An insight into the thermodynamic characteristics of human thrombopoietin complexation with TN1 antibody

Science.gov (United States)

Shibazaki, Chie; Adachi, Motoyasu; Honjo, Eijiro; Tamada, Taro; Maeda, Yoshitake; Tahara, Tomoyuki; Kato, Takashi; Miyazaki, Hiroshi; Blaber, Michael; Kuroki, Ryota

2016-01-01

Abstract Human thrombopoietin (hTPO) primarily stimulates megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production and is neutralized by the mouse TN1 antibody. The thermodynamic characteristics of TN1 antibody–hTPO complexation were analyzed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) using an antigen‐binding fragment (Fab) derived from the TN1 antibody (TN1‐Fab). To clarify the mechanism by which hTPO is recognized by TN1‐Fab the conformation of free TN1‐Fab was determined to a resolution of 2.0 Å using X‐ray crystallography and compared with the hTPO‐bound form of TN1‐Fab determined by a previous study. This structural comparison revealed that the conformation of TN1‐Fab does not substantially change after hTPO binding and a set of 15 water molecules is released from the antigen‐binding site (paratope) of TN1‐Fab upon hTPO complexation. Interestingly, the heat capacity change (ΔCp) measured by ITC (−1.52 ± 0.05 kJ mol−1 K−1) differed significantly from calculations based upon the X‐ray structure data of the hTPO‐bound and unbound forms of TN1‐Fab (−1.02 ∼ 0.25 kJ mol−1 K−1) suggesting that hTPO undergoes an induced‐fit conformational change combined with significant desolvation upon TN1‐Fab binding. The results shed light on the structural biology associated with neutralizing antibody recognition. PMID:27419667

Prediction of Microcystis Blooms Based on TN:TP Ratio and Lake Origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshimasa Amano

2008-01-01

Full Text Available We evaluated the relationship between TN:TP ratio and Microcystis growth via a database that includes worldwide lakes based on four types of lake origin (dammed, tectonic, coastal, and volcanic lakes. We used microcosm and mesocosm for the nutrient elution tests with lake water and four kinds of sediment (nontreated, MgO sprinkling treated, dissolved air flotation [DAF] treated, and combined treated sediment in order to control TN:TP ratio and to suppress Microcystis growth. Microcystis growth was related to TN:TP ratio, with the maximum value at an optimum TN:TP ratio and the minimum values when the TN:TP ratios reached to 0 or ∞. The kurtosis of the distribution curve varied with the type of lake origin; the lowest kurtosis was found in dammed lakes, while the highest was found in volcanic lakes. The lake trophic state could affect the change in the kurtosis, providing much lower kurtosis at eutrophic lakes (dammed lakes than that at oligotrophic lakes (volcanic lakes. The relationship between TN:TP ratio and Microcystis growth could be explained by the nutrient elution tests under controlled TN:TP ratios through the various sediment treatments. A significant suppression of Microcystis growth of 70% could be achieved when the TN:TP ratios exceeded 21. Lake origin could be regarded as an index including morphological and geographical factors, and controlling the trophic state in lakes. The origin rather than trophic state for lakes could be considered as an important factor of TN:TP influences on Microcystis growth.

Ethanol production from molasses by immobilized cells of zymomonas mobilis EMCC 1546

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meliegy, S.A.; Abdelaziz, A.H.

2004-01-01

Ethanol production from beet molasses by zymomonas mobilis EMCC 1546 was studied using continuous processes in which immobilized bacterial cells of Z.mobilis EMCC 1546 was grown on both sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA). The fermentation was performed in a shaking incubation and 1-liter ferment or with final working 750 ml. The initial sugar concentration studied was 50, 100,150, 200 and 250 g/l. The results showed that optimum initial sugar for ethanol production was 200 g/l. In batch fermentation, the highest ethanol concentration was 28.50 g/. Also effect of gamma irradiation was studied to enhance ethanol production. The highest ethanol production at dose dose 0.25 kGy was 34.82 g/l. The results showed that continuous fermentation, at dilution rate 1.36 (I/h), helped to increase the ethanol production significantly and continuous fermentation with immobilized cells in alginate gave higher ethanol production, 35.8 (g/I), as compared with those immobilized in hydrogel (PVA)

[Construction of cTnC-linker-TnI (P) Genes, Expression of Fusion Protein and Preparation of Lyophilized Protein].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xiaoli; Liu, Xiaoyun; Cai, Lei; Wu, Jianwei; Wang, Jihua

2015-12-01

In order to construct and express human cardiac troponin C-linker-troponin I(P) [ cTnC-linker-TnI(P)] fusion protein, detect its activity and prepare lyophilized protein, we searched the CDs of human cTnC and cTnI from GenBank, synthesized cTnC and cTnI(30-110aa) into cloning vector by a short DNA sequence coding for 15 neutral amino acid residues. pCold I-cTnC-linker-TnI(P) was constructed and transformed into E. coli BL21(DE3). Then, cTnC-linker-TnI(P) fusion protein was induced by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). Soluable expression of cTnC-linker-TnI(P) in prokaryotic system was successfully obtained. The fusion protein was purified by Ni²⁺ Sepharose 6 Fast Flow affinity chromatography with over 95% purity and prepared into lyophilized protein. The activity of purified cTnC-linker-TnI(P) and its lyophilized protein were detected by Wondfo Finecare™ cTnI Test. Lyophilized protein of cTnC-linker-TnI(P) was stable for 10 or more days at 37 °C and 4 or more months at 25 °C and 4 °C. The expression system established in this research is feasible and efficient. Lyophilized protein is stable enough to be provided as biological raw materials for further research.

Antibiotic and antiseptic resistance genes are linked on a novel mobile genetic element: Tn6087

Science.gov (United States)

Ciric, Lena; Mullany, Peter; Roberts, Adam P.

2011-01-01

Objectives Tn916-like elements are one of the most common types of integrative and conjugative element (ICE). In this study we aimed to determine whether novel accessory genes, i.e. genes whose products are not involved in mobility or regulation, were present on a Tn916-like element (Tn6087) isolated from Streptococcus oralis from the human oral cavity. Methods A minocycline-resistant isolate was analysed using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis on amplicons derived from Tn916 and DNA sequencing to determine whether there were genetic differences in Tn6087 compared with Tn916. Mutational analysis was used to determine whether the novel accessory gene found was responsible for an observed extra phenotype. Results A novel Tn916-like element, Tn6087, is described that encodes both antibiotic and antiseptic resistance. The antiseptic resistance protein is encoded by a novel small multidrug resistance gene, designated qrg, that was shown to encode resistance to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), also known as cetrimide bromide. Conclusions This is the first Tn916-like element described that confers both antibiotic and antiseptic resistance, suggesting that selection of either antibiotic or antiseptic resistance will also select for the other and further highlights the need for prudent use of both types of compound. PMID:21816764

Fraction A of armadillo submandibular glycoprotein and its desialylated product as sialyl-Tn and Tn receptors for lectins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, A M; Shen, F; Herp, A; Song, S C; Wu, J H

1995-02-27

Fraction A of the armadillo submandibular glycoprotein (ASG-A) is one of the simplest glycoproteins among mammalian salivary mucins. The carbohydrate side chains of this mucous glycoprotein have one-third of the NeuAc alpha 2-->6GalNAc (sialyl-Tn) sequence and two thirds of Tn (GalNAc alpha-->Ser/Thr) residues. Those of the desialylated product (ASG-Tn) are almost exclusively unsubstituted GalNAc residues (Tn determinant). When the binding properties of these glycoproteins were tested by a precipitin assay with Gal, GalNAc and GlcNAc specific lectins, it was found that ASG-Tn reacted strongly with all of the Tn-active lectins and completely precipitated Vicia villosa (VVL both B4 and mixture of A and B), Maclura pomifera (MPA), and Artocarpus integrifolia (jacalin) lectins. However, it precipitated poorly or negligibly with Ricinus communis (RCA1); Dolichos biflorus (DBA); Viscum album, ML-I; Arachis hypogaea (PNA), and Triticum vulgaris (WGA). The reactivity of ASG-A (sialyl-Tn) was as active as that of ASG-Tn with MPA and less or slightly less active than that of ASG-Tn with VVL-A+B, VVL-B4, HPA, WFA, and jacalin, as one-third of its Tn was sialylated. These findings indicate that ASG-A and its desialylated product (ASG-Tn) are highly useful reagents for the differentiation of Tn, T (Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc), A (GalNAc alpha 1-->3Gal) or Gal specific lectins and monoclonal antibodies against such epitopes.

Interaction of hamster submaxillary sialyl-Tn and Tn glycoproteins with Gal, GalNAc and GlcNAc specific lectins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, A M; Shen, F; Herp, A; Wu, J H

1994-04-01

Hamster submaxillary glycoprotein (HSM), one of the simplest glycoproteins among mammalian salivary mucins, is composed of approximately equivalent amounts of protein, hexosamine and sialic acid. The Thr and Ser residues in the protein core account for more than half of all of the amino acid residues, while Lys, Glu, Pro and Ala are the major components of the remaining portion of amino acids. The carbohydrate side chains of this mucous glycoprotein have mainly the NeuAc-GalNAc-(sialyl-Tn) sequence (HSM), and those of the desialylated product (HSM-Tn) are almost exclusively unsubstituted GalNAc residues (Tn determinants). The binding properties of sialyl-Tn (HSM) and asialo-HSM (HSM-Tn) glycoproteins were tested by precipitin assay with Gal, GalNAc and GlcNAc specific lectins. The HSM-Tn completely precipitated Vicia villosa (VVL both B4 and mixture of A and B), Maclura pomifera (MPL), and Artocarpus integrifolia (Jacalin) lectins; less than 2 micrograms of HSM-Tn were required for precipitating 50% of 5.0-6.3 micrograms lectin nitrogen added. HSM-Tn also reacted well with Helix pomatia lectin (HPL), Wistaria floribunda lectin (WFL) and Abrus precatorius agglutinin (APA) and precipitated in each case over 81% of the lectin nitrogen added. The reactivity of HSM-Tn with other lectins (Ricinus communis, RCA1; Dolichol biflorus, DBL; Viscum album, ML-I; Arachis hypogaea, PNA, and Triticum vulgaris, WGA) was weak or negligible. The activity of sialyl-Tn (HSM) was more restricted; HSM reacted well with Jacalin, moderately with MPL and VVL-B4, but was inactive or only weakly with the other lectins used. These findings indicate that HSM and its desialylated product (HSM-Tn) are highly useful reagents for the differentiation of Tn and T/Gal specific lectins and for anti-T, Tn and Af monoclonal antibodies.

Structure of the C-type lectin carbohydrate recognition domain of human Tetranectin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kastrup, Jette Sandholm Jensen; Nielsen, Bettina Bryde; Rasmussen, Hanne B.

1998-01-01

Tetranectin (TN) is a C-type lectin involved in fibrinolysis, being the only endogenous ligand known to bind specifically to the kringle 4 domain of plasminogen. TN was originally isolated from plasma, but shows a wide tissue distribution. Furthermore, TN has been found in the extracellular matri...... molecules. One sulfate ion has been located at the surface of TN3, forming contacts to Glu120, Lys148, Asn106 of a symmetry-related molecule, and to an ethanol molecule....

ST6GalNAc-I controls expression of sialyl-Tn antigen in gastrointestinal tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marcos, Nuno T; Bennett, Eric P; Gomes, Joana

2011-01-01

Sialyl-Tn is a simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigen aberrantly expressed in gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas and in the precursor lesion intestinal metaplasia. Sialyl-Tn tumour expression is an independent indicator of poor prognosis. We have previously shown in vitro that ST6GalNAc-I and ST6GalNAc......-II sialyltransferases can synthesize sialyl-Tn. The aim of the present study was to establish whether ST6GalNAc-I is the major enzyme responsible for the expression of sialyl-Tn. We used a model of CHO-ldlD cells producing only MUC1-Tn glycoform and showed that ST6GalNAc-I is the key-enzyme leading to sialyl......-Tn biosynthesis. We developed novel monoclonal antibodies specific for ST6GalNAc-I and evaluated its expression in gastrointestinal tissues. ST6GalNAc-I was detected in normal colon mucosa co-localized with O-acetylated sialyl-Tn. Expression was largely unaltered in colorectal adenocarcinomas. In contrast, we...

Preparation and Characterization of cis- and trans-[Ir(tn)2Cl2]CF3SO3 and of [Ir(tn)3]Cl3 (tn=propane-1,3-diamine)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brorson, Michael; Galsbøl, Frode; Simonsen, Kim

1998-01-01

for the preparation of [Rh(tn)3]Cl3 in quantitative yield from Rh(thtp)3Cl3 is also given. The complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR and by UV/VIS spectroscopy. The conformation of the six-membered chelate rings of [Ir(tn)3]3+ in the solid state was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction of [Ir(tn)3......Procedures are given for the preparation and isolation of cis- and trans-[Ir(tn)2Cl2]CF3SO3 and of [Ir(tn)3]Cl3, (tn=propane-1,3-diamine). The compounds were prepared by the use of Ir(thtp)3Cl3 (thtp=tetrahydrothiophene) as starting material, using either DMSO or neat tn as solvent. A procedure......] [Co(CN)6] x 5H2O. The three chelate rings all adopt the energetically favoured chair conformation; however, the overall idealized symmetry is C1. A comparative ligand field analysis, based on Gaussian resolution of the solution UV/VIS spectra for a number of homoleptic [M(N6)]3+ (M=CoIII, RhIII, Ir...

BWR-spent fuel transport and storage with the TN trademark 9/4 and TN trademark 24BH casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wattez, L.; Marguerat, Y.; Hoesli, C.

2004-01-01

The Swiss Nuclear Utilities have started in 2001 to store spent fuel in dry metallic dual-purpose casks in ZWILAG, the Swiss interim storage facility. BKW FMB Energy Ltd., as Muehleberg Nuclear Power Plant owner, is involved in this process and has selected to store its spent fuel, a new high capacity dual-purpose cask, the TN trademark 24BH. For the transport in a medium size cask, COGEMA LOGISTICS has developed a new cask, the TN trademark 9/4, to replace the NTL9 cask, which performed numerous transports of BWR spent fuel in the past decades. Licensed IAEA 1996, the TN trademark 9/4 is a 40 ton transport cask, for 7 BWR high burn-up spent fuel assemblies. The spent fuel assemblies can be transferred in the ZWILAG hot cell in the TN trademark 24BH cask. The first use of these casks took place in 2003. Ten TN trademark 9/4 transports were performed, and one TN trademark 24BH was loaded. After a brief presentation of the operational aspects, the paper will focus on the TN trademark 24BH high capacity dual purpose cask, the TN trademark 9/4 transport cask and describe in detail their characteristics and possibilities

Japanese version transport/storage packaging 'TN24'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakunai, H.; Iida, T.; Tsuda, K.; Akamatsu, H.

1993-01-01

Since 1983, Kobe Steel has been engaged jointly with the French company Transnucleaire in the development of 'TN24', a dry-type transport and storage packaging for irradiated fuel elements. This report describes the packaging, which has been adapted for use in domestic power stations using BWRs on the basis of the results of this development. (J.P.N.)

Simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigens in pleomorphic adenomas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Therkildsen, M H; Mandel, U; Christensen, M

1993-01-01

Simple mucin-type carbohydrate structures, T, Tn and sialosyl-Tn, are regarded as general markers of carcinomas in several epithelial tissues as a result of incomplete synthesis with precursor accumulation. The structures have a very limited distribution in normal tissues and secretions, including...... saliva and salivary glands. The expression of simple mucin-type carbohydrate structures and ABH(O) variants was studied in paraffin-embedded and frozen tissue sections from 37 pleomorphic adenomas with associated normal parotid tissue, using immunohistology and a panel of MAbs with well...

78 FR 7993 - Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Tri-Cities, TN; Revocation of Class E Airspace; Tri-City, TN

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-05

...). The SNPRM would list Hawkins County Airport and Virginia Highlands Airport under their own designator... feet above the surface for Hawkins County Airport, Rogersville, TN, and Virginia Highlands Airport, VA... TN E5 Rogersville, TN [New] Hawkins County Airport, TN (Lat. 36[deg]27'27'' N., long. 82[deg]53'06...

Rethinking Modal Gender in the Context of the Universe of Tn-Types: Definitions and Mathematical Models for Tonicity and Phonicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcus Alessi Bittencourt

2016-07-01

Full Text Available An indisputable cornerstone of the Western music tradition, the dialectic opposition between the major and minor grammatical modal genders has always been present in the imagination of musicians and music theorists for centuries. Such dialectics of opposition is especially important in the context of nineteenth-century harmonic dualism, with its ideas of tonicity and phonicity. These concepts serve as the main foundation for the way harmonic dualism conceives the major and minor worlds: two worlds with equivalent rights and properties, but with opposed polarities. This paper presents a redefinition of the terms tonicity and phonicity, translating those concepts to the context of post-tonal music theory. The terminologies of generatrix, tonicity, root, phonicity, vertex, and azimuth are explained in this paper, followed by propositions of mathematical models for those concepts, which spring from Richard Parncutt’s root-salience model for pitch-class sets. In order to demonstrate the possibilities of using modal gender as a criterion for the study and classification of the universe of Tn-types, we will present a taxonomy of the 351 transpositional set types, which comprises the categories of tonic (major, phonic (minor and neutral (genderless. In addition, there will be a small discussion on the effect of set symmetries and set asymmetries on the tonic/phonic properties of a Tn-type.

Genetic analysis of attTn7, the transposon Tn7 attachment site in Escherichia coli, using a novel M13-based transduction assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Qadri, M I; Flores, C C; Davis, A J; Lichtenstein, C P

1989-05-05

The large (14 kb; kb = 10(3) bases) bacterial transposon, Tn7 (encoding resistance to trimethoprim and streptomycin/spectinomycin), has unusual properties. Like other elements, Tn7 transposes with low efficiency and low target-site specificity, but Tn7 also transposes, with high frequency in a unique orientation, to a preferred "attachment" site, called attTn7, in the Escherichia coli chromosome and similarly into plasmids containing attTn7. We developed a novel bacteriophage M13-based assay system to measure the transposition frequency of Tn7 to M13mp phage vectors containing attTn7 on a cloned 1 kb fragment of chromosomal DNA. Phage harvested from a Tn7 donor strain were used to infect recipient bacteria with selection for trimethoprim resistance. Transposition frequency, expressed as the number of trimethoprim-resistant colonies per plaque-forming unit, was found to be approximately 10(-4) to M13mp::attTn7, in contrast to 10(-10) to M13mp recombinants with approximately 1 kb insertions of other, "generic brand", DNA. By deletion analysis of M13mp::attTn7, we show that attTn7 is contained within a 64 base-pair region; sequences adjacent to the actual insertion site and encoding the carboxy terminus of the glmS gene are required. This assay also provided evidence for transposition immunity conferred by the right end of Tn7.

Simple mucins (T, sialosyl-T, Tn and sialosyl-Tn) are not diagnostic for malignant breast lesions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reed, W.; Bryne, M.; Clausen, Henrik

1994-01-01

positive for T antigen, 82% for s-T antigen, 66% for Tn antigen and 22% for s-Tn antigen. The staining pattern was nearly identical for carcinomas with and without lymph node metastases. In conclusion, immunostaining for simple mucins does not permit a clear distinction between benign and malignant breast...

Induction of transposon TN1 translocation under the action of different mutagens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubanejshvili, M.G.; Smirnov, S.P.; Tarasov, V.A.

1983-01-01

Migration of ampicillin transposon Tn1 under normal conditions in Escherichia coli cells proceeds with low frequency (10 -4 transpositions for cell). The low transposition frequency is conditioned by the transposition repression, realized by the gene-repressor in transposon structure and, probably, by other regulating genes of the bacterium-host. E. coli cell treatment by physical and chemical mutagens resulted in induction of translocation of ampicillin transposon Tn1 from plasmid RP4 into other replicons. Mitomycin C and ultraviolet radiation produced stronger inducing effect as compared to nitroso-guanidine (NG). The effect of the given mutagens on transposition Tn1 correlated with their activating capacity with respect to inducible SOS-functions of E coli. The mutation of rec A didn't influence on spontaneous Tn1 transposition, but blocked completely the induction of transposition process under mutagen effect. The relationship of inducible transposition with SOS-functions in E. coli cells, controlled by recA and lexA genes, as well as the possible role of the process in genetic microorganism variability are discussed in the paper

Expression of cancer-associated simple mucin-type O-glycosylated antigens in parasites.

Science.gov (United States)

Osinaga, Eduardo

2007-01-01

Simple mucin-type O-glycan structures, such as Tn, TF, sialyl-Tn and Tk antigens, are among of the most specific human cancer-associated structures. These antigens are involved in several types of receptor-ligand interactions, and they are potential targets for immunotherapy. In the last few years several simple mucin-type O-glycan antigens were identified in different species belonging to the main two helminth parasite phyla, and sialyl-Tn bearing glycoproteins were detected in Trypanosoma cruzi. These results are of interest to understand new aspects in parasite glycoimmunology and may help identify new biological characteristics of parasites as well of the host-parasite relationship. Considering that different groups reported a negative correlation between certain parasite infections and cancer development, we could hypothesize that simple mucin-type O-glycosylated antigens obtained from parasites could be good potential targets for cancer immunotherapy.

R-prime site-directed transposon Tn7 mutagenesis of the photosynthetic apparatus in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Youvan, D C [Univ. of California, Berkeley; Elder, J T; Sandlin, D E; Zsebo, K; Alder, D P; Panopoulos, N J; Marrs, B L; Hearst, J E

1982-01-01

Site-directed mutagenesis of the photosynthetic apparatus (PSA) genes in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata is presented utilizing a transposon Tn7 mutagenized R-prime. The R-prime, pRPS404, bears most of the genes necessary for the differentiation of the photosynthetic apparatus. Mutagenesis of the R-prime with Tn7 in Escherichia coli, conjugation into R. capsulata, and homologous recombination with the wild-type alleles efficiently generates photosynthetic apparatus lesions. Wild-type alleles are lost spontaneously and the Tn7-induced lesions are revealed by subsequent intramolecular recombination between IS21 insertion elements that bracket the prime sequences in direct repeat. The molecular nature of the intermediates involved in the transposition, recombination and deletion have been investigated by Southern hybridization analysis. The spontaneous loss of wild-type alleles after homologous recombination with the chromosome may be of general use to other prokaryotic site-directed transposon mutagenesis schemes. The IS21-mediated deletion of the prime DNA is dependent on the RecA protein in E. coli, generating the parental R-factor bearing one IS21 element. A genetic-physical map exists for a portion of the prime photosynthetic apparatus DNA. When Tn7 is inserted into a bacteriochlorophyll gene in the R-prime and then crossed into R. capsulata, mutants are produced that accumulate a bacteriochlorophyll precursor, which is in excellent agreement with the existing genetic-physical map. This corroborates the mutagenesis scheme.

Transposon characterization of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) and dissemination of resistance associated with transferable plasmids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Migura, Lourdes Garcia; Liebana, Ernesto; Jensen, Lars Bogø

2007-01-01

Objectives: VanA glycopeptide resistance has persisted on broiler farms in the UK despite the absence of the antimicrobial selective pressure, avoparcin. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of horizontal gene transfer of Tn 1546 versus clonal spread in the dissemination of the resist......Objectives: VanA glycopeptide resistance has persisted on broiler farms in the UK despite the absence of the antimicrobial selective pressure, avoparcin. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of horizontal gene transfer of Tn 1546 versus clonal spread in the dissemination...... plasmid replicons, associated with antimicrobial resistance on several unrelated farms. Conclusions: Horizontal transfer of vancomycin resistance may play a more important role in the persistence of antimicrobial resistance than clonal spread. The presence of different plasmid replicons, associated...... with antimicrobial resistance on several unrelated farms, illustrates the ability of these enterococci to acquire and disseminate mobile genetic elements within integrated livestock systems....

Simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigens in major salivary glands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Therkildsen, M H; Mandel, U; Thorn, J

1994-01-01

Simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigens Tn, sialosyl-Tn and T are often markers of neoplastic transformation and have very limited expression in normal tissues. We performed an immunohistological study of simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigens, including H and A variants, with well......-defined monoclonal antibodies (MAb) on frozen and paraffin-embedded normal salivary gland tissue from 22 parotid, 14 submandibular, six sublingual, and 13 labial glands to elucidate the simple mucin-type glycosylation pattern in relation to cyto- and histodifferentiation. The investigated carbohydrate structures...

The TN-GEMINI: experience on a versatile alpha waste transport container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roland, V.; Chanzy, Y.

2001-01-01

The present paper discusses experience gained in moving alpha wastes and its teachings regarding transport aspects of D and D. Alpha wastes are generated in fuel cycle facilities such as those involved in reprocessing, in manufacture of mixed oxide fuel, and by research laboratories. If a significant amount of wastes has to be transported, then a Type B packaging is required. Developed by Transnucleaire and COGEMA, the TN GEMINI container enables nuclear facilities operators to optimise their alpha waste transport management, and more generally contribute to their D and D projects. After describing succinctly the design of the TN GEMINI, the paper will explain how the packaging is being operated. Teachings from experience will be shared. (orig.)

Induction of the Tn10 Precise Excision in E. coli Cells after Accelerated Heavy Ions Irradiation

CERN Document Server

Zhuravel, D V

2003-01-01

The influence of the irradiation of different kinds on the indication of the structural mutations in the bacteria Escherichia coli is considered. The regularities of the Tn10 precise excision after accelerated ^{4}He and ^{12}C ions irradiations with different linear energy transfer (LET) were investigated. Dose dependences of the survival and relative frequency of the Tn10 precise excision were obtained. It was shown, that the relative frequency of the Tn10 precise excision is the exponential function from the irradiation dose. Relative biological efficiency (RBE), and relative genetic efficiency (RGE) were calculated, and were treated as the function of the LET.

Two types of phytases (histidine acid phytase and β-propeller phytase) in Serratia sp. TN49 from the gut of Batocera horsfieldi (coleoptera) larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui; Yang, Peilong; Huang, Huoqing; Shi, Pengjun; Yuan, Tiezheng; Yao, Bin

2011-11-01

Microbial phytases play a major role in the mineralization of organic phosphorous, especially in symbiotic plants and animals. In this study, we identified two types of phytases in Serratia sp. TN49 that was harbored in the gut of Batocera horsfieldi (Coleoptera) larvae. The two phytases, an acidic histidine acid phosphatase (PhyH49) and an alkaline β-propeller phytase (PhyB49), shared low identities with known phytases (61% at most). PhyH49 and PhyB49 produced in Escherichia coli exhibited maximal activities at pH 5.0 (60°C) and pH 7.5-8.0 (45°C), respectively, and are complementary in phytate degradation over the pH range 2.0-9.0. Serratia sp. TN49 harboring both PhyH49 and PhyB49 might make it more adaptive to environment change, corresponding to the evolution trend of microorganism.

A NEW CELL CLONE DERIVED FROM TRICHOPLUSIA NI TN5B1-4 CELLS

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jian-xiaoTian; Chang-youLi; Gui-lingZheng; Guo-xunLi; PingWang; Granados

2004-01-01

The characteristics of a cultured cell line do not always remain stable and may change upon continuous passage. Most continuous cell lines, even after cloning, possess several genotypes that are constantly changing. There are numerous selective and adaptive culture processes, in addition to genetic instability, that may improve phenotypic change in cell growth, virus susceptibility, gene expression, and production of virus. Similar detrimental effects of long term passaging of insect cells have also been reported for continuous cell lines, for example, Tn5B 1-4 cells, which are the most widely used for the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), provide superior production of recombinant proteins,however, this high productivity may be more evident in low passage cells. In this paper, we describe the isolation of a cell clone, Tn5B-40, from low passage Tn5B 1-4 cells. The growth characteristics,productions of virus, and high level of recombinant protein productions were determined. The results showed the susceptibility of both clone and Tn5B 1-4 cells to wild-type AcNPV was approximately the same rate with over 95% of infection; when the cloned cells were infected with recombinant baculoviruses expressing β-galactosidase and secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), expression of the recombinant proteins from the cloned cells exceeded that from the parental Tn5B 1-4 cells.

Influence of local regulations on TN dual purpose BWR casks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samson, P.; Neider, T.

1999-01-01

Transnucleaire (Paris, France) and Transnuclear, Inc. (Hawthorne, New York, United Sates) have both developed Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) spent fuel casks for storage and transport purposes. The products are supplied in Europe by Transnucleaire and in the United States by Transnuclear, Inc. Now the TN Group is working on a design for Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) spent fuel assemblies: the TN 52 L cask is designed for transport and storage is Switzerland, the TN 68 cask is designed for transport and storage in the United States. For storage purpose, national regulatory requirements have to be met: each country has specific demands and criteria. As a consequence, differences between the TN 52 L design and the TN 68 design for rather similar contents appear in several fields: the design work, the licensing process, the manufacturing and the operational life. (author)

Organization of the cpe locus in CPE-positive clostridium perfringens type C and D isolates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jihong Li

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (encoded by the cpe gene contributes to several important human, and possibly veterinary, enteric diseases. The current study investigated whether cpe locus organization in type C or D isolates resembles one of the three (one chromosomal and two plasmid-borne cpe loci commonly found amongst type A isolates. Multiplex PCR assays capable of detecting sequences in those type A cpe loci failed to amplify products from cpe-positive type C and D isolates, indicating these isolates possess different cpe locus arrangements. Therefore, restriction fragments containing the cpe gene were cloned and sequenced from two type C isolates and one type D isolate. The obtained cpe locus sequences were then used to construct an overlapping PCR assay to assess cpe locus diversity amongst other cpe-positive type C and D isolates. All seven surveyed cpe-positive type C isolates had a plasmid-borne cpe locus partially resembling the cpe locus of type A isolates carrying a chromosomal cpe gene. In contrast, all eight type D isolates shared the same plasmid-borne cpe locus, which differed substantially from the cpe locus present in other C. perfringens by containing two copies of an ORF with 67% identity to a transposase gene (COG4644 found in Tn1546, but not previously associated with the cpe gene. These results identify greater diversity amongst cpe locus organization than previously appreciated, providing new insights into cpe locus evolution. Finally, evidence for cpe gene mobilization was found for both type C and D isolates, which could explain their cpe plasmid diversity.

TRANSIT--A Software Tool for Himar1 TnSeq Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael A DeJesus

2015-10-01

Full Text Available TnSeq has become a popular technique for determining the essentiality of genomic regions in bacterial organisms. Several methods have been developed to analyze the wealth of data that has been obtained through TnSeq experiments. We developed a tool for analyzing Himar1 TnSeq data called TRANSIT. TRANSIT provides a graphical interface to three different statistical methods for analyzing TnSeq data. These methods cover a variety of approaches capable of identifying essential genes in individual datasets as well as comparative analysis between conditions. We demonstrate the utility of this software by analyzing TnSeq datasets of M. tuberculosis grown on glycerol and cholesterol. We show that TRANSIT can be used to discover genes which have been previously implicated for growth on these carbon sources. TRANSIT is written in Python, and thus can be run on Windows, OSX and Linux platforms. The source code is distributed under the GNU GPL v3 license and can be obtained from the following GitHub repository: https://github.com/mad-lab/transit.

Simple mucin-type carbohydrates in normal and malignant human endometrium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ravn, V; Mandel, U; Svenstrup, B

1995-01-01

The simple mucin-type carbohydrate antigens, Tn, sialosyl-Tn, and T, are tumor-associated antigens of adenocarcinomas. We evaluated by immunohistochemistry the expression of Tn, sialosyl-Tn (s-Tn), T, and sialosyl-T (s-T) antigens in normal nonsecretory, early gestational, and malignant human...... and malignant endometrium, and the expression of s-T antigen was positively correlated with E2 levels in serum. Our findings suggest a hormonal influence on expression of simple mucin-type carbohydrates in human endometrium. However, the accumulation of Tn and s-Tn antigens in malignant endometrial cells seem...

HTR-TN achievements and prospects for future developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hittner, D.; Angulo, C.; Basini, V.; Bogusch, E.; Breuil, E.; Buckthorpe, D.; Chauvet, V.; Futterer, M.A.; Van Heek, A.; Von Lensa, W.; Yvon, P.

2011-01-01

It is already 10 years since the (European) High Temperature Reactor Technology Network (HTR-TN) launched a program for development of HTR technology, which expanded through three successive Euratom framework programs, with many projects in line with the network strategy. Widely relying in the beginning on the legacy of the former European HTR developments (DRAGON, AVR, THTR, etc.) that it contributed to safeguard, this program led to advances in HTR/VHTR technologies and produced significant results, which can contribute to the international cooperation through Euratom involvement in the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). the main achievements of the European program, performed in complement to efforts made in several European countries and other GIF partners, are presented: they concern the validation of computer codes (reactor physics, as well as system transient analysis from normal operation to air ingress accident and fuel performance in normal and accident conditions), materials (metallic materials for vessel, direct cycle turbines and intermediate heat exchanger, graphite, etc.), component development, fuel manufacturing and irradiation behavior, and specific HTR waste management (fuel and graphite). Key experiments have been performed or are still ongoing, like irradiation of graphite and of fuel material (PYCASSO experiment), high burn-up fuel PIE, safety test and isotopic analysis, IHX mock-up thermohydraulic test in helium atmosphere, air ingress experiment for a block type core, etc. Now HTR-TN partners consider that it is time for Europe to go a step forward toward industrial demonstration. In line with the orientations of the 'Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan)' recently issued by the European Commission that promotes a strategy for development of low-carbon energy technologies and mentions Generation IV nuclear systems as part of key technologies, HTR-TN proposes to launch a program for extending the contribution of nuclear energy to

Tumor-associated Tn-MUC1 glycoform is internalized through the macrophage galactose-type C-type lectin and delivered to the HLA class I and II compartments in dendritic cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Napoletano, Chiara; Rughetti, Aurelia; Agervig Tarp, Mads P

2007-01-01

. This results in the expression of tumor-associated glycoforms and in MUC1 carrying the tumor-specific glycan Tn (GalNAcalpha1-O-Ser/Thr). Glycopeptides corresponding to three tandem repeats of MUC1, enzymatically glycosylated with 9 or 15 mol of GalNAc, were shown to specifically bind and to be internalized...... and ELISA done on subcellular fractions of iDCs showed that the Tn-MUC1 glycopeptides colocalized with HLA class I and II compartments after internalization. Importantly, although Tn-MUC1 recombinant protein was bound and internalized by MGL, the glycoprotein entered the HLA class II compartment......, but not the HLA class I pathway. These data indicate that MGL expressed on iDCs is an optimal receptor for the internalization of short GalNAcs carrying immunogens to be delivered into HLA class I and II compartments. Such glycopeptides therefore represent a new way of targeting the HLA class I and II pathways...

Establishment of colloid gold immunity chromatography assay for cardiac troponin I (cTnI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dezhi; Chen Jiying; Qin Lili; Zhao Baojian; Zhang Chunming

2006-01-01

Objective: To establish the colloid gold Immunity chromatography assay for cardiac troponin I. Methods: To purify cTnI from human cardiac muscle and immunize rabbit with it. cTnI antibody of rabbit anti-human cardiac muscle has been prepared and colloid gold immunity chromatography assay was established by using immunity chromatography technology. Results: Anti-serum titles of cTnI were 1:100000, Ka=2.38 x 10 9 L/mol; Methodological index: Sensitivity: 5 ng/ml; Specificity: cTnI is no cross-reaction with cTnT, cTnC and CK-MB. conclusion: The assay is highly specific, quick and simple. It can be widely used for the early diagnosis of AMI and scientific research. (authors)

Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity: Mechanistic Insight into TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 Phosphorylation Integration

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Hussam E Salhi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Troponin I (TnI is a major regulator of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation. During physiological and pathological stress, TnI is differentially phosphorylated at multiple residues through different signaling pathways to match cardiac function to demand. The combination of these TnI phosphorylations can exhibit an expected or unexpected functional integration, whereby the function of two phosphorylations are different than that predicted from the combined function of each individual phosphorylation alone. We have shown that TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation exhibit functional integration and are simultaneously increased in response to cardiac stress. In the current study, we investigated the functional integration of TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 to alter cardiac contraction. We hypothesized that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation each utilize distinct molecular mechanisms to alter the TnI binding affinity within the thin filament. Mathematical modeling predicts that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation affect different TnI affinities within the thin filament to distinctly alter the Ca2+-binding properties of troponin. Protein binding experiments validate this assertion by demonstrating pseudo-phosphorylated Ser-150 decreases the affinity of isolated TnI for actin, whereas Ser-23/24 pseudo-phosphorylation is not different from unphosphorylated. Thus, our data supports that TnI Ser-23/24 affects TnI-TnC binding, while Ser-150 phosphorylation alters TnI-actin binding. By measuring force development in troponin-exchanged skinned myocytes, we demonstrate that the Ca2+ sensitivity of force is directly related to the amount of phosphate present on TnI. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ser-150 pseudo-phosphorylation blunts Ser-23/24-mediated decreased Ca2+-sensitive force development whether on the same or different TnI molecule. Therefore, TnI phosphorylations can integrate across troponins along the myofilament. These data demonstrate

In-house preparation of lectin panel and detection of Tn polyagglutination

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Sudipta Sekhar Das

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Polyagglutination is a condition in which red cells are agglutinated by ABO-compatible adult human sera, but not by cord blood sera and may be acquired or inherited. Lectins are invaluable reagents in the investigation of red cells polyagglutination. We prepared in-house lectin panel and confirmed Tn polyagglutination in a pregnant lady. The lady was anemic and refused blood transfusion elsewhere due to serological discrepancy. We found ABO discrepancy and an incompatible minor cross-match in the initial investigation and suspected polyagglutination. Confirmation of polyagglutination was done using adult and cord sera. We then used the in-house lectin panels to detect the type of polyagglutination. The agglutination pattern with the various lectins was suggestive of Tn polyagglutination, which was further supported by the enzyme study. Most blood banks in India lack commercial lectin panels because of cost and procurement difficulty. Lectins play an important role in the diagnosis and differentiation of polyagglutination and immunohematological management of patient. The important and basic lectins can be prepared in-house using specific raw seeds following standardized protocol.

In-house preparation of lectin panel and detection of Tn polyagglutination.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Sudipta Sekhar

2015-01-01

Polyagglutination is a condition in which red cells are agglutinated by ABO-compatible adult human sera, but not by cord blood sera and may be acquired or inherited. Lectins are invaluable reagents in the investigation of red cells polyagglutination. We prepared in-house lectin panel and confirmed Tn polyagglutination in a pregnant lady. The lady was anemic and refused blood transfusion elsewhere due to serological discrepancy. We found ABO discrepancy and an incompatible minor cross-match in the initial investigation and suspected polyagglutination. Confirmation of polyagglutination was done using adult and cord sera. We then used the in-house lectin panels to detect the type of polyagglutination. The agglutination pattern with the various lectins was suggestive of Tn polyagglutination, which was further supported by the enzyme study. Most blood banks in India lack commercial lectin panels because of cost and procurement difficulty. Lectins play an important role in the diagnosis and differentiation of polyagglutination and immunohematological management of patient. The important and basic lectins can be prepared in-house using specific raw seeds following standardized protocol.

Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (TN COMP)

Data.gov (United States)

Social Security Administration — The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury (TN COMP) uses SSA's assistance in administering the Tennessee Property Tax Rebate Program. SSA provides assistance through...

Dynamic Equilibrium of Cardiac Troponin C's Hydrophobic Cleft and Its Modulation by Ca2+ Sensitizers and a Ca2+ Sensitivity Blunting Phosphomimic, cTnT(T204E).

Science.gov (United States)

Schlecht, William; Dong, Wen-Ji

2017-10-18

Several studies have suggested that conformational dynamics are important in the regulation of thin filament activation in cardiac troponin C (cTnC); however, little direct evidence has been offered to support these claims. In this study, a dye homodimerization approach is developed and implemented that allows the determination of the dynamic equilibrium between open and closed conformations in cTnC's hydrophobic cleft. Modulation of this equilibrium by Ca 2+ , cardiac troponin I (cTnI), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), Ca 2+ -sensitizers, and a Ca 2+ -desensitizing phosphomimic of cTnT (cTnT(T204E) is characterized. Isolated cTnC contained a small open conformation population in the absence of Ca 2+ that increased significantly upon the addition of saturating levels of Ca 2+ . This suggests that the Ca 2+ -induced activation of thin filament arises from an increase in the probability of hydrophobic cleft opening. The inclusion of cTnI increased the population of open cTnC, and the inclusion of cTnT had the opposite effect. Samples containing Ca 2+ -desensitizing cTnT(T204E) showed a slight but insignificant decrease in open conformation probability compared to samples with cardiac troponin T, wild type [cTnT(wt)], while Ca 2+ sensitizer treated samples generally increased open conformation probability. These findings show that an equilibrium between the open and closed conformations of cTnC's hydrophobic cleft play a significant role in tuning the Ca 2+ sensitivity of the heart.

A New Generalizable Test for Detection of Mutations Affecting Tn10 Transposition

OpenAIRE

Huisman, Olivier; Kleckner, Nancy

1987-01-01

We describe here a new rapid screen that allows easy detection of transposon or host mutations that affect Tn10 transposition in Escherichia coli. This test involves a new Tn10 derivative called the "mini-lacZ-kanR fusion hopper" or mini-Tn10-LK for short. This element does not direct expression of β-galactosidase when present at its original starting location on a suitably engineered plasmid or phage genome because it lacks appropriate transcription and translation start signals. However, t...

Variation on a theme; an overview of the Tn916 / Tn1545 family of mobile genetic elements in the oral and nasopharyngeal streptococci.

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Francesco eSantoro

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The oral and nasopharyngeal streptococci are a major part of the normal microbiota in humans. Most human associated streptococci are considered commensals however a small number of them are pathogenic, causing a wide range of diseases including oral infections such as dental caries and periodontitis and diseases at other body sites including sinusitis and endocarditis, and in the case of Streptococcus pneumoniae, meningitis. Both phenotypic and sequence based studies have shown that the human associated streptococci from the mouth and nasopharynx harbour a large number of antibiotic resistance genes and these are often located on mobile genetic elements known as conjugative transposons or integrative and conjugative elements of the Tn916 / Tn1545 family. These mobile genetic elements are responsible for the spread of the resistance genes between streptococci and also between streptococci and other bacteria. In this review we describe the resistances conferred by, and the genetic variations between the many different Tn916-like elements found in recent studies of oral and nasopharyngeal streptococci and show that Tn916-like elements are important mediators of antibiotic resistance genes within this genus. We will also discuss the role of the oral environment and how this is conducive to the transfer of these elements and discuss the contribution of both transformation and conjugation on the transfer and evolution of these elements in different streptococci.

Superior Predictive Value for NTproBNP Compared with High Sensitivity cTnT in Dialysis Patients: A Pilot Prospective Observational Study

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Luminita Voroneanu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims: The clinical utility of the new biomarker, high sensitivity cardiac T troponin (hs-cTnT is still unclear in dialysis patients. Furthermore, the prognostic value of combining N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP and hs-cTnT has not been explored so far. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the utility of hs-cTnT alone versus hs-cTnT in combination with NT-proBNP for predicting death in a stable hemodialysis cohort. Methods: A prospective observational pilot study including 98 chronic asymptomatic hemodialysis patients with a follow up period of 24 months was designed. The cut-off values for NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT were calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC analysis, using mortality as an end-point. Based on the cut-off values, the cohort was divided into four groups. Group 1 - NT-proBNP 69.48 ng/l; group 3 - NT-proBNP > 14275 pg/ml and hs-cTnT 14275 pg/ml and hs-cTnT > 69.48 ng/l. Survival for each group was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Results: During the follow-up period 16 patients died. According to the ROC curves analysis, the cut-off point for hs-cTnT and for NT-proBNP were 69.43 ng/l (AUC = 0.618; p = 0.04 and 14275 pg/ml (AUC = 0.722; p = 0.003, respectively. In univariate Cox analysis, both hs-cTnT (HR = 3.34; p = 0.016 and NT-proBNP (HR = 5.94; p = 0.01 were predictors of death. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, only NT-pro-BNP levels above the cut-off value remained an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. The combined elevation of both biomarkers did not improve significantly the prognostic value compared with NT-proBNP alone (HR = 6.15 versus HR =4 .78; p = 0.338. Conclusion: NT-pro-BNP is a strong predictor of overall mortality in asymptomatic hemodialysis patients. The addition of hs-cTnT did not improve the prognostic accuracy compared with NT proBNP alone.

ETIOLOGY CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT NEEDS (TN FOR ORAL MALODOR

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Anton Raharjo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Oral malodor, a generic descriptor term for foul smells emanating from the mouth can be classified as either pathological or physiological halitosis. Some problems are often confounded by the clinician's mismanagement. Objective: This paper reviews the etiology of classification and determination of treatment needs (TN for oral malodor. Literature review and discussion: In the majority of cases the problem has been shown to originate in the oral cavity. Although oral malodor cases are often related to physiological aspects, sometimes they can be related to extra oral sources and psychological aspects. Classification methods of oral malodor with corresponding treatment needs (TN have already been established. Although PTC & tongue brushing and appropriate mouthrinses are both important and basic treatment measures for halitosis, other dental treatments are sometimes required. Conclusion: Accurate screening and diagnosis of halitosis followed by appropriate TN may give better results and consequently reduce the risk of mismanagement.

Some reproductive performances of Thai native (TN and 50% TN x Anglo-Nubian crossbred does with different levels of concentrate supplementation

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Choldumrongkul, S.

2007-05-01

Full Text Available A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial in completely randomized design was conducted to determine the effect of genotype of does (Thai native (TN or 50% Anglo-Nubian (AN crossbred, levels of concentrate supplementation(1 % body weight or ad libitum and body condition of does (poor or good on oestrus incidence, kidding rate and multiple birth rate of does. Does rotationally grazed on Paspalum plicatulum pasture for 4 weeks andwere supplemented with concentrate. The experiment was divided into 4 periods: 1 does run with a teaser for 105 days before mating to determine an oestrus incidence 2 does joined with bucks of the same genotypefor 45 days 3 does run with a teaser for 150 days during pregnancy and 4 does run with a teaser 90 days post-partum. Genotype, levels of concentrate supplementation and body condition of does did not significantlyaffect (P>0.05 kidding rate or multiple birth rate and average kidding rate and multiple birth rate of the does was 83.8 and 82.3%, respectively. Birth weight of kids from TN does was significantly lower (P<0.01 than that from 50% TN x AN crossbred does (1.9 and 2.5 kg, respectively. Number of days of the first oestrus incidence in post-partum period for TN does was significantly (P<0.01 less than that of 50% ANcrossbred does (59.1 days and 75.0 days, respectively. Number of days of the first oestrus incidence in postpartum for does supplemented with concentrate ad libitum was significantly (P<0.01 lower than that ofdoes supplemented with 1% BW of concentrate (60.5 and 73.6 days, respectively.

The TN-RAM - a new cask for shipping high activity irradiated hardware

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neider, T.; Hanson, A.S.

1993-01-01

Transnuclear, Inc. has developed a Type B(U) radioactive material transport packaging designed specifically for the transport of dry, irradiated, non-fuel bearing components (NFBC). The TN-RAM is a transport cask in the configuration of a right circular cylinder, fabricated from lead and stainless steel, with wood-filled impact limiters attached at both ends. The lead and stainless steel construction of the lid, walls, and bottom provides a shielding effectiveness of approximately 7.1 inches (18 cm) lead equivalent. (J.P.N.)

ST6GalNAc-I controls expression of sialyl-Tn antigen in gastrointestinal tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marcos, Nuno T; Bennett, Eric Paul; Gomes, Joana

2011-01-01

-Tn biosynthesis. We developed novel monoclonal antibodies specific for ST6GalNAc-I and evaluated its expression in gastrointestinal tissues. ST6GalNAc-I was detected in normal colon mucosa co-localized with O-acetylated sialyl-Tn. Expression was largely unaltered in colorectal adenocarcinomas. In contrast, we......NAc-I as the major enzyme controlling the expression of cancer-associated sialyl-Tn antigen in gastrointestinal tissues....

cTnT can be a useful marker for early detection of anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilickap, S; Barista, I; Akgul, E; Aytemir, K; Aksoyek, S; Aksoy, S; Celik, I; Kes, S; Tekuzman, G

2005-05-01

The level of serum cardiac troponin-T (cTnT) increases with myocardial damage. We sought to assess whether cTnT level could be a useful marker for the early detection of anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Forty-one patients who had been scheduled to receive anthracycline-containing combination chemotherapy were included in the study. Serum cTnT levels were measured before (baseline) and after the first cycle of chemotherapy, and again, after the last cycle of chemotherapy. In all patients, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), fractional shortening (FS), early peak flow/atrial flow velocity (E/A) ratio, and the isovolemic relaxation time (IRT) were measured echocardiographically, both before and after the completion of chemotherapy. LVEF and FS did not change in any patients. In 21 patients (49%), the E/A ratio decreased after therapy as compared to the pre-treatment values. The decrease in E/A ratio was more prominent in patients who were older than the mean age of our study group, which was 44 years. The post-treatment IRT was prolonged compared with the pretreatment IRT (94.0 +/- 2.0 versus 85.6 +/- 10.5 ms, respectively). cTnT levels after completion of therapy were elevated in 14 (34%) patients, and exceeded the upper limit of the normal range (>0.1 ng/ml) in only one patient. cTnT levels measured after completion of therapy were significantly higher, compared with those measured at baseline and after the first cycle of therapy. In the younger age group (< or =44 years old), there was a two-fold decrease in the E/A ratio in those patients whose cTnT levels increased during the therapy, when compared with those whose cTnT levels did not change (21% versus 43%, respectively). Increased serum cTnT level can be detected in the early stages of anthracycline therapy and it is associated with diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle. Therefore, serum cTnT level could be a useful measure for early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity.

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

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Samiha Sioud

2009-01-01

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

Targeting of macrophage galactose-type C-type lectin (MGL) induces DC signaling and activation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Napoletano, Chiara; Zizzari, Ilaria G; Rughetti, Aurelia

2012-01-01

NAc or Tn)-carrying tumor-associated antigens to improve DC performance. MGL expressed by ex vivo-generated iDCs from healthy donors was engaged by a 60-mer MUC1(9Tn) -glycopeptide as a Tn-carrying tumor-associated antigen, and an anti-MGL antibody, as a specific MGL binder. We demonstrated that MGL......Dendritic cells (DCs) sense the microenvironment through several types of receptors recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns. In particular, C-type lectins, expressed by distinct subsets of DCs, recognize and internalize specific carbohydrate antigen in a Ca(2+) -dependent manner....... Targeting of these receptors is becoming an efficient strategy of delivering antigens in DC-based anticancer immunotherapy. Here we investigated the role of the macrophage galactose type C-lectin receptor (MGL), expressed by immature DCs (iDCs), as a molecular target for a-N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal...

Treatment factors affecting outcomes in HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphomas: a pooled analysis of 1546 patients

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Xiaonan; Wang, Dan; Tamari, Roni; Lee, Jeannette Y.; Mounier, Nicolas; Kaplan, Lawrence D.; Ribera, Josep-Maria; Spina, Michele; Tirelli, Umberto; Weiss, Rudolf; Galicier, Lionel; Boue, Francois; Wilson, Wyndham H.; Wyen, Christoph; Oriol, Albert; Navarro, José-Tomás; Dunleavy, Kieron; Little, Richard F.; Ratner, Lee; Garcia, Olga; Morgades, Mireia; Remick, Scot C.; Noy, Ariela; Sparano, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

Limited comparative data exist for the treatment of HIV-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We analyzed pooled individual patient data for 1546 patients from 19 prospective clinical trials to assess treatment-specific factors (type of chemotherapy, rituximab, and concurrent combination antiretroviral [cART] use) and their influence on the outcomes complete response (CR), progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). In our analysis, rituximab was associated with a higher CR rate (odds ratio [OR] 2.89; P < .001), improved PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.50; P < .001), and OS (HR 0.51; P < .0001). Compared with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP), initial therapy with more dose-intense regimens resulted in better CR rates (ACVBP [doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin and prednisolone]: OR 1.70; P < .04), PFS (ACVBP: HR 0.72; P = .049; “intensive regimens”: HR 0.35; P < .001) and OS (“intensive regimens”: HR 0.54; P < .001). Infusional etoposide, prednisone, infusional vincristine, infusional doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (EPOCH) was associated with significantly better OS in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (HR 0.33; P = .03). Concurrent use of cART was associated with improved CR rates (OR 1.89; P = .005) and trended toward improved OS (HR 0.78; P = .07). These findings provide supporting evidence for current patterns of care where definitive evidence is unavailable. PMID:24014242

Comblike dendrimers containing Tn antigen modulate natural killing and induce the production of Tn specific antibodies

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vepřek, Pavel; Hajdúch, M.; Džubák, P.; Kulík, R.; Poláková, J.; Bezouška, Karel

2006-01-01

Roč. 49, č. 21 (2006), s. 6400-6407 ISSN 0022-2623 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4020213; GA AV ČR IAA5020403; GA ČR GA304/06/1691 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506; CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : Tn antigen * glycodendrimer * NKP-P1 Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 5.115, year: 2006

Pharmaceutical significance of Leuconostoc mesenteroides KS-TN11 isolated from Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

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Bilal Ahmad Paray

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Aquatic animals are known for their myriad of beneficial bacteria with diverse biologically active compounds. The current study was aimed to isolate and characterize potentially beneficial lactic acid bacteria from Nile Tilapia and evaluate their pharmaceutical applications. The fish samples were dissected and stomach, intestine, and gills were collected and serially diluted for the isolation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB on BCP agar media. Identification of isolate was carried by biochemical and molecular characterization using API kit and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis, respectively. Further, KS-TN11 was assessed for α-glucosidase inhibitory potential using the chromogenic method. A lactic acid bacterium KS-TN11 was isolated from the stomach of Nile Tilapia and identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Effect of KS-TN11 on lipid accumulation in adipocytes was done by using Oil Red O staining. The isolate showed strong antibacterial activity against a number of pathogenic bacteria in vitro. In addition, L. mesenteroides KS-TN11 KS-TN11 (50 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml tends to inhibit adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and thus may have possible anti-obesity effects. Moreover, L. mesenteroides KS-TN11 exhibited substantial α–glucosidase inhibitory activities by 41.33% at 50 mg/ml and 64% at 100 mg/ml, respectively. The bacterium showed potent antibacterial activity against a number of pathogenic bacteria; in addition to alpha-glucosidase activity, and inhibition of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cell line. These results reinforce KS-TN11 as a novel bacterium with an impending pharmaceutical application. Keywords: Lactic acid bacteria, Antimicrobial, Fish microflora, Anti-diabetic

Two-stage soil infiltration treatment system for treating ammonium wastewaters of low COD/TN ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Zhongfang; Wu, Ting; Zhang, Yi; Liu, Xiang; Wan, Chunli; Lee, Duu-Jong; Tay, Joo-Hwa

2013-01-01

Soil infiltration treatment (SIT) is ineffective to treat ammonium wastewaters of total nitrogen (TN) > 100 mg l(-1). This study applied a novel two-stage SIT process for effective TN removal from wastewaters of TN>100 mg l(-1) and of chemical oxygen demand (COD)/TN ratio of 3.2-8.6. The wastewater was first fed into the soil column (stage 1) at hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 0.06 m(3) m(-2) d(-1) for COD removal and total phosphorus (TP) immobilization. Then the effluent from stage 1 was fed individually into four soil columns (stage 2) at 0.02 m(3) m(-2) d(-1) of HLR with different proportions of raw wastewater as additional carbon source. Over the one-year field test, balanced nitrification and denitrification in the two-stage SIT revealed excellent TN removal (>90%) from the tested wastewaters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short-term mortality in patients with myocardial injury and myocardial infarction type 1 and type 2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sarkisian, Laura; Saaby, L.; Poulsen, T. S.

2015-01-01

-year period we prospectively studied hospitalized patients having cardiac troponin I (cTnI) measured on clinical indication. The diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 MI was according to the universal definition involving a rising and/or falling pattern of cTnI values above the decision limit of 30 ng/L. c....... The results are depicted in the figure (Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank-test; p-value...

A Tn5051-like mer-containing transposon identified in a heavy metal tolerant strain Achromobacter sp. AO22

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhave Mrinal

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Achromobacter sp. AO22 (formerly Alcaligenes sp. AO22, a bacterial strain isolated from a lead-contaminated industrial site in Australia, was previously found to be resistant to moderate to high levels of mercury, copper and other heavy metals. However, the nature and location of the genetic basis for mercuric ion resistance in this strain, had not been previously identified. Findings Achromobacter sp. AO22 contains a functional mer operon with all four essential genes (merRTPA and shows >99% DNA sequence identity to that of Tn501. The mer operon was present on a transposon, designated TnAO22, captured by introducing a broad-host-range IncP plasmid into Achromobacter sp. AO22 and subsequently transferring it to E. coli recipients. The transposition frequency of TnAO22 was 10-2 to 10-3 per target plasmid transferred. Analysis of TnAO22 sequence revealed it belonged to the Tn21 subgroup of the Tn3 superfamily of transposons, with the transposition module having >99% identity with Tn5051 of a Pseudomonas putida strain isolated from a water sample in New York. Conclusion TnAO22 is thus a new variant of Tn5051 of the Tn3 superfamily and the transposon and its associated mercury resistance system are among the few such systems reported in a soil bacterium. Achromobacter sp. AO22 can thus be exploited for applications such as in situ mercury bioremediation of contaminated sites, or the mobile unit and mer operon could be mobilized to other bacteria for similar purposes.

76 FR 14855 - Television Broadcasting Services; Nashville, TN

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [MB Docket No. 11-29, RM-11622; DA 11-335] Television Broadcasting Services; Nashville, TN AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Proposed... 73 Television, Television broadcasting. Federal Communications Commission. Kevin R. Harding...

76 FR 33656 - Television Broadcasting Services; Nashville, TN

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-09

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 47 CFR Part 73 [MB Docket No. 11-29; RM-11622, DA 11-949] Television Broadcasting Services; Nashville, TN AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Final rule... Part 73 Television. Federal Communications Commission. Barbara A. Kreisman, Chief, Video Division...

An Enterobacter plasmid as a new genetic background for the transposon Tn1331

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alavi MR

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Mohammad R Alavi1,2, Vlado Antonic2, Adrien Ravizee1, Peter J Weina3, Mina Izadjoo1,2, Alexander Stojadinovic21Division of Wound Biology and Translational Research, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and American Registry of Pathology, Washington DC, 2Combat Wound Initiative Program, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC, 3The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USABackground: Genus Enterobacter includes important opportunistic nosocomial pathogens that could infect complex wounds. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in these microorganisms represents a challenging clinical problem in the treatment of these wounds. In the authors’ screening of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from complex wounds, an Enterobacter species was isolated that harbors antibiotic-resistant plasmids conferring resistance to Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to identify the resistance genes carried by one of these plasmids.Methods: The plasmids from the Enterobacter isolate were propagated in E. coli and one of the plasmids, designated as pR23, was sequenced by the Sanger method using fluorescent dye-terminator chemistry on a genetic analyzer. The assembled sequence was annotated by search of the GenBank database.Results: Plasmid pR23 is composed of the transposon Tn1331 and a backbone plasmid that is identical to the plasmid pPIGDM1 from Enterobacter agglomerans. The multidrug-resistance transposon Tn1331, which confers resistance to aminoglycoside and beta lactam antibiotics, has been previously isolated only from Klebsiella. The Enterobacter plasmid pPIGDM1, which carries a ColE1-like origin of replication and has no apparent selective marker, appears to provide a backbone for propagation of Tn1331 in Enterobacter. The recognition sequence of Tn1331 transposase for insertion into pPIGDM1 is the pentanucleotide TATTA, which occurs only once throughout the length of this plasmid.Conclusion: Transposition of Tn1331 into

Role of Myofibril-Inducing RNA in cardiac TnT expression in developing Mexican axolotl

Science.gov (United States)

Sferrazza, Gian-Franco; Zhang, Chi; Jia, Pingping; Lemanski, Sharon L.; Athauda, Gagani; Stassi, Alyssa; Halager, Kristine; Maier, Jennifer A.; Rueda-de-Leon, Elena; Gupta, Amit; Dube, Syamalima; Huang, Xupei; Prentice, Howard M.; Dube, Dipak K.; Lemanski, Larry F.

2007-01-01

The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, has been a useful animal model to study heart development and cardiac myofibrillogenesis. A naturally-occurring recessive mutant, gene “c”, for cardiac non-function in the Mexican axolotl causes a failure of myofibrillogenesis due to a lack of tropomyosin expression in homozygous mutant (c/c) embryonic hearts.. Myofibril-Inducing RNA (MIR) rescues mutant hearts in vitro by promoting tropomyosin expression and myofibril formation thereafter. We have studied the effect of MIR on the expression of various isoforms of cardiac Troponin-T (cTnT), a component of the thin filament that binds with tropomyosin. Four alternatively spliced cTnT isoforms have been characterized from developing axolotl heart. The expression of various cTnT isoforms in normal, mutant, and mutant hearts corrected with MIR, is evaluated by real-time RT-PCR using isoform specific primer pairs; MIR affects the total transcription as well as the splicing of the cTnT in axolotl heart PMID:17408593

Magnetic properties of the filled skutterudite-type structure compounds GdRu4P12 and TbRu4P12 synthesized under high pressure

OpenAIRE

Sekine, C; Uchiumi, T; Shirotani, I; Matsuhira, kazuyuki; Sakakibara, T; Goto, T; Yagi, T

2000-01-01

We have succeeded in synthesizing filled skutterudite-type structure compounds GdRu4P12 and TbRu4P12 under high pressure. The magnetic properties of GdRu4P12 and TbRu4P12 have been studied by means of electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetization measurements. Magnetic experiments suggest that the Gd and Tb ions in the compounds have trivalent state. The compound GdRu4P12 displays features that suggest the occurrence of antiferromagnetic ordering below TN=22 K. In TbRu4P1...

Peri-operative troponin monitoring using a prototype high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay: comparisons with hs-cTnT and contemporary cTnI assays.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lee, Graham R

2013-09-18

Non-cardiac surgery is associated with major vascular complications and higher incidences of elevated plasma troponin (cTn) concentration. Goal-directed therapy (GDT) is a stroke volume (SV)-guided approach to intravenous (IV) fluid therapy that improves tissue perfusion, oxygenation and reduces post-operative complications. In patients undergoing major gastro-intestinal surgery, we compared high sensitive and contemporary troponin assays and correlated results with patient outcome.

Literary Depictions i n Ghazavâtnâmahs That Adress the Crimean War

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Kürşat Şamil ŞAHİN

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The Crimean War that started in 1853 between the Ottoman Empire and Russia lasted until 1856. It ended with the defeat of the Russians as England and France sided with the Ottoman Empire. A great number of work has been written then and since about this war which deeply affect our social and politica l life. Among these, there are ghazavâtnâmahs that describe what happened down - to - line, usually by the pen of the poets and writers who closely witnessed the war. The causes of war, the preparations, what happened at the time of expedition and measures tha t were taken, the outcome of the events during the war and afterwards are all brought into sharp relief in most of these works. Whether in verse, prose or mixed typed, these works of art have gradually increased after 15 th century in Turkish literature. Th is genre has decreased by the Ottoman Empire began to decline and the raids were scarce; and it totally disappeared after the tradition of ghaza were ceased. In this study the literary depictions in - the last examples of the genre - Salih Hayri’s Kırım Zafe rnamesi (Hayrâbât, Ahmed Rızâ Trabzonî’s Manzume - i Sivastopol and Süleyman Şâdî’s Muzaffernâme are presented. There are not many studies that focus on literary depictions in ghazavâtnâmahs, particularly on literary war depictions. The characteristics of t hese literary depictions are tried to be explained with reference to ghazavâtnâmahs belonging to the Empire's last era.

A TALE of transposition: Tn3-like transposons play a major role in the spread of pathogenicity determinants of Xanthomonas citri and other xanthomonads.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Rafael Marini; de Oliveira, Amanda Carolina P; Moreira, Leandro M; Belasque, José; Gourbeyre, Edith; Siguier, Patricia; Ferro, Maria Inês T; Ferro, Jesus A; Chandler, Michael; Varani, Alessandro M

2015-02-17

Members of the genus Xanthomonas are among the most important phytopathogens. A key feature of Xanthomonas pathogenesis is the translocation of type III secretion system (T3SS) effector proteins (T3SEs) into the plant target cells via a T3SS. Several T3SEs and a murein lytic transglycosylase gene (mlt, required for citrus canker symptoms) are found associated with three transposition-related genes in Xanthomonas citri plasmid pXAC64. These are flanked by short inverted repeats (IRs). The region was identified as a transposon, TnXax1, with typical Tn3 family features, including a transposase and two recombination genes. Two 14-bp palindromic sequences within a 193-bp potential resolution site occur between the recombination genes. Additional derivatives carrying different T3SEs and other passenger genes occur in different Xanthomonas species. The T3SEs include transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs). Certain TALEs are flanked by the same IRs as found in TnXax1 to form mobile insertion cassettes (MICs), suggesting that they may be transmitted horizontally. A significant number of MICs carrying other passenger genes (including a number of TALE genes) were also identified, flanked by the same TnXax1 IRs and delimited by 5-bp target site duplications. We conclude that a large fraction of T3SEs, including individual TALEs and potential pathogenicity determinants, have spread by transposition and that TnXax1, which exhibits all of the essential characteristics of a functional transposon, may be involved in driving MIC transposition. We also propose that TALE genes may diversify by fork slippage during the replicative Tn3 family transposition. These mechanisms may play a crucial role in the emergence of Xanthomonas pathogenicity. Xanthomonas genomes carry many insertion sequences (IS) and transposons, which play an important role in their evolution and architecture. This study reveals a key relationship between transposons and pathogenicity determinants in

Analysis of Tn antigenicity with a panel of new IgM and IgG1 monoclonal antibodies raised against leukemic cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blixt, Klas Ola; Lavrova, Olga I; Mazurov, Dmitriy V

2012-01-01

antigenicity remain poorly understood. As a consequence, a broad variety of anti-Tn monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been generated. To further investigate the nature and complexity of the Tn antigen, we generated seven different anti-Tn mAbs of IgM and IgG classes raised against human Jurkat T cells, which...... are Tn-positive due to the low activity of T-synthase and mutation in specific chaperone Cosmc. The binding analysis of anti-Tn mAbs with the array of synthetic saccharides, glycopeptides and O-glycoproteins revealed unexpected differences in specificities of anti-Tn mAbs. IgM mAbs bound the terminal Gal...

Transposition of Tn5096 from a temperature-sensitive transducible plasmid in Streptomyces spp.

OpenAIRE

McHenney, M A; Baltz, R H

1991-01-01

Transposon Tn5096 was inserted into a derivative of the temperature-sensitive plasmid pMT660 containing the bacteriophage FP43 pac site. The resulting plasmid, pRHB126, was transduced by FP43 into several Streptomyces species. Tn5096 transposed from pRHB126 into different sites in the genomes of Streptomyces ambofaciens, Streptomyces cinnamonensis, Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), Streptomyces fradiae, Streptomyces griseofuscus, and Streptomyces thermotolerans.

HTR fuel research in the HTR-TN network on the high flux reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guidez, J.; Conrad, R.; Sevini, P.; Burghartz, M. [HFR Unit, Institute for Advanced Materials, European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Petten (Netherlands); Languille, A. [CEA Cadarache, 13 - Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Guillermier, P. [FRAMATOME ANP, 69 - Lyon (France); Bakker, K. [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, Petten (Netherlands); Nabielek, H. [Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany)

2001-07-01

Foremost, this paper explains the economic and strategic reasons for the comeback of the HTR reactor as one of the most promising reactors in the future. To study all the points related to HTR technology, a European network called HTR-TN was created in April 2000, with actually twenty European companies involved. This paper explains the organisation of the network and the related task-groups. In the field of fuel, one of these task-groups works on the fuel cycle and another works on the fuel itself in order to validate by testing HTR fuel possibilities. To this aim, an experimental loop is under construction in the HFR reactor to test full-size pebble type fuel elements and another under study to test compact fuel possibilities. These loops are based on all the experience accumulated by the High Flux Reactor in the years 70-90, when a lot of test were performed for fuel and material for the HTR technology and the facility design uses all the existing HFR knowledge. In conclusion, a host of research work, co-ordinated in the frame of a European network HTR-TN has begun. and should allow in the near future a substantial progress in the knowledge of this very promising fuel. (author)

HTR fuel research in the HTR-TN network on the high flux reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidez, J.; Conrad, R.; Sevini, P.; Burghartz, M.; Languille, A.; Guillermier, P.; Bakker, K.; Nabielek, H.

2001-01-01

Foremost, this paper explains the economic and strategic reasons for the comeback of the HTR reactor as one of the most promising reactors in the future. To study all the points related to HTR technology, a European network called HTR-TN was created in April 2000, with actually twenty European companies involved. This paper explains the organisation of the network and the related task-groups. In the field of fuel, one of these task-groups works on the fuel cycle and another works on the fuel itself in order to validate by testing HTR fuel possibilities. To this aim, an experimental loop is under construction in the HFR reactor to test full-size pebble type fuel elements and another under study to test compact fuel possibilities. These loops are based on all the experience accumulated by the High Flux Reactor in the years 70-90, when a lot of test were performed for fuel and material for the HTR technology and the facility design uses all the existing HFR knowledge. In conclusion, a host of research work, co-ordinated in the frame of a European network HTR-TN has begun. and should allow in the near future a substantial progress in the knowledge of this very promising fuel. (author)

Characterization of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) isolate from a dog with mastitis: further evidence of a clonal lineage of VREF in New Zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Manson, Janet M; Keis, Stefanie; Smith, John M B; Cook, Gregory M

2003-07-01

We report here on the characterization of a vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VREF) isolated from a dog with mastitis. The isolate was positive for the vanA, ermB, and tet(M) genes, with vanA and ermB carried on the same transferable plasmid. Comparison of this isolate with VREF from poultry and human sources in New Zealand demonstrated identical SmaI macrorestriction patterns and Tn1546-like elements. This is further evidence of a clonal lineage of VREF in New Zealand.

A inter-relação das sialomucinas (antígenos Tn e Stn com o adenocarcinoma no esôfago de Barrett Relationship of the sialomucins (Tn and Stn antigens with adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Plínio Conte de Faria Júnior

2007-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: O esôfago de Barrett (EB é conseqüência do refluxo gastroesofágico crônico e considerado fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de adenocarcinoma. Estudos do muco, em especial das mucinas ácidas representadas pelas sialomucinas presentes nas células caliciformes, mostraram que na metaplasia do tipo intestinal, o epitélio do órgão pode expressar antígenos denominados Tn e Stn. Estes antígenos já foram analisados em tumores gástricos e colônicos, porém não foram encontradas referências à sua utilização no EB. Este trabalho objetivou analisar estes antígenos em doentes com EB e em adenocarcinoma associado ao EB. MÉTODOS: Foram estudados, utilizando testes imunohistoquímicos, os antígenos Tn e Stn, nas biópsias endoscópicas de 29 doentes com EB, sete com adenocarcinoma no EB, além de oito indivíduos com epitélio esofágico normal. RESULTADOS: Nas células caliciformes, foi observada positividade para Stn em 100% dos casos e para Tn em 48% dos casos. Nas células colunares, o Stn foi sempre negativo, enquanto o Tn foi positivo em 100% dos casos. Entretanto, nos doentes com adenocarcinoma no EB, a positividade para ambos os antígenos foi de 100%. Nos indivíduos normais, houve positividade para o antígeno Tn e negatividade para Stn em todos os casos (100%. CONCLUSÃO: É provável que nos doentes com EB a positividade para o Tn, à semelhança do ocorrido quanto à positividade do mesmo antígeno nos portadores de adenocarcinoma, possa significar maior suscetibilidade para ocorrência futura de câncer. Assim, a pesquisa das sialomucinas poderá ser rotineiramente utilizada, contribuindo como fator prognóstico para desenvolvimento de adenocarcinoma no EB.OBJECIVE: Barrett's esophagus (BE is a consequence of chronic gastroesophageal reflux and is considered a risk factor for adenocarcinoma. The study of the mucus, especially acid mucins, such as the sialomucins in the goblet cells which characterize BE, showed

Structural magnetic resonance imaging can identify trigeminal system abnormalities in classical trigeminal neuralgia

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Danielle DeSouza

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Classical trigeminal neuralgia (TN is a chronic pain disorder that has been described as one ofthe most severe pains one can suffer. The most prevalent theory of TN etiology is that the trigeminal nerve is compressed at the root entry zone (REZ by blood vessels. However, there is significant evidence showing a lack of neurovascular compression (NVC for many cases of classical TN. Furthermore, a considerable number of patients who are asymptomatic have MR evidence of NVC. Since there is no validated animal model that reproduces the clinical features of TN, our understanding of TN pathology mainly comes from biopsy studies that have limitations. Sophisticated structural MRI techniques including diffusion tensor imaging provide new opportunities to assess the trigeminal nerves and CNS to provide insight into TN etiology and pathogenesis. Specifically, studies have used high-resolution structural MRI methods to visualize patterns of trigeminal nerve-vessel relationships and to detect subtle pathological features at the trigeminal REZ. Structural MRI has also identified CNS abnormalities in cortical and subcortical gray matter and white matter and demonstrated that effective neurosurgical treatment for TN is associated with a reversal of specific nerve and brain abnormalities. In conclusion, this review highlights the advanced structural neuroimaging methods that are valuable tools to assess the trigeminal system in TN and may inform our current understanding of TN pathology. These methods may in the future have clinical utility for the development of neuroimaging-based biomarkers of TN.

[Nitrogen Losses Under the Action of Different Land Use Types of Small Catchment in Three Gorges Region].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Cheng-long; Gao, Ming; Ni, Jiu-pai; Xie, De-ti; Deng, Hua

2016-05-15

27.51, 25.11, 27.11 mg · L⁻¹, respectively; different land use types and spatial combination ways of subcatchment had a greater influence on TN's losses concentrations, so using a reasonable way to adjust land use structure and spatial arrangement of whole catchment was an effective measure to control the source of non-point source pollution of Three Gorges Region.

76 FR 35909 - Temporary Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-20

... Recreation Area, TN/KY. SUMMARY: Pursuant to 36 CFR 51.24, public notice is hereby given that the National... Concession Contract for Big South Fork National Recreation Area, TN/KY AGENCY: National Park Service... services within Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky, for a term not to exceed 3...

A critical evaluation of the Beckman Coulter Access hsTnI: Analytical performance, reference interval and concordance.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretorius, Carel J; Tate, Jillian R; Wilgen, Urs; Cullen, Louise; Ungerer, Jacobus P J

2018-05-01

We investigated the analytical performance, outlier rate, carryover and reference interval of the Beckman Coulter Access hsTnI in detail and compared it with historical and other commercial assays. We compared the imprecision, detection capability, analytical sensitivity, outlier rate and carryover against two previous Access AccuTnI assay versions. We established the reference interval with stored samples from a previous study and compared the concordances and variances with the Access AccuTnI+3 as well as with two commercial assays. The Access hsTnI had excellent analytical sensitivity with the calibration slope 5.6 times steeper than the Access AccuTnI+3. The detection capability was markedly improved with the SD of the blank 0.18-0.20 ng/L, LoB 0.29-0.33 ng/L and LoD 0.58-0.69 ng/L. All the reference interval samples had a result above the LoB value. At a mean concentration of 2.83 ng/L the SD was 0.28 ng/L (CV 9.8%). Carryover (0.005%) and outlier (0.046%) rates were similar to the Access AccuTnI+3. The combined male and female 99th percentile reference interval was 18.2 ng/L (90% CI 13.2-21.1 ng/L). Concordance amongst the assays was poor with only 16.7%, 19.6% and 15.2% of samples identified by all 4 assays as above the 99th, 97.5th and 95th percentiles. Analytical imprecision was a minor contributor to the observed variances between assays. The Beckman Coulter Access hsTnI assay has excellent analytical sensitivity and precision characteristics close to zero. This allows cTnI measurement in all healthy individuals and the capability to identify numerically small differences between serial samples as statistically significant. Concordance in healthy individuals remains poor amongst assays. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental manipulation of TN:TP ratiossuppress cyanobacterial biovolume and microcystinconcentration in large-scale in situ mesocosms

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Theodore D.; Wilhelm, Frank M.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Loftin, Keith A.

2014-01-01

A global dataset was compiled to examine relations between the total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratio (TN:TP) and microcystin concentration in lakes and reservoirs. Microcystin concentration decreased as TN:TP ratios increased, suggesting that manipulation of the TN:TP ratio may reduce microcystin concentrations. This relationship was experimentally tested by adding ammonium nitrate to increase the TN:TP ratio in large-scale (70 m3), in situ mesocosms located in a eutrophic reservoir that routinely experiences toxic blooms of cyanobacteria. At a TN:TP ratio >75:1, chlorophytes dominated the phytoplankton community in the mesocosms, while cyanobacterial biovolume was significantly reduced and microcystin was not detected. In contrast, the unmanipulated reservoir was dominated by cyanobacteria, and microcystin was detected. Secchi depths were 1.1 to 1.8 times greater in the mesocosms relative to the reservoir. Cladoceran zooplankton had a larger body size (0.14 mm on average) in the mesocosms compared to conspecifics in the reservoir, which was likely related to the higher quality food. Combined, these empirical and experimental data indicate that although nutrient addition is counterintuitive to current cyanobacteria management practices, increasing the TN:TP ratio by adding nitrogen may be a potential short-term management strategy to reduce cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins when other alternatives (e.g., phosphorus reduction) are not possible. Additional experimental studies with careful controls are needed to define best management practices and identify any potential unintended consequences before nitrogen addition is implemented as a lake and reservoir management practice.

Development Of Protocols For Simultaneous Measurements Of Rn, Tn Using Nuclear Track Detectors And Trial Application In Mining Areas Of Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bui Dac Dung; Trinh Van Giap; Le Dinh Cuong; Tran Khanh Minh; Nguyen Huu Quyet; Nguyen Van Khanh; Tran Ngoc Toan

2013-01-01

Radioactive gases Radon (Rn) and Thoron (Tn) contribute of more than 50% of natural radiation dose. However, separate measurements of Rn and Tn have not been paid enough attention. An Intergovernmental Cooperation Project was conducted at the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology with the help from Hungarian experts. The main tasks of the project were to finalize 02 protocols for simultaneous measurements of Rn and Tn using nuclear track detectors and to test these protocols in investigating the concentrations of Rn and Tn, calculating the natural dose due to Rn and Tn, and evaluating the increased radiation dose and radiation safety due to mining activities. Main results of the project include 02 protocols for simultaneous measurements of Rn and Tn and the test results in the mining areas. Rn and Tn concentrations inside the coal mining tunnels are in the average level of Vietnam and the world. Tn concentration inside the factory for separating Zircon at the Ha Tinh Zircon Processing Plant was found to be very high, up to 2931 Bq/m 3 . Based on annual effective dose calculation, workers inside the factory for separating Zircon at the Ha Tinh Zircon Processing Plant could receive an annual effective dose due to Rn and Tn of 4.890 mSv/year, and the increasing dose of 4.710 mSv/year is for higher than 1 mSv/year recommended by the IAEA. (author)

The VanE operon in Enterococcus faecalis N00-410 is found on a putative integrative and conjugative element, Tn6202.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, D A; Mulvey, M R

2013-02-01

To date no complete genetic structure of acquired DNA harbouring a d-Ala-d-Ser operon in an Enterococcus is known. We wished to characterize the acquired DNA harbouring the vanE operon located in the Enterococcus faecalis N00-410 chromosome. Whole genome sequencing of E. faecalis N00-410 was conducted by massively parallel sequencing. Two sequence contigs harbouring the vanE region were linked by PCR and the acquired DNA harbouring the vanE operon was completely characterized. Excision/integration of the region was determined by PCR and transfer attempted by conjugation. The regions flanking the vanE operon were analysed and a total of 42 open reading frames were identified in a region flanked by inverted terminal and direct repeats (Tn6202). Tn6202 could be excised from the chromosome, circularized and the target site rejoined, but transfer could not be demonstrated. The vanE operon was found on the putative integrative and conjugative element Tn6202 in the E. faecalis N00-410 chromosome. This represents the first characterization of acquired DNA harbouring a D-Ala-D-Ser operon.

Tn7::In2-8 dispersion in multidrug resistant isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from Chile Dispersión de Tn7::In2-8 en aislamientos multirresistentes de Acinetobacter baumannii de Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. S. Ramírez

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Acinetobacter baumannii is considered an important pathogen in our hospital environment having a well-known capacity to acquire different mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Previous studies in our laboratory had exposed the high dispersion of class 2 integrons in this species. In the present study, we analyzed 7 multiresistant intI2 positive A. baumannii isolates, 6 of which were found to harbour the Tn7::In2-8 element. Our results demonstrate the unusually high distribution of Tn7::In2-8 among different A. baumannii clones from Chile, suggesting a particular behavior of these elements at geographical level.Acinetobacter baumannii, patógeno de importancia clínica en el ámbito hospitalario, es reconocido como un microorganismo que posee la capacidad de evolucionar rápidamente hacia la multirresistencia. Estudios previos efectuados en nuestro laboratorio han demostrado la alta dispersión de los integrones de clase 2 en aislamientos de esta especie. En el presente trabajo se analizaron 7 aislamientos de Acinetobacter baumannii multirresistentes portadores de la integrasa de clase 2, 6 de los cuales portaban el inusual arreglo Tn7::In2-8. Nuestros resultados muestran una elevada frecuencia de dispersión del elemento Tn7::In2-8 en diferentes clones circulantes en Chile, lo que sugiere un comportamiento geográfico particular.

Impacts of climate change on TN load and its control in a River Basin with complex pollution sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaoying; Warren, Rachel; He, Yi; Ye, Jinyin; Li, Qiaoling; Wang, Guoqing

2018-02-15

It is increasingly recognized that climate change could affect the quality of water through complex natural and anthropogenic mechanisms. Previous studies on climate change and water quality have mostly focused on assessing its impact on pollutant loads from agricultural runoff. A sub-daily SWAT model was developed to simulate the discharge, transport, and transformation of nitrogen from all known anthropogenic sources including industries, municipal sewage treatment plants, concentrated and scattered feedlot operations, rural households, and crop production in the Upper Huai River Basin. This is a highly polluted basin with total nitrogen (TN) concentrations frequently exceeding Class V of the Chinese Surface Water Quality Standard (GB3838-2002). Climate change projections produced by 16 Global Circulation Models (GCMs) under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios in the mid (2040-2060) and late (2070-2090) century were used to drive the SWAT model to evaluate the impacts of climate change on both the TN loads and the effectiveness of three water pollution control measures (reducing fertilizer use, constructing vegetative filter strips, and improving septic tank performance) in the basin. SWAT simulation results have indicated that climate change is likely to cause an increase in both monthly average and extreme TN loads in February, May, and November. The projected impact of climate change on TN loads in August is more varied between GCMs. In addition, climate change is projected to have a negative impact on the effectiveness of septic tanks in reducing TN loads, while its impacts on the other two measures are more uncertain. Despite the uncertainty, reducing fertilizer use remains the most effective measure for reducing TN loads under different climate change scenarios. Meanwhile, improving septic tank performance is relatively more effective in reducing annual TN loads, while constructing vegetative filter strips is more effective in reducing annual maximum monthly

Highly efficient full-length hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (strain TN) infectious culture system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Yi-Ping; Ramirez, Santseharay; Jensen, Sanne B

2012-01-01

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of end stage liver disease worldwide. In the United States, most HCV-related disease is associated with genotype 1 infection, which remains difficult to treat. Drug and vaccine development was hampered by inability to culture...... full-length TN infection dose-dependently. Given the unique importance of genotype 1 for pathogenesis, this infectious 1a culture system represents an important advance in HCV research. The approach used and the mutations identified might permit culture development for other HCV isolates, thus......) culture systems in Huh7.5 cells. Here, we developed a highly efficient genotype 1a (strain TN) full-length culture system. We initially found that the LSG substitutions conferred viability to an intergenotypic recombinant composed of TN 5' untranslated region (5'UTR)-NS5A and JFH1 NS5B-3'UTR; recovered...

Transitioning high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) into routine diagnostic use: More than just a sensitivity issue

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lee, Graham R

2016-04-01

High sensitivity cardiac troponin T and I (hs-cTnT and hs-cTnI) assays show analytical, diagnostic and prognostic improvement over contemporary sensitive cTn assays. However, given the importance of troponin in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, implementing this test requires rigorous analytical and clinical verification across the total testing pathway. This was the aim of this study.

Troponin C Mutations Partially Stabilize the Active State of Regulated Actin and Fully Stabilize the Active State When Paired with Δ14 TnT.

Science.gov (United States)

Baxley, Tamatha; Johnson, Dylan; Pinto, Jose R; Chalovich, Joseph M

2017-06-13

Striated muscle contraction is regulated by the actin-associated proteins tropomyosin and troponin. The extent of activation of myosin ATPase activity is lowest in the absence of both Ca 2+ and activating cross-bridges (i.e., S1-ADP or rigor S1). Binding of activating species of myosin to actin at a saturating Ca 2+ concentration stabilizes the most active state (M state) of the actin-tropomyosin-troponin complex (regulated actin). Ca 2+ binding alone produces partial stabilization of the active state. The extent of stabilization at a saturating Ca 2+ concentration depends on the isoform of the troponin subunits, the phosphorylation state of troponin, and, in the case of cardiac muscle, the presence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-producing mutants of troponin T and troponin I. Cardiac dysfunction is also associated with mutations of troponin C (TnC). Troponin C mutants A8V, C84Y, and D145E increase the Ca 2+ sensitivity of ATPase activity. We show that these mutants change the distribution of regulated actin states. The A8V and C84Y TnC mutants decreased the inactive B state distribution slightly at low Ca 2+ concentrations, but the D145E mutants had no effect on that state. All TnC mutants increased the level of the active M state compared to that of the wild type, at a saturating Ca 2+ concentration. Troponin complexes that contained two mutations that stabilize the active M state, A8V TnC and Δ14 TnT, appeared to be completely in the active state in the presence of only Ca 2+ . Because Ca 2+ gives full activation, in this situation, troponin must be capable of positioning tropomyosin in the active M state without the need for rigor myosin binding.

Establishing exchange bias below T-N with polycrystalline Ni0.52Co0.48O/Co bilayers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berkowitz, A.E.; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt; Tang, Y.J.

2005-01-01

Exchange-coupled bilayers of polycrystalline ferromagnetic (FM) Co on antiferromagnetic (AFM) Ni0.52Co0.48O were investigated with emphasis on the issue of establishing an exchange-bias field, H-E, below the AFM ordering temperature, T-N. It was found that field-cooling the bilayers through T-N p...

78 FR 54168 - Special Local Regulation, Cumberland River, Mile 157.0 to 159.0; Ashland City, TN

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-03

... Local Regulation, Cumberland River, Mile 157.0 to 159.0; Ashland City, TN AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... Special local regulation; Cumberland River, Miles 157.0 to 159.0, Ashland City, TN. (a) Location. The... regulation for the waters of the Cumberland River beginning at mile marker 157.0 and ending at mile marker...

Optimization of high-rate TN removal in a novel constructed wetland integrated with microelectrolysis system treating high-strength digestate supernatant.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Luchen; He, Keli; Wu, Shubiao; Sun, Hao; Wang, Yanfei; Huang, Xu; Dong, Renjie

2016-08-01

The potential of high-rate TN removal in three aerated horizontal subsurface-flow constructed wetlands to treat high-strength anaerobic digestate supernatant was evaluated. Different strategies of intermittent aeration and effluent recirculation were applied to compare their effect on nitrogen depuration performance. Additional glucose supply and iron-activated carbon based post-treatment systems were established and examined, respectively, to further remove nitrate that accumulated in the effluents from aerated wetlands. The results showed that intermittent aeration (1 h on:1 h off) significantly improved nitrification with ammonium removal efficiency of 90% (18.1 g/(m(2)·d)), but limited TN removal efficiency (53%). Even though effluent recirculation (a ratio of 1:1) increased TN removal from 53% to 71%, the effluent nitrate concentration was still high. Additional glucose was used as a post-treatment option and further increased the TN removal to 82%; however, this implementation caused additional organic pollution. Furthermore, the iron-activated carbon system stimulated with a microelectrolysis process achieved greater than 85% effluent nitrate removal and resulted in 86% TN removal. Considering the high TN removal rate, aerated constructed wetlands integrated with a microelectrolysis-driven system show great potential for treating high-strength digestate supernatant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical application of combined detection of serum hs-CRP, GMP-140 and cTnI in patients with coronary heart diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Jibao; Wu Zhaozeng

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum hs-CRP, GMP-140 and cTnI levels in patients with coronary heart diseases. Methods: Serum GMP-140 (with RIA), cTnI (with ELISA) and hs-CRP (with immuno turbidity method) levels were determined in 91 patients with coronary heart diseases (42 SAP, 34UAP, 15AMI) and 35 controls. Results: Serum hs-CRP, GMP-140, cTnI levels in patients with coronary heart diseases were significantly higher than those in controls (P <0.01). Among the patients with of coronary heart diseases, the magnitude of changes of the levels of serum hs-CRP, GMP-140 and cTnI levels in AMI and UAP groups were significantly larger than those in SAP group (P < 0.05). Serum hs-CRP levels were positively correlated with serum GMP-140 and cTnI levels (r = 0.6214, 0.6023, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Serum hs-CRP, GMP140 and cTnI levels were closely related to the diseases process of coronary heart diseases and were of great clinical importance for assessment of the disease and outcome prediction. (authors)

Characterization of Tn3000, a Transposon Responsible for blaNDM-1 Dissemination among Enterobacteriaceae in Brazil, Nepal, Morocco, and India.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Juliana Coutinho; da Silva, Maria José Félix; dos Santos, Paulo Roberto Nascimento; Barros, Elaine Menezes; Pereira, Mayne de Oliveira; Seco, Bruna Mara Silva; Magagnin, Cibele Massotti; Leiroz, Leonardo Kalab; de Oliveira, Théo Gremen Mimary; de Faria-Júnior, Célio; Cerdeira, Louise Teixeira; Barth, Afonso Luís; Sampaio, Suely Carlos Ferreira; Zavascki, Alexandre Prehn; Poirel, Laurent; Sampaio, Jorge Luiz Mello

2015-12-01

In Enterobacteriaceae, the blaNDM genes have been found in many different genetic contexts, and a wide diversity of plasmid scaffolds bearing those genes has been found. In August 2013, we identified NDM-1-producing Escherichia coli and Enterobacter hormaechei strains from a single rectal swab sample from a patient hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who had no history of travel abroad. Complete DNA sequencing using the Illumina platform and annotation of the two plasmids harboring the blaNDM-1 gene, one from each strain, showed that they belonged to incompatibility groups IncFIIK and IncX3 and harbored a novel transposon named Tn3000. Similar genetic structures have been identified among other isolates in Brazil but also on plasmids from other continents. Our findings suggest that the blaNDM-1 gene may be transmitted by Tn3000 in different parts of the world. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Structure of the plasminogen kringle 4 binding calcium-free form of the C-type lectin-like domain of tetranectin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielbo, Steen Günther; Thomsen, J.K.; Graversen, J. H.

2004-01-01

. A conserved proline, which was found to be in the cis conformation in holoTN3, is in apoTN3 predominantly in the trans conformation. Backbone dynamics indicate that, in apoTN3 especially, two of the three calcium-binding loops and two of the three K4-binding residues exhibit increased flexibility, whereas...

Interaction of a novel Tn (GalNAc alpha 1-->Ser/Thr) glycoprotein with Gal, GalNAc and GlcNAc specific lectins.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, A M; Wu, J H; Shen, F

1994-01-14

A naturally occurring Tn glycoprotein (Native ASG-Tn) with GalNAc alpha 1-->Ser/Thr as the only carbohydrate side chains, has been prepared from armadillo submandibular glands. In a quantitative precipitin assay, this glycoprotein completely precipitated Maclura pomifera (MPA), Vicia villosa B4 (VVL-B4) and Artocarpus integrifolia (Jacalin, AIL). It also reacted well with Helix pomatia (HPL) and Wistaria floribunda (WFL) and precipitated over 75% of the lectin nitrogen added, but poorly with Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA1), ricin, peanut (Arachis hypogaea, PNA), Abrus precatorius agglutinin (APA) and Triticum vulgaris (WGA). This finding suggests that this novel Tn-glycoprotein may serve as a useful reagent for differentiating Tn and T specific monoclonal antibodies and lectins.

EnviroAtlas - Memphis, TN - Meter-Scale Urban Land Cover (MULC) Data (2012)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Memphis, TN EnviroAtlas One Meter-scale Urban Land Cover (MULC) dataset comprises 2,733 km2 around the city of Memphis, surrounding towns, and rural areas. These...

Rapid and efficient introduction of a foreign gene into bacterial artificial chromosome-cloned varicella vaccine by Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somboonthum, Pranee; Koshizuka, Tetsuo; Okamoto, Shigefumi; Matsuura, Masaaki; Gomi, Yasuyuki; Takahashi, Michiaki; Yamanishi, Koichi; Mori, Yasuko

2010-01-01

Using a rapid and reliable system based on Tn7-mediated site-specific transposition, we have successfully constructed a recombinant Oka varicella vaccine (vOka) expressing the mumps virus (MuV) fusion protein (F). The backbone of the vector was our previously reported vOka-BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) genome. We inserted the transposon Tn7 attachment sequence, LacZα-mini-attTn7, into the region between ORF12 and ORF13 to generate a vOka-BAC-Tn genome. The MuV-F expressing cassette was transposed into the vOka-BAC genome at the mini-attTn7 transposition site. MuV-F protein was expressed in recombinant virus, rvOka-F infected cells. In addition, the MuV-F protein was cleaved in the rvOka-F infected cells as in MuV-infected cells. The growth of rvOka-F was similar to that of the original recombinant vOka without the F gene. Thus, we show that Tn7-mediated transposition is an efficient method for introducing a foreign gene expression cassette into the vOka-BAC genome as a live virus vector.

Diffusion structural analysis study of titania films deposited by sol-gel technique on silica glass

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Balek, V.; Mitsuhashi, T.; Bountseva, I.M.; Haneda, H.; Málek, Z.; Šubrt, Jan

2003-01-01

Roč. 26, 1-3 (2003), s. 185-189 ISSN 0928-0707. [International Workshop on Glasses, Ceramics, Hybrids and Nanocomposites from Gels /11./. Abano Terme, 16.09.2001-21.09.2001] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4032918 Keywords : titania film * diffusion structural analysis * sol-gel Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.546, year: 2003

TN trademark FLEX: a new generation of fluorocarbon o-rings developed by COGEMA logistics with enhanced characteristics at low temperature (-40 C)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Issard, H.; Andre, R.

2004-01-01

Three main types of elastomers are used for the sealing of radioactive material transport casks with elastomeric gaskets: EPDM, fluorocarbons type Viton registered (standard designation: FKM) and silicon rubbers. Each rubber has specific characteristics in terms of temperature range, permeability, coefficient of expansion.. For the casks where high temperatures can be reached (200 C in continuous using), FKM gaskets are generally used. The problem is that this type of gasket does not guarantee the leaktightness at -40 C, which is a regulatory requirement. Two solutions are generally used: to specify a minimum heat load or a minimum ambient temperature. The direct consequence is that it is impossible to get B(U) approvals on the new concepts when FKM gaskets are used but only B(M) approvals, which generate significant additional justification costs (multiple submittals of Safety Analysis Reports, calculation of the minimum heat load or of the minimum ambient temperature..). Thus, it is important to develop gaskets with the same performance as FKM gaskets at high temperature but with enhanced performance at low temperature (and mainly, which guarantee the leaktightness at -40 C). COGEMA LOGISTICS has qualified a new generation of fluorocarbon O-rings (TN trademark FLEX gaskets) which can be used in continuous service on a -47 C/+200 C temperature range. TN trademark FLEX gaskets will be implemented on new casks designs

Diagnosis of type 1 and type 2 myocardial infarction using a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I assay with sex-specific 99th percentiles based on the third universal definition of myocardial infarction classification system.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval, Yader; Smith, Stephen W; Schulz, Karen M; Murakami, MaryAnn M; Love, Sara A; Nicholson, Jennifer; Apple, Fred S

2015-04-01

The frequency and characteristics of myocardial infarction (MI) subtypes per the Third Universal Definition of MI (TUDMI) classification system using high-sensitivity (hs) cardiac troponin assays with sex-specific cutoffs is not well known. We sought to describe the diagnostic characteristics of type 1 (T1MI) and type 2 (T2MI) MI using an hs-cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay with sex-specific cutoffs. A total of 310 consecutive patients with serial cTnI measurements obtained on clinical indication were studied with contemporary and hs-cTnI assays. Ninety-ninth percentile sex-specific upper reference limits (URLs) for the hs-cTnI assay were 16 ng/L for females and 34 ng/L for males. The TUDMI consensus recommendations were used to define and adjudicate MI based on each URL. A total of 127 (41%) patients had at least 1 hs-cTnI exceeding the sex-specific 99th percentiles, whereas 183 (59%) had hs-cTnI within the reference interval. Females had more myocardial injury related to supply/demand ischemia than males (39% vs 18%, P = 0.01), whereas males had more multifactorial or indeterminate injury (52% vs 33%, P = 0.05). By hs-cTnI, there were 32 (10%) acute MIs, among which 10 (3%) were T1MI and 22 (7%) were T2MI. T2MI represented 69% (22 out of 32) of all acute MIs, whereas T1MI represented 31% (10 out of 32). Ninety-five patients (31%) had an increased hs-cTnI above the 99th percentile but did not meet criteria for acute MI. The most common triggers for T2MI were tachyarrhythmias, hypotension/shock, and hypertension. By contemporary cTnI, more MIs (14 T1MI and 29 T2MI) were diagnosed. By contemporary cTnI, there were 43 MIs, 14 T1MI, and 29 T2MI. Fewer MI diagnoses were found with the hs-cTnI assay, contrary to the commonly accepted idea that hs-cTnI will lead to excessive false-positive diagnoses. © 2015 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Effects of short-term tocopherol (T) feeding on structure-localized protein tyrosine nitration (pTN) patterns of mitochondrial ATPase following endotoxin (LPS) challenge in beef calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitochondrial ATPase/Complex-V (MCV) is an electron transport chain (ETC) component needed for ATP synthesis. The ETC, exquisitely sensitive to proinflammatory mediators (PIM), generates oxynitrogen reactants leading to pTN formation as mitochondrial membrane leakage occurs. Immunohistochemical loca...

Clinical relevance of determination the changes of serum cTnI, NPY and PGMP contents after treatment in patients with coronary heart diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge Hengsong; Ma Chao; Wu Kaixia

2011-01-01

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of serum cTnI, NPY and PGMP levels in patients with coronary heart diseases after treatment. Methods: Serum NPY, PGMP (with RIA), serum cTnI (with Biochemistry) levels were measured in 41 patients with coronary heart diseases both before and after treatment as well as in 35 normal controls. Results: Before treatment, serum cTnI, NPY and PGMP levels were significantly higher than those in controls (P 0.05), but serum PGMP level remained prominently higher (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pathogenesis and progress of CHD, might be closely related to serum cTnI, NPY and PGMP levels. (authors)

Shielding calculations with SCALE/MAVRIC and comparison with measurements for the TN85 cask with vitrified high level radioactive waste

Science.gov (United States)

Thiele, Holger; Börst, Frank-Michael

2017-09-01

A series of dose rate/spectra measurements in the German interim storage facility Gorleben was carried out at a TN85 cask in April 2009. This type of cask is used for the transport and interim storage of vitrified high level radioactive waste (HAW) from reprocessing. The aim of this work is to assess the shielding component MAVRIC of the SCALE code system with these measurements for the use in the German Bundesamt für Kerntechnische Entsorgungssicherheit (BfE).

Tn5-induced pBS286 plasmid mutations blocking early stages of napthalene oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosheleva, I.A.; Tsoi, T.V.; Ivashina, T.V.; Selifonov, S.A.; Starovoitov, I.I.; Boronin, A.M.

1988-01-01

The authors present data on the further analysis of the structural and functional organization of the nah region of plasmid pBS286 controlling the constitutive oxidation of naphthalene by Pseudomonas putida cells. They have studied Tn5-induced mutations blocking early stages of naphthalene oxidation. They present and discuss data providing evidence that, in contrast to plasmid NAH7, the mechanism of regulation of the nahl operon of plasmid NPL-1, the parent plasmid of plasmid pBS286, with inducible synthesis of naphthalene dioxygenase can include elements of a negative control with participation of the regulatory locus R, located proximal to the structural nah genes and closely linked to or overlapped by the inverted control DNA segment (4.2 kb). They also present data on the possibility of regulation of the activity of the catechol-splitting meta-pathway genes with the participation of products of early stages of naphthalene oxidation

Isolation and characterization of Tn917lac-generated competence mutants of Bacillus subtilis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, J.; Albano, M.; Dubnau, D.

1987-01-01

The authors isolated 28 mutants of Bacillus subtilis deficient in the development of competence by using the transposon Tn917lacZ as a mutagen. The mutant strains were poorly transformable with plasmid and chromosomal DNAs but were normally transducible and exhibited wild-type resistance to DNA-damaging agents. The mutations were genetically mapped, and the mutants were characterized with respect to their abilities to bind and take up radiolabeled DNA. All were defective in uptake, and some failed to bind significantly amounts of DNA. The abilities of the mutant strains to resolve into two buoyant density classes on Renografin gradients were studied. Most resolved normally, but several banded in Renografin only at the buoyant density of noncompetent cells. The genetic mapping studies and the other analyses suggested that the mutations define a minimum of seven distinct com genes

Assessing Tn5 and Sleeping Beauty for transpositional transgenesis by cytoplasmic injection into bovine and ovine zygotes

Science.gov (United States)

Bevacqua, R. J.; Fernandez-Martin, R.; Canel, N. G.; Gibbons, A.; Texeira, D.; Lange, F.; Vans Landschoot, G.; Savy, V.; Briski, O.; Hiriart, M. I.; Grueso, E.; Ivics, Z.; Taboga, O.; Kues, W. A.; Ferraris, S.

2017-01-01

Transgenic domestic animals represent an alternative to bioreactors for large-scale production of biopharmaceuticals and could also provide more accurate biomedical models than rodents. However, their generation remains inefficient. Recently, DNA transposons allowed improved transgenesis efficiencies in mice and pigs. In this work, Tn5 and Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon systems were evaluated for transgenesis by simple cytoplasmic injection in livestock zygotes. In the case of Tn5, the transposome complex of transposon nucleic acid and Tn5 protein was injected. In the case of SB, the supercoiled plasmids encoding a transposon and the SB transposase were co-injected. In vitro produced bovine zygotes were used to establish the cytoplasmic injection conditions. The in vitro cultured blastocysts were evaluated for reporter gene expression and genotyped. Subsequently, both transposon systems were injected in seasonally available ovine zygotes, employing transposons carrying the recombinant human factor IX driven by the beta-lactoglobulin promoter. The Tn5 approach did not result in transgenic lambs. In contrast, the Sleeping Beauty injection resulted in 2 lambs (29%) carrying the transgene. Both animals exhibited cellular mosaicism of the transgene. The extraembryonic tissues (placenta or umbilical cord) of three additional animals were also transgenic. These results show that transpositional transgenesis by cytoplasmic injection of SB transposon components can be applied for the production of transgenic lambs of pharmaceutical interest. PMID:28301581

Expressão de sulfomucinas e de carboidratos de mucinas simples no esôfago de Barrett Expression of sulphomucins and simple-mucin type carbohydrate in Barrett's esophagus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederico Henrique C. Melo

2007-04-01

Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: A expressão de mucinas sulfatadas e de antígenos de carboidratos simples de mucinas tem sido relacionada com o risco de transformação maligna no trato gastrintestinal. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a expressão de mucinas sulfatadas e dos antígenos Tn, sTn, T e sT no esôfago de Barrett (EB. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudaram-se 50 biópsias de EB. As amostras foram processadas rotineiramente para exame histológico (hematoxilina e eosina [HE] e ácido periódico de Schiff [PAS]/azul de alcião. Cortes adicionais foram corados para detecção de mucinas sulfatadas (diamina férrica e dos antígenos Tn, sTn, T e sT por imuno-histoquímica. O EB foi classificado quanto aos subtipos de metaplasia intestinal e sua extensão nas amostras. A expressão de Tn, sTn, T e sT no EB foi discriminada quanto à positividade em células caliciformes e colunares. RESULTADOS: Detectou-se metaplasia intestinal incompleta com secreção de sulfomucinas em 47 casos; em três não se identificou a lesão nos cortes realizados para a histoquímica. Observou-se metaplasia intestinal tipo III em 44 dos 47 casos analisados (93,6% e do tipo II isoladamente em três casos (6,4%. Não se detectou metaplasia intestinal do tipo I. Tn expressou-se fortemente em células colunares em 94% dos casos e foi focal/negativo nas caliciformes; sTn exibiu forte marcação nas células caliciformes em 88% dos casos. Os demais marcadores foram negativos na maior parte dos casos (T negativo em 82% e sT em 87,8%. CONCLUSÕES: A expressão de sulfomucinas e de antígenos de carboidratos simples de mucinas foi homogênea no EB. A lesão caracterizou-se por metaplasia intestinal incompleta com extenso componente de tipo III e expressão de Tn e sTn. Esses dados sugerem que os marcadores testados não permitem discriminar lesões com diferentes potenciais de transformação maligna.BACKGROUND: The expression of sulphomucins and simple-mucin type carbohydrate antigens has been used as marker

TN-68 Spent Fuel Transport Cask Analytical Evaluation for Drop Events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, M.J.; Klymyshyn, Nicholas A.; Adkins, Harold E.; Koeppel, Brian J.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for licensing commercial spent nuclear fuel transported in casks certified by NRC under the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Title 10, Part 71 (1). Both the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations for transporting radioactive materials (2, paragraph 727), and 10 CFR 71.73 require casks to be evaluated for hypothetical accident conditions, which includes a 9-meter (m) (30-ft) drop-impact event onto a flat, essentially unyielding, horizontal surface, in the most damaging orientation. This paper examines the behavior of one of the NRC certified transportation casks, the TN-68 (3), for drop-impact events. The specific area examined is the behavior of the bolted connections in the cask body and the closure lid, which are significantly loaded during the hypothetical drop-impact event. Analytical work to evaluate the NRC-certified TN-68 spent fuel transport cask (3) for a 9-m (30-ft) drop-impact event on a flat, unyielding, horizontal surface, was performed using the ANSYS (4) and LS DYNA (5) finite-element analysis codes. The models were sufficiently detailed, in the areas of bolt closure interfaces and containment boundaries, to evaluate the structural integrity of the bolted connections under 9-m (30-ft) free-drop hypothetical accident conditions, as specified in 10 CFR 71.73. Evaluation of the cask for puncture, caused by a free drop through a distance of 1-m (40-in.) onto a mild steel bar mounted on a flat, essentially unyielding, horizontal surface, required by 10 CFR 71.73, was not included in the current work, and will have to be addressed in the future. Based on the analyses performed to date, it is concluded that, even though brief separation of the flange and the lid surfaces may occur under some conditions, the seals would close at the end of the drop events, because the materials remain elastic during the duration of the event

Multidisciplinary management of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents

OpenAIRE

Bowen, Michael E; Rothman, Russell L

2010-01-01

Michael E Bowen1,2, Russell L Rothman2,31Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars Fellowship Program, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Tennessee Valley Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; 2Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, 3Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Although once considered a disease of adults, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth is inc...

Performances of TN {sup registered} 24 E. An AREVA used fuel transport and interim storage cask for the German market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brion, Thomas [AREVA TN International, Montigny Le Bretonneux (France)

2013-07-01

Part of the AREVA Group, TN International offers a complete range of transport and interim storage solutions for radioactive materials throughout the entire nuclear fuel cycle. A world leader in its sector, TN International has supported for 50 years the expansion of the nuclear industry, in particular by providing expertise in secure packing systems for the storage of used fuel assemblies. As an answer to EON and EnBW, two German utilities, needs, TN International has designed and manufactured the TN {sup registered} 24E cask, offering the following high level performances: 1. transport and storage over a period of 40 years of up to 21 PWR spent nuclear fuel (SNF), allowing for example to load up to 17 MOX fuel assemblies and 4 UOX SNF. 2. high flexibility in the fuel assemblies loading plans, inducing no general predefined constraints with regards to the MOX or UOX fuel positions in the basket of the cask Safety margin related to radioprotection, thermal and mechanical behaviour of the fuel assemblies can be calculated loading plan per loading plan. (orig.)

Detección del antígeno Tn en tumores epiteliales con la lectina de Vicia villosa isolectina B4.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catalina Limpias

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Antecedentes. Los epítopes T, Tn y sTn, se expresan en un alto porcentaje de tumores epiteliales y pueden detectarse con anticuerpos monoclonales y lectinas. Objetivo. Evaluar diferencias de expresión del antígeno Tn en cortes histológicos de epitelios no neoplásicos y tumores epiteliales mediante isolectina B4 de Vicia villosa. Material y métodos. Se evaluaron semicuantitativamente localización, intensidad y porcentaje de expresión del antígeno en carcinomas in-situ e infiltrantes y epitelios no neoplásicos de cérvix, seno y urotelio, mediante isolectina B4. Resultados La expresión de Tn en cérvix predominó en membrana de células no neoplásicas y citoplasma de células tumorales; su intensidad fue mayor en carcinomas in-situ e infiltrantes comparado con epitelio no neoplásico aunque en este el porcentaje de expresión fue mayor. En seno, la expresión de Tn fue predominantemente citoplasmática con intensidad similar, el porcentaje de expresión fué mayor en carcinomas ductales in-situ e infiltrantes. En urotelio no neoplásico y tumoral la expresión de Tn predominó en citoplasma; la intensidad y el porcentaje de expresión fueron mayores en neoplasias no invasivas de bajo y alto grado, mientras que en urotelio no neoplásico fue baja y no hubo tendencia definida en tumores infiltrantes. Conclusiones. La detección del antígeno Tn mediante la lectina VVB4 mostró una mayor extensión de marcación en carcinomas ductales de seno en relación con el epitelio no neoplásico, pero no mostró una tendencia definida entre el tejido normal, ni diferentes etapas del desarrollo de los tumores de cérvix y urotelio. Estos hallazgos pueden atribuirse a la heterogeneidad de los procesos carcinogénicos o a que la especificidad de la lectina VVB4 no está restringida a este antígeno.

Correlation of Optic Nerve Microcirculation with Papillomacular Bundle Structure in Treatment Naive Normal Tension Glaucoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wataru Kobayashi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To assess the association between optic nerve head (ONH microcirculation, central papillomacular bundle (CPB structure, and visual function in eyes with treatment naive normal tension glaucoma (NTG. Methods. This study included 40 eyes of 40 patients with NTG and 20 eyes of 20 normal patients. We used laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG to measure mean blur rate (MBR in all eyes and calculated the ratio of MBR in the horizontal quadrants of tissue area ONH (temporal/nasal ratio of MBR in the tissue area: T/N MT. Clinical findings also included retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT and ganglion cell complex thickness (GCCT in the CPB and macular areas, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, mean deviation (MD, and refractive error. Results. T/N MT was correlated with both BCVA and MD. The OCT parameters most highly correlated with T/N MT were macular RNFLT and mid-CPB RNFLT. Furthermore, T/N MT, mid-CPB RNFLT, and macular RNFLT were higher in NTG than in normal eyes. A discrimination analysis revealed that T/N MT and refractive error were independent factors indicating NTG. Conclusions. Our results suggest that T/N MT is a candidate biomarker of NTG. Furthermore, T/N MT reflects visual function, including acuity and sensitivity, and CPB structure.

75 FR 69398 - Foreign-Trade Zone 78-Nashville, TN; Application for Expansion

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-12

... Company, 1800 Zinc Plant Road, Clarksville; and Proposed Site 12 (451.0 acres)--Gallatin Industrial Center..., TN; Application for Expansion An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board (the... application was submitted pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign- Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C...

Antiferromagnetism, structural instability and frustration in intermetallic AFe4X2 systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rosner, Helge; Bergmann, Christoph; Weber, Katharina; Kraft, Inga; Mufti, N.; Klauss, Hans-Henning; Dellmann, T.; Woike, T.; Geibel, Christoph

2013-03-01

Magnetic systems with reduced dimensionality or frustration attract strong interest because these features lead to an increase of quantum fluctuations and often result in unusual properties. Here, we present a detailed study of the magnetic, thermodynamic, and structural properties of the intermetallic AFe4X2 compounds (A=Sc,Y,Lu,Zr; X=Si,Ge) crystallizing in the ZrFe4Si2 structure type. Our results evidence that these compounds cover the whole regime from frustrated AFM order up to an AFM quantum critical point. Susceptibility χ(T), specific heat, resistivity, and T-dependent XRD measurements were performed on polycrystalline samples. In all compounds we observed a Curie-Weiss behavior in χ(T) at high T indicating a paramagnetic moment of about 3μB/Fe. Magnetic and structural transitions as previously reported for YFe4Ge2 occur in all compounds with trivalent A. However, transition temperatures, nature of the transition as well as the relation between structural and magnetic transitions change significantly with the A element. Low TN's and large θCW /TN ratios confirm the relevance of frustration. The results are analyzed and discussed with respect to electronic, structural and magnetic instabilities applying DFT calculations. Financial support from the DFG (GRK 1621) is acknowledged

Novel Tn916-like elements confer aminoglycoside/macrolide co-resistance in clinical isolates of Streptococcus gallolyticus ssp. gallolyticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Kambarev, Stanimir; Pecorari, Frédéric; Corvec, Stéphane

2018-02-09

Streptococcus gallolyticus ssp. gallolyticus (Sgg) is a commensal bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen. In humans it has been clinically associated with the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and epidemiologically recognized as an emerging cause of infective endocarditis (IE). The standard therapy of Sgg includes the administration of a penicillin in combination with an aminoglycoside. Even though penicillin-resistant isolates have still not been reported, epidemiological studies have shown that this microbe is a reservoir of multiple acquired genes, conferring resistance to tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, macrolides and glycopeptides. However, the underlying antibiotic resistance mobilome of Sgg remains poorly understood. To investigate the mobile genetic basis of antibiotic resistance in multiresistant clinical Sgg. Isolate NTS31106099 was recovered from a patient with IE and CRC at Nantes University Hospital, France and studied by Illumina WGS and comparative genomics. Molecular epidemiology of the identified mobile element(s) was performed using antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), PCR, PFGE and WGS. Mobility was investigated by PCR and filter mating. Two novel conjugative transposons, Tn6263 and Tn6331, confer aminoglycoside/macrolide co-resistance in clinical Sgg. They display classical family Tn916/Tn1545 modular architecture and harbour an aph(3')-III→sat4→ant(6)-Ia→erm(B) multiresistance gene cluster, related to pRE25 of Enterococcus faecium. These and/or closely related elements are highly prevalent among genetically heterogeneous clinical isolates of Sgg. Previously unknown Tn916-like mobile genetic elements conferring aminoglycoside/macrolide co-resistance make Sgg, collectively with other gut Firmicutes such as enterococci and eubacteria, a potential laterally active reservoir of these antibiotic resistance determinants among the mammalian gastrointestinal microbiota. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf

Human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kastrup, J S; Rasmussen, H; Nielsen, B B

1997-01-01

The recombinant human plasminogen binding protein tetranectin (TN) and the C-type lectin CRD of this protein (TN3) have been crystallized. TN3 crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4(2)2(1)2 with cell dimensions a = b = 64.0, c = 75.7 A and with one molecule per asymmetric unit. The crystals...... to at least 2.5 A. A full data set has been collected to 3.0 A. The asymmetric unit contains one monomer of TN. Molecular replacement solutions for TN3 and TN have been obtained using the structure of the C-type lectin CRD of rat mannose-binding protein as search model. The rhombohedral space group indicates...

Chromosomal insertion of the entire Escherichia coli lactose operon, into two strains of Pseudomonas, using a modified mini-Tn5 delivery system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, L. H.; Sørensen, S. J.; Jensen, Lars Bogø

1997-01-01

A 12-kb PstI fragment including the entire E. coli lactose operon (lacIPOZYA) was inserted in one copy into the chromosome of Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens and an E. coli strain with lac(-) phenotype. This was made possible by improvements of an already existing mini-Tn5 transposon...... flanked by NotI sites needed in the mini-Tn5 delivery system; (b) the generation of E. coli nonlysogenic strains expressing the pi protein thus being capable of maintaining and delivering R6K-based mini-Tn5 vectors to other E. coli strains; (c) the successful insertion of the E. coli lactose operon...... into the P. fluorescens chromosome giving P. fluorescens the ability to grow on lactose; (d) evidence from Southern blotting that contradicts the assumption that the mini-Tn5 delivery system always creates one-copy inserts. These improvements allow insertion of large DNA fragments encoding highly expressed...

Troponin T and N-terminal pro B-Type natriuretic peptide and presence of coronary artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mouridsen, Mette R; Sajadieh, Ahmad; Carlsen, Christian M

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: We tested the effects of exercise intensity, sampling intervals, degree of coronary artery stenosis, and demographic factors on circulating N-terminal pro B-Type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) in subjects suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD). MATE...... = 0.4067 p = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline cTnT and ΔcTnT were found to be independently associated with CAD and also with exercise intensity in stable chest pain subjects. These properties were not identified for NT-pro-BNP....

Design analysis report for the TN-WHC cask and transportation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brisbin, S.A., Fluor Daniel Hanford

1997-02-13

This document presents the evaluation of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask and Transportation System. The system design was developed by Transnuclear, Inc. and its team members NAC International, Nelson Manufacturing, Precision Components Corporation, and Numatec, Inc. The cask is designated the TN-WHC cask. This report describes the design features and presents preliminary analyses performed to size critical dimensions of the system while meeting the requirements of the performance specification.

Enhanced nitrogen removal from piggery wastewater with high NH4+ and low COD/TN ratio in a novel upflow microaerobic biofilm reactor.

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Jia; Li, Jiuling; Li, Jianzheng; Antwi, Philip; Deng, Kaiwen; Nan, Jun; Xu, Pianpian

2018-02-01

To enhance nutrient removal more cost-efficiently in microaerobic process treating piggery wastewater characterized by high ammonium (NH 4 + -N) and low chemical oxygen demand (COD) to total nitrogen (TN) ratio, a novel upflow microaerobic biofilm reactor (UMBR) was constructed and the efficiency in nutrient removal was evaluated with various influent COD/TN ratios and reflux ratios. The results showed that the biofilm on the carriers had increased the biomass in the UMBR and enhanced the enrichment of slow-growth-rate bacteria such as nitrifiers, denitrifiers and anammox bacteria. The packed bed allowed the microaerobic biofilm process perform well at a low reflux ratio of 35 with a NH 4 + -N and TN removal as high as 93.1% and 89.9%, respectively. Compared with the previously developed upflow microaerobic sludge reactor, the UMBR had not changed the dominant anammox approach to nitrogen removal, but was more cost-efficiently in treating organic wastewater with high NH 4 + -N and low COD/TN ratio. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Immunization of breast cancer patients using a synthetic sialyl-Tn glycoconjugate plus Detox adjuvant.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, G D; Reddish, M; Koganty, R R; Wong, T; Gandhi, S; Smolenski, M; Samuel, J; Nabholtz, J M; Longenecker, B M

1993-01-01

We have synthesized various formulations that have potential for active specific immunotherapy (ASI) of human cancers. Sialyl-Tn (STn) is a potentially important target structure for ASI because its expression on mucins is a strong, independent predictor of poor prognosis, suggesting that it may have functional significance in the metastatic process. In this first pilot study of synthetic sialyl-Tn hapten conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (STn-KLH), with Detox adjuvant, toxicity and humoral immunogenicity were assessed in 12 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Toxicity was minimal, restricted to local cutaneous reactions (apart from transient nausea and vomiting following single low-dose cyclophosphamide treatment). Using STn-conjugated human serum albumin in a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, it was shown that all patients developed IgM and IgG specific for the synthetic STn hapten. Following immunization, most patients were shown to develop increased titres of complement-mediated cytotoxic antibodies, partially inhibited by synthetic STn hapten, but not by the related TF hapten. We also detected IgM and IgG antibodies reactive with natural STn determinants expressed on ovine submaxillary mucin, the STn specificity of this reactivity being confirmed by hapten inhibition. Evaluation of clinical efficacy in a small pilot study is difficult. Five patients are alive 12 or more months after entry, and another 4 patients are alive 6 or more months after entry into the study. All 3 patients with known widespread bulky disease progressed despite ASI, 2 having died from widespread cancer. Two patients had partial responses, each lasting 6 months. While several patients had disease stability for 3-10 months, 1 patient with pulmonary metastases remains stable 15 months after entry into the program.

Dynamic changes of serum TNF-α and cTnI levels in BALB/c Mouse models of autoimmune myocarditis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Li'na

2007-01-01

Objective: To prepare mouse models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) with subcutaneous injection of synthesized peptide (containing heavy chain segment of cardiac myosin) and examine the dynamic changes of cardiac pathology as well as TNF -α, cTnI and autoimmune antibody contents. Methods: BALB/c mice were subcutaneously injected with 0.8 mg of the synthesized peptide to produce the experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) models. The animals were sacrificed 14, 21, 30 and 60d after establishment of the models, heart muscle was examined pathologically to assess the severity of myocarditis and blood were examined for the plasma contents of TNF-α (with RIA) cTnI (with ELISA) and anti-cardiac myosin heavy chain (CMHC) antibody titier (with ELISA). Results: Evidence of myocardial damage appeared on d14 specimens and progressed there after with interstitial infiltration of macrophages and myocardial necrosis. In the 60d specimens, fibrosis was obvious. The plasma TNF-α and cTnI levels were highest in the d30 specimens and declined in the d60 specimens but still remained much higher than normal. Most of the models demonstrated anti-CMHC antibodies in the 21d and 30d specimens. Conclusion: It is feasible to prepare EMC mouse models with subcutaneous injection of synthesized peptide containing heavy chain segment of cardiac myosin and the plasma levels of TNF-α, cTnI in the models are well correlated to the pathologic change of myocarditis. (authors)

Association of Elevated High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T(hs-cTnT Levels with Hemorrhagic Transformation and 3-Month Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease in China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junfeng Liu

Full Text Available Elevated levels of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT occur in a substantial proportion of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS and can predict poor outcome and mortality after stroke. Whether elevated hs-cTnT levels can also predict hemorrhagic transformation (HT or prognosis in AIS patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD remains unclear.Data from the Chengdu Stroke Registry on consecutive AIS patients with RHD admitted to West China Hospital within 1 month of stroke onset from October 2011 to February 2014 were examined. Clinico-demographic characteristics, HT, functional outcomes and stroke recurrence were compared between patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels (≥14 ng/L and patients with normal hs-cTnT levels (<14 ng/L.The final analysis involved 84 patients (31 males; mean age, 61.6±12.2 years, of whom serum hs-cTnT levels were elevated in 58.3%. Renal impairment was independently associated with elevated hs-cTnT levels (OR 4.184, 95%CI 1.17 to 15.01, P = 0.028, and patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels were at significantly higher risk of HT, 3-month mortality and 3-month disability/mortality (all P≤0.029. After controlling for age, sex, hypertension, renal impairment and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, the risk of HT and 3-month mortality was, respectively, 4.0- and 5.5-fold higher in patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels than in patients with normal hs-cTnT levels.Elevated hs-cTnT levels are independently associated with HT and 3-month mortality in AIS patients with RHD. These results with a small cohort should be verified and extended in large studies.

Loading and transport of high-active waste (HAW) with the TN85 flask in 2008

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rys, Michael; Horn, Thomas; Graf, Wilhelm; Bonface, Jean-Michael

2009-01-01

As a part of the operation of nuclear power plants, it is essential to safely manage the radioactive waste. With new developments in science and technology, it is a dynamic process to adapt procedures, equipment and flasks to be used in the future. This is a task for specialists - a task for GNS Gesellschaft fuer Nuklear-Service mbH and for TN International. Until 1994 reprocessing of spent fuel from German nuclear power plants was mandatory for the Utilities (EVU) in Germany. Basis for the reprocessing was the German Atomic Act. The German Utilities concluded contracts on reprocessing with Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires (COGEMA, now AREVA NC) in France and British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL, now INS) in England. The total amount to be reprocessed comes to 5309 t HM contracted to AREVA NC and 768 t HM contracted to INS. The waste generated from reprocessing - or an equivalent amount of radioactive material - has to be returned to the country of origin. In 1979 already an exchange of notes took place between the German and the French government with the obligation of both sides to enable and support the return of reprocessing residues or equivalents. The return of high-active waste (HAW) from France has started in 1996 with the first attribution of 28 glass canisters (one flask) to German Utilities by AREVA NC. Until 2007, 75 flasks loaded with vitrified residue (VR) canisters have been transported to Gorleben. For these transports CASTOR registered HAW 20/28 CG flasks have been used. This presentation will give some background information about the last HAW transport in 2008 with the new flask generation of the type TN85. It will also describe the assembly of the new flask, the preparation of the flask for the loading campaign as well as the loading procedure. (orig.)

Loading and transport of high-active waste (HAW) with the TN85 flask in 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rys, Michael; Horn, Thomas; Graf, Wilhelm [GNS Gesellschaft fuer Nuklear-Service mbH (Germany); Bonface, Jean-Michael [TN International, Montigny-le-Bretonneux (France)

2009-07-01

As a part of the operation of nuclear power plants, it is essential to safely manage the radioactive waste. With new developments in science and technology, it is a dynamic process to adapt procedures, equipment and flasks to be used in the future. This is a task for specialists - a task for GNS Gesellschaft fuer Nuklear-Service mbH and for TN International. Until 1994 reprocessing of spent fuel from German nuclear power plants was mandatory for the Utilities (EVU) in Germany. Basis for the reprocessing was the German Atomic Act. The German Utilities concluded contracts on reprocessing with Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires (COGEMA, now AREVA NC) in France and British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL, now INS) in England. The total amount to be reprocessed comes to 5309 t HM contracted to AREVA NC and 768 t HM contracted to INS. The waste generated from reprocessing - or an equivalent amount of radioactive material - has to be returned to the country of origin. In 1979 already an exchange of notes took place between the German and the French government with the obligation of both sides to enable and support the return of reprocessing residues or equivalents. The return of high-active waste (HAW) from France has started in 1996 with the first attribution of 28 glass canisters (one flask) to German Utilities by AREVA NC. Until 2007, 75 flasks loaded with vitrified residue (VR) canisters have been transported to Gorleben. For these transports CASTOR {sup registered} HAW 20/28 CG flasks have been used. This presentation will give some background information about the last HAW transport in 2008 with the new flask generation of the type TN85. It will also describe the assembly of the new flask, the preparation of the flask for the loading campaign as well as the loading procedure. (orig.)

Efficient transformation of sucrose into high pullulan concentrations by Aureobasidium melanogenum TN1-2 isolated from a natural honey.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Hong; Xue, Si-Jia; Li, Yan-Feng; Liu, Guang-Lei; Chi, Zhen-Ming; Hu, Zhong; Chi, Zhe

2018-08-15

A very high pullulan producing yeast-like fungus, Aureobasidium melanogenum TN1-2 isolated from a natural honey was found to be able to produce 97.0 g/L of pullulan from 140.0 g/L sucrose at a flask level while it could yield 114.0 g/L of pullulan within 134 h during a 10-liter fermentation, the yield was 0.81 g/g and the productivity was 0.86 g/L/h. The high ability to biosynthesize pullulan by this yeast-like fungal strain TN1-2 was related to high glucosyltransferase activity, high phosphofructo-2-kinase activity, high content of its cellular glycerol and low glucose repressor. The Mw of the produced pullulan was 1.42 × 10 5  g/mol. The low Mw may be due to the high α-amylase, glucoamylase and isopullulanase activities. The intracellular level of trehalose had no influence on high pullulan production by the yeast-like fungal strain TN1-2. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Application value of combined measurement of serum sTn, CA242, CA19-9 and CEA in the diagnosis of gastroenterological neoplasm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Wanzhong; Chen Zhizhou; Fan Zhenfu

2007-01-01

To determine the application value of four serum tumor markers sTn, CA242, CA 19-9 and CEA in the diagnosis of gastroenterological neoplasm, the serum sTn, CA242, CA19-9 and CEA in 30 normal adult controls and 60 patients with gastroenterological neoplasm were measured by IRMA. The results showed that the serum sTn, CA242, CA19-9 and CEA levels in patients with gastric carcinoma or colorectal carcinoma were much higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The serum CEA, CA19-9 and CA242 levels in patients with colorectal carcinoma were significantly higher than those in patients with gastric carcinoma (P<0.01), but the serum sTn level in the former was markedly lower (P<0.01) than that in the latter. The sensitivity of tumor marker increased with the progress of clinical stages, with a considerably higher sensitivity for stage IV compared with stage I-II (P<0.01). The combined test of four tumor markers could be more sensitive than single test in detecting gastric carcinoma and colorectal carcinoma (P<0.05). Four tumor markers are useful for diagnosing gastroenterological neoplasm, and the combined measurement of 4 tumor markers could increase the sensitivity of detecting gastric carcinoma. (authors)

The evaluation of B-type Natriuretic Peptide and Troponin I in acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nafija Serdarevic

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The diagnostic utility of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP has prompted interest in its use as an aid in the detection of early heart failure and assessment of diseases. The first objective of this study was measurement of BNP and troponin I (TnI blood levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI and unstable angina. The second objective of this study was to find a correlation between TnI and BNP in blood.Methods: The concentrations of BNP and TnI in 150 blood levels were determined using CMIA (chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay Architect and 2000 (Abbott diagnostics. The retrospective study included 100 patients who were hospitalized at the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Clinical Center Sarajevo and 50 healthy control. The reference blood range of BNP is 0-100 pg/mL and TnI is 0.00-0.4 ng/mL.Results: In the patients with AMI the mean value of BNP is 764.48 ± 639.52 pg/mL and TnI is 2.50 ± 2.28ng/mL. The patients with unstable angina have BNP 287.18 ± 593.20 pg/mL and TnI 0.10 ± 0.23 ng/mL. Our studies have shown that the correlation between BNP and TnI was statistically significant for p< 0.05 using Student t test with correlation coefficient r = 0.36. Conclusions: BNP and TnI levels can help to identify the patients with a high risk for cardiovascular diseases.

A study on the fatigue characteristics of SM 490 A material due to the welding type

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jae Hoon; Goo, Byung Choon [Korea Railroad Research Institute, Uiwang (Korea, Republic of)

2004-07-01

This study investigates the fatigue characteristics of SM 490 A material specimens for the railway vehicle due to the welding type. The more stress ratio decreases, the more strength of fillet welded specimen decreases. At specially, when the stress ratio of TN(Plate with transverse fillet welded rib) specimens decreases 0.5, 0.1, and -0.1, the fatigue limit decreases uniformly. The strength of TN is higher than it of NCN in the compare of fillet welding type, but the strength of NCN(Non load-carrying cruciform fillet welded joint) is higher than it of CN(Load-carrying cruciform fillet welded joint), which these specimens have the rib in the both side. We analysis the strains on the weld positions of the TN specimens during the fatigue test for the investigation of crack initiation and crack growth. In the theses results, we could find the fatigue crack initiation point and time.

Roentgenological structural types of the unaltered breast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolganova, I.P.; Zal'tsman, I.N.

1981-01-01

The authors present a roentgenoanatomical analysis of normal breast specimens and mammograms of 324 healthy women aged 31 to 60. Four roentgenological structural types of the unaltered breast have been singled out: linear-reticular, lamellar-cellular, large focal, and a single polygonal shadow. These structural types were detected in age groups from 31 to 40, from 41 to 50, and from 51 to 60 with various frequency. Each type corresponds to a certain morphological and functional state of the breast. The frequency of the 2nd and 4th types decreases and of the 1st type increases with advancing age [ru

Roentgenological structural types of the unaltered breast

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kolganova, I P; Zal' tsman, I N [Akademiya Meditsinskikh Nauk RSFSR, Moscow. Pervyj Moskovskij Meditsinskij Inst.

1981-11-01

The authors present a roentgenoanatomical analysis of normal breast specimens and mammograms of 324 healthy women aged 31 to 60. Four roentgenological structural types of the unaltered breast have been singled out: linear-reticular, lamellar-cellular, large focal, and a single polygonal shadow. These structural types were detected in age groups from 31 to 40, from 41 to 50, and from 51 to 60 with various frequency. Each type corresponds to a certain morphological and functional state of the breast. The frequency of the 2nd and 4th types decreases and of the 1st type increases with advancing age.

Association of Elevated High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T(hs-cTnT) Levels with Hemorrhagic Transformation and 3-Month Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junfeng; Wang, Deren; Xiong, Yao; Liu, Bian; Hao, Zilong; Tao, Wendan; Liu, Ming

2016-01-01

Elevated levels of high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) occur in a substantial proportion of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and can predict poor outcome and mortality after stroke. Whether elevated hs-cTnT levels can also predict hemorrhagic transformation (HT) or prognosis in AIS patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains unclear. Data from the Chengdu Stroke Registry on consecutive AIS patients with RHD admitted to West China Hospital within 1 month of stroke onset from October 2011 to February 2014 were examined. Clinico-demographic characteristics, HT, functional outcomes and stroke recurrence were compared between patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels (≥14 ng/L) and patients with normal hs-cTnT levels (mortality and 3-month disability/mortality (all P≤0.029). After controlling for age, sex, hypertension, renal impairment and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, the risk of HT and 3-month mortality was, respectively, 4.0- and 5.5-fold higher in patients with elevated hs-cTnT levels than in patients with normal hs-cTnT levels. Elevated hs-cTnT levels are independently associated with HT and 3-month mortality in AIS patients with RHD. These results with a small cohort should be verified and extended in large studies.

77 FR 17408 - Foreign-Trade Zone 204-Tri-Cities Area, TN/VA; Application for Reorganization Under Alternative...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-26

... Technology Park, 4509 West Stone Drive, Kingsport, Hawkins County, TN; Site 9 (134 acres, expires 6/30/15.... The grantee's proposed service area under the ASF would be the Counties of Sullivan, Hawkins, Greene...

Dengue virus inactivation by minipool TnBP/Triton X-45 treatment of plasma and cryoprecipitate.

Science.gov (United States)

Burnouf, T; Chou, M-L; Cheng, L-H; Li, Z-R; Wu, Y-W; El-Ekiaby, M; Tsai, K-H

2013-01-01

A minipool solvent/detergent (S/D; 1% TnBP/1% Triton X-45; 31°C) process was developed for viral inactivation of plasma and cryoprecipitate used for transfusion. The goal of this study was to determine the rate and extent of inactivation of dengue virus (DENV) during this process. DENV-1 was propagated using C6/36 mosquito cells to an infectivity titre close to 9 log and spiked (10% v/v) into individual plasma and cryoprecipitate samples from two distinct donors. Samples were taken right after spiking and during viral inactivation treatment by 1% TnBP-1% Triton X-45 at 31°C. DENV-1 infectivity was assessed on Vero E6 cells by a focus-forming assay (FFA). Culture medium and complement-inactivated plasma were used as experimental controls. Experiments were done in duplicate. DENV-1 infectivity was 7·5 log in spiked plasma and 7·1 and 7·3 log in spiked cryoprecipitate. There was no loss of DENV-1 infectivity in the spiked materials, nor in the controls not subjected to S/D treatment. No infectivity was found in plasma and cryoprecipitate subjected to S/D treatment at the first time-point evaluated (10 min). DENV-1 was strongly inactivated in plasma and cryoprecipitate, respectively, within 10 min of 1% TnBP/1% Triton X-45 treatment at 31°C. These data provide a reassurance of the safety of such S/D-treated plasma and cryoprecipitate with regard to the risk of transmission of all DENV serotypes and other flaviviruses. © 2012 The Author(s). Vox Sanguinis © 2012 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

On the almost everywhere convergence of the eigenfunction expansions from Liouville classes L_1^\\alpha ({T^N})

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmedov, Anvarjon; Materneh, Ehab; Zainuddin, Hishamuddin

2017-09-01

The relevance of waves in quantum mechanics naturally implies that the decomposition of arbitrary wave packets in terms of monochromatic waves plays an important role in applications of the theory. When eigenfunction expansions does not converge, then the expansions of the functions with certain smoothness should be considered. Such functions gained prominence primarily through their application in quantum mechanics. In this work we study the almost everywhere convergence of the eigenfunction expansions from Liouville classes L_p^α ({T^N}), related to the self-adjoint extension of the Laplace operator in torus TN . The sufficient conditions for summability is obtained using the modified Poisson formula. Isomorphism properties of the elliptic differential operators is applied in order to obtain estimation for the Fourier series of the functions from the classes of Liouville L_p^α .

Developments in the processing and properties of NdFeb-type permanent magnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, David; Ma, B.-M.; Chen Zhongmin

2002-01-01

The composition, microstructure and processing of NdFeB-type permanent magnets are all critical factors for the successful production of high performance magnet components. Three common fabrication routes can be used to categorize these NdFeB-based bulk magnets: sintering, polymer bonding and hot deformation. Generally, the former type of magnet has a high-energy product (30-50 MGOe), full density and a relatively simple shape. Bonded magnets have intermediate energy products (10-18 MGOe), lower density and can be formed into intricate net-shapes. Hot deformed magnets possess full density, intermediate to high-energy products (15-46 MGOe), isotropic or anisotropic properties and have the potential to be formed into net shapes. This article discusses the critical issues of improved magnetic performance, environmental stability, net-shape formability and magnetization behavior for the main categories of NdFeB magnets

Weakly nonlocal symplectic structures, Whitham method and weakly nonlocal symplectic structures of hydrodynamic type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maltsev, A Ya

2005-01-01

We consider the special type of field-theoretical symplectic structures called weakly nonlocal. The structures of this type are, in particular, very common for integrable systems such as KdV or NLS. We introduce here the special class of weakly nonlocal symplectic structures which we call weakly nonlocal symplectic structures of hydrodynamic type. We investigate then the connection of such structures with the Whitham averaging method and propose the procedure of 'averaging' the weakly nonlocal symplectic structures. The averaging procedure gives the weakly nonlocal symplectic structure of hydrodynamic type for the corresponding Whitham system. The procedure also gives 'action variables' corresponding to the wave numbers of m-phase solutions of the initial system which give the additional conservation laws for the Whitham system

76 FR 53115 - Foreign-Trade Zone 77-Memphis, TN; Application for Temporary/Interim Manufacturing Authority...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-25

... Phone/Mobile Handset Kitting); Memphis, TN An application has been submitted to the Executive Secretary... authority to produce cell phones/mobile handsets kits (HTSUS 8517.12, HTSUS 8517.62, HTSUS 8517.69, duty... cell phone/mobile handset kits (duty free) for the foreign inputs noted above. In accordance with the...

Crystallographic and magnetic structure of the novel compound ErGe 1.83

Science.gov (United States)

Oleksyn, O.; Schobinger-Papamantellos, P.; Ritter, C.; de Groot, C. H.; Buschow, K. H. J.

1997-02-01

The crystal structure and the magnetic ordering of the novel orthorhombic compound ErGe 2-x has been studied by neutron powder diffraction and magnetic measurements. The crystal structure belongs to the DyGe 1.85-type (space group Cmc2 1)·ErGe 2-x ( x = 0.17 (2)) orders antiferromagnetically below TN = 6 K and displays a metamagnetic behaviour. The magnetic cell has the same size as the chemical unit cell ( q = 0 ). The magnetic space group is Cmc2 1 (Sh 36173). At T = 1.5 K the magnetic moments of the two erbium sites have the same ordered magnetic moment values of 7.63 (6) μB/Er and are antiferromagnetically coupled leading to an uniaxial structure along the a direction.

Effect of PCI on inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP in patients with unstable angina pectoris

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Ke-Tong Liu

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the effect of PCI on inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9and NTpro BNP in patients with unstable angina pectoris. Methods: A total of 80 unstable angina pectoris patients were divided into observation group (40 cases and control group (40 cases. The observation group was given the therapy of PCI, and the control group was given coronary angiography. To observe the of inflammatory factors, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP were tested and compared before and after operation. Results: At 24 h after operation, CRP and IL-18 levels were increased significantly after treatment inoperation groups, there was no difference on inflammatory factors in control group, and had significant difference on inflammatory factors in two groups; At 24 h after operation, cTnI, MMP-9 and NT-pro BNP levels were increased significantly after treatment inoperation groups, there was no difference on inflammatory factors in control group, and had significant difference on inflammatory factors in two groups. Conclusion: PCI therapy can induce inflammation and myocardial injury in patients with unstable angina pectoris.

Interspecies radioimmunoassay for the major structural proteins of primate type-D retroviruses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colcher, D.; Teramoto, Y.A.; Schlom, J.

1977-01-01

A competition radioimmunoassay has been developed in which type-D retroviruses from three primate species compete. The assay utilizes the major structural protein (36,000 daltons) of the endogenous squirrel monkey retrovirus and antisera directed against the major structural protein (27,000 daltons) of the Mason-Pfizer monkey virus isolated from rhesus monkeys. Purified preparations of both viruses grown in heterologous cells, as well as extracts of heterologous cells infected with squirrel monkey retrovirus or Mason-Pfizer monkey virus, compete completely in the assay. Addition of an endogenous virus of the langur monkey also results in complete blocking. No blocking in the assay is observed with type-C baboon viruses, woolly monkey virus, and gibbon virus. Various other type-C and type-B viruses also showed no reactivity. An interspecies assay has thus been developed that recognizes the type-D retroviruses from both Old World monkey (rhesus and langur) and New World monkey (squirrel) species

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2011-09-30

..., Inc., (Cell Phone/Mobile Handset Kitting). Memphis, TN Notice is hereby given of the withdrawal of the application of the City of Memphis, grantee of FTZ 77, requesting temporary/interim manufacturing authority on behalf of Flextronics Logistics USA, Inc. in Memphis Tennessee. The application was filed on August 19...

Heidegeer a Kierkegaard: pojetí boha a posvátného

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Jiří Olšovský

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Text je zaměřen zejména na posvátný charakter světa a přírody, jak se zračí v pojetí bytí a božského u Heideggera a Kierkegaarda. Bytí zde zůstává tématem, spolu se základní péčí a starostí o svět a věci v něm. Ukazuje se, že spodní proud Heideggerova myšlení je znovu-probuzení „zbožného myšlení“ a rezervovanost. Zejména článek chce upozornit na Heideggerovy odkazy k mysticismu a Kierkegaardův „pramen víry“. V úvahách nad Heideggerovým dílem je třeba se zamyslet, zda otázka Boha může být rozhodnuta jen v blízkosti bytí a svatosti. O noumenální charakter naší „zahrady“ je nezbytné znovu náležitě pečovat, a zaposlouchat se proto do řeči těch, kteří byli s to se přiblížit k bytí a božskému, k posvátnému pobývání na zemi.

Fertility dynamics of three types of tea garden soils in western sichuan, china

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yaun, D.; Zhang, Q.; Chen, X.; Peng, W.

2012-01-01

Understanding the seasonal dynamics of soil fertility is a key to providing decision support for rational use of fertilizers in tea gardens. In this study, seasonal variation in fertility parameters and the comprehensive fertility of 3 types of tea garden soils in western Sichuan, China, were investigated using a field survey and laboratory analysis. The results showed that pH, available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) in yellow earth remained low regardless of season; the lowest levels (among all soils) of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) occurred in yellow earth during spring and summer. Higher TOC, TN, and AP content occurred in spring due to basal fertilizer application; TOC was lower in summer due to higher decomposition rates and extensive soil erosion; lower TN and AP contents in summer were attributed to absorption by tea plants and to soil erosion; higher TOC and TN in autumn occurred as litter returned to the soil. Seasonal variation in AK was less obvious than that of the other fertility parameters. The comprehensive fertility of tea garden soils, ranked in order from higher to lower by season and soil type, was as follows: spring > autumn > summer for bleached paddy soil and yellow earth; but spring > summer > autumn for acid purple soil. Among the 3 tea garden soils, the fertility of acid purple soil was highest, and that of yellow earth was lowest in every season. Fertility was highest in spring for all soils. These results can provide a theoretical basis for scientific management of tea plantations in western Sichuan and similar regions. (author)

Anal Carcinoma: Impact of TN Category of Disease on Survival, Disease Relapse, and Colostomy Failure in US Gastrointestinal Intergroup RTOG 98-11 Phase 3 Trial

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Gunderson, Leonard L.; Moughan, Jennifer; Ajani, Jaffer A.; Pedersen, John E.; Winter, Kathryn A.; Benson, Al B.; Thomas, Charles R.; Mayer, Robert J.; Haddock, Michael G.; Rich, Tyvin A.; Willett, Christopher G.

2013-01-01

Purpose The long-term update of US GI Intergroup RTOG 98-11 anal cancer trial found that concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) with fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin had a significant impact on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with induction plus concurrent 5-FU plus cisplatin. The intent of the current analysis was to determine the impact of tumor node (TN) category of disease on survival (DFS and OS), colostomy failure (CF), and relapse (local-regional failure [LRF] and distant metastases [DM]) in this patient group. Methods and Materials DFS and OS were estimated univariately by using the Kaplan-Meier method, and 6 TN categories were compared by the log–rank test (T2N0, T3N0, T4N0, T2N1-3, T3N1-3, and T4N1-3). Time to relapse and colostomy were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, and TN categories were compared using Gray’s test. Results Of 682 patients, 620 were analyzable for outcomes by TN category. All endpoints showed statistically significant differences among the TN categories of disease (OS, P<.0001; DFS, P<.0001; LRF, P<.0001; DM, P=.0011; CF, P=.01). Patients with the poorest OS, DFS, and LRF outcomes were those with T3-4N-positive (+) disease. CF was lowest for T2N0 and T2N+ (11%, 11%, respectively) and worst for the T4N0, T3N+, and T4N+ categories (26%, 27%, 24%, respectively). Conclusions TN category of disease has a statistically significant impact on OS, DFS, LRF, DM, and CF in patients treated with CCRT and provides excellent prognostic information for outcomes in patients with anal carcinoma. Significant challenges remain for patients with T4N0 and T3-4N+ categories of disease with regard to survival, relapse, and CF and lesser challenges for T2-3N0/T2N+ categories. PMID:24035327

Anal Carcinoma: Impact of TN Category of Disease on Survival, Disease Relapse, and Colostomy Failure in US Gastrointestinal Intergroup RTOG 98-11 Phase 3 Trial

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunderson, Leonard L., E-mail: gunderson.leonard@mayo.edu [Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Scottsdale, Arizona (United States); Moughan, Jennifer [Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Ajani, Jaffer A. [The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas (United States); Pedersen, John E. [Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta (Canada); Winter, Kathryn A. [Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States); Benson, Al B. [Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (United States); Thomas, Charles R. [Knight Cancer Institute/Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon (United States); Mayer, Robert J. [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Haddock, Michael G. [Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Rich, Tyvin A. [University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (United States); Willett, Christopher G. [Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (United States)

2013-11-15

Purpose: The long-term update of US GI Intergroup RTOG 98-11 anal cancer trial found that concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) with fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin had a significant impact on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with induction plus concurrent 5-FU plus cisplatin. The intent of the current analysis was to determine the impact of tumor node (TN) category of disease on survival (DFS and OS), colostomy failure (CF), and relapse (local-regional failure [LRF] and distant metastases [DM]) in this patient group. Methods and Materials: DFS and OS were estimated univariately by using the Kaplan-Meier method, and 6 TN categories were compared by the log–rank test (T2N0, T3N0, T4N0, T2N1-3, T3N1-3, and T4N1-3). Time to relapse and colostomy were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, and TN categories were compared using Gray's test. Results: Of 682 patients, 620 were analyzable for outcomes by TN category. All endpoints showed statistically significant differences among the TN categories of disease (OS, P<.0001; DFS, P<.0001; LRF, P<.0001; DM, P=.0011; CF, P=.01). Patients with the poorest OS, DFS, and LRF outcomes were those with T3-4N-positive (+) disease. CF was lowest for T2N0 and T2N+ (11%, 11%, respectively) and worst for the T4N0, T3N+, and T4N+ categories (26%, 27%, 24%, respectively). Conclusions: TN category of disease has a statistically significant impact on OS, DFS, LRF, DM, and CF in patients treated with CCRT and provides excellent prognostic information for outcomes in patients with anal carcinoma. Significant challenges remain for patients with T4N0 and T3-4N+ categories of disease with regard to survival, relapse, and CF and lesser challenges for T2-3N0/T2N+ categories.

Anal Carcinoma: Impact of TN Category of Disease on Survival, Disease Relapse, and Colostomy Failure in US Gastrointestinal Intergroup RTOG 98-11 Phase 3 Trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunderson, Leonard L.; Moughan, Jennifer; Ajani, Jaffer A.; Pedersen, John E.; Winter, Kathryn A.; Benson, Al B.; Thomas, Charles R.; Mayer, Robert J.; Haddock, Michael G.; Rich, Tyvin A.; Willett, Christopher G.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The long-term update of US GI Intergroup RTOG 98-11 anal cancer trial found that concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) with fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin had a significant impact on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with induction plus concurrent 5-FU plus cisplatin. The intent of the current analysis was to determine the impact of tumor node (TN) category of disease on survival (DFS and OS), colostomy failure (CF), and relapse (local-regional failure [LRF] and distant metastases [DM]) in this patient group. Methods and Materials: DFS and OS were estimated univariately by using the Kaplan-Meier method, and 6 TN categories were compared by the log–rank test (T2N0, T3N0, T4N0, T2N1-3, T3N1-3, and T4N1-3). Time to relapse and colostomy were estimated by the cumulative incidence method, and TN categories were compared using Gray's test. Results: Of 682 patients, 620 were analyzable for outcomes by TN category. All endpoints showed statistically significant differences among the TN categories of disease (OS, P<.0001; DFS, P<.0001; LRF, P<.0001; DM, P=.0011; CF, P=.01). Patients with the poorest OS, DFS, and LRF outcomes were those with T3-4N-positive (+) disease. CF was lowest for T2N0 and T2N+ (11%, 11%, respectively) and worst for the T4N0, T3N+, and T4N+ categories (26%, 27%, 24%, respectively). Conclusions: TN category of disease has a statistically significant impact on OS, DFS, LRF, DM, and CF in patients treated with CCRT and provides excellent prognostic information for outcomes in patients with anal carcinoma. Significant challenges remain for patients with T4N0 and T3-4N+ categories of disease with regard to survival, relapse, and CF and lesser challenges for T2-3N0/T2N+ categories

Coexistence of Cluster Structure and Mean-field-type Structure in Medium-weight Nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Yasutaka; Horiuchi, Hisashi; Kimura, Masaaki

2006-01-01

We have studied the coexistence of cluster structure and mean-field-type structure in 20Ne and 40Ca using Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics (AMD) + Generator Coordinate Method (GCM). By energy variation with new constraint for clustering, we calculate cluster structure wave function. Superposing cluster structure wave functions and mean-field-type structure wave function, we found that 8Be-12C, α-36Ar and 12C-28Si cluster structure are important components of K π = 0 3 + band of 20Ne, that of normal deformed band of 40Ca and that of super deformed band of 40Ca, respectively

Multidisciplinary management of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents

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Michael E Bowen

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Michael E Bowen1,2, Russell L Rothman2,31Veterans Affairs Quality Scholars Fellowship Program, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Tennessee Valley Geriatric Research Education Clinical Center, Nashville, TN, USA; 2Division of General Internal Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medicine, 3Vanderbilt Eskind Diabetes Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USAAbstract: Although once considered a disease of adults, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth is increasing at a significant rate. Similar to adults, youth with type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for developing hypertension, lipid abnormalities, renal disease, and other diabetes-related complications. However, children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes also face many unique management challenges that are different from adults with type 2 diabetes or children with type 1 diabetes. To deliver safe, effective, high-quality, cost-effective health care to adolescents with type 2 diabetes, reorganization and redesign of health care systems are needed. Multidisciplinary health care teams, which allow individuals with specialized training to maximally utilize their skills within an organized diabetes treatment team, may increase efficiency and effectiveness and may improve outcomes in children with type 2 diabetes. This review article provides a brief review of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, provides an overview of multidisciplinary health care teams, and discusses the role of multidisciplinary health care management in youth with type 2 diabetes.Keywords: adolescent, type 2 diabetes, multidisciplinary

CREATINE PHOSPHOKINASE ISOENZYME-MB MASS (CK-MB MASS AND TROPONIN I (cTnI IN DOGS (Canis familiaris

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Millena Vidal Freitas

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Cardiac markers, especially CK-MB mass and cTnI, have an essential role in both human and veterinary clinical and surgical cardiology, allowing a more precise and accurate diagnosis in myocardial lesions. The goal of this work was to measure these cardiac markers in veterinary medicine, improve their use and provide information about these laboratory methods that allow non-invasive health monitoring of the myocardial cell. Parameters quantification was obtained from sera of healthy dogs examined during routine procedures at the Small Animal Veterinary Hospital of Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro. The human chemiluminescence essay turbo kit (IMMULITE Turbo, Siemens ® test proved to be effective in canine species for both CK-MB mass and cTnI. In addition, the values found for CK-MB will significantly contribute to clinical routine or experimental work with dogs.

Management of uncommon secondary trigeminal neuralgia related to a rare Arnold Chiari type I malformation

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Zafar Ali Khan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background Trigeminal neuralgia (TN may sometimes present secondary to an intra-cranial cause. Arnold Chiari Malformation (ACM is downward herniation of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum that may be a cause of TN like pain in very rare cases. Aims The aim of this brief report is to suggest the proper management of uncommon secondary trigeminal neuralgia related to a rare Arnold Chiari type I malformation. Methods A male patient presented electric shock like stabbing pain on the right side of the face for more than ten years. The symptoms were typical of trigeminal neuralgia except that there was loss of corneal reflex on the right side and the patient also complained of gait & sleep disturbances. Complex and multilevel diagnosis was made. Results A multiplanar imaging through brain acquiring T1/T2W1 revealed ACM Type I Malformation with caudal displacement of cerebellar tonsils through foramen magnum. Conclusion Dental surgeons and oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons should exclude intra-cranial causes by Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI in patients of TN presenting with loss of corneal reflex, gait and sleep disturbances due to night time pain episodes.

Structural changes of the regulatory proteins bound to the thin filaments in skeletal muscle contraction by X-ray fiber diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugimoto, Yasunobu; Takezawa, Yasunori; Matsuo, Tatsuhito; Ueno, Yutaka; Minakata, Shiho; Tanaka, Hidehiro; Wakabayashi, Katsuzo

2008-01-01

In order to clarify the structural changes related to the regulation mechanism in skeletal muscle contraction, the intensity changes of thin filament-based reflections were investigated by X-ray fiber diffraction. The time course and extent of intensity changes of the first to third order troponin (TN)-associated meridional reflections with a basic repeat of 38.4 nm were different for each of these reflections. The intensity of the first and second thin filament layer lines changed in a reciprocal manner both during initial activation and during the force generation process. The axial spacings of the TN-meridional reflections decreased by ∼0.1% upon activation relative to the relaxing state and increased by ∼0.24% in the force generation state, in line with that of the 2.7-nm reflection. Ca 2+ -binding to TN triggered the shortening and a change in the helical symmetry of the thin filaments. Modeling of the structural changes using the intensities of the thin filament-based reflections suggested that the conformation of the globular core domain of TN altered upon activation, undergoing additional conformational changes at the tension plateau. The tail domain of TN moved together with tropomyosin during contraction. The results indicate that the structural changes of regulatory proteins bound to the actin filaments occur in two steps, the first in response to the Ca 2+ -binding and the second induced by actomyosin interaction

Novel anti-Sialyl-Tn monoclonal antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates demonstrate tumor specificity and anti-tumor activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Prendergast, Jillian M; Galvao da Silva, Ana Paula; Eavarone, David A; Ghaderi, Darius; Zhang, Mai; Brady, Dane; Wicks, Joan; DeSander, Julie; Behrens, Jeff; Rueda, Bo R

Targeted therapeutics that can differentiate between normal and malignant tumor cells represent the ideal standard for the development of a successful anti-cancer strategy. The Sialyl-Thomsen-nouveau antigen (STn or Sialyl-Tn, also known as CD175s) is rarely seen in normal adult tissues, but it is abundantly expressed in many types of human epithelial cancers. We have identified novel antibodies that specifically target with high affinity the STn glycan independent of its carrier protein, affording the potential to recognize a wider array of cancer-specific sialylated proteins. A panel of murine monoclonal anti-STn therapeutic antibodies were generated and their binding specificity and efficacy were characterized in vitro and in in vivo murine cancer models. A subset of these antibodies were conjugated to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) to generate antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). These ADCs demonstrated in vitro efficacy in STn-expressing cell lines and significant tumor growth inhibition in STn-expressing tumor xenograft cancer models with no evidence of overt toxicity.

The Gd14Ag51 structure type and its relation to some complex amalgam structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambornino, Frank; Sappl, Jonathan; Hoch, Constantin

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The Gd 14 Ag 51 structure type has been revisited on the basis of single crystal diffraction data. • Symmetry analysis from electron density and TEM shows the space group P6/m to be true. • Gd 14 Ag 51 shows good metallic behaviour. • Structure relations to alkali, alkaline-earth and rare-earth metal amalgams can be established. • Complexity values for the RE 14 Ag 51 structure family were calculated. - Abstract: A plethora of binary and ternary intermetallic compounds has been assigned to the Gd 14 Ag 51 structure type, crystallising in the hexagonal system (space group P6/m, a = 1264.30(18) pm, c = 933.58(11) pm for Gd 14 Ag 51 ). Starting in the late 1960s, much work has been invested in the structural elucidation of these crystal structures. However, reliable single crystal data are scarce, and most structure type assignments have been performed merely on the basis of powder data. We have redetermined four representatives of the binary RE 14 Ag 51 structure type (RE = Y, Ce, Gd, Tb) with modern high-precision single crystal X-ray methods. The assignment of the Gd 14 Ag 51 structure type to space group P6/m was additionally verified by careful analysis of high resolution transmission electron micrographs. We emphasise the close relation of the Gd 14 Ag 51 structure type to the structures of some recently described amalgams of similar composition focussing on disorder phenomena and structural complexity. Furthermore, we provide detailed information on synthesis as well as electrical and magnetic properties for Gd 14 Ag 51 , the parent compound of this structure family

Double Copies of bla(KPC-3)::Tn4401a on an IncX3 Plasmid in Klebsiella pneumoniae Successful Clone ST512 from Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortini, Daniela; Villa, Laura; Feudi, Claudia; Pires, João; Bonura, Celestino; Mammina, Caterina; Endimiani, Andrea; Carattoli, Alessandra

2016-01-01

A carbapenem-resistant sequence type 512 (ST512) Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase 3 (KPC-3)-producing K. pneumoniae strain showing a novel variant plasmid content was isolated in Palermo, Italy, in 2014. ST512 is a worldwide successful clone associated with the spread of bla(KPC) genes located on the IncFIIk pKpQIL plasmid. In our ST512 strain, the bla(KPC-3) gene was unusually located on an IncX3 plasmid, whose complete sequence was determined. Two copies of bla(KPC-3)::Tn4401a caused by intramolecular transposition events were detected in the plasmid. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Physicochemical and toxicological profiling of ash from the 2010 and 2011 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn volcanoes, Iceland using a rapid respiratory hazard assessment protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Horwell, C J; Baxter, P J; Hillman, S E; Calkins, J A; Damby, D E; Delmelle, P; Donaldson, K; Dunster, C; Fubini, B; Kelly, F J; Le Blond, J S; Livi, K J T; Murphy, F; Nattrass, C; Sweeney, S; Tetley, T D; Thordarson, T; Tomatis, M

2013-11-01

The six week eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 produced heavy ash fall in a sparsely populated area of southern and south eastern Iceland and disrupted European commercial flights for at least 6 days. We adopted a protocol for the rapid analysis of volcanic ash particles, for the purpose of informing respiratory health risk assessments. Ash collected from deposits underwent a multi-laboratory physicochemical and toxicological investigation of their mineralogical parameters associated with bio-reactivity, and selected in vitro toxicology assays related to pulmonary inflammatory responses. Ash from the eruption of Grímsvötn, Iceland, in 2011 was also studied. The results were benchmarked against ash from Soufrière Hills volcano, Montserrat, which has been extensively studied since the onset of eruptive activity in 1995. For Eyjafjallajökull, the grain size distributions were variable: 2-13 vol% of the bulk samples were <4 µm, with the most explosive phases of the eruption generating abundant respirable particulate matter. In contrast, the Grímsvötn ash was almost uniformly coarse (<3.5 vol%<4 µm material). Surface area ranged from 0.3 to 7.7 m2 g(-1) for Eyjafjallajökull but was very low for Grímsvötn (<0.6 m2 g(-1)). There were few fibre-like particles (which were unrelated to asbestos) and the crystalline silica content was negligible in both eruptions, whereas Soufrière Hills ash was cristobalite-rich with a known potential to cause silicosis. All samples displayed a low ability to deplete lung antioxidant defences, showed little haemolysis and low acute cytotoxicity in human alveolar type-1 like epithelial cells (TT1). However, cell-free tests showed substantial hydroxyl radical generation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide for Grímsvötn samples, as expected for basaltic, Fe-rich ash. Cellular mediators MCP-1, IL-6, and IL-8 showed chronic pro-inflammatory responses in Eyjafjallajökull, Grímsvötn and Soufrière Hills samples

Use of antimicrobial growth promoters in food animals and Enterococcus faecium resistance to therapeutic antimicrobial drugs in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wegener, Henrik Caspar; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Jensen, Lars Bogø

1999-01-01

on the Tn1546 transposon. Furthermore, glycopeptide-resistant strains, as well as resistance determinants, can be transmitted from animals to humans. Two antimicrobial classes expected to provide the future therapeutic options for treatment of infections with vancomycin-resistant enterococci have analogues......Supplementing animal feed with antimicrobial agents to enhance growth has been common practice for more than 30 years and is estimated to constitute more than half the total antimicrobial use worldwide. The potential public health consequences of this use have been debated; however, until recently......, clear evidence of a health risk was not available. Accumulating evidence now indicates that the use of the glycopeptide avoparcin as a growth promoter has created in food animals a major reservoir of Enterococcus faecium, which contains the high level glycopeptide resistance determinant vanA, located...

Glycan elongation beyond the mucin associated Tn antigen protects tumor cells from immune-mediated killing.

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Caroline B Madsen

Full Text Available Membrane bound mucins are up-regulated and aberrantly glycosylated during malignant transformation in many cancer cells. This results in a negatively charged glycoprotein coat which may protect cancer cells from immune surveillance. However, only limited data have so far demonstrated the critical steps in glycan elongation that make aberrantly glycosylated mucins affect the interaction between cancer cells and cytotoxic effector cells of the immune system. Tn (GalNAc-Ser/Thr, STn (NeuAcα2-6GalNAc-Ser/Thr, T (Galβ1-3GalNAc-Ser/Thr, and ST (NeuAcα2-6Galβ1-3GalNAc-Ser/Thr antigens are recognized as cancer associated truncated glycans, and are expressed in many adenocarcinomas, e.g. breast- and pancreatic cancer cells. To investigate the role of the cancer associated glycan truncations in immune-mediated killing we created glyco-engineered breast- and pancreatic cancer cells expressing only the shortest possible mucin-like glycans (Tn and STn. Glyco-engineering was performed by zinc finger nuclease (ZFN knockout (KO of the Core 1 enzyme chaperone COSMC, thereby preventing glycan elongation beyond the initial GalNAc residue in O-linked glycans. We find that COSMC KO in the breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines T47D and Capan-1 increases sensitivity to both NK cell mediated antibody-dependent cellular-cytotoxicity (ADCC and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL-mediated killing. In addition, we investigated the association between total cell surface expression of MUC1/MUC16 and NK or CTL mediated killing, and observed an inverse correlation between MUC16/MUC1 expression and the sensitivity to ADCC and CTL-mediated killing. Together, these data suggest that up-regulation of membrane bound mucins protects cells from immune mediated killing, and that particular glycosylation steps, as demonstrated for glycan elongation beyond Tn and STn, can be important for fine tuning of the immune escape mechanisms in cancer cells.

Changes in the dynamics of the cardiac troponin C molecule explain the effects of Ca2+-sensitizing mutations.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Charles M; Rayani, Kaveh; Singh, Gurpreet; Lotfalisalmasi, Bairam; Tieleman, D Peter; Tibbits, Glen F

2017-07-14

Cardiac troponin C (cTnC) is the regulatory protein that initiates cardiac contraction in response to Ca 2+ TnC binding Ca 2+ initiates a cascade of protein-protein interactions that begins with the opening of the N-terminal domain of cTnC, followed by cTnC binding the troponin I switch peptide (TnI SW ). We have evaluated, through isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular-dynamics simulation, the effect of several clinically relevant mutations (A8V, L29Q, A31S, L48Q, Q50R, and C84Y) on the Ca 2+ affinity, structural dynamics, and calculated interaction strengths between cTnC and each of Ca 2+ and TnI SW Surprisingly the Ca 2+ affinity measured by isothermal titration calorimetry was only significantly affected by half of these mutations including L48Q, which had a 10-fold higher affinity than WT, and the Q50R and C84Y mutants, each of which had affinities 3-fold higher than wild type. This suggests that Ca 2+ affinity of the N-terminal domain of cTnC in isolation is insufficient to explain the pathogenicity of these mutations. Molecular-dynamics simulation was used to evaluate the effects of these mutations on Ca 2+ binding, structural dynamics, and TnI interaction independently. Many of the mutations had a pronounced effect on the balance between the open and closed conformations of the TnC molecule, which provides an indirect mechanism for their pathogenic properties. Our data demonstrate that the structural dynamics of the cTnC molecule are key in determining myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity. Our data further suggest that modulation of the structural dynamics is the underlying molecular mechanism for many disease mutations that are far from the regulatory Ca 2+ -binding site of cTnC. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

MGL Receptor and Immunity: When the Ligand Can Make the Difference

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Ilaria Grazia Zizzari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available C-type lectin receptors (CLRs on antigen-presenting cells (APCs facilitate uptake of carbohydrate antigens for antigen presentation, modulating the immune response in infection, homeostasis, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer. In this review, we focus on the role of the macrophage galactose type C-type lectin (MGL in the immune response against self-antigens, pathogens, and tumor associated antigens (TAA. MGL is a CLR exclusively expressed by dendritic cells (DCs and activated macrophages (MØs, able to recognize terminal GalNAc residues, including the sialylated and nonsialylated Tn antigens. We discuss the effects on DC function induced throughout the engagement of MGL, highlighting the importance of the antigen structure in the modulation of immune response. Indeed modifying Tn-density, the length, and steric structure of the Tn-antigens can result in generating immunogens that can efficiently bind to MGL, strongly activate DCs, mimic the effects of a danger signal, and achieve an efficient presentation in HLA classes I and II compartments.

Ceramic materials on perovskite-type structure for electronic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surowiak, Z.

2003-01-01

Ceramic materials exhibiting the perovskite-type structure constitute among others, resource base for many fields of widely understood electronics (i.e., piezoelectronics, accustoelectronics, optoelectronics, computer science, tele- and radioelectronics etc.). Most often they are used for fabrication of different type sensors (detectors), transducers, ferroelectric memories, limiters of the electronic current intensity, etc., and hence they are numbered among so-called intelligent materials. Prototype structure of this group of materials is the structure of the mineral called perovskite (CaTiO 3 ). By means of right choice of the chemical composition of ABO 3 and deforming the regular perovskite structure (m3m) more than 5000 different chemical compounds and solid solutions exhibiting the perovskite-type structure have been fabricated. The concept of perovskite functional ceramics among often things ferroelectric ceramics, pyroelectric ceramics, piezoelectric ceramics, electrostrictive ceramics, posistor ceramics, superconductive ceramics and ferromagnetic ceramics. New possibilities of application of the perovskite-type ceramics are opened by nanotechnology. (author)

Production of diketopiperazine derivative cyclo (l-leu-l-arg) by streptomyces sp. tn262 after exposure to heat-killed fungus fusarium sp

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elleuch, L.; Smaoui, S.; Najah, S.; Sellem, I

2013-01-01

In a screening program for new active secondary metabolites producers, a strain of Streptomyces called TN262 was isolated from Tunisian soil and selected for its ability to produce eleven active compounds in pure culture conditions. In this work, the effect of different concentrations of heat-killed fungus Fusarium sp. on the production of active compounds by TN262 strain was studied. The ethyl acetate extract from the culture of Streptomyces sp. TN262 combined with heat-killed Fusarium sp. at 50 micro g/ml inhibited the growth of the three used indicator microorganisms. In fact, an increase of 36%, 21% and 20% in inhibitory activity was obtained against Micrococcus luteus LB 14110, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Fusarium sp. respectively. The HPLC chromatographic profiles of the ethyl acetate extracts from both culture conditions were different and an additional active compound was produced only under induced conditions. This active component was isolated and identified as Cyclo (L-Leu-L-Arg) (1), a diketopiperazine derivative, possessing antibacterial and antifungal activity. Consequently, this study showed that the addition of heat-killed fungus is a useful method for inducing the production of bioactive compounds. (author)

An Investigation of the Magnetic Structure and Excitations in K2CoxFe1-xF4

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Higgins, S.A.; Couley, R.A.; Hagen, M.

1984-01-01

Neutron scattering techniques have been used to investigate the magnetic structure of K2CoxF1-xF4 with x=0.2 and x=0.6. The x=0.6 sample exhibits only one magnetic phase transition, at TN=92.2+or-0.1K. The x=0.2 sample has two magnetic phase transitions; below TN=66+or-1K the axial spin components...

Exploring the Molecular Basis for Selective Binding of Homoserine Dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium leprae TN toward Inhibitors: A Virtual Screening Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongling Zhan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Homoserine dehydrogenase (HSD from Mycobacterium leprae TN is an antifungal target for antifungal properties including efficacy against the human pathogen. The 3D structure of HSD has been firmly established by homology modeling methods. Using the template, homoserine dehydrogenase from Thiobacillus denitrificans (PDB Id 3MTJ, a sequence identity of 40% was found and molecular dynamics simulation was used to optimize a reliable structure. The substrate and co-factor-binding regions in HSD were identified. In order to determine the important residues of the substrate (l-aspartate semialdehyde (l-ASA binding, the ASA was docked to the protein; Thr163, Asp198, and Glu192 may be important because they form a hydrogen bond with HSD through AutoDock 4.2 software. neuraminidaseAfter use of a virtual screening technique of HSD, the four top-scoring docking hits all seemed to cation–π ion pair with the key recognition residue Lys107, and Lys207. These ligands therefore seemed to be new chemotypes for HSD. Our results may be helpful for further experimental investigations.

IHF-independent assembly of the Tn10 strand transfer transpososome: implications for inhibition of disintegration

OpenAIRE

Stewart, Barry J.; Wardle, Simon J.; Haniford, David B.

2002-01-01

The frequency of DNA transposition in transposition systems that employ a strand transfer step may be significantly affected by the occurrence of a disintegration reaction, a reaction that reverses the strand transfer event. We have asked whether disintegration occurs in the Tn10 transposition system. We show that disintegration substrates (substrates constituting one half of the strand transfer product) are assembled into a transpososome that mimics the strand transfer intermediate. This str...

Structural and evolutionary relationships of "AT-less" type I polyketide synthase ketosynthases.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohman, Jeremy R; Ma, Ming; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Nocek, Boguslaw; Kim, Youngchang; Chang, Changsoo; Cuff, Marianne; Mack, Jamey; Bigelow, Lance; Li, Hui; Endres, Michael; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N; Shen, Ben

2015-10-13

Acyltransferase (AT)-less type I polyketide synthases (PKSs) break the type I PKS paradigm. They lack the integrated AT domains within their modules and instead use a discrete AT that acts in trans, whereas a type I PKS module minimally contains AT, acyl carrier protein (ACP), and ketosynthase (KS) domains. Structures of canonical type I PKS KS-AT didomains reveal structured linkers that connect the two domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs have remnants of these linkers, which have been hypothesized to be AT docking domains. Natural products produced by AT-less type I PKSs are very complex because of an increased representation of unique modifying domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs possess substrate specificity and fall into phylogenetic clades that correlate with their substrates, whereas canonical type I PKS KSs are monophyletic. We have solved crystal structures of seven AT-less type I PKS KS domains that represent various sequence clusters, revealing insight into the large structural and subtle amino acid residue differences that lead to unique active site topologies and substrate specificities. One set of structures represents a larger group of KS domains from both canonical and AT-less type I PKSs that accept amino acid-containing substrates. One structure has a partial AT-domain, revealing the structural consequences of a type I PKS KS evolving into an AT-less type I PKS KS. These structures highlight the structural diversity within the AT-less type I PKS KS family, and most important, provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of substrate specificity within the type I PKSs.

Structural and evolutionary relationships of "AT-less" type I polyketide synthase ketosynthases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lohman, Jeremy; Ma, Ming; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Nocek, Boguslaw; Kim, Youngchang; Chang, Changsoo; Cuff, Marianne E.; Mack, Jamey; Bigelow, Lance; Li, Hui; Endres, Michael; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N.; Shen, B G

2015-10-13

Acyltransferase (AT)-less type I polyketide synthases (PKSs) break the type I PKS paradigm. They lack the integrated AT domains within their modules and instead use a discrete AT that acts in trans, whereas a type I PKS module minimally contains AT, acyl carrier protein (ACP), and ketosynthase (KS) domains. Structures of canonical type I PKS KS-AT didomains reveal structured linkers that connect the two domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs have remnants of these linkers, which have been hypothesized to be AT docking domains. Natural products produced by AT-less type I PKSs are very complex because of an increased representation of unique modifying domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs possess substrate specificity and fall into phylogenetic clades that correlate with their substrates, whereas canonical type I PKS KSs are monophyletic. We have solved crystal structures of seven AT-less type I PKS KS domains that represent various sequence clusters, revealing insight into the large structural and subtle amino acid residue differences that lead to unique active site topologies and substrate specificities. One set of structures represents a larger group of KS domains from both canonical and AT-less type I PKSs that accept amino acid-containing substrates. One structure has a partial AT-domain, revealing the structural consequences of a type I PKS KS evolving into an AT-less type I PKS KS. These structures highlight the structural diversity within the AT-less type I PKS KS family, and most important, provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of substrate specificity within the type I PKSs.

Studies on the process of attachment of diazotroph alcaligenes faecalis and its Tn5 mutants to rice roots using 15N-labelling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Xuanjun; Lin Min; You Chongbiao

1993-09-01

By using 15 N-labelling technique and Tn5-induced mutants the attachment of associative diazotroph Alcaligenes faecalis to intact rice plants was examined in vitro. Three distinguished modes of attachment of Alcaligenes faecalis: adsorption, anchoring and colonization were proposed by using 15 N-labelling bacterial cells and Tn5-induced mutants. Che - mutants affected on adsorption, but not on anchoring. Exo - Che - mutant is defective in both adsorption and anchoring. Exo - or exo ++ mutants are only defective in anchoring. Effective colonization is benefit for establishment on the associative system. The data also indicated that EPS (exopolysaccharide) play rather important roles in the association between the host plant and bacteria

Exact comparison of dose rate measurements and calculation of TN12/2 packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniuchi, H.; Matsuda, F.

1998-01-01

Both of dose rate measurements of TN 12/2 package and calculations by Monte Carlo code MORSE in SCALE code system and MCNP were performed to evaluate the difference between the measurement and the calculation and finding out the cause of the difference. The calculated gamma-ray dose rates agreed well with measured ones, but calculated neutron dose rates overestimated more than a factor of 1.7. When considering the cause of the difference and applying the modification into the neutron calculation, the calculated neutron dose rates become to agree well, and the factor decreased to around 1.3. (authors)

Panovnické postavy v závěru schodištních maleb

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kubínová, Kateřina

2006-01-01

Roč. 13, příl. (2006), s. 23-36 ISSN 1212-1487. [Schodištní cykly Velké věže hradu Karlštejna. Stav po restaurování. Praha, 05.05.2004-07.05.2004] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA8033301 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z80330511 Keywords : Bohemian medieval wall painting * Karlštejn * Charles IV Subject RIV: AL - Art, Architecture, Cultural Heritage

Toward Protein Structure In Situ: Comparison of Two Bifunctional Rhodamine Adducts of Troponin C

Science.gov (United States)

Julien, Olivier; Sun, Yin-Biao; Knowles, Andrea C.; Brandmeier, Birgit D.; Dale, Robert E.; Trentham, David R.; Corrie, John E. T.; Sykes, Brian D.; Irving, Malcolm

2007-01-01

As part of a program to develop methods for determining protein structure in situ, sTnC was labeled with a bifunctional rhodamine (BR or BSR), cross-linking residues 56 and 63 of its C-helix. NMR spectroscopy of the N-terminal domain of BSR-labeled sTnC in complex with Ca2+ and the troponin I switch peptide (residues 115–131) showed that BSR labeling does not significantly affect the secondary structure of the protein or its dynamics in solution. BR-labeling was previously shown to have no effect on the solution structure of this complex. Isometric force generation in isolated demembranated fibers from rabbit psoas muscle into which BR- or BSR-labeled sTnC had been exchanged showed reduced Ca2+-sensitivity, and this effect was larger with the BSR label. The orientation of rhodamine dipoles with respect to the fiber axis was determined by polarized fluorescence. The mean orientations of the BR and BSR dipoles were almost identical in relaxed muscle, suggesting that both probes accurately report the orientation of the C-helix to which they are attached. The BSR dipole had smaller orientational dispersion, consistent with less flexible linkers between the rhodamine dipole and cysteine-reactive groups. PMID:17483167

Green digital signage using nanoparticle embedded narrow-gap field sequential TN-LCDs

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Shunsuke; Shiraishi, Yukihide; Sawai, Hiroya; Toshima, Naoki; Okita, Masaya; Takeuchi, Kiyofumi; Takatsu, Haruyoshi

2012-03-01

We have fabricated field sequential color (FSC)-LCDs using cells and modules of narrow-gap TN-LCDs with and without doping the nanoparticles of PCyD-ZrO2 and AF-SiO2. It is shown that the FSC-LCD exhibits a high optical efficiency of OE=4.5 that is defined as OE=[Luminance]/[W/m2]=(cd/W). This figure may provide us a good reference or to clear the Energy Star Program Version 5-3 that issues a guideline: LCD with 50 inch on the diagonal consumes the energy of 108W. Through this research it is claimed that our FSC=LCD may be a novel green digital signage.

Effects of dexmedetomidine on H-FABP, CK-MB, cTnI levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhi; Chen, Qiang; Guo, Hao; Li, Zhishan; Zhang, Jinfeng; Lv, Lei; Guo, Yongqing

2017-12-01

This study investigated the effects of dexmedetomidine on heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB), and troponin I (cTnI) levels, neurological function and near-term prognosis in patients undergoing heart valve replacement. Patients undergoing heart valve replacement were randomly allocated to remifentanil anesthesia (control group, n=48) or dexmedetomidine anesthesia (observation group, n=48). Hemodynamic parameters were measured before anesthesia induction (T1), 1 min after intubation (T2), 10 min after start of surgery (T3), and on completion of surgery (T4). Levels of plasma H-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI were measured 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), 10 min after start of surgery (C2), on completion of surgery (C3), 6 h after surgery (C4), and 24 h after surgery (C5). S100β protein and serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were detected 10 min before anesthesia induction (C1), and 24 h after surgery (C5). Neurological and cardiac function was evaluated 24 h after surgery. Incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was recorded for 1 year of follow-up. There were no significant differences in the average heart rate between the two groups during the perioperative period. The mean arterial pressure in the observation group was significantly lower than control group (PH-FABP, CK-MB and cTnI at C2, C3, C4 and C5, were significantly higher than C1, but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, levels of S100β and NSE in both groups were higher than those before induction (P<0.05), but significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05). Twenty-four hours after surgery, neurological function scores were better, and myocardial contractility and arrhythmia scores significantly lower in the observation versus control group (P<0.05 for all). After follow-up for 1 year, incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was significantly lower in the observation

An Owen-type value for games with two-level communication structures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, René; Khmelnitskaya, Anna Borisovna; van der Laan, Gerard

We introduce an Owen-type value for games with two-level communication structure, which is a structure where the players are partitioned into a coalition structure such that there exists restricted communication between as well as within the a priori unions of the coalition structure. Both types of

'Test n Treat (TnT)': a cluster-randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid-testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in high-risk further education college students: statistical analysis plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Rachel; Oakeshott, Pippa; Kerry-Barnard, Sarah; Reid, Fiona

2018-06-05

There are high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in ethnically diverse, sexually active students aged 16-24 years attending London further education (FE) colleges. However, uptake of chlamydia screening remains low. The TnT study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial in FE colleges to investigate if frequent, rapid, on-site testing and treatment (TnT) reduces chlamydia rates. This article presents the statistical analysis plan for the main study publication as approved and signed off by the Trial Management Group prior to the first data extraction for the final report. TnT is a cluster-randomised feasibility trial conducted over 7 months with parallel qualitative and economic assessments. Colleges will be randomly allocated into the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). Six FE colleges in London will be included. At each college for 2 days, 80 consecutive sexually active students aged 16-24 years (total 480 students across all six colleges) will be recruited from public areas and asked to provide baseline samples. One and 4 months after recruitment intervention colleges will be visited on two consecutive days by the TnT team where participating students will be texted and invited to come for same-day, on-site, rapid chlamydia testing and, if positive, treatment. Participants in the control colleges will receive 'thank you' texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to participants with positive results. Key feasibility outcomes include: recruitment rates, testing and treatment uptake rates (at 1 and 4 months) and follow-up rates (at 7 months). ISRCTN 58038795 . Registered on 31 August 2016.

The Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type and its relation to some complex amalgam structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tambornino, Frank; Sappl, Jonathan; Hoch, Constantin, E-mail: constantin.hoch@cup.uni-muenchen.de

2015-01-05

Highlights: • The Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type has been revisited on the basis of single crystal diffraction data. • Symmetry analysis from electron density and TEM shows the space group P6/m to be true. • Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} shows good metallic behaviour. • Structure relations to alkali, alkaline-earth and rare-earth metal amalgams can be established. • Complexity values for the RE{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure family were calculated. - Abstract: A plethora of binary and ternary intermetallic compounds has been assigned to the Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type, crystallising in the hexagonal system (space group P6/m, a = 1264.30(18) pm, c = 933.58(11) pm for Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51}). Starting in the late 1960s, much work has been invested in the structural elucidation of these crystal structures. However, reliable single crystal data are scarce, and most structure type assignments have been performed merely on the basis of powder data. We have redetermined four representatives of the binary RE{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type (RE = Y, Ce, Gd, Tb) with modern high-precision single crystal X-ray methods. The assignment of the Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type to space group P6/m was additionally verified by careful analysis of high resolution transmission electron micrographs. We emphasise the close relation of the Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51} structure type to the structures of some recently described amalgams of similar composition focussing on disorder phenomena and structural complexity. Furthermore, we provide detailed information on synthesis as well as electrical and magnetic properties for Gd{sub 14}Ag{sub 51}, the parent compound of this structure family.

Exposure of Human CD8+ T Cells to Type-2 Cytokines Impairs Division and Differentiation and Induces Limited Polarization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette Fox

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Effector CD8+ T cells generally produce type-1 cytokines and mediators of the perforin/granzyme cytolytic pathway, yet type-2-polarized CD8+ cells (Tc2 are detected in type-2 (T2 cytokine-driven diseases such as asthma. It is unclear whether T2 cytokine exposure during activation is sufficient to polarize human CD8+ T cells. To address this question, a protocol was developed for high-efficiency activation of human CD8+ T cells in which purified single cells or populations were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 and anti-CD11a mAb for up to 8 days in T2 polarizing or neutral conditions, before functional analysis. Activation of CD8+ naïve T cells (TN in T2 compared with neutral conditions decreased the size of single-cell clones, although early division kinetics were equivalent, indicating an effect on overall division number. Activation of TN in T2 conditions followed by brief anti-CD3 mAb restimulation favored expression of T2 cytokines, GATA3 and Eomes, and lowered expression of type-1 cytokines, Prf1, Gzmb, T-BET, and Prdm1. However, IL-4 was only weakly expressed, and PMA and ionomycin restimulation favored IFN-γ over IL-4 expression. Activation of TN in T2 compared with neutral conditions prevented downregulation of costimulatory (CD27, CD28 and lymph-node homing receptors (CCR7 and CD95 acquisition, which typically occur during differentiation into effector phenotypes. CD3 was rapidly and substantially induced after activation in neutral, but not T2 conditions, potentially contributing to greater division and differentiation in neutral conditions. CD8+ central memory T cells (TCM were less able to enter division upon reactivation in T2 compared with neutral conditions, and were more refractory to modulating IFN-γ and IL-4 production than CD8+ TN. In summary, while activation of TN in T2 conditions can generate T2 cytokine-biased cells, IL-4 expression is weak, T2 bias is lost upon strong restimulation, differentiation, and division

Stochastic Fatigue Analysis of Jacket Type Offshore Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sigurdsson, Gudfinnur

In this paper, a stochastic reliability assessment for jacket type offshore structures subjected to wave loads in deep water environments is outlined. In the reliability assessment, structural and loading uncertainties are taken into account by means of some stochastic variables. To estimate stat...... statistical measures of structural stress variations the modal spectral analysis method is applied....

Cardiac Stress and Inflammatory Markers as Predictors of Heart Failure in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes : The ADVANCE Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ohkuma, Toshiaki; Jun, Min; Woodward, Mark; Zoungas, Sophia; Cooper, Mark E; Grobbee, Diederick E; Hamet, Pavel; Mancia, Giuseppe; Williams, Bryan; Welsh, Paul; Sattar, Naveed; Shaw, Jonathan E.; Rahimi, Kazem; Chalmers, John

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the individual and combined effect of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hs-CRP on the prediction of heart failure incidence or progression in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Tumour-associated endothelial-FAK correlated with molecular sub-type and prognostic factors in invasive breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexopoulou, Annika N; Ho-Yen, Colan M; Papalazarou, Vassilis; Elia, George; Jones, J Louise; Hodivala-Dilke, Kairbaan

2014-01-01

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that can be classified into one of 4 main molecular sub-types: luminal A, luminal B, Her2 over-expressing and basal-like (BL). These tumour sub-types require different treatments and have different risks of disease progression. BL cancers can be considered a sub-group of Triple negative (TN) cancers since they lack estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and Her2 expression. No targeted treatment currently exists for TN/BL cancers. Thus it is important to identify potential therapeutic targets and describe their relationship with established prognostic factors. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is upregulated in several human cancers and also plays a functional role in tumour angiogenesis. However, the association between breast cancer sub-types and tumour endothelial-FAK expression is unknown. Using immunofluorescence, we quantified FAK expression in tumour endothelial and tumour cell compartments in 149 invasive breast carcinomas and correlated expression with clinical, pathological and molecular parameters. Low endothelial-FAK expression was independently associated with luminal A tumours at univariate (p < 0.001) and multivariate (p = 0.001) analysis. There was a positive correlation between FAK expression in the vascular and tumour cell compartments (Spearman’s correlation co-efficient = 0.394, p < 0.001). Additionally, endothelial and tumour cell FAK expression were significantly increased in TN tumours (p = 0.043 and p = 0.033 respectively), in tumours with negative ER and PR status, and in high grade tumours at univariate analysis. Our findings establish a relationship between endothelial-FAK expression levels and the molecular sub-type of invasive breast cancer, and suggest that endothelial-FAK expression is potentially more clinically relevant than tumour cell FAK expression in breast cancer

77 FR 59573 - Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Tri-Cities, TN; Revocation of Class E Airspace; Tri...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... at Hawkins County Airport, Rogersville, TN, and Virginia Highlands Airport, Abington, VA. The Tri... separation of existing Class E airspace surrounding Virginia Highlands Airport, Abingdon, VA, and Hawkins... publication, the FAA reassessed the proposal to show the separation of Hawkins County Airport, and Virginia...

Determinants and prognostic implications of Cardiac Troponin T measured by a sensitive assay in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hallén Jonas

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The cardiac troponins are biomarkers used for diagnosis of myocardial injury. They are also powerful prognostic markers in many diseases and settings. Recently introduced high-sensitivity assays indicate that chronic cardiac troponin elevations are common in response to cardiovascular (CV morbidity. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM confers a high risk of CV disease, but little is known about chronic cardiac troponin elevations in diabetic subjects. Accordingly, we aimed to understand the prevalence, determinants, and prognostic implications of cardiac troponin T (cTnT elevations measured with a high-sensitivity assay in patients with T2DM. Methods cTnT was measured in stored, frozen serum samples from 124 subjects enrolled in the Asker and Bærum Cardiovascular Diabetes trial at baseline and at 2-year follow-up, if availabe (96 samples available. Results were analyzed in relation to baseline variables, hospitalizations, and group assignment (multifactorial intensive versus conventional diabetes care for lowering CV risk. Results One-hundred thirteen (90 % had detectable cTnT at baseline and of those, 22 (18 % of the total population subjects had values above the 99th percentile for healthy controls (13.5 ng/L. Levels at baseline were associated with conventional CV risk factors (age, renal function, gender. There was a strong correlation between cTnT levels at the two time-points (r = 0.92, p > 0.001. Risk for hospitalizations during follow-up increased step-wise by quartiles of hscTnT measured at baseline (p = 0.058. Conclusions Elevations of cTnT above the 99th percentile measured by a highly sensitive assay were encountered frequently in a population of T2DM patients. cTnT levels appeared to be stable over time and associated with conventional CV risk factors. Although a clear trend was present, no statistically robust associations with adverse outcomes could be found.

Subaortic (Type 6 Muscular Band—Innocent Bystander or Pathologic Structure?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Ker

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Intraventricular tendons are structures that was identified more than a hundred years ago. It has been suggested that they represent intracavitary radiations of the bundle of His and that they may be an isolated finding or be associated with structural cardiac abnormalities. Loukas et al divided these structures into five categories and recently a sixth type have been added. Various physiological disturbances have been observed due to the sixth type of tendon, such as ST segment elevation and right bundle branch block. It has been noted that this peculiar structure appears too thick to be called a tendon, thus the term band. This retrospective analysis analyzed the incidence of the thick, subaortic (type 6 muscular band in a cardiovascular clinic.

Rich table but short life: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and its possible consequences

Science.gov (United States)

Kacki, Sacha; Lynnerup, Niels; Kaupová, Sylva; Jeanson, Alizé Lacoste; Povýšil, Ctibor; Horák, Martin; Kučera, Jan; Rasmussen, Kaare Lund; Podliska, Jaroslav; Dragoun, Zdeněk; Smolík, Jiří; Vellev, Jens; Brůžek, Jaroslav

2018-01-01

The exhumation of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) was performed in 2010 to verify speculative views on the cause of his death. Previous analyses of skeletal and hair remains recovered from his grave refuted the presumption that he died from poisoning. These studies also outlined the possibility that he actually died from an acute illness, echoing the rather vague and inaccurate testimony of some historical records. We performed a detailed paleopathological analysis of Tycho Brahe’s skeletal remains, along with a reconstruction of his diet based on carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analysis and an estimate of his physical status (relative body fat) based on medullar and cortical dimensions of the femoral shaft. The astronomer’s remains exhibit bone changes indicative of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). The study further allows us to classify him as obese (100% reliability according to our decision tree designed from Danish males), and points out his rich diet (high input of animal protein and/or marine resources) and high social status. Comorbidities of DISH and obesity are reviewed, and their influence on health status is discussed. We further consider some conditions associated with metabolic syndrome as possible causes of Tycho Brahe’s final symptoms (urinary retention, renal failure and coma), including diabetes, alcoholic ketoacidosis and benign prostatic hypertrophy. Although a definite and specific diagnosis cannot be established, our study points to today’s civilization diseases often associated with DISH and metabolic syndrome as the possible cause of death of Tycho Brahe. PMID:29672561

Structural and evolutionary relationships of “AT-less” type I polyketide synthase ketosynthases

Science.gov (United States)

Lohman, Jeremy R.; Ma, Ming; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Nocek, Boguslaw; Kim, Youngchang; Chang, Changsoo; Cuff, Marianne; Mack, Jamey; Bigelow, Lance; Li, Hui; Endres, Michael; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N.; Shen, Ben

2015-01-01

Acyltransferase (AT)-less type I polyketide synthases (PKSs) break the type I PKS paradigm. They lack the integrated AT domains within their modules and instead use a discrete AT that acts in trans, whereas a type I PKS module minimally contains AT, acyl carrier protein (ACP), and ketosynthase (KS) domains. Structures of canonical type I PKS KS-AT didomains reveal structured linkers that connect the two domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs have remnants of these linkers, which have been hypothesized to be AT docking domains. Natural products produced by AT-less type I PKSs are very complex because of an increased representation of unique modifying domains. AT-less type I PKS KSs possess substrate specificity and fall into phylogenetic clades that correlate with their substrates, whereas canonical type I PKS KSs are monophyletic. We have solved crystal structures of seven AT-less type I PKS KS domains that represent various sequence clusters, revealing insight into the large structural and subtle amino acid residue differences that lead to unique active site topologies and substrate specificities. One set of structures represents a larger group of KS domains from both canonical and AT-less type I PKSs that accept amino acid-containing substrates. One structure has a partial AT-domain, revealing the structural consequences of a type I PKS KS evolving into an AT-less type I PKS KS. These structures highlight the structural diversity within the AT-less type I PKS KS family, and most important, provide a unique opportunity to study the molecular evolution of substrate specificity within the type I PKSs. PMID:26420866

Development, characteristics and comparative structural analysis of tensegrity type cable domes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nenadović Aleksandra

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Tensegrity type cable domes are three-dimensional structural configurations, prestressed inside the perimeter compression ring, in which the continuous tension throughout the roof structure is made by continuous tension cables and discontinuous compression struts. These kinds of structures can be formed like spatially triangulated networks or like networks nontriangulated in space. This paper examines some effects of network geometry on the behaviour and structural efficiency of tensegrity type cable domes. In this paper the roof cover is considered non-interactive with the supporting structure, unlike rigidly clad tensegrity type cable domes. Since the main bearing elements of tensegrity type cable domes are prestressed cables, they show non-linear load deformation and rely upon geometric stiffness. A geometrically non-linear analysis of non-triangulated and triangulated structures for different load conditions was conducted employing a computer program based on the perturbation theory. The incrementally-iterative procedure, with an approximation of the stiffness matrix by combining the elastic and geometric stiffness matrix, allows detection of structural instabilities.

Crystal structure of the second fibronectin type III (FN3) domain from human collagen α1 type XX.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jingfeng; Ren, Jixia; Wang, Nan; Cheng, Zhong; Yang, Runmei; Lin, Gen; Guo, Yi; Cai, Dayong; Xie, Yong; Zhao, Xiaohong

2017-12-01

Collagen α1 type XX, which contains fibronectin type III (FN3) repeats involving six FN3 domains (referred to as the FN#1-FN#6 domains), is an unusual member of the fibril-associated collagens with interrupted triple helices (FACIT) subfamily of collagens. The results of standard protein BLAST suggest that the FN3 repeats might contribute to collagen α1 type XX acting as a cytokine receptor. To date, solution NMR structures of the FN#3, FN#4 and FN#6 domains have been determined. To obtain further structural evidence to understand the relationship between the structure and function of the FN3 repeats from collagen α1 type XX, the crystal structure of the FN#2 domain from human collagen α1 type XX (residues Pro386-Pro466; referred to as FN2-HCXX) was solved at 2.5 Å resolution. The crystal structure of FN2-HCXX shows an immunoglobulin-like fold containing a β-sandwich structure, which is formed by a three-stranded β-sheet (β1, β2 and β5) packed onto a four-stranded β-sheet (β3, β4, β6 and β7). Two consensus domains, tencon and fibcon, are structural analogues of FN2-HCXX. Fn8, an FN3 domain from human oncofoetal fibronectin, is the closest structural analogue of FN2-HCXX derived from a naturally occurring sequence. Based solely on the structural similarity of FN2-HCXX to other FN3 domains, the detailed functions of FN2-HCXX and the FN3 repeats in collagen α1 type XX cannot be identified.

Magnetic Phase Transitions of CeSb. I

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fischer, Pernille Hertz; Lebech, Bente; Meier, G.

1978-01-01

The magnetic ordering of the anomalous antiferromagnet CeSb, which has a NaCl crystal structure, was determined in zero applied magnetic field by means of neutron diffraction investigations of single crystals and powder. Below the Neel temperature TN of (16.1+or-0.1)K, there exist six partially...... a first-order phase transition at TN. At approximately TN/2 there is a first-order phase transition to a FCC type IA low-temperature configuration. The unusual magnetic properties of CeSb, which result from anisotropic exchange and crystalline electric field effects, resemble those of certain actinide Na...

A large inversion in the linear chromosome of Streptomyces griseus caused by replicative transposition of a new Tn3 family transposon.

Science.gov (United States)

Murata, M; Uchida, T; Yang, Y; Lezhava, A; Kinashi, H

2011-04-01

We have comprehensively analyzed the linear chromosomes of Streptomyces griseus mutants constructed and kept in our laboratory. During this study, macrorestriction analysis of AseI and DraI fragments of mutant 402-2 suggested a large chromosomal inversion. The junctions of chromosomal inversion were cloned and sequenced and compared with the corresponding target sequences in the parent strain 2247. Consequently, a transposon-involved mechanism was revealed. Namely, a transposon originally located at the left target site was replicatively transposed to the right target site in an inverted direction, which generated a second copy and at the same time caused a 2.5-Mb chromosomal inversion. The involved transposon named TnSGR was grouped into a new subfamily of the resolvase-encoding Tn3 family transposons based on its gene organization. At the end, terminal diversity of S. griseus chromosomes is discussed by comparing the sequences of strains 2247 and IFO13350.

Glycan elongation beyond the mucin associated Tn antigen protects tumor cells from immune-mediated killing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Caroline B; Lavrsen, Kirstine; Steentoft, Catharina

2013-01-01

are recognized as cancer associated truncated glycans, and are expressed in many adenocarcinomas, e.g. breast- and pancreatic cancer cells. To investigate the role of the cancer associated glycan truncations in immune-mediated killing we created glyco-engineered breast- and pancreatic cancer cells expressing...... only the shortest possible mucin-like glycans (Tn and STn). Glyco-engineering was performed by zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) knockout (KO) of the Core 1 enzyme chaperone COSMC, thereby preventing glycan elongation beyond the initial GalNAc residue in O-linked glycans. We find that COSMC KO in the breast...

77 FR 21505 - Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Blountville, TN, and Revocation of Class E Airspace...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-10

... Airport, VA (Lat. 36[deg]41'14'' N., long. 82[deg]02'00'' W.) Rogersville, Hawkins County Airport, TN (Lat... Highlands Airport and within a 7-mile radius of Hawkins County Airport, and within 7 miles each side of Runway 07/25 centerline, extending from the 7-mile radius to 12 miles east of Hawkins County Airport...

Risk stratification in stable coronary artery disease is possible at cardiac troponin levels below conventional detection and is improved by use of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngbæk, Stig; Winkel, Per; Gøtze, Jens P

2014-01-01

AIMS: Low prevalence of detectable cardiac troponin in healthy people and low-risk patients previously curtailed its use. With a new high-sensitive cardiac troponin assay (hs-cTnT), concentrations below conventional detection may have prognostic value, notably in combination with N-terminal pro......-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP). METHODS AND RESULTS: Biomarker concentrations were determined from serum obtained at enrolment in the CLARICOR trial involving 4197 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) followed for 2.6 years. Serum hs-cTnT was detectable (above 3 ng/l) in 78% and above...... the conventional 99th percentile (13.5 ng/l) in 23%. Across all levels of hs-cTnT there was a graded increase in the risk of cardiovascular death after adjustment for known prognostic indicators: hazard ratio (HR) per unit increase in the natural logarithm of the hs-cTnT level, 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI...

Distinguishing Truncated and Normal MUC1 Glycoform Targeting from Tn-MUC1-Specific CAR T Cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Posey, Avery D; Clausen, Henrik; June, Carl H

2016-01-01

Genetically modified T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) demonstrate potent clinical antitumor effects in a variety of blood cancers. However, clinical activity in solid tumors has been disappointing and toxicity has been a serious concern (Lamers et al., 2013; Morgan et al., 2010......). We recently found that a CAR composed of a scFv antibody fragment specific for the Tn-glycoform of MUC1 had potent activity in preclinical models of blood cancer and adenocarcinoma (Posey et al., 2016)....

Site condition, structure, and growth of baldcypress along tidal/non-tidal salinity gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Krauss, K.W.; Duberstein, J.A.; Doyle, T.W.; Conner, W.H.; Day, Richard H.; Inabinette, L.W.; Whitbeck, J.L.

2009-01-01

This report documents changes in forest structure and growth potential of dominant trees in salt-impacted tidal and non-tidal baldcypress wetlands of the southeastern United States. We inventoried basal area and tree height, and monitored incremental growth (in basal area) of codominant baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) trees monthly, for over four years, to examine the inter-relationships among growth, site fertility, and soil physico-chemical characteristics. We found that salinity, soil total nitrogen (TN), flood duration, and flood frequency affected forest structure and growth the greatest. While mean annual site salinity ranged from 0.1 to 3.4 ppt, sites with salinity concentrations of 1.3 ppt or greater supported a basal area of less than 40 m2/ha. Where salinity was < 0.7 ppt, basal area was as high as 87 m2/ha. Stand height was also negatively affected by higher salinity. However, salinity related only to soil TN concentrations or to the relative balance between soil TN and total phosphorus (TP), which reached a maximum concentration between 1.2 and 2.0 ppt salinity. As estuarine influence shifts inland with sea-level rise, forest growth may become more strongly linked to salinity, not only due to salt effects but also as a consequence of site nitrogen imbalance.

CARACTERIZACIÓN DE IGYS ANTI-LECTINA DE Salvia bogotensis Y SU APLICACIÓN EN ESTUDIOS CITOQUÍMICOS PARA LA DETECCIÓN DEL ANTÍGENO TN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nohora Vega

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Las inmunoglobulinas aisladas de la yema de huevo (IgY son muy utilizadas actualmente en diversos campos de las ciencias biológicas, dadas sus ventajas frente a las IgG séricas de mamíferos. En un trabajo previo establecimos las condiciones de obtención de IgY dirigidas contra la lectinas de Salvia bogotensis; su utilización en estudios inmunocitoquímicos requiere conocer sus principales características moleculares y las condiciones para la interacción IgY-lectina. La lectina de Salvia bogotensis (SBoL reconoce específicamente el antígeno Tn, marcador tumoral en muchos tipos de cáncer, pero se requieren herramientas adicionales para evidenciar esta interacción a nivel celular. Dada la disponibilidad de IgY anti-lectina de S. bogotensis, se realizó este trabajo con el objeto de caracterizar molecularmente estas IgY y evaluar su utilización en estudios inmunocitoquímicos para la detección del antígeno Tn en células tumorales. A las IgY purificadas se les determinó su punto isoeléctrico, peso molecular y contenido de carbohidratos. Para establecer la especificidad de interacción IgY-SBoL se obtuvieron lectinas homólogas y heterólogas y se ensayaron por ELLSA. La detección del antígeno Tn en las líneas celulares MCF-7 y HeLa con la lectina y las IgYs marcadas con biotina o peroxidasa se realizó por CELISA e inmunocitoquímica. Los resultados mostraron que los anticuerpos IgY anti-SBoL son una herramienta de una alta sensibilidad para los ensayos de reconocimiento específico del antígeno Tn.

A Review of Influence of Various Types of Structural Bracing to the Structural Performance of Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, S. M.; Kong, T. C.; Zainol, N. Z.; Adnan, A.; Azimi, M.

2018-03-01

Excessive lateral drift can contribute significantly towards crack formation, leading to structural damage. The structural damage will in turn reduce the capacity of the structure and weaken it from the intended design capacity. Generally, lateral drift is more pronounced in higher and longer structure, such as high rise buildings and bridges. A typical method employed to control lateral drift is structural bracing, which works by increasing stiffness and stability of structure. This paper reviews the influence of various types of structural bracing to structural performance of buildings. The history of structural bracing is visited and the differences between numerous structural bracing in term of suitability to different types of buildings and loading, mechanisms, technical details, advantages and limitations, and the overall effect on the structural behaviour and performance are dissected. Proper and efficient structural bracing is pertinent for each high rise building as this will lead towards safer, sustainable and more economical buildings, which are cheaper to maintain throughout the life of the buildings in the future.

Bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn2VO6: New crystal structure type and electronic structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliziario Nunes, Sayonara; Wang, Chun-Hai; So, Karwei; Evans, John S.O.; Evans, Ivana Radosavljević

2015-01-01

We report a combined experimental and computational study of the crystal structure and electronic properties of bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn 2 VO 6 , known for its visible light photocatalytic activity. The crystal structure has been solved from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data using the repeated minimisations from random starting values method. BiZn 2 VO 6 adopts a new structure type, based on the following building blocks: corner- and edge-sharing ZnO 4 tetrahedra, ZnO 6 octahedra and VO 4 tetrahedra, and Bi 2 O 12 dimers. It is the only known member of the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family which does not appear to be structurally closely related to others. The electronic structure of BiZn 2 VO 6 , calculated by DFT methods, shows that it is an indirect gap semiconductor with a calculated band gap of 1.6 eV, which compares favourably to the experimentally measured value of 2.4 eV. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of BiZn 2 VO 6 , a new structure type in the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Mg, Ca, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn; A=V, P, As) family. - Highlights: • Structure solution from PXRD data by repeated minimisations from random starting values. • New structure type in the BiM 2 AO 6 (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family. • Electronic structure calculation

Structural assessments of plate type support system for APR1400 reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Anh Tung; Namgung, Ihn, E-mail: inamgung@kings.ac.kr

2017-04-01

Highlights: • This paper investigates plate-type support structure for the reactor vessel of the APR 1400. • The tall column supports of APR1400 reactor challenges in seismic and severe accident events. • A plate-type support of reactor vessel was proposed and evaluated based on ASME code. • The plate-type support was assessed to show its higher rigidity than column-type. - Abstract: This paper investigates an alternative form of support structure for the reactor vessel of the APR 1400. The current reactor vessel adopts a four-column support arrangement locating on the cold legs of the vessel. Although having been successfully designed, the tall column structure challenges in seismic events. In addition, for the mitigation of severe accident consequences, the columns inhibit ex-vessel coolant flow, hence the elimination of the support columns proposes extra safety advantages. A plate-type support was proposed and evaluated for the adequacy of meeting the structural stiffness by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) approach. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code was used to verify the design. The results, which cover thermal and static structural analysis, show stresses are within allowable limits in accordance with the design code. Even the heat conduction area is increased for the plate-type of support system, the results showed that the thermal stresses are within allowable limits. A comparison of natural frequencies and mode shapes for column support and plate-type support were presented as well which showed higher fundamental frequencies for the plate-type support system resulting in greater rigidity of the support system. From the outcome of this research, the plate-type support is proven to be an alternative to current APR column type support design.

Restricted N-terminal truncation of cardiac troponin T: a novel mechanism for functional adaptation to energetic crisis.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Han-Zhong; Biesiadecki, Brandon J; Yu, Zhi-Bin; Hossain, M Moazzem; Jin, J-P

2008-07-15

The N-terminal variable region of cardiac troponin T (TnT) is a regulatory structure that can be selectively removed during myocardial ischaemia reperfusion by mu-calpain proteolysis. Here we investigated the pathophysiological significance of this post-translational modification that removes amino acids 1-71 of cardiac TnT. Working heart preparations were employed to study rat acute myocardial infarction and transgenic mouse hearts over-expressing the N-terminal truncated cardiac TnT (cTnT-ND). Ex vivo myocardial infarction by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery induced heart failure and produced cTnT-ND not only in the infarct but also in remote zones, including the right ventricular free wall, indicating a whole organ response in the absence of systemic neurohumoral mechanisms. Left ventricular pressure overload in mouse working hearts produced increased cTnT-ND in both ventricles, suggesting a role of haemodynamic stress in triggering an acute whole organ proteolytic regulation. Transgenic mouse hearts in which the endogenous intact cardiac TnT was partially replaced by cTnT-ND showed lowered contractile velocity. When afterload increased from 55 mmHg to 90 mmHg, stroke volume decreased in the wild type but not in the transgenic mouse hearts. Correspondingly, the left ventricular rapid-ejection time of the transgenic mouse hearts was significantly longer than that of wild type hearts, especially at high afterload. The restricted deletion of the N-terminal variable region of cardiac troponin T demonstrates a novel mechanism by which the thin filament regulation adapts to sustain cardiac function under stress conditions.

Biological, serological and molecular typing of potato virus Y (PVY) isolates from Tunisia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tayahi, M; Gharsallah, C; Khamassy, N; Fakhfakh, H; Djilani-Khouadja, F

2016-10-17

In Tunisia, potato virus Y (PVY) currently presents a significant threat to potato production, reducing tuber yield and quality. Three hundred and eighty-five potato samples (six different cultivars) collected in autumn 2007 from nine regions in Tunisia were tested for PVY infection by DAS-ELISA. The virus was detected in all regions surveyed, with an average incidence of 80.26%. Subsequently, a panel of 82 Tunisian PVY isolates (PVY-TN) was subjected to systematic biological, serological and molecular typing using immunocapture reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and a series of PVY OC - and PVY N -specific monoclonal antibodies. Combined analyses revealed ~67% of PVY NTN variants of which 17 were sequenced in the 5'NTR-P1 region to assess the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of PVY-TN against other worldwide PVY isolates. To investigate whether selective constraints could act on viral genomic RNA, synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates and their ratio were analyzed. Averages of all pairwise comparisons obtained in the 5'NTR-P1 region allowed more synonymous changes, suggesting selective constraint acting in this region. Selective neutrality test was significantly negative, suggesting a rapid expansion of PVY isolates. Pairwise mismatch distribution gave a bimodal pattern and pointed to an eventually early evolution characterizing these sequences. Genetic haplotype network topology provided evidence of the existence of a distinct geographical structure. This is the first report of such genetic analyses conducted on PVY isolates from Tunisia.

Fingerprints of field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition in quasi-two-dimensional S=1/2 Heisenberg magnets Cu(en)(H2O)2SO4 and Cu(tn)Cl2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranová, Lucia; Orendáčová, Alžbeta; Čižmár, Erik; Tarasenko, Róbert; Tkáč, Vladimír; Orendáč, Martin; Feher, Alexander

2016-01-01

Organo-metallic compounds Cu(en)(H 2 O) 2 SO 4 (en=C 2 H 8 N 2 ) and Cu(tn)Cl 2 (tn=C 3 H 10 N 2 ) representing S=1/2 quasi-two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets with an effective intra-layer exchange coupling J/k B ≈3 K, have been examined by specific heat measurements at temperatures down to nominally 50 mK and magnetic fields up to 14 T. A comparative analysis of magnetic specific heat in zero magnetic field revealed nearly identical contribution of short-range magnetic correlations and significant differences were observed at lowest temperatures. A phase transition to long-range order was observed in Cu(en)(H 2 O) 2 SO 4 at T C =0.9 K while hidden in Cu(tn)Cl 2 . A response of both compounds to the application of magnetic field has rather universal features characteristic for a field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition theoretically predicted for ideal two-dimensional magnets. - Highlights: • Magnetic specific heat of Cu(en)(H 2 O) 2 SO 4 (1) and Cu(tn)Cl 2 (2) was analysed. • In zero magnetic field, (1) and (2) behave as quasi-two-dimensional magnets. • We observed universal thermodynamic response of (1) and (2) to applied field. • Features of field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition were detected.

Cardiac Stress and Inflammatory Markers as Predictors of Heart Failure in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: The ADVANCE Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkuma, Toshiaki; Jun, Min; Woodward, Mark; Zoungas, Sophia; Cooper, Mark E; Grobbee, Diederick E; Hamet, Pavel; Mancia, Giuseppe; Williams, Bryan; Welsh, Paul; Sattar, Naveed; Shaw, Jonathan E; Rahimi, Kazem; Chalmers, John

2017-09-01

This study examined the individual and combined effect of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hs-CRP on the prediction of heart failure incidence or progression in patients with type 2 diabetes. A nested case-cohort study was conducted in 3,098 participants with type 2 diabetes in the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial. A higher value of each biomarker was significantly associated with a higher risk of heart failure incidence or progression, after adjustment for major risk factors. The hazard ratios per 1-SD increase were 3.06 (95% CI 2.37, 3.96) for NT-proBNP, 1.50 (1.27, 1.77) for hs-cTnT, 1.48 (1.27, 1.72) for IL-6, and 1.32 (1.12, 1.55) for hs-CRP. The addition of NT-proBNP to the model including conventional risk factors meaningfully improved 5-year risk-predictive performance (C statistic 0.8162 to 0.8800; continuous net reclassification improvement [NRI] 73.1%; categorical NRI [10% 5-year risk] 24.2%). In contrast, the addition of hs-cTnT, IL-6, or hs-CRP did not improve the prediction metrics consistently in combination or when added to NT-proBNP. Only NT-proBNP strongly and consistently improved the prediction of heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes beyond a wide range of clinical risk factors and biomarkers. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

[Establishment of Reference Value of Hs-cTnT in Sichuan Region and Its Diagnostic Value in Patients with Chest Pain].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ying; Du, Xiang-Yang; Huang, Hua-Lan; Wang, Wei-Qing; Nie, Xin; Li, Gui-Xing

2017-11-01

To establish the reference value of high sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and the efficiency of reference value in the diagnosis of chest pain. Volunteers from eight independent communities in Chengdu,Sichuan were selected with detailed records of physical examination,electrocardiogram,ultrasound examination. The level of hs-cTnT for healthy volunteers was tested to determine ninety-ninth percentile references according to sex and ages. 2 249 patients with chest pain in the emergency department of Western China Hospital from July 2009 to July 2014 were enrolled to measure the efficiency of reference value for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There were 1 305 volunteers included finally. Among them,the mean hs-cTnT level of male was 4.3 (3.2-5.9) ng/L,which was significantly higher than that of female 3.0 (3.0-3.1) ng/L ( P value was less than 0.01. The 99th percentile values of male were 10.8 ng/L,15.4 ng/L and 19.7 ng/L for values of female were 4.6 ng/L,8.9 ng/L,18.8 ng/L,respectively. There was no difference in sensitivity and specificity between the value we figured out and manufactures provided (14.0 ng/L) for thosevalue did not show diversity ( P >0.05) but the specificity and positive predictive value showed significant difference (male: 0.67 vs. 0.56 and 0.83 vs. 0.79, P value of patients<60 yr. should be 14.0 ng/L,while 20.0 ng/L for those patients≥60 yr.

Crystal structure of a copper-transporting PIB-type ATPase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gourdon, Pontus Emanuel; Liu, Xiang-Yu; Skjørringe, Tina

2011-01-01

Heavy-metal homeostasis and detoxification is crucial for cell viability. P-type ATPases of the class IB (PIB) are essential in these processes, actively extruding heavy metals from the cytoplasm of cells. Here we present the structure of a PIB-ATPase, a Legionella pneumophila CopA Cu(+)-ATPase, ......Heavy-metal homeostasis and detoxification is crucial for cell viability. P-type ATPases of the class IB (PIB) are essential in these processes, actively extruding heavy metals from the cytoplasm of cells. Here we present the structure of a PIB-ATPase, a Legionella pneumophila CopA Cu...

Elaboration and quality control of the inoculum of the experimental vaccine Brucella S19-tn7-GFP for use in white animals and associated serological test for the detection of anti-GFP antibodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salas Alfaro, Dariana

2014-01-01

The preparation of the inoculum of the experimental vaccine Brucella S19-Tn7-GFP is optimized for application in white animals. An associated serological test has allowed differentiating infected animals from those vaccinated with the experimental strain. The same bacteriological and biological properties of the B. abortus S19-Tn7-GFP strain have maintained in the parental vaccine strain S19 and is stable over time. A protocol for the inoculums of strain S19-Tn7-GFP is established for its preparation and use in white animals and quality control. The inoculum stability is evaluated through the simulation of conditions that can be presented in the transportation and application process in the field. An enzyme immunoassay ELISA is optimized for the detection of anti-GFP antibodies in cattle [es

Photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorods/p-type Si heterojunction structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafal Pietruszka

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Selected properties of photovoltaic (PV structures based on n-type zinc oxide nanorods grown by a low temperature hydrothermal method on p-type silicon substrates (100 are investigated. PV structures were covered with thin films of Al doped ZnO grown by atomic layer deposition acting as transparent electrodes. The investigated PV structures differ in terms of the shapes and densities of their nanorods. The best response is observed for the structure containing closely-spaced nanorods, which show light conversion efficiency of 3.6%.

The androgen receptor controls expression of the cancer-associated sTn antigen and cell adhesion through induction of ST6GalNAc1 in prostate cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Munkley, Jennifer; Oltean, Sebastian; Vodák, Daniel; Wilson, Brian T.; Livermore, Karen E.; Zhou, Yan; Star, Eleanor; Floros, Vasileios I.; Johannessen, Bjarne; Knight, Bridget; McCullagh, Paul; McGrath, John; Crundwell, Malcolm; Skotheim, Rolf I.; Robson, Craig N.; Leung, Hing Y.; Harries, Lorna W.; Rajan, Prabhakar; Mills, Ian G.; Elliott, David J.

2015-01-01

Patterns of glycosylation are important in cancer, but the molecular mechanisms that drive changes are often poorly understood. The androgen receptor drives prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression to lethal metastatic castration-resistant disease. Here we used RNA-Seq coupled with bioinformatic analyses of androgen-receptor (AR) binding sites and clinical PCa expression array data to identify ST6GalNAc1 as a direct and rapidly activated target gene of the AR in PCa cells. ST6GalNAc1 encodes a sialytransferase that catalyses formation of the cancer-associated sialyl-Tn antigen (sTn), which we find is also induced by androgen exposure. Androgens induce expression of a novel splice variant of the ST6GalNAc1 protein in PCa cells. This splice variant encodes a shorter protein isoform that is still fully functional as a sialyltransferase and able to induce expression of the sTn-antigen. Surprisingly, given its high expression in tumours, stable expression of ST6GalNAc1 in PCa cells reduced formation of stable tumours in mice, reduced cell adhesion and induced a switch towards a more mesenchymal-like cell phenotype in vitro. ST6GalNAc1 has a dynamic expression pattern in clinical datasets, being significantly up-regulated in primary prostate carcinoma but relatively down-regulated in established metastatic tissue. ST6GalNAc1 is frequently upregulated concurrently with another important glycosylation enzyme GCNT1 previously associated with prostate cancer progression and implicated in Sialyl Lewis X antigen synthesis. Together our data establishes an androgen-dependent mechanism for sTn antigen expression in PCa, and are consistent with a general role for the androgen receptor in driving important coordinate changes to the glycoproteome during PCa progression. PMID:26452038

UNDERSTANDING THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOT INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN NORMAL EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES.

Science.gov (United States)

Traynor, Liam; Kim, Dong-Woo; Chandra Galaxy Atlas

2018-01-01

The hot interstellar medium (ISM) of early-type galaxies (ETG's) provides crucial insight into the understanding of their formation and evolution. Mechanisms such as type Ia supernovae heating, AGN feedback, deepening potential depth through dark matter assembly and ramp-pressure stripping are known to affect the structure of the ISM. By using temperature maps and radial temperature profiles of the hot ISM from ~70 ETG's with archival Chandra data, it is possible to classify the galaxy's ISM into common structural types. This is extended by using 3D fitting of the radial temperature profile in order to provide models that further constrain the structural types. Five structural types are present, negative (temperature decreases with radii), positive (temperature increases with radii), hybrid-dip (temperature decreases at small radii and increases at large radii), hybrid-bump (inverse of hybrid-dip) and quasi-isothermal (temperature is constant at all radii). This work will be continued by 1) determining which mechanisms are present in which galaxies and 2) analysing the model parameters between galaxies within each structural type to determine whether each type can be described by a single set of model parameters, indicating that the same physical processes are responsible for creating that structural type.

X-ray structure of a soluble Rieske-type ferredoxin from Mus musculus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Elena J.; Elsen, Nathaniel L.; Seder, Kory D.; McCoy, Jason G.; Fox, Brian G.; Phillips Jr, George N.

2008-01-01

The X-ray crystal structure of a soluble Rieske ferredoxin from M. musculus was solved at 2.07 Å resolution, revealing an iron–sulfur cluster-binding domain with similar architecture to the Rieske-type domains of bacterial aromatic dioxygenases. The ferredoxin was also shown to be capable of accepting electrons from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic oxidoreductases. The 2.07 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of a soluble Rieske-type ferredoxin from Mus musculus encoded by the gene Mm.266515 is reported. Although they are present as covalent domains in eukaryotic membrane oxidase complexes, soluble Rieske-type ferredoxins have not previously been observed in eukaryotes. The overall structure of the mouse Rieske-type ferredoxin is typical of this class of iron–sulfur proteins and consists of a larger partial β-barrel domain and a smaller domain containing Cys57, His59, Cys80 and His83 that binds the [2Fe–2S] cluster. The S atoms of the cluster are hydrogen-bonded by six backbone amide N atoms in a pattern typical of membrane-bound high-potential eukaryotic respiratory Rieske ferredoxins. However, phylogenetic analysis suggested that the mouse Rieske-type ferredoxin was more closely related to bacterial Rieske-type ferredoxins. Correspondingly, the structure revealed an extended loop most similar to that seen in Rieske-type ferredoxin subunits of bacterial aromatic dioxygenases, including the positioning of an aromatic side chain (Tyr85) between this loop and the [2Fe–2S] cluster. The mouse Rieske-type ferredoxin was shown to be capable of accepting electrons from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic oxidoreductases, although it was unable to serve as an electron donor for a bacterial monooxygenase complex. The human homolog of mouse Rieske-type ferredoxin was also cloned and purified. It behaved identically to mouse Rieske-type ferredoxin in all biochemical characterizations but did not crystallize. Based on its high sequence identity, the structure of the

PROVIDING SERVICEABILITY OF STRUCTURAL BEARING TYPES FOR ROADWAY BRIDGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. I. Polyuga

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In the article the description of structural bearing types for roadway bridges and their classification is given. Special attention is paid to effective bearings with elastomeric materials – rubber, pot, spherical ones. Characteristic defects of structural bearings and demands of serviceability are noticed.

Cryo-EM structures of two bovine adenovirus type 3 intermediates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Lingpeng; Huang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xiaomin; Xiong, Wei; Sun, Wei; Yang, Chongwen; Zhang, Kai; Wang, Ying; Liu, Hongrong; Huang, Xiaojun; Ji, Gang; Sun, Fei; Zheng, Congyi; Zhu, Ping

2014-01-01

Adenoviruses (Ads) infect hosts from all vertebrate species and have been investigated as vaccine vectors. We report here near-atomic structures of two bovine Ad type 3 (BAd3) intermediates obtained by cryo-electron microscopy. A comparison between the two intermediate structures reveals that the differences are localized in the fivefold vertex region, while their facet structures are identical. The overall facet structure of BAd3 exhibits a similar structure to human Ads; however, BAd3 protein IX has a unique conformation. Mass spectrometry and cryo-electron tomography analyses indicate that one intermediate structure represents the stage during DNA encapsidation, whilst the other intermediate structure represents a later stage. These results also suggest that cleavage of precursor protein VI occurs during, rather than after, the DNA encapsidation process. Overall, our results provide insights into the mechanism of Ad assembly, and allow the first structural comparison between human and nonhuman Ads at backbone level. - Highlights: • First structure of bovine adenovirus type 3. • Some channels are located at the vertex of intermediate during DNA encapsidation. • Protein IX exhibits a unique conformation of trimeric coiled–coiled structure. • Cleavage of precursor protein VI occurs during the DNA encapsidation process

Cryo-EM structures of two bovine adenovirus type 3 intermediates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng, Lingpeng; Huang, Xiaoxing; Li, Xiaomin [National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Xiong, Wei [State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Luo-jia-shan, Wuhan, Hubei 430072 (China); Sun, Wei; Yang, Chongwen; Zhang, Kai; Wang, Ying [National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Liu, Hongrong [College of Physics and Information Science, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410081 (China); Huang, Xiaojun; Ji, Gang; Sun, Fei [National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Zheng, Congyi, E-mail: cctcc202@whu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Luo-jia-shan, Wuhan, Hubei 430072 (China); Zhu, Ping, E-mail: zhup@ibp.ac.cn [National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China)

2014-02-15

Adenoviruses (Ads) infect hosts from all vertebrate species and have been investigated as vaccine vectors. We report here near-atomic structures of two bovine Ad type 3 (BAd3) intermediates obtained by cryo-electron microscopy. A comparison between the two intermediate structures reveals that the differences are localized in the fivefold vertex region, while their facet structures are identical. The overall facet structure of BAd3 exhibits a similar structure to human Ads; however, BAd3 protein IX has a unique conformation. Mass spectrometry and cryo-electron tomography analyses indicate that one intermediate structure represents the stage during DNA encapsidation, whilst the other intermediate structure represents a later stage. These results also suggest that cleavage of precursor protein VI occurs during, rather than after, the DNA encapsidation process. Overall, our results provide insights into the mechanism of Ad assembly, and allow the first structural comparison between human and nonhuman Ads at backbone level. - Highlights: • First structure of bovine adenovirus type 3. • Some channels are located at the vertex of intermediate during DNA encapsidation. • Protein IX exhibits a unique conformation of trimeric coiled–coiled structure. • Cleavage of precursor protein VI occurs during the DNA encapsidation process.

Linear and exponential TAIL-PCR: a method for efficient and quick amplification of flanking sequences adjacent to Tn5 transposon insertion sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Xianbo; Lin, Xinjian; Chen, Jichen

2017-11-02

Current genome walking methods are very time consuming, and many produce non-specific amplification products. To amplify the flanking sequences that are adjacent to Tn5 transposon insertion sites in Serratia marcescens FZSF02, we developed a genome walking method based on TAIL-PCR. This PCR method added a 20-cycle linear amplification step before the exponential amplification step to increase the concentration of the target sequences. Products of the linear amplification and the exponential amplification were diluted 100-fold to decrease the concentration of the templates that cause non-specific amplification. Fast DNA polymerase with a high extension speed was used in this method, and an amplification program was used to rapidly amplify long specific sequences. With this linear and exponential TAIL-PCR (LETAIL-PCR), we successfully obtained products larger than 2 kb from Tn5 transposon insertion mutant strains within 3 h. This method can be widely used in genome walking studies to amplify unknown sequences that are adjacent to known sequences.

Relationship Structures and Semantic Type Assignments of the UMLS Enriched Semantic Network

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Halper, Michael; Perl, Yehoshua; Geller, James; Cimino, James J.

2005-01-01

Objective: The Enriched Semantic Network (ESN) was introduced as an extension of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Semantic Network (SN). Its multiple subsumption configuration and concomitant multiple inheritance make the ESN's relationship structures and semantic type assignments different from those of the SN. A technique for deriving the relationship structures of the ESN's semantic types and an automated technique for deriving the ESN's semantic type assignments from those of the SN are presented. Design: The technique to derive the ESN's relationship structures finds all newly inherited relationships in the ESN. All such relationships are audited for semantic validity, and the blocking mechanism is used to block invalid relationships. The mapping technique to derive the ESN's semantic type assignments uses current SN semantic type assignments and preserves nonredundant categorizations, while preventing new redundant categorizations. Results: Among the 426 newly inherited relationships, 326 are deemed valid. Seven blockings are applied to avoid inheritance of the 100 invalid relationships. Sixteen semantic types have different relationship structures in the ESN as compared to those in the SN. The mapping of semantic type assignments from the SN to the ESN avoids the generation of 26,950 redundant categorizations. The resulting ESN contains 138 semantic types, 149 IS-A links, 7,303 relationships, and 1,013,876 semantic type assignments. Conclusion: The ESN's multiple inheritance provides more complete relationship structures than in the SN. The ESN's semantic type assignments avoid the existing redundant categorizations appearing in the SN and prevent new ones that might arise due to multiple parents. Compared to the SN, the ESN provides a more accurate unifying semantic abstraction of the UMLS Metathesaurus. PMID:16049233

Structure of a fibronectin type III-like module from Clostridium thermocellum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alahuhta, Markus; Xu, Qi; Brunecky, Roman; Adney, William S.; Ding, Shi-You; Himmel, Michael E.; Lunin, Vladimir V.

2010-01-01

The 1.6 Å resolution structure of a fibronectin type III-like module from Clostridium thermocellum with two molecules in the asymmetric unit is reported. The 1.6 Å resolution structure of a fibronectin type III-like module from Clostridium thermocellum with two molecules in the asymmetric unit is reported. The crystals used for data collection belonged to space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , with unit-cell parameters a = 35.43, b = 45.73, c = 107.72 Å, and the structure was refined to an R factor of 0.166. Structural comparisons found over 800 similar structures in the Protein Data Bank. The broad range of different proteins or protein domains with high structural similarity makes it especially demanding to classify these proteins. Previous studies of fibronectin type III-like modules have indicated that they might function as ligand-binding modules, as a compact form of peptide linkers or spacers between other domains, as cellulose-disrupting modules or as proteins that help large enzyme complexes remain soluble

Diversity, assembly and regulation of archaeal type IV pili-like and non-type-IV pili-like surface structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Lassak, Kerstin; Ghosh, Abhrajyoti; Albers, Sonja-Verena

2012-01-01

Archaea have evolved fascinating surface structures allowing rapid adaptation to changing environments. The archaeal surface appendages display such diverse biological roles as motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, exchange of genetic material and species-specific interactions and, in turn, increase fitness of the cells. Intriguingly, despite sharing the same functions with their bacterial counterparts, the assembly mechanism of many archaeal surface structures is rather related to assembly of bacterial type IV pili. This review summarizes our state-of-the-art knowledge about unique structural and biochemical properties of archaeal surface appendages with a particular focus on archaeal type IV pili-like structures. The latter comprise not only widely distributed archaella (formerly known as archaeal flagella), but also different highly specialized archaeal pili, which are often restricted to certain species. Recent findings regarding assembly mechanisms, structural aspects and physiological roles of these type IV pili-like structures will be discussed in detail. Recently, first regulatory proteins involved in transition from both planktonic to sessile lifestyle and in assembly of archaella were identified. To conclude, we provide novel insights into regulatory mechanisms underlying the assembly of archaeal surface structures. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Association of cardiac troponin I with disease severity and outcomes in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Vélez-Martínez, Mariella; Ayers, Colby; Mishkin, Joseph D; Bartolome, Sonja B; García, Christine K; Torres, Fernando; Drazner, Mark H; de Lemos, James A; Turer, Aslan T; Chin, Kelly M

2013-06-15

Previous studies have identified cardiac troponin I (cTnI) as an important marker in pulmonary hypertension (PH) prognosis. However, traditional assays are limited by poor sensitivity, even among patients at high risk. cTnI was measured in 255 PH patients using a new highly sensitive (hs) assay. Other measures included demographics, creatinine, 6-minute walk distance, hemodynamics, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and B-type natriuretic peptide level. The association between cTnI and survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. cTnI was detectable with the hs assay in 95% of the patients with a median level of 6.9 pg/ml (IQR 2.7-12.6 pg/ml). Higher cTnI levels associated with higher levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, shorter 6-minute walk distance, and more severe hemodynamic and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities. During a median follow-up of 3.5 years, 60 individuals died. Unadjusted event rates increased across higher cTnI quartiles (3, 5, 13, 17 events/100 person-years, respectively, p trend = 0.002). cTnI in the fourth (vs first) quartile remained associated with death in a final stepwise multivariable model that included clinical variables and hemodynamics (adjusted hazard ratio 5.3, 95% confidence interval 1.8-15.6). In conclusion, cTnI levels, detectable with a novel hs assay, identify patients with PH who have more severe hemodynamic and cardiac structural abnormalities and provide novel and independent prognostic information. This hs assay has the potential to detect more at-risk patients and improve current risk-stratification algorithms. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Volcanic ash leaching as a means of tracing the environmental impact of the 2011 Grímsvötn eruption, Iceland.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabré, J; Aulinas, M; Rejas, M; Fernandez-Turiel, J L

2016-07-01

The Grímsvötn volcanic eruption, from 21 to 28 May, 2011, was the largest eruption of the Grímsvötn Volcanic System since 1873, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of magnitude 4. The main geochemical features of the potential environmental impact of the volcanic ash-water interaction were determined using two different leaching methods as proxies (batch and vertical flow-through column experiments). Ash consists of glass with minor amounts of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, diopside, olivine and iron sulphide; this latter mineral phase is very rare in juvenile ash. Ash grain morphology and size reflect the intense interaction of magma and water during eruption. Batch and column leaching tests in deionised water indicate that Na, K, Ca, Mg, Si, Cl, S and F had the highest potential geochemical fluxes to the environment. Release of various elements from volcanic ash took place immediately through dissolution of soluble salts from the ash surface. Element solubilities of Grímsvötn ash regarding bulk ash composition were <1 %. Combining the element solubilities and the total estimated mass of tephra (7.29 × 10(14) g), the total inputs of environmentally important elements were estimated to be 8.91 × 10(9) g Ca, 7.02 × 10(9) g S, 1.10 × 10(9) g Cl, 9.91 × 10(8) g Mg, 9.91 × 10(8) g Fe and 1.45 × 10(8) g P The potential environmental problems were mainly associated with the release of F (5.19 × 10(9) g).

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) as an early diagnostic biomarker in patients with acute chest pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Vupputuri, Anjith; Sekhar, Saritha; Krishnan, Sajitha; Venugopal, K; Natarajan, K U

2015-01-01

Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) is an emerging biomarker, which was found to be sensitive for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We prospectively investigated the usefulness of H-FABP determination for the evaluation of acute chest pain in patients arriving at the emergency department. Fifty-four patients presenting with acute ischemic chest pain were evaluated. H-FABP was estimated at admission using latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay. Serial cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) determination, ischemia workup with stress testing, and/or coronary angiogram (CAG) were performed according to standard protocols. The sensitivity and specificity of H-FABP was 89.7% and 68%, for cTnI it was 62.1% and 100%, and for CK-MB it was 44.8% and 92%, respectively for diagnosis of AMI. The sensitivity of H-FABP was found to be far superior to initial cTnI and CK-MB, for those seen within 6h (100% vs. 46.1%, 33% respectively). On further evaluation of patients with positive H-FABP and negative cTnI, 71.4% of the patients had significant lesion on CAG, indicating ischemic cause of H-FABP elevation. Six patients with normal cTnI and CK-MB with high H-FABP had ST elevation on subsequent ECGs and were taken for primary angioplasty. H-FABP is a highly sensitive biomarker for the early diagnosis of AMI. H-FABP as early marker and cTnI as late marker would be the ideal combination to cover the complete diagnostic window for AMI. Detection of myocardial injury by H-FABP may also be applied in patients with unstable angina. H-FABP can also be used as a marker for early detection of STEMI before the ECG changes become apparent. Copyright © 2015 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the polymer concentration on the ON/OFF states of a TN-LCD: polyvinyl alcohol vs. soy lecithin

Science.gov (United States)

de Coss Martinez, Romeo; Gonzalez Murguia, Jose Luis

2011-03-01

In this work we study the response of a Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Display (TN-LCD) by varying both the concentration and the polymer used for the microgroove. We compare the performance of two polymers: polyvinyl alcohol and soy lecithin. In particular, the light transmission for the ON/OFF states is evaluated. The polyvinyl alcohol is a polymer widely used in LCDs while lecithin soy is a natural polymer.

High-pressure U3O8 with the fluorite-type structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, F.X.; Lang, M.; Wang, J.W.; Li, W.X.; Sun, K.; Prakapenka, V.; Ewing, R.C.

2014-01-01

A new high-pressure phase of U 3 O 8 , which has a fluorite-type structure, forms at pressures greater than ∼8.1 GPa that was confirmed by in situ x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The fluorite-type U 3 O 8 is stable at pressures at least up to ∼40 GPa and temperatures to 1700 K, and quenchable to ambient conditions. Based on the XRD analysis, there is a huge volume collapse (>20%) for U 3 O 8 during the phase transition and the quenched high-pressure phase is 28% denser than the initial orthorhombic phase at ambient conditions. The high-pressure phase has a very low compressibility comparing with the starting orthorhombic phase. - Graphical abstract: α-U 3 O 8 is in a layered structure with orthorhombic symmetry, at high pressures, it transformed to a fluorite-type cubic structure. There are a lot of defects in the cubic structure, and it is a new kind of hyperstoichiometric uranium oxide, which is stable at ambient conditions. - Highlights: • A new fluorite-type high-pressure phase was found in hyperstoichometric UO 2 +x (x∼0.8). • The new high-pressure structure is quenchable to ambient conditions. • Pressure driven phase transition in orthorhombic U 3 O 8 was first found

In vivo study of the HC-TN strain of hepatitis C virus recovered from a patient with fulminant hepatitis: RNA transcripts of a molecular clone (pHC-TN) are infectious in chimpanzees but not in Huh7.5 cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sakai, Akito; Takikawa, Shingo; Thimme, Robert

2007-01-01

Both viral and host factors are thought to influence the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We studied strain HC-TN (genotype 1a), which caused fulminant hepatic failure in a patient and, subsequently, severe hepatitis in a chimpanzee (CH1422), to analyze the relationship between...... persistently infected. CH1579 and CH1581, despite their differing outcomes, both developed significant intrahepatic cellular immune responses, but not antibodies to the envelope glycoproteins or neutralizing antibodies, during the acute infection. We analyzed the polyprotein sequences of virus recovered...

Changes in the internal structure of the human crystalline lens with diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiemer, N.G.M.; Dubbelman, M.; Hermans, E.A.; Ringens, P.J.; Polak, B.C.P.

2008-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 and type 2 on the internal structure of the lens. Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Participants and Controls: One hundred seven patients with DM type 1, 106 patients with DM type 2, and 75 healthy control subjects.

Co-linear spin configurations in corundum-type structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertaut, F.

1961-01-01

The colinear magnetic configurations possible in corundum-type structures (α-Fe 2 O 3 ; Cr 2 O 3 ) are solutions of a matrices problem. Their regions of stability are bounded by inequality relationships between exchange integrals. (author) [fr

49 CFR 1546.405 - Qualifications of screening personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

.... (e) A screener must have basic aptitudes and physical abilities including color perception, visual... screening equipment must be able to distinguish each color displayed on every type of screening equipment and explain what each color signifies. (3) Screeners must be able to hear and respond to the spoken...

Soil structure interactions of eastern U.S. type earthquakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Chen; Serhan, S.

1991-01-01

Two types of earthquakes have occurred in the eastern US in the past. One of them was the infrequent major events such as the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes, or the 1886 Charleston Earthquake. The other type was the frequent shallow earthquakes with high frequency, short duration and high accelerations. Two eastern US nuclear power plants, V.C Summer and Perry, went through extensive licensing effort to obtain fuel load licenses after this type of earthquake was recorded on sites and exceeded the design bases beyond 10 hertz region. This paper discusses the soil-structure interactions of the latter type of earthquakes

Type III radio bursts in a flaming structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlicky, M.; Tlamicha, A.

1977-01-01

An interpretation is presented of the burst of 3.7.1974. The slowly drifting, fine structure in this type III burst is evidence of the existence of very fast, spatially extensive processes in the corona. The concept is presented of a rapidly varying, magnetohydrodynamically unstable, flaming structure of the magnetic field and, using this model, the intensities were computed of the magnetic field at certain altitudes and at two moments differing by 1.4 s. (author)

Relevance of hot spots in the evolution and transmission of Tn1546 in glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium (GREF) from broiler origin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Migura, Lourdes Garcia; Hasman, Henrik; Svendsen, Christina Aaby

2008-01-01

) was duplicated as previously described, indicating transposition at the target site. Furthermore, this 'hot spot' was also detected in isolates from Norway (2/8) and Denmark (17/20). The second insertion point detected in 45 isolates from the UK revealed integration into an Inc18-like plasmid, most likely...

Crystal structure of clathrates of Hofmann dma-type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

NIshikiori, Sh.; Ivamoto, T.

1999-01-01

Seven new clathrates Cd(DMA) 2 Ni(CN) 4 ·xG (x=1, G=aniline, 2,3-xylidine, 2,4-xylidine, 2,5-xylidine, 2,6-xylidine, 3,5-xylidine, and x=2, G=2,4,6-trimethylaniline) of Hofmann type are synthesized by amine substitution for dimethylamine (DMA). On the base of x-ray diffraction data it is shown that geometry of guest molecule in cage-like hollow determines the structure of the host and crystal structure of clathrates. Two-dimension metallocomplex of the host of studied clathrates is characterized by elastic folded structure appearing as a result of angular deformation of bond between Cd atoms and host cyanide bridge. Guest molecule orientation is fixed by hydrogen bond. Structural elasticity of the host complex directs to differences in crystal structure of clathrates formed and to considerable variety of incorporated guests [ru

Structures and Corresponding Functions of Five Types of Picornaviral 2A Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyao Yang

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Among the few non-structural proteins encoded by the picornaviral genome, the 2A protein is particularly special, irrespective of structure or function. During the evolution of the Picornaviridae family, the 2A protein has been highly non-conserved. We believe that the 2A protein in this family can be classified into at least five distinct types according to previous studies. These five types are (A chymotrypsin-like 2A, (B Parechovirus-like 2A, (C hepatitis-A-virus-like 2A, (D Aphthovirus-like 2A, and (E 2A sequence of the genus Cardiovirus. We carried out a phylogenetic analysis and found that there was almost no homology between each type. Subsequently, we aligned the sequences within each type and found that the functional motifs in each type are highly conserved. These different motifs perform different functions. Therefore, in this review, we introduce the structures and functions of these five types of 2As separately. Based on the structures and functions, we provide suggestions to combat picornaviruses. The complexity and diversity of the 2A protein has caused great difficulties in functional and antiviral research. In this review, researchers can find useful information on the 2A protein and thus conduct improved antiviral research.

[Research on the influence of urban land use structure and pattern on nitrogen, phosphorus of wetland water environment in Xianlin New Town of Nanjing].

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Chun-Xiao; Liu, Hong-Yu; Li, Yu-Feng; Wang, Cong; Hou, Ming-Hang

2014-08-01

The 10 typical wetlands in Xianlin New Townof Nanjing were classified into three categories, including rural wetland, suburban wetland, and urban wetland according to the influence of urbanization as well as the characteristics of wetland and LUCC of catchment regions. RDA was used to analyse the relationships between nitrogen and phosphorus in urban wetland and various types and patterns of land use. It was found that the water quality of the urban wetlands presented to be worse than that from rural wetlands, followed by sub urban wetlands. Secondly, according to all investigated wetlands, TP and TN turned out to be higher during the wet seasons than dry seasons. In addition, significant differences of TP were observed between wet and dry seasons for rural and suburban wetlands, and it was not so obvious for urban wetlands. However, the differences of TN was opposite to that of TP. Thirdly, factors affecting the water quality of wetlands were comprised of types and patterns of land use, and thus significant positive relationships were found between the concentrations of TN and TP and the impervious land, while negative correlations for meadows, woodlands and wetlands. What's more, higher remarkable differences were found in wetlands than those from meadows and woodlands. Regarding to patterns of land use, TP, TN concentrations were negatively correlated with the average patch shape in the dry and wet seasons, whereas positively relationships were observed for patch density and diversity index; furthermore, with refer to the impact of adjacent landscape, significant relationships were found between the content of TN and the patterns of land use and thus, a negative correlation in the wet season and a positive correlation in the dry season were observed, respectively.

Discrimination between Native and Tn6010-Associated oqxAB in Klebsiella spp., Raoultella spp., and other Enterobacteriaceae by Using a Two-Step Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Guillard, Thomas; Lebreil, Anne-Laure; Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT We developed a two-step PCR-based strategy to detect genes encoding OqxAB, allowing a specific assignment of Tn6010-associated oqxAB in Enterobacteriaceae. Chromosomal location in this setup was confirmed by hybridization with I-CeuI-restricted genomes. This approach led us to find...

Evaluation of soil-structure interaction for structures subjected to earthquake loading with different types of foundation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elwi Mohammed

2018-01-01

Full Text Available However though the structures are supported on soil, most of the designers do not consider the soil structure interaction and its subsequent effect on structure during an earthquake. Different soil properties can affect seismic waves as they pass through a soil layer. When a structure is subjected to an earthquake excitation, it interacts the foundation and soil, and thus changes the motion of the ground. It means that the movement of the whole ground structure system is influenced by type of soil as well as by the type of structure. Tall buildings are supposed to be of engineered construction in sense that they might have been analyzed and designed to meet the provision of relevant codes of practice and building bye-laws. IS 1893: 2002 “Criteria for Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures” gives response spectrum for different types of soil such as hard, medium and soft. An attempt has been made in this paper to study the effect of Soil-structure interaction on multi storeyed buildings with various foundation systems. Also to study the response of buildings subjected to seismic forces with Rigid and Flexible foundations. Multi storeyed buildings with fixed and flexible support subjected to seismic forces were analyzed under different soil conditions like hard, medium and soft. The buildings were analyzed by Response spectrum method using software SAP2000. The response of building frames such as Lateral deflection, Story drift, Base shear, Axial force and Column moment values for all building frames were presented in this paper.

Structural damage detection-oriented multi-type sensor placement with multi-objective optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jian-Fu; Xu, You-Lin; Law, Siu-Seong

2018-05-01

A structural damage detection-oriented multi-type sensor placement method with multi-objective optimization is developed in this study. The multi-type response covariance sensitivity-based damage detection method is first introduced. Two objective functions for optimal sensor placement are then introduced in terms of the response covariance sensitivity and the response independence. The multi-objective optimization problem is formed by using the two objective functions, and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA)-II is adopted to find the solution for the optimal multi-type sensor placement to achieve the best structural damage detection. The proposed method is finally applied to a nine-bay three-dimensional frame structure. Numerical results show that the optimal multi-type sensor placement determined by the proposed method can avoid redundant sensors and provide satisfactory results for structural damage detection. The restriction on the number of each type of sensors in the optimization can reduce the searching space in the optimization to make the proposed method more effective. Moreover, how to select a most optimal sensor placement from the Pareto solutions via the utility function and the knee point method is demonstrated in the case study.

A retrospective study of disease in elasmobranchs.

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, M M

2013-05-01

This report reviews diseases of 1546 elasmobranchs representing at least 60 species submitted to Northwest ZooPath from 1994 to 2010. Cownose rays (Rhinoptera bonasus) (78), southern rays (Dasyatis americana) (75), dusky smooth-hounds (Mustelus canis) (74), bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) (66), and bamboo sharks (Hemiscylliidae) (56) were the most commonly submitted species. Infectious/inflammatory disease was most common (33.5%) followed by nutritional (11.9%, mostly emaciation), traumatic (11.3%), cardiovascular (5.5%, mostly shock), and toxin-associated disease (3.7%). Bacterial infections (518/1546, 15%) included sepsis (136/518, 26%), dermatitis (7%), branchitis (6%), and enteritis (4%). Fungal infections (10/1546, 0.6%) included dermatitis (30%), hepatitis (30%), and branchitis (20%). Viral or suspected viral infections or disease processes (15/1546, 1%) included papillomatosis (47%), herpesvirus (20%), and adenovirus (7%). Parasitic infections (137/1546, 9%) included nematodiasis (36/137, 26%), ciliate infections (23%), trematodiasis (20%), coccidiosis (6%), myxozoanosis (5%), amoebiasis (4%), cestodiasis (1%), and flagellate infections (1%). Inflammation of unknown cause (401/1546, 26%) included enteritis (55/401, 14%), branchitis (9%), encephalitis (9%), and dermatitis (7%). Traumatic diseases (174/1546, 11.3%) included skin trauma (103/174, 60%), stress/maladaptation (9%), and gut trauma (7%). Toxicoses (57/1546, 4%) included toxic gill disease (16/57, 26%), gas bubble disease (19%), fenbendazole (7%), ammonia (7%), chlorine (5%), and chloramine (3%). Species trends included visceral nematodiasis in black-nosed sharks (Carcharhinus acronotus) (55%); sepsis in dusky smooth-hounds (41%), blue-spotted stingrays (36%), southern rays (36%), and wobeggong sharks (Orectolobus spp) (69%); emaciation in bamboo (33%) and bonnethead (32%) sharks and freshwater stingrays (Potamotrygon motoro) (32%); and trauma in bonnethead sharks (30%).

Molecular Analysis of VanA Outbreak of Enterococcus faecium in Two Warsaw Hospitals: The Importance of Mobile Genetic Elements

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Ewa Wardal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium represents a growing threat in hospital-acquired infections. Two outbreaks of this pathogen from neighboring Warsaw hospitals have been analyzed in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE of SmaI-digested DNA, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST revealed a clonal variability of isolates which belonged to three main lineages (17, 18, and 78 of nosocomial E. faecium. All isolates were multidrug resistant and carried several resistance, virulence, and plasmid-specific genes. Almost all isolates shared the same variant of Tn1546 transposon, characterized by the presence of insertion sequence ISEf1 and a point mutation in the vanA gene. In the majority of cases, this transposon was located on 50 kb or 100 kb pRUM-related plasmids, which lacked, however, the axe-txe toxin-antitoxin genes. 100 kb plasmid was easily transferred by conjugation and was found in various clonal backgrounds in both institutions, while 50 kb plasmid was not transferable and occurred solely in MT159/ST78 strains that disseminated clonally in one institution. Although molecular data indicated the spread of VRE between two institutions or a potential common source of this alert pathogen, epidemiological investigations did not reveal the possible route by which outbreak strains disseminated.

Molecular Analysis of VanA Outbreak of Enterococcus faecium in Two Warsaw Hospitals: The Importance of Mobile Genetic Elements

Science.gov (United States)

Wardal, Ewa; Markowska, Katarzyna; Żabicka, Dorota; Wróblewska, Marta; Giemza, Małgorzata; Mik, Ewa; Połowniak-Pracka, Hanna; Woźniak, Agnieszka; Hryniewicz, Waleria; Sadowy, Ewa

2014-01-01

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium represents a growing threat in hospital-acquired infections. Two outbreaks of this pathogen from neighboring Warsaw hospitals have been analyzed in this study. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SmaI-digested DNA, multilocus VNTR analysis (MLVA), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) revealed a clonal variability of isolates which belonged to three main lineages (17, 18, and 78) of nosocomial E. faecium. All isolates were multidrug resistant and carried several resistance, virulence, and plasmid-specific genes. Almost all isolates shared the same variant of Tn1546 transposon, characterized by the presence of insertion sequence ISEf1 and a point mutation in the vanA gene. In the majority of cases, this transposon was located on 50 kb or 100 kb pRUM-related plasmids, which lacked, however, the axe-txe toxin-antitoxin genes. 100 kb plasmid was easily transferred by conjugation and was found in various clonal backgrounds in both institutions, while 50 kb plasmid was not transferable and occurred solely in MT159/ST78 strains that disseminated clonally in one institution. Although molecular data indicated the spread of VRE between two institutions or a potential common source of this alert pathogen, epidemiological investigations did not reveal the possible route by which outbreak strains disseminated. PMID:25003118

Sbírka rukopisných zlomků ve Státním okresním archivu v Kutné Hoře

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brodský, Pavel; Hradilová, Marta; Hrdinová, Martina; Petr, Stanislav; Tošnerová, Marie

2013-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 0 (2013), s. 207-248 ISSN 0585-5691 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP405/10/0027 Institutional support: RVO:67985921 Keywords : codicology * manuscripts fragments * Státní okresní archiv Kutná Hora Subject RIV: AB - History

Local spin structure of the α -RuCl3 honeycomb-lattice magnet observed via muon spin rotation/relaxation

Science.gov (United States)

Yamauchi, Ichihiro; Hiraishi, Masatoshi; Okabe, Hirotaka; Takeshita, Soshi; Koda, Akihiro; Kojima, Kenji M.; Kadono, Ryosuke; Tanaka, Hidekazu

2018-04-01

We report a muon spin rotation/relaxation (μ SR ) study of single-crystalline samples of the α -RuCl3 honeycomb magnet, which is presumed to be a model compound for the Kitaev-Heisenberg interaction. It is inferred from magnetic susceptibility and specific-heat measurements that the present samples exhibit successive magnetic transitions at different critical temperatures TN with decreasing temperature, eventually falling into the TN=7 K antiferromagnetic (7 K) phase that has been observed in only single-crystalline specimens with the least stacking fault. Via μ SR measurements conducted under a zero external field, we show that such behavior originates from a phase separation induced by the honeycomb plane stacking fault, yielding multiple domains with different TN's. We also perform μ SR measurements under a transverse field in the paramagnetic phase to identify the muon site from the muon-Ru hyperfine parameters. Based on a comparison of the experimental and calculated internal fields at the muon site for the two possible spin structures inferred from neutron diffraction data, we suggest a modulated zigzag spin structure for the 7 K phase, with the amplitude of the ordered magnetic moment being significantly reduced from that expected for the orbital quenched spin-1/2 state.

The Cryoelectron Microscopy Structure of the Type 1 Chaperone-Usher Pilus Rod.

Science.gov (United States)

Hospenthal, Manuela K; Zyla, Dawid; Costa, Tiago R D; Redzej, Adam; Giese, Christoph; Lillington, James; Glockshuber, Rudi; Waksman, Gabriel

2017-12-05

Adhesive chaperone-usher pili are long, supramolecular protein fibers displayed on the surface of many bacterial pathogens. The type 1 and P pili of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) play important roles during urinary tract colonization, mediating attachment to the bladder and kidney, respectively. The biomechanical properties of the helical pilus rods allow them to reversibly uncoil in response to flow-induced forces, allowing UPEC to retain a foothold in the unique and hostile environment of the urinary tract. Here we provide the 4.2-Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the type 1 pilus rod, which together with the previous P pilus rod structure rationalizes the remarkable "spring-like" properties of chaperone-usher pili. The cryo-EM structure of the type 1 pilus rod differs in its helical parameters from the structure determined previously by a hybrid approach. We provide evidence that these structural differences originate from different quaternary structures of pili assembled in vivo and in vitro. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Structure of V-type ATPase from Clostridium fervidus by electron microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekema, EJ; Ubbink-Kok, T; Lolkema, JS; Brisson, A; Konings, WN

F-type and V-type ATPases couple synthesis or hydrolysis of ATP to the translocation of H+ or Na+ across biological membranes and have similarities in structure and mechanism. In both types of enzymes three main parts can be distinguished: headpiece, membrane-bound piece and stalk region. We report

Bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn{sub 2}VO{sub 6}: New crystal structure type and electronic structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eliziario Nunes, Sayonara [Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of São Carlos, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Wang, Chun-Hai; So, Karwei; Evans, John S.O. [Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Evans, Ivana Radosavljević, E-mail: ivana.radosavljevic@durham.ac.uk [Department of Chemistry, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

2015-02-15

We report a combined experimental and computational study of the crystal structure and electronic properties of bismuth zinc vanadate, BiZn{sub 2}VO{sub 6}, known for its visible light photocatalytic activity. The crystal structure has been solved from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data using the repeated minimisations from random starting values method. BiZn{sub 2}VO{sub 6} adopts a new structure type, based on the following building blocks: corner- and edge-sharing ZnO{sub 4} tetrahedra, ZnO{sub 6} octahedra and VO{sub 4} tetrahedra, and Bi{sub 2}O{sub 12} dimers. It is the only known member of the BiM{sub 2}AO{sub 6} (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family which does not appear to be structurally closely related to others. The electronic structure of BiZn{sub 2}VO{sub 6}, calculated by DFT methods, shows that it is an indirect gap semiconductor with a calculated band gap of 1.6 eV, which compares favourably to the experimentally measured value of 2.4 eV. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of BiZn{sub 2}VO{sub 6}, a new structure type in the BiM{sub 2}AO{sub 6} (M=Mg, Ca, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn; A=V, P, As) family. - Highlights: • Structure solution from PXRD data by repeated minimisations from random starting values. • New structure type in the BiM{sub 2}AO{sub 6} (M=Pb, Ca, Cd, Mn, Zn, Mg, Cu; A=V, P, As) family. • Electronic structure calculation.

Post accelerator of the IH type structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Ming

2002-01-01

The principle, structure, adjustment of the gap voltage, beam dynamic, RF system and the bunchers of the post-accelerator with Interdigital-H type structure, which was developed by the author and Technical University Munich in four years, is described. The energy of ions with mass of three was increased from 340 keV to 1.74 MeV, when resonant frequency of 84.2 MHz and input RF power of 3 kW. The effective shunt impedance reached to 408 MΩ/m. The commissioning was succeeded with H 3 + ion beams. The output energy of H 3 + ion beams reached the design value. The two harmonic double drift buncher used by the IH structure bunches the beam to the bunches with the width of 360 ps. Then the acceptance of the IH structure is increased to 240 degree. Its shunt impedance is three times higher than former single gap bunchers used by TUM and the length of the buncher system is one fifth of former one only because the use of λ/4 coaxial cavities with double gaps

The dog as a naturally-occurring model for insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor-overexpressing breast cancer: an observational cohort study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaillardon, Laetitia; Abadie, Jérome; Godard, Tiffanie; Campone, Mario; Loussouarn, Delphine; Siliart, Brigitte; Nguyen, Frédérique

2015-01-01

Dogs spontaneously develop invasive mammary carcinoma with a high prevalence of the triple-negative (TN) subtype (lack of ER-Estrogen Receptor and PR-Progesterone Receptor expression, lack of HER2-Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 overexpression), making this animal model relevant for investigating new therapeutic pathways. Insulin-like growth factor Type-1 receptor (IGF1R) is frequently overexpressed in primary human breast cancers, with a growing role in the TN phenotype. The purpose of this study was to investigate the Dog as a candidate model for IGF1R-overexpressing mammary carcinoma. 150 bitches with canine mammary carcinoma (CMC) and a known 2-year follow-up were retrospectively included. IGF1R expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using a similar scoring system as for HER2 in breast cancer. The prognostic value of the IGF1R expression was assessed in terms of overall and specific survival as well as disease-free interval (DFI). 47 CMC (31 %) were classified as luminal and 103 (69 %) as triple-negative (TN-CMC). 41 % of CMC overexpressed IGF1R (IHC score 3+) of which 76 % were TN-CMC and 62 % grade III. IGF1R overexpression was associated with aggressive features including lymphovascular invasion, histological grade III, low ER expression and the TN phenotype. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that IGF1R overexpression was associated with shorter overall and specific survivals and shorter DFI in TN-CMC. IGF1R overexpression is common and related to a poor outcome in canine invasive mammary carcinoma, particularly in the triple negative subtype, as in human breast cancer. Preclinical studies using the Dog as a spontaneous animal model could be considered to investigate new therapies targeting IGF1R in triple-negative breast cancer. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1670-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Extraordinary electronic properties in uncommon structure types

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Mazhar Nawaz

In this thesis I present the results of explorations into several uncommon structure types. In Chapter 1 I go through the underlying idea of how we search for new compounds with exotic properties in solid state chemistry. The ideas of exploring uncommon structure types, building up from the simple to the complex, using chemical intuition and thinking by analogy are discussed. Also, the history and basic concepts of superconductivity, Dirac semimetals, and magnetoresistance are briefly reviewed. In chapter 2, the 1s-InTaS2 structural family is introduced along with the discovery of a new member of the family, Ag0:79VS2; the synthesis, structure, and physical properties of two different polymorphs of the material are detailed. Also in this chapter, we report the observation of superconductivity in another 1s structure, PbTaSe2. This material is especially interesting due to it being very heavy (resulting in very strong spin orbit coulping (SOC)), layered, and noncentrosymmetric. Electronic structure calculations reveal the presence of a bulk 3D Dirac cone (very similar to graphene) that is gapped by SOC originating from the hexagonal Pb layer. In Chapter 3 we show the re-investigation of the crystal structure of the 3D Dirac semimetal, Cd3As2. It is found to be centrosymmetric, rather than noncentrosymmetric, and as such all bands are spin degenerate and there is a 4-fold degenerate bulk Dirac point at the Fermi level, making Cd3As2 a 3D electronic analog to graphene. Also, for the first time, scanning tunneling microscopy experiments identify a 2x2 surface reconstruction in what we identify as the (112) cleavage plane of single crystals; needle crystals grow with a [110] long axis direction. Lastly, in chapter 4 we report the discovery of "titanic" (sadly dubbed ⪉rge, nonsaturating" by Nature editors and given the acronym XMR) magnetoresistance (MR) in the non-magnetic, noncentrosymmetric, layered transition metal dichalcogenide WTe2; over 13 million% at 0.53 K in

Genomic Structural Variations Affecting Virulence During Clonal Expansion of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Biovar 3 in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Firrao, Giuseppe; Torelli, Emanuela; Polano, Cesare; Ferrante, Patrizia; Ferrini, Francesca; Martini, Marta; Marcelletti, Simone; Scortichini, Marco; Ermacora, Paolo

2018-01-01

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) biovar 3 caused pandemic bacterial canker of Actinidia chinensis and Actinidia deliciosa since 2008. In Europe, the disease spread rapidly in the kiwifruit cultivation areas from a single introduction. In this study, we investigated the genomic diversity of Psa biovar 3 strains during the primary clonal expansion in Europe using single molecule real-time (SMRT), Illumina and Sanger sequencing technologies. We recorded evidences of frequent mobilization and loss of transposon Tn6212, large chromosome inversions, and ectopic integration of IS sequences (remarkably ISPsy31, ISPsy36, and ISPsy37). While no phenotype change associated with Tn6212 mobilization could be detected, strains CRAFRU 12.29 and CRAFRU 12.50 did not elicit the hypersensitivity response (HR) on tobacco and eggplant leaves and were limited in their growth in kiwifruit leaves due to insertion of ISPsy31 and ISPsy36 in the hrpS and hrpR genes, respectively, interrupting the hrp cluster. Both strains had been isolated from symptomatic plants, suggesting coexistence of variant strains with reduced virulence together with virulent strains in mixed populations. The structural differences caused by rearrangements of self-genetic elements within European and New Zealand strains were comparable in number and type to those occurring among the European strains, in contrast with the significant difference in terms of nucleotide polymorphisms. We hypothesize a relaxation, during clonal expansion, of the selection limiting the accumulation of deleterious mutations associated with genome structural variation due to transposition of mobile elements. This consideration may be relevant when evaluating strategies to be adopted for epidemics management.

Interleukin-1 antagonism moderates the inflammatory state associated with Type 1 diabetes during clinical trials conducted at disease onset

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cabrera, Susanne M; Wang, Xujing; Chen, Yi-Guang

2016-01-01

It was hypothesized that IL-1 antagonism would preserve β-cell function in new onset Type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the Anti-Interleukin-1 in Diabetes Action (AIDA) and TrialNet Canakinumab (TN-14) trials failed to show efficacy of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) or canakinumab, as measured...

Spontaneous electric polarization in the B-site magnetic spinel GeCu2O4

Science.gov (United States)

Yanda, Premakumar; Ghara, Somnath; Sundaresan, A.

2018-04-01

We report the observation of a spontaneous electric polarization at the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature (TN ∼ 33 K) of Cu2+ ions in the B-site magnetic spinel GeCu2O4, synthesized at high pressure and high temperature. This compound is known to crystallize in a tetragonal structure (space group I41/amd) due to Jahn-Teller distortion of Cu2+ ions and exhibit a collinear up-up-down-down (↑↑↓↓) antiferromagnetic spin configuration below TN. We found a clear dielectric anomaly at TN, where an electric polarization appears in the absence of applied magnetic field. The electric polarization is suppressed by applied magnetic fields, which demonstrates that the compound GeCu2O4 is a type-II multiferroic.

The Role of Structural Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Urothelial Bladder Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Brunner

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The extracellular matrix (ECM plays a key role in the modulation of cancer cell invasion. In urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UC the role of ECM proteins has been widely studied. The mechanisms, which are involved in the development of invasion, progression and generalization, are complex, depending on the interaction of ECM proteins with each other as well as with cancer cells. The following review will focus on the pathogenetic role and prognostic value of structural proteins, such as laminins, collagens, fi bronectin (FN, tenascin (Tn-C and thrombospondin 1 (TSP1 in UC. In addition, the role of integrins mediating the interaction of ECM molecules and cancer cells will be addressed, since integrin-mediated FN, Tn-C and TSP1 interactions seem to play an important role during tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis.

Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions

Science.gov (United States)

1969-06-01

a VL tan Oily an12 L tan 120Lytn tn2 2L ta (ta L120\\12 L tannfv+G tan tan Ltan-~n&ý 12 YtAn12*+(H-y)tafl12o.tn-8 t~Fl..i. I H - tae+(- fta ~v-tn y/L7" 2...ONE SIDE FRE I d) FOUR SIDES SUPPORTED Fgw -. ipcLIci., fmd iea d deine. l cing. 1: 77 9~#4 󈧄 HORIZ. / HORI. LVERTuw l I [ VERT. IR EDA OE SE F VER

Atomic Structure of Type VI Contractile Sheath from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Salih, Osman; He, Shaoda; Planamente, Sara; Stach, Lasse; MacDonald, James T; Manoli, Eleni; Scheres, Sjors H W; Filloux, Alain; Freemont, Paul S

2018-02-06

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has three type VI secretion systems (T6SSs), H1-, H2-, and H3-T6SS, each belonging to a distinct group. The two T6SS components, TssB/VipA and TssC/VipB, assemble to form tubules that conserve structural/functional homology with tail sheaths of contractile bacteriophages and pyocins. Here, we used cryoelectron microscopy to solve the structure of the H1-T6SS P. aeruginosa TssB1C1 sheath at 3.3 Å resolution. Our structure allowed us to resolve some features of the T6SS sheath that were not resolved in the Vibrio cholerae VipAB and Francisella tularensis IglAB structures. Comparison with sheath structures from other contractile machines, including T4 phage and R-type pyocins, provides a better understanding of how these systems have conserved similar functions/mechanisms despite evolution. We used the P. aeruginosa R2 pyocin as a structural template to build an atomic model of the TssB1C1 sheath in its extended conformation, allowing us to propose a coiled-spring-like mechanism for T6SS sheath contraction. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The indentification of Jueluotage V-type structure in Xinjiang and its orderness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang Maolong; Sun Wenpeng; Cai Wenbo; Xu Daoyi

2005-01-01

Based on the interpretation of satellite image and field checking in Jueluotage area, Xinjiang, it is thought that the sublatitudinal arc fault zones have been formed since Mesozoic through the evolution of the NWW-trending and NEE-trending faults occurring in pre-Mesozoic time. These three sets of faults comprise the Jueluotage 'V-type structure' formed by the NW-trending structural stress field and drastically activated since Neocene. The Jueluotage V-type structure is expressed in time as an ordered process, and in space as an ordered arrangement and an ordered evolution direction, and characterizes the Information Ordered Series (IOS) of the evolution process of fault structure. (authors)

HTR-TN a European network for the development of HTR technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Von Lensa, W.

2001-01-01

A network called High-temperature reactor technology network (HTR-TN) has been created at a European level to coordinate works and knowledge on the subject with a long-term perspective and to serve as a channel for international collaboration. An analysis confirmed that the obvious economic penalty of HTR due to its low density power could be compensated by the combination of recent advances that may completely change the positioning of HTR on the energy market: -) the modular concept allowed to get a reactor free from core melt risk without intervention of any active safety system, implying a drastic simplification of the design of the reactor and the safety systems as well as a standardisation and potential for shop fabrication in series; -) the development of gas turbines, the efficiency of which increased, in 10 years, from 35% till 50% and more, enabling to consider suppression of the secondary system; -) the ultra high burn-up potential of HTR fuel and the possibility for direct disposal of spent HTR fuel elements that may reduce cost of the fuel cycle and contribute to the reduction of civil and military plutonium stockpiles. (A.C.)

Structure-activity study of macropin, a novel antimicrobial peptide from the venom of solitary bee Macropis fulvipes (Hymenoptera: Melittidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Monincová, Lenka; Veverka, Václav; Slaninová, Jiřina; Buděšínský, Miloš; Fučík, Vladimír; Bednárová, Lucie; Straka, J.; Čeřovský, Václav

2014-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 6 (2014), s. 375-384 ISSN 1075-2617 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/08/0536 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : antimicrobial peptide * analog * wild bee venom * NMR spectroscopy * CD spectroscopy Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 1.546, year: 2014

Serial Measurement of High-Sensitivity Troponin I and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the EXAMINE Trial (Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin Versus Standard of Care).

Science.gov (United States)

Cavender, Matthew A; White, William B; Jarolim, Petr; Bakris, George L; Cushman, William C; Kupfer, Stuart; Gao, Qi; Mehta, Cyrus R; Zannad, Faiez; Cannon, Christopher P; Morrow, David A

2017-05-16

We aimed to describe the relationship between changes in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hsTnI) and cardiovascular outcomes. The EXAMINE trial (Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin Versus Standard of Care) was a phase IIIb clinical outcomes trial designed to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of alogliptin, a nonselective dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycohemoglobin between 6.5% and 11% (or between 7% and 11% if they were on insulin), and a recent acute coronary syndrome (between 15 and 90 days before randomization) were eligible for the trial. hsTnI was measured using the Abbott ARCHITECT assay at baseline and 6 months in patients randomized in the EXAMINE trial. This analysis was restricted to patients randomized ≥30 days after qualifying acute coronary syndrome to mitigate the potential for persistent hsTnI elevation after acute coronary syndrome (n=3808). The primary end point of the trial was cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Cardiovascular death or heart failure was a prespecified, adjudicated secondary end point. At baseline, hsTnI was detectable (≥1.9 ng/L) in 93% of patients and >99 th percentile upper reference limit in 16%. There was a strong relationship between increasing hsTnI, both at baseline and 6 months, and the incidence of cardiovascular events through 24 months ( P diabetes mellitus without clinically recognized events had dynamic or persistently elevated values and were at high risk of recurrent events. hsTnI may have a role in personalizing preventive strategies in patients with diabetes mellitus based on risk. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00968708. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Fingerprints of field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition in quasi-two-dimensional S=1/2 Heisenberg magnets Cu(en)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}SO{sub 4} and Cu(tn)Cl{sub 2}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baranová, Lucia [Civil Engineering Faculty, Department of Applied Mathematics, Technical University of Košice, Vysokoškolská 4 SK-042 00, Košice (Slovakia); Orendáčová, Alžbeta, E-mail: alzbeta.orendacova@upjs.sk [Center of Low Temperature Physics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9 SK-041 54, Košice (Slovakia); Čižmár, Erik [Center of Low Temperature Physics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9 SK-041 54, Košice (Slovakia); Tarasenko, Róbert; Tkáč, Vladimír [Center of Low Temperature Physics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9 SK-041 54, Košice (Slovakia); Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Ke Karlovu 5 12116, Prague (Czech Republic); Orendáč, Martin; Feher, Alexander [Center of Low Temperature Physics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University, Park Angelinum 9 SK-041 54, Košice (Slovakia)

2016-04-15

Organo-metallic compounds Cu(en)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}SO{sub 4} (en=C{sub 2}H{sub 8}N{sub 2}) and Cu(tn)Cl{sub 2} (tn=C{sub 3}H{sub 10}N{sub 2}) representing S=1/2 quasi-two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets with an effective intra-layer exchange coupling J/k{sub B}≈3 K, have been examined by specific heat measurements at temperatures down to nominally 50 mK and magnetic fields up to 14 T. A comparative analysis of magnetic specific heat in zero magnetic field revealed nearly identical contribution of short-range magnetic correlations and significant differences were observed at lowest temperatures. A phase transition to long-range order was observed in Cu(en)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}SO{sub 4} at T{sub C}=0.9 K while hidden in Cu(tn)Cl{sub 2}. A response of both compounds to the application of magnetic field has rather universal features characteristic for a field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition theoretically predicted for ideal two-dimensional magnets. - Highlights: • Magnetic specific heat of Cu(en)(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}SO{sub 4} (1) and Cu(tn)Cl{sub 2} (2) was analysed. • In zero magnetic field, (1) and (2) behave as quasi-two-dimensional magnets. • We observed universal thermodynamic response of (1) and (2) to applied field. • Features of field-induced Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition were detected.

Structural inheritance in cast 30KhGNM-type steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadovskij, V.D.; Bershtejn, L.I.; Mel'nikova, A.A.; Polyakova, A.M.; Schastlivtsev, V.M.

1980-01-01

Structural inheritance in the cast 30KhGNM-type steel depending on the heating rate and the temperature of preliminary tempering is investigated. When eating the cast steel with a beinite structure at the rate of 1-150 deg/min, the restoration of austenite grain and the following recrystallization due to the phase cold work, are observed. Slow heating from room temperature or preliminary tempering hinder grain restoration during heating. A non-monotonous effect of tempering temperature on the structural inheritance is established which can be connected with the kinetics of decomposition of residual austenite in steel

Filamentary structures of the cosmic web and the nonlinear Schroedinger type equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tigrak, E; Weygaert, R van de; Jones, B J T

2011-01-01

We show that the filamentary type structures of the cosmic web can be modeled as solitonic waves by solving the reaction diffusion system which is the hydrodynamical analogous of the nonlinear Schroedinger type equation. We find the analytical solution of this system by applying the Hirota direct method which produces the dissipative soliton solutions to formulate the dynamical evolution of the nonlinear structure formation.

Seismic verification methods for structures and equipment of VVER-type and RBMK-type NPPs (summary of experiences)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masopust, R.

2003-01-01

The main verification methods for structures and equipment of already existing VVER-type and RBMK-type NPPs are briefly described. The following aspects are discussed: fundamental seismic safety assessment principles for VVER/RBMK-type NPPs (seismic safety assessment procedure, typical work plan for seismic safety assessment of existing NPPs, SMA (HCLPF) calculations, modified GIP (GIP-VVER) procedure, similarity of VVER/RBMK equipment to that included in the SQUG databases and seismic interactions

Reverse engineering of wörner type drilling machine structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Wibowo, A.; Belly, I.; llhamsyah, R.; Indrawanto; Yuwana, Y.

2018-03-01

A product design needs to be modified based on the conditions of production facilities and existing resource capabilities without reducing the functional aspects of the product itself. This paper describes the reverse engineering process of the main structure of the wörner type drilling machine to obtain a machine structure design that can be made by resources with limited ability by using simple processes. Some structural, functional and the work mechanism analyzes have been performed to understand the function and role of each basic components. The process of dismantling of the drilling machine and measuring each of the basic components was performed to obtain sets of the geometry and size data of each component. The geometric model of each structure components and the machine assembly were built to facilitate the simulation process and machine performance analysis that refers to ISO standard of drilling machine. The tolerance stackup analysis also performed to determine the type and value of geometrical and dimensional tolerances, which could affect the ease of the components to be manufactured and assembled

Magnetic and thermodynamic properties of Heusler alloys Ni55Mn26Al19

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Masakazu; Onda, Keijiro; Taira, Atsushi; Sonoda, Kazuki; Hiroi, Masahiko; Uwatoko, Yoshiya

2018-05-01

The temperature dependence of magnetization, M(T), specific heat, Cp(T), and thermal expansion, ΔL/L300K(T) were investigated for the Heusler compound Ni55Mn26Al19 with B2 structure. M(T) has a cusp-type anomaly for the antiferromagnetic (AF) transition at the Néel temperature TN = 280 K that is irreversible between the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled processes below Tf ˜ 60 K, which is characteristic of spin glass. Cp(T) also has an anomaly at TN = 280 K. For temperatures T transformation. TN increases proportionally with pressure, P, because of the enhancement of the AF interaction. The value of its initial rate is estimated to be d/TN d P = 5.25 K/GPa. Tf also increases proportionally with P with d/Tf d P = 2.21 K/GPa, and hence magnetic frustration, which promotes the spin glass system, is enhanced under pressurization.

New types of organizational structures of accounting departments and their development

OpenAIRE

Шигун, Марія Михайлівна

2015-01-01

Development directions of new types of organizational structures of accounting departments, emergence of which has been caused by present-day conditions of keeping economics relationships, have been researched, as well as peculiarity of complex hierarchical and adaptive structures has been disclosed.

A Low Cost Structurally Optimized Design for Diverse Filter Types

Science.gov (United States)

Kazmi, Majida; Aziz, Arshad; Akhtar, Pervez; Ikram, Nassar

2016-01-01

A wide range of image processing applications deploys two dimensional (2D)-filters for performing diversified tasks such as image enhancement, edge detection, noise suppression, multi scale decomposition and compression etc. All of these tasks require multiple type of 2D-filters simultaneously to acquire the desired results. The resource hungry conventional approach is not a viable option for implementing these computationally intensive 2D-filters especially in a resource constraint environment. Thus it calls for optimized solutions. Mostly the optimization of these filters are based on exploiting structural properties. A common shortcoming of all previously reported optimized approaches is their restricted applicability only for a specific filter type. These narrow scoped solutions completely disregard the versatility attribute of advanced image processing applications and in turn offset their effectiveness while implementing a complete application. This paper presents an efficient framework which exploits the structural properties of 2D-filters for effectually reducing its computational cost along with an added advantage of versatility for supporting diverse filter types. A composite symmetric filter structure is introduced which exploits the identities of quadrant and circular T-symmetries in two distinct filter regions simultaneously. These T-symmetries effectually reduce the number of filter coefficients and consequently its multipliers count. The proposed framework at the same time empowers this composite filter structure with additional capabilities of realizing all of its Ψ-symmetry based subtypes and also its special asymmetric filters case. The two-fold optimized framework thus reduces filter computational cost up to 75% as compared to the conventional approach as well as its versatility attribute not only supports diverse filter types but also offers further cost reduction via resource sharing for sequential implementation of diversified image

Robust structural optimization using Gauss-type quadrature formula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Ki Seog; Chen, Shikui; Chen, Wei

2009-01-01

In robust design, the mean and variance of design performance are frequently used to measure the design performance and its robustness under uncertainties. In this paper, we present the Gauss-type quadrature formula as a rigorous method for mean and variance estimation involving arbitrary input distributions and further extend its use to robust design optimization. One dimensional Gauss-type quadrature formula are constructed from the input probability distributions and utilized in the construction of multidimensional quadrature formula such as the Tensor Product Quadrature (TPQ) formula and the Univariate Dimension Reduction (UDR) method. To improve the efficiency of using it for robust design optimization, a semi-analytic design sensitivity analysis with respect to the statistical moments is proposed. The proposed approach is applied to a simple bench mark problems and robust topology optimization of structures considering various types of uncertainty.

Robust structural optimization using Gauss-type quadrature formula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Ki Seog [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Chen, Shikui; Chen, Wei [Northwestern University, Illinois (United States)

2009-07-01

In robust design, the mean and variance of design performance are frequently used to measure the design performance and its robustness under uncertainties. In this paper, we present the Gauss-type quadrature formula as a rigorous method for mean and variance estimation involving arbitrary input distributions and further extend its use to robust design optimization. One dimensional Gauss-type quadrature formula are constructed from the input probability distributions and utilized in the construction of multidimensional quadrature formula such as the Tensor Product Quadrature (TPQ) formula and the Univariate Dimension Reduction (UDR) method. To improve the efficiency of using it for robust design optimization, a semi-analytic design sensitivity analysis with respect to the statistical moments is proposed. The proposed approach is applied to a simple bench mark problems and robust topology optimization of structures considering various types of uncertainty.

Robust Structural Optimization Using Gauss-type Quadrature Formula

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Ki Seog; Chen, Shikui; Chen, Wei [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2009-08-15

In robust design, the mean and variance of design performance are frequently used to measure the design performance and its robustness under uncertainties. In this paper, we present the Gauss-type quadrature formula as a rigorous method for mean and variance estimation involving arbitrary input distributions and further extend its use to robust design optimization. One dimensional Gauss-type quadrature formula are constructed from the input probability distributions and utilized in the construction of multidimensional quadrature formula such as the tensor product quadrature (TPQ) formula and the univariate dimension reduction (UDR) method. To improve the efficiency of using it for robust design optimization, a semi-analytic design sensitivity analysis with respect to the statistical moments is proposed. The proposed approach is applied to a simple bench mark problems and robust topology optimization of structures considering various types of uncertainty.

Robust Structural Optimization Using Gauss-type Quadrature Formula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Hoon; Seo, Ki Seog; Chen, Shikui; Chen, Wei

2009-01-01

In robust design, the mean and variance of design performance are frequently used to measure the design performance and its robustness under uncertainties. In this paper, we present the Gauss-type quadrature formula as a rigorous method for mean and variance estimation involving arbitrary input distributions and further extend its use to robust design optimization. One dimensional Gauss-type quadrature formula are constructed from the input probability distributions and utilized in the construction of multidimensional quadrature formula such as the tensor product quadrature (TPQ) formula and the univariate dimension reduction (UDR) method. To improve the efficiency of using it for robust design optimization, a semi-analytic design sensitivity analysis with respect to the statistical moments is proposed. The proposed approach is applied to a simple bench mark problems and robust topology optimization of structures considering various types of uncertainty

Type IV Pili are required for virulence, twitching motility, and biofilm formation of acidovorax avenae subsp. Citrulli.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahar, Ofir; Goffer, Tal; Burdman, Saul

2009-08-01

Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), a threatening disease of watermelon, melon, and other cucurbits. Despite the economic importance of BFB, relatively little is known about basic aspects of the pathogen's biology and the molecular basis of its interaction with host plants. To identify A. avenae subsp. citrulli genes associated with pathogenicity, we generated a transposon (Tn5) mutant library on the background of strain M6, a group I strain of A. avenae subsp. citrulli, and screened it for reduced virulence by seed-transmission assays with melon. Here, we report the identification of a Tn5 mutant with reduced virulence that is impaired in pilM, which encodes a protein involved in assembly of type IV pili (TFP). Further characterization of this mutant revealed that A. avenae subsp. citrulli requires TFP for twitching motility and wild-type levels of biofilm formation. Significant reductions in virulence and biofilm formation as well as abolishment of twitching were also observed in insertional mutants affected in other TFP genes. We also provide the first evidence that group I strains of A. avenae subsp. citrulli can colonize and move through host xylem vessels.

Characterization of the Complete Nucleotide Sequences of IncA/C2 Plasmids Carrying In809-Like Integrons from Enterobacteriaceae Isolates of Wildlife Origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Papagiannitsis, Costas C; Kutilova, Iva; Medvecky, Matej; Hrabak, Jaroslav; Dolejska, Monika

2017-09-01

A total of 18 Enterobacteriaceae (17 from gulls and 1 from a clinical sample) collected from Australia, carrying IncA/C plasmids with the IMP-encoding In809-like integrons, were studied. Seven plasmids, being representatives of different origins, plasmid sizes, replicon combinations, and resistance genes, were completely sequenced. Plasmid pEc158, identified in a clinical Escherichia coli ST752 isolate, showed extensive similarity to type 2 IncA/C 2 plasmids. pEc158 carried none of the bla CMY-2 -like region or ARI-B and ARI-A regions, while it contained a hybrid transposon structure. The six remaining plasmids, which were of wildlife origin, were highly similar to each other and probably were fusion derivatives of type 1 and type 2 A/C 2 plasmids. The latter plasmids contained an ARI-B region and hybrid transposon structures. In all plasmids, hybrid transposon structures containing In809-like integrons were inserted 3,434 bp downstream of the rhs2 start codon. In all cases, the one outermost 38-bp inverted repeat (IR) of the transposon was associated with the Tn 1696 tnp module, while the other outermost 38-bp IR of the transposon was associated with either a Tn 6317 -like module or a Tn 21 mer module. However, the internal structure of the transposon and the resistance genes were different in each plasmid. These findings indicated that, for the specific periods of time and settings, different IncA/C 2 plasmid types carrying In809-like elements circulated among isolates of wildlife and clinical origins. Additionally, they provided the basis for speculations regarding the reshuffling of IncA/C 2 plasmids with In809-like integrons and confirmed the rapid evolution of IncA/C 2 plasmid lineages. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Design of convolutional tornado code

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hui; Yang, Yao; Gao, Hongmin; Tan, Lu

2017-09-01

As a linear block code, the traditional tornado (tTN) code is inefficient in burst-erasure environment and its multi-level structure may lead to high encoding/decoding complexity. This paper presents a convolutional tornado (cTN) code which is able to improve the burst-erasure protection capability by applying the convolution property to the tTN code, and reduce computational complexity by abrogating the multi-level structure. The simulation results show that cTN code can provide a better packet loss protection performance with lower computation complexity than tTN code.

Crystal structure of calcioburbankite and the characteristic features of the burbankite structure type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belovitskaya, Yu.V.; Pekov, I.V.; Gobechiya, E.R.; Kabalov, Yu.K.; Subbotin, V.V.

2001-01-01

The crystal structure of calcioburbankite (Na,Ca) 3 (Ca,RE,Sr,Ba) 3 (CO 3 ) 5 found in carbonatites from Vuoriyarvi (North Kareliya) was solved by the Rietveld method. The experimental data were collected on an ADP-2 diffractometer (λCuK α radiation; Ni filter; 16.00 deg. 1 + α 2 ) reflections was 455). All the calculations were performed within the sp. gr. P6 3 mc; a = 10.4974(1) A, c = 6.4309(1) A, V = 613.72(1) A 3 ; R wp = 2.49%. The structure was refined with the use of the anisotropic thermal parameters for the (Na,Ca) and (Sr,Ba,Ce) cations. The comparison of the crystal structures of all of the known hexagonal representatives of the burbankite family demonstrates that the burbankite structure type (sp. gr. P6 3 mc) is stable, irrespectively of the occupancy of the ten-vertex polyhedra predominantly with Ca, Sr, or Ba cations and the occupancies of the positions in the eight-vertex polyhedra

Subband structure comparison between n- and p- type double delta-doped Ga As quantum wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez V, I.; Gaggero S, L.M.

2004-01-01

We compute the electron level structure (n-type) and the hole subband structure (p-type) of double -doped GaAs (DDD) quantum wells, considering exchange effects. The Thomas-Fermi (TF), and Thomas-Fermi-Dirac (TFD) approximations have been applied in order to describe the bending of the conduction and valence band, respectively. The electron and the hole subband structure study indicates that exchange effects are more important in p-type DDD quantum wells than in n-type DDD Also our results agree with the experimental data available. (Author) 33 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs

Modulation of glacier ablation by tephra coverage from Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn volcanoes, Iceland: an automated field experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Möller, Rebecca; Möller, Marco; Kukla, Peter A.; Schneider, Christoph

2018-01-01

We report results from a field experiment investigating the influence of volcanic tephra coverage on glacier ablation. These influences are known to be significantly different from those of moraine debris on glaciers due to the contrasting grain size distribution and thermal conductivity. Thus far, the influences of tephra deposits on glacier ablation have rarely been studied. For the experiment, artificial plots of two different tephra types from Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn volcanoes were installed on a snow-covered glacier surface of Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland. Snow-surface lowering and atmospheric conditions were monitored in summer 2015 and compared to a tephra-free reference site. For each of the two volcanic tephra types, three plots of variable thickness ( ˜ 1.5, ˜ 8.5 and ˜ 80 mm) were monitored. After limiting the records to a period of reliable measurements, a 50-day data set of hourly records was obtained, which can be downloaded from the Pangaea data repository (pangaea.de" target="_blank">https://www.pangaea.de; doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.876656). The experiment shows a substantial increase in snow-surface lowering rates under the ˜ 1.5 and ˜ 8.5 mm tephra plots when compared to uncovered conditions. Under the thick tephra cover some insulating effects could be observed. These results are in contrast to other studies which depicted insulating effects for much thinner tephra coverage on bare-ice glacier surfaces. Differences between the influences of the two different petrological types of tephra exist but are negligible compared to the effect of tephra coverage overall.

Structural characterization of complex O-linked glycans from insect-derived material.

Science.gov (United States)

Garenaux, Estelle; Maes, Emmanuel; Levêque, S; Brassart, Colette; Guerardel, Yann

2011-07-01

Although insects are among the most diverse groups of the animal kingdom and may be found in nearly all environments, one can observe an obvious lack of structural data on their glycosylation ability. Hymenoptera is the second largest of all insect orders with more than 110,000 identified species and includes the most famous examples of social insects' species such as wasps, bees and ants. In this report, the structural variety of O-glycans has been studied in two Hymenoptera species. In a previous study, we showed that major O-glycans from common wasp (Vespula germanica) salivary mucins correspond to T and Tn antigen, eventually substituted by phosphoethanolamine or phosphate groups. More detailed structural analysis performed by mass spectrometry revealed numerous minor O-glycan structures bearing Gal, GlcNAc, GalNAc and Fuc residues. Thus, in order to investigate glycosylation diversity in insects, we used common wasp nest (V. germanica) and hornet nest (Vespa cabro) as starting materials. These materials were submitted to reductive β-elimination and the released oligosaccharide-alditols further fractionated by multidimensional HPLC. Tandem mass spectrometry analyses combined with NMR data revealed the presence of various families of complex O-glycans differing accordingly to both core structures and external motifs. Glycans from wasp were characterized by the presence of core types 1 and 2, Lewis X and internal Gal-Gal motifs. We also observed unusual O-glycans containing a reducing GalNAc unit directly substituted by a fucose residue. In contrast, hornet O-glycans appeared as a rather homogeneous family of core 1 type O-glycans extended by galactose oligomers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of regeneration of bone in the extracted third molar sockets augmented using xenograft (CollaPlugTN Zimmer in comparison with the normal healing on the contralateral side

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murugan Ranganathan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Alveolar bone resorption is a significant clinical problem. Bone loss in third molar region following extraction or surgical removal not only leads to periodontal problems in second molar region but also it may lead to some serious problems like increased incidence of angle fractures. In order to reduce the risks following third molar surgery, the socket should be augmented with bone grafts. In recent days guided tissue regeneration is the most accepted and successful technique followed many authors and its efficacy has been proved. Materials and Methods: Based upon our clinical experience, the use of bio absorbable collagen wound dressing such as CollaPlugTN has achieved quick healing and more primary wound coverage. Amongst the graft materials collagen is preferable due to its high biocompatibility and hemostatic ability. This study was done to assess the regeneration of bone in the extracted third molar sockets using xenograft (CollaPlugTN-Zimmer which was compared with the normal healing on the contra lateral side. The assessment was done to analyze post-operative healing complications and to compare the bone density formed between control site and implant site radiologically. Conclusion: On this basis of this study, the use of collaplugTN appears to be beneficial to the patient in postoperative wound healing and also for better bone formation. The use of this material was advantageous because of its simplicity of application cost effectiveness and availability. There is enhanced wound healing and early bone formation.

Assessment of Regeneration of Bone in the Extracted Third Molar Sockets Augmented Using Xenograft (CollaPlugTN Zimmer) in Comparison with the Normal Healing on the Contralateral Side.

Science.gov (United States)

Ranganathan, Murugan; Balaji, M; Krishnaraj, R; Narayanan, Vivek; Thangavelu, Annamalai

2017-11-01

Alveolar bone resorption is a significant clinical problem. Bone loss in third molar region following extraction or surgical removal not only leads to periodontal problems in second molar region but also it may lead to some serious problems like increased incidence of angle fractures. In order to reduce the risks following third molar surgery, the socket should be augmented with bone grafts. In recent days guided tissue regeneration is the most accepted and successful technique followed many authors and its efficacy has been proved. Based upon our clinical experience, the use of bio absorbable collagen wound dressing such as CollaPlug TN has achieved quick healing and more primary wound coverage. Amongst the graft materials collagen is preferable due to its high biocompatibility and hemostatic ability. This study was done to assess the regeneration of bone in the extracted third molar sockets using xenograft (CollaPlug TN -Zimmer) which was compared with the normal healing on the contra lateral side. The assessment was done to analyze post-operative healing complications and to compare the bone density formed between control site and implant site radiologically. On this basis of this study, the use of collaplugTN appears to be beneficial to the patient in postoperative wound healing and also for better bone formation. The use of this material was advantageous because of its simplicity of application cost effectiveness and availability. There is enhanced wound healing and early bone formation.

Development of a new neutron shielding material, TN trademark Resin Vyal for transport/storage casks for radioactive materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abadie, P. [COGEMA Logistics (AREVA Group), Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (France)

2004-07-01

TN trademark Resin Vyal, a patent pending composite, is a new neutron shielding material developed by COGEMA LOGISTICS for transport/storage casks of radioactive materials (spent fuel, reprocessed fuel,..). This material is composed of a thermosetting resin (vinylester resin in solution of styrene) and two mineral fillers (alumine hydrate and zinc borate). Its shielding ability for neutron radiation is related to a high hydrogen content (for slowing down neutrons) and a high boron content (for absorbing neutrons). Source of hydrogen is organic matrix (resin) and alumine hydrate; source of boron is zinc borate. Atomic concentrations are equal to 5.10{sup 22} at/cm{sup 3} for hydrogen and 9.10{sup 20} at/cm{sup 3} for boron. Due to the flame retardant character of components, the final material has a good fire resistance (it is auto-extinguishable). Its density is equal to 1,8. The manufacturing process of these material is easy: it consists in mixing the fillers and pouring in-situ (in cask); so, the curing of this composite, which leads to a three-dimensional structure, takes place at ambient temperature. Temperature resistance of this material was evaluated by performing exposition tests of samples at different temperatures (150 C to 170 C). According to tests results, its maximal temperature of use was confirmed equal to 160 C.

Development of a new neutron shielding material, TN trademark Resin Vyal for transport/storage casks for radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abadie, P.

2004-01-01

TN trademark Resin Vyal, a patent pending composite, is a new neutron shielding material developed by COGEMA LOGISTICS for transport/storage casks of radioactive materials (spent fuel, reprocessed fuel,..). This material is composed of a thermosetting resin (vinylester resin in solution of styrene) and two mineral fillers (alumine hydrate and zinc borate). Its shielding ability for neutron radiation is related to a high hydrogen content (for slowing down neutrons) and a high boron content (for absorbing neutrons). Source of hydrogen is organic matrix (resin) and alumine hydrate; source of boron is zinc borate. Atomic concentrations are equal to 5.10 22 at/cm 3 for hydrogen and 9.10 20 at/cm 3 for boron. Due to the flame retardant character of components, the final material has a good fire resistance (it is auto-extinguishable). Its density is equal to 1,8. The manufacturing process of these material is easy: it consists in mixing the fillers and pouring in-situ (in cask); so, the curing of this composite, which leads to a three-dimensional structure, takes place at ambient temperature. Temperature resistance of this material was evaluated by performing exposition tests of samples at different temperatures (150 C to 170 C). According to tests results, its maximal temperature of use was confirmed equal to 160 C

An Integrated Structural Strength Analysis Method for Spar Type Floating Wind Turbine

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

胡志强; 刘毅; 王晋

2016-01-01

An integrated structural strength analysis method for a Spar type floating wind turbine is proposed in this paper, and technical issues related to turbine structure modeling and stress combination are also addressed. The NREL-5MW “Hywind” Spar type wind turbine is adopted as study object. Time-domain dynamic coupled simulations are performed by a fully-coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic tool, FAST, on the purpose of obtaining the dynamic characteristics of the floating wind turbine, and determining parameters for design load cases of finite element calculation. Then design load cases are identified, and finite element analyses are performed for these design load cases. The structural stresses due to wave-induced loads and wind-induced loads are calculated, and then combined to assess the structural strength of the floating wind turbine. The feasibility of the proposed structural strength analysis method for floating wind turbines is then validated.

Statement of Roy F. Pruett, Mayor, City of Oak Ridge, TN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Committee. My name is Roy Pruett, mayor of the city of Oak Ridge, TN, and an executive committee member on the Clinch River MRS task force. It is my pleasure to be here today to testify before this distinguished Committee and present the findings of the Clinch River task force as they relate to subtitle C of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, and to the Department of Energy proposal on the Monitored Retrievable Storage facility, the MRS. I represent the city of Oak Ridge, which has been selected for the primary and the first alternative for the siting of an integrated MRS facility for the preparation and packaging of high-level nuclear waste and spent reactor fuel. Of civic and governmental leaders, we concluded that an MRS could safely be built and operated in Oak Ridge. We further concluded, however, that the facility would not be generally perceived as being safe unless the recommendations of the task force were adopted to address concerns and help mitigate impact. Indeed the MRS would not be viewed as a net economic benefit to the site's community, the region, or the State of Tennessee without such appropriate conditions

A Study of the Types of Organizational Structure in Venezuelan University Institutes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Antonio Pertuz Belloso

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at identifying the type of organizational structure of Venezuelan university institutes. It is a field investigation of a descriptive nature with a non-experimental transactional field design. We worked with a population sample consisting of a director, assistant directors, academic assistant directors and eighty-eight teachers from technological institutes in Cabimas and Maracaibo in Venezuela. A survey, in the form of a questionnaire, was used as the data collection technique, which included 24 items, validated by 5 experts, with Cronbach Alpha reliability of 0.93. The data analysis technique utilized was the percentage frequency distribution. The results indicated the coexistence of bureaucratic structural typologies; departmental and simple. An implementation of a structural migration strategy to the implementation of a matrix-type structure is recommended.

Rapid detection of cardiac troponin I using antibody-immobilized gate-pulsed AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jiancheng; Carey, Patrick; Ren, Fan; Wang, Yu-Lin; Good, Michael L.; Jang, Soohwan; Mastro, Michael A.; Pearton, S. J.

2017-11-01

We report a comparison of two different approaches to detecting cardiac troponin I (cTnI) using antibody-functionalized AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). If the solution containing the biomarker has high ionic strength, there can be difficulty in detection due to charge-screening effects. To overcome this, in the first approach, we used a recently developed method involving pulsed biases applied between a separate functionalized electrode and the gate of the HEMT. The resulting electrical double layer produces charge changes which are correlated with the concentration of the cTnI biomarker. The second approach fabricates the sensing area on a glass slide, and the pulsed gate signal is externally connected to the nitride HEMT. This produces a larger integrated change in charge and can be used over a broader range of concentrations without suffering from charge-screening effects. Both approaches can detect cTnI at levels down to 0.01 ng/ml. The glass slide approach is attractive for inexpensive cartridge-type sensors.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies targeted to mucin-type carbohydrate epitopes of human immunodeficiency virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, J E; Nielsen, C; Arendrup, M

1991-01-01

. This inhibition was found in infection of both lymphocytic cells and monocytoid cells. Viruses tested included six HIV-1 and five HIV-2 isolates propagated in different cells, as well as infectious plasma from AIDS patients. The antiviral effect of anti-Tn MAbs occurred by specific binding of the MAb to the virus......; this binding was inhibitable by pure Tn antigen, and indications were found that this inhibition occurred at a pre-entry step. Boosting the naturally occurring low-titer anti-Tn activity may be of prophylactic value, as suggested by the in vitro neutralization found in this study....

Crystal structures of type IIIH NAD-dependent D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase from two thermophiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.M.; Pampa, K.J.; Manjula, M.; Hemantha Kumar, G.; Kunishima, Naoki; Lokanath, N.K.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Determined the crystal structures of PGDH from two thermophiles. • Monomer is composed of nucleotide binding domain and substrate binding domain. • Crystal structures of type III H PGDH. - Abstract: In the L-Serine biosynthesis, D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH) catalyzes the inter-conversion of D-3-phosphoglycerate to phosphohydroxypyruvate. PGDH belongs to 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases family. We have determined the crystal structures of PGDH from Sulfolobus tokodaii (StPGDH) and Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhPGDH) using X-ray diffraction to resolution of 1.77 Å and 1.95 Å, respectively. The PGDH protomer from both species exhibits identical structures, consisting of substrate binding domain and nucleotide binding domain. The residues and water molecules interacting with the NAD are identified. The catalytic triad residues Glu-His-Arg are highly conserved. The residues involved in the dimer interface and the structural features responsible for thermostability are evaluated. Overall, structures of PGDHs with two domains and histidine at the active site are categorized as type III H and such PGDHs structures having this type are reported for the first time

Structural analysis and unique molecular recognition properties of a Bauhinia forficata lectin that inhibits cancer cell growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Lubkowski, Jacek; Durbin, Sarah V; Silva, Mariana C C; Farnsworth, David; Gildersleeve, Jeffrey C; Oliva, Maria Luiza V; Wlodawer, Alexander

2017-02-01

Lectins have been used at length for basic research and clinical applications. New insights into the molecular recognition properties enhance our basic understanding of carbohydrate-protein interactions and aid in the design/development of new lectins. In this study, we used a combination of cell-based assays, glycan microarrays, and X-ray crystallography to evaluate the structure and function of the recombinant Bauhinia forficata lectin (BfL). The lectin was shown to be cytostatic for several cancer cell lines included in the NCI-60 panel; in particular, it inhibited growth of melanoma cancer cells (LOX IMVI) by over 95%. BfL is dimeric in solution and highly specific for binding of oligosaccharides and glycopeptides with terminal N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc). BfL was found to have especially strong binding (apparent K d  = 0.5-1.0 nm) to the tumor-associated Tn antigen. High-resolution crystal structures were determined for the ligand-free lectin, as well as for its complexes with three Tn glycopeptides, globotetraose, and the blood group A antigen. Extensive analysis of the eight crystal structures and comparison to structures of related lectins revealed several unique features of GalNAc recognition. Of special note, the carboxylate group of Glu126, lining the glycan-binding pocket, forms H-bonds with both the N-acetyl of GalNAc and the peptide amido group of Tn antigens. Stabilization provided by Glu126 is described here for the first time for any GalNAc-specific lectin. Taken together, the results provide new insights into the molecular recognition of carbohydrates and provide a structural understanding that will enable rational engineering of BfL for a variety of applications. Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession numbers 5T50, 5T52, 5T55, 5T54, 5T5L, 5T5J, 5T5P, and 5T5O. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Left ventricular structure and function in black normotensive type 2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: Black normotensive patients, left ventricular function, type 2 DM. Résumé ... sickle cell disease and structural heart disease were excluded ... Pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocity ... had abnormal ECG pattern compared with 30%.

Fluorescent Protein-Based Ca2+ Sensor Reveals Global, Divalent Cation-Dependent Conformational Changes in Cardiac Troponin C.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myriam A Badr

Full Text Available Cardiac troponin C (cTnC is a key effector in cardiac muscle excitation-contraction coupling as the Ca2+ sensing subunit responsible for controlling contraction. In this study, we generated several FRET sensors for divalent cations based on cTnC flanked by a donor fluorescent protein (CFP and an acceptor fluorescent protein (YFP. The sensors report Ca2+ and Mg2+ binding, and relay global structural information about the structural relationship between cTnC's N- and C-domains. The sensors were first characterized using end point titrations to decipher the response to Ca2+ binding in the presence or absence of Mg2+. The sensor that exhibited the largest responses in end point titrations, CTV-TnC, (Cerulean, TnC, and Venus was characterized more extensively. Most of the divalent cation-dependent FRET signal originates from the high affinity C-terminal EF hands. CTV-TnC reconstitutes into skinned fiber preparations indicating proper assembly of troponin complex, with only ~0.2 pCa unit rightward shift of Ca2+-sensitive force development compared to WT-cTnC. Affinity of CTV-TnC for divalent cations is in agreement with known values for WT-cTnC. Analytical ultracentrifugation indicates that CTV-TnC undergoes compaction as divalent cations bind. C-terminal sites induce ion-specific (Ca2+ versus Mg2+ conformational changes in cTnC. Our data also provide support for the presence of additional, non-EF-hand sites on cTnC for Mg2+ binding. In conclusion, we successfully generated a novel FRET-Ca2+ sensor based on full length cTnC with a variety of cellular applications. Our sensor reveals global structural information about cTnC upon divalent cation binding.

Ionothermal synthesis of discrete supertetrahedral Tn (n = 4, 5) clusters with tunable components, band gaps, and fluorescence properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Dan-Dan; Li, Wei; Xiong, Wei-Wei; Li, Jian-Rong; Huang, Xiao-Ying

2018-05-01

The preparation of crystalline molecularly supertetrahedral Tn clusters with variable sizes and components is of vital importance for the fundamental study of their physicochemical properties. However, setting up an efficient method to stabilize large discrete Tn clusters is a challenge due to their high negative charges and polymerization nature. In this work, we report on the ionothermal synthesis of three discrete T4 cluster compounds, namely [Bmmim]5[(CH3)2NH2]4[NH4][M4In16S31(SH)4]·6H2O (M = Mn (1), Zn (2), Cd (3), Bmmim = 1-buty-2,3-dimethyl-imidazolium), and four discrete T5 cluster compounds, namely [Bmmim]10[NH4]3[Cu5Ga30-xInxS52(SH)4] (x = 6.6 (5), 14.5 (6), 23.8 (7), and 30 (8)). The compound [Bmmim]10[NH4]3[Cu5Ga30S52(SH)4] (4) previously reported by us features a discrete T5 cluster. The steep UV-Vis absorption edges indicate band gaps of 2.20 eV for 1, 2.64 eV for 2, 2.69 eV for 3, 3.04 eV for 4, 2.65 eV for 5, 2.48 eV for 6, 2.32 eV for 7, and 2.30 eV for 8. The compositions of T5 clusters could be varied with the ratios of Ga : In in the starting reagents, providing an opportunity to systematically control the band gaps and fluorescence performances of T5 cluster-based compounds. This research might advance the understanding of the ionothermal preparation and functionality tuning of crystalline chalcogenides.

Statement of Kenneth E. Yager, County Executive, Roane County, TN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

I am Ken Yager, I am the county executive for Roane County, TN which is the preferred site for the proposed Monitored Retrieval Storage facility, or the MRS. and I am submitting into the record additional written testimony which was written largely by the Honorable Robert Peele, who is sitting here, who is a member of the Roane County Board of Commissioners, our local legislative body. The premise of my remarks is that the Department of Energy proposal for the MRS in our county in unacceptable unless the Congress and the Department of Energy are to be willing partners with the local communities. Our considerations have been limited to: one, can an MRS be operated safely, and if so under what conditions; and what would be the impacts of the facility and how might they be mitigated. Our recommendations on those two points lead me to my earlier comment about being partners with the Congress, because our recommendations can be summed up simply, Mr. Chairman, as local control. We are exceedingly concerned about the prospect of being trapped in a national squeeze play, caught between a recognized need for a way to deal with nuclear waste and intense political efforts to put that problem in somebody else's back yard. And if we are to be that back yard, we would ask that the Congress and the Department of Energy recognize our stake in this national effort. We must have an equal role in the process

Postoperative change of anti-Thomsen-Friedenreich and Tn IgG level: the follow-up study of gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Smorodin, Eugeniy-P; Kurtenkov, Oleg-A; Sergeyev, Boris-L; Kodar, Kristel-E; Chuzmarov, Valentin-I; Afanasyev, Vladimir-P

2008-07-21

To study the influence of tumor removal on the serum level of IgG antibodies to tumor-associated Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF), Tn carbohydrate epitopes and xenogeneic alphaGal, and to elucidate on the change of the level during the follow-up as well as its association with the stage and morphology of the tumor and the values of blood parameters in gastrointestinal cancer. Sixty patients with gastric cancer and 34 patients with colorectal cancer in stages I-IV without distant metastases were subjected to follow-up. The level of antibodies in serum was determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using synthetic polyacrylamide (PAA) glycoconjugates. Biochemical and haematological analyses were performed using automated equipment. In gastrointestinal cancer, the TF antibody level was found to have elevated significantly after the removal of G3 tumors as compared with the preoperative level (u = 278.5, P gastric cancer patients (sign test, 20 vs 8, P cancer, the elevated postoperative level of TF, Tn and alphaGal antibodies was noted in most patients with G3 tumors (sign test, 22 vs 5, P stage I, whose mean anti-TF IgG level remained above the cut-off value (1.26), was significantly higher than that of patients with the cancer in stages III-IV (c2 = 4.71, gastric cancer; c2 = 4.11, gastrointestinal cancer; P stage but remains low in its terminal stages. The stage- and morphology-dependent immunosuppression affects the TF-antibody response and may be one of the reasons for unresponsiveness to the immunization with TF-antigens.

External validation of heart-type fatty acid binding protein, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin, and electrocardiography as rule-out for acute myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hise, Christopher B; Greenslade, Jaimi H; Parsonage, William; Than, Martin; Young, Joanna; Cullen, Louise

2018-02-01

To externally validate a clinical decision rule incorporating heart fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP), high-sensitivity troponin (hs-cTn) and electrocardiogram (ECG) for the detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on presentation to the Emergency Department. We also investigated whether this clinical decision rule improved identification of AMI over algorithms incorporating hs-cTn and ECG only. This study included data from 789 patients from the Brisbane ADAPT cohort and 441 patients from the Christchurch TIMI RCT cohort. The primary outcome was index AMI. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the algorithms. 1230 patients were recruited, including 112 (9.1%) with AMI. The algorithm including h-FABP and hs-cTnT had 100% sensitivity and 32.4% specificity. The algorithm utilising h-FABP and hs-cTnI had similar sensitivity (99.1%) and higher specificity (43.4%). The hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT algorithms without h-FABP both had a sensitivity of 98.2%; a result that was not significantly different from either algorithm incorporating h-FABP. Specificity was higher for the hs-cTnI algorithm (68.1%) compared to the hs-cTnT algorithm (33.0%). The specificity of the algorithm incorporating hs-cTnI alone was also significantly higher than both of the algorithms incorporating h-FABP (p<0.01). For patients presenting to the Emergency Department with chest pain, an algorithm incorporating h-FABP, hs-cTn and ECG has high accuracy and can rule out up to 40% of patients. An algorithm incorporating only hs-cTn and ECG has similar sensitivity and may rule out a higher proportion of patients. Each of the algorithms can be used to safely identify patients as low risk for AMI on presentation to the Emergency Department. Copyright © 2017 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. All rights reserved.

Electronic structures near surfaces of perovskite type oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Toru

2005-01-01

This work is intended to draw attention to the origin of the electronic structures near surfaces of perovskite type oxides. Deep states were observed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopic measurements. The film thickness dependent electronic structures near surfaces of (Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 )TiO 3 thin films were observed. As for the 117-308 nm thick (Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 )TiO 3 films, deep states were lying at 0.20, 0.55, and 0.85 eV below the quasi-fermi level, respectively. However, as for the 40 nm thick (Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 )TiO 3 film, the states were overlapped. The A-site doping affected electronic structures near surfaces of SrTiO 3 single crystals. No evolution of deep states in non-doped SrTiO 3 single crystal was observed. However, the evolution of deep states in La-doped SrTiO 3 single crystal was observed

Temperature dependent XAFS studies of local atomic structure of the perovskite-type zirconates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedrinskii, R. V.; Lemeshko, M. P.; Novakovich, A. A.; Nazarenko, E. S.; Nassif, V.; Proux, O.; Joly, Y.

2006-01-01

Temperature dependent preedge and extended x-ray absorption fine structure measurements at the Zr K edge for the perovskite-type zirconates PbZr 0.515 Ti 0.485 O 3 (PZT), PbZrO 3 (PZ), and BaZrO 3 are performed. To carry out a more accurate study of the weak reconstruction of the local atomic structure we employed a combination of two techniques: (i) analysis of the preedge fine structure, and (ii) analysis of the Fourier transform of the difference between χ(k) functions obtained at different temperatures. A detailed investigation of local atomic structure in the cubic phase for all the crystals is also performed. It is shown that neither the displacive nor the order-disorder model can describe correctly the changes of local atomic structure during phase transitions in PZ and PZT. A spherical model describing the local atomic structure of perovskite-type crystals suffering structural phase transitions is proposed

The research of structural features of astralens - nanodimensional carbon particles of fulleroid type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponomarev, A.N.; Nikitin, V.A.; Rybalko, V.V.

2006-01-01

The article is focused on the research of structural features of astralens - nanodimensional carbonic particles of fulleroid type. Astralens are perspective nanomodificators of properties of materials of different types. The potentials os astralens as modificators depend on their characteristic structural features, and in the first place, on the distribution of nanoparticles by sizes. The typical dimensions of astralens are determined to be within the range of 15-75 nm [ru

In and out of the cation pumps: P-type ATPase structure revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bublitz, Maike; Poulsen, Hanne; Morth, Jens Preben

2010-01-01

Active transport across membranes is a crucial requirement for life. P-type ATPases build up electrochemical gradients at the expense of ATP by forming and splitting a covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate, coupled to conformational changes in the transmembrane section where the ions are translocated....... The marked increment during the last three years in the number of crystal structures of P-type ATPases has greatly improved our understanding of the similarities and differences of pumps with different ion specificities, since the structures of the Ca2+-ATPase, the Na+,K+-ATPase and the H+-ATPase can now...

S-glutathionylation of troponin I (fast) increases contractile apparatus Ca2+ sensitivity in fast-twitch muscle fibres of rats and humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Mollica, J P; Dutka, T L; Merry, T L; Lamboley, C R; McConell, G K; McKenna, M J; Murphy, R M; Lamb, G D

2012-03-15

Oxidation can decrease or increase the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile apparatus in rodent fast-twitch (type II) skeletal muscle fibres, but the reactions and molecular targets involved are unknown. This study examined whether increased Ca2+ sensitivity is due to S-glutathionylation of particular cysteine residues. Skinned muscle fibres were directly activated in heavily buffered Ca2+ solutions to assess contractile apparatus Ca2+ sensitivity. Rat type II fibres were subjected to S-glutathionylation by successive treatments with 2,2′-dithiodipyridine (DTDP) and glutathione (GSH), and displayed a maximal increase in pCa50 (−log10 [Ca2+] at half-maximal force) of ∼0.24 pCa units, with little or no effect on maximum force or Hill coefficient. Partial similar effect was produced by exposure to oxidized gluthathione (GSSG, 10 mM) for 10 min at pH 7.1, and near-maximal effect by GSSG treatment at pH 8.5. None of these treatments significantly altered Ca2+ sensitivity in rat type I fibres. Western blotting showed that both the DTDP–GSH and GSSG–pH 8.5 treatments caused marked S-glutathionylation of the fast troponin I isoform (TnI(f)) present in type II fibres, but not of troponin C (TnC) or myosin light chain 2. Both the increased Ca2+ sensitivity and glutathionylation of TnI(f) were blocked by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) also increased Ca2+ sensitivity, but only in conditions where it caused S-glutathionylation of TnI(f). In human type II fibres from vastus lateralis muscle, DTDP–GSH treatment also caused similar increased Ca2+ sensitivity and S-glutathionylation of TnI(f). When the slow isoform of TnI in type I fibres of rat was partially substituted (∼30%) with TnI(f), DTDP–GSH treatment caused a significant increase in Ca2+ sensitivity (∼0.08 pCa units). TnIf in type II fibres from toad and chicken muscle lack Cys133 present in mammalian TnIf, and such fibres showed no change in Ca2+ sensitivity with DTDP–GSH nor any S

Dowel-type fastener connections in timber structures subjected to short-term loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lauritzen Jensen, J.

Design of dowel-type fastener connections in framed timber structures usually involves a two-step analysis: determination of the distribution of the sectional forces, and design of the eccentrically loaded connections. This report presents an integrated model for design of framed timber structures...

Structural and Thermal Safety Analysis Report for the Type B Radioactive Waste Transport Package

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, D. H.; Seo, K. S.; Lee, J. C.; Bang, K. S

2007-09-15

We carried out structural safety evaluation for the type B radioactive waste transport package. Requirements for type B packages according to the related regulations such as IAEA Safety Standard Series No. TS-R-1, Korea Most Act. 2001-23 and US 10 CFR Part 71 were evaluated. General requirements for packages such as those for a lifting attachment, a tie-down attachment and pressure condition were considered. For the type B radioactive waste transport package, the structural, thermal and containment analyses were carried out under the normal transport conditions. Also the safety analysis were conducted under the accidental transport conditions. The 9 m drop test, 1 m puncture test, fire test and water immersion test under the accidental transport conditions were consecutively done. The type B radioactive waste transport packages were maintained the structural and thermal integrities.

Structural and functional salivary disorders in type 2 diabetic patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Carda, Carmen; Mosquera-Lloreda, Nezly; Salom, Lucas; Gomez de Ferraris, Maria Elsa; Peydró, Amando

2006-07-01

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the most common metabolic disorder and it causes an important morbimortality. The structural modifications in the parotid gland (sialosis) had already been described in these patients and could result in variations in the salivary composition, as well as an increase in periodontal and dental pathology. To compare the biochemical findings in the saliva and to correlate these biochemical disturbances with the morphologic findings previously described. Clinical information were gathered about 33 patients, 17 had type 2 diabetes. Samples of whole saliva were obtained for biochemical analysis and serum samples to determine metabolic control. In the diabetics saliva we found urea and total proteins increased and reduced levels of microalbumina. Salivary glucose was only augmented in patients with poor metabolic control. Clinical symptoms of xerostomia were present in 76,4% and dental and periodontal disease in 100%. The parotid gland was characterised by the presence of small acini, lipid intracytoplasmic droplets, as well as adipose stroma infiltration. The acinar cytoqueratins expression was heterogeneous and very positive in the hyperplasic ducts. These biochemical disorders in the saliva of the type 2 diabetic patients would be related with the structural changes previously observed in parotid glands.

The Types of Argument Structure Used by Hillary Clinton in the CNN Democratic Presidential Debate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anggie Angeline

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This qualitative research was conducted to examine the types of argument structure by Hillary Clinton in part one of the CNN Democratic Presidential Debate since Hillary, who had a great deal of experiences in political parties, was supposed to be able to construct convincing arguments that had good argument structures. The theories used to analyze were Bierman and Assali’s (1996, King’s (n.d. and Stanlick’s (2003. The findings showed that there were five types of argument structure used: serial, linked, convergent, divergent, and hybrid argument structures. The linked argument structure was the argument structure used the most frequently in Hillary’s utterances in the debate, while the divergent was the least one. Thus, it could be concluded that Hillary’s speech in the Presidential Debate was quite interesting since she could combine all the five types of argument structure, though the frequency of using them was not the same and it seems that linked argument structure was the most effective strategy for her in arguing about the politic, economy, and social issues.

Structure of a Kunitz-type potato cathepsin D inhibitor

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Guo, J.; Erskine, P. T.; Coker, A. R.; Wood, S. P.; Cooper, J. B.; Mareš, Michael; Baudyš, Miroslav

2015-01-01

Roč. 192, č. 3 (2015), s. 554-560 ISSN 1047-8477 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-18929S; GA MŠk LO1302 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : potato cathepsin D inhibitor * Kunitz-type protease inhibitor * protein X-ray structure * reactive-site loop * docking Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 2.570, year: 2015

Determination of a new structure type in the Sc–Fe–Ge–Sn system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brgoch, Jakoah; Ran, Sheng; Thimmaiah, Srinivasa; Canfield, Paul C.; Miller, Gordon J.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A new structure type with the composition Sc 4 Fe 5 Ge 6.10(3) Sn 1.47(2) . ► Crystallizes in the space group Immm (No. 71, oI144). ► Sample obtained using a reactive Sn flux. ► Electronic structure calculations indicate polar intermetallic bonding network. - Abstract: A new structure type has been discovered in the system Sc–Fe–Ge–Sn by employing Sn as a flux medium. According to single crystal X-ray diffraction, the new structure has a composition of Sc 4 Fe 5 Ge 6.10(3) Sn 1.47(2) and crystallizes in the space group Immm (No. 71, oI144) with lattice parameters of a = 5.230(1) Å, b = 13.467(3) Å, and c = 30.003(6) Å. The structure is composed of square anti-prismatic clusters that are condensed into zig-zag chains along the [0 1 0] direction. These chains are further condensed through a split Sn/Ge position, forming a three-dimensional network. Magnetization measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic phase transition near 240 K. Electronic structure calculations identified the most favorable bonding network in this new system. Using crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) curves and their integrated values (ICOHP), a polar intermetallic bonding network involving Sc–Ge as well as Fe–Sn and Fe–Ge contacts can be assigned to this new structure type.

Thermal-hydraulic analyses of the TN-24P cask loaded with consolidated and unconsolidated spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michener, T.E.; McKinnon, M.A.; Rector, D.R.; Creer, J.M.

1989-06-01

This paper presents the results of comparisons of COBRA-SFS (spent fuel storage) temperature predictions with experimental data from the TN-24P (Transnuclear) spent fuel storage cask loaded with unconsolidated and consolidated spent PWR fuel. Peak cladding temperature predictions using the COBRA-SFS code are compared with test data and predicted axial and radial temperature distributions are compared with measured temperature profiles. The pre-test accuracy of the COBRA-SFS code in predicting temperature distributions is discussed, along with the effect of post-test model improvements on temperature predictions. This paper also briefly describes the COBRA-SFS code, which is designed to accurately predict flow and temperature distributions in spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation systems. 6 refs., 14 figs

Quantification of age-related changes in the structure model type and trabecular thickness of human tibial cancellous

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ding, Ming; Hvid, I

2000-01-01

Structure model type and trabecular thickness are important characteristics in describing cancellous bone architecture. It has been qualitatively observed that a radical change of trabeculae from plate-like to rod-like occurs in aging, bone remodeling, and osteoporosis. Thickness of trabeculae has...... traditionally been measured using model-based histomorphometric methods on two-dimensional (2-D) sections. However, no quantitative study has been published based on three-dimensional (3-D) methods on the age-related changes in structure model type and trabecular thickness for human peripheral (tibial......, structure model type and trabecular thickness were quantified by means of novel 3-D methods. Structure model type was assessed by calculating the structure model index (SMI). The SMI was quantified based on a differential analysis of the triangulated bone surface of a structure. This technique allows...

Cerium intermetallics with TiNiSi-type structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janka, Oliver; Niehaus, Oliver; Poettgen, Rainer [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Chevalier, Bernard [Bordeaux Univ. CNRS (UPR 9048), Pessac (France). Inst. de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee de Bordeaux (ICMCB)

2016-08-01

Intermetallic compounds with the equiatomic composition CeTX that crystallize with the orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure can be synthesized with electron-rich transition metals (T) and X = Zn, Al, Ga, Si, Ge, Sn, As, Sb, and Bi. The present review focusses on the crystal chemistry and chemical bonding of these CeTX phases and on their physical properties, {sup 119}Sn and {sup 121}Sb Moessbauer spectra, high-pressure effects, hydrogenation reactions and the formation of solid solutions in order to elucidate structure-property relationships. This paper is the final one of a series of four reviews on equiatomic intermetallic cerium compounds [Part I: Z. Naturforsch. 2015, 70b, 289; Part II: Z. Naturforsch. 2015, 70b, 695; Part III: Z. Naturforsch. 2016, 71b, 165].

Immunohistochemical expression of tenascin in melanocytic tumours of dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevastre, B; van Ederen, A M; Terlou, M; Gruys, E; Nederbragt, H

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate tenascin-C (TN) immunolabelling and labelling for endothelium by von Willebrand Factor (vWF) in melanocytic tumours of dogs as compared with normal tissues, to evaluate the TN distribution in these types of tumours and to investigate whether a relation could be established between TN and angiogenesis in different types of tumour. Samples of normal dog skin (n=8), benign skin melanocytomas (n=10), malignant oral melanomas (n=9) and malignant toe melanomas (n=5) were studied. The percentages of TN and vWF immunolabelling per total microscopical area were analysed by morphometric methods. In normal skin, TN was found at dermo-epidermal junctions, around hair follicles, in the smooth muscles of hair follicles, and in the walls of blood vessels. TN immunolabelling (distribution and intensity) in melanocytomas was comparable with that found in normal skin. In melanomas, TN expression was considerably increased, its intensity in toe melanomas being twice that observed in oral melanomas. The degree of TN immunolabelling was not related to the histological malignancy of the melanomas. In melanomas, TN was found in the connective tissue surrounding the tumour cell nests and in narrow stromal strands inside the tumour. Regions infiltrated with lymphocytes were devoid of TN. The presence of TN around capillaries in melanocytomas and melanomas was investigated by double-immunolabelling (for TN and vWF). The intensity of vWF and TN immunolabelling was higher in melanomas than in melanocytomas, and higher in toe melanomas than in oral melanomas; however, no clear relation between TN expression and immunolabelling for vWF was found.

Frequency Modulation and Absorption Improvement of THz Micro-bolometer with Micro-bridge Structure by Spiral-Type Antennas.

Science.gov (United States)

Gou, Jun; Niu, Qingchen; Liang, Kai; Wang, Jun; Jiang, Yadong

2018-03-05

Antenna-coupled micro-bridge structure is proven to be a good solution to extend infrared micro-bolometer technology for THz application. Spiral-type antennas are proposed in 25 μm × 25 μm micro-bridge structure with a single separate linear antenna, two separate linear antennas, or two connected linear antennas on the bridge legs, in addition to traditional spiral-type antenna on the support layer. The effects of structural parameters of each antenna on THz absorption of micro-bridge structure are discussed for optimized absorption of 2.52 THz wave radiated by far infrared CO 2 lasers. The design of spiral-type antenna with two separate linear antennas for wide absorption peak and spiral-type antenna with two connected linear antennas for relatively stable absorption are good candidates for high absorption at low absorption frequency with a rotation angle of 360*n (n = 1.6). Spiral-type antenna with extended legs also provides a highly integrated micro-bridge structure with fast response and a highly compatible, process-simplified way to realize the structure. This research demonstrates the design of several spiral-type antenna-coupled micro-bridge structures and provides preferred schemes for potential device applications in room temperature sensing and real-time imaging.

Interference enhanced thermoelectricity in quinoid type structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Strange, M., E-mail: strange@chem.ku.dk; Solomon, G. C. [Nano-Science Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 5, 2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Seldenthuis, J. S.; Verzijl, C. J. O.; Thijssen, J. M. [Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft (Netherlands)

2015-02-28

Quantum interference (QI) effects in molecular junctions may be used to obtain large thermoelectric responses. We study the electrical conductance G and the thermoelectric response of a series of molecules featuring a quinoid core using density functional theory, as well as a semi-empirical interacting model Hamiltonian describing the π-system of the molecule which we treat in the GW approximation. Molecules with a quinoid type structure are shown to have two distinct destructive QI features close to the frontier orbital energies. These manifest themselves as two dips in the transmission, that remain separated, even when either electron donating or withdrawing side groups are added. We find that the position of the dips in the transmission and the frontier molecular levels can be chemically controlled by varying the electron donating or withdrawing character of the side groups as well as the conjugation length inside the molecule. This feature results in a very high thermoelectric power factor S{sup 2}G and figure of merit ZT, where S is the Seebeck coefficient, making quinoid type molecules potential candidates for efficient thermoelectric devices.

Magnetic structure of MgCu₂O₃ and doping-induced spin reorientation in Mg_1-x/2Li_xCu_2-x/2O₃

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkelmann, M.; Graf, H.A.; Andersen, N.H.

1994-01-01

The magnetic properties of undoped and Li-doped MgCu2O3 single crystals have been studied by magnetic-susceptibility and neutron-diffraction measurements. The pure compound is a semiconductor with an antiferromagnetic ground state (T(N) = 95 K). Above T(N), short-range magnetic correlations within...... the Cu-O chains of the MgCu2O3 structure give rise to a predominantly one-dimensional (1D) magnetic behavior. This is revealed by the quantitative interpretation of the susceptibility measurements. Below T(N), the 3D magnetic structure, derived from neutron-diffraction experiments, can be described...... is similar to the one producing an infinitely degenerate state in antiferromagnetic fcc lattices. Doping experiments with Li clearly demonstrate the importance of spin fluctuations and fluctuations of the local exchange fields for lifting the degeneracy in such a system. A remarkably small amount of Li...

Thermodynamic properties of Heusler Fe2VSi

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Masakazu; Kai, Keita; Furuta, Tatsuya; Manaka, Hirotaka; Terada, Norio; Hiroi, Masahiko; Kondo, Akihiro; Kindo, Koichi

2018-05-01

We investigated temperature, T, dependence of magnetization, M(T), electrical resistivity, ρ(T), and specific heat, Cp(T), for the Heusler compound Fe2VSi. M(T) shows anomalies at TN1 ˜ 115 K and at TN2 ˜ 35 K. The anomaly at TN1 is caused by the magnetic transition with a crystal structural change. On the other hand, ρ(T) and Cp(T) show only anomaly at TN1, and no trace of anomaly at TN2 is observed. Because of the irreversibility of M(T), which is the characteristic of spin-glass freezing, appears below TN2, a spin-glass freezing may occur at TN2. From the analogy of the Heusler compound (Fe1-xVx ) 3Si with the cubic D03 crystal structure, (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2), we suggested that the atomic disorder of V site by the Fe atoms gives rise to the magnetic frustration. This could be cause for the spin-glass freezing. By the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, pressure, P, derivative of TN1, (d/TN 1 d P ), is estimated to be ˜-10 K/Gpa.

Determination of a new structure type in the Sc-Fe-Ge-Sn system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brgoch, Jakoah [Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Ran, Sheng [Ames Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Thimmaiah, Srinivasa [Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Ames Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Canfield, Paul C. [Ames Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Miller, Gordon J., E-mail: gmiller@iastate.edu [Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Ames Laboratory, US Department of Energy, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2013-01-05

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new structure type with the composition Sc{sub 4}Fe{sub 5}Ge{sub 6.10(3)}Sn{sub 1.47(2)}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Crystallizes in the space group Immm (No. 71, oI144). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Sample obtained using a reactive Sn flux. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electronic structure calculations indicate polar intermetallic bonding network. - Abstract: A new structure type has been discovered in the system Sc-Fe-Ge-Sn by employing Sn as a flux medium. According to single crystal X-ray diffraction, the new structure has a composition of Sc{sub 4}Fe{sub 5}Ge{sub 6.10(3)}Sn{sub 1.47(2)} and crystallizes in the space group Immm (No. 71, oI144) with lattice parameters of a = 5.230(1) A, b = 13.467(3) A, and c = 30.003(6) A. The structure is composed of square anti-prismatic clusters that are condensed into zig-zag chains along the [0 1 0] direction. These chains are further condensed through a split Sn/Ge position, forming a three-dimensional network. Magnetization measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic phase transition near 240 K. Electronic structure calculations identified the most favorable bonding network in this new system. Using crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) curves and their integrated values (ICOHP), a polar intermetallic bonding network involving Sc-Ge as well as Fe-Sn and Fe-Ge contacts can be assigned to this new structure type.

In and out of the cation pumps: P-type ATPase structure revisited

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bublitz, Maike; Poulsen, Hanne; Morth, Jens Preben

2010-01-01

. The marked increment during the last three years in the number of crystal structures of P-type ATPases has greatly improved our understanding of the similarities and differences of pumps with different ion specificities, since the structures of the Ca2+-ATPase, the Na+,K+-ATPase and the H+-ATPase can now......Active transport across membranes is a crucial requirement for life. P-type ATPases build up electrochemical gradients at the expense of ATP by forming and splitting a covalent phosphoenzyme intermediate, coupled to conformational changes in the transmembrane section where the ions are translocated...... be compared directly. Mechanisms for ion gating, charge neutralization and backflow prevention are starting to emerge from comparative structural analysis; and in combination with functional studies of mutated pumps this provides a framework for speculating on how the ions are bound and released as well...

Initiation of GalNAc-type O-glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum promotes cancer cell invasiveness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gill, David J; Tham, Keit Min; Chia, Joanne

2013-01-01

Invasiveness underlies cancer aggressiveness and is a hallmark of malignancy. Most malignant tumors have elevated levels of Tn, an O-GalNAc glycan. Mechanisms underlying Tn up-regulation and its effects remain unclear. Here we show that Golgi-to-endoplasmic reticulum relocation of polypeptide N-a...

Structural studies on a non-toxic homologue of type II RIPs from ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Structural studies on a non-toxic homologue of type II RIPs from bitter gourd: Molecular basis of non-toxicity, conformational selection and glycan structure. MS accepted http://www.ias.ac.in/jbiosci. THYAGESHWAR CHANDRAN, ALOK SHARMA and M VIJAYAN. J. Biosci. 40(5), October 2015, 929–941, © Indian Academy of ...

Crystal structure of a novel cysteinless plant Kunitz-type protease inhibitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, Daiane; Macedo-Ribeiro, Sandra; Verissimo, Paula; Yoo Im, Sonia; Sampaio, Misako Uemura; Oliva, Maria Luiza Vilela

2007-01-01

Bauhinia bauhinioides Cruzipain Inhibitor (BbCI) is a cysteine protease inhibitor highly homologous to plant Kunitz-type inhibitors. However, in contrast to classical Kunitz family inhibitors it lacks cysteine residues and therefore disulfide bridges. BbCI is also distinct in the ability to inactivate enzymes belonging to two different classes, cysteine and serine proteases. Besides inhibiting the cysteine protease cruzipain, BbCI also inhibits cathepsin L and the serine proteases HNE (human neutrophil elastase) and PPE (porcine pancreatic elastase). Monoclinic crystals of the recombinant inhibitor that diffract to 1.7 A resolution were obtained using hanging drop method by vapor diffusion at 18 o C. The refined structure shows the conservative β-trefoil fold features of the Kunitz inhibitors. In BbCI, one of the two characteristic S-S bonds is replaced by the water-mediated interaction between Tyr125 and Gly132. In this work we explore the structural differences between Kunitz-type inhibitors and analyze the essential interactions that maintain the protein structural stability preserving its biological function

Foot Type Biomechanics Part 2: are structure and anthropometrics related to function?

Science.gov (United States)

Mootanah, Rajshree; Song, Jinsup; Lenhoff, Mark W; Hafer, Jocelyn F; Backus, Sherry I; Gagnon, David; Deland, Jonathan T; Hillstrom, Howard J

2013-03-01

Many foot pathologies are associated with specific foot types. If foot structure and function are related, measurement of either could assist with differential diagnosis of pedal pathologies. Biomechanical measures of foot structure and function are related in asymptomatic healthy individuals. Sixty-one healthy subjects' left feet were stratified into cavus (n=12), rectus (n=27) and planus (n=22) foot types. Foot structure was assessed by malleolar valgus index, arch height index, and arch height flexibility. Anthropometrics (height and weight), age, and walking speed were measured. Foot function was assessed by center of pressure excursion index, peak plantar pressure, maximum force, and gait pattern parameters. Foot structure and anthropometric variables were entered into stepwise linear regression models to identify predictors of function. Measures of foot structure and anthropometrics explained 10-37% of the model variance (adjusted R(2)) for gait pattern parameters. When walking speed was included, the adjusted R(2) increased to 45-77% but foot structure was no longer a factor. Foot structure and anthropometrics predicted 7-47% of the model variance for plantar pressure and 16-64% for maximum force parameters. All multivariate models were significant (pFoot structure and function are related in asymptomatic healthy individuals. The structural parameters employed are basic measurements that do not require ionizing radiation and could be used in a clinical setting. Further research is needed to identify additional predictive parameters (plantar soft tissue characteristics, skeletal alignment, and neuromuscular control) and to include individuals with pathology. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Of the crystal chemistry of Ruddlesden-Porter type structures in high Tc ceramic superconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwivedi, A.; Cormack, A.N.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on atomistic computer simulation employed to examine the energetics and crystal chemistry of some Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide superconductors. Similar structural patterns have been noticed in the superconducting oxides. The formation of Ruddlesden-Popper type layers (alternating slabs of rocksalt and perovskite structures) is similar in many respects to that seen in the system Sr-Ti-O. However, there are some significant differences, for example, the rocksalt and perovskite blocks in the new superconducting compounds are not necessarily electrically neutral unlike in the Sr-Ti-O system and this may well lead to significant differences in their structural chemistry

Type I Clathrates as Novel Silicon Anodes: An Electrochemical and Structural Investigation

OpenAIRE

Li, Ying; Raghavan, Rahul; Wagner, Nicholas A.; Davidowski, Stephen K.; Baggetto, Lo?c; Zhao, Ran; Cheng, Qian; Yarger, Jeffery L.; Veith, Gabriel M.; Ellis?Terrell, Carol; Miller, Michael A.; Chan, Kwai S.; Chan, Candace K.

2015-01-01

Silicon clathrates contain cage?like structures that can encapsulate various guest atoms or molecules. An electrochemical evaluation of type I silicon clathrates based on Ba8Al y Si46?y as the anode material for lithium?ion batteries is presented here. Postcycling characterization with nuclear magnetic resonance and X?ray diffraction shows no discernible structural or volume changes even after electrochemical insertion of 44 Li (?1 Li/Si) into the clathrate structure. The observed properties ...

Radioheliograph observations of a pulsating structure associated with a moving type IV burst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pick, M.; Trottet, G.

1978-01-01

Observations of a pulsating structure with the Mark II Nancay Radioheliograph are reported. These fluctuations are found to occur early in the development of a moving type IV burst. It is confirmed that the source of these fluctuations is of small extent and that it is embedded in the moving type IV continuum, plausibly at the top of an expanding arch. The observations suggest that the pulsating structure consists of recurrent enhanced pulses (mean recurrency time 1.7 s) followed by trains of periodic pulses (mean periodicity 0.37 s). The intensity of the mean enhanced pulses has a damping time of about 5 s. It is shown that previous interpretation of the pulsating structure by Rosenberg (1970) cannot account for the present observations. (Auth.)

Point-of-care heart-type fatty acid binding protein versus high-sensitivity troponin T testing in emergency patients at high risk for acute coronary syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellens, Sebastiaan; Verbrugge, Frederik H; Vanmechelen, Maxime; Grieten, Lars; Van Lierde, Johan; Dens, Joseph; Vrolix, Mathias; Vandervoort, Pieter

2016-04-01

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing is used to detect myocardial damage in patients with acute chest pain. Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) may be an alternative, available as point-of-care test. Patients (n=203) referred by general practitioners for suspected acute coronary syndrome or presenting with typical chest pain and one major cardiovascular risk factor at the emergency department were prospectively included in a single-centre cohort study. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) and point-of-care H-FABP testing were concomitantly performed at admission and after 6h. Maximal hs-TnT levels above the 99th percentile were observed in 152 patients (75%) with 127 (63%) fulfilling criteria for myocardial infarction. Upon admission, hs-TnT and H-FABP were associated with an area under the curve (95% CI) of 0.83 (0.77-0.89) and 0.79 (0.73-0.85), respectively, to predict myocardial infarction, which increased to 0.93 (0.90-0.97) and 0.88 (0.84-0.93), respectively, after 6h. The diagnostic accuracy for non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction was somewhat lower with an area under the curve (95% CI) of 0.80 (0.72-0.87), 0.90 (0.84-0.96), 0.73 (0.64-0.81) and 0.77 (0.67-0.86), respectively. When assessment was performed within 3h of chest pain onset, diagnostic accuracy of H-FABP versus hs-TnT was similar. Each standard deviation increase in admission H-FABP was associated with a 68% relative risk increase of all-cause mortality (p-value=0.027) during 666 ± 155 days of follow-up. Point-of-care H-FABP testing has lower diagnostic accuracy compared with hs-TnT assessment in patients with high pre-test acute coronary syndrome probability, but might be of interest when assessment is possible early after chest pain onset. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Tailed nuclei and dicentric chromosomes in irradiated subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kravtsov, V.Yu.; Fedortseva, R.F.; Starkova, Ye.V.; Yartseva, N.M.; Nikiforov, A.M.

2000-01-01

A study of peripheral blood smears from irradiated Chernobyl liquidators and other subjects has shown nuclei of some lymphocytes to have a protrusion into the cytoplasm. Such abnormal nuclei are called 'tailed' nuclei (TN). Sixteen main morphologic types, observed in human peripheral blood lymphocytes, are described. The frequency of appearance of lymphocytes with TN in a group of Chernobyl liquidators was significantly higher than in control groups (p<0.001, in all cases). A positive correlation was found between the TN frequency in lymphocytes and dicentric chromosomes in lymphocytes cultured to metaphase (p<0.001). Elevated frequencies of dicentrics, higher than 0.1%, were found in 17 out of 22 subjects in whom the frequency of lymphocytes with TN was 0.8% and more. Abnormalities of the TN type in lymphocytes are likely to result from breakdown of chromosome bridges formed by dicentrics. The TN can be considered as a possible marker of irradiation and, therefore, their detailed study is important

Effect of Different Structure Type Traffic On Railway Line Capacity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gleba Radosław

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The article points to methods of analyzing railway traffic conditions based on two parameters: capacity and delay of trains. The impact of the differentiated railway type structure on the capacity of the railway line was presented. Particular attention has been paid to the assessment of commonly used simplifications in analyzes.

Cryo-EM studies of the structure and dynamics of vacuolar-type ATPases

Science.gov (United States)

Mazhab-Jafari, Mohammad T.; Rubinstein, John L.

2016-01-01

Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) has significantly advanced our understanding of molecular structure in biology. Recent innovations in both hardware and software have made cryo-EM a viable alternative for targets that are not amenable to x-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Cryo-EM has even become the method of choice in some situations where x-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy are possible but where cryo-EM can determine structures at higher resolution or with less time or effort. Rotary adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) are crucial to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. These enzymes couple the synthesis or hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate to the use or production of a transmembrane electrochemical ion gradient, respectively. However, the membrane-embedded nature and conformational heterogeneity of intact rotary ATPases have prevented their high-resolution structural analysis to date. Recent application of cryo-EM methods to the different types of rotary ATPase has led to sudden advances in understanding the structure and function of these enzymes, revealing significant conformational heterogeneity and characteristic transmembrane α helices that are highly tilted with respect to the membrane. In this Review, we will discuss what has been learned recently about rotary ATPase structure and function, with a particular focus on the vacuolar-type ATPases. PMID:27532044

First detection of the staphylococcal trimethoprim resistance gene dfrK and the dfrK-carrying transposon Tn559 in enterococci.

Science.gov (United States)

López, María; Kadlec, Kristina; Schwarz, Stefan; Torres, Carmen

2012-02-01

The trimethoprim resistance gene dfrK has been recently described in Staphylococcus aureus, but so far has not been found in other bacteria. A total of 166 enterococci of different species (E. faecium, E. faecalis, E. hirae, E. durans, E. gallinarum, and E. casseliflavus) and origins (food, clinical diseases in humans, healthy humans or animals, and sewage) were studied for their susceptibility to trimethoprim as determined by agar dilution (European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing) and the presence of (a) the dfrK gene and its genetic environment and (b) other dfr genes. The dfrK gene was detected in 49% of the enterococci (64% and 42% of isolates with minimum inhibitory concentrations of ≥2 mg/L or ≤1 mg/L, respectively). The tet(L)-dfrK linkage was detected in 21% of dfrK-positive enterococci. The chromosomal location of the dfrK gene was identified in one E. faecium isolate in which the dfrK was not linked to tet(L) gene but was part of a Tn559 element, which was integrated in the chromosomal radC gene. This Tn559 element was also found in 14 additional isolates. All combinations of dfr genes were detected among the isolates tested (dfrK, dfrG, dfrF, dfrK+dfrG, dfrK+dfrF, dfrF+dfrG, and dfrF+dfrG+dfrK). The gene dfrK gene was found together with other dfr genes in 58% of the tested enterococci. This study suggested an exchange of the trimethoprim resistance gene dfrK between enterococci and staphylococci, as previously observed for the trimethoprim resistance gene dfrG.

Growth of equilibrium structures built from a large number of distinct component types.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedges, Lester O; Mannige, Ranjan V; Whitelam, Stephen

2014-09-14

We use simple analytic arguments and lattice-based computer simulations to study the growth of structures made from a large number of distinct component types. Components possess 'designed' interactions, chosen to stabilize an equilibrium target structure in which each component type has a defined spatial position, as well as 'undesigned' interactions that allow components to bind in a compositionally-disordered way. We find that high-fidelity growth of the equilibrium target structure can happen in the presence of substantial attractive undesigned interactions, as long as the energy scale of the set of designed interactions is chosen appropriately. This observation may help explain why equilibrium DNA 'brick' structures self-assemble even if undesigned interactions are not suppressed [Ke et al. Science, 338, 1177, (2012)]. We also find that high-fidelity growth of the target structure is most probable when designed interactions are drawn from a distribution that is as narrow as possible. We use this result to suggest how to choose complementary DNA sequences in order to maximize the fidelity of multicomponent self-assembly mediated by DNA. We also comment on the prospect of growing macroscopic structures in this manner.

Charge carrier transport properties in layer structured hexagonal boron nitride

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. C. Doan

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Due to its large in-plane thermal conductivity, high temperature and chemical stability, large energy band gap (˜ 6.4 eV, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN has emerged as an important material for applications in deep ultraviolet photonic devices. Among the members of the III-nitride material system, hBN is the least studied and understood. The study of the electrical transport properties of hBN is of utmost importance with a view to realizing practical device applications. Wafer-scale hBN epilayers have been successfully synthesized by metal organic chemical deposition and their electrical transport properties have been probed by variable temperature Hall effect measurements. The results demonstrate that undoped hBN is a semiconductor exhibiting weak p-type at high temperatures (> 700 °K. The measured acceptor energy level is about 0.68 eV above the valence band. In contrast to the electrical transport properties of traditional III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors, the temperature dependence of the hole mobility in hBN can be described by the form of μ ∝ (T/T0−α with α = 3.02, satisfying the two-dimensional (2D carrier transport limit dominated by the polar optical phonon scattering. This behavior is a direct consequence of the fact that hBN is a layer structured material. The optical phonon energy deduced from the temperature dependence of the hole mobility is ħω = 192 meV (or 1546 cm-1, which is consistent with values previously obtained using other techniques. The present results extend our understanding of the charge carrier transport properties beyond the traditional III-nitride semiconductors.

Impact of type 2 diabetes and duration of type 2 diabetes on cardiac structure and function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Peter G; Jensen, Magnus T; Mogelvang, Rasmus

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Contemporary treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has improved patient outcome and may also have affected myocardial structure and function. We aimed to describe the effect of T2D and T2D duration on cardiac structure and function in a large outpatient population. METHODS: We performed...... comprehensive echocardiography on a representative sample of 1004 persons including a representative sample of 770 patients with T2D without known heart disease and 234 age- and sex-matched controls. RESULTS: T2D was associated with increased left ventricular (LV) wall thicknesses and decreased LV internal...... dysfunction persisted after multivariable adjustment (P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with T2D, LV structural and functional alterations persist and are accentuated with increasing diabetes duration despite reductions in overall risk of cardiovascular disease in this patient population....

Two Types of Genetic Interaction Implicate the Whirligig Gene of Drosophila Melanogaster in Microtubule Organization in the Flagellar Axoneme

Science.gov (United States)

Green, L. L.; Wolf, N.; McDonald, K. L.; Fuller, M. T.

1990-01-01

The mutant nc4 allele of whirligig (3-54.4) of Drosophila melanogaster fails to complement mutations in an α-tubulin locus, α1t, mutations in a β-tubulin locus, B2t, or a mutation in the haywire locus. However, wrl fails to map to any of the known α- or β-tubulin genes. The extragenic failure to complement could indicate that the wrl product participates in structural interactions with microtubule proteins. The whirligig locus appears to be haploinsufficient for male fertility. Both a deficiency of wrl and possible loss of function alleles obtained by reverting the failure to complement between wrl(nc4) and B2t(n) are dominant male sterile in a genetic background wild type for tubulin. The dominant male sterility of the revertant alleles is suppressed if the flies are also heterozygous for B2t(n), for a deficiency of α1t, or for the hay(nc2) allele. These results suggest that it is not the absolute level of wrl gene product but its level relative to tubulin or microtubule function that is important for normal spermatogenesis. The phenotype of homozygous wrl mutants suggests that the whirligig product plays a role in postmeiotic spermatid differentiation, possibly in organizing the microtubules of the sperm flagellar axoneme. Flies homozygous for either wrl(nc4) or revertant alleles are viable and female fertile but male sterile. Premeiotic and meiotic stages of spermatogenesis appear normal. However, in post-meiotic stages, flagellar axonemes show loss of the accessory microtubule on the B-subfiber of outer doublet microtubules, outer triplet instead of outer doublet microtubules, and missing central pair microtubules. PMID:2127579

Atlas of fine structures of dynamic spectra of solar type IV-dm and some type II radio bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slottje, C.

1982-01-01

The author presents an atlas of spectral fine structures of solar radio bursts of types IV and II around 1 m wavelength, as obtained with a multichannel spectrograph at Dwingeloo. The structures form largely a collection of observations of these events during late 1968 through 1974, thus covering almost entirely the declining branch of solar cycle 20. The spectrograph has an extra enhanced contrast output with properties quite different from those of the commonly used swept frequency spectrographs. The corresponding instrumental characteristics and effects are discussed. A classification of fine structures and an analysis of their statistical properties and of those of the pertinent radio events are also given. (Auth.)

Biophysical investigation of type A PutAs reveals a conserved core oligomeric structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korasick, David A. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Singh, Harkewal [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Pemberton, Travis A. [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Luo, Min [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Dhatwalia, Richa [Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Tanner, John J. [Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia MO USA

2017-08-01

Many enzymes form homooligomers, yet the functional significance of self-association is seldom obvious. Herein, we examine the connection between oligomerization and catalytic function for proline utilization A (PutA) enzymes. PutAs are bifunctional enzymes that catalyze both reactions of proline catabolism. Type A PutAs are the smallest members of the family, possessing a minimal domain architecture consisting of N-terminal proline dehydrogenase and C-terminal l-glutamate-γ-semialdehyde dehydrogenase modules. Type A PutAs form domain-swapped dimers, and in one case (Bradyrhizobium japonicum PutA), two of the dimers assemble into a ring-shaped tetramer. Whereas the dimer has a clear role in substrate channeling, the functional significance of the tetramer is unknown. To address this question, we performed structural studies of four-type A PutAs from two clades of the PutA tree. The crystal structure of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus PutA covalently inactivated by N-propargylglycine revealed a fold and substrate-channeling tunnel similar to other PutAs. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that Bdellovibrio PutA is dimeric in solution, in contrast to the prediction from crystal packing of a stable tetrameric assembly. SAXS studies of two other type A PutAs from separate clades also suggested that the dimer predominates in solution. To assess whether the tetramer of B. japonicum PutA is necessary for catalytic function, a hot spot disruption mutant that cleanly produces dimeric protein was generated. The dimeric variant exhibited kinetic parameters similar to the wild-type enzyme. These results implicate the domain-swapped dimer as the core structural and functional unit of type A PutAs.

Structure and organization of heteromeric AMPA-type glutamate receptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Herguedas, Beatriz; García-Nafría, Javier; Cais, Ondrej; Fernández-Leiro, Rafael; Krieger, James; Ho, Hinze; Greger, Ingo H

2016-04-29

AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs), which are central mediators of rapid neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity, predominantly exist as heteromers of the subunits GluA1 to GluA4. Here we report the first AMPAR heteromer structures, which deviate substantially from existing GluA2 homomer structures. Crystal structures of the GluA2/3 and GluA2/4 N-terminal domains reveal a novel compact conformation with an alternating arrangement of the four subunits around a central axis. This organization is confirmed by cysteine cross-linking in full-length receptors, and it permitted us to determine the structure of an intact GluA2/3 receptor by cryogenic electron microscopy. Two models in the ligand-free state, at resolutions of 8.25 and 10.3 angstroms, exhibit substantial vertical compression and close associations between domain layers, reminiscent of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Model 1 resembles a resting state and model 2 a desensitized state, thus providing snapshots of gating transitions in the nominal absence of ligand. Our data reveal organizational features of heteromeric AMPARs and provide a framework to decipher AMPAR architecture and signaling. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

UNIFIED CONTROL STRUCTURE OF MULTI-TYPE INTERIOR PERMANENT MAGNET MOTOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. NORHISAM

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the control strategy structure to extract the speed torque characteristic for the newly designed three phase Multi Type Interior Permanent Magnet Motor. The proposed structure with the driving circuits exhibit the performance of torque characteristics of the stepper motor and brushless motor with independent coil winding per phase especially used as an in-wheel motor in agricultural applications. Brushless Direct Current motors exhibit characteristics of generating high torque at high speed while the Permanent Magnet Stepper motors has characteristic of generating high torque at low speed. The typical characteristics of the above two are integrated in the proposed structure with a complex control structure that handle the switching complexity and speed control in real time. Thus, a specially designed driving system is essential to drive and control this special motor. The evaluation of the motor mechanical characteristics when applying load torque is also presented. The result determines the practical torque range applicable for each motor configuration and as combined machine.

Types of architectural structures and the use of smart materials

Science.gov (United States)

Tavşan, Cengiz; Sipahi, Serkan

2017-07-01

about smart materials; the second discusses the types and characteristics of smart materials over the tables detailing their utilization and functions in the structures included in the set of examples. The final section of the study, on the other hand, elaborates on the findings, discussing them with reference to the types of structures.

Topotactic reduction as a route to new close-packed anion deficient perovskites: structure and magnetism of 4H-BaMnO(2+x).

Science.gov (United States)

Hadermann, Joke; Abakumov, Artem M; Adkin, Josephine J; Hayward, Michael A

2009-08-05

The anion-deficient perovskite 4H-BaMnO(2+x) has been obtained by a topotactic reduction, with LiH, of the hexagonal perovskite 4H-BaMnO(3-x). The crystal structure of 4H-BaMnO(2+x) was solved using electron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction and further refined using neutron powder diffraction (S.G. Pnma, a = 10.375(2) A, b = 9.466(2) A, c = 11.276(3) A, at 373 K). The orthorhombic superstructure arises from the ordering of oxygen vacancies within a 4H (chch) stacking of close packed c-type BaO(2.5) and h-type BaO(1.5) layers. The ordering of the oxygen vacancies transforms the Mn(2)O(9) units of face-sharing MnO(6) octahedra into Mn(2)O(7) (two corner-sharing tetrahedra) and Mn(2)O(6) (two edge-sharing tetrahedra) groups. The Mn(2)O(7) and Mn(2)O(6) groups are linked by corner-sharing into a three-dimensional framework. The structures of the BaO(2.5) and BaO(1.5) layers are different from those observed previously in anion-deficient perovskites providing a new type of order pattern of oxygen atoms and vacancies in close packed structures. Magnetization measurements and neutron diffraction data reveal 4H-BaMnO(2+x) adopts an antiferromagnetically ordered state below T(N) approximately 350 K.

Numerical analysis and comparison of three types of herringbone frame structure for highway subgrade slopes protection

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Yihua; Tang, Saiqian; Xu, Yang; Mao, Kunli

2018-04-01

In order to obtain mechanical response distribution of herringbone frame structure for highway subgrade slopes protection and select the best structure type, 3D numerical models of three types herringbone frame structure were established and analyzed in finite element software ANSYS. Indoor physical model of soil slope protected by herringbone frame structure was built and mechanical response of the frame structure was measured by loading tests. Numerical results indicate slope foot is the stress most disadvantageous location. Comparative analysis shows that structure composed of mortar rubble base layer and precast concrete blocks paving layer is the best one for resisting deformation and structure with cement mortar base layer and precast concrete blocks paving layer is the best one for being of low stress.

Relationship between the structural stability with the types and land uses in southeastern Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin Sanleandro, P.; Sanchez Navarro, A.; Delgado Iniesta, M. J.; Fernandez-Delgado Juarez, M.

2009-01-01

Structural stability is one of the most important physical properties and is proposed as an indicator of quality. The aim of this study is to see the possible relationship between this property with soil types and uses of them. In this paper we have selected the Mazarron area based on their environmental characteristics and has taken forty-one topsoil samples, after analysis and study of the relationship between its structural stability with soil types and uses of same, we find a closer relationship in the case of uses that type, so that the natural soil as the percentage of stable aggregates close to 75%, while in soils anthropized this value reaches 44 %. (Author) 6 refs

Investigation of microbial community structure in constructed mangrove microcosms receiving wastewater-borne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ya-fen; Wu, Yan; Pi, Na; Tam, Nora Fung-yee

2014-01-01

The study aims to examine relationships between microbial community structure and mixed pollutants of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in constructed wetland microcosms, planted with Excoecaria agallocha or Kandelia obovata, two common mangrove plant species, and under two tidal regimes, everyday tidal (Te) and no tidal flooding (Tn). Results showed both microbial community structure and the retained amounts of pollutants were significantly determined by tidal regime, while the effect of plant species was small. Higher amounts of PAHs but lower amounts of PBDEs were always retained in sediments under Te than Tn regimes. Accordingly, temporal and vertical distributions of microbial community structure differed greatly between the two tidal regimes. Redundancy analysis further revealed significant correlation between a subgroup of the mixed PAHs and PBDEs with variation in microbial community structure. The findings will help to propose specific strategies to improve the bioremediation efficiency of constructed wetland. - Highlights: • We found synchronous degradation of PAHs and PBDEs in constructed mangrove microcosms. • Retained amounts of PAHs and PBDEs were determined mainly by tidal regime. • Tidal regime in turn significantly determined microbial community structure. • Variations of microbial EL-FAME profiles were more affected by PBDEs than PAHs. • Bap and BDE-154 were two most influential pollutants on microbial community structure. - Sedimentary microbial community structure was significantly determined by tidal regime, which in turn determined retained amounts of PAHs and PBDEs in constructed mangrove microcosms

Structure and Composition of Protein Bodies from Wild-Type and High-Lysine Barley Endosperm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingversen, J.

1975-01-01

Protein bodies were isolated from 13 and 28 day old endosperms of barley mutant 1508 and its wild type, Bomi barley. The fine structure of the isolated protein bodies was determined by electron microscopy, and the proteins present in the preparations characterized by amino-acid analysis and SDS......-polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis. Sections through pellets of isolated protein bodies from both the mutant and the wild type revealed protein body structures corresponding with those observed in sections through the intact starchy endosperms. The majority of the wild-type protein bodies was homogeneous spheres accompanied...... that the wild-type protein bodies contained large amounts of prolamines (the storage protein group which is soluble in 55 % isopropanol) and some glutelins (the storage proteins soluble in dilute alkali), whereas the mutant protein bodies have glutelin as the major component and little prolamines...

Structure-activity relationships of lanostane-type triterpenoids from Ganoderma lingzhi as α-glucosidase inhibitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatmawati, Sri; Kondo, Ryuichiro; Shimizu, Kuniyoshi

2013-11-01

A series of lanostane-type triterpenoids, identified as ganoderma alcohols and ganoderma acids, were isolated from the fruiting body of Ganoderma lingzhi. Some of these compounds were confirmed as active inhibitors of the in vitro human recombinant aldose reductase. This paper aims to explain the structural requirement for α-glucosidase inhibition. Our structure-activity studies of ganoderma alcohols showed that the OH substituent at C-3 and the double-bond moiety at C-24 and C-25 are necessary to increase α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The structure-activity relationships of ganoderma acids revealed that the OH substituent at C-11 is an important feature and that the carboxylic group in the side chain is essential for the recognition of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Moreover, the double-bond moiety at C-20 and C-22 in the side chain and the OH substituent at C-3 of ganoderma acids improve α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. These results provide an approach with which to consider the structural requirements of lanostane-type triterpenoids from G. lingzhi. An understanding of these requirements is considered necessary in order to improve a new type of α-glucosidase inhibitor. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical, chemical and biological CTD and bottle data from R/V Thomas G. Thompson cruise TN278 in eastern tropical North Pacific Ocean from March 19 to April 20, 2012 (NODC Accession 0109846)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This report contains data from R/V Thomas G. Thompson cruise TN278 to the eastern tropical north pacific oxygen deficient zone. The objective of the cruise was to...

Thermodynamic and transport properties of YbNi 4Cd

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.; Park, H.; Lee-Hone, N. R.; Broun, D. M.; Mun, E.

2018-05-01

The single crystal growth and the physical properties of the intermetallic compounds R Ni4Cd (R =Y and Yb) which crystallize in the face-centered cubic (fcc) MgCu4Sn -type structure (space group F 4 ¯3 m ) are discussed. Thermodynamic and transport properties of YbNi4Cd are studied by measuring the magnetization, electrical resistivity, and specific heat. The magnetic susceptibility measurement shows that the 4 f electrons of Yb3 + ions are well localized. The electrical resistivity and specific heat exhibits an antiferromagnetic ordering below TN=0.97 K. Applying the field along the [111] direction results in the suppression of TN below 0.4 K at the critical field Hc˜4.5 kOe. No non-Fermi liquid behavior has been observed in the vicinity of Hc. Above Hc, the magnetoresistivity shows an unconventional temperature dependence ρ (T ) =ρ0+A Tn with n >2 , suggesting that an additional scattering mechanism in the resistivity needs to be considered. Based on the analysis of experimental results, we conclude that the Yb3 + moments and conduction electrons are weakly coupled. Despite the antiferromagnetic ordering below TN, YbNi4Cd exhibits a large frustration parameter | θp/TN|˜16 , where the magnetic Yb3 + ions occupy the tetrahedra on the fcc lattice.

Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopic analysis of the effects of cereal type and variety within a type of grain on structural makeup in relation to rumen degradation kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Amanda M; Yu, Peiqiang; Christensen, Colleen R; Christensen, David A; McKinnon, John J

2009-08-12

The objectives of this study were to use Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) to determine structural makeup (features) of cereal grain endosperm tissue and to reveal and identify differences in protein and carbohydrate structural makeup between different cereal types (corn vs barley) and between different varieties within a grain (barley CDC Bold, CDC Dolly, Harrington, and Valier). Another objective was to investigate how these structural features relate to rumen degradation kinetics. The items assessed included (1) structural differences in protein amide I to nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC, starch) intensity and ratio within cellular dimensions; (2) molecular structural differences in the secondary structure profile of protein, alpha-helix, beta-sheet, and their ratio; (3) structural differences in NSC to amide I ratio profile. From the results, it was observed that (1) comparison between grain types [corn (cv. Pioneer 39P78) vs barley (cv. Harrington)] showed significant differences in structural makeup in terms of NSC, amide I to NSC ratio, and rumen degradation kinetics (degradation ratio, effective degradability of dry matter, protein and NSC) (P makeup in terms of amide I, NSC, amide I to NSC ratio, alpha-helix and beta-sheet protein structures, and rumen degradation kinetics (effective degradability of dry matter, protein, and NSC) (P makeup differences between cereal types and between different varieties within a type of grain could be revealed. These structural makeup differences were related to the rate and extent of rumen degradation.

Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of chevron-type graphene, BN and BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerra, T.; Azevedo, S. [Departamento de Física/CCEN, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Caixa Postal 5008, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Kaschny, J.R. [Instituto Federal da Bahia-Campus Vitória da Conquista, Caixa Postal 3150, 45075-265 Vitória da Conquista, BA (Brazil)

2017-04-15

Graphene nanoribbons are predicted to be essential components in future nanoelectronics. The size, edge type, arrangement of atoms and width of nanoribbons drastically change their properties. Boronnitrogencarbon nanoribbons properties are not fully understood so far. In the present contribution it was investigated the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of chevron-type carbon, boron nitride and BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons, using first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the structural stability is closely related to the discrepancies in the bond lengths, which can induce structural deformations and stress. Such nanoribbons present a wide range of electronic behaviors, depending on their composition and particularities of the atomic arrangement. A net magnetic moment is found for structures that present carbon atoms at the nanoribbon borders. Nevertheless, the calculated magnetic moment depends on the peculiarities of the symmetric arrangement of atoms and imbalance of carbon atoms between different sublattices. It was found that all structures which have a significant energy gap do not present magnetic moment, and vice-versa. Such result indicates the strong correlation between the electronic and magnetic properties of the chevron-type nanoribbons. - Highlights: • Small discrepancies between distinct bond lengths can influence the formation energy of the BC{sub 2}N nanoribbons. • The electronic behavior of the BC{sub 2}N chevron-type nanoribbons depends on the atomic arrangement and structural symmetries. • There is a strong correlation between the electronic and magnetic properties for the BC{sub 2}N structures.

Shock modon: a new type of coherent structure in rotating shallow water.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahaye, Noé; Zeitlin, Vladimir

2012-01-27

We show that a new type of coherent structure, a shock modon, exists in a rotating shallow water model at large Rossby numbers. It is a combination of an asymmetric vortex dipole with a stationary hydraulic jump. The structure is long living, despite the energy dissipation by the hydraulic jump, and moving along a circular path. Collisions of shock modons can be elastic, or lead to formation of shock tripoles.

Analysis of waves in the plasma guided by a periodical vane-type slow wave structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, T.J.; Kou, C.S.

2005-01-01

In this study, the dispersion relation has been derived to characterize the propagation of the waves in the plasma guided by a periodical vane-type slow wave structure. The plasma is confined by a quartz plate. Results indicate that there are two different waves in this structure. One is the plasma mode that originates from the plasma surface wave propagating along the interface between the plasma and the quartz plate, and the other is the guide mode that originally travels along the vane-type slow wave structure. In contrast to its original slow wave characteristics, the guide mode becomes a fast wave in the low-frequency portion of the passband, and there exists a cut-off frequency for the guide mode. The vane-type guiding structure has been shown to limit the upper frequency of the passband of the plasma mode, compared with that of the plasma surface wave. In addition, the passband of the plasma mode increases with the plasma density while it becomes narrower for the guide mode. The influences of the parameters of the guiding structure and plasma density on the propagation of waves are also presented

Structural Health Monitoring for a Z-Type Special Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaolin Yuan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Nowadays there exist various kinds of special vehicles designed for some purposes, which are different from regular vehicles in overall dimension and design. In that case, accidents such as overturning will lead to large economical loss and casualties. There are still no technical specifications to follow to ensure the safe operation and driving of these special vehicles. Owing to the poor efficiency of regular maintenance, it is more feasible and effective to apply real-time monitoring during the operation and driving process. In this paper, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG sensors are used to monitor the safety of a z-type special vehicle. Based on the structural features and force distribution, a reasonable structural health monitoring (SHM scheme is presented. Comparing the monitoring results with the finite element simulation results guarantees the accuracy and reliability of the monitoring results. Large amounts of data are collected during the operation and driving progress to evaluate the structural safety condition and provide reference for SHM systems developed for other special vehicles.

Zbiornik w wyrobisku końcowym Odkrywki "Pątnów" Kopalni Węgla Brunatnego "Konin" i jego bilans wodny za okres 2003-2004

OpenAIRE

Wachowiak, Grzegorz; Wachowiak, Agata

2005-01-01

The idea of water recultivation and management of the closing open pits in the Lignite Opencast Mine "Konin" is of a growing importance. Hence, the necessity to explore water relations conditioned by SLich undertakings. Recultivation scheme of the closing open pit "Pątnów" of Lignite Opencast Mine "Konin" includes the construction of a 346 ha reservoir with the capacity of over 38 mln m. So far, it is the biggest reservoir built as a result of an open pit reculti...

Brain structural changes and their correlation with vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: a voxel-based morphometric study

OpenAIRE

Wang, Chunxia; Fu, Kailiang; Liu, Huaijun; Xing, Fei; Zhang, Songyun

2014-01-01

Voxel-based morphometry has been used in the study of alterations in brain structure in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. These changes are associated with clinical indices. The age at onset, pathogenesis, and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus are different from those for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus may have different impacts on brain structure. Only a few studies of the alterations in brain structure in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using voxe...

Life Comparative Analysis of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions of Different Building Structural Frame Types

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sangyong; Moon, Joon-Ho; Shin, Yoonseok; Kim, Gwang-Hee; Seo, Deok-Seok

2013-01-01

The objective of this research is to quantitatively measure and compare the environmental load and construction cost of different structural frame types. Construction cost also accounts for the costs of CO2 emissions of input materials. The choice of structural frame type is a major consideration in construction, as this element represents about 33% of total building construction costs. In this research, four constructed buildings were analyzed, with these having either reinforced concrete (RC) or steel (S) structures. An input-output framework analysis was used to measure energy consumption and CO2 emissions of input materials for each structural frame type. In addition, the CO2 emissions cost was measured using the trading price of CO2 emissions on the International Commodity Exchange. This research revealed that both energy consumption and CO2 emissions were, on average, 26% lower with the RC structure than with the S structure, and the construction costs (including the CO2 emissions cost) of the RC structure were about 9.8% lower, compared to the S structure. This research provides insights through which the construction industry will be able to respond to the carbon market, which is expected to continue to grow in the future. PMID:24227998

Life Comparative Analysis of Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions of Different Building Structural Frame Types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sangyong Kim

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research is to quantitatively measure and compare the environmental load and construction cost of different structural frame types. Construction cost also accounts for the costs of CO2 emissions of input materials. The choice of structural frame type is a major consideration in construction, as this element represents about 33% of total building construction costs. In this research, four constructed buildings were analyzed, with these having either reinforced concrete (RC or steel (S structures. An input-output framework analysis was used to measure energy consumption and CO2 emissions of input materials for each structural frame type. In addition, the CO2 emissions cost was measured using the trading price of CO2 emissions on the International Commodity Exchange. This research revealed that both energy consumption and CO2 emissions were, on average, 26% lower with the RC structure than with the S structure, and the construction costs (including the CO2 emissions cost of the RC structure were about 9.8% lower, compared to the S structure. This research provides insights through which the construction industry will be able to respond to the carbon market, which is expected to continue to grow in the future.

Identification and Characterization of Non-Cellulose-Producing Mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii Generated by Tn5 Transposon Mutagenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Ying; Nagachar, Nivedita; Xiao, Chaowen; Tien, Ming

2013-01-01

The acs operon of Gluconacetobacter is thought to encode AcsA, AcsB, AcsC, and AcsD proteins that constitute the cellulose synthase complex, required for the synthesis and secretion of crystalline cellulose microfibrils. A few other genes have been shown to be involved in this process, but their precise role is unclear. We report here the use of Tn5 transposon insertion mutagenesis to identify and characterize six non-cellulose-producing (Cel−) mutants of Gluconacetobacter hansenii ATCC 23769. The genes disrupted were acsA, acsC, ccpAx (encoding cellulose-complementing protein [the subscript “Ax” indicates genes from organisms formerly classified as Acetobacter xylinum]), dgc1 (encoding guanylate dicyclase), and crp-fnr (encoding a cyclic AMP receptor protein/fumarate nitrate reductase transcriptional regulator). Protein blot analysis revealed that (i) AcsB and AcsC were absent in the acsA mutant, (ii) the levels of AcsB and AcsC were significantly reduced in the ccpAx mutant, and (iii) the level of AcsD was not affected in any of the Cel− mutants. Promoter analysis showed that the acs operon does not include acsD, unlike the organization of the acs operon of several strains of closely related Gluconacetobacter xylinus. Complementation experiments confirmed that the gene disrupted in each Cel− mutant was responsible for the phenotype. Quantitative real-time PCR and protein blotting results suggest that the transcription of bglAx (encoding β-glucosidase and located immediately downstream from acsD) was strongly dependent on Crp/Fnr. A bglAx knockout mutant, generated via homologous recombination, produced only ∼16% of the wild-type cellulose level. Since the crp-fnr mutant did not produce any cellulose, Crp/Fnr may regulate the expression of other gene(s) involved in cellulose biosynthesis. PMID:24013627

Plasmid borne Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamases (CHDLs) and AdeABC efflux pump conferring carbapenem-tigecycline resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii isolates harboring TnAbaRs.

Science.gov (United States)

Savari, Mohammad; Ekrami, Alireza; Shoja, Saeed; Bahador, Abbas

2017-03-01

Here we studied the prevalence and mechanisms of simultaneous resistance to carbapenem and tigecycline and accumulation of resistance determinants reservoirs in genome of Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) clinical isolates. Susceptibility of the isolates were measured to 18 antimicrobial agents. Genetic diversity of the microbial population was determined using the International Clonal lineage typing (IC typing), multiple locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) and plasmid profiling methods. To detect the AbaRs, Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamases (CHDLs) genes, AdeABC efflux pump genes and resistance determinants, PCR was used. Filter mating experiments were used to prove that if carbapenem resistance genes are located on conjugative plasmids or not. Among the A. baumannii clinical isolates, 40.8% were carbapenem-tigecycline resistant and in this population, 46.9% were belonging to IC I, IC II or IC III and 53.1% were IC variants. These isolates had fallen in 40 MLVA types and were harboring plasmids in multiple numbers and sizes. In this study, bla OXA-23-like was the most prevalent CHDL and conjugation analysis proved that the carbapenem resistance genes are located on conjugative plasmids. All efflux pump genes, except for adeC, were detected in all carbapenem-tigecycline resistant A. baumannii (CTRAb) isolates. Resistance determinants were distributed in both TnAbaRs and R plasmids with a shift toward the R plasmids. Emerging of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) with simultaneous resistance to the last line therapy including tigecycline represent emerging of extensively drug resistance (XDR) and pandrug resistance (PDR) phenotypes that would be a great threat to our public health system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 46358 - Extension of Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Security Programs for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-31

.... Specifically, TSA requires foreign air carriers to submit the following information: (1) A master crew list of all flight and cabin crew members flying to and from the United States; (2) the flight crew list on a..., 49 CFR part 1546. TSA uses the information collected to determine compliance with 49 CFR part 1546...

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor stimulated by Helicobacter pylori increases proliferation of gastric epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Harry Hua-Xiang; Lam, Shiu Kum; Chan, Annie O.O.; Lin, Marie Chia Mi; Kung, Hsiang Fu; Ogura, Keiji; Berg, Douglas E.; Wong, Benjamin C. Y.

2005-01-01

AIM: Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is associated with increased gastric inflammatory and epithelial expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and gastric epithelial cell proliferation. This study aimed at determining whether H pylori directly stimulates release of MIF in monocytes, whether the cag pathogenicity island (PAI) is involved for this function, and whether MIF stimulated by H pylori increases gastric epithelial cell proliferation in vitro. METHODS: A cytotoxic wild-type H pylori strain (TN2)and its three isogenic mutants (TN2△cag, TN2△cagA and TN2△cagE) were co-cultured with cells of a human monocyte cell line, THP-1, for 24 h at different organism/cell ratios. MIF in the supernatants was measured by an ELISA. Cells of a human gastric cancer cell line, MKN45, were then co-cultured with the supernatants, with and without monoclonal anti-MIF antibody for 24 h. The cells were further incubated for 12 h after addition of 3H-thymidine, and the levels of incorporation of 3H-thymidine were measured with a liquid scintillation counter. RESULTS: The wild-type strain and the isogenic mutants, TN2△cagA and TN2△cagE, increased MIF release at organism/cell ratios of 200/1 and 400/1, but not at the ratios of 50/1 and 100/1. However, the mutant TN2△cag did not increase the release of MIF at any of the four ratios. 3H-thymidine readings for MKN-45 cells were significantly increased with supernatants derived from the wild-type strain and the mutants TN2△cagA and TN2△cagE, but not from the mutant TN2△cag. Moreover, in the presence of monoclonal anti-MIF antibody, the stimulatory effects of the wild-type strain on cell proliferation disappeared. CONCLUSION: H pylori stimulates MIF release in monocytes, likely through its cag PAI, but not related to cagA or cagE. H pylori-stimulated monocyte culture supernatant increases gastric cell proliferation, which is blocked by anti-MIF antibody, suggesting that MIF plays an important role in H

Equipment and building structures ageing management for WWER type NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayboroda, O.

2001-01-01

This report presents the working group 'Equipment and building structures ageing management for WWER type NPPs' activities. The analysis of experience in ageing management, recommendations for regulatory guidelines on ageing management, investigation of case studies, definition suitable communication channels among regulators for ageing related data are given. Analyses of water chemistry, inspection data (safety margins criteria), plugging criteria, volume and time of ECT implementation in all WWER countries are presented. The results of Working group activity show that it is advisable to concentrate efforts on: set up the permanent communication channel among regulators, collection of regulatory criteria for WWER type NPP key components based on understanding of ageing mechanisms and data collection

Observation of Current Structures at Type-III ELM Onset on EAST

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yan, Ning; Naulin, Volker; Xu, G.

structure. To verify the current characteristic of this structure, a mono-polar current filaments model was involved, which can reproduce same pattern commendably. Thus, current transport may dominant in transitional stage and plays an important role in the nonlinear development phase of ELM exhaustive......In far scrape-o layer (SOL), alternating negative and positive burst structures in ion saturation current were detected at the onset of each type-III edge localized mode (ELM) on EAST. Different from the fast streaming phenomenon reported previously, one subsequent positive burst structure appears...... every time in the early phase of ELM. It seems like a quick transitional stage between edge localized mode (MHD) phase and transport phase during the ELM. A pronounced sinusoidal pattern has been observed on the radial magnetic induction signal by Langmuir - magnetic probe, corresponding with almost...

Tangshen Formula Attenuates Colonic Structure Remodeling in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Pengmin; Zhao, Jingbo; Zhang, Haojun

2017-01-01

Aim. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of the Chinese herbal medicine Tangshen Formula (TSF) on GI structure remodeling in the rat model of diabetes. Methods. Type 2 diabetic rats were used. Wet weight per unit length, layer thicknesses, levels of collagens I and III, nuclear factor...

Treatment performance and microorganism community structure of integrated vertical-flow constructed wetland plots for domestic wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Su-qing; Chang, Jun-jun; Dai, Yanran; Wu, Zhen-bin; Liang, Wei

2013-06-01

In order to investigate the treatment performance and microorganism mechanism of IVCW for domestic wastewater in central of China, two parallel pilot-scale IVCW systems were built to evaluate purification efficiencies, microbial community structure and enzyme activities. The results showed that mean removal efficiencies were 81.03 % for COD, 51.66 % for total nitrogen (TN), 42.50 % for NH4 (+)-N, and 68.01 % for TP. Significant positive correlations between nitrate reductase activities and TN and NH4 (+)-N removal efficiencies, along with a significant correlation between substrate enzyme activity and operation time, were observed. Redundancy analysis demonstrated gram-negative bacteria were mainly responsible for urease and phosphatase activities, and also played a major role in dehydrogenase and nitrate reductase activities. Meanwhile, anaerobic bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and saturated FA groups, gram-positive bacteria exhibited good correlations with the removal of COD (p=0.388), N (p=0.236), and TP (p=0.074), respectively. The IVCW system can be used to treat domestic wastewater effectively.

Nonlinear dynamic systems identification using recurrent interval type-2 TSK fuzzy neural network - A novel structure.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Nagar, Ahmad M

2018-01-01

In this study, a novel structure of a recurrent interval type-2 Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy neural network (FNN) is introduced for nonlinear dynamic and time-varying systems identification. It combines the type-2 fuzzy sets (T2FSs) and a recurrent FNN to avoid the data uncertainties. The fuzzy firing strengths in the proposed structure are returned to the network input as internal variables. The interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FSs) is used to describe the antecedent part for each rule while the consequent part is a TSK-type, which is a linear function of the internal variables and the external inputs with interval weights. All the type-2 fuzzy rules for the proposed RIT2TSKFNN are learned on-line based on structure and parameter learning, which are performed using the type-2 fuzzy clustering. The antecedent and consequent parameters of the proposed RIT2TSKFNN are updated based on the Lyapunov function to achieve network stability. The obtained results indicate that our proposed network has a small root mean square error (RMSE) and a small integral of square error (ISE) with a small number of rules and a small computation time compared with other type-2 FNNs. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial mat ecosystems: Structure types, functional diversity, and biotechnological application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina M. Prieto-Barajas

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Microbial mats are horizontally stratified microbial communities, exhibiting a structure defined by physiochemical gradients, which models microbial diversity, physiological activities, and their dynamics as a whole system. These ecosystems are commonly associated with aquatic habitats, including hot springs, hypersaline ponds, and intertidal coastal zones and oligotrophic environments, all of them harbour phototrophic mats and other environments such as acidic hot springs or acid mine drainage harbour non-photosynthetic mats. This review analyses the complex structure, diversity, and interactions between the microorganisms that form the framework of different types of microbial mats located around the globe. Furthermore, the many tools that allow studying microbial mats in depth and their potential biotechnological applications are discussed.

Structural barriers to coping with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Ghana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Structural barriers to coping with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Ghana: Experiences of diabetic youth and their families. ... Methods: Qualitative study conducted with families with a child with T1DM, receiving care in the greater Accra area. Total of 17 individuals ... Social support networks need to be explored and strengthened.

Type IIA orientifolds on SU(2)-structure manifolds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danckaert, Thomas

2010-11-15

We investigate the possible supersymmetry-preserving orientifold projections of type IIA string theory on a six-dimensional background with SU(2)-structure. We find two categories of projections which preserve half of the low-energy supersymmetry, reducing the effective theory from an N=4 supergravity theory, to an N=2 supergravity. For these two cases, we impose the projection on the low-energy spectrum and reduce the effective N=4 supergravity action accordingly. We can identify the resulting gauged N=2 supergravity theory and bring the action into canonical form. We compute the scalar moduli spaces and characterize the gauged symmetries in terms of the geometry of these moduli spaces. Due to their origin in N=4 supergravity, which is a highly constrained theory, the moduli spaces are of a very simple form. We find that, for suitable background manifolds, isometries in all scalar sectors can become gauged. The obtained gaugings share many features with those of N=2 supergravities obtained previously from other G-structure compactifications. (orig.)

Structure of the atmosphere of late-type stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straume, Ya.I.

1976-01-01

A method of calculation of model atmospheres of late-type stars is described. The model atmospheres have been constructed for effective temperature Tsub(e)=2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500 and 5785 K at solar chemical composition and surface gravities log g = 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 based on LTE and a plane-parallel horizontally homogeneous structure. Opacity due to H, H - and H 2 - was taken into account. The equation of state includes 10 metals and H 2 , H 2 - and H 2 + molecules. The results are compared with those published elsewhere. A satisfactory agreement is obtained for Tsub(e) > 3000 K

Two New Three-Dimensional Pillared-Layer Co(II and Cu(II Frameworks Involving a [M2(EO-N32] Motif from a Semi-Flexible N-Donor Ligand, 5,5′-Bipyrimidin: Syntheses, Structures and Magnetic Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zu-Zhen Zhang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Two new three-dimensional (3D Co(II- and Cu(II-azido frameworks, [Co2(N34(bpym2]n (1 and [Cu2(N34(bpym]n (2, were successfully synthesized by introducing a semi-flexible N-donor ligand, 5,5′-bipyrimidin (bpym, with different bridging modes and orientations. Compounds 1 and 2 were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry and elemental analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 are 3D pillared-layer frameworks with double end-on (EO azido bridged dinuclear motifs, [M2(EO-N32]. In Compound 1, the bpym ligands show trans μ2-bridging mode and the role as pillars to connect the Co(II-azido layers, composed of [Co2(EO-N32] motifs and single end-to-end (EE azido bridges, to a 3D network with BN topology. In contrast, in 2, the bpym ligand adopts a twisted μ4-bridging mode, which not only connects the adjacent [Cu2(EO-N32] units to a layer, but also functions as a pillar for the layers of the 3D structure. The structural diversities between the two types of architectures can be attributed to the coordination geometry preference of the metal ions (octahedral for Co2+ and square pyramidal for Cu2+. Magnetic investigations revealed that Compound 1 exhibits ferromagnetic-like magnetic ordering due to spin canting with a critical temperature, TC = 33.0 K, and furthers the field-induced magnetic transitions of metamagnetism at temperatures below TC. Compound 2 shows an antiferromagnetic ordering with TN = 3.05 K and a field-induced magnetic transition of spin-flop at temperatures below the TN.

The thermodynamic and structural properties of metallocenes-type random ethylene copolymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simanke, Adriane G.; Mauler, Raquel S.; Galland, Griselda B.; Alamo, Rufina G.

2001-01-01

The properties of a series of random ethylene copolymers prepared with the metallocenes catalytic system rac-Et[Ind] 2 ZrCl 2 /MAO were studied for a large variety of comonomer types. These include the classical 1-alkene type with length up to 10 carbons and those of the cyclic type such as cyclopentadiene and dicyclopentadiene. Under rapid crystallization, the melting temperatures of the newly synthesized copolymers followed the relation of model random copolymers indicating a behavior that conforms to that predicted by Flory's phase equilibrium theory. The molar entropy of fusion is not significantly altered by the comonomer type including the dicyclopentadiene type. All types of comonomers studied showed, for a fixed comonomer content, the same change in properties during annealing, except the ethylene 1-butenes. These latter copolymers and the hydrogenated poly butadiene showed a faster rate of change in thermal properties. This is consistent with a higher molecular diffusion for the butene comonomer than for the rest of comonomers analyzed. The properties of the inter lamellar region were also studied as a function of comonomer type and content following the variation of the amorphous halo extracted from the WAXS diffractograms. The observed systematic decrease in the peak scattering angle with increasing comonomer content indicates a variation of the intermolecular liquid structure. (author)

Management of trigeminal neuralgia by radiofrequency ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The outcome depends on the type of TN with best results with classical idiopathic type. Also better results occurred with isolated V3 affection. The radiofrequency thermocoagulation of trigeminal nerve is a low risk, highly effective and minimally invasive procedure that should be started with in all cases of TN.

Structural and functional diversity of Nematoda in relation with environmental variables in the Setúbal and Cascais canyons, Western Iberian Margin

Science.gov (United States)

Ingels, Jeroen; Billett, David S. M.; Kiriakoulakis, Konstadinos; Wolff, George A.; Vanreusel, Ann

2011-12-01

Samples collected at two different depths (ca. 3200 and ca. 4200 m) in the Setúbal and Cascais canyons off the Portuguese coast, during the HERMES RRS Charles Darwin cruise CD179, were analysed for (1) sediment biogeochemistry (TOC, TN) and (2) composition, and structural and trophic diversity of nematode communities. Multivariate PERMANOVA analysis on the nematode community data revealed differences between sediment layers that were greater than differences between canyons, water depths, and stations. This suggests that biogeochemical gradients along the vertical sediment profile are crucial in determining nematode community structure. The interaction between canyon conditions and the nematode community is illustrated by biogeochemical patterns in the sediment and the prevalence of nematode genera that are able to persist in disturbed sediments. Trophic analysis of the nematode community indicated that non-selective deposit feeders are dominant, presumably because of their non-selective feeding behaviour compared to other feeding types, which gives them a competitive advantage in exploiting lower-quality food resources. This study presents a preliminary conceptual scheme for interactions between canyon conditions and the resident fauna.

Value of serum tenascin-C in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rania Gaber

2016-09-01

Conclusions: Serum TN-C might be a novel marker reflecting active structural remodeling in the myocardium following infarction, with high TN-C levels at acute stages possibly predicting progression of LV remodeling. Also, the incorporation of a combination of serum TN-C and plasma BNP levels may improve risk stratification for congestive heart failure after AMI. Further studies on large scale are needed for more evaluation of TN-C role in HF.

Structure- and oil type-based efficacy of emulsion adjuvants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Theo; Hofmans, Marij P M; Theelen, Marc J G; Manders, Frans; Schijns, Virgil E J C

2006-06-29

Oil-based emulsions are well-known immunopotentiators for inactivated, "killed" vaccines. We addressed the relationship between emulsion structure and levels of in vivo antibody formation to inactivated New Castle Disease virus (NDV) and Infectious Bronchitis virus (IBV) as antigens in 3-week-old chickens. The use of a polymeric emulsifier allowed for direct comparison of three types of emulsions, water-in-oil (W/O), oil-in-water (O/W) and W/O-in-water (W/O/W), while maintaining an identical content of components for each vehicle. They were prepared with either non-metabolizable, mineral oil or metabolizable, Miglyol 840. In addition, we assessed the inherent release capacity of each emulsion variant in vitro. Remarkably, we noted that W/O-type emulsions induced the best immune responses, while they released no antigen during 3 weeks. In general, mineral oil vaccines showed superior efficacy compared to Miglyol 840-based vaccines.

Universal properties of type IIB and F-theory flux compactifications at large complex structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsh, M.C. David; Sousa, Kepa

2016-01-01

We consider flux compactifications of type IIB string theory and F-theory in which the respective superpotentials at large complex structure are dominated by cubic or quartic terms in the complex structure moduli. In this limit, the low-energy effective theory exhibits universal properties that are insensitive to the details of the compactification manifold or the flux configuration. Focussing on the complex structure and axio-dilaton sector, we show that there are no vacua in this region and the spectrum of the Hessian matrix is highly peaked and consists only of three distinct eigenvalues (0, 2m 3/2 2 and 8m 3/2 2 ), independently of the number of moduli. We briefly comment on how the inclusion of Kähler moduli affect these findings. Our results generalise those of Brodie & Marsh http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/JHEP01(2016)037, in which these universal properties were found in a subspace of the large complex structure limit of type IIB compactifications.

Fine structure near the starting frequency of solar type III radio bursts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benz, A.O.; Zlobec, P.; Jaeggi, M.

1982-06-01

We have systematically analyzed the period in time and frequency adjacent to the beginning of type III bursts digitally recorded at Bleien during the second half of 1980. A surprisingly high percentage (10%, possibly more than 20%) of the type III bursts show fine structure in the form of narrow-banded spikes of 0.05 s and less duration, which form clusters of relatively large bandwidth. These spikes are not totally polarized (contrary to claims in the literature) and they are uniformly distributed over the disk. Individual spikes often show highly variable polarization, which may even change sense. The average degree of polarization of the clouds has a wider distribution than that of the associated type III bursts, but generally the same sign. Spikes are considerably different from type I bursts.

Numerically stable fluid–structure interactions between compressible flow and solid structures

KAUST Repository

Gré tarsson, Jó n Tó mas; Kwatra, Nipun; Fedkiw, Ronald

2011-01-01

] which solves compressible fluid in a semi-implicit manner, solving for the advection part explicitly and then correcting the intermediate state to time tn+1 using an implicit pressure, obtained by solving a modified Poisson system. Similar to previous

Treatment outcome in patients with triple negative early stage breast cancers compared with other molecular subtypes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ja Young; Chang, Sei Kyung; Lee, Bo Mi; Shin, Hyun Soo; Park, Heily

2012-01-01

To determine whether triple negative (TN) early stage breast cancers have poorer survival rates compared with other molecular types. Between August 2000 and July 2006, patients diagnosed with stage I, II early stage breast cancers, in whom all three markers (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor [HER]-2) were available and treated with modified radical mastectomy or breast conserving surgery followed by radiotherapy, were retrospectively reviewed. Of 446 patients, 94 (21.1%) were classified as TN, 57 (12.8%) as HER-2 type, and 295 (66.1%) as luminal. TN was more frequently associated with young patients younger than 35 years old (p = 0.002), higher histologic grade (p 0.05). We found that patients with TN early stage breast cancers had no difference in survival rates compared with other molecular subtypes. Prospective study in homogeneous treatment group will need for a prognosis of TN early stage breast cancer.

Levels of Urinary Trypsin Inhibitor and Structure of Its Chondroitin Sulphate Moiety in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Science.gov (United States)

Ucciferri, Nadia; Idini, Michela; De Muro, Pierina

2018-01-01

Background Diabetes mellitus is a global health problem representing the fifth leading cause of mortality and a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In the last years, we reported an association among urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), a small proteoglycan that plays pleiotropic roles in many inflammatory processes, and both type 1 and 2 diabetes and developed a method for its direct quantitation and structural characterization. Methods Urine from 39 patients affected by type 1 diabetes, 32 patients with type 2 diabetes, and 52 controls were analysed. UTI was separated from the main glycosaminoglycans physiologically present in urine by anion exchange chromatography, treated for chondroitin sulphate (CS) chain complete depolymerisation, and analysed for both UTI content and CS structure. UTI identification was performed by nano-LC-MS/MS analysis. Results We evidenced increased UTI levels, as well as reduced sulphation of its CS moiety in association with diabetes, regardless of both age and medium-term glycaemic control. Furthermore, no association between UTI and albumin excretion rate was found. Conclusions Evidences suggest that UTI levels are not directly correlated with renal function or, otherwise, that they may increase before the onset of renal impairment in diabetes, representing a potential marker for the underlying inflammatory condition. PMID:29541644

Pool Structures: A New Type of Interaction Zones of Lithospheric Plate Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Garetskyi, R. G.; Leonov, M. G.

2018-02-01

Study of tectono-geodynamic clusters of the continental lithosphere (the Sloboda cluster of the East European Platform and the Pamir cluster of Central Asia) permitted identification of pool structures, which are a specific type of zone of intraplate interaction of rock masses.

PREDICTING APHASIA TYPE FROM BRAIN DAMAGE MEASURED WITH STRUCTURAL MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Yourganov, Grigori; Smith, Kimberly G.; Fridriksson, Julius; Rorden, Chris

2015-01-01

Chronic aphasia is a common consequence of a left-hemisphere stroke. Since the early insights by Broca and Wernicke, studying the relationship between the loci of cortical damage and patterns of language impairment has been one of the concerns of aphasiology. We utilized multivariate classification in a cross-validation framework to predict the type of chronic aphasia from the spatial pattern of brain damage. Our sample consisted of 98 patients with five types of aphasia (Broca’s, Wernicke’s, global, conduction, and anomic), classified based on scores on the Western Aphasia Battery. Binary lesion maps were obtained from structural MRI scans (obtained at least 6 months poststroke, and within 2 days of behavioural assessment); after spatial normalization, the lesions were parcellated into a disjoint set of brain areas. The proportion of damage to the brain areas was used to classify patients’ aphasia type. To create this parcellation, we relied on five brain atlases; our classifier (support vector machine) could differentiate between different kinds of aphasia using any of the five parcellations. In our sample, the best classification accuracy was obtained when using a novel parcellation that combined two previously published brain atlases, with the first atlas providing the segmentation of grey matter, and the second atlas used to segment the white matter. For each aphasia type, we computed the relative importance of different brain areas for distinguishing it from other aphasia types; our findings were consistent with previously published reports of lesion locations implicated in different types of aphasia. Overall, our results revealed that automated multivariate classification could distinguish between aphasia types based on damage to atlas-defined brain areas. PMID:26465238

Predicting aphasia type from brain damage measured with structural MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Yourganov, Grigori; Smith, Kimberly G; Fridriksson, Julius; Rorden, Chris

2015-12-01

Chronic aphasia is a common consequence of a left-hemisphere stroke. Since the early insights by Broca and Wernicke, studying the relationship between the loci of cortical damage and patterns of language impairment has been one of the concerns of aphasiology. We utilized multivariate classification in a cross-validation framework to predict the type of chronic aphasia from the spatial pattern of brain damage. Our sample consisted of 98 patients with five types of aphasia (Broca's, Wernicke's, global, conduction, and anomic), classified based on scores on the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Binary lesion maps were obtained from structural MRI scans (obtained at least 6 months poststroke, and within 2 days of behavioural assessment); after spatial normalization, the lesions were parcellated into a disjoint set of brain areas. The proportion of damage to the brain areas was used to classify patients' aphasia type. To create this parcellation, we relied on five brain atlases; our classifier (support vector machine - SVM) could differentiate between different kinds of aphasia using any of the five parcellations. In our sample, the best classification accuracy was obtained when using a novel parcellation that combined two previously published brain atlases, with the first atlas providing the segmentation of grey matter, and the second atlas used to segment the white matter. For each aphasia type, we computed the relative importance of different brain areas for distinguishing it from other aphasia types; our findings were consistent with previously published reports of lesion locations implicated in different types of aphasia. Overall, our results revealed that automated multivariate classification could distinguish between aphasia types based on damage to atlas-defined brain areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earthquake-proof support structures for the recycling pump in FBR type reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Masaki; Shigeta, Masayuki.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To improve the earthquake proofness of the recycling pump for use in FBR type reactors upon earthquake by reducing the vibration response of the pump. Constitution: The outer casing of a recycle pump suspended into liquid sodium is extended to the portion that penetrates a reactor core support structures. Support structures surrounding the outer side of the recycling pump are disposed with a gap not restraining the free thermal deformations of the recycling pump to the inside of the partition wall structures and the portion of the recycling pump penetrating the reator core support structures, to integrate the support structures with the reactor core support structures. Accordingly, there are no interferences between the recycling pump and the support structures with respect to the thermal deformations that change gradually with time. Upon vibrating under the rapidly changing external forces of earthquakes, however, the pressure resulted to the liquid in the gap due to the vibrations of the recycling pump is transmitted with no escape to the support structures, the recycling pump and the support structures integrally resist the vibrations thereby enabling to reduce the vibrations in the recycling pumps. (Horiuchi, T.)

Comparative study on the effects of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on structural changes and hormonal output of the adrenal cortex in male Wistar rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elahi-Moghaddam Zohreh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine disorders characterized by hyperglycemia due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin function, or both. Causing dysfunction in the body general metabolism, diabetes-induced chronic hyperglycemia leads to alterations in those endocrine glands involved in regulating the body metabolism. In this line, the present study has been conducted to investigate the effects of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on the structural changes and hormonal output of the adrenal cortex in male Wistar rat. Methods Eighteen male Wistar rats were divided into three groups including control, experimental type 1 diabetes (subcutaneous injection of 135 mg/kg alloxan and experimental type 2 diabetes (8 weeks treatment with drinking water containing 10% fructose. Two months after the induction of both types of diabetes, the level of blood biochemical factors (glucose, insulin, cortisol, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, and HDL were measured. Structural changes of the adrenal cortex were then evaluated, using stereological techniques. Results Serum biochemical analysis showed significant difference in the levels of glucose, triglycerides, insulin and cortisol in experimental groups, compared to the control. The results of structural alterations were also indicative of increase in adrenal cortex volume in both types of diabetes. Conclusion Probably through increasing HPA axis activity, type1 diabetes-induced hyperglycemia leads to adrenal hypertrophy and increase the hormonal output of adrenal gland.

Investigation of the structural influence on the strength behaviour of TiC-Ni-Mo hard alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilyankevich, A.N.; Shapoval, T.A.; Paderno, V.N.; Verkhovodov, P.A.; Vitryanyuk, V.K.

The microstructure and fracture area of TiC-based hard alloys with nickel-molybdenum binder, in particular of TN-20, has been investigated with the aid of electron microscopy. It is shown that an analysis of the structure and of the behaviour of its constituents during fracture enables an assessment of the production process, of the strength and physical properties of the compact as well as of its usability under actual conditions of use. (author)

Crystal structure of alluaudite-type Na4Co(MoO4)3.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasri, Rawia; Fakhar Bourguiba, Noura; Zid, Mohamed Faouzi; Driss, Ahmed

2014-09-01

The title compound, tetra-sodium cobalt(II) tris-[molyb-date(IV)], was prepared by solid-state reactions. The structure is isotypic with Na3In2(AsO4)3 and Na3In2(PO4)3. The main structural feature is the presence of infinite chains of edge-sharing X 2O10 (X = Co/Na) dimers, which are linked by MoO4 tetra-hedra, forming a three-dimensional framework enclosing two types of hexa-gonal tunnels in which Na(+) cations reside. In this alluaudite structure, Co and Na atoms are located at the same general site with occupancies of 0.503 (5) and 0.497 (6), respectively. The other three Na and one of the two Mo atoms lie on special positions (site symmetries 2, -1, 2 and 2, respectively). The structure is compared with similar structures and other members of alluaudite family.

Design study of an IHX support structure for a POOL-TYPE Sodium-cooled fast reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Chang Gyu; Kim, Jong Bum; Lee, Jae Han

2009-01-01

The IHX (Intermediate Heat eXchanger) for a pool-type SFR (Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor) system transfers heat from the primary high temperature sodium to the intermediate cold temperature sodium. The upper structure of the IHX is a coaxial structure designed to form a flow path for both the secondary high temperature and low temperature sodium. The coaxial structure of the IHX consists of a central downcomer and riser for the incoming and outgoing intermediate sodium, respectively. The IHX of a pool-type SFR is supported at the upper surface of the reactor head with an IHX support structure that connects the IHX riser cylinder to the reactor head. The reactor head is generally maintained at the low temperature regime, but the riser cylinder is exposed in the elevated temperature region. The resultant complicated temperature distribution of the co-axial structure including the IHX support structure may induce a severe thermal stress distribution. In this study, the structural feasibility of the current upper support structure concept is investigated through a preliminary stress analysis and an alternative design concept to accommodate the IHTS (Intermediate Heat Transport System) piping expansion loads and severe thermal stress is proposed. Through the structural analysis it is found that the alternative design concept is effective in reducing the thermal stress and acquiring structural integrity

Contractile properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content in type I and type II skeletal muscle fibres in active aged humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamboley, C R; Wyckelsma, V L; Dutka, T L; McKenna, M J; Murphy, R M; Lamb, G D

2015-06-01

Muscle weakness in old age is due in large part to an overall loss of skeletal muscle tissue, but it remains uncertain how much also stems from alterations in the properties of the individual muscle fibres. This study examined the contractile properties and amount of stored intracellular calcium in single muscle fibres of Old (70 ± 4 years) and Young (22 ± 3 years) adults. The maximum level of force production (per unit cross-sectional area) in fast twitch fibres in Old subjects was lower than in Young subjects, and the fibres were also less sensitive to activation by calcium. The amount of calcium stored inside muscle fibres and available to trigger contraction was also lower in both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibres in the Old subjects. These findings indicate that muscle weakness in old age stems in part from an impaired capacity for force production in the individual muscle fibres. This study examined the contractile properties and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) content in mechanically skinned vastus lateralis muscle fibres of Old (70 ± 4 years) and Young (22 ± 3 years) humans to investigate whether changes in muscle fibre properties contribute to muscle weakness in old age. In type II fibres of Old subjects, specific force was reduced by ∼17% and Ca(2+) sensitivity was also reduced (pCa50 decreased ∼0.05 pCa units) relative to that in Young. S-Glutathionylation of fast troponin I (TnIf ) markedly increased Ca(2+) sensitivity in type II fibres, but the increase was significantly smaller in Old versus Young (+0.136 and +0.164 pCa unit increases, respectively). Endogenous and maximal SR Ca(2+) content were significantly smaller in both type I and type II fibres in Old subjects. In fibres of Young, the SR could be nearly fully depleted of Ca(2+) by a combined caffeine and low Mg(2+) stimulus, whereas in fibres of Old the amount of non-releasable Ca(2+) was significantly increased (by > 12% of endogenous Ca(2+) content). Western

Investigation of fluid-structure interaction with various types of junction coupling

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, A.; Keramat, A.

2010-10-01

In this study of water hammer with fluid-structure interaction (FSI) the main aim was the investigation of junction coupling effects. Junction coupling effects were studied in various types of discrete points, such as pumps, valves and branches. The emphasis was placed on an unrestrained pump and branch in the system, and the associated relations were derived for modelling them. Proposed relations were considered as boundary conditions for the numerical modelling which was implemented using the finite element method for the structural equations and the method of characteristics for the hydraulic equations. The results can be used by engineers in finding where junction coupling is significant.

New tetragonal derivatives of cubic NaZn13-type structure: RNi6Si6 compounds, crystal structure and magnetic ordering (R=Y, La, Ce, Sm, Gd–Yb)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pani, M.; Manfrinetti, P.; Provino, A.; Yuan, Fang; Mozharivskyj, Y.; Morozkin, A.V.; Knotko, A.V.; Garshev, A.V.; Yapaskurt, V.O.; Isnard, O.

2014-01-01

Novel RNi 6 Si 6 compounds adopt the new CeNi 6 Si 6 -type structure for R=La–Ce (tP52, space group P4/nbm N 125-1) and new YNi 6 Si 6 -type structure for R=Y, Sm, Gd–Yb (tP52, space group P4 ¯ b2N 117) that are tetragonal derivative of NaZn 13 -type structure, like LaCo 9 Si 4 -type. The CeNi 6 Si 6 , GdNi 6 Si 6 , TbNi 6 Si 6 , DyNi 6 Si 6 and HoNi 6 Si 6 compounds are Curie–Weiss paramagnets down to ∼30 K, and do not order magnetically down to 5 K. However, the inverse paramagnetic susceptibility of LaNi 6 Si 6 does not follow Curie–Weiss law. The DyNi 6 Si 6 shows ferromagnetic-like saturation behaviour at 5 K in applied fields of 50 kOe, giving rise to a magnetic moment value of 6.5 μ B /f.u. in 50 kOe. The powder neutron diffraction study in zero applied filed indicates square modulated the c-collinear antiferromagnetic ordering of TbNi 6 Si 6 with K=[±1/4, ±1/4, 0] wave vector below ∼10 K. - Graphical abstract: Novel (La, Ce)Ni 6 Si 6 compounds adopt the new CeNi 6 Si 6 -type structure and (Y, Sm, Gd–Yb) adopt the new YNi 6 Si 6 -type structure that are tetragonal derivative of NaZn 13 -type structure, like LaCo 9 Si 4 -type. The CeNi 6 Si 6 , GdNi 6 Si 6 , TbNi 6 Si 6 , DyNi 6 Si 6 and HoNi 6 Si 6 compounds are Curie–Weiss paramagnets down to ∼30 K, and do not order magnetically down to 4.2 K. The powder neutron diffraction study in zero applied filed indicates square modulated the c-collinear antiferromagnetic ordering of TbNi 6 Si 6 with K=[±1/4, ±1/4, 0] wave vector below ∼10 K. Display Omitted - Highlights: • The new (La, Ce)Ni 6 Si 6 compounds adopt the new CeNi 6 Si 6 -type structure. • The new (Y, Sm, Gd–Yb)Ni 6 Si 6 compounds adopt the new YNi 6 Si 6 -type structure. • TbNi 6 Si 6 has square modulated c-collinear antiferromagnetic ordering below ∼10 K

Electronic structure and p-type doping of ZnSnN2

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tianshi; Janotti, Anderson; Ni, Chaoying

ZnSnN2 is a promising solar-cell absorber material composed of earth abundant elements. Little is known about doping, defects, and how the valence and conduction bands in this material align with the bands in other semiconductors. Using density functional theory with the the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof hybrid functional (HSE06), we investigate the electronic structure of ZnSnN2, its band alignment to other semiconductors, such as GaN and ZnO, the possibility of p-type doping, and the possible causes of the observed unintentional n-type conductivity. We find that the position of the valence-band maximum of ZnSnN2 is 0.55 eV higher than that of GaN, yet the conduction-band minimum is close to that in ZnO. As possible p-type dopants, we explore Li, Na, and K substituting on the Zn site. Finally, we discuss the cause of unintentional n-type conductivity by analyzing the position of the conduction-band minimum with respect to that of GaN and ZnO.

A novel low-temperature-active β-glucosidase from symbiotic Serratia sp. TN49 reveals four essential positions for substrate accommodation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Junpei; Zhang, Rui; Shi, Pengjun; Huang, Huoqing; Meng, Kun; Yuan, Tiezheng; Yang, Peilong; Yao, Bin

2011-10-01

A 2,373-bp full-length gene (bglA49) encoding a 790-residue polypeptide (BglA49) with a calculated mass of 87.8 kDa was cloned from Serratia sp. TN49, a symbiotic bacterium isolated from the gut of longhorned beetle (Batocera horsfieldi) larvae. The deduced amino acid sequence of BglA49 showed the highest identities of 80.1% with a conceptually translated protein from Pantoea sp. At-9b (EEW02556), 38.3% with the identified glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 3 β-glucosidase from Clostridium stercorarium NCBI 11754 (CAB08072), and sp. G5 (ABL09836) and Paenibacillus sp. C7 (AAX35883). The recombinant enzyme (r-BglA49) was expressed in Escherichia coli and displayed the typical characteristics of low-temperature-active enzymes, such as low temperature optimum (showing apparent optimal activity at 35°C), activity at low temperatures (retaining approximately 60% of its maximum activity at 20°C and approximately 25% at 10°C). Compared with the thermophilic GH 3 β-glucosidase, r-BglA49 had fewer hydrogen bonds and salt bridges and less proline residues. These features might relate to the increased structure flexibility and higher catalytic activity at low temperatures of r-BglA49. The molecular docking study of four GH 3 β-glucosidases revealed five conserved positions contributing to substrate accommodation, among which four positions of r-BglA49 (R192, Y228, D260, and E449) were identified to be essential based on site-directed mutagenesis analysis.

Combined exposure of ELF magnetic fields and X-rays increased mutant yields compared with X-rays alone in pTN89 plasmids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Shin; Nakahara, Takehisa; Sakurai, Tomonori; Komatsubara, Yoshiki; Miyakoshi, Junji; Isozumi, Yasuhito

2005-01-01

We have examined mutations in the supF gene carried by pTN89 plasmids in Escherichia coli (E. coli) to examine the effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELFMFs) and/or X-rays to the plasmids. The plasmids were subjected to sham exposure or exposed to an ELFMF (5 mT), with or without X-ray irradiation (10 Gy). For the combined treatments, exposure to the ELFMF was immediately before or after X-ray irradiation. The mutant fractions were 0.94 x 10 -5 for X-rays alone, 1.58 x 10 -5 for an ELFMF followed by X-rays, and 3.64 x 10 -5 for X-rays followed by an ELFMF. Increased mutant fraction was not detected following exposure to a magnetic field alone, or after sham exposure. The mutant fraction for X-rays followed by an ELFMF was significantly higher than those of other treatments. Sequence analysis of the supF mutant plasmids revealed that base substitutions were dominant on exposure to X-rays alone and X-rays plus an ELFMF. Several types of deletions were detected in only the combined treatments, but not with X-rays alone. We could not find any mutant colonies in sham irradiated and an ELFMF alone treatment, but exposure to ELFMFs immediately before or after X-ray irradiation may enhance the mutations. Our results indicate that an ELFMF increases mutation and alters the spectrum of mutations. (author)

Some transition metal ions complexes of tricine (Tn and amino acids: pH-titration, synthesis and antimicrobial activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.E. Zayed

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Equilibrium studies have been carried out on complex formation of M(II (M = Co(II, Cu(II and Zn(II with tricine (Tn and L = amino acids in aqueous solution, at 25 °C and ionic strength of I = 0.1 M (NaNO3. The ternary complexes of amino acids are formed by simultaneous reactions. The concentration distribution of the complexes is evaluated. The solid complexes of [M(II–Tn–Histidine (Hist] have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, magnetic and conductance measurements. The synthesized complexes have been screened for their antibacterial activities and the complexes show a significant antibacterial activity against four bacterial species: Staphylococcus aureus (Gram +ve, Streptococcus pyogenesr (Gram +ve, Serratia marcescens (Gram −ve and Escherichia coli (Gram −ve. The activity increases by increasing the concentration of the complexes.

Structural characterization of CFA/III and Longus type IVb pili from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolappan, Subramaniapillai; Roos, Justin; Yuen, Alex S W; Pierce, Owen M; Craig, Lisa

2012-05-01

The type IV pili are helical filaments found on many Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, with multiple diverse roles in pathogenesis, including microcolony formation, adhesion, and twitching motility. Many pathogenic enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) isolates express one of two type IV pili belonging to the type IVb subclass: CFA/III or Longus. Here we show a direct correlation between CFA/III expression and ETEC aggregation, suggesting that these pili, like the Vibrio cholerae toxin-coregulated pili (TCP), mediate microcolony formation. We report a 1.26-Å resolution crystal structure of CofA, the major pilin subunit from CFA/III. CofA is very similar in structure to V. cholerae TcpA but possesses a 10-amino-acid insertion that replaces part of the α2-helix with an irregular loop containing a 3(10)-helix. Homology modeling suggests a very similar structure for the Longus LngA pilin. A model for the CFA/III pilus filament was generated using the TCP electron microscopy reconstruction as a template. The unique 3(10)-helix insert fits perfectly within the gap between CofA globular domains. This insert, together with differences in surface-exposed residues, produces a filament that is smoother and more negatively charged than TCP. To explore the specificity of the type IV pilus assembly apparatus, CofA was expressed heterologously in V. cholerae by replacing the tcpA gene with that of cofA within the tcp operon. Although CofA was synthesized and processed by V. cholerae, no CFA/III filaments were detected, suggesting that the components of the type IVb pilus assembly system are highly specific to their pilin substrates.

Peculiarities of crystalline structure and mechanism of disordering of anion sublattice in superionic conductors of LaF3 structural type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krivorotov, V.F.; Fridman, A.A.

2005-01-01

On the basis of the analysis of LaF 3 type lattice structure the physical process of disordering of tysonit type ionic crystals is considered in the region of superionic phase transitions. The correlation of cell movement of disordering sublattice ions with parameter dynamics of Raman scattering spectrum of these crystals is observed. The anomaly behaviour of Raman scattering frequencies and intensities of lines 370, 392 sm -1 (LaF 3 ) and 304, 376, 404 sm -1 (PrF 3 ) in three intervals: 160-180, 260-290, and 440-480 K is obtained. Two more high temperature ones are connected with anion sublattice disordering process in the region of phase transitions. Excessive scattering in the region 160-180 K is described by the change of oscillation state of fluoride ions in small displacements in splitted site positions with several potential minimums. It is shown in the framework of splitted sites model that the possibility of thermoactivational formation of interstitials which are comparable with the size of mobile ions is due to the peculiarities of the structure of tysonit type ionic crystals. (author)

Effects of Structured Versus Usual Care on Renal Endpoint in Type 2 Diabetes: The SURE Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Juliana C.; So, Wing-Yee; Yeung, Chun-Yip; Ko, Gary T.; Lau, Ip-Tim; Tsang, Man-Wo; Lau, Kam-Piu; Siu, Sing-Chung; Li, June K.; Yeung, Vincent T.; Leung, Wilson Y.; Tong, Peter C.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE Multifaceted care has been shown to reduce mortality and complications in type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that structured care would reduce renal complications in type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 205 Chinese type 2 diabetic patients from nine public hospitals who had plasma creatinine levels of 150–350 μmol/l were randomly assigned to receive structured care (n = 104) or usual care (n = 101) for 2 years. The structured care group was managed according to a prespecified protocol with the following treatment goals: blood pressure triglyceride 500 μmol/l or dialysis). RESULTS Of these 205 patients (mean ± SD age 65 ± 7.2 years; disease duration 14 ± 7.9 years), the structured care group achieved better control than the usual care group (diastolic blood pressure 68 ± 12 vs. 71 ± 12 mmHg, respectively, P = 0.02; A1C 7.3 ± 1.3 vs. 8.0 ± 1.6%, P structured care (23.1%, n = 24) and usual care (23.8%, n = 24; NS) groups had similar end points, but more patients in the structured care group attained ≥3 treatment goals (61%, n = 63, vs. 28%, n = 28; P < 0.001). Patients who attained ≥3 treatment targets (n = 91) had reduced risk of the primary end point (14 vs. 34; relative risk 0.43 [95% CI 0.21–0.86] compared with that of those who attained ≤2 targets (n = 114). CONCLUSIONS Attainment of multiple treatment targets reduced the renal end point and death in type 2 diabetes. In addition to protocol, audits and feedback are needed to improve outcomes. PMID:19460913

Effect of annealing temperature on the structural, photoluminescence and magnetic properties of sol-gel derived Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal strontium ferrite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teh, Geok Bee; Wong, Yat Choy; Tilley, Richard D.

2011-01-01

Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal strontium ferrite particles were synthesized via sol-gel technique employing ethylene glycol as the gel precursor at two different calcination temperatures (800 and 1000 deg. C). Structural properties were systematically investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), photoluminescence spectrophotometry and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. XRD results showed that the sample synthesized at 1000 deg. C was of single-phase with a space group of P6 3 /mmc and lattice cell parameter values of a=5.882 A and c=23.048 A. EDS confirmed the composition of strontium ferrite calcined at 1000 deg. C being mainly of M-type SrFe 12 O 19 with HRTEM micrographs confirming the ferrites exhibiting M-type long range ordering along the c-axis of the crystal structure. The photoluminescence (PL) property of strontium ferrite was examined at excitation wavelengths of 260 and 270 nm with significant PL emission peaks centered at 350 nm being detected. Strontium ferrite annealed at higher temperature (1000 deg. C) was found to have grown into larger particle size, having higher content of oxygen vacancies and exhibited 83-85% more intense PL. Both the as-prepared strontium ferrites exhibited significant oxygen vacancies defect structures, which were verified via TGA. Higher calcination temperature turned strontium ferrite into a softer ferrite. - Highlights: → High annealing temperature produced M-type ferrite with higher oxygen vacancies. → Photoluminescence intensity is proportional to the existence of oxygen vacancies. → XRD data showed cell contraction well suited to the change of oxygen vacancies. → Shift in hysteresis loop due to defect-induced exchange bias was observed.

Effect of annealing temperature on the structural, photoluminescence and magnetic properties of sol-gel derived Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal strontium ferrite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teh, Geok Bee, E-mail: sharonteh2009@gmail.com [Division of Bioscience and Chemistry, School of Arts and Science, Tunku Abdul Rahman College, Jalan Genting Kelang, 53300 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Wong, Yat Choy [Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, PO Box 218, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 (Australia); Tilley, Richard D. [School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington (New Zealand)

2011-09-15

Magnetoplumbite-type (M-type) hexagonal strontium ferrite particles were synthesized via sol-gel technique employing ethylene glycol as the gel precursor at two different calcination temperatures (800 and 1000 deg. C). Structural properties were systematically investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), photoluminescence spectrophotometry and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer. XRD results showed that the sample synthesized at 1000 deg. C was of single-phase with a space group of P6{sub 3}/mmc and lattice cell parameter values of a=5.882 A and c=23.048 A. EDS confirmed the composition of strontium ferrite calcined at 1000 deg. C being mainly of M-type SrFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} with HRTEM micrographs confirming the ferrites exhibiting M-type long range ordering along the c-axis of the crystal structure. The photoluminescence (PL) property of strontium ferrite was examined at excitation wavelengths of 260 and 270 nm with significant PL emission peaks centered at 350 nm being detected. Strontium ferrite annealed at higher temperature (1000 deg. C) was found to have grown into larger particle size, having higher content of oxygen vacancies and exhibited 83-85% more intense PL. Both the as-prepared strontium ferrites exhibited significant oxygen vacancies defect structures, which were verified via TGA. Higher calcination temperature turned strontium ferrite into a softer ferrite. - Highlights: > High annealing temperature produced M-type ferrite with higher oxygen vacancies. > Photoluminescence intensity is proportional to the existence of oxygen vacancies. > XRD data showed cell contraction well suited to the change of oxygen vacancies. > Shift in hysteresis loop due to defect-induced exchange bias was observed.

European multicenter analytical evaluation of the Abbott ARCHITECT STAT high sensitive troponin I immunoassay.

Science.gov (United States)

Krintus, Magdalena; Kozinski, Marek; Boudry, Pascal; Capell, Nuria Estañ; Köller, Ursula; Lackner, Karl; Lefèvre, Guillaume; Lennartz, Lieselotte; Lotz, Johannes; Herranz, Antonio Mora; Nybo, Mads; Plebani, Mario; Sandberg, Maria B; Schratzberger, Wolfgang; Shih, Jessie; Skadberg, Øyvind; Chargui, Ahmed Taoufik; Zaninotto, Martina; Sypniewska, Grazyna

2014-11-01

International recommendations highlight the superior value of cardiac troponins (cTns) for early diagnosis of myocardial infarction along with analytical requirements of improved precision and detectability. In this multicenter study, we investigated the analytical performance of a new high sensitive cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay and its 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL). Laboratories from nine European countries evaluated the ARCHITECT STAT high sensitive troponin I (hs-TnI) immunoassay on the ARCHITECT i2000SR/i1000SR immunoanalyzers. Imprecision, limit of blank (LoB), limit of detection (LoD), limit of quantitation (LoQ) linearity of dilution, interferences, sample type, method comparisons, and 99th percentile URLs were evaluated in this study. Total imprecision of 3.3%-8.9%, 2.0%-3.5% and 1.5%-5.2% was determined for the low, medium and high controls, respectively. The lowest cTnI concentration corresponding to a total CV of 10% was 5.6 ng/L. Common interferences, sample dilution and carryover did not affect the hs-cTnI results. Slight, but statistically significant, differences with sample type were found. Concordance between the investigated hs-cTnI assay and contemporary cTnI assay at 99th percentile cut-off was found to be 95%. TnI was detectable in 75% and 57% of the apparently healthy population using the lower (1.1 ng/L) and upper (1.9 ng/L) limit of the LoD range provided by the ARCHITECT STAT hs-TnI package insert, respectively. The 99th percentile values were gender dependent. The new ARCHITECT STAT hs-TnI assay with improved analytical features meets the criteria of high sensitive Tn test and will be a valuable diagnostic tool.

Influence of Boundary Conditions on the Simulation of a Diamond-Type Lattice Structure: A Preliminary Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick Terriault

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Emergent additive manufacturing processes allow the use of metallic porous structures in various industrial applications. Because these structures comprise a large number of ordered unit cells, their design using conventional modeling approaches, such as finite elements, becomes a real challenge. A homogenization technique, in which the lattice structure is simulated as a fully dense volume having equivalent material properties, can then be employed. To determine these equivalent material properties, numerical simulations can be performed on a single unit cell of the lattice structure. However, a critical aspect to consider is the boundary conditions applied to the external faces of the unit cell. In the literature, different types of boundary conditions are used, but a comparative study is definitely lacking. In this publication, a diamond-type unit cell is studied in compression by applying different boundary conditions. If the porous structure’s boundaries are free to deform, then the periodic boundary condition is found to be the most representative, but constraint equations must be introduced in the model. If, instead, the porous structure is inserted in a rigid enclosure, it is then better to use frictionless boundary conditions. These preliminary results remain to be validated for other types of unit cells loaded beyond the yield limit of the material.

Impact of model structure and parameterization on Penman-Monteith type evaporation models

KAUST Repository

Ershadi, A.

2015-04-12

The impact of model structure and parameterization on the estimation of evaporation is investigated across a range of Penman-Monteith type models. To examine the role of model structure on flux retrievals, three different retrieval schemes are compared. The schemes include a traditional single-source Penman-Monteith model (Monteith, 1965), a two-layer model based on Shuttleworth and Wallace (1985) and a three-source model based on Mu et al. (2011). To assess the impact of parameterization choice on model performance, a number of commonly used formulations for aerodynamic and surface resistances were substituted into the different formulations. Model response to these changes was evaluated against data from twenty globally distributed FLUXNET towers, representing a cross-section of biomes that include grassland, cropland, shrubland, evergreen needleleaf forest and deciduous broadleaf forest. Scenarios based on 14 different combinations of model structure and parameterization were ranked based on their mean value of Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency. Results illustrated considerable variability in model performance both within and between biome types. Indeed, no single model consistently outperformed any other when considered across all biomes. For instance, in grassland and shrubland sites, the single-source Penman-Monteith model performed the best. In croplands it was the three-source Mu model, while for evergreen needleleaf and deciduous broadleaf forests, the Shuttleworth-Wallace model rated highest. Interestingly, these top ranked scenarios all shared the simple lookup-table based surface resistance parameterization of Mu et al. (2011), while a more complex Jarvis multiplicative method for surface resistance produced lower ranked simulations. The highly ranked scenarios mostly employed a version of the Thom (1975) formulation for aerodynamic resistance that incorporated dynamic values of roughness parameters. This was true for all cases except over deciduous broadleaf

Single crystal growth and anisotropic magnetic properties of HoAl2Ge2

Science.gov (United States)

Matin, Md.; Mondal, Rajib; Thamizhavel, A.; Provino, A.; Manfrinetti, P.; Dhar, S. K.

2018-05-01

We have grown a single crystal of HoAl2Ge2, which crystallizes in the hexagonal CaAl2Si2 type structure with Ho ions in the trigonal coordination in the ab plane. The data obtained from the bulk measurement techniques of magnetization, heat capacity and transport reveal that HoAl2Ge2 orders antiferromagnetically at TN ˜6.5 K. The susceptibility below TN and isothermal magnetization at 2 K indicate the ab plane as the easy plane of magnetization. Heat capacity data reveal a prominent Schottky anomaly with a broad peak centered around 25 K, suggesting a relatively low crystal electric field (CEF) splitting. The electrical resistivity reveals the occurrence of a superzone gap below TN. The point charge model of the CEF is applied to the magnetization and the heat capacity data. While a good fit to the paramagnetic susceptibility is obtained, the CEF parameters do not provide a satisfactory fit to the isothermal magnetization at 2 K and the Schottky anomaly.

Safety classification of systems, structures, and components for pool-type research reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Tae Ryong [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2016-08-15

Structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety of nuclear facilities shall be designed, fabricated, erected, and tested to quality standards commensurate with the importance of the safety functions. Although SSC classification guidelines for nuclear power plants have been well established and applied, those for research reactors have been only recently established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Korea has operated a pool-type research reactor (the High Flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor) and has recently exported another pool-type reactor (Jordan Research and Training Reactor), which is being built in Jordan. Korea also has a plan to build one more pool-type reactor, the Kijang Research Reactor, in Kijang, Busan. The safety classification of SSCs for pool-type research reactors is proposed in this paper based on the IAEA methodology. The proposal recommends that the SSCs of pool-type research reactors be categorized and classified on basis of their safety functions and safety significance. Because the SSCs in pool-type research reactors are not the pressure-retaining components, codes and standards for design of the SSCs following the safety classification can be selected in a graded approach.

Structure of comorbid psychopathological disorders in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. V. Chugunov

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: to identify and explore the structure of comorbid psychopathological disorders in patients with type 2nd diabetes mellitus (DM. Materials and methods: 543 patients with type 2nd DM were included into the study. The average age of patients was (56.2 ± 0.65 years. The patients were divided into three groups according to the severity of DM. The first clinical group (CG-1 included 57 patients with type 2nd DM of mild severity, who was treated in outpatient department; the average age in the group was (51.8 ± 1.28 years. The second clinical group (CG-2 made up of 312 patients with type 2nd DM, moderate severity, they were in inpatient department; the median age of the group was (55.1 ± 1.12 years. The third clinical group (CG-3 included 174 patients with type 2nd DM, severe degrees of severity, they undergone inpatient treatment too; average age in the group was (61.8 ± 0.85 years. Research methods: clinical-anamnesis, clinical- psychopathological, statistical. Research results. The study established the incidence of non-psychotic mental disorders of varying severity in patients with type 2nd DM at the level of 94.11 %, among them, for 91.16 % – of psychogenic origin. Proportional correlation between the severity of type 2nd DM and the absence of comorbid psychopathological manifestations was detected (rs = -0.3416, p < 0.01. It is revealed that the dominant psychopathological syndromes among all patients with type 2nd DM were psychoorganic (62.43 %, dyssomnia (60.86 %, asthenic (55.58 % and anxiety (43.05 % syndromes. Structure of the dominant psychopathological syndromes was established depending on severity of type 2nd DM: in CG-1 dominated dyssomnia (36.84 %, anxiety (31.58 %, psychoorganic (21.05 % syndromes; in CG-2 – psychoorganic (65.38 %, asthenic (40.38 %, dyssomnia (38.46 %, anxiety (37, and 82 % syndromes; in CG-3 – dyssomnia (97.70 %, asthenic (89.08 %, organic mental (70.69 %, anxious 48.28 % syndromes. Significant

Equivalent linearization method for limit cycle flutter analysis of plate-type structure in axial flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Li; Yang Yiren

2009-01-01

The responses and limit cycle flutter of a plate-type structure with cubic stiffness in viscous flow were studied. The continuous system was dispersed by utilizing Galerkin Method. The equivalent linearization concept was performed to predict the ranges of limit cycle flutter velocities. The coupled map of flutter amplitude-equivalent linear stiffness-critical velocity was used to analyze the stability of limit cycle flutter. The theoretical results agree well with the results of numerical integration, which indicates that the equivalent linearization concept is available to the analysis of limit cycle flutter of plate-type structure. (authors)

[Effect of environmental factors on macroinvertebrate community structure in the Huntai River basin in the Huntai River basin].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yan-li; Li, Yan-fen; Xu, Zong-xue

2015-01-01

In May-June 2012, macroinvertebrates were investigated at 66 sampling sites in the Huntai River basin in Northeast of China. A total of 72 macrobenthos species were collected, of which, 51 species (70.83%) were aquatic insects, 10 species (13.89%) were mollusks, 7 species (9.72%) were annelids, and 4 species (5.56%) were arthropods. First, 13 candidate metrics (EPT taxa, Dominant taxon%, Ephemeroptera%, Trichoptera%, mollusks%, Heptageniidae/Ephemeroptera; Hydropsychidae/ Trichoptera, Oligochaeta%, intolerant taxon% , tolerant taxon%, Collector%, Clingers%, Shannon-wiener index.) which belonged to six types were chosen to represent macroinvertebrate community structure by correlation analysis. Then, relationships between anthropogenic and physiography pressures and macroinvertebrate community structure variables were measured using redundancy analysis. Then, this study compared the relative influences of anthropogenic and physiographic pressures on macroinvertebrate community structure and the relative influences of anthropogenic pressures at reach, riparian and catchment scales by pRDA. The results showed all environmental factors explained 72.23% of the variation of macroinvertebrate community structure. In addition, a large proportion of the explained variability in macroinvertebrate community structure was related to anthropogenic pressures (48.9%) and to physiographic variables (11.8%), anthropogenic pressures at reach scale influenced most significantly macroinvertebrate community structure which explained 35.3% of the variation of macroinvertebrate community structure. pH, habitat, TN, CODMn, hardness, conductivity, total dissolved particle and ammonia influenced respectively explained 4%, 3.6%, 1.8%, 1.7%, 1.7%, 0.9%, 0.9% and 0.9% of the variation of macroinvertebrate community structure. The land use at riparian and catchment scale respectively explained 10% and 7% of the variation of macroinvertebrate community structure. Finally, the relationships of

Complex structure of type VI peptidoglycan muramidase effector and a cognate immunity protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Tianyu; Ding, Jinjing; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Da-Cheng; Liu, Wei

2013-01-01

The structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 complex associated with the bacterial type VI secretion system of P. aeruginosa has been solved and refined at 1.9 Å resolution. The structural basis of the recognition of the muramidase effector and its inactivation by its cognate immunity protein is revealed. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a bacterial protein-export machine that is capable of delivering virulence effectors between Gram-negative bacteria. The T6SS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa transports two lytic enzymes, Tse1 and Tse3, to degrade cell-wall peptidoglycan in the periplasm of rival bacteria that are competing for niches via amidase and muramidase activities, respectively. Two cognate immunity proteins, Tsi1 and Tsi3, are produced by the bacterium to inactivate the two antibacterial effectors, thereby protecting its siblings from self-intoxication. Recently, Tse1–Tsi1 has been structurally characterized. Here, the structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 complex is reported at 1.9 Å resolution. The results reveal that Tse3 contains a C-terminal catalytic domain that adopts a soluble lytic transglycosylase (SLT) fold in which three calcium-binding sites were surprisingly observed close to the catalytic Glu residue. The electrostatic properties of the substrate-binding groove are also distinctive from those of known structures with a similar fold. All of these features imply that a unique catalytic mechanism is utilized by Tse3 in cleaving glycosidic bonds. Tsi3 comprises a single domain showing a β-sandwich architecture that is reminiscent of the immunoglobulin fold. Three loops of Tsi3 insert deeply into the groove of Tse3 and completely occlude its active site, which forms the structural basis of Tse3 inactivation. This work is the first crystallographic report describing the three-dimensional structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 effector–immunity pair

Complex structure of type VI peptidoglycan muramidase effector and a cognate immunity protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Tianyu [Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Ding, Jinjing; Zhang, Ying; Wang, Da-Cheng, E-mail: dcwang@ibp.ac.cn [Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China); Liu, Wei, E-mail: dcwang@ibp.ac.cn [The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101 (China)

2013-10-01

The structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 complex associated with the bacterial type VI secretion system of P. aeruginosa has been solved and refined at 1.9 Å resolution. The structural basis of the recognition of the muramidase effector and its inactivation by its cognate immunity protein is revealed. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a bacterial protein-export machine that is capable of delivering virulence effectors between Gram-negative bacteria. The T6SS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa transports two lytic enzymes, Tse1 and Tse3, to degrade cell-wall peptidoglycan in the periplasm of rival bacteria that are competing for niches via amidase and muramidase activities, respectively. Two cognate immunity proteins, Tsi1 and Tsi3, are produced by the bacterium to inactivate the two antibacterial effectors, thereby protecting its siblings from self-intoxication. Recently, Tse1–Tsi1 has been structurally characterized. Here, the structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 complex is reported at 1.9 Å resolution. The results reveal that Tse3 contains a C-terminal catalytic domain that adopts a soluble lytic transglycosylase (SLT) fold in which three calcium-binding sites were surprisingly observed close to the catalytic Glu residue. The electrostatic properties of the substrate-binding groove are also distinctive from those of known structures with a similar fold. All of these features imply that a unique catalytic mechanism is utilized by Tse3 in cleaving glycosidic bonds. Tsi3 comprises a single domain showing a β-sandwich architecture that is reminiscent of the immunoglobulin fold. Three loops of Tsi3 insert deeply into the groove of Tse3 and completely occlude its active site, which forms the structural basis of Tse3 inactivation. This work is the first crystallographic report describing the three-dimensional structure of the Tse3–Tsi3 effector–immunity pair.

New orthorhombic derivative of CaCu{sub 5}-type structure: RNi{sub 4}Si compounds (R=Y, La, Ce, Sm, Gd–Ho), crystal structure and some magnetic properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morozkin, A.V., E-mail: morozkin@general.chem.msu.ru [Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, House 1, Building 3, GSP-2, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Knotko, A.V. [Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, House 1, Building 3, GSP-2, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Yapaskurt, V.O. [Department of Petrology, Geological Faculty, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Yuan, Fang; Mozharivskyj, Y. [Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4M1 (Canada); Nirmala, R. [Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036 (India)

2013-12-15

The crystal structure of new YNi{sub 4}Si-type RNi{sub 4}Si (R=Y, La, Ce, Sm, Gd–Ho) compounds has been established using powder X-ray diffraction. The YNi{sub 4}Si structure is a new structure type, which is orthorhombic derivative of CaCu{sub 5}-type structure (space group Cmmm N 65, oC12). GdNi{sub 4}Si and DyNi{sub 4}Si compounds order ferromagnetically at 25 and 19 K, respectively whereas YNi{sub 4}Si shows antiferromagnetic nature. At 15 K, DyNi{sub 4}Si shows second antiferromagnetic-like transition. The magnetic moment of GdNi{sub 4}Si at 5 K in 50 kOe field is ∼7.2 μ{sub B}/f.u. suggesting a completely ordered ferromagnetic state. The magnetocaloric effect of GdNi{sub 4}Si is calculated in terms of isothermal magnetic entropy change and it reaches the maximum value of −12.8 J/kg K for a field change of 50 kOe near T{sub C} ∼25 K. - Graphical abstract: The RNi{sub 4}Si (R=Y, La, Ce, Sm, Gd–Ho) compounds crystallize in new YNi{sub 4}Si-type structure which is orthorhombic derivative of the basic CaCu{sub 5}-type structure. GdNi{sub 4}Si and DyNi{sub 4}Si compounds show the ferromagnetic-like ordering, whereas.YNi{sub 4}Si has the antiferromagnetic nature. The GdNi{sub 4}Si demonstrates the big magnetocaloric effect near temperature of ferromagnetic ordering. The relationship between initial CaCu{sub 5}-type DyNi{sub 5} and YNi{sub 4}Si-type DyNi{sub 4}Si lattices.

Cardiac troponin T and fast skeletal muscle denervation in ageing.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zherong; Feng, Xin; Dong, Juan; Wang, Zhong-Min; Lee, Jingyun; Furdui, Cristina; Files, Daniel Clark; Beavers, Kristen M; Kritchevsky, Stephen; Milligan, Carolanne; Jin, Jian-Ping; Delbono, Osvaldo; Zhang, Tan

2017-10-01

Ageing skeletal muscle undergoes chronic denervation, and the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the key structure that connects motor neuron nerves with muscle cells, shows increased defects with ageing. Previous studies in various species have shown that with ageing, type II fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibres show more atrophy and NMJ deterioration than type I slow-twitch fibres. However, how this process is regulated is largely unknown. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle fibre-type specific denervation at the NMJ could be critical to identifying novel treatments for sarcopenia. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), the heart muscle-specific isoform of TnT, is a key component of the mechanisms of muscle contraction. It is expressed in skeletal muscle during early development, after acute sciatic nerve denervation, in various neuromuscular diseases and possibly in ageing muscle. Yet the subcellular localization and function of cTnT in skeletal muscle is largely unknown. Studies were carried out on isolated skeletal muscles from mice, vervet monkeys, and humans. Immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and mass spectrometry were used to analyse protein expression, real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure gene expression, immunofluorescence staining was performed for subcellular distribution assay of proteins, and electromyographic recording was used to analyse neurotransmission at the NMJ. Levels of cTnT expression in skeletal muscle increased with ageing in mice. In addition, cTnT was highly enriched at the NMJ region-but mainly in the fast-twitch, not the slow-twitch, muscle of old mice. We further found that the protein kinase A (PKA) RIα subunit was largely removed from, while PKA RIIα and RIIβ are enriched at, the NMJ-again, preferentially in fast-twitch but not slow-twitch muscle in old mice. Knocking down cTnT in fast skeletal muscle of old mice: (i) increased PKA RIα and reduced PKA RIIα at the NMJ; (ii

Thermomechanical Modeling of Laser-Induced Structural Relaxation and Deformation of Glass: Volume Changes in Fused Silica at High Temperatures [Thermo-mechanical modeling of laser-induced structural relaxation and deformation of SiO₂ glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vignes, Ryan M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Soules, Thomas F. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Stolken, James S. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Settgast, Randolph R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Elhadj, Selim [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Matthews, Manyalibo J. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). National Ignition Facility and Photon Sciences; Mauro, J.

2012-12-17

In a fully coupled thermomechanical model of the nanoscale deformation in amorphous SiO₂ due to laser heating is presented. Direct measurement of the transient, nonuniform temperature profiles was used to first validate a nonlinear thermal transport model. Densification due to structural relaxation above the glass transition point was modeled using the Tool-Narayanaswamy (TN) formulation for the evolution of structural relaxation times and fictive temperature. TN relaxation parameters were derived from spatially resolved confocal Raman scattering measurements of Si–O–Si stretching mode frequencies. These thermal and microstructural data were used to simulate fictive temperatures which are shown to scale nearly linearly with density, consistent with previous measurements from Shelby et al. Volumetric relaxation coupled with thermal expansion occurring in the liquid-like and solid-like glassy states lead to residual stresses and permanent deformation which could be quantified. But, experimental surface deformation profiles between 1700 and 2000 K could only be reconciled with our simulation by assuming a roughly 2 × larger liquid thermal expansion for a-SiO₂ with a temperature of maximum density ~150 K higher than previously estimated by Bruckner et al. Calculated stress fields agreed well with recent laser-induced critical fracture measurements, demonstrating accurate material response prediction under processing conditions of practical interest.

Predicting temperate forest stand types using only structural profiles from discrete return airborne lidar

Science.gov (United States)

Fedrigo, Melissa; Newnham, Glenn J.; Coops, Nicholas C.; Culvenor, Darius S.; Bolton, Douglas K.; Nitschke, Craig R.

2018-02-01

Light detection and ranging (lidar) data have been increasingly used for forest classification due to its ability to penetrate the forest canopy and provide detail about the structure of the lower strata. In this study we demonstrate forest classification approaches using airborne lidar data as inputs to random forest and linear unmixing classification algorithms. Our results demonstrated that both random forest and linear unmixing models identified a distribution of rainforest and eucalypt stands that was comparable to existing ecological vegetation class (EVC) maps based primarily on manual interpretation of high resolution aerial imagery. Rainforest stands were also identified in the region that have not previously been identified in the EVC maps. The transition between stand types was better characterised by the random forest modelling approach. In contrast, the linear unmixing model placed greater emphasis on field plots selected as endmembers which may not have captured the variability in stand structure within a single stand type. The random forest model had the highest overall accuracy (84%) and Cohen's kappa coefficient (0.62). However, the classification accuracy was only marginally better than linear unmixing. The random forest model was applied to a region in the Central Highlands of south-eastern Australia to produce maps of stand type probability, including areas of transition (the 'ecotone') between rainforest and eucalypt forest. The resulting map provided a detailed delineation of forest classes, which specifically recognised the coalescing of stand types at the landscape scale. This represents a key step towards mapping the structural and spatial complexity of these ecosystems, which is important for both their management and conservation.

Structural and bioinformatic characterization of an Acinetobacter baumannii type II carrier protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, C. Leigh; Gulick, Andrew M.

2014-01-01

The high-resolution crystal structure of a free-standing carrier protein from Acinetobacter baumannii that belongs to a larger NRPS-containing operon, encoded by the ABBFA-003406–ABBFA-003399 genes of A. baumannii strain AB307-0294, that has been implicated in A. baumannii motility, quorum sensing and biofilm formation, is presented. Microorganisms produce a variety of natural products via secondary metabolic biosynthetic pathways. Two of these types of synthetic systems, the nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthases (PKSs), use large modular enzymes containing multiple catalytic domains in a single protein. These multidomain enzymes use an integrated carrier protein domain to transport the growing, covalently bound natural product to the neighboring catalytic domains for each step in the synthesis. Interestingly, some PKS and NRPS clusters contain free-standing domains that interact intermolecularly with other proteins. Being expressed outside the architecture of a multi-domain protein, these so-called type II proteins present challenges to understand the precise role they play. Additional structures of individual and multi-domain components of the NRPS enzymes will therefore provide a better understanding of the features that govern the domain interactions in these interesting enzyme systems. The high-resolution crystal structure of a free-standing carrier protein from Acinetobacter baumannii that belongs to a larger NRPS-containing operon, encoded by the ABBFA-003406–ABBFA-003399 genes of A. baumannii strain AB307-0294, that has been implicated in A. baumannii motility, quorum sensing and biofilm formation, is presented here. Comparison with the closest structural homologs of other carrier proteins identifies the requirements for a conserved glycine residue and additional important sequence and structural requirements within the regions that interact with partner proteins

Structural and bioinformatic characterization of an Acinetobacter baumannii type II carrier protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, C. Leigh; Gulick, Andrew M., E-mail: gulick@hwi.buffalo.edu [University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203 (United States)

2014-06-01

The high-resolution crystal structure of a free-standing carrier protein from Acinetobacter baumannii that belongs to a larger NRPS-containing operon, encoded by the ABBFA-003406–ABBFA-003399 genes of A. baumannii strain AB307-0294, that has been implicated in A. baumannii motility, quorum sensing and biofilm formation, is presented. Microorganisms produce a variety of natural products via secondary metabolic biosynthetic pathways. Two of these types of synthetic systems, the nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and polyketide synthases (PKSs), use large modular enzymes containing multiple catalytic domains in a single protein. These multidomain enzymes use an integrated carrier protein domain to transport the growing, covalently bound natural product to the neighboring catalytic domains for each step in the synthesis. Interestingly, some PKS and NRPS clusters contain free-standing domains that interact intermolecularly with other proteins. Being expressed outside the architecture of a multi-domain protein, these so-called type II proteins present challenges to understand the precise role they play. Additional structures of individual and multi-domain components of the NRPS enzymes will therefore provide a better understanding of the features that govern the domain interactions in these interesting enzyme systems. The high-resolution crystal structure of a free-standing carrier protein from Acinetobacter baumannii that belongs to a larger NRPS-containing operon, encoded by the ABBFA-003406–ABBFA-003399 genes of A. baumannii strain AB307-0294, that has been implicated in A. baumannii motility, quorum sensing and biofilm formation, is presented here. Comparison with the closest structural homologs of other carrier proteins identifies the requirements for a conserved glycine residue and additional important sequence and structural requirements within the regions that interact with partner proteins.

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Guorui; Lam, Kwok-Ho; Perry, Kay; Weisemann, Jasmin; Rummel, Andreas; Jin, Rongsheng

2017-03-08

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A-G), a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H) was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (H C ) of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2) that target the H C . Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-H C at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG) and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2). Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures.

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guorui Yao

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs, which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A–G, a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (HC of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2 that target the HC. Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-HC at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2. Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures.

Crystal Structure of the Receptor-Binding Domain of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type HA, Also Known as Type FA or H

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Guorui; Lam, Kwok-ho; Perry, Kay; Weisemann, Jasmin; Rummel, Andreas; Jin, Rongsheng (Cornell); (Dusseldorf); (UCI)

2017-03-01

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which have been exploited as cosmetics and muscle-disorder treatment medicines for decades, are well known for their extreme neurotoxicity to humans. They pose a potential bioterrorism threat because they cause botulism, a flaccid muscular paralysis-associated disease that requires immediate antitoxin treatment and intensive care over a long period of time. In addition to the existing seven established BoNT serotypes (BoNT/A–G), a new mosaic toxin type termed BoNT/HA (aka type FA or H) was reported recently. Sequence analyses indicate that the receptor-binding domain (HC) of BoNT/HA is ~84% identical to that of BoNT/A1. However, BoNT/HA responds differently to some potent BoNT/A-neutralizing antibodies (e.g., CR2) that target the HC. Therefore, it raises a serious concern as to whether BoNT/HA poses a new threat to our biosecurity. In this study, we report the first high-resolution crystal structure of BoNT/HA-HC at 1.8 Å. Sequence and structure analyses reveal that BoNT/HA and BoNT/A1 are different regarding their binding to cell-surface receptors including both polysialoganglioside (PSG) and synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2). Furthermore, the new structure also provides explanations for the ~540-fold decreased affinity of antibody CR2 towards BoNT/HA compared to BoNT/A1. Taken together, these new findings advance our understanding of the structure and function of this newly identified toxin at the molecular level, and pave the way for the future development of more effective countermeasures

Imaging specific cellular glycan structures using glycosyltransferases via click chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhengliang L; Person, Anthony D; Anderson, Matthew; Burroughs, Barbara; Tatge, Timothy; Khatri, Kshitij; Zou, Yonglong; Wang, Lianchun; Geders, Todd; Zaia, Joseph; Sackstein, Robert

2018-02-01

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a polysaccharide fundamentally important for biologically activities. T/Tn antigens are universal carbohydrate cancer markers. Here, we report the specific imaging of these carbohydrates using a mesenchymal stem cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The staining specificities were demonstrated by comparing imaging of different glycans and validated by either removal of target glycans, which results in loss of signal, or installation of target glycans, which results in gain of signal. As controls, representative key glycans including O-GlcNAc, lactosaminyl glycans and hyaluronan were also imaged. HS staining revealed novel architectural features of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of HUVEC cells. Results from T/Tn antigen staining suggest that O-GalNAcylation is a rate-limiting step for O-glycan synthesis. Overall, these highly specific approaches for HS and T/Tn antigen imaging should greatly facilitate the detection and functional characterization of these biologically important glycans. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Structure of the ent-Copalyl Diphosphate Synthase PtmT2 from Streptomyces platensis CB00739, a Bacterial Type II Diterpene Synthase.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudolf, Jeffrey D; Dong, Liao-Bin; Cao, Hongnan; Hatzos-Skintges, Catherine; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Endres, Michael; Chang, Chin-Yuan; Ma, Ming; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N; Shen, Ben

2016-08-31

Terpenoids are the largest and most structurally diverse family of natural products found in nature, yet their presence in bacteria is underappreciated. The carbon skeletons of terpenoids are generated through carbocation-dependent cyclization cascades catalyzed by terpene synthases (TSs). Type I and type II TSs initiate cyclization via diphosphate ionization and protonation, respectively, and protein structures of both types are known. Most plant diterpene synthases (DTSs) possess three α-helical domains (αβγ), which are thought to have arisen from the fusion of discrete, ancestral bacterial type I TSs (α) and type II TSs (βγ). Type II DTSs of bacterial origin, of which there are no structurally characterized members, are a missing piece in the structural evolution of TSs. Here, we report the first crystal structure of a type II DTS from bacteria. PtmT2 from Streptomyces platensis CB00739 was verified as an ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase involved in the biosynthesis of platensimycin and platencin. The crystal structure of PtmT2 was solved at a resolution of 1.80 Å, and docking studies suggest the catalytically active conformation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP). Site-directed mutagenesis confirmed residues involved in binding the diphosphate moiety of GGPP and identified DxxxxE as a potential Mg(2+)-binding motif for type II DTSs of bacterial origin. Finally, both the shape and physicochemical properties of the active sites are responsible for determining specific catalytic outcomes of TSs. The structure of PtmT2 fundamentally advances the knowledge of bacterial TSs, their mechanisms, and their role in the evolution of TSs.

The use of impression management tactics in structured interviews: a function of question type?

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Aleksander P J; West, Bradley J; Ryan, Ann Marie; DeShon, Richard P

2002-12-01

This study investigated impression management tactic use during structured interviews containing both experience-based and situational questions. Specifically, the authors examined whether applicants' use of impression management tactics depended on question type. Results from 119 structured interviews indicated that almost all of the applicants used some form of impression management. Significantly more assertive than defensive impression management tactics were used, and among assertive tactics, applicants tended to use self-promotion rather than ingratiation. However, different question types prompted the use of different impression management tactics. Ingratiation tactics were used significantly more when applicants answered situational questions, whereas self-promotion tactics were used significantly more when applicants answered experience-based questions. Furthermore, the use of self-promotion and ingratiation tactics was positively related to interviewer evaluations.

Function and Evolutionary Origin of Unicellular Camera-Type Eye Structure

KAUST Repository

Hayakawa, Shiho

2015-03-03

The ocelloid is an extraordinary eyespot organelle found only in the dinoflagellate family Warnowiaceae. It contains retina- and lens-like structures called the retinal body and the hyalosome. The ocelloid has been an evolutionary enigma because of its remarkable resemblance to the multicellular camera-type eye. To determine if the ocelloid is functionally photoreceptive, we investigated the warnowiid dinoflagellate Erythropsidinium. Here, we show that the morphology of the retinal body changed depending on different illumination conditions and the hyalosome manifests the refractile nature. Identifying a rhodopsin gene fragment in Erythropsidinium ESTs that is expressed in the retinal body by in situ hybridization, we also show that ocelloids are actually light sensitive photoreceptors. The rhodopsin gene identified is most closely related to bacterial rhodopsins. Taken together, we suggest that the ocelloid is an intracellular camera-type eye, which might be originated from endosymbiotic origin. © 2015 Hayakawa et al.

Function and Evolutionary Origin of Unicellular Camera-Type Eye Structure

KAUST Repository

Hayakawa, Shiho; Takaku, Yasuharu; Hwang, Jung Shan; Horiguchi, Takeo; Suga, Hiroshi; Gehring, Walter; Ikeo, Kazuho; Gojobori, Takashi

2015-01-01

The ocelloid is an extraordinary eyespot organelle found only in the dinoflagellate family Warnowiaceae. It contains retina- and lens-like structures called the retinal body and the hyalosome. The ocelloid has been an evolutionary enigma because of its remarkable resemblance to the multicellular camera-type eye. To determine if the ocelloid is functionally photoreceptive, we investigated the warnowiid dinoflagellate Erythropsidinium. Here, we show that the morphology of the retinal body changed depending on different illumination conditions and the hyalosome manifests the refractile nature. Identifying a rhodopsin gene fragment in Erythropsidinium ESTs that is expressed in the retinal body by in situ hybridization, we also show that ocelloids are actually light sensitive photoreceptors. The rhodopsin gene identified is most closely related to bacterial rhodopsins. Taken together, we suggest that the ocelloid is an intracellular camera-type eye, which might be originated from endosymbiotic origin. © 2015 Hayakawa et al.

Structure and properties of alloys of A15 type compounds with carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savitskij, E.M.; Efimov, Yu.V.; Myasnikova, E.A.

1983-01-01

Microstructure and some properties of the alloys on the base of the phases of A15 type in the V-Si-C, Nb-Si-C, Nb-Sn-C, Nb-Al-C, Nb-Ga-C, V-Ga-C ternary systems are investigated. It is established that in the niobium-rich corners of the A-B-C ternary systems the new ternary conpounds do not form, as a rule, bUt the wide ranges of threephase equilibrium A-A 3 B-C exist. New ternary phases with A15 type structure stabilized with carbon are established only in the Nb-Si-C and V-Al-C systems. Alloying with carbon results in sharp refining of structural components of stable and metastable alloys, promotes transition of the alloys into amorphous state at super fast cooling of the melts as well as increases stability of metastable state of the alloys against tempering. After super fast quenching and tempering Tsub(c) of the ternary alloys close to the A15 phases exceed Tsub(c) of equilibrium samples

DG-FEM solution for nonlinear wave-structure interaction using Boussinesq-type equations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engsig-Karup, Allan Peter; Hesthaven, Jan; Bingham, Harry B.

2008-01-01

equations in complex and curvilinear geometries which amends the application range of previous numerical models that have been based on structured Cartesian grids. The Boussinesq method provides the basis for the accurate description of fully nonlinear and dispersive water waves in both shallow and deep...... waters within the breaking limit. To demonstrate the current applicability of the model both linear and mildly nonlinear test cases are considered in two horizontal dimensions where the water waves interact with bottom-mounted fully reflecting structures. It is established that, by simple symmetry...... considerations combined with a mirror principle, it is possible to impose weak slip boundary conditions for both structured and general curvilinear wall boundaries while maintaining the accuracy of the scheme. As is standard for current high-order Boussinesq-type models, arbitrary waves can be generated...

Analysis of Side-Wall Structure of Grown-in Twin-Type Octahedral Defects in Czochralski Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Ueki, Takemi; Itsumi, Manabu; Takeda, Tadao

1998-04-01

We analyzed the side-wall structure of grown-in octahedral defects in Czochralski silicon standard wafers for large-scale integrated circuits. There are two types of twin octahedral defects: an overlapping type and an adjacent type. In the twin octahedral defects of the overlapping type, a hole is formed in the connection part. The side-wall layer in the hole part is formed continually and is the same thickness as the side-wall layers of both octahedrons. In the twin octahedral defects of the adjacent type, a partition layer is formed in the connection part. Our electron energy-loss spectroscopy analyses identified that the side-wall layer includes SiO2.

Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis of Soil Bacterial Communities under Different Vegetation Types in Subtropical Area.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeyan Wu

Full Text Available Soil microbes are active players in energy flow and material exchange of the forest ecosystems, but the research on the relationship between the microbial diversity and the vegetation types is less conducted, especially in the subtropical area of China. In this present study, the rhizosphere soils of evergreen broad-leaf forest (EBF, coniferous forest (CF, subalpine dwarf forest (SDF and alpine meadow (AM were chosen as test sites. Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP analysis was used to detect the composition and diversity of soil bacterial communities under different vegetation types in the National Natural Reserve of Wuyi Mountains. Our results revealed distinct differences in soil microbial composition under different vegetation types. Total 73 microbes were identified in soil samples of the four vegetation types, and 56, 49, 46 and 36 clones were obtained from the soils of EBF, CF, SDF and AM, respectively, and subsequently sequenced. The Actinobacteria, Fusobacterium, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the most predominant in all soil samples. The order of Shannon-Wiener index (H of all soil samples was in the order of EBF>CF>SDF>AM, whereas bacterial species richness as estimated by four restriction enzymes indicated no significant difference. Principal component analysis (PCA revealed that the soil bacterial communities' structures of EBF, CF, SDF and AM were clearly separated along the first and second principal components, which explained 62.17% and 31.58% of the total variance, respectively. The soil physical-chemical properties such as total organic carbon (TOC, total nitrogen (TN, total phosphorus (TP and total potassium (TK were positively correlated with the diversity of bacterial communities.

Electronic structure and chemical bonding in LaIrSi-type intermetallics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matar, Samir F. [Bordeaux Univ., Pessac (France). CNRS; Poettgen, Rainer [Muenster Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Nakhl, Michel [Univ. Libanaise, Fanar (Lebanon). Ecole Doctorale Sciences et Technologies

2017-05-01

The cubic LaIrSi type has 23 representatives in aluminides, gallides, silicides, germanides, phosphides, and arsenides, all with a valence electron count of 16 or 17. The striking structural motif is a three-dimensional network of the transition metal (T) and p element (X) atoms with TX{sub 3/3} respectively XT{sub 3/3} coordination. Alkaline earth or rare earth atoms fill cavities within the polyanionic [TX]{sup δ-} networks. The present work presents a detailed theoretical study of chemical bonding in LaIrSi-type representatives, exemplarily for CaPtSi, BaIrP, BaAuGa, LaIrSi, CeRhSi, and CeIrSi. DFT-GGA-based electronic structure calculations show weakly metallic compounds with itinerant small magnitude DOSs at E{sub F} except for CeRhSi whose large Ce DOS at E{sub F} leads to a finite magnetization on Ce (0.73 μ{sub B}) and induced small moments of opposite sign on Rh and Si in a ferromagnetic ground state. The chemical bonding analyses show dominant bonding within the [TX]{sup δ-} polyanionic networks. Charge transfer magnitudes were found in accordance with the course of the electronegativites of the chemical constituents.

Ca2+-induced PRE-NMR changes in the troponin complex reveal the possessive nature of the cardiac isoform for its regulatory switch.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole M Cordina

Full Text Available The interaction between myosin and actin in cardiac muscle, modulated by the calcium (Ca2+ sensor Troponin complex (Tn, is a complex process which is yet to be fully resolved at the molecular level. Our understanding of how the binding of Ca2+ triggers conformational changes within Tn that are subsequently propagated through the contractile apparatus to initiate muscle activation is hampered by a lack of an atomic structure for the Ca2+-free state of the cardiac isoform. We have used paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE-NMR to obtain a description of the Ca2+-free state of cardiac Tn by describing the movement of key regions of the troponin I (cTnI subunit upon the release of Ca2+ from Troponin C (cTnC. Site-directed spin-labeling was used to position paramagnetic spin labels in cTnI and the changes in the interaction between cTnI and cTnC subunits were then mapped by PRE-NMR. The functionally important regions of cTnI targeted in this study included the cTnC-binding N-region (cTnI57, the inhibitory region (cTnI143, and two sites on the regulatory switch region (cTnI151 and cTnI159. Comparison of 1H-15N-TROSY spectra of Ca2+-bound and free states for the spin labeled cTnC-cTnI binary constructs demonstrated the release and modest movement of the cTnI switch region (∼10 Å away from the hydrophobic N-lobe of troponin C (cTnC upon the removal of Ca2+. Our data supports a model where the non-bound regulatory switch region of cTnI is highly flexible in the absence of Ca2+ but remains in close vicinity to cTnC. We speculate that the close proximity of TnI to TnC in the cardiac complex is favourable for increasing the frequency of collisions between the N-lobe of cTnC and the regulatory switch region, counterbalancing the reduction in collision probability that results from the incomplete opening of the N-lobe of TnC that is unique to the cardiac isoform.

Numerically stable fluid–structure interactions between compressible flow and solid structures

KAUST Repository

Grétarsson, Jón Tómas

2011-04-01

We propose a novel method to implicitly two-way couple Eulerian compressible flow to volumetric Lagrangian solids. The method works for both deformable and rigid solids and for arbitrary equations of state. The method exploits the formulation of [11] which solves compressible fluid in a semi-implicit manner, solving for the advection part explicitly and then correcting the intermediate state to time tn+1 using an implicit pressure, obtained by solving a modified Poisson system. Similar to previous fluid-structure interaction methods, we apply pressure forces to the solid and enforce a velocity boundary condition on the fluid in order to satisfy a no-slip constraint. Unlike previous methods, however, we apply these coupled interactions implicitly by adding the constraint to the pressure system and combining it with any implicit solid forces in order to obtain a strongly coupled, symmetric indefinite system (similar to [17], which only handles incompressible flow). We also show that, under a few reasonable assumptions, this system can be made symmetric positive-definite by following the methodology of [16]. Because our method handles the fluid-structure interactions implicitly, we avoid introducing any new time step restrictions and obtain stable results even for high density-to-mass ratios, where explicit methods struggle or fail. We exactly conserve momentum and kinetic energy (thermal fluid-structure interactions are not considered) at the fluid-structure interface, and hence naturally handle highly non-linear phenomenon such as shocks, contacts and rarefactions. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.

Population structure of Lactobacillus helveticus isolates from naturally fermented dairy products based on multilocus sequence typing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhihong; Liu, Wenjun; Song, Yuqin; Xu, Haiyan; Yu, Jie; Bilige, Menghe; Zhang, Heping; Chen, Yongfu

2015-05-01

Lactobacillus helveticus is an economically important lactic acid bacterium used in industrial dairy fermentation. In the present study, the population structure of 245 isolates of L. helveticus from different naturally fermented dairy products in China and Mongolia were investigated using an multilocus sequence typing scheme with 11 housekeeping genes. A total of 108 sequence types were detected, which formed 8 clonal complexes and 27 singletons. Results from Structure, SplitsTree, and ClonalFrame software analyses demonstrated the presence of 3 subpopulations in the L. helveticus isolates used in our study, namely koumiss, kurut-tarag, and panmictic lineages. Most L. helveticus isolates from particular ecological origins had specific population structures. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure and fluid evolution of Yili basin and their relation to sandstone type uranium mineralization