Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges for Tall Wind Turbine and Tower Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lantz, Eric; Roberts, Owen; Dykes, Katherine

2017-06-28

This presentation summarizes recent analysis focused on characterizing the opportunity for Tall Wind technologies generally and for tall tower technologies specifically. It seeks to illuminate and explain the concept of Tall Wind, its impact on the wind industry to date, and the potential value of Tall Wind in the future. It also explores the conditions and locations under which the impacts of Tall Wind offer the most significant potential to increase wind technology performance. In addition, it seeks to examine the status of tall tower technology as a key sub-component of Tall Wind, focusing on the potential for continued innovation in tubular steel wind turbine towers and the status and potential for a select set of alternative tall tower technologies.

Application of biotechnology in genetics and breeding of tall fescue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Xin; Ye Hongxia; Shu Xiaoli; Wu Dianxing

2008-01-01

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schred.) is an important lawn and pasture grass in agriculture, animal husbandy and lawn industry. The historical and present situations of tall fescue breeding were briefly introduced, and advances in the researches of molecular biology and germplasm enhancement by biotechnology in tall fescue were reviewed in the paper, which would provide the references for tall fescue breeding by biotechnology. (authors)

Tall Buildings and Elevators: A Review of Recent Technological Advances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kheir Al-Kodmany

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Efficient vertical mobility is a critical component of tall building development and construction. This paper investigates recent advances in elevator technology and examines their impact on tall building development. It maps out, organizes, and collates complex and scattered information on multiple aspects of elevator design, and presents them in an accessible and non-technical discourse. Importantly, the paper contextualizes recent technological innovations by examining their implementations in recent major projects including One World Trade Center in New York; Shanghai Tower in Shanghai; Burj Khalifa in Dubai; Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and the green retrofit project of the Empire State Building in New York. Further, the paper discusses future vertical transportation models including a vertical subway concept, a space lift, and electromagnetic levitation technology. As these new technological advancements in elevator design empower architects to create new forms and shapes of large-scale, mixed-use developments, this paper concludes by highlighting the need for interdisciplinary research in incorporating elevators in skyscrapers.

Effect of fruit set on fructification of coconut tall ecotypes for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To assess the effect of coconut fruit set on the variation expression of the number of nuts yielded at the end of the fructification, a modelling approach was used. Four female parents namely Kar Kar Tall (KKT), Kappadam Tall (KPD), Sri Lanka Tall (SLT) and Vanuatu Tall (VTT) as well as four male parents known as Panama ...

Megacities and tall buildings: symbiosis

Science.gov (United States)

Safarik, Daniel; Ursini, Shawn; Wood, Antony

2018-03-01

Anyone concerned with the development of human civilization in the 21st Century will likely have heard the term «megacity». It is - as it should be - increasingly prevalent in both mainstream and academic discussions of the great trends of our time: urbanization, rising technological and physical connectivity, increasingly polarized extremes of wealth and poverty, environmental degradation, and climate change. It is a subject as large and far-reaching as its name implies. This paper sets the scene on how megacities and the built environment are growing together, and examines the implications for those who plan, design, develop and operate tall buildings and urban infrastructure.

TALL-HERB BOREAL FORESTS ON NORTH URAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Aleinikov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background. One of the pressing aims of today’s natural resource management is its re-orientation to preserving and restoring ecological functions of ecosystems, among which the function of biodiversity maintenance plays an indicator role. The majority of today’s forests have not retained their natural appearance as the result of long-standing human impact. In this connection, refugia studies are becoming particularly interesting, as they give us an insight into the natural appearance of forests. Materials and methods. Studies were performed in dark conifer forests of the Pechora–Ilych reserve, in the lower reaches of the Bol’shaya Porozhnyaya River in 2013 yr. Vegetation data sampling was done at 50 temporary square plots of a fixed size (100 m2 randomly placed within a forest type. A list of plant species with species abundance was made for each forest layer. The overstorey (or tree canopy layer was denoted by the Latin letter A. The understorey layer (indicated by the letter B included tree undergrowth and tall shrubs. Ground vegetation was subdivided into the layers C and D. Layer C (field layer comprised the herbaceous species (herbs, grasses, sedges and dwarf shrubs together with low shrubs, tree and shrub seedlings. The height of the field layer was defined by the maximal height of the herbaceous species, ferns, and dwarf shrubs; the height varied from several cm to more than 200 cm in the ‘tall-herb’ forest types. Layer D (bottom layer included cryptogamic species (bryophytes and lichens. Species abundance in the each layer was usually assessed using the Braun-Blanquet cover scale (Braun-Blanquet 1928. The nomenclature used follows Cherepanov’s (1995 for vascular plants, and Ignatov & Afonina’s (1992. Results. The present article contains descriptions of unique tall-herb boreal forests of European Russia preserved in certain refugia which did not experience prolonged anthropogenic impact or any other catastrophes

Process design and evaluation of production of bioethanol and β-lactam antibiotic from lignocellulosic biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung Bong; Park, Chulhwan; Kim, Seung Wook

2014-11-01

To design biorefinery processes producing bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass with dilute acid pretreatment, biorefinery processes were simulated using the SuperPro Designer program. To improve the efficiency of biomass use and the economics of biorefinery, additional pretreatment processes were designed and evaluated, in which a combined process of dilute acid and aqueous ammonia pretreatments, and a process of waste media containing xylose were used, for the production of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid. Finally, the productivity and economics of the designed processes were compared. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tall Fescue Alkaloids Bind Serotonin Receptors in Cattle

Science.gov (United States)

The serotonin (5HT) receptor 5HT2A is involved in the tall fescue alkaloid-induced vascular contraction in the bovine periphery. This was determined by evaluating the contractile responses of lateral saphenous veins biopsied from cattle grazing different tall fescue/endophyte combinations. The contr...

Seedling Performance Associated with Live or Herbicide Treated Tall Fescue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan J. Halvorson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tall fescue is an important forage grass which can host systemic fungal endophytes. The association of host grass and endophyte is known to influence herbivore behavior and host plant competition for resources. Establishing legumes into existing tall fescue sods is a desirable means to acquire nitrogen and enhance the nutritive value of forage for livestock production. Competition from existing tall fescue typically must be controlled to ensure interseeding success. We used a soil-on-agar method to determine if soil from intact, living (L, or an herbicide killed (K tall fescue sward influenced germination and seedling growth of three cultivars of tall fescue (E+, MaxQ, and E− or legumes (alfalfa, red clover, and white clover. After 30 days, seedlings were larger and present in greater numbers when grown in L soil rather than K soil. Root growth of legumes (especially white clover and tall fescue (especially MaxQ were not as vigorous in K soil as L soil. While shoot biomass was similar for all cultivars of tall fescue in L soil, MaxQ produced less herbage when grown in K soil. Our data suggest establishing legumes or fescue cultivars may not be improved by first killing the existing fescue sod and seedling performance can exhibit significant interseasonal variation, related only to soil conditions.

LQG Control of Along-Wind Response of a Tall Building with an ATMD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ki-Pyo You

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Modern tall buildings use lighter construction materials that have high strength and less stiffness and are more flexible. Although this results in the improvement of structural safety, excessive wind-induced excitations could lead to occupant discomfort. The optimal control law of a linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG controller with an active tuned mass damper (ATMD is used for reducing the along-wind response of a tall building. ATMD consists of a second mass with optimum parameters for tuning frequency and damping ratio of the tuned mass damper (TMD, under the stationary random load, was used. A fluctuating along-wind load, acting on a tall building, was treated as a stationary Gaussian white noise and was simulated numerically, in the time domain, using the along-wind load spectra proposed by G. Solari in 1993. Using this simulated wind load, it was possible to calculate the along-wind responses of a tall building (with and without the ATMD, using an LQG controller. Comparing the RMS (root mean square response revealed that the numerically simulated along-wind responses, without ATMD, are a good approximation to the closed form response, and that the reduced responses with ATMD and LQG controller were estimated by varying the values of control design parameters.

Coconut genome size determined by flow cytometry: Tall versus Dwarf types.

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas Neto, M; Pereira, T N S; Geronimo, I G C; Azevedo, A O N; Ramos, S R R; Pereira, M G

2016-02-11

Coconuts (Cocos nucifera L.) are tropical palm trees that are classified into Tall and Dwarf types based on height, and both types are diploid (2n = 2x = 32 chromosomes). The reproduction mode is autogamous for Dwarf types and allogamous for Tall types. One hypothesis for the origin of the Dwarf coconut suggests that it is a Tall variant that resulted from either mutation or inbreeding, and differences in genome size between the two types would support this hypothesis. In this study, we estimated the genome sizes of 14 coconut accessions (eight Tall and six Dwarf types) using flow cytometry. Nuclei were extracted from leaf discs and stained with propidium iodide, and Pisum sativum (2C = 9.07 pg DNA) was used as an internal standard. Histograms with good resolution and low coefficients of variation (2.5 to 3.2%) were obtained. The 2C DNA content ranged from 5.72 to 5.48 pg for Tall accessions and from 5.58 to 5.52 pg for Dwarf accessions. The mean genome sizes for Tall and Dwarf specimens were 5.59 and 5.55 pg, respectively. Among all accessions, Rennel Island Tall had the highest mean DNA content (5.72 pg), whereas West African Tall had the lowest (5.48 pg). The mean coconut genome size (2C = 5.57 pg, corresponding to 2723.73 Mbp/haploid set) was classified as small. Only small differences in genome size existed among the coconut accessions, suggesting that the Dwarf type did not evolve from the Tall type.

Typological diversity of tall buildings and complexes in relation to their functional structure

Science.gov (United States)

Generalov, Viktor P.; Generalova, Elena M.; Kalinkina, Nadezhda A.; Zhdanova, Irina V.

2018-03-01

The paper focuses on peculiarities of tall buildings and complexes, their typology and its formation in relation to their functional structure. The research is based on the analysis of tall buildings and complexes and identifies the following main functional elements of their formation: residential, administrative (office), hotel elements. The paper also considers the following services as «disseminated» in the space-planning structure: shops, medicine, entertainment, kids and sports facilities, etc., their location in the structure of the total bulk of the building and their impact on typological diversity. Research results include suggestions to add such concepts as «single-function tall buildings» and «mixed-use tall buildings and complexes» into the classification of tall buildings. In addition, if a single-function building or complex performs serving functions, it is proposed to add such concepts as «a residential tall building (complex) with provision of services», «an administrative (public) tall building (complex) with provision of services» into the classification of tall buildings. For mixed-use buildings and complexes the following terms are suggested: «a mixed-use tall building with provision of services», «a mixed-use tall complex with provision of services».

Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat of the 21st Century: A Global Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mir M. Ali

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The tall building is the most dominating symbol of the cities and a human-made marvel that defies gravity by reaching to the clouds. It embodies unrelenting human aspirations to build even higher. It conjures a number of valid questions in our minds. The foremost and fundamental question that is often asked: Why tall buildings? This review paper seeks to answer the question by laying out arguments against and for tall buildings. Then, it provides a brief account of the historic and recent developments of tall buildings including their status during the current economic recession. The paper argues that as cities continue to expand horizontally, to safeguard against their reaching an eventual breaking point, the tall building as a building type is a possible solution by way of conquering vertical space through agglomeration and densification. Case studies of some recently built tall buildings are discussed to illustrate the nature of tall building development in their respective cities. The paper attempts to dispel any discernment about tall buildings as mere pieces of art and architecture by emphasizing their truly speculative, technological, sustainable, and evolving nature. It concludes by projecting a vision of tall buildings and their integration into the cities of the 21st century.

Comparison of Dynamic Characteristics of Two Instrumented Tall Buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ventura, C.; Laverick, B.; Brincker, Rune

2003-01-01

attention to the three-dimensional nonlinear dynamic behaviour of tall buildings, so there is a need for these types of studies. The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic properties of two well-instrumented tall steel frame buildings in Los Angeles, California. These building are within a few blocks...

Fertility of Tall Girls Treated with High-Dose Estrogen, a Dose-Response Relationship

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, A. E. J.; Drop, S. L. S.; Laven, J. S. E.; Boot, A. M.

Context: High-dose estrogen treatment to reduce final height of tall girls increases their risk for infertility in later life. Objective: The aim was to study the effect of estrogen dose on fertility outcome of these women. Design/Setting: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of university

Wood-derived olefins by steam cracking of hydrodeoxygenated tall oils.

Science.gov (United States)

Pyl, Steven P; Dijkmans, Thomas; Antonykutty, Jinto M; Reyniers, Marie-Françoise; Harlin, Ali; Van Geem, Kevin M; Marin, Guy B

2012-12-01

Tall oil fractions obtained from Norwegian spruce pulping were hydrodeoxygenated (HDO) at pilot scale using a commercial NiMo hydrotreating catalyst. Comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) showed that HDO of both tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) and distilled tall oil (DTO) produced highly paraffinic hydrocarbon liquids. The hydrotreated fractions also contained fatty acid methyl esters and norabietane and norabietatriene isomers. Steam cracking of HDO-TOFA in a pilot plant revealed that high light olefin yields can be obtained, with 35.4 wt.% of ethene and 18.2 wt.% of propene at a coil outlet pressure (COP) of 1.7 bara, a dilution of 0.45 kg(steam)/kg(HDO-TOFA) and a coil outlet temperature (COT) of 820 °C. A pilot plant coking experiment indicated that cracking of HDO-TOFA at a COT of 850 °C results in limited fouling in the reactor. Co-cracking of HDO tall oil fractions with a typical fossil-based naphtha showed improved selectivity to desired light olefins, further demonstrating the potential of large scale olefin production from hydrotreated tall oil fractions in conventional crackers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential effects of citric acid on cadmium uptake and accumulation between tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, ShuTing; Dong, Qin; Wang, ZhaoLong

2017-11-01

Organic acids play an important role in cadmium availability, uptake, translocation, and detoxification. A sand culture experiment was designed to investigate the effects of citric acid on Cd uptake, translocation, and accumulation in tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. The results showed that two grass species presented different Cd chemical forms, organic acid components and amount in roots. The dormant Cd accumulated in roots of tall fescue was the pectate- and protein- integrated form, which contributed by 84.85%. However, in Kentucky bluegrass, the pectate- and protein- integrated Cd was only contributed by 35.78%, and the higher proportion of Cd form was the water soluble Cd-organic acid complexes. In tall fescue, citric acid dramatically enhanced 2.8 fold of Cd uptake, 3 fold of root Cd accumulation, and 2.3 fold of shoot Cd accumulation. In Kentucky bluegrass, citric acid promoted Cd accumulation in roots, but significantly decreased Cd accumulation in shoots. These results suggested that the enhancements of citric acid on Cd uptake, translocation, and accumulation in tall fescue was associated with its promotion of organic acids and the water soluble Cd-organic acid complexes in roots. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

21 CFR 172.862 - Oleic acid derived from tall oil fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Oleic acid derived from tall oil fatty acids. 172... FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.862 Oleic acid derived from tall oil fatty acids. The food additive oleic acid derived from tall oil fatty acids may be safely used in food and as...

Building Integrated Active Flow Control: Improving the Aerodynamic Performance of Tall Buildings Using Fluid-Based Aerodynamic Modification

Science.gov (United States)

Menicovich, David

By 2050 an estimated 9 billion people will inhabit planet earth and almost all the growth in the next 40 years will be in urban areas putting tremendous pressure on creating sustainable cities. The rapid increase in population, rise in land value and decrease in plot sizes in cities around the world positions tall or more importantly slender buildings as the best suited building typology to address the increasingly critical demand for space in this pressing urbanization trend. However, the majority of new tall building urban developments have not followed principles of environmental and/or sustainable design and incentives to innovate, both technological and economic, are urgently required. The biggest climatic challenge to the design, construction and performance of tall buildings is wind sensitivity. This challenge is further emphasized seeing two market driven trends: on one hand as urban population grows, land value rises while plot sizes decrease; on the other, more cost effective modular construction techniques are introducing much lighter tall building structures. The combination of the two suggests a potential increase in the slenderness ratio of tall buildings (typically less than 6:1 but stretching to 20:1 in the near future) where not-so-tall but much lighter buildings will be the bulk of new construction in densely populated cities, providing affordable housing in the face of fast urbanization but also introducing wind sensitivity which was previously the problem of a very limited number of super tall buildings to a much larger number of buildings and communities. The proposed research aims to investigate a novel approach to the interaction between tall buildings and their environment. Through this approach the research proposes a new relationship between buildings and the flows around, through and inside them, where buildings could adapt to better control and manage the air flow around them, and consequently produce significant opportunities to reduce

Evaluation of modal pushover-based scaling of one component of ground motion: Tall buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkan, Erol; Chopra, Anil K.

2012-01-01

Nonlinear response history analysis (RHA) is now increasingly used for performance-based seismic design of tall buildings. Required for nonlinear RHAs is a set of ground motions selected and scaled appropriately so that analysis results would be accurate (unbiased) and efficient (having relatively small dispersion). This paper evaluates accuracy and efficiency of recently developed modal pushover–based scaling (MPS) method to scale ground motions for tall buildings. The procedure presented explicitly considers structural strength and is based on the standard intensity measure (IM) of spectral acceleration in a form convenient for evaluating existing structures or proposed designs for new structures. Based on results presented for two actual buildings (19 and 52 stories, respectively), it is demonstrated that the MPS procedure provided a highly accurate estimate of the engineering demand parameters (EDPs), accompanied by significantly reduced record-to-record variability of the responses. In addition, the MPS procedure is shown to be superior to the scaling procedure specified in the ASCE/SEI 7-05 document.

Urban Rights-of-Way as Reservoirs for Tall-Grass Prairie Plants and Butterflies

Science.gov (United States)

Leston, Lionel; Koper, Nicola

2016-03-01

Urban rights-of-way may be potential reservoirs of tall-grass prairie plants and butterflies. To determine if this is true, in 2007-2008, we conducted vegetation surveys of species richness and cover, and butterfly surveys of species richness and abundance, along 52 transmission lines and four remnant prairies in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We detected many prairie plants and butterflies within transmission lines. Some unmowed and infrequently managed transmission lines had native plant species richness and total percent cover of native plants comparable to that of similar-sized remnant tall-grass prairies in the region. Although we did not find significant differences in overall native butterfly numbers or species richness between rights-of-way and remnant prairies, we found lower numbers of some prairie butterflies along frequently mowed rights-of-way than within remnant tall-grass prairies. We also observed higher butterfly species richness along sites with more native plant species. By reducing mowing and spraying and reintroducing tall-grass prairie plants, urban rights-of-way could serve as extensive reservoirs for tall-grass prairie plants and butterflies in urban landscapes. Eventually, managing urban rights-of-way as reservoirs for tall-grass prairie plants and animals could contribute to the restoration of tall-grass prairie in the North American Midwest.

Urban Rights-of-Way as Reservoirs for Tall-Grass Prairie Plants and Butterflies.

Science.gov (United States)

Leston, Lionel; Koper, Nicola

2016-03-01

Urban rights-of-way may be potential reservoirs of tall-grass prairie plants and butterflies. To determine if this is true, in 2007-2008, we conducted vegetation surveys of species richness and cover, and butterfly surveys of species richness and abundance, along 52 transmission lines and four remnant prairies in Winnipeg, Manitoba. We detected many prairie plants and butterflies within transmission lines. Some unmowed and infrequently managed transmission lines had native plant species richness and total percent cover of native plants comparable to that of similar-sized remnant tall-grass prairies in the region. Although we did not find significant differences in overall native butterfly numbers or species richness between rights-of-way and remnant prairies, we found lower numbers of some prairie butterflies along frequently mowed rights-of-way than within remnant tall-grass prairies. We also observed higher butterfly species richness along sites with more native plant species. By reducing mowing and spraying and reintroducing tall-grass prairie plants, urban rights-of-way could serve as extensive reservoirs for tall-grass prairie plants and butterflies in urban landscapes. Eventually, managing urban rights-of-way as reservoirs for tall-grass prairie plants and animals could contribute to the restoration of tall-grass prairie in the North American Midwest.

Alternative fuel properties of tall oil fatty acid methyl ester-diesel fuel blends

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Altiparmak, D.; Keskin, A.; Koca, A. [Gazi University, Ankara (Turkey). Technical Education Faculty; Guru, M. [Gazi University, Ankara (Turkey). Engineering and Architectural Faculty

2007-01-15

In this experimental work, tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel blends as alternative fuels for diesel engines were studied. Tall oil methyl ester was produced by reacting tall oil fatty acids with methyl alcohol under optimum conditions. The blends of tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel were tested in a direct injection diesel engine at full load conditions. The effects of the new fuel blends on the engine performance and exhaust emission were tested. It was observed that the engine torque and power output with tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel blends increased up to 6.1% and 5.9%, respectively. It was also seen that CO emissions decreased to 38.9% and NO{sub x} emissions increased up to 30% with the new fuel blends. The smoke capacity did not vary significantly. (author)

Alternative fuel properties of tall oil fatty acid methyl ester-diesel fuel blends.

Science.gov (United States)

Altiparmak, Duran; Keskin, Ali; Koca, Atilla; Gürü, Metin

2007-01-01

In this experimental work, tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel blends as alternative fuels for diesel engines were studied. Tall oil methyl ester was produced by reacting tall oil fatty acids with methyl alcohol under optimum conditions. The blends of tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel were tested in a direct injection diesel engine at full load condition. The effects of the new fuel blends on the engine performance and exhaust emission were tested. It was observed that the engine torque and power output with tall oil methyl ester-diesel fuel blends increased up to 6.1% and 5.9%, respectively. It was also seen that CO emissions decreased to 38.9% and NO(x) emissions increased up to 30% with the new fuel blends. The smoke opacity did not vary significantly.

Seedling Establishment of Tall Fescue Exposed to Long-Term Starvation Stress

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pompeiano, Antonio; Damiani, C. R.; Stefanini, S.; Vernieri, S.; Reyes, T. H.; Volterrani, M.; Guglielminetti, L.

2016-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 11 (2016), č. článku e0166131. E-ISSN 1932-6203 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : seedling * Tall fescue * Tall fescue exposed * starvation Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.806, year: 2016

Modeling Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Tall Building Construction Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Mudumbai Krishnaswamy, Parthasarathy; Rajiah, Murugasan; Vasan, Ramya

2017-12-01

Tall building construction projects involve two critical resources of manpower and equipment. Their usage, however, widely varies due to several factors affecting their productivity. Currently, no systematic study for estimating and increasing their productivity is available. What is prevalent is the use of empirical data, experience of similar projects and assumptions. As tall building projects are here to stay and increase, to meet the emerging demands in ever shrinking urban spaces, it is imperative to explore ways and means of scientific productivity models for basic construction activities: concrete, reinforcement, formwork, block work and plastering for the input of specific resources in a mixed environment of manpower and equipment usage. Data pertaining to 72 tall building projects in India were collected and analyzed. Then, suitable productivity estimation models were developed using multiple linear regression analysis and validated using independent field data. It is hoped that the models developed in the study will be useful for quantity surveyors, cost engineers and project managers to estimate productivity of resources in tall building projects.

Evaluation of tall rice mutant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hakim, L.; Azam, M.A.; Miah, A.J.; Mansur, M.A.; Akanda, H.R.

1989-01-01

One tall mutant (Mut NS1) of rice variety Nizersail was put to multilocation on-farm trial. It showed improvement over the parent in respect of by earlier maturity and higher grain yield at all locations and thus it appears as an improved mutant of Nizersail. (author). 6 refs

Impact of a Large San Andreas Fault Earthquake on Tall Buildings in Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, S.; Ji, C.; Komatitsch, D.; Tromp, J.

2004-12-01

In 1857, an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred on the San Andreas fault, starting at Parkfield and rupturing in a southeasterly direction for more than 300~km. Such a unilateral rupture produces significant directivity toward the San Fernando and Los Angeles basins. The strong shaking in the basins due to this earthquake would have had a significant long-period content (2--8~s). If such motions were to happen today, they could have a serious impact on tall buildings in Southern California. In order to study the effects of large San Andreas fault earthquakes on tall buildings in Southern California, we use the finite source of the magnitude 7.9 2001 Denali fault earthquake in Alaska and map it onto the San Andreas fault with the rupture originating at Parkfield and proceeding southward over a distance of 290~km. Using the SPECFEM3D spectral element seismic wave propagation code, we simulate a Denali-like earthquake on the San Andreas fault and compute ground motions at sites located on a grid with a 2.5--5.0~km spacing in the greater Southern California region. We subsequently analyze 3D structural models of an existing tall steel building designed in 1984 as well as one designed according to the current building code (Uniform Building Code, 1997) subjected to the computed ground motion. We use a sophisticated nonlinear building analysis program, FRAME3D, that has the ability to simulate damage in buildings due to three-component ground motion. We summarize the performance of these structural models on contour maps of carefully selected structural performance indices. This study could benefit the city in laying out emergency response strategies in the event of an earthquake on the San Andreas fault, in undertaking appropriate retrofit measures for tall buildings, and in formulating zoning regulations for new construction. In addition, the study would provide risk data associated with existing and new construction to insurance companies, real estate developers, and

Soil Organic Carbon Fractions Differ in Two Contrasting Tall Fescue Systems

Science.gov (United States)

The value of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for C sequestration in addition to forage production and soil conservation is of current interest. However, studies relating to the impacts of endophyte infected (E+) and endophyte free (E-) tall fescue on soil organic matter fractions are few....

Does Size Matter? Short and Tall Officers Policing the Streets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pål Lagestad

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The importance of physical characteristics is rarely addressed in the literature on professional competence and authority. In police work it is almost taken for granted that height is advantageous in police work, despite a lack of research on the topic. This study examines how height may affect police inter-actions with the public and how short and tall men and women experience the importance of their height in patrol work. Results show that being tall was perceived as beneficial in patrol work. Furthermore, the authority of short police officers is challenged more often by the public, and short female police may have a particular focus on verbal communication. Tallness will probably be perceived as beneficial in fields in which physical conflicts arises.

Pedestrian wind environment around tall buildings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stathopoulos, T.; Blocken, B.; Tamura, Yukio; Yoshie, Ryuichiro

2016-01-01

Pedestrian-level wind conditions around tall buildings are described by examining the aerodynamics of the urban environment and the various wind comfort criteria established in the wind engineering field. Experimental and, possibly, computational assessment of pedestrian-level wind conditions in the

The identification of specific cDNA clones from tall and dwarf rice plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youssefian, S.; Kamada, I.; Sano, H.

1990-01-01

Full text: The use of dwarfing genes in rice breeding has proceeded for several years without a clear understanding of the genetic, hormonal and physiological mechanisms involved. This issue was addressed by focussing on the isolation of specific clones from tall- and dwarf-derived cDNA libraries. The materials used include near-isogenic lines of the tall rice cultivar 'Shiokari', differing at the DGWG or 'Tanginbozu' dwarfing gene loci. Also used were tall and dwarf 'Ginbozu' rice, the latter having been induced by treatment with 5-azacytidine, a potent demethylating agent. Subtractive and differential hybridisation have, to date, identified several candidate tall- and dwarf-specific clones. Their further characterisation is currently underway. (author)

The TALL-3D facility design and commissioning tests for validation of coupled STH and CFD codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grishchenko, Dmitry, E-mail: dmitry@safety.sci.kth.se; Jeltsov, Marti, E-mail: marti@safety.sci.kth.se; Kööp, Kaspar, E-mail: kaspar@safety.sci.kth.se; Karbojian, Aram, E-mail: karbojan@kth.se; Villanueva, Walter, E-mail: walter@safety.sci.kth.se; Kudinov, Pavel, E-mail: pavel@safety.sci.kth.se

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Design of a heavy liquid thermal-hydraulic loop for CFD/STH code validation. • Description of the loop instrumentation and assessment of measurement error. • Experimental data from forced to natural circulation transient. - Abstract: Application of coupled CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and STH (System Thermal Hydraulics) codes is a prerequisite for computationally affordable and sufficiently accurate prediction of thermal-hydraulics of complex systems. Coupled STH and CFD codes require validation for understanding and quantification of the sources of uncertainties in the code prediction. TALL-3D is a liquid Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) loop developed according to the requirements for the experimental data for validation of coupled STH and CFD codes. The goals of the facility design are to provide (i) mutual feedback between natural circulation in the loop and complex 3D mixing and stratification phenomena in the pool-type test section, (ii) a possibility to validate standalone STH and CFD codes for each subsection of the facility, and (iii) sufficient number of experimental data to separate the process of input model calibration and code validation. Description of the facility design and its main components, approach to estimation of experimental uncertainty and calibration of model input parameters that are not directly measured in the experiment are discussed in the paper. First experimental data from the forced to natural circulation transient is also provided in the paper.

Managing the tall fescue-fungal endophyte symbiosis for optimum forage-animal production

Science.gov (United States)

Alkaloids produced by the fungal endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) that infects tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] are a paradox to cattle production. While certain alkaloids impart tall fescue with tolerances to environmental stresses, such as moisture, heat, and herbivory, e...

Upgrading of raw tall oil soap into fuel oils and lubricants; Raakasuovan jalostus poltto- ja voiteluoeljyksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A; Arpiainen, V; McKeough, P; Tapola, E; Haekkinen, R; Kuoppala, E; Koskela, K [VTT Energy, Jyvaeskylae (Finland). Energy Production Technologies

1997-12-01

Thermochemical processing of tall oil soap originating from various mixtures of birch and pine has been experimentally investigated. The organic matter of tall oil soap, which is a by- product of Kraft pulping, originates mainly from wood extractives. Conventional processing of tall oil soap involves acidulation with sulphuric acid to yield crude tall oil and subsequent distillation of the oil at centralised refineries. Because tall oil originating from birch wood is far less valuable than that from pine, there is an economic incentive in the Nordic countries to develop alternative conversion processes for the tall oil soap produced at pulp mills where birch is widely used as feedstock. Furthermore, thermochemical processing of tall oil soap does not introduce sulphur into the chemical recovery cycle. This would be a significant advantage in future mills employing closure of water circuits and/or sulphur-free pulping. In small-scale experiments tall oil soaps from wood mixtures with high birch content have been processed using both liquid-phase thermal treatment and pyrolysis. The liquid-phase thermal treatment at 450 deg C under a nitrogen atmosphere yielded a good-quality oil product at high yield (about 50 % of the energy content of the tall oil soap). In the atmospheric pyrolysis of birch tall oil soap a separation of inorganic and organic constituents was obtained. The energy value of the product gases was high. Both processes are promising, but the pyrolysis alternative has the greater economic potential, providing that the promising preliminary experimental results have given a true picture of the performance of the full-scale pyrolysis process. (orig.)

Uppgrading of raw tall oil soap into fuel oils and lubricants; Raakasuovan jalostus poltto- ja voiteluoeljyksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A.; Arpiainen, V.; McKeough, P.; Tapola, E. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1998-12-31

Thermochemical processing of tall oil soap originating from various mixtures of birch and pine has been experimentally investigated. The organic matter of tall oil soap, which is a by-product of kraft pulping, originates mainly from wood extractives. Conventional processing of tall oil soap involves acidulation with sulphuric acid to yield crude tall oil and subsequent distillation of the oil at centralised refineries. Because tall oil originating from birch wood is far less valuable than that from pine, there is an economic incentive in the Nordic countries to develop alternative conversion processes for the tall oil soap produced at pulp mills where birch is widely used as feedstock. Furthermore, thermochemical processing of tall oil soap does not introduce sulphur into the chemical recovery cycle. This would be a significant advantage in future mills employing closure of water circuits and/or sulphur-free pulping. In small-scale experiments tall oil soaps from wood mixtures with high birch content have been processed using both liquid-phase thermal treatment and pyrolysis. The liquid-phase thermal treatment at 450 deg C under a nitrogen atmosphere yielded a good-quality oil product at high yield (about 50% of the energy content of the tall oil soap). In the atmospheric pyrolysis of birch tall oil soap a separation of inorganic and organic constituents was obtained. The energy value of the product gases was high. Both processes are promising, but the pyrolysis alternative has the greater economic potential, providing that the promising preliminary experimental results have given a true picture of the performance of the full-scale pyrolysis process. (orig.)

77 FR 39395 - Special Local Regulations; Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012, Narragansett Bay, RI

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-03

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012, Narragansett Bay, RI AGENCY... Tall Ships Festival 2012. DATES: This rule is effective from July 6, 2012 until July 10, 2012... ``Special Local Regulations: Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012, Narragansett Bay, RI'' in the Federal...

77 FR 16974 - Special Local Regulations; Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012, Narragansett Bay, RI

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-23

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012, Narragansett Bay, RI AGENCY... Island, for the Ocean State Tall Ships Festival 2012. This action is necessary to provide for the safety..., during the Ocean State Tall Ships Festival on July 6-9, 2012. These temporary special local regulations...

Rapamycin sensitizes T-ALL cells to dexamethasone-induced apoptosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mu Dezhi

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Glucocorticoid (GC resistance is frequently seen in acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T-cell lineage (T-ALL. In this study we investigate the potential and mechanism of using rapamycin to restore the sensitivity of GC-resistant T-ALL cells to dexamethasone (Dex treatment. Methods Cell proliferation was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS analysis was used to analyze apoptosis and cell cycles. Western blot analysis was performed to test the expression of the downstream effector proteins of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, the cell cycle regulatory proteins, and apoptosis associated proteins. Results 10 nM rapamycin markedly increased GC sensitivity in GC-resistant T-ALL cells and this effect was mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of mTOR signaling pathway. Cell cycle arrest was associated with modulation of G1-S phase regulators. Both rapamycin and Dex can induce up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK inhibitors of p21 and p27 and co-treatment of rapamycin with Dex resulted in a synergistic induction of their expressions. Rapamycin did not obviously affect the expression of cyclin A, whereas Dex induced cyclin A expression. Rapamycin prevented Dex-induced expression of cyclin A. Rapamycin had a stronger inhibition of cyclin D1 expression than Dex. Rapamycin enhanced GC-induced apoptosis and this was not achieved by modulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR expression, but synergistically up-regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins like caspase-3, Bax, and Bim, and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic protein of Mcl-1. Conclusion Our data suggests that rapamycin can effectively reverse GC resistance in T-ALL and this effect is achieved by inducing cell cycles arrested at G0/G1 phase and activating the intrinsic apoptotic program. Therefore, combination of mTOR inhibitor rapamycin with GC containing protocol might be an attracting

Tall Poppies: Bullying Behaviors Faced by Australian High-Performance School-Age Athletes

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Maureen; Calder, Angela; Allen, Bill

2014-01-01

Little is known about Australian high-performance school-age athletes' experiences as victims of the tall poppy syndrome. Tall poppies are successful individuals bullied by those who are less successful in order to "normalize them." Nineteen current or previous national or international high-performance school-age athletes were…

Metacarpal index in Marfan's syndrome and in constitutional tall stature.

OpenAIRE

Nelle, M; Tröger, J; Rupprath, G; Bettendorf, M

1994-01-01

The metacarpal index (MCI) in 54 children with constitutional tall stature was mean (SD) 8.65 (0.8) and in 55 with Marfan's syndrome 9.15 (0.9). Indices in both groups showed arachnodactyly and differed from those found in normal individuals (< 7.9). Because the MCI is a poor discriminator patients with tall stature or clinical signs of arachnodactyly should be examined for additional signs of Marfan's syndrome or other hereditary disorders of connective tissue.

Collapse of tall granular columns in fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Krishna; Soga, Kenichi; Delenne, Jean-Yves

2017-06-01

Avalanches, landslides, and debris flows are geophysical hazards, which involve rapid mass movement of granular solids, water, and air as a multi-phase system. In order to describe the mechanism of immersed granular flows, it is important to consider both the dynamics of the solid phase and the role of the ambient fluid. In the present study, the collapse of a granular column in fluid is studied using 2D LBM - DEM. The flow kinematics are compared with the dry and buoyant granular collapse to understand the influence of hydrodynamic forces and lubrication on the run-out. In the case of tall columns, the amount of material destabilised above the failure plane is larger than that of short columns. Therefore, the surface area of the mobilised mass that interacts with the surrounding fluid in tall columns is significantly higher than the short columns. This increase in the area of soil - fluid interaction results in an increase in the formation of turbulent vortices thereby altering the deposit morphology. It is observed that the vortices result in the formation of heaps that significantly affects the distribution of mass in the flow. In order to understand the behaviour of tall columns, the run-out behaviour of a dense granular column with an initial aspect ratio of 6 is studied. The collapse behaviour is analysed for different slope angles: 0°, 2.5°, 5° and 7.5°.

Plastiliinipoisi pilgu läbi / Pärtel Tall

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Tall, Pärtel

2007-01-01

Kunstnike rühmituse "Avangard" püsiinstallatsiooni ettevalmistamisest ja avamisest Tallinnas Kultuurikatlas. Tallinna Pedagoogikaülikooli kunstiõpetajana lõpetanud Pärtel Tall nukufilmide "Kõrbeorel" ja "Porgand" valmimisest, osalemisest performance'ides

Systematic derivation of an Australian standard for Tall Man lettering to distinguish similar drug names.

Science.gov (United States)

Emmerton, Lynne; Rizk, Mariam F S; Bedford, Graham; Lalor, Daniel

2015-02-01

Confusion between similar drug names can cause harmful medication errors. Similar drug names can be visually differentiated using a typographical technique known as Tall Man lettering. While international conventions exist to derive Tall Man representation for drug names, there has been no national standard developed in Australia. This paper describes the derivation of a risk-based, standardized approach for use of Tall Man lettering in Australia, and known as National Tall Man Lettering. A three-stage approach was applied. An Australian list of similar drug names was systematically compiled from the literature and clinical error reports. Secondly, drug name pairs were prioritized using a risk matrix based on the likelihood of name confusion (a four-component score) vs. consensus ratings of the potential severity of the confusion by 31 expert reviewers. The mid-type Tall Man convention was then applied to derive the typography for the highest priority drug pair names. Of 250 pairs of confusable Australian drug names, comprising 341 discrete names, 35 pairs were identified by the matrix as an 'extreme' risk if confused. The mid-type Tall Man convention was successfully applied to the majority of the prioritized drugs; some adaption of the convention was required. This systematic process for identification of confusable drug names and associated risk, followed by application of a convention for Tall Man lettering, has produced a standard now endorsed for use in clinical settings in Australia. Periodic updating is recommended to accommodate new drug names and error reports. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Report on workshop to incorporate basin response in the design of tall buildings in the Puget Sound region, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Susan; Frankel, Arthur D.; Weaver, Craig S.

2014-01-01

On March 4, 2013, the City of Seattle and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) convened a workshop of 25 engineers and seismologists to provide recommendations to the City for the incorporation of amplification of earthquake ground shaking by the Seattle sedimentary basin in the design of tall buildings in Seattle. The workshop was initiated and organized by Susan Chang, a geotechnical engineer with the City of Seattle Department of Planning and Development, along with Art Frankel and Craig Weaver of the USGS. C.B. Crouse of URS Corporation, Seattle made key suggestions for the agenda. The USGS provided travel support for most of the out-of-town participants. The agenda and invited attendees are given in the appendix. The attendees included geotechnical and structural engineers working in Seattle, engineers with experience utilizing basin response factors in other regions, and seismologists who have studied basin response in a variety of locations. In this report, we summarize the technical presentations and the recommendations from the workshop.

Preliminary studies on allelopatic effect of some woody plants on seed germination of rye-grass and tall fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Arouiee, H; Nazdar, T; Mousavi, A

2010-11-01

In order to investigation of allelopathic effects of some ornamental trees on seed germination of rye-grass (Lolium prenne) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae), this experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates at the laboratory of Horticultural Sciences Department of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during 2008. In this research, we studied the effect of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Afghanistan pine (Pinus eldarica), arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica), black locust (Robinia psedue acacia) and box elder (Acer negundo) leaves that prepared in 1:5 ratio on seed germination percent and rate for two grasses. The results showed that all extracts decreased statistically seed germination in compared to control treatment. The highest germination percentage and germination rate of tested grass detected in control treatment. Hydro-alcoholic extracts of all woody plants (15, 30%) were completely inhibited seed germination of rye-grass and tall fescue. Also aqueous extract of arizona cypress was completely inhibited seed germination of tall fescue and had more inhibitory activity than other aqueous extracts on rye-grass. Between aqueous extracts, the highest and lowest seed germination of rye-grass was found in Afghanistan pine and arizona cypress, respectively.

Characterization of Epichloë coenophiala within the U.S.: are all tall fescue endophytes created equal?

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Carolyn; Charlton, Nikki; Takach, Johanna; Swoboda, Ginger; Trammell, Michael; Huhman, David; Hopkins, Andrew

2014-11-01

Tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) is a valuable and broadly adapted forage grass that occupies approximately 14 million hectares across the United States. A native to Europe, tall fescue was likely introduced into the U.S. around the late 1800’s. Much of the success of tall fescue can be attributed to Epichloë coenophiala (formerly Neotyphodium coenophialum) a seed borne symbiont that aids in host persistence. Epichloë species are capable of producing a range of alkaloids (ergot alkaloids, indole-diterpenes, lolines and peramine) that provide protection to the plant host from herbivory. Unfortunately, most tall fescue within the U.S., commonly referred to as KY31, harbors the endophyte E. coenophiala that causes toxicity to grazing livestock due to the production of ergot alkaloids. Molecular analyses of tall fescue endophytes have identified four independent associations, representing tall fescue with E. coenophiala, Epichloë sp. FaTG-2, Epichloë sp. FaTG-3 or Epichloë sp. FaTG-4. Each of these Epichloë species can be further distinguished based on genetic variation that equates to differences in the alkaloid gene loci. Tall fescue samples were evaluated using markers to SSR and alkaloid biosynthesis genes to determine endophyte strain variation present within continental U.S. Samples represented seed and tillers from the Suiter farm (Menifee County, KY), which is considered the originating site of KY31, as well as plant samples collected from 14 states, breeder’s seed and plant introduction lines (National Plant Germplasm System, NPGS). This study revealed two prominent E. coenophiala genotypes based on presence of alkaloid biosynthesis genes and SSR markers and provides insight into endophyte variation within continental U.S. across historical and current tall fescue samples.

Upgrading of raw tall oil soap into fuel oils and lubricants. Final report; Raakasuovan jalostus poltto- ja voiteluoeljyksi. Loppuraportti

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A.; Arpiainen, V.; McKeough, P.

1997-12-31

Thermochemical processing of tall oil soap originating from various mixtures of birch and pine has been experimentally investigated. The organic matter of tall oil soap, which is a by- product of Kraft pulping, originated mainly from wood extractives. Conventional processing of tall oil soap involves acidification with sulfuric acid to yield crude tall oil and subsequent distillation of the oil at centralized refineries. Because tall oil originating from birch wood is far less valuable than that from pine, there is an economic incentive in the Nordic Countries to develop alternative conversion processes for the tall oil soap produced at pulp mills where birch is widely used as feedstock. Furthermore, thermochemical processing of tall oil soap does not introduce sulfur into the chemical recovery cycle. This would be a significant advantage in future mills employing closure of water circuits and/or sulfur-free pulping. In small-scale experiments tall oil soaps from wood mixtures with high birch content have been processed using both liquid-phase thermal treatment and pyrolysis. The liquid-phase thermal treatment at 450 deg C under a nitrogen atmosphere yielded a good-quality oil product at high yield (about 50 % of the energy content of the tall oil soap). Also in the atmospheric pyrolysis of birch tall oil soap a separation of inorganic and organic constituents was obtained. The energy value of the product gases was high. Both processes are promising, but the pyrolysis alternative has the greater economic potential, providing that the promising preliminary experimental results have given a true picture of the performance of the full-scale pyrolysis process Bioenergy Research Programme; 3 refs., 3 figs.

75 FR 18451 - Safety and Security Zones; Tall Ships Challenge 2010, Great Lakes; Cleveland, OH; Bay City, MI...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-12

...-AA87 Safety and Security Zones; Tall Ships Challenge 2010, Great Lakes; Cleveland, OH; Bay City, MI.... SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish temporary safety and security zones around each Tall Ship visiting the Great Lakes during the Tall Ships Challenge 2010 race series. These safety and security zones...

Reverse engineering of TLX oncogenic transcriptional networks identifies RUNX1 as tumor suppressor in T-ALL.

Science.gov (United States)

Della Gatta, Giusy; Palomero, Teresa; Perez-Garcia, Arianne; Ambesi-Impiombato, Alberto; Bansal, Mukesh; Carpenter, Zachary W; De Keersmaecker, Kim; Sole, Xavier; Xu, Luyao; Paietta, Elisabeth; Racevskis, Janis; Wiernik, Peter H; Rowe, Jacob M; Meijerink, Jules P; Califano, Andrea; Ferrando, Adolfo A

2012-02-26

The TLX1 and TLX3 transcription factor oncogenes have a key role in the pathogenesis of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Here we used reverse engineering of global transcriptional networks to decipher the oncogenic regulatory circuit controlled by TLX1 and TLX3. This systems biology analysis defined T cell leukemia homeobox 1 (TLX1) and TLX3 as master regulators of an oncogenic transcriptional circuit governing T-ALL. Notably, a network structure analysis of this hierarchical network identified RUNX1 as a key mediator of the T-ALL induced by TLX1 and TLX3 and predicted a tumor-suppressor role for RUNX1 in T cell transformation. Consistent with these results, we identified recurrent somatic loss-of-function mutations in RUNX1 in human T-ALL. Overall, these results place TLX1 and TLX3 at the top of an oncogenic transcriptional network controlling leukemia development, show the power of network analyses to identify key elements in the regulatory circuits governing human cancer and identify RUNX1 as a tumor-suppressor gene in T-ALL.

Globalisation Reflected onto Architecture: Tall Buildings of Ankara-Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Tanju Gültekin, Ahmet

2017-10-01

Policy switching, radical socioeconomic changes, integration and globalisation were started in 1980s. New urban space developments have been accelerated in 1990s and provided urban space identity policies in 2000s. Luxurious shopping malls, hotels, and ultra-posh residences within the city and gated communities on city peripheries have been formed. Thus, the urban geography, urban silhouette and urban identity are being converted through tall buildings that signify the created prestige, status, and power in competition with the global capital. By the globalisation foresight the cities which have gotten ahead of the nation-state was seen. The buildings that converted into a symbolic (iconic) global product leads to an advantage in the race for attracting global investments and tourism, on behalf of the cities/urban districts. This process, which was initiated haphazardly in Turkey in the 1980s, has been on-going throughout the 1990s and especially in 2000s by means of the re-structuring of the government on a neo-liberal basis. The process is concurrently observable through the tall buildings and/or building blocks which match with urban regeneration projects, urban zoning plan revisions and fragmented zoning plans. In this study, the new global world order is evaluated by their status and architectural properties of selected tall and iconic/ultra-modern buildings in Ankara.

Ajaloomuuseumi hoovil laguneb kaitsealune tall / Juhan Mellik

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mellik, Juhan

2010-01-01

Ajaloomuuseumile kuuluv 19. sajandist pärit Maarjamäe suvemõisa tall on hävimisohus, sest hoone katusetalad on mädanenud. Laguneb ka Maarjamäe lossikompleksi juurde viiv trepistik. Tallinna kultuuriväärtuste ameti muinsuskaitse osakonna juhataja Boris Duboviku ja peaspetsialist Oliver Orro ning kultuuriministeeriumi riigivarabüroo juhataja Andres Nõlve arvamus

Notice of release of Syn1 Tall Fescue

Science.gov (United States)

The Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture announces the release of Syn1 tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (syn., Lolium arundinaceum Darbyshire; Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub)] (PI xxxx, PI xxxx) germplasm developed by Dr. Bryan K. Kindiger at the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Res...

Relative effectiveness of sewage sludge as a nitrogen fertilizer for tall fescue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiemnec, G.L.; Jackson, T.L.; Hemphill, D.D. Jr.; Volk, V.V.

Sewage sludge application rates on grasses are mainly determined by N availability and concentration of toxic metals in sludge. The exact availability of N in sludge is difficult to predict. A 3-yr study was conducted to determine which sludge rates would give yields of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb. Alta) comparable to yields obtained from inorganic N application. Sludge and NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ were surface applied at annual rates of 0, 110, 220, 440, and 880 (sludge only) kg N/ha. Dry matter yield of tall fescue from sludge-treated soils was 36, 56, and 50% of that on NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/-treated soils for 1976, 1977, and 1978, respectively. Sludge was 27, 41, and 44% as effective as NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ as a source of available N in 1976, 1977, and 1978, respectively. Ammonium-N in the sewage sludge apparently provided most of the available N for fescue growth. Concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Cu were higher and Mn lower in tall fescue grown on sludge-treated soil with NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ and usually increased toward the end of the growing season. However, plant concentrations of these heavy metals never reached toxic levels at any time. Sewage sludge was an effective and safe nutrient source for tall fescue.

Transcriptional activation of prostate specific homeobox gene NKX3-1 in subsets of T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Nagel

Full Text Available Homeobox genes encode transcription factors impacting key developmental processes including embryogenesis, organogenesis, and cell differentiation. Reflecting their tight transcriptional control, homeobox genes are often embedded in large non-coding, cis-regulatory regions, containing tissue specific elements. In T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL homeobox genes are frequently deregulated by chromosomal aberrations, notably translocations adding T-cell specific activatory elements. NKX3-1 is a prostate specific homeobox gene activated in T-ALL patients expressing oncogenic TAL1 or displaying immature T-cell characteristics. After investigating regulation of NKX3-1 in primary cells and cell lines, we report its ectopic expression in T-ALL cells independent of chromosomal rearrangements. Using siRNAs and expression profiling, we exploited NKX3-1 positive T-ALL cell lines as tools to investigate aberrant activatory mechanisms. Our data confirmed NKX3-1 activation by TAL1/GATA3/LMO and identified LYL1 as an alternative activator in immature T-ALL cells devoid of GATA3. Moreover, we showed that NKX3-1 is directly activated by early T-cell homeodomain factor MSX2. These activators were regulated by MLL and/or by IL7-, BMP4- and IGF2-signalling. Finally, we demonstrated homeobox gene SIX6 as a direct leukemic target of NKX3-1 in T-ALL. In conclusion, we identified three major mechanisms of NKX3-1 regulation in T-ALL cell lines which are represented by activators TAL1, LYL1 and MSX2, corresponding to particular T-ALL subtypes described in patients. These results may contribute to the understanding of leukemic transcriptional networks underlying disturbed T-cell differentiation in T-ALL.

Earthquake disaster simulation of civil infrastructures from tall buildings to urban areas

CERN Document Server

Lu, Xinzheng

2017-01-01

Based on more than 12 years of systematic investigation on earthquake disaster simulation of civil infrastructures, this book covers the major research outcomes including a number of novel computational models, high performance computing methods and realistic visualization techniques for tall buildings and urban areas, with particular emphasize on collapse prevention and mitigation in extreme earthquakes, earthquake loss evaluation and seismic resilience. Typical engineering applications to several tallest buildings in the world (e.g., the 632 m tall Shanghai Tower and the 528 m tall Z15 Tower) and selected large cities in China (the Beijing Central Business District, Xi'an City, Taiyuan City and Tangshan City) are also introduced to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed computational models and techniques. The high-fidelity computational model developed in this book has proven to be the only feasible option to date for earthquake-induced collapse simulation of supertall buildings that are higher than 50...

Tall fescue ergot alkaloids are vasoactive in equine vasculature

Science.gov (United States)

Mares grazing endophyte-infected (Epichloë coenophiala) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) typically exhibit reproductive dysfunction rather than problems associated with peripheral vasoconstriction as a primary sign of the fescue toxicosis syndrome. Research using Doppler ultrasonography demonstrate...

Inhibition of IGF1-R overcomes IGFBP7-induced chemotherapy resistance in T-ALL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartram, Isabelle; Erben, Ulrike; Ortiz-Tanchez, Jutta; Blunert, Katja; Schlee, Cornelia; Neumann, Martin; Heesch, Sandra; Baldus, Claudia D.

2015-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease with the need for treatment optimization. Previously, high expression of Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), a member of the IGF system, was identified as negative prognostic factor in adult T-ALL patients. Since aberrant IGFBP7 expression was observed in a variety of neoplasia and was relevant for prognosis in T-ALL, we investigated the functional role of IGFBP7 in Jurkat and Molt-4 cells as in vitro models for T-ALL. Jurkat and Molt-4 cells were stably transfected with an IGFBP7 over-expression vector or the empty vector as control. Proliferation of the cells was assessed by WST-1 assays and cell cycle status was measured by flow-cytometry after BrDU/7-AAD staining. The effect of IGFBP7 over-expression on sensitivity to cytostatic drugs was determined in AnnexinV/7-AAD assays. IGF1-R protein expression was measured by Western Blot and flow-cytometric analysis. IGF1-R associated gene expression profiles were generated from microarray gene expression data of 86 T-ALL patients from the Microarrays Innovations in Leukemia (MILE) multicenter study. IGFBP7-transfected Jurkat cells proliferated less, leading to a longer survival in a nutrient–limited environment. Both IGFBP7-transfected Jurkat and Molt-4 cells showed an arrest in the G0/G1 cell cycle phase. Furthermore, Jurkat IGFBP7-transfected cells were resistant to vincristine and asparaginase treatment. Surface expression and whole protein measurement of IGF1-R protein expression showed a reduced abundance of the receptor after IGFBP7 transfection in Jurkat cells. Interestingly, combination of the IGF1-R inhibitor NPV-AEW541 restored sensitivity to vincristine in IGFBP7-transfected cells. Additionally, IGF1-R associated GEP revealed an up-regulation of important drivers of T-ALL pathogenesis and regulators of chemo-resistance and apoptosis such as NOTCH1, BCL-2, PRKCI, and TP53. This study revealed a

40 CFR 721.9672 - Amides, tall-oil fatty, N-[2-[2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl], reaction products with sulfur dioxide...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amides, tall-oil fatty, N-[2-[2... Significant New Uses for Specific Chemical Substances § 721.9672 Amides, tall-oil fatty, N-[2-[2-hydroxyethyl... identified as amides, tall-oil fatty, N-[2-[2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethyl], reaction products with sulfur...

Chemical composition and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

in ruminant feeds may be in the form of simple organic compounds or inorganic compounds .... Other researchers (Blaser et al., 1969) have found that cows grazing tall fescue without ... Official methods of analysis (13th edn.). Association of.

Trials with TALL-1O4 Cells for Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

1999-10-01

Cesano, A.*, Jeglum, K. A., and Santoli, D. Adjuvant treatment of canine osteosarcoma with the human cytotoxic T cell line TALL-104. Clin. Cancer... canine malignant histiocytosis with the human MHC non-restricted cytotoxic T cell line TALL-104. Clin. Cancer Res., 3: 1789-1797, 1997. 14. Visonneau, S...Visonneau, S., Cesano, A., Jeglum, K. A., and Santoli, D. Adoptive therapy of canine metastatic mammary carcinoma with the human MHC non-restricted

Gasification of tall oil soap for lime kiln fuel. Suovan kaasutus meesauunin polttoaineeksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saviharju, K.; McKeough, P.; Pyykkoenen, M.; Oasmaa, A. (Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland). Lab. of Fuel and Process Technology)

1993-01-01

The energy delivered to a modern pulp mill in the form of material unsuitable for fibre production exceeds the energy demand of the mill by about 30 %. Purchased lime kiln fuel further increases the surplus by 5-10 %. On the other hand, acidulation of tall oil soap adds about 1-3 kg SO[sub 2] for t of pulp onto the difficult-to-manage sulphur balance of the mill. Pyrolysis or gasification of tall oil soap could alleviate both these problems. In this study, gasification of tall oil soap was investigated in laboratory experiments as well as on a 200 kW test gasifier. In the laboratory experiments tall oil soap was pyrolyzed both on a heated-grid unit and on a thermobalance at heating rates of 600 K/s and 10 K/min, respectively. The maximum temperature was 675 deg C. The amount of volatiles formed was high, about 77 %, the amount of coke and inorganic salts being 7 % and 16 %, respectively. In the 200 kW gasifier, tests were carried out with mixed soap (pine and birch) such that the gas outlet temperature was 680-690 deg C. Because of the low gasification temperature complete gasification of the char was not achieved. The heat content of the product gas, including the sensible heat, was about 5.8 MJ/m[sup 3]n, which was estimated to be sufficient for lime calcination. Typical of the product gas were high tar content (20 g/m[sup 3]n), high acetylene content, and the absence of hydrogen sulphide. Overall, the results of this study indicated that the most significant subjects for future research are the atomization properties of tall oil soap, the effects of different amounts of input sodium on the operability of the lime kiln, and the economics of the proposed gasification process

Process economics of renewable biorefineries: butanol and ethanol production in integrated bioprocesses from lignocellulosics and other industrial by-products

Science.gov (United States)

This chapter provides process economic details on production of butanol from lignocellulosic biomass and glycerol in integrated bioreactors where numerous unit operations are combined. In order to compare various processes, economic evaluations were performed using SuperPro Designer Software (versio...

Autonomous Mower vs. Rotary Mower: Effects on Turf Quality and Weed Control in Tall Fescue Lawn

OpenAIRE

Michel Pirchio; Marco Fontanelli; Christian Frasconi; Luisa Martelloni; Michele Raffaelli; Andrea Peruzzi; Monica Gaetani; Simone Magni; Lisa Caturegli; Marco Volterrani; Nicola Grossi

2018-01-01

Autonomous mowers are battery-powered machines designed for lawn mowing that require very low human labour. Autonomous mowers can increase turf quality and reduce local noise and pollution compared with gasoline-powered rotary mowers. However, very little is known about the effects of autonomous mowing on encroaching weeds. The aim of this research was to compare the effects of an autonomous mower and an ordinary gasoline-powered mower on weed development in an artificially infested tall fesc...

A Biomimetic Structural Form: Developing a Paradigm to Attain Vital Sustainability in Tall Architecture

OpenAIRE

Osama Al-Sehail

2017-01-01

This paper argues for sustainability as a necessity in the evolution of tall architecture. It provides a different mode for dealing with sustainability in tall architecture, taking into consideration the speciality of its typology. To this end, the article develops a Biomimetic Structural Form as a paradigm to attain Vital Sustainability. A Biomimetic Structural Form, which is derived from the amalgamation of biomimicry as an approach for sustainability defining nature as source of knowledge ...

Heat Release Rate of an Open Kitchen Fire of Small Residential Units in Tall Buildings

OpenAIRE

Chow, W.K.

2014-01-01

Many small units of area less than 30 m2 in residential buildings over 200 m tall are equipped with open kitchens in Asia, including Hong Kong. Fire safety provisions of these kitchens are determined by performance-based design (PBD). In most PBD projects, only the spread of smoke from the kitchen on fire to the outside was commonly studied. However, a fire load survey in Hong Kong indicated large quantities of combustibles are stored in residential units. Cooking oil was found to be ignited ...

77 FR 47624 - Tall Bear Group, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-09

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER12-2374-000] Tall Bear Group, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market- Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of Tall Bear...

Economic Analysis of USN-Based Data Acquisition Systems in Tall Building Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyunsu Lim

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The successful construction of tall buildings requires effective construction management based on various quantitative data. The recent development of ubiquitous sensor networks (USNs enables massive amounts of data to be collected in real-time. However, the application of USN-based data acquisition systems to repetitive tasks on typical floors of tall buildings can be inefficient, because this may involve the repetitive reinstallation of sensors and the repositioning of data loggers and routers to enable continuous data transfer. To minimize this cumbersome work, a modified data acquisition method using reusable sensor nodes and mobile devices can be a useful solution. This study analyzes the economic aspects of the USN-based systems for concrete temperature monitoring by using the activity-based costing technique. The case study shows that the modified system can reduce the process cost by about 19%. It can also reduce the resource input time of management by about 55%, freeing up time for other management activities. Moreover, the cost benefits should scale up as projects increasingly require more measurement and monitoring. This study should facilitate the application of USN-based information management systems, particularly for tall building construction.

Aberrant activity of NKL homeobox gene NKX3-2 in a T-ALL subset

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Corinna; Kaufmann, Maren; Zaborski, Margarete; MacLeod, Roderick A. F.; Drexler, Hans G.

2018-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematopoietic malignancy originating from T-cell progenitors in which differentiation is blocked at early stages. Physiological expression of specific NKL homeobox genes obeys a hematopoietic NKL-code implicated in the process of lymphopoiesis while in differentiated T-cells these genes are silenced. We propose that this developmental expression pattern underlies the observation that NKL homeobox genes are the most ubiquitous group of transcription factors deregulated in T-ALL, including TLX1, TLX3, NKX2-5 and NKX3-1. Here, we describe a novel member of the NKL homeobox gene subclass, NKX3-2 (BAPX1), which is aberrantly activated in 18% of pediatric T-ALL patients analyzed while being normally expressed in developing spleen. Identification of NKX3-2 expression in T-ALL cell line CCRF-CEM qualified these cells to model its deregulation and function in a leukemic context. Genomic and chromosomal analyses demonstrated normal configuration of the NKX3-2 locus at chromosome 4p15, thus excluding cytogenetic dysregulation. Comparative expression profiling analysis of NKX3-2 patient data revealed deregulated activity of BMP- and MAPK-signalling. These candidate pathways were experimentally confirmed to mediate aberrant NKX3-2 expression. We also show that homeobox gene SIX6, plus MIR17HG and GATA3 are downstream targets of NKX3-2 and plausibly contribute to the pathogenesis of this malignancy by suppressing T-cell differentiation. Finally, NKL homeobox gene NKX2-5 was activated by NKX3-2 in CCRF-CEM and by FOXG1 in PEER, representing mutually inhibitory activators of this translocated oncogene. Together, our findings reveal a novel oncogenic NKL homeobox gene subclass member which is aberrantly expressed in a large subset of T-ALL patients and participates in a deregulated gene network likely to arise in developing spleen. PMID:29746601

Remediation of PAH-contaminated soil by the combination of tall fescue, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and epigeic earthworms.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yan-Fei; Lu, Mang

2015-03-21

A 120-day experiment was performed to investigate the effect of a multi-component bioremediation system consisting of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) (Glomus caledoniun L.), and epigeic earthworms (Eisenia foetida) for cleaning up polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-contaminated soil. Inoculation with AMF and/or earthworms increased plant yield and PAH accumulation in plants. However, PAH uptake by tall fescue accounted for a negligible portion of soil PAH removal. Mycorrhizal tall fescue significantly enhanced PAH dissipation, PAH degrader density and polyphenol oxidase activity in soil. The highest PAH dissipation (93.4%) was observed in the combination treatment: i.e., AMF+earthworms+tall fescue, in which the soil PAH concentration decreased from an initial value of 620 to 41 mg kg(-1) in 120 days. This concentration is below the threshold level required for Chinese soil PAH quality (45 mg kg(-1) dry weight) for residential use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical composition and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Chemical composition and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue pasture for dairy cows. TJ Dugmore, KP Walsh, Sally J. Morning, CI MacDonald. Abstract. No Abstract. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO ...

Computer Programme for the Dynamic Analysis of Tall Regular ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The traditional method of dynamic analysis of tall rigid frames assumes the shear frame model. Models that allow joint rotations with/without the inclusion of the column axial loads give improved results but pose much more computational difficulty. In this work a computer program Natfrequency that determines the dynamic ...

Fatherhood in tall men treated with high-dose sex steroids during adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendriks, A E J; Boellaard, W P A; van Casteren, N J; Romijn, J C; de Jong, F H; Boot, A M; Drop, S L S

2010-12-01

Sex steroid treatment to reduce final height of tall boys has been available since the 1950s. In women, it has been shown to interfere with fertility. In men, no such data are available. We therefore evaluated fertility and gonadal function in tall men who did or did not receive high-dose androgen treatment in adolescence. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 116 tall men, of whom 60 had been treated. Reproductive and gonadal function was assessed by standardized interview, semen analysis, endocrine parameters, ultrasound imaging, and fatherhood. Mean age at treatment commencement was 14.2 yr, and mean follow-up was 21.2 yr. Sixty-six men (36 treated and 30 untreated) had attempted to achieve fatherhood. The probability of conceiving their first pregnancy within 1 yr was similar in treated and untreated men (26 vs. 24; Breslow P=0.8). Eleven treated and 13 untreated men presented with a left-sided varicocele (P=0.5). Testicular volume, sperm quality, and serum LH, FSH, and inhibin B levels were comparable between treated and untreated men. However, treated men had significantly reduced serum T levels, adjusted for known confounders [mean (sd) 13.3 (1.8) vs. 15.2 (1.9) nmol/liter; P=0.005). In addition, testicular volume and serum inhibin B and FSH levels in treated men were significantly correlated with age at treatment commencement. At a mean follow-up of 21 yr after high-dose androgen treatment, we conclude that fatherhood and semen quality in tall treated men are not affected. Serum testosterone levels, however, are reduced in androgen-treated men. Future research is required to determine whether declining testosterone levels may become clinically relevant for these men as they age.

Evolutionary history of tall fescue morphotypes inferred from molecular phylogenetics of the Lolium-Festuca species complex

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stewart Alan V

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The agriculturally important pasture grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. syn. Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb. Darbysh. is an outbreeding allohexaploid, that may be more accurately described as a species complex consisting of three major (Continental, Mediterranean and rhizomatous morphotypes. Observation of hybrid infertility in some crossing combinations between morphotypes suggests the possibility of independent origins from different diploid progenitors. This study aims to clarify the evolutionary relationships between each tall fescue morphotype through phylogenetic analysis using two low-copy nuclear genes (encoding plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase [Acc1] and centroradialis [CEN], the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA ITS and the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA genome-located matK gene. Other taxa within the closely related Lolium-Festuca species complex were also included in the study, to increase understanding of evolutionary processes in a taxonomic group characterised by multiple inter-specific hybridisation events. Results Putative homoeologous sequences from both nuclear genes were obtained from each polyploid species and compared to counterparts from 15 diploid taxa. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed F. pratensis and F. arundinacea var. glaucescens as probable progenitors to Continental tall fescue, and these species are also likely to be ancestral to the rhizomatous morphotype. However, these two morphotypes are sufficiently distinct to be located in separate clades based on the ITS-derived data set. All four of the generated data sets suggest independent evolution of the Mediterranean and Continental morphotypes, with minimal affinity between cognate sequence haplotypes. No obvious candidate progenitor species for Mediterranean tall fescues were identified, and only two putative sub-genome-specific haplotypes were identified for this morphotype. Conclusions This study describes the first

Wind Shear Characteristics at Central Plains Tall Towers (presentation)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartz, M.; Elliott, D.

2006-06-05

The objectives of this report are: (1) Analyze wind shear characteristics at tall tower sites for diverse areas in the central plains (Texas to North Dakota)--Turbines hub heights are now 70-100 m above ground and Wind measurements at 70-100+ m have been rare. (2) Present conclusions about wind shear characteristics for prime wind energy development regions.

Alterations in serotonin receptor-induced contractility of bovine lateral saphenous vein in cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue

Science.gov (United States)

As part of a large 2-year study documenting the physiologic impact of grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue on growing cattle, 2 experiments were conducted to characterize and evaluate the effects of grazing 2 levels of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures on vascular contractility and ser...

Fertilization of Southern Tall Grassveld of Natal: effects on botanical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The long-term effects of nitrogen, phosphate and lime on change in botanical composition and utilisation under grazing of Southern Tall Grassveld of Natal are presented. Nitrogen, phosphate, lime and type of nitrogen affected botanical composition significantly. Generally, fertilisation had the same effect on species ...

Wind profile modelling using WAsP and "tall" wind measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Floors, Rogier Ralph; Kelly, Mark C.; Troen, Ib

2015-01-01

extrapolations (the wind profile) this is done using the Weibull distribution and the geostrophic drag law. Wind lidar measurements obtained during the ’Tall wind’ campaign at three different sites are used to evaluate the assumptions and equations that are used in the WAsP vertical extrapolation strategy...

Pre-test analysis for identification of natural circulation instabilities in TALL-3D facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kööp, Kaspar, E-mail: kaspar@safety.sci.kth.se; Jeltsov, Marti, E-mail: marti@safety.sci.kth.se; Grishchenko, Dmitry, E-mail: dmitry@safety.sci.kth.se; Kudinov, Pavel, E-mail: pavel@safety.sci.kth.se

2017-04-01

Highlights: • Global optimum search method was used to identify a region of instability. • Parametric study was used for detailed investigation of system behavior modes. • The results include identification of sustained mass flow rate oscillations. • Recommendations are made for selection of optimal experimental conditions. - Abstract: TALL-3D facility is a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) thermal-hydraulic loop designed to provide experimental data on thermal-hydraulics phenomena for validation of stand-alone and coupled System Thermal Hydraulics (STH) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. Pre-test analysis is crucial for proper choice of experimental conditions at which the experimental data would be most useful for code validation and benchmarking. The goal of this work is to identify these conditions at which the experiment is challenging for the STH codes yet minimizes the 3D-effects from the test section on the loop dynamics. The analysis is focused on the identification of limit cycle flow oscillations in the TALL-3D facility main heater leg using a global optimum search tool GA-NPO to find a general region in the parameter space where oscillatory behavior is expected. As a second step a grid study is conducted outlining the boundaries between different stability modes. Phenomena, simulation results and methodology for selection of the test parameters are discussed in detail and recommendations for experiments are provided.

A Simple Tall Fescue Seed Extraction and Partial Purification of Ergovaline

Science.gov (United States)

There are several substances present in the tall fescue/endophyte association (Lolium arundinaceum /Neotyphodium coenophialum) that have biological activity. These include the pyrrolizidine and ergot alkaloids plus peramine. Of these compounds only the ergot alkaloids have significant mammalian to...

Influence of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine-type alkaloids on the toxic effects associated with ingestion of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp) in cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Kevin D; Green, Benedict T; Gardner, Dale R; Cook, Daniel; Pfister, James A; Stegelmeier, Bryan L; Panter, Kip E; Davis, T Zane

2010-04-01

To determine the contribution of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine (MDL)-type alkaloids to the toxic effects of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp) consumption in cattle. Sixteen 2-year-old Angus steers. Plant material from 3 populations of tall larkspur that contained different concentration ratios of MDL-type-to-N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine (MSAL)-type alkaloids was collected, dried, and finely ground. For each plant population, a dose of ground plant material that would elicit similar clinical signs of toxicosis in cattle after oral administration was determined on the basis of the plants' MSAL-type alkaloid concentration. Cattle were treated via oral gavage with single doses of ground plant material from each of the 3 populations of tall larkspur; each animal underwent 1 to 3 single-dose treatments (> or = 21-day interval between treatments). Heart rate was recorded immediately before (baseline) and 24 hours after each larkspur treatment. Tall larkspur populations with a lower MDL-type-to-MSAL-type alkaloid concentration ratio required a greater amount of MSAL-type alkaloids to cause the expected clinical signs of toxicosis (including increased heart rate) in cattle. Results indicated that the typically less toxic MDL-type alkaloids contributed in a significant manner to the toxic effects of tall larkspur in steers. Consequently, both the concentration of MSAL-type alkaloids and the total concentration of MSAL- and MDL-type alkaloids should be determined when assessing the relative toxicity of tall larkspur populations. These results provide valuable information to determine the risk of toxicosis in cattle grazing on tall larkspur-infested rangelands.

Influence of harvest managements on biomass nutrient concentrations and removal rates of festulolium and tall fescue from a poorly drained nutrient-rich fen peatland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kandel, Tanka; Elsgaard, Lars; Lærke, Poul Erik

2017-01-01

This study was designed to show the effects of harvest time and frequency on biomass nutrient concentrations (total ash, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn) as well as total nutrient removal potential by festulolium and tall fescue cultivated on a nutrient-rich fen peatland. The harvest managemen...

Usage of methyl ester of tall oil fatty acids and resinic acids as alternative diesel fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keskin, Ali; Yasar, Abdulkadir; Guerue, Metin; Altiparmak, Duran

2010-01-01

In the experimental study, tall oil fatty and resinic acids were investigated as alternative diesel fuels. The fatty acids, obtained by distilling the crude tall oil, were esterified with methanol in order to obtain tall oil methyl ester (biodiesel). Blends of the methyl ester, resinic acids and diesel fuel were prepared for test fuels. Performance and emission tests of the test fuels were carried out in an unmodified direct injection diesel engine on full load conditions. The results showed that the specific fuel consumption (SFC) with the blend fuels did not show a significant change. CO emission and smoke level decreased up to 23.91% and 19.40%, respectively. In general, NO x emissions showed on trend of increasing with the blend fuels (up to 25.42%). CO 2 emissions did not vary with the blend fuels significantly.

Usage of methyl ester of tall oil fatty acids and resinic acids as alternative diesel fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keskin, Ali; Yasar, Abdulkadir [Tarsus Technical Education Faculty, Mersin University, 33500 Mersin (Turkey); Guerue, Metin [Engineering and Architectural Faculty, Gazi University, 06570 Maltepe, Ankara (Turkey); Altiparmak, Duran [Technical Education Faculty, Gazi University, 06500 Ankara (Turkey)

2010-12-15

In the experimental study, tall oil fatty and resinic acids were investigated as alternative diesel fuels. The fatty acids, obtained by distilling the crude tall oil, were esterified with methanol in order to obtain tall oil methyl ester (biodiesel). Blends of the methyl ester, resinic acids and diesel fuel were prepared for test fuels. Performance and emission tests of the test fuels were carried out in an unmodified direct injection diesel engine on full load conditions. The results showed that the specific fuel consumption (SFC) with the blend fuels did not show a significant change. CO emission and smoke level decreased up to 23.91% and 19.40%, respectively. In general, NO{sub x} emissions showed on trend of increasing with the blend fuels (up to 25.42%). CO{sub 2} emissions did not vary with the blend fuels significantly. (author)

The seasonal growth patterns of a Tall Grassveld sward | NFG ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The growth patterns of a Tall Grassveld sward measured with an inclined point and by clipping and weighing were determined by moisture conditions except in winter when temperature was limiting. The inclined point as a method of determining yield which might replace clipping and weighing, holds promise but is unlikely ...

Dynamics of tall buildings under stochastic wind load: Applicability of Eurocode EN 1991-1-4 procedures 1 and 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenbergen, R.D.J.M.; Vrouwenvelder, A.C.W.M.; Geurts, C.P.W.

2009-01-01

The new generation of tall buildings is higher and more slender than the buildings built before. Additionally, increased use is made of high-strength materials which have a higher strength yet the same stiffness properties as conventional materials. Both aspects increase the sensitivity of tall

Dynamics of tall buildings under stochastic wind load: applicability of Eurocode EN 1991-1-4 procedures 1 and 2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenbergen, R.D.J.M.; Vrouwenvelder, A.C.W.M.; Geurts, C.P.W.; Borri, C.

2009-01-01

The new generation of tall buildings is higher and more slender than the buildings built before. Additionally, increased use is made of high-strength materials which have a higher strength yet the same stiffness properties as conventional materials. Both aspects increase the sensitivity of tall

Genotype x environment interactions in Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal cross cows and their calves grazing common bermudagrass and endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, M A; Brown, A H; Jackson, W G; Miesner, J R

1997-04-01

Reproductive and preweaning data on 233 Angus (A), Brahman (B), and reciprocal-cross cows (AB, BA) and 455 two- and three-breed cross calves managed on common bermudagrass or endophyte-infected tall fescue were used to evaluate the interaction of forage type with individual and maternal heterosis and maternal and grandmaternal breed effects. Cows were born from 1988 to 1991 and calves from 15 Polled Hereford sires were born from 1991 to 1994. Heterosis for calving rate was similar and important on both forages (P < .01), but maternal effects were small on each forage. Maternal heterosis for birth weight differed between common bermudagrass and tall fescue (P < .10) and grandmaternal effects were evident on bermudagrass (P < .05) but not tall fescue. Forage effects were generally substantial for 205-d weight, weaning hip height, and weaning weight:height ratio (P < .01), and maternal heterosis for these traits was larger on tall fescue than on common bermudagrass (P < .01). Grandmaternal effects were in favor of Angus for 205-d weight, hip height, and weight:height ratio on common bermudagrass (P < .05) but not on tall fescue. Heterosis for 205-d weight per cow exposed was substantial on both forages (P < .01) and was numerically larger on tall fescue than on bermudagrass, but maternal effects were not significant. These results suggest more advantage for Brahman-cross cows over purebreds on endophyte-infected tall fescue than a similar comparison on common bermudagrass. They also suggest an advantage for Angus in grandmaternal effects on bermudagrass but not tall fescue.

Association Analysis of Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR Markers with Agronomic Traits in Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanhong Lou

Full Text Available Tall fescue is widely used in temperate regions throughout the world as a dominant forage grass as well as a turfgrass, in pastoral and turf industry. However, the utilization of tall fescue was limited because of its leaf roughness, poor regeneration ability and poor stress resistance. New cultivars were desirable in modern pastoral industries exceed the potential of existing cultivars. Therefore, well understanding the agronomic traits and describing germplasms would help to overcome these constraints, and morphological evaluation of tall fescue germplasm is the key component in selecting rational parents for hybridization breeding. However, describing the morphological traits of tall fescue germplasm is costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, biotechnology approaches can supplement conventional breeding efforts for tall fescue improvement. Association mapping, as a powerful approach to identify association between agronomic traits and molecular markers has been widely used for enhancing the utilization, conservation and management of the tall fescue germplasms. Therefore, in the present research, 115 tall fescue accessions from different origins (25 accessions are cultivars; 31 accessions from America; 32 accessions from European; 7 accessions from Africa; 20 accessions from Asia, were evaluated for agronomic traits and genetic diversity with 90 simple sequence repeat (SSR markers. The panel displayed significant variation in spike count per plant (SCP and spike weight (SW. However, BCS performed the lowest CV among all the observed agronomic traits. Three subpopulations were identified within the collections but no obvious relative kinship (K was found. The GLM model was used to describe the association between SSR and agronomic traits. Fifty-one SSR markers associated with agronomic traits were observed. Twelve single-associated markers were associated with PH; six single-associated markers were associated with BCS; eight single

Experiments on natural circulation of lead-bismuth in the TALL test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, W.M.; Karbojian, A.; Sehgal, B.R.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) is a potential candidate coolant for next generation liquid metal reactors due to its favorable properties such as being chemical inert and low melting point, in comparison with sodium and lead considered as coolants in FBRs. Having a high atomic number of LBE allows it be well suited as a spallation target for accelerator-driven systems (ADS) which have been proposed for the transmutation of nuclear waste. Due to its strong buoyancy, the LBE-cooled system should also have significant natural circulation, which is desirable for so-called Generation IV nuclear reactors, which like to employ passive safety and reliability. But so far, very little experimental data have been published on the natural circulation thermal-hydraulics of LBE-cooled systems. Motivated by the increasing interest in LBE-cooled fast reactors and ADS, a test facility called Thermal-hydraulic ADS Lead-bismuth Loop (TALL) was designed and constructed at KTH to investigate the thermalhydraulic characteristics of liquid LBE. The facility consists of a primary loop (LBE loop) and a secondary loop (oil loop). The LBE loop consists of sump tank, core tank, expansion tank, heat exchanger, EM pump, EM flowmeter, electric heaters and instrumentation. The heating of LBE in the core tank and its cooling in the heat exchanger allows natural convection flows as should occur in the prototypic vessel. Recently, our experimental study on natural circulation was performed on the TALL test facility. This paper will present the experimental results and analysis. The facility is of 6.8 m height which is comparable to the full height of the LBE heat exchange circuit in the ANSALDO ADS reactor vessel design, and has been scaled for prototypic (power/volume) ratio to represent the main components. Their LBE volume, flow velocity and heating rates correspond to one tube of the heat exchanger design chosen. During the experiments, the main adjustable

Genome-wide SNP identification in multiple morphotypes of allohexaploid tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hand Melanie L

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs provide essential tools for the advancement of research in plant genomics, and the development of SNP resources for many species has been accelerated by the capabilities of second-generation sequencing technologies. The current study aimed to develop and use a novel bioinformatic pipeline to generate a comprehensive collection of SNP markers within the agriculturally important pasture grass tall fescue; an outbreeding allopolyploid species displaying three distinct morphotypes: Continental, Mediterranean and rhizomatous. Results A bioinformatic pipeline was developed that successfully identified SNPs within genotypes from distinct tall fescue morphotypes, following the sequencing of 414 polymerase chain reaction (PCR – generated amplicons using 454 GS FLX technology. Equivalent amplicon sets were derived from representative genotypes of each morphotype, including six Continental, five Mediterranean and one rhizomatous. A total of 8,584 and 2,292 SNPs were identified with high confidence within the Continental and Mediterranean morphotypes respectively. The success of the bioinformatic approach was demonstrated through validation (at a rate of 70% of a subset of 141 SNPs using both SNaPshot™ and GoldenGate™ assay chemistries. Furthermore, the quantitative genotyping capability of the GoldenGate™ assay revealed that approximately 30% of the putative SNPs were accessible to co-dominant scoring, despite the hexaploid genome structure. The sub-genome-specific origin of each SNP validated from Continental tall fescue was predicted using a phylogenetic approach based on comparison with orthologous sequences from predicted progenitor species. Conclusions Using the appropriate bioinformatic approach, amplicon resequencing based on 454 GS FLX technology is an effective method for the identification of polymorphic SNPs within the genomes of Continental and Mediterranean tall fescue. The

Performance, forage utilization, and ergovaline consumption by beef cows grazing endophyte fungus-infected tall fescue, endophyte fungus-free tall fescue, or orchardgrass pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, C W; Grigsby, K N; Aldrich, C G; Paterson, J A; Lipsey, R J; Kerley, M S; Garner, G B

1992-05-01

Two 120-d trials (May to September, 1988 and 1989) determined the effects of grazing tall fescue (two varieties) or orchardgrass on forage intake and performance by beef cows. Each summer, 48 cow-calf pairs grazed endophyte-infected Kentucky-31 tall fescue (KY-31), endophyte-free Mozark tall fescue (MOZARK), or Hallmark orchardgrass (OG) pastures (16 pairs/treatment). Forage OM intakes and digestibilities were determined during June and August each year. Cow and calf BW and milk production were determined every 28 d. During June of both years, OM intakes did not differ (P greater than .10) among treatments. During August of 1988, intakes were 18% lower (P less than .05) by KY-31 cows (1.6% of BW) than by MOZARK or OG cows (average 1.95% of BW); however, no differences (P greater than .10) were measured in August of 1989. Estimates of ergovaline consumption during June from KY-31 were between 4.2 (1988) and 6.0 mg/d (1989), whereas August estimates were between 1.1 (1988) and 2.8 mg/d (1989). Ergovaline in MOZARK estrusa was below detection limits, except in August of 1989. Cows that grazed KY-31 lost three times (P less than .01) more BW than cows that grazed MOZARK or OG (42 vs 9 and 13 kg, respectively). Milk production by KY-31 cows was 25% lower (P less than .01) than that by cows that grazed MOZARK or OG (6.0 vs average of 8.0 kg/d). Similarly, slower (P less than .01) calf gains were noted for KY-31 than for MOZARK or OG (.72 vs .89 and .88 kg/d, respectively). Cows grazing KY-31 experienced accelerated BW loss and reduced milk production and weaned lighter calves than did cows grazing MOZARK or OG. Decreased performance was not explained by consistently reduced forage intakes; hence, altered nutrient utilization was suspected.

Molecular characterisation and interpretation of genetic diversity within globally distributed germplasm collections of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and meadow fescue (F. pratensis Huds.).

Science.gov (United States)

Hand, Melanie L; Cogan, Noel O I; Forster, John W

2012-04-01

Allohexaploid tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. syn. Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh.) is an agriculturally important grass cultivated for pasture and turf world-wide. Genetic improvement of tall fescue could benefit from the use of non-domesticated germplasm to diversify breeding populations through the incorporation of novel and superior allele content. However, such potential germplasm must first be characterised, as three major morphotypes (Continental, Mediterranean and rhizomatous) with varying degrees of hybrid interfertility are commonly described within this species. As hexaploid tall fescue is also a member of a polyploid species complex that contains tetraploid, octoploid and decaploid taxa, it is also possible that germplasm collections may have inadvertently sampled some of these sub-species. In this study, 1,040 accessions from the publicly available United States Department of Agriculture tall fescue and meadow fescue germplasm collections were investigated. Sequence of the chloroplast genome-located matK gene and the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (rDNA ITS) permitted attribution of accessions to the three previously known morphotypes and also revealed the presence of tall fescue sub-species of varying ploidy levels, as well as other closely related species. The majority of accessions were, however, identified as Continental hexaploid tall fescue. Analysis using 34 simple sequence repeat markers was able to further investigate the level of genetic diversity within each hexaploid tall fescue morphotype group. At least two genetically distinct sub-groups of Continental hexaploid tall fescue were identified which are probably associated with palaeogeographic range expansion of this morphotype. This work has comprehensively characterised a large and complex germplasm collection and has identified genetically diverse accessions which may potentially contribute valuable alleles at agronomic loci for tall fescue cultivar

Responses of a tall building in Los Angeles, California as inferred from local and distant earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Çelebi, Mehmet; Hasan Ulusoy,; Nori Nakata,

2016-01-01

Increasing inventory of tall buildings in the United States and elsewhere may be subjected to motions generated by near and far seismic sources that cause long-period effects. Multiple sets of records that exhibited such effects were retrieved from tall buildings in Tokyo and Osaka ~ 350 km and 770 km from the epicenter of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. In California, very few tall buildings have been instrumented. An instrumented 52-story building in downtown Los Angeles recorded seven local and distant earthquakes. Spectral and system identification methods exhibit significant low frequencies of interest (~0.17 Hz, 0.56 Hz and 1.05 Hz). These frequencies compare well with those computed by transfer functions; however, small variations are observed between the significant low frequencies for each of the seven earthquakes. The torsional and translational frequencies are very close and are coupled. Beating effect is observed in at least two of the seven earthquake data.

Overexpression AtNHX1 confers salt-tolerance of transgenic tall ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Saline soil is a serious problem worldwide, and it is necessary to improve the salt tolerance of plants so as to avoid the progressive deterioration of saline soil. Here we report that over-expression of AtNHX1 improves salt tolerance in transgenic tall fescue. The AtNHX1 gene driven with CaMV35S promoter was constructed ...

Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: tiller ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of plant density (row spacing/seeding rate), nitrogen (N) fertilization, cultivar choice and close-down date on tiller initiation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), managed for seed production, was examined over two years. In the first season, tiller studies were conducted on eight individual plants in each ...

Mäetaguse mõisa tall-tõllakuuri ümberehitamine hotelliks / Ermo Reiska

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Reiska, Ermo

2006-01-01

Muinsuskaitse eritingimused: A. Pantelejev. Projekt: AS Restor. Ehitaja: OÜ Vet Ehitus Grupp. Muinsuskaitseline järelevalve: OÜ Zoroaster, Aivo Raud. Tall-tõllakuuri ümberehitamisel hotelliks "Meintack" säilitati hoone ajaloolistes gabariitides, restaureeriti fassaadid, taastati endine kelpkatus ning ühendati juurdeehituse abil endise veskihoonega

Genetic Relationships among Tall Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L. Accessions of the International Coconut Genebank for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICG-LAC, Evaluated Using Microsatellite Markers (SSRs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carina Mendes Loiola

Full Text Available The diversity and genetic relationships among two accessions of tall coconut palms collected in Brazil and seven accessions introduced from different geographic regions of the world were analyzed using 25 microsatellite primers, 19 of which were polymorphic and detected between 4 and 10 alleles per locus, with an average of 6.57. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.25 and 0.40 in the Rennell Islands Tall (RIT accession to 0.54 and 0.62 in the Polynesian Tall (PYT accession. The analysis of genetic structure resulted in the formation of five distinct groups. The first group was formed by the accessions Brazilian Tall-Praia do Forte (BRTPF, Brazilian Tall-Merepe (BRTMe and West African Tall (WAT; the second group consisted of Malaysian Tall (MLT; the third group of RIT; the fourth group of Vanuatu Tall (VTT; and the fifth group of Rotuman Tall (RTMT, Tonga Tall (TONT and PYT. The dendrogram based on the nearest-neighbor method detected the formation of two main groups and five subgroups, indicating that the genetic relationships of the accessions are based on their geographic regions of origin. The analyses revealed genetic relationships between the accessions collected in Brazil and the accession from Africa, and among palms from South East Asia and the South Pacific, confirming the common origin of these accessions. The information obtained in this study can guide decisions on germplasm conservation activities and the efficient selection of genetically divergent parents for use in coconut breeding programs in Brazil, which are attempting to select for disease resistance, mainly to lethal yellowing, among other characteristics.

Genetic Relationships among Tall Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera L.) Accessions of the International Coconut Genebank for Latin America and the Caribbean (ICG-LAC), Evaluated Using Microsatellite Markers (SSRs).

Science.gov (United States)

Loiola, Carina Mendes; Azevedo, Alinne Oliveira Nunes; Diniz, Leandro E C; Aragão, Wilson Menezes; Azevedo, Carlos Diego de O; Santos, Pedro Henrique A D; Ramos, Helaine Christine C; Pereira, Messias Gonzaga; Ramos, Semíramis R Ramalho

2016-01-01

The diversity and genetic relationships among two accessions of tall coconut palms collected in Brazil and seven accessions introduced from different geographic regions of the world were analyzed using 25 microsatellite primers, 19 of which were polymorphic and detected between 4 and 10 alleles per locus, with an average of 6.57. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.25 and 0.40 in the Rennell Islands Tall (RIT) accession to 0.54 and 0.62 in the Polynesian Tall (PYT) accession. The analysis of genetic structure resulted in the formation of five distinct groups. The first group was formed by the accessions Brazilian Tall-Praia do Forte (BRTPF), Brazilian Tall-Merepe (BRTMe) and West African Tall (WAT); the second group consisted of Malaysian Tall (MLT); the third group of RIT; the fourth group of Vanuatu Tall (VTT); and the fifth group of Rotuman Tall (RTMT), Tonga Tall (TONT) and PYT. The dendrogram based on the nearest-neighbor method detected the formation of two main groups and five subgroups, indicating that the genetic relationships of the accessions are based on their geographic regions of origin. The analyses revealed genetic relationships between the accessions collected in Brazil and the accession from Africa, and among palms from South East Asia and the South Pacific, confirming the common origin of these accessions. The information obtained in this study can guide decisions on germplasm conservation activities and the efficient selection of genetically divergent parents for use in coconut breeding programs in Brazil, which are attempting to select for disease resistance, mainly to lethal yellowing, among other characteristics.

33 CFR 165.T09-0073 - Safety and Security Zones; Tall Ships Challenge 2010; Great Lakes; Cleveland, OH; Bay City, MI...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Safety and Security Zones; Tall... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY REGULATED NAVIGATION AREAS... Guard District § 165.T09-0073 Safety and Security Zones; Tall Ships Challenge 2010; Great Lakes...

Effects of source and level of dietary energy supplementation on in vitro digestibility and methane production from tall fescue-based diets

Science.gov (United States)

There is a lack of information about the effect of different sources, levels, and the mixtures of energy supplements commonly fed to cattle grazing tall fescue. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate different common energy sources for beef cattle grazing tall fescue using an in vitr...

Columbia University: Direct Reversal of Glucocorticoid Resistance by AKT inhibition in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) | Office of Cancer Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

The goal of this project is to identify key druggable regulators of glucocorticoid resistance in T-ALL. To this end, a reverse-engineered T-ALL context-specific regulatory interaction network was created from a phenotypically diverse T-ALL gene expression dataset, and then this network was interrogated using master regulator analysis to find drivers of glucocorticoid resistance.

Effects of Tall Fescue Forage Mass on Steer Ingestive Behavior and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh] is a well adapted perennial pasture species utilized across the north-south transition zone of the United States and in similar environments worldwide. This 3-yr trial evaluated the influence of three forage masses (FM) on steer and pasture respons...

Agronomic Evaluation and Genetic Variation of Tunisian Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Chtourou-Ghorbel

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Nine important agronomic traits were used to assess the genetic diversity of Tunisian tall fescue and to investigate the extent of genotype X environment (GE interaction and its implications for breeding programs. These traits were studied for three consecutive years in thirty-five spontaneous populations and three cultivars. Panicle size contributed to seeds production, while the plant height at harvest and dry matter yield were selected for forage performance. Analysis of variance demonstrated that population attitude depended on the year and environmental conditions. Principal component analysis revealed significant similarities among some spontaneous populations and cultivars. The relationship between environmental conditions and agronomic traits revealed the influence of altitude, soil texture and minimum temperature on forage production, seed yield, and the architecture of plants, respectively. In addition, the local adapted ecotypes originating from Bizerte, Sidi Nsir, and Rass Rajel attained greater agronomic potentialities than control cultivars and were of considerable economic interest for the improvement of Tunisian tall fescue.

The T-ALL related gene BCL11B regulates the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, V L; Luong, A; Li, F; Casero, D; Malvar, J; Kim, Y M; Bhatia, R; Crooks, G M; Parekh, C

2017-11-01

The initial stages of T-cell differentiation are characterized by a progressive commitment to the T-cell lineage, a process that involves the loss of alternative (myelo-erythroid, NK, B) lineage potentials. Aberrant differentiation during these stages can result in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the mechanisms regulating the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation are obscure. Through loss of function studies, we showed BCL11B, a transcription factor recurrently mutated T-ALL, is essential for T-lineage commitment, particularly the repression of NK and myeloid potentials, and the induction of T-lineage genes, during the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation. In gain of function studies, BCL11B inhibited growth of and induced a T-lineage transcriptional program in T-ALL cells. We found previously unknown differentiation stage-specific DNA binding of BCL11B at multiple T-lineage genes; target genes showed BCL11B-dependent expression, suggesting a transcriptional activator role for BCL11B at these genes. Transcriptional analyses revealed differences in the regulatory actions of BCL11B between human and murine thymopoiesis. Our studies show BCL11B is a key regulator of the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation and delineate the BCL11B transcriptional program, enabling the dissection of the underpinnings of normal T-cell differentiation and providing a resource for understanding dysregulations in T-ALL.

Sosiaalisen median merkitys mikroyrityksille - Case: TallFits Oy

OpenAIRE

Nousiainen, Ari; Koskivuori, Timo

2011-01-01

Tämän opinnäytetyön aiheena on sosiaalinen media mikroyritysten näkökulmasta. Työssä käsi-tellään sosiaalista mediaa ja markkinoinnissa tapahtunutta muutosta sekä niitä toimintatapoja, joita interaktiivinen mediaympäristö yrityksille ja sen asiakkaille tarjoaa. Työn tavoitteena on tuottaa tietoa sosiaalisen median hyödyistä ja haasteista mikroyrityksille ja lisätä koh-deyrityksemme TallFits Oy:n myyntiä ja löydettävyyttä. Tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena oli tehd...

The Alleviation of Heat Damage to Photosystem II and Enzymatic Antioxidants by Exogenous Spermidine in Tall Fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Liang; Hu, Tao; Amombo, Erick; Wang, Guangyang; Xie, Yan; Fu, Jinmin

2017-01-01

Tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb) is a typical cool-season grass that is widely used in turf and pasture. However, high temperature as an abiotic stress seriously affects its utilization. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of spermidine (Spd) on heat stress response of tall fescue. The samples were exposed to 22°C (normal condition) or 44°C (heat stress) for 4 h. The results showed that exogenous Spd partially improved the quality of tall fescue leaves under normal temperature conditions. Nevertheless, after heat stress treatment, exogenous Spd significantly decreased the electrolyte leakage of tall fescue leaves. Spd also profoundly reduced the H 2 O 2 and O 2 ⋅- content and increased antioxidant enzymes activities. In addition, PAs can also regulate antioxidant enzymes activities including SOD, POD, and APX which could help to scavenge ROS. Moreover, application of Spd could also remarkably increase the chlorophyll content and had a positive effect on the chlorophyll α fluorescence transients under high temperature. The Spd reagent enhanced the performance of photosystem II (PSII) as observed by the JIP-test. Under heat stress, the Spd profoundly improved the partial potentials at the steps of energy bifurcations (PI ABS and PI total ) and the quantum yields and efficiencies (φP 0 , δR 0 , φR 0 , and γRC). Exogenous Spd could also reduce the specific energy fluxes per Q A - reducing PSII reaction center (RC) (TP 0 /RC and ET 0 /RC). Additionally, exogenous Spd improved the expression level of psbA and psbB , which encoded the proteins of PSII core reaction center complex. We infer that PAs can stabilize the structure of nucleic acids and protect RNA from the degradation of ribonuclease. In brief, our study indicates that exogenous Spd enhances the heat tolerance of tall fescue by maintaining cell membrane stability, increasing antioxidant enzymes activities, improving PSII, and relevant gene expression.

The Alleviation of Heat Damage to Photosystem II and Enzymatic Antioxidants by Exogenous Spermidine in Tall Fescue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Zhang

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb is a typical cool-season grass that is widely used in turf and pasture. However, high temperature as an abiotic stress seriously affects its utilization. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of spermidine (Spd on heat stress response of tall fescue. The samples were exposed to 22°C (normal condition or 44°C (heat stress for 4 h. The results showed that exogenous Spd partially improved the quality of tall fescue leaves under normal temperature conditions. Nevertheless, after heat stress treatment, exogenous Spd significantly decreased the electrolyte leakage of tall fescue leaves. Spd also profoundly reduced the H2O2 and O2⋅- content and increased antioxidant enzymes activities. In addition, PAs can also regulate antioxidant enzymes activities including SOD, POD, and APX which could help to scavenge ROS. Moreover, application of Spd could also remarkably increase the chlorophyll content and had a positive effect on the chlorophyll α fluorescence transients under high temperature. The Spd reagent enhanced the performance of photosystem II (PSII as observed by the JIP-test. Under heat stress, the Spd profoundly improved the partial potentials at the steps of energy bifurcations (PIABS and PItotal and the quantum yields and efficiencies (φP0, δR0, φR0, and γRC. Exogenous Spd could also reduce the specific energy fluxes per QA- reducing PSII reaction center (RC (TP0/RC and ET0/RC. Additionally, exogenous Spd improved the expression level of psbA and psbB, which encoded the proteins of PSII core reaction center complex. We infer that PAs can stabilize the structure of nucleic acids and protect RNA from the degradation of ribonuclease. In brief, our study indicates that exogenous Spd enhances the heat tolerance of tall fescue by maintaining cell membrane stability, increasing antioxidant enzymes activities, improving PSII, and relevant gene expression.

Process design and economic evaluation of green extraction methods for recovery of astaxanthin from shrimp waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Razi Parjikolaei, Behnaz; Errico, Massimiliano; El-Houri, Rime Bahij

2017-01-01

(ASX) from shrimp processing waste. The feasibility of commercial use of the green solvents under plausible process conditions is compared to extraction with a mixture of hexane: isopropanol (Hex:IPA). The process flowsheets describing these processes were modelled by means of SuperPro Designer...... processes with SF or the methyl ester of SF (ME-SF) was 2.5 and 153 ppm with a production cost of 0.06 and 0.16 $/mg of ASX, respectively. In addition, shrimp feed production was considered as a feasible application of the low concentration ASX obtained by SF extraction. A combination of ASX extracted...... with SF and synthetic ASX yielded a shrimp feed production cost comparable to the current market price. The calculated feed price based on the ASX production cost of the other green processes, ME-SF and SCFE, resulted in a significantly higher production cost....

Modelling of seed yield and its components in tall fescue (Festuca ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJL

2011-10-03

Oct 3, 2011 ... number spikelet -1 (Y4), seed weight (Y5), and the seed yield (Z) of tall fescue were determined in field experiments from 2003 to .... the time of fertilisation (X1), the quantity of irrigation (X2), the amount of N applied (X3), the ...... certain agronomical traits in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Afr. J. Biotechnol.

An Equivalent Beam Model for the Dynamic Analysis to a Feeding Crane of a Tall Chimney. Application in a Coal Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viorel-Mihai Nani

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a dynamic analysis for a special crane, which serves a coal power plant. The steel cables for the lifting mechanisms of crane are long and flexible. For this reason, when is feeding the tall chimney, its can appear dangerous dynamic effects due to the suspended load. This load can perform oscillations or vibration movements. As a result, the suspended load position is sometimes difficult to control. Through experimental researches, using a special fitting with strain gauges and accelerometers assembled along the crane’s arm as a beam, we have obtained relevant information. Using the initial design data, we were able to develop an optimal nonlinear dynamic model. This one was the experimental support for other simulations in extremely dangerous situations, like: the accidental fall of the suspended load from the crane hook or a mechanical strong shock due to the collision between the suspended load and the tall chimney wall or the power plant wall, under the strong wind conditions, for example.

The dual specificity PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PKI-587 displays efficacy against T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Science.gov (United States)

Gazi, Mohiuddin; Moharram, Sausan A; Marhäll, Alissa; Kazi, Julhash U

2017-04-28

Although significant improvements have been made in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), there is a substantial subset of high-risk T-cell ALL (T-ALL) patients with relatively poor prognosis. Like in other leukemia types, alterations of the PI3K/mTOR pathway are predominant in ALL which is also responsible for treatment failure and relapse. In this study, we show that relapsed T-ALL patients display an enrichment of the PI3K/mTOR pathway. Using a panel of inhibitors targeting multiple components of the PI3K/mTOR pathway, we observed that the dual-specific PI3K/mTOR inhibitor PKI-587 was the most selective inhibitor for T-ALL cells dependent on the PI3K/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, we observed that PKI-587 blocked proliferation and colony formation of T-ALL cell lines. Additionally, PKI-587 selectively abrogated PI3K/mTOR signaling without affecting MAPK signaling both in in vitro and in vivo. Inhibition of the PI3K/mTOR pathway using PKI-587 delayed tumor progression, reduced tumor load and enhanced the survival rate in immune-deficient mouse xenograft models without inducing weight loss in the inhibitor treated mice. This preclinical study shows beneficial effects of PKI-587 on T-ALL that warrants further investigation in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergistic Cytotoxic Effect of L-Asparaginase Combined with Decitabine as a Demethylating Agent in Pediatric T-ALL, with Specific Epigenetic Signature

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Salvatore Serravalle

2016-01-01

Full Text Available T-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL remains a subgroup of pediatric ALL, with a lower response to standard chemotherapy. Some recent studies established the fundamental role of epigenetic aberrations such as DNA hypermethylation, to influence patients’ outcome and response to chemotherapy. Moreover, L-asparaginase is an important chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of ALL and resistance to this drug has been linked to ASNS expression, which can be silenced through methylation. Therefore, we tested whether the sensitivity of T-ALL cell lines towards L-asparaginase is correlated to the epigenetic status of ASNS gene and whether the sensitivity can be modified by concurrent demethylating treatment. Hence we treated different T-ALL cell lines with L-asparaginase and correlated different responses to the treatment with ASNS expression. Then we demonstrated that the ASNS expression was dependent on the methylation status of the promoter. Finally we showed that, despite the demethylating effect on the ASNS gene expression, the combined treatment with the demethylating agent Decitabine could synergistically improve the L-asparaginase sensitivity in those T-ALL cell lines characterized by hypermethylation of the ASNS gene. In conclusion, this preclinical study identified an unexpected synergistic activity of L-asparaginase and Decitabine in the subgroup of T-ALL with low ASNS expression due to hypermethylation of the ASNS promoter, while it did not restore sensitivity in the resistant cell lines characterized by higher ASNS expression.

TALL HERB SPRUCE FORESTS AS CLIMAX COMMUNITIES ON LOWLAND SWAMPS OF BRYANSK POLESIE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. I. Evstigneev

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Nettle grey alder forests are a dominant forest type on lowland swamps in the Bryansk Polesie. They are formed as a result of repeated cuttings in the place of tall herb spruce forests. Tall herb spruce forests are very rare communities in the vegetation cover in this area due to clear cutting, melioration and peat extraction. An assessment of the succession status of tall herb spruce forests and nettle grey alder forests was carried out in this paper. The criteria of climax state and succession state of communities, developed for Eastern European forests, were used. These criteria are based on the degree of intensity of the following signs in the community: 1 the completeness of species composition of tree synusia; 2 the ontogenetic structure of tree species cenopopulation; 3 the gap-mosaic stand structure; 4 the diversity of microsites in soil cover; 5 the completeness of species composition and ecological-coenotic diversity of vascular species. We showed that tall herb spruce forest, as opposed to black alder forest, is close to communities of the climax type. This is evidenced by the following features of cenosis: firstly, all tree species in the area that covers the Bryansk Polesie and that are able to grow on lowland swamps are represented in the spruce forest (Alnus glutinosa, Betula pubescens, Fraxinus excelsior, Padus avium, Picea abies, Salix pentandra, Sorbus aucuparia, Ulmus glabra. Secondly, a steady turnover of generations is carried out in the cenopopulations of main edificators (Picea abies and Alnus glutinosa. This is evidenced by the complete and left-sided structure of their ontogenetic spectrum. Thirdly, a system of asynchronously developing gaps (parcels, which are formed on the site of old tree falls, is formed in the community. This ensures the continuous renewal of spruce and alder populations and creates conditions for the regeneration of other tree species. Fourthly, the structure of biogenic microsites has been formed

Extraction of Phytosterols from Tall Oil Soap Using Selected Organic Solvents

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rousková, Milena; Heyberger, Aleš; Tříska, Jan; Krtička, M.

2011-01-01

Roč. 65, č. 6 (2011), s. 805-812 ISSN 0366-6352 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR 1QS400720504; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504; CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : liquid - liquid extraction * tall oil soap * phytosterols Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 1.096, year: 2011

Health monitoring system for a tall building with Fiber Bragg grating sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, D. S.; Li, H. N.; Ren, L.; Guo, D. S.; Song, G. B.

2009-03-01

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors demonstrate great potentials for structural health monitoring of civil structures to ensure their structural integrity, durability and reliability. The advantages of applying fiber optic sensors to a tall building include their immunity of electromagnetic interference and multiplexing ability to transfer optical signals over a long distance. In the work, FBG sensors, including strain and temperature sensors, are applied to the construction monitoring of an 18-floor tall building starting from its construction date. The main purposes of the project are: 1) monitoring the temperature evolution history within the concrete during the pouring process; 2) measuring the variations of the main column strains on the underground floor while upper 18 floors were subsequently added on; and 3) monitoring the relative displacements between two foundation blocks. The FBG sensors have been installed and interrogated continuously for more than five months. Monitoring results of temperature and strains during the period are presented in the paper. Furthermore, the lag behavior between the concrete temperature and its surrounding air temperature is investigated.

Tall Tales: The Simpsons deconstructing the american myth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna Betina Götz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This article aims to analyze the episode Tall Tales from the series The Simpsons that revisits legends of the American folklore. The TV series pays homage to both the time of the pioneers in their travels to the Far West in the nineteenth century, as well as to one of the most iconic and folk characters of the American culture from that period: the Hobo was a beggar, a figure of the American folklore during the Great Depression. It is also interesting to focus on the American imaginary in order to understand how the authors of The Simpsons perform these recreations in contemporary times

Alkaloids May Not be Responsible for Endophyte Associated Reductions in Tall Fescue Decomposition Rates

Science.gov (United States)

1. Fungal endophyte - grass symbioses can have dramatic ecological effects, altering individual plant physiology, plant and animal community structure and function, and ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. 2. Within the tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) - funga...

Coretta Scott King Award Winner Javaka Steptoe Stands Tall "In Daddy's Arms."

Science.gov (United States)

Peck, Jackie; Hendershot, Judy

1999-01-01

Offers an interview with artist and author Javaka Steptoe, winner of the Coretta Scott King award for his book "In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers." Discusses his background in the arts, the variety of media he uses, how he begins thinking about his illustrations, his work with children's art, and aspects of his work.…

78 FR 76567 - Tall Oil, Polymer With Polyethylene Glycol and Succinic Anhydride Monopolyisobutylene Derivs...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-18

..., Polymer With Polyethylene Glycol and Succinic Anhydride Monopolyisobutylene Derivs.; Tolerance Exemption... an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of tall oil, polymer with polyethylene..., polymer with polyethylene glycol and succinic anhydride monopolyisobutylene derivs. on food or feed...

Improved forage digestibility of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) by transgenic down-regulation of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lei; Auh, Chung-Kyoon; Dowling, Paul; Bell, Jeremey; Chen, Fang; Hopkins, Andrew; Dixon, Richard A; Wang, Zeng-Yu

2003-11-01

Lignification of cell walls during plant development has been identified as the major factor limiting forage digestibility and concomitantly animal productivity. cDNA sequences encoding a key lignin biosynthetic enzyme, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), were cloned from the widely grown monocotyledonous forage species tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Recombinant tall fescue CAD expressed in E. coli exhibited the highest V(max)/K(m) values when coniferaldehyde and sinapaldehyde were used as substrates. Transgenic tall fescue plants carrying either sense or antisense CAD gene constructs were obtained by microprojectile bombardment of single genotype-derived embryogenic suspension cells. Severely reduced levels of mRNA transcripts and significantly reduced CAD enzymatic activities were found in two transgenic plants carrying sense and antisense CAD transgenes, respectively. These CAD down-regulated transgenic lines had significantly decreased lignin content and altered ratios of syringyl (S) to guaiacyl (G), G to p-hydroxyphenyl (H) and S to H units. No significant changes in cellulose, hemicellulose, neutral sugar composition, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid levels were observed in the transgenic plants. Increases of in vitro dry matter digestibility of 7.2-9.5% were achieved in the CAD down-regulated lines, thus providing a novel germplasm to be used for the development of grass cultivars with improved forage quality.

Temporal patterns of foliar ozone symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chappelka, A.H.; Somers, G.L.; Renfro, J.R.

2007-01-01

Incidence and severity of ozone-induced foliar symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) along selected trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) were determined by two surveys/season conducted from 1992 through 1996. Overall incidence was 73%, and was 84%, 44%, 90%, 58%, and 82% for 1992-1996, respectively for the same clusters. Average incidence was 61% and 84% for the 1st and 2nd surveys, respectively. Seasonal comparisons showed two distinct injury groupings regarding incidence and severity of injury: 1992, 1994 and 1996 (high injury); 1993 and 1995 (low injury). No discernible patterns were observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic plants regarding height, herbivory or flowering. Regression analyses indicated no differentiation in foliar symptoms regarding topographic position, aspect, slope or elevation over the 5-year study period. Our findings indicate other micro-site or genetic factors may control ozone sensitivity of tall milkweed in GRSM. - Ground-level ozone has the potential to cause deleterious effects to tall milkweed growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Temporal patterns of foliar ozone symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chappelka, A.H. [School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 (United States)], E-mail: chappah@auburn.edu; Somers, G.L. [School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 (United States); Renfro, J.R. [USDI National Park Service, Resource Management and Science Division, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 (United States)

2007-10-15

Incidence and severity of ozone-induced foliar symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) along selected trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) were determined by two surveys/season conducted from 1992 through 1996. Overall incidence was 73%, and was 84%, 44%, 90%, 58%, and 82% for 1992-1996, respectively for the same clusters. Average incidence was 61% and 84% for the 1st and 2nd surveys, respectively. Seasonal comparisons showed two distinct injury groupings regarding incidence and severity of injury: 1992, 1994 and 1996 (high injury); 1993 and 1995 (low injury). No discernible patterns were observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic plants regarding height, herbivory or flowering. Regression analyses indicated no differentiation in foliar symptoms regarding topographic position, aspect, slope or elevation over the 5-year study period. Our findings indicate other micro-site or genetic factors may control ozone sensitivity of tall milkweed in GRSM. - Ground-level ozone has the potential to cause deleterious effects to tall milkweed growing in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy used to detect endophyte-mediated accumulation of metals by tall fescue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Madhavi Z.; Stewart, Arthur J.; Gwinn, Kimberley D.; Waller, John C.

2010-05-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to determine the impact of endophyte (Neotyphodium sp.) infection on elemental composition of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Leaf material from endophyte-infected (E+) and endophyte-free (E-) tall fescue populations in established plots was examined. Leaf-tissue digestates were also tested for metals, by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry (MS). Seven of eleven metals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Zn) were measured by both techniques at concentrations great enough for a reliable comparison. Mg, Zn, and Cd, a toxic metal that can be present in forage, were readily detected by LIBS, even though Cd concentrations in the plants were below levels typically achieved using ICP MS detection. Implications of these results for research on forage analysis and phytoremediation are discussed.

Herbivory and competition slow down invasion of a tall grass along a productivity gradient

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuijper, DPJ; Nijhoff, DJ; Bakker, JP

2004-01-01

Competition models including competition for light predict that small plant species preferred by herbivores will be outshaded by taller unpreferred plant species with increasing productivity. When the tall plant species is little grazed by the herbivores, it can easily invade and dominate short

Hijacking T cell differentiation: new insights in TLX function in T-ALL.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Bryan; Ntziachristos, Panagiotis; Aifantis, Iannis

2012-04-17

TLX1 and TLX3 are two closely-related homeobox transcriptional repressors frequently misexpressed and translocated in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In this issue of Cancer Cell, Dadi et al. provide new insights into how these factors are recruited by ETS-1 to the TCRα enhancer and actively repress differentiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural convection and wall radiation in tall cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balaji, C [Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirapalli (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Venkateshan, S P [Indian Inst. of Tech., Madras (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

1996-12-01

The problem of combined natural convection and wall radiation in tall cavities has been taken up for a detailed numerical investigation. The governing equations for fluid flow have been solved by a finite volume method and the radiation has been treated by the radiosity-irradiation method. The analysis has been specifically made for the case where the emissivity of the hot left wall is different from that of the cold right wall. For this case it was found that decoupling radiation from free convection can lead to considerable error. Correlations have been suggested for predicting both the convective as well as the radiative heat transfer rates across the cavity. (author). 7 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

Natural convection and wall radiation in tall cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaji, C.; Venkateshan, S.P.

1996-01-01

The problem of combined natural convection and wall radiation in tall cavities has been taken up for a detailed numerical investigation. The governing equations for fluid flow have been solved by a finite volume method and the radiation has been treated by the radiosity-irradiation method. The analysis has been specifically made for the case where the emissivity of the hot left wall is different from that of the cold right wall. For this case it was found that decoupling radiation from free convection can lead to considerable error. Correlations have been suggested for predicting both the convective as well as the radiative heat transfer rates across the cavity. (author). 7 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs

The watering of tall trees--embolization and recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Gouin, Henri

2015-03-21

We can propound a thermo-mechanical understanding of the ascent of sap to the top of tall trees thanks to a comparison between experiments associated with the cohesion-tension theory and the disjoining pressure concept for liquid thin-films. When a segment of xylem is tight-filled with crude sap, the liquid pressure can be negative although the pressure in embolized vessels remains positive. Examples are given that illustrate how embolized vessels can be refilled and why the ascent of sap is possible even in the tallest trees avoiding the problem due to cavitation. However, the maximum height of trees is limited by the stability domain of liquid thin-films. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of pH on Liquid-Liquid Extraction Efficiency of Phytosterols from Tall Soap

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rousková, Milena; Heyberger, Aleš; Čárský, M.; Tříska, Jan; Krtička, M.

2011-01-01

Roč. 16, č. 1 (2011), s. 17-29 ISSN 1026-9185 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504; CEZ:AV0Z60870520 Keywords : tall soap * phytosterols * sterols Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering

Biodiesel production from tall oil with synthesized Mn and Ni based additives: effects of the additives on fuel consumption and emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali Keskin; Metin Guru; Duran Altiparmak [Mersin University, Mersin (Turkey). Technical Education Faculty

2007-05-15

In this study, biodiesel fuel and fuel additives were produced from crude tall oil that is a by-product in the pulp manufacturing by craft or sulphate pulping process. Fatty acids and resinic acids were obtained from crude tall oil by distillation method. Tall oil methyl ester (biodiesel) was produced from fatty acids. Resinic acids were reacted with NiO and MnO{sub 2} stoichiometrically for production of metallic fuel additives. Each metallic fuel additive was added at the rate of 8 {mu}mol/l and 12 {mu}mol/l to make mixtures of 60% tall oil methyl ester/40% diesel fuel (TE60) for preparing test fuels. Metallic fuel additives improved properties of biodiesel fuels, such as pour point and viscosity values. Biodiesel fuels were tested in an unmodified direct injection diesel engine at full load condition. Specific fuel consumption of biodiesel fuels increased by 6.00%, however, in comparison with TE60, it showed trend of decreasing with adding of additives. Exhaust emission profile of biodiesel fuels improved. CO emissions and smoke opacity decreased up to 64.28% and 30.91% respectively. Low NOx emission was also observed in general for the biodiesel fuels. 28 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

Nutrition and In Vitro Digestibility of Tall Fescue for White-Tailed Deer, May Through November

Science.gov (United States)

G.E. Probasco; A.J. Bjugstad

1978-01-01

Describes a study of the nutritive quality and digestibility of ferilized and unfertilized tall fescue in spring, summer, and fall. The grass may be most valuable as food in early spring and late fall, and on unfertilized sites.

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Induces Dose-Dependent Chemotaxis or Fugetaxis of T-ALL Blasts through S1P1 Activation

Science.gov (United States)

Messias, Carolina V.; Santana-Van-Vliet, Eliane; Lemos, Julia P.; Moreira, Otacilio C.; Cotta-de-Almeida, Vinicius; Savino, Wilson; Mendes-da-Cruz, Daniella Arêas

2016-01-01

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid involved in several physiological processes including cell migration and differentiation. S1P signaling is mediated through five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-S1P5). S1P1 is crucial to the exit of T-lymphocytes from the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs through a gradient of S1P. We have previously observed that T-ALL and T-LBL blasts express S1P1. Herein we analyzed the role of S1P receptors in the migratory pattern of human T-cell neoplastic blasts. S1P-triggered cell migration was directly related to S1P1 expression. T-ALL blasts expressing low levels of S1P1 mRNA (HPB-ALL) did not migrate toward S1P, whereas those expressing higher levels of S1P1 (MOLT-4, JURKAT and CEM) did migrate. The S1P ligand induced T-ALL cells chemotaxis in concentrations up to 500 nM and induced fugetaxis in higher concentrations (1000–10000 nM) through interactions with S1P1. When S1P1 was specifically blocked by the W146 compound, S1P-induced migration at lower concentrations was reduced, whereas higher concentrations induced cell migration. Furthermore, we observed that S1P/S1P1 interactions induced ERK and AKT phosphorylation, and modulation of Rac1 activity. Responding T-ALL blasts also expressed S1P3 mRNA but blockage of this receptor did not modify migratory responses. Our results indicate that S1P is involved in the migration of T-ALL/LBL blasts, which is dependent on S1P1 expression. Moreover, S1P concentrations in the given microenvironment might induce dose-dependent chemotaxis or fugetaxis of T-ALL blasts. PMID:26824863

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Induces Dose-Dependent Chemotaxis or Fugetaxis of T-ALL Blasts through S1P1 Activation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina V Messias

Full Text Available Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P is a bioactive sphingolipid involved in several physiological processes including cell migration and differentiation. S1P signaling is mediated through five G protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-S1P5. S1P1 is crucial to the exit of T-lymphocytes from the thymus and peripheral lymphoid organs through a gradient of S1P. We have previously observed that T-ALL and T-LBL blasts express S1P1. Herein we analyzed the role of S1P receptors in the migratory pattern of human T-cell neoplastic blasts. S1P-triggered cell migration was directly related to S1P1 expression. T-ALL blasts expressing low levels of S1P1 mRNA (HPB-ALL did not migrate toward S1P, whereas those expressing higher levels of S1P1 (MOLT-4, JURKAT and CEM did migrate. The S1P ligand induced T-ALL cells chemotaxis in concentrations up to 500 nM and induced fugetaxis in higher concentrations (1000-10000 nM through interactions with S1P1. When S1P1 was specifically blocked by the W146 compound, S1P-induced migration at lower concentrations was reduced, whereas higher concentrations induced cell migration. Furthermore, we observed that S1P/S1P1 interactions induced ERK and AKT phosphorylation, and modulation of Rac1 activity. Responding T-ALL blasts also expressed S1P3 mRNA but blockage of this receptor did not modify migratory responses. Our results indicate that S1P is involved in the migration of T-ALL/LBL blasts, which is dependent on S1P1 expression. Moreover, S1P concentrations in the given microenvironment might induce dose-dependent chemotaxis or fugetaxis of T-ALL blasts.

Waste fatty acid addition to black liquor to decrease tall oil soap solubility and increase skimming efficiency in kraft mills pulping mountain pine beetle-infested wood

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uloth, V.; Guy, E. [FPInnovations, Prince George, BC (Canada). PAPRICAN Div.; Shewchuk, D. [Cariboo Pulp and Paper, Quesnel, BC (Canada); Van Heek, R. [Aker Kvaerner, Vancouver, BC (Canada)

2009-07-01

This paper presented the results of tests conducted to determine if the addition of waste fatty acids from vegetable oil processing might decrease tall oil soap solubility in pine-beetle impacted wood from British Columbia (BC). The soap recovery and tall oil production at BC mills has fallen by 30 to 40 percent in recent years due to the pulping of high proportions of grey-stage beetle-impacted wood. Full-scale mill tests were conducted over a 4-day period. The study showed that the addition of tall oil fatty acids or waste fatty acids from vegetable oil processing could decrease tall oil soap solubility and increase the soup skimming efficiency in mills pulping a large percentage of grey stage beetle-infested wood. The addition of fatty acids increased tall oil soap skimming efficiency from 50.2 percent in the baseline tests to 71.8 percent based on the total soap available, and from 76.7 percent in the baseline tests to 87.5 percent based on insoluble soap only. The economic analyses indicated that waste fatty acid addition could be economical when natural gas and oil prices are high. 4 tabs., 9 figs.

Effect of grazing seedhead-suppressed tall fescue pasture on the vasoactivity of serotonin receptors

Science.gov (United States)

Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to ergot alkaloids reduces vasoactivity of serotonin (5HT) receptors. Chemical suppression of tall fescue seedhead production is a tool to reduce the level of exposure to ergot alkaloids by a grazing animal. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate co...

Photosynthate partitioning in basal zones of tall fescue leaf blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allard, G.; Nelson, C.J.

1991-01-01

Elongating grass leaves have successive zones of cell division, cell elongation, and cell maturation in the basal portion of the blade and are a strong sink for photosynthate. Our objective was to determine dry matter (DM) deposition and partitioning in basal zones of elongating tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) leaf blades. Vegetative tall fescue plants were grown in continuous light (350 micromoles per square meter per second photosynthetic photon flux density) to obtain a constant spatial distribution of elongation growth with time. Content and net deposition rates of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and DM along elongating leaf blades were determined. These data were compared with accumulation of 14 C in the basal zones following leaf-labeling with 14 CO 2 . Net deposition of DM was highest in the active cell elongation zone, due mainly to deposition of WSC. The maturation zone, just distal to the elongation zone, accounted for 22% of total net deposition of DM in elongating leaves. However, the spatial profile of 14 C accumulation suggested that the elongation zone and the maturation zone were sinks of equal strength. WSC-free DM accounted for 55% of the total net DM deposition in elongating leaf blades, but only 10% of incoming 14 C-photosynthate accumulated in the water-insoluble fraction (WIF ∼ WSC-free DM) after 2 hours. In the maturation zone, more WSC was used for synthesis of WSC-free DM than was imported as recent photosynthate

Linkage Maps of a Mediterranean × Continental Tall Fescue Population and their Comparative Analysis with Other Poaceae Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Dierking

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Temperate grasses belonging to the complex are important throughout the world in pasture and grassland agriculture. Tall fescue ( Schreb. is the predominant species in the United States, covering approximately 15 million ha. Tall fescue has distinctive morphotypes, two of which are Continental (summer active and Mediterranean (summer semidormant. This is the first report of a linkage map created for Mediterranean tall fescue, while updating the Continental map with additional simple sequence repeat and sequence-tagged site markers. Additionally, this is the first time that diversity arrays technology (DArT markers were used in the construction of a tall fescue map. The male parent (Continental, R43-64, map consisted of 594 markers arranged in 22 linkage groups (LGs and covered a total of 1577 cM. The female parent (Mediterranean, 103-2, map was shorter (1258 cM and consisted of only 208 markers arranged in 29 LGs. Marker densities for R43-64 and 103-2 were 2.65 and 6.08 cM per marker, respectively. When compared with the other Poaceae species, meadow fescue ( Huds., annual ryegrass ( Lam., perennial ryegrass ( L., (L. Beauv., and barley ( L., a total of 171 and 98 orthologous or homologous sequences, identified by DArT analysis, were identified in R43-64 and 103-2, respectively. By using genomic in situ hybridization, we aimed to identify potential progenitors of both morphotypes. However, no clear conclusion on genomic constitution was reached. These maps will aid in the search for quantitative trait loci of various traits as well as help define and distinguish genetic differences between the two morphotypes.

Gaschromatographic and mass spectroscopic investigations of tall oil rosin acids and diterpenioc compounds and modified diterpene acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayr, M.

1984-12-01

Diterpene resin acids are important constituents of the coniferous wood. The composition of these nonvolatile extractives have been studied by a number of investigations; both naturally occurring resins (oleoresin) and distillation products of the alkaline sulfate pulping process (tall oil) were analyzed. These mixtures find important uses in chemical intermediates, paper sizes, ester gums, coatings and numerous other applications. Owing to the more ameliorate physical properties a major part of tall oil resin acids is chemically modified and is used in intermediate chemicals. Such modifications are the disproportionation in the presence of certain catalysts and the formation of Diels-Alder adducts. The present study was undertaken to obtain detailed information of the overall composition of diterpenoid compounds and to achieve a separation of the complex natural and tall oil mixtures using high resolution glass capillary columns. Furthermore, one objective was to characterize the identified diterpene compounds and Diels-Alder adducts by relative retention values. Additionally the presence of some major adduct components in the modified samples was checked by comparison with pure specimens, independently synthesized or purified by crystallization and the mechanism of the Diels-Alder reaction was investigated. A compilation of the mass spectra of the substances detected in the different samples closes this work. (Author)

Climate change and Epichloë coenophiala association modify belowground fungal symbioses of tall fescue host

Science.gov (United States)

Human alteration of symbiont genetics among aboveground endophytic Epichloë coenophiala strains within tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) has led to widespread deployment of novel grass-endophyte combinations, yet little is known about their ecological consequences. In this study, clone pairs (e...

Tall-building development process in downtown Maringá-PR, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Roberto Machado

2012-02-01

Full Text Available This work describes the urbanization process taking place in the city of Maringá, in the context of the tallbuilding development at its main economic axis, the city center. This research aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the role played by the housing industry in the development of tall buildings at downtown Maringá, the origin of the capital associated to such process, and the rationale for building them in Zone 1 (downtown. This is also analyzed considering local environmental information and infrastructural considerations involved in this process.

Challenges of managing disease in tall orchard trees – pecan scab, a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Managing disease in tall orchard trees presents unique issues not found in relatively shorter horticultural and agronomic crops, simply due to height. Pecan scab (caused by Fusicladium effusum [G. Winter] Seyran et al.) is used as an example of a major disease of one of the tallest orchard crops in ...

Vasoconstriction in horses caused by endophyte-infected tall fescue seed is detected with Doppler ultrasonography

Science.gov (United States)

The hypotheses that endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum)-infected tall fescue (TF) seed causes vasoconstriction in horses in vivo and that ground seed would cause more pronounced vasoconstriction than whole seed were tested. Ten horses each received 1 of 3 treatments: endophyte-free ground (E–G; n ...

Macroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Sam W.; Prior, Lynda D.; Stephens, Helen C.; Bowman, David M. J. S.

2015-01-01

Tracking the response of forest ecosystems to climate change demands large (≥1 ha) monitoring plots that are repeatedly measured over long time frames and arranged across macro-ecological gradients. Continental scale networks of permanent forest plots have identified links between climate and carbon fluxes by monitoring trends in tree growth, mortality and recruitment. The relationship between tree growth and climate in Australia has been recently articulated through analysis of data from smaller forest plots, but conclusions were limited by (a) absence of data on recruitment and mortality, (b) exclusion of non-eucalypt species, and (c) lack of knowledge of stand age or disturbance histories. To remedy these gaps we established the Ausplots Forest Monitoring Network: a continental scale network of 48 1 ha permanent plots in highly productive tall eucalypt forests in the mature growth stage. These plots are distributed across cool temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical climates (mean annual precipitation 850 to 1900 mm per year; mean annual temperature 6 to 21°C). Aboveground carbon stocks (AGC) in these forests are dominated by eucalypts (90% of AGC) whilst non-eucalypts in the understorey dominated species diversity and tree abundance (84% of species; 60% of stems). Aboveground carbon stocks were negatively related to mean annual temperature, with forests at the warm end of the temperature range storing approximately half the amount of carbon as forests at the cool end of the temperature range. This may reflect thermal constraints on tree growth detected through other plot networks and physiological studies. Through common protocols and careful sampling design, the Ausplots Forest Monitoring Network will facilitate the integration of tall eucalypt forests into established global forest monitoring initiatives. In the context of projections of rapidly warming and drying climates in Australia, this plot network will enable detection of links between

Alterations in serotonin receptor-induced contractility of bovine lateral saphenous vein in cattle grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Klotz, J L; Brown, K R; Xue, Y; Matthews, J C; Boling, J A; Burris, W R; Bush, L P; Strickland, J R

2012-02-01

As part of a 2-yr study documenting the physiologic impact of grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue on growing cattle, 2 experiments were conducted to characterize and evaluate effects of grazing 2 levels of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures on vascular contractility and serotonin receptors. Experiment 1 examined vasoconstrictive activities of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), α-methylserotonin (ME5HT; a 5HT(2) receptor agonist), d-lysergic acid (LSA), and ergovaline (ERV) on lateral saphenous veins collected from steers immediately removed from a high-endophyte-infected tall fescue pasture (HE) or a low-endophyte-infected mixed-grass (LE) pasture. Using the same pastures, Exp. 2 evaluated effects of grazing 2 levels of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue on vasoconstrictive activities of (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI), BW 723C86 (BW7), CGS-12066A (CGS), and 5-carboxamidotryptamine hemiethanolate maleate (5CT), agonists for 5HT(2A),( 2B), 5HT(1B), and 5HT(7) receptors, respectively. One-half of the steers in Exp. 2 were slaughtered immediately after removal from pasture, and the other one-half were fed finishing diets for >91 d before slaughter. For Exp. 1, maximal contractile intensities were greater (P 91 d. Experiment 1 demonstrated that grazing of HE pastures for 89 to 105 d induces functional alterations in blood vessels, as evidenced by reduced contractile capacity and altered serotonergic receptor activity. Experiment 2 demonstrated that grazing HE pastures alters vascular responses, which may be mediated through altered serotonin receptor activities, and these alterations may be ameliorated by the removal of ergot alkaloid exposure as demonstrated by the absence of differences in finished steers.

Mitigating the negative impacts of tall wind turbines on bats: Vertical activity profiles and relationships to wind speed.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellig, Sascha D; Nusslé, Sébastien; Miltner, Daniela; Kohle, Oliver; Glaizot, Olivier; Braunisch, Veronika; Obrist, Martin K; Arlettaz, Raphaël

2018-01-01

Wind turbines represent a source of hazard for bats, especially through collision with rotor blades. With increasing technical development, tall turbines (rotor-swept zone 50-150 m above ground level) are becoming widespread, yet we lack quantitative information about species active at these heights, which impedes proposing targeted mitigation recommendations for bat-friendly turbine operation. We investigated vertical activity profiles of a bat assemblage, and their relationships to wind speed, within a major valley of the European Alps where tall wind turbines are being deployed. To monitor bat activity we installed automatic recorders at sequentially increasing heights from ground level up to 65 m, with the goal to determine species-specific vertical activity profiles and to link them to wind speed. Bat call sequences were analysed with an automatic algorithm, paying particular attention to mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis and Myotis blythii) and the European free-tailed bat (Tadarida teniotis), three locally rare species. The most often recorded bats were the Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii). Mouse-eared bats were rarely recorded, and mostly just above ground, appearing out of risk of collision. T. teniotis had a more evenly distributed vertical activity profile, often being active at rotor level, but its activity at that height ceased above 5 ms-1 wind speed. Overall bat activity in the rotor-swept zone declined with increasing wind speed, dropping below 5% above 5.4 ms-1. Collision risk could be drastically reduced if nocturnal operation of tall wind turbines would be restricted to wind speeds above 5 ms-1. Such measure should be implemented year-round because T. teniotis remains active in winter. This operational restriction is likely to cause only small energy production losses at these tall wind turbines, although further analyses are needed to assess these losses precisely.

Population structures of Brazilian tall coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) by microsatellite markers

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Coconut palms of the Tall group were introduced to Brazil from the Cape Verde Islands in 1553. The present study sought to evaluate the genetic diversity among and within Brazilian Tall coconut populations. Samples were collected of 195 trees from 10 populations. Genetic diversity was accessed by investigating 13 simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci. This provided a total of 68 alleles, ranging from 2 to 13 alleles per locus, with an average of 5.23. The mean values of gene diversity (He ) and observed heterozygosity (Ho ) were 0.459 and 0.443, respectively. The genetic differentiation among populations was estimated at θ^P=0.1600and the estimated apparent outcrossing rate was ta = 0.92. Estimates of genetic distances between the populations varied from 0.034 to 0.390. Genetic distance and the corresponding clustering analysis indicate the formation of two groups. The first consists of the Baía Formosa, Georgino Avelino, and São José do Mipibu populations and the second consists of the Japoatã, Pacatuba, and Praia do Forte populations. The correlation matrix between genetic and geographic distances was positive and significant at a 1% probability. Taken together, our results suggest a spatial structuring of the genetic variability among the populations. Geographically closer populations exhibited greater similarities. PMID:21637579

Purification Simulation With Vapor Permeation and Distillation-Adsorption In Bioethanol Plant

OpenAIRE

Misri Gozan; Mia Sari Setiawan; Kenny Lischer

2017-01-01

High purity of Bioethanol is required in biofuel mixing with gasoline (EXX). In bioethanol production line, the azeotropic property of ethanol-water becomes the barrier for purification process. This study examined two bioethanol separation processes by support of simulation tools, Superpro Designer 9.0 software. Ethanol purity and a low costeconomical process were the major considerations. Purification method of vapor permeation membrane technology was compared with distillation-adsorption m...

Constraints on Nitrous Oxide emissions within the US Corn Belt using tall tower observations and an Eulerian Modeling Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Z.; Griffis, T. J.; Lee, X.; Fu, C.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Andrews, A. E.

2017-12-01

Mitigation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions requires a sound understanding of N2O production processes and a robust estimate of N2O budgets. It is critical to understand how emissions vary spatially and temporally, and how they are likely to change given future climate and land management decisions. To address these challenges we have coupled two models including WRF-Chem version 3.8.1 and CLM-GBC-CROP version 4.5 to simulate retrospective and future N2O emissions for the US Corn Belt. Using 7 years (2010-2016) of N2O mixing ratio data from 6 tall tower sites within the US Midwest, we ran the coupled model at a spatial resolution of 0.125o× 0.125o and tested and optimized the simulation of N2O emissions at hourly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales. Our preliminary results indicate:1) The simulated tall tower mixing ratios for 6 tall towers were all significantly higher than the observations in the growing seasons, indicating a high bias of N2O emissions when using the default N2O production mechanisms in CLM. 2) Following the optimization of N2O production in CLM, the simulated tall tower mixing ratios were strongly correlated with the KCMP and WBI towers, and had moderate correlation with the BAO tower. Overall, the absolute biases in mixing ratios were relatively small. Our next step is to examine 7 years of simulations to assess the spatiotemporal variations of direct and indirect emissions within the US Corn Belt to help identify potential N2O hotspots and hot moments.

Bulls grazing Kentucky 31 tall fescue exhibit impaired growth, semen quality, and decreased semen freezing potential

Science.gov (United States)

Serum prolactin (PRL) and testosterone concentrations, body weight, body composition, semen quality, and semen freezing potential for bulls grazing the toxic tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum [Schreb.] Darbysh. ¼ Schedonorous arundinaceum [Schreb.] Dumort.) cultivar Kentucky 31 (E+) compared with a n...

The Physiological, Morphological and Bio-Chemical Comparison of the Current Grass Shiraz City’s Green Space withTall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Zadehbagheri

2016-02-01

Full Text Available One of the main problems of Shiraz city’s green space is the change of color and visual quality of turf during cold months. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate tall fescue in order to find if it is suitable for replacement. This experiment was in the form of complete random blocks and it was done during two consecutive years. Each treatment had 4 repetitions. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 16.0, and the means were compared using t or LSD tests at a significance level of 5%. The results showed that tall fescue was superior to normal sport grass in cold months with respect to its chlorophyll, catalase, protein, prolin, and soluble sugar content, as well as its visual quality and root depth. Prolin fluctuations in tall fescue were very high which showed that these types of grass can increase the plant’s prolin content under stress. Therefore, there is a fivefold increase in the prolin content of the grass in cold months (cold tension compared to the beginning of spring (best condition for growth. However, this change does not exist in sport grass. Based on the obtained results we can conclude that tall fescue can resist environmental tension, especially coldness, using different mechanisms, and is a good substitute for normal sport grass.

Looking back in time: conducting a cohort study of the long-term effects of treatment of adolescent tall girls with synthetic hormones

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruinsma Fiona J

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective Public health research is an endeavour that often involves multiple relationships, far-reaching collaborations, divergent expectations and various outcomes. Using the Tall Girls Study as a case study, this paper will present and discuss a number of methodological, ethical and legal challenges that have implications for other public health research. Approach The Tall Girls Study was the first study to examine the long-term health and psychosocial effects of oestrogen treatment for tall stature. Results In undertaking this study the research team overcame many hurdles: in maintaining collaboration with treating clinicians and with the women they had treated as girls - groups with opposing points of view and different expectations; using private practice medical records to trace women who had been patients up to forty years earlier; and exploring potential legal issues arising from the collection of data related to treatment. Conclusion While faced with complex challenges, the Tall Girls Study demonstrated that forward planning, ongoing dialogue between all stakeholders, transparency of processes, and the strict adherence to group-developed protocols were keys to maintaining rigour while undertaking pragmatic research. Implications Public health research often occurs within political and social contexts that need to be considered in the planning and conduct of studies. The quality and acceptability of research findings is enhanced when stakeholders are engaged in all aspects of the research process.

Exogenous Calcium Enhances the Photosystem II Photochemistry Response in Salt Stressed Tall Fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Guangyang; Bi, Aoyue; Amombo, Erick; Li, Huiying; Zhang, Liang; Cheng, Cheng; Hu, Tao; Fu, Jinmin

2017-01-01

Calcium enhances turfgrass response to salt stress. However, little is known about PSII photochemical changes when exogenous calcium was applied in salinity-stressed turfgrass. Here, we probe into the rearrangements of PSII electron transport and endogenous ion accumulation in tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreber) treated with exogenous calcium under salt stress. Three-month-old seedlings of genotype "TF133" were subjected to the control (CK), salinity (S), salinity + calcium nitrate (SC), and salinity + ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (SE). Calcium nitrate and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid was used as exogenous calcium donor and calcium chelating agent respectively. At the end of a 5-day duration treatment, samples in SC regime had better photochemistry performance on several parameters than salinity only. Such as the Area (equal to the plastoquinone pool size), N (number of [Formula: see text] redox turnovers until F m is reached), ψE 0 , or δRo (Efficiencdy/probability with which a PSII trapped electron is transferred from Q A to Q B or PSI acceptors), ABS/RC (Absorbed photon flux per RC). All the above suggested that calcium enhanced the electron transfer of PSII (especially beyond [Formula: see text]) and prevented reaction centers from inactivation in salt-stressed tall fescue. Furthermore, both grass shoot and root tissues generally accumulated more C, N, Ca 2+ , and K + in the SC regime than S regime. Interrelated analysis indicated that ψE 0 , δRo, ABS/RC, C, and N content in shoots was highly correlated to each other and significantly positively related to Ca 2+ and K + content in roots. Besides, high salt increased ATP6E and CAMK2 transcription level in shoot at 1 and 5 day, respectively while exogenous calcium relieved it. In root, CAMK2 level was reduced by Salinity at 5 day and exogenous calcium recovered it. These observations involved in electron transport capacity and ion accumulation assist in understanding better the protective role

Exogenous Calcium Enhances the Photosystem II Photochemistry Response in Salt Stressed Tall Fescue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyang Wang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Calcium enhances turfgrass response to salt stress. However, little is known about PSII photochemical changes when exogenous calcium was applied in salinity-stressed turfgrass. Here, we probe into the rearrangements of PSII electron transport and endogenous ion accumulation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreber treated with exogenous calcium under salt stress. Three-month-old seedlings of genotype “TF133” were subjected to the control (CK, salinity (S, salinity + calcium nitrate (SC, and salinity + ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (SE. Calcium nitrate and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid was used as exogenous calcium donor and calcium chelating agent respectively. At the end of a 5-day duration treatment, samples in SC regime had better photochemistry performance on several parameters than salinity only. Such as the Area (equal to the plastoquinone pool size, N (number of QA- redox turnovers until Fm is reached, ψE0, or δRo (Efficiencdy/probability with which a PSII trapped electron is transferred from QA to QB or PSI acceptors, ABS/RC (Absorbed photon flux per RC. All the above suggested that calcium enhanced the electron transfer of PSII (especially beyond QA- and prevented reaction centers from inactivation in salt-stressed tall fescue. Furthermore, both grass shoot and root tissues generally accumulated more C, N, Ca2+, and K+ in the SC regime than S regime. Interrelated analysis indicated that ψE0, δRo, ABS/RC, C, and N content in shoots was highly correlated to each other and significantly positively related to Ca2+ and K+ content in roots. Besides, high salt increased ATP6E and CAMK2 transcription level in shoot at 1 and 5 day, respectively while exogenous calcium relieved it. In root, CAMK2 level was reduced by Salinity at 5 day and exogenous calcium recovered it. These observations involved in electron transport capacity and ion accumulation assist in understanding better the protective role of exogenous calcium in tall

Progress on the development of seismic resilient Tall CLT Buildings in the Pacific Northwest

Science.gov (United States)

Shiling Pei; Jeffrey Berman; Daniel Dolan; John van de Lindt; James Ricles; Richard Sause; Hans-Erik Blomgren; Marjan Popovski; Douglas Rammer

2014-01-01

As urban densification occurs in U.S. regions of high seismicity, there is a natural demand for seismically resilient tall buildings that are reliable, economically viable, and can be rapidly constructed. In urban regions on the west coast of the U.S., specifically the Pacific Northwest, there is significant interest in utilizing CLT in 8-20 story residential and...

Baseline report - tall upland shrubland at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-03-01

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site) is located on the Colorado Piedmont east of the Front Range between Boulder and Golden. At an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet, the Site contains a unique ecotonal mixture of mountain and prairie plant species, resulting from the topography and close proximity to the mountain front. The Buffer Zone surrounding the Industrial Area is one of the largest remaining undeveloped areas of its kind along the Colorado Piedmont. A number of plant communities at the Site have been identified as increasingly rare and unique by Site ecologists and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). These include the xeric tallgrass prairie, tall upland shrubland, wetlands, and Great Plains riparian woodland communities. Many of these communities support populations of increasingly rare animals as well, including the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, grasshopper sparrow, loggerhead shrike, Merriam's shrew, black crowned night heron, and Hops blue and Argos skipper butterflies. One of the more interesting and important plant communities at the Site is the tall upland shrubland community. It has been generally overlooked by previous Site ecological studies, probably due to its relatively small size; only 34 acres total. Although mentioned in a plant community ordination study conducted by Clark et al. and also in the Site baseline ecological study, few data were available on this plant community before the present study

Baseline report - tall upland shrubland at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site) is located on the Colorado Piedmont east of the Front Range between Boulder and Golden. At an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet, the Site contains a unique ecotonal mixture of mountain and prairie plant species, resulting from the topography and close proximity to the mountain front. The Buffer Zone surrounding the Industrial Area is one of the largest remaining undeveloped areas of its kind along the Colorado Piedmont. A number of plant communities at the Site have been identified as increasingly rare and unique by Site ecologists and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). These include the xeric tallgrass prairie, tall upland shrubland, wetlands, and Great Plains riparian woodland communities. Many of these communities support populations of increasingly rare animals as well, including the Preble`s meadow jumping mouse, grasshopper sparrow, loggerhead shrike, Merriam`s shrew, black crowned night heron, and Hops blue and Argos skipper butterflies. One of the more interesting and important plant communities at the Site is the tall upland shrubland community. It has been generally overlooked by previous Site ecological studies, probably due to its relatively small size; only 34 acres total. Although mentioned in a plant community ordination study conducted by Clark et al. and also in the Site baseline ecological study, few data were available on this plant community before the present study.

Greenhouse gas measurements from a UK network of tall towers: technical description and first results

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, Kieran M.; Grant, Aoife; O'Doherty, Simon; Young, Dickon; Manning, Alistair J.; Stavert, Ann R.; Spain, T. Gerard; Salameh, Peter K.; Harth, Christina M.; Simmonds, Peter G.; Sturges, William T.; Oram, David E.; Derwent, Richard G.

2018-03-01

A network of three tall tower measurement stations was set up in 2012 across the United Kingdom to expand measurements made at the long-term background northern hemispheric site, Mace Head, Ireland. Reliable and precise in situ greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis systems were developed and deployed at three sites in the UK with automated instrumentation measuring a suite of GHGs. The UK Deriving Emissions linked to Climate Change (UK DECC) network uses tall (165-230 m) open-lattice telecommunications towers, which provide a convenient platform for boundary layer trace gas sampling. In this paper we describe the automated measurement system and first results from the UK DECC network for CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, CO and H2. CO2 and CH4 are measured at all of the UK DECC sites by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) with multiple inlet heights at two of the three tall tower sites to assess for boundary layer stratification. The short-term precisions (1σ on 1 min means) of CRDS measurements at background mole fractions for January 2012 to September 2015 is sampling temperatures. Automated alerts are generated and emailed to site operators when instrumental parameters are not within defined set ranges. Automated instrument shutdowns occur for critical errors such as carrier gas flow rate deviations. Results from the network give good spatial and temporal coverage of atmospheric mixing ratios within the UK since early 2012. Results also show that all measured GHGs are increasing in mole fraction over the selected reporting period and, except for SF6, exhibit a seasonal trend. CO2 and CH4 also show strong diurnal cycles, with night-time maxima and daytime minima in mole fractions.

High-rise buildings under multi-hazard environment assessment and design for optimal performance

CERN Document Server

Huang, Mingfeng

2017-01-01

This book discusses performance-based seismic and wind-resistant design for high-rise building structures, with a particular focus on establishing an integrated approach for performance-based wind engineering, which is currently less advanced than seismic engineering. This book also provides a state-of-the-art review of numerous methodologies, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD), extreme value analysis, structural optimization, vibration control, pushover analysis, response spectrum analysis, modal parameter identification for the assessment of the wind-resistant and seismic performance of tall buildings in the design stage and actual tall buildings in use. Several new structural optimization methods, including the augmented optimality criteria method, have been developed and employed in the context of performance-based design. This book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and engineers in the field of civil and structural engineering.

Expansion of deciduous tall shrubs but not evergreen dwarf shrubs inhibited by reindeer in Scandes mountain range.

Science.gov (United States)

Vowles, Tage; Gunnarsson, Bengt; Molau, Ulf; Hickler, Thomas; Klemedtsson, Leif; Björk, Robert G

2017-11-01

One of the most palpable effects of warming in Arctic ecosystems is shrub expansion above the tree line. However, previous studies have found that reindeer can influence plant community responses to warming and inhibit shrubification of the tundra.We revisited grazed (ambient) and ungrazed study plots (exclosures), at the southern as well as the northern limits of the Swedish alpine region, to study long-term grazing effects and vegetation changes in response to increasing temperatures between 1995 and 2011, in two vegetation types (shrub heath and mountain birch forest).In the field layer at the shrub heath sites, evergreen dwarf shrubs had increased in cover from 26% to 49% but were unaffected by grazing. Deciduous dwarf and tall shrubs also showed significant, though smaller, increases over time. At the birch forest sites, the increase was similar for evergreen dwarf shrubs (20-48%) but deciduous tall shrubs did not show the same consistent increase over time as in the shrub heath.The cover and height of the shrub layer were significantly greater in exclosures at the shrub heath sites, but no significant treatment effects were found on species richness or diversity.July soil temperatures and growing season thawing degree days (TDD) were higher in exclosures at all but one site, and there was a significant negative correlation between mean shrub layer height and soil TDD at the shrub heath sites. Synthesis . This study shows that shrub expansion is occurring rapidly in the Scandes mountain range, both above and below the tree line. Tall, deciduous shrubs had benefitted significantly from grazing exclosure, both in terms of cover and height, which in turn lowered summer soil temperatures. However, the overriding vegetation shift across our sites was the striking increase in evergreen dwarf shrubs, which were not influenced by grazing. As the effects of an increase in evergreen dwarf shrubs and more recalcitrant plant litter may to some degree counteract some of

Lead Accumulation by Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Grown on a Lead-Contaminated Soil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Gilliard

2005-08-01

Full Text Available Phytoextraction is gaining acceptance as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly phytoremediation strategy for reducing toxic metal levels from contaminated soils. Cognizant of the potential of this phytoremediation technique as an alternative to expensive engineering-based remediation technologies, experiments were conducted to evaluate the suitability of some plants as phytoextraction species. From one of our preliminary studies, we found that tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. cv. Spirit can tolerate and accumulate significant amounts of lead (Pb in its shoots when grown in Pb-amended sand. To further evaluate the suitability of tall fescue as one of the potential crop rotation species for phytoextraction, a study was conducted to determine whether the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA alone or in combination with acetic acid can further enhance the shoot uptake of Pb. Seeds were planted in 3.8 L plastic pots containing top soil, peat, and sand (4:2:1, v:v:v spiked with various levels (0,1000, 2000 mg Pb/kg dry soil of lead. At six weeks after planting, aqueous solutions (0, 5 mmol/kg dry soil of EDTA and acetic acid (5 mmol/kg dry soil were applied to the root zone, and all plants were harvested a week later. Results revealed that tall fescue was relatively tolerant to moderate levels of Pb as shown by non-significant differences in root and shoot biomass among treatments. An exception to this trend however, was the slight reduction in root and shoot biomass of plants exposed to the highest Pb level in combination with the two chelates. Root Pb concentration increased with increasing level of soil-applied Pb. Further increases in root Pb concentrations were attributed to chelate amendments. Translocation index, which is a measure of the partitioning of the metal to the shoots, was significantly enhanced with chelate addition especially when both EDTA and acetic acid were used. Chelate-induced increases in

Are tall trees more sensitive to prolonged drought in tropical per-humid forests?

Science.gov (United States)

Schuldt, Bernhard; Horna, Viviana; Leuschner, Christoph

2010-05-01

Seasonality of water flux was investigated for common tree species of a Central Sulawesi pre-montane perhumid forest located in the Lore Lindu National Park. Trees were exposed to reduced soil water levels under a rainfall exclusion experiment (Sulawesi Throughfall Displacement Experiment, STD), to simulate drought effects and to monitor species-specific short-term responses to extended water stress. Several climate scenarios predict more frequent occurrence of ENSO droughts with increasing severity induced by global warming. Detailed assessments of the ecological consequences of droughts in perhumid forests are scarce and knowledge whether and how these ecosystems are adapted to severe droughts is limited. Key research questions were: (1) how do tall rainforest trees cope with long pathways under low evaporative demand, (2) how sensitive are trees from tropical perhumid forests and how do they acclimate to drought-stress and 3) does wood density determine the drought sensitivity of perhumid forest trees? From June 2007 until October 2009 we monitored 95 trees from 8 common tree species. Half of them were located under the STD Experiment and the other half in control areas. We used the constant heated method to continuously monitor stem xylem flux density and conduct parallel measurements of xylem anatomy and hydraulic conductivity in twigs, stems and roots. After almost 22 months of experimental drought only 25% of xylem flux density reduction was observed in the experimental trees. But the reaction to water stress was species-specific and in some species xylem flux went down to 50 % compared to the individuals located at the control plots. Wood density did not correlate with any hydraulic measurement, but anatomy and hydraulic architecture observations showed a positive correlation between xylem conductivity and vessel size with tree height. These results reveal a well adapted hydraulic system of tall canopy trees allowing for highly efficient water flow under

Study of wind-induced vibrations in tall buildings with tuned mass dampers taking into account vortices effects

Science.gov (United States)

Momtaz, Ali Ajilian; Abdollahian, Mohamadreza Akhavan; Farshidianfar, Anooshiravan

2017-12-01

In recent years, construction of tall buildings has been of great interest. Use of lightweight materials in such structures reduces stiffness and damping, making the building more influenced by wind loads. Moreover, tall buildings of more than 30 to 40 stories, depending on the geographical location, the wind effects are more influential than earthquakes. In addition, the complexity of the effects of wind flow on the structure due to the interaction of the fluid flow and solid body results in serious damages to the structure by eliminating them. Considering the importance of the issue, the present study investigates the phenomenon of wind-induced vibration on high-rise buildings, taking into account the effects of vortices created by the fluid flow and the control of this phenomenon. To this end, the governing equations of the structure, the fluid flow and the tuned mass damper (TMD) are first introduced, and their coefficient values are extracted according to the characteristics of ACT skyscraper in Japan. Then, these three coupled equations are solved using a program coded in MATLAB. After validation of the results, the effects of wind loads are analyzed and considered with regard to the effects of vortices and the use of TMD, and are compared with the results of the state where no vortices are considered. Generally, the results of this study point out the significance of vibrations caused by vortices in construction of engineering structures as well as the appropriate performance of a TMD in reducing oscillations in tall buildings.

Exogenous Application of Citric Acid Ameliorates the Adverse Effect of Heat Stress in Tall Fescue (Lolium arundinaceum)

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Longxing; Zhang, Zhifei; Xiang, Zuoxiang; Yang, Zhijian

2016-01-01

Citric acid may be involved in plant response to high temperature. The objective of this study was to investigate whether exogenous citric acid could improve heat tolerance in a cool-season turfgrass species, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), and to determine the physiological mechanisms of citric acid effects on heat stress tolerance. The grasses were subjected to four citric acid levels (0, 0.2, 2, and 20 mM) and two temperature levels (25/20 and 35/30 ± 0.5°C, day/night) treatments in growth chambers. Heat stress increased an electrolyte leakage (EL) and malonaldehyde (MDA) content, while reduced plant growth, chlorophyll (Chl) content, photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), root activity and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD). External citric acid alleviated the detrimental effects of heat stress on tall fescue, which was evidenced by decreased EL and MDA content, and improved plant growth under stress conditions. Additionally, the reduction in Chl content, Fv/Fm, SOD, POD, CAT and root activity were ameliorated in citric acid treated plants under heat stressed conditions. High temperature induced the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, which exhibited greater expression levels after citric acid treatment under heat stress. These results suggest that exogenous citric acid application may alleviate growth and physiological damage caused by high temperature. In addition, the exogenously applied citric acid might be responsible for maintaining membrane stability, root activity, and activation of antioxidant response and HSP genes which could contribute to the protective roles of citric acid in tall fescue responses to heat stress. PMID:26925085

Exogenous Application of Citric Acid Ameliorates the Adverse Effect of Heat Stress in Tall Fescue (Lolium arundinaceum).

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Longxing; Zhang, Zhifei; Xiang, Zuoxiang; Yang, Zhijian

2016-01-01

Citric acid may be involved in plant response to high temperature. The objective of this study was to investigate whether exogenous citric acid could improve heat tolerance in a cool-season turfgrass species, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum), and to determine the physiological mechanisms of citric acid effects on heat stress tolerance. The grasses were subjected to four citric acid levels (0, 0.2, 2, and 20 mM) and two temperature levels (25/20 and 35/30 ± 0.5°C, day/night) treatments in growth chambers. Heat stress increased an electrolyte leakage (EL) and malonaldehyde (MDA) content, while reduced plant growth, chlorophyll (Chl) content, photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), root activity and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD). External citric acid alleviated the detrimental effects of heat stress on tall fescue, which was evidenced by decreased EL and MDA content, and improved plant growth under stress conditions. Additionally, the reduction in Chl content, Fv/Fm, SOD, POD, CAT and root activity were ameliorated in citric acid treated plants under heat stressed conditions. High temperature induced the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) genes, which exhibited greater expression levels after citric acid treatment under heat stress. These results suggest that exogenous citric acid application may alleviate growth and physiological damage caused by high temperature. In addition, the exogenously applied citric acid might be responsible for maintaining membrane stability, root activity, and activation of antioxidant response and HSP genes which could contribute to the protective roles of citric acid in tall fescue responses to heat stress.

Exogenous Application of Citric Acid Ameliorates the Adverse Effect of Heat Stress in Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Longxing eHu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Citric acid may be involved in plant response to high temperature. The objective of this study was to investigate whether exogenous citric acid could improve heat tolerance in a cool‐season turfgrass species, tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum, and to determine the physiological mechanisms of citric acid effects on heat stress tolerance. The grasses were subjected to four citric acid levels (0, 0.2, 2 and 20 mM and two temperature levels (25/20 and 35/30 ± 0.5 ̊C, day/night treatments in growth chambers. Heat stress increased an electrolyte leakage (EL and malonaldehyde (MDA content, while reduced plant growth, chlorophyll (Chl content, photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm, root activity and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; peroxidase, POD. External citric acid alleviated the detrimental effects of heat stress on tall fescue, which was evidenced by decreased EL and MDA content, and improved plant growth under stress conditions. Additionally, the reduction in Chl content, Fv/Fm, SOD, POD, CAT and root activity were ameliorated in citric acid treated plants under heat stressed conditions. High temperature induced the expression of heat shock protein (HSP genes, which exhibited greater expression levels after citric acid treatment under heat stress. These results suggest that exogenous citric acid application may alleviate growth and physiological damage caused by high temperature. In addition, the exogenously applied citric acid might be responsible for maintaining membrane stability, root activity, and activation of antioxidant response and HSP genes which could contribute to the protective roles of citric acid in tall fescue responses to heat stress.

Isolation of Burkholderia cepacia JB12 from lead- and cadmium-contaminated soil and its potential in promoting phytoremediation with tall fescue and red clover.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Zhong Min; Sha, Wei; Zhang, Yan Fu; Zhao, Jing; Ji, Hongyang

2013-07-01

Phytoremediation combined with suitable microorganisms and biodegradable chelating agents can be a means of reclaiming lands contaminated by toxic heavy metals. We investigated the ability of a lead- and cadmium-resistant bacterial strain (JB12) and the biodegradable chelator ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid (EDDS) to improve absorption of these metals from soil by tall fescue and red clover. Strain JB12 was isolated from contaminated soil samples, analysed for lead and cadmium resistance, and identified as Burkholderia cepacia. Tall fescue and red clover were grown in pots to which we added JB12, (S,S)-EDDS, combined JB12 and EDDS, or water only. Compared with untreated plants, the biomass of plants treated with JB12 was significantly increased. Concentrations of lead and cadmium in JB12-treated plants increased significantly, with few exceptions. Plants treated with EDDS responded variably, but in those treated with combined EDDS and JB12, heavy metal concentrations increased significantly in tall fescue and in the aboveground parts of red clover. We conclude that JB12 is resistant to lead and cadmium. Its application to the soil improved the net uptake of these heavy metals by experimental plants. The potential for viable phytoremediation of lead- and cadmium-polluted soils with tall fescue and red clover combined with JB12 was further enhanced by the addition of EDDS.

Survey of ABC transporter and metallothionein genes expressions in tall fescue inoculated with Funneliformis intraradices under Nickel toxicity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massomeh Rafiei-Demneh

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In plants, there are complex network of transport, chelation, and sequestration processes that functions in maintaining concentrations of essential metal ions in different cellular compartments, thus minimizing the damage caused by entry of non-essential metal ions into the cytosol. In the presence of toxic ones, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM fungi are able to alleviate metal toxicity in the plant. In this study the effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Funneliformis intraradices on growth, Nickel tolerance, and ABC transporter and metallothionein expression in leaves and roots of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea plants cultivated in Ni polluted soil were evaluated. The fungi infected (M+ and uninfected (M- fescue plants were cultivated in soil under different Ni concentrations (0, 30, 90 and 180 ppm for 3 months. Results demonstrated the positive effect of fungi colonization on the increase in growth and reduction in Ni uptake (90 and 180 ppm and Ni translocation from roots to shoot of tall fescue under Ni stress. The results also demonstrated that the level of ABC transporterand metallothionein transcripts accumulation in roots was considerably higher for both M- and M+ plants compared to the control. Also, M+ plants showed less ABC and MET expression compared to the M- plants. These results demonstrated the importance of mycorrhizal colonization of F. intraradices in reduction of Ni transport from root to shoot of tall fescue which alleviates Ni-induced stress.

Tallness is associated with risk of testicular cancer: evidence for the nutrition hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dieckmann, K-P; Hartmann, J T; Classen, J; Lüdde, R; Diederichs, M; Pichlmeier, U

2008-11-04

The pathogenesis of testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) is potentially influenced by high-energy nutrition during infancy. As adult height is a proxy for childhood nutrition, we investigated the role of nutrition in GCT pathogenesis by comparing stature of patients with healthy men. In a matched case-control study, 6415 patients with GCT were compared with healthy army conscripts (1:6 matching modus) with regard to height (cm) and body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)). Statistical analysis involved tabulation of descriptive height measures and BMI. Conditional logistic regression models were used to quantify the association of GCT with height, with odds ratios (OR) adjusted for BMI. The literature was searched for studies on stature in GCT patients. Body size is significantly associated with risk of GCT, very tall men (>195 cm) having a GCT risk of OR=3.35 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.88-3.90; adjusted). Short stature is protective (OR=0.798; 95% CI: 0.68-0.93). Both histologic subgroups are associated with tallness. Of 16 previous reports, 7 were confirmative, 5 had null and 4 equivocal results. The association of stature with GCT risk accords with the nutrition hypothesis of GCT. This study expands the current view of GCT tumorigenesis by suggesting that high-calorie intake in childhood promotes GCT precursors originating in utero.

Temporal patterns of foliar ozone symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Science.gov (United States)

Chappelka, A H; Somers, G L; Renfro, J R

2007-10-01

Incidence and severity of ozone-induced foliar symptoms on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) along selected trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) were determined by two surveys/season conducted from 1992 through 1996. Overall incidence was 73%, and was 84%, 44%, 90%, 58%, and 82% for 1992-1996, respectively for the same clusters. Average incidence was 61% and 84% for the 1st and 2nd surveys, respectively. Seasonal comparisons showed two distinct injury groupings regarding incidence and severity of injury: 1992, 1994 and 1996 (high injury); 1993 and 1995 (low injury). No discernible patterns were observed between symptomatic and asymptomatic plants regarding height, herbivory or flowering. Regression analyses indicated no differentiation in foliar symptoms regarding topographic position, aspect, slope or elevation over the 5-year study period. Our findings indicate other micro-site or genetic factors may control ozone sensitivity of tall milkweed in GRSM.

The effect of nitrogen addition on biomass production and competition in three expansive tall grasses

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Holub, Petr; Tůma, I.; Fiala, Karel

2012-01-01

Roč. 170, NOV 2012 (2012), s. 211-216 ISSN 0269-7491 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA526/06/0556; GA MZe QJ1220007; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional support: RVO:67985939 ; RVO:67179843 Keywords : aboveground biomass * aggressivity * crowding coefficient * Nitrogen * tall grasses Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour; EF - Botanics (BU-J) Impact factor: 3.730, year: 2012

Large for Gestational Age Newborns from Mothers Without Diabetes Mellitus Tend to Become Tall and Lean Toddlers.

Science.gov (United States)

de Zegher, Francis; Pérez-Cruz, Miriam; Sebastiani, Giorgia; Díaz, Marta; López-Bermejo, Abel; Ibáñez, Lourdes

2016-11-01

A longitudinal study with dual x-ray absorptiometry disclosed that infants born large for gestational age from mothers without diabetes mellitus and without excessive gestational weight gain tend to be long with increased adipose tissue as newborns and tall and lean as toddlers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The height leadership advantage in men and women: Testing evolutionary psychology predictions about the perceptions of tall leaders

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blaker, N. M; Rompa, I.; Dessing, I. H.; Vriend, A. F.; Herschberg, C.; van Vugt, M.

2013-01-01

Research suggests that tall individuals have an advantage over short individuals in terms of status, prestige, and leadership, though it is not clear why. Applying an evolutionary psychology perspective, we predicted that taller individuals are seen as more leader-like because they are perceived as

Maintenance of carbohydrate transport in tall trees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Savage, Jessica A.; Beecher, Sierra D.; Clerx, Laura

2017-01-01

Trees present a critical challenge to long-distance transport because as a tree grows in height and the transport pathway increases in length, the hydraulic resistance of the vascular tissue should increase. This has led many to question whether trees can rely on a passive transport mechanism to ...... that reduce transport resistance. As a result, the key to the long-standing mystery of how trees maintain phloem transport as they increase in size lies in the structure of the phloem and its ability to change hydraulic properties with plant height.......Trees present a critical challenge to long-distance transport because as a tree grows in height and the transport pathway increases in length, the hydraulic resistance of the vascular tissue should increase. This has led many to question whether trees can rely on a passive transport mechanism...... in the leaves of a tall tree in situ. Across nine deciduous species, we find that hydraulic resistance in the phloem scales inversely with plant height because of a shift in sieve element structure along the length of individual trees. This scaling relationship seems robust across multiple species despite large...

Evaluation of ozone injury on foliage of black cherry (Prunus serotina) and tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Science.gov (United States)

Chappelka, A; Renfro, J; Somers, G; Nash, B

1997-01-01

The incidence and severity of visible foliar ozone injury on black cherry (Prunus serotina) seedlings and saplings and tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) plants in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) were determined by surveys along selected trails conducted during late summer 1992. The incidence (% injured plants) of ozone injury on black cherry was 47% and the percent injured leaves/injured plant and average leaf area injured were 43 and 6%, respectively. Maximum severity (avg. leaf area of the most severely injured leaf) was 12%. Black cherry seedlings and saplings exhibiting ozone injury were taller than non-injured plants. When insect feeding was present, it occurred 96% of the time on plants with ozone injury. Significantly more injury (p=0.007) on black cherry (% injured leaves/injured black cherry) occurred in the NW section of GRSM compared with the other Park sections. Regression analyses showed no relationships in ozone injury with respect to aspect, slope or elevation. Tall milkweed was evaluated twice during August for ozone injury. The incidence (% injured plants) of ozone injury was 74 and 79% for the first and second survey, respectively. The percentage of injured leaves per plant from the first to second survey was 63 to 79%, respectively. Tall milkweeds showing ozone injury were taller than the non-injured plants. The percentage of insect-damaged plants was 50% among plants without ozone injury and 60% among ozone-injured plants. Non-injured tall milkweed had fewer flowers and/or pods than the injured plants. Mean leaf area injured increased over time, and mean maximum leaf area injured increased from 8 to 11% during the same period. Regression analyses showed no differences in ozone injury regarding aspect, slope or elevation. Our findings indicate that ozone injury is widespread throughout the Park on sensitive vegetation.

A Comparative Field Monitoring of Column Shortenings in Tall Buildings Using Wireless and Wired Sensor Network Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sungho Lee

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A comparative field measurement for column shortening of tall buildings is presented in this study, with a focus on the reliability and stability of a wireless sensor network. A wireless sensor network was used for monitoring the column shortenings of a 58-story building under construction. The wireless sensor network, which was composed of sensor and master nodes, employed the ultra-high-frequency band and CDMA communication methods. To evaluate the reliability and stability of the wireless sensor network system, the column shortenings were also measured using a conventional wired monitoring system. Two vibration wire gauges were installed in each of the selected 7 columns and 3 walls. Measurements for selected columns and walls were collected for 270 days after casting of the concrete. The results measured by the wireless sensor network were compared with the results of the conventional method. The strains and column shortenings measured using both methods showed good agreement for all members. It was verified that the column shortenings of tall buildings could be monitored using the wireless sensor network system with its reliability and stability.

Ascorbic Acid Alleviates Damage from Heat Stress in the Photosystem II of Tall Fescue in Both the Photochemical and Thermal Phases

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Ke Chen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available L-Ascorbate (Asc plays important roles in plant development, hormone signaling, the cell cycle and cellular redox system, etc. The higher content of Asc in plant chloroplasts indicates its important role in the photosystem. The objective of this study was to study the roles of Asc in tall fescue leaves against heat stress. After a heat stress treatment, we observed a lower value of the maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry (φPo, which reflects the inhibited activity of the photochemical phase of photosystem II (PSII. Moreover, we observed a higher value of efficiency of electron transfer from QB to photosystem I acceptors (δR0, which reflects elevated activity of the thermal phase of the photosystem of the tall fescue. The addition of Asc facilitate the behavior of the photochemical phase of the PSII by lowering the ROS content as well as that of the alternative electron donor to provide electron to the tyrosine residue of the D1 protein. Additionally, exogenous Asc reduces the activity of the thermal phase of the photosystem, which could contribute to the limitation of energy input into the photosystem in tall fescue against heat stress. Synthesis of the Asc increased under heat stress treatment. However, under heat stress this regulation does not occur at the transcription level and requires further study.

In situ phytoremediation of PAH-contaminated soil by intercropping alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and associated soil microbial activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Mingming; Fu, Dengqiang; Teng, Ying; Shen, Yuanyuan; Luo, Yongming; Li, Zhengao [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing (China). Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation; Christie, Peter [Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast (United Kingdom). Agri-Environment Branch

2011-09-15

Purpose: A 7-month field experiment was conducted to investigate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) remediation potential of two plant species and changes in counts of soil PAH-degrading bacteria and microbial activity. Materials and methods: Alfalfa and tall fescue were grown in monoculture and intercropped for 7 months in contaminated field soil. Soil and plant samples were analyzed for PAHs. Plant biomass, densities of PAH-degradation soil bacteria, soil microbial biomass C and N, enzyme activities, and the physiological profile of the soil microbial community were determined. Results and discussion: Average removal percentage of total PAHs in intercropping (30.5%) was significantly higher than in monoculture (19.9%) or unplanted soil (-0.6%). About 7.5% of 3-ring, 12.3% of 4-ring, and 17.2% of 5(+6)-ring PAHs were removed from the soil by alfalfa, with corresponding values of 25.1%, 10.4%, and 30.1% for tall fescue. Intercropping significantly enhanced the remediation efficiency. About 18.9% of 3-ring, 30.9% of 4-ring, and 33.4% of 5(+6)-ring PAHs were removed by the intercropping system. Higher counts of soil culturable PAH-degrading bacteria and elevated microbial biomass and enzyme activities were found after intercropping. Soil from intercropping showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) average well-color development obtained by the BIOLOG Ecoplate assay and Shannon-Weaver index compared with monoculture. Conclusions: Cropping promoted the dissipation of soil PAHs. Tall fescue gave greater removal of soil PAHs than alfalfa, and intercropping was more effective than monoculture. Intercropping of alfalfa and tall fescue may be a promising in situ bioremediation strategy for PAH-contaminated soils. (orig.)

Responses of a tall building with U.S. code-type instrumentation in Tokyo, Japan, to events before, during and after the Tohoku earthquake of 11 March 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Çelebi, Mehmet; Kashima, Toshihide; Ghahari, S. Farid; Abazarsa, Fariba; Taciroglu, Ertugrul

2016-01-01

The 11 March 2011 M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake generated long-duration shaking that propagated hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter and affected tall buildings in urban areas several hundred kilometers from the epicenter of the main shock. Recorded responses show that tall buildings were affected by long-period motions. This study presents the behavior and performance of a 37-story building in the Tsukuda area of Tokyo, Japan, as inferred from modal analyses of records retrieved for a time interval covering a few days before, during, and for several months after the main shock. The U.S. “code-type” array comprises three triaxial accelerometers deployed at three levels in the superstructure. Such a sparse array in a tall structure limits a reliable assessment, because its performance must be based on only the average drift ratios. Based on the inferred values of this parameter, the subject building was not structurally damaged.

Analytical Modeling of Natural Convection in a Tall Rectangular Enclosure with Multiple Disconnected Partitions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youngmin Bae

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, laminar natural circulation and heat transfer in a tall rectangular enclosure with disconnected vertical partitions inside were investigated. Analytical expressions were developed to predict the circulation flow rate and the average Nusselt number in a partially partitioned enclosure with isothermal side walls at different temperatures and insulated top and bottom walls. The proposed formulas are then validated against numerical results for modified Rayleigh numbers of up to 106. The impacts of the governing parameters are also examined along with a discussion of the heat transfer regimes.

Water transport through tall trees: A vertically-explicit, analytical model of xylem hydraulic conductance in stems.

Science.gov (United States)

Couvreur, Valentin; Ledder, Glenn; Manzoni, Stefano; Way, Danielle A; Muller, Erik B; Russo, Sabrina E

2018-05-08

Trees grow by vertically extending their stems, so accurate stem hydraulic models are fundamental to understanding the hydraulic challenges faced by tall trees. Using a literature survey, we showed that many tree species exhibit continuous vertical variation in hydraulic traits. To examine the effects of this variation on hydraulic function, we developed a spatially-explicit, analytical water transport model for stems. Our model allows Huber ratio, stem-saturated conductivity, pressure at 50% loss of conductivity, leaf area, and transpiration rate to vary continuously along the hydraulic path. Predictions from our model differ from a matric flux potential model parameterized with uniform traits. Analyses show that cavitation is a whole-stem emergent property resulting from nonlinear pressure-conductivity feedbacks that, with gravity, cause impaired water transport to accumulate along the path. Because of the compounding effects of vertical trait variation on hydraulic function, growing proportionally more sapwood and building tapered xylem with height, as well as reducing xylem vulnerability only at branch tips while maintaining transport capacity at the stem base, can compensate for these effects. We therefore conclude that the adaptive significance of vertical variation in stem hydraulic traits is to allow trees to grow tall and tolerate operating near their hydraulic limits. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Environmental Limits of Tall Shrubs in Alaska's Arctic National Parks.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, David K

2015-01-01

We sampled shrub canopy volume (height times area) and environmental factors (soil wetness, soil depth of thaw, soil pH, mean July air temperature, and typical date of spring snow loss) on 471 plots across five National Park Service units in northern Alaska. Our goal was to determine the environments where tall shrubs thrive and use this information to predict the location of future shrub expansion. The study area covers over 80,000 km2 and has mostly tundra vegetation. Large canopy volumes were uncommon, with volumes over 0.5 m3/m2 present on just 8% of plots. Shrub canopy volumes were highest where mean July temperatures were above 10.5°C and on weakly acid to neutral soils (pH of 6 to 7) with deep summer thaw (>80 cm) and good drainage. On many sites, flooding helped maintain favorable soil conditions for shrub growth. Canopy volumes were highest where the typical snow loss date was near 20 May; these represent sites that are neither strongly wind-scoured in the winter nor late to melt from deep snowdrifts. Individual species varied widely in the canopy volumes they attained and their response to the environmental factors. Betula sp. shrubs were the most common and quite tolerant of soil acidity, cold July temperatures, and shallow thaw depths, but they did not form high-volume canopies under these conditions. Alnus viridis formed the largest canopies and was tolerant of soil acidity down to about pH 5, but required more summer warmth (over 12°C) than the other species. The Salix species varied widely from S. pulchra, tolerant of wet and moderately acid soils, to S. alaxensis, requiring well-drained soils with near neutral pH. Nearly half of the land area in ARCN has mean July temperatures of 10.5 to 12.5°C, where 2°C of warming would bring temperatures into the range needed for all of the potential tall shrub species to form large canopies. However, limitations in the other environmental factors would probably prevent the formation of large shrub canopies

Environmental Limits of Tall Shrubs in Alaska's Arctic National Parks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David K Swanson

Full Text Available We sampled shrub canopy volume (height times area and environmental factors (soil wetness, soil depth of thaw, soil pH, mean July air temperature, and typical date of spring snow loss on 471 plots across five National Park Service units in northern Alaska. Our goal was to determine the environments where tall shrubs thrive and use this information to predict the location of future shrub expansion. The study area covers over 80,000 km2 and has mostly tundra vegetation. Large canopy volumes were uncommon, with volumes over 0.5 m3/m2 present on just 8% of plots. Shrub canopy volumes were highest where mean July temperatures were above 10.5°C and on weakly acid to neutral soils (pH of 6 to 7 with deep summer thaw (>80 cm and good drainage. On many sites, flooding helped maintain favorable soil conditions for shrub growth. Canopy volumes were highest where the typical snow loss date was near 20 May; these represent sites that are neither strongly wind-scoured in the winter nor late to melt from deep snowdrifts. Individual species varied widely in the canopy volumes they attained and their response to the environmental factors. Betula sp. shrubs were the most common and quite tolerant of soil acidity, cold July temperatures, and shallow thaw depths, but they did not form high-volume canopies under these conditions. Alnus viridis formed the largest canopies and was tolerant of soil acidity down to about pH 5, but required more summer warmth (over 12°C than the other species. The Salix species varied widely from S. pulchra, tolerant of wet and moderately acid soils, to S. alaxensis, requiring well-drained soils with near neutral pH. Nearly half of the land area in ARCN has mean July temperatures of 10.5 to 12.5°C, where 2°C of warming would bring temperatures into the range needed for all of the potential tall shrub species to form large canopies. However, limitations in the other environmental factors would probably prevent the formation of large

For Black men, being tall increases threat stereotyping and police stops.

Science.gov (United States)

Hester, Neil; Gray, Kurt

2018-03-13

Height seems beneficial for men in terms of salaries and success; however, past research on height examines only White men. For Black men, height may be more costly than beneficial, primarily signaling threat rather than competence. Three studies reveal the downsides of height in Black men. Study 1 analyzes over 1 million New York Police Department stop-and-frisk encounters and finds that tall Black men are especially likely to receive unjustified attention from police. Then, studies 2 and 3 experimentally demonstrate a causal link between perceptions of height and perceptions of threat for Black men, particularly for perceivers who endorse stereotypes that Black people are more threatening than White people. Together, these data reveal that height is sometimes a liability for Black men, particularly in contexts in which threat is salient.

Antagonism of lateral saphenous vein serotonin receptors from steers grazing endophyte-free, wild-type, or novel endophyte-infected tall fescue

Science.gov (United States)

Pharmacologic profiling of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) receptors of bovine lateral saphenous vein has shown that cattle grazing endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) have altered responses to ergovaline (ERV), 5HT, 5HT2A and 5HT7 agonists. To determine if 5HT...

Insight into the genetic variability analysis and cultivar identification of tall fescue by using SSR markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Kaixin; Guo, Zhihui; Zhang, Xinquan; Fan, Yan; Wu, Wendan; Li, Daxu; Peng, Yan; Huang, Linkai; Sun, Ming; Bai, Shiqie; Ma, Xiao

2016-01-01

Genetic diversity of 19 forage-type and 2 turf-type cultivars of tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was revealed using SSR markers in an attempt to explore the genetic relationships among them, and examine potential use of SSR markers to identify cultivars by bulked samples. A total of 227 clear band was scored with 14 SSR primers and out of which 201 (88.6 %) were found polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) per primer pair varied from 62.5 to 100 % with an average of 86.9 %. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.116 to 0.347 with an average of 0.257 and the highest PIC value (0.347) was noticed for primer NFA040 followed by NFA113 (0.346) whereas the highest discriminating power (D) of 1 was shown in NFA037 and LMgSSR02-01C. A Neighbor-joining dendrogram and the principal component analysis identified six major clusters and grouped the cultivars in agreement with their breeding histories. STRUCTURE analysis divided these cultivars into 3 sub-clades which correspond to distance based groupings. These findings indicates that SSR markers by bulking strategy are a useful tool to measure genetic diversity among tall fescue cultivars and could be used to supplement morphological data for plant variety protection.

Environmental Limits of Tall Shrubs in Alaska’s Arctic National Parks

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, David K.

2015-01-01

We sampled shrub canopy volume (height times area) and environmental factors (soil wetness, soil depth of thaw, soil pH, mean July air temperature, and typical date of spring snow loss) on 471 plots across five National Park Service units in northern Alaska. Our goal was to determine the environments where tall shrubs thrive and use this information to predict the location of future shrub expansion. The study area covers over 80,000 km2 and has mostly tundra vegetation. Large canopy volumes were uncommon, with volumes over 0.5 m3/m2 present on just 8% of plots. Shrub canopy volumes were highest where mean July temperatures were above 10.5°C and on weakly acid to neutral soils (pH of 6 to 7) with deep summer thaw (>80 cm) and good drainage. On many sites, flooding helped maintain favorable soil conditions for shrub growth. Canopy volumes were highest where the typical snow loss date was near 20 May; these represent sites that are neither strongly wind-scoured in the winter nor late to melt from deep snowdrifts. Individual species varied widely in the canopy volumes they attained and their response to the environmental factors. Betula sp. shrubs were the most common and quite tolerant of soil acidity, cold July temperatures, and shallow thaw depths, but they did not form high-volume canopies under these conditions. Alnus viridis formed the largest canopies and was tolerant of soil acidity down to about pH 5, but required more summer warmth (over 12°C) than the other species. The Salix species varied widely from S. pulchra, tolerant of wet and moderately acid soils, to S. alaxensis, requiring well-drained soils with near neutral pH. Nearly half of the land area in ARCN has mean July temperatures of 10.5 to 12.5°C, where 2°C of warming would bring temperatures into the range needed for all of the potential tall shrub species to form large canopies. However, limitations in the other environmental factors would probably prevent the formation of large shrub canopies

Infestation of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. with Neotyphodium coenophialum and its influence on growth of chosen microorganisms in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dariusz Pańka

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Occurrence of Neotyphodium coenophialum in tall fescue cultivars cultivated in Poland and determination an endophyte inhibition effect on mycelium growth of chosen microorganisms in vitro were investigated. Seventeen seed lots of 11 cultivars of tall fescue were examined. The endophyte mycelium was dyed with bengal rose and microscopically examined to detect N. coenophialum. Occurrence of endophyte was checked with PCR method. Influence of endophyte on growth of 15 microorganisms was established in the laboratory conditions on Petri dishes with PDA medium at 10, 20 and 30°C. Neotyphodium coenophialum occurred only in two seed lots, 'Barrocco' - 42% and Terros - 2%. Living mycelium of endophyte was isolated only from 'Barrocco'. The highest mycelium growth inhibition of Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium avenaceum, F. equiseti, Microdochium nivale and Gaeumannomyces graminis by endophyte at 30°C was recorded. The highest width of growth inhibition zone (4mm was detected for the last pathogen. Mycelium growth of B. sorokiniana and M. nivale was not inhibited at 10°C, and for F. avenaceum at 10 and 20°C.

Isostatic lines’ study to optimize steel space grid envelope structures for tall buildings according to their solicitations

OpenAIRE

Señís López, Roger

2013-01-01

Based on the first study completed with wind tunnel tests, the aim of this paper is to define a second methodology for the optimization of steel space grid envelope structures for tall buildings according to their isostatic lines according to their solicitations. It is by means of the comparison NatHaz online database and numerical simulation research of wind flow repercussion in buildings, through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CDF), that we can understand and analyse the grid ...

振冲碎石桩加固高层建筑粉砂土地基实例分析%Case Study on Improving Silty Sand Foundation of Tall Building by Vibro-replacement Stone Column

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

谢新宇; 应宏伟; 夏建中

2001-01-01

In this paper, the case studies of two tall buildings built on silty sand improved by vibro-replacement stone column in Hangzhou are reported. The design and computation method for vibro-replacement stone column composite foundation are introduced. Based on field testing results,the construction techniques of vibro-replacement stone column and the appraisement of improvement effect are discussed. It is the first time that the vibro-replacement stone column method has been successfully applied to improve silty sand foundation of tall building in Hangzhou.%本文介绍杭州两座高层建筑物采用振冲碎石桩加固粉砂土地基的工程实例。结合有关现场测试成果，探讨了高层建筑振冲碎石桩地基设计计算、振冲碎石桩施工控制和加固效果评价等有关问题。为振冲碎石桩在同类地基中的推广应用提供一些成功经验。

Genomic and metabolic characterisation of alkaloid biosynthesis by asexual Epichloë fungal endophytes of tall fescue pasture grasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekanayake, Piyumi N; Kaur, Jatinder; Tian, Pei; Rochfort, Simone J; Guthridge, Kathryn M; Sawbridge, Timothy I; Spangenberg, German C; Forster, John W

2017-06-01

Symbiotic associations between tall fescue grasses and asexual Epichloë fungal endophytes exhibit biosynthesis of alkaloid compounds causing both beneficial and detrimental effects. Candidate novel endophytes with favourable chemotypic profiles have been identified in germplasm collections by screening for genetic diversity, followed by metabolite profile analysis in endogenous genetic backgrounds. A subset of candidates was subjected to genome survey sequencing to detect the presence or absence and structural status of known genes for biosynthesis of the major alkaloid classes. The capacity to produce specific metabolites was directly predictable from metabolic data. In addition, study of duplicated gene structure in heteroploid genomic constitutions provided further evidence for the origin of such endophytes. Selected strains were inoculated into meristem-derived callus cultures from specific tall fescue genotypes to perform isogenic comparisons of alkaloid profile in different host backgrounds, revealing evidence for host-specific quantitative control of metabolite production, consistent with previous studies. Certain strains were capable of both inoculation and formation of longer-term associations with a nonhost species, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Discovery and primary characterisation of novel endophytes by DNA analysis, followed by confirmatory metabolic studies, offers improvements of speed and efficiency and hence accelerated deployment in pasture grass improvement programs.

Acute exposure to ergot alkaloids from endophyte-infected tall fescue does not alter absorptive or barrier function of the isolated ruminal epithelium

Science.gov (United States)

Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) have been shown to cause a reduction in blood flow to the rumen epithelium as well as a decrease in VFA absorption from the washed rumen of steers. Previous data also indicates that incubating an extr...

Acute exposure to ergot alkaloids from endophyte-infected tall fescue does not alter absorptive or barrier function of the isolated bovine ruminal epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Foote, A P; Penner, G B; Walpole, M E; Klotz, J L; Brown, K R; Bush, L P; Harmon, D L

2014-07-01

Ergot alkaloids in endophyte-infected (Neotyphodium coenophialum) tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) have been shown to cause a reduction in blood flow to the rumen epithelium as well as a decrease in volatile fatty acids (VFA) absorption from the washed rumen of steers. Previous data also indicates that incubating an extract of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed causes an increase in the amount of VFA absorbed per unit of blood flow, which could result from an alteration in the absorptive or barrier function of the rumen epithelium. An experiment was conducted to determine the acute effects of an endophyte-infected tall fescue seed extract (EXT) on total, passive or facilitated acetate and butyrate flux across the isolated bovine rumen as well as the barrier function measured by inulin flux and tissue conductance (G t ). Flux of ergovaline across the rumen epithelium was also evaluated. Rumen tissue from the caudal dorsal sac of Holstein steers (n=6), fed a common diet, was collected and isolated shortly after slaughter and mounted between two halves of Ussing chambers. In vitro treatments included vehicle control (80% methanol, 0.5% of total volume), Low EXT (50 ng ergovaline/ml) and High EXT (250 ng ergovaline/ml). Results indicate that there is no effect of acute exposure to ergot alkaloids on total, passive or facilitated flux of acetate or butyrate across the isolate bovine rumen epithelium (P>0.51). Inulin flux (P=0.16) and G t (P>0.17) were not affected by EXT treatment, indicating no alteration in barrier function due to acute ergot alkaloid exposure. Ergovaline was detected in the serosal buffer of the High EXT treatment indicating that the flux rate is ~0.25 to 0.44 ng/cm2 per hour. Data indicate that specific pathways for VFA absorption and barrier function of the rumen epithelium are not affected by acute exposure to ergot alkaloids from tall fescue at the concentrations tested. Ergovaline has the potential to be absorbed from the rumen of cattle that

Probabilistic analysis of the torsional effects on the tall building resistance due to earthquake even

Science.gov (United States)

Králik, Juraj; Králik, Juraj

2017-07-01

The paper presents the results from the deterministic and probabilistic analysis of the accidental torsional effect of reinforced concrete tall buildings due to earthquake even. The core-column structural system was considered with various configurations in plane. The methodology of the seismic analysis of the building structures in Eurocode 8 and JCSS 2000 is discussed. The possibilities of the utilization the LHS method to analyze the extensive and robust tasks in FEM is presented. The influence of the various input parameters (material, geometry, soil, masses and others) is considered. The deterministic and probability analysis of the seismic resistance of the structure was calculated in the ANSYS program.

Effects of supplementing endophyte-infected tall fescue with sainfoin and polyethylene glycol on the physiology and ingestive behavior of sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Catanese, F; Distel, R A; Villalba, J J

2014-02-01

Tannins in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) may bind to alkaloids in endophyte-infected tall fescue [E+; Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.] and attenuate toxicosis. If so, supplementing E+ with sainfoin will increase use of E+ by sheep, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-a polymer that selectively binds to tannins-will reduce such response. To test these predictions, thirty-six 2-mo-old lambs were randomly assigned to 3 treatments (12 lambs/treatment). During exposure, all lambs were individually penned and fed E+ supplemented with beet pulp (CTRL), fresh-cut sainfoin and beet pulp (SAIN), or fresh-cut sainfoin plus PEG mixed in beet pulp (SAIN+PEG). Feed intake was measured daily. Rectal temperatures and jugular blood samples were taken at the beginning and end of exposure. After exposure, all lambs were offered choices between endophyte-free tall fescue (E-) and orchardgrass, and preference for E- was assessed. Then, all lambs were allowed to graze a choice of E+ and sainfoin or a monoculture of E+. The foraging behavior of lambs was recorded. When sainfoin was in mid-vegetative stage, lambs in SAIN ingested more E+ than lambs in CTRL (P = 0.05), but no differences were detected between lambs in SAIN+PEG and CTRL (P = 0.12). Sainfoin supplementation improved some physiological parameters indicative of fescue toxicosis. Lambs in SAIN had lower rectal temperatures (P = 0.02), greater numbers of leukocytes (P 0.05). On the other hand, when they grazed on a monoculture of E+, lambs in SAIN+PEG showed greater acceptance of E+ than lambs in SAIN or in CTRL (P < 0.05). In summary, sainfoin supplementation alleviated several of the classic signs of fescue toxicosis and increased intake of endophyte-infected tall fescue. Tannins in sainfoin partially accounted for this benefit since feeding a polymer that selectively binds to tannins (PEG) attenuated some these responses. However, sainfoin supplementation during initial exposure to E+ did not lead to an increased

Stress memory induced rearrangements of HSP transcription, photosystem II photochemistry and metabolism of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. in response to high-temperature stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao eHu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available When plants are pre-exposed to stress, they can produce some stable signals and physiological reactions that may be carried forward as ‘stress memory’. However, there is insufficient information about is known about plants’ stress memory responses mechanisms. Here, two tall fescue genotypes, heat-tolerant PI 574522 and heat-sensitive PI 512315, were subjected to recurring high-temperature pre-acclimation treatment. Two heat shock protein (HSP genes, LMW-HSP and HMW-HSP, exhibited transcriptional memory for their higher transcript abundance during one or more subsequent stresses (S2, S3, S4 relative to the first stress (S1, and basal transcript levels during the recovery states (R1, R2 and R3. Activated transcriptional memory from two trainable genes could persist up to 4 days, and induce higher thermotolerance in tall fescue. This was confirmed by greater turf quality and lower electrolyte leakage. Pre-acclimation treatment inhibited the decline at steps of O-J-I-P and energy transport fluxes in active Photosystem II reaction center (PSII RC for both tall fescue genotypes. The heat stress memory was associated with major shifts in leaf metabolite profiles. Furthermore, there was an exclusive increase in leaf organic acids (citric acid, malic acid, tris phosphoric acid, threonic acid, sugars (sucrose, glucose, idose, allose, talose, glucoheptose, tagatose, psicose, amino acids (serine, proline, pyroglutamic acid, glycine, alanine and one fatty acid (butanoic acid in pre-acclimated plants. These discoveries involved in transcriptional memory, PSII RC energy transport and metabolite profiles could provide new insights into the plant high–temperature response process.

Change in hydraulic properties and leaf traits of a tall rainforest tree species subjected to long-term throughfall exclusion in the perhumid tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Schuldt, B.; Leuschner, C.; Horna, V.; Moser, G.; Köhler, M.; Barus, H.

2010-11-01

In a throughfall displacement experiment on Sulawesi, Indonesia, three 0.16 ha stands of a premontane perhumid rainforest were exposed to a two-year soil desiccation period that reduced the soil moisture in the upper soil layers beyond the conventional wilting point. About 25 variables, including leaf morphological and chemical traits, stem diameter growth and hydraulic properties of the xylem in the trunk and terminal twigs, were investigated in trees of the tall-growing tree species Castanopsis acuminatissima (Fagaceae) by comparing desiccated roof plots with nearby control plots. We tested the hypotheses that this tall and productive species is particularly sensitive to drought, and the exposed upper sun canopy is more affected than the shade canopy. Hydraulic conductivity in the xylem of terminal twigs normalised to vessel lumen area was reduced by 25%, leaf area-specific conductivity by 10-33% during the desiccation treatment. Surprisingly, the leaves present at the end of the drought treatment were significantly larger, but not smaller in the roof plots, though reduced in number (about 30% less leaves per unit of twig sapwood area), which points to a drought effect on the leaf bud formation while the remaining leaves may have profited from a surplus of water. Mean vessel diameter and axial conductivity in the outermost xylem of the trunk were significantly reduced and wood density increased, while annual stem diameter increment decreased by 26%. In contradiction to our hypotheses, (i) we found no signs of major damage to the C. acuminatissima trees nor to any other drought sensitivity of tall trees, and (ii) the exposed upper canopy was not more drought susceptible than the shade canopy.

Utilization of tall goldenrod by the tarnished plant bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) in the production of overwintering adults and as a possible winter food source

Science.gov (United States)

Tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois), nymphs and adults were collected from tall goldenrod, Solidago canadensis L. var. scabra Torr. and Gray, in Washington County, MS during October and November 2008 and 2009. Adults were dissected to determine their reproductive status in o...

Responses of two tall buildings in Tokyo, Japan, before, during, and after the M9.0 Tohoku earthquake of 11 March 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Çelebi, Mehmet; Hisada, Yoshiuaki; Omrani, Roshanak; Ghahari, S. Farid; Taciroglu, Ertugrul

2016-01-01

The 11 March 2011 M 9.0 Tohoku earthquake generated significant long duration shaking that propagated hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter and affected urban areas throughout much of Honshu. Recorded responses of tall buildings at several hundred km from the epicenter of the main shock and other events show tall buildings were affected by long-period motions of events at distant sources. This study presents behavioral aspects of 29-story and 30-story neighboring buildings in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, Japan, as inferred from records retrieved from a sparse array of accelerometers deployed in the superstructures, at ground and 100 m below the ground level over a time interval covering before, during, and after the main shock. Such long-period effects are common in several regions of Japan as well as in the United States and in other seismically active countries. Permanent shifts in fundamental frequencies are observed. Drift ratios indicate possible structural nonlinear behavior occurred during the main shock. The need to consider risks to built environments from distant sources, including those in neighboring countries, is emphasized.

First results of tall tower based nitrous oxide flux monitoring over an agricultural region in Central Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Haszpra, László; Hidy, Dóra; Taligás, Tímea; Barcza, Zoltán

2018-03-01

Nitrous oxide is one of the atmospheric greenhouse gases whose amount is significantly influenced by human activity. Its major anthropogenic sources are the agricultural soils but the emission is known only with large uncertainty yet. The paper presents a tall tower based measuring system installed in Hungary, which is designed for the long-term monitoring of nitrous oxide emission of a regionally typical composition of agricultural fields by means of eddy covariance technique. Due to the careful calibration of the gas analyzer applied the measuring system is also suitable for the recording of the atmospheric concentration of nitrous oxide on the globally compatible scale (WMO X2006A). The paper reports the results of the first two years of the monitoring program, which is the first of its kind in Central Europe. For the period of July 2015-June 2017 the concentration measurements indicate an increasing trend of 0.91 nmol mol-1 year-1 with an average concentration of 330.64 nmol mol-1. During the two years of the project, the monitoring system recorded a total of 441 ± 195 mg N2O-N m-2 nitrous oxide emission with late spring/early summer maximum. The measurements also revealed the episodic nature of the emission typically triggered by major precipitation events.

Structural Health Monitoring of Tall Buildings with Numerical Integrator and Convex-Concave Hull Classification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suresh Thenozhi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available An important objective of health monitoring systems for tall buildings is to diagnose the state of the building and to evaluate its possible damage. In this paper, we use our prototype to evaluate our data-mining approach for the fault monitoring. The offset cancellation and high-pass filtering techniques are combined effectively to solve common problems in numerical integration of acceleration signals in real-time applications. The integration accuracy is improved compared with other numerical integrators. Then we introduce a novel method for support vector machine (SVM classification, called convex-concave hull. We use the Jarvis march method to decide the concave (nonconvex hull for the inseparable points. Finally the vertices of the convex-concave hull are applied for SVM training.

Conversion of tall oil soap and lignin into liquid fuels; Suovan ja ligniinin jalostaminen polttonesteiksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A.; McKeough, P. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1998-12-31

The objective of the project was to evaluate the following upgrading processes for producing bio-oils for energy production: catalytic upgrading of kraft black liquor, thermal treatment of tall oil soap, and catalytic hydrotreatment of Milox-lignin. The best-quality product from black liquor was obtained by treating black liquor (20% moisture) at 420 deg C with an ammoniumheptamolybdate (AHM) catalyst under hydrogen for 60 minutes. The product was washed with water (product:water = 1:2) in order to remove the inorganics. The oil product contained 74% of the energy content of the black liquor organics. Regeneration of the AHM catalyst appears technically feasible. Raw tall oil soap cracks at 450 deg C under nitrogen into straight-chain hydrocarbons and naphthalene and phenanthrene derivatives. The best-quality oil product was obtained at a residence time of 60 - 120 minutes. This product contained no fatty acids as impurities. The process concept consists of two steps: heat treatment at 450 deg C and product separation. The energy yield of the hydrocarbon oil product is about 50%. The residue slurry (estimated energy content 20%) and gases (energy content 25%) are led to the recovery boiler. Milox lignin can be hydrotreated at 420 deg C (60 minutes) with a mixture (1:1) of sulphided NiMo- and Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}-catalysts to a high-quality oil product (42 wt% yield of hexane solubles). The activity of catalysts decreased in order: sulphided NiMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (1:1), sulphided NiMo/zeolite, NiMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ATTM (no activity). A decrease in hydrogen partial pressure yielded a lower quality product. (orig.)

Preliminary plant design of Escherichia coli BPPTCC-EgRK2 cell culture for recombinant cellulase production using Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) as substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Surya, E. A.; Rahman, S. F.; Zulamraini, S.; Gozan, M.

2018-03-01

An economic analysis of recombinant cellulase production from E. coli BPPTCC Eg-RK2 was conducted to support the fulfilling of Indonesia’s energy roadmap for ethanol production. The plant use oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) as primary substrate in cellulase production, with the expected lifetime of 12 years. The plant is assumed to be built in Indonesia and will fulfill 1% of total market demand. The effect of different pretreatment process (alkaline, steam explosion, and sequential acid-alkaline) on the economic value was also studied. A simulation using SuperPro Designer was used to calculate the mass and energy balance based on the kinetic parameter of E. coli BPPTCC-EgRK2. Technology evaluation show that alkaline pretreatment gave the highest yield with no known inhibitors formed. The steam explosion show the lowest lignin and hemicellulose removal and known to form known fermentation inhibitors. The net present value of alkaline, steam explosion, and sequential acid-alkaline pretreatment were USD 7,118,000; - USD 73,411,000 and USD -114,013,000 respectively, which mean alkaline pretreatment is the only economically feasible pretreatment method for recombinant cellulase production.

How planting configuration influences plant secondary metabolites and total N in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Theories suggest that incorporating alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.; Alf) or birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.; BFT) into endophyte-infected tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceas Schreb.; E+TF) pasturelands may improve livestock production. We investigated how planting configuration might influence p...

A tall tower study of Missouri winds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fox, Neil I. [Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, 332 ABNR Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States)

2011-01-15

This paper summarizes the results of a study of wind speeds observed at heights up to 150 m above ground level around Missouri. This is an amalgamation of four projects that allowed a total of eleven tall communication towers to be instrumented with wind observation equipment across the State of Missouri. This provided an assessment of the wind resource and the characteristics of the seasonal and diurnal cycles of wind in different areas of Missouri at the heights of utility scale wind turbines. Comparisons were also made to wind speeds predicted at these levels from a previously published wind map. The main finding was that the observed winds at each tower were smaller than those presented in the wind map. The discrepancy is most likely to be due to underestimation of the surface roughness and turbulence leading to an overestimation of near-surface wind shear. However, the wind shear, as expressed by the shear parameter was consistently greater than the 'standard' value of 1.4. The reconciliation of these two apparently contradictory findings is that the shear varies with the height at which it is measured. In wind resource assessment, wind shear is usually observed below 50 m and is tacitly assumed to be constant with height when used to extrapolate winds to higher levels. The author advocates the use of the friction velocity as a measure of shear in wind power applications in preference to the shear parameter that is usually used. This is because the shear parameter has a velocity bias that can also manifest as a bias with height or season. As wind power resource assessment is starting to use taller towers than the standard 50 m, intercomparison of site resources and extrapolation to turbine heights can be compromised if the shear parameter is used. (author)

Spatially organized «vertical city» as a synthesis of tall buildings and airships

Science.gov (United States)

Gagulina, Olga; Matovnikov, Sergei

2018-03-01

The paper explores the compact city concept based on the «spatial» urban development principles and describes the prerequisites and possible methods to move from «horizontal» planning to «vertical» urban environments. It highlights the close connection between urban space, high-rise city landscape and conveyance options and sets out the ideas for upgrading the existing architectural and urban planning principles. It also conceptualizes the use of airships to create additional spatial connections between urban structure elements and high-rise buildings. Functional changes are considered in creating both urban environment and internal space of tall buildings, and the environmental aspects of the new spatial model are brought to light. The paper delineates the prospects for making a truly «spatial» multidimensional city space.

The evaluation of retrofit measures in a tall residential building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abraham, M.M.; McLain, H.A.

1995-07-01

As part of a joint demonstration effort involving the US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Boston Edison Company (BECo), and the Chelsea Housing Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) participated in the evaluation of energy and demand saving retrofits for a tall residential building located in Boston. The thirteen story all-electric building underwent window, lighting, and control renovations in December, 1992. annual energy consumption was reduced by 15% and peak demand fell by 17%. Hourly should building consumption data were available for the comparison of pre- and post- conditions and for calibration of a DOE-2.1D simulation model. The analysis found the window retrofit accounted for 90% of total energy savings and 95% of average demand savings, due to reductions in both conduction and infiltration. Benefits from lighting retrofits were low in cooling months and negligible in winter months due to the increase in the demand for electric resistance heating which was proportional to the reduction in lighting capacity. Finally, the simulation model verified that heating system controls had not been used as intended, and that the utility rate structure would not allow cost savings from the original control strategy. These results and other interesting lessons learned are presented.

Study of global stability of tall buildings with prestressed slabs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. A. Feitosa

Full Text Available The use of prestressed concrete flat slabs in buildings has been increasing in recent years in the Brazilian market. Since the implementation of tall and slender buildings a trend in civil engineering and architecture fields, arises from the use of prestressed slabs a difficulty in ensuring the overall stability of a building without beams. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the main bracing systems used in this type of building, namely pillars in formed "U" in elevator shafts and stairs, and pillars in which the lengths are significantly larger than their widths, was elaborated a computational models of fictional buildings, which were processed and analyzed using the software CAD/TQS. From the variation of parameters such as: geometry of the pillars, thick slabs, characteristic strength of the concrete, reduceofthe coefficient of inertia for consideration of non-linearities of the physical elements, stiffness of the connections between slabs and pillars, among others, to analyze the influence of these variables on the overall stability of the building from the facing of instability parameter Gama Z, under Brazilian standard NBR 6118, in addition to performing the processing of building using the P-Delta iterative calculation method for the same purpose.

Analysis of Foundation of Tall R/C Chimney Incorporating Flexibility of Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Jayalekshmi, B. R.; Jisha, S. V.; Shivashankar, R.

2017-09-01

Three dimensional Finite Element (FE) analysis was carried out for 100 and 400 m high R/C chimneys having piled annular raft and annular raft foundations considering the flexibility of soil subjected to across-wind load. Stiffness of supporting soil and foundation were varied to evaluate the significance of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI). The integrated chimney-foundation-soil system was analysed by finite element software ANSYS based on direct method of SSI assuming linear elastic material behaviour. FE analyses were carried out for two cases of SSI namely, (1) chimney with annular raft foundation and (2) chimney with piled annular raft foundation. The responses in raft such as bending moments and settlements were evaluated for both the cases and compared to those obtained from the conventional method of analysis of annular raft foundation. It is found that the responses in raft vary considerably depending on the stiffness of the underlying soil and the stiffness of foundation. Piled raft foundations are better suited for tall chimneys to be constructed in loose or medium sand.

Casuística de pacientes com queixa principal de alta estatura atendidos em serviço de referência em Salvador, Bahia Analysis of patients with chief complaint of tall stature seen at a referral hospital in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crésio Alves

2008-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Descrever uma casuística de pacientes atendidos em serviço de referência em endocrinologia pediátrica com queixa principal de alta estatura. MÉTODOS: Revisão de prontuários de 1.980 pacientes atendidos no período de janeiro de 2003 a janeiro de 2007, incluindo apenas os indivíduos cuja queixa principal, na primeira consulta, fosse sua alta estatura. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 16 pacientes (0,8% do total de primeiras consultas. Destes, 12 preenchiam critérios diagnósticos de alta estatura (escore Z do indicador estatura para idade-ZE/I>2. Sete (58% eram do sexo masculino. A idade em primeira consulta variou entre 3 anos e 4 meses e 13 anos e 3 meses. O ZE/I variou de 2,18 a 5,99 e a altura-alvo, de -1,10 a 1,24. Em relação às causas da alta estatura, concluiu-se que: sete pacientes (58% tinham alta estatura familiar; dois (17% idiopática e três (25% sofriam de causas patológicas (síndrome de Marfan em um e adenoma hipofisário em dois deles. Nos quatro demais, o ZE/I variou de 1,86 a 1,98, não preenchendo critérios para alta estatura. Nestes, a etiologia do crescimento excessivo foi idiopática em dois, familiar em um e causado pela síndrome de Weaver em outro. CONCLUSÕES: A distribuição das etiologias de pacientes avaliados com a queixa de alta estatura está de acordo com a literatura, que relata ser familiar a principal causa. Embora alta estatura seja uma queixa principal pouco freqüente no consultório de endocrinologia pediátrica, a investigação deve ser cuidadosa a fim de se afastarem causas patológicas, que constituíram 25% dos casos.OBJECTIVE: To describe patients followed at a referral service in pediatric endocrinology with the chief complaint of tall stature. METHODS: Chart review of 1,980 patients evaluated from January 2003 to January 2007, being selected only individuals whose main complaint in the first consultation was tall stature. RESULTS: 16 patients were selected (0.8% and 12 of them

The Effect of Predicted Vehicle Displacement on Ground Crew Task Performance and Hardware Design

Science.gov (United States)

Atencio, Laura Ashley; Reynolds, David W.

2011-01-01

NASA continues to explore new launch vehicle concepts that will carry astronauts to low- Earth orbit to replace the soon-to-be retired Space Transportation System (STS) shuttle. A tall vertically stacked launch vehicle (> or =300 ft) is exposed to the natural environment while positioned on the launch pad. Varying directional winds and vortex shedding cause the vehicle to sway in an oscillating motion. Ground crews working high on the tower and inside the vehicle during launch preparations will be subjected to this motion while conducting critical closeout tasks such as mating fluid and electrical connectors and carrying heavy objects. NASA has not experienced performing these tasks in such environments since the Saturn V, which was serviced from a movable (but rigid) service structure; commercial launchers are likewise attended by a service structure that moves away from the vehicle for launch. There is concern that vehicle displacement may hinder ground crew operations, impact the ground system designs, and ultimately affect launch availability. The vehicle sway assessment objective is to replicate predicted frequencies and displacements of these tall vehicles, examine typical ground crew tasks, and provide insight into potential vehicle design considerations and ground crew performance guidelines. This paper outlines the methodology, configurations, and motion testing performed while conducting the vehicle displacement assessment that will be used as a Technical Memorandum for future vertically stacked vehicle designs.

Conversion of tall oil soap and lignin into liquid fuels II; Suovan ja ligniinin jalostaminen polttonesteiksi II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A.; McKeough, P. [VTT Energy, Espoo (Finland)

1995-11-01

The objective of the project was to evaluate the following upgrading processes for producing bio-oils for energy production: catalytic upgrading of kraft black liquor, thermal treatment of tall oil soap, and catalytic hydrotreatment of Milox-lignin. The best-quality product from black liquor was obtained by treating black liquor (20 % moisture) at 420 deg C with an ammoniumheptamolybdate (AHM) catalyst under hydrogen for 60 minutes.The product was washed with water (product:water = 1:2) in order to remove the inorganics. The oil product contained 74 % of the energy content of the black liquor organics. Regeneration of the AHM catalyst appears technically feasible. Raw tall oil soap cracks at 450 degr. C under nitrogen into straight-chain hydrocarbons and naphthalene and phenanthrene derivatives. The best-quality oil product was obtained at a residence time of 60 - 120 minutes. This product contained no fatty acids as impurities. The process concept consists of two steps: heat treatment at 450 degr. C and product separation. The energy yield of the hydrocarbon oil product is about 50 %. The residue slurry (estimated energy content 20 %) and gases (energy content 25 %) are led to the recovery boiler. Milox lignin can be hydrotreated at 420 deg C (60 minutes) with a mixture (1:1) of sulphided NiMo- and Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}-catalysts to a high-quality oil product (42 wt% yield of hexane solubles). The activity of catalysts decreased in order: sulphided NiMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} (1:1), sulphided NiMo/zeolite, NiMo/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ATTM (no activity). A decrease in hydrogen partial pressure yielded a lower quality product. (author)

Optimum distribution between autumn-applied and spring-applied nitrogen in seed production of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gislum, René; Deleuran, Lise Christina; Kristensen, Kristian

2012-01-01

The effect of different autumn and spring nitrogen (N) application rates on plant establishment, plant development, and seed yield were tested in a field experiment using tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Results clearly showed that the optimum distribution of N between autumn and spring...... to achieve the highest seed yield and economical benefit was dependent on the choice of cover crops and location. The economically optimum N application rate was in the range from 44 to 73 kg ha−1 in autumn and 94 to 157 kg ha−1 in spring. The results are discussed in relation to Danish N regulations...... and plant establishment and development....

Tall towers for large wind turbines. Report from Vindforsk project V-342

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Engstroem, Staffan; Lyrner, Tomas; Hassanzadeh, Manouchehr; Stalin, Thomas; Johansson, John

2010-07-15

The general rule of thumb has been to furnish a wind turbine with a tower as tall as the turbine diameter, with deviations downwards for high wind speed sites. In this report the statement is questioned, with special emphasis for wind turbines sited in forests. The aim of this project was to propose and calculate candidate types of tall towers for on-shore wind turbines in the 3 - 5 MW range, with special reference to siting in forests with a representative wind shear. During the project this scope has been more precisely defined to study 3 and 5 MW wind turbines with hub heights of 80 - 175 meters featuring the following tower solutions: 1. Steel shell tower designed in a conventional way with flanges and both longitudinal and transverse welds. 2. Steel shell tower with bolted friction joints only. 3. Concrete tower with pretensioned steel tendons. 4. Hybrid tower with a lower concrete part and an upper part built as a conventional steel shell. 5. Lattice tower. 6. Wooden tower. During the execution of the project the design of a total of 42 towers was outlined and calculated. Today the welded steel shell tower dominates the wind turbine market. Larger turbines and higher hub heights result in larger optimal tower base diameters. For the road transportation there are limitations due to bridges and other obstacles. In Sweden the limit for transports with special permits in general maximizes the diameter to 4,5 metres. To some extent it is still technically possible to build towers with a less than optimal diameter, but due to the high mass and the large wall thickness they tend to be uneconomical in comparison with other alternatives above a hub height of roughly 100 metres. In this report welded steel shell towers were outlined for 3 MW turbines up to a hub height of 150 metres whereas the limit for the 5 MW towers was 100 metres. When diameter restrictions tend to make welded towers uneconomical, the next logical choice is steel shell towers with bolted friction

Fabrication process for tall, sharp, hollow, high aspect ratio polymer microneedles on a platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceyssens, Frederik; Chaudhri, Buddhadev Paul; Van Hoof, Chris; Puers, Robert

2013-01-01

This paper reports on a new lithographic process for fabricating arrays of tall, high aspect ratio (defined as height/wall thickness), hollow, polymer microneedles on a platform. The microneedles feature a high sharpness (down to 3 µm tip radius) and aspect ratio (>65) which is a factor 2 and 4 better than the state of the art, respectively. The maximum achievable needle shaft length is over 1 mm. The improved performance was obtained by using an anisotropically patterned silicon substrate covered with an antireflective layer as mold for the needle tip and an optimized SU-8 lithographic process. Furthermore, a platform containing liquid feedthroughs holding an arbitrary number of needles out of plane can be manufactured with only one additional process step. The high aspect ratio microneedles undergo failure at the critical load of around 230 mN in the case of 1 mm long hollow needles with triangular cross section and a base of 175 µm. Penetration into human skin is demonstrated as well. (paper)

Techno-economic analysis of lipase enzyme production from agro-industry waste with solid state fermentation method

Science.gov (United States)

Hidayatullah, I. M.; Arbianti, R.; Utami, T. S.; Suci, M.; Sahlan, M.; Wijanarko, A.; Gozan, M.; Hermansyah, H.

2018-03-01

Needs for this kind of catalyst derived from biological raw materials (biocatalysts) has increased along with development of products based on eco-friendly. To achieve the needs of biocatalyst (enzyme), large production is necessary. This study aimed to get the best conditions and design equipment to produce lipase enzyme based on solid state fermentation using SuperPro Designer v9.0. Several equipment such as Tray Bioreactor, Mixing Tank 1, Filter Press, centrifuge, Mixing Tank 2, and a dryer have been improved during the simulation. Economic analysis in the form of NPV, IRR, Payback Period, and the Benefit Cost Ratio was evaluated respectively. The result showed that production of 10 kg enzyme with NPV Rp112.796.147.423,00; IRR 54.20%; Payback Period 1.95 years; and Benefit Cost Ratio of 3.36 was more advantageous.

Wind potential data analysis based on on-site measurements with tall meteorological masts installed in northern Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terziev, A.; Genovski, I.; Petrov, P.; Valchev, V.

2010-01-01

The current work has studied the possibility of correlation between wind data collected with tall meteorological masts in Northern Bulgaria. The processed data were collected for the same time period. The analysis is based on daily wind data. The correlation was made taking into consideration the following factors: the height of carried wind measurements, the prevailing wind direction, and the surface roughness of the relief. The analysis of the distance effect between meteorological masts is also considered. The possibility of modeling the wind velocity field for the area limited by the meteorological mast locations is examined. For this purpose for wind speed velocity field description is used triangulation with linear interpolation between the data. Data interpolation was made based on compulsory condition for relative flatness of the terrain. (authors)

Improvement of open and semi-open core wall system in tall buildings by closing of the core section in the last story

Science.gov (United States)

Kheyroddin, A.; Abdollahzadeh, D.; Mastali, M.

2014-09-01

Increasing number of tall buildings in urban population caused development of tall building structures. One of the main lateral load resistant systems is core wall system in high-rise buildings. Core wall system has two important behavioral aspects where the first aspect is related to reduce the lateral displacement by the core bending resistance and the second is governed by increasing of the torsional resistance and core warping of buildings. In this study, the effects of closed section core in the last story have been considered on the behavior of models. Regarding this, all analyses were performed by ETABS 9.2.v software (Wilson and Habibullah). Considering (a) drift and rotation of the core over height of buildings, (b) total and warping stress in the core body, (c) shear in beams due to warping stress, (d) effect of closing last story on period of models in various modes, (e) relative displacement between walls in the core system and (f) site effects in far and near field of fault by UBC97 spectra on base shear coefficient showed that the bimoment in open core is negative in the last quarter of building and it is similar to wall-frame structures. Furthermore, analytical results revealed that closed section core in the last story improves behavior of the last quarter of structure height, since closing of core section in the last story does not have significant effect on reducing base shear value in near and far field of active faults.

Tree diversity and community characteristics in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gyati Yam

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out in a temperate forest for enumeration of floristic diversity and community characteristics analysis of the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary. A random sampling approach was adopted. Altogether, 63 species were recorded from the sampled area (0.2 ha. Family dominance results showed that Lauraceae was the most dominant followed by Fagaceae. Seventy percent of species showed low frequency distribution and species having higher frequency classes were almost absent or represented by only a few species. Dominance distribution of species resulted in a log normal distribution pattern which further signifies that the forest community was heterogeneous in nature. Species Prediction and Diversity Estimation analysis categorized 80% of the species as a rare species group and 20% as abundant species group. Estimation of coefficient of variation showed that rare species have equal detection possibilities in the sampled area. Distribution of basal cover in different girth classes indicates a reverse trend to that of stand density. The results of this study show that the forest community composition is highly clustered and loosely colonized in nature.

Removing traffic emissions from CO2 time series measured at a tall tower using mobile measurements and transport modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Andres; Rella, Chris W.; Göckede, Mathias; Hanson, Chad; Yang, Zhenlin; Law, Beverly E.

2014-11-01

In recent years, measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide with high precision and accuracy have become increasingly important for climate change research, in particular to inform terrestrial biosphere models. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning have long been recognized to contribute a significant portion of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Here, we present an approach to remove the traffic related carbon dioxide emissions from mole fractions measured at a tall tower by using the corresponding carbon monoxide measurements in combination with footprint analyses and transport modeling. This technique improves the suitability of the CO2 data to be used in inverse modeling approaches of atmosphere-biosphere exchange that do not account for non-biotic portions of CO2. In our study region in Oregon, road traffic emissions are the biggest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. A three-day mobile campaign covering 1700 km of roads in northwestern Oregon was performed during summer of 2012 using a laser-based Cavity Ring-Down Spectrometer. The mobile measurements incorporated different roads including main highways, urban streets, and back-roads, largely within the typical footprint of a tall CO/CO2 observation tower in Oregon's Willamette Valley. For the first time, traffic related CO:CO2 emission ratios were measured directly at the sources during an on-road campaign under a variety of different driving conditions. An average emission ratio of 7.43 (±1.80) ppb CO per ppm CO2 was obtained for the study region and applied to separate the traffic related portion of CO2 from the mole fraction time series. The road traffic related portion of the CO2 mole fractions measured at the tower site reached maximum values ranging from 9.8 to 12 ppm, depending on the height above the surface, during summer 2012.

The use of Eurocode EN 1991-1-4 procedures 1 and 2 for building dynamics, a comparative study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenbergen, R.D.J.M.; Vrouwenvelder, A.C.W.M.; Geurts, C.P.W.

2012-01-01

The design of tall buildings has to ensure adequate reliability but it also has to ensure that people in the building feel comfortable particularly when subject to wind-induced vibrations. Fulfilling vibration criteria for human comfort is often decisive in the structural design of flexible tall

Impact of pretreatment and downstream processing technologies on economics and energy in cellulosic ethanol production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murthy Ganti S

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While advantages of biofuel have been widely reported, studies also highlight the challenges in large scale production of biofuel. Cost of ethanol and process energy use in cellulosic ethanol plants are dependent on technologies used for conversion of feedstock. Process modeling can aid in identifying techno-economic bottlenecks in a production process. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis was performed for conversion of cellulosic feedstock to ethanol using some of the common pretreatment technologies: dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water and steam explosion. Detailed process models incorporating feedstock handling, pretreatment, simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation, ethanol recovery and downstream processing were developed using SuperPro Designer. Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb was used as a model feedstock. Results Projected ethanol yields were 252.62, 255.80, 255.27 and 230.23 L/dry metric ton biomass for conversion process using dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water and steam explosion pretreatment technologies respectively. Price of feedstock and cellulose enzymes were assumed as $50/metric ton and 0.517/kg broth (10% protein in broth, 600 FPU/g protein respectively. Capital cost of ethanol plants processing 250,000 metric tons of feedstock/year was $1.92, $1.73, $1.72 and $1.70/L ethanol for process using dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water and steam explosion pretreatment respectively. Ethanol production cost of $0.83, $0.88, $0.81 and $0.85/L ethanol was estimated for production process using dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water and steam explosion pretreatment respectively. Water use in the production process using dilute acid, dilute alkali, hot water and steam explosion pretreatment was estimated 5.96, 6.07, 5.84 and 4.36 kg/L ethanol respectively. Conclusions Ethanol price and energy use were highly dependent on process conditions used in the ethanol production plant. Potential for

Selection of bioprocess simulation software for industrial applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Shanklin, T; Roper, K; Yegneswaran, P K; Marten, M R

2001-02-20

Two commercially available, process-simulation software packages (Aspen Batch Plus v1.2, Aspen Technology, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Intelligen SuperPro v3.0, INTELLIGEN, INC., Scotch Plains, Ner Jersey) are evaluated for use in modeling industrial, biotechnology processes. Software is quantitatively evaluated by Kepner-Tregoe Decision Analysis (Kepner and Tregoe, 1981). This evaluation shows that Aspen Batch Plus v1.2 (ABP) and Intelligen SuperPro v3.0 (ISP) can successfully perform specific simulation tasks but do not provide a complete model of all phenomena occurring within a biotechnology process. Software is best suited to provide a format for process management, using material and energy balances to answer scheduling questions, explore equipment change-outs, and calculate cost data. The ability of simulation software to accurately predict unit operation scale-up and optimize bioprocesses is limited. To realistically evaluate the software, a vaccine manufacturing process under development at Merck & Company is simulated. Case studies from the vaccine process are presented as examples of how ABP and ISP can be used to shed light on real-world processing issues. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Rural bioenergy: innovative integrated biosystem design for fuel and food from agrowastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selvam, Pagandai V. Pannir; Santiago, Brunno Henrique de S. [Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceio, AL (Brazil)], email: pannirbr@gmail.com; Almeida, Louizy Minora C.A. de; Israel, Samy B.S. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (DEQ/CT/UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Centro de Tecnologia. Dept. de Engenharia Quimica

2008-07-01

Brazil is the leader known for its ethanol biofuel development, but also for biomass charcoal, yet lacks in clean rural biofuel production. This paper deals with the system design for sustainable rural projects developments based on the the bioenergy production from biomass wastes using Innovative process equipment design and the process optimization. With the economic objective towards sustainable clean small scale rural energy production, and also the co-production of hot, cold thermal energy, at first, several preliminary projects had been developed and analysed. Then, a detailed project engineering and the results on economical viability were obtained. The dynamic material, energy and cash flow models of the complex integrated food processing and small scale energy productions, were at first constructed using excel electronic spread sheet for Windows. Computer aided system for process modeling and simulation using SUPERPRO, Intelligent Inc. Economic feasibilities studies using genetics algorithms are under developments. The preliminary analysis of cost and investments of the the integrated biomass utilisation projects which are included for this study are: biological aerobic treatment process, methane gas production using anaerobic digestion process, aerobic composting, drying of tropical fruits, effluent treatments, biogas and syngas production as well as cogeneration of energy production for drying and cooling using biogas. These models allowed us the identification of tech economical and scale up problems. The results obtained with several preliminary project development with few case studies are reported for integrated project developments for fuel and food using process and cost simulation models. Several economic problems related with implementation of the small scale rural energy system for sustained local developments based on tropical fruit producing rural areas are analysed and a concept of the integrated bio system for micro enterprise has been

Effect of frame size and season on enteric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions in Angus brood cows grazing native tall-grass prairie in central Oklahoma USA

Science.gov (United States)

Effect of frame size and season on enteric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Angus brood cows grazing native tall-grass prairie in central Oklahoma, USA J.P.S. Neel USDA ARS, El Reno, OK A reduction in enteric CH4 production in ruminants is associated with improved production effic...

Weibull Wind-Speed Distribution Parameters Derived from a Combination of Wind-Lidar and Tall-Mast Measurements Over Land, Coastal and Marine Sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gryning, Sven-Erik; Floors, Rogier Ralph; Peña, Alfredo

2016-01-01

Wind-speed observations from tall towers are used in combination with observations up to 600 m in altitude from a Doppler wind lidar to study the long-term conditions over suburban (Hamburg), rural coastal (Høvsøre) and marine (FINO3) sites. The variability in the wind field among the sites is ex...... of the vertical profile of the shape parameter fits well with observations over land, coastal regions and over the sea. An applied model for the dependence of the reversal height on the surface roughness is in good agreement with the observations over land....

A burner for the combustion of spent tall oil soap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hughes, P.M.; Wong, J.K.; Moffatt, B.; Belanger, G. [Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada). CANMET Energy Technology Centre; Soriano, D. [Brais Malouin and Associates, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

2003-07-01

Efficiency in industrial processes applies both to the form of energy involved and the many by-products resulting from the process. Tall oil soap (TOS) is a white frothy substance created during the pulping process. It contains chemicals that can be extracted for use in other industries. The processing of TOS results in a product called spent TOS. This study examined the incineration process to derive process heat from the calorific value in spent TOS. Brais Malouin and Associates (BMA) proposed that an atomizing nozzle should be used for use with this liquid in an incinerating burner. The efficiency of atomization of spent TOS with the BMA nozzle was determined by the Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology (CANMET), which also characterized the combustion in a simulated boiler situation. The combustion tests were performed in the Pilot-Scale Research Boiler at the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC). Pre-heating was done with a number 2 oil flame. Flame stability was determined by observing the flame through sight ports and by measuring the gas in the furnace. The experiments showed that spent TOS could successfully burn with a number 2 oil, in a proportion of 81 spent TOS to 19 oil mass ratio. As the amount of spent TOS was increased, the amount of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide decreased. The number 2 fuel oil was responsible for the sulphur dioxide in the exhaust. It is believed that the reduction in the carbon monoxide in the exhaust is attributable to the water-gas shift reaction. As the proportion of spent TOS increased, it was shown that the amount of NOx in the exhaust decreased rapidly. A bluish-green molten deposit formed in the furnace near the burner came from copper and manganese found in the ash of the spent TOS. 7 refs., 7 tabs., 16 figs.

Impact of tall cell variant histology on predicting relapse and changing the management of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunalp, Bengul; Okuyucu, Kursat; Ince, Semra; Ayan, Aslı; Alagoz, Engin

2017-01-01

There has been much discussion recently about the risk category of tall cell variant (TVC) histology and its effects on the management of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). We, therefore, undertook a retrospective study to compare stage-matched risk factors and recurrence rates between classical PTC (cPTC) patients and patients with TCV histology. A total of 3128 well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients who were treated and followed-up for more than 5 years in our clinic from 1995 to 2016 were included in this study. There were 2783 PTC (89%) patients, 1113 (40%) of them were cPTC and 56 (2%) of them were TCV patients. In all stages, the stage-matched incidence of extrathyroidal extension (ETE), lymphovascular invasion and initial lymph node metastases were significantly higher in TCV patients than in cPTC patients (Papproach and closer follow-up than classical patients.

Intensive measurements of gas, water, and energy exchange between vegetation and troposphere during the MONTES Campaign in a vegetation gradient from short semi-desertic shrublands to tall wet temperate forests in the NW Mediterranean basin

Science.gov (United States)

MONTES (“Woodlands”) was a multidisciplinary international field campaign aimed at measuring energy, water and especially gas exchange between vegetation and atmosphere in a gradient from short semi-desertic shrublands to tall wet temperate forests in NE Spain in the North Wester...

Intensive measurements of gas, water, and energy exchange between vegetation and troposhere during the MONTES campaign in a vegetation gradient from short semi-desertic shrublands to tall wet temperate forests in the NW Mediterranean Basin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Penuelas, J.; Guenther, A.; Rapparini, F.; Llusia, J.; Vilà-Guerau De Arellano, J.

2013-01-01

MONTES (“Woodlands”) was a multidisciplinary international field campaign aimed at measuring energy, water and especially gas exchange between vegetation and atmosphere in a gradient from short semi-desertic shrublands to tall wet temperate forests in NE Spain in the North Western Mediterranean

Techno-economic analysis of a food waste valorization process via microalgae cultivation and co-production of plasticizer, lactic acid and animal feed from algal biomass and food waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwan, Tsz Him; Pleissner, Daniel; Lau, Kin Yan; Venus, Joachim; Pommeret, Aude; Lin, Carol Sze Ki

2015-12-01

A techno-economic study of food waste valorization via fungal hydrolysis, microalgae cultivation and production of plasticizer, lactic acid and animal feed was simulated and evaluated by Super-Pro Designer®. A pilot-scale plant was designed with a capacity of 1 metric ton day(-1) of food waste with 20 years lifetime. Two scenarios were proposed with different products: Scenario (I) plasticizer & lactic acid, Scenario (II) plasticizer & animal feed. It was found that only Scenario I was economically feasible. The annual net profits, net present value, payback period and internal rate of return were US$ 422,699, US$ 3,028,000, 7.56 years and 18.98%, respectively. Scenario II was not economic viable due to a deficit of US$ 42,632 per year. Sensitivity analysis showed that the price of lactic acid was the largest determinant of the profitability in Scenario I, while the impact of the variables was very close in Scenario II. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential acclimation of enzymatic antioxidant metabolism and photosystem II photochemistry in tall fescue under drought and heat and the combined stresses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aoyue eBi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Quality inferiority in cool-season turfgrass due to drought, heat and a combination of both stresses is predicted to be more prevalent in the future. Understanding the various response to heat and drought stress will assist in the selection and breeding of tolerant grass varieties. The objective of this study was to investigate the behavior of antioxidant metabolism and photosystem II (PSII photochemistry in two tall fescue genotypes (PI 234881 and PI 578718 with various thermotolerance capacities. Wide variations were found between heat-tolerant PI 578718 and heat-sensitive PI 234881 for leaf relative water content, malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage under drought, high-temperature or a combination of both stresses. The sensitivity of PI 234881 exposed to combined stresses was associated with lower superoxide dismutase activity and higher H2O2 accumulation than that in PI 578718. Various antioxidant enzymes displayed positive correlation with chlorophyll content, but negative with membrane injury index at most of the stages in both tall fescue genotypes. The JIP-test analysis in PI 578718 indicated a significant improvement in ABS/RC, TR0/RC, RE0/RC, RE0/ABS values as compared to the control regime, which indicated that PI 578718 had a high potential to protect the PSII system under drought and high temperature stress. And the PS II photochemistry in PI 234881 was damaged significantly compared with PI578718. Moreover, quantitative RT-PCR revealed that heat and drought stresses deduced the gene expression of psbB and psbC, but induced the expression of psbA. These findings to some extent confirmed that the various adaptations of physiological traits may contribute to breeding in cold-season turfgrass in response to drought, high-temperature and a combination of both stresses.

Seasonal development of ozone-induced foliar injury on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Lara; Neufeld, Howard S; Chappelka, Arthur H; Burkey, Kent O; Davison, Alan W

2006-05-01

The goals of this study were to document the development of ozone-induced foliar injury, on a leaf-by-leaf basis, and to develop ozone exposure relationships for leaf cohorts and individual tall milkweeds (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plants were classified as either ozone-sensitive or insensitive based on the amount of foliar injury. Sensitive plants developed injury earlier in the season and to a greater extent than insensitive plants. Older leaf cohorts were more likely to belong to high injury classes by the end of each of the two growing seasons. In addition, leaf loss was more likely for older cohorts (2000) and lower leaf positions (2001) than younger cohorts and upper leaves, respectively. Most leaves abscised without prior ozone-like stippling or chlorosis. Failure to take this into account can result in underestimation of the effects of ozone on these plants.

Removing Traffic Emissions from CO2 Time Series Measured at a Tall Tower Using on-Road Measurements and WRF-Stilt Transport Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, A.; Rella, C.; Goeckede, M.; Hanson, C. V.; Yang, Z.; Law, B. E.

2014-12-01

In recent years, measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide with high precision and accuracy have become increasingly important for climate change research, in particular to inform terrestrial biosphere models. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning have long been recognized to contribute a significant portion of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Here, we present an approach to remove the traffic related carbon dioxide emissions from mole fractions measured at a tall tower by using the corresponding carbon monoxide measurements in combination with footprint analyses and transport modeling. This technique improves the suitability of the CO2 data to be used in inverse modeling approaches of atmosphere-biosphere exchange that do not account for non-biotic portions of CO2. In our study region in Oregon, road traffic emissions are the biggest source of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. A three-day mobile campaign covering 1700 km of roads in northwestern Oregon was performed during summer of 2012 using a laser-based Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer. The mobile measurements incorporated different roads including main highways, urban streets, and back-roads, largely within the typical footprint of a tall CO2 observation tower in Oregon's Willamette Valley. For the first time, traffic related CO:CO2 emission ratios were measured directly at the sources during an on-road campaign under a variety of different driving conditions. An average emission ratio of 7.43 (±1.80) ppb CO per ppm CO2 was obtained for the study region and applied to separate the traffic related portion of CO2 from the mole fraction time series. The road traffic related portion of the CO2 mole fractions measured at the tower site reached maximum values from 9.8 to 12 ppm, depending on the height above the surface, during summer 2012.

Novel approach for decentralized energy supply and energy storage of tall buildings in Latin America based on renewable energy sources: Case study – Informal vertical community Torre David, Caracas – Venezuela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Jimeno A.; Schlueter, Arno

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes the concept of a decentralized power system based on wind energy and a pumped hydro storage system in a tall building. The system reacts to the current paradigm of power outage in Latin American countries caused by infrastructure limitations and climate change, while it fosters the penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) for a more diversified and secure electricity supply. An explicit methodology describes the assessment of technical, operational and economic potentials in a specific urban setting in Caracas/Venezuela. The suitability, applicability and the impacts generated by such power system are furthermore discussed at economic, social and technical level. - Highlights: ► We have modeled an innovative pico pumped hydro-storage system and wind power system for tall buildings. ► We conducted technical, economic and social analysis on these energy supply and storage alternatives. ► The energy storage system can achieve efficiencies within 30% and 35%. ► The energy storage is realistic and economic sensible in comparison to other solutions. ► The impacts of such a system in the current living conditions and safety issues of the building are minimum

Tall tower landscape scale N2O flux measurements in a Danish agricultural and urban, coastal area

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrom, Andreas; Lequy, Émeline; Loubet, Benjamin; Pilegaard, Kim; Ambus, Per

2015-04-01

Both technical and natural processes emit the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) into the atmosphere. The abundant use of nitrogen (N) as fertiliser increases the concentration of reactive nitrogen (Nr) in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and in the biosphere, i.e. in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Surplus Nr is distributed across linkages to other spheres until most of it is emitted to the atmosphere as NO, N2O or N2. A complete estimate of the effects from human activities on N2O emissions must therefore include all emissions, the direct emissions and the indirect emissions that happen in interlinked spheres. For this it is necessary to assess the fluxes at least at the landscape scale. The episodic nature and the large spatial variability make it difficult to estimate the direct and indirect emissions in a landscape. Modelling requires not only to include the highly variable microbial processes in the ecosystems that produce N2O but as well the accurate simulation of lateral Nr fluxes and their effects on N2O fluxes in places remote from the primary Nr sources. In this context tall tower N2O flux measurements are particularly useful as they integrate over larger areas and can be run, continuously without disturbing the fluxes. On the other hand these measurements can be difficult to interpret due to difficulties to measure the small concentration fluctuations in the atmosphere at small flux rates and to accurately attribute the measured flux at the tower to the area that generates the flux, i.e. the source area. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) has established eddy covariance N2O flux measurements on a 125 m tall tower at its Risø Campus as part of the EU research infrastructure project the 'Integrated non-CO2 Greenhouse gas Observing System' (InGOS). The eddy covariance system consisted of a N2O/CO quantum cascade laser, Los Gatos, Mountain View, CA, USA and a 3D sonic anemometer (USA-1), Metek, Elmshorn, Germany. The Risø peninsula lies at the

Supplemental protein and energy for beef cows consuming endophyte-infected tall fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Forcherio, J C; Catlett, G E; Paterson, J A; Kerley, M S; Ellersieck, M R

1995-11-01

Effects of energy and protein supplementation of endophyte (Acremonium coenophialum)-infected (E+) and noninfected (E-) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) on forage intake, digestibility, N flow to the small intestine, and cow-calf productivity was evaluated in two experiments. In Exp. 1, 10 ruminally and duodenally cannulated steers were fed either E- or E+ hay with four supplements or E- or E+ hay unsupplemented. Four supplements formulated with either cracked corn or soybean hulls with 100 or 200 g/d of ruminally undegraded intake protein (UIP) were compared. Levels of UIP were varied by adding soybean meal or blood meal. Hay OM intake was not affected (P > .20) by source of energy of level of UIP; however, intake of E- was greater (P .20) microbial efficiencies. In Exp. 2, 30 cows (average initial BW 459 +/- 26 kg) and their calves (average initial BW 74 +/- 5 kg and 74 +/- 5 d of age) grazed an 8.1-ha E+ pasture from late May to late July. Cows were individually fed supplements used in Exp. 1 each day. Cows that received cracked corn lost .10 kg/d when fed 100 g/d of UIP but gained .33 kg/d when fed 200 g/d. Cows fed soybean hulls and 100 g/d of UIP gained .07 kg/d, whereas cows provided 200 g/d lost .10 kg/d. Calves nursing cows supplemented with 100 g/d of UIP gained more (P milk consumption and slightly greater (P forage intake than calves nursing cows supplemented with 200 g/d of UIP.

Full-scale testing of infilled steel frames with precast concrete panels provided with a window opening

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teeuwen, P.A; Kleinman, C.S.; Snijder, H.H.; Hofmeyer, H.

2008-01-01

As an alternative to conventional structures for tall buildings, a hybrid lateral load resisting building system has been designed, enabling the assembly of tall buildings directly from truck. It consists of steel frames with discretely connected precast concrete infill panels provided with a window

Seasonal development of ozone-induced foliar injury on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, Lara; Neufeld, Howard S.; Chappelka, Arthur H.; Burkey, Kent O.; Davison, Alan W.

2006-01-01

The goals of this study were to document the development of ozone-induced foliar injury, on a leaf-by-leaf basis, and to develop ozone exposure relationships for leaf cohorts and individual tall milkweeds (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plants were classified as either ozone-sensitive or insensitive based on the amount of foliar injury. Sensitive plants developed injury earlier in the season and to a greater extent than insensitive plants. Older leaf cohorts were more likely to belong to high injury classes by the end of each of the two growing seasons. In addition, leaf loss was more likely for older cohorts (2000) and lower leaf positions (2001) than younger cohorts and upper leaves, respectively. Most leaves abscised without prior ozone-like stippling or chlorosis. Failure to take this into account can result in underestimation of the effects of ozone on these plants. - Leaf loss was not necessarily accompanied by symptoms of foliar ozone injury

Seasonal development of ozone-induced foliar injury on tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Lara [Department of Biology, 572 Rivers Street, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608 (United States)]. E-mail: lsouza@utk.edu; Neufeld, Howard S. [Department of Biology, 572 Rivers Street, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608 (United States); Chappelka, Arthur H. [School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, 108 M White-Smith Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 (United States); Burkey, Kent O. [US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Plant Science Research Unit and Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, 3908 Inwood Road, Raleigh, NC 26703 (United States); Davison, Alan W. [School of Biology, Ridley Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU (United Kingdom)

2006-05-15

The goals of this study were to document the development of ozone-induced foliar injury, on a leaf-by-leaf basis, and to develop ozone exposure relationships for leaf cohorts and individual tall milkweeds (Asclepias exaltata L.) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Plants were classified as either ozone-sensitive or insensitive based on the amount of foliar injury. Sensitive plants developed injury earlier in the season and to a greater extent than insensitive plants. Older leaf cohorts were more likely to belong to high injury classes by the end of each of the two growing seasons. In addition, leaf loss was more likely for older cohorts (2000) and lower leaf positions (2001) than younger cohorts and upper leaves, respectively. Most leaves abscised without prior ozone-like stippling or chlorosis. Failure to take this into account can result in underestimation of the effects of ozone on these plants. - Leaf loss was not necessarily accompanied by symptoms of foliar ozone injury.

Ruminal tryptophan-utilizing bacteria degrade ergovaline from tall fescue seed extract.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlow, B E; Goodman, J P; Lynn, B C; Flythe, M D; Ji, H; Aiken, G E

2017-02-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate degradation of ergovaline in a tall fescue [ (Schreb.) Darbysh.] seed extract by rumen microbiota ex vivo and to identify specific bacteria capable of ergovaline degradation in vitro. Rumen cell suspensions were prepared by harvesting rumen fluid from fistulated wether goats ( = 3), straining, and differential centrifugation. Suspensions were dispensed into anaerobic tubes with added Trypticase with or without extract (∼10 μg kg ergovaline). Suspensions were incubated for 48 h at 39°C. Samples were collected at 0, 24, and 48 h for ergovaline analysis and enumeration of hyper-ammonia producing (HAB) and tryptophan-utilizing bacteria. Ergovaline values were analyzed by repeated measures using the mixed procedure of SAS. Enumeration data were log transformed for statistical analysis. When suspensions were incubated with extract, 11 to 15% of ergovaline disappearance was observed over 48 h ( = 0.02). After 24 h, suspensions with added extract had 10-fold less HAB than controls ( = 0.04), but treatments were similar by 48 h ( = 1.00). However, after 24 h and 48 h, suspensions with extract had 10-fold more tryptophan-utilizing bacteria ( rumen pure cultures ( JB1, B159, HD4, B, F, MD1, SR) were evaluated for the ability to degrade ergovaline in vitro. Pure culture cell suspensions were incubated as described above and samples were taken at 0 and 48 h for ergovaline analysis. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA procedure of SAS. All HAB, including the isolates, tested degraded ergovaline (54 to 75%; bacteria tested did not degrade ergovaline. The results of this study indicate which rumen bacteria may play an important role in ergovaline degradation and that microbiological strategies for controlling their activity could have ramifications for fescue toxicosis and other forms of ergotism in ruminants.

Genotype x environment interactions in preweaning traits of purebred and reciprocal cross Angus and Brahman calves on common bermudagrass and endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, M A; Tharel, L M; Brown, A H; Jackson, W G; Miesner, J R

1993-02-01

Preweaning data on 486 Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal cross calves (AB, BA) managed on common bermudagrass or endophyte-infected tall fescue were used to evaluate the interactions of forage type and sex of calf with direct effects, individual heterosis, and maternal effects. Calves were spring-born in 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 to five sires of each breed. Male calves were castrated at birth, and calves were not creep-fed. Average values of heterosis for birth weight, 205-d weight, weaning hip height, and weaning weight:height ratio (WT/HT) were important (P < .01) and consistent across forage environment. Heterosis for birth weight was larger in bull calves than in heifer calves (P < .05), whereas heterosis for other preweaning traits were consistent across sex of calf. Average maternal effects for WT/HT (P < .10) were important and consistent across forage environment. Maternal effects for birth weight were larger with bull calves than with heifer calves (P < .01). Maternal effects for weaning hip height favored the Angus dam managed on bermudagrass (P < .05) but not managed on fescue. A similar but nonsignificant trend occurred in maternal effects for 205-d weight. Direct effects for birth weight were larger in bull calves than in heifer calves (P < .01). Direct effects for weaning height were larger in calves managed on bermudagrass than in calves managed on tall fescue (P < .07). A similar but nonsignificant trend was evident in direct effects for 205-d weight. Direct effects for WT/HT were relatively small and unimportant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhimin Yang

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

From cat's eyes to disjoint multicellular natural convection flow in tall tilted cavities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nicolas, Alfredo, E-mail: anc@xanum.uam.mx [Depto. Matematicas, 3er Piso Ed. AT-Diego Bricio, UAM-I, 09340 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Baez, Elsa [Depto. Matematicas Aplicadas y Sistemas, UAM-C, 01120 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Bermudez, Blanca [Facultad de C. de la Computacion, BUAP, 72570 Puebla, Pue. (Mexico)

2011-07-11

Numerical results of two-dimensional natural convection problems, in air-filled tall cavities, are reported to study the change of the cat's eyes flow as some parameters vary, the aspect ratio A and the angle of inclination φ of the cavity, with the Rayleigh number Ra mostly fixed; explicitly, the range of the variation is given by 12≤A≤20 and 0{sup o}≤φ≤270{sup o}; about Ra=1.1x10{sup 4}. A novelty contribution of this work is the transition from the cat's eyes changes, as A varies, to a disjoint multicellular flow, as φ varies. These flows may be modeled by the unsteady Boussinesq approximation in stream function and vorticity variables which is solved with a fixed point iterative process applied to the nonlinear elliptic system that results after time discretization. The validation of the results relies on mesh size and time-step independence studies. -- Highlights: → Fixed point iterative method for solving symmetric linear elliptic problems. → Robust method to study effects as aspect ratio and angle of inclination vary. → Interest on the dynamics and evolution of the fluid flow and on heat transfer. → Study of transition from cat's eyes instability to a disjoint multicellular flow.

Tall Tower Wind Energy Monitoring and Numerical Model Validation in Northern Nevada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koracin, D. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Kaplan, M. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Smith, C. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); McCurdy, G. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Wolf, A. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); McCord, T. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); King, K. [Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States); Belu, R. [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Horvath, K. [Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service, Zagreb (Croatia)

2015-10-01

The main objectives of this project were to conduct a tall-tower and sodar field campaign in complex terrain, investigate wind properties relevant to wind energy assessment, and evaluate high-resolution models with fixed and adaptive grid structures. Two 60-m towers at Virginia Peak ridges near Washoe Valley, Nevada, were instrumented with cup and vane anemometers as well as sonic anemometers, and an acoustic sounder (hereafter sodar) was installed near one of the towers. The towers were located 2,700 m apart with a vertical distance of 140 m elevation between their bases. Each tower had a downhill exposure of rolling complex terrain, with the nearby valley floor 3,200 m to the west and 800 m below the summit. Cup anemometers were installed at both towers at 20, 40, and 60 m, wind vanes at 20 and 60 m, and sonic anemometers at 20 and 60 m. The sodar measurements were nominally provided every 10 m in vertical distance from 40 to 200 m with the quality of the data generally decreasing with height. Surface air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and radiation measurements were conducted at 1.5 m AGL at both of the towers. Although the plan was to conduct a 1-year period of data collection, we extended the period (October 5, 2012 through February 24, 2014) to cover for possible data loss from instrument or communication problems. We also present a preliminary analysis of the towers and sodar data, including a detailed inventory of available and missing data as well as outliers. The analysis additionally includes calculation of the Weibull parameters, turbulence intensity, and initial computation of wind power density at various heights.

Deep Space CubeSat Prototype Platform Design and Testing

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This IRAD will significantly advance a GSFC Deep Space CubeSat prototype effort in almost all subsystems.  Because it represents a “tall pole” for lunar orbiters, as...

DYNAMIC ANAYSIS OF TALL BUILDINGS

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Obe

their possible sources from earthquakes, explosion, impact loads, moving loads, wind and other disturbances. The common feature of all dynamic disturbances is that they generate vibrations in the structure upon which they act. Consequently, prerequisite to the design of such a structures is a good insight into its vibration ...

The mechanical design of a humanoid robot with flexible skin sensor for use in psychiatric therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Alec; Tadesse, Yonas

2014-03-01

In this paper, a humanoid robot is presented for ultimate use in the rehabilitation of children with mental disorders, such as autism. Creating affordable and efficient humanoids could assist the therapy in psychiatric disability by offering multimodal communication between the humanoid and humans. Yet, the humanoid development needs a seamless integration of artificial muscles, sensors, controllers and structures. We have designed a human-like robot that has 15 DOF, 580 mm tall and 925 mm arm span using a rapid prototyping system. The robot has a human-like appearance and movement. Flexible sensors around the arm and hands for safe human-robot interactions, and a two-wheel mobile platform for maneuverability are incorporated in the design. The robot has facial features for illustrating human-friendly behavior. The mechanical design of the robot and the characterization of the flexible sensors are presented. Comprehensive study on the upper body design, mobile base, actuators selection, electronics, and performance evaluation are included in this paper.

Tall Tales of North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Fresno City Unified School District, CA.

Designed for use in junior high school language arts classes, this learning activity packet introduces students to North American folklore. Selected readings cover Indian tales, real folk heroes (Davy Crockett and John Henry), imaginary folk heroes (Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill), Black folk stories (Brer Rabbit), and tales of Washington Irving. Each…

Supertall Asia/Middle East: Technological Responses and Contextual Impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoung Sun Moon

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Supported by rapid economic growth, major cities in Asia and the Middle East have been rising as new centers for tall buildings. This article reviews the state of tall building developments in Asian and Middle Eastern countries with an emphasis on supertall buildings, with their greater urban and global impacts. Focusing primarily on physical construction, this article examines technological responses for building tall in Asian and Middle Eastern contexts. The architectural transformation and globalization of what was once called the “American Building Type” in Asian and Middle Eastern countries is studied. Sustainable design technology transfer and adjustment in Asian and Middle Eastern climates are presented. Further, future prospects on supertall design in Asian and Middle Eastern contexts are discussed.

A model for backscattering characteristics of tall prairie grass canopies at microwave frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakhtiari, S.; Zoughi, R.

1991-01-01

We have developed a discrete microwave scattering model, describing the radar backscattering coefficient from two treatments (burned and unburned) of tall prairie grass canopies at VV (electric field vector of the transmitted and received signals are vertically oriented) and HH (electric field vector of the transmitted and received signals and horizontally oriented) polarizations, based on the physical, biophysical, and geometrical characteristics of such canopies. Grass blades are modeled as thin and finite dielectric ellipsoids with arbitrary orientations. Scattering by an individual grass blade is formulated using a generalization of the Rayleigh—Gans approximation with a quasistatic solution for the expansion of the interior field. By associating, with each grass blade, various appropriate distribution functions, the relative orientation, location, height, cross section, and permittivity of each grass blade is taken into account. This makes for a more realistic overall description of the canopy. Kirchhoff's surface scattering is used to model the backscatter from the soil surface. An incoherent summation of the effect of grass blades and soil surface is adopted to obtain the total canopy backscattering coefficient, taking into account the attenuation experienced by the signal as it travels through the canopy. The results of this model are given for 1.5, 5, and 10 GHz (L-, C-, and X-band). Although for the shorter wavelengths (X-band) the Rayleigh—Gans criteria is not totally satisfied, nevertheless, the limited available measured X-band data compare relatively well with the results of this model both quantitatively and qualitatively. (author)

Long-term measurements (2010–2014 of carbonaceous aerosol and carbon monoxide at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO in central Siberia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. F. Mikhailov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available We present long-term (5-year measurements of particulate matter with an upper diameter limit of ∼ 10 µm (PM10, elemental carbon (EC, organic carbon (OC, and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC in aerosol filter samples collected at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory in the middle-taiga subzone (Siberia. The data are complemented with carbon monoxide (CO measurements. Air mass back trajectory analysis and satellite image analysis were used to characterise potential source regions and the transport pathway of haze plumes. Polluted and background periods were selected using a non-parametric statistical approach and analysed separately. In addition, near-pristine air masses were selected based on their EC concentrations being below the detection limit of our thermal–optical instrument. Over the entire sampling campaign, 75 and 48 % of air masses in winter and in summer, respectively, and 42 % in spring and fall are classified as polluted. The observed background concentrations of CO and EC showed a sine-like behaviour with a period of 365 ± 4 days, mostly due to different degrees of dilution and the removal of polluted air masses arriving at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO from remote sources. Our analysis of the near-pristine conditions shows that the longest periods with clean air masses were observed in summer, with a frequency of 17 %, while in wintertime only 1 % can be classified as a clean. Against a background of low concentrations of CO, EC, and OC in the near-pristine summertime, it was possible to identify pollution plumes that most likely came from crude-oil production sites located in the oil-rich regions of Western Siberia. Overall, our analysis indicates that most of the time the Siberian region is impacted by atmospheric pollution arising from biomass burning and anthropogenic emissions. A relatively clean atmosphere can be observed mainly in summer, when polluted species are removed by precipitation and

Economic assessment of biodiesel production from wastewater sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiaxin; Tyagi, Rajeshwar Dayal; Li, Ji; Zhang, Xiaolei; Drogui, Patrick; Sun, Feiyun

2018-04-01

Currently, there are mainly two pathways of the biodiesel production from wastewater sludge including 1) directly extracting the lipid in sludge and then converting the lipid to biodiesel through trans-esterification, and 2) employing sludge as medium to cultivate oleaginous microorganism to accumulate lipid and then transferring the lipid to biodiesel. So far, the study was still in research stage and its cost feasibility was not yet investigated. In this study, biodiesel production from wastewater sludge was designed and the cost was estimated with SuperPro Designer. With consideration of converting the lipid in raw sludge to biodiesel, the unit production cost was 0.67 US $/kg biodiesel (0.59 US $/L biodiesel). When the sludge was used as medium to grow oleaginous microorganism to accumulate lipid for producing biodiesel, the unit production cost was 1.08 US $/kg biodiesel (0.94 US $/L biodiesel). The study showed that sludge has great potential in biodiesel production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technoeconomic analysis of biojet fuel production from camelina at commercial scale: Case of Canadian Prairies.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xue; Mupondwa, Edmund; Tabil, Lope

2018-02-01

This study undertakes technoeconomic analysis of commercial production of hydro-processed renewable jet (HRJ) fuel from camelina oil in the Canadian Prairies. An engineering economic model designed in SuperPro Designer® investigated capital investment, scale, and profitability of producing HRJ and co-products (biodiesel, naphtha, LPG, and propane) based on biorefinery plant sizes of 112.5-675 million L annum -1 . Under base case scenario, the minimum selling price (MSP) of HRJ was $1.06 L -1 for a biorefinery plant with size of 225 million L. However, it could range from $0.40 to $1.71 L -1 given variations in plant capacity, feedstock cost, and co-product credits. MSP is highly sensitive to camelina feedstock cost and co-product credits, with little sensitivity to capital cost, discount rate, plant capacity, and hydrogen cost. Marginal and average cost curves suggest the region could support an HRJ plant capacity of up to 675 million L annum -1 (capital investment of $167 million). Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoter DNA methylation pattern identifies prognostic subgroups in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magnus Borssén

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Treatment of pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL has improved, but there is a considerable fraction of patients experiencing a poor outcome. There is a need for better prognostic markers and aberrant DNA methylation is a candidate in other malignancies, but its potential prognostic significance in T-ALL is hitherto undecided. DESIGN AND METHODS: Genome wide promoter DNA methylation analysis was performed in pediatric T-ALL samples (n = 43 using arrays covering >27000 CpG sites. Clinical outcome was evaluated in relation to methylation status and compared with a contemporary T-ALL group not tested for methylation (n = 32. RESULTS: Based on CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP, T-ALL samples were subgrouped as CIMP+ (high methylation and CIMP- (low methylation. CIMP- T-ALL patients had significantly worse overall and event free survival (p = 0.02 and p = 0.001, respectively compared to CIMP+ cases. CIMP status was an independent factor for survival in multivariate analysis including age, gender and white blood cell count. Analysis of differently methylated genes in the CIMP subgroups showed an overrepresentation of transcription factors, ligands and polycomb target genes. CONCLUSIONS: We identified global promoter methylation profiling as being of relevance for subgrouping and prognostication of pediatric T-ALL.

Big and tall: Does a height premium dwarf an obesity penalty in the labor market?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Wang-Sheng

2017-11-01

Previous studies have shown that both height and weight are associated with wages. However, some gaps in our understanding of the relationship between body size and wages remain. For example, given a height premium and an obesity penalty, due to forces working in opposite directions, the current literature is unable to provide clear answers to questions such as whether a tall obese woman or a short healthy weight woman would earn a higher wage premium. Using Australian data and iso-contour wage curves derived from a semi-parametric wage regression model, this paper illustrates the complex nature of the relationship between height, weight and wages and how the nature of these differences depends on gender and age. As adult height is fixed, a key focus of the paper is illustrating for various height ranges whether there are any wage benefits in the labor market to increasing or decreasing one's weight. For individuals aged 25-54 as a whole, I find that there are strong effects of weight reduction at lower ends of the height distribution for females (between 1.50-1.70m) but not for males (men (>1.85m), a wage premium is found for being overweight. For relatively taller women (>1.72m), no penalty for being overweight is discernible. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity analyses on natural convection in an 8:1 tall enclosure using finite-volume methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrosini, Walter; Forgione, N.; Ferreri, Juan C.

2004-01-01

Full text: The results herein presented are an extension of those obtained in previous work by the Authors in a benchmark problem dealing with flow driven by buoyancy in an 8:1 tall enclosure. A simple finite-volume model purposely set up for this application has provided the preliminary results reported. The adopted modeling technique was a direct extension of the one previously adopted by the Authors to deal with single-phase natural convection and boiling channel instabilities. This extension to two-dimensional flow is based on a finite-volume scheme using first order approximation in time and space. Despite its simplicity, results were reasonably good and detected the flow instabilities due to proper selection of cell Courant number and a semi-implicit solution algorithm. In this paper, results using the same code with different discretisations are presented in a more detailed way and are further discussed. They show proper capture of all the main characteristics of the flow, also reported by other authors and considered as 'converged' solutions. Results show that, as expected, first order explicit or semi-implicit methods can be considered reliable tools when dealing with stability problems, if properly used. Some initial results obtained using a second order upwind method are also presented for the purpose of comparison. Additionally, results obtained using a commercial code (FLUENT) are also reported. (author)

Extractable trace elements and sodium in Illinois coal-cleaning wastes: correlation with concentrations in tall fescue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, B.G.

1983-07-01

Trace element concentrations in shoots of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) were correlated with extractable element concentrations in five southern Illinois coal-cleaning wastes limed to pH 6.5, in a greenhouse study to determine applicability of soil tests to coal-waste evaluation. There was little or no correlation between shoot concentrations of Fe, and Fe extracted from the wastes by dilute acid (r equals 0.60), DTPA at pH 6.4 (r equals 0.47) or DTPA at pH 8.4 (r equals -0.17). The corresponding r values for Mn were 0.94, 0.97, and 0.96; for Zn, 0.96, 0.96, and 0.88; and for Cu, 0.67, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. Shoot B correlated well with hot water-soluble B(r equals 0.96) and acid-soluble B(r equals 0.91). Correlations for shoot Na were also good with water-soluble Na and acid-soluble Na (r equals 0.96 in both cases). Concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Se in the shoots were well below reported upper critical levels, and similar to concentrations in the grass grown on a silt loam under the same greenhouse conditions. 21 references.

Study of turbulent natural convection in a tall differentially heated cavity filled with either non-participating, participating grey and participating semigrey media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capdevila, R; Perez-Segarra, C D; Lehmkuhl, O; Colomer, G

2012-01-01

Turbulent natural convection in a tall differentially heated cavity of aspect ratio 5:1, filled with air under a Rayleigh number based on the height of 4.5·10 10 is studied numerically. Three different situations have been analysed. In the first one, the cavity is filled with a transparent medium. In the second one, the cavity is filled with a semigrey participating mixture of air and water vapour. In the last one the cavity contains a grey participating gas. The turbulent flow is described by means of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) using symmetry-preserving discretizations. Simulations are compared with experimental data available in the literature and with Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS). Surface and gas radiation have been simulated using the Discrete Ordinates Method (DOM). The influence of radiation on fluid flow behaviour has been analysed.

Prevalence of pathogenetic MC4R mutations in Italian children with early Onset obesity, tall stature and familial history of obesity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crinò Antonino

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Melanocortin-4-receptor (MC4R mutations represent the most frequent genetic cause of non-syndromic early onset obesity. Children carrying MC4R mutations seem to show a particular phenotype characterized by early onset, severe obesity and high stature. To verify whether MC4R mutations are associated with this particular phenotype in the Italian pediatric population, we decided to screen the MC4R gene in a group of obese children selected on the basis of their phenotype. Methods To perform this study, a multicentric approach was designed. Particularly, to be enrolled in the study subjects needed to meet the following criteria: Body mass index ≥ 3 deviation scores according to age and sex, familiar history of obesity (at least one parent obese, obesity onset before the 10 years old, height ≥ 2 deviation scores. The coding region of MC4R gene was screened in 240 obese children (mean age 8.3 ± 3.1, mean BMI 30.8 ± 5.4 and in 200 controls (mean age 8.1 ± 2.8; mean BMI 14.2 ± 2.5. Results Three mutations have been found in five obese children. The S127L (C380T, found in three unrelated children, had been described and functionally characterized previously. The Q307X (C919T and the Y332H (T994C mutations were found in two patients. Functional studies showed that only Q307X impaired protein function. Conclusion The low prevalence of MC4R mutations (1.6% in this group of obese children selected according to the obesity degree, the tall stature and the family history of obesity was similar to the prevalence observed in previous screenings performed in obese adults and in not phenotypically selected obese children.

Purification Simulation With Vapor Permeation and Distillation-Adsorption In Bioethanol Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Misri Gozan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available High purity of Bioethanol is required in biofuel mixing with gasoline (EXX. In bioethanol production line, the azeotropic property of ethanol-water becomes the barrier for purification process. This study examined two bioethanol separation processes by support of simulation tools, Superpro Designer 9.0 software. Ethanol purity and a low costeconomical process were the major considerations. Purification method of vapor permeation membrane technology was compared with distillation-adsorption method. Data from previous lab experiments and some literatures were used. The results showed that distillation-adsorption method is more economical compared to vapor permeation technology. Payback period of the simulation is 3.9 years and 4.3 years to distillation adsorption and vapor permeation respectively with each IRR value is 20.23% and 17.89%. Initial investment value of vapor permeation is 9.6% higher than distillation method. Significant difference observed in operating costs, since more units involved in vapor permeation require more labors to operate.

Influence of harvest time and frequency on light interception and biomass yield of festulolium and tall fescue cultivated on a peatland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kandel, Tanka; Elsgaard, Lars; Andersen, Mathias Neumann

2016-01-01

managements,which contributed to similar IPAR (908–919 MJ m−2), total biomass yield (16.4–18.8 Mg DM ha−1yr−1)and RUE (1.80–2.07 g MJ−1) for all managements. Whereas both crops were highly productive under both3C management and 2C management with first harvest after flowering (i.e., 2C-late), the 2C......tIn this study, we report efficiencies of light capture and biomass yield of festulolium and tall fescue cul-tivated on a riparian fen in Denmark under different harvesting managements. Green biomass targetedfor biogas production was harvested either as two cuts (2C) or three cuts (3C) in a year....... Three differenttimings of the first cut in the 2C systems were included as early (2C-early), middle (2C-mid) and late (2C-late) cuts corresponding to pre-heading, inflorescence emergence and flowering stages, respectively. Thefraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) was derived...

Small vertebral cross-sectional area and tall intervertebral disc in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ponrartana, Skorn; Fisher, Carissa L.; Aggabao, Patricia C. [Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Radiology, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Chavez, Thomas A. [Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Broom, Alexander M.; Wren, Tishya A.L.; Skaggs, David L. [Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Gilsanz, Vicente [Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Radiology, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Pediatrics, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Children' s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA (United States)

2016-09-15

When compared to boys, girls have smaller vertebral cross-sectional area, which conveys a greater spinal flexibility, and a higher prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. To test the hypothesis that small vertebral cross-sectional area and tall intervertebral disc height are structural characteristics of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Using multiplanar imaging techniques, measures of vertebral cross-sectional area, vertebral height and intervertebral disc height in the lumbar spine were obtained in 35 pairs of girls and 11 pairs of boys with and without adolescent idiopathic scoliosis of the thoracic spine matched for age, height and weight. Compared to adolescents without spinal deformity, girls and boys with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis had, on average, 9.8% (6.68 ± 0.81 vs. 7.40 ± 0.99 cm{sup 2}; P = 0.0007) and 13.9% (8.22 ± 0.84 vs. 9.55 ± 1.61 cm{sup 2}; P = 0.009) smaller vertebral cross-sectional dimensions, respectively. Additionally, patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis had significantly greater values for intervertebral disc heights (9.06 ± 0.85 vs. 7.31 ± 0.62 mm and 9.09 ± 0.87 vs. 7.61 ± 1.00 mm for girls and boys respectively; both P ≤ 0.011). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the presence of scoliosis was negatively associated with vertebral cross-sectional area and positively with intervertebral disc height, independent of sex, age and body mass index. We provide new evidence that girls and boys with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have significantly smaller vertebral cross-sectional area and taller intervertebral disc heights - two major structural determinants that influence trunk flexibility. With appropriate validation, these findings may have implications for the identification of children at the highest risk for developing scoliosis. (orig.)

Small vertebral cross-sectional area and tall intervertebral disc in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponrartana, Skorn; Fisher, Carissa L.; Aggabao, Patricia C.; Chavez, Thomas A.; Broom, Alexander M.; Wren, Tishya A.L.; Skaggs, David L.; Gilsanz, Vicente

2016-01-01

When compared to boys, girls have smaller vertebral cross-sectional area, which conveys a greater spinal flexibility, and a higher prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. To test the hypothesis that small vertebral cross-sectional area and tall intervertebral disc height are structural characteristics of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Using multiplanar imaging techniques, measures of vertebral cross-sectional area, vertebral height and intervertebral disc height in the lumbar spine were obtained in 35 pairs of girls and 11 pairs of boys with and without adolescent idiopathic scoliosis of the thoracic spine matched for age, height and weight. Compared to adolescents without spinal deformity, girls and boys with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis had, on average, 9.8% (6.68 ± 0.81 vs. 7.40 ± 0.99 cm 2 ; P = 0.0007) and 13.9% (8.22 ± 0.84 vs. 9.55 ± 1.61 cm 2 ; P = 0.009) smaller vertebral cross-sectional dimensions, respectively. Additionally, patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis had significantly greater values for intervertebral disc heights (9.06 ± 0.85 vs. 7.31 ± 0.62 mm and 9.09 ± 0.87 vs. 7.61 ± 1.00 mm for girls and boys respectively; both P ≤ 0.011). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the presence of scoliosis was negatively associated with vertebral cross-sectional area and positively with intervertebral disc height, independent of sex, age and body mass index. We provide new evidence that girls and boys with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis have significantly smaller vertebral cross-sectional area and taller intervertebral disc heights - two major structural determinants that influence trunk flexibility. With appropriate validation, these findings may have implications for the identification of children at the highest risk for developing scoliosis. (orig.)

Measurements of greenhouse gases at Beromünster tall-tower station in Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Ayalneh Berhanu, Tesfaye; Satar, Ece; Schanda, Rudiger; Nyfeler, Peter; Moret, Hanspeter; Brunner, Dominik; Oney, Brian; Leuenberger, Markus

2016-06-01

In order to constrain the regional flux of greenhouse gases, an automated measurement system was built on an old radio tower at Beromünster, Switzerland. The measurement system has been running since November 2012 as part of the Swiss greenhouse gases monitoring network (CarboCount-CH), which is composed of four measurement sites across the country. The Beromünster tall tower has five sampling lines with inlets at 12.5, 44.6, 71.5, 131.6, and 212.5 m above ground level, and it is equipped with a Picarro cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS) analyzer (G-2401), which continuously measures CO, CO2, CH4, and H2O. Sensors for detection of wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity have also been installed at each height level. We have observed a non-negligible temperature effect in the calibration measurements, which was found to be dependent on the type of cylinder (steel or aluminum) as well as trace gas species (strongest for CO). From a target gas of known mixing ratio that has been measured once a day, we have calculated a long-term reproducibility of 2.79 ppb, 0.05 ppm, and 0.29 ppb for CO, CO2, and CH4, respectively, over 19 months of measurements. The values obtained for CO2 and CH4 are compliant with the WMO recommendations, while the value calculated for CO is higher than the recommendation. Since the installation of an air-conditioning system recently at the measurement cabin, we have acquired better temperature stability of the measurement system, but no significant improvement was observed in the measurement precision inferred from the target gas measurements. Therefore, it seems that the observed higher variation in CO measurements is associated with the instrumental noise, compatible with the precision provided by the manufacturer.

Computer-Aided Design of RNA Origami Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sparvath, Steffen L; Geary, Cody W; Andersen, Ebbe S

2017-01-01

RNA nanostructures can be used as scaffolds to organize, combine, and control molecular functionalities, with great potential for applications in nanomedicine and synthetic biology. The single-stranded RNA origami method allows RNA nanostructures to be folded as they are transcribed by the RNA polymerase. RNA origami structures provide a stable framework that can be decorated with functional RNA elements such as riboswitches, ribozymes, interaction sites, and aptamers for binding small molecules or protein targets. The rich library of RNA structural and functional elements combined with the possibility to attach proteins through aptamer-based binding creates virtually limitless possibilities for constructing advanced RNA-based nanodevices.In this chapter we provide a detailed protocol for the single-stranded RNA origami design method using a simple 2-helix tall structure as an example. The first step involves 3D modeling of a double-crossover between two RNA double helices, followed by decoration with tertiary motifs. The second step deals with the construction of a 2D blueprint describing the secondary structure and sequence constraints that serves as the input for computer programs. In the third step, computer programs are used to design RNA sequences that are compatible with the structure, and the resulting outputs are evaluated and converted into DNA sequences to order.

Mixed-use development in a high-rise context

Science.gov (United States)

Generalova, Elena M.; Generalov, Viktor P.; Kuznetsova, Anna A.; Bobkova, Oksana N.

2018-03-01

The article deals with an actual problem of finding techniques and methods to create a comfortable urban environment. The authors emphasize that in the existing conditions of intensive urban development greater attention should be given to spatial concentration based on and more compact distribution of population in urban space. It is stressed that including mixed-use facilities into urban realm results in a significant improvement of living environment qualitative characteristics. The paper also examines modern approaches to constructing a «compact city» for comfortable and convenient living with a mixed-use tall building development. The authors explore the world's experience of designing tall mixed-use buildings and reveal modern trends in their construction. The statistics given is based on the data analysis of a group of tall mixed-use buildings consisting of more than 400 objects, constructed in 2007-2016. The research shows functional and architectural peculiarities of this typology of tall buildings and investigates a mechanism of creating zones of mixed-use tall building development in the urban structure. In conclusion, the authors consider prospects of development and major directions of improvement of mixed-use tall building parameters for a reasonable territorial urban growth and creation of high-density and comfortable building development.

Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism

Science.gov (United States)

Arnedo, Israel; Sánchez-Ostiz, Ana

2018-01-01

Since the origin of the Modern Movement, there has been a basic commitment to improving housing conditions and the well-being of occupants, especially given the prediction that 2/3 of humanity will reside in cities by 2050. Moreover, a compact model of the city with tall buildings and urban densification at this scale will be generated. Continuous constructive and technological advances have developed solid foundations on safety, energy efficiency, habitability, and sustainability in housing design. However, studies on improving the quality of life in these areas continue to be a challenge for architects and engineers. This paper seeks to contribute health-related information to the study of residential design, specifically the influence of the geomagnetic field on its occupants. After compiling information on the effects of geomagnetic fields from different medical studies over 23 years, a case study of a 16-story high-rise building is presented, with the goal of proposing architectural design recommendations for long-term occupation in the same place. The purpose of the present work is three-fold: first, to characterize the geomagnetic field variability of buildings; second, to identify the causes and possible related mechanisms; and third, to define architectural criteria on the arrangement of uses and constructive elements for housing. PMID:29473902

Advances in Residential Design Related to the Influence of Geomagnetism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco Glaria

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Since the origin of the Modern Movement, there has been a basic commitment to improving housing conditions and the well-being of occupants, especially given the prediction that 2/3 of humanity will reside in cities by 2050. Moreover, a compact model of the city with tall buildings and urban densification at this scale will be generated. Continuous constructive and technological advances have developed solid foundations on safety, energy efficiency, habitability, and sustainability in housing design. However, studies on improving the quality of life in these areas continue to be a challenge for architects and engineers. This paper seeks to contribute health-related information to the study of residential design, specifically the influence of the geomagnetic field on its occupants. After compiling information on the effects of geomagnetic fields from different medical studies over 23 years, a case study of a 16-story high-rise building is presented, with the goal of proposing architectural design recommendations for long-term occupation in the same place. The purpose of the present work is three-fold: first, to characterize the geomagnetic field variability of buildings; second, to identify the causes and possible related mechanisms; and third, to define architectural criteria on the arrangement of uses and constructive elements for housing.

Design and calibration of a semi-active control logic to mitigate structural vibrations in wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caterino, Nicola; Georgakis, Christos T.; Spizzuoco, Mariacristina

2016-01-01

The design of a semi-active (SA) control system addressed to mitigate wind induced structural demand to high wind turbine towers is discussed herein. Actually, the remarkable growth in height of wind turbines in the last decades, for a higher production of electricity, makes this issue pressing....../20 scale model of a real, one hundred meters tall wind turbine has been assumed as case study for shaking table tests. A special control algorithm has been purposely designed to drive MR dampers. Starting from the results of preliminary laboratory tests, a finite element model of such structure has been...... calibrated so as to develop several numerical simulations addressed to calibrate the controller, i.e., to achieve as much as possible different, even conflicting, structural goals. The results are definitely encouraging, since the best configuration of the controller leaded to about 80% of reduction of base...

Numerical study of natural turbulent convection of nanofluids in a tall cavity heated from below

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mebrouk Ridha

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In the present paper a numerical study of natural turbulent convection in a tall cavity filled with nanofluids. The cavity has a heat source embedded on its bottom wall, while the left, right and top walls of the cavity are maintained at a relatively low temperature. The working fluid is a water based nanofluid having three nanoparticle types: alumina, copper and copper oxid. The influence of pertinent parameters such as Rayleigh number, the type of nanofluid and solid volume fraction of nanoparticles on the cooling performance is studied. Steady forms of twodimensional Reynolds-Averaged-Navier-Stokes equations and conservation equations of mass and energy, coupled with the Boussinesq approximation, are solved by the control volume based discretisation method employing the SIMPLE algorithm for pressure-velocity coupling. Turbulence is modeled using the standard k-ε model. The Rayleigh number, Ra, is varied from 2.491009 to 2.491011. The volume fractions of nanoparticles were varied in the interval 0≤φ≤ 6% . Stream lines, isotherms, velocity profiles and Temperature profiles are presented for various combinations of Ra, the type of nanofluid and solid volume fraction of nanoparticles. The results are reported in the form of average Nusselt number on the heated wall. It is shown that for all values of Ra, the average heat transfer rate from the heat source increases almost linearly and monotonically as the solid volume fraction increases. Finally the average heat transfer rate takes on values that decrease according to the ordering Cu, CuO and Al2O3.

Reactor core design optimization of the 200 MWt Pb-Bi cooled fast reactor for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahrum, Epung Saepul; Su'ud, Zaki; Waris, Abdul; Fitriyani, Dian; Wahjoedi, Bambang Ari

2008-01-01

In this study reactor core geometrical optimization of 200 MWt Pb-Bi cooled long life fast reactor for hydrogen production has been conducted. The reactor life time is 20 years and the fuel type is UN-PuN. Geometrical core configurations considered in this study are balance, pancake and tall cylindrical cores. For the hydrogen production unit we adopt steam membrane reforming hydrogen gas production. The optimum operating temperature for the catalytic reaction is 540degC. Fast reactor design optimization calculation was run by using FI-ITB-CHI software package. The design criteria were restricted by the multiplication factor that should be less than 1.002, the average outlet coolant temperature 550degC and the maximum coolant outlet temperature less than 700degC. By taking into account of the hydrogen production as well as corrosion resulting from Pb-Bi, the balance cylindrical geometrical core design with diameter and height of the active core of 157 cm each, the inlet coolant temperature of 350degC and the coolant flow rate of 7000 kg/s were preferred as the best design parameters. (author)

Parvovirus B19 presenting with persistent pancytopenia in a patient of T-ALL post induction chemotherapy diagnosed on bone marrow examination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijaya S Gadage

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Manifestations of parvovirus B19 vary even in the normal host from asymptomatic or subclinical infection to a spectrum of illness with symptoms during viremic and immune complex mediated stage of disease. We report the morphological findings of parvovirus B19 infection (confirmed on serology in a patient of T-acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL who underwent induction phase of chemotherapy (MCP 842 protocol. Persistent pancytopenia in the bone marrow aspirate with mild increase in blasts was thought to be due to failure to achieve marrow remission. However, giant pronormoblasts with prominent intranuclear inclusions confirmed on trephine biopsy led to the suspicion of parvovirus B19 infection which was later confirmed on serology. This case is presented to report the rarely seen classical morphological feature of parvovirus infection on bone marrow examination which was incidentally the first investigation to diagnose the viremic phase of the infection, indicating that a high index of suspicion needs to be kept in mind while examining bone marrows of susceptible patients.

Landscape-level terrestrial methane flux observed from a very tall tower

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Ankur R.; Xu, Ke; Tian, Hanqin; Weishampel, Peter; Thom, Jonthan; Baumann, Daniel D.; Andrews, Arlyn E.; Cook, Bruce D.; King, Jennifer Y.; Kolka, Randall

2015-01-01

Simulating the magnitude and variability of terrestrial methane sources and sinks poses a challenge to ecosystem models because the biophysical and biogeochemical processes that lead to methane emissions from terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems are, by their nature, episodic and spatially disjunct. As a consequence, model predictions of regional methane emissions based on field campaigns from short eddy covariance towers or static chambers have large uncertainties, because measurements focused on a particular known source of methane emission will be biased compared to regional estimates with regards to magnitude, spatial scale, or frequency of these emissions. Given the relatively large importance of predicting future terrestrial methane fluxes for constraining future atmospheric methane growth rates, a clear need exists to reduce spatiotemporal uncertainties. In 2010, an Ameriflux tower (US-PFa) near Park Falls, WI, USA, was instrumented with closed-path methane flux measurements at 122 m above ground in a mixed wetland–upland landscape representative of the Great Lakes region. Two years of flux observations revealed an average annual methane (CH4) efflux of 785 ± 75 mg CCH4 m−2 yr−1, compared to a mean CO2 sink of −80 g CCO2 m−2 yr−1, a ratio of 1% in magnitude on a mole basis. Interannual variability in methane flux was 30% of the mean flux and driven by suppression of methane emissions during dry conditions in late summer 2012. Though relatively small, the magnitude of the methane source from the very tall tower measurements was mostly within the range previously measured using static chambers at nearby wetlands, but larger than a simple scaling of those fluxes to the tower footprint. Seasonal patterns in methane fluxes were similar to those simulated in the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM), but magnitude depends on model parameterization and input data, especially regarding wetland extent. The model was unable to simulate short

Neighborhood design for walking and biking: physical activity and body mass index.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R; Hanson, Heidi; Fan, Jessie X; Kowaleski-Jones, Lori; Zick, Cathleen D

2013-03-01

Neighborhood designs often relate to physical activity and to BMI. Does neighborhood walkability/bikeability relate to BMI and obesity risk and does moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) account for some of the relationship? Census 2000 provided walkability/bikeability measures-block group proportions of workers who walk or bike to work, housing age, and population density-and National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES 2003-2006) provided MVPA accelerometer measures. Regression analyses (2011-2012) adjusted for geographic clustering and multiple control variables. Greater density and older housing were associated with lower male BMI in bivariate analyses, but there were no density and housing age effects in multivariate models. For women, greater proportions of neighborhood workers who walk to work (M=0.02) and more MVPA was associated with lower BMI and lower obesity risk. For men, greater proportions of workers who bike to work (M=0.004) and more MVPA was associated with lower BMI and obesity risk. For both effects, MVPA partially mediated the relationships between walkability/bikeability and BMI. If such associations are causal, doubling walk and bike-to-work proportions (to 0.04 and 0.008) would have -0.3 and -0.33 effects on the average BMIs of adult women and men living in the neighborhood. This equates to 1.5 pounds for a 64-inch-tall woman and 2.3 pounds for a 69-inch-tall man. Although walking/biking to work is rare in the U.S., greater proportions of such workers in neighborhoods relate to lower weight and higher MVPA. Bikeability merits greater attention as a modifiable activity-friendliness factor, particularly for men. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A study of different approaches for multi-scale sensitivity analysis of the TALL-3D experiment using thermal-hydraulic computer codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geffray, Clotaire; Macian-Juan, Rafael

2014-01-01

In the context of the FP7 European THINS Project, complex thermal-hydraulic phenomena relevant for the Generation IV of nuclear reactors are investigated. KTH (Sweden) built the TALL-3D facility to investigate the transition from forced to natural circulation of the Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) in a pool connected to a 3-leg primary circuit with two heaters and a heat exchanger. The simulation of such 3D phenomena is a challenging task. GRS (Germany) developed the coupling between the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code ANSYS CFX and the System Analysis code ATHLET. Such coupled codes combine the advantages of CFD, which allow a fine resolution of 3D phenomena, and of System Analysis codes, which are fast running. TUM (Germany) is responsible for the Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of the coupled ATHLET-CFX model in the THINS Project. The influence of modeling uncertainty on simulation results needs to be assessed to characterize and to improve the model and, eventually, to assess its performance against experimental data. TUM has developed a computational framework capable of propagating model input uncertainty through coupled codes. This framework can also be used to apply different approaches for the assessment of the influence of the uncertain input parameters on the model output (Sensitivity Analysis). The work reported in this paper focuses on three methods for the assessment of the sensitivity of the results to the modeling uncertainty. The first method (Morris) allows for the computation of the Elementary Effects resulting from the input parameters. This method is widely used to perform Screening Analysis. The second method (Spearman's rank correlation) relies on regression-based non-parametric measures. This method is suitable if the relation between the input and the output variables is at least monotonic, with the advantage of a low computational cost. The last method (Sobol') computes so-called total effect indices which account for

Tall oil fatty acid inclusion in the diet improves performance and increases ileal density of lactobacilli in broiler chickens.

Science.gov (United States)

Vienola, K; Jurgens, G; Vuorenmaa, J; Apajalahti, J

2018-04-20

1. Studies were conducted with tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) to determine their effect on broiler chicken performance and ileal microbiota. TOFA, a product originating from coniferous trees and recovered by fractional distillation of side-streams from pulp production, mainly comprises free long-chain fatty acids (~90%) and resin acids (~8%). Conjugated linolenic acids and pinolenic acid are characteristic fatty acid components of TOFA. 2. TOFA products at 750 mg/kg feed were tested in two 35-day broiler chicken trials, each using a wheat soya-based diet and with 12 replicate pens per treatment. In both trials, TOFA improved body weight gain at all time points (P TOFA formulations (silica carrier and palm oil coating) were tested and showed performance effects similar to liquid TOFA. 3. Ileal digesta of the broiler chickens was analysed for total eubacteria, Lactobacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens on days 14 and 35. TOFA significantly increased total eubacteria and lactobacilli density on day 14 (P TOFA (P 250 mg/l. The in vitro results were thus in line with in vivo observations. 5. The mechanisms behind the bacterial shifts and their role in performance improvement are unknown. Further purification of TOFA components is needed to identify the effective agents.

ECOSUSTAINABLE HIGH-RISE : The Environmentally Conscious Architecture of Skyscraper

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Jimmy Priatman

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The term " green architecture " is related to evolving architecture which is sensitive to the environment and emerges from the environmental awareness due to the effects of destruction of air, water, energy and earth. It is characterized by improving energy efficiency, sustainability concept and holistic approach of the entire building enterprise, where all of the environmental factors are regarded as an objective. Although there are many of environmentally conscious architectural works today, but most of the building designers prefer to deal primarily with small-scale buildings (low to medium rise and often only in greenfield, rural or suburban sites. All those large scale, high-rise or tall buildings located in dense urban areas are regarded as avoidable objects that consumes a lot of energy, uses huge amounts of materials, and produces massive volumes of waste discharge into the environment. These intensive buildings deserve greater attention and should be designed by greater part of our expertise and effort to ecologically design than the smaller buildings with fewer problems. The paper discusses "green" dimensions applied to tall buildings/high-rise buildings with their innovative approach that leads to ecosustainable tall buildings.

MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMAL NUMBER AND LOCATION FOR STEEL OUTRIGGER-BELT TRUSS SYSTEM

OpenAIRE

MEHDI BABAEI

2017-01-01

During the past two decades, outrigger-belt truss system has been investigated and used in design of tall buildings. Most of the studies focused on the optimization of the system for minimum displacement and some of them proposed the best locations. In this study, however, multi-objective optimization of tall steel frames with belt trusses is investigated to minimize displacement and weight of the structure. For this purpose, structures with 20, 30, 40, and 50 stories are considered as ...

Experiments and analyses in support of the US ALMR thermal-hydraulic design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunsbedt, A.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor (ALMR) which is based on the modular PRISM concept utilizes passive safety characteristics to simplify the reactor design and enhance its safety performance. The relatively small size of each reactor facilitates the use of strong negative feedback with rising temperature for inherent reactivity control and direct, natural air cooling for decay heat removal. The tall, slender reactor geometry of the ALMR enhances uniformity and stability of internal flow distribution during steady state operation and natural circulation flow during transient conditions. The flow uniformity and low operating pressure and temperature of the reactor contributes to high structural margins. A number of experiments and associated analyses have been performed to evaluate natural convection and thermal-hydraulic phenomena experienced under decay heat removal conditions. This paper summarizes these various efforts as described separately below and presents the main results. (author)

Surfacing Rescue Container Concept Design for Trident Submarines

Science.gov (United States)

2009-06-01

insulation , synthetic seat cushions, electrical components and wiring, and the lubricants used in the ventilation and dewatering equipment. 24...lightweight, and small enough to be suspended between the LSRC pressure hull frames. An innovative variation of this product, manufactured by Micropore ... Micropore curtain, known as ExtendAirTM, comes in canisters approximately 7.5 inches tall with a diameter of 4.25 inches, each weighing about ten pounds

Cooperation of IRAK1/4 inhibitor and ABT-737 in nanoparticles for synergistic therapy of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wu X

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Xiaoyan Wu,1 Lin Wang,1 Yining Qiu,1 Bingyu Zhang,1 Zhenhua Hu,2 Runming Jin1 1Department of Pediatrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 2Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China Abstract: T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL is caused by clonal expansion of variant T cell progenitors and is considered as a high risk leukemia. Contemporary single chemotherapy has a limited effect due to dynamic and versatile properties of T-ALL. Here IRAK1/4 inhibitor and ABT-737 were co-encapsulated into polyethylene glycol modified poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles (IRAK/ABT-NP to enhance synergistic therapy of T-ALL. The formulation was optimized to achieve high drug loading using Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. The optimal parameter comprised 2.98% polymer in acetonitrile, a ratio of oil phase to water phase of 1:8.33, and 2.12% emulsifier concentration. High drug loading and uniform spherical shape was achieved. In vitro release study showed sustained release of IRAK1/4 inhibitor for 72 hours as well as sustained release of ABT-737 for more than 120 hours. Uptake efficiency of IRAK/ABT-NP and induced apoptotic T-ALL fraction by IRAK/ABT-NP were much higher than the IRAK1/4 and ABT-737 combined solution. IC50 of IRAK/ABT-NP was two-fold lower than free drug combination in Jurkat cells. Additionally, we conducted in vivo experiments in which IRAK/ABT-NP exhibited greater cytotoxicity toward T-ALL cells, the capacity to significantly restore white blood cell number in peripheral blood, and improved survival time of T-ALL mouse model compared to the IRAK1/4 and ABT-737 combined solution. Keywords: T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, IRAK1/4 inhibitor, ABT-737, Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology, PEG-PLGA

Tall shrub expansion facilitated by patterned ground in the northwest Siberian Low Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, G. V.; Epstein, H. E.; Walker, D. A.; Matyshak, G.; Ermokhina, K.

2011-12-01

We integrated field observations with a time-series of satellite imagery to identify key biophysical attributes associated with tall shrub expansion and increased vegetation productivity within a forest-tundra ecotone near Kharp, northwest Siberia. Comparison of high-resolution Corona and QuickBird satellite photography indicates that alder (Alnus fruticosa) cover increased by ~10% since 1968. Additionally, areas of sharply increasing productivity detected using a Landsat TM/ETM+ time-series for 1985-2009 are consistently co-located with expanding shrub stands. Field observations made in 2011 revealed that most of the shrub expansion has occurred in areas of patterned ground in which abundant mineral-dominated microsites ("circles") have been maintained by cryogenic disturbance. In order to test whether shrub expansion was facilitated by circles, we established a series of transects according to categories of alder stand age and circle density. Along the transects, we mapped the location of alders and circles, measured soil organic depth and leaf area index (LAI), and characterized plant communities. In recent expansion areas, young alders occur almost exclusively on silt-rich circles that lack vegetation and surface organic matter. Alder abundance and LAI increased with the total area occupied by exposed circles. Analyses using spatial statistics indicate that young alders tend to occur in evenly-spaced groups that mirror the spacing of circles. This distribution pattern persists in older alder stands, especially where circles are large and widely-spaced. Stands on closely-spaced circles quickly develop dense canopies and low species-diversity. Based on ground- and satellite-based observations, we conclude that the abundance of mineral-dominated circles at Kharp has facilitated rapid alder expansion and associated alterations in plant community structure, composition, and productivity. Physical processes in areas of patterned ground promote continuous, rather than

Transparent electrode designs based on optimal nano-patterning of metallic films

KAUST Repository

Catrysse, Peter B.

2010-09-10

Transparent conductive electrodes are critical to the operation of optoelectronic devices, such as photovoltaic cells and light emitting diodes. Effective electrodes need to combine excellent electrical and optical properties. Metal oxides, such as indium tin oxide, are commonly used. There is substantial interest in replacing them, however, motivated by practical problems and recent discoveries regarding the optics of nano-patterned metals. When designing nano-patterned metallic films for use as electrodes, one needs to account for both optical and electrical properties. In general, it is insufficient to optimize nano-structured films based upon optical properties alone, since structural variations will also affect the electrical properties. In this work, we investigate the need for simultaneous optical and electrical performance by analyzing the optical properties of a class of nano-patterned metallic electrodes that is obtained by a constant-sheet-resistance transformation. Within such a class the electrical and optical properties can be separated, i.e., the sheet resistance can be kept constant and the transmittance can be optimized independently. For simple one-dimensional periodic patterns with constant sheet-resistance, we find a transmission maximum (polarization-averaged) when the metal sections are narrow (< 40 nm, ~ 10% metal fill-factor) and tall (> 100 nm). Our design carries over to more complex two-dimensional (2D) patterns. This is significant as there are no previous reports regarding numerical studies on the optical and electrical properties of 2D nano-patterns in the context of electrode design.

THE FIQH OF THE IMAM AND CONGREGATION POSITION AS DESIGN GUIDELINES IN DESIGNING A VERTICAL MOSQUE

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Muhammar Khamdevi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract In the books of hadeeth and fiqh, it has been narrated many instructions about the imam and congregation position, especially about the position between the imam and the congregation and about the farthest and highest distance of the last row. Suprisingly, if we look closely, these lead us to the possibility in designing a vertical mosque. That is important to address the problem of urban sprawl, where the buildings would have to be directed vertically to solve urban density and to avoid further loss of urban green space. But, is there any high restriction in the hadeeth and the fiqh? Would it be opposed to other hadeeths about the warning of vying to build a magnificent tall mosque? This paper discussed about the possibility in designing a vertical mosque in terms of islamic fiqh and architecture. The research aimed to create a design guideline for vertical mosque and to correct some misconceptions in designing a mosque. This research used a qualitative method, namely literature review. The outcome of this research is the guidelines in designing a vertical mosque. Keywords: Fiqh, Islamic Architecture, Imam and Congregation, Mosque     Abstrak Dalam buku-buku hadits dan fiqh banyak diriwayatkan petunjuk-petunjuk mengenai posisi imam dan jamaah, terutama tentang posisi antara imam dan jamaah dan tentang jarak terjauh dan tertinggi dari baris shaf terakhir. Ternyata jika dicermati, ini membawa kita kepada kemungkinan dalam merancang sebuah masjid vertikal. Hal ini sangat penting untuk menjawab masalah urban sprawl, di mana bangunan harus diarahkan secara vertikal untuk mengatasi kepadatan kota dan menghindari kehilangan lebih lanjut dari ruang terbuka hijau. Tapi, apakah ada pembatasan tingginya pada hadits dan fiqh? Apakah itu akan bertentangan dengan hadits lain mengenai peringatan berlomba membangun masjid mewah dan tinggi? Makalah  ini membahas kemungkinan dalam merancang sebuah masjid vertikal dari segi fiqh islam dan arsitektur

Design of a far infrared interferometer diagnostic support structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brooksby, C.A.; Rice, B.W.; Peebles, W.A.

1987-10-01

The Far Infrared Interferometer (FIR) diagnostic will operate in the 119 to 400 micron range to measure the plasma electron density on the Microwave Tokamak Experiment (MTX) being set up at LLNL. This diagnostic is a multi-channel system which incorporates a long elliptically shaped beam that passes through the plasma and is imaged onto an array of 14 detectors that are located on a table above the machine. The reference beam is brought around the machine and mixed with the plasma beam onto the detectors. The density is measured by a phase shift between these beams and is, therefore, very sensitive to path length changes between the two beam paths due to motion of the support structure. The design goal for allowable phase shifts caused by changes in the path length due to structure movement is 1/50th of a wavelength (2.4 to 8 microns). The structure needs to maintain this stability during the 0.5 second plasma shot. The structure is approximately 5 meters tall to support the optics table above the machine. In order to reduce the structure motion to the required level the forces acting on it were evaluated. The forces evaluated were eddy currents from the pulsed electromagnetic fields, the ambient ground motion, and the floor movement as the magnets are pulsed. The designs for similar diagnostic interferometers on other tokamaks were also reviewed to evaluate the forces and motions that might cause such small deflections in the support structure. Our structure is somewhat unique in that it is designed for operation in relatively large pulsed magnetic fields (100 to 7000 gauss) arising from the air core transformer of MTX. The design chosen incorporates a very rigid structure with high resistive and non-conductive materials. The choice of materials selected is discussed with reference to their response to expected forces. 14 refs., 10 figs

Review on Seismic Rehabilitation of a 56-Story RC Tall Building having Shear Wall System Based on A Nonlinear Dynamic Performance Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epackachi, S.; Esmaili, O.; Mirghaderi, S. R.; Taheri, A. A.

2008-01-01

Tehran tower is a 56 story reinforced concrete tall building consisting of three wings with identical plan dimensions each approximately 48 meters by 22 meters. The three wings are at 120 degree from each other and have no expansions/seismic Joints. This paper contains the consideration of the retrofitting of the Tehran tower based on the findings of an exhaustive investigation of the nonlinear performance evaluation efforts. It has tried to show the procedure followed, methodologies utilized, and the results obtained for life-safety and collapse-prevention evaluation of the building. More over the weak zones of the structure due to analysis results are introduced and appropriate retrofit technique for satisfaction related life-safety and collapse-prevention criteria is presented. Actually in this project to improve the local behavior of coupling panels which are located regularly in main walls and definitely have been recognized as the most vulnerable structural elements, making use of steel plates which are connected to concrete members by chemical anchors has been used as the best retrofitting method for this case. Therefore in the final section of this paper it has been tried to explain the professional practical method utilized to perform the mentioned retrofitting project

Growth and metabolism of growing beef calves fed tall fescue haylage supplemented with protein and(or) energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, W L; Gay, N; Boling, J A; Muntifering, R B

1987-10-01

Endophyte (Acremonium coenophialum)-infected Kentucky 31 tall fescue was fertilized in mid-August, stockpiled, harvested November 4 to 6 and stored in a concrete stave silo. Ninety-six growing calves (189 kg) were assigned to the following treatments (24 calves/treatment): 1) corn silage (CS) plus .4 kg/d of soybean meal (SBM; 2) fescue haylage plus .4 kg/d of SBM; 3) fescue haylage plus 1.6 kg/d of corn and 4) fescue haylage plus 1.6 kg/d of corn and .4 kg/d of SBM. Daily gains and dry matter (DM) intakes during the 91-d trial were .52, 4.58; .51, 5.22; .59, 6.06; and .63, 6.18 kg for treatments 1 through 4, respectively. Daily gains of calves fed corn silage plus SBM and fescue haylage plus SBM were not different (P greater than .05). However, a difference (P less than .05) existed between treatments 1 and 2 vs 3 and 4. Feed conversion was improved (P less than .05) in calves fed corn silage. Calves in a metabolism trial were fed either 1) 6.2 kg November-ensiled fescue haylage or 2) 6.2 kg November-ensiled fescue haylage plus 1.6 kg/d of corn. Digestibility of DM, N-free extract (NFE) and TDN did not differ (P greater than .05) between treatments. Ether extract digestibility was greater (P less than .05) for the added corn diet, while that of CP was greater (P less than .05) for the fescue haylage diet. Nitrogen retained was higher (P less than .05) for calves fed added corn. A follow-up trial with 96 growing calves (190 kg) compared September- and November-harvested fescue haylages supplemented with either 1.3 or 2.6 kg corn/d.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Geometrical tile design for complex neighborhoods.

Science.gov (United States)

Czeizler, Eugen; Kari, Lila

2009-01-01

Recent research has showed that tile systems are one of the most suitable theoretical frameworks for the spatial study and modeling of self-assembly processes, such as the formation of DNA and protein oligomeric structures. A Wang tile is a unit square, with glues on its edges, attaching to other tiles and forming larger and larger structures. Although quite intuitive, the idea of glues placed on the edges of a tile is not always natural for simulating the interactions occurring in some real systems. For example, when considering protein self-assembly, the shape of a protein is the main determinant of its functions and its interactions with other proteins. Our goal is to use geometric tiles, i.e., square tiles with geometrical protrusions on their edges, for simulating tiled paths (zippers) with complex neighborhoods, by ribbons of geometric tiles with simple, local neighborhoods. This paper is a step toward solving the general case of an arbitrary neighborhood, by proposing geometric tile designs that solve the case of a "tall" von Neumann neighborhood, the case of the f-shaped neighborhood, and the case of a 3 x 5 "filled" rectangular neighborhood. The techniques can be combined and generalized to solve the problem in the case of any neighborhood, centered at the tile of reference, and included in a 3 x (2k + 1) rectangle.

PROCESS MODELLING AND DEBOTTLENECKING STUDY OF A VACCINE PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurul Huda Mohamed Safri

2012-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The main objective of this research work was to model and optimise the production of a locally-developed Infectious Coryza (IC vaccine. The simulation work was performed using a commercially available batch process simulator SuperPro Designer v5.5. Six debottlenecking schemes were analysed using throughput analysis and cost to benefit ratio (CBR when the annual production was set to increase by 100%. Based on the economic analysis, the selected debottlenecking scheme has an annual predicted revenue of USD 240 million, with a gross margin of 9.13% and a return on investment (ROI of 46.12%. In addition, the payback period of the selected scheme is estimated to be within three years. ABSTRAK: Objektif utama dalam penyelidikan ini adalah untuk memodelkan dan mengoptimumkan hasil pembuatan vaksin tempatan Coryza berjangkit. Kerja simulasi ini dijalankan menggunakan alat simulasi Super Pro Designer v5.5. Sebanyak enam (6 skema khusus diujikaji menggunakan analisis pemprosesan dan kos kepada nisbah faedah (CBR apabila pembuatan tahunan meningkat kepada 100%. Berdasarkan analisis ekonomi yang telah dilakukan, sesuatu skema khusus yang dipilih mempunyai keuntungan sebanyak USD 240 juta dengan margin kasar 9.13% dan pulangan atas pelaburan (ROI sebanyak 46.12%. Selain itu juga, tempoh pembayaran balik bagi skema yang dipilih dianggarkan dalam tempoh tiga(3 tahun.KEYWORDS: process simulation; modelling; debottlenecking; optimisation

Oceanographic data obtained from CTD and current meters as part of the Dynamics of the Loop Current in U.S. Waters project in the Gulf of Mexico from 2009-04-19 to 2011-11-14 (NCEI Accession 0126392)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The study design for the in-situ measurements consisted of an array of nine full-depth (or tall) moorings, six near-bottom moorings, and 25 Pressure Inverted Echo...

Justification for the Carzo-Yanouzas Experiment on Flat and Tall Structures

Science.gov (United States)

Carzo, Rocco, Jr.; Yanouzas, John N.

1970-01-01

Replies to Hummon's criticism (EA 500 730) of experiment, justifying use of split-plot repeated measures design, and tests for homogeneity support the use of this design. Variables considered to be not under control are explained as attributes of structure or as variables having inconsequential effects. (Author/KJ)

Non-synonymous FGD3 Variant as Positional Candidate for Disproportional Tall Stature Accounting for a Carcass Weight QTL (CW-3 and Skeletal Dysplasia in Japanese Black Cattle.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akiko Takasuga

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Recessive skeletal dysplasia, characterized by joint- and/or hip bone-enlargement, was mapped within the critical region for a major quantitative trait locus (QTL influencing carcass weight; previously named CW-3 in Japanese Black cattle. The risk allele was on the same chromosome as the Q allele that increases carcass weight. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the risk allele causes disproportional tall stature and bone size that increases carcass weight in heterozygous individuals but causes disproportionately narrow chest width in homozygotes. A non-synonymous variant of FGD3 was identified as a positional candidate quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN and the corresponding mutant protein showed reduced activity as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Cdc42. FGD3 is expressed in the growth plate cartilage of femurs from bovine and mouse. Thus, loss of FDG3 activity may lead to subsequent loss of Cdc42 function. This would be consistent with the columnar disorganization of proliferating chondrocytes in chondrocyte-specific inactivated Cdc42 mutant mice. This is the first report showing association of FGD3 with skeletal dysplasia.

Monoterpene chemical speciation in a tropical rainforest:variation with season, height, and time of dayat the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO)

Science.gov (United States)

María Yáñez-Serrano, Ana; Nölscher, Anke Christine; Bourtsoukidis, Efstratios; Gomes Alves, Eliane; Ganzeveld, Laurens; Bonn, Boris; Wolff, Stefan; Sa, Marta; Yamasoe, Marcia; Williams, Jonathan; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Kesselmeier, Jürgen

2018-03-01

Speciated monoterpene measurements in rainforest air are scarce, but they are essential for understanding the contribution of these compounds to the overall reactivity of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions towards the main atmospheric oxidants, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), ozone (O3) and nitrate radicals (NO3). In this study, we present the chemical speciation of gas-phase monoterpenes measured in the tropical rainforest at the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO, Amazonas, Brazil). Samples of VOCs were collected by two automated sampling systems positioned on a tower at 12 and 24 m height and analysed using gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. The samples were collected in October 2015, representing the dry season, and compared with previous wet and dry season studies at the site. In addition, vertical profile measurements (at 12 and 24 m) of total monoterpene mixing ratios were made using proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry. The results showed a distinctly different chemical speciation between day and night. For instance, α-pinene was more abundant during the day, whereas limonene was more abundant at night. Reactivity calculations showed that higher abundance does not generally imply higher reactivity. Furthermore, inter- and intra-annual results demonstrate similar chemodiversity during the dry seasons analysed. Simulations with a canopy exchange modelling system show simulated monoterpene mixing ratios that compare relatively well with the observed mixing ratios but also indicate the necessity of more experiments to enhance our understanding of in-canopy sinks of these compounds.

Bolted flanged connections subjected to longitudinal bending moments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blach, A.E.

1992-01-01

Flanges in piping systems and also pressure vessel flanges on tall columns are often subjected to longitudinal bending moments of considerable magnitude, be it from thermal expansion stresses in piping systems or from wind or seismic loadings on tall vertical pressure vessels. Except for the ASME Code, Section III, Subsections NB, NC, and ND, other pressure vessel and piping codes do not contain design ASME Nuclear Power Plant Code (Section III), an empirical formula is given, expressing a longitudinal bending moment in bolted flanged connections in terms of an equivalent internal pressure to be added to the design pressure of the flange. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyse the stresses on flanges and bolting due to external bending moments and to compare flange thicknesses thus obtained with thicknesses required using the equivalent design pressure specified in Subsections NB, NC, and ND. A design method is proposed, based on analysis and experimental work, which may be suitable for flange bending moment analysis when the rules of the Nuclear Power Plant Code are not mandatory. (orig.)

Life cycle assessment and environmental building declaration for the design building at the University of Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman

2018-01-01

AbstractWith the world’s increasing focus on sustainability in the construction sector through green building systems, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been ac-tively engaged in green building advocacy in the United States through USDA Tall Wood Building competitions and follow-up research on use of mass timber for nonresi-dential buildings. The USDA...

Design of Training Systems (DOTS) Project: Test and Evaluation of Phase II Models

Science.gov (United States)

1976-04-01

when the process being modeled is very much dependent upon human resoarces, precise requirement formulas are usually V unavailable. In this...mixed integer formulation options. The SGRR, in a sense, is an automiation of what is cu~rrently beinig donec men~tall y by instructors and trai ninrg nv...test and evaluation (T&E); information concerning CNETS LCDR R. J. Biersner Human Factors Analysis, N-214 AV 922-1392 CNTECHTRA CDR J. D. Davis

FBN1 gene mutation defines the profibrillin to fibrillin processing site and segregates with tall stature in a family

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grossfield, J.; Cao, S.; Milewicz, D. [Univ. of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX (United States)] [and others

1994-09-01

Dermal fibroblasts from a 13-year-old boy with skeletal features of the Marfan syndrome were used to study fibrillin synthesis and processing. Synthesis and secretion of profibrillin was normal but only half of the secreted profibrillin was converted to fibrillin, an extracellular proteolytic processing that removes a 20 kDa fragment from the protein. All the secreted profibrillin was processed to fibrillin in control cells. Only the processed form of fibrillin was deposited into the extracellular matrix in both the proband`s and the control cells. Electron microscopic examination of rotary shadowed microfibrils made by the proband`s fibroblasts were indistinguishable from control cells. Screening exons in the 3{prime} end of the FBN1 gene revealed a heterozygous C to T transition at nucleotide 5482 of the FBN1 cDNA changing R 1828 to W. This mutation disrupts a known consensus sequence recognized by a cellular protease and is located in the carboxy terminus at a site predicted to remove a 19 kD fragment. The proband and his 22-year-old brother, also heterozygous for the mutation, have had normal echocardiograms and ophthalmologic exams. The mutation segregated in the proband`s three generation family with autosomal dominant inheritance of height (> 90th percentile) and no known cardiovascular or ocular problems, including the 67-year-old grandmother (exams pending). The mutation was not found in 90 chromosomes from unrelated individuals. In summary, (1) the mutation identifies the cleavage site for the conversion of profibrillin to fibrillin; (2) the characterized mutation segregates in the family with tall stature without known cardiovascular or ocular problems; (3) this mutation potentially defines the phenotype associated with a {open_quotes}null{close_quotes} allele for the FBN1 gene.

Fulltext PDF

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

shop'. Richard Feynman, in his ... his life, Feynman investigated the mechanical failure in the space shuttle Challenger. There are many more ... Eiffel stands out as tall as the famous tower his company designed and built in 1889. In this issue, we ...

Comparative Study on Various Geometrical Core Design of 300 MWth Gas Cooled Fast Reactor with UN-PuN Fuel Longlife without Refuelling

Science.gov (United States)

Dewi Syarifah, Ratna; Su'ud, Zaki; Basar, Khairul; Irwanto, Dwi

2017-07-01

Nuclear power has progressive improvement in the operating performance of exiting reactors and ensuring economic competitiveness of nuclear electricity around the world. The GFR use gas coolant and fast neutron spectrum. This research use helium coolant which has low neutron moderation, chemical inert and single phase. Comparative study on various geometrical core design for modular GFR with UN-PuN fuel long life without refuelling has been done. The calculation use SRAC2006 code both PIJ calculation and CITATION calculation. The data libraries use JENDL 4.0. The variation of fuel fraction is 40% until 65%. In this research, we varied the geometry of core reactor to find the optimum geometry design. The variation of the geometry design is balance cylinder; it means that the diameter active core (D) same with height active core (H). Second, pancake cylinder (D>H) and third, tall cylinder (Dpower is 300 MWth. First calculation, we calculate survey parameter for UN-PuN fuel with fissile contain from Plutonium waste LWR for each geometry. The minimum power density is around 72 Watt/cc, and maximum power density 114 Watt/cc. After we calculate with various geometry core, when we use the balance geometry, the k-eff value flattest and more stable than the others.

21 CFR 178.3870 - Rosins and rosin derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... color grade of K or paler. (ii) Wood rosin, refined to color grade of K or paler. (iii) Tall oil rosin, refined to color grade of K or paler. (iv) Dark tall oil rosin, a fraction resulting from the refining of tall oil rosin produced by multicolumnar distillation of crude tall oil to effect removal of fatty...

Linking functional traits and species preferences to species’ abundance and occupancy trends through time to identify habitat changes in coastal ecosystems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pakeman, Robin J.; Hewison, Richard; Lewis, Robert John

2017-01-01

. In general, there has been a shift towards taller species with more exploitative growth forms and an increase in indicators of unfavourable habitat condition according to criteria for assessing sites designated for nature protection as part of the EU Natura 2000 network, particularly tall grasses...

Lateral behavior of steel frames with discretely connected precast concrete infill panels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teeuwen, P.A.

2009-01-01

As an alternative to the conventional structures for tall buildings, a hybrid lateral load resisting structure has been designed at Eindhoven University of Technology. It consists of discretely connected precast concrete panels with window openings in steel frames, and is a new application in

Design of a TOF-SANS instrument for the proposed long wavelength target station at the spallation neutron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiyagarajan, P.; Littrell, K.; Seeger, P.A.

2001-01-01

We have designed a versatile high-throughput SANS instrument [Broad Range Intense Multipurpose SANS (BRIMS)] for the proposed Long Wavelength Target Station at the SNS by using acceptance diagrams and the Los Alamos NISP Monte Carlo simulation package. This instrument has been fully optimized to take advantage of the 10 Hz source frequency (broad wavelength bandwidth) and the cold neutron spectrum from a tall coupled solid methane moderator (12 cm x 20 cm). BRIMS has been designed to produce data in a Q range spanning from 0.0025 to 0.7 A -1 in a single measurement by simultaneously using neutrons with wavelengths ranging from 1 to 14.5 A in a time of flight mode. A supermirror guide and bender assembly is employed to separate and redirect the useful portion of the neutron spectrum with λ>1 A, by 2.3deg away from the direct beam containing high energy neutrons and γ rays. The effects of various collimation choices on count rate, resolution and Q min have been characterized using spherical particle and delta function scatterers. The overall performance of BRIMS has been compared with that of the best existing reactor-based SANS instrument D22 at ILL. (author)

miR-664 negatively regulates PLP2 and promotes cell proliferation and invasion in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Hong; Miao, Mei-hua; Ji, Xue-qiang; Xue, Jun; Shao, Xue-jun, E-mail: xuejunshao@hotmail.com

2015-04-03

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of many types of cancers by negatively regulating gene expression at posttranscriptional level. However, the role of microRNAs in leukaemia, particularly T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), has remained elusive. Here, we identified miR-664 and its predicted target gene PLP2 were differentially expressed in T-ALL using bioinformatics methods. In T-ALL cell lines, CCK-8 proliferation assay indicated that the cell proliferation was promoted by miR-664, while miR-664 inhibitor could significantly inhibited the proliferation. Moreover, migration and invasion assay showed that overexpression of miR-664 could significantly promoted the migration and invasion of T-ALL cells, whereas miR-664 inhibitor could reduce cell migration and invasion. luciferase assays confirmed that miR-664 directly bound to the 3'untranslated region of PLP2, and western blotting showed that miR-664 suppressed the expression of PLP2 at the protein levels. This study indicated that miR-664 negatively regulates PLP2 and promotes proliferation and invasion of T-ALL cell lines. Thus, miR-664 may represent a potential therapeutic target for T-ALL intervention. - Highlights: • miR-664 mimics promote the proliferation and invasion of T-ALL cells. • miR-664 inhibitors inhibit the proliferation and invasion of T-ALL cells. • miR-664 targets 3′ UTR of PLP2 in T-ALL cells. • miR-664 negatively regulates PLP2 in T-ALL cells.

Shear-lag effect and its effect on the design of high-rise buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dat Bui Thanh

2018-01-01

Full Text Available For super high-rise buildings, the analysis and selection of suitable structural solutions are very important. The structure has not only to carry the gravity loads (self-weight, live load, etc., but also to resist lateral loads (wind and earthquake loads. As the buildings become taller, the demand on different structural systems dramatically increases. The article considers the division of the structural systems of tall buildings into two main categories - interior structures for which the major part of the lateral load resisting system is located within the interior of the building, and exterior structures for which the major part of the lateral load resisting system is located at the building perimeter. The basic types of each of the main structural categories are described. In particular, the framed tube structures, which belong to the second main category of exterior structures, seem to be very efficient. That type of structure system allows tall buildings resist the lateral loads. However, those tube systems are affected by shear lag effect - a nonlinear distribution of stresses across the sides of the section, which is commonly found in box girders under lateral loads. Based on a numerical example, some general conclusions for the influence of the shear-lag effect on frequencies, periods, distribution and variation of the magnitude of the internal forces in the structure are presented.

Shear-lag effect and its effect on the design of high-rise buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Thanh Dat, Bui; Traykov, Alexander; Traykova, Marina

2018-03-01

For super high-rise buildings, the analysis and selection of suitable structural solutions are very important. The structure has not only to carry the gravity loads (self-weight, live load, etc.), but also to resist lateral loads (wind and earthquake loads). As the buildings become taller, the demand on different structural systems dramatically increases. The article considers the division of the structural systems of tall buildings into two main categories - interior structures for which the major part of the lateral load resisting system is located within the interior of the building, and exterior structures for which the major part of the lateral load resisting system is located at the building perimeter. The basic types of each of the main structural categories are described. In particular, the framed tube structures, which belong to the second main category of exterior structures, seem to be very efficient. That type of structure system allows tall buildings resist the lateral loads. However, those tube systems are affected by shear lag effect - a nonlinear distribution of stresses across the sides of the section, which is commonly found in box girders under lateral loads. Based on a numerical example, some general conclusions for the influence of the shear-lag effect on frequencies, periods, distribution and variation of the magnitude of the internal forces in the structure are presented.

Manufacturing economics of plant-made biologics: case studies in therapeutic and industrial enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tusé, Daniel; Tu, Tiffany; McDonald, Karen A

2014-01-01

Production of recombinant biologics in plants has received considerable attention as an alternative platform to traditional microbial and animal cell culture. Industrially relevant features of plant systems include proper eukaryotic protein processing, inherent safety due to lack of adventitious agents, more facile scalability, faster production (transient systems), and potentially lower costs. Lower manufacturing cost has been widely claimed as an intuitive feature of the platform by the plant-made biologics community, even though cost information resides within a few private companies and studies accurately documenting such an advantage have been lacking. We present two technoeconomic case studies representing plant-made enzymes for diverse applications: human butyrylcholinesterase produced indoors for use as a medical countermeasure and cellulases produced in the field for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol as a fuel extender. Production economics were modeled based on results reported with the latest-generation expression technologies on Nicotiana host plants. We evaluated process unit operations and calculated bulk active and per-dose or per-unit costs using SuperPro Designer modeling software. Our analyses indicate that substantial cost advantages over alternative platforms can be achieved with plant systems, but these advantages are molecule/product-specific and depend on the relative cost-efficiencies of alternative sources of the same product.

Manufacturing Economics of Plant-Made Biologics: Case Studies in Therapeutic and Industrial Enzymes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Tusé

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Production of recombinant biologics in plants has received considerable attention as an alternative platform to traditional microbial and animal cell culture. Industrially relevant features of plant systems include proper eukaryotic protein processing, inherent safety due to lack of adventitious agents, more facile scalability, faster production (transient systems, and potentially lower costs. Lower manufacturing cost has been widely claimed as an intuitive feature of the platform by the plant-made biologics community, even though cost information resides within a few private companies and studies accurately documenting such an advantage have been lacking. We present two technoeconomic case studies representing plant-made enzymes for diverse applications: human butyrylcholinesterase produced indoors for use as a medical countermeasure and cellulases produced in the field for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol as a fuel extender. Production economics were modeled based on results reported with the latest-generation expression technologies on Nicotiana host plants. We evaluated process unit operations and calculated bulk active and per-dose or per-unit costs using SuperPro Designer modeling software. Our analyses indicate that substantial cost advantages over alternative platforms can be achieved with plant systems, but these advantages are molecule/product-specific and depend on the relative cost-efficiencies of alternative sources of the same product.

Study of technical, economic and environmental feasibility of industrial scale production of nanocellulose obtained from the agroindustrial wastes from pineapple peel (Ananas comosus)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camacho Elizondo, Melissa

2013-01-01

Technical, economic and environmental study is realized to determine the feasibility of the industrial production of nanocellulose, from agroindustrial wastes of pineapple (Ananas comosus) market oriented of plastic packaging. The market bibliographical studies (national and international) and real capacities of national institutions have determined the most adequate and competitive method for the production of nanocellulose. The conditions to produce nanocellulose are described from agroindustrial wastes of pineapple in an industrial scale, according with the predominant factors in the plastic market. The equilibrium point, cost and price of nanocellulose produced are analyzed for the national market of plastics. The producing unit implemented is evaluated within the general framework of national and international economy and market to contribute the conditions that may to affect the feasibility and profitability of the project. The technical study has demonstrated to count with the adequate technology for the project execution. The economic study of the project has indicated to be economically profitable, considering the results of the NPV ($ 110 031,73), IRR (46,42%) and MARR (19,19%). The SuperPro Designer program has been used as a tool to corroborate the results in the technical-economic study and these have shown that the project has been feasible [es

MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMAL NUMBER AND LOCATION FOR STEEL OUTRIGGER-BELT TRUSS SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MEHDI BABAEI

2017-10-01

Full Text Available During the past two decades, outrigger-belt truss system has been investigated and used in design of tall buildings. Most of the studies focused on the optimization of the system for minimum displacement and some of them proposed the best locations. In this study, however, multi-objective optimization of tall steel frames with belt trusses is investigated to minimize displacement and weight of the structure. For this purpose, structures with 20, 30, 40, and 50 stories are considered as models, based on the suggestions in the literature. The location and number of trusses and cross section of all structural elements are considered as design variables. After sizing of the structure for a specific topology and shape, weight and displacement of the structure are obtained and plotted in a diagram to illustrate trade-off between two objective functions. The results show the optimal Pareto-front solutions for different stories. Smooth trade-off and optimal number of trusses and their locations obtained.

Assessment of total evacuation systems for tall buildings

CERN Document Server

Ronchi, Enrico

2014-01-01

This SpringerBrief focuses on the use of egress models to assess the optimal strategy for total evacuation in high-rise buildings. It investigates occupant relocation and evacuation strategies involving the exit stairs, elevators, sky bridges and combinations thereof. Chapters review existing information on this topic and describe case study simulations of a multi-component exit strategy. This review provides the architectural design, regulatory and research communities with a thorough understanding of the current and emerging evacuation procedures and possible future options. A model case study simulates seven possible strategies for the total evacuation of two identical twin towers linked with two sky-bridges at different heights. The authors present the layout of the building and the available egress components including both vertical and horizontal egress components, namely stairs, occupant evacuation elevators (OEEs), service elevators, transfer floors and sky-bridges. The evacuation strategies employ a ...

The Notch/Hes1 pathway sustains NF-κB activation through CYLD repression in T cell leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa, Lluis; Cathelin, Severine; D'Altri, Teresa; Trimarchi, Thomas; Statnikov, Alexander; Guiu, Jordi; Rodilla, Veronica; Inglés-Esteve, Julia; Nomdedeu, Josep; Bellosillo, Beatriz; Besses, Carles; Abdel-Wahab, Omar; Kucine, Nicole; Sun, Shao-Cong; Song, Guangchan; Mullighan, Charles C; Levine, Ross L; Rajewsky, Klaus; Aifantis, Iannis; Bigas, Anna

2010-09-14

It was previously shown that the NF-κB pathway is downstream of oncogenic Notch1 in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Here, we visualize Notch-induced NF-κB activation using both human T-ALL cell lines and animal models. We demonstrate that Hes1, a canonical Notch target and transcriptional repressor, is responsible for sustaining IKK activation in T-ALL. Hes1 exerts its effects by repressing the deubiquitinase CYLD, a negative IKK complex regulator. CYLD expression was found to be significantly suppressed in primary T-ALL. Finally, we demonstrate that IKK inhibition is a promising option for the targeted therapy of T-ALL as specific suppression of IKK expression and function affected both the survival of human T-ALL cells and the maintenance of the disease in vivo. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acquisition by Processing Theory: A Theory of Everything?

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Susanne E.

2004-01-01

Truscott and Sharwood Smith (henceforth T&SS) propose a novel theory of language acquisition, "Acquisition by Processing Theory" (APT), designed to account for both first and second language acquisition, monolingual and bilingual speech perception and parsing, and speech production. This is a tall order. Like any theoretically ambitious…

The effect of defoliation environment on primary growth allocation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Compositional shifts of bunchgrass species in the Southern Tall Grassveld in response to different combinations of non-selective mowing and burning appear to reflect differences in growth strategy among species, but there are few studies of South African grasses designed to test this. A descriptive study was undertaken ...

Energy efficiency of high-rise buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Zhigulina, Anna Yu.; Ponomarenko, Alla M.

2018-03-01

The article is devoted to analysis of tendencies and advanced technologies in the field of energy supply and energy efficiency of tall buildings, to the history of the emergence of the concept of "efficiency" and its current interpretation. Also the article show the difference of evaluation criteria of the leading rating systems LEED and BREEAM. Authors reviewed the latest technologies applied in the construction of energy efficient buildings. Methodological approach to the design of tall buildings taking into account energy efficiency needs to include the primary energy saving; to seek the possibility of production and accumulation of alternative electric energy by converting energy from the sun and wind with the help of special technical devices; the application of regenerative technologies.

Preliminary Mechanical Design of FHX for PGSFR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choo, Jinyup; Koo, G. H.; Kim, S. K. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

In this paper, more specific data from analysis and mechanical method of approach to design will be addressed. Especially, frame of tube bundle and housing of FHX. Heretofore, it is concept design by mechanical basic knowledge and research of various structures that are activating in realities. Especially, to reduce thermal stress, we have planning to attach insulations inside the housing. In as much as FHX is as important on SFR as the other part, hereafter, we will develop FEM to check feasibility of the FHX's housing design in order to perform static and thermal analysis as well as bucking, seismic and so on. The Forced-draft sodium-to-air Heat Exchanger system (FHX) (employed in the Active Decay Heat Removal System (ADHRS) is a shell-and-tube type counter-current flow heat exchanger with serpentine finned-tube arrangement. Liquid sodium flows over the finned tubes. The unit is placed above the reactor building and has function of dumping the system heat load into the final heat sink, i. e., the atmosphere. Heat is transmitted from the primary hot sodium pool into the ADHRS sodium loop via Decay Heat Exchanger (DHX), and a direct heat exchange occurs between the tube-side sodium and the shell-side air through the FHX sodium tube wall. Cold atmospheric air is introduced into the air inlet duct at the lower part of the unit by using an electrically driven air blower. Air flows across the finned tube bank rising upward direction to make uniform air flow with perfect mixing across the tubes. The finned tube bundle is placed inside a well-insulated casing. The air heated at the tube bank region is collected at the top of the unit and then is discharged through the air stack above the unit. Although a blower supplies atmospheric air into the FHX unit, a tall air stack is also provided to secure natural draft head of natural circulation air flow against a loss power supply. The stack also has rain protecting structures to prevent inflow of rain drops or undesired

An Analysis of the Balance of Management, Technical and Leadership Progression through the Three USAF Officer Tiers

Science.gov (United States)

2007-03-01

doesn’t mean they can play basketball and a person having basketball skills doesn’t make them tall. However, the NBA is predominantly filled with...to posses both (Kotter 1990:1-18; Bass 1998:1-17). E.g. there are tall people and there are people who play basketball . Just because someone is tall...players who are both tall and can play basketball . Figure 1 summarizes the three schools of thought within a military context. Table 1. Summary of

Leukemia-Initiating Cells in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Shi Hao; Bertulfo, Fatima Carla; Sanda, Takaomi

2017-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of immature T-cell precursors. T-ALL has many similar pathophysiological features to acute myeloid leukemia, which has been extensively studied in the establishment of the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, but the CSC concept in T-ALL is still debatable. Although leukemia-initiating cells (LICs), which can generate leukemia in a xenograft setting, have been found in both human T-ALL patients and animal models, the nature and origin of LICs are largely unknown. In this review, we discuss recent studies on LICs in T-ALL and the potential mechanisms of LIC emergence in this disease. We focus on the oncogenic transcription factors TAL1, LMO2 , and NOTCH1 and highlight the significance of the transcriptional regulatory programs in normal hematopoietic stem cells and T-ALL.

Leukemia-Initiating Cells in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shi Hao Tan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of immature T-cell precursors. T-ALL has many similar pathophysiological features to acute myeloid leukemia, which has been extensively studied in the establishment of the cancer stem cell (CSC theory, but the CSC concept in T-ALL is still debatable. Although leukemia-initiating cells (LICs, which can generate leukemia in a xenograft setting, have been found in both human T-ALL patients and animal models, the nature and origin of LICs are largely unknown. In this review, we discuss recent studies on LICs in T-ALL and the potential mechanisms of LIC emergence in this disease. We focus on the oncogenic transcription factors TAL1, LMO2, and NOTCH1 and highlight the significance of the transcriptional regulatory programs in normal hematopoietic stem cells and T-ALL.

New insights into Notch1 regulation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR1 signaling axis: targeted therapy of γ-secretase inhibitor resistant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hales, Eric C; Taub, Jeffrey W; Matherly, Larry H

2014-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is characterized as a high-risk stratified disease associated with frequent relapse, chemotherapy resistance, and a poorer prognostic outlook than B-precursor ALL. Many of the challenges in treating T-ALL reflect the lack of prognostic cytogenetic or molecular abnormalities on which to base therapy, including targeted therapy. Notch1 activating mutations were identified in more than 50% of T-ALL cases and can be therapeutically targeted with γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs). Mutant Notch1 can activate cMyc and PI3K-AKT-mTOR1 signaling in T-ALL. In T-ALLs with wild-type phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), Notch1 transcriptionally represses PTEN, an effect reversible by GSIs. Notch1 also promotes growth factor receptor (IGF1R and IL7Rα) signaling to PI3K-AKT. Loss of PTEN is common in primary T-ALLs due to mutation or posttranslational inactivation and results in chronic activation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR1 signaling, GSI-resistance, and repression of p53-mediated apoptosis. Notch1 itself might regulate posttranslational inactivation of PTEN. PP2A is activated by Notch1 in PTEN-null T-ALL cells, and GSIs reduce PP2A activity and increase phosphorylation of AKT, AMPK, and p70S6K. This review focuses on the central role of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR1 signaling in T-ALL, including its regulation by Notch1 and potential therapeutic interventions, with emphasis on GSI-resistant T-ALL. © 2013.

Notch1 is required for hypoxia-induced proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zou Jie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Notch1 is a potent regulator known to play an oncogenic role in many malignancies including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL. Tumor hypoxia and increased hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α activity can act as major stimuli for tumor aggressiveness and progression. Although hypoxia-mediated activation of the Notch1 pathway plays an important role in tumor cell survival and invasiveness, the interaction between HIF-1α and Notch1 has not yet been identified in T-ALL. This study was designed to investigate whether hypoxia activates Notch1 signalling through HIF-1α stabilization and to determine the contribution of hypoxia and HIF-1α to proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance in T-ALL. Methods T-ALL cell lines (Jurkat, Sup-T1 transfected with HIF-1α or Notch1 small interference RNA (siRNA were incubated in normoxic or hypoxic conditions. Their potential for proliferation and invasion was measured by WST-8 and transwell assays. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and assess cell cycle regulation. Expression and regulation of components of the HIF-1α and Notch1 pathways and of genes related to proliferation, invasion and apoptosis were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR or Western blot. Results Hypoxia potentiated Notch1 signalling via stabilization and activation of the transcription factor HIF-1α. Hypoxia/HIF-1α-activated Notch1 signalling altered expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins and accelerated cell proliferation. Hypoxia-induced Notch1 activation increased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2 and MMP9, which increased invasiveness. Of greater clinical significance, knockdown of Notch1 prevented the protective effect of hypoxia/HIF-1α against dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. This sensitization correlated with losing the effect of hypoxia/HIF-1α on Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. Conclusions Notch1 signalling is required for hypoxia/HIF-1α-induced proliferation

Conceptual design of advanced central receiver power systems sodium-cooled receiver concept. Volume 2, Book 1. Commercial plant conceptual design. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-03-01

The conceptual design of the 100-MW solar tower focus commercial power plant is described in detail. Sodium is pumped up to the top of a tall tower where the receiver is located. The sodium is heated in the receiver and then flows down the tower, through a pressure reducing device, and thence into a large, hot storage tank which is located at ground level and whose size is made to meet a specific thermal energy storage capacity requirement. From this tank, the sodium is pumped by a separate pump, through a system of sodium-to-water steam generators. The steam generator system consists of a separate superheater and reheater operating in parallel and an evaporator unit operating in series with the other two units. The sodium flowing from the evaporator unit is piped to a cold storage tank. From the cold storage tank, sodium is then pumped up to the tip of the tower to complete the cycle. The steam generated in the steam generators is fed to a conventional off-the-shelf, high-efficiency turbine. The steam loop operates in a conventional rankine cycle with the steam generators serving the same purpose as a conventional boiler and water being fed to the evaporator with conventional feedwater pumps. The pressure reducing device (a standard drag valve, for example) serves to mitigate the pressure caused by the static head of sodium and thus allows the large tanks to operate at ambient pressure conditions. (WHK)

Stimulating Creative Writing Through Literature: A Guide for Teachers of the Intermediate Grades.

Science.gov (United States)

Pilon, Alice Barbara Cummings

A structured writing program for the intermediate grades was designed, utilizing such children's literature as poems, legends, fairy tales, tall tales, and books to stimulate elementary school children to write creatively. Chapters in the teacher's guide for the program present many specific suggestions and activities to help children (1) use…

Design and Fabrication of the First Commercial-Scale Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH) Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1998-12-21

The Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOHT) process uses a slurry bubble column reactor to convert synthesis gas (syngas), primarily a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, to methanol. Because of its superior heat management the process can utilize directly the carbon monoxide (CO)-rich syngas characteristic of the gasification of coal, petroleum coke, residual oil, wastes, or other hydrocarbon feedstocks. The LPMEOHM Demonstration Project at Kingsport, Tennessee, is a $213.7 million cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Air Products Liquid Phase Conversion Company, L.P., a partnership between Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Eastman Chemical Company, to produce methanol from coal-derived syngas. Construction of the LPMEOH~ Process Demonstration Plant at Eastman's chemicals-from-coal complex in Kingsport was completed in January 1997. Following commissioning and shakedown activities, the fwst production of methanol from the facility occurred on April 2, 1997. Nameplate capacity of 260 short tons per day (TPD) was achieved on April 6, 1997, and production rates have exceeded 300 TPD of methanol at times. This report describes the design, fabrication, and installation of the Kingsport LPMEOEFM reactor, which is the first commercial-scale LPMEOEPM reaetor ever built. The vessel is 7.5 feet in diameter and 70 feet tall with design conditions of 1000 psig at 600 `F. These dimensions represent a significant scale-up from prior experience at the DOE-owned Alternative Fuels Development Unit in LaPorte, Texas, where 18-inch and 22-inch diameter reactors have been tested successfidly over thousands of hours. The biggest obstacles discovered during the scale- up, however, were encountered during fabrication of the vessel. The lessons learned during this process must be considered in tailoring the design for future sites, where the reactor dimensions may grow by yet another factor of two.

Observations of molecular hydrogen mixing ratio and stable isotopic composition at the Cabauw tall tower in the Netherlands

Science.gov (United States)

Batenburg, A. M.; Popa, M. E.; Vermeulen, A. T.; van den Bulk, W. C. M.; Jongejan, P. A. C.; Fisher, R. E.; Lowry, D.; Nisbet, E. G.; Röckmann, T.

2016-12-01

Measurements of the stable isotopic composition (δD(H2) or δD) of atmospheric molecular hydrogen (H2) are a useful addition to mixing ratio (χ(H2)) measurements for understanding the atmospheric H2 cycle. δD datasets published so far consist mostly of observations at background locations. We complement these with observations from the Cabauw tall tower at the CESAR site, situated in a densely populated region of the Netherlands. Our measurements show a large anthropogenic influence on the local H2 cycle, with frequently occurring pollution events that are characterized by χ(H2) values that reach up to ≈1 ppm and low δD values. An isotopic source signature analysis yields an apparent source signature below -400‰, which is much more D-depleted than the fossil fuel combustion source signature commonly used in H2 budget studies. Two diurnal cycles that were sampled at a suburban site near London also show a more D-depleted source signature (≈-340‰), though not as extremely depleted as at Cabauw. The source signature of the Northwest European vehicle fleet may have shifted to somewhat lower values due to changes in vehicle technology and driving conditions. Even so, the surprisingly depleted apparent source signature at Cabauw requires additional explanation; microbial H2 production seems the most likely cause. The Cabauw tower site also allowed us to sample vertical profiles. We found no decrease in χ(H2) at lower sampling levels (20 and 60 m) with respect to higher sampling levels (120 and 200 m). There was a significant shift to lower median δD values at the lower levels. This confirms the limited role of soil uptake around Cabauw, and again points to microbial H2 production during an extended growing season, as well as to possible differences in average fossil fuel combustion source signature between the different footprint areas of the sampling levels. So, although knowledge of the background cycle of H2 has improved over the last decade, surprising

Triple Plate Mold Final Report: Optimization of the Mold Design and Casting Parameters for a Thin U-10mo Fuel Casting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aikin, Jr., Robert M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-01-04

This work describes the experiments and modeling that have been performed to improve and try to optimize the simultaneous casting of three plates of U-10wt%Mo in a single coil vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace. The plates of interest are 280 mm wide by 203 mm tall by 5 mm thick (11" x 8" x 0.2"). The initial mold design and processing parameters were supplied by Y-12. The mold and casting cavity were instrumented with a number of thermocouples, and the casting performed to determine the thermal history of the mold and casting. The resulting cast plates were radiographed and numerous defects identified. Metallography was performed to help identify the nature of the radiographically observed defects. This information was then used to validate a mold filling and solidification model of that casting. Based on the initial casting, good casting design practice, and process simulation of several design alternatives, a revised design was developed with the goal of minimizing casting defects such as porosity. The redesigned mold had a larger hot-top and had its long axis along the horizontal direction. These changes were to try to develop a strong thermal gradient conducive to good feeding and minimization of micro- and macroporosity in the cast plates. An instrumented casting was then performed with the revised mold design and a linear distributor. This design yielded cast plates with significantly less radiographically identified defects. Unfortunately, there was significant variation in plate weight and metal content in their hot-tops. Fluid flow simulations were then performed on this mold/distributor design. This helped identify the issue with this linear distributor design. Additional simulations were then performed on candidate distributor redesigns and a preferred distributor annular design was identified. This improved annular design was used to produce a third instrumented casting with favorable results. These refined designs and their radiographic

Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a partially-underground tower-type boiler design for advanced double reheat power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Gang; Xu, Cheng; Yang, Yongping; Fang, Yaxiong; Zhou, Luyao; Yang, Zhiping

2015-01-01

An increasing number of tower-type boilers have been selected for advanced double reheat power plants, due to the uniform flue gas profile and the smooth steam temperature increase. The tall height and long steam pipelines lengths will however, result in dramatic increases in the difficulty of construction, as well as increased power plant investment cost. Given these factors, a novel partially-underground tower-type boiler design has been proposed in this study, which has nearly half of the boiler embedded underground, thereby significantly reducing the boiler height and steam pipeline lengths. Thermodynamic and economic analyses were quantitatively conducted on a 1000 MW advanced double reheat steam cycle. Results showed that compared to the reference power plant, the power plant with the proposed tower-type boiler design could reduce the net heat rate by 18.3 kJ/kWh and could reduce the cost of electricity (COE) by $0.60/MWh. The study also investigated the effects of price fluctuations on the cost-effectiveness of the reference power plant, for both the conventional and the proposed tower-type boilers designs, and found that the double reheat power plant with the proposed tower-type boiler design would be even more competitive and price-effective when the coal price and the investment costs increase. The research of this paper may provide a promising tower-type boiler design for advanced double reheat power plants with lower construction complexity and better cost-effectiveness. - Highlights: • A partially-underground tower-type boiler in double reheat power plants is proposed. for double reheat power plants is proposed. • Thermodynamic and economic analyses are quantitatively conducted. • Better energetic efficiency and greater economic benefits are achieved. • The impacts of price fluctuations on the economic feasibility are discussed

The genomic landscape of pediatric and young adult T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia | Office of Cancer Genomics

Science.gov (United States)

Genetic alterations that activate NOTCH1 signaling and T cell transcription factors, coupled with inactivation of the INK4/ARF tumor suppressors, are hallmarks of T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), but detailed genome-wide sequencing of large T-ALL cohorts has not been carried out. Using integrated genomic analysis of 264 T-ALL cases, we identified 106 putative driver genes, half of which had not previously been described in childhood T-ALL (for example, CCND3, CTCF, MYB, SMARCA4, ZFP36L2 and MYCN).

FEM Updating of Tall Buildings using Ambient Vibration Data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ventura, C. E.; Lord, J. F.; Turek, M.

2005-01-01

Ambient vibration testing is the most economical non-destructive testing method to acquire vibration data from large civil engineering structures. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how ambient vibration Modal Identification techniques can be effectively used with Model Updating tools...... to develop reliable finite element models of large civil engineering structures. A fifteen story and a forty-eight story reinforced concrete buildings are used as case studies for this purpose. The dynamic characteristics of interest for this study were the first few lateral and torsional natural frequencies...... the information provided in the design documentation of the building. Different parameters of the model were then modified using an automated procedure to improve the correlation between measured and calculated modal parameters. Careful attention was placed to the selection of the parameters to be modified...

Tall or short? Slender or thick? A plant strategy for regulating elongation growth of roots by low concentrations of gibberellin.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanimoto, Eiichi

2012-07-01

Since the plant hormone gibberellin (GA) was discovered as a fungal toxin that caused abnormal elongation of rice shoots, the physiological function of GA has mainly been investigated in relation to the regulation of plant height. However, an indispensable role for GA in root growth has been elucidated by using severely GA-depleted plants, either with a gene mutation in GA biosynthesis or which have been treated by an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis. The molecular sequence of GA signalling has also been studied to understand GA functions in root growth. This review addresses research progress on the physiological functions of GA in root growth. Concentration-dependent stimulation of elongation growth by GA is important for the regulation of plant height and root length. Thus the endogenous level of GA and/or the GA sensitivity of shoots and roots plays a role in determining the shoot-to-root ratio of the plant body. Since the shoot-to-root ratio is an important parameter for agricultural production, control of GA production and GA sensitivity may provide a strategy for improving agricultural productivity. The sequence of GA signal transduction has recently been unveiled, and some component molecules are suggested as candidate in planta regulatory sites and as points for the artificial manipulation of GA-mediated growth control. This paper reviews: (1) the breakthrough dose-response experiments that show that root growth is regulated by GA in a lower concentration range than is required for shoot growth; (2) research on the regulation of GA biosynthesis pathways that are known predominantly to control shoot growth; and (3) recent research on GA signalling pathways, including GA receptors, which have been suggested to participate in GA-mediated growth regulation. This provides useful information to suggest a possible strategy for the selective control of shoot and root growth, and to explain how GA plays a role in rosette and liana plants with tall or short, and slender

Songbird response to increased willow (Salix spp.) growth in Yellowstone's northern range.

Science.gov (United States)

Baril, Lisa M; Hansen, Andrew J; Renkin, Roy; Lawrence, Rick

2011-09-01

After nearly a century of height suppression, willows (Salix spp.) in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A., are increasing in height growth as a possible consequence of wolf (Canis lupus) restoration, climate change, or other factors. Regardless of the drivers, the recent release of this rare but important habitat type could have significant implications for associated songbirds that are exhibiting declines in the region. Our objective was to evaluate bird response to releasing willows by comparing willow structure and bird community composition across three willow growth conditions: height suppressed, recently released, and previously tall (i.e., tall prior to the height increase of released willows). Released and previously tall willows exhibited high and similar vertical structure, but released willows were significantly lower in horizontal structure. Suppressed willows were significantly shorter and lower in horizontal cover than released or previously tall willows. Bird richness increased along a gradient from lowest in suppressed to highest in previously tall willows, but abundance and diversity were similar between released and previously tall willows, despite lower horizontal cover in the released condition. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) and Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) were found in all three growth conditions; however, Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia), Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus), Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii), and Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodii) were present in released and previously tall willows only. Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) was found in previously tall willows only, appearing to specialize on tall, dense willows. The results of our a priori habitat models indicated that foliage height diversity was the primary driver of bird richness, abundance, and diversity. These results indicate that vertical structure was a more important driver of bird community variables than horizontal

Children's Spatial Thinking: Does Talk about the Spatial World Matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Pruden, Shannon M.; Levine, Susan C.; Huttenlocher, Janellen

2011-01-01

In this paper we examine the relations between parent spatial language input, children's own production of spatial language, and children's later spatial abilities. Using a longitudinal study design, we coded the use of spatial language (i.e. words describing the spatial features and properties of objects; e.g. big, tall, circle, curvy, edge) from…

To study the effect of dimensions of openers on quake behavior of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

From engineering point of view, a construction can be named tall when its height leads to significant influence of lateral forces of wind and earthquake on its design. Also, contrary to gravity forces, the effect of lateral forces on constructions is so variable and increases along with height. Three fundamental factors should be ...

Techno-economic assessment of Levulinic Acid Plant from Sorghum Bicolor in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Gozan, M.; Ryan, B.; Krisnandi, Y.

2018-04-01

The increasing need of energy is one of the main energy security issues in Indonesia. Hence, alternative energy is needed. Levulinic acid (LA) is among chemical platform used in the synthesis for avariety of high-value materials, such as fuels and commodity chemicals. It is predicted that global LA market demand to reach 3.1 tons in 2016. This study examines industrial processdesign and economic analysis for LA production in Indonesia.Sorghum bicolor was used as feed because of its high cellulose, low lignin contents and availability in Indonesia. The conventional economic problem from biomass based production was diminished sincethe valuable waste from pretreatment processwas sold to otherindustry.This plant was recommended to be built in an industrial estate area in Jawa Timur (East Java) province. Results from simulation using SuperPro Designer 9.0 was used for the techno-economic assessment.The plant assessment showed that the minimum production capacity was 7.7 ton per day to achieve an internal rate of return (IRR) and payback period (PBP) values of 19.61% and 3.93 years, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that product selling price was the most predominant factor for IRR, NPV, PBP and ROI. Raw material and water had low effects on those economic parameters. These values indicated that LA plant was feasible to be built in Indonesia.

Process model economics of xanthan production from confectionery industry wastewaters.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajić, Bojana Ž; Vučurović, Damjan G; Dodić, Siniša N; Grahovac, Jovana A; Dodić, Jelena M

2017-12-01

In this research a process and cost model for a xanthan production facility was developed using process simulation software (SuperPro Designer ® ). This work represents a novelty in the field for two reasons. One is that xanthan gum has been produced from several wastes but never from wastewaters from confectionery industries. The other more important is that the aforementioned software, which in intended exclusively for bioprocesses, is used for generating a base case, i.e. starting point for transferring the technology to industrial scales. Previously acquired experimental knowledge about using confectionery wastewaters from five different factories as substitutes for commercially used cultivation medium have been incorporated into the process model in order to obtain an economic viability of implementing such substrates. A lower initial sugar content in the medium based on wastewater (28.41 g/L) compared to the synthetic medium (30.00 g/L) gave a lower xanthan content at the end of cultivation (23.98 and 26.27 g/L, respectively). Although this resulted in somewhat poorer economic parameters, they were still in the range of being an investment of interest. Also the possibility of utilizing a cheap resource (waste) and reducing pollution that would result from its disposal has a positive effect on the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aberrant Signaling Pathways in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Science.gov (United States)

Bongiovanni, Deborah; Saccomani, Valentina

2017-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive disease caused by the malignant transformation of immature progenitors primed towards T-cell development. Clinically, T-ALL patients present with diffuse infiltration of the bone marrow by immature T-cell blasts high blood cell counts, mediastinal involvement, and diffusion to the central nervous system. In the past decade, the genomic landscape of T-ALL has been the target of intense research. The identification of specific genomic alterations has contributed to identify strong oncogenic drivers and signaling pathways regulating leukemia growth. Notwithstanding, T-ALL patients are still treated with high-dose multiagent chemotherapy, potentially exposing these patients to considerable acute and long-term side effects. This review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the signaling pathways relevant for the pathogenesis of T-ALL and the opportunities offered for targeted therapy. PMID:28872614

An Overview of CLT Research and Implementation in North America

Science.gov (United States)

Shiling Pei; Douglas Rammer; Marjan Popovski; Tom Williamson; Philip Line; John W. van de Lindt

2016-01-01

Although not yet seen as common practice, building with cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining momentum in North America. Behind the scenes of the widely publicized project initiatives such as the Wood Innovation Design Centre Building in Canada and the recent U.S. Tall Wood Building Competition, substantial research, engineering, and development has been completed or...

Look Ahead: Long-Range Learning Plans

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Margery

2010-01-01

Faced with an unsteady economy and fluctuating learning needs, planning a learning strategy designed to last longer than the next six months can be a tall order. But a long-range learning plan can provide a road map for success. In this article, four companies (KPMG LLP, CarMax, DPR Construction, and EMC Corp.) describe their learning plans, and…

Report on further development of the Winfrith Modular Containment System and associated equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, M.J.; Pengelly, M.G.A.

1988-03-01

As a result of operational experience gained with the Winfrith Modular Containment, the need for a lifting aid to facilitate the decommissioning of tall plant, a 2-stage mobile ventilation system and an improved shower entry tunnel was identified. Improved plant and equipment has been designed, constructed and tested and the results are presented here. (author)

Nitrogen, Aerosol Composition, and Halogens on a Tall Tower (NACHTT): Overview of a wintertime air chemistry field study in the front range urban corridor of Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Steven S.; Thornton, Joel A.; Keene, William C.; Pszenny, Alexander A. P.; Sive, Barkley C.; Dubé, William P.; Wagner, Nicholas L.; Young, Cora J.; Riedel, Theran P.; Roberts, James M.; VandenBoer, Trevor C.; Bahreini, Roya; Öztürk, Fatma; Middlebrook, Ann M.; Kim, Saewung; Hübler, Gerhard; Wolfe, Daniel E.

2013-07-01

The Nitrogen, Aerosol Composition, and Halogens on a Tall Tower (NACHTT) field experiment took place during late winter, 2011, at a site 33 km north of Denver, Colorado. The study included fixed-height measurements of aerosols, soluble trace gases, and volatile organic compounds near surface level, as well as vertically resolved measurements of nitrogen oxides, aerosol composition, soluble gas-phase acids, and halogen species from 3 to 270 m above ground level. There were 1928 individual profiles during the three-week campaign to characterize trace gas and aerosol distributions in the lower levels of the boundary layer. Nitrate and ammonium dominated the ionic composition of aerosols and originated primarily from local or regional sources. Sulfate and organic matter were also significant and were associated primarily with longer-range transport to the region. Aerosol chloride was associated primarily with supermicron size fractions and was always present in excess of gas-phase chlorine compounds. The nighttime radical reservoirs, nitryl chloride, ClNO2, and nitrous acid, HONO, were both consistently present in nighttime urban air. Nitryl chloride was especially pronounced in plumes from large point sources sampled aloft at night. Nitrous acid was typically most concentrated near the ground surface and was the dominant contributor (80%) to diurnally averaged primary OH radical production in near-surface air. Large observed mixing ratios of light alkanes, both in near-surface air and aloft, were attributable to local emissions from oil and gas activities.

A Discrete Element Method Centrifuge Model of Monopile under Cyclic Lateral Loads

OpenAIRE

Nuo Duan; Yi Pik Cheng

2016-01-01

This paper presents the data of a series of two-dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations of a large-diameter rigid monopile subjected to cyclic loading under a high gravitational force. At present, monopile foundations are widely used to support the tall and heavy wind turbines, which are also subjected to significant from wind and wave actions. A safe design must address issues such as rotations and changes in soil stiffness subject to these loadings conditions. Design guidance ...

Semi-decentralized Strategies in Structural Vibration Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Palacios-Quiñonero

2011-04-01

Full Text Available In this work, the main ideas involved in the design of overlapping and multi-overlapping controllers via the Inclusion Principle are discussed and illustrated in the context of the Structural Vibration Control of tall buildings under seismic excitation. A detailed theoretical background on the Inclusion Principle and the design of overlapping controllers is provided. Overlapping and multi-overlapping LQR controllers are designed for a simplified five-story building model. Numerical simulations are conducted to asses the performance of the proposed semi-decentralized controllers with positive results.

Rate and Timing Effects of Growth Regulating Herbicides Applications on Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Growth and Yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry E. Besançon

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Dicamba and 2,4-D are among the most common and inexpensive herbicides used to control broadleaf weeds. However, different studies have pointed the risk of crop injury and grain sorghum yield reduction with postemergence applications of 2,4-D. No research data on grain sorghum response to 2,4-D or dicamba exists in the Southeastern United States. Consequently, a study was conducted to investigate crop growth and yield response to 2,4-D (100, 220, and 330 g acid equivalent ha−1 and dicamba (280 g acid equivalent ha−1 applied on 20 to 65 cm tall sorghum. Greater stunting resulted from 2,4-D applied at 330 g acid equivalent ha−1 or below 45 cm tall sorghum whereas lodging prevailed with 2,4-D at 330 g acid equivalent ha−1 and dicamba applied beyond 35 cm tall crop. Regardless of local environmental conditions, 2,4-D applied up to 35 cm tall did not negatively impact grain yield. There was a trend for yields to be somewhat lower when 2,4-D was applied on 45 or 55 cm tall sorghum whereas application on 65 cm tall sorghum systematically decreased yields. More caution should be taken with dicamba since yield reduction has been reported as early as applications made on 35 cm tall sorghum for a potentially dicamba sensitive cultivar.

Height, Relationship Satisfaction, Jealousy, and Mate Retention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gayle Brewer

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Male height is associated with high mate value. In particular, tall men are perceived as more attractive, dominant and of a higher status than shorter rivals, resulting in a greater lifetime reproductive success. Female infidelity and relationship dissolution may therefore present a greater risk to short men. It was predicted that tall men would report greater relationship satisfaction and lower jealousy and mate retention behavior than short men. Ninety eight heterosexual men in a current romantic relationship completed a questionnaire. Both linear and quadratic relationships were found between male height and relationship satisfaction, cognitive and behavioral jealousy. Tall men reported greater relationship satisfaction and lower levels of cognitive or behavioral jealousy than short men. In addition, linear and quadratic relationships were found between male height and a number of mate retention behaviors. Tall and short men engaged in different mate retention behaviors. These findings are consistent with previous research conducted in this area detailing the greater attractiveness of tall men.

Interleukin-7 receptor-α gene mutations are not detected in adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozovski, Uri; Li, Ping; Harris, David; Ohanian, Maro; Kantarjian, Hagop; Estrov, Zeev

2014-01-01

Somatic mutations in cancer cell genes are classified according to their functional significance. Those that provide the malignant cells with significant advantage are collectively referred to as driver mutations and those that do not, are the passenger mutations. Accordingly, analytical criteria to distinguish driver mutations from passenger mutations have been recently suggested. Recent studies revealed mutations in interleukin-7 receptor-α (IL7R) gene in 10% of pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients and in only a few cases of pediatric B-ALL. IL7R mutations are also frequently found in patients with lung cancer, but whereas in pediatric T-ALL IL7R mutations are “drivers” (consisting of gain-of-function mutations within a narrow 50-base pair interval at exon 6 that confer cytokine-independent cell growth and promote tumor transformation), in lung cancer, mutations are substitution mutations randomly distributed across the gene and are probably only “passenger” events. Because the treatment response of adult T-ALL is significantly poorer than that of childhood T-ALL and because exon 6 IL7R mutations play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood T-ALL, we sought to determine how the pattern of IL7R mutations varies between adult and childhood T-ALL. To that end, we sequenced the 50-base pair interval in exon 6 of the IL7R of DNA obtained from bone marrow samples of 35 randomly selected adult patients with T-ALL. Our analysis revealed that none of these 35 samples carried an IL7R mutation in exon 6. Whether differences in the genetic makeup of adult and childhood T-ALL explain the differential response to therapy remains to be determined

Impact of conditioning with TBI in adult patients with T-cell ALL who receive a myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cahu, X; Labopin, M; Giebel, S

2016-01-01

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a therapeutic option for adult patients with T-cell ALL (T-ALL). Meanwhile, few allo-SCT data specific to adult T-ALL have been described thus far. Specifically, the optimal myeloablative conditioning regimen is unknown...... patients with T-ALL entitled to receive a myeloablative allo-SCT may benefit from TBI-based regimens.Bone Marrow Transplantation advance online publication, 30 November 2015; doi:10.1038/bmt.2015.278....

Effects of a Tall Ship Sail Training Experience on Adolescents' Self-Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Capurso, Michele; Borsci, Simone

2013-01-01

This study investigates the impact of a sail training education programme on the self-concept of a group of 147 adolescents. The Competence and Social domains of Bracken's self-concept scale were assessed by a quasi-experimental design in three phases: before commencement of the activities, on the last day of the voyage, and three months after…

How spatial variation in areal extent and configuration of labile vegetation states affect the riparian bird community in Arctic tundra.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John-André Henden

Full Text Available The Arctic tundra is currently experiencing an unprecedented combination of climate change, change in grazing pressure by large herbivores and growing human activity. Thickets of tall shrubs represent a conspicuous vegetation state in northern and temperate ecosystems, where it serves important ecological functions, including habitat for wildlife. Thickets are however labile, as tall shrubs respond rapidly to both abiotic and biotic environmental drivers. Our aim was to assess how large-scale spatial variation in willow thicket areal extent, configuration and habitat structure affected bird abundance, occupancy rates and species richness so as to provide an empirical basis for predicting the outcome of environmental change for riparian tundra bird communities. Based on a 4-year count data series, obtained through a large-scale study design in low arctic tundra in northern Norway, statistical hierarchical community models were deployed to assess relations between habitat configuration and bird species occupancy and community richness. We found that species abundance, occupancy and richness were greatly affected by willow areal extent and configuration, habitat features likely to be affected by intense ungulate browsing as well as climate warming. In sum, total species richness was maximized in large and tall willow patches of small to intermediate degree of fragmentation. These community effects were mainly driven by responses in the occupancy rates of species depending on tall willows for foraging and breeding, while species favouring other vegetation states were not affected. In light of the predicted climate driven willow shrub encroachment in riparian tundra habitats, our study predicts that many bird species would increase in abundance, and that the bird community as a whole could become enriched. Conversely, in tundra regions where overabundance of large herbivores leads to decreased areal extent, reduced height and increased fragmentation

Pressure integration technique for predicting wind-induced response in high-rise buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aly Mousaad Aly

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a procedure for response prediction in high-rise buildings under wind loads. The procedure is illustrated in an application example of a tall building exposed to both cross-wind and along-wind loads. The responses of the building in the lateral directions combined with torsion are estimated simultaneously. Results show good agreement with recent design standards; however, the proposed procedure has the advantages of accounting for complex mode shapes, non-uniform mass distribution, and interference effects from the surrounding. In addition, the technique allows for the contribution of higher modes. For accurate estimation of the acceleration response, it is important to consider not only the first two lateral vibrational modes, but also higher modes. Ignoring the contribution of higher modes may lead to underestimation of the acceleration response; on the other hand, it could result in overestimation of the displacement response. Furthermore, the procedure presented in this study can help decision makers, involved in a tall building design/retrofit to choose among innovative solutions like aerodynamic mitigation, structural member size adjustment, damping enhancement, and/or materials change, with an objective to improve the resiliency and the serviceability under extreme wind actions.

Characterisation of the volatile profile of coconut water from five varieties using an optimised HS-SPME-GC analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Prades, Alexia; Assa, Rebecca Rachel Ablan; Dornier, Manuel; Pain, Jean-Pierre; Boulanger, Renaud

2012-09-01

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water is a refreshing tropical drink whose international market has recently been growing. However, little is yet known about its physicochemical composition, particularly its aroma. This study set out to characterise the volatile profile of water from five coconut varieties. Aroma compounds were characterised by headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography (HS-SPME-GC) analysis. An experimental design was established to optimise SPME conditions, leading to an equilibration time of 10 min followed by an extraction time of 60 min at 50 °C. Accordingly, immature coconut water from WAT (West African Tall), PB121 (MYD × WAT Hybrid), MYD (Malayan Yellow Dwarf), EGD (Equatorial Guinea Green Dwarf) and THD (Thailand Aromatic Green Dwarf) palms was analysed and described. Ketones were mainly present in the Tall and Hybrid varieties, whereas aldehydes were most abundant in the Dwarf palms. Tall coconut water was characterised by a high lactone content. THD exhibited a high ethyl octanoate level. The cluster analysis of the volatile fraction from the five coconut cultivars was found to be related to their genetic classification. The volatile compounds of immature coconut water from five varieties were characterised for the first time. Volatile profile analysis could be a useful tool for the selection of Dwarf coconut varieties, which are mainly consumed as a beverage. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Leukemia-Initiating Cells in T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OpenAIRE

Tan, Shi Hao; Bertulfo, Fatima Carla; Sanda, Takaomi

2017-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of immature T-cell precursors. T-ALL has many similar pathophysiological features to acute myeloid leukemia, which has been extensively studied in the establishment of the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, but the CSC concept in T-ALL is still debatable. Although leukemia-initiating cells (LICs), which can generate leukemia in a xenograft setting, have been found in both human T-AL...

Transcriptional regulatory networks downstream of TAL1/SCL in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

OpenAIRE

Palomero, Teresa; Odom, Duncan T.; O'Neil, Jennifer; Ferrando, Adolfo A.; Margolin, Adam; Neuberg, Donna S.; Winter, Stuart S.; Larson, Richard S.; Li, Wei; Liu, X. Shirley; Young, Richard A.; Look, A. Thomas

2006-01-01

Aberrant expression of 1 or more transcription factor oncogenes is a critical component of the molecular pathogenesis of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL); however, oncogenic transcriptional programs downstream of T-ALL oncogenes are mostly unknown. TAL1/SCL is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor oncogene aberrantly expressed in 60% of human T-ALLs. We used chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) on chip to identify 71 direct transcriptional targets of TAL1/SCL. ...

Report on further development of the Winfrith Modular Containment System and associated equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, M.J.; Pengelly, M.G.A.

1987-12-01

The Winfrith modular containment system was developed to enable redundant plutonium processing plant to be safely decommissioned. As a result of operational experience the need for a lifting aid to facilitate the decommissioning of tall plant, a 2-stage mobile ventilation system and an improved shower entry tunnel was identified. Improved plant and equipment has been designed, constructed and tested and the results are presented here. (author)

Customized atomic force microscopy probe by focused-ion-beam-assisted tip transfer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Andrew; Butte, Manish J., E-mail: manish.butte@stanford.edu [Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2014-08-04

We present a technique for transferring separately fabricated tips onto tipless atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers, performed using focused ion beam-assisted nanomanipulation. This method addresses the need in scanning probe microscopy for certain tip geometries that cannot be achieved by conventional lithography. For example, in probing complex layered materials or tall biological cells using AFM, a tall tip with a high-aspect-ratio is required to avoid artifacts caused by collisions of the tip's sides with the material being probed. We show experimentally that tall (18 μm) cantilever tips fabricated by this approach reduce squeeze-film damping, which fits predictions from hydrodynamic theory, and results in an increased quality factor (Q) of the fundamental flexural mode. We demonstrate that a customized tip's well-defined geometry, tall tip height, and aspect ratio enable improved measurement of elastic moduli by allowing access to low-laying portions of tall cells (T lymphocytes). This technique can be generally used to attach tips to any micromechanical device when conventional lithography of tips cannot be accomplished.

The common oncogenomic program of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 signaling in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Hee Choi

Full Text Available Notch is a major oncogenic driver in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL, in part because it binds to an enhancer that increases expression of MYC. Here, we exploit the capacity of activated NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 to induce T-ALL, despite substantial divergence in their intracellular regions, as a means to elucidate a broad, common Notch-dependent oncogenomic program through systematic comparison of the transcriptomes and Notch-bound genomic regulatory elements of NOTCH1- and NOTCH3-dependent T-ALL cells. ChIP-seq studies show a high concordance of functional NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 genomic binding sites that are enriched in binding motifs for RBPJ, the transcription factor that recruits activated Notch to DNA. The interchangeability of NOTCH1 and NOTCH3 was confirmed by rescue of NOTCH1-dependent T-ALL cells with activated NOTCH3 and vice versa. Despite remarkable overall similarity, there are nuanced differences in chromatin landscapes near critical common Notch target genes, most notably at a Notch-dependent enhancer that regulates MYC, which correlates with responsiveness to Notch pathway inhibitors. Overall, a common oncogenomic program driven by binding of either Notch is sufficient to maintain T-ALL cell growth, whereas cell-context specific differences appear to influence the response of T-ALL cells to Notch inhibition.

Fabrication of three-dimensional millimeter-height structures using direct ultraviolet lithography on liquid-state photoresist for simple and fast manufacturing

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jungkwun; Yoon, Yong-Kyu

2015-07-01

A rapid three-dimensional (3-D) ultraviolet (UV) lithography process for the fabrication of millimeter-tall high aspect ratio complex structures is presented. The liquid-state negative-tone photosensitive polyurethane, LF55GN, has been directly photopatterned using multidirectionally projected UV light for 3-D micropattern formation. The proposed lithographic scheme enabled us to overcome the maximum height obtained with a photopatternable epoxy, SU8, which has been conventionally most commonly used for the fabrication of tall and high aspect ratio microstructures. Also, the fabrication process time has been significantly reduced by eliminating photoresist-baking steps. Computer-controlled multidirectional UV lithography has been employed to fabricate 3-D structures, where the UV-exposure substrate is dynamically tilt-rotating during UV exposure to create various 3-D ray traces in the polyurethane layer. LF55GN has been characterized to provide feasible fabrication conditions for the multidirectional UV lithography. Very tall structures including a 6-mm tall triangular slab and a 5-mm tall hexablaze have been successfully fabricated. A 4.5-mm tall air-lifted polymer-core bowtie monopole antenna, which is the tallest monopole structure fabricated by photolithography and subsequent metallization, has been successfully demonstrated. The antenna shows a resonant radiation frequency of 12.34 GHz, a return loss of 36 dB, and a 10 dB bandwidth of 7%.

Dose profile modeling of Idaho National Laboratory's active neutron interrogation laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chichester, D.L. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States)], E-mail: david.chichester@inl.gov; Seabury, E.H.; Zabriskie, J.M.; Wharton, J.; Caffrey, A.J. [Idaho National Laboratory, 2525 N. Fremont Avenue, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (United States)

2009-06-15

A new laboratory has been commissioned at Idaho National Laboratory for performing active neutron interrogation research and development. The facility is designed to provide radiation shielding for deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion (14.1 MeV) neutron generators (2x10{sup 8} n/s), deuterium-deuterium (DD) fusion (2.5 MeV) neutron generators (1x10{sup 7} n/s), and {sup 252}Cf spontaneous fission neutron sources (6.96x10{sup 7} n/s, 30 {mu}g). Shielding at the laboratory is comprised of modular concrete shield blocks 0.76 m thick with tongue-in-groove features to prevent radiation streaming, arranged into one small and one large test vault. The larger vault is designed to allow operation of the DT generator and has walls 3.8 m tall, an entrance maze, and a fully integrated electrical interlock system; the smaller test vault is designed for {sup 252}Cf and DD neutron sources and has walls 1.9 m tall and a simple entrance maze. Both analytical calculations and numerical simulations were used in the design process for the building to assess the performance of the shielding walls and to ensure external dose rates are within required facility limits. Dose rate contour plots have been generated for the facility to visualize the effectiveness of the shield walls and entrance mazes and to illustrate the spatial profile of the radiation dose field above the facility and the effects of skyshine around the vaults.

Measurements of greenhouse gases and related tracers at Bialystok tall tower station in Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. E. Popa

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Quasi-continuous, in-situ measurements of atmospheric CO₂, O₂/N₂, CH₄, CO, N₂O, and SF₆ have been performed since August 2005 at the tall tower station near Bialystok, in Eastern Poland, from five heights up to 300 m. Besides the in-situ measurements, flask samples are filled approximately weekly and measured at Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry for the same species and, in addition, for H₂, Ar/N₂ and the stable isotopes ¹³C and ¹⁸O in CO₂. The in-situ measurement system was built based on commercially available analysers: a LiCor 7000 for CO₂, a Sable Systems "Oxzilla" FC-2 for O₂, and an Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph for CH₄, CO, N₂O and SF₆. The system was optimized to run continuously with very little maintenance and to fulfill the precision requirements of the CHIOTTO project. The O₂/N₂ measurements in particular required special attention in terms of technical setup and quality assurance. The evaluation of the performance after more than three years of operation gave overall satisfactory results, proving that this setup is suitable for long term remote operation with little maintenance. The precision achieved for all species is within or close to the project requirements. The comparison between the in-situ and flask sample results, used to verify the accuracy of the in-situ measurements, showed no significant difference for CO₂, O₂/N₂, CH₄ and N₂O, and a very small difference for SF₆. The same comparison however revealed a statistically significant difference for CO, of about 6.5 ppb, for which the cause could not be fully explained.

From more than three years of data, the main features at Bialystok have been characterized in terms of variability, trends, and

Turfgrass species composition, resistance mechanisms, and management strategy impacts on brown patch incidence and weed encroachment

OpenAIRE

Cutulle, Matthew Anthony

2011-01-01

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) has great utility as a low maintenance turfgrass in the northern and transition zone regions of the United States. However, it is difficult to successfully maintain tall fescue of high quality over consecutive summers because of its susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani, which causes the disease brown patch. Not only is brown patch aesthetically unpleasing in a stand of tall fescue but it can also thin out the turf and allow for th...

Shrubline but not treeline advance matches climate velocity in montane ecosystems of south-central Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Dial, Roman J; Smeltz, T Scott; Sullivan, Patrick F; Rinas, Christina L; Timm, Katriina; Geck, Jason E; Tobin, S Carl; Golden, Trevor S; Berg, Edward C

2016-05-01

Tall shrubs and trees are advancing into many tundra and wetland ecosystems but at a rate that often falls short of that predicted due to climate change. For forest, tall shrub, and tundra ecosystems in two pristine mountain ranges of Alaska, we apply a Bayesian, error-propagated calculation of expected elevational rise (climate velocity), observed rise (biotic velocity), and their difference (biotic inertia). We show a sensitive dependence of climate velocity on lapse rate and derive biotic velocity as a rigid elevational shift. Ecosystem presence identified from recent and historic orthophotos ~50 years apart was regressed on elevation. Biotic velocity was estimated as the difference between critical point elevations of recent and historic logistic fits divided by time between imagery. For both mountain ranges, the 95% highest posterior density of climate velocity enclosed the posterior distributions of all biotic velocities. In the Kenai Mountains, mean tall shrub and climate velocities were both 2.8 m y(-1). In the better sampled Chugach Mountains, mean tundra retreat was 1.2 m y(-1) and climate velocity 1.3 m y(-1). In each mountain range, the posterior mode of tall woody vegetation velocity (the complement of tundra) matched climate velocity better than either forest or tall shrub alone, suggesting competitive compensation can be important. Forest velocity was consistently low at 0.1-1.1 m y(-1), indicating treeline is advancing slowly. We hypothesize that the high biotic inertia of forest ecosystems in south-central Alaska may be due to competition with tall shrubs and/or more complex climate controls on the elevational limits of trees than tall shrubs. Among tall shrubs, those that disperse farthest had lowest inertia. Finally, the rapid upward advance of woody vegetation may be contributing to regional declines in Dall's sheep (Ovis dalli), a poorly dispersing alpine specialist herbivore with substantial biotic inertia due to dispersal reluctance. © 2015

Using microsatellite markers to assess genetic diversity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

bobby

2013-05-15

May 15, 2013 ... Controlled pollination process is used during the regeneration of ageing .... Gazelle Peninsula tall; THT, Tahitian tall; P, probability value of Mann–Whitney U test; .... teration during harvesting and packaging (Breese, 1989).

Evaluation of alternative microbial transglutaminase production from sorghum grain and distilled dried grains with solubles using computational simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guadalupe Concepción Rodríguez-Castillejos

2016-01-01

Full Text Available La enzima Transglutaminasa microbiana (MTGasa es ampliamente usada en la industria alimentaria como aditivo para mejorar las propiedades mecánicas y de textura de los alimentos. El proceso de producción de la enzima es caro debido al valor de los componentes del medio de fermentación utilizados, por ello se evaluó la posibilidad de utilizar materias primas baratas, como fuente de nutrientes para el crecimiento de Streptomyces mobaraensis. El estudio económico de la producción de MTGasa con una variedad de materias primas sería un proceso largo. El software de simulación de procesos industriales SuperPro Designer® v7.5 fue utilizado, basándose en datos obtenidos de fermentaciones a escala de banco, para estimar el consumo de servicios, costos de capital, costos de operación e ingreso por el producto. El modelo mostró el estimado de los costos de producción de MTGasa utilizando glucosa obtenida de la hidrólisis enzimática de granos de sorgo y suplementada con granos secos destilados con solubles (DDGS por sus siglas en inglés, Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles. En la planta productora de MTGasa, utilizando hidrolizados enzimáticos, se obtuvo una ganancia bruta anual de 12,326 x 106 US$ y un tiempo de recuperación de la inversión de 4.01 años.

Cost reduction for large turbine generator Pedestal in high seismic zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawhney, P.S.; Irani, P.; Pusheck, B.N.

1985-01-01

Turbine Generator Pedestals have generally been designed using reinforced concrete. For present day large turbine generators (1100 MWe class and above) with tall (about 80 feet) pedestals, the amount of reinforcing steel becomes quite large, especially for plants in high seismic zones. With the prime objective of cost reduction, an approach using steel/concrete composite design has been studied for a large BWR Turbine Generator pedestal with 0.3g peak ground acceleration. Large prefabricated steel modules were adopted for composite design and simplified construction. Design was based on the ACI and AISC codes. Costs and schedules were developed and compared with those for a conventionally designed reinforced concrete pedestal. Composite design was found to give considerable cost and schedule advantage over the conventional reinforced concrete design

Genotype x environment interactions in Angus, Brahman, and reciprocal-cross cows and their calves grazing common bermudagrass, endophyte-infected tall fescue pastures, or both forages.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, M A; Brown, A H; Jackson, W G; Miesner, J R

2000-03-01

Reproductive and preweaning data on 190 Angus (A x A), Brahman (B x B), and reciprocal-cross cows (A x B and B x A) and 434 two- and three-breed-cross calves managed on common bermudagrass (BG), endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+), or a combination of both forages (ROT) were used to evaluate the interaction of forage type with individual and maternal heterosis and maternal and grandmaternal breed effects. Cows were born from 1988 to 1991, and calves sired by 13 Polled Hereford bulls were born from 1995 to 1997. Heterosis for calving rate was larger on E+ than on BG or ROT (P < .05), whereas maternal effects were larger on BG than on ROT (P < .10). Maternal heterosis for birth weight was negative on BG (P < .11) but positive on E+ and ROT (P < .10). Grandmaternal effects were evident on BG (P < .10) and E+ (P < .01) but not on ROT. Forage effects were generally substantial for 205-d weight, calf weaning hip height, and calf weaning weight:height ratio; BG was highest, ROT was intermediate, and E+ was lowest. Maternal heterosis for these traits was generally greater on E+ than on BG (P < .10). Grandmaternal effects for 205-d weight, hip height, and weight:height ratio were not important on any forage. Heterosis for weaning weight per cow exposed was substantial on all forages (P < .01) and was significantly greater on E+ (P < .01) than on BG or ROT, but maternal effects were not significant. Thus, we observed more advantage to Brahman-cross cows over purebreds on E+ than on BG. We also observed that moving cows and calves from E+ to BG in the summer will alleviate some, but not all, of the deleterious effects of E+ on calf growth, although it may be more beneficial for reproductive traits in purebred cows.

Lateral Load-Resisting System Using Mass Timber Panel for High-Rise Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiyong Chen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available As global interest in using engineered wood products in tall buildings intensifies due to the “green” credential of wood, it is expected that more tall wood buildings will be designed and constructed in the coming years. This, however, brings new challenges to the designers. One of the major challenges is how to design lateral load-resisting systems (LLRSs with sufficient stiffness, strength, and ductility to resist strong wind and earthquakes. In this study, an LLRS using mass timber panel on a stiff podium was developed for high-rise buildings in accordance with capacity-based design principle. The LLRS comprises eight shear walls with a core in the center of the building, which was constructed with structural composite lumber and connected with dowel-type connections and wood–steel composite system. The main energy dissipating mechanism of the LLRS was detailed to be located at the panel-to-panel interface. This LLRS was implemented in the design of a hypothetical 20-storey building. A finite element (FE model of the building was developed using general-purpose FE software, ABAQUS. The wind-induced and seismic response of the building model was investigated by performing linear static and non-linear dynamic analyses. The analysis results showed that the proposed LLRS using mass timber was suitable for high-rise buildings. This study provided a valuable insight into the structural performance of LLRS constructed with mass timber panels as a viable option to steel and concrete for high-rise buildings.

Predicting wind-induced vibrations of high-rise buildings using unsteady CFD and modal analysis

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yue

2015-01-01

This paper investigates the wind-induced vibration of the CAARC standard tall building model, via unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a structural modal analysis. In this numerical procedure, the natural unsteady wind in the atmospheric boundary layer is modeled with an artificial inflow turbulence generation method. Then, the turbulent flow is simulated by the second mode of a Zonal Detached-Eddy Simulation, and a conservative quadrature-projection scheme is adopted to transfer unsteady loads from fluid to structural nodes. The aerodynamic damping that represents the fluid-structure interaction mechanism is determined by empirical functions extracted from wind tunnel experiments. Eventually, the flow solutions and the structural responses in terms of mean and root mean square quantities are compared with experimental measurements, over a wide range of reduced velocities. The significance of turbulent inflow conditions and aeroelastic effects is highlighted. The current methodology provides predictions of good accuracy and can be considered as a preliminary design tool to evaluate the unsteady wind effects on tall buildings.

Direct Cast U-6Nb – 2017 Progress on Cylindrical Castings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aikin, Jr., Robert M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-04

This report describes work to further develop a sound technical basis and best practices for mold design and process parameters for the Direct Casting of U-6wt%Nb components. One major challenge to the production of U-6Nb components is the propensity for niobium segregation during casting and solidification. This is especially true for cylindrical castings where the vertical side walls allow flotation of Nb resulting in severe inverse macrosegregation. In this work, a small (120 mm diameter by 180 mm tall) and large cylinder (250 mm diameter by 310 mm tall) are examined with a focus on reducing, or eliminating, niobium segregation. It is demonstrated that counter gravity casting (top-to-bottom solidification) can be used to minimize segregation in the small cylinder. Attempts to counter gravity cast the large cylinder were unsuccessful, in large part due to size limitations of the current furnace. A path forward for casting of the large cylinders is discussed.

Use of plumules cryopreservation to save coconut germplasm in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-04-16

Apr 16, 2014 ... (PNT/GPA), Brazilian Green Tall (BGD/NVB), Cameroon Red Dwarf (CRD/NRC), Vanuatu Tall ... erosion based on it particular germplasm conservation. Its mode of ..... Tolerance of coffee (Coffea spp) seeds to ultra-low.

A case of hypokalaemia simulating hyperkalaemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Talwalkar N

1979-01-01

Full Text Available A case of chronic renal failure with hypokalaemia presenting electrographically as tall `U′ waves simulating tall `T′ waves of hyperkalaemia is described. The differentiating points between hypokalaemia and hyperkalaemia on ECG have been highlighted.

Pasture Management Strategies for Sequestering Soil Carbon - Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franzluebbers, Alan J.

2006-03-15

Pasturelands account for 51 of the 212 Mha of privately held grazing land in the USA. Tall fescue is the most important cool-season perennial forage for many beef cattle producers in the humid region of the USA. A fungal endophyte, Neotyphodium coenophialum, infects the majority of tall fescue stands with a mutualistic association. Ergot alkaloids produced by the endophyte have negative impacts on cattle performance. However, there are indications that endophyte infection of tall fescue is a necessary component of productive and persistent pasture ecology. The objectives of this research were to characterize and quantify changes in soil organic carbon and associated soil properties under tall fescue pastures with and without endophyte infection of grass. Pastures with high endophyte infection had greater concentration of soil organic carbon, but lower concentration of biologically active soil carbon than pastures with low endophyte infection. A controlled experiment suggested that endophyte-infected leaf tissue may directly inhibit the activity of soil microorganisms. Carbon forms of soil organic matter were negatively affected and nitrogen forms were positively affected by endophyte addition to soil. The chemical compounds in endophyte-infected tall fescue (ergot alkaloids) that are responsible for animal health disorders were found in soil, suggesting that these chemicals might be persistent in the environment. Future research is needed to determine whether ergot alkaloids or some other chemicals are responsible for increases in soil organic matter. Scientists will be able to use this information to better understand the ecological impacts of animals grazing tall fescue, and possibly to identify and cultivate other similar associations for improving soil organic matter storage. Another experiment suggested that both dry matter production and soil microbial activity could be affected by the endophyte. Sampling of the cumulative effects of 20 years of tall fescue

Effects of selected combinations of tall fescue alkaloids on the vasoconstrictive capacity of fescue-naive bovine lateral saphenous veins.

Science.gov (United States)

Klotz, J L; Kirch, B H; Aiken, G E; Bush, L P; Strickland, J R

2008-04-01

Vasoconstriction is a response associated with consumption of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue. It is not known if endophyte-produced alkaloids act alone or collectively in mediating the response. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the vasoconstrictive potentials of selected ergot alkaloids, individually or in paired combinations, using bovine lateral saphenous veins biopsied from fescue-naïve cattle. Segments (2 to 3 cm) of vein were surgically biopsied from healthy crossbred yearling heifers (n = 22; 330 +/- 8 kg of BW). Veins were trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue, sliced into 2- to 3-mm sections, and suspended in a myograph chamber containing 5 mL of oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer (95% O(2)/5% CO(2); pH = 7.4; 37 degrees C). Increasing doses of ergovaline, lysergic acid, and N-acetylloline individually or in combination were evaluated. Contractile data were normalized as a percentage of the contractile response induced by a reference dose of norepinephrine (1 x 10(- 4) M). Increasing concentrations of lysergic acid did not result in an appreciable contractile response until the addition of 1 x 10(- 4) M lysergic acid. In contrast, the vascular response to increasing concentrations of ergovaline was apparent at 1 x 10(- 8) M and increased to a maximum of 104.2 +/- 6.0% with the addition of 1 x 10(- 4) M ergovaline. The presence of N-acetylloline did not alter the onset or magnitude of vascular response to either lysergic acid or ergovaline. The presence of 1 x 10(- 5) M lysergic acid with increasing concentrations of N-acetylloline and ergovaline generated an increased contractile response during the initial additions compared with the responses of N-acetylloline and ergovaline alone. In the presence of 1 x 10(- 7) M ergovaline, the contractile response increased with increasing concentrations of N-acetylloline and lysergic acid. Neither N-acetylloline nor lysergic acid elicited an intense contractile response individually

Improvement of the quality of wood derived biofuel-oils; Puuperaeisten biopolttooeljyjen laadun parantaminen. Raakasuovan terminen nestefaasikaesittely hiilivety-polttoaineiksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A.; McKeough, P.; Kuoppala, E.; Kylloenen, H.; Levander, J.; Tapola, E.; Haekkinen, R.

1995-12-31

Liquid-phase thermochemical processing of tall oil soap has been experimentally investigated. The organic matter of tall oil soap, which is a by-product of kraft pulping, originates mainly from wood extractives. Conventional processing of tall oil soap involves acidulation to yield crude tall oil and subsequent distillation of the oil at centralized refineries. Because tall oil originating from birch wood is far less valuable than that from pine, there is an economic incentive in the Nordic countries to develop alternative conversion processes for the tall oil soap produced at pulp mills where birch is widely used as feedstock. Both catalytic hydrotreatment and liquid-phase thermal treatment of a mixed pine/birch soap have been investigated in the laboratory. Liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons were the principal products formed in both types of treatment. Although the liquid product formed under hydrotreatment conditions contained a higher proportion of aliphatic compounds, it was clear that the thermal treatment process would be, economically, the more favorable option. In the thermal process, a predominantly hydrocarbon oil product was obtained at 450 deg C using a residence time of at least 60 min. About 50 % of the energy content of the tall oil soap was recovered as oil product, about 30 % as gases, and about 20 % as organic material contained in an aqueous slurry phase. When the oil product was carefully separated from the aqueous slurry phase, only trace amounts of impurities, such as water, sodium and organic acid salts were present in the product. A techno-economic evaluation of the process concept has been performed. The economics of the thermal treatment process appear to be favorable in comparison with those of the conventional acidulation process

Improvement of the quality of wood derived biofuel-oils; Puuperaeisten biopolttooeljyjen laadun parantaminen. Raakasuovan terminen nestefaasikaesittely hiilivety-polttoaineiksi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oasmaa, A; McKeough, P; Kuoppala, E; Kylloenen, H; Levander, J; Tapola, E; Haekkinen, R

1996-12-31

Liquid-phase thermochemical processing of tall oil soap has been experimentally investigated. The organic matter of tall oil soap, which is a by-product of kraft pulping, originates mainly from wood extractives. Conventional processing of tall oil soap involves acidulation to yield crude tall oil and subsequent distillation of the oil at centralized refineries. Because tall oil originating from birch wood is far less valuable than that from pine, there is an economic incentive in the Nordic countries to develop alternative conversion processes for the tall oil soap produced at pulp mills where birch is widely used as feedstock. Both catalytic hydrotreatment and liquid-phase thermal treatment of a mixed pine/birch soap have been investigated in the laboratory. Liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons were the principal products formed in both types of treatment. Although the liquid product formed under hydrotreatment conditions contained a higher proportion of aliphatic compounds, it was clear that the thermal treatment process would be, economically, the more favorable option. In the thermal process, a predominantly hydrocarbon oil product was obtained at 450 deg C using a residence time of at least 60 min. About 50 % of the energy content of the tall oil soap was recovered as oil product, about 30 % as gases, and about 20 % as organic material contained in an aqueous slurry phase. When the oil product was carefully separated from the aqueous slurry phase, only trace amounts of impurities, such as water, sodium and organic acid salts were present in the product. A techno-economic evaluation of the process concept has been performed. The economics of the thermal treatment process appear to be favorable in comparison with those of the conventional acidulation process

Control of amino acid transport coordinates metabolic reprogramming in T-cell malignancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Grzes, K M; Swamy, M; Hukelmann, J L; Emslie, E; Sinclair, L V; Cantrell, D A

2017-12-01

This study explores the regulation and importance of System L amino acid transport in a murine model of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) caused by deletion of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). There has been a strong focus on glucose transport in leukemias but the present data show that primary T-ALL cells have increased transport of multiple nutrients. Specifically, increased leucine transport in T-ALL fuels mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity which then sustains expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) and c-Myc; drivers of glucose metabolism in T cells. A key finding is that PTEN deletion and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P 3 ) accumulation is insufficient to initiate leucine uptake, mTORC1 activity, HIF1α or c-Myc expression in T cells and hence cannot drive T-ALL metabolic reprogramming. Instead, a key regulator for leucine transport in T-ALL is identified as NOTCH. Mass spectrometry based proteomics identifies SLC7A5 as the predominant amino acid transporter in primary PTEN -/- T-ALL cells. Importantly, expression of SLC7A5 is critical for the malignant transformation induced by PTEN deletion. These data reveal the importance of regulated amino acid transport for T-cell malignancies, highlighting how a single amino acid transporter can have a key role.

Do centimetres matter? Self-reported versus estimated height measurements in parents.

Science.gov (United States)

Gozzi, T; Flück, Ce; L'allemand, D; Dattani, M T; Hindmarsh, P C; Mullis, P E

2010-04-01

An impressive discrepancy between reported and measured parental height is often observed. The aims of this study were: (a) to assess whether there is a significant difference between the reported and measured parental height; (b) to focus on the reported and, thereafter, measured height of the partner; (c) to analyse its impact on the calculated target height range. A total of 1542 individual parents were enrolled. The parents were subdivided into three groups: normal height (3-97th Centile), short (97%) stature. Overall, compared with men, women were far better in estimating their own height (p Women of normal stature underestimated the short partner and overestimated the tall partner, whereas male partners of normal stature overestimated both their short as well as tall partners. Women of tall stature estimated the heights of their short partners correctly, whereas heights of normal statured men were underestimated. On the other hand, tall men overestimated the heights of their female partners who are of normal and short stature. Furthermore, women of short stature estimated the partners of normal stature adequately, and the heights of their tall partners were overestimated. Interestingly, the short men significantly underestimated the normal, but overestimated tall female partners. Only measured heights should be used to perform accurate evaluations of height, particularly when diagnostic tests or treatment interventions are contemplated. For clinical trails, we suggest that only quality measured parental heights are acceptable, as the errors incurred in estimates may enhance/conceal true treatment effects.

Deregulated WNT signaling in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, O H; Erbilgin, Y; Firtina, S; Celkan, T; Karakas, Z; Aydogan, G; Turkkan, E; Yildirmak, Y; Timur, C; Zengin, E; Dongen, J J M van; Staal, F J T; Ozbek, U; Sayitoglu, M

2014-01-01

WNT signaling has been implicated in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells and plays an important role during T-cell development in thymus. Here we investigated WNT pathway activation in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients. To evaluate the potential role of WNT signaling in T-cell leukomogenesis, we performed expression analysis of key components of WNT pathway. More than 85% of the childhood T-ALL patients showed upregulated β-catenin expression at the protein level compared with normal human thymocytes. The impact of this upregulation was reflected in high expression of known target genes (AXIN2, c-MYC, TCF1 and LEF). Especially AXIN2, the universal target gene of WNT pathway, was upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in ∼40% of the patients. When β-CATENIN gene was silenced by small interfering RNA, the cancer cells showed higher rates of apoptosis. These results demonstrate that abnormal WNT signaling activation occurs in a significant fraction of human T-ALL cases independent of known T-ALL risk factors. We conclude that deregulated WNT signaling is a novel oncogenic event in childhood T-ALL

NF-κB in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Oncogenic Functions in Leukemic and in Microenvironmental Cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Nuno R. dos; Ghezzo, Marinella N.; Silva, Ricardo C. da; Fernandes, Mónica T.

2010-01-01

Two main NF-κB signaling pathways, canonical and noncanonical, performing distinct functions in organisms have been characterized. Identification of mutations in genes encoding components of these NF-κB signaling pathways in lymphoid malignancies confirmed their key role in leukemogenesis. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive malignancy of thymocytes that despite significant therapeutic advances can still be fatal. Although mutations in NF-κB genes have not been reported in T-ALL, NF-κB constitutive activation in human T-ALL and in acute T-cell leukemia mouse models has been observed. Although these studies revealed activation of members of both canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways in acute T-cell leukemia, only inhibition of canonical NF-κB signaling was shown to impair leukemic T cell growth. Besides playing an important pro-oncogenic role in leukemic T cells, NF-κB signaling also appears to modulate T-cell leukemogenesis through its action in microenvironmental stromal cells. This article reviews recent data on the role of these transcription factors in T-ALL and pinpoints further research crucial to determine the value of NF-κB inhibition as a means to treat T-ALL

NF-κB in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Oncogenic Functions in Leukemic and in Microenvironmental Cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Nuno R. dos, E-mail: nrsantos@ualg.pt; Ghezzo, Marinella N.; Silva, Ricardo C. da; Fernandes, Mónica T. [IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal)

2010-11-05

Two main NF-κB signaling pathways, canonical and noncanonical, performing distinct functions in organisms have been characterized. Identification of mutations in genes encoding components of these NF-κB signaling pathways in lymphoid malignancies confirmed their key role in leukemogenesis. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive malignancy of thymocytes that despite significant therapeutic advances can still be fatal. Although mutations in NF-κB genes have not been reported in T-ALL, NF-κB constitutive activation in human T-ALL and in acute T-cell leukemia mouse models has been observed. Although these studies revealed activation of members of both canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways in acute T-cell leukemia, only inhibition of canonical NF-κB signaling was shown to impair leukemic T cell growth. Besides playing an important pro-oncogenic role in leukemic T cells, NF-κB signaling also appears to modulate T-cell leukemogenesis through its action in microenvironmental stromal cells. This article reviews recent data on the role of these transcription factors in T-ALL and pinpoints further research crucial to determine the value of NF-κB inhibition as a means to treat T-ALL.

[Acute lymphoblastic leukemia of T progenitors: from biology to clinics].

Science.gov (United States)

Genescà, Eulàlia; Ribera, Jordi; Ribera, Josep-Maria

2015-03-09

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and the main cause of morbidity among childhood blood disorders. There are 2 subtypes according to the affected lymphoid progenitor: B-ALL and T-ALL. The T-ALL is the less common and, although historically was associated with poor prognosis in both adults and children, at present, treatment outcomes do not differ significantly between the 2 types of ALL. The T-ALL subtype is the most complex and heterogeneous at the genetic level and currently the one with less new therapeutic alternatives available. This trend is changing thanks to the remarkable progress upon understanding its biology. This review summarizes the most recent and important biological findings in T-ALL and their possible therapeutic implications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Dynamics of plant nutrient uptake as affected by biopore-associated root growth in arable subsoil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Han, Eusun; Kautz, Timo; Huang, Ning

2017-01-01

%) precrops, respectively. On average root diameter and root dry mass of following crops were greater by 11 and 15 % after chicory than tall fescue. At anthesis chicory-barley treatment accumulated 10 % more K in comparison to tall fescue-barley treatment. P uptake of canola was greater (7 %) after tall...... fescue compared with chicory at the stage of fruit development. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the subsoil heterogenization by altered soil biopores hold relevance for plant root growth and overall crop performance. However, the effects depended on biopore size classes, root characteristics...

WE-F-16A-02: Design, Fabrication, and Validation of a 3D-Printed Proton Filter for Range Spreading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Remmes, N; Courneyea, L; Corner, S; Beltran, C; Kemp, B; Kruse, J; Herman, M; Stoker, J

2014-01-01

Purpose: To design, fabricate and test a 3D-printed filter for proton range spreading in scanned proton beams. The narrow Bragg peak in lower-energy synchrotron-based scanned proton beams can result in longer treatment times for shallow targets due to energy switching time and plan quality degradation due to minimum monitor unit limitations. A filter with variable thicknesses patterned on the same scale as the beam's lateral spot size will widen the Bragg peak. Methods: The filter consists of pyramids dimensioned to have a Gaussian distribution in thickness. The pyramids are 2.5mm wide at the base, 0.6 mm wide at the peak, 5mm tall, and are repeated in a 2.5mm pseudo-hexagonal lattice. Monte Carlo simulations of the filter in a proton beam were run using TOPAS to assess the change in depth profiles and lateral beam profiles. The prototypes were constrained to a 2.5cm diameter disk to allow for micro-CT imaging of promising prototypes. Three different 3D printers were tested. Depth-doses with and without the prototype filter were then measured in a ~70MeV proton beam using a multilayer ion chamber. Results: The simulation results were consistent with design expectations. Prototypes printed on one printer were clearly unacceptable on visual inspection. Prototypes on a second printer looked acceptable, but the micro-CT image showed unacceptable voids within the pyramids. Prototypes from the third printer appeared acceptable visually and on micro-CT imaging. Depth dose scans using the prototype from the third printer were consistent with simulation results. Bragg peak width increased by about 3x. Conclusions: A prototype 3D printer pyramid filter for range spreading was successfully designed, fabricated and tested. The filter has greater design flexibility and lower prototyping and production costs compared to traditional ridge filters. Printer and material selection played a large role in the successful development of the filter

WE-F-16A-02: Design, Fabrication, and Validation of a 3D-Printed Proton Filter for Range Spreading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remmes, N; Courneyea, L; Corner, S; Beltran, C; Kemp, B; Kruse, J; Herman, M [Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States); Stoker, J [MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

2014-06-15

Purpose: To design, fabricate and test a 3D-printed filter for proton range spreading in scanned proton beams. The narrow Bragg peak in lower-energy synchrotron-based scanned proton beams can result in longer treatment times for shallow targets due to energy switching time and plan quality degradation due to minimum monitor unit limitations. A filter with variable thicknesses patterned on the same scale as the beam's lateral spot size will widen the Bragg peak. Methods: The filter consists of pyramids dimensioned to have a Gaussian distribution in thickness. The pyramids are 2.5mm wide at the base, 0.6 mm wide at the peak, 5mm tall, and are repeated in a 2.5mm pseudo-hexagonal lattice. Monte Carlo simulations of the filter in a proton beam were run using TOPAS to assess the change in depth profiles and lateral beam profiles. The prototypes were constrained to a 2.5cm diameter disk to allow for micro-CT imaging of promising prototypes. Three different 3D printers were tested. Depth-doses with and without the prototype filter were then measured in a ~70MeV proton beam using a multilayer ion chamber. Results: The simulation results were consistent with design expectations. Prototypes printed on one printer were clearly unacceptable on visual inspection. Prototypes on a second printer looked acceptable, but the micro-CT image showed unacceptable voids within the pyramids. Prototypes from the third printer appeared acceptable visually and on micro-CT imaging. Depth dose scans using the prototype from the third printer were consistent with simulation results. Bragg peak width increased by about 3x. Conclusions: A prototype 3D printer pyramid filter for range spreading was successfully designed, fabricated and tested. The filter has greater design flexibility and lower prototyping and production costs compared to traditional ridge filters. Printer and material selection played a large role in the successful development of the filter.

Bore pile foundation tall buildings closed in the heritage building

Science.gov (United States)

Triastuti, Nusa Setiani

2017-11-01

Bore pile foundation for high building surroundings heritage building should be not damage. Construction proses must good, no necking, no mixed deep water, no sliding soil, nonporous concrete. Objective the execution of bore pile so that heritage buildings and neighboring buildings that are old do not experience cracks, damage and tilting. The survey methodology was observe the process of the implementation of the dominant silt, clay soil, in addition a limited space and to analyze the results of loading tests, investigations of soil and daily reports. Construction process determines the success of the structure bore pile in high building structure bearing, without damaging a heritage building. Attainment the hard soil depth, density concrete, observable clean reinforcement in the implementation. Monitoring the implementation of, among others, the face of the ground water little reduce in the area and outside the footprint of the building, no impact of vibration drilling equipment, watching the mud content on the water coming out at the time of drilling, concrete volume was monitored each 2 m bore depth of pile, The result researched heritage building was not damage. The test results bore pile axial, lateral analyzed the results have the appropriate force design required.

Evolution of low-profile and lightweight electrical connectors for soldier-worn applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gans, Eric; Lee, Kang; Jannson, Tomasz; Walter, Kevin

2011-06-01

In addition to military radios, modern warfighters carry cell phones, GPS devices, computers, and night-vision aids, all of which require electrical cables and connectors for data and power transmission. Currently each electrical device operates via independent cables using conventional cable and connector technology. Conventional cables are stiff and difficult to integrate into a soldier-worn garment. Conventional connectors are tall and heavy, as they were designed to ensure secure connections to bulkhead-type panels, and being tall, represent significant snag-hazards in soldier-worn applications. Physical Optics Corporation has designed a new, lightweight and low-profile electrical connector that is more suitable for body-worn applications and operates much like a standard garment snap. When these connectors are mated, the combined height is <0.3 in. - a significant reduction from the 2.5 in. average height of conventional connectors. Electrical connections can be made with one hand (gloved or bare) and blindly (without looking). Furthermore, POC's connectors are integrated into systems that distribute data or power from a central location on the soldier's vest, reducing the length and weight of the cables necessary to interconnect various mission-critical electronic systems. The result is a lightweight power/data distribution system offering significant advantages over conventional electrical connectors in soldier-worn applications.

Avaliação de bananeiras tipo prata, de porte alto, no semiárido Evaluation of banana prata, tall type, in the semi-arid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verbenes Fernandes de Azevedo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se, com este trabalho avaliar, agronomicamente, em dois ciclos de produção, sete genótipos (tratamentos de bananeira tipo Prata, de porte alto, no semiárido. A variedade Pacovan (AAB, seus híbridos 'PacovanKen', PV42-53, 'Preciosa', 'Japira' e PV79-34 (AAAB e o híbrido 'Garantida' (AAAB, derivado da 'Prata São Tomé' foram avaliados. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com 10 repetições e espaçamento de plantio de 3,0 x 2,5 metros. Consideraram-se, na época do florescimento e da colheita, descritores fenotípicos vegetativos: de ciclo, de rendimento e de avaliação da severidade da Sigatoka-amarela. Submeteram-se os dados à análise de variância e agruparam-se as médias pelo Critério de Scott-Knott a 5% de probabilidade. Os valores das características aumentaram entre os ciclos de produção. Há variabilidade nas características entre os genótipos pertencentes ao mesmo grupo genômico e subgrupo, inclusive entre híbridos originados da mesma genitora. Os híbridos são mais vigorosos que a variedade Pacovan. A cultivar Garantida é a menos produtiva. A 'Pacovan' é a mais suscetível (nota seis, o híbrido PV79-34 apresenta suscetibilidade intermediária (nota três e os demais híbridos são resistentes à Sigatoka-amarela (nota um. O híbrido PV79-34 apresenta características favoráveis ao seu cultivo comercial, evidenciadas pelo menor porte, maior vigor, menor ciclo e maior número de pencas e de frutos.This work aimed to evaluate, agronomically, in two production cycles, seven genotypes (treatments of banana Prata, tall type, in the semi-arid. Pacovan (AAB variety and hybrids 'Pacovan-Ken', PV42-53, 'Preciosa', 'Japira' and PV79-34 (AAAB and the 'Garantida' (AAAB, from the 'Prata São Tomé' hybrid were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized with 10 replicates in the planting spacing 3.0 x 2.5 meters. At the time of flowering and harvesting, vegetative

'Big' men: Male leaders' height positively relates to followers' perception of charisma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hamstra, M.R.W.

2014-01-01

Physical height is associated with beneficial outcomes for the tall individual (e.g., higher salary and likelihood of occupying a leadership position), presumably because being tall constituted an adaptive characteristic in ancestral societies. Although this account hinges on the presence of an

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with complex karyotype and SET-NUP214 rearrangement: a case study and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang-Guk; Park, Tae Sung; Cho, Sun Young; Lim, Gayoung; Park, Gwang Jin; Oh, Seung Hwan; Cho, Eun Hae; Chong, So Young; Huh, Ji Young

2011-01-01

SET-NUP214 rearrangements have been rarely reported in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), acute undifferentiated leukemia, and acute myeloid leukemia, and most documented cases have been associated with normal karyotypes in conventional cytogenetic analyses. Here, we describe a novel case of T-ALL associated with a mediastinal mass and a SET-NUP214 rearrangement, which was masked by a complex karyotype at the time of initial diagnosis. Using multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, we detected a cryptic SET-NUP214 rearrangement in our patient. As only 11 cases (including the present study) of T-ALL with SET-NUP214 rearrangement have been reported, the clinical features and treatment outcomes have not been fully determined. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the incidence of SET-NUP214 rearrangement in T-ALL patients and the treatment responses as well as prognosis of these patients.

Fusion of NUP98 and the SET binding protein 1 (SETBP1) gene in a paediatric acute T cell lymphoblastic leukaemia with t(11;18)(p15;q12)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panagopoulos, Ioannis; Kerndrup, Gitte; Carlsen, Niels

2007-01-01

Three NUP98 chimaeras have previously been reported in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL): NUP98/ADD3, NUP98/CCDC28A, and NUP98/RAP1GDS1. We report a T-ALL with t(11;18)(p15;q12) resulting in a novel NUP98 fusion. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation showed NUP98 and SET binding protein 1(...... in leukaemias; however, it encodes a protein that specifically interacts with SET, fused to NUP214 in a case of acute undifferentiated leukaemia.......Three NUP98 chimaeras have previously been reported in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL): NUP98/ADD3, NUP98/CCDC28A, and NUP98/RAP1GDS1. We report a T-ALL with t(11;18)(p15;q12) resulting in a novel NUP98 fusion. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation showed NUP98 and SET binding protein 1...

Antigen Expression on Blast Cells and Hematological Parameters at Presentation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naeem, S.; Bukhari, M. H.

2015-01-01

Objective: To analyze the expression of various antigens on the leukemic blasts and to determine the hematological parameters, in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) patients at presentation. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: King Edward Medical University, Lahore and Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore, from February 2013 to March 2014. Methodology: A total of 50 newly diagnosed and untreated patients of ALL were selected from Mayo Hospital and Hameed Latif Hospital. These patients included both genders and all age groups. Hemoglobin, total leukocyte count and platelet count were determined on hematology analyser-Sysmex-Kx-2I. Blast cell percentage was estimated on Giemsa stained blood smears. Immuno phenotyping was done on bone marrow samples by 5 colour flow cytometery on Beckman Counter Navious Flow cytometer. An acute leukemia panel of 23 antibodies was used. The data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 22. Results: Of the 50 ALL patients, 36 (72 percentage) were B-ALL and 14 (28 percentage) T-ALL. There were 18 (36 percentage) children and 32 (64 percentage) adults. T-ALL included 22 percentage of the childhood and 31 percentage of the adult cases. Immuno phenotypic analysis showed that CD19, CD79a and CD20 were B-lineage specific markers whereas cCD3, CD3 and CD5 were T-lineage specific. CD10 was the most sensitive marker for B-ALL and CD7 was the most sensitive marker of T-ALL. TdT was expressed in 92 percentage B-ALL and 71 percentage T-ALL cases, CD34 in 58 percentage and 43 percentage cases and CD45 in 83 percentage and 100 percentage respectively. High leukocyte count (> 50 x 109/L) was present in 58 percentage cases. Hemoglobin was < 10 g/dl in 74 percentage patients and platelet count was below 20 x 109/Lin 12 percentage patients. Leukocyte count, hemoglobin, platelet count and blast cell percentage did not show a significant difference in the two ALL immuno types. Conclusion: The frequency of T-ALL is higher in childhood

FBXW7 and NOTCH1 mutations in childhood T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Myoung-Ja; Taki, Tomohiko; Oda, Megumi; Watanabe, Tomoyuki; Yumura-Yagi, Keiko; Kobayashi, Ryoji; Suzuki, Nobuhiro; Hara, Junichi; Horibe, Keizo; Hayashi, Yasuhide

2009-04-01

Mutation analysis of FBXW7 and NOTCH1 genes was performed in 55 T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) and 14 T cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) patients who were treated on the Japan Association of Childhood Leukaemia Study (JACLS) protocols ALL-97 and NHL-98. FBXW7 and/or NOTCH1 mutations were found in 22 (40.0%) of 55 T-ALL and 7 (50.0%) of 14 T-NHL patients. FBXW7 mutations were found in 8 (14.6%) of 55 T-ALL and 3 (21.4%) of 14 T-NHL patients, and NOTCH1 mutations in 17 (30.9%) of 55 T-ALL and 6 (42.9%) of 14 T-NHL patients. Three (5.4%) T-ALL and two (1.4%) T-NHL patients had mutations in both FBXW7 and NOTCH1. FBXW7 mutations included one insertion, one deletion, one deletion/insertion and nine missense mutations. NOTCH1 mutations were detected in the heterodimerization domain (HD) in 15 cases, in the PEST domain in seven cases, and in both the HD and PEST domains in one case. Five-year event-free survival and overall survival for patients with FBXW7 and/or NOTCH1 mutations were 95.5% (95% CI, 71.9-99.4%) and 100% respectively, suggesting that T-ALL patients with FBXW7 and/or NOTCH1 mutation represent a good prognosis compared to those without FBXW7 and/or NOTCH1 mutations (63.6%, P = 0.007 and 78.8%, P = 0.023, respectively).

Immunophenotype and increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Cui-Ping; Qing, Xi; Wu, Cui-Yun; Zhu, Hong; Zhou, Hai-Yan

2012-02-01

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), cancer of the white blood cells, is a heterogeneous disease that mainly occurs due to the malignant cloning of original and naive lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to explore the immunophenotype, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the expression of cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10 and TGF-β in patients with ALL. The immunophenotype and levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs were detected using flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of 35 ALL patients, with 18 healthy individuals being selected as controls. The results suggested that 22 patients had B cell ALL (B-ALL) and 13 had T cell ALL (T-ALL) among the 35 ALL patients. In B-ALL patients, the surface antigen CD19 was most commonly expressed; in T-ALL patients, CD7 was most common. Furthermore, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in the peripheral blood of B-ALL and T-ALL patients was higher compared to that of healthy individuals (Pcell culture supernatants from B-ALL and T-ALL patients were higher compared to those in the controls (Pcells, IL-2, IL-10 or TGF-β in B-ALL versus T-ALL patients. The authors concluded that CD19 and CD7 may serve as diagnostic markers of B-ALL and T-ALL, respectively. The increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells and the altered levels of secreted cytokines are indicative of an immunosuppressive mechanism in the pathogenesis of ALL.

Flow cytometric analysis of expression of interleukin-2 receptor beta chain (p70-75) on various leukemic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshino, S.; Oshimi, K.; Tsudo, M.; Miyasaka, M.; Teramura, M.; Masuda, M.; Motoji, T.; Mizoguchi, H.

1990-01-01

We analyzed the expression of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) beta chain (p70-75) on various leukemic cells from 44 patients by flow cytometric analysis using the IL-2R beta chain-specific monoclonal antibody, designated Mik-beta 1. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated the expression of the IL-2R beta chain on granular lymphocytes (GLs) from all eight patients with granular lymphocyte proliferative disorders (GLPDs), on adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells from all three patients with ATL, and on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells from one of three patients with T-ALL. Although GLs from all the GLPD patients expressed the IL-2R beta chain alone and not the IL-2R alpha chain (Tac-antigen: p55), ATL and T-ALL cells expressing the beta chain coexpressed the alpha chain. In two of seven patients with common ALL (cALL) and in both patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the leukemic cells expressed the alpha chain alone. Neither the alpha chain nor the beta chain was expressed on leukemic cells from the remaining 28 patients, including all 18 patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia, five of seven patients with cALL, all three patients with multiple myeloma, and two of three patients with T-ALL. These results indicate that three different forms of IL-2R chain expression exist on leukemic cells: the alpha chain alone; the beta chain alone; and both the alpha and beta chains. To examine whether the results obtained by flow cytometric analysis actually reflect functional aspects of the expressed IL-2Rs, we studied the specific binding of 125I-labeled IL-2 (125I-IL-2) to leukemic cells in 18 of the 44 patients. In addition, we performed 125I-IL-2 crosslinking studies in seven patients. The results of IL-2R expression of both 125I-IL-2 binding assay and crosslinking studies were in agreement with those obtained by flow cytometric analysis

An economic evaluation of biological conversion of wheat straw to butanol: A biofuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qureshi, N.; Saha, B.C.; Cotta, M.A.; Singh, V.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An economic evaluation of bioconversion of wheat straw to butanol was performed. ► Wheat straw and utilities impact butanol economics significantly. ► Sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide affect butanol production cost adversely. ► Annexation of butanol plant to an existing distillery improves butanol economics. ► Butanol production cost from wheat straw was estimated to be $1.31–1.00/kg. - Abstract: A cost estimation study was performed for a biological butanol production plant with a capacity of 150 × 10 6 kg butanol/year. Wheat straw (WS) was used as a feedstock. In addition to butanol, acetone (78.05 × 10 6 kg/year) and ethanol (28.54 × 10 6 kg/year) would also be produced. The total capital cost for this plant was $193.07 × 10 6 . This exercise was based in part on data generated in our laboratory and in part on data obtained from literature. The design, mass balance, and energy balance simulations were performed using SuperPro Designer (Version 8.5003, 2012). For butanol production wheat straw would be pretreated with dilute (1% v/v) sulfuric acid at 121 °C for 1 h followed by separate hydrolysis (using enzymes), fermentation and recovery. Enzyme cost for wheat straw hydrolysis was adapted from literature ($0.16/kg butanol). Utilities which included steam/high pressure steam, cooling/chilling water, and electricity represented the major cost of the operation (49.18%) followed by raw materials (26.81%). Based on batch fermentation of wheat straw hydrolysate and distillative recovery of acetone butanol ethanol (ABE), butanol production cost was estimated to be $1.30/kg for a grass-rooted/green-field plant. Application of a membrane recovery process could reduce this price to $1.00/kg for a plant annexed to an existing distillery.

Emergency escape system uses self-braking mechanism on fixed cable

Science.gov (United States)

Billings, C. R.; Mc Daris, R. A.; Mc Gough, J. T.; Neal, P. F.

1966-01-01

Slide-wire system with a twist level slide device incorporates automatic descent and braking for the safe and rapid evacuation of personnel from tall structures. This device is used on any tall structure that might require emergency evacuation. It is also used to transfer materials and equipment.

CD90 and CD110 correlate with cancer stem cell potentials in human T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamazaki, Hiroto; Nishida, Hiroko; Iwata, Satoshi; Dang, Nam H.; Morimoto, Chikao

2009-01-01

Although cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been recently identified in myeloid leukemia, published data on lymphoid malignancy have been sparse. T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of T-cell precursors and is generally aggressive. As CD34 is the only positive-selection marker for CSCs in T-ALL, we performed extensive analysis of CD markers in T-ALL cell lines. We found that some of the tested lines consisted of heterogeneous populations of cells with various levels of surface marker expression. In particular, a small subpopulation of CD90 (Thy-1) and CD110 (c-Mpl) were shown to correlate with stem cell properties both in vitro and in transplantation experiments. As these markers are expressed on hematopoietic stem cells, our results suggest that stem cell-like population are enriched in CD90+/CD110+ fraction and they are useful positive-selection markers for the isolation of CSCs in some cases of T-ALL.

The subclonal complexity of STIL-TAL1+ T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Furness, Caroline L; Mansur, Marcela B; Weston, Victoria J; Ermini, Luca; van Delft, Frederik W; Jenkinson, Sarah; Gale, Rosemary; Harrison, Christine J; Pombo-de-Oliveira, Maria S; Sanchez-Martin, Marta; Ferrando, Adolfo A; Kearns, Pamela; Titley, Ian; Ford, Anthony M; Potter, Nicola E; Greaves, Mel

2018-03-20

Single-cell genetics were used to interrogate clonal complexity and the sequence of mutational events in STIL-TAL1+ T-ALL. Single-cell multicolour FISH was used to demonstrate that the earliest detectable leukaemia subclone contained the STIL-TAL1 fusion and copy number loss of 9p21.3 (CDKN2A/CDKN2B locus), with other copy number alterations including loss of PTEN occurring as secondary subclonal events. In three cases, multiplex qPCR and phylogenetic analysis were used to produce branching evolutionary trees recapitulating the snapshot history of T-ALL evolution in this leukaemia subtype, which confirmed that mutations in key T-ALL drivers, including NOTCH1 and PTEN, were subclonal and reiterative in distinct subclones. Xenografting confirmed that self-renewing or propagating cells were genetically diverse. These data suggest that the STIL-TAL1 fusion is a likely founder or truncal event. Therapies targeting the TAL1 auto-regulatory complex are worthy of further investigation in T-ALL.

CD90 and CD110 correlate with cancer stem cell potentials in human T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamazaki, Hiroto; Nishida, Hiroko; Iwata, Satoshi [Division of Clinical Immunology, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639 (Japan); Dang, Nam H. [Department of Hematologic Malignancies, Nevada Cancer Institute, Las Vegas, NV (United States); Morimoto, Chikao, E-mail: morimoto@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Division of Clinical Immunology, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639 (Japan)

2009-05-29

Although cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been recently identified in myeloid leukemia, published data on lymphoid malignancy have been sparse. T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is characterized by the abnormal proliferation of T-cell precursors and is generally aggressive. As CD34 is the only positive-selection marker for CSCs in T-ALL, we performed extensive analysis of CD markers in T-ALL cell lines. We found that some of the tested lines consisted of heterogeneous populations of cells with various levels of surface marker expression. In particular, a small subpopulation of CD90 (Thy-1) and CD110 (c-Mpl) were shown to correlate with stem cell properties both in vitro and in transplantation experiments. As these markers are expressed on hematopoietic stem cells, our results suggest that stem cell-like population are enriched in CD90+/CD110+ fraction and they are useful positive-selection markers for the isolation of CSCs in some cases of T-ALL.

Isotopic and molecular distributions of biochemicals from fresh and buried Rhizophora mangle leaves†

Science.gov (United States)

Smallwood, Barbara J; Wooller, Matthew J; Jacobson, Myrna E; Fogel, Marilyn L

2003-01-01

Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove) is the dominant species of mangrove in the Americas. At Twin Cays, Belize (BZ) red mangroves are present in a variety of stand structures (tall >5 m in height, transition ~2–4 m and dwarf ~1–1.5 m). These height differences are coupled with very different stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values[1] (mean tall δ13C = -28.3‰, δ15N = 0‰; mean tall δ13C = -25.3‰, δ15N = -10‰). To determine the utility of using these distinct isotopic compositions as 'biomarkers' for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of mangrove ecosystems and nutrient availability, we investigated the distribution and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N) composition of different biochemical fractions (water soluble compounds, free lipids, acid hydrolysable compounds, individual amino acids, and the residual un-extractable compounds) in fresh and preserved red mangrove leaves from dwarf and tall trees. The distribution of biochemicals are similar in dwarf and tall red mangrove leaves, suggesting that, regardless of stand structure, red mangroves use nutrients for biosynthesis and metabolism in a similar manner. However, the δ13C and δ15N of the bulk leaf, the biochemical fractions, and seven amino acids can be used to distinguish dwarf and tall trees at Twin Cays, BZ. The data support the theory that the fractionation of carbon and nitrogen occurs prior to or during uptake in dwarf and tall red mangrove trees. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes could, therefore, be powerful tools for predicting levels of nutrient limitation at Twin Cays. The δ13C and δ15N of biochemical fractions within preserved leaves, reflect sedimentary cycling and nitrogen immobilization. The δ15N of the immobilized fraction reveals the overlying stand structure at the time of leaf deposition. The isotopic composition of preserved mangrove leaves could yield significant information about changes in ecosystem dynamics, nutrient limitation and past stand structure in mangrove

Isotopic and molecular distributions of biochemicals from fresh and buried Rhizophora mangle leaves†

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacobson Myrna E

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Rhizophora mangle L. (red mangrove is the dominant species of mangrove in the Americas. At Twin Cays, Belize (BZ red mangroves are present in a variety of stand structures (tall >5 m in height, transition ~2–4 m and dwarf ~1–1.5 m. These height differences are coupled with very different stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic values1 (mean tall δ13C = -28.3‰, δ15N = 0‰; mean tall δ13C = -25.3‰, δ15N = -10‰. To determine the utility of using these distinct isotopic compositions as 'biomarkers' for paleoenvironmental reconstruction of mangrove ecosystems and nutrient availability, we investigated the distribution and isotopic (δ13C and δ15N composition of different biochemical fractions (water soluble compounds, free lipids, acid hydrolysable compounds, individual amino acids, and the residual un-extractable compounds in fresh and preserved red mangrove leaves from dwarf and tall trees. The distribution of biochemicals are similar in dwarf and tall red mangrove leaves, suggesting that, regardless of stand structure, red mangroves use nutrients for biosynthesis and metabolism in a similar manner. However, the δ13C and δ15N of the bulk leaf, the biochemical fractions, and seven amino acids can be used to distinguish dwarf and tall trees at Twin Cays, BZ. The data support the theory that the fractionation of carbon and nitrogen occurs prior to or during uptake in dwarf and tall red mangrove trees. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes could, therefore, be powerful tools for predicting levels of nutrient limitation at Twin Cays. The δ13C and δ15N of biochemical fractions within preserved leaves, reflect sedimentary cycling and nitrogen immobilization. The δ15N of the immobilized fraction reveals the overlying stand structure at the time of leaf deposition. The isotopic composition of preserved mangrove leaves could yield significant information about changes in ecosystem dynamics, nutrient limitation and past stand structure in

How tall can gelatin towers be? An introduction to elasticity and buckling

Science.gov (United States)

Taberlet, Nicolas; Ferrand, Jérémy; Camus, Élise; Lachaud, Léa; Plihon, Nicolas

2017-12-01

The stability of elastic towers is studied through simple hands-on experiments. Using gelatin-based stackable bricks, one can investigate the maximum height a simple structure can reach before collapsing. We show through experiments and by using the classical linear elastic theory that the main limitation to the height of such towers is the buckling of the elastic structures under their own weight. Moreover, the design and architecture of the towers can be optimized to greatly improve their resistance to self-buckling. To this aim, the maximum height of hollow and tapered towers is investigated. The experimental and theoretical developments presented in this paper can help students grasp the fundamental concepts in elasticity and mechanical stability.

IL-7 Receptor Mutations and Steroid Resistance in Pediatric T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Genome Sequencing Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Y. Li (Yan); J.G.C.A.M. Buijs-Gladdines (Jessica); K. Canté-Barrett (Kirsten); A. Stubbs (Andrew); E.M. Vroegindeweij (Eric); W.K. Smits; R. van Marion (Ronald); W.N.M. Dinjens (Winand); M.A. Horstmann (Martin); R. Kuiper (Ruud); R.C. Buijsman; G.J.R. Zaman; P.J. van der Spek (Peter); R. Pieters (Rob); J.P.P. Meijerink (Jules)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. T cell ALL (T-ALL) represents about 15% of pediatric ALL cases and is considered a high-risk disease. T-ALL is often associated with

Impact of invading alien plants on surface water resources in South Africa: a preliminary assessment

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Le Maitre, David C

2000-07-01

Full Text Available areas (the equivalent area with a canopy cover of 100%). Each of the invading species was classified as a tall shrub, medium tree or tall tree - based on growth form and likely water use - and its biomass was estimated from a function based on vegetation...

Analyzing the Teaching of Advanced Mathematics Courses via the Enacted Example Space

Science.gov (United States)

Fukawa-Connelly, Timothy Patrick; Newton, Charlene

2014-01-01

Examples are believed to be very important in developing conceptual understanding of mathematical ideas, useful both in mathematics research and instruction (Bills & Watson in "Educational Studies in Mathematics" 69:77-79, 2008; Mason & Watson, 2008; Bills & Tall, 1998; Tall & Vinner, 1981). In this study, we draw on the…

Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty? How to Reverse the Effect of Glass Elongation on the Volume Poured

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Caljouw, Simone R.; van Wijck, Ruud

2014-01-01

To reduce the volume of drinks and the risk of overconsumption, health professionals recommend the use of tall skinny instead of short wide glasses. Yet the results of the present study contradict this health advice. Participants who generously filled up a glass with lemonade served 9% more in tall

Modifying rainfall patterns in a Mediterranean shrubland: system design, plant responses, and experimental burning.

Science.gov (United States)

Parra, Antonio; Ramírez, David A; Resco, Víctor; Velasco, Ángel; Moreno, José M

2012-11-01

Global warming is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts in the Mediterranean region, as well as the occurrence of large fires. Understanding the interactions between drought, fire and plant responses is therefore important. In this study, we present an experiment in which rainfall patterns were modified to simulate various levels of drought in a Mediterranean shrubland of central Spain dominated by Cistus ladanifer, Erica arborea and Phillyrea angustifolia. A system composed of automatic rainout shelters with an irrigation facility was used. It was designed to be applied in vegetation 2 m tall, treat relatively large areas (36 m2), and be quickly dismantled to perform experimental burning and reassembled back again. Twenty plots were subjected to four rainfall treatments from early spring: natural rainfall, long-term average rainfall (2 months drought), moderate drought (25% reduction from long-term rainfall, 5 months drought) and severe drought (45% reduction, 7 months drought). The plots were burned in late summer, without interfering with rainfall manipulations. Results indicated that rainfall manipulations caused differences in soil moisture among treatments, leading to reduced water availability and growth of C. ladanifer and E. arborea in the drought treatments. However, P. angustifolia was not affected by the manipulations. Rainout shelters had a negligible impact on plot microenvironment. Experimental burns were of high fire intensity, without differences among treatments. Our system provides a tool to study the combined effects of drought and fire on vegetation, which is important to assess the threats posed by climate change in Mediterranean environments.

Lateral Displacement And Shear Lag Effect Of High-Rise Buildings With Diagrid SystemThat Is Constructed Above A Frame

OpenAIRE

Abd. Samat Roslida; Chua Fong Teng; Mohd Mustakim Nur Akmal Hayati; Anuar Fatin Izzaidah; Saad Sariffuddin; Abu Bakar Suhaimi

2017-01-01

Diagrid system has gained a wide acceptance in the design of tall buildings due to its many advantages including its high structural efficiency in resisting both gravity and lateral loads. Most diagrid structures that had been studied have full triangulated members from the ground level to the top of the buildings where comparison in the effectiveness in minimizing the lateral displacement was often made between structures with full diagrid, frame and outrigger system. Nevertheless, no study ...

A framework for adaptive e-learning for continuum mechanics and structural analysis

OpenAIRE

Mosquera Feijoo, Juan Carlos; Plaza Beltrán, Luis Francisco; González Rodrigo, Beatriz

2015-01-01

This paper presents a project for providing the students of Structural Engineering with the flexibility to learn outside classroom schedules. The goal is a framework for adaptive E-learning based on a repository of open educational courseware with a set of basic Structural Engineering concepts and fundamentals. These are paramount for students to expand their technical knowledge and skills in structural analysis and design of tall buildings, arch-type structures as well as bridges. Thus, conc...

J. Richard Hackman (1940-2013)

OpenAIRE

Wageman, Ruth; Amabile, Teresa M.

2013-01-01

When J. Richard Hackman died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on January 8, 2013, psychology lost a giant. Six and a half feet tall, with an outsize personality to match, Richard was the leading scholar in two distinct areas: work design and team effectiveness. In both domains, his work is foundational. Throughout his career, Richard applied rigorous methods to problems of great social importance, tirelessly championing multi-level analyses of problems that matter. His impact on our field has bee...

Interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization deletion analysis of the 9p21 region and prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuchinskaya, Ekaterina; Heyman, Mats; Nordgren, Ann

2011-01-01

Interphase fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied on diagnostic BM smears from 519 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in order to establish the frequency and prognostic importance of 9p21 deletion in children enrolled in the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology...... and Oncology (NOPHO) - 2000 treatment protocol. Among the patients, 452 were diagnosed with B-cell precursor (BCP)-ALL and 66 with T-ALL. A higher incidence of 9p21 deletions was found in T-ALL (38%) compared to BCP-ALL (15·7%). Homozygous deletions were found in 19·7% of T-ALL and 4·0% of BCP-ALL; hemizygous...

Dairy cows with prolonged calving seek additional isolation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rørvang, Maria Vilain; Herskin, Mette S.; Jensen, Margit Bak

2017-01-01

and management practices that better align with the motivations of the cow. This study examined dairy cow preferences for individual calving pens by offering 3 different levels of isolation (tall and narrow, low and wide, and tall and wide) by analyzing the association between precalving behavior, choice...... preference between degrees of isolation or difference in calving behavior in the different calving pens was found. However, cows experiencing a longer calving duration chose to calve in the most secluded calving pen (tall and wide). These results cannot determine cause and effect, but may suggest...... that interactions between motivation for isolation seeking and calving behavior exist....

Protective effect of nitric oxide against arsenic-induced oxidative ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of NO on alleviating arsenic-induced oxidative damage in tall fescue leaves were investigated. Arsenic (25 M) treatment induced significantly accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and led to serious lipid peroxidation in tall fescue leaves and the application of 100 M SNP before arsenic stress resulted ...

Evaluating the potential of renewable diesel production from algae cultured on wastewater: techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankita Juneja

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Algae, a renewable energy source, has an added advantage of consuming nutrients from wastewater and consequently aiding in wastewater treatment. The algae thus produced can be processed using alternative paths for conversion to fuels. However, due to high moisture content of algae, wet algae processing methods are being encouraged to avoid the dewatering cost and energy. Hydrothermal liquefaction is one such technology that converts the algae into high heating value bio-oil under high temperature and pressure. This bio-oil can be further upgraded to renewable diesel (RD which can be used in diesel powered vehicles without any modifications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the economic viability and to estimate the energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG emissions during life cycle of RD production from algae grown in wastewater using hydrothermal liquefaction. Economic analysis of RD production on commercial scale was performed using engineering process model of RD production plant with processing capacity of 60 Mgal wastewater/day, simulated in SuperPro designer. RD yields for algae were estimated as 10.18 MML/year with unit price of production as $1.75/RD. The GHG emissions during life cycle of RD production were found to be 6.2 times less than those produced for conventional diesel. Sensitivity analysis indicated a potential to reduce ethanol production cost either by using high lipid algae or increasing the plant size. The integrated economic and ecological assessment analyses are helpful in determining long-term sustainability of a product and can be used to drive energy policies in an environmentally sustainable direction.

IL-7 Receptor Mutations and Steroid Resistance in Pediatric T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Genome Sequencing Study

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, Andrew P.; Vroegindeweij, Eric M.; Smits, Willem K.; van Marion, Ronald; Dinjens, Winand N. M.; Horstmann, Martin; Kuiper, Roland P.; Zaman, Guido J. R.; van der Spek, Peter J.; Pieters, Rob; Meijerink, Jules P. P.

2016-01-01

Background Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. T cell ALL (T-ALL) represents about 15% of pediatric ALL cases and is considered a high-risk disease. T-ALL is often associated with resistance to treatment, including steroids, which are currently the cornerstone for treating ALL; moreover, initial steroid response strongly predicts survival and cure. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in T-ALL patients are poorly understood. In this study, we combined various genomic datasets in order to identify candidate genetic mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in children undergoing T-ALL treatment. Methods and Findings We performed whole genome sequencing on paired pre-treatment (diagnostic) and post-treatment (remission) samples from 13 patients, and targeted exome sequencing of pre-treatment samples from 69 additional T-ALL patients. We then integrated mutation data with copy number data for 151 mutated genes, and this integrated dataset was tested for associations of mutations with clinical outcomes and in vitro drug response. Our analysis revealed that mutations in JAK1 and KRAS, two genes encoding components of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R) signaling pathway, were associated with steroid resistance and poor outcome. We then sequenced JAK1, KRAS, and other genes in this pathway, including IL7R, JAK3, NF1, NRAS, and AKT, in these 69 T-ALL patients and a further 77 T-ALL patients. We identified mutations in 32% (47/146) of patients, the majority of whom had a specific T-ALL subtype (early thymic progenitor ALL or TLX). Based on the outcomes of these patients and their prednisolone responsiveness measured in vitro, we then confirmed that these mutations were associated with both steroid resistance and poor outcome. To explore how these mutations in IL7R signaling pathway genes cause steroid resistance and subsequent poor outcome, we

The TCA cycle transferase DLST is important for MYC-mediated leukemogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, N M; Li, D; Peng, H L; Laroche, F J F; Mansour, M R; Gjini, E; Aioub, M; Helman, D J; Roderick, J E; Cheng, T; Harrold, I; Samaha, Y; Meng, L; Amsterdam, A; Neuberg, D S; Denton, T T; Sanda, T; Kelliher, M A; Singh, A; Look, A T; Feng, H

2016-06-01

Despite the pivotal role of MYC in the pathogenesis of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and many other cancers, the mechanisms underlying MYC-mediated tumorigenesis remain inadequately understood. Here we utilized a well-characterized zebrafish model of Myc-induced T-ALL for genetic studies to identify novel genes contributing to disease onset. We found that heterozygous inactivation of a tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzyme, dihydrolipoamide S-succinyltransferase (Dlst), significantly delayed tumor onset in zebrafish without detectable effects on fish development. DLST is the E2 transferase of the α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), which converts α-KG to succinyl-CoA in the TCA cycle. RNAi knockdown of DLST led to decreased cell viability and induction of apoptosis in human T-ALL cell lines. Polar metabolomics profiling revealed that the TCA cycle was disrupted by DLST knockdown in human T-ALL cells, as demonstrated by an accumulation of α-KG and a decrease of succinyl-CoA. Addition of succinate, the downstream TCA cycle intermediate, to human T-ALL cells was sufficient to rescue defects in cell viability caused by DLST inactivation. Together, our studies uncovered an important role for DLST in MYC-mediated leukemogenesis and demonstrated the metabolic dependence of T-lymphoblasts on the TCA cycle, thus providing implications for targeted therapy.

Bivalent promoter marks and a latent enhancer may prime the leukaemia oncogene LMO1 for ectopic expression in T-cell leukaemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Oram, S H; Thoms, J; Sive, J I; Calero-Nieto, F J; Kinston, S J; Schütte, J; Knezevic, K; Lock, R B; Pimanda, J E; Göttgens, B

2013-06-01

LMO1 is a transcriptional regulator and a T-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) oncogene. Although first identified in association with a chromosomal translocation in T-ALL, the ectopic expression of LMO1 occurs far more frequently in the absence of any known mutation involving its locus. Given that LMO1 is barely expressed in any haematopoietic lineage, and activation of transcriptional drivers in leukaemic cells is not well described, we investigated the regulation of this gene in normal haematopoietic and leukaemic cells. We show that LMO1 has two promoters that drive reporter gene expression in transgenic mice to neural tissues known to express endogenous LMO1. The LMO1 promoters display bivalent histone marks in multiple blood lineages including T-cells, and a 3' flanking region at LMO1 +57 contains a transcriptional enhancer that is active in developing blood cells in transgenic mouse embryos. The LMO1 promoters become activated in T-ALL together with the 3' enhancer, which is bound in primary T-ALL cells by SCL/TAL1 and GATA3. Taken together, our results show that LMO1 is poised for expression in normal progenitors, where activation of SCL/TAL1 together with a breakdown of epigenetic repression of LMO1 regulatory elements induces ectopic LMO1 expression that contributes to the development and maintenance of T-ALL.

VEGETATIVE SUPPORT OF CARDIAC ACTIVITY IN ATHLETES WITH DIFFERENT ANTHROPOMETRIC PROFILE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. N. Kudrya

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of research – to study the features of the functioning of the cardiovascular system and regulatory mechanisms of the young athletes of different heights.Materials and methods. The study included athletes aged 15-16 (32 girls and 36 boys engaged in competitive sports. To study the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system using mathematical methods and spectral analysis of heart rate variability. To characterize the vegetative support the circulatory apparatus, all subjects performed an active orthostatic test.Results. The features of vegetative maintenance of heart activity in tall athletes: stress regulatory mechanisms observed resting in tall men and decrease the functionality of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system during active orthostatic test in athletes of different sex. Athletes tall urgent adaptation of the cardiovascular system to changing external conditions associated with activation of suprasegmental divisions of the autonomic nervous system and the excessive activation of the sympathetic division, which is an inefficient way of adaptation.Conclusion. Thus, high growth is evident not only in the increase of total size of the body of athletes, but also in the peculiarities of morphofunctional state involved, indicating the need of individual rationing of loads for tall players. The revealed morphofunctional characteristics of the organism tall athletes allow us to recommend an increase in the proportion of aerobic exercise to enhance the adaptive capacities of the organism. 

Fruit and nut weight in pecan trees canopies in relation to the severity of pecan scab at different heights

Science.gov (United States)

Fusicladium effusum is the cause of pecan scab, the most destructive disease of pecan in the southeastern US. This study addressed the distribution of scab and measures of yield in relation to sample height in tall trees (14 to 16 m tall) in three experiments in 2010 and 2011 with trees receiving fu...

Growth form and seasonal variation in leaf gas exchange of Colophospermum mopane savanna trees in northwest Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Veenendaal, Elmar M; Mantlana, Khanyisa B; Pammenter, Norman W; Weber, Piet; Huntsman-Mapila, Phillipa; Lloyd, Jon

2008-03-01

We investigated differences in physiological and morphological traits between the tall and short forms of mopane (Colophospermum mopane (Kirk ex Benth.) Kirk ex J. Léonard) trees growing near Maun, Botswana on a Kalahari sandveld overlying an impermeable calcrete duricrust. We sought to determine if differences between the two physiognomic types are attributable to the way they exploit available soil water. The tall form, which was located on deeper soil than the short form (5.5 versus 1.6 m), had a lower leaf:fine root biomass ratio (1:20 versus 1:6), but a similar leaf area index (0.9-1.0). Leaf nitrogen concentrations varied between 18 and 27 mg g(-1) and were about 20% higher in the tall form than in the short form. Maximum net assimilation rates (A sat) occurred during the rainy seasons (March-April 2000 and January-February 2001) and were similar in the tall and short forms (15-22 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) before declining to less than 10 micromol m(-2) s(-1) at the end of the rainy season in late April. As the dry season progressed, A sat, soil water content, predawn leaf water potential (Psi pd) and leaf nitrogen concentration declined rapidly. Before leaf abscission, Psi pd was more negative in the short form (-3.4 MPa) than in the tall form (-2.7 MPa) despite the greater availability of soil water beneath the short form trees. This difference appeared attributable to differences in root depth and density between the physiognomic types. Stomatal regulation of water use and carbon assimilation differed between years, with the tall form having a consistently more conservative water-use strategy as the dry season progressed than the short form.

Leaf economics spectrum-productivity relationships in intensively grazed pastures depend on dominant species identity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Norman W H; Orwin, Kate; Lambie, Suzanne; Woodward, Sharon L; McCready, Tiffany; Mudge, Paul

2016-05-01

Plant functional traits are thought to drive variation in primary productivity. However, there is a lack of work examining how dominant species identity affects trait-productivity relationships. The productivity of 12 pasture mixtures was determined in a 3-year field experiment. The mixtures were based on either the winter-active ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or winter-dormant tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Different mixtures were obtained by adding forb, legume, and grass species that differ in key leaf economics spectrum (LES) traits to the basic two-species dominant grass-white clover (Trifolium repens) mixtures. We tested for correlations between community-weighted mean (CWM) trait values, functional diversity, and productivity across all plots and within those based on either ryegrass or tall fescue. The winter-dormant forb species (chicory and plantain) had leaf traits consistent with high relative growth rates both per unit leaf area (high leaf thickness) and per unit leaf dry weight (low leaf dry matter content). Together, the two forb species achieved reasonable abundance when grown with either base grass (means of 36% and 53% of total biomass, respectively, with ryegrass tall fescue), but they competed much more strongly with tall fescue than with ryegrass. Consequently, they had a net negative impact on productivity when grown with tall fescue, and a net positive effect when grown with ryegrass. Strongly significant relationships between productivity and CWM values for LES traits were observed across ryegrass-based mixtures, but not across tall fescue-based mixtures. Functional diversity did not have a significant positive effect on productivity for any of the traits. The results show dominant species identity can strongly modify trait-productivity relationships in intensively grazed pastures. This was due to differences in the intensity of competition between dominant species and additional species, suggesting that resource-use complementarity is a

T-cell acute leukaemia exhibits dynamic interactions with bone marrow microenvironments.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Edwin D; Duarte, Delfim; Akinduro, Olufolake; Khorshed, Reema A; Passaro, Diana; Nowicka, Malgorzata; Straszkowski, Lenny; Scott, Mark K; Rothery, Steve; Ruivo, Nicola; Foster, Katie; Waibel, Michaela; Johnstone, Ricky W; Harrison, Simon J; Westerman, David A; Quach, Hang; Gribben, John; Robinson, Mark D; Purton, Louise E; Bonnet, Dominique; Lo Celso, Cristina

2016-10-27

It is widely accepted that complex interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment contribute to disease development, chemo-resistance and disease relapse. In light of this observed interdependency, novel therapeutic interventions that target specific cancer stroma cell lineages and their interactions are being sought. Here we studied a mouse model of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) and used intravital microscopy to monitor the progression of disease within the bone marrow at both the tissue-wide and single-cell level over time, from bone marrow seeding to development/selection of chemo-resistance. We observed highly dynamic cellular interactions and promiscuous distribution of leukaemia cells that migrated across the bone marrow, without showing any preferential association with bone marrow sub-compartments. Unexpectedly, this behaviour was maintained throughout disease development, from the earliest bone marrow seeding to response and resistance to chemotherapy. Our results reveal that T-ALL cells do not depend on specific bone marrow microenvironments for propagation of disease, nor for the selection of chemo-resistant clones, suggesting that a stochastic mechanism underlies these processes. Yet, although T-ALL infiltration and progression are independent of the stroma, accumulated disease burden leads to rapid, selective remodelling of the endosteal space, resulting in a complete loss of mature osteoblastic cells while perivascular cells are maintained. This outcome leads to a shift in the balance of endogenous bone marrow stroma, towards a composition associated with less efficient haematopoietic stem cell function. This novel, dynamic analysis of T-ALL interactions with the bone marrow microenvironment in vivo, supported by evidence from human T-ALL samples, highlights that future therapeutic interventions should target the migration and promiscuous interactions of cancer cells with the surrounding microenvironment

Ref-1/APE1 as a Transcriptional Regulator and Novel Therapeutic Target in Pediatric T-cell Leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jixin; Fishel, Melissa L; Reed, April M; McAdams, Erin; Czader, Magdalena B; Cardoso, Angelo A; Kelley, Mark R

2017-07-01

The increasing characterization of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has led to the identification of multiple molecular targets but has yet to translate into more effective targeted therapies, particularly for high-risk, relapsed T-cell ALL. Searching for master regulators controlling multiple signaling pathways in T-ALL, we investigated the multifunctional protein redox factor-1 (Ref-1/APE1), which acts as a signaling "node" by exerting redox regulatory control of transcription factors important in leukemia. Leukemia patients' transcriptome databases showed increased expression in T-ALL of Ref-1 and other genes of the Ref-1/SET interactome. Validation studies demonstrated that Ref-1 is expressed in high-risk leukemia T cells, including in patient biopsies. Ref-1 redox function is active in leukemia T cells, regulating the Ref-1 target NF-κB, and inhibited by the redox-selective Ref-1 inhibitor E3330. Ref-1 expression is not regulated by Notch signaling, but is upregulated by glucocorticoid treatment. E3330 disrupted Ref-1 redox activity in functional studies and resulted in marked inhibition of leukemia cell viability, including T-ALL lines representing different genotypes and risk groups. Potent leukemia cell inhibition was seen in primary cells from ALL patients, relapsed and glucocorticoid-resistant T-ALL cells, and cells from a murine model of Notch-induced leukemia. Ref-1 redox inhibition triggered leukemia cell apoptosis and downregulation of survival genes regulated by Ref-1 targets. For the first time, this work identifies Ref-1 as a novel molecular effector in T-ALL and demonstrates that Ref-1 redox inhibition results in potent inhibition of leukemia T cells, including relapsed T-ALL. These data also support E3330 as a specific Ref-1 small-molecule inhibitor for leukemia. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(7); 1401-11. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cumming, DEA. Vol 13, No 2 (1996) - Articles Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: numbers of tillers reaching reproductive maturity. Abstract · Vol 13, No 2 (1996) - Articles Effect of management factors on tiller dynamics in tall fescue: tiller initiation. Abstract · Vol 13, No 2 (1996) - Articles Effect of ...

Effect of enhanced nitrogen input on release of nutrients and nutrient availability in stands of tall fern Athyrium distentifolium

Science.gov (United States)

Tå¯Ma, Ivan; Holuib, Petr; Záhora, Jaroslav; Fiala, Karel

2010-05-01

Improved light conditions, after destruction of tree canopy, soil acidification and increased nitrogen availability, support intensive spreading of acidophilous perennial grasses and stands of tall fern (Athyrium distentifolium) on deforested sites in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mts. (the Czech Republic). The aim of the study was to determine how higher inputs of nitrogen affect the release of nutrients during decomposition processes of fern litter. The experimental site was chosen on a southwest-facing slope of the Kněhyně Mt. (49o31´ N, 18o 32´E, 1170 m a.s.l.) in the Moravian-Silesin Beskydy Mts. in the Czech Republic. The area is characterized by an annual mean air temperature of 5.6 oC and annual precipitation of 1110 mm. A large fern stand was divided in four blocks (5x3 m) and on two of them higher doses of nitrogen were applied (50 kgN/ha in five doses in the course of the growing season). Similarly, mesh-bags with fresh natural litter of fern were used to determine rate of litter decomposition during one year. Samples were inserted in both nitrogen treated and untreated fern stands in autumn 2006 and 2007 collected in autumn 2007 and 2008. On the basis of litter amount estimated at the start and at the end of exposure and of actual content of minerals in original and exposed litter, the release and/or accumulation of minerals during decomposition were calculated. The availability (more or less in the case of ammonia-nitrogen) and movement of percolated nitrogen (mainly in the case of nitrate-nitrogen) was estimated in situ by the trapping of mineral N into the ion exchange resin (IER) inserted into special cover. The decomposition rate of native A. distentifolium litter was approximately the same (29-30 %) at both nitrogen availability, however the element release from decomposed litter was higher for N, P and Ca in both years and for K and Mg in the first year as well. However, decomposition rate of cellulose was two times greater in fern stands

Urbanism, arhitectură şi construcţii în zonele seismice din România - de la blocul Carlton la faţadele cortină

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emil-Sever Georgescu

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The previous Vrancea earthquakes (particularly those in 1940 and 1977 can provide convincing examples as concerns the seismic strength of the buildings and settlements. The planspace design solutions do influence the structural solutions, but only properly designed buildings behave well in case of seismic events. Since 1940 the blame for the collapse of the Carlton Building in Bucharest has been put on the improper architectural design, which negatively influenced the structural design. After the 1977 Vrancea earthquake it was noticed that many buildings, raised between 1950 and 1976, where low seismic forces and no advanced ductility requirements were taken into account, behaved properly, but in certain cases (for instance, buildings with flexible ground floor meant for commercial purposes buildings suffered severe damages, later amplified by the 1986 and 1990 earthquakes. The history of the architecture-urban planning and civil engineering relationship indicates that tall buildings made of reinforced concrete before 1940 introduced characteristics of seismic vulnerability and risk at urban level, as in those days professionals worked individually and seismic design requirements were not mandatory. After 1990 a different urban planning conception developed, as new architectural design solutions were adopted and even new structure types, with a greater architectural design freedom, most of them “copied” from low seismic areas. But without proper tests tall curtain-walled building are highly vulnerable to both Vrancea earthquakes and hurricanes or terrorism attacks and the restoration costs of the non-structural elements can be huge. Separating the requirements of the object architecture design from those of urban planning and seismic engineering is a critical and unwanted situation for the urban seismic protection. The article pleads for a close collaboration between civil engineers, architects and urban planners, for a SAFETY ARCHITECTURE

AE Recorder Characteristics and Development.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Partridge, Michael E. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Curtis, Shane Keawe [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); McGrogan, David Paul [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-11-01

The Anomalous Environment Recorder (AE Recorder) provides a robust data recording capability for multiple high-shock applications including earth penetrators. The AE Recorder, packaged as a 2.4" di ameter cylinder 3" tall, acquires 12 accelerometer, 2 auxiliary, and 6 discrete signal channels at 250k samples / second. Recording depth is 213 seconds plus 75ms of pre-trigger data. The mechanical, electrical, and firmware are described as well as support electro nics designed for the first use of the recorder.

Dairy cows with prolonged calving seek additional isolation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rørvang, Maria Vilain; Herskin, Mette S.; Jensen, Margit Bak

2017-01-01

and management practices that better align with the motivations of the cow. This study examined dairy cow preferences for individual calving pens by offering 3 different levels of isolation (tall and narrow, low and wide, and tall and wide) by analyzing the association between precalving behavior, choice...... that interactions between motivation for isolation seeking and calving behavior exist....

EVALUATION OF SOME BASIC TRAITS OF A PROMISING ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

Green Dwarf crossed Vanuatu Tall (SGD x VTT) coconut hybrid as the most promising planting material in the context of ... The study indicated that the yield performance of the SGD x ... important crop in the economies of the coastal areas of ... In the Western Region, it is esti- ... Tall (WAT) which have varying levels of resis-.

Neutron moderators for the European Spallation Source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinkby, Esben Bryndt; Zanini, L.; Batkov, K.

The design of the neutron moderators for the European Spallation Source, intended to be installed at the start of operations of the facility in 2019 has now been finalized and the moderators are being fabricated. Among the driving principles in the design have been flexibility for instruments...... to have access to cold and thermal neutrons with highest possible source brightness. Different design and configuration options were evaluated. The final configuration accepted for construction foresees two moderators with identical para-hydrogen (so-called "butterfly") shape, but different heights......, placed above and below the spallation target. Both moderators are able to serve the full 2 x 120° beam extraction sectors of instrument suite. The top, 3-cm tall moderator, has both high thermal and high cold brightness, more than by a factor of 2.5 compared to the previous design of the Technical Design...

A small-scale, rolled-membrane microfluidic artificial lung designed towards future large area manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, A J; Marks, L H; Goudie, M J; Rojas-Pena, A; Handa, H; Potkay, J A

2017-03-01

Artificial lungs have been used in the clinic for multiple decades to supplement patient pulmonary function. Recently, small-scale microfluidic artificial lungs (μAL) have been demonstrated with large surface area to blood volume ratios, biomimetic blood flow paths, and pressure drops compatible with pumpless operation. Initial small-scale microfluidic devices with blood flow rates in the μ l/min to ml/min range have exhibited excellent gas transfer efficiencies; however, current manufacturing techniques may not be suitable for scaling up to human applications. Here, we present a new manufacturing technology for a microfluidic artificial lung in which the structure is assembled via a continuous "rolling" and bonding procedure from a single, patterned layer of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS). This method is demonstrated in a small-scale four-layer device, but is expected to easily scale to larger area devices. The presented devices have a biomimetic branching blood flow network, 10  μ m tall artificial capillaries, and a 66  μ m thick gas transfer membrane. Gas transfer efficiency in blood was evaluated over a range of blood flow rates (0.1-1.25 ml/min) for two different sweep gases (pure O 2 , atmospheric air). The achieved gas transfer data closely follow predicted theoretical values for oxygenation and CO 2 removal, while pressure drop is marginally higher than predicted. This work is the first step in developing a scalable method for creating large area microfluidic artificial lungs. Although designed for microfluidic artificial lungs, the presented technique is expected to result in the first manufacturing method capable of simply and easily creating large area microfluidic devices from PDMS.

Validity of accessible critical nitrogen dilution curves in perennial ryegrass for seed production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gislum, René; Boelt, Birte

2009-01-01

The objectives were to test if accessible critical nitrogen dilution curves (NDCs) in rapeseed, pea, alfalfa, tall fescue, wheat, annual ryegrass and linseed could be used in grass species for seed production and to develop a critical NDC especially in grass species for seed production. The criti......The objectives were to test if accessible critical nitrogen dilution curves (NDCs) in rapeseed, pea, alfalfa, tall fescue, wheat, annual ryegrass and linseed could be used in grass species for seed production and to develop a critical NDC especially in grass species for seed production...... the NDCs in tall fescue, alfalfa, pea and rapeseed. These findings should be used to continue the interesting and necessary work on developing a NDC in grass species for seed production....

WORLD TRAINING SAILING BOATS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svitlana Yeroshkina

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In scientific article is researched tendencies, which took place in historical process of the world segmentation of sailing tall ships and their influence on modern composition on whole word’s training sailing boats. By variety parameters modern composition of ships was done the estimation of most biggest tall sailing ships. Complete technical description of the powerful sailing tall ships was done on the present day. Identified and given the technical possibilities for further exploitation of  Ukrainian training sailing boats. Assesses the current state of the sailing fleet in terms of economic costs and expenses of Crimea’s occupation and continuous war on eastern region of Ukraine.Key words: training sailing boats, world segment of sailing boats, sailing boats. JEL: L 92

IL-7 Receptor Mutations and Steroid Resistance in Pediatric T cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Genome Sequencing Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunlei Li

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL is the most common childhood cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in children. T cell ALL (T-ALL represents about 15% of pediatric ALL cases and is considered a high-risk disease. T-ALL is often associated with resistance to treatment, including steroids, which are currently the cornerstone for treating ALL; moreover, initial steroid response strongly predicts survival and cure. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in T-ALL patients are poorly understood. In this study, we combined various genomic datasets in order to identify candidate genetic mechanisms underlying steroid resistance in children undergoing T-ALL treatment.We performed whole genome sequencing on paired pre-treatment (diagnostic and post-treatment (remission samples from 13 patients, and targeted exome sequencing of pre-treatment samples from 69 additional T-ALL patients. We then integrated mutation data with copy number data for 151 mutated genes, and this integrated dataset was tested for associations of mutations with clinical outcomes and in vitro drug response. Our analysis revealed that mutations in JAK1 and KRAS, two genes encoding components of the interleukin 7 receptor (IL7R signaling pathway, were associated with steroid resistance and poor outcome. We then sequenced JAK1, KRAS, and other genes in this pathway, including IL7R, JAK3, NF1, NRAS, and AKT, in these 69 T-ALL patients and a further 77 T-ALL patients. We identified mutations in 32% (47/146 of patients, the majority of whom had a specific T-ALL subtype (early thymic progenitor ALL or TLX. Based on the outcomes of these patients and their prednisolone responsiveness measured in vitro, we then confirmed that these mutations were associated with both steroid resistance and poor outcome. To explore how these mutations in IL7R signaling pathway genes cause steroid resistance and subsequent poor outcome, we expressed wild

FBXW7 regulates glucocorticoid response in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia by targeting the glucocorticoid receptor for degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Malyukova, A; Brown, S; Papa, R; O'Brien, R; Giles, J; Trahair, T N; Dalla Pozza, L; Sutton, R; Liu, T; Haber, M; Norris, M D; Lock, R B; Sangfelt, O; Marshall, G M

2013-04-01

Loss of function mutation in FBXW7, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is associated with good prognosis and early glucocorticoid treatment response in childhood T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) by unknown mechanisms. Here, we show that FBXW7 targets the glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) for ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation in a manner dependent on glycogen synthase kinase 3 β-mediated phsophorylation. FBXW7 inactivation caused elevated GRα levels, and enhanced the transcriptional response to glucocorticoids. There was significant enhancement of GR transcriptional responses in FBXW7-deficient cell lines and primary T-ALL samples, in particular, for those pro-apoptotic regulatory proteins, BIM and PUMA. Reduced FBXW7 expression or function promoted glucocorticoid sensitivity, but not sensitivity to other chemotherapeutic agents used in T-ALL. Moreover, this was a general feature of different cancer cell types. Taken together, our work defines GRα as a novel FBXW7 substrate and demonstrates that favorable patient prognosis in T-ALL is associated with FBXW7 mutations due to enhanced GRα levels and steroid sensitivity. These findings suggest that inactivation of FBXW7, a putative tumor suppressor protein, may create a synthetic lethal state in the presence of specific anticancer therapies.

Height among Women is Curvilinearly Related to Life History Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abraham P. Buunk

2009-10-01

Full Text Available It was hypothesized that women of medium height would show a more secure, long-term mating pattern characterized by less jealousy, less intrasexual competition and a “slower” life history strategy. In three samples of female undergraduate students clear support was found for these hypotheses. In Study 1, among 120 participants, height was curvilinearly related to well-established measures of possessive and reactive jealousy, with women of medium height being less jealous than tall as well as short women. In Study 2, among 40 participants, height was curvilinearly related to intrasexual competition, with women of medium height being less competitive towards other women than tall as well as short women. In Study 3, among 299 participants, height was curvilinearly related to the Mini-K, a well-validated measure of “slower” life history strategy, with women of medium height having a slower life history strategy than tall as well as short women. The results suggest that women of medium height tend to follow a different mating strategy than either tall or short women. Various explanations and implications of these results are discussed.

scid Thymocytes with TCRbeta gene rearrangements are targets for the oncogenic effect of SCL and LMO1 transgenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chervinsky, D S; Lam, D H; Melman, M P; Gross, K W; Aplan, P D

2001-09-01

SCL and LMO1 were both discovered by virtue of their activation by chromosomaltranslocation in patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Overexpression of SCL and LMO1 in the thymus of transgenic mice leads to T-ALL at a young age. scid (severe combined immunodeficient) mice are unable to efficiently recombine antigen receptor genes and consequently display a developmental block at the CD4-CD8- to CD4+CD8+ transition. To test the hypothesis that this developmental block would protect SCL/LMO1 transgenic mice from developing T-ALL, we crossed the SCL and LMO1 transgenes onto a scid background. The age of onset for T-ALL in the SCL/LMO1/scid mice was significantly delayed (P < 0.001) compared with SCL/LMO1/wild-type mice. Intriguingly, all of the SCL/LMO1/scid malignancies displayed clonal, in-frame TCRbeta gene rearrangements. Taken together, these findings suggest that the "leaky" scid thymocyte that undergoes a productive TCRbeta gene rearrangement is susceptible to the oncogenic action of SCL and LMO1 and additionally suggests that TCRbeta gene rearrangements may be required for the oncogenic action of SCL and LMO1.

Cholinergic Machinery as Relevant Target in Acute Lymphoblastic T Leukemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oxana Dobrovinskaya

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Various types of non-neuronal cells, including tumors, are able to produce acetylcholine (ACh, which acts as an autocrine/paracrine growth factor. T lymphocytes represent a key component of the non-neuronal cholinergic system. T cells-derived ACh is involved in a stimulation of their activation and proliferation, and acts as a regulator of immune response. The aim of the present work was to summarize the data about components of cholinergic machinery in T lymphocytes, with an emphasis on the comparison of healthy and leukemic T cells. Cell lines derived from acute lymphoblastic leukemias of T lineage (T-ALL were found to produce a considerably higher amount of ACh than healthy T lumphocytes. Additionally, ACh produced by T-ALL is not efficiently hydrolyzed, because acetylcholinesterase (AChE activity is drastically decreased in these cells. Up-regulation of muscarinic ACh receptors was also demonstrated at expression and functional level, whereas nicotinic ACh receptors seem to play a less important role and not form functional channels in cells derived from T-ALL. We hypothesized that ACh over-produced in T-ALL may act as an autocrine growth factor and play an important role in leukemic clonal expansion through shaping of intracellular Ca2+ signals. We suggest that cholinergic machinery may be attractive targets for new drugs against T-ALL. Specifically, testing of high affinity antagonists of muscarinic ACh receptors as well as antagomiRs, which interfere with miRNAs involved in the suppression of AChE expression, may be the first choice options.

The release of reducing sugars and dissolved organic carbon from Spartina alterniflora Loisel in a Georgia salt marsh

Science.gov (United States)

Pakulski, J. Dean

1986-04-01

Eight monosaccharides were found to be released from both tall and short forms of Spartina alterniflora during tidal submergence including: 2-d ribose, rhamnose, ribose, mannose, arabinose, fructose, galactose and xylose. Glucose was not detected in the leachate of either growth form. Two additional monosaccharides were found but were not identified. Losses of total reducing sugars (TRS) and total dissolved organic carbon (TDOC) ranged from 14-54 μgCg -1 dry wth -1 and 42 to 850 μgCg -1 dry wth -1, respectively. Losses of individual monosaccharides were generally <5μgCg -1 dry wth -1 and varied from 0·5-17 μgCg -1 dry wth -1. Differences were observed in seasonal patterns of losses between tall and short Spartina. Tall Spartina TRS losses peaked in midsummer, while in short Spartina TRS losses peaked in the spring and fall. TDOC losses in both tall and short Spartina followed similar patterns with peak losses occurring in the spring and fall. Periods of net uptake of TDOC were observed in both growth forms in midsummer. Uptake rates varied from 142-930 μgCg -1 dry wth -1. Estimated annual losses of TDOC from tall and short Spartina were between 100-150 and 5-10 gCm -2 year -1, respectively. The magnitude and seasonal pattern of TDOC losses reported here support Turner's conclusions that losses of labile DOM from Spartina are substantial in Georgia salt marshes and related to seasonal patterns of estuarine metabolism.

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.

Disease: H00997 [KEGG MEDICUS

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available TLE ... A novel mutation in FGFR3 causes camptodactyly, tall stature, and hearing loss (CATSHL) syndrome. ... JOURNAL ... Am J Hum Genet 79:935-41 (2006) DOI:10.1086/508433 ... H00997 CATSHL syndrome CATSHL syndrome is characterised by camptodactyly, tall stature, scoliosis, and hear...ing loss. The syndrome is caused by a missense mutation in the FGFR3 gene. FGFR3 is

The design of the multipurpose Lusi drone. When technology can access harsh environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Romeo, Giovanni; Di Stefano, Giuseppe; Mazzini, Adriano; Iarocci, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Extreme and inaccessible environments are a new frontier that unmanned and remotely operated vehicles can today safely access and monitor. The Lusi mud eruption (NE Java Island, Indonesia) represents one of these harsh environments that are totally unreachable with traditional techniques. Here boiling mud is constantly spewed tens of meters in height and tall gas clouds surround the 100 meters wide active crater. The crater is surrounded by a 600 meters circular zone of hot mud that prevents any approach to investigate and sample the eruption site. In the framework of the Lusi Lab project (ERC grant n° 308126) we assembled and designed a multipurpose drone to survey the eruption site. The Lusi drone is equipped with numerous airborne devices suitable for use on board of other multicopters. During the missions three cameras can complete 1) video survey, 2) high resolution photogrammetry of desired and preselected polygons, and 3) thermal photogrammetry surveys with infra-red camera to locate hot fluids seepage areas or faulted zones. Crater sampling and monitoring operations can be pre-planned with a flight software, and the pilot is required only for take-off and landing. An automatic winch allows the deployment of gas, mud and water samplers and contact thermometers to be operated with no risk for the aircraft. During the winch operations (that can be performed automatically) the aircraft hovers at a safety height until the tasks are completed while being controlled by the winch embedded processor. The drone is also equipped with a GPS connected CO2 and CH4 sensors. Gridded surveys using these devices allowed obtaining 2D maps of the concentration and distribution of various gasses over the area covered by the flight path.

An Optimized and Sensitive Pharmacokinetic Quantitative Method of Investigating Gastrodin, Parishin, and Parishin B, C and E in Beagle Dog Plasma using LC-MS/MS after Intragastric Administration of Tall Gastrodia Capsules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junqiu Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Gastrodia elata Blume, called Tianma in China, has been widely used to treat headaches, convulsions and epilepsy for thousands of years. In the present study, a series of optimizations were employed to develop a rapid, sensitive, and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method, which was then used for the simultaneous determination of gastrodin, parishin, parishin B, parishin C and parishin E in beagle dog plasma after intragastric administration of tall Gastrodia capsules (Tianma brand. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column with gradient elution by using a mixture of 0.4% formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.15 mL/min. A tandem mass spectrometric detection was conducted using multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM via electrospray ionization (ESI source in negative ionization mode. Samples were pre-treated by a single-step protein precipitation with methanol, and bergenin was used as internal standard (IS. Under the optimized conditions, the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ was 0.10 ng/mL for gastrodin, 0.40 ng/mL for parishin B, 0.02 ng/mL for parishin E and 0.20 ng/mL for parishin and parishin C, all of which previously were the highest levels of sensitivity. The methods were optimized for selectivity, calibration curves, accuracy and precision. Extraction recoveries, matrix effects and stability were within acceptable ranges. Pharmacokinetic parameters of the tested substances were also quantitatively determined. Finally, a possible metabolic pathway was induced based on correlations obtained from quantitative and qualitative data analysis in vivo.

Comparison of selected parameters of biomass and coal

Science.gov (United States)

Lalak, Justyna; Martyniak, Danuta; Kasprzycka, Agnieszka; Żurek, Grzegorz; Moroń, Wojciech; Chmielewska, Mariola; Wiącek, Dariusz; Tys, Jerzy

2016-10-01

As a fuel, biomass differs in its properties from fossil fuels and acquisition thereof for energy purposes is limited; hence, the ongoing search for new bioenergetically useful plants. The article presents the results of physical and chemical analyses of seven species of perennial grasses: tall wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass `Bamar', brome grass, tall fescue ecotype, reed canary grass, giant miscanthus, and sorghum. The research involved technical and elemental analysis as well as analysis of the ash composition performed in order to determine their potential use for combustion process. The measurement results were compared with those obtained for hard coal and agricultural biomass, which is widely used in the energy industry. The results suggest that perennial grasses can successfully be combusted with similar performance to coal if burned in appropriate combustion installations.

Studies on some quantitative characters in the M2 generation in jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) originating after pre-irradiation treatments with hydroxylamine and pre- and post-irradiation treatments with colchicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bose, S.; Chakrabarti, C.C.; Banerjee, B.

1977-01-01

Studies on quantitative characters have been made on M 2 mutants like - slender plants with many branches and oval shaped leaves, plants with bifurcation at the base of the stem, stout dwarf plants with many branches, slender plants with many branches, small, slender plants with lesser number of branches, slender, tall plants with many branches, tall plants with crincked leaves and many branches and in the bulk type having many branches and tall habit. The bulk types originated after pre-irradiation treatment with hydroxylamine, colchicine and post-irradiation treatment with colchicine and the mutants originated after pre-irradiation treatment with hydroxylamine and distilled water. The quantitative characters taken into consideration were plant height, basal diameter, number of nodes per plant, number pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and 100 seed weight. (author)

The development of the architectural form of a tower derived from a traditional and philosophical symbol, realized by solutions of high-class technologies. The case of the Bitexco Financial Tower

Science.gov (United States)

Van Khai, Tran

2018-03-01

The Bitexco Financial Tower, majestically standing tall in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, rejects the box-shaped, abstract forms of modernism, incorporating an innovative idea of contemporary architecture. Based on the inspiration from the Bitexco Group, a renowned architect designedthe tower that became an iconic landmark of the city in the form of a lotus bud, one of the most iconic symbols of Vietnamese culture since ancient times. High class structural system solution designed by top international professional teams enable the building to rise high with its graceful, statuesque design of the lotus flower shape. CNNGo recently ranked the Bitexco Financial Tower fifth in their listing of the world's 20 most-iconic skyscrapers.

Applying traditional architectural rules for energy efficiency and lateral structural stiffness to an 80 story tower

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sozer, Hatice; Clark, Raymond J.; Elnimeiri, Mahjoub

2011-01-01

This design is intended to revive and utilize fundamental principles of tall buildings into a modern design of an 80-story residential tower in Doha. The main goal in this design is to create an innovative and next generation sustainable tower design specifically for the Middle East by taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies while respecting the traditional way of living that reflects the cultural roots. The design utilizes a vertical exterior cable system which is used as a shading device and contributes significantly to the structural lateral load resistance. -- Highlights: → Linguistically paper has been checked and marked up with blue color as can be seen on marked-up manuscript. → All grammar corrections from reviewers have been made on manuscript with red colors. → On page 6 paragraphs has been added to explain e-QUEST basics. → References are being updated. → Fonts in have been changed.

Development of bioenergy technology for rural micro mills production of milk, ice and bio fertilizer; Desenvolvimento de tecnologia de bioenergia rural para micro usinas de producao de leite, gelo e bio fertilizante

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selvam, Pagandai V. Pannir; Almeida, Louizy Minora C.A. de; Israel, S B.S. , [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Quimica

2008-07-01

The generation of thermal energy is the great importance for the agribusiness of dairy industry to conservation the quality of milk, taking into account that the electricity is the main source currently used for the thermal energy input. The small agribusiness dairy industry currently practiced in Brazil faces several problems related to the cost of electricity and the distance of rural properties of networks of power. In the current scenario of Brazilian dairy production, there is need for the generation of cold for the milk cooling, and also the heat for the production of hot water around 50 deg C to 60 deg C and also for cleaning of equipment used for milk production and processing. The main objective of this study is the modeling and simulation of integrated recovery process of solid waste, effluents and bioconversion. The specific project objectives are: comparison study of options and technological routes of low cost material for power generation using conventional and innovative digester; study of new technologies in the use of organic waste for anaerobic digestion for biogas and fertilizer production; enabling the use of low cost digesters with appropriate technology and alternative materials (composites); minimize problems such as environmental pollution and shortage of electricity in rural agroindustry related to milk. A system was developed for energy generating based on the work of UNICAMP (Universidade Estadual de Campinas) using the water-water heat pump for simultaneous production of ice for cooling of milk and hot water for cleaning and disinfecting facilities and equipment. The results obtained in this project were done using process simulation software Superpro design. (author)

Nanopatterned Metallic Films for Use As Transparent Conductive Electrodes in Optoelectronic Devices

KAUST Repository

Catrysse, Peter B.

2010-08-11

We investigate the use of nanopatterned metallic films as transparent conductive electrodes in optoelectronic devices. We find that the physics of nanopatterned electrodes, which are often optically thin metallic films, differs from that of optically thick metallic films. We analyze the optical properties when performing a geometrical transformation that maintains the electrical properties. For one-dimensional patterns of metallic wires, the analysis favors tall and narrow wires. Our design principles remain valid for oblique incidence and readily carry over to two-dimensional patterns. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Acoustical Engineering Controls and Estimated Return on Investment for DoD Selected High Noise Sources: A Roadmap for Future Noise Control in Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-25

20K $4.4B $8.8B Active Noise Cancellation 7 dB $30K $60K $13.2B $26.4B Tire Tread Re-design 5 dB $0.8K $2K $0.3B $0.8B Distributed TVA’s 5 dB $10K...lbs Distributed vibration absorbers $10,000 to $20,000 4 inches tall 1000 lbs Tire Tread $200-500 Minimal impact Minimal impact Hydraulic Mounts...of vibration and changing the shape and thickness of covers can reduce vibration levels and reduce radiation efficiency. Other than separating

Design Methodology - Design Synthesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Mogens Myrup

2003-01-01

Design Methodology is part of our practice and our knowledge about designing, and it has been strongly supported by the establishing and work of a design research community. The aim of this article is to broaden the reader¿s view of designing and Design Methodology. This is done by sketching...... the development of Design Methodology through time and sketching some important approaches and methods. The development is mainly forced by changing industrial condition, by the growth of IT support for designing, but also by the growth of insight into designing created by design researchers.......ABSTRACT Design Methodology shall be seen as our understanding of how to design; it is an early (emerging late 60ies) and original articulation of teachable and learnable methodics. The insight is based upon two sources: the nature of the designed artefacts and the nature of human designing. Today...

Designing Communication Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løvlie, Anders Sundnes

2016-01-01

Innovating in the field of new media genres requires methods for producing designs that can succeed in being disseminated and used outside of design research labs. This article uses the author's experiences with the development of university courses in communication design to address the research...... question: How can we design courses to give students the competencies they need to work as designers of new media? Based on existing approaches from UX design and other fields, I present a model that has demonstrated its usefulness in the development of commercial products and services. The model...

Tall trends: quantifying the skyscraper phenomenon

Science.gov (United States)

Gabel, Jason

2018-03-01

The world continues to witness an explosion of growth in the number of 200-plus-meter skyscrapers, with three straight years of record-breaking completions (from 2014 to 2016) and a 441 percent increase on the total number of such towers in the 21st century, from 265 in 2000 to 1,168 at the end of 2016. Fueled largely by strong economic performance, much of this activity is centered in Asia and the Middle East, upending longstanding geopolitical trends. China in particular has dominated worldwide skyscraper construction, accounting for two-thirds of all completions in the last calendar year (2016). Further, the traditional role of the skyscraper has diversified, with residential and mixed-use buildings accounting for a greater share of 200-plus-meter buildings. This paper explores these interconnected trends in detail and analyzes both the causes and impacts of an evolving skyscraper industry.

Revisiting Mr. Tall and Mr. Short

Science.gov (United States)

Riehl, Suzanne M.; Steinthorsdottir, Olof Bjorg

2014-01-01

Ratio, rate, and proportion are central ideas in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for middle-grades mathematics (CCSSI 2010). These ideas closely connect to themes in earlier grades (pattern building, multiplicative reasoning, rational number concepts) and are the foundation for understanding linear functions as well as many high school…

Talle sai saatuslikuks kannatamatus / Edward Lucas

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Lucas, Edward, 1962-

2010-01-01

Kuigi Venemaa peaminister Vladimir Putin tunnistas, et Katõni massimõrv oli NKVD kätetöö, lisas ta sellele ka oma revisionistliku märgi. Autor leiab, et Poola president Lech Kaczyński ei tahtnud, et Poola delegatsioon hilineks Katõni ohvrite mälestustseremooniale ja see viis presidendilennuki piloodi riskantse maandumiseni, mille käigus said surma Poola president ja kõik teised lennukis viibinud

Height-related growth declines in ponderosa pine are not due to carbon limitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Anna; Hoch, Günter

2009-01-01

Decreased gas exchange as trees grow tall has been proposed to explain age-related growth declines in trees. We examined changes of mobile carbon stores (starch, sugars and lipids) with tree height in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) at two sites differing in water availability, and tested the following hypotheses: (1) carbon supply does not become increasingly limited as trees grow tall; rather, the concentration of mobile carbon compounds increases with tree height reflecting greater reductions of carbon sink activities relative to carbon assimilation; and (2) increases of stored mobile carbon compounds with tree height are greater in drier sites. Height-related growth reductions were associated with significant increases of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and lipid concentrations in all tissues in the upper canopy and of NSC in the bole. Lipid concentrations in the bole decreased with tree height, but such decrease is not necessarily inconsistent with non-limiting carbon supply in tall trees. Furthermore, we found stronger increases of mobile carbon stores with tree height at the dry site relative to the moist site. Our results provide first direct evidence that carbon supply does not limit growth in tall trees and that decreases of water availability might negatively impact growth processes more than net-photosynthesis.

Seasonal profiles of leaf ascorbic acid content and redox state in ozone-sensitive wildflowers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkey, Kent O.; Neufeld, Howard S.; Souza, Lara; Chappelka, Arthur H.; Davison, Alan W.

2006-01-01

Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.), crown-beard (Verbesina occidentalis Walt.), and tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) are wildflower species native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S.A.). Natural populations of each species were analyzed for leaf ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) to assess the role of ascorbate in protecting the plants from ozone stress. Tall milkweed contained greater quantities of AA (7-10 μmol g -1 fresh weight) than crown-beard (2-4 μmol g -1 fresh weight) or cutleaf coneflower (0.5-2 μmol g -1 fresh weight). DHA was elevated in crown-beard and cutleaf coneflower relative to tall milkweed suggesting a diminished capacity for converting DHA into AA. Tall milkweed accumulated AA in the leaf apoplast (30-100 nmol g -1 fresh weight) with individuals expressing ozone foliar injury symptoms late in the season having less apoplast AA. In contrast, AA was not present in the leaf apoplast of either crown-beard or cutleaf coneflower. Unidentified antioxidant compounds were present in the leaf apoplast of all three species. Overall, distinct differences in antioxidant metabolism were found in the wildflower species that corresponded with differences in ozone sensitivity. - Wildflower species exhibit differences in ascorbic acid content and redox status that affect ozone sensitivity

Conceptual optimization using genetic algorithms for tube in tube structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pârv, Bianca Roxana; Hulea, Radu; Mojolic, Cristian

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to optimize the tube in tube structural systems for tall buildings under the horizontal wind loads. It is well-known that the horizontal wind loads is the main criteria when choosing the structural system, the types and the dimensions of structural elements in the majority of tall buildings. Thus, the structural response of tall buildings under the horizontal wind loads will be analyzed for 40 story buildings and a total height of 120 meters; the horizontal dimensions will be 30m × 30m for the first two optimization problems and 15m × 15m for the third. The optimization problems will have the following as objective function the cross section area, as restrictions the displacement of the building< the admissible displacement (H/500), and as variables the cross section dimensions of the structural elements

Absorption and translocation of 15N in Japonica (Hinohikari) and Indica (Hadsaduri) rice varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, N.; Inagaki, S.; Chishaki, N.; Horiguchi, T.

1997-01-01

The absorption and translocation of 15 N-labeled nitrogen (N) applied as three N levels of ammonium nitrate at the stages of panicle initiation (PI) and heading (HD) were compared between a japonica rice variety (var. Hinohikari) and a tall indica rice variety (var. Hadsaduri) by growing them hydroponically. With the supply of low N level, 15 N absorption by the japonica variety was larger, but at medium and high N levels, the tall indica variety absorbed larger amounts of 15 N at both stages. However, the amount of 15 N partitioned to the panicles at maturity was considerably smaller in the indica variety, since dry matter allocation to the panicles was also smaller in this variety. The tall indica variety showed a considerable loss of 15 N from heading to maturity at the high N-level unlike the japonica variety. (author)

Vestiti d’alta moda, ossature prêt-à-porter: trends strutturali per il grattacielo contemporaneo\\ud (Haute Couture claddings, prêt-à-porter structures: new structural trends for the contemporary skyscraper)

OpenAIRE

Cardellicchio, Luciano

2012-01-01

According with 2011 report of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, high-rises buildings developments have been rapidly increasing worldwide. Presenting the impossibility to compile a new classification for the primary structural system, this paper reviews the evolution of tall-building’s structural systems. While most representative structural system are discussed, the emphasis in this review paper is on current trends such as outrigger systems and diagrid structures. Learning fro...

Consumption of Endophyte Infected Fescue During Gestation in Beef Cows

OpenAIRE

Oliver, Katherine Rene

2016-01-01

Tall fescue is a widely grown, cool season grass prevalent in the eastern United States that is known for its resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. A main reason for tall fescue's resistance to these stresses is attributed to the presence of a fungal endophyte. Unfortunately, this endophyte also adversely affects cattle production. Cows consuming the ergot alkaloids produced by these endophytes can exhibit decreased feed intake, growth performance, organ vasoconstriction, and increased...

Effects of opening in shear walls of 30- storey building

OpenAIRE

Ruchi Sharma; Jignesh A Amin

2015-01-01

Tall towers and multi-storey buildings have fascinated mankind from the beginning of civilization, their construction being initially for defense and subsequently for ecclesiastical purposes. These tall buildings because of its height, is affected by lateral forces due to wind or earthquake actions tends to snap the building in shear and push it over in bending. In general, the rigidity (i.e. Resistance to lateral deflection) and stability (i.e. Resistance to overturning moments) requirement ...

Rearrangements and amplification of the ABL1 gene as an example of kinase activation in T-cell acute lymphoblastic

OpenAIRE

Graux, Carlos

2008-01-01

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a neoplastic disorder that develops from a single hematopoietic T-cell precursor that acquired oncogenic anomalies. T-ALL is a heterogeneous disease comprising several clinico-biological entities characterized by distinct underlying genetic defects. In the first part of this work, we attempted to correlate those numerous anomalies with the role of the corresponding non mutated genes or pathways in normal T-cell development. Mutations targeting se...

Cenozoic climate change shaped the evolutionary ecophysiology of the Cupressaceae conifers

OpenAIRE

Pittermann, Jarmila; Stuart, Stephanie A.; Dawson, Todd E.; Moreau, Astrid

2012-01-01

The Cupressaceae clade has the broadest diversity in habitat and morphology of any conifer family. This clade is characterized by highly divergent physiological strategies, with deciduous swamp-adapted genera-like Taxodium at one extreme, and evergreen desert genera-like Cupressus at the other. The size disparity within the Cupressaceae is equally impressive, with members ranging from 5-m-tall juniper shrubs to 100-m-tall redwood trees. Phylogenetic studies demonstrate that despite this varia...

Designing Material Materialising Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nicholas, Paul

2013-01-01

Designing Material Materialising Design documents five projects developed at the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture. These projects explore the idea that new designed materials might require new design methods....... Focusing on fibre reinforced composites, this book sustains an exploration into the design and making of elastically tailored architectural structures that rely on the use of computational design to predict sensitive interdependencies between geometry and behaviour. Developing novel concepts...

Production of biomass/energy crops on phosphatic clay soils in central Florida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stricker, J.A. [Univ. of Florida, Bartow, FL (United States); Prine, G.M.; Woodard, K.R. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States); Anderson, D.L. [Univ. of Florida, Belle Glade, FL (United States); Shibles, D.B.; Riddle, T.C. [Mined Lands Agricultural Research/Demonstration Project, Bartow, FL (United States)

1993-12-31

Phosphatic clay is a byproduct of phosphate mining. Presently more than 40,470 ha have been created, most in central Florida, and about 810 ha are being added each year. Phosphatic clays have high fertility and high water holding capacity, reducing fertilization costs and producing high yields without irrigation. Based on 10 years of research, scientists have selected tall annual-regenerating perennial C-4 grasses as having the greatest potential for biomass production in Florida. The purpose of this work was to determine the feasibility of growing these tall perennial grasses for biomass on phosphatic clay. Elephantgrass, sugarcane and energycane, and erianthus were planted in duplicate replications on phosphatic clay soil in late August, 1986. yield was measured by one harvest in December or January each year for four years. Nitrogen fertilization included 112 kg ha{sup {minus}1} the first year followed by 134 kg ha{sup {minus}1} for the next three years. Nitrogen is the only supplemental nutrient needed to grow all tall grass crops on phosphatic clay. The average annual oven dry matter yield over the 4-yr period was 36.3 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for PI 300086 elephantgrass, 45.2 for N51 elephantgrass, 42.5 for L79-1002 energycane, 49.0 for US72-1153 energycane, 49.7 for US78-1009 sugarcane, 52.2 for US56-9 sugarcane, 56.2 for CP72-1210 sugarcane, and 48.8 for 1K-7647 erianthus. More recent work has utilized domestic sewage sludge as a nitrogen source for the tall grasses. Preliminary sugar yields of selected sugarcane accessions & sweet sorghum were 4.7 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for CP72-1210, 12.5 for US67-2022, 3.4 for US78-1009 and 1.3 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} for sweet sorghum. The high yields of the tall grasses grown on phosphatic clay with low inputs indicate a great potential for these crops as a source of renewable energy. A sustainable cropping system may be maintained by utilizing municipal sewage sludge as a nitrogen source with tall grasses on phosphatic clay.

Subsonic Glideback Rocket Demonstrator Flight Testing

Science.gov (United States)

DeTurris, Dianne J.; Foster, Trevor J.; Barthel, Paul E.; Macy, Daniel J.; Droney, Christopher K.; Talay, Theodore A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

For the past two years, Cal Poly's rocket program has been aggressively exploring the concept of remotely controlled, fixed wing, flyable rocket boosters. This program, embodied by a group of student engineers known as Cal Poly Space Systems, has successfully demonstrated the idea of a rocket design that incorporates a vertical launch pattern followed by a horizontal return flight and landing. Though the design is meant for supersonic flight, CPSS demonstrators are deployed at a subsonic speed. Many steps have been taken by the club that allowed the evolution of the StarBooster prototype to reach its current size: a ten-foot tall, one-foot diameter, composite material rocket. Progress is currently being made that involves multiple boosters along with a second stage, third rocket.

Steel Plate Shear Walls: Efficient Structural Solution for Slender High-Rise in China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathias, Neville; Long, Eric; Sarkisian, Mark; Huang Zhihui

2008-01-01

The 329.6 meter tall 74-story Jinta Tower in Tianjin, China, is expected, when complete, to be the tallest building in the world with slender steel plate shear walls used as the primary lateral load resisting system. The tower has an overall aspect ratio close to 1:8, and the main design challenge was to develop an efficient lateral system capable of resisting significant wind and seismic lateral loads, while simultaneously keeping wind induced oscillations under acceptable perception limits. This paper describes the process of selection of steel plate shear walls as the structural system, and presents the design philosophy, criteria and procedures that were arrived at by integrating the relevant requirements and recommendations of US and Chinese codes and standards, and current on-going research

Postharvest residues from grass seed crops for bioenergy

OpenAIRE

Simić, Aleksandar; Čolić, Vladislava; Vučković, Savo; Dželetović, Željko; Bijelić, Zorica; Mandić, Violeta

2016-01-01

During grass seed production, a large amount of low forage quality biomass has been produced. Tall growing perennial grasses such as tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) can be used as an alternative source for bioenergy production as they can be grown in less cultivated areas, their residues in seed production could be valuable energy source and can be potentially used as a dual purpose crop (bioenergy and forage). In this research, potentials o...

Core transcriptional regulatory circuit controlled by the TAL1 complex in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanda, Takaomi; Lawton, Lee N; Barrasa, M Inmaculada; Fan, Zi Peng; Kohlhammer, Holger; Gutierrez, Alejandro; Ma, Wenxue; Tatarek, Jessica; Ahn, Yebin; Kelliher, Michelle A; Jamieson, Catriona H M; Staudt, Louis M; Young, Richard A; Look, A Thomas

2012-08-14

The oncogenic transcription factor TAL1/SCL is aberrantly expressed in over 40% of cases of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), emphasizing its importance in the molecular pathogenesis of T-ALL. Here we identify the core transcriptional regulatory circuit controlled by TAL1 and its regulatory partners HEB, E2A, LMO1/2, GATA3, and RUNX1. We show that TAL1 forms a positive interconnected autoregulatory loop with GATA3 and RUNX1 and that the TAL1 complex directly activates the MYB oncogene, forming a positive feed-forward regulatory loop that reinforces and stabilizes the TAL1-regulated oncogenic program. One of the critical downstream targets in this circuitry is the TRIB2 gene, which is oppositely regulated by TAL1 and E2A/HEB and is essential for the survival of T-ALL cells. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Results of intermediate-scale hot isostatic press can experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, L.O.; Vinjamuri, K.

1995-05-01

Radioactive high-level waste (HLW) has been managed at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) for a number of years. Since 1963, liquid HLW has been solidified into a granular solid (calcine). Presently, over 3,800 m 3 of calcine is stored in partially-underground stainless steel bins. Four intermediate- scale HLW can tests (two 6-in OD x 12-in tall and two 4-in OD x 7-in tall) are described and compared to small-scale HIP can tests (1- to 3-in OD x 1- to 4.5-in tall). The intermediate-scale HIP cans were loaded with a 70/30 calcine/frit blend and HIPped at an off-site facility at 1050 degrees C; and 20 ksi. The dimensions of two cans (4-in OD x 7-in tall) were monitored during the HIP cycle with eddy-current sensors. The sensor measurements indicated that can deformation occurs rapidly at 700 degrees C; after which, there is little additional can shrinkage. HIP cans were subjected to a number of analyses including calculation of the overall packing efficiency (56 to 59%), measurement of glass-ceramic (3.0 to 3.2 g/cc), 14-day MCC-1 leach testing (total mass loss rates 2 day), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on these analyses, the glass-ceramic material produced in intermediate-scale cans is similar to material produced in small-scale cans. No major scale-up problems were indicated. Based on the packing efficiency observed in intermediate- and small-scale tests, the overall packing efficiency of production-scale (24-in OD x 36- to 190-in tall) cans would be approximately 64% for a pre-HIP right-circular cylinder geometry. An efficiency of 64% would represent a volume reduction factor of 2.5 over a candidate glass waste prepared at 33 wt% waste loading

A heuristic approach to optimization of structural topology including self-weight

Science.gov (United States)

Tajs-Zielińska, Katarzyna; Bochenek, Bogdan

2018-01-01

Topology optimization of structures under a design-dependent self-weight load is investigated in this paper. The problem deserves attention because of its significant importance in the engineering practice, especially nowadays as topology optimization is more often applied when designing large engineering structures, for example, bridges or carrying systems of tall buildings. It is worth noting that well-known approaches of topology optimization which have been successfully applied to structures under fixed loads cannot be directly adapted to the case of design-dependent loads, so that topology generation can be a challenge also for numerical algorithms. The paper presents the application of a simple but efficient non-gradient method to topology optimization of elastic structures under self-weight loading. The algorithm is based on the Cellular Automata concept, the application of which can produce effective solutions with low computational cost.

Quantitative Characterization of Nut Yield and Fruit Components in Indigenous Coconut Germplasm in Sri Lanka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. C. N. Perera

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Coconut (Cocos nucifera L. is a tropical palm offering multiple uses. Conservation of coconut germplasm has been undertaken globally in view of its economic importance. This research was designed to evaluate nine Sri Lankan indigenous coconut germplasm representing the three varieties Typica, Nana, and Aurantiaca. Total annual nut yield and the weights of fresh nut, husked nut, split nut, and fresh and dry kernel were scored and analyzed with analysis of variance. The annual average number of bunches varied from 14.9 to 16.8 which is significantly higher than the generally accepted 12–14 bunches in tall coconuts. The high potential of phenotypes Ran thembili and Gon thembili for kernel production was revealed. The high potential of Gon thembili, Sri Lanka Tall, and Ran thembili to produce fibre was also identified. Phenotypes Ran thembili and Gon thembili displayed their potential as pure cultivars and as parents in hybridization. King coconut, Red dwarf, and Bodiri were shown to be suitable as beverage coconuts due to the high production of nuts, bunches, and the quantity of nut water. This study reiterated the importance of conservation and characterization of indigenous coconut varieties globally for their effective use in the genetic improvement of the coconut palm.

Determining the market value of high-rise residential buildings based on evaluation of consumer properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kolobova Svetlana

2018-01-01

Full Text Available As you know, high-rise construction is an indicator of the practical implementation of advanced innovative technologies in the construction industry of the country. High-rise building inevitably comes to the big cities, in connection with the shortage and value of land. The life cycle of any construction project, including high-rise buildings consists of chains: of engineering survey - design-construction-operation. In the process of operation of a tall building, decisions about major repairs or reconstruction of a building are made for decision-making on further use. This article describes methods of assessing the consumer quality of high-rise residential buildings and the establishment of prices based on consumer characteristics of a tall residential building. It is proposed to assess the premises under their quality characteristics. The study was conducted to establish the influence of individual, comprehensive and integral indicators of comparable quality for effective quality living spaces. Simultaneously, there was established a relationship of quality with the consumer cost of housing, ultimately with the potential needs of owners, tenants of the home, lessor dwelling, or buyers of residential properties and other participants in the residential real estate market. This relationship further creates consumer requirements to quality standard of premises at a certain stage of socio-economic development.

Determining the market value of high-rise residential buildings based on evaluation of consumer properties

Science.gov (United States)

Kolobova, Svetlana

2018-03-01

As you know, high-rise construction is an indicator of the practical implementation of advanced innovative technologies in the construction industry of the country. High-rise building inevitably comes to the big cities, in connection with the shortage and value of land. The life cycle of any construction project, including high-rise buildings consists of chains: of engineering survey - design-construction-operation. In the process of operation of a tall building, decisions about major repairs or reconstruction of a building are made for decision-making on further use. This article describes methods of assessing the consumer quality of high-rise residential buildings and the establishment of prices based on consumer characteristics of a tall residential building. It is proposed to assess the premises under their quality characteristics. The study was conducted to establish the influence of individual, comprehensive and integral indicators of comparable quality for effective quality living spaces. Simultaneously, there was established a relationship of quality with the consumer cost of housing, ultimately with the potential needs of owners, tenants of the home, lessor dwelling, or buyers of residential properties and other participants in the residential real estate market. This relationship further creates consumer requirements to quality standard of premises at a certain stage of socio-economic development.

Interspecific neighbor interactions promote the positive diversity-productivity relationship in experimental grassland communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuhua; Wang, Yongfan; Yu, Shixiao

2014-01-01

Because the frequency of heterospecific interactions inevitably increases with species richness in a community, biodiversity effects must be expressed by such interactions. However, little is understood how heterospecific interactions affect ecosystem productivity because rarely are biodiversity ecosystem functioning experiments spatially explicitly manipulated. To test the effect of heterospecific interactions on productivity, direct evidence of heterospecific neighborhood interaction is needed. In this study we conducted experiments with a detailed spatial design to investigate whether and how heterospecific neighborhood interactions promote primary productivity in a grassland community. The results showed that increasing the heterospecific: conspecific contact ratio significantly increased productivity. We found there was a significant difference in the variation in plant height between monoculture and mixture communities, suggesting that height-asymmetric competition for light plays a central role in promoting productivity. Heterospecific interactions make tall plants grow taller and short plants become smaller in mixtures compared to monocultures, thereby increasing the efficiency of light interception and utilization. Overyielding in the mixture communities arises from the fact that the loss in the growth of short plants is compensated by the increased growth of tall plants. The positive correlation between species richness and primary production was strengthened by increasing the frequency of heterospecific interactions. We conclude that species richness significantly promotes primary ecosystem production through heterospecific neighborhood interactions.

Fundamentals and applications of dry CO2 cryogenic aerosol for photomask cleaning

Science.gov (United States)

Varghese, Ivin; Balooch, Mehdi; Bowers, Charles W.

2010-09-01

There is a dire need for the removal of all printable defects on lithography masks. As the technology node advances, smaller particles need to be efficiently removed from smaller features without any damage or adders. CO2 cryogenic aerosol cleaning is a dry, residue-free and chemically inert technique that doesn't suffer from disadvantages of conventional wet cleaning methods such as transmission/reflectivity loss, phase change, CD change, haze/progressive defects, and/or limitation on number of cleaning cycles. Ultra-pure liquid CO2 when dispensed through an optimally designed nozzle results in CO2 clusters that impart the required momentum for defect removal. Historically nanomachining debris removal has been established with this technique. Several improvements have been incorporated for cleaning of advanced node masks, which has enabled Full Mask Final Clean, a new capability that has been successfully demonstrated. The properties of the CO2 clusters can be captured utilizing the Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) and effect of varying process and design parameters can be verified. New nozzles have been designed to widen the cleaning process window for advanced node optical masks, without any damage to the weak primary features and/or sub-resolution assist features (SRAFs). This capability has been experimentally proven for high aspect ratio SRAFs e.g. 2.79 (52nm wide by 145 nm tall) as well as SRAFs 45nm wide by 73 nm tall. In this paper, 100% removal of soft defects that would have printed on advanced node masks is demonstrated. No printed defects larger than 50nm is observed after the CO2 cleaning. Stability of the cleaning and handling mechanisms has been demonstrated over the last 4.5 months in a production environment. The CO2 cleaning technique is expected to be effective for more advanced masks and Extreme Ultra-Violet (EUV) lithography.

Herbaceous energy crops in humid lower South USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prine, G.M.; Woodard, K.R. [Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

1993-12-31

The humid lower South has the long warm growing season and high rainfall conditions needed for producing high-yielding perennial herbaceous grasses and shrubs. Many potential biomass plants were evaluated during a ten-year period. Perennial tall grasses such as elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum), sugarcane and energycane (Saccharum spp.) and the leguminous shrub Leucaena leucocephala were the highest in biomass production. These perennial crops often have top growth killed by winter freezes and regenerate from underground parts. The tall grasses have high yields because of linear crop growth rates of 18 to 27 g m{sup 2} d{sup {minus}1} for long periods (140 to 196 d) each season. Tall grasses must be planted vegetatively, which is more costly than seed propagation, however, once established, they may persist for many seasons. Oven dry biomass yields have varied from 20 to 45 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} yr{sup {minus}1} in colder subtropical to mild temperate locations to over 60 Mg ha{sup {minus}1} yr{sup {minus}1} in the lower portion of the Florida peninsular. Highest biomass yields have been produced when irrigated with sewage effluent or when grown on phosphatic clay and muck soils in south Florida. The energy content of 1 Mg of oven dry tall grass and leucaena is equivalent to that of about 112 and 123 gallons of number 2 diesel fuel, respectively.

Biosurfactant-producing microorganism Pseudomonas sp. SB assists the phytoremediation of DDT-contaminated soil by two grass species.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Beibei; Wang, Qingling; Liu, Wuxing; Liu, Xiaoyan; Hou, Jinyu; Teng, Ying; Luo, Yongming; Christie, Peter

2017-09-01

Phytoremediation together with microorganisms may confer the advantages of both phytoremediation and microbial remediation of soils containing organic contaminants. In this system biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas sp. SB may effectively help to increase the bioavailability of organic pollutants and thereby enhance their microbial degradation in soil. Plants may enhance the rhizosphere environment for microorganisms and thus promote the bioremediation of contaminants. In the present pot experiment study, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) residues underwent an apparent decline after soil bioremediation compared with the original soil. The removal efficiency of fertilizer + tall fescue, fertilizer + tall fescue + Pseudomonas, fertilizer + perennial ryegrass, and fertilizer + perennial ryegrass + Pseudomonas treatments were 59.4, 65.6, 69.0, and 65.9%, respectively, and were generally higher than that in the fertilizer control (40.3%). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) verifies that plant species greatly affected the soil bacterial community irrespective of inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. SB. Furthermore, community composition analysis shows that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the three dominant phyla in all groups. In particular, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas for fertilizer + tall fescue + Pseudomonas (0.25%) was significantly greater than fertilizer + tall fescue and this was related to the DDT removal efficiency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plumbagin exerts an immunosuppressive effect on human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia MOLT-4 cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Kyoung Jun; Lee, Yura [Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Daejeon 34824 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Soon Ae [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Daejeon 34824 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jiyeon, E-mail: yeon@eulji.ac.kr [Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Daejeon 34824 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-04-22

Of the hematological disorders typified by poor prognoses and survival rates, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is one of the most commonly diagnosed. Despite the development of new therapeutic agents, the treatment options for this cancer remain limited. In this manuscript, we investigated the anti-proliferative effects of plumbagin, mediated by the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, and inhibition of NF-κB signaling; the human T-ALL MOLT-4 cell line was used as our experimental system. Plumbagin is a natural, plant derived compound, which exerts an anti-proliferative activity against many types of human cancer. Our experiments confirm that plumbagin induces a caspase-dependent apoptosis of MOLT-4 cells, with no significant cytotoxicity seen for normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Plumbagin also inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of p65, and the transcription of NF-κB target genes. Our results now show that plumbagin is a potent inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway, and suppressor of T-ALL cell proliferation. - Highlights: • Plumbagin induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in T-ALL MOLT-4 cells. • Plumbagin activates phosphorylation of stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) JNK and p38. • Plumbagin inhibits LPS-mediated NF-κB signaling cascade. • Plumbagin inhibits LPS-mediated transcriptional activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Seasonal profiles of leaf ascorbic acid content and redox state in ozone-sensitive wildflowers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burkey, Kent O. [Plant Science Research Unit, USDA-ARS and North Carolina State University, 3127 Ligon Street, Raleigh, NC 27607 (United States)]. E-mail: koburkey@unity.ncsu.edu; Neufeld, Howard S. [Appalachian State University, Boone, NC (United States); Souza, Lara [Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Chappelka, Arthur H. [Auburn University, Auburn, AL (United States); Davison, Alan W. [University of Newcastle, Newcastle, England (United Kingdom)

2006-10-15

Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.), crown-beard (Verbesina occidentalis Walt.), and tall milkweed (Asclepias exaltata L.) are wildflower species native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (U.S.A.). Natural populations of each species were analyzed for leaf ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) to assess the role of ascorbate in protecting the plants from ozone stress. Tall milkweed contained greater quantities of AA (7-10 {mu}mol g{sup -1} fresh weight) than crown-beard (2-4 {mu}mol g{sup -1} fresh weight) or cutleaf coneflower (0.5-2 {mu}mol g{sup -1} fresh weight). DHA was elevated in crown-beard and cutleaf coneflower relative to tall milkweed suggesting a diminished capacity for converting DHA into AA. Tall milkweed accumulated AA in the leaf apoplast (30-100 nmol g{sup -1} fresh weight) with individuals expressing ozone foliar injury symptoms late in the season having less apoplast AA. In contrast, AA was not present in the leaf apoplast of either crown-beard or cutleaf coneflower. Unidentified antioxidant compounds were present in the leaf apoplast of all three species. Overall, distinct differences in antioxidant metabolism were found in the wildflower species that corresponded with differences in ozone sensitivity. - Wildflower species exhibit differences in ascorbic acid content and redox status that affect ozone sensitivity.