[Environment of tryptophan residues in proteins--a factor for stability to oxidative nitrosylation. I. Analysis of primary structure].

Science.gov (United States)

Beda, N V; Nedospasov, A A

2001-01-01

Micellar catalysis under aerobic conditions effectively accelerates oxidative nitrosylation because of solubilization of NO and O2 by protein membranes and hydrophobic nuclei. Nitrosylating intermediates NOx (NO2, N2O3, N2O4) form mainly in the hydrophobic phase, and therefore their solubility in aqueous phase is low and hydrolysis is rapid, local concentration of NOx in the hydrophobic phase being essentially higher than in aqueous. Tryptophan is a hydrophobic residue and can nitrosylate with the formation of isomer N-nitrosotryptophans (NOW). Without denitrosylation mechanism, the accumulation of NOW in proteins of NO-synthesizing organisms would be constant, and long-living proteins would contain essential amounts of NOW, which is however not the case. Using Protein Data Bank (more than 78,000 sequences) we investigated the distribution of tryptophan residues environment (22 residues on each side of polypeptide chain) in proteins with known primary structure. Charged and polar residues (D, H, K, N, Q, R, S) are more incident in the immediate surrounding of tryptophan (-6, -5, -2, -1, 1, 2, 4) and hydrophobic residues (A, F, I, L, V, Y) are more rare than in remote positions. Hence, an essential part of tryptophan residues is situated in hydrophilic environment, which decreases the nitrosylation velocity because of lower NOx concentration in aqueous phase and allows the denitrosylation reactions course via nitrosonium ion transfer on nucleophils of functional groups of protein and low-molecular compounds in aqueous phase.

Uranium in the Surrounding of San Marcos-Sacramento River Environment (Chihuahua, Mexico)

Science.gov (United States)

Rentería-Villalobos, Marusia; Cortés, Manuel Reyes; Mantero, Juan; Manjón, Guillermo; García-Tenorio, Rafael; Herrera, Eduardo; Montero-Cabrera, Maria Elena

2012-01-01

The main interest of this study is to assess whether uranium deposits located in the San Marcos outcrops (NW of Chihuahua City, Mexico) could be considered as a source of U-isotopes in its surrounding environment. Uranium activity concentrations were determined in biota, ground, and surface water by either alpha or liquid scintillation spectrometries. Major ions were analyzed by ICP-OES in surface water and its suspended matter. For determining uranium activity in biota, samples were divided in parts. The results have shown a possible lixiviation and infiltration of uranium from geological substrate into the ground and surface water, and consequently, a transfer to biota. Calculated annual effective doses by ingestion suggest that U-isotopes in biota could not negligibly contribute to the neighboring population dose. By all these considerations, it is concluded that in this zone there is natural enhancement of uranium in all environmental samples analyzed in the present work. PMID:22536148

Quantum field inspired model of decision making: Asymptotic stabilization of belief state via interaction with surrounding mental environment

OpenAIRE

Bagarello, Fabio; Basieva, Irina; Khrennikov, Andrei

2017-01-01

This paper is devoted to justification of quantum-like models of the process of decision making based on the theory of open quantum systems, i.e. decision making is considered as decoherence. This process is modeled as interaction of a decision maker, Alice, with a mental (information) environment ${\\cal R}$ surrounding her. Such an interaction generates "dissipation of uncertainty" from Alice's belief-state $\\rho(t)$ into ${\\cal R}$ and asymptotic stabilization of $\\rho(t)$ to a steady belie...

Random heteropolymers preserve protein function in foreign environments

Science.gov (United States)

Panganiban, Brian; Qiao, Baofu; Jiang, Tao; DelRe, Christopher; Obadia, Mona M.; Nguyen, Trung Dac; Smith, Anton A. A.; Hall, Aaron; Sit, Izaac; Crosby, Marquise G.; Dennis, Patrick B.; Drockenmuller, Eric; Olvera de la Cruz, Monica; Xu, Ting

2018-03-01

The successful incorporation of active proteins into synthetic polymers could lead to a new class of materials with functions found only in living systems. However, proteins rarely function under the conditions suitable for polymer processing. On the basis of an analysis of trends in protein sequences and characteristic chemical patterns on protein surfaces, we designed four-monomer random heteropolymers to mimic intrinsically disordered proteins for protein solubilization and stabilization in non-native environments. The heteropolymers, with optimized composition and statistical monomer distribution, enable cell-free synthesis of membrane proteins with proper protein folding for transport and enzyme-containing plastics for toxin bioremediation. Controlling the statistical monomer distribution in a heteropolymer, rather than the specific monomer sequence, affords a new strategy to interface with biological systems for protein-based biomaterials.

The genotype-environment interaction variance in rice-seed protein determination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismachin, M.

1976-01-01

Many environmental factors influence the protein content of cereal seed. This fact procured difficulties in breeding for protein. Yield is another example on which so many environmental factors are of influence. The length of time required by the plant to reach maturity, is also affected by the environmental factors; even though its effect is not too decisive. In this investigation the genotypic variance and the genotype-environment interaction variance which contribute to the total variance or phenotypic variance was analysed, with purpose to give an idea to the breeder how selection should be made. It was found that genotype-environment interaction variance is larger than the genotypic variance in contribution to total variance of protein-seed determination or yield. In the analysis of the time required to reach maturity it was found that genotypic variance is larger than the genotype-environment interaction variance. It is therefore clear, why selection for time required to reach maturity is much easier than selection for protein or yield. Selected protein in one location may be different from that to other locations. (author)

A regional study of the radiation environment of Greenham Common, Newbury District and surrounding areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-02-01

This study was commissioned by Newbury District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in response to public concern following disclosures about events at Greenham Common in the 1950s, and the suspicion that there may have been an accident involving a nuclear weapon leading to off-site contamination at the airbase. The Greenham Common airbase is at an advanced stage of decommissioning with parts of the site already re-developed for industrial and leisure purposes and material being removed for use in construction of the Newbury by-pass. The success of such developments is critically dependent on public confidence in the quality of the environment, both near the site, and more generally throughout the area. For this reason the study was commissioned with the aims of: I. defining the radiation environment of the whole district and parts of its surrounding areas. II. examining whether there is any evidence of radioactive contamination in the vicinity of the Greenham Common airbase. III. assessing the evidence that there may have been a release of nuclear material from the site. The work involved a collaboration between scientists from the Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre, who conducted gamma ray surveys to define the general radiation environment of the area, and Scientists from the University of Southampton who collected an extensive range of samples for high sensitivity radiochemical analyses. This report presents their findings and main conclusions, together with a discussion of the background to the study and its implications. (Author)

KFC Server: interactive forecasting of protein interaction hot spots.

Science.gov (United States)

Darnell, Steven J; LeGault, Laura; Mitchell, Julie C

2008-07-01

The KFC Server is a web-based implementation of the KFC (Knowledge-based FADE and Contacts) model-a machine learning approach for the prediction of binding hot spots, or the subset of residues that account for most of a protein interface's; binding free energy. The server facilitates the automated analysis of a user submitted protein-protein or protein-DNA interface and the visualization of its hot spot predictions. For each residue in the interface, the KFC Server characterizes its local structural environment, compares that environment to the environments of experimentally determined hot spots and predicts if the interface residue is a hot spot. After the computational analysis, the user can visualize the results using an interactive job viewer able to quickly highlight predicted hot spots and surrounding structural features within the protein structure. The KFC Server is accessible at http://kfc.mitchell-lab.org.

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 and decorin expression in old fracture fragments and surrounding tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, X G; Wang, D K; Gao, F; Liu, R H; Bi, Z G

2015-09-21

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) can promote fracture healing. Although the complex role BMP-2 in bone formation is increasingly understood, the role of endogenous BMP-2 in nonunion remains unclear. Decorin (DCN) can promote the formation of bone matrix and calcium deposition to control bone morphogenesis. In this study, tissue composition and expression of BMP-2 and DCN were detected in different parts of old fracture zones to explore inherent anti-fibrotic ability and osteogenesis. Twenty-three patients were selected, including eight cases of delayed union and 15 cases of nonunion. Average duration of delayed union or nonunion was 15 months. Fracture fragments and surrounding tissues, including bone grafts, marrow cavity contents, and sticking scars, were categorically sampled during surgery. Through observation and histological testing, component comparisons were made between fracture fragments and surrounding tissue. The expression levels of DCN and BMP-2 in different tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of DCN and BMP- 2 in different parts of the nonunion area showed that, compared with bone graft and marrow cavity contents, sticking scars had the highest expression of BMP-2. Compared with the marrow cavity contents and sticking scars, bone grafts had the highest expression of DCN. The low antifibrotic and osteogenic activity of the nonunion area was associated with non-co-expression of BMP-2 and DCN. Therefore, the co-injection of osteogenic factor BMP and DCN into the nonunion area can improve the induction of bone formation and enhance the conversion of the old scar, thereby achieving better nonunion treatment.

Monitoring of gross beta radioactivities on water sample environment in the surrounding of kartini reactor at 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siswanti; Munandar, A. Aris

2013-01-01

Measurement of gross beta radioactivities on water environment were done in the PTAPB BATAN has a goal for routine monitoring, with the result that fill RPL has been made and the result equivalented with quality standard were decided by BAPETEN. The water sample taken as much as 2 liter at 18 area were definited on radius 100 m to 5000 m in the surrounding of kartini reactor, vaporin on electric stove till the volume been ± 10 ml, and than pick out to the aluminium planset and drying on hot plate. Sample in the plancet were counted with a Low Background Counter (LBC) for 30 minutes and accounted of gross beta radioactivity water system. The result of gross beta radioactivity water environment at 2011 has a lowest 009, ± 0,06 Bq/I on Tambak Bayan area at june and in the Janti area highest 0,39 ± 0,08 Bq/ at December. The result still under of quality standard were decided by SK BAPETEN. No. 02/Ka- BAPETEN/V-99 is 0,4 Bq/I. (author)

Quantification and Classification of E. coli Proteome Utilization and Unused Protein Costs across Environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward J O'Brien

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The costs and benefits of protein expression are balanced through evolution. Expression of un-utilized protein (that have no benefits in the current environment incurs a quantifiable fitness costs on cellular growth rates; however, the magnitude and variability of un-utilized protein expression in natural settings is unknown, largely due to the challenge in determining environment-specific proteome utilization. We address this challenge using absolute and global proteomics data combined with a recently developed genome-scale model of Escherichia coli that computes the environment-specific cost and utility of the proteome on a per gene basis. We show that nearly half of the proteome mass is unused in certain environments and accounting for the cost of this unused protein expression explains >95% of the variance in growth rates of Escherichia coli across 16 distinct environments. Furthermore, reduction in unused protein expression is shown to be a common mechanism to increase cellular growth rates in adaptive evolution experiments. Classification of the unused protein reveals that the unused protein encodes several nutrient- and stress- preparedness functions, which may convey fitness benefits in varying environments. Thus, unused protein expression is the source of large and pervasive fitness costs that may provide the benefit of hedging against environmental change.

Mercury's interior, surface, and surrounding environment latest discoveries

CERN Document Server

Clark, Pamela Elizabeth

2015-01-01

This SpringerBrief details the MESSENGER Mission, the findings of which present challenges to widely held conventional views and remaining mysteries surrounding the planet. The work answers the question of why Mercury is so dense, and the implications from geochemical data on its planetary formation. It summarizes imaging and compositional data from the terrestrial planet surface processes and explains the geologic history of Mercury.  It also discusses the lack of southern hemisphere coverage. Our understanding of the planet Mercury has been in a transitional phase over the decades since Mariner 10. The influx of new data from the NASA MESSENGER Mission since it was inserted into the orbit of Mercury in March of 2011 has greatly accelerated that shift. The combined compositional data of relatively high volatiles (S, K), relatively low refractories (Al, Ca), and low crustal iron, combined with an active, partially molten iron rich core, has major implications for Mercury and Solar System formation. From a s...

Quantification and Classification of E. coli Proteome Utilization and Unused Protein Costs across Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

O'Brien, Edward J.; Utrilla, Jose; Palsson, Bernhard

2016-01-01

The costs and benefits of protein expression are balanced through evolution. Expression of un-utilized protein (that have no benefits in the current environment) incurs a quantifiable fitness costs on cellular growth rates; however, the magnitude and variability of un-utilized protein expression...... in varying environments. Thus, unused protein expression is the source of large and pervasive fitness costs that may provide the benefit of hedging against environmental change....... in natural settings is unknown, largely due to the challenge in determining environment-specific proteome utilization. We address this challenge using absolute and global proteomics data combined with a recently developed genome-scale model of Escherichia coli that computes the environment-specific cost...

Extensive severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus contamination in surrounding environment in patient rooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, B-H; Kim, J Y; Kim, T; Kim, M-C; Kim, M J; Chong, Y-P; Lee, S-O; Choi, S-H; Kim, Y S; Woo, J H; Kim, S-H

2018-01-31

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne disease in Korea and China. Although there is previous evidence of person-to-person transmission via direct contact with body fluids, the role of environmental contamination by SFTS virus (SFTSV) in healthcare settings has not been established. We therefore investigated the contamination of the healthcare environment by SFTSV. We investigated the possible contamination of hospital air and surfaces with SFTSV transmission by collecting air and swabbing environmental surface samples in two hospitals treating six SFTS patients between March and September 2017. The samples were tested using real-time RT-PCR for SFTS M and S segments. Of the six SFTS patients, four received mechanical ventilation and three died. Five rooms were occupied by those using mechanical ventilation or total plasma exchange therapy in isolation rooms without negative pressure and one room was occupied by a patient bedridden due to SFTS. SFTSV was detected in 14 (21%) of 67 swab samples. Five of 24 swab samples were obtained from fomites including stethoscopes, and 9 of 43 were obtained from fixed structures including doorknobs and bed guardrails. Some samples from fixed structures such as television monitors and sink tables were obtained in areas remote from the patients. SFTSV RNA was not detected in five air samples from three patients' rooms. Our data suggest that SFTSV contamination was extensive in surrounding environments in SFTS patients' rooms. Therefore, more strict isolation methods and disinfecting procedures should be considered when managing SFTS patients. Copyright © 2018 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the relationship between residue structural environment and sequence conservation in proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jen-Wei; Lin, Jau-Ji; Cheng, Chih-Wen; Lin, Yu-Feng; Hwang, Jenn-Kang; Huang, Tsun-Tsao

2017-09-01

Residues that are crucial to protein function or structure are usually evolutionarily conserved. To identify the important residues in protein, sequence conservation is estimated, and current methods rely upon the unbiased collection of homologous sequences. Surprisingly, our previous studies have shown that the sequence conservation is closely correlated with the weighted contact number (WCN), a measure of packing density for residue's structural environment, calculated only based on the C α positions of a protein structure. Moreover, studies have shown that sequence conservation is correlated with environment-related structural properties calculated based on different protein substructures, such as a protein's all atoms, backbone atoms, side-chain atoms, or side-chain centroid. To know whether the C α atomic positions are adequate to show the relationship between residue environment and sequence conservation or not, here we compared C α atoms with other substructures in their contributions to the sequence conservation. Our results show that C α positions are substantially equivalent to the other substructures in calculations of various measures of residue environment. As a result, the overlapping contributions between C α atoms and the other substructures are high, yielding similar structure-conservation relationship. Take the WCN as an example, the average overlapping contribution to sequence conservation is 87% between C α and all-atom substructures. These results indicate that only C α atoms of a protein structure could reflect sequence conservation at the residue level. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of genotype and environment interaction on oil and protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigated the crude oil and protein contents of soybean cultivated in different environments in the Middle Black Sea region of Turkey. Field experiments were conducted at 8 sites (Erbaa, Turhal, Carsamba, Bafra, Gokhoyuk, Suluova, Kabalı, Boyabat) with differing environments during two years; the study used ...

Contamination of nebulisers and surrounding air at the bedside of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An air sampler was used to collect air samples from the surrounding bedside environment. .... individualised resealable plastic bags and stored upside down in a cooler .... conventional and mesh technology nebulisers used at home by adults.

Environmental surveillance of the US Department of Energy Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and surrounding environs during 1986: Volume 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oakes, T.W.; Wiehle, W.E.; Valentine, B.L.

1987-04-01

This report provides monitoring data for the installation and surrounding environs that may have been affected by operations on the plant site; provides detailed information about the installation; provides detailed information on input and assumption used in all calculations; integrates monitoring data and related studies in one document to pull together, highlight, and summarize the information contained in many documents; provides trend analyses, where possible, to indicate increases and decreases in environmental conditions; and provides general information on the plant site and quality assurance. Routine monitoring and sampling for radiation, radioactive materials, and chemical substances on and off the DOE reservation and PORTS are used to document compliance with appropriate standards, identify trends, provide information for the public, and contribute to general environmental knowledge. The surveillance program assists in fulfilling the DOE policy of protecting the public, employees, and the environment from harm that could be caused by its activities and reducing negative environmental impacts to the greatest degree practicable. Environmental monitoring information complements data on specific releases, trends, and summaries. 68 refs., 203 figs., 112 tabs

Identification of β-SiC surrounded by relatable surrounding diamond ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

β-SiC is identified in the presence of a relatable surrounding diamond medium using subtle, but discernible Raman ... Change in the nature of the surrounding material structure and its .... intensity implies very low graphite content in thin film. In.

Effects of Co-Processing Sewage Sludge in the Cement Kiln on PAHs, Heavy Metals Emissions and the Surrounding Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Dong; Zhu, Tianle; Liu, Runwei; Li, Xinghua; Zhao, Yuan; Sun, Ye; Wang, Hongmei; Zhang, Fan; Zhao, Qinglin

2018-04-08

To understand the effects of co-processing sewage sludge in the cement kiln on non-criterion pollutants emissions and its surrounding environment, the flue gas from a cement kiln stack, ambient air and soil from the background/downwind sites were collected in the cement plant. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals of the samples were analyzed. The results show that PAHs in flue gas mainly exist in the gas phase and the low molecular weight PAHs are the predominant congener. The co-processing sewage sludge results in the increase in PAHs and heavy metals emissions, especially high molecular weight PAHs and low-volatile heavy metals such as Cd and Pb in the particle phase, while it does not change their compositions and distribution patterns significantly. The concentrations and their distributions of the PAHs and heavy metals between the emissions and ambient air have a positive correlation and the co-processing sewage sludge results in the increase of PAHs and heavy metals concentrations in the ambient air. The PAHs concentration level and their distribution in soil are proportional to those in the particle phase of flue gas, and the co-processing sewage sludge can accelerate the accumulation of the PAHs and heavy metals in the surrounding soil, especially high/middle molecular weight PAHs and low-volatile heavy metals.

DECK: Distance and environment-dependent, coarse-grained, knowledge-based potentials for protein-protein docking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vakser Ilya A

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Computational approaches to protein-protein docking typically include scoring aimed at improving the rank of the near-native structure relative to the false-positive matches. Knowledge-based potentials improve modeling of protein complexes by taking advantage of the rapidly increasing amount of experimentally derived information on protein-protein association. An essential element of knowledge-based potentials is defining the reference state for an optimal description of the residue-residue (or atom-atom pairs in the non-interaction state. Results The study presents a new Distance- and Environment-dependent, Coarse-grained, Knowledge-based (DECK potential for scoring of protein-protein docking predictions. Training sets of protein-protein matches were generated based on bound and unbound forms of proteins taken from the DOCKGROUND resource. Each residue was represented by a pseudo-atom in the geometric center of the side chain. To capture the long-range and the multi-body interactions, residues in different secondary structure elements at protein-protein interfaces were considered as different residue types. Five reference states for the potentials were defined and tested. The optimal reference state was selected and the cutoff effect on the distance-dependent potentials investigated. The potentials were validated on the docking decoys sets, showing better performance than the existing potentials used in scoring of protein-protein docking results. Conclusions A novel residue-based statistical potential for protein-protein docking was developed and validated on docking decoy sets. The results show that the scoring function DECK can successfully identify near-native protein-protein matches and thus is useful in protein docking. In addition to the practical application of the potentials, the study provides insights into the relative utility of the reference states, the scope of the distance dependence, and the coarse-graining of

Developmental environment mediates male seminal protein investment in Drosophila melanogaster.

Science.gov (United States)

Wigby, Stuart; Perry, Jennifer C; Kim, Yon-Hee; Sirot, Laura K

2016-03-01

Males of many species fine-tune their ejaculates in response to sperm competition risk. Resource availability and the number of competitors during development can also strongly influence sperm production. However, despite the key role of seminal proteins in mediating reproductive processes, it is unclear whether seminal protein investment is dependent on the developmental environment.We manipulated the developmental environment of Drosophila melanogaster by rearing flies at low and high density. As expected, this resulted in large and small (i.e. high and low condition) adult phenotypes, respectively.As predicted, large males produced more of two key seminal proteins, sex peptide (SP) and ovulin, and were more successful at obtaining matings with both virgin and previously mated females. However, there was only a weak and non-significant trend for large males to transfer more absolute quantities of SP at mating, and thus, small males ejaculated proportionally more of their stored accessory gland SP resources.Males transferred more receptivity-inhibiting SP to large females. Despite this, large females remated more quickly than small females and thus responded to their developmental environment over and above the quantity of SP they received.The results are consistent with two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses. First, flies might respond to condition-dependent reproductive opportunities, with (i) small males investing heavily in ejaculates when mating opportunities arise and large males strategically partitioning SP resources and (ii) small females remating at reduced rates because they have higher mating costs or need to replenish sperm less often.Second, flies may be primed by their larval environment to deal with similar adult population densities, with (i) males perceiving high density as signalling increased competition, leading small males to invest proportionally more SP resources at mating and (ii) females perceiving high density as signalling abundant

Analysis of the geomorphology surrounding the Chang'e-3 landing site

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chun-Lai; Mu, Ling-Li; Zou, Xiao-Duan; Liu, Jian-Jun; Ren, Xin; Zeng, Xing-Guo; Yang, Yi-Man; Zhang, Zhou-Bin; Liu, Yu-Xuan; Zuo, Wei; Li, Han

2014-12-01

Chang'e-3 (CE-3) landed on the Mare Imbrium basin in the east part of Sinus Iridum (19.51°W, 44.12°N), which was China's first soft landing on the Moon and it started collecting data on the lunar surface environment. To better understand the environment of this region, this paper utilizes the available high-resolution topography data, image data and geological data to carry out a detailed analysis and research on the area surrounding the landing site (Sinus Iridum and 45 km×70 km of the landing area) as well as on the topography, landform, geology and lunar dust of the area surrounding the landing site. A general topographic analysis of the surrounding area is based on a digital elevation model and digital elevation model data acquired by Chang'e-2 that have high resolution; the geology analysis is based on lunar geological data published by USGS; the study on topographic factors and distribution of craters and rocks in the surrounding area covering 4 km×4 km or even smaller is based on images from the CE-3 landing camera and images from the topographic camera; an analysis is done of the effect of the CE-3 engine plume on the lunar surface by comparing images before and after the landing using data from the landing camera. A comprehensive analysis of the results shows that the landing site and its surrounding area are identified as typical lunar mare with flat topography. They are suitable for maneuvers by the rover, and are rich in geological phenomena and scientific targets, making it an ideal site for exploration.

Characterization of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, and polychlorinated naphthalenes in the environment surrounding secondary copper and aluminum metallurgical facilities in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jicheng; Zheng, Minghui; Liu, Wenbin; Nie, Zhiqiang; Li, Changliang; Liu, Guorui; Xiao, Ke

2014-10-01

Unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutants (UP-POPs) were determined in ambient air from around five secondary non-ferrous metal processing plants in China, to investigate the potential impacts of the emissions of these plants on their surrounding environments. The target compounds were polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). The PCDD/F, dl-PCB, and PCN concentrations in the ambient air downwind of the plants were 4.70-178, 8.23-7520 and 152-4190 pg/m(3), respectively, and the concentrations upwind of the plants were lower. Clear correlations were found between ambient air and stack gas concentrations of the PCDD/Fs, dl-PCBs, and PCNs among the five plants, respectively. Furthermore, the UP-POPs homolog and congener patterns in the ambient air were similar to the patterns in the stack gas samples. These results indicate that UP-POPs emissions from the plants investigated have obvious impacts on the environments surrounding the plants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ground level environmental protein concentrations in various ecuadorian environments: potential uses of aerosolized protein for ecological research

Science.gov (United States)

Staton, Sarah J.R.; Woodward, Andrea; Castillo, Josemar A.; Swing, Kelly; Hayes, Mark A.

2014-01-01

Large quantities of free protein in the environment and other bioaerosols are ubiquitous throughout terrestrial ground level environments and may be integrative indicators of ecosystem status. Samples of ground level bioaerosols were collected from various ecosystems throughout Ecuador, including pristine humid tropical forest (pristine), highly altered secondary humid tropical forest (highly altered), secondary transitional very humid forest (regrowth transitional), and suburban dry montane deforested (suburban deforested). The results explored the sensitivity of localized aerosol protein concentrations to spatial and temporal variations within ecosystems, and their value for assessing environmental change. Ecosystem specific variations in environmental protein concentrations were observed: pristine 0.32 ± 0.09 μg/m3, highly altered 0.07 ± 0.05 μg/m3, regrowth transitional 0.17 ± 0.06 μg/m3, and suburban deforested 0.09 ± 0.04 μg/m3. Additionally, comparisons of intra-environmental differences in seasonal/daily weather (dry season 0.08 ± 0.03 μg/m3 and wet season 0.10 ± 0.04 μg/m3), environmental fragmentation (buffered 0.19 ± 0.06 μg/m3 and edge 0.15 ± 0.06 μg/m3), and sampling height (ground level 0.32 ± 0.09 μg/m3 and 10 m 0.24 ± 0.04 μg/m3) demonstrated the sensitivity of protein concentrations to environmental conditions. Local protein concentrations in altered environments correlated well with satellite-based spectral indices describing vegetation productivity: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (r2 = 0.801), net primary production (NPP) (r2 = 0.827), leaf area index (LAI) (r2 = 0.410). Moreover, protein concentrations distinguished the pristine site, which was not differentiated in spectral indices, potentially due to spectral saturation typical of highly vegetated environments. Bioaerosol concentrations represent an inexpensive method to increase understanding of environmental changes, especially in densely vegetated

How A Black Hole Lights Up Its Surroundings

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-10-01

How do the supermassive black holes that live at the centers of galaxies influence their environments? New observations of a distant active galaxy offer clues about this interaction.Signs of CoevolutionPlot demonstrating the m-sigma relation, the empirical correlation between the stellar velocity dispersion of a galactic bulge and the mass of the supermassive black hole at its center. [Msigma]We know that the centers of active galaxies host supermassive black holes with masses of millions to billions of suns. One mystery surrounding these beasts is that they are observed to evolve simultaneously with their host galaxies for instance, an empirical relationship is seen between the growth of a black hole and the growth of its host galaxys bulge. This suggests that there must be a feedback mechanism through which the evolution of a black hole is linked to that of its host galaxy.One proposed source of this coupling is the powerful jets emitted from the poles of these supermassive black holes. These jets are thought to be produced as some of the material accreting onto the black hole is flung out, confined by surrounding gas and magnetic fields. Because the jets of hot gas and radiation extend outward through the host galaxy, they provide a means for the black hole to influence the gas and dust of its surroundings.In our current model of a radio-loud active galactic nuclei,a region of hot, ionized gas the narrow-line region lies beyond the sphere of influence of the supermassive black hole. [C.M. Urry and P. Padovani]Clues in the Narrow-Line RegionThe region of gas thought to sit just outside of the black holes sphere of influence (at a distance of perhaps a thousand to a few thousand light-years) is known as the narrow line region so named because we observe narrow emission lines from this gas. Given its hot, ionized state, this gas must somehow be being pummeled with energy. In the canonical picture, radiation from the black hole heats the gas directly in a process

Phthalic Acid Chemical Probes Synthesized for Protein-Protein Interaction Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chin-Jen Wu

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Plasticizers are additives that are used to increase the flexibility of plastic during manufacturing. However, in injection molding processes, plasticizers cannot be generated with monomers because they can peel off from the plastics into the surrounding environment, water, or food, or become attached to skin. Among the various plasticizers that are used, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid (phthalic acid is a typical precursor to generate phthalates. In addition, phthalic acid is a metabolite of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP. According to Gene_Ontology gene/protein database, phthalates can cause genital diseases, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, etc. In this study, a silanized linker (3-aminopropyl triethoxyslane, APTES was deposited on silicon dioxides (SiO2 particles and phthalate chemical probes were manufactured from phthalic acid and APTES–SiO2. These probes could be used for detecting proteins that targeted phthalic acid and for protein-protein interactions. The phthalic acid chemical probes we produced were incubated with epithelioid cell lysates of normal rat kidney (NRK-52E cells to detect the interactions between phthalic acid and NRK-52E extracted proteins. These chemical probes interacted with a number of chaperones such as protein disulfide-isomerase A6, heat shock proteins, and Serpin H1. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA software showed that these chemical probes were a practical technique for protein-protein interaction analysis.

Analysis of the geomorphology surrounding the Chang'e-3 landing site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Chun-Lai; Mu Ling-Li; Zou Xiao-Duan; Liu Jian-Jun; Ren Xin; Zeng Xing-Guo; Yang Yi-Man; Zhang Zhou-Bin; Liu Yu-Xuan; Zuo Wei; Li Han

2014-01-01

Chang'e-3 (CE-3) landed on the Mare Imbrium basin in the east part of Sinus Iridum (19.51°W, 44.12°N), which was China's first soft landing on the Moon and it started collecting data on the lunar surface environment. To better understand the environment of this region, this paper utilizes the available high-resolution topography data, image data and geological data to carry out a detailed analysis and research on the area surrounding the landing site (Sinus Iridum and 45 km×70 km of the landing area) as well as on the topography, landform, geology and lunar dust of the area surrounding the landing site. A general topographic analysis of the surrounding area is based on a digital elevation model and digital elevation model data acquired by Chang'e-2 that have high resolution; the geology analysis is based on lunar geological data published by USGS; the study on topographic factors and distribution of craters and rocks in the surrounding area covering 4 km×4 km or even smaller is based on images from the CE-3 landing camera and images from the topographic camera; an analysis is done of the effect of the CE-3 engine plume on the lunar surface by comparing images before and after the landing using data from the landing camera. A comprehensive analysis of the results shows that the landing site and its surrounding area are identified as typical lunar mare with flat topography. They are suitable for maneuvers by the rover, and are rich in geological phenomena and scientific targets, making it an ideal site for exploration

ESCRT-dependent degradation of ubiquitylated plasma membrane proteins in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Isono, Erika; Kalinowska, Kamila

2017-12-01

To control the abundance of plasma membrane receptors and transporters is crucial for proper perception and response to extracellular signals from surrounding cells and the environment. Posttranslational modification of plasma membrane proteins, especially ubiquitin conjugation or ubiquitylation, is key for the determination of stability for many transmembrane proteins localized on the cell surface. The targeted degradation is ensured by a complex network of proteins among which the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) plays a central role. This review focuses on progresses made in recent years on the understanding of the function of the ESCRT machinery in the degradation of ubiquitylated plasma membrane proteins in plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ProFASTA: a pipeline web server for fungal protein scanning with integration of cell surface prediction software

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Groot, P.W.J.; Brandt, B.W.

2012-01-01

Surface proteins, such as those located in the cell wall of fungi, play an important role in the interaction with the surrounding environment. For instance, they mediate primary host-pathogen interactions and are crucial to the establishment of biofilms and fungal infections. Surface localization of

Study on water migration of tunnel surrounding rock in nuclear waste repository based on coupling theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zhongming; Zhang Xinmin

2008-01-01

Excavation of tunnel changes not only the stresses and deformation of tunnel surrounding rock, but also disturbs the underground water environment in tunnel surrounding rock Water migration happens due to variation of pore water pressure and redistribution. Based on the mechanics of porous media, saturated and unsaturated hydro-mechanical coupling analysis method is employed to study the variation of the stresses, deformation and pore pressure of the surrounding rock. Case study indicates that the excavation of tunnel will induce redistribution of stress and pore water pressure. Redistribution of pore water pressure will seriously affect on evaluation of surrounding rock stability and diffusion of nucleon in the pore water. (authors)

Principles of protein targeting to the nucleolus.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Robert M; Ter-Avetisyan, Gohar; Herce, Henry D; Ludwig, Anne K; Lättig-Tünnemann, Gisela; Cardoso, M Cristina

2015-01-01

The nucleolus is the hallmark of nuclear compartmentalization and has been shown to exert multiple roles in cellular metabolism besides its main function as the place of rRNA synthesis and assembly of ribosomes. Nucleolar proteins dynamically localize and accumulate in this nuclear compartment relative to the surrounding nucleoplasm. In this study, we have assessed the molecular requirements that are necessary and sufficient for the localization and accumulation of peptides and proteins inside the nucleoli of living cells. The data showed that positively charged peptide entities composed of arginines alone and with an isoelectric point at and above 12.6 are necessary and sufficient for mediating significant nucleolar accumulation. A threshold of 6 arginines is necessary for peptides to accumulate in nucleoli, but already 4 arginines are sufficient when fused within 15 amino acid residues of a nuclear localization signal of a protein. Using a pH sensitive dye, we found that the nucleolar compartment is particularly acidic when compared to the surrounding nucleoplasm and, hence, provides the ideal electrochemical environment to bind poly-arginine containing proteins. In fact, we found that oligo-arginine peptides and GFP fusions bind RNA in vitro. Consistent with RNA being the main binding partner for arginines in the nucleolus, we found that the same principles apply to cells from insects to man, indicating that this mechanism is highly conserved throughout evolution.

Investigation of metalloproteins distributions in cytosol of hepatocellular carcinoma and its surrounding tissues by using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Yuxi; Chen Chunying; Li Bai; Chai Zhifang; Huang Yuying; He Wei; Deng Guilong; Liu Yingbin

2004-01-01

Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) spectroscopy is an advanced quantitative multielemental analytical technique with space resolution of several μm and sensitivities in the μ g/g range. It can be used for keeping track of trace elements in biological samples after an electrophoretic separation. In this paper, proteins in cytosol of human hepatocellular carcinoma and the surrounding 'normal' tissue were separated with thin layer isoelectric focusing (IEF). The contents of metal ions in protein bands were determined by SRXRF. The results showed that the metal-containing proteins detected in the two samples were very much alike, but their distribution patterns were easily distinguishable. The contents of iron, zinc, and copper in bands from the surrounding 'normal' tissue were generally higher than that from hepatoma tissue, especially in Fe-containing proteins with pIs of 6.5, 7.7, 8.0 and less than 3.5, Cu-containing proteins with PIs of 3.2, 4.9, 5.5, 5.9 and 6.5, as well as Zn-containing proteins with pI of 5.5 and 6.5. However, Fe contents in Fe-containing proteins of 4.0, and 7.0 from the hepatoma tissue were slight higher than that from the surrounding 'normal' tissue. Further studies are necessary to validate the universality and the biological meaning of the pattern. (authors)

[Adsorption characteristics of proteins on membrane surface and effect of protein solution environment on permeation behavior of berberine].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yi-Qun; Xu, Li; Zhu, Hua-Xu; Tang, Zhi-Shu; Li, Bo; Pan, Yong-Lan; Yao, Wei-Wei; Fu, Ting-Ming; Guo, Li-Wei

2017-10-01

In order to explore the adsorption characteristics of proteins on the membrane surface and the effect of protein solution environment on the permeation behavior of berberine, berberine and proteins were used as the research object to prepare simulated solution. Low field NMR, static adsorption experiment and membrane separation experiment were used to study the interaction between the proteins and ceramic membrane or between the proteins and berberine. The static adsorption capacity of proteins, membrane relative flux, rejection rate of proteins, transmittance rate of berberine and the adsorption rate of proteins and berberine were used as the evaluation index. Meanwhile, the membrane resistance distribution, the particle size distribution and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) were determined to investigate the adsorption characteristics of proteins on ceramic membrane and the effect on membrane separation process of berberine. The results showed that the ceramic membrane could adsorb the proteins and the adsorption model was consistent with Langmuir adsorption model. In simulating the membrane separation process, proteins were the main factor to cause membrane fouling. However, when the concentration of proteins was 1 g•L⁻¹, the proteins had no significant effect on membrane separation process of berberine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Molecular dynamics study of homo-oligomeric ion channels: Structures of the surrounding lipids and dynamics of water movement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thuy Hien Nguyen

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the structural perturbations of lipids surrounding transmembrane ion channel forming helices/helical bundles and the movement of water within the pores of the ion-channels/bundles. Specifically, helical monomers to hexameric helical bundles embedded in palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidyl-choline (POPC lipid bilayer were studied. Two amphipathic α-helices with the sequence Ac-(LSLLLSL3-NH2 (LS2, and Ac-(LSSLLSL3-NH2 (LS3, which are known to form ion channels, were used. To investigate the surrounding lipid environment, we examined the hydrophobic mismatch, acyl chain order parameter profiles, lipid head-to-tail vector projection on the membrane surface, and the lipid headgroup vector projection. We find that the lipid structure is perturbed within approximately two lipid solvation shells from the protein bundle for each system (~15.0 Å. Beyond two lipid “solvation” shells bulk lipid bilayer properties were observed in all systems. To understand water flow, we enumerated each time a water molecule enters or exited the channel, which allowed us to calculate the number of water crossing events and their rates, and the residence time of water in the channel. We correlate the rate of water crossing with the structural properties of these ion channels and find that the movements of water are predominantly governed by the packing and pore diameter, rather than the topology of each peptide or the pore (hydrophobic or hydrophilic. We show that the crossing events of water fit quantitatively to a stochastic process and that water molecules are traveling diffusively through the pores. These lipid and water findings can be used for understanding the environment within and around ion channels. Furthermore, these findings can benefit various research areas such as rational design of novel therapeutics, in which the drug interacts with membranes and transmembrane proteins to enhance the efficacy or reduce off

Controversies surrounding high-protein diet intake: satiating effect and kidney and bone health.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuenca-Sánchez, Marta; Navas-Carrillo, Diana; Orenes-Piñero, Esteban

2015-05-01

Long-term consumption of a high-protein diet could be linked with metabolic and clinical problems, such as loss of bone mass and renal dysfunction. However, although it is well accepted that a high-protein diet may be detrimental to individuals with existing kidney dysfunction, there is little evidence that high protein intake is dangerous for healthy individuals. High-protein meals and foods are thought to have a greater satiating effect than high-carbohydrate or high-fat meals. The effect of high-protein diets on the modulation of satiety involves multiple metabolic pathways. Protein intake induces complex signals, with peptide hormones being released from the gastrointestinal tract and blood amino acids and derived metabolites being released in the blood. Protein intake also stimulates metabolic hormones that communicate information about energy status to the brain. Long-term ingestion of high amounts of protein seems to decrease food intake, body weight, and body adiposity in many well-documented studies. The aim of this article is to provide an extensive overview of the efficacy of high protein consumption in weight loss and maintenance, as well as the potential consequences in human health of long-term intake. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Perceptron learning of pairwise contact energies for proteins incorporating the amino acid environment

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Muyoung; Kim, Suhkmann; Moon, Eun-Joung; Cheon, Mookyung; Chung, Kwanghoon; Chang, Iksoo

2005-07-01

Although a coarse-grained description of proteins is a simple and convenient way to attack the protein folding problem, the construction of a global pairwise energy function which can simultaneously recognize the native folds of many proteins has resulted in partial success. We have sought the possibility of a systematic improvement of this pairwise-contact energy function as we extended the parameter space of amino acids, incorporating local environments of amino acids, beyond a 20×20 matrix. We have studied the pairwise contact energy functions of 20×20 , 60×60 , and 180×180 matrices depending on the extent of parameter space, and compared their effect on the learnability of energy parameters in the context of a gapless threading, bearing in mind that a 20×20 pairwise contact matrix has been shown to be too simple to recognize the native folds of many proteins. In this paper, we show that the construction of a global pairwise energy function was achieved using 1006 training proteins of a homology of less than 30%, which include all representatives of different protein classes. After parametrizing the local environments of the amino acids into nine categories depending on three secondary structures and three kinds of hydrophobicity (desolvation), the 16290 pairwise contact energies (scores) of the amino acids could be determined by perceptron learning and protein threading. These could simultaneously recognize all the native folds of the 1006 training proteins. When these energy parameters were tested on the 382 test proteins of a homology of less than 90%, 370 (96.9%) proteins could recognize their native folds. We set up a simple thermodynamic framework in the conformational space of decoys to calculate the unfolded fraction and the specific heat of real proteins. The different thermodynamic stabilities of E.coli ribonuclease H (RNase H) and its mutants were well described in our calculation, agreeing with the experiment.

A permeability barrier surrounds taste buds in lingual epithelia

Science.gov (United States)

Dando, Robin; Pereira, Elizabeth; Kurian, Mani; Barro-Soria, Rene; Chaudhari, Nirupa

2014-01-01

Epithelial tissues are characterized by specialized cell-cell junctions, typically localized to the apical regions of cells. These junctions are formed by interacting membrane proteins and by cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix components. Within the lingual epithelium, tight junctions join the apical tips of the gustatory sensory cells in taste buds. These junctions constitute a selective barrier that limits penetration of chemosensory stimuli into taste buds (Michlig et al. J Comp Neurol 502: 1003–1011, 2007). We tested the ability of chemical compounds to permeate into sensory end organs in the lingual epithelium. Our findings reveal a robust barrier that surrounds the entire body of taste buds, not limited to the apical tight junctions. This barrier prevents penetration of many, but not all, compounds, whether they are applied topically, injected into the parenchyma of the tongue, or circulating in the blood supply, into taste buds. Enzymatic treatments indicate that this barrier likely includes glycosaminoglycans, as it was disrupted by chondroitinase but, less effectively, by proteases. The barrier surrounding taste buds could also be disrupted by brief treatment of lingual tissue samples with DMSO. Brief exposure of lingual slices to DMSO did not affect the ability of taste buds within the slice to respond to chemical stimulation. The existence of a highly impermeable barrier surrounding taste buds and methods to break through this barrier may be relevant to basic research and to clinical treatments of taste. PMID:25209263

A permeability barrier surrounds taste buds in lingual epithelia.

Science.gov (United States)

Dando, Robin; Pereira, Elizabeth; Kurian, Mani; Barro-Soria, Rene; Chaudhari, Nirupa; Roper, Stephen D

2015-01-01

Epithelial tissues are characterized by specialized cell-cell junctions, typically localized to the apical regions of cells. These junctions are formed by interacting membrane proteins and by cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix components. Within the lingual epithelium, tight junctions join the apical tips of the gustatory sensory cells in taste buds. These junctions constitute a selective barrier that limits penetration of chemosensory stimuli into taste buds (Michlig et al. J Comp Neurol 502: 1003-1011, 2007). We tested the ability of chemical compounds to permeate into sensory end organs in the lingual epithelium. Our findings reveal a robust barrier that surrounds the entire body of taste buds, not limited to the apical tight junctions. This barrier prevents penetration of many, but not all, compounds, whether they are applied topically, injected into the parenchyma of the tongue, or circulating in the blood supply, into taste buds. Enzymatic treatments indicate that this barrier likely includes glycosaminoglycans, as it was disrupted by chondroitinase but, less effectively, by proteases. The barrier surrounding taste buds could also be disrupted by brief treatment of lingual tissue samples with DMSO. Brief exposure of lingual slices to DMSO did not affect the ability of taste buds within the slice to respond to chemical stimulation. The existence of a highly impermeable barrier surrounding taste buds and methods to break through this barrier may be relevant to basic research and to clinical treatments of taste. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Assessment of land degradation and its spatial and temporal variation in Beijing surrounding area

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuang; Dong, Suocheng; Zhang, Xiaojun; Zhiqiang, Gao

2005-08-01

The indulgence in willful persecution of sandstorm had made great attention of many countries around the world. Chinese government and the Chinese academy of science going with some other countries have devoted a large amount of vigor to study the crucial environment problem. Due to the main source areas of sandstorm all located in the arid and semi-arid regions where there have great area, hard natural condition and bad traffic condition, it's very difficult to accomplish source area and the reason of sandstorm. For this destination, a international cooperation organization has been established to clarify the occur mechanism, transfer process and the following environment impact of sandstorm. The organization includes many researchers come form USA, Japan, Korea, and so on. Beijing surrounding area is one of the main sandstorm sources in recent years. In order to understand fully of the sandstorm form and development, we analyzed the land use degradation of Beijing surrounding area during the last ten years. 71 scenes Landsat TM/ETM, 611 scenes DRG and DEM data had been processed in our study. This paper made a detail describe of using Landsat image data and high resolution DEM data to construe the soil erosion and vegetation degenerate. The result shows that the irrational human activities and land use style are the main factors of land use degradation. In case of Beijing surrounding area, the land degradation directly impacted the frequency and intensity of sand & dust storm in Northern China. The case study region of Beijing surrounding area includes 51 counties that belong to three provinces and autonomous regions.

Fluorescent Proteins for Investigating Biological Events in Acidic Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hajime Shinoda

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The interior lumen of acidic organelles (e.g., endosomes, secretory granules, lysosomes and plant vacuoles is an important platform for modification, transport and degradation of biomolecules as well as signal transduction, which remains challenging to investigate using conventional fluorescent proteins (FPs. Due to the highly acidic luminal environment (pH ~ 4.5–6.0, most FPs and related sensors are apt to lose their fluorescence. To address the need to image in acidic environments, several research groups have developed acid-tolerant FPs in a wide color range. Furthermore, the engineering of pH insensitive sensors, and their concomitant use with pH sensitive sensors for the purpose of pH-calibration has enabled characterization of the role of luminal ions. In this short review, we summarize the recent development of acid-tolerant FPs and related functional sensors and discuss the future prospects for this field.

Teacher Leadership: Everyday Practices Surrounding Work- Related Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiweshe Nigel

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This interpretivist study contributes to our scholarly understanding of how everyday practices surrounding work-related stress in education affect teacher leadership and successful learning outcomes. Insights are drawn from our long-standing engagement in the field where we observed how teaching staff, students, and management interacted. These observations were supplemented by in-depth interviews with 20 teaching staff. Our findings reveal competing demands and practices across the individual intrapersonal environment and the work related environment. There were three key themes that emerged in answer to the core research question: 1 the role of relational practices in managing teacher burnout, 2 the role of surveillance practices in education and 3 the role of assimilating practices in education. Drawing insights from these practices, we develop a conceptual framework that will help us to see relations at work anew, and develop a deeper understanding of ‘sickies’, motivation, learning outcomes and teacher leadership opportunities in education

TRIGGERED STAR FORMATION SURROUNDING WOLF-RAYET STAR HD 211853

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Tie; Wu Yuefang; Zhang Huawei [Department of Astronomy, Peking University, 100871 Beijing (China); Qin Shengli, E-mail: liutiepku@gmail.com [I. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet zu Koeln, Zuelpicher Str. 77, 50937 Koeln (Germany)

2012-05-20

The environment surrounding Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star HD 211853 is studied in molecular, infrared, as well as radio, and H I emission. The molecular ring consists of well-separated cores, which have a volume density of 10{sup 3} cm{sup -3} and kinematic temperature {approx}20 K. Most of the cores are under gravitational collapse due to external pressure from the surrounding ionized gas. From the spectral energy distribution modeling toward the young stellar objects, the sequential star formation is revealed on a large scale in space spreading from the W-R star to the molecular ring. A small-scale sequential star formation is revealed toward core 'A', which harbors a very young star cluster. Triggered star formations are thus suggested. The presence of the photodissociation region, the fragmentation of the molecular ring, the collapse of the cores, and the large-scale sequential star formation indicate that the 'collect and collapse' process functions in this region. The star-forming activities in core 'A' seem to be affected by the 'radiation-driven implosion' process.

TRIGGERED STAR FORMATION SURROUNDING WOLF-RAYET STAR HD 211853

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Tie; Wu Yuefang; Zhang Huawei; Qin Shengli

2012-01-01

The environment surrounding Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star HD 211853 is studied in molecular, infrared, as well as radio, and H I emission. The molecular ring consists of well-separated cores, which have a volume density of 10 3 cm –3 and kinematic temperature ∼20 K. Most of the cores are under gravitational collapse due to external pressure from the surrounding ionized gas. From the spectral energy distribution modeling toward the young stellar objects, the sequential star formation is revealed on a large scale in space spreading from the W-R star to the molecular ring. A small-scale sequential star formation is revealed toward core 'A', which harbors a very young star cluster. Triggered star formations are thus suggested. The presence of the photodissociation region, the fragmentation of the molecular ring, the collapse of the cores, and the large-scale sequential star formation indicate that the 'collect and collapse' process functions in this region. The star-forming activities in core 'A' seem to be affected by the 'radiation-driven implosion' process.

PIXE characterization of tissues surrounding metallic prostheses coated with biological glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbotteau, Y.; Irigaray, J.L.; Moretto, Ph.

2004-01-01

Biological glasses can be used as coatings for metallic prostheses in order to prevent corrosion. According to their composition, these glasses have different properties. We studied, in vivo, two glasses referred to as BVA and BVH. They are used as coatings of Ti6Al4V metallic implant. BVA glass disappears after 3 months of implantation and is replaced by bone. Prostheses initially coated by this glass have a larger osseous contact perimeter compared to the uncoated prostheses. This ensures a better anchoring of the implant and limits the micro-motions which cause wear debris. BVH glass keeps a constant composition during implantation and it is used like a layer which isolates metal implant from biological environment. In order to characterize the bony environment surrounding implants, we have used PIXE and RBS methods. This paper shows results of the behavior of bony tissue under micro-beam, the quality tests of new bone which replaces the BVA glass coating and the evaluation of corrosion effects. Titanium release in bony tissues begins when the metal surface of the prosthesis is exposed to biological fluids. After a few months of implantation, the titanium contamination is stabilized and remains localized within the first tens of micrometers of surrounding bone

Muscle biopsies off-set normal cellular signaling in surrounding musculature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krag, Thomas O; Hauerslev, Simon; Dahlqvist, Julia R

2013-01-01

muscle tissue for at least 3 weeks after the biopsy was performed and magnetic resonance imaging suggests that an effect of a biopsy may persist for at least 5 months. Cellular signaling after a biopsy resembles what is seen in severe limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I with respect to protein......Studies of muscle physiology and muscular disorders often require muscle biopsies to answer questions about muscle biology. In this context, we have often wondered if muscle biopsies, especially if performed repeatedly, would affect interpretation of muscle morphology and cellular signaling. We...... hypothesized that muscle morphology and cellular signaling involved in myogenesis/regeneration and protein turnover can be changed by a previous muscle biopsy in close proximity to the area under investigation. Here we report a case where a past biopsy or biopsies affect cellular signaling of the surrounding...

Two short basic sequences surrounding the zinc finger of nucleocapsid protein NCp10 of Moloney murine leukemia virus are critical for RNA annealing activity.

Science.gov (United States)

De Rocquigny, H; Ficheux, D; Gabus, C; Allain, B; Fournie-Zaluski, M C; Darlix, J L; Roques, B P

1993-02-25

The 56 amino acid nucleocapsid protein (NCp10) of Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus, contains a CysX2CysX4HisX4Cys zinc finger flanked by basic residues. In vitro NCp10 promotes genomic RNA dimerization, a process most probably linked to genomic RNA packaging, and replication primer tRNA(Pro) annealing to the initiation site of reverse transcription. To characterize the amino-acid sequences involved in the various functions of NCp10, we have synthesized by solid phase method the native protein and a series of derived peptides shortened at the N- or C-terminus with or without the zinc finger domain. In the latter case, the two parts of the protein were linked by a Glycine - Glycine spacer. The in vitro studies of these peptides show that nucleic acid annealing activities of NCp10 do not require a zinc finger but are critically dependent on the presence of specific sequences located on each side of the CCHC domain and containing proline and basic residues. Thus, deletion of 11R or 49PRPQT, of the fully active 29 residue peptide 11RQGGERRRSQLDRDGGKKPRGPRGPRPQT53 leads to a complete loss of NCp10 activity. Therefore it is proposed that in NCp10, the zinc finger directs the spatial recognition of the target RNAs by the basic domains surrounding the zinc finger.

International environment, enterprise environment and energy environment giving different look

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubo, Shunsuke

1987-04-01

0he international environment, enterprise environment and energy environment surrounding Japan are changing their looks. In such situation, what Japan should do for the development of the world was discussed. Internationally, in the Western Pacific economical block including Japan and Asian NICs, Japan promotes the international exchange of materials, capital, technology, information and people, and creates various international public properties. Enterprisers should have global mind, and cope with the internationalization, technical innovation and information orientation which are in progress at present through international exchange, interindustrial exchange, industry-university-government exchange and so on. In the aspect of energy environment, Japan carries out the technical development of energy conservation, energy, creation and the exploration of energy resources, in this way, contributes to the stabilization of energy in the world. (3 figs, 1 tab)

Distinct role of hydration water in protein misfolding and aggregation revealed by fluctuating thermodynamics analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chong, Song-Ho; Ham, Sihyun

2015-04-21

Protein aggregation in aqueous cellular environments is linked to diverse human diseases. Protein aggregation proceeds through a multistep process initiated by conformational transitions, called protein misfolding, of monomer species toward aggregation-prone structures. Various forms of aggregate species are generated through the association of misfolded monomers including soluble oligomers and amyloid fibrils. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms and driving forces involved in the misfolding and subsequent association has been a central issue for understanding and preventing protein aggregation diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and type II diabetes. In this Account, we provide a thermodynamic perspective of the misfolding and aggregation of the amyloid-beta (Aβ) protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease through the application of fluctuating thermodynamics. This approach "dissects" the conventional thermodynamic characterization of the end states into the one of the fluctuating processes connecting them, and enables one to analyze variations in the thermodynamic functions that occur during the course of protein conformational changes. The central quantity in this approach is the solvent-averaged effective energy, f = Eu + Gsolv, comprising the protein potential energy (Eu) and the solvation free energy (Gsolv), whose time variation reflects the protein dynamics on the free energy landscape. Protein configurational entropy is quantified by the magnitude of fluctuations in f. We find that misfolding of the Aβ monomer when released from a membrane environment to an aqueous phase is driven by favorable changes in protein potential energy and configurational entropy, but it is also accompanied by an unfavorable increase in solvation free energy. The subsequent dimerization of the misfolded Aβ monomers occurs in two steps. The first step, where two widely separated monomers come into contact distance, is driven by water-mediated attraction, that is, by a

A Neutron View of Proteins in Lipid Bilayers

Science.gov (United States)

White, Stephen

2012-02-01

Despite the growing number of atomic-resolution membrane protein structures, direct structural information about proteins in their native membrane environment is scarce. This problem is particularly relevant in the case of the highly-charged S1-S4 voltage- sensing domains responsible for nerve impulses, where interactions with the lipid bilayer are critical for the function of voltage-activated potassium channels. We have used neutron diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the structure and hydration of bilayer membranes containing S1-S4 voltage-sensing domains. Our results show that voltage sensors adopt transmembrane orientations, cause a modest reshaping of the surrounding lipid bilayer, and that water molecules intimately interact with the protein within the membrane. These structural findings reveal that voltage sensors have evolved to interact with the lipid membrane while keeping the energetic and structural perturbations to a minimum, and that water penetrates into the membrane to hydrate charged residues and shape the transmembrane electric field.

Genotype × environment interaction of quality protein maize grain yield in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiban Shrestha

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In order to determine G × E interaction of quality protein maize grain yield, six maize genotypes were evaluated under different environments of three Terai (Chitwan, Surkhet and Doti and four mid hill (Dhankuta, Lalitpur, Dolakha and Kaski districts of Nepal during summer seasons of 2014 and 2015. The experiments were conducted using randomized complete block design along with three replications. The genotypes namely S99TLYQ-B, S99TLYQ-HG-AB and S03TLYQ-AB-01 were identified high yielding and better adapted genotypes for Terai environments with grain yield of 4199 kg ha-1, 3715 kg ha-1, and 3336 kg ha-1 respectively and S99TLYQ-B and S03TLYQ-AB-01 for mid hill environments with grain yield of 4547 kg ha-1 and 4365 kg ha-1 respectively. Therefore, these genotypes can be suggested for cultivation in their respective environments in the country.

iTRAQ analysis of hepatic proteins in free-living Mus spretus mice to assess the contamination status of areas surrounding Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abril, Nieves; Chicano-Gálvez, Eduardo; Michán, Carmen; Pueyo, Carmen; López-Barea, Juan, E-mail: bb1lobaj@uco.es

2015-08-01

This work aims to develop and integrate new -omics tools that would be applicable to different ecosystem types for a technological updating of environmental evaluations. We used a 2nd-generation (iTRAQ-8plex) proteomic approach to identify/quantify proteins differentially expressed in the liver of free-living Mus spretus mice from Doñana National Park or its proximities. Mass spectrometry was performed in an LTQ Orbitrap system for iTRAQ reporter ion quantitation and protein identification using a Mus musculus database as reference. A prior IEF step improved the separation of the complex peptide mixture. Over 2000 identified proteins were altered, of which 118 changed by ≥ 2.5-fold in mice from at least two problem sites. Part of the results obtained with the iTRAQ analysis was confirmed by Western blot. Over 75% of the 118 proteins were upregulated in animals captured at polluted sites and only 16 proteins were downregulated. Upregulated proteins were involved in stress response; cell proliferation and apoptosis; signal transduction; metastasis or tumour suppression; xenobiotic export or vesicular trafficking; and metabolism. The downregulated proteins, all potentially harmful, were classified as oncoproteins and proteins favouring genome instability. The iTRAQ results presented here demonstrated that the survival of hepatic cells is compromised in animals living at polluted sites, which showed deep alterations in metabolism and the signalling pathways. The identified proteins may be useful as biomarkers of environmental pollution and provide insight about the metabolic pathways and/or physiological processes affected by pollutants in DNP and its surrounding areas. - Highlights: • iTRAQ quantitation was used for the first time to monitor a wildlife reserve • Over 2,000 proteins with altered expression were identified in problem Doñana sites • Of them, 118 changed over 2.5-fold in, at least, two problem sites • Upregulation of protective proteins

Protein engineering and its applications in food industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapoor, Swati; Rafiq, Aasima; Sharma, Savita

2017-07-24

Protein engineering is a young discipline that has been branched out from the field of genetic engineering. Protein engineering is based on the available knowledge about the proteins structure/function(s), tools/instruments, software, bioinformatics database, available cloned gene, knowledge about available protein, vectors, recombinant strains and other materials that could lead to change in the protein backbone. Protein produced properly from genetic engineering process means a protein that is able to fold correctly and to do particular function(s) efficiently even after being subjected to engineering practices. Protein is modified through its gene or chemically. However, modification of protein through gene is easier. There is no specific limitation of Protein Engineering tools; any technique that can lead to change the protein constituent of amino acid and result in the modification of protein structure/function is in the frame of Protein Engineering. Meanwhile, there are some common tools used to reach a specific target. More active industrial and pharmaceutical based proteins have been invented by the field of Protein Engineering to introduce new function as well as to change its interaction with surrounding environment. A variety of protein engineering applications have been reported in the literature. These applications range from biocatalysis for food and industry to environmental, medical and nanobiotechnology applications. Successful combinations of various protein engineering methods had led to successful results in food industries and have created a scope to maintain the quality of finished product after processing.

Specific Protein Markers for Stem Cell Cross-Talk with Neighboring Cells in the Environment

OpenAIRE

Park, Kyung Soo; Shin, Seung Won; Choi, Jeong-Woo; Um, Soong Ho

2013-01-01

A stem cell interacts with the neighboring cells in its environment. To maintain a living organism’s metabolism, either cell-cell or cell-environment interactions may be significant. Usually, these cells communicate with each other through biological signaling by interactive behaviors of primary proteins or complementary chemicals. The signaling intermediates offer the stem cell’s functionality on its metabolism. With the rapid advent of omics technologies, various specific markers by which s...

3D Room Visualization on Android Based Mobile Device (with Philips™’ Surround Sound Music Player

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durio Etgar

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This project’s specifically purposed as a demo application, so anyone can get the experience of a surround audio room without having to physically involved to it, with a main idea of generating a 3D surround sound room scenery coupled with surround sound in a handier package, namely, a “Virtual Listen Room”. Virtual Listen Room set a foundation of an innovative visualization that later will be developed and released as one of way of portable advertisement. This application was built inside of Android environment. Android device had been chosen as the implementation target, since it leaves massive development spaces and mostly contains essential components needed on this project, including graphic processor unit (GPU.  Graphic manipulation can be done using an embedded programming interface called OpenGL ES, which is planted in all Android devices generally. Further, Android has a Accelerometer Sensor that is needed to be coupled with scene to produce a dynamic movement of the camera. Surround sound effect can be reached with a decoder from Phillips called MPEG Surround Sound Decoder. To sum the whole project, we got an application with sensor-dynamic 3D room visualization coupled with Philips’ Surround Sound Music Player. We can manipulate several room’s properties; Subwoofer location, Room light, and how many speakers inside it, the application itself works well despite facing several performance problems before, later to be solved. [Keywords : Android,Visualization,Open GL; ES; 3D; Surround Sensor

How patients experience the surroundings in relation to patient participation: a qualitative study of inpatients with intestinal failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thyssen GD

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Gunvor Dichmann Thyssen, Anne BeckDepartment of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, DenmarkIntroduction: Patient participation is known to improve patients' motivation, compliance, treatment results, and satisfaction with the received care. It is well known that the physical environment is of great importance in supporting patient involvement. A systematic literature search has shown a lack of articles on the subject of “surroundings” in relation to patient participation, for all patient groups.Aim: We aimed to investigate how patients with intestinal failure experience their hospital surroundings in relation to patient participation.Methods: The study included eight patients admitted for at least 2 weeks at the Intestinal Failure Unit, H8, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom. Included patients had a good level of consciousness with no confusion. The included patients participated in a semistructured interview. The interviews were analyzed using Malterud's principles of systematic text condensation.Results: The patients described that the surroundings enabled them to participate in their treatment and care. The surroundings made it possible for them and encouraged them to participate through: the possibility to seek and get information and the possibility to participate in daily activities. This led to a feeling of independence, reassurance, normality, control, responsibility, and confidence.Conclusion: The findings in this study indicate that the hospital surroundings are essential for the patients with respect to their ability to participate in their own care and treatment. The surroundings, in relation to patient participation, should be considered when planning and organizing nursing care. Further research is needed to increase the understanding of the surroundings in relation to patient participation - this research could, for eg, include the nurse's perspective

Relationships between residue Voronoi volume and sequence conservation in proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jen-Wei; Cheng, Chih-Wen; Lin, Yu-Feng; Chen, Shao-Yu; Hwang, Jenn-Kang; Yen, Shih-Chung

2018-02-01

Functional and biophysical constraints can cause different levels of sequence conservation in proteins. Previously, structural properties, e.g., relative solvent accessibility (RSA) and packing density of the weighted contact number (WCN), have been found to be related to protein sequence conservation (CS). The Voronoi volume has recently been recognized as a new structural property of the local protein structural environment reflecting CS. However, for surface residues, it is sensitive to water molecules surrounding the protein structure. Herein, we present a simple structural determinant termed the relative space of Voronoi volume (RSV); it uses the Voronoi volume and the van der Waals volume of particular residues to quantify the local structural environment. RSV (range, 0-1) is defined as (Voronoi volume-van der Waals volume)/Voronoi volume of the target residue. The concept of RSV describes the extent of available space for every protein residue. RSV and Voronoi profiles with and without water molecules (RSVw, RSV, VOw, and VO) were compared for 554 non-homologous proteins. RSV (without water) showed better Pearson's correlations with CS than did RSVw, VO, or VOw values. The mean correlation coefficient between RSV and CS was 0.51, which is comparable to the correlation between RSA and CS (0.49) and that between WCN and CS (0.56). RSV is a robust structural descriptor with and without water molecules and can quantitatively reflect evolutionary information in a single protein structure. Therefore, it may represent a practical structural determinant to study protein sequence, structure, and function relationships. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sequence and conformational preferences at termini of α-helices in membrane proteins: role of the helix environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shelar, Ashish; Bansal, Manju

2014-12-01

α-Helices are amongst the most common secondary structural elements seen in membrane proteins and are packed in the form of helix bundles. These α-helices encounter varying external environments (hydrophobic, hydrophilic) that may influence the sequence preferences at their N and C-termini. The role of the external environment in stabilization of the helix termini in membrane proteins is still unknown. Here we analyze α-helices in a high-resolution dataset of integral α-helical membrane proteins and establish that their sequence and conformational preferences differ from those in globular proteins. We specifically examine these preferences at the N and C-termini in helices initiating/terminating inside the membrane core as well as in linkers connecting these transmembrane helices. We find that the sequence preferences and structural motifs at capping (Ncap and Ccap) and near-helical (N' and C') positions are influenced by a combination of features including the membrane environment and the innate helix initiation and termination property of residues forming structural motifs. We also find that a large number of helix termini which do not form any particular capping motif are stabilized by formation of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions contributed from the neighboring helices in the membrane protein. We further validate the sequence preferences obtained from our analysis with data from an ultradeep sequencing study that identifies evolutionarily conserved amino acids in the rat neurotensin receptor. The results from our analysis provide insights for the secondary structure prediction, modeling and design of membrane proteins. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School food environments associated with adiposity in Canadian children.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, C; Datta, G D; Henderson, M; Gray-Donald, K; Kestens, Y; Barnett, T A

2017-07-01

Targeting obesogenic features of children's environment that are amenable to change represents a promising strategy for health promotion. The school food environment, defined as the services and policies regarding nutrition and the availability of food in the school and surrounding neighborhood, is particularly important given that students travel through the school neighborhood almost daily and that they consume a substantial proportion of their calories at school. As part of the Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort study, we assessed features of school indoor dietary environment and the surrounding school neighborhoods, when children were aged 8-10 years (2005-2008). School principals reported on food practices and policies within the schools. The density of convenience stores and fast-food outlets surrounding the school was computed using a Geographical Information System. Indicators of school neighborhood deprivation were derived from census data. Adiposity outcomes were measured in a clinical setting 2 years later, when participants were aged 10-12 years (2008-2011). We conducted cluster analyses to identify school food environment types. Associations between school types and adiposity were estimated in linear regression models. Cluster analysis identified three school types with distinct food environments. Schools were characterized as: overall healthful (45%); a healthful food environment in the surrounding neighborhood, but an unhealthful indoor food environment (22%); or overall unhealthful (33%). Less healthful schools were located in more deprived neighborhoods and were associated with greater child adiposity. Despite regulatory efforts to improve school food environments, there is substantial inequity in dietary environments across schools. Ensuring healthful indoor and outdoor food environments across schools should be included in comprehensive efforts to reduce obesity-related health disparities.

Changes in unique hues induced by chromatic surrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Klauke, Susanne; Wachtler, Thomas

2016-03-01

A chromatic surround can have a strong influence on the perceived hue of a stimulus. We investigated whether chromatic induction has similar effects on the perception of colors that appear pure and unmixed (unique red, green, blue, and yellow) as on other colors. Subjects performed unique hue settings of stimuli in isoluminant surrounds of different chromaticities. Compared with the settings in a neutral gray surround, unique hue settings altered systematically with chromatic surrounds. The amount of induced hue shift depended on the difference between stimulus and surround hues, and was similar for unique hue settings as for settings of nonunique hues. Intraindividual variability in unique hue settings was roughly twice as high as for settings obtained in asymmetric matching experiments, which may reflect the presence of a reference stimulus in the matching task. Variabilities were also larger with chromatic surrounds than with neutral gray surrounds, for both unique hue settings and matching of nonunique hues. The results suggest that the neural representations underlying unique hue percepts are influenced by the same neural processing mechanisms as the percepts of other colors.

Transformers For Extreme Environments

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Imagine a revolutionary way to remotely control the environment surrounding one or more roving vehicles exploring remote and unexplored areas of the Solar System,...

Transuranic radionuclides in the environment surrounding radioactive waste diposal sites, a bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoker, A.C.; Noshkin, V.E.; Wong, K.M.; Brunk, J.L.; Conrado, C.L.; Jones, H.E.; Kehl, S.; Stuart, M.L.; Wasley, L.M.; Bradsher, R.V.

1994-08-01

The purpose of this project was to compile a bibliography of references containing environmental transuranic radionuclide data. Our intent was to identify those parameters affecting transuranic radionuclide transport that may be generic and those that may be dependent on chemical form and/or environmental conditions (i.e. site specific). An understanding of the unique characteristics and similarities between source terms and environmental conditions relative to transuranic radionuclide transport and cycling will provide the ability to assess and predict the long term impact on man and the environment. An additional goal of our literature review, was to extract the ranges of environmental transuranic radionuclide data from the identified references for inclusion in a data base. Related to source term, these ranges of data can be used to calculate the dose to man from the radionuclides, and to perform uncertainty analyses on these dose assessments. In an attempt to gather relevant information about the transuranic radionuclides in a variety of environments, we conducted an extensive literature search. In our literature search we identified over 5700 potential written sources of information for review. In addition, we have identified many references which were not found through the literature searches, but which were known to contain useful data. A total of approximately 2600 documents were determined to contain information which would be useful for an in depth study of radionuclides in different environments. The journal articles, books, reports and other documents were reviewed to obtain the source term of the radionuclides studied. Most references containing laboratory study data were not included in our databases. Although these may contain valuable data, we were trying to compile references with information on the behavior of the transuranics in the specific environment being studied

Adaptive Evolution of Eel Fluorescent Proteins from Fatty Acid Binding Proteins Produces Bright Fluorescence in the Marine Environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David F Gruber

Full Text Available We report the identification and characterization of two new members of a family of bilirubin-inducible fluorescent proteins (FPs from marine chlopsid eels and demonstrate a key region of the sequence that serves as an evolutionary switch from non-fluorescent to fluorescent fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs. Using transcriptomic analysis of two species of brightly fluorescent Kaupichthys eels (Kaupichthys hyoproroides and Kaupichthys n. sp., two new FPs were identified, cloned and characterized (Chlopsid FP I and Chlopsid FP II. We then performed phylogenetic analysis on 210 FABPs, spanning 16 vertebrate orders, and including 163 vertebrate taxa. We show that the fluorescent FPs diverged as a protein family and are the sister group to brain FABPs. Our results indicate that the evolution of this family involved at least three gene duplication events. We show that fluorescent FABPs possess a unique, conserved tripeptide Gly-Pro-Pro sequence motif, which is not found in non-fluorescent fatty acid binding proteins. This motif arose from a duplication event of the FABP brain isoforms and was under strong purifying selection, leading to the classification of this new FP family. Residues adjacent to the motif are under strong positive selection, suggesting a further refinement of the eel protein's fluorescent properties. We present a phylogenetic reconstruction of this emerging FP family and describe additional fluorescent FABP members from groups of distantly related eels. The elucidation of this class of fish FPs with diverse properties provides new templates for the development of protein-based fluorescent tools. The evolutionary adaptation from fatty acid-binding proteins to fluorescent fatty acid-binding proteins raises intrigue as to the functional role of bright green fluorescence in this cryptic genus of reclusive eels that inhabit a blue, nearly monochromatic, marine environment.

The Effect of Membrane Environment on Surfactant Protein C Stability Studied by Constant-pH Molecular Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalheda, Catarina A; Campos, Sara R R; Baptista, António M

2015-10-26

Pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) is a small peptide with two covalently linked fatty acyl chains that plays a crucial role in the formation and stabilization of the pulmonary surfactant reservoirs during the compression and expansion steps of the respiratory cycle. Although its function is known to be tightly related to its highly hydrophobic character and key interactions maintained with specific lipid components, much is left to understand about its molecular mechanism of action. Also, although it adopts a mainly helical structure while associated with the membrane, factors as pH variation and deacylation have been shown to affect its stability and function. In this work, the conformational behavior of both the acylated and deacylated SP-C isoforms was studied in a DPPC bilayer under different pH conditions using constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings show that both protein isoforms are remarkably stable over the studied pH range, even though the acylated isoform exhibits a labile helix-turn-helix motif rarely observed in the other isoform. We estimate similar tilt angles for the two isoforms over the studied pH range, with a generally higher degree of internalization of the basic N-terminal residues in the deacylated case, and observe and discuss some protonation-conformation coupling effects. Both isoforms establish contacts with the surrounding lipid molecules (preferentially with the sn-2 ester bonds) and have a local effect on the conformational behavior of the surrounding lipid molecules, the latter being more pronounced for acylated SP-C.

3D Room Visualization on Android Based Mobile Device (with Philips™’ Surround Sound Music Player

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durio Etgar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This project’s specifically purposed as a demo application, so anyone can get the experience of a surround audio room without having to physically involved to it, with a main idea of generating a 3D surround sound room scenery coupled with surround sound in a handier package, namely, a “Virtual Listen Room”. Virtual Listen Room set a foundation of an innovative visualization that later will be developed and released as one of way of portable advertisement. This application was built inside of Android environment. Android device had been chosen as the implementation target, since it leaves massive development spaces and mostly contains essential components needed on this project, including graphic processor unit (GPU. Graphic manipulation can be done using an embedded programming interface called OpenGL ES, which is planted in all Android devices generally. Further, Android has a Accelerometer Sensor that is needed to be coupled with scene to produce a dynamic movement of the camera. Surround sound effect can be reached with a decoder from Phillips called MPEG Surround Sound Decoder. To sum the whole project, we got an application with sensor-dynamic 3D room visualization coupled with Philips’ Surround Sound Music Player. We can manipulate several room’s properties; Subwoofer location, Room light, and how many speakers inside it, the application itself works well despite facing several performance problems before, later to be solved.

Tuning a Protein-Labeling Reaction to Achieve Highly Site Selective Lysine Conjugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Grace H; Ou, Weijia; Bursulaya, Badry; DiDonato, Michael; Herath, Ananda; Jin, Yunho; Hao, Xueshi; Loren, Jon; Spraggon, Glen; Brock, Ansgar; Uno, Tetsuo; Geierstanger, Bernhard H; Cellitti, Susan E

2018-04-16

Activated esters are widely used to label proteins at lysine side chains and N termini. These reagents are useful for labeling virtually any protein, but robust reactivity toward primary amines generally precludes site-selective modification. In a unique case, fluorophenyl esters are shown to preferentially label human kappa antibodies at a single lysine (Lys188) within the light-chain constant domain. Neighboring residues His189 and Asp151 contribute to the accelerated rate of labeling at Lys188 relative to the ≈40 other lysine sites. Enriched Lys188 labeling can be enhanced from 50-70 % to >95 % by any of these approaches: lowering reaction temperature, applying flow chemistry, or mutagenesis of specific residues in the surrounding protein environment. Our results demonstrated that activated esters with fluoro-substituted aromatic leaving groups, including a fluoronaphthyl ester, can be generally useful reagents for site-selective lysine labeling of antibodies and other immunoglobulin-type proteins. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of Genotype by Environment Interactions on Milk Yield, Energy Balance, and Protein Balance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beerda, B.; Ouweltjes, W.; Sebek, L.B.J.; Windig, J.J.; Veerkamp, R.F.

2007-01-01

Increases in genetic merit for milk yield are associated with increases in mobilization of body reserves. This study assessed the effects of genotype by environment (GxE) interactions on milk yield and energy and protein balances. Heifers (n = 100) with high or low genetic merit for milk yield were

Forest Fragments Surrounded by Sugar Cane Are More Inhospitable to Terrestrial Amphibian Abundance Than Fragments Surrounded by Pasture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Eveline Ribeiro D’Anunciação

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been increasing interest in matrix-type influence on forest fragments. Terrestrial amphibians are good bioindicators for this kind of research because of low vagility and high philopatry. This study compared richness, abundance, and species composition of terrestrial amphibians through pitfall traps in two sets of semideciduous seasonal forest fragments in southeastern Brazil, according to the predominant surrounding matrix (sugar cane and pasture. There were no differences in richness, but fragments surrounded by sugar cane had the lowest abundance of amphibians, whereas fragments surrounded by pastures had greater abundance. The most abundant species, Rhinella ornata, showed no biometric differences between fragment groups but like many other amphibians sampled showed very low numbers of individuals in fragments dominated by sugar cane fields. Our data indicate that the sugar cane matrix negatively influences the community of amphibians present in fragments surrounded by this type of land use.

Deformation at longyao ground fissure and its surroundings, north China plain, revealed by ALOS PALSAR PS-InSAR

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chengsheng; Lu, Zhong; Zhang, Qin; Zhao, Chaoying; Peng, Jianbing; Ji, Lingyun

2018-05-01

The Longyao ground fissure (LGF) is the longest and most active among more than 1000 ground fissures on the North China Plain. There have been many studies on the formation mechanism of the LGF, due to its scientific importance and its potential for damage to the environment. These studies have been based on both regional tectonic analysis and numerical simulations. In order to provide a better understanding of the formation mechanism, the deformation of the crack and its surrounding environment should be taken into consideration. In this paper, PS-InSAR technology was employed to assess the ground deformation of LGF and its surrounding area, using L-band ALOS-1 PALSAR images from 2007 to 2011. The characteristics of ground deformation, relationships between fissure activity and surrounding faults and groundwater exploitation were analyzed. This study shows that the north side of Longyao fault (LF) is uplifting while the south side is subsiding. This provides the tectonic conditions responsible for the activity of the ground fissure. Local groundwater exploitation also plays an important role in the development of ground fissures. InSAR observations were modeled to infer the loading depth (-2.8 km) and the slip rate (31.1 mm/yr) of LF.

Heritage landscape structure analysis in surrounding environment of the Grand Canal Yangzhou section

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Huan

2018-03-01

The Yangzhou section of the Grand Canal is selected for a case study in this paper. The ZY-3 satellite images of 2016 are adopted as the data source. RS and GIS are used to analyze the landscape classification of the surrounding landscape of the Grand Canal, and the classification results are precisely evaluated. Next, the overall features of the landscape pattern are analyzed. The results showed that the overall accuracy is 82.5% and the Kappa coefficient is 78.17% in the Yangzhou section. The producer’s accuracy of the water landscape is the highest, followed by that of the other landscape, farmland landscape, garden and forest landscape, architectural landscape. The user’s accuracy of different landscape types can be ranked in a descending order, as the water landscape, farmland landscape, road landscape, architectural landscape, other landscape, garden and forest landscape. The farmland landscape and the architectural landscape are the top advantageous landscape types of the heritage site. The research findings can provide basic data for landscape protection, management and sustainable development of the Grand Canal Yangzhou section.

Protein-Glycan Quinary Interactions in Crowding Environment Unveiled by NMR Spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Diniz, Ana; Dias, Jorge S; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Marcelo, Filipa; Cabrita, Eurico J

2017-09-21

Protein-glycan interactions as modulators for quinary structures in crowding environments were explored. The interaction between human galectin 3 (Gal-3) and distinct macromolecular crowders, such as bovine and human serum albumin (BSA and HSA), Ficoll 70 and PEG3350, was scrutinized. The molecular recognition event of the specific ligand, lactose, by Gal-3 in crowding conditions was evaluated. Gal-3 interactions were monitored by NMR analysing chemical shift perturbation (CSP) and line broadening of 1 H 15 N-HSQC signals. The intensity of the Gal-3 1 H 15 N-HSQC signals decreased in the presence of all crowders, due to the increase in the solution viscosity and to the formation of large protein complexes. When glycosylated containing samples of BSA and HSA were used, signal broadening was more severe than that observed in the presence of the more viscous solutions of PEG3350 and Ficoll 70. However, for the samples containing glycoproteins, the signal intensity of 1 H 15 N-HSQC recovered upon addition of lactose. We show that serum proteins interact with Gal-3, through their α2,3-linked sialylgalactose moieties exposed at their surfaces, competing with lactose for the same binding site. The quinary interaction between Gal-3 and serum glycoproteins, could help to co-localize Gal-3 at the cell surface, and may play a role in adhesion and signalling functions of this protein. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhancement of Afterimage Colors by Surrounding Contours

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takao Sato

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Presenting luminance contours surrounding the adapted areas in test phase enhances color afterimages in both duration and color appearance. The presence of surrounding contour is crucial to some color phenomenon such as van Lier's afterimage, but the contour-effect itself has not been seriously examined. In this paper, we compared the contour-effect to color afterimages and to actually colored patches to examine the nature of color information subserving color-aftereffect. In the experiment, observers were adapted for 1 sec to a small colored square (red, green, yellow, or blue presented on a gray background. Then, a test field either with or without surrounding contour was presented. Observers matched the color of a test-patch located near the afterimage to the color of afterimage. It was found that the saturation of negative afterimage was almost doubled by the presence of surrounding contours. There was no effect of luminance contrast or polarity of contours. In contrast, no enhancement of saturation by surrounding contours was observed for actually colored patches even though the colors of patches were equalized to that of afterimage without contours. This dissociation in the contour-effect demonstrates the crucial difference between the color information for aftereffects and for ordinary bottom-up color perception.

In vacuo X-ray data collection from graphene-wrapped protein crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warren, Anna J. [Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Crawshaw, Adam D. [Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH (United Kingdom); Trincao, Jose; Aller, Pierre; Alcock, Simon; Nistea, Ioana [Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom); Salgado, Paula S. [Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH (United Kingdom); Evans, Gwyndaf, E-mail: gwyndaf.evans@diamond.ac.uk [Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE (United Kingdom)

2015-09-26

A method is reported for collecting room-temperature data from protein crystals under vacuum by protecting them with a thin graphene layer. The measurement of diffraction data from macromolecular crystal samples held in vacuo holds the promise of a very low X-ray background and zero absorption of incident and scattered beams, leading to better data and the potential for accessing very long X-ray wavelengths (>3 Å) for native sulfur phasing. Maintaining the hydration of protein crystals under vacuum is achieved by the use of liquid jets, as with serial data collection at free-electron lasers, or is side-stepped by cryocooling the samples, as implemented at new synchrotron beamlines. Graphene has been shown to protect crystals from dehydration by creating an extremely thin layer that is impermeable to any exchanges with the environment. Furthermore, owing to its hydrophobicity, most of the aqueous solution surrounding the crystal is excluded during sample preparation, thus eliminating most of the background caused by liquid. Here, it is shown that high-quality data can be recorded at room temperature from graphene-wrapped protein crystals in a rough vacuum. Furthermore, it was observed that graphene protects crystals exposed to different relative humidities and a chemically harsh environment.

In vacuo X-ray data collection from graphene-wrapped protein crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warren, Anna J.; Crawshaw, Adam D.; Trincao, Jose; Aller, Pierre; Alcock, Simon; Nistea, Ioana; Salgado, Paula S.; Evans, Gwyndaf

2015-01-01

A method is reported for collecting room-temperature data from protein crystals under vacuum by protecting them with a thin graphene layer. The measurement of diffraction data from macromolecular crystal samples held in vacuo holds the promise of a very low X-ray background and zero absorption of incident and scattered beams, leading to better data and the potential for accessing very long X-ray wavelengths (>3 Å) for native sulfur phasing. Maintaining the hydration of protein crystals under vacuum is achieved by the use of liquid jets, as with serial data collection at free-electron lasers, or is side-stepped by cryocooling the samples, as implemented at new synchrotron beamlines. Graphene has been shown to protect crystals from dehydration by creating an extremely thin layer that is impermeable to any exchanges with the environment. Furthermore, owing to its hydrophobicity, most of the aqueous solution surrounding the crystal is excluded during sample preparation, thus eliminating most of the background caused by liquid. Here, it is shown that high-quality data can be recorded at room temperature from graphene-wrapped protein crystals in a rough vacuum. Furthermore, it was observed that graphene protects crystals exposed to different relative humidities and a chemically harsh environment

Impacts of emerging contaminants on surrounding aquatic environment from a youth festival.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jheng-Jie; Lee, Chon-Lin; Fang, Meng-Der; Tu, Bo-Wen; Liang, Yu-Jen

2015-01-20

The youth festival as we refer to Spring Scream, a large-scale pop music festival, is notorious for the problems of drug abuse and addiction. The origin, temporal magnitudes, potential risks and mass inputs of emerging contaminants (ECs) were investigated. Thirty targeted ECs were analyzed by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS). Sampling strategy was designed to characterize EC behavior in different stages (before and after the youth festival), based on multivariate data analysis to explore the contributions of contaminants from normal condition to the youth festival. Wastewater influents and effluents were collected during the youth festival (approximately 600 000 pop music fans and youth participated). Surrounding river waters are also sampled to illustrate the touristic impacts during peak season and off-season. Seasonal variations were observed, with the highest concentrations in April (Spring Scream) and the lowest in October (off-season). Acetaminophen, diclofenac, codeine, ampicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin-H2O, and gemfibrozil have significant pollution risk quotients (RQs > 1), indicating ecotoxicological concerns. Principal component analysis (PCA) and weekly patterns provide a perspective in assessing the touristic impacts and address the dramatic changes in visitor population and drug consumption. The highest mass loads discharged into the aquatic ecosystem corresponded to illicit drugs/controlled substances such as ketamine and MDMA, indicating the high consumption of ecstasy during Spring Scream.

Chromatic induction from surrounding stimuli under perceptual suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Horiuchi, Koji; Kuriki, Ichiro; Tokunaga, Rumi; Matsumiya, Kazumichi; Shioiri, Satoshi

2014-11-01

The appearance of colors can be affected by their spatiotemporal context. The shift in color appearance according to the surrounding colors is called color induction or chromatic induction; in particular, the shift in opponent color of the surround is called chromatic contrast. To investigate whether chromatic induction occurs even when the chromatic surround is imperceptible, we measured chromatic induction during interocular suppression. A multicolor or uniform color field was presented as the surround stimulus, and a colored continuous flash suppression (CFS) stimulus was presented to the dominant eye of each subject. The subjects were asked to report the appearance of the test field only when the stationary surround stimulus is invisible by interocular suppression with CFS. The resulting shifts in color appearance due to chromatic induction were significant even under the conditions of interocular suppression for all surround stimuli. The magnitude of chromatic induction differed with the surround conditions, and this difference was preserved regardless of the viewing conditions. The chromatic induction effect was reduced by CFS, in proportion to the magnitude of chromatic induction under natural (i.e., no-CFS) viewing conditions. According to an analysis with linear model fitting, we revealed the presence of at least two kinds of subprocesses for chromatic induction that reside at higher and lower levels than the site of interocular suppression. One mechanism yields different degrees of chromatic induction based on the complexity of the surround, which is unaffected by interocular suppression, while the other mechanism changes its output with interocular suppression acting as a gain control. Our results imply that the total chromatic induction effect is achieved via a linear summation of outputs from mechanisms that reside at different levels of visual processing.

An aerial radiological survey of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station and surrounding area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojtech, R.J.

1994-03-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted during the period of September 10 to 18, 1990, over a 40-square-mile (104-square-kilometer) area surrounding the Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MNPS). The MNPS is located on the Long Island Sound shoreline, three kilometers south of Waterford, Connecticut. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial gamma ray environment of the plant and surrounding areas. A contour map showing radiation exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level was constructed from the aerial data and overlaid on an aerial photograph and a United States Geological Survey map of the area. The exposure rates within the survey region are quite uniform. The area is characterized by an exposure rate of 10-12 microroentgens per hour including an estimated cosmic ray contribution of 3.6 μR/h. This is typical of natural background. The only exception to the natural background readings is the Millstone station itself, which is characterized by an exposure rate consistent with the standard operation of the reactor units. Radionuclide assays of soil samples and pressurized-ion-chamber gamma ray measurements were obtained at five locations within the survey boundaries. These measurements were taken in support of, and are in agreement with, the aerial data. The radiological environment near the plant is consistent with normal plant operation

An aerial radiological survey of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station and surrounding area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vojtech, R.J.

1994-03-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted during the period of September 10 to 18, 1990, over a 40-square-mile (104-square-kilometer) area surrounding the Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MNPS). The MNPS is located on the Long Island Sound shoreline, three kilometers south of Waterford, Connecticut. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial gamma ray environment of the plant and surrounding areas. A contour map showing radiation exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level was constructed from the aerial data and overlaid on an aerial photograph and a United States Geological Survey map of the area. The exposure rates within the survey region are quite uniform. The area is characterized by an exposure rate of 10-12 microroentgens per hour including an estimated cosmic ray contribution of 3.6 {mu}R/h. This is typical of natural background. The only exception to the natural background readings is the Millstone station itself, which is characterized by an exposure rate consistent with the standard operation of the reactor units. Radionuclide assays of soil samples and pressurized-ion-chamber gamma ray measurements were obtained at five locations within the survey boundaries. These measurements were taken in support of, and are in agreement with, the aerial data. The radiological environment near the plant is consistent with normal plant operation.

Dynamic Changes in the Protein Localization in the Nuclear Environment in Pancreatic β-Cell after Brief Glucose Stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kang, Taewook; Jensen, Pia; Solovyeva, Vita

2018-01-01

, we identified 20 components of the nuclear organization processes, including nuclear pore organization, ribonucleoprotein complex, and pre-mRNA transcription. We found alteration of the nuclear pore complex, together with calcium/calmodulin-binding chaperones that facilitate protein and RNA import......Characterization of molecular mechanisms underlying pancreatic β-cell function in relation to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is incomplete, especially with respect to global response in the nuclear environment. We focus on the characterization of proteins in the nuclear environment of β...... the nucleus and the cytoplasm is an important process, highly involved in the initial molecular mechanism underlying glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells....

Are current atomistic force fields accurate enough to study proteins in crowded environments?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drazen Petrov

2014-05-01

may distort the picture of protein behavior in biologically relevant crowded environments.

Genotype × environment interaction of quality protein maize grain yield in Nepal

OpenAIRE

Jiban Shrestha; Chitra Bahadur Kunwar; Jharana Upadhyaya; Maiya Giri; Ram Bahadur Katuwal; Ramesh Acharya; Suk Bahadur Gurung; Bhim Nath Adhikari; Amrit Prasad Paudel; Ram Babu Paneru

2016-01-01

In order to determine G × E interaction of quality protein maize grain yield, six maize genotypes were evaluated under different environments of three Terai (Chitwan, Surkhet and Doti) and four mid hill (Dhankuta, Lalitpur, Dolakha and Kaski) districts of Nepal during summer seasons of 2014 and 2015. The experiments were conducted using randomized complete block design along with three replications. The genotypes namely S99TLYQ-B, S99TLYQ-HG-AB and S03TLYQ-AB-01 were identified high yielding ...

Comparison of Socioeconomic Factors between Surrounding and Non-Surrounding Areas of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway before and after Its Construction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shicheng Li

2016-08-01

Full Text Available As the world’s highest railway, and the longest highland railway, the Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR has been paid considerable attention by researchers. However, most attention has been paid to the ecological and environmental issues affecting it, and sustainable ecological, social, and economic development-related studies of the QTR are rare. In this study, by analyzing the passenger traffic, freight traffic, passenger-kilometers, and freight-kilometers of the QTR for the period 1982–2013 and the transport structure of the Tibetan Plateau (TP for 1990–2013, the evolutionary process of the transport system in the TP following the construction of the QTR has been revealed. Subsequently, by comparing Gross Domestic Product (GDP, population, industrial structure, and urbanization level at the county and 1 km scales between surrounding and non-surrounding areas of the QTR, the differences in socioeconomic performance before and after its construction were detected. The results show that (1 in the TP, the highway-dominated transport system will break up and an integrated and sustainable transport system will form; (2 at the county scale, the annual growth rates of GDP of counties surrounding the QTR were greater than those of non-surrounding counties for the period 2000–2010. At the 1 km scale, following the opening of the completed line, the GDP of surrounding areas had a greater growth rate than before; (3 analysis at the county and 1 km scales indicated that population was not aggregated into the surrounding areas of the QTR in the period 2000–2010; (4 in terms of industrial structure, the proportion of primary industry decreased continuously, while the proportion of secondary and tertiary industries increased overall in the period 1984–2012. The QTR had no obvious impact on changes in the urbanization level of its surrounding areas.

Stability of integral membrane proteins under high hydrostatic pressure: the LH2 and LH3 antenna pigment-protein complexes from photosynthetic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kangur, Liina; Timpmann, Kõu; Freiberg, Arvi

2008-07-03

The bacteriochlorophyll a-containing LH2 and LH3 antenna complexes are the integral membrane proteins that catalyze the photosynthetic process in purple photosynthetic bacteria. The LH2 complex from Rhodobacter sphaeroides shows characteristic strong absorbance at 800 and 850 nm due to the pigment molecules confined in two separate areas of the protein. In the LH3 complex from Rhodopesudomonas acidophila the corresponding bands peak at 800 and 820 nm. Using the bacteriochlorophyll a cofactors as intrinsic probes to monitor local changes in the protein structure, we investigate spectral responses of the antenna complexes to very high hydrostatic pressures up to 2.5 GPa when embedded into natural membrane environment or extracted with detergent. We first demonstrate that high pressure does induce significant alterations to the tertiary structure of the proteins not only in proximity of the 800 nm-absorbing bacteriochlorophyll a molecules known previously (Gall, A.; et al. Biochemistry 2003, 42, 13019) but also of the 850 nm- and 820 nm-absorbing molecules, including breakage of the hydrogen bond they are involved in. The membrane-protected complexes appear more resilient to damaging effects of the compression compared with the complexes extracted into mixed detergent-buffer environment. Increased resistance of the isolated complexes is observed at high protein concentration resulting aggregation as well as when cosolvent (glycerol) is added into the solution. These stability variations correlate with ability of penetration of the surrounding polar solvent (water) into the hydrophobic protein interiors, being thus the principal reason of the pressure-induced denaturation of the proteins. Considerable variability of elastic properties of the isolated complexes was also observed, tentatively assigned to heterogeneous protein packing in detergent micelles. While a number of the isolated complexes release most of their bacteriochlorophyll a content under high pressure

Numerical investigation of heating of a gold nanoparticle and the surrounding microenvironment by nanosecond laser pulses for nanomedicine applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sassaroli, E; Li, K C P; O'Neill, B E

2009-01-01

We have modeled, by finite element analysis, the process of heating of a spherical gold nanoparticle by nanosecond laser pulses and of heat transfer between the particle and the surrounding medium, with no mass transfer. In our analysis, we have included thermal conductivity changes, vapor formation, and changes of the dielectric properties as a function of temperature. We have shown that such changes significantly affect the temperature reached by the particle and surrounding microenvironment and therefore the thermal and dielectric properties of the medium need to be known for a correct determination of the temperature elevation. We have shown that for sufficiently low intensity and long pulses, it is possible to establish a quasi-steady temperature profile in the medium with no vapor formation. As the intensity is increased, a phase-change with vapor formation takes place around the gold nanoparticle. As phase-transition starts, an additional increase in the intensity does not significantly increase the temperature of the gold nanoparticle and surrounding environment. The temperature starts to rise again above a given intensity threshold which is particle and environment dependent. The aim of this study is to provide useful insights for the development of molecular targeting of gold nanoparticles for applications such as remote drug release of therapeutics and photothermal cancer therapy.

Numerical investigation of heating of a gold nanoparticle and the surrounding microenvironment by nanosecond laser pulses for nanomedicine applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sassaroli, E; Li, K C P; O' Neill, B E [Department of Radiology, Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Houston, TX, 77030 (United States)], E-mail: beoneill@tmhs.org

2009-09-21

We have modeled, by finite element analysis, the process of heating of a spherical gold nanoparticle by nanosecond laser pulses and of heat transfer between the particle and the surrounding medium, with no mass transfer. In our analysis, we have included thermal conductivity changes, vapor formation, and changes of the dielectric properties as a function of temperature. We have shown that such changes significantly affect the temperature reached by the particle and surrounding microenvironment and therefore the thermal and dielectric properties of the medium need to be known for a correct determination of the temperature elevation. We have shown that for sufficiently low intensity and long pulses, it is possible to establish a quasi-steady temperature profile in the medium with no vapor formation. As the intensity is increased, a phase-change with vapor formation takes place around the gold nanoparticle. As phase-transition starts, an additional increase in the intensity does not significantly increase the temperature of the gold nanoparticle and surrounding environment. The temperature starts to rise again above a given intensity threshold which is particle and environment dependent. The aim of this study is to provide useful insights for the development of molecular targeting of gold nanoparticles for applications such as remote drug release of therapeutics and photothermal cancer therapy.

Front-face fluorescence spectroscopy study of globular proteins in emulsions: influence of droplet flocculation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rampon, V; Genot, C; Riaublanc, A; Anton, M; Axelos, M A V; McClements, D J

2003-04-23

Measurement of the intensity (I(MAX)) and/or wavelength (lambda(MAX)) of the maximum in the tryptophan (TRP) emission spectrum using front-face fluorescence spectroscopy (FFFS) can be used to provide information about the molecular environment of proteins in nondiluted emulsions. Many protein-stabilized emulsions in the food industry are flocculated, and therefore, we examined the influence of droplet flocculation on FFFS. Stock oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by bovine serum albumin were prepared by high-pressure valve homogenization (30 wt % n-hexadecane, 0.35 wt % BSA, pH 7). These emulsions were used to create model systems with different degrees of droplet flocculation, either by changing the pH, adding surfactant, or adding xanthan. Emulsions (21 wt % n-hexadecane, 0.22 wt % BSA) with different pH (5 and 7) and molar ratios of Tween 20 to BSA (R = 0-131) were prepared by dilution of the stock emulsion. As the surfactant concentration was increased, the protein was displaced from the droplet surfaces, which caused an increase in both I(MAX) and lambda(MAX), because of the change in TRP environment. The dependence of I(MAX) and lambda(MAX) on surfactant concentration followed a similar pattern in emulsions that were initially flocculated (pH 5) and nonflocculated (pH 7). Relatively small changes in FFFS emission spectra were observed in emulsions (21 wt % n-hexadecane, 0.22 wt % BSA, pH 7) with different levels of depletion flocculation induced by adding xanthan. These results suggested that droplet flocculation did not have a major impact on FFFS. This study shows that FFFS is a powerful technique for nondestructively providing information about the molecular environment of proteins in concentrated and flocculated protein-stabilized emulsions. Nevertheless, in general the suitability of the technique may also depend on protein type and the nature of the physicochemical matrix surrounding the proteins.

MAPPING THE SURROUNDINGS AS A REQUIREMENT FOR AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Steininger

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Motivated by the hype around driverless cars and the challenges of the sensor integration and data processing, this paper presents a model for using a XBox One Microsoft Kinect stereo camera as sensor for mapping the surroundings. Today, the recognition of the environment of the car is mostly done by a mix of sensors like LiDAR, RADAR and cameras. In the case of the outdoor delivery challenge Robotour 2016 with model cars in scale 1:5, it is our goal to solve the task with one camera only. To this end, a three-stage approach was developed. The test results show that our approach can detect and locate objects at a range of up to eight meters in order to incorporate them as barriers in the navigation process.

Physical geography of the Nete basin and surroundings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beerten, K.

2011-01-01

The report briefly describes the main features of the physical geography of the Nete basin (Campine region, Belgium) and its immediate surroundings. First, an integrated overview of the topography, morphology and hydrography is given. This overview serves as the basis for the assessment of the morphological stability of the region and also explains the relationship between the topography and the hydrology. Furthermore, special attention is paid to soil science including a quantitative survey of some soil characteristics data. Another part of this report deals with erosion processes caused by water and wind action, and the (potential) impact on the morphology. Finally, the palaeogeographical evolution during the Quaternary is discussed. This evolution shows that the environment is stable over 10 000 years or more in the current and similar climatic conditions. Altering climatic conditions, notably glacial-interglacial periods, have impacted erosion with periods of strong erosion.

Heme environment in HmuY, the heme-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wojtowicz, Halina [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland); Wojaczynski, Jacek [Department of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw (Poland); Olczak, Mariusz [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland); Kroliczewski, Jaroslaw [Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-148 Wroclaw (Poland); Latos-Grazynski, Lechoslaw [Department of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw (Poland); Olczak, Teresa [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Tamka 2, 50-137 Wroclaw (Poland)

2009-05-29

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium implicated in the development and progression of chronic periodontitis, acquires heme for growth by a novel mechanism composed of HmuY and HmuR proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the nature of heme binding to HmuY. The protein was expressed, purified and detailed investigations using UV-vis absorption, CD, MCD, and {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy were carried out. Ferric heme bound to HmuY may be reduced by sodium dithionite and re-oxidized by potassium ferricyanide. Heme complexed to HmuY, with a midpoint potential of 136 mV, is in a low-spin Fe(III) hexa-coordinate environment. Analysis of heme binding to several single and double HmuY mutants with the methionine, histidine, cysteine, or tyrosine residues replaced by an alanine residue identified histidines 134 and 166 as potential heme ligands.

Heme environment in HmuY, the heme-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojtowicz, Halina; Wojaczynski, Jacek; Olczak, Mariusz; Kroliczewski, Jaroslaw; Latos-Grazynski, Lechoslaw; Olczak, Teresa

2009-01-01

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium implicated in the development and progression of chronic periodontitis, acquires heme for growth by a novel mechanism composed of HmuY and HmuR proteins. The aim of this study was to characterize the nature of heme binding to HmuY. The protein was expressed, purified and detailed investigations using UV-vis absorption, CD, MCD, and 1 H NMR spectroscopy were carried out. Ferric heme bound to HmuY may be reduced by sodium dithionite and re-oxidized by potassium ferricyanide. Heme complexed to HmuY, with a midpoint potential of 136 mV, is in a low-spin Fe(III) hexa-coordinate environment. Analysis of heme binding to several single and double HmuY mutants with the methionine, histidine, cysteine, or tyrosine residues replaced by an alanine residue identified histidines 134 and 166 as potential heme ligands.

Complex monitoring of the surroundings of the Dukovany nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tylova, E.

1993-01-01

Based on a Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic shall develop a project of complex environmental pollution and contamination monitoring in the surroundings of the Dukovany nuclear power plant and shall discuss this project with municipalities there till the end of 1993. The objective of the project is to assess in a complex manner the situation in the Dukovany area with respect to all risks and their simultaneous effects, so as to ensure that the population in the area concerned is not burdened to an intolerable extent. (Z.S.)

Laser scattering in a hanging drop vapor diffusion apparatus for protein crystal growth in a microgravity environment

Science.gov (United States)

Casay, G. A.; Wilson, W. W.

1992-01-01

One type of hardware used to grow protein crystals in the microgravity environment aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle is a hanging drop vapor diffusion apparatus (HDVDA). In order to optimize crystal growth conditions, dynamic control of the HDVDA is desirable. A critical component in the dynamically controlled system is a detector for protein nucleation. We have constructed a laser scattering detector for the HDVDA capable of detecting the nucleation stage. The detector was successfully tested for several scatterers differing in size using dynamic light scattering techniques. In addition, the ability to detect protein nucleation using the HDVDA was demonstrated for lysozyme.

Preliminary protein corona formation stabilizes gold nanoparticles and improves deposition efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Luby, Alexandra O.; Breitner, Emily K.; Comfort, Kristen K.

2016-08-01

Due to their advantageous characteristics, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are being increasingly utilized in a vast array of biomedical applications. However, the efficacy of these procedures are highly dependent upon strong interactions between AuNPs and the surrounding environment. While the field of nanotechnology has grown exponentially, there is still much to be discovered with regards to the complex interactions between NPs and biological systems. One area of particular interest is the generation of a protein corona, which instantaneously forms when NPs encounter a protein-rich environment. Currently, the corona is viewed as an obstacle and has been identified as the cause for loss of application efficiency in physiological systems. To date, however, no study has explored if the protein corona could be designed and advantageously utilized to improve both NP behavior and application efficacy. Therefore, we sought to identify if the formation of a preliminary protein corona could modify both AuNP characteristics and association with the HaCaT cell model. In this study, a corona comprised solely of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was successfully formed around 10-nm AuNPs. These EGF-AuNPs demonstrated augmented particle stability, a modified corona composition, and increased deposition over stock AuNPs, while remaining biocompatible. Analysis of AuNP dosimetry was repeated under dynamic conditions, with lateral flow significantly disrupting deposition and the nano-cellular interface. Taken together, this study demonstrated the plausibility and potential of utilizing the protein corona as a means to influence NP behavior; however, fluid dynamics remains a major challenge to progressing NP dosimetry.

Intrinsically disordered proteins--relation to general model expressing the active role of the water environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalinowska, Barbara; Banach, Mateusz; Konieczny, Leszek; Marchewka, Damian; Roterman, Irena

2014-01-01

This work discusses the role of unstructured polypeptide chain fragments in shaping the protein's hydrophobic core. Based on the "fuzzy oil drop" model, which assumes an idealized distribution of hydrophobicity density described by the 3D Gaussian, we can determine which fragments make up the core and pinpoint residues whose location conflicts with theoretical predictions. We show that the structural influence of the water environment determines the positions of disordered fragments, leading to the formation of a hydrophobic core overlaid by a hydrophilic mantle. This phenomenon is further described by studying selected proteins which are known to be unstable and contain intrinsically disordered fragments. Their properties are established quantitatively, explaining the causative relation between the protein's structure and function and facilitating further comparative analyses of various structural models. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein-detergent interactions in single crystals of membrane proteins studied by neutron crystallography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Timmins, P.A. [ILL, Grenoble (France); Pebay-Peyroula, E. [IBS-UJF Grenoble (France)

1994-12-31

The detergent micelles surrounding membrane protein molecules in single crystals can be investigated using neutron crystallography combined with H{sub 2}O/D{sub 2}O contrast variation. If the protein structure is known then the contrast variation method allows phases to be determined at a contrast where the detergent dominates the scattering. The application of various constraints allows the resulting scattering length density map to be realistically modeled. The method has been applied to two different forms of the membrane protein porin. In one case both hydrogenated and partially deuterated protein were used, allowing the head group and tail to be distinguished.

Protein-detergent interactions in single crystals of membrane proteins studied by neutron crystallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timmins, P.A.; Pebay-Peyroula, E.

1994-01-01

The detergent micelles surrounding membrane protein molecules in single crystals can be investigated using neutron crystallography combined with H 2 O/D 2 O contrast variation. If the protein structure is known then the contrast variation method allows phases to be determined at a contrast where the detergent dominates the scattering. The application of various constraints allows the resulting scattering length density map to be realistically modeled. The method has been applied to two different forms of the membrane protein porin. In one case both hydrogenated and partially deuterated protein were used, allowing the head group and tail to be distinguished

Designing an adaptive salutogenic care environment

OpenAIRE

Dalton, Cathy; Harrison, Jim D.

2011-01-01

Humans are profoundly affected by the surroundings which they inhabit. Environmental psychologists have produced numerous credible theories describing optimal human environments, based on the concept of congruence or “fit” (1, 2). Lack of person/environment fit can lead to stress-related illness and lack of psychosocial well-being (3). Conversely, appropriately designed environments can promote wellness (4) or “salutogenesis” (5). Increasingly, research in the area of Evidence-Based Design, l...

Perturbations of Native Membrane Protein Structure in Alkyl Phosphocholine Detergents: A Critical Assessment of NMR and Biophysical Studies

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Membrane proteins perform a host of vital cellular functions. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms whereby they fulfill these functions requires detailed biophysical and structural investigations. Detergents have proven pivotal to extract the protein from its native surroundings. Yet, they provide a milieu that departs significantly from that of the biological membrane, to the extent that the structure, the dynamics, and the interactions of membrane proteins in detergents may considerably vary, as compared to the native environment. Understanding the impact of detergents on membrane proteins is, therefore, crucial to assess the biological relevance of results obtained in detergents. Here, we review the strengths and weaknesses of alkyl phosphocholines (or foscholines), the most widely used detergent in solution-NMR studies of membrane proteins. While this class of detergents is often successful for membrane protein solubilization, a growing list of examples points to destabilizing and denaturing properties, in particular for α-helical membrane proteins. Our comprehensive analysis stresses the importance of stringent controls when working with this class of detergents and when analyzing the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins in alkyl phosphocholine detergents. PMID:29488756

Protein-silver nanoparticle interactions to colloidal stability in acidic environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, Jui-Ting; Lai, Chao-Shun; Ho, Hsin-Chia; Yeh, Yu-Shan; Wang, Hsiao-Fang; Ho, Rong-Ming; Tsai, De-Hao

2014-11-04

We report a kinetic study of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) under acidic environments (i.e., pH 2.3 to pH ≈7) and systematically investigate the impact of protein interactions [i.e., bovine serum albumin (BSA) as representative] to the colloidal stability of AgNPs. Electrospray-differential mobility analysis (ES-DMA) was used to characterize the particle size distributions and the number concentrations of AgNPs. Transmission electron microscopy was employed orthogonally to provide visualization of AgNPs. For unconjugated AgNPs, the extent of aggregation, or the average particle size, was shown to be increased significantly with an increase of acidity, where a partial coalescence was found between the primary particles of unconjugated AgNP clusters. Aggregation rate constant, kD, was also shown to be proportional to acidity, following a correlation of log(kD) = -1.627(pH)-9.3715. Using ES-DMA, we observe BSA had a strong binding affinity (equilibrium binding constant, ≈ 1.1 × 10(6) L/mol) to the surface of AgNPs, with an estimated maximum molecular surface density of ≈0.012 nm(-2). BSA-functionalized AgNPs exhibited highly-improved colloidal stability compared to the unconjugated AgNPs under acidic environments, where both the acid-induced interfacial dissolution and the particle aggregation became negligible. Results confirm a complex mechanism of colloidal stability of AgNPs: the aggregation process was shown to be dominant, and the formation of BSA corona on AgNPs suppressed both particle aggregation and interfacial dissolution of AgNP samples under acidic environments.

A Survey of Deepwater Horizon (DWH Oil-Degrading Bacteria from the Eastern Oyster Biome and its Surrounding Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse eThomas

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The Deepwater Horizon (DWH accident led to the release of an estimated 794,936,474 liters of crude oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico over an 85 day period in 2010, resulting in the contamination of the Gulf of Mexico waters, sediments, permeable beach sands, coastal wetlands and marine life. This study examines the potential response of the Eastern oyster’s microbiome to hydrocarbon contamination and compares it with the bacterial community responses observed from the overlaying water column and the oyster bed sediments. For this purpose, microcosms seeded with DWH crude oil were established and inoculated separately with oyster tissue (OT, mantle fluid (MF, overlaying water column (WC and sediments (S collected from Apalachicola Bay, FL. Shifts in the microbial community structure in the amended microcosms was monitored over a 3-month period using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer region analysis (ARISA, which showed that the microbiome of the oyster tissue and mantle fluid were more similar to the sediment communities than those present in the overlaying water column. This pattern remained largely consistent, regardless of the concentration of crude oil or the enrichment period. Additionally, 72 oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from the microcosms containing OT, MF, WC and S and identified using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA gene sequencing and compared by principal component analysis (PCA which clearly showed that the water column isolates were different to those identified from the sediment. Conversely, the oyster tissue and mantle fluid isolates clustered together; a strong indication that the oyster microbiome is uniquely structured relative to its surrounding environment. When selected isolates from the OT, MF, WC and S were assessed for their oil-degrading potential, we found that the DWH oil was biodegraded between 12%-42%, under the existing conditions.

Acclimatization of symbiotic corals to mesophotic light environments through wavelength transformation by fluorescent protein pigments.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Edward G; D'Angelo, Cecilia; Sharon, Yoni; Tchernov, Dan; Wiedenmann, Joerg

2017-07-12

The depth distribution of reef-building corals exposes their photosynthetic symbionts of the genus Symbiodinium to extreme gradients in the intensity and spectral quality of the ambient light environment. Characterizing the mechanisms used by the coral holobiont to respond to the low intensity and reduced spectral composition of the light environment in deeper reefs (greater than 20 m) is fundamental to our understanding of the functioning and structure of reefs across depth gradients. Here, we demonstrate that host pigments, specifically photoconvertible red fluorescent proteins (pcRFPs), can promote coral adaptation/acclimatization to deeper-water light environments by transforming the prevalent blue light into orange-red light, which can penetrate deeper within zooxanthellae-containing tissues; this facilitates a more homogeneous distribution of photons across symbiont communities. The ecological importance of pcRFPs in deeper reefs is supported by the increasing proportion of red fluorescent corals with depth (measured down to 45 m) and increased survival of colour morphs with strong expression of pcRFPs in long-term light manipulation experiments. In addition to screening by host pigments from high light intensities in shallow water, the spectral transformation observed in deeper-water corals highlights the importance of GFP-like protein expression as an ecological mechanism to support the functioning of the coral- Symbiodinium association across steep environmental gradients. © 2017 The Authors.

Theoretical description of protein field effects on electronic excitations of biological chromophores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varsano, Daniele; Caprasecca, Stefano; Coccia, Emanuele

2017-01-01

Photoinitiated phenomena play a crucial role in many living organisms. Plants, algae, and bacteria absorb sunlight to perform photosynthesis, and convert water and carbon dioxide into molecular oxygen and carbohydrates, thus forming the basis for life on Earth. The vision of vertebrates is accomplished in the eye by a protein called rhodopsin, which upon photon absorption performs an ultrafast isomerisation of the retinal chromophore, triggering the signal cascade. Many other biological functions start with the photoexcitation of a protein-embedded pigment, followed by complex processes comprising, for example, electron or excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes. The optical properties of chromophores in living systems are strongly dependent on the interaction with the surrounding environment (nearby protein residues, membrane, water), and the complexity of such interplay is, in most cases, at the origin of the functional diversity of the photoactive proteins. The specific interactions with the environment often lead to a significant shift of the chromophore excitation energies, compared with their absorption in solution or gas phase. The investigation of the optical response of chromophores is generally not straightforward, from both experimental and theoretical standpoints; this is due to the difficulty in understanding diverse behaviours and effects, occurring at different scales, with a single technique. In particular, the role played by ab initio calculations in assisting and guiding experiments, as well as in understanding the physics of photoactive proteins, is fundamental. At the same time, owing to the large size of the systems, more approximate strategies which take into account the environmental effects on the absorption spectra are also of paramount importance. Here we review the recent advances in the first-principle description of electronic and optical properties of biological chromophores embedded in a protein environment. We show

Theoretical description of protein field effects on electronic excitations of biological chromophores

Science.gov (United States)

Varsano, Daniele; Caprasecca, Stefano; Coccia, Emanuele

2017-01-01

Photoinitiated phenomena play a crucial role in many living organisms. Plants, algae, and bacteria absorb sunlight to perform photosynthesis, and convert water and carbon dioxide into molecular oxygen and carbohydrates, thus forming the basis for life on Earth. The vision of vertebrates is accomplished in the eye by a protein called rhodopsin, which upon photon absorption performs an ultrafast isomerisation of the retinal chromophore, triggering the signal cascade. Many other biological functions start with the photoexcitation of a protein-embedded pigment, followed by complex processes comprising, for example, electron or excitation energy transfer in photosynthetic complexes. The optical properties of chromophores in living systems are strongly dependent on the interaction with the surrounding environment (nearby protein residues, membrane, water), and the complexity of such interplay is, in most cases, at the origin of the functional diversity of the photoactive proteins. The specific interactions with the environment often lead to a significant shift of the chromophore excitation energies, compared with their absorption in solution or gas phase. The investigation of the optical response of chromophores is generally not straightforward, from both experimental and theoretical standpoints; this is due to the difficulty in understanding diverse behaviours and effects, occurring at different scales, with a single technique. In particular, the role played by ab initio calculations in assisting and guiding experiments, as well as in understanding the physics of photoactive proteins, is fundamental. At the same time, owing to the large size of the systems, more approximate strategies which take into account the environmental effects on the absorption spectra are also of paramount importance. Here we review the recent advances in the first-principle description of electronic and optical properties of biological chromophores embedded in a protein environment. We show

Crustal structure beneath Beijing and its surrounding regions derived from gravity data

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Wenliang; Zhang, Jingfa; Lu, Xiaocui; Lu, Jing

2011-06-01

In this paper we use gravity data to study fine crustal structure and seismogenic environment beneath Beijing and its surrounding regions. Multi-scale wavelet analysis method is applied to separating gravity fields. Logarithmic power spectrum method is also used to calculate depth of gravity field source. The results show that the crustal structure is very complicated beneath Beijing and its surrounding areas. The crustal density exhibits laterally inhomogeneous. There are three large scale tectonic zones in North China, i.e., WNW-striking Zhangjiakou-Bohai tectonic zone (ZBTZ), NE-striking Taihang piedmont tectonic zone (TPTZ) and Cangxian tectonic zone (CTZ). ZBTZ and TPTZ intersect with each other beneath Beijing area and both of them cut through the lithosphere. The upper and middle crusts consist of many small-scale faults, uplifts and depressions. In the lower crust, these small-scale tectonic units disappear gradually, and they are replaced by large-scale tectonic units. In surrounding regions of Beijing, ZBTZ intersects with several other NE-striking tectonic units, such as Cangxian uplift, Jizhong depression and Shanxi Graben System (SGS). In west of Taihangshan uplift, gravity anomalies in upper and middle crusts are correlated with geological and topographic features on the surface. Compared with the crust, the structure is comparatively simple in uppermost mantle. Earthquakes mainly occurred in upper and middle crusts, especially in transitional regions between high gravity anomaly and low gravity anomaly. Occurrence of large earthquakes may be related to the upwelling of upper mantle and asthenosphere heat flow materials, such as Sanhe earthquake ( M S8.0) and Tangshan earthquake ( M S7.8).

Stimulus size dependence of hue changes induced by chromatic surrounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kellner, Christian Johannes; Wachtler, Thomas

2016-03-01

A chromatic surround induces a change in the perceived hue of a stimulus. This shift in hue depends on the chromatic difference between the stimulus and the surround. We investigated how chromatic induction varies with stimulus size and whether the size dependence depends on the surround hue. Subjects performed asymmetric matching of color stimuli with different sizes in surrounds of different chromaticities. Generally, induced hue shifts decreased with increasing stimulus size. This decrease was quantitatively different for different surround hues. However, when size effects were normalized to an overall induction strength, the chromatic specificity was largely reduced. The separability of inducer chromaticity and stimulus size suggests that these effects are mediated by different neural mechanisms.

New tool for spreading proteins to the environment: Cry1Ab toxin immobilized to bioplastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Moldes, Cristina; Farinós, Gema P; de Eugenio, Laura I; García, Pedro; García, José L; Ortego, Félix; Hernández-Crespo, Pedro; Castañera, Pedro; Prieto, María A

2006-08-01

A new tool to provide an environmentally friendly way to deliver active proteins to the environment has been developed, based on the use of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA, bioplastic) granules. To illustrate this novel approach, a derived Cry1Ab insect-specific toxin protein was in vivo immobilized into PHA granules through the polypeptide tag BioF. The new toxin, named Fk-Bt1, was shown to be active against Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The dose-mortality responses of the new toxin granule formulation (PFk-Bt1) and purified Cry1Ab have been compared, demonstrating the effectiveness of PFk-Bt1 and suggesting a common mode of action.

Explaining preferences for home surroundings and locations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Skifter

2011-01-01

This article is based on a survey carried out in Denmark that asked a random sample of the population about their preferences for home surroundings and locations. It shows that the characteristics of social surroundings are very important and can be divided into three independent dimensions......: avoiding social nuisances, preferring social homogeneity and living close to one’s social network and place of origin. The study shows that most people have many detailed preferences, whereas some have very few. This confirms an earlier theory that some people are very connected to certain places...... with given characteristics and thus do not have priorities regarding home surroundings and locations. For others, mostly young people and singles, home is just a place to sleep and relax, whereas life is lived elsewhere. For this group, there are only preferences for location and there are few specific...

Investigation of the Effect of Water Removal from Wells Surrounding Parishan Lake on Groundwater and Surface Water Levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shafiei, M.; Raini Sarjaz, M.; Fazloli, R.; Gholami Sefidkouhi, M. A.

2017-01-01

In recent decades the human impacts on global warming and, its consequences, climate change, stirred up earth ecosystems balance and has created many problems all over the world. Unauthorized underground water removal, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran, along with recent decade drought occurrences significantly lowered underground and surface water levels. To investigate the impacts of water removal from surrounding wells in Parishan Lake water level, during 1996 to 2009 interval, 8 buffer layers surrounding the lake were mapped in ArcGIS 9.3 environment. Each buffer layer wells and their total annual discharges were determined. Using SPSS 16 software, the regression equations between wells water levels and water discharges were computed. By employing Thiessen function and creating Thiessen network (TIN) around observation wells, decline of groundwater levels was evaluated. Finally regression equations between wells discharges and groundwater level declines were created. The findings showed that there are highly significant correlations (p ≤ 0.01), in all buffer layers, between water levels and wells discharges. Investigation of the observation wells surrounding lake showed that severe groundwater level declines has been started since the beginning of the first decade of the 21st century. Using satellite images in ArcGIS 9.3 environment it was confirmed that lake’s area has been reduced significantly. In conclusion, it is obvious that human interferences on lake’s natural ecosystem by digging unauthorized wells and removing underground water more than annual recharges significantly impacted surface and groundwater levels.

Automated builder and database of protein/membrane complexes for molecular dynamics simulations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunhwan Jo

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Molecular dynamics simulations of membrane proteins have provided deeper insights into their functions and interactions with surrounding environments at the atomic level. However, compared to solvation of globular proteins, building a realistic protein/membrane complex is still challenging and requires considerable experience with simulation software. Membrane Builder in the CHARMM-GUI website (http://www.charmm-gui.org helps users to build such a complex system using a web browser with a graphical user interface. Through a generalized and automated building process including system size determination as well as generation of lipid bilayer, pore water, bulk water, and ions, a realistic membrane system with virtually any kinds and shapes of membrane proteins can be generated in 5 minutes to 2 hours depending on the system size. Default values that were elaborated and tested extensively are given in each step to provide reasonable options and starting points for both non-expert and expert users. The efficacy of Membrane Builder is illustrated by its applications to 12 transmembrane and 3 interfacial membrane proteins, whose fully equilibrated systems with three different types of lipid molecules (DMPC, DPPC, and POPC and two types of system shapes (rectangular and hexagonal are freely available on the CHARMM-GUI website. One of the most significant advantages of using the web environment is that, if a problem is found, users can go back and re-generate the whole system again before quitting the browser. Therefore, Membrane Builder provides the intuitive and easy way to build and simulate the biologically important membrane system.

HIV behavioural surveillance among refugees and surrounding host ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We used a standardised behavioural surveillance survey (BSS), modified to be directly relevant to populations in conflict and post-conflict settings as well as to their surrounding host populations, to survey the populations of a refugee settlement in south-western Uganda and its surrounding area. Two-stage probability ...

Information Space, Information Field, Information Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Ya. Tsvetkov

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes information space, information field and information environment; shows that information space can be natural and artificial; information field is substantive and processual object and articulates the space property; information environment is concerned with some object and acts as the surrounding in relation to it and is considered with regard to it. It enables to define information environment as a subset of information space. It defines its passive description. Information environment can also be defined as a subset of information field. It corresponds to its active description.

Some thoughts on geovirtual environments

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Cooper, Antony K

2010-11-01

Full Text Available environments can assist people develop an understanding of their spatial surroundings and how our actions can affect others, 3) how virtual globes can be used for all types of education, and not just environmental education, 4) the impact geovirtual...

Amino acid sequence surrounding the chondroitin sulfate attachment site of thrombomodulin regulates chondroitin polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Izumikawa, Tomomi; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2015-05-01

Thrombomodulin (TM) is a cell-surface glycoprotein and a critical mediator of endothelial anticoagulant function. TM exists as both a chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycan (PG) form and a non-PG form lacking a CS chain (α-TM); therefore, TM can be described as a part-time PG. Previously, we reported that α-TM bears an immature, truncated linkage tetrasaccharide structure (GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-3Galβ1-4Xyl). However, the biosynthetic mechanism to generate part-time PGs remains unclear. In this study, we used several mutants to demonstrate that the amino acid sequence surrounding the CS attachment site influences the efficiency of chondroitin polymerization. In particular, the presence of acidic residues surrounding the CS attachment site was indispensable for the elongation of CS. In addition, mutants defective in CS elongation did not exhibit anti-coagulant activity, as in the case with α-TM. Together, these data support a model for CS chain assembly in which specific core protein determinants are recognized by a key biosynthetic enzyme involved in chondroitin polymerization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chromophore photophysics and dynamics in fluorescent proteins of the GFP family

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nienhaus, Karin; Nienhaus, G Ulrich

2016-01-01

Proteins of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family are indispensable for fluorescence imaging experiments in the life sciences, particularly of living specimens. Their essential role as genetically encoded fluorescence markers has motivated many researchers over the last 20 years to further advance and optimize these proteins by using protein engineering. Amino acids can be exchanged by site-specific mutagenesis, starting with naturally occurring proteins as templates. Optical properties of the fluorescent chromophore are strongly tuned by the surrounding protein environment, and a targeted modification of chromophore-protein interactions requires a profound knowledge of the underlying photophysics and photochemistry, which has by now been well established from a large number of structural and spectroscopic experiments and molecular-mechanical and quantum-mechanical computations on many variants of fluorescent proteins. Nevertheless, such rational engineering often does not meet with success and thus is complemented by random mutagenesis and selection based on the optical properties. In this topical review, we present an overview of the key structural and spectroscopic properties of fluorescent proteins. We address protein-chromophore interactions that govern ground state optical properties as well as processes occurring in the electronically excited state. Special emphasis is placed on photoactivation of fluorescent proteins. These light-induced reactions result in large structural changes that drastically alter the fluorescence properties of the protein, which enables some of the most exciting applications, including single particle tracking, pulse chase imaging and super-resolution imaging. We also present a few examples of fluorescent protein application in live-cell imaging experiments. (topical review)

Chromophore photophysics and dynamics in fluorescent proteins of the GFP family

Science.gov (United States)

Nienhaus, Karin; Nienhaus, G. Ulrich

2016-11-01

Proteins of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family are indispensable for fluorescence imaging experiments in the life sciences, particularly of living specimens. Their essential role as genetically encoded fluorescence markers has motivated many researchers over the last 20 years to further advance and optimize these proteins by using protein engineering. Amino acids can be exchanged by site-specific mutagenesis, starting with naturally occurring proteins as templates. Optical properties of the fluorescent chromophore are strongly tuned by the surrounding protein environment, and a targeted modification of chromophore-protein interactions requires a profound knowledge of the underlying photophysics and photochemistry, which has by now been well established from a large number of structural and spectroscopic experiments and molecular-mechanical and quantum-mechanical computations on many variants of fluorescent proteins. Nevertheless, such rational engineering often does not meet with success and thus is complemented by random mutagenesis and selection based on the optical properties. In this topical review, we present an overview of the key structural and spectroscopic properties of fluorescent proteins. We address protein-chromophore interactions that govern ground state optical properties as well as processes occurring in the electronically excited state. Special emphasis is placed on photoactivation of fluorescent proteins. These light-induced reactions result in large structural changes that drastically alter the fluorescence properties of the protein, which enables some of the most exciting applications, including single particle tracking, pulse chase imaging and super-resolution imaging. We also present a few examples of fluorescent protein application in live-cell imaging experiments.

Beliefs about motivation and work with quality, environment and working environment in small organisations

OpenAIRE

Lindmark, Camilla

1999-01-01

Three small organisations in Sweden were studied in order to describe found motives for and against work with quality, environment and working environment among people in a small organisation. Some motives for work within the three areas mainly expressed beliefs about increased production results and increased psychological well-being of people. The work was also thought to have a positive impact on the organisation in terms of coping with changes in the surrounding. Arguments why small organ...

Injectable nanocomposite cryogels for versatile protein drug delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Koshy, Sandeep T; Zhang, David K Y; Grolman, Joshua M; Stafford, Alexander G; Mooney, David J

2018-01-01

Sustained, localized protein delivery can enhance the safety and activity of protein drugs in diverse disease settings. While hydrogel systems are widely studied as vehicles for protein delivery, they often suffer from rapid release of encapsulated cargo, leading to a narrow duration of therapy, and protein cargo can be denatured by incompatibility with the hydrogel crosslinking chemistry. In this work, we describe injectable nanocomposite hydrogels that are capable of sustained, bioactive, release of a variety of encapsulated proteins. Injectable and porous cryogels were formed by bio-orthogonal crosslinking of alginate using tetrazine-norbornene coupling. To provide sustained release from these hydrogels, protein cargo was pre-adsorbed to charged Laponite nanoparticles that were incorporated within the walls of the cryogels. The presence of Laponite particles substantially hindered the release of a number of proteins that otherwise showed burst release from these hydrogels. By modifying the Laponite content within the hydrogels, the kinetics of protein release could be precisely tuned. This versatile strategy to control protein release simplifies the design of hydrogel drug delivery systems. Here we present an injectable nanocomposite hydrogel for simple and versatile controlled release of therapeutic proteins. Protein release from hydrogels often requires first entrapping the protein in particles and embedding these particles within the hydrogel to allow controlled protein release. This pre-encapsulation process can be cumbersome, can damage the protein's activity, and must be optimized for each protein of interest. The strategy presented in this work simply premixes the protein with charged nanoparticles that bind strongly with the protein. These protein-laden particles are then placed within a hydrogel and slowly release the protein into the surrounding environment. Using this method, tunable release from an injectable hydrogel can be achieved for a variety of

Analysis of environmental-social changes in the surrounding area of KWB Turow in the historical context

Science.gov (United States)

Ciesłik, Tobiasz; Górniak-Zimroz, Justyna

2018-01-01

Opencast mining of large-area lignite deposits impacts the environment, and the health and life of people living in the vicinity of the conducted mining activity. Therefore, the attempt was made to develop a methodology for identification of environmental and social changes in the Bogatynia municipality (south-western Poland), resulting from functioning of Turow lignite mine within its area. During the study of changes occurring over the years, the development of mining pit was noticed, as well as the transformations of this area and impact of the mining plant on the selected elements of environment and surrounding areas. Analogue and digital data were used for the preparation of cartographic compilations, the usefulness of which was analyzed in accordance with the guidelines contained in the standard [1]. The conducted cartographic studies allowed to learn the history of the mine together with identification of changes taking place in the municipality Bogatynia. The obtained results show the form and condition of the objects in the analyzed year, allowing for the interpretation of changes that occurred in the surrounding areas of the Turow mine. Due to the conducted activity of the mine and Turow power plant, both negative and positive aspects were noted in connection with the carrying out of mining activity in the Bogatynia municipality.

Circumstances surrounding aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schievink, W. I.; Karemaker, J. M.; Hageman, L. M.; van der Werf, D. J.

1989-01-01

The circumstances surrounding aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage were investigated in a group of 500 consecutive patients admitted to a neurosurgical center. Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred during stressful events in 42.8% of the patients, during nonstrenuous activities in 34.4%, and during rest or

Effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 for fishes controlled by their surrounding sea-waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, T.; Yoshida, K.

2004-01-01

National Research Institute of Fisheries Science (NRIFS) has carried out the long term monitoring program for radioactive pollution in marine organisms caught around Japan in order to confirm the safety of marine organisms as food source. Main radionuclide in our monitoring program is Cs-137 because it has the relatively high radiotoxicity and the long term physical half-life (about 30.1 y), and tends to accumulate in the muscle. Recently, the effective ecological half-lives have been introduced to estimate the recovery time from radioactive pollution, and been applicable to various ecosystems. In this study, effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 for some fishes were calculated from our long term monitoring data. It is known that fish species have each effective ecological half-lives. However, it has been unclear what change the effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 for fishes. Fishes intake Cs-137 through food chain and directly from their surrounding sea-waters. Accordingly, the effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 for some fishes would be controlled by the effective environment half-lives of Cs-137 for their surrounding sea-waters. There is difference in effective environment half-lives of Cs-137 between the open ocean and the coastal sea-waters because they have the different input sources of Cs-137. Some fishes move between the open ocean and the coastal areas, and therefore their effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 are influenced by the effective environment half-lives of Cs-137 for sea-waters of both areas. Consequently, the differences in effective ecological half-lives of Cs-137 among fish species would depend the rate of coastal area in their lives. (author)

QM/MM Geometry Optimization on Extensive Free-Energy Surfaces for Examination of Enzymatic Reactions and Design of Novel Functional Properties of Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Shigehiko; Uchida, Yoshihiro; Hasegawa, Taisuke; Higashi, Masahiro; Kosugi, Takahiro; Kamiya, Motoshi

2017-05-05

Many remarkable molecular functions of proteins use their characteristic global and slow conformational dynamics through coupling of local chemical states in reaction centers with global conformational changes of proteins. To theoretically examine the functional processes of proteins in atomic detail, a methodology of quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) free-energy geometry optimization is introduced. In the methodology, a geometry optimization of a local reaction center is performed with a quantum mechanical calculation on a free-energy surface constructed with conformational samples of the surrounding protein environment obtained by a molecular dynamics simulation with a molecular mechanics force field. Geometry optimizations on extensive free-energy surfaces by a QM/MM reweighting free-energy self-consistent field method designed to be variationally consistent and computationally efficient have enabled examinations of the multiscale molecular coupling of local chemical states with global protein conformational changes in functional processes and analysis and design of protein mutants with novel functional properties.

Inferring the palaeoenvironment of ancient bacteria on the basis of resurrected proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Gaucher, Eric A.; Thomson, J. Michael; Burgan, Michelle F.; Benner, Steven A.

2003-01-01

Features of the physical environment surrounding an ancestral organism can be inferred by reconstructing sequences of ancient proteins made by those organisms, resurrecting these proteins in the laboratory, and measuring their properties. Here, we resurrect candidate sequences for elongation factors of the Tu family (EF-Tu) found at ancient nodes in the bacterial evolutionary tree, and measure their activities as a function of temperature. The ancient EF-Tu proteins have temperature optima of 55-65 degrees C. This value seems to be robust with respect to uncertainties in the ancestral reconstruction. This suggests that the ancient bacteria that hosted these particular genes were thermophiles, and neither hyperthermophiles nor mesophiles. This conclusion can be compared and contrasted with inferences drawn from an analysis of the lengths of branches in trees joining proteins from contemporary bacteria, the distribution of thermophily in derived bacterial lineages, the inferred G + C content of ancient ribosomal RNA, and the geological record combined with assumptions concerning molecular clocks. The study illustrates the use of experimental palaeobiochemistry and assumptions about deep phylogenetic relationships between bacteria to explore the character of ancient life.

The virtual environment display system

Science.gov (United States)

Mcgreevy, Michael W.

1991-01-01

Virtual environment technology is a display and control technology that can surround a person in an interactive computer generated or computer mediated virtual environment. It has evolved at NASA-Ames since 1984 to serve NASA's missions and goals. The exciting potential of this technology, sometimes called Virtual Reality, Artificial Reality, or Cyberspace, has been recognized recently by the popular media, industry, academia, and government organizations. Much research and development will be necessary to bring it to fruition.

Thermoplastic processing of proteins for film formation--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Izquierdo, V M; Krochta, J M

2008-03-01

Increasing interest in high-quality food products with increased shelf life and reduced environmental impact has encouraged the study and development of edible and/or biodegradable polymer films and coatings. Edible films provide the opportunity to effectively control mass transfer among different components in a food or between the food and its surrounding environment. The diversity of proteins that results from an almost limitless number of side-chain amino-acid sequential arrangements allows for a wide range of interactions and chemical reactions to take place as proteins denature and cross-link during heat processing. Proteins such as wheat gluten, corn zein, soy protein, myofibrillar proteins, and whey proteins have been successfully formed into films using thermoplastic processes such as compression molding and extrusion. Thermoplastic processing can result in a highly efficient manufacturing method with commercial potential for large-scale production of edible films due to the low moisture levels, high temperatures, and short times used. Addition of water, glycerol, sorbitol, sucrose, and other plasticizers allows the proteins to undergo the glass transition and facilitates deformation and processability without thermal degradation. Target film variables, important in predicting biopackage performance under various conditions, include mechanical, thermal, barrier, and microstructural properties. Comparisons of film properties should be made with care since results depend on parameters such as film-forming materials, film formulation, fabrication method, operating conditions, testing equipment, and testing conditions. Film applications include their use as wraps, pouches, bags, casings, and sachets to protect foods, reduce waste, and improve package recyclability.

Cholinergic enhancement reduces orientation-specific surround suppression but not visual crowding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna A. Kosovicheva

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Acetylcholine (ACh reduces the spatial spread of excitatory fMRI responses in early visual cortex and the receptive field sizes of V1 neurons. We investigated the perceptual consequences of these physiological effects of ACh with surround suppression and crowding, two tasks that involve spatial interactions between visual field locations. Surround suppression refers to the reduction in perceived stimulus contrast by a high-contrast surround stimulus. For grating stimuli, surround suppression is selective for the relative orientations of the center and surround, suggesting that it results from inhibitory interactions in early visual cortex. Crowding refers to impaired identification of a peripheral stimulus in the presence of flankers and is thought to result from excessive integration of visual features. We increased synaptic ACh levels by administering the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil to healthy human subjects in a placebo-controlled, double-blind design. In Exp. 1, we measured surround suppression of a central grating using a contrast discrimination task with three conditions: 1 surround grating with the same orientation as the center (parallel, 2 surround orthogonal to the center, or 3 no surround. Contrast discrimination thresholds were higher in the parallel than in the orthogonal condition, demonstrating orientation-specific surround suppression (OSSS. Cholinergic enhancement reduced thresholds only in the parallel condition, thereby reducing OSSS. In Exp. 2, subjects performed a crowding task in which they reported the identity of a peripheral letter flanked by letters on either side. We measured the critical spacing between the target and flanking letters that allowed reliable identification. Cholinergic enhancement had no effect on critical spacing. Our findings suggest that ACh reduces spatial interactions in tasks involving segmentation of visual field locations but that these effects may be limited to early visual cortical

Lead identification in soil surrounding a used lead acid battery smelter area in Banten, Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adventini, N; Santoso, M; Lestiani, D D; Syahfitri, W Y N; Rixson, L

2017-01-01

A used lead acid battery smelter generates particulates containing lead that can contaminate the surrounding environment area. Lead is a heavy metal which is harmful to health if it enters the human body through soil, air, or water. An identification of lead in soil samples surrounding formal and informal used lead acid battery smelters area in Banten, Indonesia using EDXRF has been carried out. The EDXRF accuracy and precision evaluated from marine sediment IAEA 457 gave a good agreement to the certified value. A number of 16 soil samples from formal and informal areas and 2 soil samples from control area were taken from surface and subsurface soils. The highest lead concentrations from both lead smelter were approximately 9 folds and 11 folds higher than the reference and control samples. The assessment of lead contamination in soils described in C f index was in category: moderately and strongly polluted by lead for formal and informal lead smelter. Daily lead intake of children in this study from all sites had exceeded the recommended dietary allowance. The HI values for adults and children living near both lead smelter areas were greater than the value of safety threshold 1. This study finding confirmed that there is a potential health risk for inhabitants surrounding the used lead acid battery smelter areas in Banten, Indonesia. (paper)

Origin of cell surface proteins released from Micrococcus radiodurans by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchel, R.E.J.

1975-01-01

The exposure of Micrococcus radiodurans to sublethal doses of ionizing radiation causes the release of certain proteins into the surrounding medium. As estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, these proteins range from approximately 20,000 to 125,000 daltons. At least some of the proteins, including an exonuclease, have a surface location and appear to originate from the lipid-rich midwall layer. The exonuclease has two functionally distinct locations, one with its active site available to external substrate and a second with the active site masked from the exterior. Ionizing radiation releases both the masked and unmasked activity into the surrounding medium

On the close environment of BL Lacertae objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Falomo, R. (Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova (Italy)); Melnick, J. (European Southern Observatory, Santiago (Chile)); Tanzi, E.G. (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan (Italy))

1990-06-21

The local environment of BL Lacertae objects, which resemble quasars but lack emission lines, is poorly understood. In the few cases where the surrounding nebulosity has been studied in detail, it is consistent with the presence of a giant elliptical galaxy, but the evidence that the BL Lac and the putative galaxy are physically associated rests solely on their positional coincidence. An alternative hypothesis, that BL Lacs are gravitationally lensed and that the surrounding emission is from the foreground lensing object, gains some support from a number of observations which reveal less than perfect alignment between BL Lacs and surrounding emission. We have begun a systematic programme of high-resolution imaging aimed at understanding in a general way the local environment of BL Lacs. Here we describe a first series of images, which show the presence of emission features around most of the BL Lacs observed. Typically, this emission is close (<5 arcsec) to the BL Lac, and faint (m{sub R} = 21). We discuss the interpretation of these companions in terms of both interacting objects and gravitational lenses. (author).

Production of the Allergenic Protein Alt a 1 by Alternaria Isolates from Working Environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justyna Skóra

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to evaluate the ability of Alternaria isolates from workplaces to produce Alt a 1 allergenic protein, and to analyze whether technical materials (cellulose, compost, leather present within the working environment stimulate or inhibit Alt a 1 production (ELISA test. Studies included identification of the isolated molds by nucleotide sequences analyzing of the ITS1/ITS2 regions, actin, calmodulin and Alt a 1 genes. It has been shown that Alternaria molds are significant part of microbiocenosis in the archive, museum, library, composting plant and tannery (14%–16% frequency in the air. The presence of the gene encoding the Alt a 1 protein has been detected for the strains: Alternaria alternata, A. lini, A. limoniasperae A. nobilis and A. tenuissima. Environmental strains produced Alt a 1 at higher concentrations (1.103–6.528 ng/mL than a ATCC strain (0.551–0.975 ng/mL. It has been shown that the homogenization of the mycelium and the use of ultrafiltration allow a considerable increase of Alt a 1 concentration. Variations in the production of Alt a 1 protein, depend on the strain and extraction methods. These studies revealed no impact of the technical material from the workplaces on the production of Alt a 1 protein.

Microclimate risk evaluation in agroindustrial work environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monarca, D.; Porceddu, P.; Cecchini, M.; Babucci, V.

2005-01-01

The concept of workers' safety includes not only the prevention from accidents, as a result of improvements in the devices utilised, but also their welfare and comfort microclimate, i.e., the complex of parameters that affect the thermal exchange between workers and the surrounding environment is one of the main factors that affect the working environment. The paper describes the main risk assessment methodologies and the main actions to be taken for improving the working environment and workers' personal comfort [it

Placental vascular responses are dependent on surrounding tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøgger, Torbjørn Halle

-depth understanding of the mechanism regulating blood flow and perfusion is necessary if we are to come up with new ideas for intervention and treatment. Method: From fresh born placentas stem villi arteries were carefully dissected. The artery branches were divided. The surrounding tissue was removed from one end...... and was left untouched in the other end. Then using wire myography they were investigated in terms of contractility and sensitivity to physiological relevant human-like agonists. Results: Sensitivity to PGF2α, Tx-analog, 5-HT and endothelin-1 was significantly lower in arteries with intact surrounding tissue...... compared to arteries stripped of the tissue. The maximal force development was also significantly lower in arteries with surrounding tissue, when they were depolarized high extracellular [K+] or stimulated with PGF2α or endotheline-1. Conclusion: The perivascular tissue significantly alters stem villi...

Placental vascular responses are dependent on surrounding tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brøgger, Torbjørn Halle

. Materials and methods. From fresh born placentas, stem villi arteries were carefully dissected. The artery branches were divided. The surrounding tissue was removed from one end and was left untouched in the other end.Then, using wire myography, they were investigated in terms of contractility...... and sensitivity to physiological relevant human-like agonists. Results. Sensitivity to PGF2α, Tx-analog, 5-HT and endothelin-1 was significantly lower in arteries with intact surrounding tissue compared to arteries stripped of the tissue. The maximal force development was also significantly lower in arteries...... with surrounding tissue when they were depolarized high extracellular [K+] or stimulated with PGF2α or endotheline-1. Conclusion. The perivascular tissue significantly alters stem villi arteries' sensitivity and force development in a suppressive way. This implicates a new aspect of blood flow regulation...

A synchronous surround increases the motion strength gain of motion.

Science.gov (United States)

Linares, Daniel; Nishida, Shin'ya

2013-11-12

Coherent motion detection is greatly enhanced by the synchronous presentation of a static surround (Linares, Motoyoshi, & Nishida, 2012). To further understand this contextual enhancement, here we measured the sensitivity to discriminate motion strength for several pedestal strengths with and without a surround. We found that the surround improved discrimination of low and medium motion strengths, but did not improve or even impaired discrimination of high motion strengths. We used motion strength discriminability to estimate the perceptual response function assuming additive noise and found that the surround increased the motion strength gain, rather than the response gain. Given that eye and body movements continuously introduce transients in the retinal image, it is possible that this strength gain occurs in natural vision.

Aerobic lineage of the oxidative stress response protein rubrerythrin emerged in an ancient microaerobic, (hyperthermophilic environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Pablo Cardenas

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Rubrerythrins (RBRs are non-heme di-iron proteins belonging to the ferritin-like superfamily (FLSF. They are involved in oxidative stress defense as peroxide scavengers in a wide range of organisms. The vast majority of RBRs, including classical forms of this protein, contain a C-terminal rubredoxin-like domain involved in electron transport that is used during catalysis in anaerobic conditions. Rubredoxin is an ancient and large protein family of short length (<100 residues that contains a Fe-S center involved in electron transfer. However, functional forms of the enzyme lacking the rubredoxin-like domain have been reported (e.g., sulerythrin and ferriperoxin. In this study, phylogenomic evidence is presented that suggests that a complete lineage of rubrerythrins, lacking the rubredoxin-like domain, arose in an ancient microaerobic and (hyperthermophilic environments in the ancestors of the Archaea Thermoproteales and Sulfolobales. This lineage (termed the aerobic-type lineage subsequently evolved to become adapted to environments with progressively lower temperatures and higher oxygen concentrations via the acquisition of two co-localized genes, termed DUF3501 and RFO, encoding a conserved protein of unknown function and a predicted Fe-S oxidoreductase respectively. Proposed Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT events from these archaeal ancestors to Bacteria expanded the opportunities for further evolution of this RBR including adaption to lower temperatures. The second lineage (termed the cyanobacterial lineage is proposed to have evolved in cyanobacterial ancestors, maybe in direct response to the production of oxygen via oxygenic photosynthesis during the Great Oxygen Event (GOE. It is hypothesized that both lineages of RBR emerged in a largely anaerobic world with whiffs of oxygen and that their subsequent independent evolutionary trajectories allowed microorganisms to transition from this anaerobic world to an aerobic one.

Human body micro-environment: The benefits of controlling airflow interaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melikov, Arsen Krikor

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the micro-environment around a human body, and especially on its interaction with the surrounding environment. Research on the free convection flow generated by a human body (including the convective boundary layer around the body and the thermal plume above the body), its...

Cytoplasmic movement profiles of mouse surrounding nucleolus and not-surrounding nucleolus antral oocytes during meiotic resumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Bui, Thi Thu Hien; Belli, Martina; Fassina, Lorenzo; Vigone, Giulia; Merico, Valeria; Garagna, Silvia; Zuccotti, Maurizio

2017-05-01

Full-grown mouse antral oocytes are classified as surrounding nucleolus (SN) or not-surrounding nucleolus (NSN), depending on the respective presence or absence of a ring of Hoechst-positive chromatin surrounding the nucleolus. In culture, both types of oocytes resume meiosis and reach the metaphase II (MII) stage, but following insemination, NSN oocytes arrest at the two-cell stage whereas SN oocytes may develop to term. By coupling time-lapse bright-field microscopy with image analysis based on particle image velocimetry, we provide the first systematic measure of the changes to the cytoplasmic movement velocity (CMV) occurring during the germinal vesicle-to-MII (GV-to-MII) transition of these two types of oocytes. Compared to SN oocytes, NSN oocytes display a delayed GV-to-MII transition, which can be mostly explained by retarded germinal vesicle break down and first polar body extrusion. SN and NSN oocytes also exhibit significantly different CMV profiles at four main time-lapse intervals, although this difference was not predictive of SN or NSN oocyte origin because of the high variability in CMV. When CMV profile was analyzed through a trained artificial neural network, however, each single SN or NSN oocyte was blindly identified with a probability of 92.2% and 88.7%, respectively. Thus, the CMV profile recorded during meiotic resumption may be exploited as a cytological signature for the non-invasive assessment of the oocyte developmental potential, and could be informative for the analysis of the GV-to-MII transition of oocytes of other species. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CLIPZ: a database and analysis environment for experimentally determined binding sites of RNA-binding proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Khorshid, Mohsen; Rodak, Christoph; Zavolan, Mihaela

2011-01-01

The stability, localization and translation rate of mRNAs are regulated by a multitude of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that find their targets directly or with the help of guide RNAs. Among the experimental methods for mapping RBP binding sites, cross-linking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) coupled with deep sequencing provides transcriptome-wide coverage as well as high resolution. However, partly due to their vast volume, the data that were so far generated in CLIP experiments have not been put in a form that enables fast and interactive exploration of binding sites. To address this need, we have developed the CLIPZ database and analysis environment. Binding site data for RBPs such as Argonaute 1-4, Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 1-3, TNRC6 proteins A-C, Pumilio 2, Quaking and Polypyrimidine tract binding protein can be visualized at the level of the genome and of individual transcripts. Individual users can upload their own sequence data sets while being able to limit the access to these data to specific users, and analyses of the public and private data sets can be performed interactively. CLIPZ, available at http://www.clipz.unibas.ch, aims to provide an open access repository of information for post-transcriptional regulatory elements.

Surrounding Moving Obstacle Detection for Autonomous Driving Using Stereo Vision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Sun

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Detection and tracking surrounding moving obstacles such as vehicles and pedestrians are crucial for the safety of mobile robotics and autonomous vehicles. This is especially the case in urban driving scenarios. This paper presents a novel framework for surrounding moving obstacles detection using binocular stereo vision. The contributions of our work are threefold. Firstly, a multiview feature matching scheme is presented for simultaneous stereo correspondence and motion correspondence searching. Secondly, the multiview geometry constraint derived from the relative camera positions in pairs of consecutive stereo views is exploited for surrounding moving obstacles detection. Thirdly, an adaptive particle filter is proposed for tracking of multiple moving obstacles in surrounding areas. Experimental results from real-world driving sequences demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed framework.

Increasing cocoa productivity and farmer capacity in surrounding area of PT Kaltim Prima Coal and PT Berau Coal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.B.Baon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Based on agro-climate factors, most of surrounding area of coal mining sites in Indonesia is suitable for cocoa cultivation. However, most of cocoa farmers in the environs of coal mining sites have little access both to new technology of cocoa cultivation and to market of their cocoa products. Therefore, productivity of cocoa farms and the income of cocoa farmers are low, which may disturb social responsibility of the coal mining companies present in their surroundings. These are the consequences of poor interaction between the government, private sector and research sector. The aim of this study is to transfer and to implement good agricultural practices of cocoa in surrounding area of mining sites of Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC and Berau Coal (BC, East Kalimantan, in order to increase farmer capacity and cocoa productivity. Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute as the developing agent of cocoa technology has established collaboration with corporate social responsibility program of KPC (already 7 years and BC (already 2 years to improve productivity and farmer capacity of cocoa farms surroundings the two cocoa mining companies. This paper discusses the aspects of natural, economic and human resources; baseline study; technology transfers; marketing partnership; cocoa productivity; farmer income after technology implementing; study of cocoa growth on post-coal-mining. It is concluded that improvement of the cocoa productivity and farmer capacity surroundings the two mining sites associated with high adoption of technology by farmers, better access to availability of knowledge for good agricultural practices, extension officers, demonstration plots, cocoa price, and length of market chains, partnership, and competition with oil palm plantations.

Availability of limited service food outlets surrounding schools in British Columbia.

Science.gov (United States)

Black, Jennifer L; Day, Meghan

2012-06-05

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive profile of the availability of limited service food outlets surrounding public schools in British Columbia, Canada. Data from the 2010 Canadian Business Data Files were used to identify limited service food outlets including fast food outlets, beverage and snack food stores, delis and convenience stores. The number of food outlets within 800 metres of 1,392 public schools and the distance from schools to the nearest food outlets were assessed. Multivariate regression models examined the associations between food outlet availability and school-level characteristics. In 2010, over half of the public schools in BC (54%) were located within a 10-12 minute walk from at least one limited service food outlet. The median closest distance to a food outlet was just over 1 km (1016 m). Schools comprised of students living in densely populated urban neighbourhoods and neighbourhoods characterized by lower socio-economic status were more likely to have access to limited service food outlets within walking distance. After adjusting for school-level median family income and population density, larger schools had higher odds of exposure to food vendors compared to schools with fewer students. The availability of and proximity to limited service food outlets vary widely across schools in British Columbia and school-level characteristics are significantly associated with food outlet availability. Additional research is needed to understand how food environment exposures inside and surrounding schools impact students' attitudes, food choices and dietary quality.

Detained and Dying: Ethical Issues Surrounding End-of-Life Care in Prison.

Science.gov (United States)

Stensland, Meredith; Sanders, Sara

2016-01-01

Prisons are increasingly being called upon to provide end-of-life (EOL) care within the restrictive correctional environment. Several relatively recent phenomena have brought medical ethics to the forefront of prison EOL care-including aging behind bars, a paradigm shift in prison culture, the increasing rate of in-prison deaths, and the corresponding prison hospice movement. This article examines prominent ethical issues that emerge for prison personnel who are tasked with providing care to terminally ill offenders by presenting three offender composite characters that exemplify dying offenders and emergent ethical issues surrounding their care. Identification and critical analysis of these ethical issues demonstrate the need for strong commitment to ethical practice and highlights specific issues for prisons to examine in their own EOL care practice.

Protein Correlation Profiles Identify Lipid Droplet Proteins with High Confidence*

Science.gov (United States)

Krahmer, Natalie; Hilger, Maximiliane; Kory, Nora; Wilfling, Florian; Stoehr, Gabriele; Mann, Matthias; Farese, Robert V.; Walther, Tobias C.

2013-01-01

Lipid droplets (LDs) are important organelles in energy metabolism and lipid storage. Their cores are composed of neutral lipids that form a hydrophobic phase and are surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer that harbors specific proteins. Most well-established LD proteins perform important functions, particularly in cellular lipid metabolism. Morphological studies show LDs in close proximity to and interacting with membrane-bound cellular organelles, including the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, peroxisomes, and endosomes. Because of these close associations, it is difficult to purify LDs to homogeneity. Consequently, the confident identification of bona fide LD proteins via proteomics has been challenging. Here, we report a methodology for LD protein identification based on mass spectrometry and protein correlation profiles. Using LD purification and quantitative, high-resolution mass spectrometry, we identified LD proteins by correlating their purification profiles to those of known LD proteins. Application of the protein correlation profile strategy to LDs isolated from Drosophila S2 cells led to the identification of 111 LD proteins in a cellular LD fraction in which 1481 proteins were detected. LD localization was confirmed in a subset of identified proteins via microscopy of the expressed proteins, thereby validating the approach. Among the identified LD proteins were both well-characterized LD proteins and proteins not previously known to be localized to LDs. Our method provides a high-confidence LD proteome of Drosophila cells and a novel approach that can be applied to identify LD proteins of other cell types and tissues. PMID:23319140

Influence of Surrounding Colors in the Illuminant-Color Mode on Color Constancy

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Kazuho Fukuda

2011-05-01

Full Text Available On color constancy, we showed that brighter surrounding colors had greater influence than dim colors (Uchikawa, Kitazawa, MacLeod, Fukuda, 2010 APCV. Increasing luminance of a stimulus causes the change in appearance from the surface-color to the illuminant-color mode. However it is unknown whether the visual system considers such color appearance mode of surrounding colors to achieve color constancy. We investigated the influence of surrounding colors that appeared illuminant on color constancy. The stimulus was composed of a central test stimulus and surrounding six colors: bright and dim red, green and blue. The observers adjusted the chromaticity of the test stimulus to be appeared as an achromatic surface. The luminance balance of three bright surrounding colors was equalized with that of the optimal colors in three illuminant conditions, then, the luminance of one of the three bright colors was varied in the range beyond the critical luminance of color appearance mode transition. The results showed that increasing luminance of a bright surrounding color shifted the observers' achromatic setting toward its chromaticity, but this effect diminished for the surrounding color in the illuminant-color mode. These results suggest that the visual system considers color appearance mode of surrounding colors to accomplish color constancy.

P1-13: Color Induction from Surround Color under Interocular Suppression

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Ichiro Kuriki

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The effect of surround colors on color appearance is known to subserve color constancy in humans, but how multiple mechanisms in the visual system are involved in this effect is controversial. We used an interocular-suppression technique to examine how the effect occurs at the level higher than the interaction of binocular information. A test color chip (1.7 × 1.7 deg visual angle was presented in a static surround either with continuous-flash suppression in the dominant eye (CFS condition to make the surround inperceptible or without the suppression (no-CFS condition. The surround stimulus was either a Mondrian or a uniform field of the same mean chromaticity. Stimuli were simulated OSA color chips under red, white (D65, or green illuminant color and were presented on a CRT display. Unique yellows were measured by asking the subjects to judge whether the test stimulus appeared reddish or greenish. Two sizes of the surround stimuli (widths of 1 deg and 4 deg were used. Results showed significant shifts in unique yellow even under the CFS conditions, except for the 1 deg uniform-surround condition. Under the no-CFS condition, the shifts showed remarkable difference between subjects, except for the 4 deg Mondrian-surround condition. Interestingly, trends of the shifts showed high consistency within each subject, across conditions. These results indicate that mechanisms at both higher and lower levels than the neuronal site of interocular suppression are involved, and that the color shifts follow each subject's strategy in the higher-order mechanisms when only insufficient clues are available in the surround to estimate illuminant color.

Confronting, Confirming, and Dispelling Myths Surrounding ERP-in-the-Cloud

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beaulieu, Tanya; C. Martin, Todd; Sarker, Saonee

2015-01-01

on the topic, there is substantial uncertainty surrounding the benefits and challenges of ERP cloud computing. Consequently, as often is the case with new technologies, popular myths surrounding the technology are used to make adoption and implementation decisions. As a first step toward providing an informed...... with stakeholders related to an ERP cloud-based solution. Our results dispel some of the myths, while supporting others, and highlight how ERP vendors work around the different types of challenges surrounding this technology. Our study also helps understand the benefits of ERP cloud computing, and informs about how...

A nebula of gases from Io surrounding Jupiter.

Science.gov (United States)

Krimigis, Stamatios M; Mitchell, Donald G; Hamilton, Douglas C; Dandouras, Jannis; Armstrong, Thomas P; Bolton, Scott J; Cheng, Andrew F; Gloeckler, George; Hsieh, K C; Keath, Edwin P; Krupp, Norbert; Lagg, Andreas; Lanzerotti, Louis J; Livi, Stefano; Mauk, Barry H; McEntire, Richard W; Roelof, Edmond C; Wilken, Berend; Williams, Donald J

2002-02-28

Several planetary missions have reported the presence of substantial numbers of energetic ions and electrons surrounding Jupiter; relativistic electrons are observable up to several astronomical units (au) from the planet. A population of energetic (>30[?]keV) neutral particles also has been reported, but the instrumentation was not able to determine the mass or charge state of the particles, which were subsequently labelled energetic neutral atoms. Although images showing the presence of the trace element sodium were obtained, the source and identity of the neutral atoms---and their overall significance relative to the loss of charged particles from Jupiter's magnetosphere---were unknown. Here we report the discovery by the Cassini spacecraft of a fast (>103[?]km[?]s-1) and hot magnetospheric neutral wind extending more than 0.5[?]au from Jupiter, and the presence of energetic neutral atoms (both hot and cold) that have been accelerated by the electric field in the solar wind. We suggest that these atoms originate in volcanic gases from Io, undergo significant evolution through various electromagnetic interactions, escape Jupiter's magnetosphere and then populate the environment around the planet. Thus a 'nebula' is created that extends outwards over hundreds of jovian radii.

Protein loop modeling using a new hybrid energy function and its application to modeling in inaccurate structural environments.

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Hahnbeom Park

Full Text Available Protein loop modeling is a tool for predicting protein local structures of particular interest, providing opportunities for applications involving protein structure prediction and de novo protein design. Until recently, the majority of loop modeling methods have been developed and tested by reconstructing loops in frameworks of experimentally resolved structures. In many practical applications, however, the protein loops to be modeled are located in inaccurate structural environments. These include loops in model structures, low-resolution experimental structures, or experimental structures of different functional forms. Accordingly, discrepancies in the accuracy of the structural environment assumed in development of the method and that in practical applications present additional challenges to modern loop modeling methods. This study demonstrates a new strategy for employing a hybrid energy function combining physics-based and knowledge-based components to help tackle this challenge. The hybrid energy function is designed to combine the strengths of each energy component, simultaneously maintaining accurate loop structure prediction in a high-resolution framework structure and tolerating minor environmental errors in low-resolution structures. A loop modeling method based on global optimization of this new energy function is tested on loop targets situated in different levels of environmental errors, ranging from experimental structures to structures perturbed in backbone as well as side chains and template-based model structures. The new method performs comparably to force field-based approaches in loop reconstruction in crystal structures and better in loop prediction in inaccurate framework structures. This result suggests that higher-accuracy predictions would be possible for a broader range of applications. The web server for this method is available at http://galaxy.seoklab.org/loop with the PS2 option for the scoring function.

A scalable double-barcode sequencing platform for characterization of dynamic protein-protein interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlecht, Ulrich; Liu, Zhimin; Blundell, Jamie R; St Onge, Robert P; Levy, Sasha F

2017-05-25

Several large-scale efforts have systematically catalogued protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of a cell in a single environment. However, little is known about how the protein interactome changes across environmental perturbations. Current technologies, which assay one PPI at a time, are too low throughput to make it practical to study protein interactome dynamics. Here, we develop a highly parallel protein-protein interaction sequencing (PPiSeq) platform that uses a novel double barcoding system in conjunction with the dihydrofolate reductase protein-fragment complementation assay in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PPiSeq detects PPIs at a rate that is on par with current assays and, in contrast with current methods, quantitatively scores PPIs with enough accuracy and sensitivity to detect changes across environments. Both PPI scoring and the bulk of strain construction can be performed with cell pools, making the assay scalable and easily reproduced across environments. PPiSeq is therefore a powerful new tool for large-scale investigations of dynamic PPIs.

Human dynamics and forest management: a baseline assessment of the socioeconomic characteristics of the region surrounding the El Yunque National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen McGinley

2016-01-01

In this paper, I examine the socioeconomic dynamics and human–environment interactions in the region surrounding the El Yunque National Forest (EYNF) in northeastern Puerto Rico and their implications for policy development and sustainable resource use. As part of a larger, comprehensive assessment of the conditions and trends of the EYNF and broader region, I...

Environmental impacts of coal mine and thermal power plant to the surroundings of Barapukuria, Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Md Nazir; Paul, Shitangsu Kumar; Hasan, Md Muyeed

2015-04-01

The study was carried out to analyse the environmental impacts of coal mine and coal-based thermal power plant to the surrounding environment of Barapukuria, Dinajpur. The analyses of coal, water, soil and fly ash were carried out using standard sample testing methods. This study found that coal mining industry and coal-based thermal power plant have brought some environmental and socio-economic challenges to the adjacent areas such as soil, water and air pollution, subsidence of agricultural land and livelihood insecurity of inhabitants. The pH values, heavy metal, organic carbon and exchangeable cations of coal water treated in the farmland soil suggest that coal mining deteriorated the surrounding water and soil quality. The SO4(2-) concentration in water samples was beyond the range of World Health Organisation standard. Some physico-chemical properties such as pH, conductivity, moisture content, bulk density, unburned carbon content, specific gravity, water holding capacity, liquid and plastic limit were investigated on coal fly ash of Barapukuria thermal power plant. Air quality data provided by the Barapukuria Coal Mining Company Limited were contradictory with the result of interview with the miners and local inhabitants. However, coal potentially contributes to the development of economy of Bangladesh but coal mining deteriorates the environment by polluting air, water and soil. In general, this study includes comprehensive baseline data for decision makers to evaluate the feasibility of coal power industry at Barapukuria and the coalmine itself.

Ecological mechanisms linking protected areas to surrounding lands.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Andrew J; DeFries, Ruth

2007-06-01

Land use is expanding and intensifying in the unprotected lands surrounding many of the world's protected areas. The influence of this land use change on ecological processes is poorly understood. The goal of this paper is to draw on ecological theory to provide a synthetic framework for understanding how land use change around protected areas may alter ecological processes and biodiversity within protected areas and to provide a basis for identifying scientifically based management alternatives. We first present a conceptual model of protected areas embedded within larger ecosystems that often include surrounding human land use. Drawing on case studies in this Invited Feature, we then explore a comprehensive set of ecological mechanisms by which land use on surrounding lands may influence ecological processes and biodiversity within reserves. These mechanisms involve changes in ecosystem size, with implications for minimum dynamic area, species-area effect, and trophic structure; altered flows of materials and disturbances into and out of reserves; effects on crucial habitats for seasonal and migration movements and population source/sink dynamics; and exposure to humans through hunting, poaching, exotics species, and disease. These ecological mechanisms provide a basis for assessing the vulnerability of protected areas to land use. They also suggest criteria for designing regional management to sustain protected areas in the context of surrounding human land use. These design criteria include maximizing the area of functional habitats, identifying and maintaining ecological process zones, maintaining key migration and source habitats, and managing human proximity and edge effects.

The nature of surround-induced depolarizing responses in goldfish cones

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraaij, D. A.; Spekreijse, H.; Kamermans, M.

2000-01-01

Cones in the vertebrate retina project to horizontal and bipolar cells and the horizontal cells feedback negatively to cones. This organization forms the basis for the center/surround organization of the bipolar cells, a fundamental step in the visual signal processing. Although the surround

Investigation of the readout electronics of DELPHI surround muon chamber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khovanskij, N.; Krumshtejn, Z.; Ol'shevskij, A.; Sadovskij, A.; Sedykh, Yu.; Molnar, J.; Sicho, P.; Tomsa, Z.

1995-01-01

The characteristics of the readout electronics of the DELPHI surround muon chambers with various AMPLEX chips (AMPLEX 16 and AMPLEX-SICAL) are presented. This electronics is studied in a cosmic rays test of the real surround muon chamber model. 4 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

[The 'healing environment' and the fate of autonomous art in hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

Brands, Faye E M; Witte, Arnold A

2013-01-01

Attention to the role of art within healthcare is on the rise. Dutch hospitals are increasingly embracing the concept of the 'healing environment', which aims to create agreeable hospital surroundings for the well-being of employees and patients. The concept is being interpreted in diverse ways; irrespective of the specific outcome of this interpretation, the healing environment does have consequences for the healthcare facilities' policies related to art. Research at a few Dutch hospitals has revealed that the more stringently the guidelines on the healing environment are followed, the more emphasis is placed on the medical-functional approach to art and the lesser attention is paid to the intrinsic value of art. Hospitals that reject the concept of the healing environment, however, also clearly demonstrate defining art in terms of making the surroundings agreeable to the patient. The healing environment therefore cannot serve as a new legitimation of autonomous artworks in existing hospital collections, but it is congruent with the recent attention given to the societal role of art.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the samples of environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velkova, V.; Vybohova, E.; Bubenikova, T.

2006-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pAHs) represent one group of toxic organic substances in the environment. We determined PAHs in the samples of water and river sediments from river Zolna, in the samples of soils and plants from surrounding of Zolna. The river Zolna flows directly through word-processing factory area. The impregnation division together with associated impregnated materials store is considered the most important source of PAH contamination in the surrounding area. We analysed the 16 compounds (PAHs) by List of the priority pollutants by EPA by the HPLC method. (authors)

A comparison of the endotoxin biosynthesis and protein oxidation pathways in the biogenesis of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli and Neisseria meningitidis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah ePiek

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope consists of an inner membrane (IM that surrounds the cytoplasm, and an asymmetrical outer-membrane (OM that forms a protective barrier to the external environment. The OM consists of lipopolysaccahride (LPS, phospholipids, outer membrane proteins (OMPs and lipoproteins. Oxidative protein folding mediated by periplasmic oxidoreductases is required for the correct biogenesis of the protein components, mainly constituents of virulence determinants such as pili, flagella and toxins, of the Gram-negative OM. Recently, periplasmic oxidoreductases have been implicated in LPS biogenesis of Escherichia coli and Neisseria meningitidis. Differences in OM biogenesis, in particular the transport pathways for endotoxin to the OM, the composition and role of the protein oxidation and isomerisation pathways and the regulatory networks that control them have been found in these two Gram-negative species suggesting that although form and function of the OM is conserved, these conserved pathways have been modified to suit the lifestyle of each organism.

Physical environment and job satisfaction in a community mental health center.

Science.gov (United States)

Folkins, C; O'Reilly, C; Roberts, K; Miller, S

1977-01-01

Relocation of professional staff in a community mental health center provided a setting in which to evaluate the effects of physical environment on job satisfaction. Two mental health teams moved from an old, drab central clinic building to new satellite clinics while a third team remained in the old building. Relocated staff reported significant increase in satisfaction with physical surroundings as compared to staff that did not move. Furthermore, satisfaction with physical surroundings had some impact on overall satisfaction ratings. Physical surroundings in a community mental health center may be a mediating variable for staff morale and effectiveness.

Religion's relationship with social boundaries surrounding gender ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Religion's relationship with social boundaries surrounding gender. ... is associated with segregation, marginalization and differentiation between men and women. ... are necessary in the society it should not be mistaken for gender inequality.

Imaging protein-protein interactions in living cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hink, M.A.; Bisseling, T.; Visser, A.J.W.G.

2002-01-01

The complex organization of plant cells makes it likely that the molecular behaviour of proteins in the test tube and the cell is different. For this reason, it is essential though a challenge to study proteins in their natural environment. Several innovative microspectroscopic approaches provide

[Fleas on small mammals in the surrounding area of Erhai Lake].

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Wen-Ge; Guo, Xian-Guo; Men, Xing-Yuan; Gong, Zheng-Da; Wu, Dian; Zhang, Zheng-Kun; Zhang, Li-Yun

2009-12-01

To investigate the distribution pattern, species diversity and community structure of fleas on small mammals in the surrounding area of Erhai Lake, and the relationship between fleas and their hosts. Different geographical areas surrounding the Erhai Lake in Yunnan were selected as investigated spots. Small mammals were captured with baited cages. The cage-traps were examined and re-baited each morning. All fleas on the hosts were collected and identified. The richness (S), evenness (J'), diversity index (H'), dominance index (C'), total ectoparasite infestation rate (Rpt), total ectoparasite infestation index (Ipt), and constituent ratio (Cr) were used to measure the community structure. Altogether, 3,303 small mammals and 3,243 fleas were collected. From the 21 species of small mammal hosts, 13 species of fleas were identified. In southern area of the Lake, the species richness (21 species of small mammals & 12 species of fleas) was highest among the three selected areas. Seventeen species of small mammals and 8 species of fleas were found in eastern area, and only 13 species of small mammals and 7 species of fleas found in the west. This implied the probable influences of ecological environments on the fleas and their corresponding hosts. The community structure of fleas on small mammals was complex. The species diversity, species composition, community structure and distribution pattern of fleas were simultaneously influenced by the hosts' body surface microenvironment and the macroenvironment (habitat). The fleas are commonly distributed in small mammals in the areas and their communities are related to host species and the habitats.

Vasculature surrounding a nodule: A novel lung cancer biomarker.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohua; Leader, Joseph K; Wang, Renwei; Wilson, David; Herman, James; Yuan, Jian-Min; Pu, Jiantao

2017-12-01

To investigate whether the vessels surrounding a nodule depicted on non-contrast, low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can discriminate benign and malignant screen detected nodules. We collected a dataset consisting of LDCT scans acquired on 100 subjects from the Pittsburgh Lung Screening study (PLuSS). Fifty subjects were diagnosed with lung cancer and 50 subjects had suspicious nodules later proven benign. For the lung cancer cases, the location of the malignant nodule in the LDCT scans was known; while for the benign cases, the largest nodule in the LDCT scan was used in the analysis. A computer algorithm was developed to identify surrounding vessels and quantify the number and volume of vessels that were connected or near the nodule. A nonparametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed based on a single nodule per subject to assess the discriminability of the surrounding vessels to provide a lung cancer diagnosis. Odds ratio (OR) were computed to determine the probability of a nodule being lung cancer based on the vessel features. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) for vessel count and vessel volume were 0.722 (95% CI=0.616-0.811, plung cancer group 9.7 (±9.6) compared to the non-lung cancer group 4.0 (±4.3) CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results showed that malignant nodules are often surrounded by more vessels compared to benign nodules, suggesting that the surrounding vessel characteristics could serve as lung cancer biomarker for indeterminate nodules detected during LDCT lung cancer screening using only the information collected during the initial visit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neutron scattering studies on protein dynamics using the human myelin peripheral membrane protein P2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laulumaa Saara

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Myelin is a multilayered proteolipid membrane structure surrounding selected axons in the vertebrate nervous system, which allows the rapid saltatory conduction of nerve impulses. Deficits in myelin formation and maintenance may lead to chronic neurological disease. P2 is an abundant myelin protein from peripheral nerves, binding between two apposing lipid bilayers. We studied the dynamics of the human myelin protein P2 and its mutated P38G variant in hydrated powders using elastic incoherent neutron scattering. The local harmonic vibrations at low temperatures were very similar for both samples, but the mutant protein had increased flexibility and softness close to physiological temperatures. The results indicate that a drastic mutation of proline to glycine at a functional site can affect protein dynamics, and in the case of P2, they may explain functional differences between the two proteins.

Neutron scattering studies on protein dynamics using the human myelin peripheral membrane protein P2

Science.gov (United States)

Laulumaa, Saara; Kursula, Petri; Natali, Francesca

2015-01-01

Myelin is a multilayered proteolipid membrane structure surrounding selected axons in the vertebrate nervous system, which allows the rapid saltatory conduction of nerve impulses. Deficits in myelin formation and maintenance may lead to chronic neurological disease. P2 is an abundant myelin protein from peripheral nerves, binding between two apposing lipid bilayers. We studied the dynamics of the human myelin protein P2 and its mutated P38G variant in hydrated powders using elastic incoherent neutron scattering. The local harmonic vibrations at low temperatures were very similar for both samples, but the mutant protein had increased flexibility and softness close to physiological temperatures. The results indicate that a drastic mutation of proline to glycine at a functional site can affect protein dynamics, and in the case of P2, they may explain functional differences between the two proteins.

The use of vibration monitoring to record the blasting works impact on buildings surrounding open-pit mines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sołtys Anna

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental protection law and geological and mining law require the mineral mining plant to protect its surroundings from the effects of mining operations. This also applies to the negative impact of vibrations induced by blasting works on people and construction facilities. Effective protection is only possible if the level of this impact is known, therefore it is necessary to record it. The thesis formulated in this way has been and continues to be the guiding principle of the research works carried out in the AGH Laboratory of Blasting Work and Environmental Protection. As a result of these works are procedures for conducting preventive activities by open-pit mines in order to minimize the impact of blasting on facilities in the surrounding area. An important element of this activity is the monitoring of vibrations in constructions, which is a source of knowledge for excavation supervisors and engineers performing blasting works, thus contributing to raising the awareness of the responsible operation of the mining plant. Developed in the Laboratory of the Mine's Vibration Monitoring Station (KSMD, after several modernizations, it became a fully automated system for monitoring and recording the impact of blasting works on the surrounding environment. Currently, there are 30 measuring devices in 10 open-pit mines, and additional 8 devices are used to provide periodic measurement and recording services for the mines concerned.

The use of vibration monitoring to record the blasting works impact on buildings surrounding open-pit mines

Science.gov (United States)

Sołtys, Anna; Pyra, Józef; Winzer, Jan

2018-04-01

Environmental protection law and geological and mining law require the mineral mining plant to protect its surroundings from the effects of mining operations. This also applies to the negative impact of vibrations induced by blasting works on people and construction facilities. Effective protection is only possible if the level of this impact is known, therefore it is necessary to record it. The thesis formulated in this way has been and continues to be the guiding principle of the research works carried out in the AGH Laboratory of Blasting Work and Environmental Protection. As a result of these works are procedures for conducting preventive activities by open-pit mines in order to minimize the impact of blasting on facilities in the surrounding area. An important element of this activity is the monitoring of vibrations in constructions, which is a source of knowledge for excavation supervisors and engineers performing blasting works, thus contributing to raising the awareness of the responsible operation of the mining plant. Developed in the Laboratory of the Mine's Vibration Monitoring Station (KSMD), after several modernizations, it became a fully automated system for monitoring and recording the impact of blasting works on the surrounding environment. Currently, there are 30 measuring devices in 10 open-pit mines, and additional 8 devices are used to provide periodic measurement and recording services for the mines concerned.

Childhood Suicide and Myths Surrounding It.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Dorothea B.

1994-01-01

Dispels five misconceptions surrounding the suicide of children: that children under the age of six do not commit suicide; that suicide in latency years is extremely rare; that psychodynamically and developmentally true depression is not possible in childhood; that child cannot understand finality of death; and that children are cognitively and…

Radiological impact evaluation on the aquatic ecosystems surrounding IPEN-CNEN/SP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacomino, Vanusa F.; Maduar, Marcelo F.; Bellintani, Sandra A.; Mazzilli, Barbara P.

1996-01-01

In order to control the discharge of radioactive materials into the aquatic system surrounding IPEN-CNEN/SP, an monitoring program has been carried out on a routine basis. All the liquid effluent generated by the IPEN facilities are released into the Pinheiros river at two different discharge points located 2 km apart. In the present paper the source term measured during the period 1985 to 1984 is presented, as well as the effective equivalent dose received by public individuals for each critical pathway. These results showed that the total activity released into the Pinheiros river is just a small fraction of the receiving capacity of the environment. The estimated annual doses during the period of study were always below 1/10 of the primary limit for the public individual as established by the International Commission of Radiological Protection, which is 1 mSv/year. (author)

SOILS AND GEOENVIRONMENTS OF THE NATIONAL PARK OF VIRUÁ AND SURROUNDING, RORAIMA: INTEGRATED VISION OF THE LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICE

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Bruno Araujo Furtado de Mendonça

2013-06-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/198050989287The Viruá National Park (PARNA Viruá occupies 227.011ha, in the region of the low ‘Branco’ river, in Roraima state. This area includes an extensive mosaic of complex seasonally flooded forested and non-forested environments. The present work had as general objective to characterize the pedology aspects and the geo-environmental units of the Park and surroundings, in an integrated vision of the landscape and, additionally, estimate the carbon stocks in the soils and geo-environments. We described and collected 29 soil profiles in the main vegetation types of Campinaranas and Forests of PARNA Viruá and surroundings. The main soil classes are: Espodossolo Humilúvico, Neossolo Quartzarênico, Neossolo Flúvico, Neossolo Litólicos, Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo, Latossolo Vermelho, Cambissolo Háplico, Cambissolo Flúvico, Gleissolo Háplico and Plintossolo Háplico. The soils present spatial distribution marked by abrupt limits and close association with the vegetation type. We identified three pedo-environments: (1 sandy soils of the Campinaranas; (2 soils associated with the inselbergs and adjacencies; and (3 alluvial soils. We mapped and described 18 geoenvironmental units in PARNA Viruá National Park. The main geo-environments are: i Sandy plains and Paleodunes with grassy and arborous Campinarana on ‘Neossolos Quartzarênicos hidromórficos’ and ‘Espodossolos’; and Floodplains and; ii Terraces with Igapó Forest on sandy hydromorphic soils, occupying 24.6% and 20.1% of the studied area, respectively. In terms of total soil carbon stocks, the geo-environments of the sandy complexes of Campinaranas and associations stand out, with 9450.9 Gg C. The great extension and representativeness of the sandy areas of Campinaranas characterize PARNA Viruá PArk as an important conservation unit for protection Amazonian sandy soil systems. The areas under the domain of ‘Espodossolos’ possess the

An aerial radiological survey of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and surrounding area, Paducah, Kentucky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

An aerial radiological survey of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) and surrounding area in Paducah, Kentucky, was conducted during May 15--25, 1990. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial radiological environment at the PGDP and surrounding area for use in effective environmental management and emergency response planning. The aerial survey was flown at an altitude of 61 meters (200 feet) along a series of parallel lines 107 meters (350 feet) apart. The survey encompassed an area of 62 square kilometers (24 square miles), bordered on the north by the Ohio River. The results of the aerial survey are reported as inferred exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level in the form of a gamma radiation contour map. Typical background exposure rates were found to vary from 5 to 12 microroentgens per hour (μR/h). Protactinium-234m, a radioisotope indicative of uranium-238, was detected at several facilities at the PGDR. In support of the aerial survey, ground-based exposure rate and soil sample measurements were obtained at several sites within the survey perimeter. The results of the aerial and ground-based measurements were found to agree within ±15%

Statistical survey of the buried waters in the Protein Data Bank.

Science.gov (United States)

Carugo, Oliviero

2016-01-01

The structures of buried water molecules were studied in an ensemble of high-quality and non-redundant protein crystal structures. Buried water molecules were clustered and classified in lake-like clusters, which are completely isolated from the bulk solvent, and bay-like clusters, which are in contact with the bulk solvent through a surface water molecule. Buried water molecules are extremely common: lake-like clusters are found in 89 % of the protein crystal structures and bay-like clusters in 93 %. Clusters with only one water molecule are much more common than larger clusters. Both cluster types incline to be surrounded by loop residues, and to a minor extent by residues in extended secondary structure. Helical residues on the contrary do not tend to surround clusters of buried water molecules. One buried water molecule is found every 30-50 amino acid residues, depending on the secondary structures that are more abundant in the protein. Both main- and side-chain atoms are in contact with buried waters; they form four hydrogen bonds with the first water and 1-1.5 additional hydrogen bond for each additional water in the cluster. Consequently, buried water molecules appear to be firmly packed and rigid like the protein atoms. In this regard, it is remarkable to observe that prolines often surround water molecules buried in the protein interior. Interestingly, clusters of buried water molecules tend to be just beneath the protein surface. Moreover, water molecules tend to form a one-dimensional wire rather than more compact arrangements. This agrees with recent evidence of the mechanisms of solvent exchange between internal cavities and bulk solvent.

Lactic acid bacteria in a changing legislative environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feord, J.

2002-01-01

The benefits of using lactic acid bacteria in the food chain, both through direct consumption and production of ingredients, are increasingly recognised by the food industry and consumers alike. The regulatory environment surrounding these products is diverse, covering foods and food ingredients,

An aerial radiological survey of the Ames Laboratory and surrounding area, Ames, Iowa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maurer, R.J.

1993-04-01

An aerial radiological survey of the Ames Laboratory and surrounding area in Ames, Iowa, was conducted during the period July 15--25, 1991. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial radiological environment at the Ames Laboratory and the surrounding area for use in effective environmental management and emergency response planning. The aerial survey was flown at an altitude of 200 feet (61 meters) along a series of parallel lines 350 feet (107 meters) apart. The survey encompassed an area of 36 square miles (93 square kilometers) and included the city of Ames, Iowa, and the Iowa State University. The results are reported as exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level (inferred from the aerial data) in the form of a gamma radiation contour map. Typical background exposure rates were found to vary from 7 to 9 microroentgens per hour (μR/h). No anomalous radiation levels were detected at the Ames Laboratory. However, one anomalous radiation source was detected at an industrial storage yard in the city of Ames. In support of the aerial survey, ground-based exposure rate and soil sample measurements were obtained at several sites within the survey perimeter. The results of the aerial and ground-based measurements were found to agree within the expected uncertainty of ±15%

Involvement of the G-protein-coupled receptor 4 in RANKL expression by osteoblasts in an acidic environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okito, Asuka [Department of Cellular Physiological Chemistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Department of Orthodontic Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Nakahama, Ken-ichi, E-mail: nakacell@tmd.ac.jp [Department of Cellular Physiological Chemistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Akiyama, Masako [Department of Cellular Physiological Chemistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Ono, Takashi [Department of Orthodontic Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan); Morita, Ikuo [Department of Cellular Physiological Chemistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo (Japan)

2015-03-06

Osteoclast activity is enhanced in acidic environments following systemic or local inflammation. However, the regulatory mechanism of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) expression in osteoblasts under acidic conditions is not fully understood. In the present paper, we detected the mRNA expression of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPR) proton sensors GPR4 and GPR65 (T-cell death-associated gene 8, TDAG8), in osteoblasts. RANKL expression and the cyclic AMP (cAMP) level in osteoblasts were up-regulated under acidic culture conditions. Acidosis-induced up-regulation of RANKL was abolished by the protein kinase A inhibitor H89. To clarify the role of GPR4 in RANKL expression, GPR4 gain and loss of function experiments were performed. Gene knockdown and forced expression of GPR4 caused reduction and induction of RANKL expression, respectively. These results suggested that, at least in part, RANKL expression by osteoblasts in an acidic environment was mediated by cAMP/PKA signaling resulting from GPR4 activation. A comprehensive microarray analysis of gene expression of osteoblasts revealed that, under acidic conditions, the phenotype of osteoblasts was that of an osteoclast supporting cell rather than that of a mineralizing cell. These findings will contribute to a molecular understanding of bone disruption in an acidic environment. - Highlights: • RANKL expression was increased in osteoblasts under acidosis via cAMP/PKA pathway. • GRP4 knockdown resulted in decrease of RANKL expression. • GRP4 overexpression resulted in increase of RANKL expression. • Osteoblast mineralization was reduced under acidic condition.

A 3D model of the membrane protein complex formed by the white spot syndrome virus structural proteins.

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Yun-Shiang Chang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of white spot disease have had a large negative economic impact on cultured shrimp worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of the causative virus, WSSV (whit spot syndrome virus, is not yet well understood. WSSV is a large enveloped virus. The WSSV virion has three structural layers surrounding its core DNA: an outer envelope, a tegument and a nucleocapsid. In this study, we investigated the protein-protein interactions of the major WSSV structural proteins, including several envelope and tegument proteins that are known to be involved in the infection process. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the present report, we used coimmunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid assays to elucidate and/or confirm all the interactions that occur among the WSSV structural (envelope and tegument proteins VP51A, VP19, VP24, VP26 and VP28. We found that VP51A interacted directly not only with VP26 but also with VP19 and VP24. VP51A, VP19 and VP24 were also shown to have an affinity for self-interaction. Chemical cross-linking assays showed that these three self-interacting proteins could occur as dimers. CONCLUSIONS: From our present results in conjunction with other previously established interactions we construct a 3D model in which VP24 acts as a core protein that directly associates with VP26, VP28, VP38A, VP51A and WSV010 to form a membrane-associated protein complex. VP19 and VP37 are attached to this complex via association with VP51A and VP28, respectively. Through the VP26-VP51C interaction this envelope complex is anchored to the nucleocapsid, which is made of layers of rings formed by VP664. A 3D model of the nucleocapsid and the surrounding outer membrane is presented.

A Molecular and Whole Body Insight of the Mechanisms Surrounding Glucose Disposal and Insulin Resistance with Hypoxic Treatment in Skeletal Muscle

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R. W. A. Mackenzie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Although the mechanisms are largely unidentified, the chronic or intermittent hypoxic patterns occurring with respiratory diseases, such as chronic pulmonary disease or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA and obesity, are commonly associated with glucose intolerance. Indeed, hypoxia has been widely implicated in the development of insulin resistance either via the direct action on insulin receptor substrate (IRS and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt or indirectly through adipose tissue expansion and systemic inflammation. Yet hypoxia is also known to encourage glucose transport using insulin-dependent mechanisms, largely reliant on the metabolic master switch, 5′ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK. In addition, hypoxic exposure has been shown to improve glucose control in type 2 diabetics. The literature surrounding hypoxia-induced changes to glycemic control appears to be confusing and conflicting. How is it that the same stress can seemingly cause insulin resistance while increasing glucose uptake? There is little doubt that acute hypoxia increases glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and does so using the same pathway as muscle contraction. The purpose of this review paper is to provide an insight into the mechanisms underpinning the observed effects and to open up discussions around the conflicting data surrounding hypoxia and glucose control.

Optical and infrared study of the region surrounding Herbig-Haro objects 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strom, S.E.; Strom, K.M.; Grasdalen, G.L.; Sellgren, K.; Wolff, S.; Wyoming Univ., Laramie; Hawaii Univ., Honolulu)

1985-01-01

Optical and near-IR observations of the environs of H-H objects 1 and 2 provide the basis for identifying a recently discovered radio continuum as the star responsible for powering the highly collimated mass outflow traced by these objects. Polarimetric observations show that the source (designated as VLA 1), located at the midpoint between HH 1 and 2, illuminates a biconical reflection nebula. It is suggested that VLA 1 is probably surrounded by an optically thick disk viewed edge on; an optical jet emanates from the vicinity of HH 1 and is directed along the axis of the putative disk toward HH 1; its spectrum resembles that of HH 1 and other Herbig-Haro objects. 37 references

Problem-Solving Test: Submitochondrial Localization of Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Szeberenyi, Jozsef

2011-01-01

Mitochondria are surrounded by two membranes (outer and inner mitochondrial membrane) that separate two mitochondrial compartments (intermembrane space and matrix). Hundreds of proteins are distributed among these submitochondrial components. A simple biochemical/immunological procedure is described in this test to determine the localization of…

Modifications of center-surround, spot detection and dot-pattern selective operators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petkov, Nicolai; Visser, Wicher T.

2005-01-01

This paper describes modifications of the models of center-surround and dot-pattern selective cells proposed previously. These modifications concern mainly the normalization of the difference of Gaussians (DoG) function used to model center-surround receptive fields, the normalization of

Water Fountains in Environment Transformation Correcting

Science.gov (United States)

Sidorenko, M. Yu; Ponomareva, Zh V.

2017-11-01

The article provides information on the means and principles for adjusting the process of the urban environment transformation. The interest in the topic is caused by the fact that the surrounding artificial environment is turning into a dangerous factor in the mechanism of human visual perception which requires immediate, effective intervention in the adjustment of the existing modern buildings. The paper considers The correction with the help of new dominants, small architectural forms, in particular, water fountains. Fountains are an important part of the measures to create a comfortable, environmentally friendly urban human environment. Their planning and functional links with the system of streets, squares, traffic arteries can create the urban plan basis.

Implications of protein polymorphism on protein phase behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stegen, J.; Schoot, van der P.P.A.M.

2015-01-01

The phase behaviour of small globular proteins is often modeled by approximating them as spherical particles with fixed internal structure. However, changes in the local environment of a protein can lead to changes in its conformation rendering this approximation invalid. We present a simple

Surrounding rock stress analysis of underground high level waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wengang; Wang Ju; Wang Guangdi

2006-01-01

During decay of nuclear waste, enormous energy was released, which results in temperature change of surrounding rock of depository. Thermal stress was produced because thermal expansion of rock was controlled. Internal structure of surrounding rock was damaged and strength of rock was weakened. So, variation of stress was a dynamic process with the variation of temperature. BeiShan region of Gansu province was determined to be the depository field in the future, it is essential to make research on granite in this region. In the process of experiment, basic physical parameters of granite were analyzed preliminary with MTS. Long range temperature and stress filed was simulated considering the damage effect of surrounding rock, and rules of temperature and stress was achieved. (authors)

Lanczos-driven coupled-cluster damped linear response theory for molecules in polarizable environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

List, Nanna Holmgaard; Coriani, Sonia; Kongsted, Jacob

2014-01-01

are specifically motivated by a twofold aim: (i) computation of core excitations in realistic surroundings and (ii) examination of the effect of the differential response of the environment upon excitation solely related to the CC multipliers (herein denoted the J matrix) in computations of excitation energies......We present an extension of a previously reported implementation of a Lanczos-driven coupled-cluster (CC) damped linear response approach to molecules in condensed phases, where the effects of a surrounding environment are incorporated by means of the polarizable embedding formalism. We...... and transition moments of polarizable-embedded molecules. Numerical calculations demonstrate that the differential polarization of the environment due to the first-order CC multipliers provides only minor contributions to the solvatochromic shift for all transitions considered. We thus complement previous works...

Jahani Salt Diapir, Iran: hydrogeology, karst features and effect on surroundings environment

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Mahmoud Abirifard

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Jahani Salt Diapir (JSD, with an area of 54 km2, is an active diapir in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Orogeny, in the south of Iran. Most of the available studies on this diapir are focused on tectonics. The hydrogeology, schematic model of flow direction and hydrochemical effects of the JSD on the adjacent water resources are lacking, and thus, are the focus of this study. The morphology of the JSD was reevaluated by fieldwork and using available maps. The physicochemical characteristics of the springs and hydrometric stations were also measured. The vent of the diapir is located 250 m higher than the surrounding glaciers, and covered by small polygonal sinkholes (dolines. The glacier is covered by cap soils, sparse trees and pastures, and contains large sinkholes, numerous shafts, several caves, and 30 brine springs. Two main groups of caves were distinguished. Sub-horizontal or inclined stream passages following the surface valleys and vertical shafts (with short inlet caves at the bottoms of nearly circular blind valleys. Salt exposure is limited to steep slopes. The controlling variables of flow route within salt diapirs are the negligible porosity of the salt rocks at depth more than about ten meters below the ground surface and the rapid halite saturation along the flow route. These mechanisms prevent deep cave development and enforce the emergence points of brine springs with low flow rates and small catchment area throughout the JSD and above the local base of erosion. Tectonics do not affect karst development, because the distributions of sinkholes and brine springs show no preferential directions. The type of spring water is sodium chloride, with a TDS of 320 g/l, and saturated with halite, gypsum, calcite and dolomite. The water balance budget of the JSD indicates that the total recharge water is 1.46 MCM (million cubic meter/a, emerges from 30 brine springs, two springs from the adjacent karstic limestone, and flows into

Protein politics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vijver, Marike

2005-01-01

This study is part of the program of the interdisciplinary research group Profetas (protein foods, environment, technology and society). Profetas consists of technological, environmental and socio-economic research projects on protein food systems which result in the development of scenarios and

CERN and the Environment

CERN Document Server

Aymar, Robert

2005-01-01

The impact of CERN’s activities on the surrounding environment is carefully monitored by the Organization via a complete environmental monitoring programme, which is defined and run in agreement with the authorities of Switzerland and France. This programme covers both radiological and conventional aspects. So far the environmental impact of CERN was shown to be negligible. In particular, CERN’s radiological impact is a fraction of the variation of the natural exposure at different locations of the surrounding region. As the site of the Organization is on the territory of two countries and straddles the Swiss-French border, the implementation of its environmental policy requires specific procedures and a very transparent communication towards the Host States authorities and the public opinion. This paper reports the official CERN speech delivered for the opening of the international conference Enviroinfo 2004 that was held at CERN in October 2004.

Neutron spectrum in small iron pile surrounded by lead reflector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Itsuro; Hayashi, S.A.; Kobayashi, Katsuhei; Matsumura, Tetsuo; Nishihara, Hiroshi.

1978-01-01

In order to save the quantity of sample material, a possibility to assess group constants of a reactor material through measurement and analysis of neutron spectrum in a small sample pile surrounded by a reflector of heavy moderator, was investigated. As the sample and the reflector, we chose iron and lead, respectively. Although the time dispersion in moderation of neutrons was considerably prolonged by the lead reflector, this hardly interferes with the assessment of group constants. Theoretical calculation revealed that both the neutron flux spectrum and the sensitivity coefficient of group constants in an iron sphere, 35 cm in diameter surrounded by the lead reflector, 25 cm thick, were close to those of the bare iron sphere, 108 cm in diameter. The neutron spectra in a small iron pile surrounded by a lead reflector were experimentally obtained by the time-of-flight method with an electron linear accelerator and the result was compared with the predicted values. It could be confirmed that a small sample pile surrounded by a reflector, such as lead, was as useful as a much larger bulk pile for the assessment of group constants of a reactor material. (auth.)

Smart Chips for Smart Surroundings -- 4S

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuler, Eberhard; König, Ralf; Becker, Jürgen; Rauwerda, G.K.; van de Burgwal, M.D.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria; Cardoso, João M.P.; Hübner, Michael

2011-01-01

The overall mission of the 4S project (Smart Chips for Smart Surroundings) was to define and develop efficient flexible, reconfigurable core building blocks, including the supporting tools, for future Ambient System Devices. Reconfigurability offers the needed flexibility and adaptability, it

Investigation of radioactive contaminations of the environment in the surroundings of the Institute of Nuclear Research at Swierk in the years 1977-1980. Badanie zanieczyszczen promieniotworczych srodowiska w otoczeniu Instytutu Badan Jadrowych w Swierku w latach 1977-1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pensko, J; Stpiczynska, Z; Hryczuk, O; Kowalska, A

1983-01-01

The results of measurements of the contamination level of the environment in the surroundings of the Institute of Nuclear Research at Swierk and in surroundings of the repository of radioactive wastes at Rozan including the possible paths of migration of the radionuclides in the years 1977-1980 have been presented. The investigations proved that the radioactive fall-out from nuclear weapon tests was the main source of contamination. In the period of investigation the quantities of the radionuclides discharged into the sanitary sewage system did not exceed the weekly limit of 2590 MBq (70mCi). They had no influence on the level of the radioactive contaminations of the Vistula river water. Sporadically observed, the increased level of the radioactive contamination of the draining system water at Swierk exceeded at most 3 times the permissible concentration of /sup 90/Sr for drinking water 2.6 Bq dm/sup -3/. The radioactive contamination of the water, soil, grass and rye investigated around the Centre have been shown in the same level as for the reference points being out of the range of the influence of the Institute.

Expression of SRY-related HMG Box Transcription Factors (Sox) 2 and 9 in Craniopharyngioma Subtypes and Surrounding Brain Tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Thimsen, Vivian; John, Nora; Buchfelder, Michael; Flitsch, Jörg; Fahlbusch, Rudolf; Stefanits, Harald; Knosp, Engelbert; Losa, Marco; Buslei, Rolf; Hölsken, Annett

2017-11-20

Stem cells have been discovered as key players in the genesis of different neoplasms including craniopharyngioma (CP), a rare tumour entity in the sellar region. Sox2 and Sox9 are well-known stem cell markers involved in pituitary development. In this study we analysed the expression of both transcription factors using immunohistochemistry in a large cohort of 64 adamantinomatous (aCP) and 9 papillary CP (pCP) and quantitative PCR in 26 aCP and 7 pCP. Whereas immunohistochemically Sox2+ cells were verifiable in only five aCP (7.8%) and in 39.1% of the respective surrounding cerebral tissue, pCP specimens appeared always negative. In contrast, Sox9 was detectable in all tumours with a significantly higher expression in aCP compared to pCP (protein, p < 0.0001; mRNA p = 0.0484) This was also true for the respective tumour adjacent CNS where 63 aCP (98.4%) and six pCP (66.7%) showed Sox9+ cells. We further confirmed absence of Sox9 expression in nuclear β-catenin accumulating cells of aCP. Our results point to the conclusion that Sox2 and Sox9, seem to play essential roles not only in the specific formation of aCP, but also in processes involving the cerebral tumour environment, which needs to be illuminated in the future.

Fluorescence microscopy visualization of halomucin, a secreted 927 kDa protein surrounding Haloquadratum walsbyi cells

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Ralf eZenke

2015-03-01

Full Text Available At the time of its first publication, halomucin from Haloquadratum walsbyi strain HBSQ001 was the largest archaeal protein known (9159 aa. It has a predicted signal sequence, making it likely to be an extracellular or secreted protein. Best BLAST matches were found to be mammalian mucins that protect tissues to dehydration and chemical stress. It was hypothesized that halomucin participates in protection against desiccation by retaining water in a hull around the halophilic organisms that live at the limits of water activity. We visualized Haloquadratum cells by staining their intracellular polyhydroxybutyrate granules using Nile Blue. Halomucin was stained by immunofluorescence with antibodies generated against synthetic peptides derived from the halomucin amino acid sequence. Polyhydroxybutyrate stained cells were reconstructed in 3D which highlights not only the highly regular square shape but also the extreme flatness of Haloquadratum. Double-staining proves halomucin to be extracellular but to be only loosely associated to cells in agreement with its hypothesized function.

Convergence of Artificial Protein Polymers and Intrinsically Disordered Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Dzuricky, Michael; Roberts, Stefan; Chilkoti, Ashutosh

2018-05-01

A flurry of research in recent years has revealed the molecular origins of many membraneless organelles to be the liquid phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Consequently, protein disorder has emerged as an important driver of intracellular compartmentalization by providing specialized microenvironments chemically distinct from the surrounding medium. Though the importance of protein disorder and its relationship to intracellular phase behavior are clear, a detailed understanding of how such phase behavior can be predicted and controlled remains elusive. While research in IDPs has largely focused on the implications of structural disorder on cellular function and disease, another field, that of artificial protein polymers, has focused on the de novo design of protein polymers with controllable material properties. A subset of these polymers, specifically those derived from structural proteins such as elastin and resilin, are also disordered sequences that undergo liquid-liquid phase separation. This phase separation has been used in a variety of biomedical applications, and researchers studying these polymers have developed methods to precisely characterize and tune their phase behavior. Despite their disparate origins, both fields are complementary as they study the phase behavior of intrinsically disordered polypeptides. This Perspective hopes to stimulate collaborative efforts by highlighting the similarities between these two fields and by providing examples of how such collaboration could be mutually beneficial.

Translational and rotational motions of proteins in a protein crowded environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zorilla, S.; Hink, M.A.; Visser, A.J.W.G.; Lillo, M.P.

2007-01-01

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) was used to measure the translational diffusion of labeled apomyoglobin (tracer) in concentrated solutions of ribonuclease A and human serum albumin (crowders), as a quantitative model system of protein diffusive motions in crowded physiological

Chernobyl seed project. Advances in the identification of differentially abundant proteins in a radio-contaminated environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rashydov, Namik M; Hajduch, Martin

2015-01-01

Plants have the ability to grow and successfully reproduce in radio-contaminated environments, which has been highlighted by nuclear accidents at Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011). The main aim of this article is to summarize the advances of the Chernobyl seed project which has the purpose to provide proteomic characterization of plants grown in the Chernobyl area. We present a summary of comparative proteomic studies on soybean and flax seeds harvested from radio-contaminated Chernobyl areas during two successive generations. Using experimental design developed for radio-contaminated areas, altered abundances of glycine betaine, seed storage proteins, and proteins associated with carbon assimilation into fatty acids were detected. Similar studies in Fukushima radio-contaminated areas might complement these data. The results from these Chernobyl experiments can be viewed in a user-friendly format at a dedicated web-based database freely available at http://www.chernobylproteomics.sav.sk.

Moisture sorption isotherms of dehydrated whey proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suzana Rimac Brnčić

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Moisture sorption isotherms describe the relation between the moisture content of the dry material (food and relative humidity of the surrounding environment. The data obtained are important in modelling of drying process conditions, packaging and shelf-life stability of food that will provide maximum retaining of aroma, colour and texture as well as nutritive and biological value. The objective of this research was to establish the equilibrium moisture content and water activity, as well as monolayer value of two commercial powdered whey protein isolates before and after tribomechanical micronisation and enzymatic hydrolysis, respectively. At the same time it was necessary to evaluate the best moisture sorption isotherm equation to fit the experimental data. The equilibrium moisture contents in investigated samples were determined using standard gravimetric method at 20 °C. The range of water activities was 0.11 to 0.75. The monolayer moisture content was estimated from sorption data using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB models. The results have shown that tribomechanically treated whey protein isolates as well as protein hydrolizates had lower monolayer moisture content values as well as higher corresponding water activity. Therefore, in spite of the fact that they have lower moisture content, they can be storage at higher relative humidity compared to untreated samples. BET model gave better fit to experimental sorption data for a water activity range from 0.11-0.54, while GAB model gave the closest fit for a water activity to 0.75.

Variability of the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 Flexibility Without Significant Change in the Initial Conformation of the Protein or Its Environment; a Computational Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghizadeh, Mohammad; Goliaei, Bahram; Madadkar-Sobhani, Armin

2016-06-01

Protein flexibility, which has been referred as a dynamic behavior has various roles in proteins' functions. Furthermore, for some developed tools in bioinformatics, such as protein-protein docking software, considering the protein flexibility, causes a higher degree of accuracy. Through undertaking the present work, we have accomplished the quantification plus analysis of the variations in the human Cyclin Dependent Kinase 2 (hCDK2) protein flexibility without affecting a significant change in its initial environment or the protein per se. The main goal of the present research was to calculate variations in the flexibility for each residue of the hCDK2, analysis of their flexibility variations through clustering, and to investigate the functional aspects of the residues with high flexibility variations. Using Gromacs package (version 4.5.4), three independent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the hCDK2 protein (PDB ID: 1HCL) was accomplished with no significant changes in their initial environments, structures, or conformations, followed by Root Mean Square Fluctuations (RMSF) calculation of these MD trajectories. The amount of variations in these three curves of RMSF was calculated using two formulas. More than 50% of the variation in the flexibility (the distance between the maximum and the minimum amount of the RMSF) was found at the region of Val-154. As well, there are other major flexibility fluctuations in other residues. These residues were mostly positioned in the vicinity of the functional residues. The subsequent works were done, as followed by clustering all hCDK2 residues into four groups considering the amount of their variability with respect to flexibility and their position in the RMSF curves. This work has introduced a new class of flexibility aspect of the proteins' residues. It could also help designing and engineering proteins, with introducing a new dynamic aspect of hCDK2, and accordingly, for the other similar globular proteins. In

Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering in Clinical Environment and Legal Surrounding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medvedec, M.

2013-01-01

An application of radiation in medicine is essentially associated with medical physics and biomedical engineering. The purpose of this study is to analyze the perception and the status of clinical medical physicists and biomedical engineers within the current international and Croatian legal framework. The International Labour Organization (ILO) in its International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) notes that medical physicists and biomedical engineers are an integral part of the health workforce, alongside those occupations classified as health professionals. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its basic safety standards for radiation protection and safety of radiation sources also defines medical physicists as health professional. The World Health Organization (WHO) urges member states to include biomedical engineers in assessment, planning, procurement, implementation and management of health technologies, in particular biomedical devices. The Council of the European Union (EU) in its directives defines qualified professionals, especially experts in medical physics, as workers who carry out physical, technical and radiochemical work in regard to dosimetry, radiation protection, quality assurance and quality control, equipment management, etc. According to the U.S. Office of Labor Statistics, biomedical engineer is an occupation with the third-fastest growth rate in the economy, as projected for the period 2010-2020. It is expected that the role and the importance of medical physics and biomedical engineering profession in Croatia, a member state of ILO, WHO, IAEA and EU, will be soon fully regulated in a way comparable to the career paths of other health professionals within a clinical environment, primarily for the benefit of patients and hospital staff, healthcare facilities and healthcare system in general.(author)

A natural and readily available crowding agent: NMR studies of proteins in hen egg white.

Science.gov (United States)

Martorell, Gabriel; Adrover, Miquel; Kelly, Geoff; Temussi, Piero Andrea; Pastore, Annalisa

2011-05-01

In vitro studies of biological macromolecules are usually performed in dilute, buffered solutions containing one or just a few different biological macromolecules. Under these conditions, the interactions among molecules are diffusion limited. On the contrary, in living systems, macromolecules of a given type are surrounded by many others, at very high total concentrations. In the last few years, there has been an increasing effort to study biological macromolecules directly in natural crowded environments, as in intact bacterial cells or by mimicking natural crowding by adding proteins, polysaccharides, or even synthetic polymers. Here, we propose the use of hen egg white (HEW) as a simple natural medium, with all features of the media of crowded cells, that could be used by any researcher without difficulty and inexpensively. We present a study of the stability and dynamics behavior of model proteins in HEW, chosen as a prototypical, readily accessible natural medium that can mimic cytosol. We show that two typical globular proteins, dissolved in HEW, give NMR spectra very similar to those obtained in dilute buffers, although dynamic parameters are clearly affected by the crowded medium. The thermal stability of one of these proteins, measured in a range comprising both heat and cold denaturation, is also similar to that in buffer. Our data open new possibilities to the study of proteins in natural crowded media. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Natural Ecosystem Surrounding a Conventional Banana Crop Improves Plant Health and Fruit Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florence P. Castelan

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Natural ecosystems near agricultural landscapes may provide rich environments for growing crops. However, the effect of a natural ecosystem on crop health and fruit quality is poorly understood. In the present study, it was investigated whether the presence of a natural ecosystem surrounding a crop area influences banana plant health and fruit postharvest behavior. Plants from two conventional banana crop areas with identical planting time and cultural practices were used; the only difference between banana crop areas is that one area was surrounded by a natural forest (Atlantic forest fragment (Near-NF, while the other area was inserted at the center of a conventional banana crop (Distant-NF. Results showed that bananas harvested from Near-NF showed higher greenlife and a more homogeneous profile during ripening compared to fruits harvested from Distant-NF. Differences in quality parameters including greenlife, carbohydrate profile, and pulp firmness between fruits harvested from Near-NF and Distant-NF are explained, at least partly, by differences in the balance of plant growth regulators (indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid in bananas during ripening. Furthermore, plants from Near-NF showed a lower severity index of black leaf streak disease (BLSD and higher levels of phenolic compounds in leaves compared to plants from Distant-NF. Together, the results provide additional evidence on how the maintenance of natural ecosystems near conventional crop areas could be a promising tool to improve plant health and fruit quality.

Examining the interaction between food outlets and outdoor food advertisements with primary school food environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, Mat; Pearce, Jamie; Day, Peter

2009-09-01

Schools are commonly seen as a site of intervention to improve children's nutrition, and prevent excess weight gain. Schools may have limited influence over children's diets; however, with home and community environments also exerting an influence within schools. This study considered the environment of food outlets and outdoor food advertisements surrounding four case study primary schools in New Zealand, and the impact of that external environment on within-school food environments. The shortest travel route between school and home addresses, and the number of food outlets and advertisements passed on that route, was calculated for each student. Interviews with school management were conducted. The schools with a higher percentage of students passing food outlets and advertisements considered that their presence impacted on efforts within schools to improve the food environment. Limiting students' exposure to food outlets and outdoor food adverts through travel route planning, reducing advertising, or limiting the location of food outlets surrounding schools could be explored as intervention options to support schools in promoting nutrition.

An analysis pipeline for the inference of protein-protein interaction networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, Ronald C.; Singhal, Mudita; Daly, Don S.; Gilmore, Jason M.; Cannon, William R.; Domico, Kelly O.; White, Amanda M.; Auberry, Deanna L.; Auberry, Kenneth J.; Hooker, Brian S.; Hurst, G. B.; McDermott, Jason E.; McDonald, W. H.; Pelletier, Dale A.; Schmoyer, Denise A.; Wiley, H. S.

2009-12-01

An analysis pipeline has been created for deployment of a novel algorithm, the Bayesian Estimator of Protein-Protein Association Probabilities (BEPro), for use in the reconstruction of protein-protein interaction networks. We have combined the Software Environment for BIological Network Inference (SEBINI), an interactive environment for the deployment and testing of network inference algorithms that use high-throughput data, and the Collective Analysis of Biological Interaction Networks (CABIN), software that allows integration and analysis of protein-protein interaction and gene-to-gene regulatory evidence obtained from multiple sources, to allow interactions computed by BEPro to be stored, visualized, and further analyzed. Incorporating BEPro into SEBINI and automatically feeding the resulting inferred network into CABIN, we have created a structured workflow for protein-protein network inference and supplemental analysis from sets of mass spectrometry bait-prey experiment data. SEBINI demo site: https://www.emsl.pnl.gov /SEBINI/ Contact: ronald.taylor@pnl.gov. BEPro is available at http://www.pnl.gov/statistics/BEPro3/index.htm. Contact: ds.daly@pnl.gov. CABIN is available at http://www.sysbio.org/dataresources/cabin.stm. Contact: mudita.singhal@pnl.gov.

In Situ Observation of Hard Surrounding Rock Displacement at 2400-m-Deep Tunnels

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xia-Ting; Yao, Zhi-Bin; Li, Shao-Jun; Wu, Shi-Yong; Yang, Cheng-Xiang; Guo, Hao-Sen; Zhong, Shan

2018-03-01

This paper presents the results of in situ investigation of the internal displacement of hard surrounding rock masses within deep tunnels at China's Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II. The displacement evolution of the surrounding rock during the entire excavation processes was monitored continuously using pre-installed continuous-recording multi-point extensometers. The evolution of excavation-damaged zones and fractures in rock masses were also observed using acoustic velocity testing and digital borehole cameras, respectively. The results show four kinds of displacement behaviours of the hard surrounding rock masses during the excavation process. The displacement in the inner region of the surrounding rock was found to be greater than that of the rock masses near the tunnel's side walls in some excavation stages. This leads to a multi-modal distribution characteristic of internal displacement for hard surrounding rock masses within deep tunnels. A further analysis of the evolution information on the damages and fractures inside the surrounding rock masses reveals the effects of excavation disturbances and local geological conditions. This recognition can be used as the reference for excavation and supporting design and stability evaluations of hard-rock tunnels under high-stress conditions.

Aplicação da equação de Poisson-Boltzmann ao cálculo de propriedades dependentes do pH em proteínas Aplications of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation to the calculation of pH-dependent properties in proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thereza A. Soares

2004-08-01

Full Text Available The ability of biomolecules to catalyze chemical reactions is due chiefly to their sensitivity to variations of the pH in the surrounding environment. The reason for this is that they are made up of chemical groups whose ionization states are modulated by pH changes that are of the order of 0.4 units. The determination of the protonation states of such chemical groups as a function of conformation of the biomolecule and the pH of the environment can be useful in the elucidation of important biological processes from enzymatic catalysis to protein folding and molecular recognition. In the past 15 years, the theory of Poisson-Boltzmann has been successfully used to estimate the pKa of ionizable sites in proteins yielding results, which may differ by 0.1 unit from the experimental values. In this study, we review the theory of Poisson-Boltzmann under the perspective of its application to the calculation of pKa in proteins.

The surrounding concrete structure of the containment as a safety component

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alex, H.; Kuntze, W.M.

1978-01-01

This paper will briefly discuss the containments of the various types of reactors in the Federal Republic of Germany and will try to show the importance of the surrounding concrete structures with respect to safety. It will be seen that the surrounding concrete structures serve in any case - as protection against external events - as secondary shielding and must therefore be considered as a passive safety feature. The design requirements for the surrounding concrete structures with respect to protection against external events and to physical protection generally supplement each other. Reference will be made to possible alternatives, which might result from studies of underground siting of nuclear power plants. Whether or not this type of construction can lead to additional safety can only be judged when the results of all these studies - some of which are still under way - are evaluated. The concluding part of this paper will deal with the responsibilities of the civil engineering supervisory authorities and the nuclear licensing authorities with respect to the surrounding concrete structures. (orig.) [de

Membrane Protein Mobility and Orientation Preserved in Supported Bilayers Created Directly from Cell Plasma Membrane Blebs.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Mark J; Hsia, Chih-Yun; Singh, Rohit R; Haider, Huma; Kumpf, Julia; Kawate, Toshimitsu; Daniel, Susan

2016-03-29

Membrane protein interactions with lipids are crucial for their native biological behavior, yet traditional characterization methods are often carried out on purified protein in the absence of lipids. We present a simple method to transfer membrane proteins expressed in mammalian cells to an assay-friendly, cushioned, supported lipid bilayer platform using cell blebs as an intermediate. Cell blebs, expressing either GPI-linked yellow fluorescent proteins or neon-green fused transmembrane P2X2 receptors, were induced to rupture on glass surfaces using PEGylated lipid vesicles, which resulted in planar supported membranes with over 50% mobility for multipass transmembrane proteins and over 90% for GPI-linked proteins. Fluorescent proteins were tracked, and their diffusion in supported bilayers characterized, using single molecule tracking and moment scaling spectrum (MSS) analysis. Diffusion was characterized for individual proteins as either free or confined, revealing details of the local lipid membrane heterogeneity surrounding the protein. A particularly useful result of our bilayer formation process is the protein orientation in the supported planar bilayer. For both the GPI-linked and transmembrane proteins used here, an enzymatic assay revealed that protein orientation in the planar bilayer results in the extracellular domains facing toward the bulk, and that the dominant mode of bleb rupture is via the "parachute" mechanism. Mobility, orientation, and preservation of the native lipid environment of the proteins using cell blebs offers advantages over proteoliposome reconstitution or disrupted cell membrane preparations, which necessarily result in significant scrambling of protein orientation and typically immobilized membrane proteins in SLBs. The bleb-based bilayer platform presented here is an important step toward integrating membrane proteomic studies on chip, especially for future studies aimed at understanding fundamental effects of lipid interactions

Metagenomics and the protein universe

Science.gov (United States)

Godzik, Adam

2011-01-01

Metagenomics sequencing projects have dramatically increased our knowledge of the protein universe and provided over one-half of currently known protein sequences; they have also introduced a much broader phylogenetic diversity into the protein databases. The full analysis of metagenomic datasets is only beginning, but it has already led to the discovery of thousands of new protein families, likely representing novel functions specific to given environments. At the same time, a deeper analysis of such novel families, including experimental structure determination of some representatives, suggests that most of them represent distant homologs of already characterized protein families, and thus most of the protein diversity present in the new environments are due to functional divergence of the known protein families rather than the emergence of new ones. PMID:21497084

Silver nanoparticles in complex biological media: assessment of colloidal stability and protein corona formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Argentiere, Simona, E-mail: simona.argentiere@fondazionefilarete.com; Cella, Claudia, E-mail: claudia.cella@unimi.it [Fondazione Filarete (Italy); Cesaria, Maura, E-mail: maura.cesaria@le.infn.it [Università del Salento, Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica “Ennio De Giorgi” (Italy); Milani, Paolo, E-mail: paolo.milani@mi.infn.it; Lenardi, Cristina, E-mail: cristina.lenardi@mi.infn.it [Università degli Studi di Milano, CIMAINA and Dipartimento di Fisica (Italy)

2016-08-15

Engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most used nanomaterials in consumer products, therefore concerns are raised about their potential for adverse effects in humans and environment. Although an increasing number of studies in vitro and in vivo are being reported on the toxicity of AgNPs, most of them suffer from incomplete characterization of AgNPs in the tested biological media. As a consequence, the comparison of toxicological data is troublesome and the toxicity evaluation still remains an open critical issue. The development of a reliable protocol to evaluate interactions of AgNPs with surrounding proteins as well as to assess their colloidal stability is therefore required. In this regard, it is of importance not only to use multiple, easy-to-access and simple techniques but also to understand limitations of each characterization methods. In this work, the morphological and structural behaviour of AgNPs has been studied in two relevant biological media, namely 10 % FBS and MP. Three different techniques (Dynamic Light Scattering, Transmission Electron Microscopy, UV–Vis spectroscopy) were tested for their suitability in detecting AgNPs of three different sizes (10, 40 and 100 nm) coated with either citrate or polyvinylpyrrolidone. Results showed that UV–Vis spectroscopy is the most versatile and informative technique to gain information about interaction between AgNPs and surrounding proteins and to determine their colloidal stability in the tested biological media. These findings are expected to provide useful insights in characterizing AgNPs before performing any further in vitro/in vivo experiment.

Consistent and robust determination of border ownership based on asymmetric surrounding contrast.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakai, Ko; Nishimura, Haruka; Shimizu, Ryohei; Kondo, Keiichi

2012-09-01

Determination of the figure region in an image is a fundamental step toward surface construction, shape coding, and object representation. Localized, asymmetric surround modulation, reported neurophysiologically in early-to-intermediate-level visual areas, has been proposed as a mechanism for figure-ground segregation. We investigated, computationally, whether such surround modulation is capable of yielding consistent and robust determination of figure side for various stimuli. Our surround modulation model showed a surprisingly high consistency among pseudorandom block stimuli, with greater consistency for stimuli that yielded higher accuracy of, and shorter reaction times in, human perception. Our analyses revealed that the localized, asymmetric organization of surrounds is crucial in the detection of the contrast imbalance that leads to the determination of the direction of figure with respect to the border. The model also exhibited robustness for gray-scaled natural images, with a mean correct rate of 67%, which was similar to that of figure-side determination in human perception through a small window and of machine-vision algorithms based on local processing. These results suggest a crucial role of surround modulation in the local processing of figure-ground segregation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of Staphylococcus aureus to Airway Environments in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis by Upregulation of Superoxide Dismutase M and Iron-Scavenging Proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Treffon, Janina; Block, Desiree; Moche, Martin; Reiss, Swantje; Fuchs, Stephan; Engelmann, Susanne; Becher, Dörte; Langhanki, Lars; Mellmann, Alexander; Peters, Georg; Kahl, Barbara C

2018-04-11

Adaptation of S. aureus to the hostile environment of CF airways resulted in changed abundance of proteins involved in energy metabolism, cellular processes, transport and binding, but most importantly in an iron-scavenging phenotype and increased activity of superoxide dismutase M.

Enhanced sources of acoustic power surrounding AR 11429

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donea, Alina; Hanson, Christopher

2013-01-01

Multi-frequency power maps of the local acoustic oscillations show acoustic enhancements (''acoustic-power halos'') at high frequencies surrounding large active region. Computational seismic holography reveals a high-frequency ''acoustic-emission halo'', or ''seismic glory'' surrounding large active regions. In this study, we have applied computational seismic holography to map the seismic seismic source density surrounding AR 11429. Studies of HMI/SDO Doppler data, shows that the ''acoustic halos'' and the ''seismic glories'' are prominent at high frequencies 5–8 mHz. We investigate morphological properties of acoustic-power and acoustic emission halos around an active region to see if they are spatially correlated. Details about the local magnetic field from vectormagnetograms of AR 11429 are included. We identify a 15'' region of seismic deficit power (dark moat) shielding the white-light boundary of the active region. The size of the seismic moat is related to region of intermediate magnetic field strength. The acoustic moat is circled by the halo of enhanced seismic amplitude as well as enhanced seismic emission. Overall, the results suggest that features are related. However, if we narrow the frequency band to 5.5 – 6.5 mHz, we find that the seismic source density dominates over the local acoustic power, suggesting the existence of sources that emit more energy downward into the solar interior than upward toward the solar surface.

Flavour aspects of pea and its protein preparations in relation to novel protein foods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heng, L.

2005-01-01

This research is part of the multidisciplinary program, PROFETAS (PROtein Foods Environment Technology And Society), which aimed to feasibly shift from animal proteins to pea proteins for the development of Novel Protein Foods (NPFs) with desirable flavour. The aim of this research is to investigate

Heat stress effects on the cumulus cells surrounding the bovine oocyte during maturation: altered matrix metallopeptidase 9 and progesterone production.

Science.gov (United States)

Rispoli, L A; Payton, R R; Gondro, C; Saxton, A M; Nagle, K A; Jenkins, B W; Schrick, F N; Edwards, J L

2013-08-01

When the effects of heat stress are detrimental during maturation, cumulus cells are intimately associated with the oocyte. To determine the extent to which heat stress affects these cells, in this study, transcriptome profiles of the cumulus that surrounded control and heat-stressed oocytes (41 °C during the first 12 h only and then shifted back to 38.5 °C) during in vitro maturation (IVM) were compared using Affymetrix bovine microarrays. The comparison of cumulus-derived profiles revealed a number of transcripts whose levels were increased (n=11) or decreased (n=13) ≥ twofold after heat stress exposure (P1.7-fold decrease in the protein levels of latent matrix metallopeptidase 9 (proMMP9). Heat-induced reductions in transcript levels were noted at 6 h IVM with reductions in proMMP9 protein levels at 18 h IVM (P=0.0002). Independent of temperature, proMMP9 levels at 24 h IVM were positively correlated with the development rate of blastocysts (R²=0.36; P=0.002). The production of progesterone increased during maturation; heat-induced increases were evident by 12 h IVM (P=0.002). Both MMP9 and progesterone are associated with the developmental competence of the oocyte; thus, it seems plausible for some of the negative consequences of heat stress on the cumulus-oocyte complex to be mediated through heat-induced perturbations occurring in the surrounding cumulus.

Site-directed fluorescence labeling of a membrane protein with BADAN: probing protein topology and local environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koehorst, R.B.M.; Spruijt, R.B.; Hemminga, M.A.

2008-01-01

We present a new and simple method based on site-directed fluorescence labeling using the BADAN label that allows to examine protein-lipid interactions in great detail. We apply this approach to a membrane-embedded mainly -helical reference protein, the M13 major coat protein, of which in a

Teamwork in high-risk environments analogous to space

Science.gov (United States)

Kanki, Barbara G.

1990-01-01

Mountaineering expeditions combine a number of factors which make them potentially good analogs to the planetary exploration facet of long-duration space missions. A study of mountain climbing teams was conducted in order to evaluate the usefulness of the environment as a space analog and to specifically identify the factors and issues surrounding teamwork and 'successful' team performance in two mountaineering environments. This paper focuses on social/organizational factors, including team size and structure, leadership styles and authority structure which were found in the sample of 22 climb teams (122 individuals). The second major issue discussed is the construction of a valid performance measure in this high-risk environment.

Spontaneous magnetic alignment by yearling snapping turtles: rapid association of radio frequency dependent pattern of magnetic input with novel surroundings.

Science.gov (United States)

Landler, Lukas; Painter, Michael S; Youmans, Paul W; Hopkins, William A; Phillips, John B

2015-01-01

We investigated spontaneous magnetic alignment (SMA) by juvenile snapping turtles using exposure to low-level radio frequency (RF) fields at the Larmor frequency to help characterize the underlying sensory mechanism. Turtles, first introduced to the testing environment without the presence of RF aligned consistently towards magnetic north when subsequent magnetic testing conditions were also free of RF ('RF off → RF off'), but were disoriented when subsequently exposed to RF ('RF off → RF on'). In contrast, animals initially introduced to the testing environment with RF present were disoriented when tested without RF ('RF on → RF off'), but aligned towards magnetic south when tested with RF ('RF on → RF on'). Sensitivity of the SMA response of yearling turtles to RF is consistent with the involvement of a radical pair mechanism. Furthermore, the effect of RF appears to result from a change in the pattern of magnetic input, rather than elimination of magnetic input altogether, as proposed to explain similar effects in other systems/organisms. The findings show that turtles first exposed to a novel environment form a lasting association between the pattern of magnetic input and their surroundings. However, under natural conditions turtles would never experience a change in the pattern of magnetic input. Therefore, if turtles form a similar association of magnetic cues with the surroundings each time they encounter unfamiliar habitat, as seems likely, the same pattern of magnetic input would be associated with multiple sites/localities. This would be expected from a sensory input that functions as a global reference frame, helping to place multiple locales (i.e., multiple local landmark arrays) into register to form a global map of familiar space.

Specific Internalisation of Gold Nanoparticles into Engineered Porous Protein Cages via Affinity Binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Paramelle, David; Peng, Tao; Free, Paul; Fernig, David G; Lim, Sierin; Tomczak, Nikodem

2016-01-01

Porous protein cages are supramolecular protein self-assemblies presenting pores that allow the access of surrounding molecules and ions into their core in order to store and transport them in biological environments. Protein cages' pores are attractive channels for the internalisation of inorganic nanoparticles and an alternative for the preparation of hybrid bioinspired nanoparticles. However, strategies based on nanoparticle transport through the pores are largely unexplored, due to the difficulty of tailoring nanoparticles that have diameters commensurate with the pores size and simultaneously displaying specific affinity to the cages' core and low non-specific binding to the cages' outer surface. We evaluated the specific internalisation of single small gold nanoparticles, 3.9 nm in diameter, into porous protein cages via affinity binding. The E2 protein cage derived from the Geobacillus stearothermophilus presents 12 pores, 6 nm in diameter, and an empty core of 13 nm in diameter. We engineered the E2 protein by site-directed mutagenesis with oligohistidine sequences exposing them into the cage's core. Dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy analysis show that the structures of E2 protein cages mutated with bis- or penta-histidine sequences are well conserved. The surface of the gold nanoparticles was passivated with a self-assembled monolayer made of a mixture of short peptidols and thiolated alkane ethylene glycol ligands. Such monolayers are found to provide thin coatings preventing non-specific binding to proteins. Further functionalisation of the peptide coated gold nanoparticles with Ni2+ nitrilotriacetic moieties enabled the specific binding to oligohistidine tagged cages. The internalisation via affinity binding was evaluated by electron microscopy analysis. From the various mutations tested, only the penta-histidine mutated E2 protein cage showed repeatable and stable internalisation. The present work overcomes the limitations of currently

Understanding and Manipulating Electrostatic Fields at the Protein-Protein Interface Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Continuum Electrostatics Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Andrew W; Webb, Lauren J

2015-11-05

Biological function emerges in large part from the interactions of biomacromolecules in the complex and dynamic environment of the living cell. For this reason, macromolecular interactions in biological systems are now a major focus of interest throughout the biochemical and biophysical communities. The affinity and specificity of macromolecular interactions are the result of both structural and electrostatic factors. Significant advances have been made in characterizing structural features of stable protein-protein interfaces through the techniques of modern structural biology, but much less is understood about how electrostatic factors promote and stabilize specific functional macromolecular interactions over all possible choices presented to a given molecule in a crowded environment. In this Feature Article, we describe how vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy is being applied to measure electrostatic fields at protein-protein interfaces, focusing on measurements of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily binding with structurally related but functionally distinct downstream effector proteins. In VSE spectroscopy, spectral shifts of a probe oscillator's energy are related directly to that probe's local electrostatic environment. By performing this experiment repeatedly throughout a protein-protein interface, an experimental map of measured electrostatic fields generated at that interface is determined. These data can be used to rationalize selective binding of similarly structured proteins in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Furthermore, these data can be used to compare to computational predictions of electrostatic fields to explore the level of simulation detail that is necessary to accurately predict our experimental findings.

Estimates of selection parameters in protein mutants of spring barley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaul, H.; Walther, H.; Seibold, K.H.; Brunner, H.; Mikaelsen, K.

1976-01-01

Detailed studies have been made with induced protein mutants regarding a possible genetic advance in selection including the estimation of the genetic variation and heritability coefficients. Estimates were obtained for protein content and protein yield. The variation of mutant lines in different environments was found to be many times as large as the variation of the line means. The detection of improved protein mutants seems therefore possible only in trials with more than one environment. The heritability of protein content and protein yield was estimated in different sets of environments and was found to be low. However, higher values were found with an increasing number of environments. At least four environments seem to be necessary to obtain reliable heritability estimates. The geneticall component of the variation between lines was significant for protein content in all environmental combinations. For protein yield some environmental combinations only showed significant differences. The expected genetic advance with one selection step was small for both protein traits. Genetically significant differences between protein micromutants give, however, a first indication that selection among protein mutants with small differences seems also possible. (author)

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1818

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,818th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 5, 2009). South is at the center; north at both ends. The rover had driven 80.3 meters (263 feet) southward earlier on that sol. Tracks from the drive recede northward in this view. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

Flow evaluation of the leaching hazardous materials from spent nickel-cadmium batteries discarded in different water surroundings.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xingmei; Song, Yan; Nan, Junmin

2018-02-01

The leaching characteristics of hazardous materials from Ni-Cd batteries immersed in four typical water samples, i.e., water with NaCl, river water, tap water, and deionized water, were investigated to evaluate the potential environmental harm of spent Ni-Cd batteries in the water surroundings. It is shown that four water surroundings all could leach hazardous materials from the Ni-Cd batteries. The water with NaCl concentration of 66.7 mg L -1 had the highest leaching ability, the hazardous materials were leached after only approximately 50 days (average time, with a standard deviation of 4.1), while less than 100 days were needed in the others. An electrochemical corrosion is considered to be the main leaching mechanism leading to battery breakage, while the dissolution-deposition process and the powder route result in the leakage and transference of nickel and cadmium materials from the electrodes. The anions, i.e., SO 4 2- and Cl - , and dissolved oxygen in water were demonstrated to be the vital factors that influence the leaching processes. Thus, it is proposed that spent Ni-Cd batteries must be treated properly to avoid potential danger to the environment.

Cadmium-binding proteins in midgut gland of freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Ramo, J.; Pastor, A.; Torreblanca, A.; Medina, J.; Diza-Mayans, J.

1989-02-01

Metallothioneins, metal binding proteins, were originally isolated and characterized by Margoshes and Vallee. These proteins have a high affinity for various heavy metals, particularly cadmium and mercury and have extensively been studied in mammals. Metal binding proteins have been observed in a variety of marine invertebrates; however, there is very little information available on metal binding proteins in freshwater invertebrates, and particularly in freshwater crustaceans. Cadmium is an ubiquitous non essential element which possesses high toxicity to aquatic organisms. Cadmium binding proteins observed in invertebrates have similar characteristics to mammalian metallothioneins. In 1978, the American red crayfish appeared in Albufera Lake and the surrounding rice fields (Valencia, Spain). Albufera Lake and the surrounding rice fields waters are subjected to very heavy loads of sewage and toxic industrial residues (including heavy metals) from the many urban and wastewaters in this area. In previous reports the authors studied the toxicity and accumulation of cadmium on Procambarus clarkii of Albufera Lake. This crayfish shows a high resistance to cadmium and a great accumulation rate of this metal in several tissues, including midgut gland. Since Procambarus clarkii shows a high resistance to cadmium, the presence of cadmium binding proteins (Cd-BP) in midgut gland of these crayfish would be expected. This report describes results on the characterization of Cd-BPs obtained from cadmium exposed crayfish Procambarus clarkii, demonstrating their presence in this freshwater crayfish.

Protein Structure Prediction by Protein Threading

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ying; Liu, Zhijie; Cai, Liming; Xu, Dong

The seminal work of Bowie, Lüthy, and Eisenberg (Bowie et al., 1991) on "the inverse protein folding problem" laid the foundation of protein structure prediction by protein threading. By using simple measures for fitness of different amino acid types to local structural environments defined in terms of solvent accessibility and protein secondary structure, the authors derived a simple and yet profoundly novel approach to assessing if a protein sequence fits well with a given protein structural fold. Their follow-up work (Elofsson et al., 1996; Fischer and Eisenberg, 1996; Fischer et al., 1996a,b) and the work by Jones, Taylor, and Thornton (Jones et al., 1992) on protein fold recognition led to the development of a new brand of powerful tools for protein structure prediction, which we now term "protein threading." These computational tools have played a key role in extending the utility of all the experimentally solved structures by X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), providing structural models and functional predictions for many of the proteins encoded in the hundreds of genomes that have been sequenced up to now.

Distribution and characteristics of gamma and cosmic ray dose rate in living environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaoka, Toshi; Moriuchi, Shigeru

1991-01-01

A series of environmental radiation surveys was carried out from the viewpoint of characterizing the natural radiation dose rate distribution in the living environment, including natural and artificial ones. Through the analysis of the data obtained at numbers of places, several aspects of the radiation field in living environments were clarified. That is the gamma ray dose rate varies due to the following three dominant causes: 1) the radionuclide concentration of surrounding materials acting as gamma ray sources, 2) the spatial distribution of surrounding materials, and 3) the geometrical and shielding conditions between the natural gamma ray sources and the measured point; whereas, the cosmic ray dose rate varies due to the thickness of upper shielding materials. It was also suggested that the gamma ray dose rate generally shows an upward tendency, and the cosmic ray dose rate a downward one in artificial environment. This kind of knowledge is expected to serve as fundamental information for accurate and realistic evaluation of the collective dose in the living environment. (author)

Illicit Drugs: Contaminants in the Environment and Utility in Forensic Epidemiology

Science.gov (United States)

The published literature surrounding the origin, occurrence, fate, and effects of illicit drug ingredients (IDIs) in the environment is examined. Similarities exist with medical pharmaceuticals, particularly with regard to the basic processes by which these ingredients enter the ...

Contrasting the excited-state dynamics of the photoactive yellow protein chromophore: Protein versus solvent environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vengris, M.; Horst, M.A.; Zgrablic, G.; van Stokkum, I.H.M.; Haacke, S.; Chergui, M.; Hellingwerf, K.J.; van Grondelle, R.; Larsen, D.S.

2004-01-01

Wavelength- and time-resolved fluorescence experiments have been performed on the photoactive yellow protein, the E46Q mutant, the hybrids of these proteins containing a nonisomerizing "locked" chromophore, and the native and locked chromophores in aqueous solution. The ultrafast dynamics of these

W1045 environment surf drip shield and waste package outer barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gdowski, G.

1999-01-01

The environments on the drip shield and waste package outer barrier are controlled by the compositions of the waters that contact these components. the temperature (T) of these components, and the effective relative humidity (RH) at these components. Because the composition of the waters that are expected to enter the emplacement drifts (either by seepage flow or by episodic flow) have not been specified: well J13 water was chosen as the reference water (Harrar 1990). Section 6.2 discusses the accessible RH for the temperatures of interest at the repository horizon. Section 6.3 discusses the adsorption of water on metal alloys in the absence of hygroscopic salts. Because the temperatures of the DSs and the WPOBs are higher than those of the surrounding near-field environment, the relative humidity at the DSs and the WPOBs will be lower than that of the surrounding near-field environment. This difference is a result of the water partial pressure in the drift being constant and no higher than the equilibrium water vapor pressure at the temperature of the drift wall

Correlation of cell surface proteins of distinct Beauveria bassiana cell types and adaption to varied environment and interaction with the host insect.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhi; Jiang, Hongyan; Zhao, Xin; Lu, Zhuoyue; Luo, Zhibing; Li, Xuebing; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Yongjun

2017-02-01

The insect fungal pathogen Beauveria bassiana produces a number of distinct cell types that include aerial conidia, blastospores and haemolymph-derived cells, termed hyphal bodies, to adapt varied environment niches and within the host insect. These cells display distinct biochemical properties and surface structures, and a highly ordered outermost brush-like structure uniquely present on hyphal bodies, but not on any in vitro cells. Here, we found that the outermost structure on the hyphal bodies mainly consisted of proteins associated to structural wall components in that most of it could be removed by dithiothreitol (DTT) or proteinase K. DTT-treatment also caused delayed germination, decreased tolerance to ultraviolet irradiation and virulence of conidia or blastospores, with decreased adherence and alternated carbohydrate epitopes, suggesting involvement in fungal development, stress responses and virulence. To characterize these cell surface molecules, proteins were released from the living cells using DTT, and identified and quantitated using label-free quantitative mass spectrometry. Thereafter, a series of bioinformatics programs were used to predict cell surface-associated proteins (CSAPs), and 96, 166 and 54 CSAPs were predicted from the identified protein pools of conidia, blastospores and hyphal bodies, respectively, which were involved in utilization of carbohydrate, nitrogen, and lipid, detoxification, pathogen-host interaction, and likely other cellular processes. Thirteen, sixty-nine and six CSAPs were exclusive in conidia, blastospores and hyphal bodies, respectively, which were verified by eGFP-tagged proteins at their N-terminus. Our data provide a crucial cue to understand mechanism of B. bassiana to adapt to varied environment and interaction with insect host. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Real Estate on Its Surroundings Based on the Example of the Manufaktura Complex in Lodz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olbińska Katarzyna

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Real estate compared to other goods is distinguished by a high specificity. One of the signs of these specifics is the interdependence or correlation between property and its surroundings. On the one hand, the factor of closest neighborhood can largely shape the value of the property, while on the other hand, the function, use and development of real estate can strongly affect nearby property and the image of their entire neighborhood. The dynamics of the interdependence between the property and its environment reveal themselves most clearly in moments of transformation of real estate and its use.

Modeling the role of environment in addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Caprioli, Daniele; Celentano, Michele; Paolone, Giovanna; Badiani, Aldo

2007-11-15

The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the main types of animal models used to investigate the modulatory role of environment on drug addiction. The environment can alter the responsiveness to addictive drugs in at least three major ways. First, adverse life experiences can make an individual more vulnerable to develop drug addiction or to relapse into drug seeking. Second, neutral environmental cues can acquire, through Pavlovian conditioning, the ability to trigger drug seeking even after long periods of abstinence. Third, the environment immediately surrounding drug taking can alter the behavioral, subjective, and rewarding effects of a given drug, thus influencing the propensity to use the same drug again. We have focused in particular on the results obtained using an animal model we have developed to study the latter type of drug-environment interaction.

An aerial radiological survey of the EG ampersand G Mound Applied Technologies and surrounding area, Miamisburg, Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted over EG ampersand G Mound Applied Technologies, Miamisburg, Ohio, during the period of June 9--24, 1989. The purpose of the 41-square-kilometer (16-square-mile) survey was to document the terrestrial gamma environment of the plant and surrounding area. In addition, ground-based exposure rate measurements and soil samples were obtained to support the aerial data. An exposure rate contour map at 1 meter above ground level was.constructed from the gamma data and overlaid on an aerial photograph and map of the area. Exposure rates measured in the area typically ranged from 9 to 11 microroentgens per hour (μR/h)

El enfoque de la mezcla surround en la música

OpenAIRE

Castro Gómez, Albert

2010-01-01

El método estandarizado de escuchar música es el conocido sistema estéreo. Únicamente con dos altavoces o dos auriculares se escucha cualquier tipo de sonido de la manera más cómoda, usándolo en la mayoría de reproductores, ordenadores, coches, etc… pero hay otras formas de escuchar música. Nuevas técnicas de sonido que amplían la respuesta auditiva. Este nuevo sonido se conoce como sonido envolvente, internacionalmente llamado sonido surround. El sonido surround trabaja con más canales audit...

Anhydrobiotic insect Polypedilum vanderplanki: molecular mechanisms of DNA and protein protection against extreme environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusev, Oleg; Nakahara, Yuichi; Kikawada, Takahiro; Levinskikh, Margarita; Sychev, Vladimir; Okuda, Takashi

Some organisms showing no sign of living due to complete desiccation are nevertheless able to resume active life after rehydration. This peculiar biological state is referred to as "anhydrobiosis". Larvae of the sleeping chironomid, P. vanderplanki living in temporary pools in semi-arid areas on the African continent become completely desiccated upon drought, but can revive after water becomes available upon the next rain. The dried larvae can stand other extreme conditions, such as exposure to 100˚C, -270˚C, 100We have adopted several methods to evaluated DNA damage in cells of P. vanderplanki and cloned and analyzed expression of the main agent of genetic stress response showing that the larvae possess highly developed anti-stress genetic system, involving anti-oxidative stress genes, hsp and DNA reparation enzymes acting together to provide stability of proteins and DNA in the absence of water. From 2005, dried larvae were included in a number of research programs, including exposition to space environments onboard ISS and long-term exposure to outer space environment outside of ISS ("Expose-R" and"Biorisk" projects) and now are being considered for including into the Phobos-Grunt mission as a testing organism to analyze capability of resting stages of multicellular organism to interplanetary flights.

Many Saccharomyces cerevisiae Cell Wall Protein Encoding Genes Are Coregulated by Mss11, but Cellular Adhesion Phenotypes Appear Only Flo Protein Dependent.

Science.gov (United States)

Bester, Michael C; Jacobson, Dan; Bauer, Florian F

2012-01-01

The outer cell wall of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae serves as the interface with the surrounding environment and directly affects cell-cell and cell-surface interactions. Many of these interactions are facilitated by specific adhesins that belong to the Flo protein family. Flo mannoproteins have been implicated in phenotypes such as flocculation, substrate adhesion, biofilm formation, and pseudohyphal growth. Genetic data strongly suggest that individual Flo proteins are responsible for many specific cellular adhesion phenotypes. However, it remains unclear whether such phenotypes are determined solely by the nature of the expressed FLO genes or rather as the result of a combination of FLO gene expression and other cell wall properties and cell wall proteins. Mss11 has been shown to be a central element of FLO1 and FLO11 gene regulation and acts together with the cAMP-PKA-dependent transcription factor Flo8. Here we use genome-wide transcription analysis to identify genes that are directly or indirectly regulated by Mss11. Interestingly, many of these genes encode cell wall mannoproteins, in particular, members of the TIR and DAN families. To examine whether these genes play a role in the adhesion properties associated with Mss11 expression, we assessed deletion mutants of these genes in wild-type and flo11Δ genetic backgrounds. This analysis shows that only FLO genes, in particular FLO1/10/11, appear to significantly impact on such phenotypes. Thus adhesion-related phenotypes are primarily dependent on the balance of FLO gene expression.

Cross dimerization of amyloid-β and αsynuclein proteins in aqueous environment: a molecular dynamics simulations study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaya C Jose

Full Text Available Self-assembly of the intrinsically unstructured proteins, amyloid beta (Aβ and alpha synclein (αSyn, are associated with Alzheimer's Disease, and Parkinson's and Lewy Body Diseases, respectively. Importantly, pathological overlaps between these neurodegenerative diseases, and the possibilities of interactions between Aβ and αSyn in biological milieu emerge from several recent clinical reports and in vitro studies. Nevertheless, there are very few molecular level studies that have probed the nature of spontaneous interactions between these two sequentially dissimilar proteins and key characteristics of the resulting cross complexes. In this study, we have used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to probe the possibility of cross dimerization between αSyn1-95 and Aβ1-42, and thereby gain insights into their plausible early assembly pathways in aqueous environment. Our analyses indicate a strong probability of association between the two sequences, with inter-protein attractive electrostatic interactions playing dominant roles. Principal component analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in the strength and nature of the associations in the key interaction modes. In most, the interactions of repeating Lys residues, mainly in the imperfect repeats 'KTKEGV' present in αSyn1-95 were found to be essential for cross interactions and formation of inter-protein salt bridges. Additionally, a hydrophobicity driven interaction mode devoid of salt bridges, where the non-amyloid component (NAC region of αSyn1-95 came in contact with the hydrophobic core of Aβ1-42 was observed. The existence of such hetero complexes, and therefore hetero assembly pathways may lead to polymorphic aggregates with variations in pathological attributes. Our results provide a perspective on development of therapeutic strategies for preventing pathogenic interactions between these proteins.

Study on the Optimal Equivalent Radius in Calculating the Heat Dissipation of Surrounding Rock

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. T. Song

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The heat dissipation of surrounding rock of a non-circular roadway is computed using an equivalent circular roadway approach under three circumstances when the area, perimeter, or hydraulic diameter of the circular roadway is equal to the non-circular roadway to obtain the optimal equivalent radius. The differential equations of heat conduction for unstable surrounding rock are established in cylindrical and rectangular coordinate systems using dimensionless analysis method. The calculation formulas of heat dissipation capacity and heat transfer resistance are derived from differential equations. Based on the method of equivalent radius, the similarities and differences between non-circular and circular roadways in calculating the heat dissipation of surrounding rock are discussed. Using the finite volume method, the calculation models for non-circular and circular roadways in the heat dissipation of surrounding rock are also established, among the non-circular roadways including three circumstances, namely, trapezoid, rectangle, and arch. The relation errors of heat dissipation of the surrounding rock of the three equivalent circular roadway methods are investigated for the three non-circular roadways. Results show that the calculation approach with equal perimeters is the best for the heat dissipation of surrounding rock of non-circular roadways.

Flow environment and matrix structure interact to determine spatial competition in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadell, Carey D; Ricaurte, Deirdre; Yan, Jing; Drescher, Knut; Bassler, Bonnie L

2017-01-13

Bacteria often live in biofilms, which are microbial communities surrounded by a secreted extracellular matrix. Here, we demonstrate that hydrodynamic flow and matrix organization interact to shape competitive dynamics in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Irrespective of initial frequency, in competition with matrix mutants, wild-type cells always increase in relative abundance in planar microfluidic devices under simple flow regimes. By contrast, in microenvironments with complex, irregular flow profiles - which are common in natural environments - wild-type matrix-producing and isogenic non-producing strains can coexist. This result stems from local obstruction of flow by wild-type matrix producers, which generates regions of near-zero shear that allow matrix mutants to locally accumulate. Our findings connect the evolutionary stability of matrix production with the hydrodynamics and spatial structure of the surrounding environment, providing a potential explanation for the variation in biofilm matrix secretion observed among bacteria in natural environments.

ISS Local Environment Spectrometers (ISLES)

Science.gov (United States)

Krause, Linda Habash; Gilchrist, Brian E.

2014-01-01

In order to study the complex interactions between the space environment surrounding the ISS and the ISS surface materials, we propose to use lowcost, high-TRL plasma sensors on the ISS robotic arm to probe the ISS space environment. During many years of ISS operation, we have been able to condut effective (but not perfect) extravehicular activities (both human and robotic) within the perturbed local ISS space environment. Because of the complexity of the interaction between the ISS and the LEO space environment, there remain important questions, such as differential charging at solar panel junctions (the so-called "triple point" between conductor, dielectric, and space plasma), increased chemical contamination due to ISS surface charging and/or thruster activation, water dumps, etc, and "bootstrap" charging of insulating surfaces. Some compelling questions could synergistically draw upon a common sensor suite, which also leverages previous and current MSFC investments. Specific questions address ISS surface charging, plasma contactor plume expansion in a magnetized drifting plasma, and possible localized contamination effects across the ISS.

Ultrastructural relationship of the phagophore with surrounding organelles.

Science.gov (United States)

Biazik, Joanna; Ylä-Anttila, Päivi; Vihinen, Helena; Jokitalo, Eija; Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa

2015-01-01

Phagophore nucleates from a subdomain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) termed the omegasome and also makes contact with other organelles such as mitochondria, Golgi complex, plasma membrane and recycling endosomes during its formation. We have used serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SB-EM) and electron tomography (ET) to image phagophore biogenesis in 3 dimensions and to determine the relationship between the phagophore and surrounding organelles at high resolution. ET was performed to confirm whether membrane contact sites (MCSs) are evident between the phagophore and those surrounding organelles. In addition to the known contacts with the ER, we identified MCSs between the phagophore and membranes from putative ER exit sites, late endosomes or lysosomes, the Golgi complex and mitochondria. We also show that one phagophore can have simultaneous MCSs with more than one organelle. Future membrane flux experiments are needed to determine whether membrane contacts also signify lipid translocation.

Leisure, environment, and the quality of life

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel R. Williams

2006-01-01

The environment is omnipresent. It is everything and anything external to us that might have an impact on how we think, feel, and act. It is physical and social, natural and human made. It includes not just our immediate surroundings but also a kind of mental shell of spatially and temporally nested situations and contexts we carry around with us in the form of...

Signaling-sensitive amino acids surround the allosteric ligand binding site of the thyrotropin receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinau, Gunnar; Haas, Ann-Karin; Neumann, Susanne; Worth, Catherine L; Hoyer, Inna; Furkert, Jens; Rutz, Claudia; Gershengorn, Marvin C; Schülein, Ralf; Krause, Gerd

2010-07-01

The thyrotropin receptor [thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR)], a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), is endogenously activated by thyrotropin, which binds to the extracellular region of the receptor. We previously identified a low-molecular-weight (LMW) agonist of the TSHR and predicted its allosteric binding pocket within the receptor's transmembrane domain. Because binding of the LMW agonist probably disrupts interactions or leads to formation of new interactions among amino acid residues surrounding the pocket, we tested whether mutation of residues at these positions would lead to constitutive signaling activity. Guided by molecular modeling, we performed site-directed mutagenesis of 24 amino acids in this spatial region, followed by functional characterization of the mutant receptors in terms of expression and signaling, measured as cAMP accumulation. We found that mutations V421I, Y466A, T501A, L587V, M637C, M637W, S641A, Y643F, L645V, and Y667A located in several helices exhibit constitutive activity. Of note is mutation M637W at position 6.48 in transmembrane helix 6, which has a significant effect on the interaction of the receptor with the LMW agonist. In summary, we found that a high proportion of residues in several helices surrounding the allosteric binding site of LMW ligands in the TSHR when mutated lead to constitutively active receptors. Our findings of signaling-sensitive residues in this region of the transmembrane bundle may be of general importance as this domain appears to be evolutionarily retained among GPCRs.

Studying Membrane Protein Structure and Function Using Nanodiscs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huda, Pie

The structure and dynamic of membrane proteins can provide valuable information about general functions, diseases and effects of various drugs. Studying membrane proteins are a challenge as an amphiphilic environment is necessary to stabilise the protein in a functionally and structurally relevant...... form. This is most typically achieved through the use of detergent based reconstitution systems. However, time and again such systems fail to provide a suitable environment causing aggregation and inactivation. Nanodiscs are self-assembled lipoproteins containing two membrane scaffold proteins...... and a lipid bilayer in defined nanometer size, which can act as a stabiliser for membrane proteins. This enables both functional and structural investigation of membrane proteins in a detergent free environment which is closer to the native situation. Understanding the self-assembly of nanodiscs is important...

An experimental investigation of transient heat transfer in surrounding rock mass of high geothermal roadway

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Yuan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A self-designed experimental installation for transient heat transfer in the modelling surrounding rock mass of high geothermal roadways was elaborated in this paper. By utilizing the new installation, the temperature variation rules in surrounding rock mass of the high geothermal roadway during mechanical ventilation were studied. The results show that the roadway wall temperature decreases dramatically at the early stage of ventilation, and the temperature at every position of the surrounding rock mass is decreasing constantly with time passing by. From roadway wall to deep area, the temperature gradually increases until reaching original rock temperature. The relationship between dimensionless temperature and dimensionless radius demonstrates approximately exponential function. Meanwhile, the temperature disturbance range in the simulated surrounding rock mass extends gradually from the roadway wall to deep area in the surrounding rock mass. Besides, as the air velocity increases, heat loss in the surrounding rock mass rises and the ratio of temperature reduction becomes larger, the speed of disturbance range expansion also gets faster.

Stochastic analysis of uncertain thermal characteristic of foundation soils surrounding the crude oil pipeline in permafrost regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Tao; Zhou, Guoqing; Wang, Jianzhou; Zhao, Xiaodong

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The influence of stochastic properties and conditions on permafrost foundation was investigated. • A stochastic analysis for the uncertain thermal characteristic of crude oil pipe is presented. • The mean temperature and standard deviation of foundation soils are obtained and analyzed. • Average standard deviation and maximum standard deviation of foundation soils increase with time. - Abstract: For foundation soils surrounding the crude oil pipeline in permafrost regions, the soil properties and the upper boundary conditions are stochastic because of complex geological processes and changeable atmospheric environment. The conventional finite element analysis of thermal characteristics for crude oil pipeline is always deterministic, rather than taking stochastic parameters and conditions into account. This study investigated the stochastic influence of an underground crude oil pipeline on the thermal stability of the permafrost foundation on the basis of a stochastic analysis model and the stochastic finite element method. A stochastic finite element program is compiled by Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) software, and the random temperature fields of foundation soils surrounding a crude oil pipeline in a permafrost region are obtained and analyzed by Neumann stochastic finite element method (NSFEM). The results provide a new way to predict the thermal effects of the crude oil pipeline in permafrost regions, and it shows that the standard deviations in temperature increase with time when considering the stochastic effect of soil properties and boundary conditions, which imply that the results of conventional deterministic analysis may be far from the true value, even if in different seasons. It can improve our understanding of the random temperature field of foundation soils surrounding the crude oil pipeline and provide a theoretical basis for actual engineering design in permafrost regions.

Linking disadvantaged housing areas to the surrounding city

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stender, Marie

Several disadvantaged social housing areas in Denmark are currently undergo-ing thorough physical refurbishments, aiming to integrate them better with the surrounding city. The ambition is to attract new users and residents by opening up the borders of the area and establish attractive, new...

Random copolymers that protect proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander-Katz, Alfredo; Van Lehn, Reid C.

2018-03-01

Scientists have tried and in some limited cases succeeded to harness proteins to do chemistry (1) or use them in functional materials. However, most proteins only function correctly if they fold into specific conformations, which typically occurs with the assistance of other proteins (such as chaperones, translocons, or transporters) that mediate structure formation, membrane insertion, and intracellular trafficking (2, 3). Several methods have been used to improve protein stability in nonbiological environments—including micelle encapsulation, polymer conjugation, and sol-gel trapping (4)—but for most intended applications, they suffer from low levels of functionality, difficult chemical postfunctionalization, or the requirement of very specific solvent environments. On page 1239 of this issue, Panganiban et al. (5) introduce an approach for stabilizing proteins in disparate solvent environments that does not suffer from these drawbacks.

Thermally responsive silicon nanowire arrays for native/denatured-protein separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hongwei; Wang Yanwei; Yuan Lin; Wang Lei; Yang Weikang; Wu Zhaoqiang; Li Dan; Chen Hong

2013-01-01

We present our findings of the selective adsorption of native and denatured proteins onto thermally responsive, native-protein resistant poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) decorated silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWAs). The PNIPAAm–SiNWAs surface, which shows very low levels of native-protein adsorption, favors the adsorption of denatured proteins. The amount of denatured-protein adsorption is higher at temperatures above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAAm. Temperature cycling surrounding the LCST, which ensures against thermal denaturation of native proteins, further increases the amount of denatured-protein adsorption. Moreover, the PNIPAAm–SiNWAs surface is able to selectively adsorb denatured protein even from mixtures of different protein species; meanwhile, the amount of native proteins in solution is kept nearly at its original level. It is believed that these results will not only enrich current understanding of protein interactions with PNIPAAm-modified SiNWAs surfaces, but may also stimulate applications of PNIPAAm–SiNWAs surfaces for native/denatured protein separation. (paper)

A multimodal architecture for simulating natural interactive walking in virtual environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordahl, Rolf; Serafin, Stefania; Turchet, Luca

2011-01-01

We describe a multimodal system that exploits the use of footwear-based interaction in virtual environments. We developed a pair of shoes enhanced with pressure sensors, actuators, and markers. These shoes control a multichannel surround sound system and drive a physically based audio...

Enhancing realism in virtual environments by simulating the audio-haptic sensation of walking on ground surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordahl, Rolf; Serafin, Stefania; Nilsson, Niels Christian

2012-01-01

overlooking a canyon. Subjects were asked to visit the environment wearing an head-mounted display and a custom made pair of sandals enhanced with sensors and actuators. A 12-channels surround sound system delivered a soundscape which was consistent with the visual environment. Passive haptics was provided...

On non-linear magnetic-charged black hole surrounded by quintessence

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Cao H.

2018-06-01

We derive a non-linear magnetic-charged black hole surrounded by quintessence, which behaves asymptotically like the Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by quintessence but at the short distances like the dS geometry. The horizon properties of this black hole are investigated in detail. The thermodynamics of the black hole is studied in the local and global views. Finally, by calculating the heat capacity and the free energy, we point to that the black hole may undergo a thermal phase transition, between a larger unstable black hole and a smaller stable black hole, at a critical temperature.

Crust Structure Data of Seas Surrounding Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maden, N.; Gelisli, K.

2007-01-01

Black Sea, Aegean, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea, which surround the Turkey, have not been examined with respect to the Geological, Geophysical and other natural sciences sufficiently. In fact, it is not attach importance the Turkish seas adequately and abandoned with respect to the scientific researches. The most important reason of this situation is the lack of the education of the Marine Sciences in the Turkish Universities. In this study, it is tried to construct a crustal structure data base of the surrounding seas of the Turkey by collecting crustal structure data sets done by different authors in different times so far. The data acquired in the base are collected from different data base sources by dragging. The Moho depth in the eastern and western basin of the Black sea is 22 km and 19 km, respectively. In the Marmara Sea the Moho depth is 24 km. The moho value in the southern Aegean is 20 km, in the northern Aegean the moho depth is 30 km. on the other hand, the moho depth value in the eastern and western basin of the Mediterranean Sea are 15-20 km and 25-30 km, respectively

Economic issues with follow-on protein products.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanthier, Michael; Behrman, Rachel; Nardinelli, Clark

2008-09-01

The economic effects of the possible introduction of 'follow-on' protein products have been the subject of recent debate. Here, we aim to explore the economic issues surrounding this debate using three measures: total sales, product complexity and patent expiry. Our analysis shows that the sales of therapeutic protein products are concentrated in a relatively small number of branded products, which may be the most attractive targets for follow-on development. For the years 2013-2015, we estimate that products representing US$20 billion in annual sales--approximately half of all sales in 2006--can be expected to lose patent protection.

Enhancing area surrounding breast carcinoma on MR mammography: comparison with pathological examination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goethem, M. van; Verslegers, I.; Biltjes, I.; Schepper, A. de; Schelfout, K.; Colpaert, C.; Kersschot, E.; Tjalma, W.A.; Weyler, J.

2004-01-01

The enhancing area surrounding breast carcinoma on MR mammography is correlated with findings from pathological examination. We studied 194 patients with breast cancer who underwent preoperative MR mammography. Of all malignant lesions presenting with an enhancing surrounding area on MR mammography, morphologic features including long spicules, a ductal pattern, diffuse enhancement or nodules were evaluated and compared with histopathological examination. A double breast coil was used; we performed a 3D FLASH sequence with contiguous coronal slices of 2 mm, before and after injection of 0.2 mmol/kg GD-DTPA, and subtraction images were obtained. In total, 297 malignant lesions were detected at MR mammography and 101 of them had one or more types of enhancing surrounding area. In 49 of the 53 cancers with long spicules and in 49 of the 55 cancers with surrounding ductal pattern of enhancement, pathological examination showed in situ and/or invasive carcinoma. Multiple nodules adjacent to the carcinoma were seen in 20 patients and corresponded with six cases of invasive and ten cases of ductal in situ carcinoma. A diffuse enhancing area next to a mass was seen in ten patients and consisted of carcinoma in all cases: seven in situ and three invasive carcinomas. Enhancing areas including long spicules, a ductal pattern, noduli, or diffuse enhancement surrounding a carcinoma corresponded with in situ or invasive extension of the carcinoma in 92.5, 89, 80 and 100% of cases, respectively. (orig.)

Democratizing rendering for multiple viewers in surround VR systems

KAUST Repository

Schulze, Jü rgen P.; Acevedo-Feliz, Daniel; Mangan, John; Prudhomme, Andrew; Nguyen, Phi Khanh; Weber, Philip P.

2012-01-01

We present a new approach for how multiple users' views can be rendered in a surround virtual environment without using special multi-view hardware. It is based on the idea that different parts of the screen are often viewed by different users, so that they can be rendered from their own view point, or at least from a point closer to their view point than traditionally expected. The vast majority of 3D virtual reality systems are designed for one head-tracked user, and a number of passive viewers. Only the head tracked user gets to see the correct view of the scene, everybody else sees a distorted image. We reduce this problem by algorithmically democratizing the rendering view point among all tracked users. Researchers have proposed solutions for multiple tracked users, but most of them require major changes to the display hardware of the VR system, such as additional projectors or custom VR glasses. Our approach does not require additional hardware, except the ability to track each participating user. We propose three versions of our multi-viewer algorithm. Each of them balances image distortion and frame rate in different ways, making them more or less suitable for certain application scenarios. Our most sophisticated algorithm renders each pixel from its own, optimized camera perspective, which depends on all tracked users' head positions and orientations. © 2012 IEEE.

Democratizing rendering for multiple viewers in surround VR systems

KAUST Repository

Schulze, Jürgen P.

2012-03-01

We present a new approach for how multiple users\\' views can be rendered in a surround virtual environment without using special multi-view hardware. It is based on the idea that different parts of the screen are often viewed by different users, so that they can be rendered from their own view point, or at least from a point closer to their view point than traditionally expected. The vast majority of 3D virtual reality systems are designed for one head-tracked user, and a number of passive viewers. Only the head tracked user gets to see the correct view of the scene, everybody else sees a distorted image. We reduce this problem by algorithmically democratizing the rendering view point among all tracked users. Researchers have proposed solutions for multiple tracked users, but most of them require major changes to the display hardware of the VR system, such as additional projectors or custom VR glasses. Our approach does not require additional hardware, except the ability to track each participating user. We propose three versions of our multi-viewer algorithm. Each of them balances image distortion and frame rate in different ways, making them more or less suitable for certain application scenarios. Our most sophisticated algorithm renders each pixel from its own, optimized camera perspective, which depends on all tracked users\\' head positions and orientations. © 2012 IEEE.

Protein Adaptations in Archaeal Extremophiles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher J. Reed

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Extremophiles, especially those in Archaea, have a myriad of adaptations that keep their cellular proteins stable and active under the extreme conditions in which they live. Rather than having one basic set of adaptations that works for all environments, Archaea have evolved separate protein features that are customized for each environment. We categorized the Archaea into three general groups to describe what is known about their protein adaptations: thermophilic, psychrophilic, and halophilic. Thermophilic proteins tend to have a prominent hydrophobic core and increased electrostatic interactions to maintain activity at high temperatures. Psychrophilic proteins have a reduced hydrophobic core and a less charged protein surface to maintain flexibility and activity under cold temperatures. Halophilic proteins are characterized by increased negative surface charge due to increased acidic amino acid content and peptide insertions, which compensates for the extreme ionic conditions. While acidophiles, alkaliphiles, and piezophiles are their own class of Archaea, their protein adaptations toward pH and pressure are less discernible. By understanding the protein adaptations used by archaeal extremophiles, we hope to be able to engineer and utilize proteins for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications where function in extreme conditions is required for activity.

Protein Adaptations in Archaeal Extremophiles

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Christopher J.; Lewis, Hunter; Trejo, Eric; Winston, Vern; Evilia, Caryn

2013-01-01

Extremophiles, especially those in Archaea, have a myriad of adaptations that keep their cellular proteins stable and active under the extreme conditions in which they live. Rather than having one basic set of adaptations that works for all environments, Archaea have evolved separate protein features that are customized for each environment. We categorized the Archaea into three general groups to describe what is known about their protein adaptations: thermophilic, psychrophilic, and halophilic. Thermophilic proteins tend to have a prominent hydrophobic core and increased electrostatic interactions to maintain activity at high temperatures. Psychrophilic proteins have a reduced hydrophobic core and a less charged protein surface to maintain flexibility and activity under cold temperatures. Halophilic proteins are characterized by increased negative surface charge due to increased acidic amino acid content and peptide insertions, which compensates for the extreme ionic conditions. While acidophiles, alkaliphiles, and piezophiles are their own class of Archaea, their protein adaptations toward pH and pressure are less discernible. By understanding the protein adaptations used by archaeal extremophiles, we hope to be able to engineer and utilize proteins for industrial, environmental, and biotechnological applications where function in extreme conditions is required for activity. PMID:24151449

Effectively Communicating the Uncertainties Surrounding Ebola Virus Transmission.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andy Kilianski

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The current Ebola virus outbreak has highlighted the uncertainties surrounding many aspects of Ebola virus virology, including routes of transmission. The scientific community played a leading role during the outbreak-potentially, the largest of its kind-as many of the questions surrounding ebolaviruses have only been interrogated in the laboratory. Scientists provided an invaluable resource for clinicians, public health officials, policy makers, and the lay public in understanding the progress of Ebola virus disease and the continuing outbreak. Not all of the scientific communication, however, was accurate or effective. There were multiple instances of published articles during the height of the outbreak containing potentially misleading scientific language that spurred media overreaction and potentially jeopardized preparedness and policy decisions at critical points. Here, we use articles declaring the potential for airborne transmission of Ebola virus as a case study in the inaccurate reporting of basic science, and we provide recommendations for improving the communication about unknown aspects of disease during public health crises.

Effectively Communicating the Uncertainties Surrounding Ebola Virus Transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilianski, Andy; Evans, Nicholas G

2015-10-01

The current Ebola virus outbreak has highlighted the uncertainties surrounding many aspects of Ebola virus virology, including routes of transmission. The scientific community played a leading role during the outbreak-potentially, the largest of its kind-as many of the questions surrounding ebolaviruses have only been interrogated in the laboratory. Scientists provided an invaluable resource for clinicians, public health officials, policy makers, and the lay public in understanding the progress of Ebola virus disease and the continuing outbreak. Not all of the scientific communication, however, was accurate or effective. There were multiple instances of published articles during the height of the outbreak containing potentially misleading scientific language that spurred media overreaction and potentially jeopardized preparedness and policy decisions at critical points. Here, we use articles declaring the potential for airborne transmission of Ebola virus as a case study in the inaccurate reporting of basic science, and we provide recommendations for improving the communication about unknown aspects of disease during public health crises.

Byssus Structure and Protein Composition in the Highly Invasive Fouling Mussel Limnoperna fortunei

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiguo Li

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Biofouling mediated by byssus adhesion in invasive bivalves has become a global environmental problem in aquatic ecosystems, resulting in negative ecological and economic consequences. Previous studies suggested that mechanisms responsible for byssus adhesion largely vary among bivalves, but it is poorly understood in freshwater species. Understanding of byssus structure and protein composition is the prerequisite for revealing these mechanisms. Here, we used multiple methods, including scanning electron microscope, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, transcriptome sequencing, real-time quantitative PCR, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, to investigate structure, and protein composition of byssus in the highly invasive freshwater mussel Limnoperna fortunei. The results indicated that the structure characteristics of adhesive plaque, proximal and distal threads were conducive to byssus adhesion, contributing to the high biofouling capacity of this species. The 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-α-alanine (Dopa is a major post-transnationally modification in L. fortunei byssus. We identified 16 representative foot proteins with typical repetitive motifs and conserved domains by integrating transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. In these proteins, Lfbp-1, Lffp-2, and Lfbp-3 were specially located in foot tissue and highly expressed in the rapid byssus formation period, suggesting the involvement of these foot proteins in byssus production and adhesion. Multiple metal irons, including Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Al3+, and Fe3+, were abundant in both foot tissue and byssal thread. The heavy metals in these irons may be directly accumulated by L. fortunei from surrounding environments. Nevertheless, some metal ions (e.g., Ca2+ corresponded well with amino acid preferences of L. fortunei foot proteins, suggesting functional roles of these metal ions by interacting with foot proteins in byssus adhesion. Overall, this study provides structural and

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1687

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,687th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (Oct. 22, 2008). Opportunity had driven 133 meters (436 feet) that sol, crossing sand ripples up to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. The tracks visible in the foreground are in the east-northeast direction. Opportunity's position on Sol 1687 was about 300 meters southwest of Victoria Crater. The rover was beginning a long trek toward a much larger crater, Endeavour, about 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1798

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,798th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (Feb. 13, 2009). North is on top. The rover had driven 111 meters (364 feet) southward on the preceding sol. Tracks from that drive recede northward in this view. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

Structural and binding properties of two paralogous fatty acid binding proteins of Taenia solium metacestode.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seon-Hee Kim

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Fatty acid (FA binding proteins (FABPs of helminths are implicated in acquisition and utilization of host-derived hydrophobic substances, as well as in signaling and cellular interactions. We previously demonstrated that secretory hydrophobic ligand binding proteins (HLBPs of Taenia solium metacestode (TsM, a causative agent of neurocysticercosis (NC, shuttle FAs in the surrounding host tissues and inwardly transport the FAs across the parasite syncytial membrane. However, the protein molecules responsible for the intracellular trafficking and assimilation of FAs have remained elusive. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We isolated two novel TsMFABP genes (TsMFABP1 and TsMFABP2, which encoded 133- and 136-amino acid polypeptides with predicted molecular masses of 14.3 and 14.8 kDa, respectively. They shared 45% sequence identity with each other and 15-95% with other related-members. Homology modeling demonstrated a characteristic β-barrel composed of 10 anti-parallel β-strands and two α-helices. TsMFABP2 harbored two additional loops between β-strands two and three, and β-strands six and seven, respectively. TsMFABP1 was secreted into cyst fluid and surrounding environments, whereas TsMFABP2 was intracellularly confined. Partially purified native proteins migrated to 15 kDa with different isoelectric points of 9.2 (TsMFABP1 and 8.4 (TsMFABP2. Both native and recombinant proteins bound to 11-([5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl]aminoundecannoic acid, dansyl-DL-α-amino-caprylic acid, cis-parinaric acid and retinol, which were competitively inhibited by oleic acid. TsMFABP1 exhibited high affinity toward FA analogs. TsMFABPs showed weak binding activity to retinol, but TsMFABP2 showed relatively high affinity. Isolation of two distinct genes from an individual genome strongly suggested their paralogous nature. Abundant expression of TsMFABP1 and TsMFABP2 in the canal region of worm matched well with the histological distributions

Radiation environment of proton accelerators and storage rings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stevenson, G R

1976-03-08

These lecture notes survey the physical processes that give rise to the stray-radiation environment of proton synchrotrons and storage rings, with emphasis on their importance for radiation protection. The origins of the prompt radiation field (which disappears when the accelerator is switched off) are described in some detail: proton-nucleus interactions, extranuclear cascades, muon generation and transport. The effects of induced radioactivity in the accelerator structure and surroundings, notably in iron, concrete, air, and water, are discussed, and methods for monitoring hadrons in the radiation environment outside the accelerator are listed. Seventy-six references to the literature are included.

Disease proportions attributable to environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vineis Paolo

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Population disease proportions attributable to various causal agents are popular as they present a simplified view of the contribution of each agent to the disease load. However they are only summary figures that may be easily misinterpreted or over-interpreted even when the causal link between an exposure and an effect is well established. This commentary discusses several issues surrounding the estimation of attributable proportions, particularly with reference to environmental causes of cancers, and critically examines two recently published papers. These issues encompass potential biases as well as the very definition of environment and of environmental agent. The latter aspect is not just a semantic question but carries implications for the focus of preventive actions, whether centred on the material and social environment or on single individuals.

Interactions of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles with marine bivalve hemocytes in a physiological environment: Role of soluble hemolymph proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canesi, Laura, E-mail: Laura.Canesi@unige.it [Dept. of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences – DISTAV, University of Genoa (Italy); Ciacci, Caterina [Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences – DIBS, University of Urbino (Italy); Fabbri, Rita; Balbi, Teresa [Dept. of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences – DISTAV, University of Genoa (Italy); Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca [Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research – CEBR, University of Genoa (Italy); Cortese, Katia [Department of Experimental Medicine – DIMES, University of Genoa (Italy); Caratto, Valentina [Dept. of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences – DISTAV, University of Genoa (Italy); Monopoli, Marco P. [Centre for BioNanoInteractions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin (Ireland); Department of Pharmaceutical and Medical Chemistry, Royal College of Surgeons, 123 St. Stephen Green, Dublin (Ireland); Dawson, Kenneth [Centre for BioNanoInteractions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University College Dublin (Ireland); Bergami, Elisa; Corsi, Ilaria [Dept. of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena (Italy)

2016-10-15

The bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis has proven as a suitable model invertebrate for evaluating the potential impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in the marine environment. In particular, in mussels, the immune system represents a sensitive target for different types of NPs. In environmental conditions, both NP intrinsic properties and those of the receiving medium will affect particle behavior and consequent bioavailability/uptake/toxicity. However, the evaluation of the biological effects of NPs requires additional understanding of how, once within the organism, NPs interact at the molecular level with cells in a physiological environment. In mammalian systems, different NPs associate with serum soluble components, organized into a “protein corona”, which affects particle interactions with target cells. However, no information is available so far on the interactions of NPs with biological fluids of aquatic organisms. In this work, the influence of hemolymph serum (HS) on the in vitro effects of amino modified polystyrene NPs (PS-NH{sub 2}) on Mytilus hemocytes was investigated. Hemocytes were incubated with PS-NH{sub 2} suspensions in HS (1, 5 and 50 µg/mL) and the results were compared with those obtained in ASW medium. Cell functional parameters (lysosomal membrane stability, oxyradical production, phagocytosis) were evaluated, and morphological changes were investigated by TEM. The activation state of the signalling components involved in Mytilus immune response (p38 MAPK and PKC) was determined. The results show that in the presence of HS, PS-NH{sub 2} increased cellular damage and ROS production with respect to ASW medium. The effects were apparently mediated by disregulation of p38 MAPK signalling. The formation of a PS-NH{sub 2}-protein corona in HS was investigated by centrifugation, and 1D- gel electrophoresis and nano-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results identified the Putative C1q domain containing protein (MgC1q6) as the only component of the PS-NH{sub 2} hard

Interactions of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles with marine bivalve hemocytes in a physiological environment: Role of soluble hemolymph proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canesi, Laura; Ciacci, Caterina; Fabbri, Rita; Balbi, Teresa; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Cortese, Katia; Caratto, Valentina; Monopoli, Marco P.; Dawson, Kenneth; Bergami, Elisa; Corsi, Ilaria

2016-01-01

The bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis has proven as a suitable model invertebrate for evaluating the potential impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in the marine environment. In particular, in mussels, the immune system represents a sensitive target for different types of NPs. In environmental conditions, both NP intrinsic properties and those of the receiving medium will affect particle behavior and consequent bioavailability/uptake/toxicity. However, the evaluation of the biological effects of NPs requires additional understanding of how, once within the organism, NPs interact at the molecular level with cells in a physiological environment. In mammalian systems, different NPs associate with serum soluble components, organized into a “protein corona”, which affects particle interactions with target cells. However, no information is available so far on the interactions of NPs with biological fluids of aquatic organisms. In this work, the influence of hemolymph serum (HS) on the in vitro effects of amino modified polystyrene NPs (PS-NH 2 ) on Mytilus hemocytes was investigated. Hemocytes were incubated with PS-NH 2 suspensions in HS (1, 5 and 50 µg/mL) and the results were compared with those obtained in ASW medium. Cell functional parameters (lysosomal membrane stability, oxyradical production, phagocytosis) were evaluated, and morphological changes were investigated by TEM. The activation state of the signalling components involved in Mytilus immune response (p38 MAPK and PKC) was determined. The results show that in the presence of HS, PS-NH 2 increased cellular damage and ROS production with respect to ASW medium. The effects were apparently mediated by disregulation of p38 MAPK signalling. The formation of a PS-NH 2 -protein corona in HS was investigated by centrifugation, and 1D- gel electrophoresis and nano-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results identified the Putative C1q domain containing protein (MgC1q6) as the only component of the PS-NH 2 hard protein corona in

Surrounding information consideration promotes cooperation in Prisoner’s dilemma game

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu, Gang; Du, Xia; Li, Ya

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A new method of strategy updating is proposed in the Prisoner’s dilemma game. • The stochastic players only consider their neighbor’s payoff and update strategy by classical Fermi rule. • The advanced player would consider not only the neighbor’s payoff but also the neighbors’ local surrounding information. • The simulation result illustrates that with the increase of advanced players in the network, the fraction of cooperation increases. - Abstract: Evolutionary game theory provides a useful, integrative framework for studying the evolution of cooperation. A new strategy updating method is proposed in our model. Due to people with diversified thinking, players are divided into two categories based on their different strategy updating method: ordinary players and advanced players. The former players only consider their neighbor’s payoff and updating strategy by classical Fermi rule, while the latter players take both the neighbors’ surrounding information and payoff into account. The results show that the neighbors surrounding information consideration contributes to the evolution of cooperation and finds the fraction of cooperation grows evidently with the increase of advanced players numbers. Our model may provide a pragmatic approach to the research of cooperation in social network.

Glow phenomenon surrounding the vertical stabilizer and OMS pods

Science.gov (United States)

1994-01-01

This 35mm frame, photographed as the Space Shuttle Columbia was orbiting Earth during a 'night' pass, documents the glow phenomenon surrounding the vertical stabilizer and the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pods of the spacecraft.

Traditional Indian customs surrounding birth A review | Chalmers ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Since 1960, only a few studies have been made of traditional custOIns surrounding birth in Indian culture. Very few of these have described customs followed by Indians in South Africa. A review of these publications is presented here. Customs described include religious, social and psychological aspects of behaviour in ...

Protein synthesis controls phosphate homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pontes, Mauricio H; Groisman, Eduardo A

2018-01-01

Phosphorus is an essential element assimilated largely as orthophosphate (Pi). Cells respond to Pi starvation by importing Pi from their surroundings. We now report that impaired protein synthesis alone triggers a Pi starvation response even when Pi is plentiful in the extracellular milieu. In the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium , this response entails phosphorylation of the regulatory protein PhoB and transcription of PhoB-dependent Pi transporter genes and is eliminated upon stimulation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. When protein synthesis is impaired due to low cytoplasmic magnesium (Mg 2+ ), Salmonella triggers the Pi starvation response because ribosomes are destabilized, which reduces ATP consumption and thus free cytoplasmic Pi. This response is transient because low cytoplasmic Mg 2+ promotes an uptake in Mg 2+ and a decrease in ATP levels, which stabilizes ribosomes, resulting in ATP consumption and Pi increase, thus ending the response. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of protein synthesis also elicited a Pi starvation response in the bacterium Escherichia coli and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Our findings identify a regulatory connection between protein synthesis and Pi homeostasis that is widespread in nature. © 2018 Pontes and Groisman; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Steppe of Tbilisi environs (East Georgia, South Caucasus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.J. Lachashvili

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Steppes of Tbilisi environs are studied. In the Tbilisi surroundings the steppe vegetation is either of primary or secondary origin. Steppe vegetation in the Tbilisi environs are represented by 4 formations: (1 Bothriochloeta ischaemum, (2 Festuceta valesiaci, (3 Stipeta pennatae and (4 Gramino-Mixtoherbeta. From them Bothriochloeta ischaemum and Festuceta valesiaci formations have more area covering and characterized by the comparatively rich typological composition. Typological composition of each formation is established. For each separated plant communities the basic structural characteristics (general projective coverage, sodding degree, dominant-edificatory plant, characteristic species, number of species, moss cover, litter, species richness, spectrum of life forms, distribution area in the Tbilisi environs and main physical-geographical conditions (altitude, exposure, inclination, soil type are given.

Robustness of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and W states for teleportation in external environments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu Mingliang, E-mail: mingliang0301@163.co [School of Science, Xi' an University of Posts and Telecommunications, Xi' an 710061 (China)

2011-01-31

By solving analytically a master equation in the Lindblad form, we study quantum teleportation of the one-qubit state under the influence of different surrounding environments, and compared the robustness between Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) and W states in terms of their teleportation capacity. The results revealed that when subject to zero temperature environment, the GHZ state is always more robust than the W state, while the reverse situation occurs when the channel is subject to infinite temperature or dephasing environment.

Robustness of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and W states for teleportation in external environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Mingliang

2011-01-01

By solving analytically a master equation in the Lindblad form, we study quantum teleportation of the one-qubit state under the influence of different surrounding environments, and compared the robustness between Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) and W states in terms of their teleportation capacity. The results revealed that when subject to zero temperature environment, the GHZ state is always more robust than the W state, while the reverse situation occurs when the channel is subject to infinite temperature or dephasing environment.

The physical characteristics of the sediments on and surrounding Dauphin Island, Alabama

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Alisha M.; Marot, Marci E.; Smith, Christopher G.; Wheaton, Cathryn J.

2017-06-20

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center collected 303 surface sediment samples from Dauphin Island, Alabama, and the surrounding water bodies in August 2015. These sediments were processed to determine physical characteristics such as organic content, bulk density, and grain-size. The environments where the sediments were collected include high and low salt marshes, washover deposits, dunes, beaches, sheltered bays, and open water. Sampling by the USGS was part of a larger study to assess the feasibility and sustainability of proposed restoration efforts for Dauphin Island, Alabama, and assess the island’s resilience to rising sea level and storm events. The data presented in this publication can be used by modelers to attempt validation of hindcast models and create predictive forecast models for both baseline conditions and storms. This study was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, via the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund.This report serves as an archive for sedimentological data derived from surface sediments. Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets, JPEG files, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata.

Reduced visual surround suppression in schizophrenia shown by measuring contrast detection thresholds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignacio eSerrano-Pedraza

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Visual perception in schizophrenia is attracting a broad interest given the deep knowledge that we have about the visual system in healthy population. In visual science it is known that the visibility of a grating located in the visual periphery is impaired by the presence of a surrounding grating of the same spatial frequency and orientation. Previous studies have suggested abnormal visual surround suppression in patients with schizophrenia. Given that schizophrenia patients have cortical alterations including hypofunction of NMDA receptors and reduced concentration of GABA neurotransmitter, which affect lateral inhibitory connections, then they should perform better than controls in visual suppression tasks. We tested this hypothesis by measuring contrast detection thresholds using a new stimulus configuration. We tested two groups: 21 schizophrenia patients and 24 healthy subjects. Thresholds were obtained using Bayesian staircases in a 4AFC detection task where the target was a grating within a 3 deg Butterworth window that appeared in one of four possible positions at 5 deg eccentricity. We compared three conditions, a target with no surround (NS, b target on top of a surrounding grating of 20 deg diameter and 25% contrast with same spatial frequency and orthogonal orientation (OS, and c target on top of a surrounding grating with parallel (same orientation (PS. Our results show significantly lower thresholds for controls than for patients in NS and OS conditions. We also found significant lower suppression ratios PS/NS in patients. Our results support the hypothesis that inhibitory lateral connections in early visual cortex are impaired in schizophrenia patients.

Environment quality monitoring using ARM processor

Science.gov (United States)

Vinaya, C. H.; Krishna Thanikanti, Vamsi; Ramasamy, Sudha

2017-11-01

This paper of air quality monitoring system describes a model of sensors network to continuously monitoring the environment with low cost developed model. At present time all over the world turned into a great revolution in industrial domain and on the other hand environment get polluting in a dangerous value. There are so many technologies present to reduce the polluting contents but still there is no completely reduction of that pollution. Even there are different methods to monitor the pollution content; these are much costly that not everyone can adapt those methods or devices. Now we are proposing a sensors connected network to monitor the environment continuously and displaying the pollutant gases percentage in air surroundings and can transmit the results to our mobiles by message. The advantage of this system is easy to design, establish at area to monitor, maintenance and most cost effective as well.

Molecular tweezers modulate 14-3-3 protein-protein interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Bier, David; Rose, Rolf; Bravo-Rodriguez, Kenny; Bartel, Maria; Ramirez-Anguita, Juan Manuel; Dutt, Som; Wilch, Constanze; Klärner, Frank-Gerrit; Sanchez-Garcia, Elsa; Schrader, Thomas; Ottmann, Christian

2013-03-01

Supramolecular chemistry has recently emerged as a promising way to modulate protein functions, but devising molecules that will interact with a protein in the desired manner is difficult as many competing interactions exist in a biological environment (with solvents, salts or different sites for the target biomolecule). We now show that lysine-specific molecular tweezers bind to a 14-3-3 adapter protein and modulate its interaction with partner proteins. The tweezers inhibit binding between the 14-3-3 protein and two partner proteins—a phosphorylated (C-Raf) protein and an unphosphorylated one (ExoS)—in a concentration-dependent manner. Protein crystallography shows that this effect arises from the binding of the tweezers to a single surface-exposed lysine (Lys214) of the 14-3-3 protein in the proximity of its central channel, which normally binds the partner proteins. A combination of structural analysis and computer simulations provides rules for the tweezers' binding preferences, thus allowing us to predict their influence on this type of protein-protein interactions.

Morphological Segregation in the Surroundings of Cosmic Voids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricciardelli, Elena; Tamone, Amelie [Laboratoire d’Astrophysique, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1290 Sauverny (Switzerland); Cava, Antonio [Observatoire de Genève, Université de Genève, 51 Ch. des Maillettes, 1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Varela, Jesus, E-mail: elena.ricciardelli@epfl.ch [Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA), Plaza San Juan 1, E-44001 Teruel (Spain)

2017-09-01

We explore the morphology of galaxies living in the proximity of cosmic voids, using a sample of voids identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. At all stellar masses, void galaxies exhibit morphologies of a later type than galaxies in a control sample, which represent galaxies in an average density environment. We interpret this trend as a pure environmental effect, independent of the mass bias, due to a slower galaxy build-up in the rarefied regions of voids. We confirm previous findings about a clear segregation in galaxy morphology, with galaxies of a later type being found at smaller void-centric distances with respect to the early-type galaxies. We also show, for the first time, that the radius of the void has an impact on the evolutionary history of the galaxies that live within it or in its surroundings. In fact, an enhanced fraction of late-type galaxies is found in the proximity of voids larger than the median void radius. Likewise, an excess of early-type galaxies is observed within or around voids of a smaller size. A significant difference in galaxy properties in voids of different sizes is observed up to 2 R {sub void}, which we define as the region of influence of voids. The significance of this difference is greater than 3 σ for all the volume-complete samples considered here. The fraction of star-forming galaxies shows the same behavior as the late-type galaxies, but no significant difference in stellar mass is observed in the proximity of voids of different sizes.

Nanosilver pathophysiology in earthworms: Transcriptional profiling of secretory proteins and the implication for the protein corona

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hayashi, Yuya; Miclaus, Teodora; Engelmann, Péter

2016-01-01

Previously we have identified lysenin as a key protein constituent of the secretome from Eisenia fetida coelomocytes and revealed its critical importance in priming interactions between the cells and the protein corona around nanosilver. As alterations of the protein environment can directly affe...

Review of Ordered Anarchy: Jasay and his Surroundings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aschwin de Wolf

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Anthony de Jasay is among the most important social thinkers of our time. His oeuvre offers a sustained critique of government and its defenders. In the book Ordered Anarchy: Jasay and His Surroundings, colleagues and friends pay tribute to the man in the form of an inspiring collection of essays.

Effect of material environment on a class of nuclear lifetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perlow, G.J.

1988-01-01

The connection between internal conversion of a nuclear transition and EXAFS is pointed out. A prediction is made of sizable variations of lifetimes of nuclear states depending on the surrounding material environment, provided that the transition energy is just above threshold and the internal conversion coefficient is appreciable. 12 refs., 2 figs

Differentiation in native as well as introduced ranges: germination reflects mean and variance in cover of surrounding vegetation.

Science.gov (United States)

Heger, Tina; Nikles, Gabriele; Jacobs, Brooke S

2018-02-01

Germination, a crucial phase in the life cycle of a plant, can be significantly influenced by competition and facilitation. The aim of this study was to test whether differences in cover of surrounding vegetation can lead to population differentiation in germination behaviour of an annual grassland species, and if so, whether such a differentiation can be found in the native as well as in the introduced range. We used maternal progeny of Erodium cicutarium previously propagated under uniform conditions that had been collected in multiple populations in the native and two introduced ranges, in populations representing extremes in terms of mean and variability of the cover of surrounding vegetation. In the first experiment, we tested the effect of germination temperature and mean cover at the source site on germination, and found interlinked effects of these factors. In seeds from one of the introduced ranges (California), we found indication for a 2-fold dormancy, hindering germination at high temperatures even if physical dormancy was broken and water was available. This behaviour was less strong in high cover populations, indicating cross-generational facilitating effects of dense vegetation. In the second experiment, we tested whether spatial variation in cover of surrounding vegetation has an effect on the proportion of dormant seeds. Contrary to our expectations, we found that across source regions, high variance in cover was associated with higher proportions of seeds germinating directly after storage. In all three regions, germination seemed to match the local environment in terms of climate and vegetation cover. We suggest that this is due to a combined effect of introduction of preadapted genotypes and local evolutionary processes.

14-3-3 proteins in plant physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Denison, Fiona C; Paul, Anna-Lisa; Zupanska, Agata K; Ferl, Robert J

2011-09-01

Plant 14-3-3 isoforms, like their highly conserved homologues in mammals, function by binding to phosphorylated client proteins to modulate their function. Through the regulation of a diverse range of proteins including kinases, transcription factors, structural proteins, ion channels and pathogen defense-related proteins, they are being implicated in an expanding catalogue of physiological functions in plants. 14-3-3s themselves are affected, both transcriptionally and functionally, by the extracellular and intracellular environment of the plant. They can modulate signaling pathways that transduce inputs from the environment and also the downstream proteins that elicit the physiological response. This review covers some of the key emerging roles for plant 14-3-3s including their role in the response to the plant extracellular environment, particularly environmental stress, pathogens and light conditions. We also address potential key roles in primary metabolism, hormone signaling, growth and cell division. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein Hydration Thermodynamics: The Influence of Flexibility and Salt on Hydrophobin II Hydration.

Science.gov (United States)

Remsing, Richard C; Xi, Erte; Patel, Amish J

2018-04-05

The solubility of proteins and other macromolecular solutes plays an important role in numerous biological, chemical, and medicinal processes. An important determinant of protein solubility is the solvation free energy of the protein, which quantifies the overall strength of the interactions between the protein and the aqueous solution that surrounds it. Here we present an all-atom explicit-solvent computational framework for the rapid estimation of protein solvation free energies. Using this framework, we estimate the hydration free energy of hydrophobin II, an amphiphilic fungal protein, in a computationally efficient manner. We further explore how the protein hydration free energy is influenced by enhancing flexibility and by the addition of sodium chloride, and find that it increases in both cases, making protein hydration less favorable.

Simulation of Forest Environment as a Measure to sustain Protein ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

It was observed that domestication and shade types under which of wild Vegetables were grown had effects on their nutritive values (the protein, vitamin A and C contents). Nevertheless, banana shades closely upheld vitamin C contents of L.curnuta and B. pilosa. Also, it did well to maintain protein contents in L. curnuta ...

Protein Structure and the Sequential Structure of mRNA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brunak, Søren; Engelbrecht, Jacob

1996-01-01

entries in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank produced 719 protein chains with matching mRNA sequence, amino acid sequence, and secondary structure assignment, By neural network analysis, we found strong signals in mRNA sequence regions surrounding helices and sheets, These signals do not originate from......A direct comparison of experimentally determined protein structures and their corresponding protein coding mRNA sequences has been performed, We examine whether real world data support the hypothesis that clusters of rare codons correlate with the location of structural units in the resulting...... protein, The degeneracy of the genetic code allows for a biased selection of codons which may control the translational rate of the ribosome, and may thus in vivo have a catalyzing effect on the folding of the polypeptide chain, A complete search for GenBank nucleotide sequences coding for structural...

Effect of environment on protein, mineral and fat

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

BACKGROUND: Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the most important high land pulse crops of ... on the protein, mineral and fat contents of advanced lines of faba bean genotypes grown .... proved essential in human nutrition (5). Faba bean ...

Summertime ozone formation in Xi'an and surrounding areas, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Feng

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the ozone (O3 formation in China's northwest city of Xi'an and surrounding areas is investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting atmospheric chemistry (WRF-Chem model during the period from 22 to 24 August 2013, corresponding to a heavy air pollution episode with high concentrations of O3 and PM2.5. The model generally performs well compared to measurements in simulating the surface temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction, near-surface O3 and PM2.5 mass concentrations, and aerosol constituents. High aerosol concentrations in Xi'an and surrounding areas significantly decrease the photolysis frequencies and can reduce O3 concentrations by more than 50 µg m−3 (around 25 ppb on average. Sensitivity studies show that the O3 production regime in Xi'an and surrounding areas is complicated, varying from NOx to VOC (volatile organic compound-sensitive chemistry. The industrial emissions contribute the most to the O3 concentrations compared to biogenic and other anthropogenic sources, but neither individual anthropogenic emission nor biogenic emission plays a dominant role in the O3 formation. Under high O3 and PM2.5 concentrations, a 50 % reduction in all the anthropogenic emissions only decreases near-surface O3 concentrations by about 14 % during daytime. The complicated O3 production regime and high aerosol levels pose a challenge for O3 control strategies in Xi'an and surrounding areas. Further investigation regarding O3 control strategies will need to be performed, taking into consideration the rapid changes in anthropogenic emissions that are not reflected in the current emission inventories and the uncertainties in the meteorological field simulations.

Single Molecule Spectroscopy of Fluorescent Proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blum, Christian; Subramaniam, Vinod

2009-01-01

The discovery and use of fluorescent proteins has revolutionized cellular biology. Despite the widespread use of visible fluorescent proteins as reporters and sensors in cellular environments the versatile photophysics of fluorescent proteins is still subject to intense research. Understanding the

An oxygen-rich dust disk surrounding an evolved star in the Red Rectangle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waters, LBFM; Waelkens, C; van Winckel, H; Molster, FJ; Tielens, AGGM; van Loon, JT; Morris, PW; Cami, J; Bouwman, J; de Koter, A; de Jong, T; de Graauw, T

1998-01-01

The Red Rectangle(1) is the prototype of a class of carbon-rich reflection nebulae surrounding low-mass stars in the final stages of evolution. The central star of this nebula has ejected most of its layers (during the red-giant phase), which now form the surrounding cloud, and is rapidly evolving

Effects of radiation on the chemical environment surrounding waste canisters in proposed repository sites and possible effects on the corrosion process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, R.S.

1981-12-01

This report explores the interaction of ionizing radiation with various environments. In particular, worst case (aqueous) environments for the proposed nuclear waste repository sites are considered. Emphasis is on the fundamental chemical and physical processes involved. The identities of possible radiolysis products (both transient and stable) have been sought through a literature search. The effect of radiation on corrosion processes is discussed. The radiation-induced chemical environment in the worst case repository sites is not well defined. Attention should therefore be given to fundamental studies exploring the interaction of such environments with components of the nuclear waste package, including the canister materials and backfills. Identification and quantification of radiolysis products would be helpful in this regard

Adaptation of model proteins from cold to hot environments involves continuous and small adjustments of average parameters related to amino acid composition.

Science.gov (United States)

De Vendittis, Emmanuele; Castellano, Immacolata; Cotugno, Roberta; Ruocco, Maria Rosaria; Raimo, Gennaro; Masullo, Mariorosario

2008-01-07

The growth temperature adaptation of six model proteins has been studied in 42 microorganisms belonging to eubacterial and archaeal kingdoms, covering optimum growth temperatures from 7 to 103 degrees C. The selected proteins include three elongation factors involved in translation, the enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and superoxide dismutase, the cell division protein FtsZ. The common strategy of protein adaptation from cold to hot environments implies the occurrence of small changes in the amino acid composition, without altering the overall structure of the macromolecule. These continuous adjustments were investigated through parameters related to the amino acid composition of each protein. The average value per residue of mass, volume and accessible surface area allowed an evaluation of the usage of bulky residues, whereas the average hydrophobicity reflected that of hydrophobic residues. The specific proportion of bulky and hydrophobic residues in each protein almost linearly increased with the temperature of the host microorganism. This finding agrees with the structural and functional properties exhibited by proteins in differently adapted sources, thus explaining the great compactness or the high flexibility exhibited by (hyper)thermophilic or psychrophilic proteins, respectively. Indeed, heat-adapted proteins incline toward the usage of heavier-size and more hydrophobic residues with respect to mesophiles, whereas the cold-adapted macromolecules show the opposite behavior with a certain preference for smaller-size and less hydrophobic residues. An investigation on the different increase of bulky residues along with the growth temperature observed in the six model proteins suggests the relevance of the possible different role and/or structure organization played by protein domains. The significance of the linear correlations between growth temperature and parameters related to the amino acid composition improved when the analysis was

Educational Online Technologies in Blended Tertiary Environments: A Review of Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Tuapawa, Kimberley N.

2013-01-01

This is a review of the literature surrounding five popular media-rich educational online technologies (EOTs) currently being used by educationalists to support blended learning within tertiary environments. This review considers the following EOTs: 1) connective media, 2) interactive gaming, 3) virtual worlds, 4) web conferencing and 5) learning…

Evolution of the Business Environment Surrounding the UK's Nuclear Site Cleanup Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miskimin, P.A.; Lees, P.M.; Wall, C.E.E.

2006-01-01

In April 2005 twenty civil nuclear sites in the United Kingdom became the responsibility of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a new organization created by the British Government to manage the cleanup of these sites. As a key part of this transition, the NDA became the owner and manager of these sites, which formerly were owned by the site operators, British Nuclear Fuels Limited plc (BNFL) and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). This was one of the most significant events in the history of the United Kingdom's nuclear industry and represented a true sea change, affecting many aspects of life and business on and around these sites as well as nationally. The NDA's budget for the cleanup of the twenty sites and the management of the overall cleanup program is approximately pounds 2 Billion per annum, almost $4 Billion. It is important to note that approximately half of this amount is spent with the supply chains which serve the management and operations contractors, including pounds 500 million at Sellafield alone. Additionally, the site management and operations contractors receive most of the pounds 2 Billion through contracts between the NDA and the various site management companies. This represents a lot of government money moving through contracts between entities, which invokes procurement and contracting rules and regulations, that while not new, have not previously been this broadly applied to nuclear site cleanup activities throughout the UK. The current estimate for the total life cycle cleanup costs for all twenty civil nuclear sites is pounds 56 Billion, a figure that is likely to increase further. The first rules to mention are the European Union Procurement Guidelines, which are designed to help ensure that procurements involving government funds are conducted in an open, fair, and transparent environment. While it is difficult to argue with the intent of these rules, at least for now they are having a slowing down effect on

Numerical Simulation on Zonal Disintegration in Deep Surrounding Rock Mass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuguang Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Zonal disintegration have been discovered in many underground tunnels with the increasing of embedded depth. The formation mechanism of such phenomenon is difficult to explain under the framework of traditional rock mechanics, and the fractured shape and forming conditions are unclear. The numerical simulation was carried out to research the generating condition and forming process of zonal disintegration. Via comparing the results with the geomechanical model test, the zonal disintegration phenomenon was confirmed and its mechanism is revealed. It is found to be the result of circular fracture which develops within surrounding rock mass under the high geostress. The fractured shape of zonal disintegration was determined, and the radii of the fractured zones were found to fulfill the relationship of geometric progression. The numerical results were in accordance with the model test findings. The mechanism of the zonal disintegration was revealed by theoretical analysis based on fracture mechanics. The fractured zones are reportedly circular and concentric to the cavern. Each fracture zone ruptured at the elastic-plastic boundary of the surrounding rocks and then coalesced into the circular form. The geometric progression ratio was found to be related to the mechanical parameters and the ground stress of the surrounding rocks.

Numerical simulation on zonal disintegration in deep surrounding rock mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xuguang; Wang, Yuan; Mei, Yu; Zhang, Xin

2014-01-01

Zonal disintegration have been discovered in many underground tunnels with the increasing of embedded depth. The formation mechanism of such phenomenon is difficult to explain under the framework of traditional rock mechanics, and the fractured shape and forming conditions are unclear. The numerical simulation was carried out to research the generating condition and forming process of zonal disintegration. Via comparing the results with the geomechanical model test, the zonal disintegration phenomenon was confirmed and its mechanism is revealed. It is found to be the result of circular fracture which develops within surrounding rock mass under the high geostress. The fractured shape of zonal disintegration was determined, and the radii of the fractured zones were found to fulfill the relationship of geometric progression. The numerical results were in accordance with the model test findings. The mechanism of the zonal disintegration was revealed by theoretical analysis based on fracture mechanics. The fractured zones are reportedly circular and concentric to the cavern. Each fracture zone ruptured at the elastic-plastic boundary of the surrounding rocks and then coalesced into the circular form. The geometric progression ratio was found to be related to the mechanical parameters and the ground stress of the surrounding rocks.

Tissue reaction surrounding miniscrews for orthodontic anchorage: An animal experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Shih-Hsuan Chen

2012-03-01

Results and conclusions: (1 Tissue surrounding roots damaged by a miniscrew showed a significant inflammatory response. (2 Root resorption was occasionally observed after 3 weeks following insertion of a miniscrew even if the miniscrew was not in direct contact with the root. (3 Root repair was noted with a cementoblast lining along the resorption surface at as early as 3 weeks after miniscrew insertion. Alveolar bone filled in the lesion when the root damage was large so that the contour of the alveolar bone followed that of the damaged root, with the width of the periodontal ligament space being maintained. (4 Stable miniscrews were mainly those which did not contact adjacent roots, and for which the surrounding tissue showed only a small inflammatory response with some extent of direct bone contact around the miniscrew. On the contrary, most of the failed miniscrews were those which had direct contact with adjacent roots, and which exhibited severe tissue inflammation and were covered by thick layers of soft tissue. Failure was detected 3 weeks after insertion. Surprisingly, the epithelial lining surrounding the miniscrews might not have spontaneously resolved 6 weeks after screw removal. Persistent infection in the sinus tract was noted, and this would require attention.

Protein-Carbohydrate Interaction between Sperm and the Egg-Coating Envelope and Its Regulation by Dicalcin, a Xenopus laevis Zona Pellucida Protein-Associated Protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naofumi Miwa

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Protein-carbohydrate interaction regulates multiple important processes during fertilization, an essential biological event where individual gametes undergo intercellular recognition to fuse and generate a zygote. In the mammalian female reproductive tract, sperm temporarily adhere to the oviductal epithelium via the complementary interaction between carbohydrate-binding proteins on the sperm membrane and carbohydrates on the oviductal cells. After detachment from the oviductal epithelium at the appropriate time point following ovulation, sperm migrate and occasionally bind to the extracellular matrix, called the zona pellucida (ZP, which surrounds the egg, thereafter undergoing the exocytotic acrosomal reaction to penetrate the envelope and to reach the egg plasma membrane. This sperm-ZP interaction also involves the direct interaction between sperm carbohydrate-binding proteins and carbohydrates within the ZP, most of which have been conserved across divergent species from mammals to amphibians and echinoderms. This review focuses on the carbohydrate-mediated interaction of sperm with the female reproductive tract, mainly the interaction between sperm and the ZP, and introduces the fertilization-suppressive action of dicalcin, a Xenopus laevis ZP protein-associated protein. The action of dicalcin correlates significantly with a dicalcin-dependent change in the lectin-staining pattern within the ZP, suggesting a unique role of dicalcin as an inherent protein that is capable of regulating the affinity between the lectin and oligosaccharides attached on its target glycoprotein.

Evaluating the effect of the space surrounding the condenser of a household refrigerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bassiouny, Ramadan [Dept. of Mech. Power Eng. and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia 61111 (Egypt)

2009-11-15

The paper presents an analytical and computational modeling of the effect of the space surrounding the condenser of a household refrigerator on the rejected heat. The driving force for rejecting the heat carried by the refrigerant from the interior of a refrigerator is the temperature difference between the condenser outer surface and surrounding air. The variation of this difference, because of having an insufficient space, increasing the room air temperature, or blocking this space, is of interest to quantify its effect The results showed that having an enough surrounding space width (s > 200 mm) leads to a decrease in the temperature of the air flowing vertically around the condenser coil. Accordingly, this would significantly increase the amount of heat rejected. Moreover, blocking this space retards the buoyant flow up the condenser surface, and hence increases the air temperature around the condenser. This would also decrease the heat rejected from the condenser. Predicted temperature contours are displayed to visualize the air plumes' variation surrounding the condenser in all cases. (author)

Deciphering the fluorescence resonance energy transfer from denatured transport protein to anthracene 1,5 disulphonate in reverse micellar environment

Science.gov (United States)

Singharoy, Dipti; Bhattacharya, Subhash Chandra

2017-12-01

Constrained environmental effect inside AOT reverse micellar media has been employed in this work to collect the information about energy transfer efficacy between sodium salt of anthracene 1,5 disulphonate (1,5-AS) with model transport proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and human serum albumin (HSA). Steady state, time-resolved fluorescence and circular dichroism techniques have been used for this purpose and corresponding Fӧrster-type resonance energy transfer (FRET) from tryptophan residues to 1,5-AS indicates that 1,5-AS binds in the vicinity of the tryptophan residue (BSA and HSA) with equal strength. Indication of protein damage from fluorescence data and its confirmation has been measured from CD measurement. Molecular modeling study hereby plays a crucial role to predict the minimum energy docked conformation of the probe inside the protein environment. From the docked conformation the distance between 1,5-AS and tryptophan moiety of BSA/HSA has successfully explained the FRET possibility between them. A comparative modeling study between BSA and HSA with 1,5-AS assigning their binding site within specific amino acids plays a crucial role in support of the FRET study.

Evaluation of the impact of general phosphate fertilizers factories company on the surrounding environment by determining natural radionuclides and some trace elements in air particulates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Masri, M. S.; Al-Kharfan, K.; Al-Hamwi, A.; Al-Shamali, K.

2004-01-01

Natural radionuclides and some trace element levels in air particulates of the areas surrounding the phosphate fertilizers factory in Homs have been determined Mean total air particulates concentration ranged from 31 μg/m3 in Kerba Al-Teen in Autumn period. While trace element concentrations in air particulates were relatively high in air particulates collected from AECS center and other sites situated north east of the factory; about 1.7 ng/m3 in AECS site and 1.7 ng/m3 in Abel for uranium and cadmium, respectively. In addition, radioactivity analysis of air particulates has shown low levels of polonium 210 and lead 210; a value of 2 mBq/m3 in Kerba Al-Teen has not been exceeded. However, air particulate, natural radionuclides and the studied trace elements concentrations in the surrounding areas were within the natural levels. Therefore, air emissions from the factory containing radioactive materials and trace elements are relatively low. This is due to strict control procedures on transport and loading processes of phosphate in addition to the high efficiency of filters used for air emissions from the phosphate fertilizers factory during the study period (2002). (author)

Evaluation of the impact of general phosphate fertilizers factories company on the surrounding environment by determining natural radionuclides and some trace elements in air particulates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Masri, M. S.; Al-Kharfan, K.; Al-Hamwi, A.; Al-Shmali, K.; Abdul Haleem, M.

2003-12-01

Natural radionuclides and some trace element levels in air particulates of the areas surrounding the phosphate fertilizers factory in Homs have been determined mean total air particulates concentration ranged from 31μg/m 3 in Kerba Al-Teen in autumn period. While trace element concentrations in air particulates were relatively high in air particulates collected from AECS center and other sites situated north east of the factory: about 1.7 ng/m 3 in AECS site and 1.7 ng/m 3 in Abel for uranium and cadmium, respectively. In addition, radioactivity analysis of air particulates have shown low levels of polonium 210 and lead 210, a value of 2 mBg/m 3 in Kerba Al-Teen has not been exceeded. However, air particulate, natural radionuclides and the studied trace elements concentrations in the surrounding areas were within the natural levels. Therefore, air emissions from the factory containing radioactive materials and trace elements are relatively low. This is due to strict control procedures on transport and loading processes of phosphate in addition to the high efficiency of filters used for air emissions from the phosphate fertilizers factory during the study period (2002).(author)

MANAGE INTERESTED PARTIES IN PROJECT ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BILOKON A. I.

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The success or failure of the project often depends on factors which related to the environment, surrounded by the project and which are outside of the direct control of the project manager. The concept of the project environment, the processes of environmental analysis of the project and the ways in which managers can identify potential problems and develop a plan of action to ensure the success of the project. The management strategy the main factors of the environment includes both organizational forms and measures which aimed at the development process. For alignment of the organizational forms of communication manager must have a clear idea: what kind of interested persons and their actions (functions need to monitor, and in what form to maintain communication (bilateral relations of interdependence. This information is key to the further construction of the formal organization that supports interaction, the definition of its functions, competencies, allocation of roles, areas of responsibility, instructions, forms and methods of work. Purpose. Summarize, analyze and form an idea of the potential of existing approaches to the management of the project environment. Object of study. Management processes of the persons, who interested in the project environment. Subject of study. Methods and tools for the project management environment.

Graphene as a protein crystal mounting material to reduce background scatter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wierman, Jennifer L; Alden, Jonathan S; Kim, Chae Un; McEuen, Paul L; Gruner, Sol M

2013-10-01

The overall signal-to-noise ratio per unit dose for X-ray diffraction data from protein crystals can be improved by reducing the mass and density of all material surrounding the crystals. This article demonstrates a path towards the practical ultimate in background reduction by use of atomically thin graphene sheets as a crystal mounting platform for protein crystals. The results show the potential for graphene in protein crystallography and other cases where X-ray scatter from the mounting material must be reduced and specimen dehydration prevented, such as in coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of microscopic objects.

[Elderly human being with ostomy and environments of care: reflection on the perspective of complexity].

Science.gov (United States)

Barros, Edaiane Joana Lima; Santos, Silvana Sidney Costa; Lunardi, Valéria Lerch; Lunardi Filho, Wilson Danilo

2012-01-01

This is discussion about the relationship between elderly human beings with ostomy and their environments care, under the perspective of Complexity Edgar Morin. An axis holds the reflection: environments of care for elderly humans with ostomy. In this sense, we present three types of environment that surround the context of elderly humans with ostomy: home environment, group environment and hospital environment. This brings, as a social contribution, a new look about resizing caring of elderly humans with ostomy in their environment. It is considered that the environment hosting this human being contains a diversity of feelings, emotions, experiences; it binds multiple meanings, from the Complexity perspective, about the relationship between the environment and the caring process.

VESUVIUS PENTALOGUE: Interdisciplinary Science for Disaster Resilience and Sustainability of Populations Surrounding Vesuvius

Science.gov (United States)

Dobran, F.

2015-12-01

VESUVIUS PENTALOGUE is an elaboration of VESUVIUS 2000 scientific initiative aimed at volcanic risk reduction in the Vesuvius area. Its 5 building blocks are: (1) The current strategy of volcanic risk management (massive deportation of population) is both problematic and unacceptable. (2) A continuing close habitation of the population with the volcano should be the crucial cultural point to be pursued. This can be accomplished through a redefinition of the danger zone around Summa-Vesuvius as follows: (a) An exclusion nucleus should be established that prohibits all future human settlements and discourage the existing ones; (b) A resilience belt, housing most of the current population, should be established; (c) A sustainable area should be established beyond the resilience belt, allowing for both sustainable practices and temporary resettlements of the "resilience belt" citizens. (3) The built environment construction codes for the population of the danger zone should be established by utilizing Plinian eruption scenarios, scenario-based seismic hazard assessment and zonation, (c) dynamic structural analyses, (d) global volcanic simulations modeling of thermo-fluid dynamic eruption processes. (4) The volcanic risk information and education should involve an effective volcanic risk information campaign and active public preparedness strategy. This should be implemented for the exclusion nucleus, resilience belt, and sustainable area regions surrounding Summa-Vesuvius. A Volcanic Risk Education Safety Program should be implemented in all schools located within each of the above areas surrounding the volcano. (5)The political Authorities and the scientific community should produce a "memorandum of understanding" that univocally establishes an effective collaboration, and periodic progress reports that keep the populations informed on the improvements leading to the realization of the above objectives. For further details see www.gvess.org.

An aerial radiological survey of the Savannah River Site and surrounding area, Aiken, South Carolina, October--November 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojtech, R.J.

1993-12-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted during the period of October 14 to November 23, 1991, over an area surrounding the United States Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS). The area is situated 15 kilometers south of Aiken, South Carolina. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the gamma ray environment of the SRS and surrounding areas. Contour maps showing gamma radiation exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level were constructed from the aerial data and overlaid on a United States Geological Survey map of the area. The exposure rates measured within the survey region are generally uniform and typical of natural background. The reported exposure rate values include an estimated cosmic ray contribution. Enhanced exposure rates not attributable to natural background were measured over several areas within the survey region. The manmade radionuclides detected in these areas, cesium-137, cobalt-60, and protactinium-234m, were produced by the reactor operations and material processing conducted at the SRS. The radiation levels produced by these nuclides are consistent with those levels measured during previous SRS aerial surveys. Radionuclide assays of soil samples and pressurized ion chamber measurements were obtained at four locations within the survey boundaries

Theoretical analysis of geometry and NMR isotope shift in hydrogen-bonding center of photoactive yellow protein by combination of multicomponent quantum mechanics and ONIOM scheme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanematsu, Yusuke; Tachikawa, Masanori [Quantum Chemistry Division, Yokohama City University, Seto 22-2, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0027 (Japan)

2014-11-14

Multicomponent quantum mechanical (MC-QM) calculation has been extended with ONIOM (our own N-layered integrated molecular orbital + molecular mechanics) scheme [ONIOM(MC-QM:MM)] to take account of both the nuclear quantum effect and the surrounding environment effect. The authors have demonstrated the first implementation and application of ONIOM(MC-QM:MM) method for the analysis of the geometry and the isotope shift in hydrogen-bonding center of photoactive yellow protein. ONIOM(MC-QM:MM) calculation for a model with deprotonated Arg52 reproduced the elongation of O–H bond of Glu46 observed by neutron diffraction crystallography. Among the unique isotope shifts in different conditions, the model with protonated Arg52 with solvent effect reasonably provided the best agreement with the corresponding experimental values from liquid NMR measurement. Our results implied the availability of ONIOM(MC-QM:MM) to distinguish the local environment around hydrogen bonds in a biomolecule.

The radiation environment of proton accelerators and storage rings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevenson, G.R.

1976-01-01

These lecture notes survey the physical processes that give rise to the stray-radiation environment of proton synchrotrons and storage rings, with emphasis on their importance for radiation protection. The origins of the prompt radiation field (which disappears when the accelerator is switched off) are described in some detail: proton-nucleus interactions, extranuclear cascades, muon generation and transport. The effects of induced radioactivity in the accelerator structure and surroundings, notably in iron, concrete, air, and water, are discussed and methods for monitoring hadrons in the radiation environment outside the accelerator are listed. Seventy-six references to the literature are included. (Author)

Impact of nuclear power station on environment and population

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhide, M.G.

1991-01-01

Thermal pollution due to dumping of waste heat in the environment is the direct effect of the fossil-fuel power plants as well as of the nuclear power plants. The indirect effect is the industrial pollution caused by the growth of industries in the surrounding areas. Fossil-fuel power plants cause environmental pollution due to emission of smoke, oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and carbon dioxide which cause greenhouse effect. Radioactivity generated in nuclear power plants is strictly contained, however in case of accidents it gets released to the environment. (R.G.). 3 refs., 1 appendix

Investigation of local environment around rare earths (La and Eu) by fluorescence line narrowing during borosilicate glass alteration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molières, Estelle [CEA – DEN-DTCD-LCV-SECM Laboratoire d' études du Comportement à Long Terme, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Panczer, Gérard; Guyot, Yannick [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Jollivet, Patrick [CEA – DEN-DTCD-LCV-SECM Laboratoire d' études du Comportement à Long Terme, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Majérus, Odile; Aschehoug, Patrick; Barboux, Philippe [Laboratoire de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR-CNRS 7574, École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris (ENSCP Chimie-ParisTech), 11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75231 Paris (France); Gin, Stéphane [CEA – DEN-DTCD-LCV-SECM Laboratoire d' études du Comportement à Long Terme, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France); Angeli, Frédéric, E-mail: frederic.angeli@cea.fr [CEA – DEN-DTCD-LCV-SECM Laboratoire d' études du Comportement à Long Terme, 30207 Bagnols-sur-Cèze (France)

2014-01-15

The local environment of europium in soda-lime borosilicate glasses with a range of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} content was probed by continuous luminescence and Fluorescence Line Narrowing (FLN) to investigate the local environment of rare earth elements in pristine and leached glass. After aqueous leaching at 90 °C at pH 7 and 9.5, rare earths were fully retained and homogeneously distributed in the amorphous alteration layer (commonly called gel). Two separate silicate environments were observed in pristine and leached glasses regardless of the lanthanum content and the leaching conditions. A borate environment surrounding europium was not observed in pristine and leached glasses. During glass alteration, OH groups were located around the europium environment, which became more organized (higher symmetry) in the first coordination shell. -- Highlights: • No borate environment surrounding europium was detected in pristine borosilicate glasses. • Up to 12 mol% of REE2O3 in glass, local environment of europium does not significantly change. • Europium environment becomes more ordered and symmetric in gels than in pristine glasses. • Two distinct silicate sites were observed, as well in pristine glass as in gels (leached glasses). • In altered glasses, OH groups were located around europium.

Investigation of local environment around rare earths (La and Eu) by fluorescence line narrowing during borosilicate glass alteration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molières, Estelle; Panczer, Gérard; Guyot, Yannick; Jollivet, Patrick; Majérus, Odile; Aschehoug, Patrick; Barboux, Philippe; Gin, Stéphane; Angeli, Frédéric

2014-01-01

The local environment of europium in soda-lime borosilicate glasses with a range of La 2 O 3 content was probed by continuous luminescence and Fluorescence Line Narrowing (FLN) to investigate the local environment of rare earth elements in pristine and leached glass. After aqueous leaching at 90 °C at pH 7 and 9.5, rare earths were fully retained and homogeneously distributed in the amorphous alteration layer (commonly called gel). Two separate silicate environments were observed in pristine and leached glasses regardless of the lanthanum content and the leaching conditions. A borate environment surrounding europium was not observed in pristine and leached glasses. During glass alteration, OH groups were located around the europium environment, which became more organized (higher symmetry) in the first coordination shell. -- Highlights: • No borate environment surrounding europium was detected in pristine borosilicate glasses. • Up to 12 mol% of REE2O3 in glass, local environment of europium does not significantly change. • Europium environment becomes more ordered and symmetric in gels than in pristine glasses. • Two distinct silicate sites were observed, as well in pristine glass as in gels (leached glasses). • In altered glasses, OH groups were located around europium

Energy buildup factor for ICRU 33 sphere surrounded by an air layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochiana, G.; Oncescu, M.

1994-01-01

The buildup factor due to the air surrounding an ICRU 33 sphere is a desirable quantity in the assessment of the air kerma rate for external exposure to gamma emitters distributed on the ground. A Monte Carlo algorithm has been developed to perform the photon transport calculation within the air layer around the sphere. The energy buildup factor due to the air layer has been calculated for an extended radioactive source - the contaminated ground. The transport of photons within the air layer surrounding a sphere -ICRU 33 phantom - is done by calculating separately the energies deposited by photons into the sphere when this one is in vacuum and when it is surrounded by the air, respectively. The results are given for an air layer of 100 m thickness and photon energy between 0.01 and 3.0 MeV. (Author) 1 Fig., 1 Tab., 9 Refs

Comparative metagenomic analysis of the microbial communities in the surroundings of Iheya north and Iheya ridge hydrothermal fields reveals insights into the survival strategy of microorganisms in deep-sea environments

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hai-liang; Sun, Li

2018-04-01

In this study, metagenomic analysis was performed to investigate the taxonomic compositions and metabolic profiles of the microbial communities inhabiting the sediments in the surroundings of Iheya North and Iheya Ridge hydrothermal fields. The microbial communities in four different samples were found to be dominated by bacteria and, to a much lesser extent, archaea belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Nitrospirae, which play important roles in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. All four microbial communities (i) contained chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs, the former probably fixed CO2 via various carbon fixation pathways, and the latter may degrade organic matters using nitrate and sulfate as electron acceptors, (ii) exhibited an abundance of DNA repair genes and bacterial sulfur oxidation mediated by reverse sulfate reduction, and (iii) harbored bacteria and archaea involved in anaerobic methane oxidation via intra-aerobic denitrification and reverse methanogenesis, which were found for the first time in hydrothermal areas. Furthermore, genes involved in DNA repair, reductive acetyl-CoA pathway, and ammonia metabolism were possibly affected by distance to the vent fields. These findings facilitate our understanding of the strategies of the microbial communities to adapt to the environments in deep sea areas associated with hydrothermal vents.

Border control: selectivity of chloroplast protein import and regulation at the TOC-complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Demarsy, Emilie; Lakshmanan, Ashok M; Kessler, Felix

2014-01-01

Plants have evolved complex and sophisticated molecular mechanisms to regulate their development and adapt to their surrounding environment. Particularly the development of their specific organelles, chloroplasts and other plastid-types, is finely tuned in accordance with the metabolic needs of the cell. The normal development and functioning of plastids require import of particular subsets of nuclear encoded proteins. Most preproteins contain a cleavable sequence at their N terminal (transit peptide) serving as a signal for targeting to the organelle and recognition by the translocation machinery TOC-TIC (translocon of outer membrane complex-translocon of inner membrane complex) spanning the dual membrane envelope. The plastid proteome needs constant remodeling in response to developmental and environmental factors. Therefore selective regulation of preprotein import plays a crucial role in plant development. In this review we describe the diversity of transit peptides and TOC receptor complexes, and summarize the current knowledge and potential directions for future research concerning regulation of the different Toc isoforms.

The influence of the surrounding gas on drop impact onto a wet substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, Robert; Zhang, Li; Toole, Jameson

2011-11-01

The impact of a droplet with a wet or solid substrate creates a spray of secondary droplets. The effect of the surrounding gas on this process was widely neglected prior to the work of Xu, Zhang, & Nagel which showed that lowering the gas pressure suppresses splashing for impact with a dry solid substrate. Here we present the results of our experimental investigation of the effect of the surrounding gas on the evolution of splashes from a wet substrate. We varied the density and pressure of the surrounding gas. We find quantitative changes to the onset thresholds of splashing and on the size distribution of, but no qualitative changes. The effects are most pronounced on the evolution of the ejecta sheet.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1818 (Vertical)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,818th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 5, 2009). South is at the center; north at both ends. This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. North is at the top. The rover had driven 80.3 meters (263 feet) southward earlier on that sol. Tracks from the drive recede northward in this view. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1818 (Polar)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,818th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 5, 2009). South is at the center; north at both ends. This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction. North is at the top. The rover had driven 80.3 meters (263 feet) southward earlier on that sol. Tracks from the drive recede northward in this view. The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.

Distribution of syndecan-1 protein in developing mouse teeth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna eFilatova

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Syndecan-1 is a cell surface proteoglycan involved in the regulation of various biological processes such as proliferation, migration, condensation and differentiation of cells, intercellular communication and morphogenesis. The extracellular domain of syndecan-1 can bind to extracellular matrix components and signalling molecules, while its intracellular domain interacts with cytoskeletal proteins, thus allowing the transfer of information about extracellular environment changes into the cell that consequently affect cellular behaviour. Although previous studies have shown syndecan-1 expression during precise stages of tooth development, there is no equivalent study regrouping the expression patterns of syndecan-1 during all stages of odontogenesis. Here we examined the distribution of syndecan-1 protein in embryonic and postnatal developing mouse molars and incisors. Syndecan-1 distribution in mesenchymal tissues such as dental papilla and dental follicle was correlated with proliferating events and its expression was often linked to stem cell niche territories. Syndecan-1 was also expressed in mesenchymal cells that will differentiate into the dentin producing odontoblasts, but not in differentiated functional odontoblasts. In the epithelium, syndecan-1 was detected in all cell layers, by the exception of differentiated ameloblasts that form the enamel. Furthermore, syndecan-1 was expressed in osteoblast precursors and osteoclasts of the alveolar bone that surrounds the developing tooth germs. Taken together these results show the dynamic nature of syndecan-1 expression during odontogenesis and suggest its implication in various processes of tooth development and homeostasis.

Beyond the Protein Matrix : Probing Cofactor Variants in a Baeyer-Villiger Oxygenation Reaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martinoli, Christian; Dudek, Hanna M.; Orru, Roberto; Edmondson, Dale E.; Fraaije, Marco W.; Mattevi, Andrea

2013-01-01

A general question in biochemistry is the interplay between the chemical properties of cofactors and the surrounding protein matrix. Here, the functions of NADP(+) and FAD are explored by investigation of a representative monooxygenase reconstituted with chemically modified cofactor analogues. Like

Synergistic interaction of CLAVATA1, CLAVATA2, and RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE 2 in cyst nematode parasitism of Arabidopsis

Science.gov (United States)

Plant-parasitic cyst nematodes secrete CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION (ESR) (CLE)-like effector proteins. These proteins act as ligand mimics of plant CLE peptides and are required for successful nematode infection. Previously, we showed that CLV2 and CORYNE (CRN), a heterodimer recept...

Diversity of T cell epitopes in Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein likely due to protein-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nagesh R Aragam

Full Text Available Circumsporozoite protein (CS is a leading vaccine antigen for falciparum malaria, but is highly polymorphic in natural parasite populations. The factors driving this diversity are unclear, but non-random assortment of the T cell epitopes TH2 and TH3 has been observed in a Kenyan parasite population. The recent publication of the crystal structure of the variable C terminal region of the protein allows the assessment of the impact of diversity on protein structure and T cell epitope assortment. Using data from the Gambia (55 isolates and Malawi (235 isolates, we evaluated the patterns of diversity within and between epitopes in these two distantly-separated populations. Only non-synonymous mutations were observed with the vast majority in both populations at similar frequencies suggesting strong selection on this region. A non-random pattern of T cell epitope assortment was seen in Malawi and in the Gambia, but structural analysis indicates no intramolecular spatial interactions. Using the information from these parasite populations, structural analysis reveals that polymorphic amino acids within TH2 and TH3 colocalize to one side of the protein, surround, but do not involve, the hydrophobic pocket in CS, and predominately involve charge switches. In addition, free energy analysis suggests residues forming and behind the novel pocket within CS are tightly constrained and well conserved in all alleles. In addition, free energy analysis shows polymorphic residues tend to be populated by energetically unfavorable amino acids. In combination, these findings suggest the diversity of T cell epitopes in CS may be primarily an evolutionary response to intermolecular interactions at the surface of the protein potentially counteracting antibody-mediated immune recognition or evolving host receptor diversity.

Can infrared spectroscopy provide information on protein-protein interactions?

Science.gov (United States)

Haris, Parvez I

2010-08-01

For most biophysical techniques, characterization of protein-protein interactions is challenging; this is especially true with methods that rely on a physical phenomenon that is common to both of the interacting proteins. Thus, for example, in IR spectroscopy, the carbonyl vibration (1600-1700 cm(-1)) associated with the amide bonds from both of the interacting proteins will overlap extensively, making the interpretation of spectral changes very complicated. Isotope-edited infrared spectroscopy, where one of the interacting proteins is uniformly labelled with (13)C or (13)C,(15)N has been introduced as a solution to this problem, enabling the study of protein-protein interactions using IR spectroscopy. The large shift of the amide I band (approx. 45 cm(-1) towards lower frequency) upon (13)C labelling of one of the proteins reveals the amide I band of the unlabelled protein, enabling it to be used as a probe for monitoring conformational changes. With site-specific isotopic labelling, structural resolution at the level of individual amino acid residues can be achieved. Furthermore, the ability to record IR spectra of proteins in diverse environments means that isotope-edited IR spectroscopy can be used to structurally characterize difficult systems such as protein-protein complexes bound to membranes or large insoluble peptide/protein aggregates. In the present article, examples of application of isotope-edited IR spectroscopy for studying protein-protein interactions are provided.

Education for Knowledge Society: Learning and Scientific Innovation Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander O. Karpov

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Cognitive-active learning research-type environment is the fundamental component of the education system for the knowledge society. The purpose of the research is the development of conceptual bases and a constructional model of a cognitively active learning environment that stimulates the creation of new knowledge and its socio-economic application. Research methods include epistemic-didactic analysis of empirical material collected as a result of the study of research environments at schools and universities; conceptualization and theoretical modeling of the cognitively active surrounding, which provides an infrastructure of the research-type cognitive process. The empirical material summarized in this work was collected in the research-cognitive space of the “Step into the Future” program, which is one of the most powerful systems of research education in present-day Russia. The article presents key points of the author's concept of generative learning environments and a model of learning and scientific innovation environment implemented at Russian schools and universities.

Impacts of bottom and suspended cultures of mussels Mytilus spp. on the surrounding sedimentary environment and macrobenthic biodiversity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ysebaert, T.; Hart, M.; Herman, P.M.J.

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of bottom and suspended mussel cultures, cultured in different physical environments, on the sedimentary environmental conditions and thereby the biodiversity structure of the associated macrofaunal community. We compared two bottom cultures

Physical geography of the Nete basin and surroundings; Fysische geografie van het Netebekken en omgeving

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beerten, K.

2011-05-15

The report briefly describes the main features of the physical geography of the Nete basin (Campine region, Belgium) and its immediate surroundings. First, an integrated overview of the topography, morphology and hydrography is given. This overview serves as the basis for the assessment of the morphological stability of the region and also explains the relationship between the topography and the hydrology. Furthermore, special attention is paid to soil science including a quantitative survey of some soil characteristics data. Another part of this report deals with erosion processes caused by water and wind action, and the (potential) impact on the morphology. Finally, the palaeogeographical evolution during the Quaternary is discussed. This evolution shows that the environment is stable over 10 000 years or more in the current and similar climatic conditions. Altering climatic conditions, notably glacial-interglacial periods, have impacted erosion with periods of strong erosion.

The big picture: effects of surround on immersion and size perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Baranowski, Andreas M; Hecht, Heiko

2014-01-01

Despite the fear of the entertainment industry that illegal downloads of films might ruin their business, going to the movies continues to be a popular leisure activity. One reason why people prefer to watch movies in cinemas may be the surround of the movie screen or its physically huge size. To disentangle the factors that might contribute to the size impression, we tested several measures of subjective size and immersion in different viewing environments. For this purpose we built a model cinema that provided visual angle information comparable with that of a real cinema. Subjects watched identical movie clips in a real cinema, a model cinema, and on a display monitor in isolation. Whereas the isolated display monitor was inferior, the addition of a contextual model improved the viewing immersion to the extent that it was comparable with the movie theater experience, provided the viewing angle remained the same. In a further study we built an identical but even smaller model cinema to unconfound visual angle and viewing distance. Both model cinemas produced similar results. There was a trend for the larger screen to be more immersive; however, viewing angle did not play a role in how the movie was evaluated.

Caving thickness effects of surrounding rocks macro stress shell evolving characteristics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XIE Guang-xiang; YANG Ke

2009-01-01

In order to explore the influence of different caving thicknesses on the MSS dis-tribution and evolving characteristics of surrounding rocks in unsymmetrical disposal and fully mechanized top-coal caving (FMTC), based on unsymmetrical disposal characteris-tics, the analyses of numerical simulation, material simulation and in-situ observation were synthetically applied according to the geological and technical conditions of the 1151(3) working face in Xieqiao Mine. The results show that the stress peak value of the MSS-base and the ratio of MSS-body height to caving thickness are nonlinear and inversely proportional to the caving thickness. The MSS-base width, the MSS-body height, the MSS-base distance to working face wall and the rise distance of MSS-base beside coal pillar are nonlinear and directly proportional to the caving thickness. The characteristics of MSS distribution and its evolving rules of surrounding rocks and the integrated caving thickness effects are obtained. The investigations will provide lots of theoretic references to the surrounding rocks' stability control of the working face and roadway, roadway layout, gas extraction and exploitation, and efficiency of caving, etc.

The airborne metagenome in an indoor urban environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susannah G Tringe

Full Text Available The indoor atmosphere is an ecological unit that impacts on public health. To investigate the composition of organisms in this space, we applied culture-independent approaches to microbes harvested from the air of two densely populated urban buildings, from which we analyzed 80 megabases genomic DNA sequence and 6000 16S rDNA clones. The air microbiota is primarily bacteria, including potential opportunistic pathogens commonly isolated from human-inhabited environments such as hospitals, but none of the data contain matches to virulent pathogens or bioterror agents. Comparison of air samples with each other and nearby environments suggested that the indoor air microbes are not random transients from surrounding outdoor environments, but rather originate from indoor niches. Sequence annotation by gene function revealed specific adaptive capabilities enriched in the air environment, including genes potentially involved in resistance to desiccation and oxidative damage. This baseline index of air microbiota will be valuable for improving designs of surveillance for natural or man-made release of virulent pathogens.

The Airborne Metagenome in an Indoor Urban Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tringe, Susannah; Zhang, Tao; Liu, Xuguo; Yu, Yiting; Lee, Wah Heng; Yap, Jennifer; Yao, Fei; Suan, Sim Tiow; Ing, Seah Keng; Haynes, Matthew; Rohwer, Forest; Wei, Chia Lin; Tan, Patrick; Bristow, James; Rubin, Edward M.; Ruan, Yijun

2008-02-12

The indoor atmosphere is an ecological unit that impacts on public health. To investigate the composition of organisms in this space, we applied culture-independent approaches to microbes harvested from the air of two densely populated urban buildings, from which we analyzed 80 megabases genomic DNA sequence and 6000 16S rDNA clones. The air microbiota is primarily bacteria, including potential opportunistic pathogens commonly isolated from human-inhabited environments such as hospitals, but none of the data contain matches to virulent pathogens or bioterror agents. Comparison of air samples with each other and nearby environments suggested that the indoor air microbes are not random transients from surrounding outdoor environments, but rather originate from indoor niches. Sequence annotation by gene function revealed specific adaptive capabilities enriched in the air environment, including genes potentially involved in resistance to desiccation and oxidative damage. This baseline index of air microbiota will be valuable for improving designs of surveillance for natural or man-made release of virulent pathogens.

Assessment of the Human Environment 2012; Balans van de Leefomgeving 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dassen, T.; Van Veen, M. (eds.)

2012-09-15

The Assessment of the Human Environment evaluates the extent to which policy objectives, as set by the Dutch Cabinet, are being met in the fields that concern the human environment (the environment, nature and space). The human environment is determined by local surroundings and accessibility of the workplace, as well as by more abstract or globally felt factors, such as climate change and the use of natural resources, such as land, water and fertilisers for food production. Although these factors together form the physical human environment, they do not add up to a single quality standard for the human environment. The issues that provide the concept of the human environment with concrete, relevant meaning are all separate, such as the quality of the local surroundings or global climate change. These findings present the most prominent developments in relation to the status of the various factors that determine the quality of the human environment, and compare these with government objectives for the policy areas. In areas where objectives are unlikely to be achieved, suggestions for policy improvements have been provided. Developments around all environmental, nature and spatial objectives can be found in the digital assessment - the website that accompanies this Assessment of the Human Assessment of the Human Environment 2012 (www.pbl.nl/balans2012; in Dutch) [Dutch] Deze Balans is een ex-durante evaluatie van het nationale beleid voor milieu, natuur, water en ruimte. In de Balans evalueert het PBL tweejaarlijks de effecten van het huidige vastgestelde en voorgenomen beleid. Dit keer inclusief de afspraken in het Lenteakkoord voor zover die voldoende concreet zijn uitgewerkt. De evaluatie is geordend rond zes thema's of maatschappelijke handelingssystemen waarin overheden, maatschappelijke partijen en burgers bij het nastreven van hun diverse doelen, van elkaar afhankelijk zijn: energie, voedsel, landelijk gebied, water, bereikbaarheid en het stedelijk

Assessment of the Human Environment 2012; Balans van de Leefomgeving 2012

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dassen, T.; Van Veen, M. [eds.

2012-09-15

The Assessment of the Human Environment evaluates the extent to which policy objectives, as set by the Dutch Cabinet, are being met in the fields that concern the human environment (the environment, nature and space). The human environment is determined by local surroundings and accessibility of the workplace, as well as by more abstract or globally felt factors, such as climate change and the use of natural resources, such as land, water and fertilisers for food production. Although these factors together form the physical human environment, they do not add up to a single quality standard for the human environment. The issues that provide the concept of the human environment with concrete, relevant meaning are all separate, such as the quality of the local surroundings or global climate change. These findings present the most prominent developments in relation to the status of the various factors that determine the quality of the human environment, and compare these with government objectives for the policy areas. In areas where objectives are unlikely to be achieved, suggestions for policy improvements have been provided. Developments around all environmental, nature and spatial objectives can be found in the digital assessment - the website that accompanies this Assessment of the Human Assessment of the Human Environment 2012 (www.pbl.nl/balans2012; in Dutch) [Dutch] Deze Balans is een ex-durante evaluatie van het nationale beleid voor milieu, natuur, water en ruimte. In de Balans evalueert het PBL tweejaarlijks de effecten van het huidige vastgestelde en voorgenomen beleid. Dit keer inclusief de afspraken in het Lenteakkoord voor zover die voldoende concreet zijn uitgewerkt. De evaluatie is geordend rond zes thema's of maatschappelijke handelingssystemen waarin overheden, maatschappelijke partijen en burgers bij het nastreven van hun diverse doelen, van elkaar afhankelijk zijn: energie, voedsel, landelijk gebied, water, bereikbaarheid en het stedelijk gebied

Effects of Surrounding Information and Line Length on Text Comprehension from the Web

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jess McMullin

2002-02-01

Full Text Available The World Wide Web (Web is becoming a popular medium for transmission of information and online learning. We need to understand how people comprehend information from the Web to design Web sites that maximize the acquisition of information. We examined two features of Web page design that are easily modified by developers, namely line length and the amount of surrounding information, or whitespace. Undergraduate university student participants read text and answered comprehension questions on the Web. Comprehension was affected by whitespace; participants had better comprehension for information surrounded by whitespace than for information surrounded by meaningless information. Participants were not affected by line length. These findings demonstrate that reading from the Web is not the same as reading print and have implications for instructional Web design.

Impacts of Artificial Reefs on Surrounding Ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Manoukian, Sarine

Artificial reefs are becoming a popular biological and management component in shallow water environments characterized by soft seabed, representing both important marine habitats and tools to manage coastal fisheries and resources. An artificial reef in the marine environment acts as an open system with exchange of material and energy, altering the physical and biological characteristics of the surrounding area. Reef stability will depend on the balance of scour, settlement, and burial resulting from ocean conditions over time. Because of the unstable nature of sediments, they require a detailed and systematic investigation. Acoustic systems like high-frequency multibeam sonar are efficient tools in monitoring the environmental evolution around artificial reefs, whereas water turbidity can limit visual dive and ROV inspections. A high-frequency multibeam echo sounder offers the potential of detecting fine-scale distribution of reef units, providing an unprecedented level of resolution, coverage, and spatial definition. How do artificial reefs change over time in relation to the coastal processes? How accurately does multibeam technology map different typologies of artificial modules of known size and shape? How do artificial reefs affect fish school behavior? What are the limitations of multibeam technology for investigating fish school distribution as well as spatial and temporal changes? This study addresses the above questions and presents results of a new approach for artificial reef seafloor mapping over time, based upon an integrated analysis of multibeam swath bathymetry data and geoscientific information (backscatter data analysis, SCUBA observations, physical oceanographic data, and previous findings on the geology and sedimentation processes, integrated with unpublished data) from Senigallia artificial reef, northwestern Adriatic Sea (Italy) and St. Petersburg Beach Reef, west-central Florida continental shelf. A new approach for observation of fish

Protein-crystal growth experiment (planned)

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, S.; Asano, K.; Hashitani, T.; Kitakohji, T.; Nemoto, H.; Kitamura, S.

1988-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a microgravity environment on protein crystal growth, a system was developed using 5 cubic feet Get Away Special payload canister. In the experiment, protein (myoglobin) will be simultaneously crystallized from an aqueous solution in 16 crystallization units using three types of crystallization methods, i.e., batch, vapor diffusion, and free interface diffusion. Each unit has two compartments: one for the protein solution and the other for the ammonium sulfate solution. Compartments are separated by thick acrylic or thin stainless steel plates. Crystallization will be started by sliding out the plates, then will be periodically recorded up to 120 hours by a still camera. The temperature will be passively controlled by a phase transition thermal storage component and recorded in IC memory throughout the experiment. Microgravity environment can then be evaluated for protein crystal growth by comparing crystallization in space with that on Earth.

Spot testing on mechanical characteristics of surrounding rock in gates of fully mechanized top-coal caving face

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie Guang-xiang; Yang Ke; Chang Ju-cai [Anhui University of Science and Technology, Anhui (China). Department of Resource Exploration and Management Engineering

2006-07-01

The distribution patterns of mechanical characteristics for surrounding rock in the gateways of fully mechanized top-coal caving (FMTC) face were put forward by analyzing deep displacement, surface displacement, stress distribution and supports loading. The results show that the surrounding rock of the gateways lies in abutment pressure decrease zone near the working face, so that the support load decreases. But the deformations of supports and surrounding rock are very acute. The deformation of surrounding rock appears mainly in abutment pressure influence zone. Reasonable roadway supporting should control the deformation of surrounding rock in intense stage of mining influence. Supporting design ideas of tailentry and head entry should be changed from loading control to deformation control. 8 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.

Phase-specific Surround suppression in Mouse Primary Visual Cortex Correlates with Figure Detection Behavior Based on Phase Discontinuity.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fengling; Jiang, Weiqian; Wang, Tian-Yi; Xie, Taorong; Yao, Haishan

2018-05-21

In the primary visual cortex (V1), neuronal responses to stimuli within the receptive field (RF) are modulated by stimuli in the RF surround. A common effect of surround modulation is surround suppression, which is dependent on the feature difference between stimuli within and surround the RF and is suggested to be involved in the perceptual phenomenon of figure-ground segregation. In this study, we examined the relationship between feature-specific surround suppression of V1 neurons and figure detection behavior based on figure-ground feature difference. We trained freely moving mice to perform a figure detection task using figure and ground gratings that differed in spatial phase. The performance of figure detection increased with the figure-ground phase difference, and was modulated by stimulus contrast. Electrophysiological recordings from V1 in head-fixed mice showed that the increase in phase difference between stimuli within and surround the RF caused a reduction in surround suppression, which was associated with an increase in V1 neural discrimination between stimuli with and without RF-surround phase difference. Consistent with the behavioral performance, the sensitivity of V1 neurons to RF-surround phase difference could be influenced by stimulus contrast. Furthermore, inhibiting V1 by optogenetically activating either parvalbumin (PV)- or somatostatin (SOM)-expressing inhibitory neurons both decreased the behavioral performance of figure detection. Thus, the phase-specific surround suppression in V1 represents a neural correlate of figure detection behavior based on figure-ground phase discontinuity. Copyright © 2018 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein adsorption on nanoparticles: model development using computer simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao, Qing; Hall, Carol K

2016-01-01

The adsorption of proteins on nanoparticles results in the formation of the protein corona, the composition of which determines how nanoparticles influence their biological surroundings. We seek to better understand corona formation by developing models that describe protein adsorption on nanoparticles using computer simulation results as data. Using a coarse-grained protein model, discontinuous molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to investigate the adsorption of two small proteins (Trp-cage and WW domain) on a model nanoparticle of diameter 10.0 nm at protein concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5 mM. The resulting adsorption isotherms are well described by the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Kiselev models, but not by the Elovich, Fowler–Guggenheim and Hill–de Boer models. We also try to develop a generalized model that can describe protein adsorption equilibrium on nanoparticles of different diameters in terms of dimensionless size parameters. The simulation results for three proteins (Trp-cage, WW domain, and GB3) on four nanoparticles (diameter  =  5.0, 10.0, 15.0, and 20.0 nm) illustrate both the promise and the challenge associated with developing generalized models of protein adsorption on nanoparticles. (paper)

Yucca Mountain near-field environment considerations for engineered barrier system design and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilder, D.G.

1991-05-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is investigating the suitability of Yucca Mountain (YM) as a potential site for the nation's first High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository. This responsibility includes materials testing and selections, design criteria development, waste form characterizations, performance assessments, and Near-Field (NF) environment characterization. These areas of responsibility are interrelated and to a large extent depend on environmental conditions surrounding the EBS components. The focus of this paper is to discuss what is currently known about the NF environment, particularly those aspects whose interaction with EBS components have significant impacts on the performance of the EBS and its ability to contribute to the isolation of radioactive waste. Reference designs and design/processes assumptions are used to evaluate the expected NF environmental conditions. This report will not focus on providing parameter values but rather on the processes that influence those parameters and on the impacts of those parameters on the performance of EBS components. Where values are given, they should be viewed as typical of YM as a whole but not necessarily representative of the actual NF environment conditions that surround the EBS components. 19 refs., 6 figs

Crystal structure and self-interaction of the type VI secretion tail-tube protein from enteroaggregative Escherichia coli.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Badreddine Douzi

Full Text Available The type VI secretion system (T6SS is a widespread machine used by bacteria to control their environment and kill or disable bacterial species or eukaryotes through toxin injection. The T6SS comprises a central tube formed of stacked hexamers of hemolysin co-regulated proteins (Hcp and terminated by a trimeric valine-glycine repeat protein G (VgrG component, the cell puncturing device. A contractile tail sheath, formed by the TssB and TssC proteins, surrounds this tube. This syringe-like machine has been compared to an inverted phage, as both Hcp and VgrG share structural homology with tail components of Caudovirales. Here we solved the crystal structure of a tryptophan-substituted double mutant of Hcp1 from enteroaggregative Escherichia coli and compared it to the structures of other Hcps. Interestingly, we observed that the purified Hcp native protein is unable to form tubes in vitro. To better understand the rationale for observation, we measured the affinity of Hcp1 hexamers with themselves by surface plasmon resonance. The intra-hexamer interaction is weak, with a KD value of 7.2 µM. However, by engineering double cysteine mutants at defined positions, tubes of Hcp1 gathering up to 15 stacked hexamers formed in oxidative conditions. These results, together with those available in the literature regarding TssB and TssC, suggest that assembly of the T6SS tube differs significantly from that of Sipho- or Myoviridae.

Varieties of Quest and the Religious Openness Hypothesis within Religious Fundamentalist and Biblical Foundationalist Ideological Surrounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. J. Watson

2013-12-01

Full Text Available According to the Religious Openness Hypothesis, the religious and psychological openness of American Christians is obscured by a defensive ghettoization of thought associated with a Religious Fundamentalist Ideological Surround and can be discovered instead within a Biblical Foundationalist Ideological Surround. A test of this claim examined Religious Fundamentalism, Biblical Foundationalism, Quest, and Multidimensional Quest Scales in 432 undergraduates. Christian Religious Reflection, Religious Schema, and Religious Orientation measures clarified these two ideological surrounds. Partial correlations controlling for Biblical Foundationalism described a Religious Fundamentalist Ideological Surround that more strongly rejected Quest and that more generally displayed a failure to integrate faith with intellect. Partial correlations controlling for Religious Fundamentalism revealed a Biblical Foundationalist Ideological Surround that was more open to Quest and that offered numerous demonstrations of an ability to unite faith with intellect. These data supplemented previous investigations in demonstrating that Christianity and other traditional religions have ideological resources for promoting a faithful intellect.

Characterization of a Chitin-Binding Protein from Bacillus thuringiensis HD-1.

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Naresh Arora

Full Text Available Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produce insecticidal proteins. These strains have been isolated from diverse ecological niches, such as soil, phylloplane, insect cadavers and grain dust. To effectively propagate, these strains produce a range of molecules that facilitate its multiplication in a competing environment. In this report, we have examined synthesis of a chitin-binding protein and evaluated its effect on fungi encountered in environment and its interaction with insecticidal proteins synthesized by B. thuringiensis. The gene encoding chitin-binding protein has been cloned and expressed. The purified protein has been demonstrated to interact with Cry insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac by Circular Dichrosim spectroscopy (CD and in vitro pull down assays. The chitin-binding protein potentiates insecticidal activity of bacillar insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac. Further, chitin-binding protein was fungistatic against several soil fungi. The chitin binding protein is expressed in spore mother cell and deposited along with insecticidal protein, Cry1Ac. It interacts with Cry1Ac to potentiate its insecticidal activity and facilitate propagation of Bacillus strain in environment by inhibiting growth of certain fungi.

Orientation-specific surround suppression in the primary visual cortex varies as a function of autistic tendency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia V Flevaris

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD exhibit superior performance on tasks that rely on local details in an image, and they exhibit deficits in tasks that require integration of local elements into a unified whole. These perceptual abnormalities have been proposed to underlie many of the characteristic features of ASD, but the underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the degree to which orientation-specific surround suppression, a well-known form of contextual modulation in visual cortex, is associated with autistic tendency in neurotypical individuals. Surround suppression refers to the phenomenon that the response to a stimulus in the receptive field of a neuron is suppressed when it is surrounded by stimuli just outside the receptive field. The suppression is greatest when the center and surrounding stimuli share perceptual features such as orientation. Surround suppression underlies a number of fundamental perceptual processes that are known to be atypical in individuals with ASD, including perceptual grouping and perceptual pop-out. However, whether surround suppression in the primary visual cortex (V1 is related to autistic traits has not been directly tested before. We used fMRI to measure the neural response to a center Gabor when it was surrounded by Gabors having the same or orthogonal orientation, and calculated a suppression index (SI for each participant that denoted the magnitude of suppression in the same versus orthogonal conditions. SI was positively correlated with degree of autistic tendency in each individual, as measured by the Autism Quotient (AQ scale, a questionnaire designed to assess autistic traits in the general population. Age also correlated with SI and with autistic tendency in our sample, but did not account for the correlation between SI and autistic tendency. These results suggest a reduction in orientation-specific surround suppression in V1 with increasing autistic

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1798 (Polar)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,798th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (Feb. 13, 2009). North is on top. This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction. The rover had driven 111 meters (364 feet) southward on the preceding sol. Tracks from that drive recede northward in this view. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1798 (Vertical)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 180-degree view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,798th Martian day, or sol, of Opportunity's surface mission (Feb. 13, 2009). North is on top. This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction. The rover had driven 111 meters (364 feet) southward on the preceding sol. Tracks from that drive recede northward in this view. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and lighter-toned bedrock.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1687 (Vertical)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,687th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (Oct. 22, 2008). Opportunity had driven 133 meters (436 feet) that sol, crossing sand ripples up to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. The tracks visible in the foreground are in the east-northeast direction. Opportunity's position on Sol 1687 was about 300 meters southwest of Victoria Crater. The rover was beginning a long trek toward a much larger crater, Endeavour, about 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. This view is presented as a vertical projection with geometric seam correction.

Opportunity's Surroundings on Sol 1687 (Polar)

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this 360-degree view of the rover's surroundings on the 1,687th Martian day, or sol, of its surface mission (Oct. 22, 2008). Opportunity had driven 133 meters (436 feet) that sol, crossing sand ripples up to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. The tracks visible in the foreground are in the east-northeast direction. Opportunity's position on Sol 1687 was about 300 meters southwest of Victoria Crater. The rover was beginning a long trek toward a much larger crater, Endeavour, about 12 kilometers (7 miles) to the southeast. This view is presented as a polar projection with geometric seam correction.

Fast Proton Titration Scheme for Multiscale Modeling of Protein Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Teixeira, Andre Azevedo Reis; Lund, Mikael; da Silva, Fernando Luís Barroso

2010-10-12

Proton exchange between titratable amino acid residues and the surrounding solution gives rise to exciting electric processes in proteins. We present a proton titration scheme for studying acid-base equilibria in Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations where salt is treated at the Debye-Hückel level. The method, rooted in the Kirkwood model of impenetrable spheres, is applied on the three milk proteins α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, and lactoferrin, for which we investigate the net-charge, molecular dipole moment, and charge capacitance. Over a wide range of pH and salt conditions, excellent agreement is found with more elaborate simulations where salt is explicitly included. The implicit salt scheme is orders of magnitude faster than the explicit analog and allows for transparent interpretation of physical mechanisms. It is shown how the method can be expanded to multiscale modeling of aqueous salt solutions of many biomolecules with nonstatic charge distributions. Important examples are protein-protein aggregation, protein-polyelectrolyte complexation, and protein-membrane association.

Environment exploration and SLAM experiment research based on ROS

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhize; Zheng, Wei

2017-11-01

Robots need to get the information of surrounding environment by means of map learning. SLAM or navigation based on mobile robots is developing rapidly. ROS (Robot Operating System) is widely used in the field of robots because of the convenient code reuse and open source. Numerous excellent algorithms of SLAM or navigation are ported to ROS package. hector_slam is one of them that can set up occupancy grid maps on-line fast with low computation resources requiring. Its characters above make the embedded handheld mapping system possible. Similarly, hector_navigation also does well in the navigation field. It can finish path planning and environment exploration by itself using only an environmental sensor. Combining hector_navigation with hector_slam can realize low cost environment exploration, path planning and slam at the same time

INTERACTIONS OF THE INFRARED BUBBLE N4 WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hong-Li; Li, Jin-Zeng; Yuan, Jing-Hua; Huang, Maohai; Huang, Ya-Fang; Zhang, Si-Ju [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100012 (China); Wu, Yuefang [Department of Astronomy, Peking University, 100871 Beijing (China); Liu, Tie [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Dubner, G.; Paron, S.; Ortega, M. E. [1Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio (IAFE, CONICET-UBA), CC 67, Suc. 28, 1428 Buenos Aires (Argentina); Molinari, Sergio [Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali—IAPS, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica—INAF, via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Zavagno, Annie; Samal, Manash R., E-mail: hlliu@nao.cas.cn [Aix Marseille Universit, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, F-13388, Marseille (France)

2016-02-10

The physical mechanisms that induce the transformation of a certain mass of gas in new stars are far from being well understood. Infrared bubbles associated with H ii regions have been considered to be good samples for investigating triggered star formation. In this paper we report on the investigation of the dust properties of the infrared bubble N4 around the H ii region G11.898+0.747, analyzing its interaction with its surroundings and star formation histories therein, with the aim of determining the possibility of star formation triggered by the expansion of the bubble. Using Herschel PACS and SPIRE images with a wide wavelength coverage, we reveal the dust properties over the entire bubble. Meanwhile, we are able to identify six dust clumps surrounding the bubble, with a mean size of 0.50 pc, temperature of about 22 K, mean column density of 1.7 × 10{sup 22} cm{sup −2}, mean volume density of about 4.4 × 10{sup 4} cm{sup −3}, and a mean mass of 320 M{sub ⊙}. In addition, from PAH emission seen at 8 μm, free–free emission detected at 20 cm, and a probability density function in special regions, we could identify clear signatures of the influence of the H ii region on the surroundings. There are hints of star formation, though further investigation is required to demonstrate that N4 is the triggering source.

Quantifying the molecular origins of opposite solvent effects on protein-protein interactions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Vagenende

Full Text Available Although the nature of solvent-protein interactions is generally weak and non-specific, addition of cosolvents such as denaturants and osmolytes strengthens protein-protein interactions for some proteins, whereas it weakens protein-protein interactions for others. This is exemplified by the puzzling observation that addition of glycerol oppositely affects the association constants of two antibodies, D1.3 and D44.1, with lysozyme. To resolve this conundrum, we develop a methodology based on the thermodynamic principles of preferential interaction theory and the quantitative characterization of local protein solvation from molecular dynamics simulations. We find that changes of preferential solvent interactions at the protein-protein interface quantitatively account for the opposite effects of glycerol on the antibody-antigen association constants. Detailed characterization of local protein solvation in the free and associated protein states reveals how opposite solvent effects on protein-protein interactions depend on the extent of dewetting of the protein-protein contact region and on structural changes that alter cooperative solvent-protein interactions at the periphery of the protein-protein interface. These results demonstrate the direct relationship between macroscopic solvent effects on protein-protein interactions and atom-scale solvent-protein interactions, and establish a general methodology for predicting and understanding solvent effects on protein-protein interactions in diverse biological environments.

Mechanical Characteristics Analysis of Surrounding Rock on Anchor Bar Reinforcement

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Shuan-cheng; Zhou, Pan; Huang, Rong-bin

2018-03-01

Through the homogenization method, the composite of rock and anchor bar is considered as the equivalent material of continuous, homogeneous, isotropic and strength parameter enhancement, which is defined as reinforcement body. On the basis of elasticity, the composite and the reinforcement are analyzed, Based on strengthening theory of surrounding rock and displacement equivalent conditions, the expression of reinforcement body strength parameters and mechanical parameters is deduced. The example calculation shows that the theoretical results are close to the results of the Jia-mei Gao[9], however, closer to the results of FLAC3D numerical simulation, it is proved that the model and surrounding rock reinforcement body theory are reasonable. the model is easy to analyze and calculate, provides a new way for determining reasonable bolt support parameters, can also provides reference for the stability analysis of underground cavern bolting support.

Trajectories and Maneuvers of Surrounding Vehicles with Panoramic Camera Arrays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dueholm, Jacob Velling; Kristoffersen, Miklas Strøm; Satzoda, Ravi K.

2016-01-01

Vision-based research for intelligent vehicles have traditionally focused on specific regions around a vehicle, such as a front looking camera for, e.g., lane estimation. Traffic scenes are complex and vital information could be lost in unobserved regions. This paper proposes a framework that uses...... four visual sensors for a full surround view of a vehicle in order to achieve an understanding of surrounding vehicle behaviors. The framework will assist the analysis of naturalistic driving studies by automating the task of data reduction of the observed trajectories. To this end, trajectories...... are estimated using a vehicle detector together with a multiperspective optimized tracker in each view. The trajectories are transformed to a common ground plane, where they are associated between perspectives and analyzed to reveal tendencies around the ego-vehicle. The system is tested on sequences from 2.5 h...

Structural Evolution in Photoactive Yellow Protein Studied by Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshizawa M.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Ultrafast structural evolution in photoactive yellow protein (PYP is studied by femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy. A comparison between wild-type PYP and E46Q mutant reveals that the hydrogen-bonding network surrounding the chromophore of PYP is immediately rearranged in the electronic excited state.

Genetic polymorphisms in varied environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, J R

1971-12-03

Thirteen experimenital populationis of Drosophila willistoni were maintained in cages, in some of which the environments were relatively constant and in others varied. After 45 weeks, the populations were assayed by gel electrophoresis for polymorphisms at 22 protein loci. The average heterozygosity per individual and the average unmber of alleles per locus were higher in populations maintained in heterogeneous environments than in populations in more constant enviroments.

A comparison of microbial communities in deep-sea polymetallic nodules and the surrounding sediments in the Pacific Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yue-Hong; Liao, Li; Wang, Chun-Sheng; Ma, Wei-Lin; Meng, Fan-Xu; Wu, Min; Xu, Xue-Wei

2013-09-01

Deep-sea polymetallic nodules, rich in metals such as Fe, Mn, and Ni, are potential resources for future exploitation. Early culturing and microscopy studies suggest that polymetallic nodules are at least partially biogenic. To understand the microbial communities in this environment, we compared microbial community composition and diversity inside nodules and in the surrounding sediments. Three sampling sites in the Pacific Ocean containing polymetallic nodules were used for culture-independent investigations of microbial diversity. A total of 1013 near full-length bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences and 640 archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences with ~650 bp from nodules and the surrounding sediments were analyzed. Bacteria showed higher diversity than archaea. Interestingly, sediments contained more diverse bacterial communities than nodules, while the opposite was detected for archaea. Bacterial communities tend to be mostly unique to sediments or nodules, with only 13.3% of sequences shared. The most abundant bacterial groups detected only in nodules were Pseudoalteromonas and Alteromonas, which were predicted to play a role in building matrix outside cells to induce or control mineralization. However, archaeal communities were mostly shared between sediments and nodules, including the most abundant OTU containing 290 sequences from marine group I Thaumarchaeota. PcoA analysis indicated that microhabitat (i.e., nodule or sediment) seemed to be a major factor influencing microbial community composition, rather than sampling locations or distances between locations.

Interactions of cationic polystyrene nanoparticles with marine bivalve hemocytes in a physiological environment: Role of soluble hemolymph proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Canesi, Laura; Ciacci, Caterina; Fabbri, Rita; Balbi, Teresa; Salis, Annalisa; Damonte, Gianluca; Cortese, Katia; Caratto, Valentina; Monopoli, Marco P; Dawson, Kenneth; Bergami, Elisa; Corsi, Ilaria

2016-10-01

The bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis has proven as a suitable model invertebrate for evaluating the potential impact of nanoparticles (NPs) in the marine environment. In particular, in mussels, the immune system represents a sensitive target for different types of NPs. In environmental conditions, both NP intrinsic properties and those of the receiving medium will affect particle behavior and consequent bioavailability/uptake/toxicity. However, the evaluation of the biological effects of NPs requires additional understanding of how, once within the organism, NPs interact at the molecular level with cells in a physiological environment. In mammalian systems, different NPs associate with serum soluble components, organized into a "protein corona", which affects particle interactions with target cells. However, no information is available so far on the interactions of NPs with biological fluids of aquatic organisms. In this work, the influence of hemolymph serum (HS) on the in vitro effects of amino modified polystyrene NPs (PS-NH2) on Mytilus hemocytes was investigated. Hemocytes were incubated with PS-NH2 suspensions in HS (1, 5 and 50µg/mL) and the results were compared with those obtained in ASW medium. Cell functional parameters (lysosomal membrane stability, oxyradical production, phagocytosis) were evaluated, and morphological changes were investigated by TEM. The activation state of the signalling components involved in Mytilus immune response (p38 MAPK and PKC) was determined. The results show that in the presence of HS, PS-NH2 increased cellular damage and ROS production with respect to ASW medium. The effects were apparently mediated by disregulation of p38 MAPK signalling. The formation of a PS-NH2-protein corona in HS was investigated by centrifugation, and 1D- gel electrophoresis and nano-HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The results identified the Putative C1q domain containing protein (MgC1q6) as the only component of the PS-NH2 hard protein corona in Mytilus

Mining and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janecka, V.; Nemec, V.; Bradka, S.; Placek, V.; Sulovsky, P.

1992-01-01

The proceedings contain 30 contributions, out of which 9 have been inputted in INIS. They are concerned with uranium mines and mills in the Czech Republic. The impacts of the mining activities and of the mill tailings on the environment and the population are assessed, and it is concluded that the radiation hazard does not exceed that from natural background. Considerable attention is paid to the monitoring of the surroundings of mines and mills and to landscaping activities. Proposed technologies for the purification of waste waters from the chemical leaching process are described. Ways to eliminate environmental damage from abandoned tailings settling ponds are suggested. (M.D.). 18 tabs., 21 figs., 43 refs

Seismic Tomography of the Arabian-Eurasian Collision Zone and Surrounding Areas

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Toksoz, M. N; Van der Hilst, Robert D; Sun, Youshun; Gulen, Levent; Kalafat, Dogan; Kuleli, Huseyin S; Li, Chang; Zhang, Haijiang

2008-01-01

... and surrounding areas, including Iran, Arabia, Eastern Turkey, and the Caucasus. The Arabian-Eurasian plate boundary is a complex tectonic zone shaped by continent-continent collision processes...

A Plastid Protein That Evolved from Ubiquitin and Is Required for Apicoplast Protein Import in Toxoplasma gondii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin D. Fellows

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Apicomplexan parasites cause a variety of important infectious diseases, including malaria, toxoplasma encephalitis, and severe diarrhea due to Cryptosporidium. Most apicomplexans depend on an organelle called the apicoplast which is derived from a red algal endosymbiont. The apicoplast is essential for the parasite as the compartment of fatty acid, heme, and isoprenoid biosynthesis. The majority of the approximate 500 apicoplast proteins are nucleus encoded and have to be imported across the four membranes that surround the apicoplast. Import across the second outermost membrane of the apicoplast, the periplastid membrane, depends on an apicoplast-specific endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD complex and on enzymes of the associated ubiquitination cascade. However, identification of an apicoplast ubiquitin associated with this machinery has long been elusive. Here we identify a plastid ubiquitin-like protein (PUBL, an apicoplast protein that is derived from a ubiquitin ancestor but that has significantly changed in its primary sequence. PUBL is distinct from known ubiquitin-like proteins, and phylogenomic analyses suggest a clade specific to apicomplexans. We demonstrate that PUBL and the AAA ATPase CDC48AP both act to translocate apicoplast proteins across the periplastid membrane during protein import. Conditional null mutants and genetic complementation show that both proteins are critical for this process and for parasite survival. PUBL residues homologous to those that are required for ubiquitin conjugation onto target proteins are essential for this function, while those required for polyubiquitination and preprotein processing are dispensable. Our experiments provide a mechanistic understanding of the molecular machinery that drives protein import across the membranes of the apicoplast.

Blooming Trees: Substructures and Surrounding Groups of Galaxy Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Heng; Diaferio, Antonaldo; Serra, Ana Laura; Baldi, Marco

2018-06-01

We develop the Blooming Tree Algorithm, a new technique that uses spectroscopic redshift data alone to identify the substructures and the surrounding groups of galaxy clusters, along with their member galaxies. Based on the estimated binding energy of galaxy pairs, the algorithm builds a binary tree that hierarchically arranges all of the galaxies in the field of view. The algorithm searches for buds, corresponding to gravitational potential minima on the binary tree branches; for each bud, the algorithm combines the number of galaxies, their velocity dispersion, and their average pairwise distance into a parameter that discriminates between the buds that do not correspond to any substructure or group, and thus eventually die, and the buds that correspond to substructures and groups, and thus bloom into the identified structures. We test our new algorithm with a sample of 300 mock redshift surveys of clusters in different dynamical states; the clusters are extracted from a large cosmological N-body simulation of a ΛCDM model. We limit our analysis to substructures and surrounding groups identified in the simulation with mass larger than 1013 h ‑1 M ⊙. With mock redshift surveys with 200 galaxies within 6 h ‑1 Mpc from the cluster center, the technique recovers 80% of the real substructures and 60% of the surrounding groups; in 57% of the identified structures, at least 60% of the member galaxies of the substructures and groups belong to the same real structure. These results improve by roughly a factor of two the performance of the best substructure identification algorithm currently available, the σ plateau algorithm, and suggest that our Blooming Tree Algorithm can be an invaluable tool for detecting substructures of galaxy clusters and investigating their complex dynamics.

Molecular mechanics work station for protein conformational studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fine, R.; Levinthal, C.; Schoenborn, B.; Dimmier, G.; Rankowitz, C.

1984-01-01

Interest in computational problems in Biology has intensified over the last few years, partly due to the development of techniques for the rapid cloning, sequencing, and mutagenesis of genes from organisims ranging from E. coli to Man. The central dogma of molecular biology; that DNA codes for mRNA which codes for protein, has been understood in a linear programming sense since the genetic code was cracked. But what is not understood at present is how a protein, once assembled as a long sequence of amino acids, folds back on itself to produce a three-dimensional structure which is unique to that protein and which dictates its chemical and biological activity. This folding process is purely physics, and involves the time evolution of a system of several thousand atoms which interact with each other and with atoms from the surrounding solvent. Molecular dynamics simulations on smaller molecules suggest that approaches which treat the protein as a classical ensemble of atoms interacting with each other via an empirical Hamiltonian can yield the kind of predictive results one would like when applied to proteins

Analytical Solution of Tunnel Surrounding Rock for Stress and Displacement Based on Lade–Duncan Criterion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MingZheng Zhu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The deformation and failure of tunnel surrounding rock is the result of tunnel excavation disturbance and rock stress release. When the local stress of surrounding rock exceeds the elastic limit of rock mass, the plastic analysis of surrounding rock must be carried out to judge the stability of tunnel. In this study, the Lade–Duncan yield criterion is used to calculate the analytic solutions for the surrounding rock in a tunnel, and the radius and displacement of the plastic zone are deduced using an equilibrium equation. The plastic zone radius and displacement based on Lade–Duncan criterion and Mohr–Coulomb criterion were compared by using single-factor analysis method under the different internal friction angles, in situ stresses, and support resistances. The results show that the solutions of the radius and displacement of plastic zone calculated by the Lade–Duncan criterion are close to those of Mohr–Coulomb criterion under the high internal friction angle and support resistance or low in situ rock stress; however, the radius and displacement of the plastic zone calculated by the Lade–Duncan criterion are larger under normal circumstances, and the Lade–Duncan criterion is more applicable to the stability analysis of the surrounding rock in a tunnel.

Prediction of protein loop geometries in solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rapp, Chaya S.; Strauss, Temima; Nederveen, Aart; Fuentes, Gloria

2007-01-01

The ability to determine the structure of a protein in solution is a critical tool for structural biology, as proteins in their native state are found in aqueous environments. Using a physical chemistry based prediction protocol, we demonstrate the ability to reproduce protein loop geometries in

Rapid evolution of coral proteins responsible for interaction with the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Voolstra, Christian R; Sunagawa, Shinichi; Matz, Mikhail V; Bayer, Till; Aranda, Manuel; Buschiazzo, Emmanuel; Desalvo, Michael K; Lindquist, Erika; Szmant, Alina M; Coffroth, Mary Alice; Medina, Mónica

2011-01-01

Corals worldwide are in decline due to climate change effects (e.g., rising seawater temperatures), pollution, and exploitation. The ability of corals to cope with these stressors in the long run depends on the evolvability of the underlying genetic networks and proteins, which remain largely unknown. A genome-wide scan for positively selected genes between related coral species can help to narrow down the search space considerably. We screened a set of 2,604 putative orthologs from EST-based sequence datasets of the coral species Acropora millepora and Acropora palmata to determine the fraction and identity of proteins that may experience adaptive evolution. 7% of the orthologs show elevated rates of evolution. Taxonomically-restricted (i.e. lineage-specific) genes show a positive selection signature more frequently than genes that are found across many animal phyla. The class of proteins that displayed elevated evolutionary rates was significantly enriched for proteins involved in immunity and defense, reproduction, and sensory perception. We also found elevated rates of evolution in several other functional groups such as management of membrane vesicles, transmembrane transport of ions and organic molecules, cell adhesion, and oxidative stress response. Proteins in these processes might be related to the endosymbiotic relationship corals maintain with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. This study provides a birds-eye view of the processes potentially underlying coral adaptation, which will serve as a foundation for future work to elucidate the rates, patterns, and mechanisms of corals' evolutionary response to global climate change.

Surrounded by Science: Learning Science in Informal Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Fenichel, Marilyn; Schweingruber, Heidi A.

2010-01-01

Practitioners in informal science settings--museums, after-school programs, science and technology centers, media enterprises, libraries, aquariums, zoos, and botanical gardens--are interested in finding out what learning looks like, how to measure it, and what they can do to ensure that people of all ages, from different backgrounds and cultures,…

Damaged Goods: Perception of Pornography Addiction as a Mediator Between Religiosity and Relationship Anxiety Surrounding Pornography Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Nathan D; Willoughby, Brian J; Young-Petersen, Bonnie

2018-01-01

Recent research on pornography suggests that perception of addiction predicts negative outcomes above and beyond pornography use. Research has also suggested that religious individuals are more likely to perceive themselves to be addicted to pornography, regardless of how often they are actually using pornography. Using a sample of 686 unmarried adults, this study reconciles and expands on previous research by testing perceived addiction to pornography as a mediator between religiosity and relationship anxiety surrounding pornography. Results revealed that pornography use and religiosity were weakly associated with higher relationship anxiety surrounding pornography use, whereas perception of pornography addiction was highly associated with relationship anxiety surrounding pornography use. However, when perception of pornography addiction was inserted as a mediator in a structural equation model, pornography use had a small indirect effect on relationship anxiety surrounding pornography use, and perception of pornography addiction partially mediated the association between religiosity and relationship anxiety surrounding pornography use. By understanding how pornography use, religiosity, and perceived pornography addiction connect to relationship anxiety surrounding pornography use in the early relationship formation stages, we hope to improve the chances of couples successfully addressing the subject of pornography and mitigate difficulties in romantic relationships.

Overexpression and purification of U24 from human herpesvirus type-6 in E. coli: unconventional use of oxidizing environments with a maltose binding protein-hexahistine dual tag to enhance membrane protein yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Straus Suzana K

2011-06-01

hypothesis is supported by the fact that use of minimal media could enhance protein production compared to nutrient-rich LB media. Conclusions We have found optimal conditions for heterologous expression of U24 from Human Herpesvirus type-6 in E.coli and have demonstrated that milligram quantities of pure protein can be obtained. Strained metabolic conditions such as low temperature, minimal media and an oxidizing environment appeared essential for high-level, full-length protein production and this information may be useful for expressing other membrane proteins of interest.

An aerial radiological survey of Pocatello and Soda Springs, Idaho and surrounding area, June--July 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, H.A.

1987-02-01

Three aerial radiological surveys were conducted during the period 16 June through 15 July 1986 over the towns of Pocatello, Soda Springs, and Fort Hall, Idaho and the surrounding areas. The surveys were performed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL), utilizing the Aerial Measuring System (AMS). This work was completed in cooperation with a study by the EPA to conduct a dose assessment of human radiation exposure for industrial sources in Pocatello and Soda Springs, Idaho. The aerial surveys were performed to document the natural terrestrial radiological environment of the three localities and to map the spatial extent and degree of contamination due to phosphate milling operations. The results of these surveys will be used for planning ground-based measurements in addition to being incorporated into the dose assessment document. 4 refs., 14 figs., 6 tabs

Radiophysical and geomagnetic effects of rocket burn and launch in the near-the-earth environment

CERN Document Server

Chernogor, Leonid F

2013-01-01

Radiophysical and Geomagnetic Effects of Rocket Burn and Launch in the Near-the-Earth Environment describes experimental and theoretical studies on the effects of rocket burns and launchings on the near-the-Earth environment and geomagnetic fields. It illuminates the main geophysical and radiophysical effects on the ionosphere and magnetosphere surrounding the Earth that accompany rocket or cosmic apparatus burns and launchings from 1,000 to 10,000 kilometers.The book analyzes the disturbances of plasma and the ambient magnetic and electric fields in the near-Earth environment from rocket burn

Doxorubicin hinders DNA condensation promoted by the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA).

Science.gov (United States)

Lima, C H M; de Paula, H M C; da Silva, L H M; Rocha, M S

2017-12-01

In this work, we have studied the interaction between the anticancer drug doxorubicin (doxo) and condensed DNA, using optical tweezers. To perform this task, we use the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the working buffer to mimic two key conditions present in the real intracellular environment: the condensed state of the DNA and the abundant presence of charged macromolecules in the surrounding medium. In particular, we have found that, when doxo is previously intercalated in disperse DNA, the drug hinders the DNA condensation process upon the addition of BSA in the buffer. On the other hand, when bare DNA is firstly condensed by BSA, doxo is capable to intercalate and to unfold the DNA condensates at relatively high concentrations. In addition, a specific interaction between BSA and doxo was verified, which significantly changes the chemical equilibrium of the DNA-doxo interaction. Finally, the presence of BSA in the buffer stabilizes the double-helix structure of the DNA-doxo complexes, preventing partial DNA denaturation induced by the stretching forces. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Structure and function of the interphotoreceptor matrix surrounding retinal photoreceptor cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishikawa, Makoto; Sawada, Yu; Yoshitomi, Takeshi

2015-04-01

The interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) is a highly organized structure with interconnected domains surrounding cone and rod photoreceptor cells and extends throughout the subretinal space. Based on known roles of the extracellular matrix in other tissues, the IPM is thought to have several prominent functions including serving as a receptor for growth factors, regulating retinoid transport, participating in cytoskeletal organization in surrounding cells, and regulation of oxygen and nutrient transport. In addition, a number of studies suggest that the IPM also may play a significant role in the etiology of retinal degenerative disorders. In this review, we describe the present knowledge concerning the structure and function of the IPM under physiological and pathological conditions. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

An aerial radiological survey of the Salmon Site and surrounding area, Lamar County, Mississippi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kernan, W.J.

1994-05-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted over the former Atomic Energy Commission Test Site at the Salmon Site and surrounding area between April 20 and May 1, 1992. The Salmon Site is located in Lamar County, Mississippi, approximately 20 miles southwest of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the gamma-ray environment of the Salmon Site and adjacent lands. A contour map showing gamma radiation exposure rates at 1 meter above ground level was constructed from the aerial data and overlaid on a rectified aerial photograph of the area. The exposure rates within the area are between 5 and 8 μR/h. The reported exposure rates include a cosmic-ray contribution estimated to be 3.7 μR/h. Radionuclide assays of soil samples and in situ measurements, taken with a pressurized ion chamber and a high-purity germanium detector, were obtained at 4 locations within the survey boundaries. These measurements were taken in support of and are in agreement with the aerial data

Outside influence: The sense of agency takes into account what is in our surroundings.

Science.gov (United States)

Hon, Nicholas; Seow, Yin-Yi; Pereira, Don

2018-05-01

We are quite capable of distinguishing those outcomes we cause from those we do not. This ability to sense self-agency is thought to be produced by a comparison between a predictive representation of an outcome and the actual outcome that occurs. It is unclear, though, specifically what types of information can be entered into agency computations. Here, we demonstrate that information from non-target stimuli (stimuli that are not directly acted upon) incidentally present in our surroundings can influence predictions of outcomes, consequently modulating the sense of agency over clearly-defined target outcomes (those that occur to acted-upon stimuli). This provides the first evidence that our sense of agency is contextualized with respect to what is in our immediate visual environment. Furthermore, our data suggest that agency computations, instead of just a single comparison, may involve comparisons performed in stages, with different stages involving different types/classes of information. A model of such multi-stage comparisons is described. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Engineers' Perceptions of Diversity and the Learning Environment at Work: A Mixed Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Firestone, Brenda L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this dissertation research study was to investigate engineers' perceptions of diversity and the workplace learning environment surrounding diversity education efforts in engineering occupations. The study made use of a mixed methods methodology and was theoretically framed using a critical feminist adult education lens and…

Radioactive influence of some phosphogypsum piles located at the SW Spain in their surrounding soils and salt-marshes

Science.gov (United States)

Bolivar, J. P.; Mosqueda, F.; Vaca, F.; Garcia-Tenorio, R.; Martinez-Sanchez, M. J.; Perez-Sirvent, C.; Martinez-Lopez, S.

2012-04-01

In the SW of Spain, just in the confluence of the mouths of the Tinto and Odiel River and in the vicinity of Huelva town, there is a big industrial complex which includes between others an industry devoted during more than 40 years to the production of phosphoric acid, by treating sedimentary phosphate rock by the so-called "wet acid method". As a by-product of the mentioned process it have been produced historically huge amounts of a compound called phosphogypsum, which composition is mostly di-hydrate calcium sulphate containing some of the impurities of heavy metals and natural radionuclides originally present in the raw material. Due to the lack of market for this by-product, it has been mostly piled over some salt-marshes located in the vicinity of the industry, on the bank of the Tinto River. About 100 million tons of phosphogypsum have been piled in an area covering more than 1000 hectares, constituting a clear environmental and radiological anomaly in the zone. The phosphogypsum piles set do not conform obviously a close system. They are interacting with the nearby environment mostly by leaching waters releases from the waters accumulated in them either for its previous use in transporting in suspension the PG from the factory or by rainfall. These waters leaks contain in solution enhanced amounts of heavy metals and radionuclides that can provoke the chemical and radioactive contamination in surroundings soil and salt-marshes areas. In this communication the radioactive influence by the phosphogypsum piles in the surrounding terrestrial environment is evaluated. This contamination is mostly due to radionuclides belonging to the uranium series, which are present originally in the raw material treated in the industry, and afterwards in the generated phosphogypsum, in enhanced amounts in relation to typical soils. In addition, the different dynamics and behavior of different radionuclides will be discussed and analyzed. The gained information in this study

The number and type of food retailers surrounding schools and their association with lunchtime eating behaviours in students.

Science.gov (United States)

Seliske, Laura; Pickett, William; Rosu, Andrei; Janssen, Ian

2013-02-07

The primary study objective was to examine whether the presence of food retailers surrounding schools was associated with students' lunchtime eating behaviours. The secondary objective was to determine whether measures of the food retail environment around schools captured using road network or circular buffers were more strongly related to eating behaviours while at school. Grade 9 and 10 students (N=6,971) who participated in the 2009/10 Canadian Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Survey were included in this study. The outcome was determined by students' self-reports of where they typically ate their lunch during school days. Circular and road network-based buffers were created for a 1 km distance surrounding 158 schools participating in the HBSC. The addresses of fast food restaurants, convenience stores and coffee/donut shops were mapped within the buffers. Multilevel logistic regression was used to determine whether there was a relationship between the presence of food retailers near schools and students regularly eating their lunch at a fast food restaurant, snack-bar or café. The Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) value, a measure of goodness-of-fit, was used to determine the optimal buffer type. For the 1 km circular buffers, students with 1-2 (OR= 1.10, 95% CI: 0.57-2.11), 3-4 (OR=1.45, 95% CI: 0.75-2.82) and ≥5 nearby food retailers (OR=2.94, 95% CI: 1.71-5.09) were more likely to eat lunch at a food retailer compared to students with no nearby food retailers. The relationships were slightly stronger when assessed via 1 km road network buffers, with a greater likelihood of eating at a food retailer for 1-2 (OR=1.20, 95% CI:0.74-1.95), 3-4 (OR=3.19, 95% CI: 1.66-6.13) and ≥5 nearby food retailers (OR=3.54, 95% CI: 2.08-6.02). Road network buffers appeared to provide a better measure of the food retail environment, as indicated by a lower AIC value (3332 vs. 3346). There was a strong relationship between the presence of food retailers near

The number and type of food retailers surrounding schools and their association with lunchtime eating behaviours in students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seliske Laura

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The primary study objective was to examine whether the presence of food retailers surrounding schools was associated with students’ lunchtime eating behaviours. The secondary objective was to determine whether measures of the food retail environment around schools captured using road network or circular buffers were more strongly related to eating behaviours while at school. Methods Grade 9 and 10 students (N=6,971 who participated in the 2009/10 Canadian Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Survey were included in this study. The outcome was determined by students’ self-reports of where they typically ate their lunch during school days. Circular and road network-based buffers were created for a 1 km distance surrounding 158 schools participating in the HBSC. The addresses of fast food restaurants, convenience stores and coffee/donut shops were mapped within the buffers. Multilevel logistic regression was used to determine whether there was a relationship between the presence of food retailers near schools and students regularly eating their lunch at a fast food restaurant, snack-bar or café. The Akaike Information Criteria (AIC value, a measure of goodness-of-fit, was used to determine the optimal buffer type. Results For the 1 km circular buffers, students with 1–2 (OR= 1.10, 95% CI: 0.57-2.11, 3–4 (OR=1.45, 95% CI: 0.75-2.82 and ≥5 nearby food retailers (OR=2.94, 95% CI: 1.71-5.09 were more likely to eat lunch at a food retailer compared to students with no nearby food retailers. The relationships were slightly stronger when assessed via 1 km road network buffers, with a greater likelihood of eating at a food retailer for 1–2 (OR=1.20, 95% CI:0.74-1.95, 3–4 (OR=3.19, 95% CI: 1.66-6.13 and ≥5 nearby food retailers (OR=3.54, 95% CI: 2.08-6.02. Road network buffers appeared to provide a better measure of the food retail environment, as indicated by a lower AIC value (3332 vs. 3346. Conclusions There

Rapid evolution of coral proteins responsible for interaction with the environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian R Voolstra

Full Text Available Corals worldwide are in decline due to climate change effects (e.g., rising seawater temperatures, pollution, and exploitation. The ability of corals to cope with these stressors in the long run depends on the evolvability of the underlying genetic networks and proteins, which remain largely unknown. A genome-wide scan for positively selected genes between related coral species can help to narrow down the search space considerably.We screened a set of 2,604 putative orthologs from EST-based sequence datasets of the coral species Acropora millepora and Acropora palmata to determine the fraction and identity of proteins that may experience adaptive evolution. 7% of the orthologs show elevated rates of evolution. Taxonomically-restricted (i.e. lineage-specific genes show a positive selection signature more frequently than genes that are found across many animal phyla. The class of proteins that displayed elevated evolutionary rates was significantly enriched for proteins involved in immunity and defense, reproduction, and sensory perception. We also found elevated rates of evolution in several other functional groups such as management of membrane vesicles, transmembrane transport of ions and organic molecules, cell adhesion, and oxidative stress response. Proteins in these processes might be related to the endosymbiotic relationship corals maintain with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium.This study provides a birds-eye view of the processes potentially underlying coral adaptation, which will serve as a foundation for future work to elucidate the rates, patterns, and mechanisms of corals' evolutionary response to global climate change.

Rapid Evolution of Coral Proteins Responsible for Interaction with the Environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voolstra, Christian R.; Sunagawa, Shinichi; Matz, Mikhail V.; Bayer, Till; Aranda, Manuel; Buschiazzo, Emmanuel; DeSalvo, Michael K.; Lindquist, Erika; Szmant, Alina M.; Coffroth, Mary Alice; Medina, Monica

2011-01-31

Background: Corals worldwide are in decline due to climate change effects (e.g., rising seawater temperatures), pollution, and exploitation. The ability of corals to cope with these stressors in the long run depends on the evolvability of the underlying genetic networks and proteins, which remain largely unknown. A genome-wide scan for positively selected genes between related coral species can help to narrow down the search space considerably. Methodology/Principal Findings: We screened a set of 2,604 putative orthologs from EST-based sequence datasets of the coral species Acropora millepora and Acropora palmata to determine the fraction and identity of proteins that may experience adaptive evolution. 7percent of the orthologs show elevated rates of evolution. Taxonomically-restricted (i.e. lineagespecific) genes show a positive selection signature more frequently than genes that are found across many animal phyla. The class of proteins that displayed elevated evolutionary rates was significantly enriched for proteins involved in immunity and defense, reproduction, and sensory perception. We also found elevated rates of evolution in several other functional groups such as management of membrane vesicles, transmembrane transport of ions and organic molecules, cell adhesion, and oxidative stress response. Proteins in these processes might be related to the endosymbiotic relationship corals maintain with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. Conclusion/Relevance: This study provides a birds-eye view of the processes potentially underlying coral adaptation, which will serve as a foundation for future work to elucidate the rates, patterns, and mechanisms of corals? evolutionary response to global climate change.

Water-mediated influence of a crowded environment on internal vibrations of a protein molecule.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuffel, Anna; Zielkiewicz, Jan

2016-02-14

The influence of crowding on the protein inner dynamics is examined by putting a single protein molecule close to one or two neighboring protein molecules. The presence of additional molecules influences the amplitudes of protein fluctuations. Also, a weak dynamical coupling of collective velocities of surface atoms of proteins separated by a layer of water is detected. The possible mechanisms of these phenomena are described. The cross-correlation function of the collective velocities of surface atoms of two proteins was decomposed into the Fourier series. The amplitude spectrum displays a peak at low frequencies. Also, the results of principal component analysis suggest that the close presence of an additional protein molecule influences the high-amplitude, low-frequency modes in the most prominent way. This part of the spectrum covers biologically important protein motions. The neighbor-induced changes in the inner dynamics of the protein may be connected with the changes in the velocity power spectrum of interfacial water. The additional protein molecule changes the properties of solvation water and in this way it can influence the dynamics of the second protein. It is suggested that this phenomenon may be described, at first approximation, by a damped oscillator driven by an external random force. This model was successfully applied to conformationally rigid Choristoneura fumiferana antifreeze protein molecules.

An aerial radiological survey of the Seabrook Nuclear Station and surrounding area, Seabrook, New Hampshire, July 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-09-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted over the Seabrook Nuclear Station, Seabrook, New Hampshire, during the period 6 July through 14 July 1988. The purpose of the 247-square-kilometer (96-square-mile) survey was to document the terrestrial gamma environment of the station and surrounding area. An exposure rate contour map at 1 meter above ground level (AGL) was constructed from the gamma data and overlaid on an aerial photograph and map of the area. Exposure rates measured in the area typically ranged form 9 to 12 microroentgens per hour (μR/h). In areas where water shielded the earth, lower exposure rates were measured. Ground-based exposure rate measurements and soil samples were obtained to support the aerial data. Oblique aerial photographs of the station were also acquired during the survey. 9 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

The ALIVE Project: Astronomy Learning in Immersive Virtual Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, K. C.; Sahami, K.; Denn, G.

2008-06-01

The Astronomy Learning in Immersive Virtual Environments (ALIVE) project seeks to discover learning modes and optimal teaching strategies using immersive virtual environments (VEs). VEs are computer-generated, three-dimensional environments that can be navigated to provide multiple perspectives. Immersive VEs provide the additional benefit of surrounding a viewer with the simulated reality. ALIVE evaluates the incorporation of an interactive, real-time ``virtual universe'' into formal college astronomy education. In the experiment, pre-course, post-course, and curriculum tests will be used to determine the efficacy of immersive visualizations presented in a digital planetarium versus the same visual simulations in the non-immersive setting of a normal classroom, as well as a control case using traditional classroom multimedia. To normalize for inter-instructor variability, each ALIVE instructor will teach at least one of each class in each of the three test groups.

Targeting the intracellular environment in cystic fibrosis: restoring autophagy as a novel strategy to circumvent the CFTR defect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeria Rachela Villella

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Cystic fibrosis (CF patients harboring the most common deletion mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR, F508del, are poor responders to potentiators of CFTR channel activity which can be used to treat a small subset of CF patients who genetically carry plasma membrane-resident CFTR mutants. The misfolded F508del-CFTR protein is unstable in the plasma membrane even if rescued by pharmacological agents that prevent its intracellular retention and degradation. CF is a conformational disease in which defective CFTR induces an impressive derangement of general proteostasis resulting from disabled autophagy. In this review, we discuss how rescuing Beclin 1 (BECN1, a major player of autophagosome formation, either by means of direct gene transfer or indirectly by administration of proteostasis regulators, could stabilize F508del-CFTR at the plasma membrane. We focus on the relationship between the improvement of peripheral proteostasis and CFTR plasma membrane stability in F508del-CFTR homozygous bronchial epithelia or mouse lungs. Moreover, this article reviews recent preclinical evidence indicating that targeting the intracellular environment surrounding the misfolded mutant CFTR instead of protein itself could constitute an attractive therapeutic option to sensitize patients carrying the F508del-CFTR mutation to the beneficial action of CFTR potentiators on lung inflammation.

Targeting the Intracellular Environment in Cystic Fibrosis: Restoring Autophagy as a Novel Strategy to Circumvent the CFTR Defect

Science.gov (United States)

Villella, Valeria Rachela; Esposito, Speranza; Bruscia, Emanuela M.; Maiuri, Maria Chiara; Raia, Valeria; Kroemer, Guido; Maiuri, Luigi

2013-01-01

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients harboring the most common deletion mutation of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), F508del, are poor responders to potentiators of CFTR channel activity which can be used to treat a small subset of CF patients who genetically carry plasma membrane (PM)-resident CFTR mutants. The misfolded F508del-CFTR protein is unstable in the PM even if rescued by pharmacological agents that prevent its intracellular retention and degradation. CF is a conformational disease in which defective CFTR induces an impressive derangement of general proteostasis resulting from disabled autophagy. In this review, we discuss how rescuing Beclin 1 (BECN1), a major player of autophagosome formation, either by means of direct gene transfer or indirectly by administration of proteostasis regulators, could stabilize F508del-CFTR at the PM. We focus on the relationship between the improvement of peripheral proteostasis and CFTR PM stability in F508del-CFTR homozygous bronchial epithelia or mouse lungs. Moreover, this article reviews recent pre-clinical evidence indicating that targeting the intracellular environment surrounding the misfolded mutant CFTR instead of protein itself could constitute an attractive therapeutic option to sensitize patients carrying the F508del-CFTR mutation to the beneficial action of CFTR potentiators on lung inflammation. PMID:23346057

Moisture sorption isotherms of dehydrated whey proteins

OpenAIRE

Suzana Rimac Brnčić; Vesna Lelas; Zoran Herceg; Marija Badanjak

2010-01-01

Moisture sorption isotherms describe the relation between the moisture content of the dry material (food) and relative humidity of the surrounding environment. The data obtained are important in modelling of drying process conditions, packaging and shelf-life stability of food that will provide maximum retaining of aroma, colour and texture as well as nutritive and biological value. The objective of this research was to establish the equilibrium moisture content and water activity, as well as...

An aerial radiological survey of the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station and surrounding area, Bay City, Texas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, J.M.

1988-12-01

An aerial radiological survey was conducted over the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station (STPEGS) near Bay City, Texas, during the period 25 March to 4 April 1988. The purpose of the 259-square-kilometer (100-square-mile) survey was to document the terrestrial gamma environment of the plant and surrounding area. An exposure rate contour map at 1 meter above ground level (AGL) was constructed from the gamma data and overlaid on an aerial photograph and map of the area. Exposure rates were observed up to 10μR/h over land. No areas of enhanced exposure rates were observed. Ground-based exposure rate measurements and soil samples were obtained to support the aerial data. Oblique aerial photographs of the plant were also acquired during the survey. 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

S-layer fusion protein as a tool functionalizing emulsomes and CurcuEmulsomes for antibody binding and targeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ucisik, Mehmet H; Küpcü, Seta; Breitwieser, Andreas; Gelbmann, Nicola; Schuster, Bernhard; Sleytr, Uwe B

2015-04-01

Selective targeting of tumor cells by nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems is highly desirable because it maximizes the drug concentration at the desired target while simultaneously protecting the surrounding healthy tissues. Here, we show a design for smart nanocarriers based on a biomimetic approach that utilizes the building principle of virus envelope structures. Emulsomes and CurcuEmulsomes comprising a tripalmitin solid core surrounded by phospholipid layers are modified by S-layer proteins that self-assemble into a two-dimensional array to form a surface layer. One significant advantage of this nanoformulation is that it increases the solubility of the lipophilic anti-cancer agent curcumin in the CurcuEmulsomes by a factor of 2700. In order to make the emulsomes specific for IgG, the S-layer protein is fused with two protein G domains. This S-layer fusion protein preserves its recrystallization characteristics, forming an ordered surface layer (square lattice with 13 nm unit-by-unit distance). The GG domains are presented in a predicted orientation and exhibit a selective binding affinity for IgG. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE STABILITY OF SURROUNDING ROCK IN TUNNEL BLASTING CONSTRUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongxian Fu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, criteria and blasting technologies are introduced in order to control the stability of surrounding rock of tunnel built using drill-and-blast safety. The paper is composed of three parts, namely, a blast vibration propagation law in roof surrounding rock in close proximity to tunnel face, two formulae to calculate particle critical vibration velocity of shotcrete and key structural element at the roof of tunnel, and innovative technologies of tunnel blasting. The blast vibration propagation law is the base to control the stability of surrounding rock during tunnel blasting. Based on Morhr-Coulomb criterion and the dynamic analysis, two formulae to calculate the critical particle vibration velocity are proposed. Based on a series of trial blasts using electronic detonators, two innovative blasting technologies are derived. One is the blast holes detonated one by one by using electronic detonator, and another is the blast holes detonated by combining initiation system of electronic detonators and nonel detonators. The use of electronic detonators in tunnel blasting not only leads to a smaller blast vibration but also to a smaller extent of the EDZ (excavation damaged zone.

Nanodisc-Tm: Rapid functional assessment of nanodisc reconstituted membrane proteins by CPM assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashok, Yashwanth; Jaakola, Veli-Pekka

2016-01-01

Membrane proteins are generally unstable in detergents. Therefore, biochemical and biophysical studies of membrane proteins in lipidic environments provides a near native-like environment suitable for membrane proteins. However, manipulation of proteins embedded in lipid bilayer has remained difficult. Methods such as nanodiscs and lipid cubic phase have been developed for easy manipulation of membrane proteins and have yielded significant insights into membrane proteins. Traditionally functional reconstitution of receptors in nanodiscs has been studied with radioligands. We present a simple and faster method for studying the functionality of reconstituted membrane proteins for routine characterization of protein batches after initial optimization of suitable conditions using radioligands. The benefits of the method are •Faster and generic method to assess functional reconstitution of membrane proteins.•Adaptable in high throughput format (≥96 well format).•Stability measurement in near-native lipid environment and lipid dependent melting temperatures.

33 CFR 165.1411 - Security zone; waters surrounding U.S. Forces vessel SBX-1, HI.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Security zone; waters surrounding U.S. Forces vessel SBX-1, HI. 165.1411 Section 165.1411 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD... § 165.1411 Security zone; waters surrounding U.S. Forces vessel SBX-1, HI. (a) Location. The following...

Personalized learning Ecologies in Problem and Project Based Learning Environments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rongbutsri, Nikorn; Ryberg, Thomas; Zander, Pär-Ola

2012-01-01

is in contrast to an artificial learning setting often found in traditional education. As many other higher education institutions, Aalborg University aims at providing learning environments that support the underlying pedagogical approach employed, and which can lead to different online and offline learning.......g. coordination, communication, negotiation, document sharing, calendars, meetings and version control. Furthermore, the pedagogical fabric of LMSs/VLEs have recently been called into question and critiqued by proponents of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)(Ryberg, Buus, & Georgsen, 2011) . In sum....... making it important to understand and conceptualise students’ use of technology. Ecology is the study of relationship between organisms in an environment which is the set of circumstances surrounding that organism. Learning ecologies are the study of the relationship of a learner or a group of learners...

The influence of environment and energy macro surroundings on the development of tourism in the 21st century.

Science.gov (United States)

Jovicić, Dobrica

2012-06-01

Trying to anticipate the future of tourism may be a particularly fraught task. However, this does not mean that trying to predict the future of tourism is not without value. From a business perspective, examining the future enables firms to anticipate new business conditions and develop new strategies. From a destination perspective, reflections on the future enable consideration of how to maintain or improve the qualities of a destination. The paper is focused on an analysis of the impacts of the energy and ecological macro environments on tourism trends in 21st century. Mass international tourism has thrived on the abundant and cheap supply of energy, and this may be about to change as the world moves towards 'Peak Oil'. The resultant scarcity and high price of all energy fuels will produce changes in human activities, specifically in tourism. The basis of the health of the economy is the health of the environment. Therefore issues of global environmental changes are increasingly influencing consideration of trends in tourism. In this looming transitional era tourism needs to make some dramatic changes to harmonize with the new realities of a post-energy world affected additionaly by global warming and other environmental changes.

A chloroplast thylakoid lumen protein is required for proper photosynthetic acclimation of plants under fluctuating light environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jun; Last, Robert L

2017-09-19

Despite our increasingly sophisticated understanding of mechanisms ensuring efficient photosynthesis under laboratory-controlled light conditions, less is known about the regulation of photosynthesis under fluctuating light. This is important because-in nature-photosynthetic organisms experience rapid and extreme changes in sunlight, potentially causing deleterious effects on photosynthetic efficiency and productivity. Here we report that the chloroplast thylakoid lumenal protein MAINTENANCE OF PHOTOSYSTEM II UNDER HIGH LIGHT 2 (MPH2; encoded by At4g02530 ) is required for growth acclimation of Arabidopsis thaliana plants under controlled photoinhibitory light and fluctuating light environments. Evidence is presented that mph2 mutant light stress susceptibility results from a defect in photosystem II (PSII) repair, and our results are consistent with the hypothesis that MPH2 is involved in disassembling monomeric complexes during regeneration of dimeric functional PSII supercomplexes. Moreover, mph2 -and previously characterized PSII repair-defective mutants-exhibited reduced growth under fluctuating light conditions, while PSII photoprotection-impaired mutants did not. These findings suggest that repair is not only required for PSII maintenance under static high-irradiance light conditions but is also a regulatory mechanism facilitating photosynthetic adaptation under fluctuating light environments. This work has implications for improvement of agricultural plant productivity through engineering PSII repair.

Radiation Impact to Environment of Non-nuclear Industry in Hunan,Hubei and Jiangxi Provinces

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

SONG; Wei-jie; CHENG; Wei-ya

2015-01-01

According to the gas,liquid effluent monitoring and survey results of non nuclear industry in Hunan,Hubei and Jiangxi provinces,the radiation effects of which on the surrounding environment were analysis and evaluation.Evaluation industrials includes three coal-fired power plants,two rare earth ores,two cement factories,one

Diversity of vascular plants of Piestany and surroundings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penzesova, A.; Galusova, T.

2013-01-01

In the present work is a summary of the results of floristic research aimed at determining diversity of vascular plants of Piestany and its surroundings. Plant taxa we determined using the designation keys. We have compiled a list of plant species occurring in the monitored area, we evaluated the selected botanical-phytogeographical characteristics of flora, we've put together a list of local protected, endangered and rare species and a list of local invasive and expansive species according to sources. (Authors)

Opportunity's Surroundings After Sol 1820 Drive

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity used its navigation camera to take the images combined into this full-circle view of the rover's surroundings during the 1,820th to 1,822nd Martian days, or sols, of Opportunity's surface mission (March 7 to 9, 2009). South is at the center; north at both ends. The rover had driven 20.6 meters toward the northwest on Sol 1820 before beginning to take the frames in this view. Tracks from that drive recede southwestward. For scale, the distance between the parallel wheel tracks is about 1 meter (about 40 inches). The terrain in this portion of Mars' Meridiani Planum region includes dark-toned sand ripples and small exposures of lighter-toned bedrock. This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.

Lovelock black holes surrounded by quintessence

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sushant G.; Maharaj, Sunil D.; Baboolal, Dharmanand; Lee, Tae-Hun

2018-02-01

Lovelock gravity consisting of the dimensionally continued Euler densities is a natural generalization of general relativity to higher dimensions such that equations of motion are still second order, and the theory is free of ghosts. A scalar field with a positive potential that yields an accelerating universe has been termed quintessence. We present exact black hole solutions in D-dimensional Lovelock gravity surrounded by quintessence matter and also perform a detailed thermodynamical study. Further, we find that the mass, entropy and temperature of the black hole are corrected due to the quintessence background. In particular, we find that a phase transition occurs with a divergence of the heat capacity at the critical horizon radius, and that specific heat becomes positive for r_h

Context-dependent protein folding of a virulence peptide in the bacterial and host environments: structure of an SycH–YopH chaperone–effector complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vujanac, Milos; Stebbins, C. Erec

2013-01-01

The structure of a SycH–YopH chaperone–effector complex from Yersinia reveals the bacterial state of a protein that adopts different folds in the host and pathogen environments. Yersinia pestis injects numerous bacterial proteins into host cells through an organic nanomachine called the type 3 secretion system. One such substrate is the tyrosine phosphatase YopH, which requires an interaction with a cognate chaperone in order to be effectively injected. Here, the first crystal structure of a SycH–YopH complex is reported, determined to 1.9 Å resolution. The structure reveals the presence of (i) a nonglobular polypeptide in YopH, (ii) a so-called β-motif in YopH and (iii) a conserved hydrophobic patch in SycH that recognizes the β-motif. Biochemical studies establish that the β-motif is critical to the stability of this complex. Finally, since previous work has shown that the N-terminal portion of YopH adopts a globular fold that is functional in the host cell, aspects of how this polypeptide adopts radically different folds in the host and in the bacterial environments are analysed

The dose distribution surrounding 192Ir and 137Cs seed sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomason, C.; Mackie, T.R.; Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI; Lindstrom, M.J.; Higgins, P.D.

1991-01-01

Dose distributions in water were measured using LiF thermoluminescent dosemeters for 192 Ir seed sources with stainless steel and with platinum encapsulation to determine the effect of differing encapsulation. Dose distribution was measured for a 137 Cs seed source. In addition, dose distributions surrounding these sources were calculated using the EGS4 Monte Carlo code and were compared to measured data. The two methods are in good agreement for all three sources. Tables are given describing dose distribution surrounding each source as a function of distance and angle. Specific dose constants were also determined from results of Monte Carlo simulation. This work confirms the use of the EGS4 Monte Carlo code in modelling 192 Ir and 137 Cs seed sources to obtain brachytherapy dose distributions. (author)

The Intracellular Destiny of the Protein Corona : A Study on its Cellular Internalization and Evolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bertoli, Filippo; Garry, David; Monopoli, Marco P.; Salvati, Anna; Dawson, Kenneth A.

2016-01-01

It has been well established that the early stages of nanoparticle cell interactions are governed, at least in part, by the layer of proteins and other biomolecules adsorbed and slowly exchanged with the surrounding biological media (biomolecular corona). Subsequent to membrane interactions,

Demands for improvement in working surroundings for older workers in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shizawa, Yasuhiro; Sakuda, Hiroshi; Ohashi, Tomoki

2003-01-01

Workers in three nuclear power plants belonging to Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. were asked to complete a questionnaire. According to the accident reports, workers aged 50 or older had more accidents than those in 30s or 40s. Moreover, it is predicted that the average age of workers in Japan will increase during the first half of the 21st century. Therefore, investigations into working surroundings in which older workers can better perform their work would be useful. To this end, a questionnaire addressing issues related to working surroundings was conducted among workers in nuclear power plants and the demands for improvement of working surroundings for older workers are summarized. The demands of 'better lighting', 'making things less heavy', and installation of an elevator' were correlated with age, indicating that younger people have a tendency not to notice these issues. Thus, if the authority deciding on improvements in working surroundings is not an older worker, it is especially important that lighting, the weights of objects to be moved, and methods of moving between floors is taken into account. Findings specific to nuclear power plants were also reported. For example, employees who worked in the non-radiation controlled area demanded the installation of air conditioning and those who worked in the radiation controlled area demanded the establishment of a rest area. Further, we have developed a guidebook entitled 'a guidebook supporting workers' cooperation among all generations' to promote cooperation between older and younger workers. (author)

Models and Approaches for Integrating Protected Areas with Their Surroundings: A Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenwu Du

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Several studies have identified threats that originate in areas surrounding protected areas (PAs. While there have been various efforts to integrate PAs with their surroundings, considerable challenges remain. Here we summarize these efforts to date, discuss their effectiveness, and provide recommendations for future research. Based on a broad literature review of theoretical and applied approaches, we have outlined 68 models for balancing conservation and sustainable development in PAs. We comprehensively analyzed 23 of these models for integrating PAs with their surroundings. They were divided into two categories: area-oriented and process-oriented approaches. This review reveals the absolute necessity of combining these two approaches for future conservation and sustainable development of PAs.

Quantitative proteomics reveals the kinetics of trypsin-catalyzed protein digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yanbo; Cheng, Kai; Mao, Jiawei; Liu, Fangjie; Liu, Jing; Ye, Mingliang; Zou, Hanfa

2014-10-01

Trypsin is the popular protease to digest proteins into peptides in shotgun proteomics, but few studies have attempted to systematically investigate the kinetics of trypsin-catalyzed protein digestion in proteome samples. In this study, we applied quantitative proteomics via triplex stable isotope dimethyl labeling to investigate the kinetics of trypsin-catalyzed cleavage. It was found that trypsin cleaves the C-terminal to lysine (K) and arginine (R) residues with higher rates for R. And the cleavage sites surrounded by neutral residues could be quickly cut, while those with neighboring charged residues (D/E/K/R) or proline residue (P) could be slowly cut. In a proteome sample, a huge number of proteins with different physical chemical properties coexists. If any type of protein could be preferably digested, then limited digestion could be applied to reduce the sample complexity. However, we found that protein abundance and other physicochemical properties, such as molecular weight (Mw), grand average of hydropathicity (GRAVY), aliphatic index, and isoelectric point (pI) have no notable correlation with digestion priority of proteins.

The analysis of creep characteristics of the surrounding rock of the carbonaceous rock tunnel based on Singh-Mitchell model

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Junhui; Mi, Decai; Ye, Qiongyao; Deng, Shengqiang; Zeng, Fuquan; Zeng, Yongjun

2018-01-01

Carbonaceous rock has the characteristics of easy disintegration, softening, swelling and environmental sensitivity, which belongs to soft surrounding rock, and the deformation during excavation and long-term stability of the surrounding rock of carbonaceous rock tunnel are common problems in the construction of carbonaceous rock tunnel. According to the above, the Monitor and measure the displacement, temperature and osmotic pressure of the surrounding carbonaceous rock of the tunnel of Guangxi Hebai highway. Then it based on the obtaining data to study the creep mechanism of surrounding rock using Singh-Mitchell model and predict the deformation of surrounding rock before the tunnel is operation. The results show that the Singh-Mitchell creep model can effectively analyse and predict the deformation development law of surrounding rock of tunnel without considering temperature and osmotic pressure, it can provide reference for the construction of carbonaceous rock tunnel and the measures to prevent and reinforce it..

Potemkin Ranch : blending industrial buildings into their surrounding environments is a good idea that may yet catch on

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stastny, P.

2006-01-01

The oil and gas industry is attempting to blend into their surroundings in order to improve relations with landowners. This article presented details of a 7.5 million-cubic-feet-per-day gas facility disguised as a cattleman's ranch through the use of convincing facades. The compressor unit is disguised as a ranch house, while the dehydration unit looks like a carriage house. Electrical controls are housed in a separate bunkhouse. In 2001, a skid-mounted refrigeration unit was added and enclosed in a barn facade. The total cost over and above a typical metal-clad gas facility was approximately $100,000, almost 4 per cent of the total facility cost of $2.5 million. While some companies have been using colour to camouflage facilities for many years, other companies have placed more importance on noise suppression, which can add 10 to 20 per cent to the cost of each building. In order to improve noise control, some facilities are now being constructed in topographical low spots with insulated enclosures and hospital-grade mufflers. Pioneer Canada has recently camouflaged a gas facility to mimic a farm which was subsequently fitted with standard noise attenuation. The company's new standard of noise reduction has resulted in additional costs of up to $200,000 per site. Landowners have commented favourably on Pioneer Canada's camouflage efforts. It was concluded that as land access becomes an even bigger issue in some plays, operators may increasingly use architectural features to make their facilities less obtrusive. 5 figs

Potemkin Ranch : blending industrial buildings into their surrounding environments is a good idea that may yet catch on

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stastny, P.

2006-09-15

The oil and gas industry is attempting to blend into their surroundings in order to improve relations with landowners. This article presented details of a 7.5 million-cubic-feet-per-day gas facility disguised as a cattleman's ranch through the use of convincing facades. The compressor unit is disguised as a ranch house, while the dehydration unit looks like a carriage house. Electrical controls are housed in a separate bunkhouse. In 2001, a skid-mounted refrigeration unit was added and enclosed in a barn facade. The total cost over and above a typical metal-clad gas facility was approximately $100,000, almost 4 per cent of the total facility cost of $2.5 million. While some companies have been using colour to camouflage facilities for many years, other companies have placed more importance on noise suppression, which can add 10 to 20 per cent to the cost of each building. In order to improve noise control, some facilities are now being constructed in topographical low spots with insulated enclosures and hospital-grade mufflers. Pioneer Canada has recently camouflaged a gas facility to mimic a farm which was subsequently fitted with standard noise attenuation. The company's new standard of noise reduction has resulted in additional costs of up to $200,000 per site. Landowners have commented favourably on Pioneer Canada's camouflage efforts. It was concluded that as land access becomes an even bigger issue in some plays, operators may increasingly use architectural features to make their facilities less obtrusive. 5 figs.

Specific leaf mass, fresh: dry weight ratio, sugar and protein contents in species of Lamiaceae from different light environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Castrillo

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Samples from eleven species of Lamiaceae were collected from different light environments in Venezuela for laboratory analysis.The studied species were: Plectranthus scutellarioides (Ps, Scutellaria purpurascens (Sp, Hyptis pectinata (Hp, H. sinuata (Hs, Leonorus japonicus (Lj, Plecthranthus amboinicus (Pa Ocimum basilicum (Ocb, O.campechianum (Occ Origanum majorana (Orm, Rosmarinus officinali ,(Ro and Salvia officinalis (So. Protein and soluble sugar contents per unit of area were measured, Specific Leaf Mass (SLMand fresh: dry weight (FW/DW ratios were calculated. The higher values for soluble sugars contents were present in sun species: Lj, Pa, Ocb, Occ, Or. m, Ro and So; the lower values were obtained in low light species: Ps, Sp, Hp, Hs. The values of protein content do not show any clear trend or difference between sun and shade environments. The lowest values for the fresh weight: dry weight ratio are observed in sun species with the exception of Lj and Pa, while the highest value is observed in Pa, a succulent plant. The higher values of specific leaf mass (SLM(Kg DMm-2 are observed in sun plants. The two way ANOVA revealed that there were significant differences among species and between sun and low light environments for sugar content and FW: DW ratio, while SLM was significant for environments but no significant for species, and not significant for protein for both species and environments. The soluble sugar content, FW: DW ratio and SLM values obtained in this work, show a clear separation between sun and shade plants. The sugar content and FW:DW ratio are distinctive within the species,and the light environment affected sugar content, FW:DW ratio and SLM. These species may be shade-tolerant and able to survive in sunny environments. Perhaps these species originated in shaded environments and have been adapting to sunny habitats.Rev.Biol.Trop.53(1-2:23-28.Epub 2005 Jun 24En once especies de la familia Lamiaceae: Plecthranthus

Arraying proteins by cell-free synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Mingyue; Wang, Ming-Wei

2007-10-01

Recent advances in life science have led to great motivation for the development of protein arrays to study functions of genome-encoded proteins. While traditional cell-based methods have been commonly used for generating protein arrays, they are usually a time-consuming process with a number of technical challenges. Cell-free protein synthesis offers an attractive system for making protein arrays, not only does it rapidly converts the genetic information into functional proteins without the need for DNA cloning, but also presents a flexible environment amenable to production of folded proteins or proteins with defined modifications. Recent advancements have made it possible to rapidly generate protein arrays from PCR DNA templates through parallel on-chip protein synthesis. This article reviews current cell-free protein array technologies and their proteomic applications.

Influence of the urban environment on the effectiveness of natural night-ventilation of an office building

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramponi, R.; Gaetani, I.; Angelotti, A.

2014-01-01

The effectiveness of natural night-ventilation in the urban environment depends on local climate characteristics, but also on solar shading and wind shielding effects of the surrounding buildings. However, the impact of the latter factors on the effectiveness of night-ventilation is often

[Effect of solution environments on ceramic membrane microfiltration of model system of Chinese medicines].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lianjun; Lu, Jin; Le, Kang; Fu, Tingming; Guo, Liwei

2010-07-01

To investigate the effect of differents solution environments on the ceramic membrane microfiltration of model system of Chinese medicines. Taking binary system of soybean protein-berberine as the research object, flux, transmittance of berberine and traping rate of protein as indexes, different solution environment on membrane process were investigated. When the concentration of soybean protein was under 1 g x L(-1), the membrane flux was minimum with the traping of berberine decreased slightly as the concentration increased. When pH was 4, the flux was maximum with the traping rate of protein was 99%, and the transmittance of berberine reached above 60%. The efficiency of membrane separation can be improved by optimizing the solution environment of water-extraction of chinese medicines. The efficiency of membrane separation is the best when adjust the pH to the isoelectric point of proteins for the proteins as the main pollutant in aqueous solution.

Phenylglyoxal-Based Visualization of Citrullinated Proteins on Western Blots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanne M. M. Hensen

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Citrullination is the conversion of peptidylarginine to peptidylcitrulline, which is catalyzed by peptidylarginine deiminases. This conversion is involved in different physiological processes and is associated with several diseases, including cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. A common method to detect citrullinated proteins relies on anti-modified citrulline antibodies directed to a specific chemical modification of the citrulline side chain. Here, we describe a versatile, antibody-independent method for the detection of citrullinated proteins on a membrane, based on the selective reaction of phenylglyoxal with the ureido group of citrulline under highly acidic conditions. The method makes use of 4-azidophenylglyoxal, which, after reaction with citrullinated proteins, can be visualized with alkyne-conjugated probes. The sensitivity of this procedure, using an alkyne-biotin probe, appeared to be comparable to the antibody-based detection method and independent of the sequence surrounding the citrulline.

Usefulness of virtual endoscopy for evaluating the relationship between the neck of intracranial aneurysm and surrounding vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Jota; Horie, Hitoshi; Ishikura, Reiichi; Ando, Kumiko; Morikawa, Tsutomu; Tominaga, Satoru; Nakao, Norio

2000-01-01

Application of three-dimensional CT virtual endoscopy for evaluation of the neck and surrounding vessels of intracranial aneurysms. 3D-CT virtual endoscopy (VE) is a reconstructed image using computer processing of 3D-CT images. We evaluated the usefulness of a virtual endoscopy to analyze the relationship between the neck of an intracranial aneurysm and the surrounding vessels. Eight cases with intracranial aneurysms underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and enhanced CT with transarterial infusion of contrast media. 3D-CT angiogram (3D-CTA) and virtual endoscopic images were obtained from the CT image data sets using surface rendering method. The relationship between the neck of an intracranial aneurysm and the surrounding vessels was confirmed by operation or IVR. VE clearly visualized the neck and surrounding vessels in all cases. Operation/IVR findings agreed with the virtual endoscopic findings in all cases, but not with the DSA or 3D-CTA findings in 4 and 2 cases, respectively. 3D-CTA and virtual endoscopy clearly visualizes the relationship between cerebral aneurysms and surrounding vessels, which is useful for determining IVR procedures. (author)

One Japanese case on taxation surrounding foreign trust

OpenAIRE

SUZUKI, Yuya

2015-01-01

Taxation surrounding trust at cross-border situation is paid attention to byworldwide basis. Japan is not exception. According to recent Japanesejurisprudence, where a trust had been established in accordance with State law ofNew Jersey, the U.S., it was disputed whether or not the act settling that trust fellwithin “shintaku koui (an act of trust)” and one of the related members, who had beena minor child at that time, fell within “jyueki sha (beneficiary)” under JapaneseInheritance Tax Act....

Modification of the protein corona–nanoparticle complex by physiological factors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun, Nicholas J.; DeBrosse, Madeleine C.; Hussain, Saber M. [Molecular Bioeffects Branch, Bioeffects Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate, 711 Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson AFB, 2729 R. St, Bldg 837, Dayton, OH, 45433 (United States); Comfort, Kristen K., E-mail: kcomfort1@udayton.edu [Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Dayton, 524 Kettering Laboratories, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469 (United States)

2016-07-01

Nanoparticle (NP) effects in a biological system are driven through the formation and structure of the protein corona–NP complex, which is dynamic by nature and dependent upon factors from both the local environment and NP physicochemical parameters. To date, considerable data has been gathered regarding the structure and behavior of the protein corona in blood, plasma, and traditional cell culture medium. However, there exists a knowledge gap pertaining to the protein corona in additional biological fluids and following incubation in a dynamic environment. Using 13 nm gold NPs (AuNPs), functionalized with either polyethylene glycol or tannic acid, we demonstrated that both particle characteristics and the associated protein corona were altered when exposed to artificial physiological fluids and under dynamic flow. Furthermore, the magnitude of observed behavioral shifts were dependent upon AuNP surface chemistry. Lastly, we revealed that exposure to interstitial fluid produced protein corona modifications, reshaping of the nano-cellular interface, modified AuNP dosimetry, and induction of previously unseen cytotoxicity. This study highlights the need to elucidate both NP and protein corona behavior in biologically representative environments in an effort to increase accurate interpretation of data and transfer of this knowledge to efficacy, behavior, and safety of nano-based applications. - Highlights: • Dynamic flow increased the size of the gold nanoparticle protein corona. • Exposure to biological fluids altered protein corona size and composition. • Interstitial fluid modified the nano-cellular interface and deposition efficiency. • Tannic acid coated nanoparticles induced toxicity in an interstitial environment.

Modification of the protein corona–nanoparticle complex by physiological factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braun, Nicholas J.; DeBrosse, Madeleine C.; Hussain, Saber M.; Comfort, Kristen K.

2016-01-01

Nanoparticle (NP) effects in a biological system are driven through the formation and structure of the protein corona–NP complex, which is dynamic by nature and dependent upon factors from both the local environment and NP physicochemical parameters. To date, considerable data has been gathered regarding the structure and behavior of the protein corona in blood, plasma, and traditional cell culture medium. However, there exists a knowledge gap pertaining to the protein corona in additional biological fluids and following incubation in a dynamic environment. Using 13 nm gold NPs (AuNPs), functionalized with either polyethylene glycol or tannic acid, we demonstrated that both particle characteristics and the associated protein corona were altered when exposed to artificial physiological fluids and under dynamic flow. Furthermore, the magnitude of observed behavioral shifts were dependent upon AuNP surface chemistry. Lastly, we revealed that exposure to interstitial fluid produced protein corona modifications, reshaping of the nano-cellular interface, modified AuNP dosimetry, and induction of previously unseen cytotoxicity. This study highlights the need to elucidate both NP and protein corona behavior in biologically representative environments in an effort to increase accurate interpretation of data and transfer of this knowledge to efficacy, behavior, and safety of nano-based applications. - Highlights: • Dynamic flow increased the size of the gold nanoparticle protein corona. • Exposure to biological fluids altered protein corona size and composition. • Interstitial fluid modified the nano-cellular interface and deposition efficiency. • Tannic acid coated nanoparticles induced toxicity in an interstitial environment.

Modeling Mercury in Proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Jeremy C [ORNL; Parks, Jerry M [ORNL

2016-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that is released into the biosphere both by natural processes and anthropogenic activities. Although its reduced, elemental form Hg(0) is relatively non-toxic, other forms such as Hg2+ and, in particular, its methylated form, methylmercury, are toxic, with deleterious effects on both ecosystems and humans. Microorganisms play important roles in the transformation of mercury in the environment. Inorganic Hg2+ can be methylated by certain bacteria and archaea to form methylmercury. Conversely, bacteria also demethylate methylmercury and reduce Hg2+ to relatively inert Hg(0). Transformations and toxicity occur as a result of mercury interacting with various proteins. Clearly, then, understanding the toxic effects of mercury and its cycling in the environment requires characterization of these interactions. Computational approaches are ideally suited to studies of mercury in proteins because they can provide a detailed picture and circumvent issues associated with toxicity. Here we describe computational methods for investigating and characterizing how mercury binds to proteins, how inter- and intra-protein transfer of mercury is orchestrated in biological systems, and how chemical reactions in proteins transform the metal. We describe quantum chemical analyses of aqueous Hg(II), which reveal critical factors that determine ligand binding propensities. We then provide a perspective on how we used chemical reasoning to discover how microorganisms methylate mercury. We also highlight our combined computational and experimental studies of the proteins and enzymes of the mer operon, a suite of genes that confers mercury resistance in many bacteria. Lastly, we place work on mercury in proteins in the context of what is needed for a comprehensive multi-scale model of environmental mercury cycling.

Pierced Lasso Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Patricia

Entanglement and knots are naturally occurring, where, in the microscopic world, knots in DNA and homopolymers are well characterized. The most complex knots are observed in proteins which are harder to investigate, as proteins are heteropolymers composed of a combination of 20 different amino acids with different individual biophysical properties. As new-knotted topologies and new proteins containing knots continue to be discovered and characterized, the investigation of knots in proteins has gained intense interest. Thus far, the principle focus has been on the evolutionary origin of tying a knot, with questions of how a protein chain `self-ties' into a knot, what the mechanism(s) are that contribute to threading, and the biological relevance and functional implication of a knotted topology in vivo gaining the most insight. Efforts to study the fully untied and unfolded chain indicate that the knot is highly stable, remaining intact in the unfolded state orders of magnitude longer than first anticipated. The persistence of ``stable'' knots in the unfolded state, together with the challenge of defining an unfolded and untied chain from an unfolded and knotted chain, complicates the study of fully untied protein in vitro. Our discovery of a new class of knotted proteins, the Pierced Lassos (PL) loop topology, simplifies the knotting approach. While PLs are not easily recognizable by the naked eye, they have now been identified in many proteins in the PDB through the use of computation tools. PL topologies are diverse proteins found in all kingdoms of life, performing a large variety of biological responses such as cell signaling, immune responses, transporters and inhibitors (http://lassoprot.cent.uw.edu.pl/). Many of these PL topologies are secreted proteins, extracellular proteins, as well as, redox sensors, enzymes and metal and co-factor binding proteins; all of which provide a favorable environment for the formation of the disulphide bridge. In the PL

Electron-induced hydrogen loss in uracil in a water cluster environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, M.; Kohanoff, J.; Fabrikant, I. I.

2014-01-01

Low-energy electron-impact hydrogen loss due to dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to the uracil and thymine molecules in a water cluster environment is investigated theoretically. Only the A ′ -resonance contribution, describing the near-threshold behavior of DEA, is incorporated. Calculations are based on the nonlocal complex potential theory and the multiple scattering theory, and are performed for a model target with basic properties of uracil and thymine, surrounded by five water molecules. The DEA cross section is strongly enhanced when the attaching molecule is embedded in a water cluster. This growth is due to two effects: the increase of the resonance lifetime and the negative shift in the resonance position due to interaction of the intermediate negative ion with the surrounding water molecules. A similar effect was earlier found in DEA to chlorofluorocarbons

Fluid Mechanics of Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Fernando, Harindra J.

2008-11-01

The rapid urbanization of the Earth has led to highly populated cities that act as concentrated centers of anthropogenic stressors on the natural environment. The degradation of environmental quality due to such stressors, in turn, greatly impacts human behavior. Anthropogenic stressors largely originate as a result of coupling between man-made urban elements (i.e., networks of engineering and socio-economic infrastructures) and the environment, for which surrounding fluid motions play a key role. In recent years, research efforts have been directed at the understanding and modeling of fluid motions in urban areas, infrastructure dynamics and interactions thereof, with the hope of identifying environmental impacts of urbanization and complex outcomes (or ``emergent properties'') of nominally simple interactions between infrastructures and environment. Such consequences play an important role in determining the ``resilience'' of cities under anthropogenic stressors, defined as maintaining the structure and essential functions of an urbanity without regime shifts. Holistic integrated models that meld the dynamics of infrastructures and environment as well as ``quality of life'' attributes are becoming powerful decision-making tools with regard to sustainability of urban areas (continuance or even enhancement of socio-economic activities in harmony with the environment). The rudimentary forms of integrated models are beginning to take shape, augmented by comprehensive field studies and advanced measurement platforms to validate them. This presentation deals with the challenges of modeling urban atmosphere, subject to anthropogenic forcing. An important emergent property, the Urban Heat Island, and its role in determining resilience and sustainability of cities will be discussed based on the prediction of a coupled model.

Modification of nanoelectrode ensembles by thiols and disulfides to prevent non specific adsorption of proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvestrini, M. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Schiavuta, P.; Scopece, P. [Associazione CIVEN, via delle Industrie 5, 30175 Marghera - Venice (Italy); Pecchielan, G.; Moretto, L.M. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Ugo, P., E-mail: ugo@unive.it [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy)

2011-09-01

Highlights: > Complex nanostructures are built on the gold surface of ensembles of nanoelectrodes. > Gold surface of nanoelectrodes was functionalized with SAM of organic sulphurs. > The polycarbonate surrounding nanoelectrodes was functionalized with proteins. > SAMs protect the nanoelectrodes from undesired proteins adsorption. - Abstract: The possibility to functionalize selectively with thiols or disulfides the surface of the gold nanoelectrodes of polycarbonate templated nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) is studied. It is shown that the Au nanoelectrodes can be coated by a self assembled monolayer (SAM) of thioctic acid (TA) or 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic (MES) acid. The study of the electrochemical behavior of SAM-modified NEEs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different solution pH, using ferrocenecarboxylate as an anionic redox probe (FcCOO{sup -}) and (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FA{sup +}) as a cationic redox probe, demonstrate that the SAM-modified nanoelectrodes are permselective, in that only cationic or neutral probes can access the SAM-coated nanoelectrode surface. CV, AFM and FTIR-ATR data indicate that proteins such as casein or bovine serum albumin, which are polyanionic at pH 7, adsorb on the surface of NEEs untreated with thiols, tending to block the electron transfer of the ferrocenyl redox probes. On the contrary, the pre-treatment of the NEE with an anionic SAM protects the nanoelectrodes from protein fouling, allowing the detection of well shaped voltammetric patterns for the redox probe. Experimental results indicate that, in the case of MES treated NEEs, the protein is bound only onto the polycarbonate surface which surrounds the nanoelectrodes, while the tips of the gold nanoelectrodes remain protein free.

Modification of nanoelectrode ensembles by thiols and disulfides to prevent non specific adsorption of proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestrini, M.; Schiavuta, P.; Scopece, P.; Pecchielan, G.; Moretto, L.M.; Ugo, P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Complex nanostructures are built on the gold surface of ensembles of nanoelectrodes. → Gold surface of nanoelectrodes was functionalized with SAM of organic sulphurs. → The polycarbonate surrounding nanoelectrodes was functionalized with proteins. → SAMs protect the nanoelectrodes from undesired proteins adsorption. - Abstract: The possibility to functionalize selectively with thiols or disulfides the surface of the gold nanoelectrodes of polycarbonate templated nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) is studied. It is shown that the Au nanoelectrodes can be coated by a self assembled monolayer (SAM) of thioctic acid (TA) or 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic (MES) acid. The study of the electrochemical behavior of SAM-modified NEEs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different solution pH, using ferrocenecarboxylate as an anionic redox probe (FcCOO - ) and (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FA + ) as a cationic redox probe, demonstrate that the SAM-modified nanoelectrodes are permselective, in that only cationic or neutral probes can access the SAM-coated nanoelectrode surface. CV, AFM and FTIR-ATR data indicate that proteins such as casein or bovine serum albumin, which are polyanionic at pH 7, adsorb on the surface of NEEs untreated with thiols, tending to block the electron transfer of the ferrocenyl redox probes. On the contrary, the pre-treatment of the NEE with an anionic SAM protects the nanoelectrodes from protein fouling, allowing the detection of well shaped voltammetric patterns for the redox probe. Experimental results indicate that, in the case of MES treated NEEs, the protein is bound only onto the polycarbonate surface which surrounds the nanoelectrodes, while the tips of the gold nanoelectrodes remain protein free.

Environmental Distribution and Diversity of Insecticidal Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner

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Xavier, R.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner based biopesticides have been successfully used world over for the control of agricultural pests and vectors of human diseases. Currently there are more than 200 B. thuringiensis strains with differing insecticidal activities are available as biocontrol agents and for developing transgenic plants. However, two major disadvantages are the development of insect resistance and high target specificity (narrow host range. Globally there is a continuous search for new B. thuringiensis strains with novel insecticidal activities. The present study aims to study the environmental distribution of B. thuringiensis and their toxic potential against insect pests. Soil and grain samples were collected from different environments and were processed by a modified acetate selection method. Initially B. thuringiensis isolates were screened on the basis of colony morphology and phase contrast microscopy for the presence of parasporal crystal inclusions. The population dynamics showed that B. thuringiensis is abundant in sericulture environment compared to other niches. Relative abundance of B. thuringiensis strains in sericulture environment shows the persistent association of B. thuringiensis with Bombyx mori (silk worm as insect pathogen. The protein profiles of the selected strains were studied by SDS-PAGE. The protein profiles of majority of B. thuringiensis isolates from grain storage facilities predominantly showing the 130 kDa and 68 kDa proteins, which is characteristics of lepidopteran active B. thuringiensis. However, one isolate BTRX-4 has 80-85 kDa protein, which is novel in that, this strain also exhibits antilepidopteran activity, which is normally presented by B. thuringiensis strains having 130 kDa and 68 kDa proteins. The protein profile of B. thuringiensis isolates from sericulture environment shows two different protein profiles. B. thuringiensis isolates BTRX-16 to BTRX-22 predominantly show 130 kDa protein

Physics of protein folding

Science.gov (United States)

Finkelstein, A. V.; Galzitskaya, O. V.

2004-04-01

Protein physics is grounded on three fundamental experimental facts: protein, this long heteropolymer, has a well defined compact three-dimensional structure; this structure can spontaneously arise from the unfolded protein chain in appropriate environment; and this structure is separated from the unfolded state of the chain by the “all-or-none” phase transition, which ensures robustness of protein structure and therefore of its action. The aim of this review is to consider modern understanding of physical principles of self-organization of protein structures and to overview such important features of this process, as finding out the unique protein structure among zillions alternatives, nucleation of the folding process and metastable folding intermediates. Towards this end we will consider the main experimental facts and simple, mostly phenomenological theoretical models. We will concentrate on relatively small (single-domain) water-soluble globular proteins (whose structure and especially folding are much better studied and understood than those of large or membrane and fibrous proteins) and consider kinetic and structural aspects of transition of initially unfolded protein chains into their final solid (“native”) 3D structures.

The bird species of pandam wildlife park and the surrounding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of time of day as well as vegetation variables on bird species diversity in the park and surrounding farmlands was also conducted. 10 transects in each study site were surveyed twice between during the dry season and vegetation variables (trees, fingers, finger-rings two- hand, grazing, farming, canopy cover, ...

Lovelock black holes surrounded by quintessence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ghosh, Sushant G. [University of KwaZulu-Natal, Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Durban (South Africa); Centre for Theoretical Physics, Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies (MCARS), New Delhi (India); Maharaj, Sunil D.; Baboolal, Dharmanand; Lee, Tae-Hun [University of KwaZulu-Natal, Astrophysics and Cosmology Research Unit, School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Durban (South Africa)

2018-02-15

Lovelock gravity consisting of the dimensionally continued Euler densities is a natural generalization of general relativity to higher dimensions such that equations of motion are still second order, and the theory is free of ghosts. A scalar field with a positive potential that yields an accelerating universe has been termed quintessence. We present exact black hole solutions in D-dimensional Lovelock gravity surrounded by quintessence matter and also perform a detailed thermodynamical study. Further, we find that the mass, entropy and temperature of the black hole are corrected due to the quintessence background. In particular, we find that a phase transition occurs with a divergence of the heat capacity at the critical horizon radius, and that specific heat becomes positive for r{sub h} < r{sub c} allowing the black hole to become thermodynamically stable. (orig.)

A library of protein cage architectures as nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Flenniken, M L; Uchida, M; Liepold, L O; Kang, S; Young, M J; Douglas, T

2009-01-01

Virus capsids and other structurally related cage-like proteins such as ferritins, dps, and heat shock proteins have three distinct surfaces (inside, outside, interface) that can be exploited to generate nanomaterials with multiple functionality by design. Protein cages are biological in origin and each cage exhibits extremely homogeneous size distribution. This homogeneity can be used to attain a high degree of homogeneity of the templated material and its associated property. A series of protein cages exhibiting diversity in size, functionality, and chemical and thermal stabilities can be utilized for materials synthesis under a variety of conditions. Since synthetic approaches to materials science often use harsh temperature and pH, it is an advantage to utilize protein cages from extreme environments. In this chapter, we review recent studies on discovering novel protein cages from harsh natural environments such as the acidic thermal hot springs at Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and on utilizing protein cages as nano-scale platforms for developing nanomaterials with wide range of applications from electronics to biomedicine.

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and the Origins of Multicellular Organisms

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Dunker, A. Keith

In simple multicellular organisms all of the cells are in direct contact with the surrounding milieu, whereas in complex multicellular organisms some cells are completely surrounded by other cells. Current phylogenetic trees indicate that complex multicellular organisms evolved independently from unicellular ancestors about 10 times, and only among the eukaryotes, including once for animals, twice each for green, red, and brown algae, and thrice for fungi. Given these multiple independent evolutionary lineages, we asked two questions: 1. Which molecular functions underpinned the evolution of multicellular organisms?; and, 2. Which of these molecular functions depend on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs)? Compared to unicellularity, multicellularity requires the advent of molecules for cellular adhesion, for cell-cell communication and for developmental programs. In addition, the developmental programs need to be regulated over space and time. Finally, each multicellular organism has cell-specific biochemistry and physiology. Thus, the evolution of complex multicellular organisms from unicellular ancestors required five new classes of functions. To answer the second question we used Key-words in Swiss Protein ranked for associations with predictions of protein structure or disorder. With a Z-score of 18.8 compared to random-function proteins, à differentiation was the biological process most strongly associated with IDPs. As expected from this result, large numbers of individual proteins associated with differentiation exhibit substantial regions of predicted disorder. For the animals for which there is the most readily available data all five of the underpinning molecular functions for multicellularity were found to depend critically on IDP-based mechanisms and other evidence supports these ideas. While the data are more sparse, IDPs seem to similarly underlie the five new classes of functions for plants and fungi as well, suggesting that IDPs were indeed

Surrounding land cover types as predictors of palustrine wetland vegetation quality in conterminous USA

Science.gov (United States)

Stapanian, Martin A.; Gara, Brian; Schumacher, William

2018-01-01

The loss of wetland habitats and their often-unique biological communities is a major environmental concern. We examined vegetation data obtained from 380 wetlands sampled in a statistical survey of wetlands in the USA. Our goal was to identify which surrounding land cover types best predict two indices of vegetation quality in wetlands at the regional scale. We considered palustrine wetlands in four regions (Coastal Plains, North Central East, Interior Plains, and West) in which the dominant vegetation was emergent, forested, or scrub-shrub. For each wetland, we calculated weighted proportions of eight land cover types surrounding the area in which vegetation was assessed, in four zones radiating from the edge of the assessment area to 2 km. Using Akaike's Information Criterion, we determined the best 1-, 2- and 3-predictor models of the two indices, using the weighted proportions of the land cover types as potential predictors. Mean values of the two indices were generally higher in the North Central East and Coastal Plains than the other regions for forested and emergent wetlands. In nearly all cases, the best predictors of the indices were not the dominant surrounding land cover types. Overall, proportions of forest (positive effect) and agriculture (negative effect) surrounding the assessment area were the best predictors of the two indices. One or both of these variables were included as predictors in 65 of the 72 models supported by the data. Wetlands surrounding the assessment area had a positive effect on the indices, and ranked third (33%) among the predictors included in supported models. Development had a negative effect on the indices and was included in only 28% of supported models. These results can be used to develop regional management plans for wetlands, such as creating forest buffers around wetlands, or to conserve zones between wetlands to increase habitat connectivity.

Identifying selectively important amino acid positions associated with alternative habitat environments in fish mitochondrial genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Jun Hong; Li, Hong Lian; Zhang, Yong; Meng, Zi Ning; Lin, Hao Ran

2018-05-01

Fish species inhabitating seawater (SW) or freshwater (FW) habitats have to develop genetic adaptations to alternative environment factors, especially salinity. Functional consequences of the protein variations associated with habitat environments in fish mitochondrial genomes have not yet received much attention. We analyzed 829 complete fish mitochondrial genomes and compared the amino acid differences of 13 mitochondrial protein families between FW and SW fish groups. We identified 47 specificity determining sites (SDS) that associated with FW or SW environments from 12 mitochondrial protein families. Thirty-two (68%) of the SDS sites are hydrophobic, 13 (28%) are neutral, and the remaining sites are acidic or basic. Seven of those SDS from ND1, ND2 and ND5 were scored as probably damaging to the protein structures. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree based Bayes Empirical Bayes analysis also detected 63 positive sites associated with alternative habitat environments across ten mtDNA proteins. These signatures could be important for studying mitochondrial genetic variation relevant to fish physiology and ecology.

A Novel Biometric Approach for Authentication In Pervasive Computing Environments

OpenAIRE

Rachappa,; Divyajyothi M G; D H Rao

2016-01-01

The paradigm of embedding computing devices in our surrounding environment has gained more interest in recent days. Along with contemporary technology comes challenges, the most important being the security and privacy aspect. Keeping the aspect of compactness and memory constraints of pervasive devices in mind, the biometric techniques proposed for identification should be robust and dynamic. In this work, we propose an emerging scheme that is based on few exclusive human traits and characte...

Influence of operation of national experimental nuclear reactor on the natural environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Kaczmarek-Kacprzak

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the impact of experimental nuclear reactor operations on the national environment, based on assessment reports of the radiological protection of active nuclear technology sources. Using the analysis of measurements carried out in the last 15 years, the trends are presented in selected elements of the environment on the Świerk Nuclear Centre site and its surroundings. In addition, the impact of research results is presented from the fi fteen year period of environmental analysis on building public confi dence on the eve of the start of construction of the first Polish nuclear power plant.

An Overview of Hardware for Protein Crystallization in a Magnetic Field

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Er-Kai Yan

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Protein crystallization under a magnetic field is an interesting research topic because a magnetic field may provide a special environment to acquire improved quality protein crystals. Because high-quality protein crystals are very useful in high-resolution structure determination using diffraction techniques (X-ray, neutron, and electron diffraction, research using magnetic fields in protein crystallization has attracted substantial interest; some studies have been performed in the past two decades. In this research field, the hardware is especially essential for successful studies because the environment is special and the design and utilization of the research apparatus in such an environment requires special considerations related to the magnetic field. This paper reviews the hardware for protein crystallization (including the magnet systems and the apparatus designed for use in a magnetic field and progress in this area. Future prospects in this field will also be discussed.

A comparison of fossilized dinosaur bone and the surrounding rock using PIXE analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neilsen, D.W.; Rees, L.B.; Mangelson, N.F.; Hill, M.W.

1992-01-01

Six samples of fossilized dinosaur bone and surrounding rock were analyzed by PIXE to investigate general relations between the bone and rock. The powdered samples were brought into an acid solution by a lithium metaborate fusion process. The data were analyzed with chemometric methods to successfully differentiate the bone samples from the complementary rock samples. The Sr/Ca ratio is consistently higher in fossilized bone than the surrounding rock. Ba, Y and U, when found in the rock, appear in significantly higher concentrations in the bone. S and Ti, elements commonly found in rock samples, are not found in the bone samples. (author)

Fluorescent protein-mediated colour polymorphism in reef corals: multicopy genes extend the adaptation/acclimatization potential to variable light environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Gittins, John R; D'Angelo, Cecilia; Oswald, Franz; Edwards, Richard J; Wiedenmann, Jörg

2015-01-01

The genomic framework that enables corals to adjust to unfavourable conditions is crucial for coral reef survival in a rapidly changing climate. We have explored the striking intraspecific variability in the expression of coral pigments from the green fluorescent protein (GFP) family to elucidate the genomic basis for the plasticity of stress responses among reef corals. We show that multicopy genes can greatly increase the dynamic range over which corals can modulate transcript levels in response to the light environment. Using the red fluorescent protein amilFP597 in the coral Acropora millepora as a model, we demonstrate that its expression increases with light intensity, but both the minimal and maximal gene transcript levels vary markedly among colour morphs. The pigment concentration in the tissue of different morphs is strongly correlated with the number of gene copies with a particular promoter type. These findings indicate that colour polymorphism in reef corals can be caused by the environmentally regulated expression of multicopy genes. High-level expression of amilFP597 is correlated with reduced photodamage of zooxanthellae under acute light stress, supporting a photoprotective function of this pigment. The cluster of light-regulated pigment genes can enable corals to invest either in expensive high-level pigmentation, offering benefits under light stress, or to rely on low tissue pigment concentrations and use the conserved resources for other purposes, which is preferable in less light-exposed environments. The genomic framework described here allows corals to pursue different strategies to succeed in habitats with highly variable light stress levels. In summary, our results suggest that the intraspecific plasticity of reef corals' stress responses is larger than previously thought. © 2014 The Authors Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baer, M.; Deichmann, N.; Clinton, J.; Husen, S.; Faeh, D.; Giardini, D.; Kaestli, P.; Kradolfer, U.; Wiemer, S

2008-12-15

This report of the Swiss Seismological Service summarizes the seismic activity in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2007. During this period, 531 earthquakes and 92 quarry blasts were detected and located in the region under consideration. Of these earthquakes, 30 are aftershocks of the stimulation of a proposed geothermal reservoir beneath the city of Basel in December of 2006. With 20 events with {mu}{sub {iota}} {>=} 2.5, four of which were artificially induced, the seismic activity in the year 2007 was far below the average over the previous 32 years. (author)

Earthquakes in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2007

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baer, M.; Deichmann, N.; Clinton, J.; Husen, S.; Faeh, D.; Giardini, D.; Kaestli, P.; Kradolfer, U.; Wiemer, S.

2008-01-01

This report of the Swiss Seismological Service summarizes the seismic activity in Switzerland and surrounding regions during 2007. During this period, 531 earthquakes and 92 quarry blasts were detected and located in the region under consideration. Of these earthquakes, 30 are aftershocks of the stimulation of a proposed geothermal reservoir beneath the city of Basel in December of 2006. With 20 events with Μ ι ≥ 2.5, four of which were artificially induced, the seismic activity in the year 2007 was far below the average over the previous 32 years. (author)

Determination of Oxygen Production by Cyanobacteria in Desert Environment Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Bueno Prieto, J. E.

2009-12-01

The cyanobacteria have been characterized for being precursor in the production of oxygen. By means of photosynthetic reactions, they provide oxygen to the environment that surrounds them and they capture part of surrounding dioxide of carbon. This way it happened since the primitive Earth until today. Besides, these microorganisms can support the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. The presence of cyanobacterias in an environment like a dry tropical bioma, such as the geographical location called Desert of The Tatacoa (Huila - Colombia), is determinant to establish parameters in the search of biological origin of atmospheric oxygen detected in Mars. In that case, I work with a random sample of not rhizospheric soil, taken to 15 cm of depth. After determining the presence of cyanobacterias in the sample, this one was in laboratory to stimulate the oxygen production. The presence of oxygen in Mars is very interesting. Since oxygen gas is very reactive, it disappear if it is not renewed; the possibility that this renovation of oxygen has a biological origin is encouraging, bearing in mind that in a dry environment and high radiation such as the studied one, the production of oxygen by cyanobacterias is notable. Also it is necessary to keep in mind that the existence of cyanobacterias would determine water presence in Mars subsoil and the nutrients cycles renovation. An interesting exploration possibility for some future space probe to Mars might be the study of worldwide distribution of oxygen concentration in this planet and this way, indentify zones suitable for microbian life.

The Effect of Simulated Microgravity Environment of RWV Bioreactors on Surface Reactions and Adsorption of Serum Proteins on Bone-bioactive Microcarriers

Science.gov (United States)

Radin, Shula; Ducheyne, P.; Ayyaswamy, P. S.

2003-01-01

Biomimetically modified bioactive materials with bone-like surface properties are attractive candidates for use as microcarriers for 3-D bone-like tissue engineering under simulated microgravity conditions of NASA designed rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactors. The simulated microgravity environment is attainable under suitable parametric conditions of the RWV bioreactors. Ca-P containing bioactive glass (BG), whose stimulatory effect on bone cell function had been previously demonstrated, was used in the present study. BG surface modification via reactions in solution, resulting formation of bone-like minerals at the surface and adsorption of serum proteins is critical for obtaining the stimulatory effect. In this paper, we report on the major effects of simulated microgravity conditions of the RWV on the BG reactions surface reactions and protein adsorption in physiological solutions. Control tests at normal gravity were conducted at static and dynamic conditions. The study revealed that simulated microgravity remarkably enhanced reactions involved in the BG surface modification, including BG dissolution, formation of bone-like minerals at the surface and adsorption of serum proteins. Simultaneously, numerical models were developed to simulate the mass transport of chemical species to and from the BG surface under normal gravity and simulated microgravity conditions. The numerical results showed an excellent agreement with the experimental data at both testing conditions.

Molecular switches for pheromone release from a moth pheromone-binding protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Wei; Leal, Walter S.

2008-01-01

Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are involved in the uptake of pheromones from pores on the antennae, transport through an aqueous environment surrounding the olfactory receptor neurons, and fast delivery to pheromone receptors. We tested the hypothesis that a C-terminal segment and a flexible loop are involved in the release of pheromones to membrane-bound receptors. We expressed in Escherichia coli 11 mutants of the PBP from the silkworm moth, BmorPBP, taking into consideration structural differences between the forms with high and low binding affinity. The N-terminus was truncated and His-69, His-70 and His-95 at the base of a flexible loop, and a cluster of acidic residues at the C-terminus were mutated. Binding assays and circular dichroism analyses support a mechanism involving protonation of acidic residues Asp-132 and Glu-141 at the C-terminus and histidines, His-70 and His-95, in the base of a loop covering the binding pocket. The former leads to the formation of a new α-helix, which competes with pheromone for the binding pocket, whereas positive charge repulsion of the histidines opens the opposite side of the binding pocket

Rain Simulation for the Test of Automotive Surround Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Hasirlioglu, Sinan; Riener, Andreas; Doric, Igor

2017-04-01

The WHO Global Health Observatory data indicates that over 1.25 million people die in traffic accidents annually. To save lives, car manufacturers spend lot of efforts on the development of novel safety systems aiming to avoid or mitigate accidents and provide maximum protection for vehicle occupants as well as vulnerable road users. All the safety features mainly rely on data from surround sensors such as radar, lidar and camera and intelligent vehicles today use these environmental data for instant decision making and vehicle control. As already small errors in sensor data measurements could lead to catastrophes like major injuries or road traffic fatalities, it is of utmost importance to ensure high reliability and accuracy of sensors and safety systems. This work focuses on the influence of environmental factors such as rain conditions, as it is known that rain drops scatter the electromagnetic waves. The result is incorrect measurements with a direct negative impact on environment detection. To identify potential problems of sensors under varying environmental conditions, systems are today tested in real-world settings with two main problems: First, tests are time-consuming and second, environmental conditions are not reproducible. Our approach to test the influence of weather on automotive sensors is to use an indoor rain simulator. Our artificial rain maker, installed at CARISSMA (Center of Automotive Research on Integrated Safety Systems and Measurement Area), is parametrized with rain characteristics measured in the field using a standard disdrometer. System behavior on artificial rain is compared and validated with natural rainfall. With this simulator it is finally possible to test environmental influence at various levels and under reproducible conditions. This saves lot of efforts required for the test process itself and furthermore has a positive impact on the reliability of sensor systems due to the fact that test driven development is enabled.

Remote sensing and GIS-based integrated analysis of land cover change in Duzce plain and its surroundings (north western Turkey).

Science.gov (United States)

Ikiel, Cercis; Ustaoglu, Beyza; Dutucu, Ayse Atalay; Kilic, Derya Evrim

2013-02-01

The aim of this study is to research natural land cover change caused by the permanent effects of human activities in Duzce plain and its surroundings, and to determine the current status of the land cover. For this purpose, two Landsat TM images were used in the study for the years 1987 and 2010. These images are analysed by using data image processing techniques in ERDAS Imagine©10.0 and ArcGIS©10.0 software. Land cover change nomenclature is classified according to the Coordination of Information on the Environment Level 2 Classification (1--urban fabric, 2--industrial, commercial and transport units, 3--heterogeneous agricultural areas, 4--forests, and 5--inland wetlands). Furthermore, the image analysis results are confirmed by the field research. According to the results, a decrease of 33.5 % was recorded in forest areas from 24,840.7 to 16,529.0 ha; an increase of 11.2 % was recorded in heterogeneous agricultural areas from 47,702.7 to 53,051.7 ha. Natural vegetation, which is the large part of land cover in the research area, has been changing rapidly because of rapid urbanisation and agricultural activities. As a result, it is concluded that significant changes have occurred on the natural land cover between the years 1987 and 2010 in the Duzce plain and its surroundings.

Effect of macro-design of immediately loaded implants on micromotion and stress distribution in surrounding bone using finite element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazel, Akbar; Aalai, Shima; Rismanchian, Mansour

2009-08-01

Macro-design influences the initial stability of implant and reduces micromotions. The aim of this study was to determine and compare micromotions and stress distribution in the bone around immediately loaded Maestro and Xive implants using finite element analysis. In this experimental study, accurate, clear photos were prepared of Xive and Maestro implants 12 and 13 mm long and 4 and 3.8 mm in diameter, respectively, using a Nikon Digital Camera with a resolution 5.24-megapixels with 8x Optical Zoom and 4x Digital Zoom. After accurate measurements, 3-D models of the implants inside the lower mandible (D2) were processed in Solidworks Version 2003 environment and transferred into Ansys for finite element analysis. After loading of 500 N angled at 70 degrees from the horizontal plane, the micromotion of the implant and Von Misses stresses around the bone were measured. The measured micromotion in Maestro implant was 148 mum and that in Xive was 284 mum. Stress distribution in the bone surrounding Maestro implant was better than Xive, but maximum stress surrounding Xive implants (30 MPa) was lower than Maestro (33 MPa). Based on the results obtained in the present study, maximum micromotion in maestro was less than that in Xive implants. This finding can guarantee the application of maestro implants for immediate loading.

Radical transfer between proteins: role of tyrosine, tryptophan and protein peroxyl radicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Irwin, J.A.; Ostdal, H.; Davies, M.J.

1998-01-01

Reaction of the Fe(III) forms of the heme proteins myoglobin (Mb) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with H 2 O 2 gives rise to high-oxidation-state heme-derived species which can be described as a Fe(IV)-oxo porphyrin radical-cation ('Compound 1'). In the case of Mb, the Fe(IV)-oxo porphyrin radical-cation undergoes rapid electron transfer with the surrounding protein to give protein (globin)-derived radicals and an Fe(lV)-oxo species ('Compound 2'). The globin-derived radicals have been shown to be located at two (or more) sites: Tyr-103 or Trp-14, with the latter radical known to react with oxygen to give a Trp-derived peroxyl radical (Mb-Trp-OO*). With HRP, the Fe(lV)-oxo porphyrin radical-cation carries out two successive one-electron oxidation reactions at the exposed heme edge to give firstly 'Compound 2' [the Fe(lV)oxo species] and then the resting Fe(III) state of the enzyme. n this study we have investigated whether the Trp-14 peroxyl radical from Mb and the Compound 1 and 2 species from HRP (in the absence and presence of free Tyr) can oxidise amino acids, peptides and proteins. Such reactions constitute intermolecular protein-to-protein radical transfer reactions and hence protein chain-oxidation. We have also examined whether these oxidants react with antioxidants. Reaction of these heme-protein derived oxidants with amino acids, proteins and antioxidants has been carried out at room temperature for defined periods of time before freeze-quenching to 77K to halt reaction. The radical species present in the reaction system at the time of freezing were subsequently examined by EPR spectroscopy at 77K. Three free amino acids, Tyr, Trp and Cys (with Cys the least efficient) have been shown to react rapidly with Mb-Trp-OO*, as evidenced by the loss of the characteristic EPR features of Mb-Trp-OO* on inclusion of increasing concentrations of the amino acids. All other amino acids are much less reactive. Evidence has also been obtained for (inefficient) hydrogen

Protein expression analysis of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasui Yumiko

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC development. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in protein expression between CRC and the surrounding nontumorous colonic tissues in the mice that received azoxymethane (AOM and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS using a proteomic analysis. Materials and Methods: Male ICR mice were given a single intraperitoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg body weight, followed by 2% (w/v DSS in their drinking water for seven days, starting one week after the AOM injection. Colonic adenocarcinoma developed after 20 weeks and a proteomics analysis based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and ultraflex TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was conducted in the cancerous and nontumorous tissue specimens. Results: The proteomic analysis revealed 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues in comparison to the nontumorous tissues. There were five markedly increased proteins (beta-tropomyosin, tropomyosin 1 alpha isoform b, S100 calcium binding protein A9, and an unknown protein and 16 markedly decreased proteins (Car1 proteins, selenium-binding protein 1, HMG-CoA synthase, thioredoxin 1, 1 Cys peroxiredoxin protein 2, Fcgbp protein, Cytochrome c oxidase, subunit Va, ETHE1 protein, and 7 unknown proteins. Conclusions: There were 21 differentially expressed proteins in the cancerous tissues of the mice that received AOM and DSS. Their functions include metabolism, the antioxidant system, oxidative stress, mucin production, and inflammation. These findings may provide new insights into the mechanisms of inflammation-related colon carcinogenesis and the establishment of novel therapies and preventative strategies to treat carcinogenesis in the inflamed colon.