New Synthetic Methods for Hypericum Natural Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Insik [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2006-01-01

Organic chemistry has served as a solid foundation for interdisciplinary research areas, such as molecular biology and medicinal chemistry. An understanding of the biological activities and structural elucidations of natural products can lead to the development of clinically valuable therapeutic options. The advancements of modern synthetic methodologies allow for more elaborate and concise natural product syntheses. The theme of this study centers on the synthesis of natural products with particularly challenging structures and interesting biological activities. The synthetic expertise developed here will be applicable to analog syntheses and to other research problems.

US Competitiveness in Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Gronvall, Gigi Kwik

2015-01-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging technical field that aims to make biology easier to engineer; the field has applications in strategically important sectors for the US economy. While the United States currently leads in synthetic biology R&D, other nations are heavily investing in order to boost their economies, which will inevitably diminish the US leadership position. This outcome is not entirely negative--additional investments will expand markets--but it is critical that the US government take steps to remain competitive: There are applications from which the US population and economy may benefit; there are specific applications with importance for national defense; and US technical leadership will ensure that US experts have a leading role in synthetic biology governance, regulation, and oversight. Measures to increase competitiveness in S&T generally are broadly applicable for synthetic biology and should be pursued. However, the US government will also need to take action on fundamental issues that will affect the field's development, such as countering anti-GMO (genetically modified organism) sentiments and anti-GMO legislation. The United States should maintain its regulatory approach so that it is the product that is regulated, not the method used to create a product. At the same time, the United States needs to ensure that the regulatory framework is updated so that synthetic biology products do not fall into regulatory gaps. Finally, the United States needs to pay close attention to how synthetic biology applications may be governed internationally, such as through the Nagoya Protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity, so that beneficial applications may be realized.

The relevance of polymeric synthetic membranes in topical formulation assessment and drug diffusion study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Shiow-Fern; Rouse, Jennifer J; Sanderson, Francis D; Eccleston, Gillian M

2012-03-01

Synthetic membranes are composed of thin sheets of polymeric macromolecules that can control the passage of components through them. Generally, synthetic membranes used in drug diffusion studies have one of two functions: skin simulation or quality control. Synthetic membranes for skin simulation, such as the silicone-based membranes polydimethylsiloxane and Carbosil, are generally hydrophobic and rate limiting, imitating the stratum corneum. In contrast, synthetic membranes for quality control, such as cellulose esters and polysulfone, are required to act as a support rather than a barrier. These synthetic membranes also often contain pores; hence, they are called porous membranes. The significance of Franz diffusion studies and synthetic membranes in quality control studies involves an understanding of the fundamentals of synthetic membranes. This article provides a general overview of synthetic membranes, including a brief background of the history and the common applications of synthetic membranes. This review then explores the types of synthetic membranes, the transport mechanisms across them, and their relevance in choosing a synthetic membrane in Franz diffusion cell studies for formulation assessment purposes.

Treating Lead Toxicity: Possibilities beyond Synthetic Chelation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shambhavi Tannir

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Lead, a ubiquitous metal, is one of the most abundant elements present on earth. Its easy availability and cost effectiveness made it an extremely popular component in the industrial revolution. However, its hazardous health effects were not considered at the time. Over the last few decades, with the adverse effects of lead coming to the forefront, nations across the world have started to recognize and treat lead toxicity. The most reliable and used method until now has been chelation therapy. Recent research has suggested the use of natural products and sources to treat lead poisoning with minimal or no side effects. This review has tried to summarize a few of the natural products/sources being investigated by various groups.

Numerical study of circular synthetic jets at low Reynolds numbers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia, Qingfeng; Lei, Shenghui; Ma, Jieyan; Zhong, Shan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Parameter maps depicting different flow regimes of synthetic jets are produced. • Boundaries separating these regimes are defined using quantitative criteria. • The Reynolds number is most appropriate for classifying different flow regimes. • A use of high suction cycle factors enhances the effectiveness of synthetic jets. - Abstract: In this paper, the flow patterns of circular synthetic jets issuing into a quiescent flow at low Reynolds numbers are studied numerically. The results confirm the presence of the three jet flow regimes, i.e. no jet formation, jet flow without rollup and jet flow with rollup reported in the literature. The boundaries of the different jet flow regimes are determined by tracking the structures produced by the synthetic jets in the near field of the jet orifice over several actuation cycles and examining the cycle-averaged streamwise velocity profiles along the jet central axis. When the Stokes number is above a certain threshold value appropriate for the corresponding flow regime, a good correlation between the flow patterns and the jet Reynolds number defined using the jet orifice diameter, Re Do , is also found. Furthermore, the flow structures of synthetic jets with different suction duty cycle factors are compared. The use of a high suction duty cycle factor strengthens the synthetic jet resulting in a greater penetration depth into the surrounding fluid. Overall, the finding from this study enables the flow regimes, in which a synthetic jet actuator with a circular orifice operates, to be determined. It also provides a way of designing more effective synthetic jet actuators for enhancing mass and momentum transfer at very low Reynolds numbers

Autonomy and Fear of Synthetic Biology: How Can Patients' Autonomy Be Enhanced in the Field of Synthetic Biology? A Qualitative Study with Stable Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakic, Milenko; Wienand, Isabelle; Shaw, David; Nast, Rebecca; Elger, Bernice S

2017-04-01

We analyzed stable patients' views regarding synthetic biology in general, the medical application of synthetic biology, and their potential participation in trials of synthetic biology in particular. The aim of the study was to find out whether patients' views and preferences change after receiving more detailed information about synthetic biology and its clinical applications. The qualitative study was carried out with a purposive sample of 36 stable patients, who suffered from diabetes or gout. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated and fully anonymized. Thematic analysis was applied in order to examine stable patients' attitudes towards synthetic biology, its medical application, and their participation in trials. When patients were asked about synthetic biology in general, most of them were anxious that something uncontrollable could be created. After a concrete example of possible future treatment options, patients started to see synthetic biology in a more positive way. Our study constitutes an important first empirical insight into stable patients' views on synthetic biology and into the kind of fears triggered by the term "synthetic biology." Our results show that clear and concrete information can change patients' initial negative feelings towards synthetic biology. Information should thus be transmitted with great accuracy and transparency in order to reduce irrational fears of patients and to minimize the risk that researchers present facts too positively for the purposes of persuading patients to participate in clinical trials. Potential participants need to be adequately informed in order to be able to autonomously decide whether to participate in human subject research involving synthetic biology.

Norbadione A: synthetic approach and cesium complexation studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desage - El Murr, M.

2003-10-01

This work was dedicated to the study of the synthesis and complexation studies of norbadione A: a pigment originating from a mushroom. A synthetic approach, based on a double Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, was developed. This strategy was applied with high yields to the synthesis of various norbadione A analogues, as well as to the synthesis of simple pulvinic acids. Access to functionalized precursors of the molecule was also studied and the final coupling remains to be done. Besides, a speciation study based on electro-spray ionization mass spectrometry was conducted with norbadione A and one of the analogues. This study allowed the assessment of the cesium complexation abilities of each molecule. Structural data was also obtained and complexation constants were calculated. Finally, norbadione A and various synthetic products have been tested via high-throughput screening methods and strong antioxidant properties were observed. Other biological results are also reported. (author)

Coherent scattering and matrix correction in bone-lead measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todd, A.C.

2000-01-01

The technique of K-shell x-ray fluorescence of lead in bone has been used in many studies of the health effects of lead. This paper addresses one aspect of the technique, namely the coherent conversion factor (CCF) which converts between the matrix of the calibration standards and those of human bone. The CCF is conventionally considered a constant but is a function of scattering angle, energy and the elemental composition of the matrices. The aims of this study were to quantify the effect on the CCF of several assumptions which may not have been tested adequately and to compare the CCFs for plaster of Paris (the present matrix of calibration standards) and a synthetic apatite matrix. The CCF was calculated, using relativistic form factors, for published compositions of bone, both assumed and assessed compositions of plaster, and the synthetic apatite. The main findings of the study were, first, that impurities in plaster, lead in the plaster or bone matrices, coherent scatter from non-bone tissues and the individual subject's measurement geometry are all minor or negligible effects; and, second, that the synthetic apatite matrix is more representative of bone mineral than is plaster of Paris. (author)

Role playing with synthetic cultures: the evasive rules of the game

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofstede, G.J.

2005-01-01

This article sums up ten years of experience with over 1400 participants of simulation games using synthetic cultures. Synthetic cultures are scripts for role players. They are derived from the five dimensions of culture in Hofstede¿s model. Playing the synthetic cultures leads to dynamics that

Synthetic prions and other human neurodegenerative proteinopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Nhat Tran Thanh; Narkiewicz, Joanna; Aulić, Suzana; Salzano, Giulia; Tran, Hoa Thanh; Scaini, Denis; Moda, Fabio; Giachin, Gabriele; Legname, Giuseppe

2015-09-02

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders. The common feature of these diseases is the pathological conversion of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into a β-structure-rich conformer-termed PrP(Sc). The latter can induce a self-perpetuating process leading to amplification and spreading of pathological protein assemblies. Much evidence suggests that PrP(Sc) itself is able to recruit and misfold PrP(C) into the pathological conformation. Recent data have shown that recombinant PrP(C) can be misfolded in vitro and the resulting synthetic conformers are able to induce the conversion of PrP(C) into PrP(Sc)in vivo. In this review we describe the state-of-the-art of the body of literature in this field. In addition, we describe a cell-based assay to test synthetic prions in cells, providing further evidence that synthetic amyloids are able to template conversion of PrP into prion inclusions. Studying prions might help to understand the pathological mechanisms governing other neurodegenerative diseases. Aggregation and deposition of misfolded proteins is a common feature of several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other disorders. Although the proteins implicated in each of these diseases differ, they share a common prion mechanism. Recombinant proteins are able to aggregate in vitro into β-rich amyloid fibrils, sharing some features of the aggregates found in the brain. Several studies have reported that intracerebral inoculation of synthetic aggregates lead to unique pathology, which spread progressively to distal brain regions and reduced survival time in animals. Here, we review the prion-like features of different proteins involved in neurodegenerative disorders, such as α-synuclein, superoxide dismutase-1, amyloid-β and tau. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Cannabinoids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aslihan Okan Ibiloglu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Synthetic cannabinoids which is a subgroup of cannabinoids are commonly used for recreational drug use throughout the whole world. Although both marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids stimulate the same receptors, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2, studies have shown that synthetic cannabinoids are much more potent than marijuana. The longer use of synthetic cannabinoids can cause severe physical and psychological symptoms that might even result in death, similar to many known illicit drugs. Main treatment options mostly involve symptom management and supportive care. The aim of this article is to discuss clinical and pharmacological properties of the increasingly used synthetic cannabinoids. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2017; 9(3.000: 317-328

Atomic force microscopy analysis of synthetic membranes applied in release studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olejnik, Anna, E-mail: annamar@amu.edu.pl; Nowak, Izabela

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We compare eight synthetic membranes by atomic force microscopy. • We predict the behavior of membranes in the release experiments. • The polymeric synthetic membranes varied in shape and size. • We detect substructures in pores of cellulose esters and nylon membranes. • Substructures limit the release rate of active compound. - Abstract: Synthetic membranes are commonly used in drug release studies and are applied mostly in quality control. They contain pores through which the drug can be diffused directly into the receptor fluid. Investigation of synthetic membranes permits determination of their structure and characterization of their properties. We suggest that the preliminary characterization of the membranes can be relevant to the interpretation of the release results. The aim of this study was to compare eight synthetic membranes by using atomic force microscopy in order to predict and understand their behavior in the release experiments. The results proved that polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was not suitable for the release study of tetrapeptide due to its hydrophobic nature, thickness and the specific structure with high trapezoid shaped blocks. The additional substructures in pores of mixed cellulose esters and nylon membranes detected by AFM influenced the diffusion rate of the active compound. These findings indicate that the selection of the membrane for the release studies should be performed cautiously by taking into consideration the membrane properties and by analyzing them prior the experiment.

Atomic force microscopy analysis of synthetic membranes applied in release studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olejnik, Anna; Nowak, Izabela

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We compare eight synthetic membranes by atomic force microscopy. • We predict the behavior of membranes in the release experiments. • The polymeric synthetic membranes varied in shape and size. • We detect substructures in pores of cellulose esters and nylon membranes. • Substructures limit the release rate of active compound. - Abstract: Synthetic membranes are commonly used in drug release studies and are applied mostly in quality control. They contain pores through which the drug can be diffused directly into the receptor fluid. Investigation of synthetic membranes permits determination of their structure and characterization of their properties. We suggest that the preliminary characterization of the membranes can be relevant to the interpretation of the release results. The aim of this study was to compare eight synthetic membranes by using atomic force microscopy in order to predict and understand their behavior in the release experiments. The results proved that polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was not suitable for the release study of tetrapeptide due to its hydrophobic nature, thickness and the specific structure with high trapezoid shaped blocks. The additional substructures in pores of mixed cellulose esters and nylon membranes detected by AFM influenced the diffusion rate of the active compound. These findings indicate that the selection of the membrane for the release studies should be performed cautiously by taking into consideration the membrane properties and by analyzing them prior the experiment.

[New polymer-drug systems based on natural and synthetic polymers].

Science.gov (United States)

Racoviţă, Stefania; Vasiliu, Silvia; Foia, Liliana

2010-01-01

The great versatility of polymers makes them very useful in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. The combination of natural and synthetic polymers leads to new materials with tailored functional properties. The aim of this work consists in the preparation of new drug delivery system based on chitosan (natural polymer) and polybetaines (synthetic polymers), by a simple process, well known in the literature as complex coacervation methods. Also, the adsorption and release studies of two antibiotics as well as the preservation of their bactericidal capacities were performed.

Full-thickness skin graft vs. synthetic mesh in the repair of giant incisional hernia: a randomized controlled multicenter study.

Science.gov (United States)

Clay, L; Stark, B; Gunnarsson, U; Strigård, K

2018-04-01

Repair of large incisional hernias includes the implantation of a synthetic mesh, but this may lead to pain, stiffness, infection and enterocutaneous fistulae. Autologous full-thickness skin graft as on-lay reinforcement has been tested in eight high-risk patients in a proof-of-concept study, with satisfactory results. In this multicenter randomized study, the use of skin graft was compared to synthetic mesh in giant ventral hernia repair. Non-smoking patients with a ventral hernia > 10 cm wide were randomized to repair using an on-lay autologous full-thickness skin graft or a synthetic mesh. The primary endpoint was surgical site complications during the first 3 months. A secondary endpoint was patient comfort. Fifty-three patients were included. Clinical evaluation was performed at a 3-month follow-up appointment. There were fewer patients in the skin graft group reporting discomfort: 3 (13%) vs. 12 (43%) (p = 0.016). Skin graft patients had less pain and a better general improvement. No difference was seen regarding seroma; 13 (54%) vs. 13 (46%), or subcutaneous wound infection; 5 (20%) vs. 7 (25%). One recurrence appeared in each group. Three patients in the skin graft group and two in the synthetic mesh group were admitted to the intensive care unit. No difference was seen for the primary endpoint short-term surgical complication. Full-thickness skin graft appears to be a reliable material for ventral hernia repair producing no more complications than when using synthetic mesh. Patients repaired with a skin graft have less subjective abdominal wall symptoms.

Vectoring of parallel synthetic jets

Science.gov (United States)

Berk, Tim; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram; Gomit, Guillaume

2015-11-01

A pair of parallel synthetic jets can be vectored by applying a phase difference between the two driving signals. The resulting jet can be merged or bifurcated and either vectored towards the actuator leading in phase or the actuator lagging in phase. In the present study, the influence of phase difference and Strouhal number on the vectoring behaviour is examined experimentally. Phase-locked vorticity fields, measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), are used to track vortex pairs. The physical mechanisms that explain the diversity in vectoring behaviour are observed based on the vortex trajectories. For a fixed phase difference, the vectoring behaviour is shown to be primarily influenced by pinch-off time of vortex rings generated by the synthetic jets. Beyond a certain formation number, the pinch-off timescale becomes invariant. In this region, the vectoring behaviour is determined by the distance between subsequent vortex rings. We acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC grant agreement no. 277472).

Experimental study of cooling performance of pneumatic synthetic jet with singular slot rectangular orifice

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Roger Ho Zhen; Ismail, Mohd Azmi bin; Ramdan, Muhammad Iftishah; Mustaffa, Nur Musfirah binti

2017-03-01

Synthetic Jet generates turbulence flow in cooling the microelectronic devices. In this paper, the experiment investigation of the cooling performance of pneumatic synthetic jet with single slot rectangular orifices at low frequency motion is presented. The velocity profile at the end of the orifice was measured and used as characteristic performance of synthetic jet in the present study. Frequencies of synthetic jet and the compressed air pressure supplied to the pneumatic cylinder (1bar to 5bar) were the parameters of the flow measurement. The air velocity of the synthetic jet was measured by using anemometer air flow meter. The maximum air velocity was 0.5 m/s and it occurred at frequency motion of 8 Hz. The optimum compressed air supplied pressure of the synthetic jet study was 4 bar. The cooling performance of synthetic jet at several driven frequencies from 0 Hz to 8 Hz and heat dissipation between 2.5W and 9W were also investigate in the present study. The results showed that the Nusselt number increased and thermal resistance decreased with both frequency and Reynolds number. The lowest thermal resistance was 5.25°C/W and the highest Nusselt number was 13.39 at heat dissipation of 9W and driven frequency of 8Hz.

Controlled polymer synthesis--from biomimicry towards synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Pasparakis, George; Krasnogor, Natalio; Cronin, Leroy; Davis, Benjamin G; Alexander, Cameron

2010-01-01

The controlled assembly of synthetic polymer structures is now possible with an unprecedented range of functional groups and molecular architectures. In this critical review we consider how the ability to create artificial materials over lengthscales ranging from a few nm to several microns is generating systems that not only begin to mimic those in nature but also may lead to exciting applications in synthetic biology (139 references).

Systems studies of dual purpose electric/synthetic fuels fusion plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beardsworth, E.; Powell, J.

1975-02-01

A reactor power plant is proposed that can meet base load electrical demand, while the remainder can generate synthetic fuels and meet intermittent electrical demands. Two principal objectives of this study are: (1) to examine how strongly various economic demand and resource factors affect the amount of installed CTR capacity, and (2) to examine what increase in CTR capacity can be expected with dual purpose electric/synthetic fuel fusion plants, and also the relative importance of the different production modes

A Preliminary Trypanocidal Study of Natural and Synthetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eighty healthy Wistar albino rats were used to investigate the trypanocidal effect of natural and synthetic supplements of zinc and magnesium in combination with diminazene aceturate in Trypanosoma congolense-inoculated rats. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups in study '1' (involving the natural ...

Synthetic biology, inspired by synthetic chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Malinova, V; Nallani, M; Meier, W P; Sinner, E K

2012-07-16

The topic synthetic biology appears still as an 'empty basket to be filled'. However, there is already plenty of claims and visions, as well as convincing research strategies about the theme of synthetic biology. First of all, synthetic biology seems to be about the engineering of biology - about bottom-up and top-down approaches, compromising complexity versus stability of artificial architectures, relevant in biology. Synthetic biology accounts for heterogeneous approaches towards minimal and even artificial life, the engineering of biochemical pathways on the organismic level, the modelling of molecular processes and finally, the combination of synthetic with nature-derived materials and architectural concepts, such as a cellular membrane. Still, synthetic biology is a discipline, which embraces interdisciplinary attempts in order to have a profound, scientific base to enable the re-design of nature and to compose architectures and processes with man-made matter. We like to give an overview about the developments in the field of synthetic biology, regarding polymer-based analogs of cellular membranes and what questions can be answered by applying synthetic polymer science towards the smallest unit in life, namely a cell. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical durability of lead borosilicate glass matrix under simulated geological conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yalmali, Vrunda S.; Deshingkar, D.S.; Wattal, P.K.

2002-03-01

The lead borosilicate glass has been developed for vitrification of High Level Waste (HLW) stored at Trombay. This waste is contains especially high contents of sodium, uranium sulphate and iron. The glasses containing HLW are to be ultimately disposed into deep geological repositories. Long term leach rates under simulated geological conditions need to be evaluated for glass matrix. Studies were taken up to estimate the lead borosilicate glass WTR-62 matrix for chemical durability in presence of synthetic ground water. The leachant selected was based on composition of ground water sample near proposed repository site. In the first phase of these tests, the experiments were conducted for short duration of one and half month. The leaching experiments were conducted in presence of a) distilled water b) synthetic ground water c) synthetic ground water containing granite, bentonite and ferric oxide and d) synthetic ground water containing humic acid at 100 0 C. The leachate samples were analysed by pHmetry , ion chromatography and UV -VIS spectrophotometry. The normalised leach rates for lead borosilicate WTR- 62 glass matrix based on silica, boron and sulphate analyses of leachates were of the order of 10 -3 to 10 -5 gms/cm 2 /day for 45 days test period in presence of synthetic ground water as well as in presence of other materials likely to be present along with synthetic ground water. These rates are comparable to those of sodium borsilicate glass matrices reported in literature. It is known that the leach rates of glass matrix decrease with longer test durations due to formation of leached layer on its surface. The observed leach rates of lead borosilicate WTR- 62 glass matrix for 45 day tests under simulated geological conditions were found to be sufficiently encouraging to take up long term tests for evaluating its performances under repository conditions. (author)

Synthesis and study of the synthetic hydroxyapatite doped with aluminum

Science.gov (United States)

Goldberg, M.; Smirnov, V.; Antonova, O.; Konovalov, A.; Fomina, A.; Komlev, V. S.; Barinov, S.; Rodionov, A.; Gafurov, M.; Orlinskii, S.

2018-05-01

Powders of synthetic hydroxyapatite doped with aluminium (Al) ions in concentrations 0 and 20 mol. % were synthesized by the precipitation method from the nitrate solutions and investigated by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (AES-ICP), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gas absorption and conventional electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). It is shown that for the chosen synthesis route an introduction of Al provokes formation of highly anisotropic phase, leads to the decrease in the crystallinity while no significant changes in the EPR spectra of the radiation-induced defects is observed. The results could be used for understanding the structural transformations with Al doping of the mineralized materials for geological and biomedical applications.

SCScore: Synthetic Complexity Learned from a Reaction Corpus.

Science.gov (United States)

Coley, Connor W; Rogers, Luke; Green, William H; Jensen, Klavs F

2018-02-26

Several definitions of molecular complexity exist to facilitate prioritization of lead compounds, to identify diversity-inducing and complexifying reactions, and to guide retrosynthetic searches. In this work, we focus on synthetic complexity and reformalize its definition to correlate with the expected number of reaction steps required to produce a target molecule, with implicit knowledge about what compounds are reasonable starting materials. We train a neural network model on 12 million reactions from the Reaxys database to impose a pairwise inequality constraint enforcing the premise of this definition: that on average, the products of published chemical reactions should be more synthetically complex than their corresponding reactants. The learned metric (SCScore) exhibits highly desirable nonlinear behavior, particularly in recognizing increases in synthetic complexity throughout a number of linear synthetic routes.

Morphology and thermal degradation study of poly(lactic acid)/synthetic mica composites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, D.H.S.; Dias, M.L.

2010-01-01

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/synthetic mica composites has been little studied in the literature. In this work, an organophilic synthetic mica was used to prepare PLA nanocomposites. The composites were obtained at an internal mixer containing 3, 5, 7 and 10 wt% of mica. The materials were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and gel permeation chromatography. (author)

Evaluation of natural clay Brasgel as adsorbent in removal of lead in synthetic waste water; Avaliacao da argila Brasgel natural como adsorvente na remocao de chumbo de efluentes sinteticos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lima, W.S.; Rodrigues, M.G.F.; Mota, M.F.; Patricio, A.C.L.; Silva, M.M., E-mail: wsl_20@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (LABNOV/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia Quimica. Lab. de Desenvolvimento de Novos Materiais

2012-07-01

The smectite clays have high adsorption capacity and cation exchange. Due to its chemical and physical characteristics, they can be effectively used as adsorbent of pollutants (such as metal ions). The initial objective of this study was to characterize the clay Brasgel through the techniques of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Spectrometry by Energy Dispersive (EDX) and nitrogen adsorption (BET method), seeking its use in removing lead (Pb{sup 2+}) from synthetic effluents. System was used in finite bath to assess the potential removal of lead (Pb{sup 2+}), following a 2{sup 2} factorial experimental design with three center point experiments, taking as input variables: pH and initial concentrations of lead (Pb{sup 2+}). The clay has Brasgel clay in its composition that characterize it as a smectite clay. By having a large surface area, this clay showed great potential on the adsorption of metal ions. (author)

Crust growth and gas retention in synthetic Hanford waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, S.A.; Pederson, L.R.; Scheele, R.D.

1992-03-01

The focus of the work described here is to examine the principal contributing factors leading to slurry growth and gas retention within waste from a particular high-level waste tanks on the Hanford Site. Laboratory studies of aged synthetic waste have shown that the waste retains gases in the form of bubble attachment to solid particles. This attachment phenomenon is related to the presence of organic constituents (HEDTA, EDTA, and citrate) added to the waste matrix. The mechanism for bubble attachment is related to the hydrophobic surface produced by the organic complexant. The formation of a stable gas bubble/solid interaction is believed to be responsible for crust flotation and gas retention in the synthetic waste used here

Synthetic vision display evaluation studies

Science.gov (United States)

Regal, David M.; Whittington, David H.

1994-01-01

The goal of this research was to help us understand the display requirements for a synthetic vision system for the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). Four experiments were conducted to examine the effects of different levels of perceptual cue complexity in displays used by pilots in a flare and landing task. Increased levels of texture mapping of terrain and runway produced mixed results, including harder but shorter landings and a lower flare initiation altitude. Under higher workload conditions, increased texture resulted in an improvement in performance. An increase in familiar size cues did not result in improved performance. Only a small difference was found between displays using two patterns of high resolution texture mapping. The effects of increased perceptual cue complexity on performance was not as strong as would be predicted from the pilot's subjective reports or from related literature. A description of the role of a synthetic vision system in the High Speed Civil Transport is provide along with a literature review covering applied research related to perceptual cue usage in aircraft displays.

ATM loss leads to synthetic lethality in BRCA1 BRCT mutant mice associated with exacerbated defects in homology-directed repair.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun-Chin; Kass, Elizabeth M; Yen, Wei-Feng; Ludwig, Thomas; Moynahan, Mary Ellen; Chaudhuri, Jayanta; Jasin, Maria

2017-07-18

BRCA1 is essential for homology-directed repair (HDR) of DNA double-strand breaks in part through antagonism of the nonhomologous end-joining factor 53BP1. The ATM kinase is involved in various aspects of DNA damage signaling and repair, but how ATM participates in HDR and genetically interacts with BRCA1 in this process is unclear. To investigate this question, we used the Brca1 S1598F mouse model carrying a mutation in the BRCA1 C-terminal domain of BRCA1. Whereas ATM loss leads to a mild HDR defect in adult somatic cells, we find that ATM inhibition leads to severely reduced HDR in Brca1 S1598F cells. Consistent with a critical role for ATM in HDR in this background, loss of ATM leads to synthetic lethality of Brca1 S1598F mice. Whereas both ATM and BRCA1 promote end resection, which can be regulated by 53BP1, 53bp1 deletion does not rescue the HDR defects of Atm mutant cells, in contrast to Brca1 mutant cells. These results demonstrate that ATM has a role in HDR independent of the BRCA1-53BP1 antagonism and that its HDR function can become critical in certain contexts.

A study of positron properties in quartz crystals and synthetic silica glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwand, W.; Brauer, G.; Hesegawa, M.; Dersch, O.; Rauch, F.

2001-01-01

The monoenergetic positron beamline 'SPONSOR' at Rossendorf has been used to investigate the positron behaviour in a naturally grown Brasilian quartz, two synthetic quartz crystals of different origin, and synthetic silica glass. The measurements allow us to obtain the positron diffusion length of free positrons and Bloch para-positronium, if formed, in these materials. In addition, hydrothermal treatment of a synthetic quartz has been used to introduce hydrogen into the crystal up to a certain depth. The presence of hydrogen is found to influence the formation of para-positronium. The depth distribution of hydrogen has been measured independently by the nuclear reaction analysis, and will be discussed in comparison with the results deduced from the positron studies. (author)

Stability notions in synthetic graph generation: a preliminary study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Leeuwen, W.; Fletcher, G.H.L.; Yakovets, N.; Bonifati, A.; Markl, Volker; Orlando, Salvatore; Mitschang, Bernhard

2017-01-01

With the rise in adoption of massive graph data, it be- comes increasingly important to design graph processing algorithms which have predictable behavior as the graph scales. This work presents an initial study of stability in the context of a schema-driven synthetic graph generation. Specifically,

A synthetic ion transporter that disrupts autophagy and induces apoptosis by perturbing cellular chloride concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Busschaert, Nathalie; Park, Seong-Hyun; Baek, Kyung-Hwa; Choi, Yoon Pyo; Park, Jinhong; Howe, Ethan N. W.; Hiscock, Jennifer R.; Karagiannidis, Louise E.; Marques, Igor; Félix, Vítor; Namkung, Wan; Sessler, Jonathan L.; Gale, Philip A.; Shin, Injae

2017-07-01

Perturbations in cellular chloride concentrations can affect cellular pH and autophagy and lead to the onset of apoptosis. With this in mind, synthetic ion transporters have been used to disturb cellular ion homeostasis and thereby induce cell death; however, it is not clear whether synthetic ion transporters can also be used to disrupt autophagy. Here, we show that squaramide-based ion transporters enhance the transport of chloride anions in liposomal models and promote sodium chloride influx into the cytosol. Liposomal and cellular transport activity of the squaramides is shown to correlate with cell death activity, which is attributed to caspase-dependent apoptosis. One ion transporter was also shown to cause additional changes in lysosomal pH, which leads to impairment of lysosomal enzyme activity and disruption of autophagic processes. This disruption is independent of the initiation of apoptosis by the ion transporter. This study provides the first experimental evidence that synthetic ion transporters can disrupt both autophagy and induce apoptosis.

Natural - synthetic - artificial!

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Peter E

2010-01-01

The terms "natural," "synthetic" and "artificial" are discussed in relation to synthetic and artificial chromosomes and genomes, synthetic and artificial cells and artificial life.......The terms "natural," "synthetic" and "artificial" are discussed in relation to synthetic and artificial chromosomes and genomes, synthetic and artificial cells and artificial life....

Using synthetic biology to make cells tomorrow's test tubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Hernan G; Brewster, Robert C; Phillips, Rob

2016-04-18

The main tenet of physical biology is that biological phenomena can be subject to the same quantitative and predictive understanding that physics has afforded in the context of inanimate matter. However, the inherent complexity of many of these biological processes often leads to the derivation of complex theoretical descriptions containing a plethora of unknown parameters. Such complex descriptions pose a conceptual challenge to the establishment of a solid basis for predictive biology. In this article, we present various exciting examples of how synthetic biology can be used to simplify biological systems and distill these phenomena down to their essential features as a means to enable their theoretical description. Here, synthetic biology goes beyond previous efforts to engineer nature and becomes a tool to bend nature to understand it. We discuss various recent and classic experiments featuring applications of this synthetic approach to the elucidation of problems ranging from bacteriophage infection, to transcriptional regulation in bacteria and in developing embryos, to evolution. In all of these examples, synthetic biology provides the opportunity to turn cells into the equivalent of a test tube, where biological phenomena can be reconstituted and our theoretical understanding put to test with the same ease that these same phenomena can be studied in the in vitro setting.

Synthetic analog computation in living cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Ramiz; Rubens, Jacob R; Sarpeshkar, Rahul; Lu, Timothy K

2013-05-30

A central goal of synthetic biology is to achieve multi-signal integration and processing in living cells for diagnostic, therapeutic and biotechnology applications. Digital logic has been used to build small-scale circuits, but other frameworks may be needed for efficient computation in the resource-limited environments of cells. Here we demonstrate that synthetic analog gene circuits can be engineered to execute sophisticated computational functions in living cells using just three transcription factors. Such synthetic analog gene circuits exploit feedback to implement logarithmically linear sensing, addition, ratiometric and power-law computations. The circuits exhibit Weber's law behaviour as in natural biological systems, operate over a wide dynamic range of up to four orders of magnitude and can be designed to have tunable transfer functions. Our circuits can be composed to implement higher-order functions that are well described by both intricate biochemical models and simple mathematical functions. By exploiting analog building-block functions that are already naturally present in cells, this approach efficiently implements arithmetic operations and complex functions in the logarithmic domain. Such circuits may lead to new applications for synthetic biology and biotechnology that require complex computations with limited parts, need wide-dynamic-range biosensing or would benefit from the fine control of gene expression.

Comparative study of the electronic structure of natural and synthetic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... have studied the Cr–K-edge XANES and EXAFS in natural Indian rubies from two sources and a synthetic ruby at ESRF. Weight % of various constituents in them is determined using EDAX measurements. Taking the results from the three techniques together we are able to demonstrate their feasibility in quantitative study ...

Preliminary study of synthetic aperture tissue harmonic imaging on in-vivo data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Joachim Hee; Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Sloth Madsen, Signe

2013-01-01

. Results from the image quality study show, that in the current configuration on the UltraView system, where no transmit apodization was applied, SASB-THI and DRF-THI produced equally good images. It is expected that given the use of transmit apodization, SASB-THI could be further improved.......A method for synthetic aperture tissue harmonic imaging is investigated. It combines synthetic aperture sequential beamforming (SASB) with tissue harmonic imaging (THI) to produce an increased and more uniform spatial resolution and improved side lobe reduction compared to conventional B......-mode imaging. Synthetic aperture sequential beamforming tissue harmonic imaging (SASB-THI) was implemented on a commercially available BK 2202 Pro Focus UltraView ultrasound system and compared to dynamic receive focused tissue harmonic imaging (DRF-THI) in clinical scans. The scan sequence...

Removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution by natural and synthetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The point of zero charge values of 9.57 and 8.20 were obtained by mass titration method for synthetic and natural calcite, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of 200 mg/g and 150 mg/g Pb(II) of synthetic calcite and natural calcite were obtained at initial lead loading of 1200 mg/L at 25±2 °C, respectively.

Manipulating novel quantum phenomena using synthetic gauge fields

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shao-Liang; Zhou, Qi

2017-11-01

The past few years have seen fascinating progress in the creation and utilization of synthetic gauge fields for charge-neutral ultracold atoms. Whereas the synthesis of gauge fields in itself is readily interesting, it is more exciting to explore the new era that will be brought by the interplay between synthetic gauge fields and many other degrees of freedom of highly tunable ultracold atoms. This topical review surveys recent developments in using synthetic gauge fields to manipulate novel quantum phenomena that are not easy to access in other systems. We first summarize current experimental methods of creating synthetic gauge fields, including the use of Raman schemes, shaken lattices, and Raman-dressed lattices. We then discuss how synthetic gauge fields bring new physics to non-interacting systems, including degenerate single-particle ground states, quartic dispersions, topological band structures in lattices, and synthetic dimensions. As for interacting systems, we focus on novel quantum many-body states and quantum macroscopic phenomena induced by interactions in the presence of unconventional single-particle dispersions. For bosons, we discuss how a quartic dispersion leads to non-condensed bosonic states at low temperatures and at the ground state. For fermions, we discuss chiral superfluids in the presence of attractive s-wave interaction, where high partial-wave interactions are not required. Finally, we discuss the challenges in current experiments, and conclude with an outlook for what new exciting developments synthetic gauge fields may bring us in the near future.

Artificial intelligence and synthetic biology: A tri-temporal contribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchini, Francesco

2016-10-01

Artificial intelligence can make numerous contributions to synthetic biology. I would like to suggest three that are related to the past, present and future of artificial intelligence. From the past, works in biology and artificial systems by Turing and von Neumann prove highly interesting to explore within the new framework of synthetic biology, especially with regard to the notions of self-modification and self-replication and their links to emergence and the bottom-up approach. The current epistemological inquiry into emergence and research on swarm intelligence, superorganisms and biologically inspired cognitive architecture may lead to new achievements on the possibilities of synthetic biology in explaining cognitive processes. Finally, the present-day discussion on the future of artificial intelligence and the rise of superintelligence may point to some research trends for the future of synthetic biology and help to better define the boundary of notions such as "life", "cognition", "artificial" and "natural", as well as their interconnections in theoretical synthetic biology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Developments of Nontoxic Quantum Dots.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Adita; Snee, Preston T

2016-03-03

Semiconductor nanocrystals, or quantum dots (QDs), are candidates for biological sensing, photovoltaics, and catalysis due to their unique photophysical properties. The most studied QDs are composed of heavy metals like cadmium and lead. However, this engenders concerns over heavy metal toxicity. To address this issue, numerous studies have explored the development of nontoxic (or more accurately less toxic) quantum dots. In this Review, we select three major classes of nontoxic quantum dots composed of carbon, silicon and Group I-III-VI elements and discuss the myriad of synthetic strategies and surface modification methods to synthesize quantum dots composed of these material systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthetic tsunami waveform catalogs with kinematic constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Baptista, Maria Ana; Miranda, Jorge Miguel; Matias, Luis; Omira, Rachid

2017-07-01

In this study we present a comprehensive methodology to produce a synthetic tsunami waveform catalogue in the northeast Atlantic, east of the Azores islands. The method uses a synthetic earthquake catalogue compatible with plate kinematic constraints of the area. We use it to assess the tsunami hazard from the transcurrent boundary located between Iberia and the Azores, whose western part is known as the Gloria Fault. This study focuses only on earthquake-generated tsunamis. Moreover, we assume that the time and space distribution of the seismic events is known. To do this, we compute a synthetic earthquake catalogue including all fault parameters needed to characterize the seafloor deformation covering the time span of 20 000 years, which we consider long enough to ensure the representability of earthquake generation on this segment of the plate boundary. The computed time and space rupture distributions are made compatible with global kinematic plate models. We use the tsunami empirical Green's functions to efficiently compute the synthetic tsunami waveforms for the dataset of coastal locations, thus providing the basis for tsunami impact characterization. We present the results in the form of offshore wave heights for all coastal points in the dataset. Our results focus on the northeast Atlantic basin, showing that earthquake-induced tsunamis in the transcurrent segment of the Azores-Gibraltar plate boundary pose a minor threat to coastal areas north of Portugal and beyond the Strait of Gibraltar. However, in Morocco, the Azores, and the Madeira islands, we can expect wave heights between 0.6 and 0.8 m, leading to precautionary evacuation of coastal areas. The advantages of the method are its easy application to other regions and the low computation effort needed.

Implementation and validation of synthetic inertia support employing series produced electric vehicles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rezkalla, Michel M.N.; Martinenas, Sergejus; Zecchino, Antonio

2017-01-01

The high integration of renewable energy resources (inverter connected) replacing conventional generation reduces the available rotational inertia in the power system. This introduces the need for faster regulation services including synthetic inertia services. These services could potentially...... be provided by electric vehicles due to their fast response capability. This work evaluates and experimentally shows the capability and limits of EVs in providing synthetic inertia services. Three series produced EVs are used during the experiment. The results show the performance of the EVs in providing...... synthetic inertia. It shows also that, on the contrary of synchronous inertia, synthetic inertia might lead to unstable frequency behavior....

Plant synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wusheng; Stewart, C Neal

2015-05-01

Plant synthetic biology is an emerging field that combines engineering principles with plant biology toward the design and production of new devices. This emerging field should play an important role in future agriculture for traditional crop improvement, but also in enabling novel bioproduction in plants. In this review we discuss the design cycles of synthetic biology as well as key engineering principles, genetic parts, and computational tools that can be utilized in plant synthetic biology. Some pioneering examples are offered as a demonstration of how synthetic biology can be used to modify plants for specific purposes. These include synthetic sensors, synthetic metabolic pathways, and synthetic genomes. We also speculate about the future of synthetic biology of plants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study of the electronic structure of natural and synthetic ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

We have studied the Cr–K-edge XANES and EXAFS in natural Indian rubies from two sources and a synthetic ... mineral in a wide variety of quality spread all over the world e.g. Burma ... using Si diode pairs oriented toward the sample. The.

Synthetic biology in mammalian cells: Next generation research tools and therapeutics

Science.gov (United States)

Lienert, Florian; Lohmueller, Jason J; Garg, Abhishek; Silver, Pamela A

2014-01-01

Recent progress in DNA manipulation and gene circuit engineering has greatly improved our ability to programme and probe mammalian cell behaviour. These advances have led to a new generation of synthetic biology research tools and potential therapeutic applications. Programmable DNA-binding domains and RNA regulators are leading to unprecedented control of gene expression and elucidation of gene function. Rebuilding complex biological circuits such as T cell receptor signalling in isolation from their natural context has deepened our understanding of network motifs and signalling pathways. Synthetic biology is also leading to innovative therapeutic interventions based on cell-based therapies, protein drugs, vaccines and gene therapies. PMID:24434884

Studies on the specificity of immunological reactions of synthetic and natural Thomsen-Friedenreich antigens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoeppner, W.

1982-01-01

A number of derivatives of disaccharide β-D-Gal-(1,3)-D-GalNAc, the carbohydrate component of T-antigen, and four different synthetic antigens having this disaccharide structure have been investigated. The immunological reactions with native human antibodies and rabbit immune antibodies have been studied in the haemagglutination inhibition test and in RIA. The findings are relevant to the use of synthetic carbohydrate antigens as model substances for immunological studies. (orig./MG) [de

Immobilization of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Compounds: A Synthetic Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Rui; Lindhorst, Anja C; Groche, Florian J; Kühn, Fritz E

2017-02-08

Over the course of the past 15 years the success story of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compounds in organic, inorganic, and organometallic chemistry has been extended to another dimension. The immobilization of NHC compounds, undergoing continuous diversification, broadens their range of applications and leads to new solutions for challenges in catalytic and synthetic chemistry. This review intends to present a synthetic toolkit for the immobilization of NHC compounds, giving the reader an overview on synthetic techniques and strategies available in the literature. By individually summarizing and assessing the synthetic steps of the immobilization process, a comprehensive picture of the strategies and methodologies for the immobilization of NHC compounds is presented. Furthermore, the characterization of supported NHC compounds is discussed in detail in order to set up necessary criteria for an in-depth analysis of the immobilized derivatives. Finally, the catalytic applications of immobilized NHC compounds are briefly reviewed to illustrate the practical use of this technique for a broad variety of reaction types.

Synthetic Genetic Targeting of Genome Instability in Cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajesh, Babu V.; Guppy, Brent J.; McManus, Kirk J.

2013-01-01

Cancer is a leading cause of death throughout the World. A limitation of many current chemotherapeutic approaches is that their cytotoxic effects are not restricted to cancer cells, and adverse side effects can occur within normal tissues. Consequently, novel strategies are urgently needed to better target cancer cells. As we approach the era of personalized medicine, targeting the specific molecular defect(s) within a given patient’s tumor will become a more effective treatment strategy than traditional approaches that often target a given cancer type or sub-type. Synthetic genetic interactions are now being examined for their therapeutic potential and are designed to target the specific genetic and epigenetic phenomena associated with tumor formation, and thus are predicted to be highly selective. In general, two complementary approaches have been employed, including synthetic lethality and synthetic dosage lethality, to target aberrant expression and/or function associated with tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, respectively. Here we discuss the concepts of synthetic lethality and synthetic dosage lethality, and explain three general experimental approaches designed to identify novel genetic interactors. We present examples and discuss the merits and caveats of each approach. Finally, we provide insight into the subsequent pre-clinical work required to validate novel candidate drug targets

Synthetic Defects for Vibrothermography

Science.gov (United States)

Renshaw, Jeremy; Holland, Stephen D.; Thompson, R. Bruce; Eisenmann, David J.

2010-02-01

Synthetic defects are an important tool used for characterizing the performance of nondestructive evaluation techniques. Viscous material-filled synthetic defects were developed for use in vibrothermography (also known as sonic IR) as a tool to improve inspection accuracy and reliability. This paper describes how the heat-generation response of these VMF synthetic defects is similar to the response of real defects. It also shows how VMF defects can be applied to improve inspection accuracy for complex industrial parts and presents a study of their application in an aircraft engine stator vane.

The leaching of lead from lead-based paint in landfill environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wadanambi, Lakmini; Dubey, Brajesh; Townsend, Timothy

2008-08-30

Lead leaching from lead-based paint (LBP) was examined using standardized laboratory protocols and tests with leachate from actual and simulated landfill environments. Two different LBP samples were tested; leaching solutions included leachates from three municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and three construction and demolition (C&D) debris landfills. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) were also performed. Lead concentrations were many times higher using the TCLP compared to the SPLP and the landfill leachates. No significant difference (alpha=0.05) was observed in leached lead concentrations from the MSW landfill and C&D debris landfill leachates. The impact of other building materials present in LBP debris on lead leaching was examined by testing mixtures of LBP (2%) and different building materials (98%; steel, wood, drywall, concrete). The type of substrate present impacted lead leaching results, with concrete demonstrating the most dramatic impact; the lowest lead concentrations were measured in the presence of concrete under both TCLP and SPLP extractions.

Using XAFS, EDAX and AFM in comparative study of various natural and synthetic emeralds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parikh, P.; Saini, N.L.; Dalela, S.; Bhardwaj, D.M.; Fernandes, S.; Gupta, R.P.; Garg, K.B.

2003-01-01

We have performed XAFS, EDAX and AFM studies on some natural and synthetic emeralds. While the XAFS results yield information on changes in the valence of the Cr ion and the n-n distance the AFM is used to determine the areal atomic density on surface of the crystals. It is a pilot study to explore if the three techniques can offer a possible way of distinguishing between the natural and synthetic emeralds and the results are promising

Visualization study of hybrid synthetic jets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Broučková, Zuzana; Trávníček, Zdeněk

2015-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 4 (2015), s. 581-593 ISSN 1343-8875 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-08888S Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : synthetic jet * efficiency * flow visualization Subject RIV: JU - Aeronautics, Aerodynamics, Aircrafts Impact factor: 0.720, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12650-014-0256-8

Natural minerals and synthetic materials for sorption of radioactive anions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Mun Ja; Chun, Kwan Sik; Kim, Seung Soo

1998-07-01

Technetium-99 and iodine-129 are fission products with long half-lives, and exist as highly soluble anionic species. Studies on natural and synthetic materials sorbing TcO{sub 4} and/or I have been performed by several researchers. The application of these materials as an additive in the high-level waste disposal has been considered. The iron- or sulfide-containing minerals such as metal iron, iron powder, stibnite and pyrrhotite show a high capacity for TcO{sub 4} sorption. And the small amounts of activated carbon are reported to have high distribution coefficients recently. In the iodine sorption studies, sulfide-, copper-, lead- or mercury-containing minerals can be a candidate. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, Cu{sub 2}S and CuS reveal a high capacity for I sorption. The synthetic materials were found to have high sorption capacity and compensate the defects of natural minerals, which contain hydrous oxides such as zirconium oxide, aluminium oxide and mercarbide. The mercarbide has the high distribution coefficients for the sorption of TcO{sub 4} and I. Recently it was proposed that the synthetic clay, hydrotalcite, could be useful for the fixation of anion. However, to determine the applicability of those natural and synthetic materials as an additive to a buffer or backfill material for sorption of TcO{sub 4} and/or I, the sorption behavior of the anions on those materials under the repository conditions should be identified. (author). 32 refs., 21 tabs., 10 figs

Diels-Alder reactions for the rational design of benzo[b]thiophenes: DFT-based guidelines for synthetic chemists

Science.gov (United States)

Brasca, Romina; Kneeteman, María N.; Mancini, Pedro M. E.; Fabian, Walter M. F.

2012-02-01

In this work we studied the capability of several diene/dienophile pairs to undergo Diels-Alder (DA) reactions leading to benzo[b]thiophenes. A variety of synthetically and commercially available nitrothiophenes were chosen as dienophiles. Methyl 5-nitro-3-thiophenecarboxylate was selected as a potential strong electrophilic candidate based on some DFT-based properties and the substitution pattern of the expected product. The mechanistic details concerning the participation of this dienophile in polar DA reactions were investigated through a theoretical point of view. The results were compared with the experimental outcomes. This methodology should allow synthetic chemists to analyze DA reactions in detail in a stage prior to the synthetic job.

[From synthetic biology to synthetic humankind].

Science.gov (United States)

Nouvel, Pascal

2015-01-01

In this paper, we propose an historical survey of the expression "synthetic biology" in order to identify its main philosophical components. The result of the analysis is then used to investigate the meaning of the notion of "synthetic man". It is shown that both notions share a common philosophical background that can be summed up by the short but meaningful assertion: "biology is technology". The analysis allows us to distinguish two notions that are often confused in transhumanist literature: the notion of synthetic man and the notion of renewed man. The consequences of this crucial distinction are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Lethal Therapeutic Approaches for ARID1A-Mutated Ovarian Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Award Number: W81XWH-16-1-0496 TITLE: Synthetic lethal therapeutic approaches for ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Rugang...AND SUBTITLE Synthetic lethal therapeutic approaches for ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancer 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-16-1-0496 5c...Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among gynecological

Synthetic biology devices for in vitro and in vivo diagnostics.

Science.gov (United States)

Slomovic, Shimyn; Pardee, Keith; Collins, James J

2015-11-24

There is a growing need to enhance our capabilities in medical and environmental diagnostics. Synthetic biologists have begun to focus their biomolecular engineering approaches toward this goal, offering promising results that could lead to the development of new classes of inexpensive, rapidly deployable diagnostics. Many conventional diagnostics rely on antibody-based platforms that, although exquisitely sensitive, are slow and costly to generate and cannot readily confront rapidly emerging pathogens or be applied to orphan diseases. Synthetic biology, with its rational and short design-to-production cycles, has the potential to overcome many of these limitations. Synthetic biology devices, such as engineered gene circuits, bring new capabilities to molecular diagnostics, expanding the molecular detection palette, creating dynamic sensors, and untethering reactions from laboratory equipment. The field is also beginning to move toward in vivo diagnostics, which could provide near real-time surveillance of multiple pathological conditions. Here, we describe current efforts in synthetic biology, focusing on the translation of promising technologies into pragmatic diagnostic tools and platforms.

Optimizing a Synthetic Signaling System, Using Mathematical Modeling to Direct Experimental Work

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-05

arsenic , toluene, lead, DDT, mercury, etc.). The synthetic signaling system then be used to trigger a phytoremediation process upon detection of these...transferred to soil and allowed to set seed. The T1 generation will yield plants heterozygous and homozygous for the synthetic signaling system, allowing...compounds, either by breaking them down or transporting them to the aerial tissue where they can be harvested and removed from the soil

Misconceptions of Synthetic Biology: Lessons from an Interdisciplinary Summer School

Science.gov (United States)

Verseux, Cyprien; Acevedo-Rocha, Carlos G.; Chizzolini, Fabio; Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

In 2014, an international group of scholars from various fields analysed the "societal dimensions" of synthetic biology in an interdisciplinary summer school. Here, we report and discuss the biologists' observations on the general perception of synthetic biology by non-biologists who took part in this event. Most attendees mainly associated synthetic biology with contributions from the best-known public figures of the field, rarely mentioning other scientists. Media extrapolations of those contributions appeared to have created unrealistic expectations and irrelevant fears that were widely disconnected from the current research in synthetic biology. Another observation was that when debating developments in synthetic biology, semantics strongly mattered: depending on the terms used to present an application of synthetic biology, attendees reacted in radically different ways. For example, using the term "GMOs" (genetically modified organisms) rather than the term "genetic engineering" led to very different reactions. Stimulating debates also happened with participants having unanticipated points of view, for instance biocentrist ethicists who argued that engineered microbes should not be used for human purposes. Another communication challenge emerged from the connotations and inaccuracies surrounding the word "life", which impaired constructive debates, thus leading to misconceptions about the abilities of scientists to engineer or even create living organisms. Finally, it appeared that synthetic biologists tend to overestimate the knowledge of non-biologists, further affecting communication. The motivation and ability of synthetic biologists to communicate their work outside their research field needs to be fostered, notably towards policymakers who need a more accurate and technical understanding of the field to make informed decisions. Interdisciplinary events gathering scholars working in and around synthetic biology are an effective tool in addressing those

Synthetic Rock Analogue for Permeability Studies of Rock Salt with Mudstone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongwu Yin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Knowledge about the permeability of surrounding rock (salt rock and mudstone interlayer is an important topic, which acts as a key parameter to characterize the tightness of gas storage. The goal of experiments that test the permeability of gas storage facilities in rock salt is to develop a synthetic analogue to use as a permeability model. To address the permeability of a mudstone/salt layered and mixed rock mass in Jintan, Jiangsu Province, synthetic mixed and layered specimens using the mudstone and the salt were fabricated for permeability testing. Because of the gas “slippage effect”, test results are corrected by the Klinkenberg method, and the permeability of specimens is obtained by regression fitting. The results show that the permeability of synthetic pure rock salt is 6.9 × 10−20 m2, and its porosity is 3.8%. The permeability of synthetic mudstone rock is 2.97 × 10−18 m2, with a porosity 17.8%. These results are close to those obtained from intact natural specimens. We also find that with the same mudstone content, the permeability of mixed specimens is about 40% higher than for the layered specimens, and with an increase in the mudstone content, the Klinkenberg permeability increases for both types of specimens. The permeability and mudstone content have a strong exponential relationship. When the mudstone content is below 40%, the permeability increases only slightly with mudstone content, whereas above this threshold, the permeability increases rapidly with mudstone content. The results of the study are of use in the assessment of the tightness of natural gas storage facilities in mudstone-rich rock salt formations in China.

A PLIF and PIV study of liquid mixing enhanced by a lateral synthetic jet pair

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Qingfeng; Zhong Shan

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Enhancement of mixing between two water streams in a planar channel by means of a lateral synthetic jet pair is studied using PLIF and PIV. ► The excellent mixing observed is largely caused by a strong interaction between the opposing vortex pairs produced by the lateral synthetic jets. ► The synthetic jet operating conditions, at which a nearly homogenous mixing is achieved, are also identified and they are expressed in terms of a functional relationship. - Abstract: In this paper, enhancement of mixing between two water streams of the same flow rate in a planar channel by means of a lateral synthetic jet pair is studied at a net flow Reynolds number of 83 using PLIF and PIV. The synthetic jet pair is operated 180° out-of-phase at a range of actuation frequencies and displacements, with the latter being characterized by the dimensionless stroke length. The extent of mixing is evaluated using PLIF data at a location further downstream in the mixing channel. It is found that at a fixed actuation frequency a higher dimensionless stroke length produces a better mixing, and as the actuation frequency increases a lower dimensionless stroke length is required to achieve a given mixing degree. At a sufficiently high frequency or dimensionless stroke length, a nearly homogenous mixing with a mixing degree greater than 0.9 can be obtained. A functional relationship between actuation frequency and dimensionless stroke length is also obtained by best fitting the experimental data, which can be used for selecting the synthetic jet operating conditions to ensure a good mixing. Furthermore, both PLIF and PIV results show that each synthetic jet actuation cycle produce two opposing vortex pairs, which play an important role in prompting mixing between the two fluid streams. The excellent mixing obtained at a high frequency or a high dimensionless stroke length is found to be largely caused by a strong interaction between these opposing vortex pairs.

Synthetic Biology: Knowledge Accessed by Everyone (Open Sources)

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez Reyes, Patricia Margarita

2016-01-01

Using the principles of biology, along with engineering and with the help of computer, scientists manage to copy. DNA sequences from nature and use them to create new organisms. DNA is created through engineering and computer science managing to create life inside a laboratory. We cannot dismiss the role that synthetic biology could lead in…

A study on lead equivalent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin Guanxin

1991-01-01

A study on the rules in which the lead equivalent of lead glass changes with the energy of X rays or γ ray is described. The reason of this change is discussed and a new testing method of lead equivalent is suggested

Carbon monosulfide: a useful synthetic intermediate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, M.P.

1986-01-01

The physical properties of carbon monosulfide, CS, are well documented. The molecule has been observed in interstellar space and is found to be a common intermediate in the thermal decomposition of carbon disulfide and other sulfur compounds. Interestingly enough, the chemistry of carbon monosulfide, a molecule that is isovalent with carbon monoxide, has received little attention. The explosive nature of the carbon monosulfide monomer, which hindered previous workers, was overcome by the development of special handling techniques. The ability to produce carbon monosulfide in gram quantities had lead to synthesis of novel compounds and to a more direct synthetic route for certain known compounds. Specifically, the following general reaction demonstrates the capabilities of carbon monosulfide on the synthetic scale. CS + RXY → RXC(S)Y;(X = N,S), (Y = H, Cl). Note: The initial product formed in the reaction can be an unstable intermediate

Synthetic activity of rat blood lymphocytes under acute and continuous gamma-irradiation - fluorescent microspectral study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karnaukhova, N.A.; Sergiyevich, L.A.; Aksenova, G.Y.; Karnaukhov, V.N.

1999-01-01

The effects of different doses of acute and continuous gamma-irradiation on the synthetic activity of rat blood lymphocytes stained with acridine orange were studied by fluorescent microspectrometry. Male rats were exposed to acute gamma-irradiation with doses of 7.5, 4 and 3 Gy, or to continuous irradiation with dose rates of 14.4, 2.1, 1.1 and 0.43 cGy/day, respectively. The changes of the synthetic activity of blood lymphocytes occurred in three main stages after acute gamma-irradiation and in four stages under continuous irradiation. The stages reflect the processes of depression and activation of the immune system under irradiation. Essential differences between the acute and continuous effects were observed in the first stage. After acute gamma-irradiation, the synthetic activity decreased sharply, indicating the predominant contribution of the damaging effect of irradiation, whereas under continuous irradiation, as a result of the stimulatory effect of low-dose irradiation, the synthetic activity increased during the first stage. (orig.)

An Experimental Study on Active Flow Control Using Synthetic Jet Actuators over S809 Airfoil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, M; Uzol, O; Akmandor, I S

2014-01-01

This study investigates the effect of periodic excitation from individually controlled synthetic jet actuators on the dynamics of the flow within the separation and re-attachment regions of the boundary layer over the suction surface of a 2D model wing that has S809 airfoil profile. Experiments are performed in METUWIND's C3 open-loop suction type wind tunnel that has a 1 m × 1 m cross-section test section. The synthetic jet array on the wing consists of three individually controlled actuators driven by piezoelectric diaphragms located at 28% chord location near the mid-span of the wing. In the first part of the study, surface pressure, Constant Temperature Anemometry (CTA) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements are performed over the suction surface of the airfoil to determine the size and characteristics of the separated shear layer and the re-attachment region, i.e. the laminar separation bubble, at 2.3x10 5 Reynolds number at zero angle of attack and with no flow control as a baseline case. For the controlled case, CTA measurements are carried out under the same inlet conditions at various streamwise locations along the suction surface of the airfoil to investigate the effect of the synthetic jet on the boundary layer properties. During the controlled case experiments, the synthetic jet actuators are driven with a sinusoidal frequency of 1.45 kHz and 300Vp-p. Results of this study show that periodic excitation from the synthetic jet actuators eliminates the laminar separation bubble formed over the suction surface of the airfoil at 2.3x10 5 Reynolds number at zero angle of attack

Tissue lead concentration during chronic exposure of Pimephales promelas (fathead minnow) to lead nitrate in aquarium water.

Science.gov (United States)

Spokas, Eric G; Spur, Bernd W; Smith, Holly; Kemp, Francis W; Bogden, John D

2006-11-01

The fathead minnow is a useful species for evaluating the toxicity of wastewater effluents. While this fish is widely used for "survival" studies of metal toxicity, little or no work has been done on the tissue distribution of metals in fathead minnows. To determine the distribution of tissue lead, aquarium studies were conducted for several weeks with fish maintained in soft synthetic freshwater. Lead- (II) nitrate was added to three aquaria attaining concentrations of 20-30 ppb (aquarium B), 100-140 ppb (aquarium C), and roughly 200 ppb (aquarium D). Results were compared to controls (aquarium A). During the initial week, the majority of aquarium D fish died, whereas few deaths occurred in the other groups. Lead accumulation was dose- and tissue-dependent, with highest uptake by the gills. Gill concentrations of aquarium D fish averaged about 4-fold higherthan in skeleton or skin and muscle. In vitro, lead (2.5-25 ppm) caused dose-dependent reductions in the ratio of reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) in gills incubated in physiological buffer. These findings demonstrate that fathead minnow gills bind and accumulate waterborne lead rapidly and preferentially and raise the possibility that gill lipid peroxidation contributes to lead toxicity at low water hardness.

Preliminary study of synthetic aperture tissue harmonic imaging on in-vivo data

Science.gov (United States)

Rasmussen, Joachim H.; Hemmsen, Martin C.; Madsen, Signe S.; Hansen, Peter M.; Nielsen, Michael B.; Jensen, Jørgen A.

2013-03-01

A method for synthetic aperture tissue harmonic imaging is investigated. It combines synthetic aperture sequen- tial beamforming (SASB) with tissue harmonic imaging (THI) to produce an increased and more uniform spatial resolution and improved side lobe reduction compared to conventional B-mode imaging. Synthetic aperture sequential beamforming tissue harmonic imaging (SASB-THI) was implemented on a commercially available BK 2202 Pro Focus UltraView ultrasound system and compared to dynamic receive focused tissue harmonic imag- ing (DRF-THI) in clinical scans. The scan sequence that was implemented on the UltraView system acquires both SASB-THI and DRF-THI simultaneously. Twenty-four simultaneously acquired video sequences of in-vivo abdominal SASB-THI and DRF-THI scans on 3 volunteers of 4 different sections of liver and kidney tissues were created. Videos of the in-vivo scans were presented in double blinded studies to two radiologists for image quality performance scoring. Limitations to the systems transmit stage prevented user defined transmit apodization to be applied. Field II simulations showed that side lobes in SASB could be improved by using Hanning transmit apodization. Results from the image quality study show, that in the current configuration on the UltraView system, where no transmit apodization was applied, SASB-THI and DRF-THI produced equally good images. It is expected that given the use of transmit apodization, SASB-THI could be further improved.

Synthetic bedding and wheeze in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Dwyer, Terence; Kemp, Andrew; Cochrane, Jennifer; Couper, David; Carmichael, Allan

2003-01-01

The reasons for the increase in childhood asthma over time are unclear. The indoor environment is of particular concern. An adverse role for synthetic bedding on asthma development in childhood has been suggested by cross-sectional studies that have found an association between synthetic pillow use and childhood wheeze. Prospective data on infant bedding have not been available. Bedding data at 1 month of age were available from an infant survey for children who were participating in a 1995 follow-up study (N = 863; 78% traced). The 1995 follow-up was embedded in a larger cross-sectional survey involving 6,378 seven year olds in Tasmania (N = 92% of eligible). Outcome measures included respiratory symptoms as defined in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood protocol. Frequent wheeze was defined as more than 12 wheeze episodes over the past year compared with no wheeze. Synthetic pillow use at 1 month of age was associated with frequent wheeze at age 7 (adjusted relative risk [aRR] = 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-5.5) independent of childhood exposure. Current synthetic pillow and quilt use was strongly associated with frequent wheeze (aRR = 5.2; CI = 1.3-20.6). Substantial trends were evident for an association of increasing number of synthetic bedding items with frequent wheeze and with increasing wheeze frequency. Among children with asthma, the age of onset of asthma occurred earlier if synthetic bedding was used in infancy. In this cohort, synthetic bedding was strongly and consistently associated with frequent childhood wheeze. The association did not appear to be attributable to bedding choice as part of an asthma management strategy.

Prediction of novel synthetic pathways for the production of desired chemicals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park Jin

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There have been several methods developed for the prediction of synthetic metabolic pathways leading to the production of desired chemicals. In these approaches, novel pathways were predicted based on chemical structure changes, enzymatic information, and/or reaction mechanisms, but the approaches generating a huge number of predicted results are difficult to be applied to real experiments. Also, some of these methods focus on specific pathways, and thus are limited to expansion to the whole metabolism. Results In the present study, we propose a system framework employing a retrosynthesis model with a prioritization scoring algorithm. This new strategy allows deducing the novel promising pathways for the synthesis of a desired chemical together with information on enzymes involved based on structural changes and reaction mechanisms present in the system database. The prioritization scoring algorithm employing Tanimoto coefficient and group contribution method allows examination of structurally qualified pathways to recognize which pathway is more appropriate. In addition, new concepts of binding site covalence, estimation of pathway distance and organism specificity were taken into account to identify the best synthetic pathway. Parameters of these factors can be evolutionarily optimized when a newly proven synthetic pathway is registered. As the proofs of concept, the novel synthetic pathways for the production of isobutanol, 3-hydroxypropionate, and butyryl-CoA were predicted. The prediction shows a high reliability, in which experimentally verified synthetic pathways were listed within the top 0.089% of the identified pathway candidates. Conclusions It is expected that the system framework developed in this study would be useful for the in silico design of novel metabolic pathways to be employed for the efficient production of chemicals, fuels and materials.

Designing synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Agapakis, Christina M

2014-03-21

Synthetic biology is frequently defined as the application of engineering design principles to biology. Such principles are intended to streamline the practice of biological engineering, to shorten the time required to design, build, and test synthetic gene networks. This streamlining of iterative design cycles can facilitate the future construction of biological systems for a range of applications in the production of fuels, foods, materials, and medicines. The promise of these potential applications as well as the emphasis on design has prompted critical reflection on synthetic biology from design theorists and practicing designers from many fields, who can bring valuable perspectives to the discipline. While interdisciplinary connections between biologists and engineers have built synthetic biology via the science and the technology of biology, interdisciplinary collaboration with artists, designers, and social theorists can provide insight on the connections between technology and society. Such collaborations can open up new avenues and new principles for research and design, as well as shed new light on the challenging context-dependence-both biological and social-that face living technologies at many scales. This review is inspired by the session titled "Design and Synthetic Biology: Connecting People and Technology" at Synthetic Biology 6.0 and covers a range of literature on design practice in synthetic biology and beyond. Critical engagement with how design is used to shape the discipline opens up new possibilities for how we might design the future of synthetic biology.

Moessbauer Study of Discoloration of Synthetic Resin Covered Electric Switches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzmann, E.; Muzsay, I.; Homonnay, Z.; Vertes, A.

2002-01-01

57 Fe Moessbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry were used to investigate brown discoloration and sediments formed on the surface of synthetic resin product covered electronic switches. The Moessbauer measurement revealed that alloyed steels and iron-containing corrosion products are associated with the discolored layers. Iron, and iron corrosion products were shown by both MS and XRD in the sediments formed eventually during the finishing of the synthetic resin products after machining and washing with water solution.

Numerical study of nozzle design for the hybrid synthetic jet actuator

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hsu, S.-S.; Chou, Y.-J.; Trávníček, Zdeněk; Lin, C.-F.; Wang, A. B.; Yen, R.H.

2015-01-01

Roč. 232, August (2015), s. 172-182 ISSN 0924-4247 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA14-08888S Institutional support: RVO:61388998 Keywords : synthetic jet * hybrid synthetic jet * numerical simulation Subject RIV: JU - Aeronautics, Aerodynamics, Aircrafts Impact factor: 2.201, year: 2015 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424715300091

X-ray studies of synthetic radiation-counting diamonds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yacoot, Andrew; Moore, Moreton (Royal Holloway and Bedford New Coll., Egham (UK). Dept. of Physics); Makepeace, Anthony (Bristol Univ. (UK). Dept. of Physiology)

1990-10-01

Synthetic diamonds with a nitrogen content less than 100 ppm may be used as radiation dosemeters in a conduction counting mode, and are especially useful in medical applications. Crystal imperfections, revealed by x-ray diffraction topography, were found to affect counting performance. The best quality diamond gave the highest photocurrent (500 nA at 50 V mm{sup -1} and 2.75 Gy min{sup -1}). Diamonds containing dislocations had lower photocurrents but had the advantage of shorter settling times (seconds rather than minutes). Placing contacts on two opposite cube {l brace}100{r brace} faces gave a higher photocurrent than on a pair of octahedral {l brace}111{r brace} faces. Higher photocurrents were also achieved when the majority of dislocations were perpendicular rather than parallel, to the electric field. Some recommendations for selecting synthetic diamonds for dosemeters are given. (author).

Synthetic biology: programming cells for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Hörner, Maximilian; Reischmann, Nadine; Weber, Wilfried

2012-01-01

The emerging field of synthetic biology is a novel biological discipline at the interface between traditional biology, chemistry, and engineering sciences. Synthetic biology aims at the rational design of complex synthetic biological devices and systems with desired properties by combining compatible, modular biological parts in a systematic manner. While the first engineered systems were mainly proof-of-principle studies to demonstrate the power of the modular engineering approach of synthetic biology, subsequent systems focus on applications in the health, environmental, and energy sectors. This review describes recent approaches for biomedical applications that were developed along the synthetic biology design hierarchy, at the level of individual parts, of devices, and of complex multicellular systems. It describes how synthetic biological parts can be used for the synthesis of drug-delivery tools, how synthetic biological devices can facilitate the discovery of novel drugs, and how multicellular synthetic ecosystems can give insight into population dynamics of parasites and hosts. These examples demonstrate how this new discipline could contribute to novel solutions in the biopharmaceutical industry.

RNA and RNP as Building Blocks for Nanotechnology and Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohno, Hirohisa; Saito, Hirohide

2016-01-01

Recent technologies that aimed to elucidate cellular function have revealed essential roles for RNA molecules in living systems. Our knowledge concerning functional and structural information of naturally occurring RNA and RNA-protein (RNP) complexes is increasing rapidly. RNA and RNP interaction motifs are structural units that function as building blocks to constitute variety of complex structures. RNA-central synthetic biology and nanotechnology are constructive approaches that employ the accumulated information and build synthetic RNA (RNP)-based circuits and nanostructures. Here, we describe how to design and construct synthetic RNA (RNP)-based devices and structures at the nanometer-scale for biological and future therapeutic applications. RNA/RNP nanostructures can also be utilized as the molecular scaffold to control the localization or interactions of target molecule(s). Moreover, RNA motifs recognized by RNA-binding proteins can be applied to make protein-responsive translational "switches" that can turn gene expression "on" or "off" depending on the intracellular environment. This "synthetic RNA and RNP world" will expand tools for nanotechnology and synthetic biology. In addition, these reconstructive approaches would lead to a greater understanding of building principle in naturally occurring RNA/RNP molecules and systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EPR spectra of synthetic, and natural Australian opals - A pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hutton, D.R.; Troup, G.J.

1996-01-01

Full text: The EPR spectra of some synthetic opals, and of some Australian natural opals of various provenance, have been obtained, with the use of a Varian E-12 EPR spectrometer operating at ∼9.2 Ghz. The synthetic opals, from Swiss Gilson showed here a broad ESR signal in the g =2 region, with little identifiable structure . The natural Australian opals from Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, and Mintabie all showed the clear presence of Fe 3+ , Mn 2+ and a free radical like signal, suspected to be localised on an Al atom. Examples of the various spectra will be presented. It is not yet certain how the spectra correlate with provenance, but the synthetic spectra are quite different from the natural ones

Direct interaction of natural and synthetic catechins with signal transducer activator of transcription 1 affects both its phosphorylation and activity

KAUST Repository

Menegazzi, Marta; Mariotto, Sofia; Dal Bosco, Martina; Darra, Elena; Vaiana, Nadia; Shoji, Kazuo; Safwat, Abdel Azeim; Marechal, Jean Didier; Perahia, David; Suzuki, Hisanori; Romeo, Sergio

2013-01-01

Our previous studies showed that (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) inhibits signal transducer activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activation. Since EGCG may be a promising lead compound for new anti-STAT1 drug design, 15 synthetic catechins

Vectoring of parallel synthetic jets: A parametric study

Science.gov (United States)

Berk, Tim; Gomit, Guillaume; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

2016-11-01

The vectoring of a pair of parallel synthetic jets can be described using five dimensionless parameters: the aspect ratio of the slots, the Strouhal number, the Reynolds number, the phase difference between the jets and the spacing between the slots. In the present study, the influence of the latter four on the vectoring behaviour of the jets is examined experimentally using particle image velocimetry. Time-averaged velocity maps are used to study the variations in vectoring behaviour for a parametric sweep of each of the four parameters independently. A topological map is constructed for the full four-dimensional parameter space. The vectoring behaviour is described both qualitatively and quantitatively. A vectoring mechanism is proposed, based on measured vortex positions. We acknowledge the financial support from the European Research Council (ERC Grant Agreement No. 277472).

Synthetic biology and biosecurity: challenging the "myths".

Science.gov (United States)

Jefferson, Catherine; Lentzos, Filippa; Marris, Claire

2014-01-01

Synthetic biology, a field that aims to "make biology easier to engineer," is routinely described as leading to an increase in the "dual-use" threat, i.e., the potential for the same scientific research to be "used" for peaceful purposes or "misused" for warfare or terrorism. Fears have been expressed that the "de-skilling" of biology, combined with online access to the genomic DNA sequences of pathogenic organisms and the reduction in price for DNA synthesis, will make biology increasingly accessible to people operating outside well-equipped professional research laboratories, including people with malevolent intentions. The emergence of do-it-yourself (DIY) biology communities and of the student iGEM competition has come to epitomize this supposed trend toward greater ease of access and the associated potential threat from rogue actors. In this article, we identify five "myths" that permeate discussions about synthetic biology and biosecurity, and argue that they embody misleading assumptions about both synthetic biology and bioterrorism. We demonstrate how these myths are challenged by more realistic understandings of the scientific research currently being conducted in both professional and DIY laboratories, and by an analysis of historical cases of bioterrorism. We show that the importance of tacit knowledge is commonly overlooked in the dominant narrative: the focus is on access to biological materials and digital information, rather than on human practices and institutional dimensions. As a result, public discourse on synthetic biology and biosecurity tends to portray speculative scenarios about the future as realities in the present or the near future, when this is not warranted. We suggest that these "myths" play an important role in defining synthetic biology as a "promissory" field of research and as an "emerging technology" in need of governance.

Freedom and Responsibility in Synthetic Genomics: The Synthetic Yeast Project

OpenAIRE

Sliva, Anna; Yang, Huanming; Boeke, Jef D.; Mathews, Debra J. H.

2015-01-01

First introduced in 2011, the Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) Project is a large international synthetic genomics project that will culminate in the first eukaryotic cell (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with a fully synthetic genome. With collaborators from across the globe and from a range of institutions spanning from do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) to commercial enterprises, it is important that all scientists working on this project are cognizant of the ethical and policy issues associated with...

INTERACTION OF ALBUMIN AND IMMUNOGLOBULIN G WITH SYNTHETIC HYDROXYAPATITE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Pylypchuk

2012-12-01

Full Text Available It was shown by X-ray phase analysis, IR spectra analysis and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry methods that interaction of synthetic hydroxyapatite with a solution of immunoglobulin G leads to its partial dissolution due to leaching from the surface of calcium triphosphate which, in our opinion, forms complexes with immunoglobulin G.

Synthetic biology, metaphors and responsibility.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Carmen; Nerlich, Brigitte

2017-08-29

Metaphors are not just decorative rhetorical devices that make speech pretty. They are fundamental tools for thinking about the world and acting on the world. The language we use to make a better world matters; words matter; metaphors matter. Words have consequences - ethical, social and legal ones, as well as political and economic ones. They need to be used 'responsibly'. They also need to be studied carefully - this is what we want to do through this editorial and the related thematic collection. In the context of synthetic biology, natural and social scientists have become increasingly interested in metaphors, a wave of interest that we want to exploit and amplify. We want to build on emerging articles and books on synthetic biology, metaphors of life and the ethical and moral implications of such metaphors. This editorial provides a brief introduction to synthetic biology and responsible innovation, as well as a comprehensive review of literature on the social, cultural and ethical impacts of metaphor use in genomics and synthetic biology. Our aim is to stimulate an interdisciplinary and international discussion on the impact that metaphors can have on science, policy and publics in the context of synthetic biology.

Characterization of Thermal Stability of Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Engine Oils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anand Kumar Tripathi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Engine oils undergo oxidative degradation and wears out during service. Hence it is important to characterize ageing of engine oils at different simulated conditions to evaluate the performance of existing oils and also design new formulations. This work focuses on characterizing the thermo-oxidative degradation of synthetic and semi-synthetic engine oils aged at 120, 149 and 200 °C. Apparent activation energy of decomposition of aged oils evaluated using the isoconversional Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose technique was used as a thermal stability marker. The temporal variation of stability at different ageing temperatures was corroborated with kinematic viscosity, oxidation, sulfation and nitration indices, total base number, antiwear additive content and molecular structure of the organic species present in the oils. At the lowest temperature employed, synthetic oil underwent higher rate of oxidation, while semi-synthetic oil was stable for longer time periods. At higher temperatures, the initial rate of change of average apparent activation energy of synthetic oil correlated well with a similar variation in oxidation number. A mixture of long chain linear, branched, and cyclic hydrocarbons were observed when semi-synthetic oil was degraded at higher temperatures.

Designing Uniquely Addressable Bio-orthogonal Synthetic Scaffolds for DNA and RNA Origami.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozyra, Jerzy; Ceccarelli, Alessandro; Torelli, Emanuela; Lopiccolo, Annunziata; Gu, Jing-Ying; Fellermann, Harold; Stimming, Ulrich; Krasnogor, Natalio

2017-07-21

Nanotechnology and synthetic biology are rapidly converging, with DNA origami being one of the leading bridging technologies. DNA origami was shown to work well in a wide array of biotic environments. However, the large majority of extant DNA origami scaffolds utilize bacteriophages or plasmid sequences thus severely limiting its future applicability as a bio-orthogonal nanotechnology platform. In this paper we present the design of biologically inert (i.e., "bio-orthogonal") origami scaffolds. The synthetic scaffolds have the additional advantage of being uniquely addressable (unlike biologically derived ones) and hence are better optimized for high-yield folding. We demonstrate our fully synthetic scaffold design with both DNA and RNA origamis and describe a protocol to produce these bio-orthogonal and uniquely addressable origami scaffolds.

Sintering study in vertical fixed bed reactor for synthetic aggregate production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quaresma, D.S.; Neves, A.S.S.; Melo, A.O.; Pereira, L.F.S.; Bezerra, P.T.S.; Macedo, E.N.; Souza, J.A.S.

2017-01-01

The synthetic aggregates are being employed in civil construction for the reduction of mineral extraction activities. Within this context, the recycling of industrial waste is the basis of the majority of processes to reduce the exploitation of mineral resources. In this work the sintering in a vertical fixed bed reactor for synthetic aggregate production using 20% pellets and 80% charcoal was studied. The pellets were prepared from a mixture containing clay, charcoal and fly ash. Two experiments varying the speed of air sucking were carried out. The material produced was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, measures of their ceramic properties, and particle size analysis. The results showed that the solid-state reactions, during the sintering process, were efficient and the produced material was classified as coarse lightweight aggregate. The process is interesting for the sintering of aggregates, and can be controlled by composition, particle size, temperature gradient and gaseous flow. (author)

Designing synthetic RNA for delivery by nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jedrzejczyk, Dominika; Pawlowska, Roza; Chworos, Arkadiusz; Gendaszewska-Darmach, Edyta

2017-01-01

The rapid development of synthetic biology and nanobiotechnology has led to the construction of various synthetic RNA nanoparticles of different functionalities and potential applications. As they occur naturally, nucleic acids are an attractive construction material for biocompatible nanoscaffold and nanomachine design. In this review, we provide an overview of the types of RNA and nucleic acid’s nanoparticle design, with the focus on relevant nanostructures utilized for gene-expression regulation in cellular models. Structural analysis and modeling is addressed along with the tools available for RNA structural prediction. The functionalization of RNA-based nanoparticles leading to prospective applications of such constructs in potential therapies is shown. The route from the nanoparticle design and modeling through synthesis and functionalization to cellular application is also described. For a better understanding of the fate of targeted RNA after delivery, an overview of RNA processing inside the cell is also provided. (topical review)

Removal of Chromium and Lead from Industrial Wastewater Using

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Hilal

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this research an attempt is made on the ability of aerobic treatment of synthetic solutions containing lead and chromium using effective microorganisms within the reactor. To achieve the desired objectives of the research, synthetic aqueous solutions of lead and chromium was used in the concentration of chromium and lead ions of 5, 10,50 and 100 mg / l .The work was done at constant pH equal to 4.5 and temperature of 30 ± 1 º C. Effective microorganisms solutions was added to the reactor at Vol.% of 1/50 ,1/100 ,1/500 and 1/1000, with retention time was 24 hours to measure the heavy metals concentration the atomic absorption device was used. The experimental results showed that each 1mg / l of lead and chromium ions need 24 mg of effective microorganisms to achieve removal of 92.0% and 82.60% for lead and chromium respectively. Increasing the concentration of effective microorganisms increases the surface of adsorption and thus increasing the removal efficiency. It is found that the microorganisms activity occur in the first five hours of processing and about 94% of adsorption capacity of biomass will take place. It is also found the selectivity of microorganisms to lead ions is higher than for chromium ions.

Freedom and Responsibility in Synthetic Genomics: The Synthetic Yeast Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Sliva, Anna; Yang, Huanming; Boeke, Jef D; Mathews, Debra J H

2015-08-01

First introduced in 2011, the Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) PROJECT is a large international synthetic genomics project that will culminate in the first eukaryotic cell (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) with a fully synthetic genome. With collaborators from across the globe and from a range of institutions spanning from do-it-yourself biology (DIYbio) to commercial enterprises, it is important that all scientists working on this project are cognizant of the ethical and policy issues associated with this field of research and operate under a common set of principles. In this commentary, we survey the current ethics and regulatory landscape of synthetic biology and present the Sc2.0 Statement of Ethics and Governance to which all members of the project adhere. This statement focuses on four aspects of the Sc2.0 PROJECT: societal benefit, intellectual property, safety, and self-governance. We propose that such project-level agreements are an important, valuable, and flexible model of self-regulation for similar global, large-scale synthetic biology projects in order to maximize the benefits and minimize potential harms. Copyright © 2015 by the Genetics Society of America.

Reasons for Synthetic THC Use among College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Vidourek, Rebecca A.; King, Keith A.; Burbage, Michelle L.

2013-01-01

Synthetic THC, also known as fake marijuana, is used by college students in the United States. The present study examined reasons for recent synthetic THC use among college students (N = 339). Students completed a 3-page survey during regularly scheduled class times. Results indicated students reported using synthetic THC for curiosity, to get…

Self-Assembling Organic Nanopores as Synthetic Transmembrane Channels with Tunable Functions

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaoxi

nanotubular assembly, rather than the individual molecules of 3, is required to partition into the lipid bilayer in order for these macrocycles to act as channels. Further structural modification has led to fourth-generation macrocycles 4 having readily-tunable cavities (Chapter 4). Macrocycles 4 , with a hybrid backbone composed half of the oligoamide and half of the phenylene ethynylene moieties, exhibits similar self-assembling behavior by forming nanotubular stacks. The results of a preliminary study based on LUVs-assays and BLM single channel recording experiments are summarized and clearly indicate that ion channels formed by this fourth-generation exhibit high stability and differing ion selectivity largely consistent with the corresponding structural modification of the interior cavity. Especially, the increased anion conductance observed for 4d indicates that our strategy of tuning supramolecular function based on synthetic modification of the backbone and pore is effective. In Chapter 5, our four-residue tetraurea macrocycles 5 have shown significant potency to selectively interact with the G-quadruplex, leading to a strong stabilization effect for G-quadruplex without binding to duplex DNA as observed by UV-melt assays. The ready synthetic availability of these macrocycles makes them amenable to future chemical modification, which allows systematic improvement of binding affinity and specificity. Moreover, it has been discovered that these macrocycles can partition into lipid bilayers and form very stable transmembrane ion channels with a pore size of ˜5 A. Preliminary data shows that this smaller ion channel may lead to exceptional ion conducting selectivity, which is rarely seen in the field of synthetic ion pores. These molecules may serve as a unique platform for the rational development of potent and versatile therapeutic agents. The exceptional ion conducting properties of these channels place aromatic oligoamide macrocycles 3 and 4 at a unique position with

Synthetic study of reactor irradiation for medical use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Shigehiro; Furuhashi, Akira; Kanda, Keiji; Sumita, Kenji; Kakihana, Hidetake.

1978-01-01

This report is described on the results of the study on the reactor irradiation for medical use shared by the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tokyo, and other seventeen facilities. Boron neutron-capturing therapy developed in Japan is extremely significant treating method for tumors by destroying tumor cells of encephaloma, etc. selectively. This is the synthetic study for promoting the above therapeutic method. Two existing reactors were reconstructed into the thermal neutron reactors for boron neutron-capturing therapy. The various preparatory and physical researches were made with the reconstruction, and the therapy was tried on eleven cases. Further experiments were made on the following points: (1) To promote treatment on encephaloma by boron neutron-capturing therapy. (2) To develop its application to malignant tumors other than encephaloma. (3) Animal irradiation experiments. (4) The basic experiments on the cellular level. (5) The study of remote controlled anesthesia. (6) To control irradiated dose. (7) To improve boron compounds. (8) To condense radioisotopes. (Kobatake, H.)

Experimental study on the adsorptive-distillation for dehydration of ethanol-water mixture using natural and synthetic zeolites

Science.gov (United States)

Megawati, Wicaksono, D.; Abdullah, M. S.

2017-03-01

This research studied adsorptive-distillation (AD) for dehydration of ethanol-water mixture using natural and synthetic zeolites as adsorbent for ethanol purification. Especially, the effect of purification time is recorded and studied to evaluate performance of designed AD equipment. This AD was performed in a batch condition using boiling flask covered with heating mantle and it was maintained at 78°C temperature and 1 atm pressure. The initial ethanol volume was 300 mL with 93.8% v/v concentration. The synthetic zeolite type used was zeolite 3A. The flowed vapour was condensed using water as a cooling medium. Every 5 minutes of time duration the samples were collected until the vapour could not be condensed in that condition and then be analyzed its concentration using Gas-Chromatography. Experiment shows that the designed AD equipment could increase ethanol concentration at first 5 minutes with highest ethanol concentration achieved using synthetic zeolite (97.47% v/v). However, ethanol concentration from AD process using natural zeolite only reached 96.5% v/v. Thus, synthetic zeolite as adsorbent could pass azeotropic point, but natural zeolite fail. The ratio of adsorbed water per adsorbent for natural and synthetic zeolites are about 0.023 and 0.056 gwater/gads, respectively, at 50 minutes of time. Finally, synthetic zeolite (at 55 minutes the value of C/C0 is about 0.85 and the average outlet water concentration is 4.70 mole/L) as adsorbent for AD of ethanol water is better than natural zeolite (at 55 minutes the value of C/C0 is about 0.63 and the average outlet water concentration is 6.43 mole/L).

Impinging jet study of the deposition of colloidal particles on synthetic polymer (Zeonor)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vlček, Jakub; Lapčík, Lubomír; Cech, Jiri

2014-01-01

In this study, an impinging jet deposition experiments were performed on synthetic polymer (Zeonor) original and by micro-embossing modified substrates with exactly defined topology as confirmed by AFM and SEM. Deposition experiments were performed at ambient temperature and at selected flow regi...

Synthetic Metabolic Pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Synthetic Metabolic Pathways: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study...

Evaluation of synthetic hydrocarbons for mark-recapture studies on the red milkweed beetle.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginzel, Matthew D; Hanks, Lawrence M

2002-05-01

This study evaluates the potential for using blends of synthetic hydrocarbons in mark-recapture studies of insects. To test the durability of hydrocarbons, we applied a blend of five straight-chain hydrocarbons (C24, C21, C26. C28, C30) to detached elytra of the red milkweed beetle, Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Forster) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), mounted the elytra on pins, and placed them in an exposed location outdoors. The amount of hydrocarbons on the elytra did not change over time, even after two months of exposure to sun and rain. Synthetic hydrocarbons applied to the elytra of living beetles did not significantly influence their longevity or mating success in a laboratory study. and the amounts of hydrocarbons did not change with age. The invariability of hydrocarbon ratios over time suggests that blends could provide a nearly infinite variety of ratios to mark individual insects uniquely and indelibly with a hydrocarbon "fingerprint." This technique offers a convenient, safe, and durable means of individually marking insects and may find application in field studies of larger bodied insects that are long-lived and sedentary.

Synthetic Biology: Mapping the Scientific Landscape

Science.gov (United States)

Oldham, Paul; Hall, Stephen; Burton, Geoff

2012-01-01

This article uses data from Thomson Reuters Web of Science to map and analyse the scientific landscape for synthetic biology. The article draws on recent advances in data visualisation and analytics with the aim of informing upcoming international policy debates on the governance of synthetic biology by the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. We use mapping techniques to identify how synthetic biology can best be understood and the range of institutions, researchers and funding agencies involved. Debates under the Convention are likely to focus on a possible moratorium on the field release of synthetic organisms, cells or genomes. Based on the empirical evidence we propose that guidance could be provided to funding agencies to respect the letter and spirit of the Convention on Biological Diversity in making research investments. Building on the recommendations of the United States Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues we demonstrate that it is possible to promote independent and transparent monitoring of developments in synthetic biology using modern information tools. In particular, public and policy understanding and engagement with synthetic biology can be enhanced through the use of online interactive tools. As a step forward in this process we make existing data on the scientific literature on synthetic biology available in an online interactive workbook so that researchers, policy makers and civil society can explore the data and draw conclusions for themselves. PMID:22539946

Elastic FWI for VTI media: A synthetic parameterization study

KAUST Repository

Kamath, Nishant; Tsvankin, Ilya; Diaz, Esteban

2016-01-01

A major challenge for multiparameter full-waveform inversion (FWI) is the inherent trade-offs (or cross-talk) between model parameters. Here, we perform FWI of multicomponent data generated for a synthetic VTI (transversely isotropic with a vertical

The von Auwers reaction - history and synthetic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Dumeunier, Raphaël; Jaeckh, Simon

2014-01-01

Dienones obtained from the facile dearomatization of phenols, can be further transformed to semi-benzenes prone to rearomatize in clean, but sometimes unexpected, fashion. Over a hundred years ago, K. von Auwers found that adding Grignards on dienones would lead spontaneously to subsequent dehydration and a novel aromatizing rearrangement. This reaction was ignored for 50 years before Melvin Newman re-investigated these findings, studied the mechanism, and developed variations on the same theme. Since then, despite the tremendous potential of the reactions, those studies were only rarely mentioned, before finally falling into oblivion. This review aims to provide the reader with a detailed history and comprehensive bibliography of the von Auwers rearrangement, some of its synthetic applications, and new unpublished material in the hope to open new perspectives on this forgotten reaction.

Synthetic environments

Science.gov (United States)

Lukes, George E.; Cain, Joel M.

1996-02-01

The Advanced Distributed Simulation (ADS) Synthetic Environments Program seeks to create robust virtual worlds from operational terrain and environmental data sources of sufficient fidelity and currency to interact with the real world. While some applications can be met by direct exploitation of standard digital terrain data, more demanding applications -- particularly those support operations 'close to the ground' -- are well-served by emerging capabilities for 'value-adding' by the user working with controlled imagery. For users to rigorously refine and exploit controlled imagery within functionally different workstations they must have a shared framework to allow interoperability within and between these environments in terms of passing image and object coordinates and other information using a variety of validated sensor models. The Synthetic Environments Program is now being expanded to address rapid construction of virtual worlds with research initiatives in digital mapping, softcopy workstations, and cartographic image understanding. The Synthetic Environments Program is also participating in a joint initiative for a sensor model applications programer's interface (API) to ensure that a common controlled imagery exploitation framework is available to all researchers, developers and users. This presentation provides an introduction to ADS and the associated requirements for synthetic environments to support synthetic theaters of war. It provides a technical rationale for exploring applications of image understanding technology to automated cartography in support of ADS and related programs benefitting from automated analysis of mapping, earth resources and reconnaissance imagery. And it provides an overview and status of the joint initiative for a sensor model API.

Synthetic and non-synthetic anthropogenic fibers in a river under the impact of Paris Megacity: Sampling methodological aspects and flux estimations.

Science.gov (United States)

Dris, Rachid; Gasperi, Johnny; Rocher, Vincent; Tassin, Bruno

2018-03-15

Processed fibers are highly present in our daily life and can be either natural, artificial (regenerated cellulose) and synthetic (made with petrochemicals). Their widespread use lead inevitably to a high contamination of environment. Previous studies focus on plastic particles regardless of their type or shape as long as they are comprised between 330μm and 5mm. On the contrary, this study focuses exclusively on fibers using a smaller mesh size net (80μm) to sample freshwater. Moreover, all processed organic fibers are considered, irrespective to their nature. First, the short term temporal variability of the fibers in the environment was assessed. While exposing the sampling net during 1min a coefficient of variation of approx. 45% (with n=6) was determined. It was of only 26% (n=6) when the exposure was of 3min. The assessment of the distribution through the section showed a possible difference in concentrations between the middle of the water surface and the river banks which could be attributed to the intense river traffic within the Paris Megacity. The vertical variability seems negligible as turbulence and current conditions homogenize the distribution of the fibers. A monthly monitoring showed concentrations of 100.6±99.9fibers·m -3 in the Marne River and of: 48.5±98.5, 27.9±26.3, 27.9±40.3 and 22.1±25.3fibers·m -3 from the upstream to downstream points in the Seine River. Once these concentrations are converted into fluxes, it seems that the impact generated by the Paris Megacity cannot be distinguished. Investigations on the role of sedimentation and deposition on the banks are required. This study helped fill some major knowledge gaps regarding the fibers in rivers, their sampling, occurrence, spatial-temporal distribution and fluxes. It is encouraged that future studies include both synthetic and none synthetic fibers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthetic biology and biosecurity: challenging the ‘myths’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine eJefferson

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Synthetic biology, a field that aims to ‘make biology easier to engineer’, is routinely described as leading to an increase in the ‘dual use’ threat, i.e. the potential for the same piece of scientific research to be ‘used’ for peaceful purposes or ‘misused’ for warfare or terrorism. Fears have been expressed that the ‘de-skilling’ of biology, combined with online access to the genomic DNA sequences of pathogenic organisms and the reduction in price for DNA synthesis, will make biology increasingly accessible to people operating outside well-equipped professional research laboratories, including people with malevolent intentions. The emergence of DIY biology communities and of the student iGEM competition has come to epitomize this supposed trend towards greater ease of access and the associated potential threat from rogue actors. In this article, we identify 5 ‘myths’ that permeate discussions about synthetic biology and biosecurity, and argue that they embody misleading assumptions about both synthetic biology and bioterrorism. We demonstrate how these myths are challenged by more realistic understandings of the scientific research currently being conducted in both professional and DIY laboratories, and by an analysis of historical cases of bioterrorism. We show that the importance of tacit knowledge is commonly overlooked in the dominant narrative: the focus is on access to biological materials and digital information, rather than on human practices and institutional dimensions. As a result, public discourse on synthetic biology and biosecurity tends to portray speculative scenarios about the future as realities in the present or the near future, when this is not warranted. We suggest that these ‘myths’ play an important role in defining synthetic biology as a ‘promissory’ field of research and as an ‘emerging technology’ in need of governance.

Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity: Challenging the “Myths”

Science.gov (United States)

Jefferson, Catherine; Lentzos, Filippa; Marris, Claire

2014-01-01

Synthetic biology, a field that aims to “make biology easier to engineer,” is routinely described as leading to an increase in the “dual-use” threat, i.e., the potential for the same scientific research to be “used” for peaceful purposes or “misused” for warfare or terrorism. Fears have been expressed that the “de-skilling” of biology, combined with online access to the genomic DNA sequences of pathogenic organisms and the reduction in price for DNA synthesis, will make biology increasingly accessible to people operating outside well-equipped professional research laboratories, including people with malevolent intentions. The emergence of do-it-yourself (DIY) biology communities and of the student iGEM competition has come to epitomize this supposed trend toward greater ease of access and the associated potential threat from rogue actors. In this article, we identify five “myths” that permeate discussions about synthetic biology and biosecurity, and argue that they embody misleading assumptions about both synthetic biology and bioterrorism. We demonstrate how these myths are challenged by more realistic understandings of the scientific research currently being conducted in both professional and DIY laboratories, and by an analysis of historical cases of bioterrorism. We show that the importance of tacit knowledge is commonly overlooked in the dominant narrative: the focus is on access to biological materials and digital information, rather than on human practices and institutional dimensions. As a result, public discourse on synthetic biology and biosecurity tends to portray speculative scenarios about the future as realities in the present or the near future, when this is not warranted. We suggest that these “myths” play an important role in defining synthetic biology as a “promissory” field of research and as an “emerging technology” in need of governance. PMID:25191649

Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Synthetic Organic Pigments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugaya, Naeko; Takahashi, Mitsuko; Sakurai, Katsumi; Tanaka, Nobuko; Okubo, Ichiro; Kawakami, Tsuyoshi

2018-04-18

Though synthetic organic colorants are used in various applications nowadays, there is the concern that impurities by-produced during the manufacturing and degradation products in some of these colorants are persistent organic pollutants and carcinogens. Thus, it is important to identify the synthetic organic colorants in various products, such as commercial paints, ink, cosmetics, food, textile, and plastics. Dyes, which are soluble in water and other solvents, could be analyzed by chromatographic methods. In contrast, it is difficult to analyze synthetic organic pigments by these methods because of their insolubility. This review is an overview of mass spectrometric analysis of synthetic organic pigments by various ionization methods. We highlight a recent study of textile samples by atmospheric pressure solid analysis probe MS. Furthermore, the mass spectral features of synthetic organic pigments and their separation from other components such as paint media and plasticizers are discussed.

Synthetic lethality between gene defects affecting a single non-essential molecular pathway with reversible steps.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrei Zinovyev

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Systematic analysis of synthetic lethality (SL constitutes a critical tool for systems biology to decipher molecular pathways. The most accepted mechanistic explanation of SL is that the two genes function in parallel, mutually compensatory pathways, known as between-pathway SL. However, recent genome-wide analyses in yeast identified a significant number of within-pathway negative genetic interactions. The molecular mechanisms leading to within-pathway SL are not fully understood. Here, we propose a novel mechanism leading to within-pathway SL involving two genes functioning in a single non-essential pathway. This type of SL termed within-reversible-pathway SL involves reversible pathway steps, catalyzed by different enzymes in the forward and backward directions, and kinetic trapping of a potentially toxic intermediate. Experimental data with recombinational DNA repair genes validate the concept. Mathematical modeling recapitulates the possibility of kinetic trapping and revealed the potential contributions of synthetic, dosage-lethal interactions in such a genetic system as well as the possibility of within-pathway positive masking interactions. Analysis of yeast gene interaction and pathway data suggests broad applicability of this novel concept. These observations extend the canonical interpretation of synthetic-lethal or synthetic-sick interactions with direct implications to reconstruct molecular pathways and improve therapeutic approaches to diseases such as cancer.

BOOK REVIEW: ESTUARINE SCIENCE: A SYNTHETIC APPROACH TO RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Science.gov (United States)

This book is the product of fifty leading estuarine scientists most of whom attended a workshop convened for the purpose of "put[ting] together the case for synthesis of estuarine data and to show the capabilities of synthetic methods of research" (p. 2). The editor, John E. Hob...

Metal immobilization in soils using synthetic zeolites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Osté, L.A.; Lexmond, T.M.; Riemsdijk, van W.H.

2002-01-01

In situ immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils is a technique to improve soil quality. Synthetic zeolites are potentially useful additives to bind heavy metals. This study selected the most effective zeolite in cadmium and zinc binding out of six synthetic zeolites (mordenite-type,

Dissolution studies of synthetic soddyite and uranophane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casas, I.; Perez, I.; Torrero, E.; Bruno, J.; Cera, E.; Duro, L.

1997-09-01

The dissolution of synthetically obtained soddyite and uranophane has been studied in solutions of low ionic strength. These are the likely final phases of the oxidative alternation pathway of uranium dioxide. The thermodynamic and kinetic dissolution properties of these phases have been determined at different bicarbonate concentrations. The solubilities determined in the experiments with soddyite correspond fairly well to the theoretical model calculated with a log K 0 s0 =3.9±0.7. For uranophane, the best fitting was obtained for a log K 0 s0 =11.7±0.6. The dissolution rate in the presence of bicarbonate gave for soddyite an average value of 6.8(±4.4) 10 -10 mol m -2 s -1 . For uranophane, under the same experimental conditions, the following dissolution rate equation has been derived: r 0 (mol m -2 s -1 )=10 -9±2. [HCO 3 - ] 0.69±0.09 2

Efficacy of bio and synthetic pesticides against the American ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Management for the bollworm complex in Uganda is largely synthetic chemical use with little or no biopesticide use which reduces natural enemies population and resistance development to continuous use of a single synthetic pesticide product. Therefore this study aimed at determining the efficacy of bio and synthetic ...

Opportunities in plant synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Charis; Martin, Lisa; Bastow, Ruth

2014-05-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging field uniting scientists from all disciplines with the aim of designing or re-designing biological processes. Initially, synthetic biology breakthroughs came from microbiology, chemistry, physics, computer science, materials science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines. A transition to multicellular systems is the next logical step for synthetic biologists and plants will provide an ideal platform for this new phase of research. This meeting report highlights some of the exciting plant synthetic biology projects, and tools and resources, presented and discussed at the 2013 GARNet workshop on plant synthetic biology.

In vivo x-ray fluorescence of bone lead in the study of human lead metabolism: Serum lead, whole blood lead, bone lead, and cumulative exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cake, K.M.; Chettle, D.R.; Webber, C.E.; Gordon, C.L.

1995-01-01

Traditionally, clinical studies of lead's effect on health have relied on blood lead levels to indicate lead exposure. However, this is unsatisfactory because blood lead levels have a half-life of approximately 5 weeks, and thus reflect recent exposure. Over 90% of the lead body burden is in bone, and it is thought to have a long residence time, thus implying that measurements of bone lead reflect cumulative exposure. So, measurements of bone lead are useful in understanding the long-term health effects of lead. Ahlgren reported the first noninvasive measurements of bone lead in humans, where γ-rays from 57 Co were used to excite the K series x-rays of lead. The lead detection system at McMaster University uses a 109 Cd source which is positioned at the center of the detector face (HPGe) and a near backscatter (∼160 degrees) geometry. This arrangement allows great flexibility, since one can sample lead in a range of different bone sites due to a robust normalization technique which eliminates the need to correct for bone geometry, thickness of overlying tissue, and other related factors. The effective radiation dose to an adult during an x-ray fluorescence bone lead measurement is extremely low, being 35 nSv. This paper addresses the issue of how bone, whole blood, and serum lead concentrations can be related in order to understand a person's lead exposure history

From noise to synthetic nucleoli: can synthetic biology achieve new insights?

Science.gov (United States)

Ciechonska, Marta; Grob, Alice; Isalan, Mark

2016-04-18

Synthetic biology aims to re-organise and control biological components to make functional devices. Along the way, the iterative process of designing and testing gene circuits has the potential to yield many insights into the functioning of the underlying chassis of cells. Thus, synthetic biology is converging with disciplines such as systems biology and even classical cell biology, to give a new level of predictability to gene expression, cell metabolism and cellular signalling networks. This review gives an overview of the contributions that synthetic biology has made in understanding gene expression, in terms of cell heterogeneity (noise), the coupling of growth and energy usage to expression, and spatiotemporal considerations. We mainly compare progress in bacterial and mammalian systems, which have some of the most-developed engineering frameworks. Overall, one view of synthetic biology can be neatly summarised as "creating in order to understand."

A living foundry for Synthetic Biological Materials: A synthetic biology roadmap to new advanced materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosalind A. Le Feuvre

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Society is on the cusp of harnessing recent advances in synthetic biology to discover new bio-based products and routes to their affordable and sustainable manufacture. This is no more evident than in the discovery and manufacture of Synthetic Biological Materials, where synthetic biology has the capacity to usher in a new Materials from Biology era that will revolutionise the discovery and manufacture of innovative synthetic biological materials. These will encompass novel, smart, functionalised and hybrid materials for diverse applications whose discovery and routes to bio-production will be stimulated by the fusion of new technologies positioned across physical, digital and biological spheres. This article, which developed from an international workshop held in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 2017 [1], sets out to identify opportunities in the new materials from biology era. It considers requirements, early understanding and foresight of the challenges faced in delivering a Discovery to Manufacturing Pipeline for synthetic biological materials using synthetic biology approaches. This challenge spans the complete production cycle from intelligent and predictive design, fabrication, evaluation and production of synthetic biological materials to new ways of bringing these products to market. Pathway opportunities are identified that will help foster expertise sharing and infrastructure development to accelerate the delivery of a new generation of synthetic biological materials and the leveraging of existing investments in synthetic biology and advanced materials research to achieve this goal. Keywords: Synthetic biology, Materials, Biological materials, Biomaterials, Advanced materials

Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanopoulos, Gregory

2012-11-16

Metabolic engineering emerged 20 years ago as the discipline occupied with the directed modification of metabolic pathways for the microbial synthesis of various products. As such, it deals with the engineering (design, construction, and optimization) of native as well as non-natural routes of product synthesis, aided in this task by the availability of synthetic DNA, the core enabling technology of synthetic biology. The two fields, however, only partially overlap in their interest in pathway engineering. While fabrication of biobricks, synthetic cells, genetic circuits, and nonlinear cell dynamics, along with pathway engineering, have occupied researchers in the field of synthetic biology, the sum total of these areas does not constitute a coherent definition of synthetic biology with a distinct intellectual foundation and well-defined areas of application. This paper reviews the origins of the two fields and advances two distinct paradigms for each of them: that of unit operations for metabolic engineering and electronic circuits for synthetic biology. In this context, metabolic engineering is about engineering cell factories for the biological manufacturing of chemical and pharmaceutical products, whereas the main focus of synthetic biology is fundamental biological research facilitated by the use of synthetic DNA and genetic circuits.

Bio-treatment of phosphate from synthetic wastewater using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this study, the efficient phosphate utilizing isolates were used to remove phosphate from synthetic phosphate wastewater was tested using batch scale process. Hence the objective of the present study was to examine the efficiency of bacterial species individually for the removal of phosphate from synthetic phosphate ...

Synthetic biological networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archer, Eric; Süel, Gürol M

2013-01-01

Despite their obvious relationship and overlap, the field of physics is blessed with many insightful laws, while such laws are sadly absent in biology. Here we aim to discuss how the rise of a more recent field known as synthetic biology may allow us to more directly test hypotheses regarding the possible design principles of natural biological networks and systems. In particular, this review focuses on synthetic gene regulatory networks engineered to perform specific functions or exhibit particular dynamic behaviors. Advances in synthetic biology may set the stage to uncover the relationship of potential biological principles to those developed in physics. (review article)

Segmental intelligibility of synthetic speech produced by rule.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, J S; Greene, B G; Pisoni, D B

1989-08-01

This paper reports the results of an investigation that employed the modified rhyme test (MRT) to measure the segmental intelligibility of synthetic speech generated automatically by rule. Synthetic speech produced by ten text-to-speech systems was studied and compared to natural speech. A variation of the standard MRT was also used to study the effects of response set size on perceptual confusions. Results indicated that the segmental intelligibility scores formed a continuum. Several systems displayed very high levels of performance that were close to or equal to scores obtained with natural speech; other systems displayed substantially worse performance compared to natural speech. The overall performance of the best system, DECtalk--Paul, was equivalent to the data obtained with natural speech for consonants in syllable-initial position. The findings from this study are discussed in terms of the use of a set of standardized procedures for measuring intelligibility of synthetic speech under controlled laboratory conditions. Recent work investigating the perception of synthetic speech under more severe conditions in which greater demands are made on the listener's processing resources is also considered. The wide range of intelligibility scores obtained in the present study demonstrates important differences in perception and suggests that not all synthetic speech is perceptually equivalent to the listener.

Segmental intelligibility of synthetic speech produced by rule

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, John S.; Greene, Beth G.; Pisoni, David B.

2012-01-01

This paper reports the results of an investigation that employed the modified rhyme test (MRT) to measure the segmental intelligibility of synthetic speech generated automatically by rule. Synthetic speech produced by ten text-to-speech systems was studied and compared to natural speech. A variation of the standard MRT was also used to study the effects of response set size on perceptual confusions. Results indicated that the segmental intelligibility scores formed a continuum. Several systems displayed very high levels of performance that were close to or equal to scores obtained with natural speech; other systems displayed substantially worse performance compared to natural speech. The overall performance of the best system, DECtalk—Paul, was equivalent to the data obtained with natural speech for consonants in syllable-initial position. The findings from this study are discussed in terms of the use of a set of standardized procedures for measuring intelligibility of synthetic speech under controlled laboratory conditions. Recent work investigating the perception of synthetic speech under more severe conditions in which greater demands are made on the listener’s processing resources is also considered. The wide range of intelligibility scores obtained in the present study demonstrates important differences in perception and suggests that not all synthetic speech is perceptually equivalent to the listener. PMID:2527884

Synthetic biology and biosecurity: challenging the "myths".

OpenAIRE

Jefferson, C; Lentzos, F; Marris, C

2014-01-01

15.10.14 KB. Ok to add published version to spiral, OA paper under cc by Synthetic biology, a field that aims to make biology easier to engineer, is routinely described as leading to an increase in the dual-use threat, i.e., the potential for the same scientific research to be used for peaceful purposes or misused for warfare or terrorism. Fears have been expressed that the de-skilling of biology, combined with online access to the genomic DNA sequences of pathogenic organisms an...

Similarity searching and scaffold hopping in synthetically accessible combinatorial chemistry spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Boehm, Markus; Wu, Tong-Ying; Claussen, Holger; Lemmen, Christian

2008-04-24

Large collections of combinatorial libraries are an integral element in today's pharmaceutical industry. It is of great interest to perform similarity searches against all virtual compounds that are synthetically accessible by any such library. Here we describe the successful application of a new software tool CoLibri on 358 combinatorial libraries based on validated reaction protocols to create a single chemistry space containing over 10 (12) possible products. Similarity searching with FTrees-FS allows the systematic exploration of this space without the need to enumerate all product structures. The search result is a set of virtual hits which are synthetically accessible by one or more of the existing reaction protocols. Grouping these virtual hits by their synthetic protocols allows the rapid design and synthesis of multiple follow-up libraries. Such library ideas support hit-to-lead design efforts for tasks like follow-up from high-throughput screening hits or scaffold hopping from one hit to another attractive series.

A living foundry for Synthetic Biological Materials: A synthetic biology roadmap to new advanced materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Feuvre, Rosalind A; Scrutton, Nigel S

2018-06-01

Society is on the cusp of harnessing recent advances in synthetic biology to discover new bio-based products and routes to their affordable and sustainable manufacture. This is no more evident than in the discovery and manufacture of Synthetic Biological Materials , where synthetic biology has the capacity to usher in a new Materials from Biology era that will revolutionise the discovery and manufacture of innovative synthetic biological materials. These will encompass novel, smart, functionalised and hybrid materials for diverse applications whose discovery and routes to bio-production will be stimulated by the fusion of new technologies positioned across physical, digital and biological spheres. This article, which developed from an international workshop held in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 2017 [1], sets out to identify opportunities in the new materials from biology era. It considers requirements, early understanding and foresight of the challenges faced in delivering a Discovery to Manufacturing Pipeline for synthetic biological materials using synthetic biology approaches. This challenge spans the complete production cycle from intelligent and predictive design, fabrication, evaluation and production of synthetic biological materials to new ways of bringing these products to market. Pathway opportunities are identified that will help foster expertise sharing and infrastructure development to accelerate the delivery of a new generation of synthetic biological materials and the leveraging of existing investments in synthetic biology and advanced materials research to achieve this goal.

Phytoremediation of metals contaminated dredged sediments: Use of synthetic chelates in metals phytoextraction

Science.gov (United States)

Sahut, C.; Geniaut, G.; Lillo, M. P.

2003-05-01

(in Times 10 points) The waterways maintenance leads to a large volume of dredged polluted sediments, to be disposed of, every year. As the economic disposal of dredged sediment is a single line along the stream they can behave as a sink of pollutant and a migration in the environment is observed. Chelate-enhanced phytoremediation has been proposed as an effective tool for the extraction of heavy metals from dredged sediment by plants. Lysimeters studies were conducted to study the phytoremediation of sediments with EDTA and lactic acid used as synthetic chelators. EDTA appeared to enhance metal solubility by plant uptake did not increase accordingly. Futhermore EDTA enhance metal leaching which could lead 10 groungwater pollution. To prevent these unwanted side-effects, careful management of phytoremediation and of the use of EDTA seems necessary.

Synthetic Biology: Engineering Living Systems from Biophysical Principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartley, Bryan A; Kim, Kyung; Medley, J Kyle; Sauro, Herbert M

2017-03-28

Synthetic biology was founded as a biophysical discipline that sought explanations for the origins of life from chemical and physical first principles. Modern synthetic biology has been reinvented as an engineering discipline to design new organisms as well as to better understand fundamental biological mechanisms. However, success is still largely limited to the laboratory and transformative applications of synthetic biology are still in their infancy. Here, we review six principles of living systems and how they compare and contrast with engineered systems. We cite specific examples from the synthetic biology literature that illustrate these principles and speculate on their implications for further study. To fully realize the promise of synthetic biology, we must be aware of life's unique properties. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparative thermoluminescence and electron spin resonance study of synthetic carbonated A-type hydroxyapatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, L.C.; Rossi, A.M.; Baffa, O.

2012-01-01

Intensity of the 150 °C thermoluminescence peak of beta-irradiated carbonated synthetic A-type hydroxyapatite is approximately 12 times higher than that of the noncarbonated material. Deconvolution of the glow curve showed that this peak is a result of a trap distribution. An attempt was made to relate this thermoluminescence peak enhanced by carbonation with the ESR signal of the CO 2 − radical in natural or synthetic hydroxyapatite. - Highlights: ► Synthetic hydroxyapatite was carbonated with CO 2 . ► TL enhanced by 12 times in carbonated synthetic A-type hydroxyapatite. ► EPR and TL were performed to find out a relation between CO 2 − center and the TL. ► No direct relation was found between the CO 2 − center and TL enhancement.

Synthetic biology and occupational risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, John; Murashov, Vladimir; Schulte, Paul

2017-03-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary field of biotechnology that involves applying the principles of engineering and chemical design to biological systems. Biosafety professionals have done an excellent job in addressing research laboratory safety as synthetic biology and gene editing have emerged from the larger field of biotechnology. Despite these efforts, risks posed by synthetic biology are of increasing concern as research procedures scale up to industrial processes in the larger bioeconomy. A greater number and variety of workers will be exposed to commercial synthetic biology risks in the future, including risks to a variety of workers from the use of lentiviral vectors as gene transfer devices. There is a need to review and enhance current protection measures in the field of synthetic biology, whether in experimental laboratories where new advances are being researched, in health care settings where treatments using viral vectors as gene delivery systems are increasingly being used, or in the industrial bioeconomy. Enhanced worker protection measures should include increased injury and illness surveillance of the synthetic biology workforce; proactive risk assessment and management of synthetic biology products; research on the relative effectiveness of extrinsic and intrinsic biocontainment methods; specific safety guidance for synthetic biology industrial processes; determination of appropriate medical mitigation measures for lentiviral vector exposure incidents; and greater awareness and involvement in synthetic biology safety by the general occupational safety and health community as well as by government occupational safety and health research and regulatory agencies.

Synthetic Biology and Personalized Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, K.K.

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology, application of synthetic chemistry to biology, is a broad term that covers the engineering of biological systems with structures and functions not found in nature to process information, manipulate chemicals, produce energy, maintain cell environment and enhance human health. Synthetic biology devices contribute not only to improve our understanding of disease mechanisms, but also provide novel diagnostic tools. Methods based on synthetic biology enable the design of novel strategies for the treatment of cancer, immune diseases metabolic disorders and infectious diseases as well as the production of cheap drugs. The potential of synthetic genome, using an expanded genetic code that is designed for specific drug synthesis as well as delivery and activation of the drug in vivo by a pathological signal, was already pointed out during a lecture delivered at Kuwait University in 2005. Of two approaches to synthetic biology, top-down and bottom-up, the latter is more relevant to the development of personalized medicines as it provides more flexibility in constructing a partially synthetic cell from basic building blocks for a desired task. PMID:22907209

Parity-Time Synthetic Phononic Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Johan; Willatzen, Morten; Velasco, V. R.

2016-01-01

media, have been devised in many optical systems with the ground breaking potential to create nonreciprocal structures and one-way cloaks of invisibility. Here we demonstrate a feasible approach for the case of sound where the most important ingredients within synthetic materials, loss and gain......, are achieved through electrically biased piezoelectric semiconductors. We study first how wave attenuation and amplification can be tuned, and when combined, can give rise to a phononic PT synthetic media with unidirectional suppressed reflectance, a feature directly applicable to evading sonar detection....

Clinical validation of synthetic brain MRI in children: initial experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

West, Hollie; Leach, James L.; Jones, Blaise V.; Care, Marguerite; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Merrow, Arnold C.; Alvarado, Enrique; Serai, Suraj D. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2017-01-15

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of synthetic MR sequences generated through post-acquisition processing of a single sequence measuring inherent R1, R2, and PD tissue properties compared with sequences acquired conventionally as part of a routine clinical pediatric brain MR exam. Thirty-two patients underwent routine clinical brain MRI with conventional and synthetic sequences acquired (22 abnormal). Synthetic axial T1, T2, and T2 fluid attenuation inversion recovery or proton density-weighted sequences were made to match the comparable clinical sequences. Two exams for each patient were de-identified. Four blinded reviewers reviewed eight patients and were asked to generate clinical reports on each exam (synthetic or conventional) at two different time points separated by a mean of 33 days. Exams were rated for overall and specific finding agreement (synthetic/conventional and compared to gold standard consensus review by two senior reviewers with knowledge of clinical report), quality, and diagnostic confidence. Overall agreement between conventional and synthetic exams was 97%. Agreement with consensus readings was 84% (conventional) and 81% (synthetic), p = 0.61. There were no significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, or accuracy for specific imaging findings involving the ventricles, CSF, brain parenchyma, or vasculature between synthetic or conventional exams (p > 0.05). No significant difference in exam quality, diagnostic confidence, or noise/artifacts was noted comparing studies with synthetic or conventional sequences. Diagnostic accuracy and quality of synthetically generated sequences are comparable to conventionally acquired sequences as part of a standard pediatric brain exam. Further confirmation in a larger study is warranted. (orig.)

Clinical validation of synthetic brain MRI in children: initial experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

West, Hollie; Leach, James L.; Jones, Blaise V.; Care, Marguerite; Radhakrishnan, Rupa; Merrow, Arnold C.; Alvarado, Enrique; Serai, Suraj D.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of synthetic MR sequences generated through post-acquisition processing of a single sequence measuring inherent R1, R2, and PD tissue properties compared with sequences acquired conventionally as part of a routine clinical pediatric brain MR exam. Thirty-two patients underwent routine clinical brain MRI with conventional and synthetic sequences acquired (22 abnormal). Synthetic axial T1, T2, and T2 fluid attenuation inversion recovery or proton density-weighted sequences were made to match the comparable clinical sequences. Two exams for each patient were de-identified. Four blinded reviewers reviewed eight patients and were asked to generate clinical reports on each exam (synthetic or conventional) at two different time points separated by a mean of 33 days. Exams were rated for overall and specific finding agreement (synthetic/conventional and compared to gold standard consensus review by two senior reviewers with knowledge of clinical report), quality, and diagnostic confidence. Overall agreement between conventional and synthetic exams was 97%. Agreement with consensus readings was 84% (conventional) and 81% (synthetic), p = 0.61. There were no significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, or accuracy for specific imaging findings involving the ventricles, CSF, brain parenchyma, or vasculature between synthetic or conventional exams (p > 0.05). No significant difference in exam quality, diagnostic confidence, or noise/artifacts was noted comparing studies with synthetic or conventional sequences. Diagnostic accuracy and quality of synthetically generated sequences are comparable to conventionally acquired sequences as part of a standard pediatric brain exam. Further confirmation in a larger study is warranted. (orig.)

Brain imaging with synthetic MR in children: clinical quality assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Betts, Aaron M.; Serai, Suraj [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Leach, James L.; Jones, Blaise V. [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Zhang, Bin [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2016-10-15

Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging is a quantitative imaging technique that measures inherent T1-relaxation, T2-relaxation, and proton density. These inherent tissue properties allow synthesis of various imaging sequences from a single acquisition. Clinical use of synthetic MR imaging has been described in adult populations. However, use of synthetic MR imaging has not been previously reported in children. The purpose of this study is to report our assessment of diagnostic image quality using synthetic MR imaging in children. Synthetic MR acquisition was obtained in a sample of children undergoing brain MR imaging. Image quality assessments were performed on conventional and synthetic T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and FLAIR images. Standardized linear measurements were performed on conventional and synthetic T2 images. Estimates of patient age based upon myelination patterns were also performed. Conventional and synthetic MR images were evaluated on 30 children. Using a 4-point assessment scale, conventional imaging performed better than synthetic imaging for T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and FLAIR images. When the assessment was simplified to a dichotomized scale, the conventional and synthetic T1-weighted and T2-weighted images performed similarly. However, the superiority of conventional FLAIR images persisted in the dichotomized assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between linear measurements made on T2-weighted images. Estimates of patient age based upon pattern of myelination were also similar between conventional and synthetic techniques. Synthetic MR imaging may be acceptable for clinical use in children. However, users should be aware of current limitations that could impact clinical utility in the software version used in this study. (orig.)

Tracking the emergence of synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapira, Philip; Kwon, Seokbeom; Youtie, Jan

2017-01-01

Synthetic biology is an emerging domain that combines biological and engineering concepts and which has seen rapid growth in research, innovation, and policy interest in recent years. This paper contributes to efforts to delineate this emerging domain by presenting a newly constructed bibliometric definition of synthetic biology. Our approach is dimensioned from a core set of papers in synthetic biology, using procedures to obtain benchmark synthetic biology publication records, extract keywords from these benchmark records, and refine the keywords, supplemented with articles published in dedicated synthetic biology journals. We compare our search strategy with other recent bibliometric approaches to define synthetic biology, using a common source of publication data for the period from 2000 to 2015. The paper details the rapid growth and international spread of research in synthetic biology in recent years, demonstrates that diverse research disciplines are contributing to the multidisciplinary development of synthetic biology research, and visualizes this by profiling synthetic biology research on the map of science. We further show the roles of a relatively concentrated set of research sponsors in funding the growth and trajectories of synthetic biology. In addition to discussing these analyses, the paper notes limitations and suggests lines for further work.

Oxide nanomaterials: synthetic developments, mechanistic studies, and technological innovations.

Science.gov (United States)

Patzke, Greta R; Zhou, Ying; Kontic, Roman; Conrad, Franziska

2011-01-24

Oxide nanomaterials are indispensable for nanotechnological innovations, because they combine an infinite variety of structural motifs and properties with manifold morphological features. Given that new oxide materials are almost reported on a daily basis, considerable synthetic and technological work remains to be done to fully exploit this ever increasing family of compounds for innovative nano-applications. This calls for reliable and scalable preparative approaches to oxide nanomaterials and their development remains a challenge for many complex nanostructured oxides. Oxide nanomaterials with special physicochemical features and unusual morphologies are still difficult to access by classic synthetic pathways. The limitless options for creating nano-oxide building blocks open up new technological perspectives with the potential to revolutionize areas ranging from data processing to biocatalysis. Oxide nanotechnology of the 21st century thus needs a strong interplay of preparative creativity, analytical skills, and new ideas for synergistic implementations. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Printability of Synthetic Papers by Electrophotography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rozália Szentgyörgyvölgyi

2010-04-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the printability of synthetic papers by the electrophotography technique. Prints of cmyk colour fields from 20% to 100% raster tone values were printed on three types of synthetic papers (one film synthetic paper and two fiber synthetic papers. The investigation of the appearance included densitometric measurement of the cmyk prints. The results have shown differences in the optical density and optical tone value between cmyk prints made on various synthetic papers. The highest optical density and the increase of the optical tone value were observed on the film synthetic paper, where cmyk prints were more saturated. The highest abrasion resistance of cmyk prints was obtained from the fibre synthetic paper.

Combined X-ray and neutron fibre diffraction studies of biological and synthetic polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrot, I.M.; Urban, V.; Gardner, K.H.; Forsyth, V.T.

2005-01-01

The fibrous state is a natural one for polymer molecules which tend to assume regular helical conformations rather than the globular structures characteristic of many proteins. Fibre diffraction therefore has broad application to the study of a wide range of biological and synthetic polymers. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the general scope of the method and in particular to demonstrate the impact of a combined approach involving both X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. While the flux of modern X-ray synchrotron radiation sources allows high quality datasets to be recorded with good resolution within a very short space of time, neutron studies can provide unique information through the ability to locate hydrogen or deuterium atoms that are often difficult or impossible to locate using X-ray methods. Furthermore, neutron fibre diffraction methods can, through the ability to selectively label specific parts of a structure, be used to highlight novel aspects of polymer structure that can not be studied using X-rays. Two examples are given. The first describes X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of conformational transitions in DNA. The second describes structural studies of the synthetic high-performance polymer poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), known commercially as Kevlar[reg] or Twaron[reg

Combined X-ray and neutron fibre diffraction studies of biological and synthetic polymers.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parrot, I. M. [Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL); Urban, Volker S [ORNL; Gardner, K. H. [DuPont Experimental Station; Forsyth, V. T. [Institut Laue Langevin and Keele University

2005-04-01

The fibrous state is a natural one for polymer molecules which tend to assume regular helical conformations rather than the globular structures characteristic of many proteins. Fibre diffraction therefore has broad application to the study of a wide range of biological and synthetic polymers. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the general scope of the method and in particular to demonstrate the impact of a combined approach involving both X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. While the flux of modern X-ray synchrotron radiation sources allows high quality datasets to be recorded with good resolution within a very short space of time, neutron studies can provide unique information through the ability to locate hydrogen or deuterium atoms that are often difficult or impossible to locate using X-ray methods. Furthermore, neutron fibre diffraction methods can, through the ability to selectively label specific parts of a structure, be used to highlight novel aspects of polymer structure that can not be studied using X-rays. Two examples are given. The first describes X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of conformational transitions in DNA. The second describes structural studies of the synthetic high-performance polymer poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), known commercially as Kevlar{reg_sign} or Twaron{reg_sign}.

Combined X-ray and neutron fibre diffraction studies of biological and synthetic polymers

Science.gov (United States)

Parrot, I. M.; Urban, V.; Gardner, K. H.; Forsyth, V. T.

2005-08-01

The fibrous state is a natural one for polymer molecules which tend to assume regular helical conformations rather than the globular structures characteristic of many proteins. Fibre diffraction therefore has broad application to the study of a wide range of biological and synthetic polymers. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the general scope of the method and in particular to demonstrate the impact of a combined approach involving both X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. While the flux of modern X-ray synchrotron radiation sources allows high quality datasets to be recorded with good resolution within a very short space of time, neutron studies can provide unique information through the ability to locate hydrogen or deuterium atoms that are often difficult or impossible to locate using X-ray methods. Furthermore, neutron fibre diffraction methods can, through the ability to selectively label specific parts of a structure, be used to highlight novel aspects of polymer structure that can not be studied using X-rays. Two examples are given. The first describes X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of conformational transitions in DNA. The second describes structural studies of the synthetic high-performance polymer poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), known commercially as Kevlar® or Twaron®.

Combined X-ray and neutron fibre diffraction studies of biological and synthetic polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parrot, I.M. [Institut Laue Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University Medical School, Staffordshire ST4 7QB (United Kingdom); Urban, V. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6100 (United States); Gardner, K.H. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19719 (United States); Forsyth, V.T. [Institut Laue Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France) and Institute of Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University Medical School, Staffordshire ST4 7QB (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: tforsyth@ill.fr

2005-08-15

The fibrous state is a natural one for polymer molecules which tend to assume regular helical conformations rather than the globular structures characteristic of many proteins. Fibre diffraction therefore has broad application to the study of a wide range of biological and synthetic polymers. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the general scope of the method and in particular to demonstrate the impact of a combined approach involving both X-ray and neutron diffraction methods. While the flux of modern X-ray synchrotron radiation sources allows high quality datasets to be recorded with good resolution within a very short space of time, neutron studies can provide unique information through the ability to locate hydrogen or deuterium atoms that are often difficult or impossible to locate using X-ray methods. Furthermore, neutron fibre diffraction methods can, through the ability to selectively label specific parts of a structure, be used to highlight novel aspects of polymer structure that can not be studied using X-rays. Two examples are given. The first describes X-ray and neutron diffraction studies of conformational transitions in DNA. The second describes structural studies of the synthetic high-performance polymer poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), known commercially as Kevlar[reg] or Twaron[reg].

Studies of Cell-Mediated Immunity Against Immune Disorders Using Synthetic Peptides and Rotating Bioreactor System

Science.gov (United States)

Sastry, Jagannadha K.

1997-01-01

Our proposed experiments included: (1) immunzing mice with synthetic peptides; (2) preparing spleen and lymph node cells; (3) growing them under conventional conditions as well as in the rotatory vessel in appropriate medium reconstituting with synthetic peptides and/or cytokines as needed; and (4) comparing at regular time intervals the specific CTL activity as well as helper T-cell activity (in terms of both proliferative responses and cytokine production) using established procedures in my laboratory. We further proposed that once we demonstrated the merit of rotatory vessel technology to achieve desired results, these studies would be expanded to include immune cells from non-human primates (rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees) and also humans. We conducted a number of experiments to determine CTL induction by the synthetic peptides corresponding to antigenic proteins in HIV and HPV in different mouse strains that express MHC haplotypes H-2b or H-2d. We immunized mice with 100 ug of the synthetic peptide, suspended in sterile water, and emulsified in CFA (1:1). The immune lymph node cells obtained after 7 days were restimulated by culturing in T25 flask, HARV-10, or STLV-50, in the presence of the peptide at 20 ug/ml. The results from the 5'Cr-release assay consistently revealed complete abrogation of CTL activity of cells grown in the bioreactors (both HARV and STLV), while significant antigen-specific CTL activity was observed with cells cultured in tissue culture flasks. Thus, overall the data we generated in this study proved the usefulness of the NASA-developed developed technology for understanding the known immune deficiency during space travel. Additionally, this ex vivo microgravity technology since it mimics effectively the in vivo situation, it is also useful in understanding immune disorders in general. Thus, our proposed studies in TMC-NASA contract round II application benefit from data generated in this TMC-NASA contract round I study.

Evolvable synthetic neural system

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Steven A. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

An evolvable synthetic neural system includes an evolvable neural interface operably coupled to at least one neural basis function. Each neural basis function includes an evolvable neural interface operably coupled to a heuristic neural system to perform high-level functions and an autonomic neural system to perform low-level functions. In some embodiments, the evolvable synthetic neural system is operably coupled to one or more evolvable synthetic neural systems in a hierarchy.

Time-frequency analysis of submerged synthetic jet

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Abhay; Saha, Arun K.; Panigrahi, P. K.

2017-12-01

The coherent structures transport the finite body of fluid mass through rolling which plays an important role in heat transfer, boundary layer control, mixing, cooling, propulsion and other engineering applications. A synthetic jet in the form of a train of vortex rings having coherent structures of different length scales is expected to be useful in these applications. The propagation and sustainability of these coherent structures (vortex rings) in downstream direction characterize the performance of synthetic jet. In the present study, the velocity signal acquired using the S-type hot-film probe along the synthetic jet centerline has been taken for the spectral analysis. One circular and three rectangular orifices of aspect ratio 1, 2 and 4 actuating at 1, 6 and 18 Hz frequency have been used for creating different synthetic jets. The laser induced fluorescence images are used to study the flow structures qualitatively and help in explaining the velocity signal for detection of coherent structures. The study depicts four regions as vortex rollup and suction region (X/D h ≤ 3), steadily translating region (X/D h ≤ 3-8), vortex breakup region (X/Dh ≤ 4-8) and dissipation of small-scale vortices (X/D h ≤ 8-15). The presence of coherent structures localized in physical and temporal domain is analyzed for the characterization of synthetic jet. Due to pulsatile nature of synthetic jet, analysis of velocity time trace or signal in time, frequency and combined time-frequency domain assist in characterizing the signatures of coherent structures. It has been observed that the maximum energy is in the first harmonic of actuation frequency, which decreases slowly in downstream direction at 6 Hz compared to 1 and 18 Hz of actuation.

Bacteriophage-based synthetic biology for the study of infectious diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Timothy K.

2014-01-01

Since their discovery, bacteriophages have contributed enormously to our understanding of molecular biology as model systems. Furthermore, bacteriophages have provided many tools that have advanced the fields of genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Here, we discuss bacteriophage-based technologies and their application to the study of infectious diseases. New strategies for engineering genomes have the potential to accelerate the design of novel phages as therapies, diagnostics, and tools. Though almost a century has elapsed since their discovery, bacteriophages continue to have a major impact on modern biological sciences, especially with the growth of multidrug-resistant bacteria and interest in the microbiome. PMID:24997401

Antimicrobial activity of new porphyrins of synthetic and natural origin

Science.gov (United States)

Gyulkhandanyan, Grigor V.; Ghazaryan, Robert K.; Paronyan, Marina H.; Ulikhanyan, Ghukas I.; Gyulkhandanyan, Aram G.; Sahakyan, Lida A.

2012-03-01

Antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation has been successfully used against Gram (+) microorganisms, but most of the photosensitizers (PSs) on Gram (-) bacteria acts weakly. PSs are the natural or synthetic origin dyes, mainly porphyrins. We have synthesized more than 100 new cationic porphyrins and metalloporphyrins with different functional groups (hydroxyethyl, butyl, allyl, methallyl) and metals (cobalt, iron, copper, zinc, silver and other); from the nettle have also been purified pheophytin (a+b) and pheophytin (a) and have synthesized their Ag-and Zn-metalloporphyrins. It was found that in the dark (cytotoxic) mode, the most highly efficiency against microorganisms showed Agmetalloporphyrins of both types of porphyrins (synthetic and natural). Metalloporphyrin of natural origin Ag-pheophytin (a + b) is a strong antibacterial agent and causes 100% death as the Gram (+) microorganisms (St. aureus and MRSA) and the Gram (-) microorganisms (E.coli and Salmonella). It is established that for the destruction of Gram (+) and Gram (-) microorganisms in photodynamic mode cationic water-soluble synthetic metalloporphyrins, especially Zn-TBut4PyP, many times more effective than pheophytins. In vivo conditions on mice established that the best therapeutic activity against various strains of the microorganism St. aureus has the synthetic metalloporphyrin Ag-TBut4PyP. It is significantly more efficient than known drug "Chlorophyllipt" (2.5-3 times) and leads the survival rate of animals up to 50-60%.

78 FR 22518 - Request for Information Regarding Third Party Testing for Lead Content, Phthalate Content, and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-16

...'' refers to composite wood products that are wood-based materials, such as particle board, medium density fiber board, and plywood, consisting largely of natural, untreated wood and glues, adhesives, waxes... ppm; Synthetic food dyes and the presence, if any, or at what levels, of lead. Accessible synthetic...

Effects of confinement on rock mass modulus: A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Vazaios

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this paper is to examine the influence of the applied confining stress on the rock mass modulus of moderately jointed rocks (well interlocked undisturbed rock mass with blocks formed by three or less intersecting joints. A synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM approach is employed to determine the mechanical properties of the rock mass. In this approach, the intact body of rock is represented by the discrete element method (DEM-Voronoi grains with the ability of simulating the initiation and propagation of microcracks within the intact part of the model. The geometry of the pre-existing joints is generated by employing discrete fracture network (DFN modelling based on field joint data collected from the Brockville Tunnel using LiDAR scanning. The geometrical characteristics of the simulated joints at a representative sample size are first validated against the field data, and then used to measure the rock quality designation (RQD, joint spacing, areal fracture intensity (P21, and block volumes. These geometrical quantities are used to quantitatively determine a representative range of the geological strength index (GSI. The results show that estimating the GSI using the RQD tends to make a closer estimate of the degree of blockiness that leads to GSI values corresponding to those obtained from direct visual observations of the rock mass conditions in the field. The use of joint spacing and block volume in order to quantify the GSI value range for the studied rock mass suggests a lower range compared to that evaluated in situ. Based on numerical modelling results and laboratory data of rock testing reported in the literature, a semi-empirical equation is proposed that relates the rock mass modulus to confinement as a function of the areal fracture intensity and joint stiffness. Keywords: Synthetic rock mass modelling (SRM, Discrete fracture network (DFN, Rock mass modulus, Geological strength index (GSI, Confinement

Synthetic Cathinones ("Bath Salts")

Science.gov (United States)

... Alcohol Club Drugs Cocaine Fentanyl Hallucinogens Inhalants Heroin Marijuana MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) Methamphetamine Opioids Over-the-Counter Medicines Prescription Medicines Steroids (Anabolic) Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice) Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts) Tobacco/ ...

Open questions in origin of life: experimental studies on the origin of nucleic acids and proteins with specific and functional sequences by a chemical synthetic biology approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adamala, K.; Anella, F.; Wieczorek, R.

2014-01-01

sequences among a vast array of possible ones, the huge "sequence space", leading to the question "why these macromolecules, and not the others?" We have recently addressed these questions by using a chemical synthetic biology approach. In particular, we have tested the catalytic activity of small peptides...

Anisotropic evaluation of synthetic surgical meshes.

Science.gov (United States)

Saberski, E R; Orenstein, S B; Novitsky, Y W

2011-02-01

The material properties of meshes used in hernia repair contribute to the overall mechanical behavior of the repair. The anisotropic potential of synthetic meshes, representing a difference in material properties (e.g., elasticity) in different material axes, is not well defined to date. Haphazard orientation of anisotropic mesh material can contribute to inconsistent surgical outcomes. We aimed to characterize and compare anisotropic properties of commonly used synthetic meshes. Six different polypropylene (Trelex(®), ProLite™, Ultrapro™), polyester (Parietex™), and PTFE-based (Dualmesh(®), Infinit) synthetic meshes were selected. Longitudinal and transverse axes were defined for each mesh, and samples were cut in each axis orientation. Samples underwent uniaxial tensile testing, from which the elastic modulus (E) in each axis was determined. The degree of anisotropy (λ) was calculated as a logarithmic expression of the ratio between the elastic modulus in each axis. Five of six meshes displayed significant anisotropic behavior. Ultrapro™ and Infinit exhibited approximately 12- and 20-fold differences between perpendicular axes, respectively. Trelex(®), ProLite™, and Parietex™ were 2.3-2.4 times. Dualmesh(®) was the least anisotropic mesh, without marked difference between the axes. Anisotropy of synthetic meshes has been underappreciated. In this study, we found striking differences between elastic properties of perpendicular axes for most commonly used synthetic meshes. Indiscriminate orientation of anisotropic mesh may adversely affect hernia repairs. Proper labeling of all implants by manufacturers should be mandatory. Understanding the specific anisotropic behavior of synthetic meshes should allow surgeons to employ rational implant orientation to maximize outcomes of hernia repair.

Varieties of noise: analogical reasoning in synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Knuuttila, Tarja; Loettgers, Andrea

2014-12-01

The picture of synthetic biology as a kind of engineering science has largely created the public understanding of this novel field, covering both its promises and risks. In this paper, we will argue that the actual situation is more nuanced and complex. Synthetic biology is a highly interdisciplinary field of research located at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology, and computational science. All of these fields provide concepts, metaphors, mathematical tools, and models, which are typically utilized by synthetic biologists by drawing analogies between the different fields of inquiry. We will study analogical reasoning in synthetic biology through the emergence of the functional meaning of noise, which marks an important shift in how engineering concepts are employed in this field. The notion of noise serves also to highlight the differences between the two branches of synthetic biology: the basic science-oriented branch and the engineering-oriented branch, which differ from each other in the way they draw analogies to various other fields of study. Moreover, we show that fixing the mapping between a source domain and the target domain seems not to be the goal of analogical reasoning in actual scientific practice.

Recent Advances in Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Decolorization of Synthetic Dyes

Science.gov (United States)

Muhd Julkapli, Nurhidayatullaili; Bagheri, Samira; Bee Abd Hamid, Sharifah

2014-01-01

During the process and operation of the dyes, the wastes produced were commonly found to contain organic and inorganic impurities leading to risks in the ecosystem and biodiversity with the resultant impact on the environment. Improper effluent disposal in aqueous ecosystems leads to reduction of sunlight penetration which in turn diminishes photosynthetic activity, resulting in acute toxic effects on the aquatic flora/fauna and dissolved oxygen concentration. Recently, photodegradation of various synthetic dyes has been studied in terms of their absorbance and the reduction of oxygen content by changes in the concentration of the dye. The advantages that make photocatalytic techniques superior to traditional methods are the ability to remove contaminates in the range of ppb, no generation of polycyclic compounds, higher speed, and lower cost. Semiconductor metal oxides, typically TiO2, ZnO, SnO, NiO, Cu2O, Fe3O4, and also CdS have been utilized as photocatalyst for their nontoxic nature, high photosensitivity, wide band gap and high stability. Various process parameters like photocatalyst dose, pH and initial dye concentrations have been varied and highlighted. Research focused on surface modification of semiconductors and mixed oxide semiconductors by doping them with noble metals (Pt, Pd, Au, and Ag) and organic matter (C, N, Cl, and F) showed enhanced dye degradation compared to corresponding native semiconductors. This paper reviews recent advances in heterogeneous photocatalytic decolorization for the removal of synthetic dyes from water and wastewater. Thus, the main core highlighted in this paper is the critical selection of semiconductors for photocatalysis based on the chemical, physical, and selective nature of the poisoning dyes. PMID:25054183

Recent Advances in Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Decolorization of Synthetic Dyes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurhidayatullaili Muhd Julkapli

2014-01-01

Full Text Available During the process and operation of the dyes, the wastes produced were commonly found to contain organic and inorganic impurities leading to risks in the ecosystem and biodiversity with the resultant impact on the environment. Improper effluent disposal in aqueous ecosystems leads to reduction of sunlight penetration which in turn diminishes photosynthetic activity, resulting in acute toxic effects on the aquatic flora/fauna and dissolved oxygen concentration. Recently, photodegradation of various synthetic dyes has been studied in terms of their absorbance and the reduction of oxygen content by changes in the concentration of the dye. The advantages that make photocatalytic techniques superior to traditional methods are the ability to remove contaminates in the range of ppb, no generation of polycyclic compounds, higher speed, and lower cost. Semiconductor metal oxides, typically TiO2, ZnO, SnO, NiO, Cu2O, Fe3O4, and also CdS have been utilized as photocatalyst for their nontoxic nature, high photosensitivity, wide band gap and high stability. Various process parameters like photocatalyst dose, pH and initial dye concentrations have been varied and highlighted. Research focused on surface modification of semiconductors and mixed oxide semiconductors by doping them with noble metals (Pt, Pd, Au, and Ag and organic matter (C, N, Cl, and F showed enhanced dye degradation compared to corresponding native semiconductors. This paper reviews recent advances in heterogeneous photocatalytic decolorization for the removal of synthetic dyes from water and wastewater. Thus, the main core highlighted in this paper is the critical selection of semiconductors for photocatalysis based on the chemical, physical, and selective nature of the poisoning dyes.

Custom-Made Synthetic Scaffolds for Bone Reconstruction: A Retrospective, Multicenter Clinical Study on 15 Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizia Luongo

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To present a computer-assisted-design/computer-assisted-manufacturing (CAD/CAM technique for the design, fabrication, and clinical application of custom-made synthetic scaffolds, for alveolar ridge augmentation. Methods. The CAD/CAM procedure consisted of (1 virtual planning/design of the custom-made scaffold; (2 milling of the scaffold into the exact size/shape from a preformed synthetic bone block; (3 reconstructive surgery. The main clinical/radiographic outcomes were vertical/horizontal bone gain, any biological complication, and implant survival. Results. Fifteen patients were selected who had been treated with a custom-made synthetic scaffold for ridge augmentation. The scaffolds closely matched the shape of the defects: this reduced the operation time and contributed to good healing. A few patients experienced biological complications, such as pain/swelling (2/15: 13.3% and exposure of the scaffold (3/15: 20.0%; one of these had infection and complete graft loss. In all other patients, 8 months after reconstruction, a well-integrated newly formed bone was clinically available, and the radiographic evaluation revealed a mean vertical and horizontal bone gain of 2.1±0.9 mm and 3.0±1.0 mm, respectively. Fourteen implants were placed and restored with single crowns. The implant survival rate was 100%. Conclusions. Although positive outcomes have been found with custom-made synthetic scaffolds in alveolar ridge augmentation, further studies are needed to validate this technique.

Synthetic Brassica napus L.: Development and Studies on Morphological Characters, Yield Attributes, and Yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Malek

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Brassica napus was synthesized by hybridization between its diploid progenitor species B. rapa and B. oleracea followed by chromosome doubling. Cross with B. rapa as a female parent was only successful. Among three colchicine treatments (0.10, 0.15, and 0.20%, 0.15% gave the highest success (86% of chromosome doubling in the hybrids (AC; 2=19. Synthetic B. napus (AACC, 2=38 was identified with bigger petals, fertile pollens and seed setting. Synthetic B. napus had increased growth over parents and exhibited wider ranges with higher coefficients of variations than parents for morphological and yield contributing characters, and yield per plant. Siliqua length as well as beak length in synthetic B. napus was longer than those of the parents. Number of seeds per siliqua, 1000-seed weight and seed yield per plant in synthetic B. napus were higher than those of the parents. Although flowering time in synthetic B. napus was earlier than both parents, however the days to maturity was little higher over early maturing B. rapa parent. The synthesized B. napus has great potential to produce higher seed yield. Further screening and evaluation is needed for selection of desirable genotypes having improved yield contributing characters and higher seed yield.

Molecular Imaging in Synthetic Biology, and Synthetic Biology in Molecular Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilad, Assaf A; Shapiro, Mikhail G

2017-06-01

Biomedical synthetic biology is an emerging field in which cells are engineered at the genetic level to carry out novel functions with relevance to biomedical and industrial applications. This approach promises new treatments, imaging tools, and diagnostics for diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory syndromes to cancer, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. As these cellular technologies undergo pre-clinical and clinical development, it is becoming essential to monitor their location and function in vivo, necessitating appropriate molecular imaging strategies, and therefore, we have created an interest group within the World Molecular Imaging Society focusing on synthetic biology and reporter gene technologies. Here, we highlight recent advances in biomedical synthetic biology, including bacterial therapy, immunotherapy, and regenerative medicine. We then discuss emerging molecular imaging approaches to facilitate in vivo applications, focusing on reporter genes for noninvasive modalities such as magnetic resonance, ultrasound, photoacoustic imaging, bioluminescence, and radionuclear imaging. Because reporter genes can be incorporated directly into engineered genetic circuits, they are particularly well suited to imaging synthetic biological constructs, and developing them provides opportunities for creative molecular and genetic engineering.

New designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones): review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Cottencin, Olivier; Rolland, Benjamin; Karila, Laurent

2014-01-01

New designer drugs (synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones) are new "legal highs" that are sold online for recreational public or private use. Synthetic cannabinoids are psychoactive herbal and chemical products that mimic the effects of cannabis when used. These drugs are available on the Internet or in head shops as incense or air fresheners to circumvent the law. Cathinone is a naturally occurring beta-ketone amphetamine analog found in the leaves of the Catha edulis plant. Synthetic cathinones are phenylalkylamine derivatives that may possess amphetamine-like properties. These drugs are sold online as bath salts. Designer drugs are often labeled as "not for human consumption" to circumvent drug abuse legislation. The absence of legal risks, the ease of obtaining these drugs, the moderate cost, and the availability via the Internet are the main features that attract users, but the number of intoxicated people presenting with emergencies is increasing. There is evidence that negative health and social consequences may affect recreational and chronic users. The addictive potential of designer drugs is not negligible.

Current status of synthetic epikeratoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, K P; Hanna, K; Waring, G O; Gipson, I; Liu, Y; Gailitis, R P; Johnson-Wint, B; Green, K

1991-01-01

Many of the deficiencies with human tissue epikeratoplasty might be improved by the use of a suitable synthetic lenticule. Potential biomaterials for epikeratoplasty include collagen (types I, III, or IV), collagen-hydrogel copolymers, bioactive synthetics, and coated hydrogels. The biomaterial must be engineered to achieve strict specifications of optical clarity, support of epithelial migration and adhesion, permeability to solutes, and stability to corneal proteases. Attaching synthetic lenticules to the cornea without cutting Bowman's layer by adhesives, laser welding, or direct adhesion may also improve the efficacy of synthetic epikeratoplasty.

Tissue Harmonic Synthetic Aperture Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Joachim

The main purpose of this PhD project is to develop an ultrasonic method for tissue harmonic synthetic aperture imaging. The motivation is to advance the field of synthetic aperture imaging in ultrasound, which has shown great potentials in the clinic. Suggestions for synthetic aperture tissue...... system complexity compared to conventional synthetic aperture techniques. In this project, SASB is sought combined with a pulse inversion technique for 2nd harmonic tissue harmonic imaging. The advantages in tissue harmonic imaging (THI) are expected to further improve the image quality of SASB...

Life after the synthetic cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Steen

2010-01-01

Nature asked eight synthetic-biology experts about the implications for science and society of the “synthetic cell” made by the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). The institute's team assembled, modified and implanted a synthesized genome into a DNA-free bacterial shell to make a self-replicating ......Nature asked eight synthetic-biology experts about the implications for science and society of the “synthetic cell” made by the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). The institute's team assembled, modified and implanted a synthesized genome into a DNA-free bacterial shell to make a self...

Synthetic neurosteroids on brain protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Rey

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Neurosteroids, like allopregnanolone and pregnanolone, are endogenous regulators of neuronal excitability. Inside the brain, they are highly selective and potent modulators of GABA A receptor activity. Their anticonvulsant, anesthetics and anxiolytic properties are useful for the treatments of several neurological and psychiatric disorders via reducing the risks of side effects obtained with the commercial drugs. The principal disadvantages of endogenous neurosteroids administration are their rapid metabolism and their low oral bioavailability. Synthetic steroids analogues with major stability or endogenous neurosteroids stimulation synthesis might constitute promising novel strategies for the treatment of several disorders. Numerous studies indicate that the 3α-hydroxyl configuration is the key for binding and activity, but modifications in the steroid nucleus may emphasize different pharmacophores. So far, several synthetic steroids have been developed with successful neurosteroid-like effects. In this work, we summarize the properties of various synthetic steroids probed in trials throughout the analysis of several neurosteroids-like actions.

Living GenoChemetics by hyphenating synthetic biology and synthetic chemistry in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Sunil V; Tong, Xiaoxue; Pubill-Ulldemolins, Cristina; Cartmell, Christopher; Bogosyan, Emma J A; Rackham, Emma J; Marelli, Enrico; Hamed, Refaat B; Goss, Rebecca J M

2017-08-09

Marrying synthetic biology with synthetic chemistry provides a powerful approach toward natural product diversification, combining the best of both worlds: expediency and synthetic capability of biogenic pathways and chemical diversity enabled by organic synthesis. Biosynthetic pathway engineering can be employed to insert a chemically orthogonal tag into a complex natural scaffold affording the possibility of site-selective modification without employing protecting group strategies. Here we show that, by installing a sufficiently reactive handle (e.g., a C-Br bond) and developing compatible mild aqueous chemistries, synchronous biosynthesis of the tagged metabolite and its subsequent chemical modification in living culture can be achieved. This approach can potentially enable many new applications: for example, assay of directed evolution of enzymes catalyzing halo-metabolite biosynthesis in living cells or generating and following the fate of tagged metabolites and biomolecules in living systems. We report synthetic biological access to new-to-nature bromo-metabolites and the concomitant biorthogonal cross-coupling of halo-metabolites in living cultures.Coupling synthetic biology and chemical reactions in cells is a challenging task. The authors engineer bacteria capable of generating bromo-metabolites, develop a mild Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction compatible with cell growth and carry out the cross-coupling chemistry in live cell cultures.

Mathematical modeling of synthetic unit hydrograph case study: Citarum watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Islahuddin, Muhammad; Sukrainingtyas, Adiska L. A.; Kusuma, M. Syahril B.; Soewono, Edy

2015-09-01

Deriving unit hydrograph is very important in analyzing watershed's hydrologic response of a rainfall event. In most cases, hourly measures of stream flow data needed in deriving unit hydrograph are not always available. Hence, one needs to develop methods for deriving unit hydrograph for ungagged watershed. Methods that have evolved are based on theoretical or empirical formulas relating hydrograph peak discharge and timing to watershed characteristics. These are usually referred to Synthetic Unit Hydrograph. In this paper, a gamma probability density function and its variant are used as mathematical approximations of a unit hydrograph for Citarum Watershed. The model is adjusted with real field condition by translation and scaling. Optimal parameters are determined by using Particle Swarm Optimization method with weighted objective function. With these models, a synthetic unit hydrograph can be developed and hydrologic parameters can be well predicted.

Comparing the effect of bioflocculant with synthetic polymers on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was aimed at introducing a novel bioflocculant to enhance anaerobic granulation in a UASB reactor for lowstrength synthetic wastewater and comparing the effect with synthetic polymers. A laboratory-scale study was undertaken to achieve this goal. Four identical UASB reactors were operated in parallel in the ...

Manipulation of Turbulent Boundary Layers Using Synthetic Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Zachary; Gomit, Guillaume; Lavoie, Philippe; Ganapathisubramani, Bharath

2015-11-01

This work focuses on the application of active flow control, in the form of synthetic jet actuators, of turbulent boundary layers. An array of 2 synthetic jets are oriented in the spanwise direction and located approximately 2.7 meters downstream from the leading edge of a flat plate. Actuation is applied perpendicular to the surface of the flat plate with varying blowing ratios and reduced frequencies (open-loop). Two-component large window particle image velocimetry (PIV) was performed at the University of Southampton, in the streamwise-wall-normal plane. Complementary stereo PIV measurements were performed at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), in the spanwise-wall-normal plane. The freestream Reynolds number is 3x104, based on the boundary layer thickness. The skin friction Reynolds number is 1,200 based on the skin friction velocity. The experiments at Southampton allow for the observation of the control effects as the flow propagates downstream. The experiments at UTIAS allow for the observation of the streamwise vorticity induced from the actuation. Overall the two experiments provide a 3D representation of the flow field with respect to actuation effects. The current work focuses on the comparison of the two experiments, as well as the effects of varying blowing ratios and reduced frequencies on the turbulent boundary layer. Funded Supported by Airbus.

Fixation of tibial plateau fractures with synthetic bone graft versus natural bone graft: a comparison study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ong, J C Y

2012-06-01

The goal of this study was to determine differences in fracture stability and functional outcome between synthetic bone graft and natural bone graft with internal fixation of tibia plateau metaphyseal defects.

Ensemble hydrological forecast efficiency evolution over various issue dates and lead-time: case study for the Cheboksary reservoir (Volga River)

Science.gov (United States)

Gelfan, Alexander; Moreido, Vsevolod

2017-04-01

Ensemble hydrological forecasting allows for describing uncertainty caused by variability of meteorological conditions in the river basin for the forecast lead-time. At the same time, in snowmelt-dependent river basins another significant source of uncertainty relates to variability of initial conditions of the basin (snow water equivalent, soil moisture content, etc.) prior to forecast issue. Accurate long-term hydrological forecast is most crucial for large water management systems, such as the Cheboksary reservoir (the catchment area is 374 000 sq.km) located in the Middle Volga river in Russia. Accurate forecasts of water inflow volume, maximum discharge and other flow characteristics are of great value for this basin, especially before the beginning of the spring freshet season that lasts here from April to June. The semi-distributed hydrological model ECOMAG was used to develop long-term ensemble forecast of daily water inflow into the Cheboksary reservoir. To describe variability of the meteorological conditions and construct ensemble of possible weather scenarios for the lead-time of the forecast, two approaches were applied. The first one utilizes 50 weather scenarios observed in the previous years (similar to the ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) procedure), the second one uses 1000 synthetic scenarios simulated by a stochastic weather generator. We investigated the evolution of forecast uncertainty reduction, expressed as forecast efficiency, over various consequent forecast issue dates and lead time. We analyzed the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency of inflow hindcasts for the period 1982 to 2016 starting from 1st of March with 15 days frequency for lead-time of 1 to 6 months. This resulted in the forecast efficiency matrix with issue dates versus lead-time that allows for predictability identification of the basin. The matrix was constructed separately for observed and synthetic weather ensembles.

Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, MaryJoe K; Ruder, Warren C

2014-01-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems. (review)

Creating biological nanomaterials using synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, MaryJoe K; Ruder, Warren C

2014-02-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that combines science and engineering approaches to precisely control biological networks. These signaling networks are especially important in fields such as biomedicine and biochemical engineering. Additionally, biological networks can also be critical to the production of naturally occurring biological nanomaterials, and as a result, synthetic biology holds tremendous potential in creating new materials. This review introduces the field of synthetic biology, discusses how biological systems naturally produce materials, and then presents examples and strategies for incorporating synthetic biology approaches in the development of new materials. In particular, strategies for using synthetic biology to produce both organic and inorganic nanomaterials are discussed. Ultimately, synthetic biology holds the potential to dramatically impact biological materials science with significant potential applications in medical systems.

Lead-oriented synthesis: Investigation of organolithium-mediated routes to 3-D scaffolds and 3-D shape analysis of a virtual lead-like library.

Science.gov (United States)

Lüthy, Monique; Wheldon, Mary C; Haji-Cheteh, Chehasnah; Atobe, Masakazu; Bond, Paul S; O'Brien, Peter; Hubbard, Roderick E; Fairlamb, Ian J S

2015-06-01

Synthetic routes to six 3-D scaffolds containing piperazine, pyrrolidine and piperidine cores have been developed. The synthetic methodology focused on the use of N-Boc α-lithiation-trapping chemistry. Notably, suitably protected and/or functionalised medicinal chemistry building blocks were synthesised via concise, connective methodology. This represents a rare example of lead-oriented synthesis. A virtual library of 190 compounds was then enumerated from the six scaffolds. Of these, 92 compounds (48%) fit the lead-like criteria of: (i) -1⩽AlogP⩽3; (ii) 14⩽number of heavy atoms⩽26; (iii) total polar surface area⩾50Å(2). The 3-D shapes of the 190 compounds were analysed using a triangular plot of normalised principal moments of inertia (PMI). From this, 46 compounds were identified which had lead-like properties and possessed 3-D shapes in under-represented areas of pharmaceutical space. Thus, the PMI analysis of the 190 member virtual library showed that whilst scaffolds which may appear on paper to be 3-D in shape, only 24% of the compounds actually had 3-D structures in the more interesting areas of 3-D drug space. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic biology: Emerging bioengineering in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Suhandono, Sony

2017-05-01

The development of synthetic biology will shape the new era of science and technology. It is an emerging bioengineering technique involving genetic engineering which can alter the phenotype and behavior of the cell or the new product. Synthetic biology may produce biomaterials, drugs, vaccines, biosensors, and even a recombinant secondary metabolite used in herbal and complementary medicine, such as artemisinin, a malaria drug which is usually extracted from the plant Artemisia annua. The power of synthetic biology has encouraged scientists in Indonesia, and is still in early development. This paper also covers some research from an Indonesian research institute in synthetic biology such as observing the production of bio surfactants and the enhanced production of artemisinin using a transient expression system. Synthetic biology development in Indonesia may also be related to the iGEM competition, a large synthetic biology research competition which was attended by several universities in Indonesia. The application of synthetic biology for drug discovery will be discussed.

The Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL) provides a community standard for communicating designs in synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Galdzicki, Michal; Clancy, Kevin P; Oberortner, Ernst; Pocock, Matthew; Quinn, Jacqueline Y; Rodriguez, Cesar A; Roehner, Nicholas; Wilson, Mandy L; Adam, Laura; Anderson, J Christopher; Bartley, Bryan A; Beal, Jacob; Chandran, Deepak; Chen, Joanna; Densmore, Douglas; Endy, Drew; Grünberg, Raik; Hallinan, Jennifer; Hillson, Nathan J; Johnson, Jeffrey D; Kuchinsky, Allan; Lux, Matthew; Misirli, Goksel; Peccoud, Jean; Plahar, Hector A; Sirin, Evren; Stan, Guy-Bart; Villalobos, Alan; Wipat, Anil; Gennari, John H; Myers, Chris J; Sauro, Herbert M

2014-06-01

The re-use of previously validated designs is critical to the evolution of synthetic biology from a research discipline to an engineering practice. Here we describe the Synthetic Biology Open Language (SBOL), a proposed data standard for exchanging designs within the synthetic biology community. SBOL represents synthetic biology designs in a community-driven, formalized format for exchange between software tools, research groups and commercial service providers. The SBOL Developers Group has implemented SBOL as an XML/RDF serialization and provides software libraries and specification documentation to help developers implement SBOL in their own software. We describe early successes, including a demonstration of the utility of SBOL for information exchange between several different software tools and repositories from both academic and industrial partners. As a community-driven standard, SBOL will be updated as synthetic biology evolves to provide specific capabilities for different aspects of the synthetic biology workflow.

The system architecture for renewable synthetic fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ridjan, Iva

To overcome and eventually eliminate the existing heavy fossil fuels in the transport sector, there is a need for new renewable fuels. This transition could lead to large capital costs for implementing the new solutions and a long time frame for establishing the new infrastructure unless a suitable...... and production plants, so it is important to implement it in the best manner possible to ensure an efficient and flexible system. The poster will provide an overview of the steps involved in the production of synthetic fuel and possible solutions for the system architecture based on the current literature...

The radioprotective effect of synthetic immunomodulators on hemopoietic cfu-s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semina, O.V.; Semenets, T.N.; Dejgin, V.I.; Korotkov, A.M.; Poverennyj, A.M.

1993-01-01

The radiotherapeutic effect of thymogen (Glu-Trp) and thymohexin (Arg-Lys-Asp-Val-Agr) synthetic peptide immunomodulators was investigated. Both thymogen and thymohexin were demonstrated to be able to reduce the damagine effect of ionizing radiation (1 Gy) on CFU-S by half. The treatment by these preparations after irradiation at dose of 4 Gy leads to more intensive restoration of CFU-S population as compared with control

Health Risk Behaviors With Synthetic Cannabinoids Versus Marijuana.

Science.gov (United States)

Clayton, Heather B; Lowry, Richard; Ashley, Carmen; Wolkin, Amy; Grant, Althea M

2017-04-01

Data are limited on the behavioral risk correlates of synthetic cannabinoid use. The purpose of this study was to compare the behavioral risk correlates of synthetic cannabinoid use with those among marijuana users. Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted in a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 ( N = 15 624), were used to examine the association between self-reported type of marijuana use (ie, never use of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids, ever use of marijuana only, and ever use of synthetic cannabinoids) and self-report of 36 risk behaviors across 4 domains: substance use, injury/violence, mental health, and sexual health. Multivariable models were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios. Students who ever used synthetic cannabinoids had a significantly greater likelihood of engaging in each of the behaviors in the substance use and sexual risk domains compared with students who ever used marijuana only. Students who ever used synthetic cannabinoids were more likely than students who ever used marijuana only to have used marijuana before age 13 years, to have used marijuana ≥1 times during the past 30 days, and to have used marijuana ≥20 times during the past 30 days. Several injury/violence behaviors were more prevalent among students who ever used synthetic cannabinoids compared with students who ever used marijuana only. Health professionals and school-based substance use prevention programs should include strategies focused on the prevention of both synthetic cannabinoids and marijuana. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Synthetic and tomato-based lycopene have identical bioavailability in humans

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoppe, P.P.; Krämer, K.; Berg, H. van den; Steenge, G.; Vliet, T. van

2003-01-01

Background: Bioavailability studies with lycopene have focused on natural sources. A synthetic source has recently become available. Aim of the study: To determine the relative bioavailabilities of synthetic and tomato-based lycopene in free living volunteers in a single-blind, randomized,

Enhanced heavy oil recovery for carbonate reservoirs integrating cross-well seismic–a synthetic Wafra case study

KAUST Repository

Katterbauer, Klemens; Arango, Santiago; Sun, Shuyu; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2015-01-01

reservoir history matching framework using ensemble based techniques incorporating seismic data for enhancing reservoir characterization and improving history matches. Examining the performance on a synthetic field study of the Wafra field, we could

A Canadian refiner's perspective of synthetic crudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halford, T.L.; McIntosh, A.P.; Rasmussen

1997-01-01

Some of the factors affecting a refiner's choice of crude oil include refinery hardware, particularly gas oil crackers, products slate and product specifications, crude availability, relative crude price and crude quality. An overview of synthetic crude, the use of synthetic crude combined with other crudes and a comparison of synthetic crude with conventional crude oil was given. The two main users of synthetic crude are basically two groups of refiners, those large groups who use synthetic crude combined with other crudes, and a smaller group who run synthetic crude on specially designed units as a sole feed. The effects of changes in fuel legislation were reviewed. It was predicted that the changes will have a mixed impact on the value of synthetic crude, but low sulphur diesel regulations and gasoline sulphur regulations will make current synthetic crudes attractive. The big future change with a negative impact will be diesel cetane increases to reduce engine emissions. This will reduce synthetic crude attractiveness due to distillate yields and quality and high gas oil yields. Similarly, any legislation limiting aromatics in diesel fuel will also make synthetic crudes less attractive. Problems experienced by refiners with hardware dedicated to synthetic crude (salt, naphthenic acid, fouling, quality variations) were also reviewed. 3 tabs

The relationship between environmental lead and blood lead in children : a study in environmental epidemiology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brunekreef, B.

1985-01-01

This study deals with the relationship between environmental lead and blood lead in children.
Chapter 1 provides a summary of the environmental health aspects of lead. The occurrence of lead in the environment and in man is described; children are discussed as a population at

Finding Hope in Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Takala, Tuija

2017-04-01

For some, synthetic biology represents great hope in offering possible solutions to many of the world's biggest problems, from hunger to sustainable development. Others remain fearful of the harmful uses, such as bioweapons, that synthetic biology can lend itself to, and most hold that issues of biosafety are of utmost importance. In this article, I will evaluate these points of view and conclude that although the biggest promises of synthetic biology are unlikely to become reality, and the probability of accidents is fairly substantial, synthetic biology could still be seen to benefit humanity by enhancing our ethical understanding and by offering a boost to world economy.

Geo synthetic-reinforced Pavement systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zornberg, J. G.

2014-01-01

Geo synthetics have been used as reinforcement inclusions to improve pavement performance. while there are clear field evidence of the benefit of using geo synthetic reinforcements, the specific conditions or mechanisms that govern the reinforcement of pavements are, at best, unclear and have remained largely unmeasured. Significant research has been recently conducted with the objectives of: (i) determining the relevant properties of geo synthetics that contribute to the enhanced performance of pavement systems, (ii) developing appropriate analytical, laboratory and field methods capable of quantifying the pavement performance, and (iii) enabling the prediction of pavement performance as a function of the properties of the various types of geo synthetics. (Author)

Structural Style and Lead Identification, Northern Depobelt, Niger Delta, Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ola, P. S.; Adekoya, J. A.

2003-01-01

By interpreting biofacies data, wire line log and grid of 2D seismic sections in an integrated manner in some portions of the northern depobelt, Niger delta, the sequence stratigraphic framework of the area was established. This enabled the structural style and genetic sequences of the area to be inferred. Results showed that the depobelt could be I subdivided into minibasins that trend in a NW SE direction and are bounded by synthetic faults in the proximal end and shale diapers in the distal end. All the exploration wells in the area of study, which were drilled on structural highs and were very close to the synthetic faults, turned out to be dry whereas the synclinal lows that resulted from local deposition of sands of the first genetic sequences in each of the minibasins could contain hydrocarbon. Such areas of synclinal lows are hereby proposed, as lead in this study. The intervals are untested and occur faraway from existing wells. By projection the geochemical data of well Oben-1 in the area suggest that the intervals fall within the oil generative window. Characteristic seismic reflection termination patterns, which are predominantly down laps and on laps suggest existence of structural closure for hydrocarbon accumulation within the synclinal lows. This study therefore recommends a reappraisal of these leads using a more focused 3D seismic study. The northern delta depobelt is less risky and inexpensive for oil exploration and exploitation compared with the offshore Niger delta that is gaining more prominence

Space Synthetic Biology Project

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, David; Roman, Monsi; Mansell, James (Matt)

2015-01-01

Synthetic biology is an effort to make genetic engineering more useful by standardizing sections of genetic code. By standardizing genetic components, biological engineering will become much more similar to traditional fields of engineering, in which well-defined components and subsystems are readily available in markets. Specifications of the behavior of those components and subsystems can be used to model a system which incorporates them. Then, the behavior of the novel system can be simulated and optimized. Finally, the components and subsystems can be purchased and assembled to create the optimized system, which most often will exhibit behavior similar to that indicated by the model. The Space Synthetic Biology project began in 2012 as a multi-Center effort. The purpose of this project was to harness Synthetic Biology principals to enable NASA's missions. A central target for application was to Environmental Control & Life Support (ECLS). Engineers from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) ECLS Systems Development Branch (ES62) were brought into the project to contribute expertise in operational ECLS systems. Project lead scientists chose to pursue the development of bioelectrochemical technologies to spacecraft life support. Therefore, the ECLS element of the project became essentially an effort to develop a bioelectrochemical ECLS subsystem. Bioelectrochemical systems exploit the ability of many microorganisms to drive their metabolisms by direct or indirect utilization of electrical potential gradients. Whereas many microorganisms are capable of deriving the energy required for the processes of interest (such as carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation) from sunlight, it is believed that subsystems utilizing electrotrophs will exhibit smaller mass, volume, and power requirements than those that derive their energy from sunlight. In the first 2 years of the project, MSFC personnel conducted modeling, simulation, and conceptual design efforts to assist the

Study of Wide Swath Synthetic Aperture Ladar Imaging Techology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Keshu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Combining synthetic-aperture imaging and coherent-light detection technology, the weak signal identification capacity of Synthetic Aperture Ladar (SAL reaches the photo level, and the image resolution exceeds the diffraction limit of the telescope to obtain high-resolution images irrespective to ranges. This paper introduces SAL, including the development path, technology characteristics, and the restriction of imaging swath. On the basis of this, we propose to integrate the SAL technology for extending its swath. By analyzing the scanning-operation mode and the signal model, the paper explicitly proposes that the former mode will be the developmental trend of the SAL technology. This paper also introduces the flight demonstrations of the SAL and the imaging results of remote targets, showing the potential of the SAL in long-range, high-resolution, and scanning-imaging applications. The technology and the theory of the scanning mode of SAL compensates for the defects related to the swath and operation efficiency of the current SAL. It provides scientific foundation for the SAL system applied in wide swath, high resolution earth observation, and the ISAL system applied in space-targets imaging.

Models for synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaznessis, Yiannis N

2007-11-06

Synthetic biological engineering is emerging from biology as a distinct discipline based on quantification. The technologies propelling synthetic biology are not new, nor is the concept of designing novel biological molecules. What is new is the emphasis on system behavior. The objective is the design and construction of new biological devices and systems to deliver useful applications. Numerous synthetic gene circuits have been created in the past decade, including bistable switches, oscillators, and logic gates, and possible applications abound, including biofuels, detectors for biochemical and chemical weapons, disease diagnosis, and gene therapies. More than fifty years after the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA, molecular biology is mature enough for real quantification that is useful for biological engineering applications, similar to the revolution in modeling in chemistry in the 1950s. With the excitement that synthetic biology is generating, the engineering and biological science communities appear remarkably willing to cross disciplinary boundaries toward a common goal.

Differential lead retention in zircons: implications for nuclear waste containment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gentry, R V; Sworski, T J; McKown, H S; Smith, D H; Eby, R E; Christie, W H

1982-04-16

An innovative ultrasensitive technique was used for lead isotopic analysis of individual zircons extracted from granite core samples at depths of 960, 2170, 2900, 3930, and 4310 meters. The results show that lead, a relatively mobile element compared to the nuclear waste-related actinides uranium and thorium, has been highly retained at elevated temperatures (105 degrees to 313 degrees C) under conditions relevant to the burial of synthetic rock waste containers in deep granite holes.

Fortification of yogurts with different antioxidant preservatives: A comparative study between natural and synthetic additives.

Science.gov (United States)

Caleja, Cristina; Barros, Lillian; Antonio, Amilcar L; Carocho, Márcio; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2016-11-01

Consumers demand more and more so-called "natural" products and, therefore, the aim of this work was to compare the effects of natural versus synthetic antioxidant preservatives in yogurts. Matricaria recutita L. (chamomile) and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) decoctions were tested as natural additives, while potassium sorbate (E202) was used as a synthetic additive. The fortification of yogurts with natural and synthetic antioxidants did not cause significant changes in the yoghurt pH and nutritional value, in comparison with control samples (yogurt without any additive). However, the fortified yogurts showed higher antioxidant activity, mainly the yogurts with natural additives (and among these, the ones with chamomile decoction). Overall, it can be concluded that plant decoctions can be used to develop novel yogurts, by replacing synthetic preservatives and improving the antioxidant properties of the final product, without changing the nutritional profile. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Customizable Generation of Synthetically Accessible, Local Chemical Subspaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Pottel, Joshua; Moitessier, Nicolas

2017-03-27

Screening large libraries of chemicals has been an efficient strategy to discover bioactive compounds; however a portion of the potential for success is limited to the available libraries. Synergizing combinatorial and computational chemistries has emerged as a time-efficient strategy to explore the chemical space more widely. Ideally, streamlining the evaluation process for larger, feasible chemical libraries would become commonplace. Thus, combinatorial tools and, for example, docking methods would be integrated to identify novel bioactive entities. The idea is simple in nature, but much more complex in practice; combinatorial chemistry is more than the coupling of chemicals into products: synthetic feasibility includes chemoselectivity, stereoselectivity, protecting group chemistry, and chemical availability which must all be considered for combinatorial library design. In addition, intuitive interfaces and simple user manipulation is key for optimal use of such tools by organic chemists-crucial for the integration of such software in medicinal chemistry laboratories. We present herein Finders and React2D-integrated into the Virtual Chemist platform, a modular software suite. This approach enhances virtual combinatorial chemistry by identifying available chemicals compatible with a user-defined chemical transformation and by carrying out the reaction leading to libraries of realistic, synthetically accessible chemicals-all with a completely automated, black-box, and efficient design. We demonstrate its utility by generating ∼40 million synthetically accessible, stereochemically accurate compounds from a single library of 100 000 purchasable molecules and 56 well-characterized chemical reactions.

Associations of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms With Marijuana and Synthetic Cannabis Use Among Young Adult U.S. Veterans: A Pilot Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Sean; Pedersen, Eric R; Neighbors, Clayton

2016-05-01

This study involves a pilot investigation of associations between marijuana and synthetic cannabis use with PTSD symptoms among a young adult sample of U.S. veterans. In a cross-sectional survey of a community sample of 790 young adult U.S. veterans, we assessed demographics, combat severity, marijuana and synthetic cannabis use, expectancies of marijuana use, and PTSD symptoms. Overall, 61.8% and 20.4% of our sample reported lifetime and past-month marijuana use, whereas 17.0% and 3.4% reported lifetime and past-month synthetic cannabis use. Veterans screening positive for PTSD were more likely to use marijuana and synthetic cannabis in their lifetime and in the past month. Positive PTSD screens, as well as greater expectancies that marijuana leads to relaxation and tension reduction, were associated with past-month marijuana use in logistic regression analyses. Expectancies moderated the relationship between PTSD and marijuana use, such that those with positive PTSD screens reporting higher levels of relaxation and tension-reduction expectancies were most likely to report past-month marijuana use. Our findings suggest an association of PTSD symptoms with marijuana and synthetic cannabis use among young adult U.S. veterans. Future research should further investigate the link between PTSD and marijuana use, as well as the rates and consequences of synthetic cannabis use among veterans.

Oral two-generation reproduction toxicity study with NM-200 synthetic amorphous silica in Wistar rats

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolterbeek, A.; Oosterwijk, T.; Schneider, S.; Landsiedel, R.; Groot, D. de; Ee, R. van; Wouters, M.; Sandt, H. van de

2015-01-01

Synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) like NM-200 is used in a wide variety of technological applications and consumer products. Although SAS has been widely investigated the available reproductive toxicity studies are old and do not cover all requirements of current OECD Guidelines. As part of a

Synthetic mullite fabrication from smectite clays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima, L.N. de; Kiminami, R.H.G.A.

1988-01-01

The technological importance of mullite is mostly due to its refractory properties. Mullite in native form is very rare, and therefore it may be necessary to produced it by synthetic means. Brazil has a large reserve of smectite clays. In this work the process to produce synthetic mullite from these clays by treatment with aluminum sulphate was studied. X-ray analyses has shown the presence of mullite crystals in treated smectite clays of several colours, sinterized at 1100 0 C. By sintering at 1300 0 C, pure mullite was obtained in some colours. (author) [pt

ESR studies of high-energy phosphorus-ion implanted synthetic diamond crystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isoya, J [University of Library and Information Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Kanda, H; Morita, Y; Ohshima, T

1997-03-01

Phosphorus is among potential n-type dopants in diamond. High pressure synthetic diamond crystals of type IIa implanted with high energy (9-18 MeV) phosphorus ions have been studied by using electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. The intensity and the linewidth of the ESR signal attributed to the dangling bond of the amorphous phase varied with the implantation dose, suggesting the nature of the amorphization varies with the dose. The ESR signals of point defects have been observed in the low dose as-implanted crystals and in the high dose crystals annealed at high temperature and at high pressure. (author)

Synthetic biology: Novel approaches for microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Padilla-Vaca, Felipe; Anaya-Velázquez, Fernando; Franco, Bernardo

2015-06-01

In the past twenty years, molecular genetics has created powerful tools for genetic manipulation of living organisms. Whole genome sequencing has provided necessary information to assess knowledge on gene function and protein networks. In addition, new tools permit to modify organisms to perform desired tasks. Gene function analysis is speed up by novel approaches that couple both high throughput data generation and mining. Synthetic biology is an emerging field that uses tools for generating novel gene networks, whole genome synthesis and engineering. New applications in biotechnological, pharmaceutical and biomedical research are envisioned for synthetic biology. In recent years these new strategies have opened up the possibilities to study gene and genome editing, creation of novel tools for functional studies in virus, parasites and pathogenic bacteria. There is also the possibility to re-design organisms to generate vaccine subunits or produce new pharmaceuticals to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens. In this review we provide our opinion on the applicability of synthetic biology strategies for functional studies of pathogenic organisms and some applications such as genome editing and gene network studies to further comprehend virulence factors and determinants in pathogenic organisms. We also discuss what we consider important ethical issues for this field of molecular biology, especially for potential misuse of the new technologies. Copyright© by the Spanish Society for Microbiology and Institute for Catalan Studies.

Comparative Study of the Electrochemical, Biomedical, and Thermal Properties of Natural and Synthetic Nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Ghaemi, Ferial; Abdullah, Luqman Chuah; Kargarzadeh, Hanieh; Abdi, Mahnaz M.; Azli, Nur Farhana Waheeda Mohd; Abbasian, Maryam

2018-04-01

In this research, natural nanomaterials including cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), nanofiber cellulose (NFC), and synthetic nanoparticles such as carbon nanofiber (CNF) and carbon nanotube (CNT) with different structures, sizes, and surface areas were produced and analyzed. The most significant contribution of this study is to evaluate and compare these nanomaterials based on the effects of their structures and morphologies on their electrochemical, biomedical, and thermal properties. Based on the obtained results, the natural nanomaterials with low dimension and surface area have zero cytotoxicity effects on the living cells at 12.5 and 3.125 μg/ml concentrations of NFC and CNC, respectively. Meanwhile, synthetic nanomaterials with the high surface area around 15.3-21.1 m2/g and significant thermal stability (480 °C-600 °C) enhance the output of electrode by creating a higher surface area and decreasing the current flow resistance.

Is It Time for Synthetic Biodiversity Conservation?

Science.gov (United States)

Piaggio, Antoinette J; Segelbacher, Gernot; Seddon, Philip J; Alphey, Luke; Bennett, Elizabeth L; Carlson, Robert H; Friedman, Robert M; Kanavy, Dona; Phelan, Ryan; Redford, Kent H; Rosales, Marina; Slobodian, Lydia; Wheeler, Keith

2017-02-01

Evidence indicates that, despite some critical successes, current conservation approaches are not slowing the overall rate of biodiversity loss. The field of synthetic biology, which is capable of altering natural genomes with extremely precise editing, might offer the potential to resolve some intractable conservation problems (e.g., invasive species or pathogens). However, it is our opinion that there has been insufficient engagement by the conservation community with practitioners of synthetic biology. We contend that rapid, large-scale engagement of these two communities is urgently needed to avoid unintended and deleterious ecological consequences. To this point we describe case studies where synthetic biology is currently being applied to conservation, and we highlight the benefits to conservation biologists from engaging with this emerging technology. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Stereoscopy in cinematographic synthetic imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenmann, Jonathan; Parent, Rick

2009-02-01

In this paper we present experiments and results pertaining to the perception of depth in stereoscopic viewing of synthetic imagery. In computer animation, typical synthetic imagery is highly textured and uses stylized illumination of abstracted material models by abstracted light source models. While there have been numerous studies concerning stereoscopic capabilities, conventions for staging and cinematography in stereoscopic movies have not yet been well-established. Our long-term goal is to measure the effectiveness of various cinematography techniques on the human visual system in a theatrical viewing environment. We would like to identify the elements of stereoscopic cinema that are important in terms of enhancing the viewer's understanding of a scene as well as providing guidelines for the cinematographer relating to storytelling. In these experiments we isolated stereoscopic effects by eliminating as many other visual cues as is reasonable. In particular, we aim to empirically determine what types of movement in synthetic imagery affect the perceptual depth sensing capabilities of our viewers. Using synthetic imagery, we created several viewing scenarios in which the viewer is asked to locate a target object's depth in a simple environment. The scenarios were specifically designed to compare the effectiveness of stereo viewing, camera movement, and object motion in aiding depth perception. Data were collected showing the error between the choice of the user and the actual depth value, and patterns were identified that relate the test variables to the viewer's perceptual depth accuracy in our theatrical viewing environment.

Where Synthetic Biology Meets ET

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

Synthetic biology - the design and construction of new biological parts and systems and the redesign of existing ones for useful purposes - has the potential to transform fields from pharmaceuticals to fuels. Our lab has focused on the potential of synthetic biology to revolutionize all three major parts of astrobiology: Where do we come from? Where are we going? and Are we alone? For the first and third, synthetic biology is allowing us to answer whether the evolutionary narrative that has played out on planet earth is likely to have been unique or universal. For example, in our lab we are re-evolving the biosynthetic pathways of amino acids in order to understand potential capabilities of an early organism with a limited repertoire of amino acids and developing techniques for the recovery of metals from spent electronics on other planetary bodies. And what about the limits for life? Can we create organisms that expand the envelope for life? In the future synthetic biology will play an increasing role in human activities both on earth, in fields as diverse as human health and the industrial production of novel bio-composites. Beyond earth, we will rely increasingly on biologically-provided life support, as we have throughout our evolutionary history. In order to do this, the field will build on two of the great contributions of astrobiology: studies of the origin of life and life in extreme environments.

Cosmo Cassette: A Microfluidic Microgravity Microbial System For Synthetic Biology Unit Tests and Satellite Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Berliner, Aaron J.

2013-01-01

Although methods in the design-build-test life cycle of the synthetic biology field have grown rapidly, the expansion has been non-uniform. The design and build stages in development have seen innovations in the form of biological CAD and more efficient means for building DNA, RNA, and other biological constructs. The testing phase of the cycle remains in need of innovation. Presented will be both a theoretical abstraction of biological measurement and a practical demonstration of a microfluidics-based platform for characterizing synthetic biological phenomena. Such a platform demonstrates a design of additive manufacturing (3D printing) for construction of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to be used in experiments carried out in space. First, the biocompatibility of the polypropylene chassis will be demonstrated. The novel MFCs will be cheaper, and faster to make and iterate through designs. The novel design will contain a manifold switchingdistribution system and an integrated in-chip set of reagent reservoirs fabricated via 3D printing. The automated nature of the 3D printing yields itself to higher resolution switching valves and leads to smaller sized payloads, lower cost, reduced power and a standardized platform for synthetic biology unit tests on Earth and in space. It will be demonstrated that the application of unit testing in synthetic biology will lead to the automatic construction and validation of desired constructs. Unit testing methodologies offer benefits of preemptive problem identification, change of facility, simplicity of integration, ease of documentation, and separation of interface from implementation, and automated design.

Synthetic biology for pharmaceutical drug discovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trosset JY

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Jean-Yves Trosset,1 Pablo Carbonell2,3 1Bioinformation Research Laboratory, Sup’Biotech, Villejuif, France; 2Faculty of Life Sciences, SYNBIOCHEM Centre, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; 3Department of Experimental and Health Sciences (DCEXS, Research Programme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF, Barcelona, Spain Abstract: Synthetic biology (SB is an emerging discipline, which is slowly reorienting the field of drug discovery. For thousands of years, living organisms such as plants were the major source of human medicines. The difficulty in resynthesizing natural products, however, often turned pharmaceutical industries away from this rich source for human medicine. More recently, progress on transformation through genetic manipulation of biosynthetic units in microorganisms has opened the possibility of in-depth exploration of the large chemical space of natural products derivatives. Success of SB in drug synthesis culminated with the bioproduction of artemisinin by microorganisms, a tour de force in protein and metabolic engineering. Today, synthetic cells are not only used as biofactories but also used as cell-based screening platforms for both target-based and phenotypic-based approaches. Engineered genetic circuits in synthetic cells are also used to decipher disease mechanisms or drug mechanism of actions and to study cell–cell communication within bacteria consortia. This review presents latest developments of SB in the field of drug discovery, including some challenging issues such as drug resistance and drug toxicity. Keywords: metabolic engineering, plant synthetic biology, natural products, synthetic quorum sensing, drug resistance

Meeting Report: Synthetic Biology Jamboree for Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, A. Malcolm

2005-01-01

The field of synthetic biology (the name is derived from an analogy to synthetic chemistry) has recognized itself as a "field" only since about 2002. Synthetic biology has gotten some high-profile attention recently, but most people are not aware the field even exists. Synthetic biologists apply engineering principles to genomic circuits to…

21 CFR 73.1200 - Synthetic iron oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Synthetic iron oxide. 73.1200 Section 73.1200 Food... COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Drugs § 73.1200 Synthetic iron oxide. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive synthetic iron oxide consists of any one or any combination of synthetically prepared...

21 CFR 73.200 - Synthetic iron oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Synthetic iron oxide. 73.200 Section 73.200 Food... COLOR ADDITIVES EXEMPT FROM CERTIFICATION Foods § 73.200 Synthetic iron oxide. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive synthetic iron oxide consists of any one or any combination of synthetically prepared...

21 CFR 172.888 - Synthetic petroleum wax.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Synthetic petroleum wax. 172.888 Section 172.888... CONSUMPTION Multipurpose Additives § 172.888 Synthetic petroleum wax. Synthetic petroleum wax may be safely used in or on foods in accordance with the following conditions: (a) Synthetic petroleum wax is a...

Synthetic Cannabinoids.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Brooke; Yepes, Andres; Nugent, Kenneth

2015-07-01

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs), also known under the brand names of "Spice," "K2," "herbal incense," "Cloud 9," "Mojo" and many others, are becoming a large public health concern due not only to their increasing use but also to their unpredictable toxicity and abuse potential. There are many types of SCBs, each having a unique binding affinity for cannabinoid receptors. Although both Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and SCBs stimulate the same receptors, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2), studies have shown that SCBs are associated with higher rates of toxicity and hospital admissions than is natural cannabis. This is likely due to SCBs being direct agonists of the cannabinoid receptors, whereas THC is a partial agonist. Furthermore, the different chemical structures of SCBs found in Spice or K2 may interact in unpredictable ways to elicit previously unknown, and the commercial products may have unknown contaminants. The largest group of users is men in their 20s who participate in polydrug use. The most common reported toxicities with SCB use based on studies using Texas Poison Control records are tachycardia, agitation and irritability, drowsiness, hallucinations, delusions, hypertension, nausea, confusion, dizziness, vertigo and chest pain. Acute kidney injury has also been strongly associated with SCB use. Treatment mostly involves symptom management and supportive care. More research is needed to identify which contaminants are typically found in synthetic marijuana and to understand the interactions between different SBCs to better predict adverse health outcomes.

Exact spectrum of non-linear chirp scaling and its application in geosynchronous synthetic aperture radar imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Qi

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Non-linear chirp scaling (NLCS is a feasible method to deal with time-variant frequency modulation (FM rate problem in synthetic aperture radar (SAR imaging. However, approximations in derivation of NLCS spectrum lead to performance decline in some cases. Presented is the exact spectrum of the NLCS function. Simulation with a geosynchronous synthetic aperture radar (GEO-SAR configuration is implemented. The results show that using the presented spectrum can significantly improve imaging performance, and the NLCS algorithm is suitable for GEO-SAR imaging after modification.

Synthetic strategies for plant signalling studies: molecular toolbox and orthogonal platforms

KAUST Repository

Braguy, Justine; Zurbriggen, Matias D.

2016-01-01

of involved functional and regulatory mechanisms. The implementation of synthetic biology approaches is revolutionizing experimental biology in prokaryotes, yeasts and animal systems and can likewise contribute to a new era in plant biology. This review gives

CUSTOMER PERCEIVED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF SYNTHETIC FIBER USING FUZZY QFD: A CASE STUDY

OpenAIRE

Golam Kabir; M. Ahsan Akhtar Hasin

2011-01-01

The performance of the ready-made garment (RMG) industry has been one of the most notable success stories of the Bangladesh economy over two decades. To meet the growing demand of synthetic yarns, Bangladesh has to import it from foreign countries which cost a substantial amount of foreign currency for the country. It is a pressing need for local manufacturers to come forward, produce quality synthetic yarn and fulfill the demand of the local market. The purpose of this paper is to present a ...

Some studies of maternal and infant lead exposure in Glasgow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moore, M.R.; Goldberg, A.; Pocock, S.J.; Meredith, A.; Stewart, I.M.; MacAnespie, H.; Lees, R.; Low, A.

1982-04-01

In two studies in the city of Glasgow, 236 mothers and their newly born infants and 117 mothers and their 6-weeks old children's environmental lead exposure were examined. In both studies blood lead concentrations were found to correlate significantly with the cube root of the domestic water lead concentrations. In the first study, multiple regression analyses of maternal blood lead and cord blood lead concentrations on other variables showed a significant negative correlation with gestational age. It was also noted that there was an annual fluctuation in maternal blood lead concentration with highest values in the autumn. In the second study, similar relationships were found. Although there was no association between blood lead and sex, age, place of birth or feeding method, as in the previous study, a significant association between social class and blood lead was found. This could be explained on the basis of the significant correlation between water lead and social class. In those mothers who breast fed, breast milk lead concentrations were found to correlate significantly with blood lead concentrations where breast milk lead was around one tenth of blood lead concentration. These studies emphasise the importance of water lead in the economy of environmental lead exposure to mothers and their unborn and newly born infants.

A Canine Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Model for Study of Synthetic Augmentation of Tendon Allografts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, James L; Smith, Pat; Stannard, James P; Pfeiffer, Ferris; Kuroki, Keiichi; Bozynski, Chantelle C; Cook, Cristi

2017-09-01

Novel graft types, fixation methods, and means for augmenting anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions require preclinical validation prior to safe and effective clinical application. The objective of this study was to describe and validate a translational canine model for all-inside arthroscopic complete ACL reconstruction using a quadriceps tendon allograft with internal brace (QTIB). With institutional approval, adult research hounds underwent complete transection of the native ACL followed by all-inside ACL reconstruction using the novel QTIB construct with suspensory fixation ( n  = 10). Contralateral knees were used as nonoperated controls ( n  = 10). Dogs were assessed over a 6-month period using functional, diagnostic imaging, gross, biomechanical, and histologic outcome measures required for preclinical animal models. Study results suggest that the novel QTIB construct used for complete ACL reconstruction can provide sustained knee stability and function without the development of premature osteoarthritis in a rigorous and valid preclinical model. The unique configuration of the QTIB construct-the combination of a tendon allograft with a synthetic suture tape internal brace-allowed for an effective biologic-synthetic load-sharing ACL construct. It prevented early failure, allowed for direct, four-zone graft-to-bone healing, and functional graft remodeling while avoiding problems noted with use of all-synthetic grafts. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Chromatin regulation at the frontier of synthetic biology

Science.gov (United States)

Keung, Albert J.; Joung, J. Keith; Khalil, Ahmad S.; Collins, James J.

2016-01-01

As synthetic biology approaches are extended to diverse applications throughout medicine, biotechnology and basic biological research, there is an increasing need to engineer yeast, plant and mammalian cells. Eukaryotic genomes are regulated by the diverse biochemical and biophysical states of chromatin, which brings distinct challenges, as well as opportunities, over applications in bacteria. Recent synthetic approaches, including `epigenome editing', have allowed the direct and functional dissection of many aspects of physiological chromatin regulation. These studies lay the foundation for biomedical and biotechnological engineering applications that could take advantage of the unique combinatorial and spatiotemporal layers of chromatin regulation to create synthetic systems of unprecedented sophistication. PMID:25668787

SYNTHETIC EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT – A FOOTPACE TO NEW EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga P. Pinchuk

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article studies the problems of introducing a synthetic learning environment in the practice of education. The modern views on the essence of the learning environment and its new forms based on information and communication technologies are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to a range of issues that are united in the English-language publications as a "synthetic environment", which is considered in two aspects – artificial environment and synthetic as is formed due to the synthesis of the real physical world and the results of simulation and modeling. There are considered issues of trends in usage of game-based learning and modeling as cognitive technologies, as well as of social networks as a synthetic environment of social development. Conclusions are drawn: synthetic learning environment becomes an independent subject of learning through the expansion of its content and didactic power, transformation of the individual as a recipient of knowledge into the synthesizing element of the educational process in the metaverse.

Role of Synthetic and Dimensional Synthetic Organic Chemistry in Block Copolymer Micelle Nanosensor Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ek, Pramod Kumar

This thesis investigated the role of amphiphilic triblock copolymer micelle nanomaterials in nanosensors, with emphasis on the synthesis of micelle particle sensors. The thesis is focused on the role of synthetic and dimensional synthetic organic chemistry in amphiphilic triblock core-shellcorona...

Word selection affects perceptions of synthetic biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tonidandel Scott

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Members of the synthetic biology community have discussed the significance of word selection when describing synthetic biology to the general public. In particular, many leaders proposed the word "create" was laden with negative connotations. We found that word choice and framing does affect public perception of synthetic biology. In a controlled experiment, participants perceived synthetic biology more negatively when "create" was used to describe the field compared to "construct" (p = 0.008. Contrary to popular opinion among synthetic biologists, however, low religiosity individuals were more influenced negatively by the framing manipulation than high religiosity people. Our results suggest that synthetic biologists directly influence public perception of their field through avoidance of the word "create".

Synthetic clay excels in 90Sr removal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komarneni, Sridhar; Kodama, Tatsuya; Paulus, William J.; Carlson, C.

2000-01-01

Tests with actual ground water from Hanford site, and fundamental studies of 2Na + →Sr 2+ exchange equilibria revealed that a synthetic clay is extremely selective for 90 Sr with a high capacity for uptake. Comparative studies with existing Sr selective ion exchangers clearly revealed that the present synthetic clay exhibited the best performance for 90 Sr removal from actual ground water collected from three different locations at Hanford. This novel Sr ion sieve is expected to be useful for the decontamination of the environment after accidental release and contamination with 90 Sr. (c) 2000 Materials Research Society

An Ultra-high Resolution Synthetic Precipitation Data for Ungauged Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hong-Joong; Choi, Kyung-Min; Oh, Jai-Ho

2018-05-01

Despite the enormous damage caused by record heavy rainfall, the amount of precipitation in areas without observation points cannot be known precisely. One way to overcome these difficulties is to estimate meteorological data at ungauged sites. In this study, we have used observation data over Seoul city to calculate high-resolution (250-meter resolution) synthetic precipitation over a 10-year (2005-2014) period. Furthermore, three cases are analyzed by evaluating the rainfall intensity and performing statistical analysis over the 10-year period. In the case where the typhoon "Meari" passed to the west coast during 28-30 June 2011, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.93 for seven validation points, which implies that the temporal correlation between the observed precipitation and synthetic precipitation was very good. It can be confirmed that the time series of observation and synthetic precipitation in the period almost completely matches the observed rainfall. On June 28-29, 2011, the estimation of 10 to 30 mm h-1 of continuous strong precipitation was correct. In addition, it is shown that the synthetic precipitation closely follows the observed precipitation for all three cases. Statistical analysis of 10 years of data reveals a very high correlation coefficient between synthetic precipitation and observed rainfall (0.86). Thus, synthetic precipitation data show good agreement with the observations. Therefore, the 250-m resolution synthetic precipitation amount calculated in this study is useful as basic data in weather applications, such as urban flood detection.

Stuck fermentation: development of a synthetic stuck wine and study of a restart procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Maisonnave, Pierre; Sanchez, Isabelle; Moine, Virginie; Dequin, Sylvie; Galeote, Virginie

2013-05-15

Stuck fermentation is a major problem in winemaking, resulting in large losses in the wine industry. Specific starter yeasts are used to restart stuck fermentations in conditions determined essentially on the basis of empirical know-how. We have developed a model synthetic stuck wine and an industrial process-based procedure for restarting fermentations, for studies of the conditions required to restart stuck fermentations. We used a basic medium containing 13.5% v/v ethanol and 16 g/L fructose, pH 3.3, to test the effect of various nutrients (vitamins, amino acids, minerals, oligoelements), with the aim of developing a representative and discriminative stuck fermentation model. Cell growth appeared to be a key factor for the efficient restarting of stuck fermentations. Micronutrients, such as vitamins, also strongly affected the efficiency of the restart procedure. For the validation of this medium, we compared the performances of three wine yeast strains in the synthetic stuck fermentation and three naturally stuck wine fermentations. Strain performance was ranked similar in the synthetic medium and in the "Malbec" and "Sauvignon" natural stuck wines. However, two strains were ranked differently in the "Gros Manseng" stuck wine. Nutrient content seemed to be a crucial factor in fermentation restart conditions, generating differences between yeast strains. However, the specific sensitivity of yeast strains to the composition of the wine may also have had an effect. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a Synthetic Switch to Control Protein Stability in Eukaryotic Cells with Light.

Science.gov (United States)

Taxis, Christof

2017-01-01

In eukaryotic cells, virtually all regulatory processes are influenced by proteolysis. Thus, synthetic control of protein stability is a powerful approach to influence cellular behavior. To achieve this, selected target proteins are modified with a conditional degradation sequence (degron) that responds to a distinct signal. For development of a synthetic degron, an appropriate sensor domain is fused with a degron such that activity of the degron is under control of the sensor. This chapter describes the development of a light-activated, synthetic degron in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This photosensitive degron module is composed of the light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) 2 photoreceptor domain of Arabidopsis thaliana phototropin 1 and a degron derived from murine ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Excitation of the photoreceptor with blue light induces a conformational change that leads to exposure and activation of the degron. Subsequently, the protein is targeted for degradation by the proteasome. Here, the strategy for degron module development and optimization is described in detail together with experimental aspects, which were pivotal for successful implementation of light-controlled proteolysis. The engineering of the photosensitive degron (psd) module may well serve as a blueprint for future development of sophisticated synthetic switches.

Ultrastructural studies of synthetic apatite crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Arends, J; Jongebloed, W L

1979-03-01

In this paper a survey is given of some ultrastructural properties of synthetic hydroxyapatite. The preparation method by which single crystals with a length in the range of 0.1-3.0mm and a defined purity and stoïchiometry can be produced is given. Two groups of materials are considered in detail: carbonate-rich (greater than 0.1% CO3) and low-carbonate hydroxyapatites. The experiments on carbonate-rich material, being the most interesting from a biological point of view, show that acids attack at an active site in the hexagonal basal-plane of the crystals. Later on the crystals dissolve in the center of the crystal parallel to the c-axis forming tube-like structures. The active site can be protected from dissolution if the crystals are pretreated by EHDP or MFP. A comparison with lattice defect theory shows that most likely dislocations of the "hollow-core" type are responsible for the preferential dissolution.

Synthetic Biology for Specialty Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Markham, Kelly A; Alper, Hal S

2015-01-01

In this review, we address recent advances in the field of synthetic biology and describe how those tools have been applied to produce a wide variety of chemicals in microorganisms. Here we classify the expansion of the synthetic biology toolbox into three different categories based on their primary function in strain engineering-for design, for construction, and for optimization. Next, focusing on recent years, we look at how chemicals have been produced using these new synthetic biology tools. Advances in producing fuels are briefly described, followed by a more thorough treatment of commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Throughout this review, an emphasis is placed on how synthetic biology tools are applied to strain engineering. Finally, we discuss organism and host strain diversity and provide a future outlook in the field.

Lead bioaccumulation in Opuntia ficus-indica following foliar or root exposure to lead-bearing apatite.

Science.gov (United States)

El Hayek, Eliane; El Samrani, Antoine; Lartiges, Bruno; Kazpard, Veronique; Aigouy, Thierry

2017-01-01

The contamination of edible leafy vegetables by atmospheric heavy metal-bearing particles is a major issue in environmental toxicology. In this study, the uptake of lead by cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (Ofi), traditionally used in Mexican cuisine and in livestock fodder, is investigated after a 4-months exposure of either cladodes or roots to synthetic Pb-fluorapatite particles. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for the quantitative analysis of Pb levels, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) for the examination of the cladode surface and fate of particles, and Micro-X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) measurements for elemental mapping of Pb in cladodes, were used. The results evidence that foliar contamination may be a major pathway for the transfer of Pb within Ofi cladodes. The stomata, areoles, and cuticle of cladode surface, play an obvious role in the retention and the incorporation of lead-bearing apatite, thus revealing the hazard of eating contaminated cladodes. The possibility of using series of successive cladodes for biomonitoring the atmospheric pollution in arid and semi-arid regions is also rapidly discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mammalian synthetic biology: emerging medical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kis, Zoltán; Pereira, Hugo Sant'Ana; Homma, Takayuki; Pedrigi, Ryan M; Krams, Rob

2015-05-06

In this review, we discuss new emerging medical applications of the rapidly evolving field of mammalian synthetic biology. We start with simple mammalian synthetic biological components and move towards more complex and therapy-oriented gene circuits. A comprehensive list of ON-OFF switches, categorized into transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational, is presented in the first sections. Subsequently, Boolean logic gates, synthetic mammalian oscillators and toggle switches will be described. Several synthetic gene networks are further reviewed in the medical applications section, including cancer therapy gene circuits, immuno-regulatory networks, among others. The final sections focus on the applicability of synthetic gene networks to drug discovery, drug delivery, receptor-activating gene circuits and mammalian biomanufacturing processes. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Molecular dynamics modeling the synthetic and biological polymers interactions pre-studied via docking

Science.gov (United States)

Tsvetkov, Vladimir B.; Serbin, Alexander V.

2014-06-01

In previous works we reported the design, synthesis and in vitro evaluations of synthetic anionic polymers modified by alicyclic pendant groups (hydrophobic anchors), as a novel class of inhibitors of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 ( HIV-1) entry into human cells. Recently, these synthetic polymers interactions with key mediator of HIV-1 entry-fusion, the tri-helix core of the first heptad repeat regions [ HR1]3 of viral envelope protein gp41, were pre-studied via docking in terms of newly formulated algorithm for stepwise approximation from fragments of polymeric backbone and side-group models toward real polymeric chains. In the present article the docking results were verified under molecular dynamics ( MD) modeling. In contrast with limited capabilities of the docking, the MD allowed of using much more large models of the polymeric ligands, considering flexibility of both ligand and target simultaneously. Among the synthesized polymers the dinorbornen anchors containing alternating copolymers of maleic acid were selected as the most representative ligands (possessing the top anti-HIV activity in vitro in correlation with the highest binding energy in the docking). To verify the probability of binding of the polymers with the [HR1]3 in the sites defined via docking, various starting positions of polymer chains were tried. The MD simulations confirmed the main docking-predicted priority for binding sites, and possibilities for axial and belting modes of the ligands-target interactions. Some newly MD-discovered aspects of the ligand's backbone and anchor units dynamic cooperation in binding the viral target clarify mechanisms of the synthetic polymers anti-HIV activity and drug resistance prevention.

Spectroscopy Study of Synthetic Forsterite Obtained from Zeolite Precursors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subotić, B.

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Important ceramics materials are prepared from aluminosilicate based precursors using novel methods, offering at the same time a better control over many important properties. Forsterite, due to its good refractoriness with melting point at 2163 K, excellent electrical insulation properties even at high temperatures, low dielectric permittivity, thermal expansion and chemical stability, is a material of interest to engineers and designers especially as an active medium for tuneable laser and is also a material of interest to SOFC (Solid oxide fuel cells manufacturers. The aim of this study is to investigate the synthesis of crystalline forsterite using different zeolite precursors previously activated by ball milling. Synthetic forsterite was synthesized from different zeolite precursors and MgO combining highenergy ball milling and thermal treatment of the mixture under determined conditions of time and temperature for each operation. In this research are studied the solid-state phase transformations taking place at temperatures below 1273 K. The obtained products were characterized using different spectroscopy techniques in comparison with surface analysis method and X-ray diffraction.

Building synthetic cellular organization

OpenAIRE

Polka, Jessica K.; Silver, Pamela A.

2013-01-01

The elaborate spatial organization of cells enhances, restricts, and regulates protein–protein interactions. However, the biological significance of this organization has been difficult to study without ways of directly perturbing it. We highlight synthetic biology tools for engineering novel cellular organization, describing how they have been, and can be, used to advance cell biology.

Protease-sensitive synthetic prions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David W Colby

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Prions arise when the cellular prion protein (PrP(C undergoes a self-propagating conformational change; the resulting infectious conformer is designated PrP(Sc. Frequently, PrP(Sc is protease-resistant but protease-sensitive (s prions have been isolated in humans and other animals. We report here that protease-sensitive, synthetic prions were generated in vitro during polymerization of recombinant (rec PrP into amyloid fibers. In 22 independent experiments, recPrP amyloid preparations, but not recPrP monomers or oligomers, transmitted disease to transgenic mice (n = 164, denoted Tg9949 mice, that overexpress N-terminally truncated PrP. Tg9949 control mice (n = 174 did not spontaneously generate prions although they were prone to late-onset spontaneous neurological dysfunction. When synthetic prion isolates from infected Tg9949 mice were serially transmitted in the same line of mice, they exhibited sPrP(Sc and caused neurodegeneration. Interestingly, these protease-sensitive prions did not shorten the life span of Tg9949 mice despite causing extensive neurodegeneration. We inoculated three synthetic prion isolates into Tg4053 mice that overexpress full-length PrP; Tg4053 mice are not prone to developing spontaneous neurological dysfunction. The synthetic prion isolates caused disease in 600-750 days in Tg4053 mice, which exhibited sPrP(Sc. These novel synthetic prions demonstrate that conformational changes in wild-type PrP can produce mouse prions composed exclusively of sPrP(Sc.

Comparison between Synthetic Inertia and Fast Frequency Containment Control Based on Single Phase EVs in a Microgrid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rezkalla, Michel M.N.; Zecchino, Antonio; Martinenas, Sergejus

2017-01-01

The increasing share of distributed and inertia-less resources entails an upsurge in balancing and system stabilisation services. In particular, the displacement of conventional generation reduces the available rotational inertia in the power system, leading to high interest in synthetic inertia....... The interdependency between frequency containment and synthetic inertia control on the transient frequency variation is shown analytically. The capabilities and limits of series produced EVs in providing such services are investigated, first on a simulation based approach and subsequently by using real hardware...

A randomised cross-over pharmacokinetic bioavailability study of synthetic versus kiwifruit-derived vitamin C.

Science.gov (United States)

Carr, Anitra C; Bozonet, Stephanie M; Vissers, Margreet C M

2013-11-11

Kiwifruit are a rich source of vitamin C and also contain numerous phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, which may influence the bioavailability of kiwifruit-derived vitamin C. The aim of this study was to compare the relative bioavailability of synthetic versus kiwifruit-derived vitamin C using a randomised cross-over pharmacokinetic study design. Nine non-smoking males (aged 18-35 years) received either a chewable tablet (200 mg vitamin C) or the equivalent dose from gold kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. Sungold). Fasting blood and urine were collected half hourly to hourly over the eight hours following intervention. The ascorbate content of the plasma and urine was determined using HPLC with electrochemical detection. Plasma ascorbate levels increased from 0.5 h after the intervention (P = 0.008). No significant differences in the plasma time-concentration curves were observed between the two interventions (P = 0.645). An estimate of the total increase in plasma ascorbate indicated complete uptake of the ingested vitamin C tablet and kiwifruit-derived vitamin C. There was an increase in urinary ascorbate excretion, relative to urinary creatinine, from two hours post intervention (P vitamin C tablet and kiwifruit arms, respectively. Overall, our pharmacokinetic study has shown comparable relative bioavailability of kiwifruit-derived vitamin C and synthetic vitamin C.

Hydrogen speciation in synthetic quartz

Science.gov (United States)

Aines, R.D.; Kirby, S.H.; Rossman, G.R.

1984-01-01

The dominant hydrogen impurity in synthetic quartz is molecular H2O. H-OH groups also occur, but there is no direct evidence for the hydrolysis of Si-O-Si bonds to yield Si-OH HO-Si groups. Molecular H2O concentrations in the synthetic quartz crystals studied range from less than 10 to 3,300 ppm (H/Si), and decrease smoothly by up to an order of magnitude with distance away from the seed. OH- concentrations range from 96 to 715 ppm, and rise smoothly with distance away from the seed by up to a factor of three. The observed OH- is probably all associated with cationic impurities, as in natural quartz. Molecular H2O is the dominant initial hydrogen impurity in weak quartz. The hydrolytic weakening of quartz may be caused by the transformation H2O + Si-O-Si ??? 2SiOH, but this may be a transitory change with the SiOH groups recombining to form H2O, and the average SiOH concentration remaining very low. Synthetic quartz is strengthened when the H2O is accumulated into fluid inclusions and cannot react with the quartz framework. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag.

Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

Science.gov (United States)

Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications. PMID:25022769

Synergistic Synthetic Biology: Units in Concert

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trosset, Jean-Yves; Carbonell, Pablo

2013-01-01

Synthetic biology aims at translating the methods and strategies from engineering into biology in order to streamline the design and construction of biological devices through standardized parts. Modular synthetic biology devices are designed by means of an adequate elimination of cross-talk that makes circuits orthogonal and specific. To that end, synthetic constructs need to be adequately optimized through in silico modeling by choosing the right complement of genetic parts and by experimental tuning through directed evolution and craftsmanship. In this review, we consider an additional and complementary tool available to the synthetic biologist for innovative design and successful construction of desired circuit functionalities: biological synergies. Synergy is a prevalent emergent property in biological systems that arises from the concerted action of multiple factors producing an amplification or cancelation effect compared with individual actions alone. Synergies appear in domains as diverse as those involved in chemical and protein activity, polypharmacology, and metabolic pathway complementarity. In conventional synthetic biology designs, synergistic cross-talk between parts and modules is generally attenuated in order to verify their orthogonality. Synergistic interactions, however, can induce emergent behavior that might prove useful for synthetic biology applications, like in functional circuit design, multi-drug treatment, or in sensing and delivery devices. Synergistic design principles are therefore complementary to those coming from orthogonal design and may provide added value to synthetic biology applications. The appropriate modeling, characterization, and design of synergies between biological parts and units will allow the discovery of yet unforeseeable, novel synthetic biology applications.

Selectivity in ligand binding to uranyl compounds: A synthetic, structural, thermodynamic and computational study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arnold, John [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-01-21

The uranyl cation (UO₂²⁺) is the most abundant form of uranium on the planet. It is estimated that 4.5 billion tons of uranium in this form exist in sea water. The ability to bind and extract the uranyl cation from aqueous solution while separating it from other elements would provide a limitless source of nuclear fuel. A large body of research concerns the selective recognition and extraction of uranyl. A stable molecule, the cation has a linear O=U=O geometry. The short U-O bonds (1.78 Å) arise from the combination of uranium 5f/6d and oxygen 2p orbitals. Due to the oxygen moieties being multiply bonded, these sites were not thought to be basic enough for Lewis acidic coordination to be a viable approach to sequestration. The goal of this research is thus to broaden the coordination chemistry of the uranyl ion by studying new ligand systems via synthetic, structural, thermodynamic and computational methods. It is anticipated that this fundamental science will find use beyond actinide separation technologies in areas such as nuclear waste remediation and nuclear materials. The focus of this study is to synthesize uranyl complexes incorporating amidinate and guanidinate ligands. Both synthetic and computational methods are used to investigate novel equatorial ligand coordination and how this affects the basicity of the oxo ligands. Such an understanding will later apply to designing ligands incorporating functionalities that can bind uranyl both equatorially and axially for highly selective sequestration. Efficient and durable chromatography supports for lanthanide separation will be generated by (1) identifying robust peptoid-based ligands capable of binding different lanthanides with variable affinities, and (2) developing practical synthetic methods for the attachment of these ligands to Dowex ion exchange resins.

Selectivity in ligand binding to uranyl compounds: A synthetic, structural, thermodynamic and computational study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnold, John

2015-01-01

The uranyl cation (UO 2 2+ ) is the most abundant form of uranium on the planet. It is estimated that 4.5 billion tons of uranium in this form exist in sea water. The ability to bind and extract the uranyl cation from aqueous solution while separating it from other elements would provide a limitless source of nuclear fuel. A large body of research concerns the selective recognition and extraction of uranyl. A stable molecule, the cation has a linear O=U=O geometry. The short U-O bonds (1.78 Å) arise from the combination of uranium 5f/6d and oxygen 2p orbitals. Due to the oxygen moieties being multiply bonded, these sites were not thought to be basic enough for Lewis acidic coordination to be a viable approach to sequestration. The goal of this research is thus to broaden the coordination chemistry of the uranyl ion by studying new ligand systems via synthetic, structural, thermodynamic and computational methods. It is anticipated that this fundamental science will find use beyond actinide separation technologies in areas such as nuclear waste remediation and nuclear materials. The focus of this study is to synthesize uranyl complexes incorporating amidinate and guanidinate ligands. Both synthetic and computational methods are used to investigate novel equatorial ligand coordination and how this affects the basicity of the oxo ligands. Such an understanding will later apply to designing ligands incorporating functionalities that can bind uranyl both equatorially and axially for highly selective sequestration. Efficient and durable chromatography supports for lanthanide separation will be generated by (1) identifying robust peptoid-based ligands capable of binding different lanthanides with variable affinities, and (2) developing practical synthetic methods for the attachment of these ligands to Dowex ion exchange resins.

Control theory meets synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Vecchio, Domitilla; Dy, Aaron J; Qian, Yili

2016-07-01

The past several years have witnessed an increased presence of control theoretic concepts in synthetic biology. This review presents an organized summary of how these control design concepts have been applied to tackle a variety of problems faced when building synthetic biomolecular circuits in living cells. In particular, we describe success stories that demonstrate how simple or more elaborate control design methods can be used to make the behaviour of synthetic genetic circuits within a single cell or across a cell population more reliable, predictable and robust to perturbations. The description especially highlights technical challenges that uniquely arise from the need to implement control designs within a new hardware setting, along with implemented or proposed solutions. Some engineering solutions employing complex feedback control schemes are also described, which, however, still require a deeper theoretical analysis of stability, performance and robustness properties. Overall, this paper should help synthetic biologists become familiar with feedback control concepts as they can be used in their application area. At the same time, it should provide some domain knowledge to control theorists who wish to enter the rising and exciting field of synthetic biology. © 2016 The Author(s).

CUSTOMER PERCEIVED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF SYNTHETIC FIBER USING FUZZY QFD: A CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golam Kabir

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The performance of the ready-made garment (RMG industry has been one of the most notable success stories of the Bangladesh economy over two decades. To meet the growing demand of synthetic yarns, Bangladesh has to import it from foreign countries which cost a substantial amount of foreign currency for the country. It is a pressing need for local manufacturers to come forward, produce quality synthetic yarn and fulfill the demand of the local market. The purpose of this paper is to present a Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD model to indentify customer requirements and also demonstrate how these requirements can be used to prioritize the design requirements for manufacturing of synthetic yarns. In this system, Fuzzy set theory is integrated into house of quality (HOQ to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional QFD and to capture the inherent impreciseness and vagueness of customer requirements and facilitate to prioritize QFD information. Improving high priority design requirements will ultimately increase customer satisfaction and as a result customer perceived quality will soar.

Solar Magnetic Carpet III: Coronal Modelling of Synthetic Magnetograms

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, K. A.; Mackay, D. H.; van Ballegooijen, A. A.; Parnell, C. E.

2013-09-01

This article is the third in a series working towards the construction of a realistic, evolving, non-linear force-free coronal-field model for the solar magnetic carpet. Here, we present preliminary results of 3D time-dependent simulations of the small-scale coronal field of the magnetic carpet. Four simulations are considered, each with the same evolving photospheric boundary condition: a 48-hour time series of synthetic magnetograms produced from the model of Meyer et al. ( Solar Phys. 272, 29, 2011). Three simulations include a uniform, overlying coronal magnetic field of differing strength, the fourth simulation includes no overlying field. The build-up, storage, and dissipation of magnetic energy within the simulations is studied. In particular, we study their dependence upon the evolution of the photospheric magnetic field and the strength of the overlying coronal field. We also consider where energy is stored and dissipated within the coronal field. The free magnetic energy built up is found to be more than sufficient to power small-scale, transient phenomena such as nanoflares and X-ray bright points, with the bulk of the free energy found to be stored low down, between 0.5 - 0.8 Mm. The energy dissipated is currently found to be too small to account for the heating of the entire quiet-Sun corona. However, the form and location of energy-dissipation regions qualitatively agree with what is observed on small scales on the Sun. Future MHD modelling using the same synthetic magnetograms may lead to a higher energy release.

Approaches to chemical synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiarabelli, Cristiano; Stano, Pasquale; Anella, Fabrizio; Carrara, Paolo; Luisi, Pier Luigi

2012-07-16

Synthetic biology is first represented in terms of two complementary aspects, the bio-engineering one, based on the genetic manipulation of extant microbial forms in order to obtain forms of life which do not exist in nature; and the chemical synthetic biology, an approach mostly based on chemical manipulation for the laboratory synthesis of biological structures that do not exist in nature. The paper is mostly devoted to shortly review chemical synthetic biology projects currently carried out in our laboratory. In particular, we describe: the minimal cell project, then the "Never Born Proteins" and lastly the Never Born RNAs. We describe and critically analyze the main results, emphasizing the possible relevance of chemical synthetic biology for the progress in basic science and biotechnology. Copyright © 2012 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of high speed synthetic jet actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Pikcilingis, Lucia

Over the last 20 years, synthetic jets have been studied as a means for aerodynamic active flow control. Specifically, synthetic jets provide momentum transfer with zero-net mass flux, which has been proven to be effective for controlling flow fields. A synthetic jet is created by the periodic formation of vortex rings at its orifice due to the periodic motion of a piezoelectric disk(s). The present study seeks to optimize the performance of a synthetic jet actuator by utilizing different geometrical parameters such as disk thickness, orifice width and length, cavity height and cavity diameter, and different input parameters such as driving voltage and frequency. Two apparatuses were used with a cavity diameter of either 80 mm or 160 mm. Piezoelectric-based disks were provided by the Mide Corporation. Experiments were conducted using several synthetic jet apparatuses designed for various geometrical parameters utilizing a dual disk configuration. Velocity and temperature measurements were acquired at the center of the synthetic jet orifice using a temperature compensated hotwire and thermocouple probe. The disk(s) displacement was measured at the center of the disk with a laser displacement sensor. It was shown that the synthetic jets, having the 80 mm cavity diameter, are capable of exceeding peak velocities of 200 m/s with a relatively large orifice of dimensions AR = 12, hc* = 3, and hn* = 4. In addition, the conditions at which the disks were manufactured had minimal effect on the performance of the jet, except for the pair with overnight resting time as opposed to less than an hour resting time for the control units. Altering the tab style of the disks, where the tab allows the electrical circuit to be exposed for external power connection, showed that a thin fragile tab versus a tab of the same thickness as the disk has minimal effect on the performance but affects the durability of the disk due to the fragility or robustness of the tab. The synthetic jets

Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kortbek, Jacob; Jensen, Jørgen Arendt; Gammelmark, Kim Løkke

2008-01-01

A synthetic aperture focusing (SAF) technique denoted Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming (SASB) suitable for 2D and 3D imaging is presented. The technique differ from prior art of SAF in the sense that SAF is performed on pre-beamformed data contrary to channel data. The objective is to im......A synthetic aperture focusing (SAF) technique denoted Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming (SASB) suitable for 2D and 3D imaging is presented. The technique differ from prior art of SAF in the sense that SAF is performed on pre-beamformed data contrary to channel data. The objective...... is to improve and obtain a more range independent lateral resolution compared to conventional dynamic receive focusing (DRF) without compromising frame rate. SASB is a two-stage procedure using two separate beamformers. First a set of Bmode image lines using a single focal point in both transmit and receive...... is stored. The second stage applies the focused image lines from the first stage as input data. The SASB method has been investigated using simulations in Field II and by off-line processing of data acquired with a commercial scanner. The performance of SASB with a static image object is compared with DRF...

Synthetic Biology: Advancing Biological Frontiers by Building Synthetic Systems

OpenAIRE

Chen, Yvonne Yu-Hsuan; Galloway, Kate E; Smolke, Christina D

2012-01-01

Advances in synthetic biology are contributing to diverse research areas, from basic biology to biomanufacturing and disease therapy. We discuss the theoretical foundation, applications, and potential of this emerging field.

Rewiring protein synthesis: From natural to synthetic amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yongqiang; Evans, Christopher R; Ling, Jiqiang

2017-11-01

The protein synthesis machinery uses 22 natural amino acids as building blocks that faithfully decode the genetic information. Such fidelity is controlled at multiple steps and can be compromised in nature and in the laboratory to rewire protein synthesis with natural and synthetic amino acids. This review summarizes the major quality control mechanisms during protein synthesis, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and the ribosome. We will discuss evolution and engineering of such components that allow incorporation of natural and synthetic amino acids at positions that deviate from the standard genetic code. The protein synthesis machinery is highly selective, yet not fixed, for the correct amino acids that match the mRNA codons. Ambiguous translation of a codon with multiple amino acids or complete reassignment of a codon with a synthetic amino acid diversifies the proteome. Expanding the genetic code with synthetic amino acids through rewiring protein synthesis has broad applications in synthetic biology and chemical biology. Biochemical, structural, and genetic studies of the translational quality control mechanisms are not only crucial to understand the physiological role of translational fidelity and evolution of the genetic code, but also enable us to better design biological parts to expand the proteomes of synthetic organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthetic biology: an emerging engineering discipline.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Allen A; Lu, Timothy K

2012-01-01

Over the past decade, synthetic biology has emerged as an engineering discipline for biological systems. Compared with other substrates, biology poses a unique set of engineering challenges resulting from an incomplete understanding of natural biological systems and tools for manipulating them. To address these challenges, synthetic biology is advancing from developing proof-of-concept designs to focusing on core platforms for rational and high-throughput biological engineering. These platforms span the entire biological design cycle, including DNA construction, parts libraries, computational design tools, and interfaces for manipulating and probing synthetic circuits. The development of these enabling technologies requires an engineering mindset to be applied to biology, with an emphasis on generalizable techniques in addition to application-specific designs. This review aims to discuss the progress and challenges in synthetic biology and to illustrate areas where synthetic biology may impact biomedical engineering and human health.

Synthetic peptides for antibody production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

N.D. Zegers (Netty)

1995-01-01

textabstractSynthetic peptides are useful tools for the generation of antibodies. The use of antibodies as specific reagents in inununochemical assays is widely applied. In this chapter, the application of synthetic peptides for the generation of antibodies is described. The different steps

Synthetic LDL as targeted drug delivery vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Forte, Trudy M [Berkeley, CA; Nikanjam, Mina [Richmond, CA

2012-08-28

The present invention provides a synthetic LDL nanoparticle comprising a lipid moiety and a synthetic chimeric peptide so as to be capable of binding the LDL receptor. The synthetic LDL nanoparticle of the present invention is capable of incorporating and targeting therapeutics to cells expressing the LDL receptor for diseases associated with the expression of the LDL receptor such as central nervous system diseases. The invention further provides methods of using such synthetic LDL nanoparticles.

Programming languages for synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Umesh, P; Naveen, F; Rao, Chanchala Uma Maheswara; Nair, Achuthsankar S

2010-12-01

In the backdrop of accelerated efforts for creating synthetic organisms, the nature and scope of an ideal programming language for scripting synthetic organism in-silico has been receiving increasing attention. A few programming languages for synthetic biology capable of defining, constructing, networking, editing and delivering genome scale models of cellular processes have been recently attempted. All these represent important points in a spectrum of possibilities. This paper introduces Kera, a state of the art programming language for synthetic biology which is arguably ahead of similar languages or tools such as GEC, Antimony and GenoCAD. Kera is a full-fledged object oriented programming language which is tempered by biopart rule library named Samhita which captures the knowledge regarding the interaction of genome components and catalytic molecules. Prominent feature of the language are demonstrated through a toy example and the road map for the future development of Kera is also presented.

Slurry growth and gas retention in synthetic Hanford waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, S.A.; Pederson, L.R.; Scheele, R.D.

1992-09-01

This work seeks to establish chemical and physical processes responsible for the generation and retention of gases within waste from a particular high-level waste tank on the Hanford Site, Tank 101-SY, through the use of synthetic wastes on a laboratory scale. The goal of these activities is to support the development of mitigation/remediation strategies for Tank 101-SY. Laboratory studies of aged synthetic waste have shown that gas generation occurs thermally at a significant level at current tank temperatures. Gas compositions include the same gases produced in actual tank waste, primarily N 2 , N 2 O, and H 2 . Gas stoichiometries have been shown to be greatly influenced by several organic and inorganic constituents within the synthetic waste. Retention of gases in the synthetic waste is in the form of bubble attachment to solid particles

Synthetic biology as red herring.

Science.gov (United States)

Preston, Beth

2013-12-01

It has become commonplace to say that with the advent of technologies like synthetic biology the line between artifacts and living organisms, policed by metaphysicians since antiquity, is beginning to blur. But that line began to blur 10,000 years ago when plants and animals were first domesticated; and has been thoroughly blurred at least since agriculture became the dominant human subsistence pattern many millennia ago. Synthetic biology is ultimately only a late and unexceptional offshoot of this prehistoric development. From this perspective, then, synthetic biology is a red herring, distracting us from more thorough philosophical consideration of the most truly revolutionary human practice-agriculture. In the first section of this paper I will make this case with regard to ontology, arguing that synthetic biology crosses no ontological lines that were not crossed already in the Neolithic. In the second section I will construct a parallel case with regard to cognition, arguing that synthetic biology as biological engineering represents no cognitive advance over what was required for domestication and the new agricultural subsistence pattern it grounds. In the final section I will make the case with regard to human existence, arguing that synthetic biology, even if wildly successful, is not in a position to cause significant existential change in what it is to be human over and above the massive existential change caused by the transition to agriculture. I conclude that a longer historical perspective casts new light on some important issues in philosophy of technology and environmental philosophy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ethics of Synthetic Biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Andreas

The dissertation analyses and discusses a number of ethical issues that have been raised in connection with the development of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is a set of new techniques for DNA-level design and construction of living beings with useful properties. The dissertation especially...

Building synthetic sterols computationally – unlocking the secrets of evolution?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomasz eRog

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Cholesterol is vital in regulating the physical properties of animal cell membranes. While it remains unclear what renders cholesterol so unique, it is known that other sterols are less capable in modulating membrane properties, and there are membrane proteins whose function is dependent on cholesterol. Practical applications of cholesterol include e.g. its use in liposomes in drug delivery and cosmetics, cholesterol-based detergents in membrane protein crystallography, and its fluorescent analogs in studies of cholesterol transport in cells and tissues. Clearly, in spite of their difficult synthesis, producing the synthetic analogs of cholesterol is of great commercial and scientific interest. In this article, we discuss how synthetic sterols nonexistent in nature can be used to elucidate the roles of cholesterol's structural elements. To this end, we discuss recent atomistic molecular dynamics simulation studies that have predicted new synthetic sterols with properties comparable to those of cholesterol. We also discuss more recent experimental studies that have vindicated these predictions. The paper highlights the strength of computational simulations in making predictions for synthetic biology, thereby guiding experiments.

Synthetic Cannabinoids-Further Evidence Supporting the Relationship Between Cannabinoids and Psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fattore, Liana

2016-04-01

Consumption of synthetic mind-altering compounds, also known as "new psychoactive substances," is increasing globally at an alarming rate. Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are among the most commonly used new psychoactive substances. They are usually purchased as marijuana-like drugs, marketed as herbal blends and perceived as risk-free by inexperienced users. Yet, contrary to Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, SCs may lead to severe health consequences, including anxiety, tachycardia, hallucinations, violent behavior, and psychosis. This review focuses on the latest (2010-2015) evidence of psychotic symptoms induced by ingestion of products containing SCs. Reports suggesting that SCs may either exacerbate previously stable psychotic symptoms (in vulnerable individuals) or trigger new-onset psychosis (in individuals with no previous history of psychosis) are reviewed. Pharmacology and toxicology of these compounds are discussed, with particular reference to their psychoactive effects. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Content metamorphosis in synthetic holography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desbiens, Jacques

2013-01-01

A synthetic hologram is an optical system made of hundreds of images amalgamated in a structure of holographic cells. Each of these images represents a point of view on a three-dimensional space which makes us consider synthetic holography as a multiple points of view perspective system. In the composition of a computer graphics scene for a synthetic hologram, the field of view of the holographic image can be divided into several viewing zones. We can attribute these divisions to any object or image feature independently and operate different transformations on image content. In computer generated holography, we tend to consider content variations as a continuous animation much like a short movie. However, by composing sequential variations of image features in relation with spatial divisions, we can build new narrative forms distinct from linear cinematographic narration. When observers move freely and change their viewing positions, they travel from one field of view division to another. In synthetic holography, metamorphoses of image content are within the observer's path. In all imaging Medias, the transformation of image features in synchronisation with the observer's position is a rare occurrence. However, this is a predominant characteristic of synthetic holography. This paper describes some of my experimental works in the development of metamorphic holographic images.

Radiochemical and thermal studies of the copper(II)-exchanged form of synthetic zeolite linde sieve A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, S.P.

1978-01-01

Synthetic zeolite Linde Sieve A displays a double ion-sieve action. Only small cations can penetrate the single 6-rings into the beta cages. The radiochemical and thermal studies of copper(II)-exchanges form of 4A shows evidence of hydrated copper(II) ions in the zeolite structure. (author)

Study on the C-peptide radioimmunoassay with synthetized connecting peptide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, S; Sasaki, T; Nakayama, H; Watanabe, T; Aoki, S [Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). School of Medicine

1976-01-01

A method of C-peptide radioimmunoassay with the synthetized connecting peptide by Yanaihara was tested for the determination of serum C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) in normal people and in diabetics with or without insulin treatment. The CPR value obtained by this method was not interfered with by the presence of serum proteins or by the insulin of people with or without insulin treatment judged by the dilution test and the recovery test. The normal fasting CPR was 2.80 +- 0.78 ng/ml with the synthetized C-peptide as a standard. The CPR value increased and reached a maximum 90 minutes after the ingestion of 50 g of glucose. The increase after the glucose loading reduced corresponding to the severity of diabetes, and some juvenile-onset diabetes showed no response. Adult-type diabetics under insulin treatment, however, showed weak but significant CPR response. The increment of CPR and immunoreactive insulin after glucose loading in normal people and non-treated diabetics was well correlated (..gamma..=0.8262). Judged from the above mentioned results, CPR determination in insulin-treated diabetics was thought to be a useful method for the assessment of the insulin-secreting ability of beta-cells of the pancreas.

Multiply-Imputed Synthetic Data: Advice to the Imputer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loong Bronwyn

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Several statistical agencies have started to use multiply-imputed synthetic microdata to create public-use data in major surveys. The purpose of doing this is to protect the confidentiality of respondents’ identities and sensitive attributes, while allowing standard complete-data analyses of microdata. A key challenge, faced by advocates of synthetic data, is demonstrating that valid statistical inferences can be obtained from such synthetic data for non-confidential questions. Large discrepancies between observed-data and synthetic-data analytic results for such questions may arise because of uncongeniality; that is, differences in the types of inputs available to the imputer, who has access to the actual data, and to the analyst, who has access only to the synthetic data. Here, we discuss a simple, but possibly canonical, example of uncongeniality when using multiple imputation to create synthetic data, which specifically addresses the choices made by the imputer. An initial, unanticipated but not surprising, conclusion is that non-confidential design information used to impute synthetic data should be released with the confidential synthetic data to allow users of synthetic data to avoid possible grossly conservative inferences.

Transport synthetic acceleration scheme for multi-dimensional neutron transport problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Modak, R S; Kumar, Vinod; Menon, S V.G. [Theoretical Physics Div., Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India); Gupta, Anurag [Reactor Physics Design Div., Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2005-09-15

The numerical solution of linear multi-energy-group neutron transport equation is required in several analyses in nuclear reactor physics and allied areas. Computer codes based on the discrete ordinates (Sn) method are commonly used for this purpose. These codes solve external source problem and K-eigenvalue problem. The overall solution technique involves solution of source problem in each energy group as intermediate procedures. Such a single-group source problem is solved by the so-called Source Iteration (SI) method. As is well-known, the SI-method converges very slowly for optically thick and highly scattering regions, leading to large CPU times. Over last three decades, many schemes have been tried to accelerate the SI; the most prominent being the Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration (DSA) scheme. The DSA scheme, however, often fails and is also rather difficult to implement. In view of this, in 1997, Ramone and others have developed a new acceleration scheme called Transport Synthetic Acceleration (TSA) which is much more robust and easy to implement. This scheme has been recently incorporated in 2-D and 3-D in-house codes at BARC. This report presents studies on the utility of TSA scheme for fairly general test problems involving many energy groups and anisotropic scattering. The scheme is found to be useful for problems in Cartesian as well as Cylindrical geometry. (author)

Transport synthetic acceleration scheme for multi-dimensional neutron transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modak, R.S.; Vinod Kumar; Menon, S.V.G.; Gupta, Anurag

2005-09-01

The numerical solution of linear multi-energy-group neutron transport equation is required in several analyses in nuclear reactor physics and allied areas. Computer codes based on the discrete ordinates (Sn) method are commonly used for this purpose. These codes solve external source problem and K-eigenvalue problem. The overall solution technique involves solution of source problem in each energy group as intermediate procedures. Such a single-group source problem is solved by the so-called Source Iteration (SI) method. As is well-known, the SI-method converges very slowly for optically thick and highly scattering regions, leading to large CPU times. Over last three decades, many schemes have been tried to accelerate the SI; the most prominent being the Diffusion Synthetic Acceleration (DSA) scheme. The DSA scheme, however, often fails and is also rather difficult to implement. In view of this, in 1997, Ramone and others have developed a new acceleration scheme called Transport Synthetic Acceleration (TSA) which is much more robust and easy to implement. This scheme has been recently incorporated in 2-D and 3-D in-house codes at BARC. This report presents studies on the utility of TSA scheme for fairly general test problems involving many energy groups and anisotropic scattering. The scheme is found to be useful for problems in Cartesian as well as Cylindrical geometry. (author)

Is synthetic biology mechanical biology?

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, Sune

2015-12-01

A widespread and influential characterization of synthetic biology emphasizes that synthetic biology is the application of engineering principles to living systems. Furthermore, there is a strong tendency to express the engineering approach to organisms in terms of what seems to be an ontological claim: organisms are machines. In the paper I investigate the ontological and heuristic significance of the machine analogy in synthetic biology. I argue that the use of the machine analogy and the aim of producing rationally designed organisms does not necessarily imply a commitment to mechanical biology. The ideal of applying engineering principles to biology is best understood as expressing recognition of the machine-unlikeness of natural organisms and the limits of human cognition. The paper suggests an interpretation of the identification of organisms with machines in synthetic biology according to which it expresses a strategy for representing, understanding, and constructing living systems that are more machine-like than natural organisms.

First studies of lead pollution in Guanabara

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silveira Branquinho, C.L. da.

1973-01-01

The main sources of direct lead intake are studied, and metal concentrations in several medium are examined. Lead was extracted by dithizone in C Cl 4 , being determined by optical spectrophotometry. 2 1 2 Pb was used as a radioactive tracer in low concentration measurements of the metal, and analysis of its 239 KeV peak was done by a Ge-Li detector. In blood samples, the metal was complexed and extracted with APDC in MIBK, being measured by flame less atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Air samples were also collected for periods of 24 hours and 90 minutes. Representative street dust samples were examined, showing a strict correlation with lead in air. It was also estimated the amount of lead in some human blood samples. (author)

Engineering emergent multicellular behavior through synthetic adhesion

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, David; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar

In over a decade, synthetic biology has developed increasingly robust gene networks within single cells, but constructed very few systems that demonstrate multicellular spatio-temporal dynamics. We are filling this gap in synthetic biology's toolbox by developing an E. coli self-assembly platform based on modular cell-cell adhesion. We developed a system in which adhesive selectivity is provided by a library of outer membrane-displayed peptides with intra-library specificities, while affinity is provided by consistent expression across the entire library. We further provide a biophysical model to help understand the parameter regimes in which this tool can be used to self-assemble into cellular clusters, filaments, or meshes. The combined platform will enable future development of synthetic multicellular systems for use in consortia-based metabolic engineering, in living materials, and in controlled study of minimal multicellular systems. Stanford Bio-X Bowes Fellowship.

Seafloor monitoring for synthetic-based mud discharged in the Western Gulf of Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candler, J.E.; Hoskin, S.; Churan, M.

1995-01-01

Synthetic-based muds have been used to simultaneously improve drilling and environmental performance. The fate and effects of synthetic-based mud discharges in the marine environment have been issues of concern with the drilling industry and governmental agencies. Most of the environmental data on synthetic-based muds have been generated under laboratory conditions. This study uses field-collected data to investigate, the fate and effects of a polyalphaolefin synthetic-based drilling fluid. The first well drilled in the Gulf of Mexico using synthetic-based mud was completed in June 1992. Approximately 441 bbl of cuttings and 354 bbl of synthetic-based mud were discharged over a 9-day period. Three sampling trips have been made to the discharge location to collect sediment samples for chemical and biological analysis over a 2-year period. The sediment samples were analyzed for content of organic compounds and barium. On the third trip, infaunal samples were also taken. Information collected from the chemical and biological analysis is documented and compared to similar field studies performed on oil-based and water-based muds. Sampling techniques and analytical protocols are described to facilitate future studies. Two years after discharges of synthetic-based cuttings were completed, an area within 50 m of the discharge point continued to exhibit alterations in the benthic community not normally associated with water-based mud discharges. However, the study indicates that polyalphaolefin synthetic-based mud exhibits significant improvements over oil-based mud in terms of removal of organic contamination and minimization of adverse effects on the benthic community

Synthetic cannabis and acute ischemic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernson-Leung, Miya E; Leung, Lester Y; Kumar, Sandeep

2014-01-01

An association between marijuana use and stroke has been previously reported. However, the health risks of newer synthetic cannabinoid compounds are less well known. We describe 2 cases that introduce a previously unreported association between synthetic cannabis use and ischemic stroke in young adults. A 22-year-old woman presented with dysarthria, left hemiplegia, and left hemianesthesia within hours of first use of synthetic cannabis. She was healthy and without identified stroke risk factors other than oral contraceptive use and a patent foramen ovale without venous thromboses. A 26-year-old woman presented with nonfluent aphasia, left facial droop, and left hemianesthesia approximately 12 hours after first use of synthetic cannabis. Her other stroke risk factors included migraine with aura, oral contraceptive use, smoking, and a family history of superficial thrombophlebitis. Both women were found to have acute, large-territory infarctions of the right middle cerebral artery. Our 2 cases had risk factors for ischemic stroke but were otherwise young and healthy and the onset of their deficits occurred within hours after first-time exposure to synthetic cannabis. Synthetic cannabis use is an important consideration in the investigation of stroke in young adults. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Synthetic Cannabinoids on Alveolar-Arterial Oxygen Gradient

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Egemen Kucuk

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Aim: Synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals that produce several marijuana-like effects in humans. Aim of this study is to investigate the effects of synthetic cannabinoids on to alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Material and Method: A total of 112 patients, who admitted directly to emergency clinic with synthetic cannabinoid usage, were determined between February 2014 and August 2014. Blood gases of 41 patients were determined as arterial blood gases on room air, and included in to study. Patients were evaluated according to age, sex, decade, partial pressure of arterial oxygen, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, pH, bicarbonate, metabolic status, age consistent expected alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient and calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Results: Synthetic cannabinoid using was higher in males, mean age of patients was 23.32±6.14 years. Number of patients in the third decade were significantly higher than the other decades. The calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient value of patients was significantly higher than age consistent expected alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient value. Respiratory acidosis, was significantly higher than the other types of the metabolic disorders. The best cutoff point for calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient was 12.70, with sensitivity of 90% and specifity of 85%. Area under curve was 0.70 for calculated alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient. Discussion: The value of alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient has been increased due to synthetic cannabinoid usage. This can be used as a supportive parameter in the diagnosis of synthetic cannabinoid usage.

The Influence of Safety, Efficacy, and Medical Condition Severity on Natural versus Synthetic Drug Preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Brian P; Lappas, Courtney M

2016-11-01

Research indicates that there is a preference for natural v. synthetic products, but the influence of this preference on drug choice in the medical domain is largely unknown. We present 5 studies in which participants were asked to consider a hypothetical situation in which they had a medical issue requiring pharmacological therapy. Participants ( N = 1223) were asked to select a natural, plant-derived, or synthetic drug. In studies 1a and 1b, approximately 79% of participants selected the natural v. synthetic drug, even though the safety and efficacy of the drugs were identical. Furthermore, participants rated the natural drug as safer than the synthetic drug, and as that difference increased, the odds of choosing the natural over synthetic drug increased. In studies 2 and 3, approximately 20% of participants selected the natural drug even when they were informed that it was less safe (study 2) or less effective (study 3) than the synthetic drug. Finally, in study 4, approximately 65% of participants chose a natural over synthetic drug regardless of the severity of a specific medical condition (mild v. severe hypertension), and this choice was predicted by perceived safety and efficacy differences. Overall, these data indicate that there is a bias for natural over synthetic drugs. This bias could have implications for drug choice and usage. © The Author(s) 2015.

Magnetic studies on synthetic phosphoferrite Fe2+3(H2O)3(PO4)2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreira, L.F.; Diehl, L.M.A.; Torres-Tapia, E.C.; Domingues, P.H.; Mattievich, E.

1994-01-01

Synthetic crystals of phosphoferrite were studied by Moessbauer spectroscopy for temperatures ranging from 4.2 to 17.5 K. The analysis of the behaviour of the hyperfine fields for the two unequivalent sites near the Neel temperature (17.4 K) allowed the determination of the critical exponent β for each site as β 1 = 0.171 and β 2 = 0.314. (orig.)

Comprehension of synthetic speech and digitized natural speech by adults with aphasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hux, Karen; Knollman-Porter, Kelly; Brown, Jessica; Wallace, Sarah E

2017-09-01

Using text-to-speech technology to provide simultaneous written and auditory content presentation may help compensate for chronic reading challenges if people with aphasia can understand synthetic speech output; however, inherent auditory comprehension challenges experienced by people with aphasia may make understanding synthetic speech difficult. This study's purpose was to compare the preferences and auditory comprehension accuracy of people with aphasia when listening to sentences generated with digitized natural speech, Alex synthetic speech (i.e., Macintosh platform), or David synthetic speech (i.e., Windows platform). The methodology required each of 20 participants with aphasia to select one of four images corresponding in meaning to each of 60 sentences comprising three stimulus sets. Results revealed significantly better accuracy given digitized natural speech than either synthetic speech option; however, individual participant performance analyses revealed three patterns: (a) comparable accuracy regardless of speech condition for 30% of participants, (b) comparable accuracy between digitized natural speech and one, but not both, synthetic speech option for 45% of participants, and (c) greater accuracy with digitized natural speech than with either synthetic speech option for remaining participants. Ranking and Likert-scale rating data revealed a preference for digitized natural speech and David synthetic speech over Alex synthetic speech. Results suggest many individuals with aphasia can comprehend synthetic speech options available on popular operating systems. Further examination of synthetic speech use to support reading comprehension through text-to-speech technology is thus warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative Study of Ashwagandha and Commercial Synthetic Compound on Performance of Broilers during Hot Weather

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. M. Shisodiya

Full Text Available The trial was conducted for a period of six weeks on 225 day old broiler chicks, uniformly distributed into four groups of 75 chicks in each T1, T2 and T3 group. The chicks were fed with standard starter mash which contained crude protein 22.84% and metabolizable energy 2852.5 Kcal / kg (calculated value up to three weeks of age. For next 3 weeks i.e. from 4 to 6 weeks of age with finisher mash which contained crude protein 20% and metabolizable energy 2966 Kcal / kg (calculated value. Group T1 received standard broiler diet. Group T2 and T3 received standard broiler diet supplemented with Ashwagandha and commercial synthetic compound @ 0.05 % of feed respectively. The experimental birds were reared on deep litter system and rice husk was used as litter material.The supplementation of Aswagandha and commercial synthetic compound recorded significant improvement in all studied growth parameter i.e. live body weights, weekly gain in body weights and feed conversion ratio was observed in all the supplemented groups over the control group. However, feed consumption in control group was significantly higher than supplemented group. The economic returns of supplemented groups are more than the unsupplemented group. The net profit per bird was maximum in the commercial synthetic compound supplemented group followed by Ashwagandha supplemented group and lowest was recorded in control group (T1. [Veterinary World 2008; 1(10.000: 310-311

Adherence to synthetic disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results of the OBSERVAR Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Juan Mas, Antonio; Castañeda, Santos; Cantero Santamaría, José I; Baquero, José L; Del Toro Santos, Francisco J

2017-12-27

Treatment compliance with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) is essential to achieve the therapeutic goals in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, despite the need for good compliance, there is evidence that patients with RA frequently fail to use DMARD for the control of RA. Thus, the main objective of the OBSERVAR study is to evaluate the reasons for the lack of therapeutic adherence to synthetic DMARD in these patients. A Delphi process involving 18 randomly selected Spanish rheumatologists determined the level of agreement with 66 causes of noncompliance selected from the literature in relation to synthetic DMARD in RA. The reasons for noncompliance were consistent in 75.7%, although 3 reasons (4.5%) were highly consistent: 1) not knowing what to do in the case of an adverse event with DMARD; 2) not having undergone adherence screening by health personnel for early detection of "noncompliant patients"; and 3) not having undergone interventions or strategies that improve adherence. In order to improve adherence to RA treatment with synthetic DMARD, the patient should be adequately informed of each new treatment introduced, the patient's compliance profile should be incorporated into the clinical routine and the patient's motivation for therapeutic compliance be reinforced through the methods available to us. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Imaging with Synthetic Aperture Radar

CERN Document Server

Massonnet, Didier

2008-01-01

Describing a field that has been transformed by the recent availability of data from a new generation of space and airborne systems, the authors offer a synthetic geometrical approach to the description of synthetic aperture radar, one that addresses physicists, radar specialists, as well as experts in image processing.  

Structure-activity-based design of a synthetic malaria peptide eliciting sporozoite inhibitory antibodies in a virosomal formulation.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Okitsu, S.L.; Kienzl, U.; Moehle, K.; Silvie, O.; Peduzzi, E.; Mueller, M.S.; Sauerwein, R.W.; Matile, H.; Zurbriggen, R.; Mazier, D.; Robinson, J.A.; Pluschke, G.

2007-01-01

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium falciparum is a leading candidate antigen for inclusion in a malaria subunit vaccine. We describe here the design of a conformationally constrained synthetic peptide, designated UK-39, which has structural and antigenic similarity to the NPNA-repeat

Removal of lead, mercury and nickel using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cherlys Infante J.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objective. In this study the biomass of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to remove lead, mercury and nickel in the form of ions dissolved in water. Materials and methods. Synthetic solutions were prepared containing the three heavy metals, which were put in contact with viable microorganisms at different conditions of pH, temperature, aeration and agitation. Results. Both individual variables and the interaction effects influenced the biosorption process. Throughout the experimental framework it was observed that the biomass of Saccharomyces cerevisiae removed a higher percentage of lead (86.4% as compared to mercury and nickel (69.7 and 47.8% respectively. When the pH was set at a value of 5 the effect was positive for all three metals. Conclusions. pH was the variable that had a greater influence on the biosorption of lead on the biomass of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The affinity of the heavy metals for the biomass followed the order Pb>Hg>Ni.

Thermodynamic analysis of synthetic hydrocarbon fuel production in pressurized solid oxide electrolysis cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Jensen, Søren Højgaard

2012-01-01

A promising way to store wind and solar electricity is by electrolysis of H2O and CO2 using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) to produce synthetic hydrocarbon fuels that can be used in existing fuel infrastructure. Pressurized operation decreases the cell internal resistance and enables...... improved system efficiency, potentially lowering the fuel production cost significantly. In this paper, we present a thermodynamic analysis of synthetic methane and dimethyl ether (DME) production using pressurized SOECs, in order to determine feasible operating conditions for producing the desired......, and outlet gas composition. For methane production, low temperature and high pressure operation could improve the system efficiency, but might lead to a higher capital cost. For DME production, high pressure SOEC operation necessitates higher operating temperature in order to avoid carbon formation at higher...

Micropipette Technique Study of Natural and Synthetic Lung Surfactants at the Air–Water Interface

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ortiz, Elisa Parra; Kinoshita, K.; Needham, D.

2016-01-01

at microscopic air-water interfaces in real time and upon compression. Here, we characterized a series of animal-derived and synthetic lung surfactant formulations, including native surfactant obtained from porcine lungs (NS); the commercial Curosurf, Infasurf, and Survanta; and a synthetic Super Mini-B (SMB...... of myelin figures, proposing a combined mechanism between dehydration-rehydration of the lipid bilayers and induction of mechanical defects by SMB that would act as nucleation sites for the tubes. The formation of tubes was also observed in Infasurf, and in NS only after subsequent expansion and compression...

[Treatment approaches for synthetic drug addiction].

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Ohji

2015-09-01

In Japan, synthetic drugs have emerged since late 2000s, and cases of emergency visits and fatal traffic accidents due to acute intoxication have rapidly increased. The synthetic drugs gained popularity mainly because they were cheap and thought to be "legal". The Japanese government restricted not only production and distribution, but also its possession and use in April 2014. As the synthetic drug dependent patients have better social profiles compared to methamphetamine abusers, this legal sanction may have triggered the decrease in the number of synthetic drug dependent patient visits observed at Kanagawa Psychiatric Center since July 2014. Treatment of the synthetic drug dependent patients should begin with empathic inquiry into the motives and positive psychological effects of the drug use. In the maintenance phase, training patients to trust others and express their hidden negative emotions through verbal communications is essential. The recovery is a process of understanding the relationship between psychological isolation and drug abuse, and gaining trust in others to cope with negative emotions that the patients inevitably would face in their subsequent lives.

Modularization of genetic elements promotes synthetic metabolic engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Hao; Li, Bing-Zhi; Zhang, Wen-Qian; Liu, Duo; Yuan, Ying-Jin

2015-11-15

In the context of emerging synthetic biology, metabolic engineering is moving to the next stage powered by new technologies. Systematical modularization of genetic elements makes it more convenient to engineer biological systems for chemical production or other desired purposes. In the past few years, progresses were made in engineering metabolic pathway using synthetic biology tools. Here, we spotlighted the topic of implementation of modularized genetic elements in metabolic engineering. First, we overviewed the principle developed for modularizing genetic elements and then discussed how the genetic modules advanced metabolic engineering studies. Next, we picked up some milestones of engineered metabolic pathway achieved in the past few years. Last, we discussed the rapid raised synthetic biology field of "building a genome" and the potential in metabolic engineering. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthetic Self-Adjuvanting Glycopeptide Cancer Vaccines

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Richard; McDonald, David; Byrne, Scott

2015-10-01

Due to changes in glycosyltransferase expression during tumorigenesis, the glycoproteins of cancer cells often carry highly truncated carbohydrate chains compared to those on healthy cells. These glycans are known as tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, and are prime targets for use in vaccines for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Herein, we review the state-of-the-art in targeting the immune system towards tumor-associated glycopeptide antigens via synthetic self adjuvanting vaccines, in which the antigenic and adjuvanting moieties of the vaccines are present in the same molecule. The majority of the self-adjuvanting glycopeptide cancer vaccines reported to date employ antigens from mucin 1, a protein which is highly over-expressed and aberrantly glycosylated in many forms of cancer. The adjuvants used in these vaccines predominantly include lipopeptide- or lipoamino acid-based TLR2 agonists, although studies investigating stimulation of TLR9 and TLR4 are also discussed. Most of these adjuvants are highly lipophilic, and, upon conjugation to antigenic peptides, provide amphiphilic vaccine molecules. The amphiphilic nature of these vaccine constructs can lead to the formation of higher-order structures by vaccines in solution, which are likely to be important for their efficacy in vivo.

[Synthetic biology and rearrangements of microbial genetic material].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Quan-Feng; Wang, Qian; Qi, Qing-Sheng

2011-10-01

As an emerging discipline, synthetic biology has shown great scientific values and application prospects. Although there have been many reviews of various aspects on synthetic biology over the last years, this article, for the first time, attempted to discuss the relationship and difference between microbial genetics and synthetic biology. We summarized the recent development of synthetic biology in rearranging microbial genetic materials, including synthesis, design and reduction of genetic materials, standardization of genetic parts and modularization of genetic circuits. The relationship between synthetic biology and microbial genetic engineering was also discussed in the paper.

Synthetic Biology and the Translational Imperative.

Science.gov (United States)

Heidari Feidt, Raheleh; Ienca, Marcello; Elger, Bernice Simone; Folcher, Marc

2017-12-18

Advances at the interface between the biological sciences and engineering are giving rise to emerging research fields such as synthetic biology. Harnessing the potential of synthetic biology requires timely and adequate translation into clinical practice. However, the translational research enterprise is currently facing fundamental obstacles that slow down the transition of scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the patient bedside. These obstacles including scarce financial resources and deficiency of organizational and logistic settings are widely discussed as primary impediments to translational research. In addition, a number of socio-ethical considerations inherent in translational research need to be addressed. As the translational capacity of synthetic biology is tightly linked to its social acceptance and ethical approval, ethical limitations may-together with financial and organizational problems-be co-determinants of suboptimal translation. Therefore, an early assessment of such limitations will contribute to proactively favor successful translation and prevent the promising potential of synthetic biology from remaining under-expressed. Through the discussion of two case-specific inventions in synthetic biology and their associated ethical implications, we illustrate the socio-ethical challenges ahead in the process of implementing synthetic biology into clinical practice. Since reducing the translational lag is essential for delivering the benefits of basic biomedical research to society at large and promoting global health, we advocate a moral obligation to accelerating translational research: the "translational imperative."

Synthetic biology era: Improving antibiotic's world.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán-Trampe, Silvia; Ceapa, Corina D; Manzo-Ruiz, Monserrat; Sánchez, Sergio

2017-06-15

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogen microorganisms is problematic in the context of the current spectrum of available medication. The poor specificity and the high toxicity of some available molecules have made imperative the search for new strategies to improve the specificity and to pursue the discovery of novel compounds with increased bioactivity. Using living cells as platforms, synthetic biology has counteracted this problem by offering novel pathways to create synthetic systems with improved and desired functions. Among many other biotechnological approaches, the advances in synthetic biology have made it possible to design and construct novel biological systems in order to look for new drugs with increased bioactivity. Advancements have also been made in the redesigning of RNA and DNA molecules in order to engineer antibiotic clusters for antibiotic overexpression. As for the production of these antibacterial compounds, yeasts and filamentous fungi as well as gene therapy are utilized to enhance protein solubility. Specific delivery is achieved by creating chimeras using plant genes into bacterial hosts. Some of these synthetic systems are currently in clinical trials, proving the proficiency of synthetic biology in terms of both pharmacological activities as well as an increase in the biosafety of treatments. It is possible that we may just be seeing the tip of the iceberg, and synthetic biology applications will overpass expectations beyond our present knowledge. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A scenario study of seismically induced landsliding in Seattle using broadband synthetic seismograms

Science.gov (United States)

Allstadt, Kate E.; Vidale, John E.; Frankel, Arthur D.

2013-01-01

We demonstrate the value of utilizing broadband synthetic seismograms to assess regional seismically induced landslide hazard. Focusing on a case study of an Mw 7.0 Seattle fault earthquake in Seattle, Washington, we computed broadband synthetic seismograms that account for rupture directivity and 3D basin amplification. We then adjusted the computed motions on a fine grid for 1D amplifications based on the site response of typical geologic profiles in Seattle and used these time‐series ground motions to trigger shallow landsliding using the Newmark method. The inclusion of these effects was critical in determining the extent of landsliding triggered. We found that for inertially triggered slope failures modeled by the Newmark method, the ground motions used to simulate landsliding must have broadband frequency content in order to capture the full slope displacement. We applied commonly used simpler methods based on ground‐motion prediction equations for the same scenario and found that they predicted far fewer landslides if only the mean values were used, but far more at the maximum range of the uncertainties, highlighting the danger of using just the mean values for such methods. Our results indicate that landsliding triggered by a large Seattle fault earthquake will be extensive and potentially devastating, causing direct losses and impeding recovery. The high impact of landsliding predicted by this simulation shows that this secondary effect of earthquakes should be studied with as much vigor as other earthquake effects.

Degradation of Synthetic Dyes by Laccases – A Mini-Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Legerská Barbora

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Laccases provide a promising future as a tool to be used in the field of biodegradation of synthetic dyes with different chemical structures. These enzymes are able to oxidize a wide range of phenolic substrates without the presence of additional co-factors. Laccases have been confirmed for their potential of synthetic dye degradation from wastewater and degradation products of these enzymatic reactions become less toxic than selected dyes. This study discusses the potential of laccase enzymes as agents for laccase-catalyzed degradation in terms of biodegradation efficiency of synthetic dyes, specifically: azo dyes, triphenylmethane, indigo and anthraquinone dyes. Review also summarizes the laccase-catalyzed degradation mechanisms of the selected synthetic dyes, as well as the degradation products and the toxicity of the dyes and their degradation products.

The fusion of biology, computer science, and engineering: towards efficient and successful synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Linshiz, Gregory; Goldberg, Alex; Konry, Tania; Hillson, Nathan J

2012-01-01

Synthetic biology is a nascent field that emerged in earnest only around the turn of the millennium. It aims to engineer new biological systems and impart new biological functionality, often through genetic modifications. The design and construction of new biological systems is a complex, multistep process, requiring multidisciplinary collaborative efforts from "fusion" scientists who have formal training in computer science or engineering, as well as hands-on biological expertise. The public has high expectations for synthetic biology and eagerly anticipates the development of solutions to the major challenges facing humanity. This article discusses laboratory practices and the conduct of research in synthetic biology. It argues that the fusion science approach, which integrates biology with computer science and engineering best practices, including standardization, process optimization, computer-aided design and laboratory automation, miniaturization, and systematic management, will increase the predictability and reproducibility of experiments and lead to breakthroughs in the construction of new biological systems. The article also discusses several successful fusion projects, including the development of software tools for DNA construction design automation, recursive DNA construction, and the development of integrated microfluidics systems.

A Semi-Synthetic Glycoconjugate Vaccine Candidate for Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Science.gov (United States)

Seeberger, Peter H; Pereira, Claney L; Khan, Naeem; Xiao, Guozhi; Diago-Navarro, Elizabeth; Reppe, Katrin; Opitz, Bastian; Fries, Bettina C; Witzenrath, Martin

2017-11-06

Hospital-acquired infections are an increasingly serious health concern. Infections caused by carpabenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp) are especially problematic, with a 50 % average survival rate. CR-Kp are isolated from patients with ever greater frequency, 7 % within the EU but 62 % in Greece. At a time when antibiotics are becoming less effective, no vaccines to protect from this severe bacterial infection exist. Herein, we describe the convergent [3+3] synthesis of the hexasaccharide repeating unit from its capsular polysaccharide and related sequences. Immunization with the synthetic hexasaccharide 1 glycoconjugate resulted in high titers of cross-reactive antibodies against CR-Kp CPS in mice and rabbits. Whole-cell ELISA was used to establish the surface staining of CR-Kp strains. The antibodies raised were found to promote phagocytosis. Thus, this semi-synthetic glycoconjugate is a lead for the development of a vaccine against a rapidly progressing, deadly bacterium. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Small-Molecule Inducible Synthetic Circuit for Control of the SOS Gene Network without DNA Damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubiak, Jeffrey M; Culyba, Matthew J; Liu, Monica Yun; Mo, Charlie Y; Goulian, Mark; Kohli, Rahul M

2017-11-17

The bacterial SOS stress-response pathway is a pro-mutagenic DNA repair system that mediates bacterial survival and adaptation to genotoxic stressors, including antibiotics and UV light. The SOS pathway is composed of a network of genes under the control of the transcriptional repressor, LexA. Activation of the pathway involves linked but distinct events: an initial DNA damage event leads to activation of RecA, which promotes autoproteolysis of LexA, abrogating its repressor function and leading to induction of the SOS gene network. These linked events can each independently contribute to DNA repair and mutagenesis, making it difficult to separate the contributions of the different events to observed phenotypes. We therefore devised a novel synthetic circuit to unlink these events and permit induction of the SOS gene network in the absence of DNA damage or RecA activation via orthogonal cleavage of LexA. Strains engineered with the synthetic SOS circuit demonstrate small-molecule inducible expression of SOS genes as well as the associated resistance to UV light. Exploiting our ability to activate SOS genes independently of upstream events, we further demonstrate that the majority of SOS-mediated mutagenesis on the chromosome does not readily occur with orthogonal pathway induction alone, but instead requires DNA damage. More generally, our approach provides an exemplar for using synthetic circuit design to separate an environmental stressor from its associated stress-response pathway.

Synthetic biology analysed tools for discussion and evaluation

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

Synthetic biology is a dynamic, young, ambitious, attractive, and heterogeneous scientific discipline. It is constantly developing and changing, which makes societal evaluation of this emerging new science a challenging task, prone to misunderstandings. Synthetic biology is difficult to capture, and confusion arises not only regarding which part of synthetic biology the discussion is about, but also with respect to the underlying concepts in use. This book offers a useful toolbox to approach this complex and fragmented field. It provides a biological access to the discussion using a 'layer' model that describes the connectivity of synthetic or semisynthetic organisms and cells to the realm of natural organisms derived by evolution. Instead of directly reviewing the field as a whole, firstly our book addresses the characteristic features of synthetic biology that are relevant to the societal discussion. Some of these features apply only to parts of synthetic biology, whereas others are relevant to synthetic bi...

Synthetic Sling Failure - Evaluations and Recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, C. S. [Washington River Protection Solutions, Richland, WA (United States); Mackey, Thomas C. [Washington River Protection Solutions, Richland, WA (United States)

2009-10-26

The information and evaluations provided in this report were compiled to address the recurring problem of synthetic sling failure. As safety is the number one priority in all work aspects, a solution must be devised to prevent accidents from occurring. A total of thirteen cases regarding synthetic sling failure were evaluated in order to determine their causes, effects, and preventative measures. From the collected data, it was found that all cases in which the synthetic sling contacted the edge of its load resulted in sling failure. It is required that adequate synthetic sling protection devices be used to protect slings in any lift where the sling comes in direct contact with the edge or corner of its load. However, there are no consensus codes or standards stating the type, material, or purpose of the type of protective device used to protect the sling from being cut. Numerous industry standards and codes provide vague descriptions on how to protect synthetic slings. Without a clear, concise statement of how to protect synthetic slings, it is common for inadequate materials and sling protection devices to be used in an attempt to meet the intent of these requirements. The use of an inadequate sling protection device is the main cause of synthetic sling failure in all researched cases. Commercial sling protection devices come in many shapes and sizes, and have a variety of names, as well as advertised uses. 'Abrasion pads' and 'wear protectors' are two different names for products with the same intended purpose. There is no distinguishable way to determine the extent of sling protection which these devices will provide, or what specific scenarios they are made for. This creates room for error in a field where error is unacceptable. This report provides a recommended action for hoisting and rigging activities which require synthetic slings to contact a load, as well as recommended changes to industry standards which will benefit overall

Synthetic biology meets tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Jamie A; Cachat, Elise

2016-06-15

Classical tissue engineering is aimed mainly at producing anatomically and physiologically realistic replacements for normal human tissues. It is done either by encouraging cellular colonization of manufactured matrices or cellular recolonization of decellularized natural extracellular matrices from donor organs, or by allowing cells to self-organize into organs as they do during fetal life. For repair of normal bodies, this will be adequate but there are reasons for making unusual, non-evolved tissues (repair of unusual bodies, interface to electromechanical prostheses, incorporating living cells into life-support machines). Synthetic biology is aimed mainly at engineering cells so that they can perform custom functions: applying synthetic biological approaches to tissue engineering may be one way of engineering custom structures. In this article, we outline the 'embryological cycle' of patterning, differentiation and morphogenesis and review progress that has been made in constructing synthetic biological systems to reproduce these processes in new ways. The state-of-the-art remains a long way from making truly synthetic tissues, but there are now at least foundations for future work. © 2016 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

Comparison Between Digital and Synthetic 2D Mammograms in Breast Density Interpretation.

Science.gov (United States)

Alshafeiy, Taghreed I; Wadih, Antoine; Nicholson, Brandi T; Rochman, Carrie M; Peppard, Heather R; Patrie, James T; Harvey, Jennifer A

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to compare assessments of breast density on synthetic 2D images as compared with digital 2D mammograms. This retrospective study included consecutive women undergoing screening with digital 2D mammography and tomosynthesis during May 2015 with a negative or benign outcome. In separate reading sessions, three radiologists with 5-25 years of clinical experience and 1 year of experience with synthetic 2D mammography read digital 2D and synthetic 2D images and assigned breast density categories according to the 5th edition of BI-RADS. Inter- and intrareader agreement was assessed for each BI-RADS density assessment and combined dense and nondense categories using percent agreement and Cohen kappa coefficient for consensus and all reads. A total of 309 patients met study inclusion criteria. Agreement between consensus BI-RADS density categories assigned for digital and synthetic 2D mammography was 80.3% (95% CI, 75.4-84.5%) with κ = 0.73 (95% CI, 0.66-0.79). For combined dense and nondense categories, agreement reached 91.9% (95% CI, 88.2-94.7%). For consensus readings, similar numbers of patients were shifted between nondense and dense categories (11 and 14, respectively) with the synthetic 2D compared with digital 2D mammography. Interreader differences were apparent; assignment to dense categories was greater with digital 2D mammography for reader 1 (odds ratio [OR], 1.26; p = 0.002), the same for reader 2 (OR, 0.91; p = 0.262), and greater with synthetic 2D mammography for reader 3 (OR, 0.86; p = 0.033). Overall, synthetic 2D mammography is comparable with digital 2D mammography in assessment of breast density, though there is some variability by reader. Practices can readily adopt synthetic 2D mammography without concern that it will affect density assessment and subsequent recommendations for supplemental screening.

Philosophy of Systems and Synthetic Biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Sara

2017-01-01

This entry aims to clarify how systems and synthetic biology contribute to and extend discussions within philosophy of science. Unlike fields such as developmental biology or molecular biology, systems and synthetic biology are not easily demarcated by a focus on a specific subject area or level...... of organization. Rather, they are characterized by the development and application of mathematical, computational, and synthetic modeling strategies in response to complex problems and challenges within the life sciences. Proponents of systems and synthetic biology often stress the necessity of a perspective...... that goes beyond the scope of molecular biology and genetic engineering, respectively. With the emphasis on systems and interaction networks, the approaches explicitly engage in one of the oldest philosophical discussions on the relationship between parts and wholes, or between reductionism and holism...

Defining the Synthetic Biology Supply Chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Frazar, Sarah L; Hund, Gretchen E; Bonheyo, George T; Diggans, James; Bartholomew, Rachel A; Gehrig, Lindsey; Greaves, Mark

Several recent articles have described risks posed by synthetic biology and spurred vigorous discussion in the scientific, commercial, and government communities about how to best detect, prevent, regulate, and respond to these risks. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL) deep experience working with dual-use technologies for the nuclear industry has shown that analysis of supply chains can reveal security vulnerabilities and ways to mitigate security risk without hindering beneficial research and commerce. In this article, a team of experts in synthetic biology, data analytics, and national security describe the overall supply chain surrounding synthetic biology to illustrate new insights about the effectiveness of current regulations, the possible need for different screening approaches, and new technical solutions that could help identify or mitigate risks in the synthetic biology supply chain.

Synthetic ALSPAC longitudinal datasets for the Big Data VR project.

Science.gov (United States)

Avraam, Demetris; Wilson, Rebecca C; Burton, Paul

2017-01-01

Three synthetic datasets - of observation size 15,000, 155,000 and 1,555,000 participants, respectively - were created by simulating eleven cardiac and anthropometric variables from nine collection ages of the ALSAPC birth cohort study. The synthetic datasets retain similar data properties to the ALSPAC study data they are simulated from (co-variance matrices, as well as the mean and variance values of the variables) without including the original data itself or disclosing participant information.  In this instance, the three synthetic datasets have been utilised in an academia-industry collaboration to build a prototype virtual reality data analysis software, but they could have a broader use in method and software development projects where sensitive data cannot be freely shared.

Design and construction of synthetic microbial consortia in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Zhu Ding

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The rapid development of synthetic biology enables the design, construction and optimization of synthetic microbial consortia to achieve specific functions. In China, the “973” project-“Design and Construction of Microbial Consortia” was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China in January 2014. It was proposed to address the fundamental challenges in engineering natural microbial consortia and reconstructing microbial consortia to meet industrial demands. In this review, we will introduce this “973” project, including the significance of microbial consortia, the fundamental scientific issues, the recent research progresses, and some case studies about synthetic microbial consortia in the past two and a half years.

Characterization of synthetic peptides by mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prabhala, Bala Krishna; Mirza, Osman Asghar; Højrup, Peter

2015-01-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) is well suited for analysis of the identity and purity of synthetic peptides. The sequence of a synthetic peptide is most often known, so the analysis is mainly used to confirm the identity and purity of the peptide. Here, simple procedures are described for MALDI......-TOF-MS and LC-MS of synthetic peptides....

The emerging age of cell-free synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Mark Thomas; Wilding, Kristen M; Hunt, Jeremy M; Bennett, Anthony M; Bundy, Bradley C

2014-08-25

The engineering of and mastery over biological parts has catalyzed the emergence of synthetic biology. This field has grown exponentially in the past decade. As increasingly more applications of synthetic biology are pursued, more challenges are encountered, such as delivering genetic material into cells and optimizing genetic circuits in vivo. An in vitro or cell-free approach to synthetic biology simplifies and avoids many of the pitfalls of in vivo synthetic biology. In this review, we describe some of the innate features that make cell-free systems compelling platforms for synthetic biology and discuss emerging improvements of cell-free technologies. We also select and highlight recent and emerging applications of cell-free synthetic biology. Copyright © 2014 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical and financial implications of emergency department visits for synthetic marijuana.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowley, Eric; Benson, David; Tiffee, Aaron; Hockensmith, Adam; Zeng, Henry; Jones, Glenn N; Musso, Mandi W

2017-10-01

Many users believe that synthetic cannabinoids offer a safe and legal means of getting high. However, spikes in emergency department visits have been associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids. The purpose of the current study was to document emergency department visits from three large hospitals in one metropolitan area over a two month period. This was a retrospective chart review examining 218 patients presenting to three inner city emergency departments between March and April 2014. Data collected included demographic information, information regarding ED diagnosis and treatment, signs and symptoms, ancillary testing, ED disposition, and cost of the medical treatment. The majority of patients (75.7%) were discharged after ED workup, but 12.4% were admitted for medical treatment and 11.5% were admitted for psychiatric treatment. Ten patients (4.6%) were admitted to the ICU. Symptoms experienced most frequently include: hypertension, tachycardia, agitation, drowsiness, nausea, and confusion. Cluster analysis revealed four symptom clusters of individuals presenting after using synthetic cannabinoids: 1) confusion, hostility, agitation, 2) nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, 3) drowsiness, and 4) the absence of these symptoms. This study has three important findings. First, significant ED resources are being used to treat individuals presenting due to effects of synthetic cannabis. Second, synthetic cannabis is not a benign substance. Third, while the hostile and agitated user is generally presented in the media, this study finds significant heterogeneity in presentation. Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of synthetic cannabinoid use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated radiofrequency-based US measurement of common carotid intima-media thickness in RA patients treated with synthetic vs synthetic and biologic DMARDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Naredo, Esperanza; Möller, Ingrid; Corrales, Alfonso; Bong, David A; Cobo-Ibáñez, Tatiana; Corominas, Hector; Garcia-Vivar, Ma Luz; Macarrón, Pilar; Navio, Teresa; Richi, Patricia; Iagnocco, Annamaria; Garrido, Jesús; Martínez-Hernández, David

2013-02-01

To compare the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) assessed with automated radiofrequency-based US in RA patients treated with synthetic vs synthetic and biologic DMARDs and controls. Ninety-four RA patients and 94 sex- and age-matched controls were prospectively recruited at seven centres. Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and co-morbidities, RA characteristics and therapy were recorded. Common carotid artery (CCA)-IMT was assessed in RA patients and controls with automated radiofrequency-based US by the same investigator at each centre. Forty-five (47.9%) RA patients had been treated with synthetic DMARDs and 49 (52.1%) with synthetic and biologic DMARDs. There were no significant differences between the RA patients and controls in demographics, CV co-morbidities and CV disease. There were significantly more smokers among RA patients treated with synthetic and biologic DMARDs (P = 0.036). Disease duration and duration of CS and synthetic DMARD therapy was significantly longer in RA patients treated with synthetic and biologic DMARDs (P radiofrequency-based measurement of CCA-IMT can discriminate between RA patients treated with synthetic DMARDs vs RA patients treated with synthetic and biologic DMARDs.

"Spice" (Synthetic Marijuana) Induced Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Case Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Ul Haq, E; Shafiq, A; Khan, A A; Awan, A A; Ezad, S; Minteer, W J; Omar, B

2017-01-01

Marijuana is the most widely abused "recreational" substance in the United States, with highest prevalence in young adults. It is reported to cause ischemic strokes, hepatitis, anxiety, and psychosis. Although it is associated with dose dependent tachycardia and can lead to coronary vasospasm, it has not been directly related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Marijuana induced coronary vasospasm can result in endothelial denudation at the site of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in response to hemodynamic stressors, potentially causing an AMI. Spice refers to herbal mixture with composition and effects similar to that of marijuana and therefore is referred to as "synthetic marijuana." Herein, we report 3 cases of spice induced ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. All patients were relatively young and had few or absolutely no risk factors for cardiovascular disease. All patients underwent emergent coronary angiography, with two needing stent placement and the third requiring only aspiration thrombectomy. Our case series emphasizes the importance of suspecting and investigating synthetic marijuana use in low risk young adults presenting with AMI.

Effect of lead pollution control on environmental and childhood blood lead level in Nantong, China: an interventional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kai; Huang, Lei; Yan, Beizhan; Li, Hongbo; Sun, Hong; Bi, Jun

2014-11-04

Children's blood lead levels and prevalence of lead poisoning in China are significantly higher than in developed countries, though a substantial decrease has been observed. Since 2011, strict lead control policies in lead-related industries have been implemented in China, but the success of these policies is unknown. In this study, we collected environmental samples, questionnaire data, and blood samples from 106 children from 1 to 14 years old, before and after implementation of lead-usage control policy in wire rope factories by local government in Zhuhang, Nantong in 2012. Results showed that, one year after the lead control, lead concentrations sharply decreased in both environmental and biological samples with a decrease of 0.43 μg/m3 (-84.3%) in ambient air samples, 0.22 mg/kg (-36.1%) in vegetable samples, 441.1 mg/kg (-43.7%) in dust samples, and 6.24 μg/dL (-51.5%) in childhood blood lead levels (BLL). This study demonstrates the success of lead control policies in promoting the prevention and control of childhood lead poisoning in Nantong, China.

Synthetic Hydroxyapatite as a Biomimetic Oral Care Agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Enax, Joachim; Epple, Matthias

Human tooth enamel consists mostly of minerals, primarily hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, and thus synthetic hydroxyapatite can be used as a biomimetic oral care agent. This review describes the synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite from a chemist's perspective and provides an overview of its current use in oral care, with a focus on dentin hypersensitivity, caries, biofilm management, erosion, and enamel lesions. Reviews and original research papers published in English and German were included. The efficiency of synthetic hydroxyapatite in occluding open dentin tubules, resulting in a protection for sensitive teeth, has been well documented in a number of clinical studies. The first corresponding studies on caries, biofilm management and erosion have provided evidence for a positive effect of hydroxyapatite either as a main or synergistic agent in oral care products. However, more in situ and in vivo studies are needed due to the complexity of the oral milieu and to further clarify existing results. Due to its biocompatibility and similarity to biologically formed hydroxyapatite in natural tooth enamel, synthetic hydroxyapatite is a promising biomimetic oral care ingredient that may extend the scope of preventive dentistry.

Stable lead isotopes and lake sediments. A useful combination for the study of atmospheric lead pollution history

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Renberg, I.; Braennvall, M.-L.; Bindler, R. [Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden); Emteryd, O. [Department of Forest Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umea (Sweden)

2002-06-20

Analysis of stable lead isotopes and lead concentrations in lake-sediment deposits, not least in varved (annually-laminated) sediments, is a useful method to study lead pollution history. This paper presents details from a study of 31 lakes in Sweden. Using a strong acid digestion of sediment samples and ICP-MS analyses, we have found that Swedish lake sediments have a high natural (pre-pollution) 206[Pb]/207[Pb] ratio (mean 1.52{+-}0.18, range 1.28-2.01, n=31 lakes). In contrast, atmospheric lead pollution derived from metal smelting processes, coal burning and from alkyl-lead added to petrol has a lower ratio (<1.2). Consequently, when pollution lead deposition began approximately 3500 years ago, the lead isotope ratio of the sediments started to decline, and in modern sediments it is typically <1.2. Using the isotope and concentration values and a mixing model, the relative contribution of pollution and natural lead in sediment samples can be calculated. The pollution lead records of the Swedish lake sediments show a consistent picture of the atmospheric lead pollution history. Some noticeable features are the Roman peak, the large and permanent Medieval increase, peaks at approximately 1200 and 1530 ad, the rapid increase after World War II, the peak in the 1970s, and the large modern decline.

Central obscuration effects on optical synthetic aperture imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xue-wen; Luo, Xiao; Zheng, Li-gong; Zhang, Xue-jun

2014-02-01

Due to the central obscuration problem exists in most optical synthetic aperture systems, it is necessary to analyze its effects on their image performance. Based on the incoherent diffraction limited imaging theory, a Golay-3 type synthetic aperture system was used to study the central obscuration effects on the point spread function (PSF) and the modulation transfer function (MTF). It was found that the central obscuration does not affect the width of the central peak of the PSF and the cutoff spatial frequency of the MTF, but attenuate the first sidelobe of the PSF and the midfrequency of the MTF. The imaging simulation of a Golay-3 type synthetic aperture system with central obscuration proved this conclusion. At last, a Wiener Filter restoration algorithm was used to restore the image of this system, the images were obviously better.

Synthetic lead bromapatite: X-ray structure at ambient pressure and compressibility up to about 20 GPa

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xi; Fleet, Michael E.; Shieh, Sean R.; He, Qiang

2011-05-01

Lead bromapatite [Pb10(PO4)6Br2] has been synthesized via solid-state reaction at pressures up to 1.0 GPa, and its structure determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at ambient temperature and pressure. The large bromide anion is accommodated in the c-axis channel by lateral displacements of structural elements, particularly of Pb2 cations and PO4 tetrahedra. The compressibility of bromapatite was also investigated up to about 20.7 GPa at ambient temperature, using a diamond-anvil cell and synchrotron X-ray radiation. The compressibility of lead bromapatite is significantly different from that of lead fluorapatite. The pressure-volume data of lead bromapatite ( P < 10 GPa) fitted to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation yield an isothermal bulk modulus ( K T ) of 49.8(16) GPa and first pressure derivative ( KT^' } ) of 10.1(10). If KT^' } is fixed at 4, the derived K T is 60.8(11) GPa. The relative difference of the bulk moduli of these two lead apatites is thus about 12%, which is about two times the relative difference of the bulk moduli (~5%) of the calcium apatites fluorapatite [Ca10(PO4)6F2], chlorapatite [Ca10(PO4)6Cl2] and hydroxylapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2]. Another interesting feature apparently related to the replacement of F by Br in lead apatite is the switch in the principle axes of the strain ellipsoid: the c-axis is less compressible than the a-axis in lead bromapatite but more compressible in lead fluorapatite.

Evaluating Local Primary Dendrite Arm Spacing Characterization Techniques Using Synthetic Directionally Solidified Dendritic Microstructures

Science.gov (United States)

Tschopp, Mark A.; Miller, Jonathan D.; Oppedal, Andrew L.; Solanki, Kiran N.

2015-10-01

Microstructure characterization continues to play an important bridge to understanding why particular processing routes or parameters affect the properties of materials. This statement certainly holds true in the case of directionally solidified dendritic microstructures, where characterizing the primary dendrite arm spacing is vital to developing the process-structure-property relationships that can lead to the design and optimization of processing routes for defined properties. In this work, four series of simulations were used to examine the capability of a few Voronoi-based techniques to capture local microstructure statistics (primary dendrite arm spacing and coordination number) in controlled (synthetically generated) microstructures. These simulations used both cubic and hexagonal microstructures with varying degrees of disorder (noise) to study the effects of length scale, base microstructure, microstructure variability, and technique parameters on the local PDAS distribution, local coordination number distribution, bulk PDAS, and bulk coordination number. The Voronoi tesselation technique with a polygon-side-length criterion correctly characterized the known synthetic microstructures. By systematically studying the different techniques for quantifying local primary dendrite arm spacings, we have evaluated their capability to capture this important microstructure feature in different dendritic microstructures, which can be an important step for experimentally correlating with both processing and properties in single crystal nickel-based superalloys.

[Response of the algae Gymnodinium kovalevskii (Dinophyta) to exposure to synthetic detergents and distillation].

Science.gov (United States)

Aĭzdaĭcher, N A

2000-01-01

The effects of synthetic detergents and combined effects of synthetic detergents and water freshening on growth characteristics of the alga Gymnodinium kovalevskii (Dinophyta) were studied. Low concentrations of synthetic detergents (0.1 and 1.0 mg/l) stimulated the algal growth. Elevated concentrations inhibited cell division, affected their motility and induced morphological changes. Contamination with synthetic detergents adversely affected the adaptation plasticity of algae with respect to salinity.

Investigation of PVdF active diaphragms for synthetic jets

Science.gov (United States)

Bailo, Kelly C.; Brei, Diann E.; Calkins, Frederick T.

2000-06-01

Current research has shown that aircraft can gain significant aerodynamic performance benefits by employing active flow control (AFC). One of the enabling technologies of AFC is the synthetic jet. Synthetic jets, also known as zero-net-mass flux actuators, act as bi-directional pumps injecting high momentum air into the local aerodynamic flow. Previous work has concentrated on high frequency synthetic jets based on piezoelectric active diaphragms such as Thunder actuators. Low frequency synthetic jets present a unique challenge requiring large displacements, which current technology has difficulty meeting. Boeing is investigating novel shaped low frequency synthetic jets that can modify the flow over fixed aircraft wings. This paper present the initial study of two promising active diaphragm concepts: a crescent shape and an opposing bender shape. These active diaphragms were numerically modeled utilizing the general-purpose finite element code ABAQUS. Using the ABAQUS results, the dynamic volume change within each jet was calculated and incorporated into an analytical linear Bernoulli model to predict the velocities and pressures at the nozzle. Simulations were performed to determine trends to assist in selection of prototype configurations. Prototypes of both diaphragm concepts were constructed from polyvinylidene fluoride and experimentally tested at Boeing with promising results.

SMM-chemokines: a class of unnatural synthetic molecules as chemical probes of chemokine receptor biology and leads for therapeutic development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Santosh; Choi, Won-Tak; Dong, Chang-Zhi; Madani, Navid; Tian, Shaomin; Liu, Dongxiang; Wang, Youli; Pesavento, James; Wang, Jun; Fan, Xuejun; Yuan, Jian; Fritzsche, Wayne R; An, Jing; Sodroski, Joseph G; Richman, Douglas D; Huang, Ziwei

2006-01-01

Chemokines and their receptors play important roles in numerous physiological and pathological processes. To develop natural chemokines into receptor probes and inhibitors of pathological processes, the lack of chemokine-receptor selectivity must be overcome. Here, we apply chemical synthesis and the concept of modular modifications to generate unnatural synthetically and modularly modified (SMM)-chemokines that have high receptor selectivity and affinity, and reduced toxicity. A proof of the concept was shown by transforming the nonselective viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II into new analogs with enhanced selectivity and potency for CXCR4 or CCR5, two principal coreceptors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 entry. These new analogs provided insights into receptor binding and signaling mechanisms and acted as potent HIV-1 inhibitors. These results support the concept of SMM-chemokines for studying and controlling the function of other chemokine receptors.

Robust synthetic biology design: stochastic game theory approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bor-Sen; Chang, Chia-Hung; Lee, Hsiao-Ching

2009-07-15

Synthetic biology is to engineer artificial biological systems to investigate natural biological phenomena and for a variety of applications. However, the development of synthetic gene networks is still difficult and most newly created gene networks are non-functioning due to uncertain initial conditions and disturbances of extra-cellular environments on the host cell. At present, how to design a robust synthetic gene network to work properly under these uncertain factors is the most important topic of synthetic biology. A robust regulation design is proposed for a stochastic synthetic gene network to achieve the prescribed steady states under these uncertain factors from the minimax regulation perspective. This minimax regulation design problem can be transformed to an equivalent stochastic game problem. Since it is not easy to solve the robust regulation design problem of synthetic gene networks by non-linear stochastic game method directly, the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model is proposed to approximate the non-linear synthetic gene network via the linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique through the Robust Control Toolbox in Matlab. Finally, an in silico example is given to illustrate the design procedure and to confirm the efficiency and efficacy of the proposed robust gene design method. http://www.ee.nthu.edu.tw/bschen/SyntheticBioDesign_supplement.pdf.

A synthetic study on constaining a 2D density-dependent saltwater intrusion model using electrical imaging data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antonsson, Arni Valur; Nguyen, Frederic; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard

of the synthetic model, basically a salinity distribution in the coastal aquifer, was converted to resistivity distribution by assuming a certain petrophysical relation between water salinity and electrical conductivity. The obtained resistivity distribution was then used when electrical data acquisition...... was simulated. By applying an advanced inversion approach, electrical images of resistivity were obtained and based on the assumed petrophysical model the salinity distribution was derived. A number of different intrusion simulations were conducted with the aim of assessing the applicability of the method under....... Compared to conventional methods, which only give (few) point information, electrical images can give data over large spatial distances but that can be of great value for groundwater modeling purposes. The aim of this study is to investigate in a synthetic way, the applicability of using electrical images...

Synthetic biology of polyketide synthases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuzawa, Satoshi; Backman, Tyler W.H.; Keasling, Jay D.

2018-01-01

). The modules are composed of enzymatic domains that share sequence and functional similarity across all known PKSs. We have used the nomenclature of synthetic biology to classify the enzymatic domains and modules as parts and devices, respectively, and have generated detailed lists of both. In addition, we...... realize the potential that synthetic biology approaches bring to this class of molecules....

Leading with integrity: a qualitative research study.

Science.gov (United States)

Storr, Loma

2004-01-01

This research paper gives an account of a study into the relationship between leadership and integrity. There is a critical analysis of the current literature for effective, successful and ethical leadership particularly, integrity. The purpose and aim of this paper is to build on the current notions of leadership within the literature, debate contemporary approaches, focussing specifically on practices within the UK National Health Service in the early 21st century. This leads to a discussion of the literature on ethical leadership theory, which includes public service values, ethical relationships and leading with integrity. A small study was undertaken consisting of 18 interviews with leaders and managers within a District General HospitaL Using the Repertory Grid technique and analysis 15 themes emerged from the constructs elicited, which were compared to the literature for leadership and integrity and other studies. As well as finding areas of overlap, a number of additional constructs were elicited which suggested that effective leadership correlates with integrity and the presence of integrity will improve organisational effectiveness. The study identified that perceptions of leadership character and behaviour are used to judge the effectiveness and integrity of a leader. However, the ethical implications and consequences of leaders' scope of power and influence such as policy and strategy are somewhat neglected and lacking in debate. The findings suggest that leaders are not judged according to the ethical nature of decision making, and leading and managing complex change but that the importance of integrity and ethical leadership correlated with higher levels of hierarchical status and that it is assumed by virtue of status and success that leaders lead with integrity. Finally, the findings of this study seem to suggest that nurse leadership capability is developing as a consequence of recent national investment.

Validation of TMJ osteoarthritis synthetic defect database via non-rigid registration

Science.gov (United States)

Paniagua, Beatriz; Pera, Juliette; Budin, Francois; Gomes, Liliane; Styner, Martin; Lucia, Cevidanes; Nguyen, Tung

2015-03-01

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a group of conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles controlling jaw movement. However, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions remain controversial. To date, there is no single sign, symptom, or test that can clearly diagnose early stages of osteoarthritis (OA). Instead, the diagnosis is based on a consideration of several factors, including radiological evaluation. The current radiological diagnosis scores of TMJ pathology are subject to misdiagnosis. We believe these scores are limited by the acquisition procedures, such as oblique cuts of the CT and head positioning errors, and can lead to incorrect diagnoses of flattening of the head of the condyle, formation of osteophytes, or condylar pitting. This study consists of creating and validating a methodological framework to simulate defects in CBCT scans of known location and size, in order to create synthetic TMJ OA database. User-generated defects were created using a non-rigid deformation protocol in CBCT. All segmentation evaluation, surface distances and linear distances from the user-generated to the simulated defects showed our methodological framework to be very precise and within a voxel (0.5 mm) of magnitude. A TMJ OA synthetic database will be created next, and evaluated by expert radiologists, and this will serve to evaluate how sensitive the current radiological diagnosis tools are.

Co-culture systems and technologies: taking synthetic biology to the next level.

Science.gov (United States)

Goers, Lisa; Freemont, Paul; Polizzi, Karen M

2014-07-06

Co-culture techniques find myriad applications in biology for studying natural or synthetic interactions between cell populations. Such techniques are of great importance in synthetic biology, as multi-species cell consortia and other natural or synthetic ecology systems are widely seen to hold enormous potential for foundational research as well as novel industrial, medical and environmental applications with many proof-of-principle studies in recent years. What is needed for co-cultures to fulfil their potential? Cell-cell interactions in co-cultures are strongly influenced by the extracellular environment, which is determined by the experimental set-up, which therefore needs to be given careful consideration. An overview of existing experimental and theoretical co-culture set-ups in synthetic biology and adjacent fields is given here, and challenges and opportunities involved in such experiments are discussed. Greater focus on foundational technology developments for co-cultures is needed for many synthetic biology systems to realize their potential in both applications and answering biological questions. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

[Synthetic Studies of Bioactive Heterocyclic Natural Products and Fused Heterocyclic Compounds Based on the Thermal Electrocyclic or Azaelectocyclic Reaction of 6π-Electron or Aza-6π-electron Systems].

Science.gov (United States)

Hibino, Satoshi

2016-01-01

Since 1979, synthetic studies of bioactive heterocyclic natural products and condensed heteroaromatic compounds based on the thermal electrocyclic reaction of 6π-electron or aza-6π-electron systems incorporating the double bond of the principal aromatic or heteroaromatic ring have been conducted by our research group. In this review, five types of electrocyclic and azaelectrocyclic reaction are described: 1) the synthesis of the carbazole alkaloids hyellazole and 6-chlorohyellazole through the electrocyclic reaction of 2,3-bisalkenylindoles; 2) synthetic studies of the pyridocarbazole alkaloids ellipticine and olivacine through the electrocyclic reactions of the indole-2,3- and pyridine-3,4-quinodimethane intermediates; 3) synthetic studies of polysubstituted carbazole alkaloids through the allene-mediated electrocyclic reactions involving the indole 2,3-bond; 4) synthetic studies of fused pyridine rings through the azaelectrocyclic reaction of the 1-aza-6π-electron system using the oxime or oxime ether; and 5) synthetic studies of fused pyridine rings through the azaelectrocyclic reaction of the 2-aza-6π-electron system using a carbodiimide or isocyanate.

A Comparative Outcome Study of Hamstring Versus Tibialis Anterior and Synthetic Grafts for Deltoid to Triceps Transfers.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Jennifer A; Mohammed, Khalid D; Beadel, Gordon P; Rothwell, Alastair G; Simcock, Jeremy W

2017-10-01

To assess elbow extension strength and complications after deltoid-triceps transfers using hamstring tendon graft compared with tibialis anterior and synthetic tendon grafts. A retrospective review of deltoid-triceps transfers in patients with tetraplegia performed between 1983 and 2014. Seventy-five people (136 arms) had surgery performed, with the majority undergoing simultaneous bilateral surgery (n = 61; 81%). Tibialis anterior tendon grafts were used in 68 arms, synthetic grafts in 23 arms, and hamstring tendon grafts in 45 arms. The average age at surgery was 31 years. Sixty-three arms (46%) were assessed between 12 and 24 months after surgery. Seventy percent of the group (n = 54) were able to extend their elbow against gravity (grade 3 of 5 or greater) following surgery. Seventy-nine percent of those with hamstring grafts achieved grade 3 of 5 or more compared with 77% with tibialis anterior and 33% with synthetic grafts. There was a statistically significant difference in postsurgery elbow extension between the tibialis anterior group and the synthetic graft group and the hamstring and the synthetic graft group but not between the tibialis anterior and the hamstring group. Complications occurred in 19 arms (14%), the majority occurring immediately after surgery and associated with the wounds. The remaining complications were with the synthetic graft group in which dehiscence of the proximal attachment occurred in 30% of the arms. Autologous tendon grafting is associated with achievement of antigravity elbow extension in a greater proportion of individuals than with prosthetic grafting. Therapeutic IV. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shock compression of synthetic opal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, A; Okuno, M; Okudera, H; Mashimo, T; Omurzak, E; Katayama, S; Koyano, M

2010-01-01

Structural change of synthetic opal by shock-wave compression up to 38.1 GPa has been investigated by using SEM, X-ray diffraction method (XRD), Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies. Obtained information may indicate that the dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole due to high shock and residual temperature are very important factors in the structural evolution of synthetic opal by shock compression. Synthetic opal loses opalescence by 10.9 and 18.4 GPa of shock pressures. At 18.4 GPa, dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole and transformation of network structure may occur simultaneously. The 4-membered ring of TO 4 tetrahedrons in as synthetic opal may be relaxed to larger ring such as 6-membered ring by high residual temperature. Therefore, the residual temperature may be significantly high at even 18.4 GPa of shock compression. At 23.9 GPa, opal sample recovered the opalescence. Origin of this opalescence may be its layer structure by shock compression. Finally, sample fuse by very high residual temperature at 38.1 GPa and the structure closes to that of fused SiO 2 glass. However, internal silanole groups still remain even at 38.1 GPa.

Super-Resolution for Synthetic Zooming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Xin

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Optical zooming is an important feature of imaging systems. In this paper, we investigate a low-cost signal processing alternative to optical zooming—synthetic zooming by super-resolution (SR techniques. Synthetic zooming is achieved by registering a sequence of low-resolution (LR images acquired at varying focal lengths and reconstructing the SR image at a larger focal length or increased spatial resolution. Under the assumptions of constant scene depth and zooming speed, we argue that the motion trajectories of all physical points are related to each other by a unique vanishing point and present a robust technique for estimating its D coordinate. Such a line-geometry-based registration is the foundation of SR for synthetic zooming. We address the issue of data inconsistency arising from the varying focal length of optical lens during the zooming process. To overcome the difficulty of data inconsistency, we propose a two-stage Delaunay-triangulation-based interpolation for fusing the LR image data. We also present a PDE-based nonlinear deblurring to accommodate the blindness and variation of sensor point spread functions. Simulation results with real-world images have verified the effectiveness of the proposed SR techniques for synthetic zooming.

Shock compression of synthetic opal

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, A.; Okuno, M.; Okudera, H.; Mashimo, T.; Omurzak, E.; Katayama, S.; Koyano, M.

2010-03-01

Structural change of synthetic opal by shock-wave compression up to 38.1 GPa has been investigated by using SEM, X-ray diffraction method (XRD), Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies. Obtained information may indicate that the dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole due to high shock and residual temperature are very important factors in the structural evolution of synthetic opal by shock compression. Synthetic opal loses opalescence by 10.9 and 18.4 GPa of shock pressures. At 18.4 GPa, dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole and transformation of network structure may occur simultaneously. The 4-membered ring of TO4 tetrahedrons in as synthetic opal may be relaxed to larger ring such as 6-membered ring by high residual temperature. Therefore, the residual temperature may be significantly high at even 18.4 GPa of shock compression. At 23.9 GPa, opal sample recovered the opalescence. Origin of this opalescence may be its layer structure by shock compression. Finally, sample fuse by very high residual temperature at 38.1 GPa and the structure closes to that of fused SiO2 glass. However, internal silanole groups still remain even at 38.1 GPa.

Shock compression of synthetic opal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inoue, A; Okuno, M; Okudera, H [Department of Earth Sciences, Kanazawa University Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-1192 (Japan); Mashimo, T; Omurzak, E [Shock Wave and Condensed Matter Research Center, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8555 (Japan); Katayama, S; Koyano, M, E-mail: okuno@kenroku.kanazawa-u.ac.j [JAIST, Nomi, Ishikawa, 923-1297 (Japan)

2010-03-01

Structural change of synthetic opal by shock-wave compression up to 38.1 GPa has been investigated by using SEM, X-ray diffraction method (XRD), Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies. Obtained information may indicate that the dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole due to high shock and residual temperature are very important factors in the structural evolution of synthetic opal by shock compression. Synthetic opal loses opalescence by 10.9 and 18.4 GPa of shock pressures. At 18.4 GPa, dehydration and polymerization of surface silanole and transformation of network structure may occur simultaneously. The 4-membered ring of TO{sub 4} tetrahedrons in as synthetic opal may be relaxed to larger ring such as 6-membered ring by high residual temperature. Therefore, the residual temperature may be significantly high at even 18.4 GPa of shock compression. At 23.9 GPa, opal sample recovered the opalescence. Origin of this opalescence may be its layer structure by shock compression. Finally, sample fuse by very high residual temperature at 38.1 GPa and the structure closes to that of fused SiO{sub 2} glass. However, internal silanole groups still remain even at 38.1 GPa.

XRD, lead equivalent and UV-VIS properties study of Ce and Pr lead silicate glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alias, Nor Hayati; Abdullah, Wan Shafie Wan; Isa, Norriza Mohd; Isa, Muhammad Jamal Md; Zali, Nurazila Mat; Abdullah, Nuhaslinda Ee; Muhammad, Azali

2014-01-01

In this work, Cerium (Ce) and Praseodymium (Pr) containing lead silicate glasses were produced with 2 different molar ratios low (0.2 wt%) and high (0.4wt%). These types of glasses can satisfy the characteristics required for radiation shielding glasses and minimize the lead composition in glass. The radiation shielding properties of the synthesized glasses is explained in the form of lead equivalent study. The XRD diffraction and UV-VIS analysis were performed to observe the structural changes of the synthesis glasses at 1.5 Gy gamma radiation exposures

Methodological issues related to studies of lead mobilization during menopause

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berkowitz Gertrud S.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available While there has been a substantial decline in lead exposure in the United States during the past two decades, mobilization of existing lead stored in bone potentially represents an important endogenous source of exposure for menopausal women. It has been hypothesized that lead may be mobilized from skeletal stores during conditions of high bone turnover, such as during menopause. However, such mobilization has not been documented in prospective studies. This discussion is focussed on some of the methodological difficulties to be anticipated in longitudinal studies of lead mobilization specific to menopause and the issues that need to be taken into account when evaluating the results of such studies. To evaluate whether lead mobilization occurs during menopause, a prospective repeated measures design is needed using X-ray fluorescence analysis of lead in bone and serial measurements of blood lead. Potential confounders and effect modifiers also need to be taken into account in the statistical analysis.

Synthetic Rutile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burastero, J.

1975-01-01

This work is about the laboratory scale investigation of the conditions in the rutile synthetic production from one me nita in Aguas Dulces reservoir. The iron mineral is chlorinated and volatilized selectively leaving a residue enriched in titanium dioxide which can be used as a substitute of rutile mineral

Coalescence towards exceptional contours in synthetic phononic media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Johan

2016-01-01

Parity-time symmetric media, also referred to as synthetic media, have been devised in many optical systems with the ground breaking potential to create non-reciprocal structures and one-way cloaks of invisibility. Here we demonstrate a feasible approach for the case of sound where gain and loss...... are induced via the acousto-electric effect in electrically biased piezoelectric semiconductors. We study how wave attenuation and amplification can be tuned, and when combined, can give rise to phononic synthetic media with unidirectional suppressed reflectance, a feature directly applicable to evading sonar...

Synthetic Lipoproteins as Carriers for Drug Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Gangliang; Liu, Yang; Huang, Hualiang

2016-01-01

Synthetic lipoprotein is an effective carrier of targeted delivery for drugs. It has the very small size, good biocompatibility, suitable half-life, and specific lipoprotein receptorbinding capacity. Compared with the traditional natural lipoprotein, synthetic lipoprotein not only retains the original biological characteristics and functions, but also exhibits the excellent characteristics in drug delivery. Herein, the advantages, development, applications, and prospect of synthetic lipoproteins as drug carriers were summarized.

Applications of cell-free protein synthesis in synthetic biology: Interfacing bio-machinery with synthetic environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kyung-Ho; Kim, Dong-Myung

2013-11-01

Synthetic biology is built on the synthesis, engineering, and assembly of biological parts. Proteins are the first components considered for the construction of systems with designed biological functions because proteins carry out most of the biological functions and chemical reactions inside cells. Protein synthesis is considered to comprise the most basic levels of the hierarchical structure of synthetic biology. Cell-free protein synthesis has emerged as a powerful technology that can potentially transform the concept of bioprocesses. With the ability to harness the synthetic power of biology without many of the constraints of cell-based systems, cell-free protein synthesis enables the rapid creation of protein molecules from diverse sources of genetic information. Cell-free protein synthesis is virtually free from the intrinsic constraints of cell-based methods and offers greater flexibility in system design and manipulability of biological synthetic machinery. Among its potential applications, cell-free protein synthesis can be combined with various man-made devices for rapid functional analysis of genomic sequences. This review covers recent efforts to integrate cell-free protein synthesis with various reaction devices and analytical platforms. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microfluidic Technologies for Synthetic Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Kuk Lee

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Microfluidic technologies have shown powerful abilities for reducing cost, time, and labor, and at the same time, for increasing accuracy, throughput, and performance in the analysis of biological and biochemical samples compared with the conventional, macroscale instruments. Synthetic biology is an emerging field of biology and has drawn much attraction due to its potential to create novel, functional biological parts and systems for special purposes. Since it is believed that the development of synthetic biology can be accelerated through the use of microfluidic technology, in this review work we focus our discussion on the latest microfluidic technologies that can provide unprecedented means in synthetic biology for dynamic profiling of gene expression/regulation with high resolution, highly sensitive on-chip and off-chip detection of metabolites, and whole-cell analysis.

40 CFR 721.3627 - Branched synthetic fatty acid.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Branched synthetic fatty acid. 721... Substances § 721.3627 Branched synthetic fatty acid. (a) Chemical substance and significant new uses subject to reporting. (1) The chemical substance identified generically as a branched synthetic fatty acid...

SEARCH OF NEW SYNTHETIC INHIBITORS OF TYROSINASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. Shesterenko

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Melanin pigmentation of skin plays the most important role in the protection of organism against UV-irradiation, but the excessive accumulation of melanin brings to toxic melanodermia, melasma, lentigo and other skin lesions. Tyrosinase is the key enzyme of skin melanin pigment biosynthesis. In spite of certain progress in investigation of natural and synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors, actuality of such studies is of a high level, because the existing inhibitors are in some cases unstable, expensive, toxic, requires complex methods of synthesis or isolation from natural sources. The aim of the work is screening of new tyrosinase inhibitors, using the enzyme, isolated from Agaricus bisporus. Tyrosinase was isolated from Agaricus bisporus mushrooms by a modified method. It was found, that the introduction of polyethylene glycol 4000 in the extraction process promotes 3-fold reduction of polyphenol content, which leads to increase purity of enzyme with an increase in its activity by 25%. A search for new tyrosinase inhibitors among a wide range of compounds, including derivatives of 3-chloro-1,4-naphthoquinone, isatin, 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, etc was conducted. The studied substances did not displayed inhibitory effect at concentration of 0,1-0,5 mmol/dm3.

Study of different coupling agents in the conjugation of a V3-based synthetic MAP to carrier proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz, L J; Iglesias, E; Aguilar, J C; Quintana, D; Garay, H E; Duarte, C; Reyes, O

2001-09-01

The conjugation of synthetic peptides to carrier proteins is a widely used method for immunological studies. Different coupling agents have been described to form the conjugate with carrier proteins. In this paper, we demonstrate that the antibody response toward V3-based synthetic MAPs derived from HIV-1, JY1 isolate, conjugated to two different carrier proteins using either m-maleimidobenzoyl-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MBS) or beta-maleimidopropionic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (MPS), or succinic anhydride (SA) show different behaviors. An excellent anti-JY1 response without a strong response to the coupling agent is observed in the case of succinic anhydride spacer. In contrast, MBS produces total abrogation of the antibody response with a high response toward the coupling agent.

Thermal and structural characterization of synthetic and natural nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite.

Science.gov (United States)

Sofronia, Ancuta M; Baies, Radu; Anghel, Elena M; Marinescu, Cornelia A; Tanasescu, Speranta

2014-10-01

The aim of this work was to study the thermal stability on heating and to obtain the processing parameters of synthetic and bone-derived hydroxyapatite over temperatures between room temperature and 1400°C by thermal analysis (thermogravimetry (TG)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-mechanical analysis-TMA). Structural and surface modifications related to samples origin and calcination temperature were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET method. FTIR spectra indicated that the organic constituents and carbonate are no longer present in the natural sample calcined at 800°C. Raman spectra highlighted the decomposition products of the hydroxyapatite. The calcination treatment modifies the processes kinetics of the synthetic samples, being able to isolate lattice water desorption processes of decarbonization and the dehydroxylation processes. Shrinkage of calcined synthetic sample increases by 10% compared to uncalcined synthetic powder. From the TMA correlated with TG analysis and heat capacity data it can be concluded that sintering temperature of the synthetic samples should be chosen in the temperature range of the onset of dehydroxylation and the temperature at which oxyapatite decomposition begins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rational synthetic pathway refactoring of natural products biosynthesis in actinobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Gao-Yi; Liu, Tiangang

2017-01-01

Natural products (NPs) and their derivatives are widely used as frontline treatments for many diseases. Actinobacteria spp. are used to produce most of NP antibiotics and have also been intensively investigated for NP production, derivatization, and discovery. However, due to the complicated transcriptional and metabolic regulation of NP biosynthesis in Actinobacteria, especially in the cases of genome mining and heterologous expression, it is often difficult to rationally and systematically engineer synthetic pathways to maximize biosynthetic efficiency. With the emergence of new tools and methods in metabolic engineering, the synthetic pathways of many chemicals, such as fatty acids and biofuels, in model organisms (e.g. Escherichia coli ), have been refactored to realize precise and flexible control of production. These studies also offer a promising approach for synthetic pathway refactoring in Actinobacteria. In this review, the great potential of Actinobacteria as a microbial cell factory for biosynthesis of NPs is discussed. To this end, recent progress in metabolic engineering of NP synthetic pathways in Actinobacteria are summarized and strategies and perspectives to rationally and systematically refactor synthetic pathways in Actinobacteria are highlighted. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synthetic food coloring and behavior: a dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, K S; Rowe, K J

1994-11-01

To establish whether there is an association between the ingestion of synthetic food colorings and behavioral change in children referred for assessment of "hyperactivity." From approximately 800 children referred to the Royal Children's Hospital (Melbourne) for assessment of suspected hyperactivity, 200 were included in a 6-week open trial of a diet free of synthetic food coloring. The parents of 150 children reported behavioral improvement with the diet, and deterioration on the introduction of foods noted to contain synthetic coloring. A 30-item behavioral rating inventory was devised from an examination of the clinical histories of 50 suspected reactors. Thirty-four other children (23 suspected reactors, 11 uncertain reactors) and 20 control subjects, aged 2 to 14 years, were studied. A 21-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study used each child as his or her own control. Placebo, or one of six dose levels of tartrazine (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 mg), was administered randomly each morning, and behavioral ratings were recorded by parents at the end of each 24 hours. The study identified 24 children as clear reactors (19 of 23 "suspected reactors," 3 of 11 "uncertain reactors," and 2 of 20 "control subjects"). They were irritable and restless and had sleep disturbance. Significant reactions were observed at all six dose levels. A dose response effect was obtained. With a dose increase greater than 10 mg, the duration of effect was prolonged. Behavioral changes in irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbance are associated with the ingestion of tartrazine in some children. A dose response effect was observed.

Lead Time Study,

Science.gov (United States)

1982-05-01

1979, the number of titanium fabrications dropped from 16 to 4, primarily because of the sponge shortage and EPA and OSHA requirements. Non-military...East - Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. In addition, a significant amount of ceramic parts, lead frames and high technology

Utilization of maize ( Zea mays ) cob as an adsorbent for lead (II ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Maize cob was used as an adsorbent in order to evaluate its potential for the removal of lead from aqueous solutions and effluents from battery and paint industries with Dowex (synthetic resin) as control. Experimental data were analyzed in terms of Freundlich isotherm model. Equilibrium was attained at 2 h and adsorption ...

Radioactive lead studies in the human

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blake, K.C.H.

1980-08-01

The differing susceptibility of individuals to the toxic effects of chronic lead exposure has never been fully understood. As the major intake of lead in the human is from food and beverages, any variation between individuals of the quantity of lead absorbed from the gut, and of the distribution and excretion of this lead, may account for the differences in individual susceptibility. The food and beverages themselves may have an influence, and to investigate their effects on absorption, distribution and excretion of lead, experiments were performed on normal subjects using a short lived radionuclide of lead, 203 Pb, and instruments generally available in Nuclear Medicine. Lead absorption between different individuals showed a wide variation when 203 Pb was taken as a single dose between meals. Minerals were found to be mainly responsible for affecting absorption when one subject ingested 203 Pb in control meals from which one dietary constituent at a time was omitted. Calcium and phosphorous were found to reduce the absorption of 203 Pb to approximately the same level as that produced by the total minerals. Calcium reduced absorption more than phosphorous when these minerals were ingested separately with 203 Pb. It was concluded that the calcium and phosphorous in the diet could influence susceptibility to lead toxicity through changes in the absorption of food and water lead and in the distribution of lead in the body. The results suggest that the prophylactic effect of calcium on lead absorption should be recognised and applied in this time of increased environmental levels of lead

Synthetic Sediments and Stochastic Groundwater Hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. L.

2002-12-01

For over twenty years the groundwater community has pursued the somewhat elusive goal of describing the effects of aquifer heterogeneity on subsurface flow and chemical transport. While small perturbation stochastic moment methods have significantly advanced theoretical understanding, why is it that stochastic applications use instead simulations of flow and transport through multiple realizations of synthetic geology? Allan Gutjahr was a principle proponent of the Fast Fourier Transform method for the synthetic generation of aquifer properties and recently explored new, more geologically sound, synthetic methods based on multi-scale Markov random fields. Focusing on sedimentary aquifers, how has the state-of-the-art of synthetic generation changed and what new developments can be expected, for example, to deal with issues like conceptual model uncertainty, the differences between measurement and modeling scales, and subgrid scale variability? What will it take to get stochastic methods, whether based on moments, multiple realizations, or some other approach, into widespread application?

SB6.0: The 6th International meeting on Synthetic Biology, July 9-11, 2013

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahl, Linda J. [BioBricks Foundation

2015-04-23

The Synthetic Biology conference series (SBx.0) is the preeminent academic meeting in synthetic biology. Organized by the BioBricks Foundation, the SBx.0 conference series brings together leading researchers, students, industry executives, and policy makers from around the world to share, consider, debate, and plan efforts to make biology easier to engineer. Historically held every two years, the SBx.0 conferences are held in alternating locations in the United States, Europe, and Asia to encourage global participation and collaboration so that the ramifications of synthetic biology research and development are most likely to be safe ethical, and beneficial. On 9-11 July 2013, the 6th installment of the synthetic biology conference series (SB6.0) was held on the campus of Imperial College London (http://sb6.biobricks.org). The SB6.0 conference was attended by over 700 people, and many more were able to participate via video digital conference (http://sb6.biobricks.org/digital-conference/). Over the course of three days, the SB6.0 conference agenda included plenary sessions, workshops, and poster presentations covering topics ranging from the infrastructure needs arising when “Systematic Engineering Meets Biological Complexity” and design-led considerations for “Connecting People and Technologies” to discussions on “Engineering Biology for New Materials,” “Assessing Risk and Managing Biocontainment,” and “New Directions for Energy and Sustainability.” The $10,150 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-SC0010233) to the BioBricks Foundation was used to provide partial reimbursement for the travel expenses of leading researchers from the United States to speak at the SB6.0 conference. A total of $9,450 was used to reimburse U.S. speakers for actual expenses related to the SB6.0 conference, including airfare (economy or coach only), ground transportation, hotel, and registration fees. In addition, $700 of the grant was used to offset

Dose response on the 110 °C thermoluminescence peak of un-heated, synthetic Merck quartz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaya Keleş, Şule, E-mail: sule.kaya@ankara.edu.tr; Meriç, Niyazi; Polymeris, George S.

2016-07-15

Studies on 110 °C TL peak have been carried out using natural quartz from different origins and synthetic quartz produced by different suppliers. The interest in quartz is due to its usage in dating and retrospective dosimetry as a main material; both synthetic and natural types of quartz yield the 110 °C TL peak in their glow curve. In most studies to understand the physical mechanism behind the TL system, synthetic quartz samples are used and there are many investigations about dose response, in both low and high radiation dose region. In these studies generally synthetic quartz samples produced by Sawyer Research Products are used and the studies showed that both heated and un-heated synthetic quartz samples have intense supra-linear responses. Supra-linearity was enhanced by applying a pre-irradiation while several models have been developed towards an explanation to these supra-linearity effects. In this study commercially available synthetic Merck quartz was used. Different combinations of optical filters were used to obtain dose response curves upto 266 Gy and the effect of pre-dose to these dose response curves was studied. Un-pre-dosed Merck quartz samples dose supra-linearity index is below 1 independently on the optical filters; so Merck quartz showed linear or sub-linear dose response.

Synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 and psychosis: an explorative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Every-Palmer, Susanna

2011-09-01

Aroma, Spice, K2 and Dream are examples of a class of new and increasingly popular recreational drugs. Ostensibly branded "herbal incense", they have been intentionally adulterated with synthetic cannabinoids such as JWH-018 in order to confer on them cannabimimetic psychoactive properties while circumventing drug legislation. JWH-018 is a potent cannabinoid receptor agonist. Little is known about its pharmacology and toxicology in humans. This is the first research considering the effects of JWH-018 on a psychiatric population and exploring the relationship between JWH-018 and psychotic symptoms. This paper presents the results of semi-structured interviews regarding the use and effects of JWH-018 in 15 patients with serious mental illness in a New Zealand forensic and rehabilitative service. All 15 subjects were familiar with a locally available JWH-018 containing product called "Aroma" and 86% reported having used it. They credited the product's potent psychoactivity, legality, ready availability and non-detection in drug testing as reasons for its popularity, with most reporting it had replaced cannabis as their drug of choice. Most patients had assumed the product was "natural" and "safe". Anxiety and psychotic symptoms were common after use, with 69% of users experiencing or exhibiting symptoms consistent with psychotic relapse after smoking JWH-018. Although psychological side effects were common, no one reported becoming physically unwell after using JWH-018. Three subjects described developing some tolerance to the product, but no one reported withdrawal symptoms. It seems likely that JWH-018 can precipitate psychosis in vulnerable individuals. People with risk factors for psychosis should be counseled against using synthetic cannabinoids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

N-acylsulfonamides: Synthetic routes and biological potential in medicinal chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ammazzalorso, Alessandra; De Filippis, Barbara; Giampietro, Letizia; Amoroso, Rosa

2017-12-01

Sulfonamide is a common structural motif in naturally occurring and synthetic medicinal compounds. The rising interest in sulfonamides and N-acyl derivatives is attested by the large number of drugs and lead compounds identified in last years, explored in different fields of medicinal chemistry and showing biological activity. Many acylsulfonamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as isosteres of carboxylic acids, being the characteristics of these functional groups very close. Starting from chemical routes to N-acylsulfonamides, this review explores compounds of pharmaceutical interest, developed as enzymatic inhibitors or targeting receptors. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

[Progress in synthetic biology of "973 Funding Program" in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Guoqiang; Wang, Ying

2015-06-01

This paper reviews progresses made in China from 2011 in areas of "Synthetic Biology" supported by State Basic Research 973 Program. Till the end of 2014, 9 "synthetic biology" projects have been initiated with emphasis on "microbial manufactures" with the 973 Funding Program. Combined with the very recent launch of one project on "mammalian cell synthetic biology" and another on "plant synthetic biology", Chinese "synthetic biology" research reflects its focus on "manufactures" while not giving up efforts on "synthetic biology" of complex systems.

Methods for preparing synthetic freshwaters.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, E J; Davison, W; Hamilton-Taylor, J

2002-03-01

Synthetic solutions that emulate the major ion compositions of natural waters are useful in experiments aimed at understanding biogeochemical processes. Standard recipes exist for preparing synthetic analogues of seawater, with its relatively constant composition, but, due to the diversity of freshwaters, a range of compositions and recipes is required. Generic protocols are developed for preparing synthetic freshwaters of any desired composition. The major problems encountered in preparing hard and soft waters include dissolving sparingly soluble calcium carbonate, ensuring that the ionic components of each concentrated stock solution cannot form an insoluble salt and dealing with the supersaturation of calcium carbonate in many hard waters. For acidic waters the poor solubility of aluminium salts requires attention. These problems are overcome by preparing concentrated stock solutions according to carefully designed reaction paths that were tested using a combination of experiment and equilibrium modeling. These stock solutions must then be added in a prescribed order to prepare a final solution that is brought into equilibrium with the atmosphere. The example calculations for preparing hard, soft and acidic freshwater surrogates with major ion compositions the same as published analyses, are presented in a generalized fashion that should allow preparation of any synthetic freshwater according to its known analysis.

Defining the Synthetic Biology Supply Chain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frazar, Sarah L.; Hund, Gretchen E.; Bonheyo, George T.; Diggans, James; Bartholomew, Rachel A.; Gehrig, Lindsey; Greaves, Mark

2017-08-01

In this article, a team of experts in synthetic biology, data analytics, and national security describe the overall supply chain surrounding synthetic biology. The team analyzes selected interactions within that network to better understand the risks raised by synthetic biology and identifies opportunities for risk mitigation. To introduce the concept, the article will briefly describe how an understanding of supply chains has been important in promoting nuclear nonproliferation objectives. The article concludes by assessing the structure and networks identified in the supply chains to reveal potential opportunities for future biodefense research and development; options for additional information exchange; and means to interdict, detect, or deter suspicious activity.

Lead theft--a study of the "uniqueness" of lead from church roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, John W; Hainsworth, Sarah V; Lau, Tien L

2013-07-01

In the United Kingdom, theft of lead is common, particularly from churches and other public buildings with lead roofs. To assess the potential to distinguish lead from different sources, 41 samples of lead from 24 church roofs in Northamptonshire, U.K, have been analyzed for relative abundance of trace elements and isotopes of lead using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, respectively. XRF revealed the overall presence of 12 trace elements with the four most abundant, calcium, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur, showing a large weight percentage standard error of the mean of all samples suggesting variation in the weight percentage of these elements between different church roofs. Multiple samples from the same roofs, but different lead sheets, showed much lower weight percentage standard errors of the mean suggesting similar trace element concentrations. Lead isotope ratios were similar for all samples. Factors likely to affect the occurrence of these trace elements are discussed. © 2013 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Impact of home carpets on childhood lead intervention study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yiin, L.-M.; Lioy, P.J.; Rhoads, G.G.

2003-01-01

Blood lead data for a childhood lead exposure study have been reanalyzed to examine the impact of carpets on the effectiveness of a cleaning intervention in 39 New Jersey urban houses. All eligible houses in the study were classified as carpeted and uncarpeted depending on the number of rooms that were carpeted. The cleaning protocol was associated with a significant reduction in the blood lead concentrations for the uncarpeted homes (P=0.004), whereas no significant change was found for the carpeted homes (P=0.566). We also completed correlation analyses between the number of cleaning visits and the percentage reduction in blood lead for the carpeted/uncarpeted houses. There was a significant correlation (r=0.67) between the number of cleanings and blood lead reduction for the uncarpeted homes, but no correlation (r=0.04) for the carpeted homes. In a multiple regression model that took confounding variables into account, the carpet status (carpeted or uncarpeted) remained a factor of the effect of cleaning on blood lead (P=0.05). We conclude that the presence of contaminated carpets inhibits the effectiveness of home cleaning despite a high-efficiency particulate air filtered vacuum protocol that removes a substantial amount of lead dust

The muscle protein synthetic response to food ingestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorissen, Stefan H M; Rémond, Didier; van Loon, Luc J C

2015-11-01

Preservation of skeletal muscle mass is of great importance for maintaining both metabolic health and functional capacity. Muscle mass maintenance is regulated by the balance between muscle protein breakdown and synthesis rates. Both muscle protein breakdown and synthesis rates have been shown to be highly responsive to physical activity and food intake. Food intake, and protein ingestion in particular, directly stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates. The postprandial muscle protein synthetic response to feeding is regulated on a number of levels, including dietary protein digestion and amino acid absorption, splanchnic amino acid retention, postprandial insulin release, skeletal muscle tissue perfusion, amino acid uptake by muscle, and intramyocellular signaling. The postprandial muscle protein synthetic response to feeding is blunted in many conditions characterized by skeletal muscle loss, such as aging and muscle disuse. Therefore, it is important to define food characteristics that modulate postprandial muscle protein synthesis. Previous work has shown that the muscle protein synthetic response to feeding can be modulated by changing the amount of protein ingested, the source of dietary protein, as well as the timing of protein consumption. Most of this work has studied the postprandial response to the ingestion of isolated protein sources. Only few studies have investigated the postprandial muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of protein dense foods, such as dairy and meat. The current review will focus on the capacity of proteins and protein dense food products to stimulate postprandial muscle protein synthesis and identifies food characteristics that may modulate the anabolic properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthetic vision and memory model for virtual human - biomed 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yue; Kang, Jinsheng; Wright, David

2010-01-01

This paper describes the methods and case studies of a novel synthetic vision and memory model for virtual human. The synthetic vision module simulates the biological / optical abilities and limitations of the human vision. The module is based on a series of collision detection between the boundary of virtual humans field of vision (FOV) volume and the surface of objects in a recreated 3D environment. The memory module simulates a short-term memory capability by employing a simplified memory structure (first-in-first-out stack). The synthetic vision and memory model has been integrated into a virtual human modelling project, Intelligent Virtual Modelling. The project aimed to improve the realism and autonomy of virtual humans.

More evidence of unpublished industry studies of lead smelter/refinery workers

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Background Lead smelter/refinery workers in the US have had significant exposure to lead and are an important occupational group to study to understand the health effects of chronic lead exposure in adults. Recent research found evidence that studies of lead smelter/refinery workers have been conducted but not published. This paper presents further evidence for this contention. Objectives To present further evidence of industry conducted, unpublished epidemiologic studies of lead smelter/refinery workers and health outcomes. Methods Historical research relying on primary sources such as internal industry documents and published studies. Results ASARCO smelter/refinery workers were studied in the early 1980s and found to have increased risk of lung cancer and stroke in one study, but not in another. Conclusions Because occupational lead exposure is an on-going concern for US and overseas workers, all epidemiologic studies should be made available to evaluate and update occupational health and safety standards. PMID:26070220

Modified composites based on mesostructured iron oxyhydroxide and synthetic minerals: a potential material for the treatment of various toxic heavy metals and its toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Seung-Gun; Ryu, Jae-Chun; Song, Mi-Kyung; An, Byungryul; Kim, Song-Bae; Lee, Sang-Hyup; Choi, Jae-Woo

2014-02-28

The composites of mesostructured iron oxyhydroxide and/or commercial synthetic zeolite were investigated for use in the removal of toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead and arsenic, from aqueous solution. Four types of adsorbents, dried alginate beads (DABs), synthetic-zeolite impregnated beads (SZIBs), meso-iron-oxyhydroxide impregnated beads (MIOIBs) and synthetic-zeolite/meso-iron-oxyhydroxide composite beads (SZMIOIBs), were prepared for heavy metal adsorption tests. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the removal efficiencies of cations and anions of heavy metals and the possibility of regenerating the adsorbents. Among these adsorbents, the MIOIBs can simultaneously remove cations and anions of heavy metals; they have high adsorption capacities for lead (60.1mgg(-1)) and arsenic (71.9mgg(-1)) compared with other adsorbents, such as DABs (158.1 and 0.0mgg(-1)), SZIB (42.9 and 0.0mgg(-1)) and SZMIOIB (54.0 and 5.9mgg(-1)) for lead and arsenic, respectively. Additionally, the removal efficiency was consistent at approximately 90%, notwithstanding repetitive regeneration. The characteristics of meso-iron-oxyhydroxide powder were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and transmission electron microscopy. We also performed a comparative toxicity study that indicated that much lower concentrations of the powdered form of mesostructured iron oxyhydroxide had stronger cytotoxicity than the granular form. These results suggest that the granular form of meso iron oxyhydroxide is a more useful and safer adsorbent for heavy metal treatment than the powdered form. This research provides promising results for the application of MIOIBs as an adsorbent for various heavy metals from wastewater and sewage. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[How to be prudent with synthetic biology. Synthetic Biology and the precautionary principle].

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez López, Blanca

2014-01-01

Synthetic biology is a new discipline that is twofold: firstly it offers the promise to pay benefits that can alleviate some of the ills that plague mankind; On the other hand, like all technologies, holds risks. Given these, the most critical and concerned about the risks, invoke the application of the precautionary principle, common in cases where an activity or new technology creates risks to the environment and/or human health, but far from universally accepted happens to be currently one of the most controversial principles. In this paper the question of the risks and benefits of synthetic biology and the relevance of applying the precautionary principle are analyzed. To do this we proceed as follows. The first part focuses on synthetic biology. At first, this discipline is characterized, with special attention to what is novel compared to the known as "genetic engineering". In the second stage both the benefits and the risks associated with it are discussed. The first part concludes with a review of the efforts currently being made to control or minimize the risks. The second part aims to analyze the precautionary principle and its possible relevance to the case of Synthetic Biology. At first, the different versions and interpretations of the principle and the various criticisms of which has been the subject are reviewed. Finally, after discarding the Precautionary Principle as an useful tool, it is seen as more appropriate some recent proposals to treat technologies that take into account not only risks but also their benefits.

“Spice” (Synthetic Marijuana Induced Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Case Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Ul Haq

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Marijuana is the most widely abused “recreational” substance in the United States, with highest prevalence in young adults. It is reported to cause ischemic strokes, hepatitis, anxiety, and psychosis. Although it is associated with dose dependent tachycardia and can lead to coronary vasospasm, it has not been directly related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI. Marijuana induced coronary vasospasm can result in endothelial denudation at the site of a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque in response to hemodynamic stressors, potentially causing an AMI. Spice refers to herbal mixture with composition and effects similar to that of marijuana and therefore is referred to as “synthetic marijuana.” Herein, we report 3 cases of spice induced ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. All patients were relatively young and had few or absolutely no risk factors for cardiovascular disease. All patients underwent emergent coronary angiography, with two needing stent placement and the third requiring only aspiration thrombectomy. Our case series emphasizes the importance of suspecting and investigating synthetic marijuana use in low risk young adults presenting with AMI.

Virtual Shaping of a Two-dimensional NACA 0015 Airfoil Using Synthetic Jet Actuator

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fang-Jenq; Beeler, George B.

2002-01-01

The Aircraft Morphing Program at NASA Langley envisions an aircraft without conventional control surfaces. Instead of moving control surfaces, the vehicle control systems may be implemented with a combination of propulsive forces, micro surface effectors, and fluidic devices dynamically operated by an intelligent flight control system to provide aircraft maneuverability over each mission segment. As a part of this program, a two-dimensional NACA 0015 airfoil model was designed to test mild maneuvering capability of synthetic jets in a subsonic wind tunnel. The objective of the experiments is to assess the applicability of using unsteady suction and blowing to alter the aerodynamic shape of an airfoil with a purpose to enhance lift and/or to reduce drag. Synthetic jet actuation at different chordwise locations, different forcing frequencies and amplitudes, under different freestream velocities are investigated. The effect of virtual shape change is indicated by a localized increase of surface pressure in the neighborhood of synthetic jet actuation. That causes a negative lift to the airfoil with an upper surface actuation. When actuation is applied near the airfoil leading edge, it appears that the stagnation line is shifted inducing an effect similar to that caused by a small angle of attack to produce an overall lift change.

WISB: Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, John

2016-06-15

Synthetic biology promises to create high-impact solutions to challenges in the areas of biotechnology, human/animal health, the environment, energy, materials and food security. Equally, synthetic biologists create tools and strategies that have the potential to help us answer important fundamental questions in biology. Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology (WISB) pursues both of these mutually complementary 'build to apply' and 'build to understand' approaches. This is reflected in our research structure, in which a core theme on predictive biosystems engineering develops underpinning understanding as well as next-generation experimental/theoretical tools, and these are then incorporated into three applied themes in which we engineer biosynthetic pathways, microbial communities and microbial effector systems in plants. WISB takes a comprehensive approach to training, education and outreach. For example, WISB is a partner in the EPSRC/BBSRC-funded U.K. Doctoral Training Centre in synthetic biology, we have developed a new undergraduate module in the subject, and we have established five WISB Research Career Development Fellowships to support young group leaders. Research in Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) of synthetic biology is embedded in our centre activities. WISB has been highly proactive in building an international research and training network that includes partners in Barcelona, Boston, Copenhagen, Madrid, Marburg, São Paulo, Tartu and Valencia. © 2016 The Author(s).

Drop amalgam voltammetric study of lead complexation by natural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study of inorganic complexation of lead using drop amalgam voltammetry is described. The study has been carried out in simulated salt lake water and at ionic strength of 7.35 M, the predetermined ionic strength of Lake Katwe. The complexation of lead with the simple ligands (Cl-, CO32-) created anodic waves and the ...

Comparison of outcome expectancies for synthetic cannabinoids and botanical marijuana.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauritsen, Kirstin J; Rosenberg, Harold

2016-07-01

Although initially developed for medical purposes, synthetic cannabinoids have also been consumed for recreational purposes. To evaluate whether agreement with positive and negative outcome expectancies differed for synthetic cannabinoids versus botanical marijuana, and assess reported reasons for using synthetic cannabinoids. Using a web-based recruitment and data collection procedure, 186 adults who had used both synthetic cannabinoids and botanical marijuana and 181 adults who had used botanical marijuana but not synthetic cannabinoids, completed measures of outcome expectancies and other relevant questionnaires. A significant interaction revealed that participants who had used both synthetic cannabinoids and botanical marijuana indicated lower agreement with positive expectancies for synthetic cannabinoids, and higher agreement with positive expectancies for botanical marijuana, than did those participants who used only botanical marijuana. There was no interaction between type of drug and use history on agreement with negative expectancies, and participants agreed more strongly with negative outcome expectancies for synthetic cannabinoids than for botanical marijuana whether they had used one or both types of these drugs. The most frequently provided reasons for using synthetic cannabinoids included availability, perceived legality, cost, curiosity, and social interaction. Given growing public acceptance of recreational and medical marijuana, coupled with negative perceptions and increasing regulation of synthetic cannabinoid compounds, botanical marijuana is likely to remain more available and more popular than synthetic cannabinoids.

Simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation of synthetic melanoidin

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Being an antioxidant, melanoidin removal through purely biodegradation has been inadequate. Consequently, in the current study, simultaneous adsorption and biodegradation (SAB) was employed in a stirred tank system to remove melanoidin from synthetic wastewater. Mixed microbial consortium was immobilized onto ...

Stress-Strain Relationship of Synthetic Fiber Reinforced Concrete Columns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosidawani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Many empirical confinement models for normal and high strength concrete have been developed. Nevertheless, reported studies in the term of confinement of fiber reinforced concrete are limited. Whereas, the use of fiber reinforced concrete in structural elements has become the subject of the research and has indicated positive experiences. Since the stress-strain relationship of concrete in compression is required for analysis of structural members, the study of the stress-strain relationship for synthetic fiber reinforced concrete is substantial. The aim of the study is to examine the capabilities of the various models available in the literature to predict the actual experimental behavior of synthetic fiber reinforced high-strength concrete columns. The experimental data used are the results of the circular column specimens with the spiral spacing and the volume fraction of synthetic fiber as the test variables. The axial stress-strain curves from the tests are then compared with the various models of confinement from the literature. The performance index of each model is measured by using the coefficient of variation (COV concept of stress and strain behavior parameter. Among the confinement models, Cusson model shows the closest valid value of the coefficient of variation.

The Prion Concept and Synthetic Prions.

Science.gov (United States)

Legname, Giuseppe; Moda, Fabio

2017-01-01

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by unconventional infectious agents, known as prions (PrP Sc ). Prions derive from a conformational conversion of the normally folded prion protein (PrP C ), which acquires pathological and infectious features. Moreover, PrP Sc is able to transmit the pathological conformation to PrP C through a mechanism that is still not well understood. The generation of synthetic prions, which behave like natural prions, is of fundamental importance to study the process of PrP C conversion and to assess the efficacy of therapeutic strategies to interfere with this process. Moreover, the ability of synthetic prions to induce pathology in animals confirms that the pathological properties of the prion strains are all enciphered in abnormal conformations, characterizing these infectious agents. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The adjuvant potential of synthetic alkylglycerols.

Science.gov (United States)

Acevedo, Reinaldo; Gil, Danay; del Campo, Judith; Bracho, Gustavo; Valdés, Yolanda; Pérez, Oliver

2006-04-12

Alkylglycerols (AGs) have shown immune stimulant and adjuvant activity in many studies, but natural sources are not so accessible and their extraction from them is very complicated. Therefore, a group of chemists at IFAL have synthesized AG analogs. The aim of this work was to evaluate the adjuvant potential of different synthetic AGs. A mix of ovoalbumin (Ova) and AGs increase anti-Ova IgG antibodies production in sera of immunized mice. The predominant subclass was IgG1 although higher levels of IgG2a were observed as the carbon chain length of AGs increased. AGs also induced the production of IL-12 and nitric oxide (NO) in the U937 human histiocyte and J774 mouse macrophage cell lines, respectively. These results indicate that synthetic AGs are effective adjuvants for the standardized antigen, Ova.

Preparing Synthetic Biology for the World

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerd H.G. Moe-Behrens

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Synthetic Biology promises low-cost, exponentially scalable products and global health solutions in the form of self-replicating organisms, or living devices. As these promises are realized, proof-of-concept systems will gradually migrate from tightly regulated laboratory or industrial environments into private spaces as, for instance, probiotic health products, food, and even do-it-yourself bioengineered systems. What additional steps, if any, should be taken before releasing engineered self-replicating organisms into a broader user space? In this review, we explain how studies of genetically modified organisms lay groundwork for the future landscape of biosafety. Early in the design process, biological engineers are anticipating potential hazards and developing innovative tools to mitigate risk. Here, we survey lessons learned, ongoing efforts to engineer intrinsic biocontainment, and how different stakeholders in synthetic biology can act to accomplish best practices for biosafety.

Synthetic cannabimimetic agents metabolized by carboxylesterases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Ragnar; Nielsen, Line M; Holm, Niels B

2015-01-01

Synthetic cannabimimetic agents are a large group of diverse compounds which act as agonists at cannabinoid receptors. Since 2004, synthetic cannabinoids have been used recreationally, although several of the compounds have been shown to cause severe toxicity in humans. In this study......, the metabolism of two indazole carboxamide derivatives, AB-PINACA and AB-FUBINACA, was investigated by using human liver microsomes (HLM). For both compounds, a major metabolic pathway was the enzymatic hydrolysis of the primary amide, resulting in the major metabolites AB-PINACA-COOH and AB-FUBINACA-COOH. Other...... major metabolic pathways were mono-hydroxylation of the N-pentyl chain in AB-PINACA and mono-hydroxylation of the 1-amino-3-methyl-1-oxobutane moiety in AB-FUBINACA. To identify the enzyme(s) responsible for the amide hydrolysis, incubations with recombinant carboxylesterases and human serum, as well...

Characterization of synthetic foam structures used to manufacture artificial vertebral trabecular bone.

Science.gov (United States)

Fürst, David; Senck, Sascha; Hollensteiner, Marianne; Esterer, Benjamin; Augat, Peter; Eckstein, Felix; Schrempf, Andreas

2017-07-01

Artificial materials reflecting the mechanical properties of human bone are essential for valid and reliable implant testing and design. They also are of great benefit for realistic simulation of surgical procedures. The objective of this study was therefore to characterize two groups of self-developed synthetic foam structures by static compressive testing and by microcomputed tomography. Two mineral fillers and varying amounts of a blowing agent were used to create different expansion behavior of the synthetic open-cell foams. The resulting compressive and morphometric properties thus differed within and also slightly between both groups. Apart from the structural anisotropy, the compressive and morphometric properties of the synthetic foam materials were shown to mirror the respective characteristics of human vertebral trabecular bone in good approximation. In conclusion, the artificial materials created can be used to manufacture valid synthetic bones for surgical training. Further, they provide novel possibilities for studying the relationship between trabecular bone microstructure and biomechanical properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A systematic design method for robust synthetic biology to satisfy design specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bor-Sen; Wu, Chih-Hung

2009-06-30

Synthetic biology is foreseen to have important applications in biotechnology and medicine, and is expected to contribute significantly to a better understanding of the functioning of complex biological systems. However, the development of synthetic gene networks is still difficult and most newly created gene networks are non-functioning due to intrinsic parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and functional variations of intra- and extra-cellular environments. The design method for a robust synthetic gene network that works properly in a host cell under these intrinsic parameter uncertainties and external disturbances is the most important topic in synthetic biology. In this study, we propose a stochastic model that includes parameter fluctuations and external disturbances to mimic the dynamic behaviors of a synthetic gene network in the host cell. Then, based on this stochastic model, four design specifications are introduced to guarantee that a synthetic gene network can achieve its desired steady state behavior in spite of parameter fluctuations, external disturbances and functional variations in the host cell. We propose a systematic method to select a set of appropriate design parameters for a synthetic gene network that will satisfy these design specifications so that the intrinsic parameter fluctuations can be tolerated, the external disturbances can be efficiently filtered, and most importantly, the desired steady states can be achieved. Thus the synthetic gene network can work properly in a host cell under intrinsic parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and functional variations. Finally, a design procedure for the robust synthetic gene network is developed and a design example is given in silico to confirm the performance of the proposed method. Based on four design specifications, a systematic design procedure is developed for designers to engineer a robust synthetic biology network that can achieve its desired steady state behavior

[Study on lead absorption in pumpkin by atomic absorption spectrophotometry].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhen-Xia; Sun, Yong-Dong; Chen, Bi-Hua; Li, Xin-Zheng

2008-07-01

A study was carried out on the characteristic of lead absorption in pumpkin via atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that lead absorption amount in pumpkin increased with time, but the absorption rate decreased with time; And the lead absorption amount reached the peak in pH 7. Lead and cadmium have similar characteristic of absorption in pumpkin.

DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF LOSARTAN POTASSIUM MATRIX TABLETS WITH NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

OpenAIRE

R. L. C. Sasidhar et al.

2012-01-01

The objective of the study was to formulate controlled release matrix tablets of losartan Potassium by using a combination of hydrophilic synthetic polymer like poly (ethylene oxides) and natural gums like xanthan gum, karaya gum and guar gum. A combination of synthetic hydrophobic polymers like methacrylates with synthetic hydrophilic polymer like poly (ethylene oxide) was also used in the preparation of matrix tablets and evaluated for their influence on controlled drug release. The matrix ...

INTRIGOSS: A new Library of High Resolution Synthetic Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Franchini, Mariagrazia; Morossi, Carlo; Di Marcancantonio, Paolo; Chavez, Miguel; GES-Builders

2018-01-01

INTRIGOSS (INaf Trieste Grid Of Synthetic Spectra) is a new High Resolution (HiRes) synthetic spectral library designed for studying F, G, and K stars. The library is based on atmosphere models computed with specified individual element abundances via ATLAS12 code. Normalized SPectra (NSP) and surface Flux SPectra (FSP), in the 4800-5400 Å wavelength range, were computed by means of the SPECTRUM code. The synthetic spectra are computed with an atomic and bi-atomic molecular line list including "bona fide" Predicted Lines (PLs) built by tuning loggf to reproduce very high SNR Solar spectrum and the UVES-U580 spectra of five cool giants extracted from the Gaia-ESO survey (GES). The astrophysical gf-values were then assessed by using more than 2000 stars with homogenous and accurate atmosphere parameters and detailed chemical composition from GES. The validity and greater accuracy of INTRIGOSS NSPs and FSPs with respect to other available spectral libraries is discussed. INTRIGOSS will be available on the web and will be a valuable tool for both stellar atmospheric parameters and stellar population studies.

Construction of synthetic dermis and skin based on a self-assembled peptide hydrogel scaffold.

Science.gov (United States)

Kao, Bunsho; Kadomatsu, Koichi; Hosaka, Yoshiaki

2009-09-01

Using biocompatible peptide hydrogel as a scaffold, we prepared three-dimensional synthetic skin that does not contain animal-derived materials or pathogens. The present study investigated preparation methods, proliferation, and functional expression of fibroblasts in the synthetic dermis and differentiation of keratinocytes in the epidermis. Synthetic dermis was prepared by mixing fibroblasts with peptide hydrogel, and synthetic skin was prepared by forming an epidermal layer using keratinocytes on the synthetic dermis. A fibroblast-rich foamy layer consisting of homogeneous peptide hydrogel subsequently formed in the synthetic dermis, with fibroblasts aggregating in clusters within the septum. The epidermis consisted of three to five keratinocyte layers. Immunohistochemical staining showed human type I collagen, indicating functional expression around fibroblasts in the synthetic dermis, keratinocyte differentiation in the epidermis, and expression of basement membrane proteins. The number of fibroblasts tended to increase until the second week and was maintained until the fourth week, but rapidly decreased in the fifth week. In the synthetic dermis medium, the human type I collagen concentration increased after the second week to the fifth week. These findings suggest that peptide hydrogel acts as a synthetic skin scaffold that offers a platform for the proliferation and functional expression of fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

Synthetic Marijuana Induced Acute Nonischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsheshtawy, Moustafa; Sriganesh, Priatharsini; Virparia, Vasudev; Patel, Falgun; Khanna, Ashok

2016-01-01

Synthetic marijuana is an uptrending designer drug currently widely spread in the US. We report a case of acute deterioration of nonischemic left ventricular dysfunction after exposure to synthetic marijuana. This case illustrates the importance of history taking in cardiac patients and identifies a negative cardiovascular effect of synthetic marijuana known as K2, not yet well detected by urine toxicology screening tools.

Synthetic Marijuana Induced Acute Nonischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction

OpenAIRE

Moustafa Elsheshtawy; Priatharsini Sriganesh; Vasudev Virparia; Falgun Patel; Ashok Khanna

2016-01-01

Synthetic marijuana is an uptrending designer drug currently widely spread in the US. We report a case of acute deterioration of nonischemic left ventricular dysfunction after exposure to synthetic marijuana. This case illustrates the importance of history taking in cardiac patients and identifies a negative cardiovascular effect of synthetic marijuana known as K2, not yet well detected by urine toxicology screening tools.

Lead-Related Genetic Loci, Cumulative Lead Exposure and Incident Coronary Heart Disease: The Normative Aging Study

Science.gov (United States)

Weisskopf, Marc G.; Sparrow, David; Schwartz, Joel; Hu, Howard; Park, Sung Kyun

2016-01-01

Background Cumulative exposure to lead is associated with cardiovascular outcomes. Polymorphisms in the δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), hemochromatosis (HFE), heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1), vitamin D receptor (VDR), glutathione S-transferase (GST) supergene family (GSTP1, GSTT1, GSTM1), apolipoprotein E (APOE),angiotensin II receptor-1 (AGTR1) and angiotensinogen (AGT) genes, are believed to alter toxicokinetics and/or toxicodynamics of lead. Objectives We assessed possible effect modification by genetic polymorphisms in ALAD, HFE, HMOX1, VDR, GSTP1, GSTT1, GSTM1, APOE, AGTR1 and AGT individually and as the genetic risk score (GRS) on the association between cumulative lead exposure and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events. Methods We used K-shell-X-ray fluorescence to measure bone lead levels. GRS was calculated on the basis of 22 lead-related loci. We constructed Cox proportional hazard models to compute adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident CHD. We applied inverse probability weighting to account for potential selection bias due to recruitment into the bone lead sub-study. Results Significant effect modification was found by VDR, HMOX1, GSTP1, APOE, and AGT genetic polymorphisms when evaluated individually. Further, the bone lead-CHD associations became larger as GRS increases. After adjusting for potential confounders, a HR of CHD was 2.27 (95%CI: 1.50–3.42) with 2-fold increase in patella lead levels, among participants in the top tertile of GRS. We also detected an increasing trend in HRs across tertiles of GRS (p-trend = 0.0063). Conclusions Our findings suggest that lead-related loci as a whole may play an important role in susceptibility to lead-related CHD risk. These findings need to be validated in a separate cohort containing bone lead, lead-related genetic loci and incident CHD data. PMID:27584680

A study on the C-peptide radioimmunoassay with synthetized connecting peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Shoichi; Sasaki, Takashi; Nakayama, Hidetaka; Watanabe, Takuji; Aoki, Shin

1976-01-01

A method of C-peptide radioimmunoassay with the synthetized connecting peptide by Yanaihara was tested for the determination of serum C-peptide immunoreactivity (CPR) in normal people and in diabetics with or without insulin treatment. The CPR value obtained by this method was not interfered with by the presence of serum proteins or by the insulin of people with or without insulin treatment judged by the dilution test and the recovery test. The normal fasting CPR was 2.80 +- 0.78 ng/ml with the synthetized C-peptide as a standard. The CPR value increased and reached a maximum 90 minutes after the ingestion of 50 g of glucose. The increase after the glucose loading reduced corresponding to the severity of diabetes, and some juvenile-onset diabetes showed no response. Adult-type diabetics under insulin treatment, however, showed weak but significant CPR response. The increment of CPR and immunoreactive insulin after glucose loading in normal people and non-treated diabetics was well correlated (γ=0.8262). Judged from the above mentioned results, CPR determination in insulin-treated diabetics was thought to be a useful method for the assessment of the insulin-secreting ability of beta-cells of the pancreas. (J.P.N.)

Synthetic cannabinoid: prevalence, mechanisms of addiction development, mental disorders associated with the use of synthetic cannabinoid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antsyborov A.V.

2017-04-01

Full Text Available according to the authors among the new psychoactive substances, the number of which is growing every year, despite the measures aimed at the obstacles to their dissemination there discovered the most frequent violations of psychotic conditions associated with use of synthetic cannabinoid in clinical practice. On the black market, they are distributed through online shops, under the guise of herbal mixtures for Smoking. When ingested, this group of drugs at the peak of intoxication raises a number of mental (different according to the depth of impaired consciousness, auditory and visual hallucinations, panic attacks, acute psychotic paranoid disorders, catatonic stupor, polar affective disorders, acute polythematic delusional symptoms and somatic disorders (disorders of heart rhythm and conduction, acute ischemic disorders, hypertension, depression of respiratory activity, violation of thermoregulation, development of acute renal failure, vomiting, expressed cephalgia, clinic of hypokalemia. In the reviewed literature and authors own observations there have been discovered some cases of mental addiction development to synthetic cannabinoids. The analysis of new literature data and own clinical observations helped the authors to compare the psychotropic effects caused by this group of drugs, relative to other known surfactants. The toxic effects of CSC on the body greatly exceeds the use of plant cannabinoids, and it has almost the same effects as the synthetic cathinone’s. The speed of formation of psychological dependence is lower compared to synthetic cathinone. Developing current strategies for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients who use synthetic cannabinoids remains an important task for practical healthcare.

Synthetic aperture radar: principles and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, N.A.; Yahya, K.M.

2003-01-01

In this paper an introduction to synthetic aperture radar is presented. Synthetic aperture radar is a relatively new remote sensing platform and the technology has matured a lot in the last two decades. This paper introduces the concepts behind SAR principles as well as the major areas where this new technology has shown additional information. (author)

Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walchli John

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. Results In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38α, viral polymerase (HCV NS5B, and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ were expressed in both E. coli and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. Conclusion The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.

Synthetic biology and the technicity of biofuels.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackenzie, Adrian

2013-06-01

The principal existing real-world application of synthetic biology is biofuels. Several 'next generation biofuel' companies-Synthetic Genomics, Amyris and Joule Unlimited Technologies-claim to be using synthetic biology to make biofuels. The irony of this is that highly advanced science and engineering serves the very mundane and familiar realm of transport. Despite their rather prosaic nature, biofuels could offer an interesting way to highlight the novelty of synthetic biology from several angles at once. Drawing on the French philosopher of technology and biology Gilbert Simondon, we can understand biofuels as technical objects whose genesis involves processes of concretisation that negotiate between heterogeneous geographical, biological, technical, scientific and commercial realities. Simondon's notion of technicity, the degree of concretisation of a technical object, usefully conceptualises this relationality. Viewed in terms of technicity, we might understand better how technical entities, elements, and ensembles are coming into being in the name of synthetic biology. The broader argument here is that when we seek to identify the newness of disciplines, their newness might be less epistemic and more logistic. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generating Daily Synthetic Landsat Imagery by Combining Landsat and MODIS Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Mingquan; Huang, Wenjiang; Niu, Zheng; Wang, Changyao

2015-09-18

Owing to low temporal resolution and cloud interference, there is a shortage of high spatial resolution remote sensing data. To address this problem, this study introduces a modified spatial and temporal data fusion approach (MSTDFA) to generate daily synthetic Landsat imagery. This algorithm was designed to avoid the limitations of the conditional spatial temporal data fusion approach (STDFA) including the constant window for disaggregation and the sensor difference. An adaptive window size selection method is proposed in this study to select the best window size and moving steps for the disaggregation of coarse pixels. The linear regression method is used to remove the influence of differences in sensor systems using disaggregated mean coarse reflectance by testing and validation in two study areas located in Xinjiang Province, China. The results show that the MSTDFA algorithm can generate daily synthetic Landsat imagery with a high correlation coefficient (R) ranged from 0.646 to 0.986 between synthetic images and the actual observations. We further show that MSTDFA can be applied to 250 m 16-day MODIS MOD13Q1 products and the Landsat Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) data by generating a synthetic NDVI image highly similar to actual Landsat NDVI observation with a high R of 0.97.

Rheological characteristics of synthetic road binders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon D. Airey; Musarrat H. Mohammed; Caroline Fichter [University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom)

2008-08-15

This paper deals with the synthesis of polymer binders from monomers that could in future be derived from renewable resources. These binders consist of polyethyl acrylate (PEA) of different molecular weight, polymethyl acrylate (PMA) and polybutyl acrylate (PBA), which were synthesised from ethyl acrylate, methyl acrylate and butyl acrylate, respectively, by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The fundamental rheological properties of these binders were determined by means of a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) using a combination of temperature and frequency sweeps. The results indicate that PEA has rheological properties similar to that of 100/150 penetration grade bitumen, PMA similar rheological properties to that of 10/20 penetration grade bitumen, while PBA, due to its highly viscous nature and low complex modulus, cannot be used on its own as an asphalt binder. The synthetic binders were also combined with conventional penetration grade bitumen to produce a range of bitumen-synthetic polymer binder blends. These blends were batched by mass in the ratio of 1:1 or 3:1 and subjected to the same DSR rheological testing as the synthetic binders. The blends consisting of a softer bitumen (70/100 pen or 100/150 pen) with a hard synthetic binder (PMA) tended to be more compatible and therefore stable and produced rheological properties that combined the properties of the two components. The synthetic binders and particularly the extended bitumen samples (blends) produced rheological properties that showed similar characteristics to elastomeric SBS PMBs. 30 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.

The Role of Synthetic Biology in NASA's Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Lynn J.

2016-01-01

The time has come to for NASA to exploit synthetic biology in pursuit of its missions, including aeronautics, earth science, astrobiology and most notably, human exploration. Conversely, NASA advances the fundamental technology of synthetic biology as no one else can because of its unique expertise in the origin of life and life in extreme environments, including the potential for alternate life forms. This enables unique, creative "game changing" advances. NASA's requirement for minimizing upmass in flight will also drive the field toward miniaturization and automation. These drivers will greatly increase the utility of synthetic biology solutions for military, health in remote areas and commercial purposes. To this end, we have begun a program at NASA to explore the use of synthetic biology in NASA's missions, particular space exploration. As part of this program, we began hosting an iGEM team of undergraduates drawn from Brown and Stanford Universities to conduct synthetic biology research at NASA Ames Research Center. The 2011 team (http://2011.igem.org/Team:Brown-Stanford) produced an award-winning project on using synthetic biology as a basis for a human Mars settlement.

[Smart therapeutics based on synthetic gene circuits].

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Shuguang; Xie, Zhen

2017-03-25

Synthetic biology has an important impact on biology research since its birth. Applying the thought and methods that reference from electrical engineering, synthetic biology uncovers many regulatory mechanisms of life systems, transforms and expands a series of biological components. Therefore, it brings a wide range of biomedical applications, including providing new ideas for disease diagnosis and treatment. This review describes the latest advances in the field of disease diagnosis and therapy based on mammalian cell or bacterial synthetic gene circuits, and provides new ideas for future smart therapy design.

Thermal and structural characterization of synthetic and natural nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sofronia, Ancuta M.; Baies, Radu; Anghel, Elena M.; Marinescu, Cornelia A.; Tanasescu, Speranta

2014-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the thermal stability on heating and to obtain the processing parameters of synthetic and bone-derived hydroxyapatite over temperatures between room temperature and 1400 °C by thermal analysis (thermogravimetry (TG)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-mechanical analysis—TMA). Structural and surface modifications related to samples origin and calcination temperature were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET method. FTIR spectra indicated that the organic constituents and carbonate are no longer present in the natural sample calcined at 800 °C. Raman spectra highlighted the decomposition products of the hydroxyapatite. The calcination treatment modifies the processes kinetics of the synthetic samples, being able to isolate lattice water desorption processes of decarbonization and the dehydroxylation processes. Shrinkage of calcined synthetic sample increases by 10% compared to uncalcined synthetic powder. From the TMA correlated with TG analysis and heat capacity data it can be concluded that sintering temperature of the synthetic samples should be chosen in the temperature range of the onset of dehydroxylation and the temperature at which oxyapatite decomposition begins. - Highlights: • Specific surface area of HA powder was reduced from 19.2 to 9.5 m 2 /g by calcination. • Raman spectra indicate the presence of B-type CO 3 group in HA synthetic samples. • The onset temperature of HA densification and dehydroxylation processes correspond. • Calcination of HA influences reactions kinetics with consequences on densification. • Shrinkage of calcined HA sample increases by 10% with respect to uncalcined sample

Thermal and structural characterization of synthetic and natural nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sofronia, Ancuta M. [Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Baies, Radu [National Research Institute for Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, 300224 Timisoara (Romania); Anghel, Elena M. [Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Marinescu, Cornelia A., E-mail: alcorina@chimfiz.icf.ro [Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 060021 Bucharest (Romania); Tanasescu, Speranta [Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 060021 Bucharest (Romania)

2014-10-01

The aim of this work was to study the thermal stability on heating and to obtain the processing parameters of synthetic and bone-derived hydroxyapatite over temperatures between room temperature and 1400 °C by thermal analysis (thermogravimetry (TG)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-mechanical analysis—TMA). Structural and surface modifications related to samples origin and calcination temperature were investigated by Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and BET method. FTIR spectra indicated that the organic constituents and carbonate are no longer present in the natural sample calcined at 800 °C. Raman spectra highlighted the decomposition products of the hydroxyapatite. The calcination treatment modifies the processes kinetics of the synthetic samples, being able to isolate lattice water desorption processes of decarbonization and the dehydroxylation processes. Shrinkage of calcined synthetic sample increases by 10% compared to uncalcined synthetic powder. From the TMA correlated with TG analysis and heat capacity data it can be concluded that sintering temperature of the synthetic samples should be chosen in the temperature range of the onset of dehydroxylation and the temperature at which oxyapatite decomposition begins. - Highlights: • Specific surface area of HA powder was reduced from 19.2 to 9.5 m{sup 2}/g by calcination. • Raman spectra indicate the presence of B-type CO{sub 3} group in HA synthetic samples. • The onset temperature of HA densification and dehydroxylation processes correspond. • Calcination of HA influences reactions kinetics with consequences on densification. • Shrinkage of calcined HA sample increases by 10% with respect to uncalcined sample.

Synthetic Cannabis Overdose and Withdrawal in a Young Adult: A Case Report, Commentary on Regulation, and Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Samaan, John; Ferrer, Gerardo F; Akinyemi, Boye; Junquera, Patricia; Oms, Juan; Dumenigo, Rhaisa

2016-01-01

Introduction . Marijuana has been used for its psychotropic effects including enhanced relaxation and perceptual alterations. However, the use of synthetic marijuana (SM) leads to more frequent and drastic side effects than the typical use of regular marijuana, owing to the fact that SM has a shorter duration and an earlier peak of action. Despite all the potential adverse health effects associated with SM use, current health policies on SM are very limited. It is believed that the popularity of SM has increased, due to its easy accessibility in the US and lack of detection in typical urine drug screens for THC. Case Report . One case presented is of a young adult patient, with histories of recurrent synthetic cannabis and recreational cannabis use, who had developed drastic physiological and psychiatric symptoms, including the development of acute-onset psychosis. Conclusion/Discussion . This case, as many others nationwide, exemplifies the impact of synthetic cannabinoid use and abuse in adolescents. Side effects and adverse health consequences of synthetic cannabinoid use warrant stricter regulations and policies in order to decrease psychiatric hospital admissions and associated healthcare costs.

Synthetic Marijuana Induced Acute Nonischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moustafa Elsheshtawy

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Synthetic marijuana is an uptrending designer drug currently widely spread in the US. We report a case of acute deterioration of nonischemic left ventricular dysfunction after exposure to synthetic marijuana. This case illustrates the importance of history taking in cardiac patients and identifies a negative cardiovascular effect of synthetic marijuana known as K2, not yet well detected by urine toxicology screening tools.

Application of the Organic Synthetic Designs to Astrobiology

Science.gov (United States)

Kolb, V. M.

2009-12-01

In this paper we propose a synthesis of the heterocyclic compounds and the insoluble materials on the meteorites. Our synthetic scheme involves the reaction of sugars and amino acids, the so-called Maillard reaction. We have developed this scheme based on the combined analysis of the regular and retrosynthetic organic synthetic principles. The merits of these synthetic methods for the prebiotic design are addressed.

NATO Advanced Study Institute on Synthetic Membranes : Science, Engineering and Applications

CERN Document Server

Lonsdale, H; Pinho, M

1986-01-01

The chapters in this book are based upon lectures given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Synthetic Membranes (June 26-July 8, 1983, Alcabideche, Portugal), which provided an integrated presentation of syn­ thetic membrane science and technology in three broad areas. Currently available membrane formation mechanisms are reviewed, as well as the manner in which synthesis conditions can be controlled to achieve desired membrane structures. Membrane performance in a specific separa­ tionprocess involves complex phenomena, the understanding of which re­ quires a multidisciplinary approach encompassing polymer chemistry, phys­ ical chemistry, and chemical engineering. Progress toward a global understanding of membrane phenomena is described in chapters on the principles of membrane transport. The chapters on membrane processes and applications highlight both established and emerging membrane processes, and elucidate their myriad applications. It is our hope that this book will be an enduring, comprehensi...

Paper-based synthetic gene networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardee, Keith; Green, Alexander A; Ferrante, Tom; Cameron, D Ewen; DaleyKeyser, Ajay; Yin, Peng; Collins, James J

2014-11-06

Synthetic gene networks have wide-ranging uses in reprogramming and rewiring organisms. To date, there has not been a way to harness the vast potential of these networks beyond the constraints of a laboratory or in vivo environment. Here, we present an in vitro paper-based platform that provides an alternate, versatile venue for synthetic biologists to operate and a much-needed medium for the safe deployment of engineered gene circuits beyond the lab. Commercially available cell-free systems are freeze dried onto paper, enabling the inexpensive, sterile, and abiotic distribution of synthetic-biology-based technologies for the clinic, global health, industry, research, and education. For field use, we create circuits with colorimetric outputs for detection by eye and fabricate a low-cost, electronic optical interface. We demonstrate this technology with small-molecule and RNA actuation of genetic switches, rapid prototyping of complex gene circuits, and programmable in vitro diagnostics, including glucose sensors and strain-specific Ebola virus sensors.

Paper-based Synthetic Gene Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pardee, Keith; Green, Alexander A.; Ferrante, Tom; Cameron, D. Ewen; DaleyKeyser, Ajay; Yin, Peng; Collins, James J.

2014-01-01

Synthetic gene networks have wide-ranging uses in reprogramming and rewiring organisms. To date, there has not been a way to harness the vast potential of these networks beyond the constraints of a laboratory or in vivo environment. Here, we present an in vitro paper-based platform that provides a new venue for synthetic biologists to operate, and a much-needed medium for the safe deployment of engineered gene circuits beyond the lab. Commercially available cell-free systems are freeze-dried onto paper, enabling the inexpensive, sterile and abiotic distribution of synthetic biology-based technologies for the clinic, global health, industry, research and education. For field use, we create circuits with colorimetric outputs for detection by eye, and fabricate a low-cost, electronic optical interface. We demonstrate this technology with small molecule and RNA actuation of genetic switches, rapid prototyping of complex gene circuits, and programmable in vitro diagnostics, including glucose sensors and strain-specific Ebola virus sensors. PMID:25417167

Engineering of synthetic, stress-responsive yeast promoters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rajkumar, Arun Stephen; Liu, Guodong; Bergenholm, David

2016-01-01

Advances in synthetic biology and our understanding of the rules of promoter architecture have led to the development of diverse synthetic constitutive and inducible promoters in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, the design of promoters inducibleby specific endogenous or environmental conditions...

Opportunities for microfluidic technologies in synthetic biology

OpenAIRE

Gulati, Shelly; Rouilly, Vincent; Niu, Xize; Chappell, James; Kitney, Richard I.; Edel, Joshua B.; Freemont, Paul S.; deMello, Andrew J.

2009-01-01

We introduce microfluidics technologies as a key foundational technology for synthetic biology experimentation. Recent advances in the field of microfluidics are reviewed and the potential of such a technological platform to support the rapid development of synthetic biology solutions is discussed.

A study of porosity of synthetic polymer nanoparticles using PALS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pham, B; Smith, S V [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) NSW 2232 (Australia); Guagliardo, P; Williams, J; Samarin, S, E-mail: binh.pham@ansto.gov.au, E-mail: svs@ansto.gov.au [Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, School of Physics, University of Western Australia, WA 6009 (Australia)

2011-01-01

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) has been used to study the free volume in dry synthetic polymer nanoparticles of various sizes. A series of poly(styrene/divinyl benzene) particles with diameters in the range of 100 to 500 nm were synthesized and then carefully chemically treated using the sulfonation process, to increase their porosity. The particles were characterised by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), light scattering and PALS. Light scattering gave larger size for the treated particles, reflecting the hydration effect and therefore the increase in porosity. PALS spectra of untreated and treated particles gave four and three life-time components, respectively. Analysis by PAScual version 1.3.0 program indicated there was a reduction in the intensity and the type of the micropores in the treated particles. The data suggest PALS is a sensitive tool for detecting changes in microporosity in particles. The conflicting results obtained for light scattering compared to PALS for chemically treated particles is difficult to resolve and suggests sample preparation of polymeric materials for PALS is the critical factor.

[Research progress of mammalian synthetic biology in biomedical field].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Linfeng; Yin, Jianli; Wang, Meiyan; Ye, Haifeng

2017-03-25

Although still in its infant stage, synthetic biology has achieved remarkable development and progress during the past decade. Synthetic biology applies engineering principles to design and construct gene circuits uploaded into living cells or organisms to perform novel or improved functions, and it has been widely used in many fields. In this review, we describe the recent advances of mammalian synthetic biology for the treatment of diseases. We introduce common tools and design principles of synthetic gene circuits, and then we demonstrate open-loop gene circuits induced by different trigger molecules used in disease diagnosis and close-loop gene circuits used for biomedical applications. Finally, we discuss the perspectives and potential challenges of synthetic biology for clinical applications.

Synthetical bone-like and biological hydroxyapatites: a comparative study of crystal structure and morphology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markovic, Smilja; Veselinovic, Ljiljana; Lukic, Miodrag J; Ignjatovic, Nenad; Uskokovic, Dragan [Institute of Technical Sciences of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11001 Belgrade (Serbia); Karanovic, Ljiljana [Laboratory for Crystallography, Faculty of Mining and Geology, University of Belgrade, Dusina 7, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Bracko, Ines, E-mail: dragan.uskokovic@itn.sanu.ac.rs [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

2011-08-15

Phase composition, crystal structure and morphology of biological hydroxyapatite (BHAp) extracted from human mandible bone, and carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp), synthesized by the chemical precipitation method, were studied by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman (R) spectroscopy techniques, combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Structural and microstructural parameters were determined through Rietveld refinement of recorded XRD data, performed using the FullProf computing program, and TEM. Microstructural analysis shows anisotropic extension along the [0 0 l] crystallographic direction (i.e. elongated crystallites shape) of both investigated samples. The average crystallite sizes of 10 and 8 nm were estimated for BHAp and CHAp, respectively. The FTIR and R spectroscopy studies show that carbonate ions substitute both phosphate and hydroxyl ions in the crystal structure of BHAp as well as in CHAp, indicating that both of them are mixed AB-type of CHAp. The thermal behaviour and carbonate content were analysed using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The carbonate content of about 1 wt.% and phase transition, at near 790 {sup 0}C, from HAp to {beta}-tricalcium phosphate were determined in both samples. The quality of synthesized CHAp powder, particularly, the particle size distribution and uniformity of morphology, was analysed by a particle size analyser based on laser diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. These data were used to discuss similarity between natural and synthetic CHAp. Good correlation between the unit cell parameters, average crystallite size, morphology, carbonate content and crystallographic positions of carbonate ions in natural and synthetic HAp samples was found.

Synthetical bone-like and biological hydroxyapatites: a comparative study of crystal structure and morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markovic, Smilja; Veselinovic, Ljiljana; Lukic, Miodrag J; Ignjatovic, Nenad; Uskokovic, Dragan; Karanovic, Ljiljana; Bracko, Ines

2011-01-01

Phase composition, crystal structure and morphology of biological hydroxyapatite (BHAp) extracted from human mandible bone, and carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp), synthesized by the chemical precipitation method, were studied by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman (R) spectroscopy techniques, combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Structural and microstructural parameters were determined through Rietveld refinement of recorded XRD data, performed using the FullProf computing program, and TEM. Microstructural analysis shows anisotropic extension along the [0 0 l] crystallographic direction (i.e. elongated crystallites shape) of both investigated samples. The average crystallite sizes of 10 and 8 nm were estimated for BHAp and CHAp, respectively. The FTIR and R spectroscopy studies show that carbonate ions substitute both phosphate and hydroxyl ions in the crystal structure of BHAp as well as in CHAp, indicating that both of them are mixed AB-type of CHAp. The thermal behaviour and carbonate content were analysed using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The carbonate content of about 1 wt.% and phase transition, at near 790 0 C, from HAp to β-tricalcium phosphate were determined in both samples. The quality of synthesized CHAp powder, particularly, the particle size distribution and uniformity of morphology, was analysed by a particle size analyser based on laser diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy, respectively. These data were used to discuss similarity between natural and synthetic CHAp. Good correlation between the unit cell parameters, average crystallite size, morphology, carbonate content and crystallographic positions of carbonate ions in natural and synthetic HAp samples was found.

75 FR 52752 - Request for Comments on Synthetic Biology

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Request for Comments on Synthetic Biology AGENCY... Bioethical Issues is requesting public comment on the emerging science of synthetic biology, including its... Commission has begun an inquiry into the emerging science of synthetic biology. The President asked the...

Adsorption of copper, nickel and lead ions from synthetic semiconductor industrial wastewater by palm shell activated carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onundi, Y. B.; Mamun, A. A.; Al Khatib, M. F.; Ahmad, Y. M.

2010-01-01

Granular activated carbon produced from palm kernel shell was used as adsorbent to remove copper, nickel and lead ions from a synthesized industrial wastewater. Laboratory experimental investigation was carried out to identify the effect of p H and contact time on adsorption of lead, copper and nickel from the mixed metals solution. Equilibrium adsorption experiments at ambient room temperature were carried out and fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models. Results showed that p H 5 was the most suitable, while the maximum adsorbent capacity was at a dosage of 1 g/L, recording a sorption capacity of 1.337 mg/g for lead, 1.581 mg/g for copper and 0.130 mg/g for nickel. The percentage metal removal approached equilibrium within 30 minutes for lead, 75 minutes for copper and nickel, with lead recording 100 p ercent , copper 97 p ercent a nd nickel 55 p ercent r emoval, having a trend of Pb 2+ > Cu 2+ > Ni 2+ . Langmuir model had higher R 2 values of 0.977, 0.817 and 0.978 for copper, nickel and lead respectively, which fitted the equilibrium adsorption process more than Freundlich model for the three metals.

Mortality study of lead workers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, W C; Gaffey, W R

1975-01-01

The mortality of 7,032 men employed for one or more years in lead production facilities or battery plants was followed over a 23-year period, 1947-70. Lead absorption in many of these men was greatly in excess of currently accepted standards based upon urinary and blood lead concentrations available for a portion of the group. There were 1,356 deaths reported. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) for all causes was 107 for smelter workers and 99 for battery plant workers. Death from neoplasms were in slight excess in smelters, but not significantly increased in battery plants. There were no excess deaths from kidney tumors. The SMR for cardiovascular-renal disease was 96 for smelter workers and 101 for battery plant workers. There was definitely no excess in deaths from either stroke or hypertensive heart disease; however, deaths classified as other hypertensive disease and unspecified nephritis or renal sclerosis were higher than expected. The life expectancy of lead workers was calculated to be approximately the same as that of all U.S. males.

Developing a synthetic national population to investigate the impact of different cardiovascular disease risk management strategies: A derivation and validation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Josh; Wells, Susan; Marshall, Roger; Exeter, Daniel; Jackson, Rod

2017-01-01

Many national cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor management guidelines now recommend that drug treatment decisions should be informed primarily by patients' multi-variable predicted risk of CVD, rather than on the basis of single risk factor thresholds. To investigate the potential impact of treatment guidelines based on CVD risk thresholds at a national level requires individual level data representing the multi-variable CVD risk factor profiles for a country's total adult population. As these data are seldom, if ever, available, we aimed to create a synthetic population, representing the joint CVD risk factor distributions of the adult New Zealand population. A synthetic population of 2,451,278 individuals, representing the actual age, gender, ethnicity and social deprivation composition of people aged 30-84 years who completed the 2013 New Zealand census was generated using Monte Carlo sampling. Each 'synthetic' person was then probabilistically assigned values of the remaining cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors required for predicting their CVD risk, based on data from the national census national hospitalisation and drug dispensing databases and a large regional cohort study, using Monte Carlo sampling and multiple imputation. Where possible, the synthetic population CVD risk distributions for each non-demographic risk factor were validated against independent New Zealand data sources. We were able to develop a synthetic national population with realistic multi-variable CVD risk characteristics. The construction of this population is the first step in the development of a micro-simulation model intended to investigate the likely impact of a range of national CVD risk management strategies that will inform CVD risk management guideline updates in New Zealand and elsewhere.

Multi-antenna synthetic aperture radar

CERN Document Server

Wang, Wen-Qin

2013-01-01

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a well-known remote sensing technique, but conventional single-antenna SAR is inherently limited by the minimum antenna area constraint. Although there are still technical issues to overcome, multi-antenna SAR offers many benefits, from improved system gain to increased degrees-of-freedom and system flexibility. Multi-Antenna Synthetic Aperture Radar explores the potential and challenges of using multi-antenna SAR in microwave remote sensing applications. These applications include high-resolution imaging, wide-swath remote sensing, ground moving target indica

Infrared spectroscopic study of the synthetic Mg-Ni talc series

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Marc; Méheut, Merlin; Delon, Louise; Poirier, Mathilde; Micoud, Pierre; Le Roux, Christophe; Martin, François

2018-05-01

Five talc samples [(Mg,Ni)3Si4O10(OH)2] covering the entire Mg-Ni solid solution were synthesized following a recently developed and patented process (Dumas et al., Process for preparing a composition comprising synthetic mineral particles and composition, 2013a; Procédé de préparation d'une composition comprenant des particules minérales synthétiques et composition, 2013b), which produces sub-micron talc particles replying to industrial needs. Near- and mid-infrared spectra were collected and compared to infrared spectra modeled from first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The good agreement between experimental and theoretical spectra allowed assigning unambiguously all absorption bands. We focused in particular on the four main OH stretching bands, which represent good probes of their local physical and chemical environment. The description of the vibrational modes at the origin of these absorption bands and the theoretical determination of absorption coefficients provide a firm basis for quantifying the talc chemical composition from infrared spectroscopy and for discussing the distribution of divalent cations in the octahedral sheet. Results confirm that these synthetic talc samples have a similar structure as natural talc, with a random distribution of Mg and Ni atoms. They only differ from natural talc by their hydrophilic character, which is due to their large proportion of reactive sites on sheet edges due to sub-micronic size of the particles. Therefore, the contribution on infrared spectra of hydroxyls adsorbed on edge sites has also been investigated by computing the infrared signature of hydroxyls of surface models.

Synthetic diamond devices for medical dosimetry applied to radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Descamps, C.

2007-06-01

The aim of this thesis, lead in the framework of an integrated European project entitled M.A.E.S.T.R.O. for ' Methods and Advanced Equipment for Simulation and Treatment in Radio Oncology', was to develop and test synthetic diamond detector in clinical environment for new modalities used in radiotherapy. Diamond is a good candidate for the detection of high energy beams in medical fields. It can be used for passive dosimetry, as thermoluminescent dosimeters or for active dosimetry as ionisation chambers. These two applications are presented here. Concerning the thermoluminescence, several impurities or dopants (boron, phosphorus, and nitrogen) have been incorporated in the diamond films during growth, in order to modify the material dosimetric properties and a detailed study of nitrogen-containing films is proposed. The second part presents the results obtained in active dosimetry. Two guide lines were followed: the measurement set-up optimisation and the material modification. The first dosimetric studies under radiotherapy beams concerning nitrogen-containing polycrystalline diamond as well as high purity single crystal diamond are conclusive. The detectors behaviours are in agreement with the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (author)

21 CFR 172.275 - Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives. 172... FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Coatings, Films and Related Substances § 172.275 Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives. Synthetic paraffin and succinic derivatives identified in this section may be safely...

Colloidal Nanocrystals of Lead-Free Double-Perovskite (Elpasolite) Semiconductors: Synthesis and Anion Exchange To Access New Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Creutz, Sidney E; Crites, Evan N; De Siena, Michael C; Gamelin, Daniel R

2018-02-14

Concerns about the toxicity and instability of lead-halide perovskites have driven a recent surge in research toward alternative lead-free perovskite materials, including lead-free double perovskites with the elpasolite structure and visible bandgaps. Synthetic approaches to this class of materials remain limited, however, and no examples of heterometallic elpasolites as nanomaterials have been reported. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of colloidal nanocrystals of Cs 2 AgBiX 6 (X = Cl, Br) elpasolites using a hot-injection approach. We further show that postsynthetic modification through anion exchange and cation extraction can be used to convert these nanocrystals to new materials including Cs 2 AgBiI 6 , which was previously unknown experimentally. Nanocrystals of Cs 2 AgBiI 6 , synthesized via a novel anion-exchange protocol using trimethylsilyl iodide, have strong absorption throughout the visible region, confirming theoretical predictions that this material could be a promising photovoltaic absorber. The synthetic methodologies presented here are expected to be broadly generalizable. This work demonstrates that nanocrystal ion-exchange reactivity can be used to discover and develop new lead-free halide perovskite materials that may be difficult or impossible to access through direct synthesis.

Electrospun polystyrene scaffolds as a synthetic substrate for xeno-free expansion and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Leong, Meng Fatt; Lu, Hong Fang; Lim, Tze Chiun; Du, Chan; Ma, Nina K L; Wan, Andrew C A

2016-12-01

The use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for clinical tissue engineering applications requires expansion and differentiation of the cells using defined, xeno-free substrates. The screening and selection of suitable synthetic substrates however, is tedious, as their performance relies on the inherent material properties. In the present work, we demonstrate an alternative concept for xeno-free expansion and differentiation of hiPSCs using synthetic substrates, which hinges on the structure-function relationship between electrospun polystyrene scaffolds (ESPS) and pluripotent stem cell growth. ESPS of differential porosity was obtained by fusing the fibers at different temperatures. The more porous, loosely fused scaffolds were found to efficiently trap the cells, leading to a large number of three-dimensional (3D) aggregates which were shown to be pluripotent colonies. Immunostaining, PCR analyses, in vitro differentiation and in vivo teratoma formation studies demonstrated that these hiPSC aggregates could be cultured for up to 10 consecutive passages (P10) with maintenance of pluripotency. Flow cytometry showed that more than 80% of the cell population stained positive for the pluripotent marker OCT4 at P1, P5 and P10. P10 cells could be differentiated to neuronal-like cells and cultured within the ESPS for up to 18months. Our results suggest the usefulness of a generic class of synthetic substrates, exemplified by ESPS, for 'trapped aggregate culture' of hiPSCs. To realize the potential of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in clinical medicine, robust, xeno-free substrates for expansion and differentiation of iPSCs are required. In the existing literature, synthetic materials have been reported that meet the requirement for non-xenogeneic substrates. However, the self-renewal and differentiation characteristics of hiPSCs are affected differently by the biocompatibility and physico-chemical properties of individual substrates. Although

Design and construction of "synthetic species".

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Moreno

Full Text Available Synthetic biology is an area of biological research that combines science and engineering. Here, I merge the principles of synthetic biology and regulatory evolution to create a new species with a minimal set of known elements. Using preexisting transgenes and recessive mutations of Drosophila melanogaster, a transgenic population arises with small eyes and a different venation pattern that fulfils the criteria of a new species according to Mayr's Biological Species Concept. The population described here is the first transgenic organism that cannot hybridize with the original wild type population but remains fertile when crossed with other identical transgenic animals. I therefore propose the term "synthetic species" to distinguish it from "natural species", not only because it has been created by genetic manipulation, but also because it may never be able to survive outside the laboratory environment. The use of genetic engineering to design artificial species barriers could help us understand natural speciation and may have practical applications. For instance, the transition from transgenic organisms towards synthetic species could constitute a safety mechanism to avoid the hybridization of genetically modified animals with wild type populations, preserving biodiversity.

Radiochemical and thermal studies of the cation-exchanged forms of synthetic zeolite Linde sieve A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Banerjee, S P [Saugar Univ. (India). Dept. of Chemistry

1976-02-01

The compositions of the cobalt and silver-exchanged forms of synthetic zeolite Sieve A have been determined by radiochemical and TGA studies and correspond to Co/sub 6/A.19.8H/sub 2/O and Ag/sub 12/..cap alpha... 20H/sub 2/O respectively (A=Al/sub 12/Si/sub 12/O/sub 48//sup 12/-). Heating of these zeolites inhibits their capacity for cation exchange and water absorption. No evidence of occluded NaAlO/sub 2/ has been found.

Effect of chemical composition on the flocculation dynamics of latex-based synthetic activated sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Phong Nguyen; Hankins, Nicholas P.; Hilal, Nidal

2007-01-01

This study investigates the effect of calcium, alginate, fibrous cellulose, and pH on the flocculation dynamics and final properties of synthetic activated sludges. A laboratory-scale batch reactor, fed with standard synthetic sludges was used. The effects of varying calcium concentration (5-25 mM), alginate concentration (25-125 mg/L), fibrous cellulose concentration (0.2-0.8 g/L) and pH (3-9) on the sludge characteristics were studied by varying one parameter whilst keeping the others constant. The results from experiments indicated that the calcium, alginate, fibrous cellulose, and pH had the critical effect on the aggregation rate, flocs size, and made the improvement of the final properties of sludge. Dynamic measurements have established the optimum conditions for floc formation and can accurately reflect the state of formation of the synthetic activated sludge flocs. These correlate well with measurements of settleability and turbidity of the synthetic activated sludge. The results of this study support the bonding theory and indicate that formation of cations-polymer complexes and polymer gelation are important means of flocculation. The development of synthetic activated sludges is suggested also to be a possible surrogate for studying the final properties of activated sludge

Identification of sources of lead exposure in French children by lead isotope analysis: a cross-sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucas Jean-Paul

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The amount of lead in the environment has decreased significantly in recent years, and so did exposure. However, there is no known safe exposure level and, therefore, the exposure of children to lead, although low, remains a major public health issue. With the lower levels of exposure, it is becoming more difficult to identify lead sources and new approaches may be required for preventive action. This study assessed the usefulness of lead isotope ratios for identifying sources of lead using data from a nationwide sample of French children aged from six months to six years with blood lead levels ≥25 μg/L. Methods Blood samples were taken from 125 children, representing about 600,000 French children; environmental samples were taken from their homes and personal information was collected. Lead isotope ratios were determined using quadrupole ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry and the isotopic signatures of potential sources of exposure were matched with those of blood in order to identify the most likely sources. Results In addition to the interpretation of lead concentrations, lead isotope ratios were potentially of use for 57% of children aged from six months to six years with blood lead level ≥ 25 μg/L (7% of overall children in France, about 332,000 children, with at least one potential source of lead and sufficiently well discriminated lead isotope ratios. Lead isotope ratios revealed a single suspected source of exposure for 32% of the subjects and were able to eliminate at least one unlikely source of exposure for 30% of the children. Conclusions In France, lead isotope ratios could provide valuable additional information in about a third of routine environmental investigations.

Behavioral Economics and the Public Acceptance of Synthetic Biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, Adam

2018-01-01

Different applications of synthetic biology are alike in that their possible negative consequences are highly uncertain, potentially catastrophic, and perhaps irreversible; therefore, they are also alike in that public attitudes about them are fertile ground for behavioral economic phenomena. Findings from behavioral economics suggest that people may not respond to such applications according to the normal rules of economic evaluation, by which the value of an outcome is multiplied by the mathematical probability that the outcome will occur. Possibly, then, synthetic biology applications challenge the normative postulates of the standard approach, too. I want to first consider how some of the phenomena described by behavioral economists-and behavioral scientists more broadly-might affect people's perceptions of the uncertainties associated with synthetic biology. My analysis will be far from complete, however, because behavioral economics is essentially the study of human behavior, and thus its reach is potentially vast and its development longstanding and ongoing. Nonetheless, I hope to give an indicative perspective on how some aspects of behavioral economics might affect the assessment and perceived acceptability of synthetic biology. I will then consider the issue of agency. Should policy-makers respect people's reactions to synthetic biology when those reactions are known to be driven by behavioral economic phenomena rather than following the normative postulates of rational choice theory? Or should policy-makers dismiss these reactions as inherently biased? I will argue that the normative force of these human reactions (probably) depends on phenomenon and context. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

Synthetic Self-Assembled Materials in Biological Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Versluis, F.; van Esch, J.H.; Eelkema, R.

2016-01-01

Synthetic self-assembly has long been recognized as an excellent approach for the formation of ordered structures on the nanoscale. Although the development of synthetic self-assembling materials has often been inspired by principles observed in nature (e.g., the assembly of lipids, DNA,

Assessment of synthetic image fidelity

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Kevin D.; Moorhead, Ian R.; Gilmore, Marilyn A.; Watson, Graham H.; Thomson, Mitch; Yates, T.; Troscianko, Tomasz; Tolhurst, David J.

2000-07-01

Computer generated imagery is increasingly used for a wide variety of purposes ranging from computer games to flight simulators to camouflage and sensor assessment. The fidelity required for this imagery is dependent on the anticipated use - for example when used for camouflage design it must be physically correct spectrally and spatially. The rendering techniques used will also depend upon the waveband being simulated, spatial resolution of the sensor and the required frame rate. Rendering of natural outdoor scenes is particularly demanding, because of the statistical variation in materials and illumination, atmospheric effects and the complex geometric structures of objects such as trees. The accuracy of the simulated imagery has tended to be assessed subjectively in the past. First and second order statistics do not capture many of the essential characteristics of natural scenes. Direct pixel comparison would impose an unachievable demand on the synthetic imagery. For many applications, such as camouflage design, it is important that nay metrics used will work in both visible and infrared wavebands. We are investigating a variety of different methods of comparing real and synthetic imagery and comparing synthetic imagery rendered to different levels of fidelity. These techniques will include neural networks (ICA), higher order statistics and models of human contrast perception. This paper will present an overview of the analyses we have carried out and some initial results along with some preliminary conclusions regarding the fidelity of synthetic imagery.

The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Illicit Synthetic Cannabinoids.

Science.gov (United States)

White, C Michael

2017-03-01

This article presents information on illicitly used synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids are structurally heterogeneous and commonly used drugs of abuse that act as full agonists of the cannabinoid type-1 receptor but have a variety of additional pharmacologic effects. There are numerous cases of patient harm and death in the United States, Europe, and Australia with many psychological, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal adverse events. Although most users prefer using cannabis, there are convenience, legal, and cost reasons driving the utilization of synthetic cannabinoids. Clinicians should be aware of pharmacologic and clinical similarities and differences between synthetic cannabinoid and cannabis use, the limited ability to detect synthetic cannabinoids in the urine or serum, and guidance to treat adverse events. © 2016, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Designer Drugs: A Synthetic Catastrophe

OpenAIRE

Fratantonio, James; Andrade, Lawrence; Febo, Marcelo

2015-01-01

Synthetic stimulants can cause hallucinations, aggressive behaviors, death and are sometimes legal. These substances are sold as plant food and bath salts that are "Not for Human Consumption", therefore skirting the 1986 Federal Analogue Act and giving a false pretense of safety. Studies have proved that these substances are toxic, have a high abuse potential, and are becoming extremely prevalent in the United States. This creates a dilemma for law enforcement agents, hospitals, and substance...

Adsorption and desorption of cadmium by synthetic and natural organo-clay complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levy, R.; Francis, C.W.; Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.

1976-01-01

Tracer levels of 109 Cd were used to study the adsorption and desorption of Cd by synthetic and natural organo-clay complexes. Synthetic organo-clay complexes were made by adsorbing humic acid extracted from soil to various forms of 3 ) 2 showed that Cd was adsorbed more tenaciously to the sesquioxides than organo-clay fractions

Cfd modeling of a synthetic jet actuator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dghim, Marouane; Ben Chiekh, Maher; Ben Nasrallah, Sassi

2009-01-01

Synthetic jet actuators show good promise as an enabling technology for innovative boundary layer flow control applied to external surfaces, like airplane wings, and to internal flows, like those occurring in a curved engine inlet. The appealing characteristics of a synthetic jet are zero-net-mass flux operation and an efficient control effect that takes advantages of unsteady fluid phenomena. The formation of a synthetic jet in a quiescent external air flow is only beginning to be understood and a rational understanding of these devices is necessary before they can be applied to the control of flows outside of the laboratory. The synthetic jet flow generated by a planar orifice is investigated here using computational approach. Computations of the 2D synthetic jet are performed with unsteady RANS modeled with the Realizable κ - ε turbulence model available in FLUENT environment. In this present work, the ability of the first order turbulence model, employed in our computations, to model the formation of the counter-rotating-vortex pair (CVP) that appears in the flow-field was investigated. Computational results were in good agreement with experimental measurements. The effectiveness of such control actuator was tested on separated boundary layer. Preliminary investigation were presented and discussed

Removal of zearalenone toxin from synthetics gastric and body fluids using talc and diatomite: a batch kinetic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprynskyy, Myroslav; Gadzała-Kopciuch, Renata; Nowak, Karolina; Buszewski, Bogusław

2012-06-01

Adsorption kinetics of zearalenone (ZEA) toxin from synthetic gastric fluid (SGF) and synthetic body fluid (SBF) by talc and diatomite was studied in the batch experiments. Chemical composition, morphology and structure of the used adsorbents were examined by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption method. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used for ZEA determining. The study results showed that ZEA is more effectively adsorbed on the talc (73% and 54% from SGF and SBF respectively). The efficiency on the diatomite was lower (53% and 42% from SGF and SBF respectively). The first order kinetics model was applied to describe the adsorption process. Rate of the ZEA adsorption from SGF is very rapid initially with about 95% of amount of the toxin adsorbed during first 5 min, while ZEA is adsorbed from SBF in two steps. The values of determined Gibbs free energy of adsorption (from -13 to -17 kJ/mol) indicated that adsorption of ZEA toxin by the both adsorbents are spontaneous and exothermic. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A spatial picture of the synthetic large-scale motion from dynamic roughness

Science.gov (United States)

Huynh, David; McKeon, Beverley

2017-11-01

Jacobi and McKeon (2011) set up a dynamic roughness apparatus to excite a synthetic, travelling wave-like disturbance in a wind tunnel, boundary layer study. In the present work, this dynamic roughness has been adapted for a flat-plate, turbulent boundary layer experiment in a water tunnel. A key advantage of operating in water as opposed to air is the longer flow timescales. This makes accessible higher non-dimensional actuation frequencies and correspondingly shorter synthetic length scales, and is thus more amenable to particle image velocimetry. As a result, this experiment provides a novel spatial picture of the synthetic mode, the coupled small scales, and their streamwise development. It is demonstrated that varying the roughness actuation frequency allows for significant tuning of the streamwise wavelength of the synthetic mode, with a range of 3 δ-13 δ being achieved. Employing a phase-locked decomposition, spatial snapshots are constructed of the synthetic large scale and used to analyze its streamwise behavior. Direct spatial filtering is used to separate the synthetic large scale and the related small scales, and the results are compared to those obtained by temporal filtering that invokes Taylor's hypothesis. The support of AFOSR (Grant # FA9550-16-1-0361) is gratefully acknowledged.

Misconceptions of Synthetic Biology: Lessons from an Interdisciplinary Summer School

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verseux, Cyprien; G Acevedo-Rocha, Carlos; Chizzolini, Fabio

2016-01-01

In 2014, an international group of scholars from various fields analysed the "societal dimensions" of synthetic biology in an interdisciplinary summer school. Here, we report and discuss the biologists' observations on the general perception of synthetic biology by non-biologists who took part...... in this event. Most attendees mainly associated synthetic biology with contributions from the best-known public figures of the field, rarely mentioning other scientists. Media extrapolations of those contributions appeared to have created unrealistic expectations and irrelevant fears that were widely...... disconnected from the current research in synthetic biology. Another observation was that when debating developments in synthetic biology, semantics strongly mattered: depending on the terms used to present an application of synthetic biology, attendees reacted in radically different ways. For example, using...

Improved synthetic-heterodyne Michelson interferometer vibrometer using phase and gain control feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Galeti, José Henrique; Kitano, Cláudio; Connelly, Michael J

2015-12-10

Synthetic-heterodyne demodulation is a useful technique for dynamic displacement and velocity measurement using interferometric sensors as it can provide an output signal which is immune to interferometric drift. With the advent of cost effective, high-speed real-time signal processing systems and software, processing of the complex signals encountered in interferometry has become more feasible. In conventional synthetic-heterodyne demodulation schemes, to obtain the dynamic displacement or vibration of the object under test requires knowledge of the interferometer visibility and also the argument of two Bessel functions. In this paper, a new synthetic-heterodyne demodulation method is described leading to an expression for the dynamic displacement and velocity of the object under test that is significantly less sensitive to the received optical power. In addition, the application of two independent phase and gain feedback loops is used to compensate for the nonideal gain and phase response of the anti-aliasing filter required for the signal acquisition of the received wideband interferometer signal. The efficacy of the improved system is demonstrated by measuring the displacement sensitivity frequency response and linearity of a Piezoelectric Mirror-Shifter (PMS) over a range of 200 Hz-9 kHz. In addition, the system is used to measure the response of the PMS to triangular and impulse type stimuli. The experimental results show excellent agreement with measurements taken using two independent industry standard calibration methods.

Strategy revealing phenotypic differences among synthetic oscillator designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, Jason G; Savageau, Michael A

2014-09-19

Considerable progress has been made in identifying and characterizing the component parts of genetic oscillators, which play central roles in all organisms. Nonlinear interaction among components is sufficiently complex that mathematical models are required to elucidate their elusive integrated behavior. Although natural and synthetic oscillators exhibit common architectures, there are numerous differences that are poorly understood. Utilizing synthetic biology to uncover basic principles of simpler circuits is a way to advance understanding of natural circadian clocks and rhythms. Following this strategy, we address the following questions: What are the implications of different architectures and molecular modes of transcriptional control for the phenotypic repertoire of genetic oscillators? Are there designs that are more realizable or robust? We compare synthetic oscillators involving one of three architectures and various combinations of the two modes of transcriptional control using a methodology that provides three innovations: a rigorous definition of phenotype, a procedure for deconstructing complex systems into qualitatively distinct phenotypes, and a graphical representation for illuminating the relationship between genotype, environment, and the qualitatively distinct phenotypes of a system. These methods provide a global perspective on the behavioral repertoire, facilitate comparisons of alternatives, and assist the rational design of synthetic gene circuitry. In particular, the results of their application here reveal distinctive phenotypes for several designs that have been studied experimentally as well as a best design among the alternatives that has yet to be constructed and tested.

Synthetic and Empirical Capsicum Annuum Image Dataset

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barth, R.

2016-01-01

This dataset consists of per-pixel annotated synthetic (10500) and empirical images (50) of Capsicum annuum, also known as sweet or bell pepper, situated in a commercial greenhouse. Furthermore, the source models to generate the synthetic images are included. The aim of the datasets are to

Prospects for applying synthetic biology to toxicology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Behrendorff, James Bruce Yarnton H; Gillam, Elizabeth M.J.

2017-01-01

The 30 years since the inception of Chemical Research in Toxicology, game-changing advances in chemical and molecular biology, the fundamental disciplines underpinning molecular toxicology, have been made. While these have led to important advances in the study of mechanisms by which chemicals...... damage cells and systems, there has been less focus on applying these advances to prediction, detection, and mitigation of toxicity. Over the last ∼15 years, synthetic biology, the repurposing of biological "parts" in systems engineered for useful ends, has been explored in other areas of the biomedical...... and life sciences, for such applications as detecting metabolites, drug discovery and delivery, investigating disease mechanisms, improving medical treatment, and producing useful chemicals. These examples provide models for the application of synthetic biology to toxicology, which, for the most part, has...

Synthetic biology platform technologies for antimicrobial applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Braff, Dana; Shis, David; Collins, James J

2016-10-01

The growing prevalence of antibiotic resistance calls for new approaches in the development of antimicrobial therapeutics. Likewise, improved diagnostic measures are essential in guiding the application of targeted therapies and preventing the evolution of therapeutic resistance. Discovery platforms are also needed to form new treatment strategies and identify novel antimicrobial agents. By applying engineering principles to molecular biology, synthetic biologists have developed platforms that improve upon, supplement, and will perhaps supplant traditional broad-spectrum antibiotics. Efforts in engineering bacteriophages and synthetic probiotics demonstrate targeted antimicrobial approaches that can be fine-tuned using synthetic biology-derived principles. Further, the development of paper-based, cell-free expression systems holds promise in promoting the clinical translation of molecular biology tools for diagnostic purposes. In this review, we highlight emerging synthetic biology platform technologies that are geared toward the generation of new antimicrobial therapies, diagnostics, and discovery channels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthetic biology between technoscience and thing knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelfert, Axel

2013-06-01

Synthetic biology presents a challenge to traditional accounts of biology: Whereas traditional biology emphasizes the evolvability, variability, and heterogeneity of living organisms, synthetic biology envisions a future of homogeneous, humanly engineered biological systems that may be combined in modular fashion. The present paper approaches this challenge from the perspective of the epistemology of technoscience. In particular, it is argued that synthetic-biological artifacts lend themselves to an analysis in terms of what has been called 'thing knowledge'. As such, they should neither be regarded as the simple outcome of applying theoretical knowledge and engineering principles to specific technological problems, nor should they be treated as mere sources of new evidence in the general pursuit of scientific understanding. Instead, synthetic-biological artifacts should be viewed as partly autonomous research objects which, qua their material-biological constitution, embody knowledge about the natural world-knowledge that, in turn, can be accessed via continuous experimental interrogation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perception of synthetic speech produced automatically by rule: Intelligibility of eight text-to-speech systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Beth G; Logan, John S; Pisoni, David B

1986-03-01

We present the results of studies designed to measure the segmental intelligibility of eight text-to-speech systems and a natural speech control, using the Modified Rhyme Test (MRT). Results indicated that the voices tested could be grouped into four categories: natural speech, high-quality synthetic speech, moderate-quality synthetic speech, and low-quality synthetic speech. The overall performance of the best synthesis system, DECtalk-Paul, was equivalent to natural speech only in terms of performance on initial consonants. The findings are discussed in terms of recent work investigating the perception of synthetic speech under more severe conditions. Suggestions for future research on improving the quality of synthetic speech are also considered.

Perception of synthetic speech produced automatically by rule: Intelligibility of eight text-to-speech systems

Science.gov (United States)

GREENE, BETH G.; LOGAN, JOHN S.; PISONI, DAVID B.

2012-01-01

We present the results of studies designed to measure the segmental intelligibility of eight text-to-speech systems and a natural speech control, using the Modified Rhyme Test (MRT). Results indicated that the voices tested could be grouped into four categories: natural speech, high-quality synthetic speech, moderate-quality synthetic speech, and low-quality synthetic speech. The overall performance of the best synthesis system, DECtalk-Paul, was equivalent to natural speech only in terms of performance on initial consonants. The findings are discussed in terms of recent work investigating the perception of synthetic speech under more severe conditions. Suggestions for future research on improving the quality of synthetic speech are also considered. PMID:23225916

Synthetic genome engineering forging new frontiers for wine yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretorius, Isak S

2017-02-01

Over the past 15 years, the seismic shifts caused by the convergence of biomolecular, chemical, physical, mathematical, and computational sciences alongside cutting-edge developments in information technology and engineering have erupted into a new field of scientific endeavor dubbed Synthetic Biology. Recent rapid advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing and DNA synthesis techniques are enabling the design and construction of new biological parts (genes), devices (gene networks) and modules (biosynthetic pathways), and the redesign of biological systems (cells and organisms) for useful purposes. In 2014, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae became the first eukaryotic cell to be equipped with a fully functional synthetic chromosome. This was achieved following the synthesis of the first viral (poliovirus in 2002 and bacteriophage Phi-X174 in 2003) and bacterial (Mycoplasma genitalium in 2008 and Mycoplasma mycoides in 2010) genomes, and less than two decades after revealing the full genome sequence of a laboratory (S288c in 1996) and wine (AWRI1631 in 2008) yeast strain. A large international project - the Synthetic Yeast Genome (Sc2.0) Project - is now underway to synthesize all 16 chromosomes (∼12 Mb carrying ∼6000 genes) of the sequenced S288c laboratory strain by 2018. If successful, S. cerevisiae will become the first eukaryote to cross the horizon of in silico design of complex cells through de novo synthesis, reshuffling, and editing of genomes. In the meantime, yeasts are being used as cell factories for the semi-synthetic production of high-value compounds, such as the potent antimalarial artemisinin, and food ingredients, such as resveratrol, vanillin, stevia, nootkatone, and saffron. As a continuum of previously genetically engineered industrially important yeast strains, precision genome engineering is bound to also impact the study and development of wine yeast strains supercharged with synthetic DNA. The first taste of what the future

Data-driven approach for creating synthetic electronic medical records

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moniz Linda

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background New algorithms for disease outbreak detection are being developed to take advantage of full electronic medical records (EMRs that contain a wealth of patient information. However, due to privacy concerns, even anonymized EMRs cannot be shared among researchers, resulting in great difficulty in comparing the effectiveness of these algorithms. To bridge the gap between novel bio-surveillance algorithms operating on full EMRs and the lack of non-identifiable EMR data, a method for generating complete and synthetic EMRs was developed. Methods This paper describes a novel methodology for generating complete synthetic EMRs both for an outbreak illness of interest (tularemia and for background records. The method developed has three major steps: 1 synthetic patient identity and basic information generation; 2 identification of care patterns that the synthetic patients would receive based on the information present in real EMR data for similar health problems; 3 adaptation of these care patterns to the synthetic patient population. Results We generated EMRs, including visit records, clinical activity, laboratory orders/results and radiology orders/results for 203 synthetic tularemia outbreak patients. Validation of the records by a medical expert revealed problems in 19% of the records; these were subsequently corrected. We also generated background EMRs for over 3000 patients in the 4-11 yr age group. Validation of those records by a medical expert revealed problems in fewer than 3% of these background patient EMRs and the errors were subsequently rectified. Conclusions A data-driven method was developed for generating fully synthetic EMRs. The method is general and can be applied to any data set that has similar data elements (such as laboratory and radiology orders and results, clinical activity, prescription orders. The pilot synthetic outbreak records were for tularemia but our approach may be adapted to other infectious

Data-driven approach for creating synthetic electronic medical records.

Science.gov (United States)

Buczak, Anna L; Babin, Steven; Moniz, Linda

2010-10-14

New algorithms for disease outbreak detection are being developed to take advantage of full electronic medical records (EMRs) that contain a wealth of patient information. However, due to privacy concerns, even anonymized EMRs cannot be shared among researchers, resulting in great difficulty in comparing the effectiveness of these algorithms. To bridge the gap between novel bio-surveillance algorithms operating on full EMRs and the lack of non-identifiable EMR data, a method for generating complete and synthetic EMRs was developed. This paper describes a novel methodology for generating complete synthetic EMRs both for an outbreak illness of interest (tularemia) and for background records. The method developed has three major steps: 1) synthetic patient identity and basic information generation; 2) identification of care patterns that the synthetic patients would receive based on the information present in real EMR data for similar health problems; 3) adaptation of these care patterns to the synthetic patient population. We generated EMRs, including visit records, clinical activity, laboratory orders/results and radiology orders/results for 203 synthetic tularemia outbreak patients. Validation of the records by a medical expert revealed problems in 19% of the records; these were subsequently corrected. We also generated background EMRs for over 3000 patients in the 4-11 yr age group. Validation of those records by a medical expert revealed problems in fewer than 3% of these background patient EMRs and the errors were subsequently rectified. A data-driven method was developed for generating fully synthetic EMRs. The method is general and can be applied to any data set that has similar data elements (such as laboratory and radiology orders and results, clinical activity, prescription orders). The pilot synthetic outbreak records were for tularemia but our approach may be adapted to other infectious diseases. The pilot synthetic background records were in the 4

A New Processing Method Combined with BP Neural Network for Francis Turbine Synthetic Characteristic Curve Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junyi Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A BP (backpropagation neural network method is employed to solve the problems existing in the synthetic characteristic curve processing of hydroturbine at present that most studies are only concerned with data in the high efficiency and large guide vane opening area, which can hardly meet the research requirements of transition process especially in large fluctuation situation. The principle of the proposed method is to convert the nonlinear characteristics of turbine to torque and flow characteristics, which can be used for real-time simulation directly based on neural network. Results show that obtained sample data can be extended successfully to cover working areas wider under different operation conditions. Another major contribution of this paper is the resampling technique proposed in the paper to overcome the limitation to sample period simulation. In addition, a detailed analysis for improvements of iteration convergence of the pressure loop is proposed, leading to a better iterative convergence during the head pressure calculation. Actual applications verify that methods proposed in this paper have better simulation results which are closer to the field and provide a new perspective for hydroturbine synthetic characteristic curve fitting and modeling.

A preclinical evaluation of alternative synthetic biomaterials for fascial defect repair using a rat abdominal hernia model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Ulrich

Full Text Available Fascial defects are a common problem in the abdominal wall and in the vagina leading to hernia or pelvic organ prolapse that requires mesh enhancement to reduce operation failure. However, the long-term outcome of synthetic mesh surgery may be unsatisfactory due to post-surgical complications. We hypothesized that mesh fabricated from alternative synthetic polymers may evoke a different tissue response, and provide more appropriate mechanical properties for hernia repair. Our aim was to compare the in vivo biocompatibility of new synthetic meshes with a commercial mesh.We have fabricated 3 new warp-knitted synthetic meshes from different polymers with different tensile properties polyetheretherketone (PEEK, polyamide (PA and a composite, gelatin coated PA (PA+G. The rat abdominal hernia model was used to implant the meshes (25 × 35 mm, n = 24/ group. After 7, 30, 60, 90 days tissues were explanted for immunohistochemical assessment of foreign body reaction and tissue integration, using CD31, CD45, CD68, alpha-SMA antibodies. The images were analysed using an image analysis software program. Biomechanical properties were uniaxially evaluated using an Instron Tensile® Tester.This study showed that the new meshes induced complex differences in the type of foreign body reaction over the time course of implantation. The PA, and particularly the composite PA+G meshes, evoked a milder early inflammatory response, and macrophages were apparent throughout the time course. Our meshes led to better tissue integration and new collagen deposition, particularly with the PA+G meshes, as well as greater and sustained neovascularisation compared with the PP meshes.PA, PA+G and PEEK appear to be well tolerated and are biocompatible, evoking an overlapping and different host tissue response with time that might convey mechanical variations in the healing tissue. These new meshes comprising different polymers may provide an alternative option for future treatment

Synthetic biology approaches to fluorinated polyketides.

Science.gov (United States)

Thuronyi, Benjamin W; Chang, Michelle C Y

2015-03-17

The catalytic diversity of living systems offers a broad range of opportunities for developing new methods to produce small molecule targets such as fuels, materials, and pharmaceuticals. In addition to providing cost-effective and renewable methods for large-scale commercial processes, the exploration of the unusual chemical phenotypes found in living organisms can also enable the expansion of chemical space for discovery of novel function by combining orthogonal attributes from both synthetic and biological chemistry. In this context, we have focused on the development of new fluorine chemistry using synthetic biology approaches. While fluorine has become an important feature in compounds of synthetic origin, the scope of biological fluorine chemistry in living systems is limited, with fewer than 20 organofluorine natural products identified to date. In order to expand the diversity of biosynthetically accessible organofluorines, we have begun to develop methods for the site-selective introduction of fluorine into complex natural products by engineering biosynthetic machinery to incorporate fluorinated building blocks. To gain insight into how both enzyme active sites and metabolic pathways can be evolved to manage and select for fluorinated compounds, we have studied one of the only characterized natural hosts for organofluorine biosynthesis, the soil microbe Streptomyces cattleya. This information provides a template for designing engineered organofluorine enzymes, pathways, and hosts and has allowed us to initiate construction of enzymatic and cellular pathways for the production of fluorinated polyketides.

Acute Intoxications Involving Synthetic Psychoactive Substances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey A. Vasil'ev

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a succinic acid derivate, a substrate metabolic agent cytoflavin in patients with acute poisoning with synthetic psychoactive drugs.Materials and methods. A retrospective evaluation of effectiveness of a combined intensive care treatment protocol for 622 patients with acute narcotic poisoning (methadone and synthetic cannabinoids was carried out. All patients were divided into two groups. The main group (112 patients, median age 38.2±12.0 years included patients who, in addition to the basic treatment, received cytoflavin by intravenous drop infusion, 20–40 ml diluted in 400–500 ml of 10% glucose, for 5 days. Patients of the reference group (510 subjects, median age 37.6±14.1 years received treatment according to the «classical scheme». In addition to conventional examination, all patients underwent duplex scanning of cerebral vessels, examination of changes in the cerebral blood circulation and electroencephalogram findings. The severity of somatic disorders was assessed using criteria of the Glasgow coma scale. The severity of the asthenic syndrome was assessed according to the MFI-20 scale.Results. Compared to patients who received a standard therapy, patients of the main group had a significantly more rapid recovery from coma (by 1.5-fold: 23.5±3.1 days, versus 15.1±3.0 days, respectively, P0.05; the duration of psychotic disorders was shorter (by 1.8-fold: 15.5±4.2 hours vs 8.3±2.5 hours., respectively, P0.05, and the intensity of asthenic syndrome (by 2.8-fold: 64.1±3.3 rel. units vs 23.0±4,9 rel. units, respectively, P0.05 was also lower.Conclusion. Inclusion of cytoflavin in a protocol of a complex treatment of patients with synthetic drugs poisoning increased the effectiveness of the therapy. Data demonstrate that inclusion of the drug can be recommended for treatment of acute synthetic narcotic poisoning. 

Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids Drug Overdose Deaths

Science.gov (United States)

... Alcohol Club Drugs Cocaine Fentanyl Hallucinogens Inhalants Heroin Marijuana MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) Methamphetamine Opioids Over-the-Counter Medicines Prescription Medicines Steroids (Anabolic) Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice) Synthetic Cathinones (Bath Salts) Tobacco/ ...

Goodness of Fit of Skills Assessment Approaches: Insights from Patterns of Real vs. Synthetic Data Sets

Science.gov (United States)

Beheshti, Behzad; Desmarais, Michel C.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the issue of the goodness of fit of different skills assessment models using both synthetic and real data. Synthetic data is generated from the different skills assessment models. The results show wide differences of performances between the skills assessment models over synthetic data sets. The set of relative performances…

Comparison of Nonlinear Model Results Using Modified Recorded and Synthetic Ground Motions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spears, Robert E.; Wilkins, J. Kevin

2011-01-01

A study has been performed that compares results of nonlinear model runs using two sets of earthquake ground motion time histories that have been modified to fit the same design response spectra. The time histories include applicable modified recorded earthquake ground motion time histories and synthetic ground motion time histories. The modified recorded earthquake ground motion time histories are modified from time history records that are selected based on consistent magnitude and distance. The synthetic ground motion time histories are generated using appropriate Fourier amplitude spectrums, Arias intensity, and drift correction. All of the time history modification is performed using the same algorithm to fit the design response spectra. The study provides data to demonstrate that properly managed synthetic ground motion time histories are reasonable for use in nonlinear seismic analysis.

Synthetic Biology: game changer in intelectual property

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurens Landeweerd

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Synthetic biology can be considered a game changer that plays an important role in the current NBIC, or BINC convergence of nano-, bio-, info and cognitive sciences. Although most synthetic biology experts are unaware of it, the field appeals to the imagination in its adherence to targets that were usually associated with premodern alchemist science. This paper elaborates several aspects of synthetic biology as well as its consequences for long held notions of intellectual property and the ontological categories of scientific discovery on the one hand and engineering on the other, the distinction between natural and artificial, the grown and the made.

Simulation Study of Real Time 3-D Synthetic Aperture Sequential Beamforming for Ultrasound Imaging

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hemmsen, Martin Christian; Rasmussen, Morten Fischer; Stuart, Matthias Bo

2014-01-01

in the main system. The real-time imaging capability is achieved using a synthetic aperture beamforming technique, utilizing the transmit events to generate a set of virtual elements that in combination can generate an image. The two core capabilities in combination is named Synthetic Aperture Sequential......This paper presents a new beamforming method for real-time three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound imaging using a 2-D matrix transducer. To obtain images with sufficient resolution and contrast, several thousand elements are needed. The proposed method reduces the required channel count from...... Beamforming (SASB). Simulations are performed to evaluate the image quality of the presented method in comparison to Parallel beamforming utilizing 16 receive beamformers. As indicators for image quality the detail resolution and Cystic resolution are determined for a set of scatterers at a depth of 90mm...

Enhanced/Synthetic Vision Systems - Human factors research and implications for future systems

Science.gov (United States)

Foyle, David C.; Ahumada, Albert J.; Larimer, James; Sweet, Barbara T.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews recent human factors research studies conducted in the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division at NASA Ames Research Center related to the development and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems. Research discussed includes studies of field of view (FOV), representational differences of infrared (IR) imagery, head-up display (HUD) symbology, HUD advanced concept designs, sensor fusion, and sensor/database fusion and evaluation. Implications for the design and usage of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Systems are discussed.

Synthetic Biology Outside the Cell: Linking Computational Tools to Cell-Free Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Daniel D.; Villarreal, Fernando D.; Wu, Fan; Tan, Cheemeng

2014-01-01

As mathematical models become more commonly integrated into the study of biology, a common language for describing biological processes is manifesting. Many tools have emerged for the simulation of in vivo synthetic biological systems, with only a few examples of prominent work done on predicting the dynamics of cell-free synthetic systems. At the same time, experimental biologists have begun to study dynamics of in vitro systems encapsulated by amphiphilic molecules, opening the door for the development of a new generation of biomimetic systems. In this review, we explore both in vivo and in vitro models of biochemical networks with a special focus on tools that could be applied to the construction of cell-free expression systems. We believe that quantitative studies of complex cellular mechanisms and pathways in synthetic systems can yield important insights into what makes cells different from conventional chemical systems.

Synthetic Biology Outside the Cell: Linking Computational Tools to Cell-Free Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, Daniel D. [Integrative Genetics and Genomics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States); Villarreal, Fernando D.; Wu, Fan; Tan, Cheemeng, E-mail: cmtan@ucdavis.edu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, CA (United States)

2014-12-09

As mathematical models become more commonly integrated into the study of biology, a common language for describing biological processes is manifesting. Many tools have emerged for the simulation of in vivo synthetic biological systems, with only a few examples of prominent work done on predicting the dynamics of cell-free synthetic systems. At the same time, experimental biologists have begun to study dynamics of in vitro systems encapsulated by amphiphilic molecules, opening the door for the development of a new generation of biomimetic systems. In this review, we explore both in vivo and in vitro models of biochemical networks with a special focus on tools that could be applied to the construction of cell-free expression systems. We believe that quantitative studies of complex cellular mechanisms and pathways in synthetic systems can yield important insights into what makes cells different from conventional chemical systems.

Oral administration of synthetic human urogastrone promotes healing of chronic duodenal ulcers in rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Steen Seier; Nexø, Ebba

1986-01-01

The effect of oral administration of synthetic human epidermal growth factor/urogastrone (EGF/URO) on healing of chronic duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine in rats was investigated and compared with that of cimetidine, a H2-receptor antagonist. After 25 and 50 days of treatment, synthetic human...... EGF/URO significantly increased healing of chronic duodenal ulcers to the same extent as cimetidine. Combined treatment with synthetic human EGF/URO and cimetidine for 25 days was more effective than synthetic human EGF/URO given alone, whereas combined treatment for 50 days was significantly more...... human EGF/URO is a potent inhibitor of gastric acid secretion when administered intravenously, but had no effect on acid secretion when given intraduodenally, which suggests that the effect of synthetic human EGF/URO is a direct action on the duodenal mucosa. In conclusion, this study showed that oral...

Original Research doi:10.4102/http://www.indieskriflig.org.za ids.v48i2.722 An exploration of synthetic biology: A preliminary Christian ethical assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of synthetic biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riaan A.L. Rheeder

2014-10-01

Full Text Available On 20 May 2010, the Venter Institute in America announced that they have fully synthesised the genome of the organism Mycoplasma mycoides whilst in vitro by using a computer connected to a machine that synthesises genes. Thereafter, the genome was placed back into the casing of another organism (Mycoplasma capricolum and it was reported that the synthesised organism and the genome functioned normally. This synthesised organism was reconstructed to function as a minute little factory with the aim of producing and secreting fuel and medicine − something that is not the natural function of this organism. There are certain potential dangers inherent in this kind of technology. Scientists fear that this technology may contaminate or infect humans, animals or the environment, and that it can as such be extremely harmful, or even lead to the destruction of humans. Other scientists are concerned that terrorists can use this technology to kill innocent citizens. Some ethicists are of the opinion that the consequences of synthetic biology is currently unpredictable and that it is therefore risky. In opposition to the potential dangers, one has to mention that synthetic biology indeed can result in far-reaching positive outcomes such as the manufacturing of biofuel and medication. Most scientists and ethicists are of the opinion that the potential dangers involved in synthetic biology should be evaluated in light of the fact that genetic manipulation has not caused any biological devastation over the last 30 years. From a Christian point of departure, the opinion is currently that synthetic biology is not an irresponsible science and technology.

Elastic FWI for VTI media: A synthetic parameterization study

KAUST Repository

Kamath, Nishant

2016-09-06

A major challenge for multiparameter full-waveform inversion (FWI) is the inherent trade-offs (or cross-talk) between model parameters. Here, we perform FWI of multicomponent data generated for a synthetic VTI (transversely isotropic with a vertical symmetry axis) model based on a geologic section of the Valhall field. A horizontal displacement source, which excites intensive shear waves in the conventional offset range, helps provide more accurate updates to the SV-wave vertical velocity. We test three model parameterizations, which exhibit different radiation patterns and, therefore, create different parameter trade-offs. The results show that the choice of parameterization for FWI depends on the availability of long-offset data, the quality of the initial model for the anisotropy coefficients, and the parameter that needs to be resolved with the highest accuracy.

An approach for generating synthetic fine temporal resolution solar radiation time series from hourly gridded datasets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew Perry

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A tool has been developed to statistically increase the temporal resolution of solar irradiance time series. Fine temporal resolution time series are an important input into the planning process for solar power plants, and lead to increased understanding of the likely short-term variability of solar energy. The approach makes use of the spatial variability of hourly gridded datasets around a location of interest to make inferences about the temporal variability within the hour. The unique characteristics of solar irradiance data are modelled by classifying each hour into a typical weather situation. Low variability situations are modelled using an autoregressive process which is applied to ramps of clear-sky index. High variability situations are modelled as a transition between states of clear sky conditions and different levels of cloud opacity. The methods have been calibrated to Australian conditions using 1 min data from four ground stations for a 10 year period. These stations, together with an independent dataset, have also been used to verify the quality of the results using a number of relevant metrics. The results show that the method generates realistic fine resolution synthetic time series. The synthetic time series correlate well with observed data on monthly and annual timescales as they are constrained to the nearest grid-point value on each hour. The probability distributions of the synthetic and observed global irradiance data are similar, with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test statistic less than 0.04 at each station. The tool could be useful for the estimation of solar power output for integration studies.

X-band EPR studies of ferroelectric lead titanate (PT), piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate (PMN), and PMN/PT powders at 10 and 85 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, J.; Fitzgerald, J.J.; Chasteen, N.D.