Stage line diagram: an age-conditional reference diagram for tracking development.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Buuren, S.; Ooms, J.C.L.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a method for calculating stage line diagrams, a novel type of reference diagram useful for tracking developmental processes over time. Potential fields of applications include: dentistry (tooth eruption), oncology (tumor grading, cancer staging), virology (HIV infection and

Identifying Stable Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Normalisation in Gene Expression Studies of Narrow-Leafed Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L..

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Candy M Taylor

Full Text Available Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR is currently one of the most popular, high-throughput and sensitive technologies available for quantifying gene expression. Its accurate application depends heavily upon normalisation of gene-of-interest data with reference genes that are uniformly expressed under experimental conditions. The aim of this study was to provide the first validation of reference genes for Lupinus angustifolius (narrow-leafed lupin, a significant grain legume crop using a selection of seven genes previously trialed as reference genes for the model legume, Medicago truncatula. In a preliminary evaluation, the seven candidate reference genes were assessed on the basis of primer specificity for their respective targeted region, PCR amplification efficiency, and ability to discriminate between cDNA and gDNA. Following this assessment, expression of the three most promising candidates [Ubiquitin C (UBC, Helicase (HEL, and Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTB] was evaluated using the NormFinder and RefFinder statistical algorithms in two narrow-leafed lupin lines, both with and without vernalisation treatment, and across seven organ types (cotyledons, stem, leaves, shoot apical meristem, flowers, pods and roots encompassing three developmental stages. UBC was consistently identified as the most stable candidate and has sufficiently uniform expression that it may be used as a sole reference gene under the experimental conditions tested here. However, as organ type and developmental stage were associated with greater variability in relative expression, it is recommended using UBC and HEL as a pair to achieve optimal normalisation. These results highlight the importance of rigorously assessing candidate reference genes for each species across a diverse range of organs and developmental stages. With emerging technologies, such as RNAseq, and the completion of valuable transcriptome data sets, it is possible that other

An ultra-stable iodine-based frequency reference for space applications

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Schuldt, Thilo; Braxmaier, Claus; Doeringshoff, Klaus; Keetman, Anja; Reggentin, Matthias; Kovalchuk, Evgeny; Peters, Achim

2012-07-01

Future space missions require for ultra-stable optical frequency references. Examples are the gravitational wave detector LISA/eLISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), the SpaceTime Asymmetry Research (STAR) program, the aperture-synthesis telescope Darwin and the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) follow on mission exploring Earth's gravity. As high long-term frequency stability is required, lasers stabilized to atomic or molecular transitions are preferred, also offering an absolute frequency reference. Frequency stabilities in the 10 ^{-15} domains at longer integration times (up to several hours) are demonstrated in laboratory experiments using setups based on Doppler-free spectroscopy. Such setups with a frequency stability comparable to the hydrogen maser in the microwave domain, have the potential to be developed space compatible on a relatively short time scale. Here, we present the development of ultra-stable optical frequency references based on modulation-transfer spectroscopy of molecular iodine. Noise levels of 2\\cdot10 ^{-14} at an integration time of 1 s and below 3\\cdot10 ^{-15} at integration times between 100 s and 1000 s are demonstrated with a laboratory setup using an 80 cm long iodine cell in single-pass configuration in combination with a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser and standard optical components and optomechanic mounts. The frequency stability at longer integration times is (amongst other things) limited by the dimensional stability of the optical setup, i.e. by th pointing stability of the two counter-propagating beams overlapped in the iodine cell. With the goal of a future space compatible setup, a compact frequency standard on EBB (elegant breadboard) level was realized. The spectroscopy unit utilizes a baseplate made of Clearceram-HS, a glass ceramics with an ultra-low coefficient of thermal expansion of 2\\cdot10 ^{-8} K ^{-1}. The optical components are joint to the baseplate using adhesive bonding technology

Time-Dependent Selection of an Optimal Set of Sources to Define a Stable Celestial Reference Frame

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Le Bail, Karine; Gordon, David

2010-01-01

Temporal statistical position stability is required for VLBI sources to define a stable Celestial Reference Frame (CRF) and has been studied in many recent papers. This study analyzes the sources from the latest realization of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF2) with the Allan variance, in addition to taking into account the apparent linear motions of the sources. Focusing on the 295 defining sources shows how they are a good compromise of different criteria, such as statistical stability and sky distribution, as well as having a sufficient number of sources, despite the fact that the most stable sources of the entire ICRF2 are mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. Nevertheless, the selection of a stable set is not unique: studying different solutions (GSF005a and AUG24 from GSFC and OPA from the Paris Observatory) over different time periods (1989.5 to 2009.5 and 1999.5 to 2009.5) leads to selections that can differ in up to 20% of the sources. Observing, recording, and network improvement are some of the causes, showing better stability for the CRF over the last decade than the last twenty years. But this may also be explained by the assumption of stationarity that is not necessarily right for some sources.

Reference line-pair values of panoramic radiographs using an arch-form phantom stand to assess clinical image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Da Hye; Choi, Bo Ram; Huh, Kyung Hoe; Heo, Min Suk; Choi, Soon Chul; Choi, Jin Woo; Yi, Won Jin; Lee, Sam Sun

2013-01-01

This study was performed to suggest reference line-pair values of panoramic images with clinically desirable qualities using an arch-form phantom stand. The line-pair test phantom was chosen. A real skull model was selected for setting the arch-form model of the phantom stand. The phantom stand had slits in four regions (incisor, premolar, molar, TMJ). Four raw images of the test phantom in each region and one raw image of the real skull were converted into 50 test phantom images and 50 skull phantom images with various line-pair values. 50 post-processed real skull phantom images were divided into 4 groups and were randomly submitted to 14 evaluators. Image quality was graded on a 4 point scale (1. good, 2. normal, 3. poor but interpretable, and 4. not interpretable). The reference line pair was determined as the first line-pair value scored less than 2 points. The mean scores tended to decrease as the line-pair values increased. The reference line-pair values were 3.19 LP/mm in the incisor, 2.32 LP/mm in the premolar and TMJ, and 1.88 LP/mm in the molar region. Image quality evaluation methods and criteria should be able to assess various regions considering the characteristics of panoramic systems. This study suggested overall and regional reference line-pair values and established a set of standard values for them.

Reference line-pair values of panoramic radiographs using an arch-form phantom stand to assess clinical image quality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Da Hye; Choi, Bo Ram; Huh, Kyung Hoe; Heo, Min Suk; Choi, Soon Chul [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jin Woo [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, College of Dentistry, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Yi, Won Jin; Lee, Sam Sun [Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, BK21 Craniomaxillofacial Life Science, and Dental Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2013-03-15

This study was performed to suggest reference line-pair values of panoramic images with clinically desirable qualities using an arch-form phantom stand. The line-pair test phantom was chosen. A real skull model was selected for setting the arch-form model of the phantom stand. The phantom stand had slits in four regions (incisor, premolar, molar, TMJ). Four raw images of the test phantom in each region and one raw image of the real skull were converted into 50 test phantom images and 50 skull phantom images with various line-pair values. 50 post-processed real skull phantom images were divided into 4 groups and were randomly submitted to 14 evaluators. Image quality was graded on a 4 point scale (1. good, 2. normal, 3. poor but interpretable, and 4. not interpretable). The reference line pair was determined as the first line-pair value scored less than 2 points. The mean scores tended to decrease as the line-pair values increased. The reference line-pair values were 3.19 LP/mm in the incisor, 2.32 LP/mm in the premolar and TMJ, and 1.88 LP/mm in the molar region. Image quality evaluation methods and criteria should be able to assess various regions considering the characteristics of panoramic systems. This study suggested overall and regional reference line-pair values and established a set of standard values for them.

Establishment and Evaluation of Stable Cell Lines Inhibiting Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus by RNA Interference

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Yuan-xing Gu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi has been proved to be a powerful tool for foot-and-mouth disease virus FMDV inhibition in vitro and in vivo. We established five stable baby hamster kidney 21 cell lines (BHK-21 containing five short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs expression plasmids (p3D1shRNA, p3D2shRNA, p3D3shRNA, p3D4shRNA, and p3D5shRNA targeting 3D gene of FMDV. Immunofluorescent assay, virus titration, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR were conducted to detect the effect of shRNAs on FMDV replication. After challenged with FMDV of O/CHA/99, two cell lines (p3D1shRNA and p3D4shRNA showed a significant reduction in the synthesis of viral protein and RNA, accompanied by a sharp decrease in viral yield, and the inhibition could last for at least thirty passages. We developed an efficient procedure for the establishment and evaluation of stable cell lines for anti-FMDV research based on RNAi technology, which can be a candidate method for anti-FMDV research.

Preparation of Proper Immunogen by Cloning and Stable Expression of cDNA coding for Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Marker CD34 in NIH-3T3 Mouse Fibroblast Cell Line

Science.gov (United States)

Shafaghat, Farzaneh; Abbasi-Kenarsari, Hajar; Majidi, Jafar; Movassaghpour, Ali Akbar; Shanehbandi, Dariush; Kazemi, Tohid

2015-01-01

Purpose: Transmembrane CD34 glycoprotein is the most important marker for identification, isolation and enumeration of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). We aimed in this study to clone the cDNA coding for human CD34 from KG1a cell line and stably express in mouse fibroblast cell line NIH-3T3. Such artificial cell line could be useful as proper immunogen for production of mouse monoclonal antibodies. Methods: CD34 cDNA was cloned from KG1a cell line after total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis. Pfu DNA polymerase-amplified specific band was ligated to pGEMT-easy TA-cloning vector and sub-cloned in pCMV6-Neo expression vector. After transfection of NIH-3T3 cells using 3 μg of recombinant construct and 6 μl of JetPEI transfection reagent, stable expression was obtained by selection of cells by G418 antibiotic and confirmed by surface flow cytometry. Results: 1158 bp specific band was aligned completely to reference sequence in NCBI database corresponding to long isoform of human CD34. Transient and stable expression of human CD34 on transfected NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast cells was achieved (25% and 95%, respectively) as shown by flow cytometry. Conclusion: Cloning and stable expression of human CD34 cDNA was successfully performed and validated by standard flow cytometric analysis. Due to murine origin of NIH-3T3 cell line, CD34-expressing NIH-3T3 cells could be useful as immunogen in production of diagnostic monoclonal antibodies against human CD34. This approach could bypass the need for purification of recombinant proteins produced in eukaryotic expression systems. PMID:25789221

Identification of stable reference genes in differentiating human pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmgren, Gustav; Ghosheh, Nidal; Zeng, Xianmin; Bogestål, Yalda; Sartipy, Peter; Synnergren, Jane

2015-06-01

Reference genes, often referred to as housekeeping genes (HKGs), are frequently used to normalize gene expression data based on the assumption that they are expressed at a constant level in the cells. However, several studies have shown that there may be a large variability in the gene expression levels of HKGs in various cell types. In a previous study, employing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) subjected to spontaneous differentiation, we observed that the expression of commonly used HKG varied to a degree that rendered them inappropriate to use as reference genes under those experimental settings. Here we present a substantially extended study of the HKG signature in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC), including nine global gene expression datasets from both hESC and human induced pluripotent stem cells, obtained during directed differentiation toward endoderm-, mesoderm-, and ectoderm derivatives. Sets of stably expressed genes were compiled, and a handful of genes (e.g., EID2, ZNF324B, CAPN10, and RABEP2) were identified as generally applicable reference genes in hPSCs across all cell lines and experimental conditions. The stability in gene expression profiles was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis. Taken together, the current results suggest that differentiating hPSCs have a distinct HKG signature, which in some aspects is different from somatic cell types, and underscore the necessity to validate the stability of reference genes under the actual experimental setup used. In addition, the novel putative HKGs identified in this study can preferentially be used for normalization of gene expression data obtained from differentiating hPSCs. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Establishment and evaluation of a stable cattle type II alveolar epithelial cell line.

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Feng Su

Full Text Available Macrophages and dendritic cells are recognized as key players in the defense against mycobacterial infection. Recent research has confirmed that alveolar epithelial cells (AECs also play important roles against mycobacterium infections. Thus, establishing a stable cattle AEC line for future endogenous immune research on bacterial invasion is necessary. In the present study, we first purified and immortalized type II AECs (AEC II cells by transfecting them with a plasmid containing the human telomerase reverse trancriptase gene. We then tested whether or not the immortalized cells retained the basic physiological properties of primary AECs by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Finally, we tested the secretion capacity of immortalized AEC II cells upon stimulation by bacterial invasion. The cattle type II alveolar epithelial cell line (HTERT-AEC II that we established retained lung epithelial cell characteristics: the cells were positive for surfactants A and B, and they secreted tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in response to bacterial invasion. Thus, the cell line we established is a potential tool for research on the relationship between AECs and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

New Organic Stable Isotope Reference Materials for Distribution through the USGS and the IAEA

Science.gov (United States)

Schimmelmann, Arndt; Qi, Haiping

2014-05-01

The widespread adoption of relative stable isotope-ratio measurements in organic matter by diverse scientific disciplines is at odds with the dearth of international organic stable isotopic reference materials (RMs). Only two of the few carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) organic RMs, namely L-glutamic acids USGS40 and USGS41 [1], both available from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), provide an isotopically contrasting pair of organic RMs to enable essential 2-point calibrations for δ-scale normalization [2, 3]. The supply of hydrogen (H) organic RMs is even more limited. Numerous stable isotope laboratories have resorted to questionable practices, for example by using 'CO2, N2, and H2 reference gas pulses' for isotopic calibrations, which violates the principle of identical treatment of sample and standard (i.e., organic unknowns should be calibrated directly against chemically similar organic RMs) [4], or by using only 1 anchor instead of 2 for scale calibration. The absence of international organic RMs frequently serves as an excuse for indefensible calibrations. In 2011, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funded an initiative of 10 laboratories from 7 countries to jointly develop much needed new organic RMs for future distribution by the USGS and the IAEA. The selection of targeted RMs attempts to cover various common compound classes of broad technical and scientific interest. We had to accept compromises to approach the ideal of high chemical stability, lack of toxicity, and low price of raw materials. Hazardous gases and flammable liquids were avoided in order to facilitate international shipping of future RMs. With the exception of polyethylene and vacuum pump oil, all organic RMs are individual, chemically-pure substances, which can be used for compound-specific isotopic measurements in conjunction with liquid and gas chromatographic interfaces. The compounds listed below are under isotopic calibration by

NChina16: A stable geodetic reference frame for geological hazard studies in North China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guoquan; Bao, Yan; Gan, Weijun; Geng, Jianghui; Xiao, Gengru; Shen, Jack S.

2018-04-01

We have developed a stable North China Reference Frame 2016 (NChina16) using five years of continuous GPS observations (2011.8-2016.8) from 12 continuously operating reference stations (CORS) fixed to the North China Craton. Applications of NChina16 in landslide and subsidence studies are illustrated in this article. A method for realizing a regional geodetic reference frame is introduced. The primary result of this study is the seven parameters for transforming Cartesian ECEF (Earth-Centered, Earth-Fixed) coordinates X, Y, and Z from the International GNSS Service Reference Frame 2008 (IGS08) to NChina16. The seven parameters include the epoch that is used to align the regional reference frame to IGS08 and the time derivatives of three translations and three rotations. The GIPSY-OASIS (V6.4) software package was used to obtain the precise point positioning (PPP) daily solutions with respect to IGS08. The frame stability of NChina16 is approximately 0.5 mm/year in both horizontal and vertical directions. This study also developed a regional model for correcting seasonal motions superimposed into the vertical component of the GPS-derived displacement time series. Long-term GPS observations (1999-2016) from five CORS in North China were used to develop the seasonal model. According to this study, the PPP daily solutions with respect to NChina16 could achieve 2-3 mm horizontal accuracy and 4-5 mm vertical accuracy after being modified by the regional model. NChina16 will be critical to study geodynamic problems in North China, such as earthquakes, faulting, subsidence, and landslides. The regional reference frame will be periodically updated every few years to mitigate degradation of the frame with time and be synchronized with the update of IGS reference frame.

Development of a stable cell line with an intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis for screening environmental chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Christina T.; Beames, Burton; Alex Merrick, B.; Martin, Negin; Romeo, Charles; Jetten, Anton M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We developed a stable cell line with intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis. • The ERRα repressor, XCT790, down regulates this pathway. • Phytoestrogen, genisten stimulates this pathway. - Abstract: The estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) play critical roles in the control of several physiological functions, including the regulation of genes involved in energy homeostasis. However, little is known about the ability of environmental chemicals to disrupt or modulate this important bioenergetics pathway in humans. The goal of this study was to develop a cell-based assay system with an intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis that could be used as a screening assay for detecting such chemicals. To this end, we successfully generated several stable cell lines expressing PGC-1α and showed that the reporter driven by the native ERRα hormone response unit (AAB-Luc) is active in these cell lines and that the activation is PGC-1α-dependent. Furthermore, we show that this activation can be blocked by the ERRα selective inverse agonist, XCT790. In addition, we find that genistein and bisphenol A further stimulate the reporter activity, while kaempferol has minimal effect. These cell lines will be useful for identifying environmental chemicals that modulate this important pathway

Development of a stable cell line with an intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis for screening environmental chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teng, Christina T., E-mail: teng1@niehs.nih.gov [DNTP, BioMolecular Screening Branch, Division, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Beames, Burton; Alex Merrick, B. [DNTP, BioMolecular Screening Branch, Division, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Martin, Negin; Romeo, Charles [DIR, Viral Core Lab, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States); Jetten, Anton M. [DIR Laboratory of Respiratory Biology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (United States)

2014-02-07

Highlights: • We developed a stable cell line with intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis. • The ERRα repressor, XCT790, down regulates this pathway. • Phytoestrogen, genisten stimulates this pathway. - Abstract: The estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα) and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) play critical roles in the control of several physiological functions, including the regulation of genes involved in energy homeostasis. However, little is known about the ability of environmental chemicals to disrupt or modulate this important bioenergetics pathway in humans. The goal of this study was to develop a cell-based assay system with an intact PGC-1α/ERRα axis that could be used as a screening assay for detecting such chemicals. To this end, we successfully generated several stable cell lines expressing PGC-1α and showed that the reporter driven by the native ERRα hormone response unit (AAB-Luc) is active in these cell lines and that the activation is PGC-1α-dependent. Furthermore, we show that this activation can be blocked by the ERRα selective inverse agonist, XCT790. In addition, we find that genistein and bisphenol A further stimulate the reporter activity, while kaempferol has minimal effect. These cell lines will be useful for identifying environmental chemicals that modulate this important pathway.

Analysis of human protein replacement stable cell lines established using snoMEN-PR vector.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Motoharu Ono

Full Text Available The study of the function of many human proteins is often hampered by technical limitations, such as cytotoxicity and phenotypes that result from overexpression of the protein of interest together with the endogenous version. Here we present the snoMEN (snoRNA Modulator of gene ExpressioN vector technology for generating stable cell lines where expression of the endogenous protein can be reduced and replaced by an exogenous protein, such as a fluorescent protein (FP-tagged version. SnoMEN are snoRNAs engineered to contain complementary sequences that can promote knock-down of targeted RNAs. We have established and characterised two such partial protein replacement human cell lines (snoMEN-PR. Quantitative mass spectrometry was used to analyse the specificity of knock-down and replacement at the protein level and also showed an increased pull-down efficiency of protein complexes containing exogenous, tagged proteins in the protein replacement cell lines, as compared with conventional co-expression strategies. The snoMEN approach facilitates the study of mammalian proteins, particularly those that have so far been difficult to investigate by exogenous expression and has wide applications in basic and applied gene-expression research.

Economic Outcomes of First-Line Regimen Switching Among Stable Patients with HIV.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenblatt, Lisa; Buikema, Ami R; Seare, Jerry; Bengtson, Lindsay G S; Johnson, Jonathan; Cao, Feng; Villasis-Keever, Angelina

2017-07-01

Although switching of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a valid approach for addressing treatment failure in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), ART changes among those who are well maintained on their current regimens may lead to the development of new side effects or resistance. To examine the effect of first-line regimen switching on subsequent health care utilization and cost among stable HIV patients. This was a retrospective claims data study of adult patients with HIV who initiated ART between 2007 and 2013 and had been treated with their initial regimens for at least 6 continuous months. Those with evidence of pregnancy or HIV-2 were excluded. Patients who underwent an ART change were assigned to a switcher cohort; a nonswitcher cohort was then generated by matching up to 20 nonswitchers for each switcher, with replacement. The index date was the date of the first ART change for switchers and was the claim date closest to the corresponding switcher's switch date for nonswitchers. Patient characteristics at baseline and post-index annualized health care utilization and costs were analyzed descriptively and with multivariable models. Analyses were performed in the full population and among patients designated as virologically stable (had undetectable viral ribonucleic acid [RNA] for 90 days pre-index) and virologically and clinically stable (had undetectable viral RNA and no apparent clinical reason for switching ART). The study population consisted of 6,983 individuals, which included 927 switchers (168 virologically stable; 55 virologically+clinically stable), who were matched with replacement with 18,511 nonswitcher comparators. The switcher cohort was 88.8% male (mean age 43.8 years). Mean preindex and follow-up treatment durations for switchers and nonswitchers were 1.8 years and 1.5 years, respectively; demographic characteristics, pre-index treatment duration, and follow-up duration were similar between cohorts. Significantly more

Platinum stable isotope analysis of geological standard reference materials by double-spike MC-ICPMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Creech, J B; Baker, J A; Handler, M R; Bizzarro, M

2014-01-10

We report a method for the chemical purification of Pt from geological materials by ion-exchange chromatography for subsequent Pt stable isotope analysis by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) using a 196 Pt- 198 Pt double-spike to correct for instrumental mass bias. Double-spiking of samples was carried out prior to digestion and chemical separation to correct for any mass-dependent fractionation that may occur due to incomplete recovery of Pt. Samples were digested using a NiS fire assay method, which pre-concentrates Pt into a metallic bead that is readily dissolved in acid in preparation for anion-exchange chemistry. Pt was recovered from anion-exchange resin in concentrated HNO 3 acid after elution of matrix elements, including the other platinum group elements (PGE), in dilute HCl and HNO 3 acids. The separation method has been calibrated using a precious metal standard solution doped with a range of synthetic matrices and results in Pt yields of ≥90% with purity of ≥95%. Using this chemical separation technique, we have separated Pt from 11 international geological standard reference materials comprising of PGE ores, mantle rocks, igneous rocks and one sample from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary layer. Pt concentrations in these samples range from ca. 5 ng g -1 to 4 μg g -1 . This analytical method has been shown to have an external reproducibility on δ 198 Pt (permil difference in the 198 Pt/ 194 Pt ratio from the IRMM-010 standard) of ±0.040 (2 sd) on Pt solution standards (Creech et al., 2013, J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 28, 853-865). The reproducibility in natural samples is evaluated by processing multiple replicates of four standard reference materials, and is conservatively taken to be ca. ±0.088 (2 sd). Pt stable isotope data for the full set of reference materials have a range of δ 198 Pt values with offsets of up to 0.4‰ from the IRMM-010 standard, which are readily resolved with this technique. These

A novel approach for craniofacial symmetry evaluation: Using the midsagittal Reference line drawn from “Crista Gali” with NHP technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morteza Ordobazari

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Please cite this article as: Ordobazari M, Naqavi Al-Hosseini AA, Zafarmand H. A novel approach for craniofacial symmetry evaluation: Using the midsagittal Reference line drawn from “Crista Gali” with NHP technique. Novel Biomed 2013;1(2:48-53.Background and objective: The purpose of this study was the determination of midsagittal reference line (MSL for craniofacial asymmetry assessment by drawing a line from Crista gali parallel to the true vertical line in PA cephalometry, using Natural Head Position (NHP technique.Method and Materials: 60 Iranian subjects within the age range of 9-13 years old were selected for this prospective study. Patients referred for orthodontic treatment and ghad no supernumerary or missing teeth, no skeletal anomaly, or any history of orthodontic and jaw surgery with normal occlusion. Posteroanterior cephalometric radiographs (PA Ceph were taken of all subjects with NHP technique. The midsagittal line was also traced parallel to the hanging chain from Crista gali. True horizontal line (THL and true vertical line (TVL were also traced from Crista gali (Cg. Using Cartesian system based upon Cg point (0~0, the craniofacial symmetry was assessed with linear, angular and proportional measurements in PA cephalogam, related to TVL and THL lines, for 10 bilateral (R&L anatomical landmarks. The mean differences of the above measurements in left and right sides were analyzed by T- test.Results: The proportional ratios for all left and right measurements were not statistically significant. This was true for both vertical and horizontal distances. The significant level for MSL drawn from Cg as referred to ANS (0±0.255 and Me points (0.007±0.527 was 0.002 and 0.004, respectively.Conclusion: In posteroanterior cephalometry radiographs taken with NHP method, the MSL drawn from Crista gali is reproducible and reliable up to 96% of the times for facial symmetry diagnosis.

Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) with Standard Reference Line for the Analysis of Stainless Steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Hongbo; Dong, Fengzhong; Wang, Huadong; Jia, Junwei; Ni, Zhibo

2017-08-01

In this work, calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) is used to analyze a certified stainless steel sample. Due to self-absorption of the spectral lines from the major element Fe and the sparse lines of trace elements, it is usually not easy to construct the Boltzmann plots of all species. A standard reference line method is proposed here to solve this difficulty under the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium so that the same temperature value for all elements present into the plasma can be considered. Based on the concentration and rich spectral lines of Fe, the Stark broadening of Fe(I) 381.584 nm and Saha-Boltzmann plots of this element are used to calculate the electron density and the plasma temperature, respectively. In order to determine the plasma temperature accurately, which is seriously affected by self-absorption, a pre-selection procedure for eliminating those spectral lines with strong self-absorption is employed. Then, one spectral line of each element is selected to calculate its corresponding concentration. The results from the standard reference lines with and without self-absorption of Fe are compared. This method allows us to measure trace element content and effectively avoid the adverse effects due to self-absorption.

Nicotine, acetanilide and urea multi-level2H-,13C- and15N-abundance reference materials for continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Schimmelmann, A.; Albertino, A.; Sauer, P.E.; Qi, H.; Molinie, R.; Mesnard, F.

2009-01-01

Accurate determinations of stable isotope ratios require a calibration using at least two reference materials with different isotopic compositions to anchor the isotopic scale and compensate for differences in machine slope. Ideally, the S values of these reference materials should bracket the isotopic range of samples with unknown S values. While the practice of analyzing two isotopically distinct reference materials is common for water (VSMOW-SLAP) and carbonates (NBS 19 and L-SVEC), the lack of widely available organic reference materials with distinct isotopic composition has hindered the practice when analyzing organic materials by elemental analysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). At present only L-glutamic acids USGS40 and USGS41 satisfy these requirements for ??13C and ??13N, with the limitation that L-glutamic acid is not suitable for analysis by gas chromatography (GC). We describe the development and quality testing of (i) four nicotine laboratory reference materials for on-line (i.e. continuous flow) hydrogen reductive gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (GC-IRMS), (ii) five nicotines for oxidative C, N gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS, or GC-IRMS), and (iii) also three acetanilide and three urea reference materials for on-line oxidative EA-IRMS for C and N. Isotopic off-line calibration against international stable isotope measurement standards at Indiana University adhered to the 'principle of identical treatment'. The new reference materials cover the following isotopic ranges: ??2Hnicotine -162 to -45%o, ??13Cnicotine -30.05 to +7.72%, ?? 15Nnicotine -6.03 to +33.62%; ??15N acetanilide +1-18 to +40.57%; ??13Curea -34.13 to +11.71%, ??15Nurea +0.26 to +40.61% (recommended ?? values refer to calibration with NBS 19, L-SVEC, IAEA-N-1, and IAEA-N-2). Nicotines fill a gap as the first organic nitrogen stable isotope reference materials for GC-IRMS that are available with different ??13N

Characterization of human lymphoid cell lines GM9947 and GM9948 as intra- and interlaboratory reference standards for DNA typing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fregeau, C.J.; Elliott, J.C.; Fourney, R.M. [RCMP Central Forensic Laboratory, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)] [and others

1995-07-20

The incorporation of reference DNA is crucial to the validation of any DNA typing protocol. Currently, reference DNA standards are restricted to molecular size DNA ladders and/or tumor cell line DNA. Either of these, however, presents some limitations. We have rigorously characterized two Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized human lymphoid cell lines-GM9947 (female) and GM9948 (male)-to determine their suitability as alternative in-line standards for three widely employed allele profiling strategies. Twenty-one highly polymorphic VNTR-based allelic systems (7 RFLPs, 2 AmpFLPs, and 12 STRs) distributed over 12 chromosomes were scrutinized along with 3 gender-based discriminatory systems. The genetic stability of each locus was confirmed over a period of 225 in vitro population doublings. Allele size estimates and degree of informativeness for each of the 21 VNTR systems were compiled. The reproducibility of allele scoring by traditional RFLP analyses, using both cell lines as reference standards, was also verified by an interlaboratory validation study involving 13 analysts from two geographically distinct forensic laboratories. Taken together, our data indicate that GM9947 and GM9948 genomic DNAs could be adopted as reliable reference standards for DNA typing. 82 refs., 3 figs., 8 tabs.

High Precision Zinc Stable Isotope Measurement of Certified Biological Reference Materials Using the Double Spike Technique and Multiple Collector-ICP-MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Rebekah E T; Larner, Fiona; Coles, Barry J; Rehkämper, Mark

2017-04-01

Biological reference materials with well-characterised stable isotope compositions are lacking in the field of 'isotope biochemistry', which seeks to understand bodily processes that rely on essential metals by determining metal stable isotope ratios. Here, we present Zn stable isotope data for six biological reference materials with certified trace metal concentrations: fish muscle, bovine muscle, pig kidney, human hair, human blood serum and human urine. Replicate analyses of multiple aliquots of each material achieved reproducibilities (2sd) of 0.04-0.13‰ for δ 66/64 Zn (which denotes the deviation of the 66 Zn/ 64 Zn ratio of a sample from a pure Zn reference material in parts per 1000). This implies only very minor isotopic heterogeneities within the samples, rendering them suitable as quality control materials for Zn isotope analyses. This endorsement is reinforced by (i) the close agreement of our Zn isotope data for two of the samples (bovine muscle and human blood serum) to previously published results for different batches of the same material and (ii) the similarity of the isotopic data for the samples (δ 66/64 Zn ≈ -0.8 to 0.0‰) to previously published Zn isotope results for similar biological materials. Further tests revealed that the applied Zn separation procedure is sufficiently effective to enable accurate data acquisition even at low mass resolving power (M/ΔM ≈ 400), as measurements and analyses conducted at much higher mass resolution (M/ΔM ≈ 8500) delivered essentially identical results.

A new high-quality set of singly (H-2) and doubly (H-2 and O-18) stable isotope labeled reference waters for biomedical and other isotope-labeled research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faghihi, V.; Verstappen-Dumoulin, B. M. A. A.; Jansen, H. G.; van Dijk, G.; Aerts-Bijma, A. T.; Kerstel, E. R. T.; Groening, M.; Meijer, H. A. J.

2015-01-01

RATIONALE: Research using water with enriched levels of the rare stable isotopes of hydrogen and/or oxygen requires well-characterized enriched reference waters. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did have such reference waters available, but these are now exhausted. New reference waters

Rapid development of stable transgene CHO cell lines by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated site-specific integration into C12orf35.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Menglin; Wang, Jiaxian; Luo, Manyu; Luo, Han; Zhao, Meiqi; Han, Lei; Zhang, Mengxiao; Yang, Hui; Xie, Yueqing; Jiang, Hua; Feng, Lei; Lu, Huili; Zhu, Jianwei

2018-07-01

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most widely used mammalian hosts for recombinant protein production. However, by conventional random integration strategy, development of a high-expressing and stable recombinant CHO cell line has always been a difficult task due to the heterogenic insertion and its caused requirement of multiple rounds of selection. Site-specific integration of transgenes into CHO hot spots is an ideal strategy to overcome these challenges since it can generate isogenic cell lines with consistent productivity and stability. In this study, we investigated three sites with potential high transcriptional activities: C12orf35, HPRT, and GRIK1, to determine the possible transcriptional hot spots in CHO cells, and further construct a reliable site-specific integration strategy to develop recombinant cell lines efficiently. Genes encoding representative proteins mCherry and anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody were targeted into these three loci respectively through CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Stable cell lines were generated successfully after a single round of selection. In comparison with a random integration control, all the targeted integration cell lines showed higher productivity, among which C12orf35 locus was the most advantageous in both productivity and cell line stability. Binding affinity and N-glycan analysis of the antibody revealed that all batches of product were of similar quality independent on integrated sites. Deep sequencing demonstrated that there was low level of off-target mutations caused by CRISPR/Cas9, but none of them contributed to the development process of transgene cell lines. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of C12orf35 as the target site for exogenous gene integration, and strongly suggested that C12orf35 targeted integration mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 is a reliable strategy for the rapid development of recombinant CHO cell lines.

An evaluation of potential reference genes for stability of expression in two salmonid cell lines after infection with either Piscirickettsia salmonis or IPNV

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Bols Niels C

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Due to the limited number of species specific antibodies against fish proteins, differential gene expression analyses are vital for the study of host immune responses. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR is one of the most powerful tools for this purpose. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the method will depend on the careful selection of genes whose expression are stable and can be used as internal controls for a particular experimental setting. Findings The expression stability of five commonly used housekeeping genes [beta-actin (ACTB, elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1A, ubiquitin (UBQ, glyceraldehyd-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH and tubulin alpha (TUBA] were monitored in salmonid cell lines CHSE-214 and RTS11 after infection with two of the most fastidious fish pathogens, the facultative bacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis and the aquabirnavirus IPNV (Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus. After geNorm analysis, UBQ and EF1A appeared as the most stable, although EF1A was slightly upregulated at late stages of P. salmonis infection in RTS11. ACTB instead, showed a good performance in each case, being always considered within the three most stable genes of the panel. In contrast, infection-dependent differential regulation of GAPDH and TUBA was also demonstrated. Conclusion Based on the data presented here with the cell culture models CHSE-214 and RTS11, we suggest the initial choice of UBQ, ACTB and EF1A as reference genes in qRT-PCR assays for studying the effect of P. salmonis and IPNV on the host immune response.

Remote Sensing Image Registration with Line Segments and Their Intersections

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Chengjin Lyu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Image registration is a basic but essential step for remote sensing image processing, and finding stable features in multitemporal images is one of the most considerable challenges in the field. The main shape contours of artificial objects (e.g., roads, buildings, farmlands, and airports can be generally described as a group of line segments, which are stable features, even in images with evident background changes (e.g., images taken before and after a disaster. In this study, a registration method that uses line segments and their intersections is proposed for multitemporal remote sensing images. First, line segments are extracted in image pyramids to unify the scales of the reference image and the test image. Then, a line descriptor based on the gradient distribution of local areas is constructed, and the segments are matched in image pyramids. Lastly, triplets of intersections of matching lines are selected to estimate affine transformation between two images. Additional corresponding intersections are provided based on the estimated transformation, and an iterative process is adopted to remove outliers. The performance of the proposed method is tested on a variety of optical remote sensing image pairs, including synthetic and real data. Compared with existing methods, our method can provide more accurate registration results, even in images with significant background changes.

Nicotine, acetanilide and urea multi-level 2H-, 13C- and 15N-abundance reference materials for continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Schimmelmann, Arndt; Albertino, Andrea; Sauer, Peter E; Qi, Haiping; Molinie, Roland; Mesnard, François

2009-11-01

Accurate determinations of stable isotope ratios require a calibration using at least two reference materials with different isotopic compositions to anchor the isotopic scale and compensate for differences in machine slope. Ideally, the delta values of these reference materials should bracket the isotopic range of samples with unknown delta values. While the practice of analyzing two isotopically distinct reference materials is common for water (VSMOW-SLAP) and carbonates (NBS 19 and L-SVEC), the lack of widely available organic reference materials with distinct isotopic composition has hindered the practice when analyzing organic materials by elemental analysis/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). At present only L-glutamic acids USGS40 and USGS41 satisfy these requirements for delta13C and delta15N, with the limitation that L-glutamic acid is not suitable for analysis by gas chromatography (GC). We describe the development and quality testing of (i) four nicotine laboratory reference materials for on-line (i.e. continuous flow) hydrogen reductive gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (GC-IRMS), (ii) five nicotines for oxidative C, N gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass-spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS, or GC-IRMS), and (iii) also three acetanilide and three urea reference materials for on-line oxidative EA-IRMS for C and N. Isotopic off-line calibration against international stable isotope measurement standards at Indiana University adhered to the 'principle of identical treatment'. The new reference materials cover the following isotopic ranges: delta2H(nicotine) -162 to -45 per thousand, delta13C(nicotine) -30.05 to +7.72 per thousand, delta15N(nicotine) -6.03 to +33.62 per thousand; delta15N(acetanilide) +1.18 to +40.57 per thousand; delta13C(urea) -34.13 to +11.71 per thousand, delta15N(urea) +0.26 to +40.61 per thousand (recommended delta values refer to calibration with NBS 19, L-SVEC, IAEA-N-1, and IAEA-N-2). Nicotines fill a gap as

A gradient stable scheme for a phase field model for the moving contact line problem

KAUST Repository

Gao, Min

2012-02-01

In this paper, an efficient numerical scheme is designed for a phase field model for the moving contact line problem, which consists of a coupled system of the Cahn-Hilliard and Navier-Stokes equations with the generalized Navier boundary condition [1,2,4]. The nonlinear version of the scheme is semi-implicit in time and is based on a convex splitting of the Cahn-Hilliard free energy (including the boundary energy) together with a projection method for the Navier-Stokes equations. We show, under certain conditions, the scheme has the total energy decaying property and is unconditionally stable. The linearized scheme is easy to implement and introduces only mild CFL time constraint. Numerical tests are carried out to verify the accuracy and stability of the scheme. The behavior of the solution near the contact line is examined. It is verified that, when the interface intersects with the boundary, the consistent splitting scheme [21,22] for the Navier Stokes equations has the better accuracy for pressure. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

Multicentre evaluation of stable reference whole blood for enumeration of lymphocyte subsets by flow cytometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Cherry; Belgrave, Danielle; Janossy, George; Bradley, Nicholas J; Stebbings, Richard; Gaines-Das, Rose; Thorpe, Robin; Sawle, Alex; Arroz, Maria Jorge; Brando, Bruno; Gratama, Jan Willem; Orfao de Matos, Alberto; Papa, Stephano; Papamichail, Michael; Lenkei, Rodica; Rothe, Gregor; Barnett, David

2005-06-22

BACKGROUND: Clinical indications for lymphocyte subset enumeration by flow cytometry include monitoring of disease progression and timing of therapeutic intervention in infection with human immunodeficiency virus. Until recently international standardisation has not been possible due to a lack of suitable stable reference material. METHODS: This study consisted of two trials of a stabilised whole blood preparation. Eleven participants were sent two standard protocols for staining plus gating strategy and asked to report absolute counts for lymphocyte subsets. RESULTS: No significant difference was detected between the two methods when results from the two assays and all partners were pooled. Significant differences in results from the different partners were observed. However, representative mean counts were obtained for geometric means, geometric coefficient of variation, and 95% confidence interval for CD3 910 cells/mul, 9%, and 888 to 933, respectively), CD4 (495 cells/mul, 12%, and 483 to 507), and CD8 (408 cells/mul, 13%, and 393 to 422). CONCLUSION: We have introduced a stabilised blood preparation and a well-characterized biological standard. The availability of this reference material greatly simplifies the validation of new techniques for CD4(+) T-cell enumeration and the expansion of external quality assurance programmes for clinical laboratories, including those that operate in resource-restricted environments. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Theoretical Analysis of Moving Reference Planes Associated with Unit Cells of Nonreciprocal Lossy Periodic Transmission-Line Structures

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S. Lamultree

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a theoretical analysis of moving reference planes associated with unit cells of nonreciprocal lossy periodic transmission-line structures (NRLSPTLSs by the equivalent bi-characteristic-impedance transmission line (BCITL model. Applying the BCITL theory, only the equivalent BCITL parameters (characteristic impedances for waves propagating in forward and reverse directions and associated complex propagation constants are of interest. An infinite NRLSPTLS is considered first by shifting a reference position of unit cells along TLs of interest. Then, a semi-infinite terminated NRLSPTLS is investigated in terms of associated load reflection coefficients. It is found that the equivalent BCITL characteristic impedances of the original and shifted unit cells are mathematically related by the bilinear transformation. In addition, the associated load reflection coefficients of both unit cells are mathematically related by the bilinear transformation. However, the equivalent BCITL complex propagation constants remain unchanged. Numerical results are provided to show the validity of the proposed theoretical analysis.

Functional Marker Assisted Improvement of Stable Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Lines of Rice for Bacterial Blight Resistance

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Jegadeesan Ramalingam

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Bacterial blight (BB, caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae is one among the major diseases in rice, which in severe condition cause losses up to 60% in total yield. Marker assisted pyramiding of three broad spectrum BB resistance genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21 in prominent rice varieties is the most economical and effective strategy for the management of the BB disease. We report here the pyramiding of three genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21 in maintainer lines (CO 2B, CO 23B, and CO 24B of three promising wild abortive cytoplasmic male sterile lines (CO 2A, CO 23A, and CO 24A through functional markers assisted back cross breeding. IRBB60 with xa5, xa13, and Xa21 genes is used as a donor parent. BC2F1 and BC2F2 generations from a cross of CO 2B, CO 23B, and CO 24B with IRBB60 were evaluated for bacterial blight and non-fertility restoration. In BC2F1, plants with all three resistance genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21 and high parent genome recovery was identified. In BC2F2, plants with all resistance genes and without fertility restorer (Rf3 and Rf4 were selected. Based on agronomic traits, BB resistance and maintenance of sterility, two plants each in CO 2B × IRBB60, CO 24B × IRBB60 and one plant in CO 23B × IRBB60 combinations were identified. The identified lines were crossed with respective male sterile lines for conversion of improved B line into CMS line through back-crossing, in addition to selfing. The plants with high recurrent genome and phenotypically similar to parental lines and sterile are being used for the hybrid rice development program. Currently, using these lines (improved CMS line, test crosses were made to develop new rice hybrids. Hybrids combinations viz., CO 23A × AD08009R and CO 24A × IET20898R were found to be stable at different locations with high yield. The R line used in this study has been introgressed with xa5, xa13, and Xa21 genes in a separate breeding program. These new hybrids with resistance against bacterial blight

USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, T.B.; Qi, H.

2012-01-01

Because there are no internationally distributed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials of human hair, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared two such materials, USGS42 and USGS43. These reference materials span values commonly encountered in human hair stable isotope analysis and are isotopically homogeneous at sample sizes larger than 0.2 mg. USGS42 and USGS43 human-hair isotopic reference materials are intended for calibration of δ(2)H and δ(18)O measurements of unknown human hair by quantifying (1) drift with time, (2) mass-dependent isotopic fractionation, and (3) isotope-ratio-scale contraction. While they are intended for measurements of the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, they also are suitable for measurements of the stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human and mammalian hair. Preliminary isotopic compositions of the non-exchangeable fractions of these materials are USGS42(Tibetan hair)δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = -78.5 ± 2.3‰ (n = 62) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) = +8.56 ± 0.10‰ (n = 18) USGS42(Indian hair)δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = -50.3 ± 2.8‰ (n = 64) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) = +14.11 ± 0.10‰ (n = 18). Using recommended analytical protocols presented herein for δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) measurements, the least squares fit regression of 11 human hair reference materials is δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) = 6.085δ(2)O(VSMOW-SLAP) - 136.0‰ with an R-square value of 0.95. The δ(2)H difference between the calibrated results of human hair in this investigation and a commonly accepted human-hair relationship is a remarkable 34‰. It is critical that readers pay attention to the δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) of isotopic reference materials in publications, and they need to adjust the δ(2)H(VSMOW-SLAP) and δ(18)O(VSMOW-SLAP) measurement results of human hair in previous publications, as needed, to ensure all results on are on the same scales.

Establishment and Identification of Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Lines with Stable Expression of Soluble CD40 Ligands

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JIANG Hua-wei

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To establish the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO cell lines with stable expression of soluble CD40 ligands (sCD40L. Methods: Recombinant plasmid pIRES2-EGFP-sCD40L, enzyme digestion and sequencing identification were obtained by cloning sCD40L coding sequences into eukaryotic expression vector pIRES2-EGFP from carrier pDC316-sCD40 containing sCD40L. CHO cells were transfected by electroporation, followed by screening of resistant clones with G418, after which monoclones were obtained by limited dilution assay and multiply cultured. Flow cytometer and reverted fluorescence microscope were applied to observe the expression of green fluorescent protein, while sCD40L expression was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA from aspects of deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA and protein, respectively. CHO-sCD40L was cultured together with MDA-MB-231 cells to compare the expression changes of surface molecule fatty acid synthase (Fas by flow cytometer and observe the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells after Fas activated antibodies (CH-11 were added 24 h later. Results: Plasmid pIRES2-EGFP-sCD40L was successfully established, and cell lines with stable expression of sCD40L were obtained with cloned culture after CHO cell transfection, which was named as B11. Flow cytometer and reverted fluorescence microscope showed ＞90% expression of green fluorescent protein, while PCR, RT-PCR and ELISA suggested integration of sCD40L genes into cell genome DNA, transcription of sCD40L mRNA and sCD40L protein expression being (4.5±2.1 ng/mL in the supernatant of cell culture, respectively. After co-culture of B11 and MDA-MB-231 cells, the surface Fas expression of MDA-MB-231 cells was increased from (3±1.02 % to (34.8±8.75%, while the apoptosis rate 24 h after addition of CH11 from (5.4±1.32% to (20.7±5.24%, and the differences

Effectiveness and risks of stable iodine prophylaxis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waight, P.J.

1995-01-01

The factors upon which the efficacy of stable iodine prophylaxis depends are reviewed, with particular reference to the dose of stable iodine, the timing of the dose, the influence of dietary iodine and the impact of the other prospective actions. The risks of stable iodine ingestion are estimated, and their application to the principle of Justification in outlined. (Author)

Use of Maximum Likelihood-Mixed Models to select stable reference genes: a case of heat stress response in sheep

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Salces Judit

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Reference genes with stable expression are required to normalize expression differences of target genes in qPCR experiments. Several procedures and companion software have been proposed to find the most stable genes. Model based procedures are attractive because they provide a solid statistical framework. NormFinder, a widely used software, uses a model based method. The pairwise comparison procedure implemented in GeNorm is a simpler procedure but one of the most extensively used. In the present work a statistical approach based in Maximum Likelihood estimation under mixed models was tested and compared with NormFinder and geNorm softwares. Sixteen candidate genes were tested in whole blood samples from control and heat stressed sheep. Results A model including gene and treatment as fixed effects, sample (animal, gene by treatment, gene by sample and treatment by sample interactions as random effects with heteroskedastic residual variance in gene by treatment levels was selected using goodness of fit and predictive ability criteria among a variety of models. Mean Square Error obtained under the selected model was used as indicator of gene expression stability. Genes top and bottom ranked by the three approaches were similar; however, notable differences for the best pair of genes selected for each method and the remaining genes of the rankings were shown. Differences among the expression values of normalized targets for each statistical approach were also found. Conclusions Optimal statistical properties of Maximum Likelihood estimation joined to mixed model flexibility allow for more accurate estimation of expression stability of genes under many different situations. Accurate selection of reference genes has a direct impact over the normalized expression values of a given target gene. This may be critical when the aim of the study is to compare expression rate differences among samples under different environmental

Cross-market cost-effectiveness analysis of erlotinib as first-line maintenance treatment for patients with stable non-small cell lung cancer

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Vergnenègre A

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Alain Vergnenègre1, Joshua A Ray2, Christos Chouaid3, Francesco Grossi4, Helge G Bischoff5, David F Heigener6, Stefan Walzer21Department of Pneumology, Hôpital du Cluzeau, Limoges, France; 2Global Health Economics and Strategic Pricing, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland; 3Respiratory Service, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France; 4Lung Cancer Unit, National Institute for Cancer Research, Genoa, Italy; 5Thoracic Oncology, Onkologie Thoraxklinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 6Department of Thoracic Oncology, Krankenhaus Großhansdorf, Großhansdorf, GermanyBackground: Platinum-doublet, first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC is limited to 4–6 cycles. An alternative strategy used to prolong the duration of first-line treatment and extend survival in metastatic NSCLC is first-line maintenance therapy. Erlotinib was approved for first-line maintenance in a stable disease population following results from a randomized, controlled Phase III trial comparing erlotinib with best supportive care. We aimed to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of erlotinib 150 mg/day versus best supportive care when used as first-line maintenance therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC and stable disease.Methods: An economic decision model was developed using patient-level data for progression-free survival and overall survival from the SATURN (SequentiAl Tarceva in UnResectable NSCLC study. An area under the curve model was developed; all patients entered the model in the progression-free survival health state and, after each month, moved to progression or death. A time horizon of 5 years was used. The model was conducted from the perspective of national health care payers in France, Germany, and Italy. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.Results: Treatment with erlotinib in first-line maintenance resulted in a mean life expectancy of 1.39 years in all countries

DNA fingerprinting of the NCI-60 cell line panel.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenzi, Philip L; Reinhold, William C; Varma, Sudhir; Hutchinson, Amy A; Pommier, Yves; Chanock, Stephen J; Weinstein, John N

2009-04-01

The National Cancer Institute's NCI-60 cell line panel, the most extensively characterized set of cells in existence and a public resource, is frequently used as a screening tool for drug discovery. Because many laboratories around the world rely on data from the NCI-60 cells, confirmation of their genetic identities represents an essential step in validating results from them. Given the consequences of cell line contamination or misidentification, quality control measures should routinely include DNA fingerprinting. We have, therefore, used standard DNA microsatellite short tandem repeats to profile the NCI-60, and the resulting DNA fingerprints are provided here as a reference. Consistent with previous reports, the fingerprints suggest that several NCI-60 lines have common origins: the melanoma lines MDA-MB-435, MDA-N, and M14; the central nervous system lines U251 and SNB-19; the ovarian lines OVCAR-8 and OVCAR-8/ADR (also called NCI/ADR); and the prostate lines DU-145, DU-145 (ATCC), and RC0.1. Those lines also show that the ability to connect two fingerprints to the same origin is not affected by stable transfection or by the development of multidrug resistance. As expected, DNA fingerprints were not able to distinguish different tissues-of-origin. The fingerprints serve principally as a barcodes.

Survey of reference materials. V. 2: Environmentally related reference materials for trace elements, nuclides and microcontaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

The present report presently contains over 250 reference materials with trace element and organic contaminant information on fuel, geological and mineral, anthropogenic disposal, soil reference and miscellaneous reference materials. Not included in the current report is information on most biological and environmental reference materials with trace element, stable isotope, radioisotope and organic contaminant information. 8 refs, tabs

Clinically stable angina pectoris is not necessarily associated with histologically stable atherosclerotic plaques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wal, A. C.; Becker, A. E.; Koch, K. T.; Piek, J. J.; Teeling, P.; van der Loos, C. M.; David, G. K.

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the extent of plaque inflammation in culprit lesions of patients with chronic stable angina. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Amsterdam reference centre. SUBJECTS: 89 consecutive patients who underwent directional coronary atherectomy, 58 of whom met the following

Non-invasive diagnostic workup of patients with suspected stable angina by combined computed tomography coronary angiography and magnetic resonance perfusion imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirschbaum, S.W.; Nieman, K.; Springeling, T.

2011-01-01

The background of this study was to evaluate additional adenosine magnetic resonance perfusion (MRP) imaging in the diagnostic workup of patients with suspected stable angina with computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) as first-line diagnostic modality. Two hundred and thirty symptomatic patients (male, 52%; age, 56 year) with suspected stable angina underwent CTCA. In patients with a stenosis of >50% as visually assessed, MRP was performed and the quantitative myocardial perfusion reserve index (MPRI) was calculated. Coronary flow reserve (CFR) using invasive coronary flow measurements served as the standard of reference. CTCA showed non-significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in 151/230 (66%) patients and significant CAD in 79/230 patients (34%), of whom 50 subsequently underwent MRP and CFR. MRP showed reduced perfusion in 32 patients (64%), which was confirmed by CFR in 27 (84%). All 18 cases of normal MRP (36%) were confirmed by CFR. The positive likelihood ratio of MRP for the presence of functional significant disease in patients with a lesion on CTCA was 4.49 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.12-9.99). The negative likelihood ratio was 0.05 (95% CI 0.01-0.34). CTCA as first-line diagnostic modality excluded coronary artery disease in a high percentage of patients referred for diagnostic workup of suspected stable angina. MRP made a significant contribution to the detection of functional significant lesions in patients with a positive CTCA. (author)

Transformation of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi and generation of a stable fluorescent line PcGFPCON

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Reece Sarah E

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi has proven of great value in the analysis of fundamental aspects of host-parasite-vector interactions implicated in disease pathology and parasite evolutionary ecology. However, the lack of gene modification technologies for this model has precluded more direct functional studies. Methods The development of in vitro culture methods to yield P. chabaudi schizonts for transfection and conditions for genetic modification of this rodent malaria model are reported. Results Independent P. chabaudi gene-integrant lines that constitutively express high levels of green fluorescent protein throughout their life cycle have been generated. Conclusion Genetic modification of P. chabaudi is now possible. The production of genetically distinct reference lines offers substantial advances to our understanding of malaria parasite biology, especially interactions with the immune system during chronic infection.

Stable crack growth behaviors in welded CT specimens -- finite element analyses and simplified assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagawa, Genki; Yoshimura, Shinobu; Aoki, Shigeru; Kikuchi, Masanori; Arai, Yoshio; Kashima, Koichi; Watanabe, Takayuki; Shimakawa, Takashi

1993-01-01

The paper describes stable crack growth behaviors in welded CT specimens made of nuclear pressure vessel A533B class 1 steel, in which initial cracks are placed to be normal to fusion line. At first, using the relations between the load-line displacement (δ) and the crack extension amount (Δa) measured in experiments, the generation phase finite element crack growth analyses are performed, calculating the applied load (P) and various kinds of J-integrals. Next, the simplified crack growth analyses based on the GE/EPRI method and the reference stress method are performed using the same experimental results. Some modification procedures of the two simplified assessment schemes are discussed to make them applicable to inhomogeneous materials. Finally, a neural network approach is proposed to optimize the above modification procedures. 20 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab

Essential roles for lines in mediating leg and antennal proximodistal patterning and generating a stable Notch signaling interface at segment borders.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Lina; Hatini, Victor

2009-06-01

The Drosophila leg imaginal disc provides a paradigm with which to understand the fundamental developmental mechanisms that generate an intricate appendage structure. Leg formation depends on the subdivision of the leg proximodistal (PD) axis into broad domains by the leg gap genes. The leg gap genes act combinatorially to initiate the expression of the Notch ligands Delta (Dl) and Serrate (Ser) in a segmental pattern. Dl and Ser induce the expression of a set of transcriptional regulators along the segment border, which mediate leg segment growth and joint morphogenesis. Here we show that Lines accumulates in nuclei in the presumptive tarsus and the inter-joints of proximal leg segments and governs the formation of these structures by destabilizing the nuclear protein Bowl. Across the presumptive tarsus, lines modulates the opposing expression landscapes of the leg gap gene dachshund (dac) and the tarsal PD genes, bric-a-brac 2 (bab), apterous (ap) and BarH1 (Bar). In this manner, lines inhibits proximal tarsal fates and promotes medial and distal tarsal fates. Across proximal leg segments, lines antagonizes bowl to promote Dl expression by relief-of-repression. In turn, Dl signals asymmetrically to stabilize Bowl in adjacent distal cells. Bowl, then, acts cell-autonomously, together with one or more redundant factors, to repress Dl expression. Together, lines and bowl act as a binary switch to generate a stable Notch signaling interface between Dl-expressing cells and adjacent distal cell. lines plays analogous roles in developing antennae, which are serially homologous to legs, suggesting evolutionarily conserved roles for lines in ventral appendage formation.

Calcium stable isotope geochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gausonne, Nikolaus [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Mineralogie; Schmitt, Anne-Desiree [Strasbourg Univ. (France). LHyGeS/EOST; Heuser, Alexander [Bonn Univ. (Germany). Steinmann-Inst. fuer Geologie, Mineralogie und Palaeontologie; Wombacher, Frank [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Geologie und Mineralogie; Dietzel, Martin [Technische Univ. Graz (Austria). Inst. fuer Angewandte Geowissenschaften; Tipper, Edward [Cambridge Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Earth Sciences; Schiller, Martin [Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark). Natural History Museum of Denmark

2016-08-01

This book provides an overview of the fundamentals and reference values for Ca stable isotope research, as well as current analytical methodologies including detailed instructions for sample preparation and isotope analysis. As such, it introduces readers to the different fields of application, including low-temperature mineral precipitation and biomineralisation, Earth surface processes and global cycling, high-temperature processes and cosmochemistry, and lastly human studies and biomedical applications. The current state of the art in these major areas is discussed, and open questions and possible future directions are identified. In terms of its depth and coverage, the current work extends and complements the previous reviews of Ca stable isotope geochemistry, addressing the needs of graduate students and advanced researchers who want to familiarize themselves with Ca stable isotope research.

Calcium stable isotope geochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gausonne, Nikolaus; Schmitt, Anne-Desiree; Heuser, Alexander; Wombacher, Frank; Dietzel, Martin; Tipper, Edward; Schiller, Martin

2016-01-01

This book provides an overview of the fundamentals and reference values for Ca stable isotope research, as well as current analytical methodologies including detailed instructions for sample preparation and isotope analysis. As such, it introduces readers to the different fields of application, including low-temperature mineral precipitation and biomineralisation, Earth surface processes and global cycling, high-temperature processes and cosmochemistry, and lastly human studies and biomedical applications. The current state of the art in these major areas is discussed, and open questions and possible future directions are identified. In terms of its depth and coverage, the current work extends and complements the previous reviews of Ca stable isotope geochemistry, addressing the needs of graduate students and advanced researchers who want to familiarize themselves with Ca stable isotope research.

Clinical characteristics and usage of statins in patients with stable ischemic heart disease referred for angiography or coronary artery bypass grafting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.V. Shklianka

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim – to compare the clinical characteristics and frequency of statins usage in real clinical practice in patients referred to a specialized clinic for angiography or coronary artery bypass grafting. Materials and methods. In a retrospective slice single-center study data from a primary examination of 155 patients with stable ischemic heart disease, consecutively selected for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, were analyzed. Depending on the inclusion of statins in the list of medicinal prescriptions, patients were retrospectively divided into two groups: those who had been prescribed statins while they were initially referred to a specialized cardiac surgery center for angiography or revascularization (n = 84 and those who were not prescribed statins (n ​​= 71. Results. The studied patients’ cohort was characterized by earlier coronary events, signs of the peripheral artery atherosclerosis and other absolute indications for treatment with statins in vast majority of cases. At the same time, groups of patients who had been and had not been prescribed statins, did not differ by vast majority of demographic, clinical and instrumental characteristics, concomitant diseases and risk factors. No statin therapy was associated with higher levels of total cholesterol and interleukin-6 compared with the group of patients taking statins (total cholesterol, respectively, 4.8 versus 4.2 mmol/l (p = 0.016 and interleukin-6, respectively, 4.4 versus. 3.1 p/ml (p = 0.022. In general, statins were prescribed in 54,2 % of patients, among them high doses – in 17 patients (20.2 %, moderate – 46 patients (54.8 %, low – 21 patients (25 %. Conclusions. The obtained data show the insufficient level of ambulatory statins usage in patients with ischemic heart disease referred for myocardial revascularization and significant discrepancy between clinical characteristics and real statins usage. Therefore, there is a great need to determine the

Bone to pick: the importance of evaluating reference genes for RT-qPCR quantification of gene expression in craniosynostosis and bone-related tissues and cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Xianxian

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background RT-qPCR is a common tool for quantification of gene expression, but its accuracy is dependent on the choice and stability (steady state expression levels of the reference gene/s used for normalization. To date, in the bone field, there have been few studies to determine the most stable reference genes and, usually, RT-qPCR data is normalised to non-validated reference genes, most commonly GAPDH, ACTB and 18 S rRNA. Here we draw attention to the potential deleterious impact of using classical reference genes to normalise expression data for bone studies without prior validation of their stability. Results Using the geNorm and Normfinder programs, panels of mouse and human genes were assessed for their stability under three different experimental conditions: 1 disease progression of Crouzon syndrome (craniosynostosis in a mouse model, 2 proliferative culture of cranial suture cells isolated from craniosynostosis patients and 3 osteogenesis of a mouse bone marrow stromal cell line. We demonstrate that classical reference genes are not always the most ‘stable’ genes and that gene ‘stability’ is highly dependent on experimental conditions. Selected stable genes, individually or in combination, were then used to normalise osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase gene expression data during cranial suture fusion in the craniosynostosis mouse model and strategies compared. Strikingly, the expression trends of alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin varied significantly when normalised to the least stable, the most stable or the three most stable genes. Conclusion To minimise errors in evaluating gene expression levels, analysis of a reference panel and subsequent normalization to several stable genes is strongly recommended over normalization to a single gene. In particular, we conclude that use of single, non-validated “housekeeping” genes such as GAPDH, ACTB and 18 S rRNA, currently a widespread practice by researchers in

Stable plastid transformation in Scoparia dulcis L.

Science.gov (United States)

Muralikrishna, Narra; Srinivas, Kota; Kumar, Kalva Bharath; Sadanandam, Abbagani

2016-10-01

In the present investigation we report stable plastid transformation in Scoparia dulcis L., a versatile medicinal herb via particle gun method. The vector KNTc, harbouring aadA as a selectable marker and egfp as a reporter gene which were under the control of synthetic promoter pNG1014a, targets inverted repeats, trnR / t rnN of the plastid genome. By use of this heterologous vector, recovery of transplastomic lines with suitable selection protocol have been successfully established with overall efficiency of two transgenic lines for 25 bombarded leaf explants. PCR and Southern blot analysis demonstrated stable integration of foreign gene into the target sequences. The results represent a significant advancement of the plastid transformation technology in medicinal plants, which relevantly implements a change over in enhancing and regulating of certain metabolic pathways.

IAEA biological reference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parr, R.M.; Schelenz, R.; Ballestra, S.

1988-01-01

The Analytical Quality Control Services programme of the IAEA encompasses a wide variety of intercomparisons and reference materials. This paper reviews only those aspects of the subject having to do with biological reference materials. The 1988 programme foresees 13 new intercomparison exercises, one for major, minor and trace elements, five for radionuclides, and seven for stable isotopes. Twenty-two natural matrix biological reference materials are available: twelve for major, minor and trace elements, six for radionuclides, and four for chlorinated hydrocarbons. Seven new intercomparisons and reference materials are in preparation or under active consideration. Guidelines on the correct use of reference materials are being prepared for publication in 1989 in consultation with other major international producers and users of biological reference materials. The IAEA database on available reference materials is being updated and expanded in scope, and a new publication is planned for 1989. (orig.)

Predictor-Based Model Reference Adaptive Control

Science.gov (United States)

Lavretsky, Eugene; Gadient, Ross; Gregory, Irene M.

2010-01-01

This paper is devoted to the design and analysis of a predictor-based model reference adaptive control. Stable adaptive laws are derived using Lyapunov framework. The proposed architecture is compared with the now classical model reference adaptive control. A simulation example is presented in which numerical evidence indicates that the proposed controller yields improved transient characteristics.

Cell Line Data Base: structure and recent improvements towards molecular authentication of human cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, Paolo; Manniello, Assunta; Aresu, Ottavia; Armento, Massimiliano; Cesaro, Michela; Parodi, Barbara

2009-01-01

The Cell Line Data Base (CLDB) is a well-known reference information source on human and animal cell lines including information on more than 6000 cell lines. Main biological features are coded according to controlled vocabularies derived from international lists and taxonomies. HyperCLDB (http://bioinformatics.istge.it/hypercldb/) is a hypertext version of CLDB that improves data accessibility by also allowing information retrieval through web spiders. Access to HyperCLDB is provided through indexes of biological characteristics and navigation in the hypertext is granted by many internal links. HyperCLDB also includes links to external resources. Recently, an interest was raised for a reference nomenclature for cell lines and CLDB was seen as an authoritative system. Furthermore, to overcome the cell line misidentification problem, molecular authentication methods, such as fingerprinting, single-locus short tandem repeat (STR) profile and single nucleotide polymorphisms validation, were proposed. Since this data is distributed, a reference portal on authentication of human cell lines is needed. We present here the architecture and contents of CLDB, its recent enhancements and perspectives. We also present a new related database, the Cell Line Integrated Molecular Authentication (CLIMA) database (http://bioinformatics.istge.it/clima/), that allows to link authentication data to actual cell lines.

Optimization of antibody immobilization for on-line or off-line immunoaffinity chromatography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beyer, Natascha Helena; Schou, Christian; Højrup, Peter

2009-01-01

-POROS. Protein G-based matrices are very stable showing essentially no decline in performance after 50 application-wash-elution-reequilibration cycles and being easily prepared within 2-3 h of working time with a typical antibody coupling yield of above 80%. In off-line applications where constant flow....... A systematic study was conducted to determine the most versatile antibody immobilization method for use in on-line and off-line IA chromatography applications using commonly accessible immobilization methods. Four chemistries were examined using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and antibody fragments. We...

Packings of a charged line on a sphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Alben, Silas

2008-12-01

We find equilibrium configurations of open and closed lines of charge on a sphere, and track them with respect to varying sphere radius. Closed lines transition from a circle to a spiral-like shape through two low-wave-number bifurcations-"baseball seam" and "twist"-which minimize Coulomb energy. The spiral shape is the unique stable equilibrium of the closed line. Other unstable equilibria arise through tip-splitting events. An open line transitions smoothly from an arc of a great circle to a spiral as the sphere radius decreases. Under repulsive potentials with faster-than-Coulomb power-law decay, the spiral is tighter in initial stages of sphere shrinkage, but at later stages of shrinkage the equilibria for all repulsive potentials converge on a spiral with uniform spacing between turns. Multiple stable equilibria of the open line are observed.

Comprehensive inter-laboratory calibration of reference materials for δ18O versus VSMOW using various on-line high-temperature conversion techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Willi A.; Coplen, Tyler B.; Aerts-Bijma, Anita T.; Bohlke, John Karl; Gehre, Matthias; Geilmann, Heike; Groning, Manfred; Jansen, Henk G.; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Mroczkowski, Stanley J.; Qi, Haiping; Soergel, Karin; Stuart-Williams, Hilary; Weise, Stephan M.; Werner, Roland A.

2009-01-01

-SO-6, and NBS 127), or organic material (IAEA-601 benzoic acid, IAEA-602 benzoic acid, and IAEA-600 caffeine), as appropriate to the material being analyzed, had these reference materials been analyzed with unknowns. This procedure ensures that readers will be able to normalize the δ18O values at a later time should it become necessary.The high-temperature reduction technique for analyzing δ18O and δ2H is not as widely applicable as the well-established combustion technique for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope determination. To obtain the most reliable stable isotope data, materials should be treated in an identical fashion; within the same sequence of analyses, samples should be compared with working reference materials that are as similar in nature and in isotopic composition as feasible.

Biomedical applications of mass spectrometry. Clinical uses of stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krahmer, U.I.; McCloskey, J.A.

1978-01-01

The review covers typical or important examples of stable isotope usage in clinical fields during the period since the last triennial mass spectrometry conference in 1973. Items are included which involve uses of stable isotopes in human or clinically oriented studies, including measurements carried out on materials of human origin. 163 references. (U.K.)

A soil sampling reference site: The challenge in defining reference material for sampling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Zorzi, Paolo; Barbizzi, Sabrina; Belli, Maria; Fajgelj, Ales; Jacimovic, Radojko; Jeran, Zvonka; Sansone, Umberto; Perk, Marcel van der

2008-01-01

In the frame of the international SOILSAMP project, funded and coordinated by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency, an agricultural area was established as a reference site suitable for performing soil sampling inter-comparison exercises. The reference site was characterized for trace element content in soil, in terms of the spatial and temporal variability of their mass fraction. Considering that the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in soil can be expected to be similar to that of some stable trace elements and that the distribution of these trace elements in soil can simulate the distribution of radionuclides, the reference site characterised in term of trace elements, can be also used to compare the soil sampling strategies developed for radionuclide investigations

A soil sampling reference site: The challenge in defining reference material for sampling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Zorzi, Paolo [Agenzia per la Protezione dell' Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici (APAT), Servizio Metrologia Ambientale, Via di Castel Romano, Rome 100-00128 (Italy)], E-mail: paolo.dezorzi@apat.it; Barbizzi, Sabrina; Belli, Maria [Agenzia per la Protezione dell' Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici (APAT), Servizio Metrologia Ambientale, Via di Castel Romano, Rome 100-00128 (Italy); Fajgelj, Ales [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Agency' s Laboratories Seibersdorf, Vienna A-1400 (Austria); Jacimovic, Radojko; Jeran, Zvonka; Sansone, Umberto [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, Ljubljana 1000 (Slovenia); Perk, Marcel van der [Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80115, TC Utrecht 3508 (Netherlands)

2008-11-15

In the frame of the international SOILSAMP project, funded and coordinated by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency, an agricultural area was established as a reference site suitable for performing soil sampling inter-comparison exercises. The reference site was characterized for trace element content in soil, in terms of the spatial and temporal variability of their mass fraction. Considering that the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in soil can be expected to be similar to that of some stable trace elements and that the distribution of these trace elements in soil can simulate the distribution of radionuclides, the reference site characterised in term of trace elements, can be also used to compare the soil sampling strategies developed for radionuclide investigations.

A soil sampling reference site: the challenge in defining reference material for sampling.

Science.gov (United States)

de Zorzi, Paolo; Barbizzi, Sabrina; Belli, Maria; Fajgelj, Ales; Jacimovic, Radojko; Jeran, Zvonka; Sansone, Umberto; van der Perk, Marcel

2008-11-01

In the frame of the international SOILSAMP project, funded and coordinated by the Italian Environmental Protection Agency, an agricultural area was established as a reference site suitable for performing soil sampling inter-comparison exercises. The reference site was characterized for trace element content in soil, in terms of the spatial and temporal variability of their mass fraction. Considering that the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in soil can be expected to be similar to that of some stable trace elements and that the distribution of these trace elements in soil can simulate the distribution of radionuclides, the reference site characterised in term of trace elements, can be also used to compare the soil sampling strategies developed for radionuclide investigations.

Radiological reference base line establishment around CENM site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elkhoukhi, T.; Dehbi, N.; Amechmachi, N.

2008-01-01

Full text: As for any installation presenting risks for its surrounding, CENM (Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Maamora) that accommodates TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor and related laboratories is subjected to a statutory requirement stipulating that the CNESTEN (Centre National De L'Energie Des Sciences Et Des Techniques Nucleaires) that is in charge the operating of CENM must define its own environmental monitoring program assuring that the nuclear installation is in appropriateness with its environment. In this frame , since 1996 the team of USE (Unite Surveillance de L'Environnement) is conducting periodic work consisting in in-situ measurement of ambient gamma rays and collect of environmental samples and their preparation for adequate analysis form required for each radioactive measurement system. This first step of the environmental monitoring program allows establishing the radiological base line on the CENM's site. This base line is necessary to inform on the present radiological state in order to detect any change of this state consequently to the operating of the reactor or the arrival of abnormal radioactive panache from any source.

Biological variation, reference change value (RCV) and minimal important difference (MID) of inspiratory muscle strength (PImax) in patients with stable chronic heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Täger, Tobias; Schell, Miriam; Cebola, Rita; Fröhlich, Hanna; Dösch, Andreas; Franke, Jennifer; Katus, Hugo A; Wians, Frank H; Frankenstein, Lutz

2015-10-01

Despite the widespread application of measurements of respiratory muscle force (PImax) in clinical trials there is no data on biological variation, reference change value (RCV), or the minimal important difference (MID) for PImax irrespective of the target cohort. We addressed this issue for patients with chronic stable heart failure. From the outpatients' clinic of the University of Heidelberg we retrospectively selected three groups of patients with stable systolic chronic heart failure (CHF). Each group had two measurements of PImax: 90 days apart in Group A (n = 25), 180 days apart in Group B (n = 93), and 365 days apart in Group C (n = 184). Stability was defined as (a) no change in NYHA class between visits and (b) absence of cardiac decompensation 3 months prior, during, and 3 months after measurements. For each group, we determined within-subject (CVI), between-subject (CVG), and total (CVT) coefficient of variation (CV), the index of individuality (II), RCV, reliability coefficient, and MID of PImax. CVT was 8.7, 7.5, and 6.9 % for groups A, B, and C, respectively. The II and RCV were 0.21, 0.20, 0.16 and 13.6, 11.6, 10.8 %, respectively. The reliability coefficient and MID were 0.83, 0.87, 0.88 and 1.44, 1.06, 1.12 kPa, respectively. Results were similar between age, gender, and aetiology subgroups. In patients with stable CHF, measurements of PImax are highly stable for intervals up to 1 year. The low values for II suggest that evaluation of change in PImax should be performed on an individual (per patient) basis. Individually significant change can be assumed beyond 14 % (RCV) or 1.12 kPa (MID).

Reference gene selection for quantitative real-time PCR analysis in virus infected cells: SARS corona virus, Yellow fever virus, Human Herpesvirus-6, Camelpox virus and Cytomegalovirus infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Müller Marcel A

2005-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Ten potential reference genes were compared for their use in experiments investigating cellular mRNA expression of virus infected cells. Human cell lines were infected with Cytomegalovirus, Human Herpesvirus-6, Camelpox virus, SARS coronavirus or Yellow fever virus. The expression levels of these genes and the viral replication were determined by real-time PCR. Genes were ranked by the BestKeeper tool, the GeNorm tool and by criteria we reported previously. Ranking lists of the genes tested were tool dependent. However, over all, β-actin is an unsuitable as reference gene, whereas TATA-Box binding protein and peptidyl-prolyl-isomerase A are stable reference genes for expression studies in virus infected cells.

Metabolic studies in man using stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, H.; Jung, K.; Krumbiegel, P.

1993-01-01

In this project, stable isotope compounds and stable isotope pharmaceuticals were used (with emphasis on the application of 15 N) to study several aspects of nitrogen metabolism in man. Of the many methods available, the 15 N stable isotope tracer technique holds a special position because the methodology for application and nitrogen isotope analysis is proven and reliable. Valid routine methods using 15 N analysis by emission spectrometry have been demonstrated. Several methods for the preparation of biological material were developed during our participation in the Coordinated Research Programme. In these studies, direct procedures (i.e. use of diluted urine as a samples without chemical preparation) or rapid isolation methods were favoured. Within the scope of the Analytical Quality Control Service (AQCS) enriched stable isotope reference materials for medical and biological studies were prepared and are now available through the International Atomic Energy Agency. The materials are of special importance as the increasing application of stable isotopes as tracers in medical, biological and agricultural studies has focused interest on reliable measurements of biological material of different origin. 24 refs

Isotopic exchange of 65Zn with stable Zn adsorbed on reference clay minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourg, A.C.M.; Filby, R.H.

1976-01-01

For reference clays of low organic content, Zn adsorbed on the clay minerals is in kinetic equilibrium with 65 Zn in solution. Thus the specific activity approach applied to the transport of 65 Zn(II) at the water-reference clay interface is intrinsically valid. (author)

Variability of the inclination of anatomic horizontal reference planes of the craniofacial complex in relation to the true horizontal line in orthognathic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Zebeib, Ameen M; Naini, Farhad B

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the Frankfort horizontal (FH), sella-nasion horizontal, and optic planes in terms of their variabilities in relation to a true horizontal line in orthognathic surgery patients. Thirty-six consecutive presurgical orthognathic patients (13 male, 23 female; age range, 16-35 years; 30 white, 6 African Caribbean) had lateral cephalometric radiographs taken in natural head position, with a plumb line orientating the true vertical line, and the true horizontal line perpendicular to the true vertical. The inclinations of the anatomic reference planes were compared with the true horizontal. The FH plane was found to be on average closest to the true horizontal, with a mean of -1.6° (SD, 3.4°), whereas the sella-nasion horizontal and the optic plane had means of 2.1° (SD, 5.1°) and 3.2° (SD, 4.7°), respectively. The FH showed the least variability of the 3 anatomic planes. The ranges of variability were high for all anatomic planes: -8° to 8° for the FH, -8° to 15° for the sella-nasion horizontal, and -6° to 13° for the optic plane. No significant differences were found in relation to patients' sex, skeletal patterns, or ethnic backgrounds. The clinically significant variability in the inclinations of anatomic reference planes in relation to the true horizontal plane makes their use unreliable in orthognathic patients. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct Measurements of Quantum Kinetic Energy Tensor in Stable and Metastable Water near the Triple Point: An Experimental Benchmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreani, Carla; Romanelli, Giovanni; Senesi, Roberto

2016-06-16

This study presents the first direct and quantitative measurement of the nuclear momentum distribution anisotropy and the quantum kinetic energy tensor in stable and metastable (supercooled) water near its triple point, using deep inelastic neutron scattering (DINS). From the experimental spectra, accurate line shapes of the hydrogen momentum distributions are derived using an anisotropic Gaussian and a model-independent framework. The experimental results, benchmarked with those obtained for the solid phase, provide the state of the art directional values of the hydrogen mean kinetic energy in metastable water. The determinations of the direction kinetic energies in the supercooled phase, provide accurate and quantitative measurements of these dynamical observables in metastable and stable phases, that is, key insight in the physical mechanisms of the hydrogen quantum state in both disordered and polycrystalline systems. The remarkable findings of this study establish novel insight into further expand the capacity and accuracy of DINS investigations of the nuclear quantum effects in water and represent reference experimental values for theoretical investigations.

Selection of relatively exact reference genes for gene expression studies in goosegrass (Eleusine indica) under herbicide stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jingchao; Huang, Zhaofeng; Huang, Hongjuan; Wei, Shouhui; Liu, Yan; Jiang, Cuilan; Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Chaoxian

2017-04-21

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica) is one of the most serious annual grassy weeds worldwide, and its evolved herbicide-resistant populations are more difficult to control. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a common technique for investigating the resistance mechanism; however, there is as yet no report on the systematic selection of stable reference genes for goosegrass. This study proposed to test the expression stability of 9 candidate reference genes in goosegrass in different tissues and developmental stages and under stress from three types of herbicide. The results show that for different developmental stages and organs (control), eukaryotic initiation factor 4 A (eIF-4) is the most stable reference gene. Chloroplast acetolactate synthase (ALS) is the most stable reference gene under glyphosate stress. Under glufosinate stress, eIF-4 is the best reference gene. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UCE) is the most stable reference gene under quizalofop-p-ethyl stress. The gene eIF-4 is the recommended reference gene for goosegrass under the stress of all three herbicides. Moreover, pairwise analysis showed that seven reference genes were sufficient to normalize the gene expression data under three herbicides treatment. This study provides a list of reliable reference genes for transcript normalization in goosegrass, which will facilitate resistance mechanism studies in this weed species.

Production and use of stable isotopes in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, E.; Letolle, R.

1991-01-01

This paper can not cover the field of production and use of stable isotopes in France exhaustively within six pages. We have chosen to concentrate on highlights of the subject and on recent work, and to give references for further reading. 26 refs

Potentialities of line planting technique in rehabilitation of logged over area referred to species diversity, growth and soil quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

PRIJANTO PAMOENGKAS

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Pamoengkas P (2010 Potentialities of line planting technique in rehabilitation of logged over area referred to species diversity, growth and soil quality. Biodiversitas 11: 34-39. Human interventions in the utilization of tropical forest resources are experiencing unanticipated consequences. The selective logging practices generally cause considerable damage to vegetation and the soil surface. It is supposed that soil condition and vegetation growth rate are deteriorated and reduced. Therefore, scientist strongly argue that the only way to achieve sustainability of Indonesian natural forest will require that the production natural forest is managed through methods that are acceptable from the perspective of environment as well as timber production. This means that there will be a strong need and incentive for methods and innovative technology. For more than two decades, tropical rainforest in Indonesia have been managed intensively under the Indonesian selective cutting (TPI and later on by the Indonesian selective cutting and replanting (TPTI and then, selective cutting and line planting (TPTJ system. TPTJ, as one example of selective cutting, recently become a proper alternative should be taken into consideration in the management of production natural forest in Indonesia by planting dipterocarp species in line. In this system, planting line (width 3 m and intermediate line (width 17 m are made alternately. The initial width of line is 3 m and to be expanded until 10 m within 5 years to introduce more light. The objective of this research was to assess growth and soil quality of TPTJ system. The object of research was TPTJ plot of various ages from 1 year to 7 years. For achieving the objective, 14 sample plots measuring 200 m x 200 m each, were laid out at research plots. The result showed that growth respond of Shorea leprosula toward the width of planting line was better comparing to Shorea parvifolia, but generally from this growth

Shelf-stable foods through irradiation processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-11-01

This survey has been produced from a database on analytical reference materials of biological and environmental origin, which is maintained at the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is an updated version of earlier reports, the last published in 1990. The information presented refers mostly to reference materials for trace element constituents; however, information is also included on a number of other selected measurands of relevance to IAEA programmes, i.e. radionuclides, stable isotopes, anions, cations, organometallic compounds and organic contaminants. The database presently contains over 10,000 analyte values for 455 measurands in 650 reference materials produced by 30 different suppliers. Additional information on the cost of the materials, the unit size supplied, and recommended minimum weight of material for analysis is also provided, if this information is available to the authors. It is expected that this survey will help analysts to select reference materials for quality assurance purposes that match as closely as possible, with respect to matrix type and concentrations of the measurands of interest, their samples to be analyzed. 22 refs, 2 tabs.

Shelf-stable foods through irradiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-11-01

This survey has been produced from a database on analytical reference materials of biological and environmental origin, which is maintained at the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is an updated version of earlier reports, the last published in 1990. The information presented refers mostly to reference materials for trace element constituents; however, information is also included on a number of other selected measurands of relevance to IAEA programmes, i.e. radionuclides, stable isotopes, anions, cations, organometallic compounds and organic contaminants. The database presently contains over 10,000 analyte values for 455 measurands in 650 reference materials produced by 30 different suppliers. Additional information on the cost of the materials, the unit size supplied, and recommended minimum weight of material for analysis is also provided, if this information is available to the authors. It is expected that this survey will help analysts to select reference materials for quality assurance purposes that match as closely as possible, with respect to matrix type and concentrations of the measurands of interest, their samples to be analyzed. 22 refs, 2 tabs

Developing Potential New Reference Materials for Light Isotopes in Foodstuffs

Science.gov (United States)

Frew, Russell; Van Hale, Robert; Clarke, Dianne; Abrahim, Aiman; Resch, Christian; Mayr, Leopold; Cannavan, Andrew; Gröning, Manfred

2013-04-01

Measurements of subtle variations in stable isotope ratios provide the means for verifying food integrity in numerous ways. Adulterants usually have different isotopic composition so their presence in a food is readily detectable. Stable isotope measurements can also be used to determine the region of production of the food. In most cases the ability of stable isotope measurements to verify, or otherwise reject, the authenticity of the food is greatly enhanced by comparison of a result to a reference database. The more high-quality data in the database, the more statistical power is afforded by the comparison. A serious weakness at present is the lack of reference materials in food matrices available to the community. Thus researchers have to rely on in-house standards for calibration and quality assurance. The result is that there are numerous datasets published that may be internally consistent but it is exceedingly difficult to combine these datasets into a cohesive database. This is particularly important for measurements of the hydrogen isotopes. Here we present a survey of the stable isotope (^2H, ^13C and ^15N) composition of 12 Reference Materials from the International Atomic Energy Agency catalogue. All but one of these materials are plant matter and have been developed as reference materials for other applications such as radionuclide or trace element measurements. Thus they have been verified as suitable materials in terms of stability and homogeneity for those tests. The purpose of this work is to ascertain if they are similarly suitable as stable isotope reference materials. The results from our survey show that there is a wide range in elemental and isotopic composition among these materials. For example, the ^15N values range from-13.5‰ to +18.6‰ and the nitrogen elemental composition range is from 0.7% to 9.7%. The ^13C values range from -20‰ to -40‰ and the carbon elemental composition ranges from 15% to 47%. We are now in the process of

A revision in hydrogen isotopic composition of USGS42 and USGS43 human-hair stable isotopic reference materials for forensic science

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping

2016-01-01

The hydrogen isotopic composition (δ2HVSMOW-SLAP) of USGS42 and USGS43 human hair stable isotopic reference materials, normalized to the VSMOW (Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water)–SLAP (Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation) scale, was originally determined with a high temperature conversion technique using an elemental analyzer (TC/EA) with a glassy carbon tube and glassy carbon filling and analysis by isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). However, the TC/EA IRMS method can produce inaccurate δ2HVSMOW-SLAPresults when analyzing nitrogen-bearing organic substances owing to the formation of hydrogen cyanide (HCN), leading to non-quantitative conversion of a sample into molecular hydrogen (H2) for IRMS analysis. A single-oven, chromium-filled, elemental analyzer (Cr-EA) coupled to an IRMS substantially improves the measurement quality and reliability of hydrogen isotopic analysis of hydrogen- and nitrogen-bearing organic material because hot chromium scavenges all reactive elements except hydrogen. USGS42 and USGS43 human hair isotopic reference materials have been analyzed with the Cr-EA IRMS method, and the δ2HVSMOW-SLAP values of their non-exchangeable hydrogen fractions have been revised:where mUr = 0.001 = ‰. On average, these revised δ2HVSMOW-SLAP values are 5.7 mUr more positive than those previously measured. It is critical that readers pay attention to the δ2HVSMOW-SLAP of isotopic reference materials in publications as they may need to adjust the δ2HVSMOW–SLAP measurement results of human hair in previous publications to ensure all results are on the same isotope-delta scale.

AQCS 1990. Intercomparison runs, reference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The purpose of the Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Agency) is to assist laboratories engaged in the analysis of nuclear, environmental, biological, and materials of marine origin for radionuclide, major, minor and trace elements, as well as stable isotopes using atomic and nuclear analytical techniques, to check the quality of their work. Such a control is necessary since results of analytical activities may be the basis upon which economic, administrative, medical or legal decisions are taken; they must, therefore, be documented to be sufficiently reliable. The Agency has instituted the AQCS-programme which for 1990 will involve distributing samples for Intercomparison Runs and Reference Materials in a way similar to that of previous years. The Agency's Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme provides mainly three types of materials: materials which can be used in analytical laboratories working in the fields of nuclear technology and isotope hydrology. These include uranium ore Reference Materials and other substances of interest for nuclear fuel technology as well as stable isotope Reference Materials for mass spectrometric determination of isotope ratios in natural waters; materials with known content of uranium, thorium and/or transuranium elements or fission products for the determination of environmental radioactivity or control of nuclear safety; materials for use in the determination of stable trace elements in environmental, biomedical and marine research. Radiochemical methods such as neutron activation or isotope dilution analysis are often used in the determination of such trace elements and constitute an important contribution of nuclear techniques to applied science. Tabs

Leg-adjustment strategies for stable running in three dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peuker, Frank; Maufroy, Christophe; Seyfarth, André

2012-01-01

The dynamics of the center of mass (CoM) in the sagittal plane in humans and animals during running is well described by the spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP). With appropriate parameters, SLIP running patterns are stable, and these models can recover from perturbations without the need for corrective strategies, such as the application of additional forces. Rather, it is sufficient to adjust the leg to a fixed angle relative to the ground. In this work, we consider the extension of the SLIP to three dimensions (3D SLIP) and investigate feed-forward strategies for leg adjustment during the flight phase. As in the SLIP model, the leg is placed at a fixed angle. We extend the scope of possible reference axes from only fixed horizontal and vertical axes to include the CoM velocity vector as a movement-related reference, resulting in six leg-adjustment strategies. Only leg-adjustment strategies that include the CoM velocity vector produced stable running and large parameter domains of stability. The ability of the model to recover from perturbations along the direction of motion (directional stability) depended on the strategy for lateral leg adjustment. Specifically, asymptotic and neutral directional stability was observed for strategies based on the global reference axis and the velocity vector, respectively. Additional features of velocity-based leg adjustment are running at arbitrary low speed (kinetic energy) and the emergence of large domains of stable 3D running that are smoothly transferred to 2D SLIP stability and even to 1D SLIP hopping. One of the additional leg-adjustment strategies represented a large convex region of parameters where stable and robust hopping and running patterns exist. Therefore, this strategy is a promising candidate for implementation into engineering applications, such as robots, for instance. In a preliminary comparison, the model predictions were in good agreement with the experimental data, suggesting that the 3D SLIP is an

Stable isotope sales: Mound Laboratory customer and shipment summaries, FY-1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eck, C.F.

1976-01-01

A listing is given of Mound Laboratory's sales of stable isotopes of noble gases, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur for Fiscal Year 1975. Purchasers are listed alphabetically and are divided into domestic and foreign groups. A cross reference index by location is included for domestic customers. Cross reference listings by isotope purchased are included for all customers

Stable isotope sales: Mound Facility customer and shipment summaries, FY 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruwe, A.H. Jr.

1982-01-01

A listing is given of Mound Facility's sales of stable isotopes of noble gases, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur for Fiscal Year 1981. Purchasers are listed alphabetically and are divided into domestic and foreign groups. A cross-reference index by location is included for domestic customers. Cross-reference listings by isotope purchased are included for all customers

Stable isotope sales; Mound Facility customer and shipment summaries, FY 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruwe, A.H. Jr.

1978-01-01

A listing is given of Mound Facility's sales of stable isotopes of noble gases, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur for Fiscal Year 1977. Purchasers are listed alphabeticaly and are divided into domestic and foreign groups. A cross-reference index by location is included for domestic customers. Cross-reference listings by isotope purchased are included for all customers

Lethality of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations in human tumour cell lines with different radiosensitivities.

Science.gov (United States)

Coco-Martin, J M; Ottenheim, C P; Bartelink, H; Begg, A C

1996-03-01

In order to find an explanation for the eventual disappearance of all chromosome aberrations in two radiosensitive human tumour cell lines, the type and stability of different aberration types was investigated in more detail. To classify the aberrations into unstable and stable types, three-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed, including a whole-chromosome probe, a pancentromere probe, and a stain for total DNA. This technique enables the appropriate classification of the aberrations principally by the presence (stable) or not (unstable) of a single centromere per chromosome. Unstable-type aberrations were found to disappear within 7 days (several divisions) in the two radiosensitive and the two radioresistant tumour lines investigated. Stable-type aberrations were found to remain at an approximately constant level over the duration of the experiment (14 days; 8-10 divisions) in the two radioresistant lines. In contrast, the majority of these stable-type aberrations had disappeared by 14 days in the two radiosensitive lines. The previous findings of disappearance of total aberrations in radiosensitive cells was therefore not due to a reduced induction of stable-type aberrations, but the complete disappearance of cells with this aberration type. These results could not be explained by differences in apoptosis or G1 blocks. Two possible explanations for these unexpected findings involve non-random induction of unstable-type aberrations, or lethality of stable-type aberrations. The results suggest caution in the use of stable-type aberration numbers as a predictor for radiosensitivity.

Ruby in a nutshell a desktop quick reference

CERN Document Server

Matsumoto, Yukihiro

2002-01-01

Ruby is an absolutely pure object-oriented scripting language written in C and designed with Perl and Python capabilities in mind. While its roots are in Japan, Ruby is slowly but surely gaining ground in the US. The goal of Yukihiro Matsumoto, creator of Ruby and author of this book, is to incorporate the strengths of languages like Perl, Python, Lisp and Smalltalk. Ruby is a genuine attempt to combine the best of everything in the scripting world. Since 1993, Ruby mailing lists have been established, Web pages have formed, and a community has grown around it. The language itself is very good at text processing and is notable for its broad object orientation. Ruby is portable and runs under GNU/Linux (and other Unices) as well as DOS, MS Windows and Mac. With Ruby in a Nutshell, Matsumoto offers a practical reference to the features of this new language including the command-line options, syntax, built-in variables, functions, and many commonly used classes and modules. This guide covers the current stable ...

Updating of visual orientation in a gravity-based reference frame.

Science.gov (United States)

Niehof, Nynke; Tramper, Julian J; Doeller, Christian F; Medendorp, W Pieter

2017-10-01

The brain can use multiple reference frames to code line orientation, including head-, object-, and gravity-centered references. If these frames change orientation, their representations must be updated to keep register with actual line orientation. We tested this internal updating during head rotation in roll, exploiting the rod-and-frame effect: The illusory tilt of a vertical line surrounded by a tilted visual frame. If line orientation is stored relative to gravity, these distortions should also affect the updating process. Alternatively, if coding is head- or frame-centered, updating errors should be related to the changes in their orientation. Ten subjects were instructed to memorize the orientation of a briefly flashed line, surrounded by a tilted visual frame, then rotate their head, and subsequently judge the orientation of a second line relative to the memorized first while the frame was upright. Results showed that updating errors were mostly related to the amount of subjective distortion of gravity at both the initial and final head orientation, rather than to the amount of intervening head rotation. In some subjects, a smaller part of the updating error was also related to the change of visual frame orientation. We conclude that the brain relies primarily on a gravity-based reference to remember line orientation during head roll.

With Reference to Reference Genes: A Systematic Review of Endogenous Controls in Gene Expression Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Joanne R; Waldenström, Jonas

2015-01-01

The choice of reference genes that are stably expressed amongst treatment groups is a crucial step in real-time quantitative PCR gene expression studies. Recent guidelines have specified that a minimum of two validated reference genes should be used for normalisation. However, a quantitative review of the literature showed that the average number of reference genes used across all studies was 1.2. Thus, the vast majority of studies continue to use a single gene, with β-actin (ACTB) and/or glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) being commonly selected in studies of vertebrate gene expression. Few studies (15%) tested a panel of potential reference genes for stability of expression before using them to normalise data. Amongst studies specifically testing reference gene stability, few found ACTB or GAPDH to be optimal, whereby these genes were significantly less likely to be chosen when larger panels of potential reference genes were screened. Fewer reference genes were tested for stability in non-model organisms, presumably owing to a dearth of available primers in less well characterised species. Furthermore, the experimental conditions under which real-time quantitative PCR analyses were conducted had a large influence on the choice of reference genes, whereby different studies of rat brain tissue showed different reference genes to be the most stable. These results highlight the importance of validating the choice of normalising reference genes before conducting gene expression studies.

Statistical optimization of thermo-alkali stable xylanase production from Bacillus tequilensis strain ARMATI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ameer Khusro

2016-07-01

Conclusions: The cellulase-free xylanase showed an alkali-tolerant and thermo-stable property with potentially applicable nature at industrial scale. This statistical approach established a major contribution in enzyme production from the isolate by optimizing independent factors and represents a first reference on the enhanced production of thermo-alkali stable cellulase-free xylanase from B. tequilensis.

Cusps enable line attractors for neural computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, Zhuocheng; Zhang, Jiwei; Sornborger, Andrew T.; Tao, Louis

2017-01-01

Here, line attractors in neuronal networks have been suggested to be the basis of many brain functions, such as working memory, oculomotor control, head movement, locomotion, and sensory processing. In this paper, we make the connection between line attractors and pulse gating in feed-forward neuronal networks. In this context, because of their neutral stability along a one-dimensional manifold, line attractors are associated with a time-translational invariance that allows graded information to be propagated from one neuronal population to the next. To understand how pulse-gating manifests itself in a high-dimensional, nonlinear, feedforward integrate-and-fire network, we use a Fokker-Planck approach to analyze system dynamics. We make a connection between pulse-gated propagation in the Fokker-Planck and population-averaged mean-field (firing rate) models, and then identify an approximate line attractor in state space as the essential structure underlying graded information propagation. An analysis of the line attractor shows that it consists of three fixed points: a central saddle with an unstable manifold along the line and stable manifolds orthogonal to the line, which is surrounded on either side by stable fixed points. Along the manifold defined by the fixed points, slow dynamics give rise to a ghost. We show that this line attractor arises at a cusp catastrophe, where a fold bifurcation develops as a function of synaptic noise; and that the ghost dynamics near the fold of the cusp underly the robustness of the line attractor. Understanding the dynamical aspects of this cusp catastrophe allows us to show how line attractors can persist in biologically realistic neuronal networks and how the interplay of pulse gating, synaptic coupling, and neuronal stochasticity can be used to enable attracting one-dimensional manifolds and, thus, dynamically control the processing of graded information.

Cusps enable line attractors for neural computation

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zhuocheng; Zhang, Jiwei; Sornborger, Andrew T.; Tao, Louis

2017-11-01

Line attractors in neuronal networks have been suggested to be the basis of many brain functions, such as working memory, oculomotor control, head movement, locomotion, and sensory processing. In this paper, we make the connection between line attractors and pulse gating in feed-forward neuronal networks. In this context, because of their neutral stability along a one-dimensional manifold, line attractors are associated with a time-translational invariance that allows graded information to be propagated from one neuronal population to the next. To understand how pulse-gating manifests itself in a high-dimensional, nonlinear, feedforward integrate-and-fire network, we use a Fokker-Planck approach to analyze system dynamics. We make a connection between pulse-gated propagation in the Fokker-Planck and population-averaged mean-field (firing rate) models, and then identify an approximate line attractor in state space as the essential structure underlying graded information propagation. An analysis of the line attractor shows that it consists of three fixed points: a central saddle with an unstable manifold along the line and stable manifolds orthogonal to the line, which is surrounded on either side by stable fixed points. Along the manifold defined by the fixed points, slow dynamics give rise to a ghost. We show that this line attractor arises at a cusp catastrophe, where a fold bifurcation develops as a function of synaptic noise; and that the ghost dynamics near the fold of the cusp underly the robustness of the line attractor. Understanding the dynamical aspects of this cusp catastrophe allows us to show how line attractors can persist in biologically realistic neuronal networks and how the interplay of pulse gating, synaptic coupling, and neuronal stochasticity can be used to enable attracting one-dimensional manifolds and, thus, dynamically control the processing of graded information.

The CEBAF fiber optic phase reference system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, K.; Simrock, S.; Hovater, C.; Krycuk, A.

1995-01-01

The specified phase stability of the CEBAF RF distribution system is 2.9 degree rms per linac. Stability is achieved through the use of a temperature and pressure regulated coaxial drive line. Purpose of the fiber optic phase reference system is to monitor the relative phase at the beginning and ending of this drive line, between linacs, injector and separator to determine drift due to ambient temperature fluctuations. The system utilizes an Ortel 1310 nm single mode laser driving Sumitumo optical fiber to distribute a reference signal at 1497 MHz. Phase of this reference signal is compared to the 1427 MHz (LO) and the 70 MHz (IF) via a 360 degree phase detector. The detected information is then routed to the CEBAF control system for display with a specified resolution of ±0.2 degree over a 20 degree phase delta

Short-term stability test for thorium soil candidate a reference material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clain, Almir F.; Fonseca, Adelaide M.G.; Dantas, Vanessa V.D.B.; Braganca, Maura J.C.; Souza, Poliana S., E-mail: almir@ird.gov.br, E-mail: adelaide@ird.gov.br, E-mail: vanessa@ird.gov.br, E-mail: maura@ird.gov.br, E-mail: poliana@bolsista.ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2015-07-01

This work describes a methodology to determine the soil short-term stability after the steps of production in laboratory. The short-term stability of the soil is an essential property to be determined in order to producing a reference material. The soil is a candidate of reference material for chemical analysis of thorium with metrological traceability to be used in environmental analysis, equipment calibration, validation methods, and quality control. A material is considered stable in a certain temperature if the property of interest does not change with time, considering the analytical random fluctuations. Due to this, the angular coefficient from the graphic of Th concentration versus elapsed time must be near to zero. The analytical determinations of thorium concentration were performed by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis. The slopes and their uncertainties were obtained from the regression lines at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, with control temperature of -20 deg C. From the obtained data a t-test was applied. In both temperatures the calculated t-value was lower than the critical value, so we can conclude with 95% confidence level that no significant changes happened during the period studied concerning thorium concentration in soil at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, showing stability at these temperatures. (author)

Short-term stability test for thorium soil candidate a reference material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clain, Almir F.; Fonseca, Adelaide M.G.; Dantas, Vanessa V.D.B.; Braganca, Maura J.C.; Souza, Poliana S.

2015-01-01

This work describes a methodology to determine the soil short-term stability after the steps of production in laboratory. The short-term stability of the soil is an essential property to be determined in order to producing a reference material. The soil is a candidate of reference material for chemical analysis of thorium with metrological traceability to be used in environmental analysis, equipment calibration, validation methods, and quality control. A material is considered stable in a certain temperature if the property of interest does not change with time, considering the analytical random fluctuations. Due to this, the angular coefficient from the graphic of Th concentration versus elapsed time must be near to zero. The analytical determinations of thorium concentration were performed by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis. The slopes and their uncertainties were obtained from the regression lines at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, with control temperature of -20 deg C. From the obtained data a t-test was applied. In both temperatures the calculated t-value was lower than the critical value, so we can conclude with 95% confidence level that no significant changes happened during the period studied concerning thorium concentration in soil at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, showing stability at these temperatures. (author)

Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies on Rhododendron molle G. Don.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zheng; Sun, Xiaobo; Liu, Xiaoqing; Li, Chang; He, Lisi; Chen, Shangping; Su, Jiale

2016-01-01

The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) approach has become a widely used method to analyze expression patterns of target genes. The selection of an optimal reference gene is a prerequisite for the accurate normalization of gene expression in qRT-PCR. The present study constitutes the first systematic evaluation of potential reference genes in Rhododendron molle G. Don. Eleven candidate reference genes in different tissues and flowers at different developmental stages of R. molle were assessed using the following three software packages: GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. The results showed that EF1- α (elongation factor 1-alpha), 18S (18s ribosomal RNA), and RPL3 (ribosomal protein L3) were the most stable reference genes in developing rhododendron flowers and, thus, in all of the tested samples, while tublin ( TUB ) was the least stable. ACT5 (actin), RPL3 , 18S , and EF1- α were found to be the top four choices for different tissues, whereas TUB was not found to favor qRT-PCR normalization in these tissues. Three stable reference genes are recommended for the normalization of qRT-PCR data in R. molle . Furthermore, the expression profiles of RmPSY (phytoene synthase) and RmPDS (phytoene dehydrogenase) were assessed using EF1- α, 18S , ACT5 , RPL3 , and their combination as internals. Similar trends were found, but these trends varied when the least stable reference gene TUB was used. The results further prove that it is necessary to validate the stability of reference genes prior to their use for normalization under different experimental conditions. This study provides useful information for reliable qRT-PCR data normalization in gene studies of R. molle .

Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies on Rhododendron molle G. Don

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Xiao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR approach has become a widely used method to analyze expression patterns of target genes. The selection of an optimal reference gene is a prerequisite for the accurate normalization of gene expression in qRT-PCR. The present study constitutes the first systematic evaluation of potential reference genes in Rhododendron molle G. Don. Eleven candidate reference genes in different tissues and flowers at different developmental stages of R. molle were assessed using the following three software packages: GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. The results showed that EF1-α (elongation factor 1-alpha, 18S (18s ribosomal RNA and RPL3 (ribosomal protein L3 were the most stable reference genes in developing rhododendron flowers and, thus, in all of the tested samples, while tublin (TUB was the least stable. ACT5 (actin, RPL3, 18S and EF1-α were found to be the top four choices for different tissues, whereas TUB was not found to favor qRT-PCR normalization in these tissues. Three stable reference genes are recommended for the normalization of qRT-PCR data in R. molle. Furthermore, the expression profiles of RmPSY (phytoene synthase and RmPDS (phytoene dehydrogenase were assessed using EF1-α, 18S, ACT5, and RPL3 and their combination as internals. Similar trends were found, but these trends varied when the least stable reference gene TUB was used. The results further prove that it is necessary to validate the stability of reference genes prior to their use for normalization under different experimental conditions. This study provides useful information for reliable qRT-PCR data normalization in gene studies of R. molle.

Reference-data modelling for tracking and tracing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dorp, van C.A.

2004-01-01

Subject headings: supply chain, tracking and tracing, reference-data modelling

An Atypical Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Line With a Complex, Stable, and Balanced Genomic Rearrangement Including a Large De Novo 1q Uniparental Disomy

Science.gov (United States)

Steichen, Clara; Maluenda, Jérôme; Tosca, Lucie; Luce, Eléanor; Pineau, Dominique; Dianat, Noushin; Hannoun, Zara; Tachdjian, Gérard; Melki, Judith

2015-01-01

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) hold great promise for cell therapy through their use as vital tools for regenerative and personalized medicine. However, the genomic integrity of hiPSCs still raises some concern and is one of the barriers limiting their use in clinical applications. Numerous articles have reported the occurrence of aneuploidies, copy number variations, or single point mutations in hiPSCs, and nonintegrative reprogramming strategies have been developed to minimize the impact of the reprogramming process on the hiPSC genome. Here, we report the characterization of an hiPSC line generated by daily transfections of modified messenger RNAs, displaying several genomic abnormalities. Karyotype analysis showed a complex genomic rearrangement, which remained stable during long-term culture. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analyses were performed on the hiPSC line showing that this karyotype is balanced. Interestingly, single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis revealed the presence of a large 1q region of uniparental disomy (UPD), demonstrating for the first time that UPD can occur in a noncompensatory context during nonintegrative reprogramming of normal fibroblasts. PMID:25650439

Atmospheric structure deduced from disturbed line profiles application to Ca II lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mein, N.; Mein, P.; Malherbe, J.-M.; Dame, L.; Dumont, S.; CNRS, Laboratoire de Physique Stellaire et Planetaire, Verrieres-le-Buisson, France; College de France, Paris)

1985-01-01

A new method is described in order to derive physical quantities (temperature, pressure, radial velocities) from the observation of disturbed line profiles. A method of Fourier analysis is suggested with double profiles and a nonlinear expansion of the coefficient of the Fourier terms. An application to a sequence of H-Ca II lines is attempted. The method is a powerful tool allowing for the simultaneous determination of at least four physical quantities. 9 references

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK Quick Reference -Budget Preparation 1 ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Alexandra Eustache

FINANCIAL WORKBOOK. Quick Reference -Budget Preparation. 6. Enter detailed budget notes for each line item. Use the “add new row “ button if more rows are needed. (Refer to page 7 on user guider for more information on budget notes). 7. On the “indirect cost” sheet, enter a fixed percentage or amount(s) a. For fixed ...

A finite element analysis of stable crack growth in inhomogeneous materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazaki, N.; Sakai, T.; Nakagaki, M.; Sasaki, T.

1993-01-01

The finite element method was applied to generation phase analyses for stable crack growth in inhomogeneous materials. Experimental data on stable crack growth in bimaterial CT specimens, which were composed of a base metal and a weld metal, were numerically simulated using the node-release technique, and the variations of the fracture mechanics parameters such as J-integral. T*-integral. J-circumflex-integral and CTOA were calculated. The effects of the fusion line and the weld on the near crack fracture mechanics parameters were discussed. (author)

Perl/Tk Pocket Reference

CERN Document Server

Lidie, Stephen

1998-01-01

The Perl/Tk Pocket Reference is a companion volume to Learning Perl/Tk, an O'Reilly Animal Guide. Learning Perl/Tk is a tutorial for Perl/Tk, the extension to Perl for creating graphical user interfaces. With Tk, Perl programs can be window-based rather than command-line based, with buttons, entry fields, listboxes, menus, scrollbars, balloons, tables, dialogs, and more. And Perl/Tk programs run on UNIX and Windows-based computers. This small book is a handy reference guide geared toward the advanced Perl/Tk programmer. Novice Perl/Tk programmers will find that its compact size gives th

Target-ion source unit ionization efficiency measurement by method of stable ion beam implantation

CERN Document Server

Panteleev, V.N; Fedorov, D.V; Moroz, F.V; Orlov, S.Yu; Volkov, Yu.M

The ionization efficiency is one of the most important parameters of an on-line used target-ion source system exploited for production of exotic radioactive beams. The ionization efficiency value determination as a characteristic of a target-ion source unit in the stage of its normalizing before on-line use is a very important step in the course of the preparation for an on-line experiment. At the IRIS facility (Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina) a reliable and rather precise method of the target-ion source unit ionization efficiency measurement by the method of stable beam implantation has been developed. The method worked out exploits an off-line mass-separator for the implantation of the ion beams of selected stable isotopes of different elements into a tantalum foil placed inside the Faraday cup in the focal plane of the mass-separator. The amount of implanted ions has been measured with a high accuracy by the current integrator connected to the Faraday cup. After the implantation of needed a...

Alpharetroviral self-inactivating vectors produced by a superinfection-resistant stable packaging cell line allow genetic modification of primary human T lymphocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Labenski, Verena; Suerth, Julia D; Barczak, Elke; Heckl, Dirk; Levy, Camille; Bernadin, Ornellie; Charpentier, Emmanuelle; Williams, David A; Fehse, Boris; Verhoeyen, Els; Schambach, Axel

2016-08-01

Primary human T lymphocytes represent an important cell population for adoptive immunotherapies, including chimeric-antigen and T-cell receptor applications, as they have the capability to eliminate non-self, virus-infected and tumor cells. Given the increasing numbers of clinical immunotherapy applications, the development of an optimal vector platform for genetic T lymphocyte engineering, which allows cost-effective high-quality vector productions, remains a critical goal. Alpharetroviral self-inactivating vectors (ARV) have several advantages compared to other vector platforms, including a more random genomic integration pattern and reduced likelihood for inducing aberrant splicing of integrated proviruses. We developed an ARV platform for the transduction of primary human T lymphocytes. We demonstrated functional transgene transfer using the clinically relevant herpes-simplex-virus thymidine kinase variant TK.007. Proof-of-concept of alpharetroviral-mediated T-lymphocyte engineering was shown in vitro and in a humanized transplantation model in vivo. Furthermore, we established a stable, human alpharetroviral packaging cell line in which we deleted the entry receptor (SLC1A5) for RD114/TR-pseudotyped ARVs to prevent superinfection and enhance genomic integrity of the packaging cell line and viral particles. We showed that superinfection can be entirely prevented, while maintaining high recombinant virus titers. Taken together, this resulted in an improved production platform representing an economic strategy for translating the promising features of ARVs for therapeutic T-lymphocyte engineering. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An implicit adaptation algorithm for a linear model reference control system

Science.gov (United States)

Mabius, L.; Kaufman, H.

1975-01-01

This paper presents a stable implicit adaptation algorithm for model reference control. The constraints for stability are found using Lyapunov's second method and do not depend on perfect model following between the system and the reference model. Methods are proposed for satisfying these constraints without estimating the parameters on which the constraints depend.

Did you say reference conditions? Ecological and socio-economic perspectives on the European Water Framework Directive

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouleau, Gabrielle; Pont, Didier

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Reference conditions refer to a stable state, ignoring non-linear and chaotic changes. • References were needed to set legally binding standards. • The DPSIR framework is based on a mitigation logic, which implies a stable reference. • Human activities do not equate pressures; Humans can create landscapes and ecosystems. • Setting goals for restoration requires a more adaptive management. - Abstract: Reference conditions are a key concept in the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD stipulates that the ecological status of a given water body shall be assessed by quantifying the deviation from a set of reference conditions that represent the stable state of an ecosystem in the absence of significant human disturbance. This concept is subject to criticism from several authors, particularly because underlying ecological concepts are weak and the distinction between natural variability and the effects of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem function will become increasingly artificial. In this paper, a sociologist and an aquatic ecologist examine the origin, successes and limits of the reference conditions concept and raise important questions about applying this concept in practice. We argue that this concept fitted specific needs from different institutions and stakeholders which promoted the WFD. Monitoring practices using this concept require some adaptations. Setting goals for restoration based on reference conditions is more problematic. A more adaptive management approach would be wiser

Standard Reference Line Combined with One-Point Calibration-Free Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) to Quantitatively Analyze Stainless and Heat Resistant Steel.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Hongbo; Wang, Huadong; Jia, Junwei; Ni, Zhibo; Dong, Fengzhong

2018-01-01

Due to the influence of major elements' self-absorption, scarce observable spectral lines of trace elements, and relative efficiency correction of experimental system, accurate quantitative analysis with calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) is in fact not easy. In order to overcome these difficulties, standard reference line (SRL) combined with one-point calibration (OPC) is used to analyze six elements in three stainless-steel and five heat-resistant steel samples. The Stark broadening and Saha - Boltzmann plot of Fe are used to calculate the electron density and the plasma temperature, respectively. In the present work, we tested the original SRL method, the SRL with the OPC method, and intercept with the OPC method. The final calculation results show that the latter two methods can effectively improve the overall accuracy of quantitative analysis and the detection limits of trace elements.

Stable convergence and stable limit theorems

CERN Document Server

Häusler, Erich

2015-01-01

The authors present a concise but complete exposition of the mathematical theory of stable convergence and give various applications in different areas of probability theory and mathematical statistics to illustrate the usefulness of this concept. Stable convergence holds in many limit theorems of probability theory and statistics – such as the classical central limit theorem – which are usually formulated in terms of convergence in distribution. Originated by Alfred Rényi, the notion of stable convergence is stronger than the classical weak convergence of probability measures. A variety of methods is described which can be used to establish this stronger stable convergence in many limit theorems which were originally formulated only in terms of weak convergence. Naturally, these stronger limit theorems have new and stronger consequences which should not be missed by neglecting the notion of stable convergence. The presentation will be accessible to researchers and advanced students at the master's level...

Alien DNA introgression and wheat DNA rearrangements in a stable wheat line derived from the early generation of distant hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lianquan; Liu, Dengcai; Yan, Zehong; Zheng, Youliang

2005-10-01

Polyploidy has been found to be common in plants. Bread or common wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n=42) is a good example of allopolyploid made up of three diploid genomes A, B and D. In recent years, by the study of mimicking the origination of common wheat, it was found that changes of DNA sequence and gene expression occurred at the early stages of artificial allohexaploid between tetraploid wheat and Aegilops tauschii, which was probably favorable to genetic diploidization of new synthetic hexaploid wheat. Common wheat 99L2 is a new line stable in genetic, which was derived from the early self-pollinated generation of wide hybrids between common wheat and rye. In this study, it was found that at least two rye DNA segments had been introgressed into 99L2. This result suggested that a mechanism of alien DNA introgression may exist, which was different from the traditional mechanism of chromosome pairing and DNA recombination between wheat and alien species. Meanwhile, during the introgression process of alien rye DNA segments, the changes in DNA sequences of wheat itself occurred.

Xyce parallel electronic simulator : reference guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mei, Ting; Rankin, Eric Lamont; Thornquist, Heidi K.; Santarelli, Keith R.; Fixel, Deborah A.; Coffey, Todd Stirling; Russo, Thomas V.; Schiek, Richard Louis; Warrender, Christina E.; Keiter, Eric Richard; Pawlowski, Roger Patrick

2011-05-01

This document is a reference guide to the Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator, and is a companion document to the Xyce Users Guide. The focus of this document is (to the extent possible) exhaustively list device parameters, solver options, parser options, and other usage details of Xyce. This document is not intended to be a tutorial. Users who are new to circuit simulation are better served by the Xyce Users Guide. The Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator has been written to support, in a rigorous manner, the simulation needs of the Sandia National Laboratories electrical designers. It is targeted specifically to run on large-scale parallel computing platforms but also runs well on a variety of architectures including single processor workstations. It also aims to support a variety of devices and models specific to Sandia needs. This document is intended to complement the Xyce Users Guide. It contains comprehensive, detailed information about a number of topics pertinent to the usage of Xyce. Included in this document is a netlist reference for the input-file commands and elements supported within Xyce; a command line reference, which describes the available command line arguments for Xyce; and quick-references for users of other circuit codes, such as Orcad's PSpice and Sandia's ChileSPICE.

Stable GPR101 over-Expressing Cell Lines As an Invaluable Tool for Functional Studies, Ligand Screening, and the Identification of Deregulated Genes/Pathways in Patients with X-Linked Acrogigantism

OpenAIRE

Trivellin, Giampaolo; Janjic, Maria; Larco, Darwin; Tomic, Melanija; Daly, Adrian; Palmeira, Leonor; Faucz; BECKERS, Albert; Wu, T John; Calebiro, Davide; Stojilkovic, Stanko; Stratakis, Constantine

2017-01-01

Background: GPR101 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that is duplicated in patients with X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG) and over-expressed in their GH- and PRL-secreting tumors. GPR101 is a constitutively active GPCR that strongly activates the cAMP pathway. To elucidate the mechanisms through which GPR101 causes GH over-secretion we generated HEK293 and GH/PRL-secreting (GH3) cells with stable GPR101 expression. Methods: Both cell lines were created via direct integration of ...

Doxycycline-regulated 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line with inducible, stable expression of adenoviral E4orf1 gene: a cell model to study insulin-independent glucose disposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnapuram, Rashmi; Dhurandhar, Emily J; Dubuisson, Olga; Hegde, Vijay; Dhurandhar, Nikhil V

2013-01-01

Impaired glycemic control and excessive adiposity are major risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. In rodent models, Ad36, a human adenovirus, improves glycemic control, independent of dietary fat intake or adiposity. It is impractical to use Ad36 for therapeutic action. Instead, we identified that E4orf1 protein of Ad36, mediates its anti-hyperglycemic action independent of insulin signaling. To further evaluate the therapeutic potential of E4orf1 to improve glycemic control, we established a stable 3T3-L1 cell system in which E4orf1 expression can be regulated. The development and characterization of this cell line is described here. Full-length adenoviral-36 E4orf1 cDNA obtained by PCR was cloned into a tetracycline responsive element containing vector (pTRE-Tight-E4orf1). Upon screening dozens of pTRE-Tight-E4orf1 clones, we identified the one with the highest expression of E4orf1 in response to doxycycline treatment. Furthermore, using this inducible system we characterized the ability of E4orf1 to improve glucose disposal in a time dependent manner. This stable cell line offers a valuable resource to carefully study the novel signaling pathways E4orf1 uses to enhance cellular glucose disposal independent of insulin.

Doxycycline-regulated 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line with inducible, stable expression of adenoviral E4orf1 gene: a cell model to study insulin-independent glucose disposal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rashmi Krishnapuram

Full Text Available Impaired glycemic control and excessive adiposity are major risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes mellitus. In rodent models, Ad36, a human adenovirus, improves glycemic control, independent of dietary fat intake or adiposity. It is impractical to use Ad36 for therapeutic action. Instead, we identified that E4orf1 protein of Ad36, mediates its anti-hyperglycemic action independent of insulin signaling. To further evaluate the therapeutic potential of E4orf1 to improve glycemic control, we established a stable 3T3-L1 cell system in which E4orf1 expression can be regulated. The development and characterization of this cell line is described here. Full-length adenoviral-36 E4orf1 cDNA obtained by PCR was cloned into a tetracycline responsive element containing vector (pTRE-Tight-E4orf1. Upon screening dozens of pTRE-Tight-E4orf1 clones, we identified the one with the highest expression of E4orf1 in response to doxycycline treatment. Furthermore, using this inducible system we characterized the ability of E4orf1 to improve glucose disposal in a time dependent manner. This stable cell line offers a valuable resource to carefully study the novel signaling pathways E4orf1 uses to enhance cellular glucose disposal independent of insulin.

Positional reference system for ultraprecision machining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, J.B.; Burleson, R.R.; Pardue, R.M.

1982-01-01

A stable positional reference system for use in improving the cutting tool-to-part contour position in numerical controlledmultiaxis metal turning machines is provided. The reference system employs a plurality of interferometers referenced to orthogonally disposed metering bars which are substantially isolated from machine strain induced position errors for monitoring the part and tool positions relative to the metering bars. A microprocessor-based control system is employed in conjunction with the plurality of position interferometers and part contour description data inputs to calculate error components for each axis of movement and output them to corresponding axis drives with appropriate scaling and error compensation. Real-time position control, operating in combination with the reference system, makes possible the positioning of the cutting points of a tool along a part locus with a substantially greater degree of accuracy than has been attained previously in the art by referencing and then monitoring only the tool motion relative to a reference position located on the machine base

Positional reference system for ultraprecision machining

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, J.B.; Burleson, R.R.; Pardue, R.M.

1980-09-12

A stable positional reference system for use in improving the cutting tool-to-part contour position in numerical controlled-multiaxis metal turning machines is provided. The reference system employs a plurality of interferometers referenced to orthogonally disposed metering bars which are substantially isolated from machine strain induced position errors for monitoring the part and tool positions relative to the metering bars. A microprocessor-based control system is employed in conjunction with the plurality of positions interferometers and part contour description data input to calculate error components for each axis of movement and output them to corresponding axis driven with appropriate scaling and error compensation. Real-time position control, operating in combination with the reference system, makes possible the positioning of the cutting points of a tool along a part locus with a substantially greater degree of accuracy than has been attained previously in the art by referencing and then monitoring only the tool motion relative to a reference position located on the machine base.

Recommended Reference Genes for Quantitative PCR Analysis in Soybean Have Variable Stabilities during Diverse Biotic Stresses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raman Bansal

Full Text Available For real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR in soybean, reference genes in different tissues, developmental stages, various cultivars, and under stress conditions have been suggested but their usefulness for research on soybean under various biotic stresses occurring in North-Central U.S. is not known. Here, we investigated the expression stabilities of ten previously recommended reference genes (ABCT, CYP, EF1A, FBOX, GPDH, RPL30, TUA4, TUB4, TUA5, and UNK2 in soybean under biotic stress from Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV, powdery mildew (PMD, soybean aphid (SBA, and two-spotted spider mite (TSSM. BPMV, PMD, SBA, and TSSM are amongst the most common pest problems on soybean in North-Central U.S. and other regions. Reference gene stability was determined using three software algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and a web-based tool (RefFinder. Reference genes showed variability in their expression as well as stability across various stressors and the best reference genes were stress-dependent. ABCT and FBOX were found to be the most stable in soybean under both BPMV and SBA stress but these genes had only minimal to moderate stability during PMD and TSSM stress. Expression of TUA4 and CYP was found to be most stable during PMD stress; TUB4 and TUA4 were stable under TSSM stress. Under various biotic stresses on soybean analyzed, GPDH expression was found to be consistently unstable. For all biotic stressors on soybean, we obtained pairwise variation (V2/3 values less than 0.15 which suggested that combined use of the two most stable reference genes would be sufficient for normalization. Further, we demonstrated the utility of normalizing the qRT-PCR data for target genes using the most stable reference genes validated in current study. Following of the recommendations from our current study will enable an accurate and reliable normalization of qRT-PCR data in soybean under biotic stress.

Analytical quality control service programme, intercomparison runs, certified reference materials, reference materials 1987-88

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-12-01

The purpose of the Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme provided by the IAEA, is to assist laboratories engaged in the analysis of nuclear, environmental, biological, and materials of marine origin for radionuclide, major, minor and trace elements, as well as stable isotopes using atomic and nuclear analytical techniques, to check the quality of their work. The tables give details of the intercomparison samples and reference materials distributed by the IAEA in the period 1987 to 1988. 2 tabs

recombinant inbred lines intercropped with oat

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADMIN

The QTLs identified are stable for these characters and are located on ... number of seeds per ear, with better thousand kernel weight and grain yield ... to determine environmentally friendly way of barley lines to withstand oat .... The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done .... yield components, multiple QTL mapping or.

Stable Heavy Hadrons in ATLAS

CERN Document Server

Mackeprang, Rasmus

2007-01-01

Several extensions to the SM feature heavy long-lived particles with masses of O(10^2-10^3 GeV) and mean lifetimes fulfilling $CT \\geq 10m$. Among such theories are supersymmetric scenarios as well as extra-dimensional models in which the heavy new particles are seen as Kaluza-Klein excitations of the well-known SM particles. Such particles will, from the point of view of a collider experiment be seen as stable. This thesis is concerned with the case where the exotic heavy particles emph{can} be considered stable while traversing the detector. Specifically the case is considered where the particles in question carry the charge of the strong nuclear force, commonly referred to as emph{colour charge}. A simulation kit has been developed using GEANT4. This framework is the current standard in experimental particle physics for the simulation of interactions of particles with matter, and it is used extensively for detector simulation. The simulation describes the interactions of these particles with matter which i...

Similarity law for Widom lines and coexistence lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Banuti, D T; Raju, M; Ihme, M

2017-05-01

The coexistence line of a fluid separates liquid and gaseous states at subcritical pressures, ending at the critical point. Only recently, it became clear that the supercritical state space can likewise be divided into regions with liquidlike and gaslike properties, separated by an extension to the coexistence line. This crossover line is commonly referred to as the Widom line, and is characterized by large changes in density or enthalpy, manifesting as maxima in the thermodynamic response functions. Thus, a reliable representation of the coexistence line and the Widom line is important for sub- and supercritical applications that depend on an accurate prediction of fluid properties. While it is known for subcritical pressures that nondimensionalization with the respective species critical pressures p_{cr} and temperatures T_{cr} only collapses coexistence line data for simple fluids, this approach is used for Widom lines of all fluids. However, we show here that the Widom line does not adhere to the corresponding states principle, but instead to the extended corresponding states principle. We resolve this problem in two steps. First, we propose a Widom line functional based on the Clapeyron equation and derive an analytical, species specific expression for the only parameter from the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation of state. This parameter is a function of the acentric factor ω and compares well with experimental data. Second, we introduce the scaled reduced pressure p_{r}^{*} to replace the previously used reduced pressure p_{r}=p/p_{cr}. We show that p_{r}^{*} is a function of the acentric factor only and can thus be readily determined from fluid property tables. It collapses both subcritical coexistence line and supercritical Widom line data over a wide range of species with acentric factors ranging from -0.38 (helium) to 0.34 (water), including alkanes up to n-hexane. By using p_{r}^{*}, the extended corresponding states principle can be applied within

A protein-based set of reference markers for liver tissues and hepatocellular carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Stella; Yi, Xin; Poon, Ronnie TP; Yeung, Chun; Day, Philip JR; Luk, John M

2009-01-01

During the last decade, investigations have focused on revealing genes or proteins that are involved in HCC carcinogenesis using either genetic or proteomic techniques. However, these studies are overshadowed by a lack of good internal reference standards. The need to identify 'housekeeping' markers, whose expression is stable in various experimental and clinical conditions, is therefore of the utmost clinical relevance in quantitative studies. This is the first study employed 2-DE analysis to screen for potential reference markers and aims to correlate the abundance of these proteins with their level of transcript expression. A Chinese cohort of 224 liver tissues samples (105 cancerous, 103 non-tumourous cirrhotic, and 16 normal) was profiled using 2-DE analysis. Expression of the potential reference markers was confirmed by western blot, immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR. geNorm algorithm was employed for gene stability measure of the identified reference markers. The expression levels of three protein markers beta-actin (ACTB), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), and protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) were found to be stable using p-values (p > 0.99) as a ranking tool in all 224 human liver tissues examined by 2-DE analysis. Of high importance, ACTB and HSP 60 were successfully validated at both protein and mRNA levels in human hepatic tissues by western blot, immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative PCR. In addition, no significant correlation of these markers with any clinicopathological features of HCC and cirrhosis was found. Gene stability measure of these two markers with other conventionally applied housekeeping genes was assessed by the geNorm algorithm, which ranked ACTB and HSP60 as the most stable genes among this cohort of clinical samples. Our findings identified 2 reference markers that exhibited stable expression across human liver tissues with different conditions thus should be regarded as reliable reference

Robust on-line monitoring of biogas processes; Robusta maettekniker on-line foer optimerad biogasproduktion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordberg, Aake; Hansson, Mikael; Kanerot, Mija; Krozer, Anatol; Loefving, Bjoern; Sahlin, Eskil

2010-03-15

Although demand for biomethane in Sweden is higher than ever, many Swedish codigestion plants are presently operated below their designed capacity. Efforts must be taken to increase the loading rate and guarantee stable operation and high availability of the plants. There are currently no commercial systems for on-line monitoring, and due to the characteristics of the material, including corrosion and tearing, robust applications have to be developed. The objective of this project was to identify and study different monitoring technologies with potential for on-line monitoring of both substrate mixtures and anaerobic digester content. Based on the prerequisites and demands at Boraas Energi och Miljoe AB's (BEMAB, the municipal energy and waste utility in the city of Boraas, Sweden) biogas plant, the extent of the problems, measurement variables and possible ways of managing these issues have been identified and prioritized. The substrate mixtures in question have a high viscosity and are inhomogeneous with variation in composition, which calls for further homogenization, dilution and filtration to achieve high precision in the necessary analyses. Studies of using different mixers and mills showed that the particle size (800 mum) needed for on-line COD measurement could not be achieved. The problem of homogenization can be avoided if indirect measurement methods are used. Laboratory tests with NIR (near-infra red spectroscopy) showed that VS can be predicted (R2=0,78) in the interval of 2-9% VS. Furthermore, impedance can give a measurement of soluble components. However, impedance is not sensitive enough to give a good measurement of total TS. Microwave technology was installed at the production plant and showed a faster response to changes in TS than the existing TS-sensor. However, due to technical problems, the evaluation only could be done during a limited period of ten days. BEMAB will continue the measurements and evaluation of the instrument. The

Optimal Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization in Trichomonas vaginalis

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Odelta; de Vargas Rigo, Graziela; Frasson, Amanda Piccoli; Macedo, Alexandre José; Tasca, Tiana

2015-01-01

Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiologic agent of trichomonosis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. This infection is associated with several health consequences, including cervical and prostate cancers and HIV acquisition. Gene expression analysis has been facilitated because of available genome sequences and large-scale transcriptomes in T. vaginalis, particularly using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), one of the most used methods for molecular studies. Reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy of this method. However, to the best of our knowledge, a systematic validation of reference genes has not been performed for T. vaginalis. In this study, the transcripts of nine candidate reference genes were quantified using qRT-PCR under different cultivation conditions, and the stability of these genes was compared using the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. The most stable reference genes were α-tubulin, actin and DNATopII, and, conversely, the widely used T. vaginalis reference genes GAPDH and β-tubulin were less stable. The PFOR gene was used to validate the reliability of the use of these candidate reference genes. As expected, the PFOR gene was upregulated when the trophozoites were cultivated with ferrous ammonium sulfate when the DNATopII, α-tubulin and actin genes were used as normalizing gene. By contrast, the PFOR gene was downregulated when the GAPDH gene was used as an internal control, leading to misinterpretation of the data. These results provide an important starting point for reference gene selection and gene expression analysis with qRT-PCR studies of T. vaginalis. PMID:26393928

Stable Superstring Relics and Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays

CERN Document Server

Coriano, Claudio; Plumacher, Michael; Coriano, Claudio; Faraggi, Alon E.; Plumacher, Michael

2001-01-01

One of the most intriguing experimental results of recent years is the observation of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) above the GZK cutoff. Plausible candidates for the UHECR primaries are the decay products of a meta--stable matter state with mass of order O(10^{12-15 GeV}), which simultaneously is a good cold dark matter candidate. We study possible meta-stable matter states that arise from Wilson line breaking of GUT symmetries in semi-realistic heterotic string models. In the models that we study the exotic matter states can be classified according to patterns of SO(10) symmetry breaking. We show that cryptons, which are states that carry fractional electric charge $\\pm1/2$, and are confined by a hidden gauge group cannot produce viable dark matter. This is due to the fact that, in addition to the lightest neutral bound state, cryptons give rise to meta-stable charged bound states. However, these states may still account for the UHECR events. We argue that the uniton, which is an exotic Standard Mod...

Selection and validation of appropriate reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis in Salvia hispanica.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahul Gopalam

Full Text Available Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR has become the most popular choice for gene expression studies. For accurate expression analysis, it is pertinent to select a stable reference gene to normalize the data. It is now known that the expression of internal reference genes varies considerably during developmental stages and under different experimental conditions. For Salvia hispanica, an economically important oilseed crop, there are no reports of stable reference genes till date. In this study, we chose 13 candidate reference genes viz. Actin11 (ACT, Elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α, Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3E (ETIF3E, alpha tubulin (α-TUB, beta tubulin (β-TUB, Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, Cyclophilin (CYP, Clathrin adaptor complex (CAC, Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A, FtsH protease (FtsH, 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA, S-adenosyl methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC and Rubisco activase (RCA and the expression levels of these genes were assessed in a diverse set of tissue samples representing vegetative stages, reproductive stages and various abiotic stress treatments. Two of the widely used softwares, geNorm and Normfinder were used to evaluate the expression stabilities of these 13 candidate reference genes under different conditions. Results showed that GAPDH and CYP expression remain stable throughout in the different abiotic stress treatments, CAC and PP2A expression were relatively stable under reproductive stages and α-TUB, PP2A and ETIF3E were found to be stably expressed in vegetative stages. Further, the expression levels of Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1, a key enzyme in triacylglycerol synthesis was analyzed to confirm the validity of reference genes identified in the study. This is the first systematic study of selection of reference genes in S. hispanica, and will benefit future expression studies in this crop.

Driftscan surveys in the 21 cm line with the Arecibo and Nancay telescopes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Briggs, FH; Sorar, E; KraanKorteweg, RC; vanDriel, W

Driftscan methods are highly efficient, stable techniques for conducting extragalactic surveys in the 21 cm line of neutral hydrogen. Holding the telescope still while the beam scans the sky at the sidereal rate produces exceptionally stable spectral baselines, increased stability for RFI signals,

An algebraic method for constructing stable and consistent autoregressive filters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harlim, John; Hong, Hoon; Robbins, Jacob L.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we introduce an algebraic method to construct stable and consistent univariate autoregressive (AR) models of low order for filtering and predicting nonlinear turbulent signals with memory depth. By stable, we refer to the classical stability condition for the AR model. By consistent, we refer to the classical consistency constraints of Adams–Bashforth methods of order-two. One attractive feature of this algebraic method is that the model parameters can be obtained without directly knowing any training data set as opposed to many standard, regression-based parameterization methods. It takes only long-time average statistics as inputs. The proposed method provides a discretization time step interval which guarantees the existence of stable and consistent AR model and simultaneously produces the parameters for the AR models. In our numerical examples with two chaotic time series with different characteristics of decaying time scales, we find that the proposed AR models produce significantly more accurate short-term predictive skill and comparable filtering skill relative to the linear regression-based AR models. These encouraging results are robust across wide ranges of discretization times, observation times, and observation noise variances. Finally, we also find that the proposed model produces an improved short-time prediction relative to the linear regression-based AR-models in forecasting a data set that characterizes the variability of the Madden–Julian Oscillation, a dominant tropical atmospheric wave pattern

Evaluation of Reference Genes to Analyze Gene Expression in Silverside Odontesthes humensis Under Different Environmental Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony L. R. Silveira

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Some mammalian reference genes, which are widely used to normalize the qRT-PCR, could not be used for this purpose due to its high expression variation. The normalization with false reference genes leads to misinterpretation of results. The silversides (Odontesthes spp. has been used as models for evolutionary, osmoregulatory and environmental pollution studies but, up to now, there are no studies about reference genes in any Odontesthes species. Furthermore, many studies on silversides have used reference genes without previous validations. Thus, present study aimed to was to clone and sequence potential reference genes, thereby identifying the best ones in Odontesthes humensis considering different tissues, ages and conditions. For this purpose, animals belonging to three ages (adults, juveniles, and immature were exposed to control, Roundup®, and seawater treatments for 24 h. Blood samples were subjected to flow-cytometry and other collected tissues to RNA extraction; cDNA synthesis; molecular cloning; DNA sequencing; and qRT-PCR. The candidate genes tested included 18s, actb, ef1a, eif3g, gapdh, h3a, atp1a, and tuba. Gene expression results were analyzed using five algorithms that ranked the candidate genes. The flow-cytometry data showed that the environmental challenges could trigger a systemic response in the treated fish. Even during this systemic physiological disorder, the consensus analysis of gene expression revealed h3a to be the most stable gene expression when only the treatments were considered. On the other hand, tuba was the least stable gene in the control and gapdh was the least stable in both Roundup® and seawater groups. In conclusion, the consensus analyses of different tissues, ages, and treatments groups revealed that h3a is the most stable gene whereas gapdh and tuba are the least stable genes, even being considered two constitutive genes.

Magneto-hydrodynamically stable axisymmetric mirrorsa)

Science.gov (United States)

Ryutov, D. D.; Berk, H. L.; Cohen, B. I.; Molvik, A. W.; Simonen, T. C.

2011-09-01

Making axisymmetric mirrors magnetohydrodynamically (MHD) stable opens up exciting opportunities for using mirror devices as neutron sources, fusion-fission hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors. This is also of interest from a general physics standpoint (as it seemingly contradicts well-established criteria of curvature-driven instabilities). The axial symmetry allows for much simpler and more reliable designs of mirror-based fusion facilities than the well-known quadrupole mirror configurations. In this tutorial, after a summary of classical results, several techniques for achieving MHD stabilization of the axisymmetric mirrors are considered, in particular: (1) employing the favorable field-line curvature in the end tanks; (2) using the line-tying effect; (3) controlling the radial potential distribution; (4) imposing a divertor configuration on the solenoidal magnetic field; and (5) affecting the plasma dynamics by the ponderomotive force. Some illuminative theoretical approaches for understanding axisymmetric mirror stability are described. The applicability of the various stabilization techniques to axisymmetric mirrors as neutron sources, hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors are discussed; and the constraints on the plasma parameters are formulated.

Magneto-hydrodynamically stable axisymmetric mirrors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryutov, D. D.; Cohen, B. I.; Molvik, A. W. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States); Berk, H. L. [University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Simonen, T. C. [University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2011-09-15

Making axisymmetric mirrors magnetohydrodynamically (MHD) stable opens up exciting opportunities for using mirror devices as neutron sources, fusion-fission hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors. This is also of interest from a general physics standpoint (as it seemingly contradicts well-established criteria of curvature-driven instabilities). The axial symmetry allows for much simpler and more reliable designs of mirror-based fusion facilities than the well-known quadrupole mirror configurations. In this tutorial, after a summary of classical results, several techniques for achieving MHD stabilization of the axisymmetric mirrors are considered, in particular: (1) employing the favorable field-line curvature in the end tanks; (2) using the line-tying effect; (3) controlling the radial potential distribution; (4) imposing a divertor configuration on the solenoidal magnetic field; and (5) affecting the plasma dynamics by the ponderomotive force. Some illuminative theoretical approaches for understanding axisymmetric mirror stability are described. The applicability of the various stabilization techniques to axisymmetric mirrors as neutron sources, hybrids, and pure-fusion reactors are discussed; and the constraints on the plasma parameters are formulated.

STABLE AND UNSTABLE REGIMES OF MASS ACCRETION ONTO RW AUR A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takami, Michihiro; Wei, Yu-Jie; Chou, Mei-Yin; Karr, Jennifer L.; Liu, Hauyu Baobab [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, 11F of Astronomy-Mathematics Building, AS/NTU, No.1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan, R.O.C. (China); Beck, Tracy L. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Dr., Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Manset, Nadine [Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, 65-1238 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Chen, Wen-Ping [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Taiwan 320, Taiwan (China); Kurosawa, Ryuichi [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Fukagawa, Misato [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); White, Marc [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Cotter Rd., Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia); Galván-Madrid, Roberto [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Pyo, Tae-Soo [Subaru Telescope, 650 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Donati, Jean-Francois, E-mail: hiro@asiaa.snica.edu.tw [UPS-Toulouse/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Plańetologie (IRAP) UMR 5277, Toulouse F-31400 (France)

2016-04-01

We present monitoring observations of the active T Tauri star RW Aur, from 2010 October to 2015 January, using optical high-resolution (R ≥ 10,000) spectroscopy with Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope/ESPaDOnS. Optical photometry in the literature shows bright, stable fluxes over most of this period, with lower fluxes (by 2–3 mag) in 2010 and 2014. In the bright period our spectra show clear photospheric absorption, complicated variation in the Ca ii λ8542 emission profile shapes, and a large variation in redshifted absorption in the O i λλ7772 and 8446 and He i λ5876 lines, suggesting unstable mass accretion during this period. In contrast, these line profiles are relatively uniform during the faint periods, suggesting stable mass accretion. During the faint periods, the photospheric absorption lines are absent or marginal, and the averaged Li i profile shows redshifted absorption due to an inflow. We discuss (1) occultation by circumstellar material or a companion and (2) changes in the activity of mass accretion to explain the above results, together with near-infrared and X-ray observations from 2011 to 2015. Neither scenario can simply explain all the observed trends, and more theoretical work is needed to further investigate their feasibilities.

A note on thick subcategories of stable derived categories

OpenAIRE

Krause, Henning; Stevenson, Greg

2013-01-01

For an exact category having enough projective objects, we establish a bijection between thick subcategories containing the projective objects and thick subcategories of the stable derived category. Using this bijection, we classify thick subcategories of finitely generated modules over strict local complete intersections and produce generators for the category of coherent sheaves on a separated Noetherian scheme with an ample family of line bundles.

Assessment of international reference materials for isotope-ratio analysis (IUPAC Technical Report)

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Willi A.; Coplen, Tyler B.; Vogl, Jochen; Rosner, Martin; Prohaska, Thomas

2014-01-01

Since the early 1950s, the number of international measurement standards for anchoring stable isotope delta scales has mushroomed from 3 to more than 30, expanding to more than 25 chemical elements. With the development of new instrumentation, along with new and improved measurement procedures for studying naturally occurring isotopic abundance variations in natural and technical samples, the number of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials with a specified delta value has blossomed in the last six decades to more than 150 materials. More than half of these isotopic reference materials were produced for isotope-delta measurements of seven elements: H, Li, B, C, N, O, and S. The number of isotopic reference materials for other, heavier elements has grown considerably over the last decade. Nevertheless, even primary international measurement standards for isotope-delta measurements are still needed for some elements, including Mg, Fe, Te, Sb, Mo, and Ge. It is recommended that authors publish the delta values of internationally distributed, secondary isotopic reference materials that were used for anchoring their measurement results to the respective primary stable isotope scale.

The Lyman alpha reference sample

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hayes, M.; Östlin, G.; Schaerer, D.

2013-01-01

We report on new imaging observations of the Lyman alpha emission line (Lyα), performed with the Hubble Space Telescope, that comprise the backbone of the Lyman alpha Reference Sample. We present images of 14 starburst galaxies at redshifts 0.028

Robust stator resistance identification of an IM drive using model reference adaptive system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madadi Kojabadi, Hossein; Abarzadeh, Mostafa; Aghaei Farouji, Said

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We estimate the stator resistance and rotor speed of the IM. ► We proposed a new quantity to estimate the speed and stator resistance of IM. ► The proposed algorithm is robust to rotor resistance variations. ► We estimate the IM speed and stator resistance simultaneously to avoid speed error. - Abstract: Model reference adaptive system (MRAS) based robust stator resistance estimator for sensorless induction motor (IM) drive is proposed. The MRAS is formed with a semi-active power quantity. The proposed identification method can be achieved with on-line tuning of the stator resistance with robustness against rotor resistance variations. Stable and efficient estimation of IM speed at low region will be guaranteed by simultaneous identification of IM speed and stator resistance. The stability of proposed stator resistance estimator is checked through Popov’s hyperstability theorem. Simulation and experimental results are given to highlight the feasibility, the simplicity, and the robustness of the proposed method.

Identification of valid endogenous control genes for determining gene expression in C6 glioma cell line treated with conditioned medium from adipose-derived stem cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Iser, I C; de Campos, R P; Bertoni, A P S; Wink, M R

2015-10-01

There is growing evidence that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be important players in the tumor microenvironment. They can affect the glioma progression through the modulation of different genes. This modulation can be evaluated through a very useful model, treating the tumor cells with MSC-conditioned medium. However, for an accurate and reliable gene expression analysis, normalization of gene expression data against reference genes is a prerequisite. We performed a systematic review in an attempt to find a reference gene to use when analyzing gene expression in C6 glioma cells lines. Considering that we were not able to find a reference gene originated by an appropriate validation, in this study we evaluated candidate genes to be used as reference gene in C6 cells under different treatments with adipose-derived stem cells conditioned medium (CM-ADSCs). β-actin (ACTB); glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase I (HPRT-1); TATA box binding protein (TBP) and beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) were evaluated by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). The mean Cq, the maximum fold change (MFC) and NormFinder software were used for reference gene evaluation and selection. The GAPDH and ACTB genes have been the most widely used reference genes to normalize among the different investigated genes in our review, however, controversially these genes underwent a substantial variability among the genes evaluated in the present work. Individually, TBP gene was more stable when compared with other genes analyzed and the combination of TBP and HPRT-1 was even more stable. These results evidence the importance of appropriate validation of reference genes before performing qPCR experiments. Besides, our data will contribute with researchers that work analyzing the role of ADSCs in glioma microenvironment through gene expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rapid change of field line connectivity and reconnection in stochastic magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Yi-Min; Bhattacharjee, A.; Boozer, Allen H.

2014-01-01

Magnetic fields without a direction of continuous symmetry have the generic feature that neighboring field lines exponentiate away from each other and become stochastic, and hence the ideal constraint of preserving magnetic field line connectivity becomes exponentially sensitive to small deviations from ideal Ohm's law. The idea of breaking field line connectivity by stochasticity as a mechanism for fast reconnection is tested with numerical simulations based on reduced magnetohydrodynamics equations with a strong guide field line-tied to two perfectly conducting end plates. Starting from an ideally stable force-free equilibrium, the system is allowed to undergo resistive relaxation. Two distinct phases are found in the process of resistive relaxation. During the quasi-static phase, rapid change of field line connectivity and strong induced flow are found in regions of high field line exponentiation. However, although the field line connectivity of individual field lines can change rapidly, the overall pattern of field line mapping appears to deform gradually. From this perspective, field line exponentiation appears to cause enhanced diffusion rather than reconnection. In some cases, resistive quasi-static evolution can cause the ideally stable initial equilibrium to cross a stability threshold, leading to formation of intense current filaments and rapid change of field line mapping into a qualitatively different pattern. It is in this onset phase that the change of field line connectivity is more appropriately designated as magnetic reconnection. Our results show that rapid change of field line connectivity appears to be a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for fast reconnection.

Line ratios and wavelengths of helium-like argon n=2 satellite transitions and resonance lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biedermann, C.; Radtke, R.; Fournier, K.

2003-01-01

The characteristic X-ray emission from helium-like argon was investigated as a mean to diagnose hot plasmas. We have measured the radiation from n=2-1 parent lines and from KLn dielectronic recombination satellites with high wavelength resolution as function of the excitation energy using the Berlin Electron Beam Ion Trap. Values of wavelength relative to the resonance and forbidden line are tabulated and compared with references. The line intensity observed over a wide range of excitation energies is weighted with a Maxwellian electron-energy distribution to analyze line ratios as function of plasma temperature. Line ratios (j+z)/w and k/w compare nicely with theoretical predictions and demonstrate their applicability as temperature diagnostic. The ratio z/(x+y) shows not to depend on the electron density

A reference aerosol for a radon reference chamber

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Annette; Keyser, Uwe

1996-02-01

The measurement of radon and radon progenies and the calibration of their detection systems require the production and measurement of aerosols well-defined in size and concentration. In the German radon reference chamber, because of its unique chemical and physical properties, carnauba wax is used to produce standard aerosols. The aerosol size spectra are measured on-line by an aerosol measurement system in the range of 10 nm to 1 μm aerodynamic diameter. The experimental set-ups for the study of adsorption of radioactive ions on aerosols as function of their size and concentration will be described, the results presented and further adaptations for an aerosol jet introduced (for example, for the measurement of short-lived neutron-rich isotopes). Data on the dependence of aerosol radius, ion concentration and element selectivity is collected by using a 252Cf-sf source. The fission products of this source range widely in elements, isotopes and charges. Adsorption and the transport of radioactive ions on aerosols have therefore been studied for various ions for the first time, simultaneously with the aerosol size on-line spectrometry.

A reference aerosol for a radon reference chamber

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, A. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany); Keyser, U. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig (Germany)

1996-01-11

The measurement of radon and radon progenies and the calibration of their detection systems require the production and measurement of aerosols well-defined in size and concentration. In the German radon reference chamber, because of its unique chemical and physical properties, carnauba wax is used to produce standard aerosols. The aerosol size spectra are measured on-line by an aerosol measurement system in the range of 10 nm to 1 {mu}m aerodynamic diameter. The experimental set-ups for the study of adsorption of radioactive ions on aerosols as function of their size and concentration are described, the results presented and further adaptations for an aerosol jet introduced (for example, for the measurement of short-lived neutron-rich isotopes). Data on the dependence of aerosol radius, ion concentration and element selectivity is collected by using a {sup 252}Cf-sf source. The fission products of this source range widely in elements, isotopes and charges. Adsorption and the transport of radioactive ions on aerosols have therefore been studied for various ions for the first time, simultaneously with the aerosol size on-line spectrometry. (orig.).

Quantum mechanics in noninertial reference frames: Violations of the nonrelativistic equivalence principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klink, W.H.; Wickramasekara, S.

2014-01-01

In previous work we have developed a formulation of quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames. This formulation is grounded in a class of unitary cocycle representations of what we have called the Galilean line group, the generalization of the Galilei group that includes transformations amongst non-inertial reference frames. These representations show that in quantum mechanics, just as is the case in classical mechanics, the transformations to accelerating reference frames give rise to fictitious forces. A special feature of these previously constructed representations is that they all respect the non-relativistic equivalence principle, wherein the fictitious forces associated with linear acceleration can equivalently be described by gravitational forces. In this paper we exhibit a large class of cocycle representations of the Galilean line group that violate the equivalence principle. Nevertheless the classical mechanics analogue of these cocycle representations all respect the equivalence principle. -- Highlights: •A formulation of Galilean quantum mechanics in non-inertial reference frames is given. •The key concept is the Galilean line group, an infinite dimensional group. •A large class of general cocycle representations of the Galilean line group is constructed. •These representations show violations of the equivalence principle at the quantum level. •At the classical limit, no violations of the equivalence principle are detected

Waggawagga-CLI: A command-line tool for predicting stable single α-helices (SAH-domains, and the SAH-domain distribution across eukaryotes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominic Simm

Full Text Available Stable single-alpha helices (SAH-domains function as rigid connectors and constant force springs between structural domains, and can provide contact surfaces for protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions. SAH-domains mainly consist of charged amino acids and are monomeric and stable in polar solutions, characteristics which distinguish them from coiled-coil domains and intrinsically disordered regions. Although the number of reported SAH-domains is steadily increasing, genome-wide analyses of SAH-domains in eukaryotic genomes are still missing. Here, we present Waggawagga-CLI, a command-line tool for predicting and analysing SAH-domains in protein sequence datasets. Using Waggawagga-CLI we predicted SAH-domains in 24 datasets from eukaryotes across the tree of life. SAH-domains were predicted in 0.5 to 3.5% of the protein-coding content per species. SAH-domains are particularly present in longer proteins supporting their function as structural building block in multi-domain proteins. In human, SAH-domains are mainly used as alternative building blocks not being present in all transcripts of a gene. Gene ontology analysis showed that yeast proteins with SAH-domains are particular enriched in macromolecular complex subunit organization, cellular component biogenesis and RNA metabolic processes, and that they have a strong nuclear and ribonucleoprotein complex localization and function in ribosome and nucleic acid binding. Human proteins with SAH-domains have roles in all types of RNA processing and cytoskeleton organization, and are predicted to function in RNA binding, protein binding involved in cell and cell-cell adhesion, and cytoskeletal protein binding. Waggawagga-CLI allows the user to adjust the stabilizing and destabilizing contribution of amino acid interactions in i,i+3 and i,i+4 spacings, and provides extensive flexibility for user-designed analyses.

Acute multi-sgRNA knockdown of KEOPS complex genes reproduces the microcephaly phenotype of the stable knockout zebrafish model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tilman Jobst-Schwan

Full Text Available Until recently, morpholino oligonucleotides have been widely employed in zebrafish as an acute and efficient loss-of-function assay. However, off-target effects and reproducibility issues when compared to stable knockout lines have compromised their further use. Here we employed an acute CRISPR/Cas approach using multiple single guide RNAs targeting simultaneously different positions in two exemplar genes (osgep or tprkb to increase the likelihood of generating mutations on both alleles in the injected F0 generation and to achieve a similar effect as morpholinos but with the reproducibility of stable lines. This multi single guide RNA approach resulted in median likelihoods for at least one mutation on each allele of >99% and sgRNA specific insertion/deletion profiles as revealed by deep-sequencing. Immunoblot showed a significant reduction for Osgep and Tprkb proteins. For both genes, the acute multi-sgRNA knockout recapitulated the microcephaly phenotype and reduction in survival that we observed previously in stable knockout lines, though milder in the acute multi-sgRNA knockout. Finally, we quantify the degree of mutagenesis by deep sequencing, and provide a mathematical model to quantitate the chance for a biallelic loss-of-function mutation. Our findings can be generalized to acute and stable CRISPR/Cas targeting for any zebrafish gene of interest.

A crawling robot driven by multi-stable origami

Science.gov (United States)

Pagano, Alexander; Yan, Tongxi; Chien, Brian; Wissa, A.; Tawfick, S.

2017-09-01

Using origami folding to construct and actuate mechanisms and machines offers attractive opportunities from small, scalable, and cheap robots to deployable adaptive structures. This paper presents the design of a bio-inspired origami crawling robot constructed by folding sheets of paper. The origami building block structure is based on the Kresling crease pattern (CP), a chiral tower with a polygonal base, which expands and contracts through coupled longitudinal and rotational motion similar to a screw. We design the origami to have multi-stable structural equilibria which can be tuned by changing the folding CP. Kinematic analysis of these structures based on rigid-plates and hinges at fold lines precludes the shape transformation associated with the bistability of the physical models. To capture the kinematics of the bi-stable origami, the panels’ deformation behavior is modeled utilizing principles of virtual folds. Virtual folds approximate material bending by hinged, rigid panels, which facilitates the development of a kinematic solution via rigid-plate rotation analysis. As such, the kinetics and stability of folded structures are investigated by assigning suitable torsional spring constants to the fold lines. The results presented demonstrate the effect of fold-pattern geometries on the snapping behavior of the bi-stable origami structure based on the Kresling pattern. The crawling robot is presented as a case study for the use of this origami structure to mimic crawling locomotion. The robot is comprised of two origami towers nested inside a paper bellow, and connected by 3D printed end plates. DC motors are used to actuate the expansion and contraction of the internal origami structures to achieve forward locomotion and steering. Beyond locomotion, this simple design can find applications in manipulators, booms, and active structures.

Crystal engineering of stable temozolomide cocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Babu, N Jagadeesh; Sanphui, Palash; Nangia, Ashwini

2012-10-01

The antitumor prodrug temozolomide (TMZ) decomposes in aqueous medium of pH≥7 but is relatively stable under acidic conditions. Pure TMZ is obtained as a white powder but turns pink and then brown, which is indicative of chemical degradation. Pharmaceutical cocrystals of TMZ were engineered with safe coformers such as oxalic acid, succinic acid, salicylic acid, d,l-malic acid, and d,l-tartaric acid, to stabilize the drug as a cocrystal. All cocrystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), single crystal X-ray diffraction, and FT-IR as well as FT-Raman spectroscopy. Temozolomide cocrystals with organic acids (pK(a) 2-6) were found to be more stable than the reference drug under physiological conditions. The half-life (T(1/2)) of TMZ-oxalic and TMZ-salicylic acid measured by UV/Vis spectroscopy in pH 7 buffer is two times longer than that of TMZ (3.5 h and 3.6 h vs. 1.7 h); TMZ-succinic acid, TMZ-tartaric acid, and TMZ-malic acid also exhibited a longer half-life (2.3, 2.5, and 2.8 h, respectively). Stability studies at 40 °C and 75 % relative humidity (ICH conditions) showed that hydrolytic degradation of temozolomide in the solid state started after one week, as determined by PXRD, whereas its cocrystals with succinic acid and oxalic acid were intact at 28 weeks, thus confirming the greater stability of cocrystals compared to the reference drug. The intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) profile of TMZ-oxalic acid and TMZ-succinic acid cocrystals in buffer of pH 7 is comparable to that of temozolomide. Among the temozolomide cocrystals examined, those with succinic acid and oxalic acid exhibited both an improved stability and a comparable dissolution rate to the reference drug. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Selection of reference genes for expression analysis in the entomophthoralean fungus Pandora neoaphidis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun; Xie, Tingna; Ye, Sudan; Jensen, Annette Bruun; Eilenberg, Jørgen

2016-01-01

The selection of suitable reference genes is crucial for accurate quantification of gene expression and can add to our understanding of host-pathogen interactions. To identify suitable reference genes in Pandora neoaphidis, an obligate aphid pathogenic fungus, the expression of three traditional candidate genes including 18S rRNA(18S), 28S rRNA(28S) and elongation factor 1 alpha-like protein (EF1), were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction at different developmental stages (conidia, conidia with germ tubes, short hyphae and elongated hyphae), and under different nutritional conditions. We calculated the expression stability of candidate reference genes using four algorithms including geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and Delta Ct. The analysis results revealed that the comprehensive ranking of candidate reference genes from the most stable to the least stable was 18S (1.189), 28S (1.414) and EF1 (3). The 18S was, therefore, the most suitable reference gene for real-time RT-PCR analysis of gene expression under all conditions. These results will support further studies on gene expression in P. neoaphidis. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Selection of reference genes for expression analysis in the entomophthoralean fungus Pandora neoaphidis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun Chen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract The selection of suitable reference genes is crucial for accurate quantification of gene expression and can add to our understanding of host–pathogen interactions. To identify suitable reference genes in Pandora neoaphidis, an obligate aphid pathogenic fungus, the expression of three traditional candidate genes including 18S rRNA(18S, 28S rRNA(28S and elongation factor 1 alpha-like protein (EF1, were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction at different developmental stages (conidia, conidia with germ tubes, short hyphae and elongated hyphae, and under different nutritional conditions. We calculated the expression stability of candidate reference genes using four algorithms including geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and Delta Ct. The analysis results revealed that the comprehensive ranking of candidate reference genes from the most stable to the least stable was 18S (1.189, 28S (1.414 and EF1 (3. The 18S was, therefore, the most suitable reference gene for real-time RT-PCR analysis of gene expression under all conditions. These results will support further studies on gene expression in P. neoaphidis.

Nitrogen-15 reference book: medicine and biosciences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, H.

1983-04-01

A comprehensive bibliography on the application of the stable nitrogen isotope 15 N in medicine, animal nutrition and physiology, biosciences, and related disciplines is presented. The literature pertaining to this paper covers the period from 1977 to 1981. The references are completed by an index of all authors and a subject index with special emphasis to the used organisms, labelled compounds, and tracer techniques, respectively. (author)

Suitable Reference Genes for Accurate Gene Expression Analysis in Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) for Abiotic Stresses and Hormone Stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Meng-Yao; Song, Xiong; Wang, Feng; Xiong, Ai-Sheng

2016-01-01

Parsley, one of the most important vegetables in the Apiaceae family, is widely used in the food, medicinal, and cosmetic industries. Recent studies on parsley mainly focus on its chemical composition, and further research involving the analysis of the plant's gene functions and expressions is required. qPCR is a powerful method for detecting very low quantities of target transcript levels and is widely used to study gene expression. To ensure the accuracy of results, a suitable reference gene is necessary for expression normalization. In this study, four software, namely geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder were used to evaluate the expression stabilities of eight candidate reference genes of parsley ( GAPDH, ACTIN, eIF-4 α, SAND, UBC, TIP41, EF-1 α, and TUB ) under various conditions, including abiotic stresses (heat, cold, salt, and drought) and hormone stimuli treatments (GA, SA, MeJA, and ABA). Results showed that EF-1 α and TUB were the most stable genes for abiotic stresses, whereas EF-1 α, GAPDH , and TUB were the top three choices for hormone stimuli treatments. Moreover, EF-1 α and TUB were the most stable reference genes among all tested samples, and UBC was the least stable one. Expression analysis of PcDREB1 and PcDREB2 further verified that the selected stable reference genes were suitable for gene expression normalization. This study can guide the selection of suitable reference genes in gene expression in parsley.

Suitable reference genes for accurate gene expression analysis in parsley (Petroselinum crispum for abiotic stresses and hormone stimuli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng-Yao Li

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Parsley is one of the most important vegetable in Apiaceae family and widely used in food industry, medicinal and cosmetic. The recent studies in parsley are mainly focus on chemical composition, further research involving the analysis of the gene functions and expressions will be required. qPCR is a powerful method for detecting very low quantities of target transcript levels and widely used for gene expression studies. To ensure the accuracy of results, a suitable reference gene is necessary for expression normalization. In this study, three software geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper were used to evaluate the expression stabilities of eight candidate reference genes (GAPDH, ACTIN, eIF-4α, SAND, UBC, TIP41, EF-1α, and TUB under various conditions including abiotic stresses (heat, cold, salt, and drought and hormone stimuli treatments (GA, SA, MeJA, and ABA. The results showed that EF-1α and TUB were identified as the most stable genes for abiotic stresses, while EF-1α, GAPDH, and TUB were the top three choices for hormone stimuli treatments. Moreover, EF-1α and TUB were the most stable reference genes across all the tested samples, while UBC was the least stable one. The expression analysis of PcDREB1 and PcDREB2 further verified that the selected stable reference genes were suitable for gene expression normalization. This study provides a guideline for selection the suitable reference genes in gene expression in parsley.

The human vascular endothelial cell line HUV-EC-C harbors the integrated HHV-6B genome which remains stable in long term culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Shioda, Setsuko; Kasai, Fumio; Ozawa, Midori; Hirayama, Noriko; Satoh, Motonobu; Kameoka, Yousuke; Watanabe, Ken; Shimizu, Norio; Tang, Huamin; Mori, Yasuko; Kohara, Arihiro

2018-02-01

Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is a common human pathogen that is most often detected in hematopoietic cells. Although human cells harboring chromosomally integrated HHV-6 can be generated in vitro, the availability of such cell lines originating from in vivo tissues is limited. In this study, chromosomally integrated HHV-6B has been identified in a human vascular endothelial cell line, HUV-EC-C (IFO50271), derived from normal umbilical cord tissue. Sequence analysis revealed that the viral genome was similar to the HHV-6B HST strain. FISH analysis using a HHV-6 DNA probe showed one signal in each cell, detected at the distal end of the long arm of chromosome 9. This was consistent with a digital PCR assay, validating one copy of the viral DNA. Because exposure of HUV-EC-C to chemicals did not cause viral reactivation, long term cell culture of HUV-EC-C was carried out to assess the stability of viral integration. The growth rate was altered depending on passage numbers, and morphology also changed during culture. SNP microarray profiles showed some differences between low and high passages, implying that the HUV-EC-C genome had changed during culture. However, no detectable change was observed in chromosome 9, where HHV-6B integration and the viral copy number remained unchanged. Our results suggest that integrated HHV-6B is stable in HUV-EC-C despite genome instability.

Multi-step lining-up correction of the CLIC trajectory

CERN Document Server

D'Amico, T E

1999-01-01

In the CLIC main linac it is very important to minimise the trajectory excursion and consequently the emittance dilution in order to obtain the required luminosity. Several algorithms have been proposed and lately the ballistic method has proved to be very effective. The trajectory correction method described hereafter retains the main advantages of the latter while adding some interesting features. It is based on the separation of the unknown variables like the quadrupole misalignments, the offset and slope of the injection straight line and the misalignments of the beam position monitors (BPM). This is achieved by referring the trajectory relatively to the injection line and not to the average pre-alignment line and by using two trajectories each corresponding to slightly different quadrupole strengths. A reference straight line is then derived onto which the beam is bent by a kick obtained by moving the first quadrupole. The other quadrupoles are then aligned on that line. The quality of the correction dep...

Stable CSR in storage rings: A model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sannibale, Fernando; Byrd, John M.; Loftsdottir, Agusta; Venturini, Marco; Abo-Bakr, Michael; Feikes, Jorge; Holldack, Karsten; Kuske, Peter; Wustefeld, Godehart; Hubers, Heinz-Willerm; Warnock, Robert

2005-01-01

A comprehensive historical view of the work done on coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in storage rings is given in reference [1]. Here we want just to point out that even if the issue of CSR in storage rings was already discussed over 50 years ago, it is only recently that a considerable number of observations have been reported. In fact, intense bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation with a stochastic character were measured in the terahertz frequency range, at several synchrotron light source storage rings [2-8]. It has been shown [8-11], that this bursting emission of CSR is associated with a single bunch instability, usually referred as microbunching instability (MBI), driven by the fields of the synchrotron radiation emitted by the bunch itself. Of remarkably different characteristics was the CSR emission observed at BESSY II in Berlin, when the storage ring was tuned into a special low momentum compaction mode [12, 13]. In fact, the emitted radiation was not the quasi-random bursting observed in the other machines, but a powerful and stable flux of broadband CSR in the terahertz range. This was an important result, because it experimentally demonstrated the concrete possibility of constructing a stable broadband source with extremely high power in the terahertz region. Since the publication of the first successful experiment using the ring as a CSR source [14], BESSY II has regular scheduled user s shifts dedicated to CSR experiments. At the present time, several other laboratories are investigating the possibility of a CSR mode of operation [15-17] and a design for a new ring optimized for CSR is at an advanced stage [18]. In what follows, we describe a model that first accounts for the BESSY II observations and then indicates that the special case of BESSY II is actually quite general and typical when relativistic electron storage rings are tuned for short bunches. The model provides a scheme for predicting and optimizing the performance of ring

Stable CSR in Storage Rings: A Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sannibale, F.

2005-01-01

A comprehensive historical view of the work done on coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) in storage rings is given in reference [1]. Here we want just to point out that even if the issue of CSR in storage rings was already discussed over 50 years ago, it is only recently that a considerable number of observations have been reported. In fact, intense bursts of coherent synchrotron radiation with a stochastic character were measured in the terahertz frequency range, at several synchrotron light source storage rings [2-8]. It has been shown [8-11], that this bursting emission of CSR is associated with a single bunch instability, usually referred as microbunching instability (MBI), driven by the fields of the synchrotron radiation emitted by the bunch itself. Of remarkably different characteristics was the CSR emission observed at BESSY II in Berlin, when the storage ring was tuned into a special low momentum compaction mode [12, 13]. In fact, the emitted radiation was not the quasi-random bursting observed in the other machines, but a powerful and stable flux of broadband CSR in the terahertz range. This was an important result, because it experimentally demonstrated the concrete possibility of constructing a stable broadband source with extremely high power in the terahertz region. Since the publication of the first successful experiment using the ring as a CSR source [14], BESSY II has regular scheduled user's shifts dedicated to CSR experiments. At the present time, several other laboratories are investigating the possibility of a CSR mode of operation [15-17] and a design for a new ring optimized for CSR is at an advanced stage [18]. In what follows, we describe a model that first accounts for the BESSY II observations and then indicates that the special case of BESSY II is actually quite general and typical when relativistic electron storage rings are tuned for short bunches. The model provides a scheme for predicting and optimizing the performance of ring

Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-time PCR in Sapium sebiferum

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Xue Chen

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum L. is a promising landscape and bioenergy plant. Measuring gene expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR can provide valuable information on gene function. Stably expressed reference genes for normalization are a prerequisite for ensuring the accuracy of the target gene expression level among different samples. However, the reference genes in Chinese tallow have not been systematically validated. In this study, 12 candidate reference genes (18S, GAPDH, UBQ, RPS15, SAND, TIP41, 60S, ACT7, PDF2, APT, TBP, and TUB were investigated with qRT-PCR in 18 samples, including those from different tissues, from plants treated with sucrose and cold stresses. The data were calculated with four common algorithms, geNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and the delta cycle threshold (ΔCt. TIP41 and GAPDH were the most stable for the tissue-specific experiment, GAPDH and 60S for cold treatment, and GAPDH and UBQ for sucrose stresses, while the least stable genes were 60S, TIP41, and 18S respectively. The comprehensive results showed APT, GAPDH, and UBQ to be the top-ranked stable genes across all the samples. The stability of 60S was the lowest during all experiments. These selected reference genes were further validated by comparing the expression profiles of the chalcone synthase gene in Chinese tallow in different samples. The results will help to improve the accuracy of gene expression studies in Chinese tallow.

The Cellosaurus, a Cell-Line Knowledge Resource

Science.gov (United States)

Bairoch, Amos

2018-01-01

The Cellosaurus is a knowledge resource on cell lines. It aims to describe all cell lines used in biomedical research. Its scope encompasses both vertebrates and invertebrates. Currently, information for >100,000 cell lines is provided. For each cell line, it provides a wealth of information, cross-references, and literature citations. The Cellosaurus is available on the ExPASy server (https://web.expasy.org/cellosaurus/) and can be downloaded in a variety of formats. Among its many uses, the Cellosaurus is a key resource to help researchers identify potentially contaminated/misidentified cell lines, thus contributing to improving the quality of research in the life sciences. PMID:29805321

Agronomic performance and stability of andean common bean lines with white grains in Brazil

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Helton Santos Pereira

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This work evaluated the effect of genotype by environment interaction in Andean common bean lines with white grains, in Central Southern Brazil, to identify lines with high agronomic performance, stability and adaptability, aiming to meet domestic demand and to increase the Brazilian participation in the foreign market of common bean. Nineteen trials with twelve Andean lines were conducted in 2007, 2008 and 2009, in Central Southern Brazil. Grain yield and other agronomic traits were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and of adaptability/stability using Annicchiarico and modified AMMI methods. Significant differences were found between lines for all traits evaluated. Genotype by environment interaction was important for lines with Andean origin and white seed. The utilization of weighted mean of absolute scores and yield with the AMMI results enabled the identification of the most stable and adapted lines. Lines Poroto Alubia, CNFB 16211, Ouro Branco and WAF 160 were stable and adapted, using both methods. CNFB 16211 line presented high agronomic performance, stability and adaptability and therefore this line may be a new cultivar. USWA 70 and WAF 75 lines presented grain size similar to that required by the foreign market and superior to the Brazilian cultivars, besides favorable agronomic traits, and thus these lines may be indicated as new cultivars.

The detailed characteristics of positive corona current pulses in the line-to-plane electrodes

Science.gov (United States)

Xuebao, LI; Dayong, LI; Qian, ZHANG; Yinfei, LI; Xiang, CUI; Tiebing, LU

2018-05-01

The corona current pulses generated by corona discharge are the sources of the radio interference from transmission lines and the detailed characteristics of the corona current pulses from conductor should be investigated in order to reveal their generation mechanism. In this paper, the line-to-plane electrodes are designed to measure and analyze the characteristics of corona current pulses from positive corona discharges. The influences of inter-electrode gap and line diameters on the detail characteristics of corona current pulses, such as pulse amplitude, rise time, duration time and repetition frequency, are carefully analyzed. The obtained results show that the pulse amplitude and the repetition frequency increase with the diameter of line electrode when the electric fields on the surface of line electrodes are same. With the increase of inter-electrode gap, the pulse amplitude and the repetition frequency first decrease and then turn to be stable, while the rise time first increases and finally turns to be stable. The distributions of electric field and space charges under the line electrodes are calculated, and the influences of inter-electrode gap and line electrode diameter on the experimental results are qualitatively explained.

Can double-peaked lines indicate merging effects in AGNs?

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Popović L.Č.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of merging effects in the central part of an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN on the emission spectral line shapes are discussed. We present a model of close binary Broad Line Region. The numerical experiments show that the merging effects can explain double peaked lines. The merging effects may also be present in the center of AGNs, although they emit slightly asymmetric as well as symmetric and relatively stable (in profile shape spectral lines. Depending on the black hole masses and their orbit elements such model may explain some of the line profile shapes observed in AGNs. This work shows that if one is looking for the merging effects in the central region as well as in the wide field structure of AGNs, he should first pay attention to objects which have double peaked lines.

Thinking inside the box: Spatial frames of reference for drawing in Williams syndrome and typical development.

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Hudson, Kerry D; Farran, Emily K

2017-09-01

Successfully completing a drawing relies on the ability to accurately impose and manipulate spatial frames of reference for the object that is being drawn and for the drawing space. Typically developing (TD) children use cues such as the page boundary as a frame of reference to guide the orientation of drawn lines. Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) typically produce incohesive drawings; this is proposed to reflect a local processing bias. Across two studies, we provide the first investigation of the effect of using a frame of reference when drawing simple lines and shapes in WS and TD groups (matched for non-verbal ability). Individuals with WS (N=17 Experiment 1; N=18 Experiment 2) and TD children matched by non-verbal ability drew single lines (Experiment One) and whole shapes (Experiment Two) within a neutral, incongruent or congruent frame. The angular deviation of the drawn line/shape, relative to the model line/shape, was measured. Both groups were sensitive to spatial frames of reference when drawing single lines and whole shapes, imposed by a frame around the drawing space. A local processing bias in WS cannot explain poor drawing performance in WS. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extended emission-line regions in active galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutchings, J.B.; Hickson, P.

1988-01-01

Long-slit spectra of four active galaxies in the redshift range 0.06-0.10 are presented. Two have interacting companions. Spectra of the galaxies show extended narrow emission lines in all cases. Continuum color changes, emision-line ratio changes, and velocity changes with 1 arcsec resolution can be detected. Relative velocities between AGN and companion galaxies are also given. These objects appear to lie in galaxies in which there is considerable star-formation activity, and very extended line emision. 20 references

Applying TPM on Production Line of Huanwei

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Zhai Yunkai

2017-01-01

The study based on the study and analysis of the TPM theory, based on my practice in the SMT2 production line of Victoria Electronics of Huanwei. Then it studied the promotion and implementation steps of TPM on SMT2 line. And it also introduced the improvement instance of SMT2 line. By contrasting the utilization of equipment on SMT2 line before and after the comprehensive of TPM, the necessity of implementing TPM is derived. For how to apply TPM on the production lines, and how to improve equipment comprehensive utilization, finish the order on time, provide high quality products to our customers, these are the main part of production line equipment management work. This article provides the reference for how to promote TPM on other production lines.

Diversity in host clone performance within a Chinese hamster ovary cell line.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Callaghan, Peter M; Berthelot, Maud E; Young, Robert J; Graham, James W A; Racher, Andrew J; Aldana, Dulce

2015-01-01

Much effort has been expended to improve the capabilities of individual Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cell lines to synthesize recombinant therapeutic proteins (rPs). However, given the increasing variety in rP molecular types and formats it may be advantageous to employ a toolbox of CHO host cell lines in biomanufacturing. Such a toolbox would contain a panel of hosts with specific capabilities to synthesize certain molecular types at high volumetric concentrations and with the correct product quality (PQ). In this work, we examine a panel of clonally derived host cell lines isolated from CHOK1SV for the ability to manufacture two model proteins, an IgG4 monoclonal antibody (Mab) and an Fc-fusion protein (etanercept). We show that these host cell lines vary in their relative ability to synthesize these proteins in transient and stable pool production format. Furthermore, we examined the PQ attributes of the stable pool-produced Mab and etanercept (by N-glycan ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), respectively), and uncovered substantial variation between the host cell lines in Mab N-glycan micro-heterogeneity and etanercept N and O-linked macro-heterogeneity. To further investigate the capabilities of these hosts to act as cell factories, we examined the glycosylation pathway gene expression profiles as well as the levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria in the untransfected hosts. We uncovered a moderate correlation between ER mass and the volumetric product concentration in transient and stable pool Mab production. This work demonstrates the utility of leveraging diversity within the CHOK1SV pool to identify new host cell lines with different performance characteristics. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Stable isotope analyses of oxygen (18O:17O:16O) and chlorine (37Cl:35Cl) in perchlorate: reference materials, calibrations, methods, and interferences

Science.gov (United States)

Böhlke, John Karl; Mroczkowski, Stanley J.; Sturchio, Neil C.; Heraty, Linnea J.; Richman, Kent W.; Sullivan, Donald B.; Griffith, Kris N.; Gu, Baohua; Hatzinger, Paul B.

2017-01-01

RationalePerchlorate (ClO4−) is a common trace constituent of water, soils, and plants; it has both natural and synthetic sources and is subject to biodegradation. The stable isotope ratios of Cl and O provide three independent quantities for ClO4− source attribution and natural attenuation studies: δ37Cl, δ18O, and δ17O (or Δ17O or 17Δ) values. Documented reference materials, calibration schemes, methods, and interferences will improve the reliability of such studies.MethodsThree large batches of KClO4 with contrasting isotopic compositions were synthesized and analyzed against VSMOW-SLAP, atmospheric O2, and international nitrate and chloride reference materials. Three analytical methods were tested for O isotopes: conversion of ClO4− to CO for continuous-flow IRMS (CO-CFIRMS), decomposition to O2 for dual-inlet IRMS (O2-DIIRMS), and decomposition to O2 with molecular-sieve trap (O2-DIIRMS+T). For Cl isotopes, KCl produced by thermal decomposition of KClO4 was reprecipitated as AgCl and converted into CH3Cl for DIIRMS.ResultsKClO4 isotopic reference materials (USGS37, USGS38, USGS39) represent a wide range of Cl and O isotopic compositions, including non-mass-dependent O isotopic variation. Isotopic fractionation and exchange can affect O isotope analyses of ClO4− depending on the decomposition method. Routine analyses can be adjusted for such effects by normalization, using reference materials prepared and analyzed as samples. Analytical errors caused by SO42−, NO3−, ReO42−, and C-bearing contaminants include isotope mixing and fractionation effects on CO and O2, plus direct interference from CO2 in the mass spectrometer. The results highlight the importance of effective purification of ClO4− from environmental samples.ConclusionsKClO4 reference materials are available for testing methods and calibrating isotopic data for ClO4− and other substances with widely varying Cl or O isotopic compositions. Current ClO4−extraction, purification

A new birthweight reference in Guangzhou, southern China, and its comparison with the global reference.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jian-Rong; Xia, Hui-Min; Liu, Yu; Xia, Xiao-Yan; Mo, Wei-Jian; Wang, Ping; Cheng, Kar Keung; Leung, Gabriel M; Feng, Qiong; Schooling, C Mary; Qiu, Xiu

2014-12-01

To formulate a new birthweight reference for different gestational ages in Guangzhou, southern China, and compare it with the currently used reference in China and the global reference. All singleton live births of more than 26 weeks' gestational age recorded in the Guangzhou Perinatal Health Care and Delivery Surveillance System for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 (n=510 837) were retrospectively included in the study. In addition, the study sample was supplemented by all singleton live births (n=3538) at gestational ages 26-33 weeks from 2007 and 2008. We used Gaussian mixture models and robust regression to exclude outliers of birth weight and then applied Generalized Additive Models for Location, Scale, and Shape (GAMLSS) to generate smoothed percentile curves separately for gender and parity. Of infants defined as small for gestational age (SGA) in the new reference, 15.3-47.7% (depending on gestational age) were considered appropriate for gestational age (AGA) by the currently used reference of China. Of the infants defined as SGA by the new reference, 9.2% with gestational ages 34-36 weeks and 14.3% with 37-41 weeks were considered AGA by the global reference. At the 50th centile line, the new reference curve was similar to that of the global reference for gestational ages 26-33 weeks and above the global reference for 34-40 weeks. The new birthweight reference based on birthweight data for neonates in Guangzhou, China, differs from the reference currently used in China and the global reference, and appears to be more relevant to the local population. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Using RNA-Seq Data to Evaluate Reference Genes Suitable for Gene Expression Studies in Soybean.

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Aldrin Kay-Yuen Yim

Full Text Available Differential gene expression profiles often provide important clues for gene functions. While reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR is an important tool, the validity of the results depends heavily on the choice of proper reference genes. In this study, we employed new and published RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq datasets (26 sequencing libraries in total to evaluate reference genes reported in previous soybean studies. In silico PCR showed that 13 out of 37 previously reported primer sets have multiple targets, and 4 of them have amplicons with different sizes. Using a probabilistic approach, we identified new and improved candidate reference genes. We further performed 2 validation tests (with 26 RNA samples on 8 commonly used reference genes and 7 newly identified candidates, using RT-qPCR. In general, the new candidate reference genes exhibited more stable expression levels under the tested experimental conditions. The three newly identified candidate reference genes Bic-C2, F-box protein2, and VPS-like gave the best overall performance, together with the commonly used ELF1b. It is expected that the proposed probabilistic model could serve as an important tool to identify stable reference genes when more soybean RNA-Seq data from different growth stages and treatments are used.

A bovine cell line that can be infected by natural sheep scrapie prions.

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Anja M Oelschlegel

Full Text Available Cell culture systems represent a crucial part in basic prion research; yet, cell lines that are susceptible to prions, especially to field isolated prions that were not adapted to rodents, are very rare. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize a cell line that was susceptible to ruminant-derived prions and to establish a stable prion infection within it. Based on species and tissue of origin as well as PrP expression rate, we pre-selected a total of 33 cell lines that were then challenged with natural and with mouse propagated BSE or scrapie inocula. Here, we report the successful infection of a non-transgenic bovine cell line, a sub-line of the bovine kidney cell line MDBK, with natural sheep scrapie prions. This cell line retained the scrapie infection for more than 200 passages. Selective cloning resulted in cell populations with increased accumulation of PrPres, although this treatment was not mandatory for retaining the infection. The infection remained stable, even under suboptimal culture conditions. The resulting infectivity of the cells was confirmed by mouse bioassay (Tgbov mice, Tgshp mice. We believe that PES cells used together with other prion permissive cell lines will prove a valuable tool for ongoing efforts to understand and defeat prions and prion diseases.

Involvement of protein kinase C in the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) in a human colonic carcinoma cell line, COLO-205

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Dyuti Datta; Saha, Subhrajit; Chakrabarti, Manoj K.

2005-01-01

The present study was undertaken to determine the involvement of calcium-protein kinase C pathway in the mechanism of action of Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin (STa) apart from STa-induced activation of guanylate cyclase in human colonic carcinoma cell line COLO-205, which was used as a model cultured cell line to study the mechanism of action of E. coli STa. In response to E. coli STa, protein kinase C (PKC) activity was increased in a time-dependent manner with its physical translocation from cytosol to membrane. Inhibition of the PKC activity in membrane fraction and inhibition of its physical translocation in response to IP 3 -mediated calcium release inhibitor dantrolene suggested the involvement of intracellular store depletion in the regulation of PKC activity. Among different PKC isoforms, predominant involvement of calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKCα) was specified using isotype-specific pseudosubstrate, which showed pronounce enzyme activity. Inhibition of enzyme activity by PKCα-specific inhibitor Goe6976 and immunoblott study employing isotype-specific antibody further demonstrated the involvement of calcium-dependent isoform of PKC in the mechanism of action of E. coli STa. Moreover, inhibition of guanylate cyclase activity by PKCα-specific inhibitor Goe6976 suggested the involvement of PKCα in the regulation of guanylate cyclase activity

Development on traceability based on changes of stable isotopes in animal tissues and organs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Xianfeng; Guo Boli; Wei Yimin; Sun Shumin; Wei Shuai

2011-01-01

Stable isotope analysis is a new method in food traceability, which can be used to trace animals' geographical origin and life history. This paper reviews the recent progress of researches on characteristics of stable isotopes and turnover time in different animal tissues and organs, as well as their influence caused by feed, drinking water, geographical origin, storing and processing. The aim of this paper is to provide theoretical reference for studies on the traceability of animal derived food and animals' life history. (authors)

IAEA AQCS catalogue for reference materials and intercomparison exercises 1998/1999

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Fore more than thirty years the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through its Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme, has been assisting Member States' laboratories to maintain and improve the reliability of their analyses by organizing intercomparison exercises and by preparing and distributing biological, environmental and marine reference materials. The catalogue consists principally of two parts: The list of all available IAEA reference materials grouped into five categories: reference materials for radionuclides; reference materials for trace, minor and major elements, including oxides; reference materials for stable isotopes; reference materials for organic contaminants and methyl mercury containing materials. Lists of all available IAEA reference materials sorted by analytes. In addition information on recommended half-life data and suppliers of radioactive sources is provided. Planned intercomparisons are advertised and request forms for participation in intercomparisons are included. Forms for ordering reference materials, quality control spectra for gamma-spectrometry on diskettes and AQCS related publications are also provided

Design of a Rad-Hard eFuse Trimming Circuit for Bandgap Voltage Reference for LHC Experiments Upgrades

CERN Document Server

Besirli, Mustafa; Koukab, Adil; Michelis, Stefano

A precise and stable reference voltage is required to generate a stable output voltage in DC/DC converters. This reference voltage must be independent of temperature, power supply, radiation, intrinsic technology mismatch and process variation. This master's thesis reports the development of a rad-hard bandgap voltage reference with electrical fuse (eFuse) based analog calibration circuit in a commercial 130nm technology. According to the test results, the maximum error in the bandgap voltage (300mV in this application) was reduced from ±30mV to less than ±0.6mV thanks to the eFuse trimming. A temperature, power supply, radiation, mismatch and process-independent reference voltage was generated to provide reference voltage to first (bPOL12V) and second (bPOL2V5) stage DC/DC converters. This circuit will be integrated in bPOL12V and bPOL2V5 converters for high-luminosity LHC upgrades.

Validation of reference genes for quantitative expression analysis by real-time rt-PCR in four lepidopteran insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Xiaolu; Zhang, Zan; He, Guiling; Yang, Liwen; Li, Fei

2012-01-01

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an efficient and widely used technique to monitor gene expression. Housekeeping genes (HKGs) are often empirically selected as the reference genes for data normalization. However, the suitability of HKGs used as the reference genes has been seldom validated. Here, six HKGs were chosen (actin A3, actin A1, GAPDH, G3PDH, E2F, rp49) in four lepidopteran insects Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), Plutella xylostella L. (Plutellidae), Chilo suppressalis Walker (Crambidae), and Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Noctuidae) to study their expression stability. The algorithms of geNorm, NormFinder, stability index, and ΔCt analysis were used to evaluate these HKGs. Across different developmental stages, actin A1 was the most stable in P. xylostella and C. suppressalis, but it was the least stable in B. mori and S. exigua. Rp49 and GAPDH were the most stable in B. mori and S. exigua, respectively. In different tissues, GAPDH, E2F, and Rp49 were the most stable in B. mori, S. exigua, and C. suppressalis, respectively. The relative abundances of Siwi genes estimated by 2(-ΔΔCt) method were tested with different HKGs as the reference gene, proving the importance of internal controls in qPCR data analysis. The results not only presented a list of suitable reference genes in four lepidopteran insects, but also proved that the expression stabilities of HKGs were different among evolutionarily close species. There was no single universal reference gene that could be used in all situations. It is indispensable to validate the expression of HKGs before using them as the internal control in qPCR.

Universal Reference RNA as a standard for microarray experiments

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Fero Michael

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Obtaining reliable and reproducible two-color microarray gene expression data is critically important for understanding the biological significance of perturbations made on a cellular system. Microarray design, RNA preparation and labeling, hybridization conditions and data acquisition and analysis are variables difficult to simultaneously control. A useful tool for monitoring and controlling intra- and inter-experimental variation is Universal Reference RNA (URR, developed with the goal of providing hybridization signal at each microarray probe location (spot. Measuring signal at each spot as the ratio of experimental RNA to reference RNA targets, rather than relying on absolute signal intensity, decreases variability by normalizing signal output in any two-color hybridization experiment. Results Human, mouse and rat URR (UHRR, UMRR and URRR, respectively were prepared from pools of RNA derived from individual cell lines representing different tissues. A variety of microarrays were used to determine percentage of spots hybridizing with URR and producing signal above a user defined threshold (microarray coverage. Microarray coverage was consistently greater than 80% for all arrays tested. We confirmed that individual cell lines contribute their own unique set of genes to URR, arguing for a pool of RNA from several cell lines as a better configuration for URR as opposed to a single cell line source for URR. Microarray coverage comparing two separately prepared batches each of UHRR, UMRR and URRR were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.97. Conclusion Results of this study demonstrate that large quantities of pooled RNA from individual cell lines are reproducibly prepared and possess diverse gene representation. This type of reference provides a standard for reducing variation in microarray experiments and allows more reliable comparison of gene expression data within and between experiments and

Canonical, stable, general mapping using context schemes.

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Adam M; Rosen, Yohei; Haussler, David; Paten, Benedict

2015-11-15

Sequence mapping is the cornerstone of modern genomics. However, most existing sequence mapping algorithms are insufficiently general. We introduce context schemes: a method that allows the unambiguous recognition of a reference base in a query sequence by testing the query for substrings from an algorithmically defined set. Context schemes only map when there is a unique best mapping, and define this criterion uniformly for all reference bases. Mappings under context schemes can also be made stable, so that extension of the query string (e.g. by increasing read length) will not alter the mapping of previously mapped positions. Context schemes are general in several senses. They natively support the detection of arbitrary complex, novel rearrangements relative to the reference. They can scale over orders of magnitude in query sequence length. Finally, they are trivially extensible to more complex reference structures, such as graphs, that incorporate additional variation. We demonstrate empirically the existence of high-performance context schemes, and present efficient context scheme mapping algorithms. The software test framework created for this study is available from https://registry.hub.docker.com/u/adamnovak/sequence-graphs/. anovak@soe.ucsc.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Addition computed tomography with stable xenon; Special reference to ischemic cerebrovascular diseases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Touho, Hajime; Karasawa, Jun; Shishido, Hisashi; Yamada, Keisuke; Shibamoto, Keiji [Osaka Neurological Inst., Toyonaka (Japan)

1990-09-01

Stable xenon (Xe{sup s}) is used as a contrast agent because it freely diffuses to cerebral tissues through the blood-brain barrier. In this study, 2 axial levels for Xe{sup s} enhancement analysis were selected from a baseline series of computed tomographic (CT) scans and 6 serial CT scans were obtained every 20 seconds for each scan level during the 240 seconds inhalation period of 30% Xe{sup s} in 10 volunteer controls and in 52 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases (ICVD). The serial CT scans were added and averaged in each pixel. This was used to make a new CT picture (addition CT scans). The CT scans before the Xe{sup s} inhalation, the scan at the end of the Xe{sup s} inhalation, and the addition CT scan were compared to see whether gray matter and ischemic areas could be differentiated from white matter. The addition CT scans could differentiate the three structures very well in both the acute and chronic stages of ICVD. This technique is thought to be a very simple and useful method to detect the small infarcted areas and low perfusion areas that cannot be visualized on precontrast CT scans. (author).

A manual for a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for light stable isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, Tyler B.

1998-01-01

The reliability and accuracy of isotopic data can be improved by utilizing database software to (i) store information about samples, (ii) store the results of mass spectrometric isotope-ratio analyses of samples, (iii) calculate analytical results using standardized algorithms stored in a database, (iv) normalize stable isotopic data to international scales using isotopic reference materials, and (v) generate multi-sheet paper templates for convenient sample loading of automated mass-spectrometer sample preparation manifolds. Such a database program is presented herein. Major benefits of this system include (i) an increase in laboratory efficiency, (ii) reduction in the use of paper, (iii) reduction in workload due to the elimination or reduction of retyping of data by laboratory personnel, and (iv) decreased errors in data reported to sample submitters. Such a database provides a complete record of when and how often laboratory reference materials have been analyzed and provides a record of what correction factors have been used through time. It provides an audit trail for stable isotope laboratories. Since the original publication of the manual for LIMS for Light Stable Isotopes, the isotopes 3 H, 3 He, and 14 C, and the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), CFC-11, CFC-12, and CFC-113, have been added to this program.

Treatment for stable HIV patients in England: can we increase efficiency and improve patient care?

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Elisabeth; Ogden, David; Ehrlich, Alice; Hay, Phillip

2014-07-01

To estimate the costs and potential efficiency gains of changing the frequency of clinic appointments and drug dispensing arrangements for stable HIV patients compared to the costs of hospital pharmacy dispensing and home delivery. We estimated the annual costs per patient (HIV clinic visits and either first-line treatment or a common second-line regimen, with some patients switching to a second-line regimen during the year). The cost of three-, four- and six-monthly clinic appointments and drug supply was estimated assuming hospital dispensing (incurring value-added tax) and home delivery. Three-monthly appointments and hospital drug dispensing (baseline) were compared to other strategies. The baseline was the most costly option (£10,587 if first-line treatment and no switch to second-line regimen). Moving to six-monthly appointments and home delivery yielded savings of £1883 per patient annually. Assuming patients start on different regimens and may switch to second-line therapies, six-monthly appointments and three-monthly home delivery of drugs is the least expensive option and could result in nearly £2000 savings per patient. This translates to annual cost reduction of about £8 million for the estimated 4000 eligible patients not currently on home delivery in London, England. Different appointment schedules and drug supply options should be considered for stable HIV patients based on efficiency gains. However, this should be assessed for individual patients to meet their needs, especially around adherence and patient support. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

2H Stable Isotope Analysis of Tooth Enamel: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Holobinko, Anastasia; Kemp, Helen; Meier-Augenstein, Wolfram; Prowse, Tracy; Ford, Susan

2010-05-01

Stable isotope analysis of biogenic tissues such as tooth enamel and bone mineral has become a well recognized and increasingly important method for determining provenance of human remains, and has been used successfully in bioarchaeological studies as well as forensic investigations (Lee-Thorp, 2008; Meier-Augenstein and Fraser, 2008). Particularly, 18O and 2H stable isotopes are well established proxies as environmental indicators of climate (temperature) and source water and are therefore considered as indicators of geographic life trajectories of animals and humans (Hobson et al., 2004; Schwarcz and Walker, 2006). While methodology for 2H analysis of human hair, fingernails, and bone collagen is currently used to determine geographic origin and identify possible migration patterns, studies involving the analysis of 2H in tooth enamel appear to be nonexistent in the scientific literature. The apparent lack of research in this area is believed to have two main reasons. (1) Compared to the mineral calcium hydroxylapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, in tooth enamel forming bio-apatite carbonate ions replace some of the hydroxyl ions at a rate of one CO32 replacing two OH, yet published figures for the degree of substitution vary (Wopenka and Pasteris, 2005). (2) Most probably due to the aforementioned no published protocols exist for sample preparation and analytical method to obtain δ2H-values from the hydroxyl fraction of tooth enamel. This dilemma has been addressed through a pilot study to establish feasibility of 2H stable isotope analysis of ground tooth enamel by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) coupled on-line to a high-temperature conversion elemental analyzer (TC/EA). An array of archaeological and modern teeth has been analyzed under different experimental conditions, and results from this pilot study are being presented. References: Lee-Thorp, J.A. (2008) Archaeometry, 50, 925-950 Meier-Augenstein, W. and Fraser, I. (2008) Science & Justice

QSOs with narrow emission lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldwin, J.A.; Mcmahon, R.; Hazard, C.; Williams, R.E.

1988-01-01

Observations of two new high-redshift, narrow-lined QSOs (NLQSOs) are presented and discussed together with observations of similar objects reported in the literature. Gravitational lensing is ruled out as a possible means of amplifying the luminosity for one of these objects. It is found that the NLQSOs have broad bases on their emission lines as well as the prominent narrow cores which define this class. Thus, these are not pole-on QSOs. The FWHM of the emission lines fits onto the smoothly falling tail of the lower end of the line-width distribution for complete QSO samples. The equivalent widths of the combined broad and narrow components of the lines are normal for QSOs of the luminosity range under study. However, the NLQSOs do show ionization differences from broader-lined QSOs; most significant, the semiforbidden C III/C IV intensity ratio is unusually low. The N/C abundance ratio in these objects is found to be normal; the Al/C abundance ratio may be quite high. 38 references

ATLAS collision event from the first LHC fill with stable beam on 17th April 2018

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS Collaboration

2018-01-01

Event display (run 348197, event 562578) from the first stable beam proton-proton collision run of 2018, recorded on April 17. Curved white lines show the trajectories of charged particles in the tracking systems.

Stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, D.K.

1986-01-01

Seventy-five percent of the world's stable isotope supply comes from one producer, Oak Ridge Nuclear Laboratory (ORNL) in the US. Canadian concern is that foreign needs will be met only after domestic needs, thus creating a shortage of stable isotopes in Canada. This article describes the present situation in Canada (availability and cost) of stable isotopes, the isotope enrichment techniques, and related research programs at Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories (CRNL)

Reference gene selection for real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the mouse uterus in the peri-implantation period.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pengfei Lin

Full Text Available The study of uterine gene expression patterns is valuable for understanding the biological and molecular mechanisms that occur during embryo implantation. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR is an extremely sensitive technique that allows for the precise quantification of mRNA abundance; however, selecting stable reference genes suitable for the normalization of qRT-PCR data is required to avoid the misinterpretation of experimental results and erroneous analyses. This study employs several mouse models, including an early pregnancy, a pseudopregnancy, a delayed implantation and activation, an artificial decidualization and a hormonal treatment model; ten candidate reference genes (PPIA, RPLP0, HPRT1, GAPDH, ACTB, TBP, B2M, 18S, UBC and TUBA that are found in uterine tissues were assessed for their suitability as internal controls for relative qRT-PCR quantification. GeNorm(PLUS, NormFinder, and BestKeeper were used to evaluate these candidate reference genes, and all of these methods identified RPLP0 and GAPDH as the most stable candidates and B2M and 18S as the least stable candidates. However, when the different models were analyzed separately, the reference genes exhibited some variation in their expression levels.

AQCS 1989 - Intercomparison runs reference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The purpose of the Analytical Quality Control Services (AQCS) programme provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Agency) is to assist laboratories engaged in the analysis of nuclear, environmental, biological, and materials of marine origin for radionuclide, major, minor and trace elements, as well as stable isotopes using atomic and nuclear analytical techniques, to check the quality of their work. Reference Materials available are listed by origin and by analyte giving referenced values and confidence intervals. Only materials, which have one or more properties sufficiently well established from statistical evaluation of previous interlaboratory comparison studies are included. Existing Reference Materials may be updated for previously referenced constituents or properties according to the results of the Agency's Co-ordinated Research Programmes (CRPs) in these fields or according to recently published literature values. They are supplied with a reference sheet stating relevant parameters and properties of the material and can be used as secondary standards for quality control assurance within a laboratory, for checking analytical methods and/or instrumentation or for training purposes. 4 tabs

Postural adaptation of the spatial reference frames to microgravity: back to the egocentric reference frame.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sébastien Viel

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In order to test how gravitational information would affect the choice of stable reference frame used to control posture and voluntary movement, we have analysed the forearm stabilisation during sit to stand movement under microgravity condition obtained during parabolic flights. In this study, we hypothesised that in response to the transient loss of graviceptive information, the postural adaptation might involve the use of several strategies of segmental stabilisation, depending on the subject's perceptual typology (dependence--independence with respect to the visual field. More precisely, we expected a continuum of postural strategies across subjects with 1 at one extreme the maintaining of an egocentric reference frame and 2 at the other the re-activation of childhood strategies consisting in adopting an egocentric reference frame. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To check this point, a forearm stabilisation task combined with a sit to stand movement was performed with eyes closed by 11 subjects during parabolic flight campaigns. Kinematic data were collected during 1-g and 0-g periods. The postural adaptation to microgravity's constraint may be described as a continuum of strategies ranging from the use of an exo- to an egocentric reference frame for segmental stabilisation. At one extremity, the subjects used systematically an exocentric frame to control each of their body segments independently, as under normogravity conditions. At the other, the segmental stabilisation strategies consist in systematically adopting an egocentric reference frame to control their forearm's stabilisation. A strong correlation between the mode of segmental stabilisation used and the perceptual typology (dependence--independence with respect to the visual field of the subjects was reported. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show different subjects' typologies from those that use the forearm orientation in a mainly exocentric reference frame to

Stable isotope sales: Mound Laboratory customer and shipment summaries, FY 1976 and FY 1976A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruwe, A.H. Jr.

1977-01-01

A listing is given of Mound Laboratory's sales of stable isotopes of noble gases, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur for fiscal years 1976 and 1976A (the period July 1, 1975 through September 30, 1976). Purchasers are listed alphabetically and are divided into domestic and foreign groups. A cross-reference index by location is included for domestic customers. Cross-reference listings by isotope purchased are included for all customers

High-resolution Laboratory Measurements of Coronal Lines near the Fe IX Line at 171 Å

Science.gov (United States)

Beiersdorfer, Peter; Träbert, Elmar

2018-02-01

We present high-resolution laboratory measurements in the spectral region between 165 and 175 Å that focus on the emission from various ions of C, O, F, Ne, S, Ar, Fe, and Ni. This wavelength region is centered on the λ171 Fe IX channel of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory, and we place special emphasis on the weaker emission lines of Fe IX predicted in this region. In general, our measurements show a multitude of weak lines missing in the current databases, where the emission lines of Ni are probably most in need of further identification and reclassification. We also find that the wavelengths of some of the known lines need updating. Using the multi-reference Møller–Plesset method for wavelength predictions and collisional-radiative modeling of the line intensities, we have made tentative assignments of more than a dozen lines to the spectrum of Fe IX, some of which have formerly been identified as Fe VII, Fe XIV, or Fe XVI lines. Several Fe features remain unassigned, although they appear to be either Fe VII or Fe X lines. Further work will be needed to complete and correct the spectral line lists in this wavelength region.

Validation of suitable reference genes for expression studies in different pilocarpine-induced models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thalita Ewellyn Batista Sales Marques

Full Text Available It is well recognized that the reference gene in a RT-qPCR should be properly validated to ensure that gene expression is unaffected by the experimental condition. We investigated eight potential reference genes in two different pilocarpine PILO-models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE performing a stability expression analysis using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKepeer softwares. Then, as a validation strategy, we conducted a relative expression analysis of the Gfap gene. Our results indicate that in the systemic PILO-model Actb, Gapdh, Rplp1, Tubb2a and Polr1a mRNAs were highly stable in hippocampus of rats from all experimental and control groups, whereas Gusb revealed to be the most variable one. In fact, we observed that using Gusb for normalization, the relative mRNA levels of the Gfap gene differed from those obtained with stable genes. On the contrary, in the intrahippocampal PILO-model, all softwares included Gusb as a stable gene, whereas B2m was indicated as the worst candidate gene. The results obtained for the other reference genes were comparable to those observed for the systemic Pilo-model. The validation of these data by the analysis of the relative expression of Gfap showed that the upregulation of the Gfap gene in the hippocampus of rats sacrificed 24 hours after status epilepticus (SE was undetected only when B2m was used as the normalizer. These findings emphasize that a gene that is stable in one pathology model may not be stable in a different experimental condition related to the same pathology and therefore, the choice of reference genes depends on study design.

Stable hydrostatic equilibrium configurations of the galaxy and implications for its halo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloemen, J.B.G.M.

1987-01-01

Using a variety of observations, it is shown that the gaseous, magnetic field, and cosmic-ray components in the local region of the Galaxy may be in a large-scale hydrostatic equilibrium that is stable against Parker-type instabilities. Lower limits for the density of the halo are derived as a function of its scale height. The temperature of the hot medium in the disk and at large distances from the plane is found to be typically about a million K in a stable equilibrium, whereas around z roughly 1-3 kpc the temperature could be only 200,000-300,000 K. The scale height of the sum of cosmic-ray and magnetic field pressures in a stable hydrostatic equilibrium state is found to be only weakly dependent on the scale height of the gaseous halo. 109 references

A reference guide to quality assurance for diagnostic radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The College of Radiographers, through its Professional and Technical Committee, set up a small Working Party to compile a list of references which would help radiographers to become experts at Quality Assurance in Diagnostic Imaging departments. The list is not comprehensive, but includes references which the Working Party have experience of and have found useful. The references provided should aid in the objectives of:- 1. determining acceptable standards of new equipment; 2. making comparisons during use with accepted base line performance; 3. establishing loss of cost effectiveness and the need for replacement. (author)

Radiosensitivity of mice of different lines and age as determinated with reference to ''intestinal'' death and DNA repair in intestinal epithelium cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konoplyannikova, O.A.; Sklobovskaya, M.V.; Konoplyannikov, A.G.; Saenko, A.S.

1982-01-01

A study was made of the influence of strain- and age-related differences on mouse mortality after irradiation with doses lying within the ''intest+nal'' dose range, and also damages to stem cells of intestinal epithelium and induction and repair of single-strand DNA breaks in intestinal epitherium cells. Mice of different lines and age vary in LDsub(50/4) and stem cell radiosensitivity. There are no differences in the sedimentation constants of DNA fragments in alkaline lysates of intestinal crypts of intact mice of different age. Radiosensitivity determined with reference to single-strand breaks induction in DNA is similar with different mo use groups. Repair of single-strand DNA breaks of eldery mice is slower than that of young animals

Establishment, immortalisation and characterisation of pteropid bat cell lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gary Crameri

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Bats are the suspected natural reservoir hosts for a number of new and emerging zoonotic viruses including Nipah virus, Hendra virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Ebola virus. Since the discovery of SARS-like coronaviruses in Chinese horseshoe bats, attempts to isolate a SL-CoV from bats have failed and attempts to isolate other bat-borne viruses in various mammalian cell lines have been similarly unsuccessful. New stable bat cell lines are needed to help with these investigations and as tools to assist in the study of bat immunology and virus-host interactions. METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: Black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto were captured from the wild and transported live to the laboratory for primary cell culture preparation using a variety of different methods and culture media. Primary cells were successfully cultured from 20 different organs. Cell immortalisation can occur spontaneously, however we used a retroviral system to immortalise cells via the transfer and stable production of the Simian virus 40 Large T antigen and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase protein. Initial infection experiments with both cloned and uncloned cell lines using Hendra and Nipah viruses demonstrated varying degrees of infection efficiency between the different cell lines, although it was possible to infect cells in all tissue types. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The approaches developed and optimised in this study should be applicable to bats of other species. We are in the process of generating further cell lines from a number of different bat species using the methodology established in this study.

Line width and line shape analysis in the inductively coupled plasma by high resolution Fourier transform spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faires, L.M.; Palmer, B.A.; Brault, J.W.

1984-01-01

High resolution Fourier transform spectrometry has been used to perform line width and line shape analysis of eighty-one iron I emision lines in the spectral range 290 to 390nm originating in the normal analytical zone of an inductively coupled plasma. Computer programs using non-linear least squares fitting techniques for line shape analysis were applied to the fully resolved spectra to determine Gaussian and Lorentzian components of the total observed line width. The effect of noise in the spectrum on the precision of the line fitting technique was assessed, and the importance of signal to noise ratio for line shape analysis is discussed. Translational (Doppler) temperatures were calculated from the Gaussian components of the line width and were found to be on the order of 6300 0 K. The excitation temperature of iron I was also determined from the same spectral data by the spectroscopic slope method based on the Einstein-Boltzmann expression for spectral intensity and was found to be on the order of 4700 0 K. 31 references

Stable Isotope Data

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Tissue samples (skin, bone, blood, muscle) are analyzed for stable carbon, stable nitrogen, and stable sulfur analysis. Many samples are used in their entirety for...

stableGP

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The code in the stableGP package implements Gaussian process calculations using efficient and numerically stable algorithms. Description of the algorithms is in the...

What Determines the Response: Test or Reference?

Science.gov (United States)

Chukova, S. V.; Ahumada, A. J., Jr.; Null, Cynthia (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

The stability of sensory memory has been studied by presenting a reference stimulus, a delay, and a test stimulus. As has been pointed out by Lages and Treisman (1998 Vision Research 38 557-572), the usual measure of performance depends only on the effect of test variations on the responses. The Weber fraction characterizing performance is more properly called the test stimulus Weber fraction. We measure the relative contribution of the test and reference to the response by the ratio of the test Weber fraction to the reference Weber fraction. The stimuli were two dark lines on a bright background. Seven reference separations, varying from 9.5 to 16.7 arc min, were intermixed in each run. Interstimulus intervals (ISI) of 50, 200 and 2000 msec and intertrial intervals (ITI) of 500 and 2500 msec were investigated. When the ISI was short (50 or 200 msec), for both ITIs, responses were determined equally by the test and reference. For the long ISI (2000 msec), the reference stimulus contributed less. However, only for the 500 msec ITI (and not for all observers) was the contribution of the reference stimulus negligible, as Treisman's criterion setting theory might suggest.

Active Fault Tolerant Control of Livestock Stable Ventilation System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gholami, Mehdi

2011-01-01

Modern stables and greenhouses are equipped with different components for providing a comfortable climate for animals and plant. A component malfunction may result in loss of production. Therefore, it is desirable to design a control system, which is stable, and is able to provide an acceptable d...... are not included, while due to the physical limitation, the input signal can not have any value. In continuing, a passive fault tolerant controller (PFTC) based on state feedback is proposed to track a reference signal while the control inputs are bounded....... of fault. Designing a fault tolerant control scheme for the climate control system. In the first step, a conceptual multi-zone model for climate control of a live-stock building is derived. The model is a nonlinear hybrid model. Hybrid systems contain both discrete and continuous components. The parameters...... affine (PWA) components such as dead-zones, saturation, etc or contain piecewise nonlinear models which is the case for the climate control systems of the stables. Fault tolerant controller (FTC) is based on a switching scheme between a set of predefined passive fault tolerant controller (PFTC...

ExoMol line lists - VIII. A variationally computed line list for hot formaldehyde

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Refaie, Ahmed F.; Yachmenev, Andrey; Tennyson, Jonathan; Yurchenko, Sergei N.

2015-04-01

A computed line list for formaldehyde, H212C16O, applicable to temperatures up to T = 1500 K is presented. An empirical potential energy and ab initio dipole moment surfaces are used as the input to the nuclear motion program TROVE. The resulting line list, referred to as AYTY, contains 10.3 million rotational-vibrational states and around 10 billion transition frequencies. Each transition includes associated Einstein-A coefficients and absolute transition intensities, for wavenumbers below 10 000 cm-1 and rotational excitations up to J = 70. Room-temperature spectra are compared with laboratory measurements and data currently available in the HITRAN data base. These spectra show excellent agreement with experimental spectra and highlight the gaps and limitations of the HITRAN data. The full line list is available from the CDS data base as well as at www.exomol.com.

Selection of internal reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis in the rumen epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Die, Jose V; Baldwin, Ransom L; Rowland, Lisa J; Li, Robert; Oh, Sunghee; Li, Congjun; Connor, Erin E; Ranilla, Maria-Jose

2017-01-01

The rumen is lined on the luminal side by a stratified squamous epithelium that is responsible for not only absorption, but also transport, extensive short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism and protection. Butyrate has been demonstrated to initiate the differentiation of the tissue following introduction of solid feed to the weaning neonate as well as affecting the metabolism of other nutrients and absorption of nutrients in in vitro experiments. The objective of the present study was to validate expression stability of eight putative reference genes bovine rumen, considering the intrinsic heterogeneity of bovine rumen with regard to different luminal characteristics due to direct infusion of butyrate to double the intra-ruminal content of the rumen liquor. Our focus was on identifying stable reference genes which are suitable to normalize real-time RT-qPCR experiments from rumen samples collected from clinical assays, irrespective of localization within the organ and the across physiological state. The most stably expressed genes included: ACTB, UXT, DBNDD2, RPS9, DDX54 and HMBS. Their high stability values suggest these reference genes will facilitate better evaluation of variation of across an array of conditions including: localization within the rumen, differences among cattle fed an array of rations, as well as response to development in the weaning animal. Moreover, we anticipate these reference genes may be useful for expression studies in other ruminants.

Selection of internal reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR analysis in the rumen epithelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose V Die

Full Text Available The rumen is lined on the luminal side by a stratified squamous epithelium that is responsible for not only absorption, but also transport, extensive short-chain fatty acid (SCFA metabolism and protection. Butyrate has been demonstrated to initiate the differentiation of the tissue following introduction of solid feed to the weaning neonate as well as affecting the metabolism of other nutrients and absorption of nutrients in in vitro experiments. The objective of the present study was to validate expression stability of eight putative reference genes bovine rumen, considering the intrinsic heterogeneity of bovine rumen with regard to different luminal characteristics due to direct infusion of butyrate to double the intra-ruminal content of the rumen liquor. Our focus was on identifying stable reference genes which are suitable to normalize real-time RT-qPCR experiments from rumen samples collected from clinical assays, irrespective of localization within the organ and the across physiological state. The most stably expressed genes included: ACTB, UXT, DBNDD2, RPS9, DDX54 and HMBS. Their high stability values suggest these reference genes will facilitate better evaluation of variation of across an array of conditions including: localization within the rumen, differences among cattle fed an array of rations, as well as response to development in the weaning animal. Moreover, we anticipate these reference genes may be useful for expression studies in other ruminants.

Optoelectronic line transmission an introduction to fibre optics

CERN Document Server

Tricker, Raymond L

2013-01-01

Optoelectronic Line Transmission: An Introduction to Fibre Optics presents a basic introduction as well as a background reference manual on fiber optic transmission. The book discusses the basic principles of optical line transmission; the advantages and disadvantages of optical fibers and optoelectronic signalling; the practical applications of optoelectronics; and the future of optoelectronics. The text also describes the theories of optical line transmission; fibers and cables for optical transmission; transmitters including light-emitting diodes and lasers; and receivers including photodi

Stable isotope sales: Mound Laboratory customer and shipment summaries, FY 1976 and FY 1976A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruwe, A.H. Jr. (comp.)

1977-06-06

A listing is given of Mound Laboratory's sales of stable isotopes of noble gases, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur for fiscal years 1976 and 1976A (the period July 1, 1975 through September 30, 1976). Purchasers are listed alphabetically and are divided into domestic and foreign groups. A cross-reference index by location is included for domestic customers. Cross-reference listings by isotope purchased are included for all customers.

Mental Fatigue and Spatial References Impair Soccer Players' Physical and Tactical Performances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo Coutinho

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study examined the effects of mental fatigue and additional corridor and pitch sector lines on players' physical and tactical performances during soccer small-sided games. Twelve youth players performed four Gk+6vs6+Gk small-sided games. Prior to the game, one team performed a motor coordination task to induce mental fatigue, while the other one performed a control task. A repeated measures design allowed to compare players' performances across four conditions: (a with mental fatigue against opponents without mental fatigue in a normal pitch (MEN, (b with mental fatigue on a pitch with additional reference lines (#MEN; (c without mental fatigue against mentally fatigued opponents on a normal pitch (CTR; and (d without mental fatigue on a pitch with reference lines (#CTR. Player's physical performance was assessed by the distance covered per minute and the number of accelerations and decelerations (0.5–3.0 m/s2; > −3.0 m/s2. Positional data was used to determine individual (spatial exploration index, time synchronized in longitudinal and lateral directions and team-related variables (length, width, speed of dispersion and contraction. Unclear effects were found for the physical activity measures in most of the conditions. There was a small decrease in time spent laterally synchronized and a moderate decrease in the contraction speed when MEN compared to the CTR. Also, there was a small decrease in the time spent longitudinally synchronized during the #MEN condition compared to MEN. The results showed that mental fatigue affects the ability to use environmental information and players' positioning, while the additional reference lines may have enhanced the use of less relevant information to guide their actions during the #MEN condition. Overall, coaches could manipulate the mental fatigue and reference lines to induce variability and adaptation in young soccer players' behavior.

Automated processing for proton spectroscopic imaging using water reference deconvolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Maudsley, A A; Wu, Z; Meyerhoff, D J; Weiner, M W

1994-06-01

Automated formation of MR spectroscopic images (MRSI) is necessary before routine application of these methods is possible for in vivo studies; however, this task is complicated by the presence of spatially dependent instrumental distortions and the complex nature of the MR spectrum. A data processing method is presented for completely automated formation of in vivo proton spectroscopic images, and applied for analysis of human brain metabolites. This procedure uses the water reference deconvolution method (G. A. Morris, J. Magn. Reson. 80, 547(1988)) to correct for line shape distortions caused by instrumental and sample characteristics, followed by parametric spectral analysis. Results for automated image formation were found to compare favorably with operator dependent spectral integration methods. While the water reference deconvolution processing was found to provide good correction of spatially dependent resonance frequency shifts, it was found to be susceptible to errors for correction of line shape distortions. These occur due to differences between the water reference and the metabolite distributions.

Expression Stabilities of Ten Candidate Reference Genes for RT-qPCR in Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Xitong; Shi, Qianqian; Yang, Tuxi; Fei, Zhaoxue; Wei, Anzhi

2018-03-30

Real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR has become a common method for studying gene expression, however, the optimal selection of stable reference genes is a prerequisite for obtaining accurate quantification of transcript abundance. Suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR have not yet been identified for Chinese prickly ash ( Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.). Chinese prickly ash is the source of an important food seasoning in China. In recent years, Chinese prickly ash has also been developed as a medicinal plant. The expression stabilities of ten genes ( 18S , 28S , EF , UBA , UBQ , TIF , NTB , TUA , RPS , and TIF5A ) were evaluated in roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits at five developmental stages and also under stress from cold, drought, and salt. To do this we used three different statistical algorithms: geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. Among the genes investigated, UBA and UBQ were found to be most stable for the different cultivars and different tissues examined, UBQ and TIF for fruit developmental stage. Meanwhile, EF and TUA were most stable under cold treatment, EF and UBQ under drought treatment and NTB and RPS under salt treatment. UBA and UBQ for all samples evaluated were most stably expressed, but 18S , TUA and RPS were found to be generally unreliable as reference genes. Our results provide a basis for the future selection of reference genes for biological research with Chinese prickly ash, under a variety of conditions.

Extensive characterization of a lentiviral-derived stable cell line expressing rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus VPg protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jie; Miao, Qiuhong; Tan, Yonggui; Guo, Huimin; Li, Chuanfeng; Chen, Zongyan; Liu, Guangqing

2016-11-01

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is an important member of the caliciviridae family. Currently, no suitable tissue culture system is available for proliferating RHDV, which limits the study of its pathogenesis. To bypass this obstacle, we established a cell line, RK13-VPg, stably expressing the VPg gene with a lentivirus packaging system in this study. In addition, the recently constructed RHDV replicon in our laboratory provided an appropriate model for studying the pathogenesis of RHDV without in vitro RHDV propagation and culture. Using this RHDV replicon and RK13-VPg cell line, we further demonstrated that the presence of VPg protein is essential for efficient translation of an RHDV replicon. Therefore, the RK13-VPg cell line is a powerful tool for studying the replication and translation mechanisms of RHDV. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of reference genes from Eucalyptus spp. under different stress conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moura Jullyana Cristina Magalhães Silva

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The genus Eucalyptus consists of approximately 600 species and subspecies and has a physiological plasticity that allows some species to propagate in different regions of the world. Eucalyptus is a major source of cellulose for paper manufacturing, and its cultivation is limited by weather conditions, particularly water stress and low temperatures. Gene expression studies using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR require reference genes, which must have stable expression to facilitate the comparison of the results from analyses using different species, tissues, and treatments. Such studies have been limited in eucalyptus. Results Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Eucalyptus urograndis (hybrid from Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake X Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex-Maiden and E. uroglobulus (hybrid from E. urograndis X E. globulus were subjected to different treatments, including water deficiency and stress recovery, low temperatures, presence or absence of light, and their respective controls. Except for treatment with light, which examined the seedling hypocotyl or apical portion of the stem, the expression analyses were conducted in the apical and basal parts of the stem. To select the best pair of genes, the bioinformatics tools GeNorm and NormFinder were compared. Comprehensive analyses that did not differentiate between species, treatments, or tissue types, showed that IDH (isocitrate dehydrogenase, SAND (SAND protein, ACT (actin, and A-Tub (α-tubulin genes were the most stable. IDH was the most stable gene in all of the treatments. Conclusion Comparing these results with those of other studies on eucalyptus, we concluded that five genes are stable in different species and experimental conditions: IDH, SAND, ACT, A-Tub, and UBQ (ubiquitin. It is usually recommended a minimum of two reference genes is expression analysis; therefore, we propose that IDH and two others genes among the five identified

Identification and validation of reference genes for quantification of target gene expression with quantitative real-time PCR for tall fescue under four abiotic stresses.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhimin Yang

Full Text Available Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. is widely utilized as a major forage and turfgrass species in the temperate regions of the world and is a valuable plant material for studying molecular mechanisms of grass stress tolerance due to its superior drought and heat tolerance among cool-season species. Selection of suitable reference genes for quantification of target gene expression is important for the discovery of molecular mechanisms underlying improved growth traits and stress tolerance. The stability of nine potential reference genes (ACT, TUB, EF1a, GAPDH, SAND, CACS, F-box, PEPKR1 and TIP41 was evaluated using four programs, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The combinations of SAND and TUB or TIP41 and TUB were most stably expressed in salt-treated roots or leaves. The combinations of GAPDH with TIP41 or TUB were stable in roots and leaves under drought stress. TIP41 and PEPKR1 exhibited stable expression in cold-treated roots, and the combination of F-box, TIP41 and TUB was also stable in cold-treated leaves. CACS and TUB were the two most stable reference genes in heat-stressed roots. TIP41 combined with TUB and ACT was stably expressed in heat-stressed leaves. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR assays of the target gene FaWRKY1 using the identified most stable reference genes confirmed the reliability of selected reference genes. The selection of suitable reference genes in tall fescue will allow for more accurate identification of stress-tolerance genes and molecular mechanisms conferring stress tolerance in this stress-tolerant species.

Self Referencing Heterodyne Transient Grating Spectroscopy with Short Wavelength

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakob Grilj

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Heterodyning by a phase stable reference electric field is a well known technique to amplify weak nonlinear signals. For short wavelength, the generation of a reference field in front of the sample is challenging because of a lack of suitable beamsplitters. Here, we use a permanent grating which matches the line spacing of the transient grating for the creation of a phase stable reference field. The relative phase among the two can be changed by a relative translation of the permanent and transient gratings in direction orthogonal to the grating lines. We demonstrate the technique for a transient grating on a VO2 thin film and observe constructive as well as destructive interference signals.

Identification of Phosphoglycerate Kinase 1 (PGK1 as a reference gene for quantitative gene expression measurements in human blood RNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Unger Elizabeth R

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Blood is a convenient sample and increasingly used for quantitative gene expression measurements with a variety of diseases including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS. Quantitative gene expression measurements require normalization of target genes to reference genes that are stable and independent from variables being tested in the experiment. Because there are no genes that are useful for all situations, reference gene selection is an essential step to any quantitative reverse transcription-PCR protocol. Many publications have described appropriate genes for a wide variety of tissues and experimental conditions, however, reference genes that may be suitable for the analysis of CFS, or human blood RNA derived from whole blood as well as isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, have not been described. Findings Literature review and analyses of our unpublished microarray data were used to narrow down the pool of candidate reference genes to six. We assayed whole blood RNA from Tempus tubes and cell preparation tube (CPT-collected PBMC RNA from 46 subjects, and used the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms to select the most stable reference genes. Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1 was one of the optimal normalization genes for both whole blood and PBMC RNA, however, additional genes differed for the two sample types; Ribosomal protein large, P0 (RPLP0 for PBMC RNA and Peptidylprolyl isomerase B (PPIB for whole blood RNA. We also show that the use of a single reference gene is sufficient for normalization when the most stable candidates are used. Conclusions We have identified PGK1 as a stable reference gene for use with whole blood RNA and RNA derived from PBMC. When stable genes are selected it is possible to use a single gene for normalization rather than two or three. Optimal normalization will improve the ability of results from PBMC RNA to be compared with those from whole blood RNA and potentially allows comparison of

Experimental assessment of the energy consumption of urban rail vehicles during stabling hours: Influence of ambient temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, J.P.; González-Gil, A.; Palacin, R.

2014-01-01

Urban rail has widely recognised potential to reduce congestion and air pollution in metropolitan areas, given its high capacity and environmental performance. Nevertheless, growing capacity demands and rising energy costs may call for significant energy efficiency improvements in such systems. Energy consumed by stabled rolling stock has been traditionally overlooked in the scientific literature in favour of analysing traction loads, which generally account for the largest share of this consumption. Thus, this paper presents the methodology and results of an experimental investigation that aimed to assess the energy use of stabled vehicles in the Tyne and Wear Metro system (UK). It is revealed that approximately 11% of the rolling stock's total energy consumption is due to the operation of on-board auxiliaries when stabled, and investigation of these loads is therefore a worthwhile exercise. Heating is responsible for the greatest portion of this energy, and an empirical correlation between ambient temperature and power drawn is given. This could prove useful for a preliminary evaluation of further energy saving measures in this area. Even though this investigation focused on a particular metro system in a relatively cold region, its methodology may also be valid for other urban and main line railways operating in different climate conditions. - Highlights: •Energy use of stabled vehicles in an actual metro system is experimentally examined. •Stabling hours account for about 11% of the vehicles' total energy consumption. •Heating is the major consumer during stabling hours. •An empirical correlation between ambient temperature and power drawn is derived. •The methodology described may also be applied to other urban and main line railways

A future large-aperture UVOIR space observatory: reference designs

Science.gov (United States)

Rioux, Norman; Thronson, Harley; Feinberg, Lee; Stahl, H. Philip; Redding, Dave; Jones, Andrew; Sturm, James; Collins, Christine; Liu, Alice

2015-09-01

Our joint NASA GSFC/JPL/MSFC/STScI study team has used community-provided science goals to derive mission needs, requirements, and candidate mission architectures for a future large-aperture, non-cryogenic UVOIR space observatory. We describe the feasibility assessment of system thermal and dynamic stability for supporting coronagraphy. The observatory is in a Sun-Earth L2 orbit providing a stable thermal environment and excellent field of regard. Reference designs include a 36-segment 9.2 m aperture telescope that stows within a five meter diameter launch vehicle fairing. Performance needs developed under the study are traceable to a variety of reference designs including options for a monolithic primary mirror.

Something To Rely On : The Influence of Stable and Fleeting Drivers on Moral Behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G.G. van Houwelingen (Gijs)

2015-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ In virtually any situation we are bound to encounter short-lived influences that lure us to act in a certain way. The influence of such ‘fleeting drivers’ may or may not be in line our long-term goals and commitments (‘stable drivers’). Moral behaviour in particular

A compensated multi-pole linear ion trap mercury frequency standard for ultra-stable timekeeping.

Science.gov (United States)

Burt, Eric A; Diener, William A; Tjoelker, Robert L

2008-12-01

The multi-pole linear ion trap frequency standard (LITS) being developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has demonstrated excellent short- and long-term stability. The technology has now demonstrated long-term field operation providing a new capability for timekeeping standards. Recently implemented enhancements have resulted in a record line Q of 5 x 10(12) for a room temperature microwave atomic transition and a short-term fractional frequency stability of 5 x 10(-14)/tau(1/2). A scheme for compensating the second order Doppler shift has led to a reduction of the combined sensitivity to the primary LITS systematic effects below 5 x 10(-17) fractional frequency. Initial comparisons to JPL's cesium fountain clock show a systematic floor of less than 2 x 10(-16). The compensated multi-pole LITS at JPL was operated continuously and unattended for a 9-mo period from October 2006 to July 2007. During that time it was used as the frequency reference for the JPL geodetic receiver known as JPLT, enabling comparisons to any clock used as a reference for an International GNSS Service (IGS) site. Comparisons with the laser-cooled primary frequency standards that reported to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) over this period show a frequency deviation less than 2.7 x 10(-17)/day. In the capacity of a stand-alone ultra-stable flywheel, such a standard could be invaluable for long-term timekeeping applications in metrology labs while its methodology and robustness make it ideal for space applications as well.

D Central Line Extraction of Fossil Oyster Shells

Science.gov (United States)

Djuricic, A.; Puttonen, E.; Harzhauser, M.; Mandic, O.; Székely, B.; Pfeifer, N.

2016-06-01

Photogrammetry provides a powerful tool to digitally document protected, inaccessible, and rare fossils. This saves manpower in relation to current documentation practice and makes the fragile specimens more available for paleontological analysis and public education. In this study, high resolution orthophoto (0.5 mm) and digital surface models (1 mm) are used to define fossil boundaries that are then used as an input to automatically extract fossil length information via central lines. In general, central lines are widely used in geosciences as they ease observation, monitoring and evaluation of object dimensions. Here, the 3D central lines are used in a novel paleontological context to study fossilized oyster shells with photogrammetric and LiDAR-obtained 3D point cloud data. 3D central lines of 1121 Crassostrea gryphoides oysters of various shapes and sizes were computed in the study. Central line calculation included: i) Delaunay triangulation between the fossil shell boundary points and formation of the Voronoi diagram; ii) extraction of Voronoi vertices and construction of a connected graph tree from them; iii) reduction of the graph to the longest possible central line via Dijkstra's algorithm; iv) extension of longest central line to the shell boundary and smoothing by an adjustment of cubic spline curve; and v) integration of the central line into the corresponding 3D point cloud. The resulting longest path estimate for the 3D central line is a size parameter that can be applied in oyster shell age determination both in paleontological and biological applications. Our investigation evaluates ability and performance of the central line method to measure shell sizes accurately by comparing automatically extracted central lines with manually collected reference data used in paleontological analysis. Our results show that the automatically obtained central line length overestimated the manually collected reference by 1.5% in the test set, which is deemed

Identification of valid reference genes for gene expression studies of human stomach cancer by reverse transcription-qPCR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rho, Hyun-Wook; Lee, Byoung-Chan; Choi, Eun-Seok; Choi, Il-Ju; Lee, Yeon-Su; Goh, Sung-Ho

2010-01-01

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a powerful method for the analysis of gene expression. Target gene expression levels are usually normalized to a consistently expressed reference gene also known as internal standard, in the same sample. However, much effort has not been expended thus far in the search for reference genes suitable for the study of stomach cancer using RT-qPCR, although selection of optimal reference genes is critical for interpretation of results. We assessed the suitability of six possible reference genes, beta-actin (ACTB), glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase 1 (HPRT1), beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), ribosomal subunit L29 (RPL29) and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) in 20 normal and tumor stomach tissue pairs of stomach cancer patients and 6 stomach cancer cell lines, by RT-qPCR. Employing expression stability analyses using NormFinder and geNorm algorithms we determined the order of performance of these reference genes and their variation values. This RT-qPCR study showed that there are statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences in the expression levels of HPRT1 and 18S rRNA in 'normal-' versus 'tumor stomach tissues'. The stability analyses by geNorm suggest B2M-GAPDH, as best reference gene combination for 'stomach cancer cell lines'; RPL29-HPRT1, for 'all stomach tissues'; and ACTB-18S rRNA, for 'all stomach cell lines and tissues'. NormFinder also identified B2M as the best reference gene for 'stomach cancer cell lines', RPL29-B2M for 'all stomach tissues', and 18S rRNA-ACTB for 'all stomach cell lines and tissues'. The comparisons of normalized expression of the target gene, GPNMB, showed different interpretation of target gene expression depend on best single reference gene or combination. This study validated RPL29 and RPL29-B2M as the best single reference

Stable platinum isotope measurements in presolar nanodiamonds by TEAMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallner, A.; Melber, K.; Merchel, S.; Ott, U.; Forstner, O.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P.

2013-01-01

Nanodiamonds are stardust grains commonly found in primitive meteorites. They survived the formation of the solar system and kept their own individuality. Measurements of trace-element isotopic signatures in these grains will help understanding heavy element nucleosynthesis in massive stars and dust formation from their ejecta. We have continued previous attempts to search for stable Pt isotope anomalies in nanodiamonds via trace element accelerator mass spectrometry (TEAMS). The installation of a new injector beam line at the VERA facility allowed studying low traces of stable elements in different materials. Moreover, recent experiments showed that VERA provides the required measurement precision together with a low Pt machine background. Here, we observed for the first time an indication for enhancements of 198 Pt/ 195 Pt isotope ratios in two diamond residues prepared by different chemical separation techniques from the Allende meteorite. Variations in other isotopic ratios were within analytical uncertainty, and no anomaly was identified in a third diamond fraction.

Stable platinum isotope measurements in presolar nanodiamonds by TEAMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallner, A., E-mail: anton.wallner@univie.ac.at [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Department of Nuclear Physics, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra (Australia); Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights (Australia); Melber, K. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria); Merchel, S. [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), D-01314 Dresden (Germany); Ott, U. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Chemie, Joh.-J.-Becherweg 27, D-55128 Mainz (Germany); Forstner, O.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P. [University of Vienna, Faculty of Physics, VERA Laboratory, Waehringer Strasse 17, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2013-01-15

Nanodiamonds are stardust grains commonly found in primitive meteorites. They survived the formation of the solar system and kept their own individuality. Measurements of trace-element isotopic signatures in these grains will help understanding heavy element nucleosynthesis in massive stars and dust formation from their ejecta. We have continued previous attempts to search for stable Pt isotope anomalies in nanodiamonds via trace element accelerator mass spectrometry (TEAMS). The installation of a new injector beam line at the VERA facility allowed studying low traces of stable elements in different materials. Moreover, recent experiments showed that VERA provides the required measurement precision together with a low Pt machine background. Here, we observed for the first time an indication for enhancements of {sup 198}Pt/{sup 195}Pt isotope ratios in two diamond residues prepared by different chemical separation techniques from the Allende meteorite. Variations in other isotopic ratios were within analytical uncertainty, and no anomaly was identified in a third diamond fraction.

Fluoroorotic acid-selected Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cell lines with a stable thymine starvation phenotype have lost the thymine-regulated transcriptional program.

Science.gov (United States)

Santoso, D; Thornburg, R

2000-08-01

We have selected 143 independent Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cell lines that survive in the presence of 5-fluoroorotic acid. These lines show several diverse phenotypes. The majority of these cell lines showed reduced levels of UMP synthase. However, one particular phenotype, which represents 14% of the total independent lines (20 cell lines), showed an unexpected, high level of UMP synthase and was therefore analyzed in detail. The selected cell lines showed no differences with wild-type cells with respect to uptake of orotic acid, affinity of UMP synthase for its substrates, or UMP synthase gene-copy number. Alternative detoxification mechanisms were also excluded. The elevated enzyme activity was correlated with elevated UMP synthase protein levels as well as elevated UMP synthase mRNA levels. In contrast to wild-type cell lines, the fluoroorotic acid-selected cell lines did not respond to thymine or to other biochemicals that affect thymine levels. In addition, there was also a concomitant up-regulation of aspartate transcarbamoylase, however, dihydroorotase and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase are not up-regulated in these cell lines.

Validation of endogenous reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of human visceral adipose samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Rohini; Birerdinc, Aybike; Hossain, Noreen; Afendy, Arian; Chandhoke, Vikas; Younossi, Zobair; Baranova, Ancha

2010-05-21

Given the epidemic proportions of obesity worldwide and the concurrent prevalence of metabolic syndrome, there is an urgent need for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of metabolic syndrome, in particular, the gene expression differences which may participate in obesity, insulin resistance and the associated series of chronic liver conditions. Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is the standard method for studying changes in relative gene expression in different tissues and experimental conditions. However, variations in amount of starting material, enzymatic efficiency and presence of inhibitors can lead to quantification errors. Hence the need for accurate data normalization is vital. Among several known strategies for data normalization, the use of reference genes as an internal control is the most common approach. Recent studies have shown that both obesity and presence of insulin resistance influence an expression of commonly used reference genes in omental fat. In this study we validated candidate reference genes suitable for qRT-PCR profiling experiments using visceral adipose samples from obese and lean individuals. Cross-validation of expression stability of eight selected reference genes using three popular algorithms, GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper found ACTB and RPII as most stable reference genes. We recommend ACTB and RPII as stable reference genes most suitable for gene expression studies of human visceral adipose tissue. The use of these genes as a reference pair may further enhance the robustness of qRT-PCR in this model system.

Validation of endogenous reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis of human visceral adipose samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afendy Arian

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Given the epidemic proportions of obesity worldwide and the concurrent prevalence of metabolic syndrome, there is an urgent need for better understanding the underlying mechanisms of metabolic syndrome, in particular, the gene expression differences which may participate in obesity, insulin resistance and the associated series of chronic liver conditions. Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR is the standard method for studying changes in relative gene expression in different tissues and experimental conditions. However, variations in amount of starting material, enzymatic efficiency and presence of inhibitors can lead to quantification errors. Hence the need for accurate data normalization is vital. Among several known strategies for data normalization, the use of reference genes as an internal control is the most common approach. Recent studies have shown that both obesity and presence of insulin resistance influence an expression of commonly used reference genes in omental fat. In this study we validated candidate reference genes suitable for qRT-PCR profiling experiments using visceral adipose samples from obese and lean individuals. Results Cross-validation of expression stability of eight selected reference genes using three popular algorithms, GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper found ACTB and RPII as most stable reference genes. Conclusions We recommend ACTB and RPII as stable reference genes most suitable for gene expression studies of human visceral adipose tissue. The use of these genes as a reference pair may further enhance the robustness of qRT-PCR in this model system.

Reference Gene Selection in the Desert Plant Eremosparton songoricum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dao-Yuan Zhang

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Eremosparton songoricum (Litv. Vass. (E. songoricum is a rare and extremely drought-tolerant desert plant that holds promise as a model organism for the identification of genes associated with water deficit stress. Here, we cloned and evaluated the expression of eight candidate reference genes using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactions. The expression of these candidate reference genes was analyzed in a diverse set of 20 samples including various E. songoricum plant tissues exposed to multiple environmental stresses. GeNorm analysis indicated that expression stability varied between the reference genes in the different experimental conditions, but the two most stable reference genes were sufficient for normalization in most conditions. EsEF and Esα-TUB were sufficient for various stress conditions, EsEF and EsACT were suitable for samples of differing germination stages, and EsGAPDHand EsUBQ were most stable across multiple adult tissue samples. The Es18S gene was unsuitable as a reference gene in our analysis. In addition, the expression level of the drought-stress related transcription factor EsDREB2 verified the utility of E. songoricum reference genes and indicated that no single gene was adequate for normalization on its own. This is the first systematic report on the selection of reference genes in E. songoricum, and these data will facilitate future work on gene expression in this species.

The stable Cr isotopic compositions of chondrites and silicate planetary reservoirs

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenberg, Ronny; Merdian, Alexandra; Holmden, Chris; Kleinhanns, Ilka C.; Haßler, Kathrin; Wille, Martin; Reitter, Elmar

2016-06-01

The depletion of chromium in Earth's mantle (∼2700 ppm) in comparison to chondrites (∼4400 ppm) indicates significant incorporation of chromium into the core during our planet's metal-silicate differentiation, assuming that there was no significant escape of the moderately volatile element chromium during the accretionary phase of Earth. Stable Cr isotope compositions - expressed as the ‰-difference in 53Cr/52Cr from the terrestrial reference material SRM979 (δ53/52CrSRM979 values) - of planetary silicate reservoirs might thus yield information about the conditions of planetary metal segregation processes when compared to chondrites. The stable Cr isotopic compositions of 7 carbonaceous chondrites, 11 ordinary chondrites, 5 HED achondrites and 2 martian meteorites determined by a double spike MC-ICP-MS method are within uncertainties indistinguishable from each other and from the previously determined δ53/52CrSRM979 value of -0.124 ± 0.101‰ for the igneous silicate Earth. Extensive quality tests support the accuracy of the stable Cr isotope determinations of various meteorites and terrestrial silicates reported here. The uniformity in stable Cr isotope compositions of samples from planetary silicate mantles and undifferentiated meteorites indicates that metal-silicate differentiation of Earth, Mars and the HED parent body did not cause measurable stable Cr isotope fractionation between these two reservoirs. Our results also imply that the accretionary disc, at least in the inner solar system, was homogeneous in its stable Cr isotopic composition and that potential volatility loss of chromium during accretion of the terrestrial planets was not accompanied by measurable stable isotopic fractionation. Small but reproducible variations in δ53/52CrSRM979 values of terrestrial magmatic rocks point to natural stable Cr isotope variations within Earth's silicate reservoirs. Further and more detailed studies are required to investigate whether silicate

Anaphoric Reference in Justin Bieber's Album “Believe Acoustic”

OpenAIRE

Situmorang, Hisarmauli Desi Natalina; Natsir, Muhammad

2014-01-01

This research focused on anaphoric reference used in Justin Bieber's Album “Believe Acoustic”. The research conducted by using descriptive qualitative method. The data was collected from the Justin Bieber's album “Believe Acoustic”. The finding of the thesis show that there are 64 lines (sentence, phrase) that consist of 3 anaphoric reference which are anaphora (10), cataphora (6), and zero anaphora (48). The most dominant types is zero anaphora, which means the writer want to create an impli...

The utility of optical detection system (qPCR) and bioinformatics methods in reference gene expression analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Skarzyńska, Agnieszka; Pawełkowicz, Magdalena; PlÄ der, Wojciech; Przybecki, Zbigniew

2016-09-01

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction is consider as the most reliable method for gene expression studies. However, the expression of target gene could be misinterpreted due to improper normalization. Therefore, the crucial step for analysing of qPCR data is selection of suitable reference genes, which should be validated experimentally. In order to choice the gene with stable expression in the designed experiment, we performed reference gene expression analysis. In this study genes described in the literature and novel genes predicted as control genes, based on the in silico analysis of transcriptome data were used. Analysis with geNorm and NormFinder algorithms allow to create the ranking of candidate genes and indicate the best reference for flower morphogenesis study. According to the results, genes CACS and CYCL were characterised the most stable expression, but the least suitable genes were TUA and EF.

Control technique for enhancing the stable operation of distributed generation units within a microgrid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehrasa, Majid; Pouresmaeil, Edris; Mehrjerdi, Hasan; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard; Catalão, João P.S.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A control technique for enhancing the stable operation of distributed generation units is proposed. • Passivity-based control technique is considered to analyze the dynamic and steady-state behaviors. • The compensation of instantaneous variations in the reference current components is considered. • Simulation results confirm the performance of the control scheme within the microgrid. - Abstract: This paper describes a control technique for enhancing the stable operation of distributed generation (DG) units based on renewable energy sources, during islanding and grid-connected modes. The Passivity-based control technique is considered to analyze the dynamic and steady-state behaviors of DG units during integration and power sharing with loads and/or power grid, which is an appropriate tool to analyze and define a stable operating condition for DG units in microgrid technology. The compensation of instantaneous variations in the reference current components of DG units in ac-side, and dc-link voltage variations in dc-side of interfaced converters, are considered properly in the control loop of DG units, which is the main contribution and novelty of this control technique over other control strategies. By using the proposed control technique, DG units can provide the continuous injection of active power from DG sources to the local loads and/or utility grid. Moreover, by setting appropriate reference current components in the control loop of DG units, reactive power and harmonic current components of loads can be supplied during the islanding and grid-connected modes with a fast dynamic response. Simulation results confirm the performance of the control scheme within the microgrid during dynamic and steady-state operating conditions

Selection of reference genes for expression studies with fish myogenic cell cultures

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Johnston Ian A

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Relatively few studies have used cell culture systems to investigate gene expression and the regulation of myogenesis in fish. To produce robust data from quantitative real-time PCR mRNA levels need to be normalised using internal reference genes which have stable expression across all experimental samples. We have investigated the expression of eight candidate genes to identify suitable reference genes for use in primary myogenic cell cultures from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.. The software analysis packages geNorm, Normfinder and Best keeper were used to rank genes according to their stability across 42 samples during the course of myogenic differentiation. Results Initial results showed several of the candidate genes exhibited stable expression throughout myogenic culture while Sdha was identified as the least stable gene. Further analysis with geNorm, Normfinder and Bestkeeper identified Ef1α, Hprt1, Ppia and RNApolII as stably expressed. Comparison of data normalised with the geometric average obtained from combinations of any three of these genes showed no significant differences, indicating that any combination of these genes is valid. Conclusion The geometric average of any three of Hprt1, Ef1α, Ppia and RNApolII is suitable for normalisation of gene expression data in primary myogenic cultures from Atlantic salmon.

Selection of reference genes for expression studies with fish myogenic cell cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Bower, Neil I; Johnston, Ian A

2009-08-10

Relatively few studies have used cell culture systems to investigate gene expression and the regulation of myogenesis in fish. To produce robust data from quantitative real-time PCR mRNA levels need to be normalised using internal reference genes which have stable expression across all experimental samples. We have investigated the expression of eight candidate genes to identify suitable reference genes for use in primary myogenic cell cultures from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.). The software analysis packages geNorm, Normfinder and Best keeper were used to rank genes according to their stability across 42 samples during the course of myogenic differentiation. Initial results showed several of the candidate genes exhibited stable expression throughout myogenic culture while Sdha was identified as the least stable gene. Further analysis with geNorm, Normfinder and Bestkeeper identified Ef1alpha, Hprt1, Ppia and RNApolII as stably expressed. Comparison of data normalised with the geometric average obtained from combinations of any three of these genes showed no significant differences, indicating that any combination of these genes is valid. The geometric average of any three of Hprt1, Ef1alpha, Ppia and RNApolII is suitable for normalisation of gene expression data in primary myogenic cultures from Atlantic salmon.

Two new organic reference materials for δ13C and δ15N measurements and a new value for the δ13C of NBS 22 oil

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Haiping; Coplen, Tyler B.; Geilmann, Heike; Brand, Willi A.; Böhlke, J.K.

2003-01-01

Analytical grade L-glutamic acid is chemically stable and has a C/N mole ratio of 5, which is close to that of many of natural biological materials, such as blood and animal tissue. Two L-glutamic acid reference materials with substantially different 13C and 15N abundances have been prepared for use as organic reference materials for C and N isotopic measurements. USGS40 is analytical grade L-glutamic acid and has a δ13C value of −26.24‰ relative to VPDB and a δ15N value of −4.52‰ relative to N2 in air. USGS41 was prepared by dissolving analytical grade L-glutamic acid with L-glutamic acid enriched in 13C and 15N. USGS41 has a δ13C value of +37.76‰ and a δ15N value of +47.57‰. The δ13C and δ15N values of both materials were measured against the international reference materials NBS 19 calcium carbonate (δ13C = +1.95‰), L-SVEC lithium carbonate (δ13C = −46.48‰), IAEA-N-1 ammonium sulfate (δ15N = 0.43‰), and USGS32 potassium nitrate (δ15N = 180‰) by on-line combustion continuous-flow and off-line dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Both USGS40 and USGS41 are isotopically homogeneous; reproducibility of δ13C is better than 0.13‰, and that of δ15N is better than 0.13‰ in 100-μg amounts. These two isotopic reference materials can be used for (i) calibrating local laboratory reference materials, and (ii) quantifying drift with time, mass-dependent fractionations, and isotope-ratio-scale contraction in the isotopic analysis of various biological materials. Isotopic results presented in this paper yield a δ13C value for NBS 22 oil of −29.91‰, in contrast to the commonly accepted value of −29.78‰ for which off-line blank corrections probably have not been quantified satisfactorily.

The study on the intake and distribution of elements for 'Reference Japanese'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

From the standpoint of radiological protection, the quantitative description of the physical characteristics and customs of man is the basis for calculating annual limit of intake, estimating dose equivalents and MIRD phantom for radioactive substances (ICRP 77). Committee 2 of ICRP has published compilation of data on the anatomical, chemical and physiological characteristics of man, as Standard Man and Reference Man. The models are, however, mostly based on the data published for Europeans and Americans. Reference Man, as characterized by the Task Group itself, is defined as a Caucasian and is a Western European or North American in habitat and custom. Reference Man, so far, is not directly applicable to other populations, for instance, the Japanese. Because it is known that differences exist between Asians, and Europeans and Americans with respect to race, customs and the pattern of food consumption. In view of this problem, it has become of necessity to seek standard or reference values for Japanese, i.e., mass and dimension of body and organs, and the daily intake, distribution, and metabolism of elements in Japanese, especially on the basis of more recently obtained data. Average mass of organs of the normal Japanese was studied and the results were presented for Reference Japanese Man. Development of chemical methods for determining stable elements in autopsy tissues was carried out to establish a highly reliable analytical system. Thyroidal uptake and biological half-life of ingested 131 I in relation to the dietal stable element intake was determined for two normal Japanese adult male subjects. (author)

Inspection Robot Based Mobile Sensing and Power Line Tracking for Smart Grid.

Science.gov (United States)

Byambasuren, Bat-Erdene; Kim, Donghan; Oyun-Erdene, Mandakh; Bold, Chinguun; Yura, Jargalbaatar

2016-02-19

Smart sensing and power line tracking is very important in a smart grid system. Illegal electricity usage can be detected by remote current measurement on overhead power lines using an inspection robot. There is a need for accurate detection methods of illegal electricity usage. Stable and correct power line tracking is a very prominent issue. In order to correctly track and make accurate measurements, the swing path of a power line should be previously fitted and predicted by a mathematical function using an inspection robot. After this, the remote inspection robot can follow the power line and measure the current. This paper presents a new power line tracking method using parabolic and circle fitting algorithms for illegal electricity detection. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking method by simulation and experimental results.

Complex cobordism and stable homotopy groups of spheres

CERN Document Server

Ravenel, Douglas C

2003-01-01

Since the publication of its first edition, this book has served as one of the few available on the classical Adams spectral sequence, and is the best account on the Adams-Novikov spectral sequence. This new edition has been updated in many places, especially the final chapter, which has been completely rewritten with an eye toward future research in the field. It remains the definitive reference on the stable homotopy groups of spheres. The first three chapters introduce the homotopy groups of spheres and take the reader from the classical results in the field though the computational aspects

Impulsive Noise Characterization in Narrowband Power Line Communication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Bai

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Currently, narrowband Power line communication (PLC is considered an attractive communication system in smart grid environments for applications such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI. In this paper, we will present a comprehensive comparison and analysis in time and frequency domain of noise measured in China and Italy. In addition, impulsive noise in these two countries are mainly analyzed and modeled using two probability based models, Middleton Class A (MCA model and α stable distribution model. The results prove that noise measured in China is rich in impulsive noise, and can be modeled well by α stable distribution model, while noise measured in Italy has less impulsive noise, and can be better modeled by the MCA model.

Validation of reference genes for gene expression analysis in olive (Olea europaea) mesocarp tissue by quantitative real-time RT-PCR

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Gene expression analysis using quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is a robust method wherein the expression levels of target genes are normalised using internal control genes, known as reference genes, to derive changes in gene expression levels. Although reference genes have recently been suggested for olive tissues, combined/independent analysis on different cultivars has not yet been tested. Therefore, an assessment of reference genes was required to validate the recent findings and select stably expressed genes across different olive cultivars. Results A total of eight candidate reference genes [glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), serine/threonine-protein phosphatase catalytic subunit (PP2A), elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1-alpha), polyubiquitin (OUB2), aquaporin tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP2), tubulin alpha (TUBA), 60S ribosomal protein L18-3 (60S RBP L18-3) and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein homolog 3 (PTB)] were chosen based on their stability in olive tissues as well as in other plants. Expression stability was examined by qRT-PCR across 12 biological samples, representing mesocarp tissues at various developmental stages in three different olive cultivars, Barnea, Frantoio and Picual, independently and together during the 2009 season with two software programs, GeNorm and BestKeeper. Both software packages identified GAPDH, EF1-alpha and PP2A as the three most stable reference genes across the three cultivars and in the cultivar, Barnea. GAPDH, EF1-alpha and 60S RBP L18-3 were found to be most stable reference genes in the cultivar Frantoio while 60S RBP L18-3, OUB2 and PP2A were found to be most stable reference genes in the cultivar Picual. Conclusions The analyses of expression stability of reference genes using qRT-PCR revealed that GAPDH, EF1-alpha, PP2A, 60S RBP L18-3 and OUB2 are suitable reference genes for expression analysis in developing Olea europaea mesocarp tissues, displaying the highest level

Reference gene validation for qPCR in rat carotid body during postnatal development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carroll John L

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The carotid bodies are the main arterial oxygen chemoreceptors in mammals. Afferent neural output from the carotid bodies to brainstem respiratory and cardiovascular nuclei provides tonic input and mediates important protective responses to acute and chronic hypoxia. It is widely accepted that the selection of reference genes for mRNA normalization in quantitative real-time PCR must be validated for a given tissue and set of conditions. This is particularly important for studies in carotid body during early postnatal maturation as the arterial oxygen tension undergoes major changes from fetal to postnatal life, which may affect reference gene expression. In order to determine the most stable and suitable reference genes for the study of rat carotid body during development, six commonly used reference genes, β-actin, RPII (RNA polymerase II, PPIA (peptidyl-proyl-isomerase A, TBP (TATA-box binding protein, GAPDH, and 18s rRNA, were evaluated in two age groups (P0-1 and P14-16 under three environmental oxygen conditions (normoxia, chronic hypoxia and chronic hyperoxia using the three most commonly used software programs, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. Findings The three programs produced similar results but the reference gene rankings were not identical between programs or experimental conditions. Overall, 18s rRNA was the least stable reference gene for carotid body and, when hyperoxia and/or hypoxia conditions were included, actin was similarly unstable. Conclusions Reference or housekeeping gene expression for qPCR studies of carotid body during postnatal development may vary with developmental stage and environmental conditions. Selection of the best reference gene or combination of reference genes for carotid body development studies should take environmental conditions into account. Two commonly used reference genes, 18s rRNA and actin, may be unsuitable for studies of carotid body maturation, especially if the study

Coastal Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics Imager Pointing Line-of-Sight Solution Development and Testing

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A stable pointing line of sight solution is developed and tested in support of the Coastal Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics Imager for the GEOstationary Coastal and Air...

Biomedical research applications of electromagnetically separated enriched stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambrecht, R.M.

1982-01-01

The current and projected annual requirements through 1985 for stable isotopes enriched by electromagnetic separation methods were reviewed for applications in various types of biomedical research: (1) medical radiosotope production, labeled compounds, and potential radiopharmaceuticals; (2) nutrition, food science, and pharmacology; (3) metallobiochemistry and environmental toxicology; (4) nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance, and Moessbauer spectroscopy in biochemical, biophysical, and biomedical research; and (5) miscellaneous advances in radioactive and non-radioactive tracer technology. Radioisotopes available from commercial sources or routinely used in clinical nuclear medicine were excluded. Priorities and summaries are based on statements in the references and from answers to a survey conducted in the fall of 1981. Current requirements for enriched stable isotopes in biomedical research are not being satisfied. Severe shortages exist for 26 Mg, 43 Ca, 70 Zn, 76 Se, 78 Se, 102 Pd, 111 Cd, 113 Cd, and 190 Os. Many interesting and potentially important investigations in biomedical research require small quantities of specific elements at high isotopic enrichments

Evidence based selection of commonly used RT-qPCR reference genes for the analysis of mouse skeletal muscle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen C Thomas

Full Text Available The ability to obtain accurate and reproducible data using quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR is limited by the process of data normalization. The use of 'housekeeping' or 'reference' genes is the most common technique used to normalize RT-qPCR data. However, commonly used reference genes are often poorly validated and may change as a result of genetic background, environment and experimental intervention. Here we present an analysis of 10 reference genes in mouse skeletal muscle (Actb, Aldoa, Gapdh, Hprt1, Ppia, Rer1, Rn18s, Rpl27, Rpl41 and Rpl7L1, which were identified as stable either by microarray or in the literature. Using the MIQE guidelines we compared wild-type (WT mice across three genetic backgrounds (R129, C57BL/6j and C57BL/10 as well as analyzing the α-actinin-3 knockout (Actn3 KO mouse, which is a model of the common null polymorphism (R577X in human ACTN3. Comparing WT mice across three genetic backgrounds, we found that different genes were more tightly regulated in each strain. We have developed a ranked profile of the top performing reference genes in skeletal muscle across these common mouse strains. Interestingly the commonly used reference genes; Gapdh, Rn18s, Hprt1 and Actb were not the most stable. Analysis of our experimental variant (Actn3 KO also resulted in an altered ranking of reference gene suitability. Furthermore we demonstrate that a poor reference gene results in increased variability in the normalized expression of a gene of interest, and can result in loss of significance. Our data demonstrate that reference genes need to be validated prior to use. For the most accurate normalization, it is important to test several genes and use the geometric mean of at least three of the most stably expressed genes. In the analysis of mouse skeletal muscle, strain and intervention played an important role in selecting the most stable reference genes.

Excitation of helium resonance lines in solar flares

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, J.G.; Gebbie, K.B.; November, L.J.; Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO; National Solar Observatory, Sunspot, NM)

1985-01-01

Helium resonance line intensities are calculated for a set of six flare models corresponding to two rates of heating and three widely varying incident fluxes of soft X-rays. The differing ionization and excitation equilibria produced by these models, the processes which dominate the various cases, and the predicted helium line spectra are examined. The line intensities and their ratios are compared with values derived from Skylab NRL spectroheliograms for a class M flare, thus determining which of these models most nearly represents the density vs temperature structure and soft X-ray flux in the flaring solar transition region, and the temperature and dominant mechanaism of formation of the helium line spectrum during a flare. 26 references

Assembly-line health check up in digitalized hospital.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yalan; Yao, Bin; Zhang, Zigang

2002-01-01

The health check up flow of digital hospital can be consulted with the assembly line of industry factory. Because they have the following same features: highly specialized workstation, closeness and continuance, rhythm, balanced production, continuous production. The essential prerequisites are as the follows: The inspecting items and methods should be stable; advanced product mix and stable production design; standardized raw material, consumption, procedure, inspection method; there are lots of request for health inspection; the customers move at the least unit; the space arrangement should be reasonable; the time arrangement should be proportion. With the computer net, the digital inspection can achieves the raw material controlling accurately. The basis of check up line concerns about equipment, net and software, data collection, and personnel. The group technology is used in the health inspection flow design of the digital hospital in the field of items customers and zone redivided. The digital assembly linemic health inspect has the following stages: member registering, notice, check in, arrange order, time control, report, feedback and analysis. The assembly linemic has following advantages: increasing the productivity, the space utility, satisfaction of customer, fund returning, lowering the cost and ensuring the quality.

Harmonizing power cables and power lines. Harmonisierung der Starkstromkabel und -leitungen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinhold, L [Siemens A.G., Erlangen (Germany, F.R.); Retzlaff, E; Warner, A [Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE) e.V., Frankfurt am Main (Germany, F.R.)

1976-01-01

The article gives a summarizing view of the present level of harmonization in the field of power cables and lines. Special attention is paid to problems referring to using harmonized designs for flexible lines and using lines for solid layout with PVC and rubber insulation in the German standards DIN 57281/VDE 0281 and DIN 57282/VDE 0282 and problems of taking the types used until today out of use. A general view of the power lines fully harmonized is given and a harmonization-labelling (common labelling) for cables and lines is described.

Superior Cross-Species Reference Genes: A Blueberry Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Die, Jose V.; Rowland, Lisa J.

2013-01-01

The advent of affordable Next Generation Sequencing technologies has had major impact on studies of many crop species, where access to genomic technologies and genome-scale data sets has been extremely limited until now. The recent development of genomic resources in blueberry will enable the application of high throughput gene expression approaches that should relatively quickly increase our understanding of blueberry physiology. These studies, however, require a highly accurate and robust workflow and make necessary the identification of reference genes with high expression stability for correct target gene normalization. To create a set of superior reference genes for blueberry expression analyses, we mined a publicly available transcriptome data set from blueberry for orthologs to a set of Arabidopsis genes that showed the most stable expression in a developmental series. In total, the expression stability of 13 putative reference genes was evaluated by qPCR and a set of new references with high stability values across a developmental series in fruits and floral buds of blueberry were identified. We also demonstrated the need to use at least two, preferably three, reference genes to avoid inconsistencies in results, even when superior reference genes are used. The new references identified here provide a valuable resource for accurate normalization of gene expression in Vaccinium spp. and may be useful for other members of the Ericaceae family as well. PMID:24058469

Superior cross-species reference genes: a blueberry case study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose V Die

Full Text Available The advent of affordable Next Generation Sequencing technologies has had major impact on studies of many crop species, where access to genomic technologies and genome-scale data sets has been extremely limited until now. The recent development of genomic resources in blueberry will enable the application of high throughput gene expression approaches that should relatively quickly increase our understanding of blueberry physiology. These studies, however, require a highly accurate and robust workflow and make necessary the identification of reference genes with high expression stability for correct target gene normalization. To create a set of superior reference genes for blueberry expression analyses, we mined a publicly available transcriptome data set from blueberry for orthologs to a set of Arabidopsis genes that showed the most stable expression in a developmental series. In total, the expression stability of 13 putative reference genes was evaluated by qPCR and a set of new references with high stability values across a developmental series in fruits and floral buds of blueberry were identified. We also demonstrated the need to use at least two, preferably three, reference genes to avoid inconsistencies in results, even when superior reference genes are used. The new references identified here provide a valuable resource for accurate normalization of gene expression in Vaccinium spp. and may be useful for other members of the Ericaceae family as well.

Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in bovine preimplantation embryos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Zeveren Alex

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Real-time quantitative PCR is a sensitive and very efficient technique to examine gene transcription patterns in preimplantation embryos, in order to gain information about embryo development and to optimize assisted reproductive technologies. Critical to the succesful application of real-time PCR is careful assay design, reaction optimization and validation to maximize sensitivity and accuracy. In most of the studies published GAPD, ACTB or 18S rRNA have been used as a single reference gene without prior verification of their expression stability. Normalization of the data using unstable controls can result in erroneous conclusions, especially when only one reference gene is used. Results In this study the transcription levels of 8 commonly used reference genes (ACTB, GAPD, Histone H2A, TBP, HPRT1, SDHA, YWHAZ and 18S rRNA were determined at different preimplantation stages (2-cell, 8-cell, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst in order to select the most stable genes to normalize quantitative data within different preimplantation embryo stages. Conclusion Using the geNorm application YWHAZ, GAPD and SDHA were found to be the most stable genes across the examined embryonic stages, while the commonly used ACTB was shown to be highly regulated. We recommend the use of the geometric mean of those 3 reference genes as an accurate normalization factor, which allows small expression differences to be reliably measured.

Novel start-up circuit with enhanced power-up characteristic for bandgap references

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuan Vu, Cao; Wisland, Dag T.; Lande, Tor Sverre

This paper presents a new start-up circuit for low-power bandgap reference (BGR) voltage generators. The BGR is designed for providing a stable 0.3 V power supply for application in low power wireless sensor nodes. The BGR has an enhanced power-up characteristic and demonstrates a reduction...... of the total stand-by current. Simulated results confirm that the proposed start-up circuit does not affect the performance of the BGR even though the supply voltage (VDD) is higher and has more stable power-up characteristic than the conventional start-up circuits. The new start-up circuit is designed with 65...

Experimental and numerical investigations of stable crack growth of axial surface flaws in a pressure vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brocks, W.; Krafka, H.; Mueller, W.; Wobst, K.

1988-01-01

In connection with the problem of the transferability of parameters obtained experimentally with the help of fracture-mechanical test specimens and used for the initiation and the stable propagation of cracks in cases of pulsating stress and of the elasto-plastic behaviour of construction components, a pressure vessel with an inside diameter of 1500 mm, a cylindrical length of 3000 mm and a wall thickness of 40 mm was hydraulically loaded with the help of internal pressure in the first stage, to attain an average crack growth of 1 mm at Δ a ≅, the loading taking place at about 21deg C. This stress-free annealed vessel exhibited an axial semielliptical vibration-induced surface crack about 181 mm long and 20 mm deep, as a test defect, in a welded circular blank made of the steel 20MnMoNi 55. The fractographic analysis of the first stable crack revealed that its growth rate of Δa was highest in the area of transition from the weak to the strong bend of the crack front (55deg m /σ v (average principal stress: σ m , Mises' reference stress: σ v v). A comparison of the experimental with the numerical results from the first stable crack shows that the local stable crack growth Δa cannot be calculated solely with reference to J, because Δa appears to depend essentially on the quotient σ m /σ v . (orig./MM) [de

Inspection Robot Based Mobile Sensing and Power Line Tracking for Smart Grid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bat-erdene Byambasuren

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Smart sensing and power line tracking is very important in a smart grid system. Illegal electricity usage can be detected by remote current measurement on overhead power lines using an inspection robot. There is a need for accurate detection methods of illegal electricity usage. Stable and correct power line tracking is a very prominent issue. In order to correctly track and make accurate measurements, the swing path of a power line should be previously fitted and predicted by a mathematical function using an inspection robot. After this, the remote inspection robot can follow the power line and measure the current. This paper presents a new power line tracking method using parabolic and circle fitting algorithms for illegal electricity detection. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed tracking method by simulation and experimental results.

3D CENTRAL LINE EXTRACTION OF FOSSIL OYSTER SHELLS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Djuricic

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Photogrammetry provides a powerful tool to digitally document protected, inaccessible, and rare fossils. This saves manpower in relation to current documentation practice and makes the fragile specimens more available for paleontological analysis and public education. In this study, high resolution orthophoto (0.5 mm and digital surface models (1 mm are used to define fossil boundaries that are then used as an input to automatically extract fossil length information via central lines. In general, central lines are widely used in geosciences as they ease observation, monitoring and evaluation of object dimensions. Here, the 3D central lines are used in a novel paleontological context to study fossilized oyster shells with photogrammetric and LiDAR-obtained 3D point cloud data. 3D central lines of 1121 Crassostrea gryphoides oysters of various shapes and sizes were computed in the study. Central line calculation included: i Delaunay triangulation between the fossil shell boundary points and formation of the Voronoi diagram; ii extraction of Voronoi vertices and construction of a connected graph tree from them; iii reduction of the graph to the longest possible central line via Dijkstra’s algorithm; iv extension of longest central line to the shell boundary and smoothing by an adjustment of cubic spline curve; and v integration of the central line into the corresponding 3D point cloud. The resulting longest path estimate for the 3D central line is a size parameter that can be applied in oyster shell age determination both in paleontological and biological applications. Our investigation evaluates ability and performance of the central line method to measure shell sizes accurately by comparing automatically extracted central lines with manually collected reference data used in paleontological analysis. Our results show that the automatically obtained central line length overestimated the manually collected reference by 1.5% in the test set, which

Isolation and characterization of a radiosensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, L.F.

1987-01-01

A x-ray sensitive Chinese hamster ovary cell line was isolated using a semi-automated procedure in which mutagenized CHO cells were allowed to form colonies on top of agar, x-irradiated, then photographed at two later times. Comparison of the photographs allowed the identification of colonies which displayed significant growth arrest. One of the colonies identified in this manner produced a stable, radiosensitive line. This cell line is normal in x-ray induced inhibition of DNA synthesis, and single- and double-strand break repair, and is moderately sensitive to ethyl methane sulfonate and UV light. The sensitive line performs only half as much x-ray-induced repair replication as the parental line and this deficiency is believed to be the primary cause of its radiosensitivity. The sensitive line produces significantly higher numbers of x-ray-induced chromosome and chromatid aberrations including chromatid aberrations following exposure during the G 1 phase of the cell cycle. The line is hypomutable compared to the parental line with x-ray exposure inducing only one-third as many 6-thioguanine resistant colonies

A reference tristimulus colorimeter

Science.gov (United States)

Eppeldauer, George P.

2002-06-01

A reference tristimulus colorimeter has been developed at NIST with a transmission-type silicon trap detector (1) and four temperature-controlled filter packages to realize the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) x(λ), y(λ) and z(λ) color matching functions (2). Instead of lamp standards, high accuracy detector standards are used for the colorimeter calibration. A detector-based calibration procedure is being suggested for tristimulus colorimeters wehre the absolute spectral responsivity of the tristimulus channels is determined. Then, color (spectral) correct and peak (amplitude) normalization are applied to minimize uncertainties caused by the imperfect realizations of the CIE functions. As a result of the corrections, the chromaticity coordinates of stable light sources with different spectral power distributions can be measured with uncertainties less than 0.0005 (k=1).

Cephalometric assessment of lips in skeletal class ii patients by steiner's line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bokhari, F.; Amin, F.; Asad, S.

2013-01-01

Introduction: Steiner's (S) Line has been used as reference line to assess anteroposterior position of lips cephalometrically and has been an effective diagnostic aid in this era of soft tissue paradigm. Norms for Sline has been established for different populations and it has been used widely to assess treatment outcomes in Skeletal Class II malocclusion, however anteroposterior position of lips and determinants of lip position in Skeletal Class II has not been explored. Study Design: This Prospective study was aimed to find out the anteroposterior position of lips on cephalograph using S-line in patients with retrognathic pro-file and to establish correlation between determinants of lip prominence. Data was collected using nonprobability convenience sampling technique following the selection criteria. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 65 subjects, with retrognathic profile as judged by orthodontists in consensus and confirmed by lateral cephalogram (ANB > 4 degree). S-Line was drawn on lateral cephalograph to assess the prominence of upper Lip and lower lip. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical evaluation. Results: Antero-posterior position of upper and lower lip in patients with retrognathic profile with reference to S-line was 1.96 +- 2.6 mm and 3.09 +- 3.16 mm respectively. Moreover it was found that statistically significant correlation existed between lower lip prominence as assessed by S-line and upper lip prominence using the same reference line (r = 0.411), Lower incisor inclination (r = 0.535) and Skeletal Class II as assessed by ANB angle (r = 0.27). Upper lip prominence as assessed S-line was found to be statistically significantly correlated with lower incisor inclination and lower lip prominence. Discussion: Results were compliant with the previous studies.Conclusion: In the present study both upper and lower lips were more prominent in Skeletal Class II patients as compared to Steiner's norms for skeletal class I. (author)

Co-ordinated research programme on applications of stable isotope tracers in human nutrition research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) was formally established by the Agency in October 1988, and has since then expanded to encompass 13 participants in 13 countries. Its general objective is to help establish competence in the use of stable isotope techniques, particularly in developing countries, and particularly with reference to applications of 2 H, 13 C, 15 N, and 18 O. This report summarizes the discussions that took place during the first Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM). Working papers (progress reports) presented by the participants are included as annexes together with a preliminary report on the results of a series of intercomparison exercises involving enriched stable isotope reference materials containing 2 H, 13 C, 15 N and 18 O. For the future it was agreed that more work needs to be done to harmonize the analytical techniques being used, and to obtain support for new CRPs relating to human energy expenditure studies in pregnancy, lactation, growth and other conditions, and to studies of nitrogen turnover in relation to malnutrition and liver function. Refs, figs and tabs

Spectral classification of emission-line galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veilleux, S.; Osterbrock, D.E.

1987-01-01

A revised method of classification of narrow-line active galaxies and H II region-like galaxies is proposed. It involves the line ratios which take full advantage of the physical distinction between the two types of objects and minimize the effects of reddening correction and errors in the flux calibration. Large sets of internally consistent data are used, including new, previously unpublished measurements. Predictions of recent photoionization models by power-law spectra and by hot stars are compared with the observations. The classification is based on the observational data interpreted on the basis of these models. 63 references

Creating Sunflower Mutant Lines (Helianthus Annuus L.) Using Induced Mutagenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Encheva, J.

2009-01-01

Immature sunflower zygotic embryos of sunflower fertility restorer line 374 R were treated with ultrasound and gamma radiation before plating embryos to culture medium. All plants were isolated and self-pollinated for several generations. New sunflower forms with inherited morphological and biochemical changes were obtained. The genetic changes occurring during the mutation procedure included fourteen morphological and biochemical characters. In comparison to the check line 374 R, decreasing of the mean value of the indexes was registered for 33 % of the total number of characters and vise verse, significant increasing was observed for 60 %. Mutation for resistance to the local population of Orobanche cumana race A-E was obtained from the susceptible Bulgarian control line 374 R. Two investigated mutant lines possessed 100 % resistance to Orobanche and stable inheritance in the next generations. Our results showed that induced mutagenesis in sunflower can be successfully used to develop new lines useful for heterosis breeding

Line driver with adaptive output impedance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nauta, Bram

2006-01-01

Abstract not available for DE69834793D Abstract of corresponding document: US5973490 A line driver comprising a first transistor (M1), a first amplifier (A1) and a reference resistor (10) for converting an input voltage (Vin) to a first current (i1) through the first transistor (M1). A second

Line driver with adaptive output impedance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nauta, Bram

1998-01-01

Abstract not available for DE69834793D Abstract of corresponding document: US5973490 A line driver comprising a first transistor (M1), a first amplifier (A1) and a reference resistor (10) for converting an input voltage (Vin) to a first current (i1) through the first transistor (M1). A second

Fluoroorotic Acid-Selected Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Cell Lines with a Stable Thymine Starvation Phenotype Have Lost the Thymine-Regulated Transcriptional Program1

Science.gov (United States)

Santoso, Djoko; Thornburg, Robert

2000-01-01

We have selected 143 independent Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cell lines that survive in the presence of 5-fluoroorotic acid. These lines show several diverse phenotypes. The majority of these cell lines showed reduced levels of UMP synthase. However, one particular phenotype, which represents 14% of the total independent lines (20 cell lines), showed an unexpected, high level of UMP synthase and was therefore analyzed in detail. The selected cell lines showed no differences with wild-type cells with respect to uptake of orotic acid, affinity of UMP synthase for its substrates, or UMP synthase gene-copy number. Alternative detoxification mechanisms were also excluded. The elevated enzyme activity was correlated with elevated UMP synthase protein levels as well as elevated UMP synthase mRNA levels. In contrast to wild-type cell lines, the fluoroorotic acid-selected cell lines did not respond to thymine or to other biochemicals that affect thymine levels. In addition, there was also a concomitant up-regulation of aspartate transcarbamoylase, however, dihydroorotase and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase are not up-regulated in these cell lines. PMID:10938367

Reference-dependent Preferences and the Transmission of Monetary Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaffeo, Edoardo; Petrella, Ivan; Pfajfar, Damjan

depends on deviations of their consumption from a reference level below which aversion to loss is displayed. In line with the theory developed by Kahneman and Tversky (1979), losses in consumption utility loom larger than gains. This implies state-dependent degrees of real rigidity and elasticity...

Common path in-line holography using enhanced joint object reference digital interferometers

OpenAIRE

Kelner, Roy; Katz, Barak; Rosen, Joseph

2014-01-01

Joint object reference digital interferometer (JORDI) is a recently developed system capable of recording holograms of various types [Opt. Lett. 22(5), 4719 (2013)]. Presented here is a new enhanced system design that is based on the previous JORDI. While the previous JORDI has been based purely on diffractive optical elements, displayed on spatial light modulators, the present design incorporates an additional refractive objective lens, thus enabling hologram recording with improved resoluti...

Selection of reference genes for tissue/organ samples on day 3 fifth-instar larvae in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Genhong; Chen, Yanfei; Zhang, Xiaoying; Bai, Bingchuan; Yan, Hao; Qin, Daoyuan; Xia, Qingyou

2018-06-01

The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is one of the world's most economically important insect. Surveying variations in gene expression among multiple tissue/organ samples will provide clues for gene function assignments and will be helpful for identifying genes related to economic traits or specific cellular processes. To ensure their accuracy, commonly used gene expression quantification methods require a set of stable reference genes for data normalization. In this study, 24 candidate reference genes were assessed in 10 tissue/organ samples of day 3 fifth-instar B. mori larvae using geNorm and NormFinder. The results revealed that, using the combination of the expression of BGIBMGA003186 and BGIBMGA008209 was the optimum choice for normalizing the expression data of the B. mori tissue/organ samples. The most stable gene, BGIBMGA003186, is recommended if just one reference gene is used. Moreover, the commonly used reference gene encoding cytoplasmic actin was the least appropriate reference gene of the samples investigated. The reliability of the selected reference genes was further confirmed by evaluating the expression profiles of two cathepsin genes. Our results may be useful for future studies involving the quantification of relative gene expression levels of different tissue/organ samples in B. mori. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transversal Lines of the Debates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yolanda Onghena

1998-12-01

Full Text Available The Transversal Lines of the Debates gathers for publication the presentations of the scholars invited to the seminar. In the papers, Yolanda Onghena observes that the evolution from the cultural to the inter-cultural travels along four axes: the relations between cultureand society; the processes of change within identity-based dynamics; the representations of the Other; and, interculturality. Throughout the presentations and subsequent debates, whenever the different participants referred to aspects of the cultural identity problematic--”angst”, “obsession”, “deficit”, manipulation”, and others, these same participants in the Transversal Lines of the Debates also showed that, in certain areas, an optimistic viewpoint is not out of the question.

Line intensities for diagnosing laser-produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kauffman, R.L.; Matthews, D.L.; Lee, R.W.; Whitten, B.L.; Kilkenny, J.D.

1983-01-01

We have measured relative line intensities of the K x-ray spectra of Si, Cl, and Ca from laser-produced plasmas to assess their usefulness as a plasma diagnostic. The different elements are added at low concentrations to CH disks which are irradiated at 5 x 10 14 W/cm 2 with a 0.53 μm laser pulse of 20 Joules at 1 nsec. The concentration of each element is kept low in order not to change the Z of the plasma, and therefore the plasma dynamics. The various spectra are measured with a time-resolved spectrograph to obtain line intensities as a function of time over the length of the laser pulse. These relative intensities of various He-like and H-like lines are compared with calculations from a steady-state level population code. The results give good consistency among the various line ratios. Agreement is not as good for analysis of the Li-like satellite lines. Modelling of the Li-like lines need further investigation. 10 references, 9 figures

Temperature diagnostic line ratios of Fe XVII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raymond, J.C.; Smith, B.W.; Los Alamos National Lab., NM)

1986-01-01

Based on extensive calculations of the excitation rates of Fe XVII, four temperature-sensitive line ratios are investigated, paying special attention to the contribution of resonances to the excitation rates and to the contributions of dielectronic recombination satellites to the observed line intensities. The predictions are compared to FPCS observations of Puppis A and to Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and SOLEX observations of the sun. Temperature-sensitive line ratios are also computed for emitting gas covering a broad temperature range. It is found that each ratio yields a differently weighted average for the temperature and that this accounts for some apparent discrepancies between the theoretical ratios and solar observations. The effects of this weighting on the Fe XVII temperature diagnostics and on the analogous Fe XXIV/Fe XXV satellite line temperature diagnostics are discussed. 27 references

Space-time reference with an optical link

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berceau, P; Hollberg, L; Taylor, M; Kahn, J

2016-01-01

We describe a concept for realizing a high performance space-time reference using a stable atomic clock in a precisely defined orbit and synchronizing the orbiting clock to high-accuracy atomic clocks on the ground. The synchronization would be accomplished using a two-way lasercom link between ground and space. The basic approach is to take advantage of the highest-performance cold-atom atomic clocks at national standards laboratories on the ground and to transfer that performance to an orbiting clock that has good stability and that serves as a ‘frequency-flywheel’ over time-scales of a few hours. The two-way lasercom link would also provide precise range information and thus precise orbit determination. With a well-defined orbit and a synchronized clock, the satellite could serve as a high-accuracy space-time reference, providing precise time worldwide, a valuable reference frame for geodesy, and independent high-accuracy measurements of GNSS clocks. Under reasonable assumptions, a practical system would be able to deliver picosecond timing worldwide and millimeter orbit determination, and could serve as an enabling subsystem for other proposed space-gravity missions, which are briefly reviewed. (paper)

Program reference book for the Energy Economic Data Base Program (EEDB)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, R.E.; Brown, P.E.; Hodson, J.S.; Kaminski, R.S.; Ziegler, E.J.

1983-07-01

The objective of the Energy Economic Data Base (EEDB) Program is to provide periodic updates of technical and cost (capital, fuel and operating and maintenance) information for nuclear and comparison electric power generating stations that is of significance to the US Department of Energy (USDOE). The purpose of this Reference Book is to provide the historical content of the EEDB through the Fourth Update (1981). It contains important descriptive and tutorial information concerning the structure and use of the EEDB. It also contains reports of work done to support various aspects of the first four updates, together with significant reference data developed during those updates. As a convenience to the user, it is intended that the Reference Book be sufficiently stable that revisions are required no more frequently than once every five years

AQCS intercomparison runs, reference materials 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The purpose of the Analytical Quality Control Services programme provided by the IAEA is to assist laboratories engaged in the analysis of nuclear, environmental, biological, and materials of marine origin for radionuclide, major, minor and trace elements, as well as stable isotopes using atomic and nuclear analytical techniques, to check the quality of their work. The determination of accuracy requires special procedures such as analysis to be carried out by as many different and independent methods, analysts and techniques as possible, control analysis with reference materials and participation in interlaboratory comparison studies. This document gives details of the specimens and samples which the IAEA intends to distribute in 1991. Tabs

Platinum stable isotope analysis of geological standard reference materials by double-spike MC-ICPMS

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Creech, John Benjamin; Baker, J. A.; Handler, M. R.

2014-01-01

. Double-spiking of samples was carried out prior to digestion and chemical separation to correct for any mass-dependent fractionation that may occur due to incomplete recovery of Pt. Samples were digested using a NiS fire assay method, which pre-concentrates Pt into a metallic bead that is readily...... metal standard solution doped with a range of synthetic matrices and results in Pt yields of ≥90% with purity of ≥95%. Using this chemical separation technique, we have separated Pt from 11 international geological standard reference materials comprising of PGE ores, mantle rocks, igneous rocks and one...

Peculiar A star HD 43819 - A photographic region line-identification study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adelman, S.J.; The Citadel, Charleston, SC)

1985-01-01

A line identification study of the sharp-lined silicon star HD 43819 has been performed for the photographic region 3759-4924 A. Comparison of this star's spectrum with those of other silicon stars shows that it shares many of their apparent abundance anomalies. The TiII, CrII, FeI, and FeII spectra are well represented while the singly ionized rare earths are represented by at best a few lines per species. 21 references

Visual Basic 2012 programmer's reference

CERN Document Server

Stephens, Rod

2012-01-01

The comprehensive guide to Visual Basic 2012 Microsoft Visual Basic (VB) is the most popular programming language in the world, with millions of lines of code used in businesses and applications of all types and sizes. In this edition of the bestselling Wrox guide, Visual Basic expert Rod Stephens offers novice and experienced developers a comprehensive tutorial and reference to Visual Basic 2012. This latest edition introduces major changes to the Visual Studio development platform, including support for developing mobile applications that can take advantage of the Windows 8 operating system

Opal phytolith and isotopic studies of "Restinga" communities of Maricá, Brazil, as a modern reference for paleobiogeoclimatic reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cátia Pereira dos Santos

2015-09-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe Maricá restinga, located in the eastern part of the Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil, corresponds to one of the few remaining preserved areas of the state's coastal plain. This paper reports on a study of the Maricá restinga plant communities and also presents an identification of the main plant species present in each community, with the objective of establishing reference collections, by the methods of the proxies opal phytoliths and stable carbon isotopes, for paleoenvironmental reconstructions of this coastal area during the Quaternary. Six plant communities, distributed perpendicularly to the coast line over sandy barriers, lagoonal plain, lagoon margin and weathered basement were identified: halophile-psamophile, scrub, herbaceous swamp, slack, shrubby vegetation and dry forest. In general, the plant species analyzed in each community presented low productivity of opal phytoliths, as only the Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Arecaceae families produce a great amount and diversity of morphotypes of opal phytoliths. The results of the analysis of stable carbon isotopes in sediments indicated a predominance of C3 or a mixture of C3 and C4 plants, presenting a close correlation with the results found in plants collected in each community. In conclusion, it was verified that the carbon isotope analysis associated with that of the opal phytoliths are good proxies for the reconstruction of vegetation in the study area.

Common bean cultivars and lines interactions with environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carbonell Sérgio Augusto Morais

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The performance of bean lines brought forth in breeding programs or of cultivars in use can be affected by environmental variability. The adaptability and stability of grain yield of 18 common bean cultivars and lines in 23 environments (combinations of seasons, years and locations were evaluated in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. 'IAC-Carioca' and 'IAC-Carioca Eté' were used as standard cultivars for the carioca grain type, while 'FT-Nobre' and 'IAC-Una' represented the standard for black grains. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with four replications and plots consisting of two, two central five meters rows flanked by border rows. Stability parameters were estimated by the methods Maximum Yield Deviations (MYD and by the Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction Analysis (AMMI. For the identification of the most stable cultivars, the two methods led to consistent results, although by MYD the highest stability was always associated to the highest yield. 'MAC-733327' and 'LP 9637' were the most suitable cultivars and lines for the joint seasons, while 'LP 9637' and 'FT-Nobre' were the most suitable for the dry season. The MYD method combined a simple procedure, easiness of result interpretation, uniqueness of parameters, and association between stability and yield. On the other hand, the AMMI method simplified the identification of stable cultivars by visual inspection, also providing information on the environments. However, the complex nature which combines uni-and multivariate techniques hampers its widespread use in breeding programs.

Flight-Like Optical Reference Cavity for GRACE Follow-On Laser Frequency Stabilization

Science.gov (United States)

Folkner, W. M.; deVine, G.; Klipstein, W. M.; McKenzie, K.; Spero, R.; Thompson, R.; Yu, N.; Stephens, M.; Leitch, J.; Pierce, R.;

New approaches for stable isotope ratio measurements. Proceedings of an advisory group meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-10-01

This report includes a summary of discussions at the meeting and contributions on isotope applications in a range of specific biogeochemical fields using the new analytical techniques. It is expected to serve as a useful reference for researchers and laboratory managers who plan to develop or apply state-of-the-art stable isotope techniques. Individual contributions contained in this book have been indexed separately

New approaches for stable isotope ratio measurements. Proceedings of an advisory group meeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-10-01

This report includes a summary of discussions at the meeting and contributions on isotope applications in a range of specific biogeochemical fields using the new analytical techniques. It is expected to serve as a useful reference for researchers and laboratory managers who plan to develop or apply state-of-the-art stable isotope techniques. Individual contributions contained in this book have been indexed separately.

Computer-based mechanical design of overhead lines

Science.gov (United States)

Rusinaru, D.; Bratu, C.; Dinu, R. C.; Manescu, L. G.

2016-02-01

Beside the performance, the safety level according to the actual standards is a compulsory condition for distribution grids’ operation. Some of the measures leading to improvement of the overhead lines reliability ask for installations’ modernization. The constraints imposed to the new lines components refer to the technical aspects as thermal stress or voltage drop, and look for economic efficiency, too. The mechanical sizing of the overhead lines is after all an optimization problem. More precisely, the task in designing of the overhead line profile is to size poles, cross-arms and stays and locate poles along a line route so that the total costs of the line's structure to be minimized and the technical and safety constraints to be fulfilled.The authors present in this paper an application for the Computer-Based Mechanical Design of the Overhead Lines and the features of the corresponding Visual Basic program, adjusted to the distribution lines. The constraints of the optimization problem are adjusted to the existing weather and loading conditions of Romania. The outputs of the software application for mechanical design of overhead lines are: the list of components chosen for the line: poles, cross-arms, stays; the list of conductor tension and forces for each pole, cross-arm and stay for different weather conditions; the line profile drawings.The main features of the mechanical overhead lines design software are interactivity, local optimization function and high-level user-interface

Identification and validation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yifan Zhai

Full Text Available To accurately evaluate gene expression levels and obtain more accurate quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR data, normalization relative to reliable reference gene(s is required. Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive fruit pest native to East Asia, and recently invaded Europe and North America, the stability of its reference genes have not been previously investigated. In this study, ten candidate reference genes (RPL18, RPS3, AK, EF-1β, TBP, NADH, HSP22, GAPDH, Actin, α-Tubulin, were evaluated for their suitability as normalization genes under different biotic (developmental stage, tissue and population, and abiotic (photoperiod, temperature conditions. The three statistical approaches (geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper and one web-based comprehensive tool (RefFinder were used to normalize analysis of the ten candidate reference genes identified α-Tubulin, TBP and AK as the most stable candidates, while HSP22 and Actin showed the lowest expression stability. We used three most stable genes (α-Tubulin, TBP and AK and one unstably expressed gene to analyze the expression of P-glycoprotein in abamectin-resistant and sensitive strains, and the results were similar to reference genes α-Tubulin, TBP and AK, which show good stability, while the result of HSP22 has a certain bias. The three validated reference genes can be widely used for quantification of target gene expression with qRT-PCR technology in D.suzukii.

One-dimensional stable distributions

CERN Document Server

Zolotarev, V M

1986-01-01

This is the first book specifically devoted to a systematic exposition of the essential facts known about the properties of stable distributions. In addition to its main focus on the analytic properties of stable laws, the book also includes examples of the occurrence of stable distributions in applied problems and a chapter on the problem of statistical estimation of the parameters determining stable laws. A valuable feature of the book is the author's use of several formally different ways of expressing characteristic functions corresponding to these laws.

Fast in vivo volume dose reconstruction via reference dose perturbation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Weiguo; Chen, Mingli; Mo, Xiaohu; Parnell, Donald; Olivera, Gustavo; Galmarini, Daniel

2014-01-01

Purpose: Accurate on-line reconstruction of in-vivo volume dose that accounts for both machine and patient discrepancy is not clinically available. We present a simple reference-dose-perturbation algorithm that reconstructs in-vivo volume dose fast and accurately. Methods: We modelled the volume dose as a function of the fluence map and density image. Machine (output variation, jaw/leaf position errors, etc.) and patient (setup error, weight loss, etc.) discrepancies between the plan and delivery were modelled as perturbation of the fluence map and density image, respectively. Delivered dose is modelled as perturbation of the reference dose due to change of the fluence map and density image. We used both simulated and clinical data to validate the algorithm. The planned dose was used as the reference. The reconstruction was perturbed from the reference and accounted for output-variations and the registered daily image. The reconstruction was compared with the ground truth via isodose lines and the Gamma Index. Results: For various plans and geometries, the volume doses were reconstructed in few seconds. The reconstruction generally matched well with the ground truth. For the 3%/3mm criteria, the Gamma pass rates were 98% for simulations and 95% for clinical data. The differences mainly appeared on the surface of the phantom/patient. Conclusions: A novel reference-dose-perturbation dose reconstruction model is presented. The model accounts for machine and patient discrepancy from planning. The algorithm is simple, fast, yet accurate, which makes online in-vivo 3D dose reconstruction clinically feasible.

On-line reconstruction of in-core power distribution by harmonics expansion method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Changhui; Wu Hongchun; Cao Liangzhi; Yang Ping

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A harmonics expansion method for the on-line in-core power reconstruction is proposed. → A harmonics data library is pre-generated off-line and a code named COMS is developed. → Numerical results show that the maximum relative error of the reconstruction is less than 5.5%. → This method has a high computational speed compared to traditional methods. - Abstract: Fixed in-core detectors are most suitable in real-time response to in-core power distributions in pressurized water reactors (PWRs). In this paper, a harmonics expansion method is used to reconstruct the in-core power distribution of a PWR on-line. In this method, the in-core power distribution is expanded by the harmonics of one reference case. The expansion coefficients are calculated using signals provided by fixed in-core detectors. To conserve computing time and improve reconstruction precision, a harmonics data library containing the harmonics of different reference cases is constructed. Upon reconstruction of the in-core power distribution on-line, the two closest reference cases are searched from the harmonics data library to produce expanded harmonics by interpolation. The Unit 1 reactor of DayaBay Nuclear Power Plant (DayaBay NPP) in China is considered for verification. The maximum relative error between the measurement and reconstruction results is less than 5.5%, and the computing time is about 0.53 s for a single reconstruction, indicating that this method is suitable for the on-line monitoring of PWRs.

Instability of Reference Diameter in the Evaluation of Stenosis After Coronary Angioplasty: Percent Diameter Stenosis Overestimates Dilative Effects Due to Reference Diameter Reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirami, Ryouichi; Iwasaki, Kohichiro; Kusachi, Shozo; Murakami, Takashi; Hina, Kazuyoshi; Matano, Shigeru; Murakami, Masaaki; Kita, Toshimasa; Sakakibara, Noburu; Tsuji, Takao

2000-01-01

Purpose: To examine changes in the reference segment luminal diameter after coronary angioplasty.Methods: Sixty-one patients with stable angina pectoris or old myocardial infarction were examined. Coronary angiograms were recorded before coronary angioplasty (pre-angioplasty) and immediately after (post-angioplasty), as well as 3 months after. Artery diameters were measured on cine-film using quantitative coronary angiographic analysis.Results: The diameters of the proximal segment not involved in the balloon inflation and segments in the other artery did not change significantly after angioplasty, but the reference segment diameter significantly decreased (4.7%). More than 10% luminal reduction was observed in seven patients (11%) and more than 5% reduction was observed in 25 patients (41%). More than 5% underestimation of the stenosis was observed in 22 patients (36%) when the post-angioplasty reference diameter was used as the reference diameter, compared with when the pre-angioplasty measurement was used and more than 10% underestimation was observed in five patients (8%).Conclusion: This study indicated that evaluation by percent diameter stenosis, with the reference diameter from immediately after angioplasty, overestimates the dilative effects of coronary angioplasty, and that it is thus better to evaluate the efficacy of angioplasty using the absolute diameter in addition to percent luminal stenosis

Bi-stable optical actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Holdener, Fred R.; Boyd, Robert D.

2000-01-01

The present invention is a bi-stable optical actuator device that is depowered in both stable positions. A bearing is used to transfer motion and smoothly transition from one state to another. The optical actuator device may be maintained in a stable position either by gravity or a restraining device.

Identification of Reference Genes for Normalizing Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Urechis unicinctus

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Yajiao; Zhou, Di; Wei, Maokai; Xie, Yueyang; Gao, Beibei; Qin, Zhenkui; Zhang, Zhifeng

2018-06-01

The reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) has become one of the most important techniques of studying gene expression. A set of valid reference genes are essential for the accurate normalization of data. In this study, five candidate genes were analyzed with geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt methods to identify the genes stably expressed in echiuran Urechis unicinctus, an important commercial marine benthic worm, under abiotic (sulfide stress) and normal (adult tissues, embryos and larvae at different development stages) conditions. The comprehensive results indicated that the expression of TBP was the most stable at sulfide stress and in developmental process, while the expression of EF- 1- α was the most stable at sulfide stress and in various tissues. TBP and EF- 1- α were recommended as a suitable reference gene combination to accurately normalize the expression of target genes at sulfide stress; and EF- 1- α, TBP and TUB were considered as a potential reference gene combination for normalizing the expression of target genes in different tissues. No suitable gene combination was obtained among these five candidate genes for normalizing the expression of target genes for developmental process of U. unicinctus. Our results provided a valuable support for quantifying gene expression using RT-qPCR in U. unicinctus.

Current techniques for the collection and processing of stable isotope data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodney, D.E.; Kroopnick, P.M.

1978-01-01

Recent innovations in instrumentation for stable isotope mass spectrometry are reviewed. 'Off-line' automatic data collection and 'on-line' processing systems have been developed for use with the Nuclide Integrating Ratiometer (IR-2). A BASIC program detects and corrects most instrumental and operator errors and performs all necessary computations. Analysis of the effects of source gas pressure on the accuracy of delta 18 O measurement showed that our Nuclide 3inch-60 0 instrument has a slope of -1.0 0 / 00 /volt over the normal operating range (10-30V), and our Nuclide 6inch-60 0 instrument has a slope of +0.6 0 / 00 /volt. Use of the IR-2 causes the apparent slopes to change to -1.45 0 / 00 /volt and +5 0 / 00 /volt for the 3inch and 6inch instruments, respectively.(auth.)

Performance Analysis of GFDL's GCM Line-By-Line Radiative Transfer Model on GPU and MIC Architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Menzel, R.; Paynter, D.; Jones, A. L.

2017-12-01

Due to their relatively low computational cost, radiative transfer models in global climate models (GCMs) run on traditional CPU architectures generally consist of shortwave and longwave parameterizations over a small number of wavelength bands. With the rise of newer GPU and MIC architectures, however, the performance of high resolution line-by-line radiative transfer models may soon approach those of the physical parameterizations currently employed in GCMs. Here we present an analysis of the current performance of a new line-by-line radiative transfer model currently under development at GFDL. Although originally designed to specifically exploit GPU architectures through the use of CUDA, the radiative transfer model has recently been extended to include OpenMP in an effort to also effectively target MIC architectures such as Intel's Xeon Phi. Using input data provided by the upcoming Radiative Forcing Model Intercomparison Project (RFMIP, as part of CMIP 6), we compare model results and performance data for various model configurations and spectral resolutions run on both GPU and Intel Knights Landing architectures to analogous runs of the standard Oxford Reference Forward Model on traditional CPUs.

A human beta cell line with drug inducible excision of immortalizing transgenes

Science.gov (United States)

Benazra, Marion; Lecomte, Marie-José; Colace, Claire; Müller, Andreas; Machado, Cécile; Pechberty, Severine; Bricout-Neveu, Emilie; Grenier-Godard, Maud; Solimena, Michele; Scharfmann, Raphaël; Czernichow, Paul; Ravassard, Philippe

2015-01-01

Objectives Access to immortalized human pancreatic beta cell lines that are phenotypically close to genuine adult beta cells, represent a major tool to better understand human beta cell physiology and develop new therapeutics for Diabetes. Here we derived a new conditionally immortalized human beta cell line, EndoC-βH3 in which immortalizing transgene can be efficiently removed by simple addition of tamoxifen. Methods We used lentiviral mediated gene transfer to stably integrate a tamoxifen inducible form of CRE (CRE-ERT2) into the recently developed conditionally immortalized EndoC βH2 line. The resulting EndoC-βH3 line was characterized before and after tamoxifen treatment for cell proliferation, insulin content and insulin secretion. Results We showed that EndoC-βH3 expressing CRE-ERT2 can be massively amplified in culture. We established an optimized tamoxifen treatment to efficiently excise the immortalizing transgenes resulting in proliferation arrest. In addition, insulin expression raised by 12 fold and insulin content increased by 23 fold reaching 2 μg of insulin per million cells. Such massive increase was accompanied by enhanced insulin secretion upon glucose stimulation. We further observed that tamoxifen treated cells maintained a stable function for 5 weeks in culture. Conclusions EndoC βH3 cell line represents a powerful tool that allows, using a simple and efficient procedure, the massive production of functional non-proliferative human beta cells. Such cells are close to genuine human beta cells and maintain a stable phenotype for 5 weeks in culture. PMID:26909308

Discrimination of human and nonhuman blood using Raman spectroscopy with self-reference algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Haiyi; Wang, Peng; Wang, Jun; Yin, Huancai; Tian, Yubing; Bai, Pengli; Wu, Xiaodong; Wang, Ning; Tang, Yuguo; Gao, Jing

2017-09-01

We report a self-reference algorithm to discriminate human and nonhuman blood by calculating the ratios of identification Raman peaks to reference Raman peaks and choosing appropriate threshold values. The influence of using different reference peaks and identification peaks was analyzed in detail. The Raman peak at 1003 cm-1 was proved to be a stable reference peak to avoid the influencing factors, such as the incident laser intensity and the amount of sample. The Raman peak at 1341 cm-1 was found to be an efficient identification peak, which indicates that the difference between human and nonhuman blood results from the C-H bend in tryptophan. The comparison between self-reference algorithm and partial least square method was made. It was found that the self-reference algorithm not only obtained the discrimination results with the same accuracy, but also provided information on the difference of chemical composition. In addition, the performance of self-reference algorithm whose true positive rate is 100% is significant for customs inspection to avoid genetic disclosure and forensic science.

Remarks on stable and quasi-stable k-strings at large N

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armoni, A.; Shifman, M.

2003-01-01

We discuss k-strings in the large-N Yang-Mills theory and its supersymmetric extension. Whereas the tension of the bona fide (stable) QCD string is expected to depend only on the N-ality of the representation, tensions that depend on specific representation R are often reported in the lattice literature. In particular, adjoint strings are discussed and found in certain simulations. We clarify this issue by systematically exploiting the notion of the quasi-stable strings which becomes well-defined at large N. The quasi-stable strings with representation-dependent tensions decay, but the decay rate (per unit length per unit time) is suppressed as Λ 2 F(N) where F(N) falls off as a function of N. It can be determined on the case-by-case basis. The quasi-stable strings eventually decay into stable strings whose tension indeed depends only on the N-ality. We also briefly review large-N arguments showing why the Casimir formula for the string tension cannot be correct, and present additional arguments in favor of the sine formula. Finally, we comment on the relevance of our estimates to Euclidean lattice measurements

YKL-40 a new biomarker in patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Y.Z.; Ripa, R.S.; Johansen, J.S.

2008-01-01

Background. YKL-40 is involved in remodelling and angiogenesis in non-cardiac inflammatory diseases. Aim was to quantitate plasma YKL-40 in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or stable chronic coronary artery disease (CAD), and YKL-40 gene activation in human myocardium....... Methods and results. We included 73 patients: I) 20 patients with STEMI; II) 28 patients with stable CAD; III) 15 CAD patients referred for coronary by-pass surgery. YKL-40 mRNA expression was measured in myocardium subtended by stenotic or occluded arteries and areas with no apparent disease; and IV) 10...

Evolutionary Stable Strategy

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 21; Issue 9. Evolutionary Stable Strategy: Application of Nash Equilibrium in Biology. General Article Volume 21 Issue 9 September 2016 pp 803- ... Keywords. Evolutionary game theory, evolutionary stable state, conflict, cooperation, biological games.

Early embryonic chromosome instability results in stable mosaic pattern in human tissues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasmik Mkrtchyan

Full Text Available The discovery of copy number variations (CNV in the human genome opened new perspectives on the study of the genetic causes of inherited disorders and the aetiology of common diseases. Here, a single-cell-level investigation of CNV in different human tissues led us to uncover the phenomenon of mitotically derived genomic mosaicism, which is stable in different cell types of one individual. The CNV mosaic ratios were different between the 10 individuals studied. However, they were stable in the T lymphocytes, immortalized B lymphoblastoid cells, and skin fibroblasts analyzed in each individual. Because these cell types have a common origin in the connective tissues, we suggest that mitotic changes in CNV regions may happen early during embryonic development and occur only once, after which the stable mosaic ratio is maintained throughout the differentiated tissues. This concept is further supported by a unique study of immortalized B lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained with 20 year difference from two subjects. We provide the first evidence of somatic mosaicism for CNV, with stable variation ratios in different cell types of one individual leading to the hypothesis of early embryonic chromosome instability resulting in stable mosaic pattern in human tissues. This concept has the potential to open new perspectives in personalized genetic diagnostics and can explain genetic phenomena like diminished penetrance in autosomal dominant diseases. We propose that further genomic studies should focus on the single-cell level, to better understand the aetiology of aging and diseases mediated by somatic mutations.

Selection of reference genes for transcriptional analysis of edible tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Fogliatto Mariot

Full Text Available Potato (Solanum tuberosum yield has increased dramatically over the last 50 years and this has been achieved by a combination of improved agronomy and biotechnology efforts. Gene studies are taking place to improve new qualities and develop new cultivars. Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR is a bench-marking analytical tool for gene expression analysis, but its accuracy is highly dependent on a reliable normalization strategy of an invariant reference genes. For this reason, the goal of this work was to select and validate reference genes for transcriptional analysis of edible tubers of potato. To do so, RT-qPCR primers were designed for ten genes with relatively stable expression in potato tubers as observed in RNA-Seq experiments. Primers were designed across exon boundaries to avoid genomic DNA contamination. Differences were observed in the ranking of candidate genes identified by geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms. The ranks determined by geNorm and NormFinder were very similar and for all samples the most stable candidates were C2, exocyst complex component sec3 (SEC3 and ATCUL3/ATCUL3A/CUL3/CUL3A (CUL3A. According to BestKeeper, the importin alpha and ubiquitin-associated/ts-n genes were the most stable. Three genes were selected as reference genes for potato edible tubers in RT-qPCR studies. The first one, called C2, was selected in common by NormFinder and geNorm, the second one is SEC3, selected by NormFinder, and the third one is CUL3A, selected by geNorm. Appropriate reference genes identified in this work will help to improve the accuracy of gene expression quantification analyses by taking into account differences that may be observed in RNA quality or reverse transcription efficiency across the samples.

Selection of reference genes for transcriptional analysis of edible tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Mariot, Roberta Fogliatto; de Oliveira, Luisa Abruzzi; Voorhuijzen, Marleen M; Staats, Martijn; Hutten, Ronald C B; Van Dijk, Jeroen P; Kok, Esther; Frazzon, Jeverson

2015-01-01

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) yield has increased dramatically over the last 50 years and this has been achieved by a combination of improved agronomy and biotechnology efforts. Gene studies are taking place to improve new qualities and develop new cultivars. Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a bench-marking analytical tool for gene expression analysis, but its accuracy is highly dependent on a reliable normalization strategy of an invariant reference genes. For this reason, the goal of this work was to select and validate reference genes for transcriptional analysis of edible tubers of potato. To do so, RT-qPCR primers were designed for ten genes with relatively stable expression in potato tubers as observed in RNA-Seq experiments. Primers were designed across exon boundaries to avoid genomic DNA contamination. Differences were observed in the ranking of candidate genes identified by geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms. The ranks determined by geNorm and NormFinder were very similar and for all samples the most stable candidates were C2, exocyst complex component sec3 (SEC3) and ATCUL3/ATCUL3A/CUL3/CUL3A (CUL3A). According to BestKeeper, the importin alpha and ubiquitin-associated/ts-n genes were the most stable. Three genes were selected as reference genes for potato edible tubers in RT-qPCR studies. The first one, called C2, was selected in common by NormFinder and geNorm, the second one is SEC3, selected by NormFinder, and the third one is CUL3A, selected by geNorm. Appropriate reference genes identified in this work will help to improve the accuracy of gene expression quantification analyses by taking into account differences that may be observed in RNA quality or reverse transcription efficiency across the samples.

Caution on the use of liquid nitrogen traps in stable hydrogen isotope-ratio mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, Tyler B.; Qi, Haiping

2010-01-01

An anomalous stable hydrogen isotopic fractionation of 4 ‰ in gaseous hydrogen has been correlated with the process of adding liquid nitrogen (LN2) to top off the dewar of a stainless-steel water trap on a gaseous hydrogen-water platinum equilibration system. Although the cause of this isotopic fractionation is unknown, its effect can be mitigated by (1) increasing the capacity of any dewars so that they do not need to be filled during a daily analytic run, (2) interspersing isotopic reference waters among unknowns, and (3) applying a linear drift correction and linear normalization to isotopic results with a program such as Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for Light Stable Isotopes. With adoption of the above guidelines, measurement uncertainty can be substantially improved. For example, the long-term (months to years) δ2H reproducibility (1& sigma; standard deviation) of nine local isotopic reference waters analyzed daily improved substantially from about 1‰ to 0.58 ‰. This isotopically fractionating mechanism might affect other isotope-ratio mass spectrometers in which LN2 is used as a moisture trap for gaseous hydrogen

Design and construction of an oscillator with a higly stable frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardon, A.H.

1978-01-01

An instrument producing pulses with a highly stable frequency was considered necessary for time measurement at the INEN Plasma Physics Program. For this purpose an oscillator with a higly stable frequency which is a measurement instrument was designed and constructed since it can be used as a reference for the measurement of frequency, time, length and phase. The parameters required for this oscillator were as follows: aging lesser than 1 part/10 9 , for sampling period of 0.1 sec.; frequency change equal or smaller than 1 part/10 9 for normal temperature fluctuations found in the laboratory (10 0 C-30 0 C); frequency 1 MHz; amplitude 2 V. After the oscillator was built the parameters were not verified and therefore its characteristics are not exactly known; the reported partial results show that the approximations used for the design are generally valid. (author)

Tellurium stable isotope fractionation in chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples

Science.gov (United States)

Fehr, Manuela A.; Hammond, Samantha J.; Parkinson, Ian J.

2018-02-01

provide a record of the nebular formation environment. The Te stable isotope fractionation of the carbonaceous chondrites CI and CM (and CO potentially) overlap within uncertainty with data for terrestrial Te standard solutions, sediments and ore samples. Assuming the silicate Earth displays similar Te isotope fractionation as the studied terrestrial samples, the data indicate that the late veneer might have been delivered by material similar to CI or CM (or possibly) CO carbonaceous chondrites in terms of Te isotope composition. Nine terrestrial samples display resolvable Te stable isotope fractionation of 0.85 and 0.60‰ for δ130/125Te for sediment and USGS geochemical exploration reference samples, respectively. Tellurium isotopes therefore have the potential to become a new geochemical sedimentary proxy, as well as a proxy for ore-exploration.

Modulations of the processing of line discontinuities under selective attention conditions?

Science.gov (United States)

Giersch, Anne; Fahle, Manfred

2002-01-01

We examined whether the processing of discontinuities involved in figure-ground segmentation, like line ends, can be modulated under selective attention conditions. Subjects decided whether a gap in collinear or parallel lines was located to the right or left. Two stimuli were displayed in immediate succession. When the gaps were on the same side, reaction times (RTs) for the second stimulus increased when collinear lines followed parallel lines, or the reverse, but only when the two stimuli shared the same orientation and location. The effect did not depend on the global form of the stimuli or on the relative orientation of the gaps. A frame drawn around collinear elements affected the results, suggesting a crucial role of the "amodal" orthogonal lines produced when line ends are aligned. Including several gaps in the first stimulus also eliminated RT variations. By contrast, RT variations remained stable across several experimental blocks and were significant for interstimulus intervals from 50 to 600 msec between the two stimuli. These results are interpreted in terms of a modulation of the processing of line ends or the production of amodal lines, arising when attention is selectively drawn to a gap.

Design of rapid prototype of UAV line-of-sight stabilized control system

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Gang; Zhao, Liting; Li, Yinlong; Yu, Fei; Lin, Zhe

2018-01-01

The line-of-sight (LOS) stable platform is the most important technology of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), which can reduce the effect to imaging quality from vibration and maneuvering of the aircraft. According to the requirement of LOS stability system (inertial and optical-mechanical combined method) and UAV's structure, a rapid prototype is designed using based on industrial computer using Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) and Windows RTX to exchange information. The paper shows the control structure, and circuit system including the inertial stability control circuit with gyro and voice coil motor driven circuit, the optical-mechanical stability control circuit with fast-steering-mirror (FSM) driven circuit and image-deviation-obtained system, outer frame rotary follower, and information-exchange system on PC. Test results show the stability accuracy reaches 5μrad, and prove the effectiveness of the combined line-of-sight stabilization control system, and the real-time rapid prototype runs stable.

Designing of the Low Energy Beam Lines with Achromatic Condition in the RAON Accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Hyunchang; Jang, Ji-Ho; Jeon, Dong-O [Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

The RAON accelerator has been built to create and accelerate stable heavy-ion beams and rare isotope beams. The stable heavy-ion beams are generated by the superconducting electron cyclotron resonance ion source and accelerated by the low energy superconducting linac SCL1. The beams accelerated by the SCL1 are re-accelerated by the high energy superconducting linac SCL2 for the generation of rare isotope beams by using the in-flight fragmentation system or are put to use in the low energy experimental halls, which include the neutron science facility and the Korea Broad acceptance Recoil spectrometer and Apparatus after having passed through the low energy beam lines which have long deflecting sections. At the end of each beam line in the low energy experimental halls, the beams should meet the targets of the two facilities with the specific requirements satisfied. Namely, if the beam is to be sent safely and accurately to the targets and simultaneously, satisfy the requirements, an achromatic lattice design needs to be applied in each beam line. In this paper, we will present the lattice design of the low energy beam lines and describe the results of the beam dynamics simulations. In addition, the correction of the beam orbit, which is distorted by machine imperfections, will be discussed.

A Trajectory Correction based on Multi-Step Lining-up for the CLIC Main Linac

CERN Document Server

D'Amico, T E

1999-01-01

In the CLIC main linac it is very important to minimise the trajectory excursion and consequently the emittance dilution in order to obtain the required luminosity. Several algorithms have been proposed and lately the ballistic method has proved to be very effective. The trajectory method described in this Note retains the main advantages of the latter while adding some interesting features. It is based on the separation of the unknown variables like the quadrupole misalignments, the offset and slope of the injection straight line and the misalignments of the beam position monitors (BPM). This is achieved by referring the trajectory relatively to the injection line and not to the average pre-alignment line and by using two trajectories each corresponding to slightly different quadrupole strengths. A reference straight line is then derived onto which the beam is bent by a kick obtained by moving the first quadrupole. The other quadrupoles are then aligned on that line. The quality of the correction depends mai...

Stable Oxygen-18 and Deuterium Isotopes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Sascha

The application of stable Oxygen-18 (18O) and Deuterium (2H) isotopes, as a tracer for fluxes between different compartments of the water cycle was subject of the present PhD-thesis. During a three year period, temporal data from a wide range of water cycle constituents was collected from...... the Skjern River catchment, Denmark. The presented applications focused on studying the isotopic 'input signal' to the hydrosphere in the form of precipitation, the isotopic 'output signal' with its related dynamic processes at a coastal saltwater-freshwater interface (groundwater isotopes) and the temporal...... development within a given lowland headwater catchment (stream water isotopes). Based on our investigations on the precipitation isotopic composition a local meteoric water line (LMWL) was constructed and expressed as: δ2H=7.4 δ18O + 5.36‰. Moreover, we showed that under maritime temperature climate influence...

Identification of stable reference genes for quantitative PCR in cells derived from chicken lymphoid organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Borowska, D; Rothwell, L; Bailey, R A; Watson, K; Kaiser, P

2016-02-01

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a powerful technique for quantification of gene expression, especially genes involved in immune responses. Although qPCR is a very efficient and sensitive tool, variations in the enzymatic efficiency, quality of RNA and the presence of inhibitors can lead to errors. Therefore, qPCR needs to be normalised to obtain reliable results and allow comparison. The most common approach is to use reference genes as internal controls in qPCR analyses. In this study, expression of seven genes, including β-actin (ACTB), β-2-microglobulin (B2M), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-glucuronidase (GUSB), TATA box binding protein (TBP), α-tubulin (TUBAT) and 28S ribosomal RNA (r28S), was determined in cells isolated from chicken lymphoid tissues and stimulated with three different mitogens. The stability of the genes was measured using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper software. The results from both geNorm and NormFinder were that the three most stably expressed genes in this panel were TBP, GAPDH and r28S. BestKeeper did not generate clear answers because of the highly heterogeneous sample set. Based on these data we will include TBP in future qPCR normalisation. The study shows the importance of appropriate reference gene normalisation in other tissues before qPCR analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selection of reference genes for expression analysis of Kumamoto and Portuguese oysters and their hybrid

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Lulu; Su, Jiaqi; Wang, Zhaoping; Yan, Xiwu; Yu, Ruihai

2017-12-01

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a rapid and reliable technique which has been widely used to quantifying gene transcripts (expression analysis). It is also employed for studying heterosis, hybridization breeding and hybrid tolerability of oysters, an ecologically and economically important taxonomic group. For these studies, selection of a suitable set of housekeeping genes as references is crucial for correct interpretation of qRT-PCR data. To identify suitable reference genes for oysters during low temperature and low salinity stresses, we analyzed twelve genes from the gill tissue of Crassostrea sikamea (SS), Crassostrea angulata (AA) and their hybrid (SA), which included three ribosomal genes, 28S ribosomal protein S5 ( RPS5), ribosomal protein L35 ( RPL35), and 60S ribosomal protein L29 ( RPL29); three structural genes, tubulin gamma ( TUBγ), annexin A6 and A7 ( AA6 and AA7); three metabolic pathway genes, ornithine decarboxylase ( OD), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( GAPDH) and glutathione S-transferase P1 ( GSP); two transcription factors, elongation factor 1 alpha and beta ( EF1α and EF1β); and one protein synthesis gene (ubiquitin ( UBQ). Primers specific for these genes were successfully developed for the three groups of oysters. Three different algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper, were used to evaluate the expression stability of these candidate genes. BestKeeper program was found to be the most reliable. Based on our analysis, we found that the expression of RPL35 and EF1α was stable under low salinity stress, and the expression of OD, GAPDH and EF1α was stable under low temperature stress in hybrid (SA) oyster; the expression of RPS5 and GAPDH was stable under low salinity stress, and the expression of RPS5, UBQ, GAPDH was stable under low temperature stress in SS oyster; the expression of RPS5, GAPDH, EF1β and AA7 was stable under low salinity stress, and the expression of RPL35, EF1α, GAPDH

Selection and Validation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Normalization Under Ethanol Stress Conditions in Oenococcus oeni SD-2a

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuai Peng

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The powerful Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR was widely used to assess gene expression levels, which requires the optimal reference genes used for normalization. Oenococcus oeni (O. oeni, as the one of most important microorganisms in wine industry and the most resistant lactic acid bacteria (LAB species to ethanol, has not been investigated regarding the selection of stable reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization under ethanol stress conditions. In this study, nine candidate reference genes (proC, dnaG, rpoA, ldhD, ddlA, rrs, gyrA, gyrB, and dpoIII were analyzed to determine the most stable reference genes for RT-qPCR in O. oeni SD-2a under different ethanol stress conditions (8, 12, and 16% (v/v ethanol. The transcript stabilities of these genes were evaluated using the algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. The results showed that dnaG and dpoIII were selected as the best reference genes across all experimental ethanol conditions. Considering single stress experimental modes, dpoIII and dnaG would be suitable to normalize expression level for 8% ethanol shock treatment, while the combination of gyrA, gyrB, and rrs would be suitable for 12% ethanol shock treatment. proC and gyrB revealed the most stable expression in 16% ethanol shock treatment. This study selected and validated for the first time the reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization in O. oeni SD-2a under ethanol stress conditions.

Reliable Line Matching Algorithm for Stereo Images with Topological Relationship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Jingxue

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Because of the lack of relationships between matching line and adjacent lines in the process of individual line matching, and the weak reliability of the individual line descriptor facing on discontinue texture, this paper presents a reliable line matching algorithm for stereo images with topological relationship. The algorithm firstly generates grouped line pairs from lines extracted from the reference image and searching image according to the basic topological relationships such as distance and angle between the lines. Then it takes the grouped line pairs as matching primitives, and matches these grouped line pairs by using epipolar constraint, homography constraint, quadrant constraint and gray correlation constraint of irregular triangle in order. And finally, it resolves the corresponding line pairs into two pairs of corresponding individual lines, and obtains one to one matching results after the post-processing of integrating, fitting, and checking. This paper adopts digital aerial images and close-range images with typical texture features to deal with the parameter analysis and line matching, and the experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm in this paper can obtain reliable line matching results.

Development of Radiation-hard Bandgap Reference and Temperature Sensor in CMOS 130 nm Technology

CERN Document Server

Kuczynska, Marika; Bugiel, Szymon; Firlej, Miroslaw; Fiutowski, Tomasz; Idzik, Marek; Michelis, Stefano; Moron, Jakub; Przyborowski, Dominik; Swientek, Krzysztof

2015-01-01

A stable reference voltage (or current) source is a standard component of today's microelectronics systems. In particle physics experiments such reference is needed in spite of harsh ionizing radiation conditions, i.e. doses exceeding 100 Mrads and fluences above 1e15 n/cm2. After such radiation load a bandgap reference using standard p-n junction of bipolar transistor does not work properly. Instead of using standard p-n junctions, two enclosed layout transistor (ELTMOS) structures are used to create radiation-hard diodes: the ELT bulk diode and the diode obtained using the ELTMOS as dynamic threshold transistor (DTMOS). In this paper we have described several sub-1V references based on ELTMOS bulk diode and DTMOS based diode, using CMOS 130 nm process. Voltage references the structures with additional PTAT (Proportional To Absolute Temperature) output for temperature measurements were also designed. We present and compare post-layout simulations of the developed bandgap references and temperature sensors, w...

USGS48 Puerto Rico precipitation - A new isotopic reference material for δ2H and δ18O measurements of water

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Haiping; Coplen, Tyler B.; Tarbox, Lauren V.; Lorenz, Jennifer M.; Scholl, Martha A.

2014-01-01

A new secondary isotopic reference material has been prepared from Puerto Rico precipitation, which was filtered, homogenised, loaded into glass ampoules, sealed with a torch, autoclaved to eliminate biological activity, and calibrated by dual-inlet isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. This isotopic reference material, designated as USGS48, is intended to be one of two isotopic reference waters for daily normalisation of stable hydrogen (δ2H) and stable oxygen (δ18O) isotopic analysis of water with a mass spectrometer or a laser absorption spectrometer. The δ2H and δ18O values of this reference water are−2.0±0.4 and−2.224±0.012 ‰, respectively, relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water on scales normalised such that the δ2H and δ18O values of Standard Light Antarctic Precipitation reference water are−428 and−55.5 ‰, respectively. Each uncertainty is an estimated expanded uncertainty (U=2uc) about the reference value that provides an interval that has about a 95 % probability of encompassing the true value. This isotopic reference water is available by the case of 144 glass ampoules containing 5 mL of water in each ampoule.

Bright emission lines in new Seyfert galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanasev, V.L.; Denisiuk, E.K.; Lipovetskii, V.A.; Shapovalova, A.I.

1983-01-01

Observational data are given on bright emission lines (H-alpha, H-beta, and forbidden N II, S II, and O III) for 14 recently discovered Seyfert galaxies. The investigated objects can be divided into three groups, which correspond approximately to the first (5 objects), the intermediate (4 objects), and the second (4 objects) Seyfert types. Attention is drawn to the properties of the galaxy Markaryan 1018, which has features of both the first and the second type and is distinguished by the weakness of its emission lines, which is probably due to a gas deficit. 7 references

Stable lentiviral transformation of CHO cells for the expression of the hemagglutinin H5 of avian influenza virus in suspension culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alaín González Pose

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Avian influenza virus H5N1 has caused extensive damage worldwide among poultry and humans. Effective expression systems are needed for the production of viral proteins required for monitoring this devastating disease. The present study deals with the establishment of a stable expression system for the hemagglutinin H5 (HAH5 of avian influenza virus using CHO cells in suspension culture transduced with a recombinant lentiviral vector. The synthetic gene coding the HAH5 protein was inserted in a lentiviral vector with the aim of performing a stable transduction of CHO cells. After the selection of recombinant clones, the one with the highest expression level was adapted to suspension culture and the HAH5 protein was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography from the culture supernatant. There were no significant differences when this protein, purified or direct from the culture supernatant of CHO or SiHa cells, was utilized in an immunologic assay using positive and negative sera as reference. It was also demonstrated that the HAH5 protein in its purified form is able to bind anti-HAH5 antibodies generated with proper and non-proper folded proteins. The results demonstrate that the CHO cell line stably transduced with a lentiviral vector coding the sequence of the HAH5 protein and cultured in suspension can be a suitable expression system to obtain this protein for diagnostic purpose in a consistent and reliable manner.

Derivation of Color Confusion Lines for Pseudo-Dichromat Observers from Color Discrimination Thresholds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kahiro Matsudaira

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The objective is to develop a method of defining color confusion lines in the display RGB color space through color discrimination tasks. In the experiment, reference and test square patches were presented side by side on a CRT display. The subject's task is to set the test color where the color difference from the reference is just noticeable to him/her. In a single trial, the test color was only adjustable along one of 26 directions around the reference. Thus 26 colors with just noticeable difference (JND were obtained and made up a tube-like or an ellipsoidal shape around each reference. With color-anomalous subjects, the major axes of these shapes should be parallel to color confusion lines that have a common orientation vector corresponding to one of the cone excitation axes L, M, or S. In our method, the orientation vector was determined by minimizing the sum of the squares of the distances from JND colors to each confusion line. To assess the performance the method, the orientation vectors obtained by pseudo-dichromats (color normal observers with a dichromat simulator were compared to those theoretically calculated from the color vision model used in the simulator.

Validation of reference genes for quantifying changes in gene expression in virus-infected tobacco.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Eseul; Yoon, Ju-Yeon; Palukaitis, Peter

2017-10-01

To facilitate quantification of gene expression changes in virus-infected tobacco plants, eight housekeeping genes were evaluated for their stability of expression during infection by one of three systemically-infecting viruses (cucumber mosaic virus, potato virus X, potato virus Y) or a hypersensitive-response-inducing virus (tobacco mosaic virus; TMV) limited to the inoculated leaf. Five reference-gene validation programs were used to establish the order of the most stable genes for the systemically-infecting viruses as ribosomal protein L25 > β-Tubulin > Actin, and the least stable genes Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UCE) genes were EF1α > Cysteine protease > Actin, and the least stable genes were GAPDH genes, three defense responsive genes were examined to compare their relative changes in gene expression caused by each virus. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation and optimization of logistics distribution for an engine production line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, L.; Jin, S.; Tang, P.

2016-07-01

In order to analyze and study the factors about Logistics distribution system, solve the problems of out of stock on the production line and improve the efficiency of the assembly line. Using the method of industrial engineering, put forward the optimization scheme of distribution system. The simulation model of logistics distribution system for engine assembly line was build based on Witness software. The optimization plan is efficient to improve Logistics distribution efficiency, production of assembly line efficiency and reduce the storage of production line. Based on the study of the modeling and simulation of engine production logistics distribution system, the result reflects some influence factors about production logistics system, which has reference value to improving the efficiency of the production line. (Author)

Copper absorption from foods labelled intrinsically and extrinsically with Cu-65 stable isotope.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, L J; Dainty, J R; Beattie, J H; Majsak-Newman, G; Wharf, S G; Reid, M D; Fairweather-Tait, S J

2005-03-01

To determine copper absorption from copper containing foods labelled either intrinsically or extrinsically with a highly enriched Cu-65 stable isotope label. A longitudinal cross-over study. The study was conducted at the Institute of Food Research, Human Nutrition Unit, Norwich, UK. Subjects were recruited locally via advertisements placed around the Norwich Research Park. A total of 10 volunteers (nine female, one male) took part in the study, but not all volunteers completed each of the test meals. A highly enriched Cu-65 stable isotope label was administered to volunteers in the form of a reference dose or in breakfast test meals consisting of red wine, soya beans, mushrooms or sunflower seeds. Faecal monitoring and mass spectrometry techniques were used to estimate the relative quantities of copper absorbed from the different test meals. True copper absorption from the reference dose (54%) was similar to extrinsically labelled red wine (49%) and intrinsically labelled sunflower seeds (52%), but significantly higher than extrinsically labelled mushrooms (35%), intrinsically (29%) and extrinsically (15%) labelled soya beans and extrinsically labelled sunflower seed (32%) test meals. The use of Cu-65 extrinsic labels in copper absorption studies requires validation according to the food being examined; intrinsic and extrinsic labelling produced significantly different results for sunflower seeds.

Development of Lentivirus-Based Reference Materials for Ebola Virus Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology-Based Assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattiuzzo, Giada; Ashall, James; Doris, Kathryn S; MacLellan-Gibson, Kirsty; Nicolson, Carolyn; Wilkinson, Dianna E; Harvey, Ruth; Almond, Neil; Anderson, Robert; Efstathiou, Stacey; Minor, Philip D; Page, Mark

2015-01-01

The 2013-present Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa has prompted the production of many diagnostic assays, mostly based on nucleic acid amplification technologies (NAT). The calibration and performance assessment of established assays and those under evaluation requires reference materials that can be used in parallel with the clinical sample to standardise or control for every step of the procedure, from extraction to the final qualitative/quantitative result. We have developed safe and stable Ebola virus RNA reference materials by encapsidating anti sense viral RNA into HIV-1-like particles. The lentiviral particles are replication-deficient and non-infectious due to the lack of HIV-1 genes and Envelope protein. Ebola virus genes were subcloned for encapsidation into two lentiviral preparations, one containing NP-VP35-GP and the other VP40 and L RNA. Each reference material was formulated as a high-titre standard for use as a calibrator for secondary or internal standards, and a 10,000-fold lower titre preparation to serve as an in-run control. The preparations have been freeze-dried to maximise stability. These HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials were suitable for use with in-house and commercial quantitative RT-PCR assays and with digital RT-PCR. The HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials are stable at up to 37°C for two weeks, allowing the shipment of the material worldwide at ambient temperature. These results support further evaluation of the HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials as part of an International collaborative study for the establishment of the 1st International Standard for Ebola virus RNA.

Development of Lentivirus-Based Reference Materials for Ebola Virus Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology-Based Assays.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giada Mattiuzzo

Full Text Available The 2013-present Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa has prompted the production of many diagnostic assays, mostly based on nucleic acid amplification technologies (NAT. The calibration and performance assessment of established assays and those under evaluation requires reference materials that can be used in parallel with the clinical sample to standardise or control for every step of the procedure, from extraction to the final qualitative/quantitative result. We have developed safe and stable Ebola virus RNA reference materials by encapsidating anti sense viral RNA into HIV-1-like particles. The lentiviral particles are replication-deficient and non-infectious due to the lack of HIV-1 genes and Envelope protein. Ebola virus genes were subcloned for encapsidation into two lentiviral preparations, one containing NP-VP35-GP and the other VP40 and L RNA. Each reference material was formulated as a high-titre standard for use as a calibrator for secondary or internal standards, and a 10,000-fold lower titre preparation to serve as an in-run control. The preparations have been freeze-dried to maximise stability. These HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials were suitable for use with in-house and commercial quantitative RT-PCR assays and with digital RT-PCR. The HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials are stable at up to 37°C for two weeks, allowing the shipment of the material worldwide at ambient temperature. These results support further evaluation of the HIV-Ebola virus RNA reference materials as part of an International collaborative study for the establishment of the 1st International Standard for Ebola virus RNA.

Evaluation of reference genes for RT-qPCR study in abalone Haliotis discus hannai during heavy metal overload stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Yoon Lee

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The evaluation of suitable reference genes as normalization controls is a prerequisite requirement for launching quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR-based expression study. In order to select the stable reference genes in abalone Haliotis discus hannai tissues (gill and hepatopancreas under heavy metal exposure conditions (Cu, Zn, and Cd, 12 potential candidate housekeeping genes were subjected to expression stability based on the comprehensive ranking while integrating four different statistical algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and ΔCT method. Results Expression stability in the gill subset was determined as RPL7 > RPL8 > ACTB > RPL3 > PPIB > RPL7A > EF1A > RPL4 > GAPDH > RPL5 > UBE2 > B-TU. On the other hand, the ranking in the subset for hepatopancreas was RPL7 > RPL3 > RPL8 > ACTB > RPL4 > EF1A > RPL5 > RPL7A > B-TU > UBE2 > PPIB > GAPDH. The pairwise variation assessed by the geNorm program indicates that two reference genes could be sufficient for accurate normalization in both gill and hepatopancreas subsets. Overall, both gill and hepatopancreas subsets recommended ribosomal protein genes (particularly RPL7 as stable references, whereas traditional housekeepers such as β-tubulin (B-TU and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH genes were ranked as unstable genes. The validation of reference gene selection was confirmed with the quantitative assay of MT transcripts. Conclusions The present analysis showed the importance of validating reference genes with multiple algorithmic approaches to select genes that are truly stable. Our results indicate that expression stability of a given reference gene could not always have consensus across tissue types. The data from this study could be a good guide for the future design of RT-qPCR studies with respect to metal regulation/detoxification and other related

Norwegian reference values for the Short-Form Health Survey 36: development over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsen, Ellisiv L; Bye, Asta; Aass, Nina; Fosså, Sophie D; Grotmol, Kjersti S; Kaasa, Stein; Loge, Jon Håvard; Moum, Torbjørn; Hjermstad, Marianne J

2018-05-01

Reference values for patient-reported outcome measures are useful for interpretation of results from clinical trials. The study aims were to collect Norwegian SF-36 reference values and compare with data from 1996 to 2002. In 2015, SF-36 was sent by mail to a representative sample of the population (N = 6165). Time trends and associations between background variables and SF-36 scale scores were compared by linear regression models. The 2015 response rate was 36% (N = 2118) versus 67% (N = 2323) in 1996 and 56% (N = 5241) in 2002. Only 5% of the youngest (18-29 years) and 27% of the oldest (>70 years) responded in 2015. Age and educational level were significantly higher in 2015 relative to 1996/2002 (p 36 scores were relatively stable across surveys, controlled for background variables. In general, the most pronounced changes in 2015 were better scores on the role limitations emotional scale (7.4 points, p 70 years. Despite societal changes in Norway the past two decades, HRQoL has remained relatively stable.

Development of Iridium Solid-state Reference Electrode for the Water Chemistry Status Measurement in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku, Heekwon; Lim, Dongseok; Cho, Jaeseon

2013-01-01

The result of ECP measurement of piping material in nuclear power plant at low temperature using the developed iridium (SSRE) reference electrode is approximately -0.370V. Based on the various results of this study, the developed iridium (SSRE) reference electrode can be applied to the water chemistry environments of nuclear power plant. Various metallic materials used in a nuclear power plant have been exposed to a variety of water chemistry environments and the corrosion of metallic materials occurs due to the reactions between metal structures and water chemistry environments. Therefore, the management of the water chemistry factors is needed to prevent corrosion. The chemical factors affecting the corrosion are pH and Electrochemical Corrosion Potential (ECP). The world-wide studies suggest that ECP and pH are effective indicators for preventing the material damage from water chemistry condition. ECP and pH should be measured as the reference electrodes, and should show stable potential characteristics with fast responses. In this study, the iridium reference electrodes using a solid-state metal oxide electrode has been developed to measure effective indicators such as ECP and pH. The iridium (SSRE) reference electrode for the ECP measurement in water chemistry environment of nuclear power plants has been developed. A calibration for water chemistry measurement was performed by potential measurement of iridium (SSRE) reference electrode with Ag/AgCl (SSRE) reference electrode. The result exhibited a stable potential for 117 hours and a super-Nernst ian response with 63.12mV/p H. In this study, the iridium (SSRE) reference electrode shows super-Nernst ian characteristic and it may be caused by the property of electrolytically coated iridium oxide. Considering the long-term stability of the developed electrode, it is possible to apply as a reference electrode through calibration procedure

Conductance of auroral magnetic field lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weimer, D.R.; Gurnett, D.A.; Goertz, C.K.

1986-01-01

DE-1 high-resolution double-probe electric-field data and simultaneous magnetic-field measurements are reported for two 1981 events with large electric fields which reversed over short distances. The data are presented graphically and analyzed in detail. A field-line conductance of about 1 nmho/sq m is determined for both upward and downward currents, and the ionospheric conductivity is shown, in the short-wavelength limit, to have little effect on the relationship between the (N-S) electric and (E-W) magnetic fields above the potential drop parallel to the magnetic-field lines. The results are found to be consistent with a linear relationship between the field-aligned current density and the parallel potential drop. 14 references

Self-Supporting, Hydrophobic, Ionic Liquid-Based Reference Electrodes Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Microphase Separation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chopade, Sujay A; Anderson, Evan L; Schmidt, Peter W; Lodge, Timothy P; Hillmyer, Marc A; Bühlmann, Philippe

2017-10-27

Interfaces of ionic liquids and aqueous solutions exhibit stable electrical potentials over a wide range of aqueous electrolyte concentrations. This makes ionic liquids suitable as bridge materials that separate in electroanalytical measurements the reference electrode from samples with low and/or unknown ionic strengths. However, methods for the preparation of ionic liquid-based reference electrodes have not been explored widely. We have designed a convenient and reliable synthesis of ionic liquid-based reference electrodes by polymerization-induced microphase separation. This technique allows for a facile, single-pot synthesis of ready-to-use reference electrodes that incorporate ion conducting nanochannels filled with either 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide or 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide as ionic liquid, supported by a mechanically robust cross-linked polystyrene phase. This synthesis procedure allows for the straightforward design of various reference electrode geometries. These reference electrodes exhibit a low resistance as well as good reference potential stability and reproducibility when immersed into aqueous solutions varying from deionized, purified water to 100 mM KCl, while requiring no correction for liquid junction potentials.

Isotopic meteoric line for Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez N, Cesar O

2004-01-01

Isotope analyses from representative rainfall samples taken from different areas in Colombia were processed to yield the meteoric line. Stable isotope composition in precipitation reflects the effects of temperature, altitude and of the continental site, being affected by different sources of atmospheric humidity over the Colombian territory. There is a seasonal variation in isotopic composition of precipitation with grater σ deviation during the rainy season and lower values in the dry season. In coastal areas the variation is smaller and is more pronounced than at continental stations. Correlation between altitude and isotope content led to equations, which indicate, on a regional level, a change in isotopic composition with altitude, of about 0.5 σ units per 200 m, for O 18 and 4 σ units per 200 m for H 2 . Such equations may be used to identify the original altitude of precipitation water, in hydrological surface and groundwater studies. Meteoric line and the concepts derived from the resulting equations presented in this paper may be applied to the interpretation of isotope analysis in future hydrological studies, particularly in areas without available data

Potential Contradictions Connected to the Inclusion of Stable Schools in the Legislation for Danish Organic Dairy Farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaarst, Mette; Fisker, I

2013-01-01

This article aims to raise questions and discuss how a previous farmer-driven group approach (Stable Schools) works under a legislation framework as a part of an obligatory health advisory service for Danish organic dairy producers. The study takes its starting point in an on-line questionnaire...... evaluation (79 farmer respondents) conducted after one year (2011) with the Stable School approach as part of the legislation. This is followed by a discussion on the perspectives of ‘obligatory farmer groups’ supported by literature on experience from other institutionalized advisory approaches. Respondents...... generally found the Stable Schools useful for many organic farmers, also after introduction to the legislation, given that farmers are motivated and the process is actively supported by a skilled facilitator. We raise the question of a potential mismatch between the legislative aims and the farmer group...

Radiosensitivity of mice of different lines and age as determinated with reference to ''intestinal'' death and DNA repair in intestinal epithelium cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konoplyannikova, O.A.; Sklobovskaya, M.V.; Konoplyannikov, A.G.; Saenko, A.S. (Akademiya Meditsinskikh Nauk SSSR, Obninsk. Nauchno-Issledovatel' skij Inst. Meditsinskoj Radiologii)

A study was made of the influence of strain- and age-related differences on mouse mortality after irradiation with doses lying within the ''intestinal'' dose range, and also damages to stem cells of intestinal epithelium and induction and repair of single-strand DNA breaks in intestinal epitherium cells. Mice of different lines and age vary in LDsub(50/4) and stem cell radiosensitivity. There are no differences in the sedimentation constants of DNA fragments in alkaline lysates of intestinal crypts of intact mice of different age. Radiosensitivity determined with reference to single-strand breaks induction in DNA is similar with different mouse groups. Repair of single-strand DNA breaks of elderly mice is slower than that of young animals.

Stable Boundary Layer Issues

OpenAIRE

Steeneveld, G.J.

2012-01-01

Understanding and prediction of the stable atmospheric boundary layer is a challenging task. Many physical processes are relevant in the stable boundary layer, i.e. turbulence, radiation, land surface coupling, orographic turbulent and gravity wave drag, and land surface heterogeneity. The development of robust stable boundary layer parameterizations for use in NWP and climate models is hampered by the multiplicity of processes and their unknown interactions. As a result, these models suffer ...

Photosynthetic and nitrogen fixation capability in several soybean mutant lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandanegara, S.; Hendratno, K.

1987-01-01

Photosynthetic and nitrogen fixation capability in several soybean mutant lines. A greenhouse experiment has been carried out to study photosynthetic and nitrogen fixation capability of five mutant lines and two soybean varieties. An amount of 330 uCi of 14 CO 2 was fed to the plants including of the non-fixing reference crop (Chippewa non-nodulating isoline). Nitrogen fixation measurements was carried out using 15 N isotope dilution technique according to A-value concept. Results showed that beside variety/mutant lines, plant growth also has important role in photosynthetic and N fixing capability. Better growth and a higher photosynthetic capability in Orba, mutant lines nos. 63 and 65 resulted in a greater amount of N 2 fixed (mg N/plant) than other mutant lines. (author). 12 refs.; 5 figs

Stable isotope dilution analysis by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broekman, A.; Raaphorst, J.G. van

1984-01-01

The combination of stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is in use for lead and uranium determination at milligram per kilogram levels for over 20 years. However, several other elements can also be determined accurately by SIDA/TIMS. In this study the determinations of cadmium and copper are described. Details of the digestion, electrochemical and ion-exchange separations and the loading of the elements on a filament are given. The advantages of the SIDA/TIMS technique are shown and illustrated with results for several certified reference materials. (orig.) [de

A Practical Cryogen-Free CO2 Purification and Freezing Technique for Stable Isotope Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Saburo; Matsuda, Shinichi

2017-04-18

Since isotopic analysis by mass spectrometry began in the early 1900s, sample gas for light-element isotopic measurements has been purified by the use of cryogens and vacuum-line systems. However, this conventional purification technique can achieve only certain temperatures that depend on the cryogens and can be sustained only as long as there is a continuous cryogen supply. Here, we demonstrate a practical cryogen-free CO 2 purification technique using an electrical operated cryocooler for stable isotope analysis. This approach is based on portable free-piston Stirling cooling technology and controls the temperature to an accuracy of 0.1 °C in a range from room temperature to -196 °C (liquid-nitrogen temperature). The lowest temperature can be achieved in as little as 10 min. We successfully purified CO 2 gas generated by carbonates and phosphoric acid reaction and found its sublimation point to be -155.6 °C at 0.1 Torr in the vacuum line. This means that the temperature required for CO 2 trapping is much higher than the liquid-nitrogen temperature. Our portable cooling system offers the ability to be free from the inconvenience of cryogen use for stable isotope analysis. It also offers a new cooling method applicable to a number of fields that use gas measurements.

Selection of reference genes for quantitative real time RT-PCR during dimorphism in the zygomycete Mucor circinelloides.

Science.gov (United States)

Valle-Maldonado, Marco I; Jácome-Galarza, Irvin E; Gutiérrez-Corona, Félix; Ramírez-Díaz, Martha I; Campos-García, Jesús; Meza-Carmen, Víctor

2015-03-01

Mucor circinelloides is a dimorphic fungal model for studying several biological processes including cell differentiation (yeast-mold transitions) as well as biodiesel and carotene production. The recent release of the first draft sequence of the M. circinelloides genome, combined with the availability of analytical methods to determine patterns of gene expression, such as quantitative Reverse transcription-Polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the development of molecular genetic tools for the manipulation of the fungus, may help identify M. circinelloides gene products and analyze their relevance in different biological processes. However, no information is available on M. circinelloides genes of stable expression that could serve as internal references in qRT-PCR analyses. One approach to solve this problem consists in the use of housekeeping genes as internal references. However, validation of the usability of these reference genes is a fundamental step prior to initiating qRT-PCR assays. This work evaluates expression of several constitutive genes by qRT-PCR throughout the morphological differentiation stages of M. circinelloides; our results indicate that tfc-1 and ef-1 are the most stable genes for qRT-PCR assays during differentiation studies and they are proposed as reference genes to carry out gene expression studies in this fungus.

Interaction of pantographs and contact lines at Shinkansen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Mitsuru; Uzuka, Tetsuo [Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI), Tokyo (Japan)

2011-07-15

Tokaido Shinkansen started service between Tokyo and Osaka in 1964. Today, the Shinkansen network comprises 2388 km of lines. The Shinkansen pantograph/contact line system was continuously developed in response to changes in the conditions surrounding railways. Today, there are several unique features. The Auto-transformer feeding system with changeover sections permits electrical connection between pantographs. The Shinkansen train sets are equipped with two pantographs with electrical connection in general. Since due to the electrical connection of pantographs which avoids intense arcing, the mean contact force can be kept low leading to a highly reliable design without serious troubles caused by fatigue. New pantographs achieve very low noise performance, helping the system to be environmental friendly. Today, the Shinkansen network provides stable operation whereby the achievements reported hereafter were implemented. (orig.)

Wall-crossing between stable and co-stable ADHM data

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkawa, Ryo

2018-06-01

We prove formula between Nekrasov partition functions defined from stable and co-stable ADHM data for the plane following method by Nakajima and Yoshioka (Kyoto J Math 51(2):263-335, 2011) based on the theory of wall-crossing formula developed by Mochizuki (Donaldson type invariants for algebraic surfaces: transition of moduli stacks, Lecture notes in mathematics, vol 1972, Springer, Berlin, 2009). This formula is similar to conjectures by Ito et al. [J High Energy Phys 2013(5):045, 2013, (4.1), (4.2)] for A1 singularity.

Simulation and optimization of logistics distribution for an engine production line

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lijun Song

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose: In order to analyze and study the factors about Logistics distribution system, solve the problems of out of stock on the production line and improve the efficiency of the assembly line. Design/methodology/approach: Using the method of industrial engineering, put forward the optimization scheme of distribution system. The simulation model of logistics distribution system for engine assembly line was build based on Witness software. Findings: The optimization plan is efficient to improve Logistics distribution efficiency, production of assembly line efficiency and reduce the storage of production line Originality/value: Based on the study of the modeling and simulation of engine production logistics distribution system, the result reflects some influence factors about production logistics system, which has reference value to improving the efficiency of the production line.

ATLAS collision event from the first LHC fill with stable beam on 17th April 2018

CERN Multimedia

ATLAS Collaboration

2018-01-01

Event display (run 348197, event 921894) from the first stable beam proton-proton collision run of 2018, recorded on April 17. Orange lines show the trajectories of charged particles in the tracking systems. The green and yellow boxes show the energy deposits in the electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters, respectively. The three yellow cones show jets of particles produced in the collision.

Selection and validation of reference genes for miRNA expression studies during porcine pregnancy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jocelyn M Wessels

Full Text Available MicroRNAs comprise a family of small non-coding RNAs that modulate several developmental and physiological processes including pregnancy. Their ubiquitous presence is confirmed in mammals, worms, flies and plants. Although rapid advances have been made in microRNA research, information on stable reference genes for validation of microRNA expression is still lacking. Real time PCR is a widely used tool to quantify gene transcripts. An appropriate reference gene must be chosen to minimize experimental error in this system. A small difference in miRNA levels between experimental samples can be biologically meaningful as these entities can affect multiple targets in a pathway. This study examined the suitability of six commercially available reference genes (RNU1A, RNU5A, RNU6B, SNORD25, SCARNA17, and SNORA73A in maternal-fetal tissues from healthy and spontaneously arresting/dying conceptuses from sows were separately analyzed at gestation day 20. Comparisons were also made with non-pregnant endometrial tissues from sows. Spontaneous fetal loss is a prime concern to the commercial pork industry. Our laboratory has previously identified deficits in vasculature development at maternal-fetal interface as one of the major participating causes of fetal loss. Using this well-established model, we have extended our studies to identify suitable microRNA reference genes. A methodical approach to assessing suitability was adopted using standard curve and melting curve analysis, PCR product sequencing, real time PCR expression in a panel of gestational tissues, and geNorm and NormFinder analysis. Our quantitative real time PCR analysis confirmed expression of all 6 reference genes in maternal and fetal tissues. All genes were uniformly expressed in tissues from healthy and spontaneously arresting conceptus attachment sites. Comparisons between tissue types (maternal/fetal/non-pregnant revealed significant differences for RNU5A, RNU6B, SCARNA17, and SNORA73A

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction reference genes in the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain: validation and literature search.

Science.gov (United States)

Piller, Nicolas; Decosterd, Isabelle; Suter, Marc R

2013-07-10

The reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a widely used, highly sensitive laboratory technique to rapidly and easily detect, identify and quantify gene expression. Reliable RT-qPCR data necessitates accurate normalization with validated control genes (reference genes) whose expression is constant in all studied conditions. This stability has to be demonstrated.We performed a literature search for studies using quantitative or semi-quantitative PCR in the rat spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain to verify whether any reference genes had previously been validated. We then analyzed the stability over time of 7 commonly used reference genes in the nervous system - specifically in the spinal cord dorsal horn and the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). These were: Actin beta (Actb), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ribosomal proteins 18S (18S), L13a (RPL13a) and L29 (RPL29), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1) and hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS). We compared the candidate genes and established a stability ranking using the geNorm algorithm. Finally, we assessed the number of reference genes necessary for accurate normalization in this neuropathic pain model. We found GAPDH, HMBS, Actb, HPRT1 and 18S cited as reference genes in literature on studies using the SNI model. Only HPRT1 and 18S had been once previously demonstrated as stable in RT-qPCR arrays. All the genes tested in this study, using the geNorm algorithm, presented gene stability values (M-value) acceptable enough for them to qualify as potential reference genes in both DRG and spinal cord. Using the coefficient of variation, 18S failed the 50% cut-off with a value of 61% in the DRG. The two most stable genes in the dorsal horn were RPL29 and RPL13a; in the DRG they were HPRT1 and Actb. Using a 0.15 cut-off for pairwise variations we found that any pair of stable reference gene was sufficient for the normalization process

Efficient production of a gene mutant cell line through integrating TALENs and high-throughput cell cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Changhong; Fan, Yu; Li, Juan; Wang, Gancheng; Zhang, Hanshuo; Xi, Jianzhong Jeff

2015-02-01

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are becoming powerful DNA-targeting tools in a variety of mammalian cells and model organisms. However, generating a stable cell line with specific gene mutations in a simple and rapid manner remains a challenging task. Here, we report a new method to efficiently produce monoclonal cells using integrated TALE nuclease technology and a series of high-throughput cell cloning approaches. Following this method, we obtained three mTOR mutant 293T cell lines within 2 months, which included one homozygous mutant line. © 2014 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

On-line implant reconstruction in HDR brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolkman-Deurloo, Inger-Karine K.; Kruijf, Wilhelmus J.M. de; Levendag, Peter C.

2006-01-01

Background and purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of on-line planning in an Integrated Brachytherapy Unit (IBU) using dedicated image distortion correction algorithms, correcting the geometric distortion and magnetic distortion separately, and to determine the effect of the reconstruction accuracy on clinical treatment plans in terms of deviations in treatment time and dose. Patients and methods: The reconstruction accuracy has been measured using 20 markers, positioned at well known locations in a QA phantom. Treatment plans of two phantoms representing clinical implant geometries, have been compared with reference plans to determine the effect of the reconstruction accuracy on the treatment plan. Before clinical introduction, treatment plans of three representative patients, based on on-line reconstruction, have been compared with reference plans. Results: The average reconstruction error for 10 in. images reduces from -0.6 mm (range -2.6 to +1.0 mm) to -0.2 mm (range -1.2 to +0.6 mm) after image distortion correction and for 15 in. images from 0.8 mm (range -0.5 to +3.0 mm) to 0.0 mm (range -0.8 to +0.8 mm). The error in case of eccentric positioning of the phantom, i.e. 0.8 mm (range -1.0 to +3.3 mm), reduces to 0.1 mm (range -0.5 to +0.9 mm). Correction of the image distortions reduces the deviation in the calculated treatment time of maximally 2.7% to less than 0.8% in case of eccentrically positioned clinical phantoms. The deviation in the treatment time or reference dose in the plans based on on-line reconstruction with image distortion correction of the three patient examples is smaller than 0.3%. Conclusions: Accurate on-line implant reconstruction using the IBU localiser and dedicated correction algorithms separating the geometric distortion and the magnetic distortion is possible. The results fulfill the minimum requirements as imposed by the Netherlands Commission on Radiation Dosimetry (NCS) without limitations regarding the usable range of the field

New formulae for magnetic relative helicity and field line helicity

Science.gov (United States)

Aly, Jean-Jacques

2018-01-01

We consider a magnetic field {B} occupying the simply connected domain D and having all its field lines tied to the boundary S of D. We assume here that {B} has a simple topology, i.e., the mapping {M} from positive to negative polarity areas of S associating to each other the two footpoints of any magnetic line, is continuous. We first present new formulae for the helicity H of {B} relative to a reference field {{B}}r having the same normal component {B}n on S, and for its field line helicity h relative to a reference vector potential {{C}}r of {{B}}r. These formulae make immediately apparent the well known invariance of these quantities under all the ideal MHD deformations that preserve the positions of the footpoints on S. They express indeed h and H either in terms of {M} and {B}n, or in terms of the values on S of a pair of Euler potentials of {B}. We next show that, for a specific choice of {{C}}r, the field line helicity h of {B} fully characterizes the magnetic mapping {M} and then the topology of the lines. Finally, we give a formula that describes the rate of change of h in a situation where the plasma moves on the perfectly conducting boundary S without changing {B}n and/or non-ideal processes, described by an unspecified term {N} in Ohm’s law, are at work in some parts of D.

Reference and intercomparison materials for stable isotopes of light elements. Proceedings of a consultants meeting held in Vienna, 1-3 December 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

The stable isotope composition of elements varies in natural compounds as a consequence of the slightly different physico-chemical behaviour of isotopes. The possibility of measuring the stable isotope relative variations with high precision, using mass spectrometry, promoted the rise of new fields of research in geochemistry and hydrology and, more recently, in environmental studies. The steady growth of these investigations and of their practical applications has emphasized the need for high quality isotopic standards and intercomparison samples, with well determined isotopic composition, for the intercalibration of analytical techniques and results among laboratories. The organization of the Consultants Meeting on Stable Isotope Standards and Intercomparison Materials held in Vienna from 1 to 3 December 1993, the fifth of this type (the previous meetings took place in 1966, 1976, 1983 and 1985), called for a review and a discussion of the characteristics, quality and availability of the existing standards and intercalibration materials, and for an assessment of needs for new materials, in view of recent developments and applications. A large part of the discussions was devoted to the new materials prepared for sulphur isotope analysis and the analytical requirements for highly precise isotopic analysis of CO 2 . The papers presented at the meeting are assembled in this volume. Refs, figs and tabs

Reference and intercomparison materials for stable isotopes of light elements. Proceedings of a consultants meeting held in Vienna, 1-3 December 1993

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

The stable isotope composition of elements varies in natural compounds as a consequence of the slightly different physico-chemical behaviour of isotopes. The possibility of measuring the stable isotope relative variations with high precision, using mass spectrometry, promoted the rise of new fields of research in geochemistry and hydrology and, more recently, in environmental studies. The steady growth of these investigations and of their practical applications has emphasized the need for high quality isotopic standards and intercomparison samples, with well determined isotopic composition, for the intercalibration of analytical techniques and results among laboratories. The organization of the Consultants Meeting on Stable Isotope Standards and Intercomparison Materials held in Vienna from 1 to 3 December 1993, the fifth of this type (the previous meetings took place in 1966, 1976, 1983 and 1985), called for a review and a discussion of the characteristics, quality and availability of the existing standards and intercalibration materials, and for an assessment of needs for new materials, in view of recent developments and applications. A large part of the discussions was devoted to the new materials prepared for sulphur isotope analysis and the analytical requirements for highly precise isotopic analysis of CO{sub 2}. The papers presented at the meeting are assembled in this volume. Refs, figs and tabs.

Plann: A command-line application for annotating plastome sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Daisie I; Cronk, Quentin C B

2015-08-01

Plann automates the process of annotating a plastome sequence in GenBank format for either downstream processing or for GenBank submission by annotating a new plastome based on a similar, well-annotated plastome. Plann is a Perl script to be executed on the command line. Plann compares a new plastome sequence to the features annotated in a reference plastome and then shifts the intervals of any matching features to the locations in the new plastome. Plann's output can be used in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's tbl2asn to create a Sequin file for GenBank submission. Unlike Web-based annotation packages, Plann is a locally executable script that will accurately annotate a plastome sequence to a locally specified reference plastome. Because it executes from the command line, it is ready to use in other software pipelines and can be easily rerun as a draft plastome is improved.

Photographs of quantized vortex lines in rotating superfluid helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, G.A.

1974-01-01

The spatial positions of quantized vortex lines in rotating He II have been determined using a photographic technique. Electrons are trapped on the vortices and then extracted through the liquid surface and accelerated into a phosphor screen. The light from the phosphor is transmitted to room temperature with coherent fiber optics and photographed with an image intensifier camera. Photographs taken with pure 4 He at T = 0.3 K were complete blurs. These blurs are attributed to nonequilibrium motion of the vortices, arising from the lack of normal fluid damping at this temperature. To resolve the individual vortex lines it was found necessary to add 3 He to the 4 He sample to damp the vortex motion. Photographs are presented for 3 He concentrations up to 1.6 percent. The number of vortices visible varies linearly with rotation speed, but is only about one-half the number expected from theory. The vortex lines in the apparatus were not observed to form a stable array

Angina Pectoris (Stable Angina)

Science.gov (United States)

... Peripheral Artery Disease Venous Thromboembolism Aortic Aneurysm More Angina Pectoris (Stable Angina) Updated:Aug 21,2017 You may have heard the term “angina pectoris” or “stable angina” in your doctor’s office, ...

Selection of reference genes for gene expression studies in pig tissues using SYBR green qPCR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hillig, Ann-Britt Nygaard; Jørgensen, Claus Bøttcher; Cirera, Susanna

2007-01-01

-microglobulin (B2M), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase I (HPRT I), ribosomal protein L4 (RPL4), succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit A (SDHA), TATA box binding protein (TPB) and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5......-monooxygenase activation protein zeta polypeptide (YWHAZ). The stability of these reference genes in different pig tissues was investigated using the geNorm application. The range of expression stability in the genes analysed was (from the most stable to the least stable): ACTB/RPL4, TBP, HPRT, HMBS, YWHAZ...

Reducing the transfer of radioiodine to milk in cows by adding stable iodine to the forage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefer, P.; Voigt, G.

1999-05-01

The publication reports the activities for the study and explains the measured results achieved. The usefulness of stable iodine administration to cows for reducing radioiodine transfer to the milk is explained. It was found that enhanced stable radioiodine doses have an effect on the iodine metabolism of dairy cows that has to be taken into account. Initially, a literature study was carried out, which then served as a basis for defining subsequent study objectives and experiments. The evaluation of the results yields information about the effects of stable iodine on the radioiodine transfer, as well as the metabolic pathways of iodine in dairy cows. In order to achieve a clear transfer reducing effect (by a factor of 2), doses of 1g/d have to be fed to a cow. This dose will lead to a stable iodine concentration in the milk of about 10 mg/kg. The WHO recommends a daily maximum dose of 0.5 mg of stable iodine in order to safely prevent adverse health effects in man. Ingestion of more than 2 mg/d may induce in man thyroid disorders and other metabolic disorders. In some countries, the reference level for dairy milk accepted is 0.5 mg of iodine/kg of milk. (orig./CB) [de

LabData database sub-systems for post-processing and quality control of stable isotope and gas chromatography measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Suckow, A. O.

2013-12-01

Measurements need post-processing to obtain results that are comparable between laboratories. Raw data may need to be corrected for blank, memory, drift (change of reference values with time), linearity (dependence of reference on signal height) and normalized to international reference materials. Post-processing parameters need to be stored for traceability of results. State of the art stable isotope correction schemes are available based on MS Excel (Geldern and Barth, 2012; Gröning, 2011) or MS Access (Coplen, 1998). These are specialized to stable isotope measurements only, often only to the post-processing of a special run. Embedding of algorithms into a multipurpose database system was missing. This is necessary to combine results of different tracers (3H, 3He, 2H, 18O, CFCs, SF6...) or geochronological tools (Sediment dating e.g. with 210Pb, 137Cs), to relate to attribute data (submitter, batch, project, geographical origin, depth in core, well information etc.) and for further interpretation tools (e.g. lumped parameter modelling). Database sub-systems to the LabData laboratory management system (Suckow and Dumke, 2001) are presented for stable isotopes and for gas chromatographic CFC and SF6 measurements. The sub-system for stable isotopes allows the following post-processing: 1. automated import from measurement software (Isodat, Picarro, LGR), 2. correction for sample-to sample memory, linearity, drift, and renormalization of the raw data. The sub-system for gas chromatography covers: 1. storage of all raw data 2. storage of peak integration parameters 3. correction for blank, efficiency and linearity The user interface allows interactive and graphical control of the post-processing and all corrections by export to and plot in MS Excel and is a valuable tool for quality control. The sub-databases are integrated into LabData, a multi-user client server architecture using MS SQL server as back-end and an MS Access front-end and installed in four

Committee on Diabetes Mellitus Indices of the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry-recommended reference measurement procedure and reference materials for glycated albumin determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Takei, Izumi; Hoshino, Tadao; Tominaga, Makoto; Ishibashi, Midori; Kuwa, Katsuhiko; Umemoto, Masao; Tani, Wataru; Okahashi, Mikiko; Yasukawa, Keiko; Kohzuma, Takuji; Sato, Asako

2016-01-01

Glycated albumin is an intermediate glycaemic control marker for which there are several measurement procedures with entirely different reference intervals. We have developed a reference measurement procedure for the purpose of standardizing glycated albumin measurements. The isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method was developed as a reference measurement procedure for glycated albumin. The stable isotopes of lysine and fructosyl-lysine, which serve as an internal standard, were added to albumin isolated from serum, followed by hydrogenation. After hydrolysis of albumin with hot hydrochloric acid, the liberated lysine and fructosyl-lysine were measured by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, and their concentrations were determined from each isotope ratio. The reference materials (JCCRM611) for determining of glycated albumin were prepared from pooled patient blood samples. The isotope dilution-tandem mass spectrometry calibration curve of fructosyl-lysine and lysine showed good linearity (r = 0.999). The inter-assay and intra-assay coefficient of variation values of glycated albumin measurement were 1.2 and 1.4%, respectively. The glycated albumin values of serum in patients with diabetes assessed through the use of this method showed a good relationship with routine measurement procedures (r = 0.997). The relationship of glycated albumin values of the reference material (JCCRM611) between these two methods was the same as the relationship with the patient serum samples. The Committee on Diabetes Mellitus Indices of the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry recommends the isotope dilution liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method as a reference measurement procedure, and JCCRM611 as a certified reference material for glycated albumin measurement. In addition, we recommend the traceability system for glycated albumin measurement. © The Author(s) 2015.

Peptidomic analysis of human cell lines

Science.gov (United States)

Gelman, Julia S.; Sironi, Juan; Castro, Leandro M.; Ferro, Emer S.; Fricker, Lloyd D.

2011-01-01

Peptides have been proposed to function in intracellular signaling within the cytosol. Although cytosolic peptides are considered to be highly unstable, a large number of peptides have been detected in mouse brain and other biological samples. In the present study, we evaluated the peptidome of three diverse cell lines: SH-SY5Y, MCF7, and HEK293 cells. A comparison of the peptidomes revealed considerable overlap in the identity of the peptides found in each cell line. The majority of the observed peptides are not derived from the most abundant or least stable proteins in the cell, and approximately half of the cellular peptides correspond to the N- or C- termini of the precursor proteins. Cleavage site analysis revealed a preference for hydrophobic residues in the P1 position. Quantitative peptidomic analysis indicated that the levels of most cellular peptides are not altered in response to elevated intracellular calcium, suggesting that calpain is not responsible for their production. The similarity of the peptidomes of the three cell lines and the lack of correlation with the predicted cellular degradome implies the selective formation or retention of these peptides, consistent with the hypothesis that they are functional in the cells. PMID:21204522

Economic evaluation of trimetazidine in the management of chronic stable angina in Greece

OpenAIRE

Kourlaba, Georgia; Gourzoulidis, George; Andrikopoulos, George; Tsioufis, Konstantinos; Beletsi, Alexandra; Maniadakis, Nikos

2016-01-01

Background To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of trimetazidine (TMZ) as add-on therapy to standard-of-care (SoC) compared to SoC alone in patients with chronic stable angina who did not respond adequately to first line therapy with b-blockers, nitrates or calcium channel antagonists in Greece. Methods A Markov model with 3-month cycles and 1-year time horizon was developed to assess the comparators. The analysis was conducted from a third-party payer perspective. The clinical inputs and utili...

A Role-Playing Game for a Software Engineering Lab: Developing a Product Line

Science.gov (United States)

Zuppiroli, Sara; Ciancarini, Paolo; Gabbrielli, Maurizio

2012-01-01

Software product line development refers to software engineering practices and techniques for creating families of similar software systems from a basic set of reusable components, called shared assets. Teaching how to deal with software product lines in a university lab course is a challenging task, because there are several practical issues that…

Experimental Program for the CLIC test facility 3 test beam line

CERN Document Server

Adli, E; Dobert, S; Olvegaard, M; Schulte, D; Syratchev, I; Lillestol, Reidar

2010-01-01

The CLIC Test Facility 3 Test Beam Line is the first prototype for the CLIC drive beam decelerator. Stable transport of the drive beam under deceleration is a mandatory component in the CLIC two-beam scheme. In the Test Beam Line more than 50% of the total energy will be extracted from a 150 MeV, 28 A electron drive beam, by the use of 16 power extraction and transfer structures. A number of experiments are foreseen to investigate the drive beam characteristics under deceleration in the Test Beam Line, including beam stability, beam blow up and the efficiency of the power extraction. General benchmarking of decelerator simulation and theory studies will also be performed. Specially designed instrumentation including precision BPMs, loss monitors and a time-resolved spectrometer dump will be used for the experiments. This paper describes the experimental program foreseen for the Test Beam Line, including the relevance of the results for the CLIC decelerator studies.

Global Area Reference System (GARS), 30-minute Blocks for Louisiana, WGS84, NGA (2007) [gars_la_30min_nga_2007

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — Global Area Reference System (GARS) is developed by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) as an area reference system. GARS is based on lines of...

Normal modified stable processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barndorff-Nielsen, Ole Eiler; Shephard, N.

2002-01-01

Gaussian (NGIG) laws. The wider framework thus established provides, in particular, for added flexibility in the modelling of the dynamics of financial time series, of importance especially as regards OU based stochastic volatility models for equities. In the special case of the tempered stable OU process......This paper discusses two classes of distributions, and stochastic processes derived from them: modified stable (MS) laws and normal modified stable (NMS) laws. This extends corresponding results for the generalised inverse Gaussian (GIG) and generalised hyperbolic (GH) or normal generalised inverse...

Logarithmic solution to the line-polygon intersection problem. 127

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siddon, R.L.; Barth, N.H.

1987-01-01

Algorithmic solution for a special case of the line - polygon intersection problem has been developed. The special case involves repeated solution to the problem where one point on the line is held fixed and the other allowed to vary. In addition, the fixed point on the line must lie outside the rectangle defined by the extrema of the polygon and varying point. In radiotherapy applications, the fixed point corresponds to the source of radiation, whereas the varying points refer to the grid of multiple calculation points. For smooth contours of 100-200 vertices, it is found that the new algorithm results in a CPU savings of approximately a factor of 3-5. 3 refs.; 4 figs

An on-line identification device for coal and gangue based on dual-energy γ-ray transmission and microcontroller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Guojie; Zhu Xing

2004-01-01

The operating principle, hardware design, software design and stabled-spectrum method of on-line identification device for coal and gangue based on dual-energy γ-ray transmission and microcontroller are introduced. The integrated linear amplifier and integrated single channel pulse height analyzer are analyzed. The on-line identification device has advantages of small size, low cost as well stabilization. (authors)

Energy and time of flight measurements of REX-ISOLDE stable beams using Si detectors

CERN Document Server

Cantero, E D; Fraser, M A; Lanaia, D; Sosa, A; Voulot, D; Zocca, F

2014-01-01

In this paper we present energy and time spectroscopy measurements for the stable beams of REX-ISOLDE obtained using Si detectors. By using an alpha source as a calibration reference, the absolute energy E of stable beam particles (A/q = 4) was determined in spectroscopy mode in the energy range 1 MeV < E < 8 MeV (0.30 MeV/u < E/A < 1.87 MeV/u). The time of flight of the beam particles (2.18 MeV/u < E/A < 2.27 MeV/u) was determined by installing identical Si detectors in two diagnostic boxes separated by 7.7 m. The results obtained with these two techniques are compared with the values obtained by dipole scans using a bending magnet. The measurements took place between January and February of 2013.

Reference Gene Screening for Analyzing Gene Expression Across Goat Tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Zhang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR is one of the important methods for investigating the changes in mRNA expression levels in cells and tissues. Selection of the proper reference genes is very important when calibrating the results of real-time quantitative PCR. Studies on the selection of reference genes in goat tissues are limited, despite the economic importance of their meat and dairy products. We used real-time quantitative PCR to detect the expression levels of eight reference gene candidates (18S, TBP, HMBS, YWHAZ, ACTB, HPRT1, GAPDH and EEF1A2 in ten tissues types sourced from Boer goats. The optimal reference gene combination was selected according to the results determined by geNorm, NormFinder and Bestkeeper software packages. The analyses showed that tissue is an important variability factor in genes expression stability. When all tissues were considered, 18S, TBP and HMBS is the optimal reference combination for calibrating quantitative PCR analysis of gene expression from goat tissues. Dividing data set by tissues, ACTB was the most stable in stomach, small intestine and ovary, 18S in heart and spleen, HMBS in uterus and lung, TBP in liver, HPRT1 in kidney and GAPDH in muscle. Overall, this study provided valuable information about the goat reference genes that can be used in order to perform a proper normalisation when relative quantification by qRT-PCR studies is undertaken.

Survey of reference materials for trace elements, nuclides and organic microcontaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parr, R.M.; Stone, S.F.; Bel-Amakeletch, T.; Zeisler, R.

1998-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in co-operation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has recently prepared a survey on internationally available analytical reference materials for trace elements, nuclides and organic contaminants in biological, environmental and related matrices. The purpose is to help analysts to select reference materials for quality assurance that match as closely as possible, with respect to matrix type and concentrations of the measurands of interest, the ''real'' samples that are to be measured. The present version of the survey, which is available in the form of two cost-free printed volumes [1], contains over 10,000 certified and information values in 650 reference materials from 27 different producers. The 455 measurands listed include trace elements, major and minor elements, organic contaminants, organometallic compounds, radionuclides and stable isotopes. Currently, the database from which the survey has been produced is being modified and extended so as to make the data available in electronic form via the Internet. (orig.)

Uses of stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Axente, Damian

1998-01-01

The most important fields of stable isotope use with examples are presented. These are: 1. Isotope dilution analysis: trace analysis, measurements of volumes and masses; 2. Stable isotopes as tracers: transport phenomena, environmental studies, agricultural research, authentication of products and objects, archaeometry, studies of reaction mechanisms, structure and function determination of complex biological entities, studies of metabolism, breath test for diagnostic; 3. Isotope equilibrium effects: measurement of equilibrium effects, investigation of equilibrium conditions, mechanism of drug action, study of natural processes, water cycle, temperature measurements; 4. Stable isotope for advanced nuclear reactors: uranium nitride with 15 N as nuclear fuel, 157 Gd for reactor control. In spite of some difficulties of stable isotope use, particularly related to the analytical techniques, which are slow and expensive, the number of papers reporting on this subject is steadily growing as well as the number of scientific meetings organized by International Isotope Section and IAEA, Gordon Conferences, and regional meeting in Germany, France, etc. Stable isotope application development on large scale is determined by improving their production technologies as well as those of labeled compound and the analytical techniques. (author)

On-Line Maintenance Methodology Development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyo Won; Kim, Jae Ho; Jae, Moo Sung [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Most of domestic maintenance activities for nuclear power plants are performed while overhaul. Therefore, On-Line Maintenance (OLM) is one of the proper risks informed application techniques for diffusing maintenance burden during overhaul with safety of the plant is secured. The NUMARC 93-01 (Rev.3) presents the OLM state of the art and it provides methodology. This study adopts NUMARC 93-01 (Rev.3) and present OLM. The reference component is Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) of Ulchin 3, 4

Iron line spectroscopy with Einstein-dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Nampalliwar, Sourabh; Bambi, Cosimo; Kokkotas, Kostas D.; Konoplya, Roman A.

2018-06-01

Einstein-dilaton-Gauss-Bonnet gravity is a well-motivated alternative theory of gravity that emerges naturally from string theory. While black hole solutions have been known in this theory in numerical form for a while, an approximate analytical metric was obtained recently by some of us, which allows for faster and more detailed analysis. Here we test the accuracy of the analytical metric in the context of X-ray reflection spectroscopy. We analyze innermost stable circular orbits (ISCO) and relativistically broadened iron lines and find that both the ISCO and iron lines are determined sufficiently accurately up to the limit of the approximation. We also find that, though the ISCO increases by about 7% as dilaton coupling increases from zero to extremal values, the redshift at ISCO changes by less than 1%. Consequently, the shape of the iron line is much less sensitive to the dilaton charge than expected.

Calibration of the TVO spent BWR reference fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarvainen, M.; Baecklin, A.; Haakanson, A.

1992-02-01

In 1989 the Support Programmes of Finland (FSP) and Sweden (SSP) initiated a joint task to cross calibrate the burnup of the IAEA spent BWR reference fuel assembly at the TVO AFR storage facility (TVO KPA-STORE) in Finland. The reference assembly, kept separately under the IAEA seal, is used for verification measurements of spent fuel by GBUV method (SG-NDA-38). The cross calibration was performed by establishing a calibration curve, 244 Cm neutron rate versus burnup, using passive neutron assay (PNA) measurements. The declared burnup of the reference assembly was compared with the burnup value deduced from the calibration curve. A calibration line was also established by using the GBUV method with the aid of high resolution gamma ray spectrometry (HRGS). Normalization between the two different facilities was performed using sealed neutron and gamma calibration sources. The results of the passive neutron assay show consistency, better than 1 %, between the declared mean burnup of the reference assembly and the burnup deduced from the calibration curve. The corresponding consistency is within +-2 % for the HRGS measurements

The effect of bright lines in environmental risk communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, K.N.; Desvousges, W.H.; Smith, K.V.; Payne, J.

1993-01-01

Bright lines in environmental risk communication refer to the specific levels at which an environmental risk becomes a serious health threat and action should be taken to mitigate its effects. This study examined the effect of ''bright lines'' in risk communication by emphasizing the radon exposure threshold level of 4 picocuries per liter. Specifically, the authors developed a computer-assisted interview containing bright-line versions of risk information. The bright-line version contained a range of possible radon levels, the corresponding number of estimated lung cancer cases, the relative health risk from radon compared to other health risks, and the EPA guidelines for mitigating levels above 4 picocuries in the home. The non-bright line version was identical to the bright-line version, except it did not include the EPA's mitigation recommendations. Effect measures included respondents' change in perceived risk after reading their materials, intended testing behavior, and advice to their neighbor for a specified radon level either above or below the 4 picocury threshold level. This paper discusses broader policy implications for designing effective risk communication programs

Cell line with endogenous EGFRvIII expression is a suitable model for research and drug development purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stec, Wojciech J; Rosiak, Kamila; Siejka, Paulina; Peciak, Joanna; Popeda, Marta; Banaszczyk, Mateusz; Pawlowska, Roza; Treda, Cezary; Hulas-Bigoszewska, Krystyna; Piaskowski, Sylwester; Stoczynska-Fidelus, Ewelina; Rieske, Piotr

2016-05-31

Glioblastoma is the most common and malignant brain tumor, characterized by high cellular heterogeneity. About 50% of glioblastomas are positive for EGFR amplification, half of which express accompanying EGFR mutation, encoding truncated and constitutively active receptor termed EGFRvIII. Currently, no cell models suitable for development of EGFRvIII-targeting drugs exist, while the available ones lack the intratumoral heterogeneity or extrachromosomal nature of EGFRvIII.The reports regarding the biology of EGFRvIII expressed in the stable cell lines are often contradictory in observations and conclusions. In the present study, we use DK-MG cell line carrying endogenous non-modified EGFRvIII amplicons and derive a sub-line that is near depleted of amplicons, whilst remaining identical on the chromosomal level. By direct comparison of the two lines, we demonstrate positive effects of EGFRvIII on cell invasiveness and populational growth as a result of elevated cell survival but not proliferation rate. Investigation of the PI3K/Akt indicated no differences between the lines, whilst NFκB pathway was over-active in the line strongly expressing EGFRvIII, finding further supported by the effects of NFκB pathway specific inhibitors. Taken together, these results confirm the important role of EGFRvIII in intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of tumor behavior. Moreover, the proposed models are stable, making them suitable for research purposes as well as drug development process utilizing high throughput approach.

Neurocognitive function in clinically stable individuals with long-term bipolar I disorder: Comparisons with schizophrenia patients and controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pei-Yun Lin

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This study compared the levels of the five domains of neurocognitive function—executive function, attention, memory, verbal comprehension, and perceptual organization—among clinically stable individuals with long-term bipolar I disorder, individuals with long-term schizophrenia, and a group of controls. We recruited a total of 93 clinically stable individuals with bipolar I disorder, 94 individuals with schizophrenia, and 106 controls in this study. Their neurocognitive function was measured using a series of neurocognitive function tests: the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Third Edition (WAIS-III, Line Cancellation Test, Visual Form Discrimination, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Continuous Performance Task, and Wechsler Memory Scale—Third Edition. Neurocognitive function was compared among the three groups through a multivariate analysis of variance. The results indicated that when the effect of age was controlled, clinically stable individuals with bipolar I disorder and those with schizophrenia demonstrated poor neurocognitive function on all tests except for the WAIS-III Similarity and Information and the Line Cancellation Test. The individuals with bipolar I disorder had similar levels of neurocognitive function compared with the schizophrenia group, but higher levels of neurocognitive function on the WAIS-III Comprehension, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, and Wechsler Memory Scale—Third Edition Auditory Immediate and Delayed Index and Visual Immediate and Delayed Index. The conclusions of this study suggest that compared with controls, individuals with long-term bipolar I disorder and those with long-term schizophrenia have poorer neurocognitive function, even when clinically stable. Individuals with long-term bipolar I disorder and those with long-term schizophrenia have similar levels of deficits in several domains of neurocognitive function.

PG 1700 + 518 - a low-redshift, broad absorption line QSO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettini, M.; Boksenberg, A.

1985-01-01

The first high-resolution optical spectra and lower resolution UV spectra of PG 1700 + 518, the only known broad-absorption-line (BAL) QSO at low emission redshift (0.288) are presented. The optical data were obtained with the Isaac Newton Telescope on the island of La Palma and the UV data with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite. The outstanding feature of the optical spectrum is a strong, broad Mg II absorption trough, detached from the Mg II emission line and indicative of ejection velocities of between 7000 and 18,000 km/s. Also detected were narrow (FWHM = 350 km/s) Mg II absorption lines at absolute z = 0.2698, which are probably related to the mass ejection phenomenon. It is concluded that the emission-line spectrum is similar to that of other low-redshift QSOs although there are some obvious differences from typical BAL QSOs, most notably in the unusually low level of ionization of both emission-line and broad absorption line gas. 21 references

Stable isotopes labelled compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-09-01

The catalogue on stable isotopes labelled compounds offers deuterium, nitrogen-15, and multiply labelled compounds. It includes: (1) conditions of sale and delivery, (2) the application of stable isotopes, (3) technical information, (4) product specifications, and (5) the complete delivery programme

Stable Boundary Layer Issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steeneveld, G.J.

2012-01-01

Understanding and prediction of the stable atmospheric boundary layer is a challenging task. Many physical processes are relevant in the stable boundary layer, i.e. turbulence, radiation, land surface coupling, orographic turbulent and gravity wave drag, and land surface heterogeneity. The

Biological and environmental reference materials for trace elements, nuclides and organic microcontaminants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortes Toro, E.; Parr, R.M.; Clements, S.A.

1990-01-01

This report has been produced from a database on analytical reference materials of biological and environmental origin, which is maintained at the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is an updated version of an earlier report, published in 1985, which focussed mainly on reference materials for trace elements. In the present version of the report, reference materials for trace elements still constitute the major part of the data; however, information is also now included on a number of other selected analytes of relevance to IAEA programmes, i.e. radionuclides, stable isotopes and organic microcontaminants. The database presently contains 2,694 analyte values for 117 analytes in 116 biological and 77 environmental (non-biological) reference materials produced by 20 different suppliers. Additional information on the cost of the material, the unit size supplied, (weight or volume), and the minimum weight of material recommended for analysis is also provided (if available to the authors). It is expected that this report will help analysts to select the reference material that matches as closely as possible, with respect to matrix type and concentrations of the analytes of interest, the ''real'' samples that are to be analysed. Refs, 12 tabs

Toeless pulse shaping with a single delay-line network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tauhata, L.; Binns, D.C.

1976-04-01

New unipolar delay-line clippers producing negligible cancellation remnant have been developed. Near perfect clipping is achieved using a combination of several types of coaxial cable tranformers working as a phase inverter, a new pulse adder, or an impedance transformer. Only passive elements are used in the bridge network. The construction is simple and the performance is extremely stable and wide in dynamic range and frequency band width. Completely symmetrical bipolar pulses are also easily obtained using this technique

Aspects of Salt Tolerance in a NaCl-Selected Stable Cell Line of Citrus sinensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Hayyim, G; Kochba, J

1983-07-01

A NaCl-tolerant cell line which was selected from ovular callus of ;Shamouti' orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) proved to be a true cell line variant. This conclusion is based on the following observations. (a) Cells which have been removed from the selection pressure for at least four passages retain the same NaCl tolerance as do cells which are kept constantly on 0.2 molar NaCl. (b) Na(+) and Cl(-) uptake are considerably lower in salt-tolerant cells (R-10) than in salt-sensitive cells (L-5) at a given external NaCl concentration. (c) Growth of salt-tolerant cells is markedly suppressed upon replacement of NaCl by KCl, whereas the growth of salt-sensitive cells is only slightly affected. Accumulation of K(+) and Cl(-) accompanies the inhibition of growth. Experiments carried out with sodium and potassium sulfate suggest that the toxic effect is due to the accumulated Cl(-). (d) Removal of Ca(2+) from the growth medium severely inhibits the growth of salt-tolerant cells in the presence of NaCl, while it has a minor effect on growth of salt-sensitive cells in the presence of NaCl. (e) Electron micrographs show that the salt-tolerant cells have very big vacuoles when exposed to salt, while the size of the vacuoles of the salt-sensitive cells does not change.

Spatio Temporal Expression Pattern of an Insecticidal Gene (cry2A in Transgenic Cotton Lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allah BAKHSH

2012-11-01

Full Text Available The production of transgenic plants with stable, high-level transgene expression is important for the success of crop improvement programs based on genetic engineering. The present study was conducted to evaluate genomic integration and spatio temporal expression of an insecticidal gene (cry2A in pre-existing transgenic lines of cotton. Genomic integration of cry2A was evaluated using various molecular approaches. The expression levels of cry2A were determined at vegetative and reproductive stages of cotton at regular intervals. These lines showed a stable integration of insecticidal gene in advance lines of transgenic cotton whereas gene expression was found variable with at various growth stages as well as in different plant parts throughout the season. The leaves of transgenic cotton were found to have maximum expression of cry2A gene followed by squares, bolls, anthers and petals. The protein level in fruiting part was less as compared to other parts showing inconsistency in gene expression. It was concluded that for culturing of transgenic crops, strategies should be developed to ensure the foreign genes expression efficient, consistent and in a predictable manner.

Evaluation of four endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays for common wheat quantification in GMOs detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huali; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Ruoan; Zhang, Dabing; Yang, Litao

2013-01-01

Proper selection of endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays is quite important in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) detection. To find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) DNA content or copy number quantification, four previously reported wheat endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays were comprehensively evaluated for the target gene sequence variation and their real-time PCR performance among 37 common wheat lines. Three SNPs were observed in the PKABA1 and ALMT1 genes, and these SNPs significantly decreased the efficiency of real-time PCR amplification. GeNorm analysis of the real-time PCR performance of each gene among common wheat lines showed that the Waxy-D1 assay had the lowest M values with the best stability among all tested lines. All results indicated that the Waxy-D1 gene and its real-time PCR assay were most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference gene for common wheat DNA content quantification. The validated Waxy-D1 gene assay will be useful in establishing accurate and creditable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM wheat.

Evaluation of four endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays for common wheat quantification in GMOs detection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huali Huang

Full Text Available Proper selection of endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays is quite important in genetically modified organisms (GMOs detection. To find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. DNA content or copy number quantification, four previously reported wheat endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays were comprehensively evaluated for the target gene sequence variation and their real-time PCR performance among 37 common wheat lines. Three SNPs were observed in the PKABA1 and ALMT1 genes, and these SNPs significantly decreased the efficiency of real-time PCR amplification. GeNorm analysis of the real-time PCR performance of each gene among common wheat lines showed that the Waxy-D1 assay had the lowest M values with the best stability among all tested lines. All results indicated that the Waxy-D1 gene and its real-time PCR assay were most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference gene for common wheat DNA content quantification. The validated Waxy-D1 gene assay will be useful in establishing accurate and creditable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM wheat.

Evaluation of Four Endogenous Reference Genes and Their Real-Time PCR Assays for Common Wheat Quantification in GMOs Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Huali; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Ruoan; Zhang, Dabing; Yang, Litao

2013-01-01

Proper selection of endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays is quite important in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) detection. To find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) DNA content or copy number quantification, four previously reported wheat endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays were comprehensively evaluated for the target gene sequence variation and their real-time PCR performance among 37 common wheat lines. Three SNPs were observed in the PKABA1 and ALMT1 genes, and these SNPs significantly decreased the efficiency of real-time PCR amplification. GeNorm analysis of the real-time PCR performance of each gene among common wheat lines showed that the Waxy-D1 assay had the lowest M values with the best stability among all tested lines. All results indicated that the Waxy-D1 gene and its real-time PCR assay were most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference gene for common wheat DNA content quantification. The validated Waxy-D1 gene assay will be useful in establishing accurate and creditable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM wheat. PMID:24098735

Combined use of stable isotopes and fallout radionuclides as soil erosion indicators in a forested mountain site, South Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meusburger, K.; Mabit, L.; Alewell, C.; Park, J.H.; Sandor, T.

2013-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess and to validate the suitability of the stable nitrogen and carbon isotope signature as soil erosion indicators in a mountain forest site in South Korea. Our approach is based on the comparison of the isotope signature of ''stable'' landscape positions (reference sites), which are neither affected by erosion nor deposition, with eroding sites. For undisturbed soils we expect that the enrichment of δ 15 N and δ 13 C with soil depth, due to fractionation during decomposition, goes in parallel with a decrease in nitrogen and carbon content. Soil erosion processes potentially weaken this correlation. The 137 Cs method and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) were applied for the soil erosion quantification. Erosion rates obtained with the 137 Cs method range from 0.9 t ha -1 yr -1 to 7 t ha -1 yr -1 . Considering the steep slopes of up to 40 and the erosive monsoon events (R factor of 6600 MJ mm ha -1 h -1 yr -1 ), the rates are plausible and within the magnitude of the RUSLE-modeled soil erosion rates, varying from 0.02 t ha -1 yr -1 to 5.1 t ha -1 yr -1 . The soil profiles of the reference sites showed significant (p < 0.0001) correlations between nitrogen and carbon content and its corresponding δ 15 N and δ 13 C signatures. In contrast, for the eroding sites this relationship was weaker and for the carbon not significant. These results confirm the usefulness of the stable carbon isotope signature as a qualitative indicator for soil disturbance. We could show further that the δ 15 N isotope signature can be used similarly for uncultivated sites. We thus propose that the stable δ 15 N and δ 13 C signature of soil profiles could serve as additional indicators confirming the accurate choice of the reference site in soil erosion studies using the 137 Cs method.

Breeding and characterization of homokaryotic heteroplasmic male sterile lines in rice (oryza sativa)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mei, Q.; Zhou, X.; Liu, C.

2011-01-01

Twelve different Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile (CMS) lines were crossed with 18 rice varieties. From the hybrid with japonica rice Nongken 58, twelve homokaryotic-heteroplasmic male sterile lines were developed in B7F1 after successive back crossing and selection for stable male sterility and desirable agronomic traits such as flowering habit and high out crossing rate. The experimental results demonstrated that expression of the CMS factors were influenced by the corresponding nuclear genes. Three pollen abortion types, including the typical, the spherical and the stained abortion, were observed in the homokaryotic-heteroplasmic male sterile lines. Formation of the aborted pollen grains was influenced by the interaction among specific cytoplasmic and the corresponding nuclear genes. As the CMS carriers, these homokaryotic-heteroplasmic lines will have significant impact on the utilization of multiple types of CMS in hybrid rice breeding. What is more important is that these CMS lines are the invaluable materials for the investigation of the molecular mechanism of CMS formation in rice. (author)

Structure of acid-stable carmine.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimoto, Naoki; Kawasaki, Yoko; Sato, Kyoko; Aoki, Hiromitsu; Ichi, Takahito; Koda, Takatoshi; Yamazaki, Takeshi; Maitani, Tamio

2002-02-01

Acid-stable carmine has recently been distributed in the U.S. market because of its good acid stability, but it is not permitted in Japan. We analyzed and determined the structure of the major pigment in acid-stable carmine, in order to establish an analytical method for it. Carminic acid was transformed into a different type of pigment, named acid-stable carmine, through amination when heated in ammonia solution. The features of the structure were clarified using a model compound, purpurin, in which the orientation of hydroxyl groups on the A ring of the anthraquinone skeleton is the same as that of carminic acid. By spectroscopic means and the synthesis of acid-stable carmine and purpurin derivatives, the structure of the major pigment in acid-stable carmine was established as 4-aminocarminic acid, a novel compound.

An attempt to prepare and characterize a soil reference material for Cr(VI) and Cr(III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solano, G.; Katz, S.A.; Holzbecher, J.; Chatt, A.

1994-01-01

Reference materials for the speciation and quantification of chromium in contaminated soils were prepared by impregnating diatomaceous earth with BaCrO 4 and Cr 2 O 3 . The chromium concentrations of these materials were confirmed to be 200 mg/kg both by atomic absorption spectrometry and by instrumental neutron activation analysis, but monthly assays over two calendar quarters of the reference material impregnated with BaCrO 4 revealed the hexavalent chromium was not stable in this matrix. (author) 6 refs,; 2 tabs

Applications of stable isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Letolle, R.; Mariotti, A.; Bariac, T.

1991-06-01

This report reviews the historical background and the properties of stable isotopes, the methods used for their measurement (mass spectrometry and others), the present technics for isotope enrichment and separation, and at last the various present and foreseeable application (in nuclear energy, physical and chemical research, materials industry and research; tracing in industrial, medical and agronomical tests; the use of natural isotope variations for environmental studies, agronomy, natural resources appraising: water, minerals, energy). Some new possibilities in the use of stable isotope are offered. A last chapter gives the present state and forecast development of stable isotope uses in France and Europe

Autoadaptive Emailtest AZ90 for corrosion monitoring of glass-lined reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jean-Marie, H.

1993-01-01

In the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, glass-lined vessels often contain very corrosive and harmful products. To prevent major problems such as batch contamination, leakages or explosions, it is important to detect as soon as possible a failure of the glass-lining. The well-known electrolytic method of detection has been improved by using a permanent comparison of a reference current passing between these electrodes and a defect in the glass-lining. This is made possible with the microprocessorized glass-guard to detect a leak rate independent of the product conductivity, to be self monitoring and to give an evaluation of the conductivity

Identification and validation of reference genes for qRT-PCR studies of the obligate aphid pathogenic fungus Pandora neoaphidis during different developmental stages

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Shutao; Chen, Chun; Xie, Tingna; Ye, Sudan

2017-01-01

The selection of stable reference genes is a critical step for the accurate quantification of gene expression. To identify and validate the reference genes in Pandora neoaphidis-an obligate aphid pathogenic fungus-the expression of 13classical candidate reference genes were evaluated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) at four developmental stages (conidia, conidia with germ tubes, short hyphae and elongated hyphae). Four statistical algorithms, inc...

Plaque disruption by coronary computed tomographic angiography in stable patients vs. acute coronary syndrome: a feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilolikar, Abhay N; Goldstein, James A; Madder, Ryan D; Chinnaiyan, Kavitha M

2016-03-01

This study was designed to determine whether coronary CT angiography (CTA) can detect features of plaque disruption in clinically stable patients and to compare lesion prevalence and features between stable patients and those with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We retrospectively identified patients undergoing CTA, followed by invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within 60 days. Quantitative 3-vessel CTA lesion analysis was performed on all plaques ≥25% stenosis to assess total plaque volume, low attenuation plaque (LAP, disruption, including ulceration and intra-plaque dye penetration (IDP). ICA was employed as a reference standard for disruption. A total of 145 (94 ACS and 51 stable) patients were identified. By CTA, plaque disruption was evident in 77.7% of ACS cases. Although more common among those with ACS, CTA also detected plaque disruption in 37.3% of clinically stable patients (P disruption as determined by CTA. Though the prevalence of plaque disruption is less than patients with ACS, these findings support the concept that some clinically stable patients may harbour 'silent' disrupted plaques. These findings may have implications for detection of 'at risk' plaques and patients. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Stable piecewise polynomial vector fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Pessoa

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Let $N={y>0}$ and $S={y<0}$ be the semi-planes of $mathbb{R}^2$ having as common boundary the line $D={y=0}$. Let $X$ and $Y$ be polynomial vector fields defined in $N$ and $S$, respectively, leading to a discontinuous piecewise polynomial vector field $Z=(X,Y$. This work pursues the stability and the transition analysis of solutions of $Z$ between $N$ and $S$, started by Filippov (1988 and Kozlova (1984 and reformulated by Sotomayor-Teixeira (1995 in terms of the regularization method. This method consists in analyzing a one parameter family of continuous vector fields $Z_{epsilon}$, defined by averaging $X$ and $Y$. This family approaches $Z$ when the parameter goes to zero. The results of Sotomayor-Teixeira and Sotomayor-Machado (2002 providing conditions on $(X,Y$ for the regularized vector fields to be structurally stable on planar compact connected regions are extended to discontinuous piecewise polynomial vector fields on $mathbb{R}^2$. Pertinent genericity results for vector fields satisfying the above stability conditions are also extended to the present case. A procedure for the study of discontinuous piecewise vector fields at infinity through a compactification is proposed here.

Measurement of organic carbon stable isotope composition of different soil types by EA-IRMS system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Biao; Ding Lingling; Cui Jiehua; Wang Yanhong

2009-01-01

Element analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometers (EA-IRMS) is a rapid and precise method for measuring stable carbon isotope. Pure CO 2 reference gas was calibrated via international standard-Urea, and the δ 13 C us PDB value of pure CO 2 is (-29.523 ± 0.0181)%. Stability and linearity of the EA-IRMS system, precision of δ 13 C measurement for samples were tested through experimental comparison. Moreover, determination method of organic carbon stable isotope in soil was based on the system. The EA-IRMS system had well linearity when ion intensity ranged from 1.0 to 7.0V, and it excelled the total linearity when the ion intensity was from 1.5 to 5.0V, and the accurate result of δ 13 C for sample analysis could be obtained with precision of 0.015%. If carbon content in sample is more than 5μg, the requirement for analyzing accurate result of δ 13 C could be achieved. The organic carbon stable isotope was measured in 18 different types soil samples, the average natural abundance of 13 C was 1.082%, and the organic carbon stable isotope composition was significantly different among different type soils. (authors)

The Wunstorf Drilling Project: Coring a Global Stratigraphic Reference Section of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Wilmsen

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The Wunstorf drilling project aims at establishing a high resolution stable isotope record for the black shale succession (OAE 2 of the CTBI and developing this into a globally applicable high resolutionbio- and chemostratigraphic reference section. Disciplines involved include micropaleontology (calcareous nannofossils, planktonic foraminifera, macropaleontology (ammonites, inoceramids, stable isotopes and cyclostratigraphy mainly based on borehole logging, multisensor core logging, and x-ray flflfluorescence (XRF scanning data. The combination of geochemical, paleontological, and logging data will allow high resolution chemo- and biostratigraphy for the CTBI which may in the future serve as an international standard.

Multiple Lines of Evidence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amidan, Brett G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Venzin, Alexander M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Bramer, Lisa M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-06-03

This paper discusses the process of identifying factors that influence the contamination level of a given decision area and then determining the likelihood that the area remains unacceptable. This process is referred to as lines of evidence. These lines of evidence then serve as inputs for the stratified compliance sampling (SCS) method, which requires a decision area to be divided into strata based upon contamination expectations. This is done in order to focus sampling efforts more within stratum where contamination is more likely and to use the domain knowledge about these likelihoods of the stratum remaining unacceptable to buy down the number of samples necessary, if possible. Two different building scenarios were considered as an example (see Table 3.1). SME expertise was elicited concerning four lines of evidence factors (see Table 3.2): 1) amount of contamination that was seen before decontamination, 2) post-decontamination air sampling information, 3) the applied decontaminant information, and 4) the surface material. Statistical experimental design and logistic regression modelling were used to help determine the likelihood that example stratum remained unacceptable for a given example scenario. The number of samples necessary for clearance was calculated by applying the SCS method to the example scenario, using the estimated likelihood of each stratum remaining unacceptable as was determined using the lines of evidence approach. The commonly used simple random sampling (SRS) method was also used to calculate the number of samples necessary for clearance for comparison purposes. The lines of evidence with SCS approach resulted in a 19% to 43% reduction in total number of samples necessary for clearance (see Table 3.6). The reduction depended upon the building scenario, as well as the level of percent clean criteria. A sensitivity analysis was also performed showing how changing the estimated likelihoods of stratum remaining unacceptable affect the number

Comparable Efficacy of Abatacept Used as First-line or Second-line Biological Agent for Severe Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-related Uveitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Birolo, Carolina; Zannin, Maria Elisabetta; Arsenyeva, Svetlana; Cimaz, Rolando; Miserocchi, Elisabetta; Dubko, Margarita; Deslandre, Chantal Job; Falcini, Fernanda; Alessio, Maria; La Torre, Francesco; Denisova, Ekaterina; Martini, Giorgia; Nikishina, Irina; Zulian, Francesco

2016-11-01

Abatacept (ABA) has recently been proposed as second-line treatment in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF) agents, but little is known about its efficacy as a first-line approach. The aim of the present study was to compare the safety and efficacy of ABA as a first-line biological agent (ABA-1) with that of ABA as a second-line treatment after 1 or more anti-TNF agents (ABA-2), in patients with severe JIA-related uveitis. In this multicenter study, we collected data on patients with severe JIA-related uveitis treated with ABA as a first-line or second-line biological agent. Changes in frequency of uveitis flares/year and ocular complications before and after ABA treatment, clinical remission, and side effects were recorded. Thirty-five patients with a mean age of 10.8 years were treated with ABA for a mean period of 19.6 months. In 4 patients, ABA administration was discontinued, owing to inefficacy on arthritis in 3 cases and allergic reaction in 1. Thirty-one patients, 14 in the ABA-1 group and 17 in the ABA-2 group, completed the 12-month followup period; of these, 17 (54.8%) had clinical remission. The mean frequency of uveitis flares decreased from 4.1 to 1.2 in the ABA-1 group (p = 0.002) and from 3.7 to 1.2 in the ABA-2 group (p = 0.004). Preexisting ocular complications improved or remained stable in all but 5 patients, all in the ABA-2 group. No significant difference was found between the efficacy of the 2 treatment modalities. ABA confirmed its good safety profile. ABA, used as first-line biological treatment or after 1 or more anti-TNF agents, induces a comparable improvement in severe refractory JIA-related uveitis.

Identification of reference genes for expression analysis by real-time quantitative PCR in drought-stressed soybean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Stolf-Moreira

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to validate, by quantitative PCR in real time (RT-qPCR, genes to be used as reference in studies of gene expression in soybean in drought-stressed trials. Four genes commonly used in soybean were evaluated: Gmβ-actin, GmGAPDH, GmLectin and GmRNAr18S. Total RNA was extracted from six samples: three from roots in a hydroponic system with different drought intensities (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 minutes of water stress, and three from leaves of plants grown in sand with different soil moistures (15, 5 and 2.5% gravimetric humidity. The raw cycle threshold (Ct data were analyzed, and the efficiency of each primer was calculated for an overall analysis of the Ct range among the different samples. The GeNorm application was used to evaluate the best reference gene, according to its stability. The GmGAPDH was the least stable gene, with the highest mean values of expression stability (M, and the most stable genes, with the lowest M values, were the Gmβ-actin and GmRNAr18S, when both root and leaves samples were tested. These genes can be used in RT-qPCR as reference gene for expression analysis.

A guide for the laboratory information management system (LIMS) for light stable isotopes--Versions 7 and 8

Science.gov (United States)

Coplen, Tyler B.

2000-01-01

The reliability and accuracy of isotopic data can be improved by utilizing database software to (i) store information about samples, (ii) store the results of mass spectrometric isotope-ratio analyses of samples, (iii) calculate analytical results using standardized algorithms stored in a database, (iv) normalize stable isotopic data to international scales using isotopic reference materials, and (v) generate multi-sheet paper templates for convenient sample loading of automated mass-spectrometer sample preparation manifolds. Such a database program, the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for Light Stable Isotopes, is presented herein. Major benefits of this system include (i) a dramatic improvement in quality assurance, (ii) an increase in laboratory efficiency, (iii) a reduction in workload due to the elimination or reduction of retyping of data by laboratory personnel, and (iv) a decrease in errors in data reported to sample submitters. Such a database provides a complete record of when and how often laboratory reference materials have been analyzed and provides a record of what correction factors have been used through time. It provides an audit trail for laboratories. LIMS for Light Stable Isotopes is available for both Microsoft Office 97 Professional and Microsoft Office 2000 Professional as versions 7 and 8, respectively. Both source code (mdb file) and precompiled executable files (mde) are available. Numerous improvements have been made for continuous flow isotopic analysis in this version (specifically 7.13 for Microsoft Access 97 and 8.13 for Microsoft Access 2000). It is much easier to import isotopic results from Finnigan ISODAT worksheets, even worksheets on which corrections for amount of sample (linearity corrections) have been added. The capability to determine blank corrections using isotope mass balance from analyses of elemental analyzer samples has been added. It is now possible to calculate and apply drift corrections to isotopic

Reference List About Implicit and Unconscious Bias

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munar, Ana Maria; Villeseche, Florence; Wiedemann, Cecilie Dam

to publications accessible through the CBS library website and/or specifications of where and how to access each publication. In addition, as part of this effort and in line with the task list of the Council for Diversity and Inclusion, the report “Gender and Leadership Practices at Copenhagen Business School......The compilation of this reference list is one of the initiatives of the action plan developed by the Council for Diversity and Inclusion at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). This reference list is the first in a series of efforts initiated by this Council to develop an academic resource pool......, everyday human thought and activity” (Hardin and Banaji, 2013, pp. 13-14). Research also indicates that it is possible to implement procedures and strategic actions that help reduce implicit biases (Devine, Forscher, Austin, & Cox, 2012). Although extensive, this list does not include all existing academic...

A major and stable QTL associated with seed weight in soybean across multiple environments and genetic backgrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Shin; Sayama, Takashi; Fujii, Kenichiro; Yumoto, Setsuzo; Kono, Yuhi; Hwang, Tae-Young; Kikuchi, Akio; Takada, Yoshitake; Tanaka, Yu; Shiraiwa, Tatsuhiko; Ishimoto, Masao

2014-06-01

We detected a QTL for single seed weight in soybean that was stable across multiple environments and genetic backgrounds with the use of two recombinant inbred line populations. Single seed weight (SSW) in soybean is a key determinant of both seed yield and the quality of soy food products, and it exhibits wide variation. SSW is under genetic control, but the molecular mechanisms of such control remain unclear. We have now investigated quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for SSW in soybean and have identified such a QTL that is stable across multiple environments and genetic backgrounds. Two populations of 225 and 250 recombinant inbred lines were developed from crosses between Japanese and US cultivars of soybean that differ in SSW by a factor of ~2, and these populations were grown in at least three different environments. A whole-genome panel comprising 304 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci was applied to mapping in each population. We identified 15 significant QTLs for SSW dispersed among 11 chromosomes in the two populations. One QTL located between Sat_284 and Sat_292 on chromosome 17 was detected (3.6 soybean.

Contamination of the Th II line and the age of the Galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawler, J.E.; Whaling, W.; Grevesse, N.

1990-01-01

The age of the Galaxy may be estimated from observations of the ratio of stellar abundances of thorium, which has only one long-lived isotope with a half-life comparable to the suspected age of the Galaxy, and neodymium, a stable element. The Th/Nd abundance ratio in a sample of G-dwarf stars of different ages was derived from the intensities of one Th II and one Nd II absorption line, and indicated a rather young galactic age of 9.6 Gyr. But the Th II line is blended with a Co I line. Here we determine the transition probability of the Co I line by combining radiative lifetime and branching-ratio measurements. We show that the Co I contribution cannot be neglected in deriving Th/Nd ratios. By comparing our results with predictions based on models of galactic chemical evolution, we suggest a revised age of the Galaxy of 15-20 Gyr. (author)

Spacecraft Line-of-Sight Stabilization Using LWIR Earth Signature

Science.gov (United States)

Quadrelli, Marco B.; Piazzolla, Sabino

2012-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of using the bright and near-uniform Earth infrared (or wavelength infrared, LWIR) signature as a stable reference for accurate (micro-rad or less) inertial pointing and tracking on-board an space vehicle, including the determination of the fundamental limits of applicability of the proposed method for space missions. We demonstrate sub-micro radian level pointing accuracy under a representative set of disturbances experienced by the spacecraft in orbit.

Common path in-line holography using enhanced joint object reference digital interferometers

Science.gov (United States)

Kelner, Roy; Katz, Barak; Rosen, Joseph

2014-01-01

Joint object reference digital interferometer (JORDI) is a recently developed system capable of recording holograms of various types [Opt. Lett. 38(22), 4719 (2013)24322115]. Presented here is a new enhanced system design that is based on the previous JORDI. While the previous JORDI has been based purely on diffractive optical elements, displayed on spatial light modulators, the present design incorporates an additional refractive objective lens, thus enabling hologram recording with improved resolution and increased system applicability. Experimental results demonstrate successful hologram recording for various types of objects, including transmissive, reflective, three-dimensional, phase and highly scattering objects. The resolution limit of the system is analyzed and experimentally validated. Finally, the suitability of JORDI for microscopic applications is verified as a microscope objective based configuration of the system is demonstrated. PMID:24663838

Common path in-line holography using enhanced joint object reference digital interferometers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelner, Roy; Katz, Barak; Rosen, Joseph

2014-03-10

Joint object reference digital interferometer (JORDI) is a recently developed system capable of recording holograms of various types [Opt. Lett. 38(22), 4719 (2013)]. Presented here is a new enhanced system design that is based on the previous JORDI. While the previous JORDI has been based purely on diffractive optical elements, displayed on spatial light modulators, the present design incorporates an additional refractive objective lens, thus enabling hologram recording with improved resolution and increased system applicability. Experimental results demonstrate successful hologram recording for various types of objects, including transmissive, reflective, three-dimensional, phase and highly scattering objects. The resolution limit of the system is analyzed and experimentally validated. Finally, the suitability of JORDI for microscopic applications is verified as a microscope objective based configuration of the system is demonstrated.

Observations of far-infrared line profiles in the Orion-KL region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, M.K.; Lugten, J.B.; Fitelson, W.; Genzel, R.; Melnick, G.; Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA)

1986-01-01

Measurements of several far-infrared emission line profiles in the Orion-KL region are reported. The emission from the CO, OH, and forbidden O I emission lines toward the BN-KL and H2 peak 1 positions probably comes from dense, hot molecular gas in the Orion-KL shock. The CO and forbidden O I lines have similar profiles, suggesting that the high-velocity forbidden O I emission also arises in magnetohydrodynamic cloud shocks. The velocity centroids of the lines are somewhat blueshifted. The far-infrared data thus support the interpretation that the blue asymmetry of the H2 2 micron lines is not mainly due to differential dust extinction, but rather to the kinematics and geometry of the shocked gas in the Orion-KL outflow. The forbidden O I and CO lines, however, have significantly less extreme blueshifted emission than the H2 lines. Both the forbidden O I 63 micron and forbidden C II 158 micron lines have features strongly supporting a common origin near the surface of the Orion molecular cloud. 28 references

Physical characteristics of the Japanese in relation to reference man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, G.-i.; Kawamura, H.; Nomura, E.

1980-01-01

Quantitative description of physical and other characteristics of the human body provides basic data for the estimation of radiation risk and the establishment of dose equivalent in line with the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommendations. ICRP Reference Man is based essentially on data reported on populations in rather limited areas in the world although Committee 2 of ICRP concedes that ''it is neither feasible nor necessary to specify Reference Man as representative of a well-defined population group''. ICRP Reference Man is not necessarily based on the most recent available data. In order to be more realistic and quantitative in dose equivalent estimation in Japan, it is necessary to consider populations which are largely different from those of European and North American countries in physical dimensions and other aspects. Therefore, standard or reference values of mass and size of organs, body and organ content and metabolic parameters of some elements have been studied. These are compared with the values of ICRP Reference Man authorized up to now, with the intention of establishing ''Reference Japanese Man'' and contributing to the improvement of models of man used in radiation protection. Dose equivalent commitment and annual limit of intake have been calculated using the obtained data for the general population in Japan,for some nuclides. (H.K.)

The influence of contrast media on kidney function in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Reuter, Simon Bertram; Harutyunyan, Marina; Mygind, Naja Dam; Jørgensen, Erik; Kastrup, Jens

2014-08-01

To investigate the incidence of contrast media-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for elective coronary intervention following hydration routines. The reversibility of CIN was followed in a 6 month-period. A total of 447 patients referred for elective coronary intervention due to suspected CAD were included. Blood samples were collected before and 24 h after intervention and medical records were obtained. Patients had no drinking fluid restrictions and were routinely treated with a 1000 ml saline infusion. All patients were invited to a 6-month examination and collection of blood samples. A total of 19 patients (4.3%) developed CIN. CIN patients had a pre-investigation higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF), lower level of kidney failure and lower creatinine level than non-CIN patients. Kidney function was not normalized in CIN patients 6 months after the intervention. Two patients still met the definition of CIN. With no restriction in fluid intake and supplementary infusion of saline, only a few patients with stable CAD developed early indications of CIN during elective coronary interventions. Kidney function and the amount of contrast media used was not a predictor of CIN development. The induced CIN was not completely normalized in a 6-month follow-up period.

Polyacrylate microspheres composite for all-solid-state reference electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kisiel, Anna; Donten, Mikołaj; Mieczkowski, Józef; Rius-Ruiz, F Xavier; Maksymiuk, Krzysztof; Michalska, Agata

2010-09-01

A novel concept is proposed for the encapsulation of components within polyacrylate microspheres, prior to their incorporation into a membrane phase. Thus finer and better controlled dispersion of heterogeneous membrane components can be achieved. This concept was verified by using a poly(n-butyl acrylate) membrane-based reference electrode as an example. In this example the proper dispersion of solid constituents of the heterogeneous membrane and prevention of their leakage are both of primary importance. Potassium chloride-loaded poly(n-butyl acrylate) microspheres were prepared and then left in contact with silver nitrate to convert some of the KCl into AgCl. The material obtained was introduced into a poly(n-butyl acrylate) membrane. The reference electrode membranes obtained in this way were characterized with much more stable potential (both in different electrolytes and over time) compared with electrodes prepared by the direct introduction of KCl and AgCl to the membrane.

A new approach to motion control of torque-constrained manipulators by using time-scaling of reference trajectories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moreno-Valenzuela, Javier; Orozco-Manriquez, Ernesto [Digital del IPN, CITEDI-IPN, Tijuana, (Mexico)

2009-12-15

We introduce a control scheme based on using a trajectory tracking controller and an algorithm for on-line time scaling of the reference trajectories. The reference trajectories are time-scaled according to the measured tracking errors and the detected torque/acceleration saturation. Experiments are presented to illustrate the advantages of the proposed approach

A new approach to motion control of torque-constrained manipulators by using time-scaling of reference trajectories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno-Valenzuela, Javier; Orozco-Manriquez, Ernesto

2009-01-01

We introduce a control scheme based on using a trajectory tracking controller and an algorithm for on-line time scaling of the reference trajectories. The reference trajectories are time-scaled according to the measured tracking errors and the detected torque/acceleration saturation. Experiments are presented to illustrate the advantages of the proposed approach

Selection of Suitable Endogenous Reference Genes for Relative Copy Number Detection in Sugarcane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bantong Xue

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Transgene copy number has a great impact on the expression level and stability of exogenous gene in transgenic plants. Proper selection of endogenous reference genes is necessary for detection of genetic components in genetically modification (GM crops by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR or by qualitative PCR approach, especially in sugarcane with polyploid and aneuploid genomic structure. qPCR technique has been widely accepted as an accurate, time-saving method on determination of copy numbers in transgenic plants and on detection of genetically modified plants to meet the regulatory and legislative requirement. In this study, to find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids DNA content quantification, we evaluated a set of potential “single copy” genes including P4H, APRT, ENOL, CYC, TST and PRR, through qualitative PCR and absolute quantitative PCR. Based on copy number comparisons among different sugarcane genotypes, including five S. officinarum, one S. spontaneum and two S. spp. hybrids, these endogenous genes fell into three groups: ENOL-3—high copy number group, TST-1 and PRR-1—medium copy number group, P4H-1, APRT-2 and CYC-2—low copy number group. Among these tested genes, P4H, APRT and CYC were the most stable, while ENOL and TST were the least stable across different sugarcane genotypes. Therefore, three primer pairs of P4H-3, APRT-2 and CYC-2 were then selected as the suitable reference gene primer pairs for sugarcane. The test of multi-target reference genes revealed that the APRT gene was a specific amplicon, suggesting this gene is the most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference target for sugarcane DNA content quantification. These results should be helpful for establishing accurate and reliable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM sugarcane.

Analysis of ensembles of moderately saturated interstellar lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, E.B.

1986-01-01

It is shown that the combined equivalent widths for a large population of Gaussian-like interstellar line components, each with different central optical depths tau(0) and velocity dispersions b, exhibit a curve of growth (COG) which closely mimics that of a single, pure Gaussian distribution in velocity. Two parametric distributions functions for the line populations are considered: a bivariate Gaussian for tau(0) and b and a power law distribution for tau(0) combined with a Gaussian dispersion for b. First, COGs for populations having an extremely large number of nonoverlapping components are derived, and the implications are shown by focusing on the doublet-ratio analysis for a pair of lines whose f-values differ by a factor of two. The consequences of having, instead of an almost infinite number of lines, a relatively small collection of components added together for each member of a doublet are examined. The theory of how the equivalent widths grow for populations of overlapping Gaussian profiles is developed. Examples of the composite COG analysis applied to existing collections of high-resolution interstellar line data are presented. 39 references

Inexpensive on-line alcohol sensor for fermentation monitoring and control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Birch, S W; Turner, A P.F.; Ashby, R E

1987-01-01

An inorganic electrochemical fuel cell sensor was interfaced to a microcomputer and used to measure on-line the alcohol concentration in the off-gas of a fermentor. A calibration curve was obtained for methanol (linear range 0-9 g/l) and ethanol (linear range 0-6 g/l) to relate the alcohol concentration in the fermentor liquid with that in the off-gas. The consumption of methanol in a batch fermentation of the methylotroph Ps.BB1 was monitored (sampling frequency of 5 minutes) and compared with samples taken for off-line analysis by GLC. On-line control of the methanol concentration in a fed-batch fermentation was achieved by proportional and integral control. 24 references.

The tension adjuster used at the work line of electron beam radiation cross-linking wire and cable

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yingfa; Liu Zhenhao; Yin Xuejun

1999-01-01

The tension adjuster is an important equipment in the transport system at the work line of electron beam radiation cross-linking wire and cable to realize the velocity synchronism. There are many kinds of the adjuster. By putting various adjusters together properly, the authors can keep the line work stable and raise the quality of the product. Two kinds of standing adjuster and their mechanism are introduced. Also the corresponding figures and formulas are shown

On-line determination of anions in pulp mills by capillary electrophoresis (CE); Tehdasoloissa tapahtuva anionien kapillaarielektroforeettinen on-line maeaeritys ja sen hyoedyntaeminen prosessivalvonnassa - MPKY 02

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokkonen, R.; Holmberg, M.; Vainikka, V. [Finnish Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Espoo (Finland)

1998-12-31

The aim of the study was to set-up a process control system for on-line measurement of certain anions. Typical anions which forms precipitates in pulp and paper mills are oxalate, carbonate and sulphate. Thus it is important to develop a continuous process analyzing system to control concentration levels of this anions. For the preliminary tests of continuous determinations of chloride and sulphate anions in tap water a simple on-line system was build in KCL (The Finnish Pulp and Paper Research Institute) and connected to a capillary electroforesis apparatus. In the preliminary tests a chromate buffer (ph = 7.6) was used. Separation of chloride and sulphate was excellent but the stability of buffer was not good enough and it was usable only for few hours. After experimental studies VTT developed a stable capillary electrophoresis method based on mixed amine buffer and this was selected for an on-line method for determination of anions in process waters of the pulp and paper industry. In the preliminary on-line test (r = 20) repeatabilities of migration times of sulphate and chloride with the chromate buffer were < 5 % (RSD) and peak heights < 15 % (RSD). With the mixed amine buffer repeatabilities were better. The preliminary tests showed that it is possible to connect a capillary electrophoresis system to on-line measurements. For the moment no commercial on-line CE apparatus is available. (orig.)

On-line determination of anions in pulp mills by capillary electrophoresis (CE); Tehdasoloissa tapahtuva anionien kapillaarielektroforeettinen on-line maeaeritys ja sen hyoedyntaeminen prosessivalvonnassa - MPKY 02

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kokkonen, R; Holmberg, M; Vainikka, V [Finnish Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Espoo (Finland)

1999-12-31

The aim of the study was to set-up a process control system for on-line measurement of certain anions. Typical anions which forms precipitates in pulp and paper mills are oxalate, carbonate and sulphate. Thus it is important to develop a continuous process analyzing system to control concentration levels of this anions. For the preliminary tests of continuous determinations of chloride and sulphate anions in tap water a simple on-line system was build in KCL (The Finnish Pulp and Paper Research Institute) and connected to a capillary electroforesis apparatus. In the preliminary tests a chromate buffer (ph = 7.6) was used. Separation of chloride and sulphate was excellent but the stability of buffer was not good enough and it was usable only for few hours. After experimental studies VTT developed a stable capillary electrophoresis method based on mixed amine buffer and this was selected for an on-line method for determination of anions in process waters of the pulp and paper industry. In the preliminary on-line test (r = 20) repeatabilities of migration times of sulphate and chloride with the chromate buffer were < 5 % (RSD) and peak heights < 15 % (RSD). With the mixed amine buffer repeatabilities were better. The preliminary tests showed that it is possible to connect a capillary electrophoresis system to on-line measurements. For the moment no commercial on-line CE apparatus is available. (orig.)

Properties of Fe, Ni and Zn isotope chains near the drip-line

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarasov, V.N.; Tarasov, D.V.; Kuprikov, V.I.; Gridnev, K.A.; Gridnev, D.K.; Gridnev, K.A.; Gridnev, D.K.; Kartavenko, V.G.; Greiner, W.; Kartavenko, V.G.

2007-01-01

The location of proton and neutron drip-lines and the characteristics of the neutron-deficient and the neutron-rich isotopes Fe, Ni and Zn on the basis of Hartree-Fock method with Skyrme forces (Ska, SkM * , Sly4) taking into account deformation was investigated. The calculations predict a big jump of deformation parameter up to β ∼ 0.4 for Ni isotopes in the neighborhood of N ∼ 62. The manifestation of magic numbers for isotopes 48 Ni, 56 Ni, 78 Ni and also for the stable isotope in the respect to neutron emission 110 Ni which is situated beyond the neutron drip-line is discussed

Selection and validation of reference genes for quantitative gene expression analyses in various tissues and seeds at different developmental stages in Bixa orellana L.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Viviane S; Soares, Virgínia L F; Silva, Raner J S; Sousa, Aurizangela O; Otoni, Wagner C; Costa, Marcio G C

2018-05-01

Bixa orellana L., popularly known as annatto, produces several secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical and industrial interest, including bixin, whose molecular basis of biosynthesis remain to be determined. Gene expression analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is an important tool to advance such knowledge. However, correct interpretation of qPCR data requires the use of suitable reference genes in order to reduce experimental variations. In the present study, we have selected four different candidates for reference genes in B. orellana , coding for 40S ribosomal protein S9 (RPS9), histone H4 (H4), 60S ribosomal protein L38 (RPL38) and 18S ribosomal RNA (18SrRNA). Their expression stabilities in different tissues (e.g. flower buds, flowers, leaves and seeds at different developmental stages) were analyzed using five statistical tools (NormFinder, geNorm, BestKeeper, ΔCt method and RefFinder). The results indicated that RPL38 is the most stable gene in different tissues and stages of seed development and 18SrRNA is the most unstable among the analyzed genes. In order to validate the candidate reference genes, we have analyzed the relative expression of a target gene coding for carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1 (CCD1) using the stable RPL38 and the least stable gene, 18SrRNA , for normalization of the qPCR data. The results demonstrated significant differences in the interpretation of the CCD1 gene expression data, depending on the reference gene used, reinforcing the importance of the correct selection of reference genes for normalization.

Population Games, Stable Games, and Passivity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J. Fox

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The class of “stable games”, introduced by Hofbauer and Sandholm in 2009, has the attractive property of admitting global convergence to equilibria under many evolutionary dynamics. We show that stable games can be identified as a special case of the feedback-system-theoretic notion of a “passive” dynamical system. Motivated by this observation, we develop a notion of passivity for evolutionary dynamics that complements the definition of the class of stable games. Since interconnections of passive dynamical systems exhibit stable behavior, we can make conclusions about passive evolutionary dynamics coupled with stable games. We show how established evolutionary dynamics qualify as passive dynamical systems. Moreover, we exploit the flexibility of the definition of passive dynamical systems to analyze generalizations of stable games and evolutionary dynamics that include forecasting heuristics as well as certain games with memory.

In-line balanced detection stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

KAUST Repository

Crisafi, Francesco; Kumar, Vikas; Scopigno, Tullio; Marangoni, Marco; Cerullo, Giulio; Polli, Dario

2017-01-01

We introduce a novel configuration for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, called In-line Balanced Detection (IBD), which employs a birefringent plate to generate a time-delayed polarization-multiplexed collinear replica of the probe, acting as a reference. Probe and reference cross the sample at the same position, thus maintaining their balance during image acquisition. IBD can be implemented in any conventional SRS setup, by adding a few simple elements, bringing its sensitivity close to the shot-noise limit even with a noisy laser. We tested IBD with a fiber-format laser system and observed signal-to-noise ratio improvement by up to 30 dB.

In-line balanced detection stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

KAUST Repository

Crisafi, Francesco

2017-08-31

We introduce a novel configuration for stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy, called In-line Balanced Detection (IBD), which employs a birefringent plate to generate a time-delayed polarization-multiplexed collinear replica of the probe, acting as a reference. Probe and reference cross the sample at the same position, thus maintaining their balance during image acquisition. IBD can be implemented in any conventional SRS setup, by adding a few simple elements, bringing its sensitivity close to the shot-noise limit even with a noisy laser. We tested IBD with a fiber-format laser system and observed signal-to-noise ratio improvement by up to 30 dB.

Mechanism based evaluation of materials behavior and reference curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toerroenen, K.; Saario, T.; Wallin, K.; Forsten, J.

1984-01-01

The safety assessment of nuclear pressure vessels and piping requires a quantitative estimation of defect growth by stable and unstable manner during service. This estimation is essential for determining whether the defect detected during inspection should be repaired or whether the size of the defect even after its expected growth is small enough to leave the integrity of the vessel unaffected. The most important stable defect growth mechanism is that of environmentally assisted cyclic crack growth. Recent results indicate that it is markedly affected by sulfur content and/or manganese sulfide morphology and distribution. This implies that an essential improvement in component safety has been gained by currently applied steelmaking practices, which result in extra low sulfur content, generally below 0.01 wt%, and in round shape and small size of inclusions, through, e.g., calcium treatment, hence considerably reducing the effect of environment on crack growth rate. This further implies that the ASME Section XI reference curves for environmentally accelerated cyclic crack growth are conservative for steels produced by current steelmaking practices. (orig./WL)

Defining a stable water isotope framework for isotope hydrology application in a large trans-boundary watershed (Russian Federation/Ukraine).

Science.gov (United States)

Vystavna, Yuliya; Diadin, Dmytro; Huneau, Frédéric

2018-05-01

Stable isotopes of hydrogen ( 2 H) and oxygen ( 18 O) of the water molecule were used to assess the relationship between precipitation, surface water and groundwater in a large Russia/Ukraine trans-boundary river basin. Precipitation was sampled from November 2013 to February 2015, and surface water and groundwater were sampled during high and low flow in 2014. A local meteoric water line was defined for the Ukrainian part of the basin. The isotopic seasonality in precipitation was evident with depletion in heavy isotopes in November-March and an enrichment in April-October, indicating continental and temperature effects. Surface water was enriched in stable water isotopes from upstream to downstream sites due to progressive evaporation. Stable water isotopes in groundwater indicated that recharge occurs mainly during winter and spring. A one-year data set is probably not sufficient to report the seasonality of groundwater recharge, but this survey can be used to identify the stable water isotopes framework in a weakly gauged basin for further hydrological and geochemical studies.

Towards reference architectures as an enabler for software ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knodel, Jens; Manikas, Konstantinos

2016-01-01

Software ecosystems - a topic with increasingly growing interest in academia and industry in the past decade - arguably revolutionized many aspects of industrial software engineering (business models, architectures, platforms, project executions, collaboration models, distribution of assets......, to name a few). Software ecosystems enable the contribution of external actors with distinct center a common technology and the potential distribution of the actor contributions to an existing user set. Reference architectures have been proven successful and beneficial for software product lines...... and traditional software development within distinct domains. They arguably come with a set of benefits that severely counterweights the additional effort of design and implementation. But what is the role of reference architectures in an ecosystem setting? In this position paper, we argue for the use...

The influence of contrast media on kidney function in patients with stable coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reuter, Simon Bertram; Harutyunyan, Marina; Mygind, Naja Dam

2014-01-01

AIMS: To investigate the incidence of contrast media-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for elective coronary intervention following hydration routines. The reversibility of CIN was followed in a 6 month-period. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total...... coronary interventions. Kidney function and the amount of contrast media used was not a predictor of CIN development. The induced CIN was not completely normalized in a 6-month follow-up period....

Optimization of an on-line function generation

CERN Document Server

Versteele, C

1977-01-01

A particular example of process control is the analog function generator of the CERN proton synchrotron. For magnet field correction, some magnets have to follow reference currents synchronous with the pulses of the synchrotron. Depending on the dynamic behaviour of the magnet system to be controlled, the output current will show a somewhat distorted image of the reference current used as input. An on-line computer strategy has been designed to compensate the distortions: i.e. to adjust the input function at successive pulses in such a way that the output current follows the reference as closely as required. However, the identification of such a system is not carried out because it is difficult and singular in any case. Modifications cannot be computed directly, but will result from an iterative strategy: the closed-loop adaptive control is based on a maximization procedure, requiring little memory and no gradient information. The algorithm is a variant of the optimization method called extended sequential se...

First-principles studies of Te line-ordered alloys in a MoS2 monolayer

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Andriambelaza, N. F.; Mapasha, R. E.; Chetty, N.

2018-04-01

The thermodynamic stability, structural and electronic properties of Te line-ordered alloys are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) methods. Thirty four possible Te line-ordered alloy configurations are found in a 5×5 supercell of a MoS2 monolayer. The calculated formation energies show that the Te line-ordered alloy configurations are thermodynamically stable at 0 K and agree very well with the random alloys. The lowest energy configurations at each concentration correspond to the configuration where the Te atom rows are far apart from each other (avoiding clustering) within the supercell. The variation of the lattice constant at different concentrations obey Vegard's law. The Te line-ordered alloys fine tune the band gap of a MoS2 monolayer although deviating from linearity behavior. Our results suggest that the Te line-ordered alloys can be an effective way to modulate the band gap of a MoS2 monolayer for nanoelectronic, optoelectronic and nanophotonic applications.

Soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics determined by stable isotope techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerzabek, M. H.

1998-09-01

Being aware of limitations and possible bias the 13 C natural abundance technique using the different 13 C enrichments in plants with differing photosynthetic pathways in a powerful tool to quantify turnover processes, both in long-term field studies and short-term laboratory experiments. Special care is needed in choosing reference plots and the proper number of replicate samples. The combination of 13 C and 14 C measurements has a high potential for a further improvement of isotope techniques in SOM studies. Natural abundance of 15 N is less powerful with respect to quantification of SOM processes than the isotope dilution technique. However its usefulness could be distinctly improved by introducing other stable isotopes into the studies.(author)

Fed-batch bioreactor performance and cell line stability evaluation of the artificial chromosome expression technology expressing an IgG1 in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Combs, Rodney G; Yu, Erwin; Roe, Susanna; Piatchek, Michele Bailey; Jones, Heather L; Mott, John; Kennard, Malcolm L; Goosney, Danika L; Monteith, Diane

2011-01-01

The artificial chromosome expression (ACE) technology system uses an engineered artificial chromosome containing multiple site-specific recombination acceptor sites for the rapid and efficient construction of stable cell lines. The construction of Chinese hamster ovary(CHO) cell lines expressing an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) using the ACE system has been previously described (Kennard et al., Biotechnol Bioeng. 2009;104:540-553). To further demonstrate the manufacturing feasibility of the ACE system, four CHO cell lines expressing the human IgG1 MAb 4A1 were evaluated in batch and fed-batch shake flasks and in a 2-L fed-batch bioreactor. The batch shake flasks achieved titers between 0.7 and 1.1 g/L, whereas the fed-batch shake flask process improved titers to 2.5–3.0 g/L. The lead 4A1 ACE cell line achieved titers of 4.0 g/L with an average specific productivity of 40 pg/(cell day) when cultured in a non optimized 2-L fed-batch bioreactor using a completely chemically defined process. Generational stability characterization of the lead 4A1-expressing cell line demonstrated that the cell line was stable for up to 75 days in culture. Product quality attributes of the 4A1 MAb produced by the ACE system during the stability evaluation period were unchanged and also comparable to existing expression technologies such as the CHO-dhfr system. The results of this evaluation demonstrate that a clonal, stable MAb-expressing CHO cell line can be produced using ACE technology that performs competitively using a chemically defined fed-batch bioreactor process with comparable product quality attributes to cell lines generated by existing technologies.

HuH-7 reference genome profile: complex karyotype composed of massive loss of heterozygosity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kasai, Fumio; Hirayama, Noriko; Ozawa, Midori; Satoh, Motonobu; Kohara, Arihiro

2018-05-17

Human cell lines represent a valuable resource as in vitro experimental models. A hepatoma cell line, HuH-7 (JCRB0403), has been used extensively in various research fields and a number of studies using this line have been published continuously since it was established in 1982. However, an accurate genome profile, which can be served as a reliable reference, has not been available. In this study, we performed M-FISH, SNP microarray and amplicon sequencing to characterize the cell line. Single cell analysis of metaphases revealed a high level of heterogeneity with a mode of 60 chromosomes. Cytogenetic results demonstrated chromosome abnormalities involving every chromosome in addition to a massive loss of heterozygosity, which accounts for 55.3% of the genome, consistent with the homozygous variants seen in the sequence analysis. We provide empirical data that the HuH-7 cell line is composed of highly heterogeneous cell populations, suggesting that besides cell line authentication, the quality of cell lines needs to be taken into consideration in the future use of tumor cell lines.

Contextual cueing of tactile search is coded in an anatomical reference frame.

Science.gov (United States)

Assumpção, Leonardo; Shi, Zhuanghua; Zang, Xuelian; Müller, Hermann J; Geyer, Thomas

2018-04-01

This work investigates the reference frame(s) underlying tactile context memory, a form of statistical learning in a tactile (finger) search task. In this task, if a searched-for target object is repeatedly encountered within a stable spatial arrangement of task-irrelevant distractors, detecting the target becomes more efficient over time (relative to nonrepeated arrangements), as learned target-distractor spatial associations come to guide tactile search, thus cueing attention to the target location. Since tactile search displays can be represented in several reference frames, including multiple external and an anatomical frame, in Experiment 1 we asked whether repeated search displays are represented in tactile memory with reference to an environment-centered or anatomical reference frame. In Experiment 2, we went on examining a hand-centered versus anatomical reference frame of tactile context memory. Observers performed a tactile search task, divided into a learning and test session. At the transition between the two sessions, we introduced postural manipulations of the hands (crossed ↔ uncrossed in Expt. 1; palm-up ↔ palm-down in Expt. 2) to determine the reference frame of tactile contextual cueing. In both experiments, target-distractor associations acquired during learning transferred to the test session when the placement of the target and distractors was held constant in anatomical, but not external, coordinates. In the latter, RTs were even slower for repeated displays. We conclude that tactile contextual learning is coded in an anatomical reference frame. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Development of TGMS lines with improved floral traits through mutation breeding in rice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiyagarajan, K.; Abirami, S.; Robin, S.; Manonmani, S.; Jambhulkar, S.J.

2006-01-01

Mutation breeding is now accepted as an useful means of adding valuable attributes to a variety. Plant breeders have used this tool for the improvement of some cultivated crop varieties. The current investigation is aimed to develop mutants with respect to temperature sensitivity and good floral traits for use in two line breeding. The putative Thermosensitive Genic Male Sterile lines viz,, TS 6 and CBTS 0282 were subjected to induce mutagenesis with gamma rays (300 and 350 Gy) and EMS (0.5 and 0.6%) for developing new TGMS lines with desirable floral traits. The seeds treated with gamma ray and EMS were raised in M1 generation and seeds collected from this population were raised in M2 generation as plant to progeny rows for screening the best TGMS lines with desirable floral traits. In the M2 generation a total of 469 progeny rows of CBTS 0282 and 854 progeny rows of TS 6 were raised. A population of 128, 975 plants in CBTS 0282 and 1,28,100 plants in TS 6 were raised. In M2 generation 361 sterile, uniform stable individual plants with good stigma exertion percentage and wide angle of glume opening were selected and stubble planted at HREC, Gudalur, a low temperature region. At HREC, again the same screening process was carried out and 13 stubbles with excellent stigma exertion percentage were selected and their progenies were raised in M3 generation along with control and check IR 58025 A. A total of 63 sterile and stable M3 plants with good stigma exertion percentage wider angle of glume opening excelling over the check and control were identified and raised in M4 generation along with control and check IR 58025 A. In the M4 generation a total of 16 progeny rows were found to be uniform and homozygous with good floral traits. These lines can be utilized for developing new two line hybrids

Frames of Reference and Some of its Applications

OpenAIRE

Bel, Ll.

1998-01-01

We define a Frame of reference as a two ingredients concept: A meta-rigid motion, which is a generalization of a Born motion, and a chorodesic synchronization, which is an adapted foliation. At the end of the line we uncover a low-level 3-dimensional geometry with constant curvature and a corresponding coordinated proper-time scale. We discuss all these aspects both from the geometrical point of view as from the point of view of some of the physical applications derived from them.

De novo-based transcriptome profiling of male-sterile and fertile watermelon lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhee, Sun-Ju; Kwon, Taehyung; Seo, Minseok; Jang, Yoon Jeong; Sim, Tae Yong; Cho, Seoae; Han, Sang-Wook; Lee, Gung Pyo

2017-01-01

The whole-genome sequence of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai), a valuable horticultural crop worldwide, was released in 2013. Here, we compared a de novo-based approach (DBA) to a reference-based approach (RBA) using RNA-seq data, to aid in efforts to improve the annotation of the watermelon reference genome and to obtain biological insight into male-sterility in watermelon. We applied these techniques to available data from two watermelon lines: the male-sterile line DAH3615-MS and the male-fertile line DAH3615. Using DBA, we newly annotated 855 watermelon transcripts, and found gene functional clusters predicted to be related to stimulus responses, nucleic acid binding, transmembrane transport, homeostasis, and Golgi/vesicles. Among the DBA-annotated transcripts, 138 de novo-exclusive differentially-expressed genes (DEDEGs) related to male sterility were detected. Out of 33 randomly selected newly annotated transcripts and DEDEGs, 32 were validated by RT-qPCR. This study demonstrates the usefulness and reliability of the de novo transcriptome assembly in watermelon, and provides new insights for researchers exploring transcriptional blueprints with regard to the male sterility.

Active solution of homography for pavement crack recovery with four laser lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guan; Chen, Fang; Wu, Guangwei; Li, Xiaotao

2018-05-08

An active solution method of the homography, which is derived from four laser lines, is proposed to recover the pavement cracks captured by the camera to the real-dimension cracks in the pavement plane. The measurement system, including a camera and four laser projectors, captures the projection laser points on the 2D reference in different positions. The projection laser points are reconstructed in the camera coordinate system. Then, the laser lines are initialized and optimized by the projection laser points. Moreover, the plane-indicated Plücker matrices of the optimized laser lines are employed to model the laser projection points of the laser lines on the pavement. The image-pavement homography is actively determined by the solutions of the perpendicular feet of the projection laser points. The pavement cracks are recovered by the active solution of homography in the experiments. The recovery accuracy of the active solution method is verified by the 2D dimension-known reference. The test case with the measurement distance of 700 mm and the relative angle of 8° achieves the smallest recovery error of 0.78 mm in the experimental investigations, which indicates the application potentials in the vision-based pavement inspection.

A study of parallelism of the occlusal plane and ala-tragus line.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadr, Katayoun; Sadr, Makan

2009-01-01

Orientation of the occlusal plane is one of the most important clinical procedures in prostho-dontic rehabilitation of edentulous patients. The aim of this study was to define the best posterior reference point of ala-tragus line for orientation of occlusal plane for complete denture fabrication. Fifty-three dental students (27 females and 26 males) with complete natural dentition and Angel's Class I occlusal relationship were selected. The subjects were photographed in natural head position while clenching on a Fox plane. After tracing the photographs, the angles between the following lines were measured: the occlusal plane (Fox plane) and the superior border of ala-tragus, the occlusal plane (Fox plane) and the middle of ala-tragus as well as the occlusal plane (Fox plane) and the inferior border of ala-tragus. Descriptive statistics, one sample t-test and independent t-test were used. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. There was no parallelism between the occlusal plane and ala-tragus line with three different posterior ends and one sample t-test showed that the angles between them were significantly different from zero (pplane. The superior border of the tragus is suggested as the posterior reference for ala-tragus line.

The Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of a HeLa Cell Line

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Jonathan J. M.; Pyl, Paul Theodor; Rausch, Tobias; Zichner, Thomas; Tekkedil, Manu M.; Stütz, Adrian M.; Jauch, Anna; Aiyar, Raeka S.; Pau, Gregoire; Delhomme, Nicolas; Gagneur, Julien; Korbel, Jan O.; Huber, Wolfgang; Steinmetz, Lars M.

2013-01-01

HeLa is the most widely used model cell line for studying human cellular and molecular biology. To date, no genomic reference for this cell line has been released, and experiments have relied on the human reference genome. Effective design and interpretation of molecular genetic studies performed using HeLa cells require accurate genomic information. Here we present a detailed genomic and transcriptomic characterization of a HeLa cell line. We performed DNA and RNA sequencing of a HeLa Kyoto cell line and analyzed its mutational portfolio and gene expression profile. Segmentation of the genome according to copy number revealed a remarkably high level of aneuploidy and numerous large structural variants at unprecedented resolution. Some of the extensive genomic rearrangements are indicative of catastrophic chromosome shattering, known as chromothripsis. Our analysis of the HeLa gene expression profile revealed that several pathways, including cell cycle and DNA repair, exhibit significantly different expression patterns from those in normal human tissues. Our results provide the first detailed account of genomic variants in the HeLa genome, yielding insight into their impact on gene expression and cellular function as well as their origins. This study underscores the importance of accounting for the strikingly aberrant characteristics of HeLa cells when designing and interpreting experiments, and has implications for the use of HeLa as a model of human biology. PMID:23550136

Quantum logic as superbraids of entangled qubit world lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yepez, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

Presented is a topological representation of quantum logic that views entangled qubit spacetime histories (or qubit world lines) as a generalized braid, referred to as a superbraid. The crossing of world lines can be quantum-mechanical in nature, most conveniently expressed analytically with ladder-operator-based quantum gates. At a crossing, independent world lines can become entangled. Complicated superbraids are systematically reduced by recursively applying quantum skein relations. If the superbraid is closed (e.g., representing quantum circuits with closed-loop feedback, quantum lattice gas algorithms, loop or vacuum diagrams in quantum field theory), then one can decompose the resulting superlink into an entangled superposition of classical links. Thus, one can compute a superlink invariant, for example, the Jones polynomial for the square root of a classical knot.

The LINEs and SINEs of Entamoeba histolytica: comparative analysis and genomic distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakre, Abhijeet A; Rawal, Kamal; Ramaswamy, Ram; Bhattacharya, Alok; Bhattacharya, Sudha

2005-07-01

Autonomous non-long terminal repeat retrotransposons are commonly referred to as long interspersed elements (LINEs). Short non-autonomous elements that borrow the LINE machinery are called SINES. The Entamoeba histolytica genome contains three classes of LINEs and SINEs. Together the EhLINEs/SINEs account for about 6% of the genome. The recognizable functional domains in all three EhLINEs included reverse transcriptase and endonuclease. A novel feature was the presence of two types of members-some with a single long ORF (less frequent) and some with two ORFs (more frequent) in both EhLINE1 and 2. The two ORFs were generated by conserved changes leading to stop codon. Computational analysis of the immediate flanking sequences for each element showed that they inserted in AT-rich sequences, with a preponderance of Ts in the upstream site. The elements were very frequently located close to protein-coding genes and other EhLINEs/SINEs. The possible influence of these elements on expression of neighboring genes needs to be determined.

Plann: A command-line application for annotating plastome sequences1

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Daisie I.; Cronk, Quentin C. B.

2015-01-01

Premise of the study: Plann automates the process of annotating a plastome sequence in GenBank format for either downstream processing or for GenBank submission by annotating a new plastome based on a similar, well-annotated plastome. Methods and Results: Plann is a Perl script to be executed on the command line. Plann compares a new plastome sequence to the features annotated in a reference plastome and then shifts the intervals of any matching features to the locations in the new plastome. Plann’s output can be used in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s tbl2asn to create a Sequin file for GenBank submission. Conclusions: Unlike Web-based annotation packages, Plann is a locally executable script that will accurately annotate a plastome sequence to a locally specified reference plastome. Because it executes from the command line, it is ready to use in other software pipelines and can be easily rerun as a draft plastome is improved. PMID:26312193

Review of trigger and on-line processors at SLAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lankford, A.J.

1984-07-01

The role of trigger and on-line processors in reducing data rates to manageable proportions in e + e - physics experiments is defined not by high physics or background rates, but by the large event sizes of the general-purpose detectors employed. The rate of e + e - annihilation is low, and backgrounds are not high; yet the number of physics processes which can be studied is vast and varied. This paper begins by briefly describing the role of trigger processors in the e + e - context. The usual flow of the trigger decision process is illustrated with selected examples of SLAC trigger processing. The features are mentioned of triggering at the SLC and the trigger processing plans of the two SLC detectors: The Mark II and the SLD. The most common on-line processors at SLAC, the BADC, the SLAC Scanner Processor, the SLAC FASTBUS Controller, and the VAX CAMAC Channel, are discussed. Uses of the 168/E, 3081/E, and FASTBUS VAX processors are mentioned. The manner in which these processors are interfaced and the function they serve on line is described. Finally, the accelerator control system for the SLC is outlined. This paper is a survey in nature, and hence, relies heavily upon references to previous publications for detailed description of work mentioned here. 27 references, 9 figures, 1 table

Comparison of mammalian and fish cell line cytotoxicity: impact of endpoint and exposure duration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guelden, Michael; Moerchel, Sabine; Seibert, Hasso

2005-01-01

Comparisons of acute toxic concentrations of chemicals to fish in vivo and cytotoxic concentrations to fish cell lines in vitro reveal rather good correlations of the toxic potencies in vitro and in vivo, but a clearly lower sensitivity of the fish cells. To examine whether the low sensitivity is specific for fish cells, cytotoxic potencies of reference chemicals from the Multicenter Evaluation of In Vitro Cytotoxicity program (MEIC) reported for the fish cell lines R1 and RTG-2 were compared with those obtained with the mouse Balb/c 3T3 cell line. Cytotoxic potencies (EC 50 values) for MEIC reference chemicals were determined with exponentially growing Balb/c 3T3 cells using three different test protocols. To assess both endpoints, cell proliferation and cell survival, EC 50 values were measured for the decrease in final cell protein after 24 and 72 h of exposure and for the reduction of cell protein increase during 24 h of exposure. EC 50 values obtained with the fish cell lines R1 and RTG-2 using cell survival as endpoint were taken from the MEIC data base. The comparison of cytotoxic potencies shows that, in general, the fish cell lines and the mammalian cell line are almost equally sensitive towards the cytotoxic action of chemicals. The mammalian cell line assay, however, becomes considerably more sensitive, by factors of 3.4-8.5, than the fish cell line assays, if cell growth instead of cell survival is used as endpoint. It is concluded, that cell proliferation might be a better endpoint than cell survival and that mammalian cell lines might be suited to assess fish acute toxicity

Engineering more stable, selectable marker-free autoluminescent mycobacteria by one step.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Feng; Njire, Moses M; Liu, Jia; Wu, Tian; Wang, Bangxing; Liu, Tianzhou; Cao, Yuanyuan; Liu, Zhiyong; Wan, Junting; Tu, Zhengchao; Tan, Yaoju; Tan, Shouyong; Zhang, Tianyu

2015-01-01

In our previous study, we demonstrated that the use of the autoluminescent Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a reporter strain had the potential to drastically reduce the time, effort, animals and costs consumed in evaluation of the activities of drugs and vaccines in live mice. However, the strains were relatively unstable and lost reporter with time without selection. The kanamycin selection marker used wasn't the best choice as it provides resistance to amino glycosides which are an important class of second line drugs used in tuberculosis treatment. In addition, the marker could limit utility of the strains for screening of new potential drugs or evaluating drug combinations for tuberculosis treatment. Limited selection marker genes for mycobacterial genetic manipulation is a major drawback for such a marker-containing strain in many research fields. Therefore, selectable marker-free, more stable autoluminescent mycobacteria are highly needed. After trying several strategies, we created such mycobacterial strains successfully by using an integrative vector and removing both the resistance maker and integrase genes by Xer site-specific recombination in one step. The corresponding plasmid vectors developed in this study could be very convenient in constructing other selectable marker-free, more stable reporter mycobacteria with diverse applications.

Effect of doxycycline in patients of moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with stable symptoms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prashant S Dalvi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The protease-antiprotease hypothesis proposes that inflammatory cells and oxidative stress in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD produce increased levels of proteolytic enzymes (neutrophil elastase, matrix metalloproteinases [MMP] which contribute to destruction of parenchyma resulting in progressive decline in forced expiratory volume in one second. Doxycycline, a tetracycline analogue, possesses anti-inflammatory properties and inhibits MMP enzymes. Objectives: To assess the effect of 4 weeks doxycycline in a dose of 100 mg once a day in patients of moderate to severe COPD with stable symptoms. Methods : In an interventional, randomized, observer-masked, parallel study design, the effect of doxycycline (100 mg once a day for 4 weeks was assessed in patients of COPD having stable symptoms after a run-in period of 4 weeks. The study participants in reference group did not receive doxycycline. The parameters were pulmonary functions, systemic inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP, and medical research council (MRC dyspnea scale. Use of systemic corticosteroids or antimicrobial agents was not allowed during the study period. Results: A total of 61 patients completed the study (31 patients in doxycycline group and 30 patients in reference group. At 4 weeks, the pulmonary functions significantly improved in doxycycline group and the mean reduction in baseline serum CRP was significantly greater in doxycycline group as compared with reference group. There was no significant improvement in MRC dyspnea scale in both groups at 4 weeks. Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory and MMP-inhibiting property of doxycycline might have contributed to the improvement of parameters in this study.