the coatings. On the other hand, the hard TiC nanoparticles were conducive to the hardness of the coatings. Consequently, the DLC coatings with relatively low residual stress and high hardness could be acquired successfully through AlTiSi multi-doping. It is believed that the AlCrSi multi-doping may be a good way for improving the comprehensive properties of the DLC coatings. In addition, we believe that the DLC coatings with Al-rich multilayered structure have a high oxidation resistance, which allows the DLC coatings application in high temperature environment.

Improved 10Be and 26Al-AMS with a 5 MV spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Sheng; Dougans, Andrew B.; Freeman, Stewart P.H.T.; Schnabel, Christoph; Wilcken, Klaus M.

2010-01-01

Detector and ion source changes have increased Be and Al count rates and reduced measurement background at SUERC. Low energy 16 MeV 26 Al 3+ ions can be separated from interferences by adopting thin silicon nitride membrane detector windows. In contrast, a thick Havar detector window is used to preferentially slow boron ions for simplified 10 Be vs. 10 B separation without an additional gas cell.

The cost-effectiveness of using chronic kidney disease risk scores to screen for early-stage chronic kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarnoff, Benjamin O; Hoerger, Thomas J; Simpson, Siobhan K; Leib, Alyssa; Burrows, Nilka R; Shrestha, Sundar S; Pavkov, Meda E

2017-03-13

Better treatment during early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) may slow progression to end-stage renal disease and decrease associated complications and medical costs. Achieving early treatment of CKD is challenging, however, because a large fraction of persons with CKD are unaware of having this disease. Screening for CKD is one important method for increasing awareness. We examined the cost-effectiveness of identifying persons for early-stage CKD screening (i.e., screening for moderate albuminuria) using published CKD risk scores. We used the CKD Health Policy Model, a micro-simulation model, to simulate the cost-effectiveness of using CKD two published risk scores by Bang et al. and Kshirsagar et al. to identify persons in the US for CKD screening with testing for albuminuria. Alternative risk score thresholds were tested (0.20, 0.15, 0.10, 0.05, and 0.02) above which persons were assigned to receive screening at alternative intervals (1-, 2-, and 5-year) for follow-up screening if the first screening was negative. We examined incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), incremental lifetime costs divided by incremental lifetime QALYs, relative to the next higher screening threshold to assess cost-effectiveness. Cost-effective scenarios were determined as those with ICERs less than $50,000 per QALY. Among the cost-effective scenarios, the optimal scenario was determined as the one that resulted in the highest lifetime QALYs. ICERs ranged from $8,823 per QALY to $124,626 per QALY for the Bang et al. risk score and $6,342 per QALY to $405,861 per QALY for the Kshirsagar et al. risk score. The Bang et al. risk score with a threshold of 0.02 and 2-year follow-up screening was found to be optimal because it had an ICER less than $50,000 per QALY and resulted in the highest lifetime QALYs. This study indicates that using these CKD risk scores may allow clinicians to cost-effectively identify a broader population for CKD screening with testing for albuminuria

Mad, bad and dangerous to know: the biochemistry, ecology and evolution of slow loris venom.

Science.gov (United States)

Nekaris, K Anne-Isola; Moore, Richard S; Rode, E Johanna; Fry, Bryan G

2013-09-27

Only seven types of mammals are known to be venomous, including slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.). Despite the evolutionary significance of this unique adaptation amongst Nycticebus, the structure and function of slow loris venom is only just beginning to be understood. Here we review what is known about the chemical structure of slow loris venom. Research on a handful of captive samples from three of eight slow loris species reveals that the protein within slow loris venom resembles the disulphide-bridged heterodimeric structure of Fel-d1, more commonly known as cat allergen. In a comparison of N. pygmaeus and N. coucang, 212 and 68 compounds were found, respectively. Venom is activated by combining the oil from the brachial arm gland with saliva, and can cause death in small mammals and anaphylactic shock and death in humans. We examine four hypotheses for the function of slow loris venom. The least evidence is found for the hypothesis that loris venom evolved to kill prey. Although the venom's primary function in nature seems to be as a defense against parasites and conspecifics, it may also serve to thwart olfactory-orientated predators. Combined with numerous other serpentine features of slow lorises, including extra vertebra in the spine leading to snake-like movement, serpentine aggressive vocalisations, a long dark dorsal stripe and the venom itself, we propose that venom may have evolved to mimic cobras (Naja sp.). During the Miocene when both slow lorises and cobras migrated throughout Southeast Asia, the evolution of venom may have been an adaptive strategy against predators used by slow lorises as a form of Müllerian mimicry with spectacled cobras.

Monitoring and Counteracting Functional Deterioration in Parkinson’s Disease: A Multilevel Integrative Approach in a Primate Model System

Science.gov (United States)

2007-09-01

guided test system with a semi-randomized computer program according to Wolthuis et al., (1995) using positive enforcement (small pieces of marshmallow ...reward is presented at the tip of a 8.5 cm suction tube by the robot arm. Marshmallows are presented at three different speeds; still 0.00 m/s, slow...heights like their natural behavior in trees reinforced by positively reinforced by small sugar treat (small pieces of marshmallows ) as an extra

Dynamics of Agglutinin-Like Sequence (ALS) Protein Localization on the Surface of Candida Albicans

Science.gov (United States)

Coleman, David Andrew

2009-01-01

The ALS gene family encodes large cell-surface glycoproteins associated with "C. albicans" pathogenesis. Als proteins are thought to act as adhesin molecules binding to host tissues. Wide variation in expression levels among the ALS genes exists and is related to cell morphology and environmental conditions. "ALS1," "ALS3," and "ALS4" are three of…

Inhaled ENaC antisense oligonucleotide ameliorates cystic fibrosis-like lung disease in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Crosby, Jeff R; Zhao, Chenguang; Jiang, Chong; Bai, Dong; Katz, Melanie; Greenlee, Sarah; Kawabe, Hiroshi; McCaleb, Michael; Rotin, Daniela; Guo, Shuling; Monia, Brett P

2017-11-01

Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC, Scnn1) hyperactivity in the lung leads to airway surface dehydration and mucus accumulation in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and in mice with CF-like lung disease. We identified several potent ENaC specific antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and tested them by inhalation in mouse models of CF-like lung disease. The inhaled ASOs distributed into lung airway epithelial cells and decreased ENaC expression by inducing RNase H1-dependent degradation of the targeted Scnn1a mRNA. Aerosol delivered ENaC ASO down-regulated mucus marker expression and ameliorated goblet cell metaplasia, inflammation, and airway hyper-responsiveness. Lack of systemic activity of ASOs delivered via the aerosol route ensures the safety of this approach. Our results demonstrate that antisense inhibition of ENaC in airway epithelial cells could be an effective and safe approach for the prevention and reversal of lung symptoms in CF and potentially other inflammatory diseases of the lung. Copyright © 2017 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toll-Like Receptors, Inflammation, and Calcific Aortic Valve Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen García-Rodríguez

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Inflammation, the primary response of innate immunity, is essential to initiate the calcification process underlying calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD, the most prevalent valvulopathy in Western countries. The pathogenesis of CAVD is multifactorial and includes inflammation, hemodynamic factors, fibrosis, and active calcification. In the development of CAVD, both innate and adaptive immune responses are activated, and accumulating evidences show the central role of inflammation in the initiation and propagation phases of the disease, being the function of Toll-like receptors (TLR particularly relevant. These receptors act as sentinels of the innate immune system by recognizing pattern molecules from both pathogens and host-derived molecules released after tissue damage. TLR mediate inflammation via NF-κB routes within and beyond the immune system, and play a crucial role in the control of infection and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. This review outlines the current notions about the association between TLR signaling and the ensuing development of inflammation and fibrocalcific remodeling in the pathogenesis of CAVD. Recent data provide new insights into the inflammatory and osteogenic responses underlying the disease and further support the hypothesis that inflammation plays a mechanistic role in the initiation and progression of CAVD. These findings make TLR signaling a potential target for therapeutic intervention in CAVD.

Guidelines in motor neurone disease (MND)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)--from diagnosis to patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, J D

2000-12-01

This paper reviews the scope of current guidelines in motor neurone disease (MND)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and examines issues which have arisen in the preparation of these documents. The review concludes with an evaluation of the impact of the guidelines which have been produced to date and looks towards potential future developments in this area.

Guidelines in motor neurone disease (MND)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - from diagnosis to patient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, J D

2000-12-01

This paper reviews the scope of current guidelines in motor neurone disease (MND)/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and examines issues which have arisen in the preparation of these documents. The review concludes with an evaluation of the impact of the guidelines which have been produced to date and looks towards potential future developments in this area.

'Leukodystrophy-like' phenotype in children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacohen, Yael; Rossor, Thomas; Mankad, Kshitij; Chong, Wk 'Kling'; Lux, Andrew; Wassmer, Evangeline; Lim, Ming; Barkhof, Frederik; Ciccarelli, Olga; Hemingway, Cheryl

2018-04-01

To review the demographics and clinical and paraclinical parameters of children with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated relapsing disease. In this UK-based, multicentre study, 31 children with MOG antibody-associated relapsing disease were studied retrospectively. Of the 31 children studied, 14 presented with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM); they were younger (mean 4.1y) than the remainder (mean 8.5y) who presented with optic neuritis and/or transverse myelitis (p<0.001). Similarly, children who had an abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at onset (n=20) were younger than patients with normal MRI at onset (p=0.001) or at follow-up (p<0.001). 'Leukodystrophy-like' MRI patterns of confluent largely symmetrical lesions was seen during the course of the disease in 7 out of 14 children with a diagnosis of ADEM, and was only seen in children younger than 7 years of age. Their disability after a 3-year follow-up was mild to moderate, and most patients continued to relapse, despite disease-modifying treatments. MOG antibody should be tested in children presenting with relapsing neurological disorders associated with confluent, bilateral white matter changes, and distinct enhancement pattern. Children with MOG antibody-associated disease present with age-related differences in phenotypes, with a severe leukoencephalopathy phenotype in the very young and normal intracranial MRI in the older children. This finding suggests a susceptibility of the very young and myelinating brain to MOG antibody-mediated mechanisms of damage. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated demyelination manifest with an age-related phenotype. Children with MOG antibody and 'leukodystrophy-like' imaging patterns tend to have poor response to second-line immunotherapy. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

SDSS-IV MaNGA: the different quenching histories of fast and slow rotators

Science.gov (United States)

Smethurst, R. J.; Masters, K. L.; Lintott, C. J.; Weijmans, A.; Merrifield, M.; Penny, S. J.; Aragón-Salamanca, A.; Brownstein, J.; Bundy, K.; Drory, N.; Law, D. R.; Nichol, R. C.

2018-01-01

Do the theorized different formation mechanisms of fast and slow rotators produce an observable difference in their star formation histories? To study this, we identify quenching slow rotators in the MaNGA sample by selecting those that lie below the star-forming sequence and identify a sample of quenching fast rotators that were matched in stellar mass. This results in a total sample of 194 kinematically classified galaxies, which is agnostic to visual morphology. We use u - r and NUV - u colours from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and GALEX and an existing inference package, STARPY, to conduct a first look at the onset time and exponentially declining rate of quenching of these galaxies. An Anderson-Darling test on the distribution of the inferred quenching rates across the two kinematic populations reveals they are statistically distinguishable (3.2σ). We find that fast rotators quench at a much wider range of rates than slow rotators, consistent with a wide variety of physical processes such as secular evolution, minor mergers, gas accretion and environmentally driven mechanisms. Quenching is more likely to occur at rapid rates (τ ≲ 1 Gyr) for slow rotators, in agreement with theories suggesting slow rotators are formed in dynamically fast processes, such as major mergers. Interestingly, we also find that a subset of the fast rotators quench at these same rapid rates as the bulk of the slow rotator sample. We therefore discuss how the total gas mass of a merger, rather than the merger mass ratio, may decide a galaxy's ultimate kinematic fate.

The Diversity of Atomic Hydrogen in Slow Rotator Early-type Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Lisa M.; Serra, Paolo; Krajnović, Davor; Duc, Pierre-Alain

2018-02-01

We present interferometric observations of H I in nine slow rotator early-type galaxies of the ATLAS3D sample. With these data, we now have sensitive H I searches in 34 of the 36 slow rotators. The aggregate detection rate is 32% ± 8%, consistent with previous work; however, we find two detections with extremely high H I masses, whose gas kinematics are substantially different from what was previously known about H I in slow rotators. These two cases (NGC 1222 and NGC 4191) broaden the known diversity of H I properties in slow rotators. NGC 1222 is a merger remnant with prolate-like rotation and, if it is indeed prolate in shape, an equatorial gas disc; NGC 4191 has two counterrotating stellar discs and an unusually large H I disc. We comment on the implications of this disc for the formation of 2σ galaxies. In general, the H I detection rate, the incidence of relaxed H I discs, and the H I/stellar mass ratios of slow rotators are indistinguishable from those of fast rotators. These broad similarities suggest that the H I we are detecting now is unrelated to the galaxies' formation processes and was often acquired after their stars were mostly in place. We also discuss the H I nondetections; some of these galaxies that are undetected in H I or CO are detected in other tracers (e.g. FIR fine structure lines and dust). The question of whether there is cold gas in massive galaxies' scoured nuclear cores still needs work. Finally, we discuss an unusual isolated H I cloud with a surprisingly faint (undetected) optical counterpart.

Analysis and investigation of temperature and hydrostatic pressure effects on optical characteristics of multiple quantum well slow light devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdolhosseini, Saeed; Kohandani, Reza; Kaatuzian, Hassan

2017-09-10

This paper represents the influences of temperature and hydrostatic pressure variations on GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well slow light systems based on coherence population oscillations. An analytical model in non-integer dimension space is used to study the considerable effects of these parameters on optical properties of the slow light apparatus. Exciton oscillator strength and fractional dimension constants have special roles on the analytical model in fractional dimension. Hence, the impacts of hydrostatic pressure and temperature on exciton oscillator strength and fractional dimension quantity are investigated theoretically in this paper. Based on the achieved results, temperature and hydrostatic pressure play key roles on optical parameters of the slow light systems, such as the slow down factor and central energy of the device. It is found that the slope and value of the refractive index real part change with alterations of temperature and hydrostatic pressure in the range of 5-40 deg of Kelvin and 1 bar to 2 kbar, respectively. Thus, the peak value of the slow down factor can be adjusted by altering these parameters. Moreover, the central energy of the device shifts when the hydrostatic pressure is applied to the slow light device or temperature is varied. In comparison with previous reported experimental results, our simulations follow them successfully. It is shown that the maximum value of the slow down factor is estimated close to 5.5×10 4 with a fine adjustment of temperature and hydrostatic pressure. Meanwhile, the central energy shift of the slow light device rises up to 27 meV, which provides an appropriate basis for different optical devices in which multiple quantum well slow light is one of their essential subsections. This multiple quantum well slow light device has potential applications for use as a tunable optical buffer and pressure/temperature sensors.

Prevention programs for chronic kidney disease in low-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Perico, Norberto; Remuzzi, Giuseppe

2016-04-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an important determinant of the poor health outcome for major noncommunicable diseases that are the leading cause of death worldwide. Early recognition with screening programs of CKD and co-morbid conditions, like hypertension, diabetes, or toxic environments, can potentially slow progression to renal failure, improve quality of life and reduce healthcare cost. Effective multimodal tools are available to prevent CKD by managing its risk factors, and to slow or even halt disease progression to end-stage renal failure (ESRF). They can be adapted even to poor-resource settings of low- and middle-income countries for individual at high risk of CKD. CKD is also linked to acute kidney injury (AKI), that in poorest part of Africa, Asia and Latin America is preventable, treatable and often reversible, if managed adequately and in timely manner as proposed by the program "AKI 0by25" launched by the international Society of Nephrology in 2013. In addition to saving lives, prevention programs will create major heath gains, eventually reducing the current health inequity that arises from unaffordable or unobtainable renal replacement therapies in many part of the developing world if ESRF is not prevented.

Enhanced photocatalytic properties of the 3D flower-like Mg-Al layered double hydroxides decorated with Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} under visible light illumination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ao, Yanhui, E-mail: andyao@hhu.edu.cn; Wang, Dandan; Wang, Peifang; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Qian, Jin

2016-08-15

Highlights: • 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite was prepared. • The nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants. • The mechanism of the enhanced activity were investigated. - Abstract: A facile anion-exchange precipitation method was employed to synthesize 3D flower-like Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}/Mg-Al layered double hydroxide composite photocatalyst. Results showed that Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles dispersed uniformly on the petals of the flower-like Mg-Al LDH. The obtained nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities on different organic pollutants (cationic and anionic dyes, phenol) under visible light illumination. The high photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the special structure which accomplishes the wide-distribution of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} nanoparticles on the surfaces of the 3D flower-like nanocomposites. Therefore, it can provide much more active sites for the degradation of organic pollutant. Then the photocatalytic mechanism was also verified by reactive species trapping experiments in detail. The work would pave a facile way to prepare LDHs based hierarchical photocatalysts with high activity for the degradation of wide range organic pollutants under visible light irradiation.

Optimizing graph algorithms on pregel-like systems

KAUST Repository

Salihoglu, Semih; Widom, Jennifer

2014-01-01

We study the problem of implementing graph algorithms efficiently on Pregel-like systems, which can be surprisingly challenging. Standard graph algorithms in this setting can incur unnecessary inefficiencies such as slow convergence or high

Genesis of flake-like morphology and dye-sensitized solar cell performance of Al-doped ZnO particles: a study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sengupta, D.; Mondal, B.; Mukherjee, K.

2017-01-01

In dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application, the particulate morphologies of photo-anode facilitate efficient dye loading and thus lead to better photo-conversion efficiency than their thin film counterpart. However, till date, the electronic and optical properties as well as the DSSC application of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) particles as photo-anode material is studied less than thin films. Herein, phase formation behavior, morphology evolution, optical properties, and dye-sensitized solar cell performance of wet chemically prepared ZnO and AZO (dopant level: 1–4 mol%) particles are studied. It is found that Al doping modulates significantly the ZnO morphology which in turn results the maximum dye adsorption as well as best photo-conversion efficiency at optimum dopant concentration. Specifically, the nanoparticle of ZnO turns predominantly to flake-like morphology with a higher surface area when 2 mol% Al is doped. Such morphology modulation is expected, since the crystallinity, lattice parameters, and lattice strain of ZnO changes appreciably with Al doping. The variations of optical properties (absorbance, diffused reflectance, and band gap) of AZO materials as compared to primitive ZnO are also identified through UV-vis studies. An attempt is made here to correlate the structural features with the photovoltaic performances of ZnO and AZO.

Genesis of flake-like morphology and dye-sensitized solar cell performance of Al-doped ZnO particles: a study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sengupta, D.; Mondal, B.; Mukherjee, K., E-mail: kalisadhanm@yahoo.com [CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Centre for Advanced Materials Processing (India)

2017-03-15

In dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application, the particulate morphologies of photo-anode facilitate efficient dye loading and thus lead to better photo-conversion efficiency than their thin film counterpart. However, till date, the electronic and optical properties as well as the DSSC application of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) particles as photo-anode material is studied less than thin films. Herein, phase formation behavior, morphology evolution, optical properties, and dye-sensitized solar cell performance of wet chemically prepared ZnO and AZO (dopant level: 1–4 mol%) particles are studied. It is found that Al doping modulates significantly the ZnO morphology which in turn results the maximum dye adsorption as well as best photo-conversion efficiency at optimum dopant concentration. Specifically, the nanoparticle of ZnO turns predominantly to flake-like morphology with a higher surface area when 2 mol% Al is doped. Such morphology modulation is expected, since the crystallinity, lattice parameters, and lattice strain of ZnO changes appreciably with Al doping. The variations of optical properties (absorbance, diffused reflectance, and band gap) of AZO materials as compared to primitive ZnO are also identified through UV-vis studies. An attempt is made here to correlate the structural features with the photovoltaic performances of ZnO and AZO.

Osteopetrosis-like disease in a cat with respiratory distress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, M.; Takaishi, Y.; Nagae, H.; Watanabe, N.; Hasegawa, D.; Taniguchi, A.; Orima, H.

2007-01-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) were performed in an 8-year-old, spayed female cat with chronic effort respiration at the inspiration phase and stertor. Increased bone opacity in the areas of the head, neck and thorax were observed on radiography. MR images showed no signal intensity on both transverse T1WI and T2WI of the nasal cavity. CT revealed increased bone density and hypertrophy of the nasal turbinate and a narrowed nasal passage. From these results, we concluded this case had osteopetrosis-like disease, and that the respiratory distress was caused by hypertrophy of the nasal turbinate

Potential skin involvement in ALS: revisiting Charcot's observation - a review of skin abnormalities in ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Paré, Bastien; Gros-Louis, François

2017-07-26

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord, leading to progressive paralysis and death. Interestingly, many skin changes have been reported in ALS patients, but never as yet fully explained. These observations could be due to the common embryonic origin of the skin and neural tissue known as the ectodermal germ layer. Following the first observation in ALS patients' skin by Dr Charcot in the 19th century, in the absence of bedsores unlike other bedridden patients, other morphological and molecular changes have been observed. Thus, the skin could be of interest in the study of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes skin changes reported in the literature over the years and discusses about a novel in vitro ALS tissue-engineered skin model, derived from patients, for the study of ALS.

Motorist comprehension of the slow-moving vehicle emblem in Manitoba.

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeker, A M; Mann, D D

2010-04-01

Despite the existence of the slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem for almost 50 years, there continues to be a large number of preventable accidents between SMVs and other motorists. In this study, the current SMV emblem was tested against other common road signs as well as alternative slow-moving vehicle emblems to determine motorist comprehension of the signs. An open-ended test method was used to determine the level of comprehension by Manitoba motorists. Written answers from 50 participants were classified as either "correct" or "incorrect" by the authors based on the meaning of the traffic signs provided in a driver's handbook. Only 3 of the 16 Manitoba traffic signs attained the 85% level of comprehension required by ANSI standards. Only 22% of participants correctly identified the current SMV emblem. Two alternatives to the SMV emblem found in the literature, both iconic in nature, were understood to mean "slow-moving vehicle" by only 2% and 8% of participants, respectively. Two alternatives to the SMV developed for this project were evaluated with levels of comprehension of 68% and 84%: however, these levels of comprehension were likely biased by the presence of text. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that the current symbolic SMV emblem should be replaced by an alternative emblem that is iconic in nature.

Fast men slow more than fast women in a 10 kilometer road race

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Robert O. Deaner

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background. Previous studies have demonstrated that men are more likely than women to slow in the marathon (footrace. This study investigated whether the sex difference in pacing occurs for a shorter race distance. Materials & Methods. Data were acquired from the Bolder Boulder 10 km road race for the years 2008–2013, which encompassed 191,693 performances. There were two pacing measures, percentage change in pace of the first 3 miles relative to the final 3.2 miles and percentage change in pace of the first mile relative to the final 5.2 miles. Pacing was analyzed as a continuous variable and as two categorical variables, as follows: “maintain the pace,” defined as slowing <5% and “marked slowing,” defined as slowing ≥10%. Results. Among the fastest (men < 48:40; women < 55:27 and second fastest (men < 53:54; women < 60:28 sex-specific finishing time sextiles, men slowed significantly more than women with both pacing measures, but there were no consistently significant sex differences in pacing among the slower four sextiles. For the fastest sextile, the odds for women were 1.96 (first pacing measure and 1.36 (second measure times greater than men to maintain the pace. For the fastest sextile, the odds for women were 0.46 (first measure and 0.65 (second measure times that of men to exhibit marked slowing. Multiple regression indicated that being older was associated with lesser slowing, but the sex difference among faster runners persisted when age was controlled. Conclusions. There was a sex difference in pacing during a 10 km race where glycogen depletion is not typically relevant. These results support the hypothesis that the sex difference in pacing partly reflects a sex difference in decision making.

Microarray analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes from ALS patients and the SAFE detection of the KEGG ALS pathway

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS) is a motor neuron disease with poorly understood etiology. Results of gene expression profiling studies of whole blood from ALS patients have not been validated and are difficult to relate to ALS pathogenesis because gene expression profiles depend on the relative abundance of the different cell types present in whole blood. We conducted microarray analyses using Agilent Human Whole Genome 4 × 44k Arrays on a more homogeneous cell population, namely purified peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), from ALS patients and healthy controls to identify molecular signatures possibly relevant to ALS pathogenesis. Methods Differentially expressed genes were determined by LIMMA (Linear Models for MicroArray) and SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays) analyses. The SAFE (Significance Analysis of Function and Expression) procedure was used to identify molecular pathway perturbations. Proteasome inhibition assays were conducted on cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from ALS patients to confirm alteration of the Ubiquitin/Proteasome System (UPS). Results For the first time, using SAFE in a global gene ontology analysis (gene set size 5-100), we show significant perturbation of the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) ALS pathway of motor neuron degeneration in PBLs from ALS patients. This was the only KEGG disease pathway significantly upregulated among 25, and contributing genes, including SOD1, represented 54% of the encoded proteins or protein complexes of the KEGG ALS pathway. Further SAFE analysis, including gene set sizes >100, showed that only neurodegenerative diseases (4 out of 34 disease pathways) including ALS were significantly upregulated. Changes in UBR2 expression correlated inversely with time since onset of disease and directly with ALSFRS-R, implying that UBR2 was increased early in the course of ALS. Cultured PBMCs from ALS patients accumulated more ubiquitinated proteins

Induction of Xa10-like Genes in Rice Cultivar Nipponbare Confers Disease Resistance to Rice Bacterial Blight.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Tian, Dongsheng; Gu, Keyu; Yang, Xiaobei; Wang, Lanlan; Zeng, Xuan; Yin, Zhongchao

2017-06-01

Bacterial blight of rice, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, is one of the most destructive bacterial diseases throughout the major rice-growing regions in the world. The rice disease resistance (R) gene Xa10 confers race-specific disease resistance to X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains that deliver the corresponding transcription activator-like (TAL) effector AvrXa10. Upon bacterial infection, AvrXa10 binds specifically to the effector binding element in the promoter of the R gene and activates its expression. Xa10 encodes an executor R protein that triggers hypersensitive response and activates disease resistance. 'Nipponbare' rice carries two Xa10-like genes in its genome, of which one is the susceptible allele of the Xa23 gene, a Xa10-like TAL effector-dependent executor R gene isolated recently from 'CBB23' rice. However, the function of the two Xa10-like genes in disease resistance to X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains has not been investigated. Here, we designated the two Xa10-like genes as Xa10-Ni and Xa23-Ni and characterized their function for disease resistance to rice bacterial blight. Both Xa10-Ni and Xa23-Ni provided disease resistance to X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains that deliver the matching artificially designed TAL effectors (dTALE). Transgenic rice plants containing Xa10-Ni and Xa23-Ni under the Xa10 promoter provided specific disease resistance to X. oryzae pv. oryzae strains that deliver AvrXa10. Xa10-Ni and Xa23-Ni knock-out mutants abolished dTALE-dependent disease resistance to X. oryzae pv. oryzae. Heterologous expression of Xa10-Ni and Xa23-Ni in Nicotiana benthamiana triggered cell death. The 19-amino-acid residues at the N-terminal regions of XA10 or XA10-Ni are dispensable for their function in inducing cell death in N. benthamiana and the C-terminal regions of XA10, XA10-Ni, and XA23-Ni are interchangeable among each other without affecting their function. Like XA10, both XA10-Ni and XA23-Ni locate to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane

The spread of prion-like proteins by lysosomes and tunneling nanotubes: Implications for neurodegenerative diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Victoria, Guiliana Soraya; Zurzolo, Chiara

2017-09-04

Progression of pathology in neurodegenerative diseases is hypothesized to be a non-cell-autonomous process that may be mediated by the productive spreading of prion-like protein aggregates from a "donor cell" that is the source of misfolded aggregates to an "acceptor cell" in which misfolding is propagated by conversion of the normal protein. Although the proteins involved in the various diseases are unrelated, common pathways appear to be used for their intercellular propagation and spreading. Here, we summarize recent evidence of the molecular mechanisms relevant for the intercellular trafficking of protein aggregates involved in prion, Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases. We focus in particular on the common roles that lysosomes and tunneling nanotubes play in the formation and spreading of prion-like assemblies. © 2017 Victoria and Zurzolo.

DMPD: Toll-like receptors: novel pharmacological targets for the treatment ofneurological diseases. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 17974478 Toll-like receptors: novel pharmacological targets for the treatment ofneu...png) (.svg) (.html) (.csml) Show Toll-like receptors: novel pharmacological targets for the treatment ofneur...ological diseases. PubmedID 17974478 Title Toll-like receptors: novel pharmacological target

β-Secretase BACE1 regulates hippocampal and reconstituted M-currents in a β-subunit-like fashion.

Science.gov (United States)

Hessler, Sabine; Zheng, Fang; Hartmann, Stephanie; Rittger, Andrea; Lehnert, Sandra; Völkel, Meike; Nissen, Matthias; Edelmann, Elke; Saftig, Paul; Schwake, Michael; Huth, Tobias; Alzheimer, Christian

2015-02-25

The β-secretase BACE1 is widely known for its pivotal role in the amyloidogenic pathway leading to Alzheimer's disease, but how its action on transmembrane proteins other than the amyloid precursor protein affects the nervous system is only beginning to be understood. We report here that BACE1 regulates neuronal excitability through an unorthodox, nonenzymatic interaction with members of the KCNQ (Kv7) family that give rise to the M-current, a noninactivating potassium current with slow kinetics. In hippocampal neurons from BACE1(-/-) mice, loss of M-current enhanced neuronal excitability. We relate the diminished M-current to the previously reported epileptic phenotype of BACE1-deficient mice. In HEK293T cells, BACE1 amplified reconstituted M-currents, altered their voltage dependence, accelerated activation, and slowed deactivation. Biochemical evidence strongly suggested that BACE1 physically associates with channel proteins in a β-subunit-like fashion. Our results establish BACE1 as a physiologically essential constituent of regular M-current function and elucidate a striking new feature of how BACE1 impacts on neuronal activity in the intact and diseased brain. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/353298-14$15.00/0.

The slow demise of Easter Island: insights from a modelling investigation

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Gunnar eBrandt

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The history of Easter Island and its supposed social-ecological collapse is often taken as a grim warning for the modern world. However, while the loss of a once lush palm forest is largely uncontested, causes and timing of the collapse remain controversial, because many paleoeological and archaeological data are afflicted with considerable uncertainties. According to a scenario named ecocide, the overharvesting of palm trees triggered a dramatic population decline, whereas a contrasting view termed genocide deems diseases and enslavement introduced by Europeans as the main reasons for the collapse. We propose here a third possibility, a slow demise, in which aspects of both ecocide and genocide concur to produce a long and slow decline of the society. We use a dynamic model to illustrate the consequences of the three alternatives with respect to the fate of the paleoecological system of the island.While none of the three model scenarios can be safely ruled out given the uncertainties of the available data, the slow demise appears to be the most plausible model scenario, in particular when considering the temporal pattern of deforestation as inferred from radiocarbon dates of charcoal remains.

ALS Patient Stem Cells for Unveiling Disease Signatures of Motoneuron Susceptibility: Perspectives on the Deadly Mitochondria, ER Stress and Calcium Triad

Science.gov (United States)

Kaus, Anjoscha; Sareen, Dhruv

2015-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a largely sporadic progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting upper and lower motoneurons (MNs) whose specific etiology is incompletely understood. Mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TARDBP/TDP-43) and C9orf72, have been identified in subsets of familial and sporadic patients. Key associated molecular and neuropathological features include ubiquitinated TDP-43 inclusions, stress granules, aggregated dipeptide proteins from mutant C9orf72 transcripts, altered mitochondrial ultrastructure, dysregulated calcium homeostasis, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and an unfolded protein response (UPR). Such impairments have been documented in ALS animal models; however, whether these mechanisms are initiating factors or later consequential events leading to MN vulnerability in ALS patients is debatable. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a valuable tool that could resolve this “chicken or egg” causality dilemma. Relevant systems for probing pathophysiologically affected cells from large numbers of ALS patients and discovering phenotypic disease signatures of early MN susceptibility are described. Performing unbiased ‘OMICS and high-throughput screening in relevant neural cells from a cohort of ALS patient iPSCs, and rescuing mitochondrial and ER stress impairments, can identify targeted therapeutics for increasing MN longevity in ALS. PMID:26635528

Molecular dynamics simulations of sputtering of organic overlayers by slow, large clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rzeznik, L.; Czerwinski, B.; Garrison, B.J.; Winograd, N.; Postawa, Z.

2008-01-01

The ion-stimulated desorption of organic molecules by impact of large and slow clusters is examined using molecular dynamics (MDs) computer simulations. The investigated system, represented by a monolayer of benzene deposited on Ag{1 1 1}, is irradiated with projectiles composed of thousands of noble gas atoms having a kinetic energy of 0.1-20 eV/atom. The sputtering yield of molecular species and the kinetic energy distributions are analyzed and compared to the results obtain for PS4 overlayer. The simulations demonstrate quite clearly that the physics of ejection by large and slow clusters is distinct from the ejection events stimulated by the popular SIMS clusters, like C 60 , Au 3 and SF 5 at tens of keV energies.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Huntington’s Disease

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Mahmoud Kiaei

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is a debilitating and one of the most common adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases with the prevalence of about 5 per 100 000 individuals. It results in the progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons and leads to gradual muscle weakening ultimately causing paralysis and death. ALS has an obscure cause and currently no effective treatment exists. In this review, a potentially important pathway is described that can be activated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ agonists and has the ability to block the neuropathological damage caused by inflammation in ALS and possibly in other neudegenerative diseases like Huntington's disease (HD. Neuroinflammation is a common pathological feature in neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, PPAR-γ agonists are thought to be neuroprotective in ALS and HD. We and others have tested the neuroprotective effect of pioglitazone (Actos, a PPAR-γ agonist, in G93A SOD1 transgenic mouse model of ALS and found significant increase in survival of G93A SOD1 mice. These findings suggest that PPAR-γ may be an important regulator of neuroinflammation and possibly a new target for the development of therapeutic strategies for ALS. The involvement of PPAR-γ in HD is currently under investigation, one study finds that the treatment with rosiglitazone had no protection in R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD. PPAR-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α is a transcriptional coactivator that works together with combination of other transcription factors like PPAR-γ in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis. Therefore, PPAR-γ is a possible target for ALS and HD as it functions as transcription factor that interacts with PGC-1α. In this review, the role of PPAR-γ in ALS and HD is discussed based on the current literature and hypotheses.

Malamih al-Ashwat al-'Arabiyyah wa Makharijaha

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Amrah Muhammad Kasim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This writing discusses on al-ashwat al-‘arabiyyah that is known with “phonetic” term. It talks and interprets makharij al-huruf or place for producing sounds and also processing production of sounds by parts of mouth in Arabic language. The problems of sounds and its systems in Arabic language have been conducted by the scholars of al-ashwat al-‘arabiyyah attractively, neatly, and detail and gotten ahead the phonetic western scholars. Part of their analysis results formulate the study about al-ashwat al-sakinah (al-Shamit is known with vocal and consonant sounds in research questions shawait – shawamit. Ibnu Jinni has formulated “harakat”(wowel in Arabic language and dimension of letter  mad and liyn on alif  letter - waw - ya’ (ا و ي, from these letters create  harakat fathah, dammah, and kasrah. Moreover, in this writing also exist the description of hija’i letters and its makhraj that are correct from parts of mouth and the unity of coordinative sounds that produce sounds in morphemes arrangement, in one word that produces meaning. The result of phonological study has divided al-ashwat to be kinds of sound like the pronounced sounds, produced sounds from mouth, and heard sound.

Low serum insulin-like growth factor I is associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, Anders; Scheike, Thomas Harder; Davidsen, Michael

2002-01-01

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We hypothesize that low IGF-I and high IGFBP-3 levels might be associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD).......Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We hypothesize that low IGF-I and high IGFBP-3 levels might be associated with increased risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD)....

Anal Papilloma: An Exceptional Presentation of Fibrocystic Disease in Anogenital Mammary-Like Glands

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Priya Subashchandrabose

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Previously ectopic breast tissue was thought to be derived from the caudal remnants of the primitive embryonic milk ridges; anogenital mammary-like glands are presently considered as normal constituents of the anogenital region. We report a case of young female, who presented with an anal papilloma. Histopathological examination revealed extensive fibrocystic changes in anogenital mammary-like glands. To date, a lot of benign changes and a wide range of benign and malignant neoplasms have been reported in these glands. However, extensive fibrocystic change of these glands in anal region is very rare. In addition, fibrocystic disease of anal mammary glands, masquerading clinically as an anal papilloma, has not been reported in literature. Hence, it is essential for clinicians and the pathologists to be aware of such a rare presentation. The features of fibrocystic disease in perianal region are also discussed.

Anal Papilloma: An Exceptional Presentation of Fibrocystic Disease in Anogenital Mammary-Like Glands.

Science.gov (United States)

Subashchandrabose, Priya; Esakkai, Muthuvel; Venugopal, Palani; Kannaiyan, Ilavarasan; Srinivasan, Chitra; Reddy, Punuru Tejashwini; Ebenezer, Evelyn Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Previously ectopic breast tissue was thought to be derived from the caudal remnants of the primitive embryonic milk ridges; anogenital mammary-like glands are presently considered as normal constituents of the anogenital region. We report a case of young female, who presented with an anal papilloma. Histopathological examination revealed extensive fibrocystic changes in anogenital mammary-like glands. To date, a lot of benign changes and a wide range of benign and malignant neoplasms have been reported in these glands. However, extensive fibrocystic change of these glands in anal region is very rare. In addition, fibrocystic disease of anal mammary glands, masquerading clinically as an anal papilloma, has not been reported in literature. Hence, it is essential for clinicians and the pathologists to be aware of such a rare presentation. The features of fibrocystic disease in perianal region are also discussed.

Regulated Slow Steaming in Maritime Transport. An Assessment of Options, Costs and Benefits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faber, J.; Nelissen, D. [CE Delft, Delft (Netherlands); Hon, G.; Wang, H. [The International Council for Clean Transportation ICCT, Beijing (China); Tsimplis, M. [University of Southampton, Southampton (United Kingdom)

2012-02-15

This report studies the legal and technical constraints to possible mandatory speed regulation for ships. It also analyses the design of these regulations and the costs and benefits. The report shows that slow steaming has significant environmental benefits, and, in most scenarios, economic benefits as well. Regulated slow steaming is legally feasible and feasible to implement. Regulated slow steaming has a number of advantages: it is the most cost effective way to reduce ship emissions, and if implemented correctly, it is cost free to the shipping industry as a whole and entails marginal incremental logistic and supply chain costs to consumers; regulated slow steaming ensures that emissions in the shipping sector will be reduced, regardless of the fuel price and demand for shipping; a cap on speed would reduce the risk of an otherwise likely spike in emissions if ships were to speed up in response to a recovery in demand; a cap set today around current average ship speeds will have little impact on industry in the short term; and regulated slow steaming is relatively easy to monitor and enforce, and may have a lower administrative burden than some of the recently proposed market-based measures. There are also disadvantages to regulated slow steaming: A restriction on speed reduces market flexibility; because of the perceived loss of market flexibility, regulated slow steaming appears to be widely opposed by shipping companies and shippers; it may not be cost-effective for all ships, on all routes or for all ship types; it reduces the cost-effectiveness of other means of fuel efficiency improvements and may result in less innovation; since it prescribes a specific measure it would run contrary to the goal-based approach to shipping environmental policy favoured in recent years; and while regulated slow steaming, if implemented carefully, need not impose additional costs on the shipping sector as a whole, neither would it raise revenues for use in fighting climate

Lei et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2016) 13(1):45-52 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

PROF ADEWUNMI

Acupuncture is emerging as adjunct therapy for the symptomatic treatment of. RA (Casimiro et al., 2002). Moxibustion, as a kind of external therapy based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has also frequently been used as an effective treatment for a great range of diseases like RA (Camp, 1998) and knee ...

Slow movement execution in event-related potentials (P300).

Science.gov (United States)

Naruse, Kumi; Sakuma, Haruo; Hirai, Takane

2002-02-01

We examined whether slow movement execution has an effect on cognitive and information processing by measuring the P300 component. 8 subjects performed a continuous slow forearm rotational movement using 2 task speeds. Slow (a 30-50% decrease from the subject's Preferred speed) and Very Slow (a 60-80% decrease). The mean coefficient of variation for rotation speed under Very Slow was higher than that under Slow, showing that the subjects found it difficult to perform the Very Slow task smoothly. The EEG score of alpha-1 (8-10 Hz) under Slow Condition was increased significantly more than under the Preferred Condition; however, the increase under Very Slow was small when compared with Preferred. After performing the task. P300 latency under Very Slow increased significantly as compared to that at pretask. Further, P300 amplitude decreased tinder both speed conditions when compared to that at pretask, and a significant decrease was seen under the Slow Condition at Fz, whereas the decrease under the Very Slow Condition was small. These differences indicated that a more complicated neural composition and an increase in subjects' attention might have been involved when the task was performed under the Very Slow Condition. We concluded that slow movement execution may have an influence on cognitive function and may depend on the percentage of decrease from the Preferred speed of the individual.

Obesity and kidney disease: hidden consequences of the epidemic

African Journals Online (AJOL)

for chronic kidney disease (CKD), like diabetes and hypertension, and it has a direct impact .... meta-analysis, kidney cancers had the third highest risk associated with obesity (relative ..... Ellington AA, Malik AR, Klee GG, et al. Association of ...

Effect of the heating rate on the microstructure of in situ Al2O3 particle-reinforced Al matrix composites prepared via displacement reactions in an Al/CuO system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Ge; Shi, Zhiming; Ta, Na; Ji, Guojun; Zhang, Ruiying

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The heating rate has a significant effect on the microstructures of composites. • The microstructure is determined by the diffusion rate of O and Cu in the heating stage. • The diffusion of Cu and O atoms is influenced by the heating rate. • With increasing heating rate, the Al 2 O 3 particle distribution becomes more uniformly. • With increasing heating rate, the form of Al 2 Cu changes from network to block-like. - Abstract: In this study, an in situ Al 2 O 3 particle-reinforced Al(Cu) matrix composite was successfully synthesized using a displacement reaction between Al and CuO powders. The powders were mixed at a weight ratio of 4:1 Al to CuO, cold-pressed and holding time at 900 °C for 1 h using varying heating rates. The effects of the heating rate on the microstructures of the composites were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (MO), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results indicate that all of the composites contain Al, Al 2 O 3 particles and Al 2 Cu phases. Although the heating rate does not significantly affect the phase compositions of the composites, it has a significant effect on their microstructures, most likely because it strongly influences the diffusion rates of the Cu and O atoms. As the heating rate is increased, the Al 2 O 3 particles become more dispersed, and they have a more uniform particle size distribution. Meanwhile, the Al 2 Cu structure transforms from the network (Al + Al 2 Cu) eutectic to the block-like Al 2 Cu phase. The ∼2 μm Al 2 O 3 particles and the block-like Al 2 Cu phase are distributed uniformly in the Al matrix when the sample is placed directly into a 900 °C furnace. This sample has a relative higher Rockwell hardness B (HRB) value of 87

Antibodies to the CFTR modulate the turgor pressure of guard cell protoplasts via slow anion channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, N; Bazin, I; Richaud, P; Marin, E; Vavasseur, A; Forestier, C

2001-04-06

The plasma membrane guard cell slow anion channel is a key element at the basis of water loss control in plants allowing prolonged osmolite efflux necessary for stomatal closure. This channel has been extensively studied by electrophysiological approaches but its molecular identification is still lacking. Recently, we described that this channel was sharing some similarities with the mammalian ATP-binding cassette protein, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel [Leonhardt, N. et al. (1999) Plant Cell 11, 1141-1151]. Here, using the patch-clamp technique and a bioassay, consisting in the observation of the change in guard cell protoplasts volume, we demonstrated that a functional antibody raised against the mammalian CFTR prevented ABA-induced guard cell protoplasts shrinking and partially inhibited the slow anion current. Moreover, this antibody immunoprecipitated a polypeptide from guard cell protein extracts and immunolabeled stomata in Vicia faba leaf sections. These results indicate that the guard cell slow anion channel is, or is closely controlled by a polypeptide, exhibiting one epitope shared with the mammalian CFTR.

Does inactivation of USP14 enhance degradation of proteasomal substrates that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases? [version 1; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations

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Daniel Ortuno

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A common pathological hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the intracellular accumulation of protein aggregates such as α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease, TDP-43 in ALS, and tau in Alzheimer’s disease. Enhancing intracellular clearance of aggregation-prone proteins is a plausible strategy for slowing progression of neurodegenerative diseases and there is great interest in identifying molecular targets that control protein turnover. One of the main routes for protein degradation is through the proteasome, a multisubunit protease that degrades proteins that have been tagged with a polyubiquitin chain by ubiquitin activating and conjugating enzymes. Published data from cellular models indicate that Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14, a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB, slows the degradation of tau and TDP-43 by the proteasome and that an inhibitor of USP14 increases the degradation of these substrates. We conducted similar experiments designed to evaluate tau, TDP-43, or α-synuclein levels in cells after overexpressing USP14 or knocking down endogenous expression by siRNA.

Does inactivation of USP14 enhance degradation of proteasomal substrates that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases? [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Ortuno

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A common pathological hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the intracellular accumulation of protein aggregates such as α-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease, TDP-43 in ALS, and tau in Alzheimer’s disease. Enhancing intracellular clearance of aggregation-prone proteins is a plausible strategy for slowing progression of neurodegenerative diseases and there is great interest in identifying molecular targets that control protein turnover. One of the main routes for protein degradation is through the proteasome, a multisubunit protease that degrades proteins that have been tagged with a polyubiquitin chain by ubiquitin activating and conjugating enzymes. Published data from cellular models indicate that Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14, a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB, slows the degradation of tau and TDP-43 by the proteasome and that an inhibitor of USP14 increases the degradation of these substrates. We conducted similar experiments designed to evaluate tau, TDP-43, or α-synuclein levels in cells after overexpressing USP14 or knocking down endogenous expression by siRNA.

Nerve ultrasound in the differentiation of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with predominant lower motor neuron disease (ALS/LMND).

Science.gov (United States)

Loewenbrück, Kai F; Liesenberg, Julia; Dittrich, Markus; Schäfer, Jochen; Patzner, Beate; Trausch, Beate; Machetanz, Jochen; Hermann, Andreas; Storch, Alexander

2016-01-01

The objective of the study was to investigate nerve ultrasound (US) in comparison to nerve conduction studies (NCS) for differential diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with predominant lower motoneuron disease(ALS/LMND) and multifocal motor neuropathy(MMN). A single-center, prospective, examiner-blinded cross-sectional diagnostic study in two cohorts was carried out. Cohort I: convenience sample of subjects diagnosed with ALS/LMND or MMN (minimal diagnostic criteria:possible ALS (revised EL-Escorial criteria), possible MMN (European Federation of Neurosciences guidelines).Cohort II: consecutive subjects with suspected diagnosis of either ALS/LMND or MMN. Diagnostic US and NCS models were developed based on ROC analysis of 28 different US and 32 different NCS values measured in cohort I. Main outcome criterion was sensitivity/specificity of these models between ALS/LMND and MMN in cohort II.Cohort I consisted of 16 patients with ALS/LMND and 8 patients with MMN. For cohort II, 30 patients were recruited, 8 with ALS/LMND, 5 with MMN, and 17 with other diseases. In cohort I, the three best US measures showed higher mean ± SD areas under the curve than the respective NCS measures (0.99 ± 0.01 vs. 0.79 ± 0.03, pdifferential diagnosis of ALS/LMND and MMN. It might be superior to NCS in the diagnosis of MMN in hospital-admitted patients with this differential diagnosis.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome with autoimmune-like liver disease and enteropathy mimicking celiac disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Veropalumbo, Claudio; Campanozzi, Angelo; De Gregorio, Fabiola; Correra, Antonio; Raia, Valeria; Vajro, Pietro

2015-02-01

Liver abnormalities that normalize during infancy as well an enteropathy are reported in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS). The pathogenesis of both conditions is unknown. We report two SDS cases with autoimmune-like (antismooth muscle and/or antinuclear antibody positivity) liver disease and antigliadin antibody positive inflammatory enteropathy. Hypertransaminasemia did not resolve after immunosuppressive therapy and/or a gluten-free diet. These transient autoimmune phenomena and gut-liver axis perturbations may have played a role in transient SDS hepatopathy and enteropathy. Our report may stimulate other studies to define the relationship between the SDS genetic defect and intestinal permeability as the pathogenic mechanism underlying SDS related liver and intestinal inflammation. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Underpotential and overpotential deposition of Al onto Cu(111 from the AlCl3–EtMeImCl room temperature molten salt

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V. D. JOVIC

2006-04-01

Full Text Available The processes of underpotential (UPD and overpotential (OPD deposition ofAl onto Cu(111, from the room temperature molten salt AlCl3–EtMeImCl of different compositions, has been investigated by the cyclic volatmmetry (CV and potentiostatic pulse techniques. It was shown that the CVs of the UPD are characterized by two sharp peaks, while the potentiostatic cathodic and anodic j–t-transients of this process are characterized by two waves, indicating that the UPD of Al results in the formation of two structures. The first, less dense one,most probably the (sqrt3 x sqrt3 R30 º ordered structure of Al, is formed at a more positive potential of about 200 mV vs. Al, while the second one, a complete momolayer of Al, is formed at about 20 mV vs. Al, just before the reversible potential of Al in these melts (–20mV vs. Al. The OPD of Al was detected at potentials more negative than –30 mV vs. Al, occurring through the progressive 3D nucleation and growth mechanism. Slow surface alloying of Al with Cu was found to occur at a potential close to the reversible potential of Al.

Pathophysiological role of prostaglandin E2-induced up-regulation of the EP2 receptor in motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells and lumbar motor neurons in ALS model mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kosuge, Yasuhiro; Miyagishi, Hiroko; Yoneoka, Yuki; Yoneda, Keiko; Nango, Hiroshi; Ishige, Kumiko; Ito, Yoshihisa

2017-07-04

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective degeneration of motor neurons. The primary triggers for motor neuronal death are still unknown, but inflammation is considered to be an important factor contributing to the pathophysiology of ALS both clinically and in ALS models. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its corresponding four E-prostanoid receptors play a pivotal role in the degeneration of motor neurons in human and transgenic models of ALS. It has also been shown that PGE2-EP2 signaling in glial cells (astrocytes or microglia) promotes motor neuronal death in G93A mice. The present study was designed to investigate the levels of expression of EP receptors in the spinal motor neurons of ALS model mice and to examine whether PGE2 alters the expression of EP receptors in differentiated NSC-34 cells, a motor neuron-like cell line. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that EP2 and EP3 immunoreactivity was localized in NeuN-positive large cells showing the typical morphology of motor neurons in mice. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that the immunoreactivity of EP2 in motor neurons was significantly increased in the early symptomatic stage in ALS model mice. In contrast, the level of EP3 expression remained constant, irrespective of age. In differentiated NSC-34 cells, bath application of PGE2 resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease of MTT reduction. Although PGE2 had no effect on cell survival at concentrations of less than 10 μM, pretreatment with 10 μM PGE2 significantly up-regulated EP2 and concomitantly potentiated cell death induced by 30 μM PGE2. These results suggest that PGE2 is an important effector for induction of the EP2 subtype in differentiated NSC-34 cells, and that not only EP2 up-regulation in glial cells but also EP2 up-regulation in motor neurons plays a pivotal role in the vulnerability of motor neurons in ALS model mice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

Self-regulation of brain rhythms in the precuneus: a novel BCI paradigm for patients with ALS

Science.gov (United States)

Fomina, Tatiana; Lohmann, Gabriele; Erb, Michael; Ethofer, Thomas; Schölkopf, Bernhard; Grosse-Wentrup, Moritz

2016-12-01

Objective. Electroencephalographic (EEG) brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) hold promise in restoring communication for patients with completely locked-in stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, these patients cannot use existing EEG-based BCIs, arguably because such systems rely on brain processes that are impaired in the late stages of ALS. In this work, we introduce a novel BCI designed for patients in late stages of ALS based on high-level cognitive processes that are less likely to be affected by ALS. Approach. We trained two ALS patients via EEG-based neurofeedback to use self-regulation of theta or gamma oscillations in the precuneus for basic communication. Because there is a tight connection between the precuneus and consciousness, precuneus oscillations are arguably generated by high-level cognitive processes, which are less likely to be affected by ALS than processes linked to the peripheral nervous system. Main results. Both patients learned to self-regulate their precuneus oscillations and achieved stable online decoding accuracy over the course of disease progression. One patient achieved a mean online decoding accuracy in a binary decision task of 70.55% across 26 training sessions, and the other patient achieved 59.44% across 16 training sessions. We provide empirical evidence that these oscillations were cortical in nature and originated from the intersection of the precuneus, cuneus, and posterior cingulate. Significance. Our results establish that ALS patients can employ self-regulation of precuneus oscillations for communication. Such a BCI is likely to be available to ALS patients as long as their consciousness supports communication.

Clinical Presentation Resembling Mucosal Disease Associated with 'HoBi'-like Pestivirus in a Field Outbreak.

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, M N; Mósena, A C S; Simões, S V D; Almeida, L L; Pessoa, C R M; Budaszewski, R F; Silva, T R; Ridpath, J F; Riet-Correa, F; Driemeier, D; Canal, C W

2016-02-01

The genus Pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae consists of four recognized species: Bovine viral diarrhoea virus 1 (BVDV-1), Bovine viral diarrhoea virus 2 (BVDV-2), Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and Border disease virus (BDV). Recently, atypical pestiviruses ('HoBi'-like pestiviruses) were identified in batches of contaminated foetal calf serum and in naturally infected cattle with and without clinical symptoms. Here, we describe the first report of a mucosal disease-like clinical presentation (MD) associated with a 'HoBi'-like pestivirus occurring in a cattle herd. The outbreak was investigated using immunohistochemistry, antibody detection, viral isolation and RT-PCR. The sequence and phylogenetic analysis of 5'NCR, N(pro) and E2 regions of the RT-PCR positive samples showed that four different 'HoBi'-like strains were circulating in the herd. The main clinical signs and lesions were observed in the respiratory and digestive systems, but skin lesions and corneal opacity were also observed. MD characteristic lesions and a pestivirus with cytopathic biotype were detected in one calf. The present study is the first report of a MD like presentation associated with natural infection with 'HoBi'-like pestivirus. This report describes the clinical signs and provides a pathologic framework of an outbreak associated with at least two different 'HoBi'-like strains. Based on these observations, it appears that these atypical pestiviruses are most likely underdiagnosed in Brazilian cattle. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Coronal Seismology of Flare-Excited Standing Slow-Mode Waves Observed by SDO/AIA

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tongjiang; Ofman, Leon; Davila, Joseph M.

2016-05-01

Flare-excited longitudinal intensity oscillations in hot flaring loops have been recently detected by SDO/AIA in 94 and 131 Å bandpasses. Based on the interpretation in terms of a slow-mode wave, quantitative evidence of thermal conduction suppression in hot (>9 MK) loops has been obtained for the first time from measurements of the polytropic index and phase shift between the temperature and density perturbations (Wang et al. 2015, ApJL, 811, L13). This result has significant implications in two aspects. One is that the thermal conduction suppression suggests the need of greatly enhanced compressive viscosity to interpret the observed strong wave damping. The other is that the conduction suppression provides a reasonable mechanism for explaining the long-duration events where the thermal plasma is sustained well beyond the duration of impulsive hard X-ray bursts in many flares, for a time much longer than expected by the classical Spitzer conductive cooling. In this study, we model the observed standing slow-mode wave in Wang et al. (2015) using a 1D nonlinear MHD code. With the seismology-derived transport coefficients for thermal conduction and compressive viscosity, we successfully simulate the oscillation period and damping time of the observed waves. Based on the parametric study of the effect of thermal conduction suppression and viscosity enhancement on the observables, we discuss the inversion scheme for determining the energy transport coefficients by coronal seismology.

The diversity of atomic hydrogen in slow rotator early-type galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Lisa M.; Serra, Paolo; Krajnović, Davor; Duc, Pierre-Alain

2018-06-01

We present interferometric observations of H I in nine slow rotator early-type galaxies of the Atlas3D sample. With these data, we now have sensitive H I searches in 34 of the 36 slow rotators. The aggregate detection rate is 32 per cent ± 8 per cent, consistent with the previous work; however, we find two detections with extremely high H I masses, whose gas kinematics are substantially different from what was previously known about H I in slow rotators. These two cases (NGC 1222 and NGC 4191) broaden the known diversity of H I properties in slow rotators. NGC 1222 is a merger remnant with prolate-like rotation and, if it is indeed prolate in shape, an equatorial gas disc; NGC 4191 has two counter-rotating stellar discs and an unusually large H I disc. We comment on the implications of this disc for the formation of 2σ galaxies. In general, the H I detection rate, the incidence of relaxed H I discs, and the H I/stellar mass ratios of slow rotators are indistinguishable from those of fast rotators. These broad similarities suggest that the H I we are detecting now is unrelated to the galaxies' formation processes and was often acquired after their stars were mostly in place. We also discuss the H I non-detections; some of these galaxies that are undetected in H I or CO are detected in other tracers (e.g. FIR fine structure lines and dust). The question of whether there is cold gas in massive galaxies' scoured nuclear cores still needs work. Finally, we discuss an unusual isolated H I cloud with a surprisingly faint (undetected) optical counterpart.

Application of Planar Broadband Slow-Wave Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edvardas Metlevskis

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Different types of planar broadband slow-wave systems are used for designing microwave devices. The papers published by Lithuanian scientists analyze and investigate the models of helical and meander slow-wave systems. The article carefully examines the applications of meander slow-wave systems and presents the areas where similar systems, e.g. mobile devices, RFID, wireless technologies are used and reviewed nowadays. The paper also focuses on the examples of the papers discussing antennas, filters and couplers that contain designed and fabricated meander slow-wave systems.Article in Lithuanian

The lemon balm extract ALS-L1023 inhibits obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in female ovariectomized mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeongjun; Lee, Hyunghee; Lim, Jonghoon; Lee, Haerim; Yoon, Seolah; Shin, Soon Shik; Yoon, Michung

2017-08-01

Increasing evidence indicates that angiogenesis inhibitors regulate obesity. This study aimed to determine whether the lemon balm extract ALS-L1023 inhibits diet-induced obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in female ovariectomized (OVX) mice. OVX mice received a low fat diet (LFD), a high fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with ALS-L1023 (ALS-L1023) for 15 weeks. HFD mice exhibited increases in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) angiogenesis, body weight, VAT mass and VAT inflammation compared with LFD mice. In contrast, all of these effects were reduced in ALS-L1023 mice compared with HFD mice. Serum lipids and liver injury markers were improved in ALS-L1023 mice. Hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammatory cells and collagen levels were lower in ALS-L1023 mice than in HFD mice. ALS-L1023 mice exhibited a tendency to normalize hepatic expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis to levels in LFD mice. ALS-L1023 also induced Akt phosphorylation and increased Nrf2 mRNA expression in livers of obese mice. Our results indicate that the angiogenesis inhibitor ALS-L1023 can regulate obesity, hepatic steatosis and fibro-inflammation, in part through improvement of VAT function, in obese OVX mice. These findings suggest that angiogenesis inhibitors may contribute to alleviation of NAFLD in post-menopausal women with obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Slow, stopped and stored light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welch, G.; Scully, M.

2005-01-01

Light that can been slowed to walking pace could have applications in telecommunications, optical storage and quantum computing. Whether we use it to estimate how far away a thunderstorm is, or simply take it for granted that we can have a conversation with someone on the other side of the world, we all know that light travels extremely fast. Indeed, special relativity teaches us that nothing in the universe can ever move faster than the speed of light in a vacuum: 299 792 458 ms sup - sup 1. However, there is no such limitation on how slowly light can travel. For the last few years, researchers have been routinely slowing light to just a few metres per second, and have recently even stopped it dead in its tracks so that it can be stored for future use. Slow-light has considerable popular appeal, deriving perhaps from the importance of the speed of light in relativity and cosmology. If everyday objects such as cars or people can travel faster than 'slow' light, for example, then it might appear that relativistic effects could be observed at very low speeds. Although this is not the case, slow light nonetheless promises to play an important role in optical technology because it allows light to be delayed for any period of time desired. This could lead to all-optical routers that would increase the bandwidth of the Internet, and applications in optical data storage, quantum information and even radar. (U.K.)

Could Sirtuin Activities Modify ALS Onset and Progression?

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Bor Luen

2017-10-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with a complex etiology. Sirtuins have been implicated as disease-modifying factors in several neurological disorders, and in the past decade, attempts have been made to check if manipulating Sirtuin activities and levels could confer benefit in terms of neuroprotection and survival in ALS models. The efforts have largely focused on mutant SOD1, and while limited in scope, the results were largely positive. Here, the body of work linking Sirtuins with ALS is reviewed, with discussions on how Sirtuins and their activities may impact on the major etiological mechanisms of ALS. Moving forward, it is important that the potentially beneficial effect of Sirtuins in ALS disease onset and progression are assessed in ALS models with TDP-43, FUS, and C9orf72 mutations.

Non-invasive glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor imaging in pancreas with (18)F-Al labeled Cys(39)-exendin-4.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Baoming; Xu, Yuping; Pan, Donghui; Wang, Lizhen; Yang, Runlin; Yu, Chunjing; Wan, Weixing; Wu, Yiwei; Yang, Min

2016-02-26

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is abundantly expressed on beta cells and may be an ideal target for the pancreas imaging. Monitoring the GLP-1R of pancreas could be benefit for understanding the pathophysiology of diabetes. In the present study, (18)F-Al labeled exendin-4 analog, (18)F-Al-NOTA-MAL-Cys(39)-exendin-4, was evaluated for PET imaging GLP-1R in the pancreas. The targeting of (18)F-Al labeled exendin-4 analog was examined in healthy and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Rats were injected with (18)F-Al-NOTA-MAL-Cys(39)-exendin-4 and microPET imaging was performed at 1 h postinjection, followed by ex vivo biodistribution. GLP-1R expression in pancreas was determined through post mortern examinations. The pancreas of healthy rats was readily visualized after administration of (18)F-Al-NOTA-MAL-Cys(39)-exendin-4, whereas the pancreas of diabetic rats, as well as those from rats co-injected with excess of unlabeled peptides, was barely visible by microPET. At 60 min postinjection, the pancreatic uptakes were 1.02 ± 0.15%ID/g and 0.23 ± 0.05%ID/g in healthy and diabetic rats respectively. Under block, the pancreatic uptakes of non-diabetic rats reduced to 0.21 ± 0.07%ID/g at the same time point. Biodistribution data and IHC staining confirmed the findings of the microPET imaging. The favorable preclinical data indicated that (18)F-Al-NOTA-MAL-Cys(39)-exendin-4may be suitable for non-invasive monitoring functional pancreatic beta cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement of projectile-like fragments produced by 80. 6 MeV /sup 16/O on /sup 27/Al

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen-Qing, SHEN; Shu-Zhi, YIN; Zhong-Yan, GUO; Wen-Long, ZHAN; Yong-Tai, ZHU; Gen-Ming, JIN; Wei-Min, QIAO; En-Chiu, WU; Cheng-Lie, JIANG

1985-05-01

The projectile-like fragments produced by 80.6 MeV /sup 16/O on /sup 27/Al were measured using the large area position sensitive ionization chamber. The energy spectra, angular distributions, contour plots of d/sup 2/sigma/d..cap omega..dE in the E-theta plane of the reaction products from Li to Na and the Z-distribution were obtained. The cross sections of the quasi and deep inelastic scattering were introduced. A brief discussion of the experimental results is also given.

Next Generation Sequencing and ALS: known genes, different phenotyphes.

Science.gov (United States)

Campopiano, Rosa; Ryskalin, Larisa; Giardina, Emiliano; Zampatti, Stefania; Busceti, Carla L; Biagioni, Francesca; Ferese, Rosangela; Storto, Marianna; Gambardella, Stefano; Fornai, Francesco

2017-12-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is fatal neurodegenerative disease clinically characterized by upper and lower motor neuron dysfunction resulting in rapidly progressive paralysis and death from respiratory failure. Most cases appear to be sporadic, but 5-10 % of cases have a family history of the disease, and over the last decade, identification of mutations in about 20 genes predisposing to these disorders has provided the means to better understand their pathogenesis. Next Generation sequencing (NGS) is an advanced high-throughput DNA sequencing technology which have rapidly contributed to an acceleration in the discovery of genetic risk factors for both familial and sporadic neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. These strategies allowed to rapidly identify disease-associated variants and genetic risk factors for both familial (fALS) and sporadic ALS (sALS), strongly contributing to the knowledge of the genetic architecture of ALS. Moreover, as the number of ALS genes grows, many of the proteins they encode are in intracellular processes shared with other known diseases, suggesting an overlapping of clinical and phatological features between different diseases. To emphasize this concept, the review focuses on genes coding for Valosin-containing protein (VPC) and two Heterogeneous nuclear RNA-binding proteins (HNRNPA1 and hnRNPA2B1), recently idefied through NGS, where different mutations have been associated in both ALS and other neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of Sm-containing Al-Mn-Si-Fe-Cu alloy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Yuyin

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Optimizing alloy composition is an effective way to improve physical and chemical properties of automobile heat exchanger materials.A Sm-containing Al-Mn-Si-Fe-Cu alloy was investigated through transmission electron microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and electrochemical measurement.Experimental results indicated that main phases distributed in the alloy wereα-Al(Mn,FeSi,Al2Sm and Al10Cu7Sm2.Alloying with Sm element could refine the precipitated α-Al(Mn,FeSi phase.Polarization testing results indicated that the corrosion surfacewas mainly composed of pitting pits and corrosion products.Sea water acetic acid test(SWAAT showed that corrosion loss increased first and then slowed downwith increase of the corrosion time.

Table-like magnetocaloric effect in Gd–Ni–Al amorphous/nanocrystalline composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Qiang; Zhang, Linlin; Du, Juan

2017-01-01

In this work, Gd–Ni–Al amorphous/nanocrystalline composites produced by melt-spinning method with double magnetocaloric effect (MCE) plateaus have been developed. Two MCE plateaus, ∼4.7 J kg −1 K −1 (90–120 K) and ∼3.60 J kg −1 K −1 (250–275 K), were discovered in Gd 80 Ni 11.6 Al 8.4 for a magnetic field change of 0 to 5 T. For Gd 90 Ni 5.8 Al 4.2 , the plateau values are ∼3.90 J kg −1 K −1 (85–120 K) and ∼6.70 J kg −1 K −1 (265–280 K) for a magnetic field change of 0–5 T. The reason why MCE plateau formation was investigated and discussed. These composites having two MCE plateaus are competitive candidates for the ideal Ericsson cycle. (paper)

An amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like syndrome revealing an amyloid polyneuropathy associated with a novel transthyretin mutation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lozeron, Pierre; Lacroix, Catherine; Theaudin, Marie; Richer, Anne; Gugenheim, Michel; Adams, David; Misrahi, Micheline

2013-09-01

Familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP) is typically a predominantly sensory and autonomic neuropathy with progressive and late motor involvement leading to death within 10 years. Recently, prognosis was transformed with liver transplantation. We report an atypical sporadic pure motor and bulbar neuropathy initially mistaken for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a 50-year-old Malian man. The diagnostic procedure of this clinical purely motor and bulbar neuropathy disclosed amyloid deposits on nerve biopsy which led to the identification of a new Val93Met mutation of transthyretin. This case was also remarkable by its slow progression. This report confirms the motor phenotype of TTR-FAP. That should be considered in the differential diagnosis of motor neuron diseases in order to start accurate therapy.

Glossary of ALS-Related Medical and Scientific Terms

Science.gov (United States)

... dyskinesia An involuntary movement including athetosis and chorea. dysphagia Difficulty in swallowing. dystonia A slow movement or ... Paralysis of a muscle or group of muscles. Parkinson's Disease The most common form of Parkinson's is ...

Experimental demonstration of spinor slow light

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Meng-Jung; Ruseckas, Julius; Lee, Chin-Yuan; Kudriašov, Viačeslav; Chang, Kao-Fang; Cho, Hung-Wen; JuzeliÅ«nas, Gediminas; Yu, Ite A.

2016-03-01

Over the last decade there has been a continuing interest in slow and stored light based on the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) effect, because of their potential applications in quantum information manipulation. However, previous experimental works all dealt with the single-component slow light which cannot be employed as a qubit. In this work, we report the first experimental demonstration of two-component or spinor slow light (SSL) using a double tripod (DT) atom-light coupling scheme. The oscillations between the two components, similar to the Rabi oscillation of a two-level system or a qubit, were observed. Single-photon SSL can be considered as two-color qubits. We experimentally demonstrated a possible application of the DT scheme as quantum memory and quantum rotator for the two-color qubits. This work opens up a new direction in the slow light research.

The [sup 26]Al(p,[gamma])[sup 27]Si reaction at low stellar temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Champagne, A E [North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill, NC (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States). Triangle Universities Nuclear Lab.; Brown, B A [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States). National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab.; Sherr, R [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Physics

1993-05-03

Shell-model calculations have been used to predict the locations of states in [sup 27]Si which are analogous to well-studied states in [sup 27]Al. From this, we have determined the resonance properties of the known states in [sup 27]Si near the [sup 26]Al+p threshold. The resulting thermonuclear reaction rate is uncertain by about a factor of ten at low temperatures, but it appears that the [sup 26]Al(p, [gamma])[sup 27]Si reaction is too slow to destroy a significant amount of [sup 26]Al at these temperatures. (orig.)

Effect of subtotal colectomy on gastric emptying of a solid meal in slow-transit constipation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mollen, Roland; Hopman, W.P.M.; Oyen, W.J.G.; Kuijpers, H.H.C.; Edelbroek, M.; Jansen, J.B.M.J.

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic slow-transit constipation is considered a panenteral disease in which patients may have delayed gastric emptying. The effects of total abdominal colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis on upper gut motility are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate gastric emptying in

Soft x-ray amplification in lithium-like Al XI (154 /angstrom/) and Si XII (129 /angstrom/)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, D.; Skinner, C.H.; Wouters, A.; Valeo, E.; Voorhees, D.; Suckewer, S.

1988-03-01

Recent experiments on soft x-ray amplification in lithium-like ions in a CO 2 laser-produced recombining plasma confined in a magnetic field are presented. The maximum gain-length products observed are GL ≅ 3 to 4 for the 154 /angstrom/, 4f-3d transition in Al XI and GL (approxreverse arrowequal/ 1 to 2 for the 129 /angstrom/, 4f-3d transition in Si XII, respectively. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic code with a collisional-radiative atomic model was used to model the plasma and the theoretical predictions of gain agree well with the observations. Descriptions of both hydrodynamic and atomic physics code are given. 36 refs., 10 figs

Decoding ALS: From Genes to Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, J. Paul; Brown, Robert H.; Cleveland, Don W.

2017-01-01

Preface Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disease. A plethora of genetic factors underlying ALS have now been identified that drive motor neuron degeneration, increase susceptibility to the disease, or influence the rate of progression. Emerging themes include dysfunction in RNA metabolism and protein homeostasis, with specific defects in nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress, and impaired dynamics of ribonucleoprotein bodies such as RNA granules that assemble through the process of liquid-liquid phase separation. Extraordinary recent progress in understanding the biology of ALS provides new grounds for optimism that meaningful therapies for ALS will be identified. PMID:27830784

Slow-light effects in photonic crystal membrane lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xue, Weiqi; Yu, Yi; Ottaviano, Luisa

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a systematic investigation of photonic crystal cavity laser operating in the slow-light regime. The dependence of lasing threshold on the effect of slow-light will be particularly highlighted.......In this paper, we present a systematic investigation of photonic crystal cavity laser operating in the slow-light regime. The dependence of lasing threshold on the effect of slow-light will be particularly highlighted....

Are We Prepared in Case of a Possible Smallpox-Like Disease Emergence?

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Victoria A.; Shchelkunov, Sergei N.

2017-01-01

Smallpox was the first human disease to be eradicated, through a concerted vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organization. Since its eradication, routine vaccination against smallpox has ceased, leaving the world population susceptible to disease caused by orthopoxviruses. In recent decades, reports of human disease from zoonotic orthopoxviruses have increased. Furthermore, multiple reports of newly identified poxviruses capable of causing human disease have occurred. These facts raise concerns regarding both the opportunity for these zoonotic orthopoxviruses to evolve and become a more severe public health issue, as well as the risk of Variola virus (the causative agent of smallpox) to be utilized as a bioterrorist weapon. The eradication of smallpox occurred prior to the development of the majority of modern virological and molecular biological techniques. Therefore, there is a considerable amount that is not understood regarding how this solely human pathogen interacts with its host. This paper briefly recounts the history and current status of diagnostic tools, vaccines, and anti-viral therapeutics for treatment of smallpox disease. The authors discuss the importance of further research to prepare the global community should a smallpox-like virus emerge.

Slow potentials in a melody recognition task.

Science.gov (United States)

Verleger, R; Schellberg, D

1990-01-01

In a previous study, slow negative shifts were found in the EEG of subjects listening to well-known melodies. The two experiments reported here were designed to investigate the variables to which these slow potentials are related. In the first experiment, two opposite hypotheses were tested: The slow shifts might express subjects' acquaintance with the melodies or, on the contrary, the effort invested to identify them. To this end, some of the melodies were presented in the rhythms of other melodies to make recognition more difficult. Further, melodies rated as very well-known and as very unknown were analysed separately. However, the slow shifts were not affected by these experimental variations. Therefore in the second experiment, on the one hand the purely physical parameters intensity and duration were varied, but this variation had no impact on the slow shifts either. On the other hand, recognition was made more difficult by monotonously repeating the pitch of the 4th tone for the rest of some melodies. The slow negative shifts were enhanced with these monotonous melodies. This enhancement supports the "effort" hypothesis. Accordingly, the ofter shifts obtained in both experiments might likewise reflect effort. But since the task was not demanding, it is suggested that these constant shifts reflect the effort invested for coping with the entire underarousing situation rather than with the task. Frequently, slow eye movements occurred in the same time range as the slow potentials, resulting in EOG potentials spreading to the EEG recording sites. Yet results did not change substantially when the EEG recordings were corrected for the influence of EOG potentials.

Positron annihilation studies of icosahedral quasicrystals and their approximants in the Al-Cu-Ru-(Si) alloy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, H; Takahashi, T; Arinuma, K; Sato, K; Kanazawa, I; Hamada, E; Suzuki, T; Kirihara, K; Kimura, K

2004-01-01

The positron lifetimes for the icosahedral quasicrystal Al 62.4 Cu 25.4 Ru 12.2 and its cubic approximants (1/ 1-Al 58 Cu 31.5 Ru 10.5 , 1/ 1-Al 68 Cu 7 Ru 17 Si 8 , and 1/0-Al 55 Cu 15 Ru 20 Si 10 ), two-detector coincident Doppler broadening for the icosahedral quasicrystal Al 62.4 Cu 25.4 Ru 12.2 and its 1/ 1-Al 68 Cu 7 Ru 17 Si 8 cubic approximant, and the Doppler broadening obtained by making use of a slow positron beam for the 1/ 1-Al 58 Cu 31.5 Ru 10.5 cubic approximant have been measured. Structurally intrinsic trapping sites giving rise to saturation trapping were detected by lifetime measurements. The chemical environments of the trapping sites in the icosahedral quasicrystal Al 62.4 Cu 25.4 Ru 12.2 and the 1/ 1-Al 68 Cu 7 Ru 17 Si 8 cubic approximant were determined by coincident Doppler broadening techniques to be dominantly surrounded by Al atoms. The positron diffusion length in the 1/ 1-Al 58 Cu 31.5 Ru 10.5 cubic approximant derived from the measured S parameter measured by means of a slow positron beam was ∼ 180 A, which is clearly too short, probably due to the high concentration of trapping sites as described above. The atomic structures of the icosahedral quasicrystal Al 62.4 Cu 25.4 Ru 12.2 and its variety of approximants are discussed and compared to the present proposed model

The role of Toll-like receptors in retinal ischemic diseases

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Wen-Qin Xu; Yu-Sheng Wang

2016-01-01

Toll-like receptors(TLRs) are commonly referred to a series of evolutionary conserved receptors which recognize and respond to various microbes and endogenous ligands.Growing evidence has demonstrated that the expression of TLRs in the retina is regulated during retinal ischemic diseases,including ischemia-reperfusion injury,glaucoma,diabetic retinopathy(DR) and retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).TLRs can be expressed in multiple cells in the retina,such as glial cells,retinal pigment epithelium(RPE),as well as photoreceptor cells and endothelium cells.Activation of TLRs in retina could initiate a complex signal transduction cascade,induce the production of inflammatory cytokines and regulate the level of costimulatory molecules,which play prominent roles in the pathogenesis of retinal ischemic diseases.In this review,we summarized current studies about the relationship between TLRs and ischemic retinopathy.A greater understanding of the effect of TLRs on ischemic injuries may contribute to the development of specific TLR targeted therapeutic strategies in these conditions.

Numerical Simulations of Slow Stick Slip Events with PFC, a DEM Based Code

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, S. H.; Young, R. P.

2017-12-01

Nonvolcanic tremors around subduction zone have become a fascinating subject in seismology in recent years. Previous studies have shown that the nonvolcanic tremor beneath western Shikoku is composed of low frequency seismic waves overlapping each other. This finding provides direct link between tremor and slow earthquakes. Slow stick slip events are considered to be laboratory scaled slow earthquakes. Slow stick slip events are traditionally studied with direct shear or double direct shear experiment setup, in which the sliding velocity can be controlled to model a range of fast and slow stick slips. In this study, a PFC* model based on double direct shear is presented, with a central block clamped by two side blocks. The gauge layers between the central and side blocks are modelled as discrete fracture networks with smooth joint bonds between pairs of discrete elements. In addition, a second model is presented in this study. This model consists of a cylindrical sample subjected to triaxial stress. Similar to the previous model, a weak gauge layer at a 45 degrees is added into the sample, on which shear slipping is allowed. Several different simulations are conducted on this sample. While the confining stress is maintained at the same level in different simulations, the axial loading rate (displacement rate) varies. By varying the displacement rate, a range of slipping behaviour, from stick slip to slow stick slip are observed based on the stress-strain relationship. Currently, the stick slip and slow stick slip events are strictly observed based on the stress-strain relationship. In the future, we hope to monitor the displacement and velocity of the balls surrounding the gauge layer as a function of time, so as to generate a synthetic seismogram. This will allow us to extract seismic waveforms and potentially simulate the tremor-like waves found around subduction zones. *Particle flow code, a discrete element method based numerical simulation code developed by

Dynamics of the exponential integrate-and-fire model with slow currents and adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barranca, Victor J; Johnson, Daniel C; Moyher, Jennifer L; Sauppe, Joshua P; Shkarayev, Maxim S; Kovačič, Gregor; Cai, David

2014-08-01

In order to properly capture spike-frequency adaptation with a simplified point-neuron model, we study approximations of Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) models including slow currents by exponential integrate-and-fire (EIF) models that incorporate the same types of currents. We optimize the parameters of the EIF models under the external drive consisting of AMPA-type conductance pulses using the current-voltage curves and the van Rossum metric to best capture the subthreshold membrane potential, firing rate, and jump size of the slow current at the neuron's spike times. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that, in addition to these quantities, the approximate EIF-type models faithfully reproduce bifurcation properties of the HH neurons with slow currents, which include spike-frequency adaptation, phase-response curves, critical exponents at the transition between a finite and infinite number of spikes with increasing constant external drive, and bifurcation diagrams of interspike intervals in time-periodically forced models. Dynamics of networks of HH neurons with slow currents can also be approximated by corresponding EIF-type networks, with the approximation being at least statistically accurate over a broad range of Poisson rates of the external drive. For the form of external drive resembling realistic, AMPA-like synaptic conductance response to incoming action potentials, the EIF model affords great savings of computation time as compared with the corresponding HH-type model. Our work shows that the EIF model with additional slow currents is well suited for use in large-scale, point-neuron models in which spike-frequency adaptation is important.

Slow-light pulses in moving media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiurasek, J.; Leonhardt, U.; Parentani, R.

2002-01-01

Slow light in moving media reaches a counterintuitive regime when the flow speed of the medium approaches the group velocity of light. Pulses can penetrate a region where a counterpropagating flow exceeds the group velocity. When the counterflow slows down, pulses are reflected

Table-like magnetocaloric effect in Gd{sub 56}Ni{sub 15}Al{sub 27}Zr{sub 2} alloy and its field independence feature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agurgo Balfour, E.; Ma, Z.; Fu, H., E-mail: fuhao@uestc.edu.cn, E-mail: rockingsandstorm@163.com; Wang, L.; Luo, Y. [School of Physical Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Hadimani, R. L.; Jiles, D. C. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States); Wang, S. F., E-mail: fuhao@uestc.edu.cn, E-mail: rockingsandstorm@163.com [North Electronic Device Research Institute, Beijing 100141 (China)

2015-09-28

In order to obtain “table-like” magnetocaloric effect (MCE), multiple-phase Gd{sub 56}Ni{sub 15}Al{sub 27}Zr{sub 2} alloy was prepared by arc-melting followed by suck-casting method. Powder x-ray diffraction and calorimetric measurements reveal that the sample contains both glassy and crystalline phases. The fraction of the glassy phase is about 62%, estimated from the heat enthalpy of the crystallization. The crystalline phases, Gd{sub 2}Al and GdNiAl further broadened the relatively wider magnetic entropy change (−ΔS{sub M}) peak of the amorphous phase, which resulted in the table-like MCE over a maximum temperature range of 52.5 K to 77.5 K. The plateau feature of the MCE was found to be nearly independent of the applied magnetic field from 3 T to 5 T. The maximum −ΔS{sub M} value of the MCE platforms is 6.0 J/kg K under applied magnetic field change of 5 T. Below 3 T, the field independence of the table-like feature disappears. The relatively large constant values of −ΔS{sub M} for the respective applied magnetic fields have promising applications in magnetic refrigeration using regenerative Ericsson cycle.

Theoretical analysis of multiple quantum-well, slow-light devices under applied external fields using a fully analytical model in fractional dimension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kohandani, R; Kaatuzian, H [Photonics Research Laboratory, Electrical Engineering Department, AmirKabir University of Technology, Hafez Ave., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-01-31

We report a theoretical study of optical properties of AlGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum-well (MQW), slow-light devices based on excitonic population oscillations under applied external magnetic and electric fields using an analytical model for complex dielectric constant of Wannier excitons in fractional dimension. The results are shown for quantum wells (QWs) of different width. The significant characteristics of the exciton in QWs such as exciton energy and exciton oscillator strength (EOS) can be varied by application of external magnetic and electric fields. It is found that a higher bandwidth and an appropriate slow-down factor (SDF) can be achieved by changing the QW width during the fabrication process and by applying magnetic and electric fields during device functioning, respectively. It is shown that a SDF of 10{sup 5} is obtained at best. (slowing of light)

Slow-tonic muscle fibers and their potential innervation in the turtle, Pseudemys (Trachemys) scripta elegans.

Science.gov (United States)

Callister, Robert J; Pierce, Patricia A; McDonagh, Jennifer C; Stuart, Douglas G

2005-04-01

fiber type, with the distribution of slow-tonic fibers paralleling that of the SO fibers. In the five test muscles, fiber cross-sectional area was usually ranked Fg > FOG > SO, and slow-twitch always > slow-tonic. In terms of weighted cross-sectional area, which provides a coarse-grain measure of each fiber type's potential contribution to whole muscle force, all five muscles exhibited a higher Fg and lower SO contribution to cross-sectional area than suggested by their corresponding fiber-type prevalence. This was also the case for the slow-twitch vs. slow-tonic fibers. We conclude that slow-tonic fibers are widespread in turtle muscle. The weighted cross-sectional area evidence suggested, however, that their contribution to force generation is minor except in highly oxidative muscles, with a special functional role, like TeC4. There is discussion of: 1) the relationship between the present results and previous work on homologous neck and hindlimb muscles in other nonmammalian species, and 2) the potential motoneuronal innervation of slow-tonic fibers in turtle hindlimb muscles. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Interaction of Mechanical Load with Growth Hormone (GH) and Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) on Slow-Twitch Skeletal Muscle and Bone

Science.gov (United States)

Linderman, Jon K.; Gosselink, Kristin L.; Wang, Tommy J.; Mukku, Venkat R.; Grindeland, Richard E.

1994-01-01

Exogenous humoral growth factors, combined with increased mechanical loading, reportedly induce hypertrophy of fast-, but not slow-twitch skeletal muscles, and have little effect in attenuating atrophy of slow-twitch muscle associated with exposure to microgravity in animals with intact neuroendocrine systems. These observations suggest that anabolic adjuvants and muscle tension do not interact to stimulate growth or maintenance of slow-twitch skeletal muscle. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a chronic increase in mechanical loading (synergistic ablation) or hindlimb unweighting (hindlimb suspension) interact with exogenous GH and IGF-I (Genentech, So San Francisco, CA) in the slow-twitch soleus muscles of female rats (approx. 250 g). Bilateral ablation of the plantaris and gastrocnemius muscles induced 38% and 40% increases in the absolute (mg/pair) and relative (mg/100 g body weight) weights of the soleus, respectively (p less than or = 0.05), in ambulatory rats. GH and IGF-I interacted with chronic loading to increase absolute soleus mass an additional 20% (p less than or = 0.05), and mixed and myofibrillar protein contents an additional 12% and 7%, respectively (NS). In contrast, hindlimb suspension (HLS) resulted in 20% and 18% decreases in the absolute and relative weights of the soleus, respectively (p less than or = 0.05); GH and IGF-I did not spare loss of soleus mass or protein content in HLS rats. HLS decreased tibial plate thickness approx. 11% (p less than or = 0.05), but not weights of the tibia or femus. GH and IGF-I increased tibial plate thickness approx. 30% (p less than or = 0.05), in ambulatory and HLS rats, and increased femur and tibial weights 12% (p less than or = 0.05) and 8% (NS), respectively, in ambulatory rats, but had no effect in HLS rats. Results of the present investigation suggest that GH and IGF-I can stimulate hypertrophy of slow-twitch skeletal muscle when chronically overloaded, but can also stimulate

Investigation of Anderson lattice behavior in Yb1-xLuxAl3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, E.D.; Booth, C.H.; Lawrence, J.M.; Hundley, M.F.; Sarrao, J.L.; Thompson, J.D.; Riseborough, P.S.; Ebihara, T.

2003-01-01

Measurements of magnetic susceptibility χ(T), specific heat C(T), Hall coefficient R H (T), and Yb valence ν = 2 + n f [f-occupation number n f (T) determined from Yb L 3 x-ray absorption measurements] were carried out on single crystals of Yb 1-x Lu x Al 3 . The low temperature anomalies observed in χ(T) and C(T) corresponding to an energy scale T coh ∼ 40 K in the intermediate valence, Kondo lattice compound YbAl 3 are suppressed by Lu concentrations as small as 5% suggesting these low-T anomalies are extremely sensitive to disorder and, therefore, are a true coherence effect. By comparing the temperature dependence of various physical quantities to the predictions of the Anderson Impurity Model, the slow crossover behavior observed in YbAl 3 , in which the data evolve from a low-temperature coherent, Fermi-liquid regime to a high temperature local moment regime more gradually than predicted by the Anderson Impurity Model, appears to evolve to fast crossover behavior at x ∼ 0.7 where the evolution is more rapid than predicted. These two phenomena found in Yb 1-x Lu x Al 3 , i.e., the low-T anomalies and the slow/fast crossover behavior are discussed in relation to recent theories of the Anderson lattice

Efficient Destruction of Pollutants in Water by a Dual-Reaction-Center Fenton-like Process over Carbon Nitride Compounds-Complexed Cu(II)-CuAlO2.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Lai; Yan, Dengbiao; Yu, Guangfei; Cao, Wenrui; Hu, Chun

2018-04-03

Carbon nitride compounds (CN) complexed with the in-situ-produced Cu(II) on the surface of CuAlO 2 substrate (CN-Cu(II)-CuAlO 2 ) is prepared via a surface growth process for the first time and exhibits exceptionally high activity and efficiency for the degradation of the refractory pollutants in water through a Fenton-like process in a wide pH range. The reaction rate for bisphenol A removal is ∼25 times higher than that of the CuAlO 2 . According to the characterization, Cu(II) generation on the surface of CuAlO 2 during the surface growth process results in the marked decrease of the surface oxygen vacancies and the formation of the C-O-Cu bridges between CN and Cu(II)-CuAlO 2 in the catalyst. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the dual reaction centers are produced around the Cu and C sites due to the cation-π interactions through the C-O-Cu bridges in CN-Cu(II)-CuAlO 2 . During the Fenton-like reactions, the electron-rich center around Cu is responsible for the efficient reduction of H 2 O 2 to • OH, and the electron-poor center around C captures electrons from H 2 O 2 or pollutants and diverts them to the electron-rich area via the C-O-Cu bridge. Thus, the catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the refractory pollutant degradation. This study can deepen our understanding on the enhanced Fenton reactivity for water purification through functionalizing with organic solid-phase ligands on the catalyst surface.

Celiac Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Science.gov (United States)

... Table of Contents What are some of the symptoms of celiac disease? Some people with celiac disease may not feel ... skin rash with blisters slowed growth Why are celiac disease symptoms so varied? Researchers are studying the reasons celiac ...

Pulsar slow-down epochs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heintzmann, H.; Novello, M.

1981-01-01

The relative importance of magnetospheric currents and low frequency waves for pulsar braking is assessed and a model is developed which tries to account for the available pulsar timing data under the unifying aspect that all pulsars have equal masses and magnetic moments and are born as rapid rotators. Four epochs of slow-down are distinguished which are dominated by different braking mechanisms. According to the model no direct relationship exists between 'slow-down age' and true age of a pulsar and leads to a pulsar birth-rate of one event per hundred years. (Author) [pt

Construction report of the PF slow-positron source. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enomoto, Atsushi; Kurihara, Toshikazu; Kobayashi, Hitoshi

1993-12-01

The slow positron source utilizing the electron beam of the 2.5 GeV electron beam accelerator which is the synchrotron radiation injector is being constructed. The outline of the project and the present state of construction are reported. As of November, 1993, by injecting the electron beam of about 10 W to the targets for producing positrons, the slow positrons of 4 x 10 4 e + /s has been obtained in the laboratory. Finally, with the electron beam of 30 kW, it is aimed at to obtain the slow positron beam of 2 x 10 9 e + /s. In the slow positron source, the electron beam from the 2.5 GeV linear accelerator is used as the primary beam. This beam is led to the target with electromagnets. Radiation shields were strengthened, and the electrostatic lens system was attached to efficiently extract and send out slow positrons. The conveying system for slow positrons is explained. Primary electron beam, target and moderator for producing slow positrons, the change to continuous current of pulsed slow positron beam and the heightening of luminance of slow positron beam, and the experiment on the utilization of slow positron beam, and the control system for positron conveyance path are reported. (K.I.)

Ion species dependence of the implantation-induced defects in ZnO studied by a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.Q.; Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Naramoto, H.

2007-01-01

In this work, we implanted B + , O + , Al + , and P + ions into ZnO with energy of 50-380 keV and total doses of 4 x 10 15 cm -2 for each ion. The implantation-induced defects and their thermal recovery were studied using a slow positron beam. Vacancy clusters are produced in all the implanted samples. It is found that the thermal recovery of these vacancies induced by different ions shows much difference. In case of B + and Al + -implantation, the vacancy clusters agglomerate to much larger size and might evolve to microvoids during annealing. However, for O + and P + ions, which are heavier than B + and Al + , the vacancies show a much weaker agglomeration process. The mechanism of such difference is discussed. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Long-term follow-up of bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas (BALTOMA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffke, G.; Jost, D.; Stroszcynski, C.; Puls, R.; Schlecht, I.; Felix, R.; Ludwig, W.D.; Hosten, N.

2002-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to describe the findings and the long term follow up of pathologically confirmed bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (BALTOMA) in 6 patients. Methods: CT examinations and conventional radiological examinations were reviewed and compared to describe typical radiological findings and patterns of pulmonary manifestations. It were described the number of lesions and characteristics like presence of airspace consolidation, ground-glass attenuation, bubble-like radio-lucencies, air bronchogram, bronchial dilatation, Infiltration and the long term behaviour of the manifestations. Results: Lesions with a positive air bronchogram, no infiltration of extrapulmonary tissue or extrapulmonary manifestations were revealed as typical findings. Only a slow or no progression of disease was shown in most patients over a term of up to twelve years. Conclusions: The lymphoma of the bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue of the lung is a rare tumor. A positive air bronchogram, a multiplicity of disease, bilateral lesions, a fibrotic transformation of the lung tissue and no growth or only a slow groth over al long term of observation are typical radiological findings. (orig.) [de

Magnon Inflation: Slow Roll with Steep Potentials

CERN Document Server

Adshead, Peter; Burgess, C P; Hayman, Peter; Patil, Subodh P

2016-01-01

We find multi-scalar effective field theories (EFTs) that can achieve a slow inflationary roll despite having a scalar potential that does not satisfy the usual slow-roll condition (d V)^2 << V^2/Mp^2. They evade the usual slow-roll conditions on $V$ because their kinetic energies are dominated by single-derivative terms rather than the usual two-derivative terms. Single derivatives dominate during slow roll and so do not require a breakdown of the usual derivative expansion that underpins calculational control in much of cosmology. The presence of such terms requires some sort of UV Lorentz-symmetry breaking during inflation (besides the usual cosmological breaking). Chromo-natural inflation provides an example of a UV theory that can generate the multi-field single-derivative terms we consider, and we argue that the EFT we find indeed captures the slow-roll conditions for the background evolution for Chromo-natural inflation. We also show that our EFT can be understood as a multi-field generalization ...

Slow-light dynamics in nonlinear periodic waveguides couplers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sukhorukov, A.A.; Ha, S.; Powell, D.A.

2009-01-01

We predict pulse switching and reshaping through nonlinear mixing of two slow-light states with different phase velocities in the same frequency range, and report on the first experimental observation of slow-light tunneling between coupled periodic waveguides.......We predict pulse switching and reshaping through nonlinear mixing of two slow-light states with different phase velocities in the same frequency range, and report on the first experimental observation of slow-light tunneling between coupled periodic waveguides....

Sustainable Development of Slow Fashion Businesses: Customer Value Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sojin Jung

2016-06-01

Full Text Available As an alternative to the prevalent fast fashion model, slow fashion has emerged as a way of enhancing sustainability in the fashion industry, yet how slow fashion can enhance profitability is still largely unknown. Based on a customer value creation framework, this study empirically tested a structural model that specified the slow fashion attributes that contribute to creating perceived customer value, which subsequently increases a consumer’s intention to buy and pay a price premium for slow fashion products. An analysis of 221 U.S. consumer data revealed that delivering exclusive product value is significantly critical in creating customer value for slow fashion, and customer value, in turn, positively affects consumers’ purchase intentions. Further analysis also revealed that different slow fashion attributes distinctively affect customer value. This provides potential strategies on which slow fashion businesses can focus to secure an economically sustainable business model, thereby continuously improving environmental and social sustainability with the slow fashion ideal.

Slowed ageing, welfare, and population problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wareham, Christopher

2015-10-01

Biological studies have demonstrated that it is possible to slow the ageing process and extend lifespan in a wide variety of organisms, perhaps including humans. Making use of the findings of these studies, this article examines two problems concerning the effect of life extension on population size and welfare. The first--the problem of overpopulation--is that as a result of life extension too many people will co-exist at the same time, resulting in decreases in average welfare. The second--the problem of underpopulation--is that life extension will result in too few people existing across time, resulting in decreases in total welfare. I argue that overpopulation is highly unlikely to result from technologies that slow ageing. Moreover, I claim that the problem of underpopulation relies on claims about life extension that are false in the case of life extension by slowed ageing. The upshot of these arguments is that the population problems discussed provide scant reason to oppose life extension by slowed ageing.

Influence of Al addition on phase transformation and thermal stability of nickel silicides on Si(0 0 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Shih-Hsien; Twan, Sheng-Chen; Cheng, Shao-Liang; Lee, Tu; Hu, Jung-Chih; Chen, Lien-Tai; Lee, Sheng-Wei

2014-01-01

Highlights: ► The presence of Al slows down the Ni 2 Si–NiSi phase transformation but significantly promotes the NiSi 2−x Al x formation. ► The behavior of phase transformation strongly depends on the Al concentration of the initial Ni 1−x Al x alloys. ► The Ni 0.91 Al 0.09 /Si system exhibits remarkably improved thermal stability, even after high temperature annealing for 1000 s. ► The relationship between microstructures, electrical property, and thermal stability of Ni(Al) silicides is discussed. -- Abstract: The influence of Al addition on the phase transformation and thermal stability of Ni silicides on (0 0 1)Si has been systematically investigated. The presence of Al atoms is found to slow down the Ni 2 Si–NiSi phase transformation but significantly promote the NiSi 2−x Al x formation during annealing. The behavior of phase transformation strongly depends on the Al concentration of the initial Ni 1−x Al x alloys. Compared to the Ni 0.95 Pt 0.05 /Si and Ni 0.95 Al 0.05 /Si system, the Ni 0.91 Al 0.09 /Si sample exhibits remarkably enhanced thermal stability, even after high temperature annealing for 1000 s. The relationship between microstructures, electrical property, and thermal stability of Ni silicides is discussed to elucidate the role of Al during the Ni 1−x Al x alloy silicidation. This work demonstrated that thermally stable Ni 1−x Al x alloy silicides would be a promising candidate as source/drain (S/D) contacts in advanced complementary metal–oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices

Cotinine halts the advance of Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology and associated depressive-like behavior in Tg6799 mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sagar ePatel

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Alzheimer’s disease (AD is associated with cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms for which there are currently no effective therapies. We have previously reported that cotinine, a natural product obtained from tobacco leaves, prevented memory loss and diminished amyloid-β (Aβ plaque pathology in the transgenic 6799 mice (Tg6799 mice when treated prior to the development of the pathology. We have also shown that cotinine reduces depressive-like behavior in normal and chronically stressed C57BL/6 mice. Here, we extend our previous studies by investigating the effects of cotinine on the progression of AD-like pathology, depressive-like behavior, and the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects in the Tg6799 mice when left untreated until after a more advanced stage of the disease’s development. The results show that vehicle-treated Tg6799 mice displayed an accentuated loss of working memory and an abundant Aβ plaque pathology that were accompanied by higher levels of depressive-like behavior as compared to control littermates. By contrast, prolonged daily cotinine treatment, withheld until after a mid-level progression of AD-like pathology, reduced Aβ levels, Aβ plaques, and depressive-like behavior as well as dramatically improved working memory in Tg6799 mice to levels no different from control littermates. The beneficial effects of cotinine were accompanied by an increase in the expression of the active form of protein kinase B (Akt and the postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95 in the hippocampi and frontal cortices of Tg6799 mice. This suggests that cotinine halts the progression of AD-like pathology while reducing depressive-like behavior by stimulating signaling pathways supporting synaptic plasticity in Tg6799 mice. The potential use of cotinine to treat cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms of AD is discussed.

A Quick Phenotypic Neurological Scoring System for Evaluating Disease Progression in the SOD1-G93A Mouse Model of ALS.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatzipetros, Theo; Kidd, Joshua D; Moreno, Andy J; Thompson, Kenneth; Gill, Alan; Vieira, Fernando G

2015-10-06

The SOD1-G93A transgenic mouse is the most widely used animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At ALS TDI we developed a phenotypic screening protocol, demonstrated in video herein, which reliably assesses the neuromuscular function of SOD1-G93A mice in a quick manner. This protocol encompasses a simple neurological scoring system (NeuroScore) designed to assess hindlimb function. NeuroScore is focused on hindlimb function because hindlimb deficits are the earliest reported neurological sign of disease in SOD1-G93A mice. The protocol developed by ALS TDI provides an unbiased assessment of onset of paresis (slight or partial paralysis), progression and severity of paralysis and it is sensitive enough to identify drug-induced changes in disease progression. In this report, the combination of a detailed manuscript with video minimizes scoring ambiguities and inter-experimenter variability thus allowing for the protocol to be adopted by other laboratories and enabling comparisons between studies taking place at different settings. We believe that this video protocol can serve as an excellent training tool for present and future ALS researchers.

Identifying factors contributing to slow growth in pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Y; Deen, J; Shurson, G C; Wang, L; Chen, C; Keisler, D H; Li, Y Z

2016-05-01

Pigs that grow slower than their contemporaries can cause complications for animal welfare and profitability. This study was conducted to investigate factors that may contribute to slow growth of pigs. Pigs ( = 440) farrowed by 65 sows were monitored from birth to market. Pigs were categorized as slow, average, and fast growers based on market weight adjusted to 170 d of age (slow growers were 125 kg). Blood samples were collected from 48 focal pigs at 9 and 21 wk of age and analyzed for hormone and free AA concentrations. Data were analyzed using the Mixed and Logistic procedures of SAS. Slow-growing pigs accounted for 10% of pigs marketed, average growers accounted for 49% of pigs marketed, and fast growers accounted for 41% of pigs marketed. Compared with fast growers, slow growers were lighter at birth ( ratio = 2.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.19 to 3.96, = 0.01). Litter size and parity of the pigs' dam were not associated with slow growth. These results suggest that low concentrations of IGF-1, insulin, leptin, and AA may contribute to or be associated with slow growth in pigs.

Infra-slow oscillation (ISO of the pupil size of urethane-anaesthetised rats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz Blasiak

Full Text Available Multiplicity of oscillatory phenomena in a range of infra-slow frequencies (<0.01 Hz has been described in mammalian brains at different levels of organisation. The significance and manifestation in physiology and/or behaviour of many brain infra-slow oscillations (ISO remain unknown. Examples of this phenomenon are two types of ISO observed in the brains of urethane-anaesthetised rats: infra-slow, rhythmic changes in the rate of action potential firing in a few nuclei of the subcortical visual system and a sleep-like cycle of activation/deactivation visible in the EEG signal. Because both of these rhythmic phenomena involve brain networks that can influence autonomic nervous system activity, we hypothesised that these two brain ISOs can be reflected by rhythmic changes of pupil size. Thus, in the present study, we used simultaneous pupillography and ECoG recording to verify the hypothesised existence of infra-slow oscillations in the pupil size of urethane-anaesthetised rats. The obtained results showed rhythmic changes in the size of the pupils and rhythmic eyeball movements in urethane-anaesthetised rats. The observed rhythms were characterised by two different dominant components in a range of infra-slow frequencies. First, the long component had a period of ≈ 29 minutes and was present in both the irises and the eyeball movements. Second, the short component had a period of ≈ 2 minutes and was observed only in the rhythmic constrictions and dilations of the pupils. Both ISOs were simultaneously present in both eyes, and they were synchronised between the left and right eye. The long ISO component was synchronised with the cyclic alternations of the brain state, as revealed by rhythmic changes in the pattern of the ECoG signal. Based on the obtained results, we propose a model of interference of ISO present in different brain systems involved in the control of pupil size.

Maternal genetic mutations as gestational and early life influences in producing psychiatric disease-like phenotypes in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgia eGleason

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Risk factors for psychiatric disorders have traditionally been classified as genetic or environmental. Risk (candidate genes, although typically possessing small effects, represent a clear starting point to elucidate downstream cellular/molecular pathways of disease. Environmental effects, especially during development, can also lead to altered behavior and increased risk for disease. An important environmental factor is the mother, demonstrated by the negative effects elicited by maternal gestational stress and altered maternal care. These maternal effects can also have a genetic basis (e.g. maternal genetic variability and mutations. The focus of this review is maternal genotype effects that influence the emotional development of the offspring resulting in life-long psychiatric disease-like phenotypes. We have recently found that genetic inactivation of the serotonin1A receptor (5-HT1AR and the fmr-1 gene (encoding the fragile X mental retardation protein in mouse dams results in psychiatric disease-like phenotypes in their genetically unaffected offspring. 5-HT1AR deficiency in dams results in anxiety and increased stress responsiveness in their offspring. Mice with 5-HT1AR deficient dams display altered development of the hippocampus, which could be linked to their anxiety-like phenotype. Maternal inactivation of fmr-1, like its inactivation in the offspring, results in a hyperactivity-like condition and is associated with receptor alterations in the striatum. These data indicate a high sensitivity of the offspring to maternal mutations and suggest that maternal genotype effects can increase the impact of genetic risk factors in a population by increasing the risk of the genetically normal offspring as well as by enhancing the effects of offspring mutations.

Investigation of structural transformations in the Nb-Ti-Al alloy system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vergasova, L.L.; Volin, Eh.M.; Chizhov, I.N.; Lokshina, A.E.

1975-01-01

There are given the results of investigating the effect of thermal treatment conditions upon the structure, the phase composition and the mechanical characteristic of VN7 alloy from Nb-Ti-Al system. VN7 alloy was investigated in cast, forged, pressed and rolled state to study the β-α-conversion processes at slow cooling from high temperature. It was found out that slow cooling lowers considerably the plastic characteristic and the impact ductility without changing practically the tensile strength values. Higher plastic characteristic of VN7 alloy can be obtained through hastening the cooling process of the intermediate products after annealing at 950-1050 0 C

Influence of high temperature annealing on the structure, hardness and tribological properties of diamond-like carbon and TiAlSiCN nanocomposite coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Z.W.; Wang, L.P.; Wang, X.F.; Huang, L.; Lu, Y.; Yan, J.C.

2011-01-01

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) and TiAlSiCN nanocomposite coatings were synthesized and annealed at different temperatures in a vacuum environment. The microstructure, hardness and tribological properties of as-deposited and annealed DLC-TiAlSiCN nanocomposite coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, nano-indentation and friction tests. The TEM results reveal that the as-deposited DLC-TiAlSiCN coating has a unique nanocomposite structure consisting of TiCN nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix consisting of a-Si 3 N 4 , a-SiC, a-CN and DLC, and the structure changed little after annealing at 800 °C. However, XPS and Raman results show that an obvious graphitization of the DLC phase occurred during the annealing process and it worsened with annealing temperature. Because of the graphitization, the hardness of the DLC-TiAlSiCN coating after annealing at 800 °C decreased from 45 to 36 GPa. In addition, the DLC-TiAlSiCN coating after annealing at 800 °C has a similar friction coefficient to the as-deposited coating.

Beneficial effects of caffeine in a transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease-like tau pathology.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurent, Cyril; Eddarkaoui, Sabiha; Derisbourg, Maxime; Leboucher, Antoine; Demeyer, Dominique; Carrier, Sébastien; Schneider, Marion; Hamdane, Malika; Müller, Christa E; Buée, Luc; Blum, David

2014-09-01

Tau pathology found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is crucial in cognitive decline. Epidemiologic evidences support that habitual caffeine intake prevents memory decline during aging and reduces the risk to develop Alzheimer's disease. So far, experimental studies addressed the impact of caffeine in models mimicking the amyloid pathology of AD. However, in vivo effects of caffeine in a model of AD-like tauopathy remain unknown. Here, we evaluated effects of chronic caffeine intake (0.3 g/L through drinking water), given at an early pathologic stage, in the THY-Tau22 transgenic mouse model of progressive AD-like tau pathology. We found that chronic caffeine intake prevents from the development of spatial memory deficits in tau mice. Improved memory was associated with reduced hippocampal tau phosphorylation and proteolytic fragments. Moreover, caffeine treatment mitigated several proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers found upregulated in the hippocampus of THY-Tau22 animals. Together, our data support that moderate caffeine intake is beneficial in a model of AD-like tau pathology, paving the way for future clinical evaluation in AD patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exploring the genetics and non-cell autonomous mechanisms underlying ALS/FTLD.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hongbo; Kankel, Mark W; Su, Susan C; Han, Steve W S; Ofengeim, Dimitry

2018-03-01

Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was first described in 1874, a flurry of genetic discoveries in the last 10 years has markedly increased our understanding of this disease. These findings have not only enhanced our knowledge of mechanisms leading to ALS, but also have revealed that ALS shares many genetic causes with another neurodegenerative disease, frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD). In this review, we survey how recent genetic studies have bridged our mechanistic understanding of these two related diseases and how the genetics behind ALS and FTLD point to complex disorders, implicating non-neuronal cell types in disease pathophysiology. The involvement of non-neuronal cell types is consistent with a non-cell autonomous component in these diseases. This is further supported by studies that identified a critical role of immune-associated genes within ALS/FTLD and other neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular functions of these genes support an emerging concept that various non-autonomous functions are involved in neurodegeneration. Further insights into such a mechanism(s) will ultimately lead to a better understanding of potential routes of therapeutic intervention. Facts ALS and FTLD are severe neurodegenerative disorders on the same disease spectrum. Multiple cellular processes including dysregulation of RNA homeostasis, imbalance of proteostasis, contribute to ALS/FTLD pathogenesis. Aberrant function in non-neuronal cell types, including microglia, contributes to ALS/FTLD. Strong neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory components are associated with ALS/FTLD patients. Open Questions Why can patients with similar mutations have different disease manifestations, i.e., why do C9ORF72 mutations lead to motor neuron loss in some patients while others exhibit loss of neurons in the frontotemporal lobe? Do ALS causal mutations result in microglial dysfunction and contribute to ALS/FTLD pathology? How do microglia

DMPD: Toll-like receptor (TLR)-based networks regulate neutrophilic inflammation inrespiratory disease. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 18031251 Toll-like receptor (TLR)-based networks regulate neutrophilic inflammation inrespiratory...l) (.csml) Show Toll-like receptor (TLR)-based networks regulate neutrophilic inflammation inrespiratory dis...utrophilic inflammation inrespiratory disease. Authors Sabroe I, Whyte MK. Publication Biochem Soc Trans. 20

sup 26 Al tracer experiment by accelerator mass spectrometry and its application to the studies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobayashi, Koichi (Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology); Yumoto, Sakae; Nagai, Hisao; Hosoyama, Yoshiyuki; Imamura, Mineo; Masuzawa, Shin-ichirou; Koizumi, Yoshinobu; Yamashita, Hiroshi

1990-12-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was applied for {sup 26}Al tracer experiment to study the aluminum toxicity and metabolism in rats. To investigate the cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease, the aluminum incorporation into the brain (cerebrum) was studied by AMS using {sup 26}Al as a tracer. When {sup 26}Al was intraperitoneally injected into rats, a considerable amount of {sup 26}Al was incorporated into the cerebrum after 5-35 days of the injection. (author).

Ostriches sleep like platypuses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John A Lesku

Full Text Available Mammals and birds engage in two distinct states of sleep, slow wave sleep (SWS and rapid eye movement (REM sleep. SWS is characterized by slow, high amplitude brain waves, while REM sleep is characterized by fast, low amplitude waves, known as activation, occurring with rapid eye movements and reduced muscle tone. However, monotremes (platypuses and echidnas, the most basal (or 'ancient' group of living mammals, show only a single sleep state that combines elements of SWS and REM sleep, suggesting that these states became temporally segregated in the common ancestor to marsupial and eutherian mammals. Whether sleep in basal birds resembles that of monotremes or other mammals and birds is unknown. Here, we provide the first description of brain activity during sleep in ostriches (Struthio camelus, a member of the most basal group of living birds. We found that the brain activity of sleeping ostriches is unique. Episodes of REM sleep were delineated by rapid eye movements, reduced muscle tone, and head movements, similar to those observed in other birds and mammals engaged in REM sleep; however, during REM sleep in ostriches, forebrain activity would flip between REM sleep-like activation and SWS-like slow waves, the latter reminiscent of sleep in the platypus. Moreover, the amount of REM sleep in ostriches is greater than in any other bird, just as in platypuses, which have more REM sleep than other mammals. These findings reveal a recurring sequence of steps in the evolution of sleep in which SWS and REM sleep arose from a single heterogeneous state that became temporally segregated into two distinct states. This common trajectory suggests that forebrain activation during REM sleep is an evolutionarily new feature, presumably involved in performing new sleep functions not found in more basal animals.

THE SLOWING DOWN OF THE CORROSION OF ELEMENTS OF THE EQUIPMENT OF HEAVY MET-ALS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES

OpenAIRE

Носачова, Юлія Вікторівна; Ярошенко, М. М.; Корзун, А. О.; КОРОВЧЕНКО, К. С.

2017-01-01

In this article examined the heavy metals ions and their ability to slow down the corrosion process also the impact of ambient temperature on their effectiveness. Solving the problem of corrosion will reduce the impact of large industrial enterprises on the environment and minimize the economic costs. To do this, plants should create a system without a discharge of waste water that is closed recycling systems, which result is a significant reduction in intake of fresh water from natural sourc...

Shallow very-low-frequency earthquakes accompanied with slow slip event along the plate boundary of the Nankai trough

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, M.; Hori, T.; Araki, E.; Kodaira, S.; Ide, S.

2017-12-01

Recent improvements of seismic and geodetic observations have revealed the existence of a new family of slow earthquakes occurring along or close to the plate boundary worldwide. In the viewpoint of the characteristic time scales, the slow earthquakes can be classified into several groups as low-frequency tremor or tectonic tremor (LFT) dominated in several hertz, very-low-frequency earthquake (VLFE) dominated in 10 to 100 s, and short- and long-term slow-slip event (SSE) with durations of days to years. In many cases, these slow earthquakes are accompanied with other types of slow events. However, the events occurring offshore, especially beneath the toe of accretionary prism, are poorly understood because of the difficulty to detect signals. Utilizing the data captured from oceanfloor observation networks which many efforts have recently been taken to develop is necessary to improve our understandings for these events. Here, we investigated CMT analysis of shallow VLFEs using data obtained from DONET oceanfloor observation networks along the Nankai trough, southwest of Japan. We found that shallow VLFEs have almost identical history of moment release with that of synchronous SSE which occurred at the same region recently found by Araki et al. (2017). VLFE sources show updip migrations during the activity, coincident with the migration of SSE source. From these findings we conclude that these slow events share the same fault slip, and VLFE represent high-frequency fluctuations of slip during SSE. This result imply that shallow SSE along the plate interface would have occurred in the background during the shallow VLFE activities repeatedly observed along the Nankai trough, but the SSE was not reported because of difficult detections.

Consequences of evolution: is rhinosinusitis, like otitis media, a unique disease of humans?

Science.gov (United States)

Bluestone, Charles D; Pagano, Anthony S; Swarts, J Douglas; Laitman, Jeffrey T

2012-12-01

We hypothesize that if otitis media is most likely primarily a human disease due to consequences of evolution, rhinosinusitis may also be limited to humans for similar reasons. If otitis media, with its associated hearing loss, occurred in animals in the wild, they probably would have been culled out by predation. Similarly, if rhinosinusitis occurred regularly in animals, they likely would have suffered from severely decreased olfactory abilities, crucial for predator avoidance, and presumably would likewise have been selected against evolutionarily. Thus, both otitis media and rhinosinusitis-common conditions particularly in infants and young children-appear to be essentially human conditions. Their manifestation in our species is likely due to our unique evolutionary trajectory and may be a consequence of adaptations, including adaptations to bipedalism and speech, loss of prognathism, and immunologic and environmental factors.

Slowing Entropy: Instructional Policy Design in New York City, 2011-12. Policy Brief #14-3

Science.gov (United States)

Supovitz, Jonathan

2014-01-01

How do policymakers craft policies, particularly centered on the Common Core State Standards, to be more resilient and less likely to disintegrate during enactment? Researcher Jonathan Supovitz in "Slowing Entropy: Instructional Policy Design in New York City, 2011-12" examines the design of a New York City Department of Education policy…

Human SOD1 ALS Mutations in a Drosophila Knock-In Model Cause Severe Phenotypes and Reveal Dosage-Sensitive Gain- and Loss-of-Function Components.

Science.gov (United States)

Şahin, Aslı; Held, Aaron; Bredvik, Kirsten; Major, Paxton; Achilli, Toni-Marie; Kerson, Abigail G; Wharton, Kristi; Stilwell, Geoff; Reenan, Robert

2017-02-01

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common adult-onset motor neuron disease and familial forms can be caused by numerous dominant mutations of the copper-zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. Substantial efforts have been invested in studying SOD1-ALS transgenic animal models; yet, the molecular mechanisms by which ALS-mutant SOD1 protein acquires toxicity are not well understood. ALS-like phenotypes in animal models are highly dependent on transgene dosage. Thus, issues of whether the ALS-like phenotypes of these models stem from overexpression of mutant alleles or from aspects of the SOD1 mutation itself are not easily deconvolved. To address concerns about levels of mutant SOD1 in disease pathogenesis, we have genetically engineered four human ALS-causing SOD1 point mutations (G37R, H48R, H71Y, and G85R) into the endogenous locus of Drosophila SOD1 (dsod) via ends-out homologous recombination and analyzed the resulting molecular, biochemical, and behavioral phenotypes. Contrary to previous transgenic models, we have recapitulated ALS-like phenotypes without overexpression of the mutant protein. Drosophila carrying homozygous mutations rendering SOD1 protein enzymatically inactive (G85R, H48R, and H71Y) exhibited neurodegeneration, locomotor deficits, and shortened life span. The mutation retaining enzymatic activity (G37R) was phenotypically indistinguishable from controls. While the observed mutant dsod phenotypes were recessive, a gain-of-function component was uncovered through dosage studies and comparisons with age-matched dsod null animals, which failed to show severe locomotor defects or nerve degeneration. We conclude that the Drosophila knock-in model captures important aspects of human SOD1-based ALS and provides a powerful and useful tool for further genetic studies. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Assessing behavioural changes in ALS: cross-validation of ALS-specific measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinto-Grau, Marta; Costello, Emmet; O'Connor, Sarah; Elamin, Marwa; Burke, Tom; Heverin, Mark; Pender, Niall; Hardiman, Orla

2017-07-01

The Beaumont Behavioural Inventory (BBI) is a behavioural proxy report for the assessment of behavioural changes in ALS. This tool has been validated against the FrSBe, a non-ALS-specific behavioural assessment, and further comparison of the BBI against a disease-specific tool was considered. This study cross-validates the BBI against the ALS-FTD-Q. Sixty ALS patients, 8% also meeting criteria for FTD, were recruited. All patients were evaluated using the BBI and the ALS-FTD-Q, completed by a carer. Correlational analysis was performed to assess construct validity. Precision, sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of the BBI when compared to the ALS-FTD-Q, were obtained. The mean score of the whole sample on the BBI was 11.45 ± 13.06. ALS-FTD patients scored significantly higher than non-demented ALS patients (31.6 ± 14.64, 9.62 ± 11.38; p ALS-FTD-Q was observed (r = 0.807, p ALS-FTD-Q. Good construct validity has been further confirmed when the BBI is compared to an ALS-specific tool. Furthermore, the BBI is a more comprehensive behavioural assessment for ALS, as it measures the whole behavioural spectrum in this condition.

New Advances in Molecular Therapy for Muscle Repair after Diseases and Injuries

Science.gov (United States)

2008-04-01

PT, Zhang, CY, Wu, Z, Boss, O et al. (2002). Transcriptional co-activator PGC-1 alpha drives the formation of slow - twitch muscle fibres . Nature...Calcineurin and CaMK signaling pathways in fast -to- slow fiber type transformation of cultured mouse skeletal muscle fibers Xiaodong Mu, PhD The John...Surgery”). 3. Ectopic bone formation in fast and slow skeletal muscle (Meszaros L., “Influence of vascularity on muscle regeneration, fibrosis and

AL Amyloidosis

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Desport Estelle

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Definition of the disease AL amyloidosis results from extra-cellular deposition of fibril-forming monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig light chains (LC (most commonly of lambda isotype usually secreted by a small plasma cell clone. Most patients have evidence of isolated monoclonal gammopathy or smoldering myeloma, and the occurrence of AL amyloidosis in patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma or other B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders is unusual. The key event in the development of AL amyloidosis is the change in the secondary or tertiary structure of an abnormal monoclonal LC, which results in instable conformation. This conformational change is responsible for abnormal folding of the LC, rich in β leaves, which assemble into monomers that stack together to form amyloid fibrils. Epidemiology AL amyloidosis is the most common type of systemic amyloidois in developed countries with an estimated incidence of 9 cases/million inhabitant/year. The average age of diagnosed patients is 65 years and less than 10% of patients are under 50. Clinical description The clinical presentation is protean, because of the wide number of tissues or organs that may be affected. The most common presenting symptoms are asthenia and dyspnoea, which are poorly specific and may account for delayed diagnosis. Renal manifestations are the most frequent, affecting two thirds of patients at presentation. They are characterized by heavy proteinuria, with nephrotic syndrome and impaired renal function in half of the patients. Heart involvement, which is present at diagnosis in more than 50% of patients, leading to restrictive cardiopathy, is the most serious complication and engages prognosis. Diagnostic methods The diagnosis relies on pathological examination of an involved site showing Congo red-positive amyloid deposits, with typical apple-green birefringence under polarized light, that stain positive with an anti-LC antibody by immunohistochemistry and

Different frontal involvement in ALS and PLS revealed by Stroop event-related potentials and reaction times

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Ninfa eAmato

2013-12-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence suggests a link between cognitive and pathological changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS and in frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD. Cognitive deficits have been investigated much less extensively in primary lateral sclerosis (PLS than in ALS. OBJECTIVE: to investigate bioelectrical activity to Stroop test, assessing frontal function, in ALS, PLS and control groups. METHODS: 32 non-demented ALS patients, 10 non-demented PLS patients and 27 healthy subjects were included. Twenty-nine electroencephalography (EEG channels with binaural reference were recorded during covert Stroop task performance, involving mental discrimination of the stimuli and not vocal or motor response. Group effects on event related potentials (ERPs latency were analyzed using statistical multivariate analysis. Topographic analysis was performed using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA. RESULTS: ALS patients committed more errors in the execution of the task but they were not slower, whereas PLS patients did not show reduced accuracy, despite a slowing of reaction times (RTs. The main ERP components were delayed in ALS, but not in PLS, compared with controls. Moreover, RTs speed but not ERP latency correlated with clinical scores. ALS had decreased frontotemporal activity in the P2, P3 and N4 time windows compared to controls. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a different pattern of psychophysiological involvement in ALS compared with PLS. The former is increasingly recognized to be a multisystems disorder, with a spectrum of executive and behavioural impairments reflecting frontotemporal dysfunction. The latter seems to mainly involve the motor system, with largely spared cognitive functions. Moreover, our results suggest that the covert version of the Stroop task used in the present study, may be useful to assess cognitive state in the very advanced stage of the disease, when other cognitive tasks are not

A Fruitful Endeavor: Modeling ALS in the Fruit Fly

Science.gov (United States)

Casci, Ian; Pandey, Udai Bhan

2014-01-01

For over a century Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly, has been instrumental in genetics research and disease modeling. In more recent years, it has been a powerful tool for modeling and studying neurodegenerative diseases, including the devastating and fatal amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The success of this model organism in ALS research comes from the availability of tools to manipulate gene/protein expression in a number of desired cell-types, and the subsequent recapitulation of cellular and molecular phenotypic features of the disease. Several Drosophila models have now been developed for studying the roles of ALS-associated genes in disease pathogenesis that allowed us to understand the molecular pathways that lead to motor neuron degeneration in ALS patients. Our primary goal in this review is to highlight the lessons we have learned using Drosophila models pertaining to ALS research. PMID:25289585

Threshold Characteristics of Slow-Light Photonic Crystal Lasers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xue, Weiqi; Yu, Yi; Ottaviano, Luisa

2016-01-01

The threshold properties of photonic crystal quantum dot lasers operating in the slow-light regime are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Measurements show that, in contrast to conventional lasers, the threshold gain attains a minimum value for a specific cavity length. The experimental...... results are explained by an analytical theory for the laser threshold that takes into account the effects of slow light and random disorder due to unavoidable fabrication imperfections. Longer lasers are found to operate deeper into the slow-light region, leading to a trade-off between slow-light induced...

Addison disease

Science.gov (United States)

Symptoms of Addison disease include: Chronic diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting Darkening of the skin in some places Dehydration Dizziness when standing up Low-grade fever Extreme weakness , fatigue , and slow, sluggish movement Darker ...

El movimiento de comida lenta se opone al de comida rápida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agustín Morales Espinoza

2013-09-01

Full Text Available En 1986 Carlo Petrini fundó el movimiento Slow Food. Desde entonces, como presidente de la agrupación, ha demostrado ser un auténtico líder en el tema de la cultura gastronómica. En 1989 en una reunión celebrada en París, Slow Food adoptó como emblema al caracol y se convirtió en un movimiento internacional. La Slow Food o comida lenta surgió en oposición a la fast food (comida rápida y busca promover la educación del gusto, además pretende redescubrir los aromas y sabores de las cocinas regionales, pues considera que la alimentación es producto de la historia y de las tradiciones de los pueblos.

Potential sustainable slow release fertilizers obtained by mechanochemical activation of layered double hydroxides and K{sub 2}HPO{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borges, Roger; Wypych, Fernando, E-mail: 1roger.borges@gmail.com [Universidade Federal do Parana (UFPR), Curitiba, PR (Brazil); Prevot, Vanessa; Forano, Claude [Universite Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand (France)

2016-07-01

Full text: This study describes the preliminary results on the development of potential sustainable slow-release fertilizer (SSRF), obtained by mechanochemical activation of mixtures of calcined layered double hydroxides (LDH) Mg{sub 2}Al-CO{sub 3} and Mg{sub 2}Fe-CO{sub 3} and K{sub 2}HPO{sub 4}. The effect of LDH temperature of calcination, milling time (using a high-energy balls mill) and LDH:K{sub 2}HPO{sub 4} molar were investigated. The samples were characterized by XRD and FTIR. Phosphate release essays shown that its solubility is reduced, while the solubility of amorphous structures from LDH can be increased, which characterize the expected slow release behavior of a SSRF. (author)

Genetics of Familial and Sporadic ALS

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-27

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Frontotemporal Dementia; Lou Gehrig's Disease; Motor Neuron Disease; Primary Lateral Sclerosis

Slow brushing reduces heat pain in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Liljencrantz, J; Strigo, I; Ellingsen, D M; Krämer, H H; Lundblad, L C; Nagi, S S; Leknes, S; Olausson, H

2017-08-01

C-tactile (CT) afferents are unmyelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptors optimized for signalling affective, gentle touch. In three separate psychophysical experiments, we examined the contribution of CT afferents to pain modulation. In total, 44 healthy volunteers experienced heat pain and CT optimal (slow brushing) and CT sub-optimal (fast brushing or vibration) stimuli. Three different experimental paradigms were used: Concurrent application of heat pain and tactile (slow brushing or vibration) stimulation; Slow brushing, applied for variable duration and intervals, preceding heat pain; Slow versus fast brushing preceding heat pain. Slow brushing was effective in reducing pain, whereas fast brushing or vibration was not. The reduction in pain was significant not only when the CT optimal touch was applied simultaneously with the painful stimulus but also when the two stimuli were separated in time. For subsequent stimulation, the pain reduction was more pronounced for a shorter time interval between brushing and pain. Likewise, the effect was more robust when pain was preceded by a longer duration of brush stimulation. Strong CT-related pain reduction was associated with low anxiety and high calmness scores obtained by a state anxiety questionnaire. Slow brushing - optimal for CT activation - is effective in reducing pain from cutaneous heating. The precise mechanisms for the pain relief are as yet unknown but possible mechanisms include inhibition of nociceptive projection neurons at the level of the dorsal horn as well as analgesia through cortical mechanisms. Slow brushing stimuli - optimal for activation of C-tactile fibres - can reduce pain from cutaneous heating. No such effect was seen with fast brushing or vibration. These observations indicate the role of C-tactile fibres in pain modulation. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Theory of disorder-induced coherent scattering and light localization in slow-light photonic crystal waveguides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M; Hughes, S

2010-01-01

We introduce a theoretical formalism to describe disorder-induced extrinsic scattering in slow light photonic crystal waveguides. This work details and extends the optical scattering theory used in a recent issue of Physics Review Letters (Patterson et al 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 253903) to describe coherent scattering phenomena and successfully explain related experimental measurements. Our presented theory, which combines Green function and coupled mode methods, allows us to self-consistently account for arbitrary multiple scattering for the propagating electric field and recover experimental features such as resonances near the band edge. The technique is fully three-dimensional and can calculate the effects of disorder on the propagating field over thousands of unit cells. As an application of this theory, we explore various sample lengths and disordered instances, and demonstrate the profound effect of multiple scattering in the waveguide transmission. The spectra yield rich features associated with disorder-induced localization and multiple scattering, which are shown to be exacerbated in the slow light propagation regime

Cancer cell-soluble factors reprogram mesenchymal stromal cells to slow cycling, chemoresistant cells with a more stem-like state

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed El-Badawy

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs play different roles in modulating tumor progression, growth, and metastasis. MSCs are recruited to the tumor site in large numbers and subsequently have an important microenvironmental role in modulating tumor progression and drug sensitivity. However, the effect of the tumor microenvironment on MSC plasticity remains poorly understood. Herein, we report a paracrine effect of cancer cells, in which they secrete soluble factors that promote a more stem-like state in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs. Methods The effect of soluble factors secreted from MCF7, Hela, and HepG2 cancer cell lines on BM-MSCs was assessed using a Transwell indirect coculture system. After 5 days of coculture, BM-MSCs were characterized by flow cytometry for surface marker expression, by qPCR for gene expression profile, and by confocal immunofluorescence for marker expression. We then measured the sensitivity of cocultured BM-MSCs to chemotherapeutic agents, their cell cycle profile, and their response to DNA damage. The sphere formation, invasive properties, and in-vivo performance of BM-MSCs after coculture with cancer cells were also measured. Results Indirect coculture of cancer cells and BM-MSCs, without direct cell contact, generated slow cycling, chemoresistant spheroid stem cells that highly expressed markers of pluripotency, cancer cells, and cancer stem cells (CSCs. They also displayed properties of a side population and enhanced sphere formation in culture. Accordingly, these cells were termed cancer-induced stem cells (CiSCs. CiSCs showed a more mesenchymal phenotype that was further augmented upon TGF-β stimulation and demonstrated a high expression of the β-catenin pathway and ALDH1A1. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that MSCs, recruited to the tumor microenvironment in large numbers, may display cellular plasticity, acquire a more stem-like state, and acquire some properties of CSCs upon

Clinical and neuropathological features of ALS/FTD with TIA1 mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsch-Reinshagen, Veronica; Pottier, Cyril; Nicholson, Alexandra M; Baker, Matt; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek R; Krieger, Charles; Sengdy, Pheth; Boylan, Kevin B; Dickson, Dennis W; Mesulam, Marsel; Weintraub, Sandra; Bigio, Eileen; Zinman, Lorne; Keith, Julia; Rogaeva, Ekaterina; Zivkovic, Sasha A; Lacomis, David; Taylor, J Paul; Rademakers, Rosa; Mackenzie, Ian R A

2017-12-07

Mutations in the stress granule protein T-cell restricted intracellular antigen 1 (TIA1) were recently shown to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with or without frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we provide detailed clinical and neuropathological descriptions of nine cases with TIA1 mutations, together with comparisons to sporadic ALS (sALS) and ALS due to repeat expansions in C9orf72 (C9orf72+). All nine patients with confirmed mutations in TIA1 were female. The clinical phenotype was heterogeneous with a range in the age at onset from late twenties to the eighth decade (mean = 60 years) and disease duration from one to 6 years (mean = 3 years). Initial presentation was either focal weakness or language impairment. All affected individuals received a final diagnosis of ALS with or without FTD. No psychosis or parkinsonism was described. Neuropathological examination on five patients found typical features of ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TDP, type B) with anatomically widespread TDP-43 proteinopathy. In contrast to C9orf72+ cases, caudate atrophy and hippocampal sclerosis were not prominent. Detailed evaluation of the pyramidal motor system found a similar degree of neurodegeneration and TDP-43 pathology as in sALS and C9orf72+ cases; however, cases with TIA1 mutations had increased numbers of lower motor neurons containing round eosinophilic and Lewy body-like inclusions on HE stain and round compact cytoplasmic inclusions with TDP-43 immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence failed to demonstrate any labeling of inclusions with antibodies against TIA1. In summary, our TIA1 mutation carriers developed ALS with or without FTD, with a wide range in age at onset, but without other neurological or psychiatric features. The neuropathology was characterized by widespread TDP-43 pathology, but a more restricted pattern of neurodegeneration than C9orf72+ cases. Increased numbers of round eosinophilic and Lewy

Tandem queue with server slow-down

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Miretskiy, D.I.; Scheinhardt, W.R.W.; Mandjes, M.R.H.

2007-01-01

We study how rare events happen in the standard two-node tandem Jackson queue and in a generalization, the socalled slow-down network, see [2]. In the latter model the service rate of the first server depends on the number of jobs in the second queue: the first server slows down if the amount of

Both neurons and astrocytes exhibited tetrodotoxin-resistant metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent spontaneous slow Ca2+ oscillations in striatum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Tamura

Full Text Available The striatum plays an important role in linking cortical activity to basal ganglia outputs. Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs are densely expressed in the medium spiny projection neurons and may be a therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease. The group I mGluRs are known to modulate the intracellular Ca(2+ signaling. To characterize Ca(2+ signaling in striatal cells, spontaneous cytoplasmic Ca(2+ transients were examined in acute slice preparations from transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP in the astrocytes. In both the GFP-negative cells (putative-neurons and astrocytes of the striatum, spontaneous slow and long-lasting intracellular Ca(2+ transients (referred to as slow Ca(2+ oscillations, which lasted up to approximately 200 s, were found. Neither the inhibition of action potentials nor ionotropic glutamate receptors blocked the slow Ca(2+ oscillation. Depletion of the intracellular Ca(2+ store and the blockade of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors greatly reduced the transient rate of the slow Ca(2+ oscillation, and the application of an antagonist against mGluR5 also blocked the slow Ca(2+ oscillation in both putative-neurons and astrocytes. Thus, the mGluR5-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate signal cascade is the primary contributor to the slow Ca(2+ oscillation in both putative-neurons and astrocytes. The slow Ca(2+ oscillation features multicellular synchrony, and both putative-neurons and astrocytes participate in the synchronous activity. Therefore, the mGluR5-dependent slow Ca(2+ oscillation may involve in the neuron-glia interaction in the striatum.

Slow-transit Constipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bharucha, Adil E.; Philips, Sidney F.

2001-08-01

Idiopathic slow-transit constipation is a clinical syndrome predominantly affecting women, characterized by intractable constipation and delayed colonic transit. This syndrome is attributed to disordered colonic motor function. The disorder spans a spectrum of variable severity, ranging from patients who have relatively mild delays in transit but are otherwise indistinguishable from irritable bowel syndrome to patients with colonic inertia or chronic megacolon. The diagnosis is made after excluding colonic obstruction, metabolic disorders (hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia), drug-induced constipation, and pelvic floor dysfunction (as discussed by Wald ). Most patients are treated with one or more pharmacologic agents, including dietary fiber supplementation, saline laxatives (milk of magnesia), osmotic agents (lactulose, sorbitol, and polyethylene glycol 3350), and stimulant laxatives (bisacodyl and glycerol). A subtotal colectomy is effective and occasionally is indicated for patients with medically refractory, severe slow-transit constipation, provided pelvic floor dysfunction has been excluded or treated.

Growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 affect the severity of Graves' disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Cerbo, Alfredo; Pezzuto, Federica; Di Cerbo, Alessandro

2017-01-01

Graves' disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism in iodine-replete countries, is associated with the presence of immunoglobulins G (IgGs) that are responsible for thyroid growth and hyperfunction. In this article, we report the unusual case of a patient with acromegaly and a severe form of Graves' disease. Here, we address the issue concerning the role of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) in influencing thyroid function. Severity of Graves' disease is exacerbated by coexistent acromegaly and both activity indexes and symptoms and signs of Graves' disease improve after the surgical remission of acromegaly. We also discuss by which signaling pathways GH and IGF1 may play an integrating role in regulating the function of the immune system in Graves' disease and synergize the stimulatory activity of Graves' IgGs. Clinical observations have demonstrated an increased prevalence of euthyroid and hyperthyroid goiters in patients with acromegaly.The coexistence of acromegaly and Graves' disease is a very unusual event, the prevalence being Graves' disease associated with acromegaly and show that surgical remission of acromegaly leads to a better control of symptoms of Graves' disease.

Ion species dependence of the implantation-induced defects in ZnO studied by a slow positron beam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Z.Q. [Department of Physics, Wuhan University (China); Maekawa, M.; Kawasuso, A.; Naramoto, H. [Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Takasaki, Gunma (Japan)

2007-07-01

In this work, we implanted B{sup +}, O{sup +}, Al{sup +}, and P{sup +} ions into ZnO with energy of 50-380 keV and total doses of 4 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup -2} for each ion. The implantation-induced defects and their thermal recovery were studied using a slow positron beam. Vacancy clusters are produced in all the implanted samples. It is found that the thermal recovery of these vacancies induced by different ions shows much difference. In case of B{sup +} and Al{sup +}-implantation, the vacancy clusters agglomerate to much larger size and might evolve to microvoids during annealing. However, for O{sup +} and P{sup +} ions, which are heavier than B{sup +} and Al{sup +}, the vacancies show a much weaker agglomeration process. The mechanism of such difference is discussed. (copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Does biodiversity protect humans against infectious disease? Reply

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Chelsea L.; Lafferty, Kevin D.; DeLeo, Giulio; Young, Hillary S.; Hudson, Peter J.; Kuris, Armand M.

2016-01-01

The dilution effect is the sort of idea that everyone wants to be true. If nature protects humans against infectious disease, imagine the implications: nature's value could be tallied in terms of human suffering avoided. This makes a potent argument for conservation, convincing even to those who would otherwise be disinclined to support conservation initiatives. The appeal of the dilution effect has been recognized by others: “the desire to make the case for conservation has led to broad claims regarding the benefits of nature conservation for human health” (Bauch et al. 2015). Randolph and Dobson (2012) were among the first to critique these claims, making the case that promotion of conservation to reduce Lyme disease risk, although well intentioned, was flawed. Along with Randolph and Dobson's critique, there have been several calls for a more nuanced scientific assessment of the relationship between biodiversity and disease transmission (Dunn 2010, Salkeld et al. 2013, Wood and Lafferty 2013, Young et al. 2013). In response, supporters of the dilution effect have instead increased the scope of their generalizations with review papers, press releases, and, like Levi et al. (2015), letters. These responses have been successful; it is not uncommon to read papers that repeat the assertion that biodiversity generally interferes with disease transmission and that conservation will therefore generally benefit human health. Here, we explain how Levi et al. (2015) and other, similar commentaries use selective interpretation and shifting definitions to argue for the generality of the dilution effect hypothesis.

Structure Formation Mechanisms during Solid Ti with Molten Al Interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurevich, L; Pronichev, D; Trunov, M

2016-01-01

The study discuses advantages and disadvantages of previously proposed mechanisms of the formation of structure between solid Ti and molten Al and presents a new mechanism based on the reviewed and experimental data. The previously proposed mechanisms were classified into three groups: mechanisms of precipitation, mechanisms of destruction and mechanisms of chemical interaction between intermetallics and melt. The reviewed mechanisms did not explain the formation of heterogeneous interlayer with globular aluminide particles and thin layers of pure Al, while the present study reveals variation in the solid Ti/molten Al reaction kinetics during various phases of laminated metal-intermetallic composite formation. The proposed mechanism considers formed during composite fabrication thin oxide interlayers between Ti and Al evolution and its impact on the intermetallic compound formation and explains the initial slow rate of intermetallic interlayer formation and its subsequent acceleration when the oxide foils are ruptured. (paper)

Impairments in Motor Neurons, Interneurons and Astrocytes Contribute to Hyperexcitability in ALS: Underlying Mechanisms and Paths to Therapy.

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Do-Ha, Dzung; Buskila, Yossi; Ooi, Lezanne

2018-02-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterised by the loss of motor neurons leading to progressive paralysis and death. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and nerve excitability tests, several clinical studies have identified that cortical and peripheral hyperexcitability are among the earliest pathologies observed in ALS patients. The changes in the electrophysiological properties of motor neurons have been identified in both sporadic and familial ALS patients, despite the diverse etiology of the disease. The mechanisms behind the change in neuronal signalling are not well understood, though current findings implicate intrinsic changes in motor neurons and dysfunction of cells critical in regulating motor neuronal excitability, such as astrocytes and interneurons. Alterations in ion channel expression and/or function in motor neurons has been associated with changes in cortical and peripheral nerve excitability. In addition to these intrinsic changes in motor neurons, inhibitory signalling through GABAergic interneurons is also impaired in ALS, likely contributing to increased neuronal excitability. Astrocytes have also recently been implicated in increasing neuronal excitability in ALS by failing to adequately regulate glutamate levels and extracellular K + concentration at the synaptic cleft. As hyperexcitability is a common and early feature of ALS, it offers a therapeutic and diagnostic target. Thus, understanding the underlying pathways and mechanisms leading to hyperexcitability in ALS offers crucial insight for future development of ALS treatments.

Slow electron contribution to inelastic reflection anisotropy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Podsvirov, O.A.; Kuznetsov, Yu.A.

1980-01-01

Investigated is electron contribution with low energy (up to 1 keV) to the anisotropy of electron inelastic reflection (IRE) from silicon monocrystal (111) within 12-50 keV energy range of primary electrons. Experimental data on IRE anisotropy are presented: delay curves for silicon monocrystal, permitting to separate electrons with the energy up to 1 keV, dependences of IRE anisotropy on the energy of primary electrons for the systems - monocrystalline silicon-amorphous silicon film and delay curves for such systems (film thickness varies from 20 to 2000 A). Suggested is a phenomenologic model, permitting to take into account the contribution of slow electrons to IRE anisotropy: it is supposed, that three groups of electrons take part in the formation of the latter: elastic and inelastic reflected electrons, slow electrons, excited by primary electrons and slow electrons, generated by the reverse flow of the scattered electrons. Contribution of electrons, different by origin, to IRE anisotropy is evaluated in accordance with the experimental data on the basis of this model. It is stated, that slow electrons constitute approximately one half of the IRE anisotropy value, the contribution of both groups of slow electrons being approximately equal

Slow extraction control system of HIRFL-CSR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wufeng; Qiao Weimin; Yuan Youjin; Mao Ruishi; Zhao Tiecheng

2013-01-01

For heavy-ion radiotherapy, HIRFL-CSR (Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou-Cooler Storage Ring) needs a long term uniform ion beam extraction from HIRFL-CSR main ring to high energy beam transport line to meet the requirement of heavy-ion radiotherapy's ion beam. Slow extraction control system uses the synchronous signal of HIRFL-CSR control system's timing system to realize process control. When the synchronous event data of HIRFL-CSR control system's timing system trigger controlling and changing data (frequency value, tune value, voltage value), the waveform generator will generate waveform by frequency value, tune value and voltage value, and will amplify the generated waveform by power amplifier to electrostatic deflector to achieve RF-KO slow extraction. The synchronous event receiver of slow extraction system is designed by using FPGA and optical fiber interface to keep high transmission speed and anti-jamming. HIRFL-CSR's running for heavy-ion radiotherapy and ten thousand seconds long period slow extraction experiments show that slow extraction control system is workable and can meet the requirement of heavy-ion radiotherapy's ion beam. (authors)

Scientists, do it like Al Gore (Italian original version

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pietro Greco

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Human health has currently to face a growing series of global issues. From the spread of HIV/AIDS to a fresh outbreak of tuberculosis, increasingly drug-resistant, the world is witnessing a return, mostly unexpected, of infectious diseases. At the same time, the economic growth in many regions of the globe is generating a sort of “epidemics of wellbeing diseases”: obesity, diabetes, heart disease.

The cryogenic source of slow monochromatic positrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meshkov, I.N.; Pavlov, V.N.; Sidorin, A.O.; Yakovenko, S.L.

2008-01-01

The cryogenic source of slow monochromatic positrons based on the 22 Na isotope has been designed and constructed at JINR. Positrons emitted from radioactive source 22 Na have a very broad energy spectrum up to 0.5 MeV. To generate monochromatic beam of slow positrons the solid neon is used as a moderator. The solid neon allows forming slow positron beam of the energy of 1.2 eV at the spectrum width of 1 eV. The efficiency of moderation is 1 % of total positron flux

A novel acylaminoimidazole derivative, WN1316, alleviates disease progression via suppression of glial inflammation in ALS mouse model.

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Kazunori Tanaka

Full Text Available Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS is an adult-onset motor neuron degenerative disease. Given that oxidative stress and resulting chronic neuronal inflammation are thought to be central pathogenic, anti-oxidative agents and modulators of neuronal inflammation could be potential therapies for ALS. We report here that the novel small molecular compound, 2-[mesityl(methylamino]-N-[4-(pyridin-2-yl-1H-imidazol-2-yl] acetamide trihydrochloride (WN1316 selectively suppresses oxidative stress-induced cell death and neuronal inflammation in the late-stage ALS mice. WN1316 has high blood-brain-barrier permeability and water solubility, and boosts both neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2 which governed glutathione (GSH-related anti-oxidation pathway protecting motor neurons against oxidative injuries. Post-onset oral administration of low dose (1-100 µg/kg/day WN1316 in ALS(SOD1(H46R and ALS(SOD1(G93A mice resulted in sustained improved motor function and post onset survival rate. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed less DNA oxidative damage and motor neuronal inflammation as well as repression of both microgliosis and astrocytosis, concomitant down regulation of interleukin-1β and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and preservation of the motoneurons in anterior horn of lumbar spinal cord and skeletal muscle (quadriceps femoris. Thus, WN1316 would be a novel therapeutic agent for ALS.

Distinct prion-like strains of amyloid beta implicated in phenotypic diversity of Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Mark; Appleby, Brian; Safar, Jiri G

2016-01-01

Vast evidence on human prions demonstrates that variable disease phenotypes, rates of propagation, and targeting of distinct brain structures are determined by unique conformers (strains) of pathogenic prion protein (PrP(Sc)). Recent progress in the development of advanced biophysical tools that inventory structural characteristics of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the brain cortex of phenotypically diverse Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, revealed unique spectrum of oligomeric particles in the cortex of rapidly progressive cases, implicating these structures in variable rates of propagation in the brain, and in distict disease manifestation. Since only ∼30% of phenotypic diversity of AD can be explained by polymorphisms in risk genes, these and transgenic bioassay data argue that structurally distinct Aβ particles play a major role in the diverse pathogenesis of AD, and may behave as distinct prion-like strains encoding diverse phenotypes. From these observations and our growing understanding of prions, there is a critical need for new strain-specific diagnostic strategies for misfolded proteins causing these elusive disorders. Since targeted drug therapy can induce mutation and evolution of prions into new strains, effective treatments of AD will require drugs that enhance clearance of pathogenic conformers, reduce the precursor protein, or inhibit the conversion of precursors into prion-like states.

Relationships between the circadian system and Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dani M Long

Full Text Available Circadian clocks coordinate physiological, neurological, and behavioral functions into circa 24 hour rhythms, and the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian clock oscillations are conserved from Drosophila to humans. Clock oscillations and clock-controlled rhythms are known to dampen during aging; additionally, genetic or environmental clock disruption leads to accelerated aging and increased susceptibility to age-related pathologies. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD, are associated with a decay of circadian rhythms, but it is not clear whether circadian disruption accelerates neuronal and motor decline associated with these diseases. To address this question, we utilized transgenic Drosophila expressing various Amyloid-β (Aβ peptides, which are prone to form aggregates characteristic of AD pathology in humans. We compared development of AD-like symptoms in adult flies expressing Aβ peptides in the wild type background and in flies with clocks disrupted via a null mutation in the clock gene period (per01. No significant differences were observed in longevity, climbing ability and brain neurodegeneration levels between control and clock-deficient flies, suggesting that loss of clock function does not exacerbate pathogenicity caused by human-derived Aβ peptides in flies. However, AD-like pathologies affected the circadian system in aging flies. We report that rest/activity rhythms were impaired in an age-dependent manner. Flies expressing the highly pathogenic arctic Aβ peptide showed a dramatic degradation of these rhythms in tune with their reduced longevity and impaired climbing ability. At the same time, the central pacemaker remained intact in these flies providing evidence that expression of Aβ peptides causes rhythm degradation downstream from the central clock mechanism.

Alzheimer's Disease at a Glance

Science.gov (United States)

... R S T U V W X Y Z Alzheimer’s Disease at a Glance Researchers have explored many ... health approaches for preventing or slowing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there is no strong evidence that ...

Neutron slowing-down time in finite water systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, S.

1981-11-01

The influence of the size of a moderator system on the neutron slowing-down time has been investigated. The experimental part of the study was performed on six cubes of water with side lengths from 8 to 30 cm. Neutrons generated in pulses of about 1 ns width were slowed down from 14 MeV to 1.457 eV. The detection method used was based on registration of gamma radiation from the main capture resonance of indium. The most probable slowing-down times were found to be 778 +- 23 ns and 898 +- 25 ns for the smallest and for the largest cubes, respectively. The corresponding mean slowing-down times were 1205 +- 42 ns and 1311 +- 42 ns. In a separate measurement series the space dependence of the slowing-down time close to the source was studied. These experiments were supplemented by a theoretical calculation which gave an indication of the space dependence of the slowingdown time in finite systems. The experimental results were compared to the slowing-down times obtained from various theoretical approaches and from Monte Carlo calculations. All the methods show a decrease of the slowing-down time with decreasing size of the moderator. This effect was least pronounced in the experimental results, which can be explained by the fact the measurements are spatially dependent. The agreement between the Monte Carlo results and those obtained using the diffusion approximation or the age-diffusion theory is surprisingly good, especially for large systems. The P1 approximation, on the other hand, leads to an overestimation of the effect of the finite size on the slowing-down time. (author)

Serum Levels of Progranulin Do Not Reflect Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels in Neurodegenerative Disease.

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Wilke, Carlo; Gillardon, Frank; Deuschle, Christian; Dubois, Evelyn; Hobert, Markus A; Müller vom Hagen, Jennifer; Krüger, Stefanie; Biskup, Saskia; Blauwendraat, Cornelis; Hruscha, Michael; Kaeser, Stephan A; Heutink, Peter; Maetzler, Walter; Synofzik, Matthis

2016-01-01

Altered progranulin levels play a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's dementia (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), even in the absence of GRN mutations. Increasing progranulin levels could hereby provide a novel treatment strategy. However, knowledge on progranulin regulation in neurodegenerative diseases remains limited. We here demonstrate that cerebrospinal fluid progranulin levels do not correlate with its serum levels in AD, FTD and ALS, indicating a differential regulation of its central and peripheral levels in neurodegeneration. Blood progranulin levels thus do not reliably predict central nervous progranulin levels and their response to future progranulin-increasing therapeutics.

Slow Images and Entangled Photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swordy, Simon

2007-01-01

I will discuss some recent experiments using slow light and entangled photons. We recently showed that it was possible to map a two dimensional image onto very low light level signals, slow them down in a hot atomic vapor while preserving the amplitude and phase of the images. If time remains, I will discuss some of our recent work with time-energy entangled photons for quantum cryptography. We were able to show that we could have a measurable state space of over 1000 states for a single pair of entangled photons in fiber.

Dimethyloxalylglycine may be enhance the capacity of neural-like cells in treatment of Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghasemi Moravej, Fahimeh; Vahabian, Mehrangiz; Soleimani Asl, Sara

2016-06-01

Although using differentiated stem cells is the best proposed option for the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD), an efficient differentiation and cell therapy require enhanced cell survival and homing and decreased apoptosis. It seems that hypoxia preconditioning via Dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG) may increase the capacity of MSC to induce neural like stem cells (NSCs). Furthermore, it can likely improve the viability of NSCs when transplanted into the brain of AD rats. © 2016 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Trialling nutrient recommendations for slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) based on wild feeding ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabana, F; Dierenfeld, E; Wirdateti, W; Donati, G; Nekaris, K A I

2018-02-01

Slow loris (Nycticebus spp.) captive diets have been based on routine and anecdotes rather than scientific fact. The growing body of evidence contradicts the high fruit diet supported by such anecdotes. Non-human primate nutrient requirements are grouped into new (based on the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus) or old world (based on rhesus macaques Macaca mulatta) primates. Slow lorises are known to suffer from many health ailments in captivity such as dental disease, obesity, wasting and kidney issues all of which have been linked to diet. This study aimed to estimate nutrient intake from free-ranging slow lorises and to determine whether this intake can be used as nutrient recommendations. We collected data of nutrient intake, food passage rate and digestibility of captive slow lorises on three diet treatments 1: current captive type diet which is mostly fruits, 2: wild-type diet made only of food items from their natural diet, 3: new diet made to reflect wild slow loris nutrient intake. In order to validate our nutrient recommendations, diets 2 and 3 would have to be significantly different to Diet 1 in terms of nutrients, but not different from each other. Captive diets were significantly higher in soluble carbohydrates and lower in minerals and fibre fractions than both diets 2 and 3. Diets 2 and 3 led to a significantly increased food passage time and to more effective fibre and calcium digestion compared to Diet 1. We also observed obese individuals lost weight and underweight individuals gained weight. Our nutrient recommendations have been validated by our trials, and new or old world monkey nutrient recommendations are not consistent with our results. Diets should be high in protein and fibre and low in soluble carbohydrates and fats. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.