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Sample records for t6ss component evpp

  1. Chitin-induced T6SS in Vibrio cholerae is dependent on ChiS activation.

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    Chourashi, Rhishita; Das, Suman; Dhar, Debarpan; Okamoto, Keinosuke; Mukhopadhyay, Asish K; Chatterjee, Nabendu Sekhar

    2018-05-01

    Vibrio cholerae regularly colonizes the chitinous exoskeleton of crustacean shells in the aquatic region. The type 6 secretion system (T6SS) in V. cholerae is an interbacterial killing device. This system is thought to provide a competitive advantage to V. cholerae in a polymicrobial community of the aquatic region under nutrient-poor conditions. V. cholerae chitin sensing is known to be initiated by the activation of a two-component sensor histidine kinase ChiS in the presence of GlcNAc2 (N,N'-diacetylchitobiose) residues generated by the action of chitinases on chitin. It is known that T6SS in V. cholerae is generally induced by chitin. However, the effect of ChiS activation on T6SS is unknown. Here, we found that ChiS inactivation resulted in impaired bacterial killing and reduced expression of T6SS genes. Active ChiS positively affected T6SS-mediated natural transformation in V. cholerae. ChiS depletion or inactivation also resulted in reduced colonization on insoluble chitin surfaces. Therefore, we have shown that V. cholerae colonization on chitinous surfaces activates ChiS, which promotes T6SS-dependent bacterial killing and horizontal gene transfer. We also highlight the importance of chitinases in T6SS upregulation.

  2. Differential Role of the T6SS in Acinetobacter baumannii Virulence

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    Foucault-Grunenwald, Marie-Laure; Borges, Vitor; Charpentier, Xavier; Limansky, Adriana S.; Gomes, João Paulo; Viale, Alejandro M.; Salcedo, Suzana P.

    2015-01-01

    Gram-negative bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, are an increasing burden in hospitals worldwide with an alarming spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains. Herein, we compared a type strain (ATCC17978), a non-clinical isolate (DSM30011) and MDR strains of A. baumannii implicated in hospital outbreaks (Ab242, Ab244 and Ab825), revealing distinct patterns of type VI secretion system (T6SS) functionality. The T6SS genomic locus is present and was actively transcribed in all of the above strains. However, only the A. baumannii DSM30011 strain was capable of killing Escherichia coli in a T6SS-dependent manner, unlike the clinical isolates, which failed to display an active T6SS in vitro. In addition, DSM30011 was able to outcompete ATCC17978 as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, bacterial pathogens relevant in mixed nosocomial infections. Finally, we found that the T6SS of DSM30011 is required for host colonization of the model organism Galleria mellonella suggesting that this system could play an important role in A. baumannii virulence in a strain-specific manner. PMID:26401654

  3. Differential Role of the T6SS in Acinetobacter baumannii Virulence.

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    Guillermo D Repizo

    Full Text Available Gram-negative bacteria, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, are an increasing burden in hospitals worldwide with an alarming spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR strains. Herein, we compared a type strain (ATCC17978, a non-clinical isolate (DSM30011 and MDR strains of A. baumannii implicated in hospital outbreaks (Ab242, Ab244 and Ab825, revealing distinct patterns of type VI secretion system (T6SS functionality. The T6SS genomic locus is present and was actively transcribed in all of the above strains. However, only the A. baumannii DSM30011 strain was capable of killing Escherichia coli in a T6SS-dependent manner, unlike the clinical isolates, which failed to display an active T6SS in vitro. In addition, DSM30011 was able to outcompete ATCC17978 as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, bacterial pathogens relevant in mixed nosocomial infections. Finally, we found that the T6SS of DSM30011 is required for host colonization of the model organism Galleria mellonella suggesting that this system could play an important role in A. baumannii virulence in a strain-specific manner.

  4. Subtle variation within conserved effector operon gene products contributes to T6SS-mediated killing and immunity.

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    Alteri, Christopher J; Himpsl, Stephanie D; Zhu, Kevin; Hershey, Haley L; Musili, Ninette; Miller, Jessa E; Mobley, Harry L T

    2017-11-01

    Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) function to deliver lethal payloads into target cells. Many studies have shown that protection against a single, lethal T6SS effector protein requires a cognate antidote immunity protein, both of which are often encoded together in a two-gene operon. The T6SS and an effector-immunity pair is sufficient for both killing and immunity. HereIn this paper we describe a T6SS effector operon that differs from conventional effector-immunity pairs in that eight genes are necessary for lethal effector function, yet can be countered by a single immunity protein. In this study, we investigated the role that the PefE T6SS immunity protein plays in recognition between two strains harboring nearly identical effector operons. Interestingly, despite containing seven of eight identical effector proteins, the less conserved immunity proteins only provided protection against their native effectors, suggesting that specificity and recognition could be dependent on variation within an immunity protein and one effector gene product. The variable effector gene product, PefD, is encoded upstream from pefE, and displays toxic activity that can be countered by PefE independent of T6SS-activity. Interestingly, while the entire pef operon was necessary to exert toxic activity via the T6SS in P. mirabilis, production of PefD and PefE alone was unable to exert this effector activity. Chimeric PefE proteins constructed from two P. mirabilis strains were used to localize immunity function to three amino acids. A promiscuous immunity protein was created using site-directed mutagenesis to change these residues from one variant to another. These findings support the notion that subtle differences between conserved effectors are sufficient for T6SS-mediated kin discrimination and that PefD requires additional factors to function as a T6SS-dependent effector.

  5. Microbiological features and clinical impact of the type VI secretion system (T6SS) in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates causing bacteremia.

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    Kim, Jungok; Lee, Ji-Young; Lee, Haejeong; Choi, Ji Young; Kim, Dae Hun; Wi, Yu Mi; Peck, Kyong Ran; Ko, Kwan Soo

    2017-10-03

    We investigated the genetic background and microbiological features of T6SS-positive Acinetobacter baumannii isolates and clinical impact of the T6SS in patients with A. baumannii bacteremia. One hundred and 62 A. baumannii isolates from patients with bacteremia in 2 tertiary-care hospitals in Korea were included in this study. Approximately one-third (51/162, 31.5%) of the A. baumannii clinical isolates possessed the hcp gene, and the hcp-positive isolates were found in several genotypes in multilocus sequence typing. The expression and secretion of Hcp protein varied among the clinical isolates. A. baumannii isolates with detectable Hcp secretion (T6SS+) could better outcompete Escherichia coli compared with T6SS- isolates, including hcp-negative and inactivated hcp-positive isolates. In addition, T6SS+ isolates showed higher biofilm-forming activity and better survival in the presence of normal human serum than the T6SS- isolates. T6SS+ isolates were more frequently detected in patients with catheter-related bloodstream infection, haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, and patients receiving immunosuppressive agents. However, T6SS was not a prognostic factor for mortality. Our results suggest that the T6SS of A. baumannii is associated with virulence and contributes to infections in immunocompromised patients and those with implanted medical devices.

  6. Expression, purification and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the T6SS effector protein Tse3 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Defen; Shang, Guijun; Yu, Qian; Zhang, Heqiao; Zhao, Yanyu; Cang, Huaixing; Gu, Lichuan; Xu, Sujuan; Huang, Yan

    2013-01-01

    Tse3, one of the effectors of the type VI secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, has been crystallized and diffracted to 1.5 Å resolution. Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to inject effector proteins into rival cells in niche competition. Tse3, one of the effectors of T6SS, is delivered into the periplasm of recipient cells. Tse3 functions as a muramidase that degrades the β-1,4-linkage between N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in peptidoglycan, thus leading to lysis of the recipient cells and providing a competitive advantage to the donor cells. Here, the preliminary crystallographic study of Tse3 is reported. A crystal of Tse3 diffracted to 1.5 Å resolution. It belonged to space group C121, with unit-cell parameters a = 166.99, b = 70.13, c = 41.94 Å, α = 90.00, β = 90.52, γ = 90.00° and one molecule per asymmetric unit

  7. AtlasT4SS: a curated database for type IV secretion systems.

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    Souza, Rangel C; del Rosario Quispe Saji, Guadalupe; Costa, Maiana O C; Netto, Diogo S; Lima, Nicholas C B; Klein, Cecília C; Vasconcelos, Ana Tereza R; Nicolás, Marisa F

    2012-08-09

    The type IV secretion system (T4SS) can be classified as a large family of macromolecule transporter systems, divided into three recognized sub-families, according to the well-known functions. The major sub-family is the conjugation system, which allows transfer of genetic material, such as a nucleoprotein, via cell contact among bacteria. Also, the conjugation system can transfer genetic material from bacteria to eukaryotic cells; such is the case with the T-DNA transfer of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to host plant cells. The system of effector protein transport constitutes the second sub-family, and the third one corresponds to the DNA uptake/release system. Genome analyses have revealed numerous T4SS in Bacteria and Archaea. The purpose of this work was to organize, classify, and integrate the T4SS data into a single database, called AtlasT4SS - the first public database devoted exclusively to this prokaryotic secretion system. The AtlasT4SS is a manual curated database that describes a large number of proteins related to the type IV secretion system reported so far in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as in Archaea. The database was created using the RDBMS MySQL and the Catalyst Framework based in the Perl programming language and using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern for Web. The current version holds a comprehensive collection of 1,617 T4SS proteins from 58 Bacteria (49 Gram-negative and 9 Gram-Positive), one Archaea and 11 plasmids. By applying the bi-directional best hit (BBH) relationship in pairwise genome comparison, it was possible to obtain a core set of 134 clusters of orthologous genes encoding T4SS proteins. In our database we present one way of classifying orthologous groups of T4SSs in a hierarchical classification scheme with three levels. The first level comprises four classes that are based on the organization of genetic determinants, shared homologies, and evolutionary relationships: (i) F-T4SS, (ii) P-T4SS, (iii

  8. Type-IVC Secretion System: A Novel Subclass of Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) Common Existing in Gram-Positive Genus Streptococcus

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    Chen, Chen; Gao, George F.

    2012-01-01

    A growing number of pathogens are being found to possess specialized secretion systems which they use in various ways to subvert host defenses. Type IV secretion system (T4SS) is one of versatile secretion systems essential for the virulence and even survival of some bacteria species, and they enable the secretion of protein and DNA substrates across the cell envelope. T4SS was once believed to be present only in Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we present evidence of a new subclass of T4SS, Type-IVC secretion system and indicate its common existence in the Gram-positive bacterial genus Streptococcus. We further identified that VirB1, VirB4, VirB6 and VirD4 are the minimal key components of this system. Using genome comparisons and evolutionary relationship analysis, we proposed that Type-IVC secretion system is movable via transposon factors and mediates the conjugative transfer of DNA, enhances bacterial pathogenicity, and could cause large-scale outbreaks of infections in humans. PMID:23056296

  9. The Type IX Secretion System (T9SS: Highlights and Recent Insights into Its Structure and Function

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    Anna M. Lasica

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Protein secretion systems are vital for prokaryotic life, as they enable bacteria to acquire nutrients, communicate with other species, defend against biological and chemical agents, and facilitate disease through the delivery of virulence factors. In this review, we will focus on the recently discovered type IX secretion system (T9SS, a complex translocon found only in some species of the Bacteroidetes phylum. T9SS plays two roles, depending on the lifestyle of the bacteria. It provides either a means of movement (called gliding motility for peace-loving environmental bacteria or a weapon for pathogens. The best-studied members of these two groups are Flavobacterium johnsoniae, a commensal microorganism often found in water and soil, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, a human oral pathogen that is a major causative agent of periodontitis. In P. gingivalis and some other periodontopathogens, T9SS translocates proteins, especially virulence factors, across the outer membrane (OM. Proteins destined for secretion bear a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD that directs the cargo to the OM translocon. At least 18 proteins are involved in this still enigmatic process, with some engaged in the post-translational modification of T9SS cargo proteins. Upon translocation across the OM, the CTD is removed by a protease with sortase-like activity and an anionic LPS is attached to the newly formed C-terminus. As a result, a cargo protein could be secreted into the extracellular milieu or covalently attached to the bacterial surface. T9SS is regulated by a two-component system; however, the precise environmental signal that triggers it has not been identified. Exploring unknown systems contributing to bacterial virulence is exciting, as it may eventually lead to new therapeutic strategies. During the past decade, the major components of T9SS were identified, as well as hints suggesting the possible mechanism of action. In addition, the list of characterized cargo

  10. The Type IX Secretion System (T9SS): Highlights and Recent Insights into Its Structure and Function

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    Lasica, Anna M.; Ksiazek, Miroslaw; Madej, Mariusz; Potempa, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Protein secretion systems are vital for prokaryotic life, as they enable bacteria to acquire nutrients, communicate with other species, defend against biological and chemical agents, and facilitate disease through the delivery of virulence factors. In this review, we will focus on the recently discovered type IX secretion system (T9SS), a complex translocon found only in some species of the Bacteroidetes phylum. T9SS plays two roles, depending on the lifestyle of the bacteria. It provides either a means of movement (called gliding motility) for peace-loving environmental bacteria or a weapon for pathogens. The best-studied members of these two groups are Flavobacterium johnsoniae, a commensal microorganism often found in water and soil, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, a human oral pathogen that is a major causative agent of periodontitis. In P. gingivalis and some other periodontopathogens, T9SS translocates proteins, especially virulence factors, across the outer membrane (OM). Proteins destined for secretion bear a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD) that directs the cargo to the OM translocon. At least 18 proteins are involved in this still enigmatic process, with some engaged in the post-translational modification of T9SS cargo proteins. Upon translocation across the OM, the CTD is removed by a protease with sortase-like activity and an anionic LPS is attached to the newly formed C-terminus. As a result, a cargo protein could be secreted into the extracellular milieu or covalently attached to the bacterial surface. T9SS is regulated by a two-component system; however, the precise environmental signal that triggers it has not been identified. Exploring unknown systems contributing to bacterial virulence is exciting, as it may eventually lead to new therapeutic strategies. During the past decade, the major components of T9SS were identified, as well as hints suggesting the possible mechanism of action. In addition, the list of characterized cargo proteins is

  11. Cytotoxic Vibrio T3SS1 Rewires Host Gene Expression to Subvert Cell Death Signaling and Activate Cell Survival Networks

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    De Nisco, Nicole J.; Kanchwala, Mohammed; Li, Peng; Fernandez, Jessie; Xing, Chao; Orth, Kim

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial effectors are potent manipulators of host signaling pathways. The marine bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. para), delivers effectors into host cells through two type three secretion systems (T3SS). The ubiquitous T3SS1 is vital for V. para survival in the environment, whereas T3SS2 causes acute gastroenteritis in human hosts. Although the natural host is undefined, T3SS1 effectors attack highly conserved cellular processes and pathways to orchestrate non-apoptotic cell death. Much is known about how T3SS1 effectors function in isolation, but we wanted to understand how their concerted action globally affects host cell signaling. To assess the host response to T3SS1, we compared gene expression changes over time in primary fibroblasts infected with V. para that have a functional T3SS1 (T3SS1+) to those in cells infected with V. para lacking T3SS1 (T3SS1−). Overall, the host transcriptional response to both T3SS1+ and T3SS1− V. para was rapid, robust, and temporally dynamic. T3SS1 re-wired host gene expression by specifically altering the expression of 398 genes. Although T3SS1 effectors target host cells at the posttranslational level to cause cytotoxicity, network analysis indicated that V. para T3SS1 also precipitates a host transcriptional response that initially activates cell survival and represses cell death networks. The increased expression of several key pro-survival transcripts mediated by T3SS1 was dependent on a host signaling pathway that is silenced later in infection by the posttranslational action of T3SS1. Taken together, our analysis reveals a complex interplay between roles of T3SS1 as both a transcriptional and posttranslational manipulator of host cell signaling. PMID:28512145

  12. Analysis of T4SS-induced signaling by H. pylori using quantitative phosphoproteomics

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    Frithjof eGlowinski

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen colonizing the human stomach. Infection with H. pylori causes chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa and may lead to peptic ulceration and/or gastric cancer. A major virulence determinant of H. pylori is the type IV secretion system (T4SS, which is used to inject the virulence factor CagA into the host cell, triggering a wide range of cellular signaling events. Here, we used a phosphoproteomic approach to investigate tyrosine signaling in response to host-pathogen interaction, using stable isotope labeling in cell culture (SILAC of AGS cells to obtain a differential picture between multiple infection conditions. Cells were infected with wild type H. pylori P12, a P12ΔCagA deletion mutant, and a P12ΔT4SS deletion mutant to compare signaling changes over time and in the absence of CagA or the T4SS. Tryptic peptides were enriched for tyrosine (Tyr phosphopeptides and analysed by nano-LC-Orbitrap MS. In total, 58 different phosphosites were found to be regulated following infection. The majority of phosphosites identified were kinases of the MAPK familiy. CagA and the T4SS were found to be key regulators of Tyr phosphosites. Our findings indicate that CagA primarily induces activation of ERK1 and integrin linked factors, whereas the T4SS primarily modulates JNK and p38 activation.

  13. Gene Expression of Type VI Secretion System Associated with Environmental Survival in Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae by Principle Component Analysis

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    Zhouqi Cui

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Valine glycine repeat G (VgrG proteins are regarded as one of two effectors of Type VI secretion system (T6SS which is a complex multi-component secretion system. In this study, potential biological roles of T6SS structural and VgrG genes in a rice bacterial pathogen, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa RS-1, were evaluated under seven stress conditions using principle component analysis of gene expression. The results showed that growth of the pathogen was reduced by H2O2 and paraquat-induced oxidative stress, high salt, low temperature, and vgrG mutation, compared to the control. However, pathogen growth was unaffected by co-culture with a rice rhizobacterium Burkholderia seminalis R456. In addition, expression of 14 T6SS structural and eight vgrG genes was significantly changed under seven conditions. Among different stress conditions, high salt, and low temperature showed a higher effect on the expression of T6SS gene compared with host infection and other environmental conditions. As a first report, this study revealed an association of T6SS gene expression of the pathogen with the host infection, gene mutation, and some common environmental stresses. The results of this research can increase understanding of the biological function of T6SS in this economically-important pathogen of rice.

  14. Gene Expression of Type VI Secretion System Associated with Environmental Survival in Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae by Principle Component Analysis.

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    Cui, Zhouqi; Jin, Guoqiang; Li, Bin; Kakar, Kaleem Ullah; Ojaghian, Mohammad Reza; Wang, Yangli; Xie, Guanlin; Sun, Guochang

    2015-09-11

    Valine glycine repeat G (VgrG) proteins are regarded as one of two effectors of Type VI secretion system (T6SS) which is a complex multi-component secretion system. In this study, potential biological roles of T6SS structural and VgrG genes in a rice bacterial pathogen, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) RS-1, were evaluated under seven stress conditions using principle component analysis of gene expression. The results showed that growth of the pathogen was reduced by H₂O₂ and paraquat-induced oxidative stress, high salt, low temperature, and vgrG mutation, compared to the control. However, pathogen growth was unaffected by co-culture with a rice rhizobacterium Burkholderia seminalis R456. In addition, expression of 14 T6SS structural and eight vgrG genes was significantly changed under seven conditions. Among different stress conditions, high salt, and low temperature showed a higher effect on the expression of T6SS gene compared with host infection and other environmental conditions. As a first report, this study revealed an association of T6SS gene expression of the pathogen with the host infection, gene mutation, and some common environmental stresses. The results of this research can increase understanding of the biological function of T6SS in this economically-important pathogen of rice.

  15. Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses T3SS to inhibit diabetic wound healing.

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    Goldufsky, Josef; Wood, Stephen J; Jayaraman, Vijayakumar; Majdobeh, Omar; Chen, Lin; Qin, Shanshan; Zhang, Chunxiang; DiPietro, Luisa A; Shafikhani, Sasha H

    2015-01-01

    Diabetic foot ulcers are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes. Bacterial infection is recognized as an important factor associated with impaired healing in diabetic ulcers. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequently detected Gram-negative pathogen in diabetic ulcers. P. aeruginosa infection has been shown to impair healing in diabetic wounds in a manner that correlates with its ability to form biofilm. While the majority of infections in diabetic ulcers are biofilm associated, 33% of infections are nonbiofilm in nature. P. aeruginosa is the most prevalent Gram-negative pathogen in all diabetic wound types, which suggests that the deleterious impact of P. aeruginosa on healing in diabetic wounds goes beyond its ability to form biofilm and likely involves other factors. The Type III Secretion System (T3SS) virulence structure is required for the pathogenesis of all P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, suggesting that it may also play a role in the inhibition of wound repair in diabetic skin ulcers. We evaluated the role of T3SS in mediating P. aeruginosa-induced tissue damage in the wounds of diabetic mice. Our data demonstrate that P. aeruginosa establishes a robust and persistent infection in diabetic wounds independent of its ability to form biofilm and causes severe wound damage in a manner that primarily depends on its T3SS. © 2015 by the Wound Healing Society.

  16. A second wave of Salmonella T3SS1 activity prolongs the lifespan of infected epithelial cells.

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    Ciaran E Finn

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Type III secretion system 1 (T3SS1 is used by the enteropathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to establish infection in the gut. Effector proteins translocated by this system across the plasma membrane facilitate invasion of intestinal epithelial cells. One such effector, the inositol phosphatase SopB, contributes to invasion and mediates activation of the pro-survival kinase Akt. Following internalization, some bacteria escape from the Salmonella-containing vacuole into the cytosol and there is evidence suggesting that T3SS1 is expressed in this subpopulation. Here, we investigated the post-invasion role of T3SS1, using SopB as a model effector. In cultured epithelial cells, SopB-dependent Akt phosphorylation was observed at two distinct stages of infection: during and immediately after invasion, and later during peak cytosolic replication. Single cell analysis revealed that cytosolic Salmonella deliver SopB via T3SS1. Although intracellular replication was unaffected in a SopB deletion mutant, cells infected with ΔsopB demonstrated a lack of Akt phosphorylation, earlier time to death, and increased lysis. When SopB expression was induced specifically in cytosolic Salmonella, these effects were restored to levels observed in WT infected cells, indicating that the second wave of SopB protects this infected population against cell death via Akt activation. Thus, T3SS1 has two, temporally distinct roles during epithelial cell colonization. Additionally, we found that delivery of SopB by cytosolic bacteria was translocon-independent, in contrast to canonical effector translocation across eukaryotic membranes, which requires formation of a translocon pore. This mechanism was also observed for another T3SS1 effector, SipA. These findings reveal the functional and mechanistic adaptability of a T3SS that can be harnessed in different microenvironments.

  17. Dibenzotetraaza[14]annulene-adenine conjugate recognizes complementary poly dT among ss-DNA/ss-RNA sequences.

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    Radić Stojković, Marijana; Škugor, Marko; Tomić, Sanja; Grabar, Marina; Smrečki, Vilko; Dudek, Łukasz; Grolik, Jarosław; Eilmes, Julita; Piantanida, Ivo

    2013-06-28

    Among three novel DBTAA derivatives only the DBTAA-propyl-adenine conjugate showed recognition of the consecutive oligo dT sequence by increased affinity and specific induced chirooptical response in comparison to other single stranded RNA and DNA; whereby of particular importance is the up until now unique efficient differentiation between dT and rU. At variance, its close analogue DBTAA-hexyl-adenine did not reveal any selectivity between ss-DNA/RNA pointing out the important role of steric factors (linker length); moreover non-selectivity of the reference compound (, lacking adenine) stressed the importance of adenine interactions in the selectivity.

  18. Identification of the Vibrio parahaemolyticus type III secretion system 2-associated chaperone VocC for the T3SS2-specific effector VopC.

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    Akeda, Yukihiro; Kodama, Toshio; Saito, Kazunobu; Iida, Tetsuya; Oishi, Kazunori; Honda, Takeshi

    2011-11-01

    The enteropathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus possesses two sets of type III secretion systems, T3SS1 and T3SS2. Effector proteins secreted by these T3SSs are delivered into host cells, leading to cell death or diarrhea. However, it is not known how specific effectors are secreted through a specific T3SS when both T3SSs are expressed within bacteria. One molecule thought to determine secretion specificity is a T3SS-associated chaperone; however, no T3SS2-specific chaperone has been identified. Therefore, we screened T3SS2 chaperone candidates by a pull-down assay using T3SS2 effectors fused with glutathione-S-transferase. A secretion assay revealed that the newly identified cognate chaperone VocC for the T3SS2-specific effector VopC was required for the efficient secretion of the substrate through T3SS2. Further experiments determined the chaperone-binding domain and the amino-terminal secretion signal of the cognate effector. These findings, in addition to the previously identified T3SS1-specific chaperone, VecA, provide a strategy to clarify the specificity of effector secretion through T3SSs of V. parahaemolyticus. 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Key steps in type III secretion system (T3SS) towards translocon assembly with potential sensor at plant plasma membrane.

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    Ji, Hongtao; Dong, Hansong

    2015-09-01

    Many plant- and animal-pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria employ the type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate effector proteins from bacterial cells into the cytosol of eukaryotic host cells. The effector translocation occurs through an integral component of T3SS, the channel-like translocon, assembled by hydrophilic and hydrophobic proteinaceous translocators in a two-step process. In the first, hydrophilic translocators localize to the tip of a proteinaceous needle in animal pathogens, or a proteinaceous pilus in plant pathogens, and associate with hydrophobic translocators, which insert into host plasma membranes in the second step. However, the pilus needs to penetrate plant cell walls in advance. All hydrophilic translocators so far identified in plant pathogens are characteristic of harpins: T3SS accessory proteins containing a unitary hydrophilic domain or an additional enzymatic domain. Two-domain harpins carrying a pectate lyase domain potentially target plant cell walls and facilitate the penetration of the pectin-rich middle lamella by the bacterial pilus. One-domain harpins target plant plasma membranes and may play a crucial role in translocon assembly, which may also involve contrapuntal associations of hydrophobic translocators. In all cases, sensory components in the target plasma membrane are indispensable for the membrane recognition of translocators and the functionality of the translocon. The conjectural sensors point to membrane lipids and proteins, and a phosphatidic acid and an aquaporin are able to interact with selected harpin-type translocators. Interactions between translocators and their sensors at the target plasma membrane are assumed to be critical for translocon assembly. © 2014 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  20. Brucella Rough Mutant Induce Macrophage Death via Activating IRE1α Pathway of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Enhanced T4SS Secretion.

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    Li, Peng; Tian, Mingxing; Bao, Yanqing; Hu, Hai; Liu, Jiameng; Yin, Yi; Ding, Chan; Wang, Shaohui; Yu, Shengqing

    2017-01-01

    Brucella is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the worldwide zoonosis, known as brucellosis. Brucella virulence relies mostly on its ability to invade and replicate within phagocytic cells. The type IV secretion system (T4SS) and lipopolysaccharide are two major Brucella virulence factors. Brucella rough mutants reportedly induce the death of infected macrophages, which is T4SS dependent. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the T4SS secretion capacities of Brucella rough mutant and its smooth wild-type strain were comparatively investigated, by constructing the firefly luciferase fused T4SS effector, BPE123 and VceC. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the T4SS expression. The results showed that T4SS expression and secretion were enhanced significantly in the Brucella rough mutant. We also found that the activity of the T4SS virB operon promoter was notably increased in the Brucella rough mutant, which depends on quorum sensing-related regulators of VjbR upregulation. Cell infection and cell death assays revealed that deletion of vjbR in the Brucella rough mutant absolutely abolished cytotoxicity within macrophages by downregulating T4SS expression. This suggests that up-regulation of T4SS promoted by VjbR in rough mutant Δ rfbE contribute to macrophage death. In addition, we found that the Brucella rough mutant induce macrophage death via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, our study provide evidence that in comparison to the Brucella smooth wild-type strain, VjbR upregulation in the Brucella rough mutant increases transcription of the virB operon, resulting in overexpression of the T4SS gene, accompanied by the over-secretion of effecter proteins, thereby causing the death of infected macrophages via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting novel insights into the molecular

  1. Brucella Rough Mutant Induce Macrophage Death via Activating IRE1α Pathway of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Enhanced T4SS Secretion

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    Peng Li

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Brucella is a Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the worldwide zoonosis, known as brucellosis. Brucella virulence relies mostly on its ability to invade and replicate within phagocytic cells. The type IV secretion system (T4SS and lipopolysaccharide are two major Brucella virulence factors. Brucella rough mutants reportedly induce the death of infected macrophages, which is T4SS dependent. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the T4SS secretion capacities of Brucella rough mutant and its smooth wild-type strain were comparatively investigated, by constructing the firefly luciferase fused T4SS effector, BPE123 and VceC. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to analyze the T4SS expression. The results showed that T4SS expression and secretion were enhanced significantly in the Brucella rough mutant. We also found that the activity of the T4SS virB operon promoter was notably increased in the Brucella rough mutant, which depends on quorum sensing-related regulators of VjbR upregulation. Cell infection and cell death assays revealed that deletion of vjbR in the Brucella rough mutant absolutely abolished cytotoxicity within macrophages by downregulating T4SS expression. This suggests that up-regulation of T4SS promoted by VjbR in rough mutant ΔrfbE contribute to macrophage death. In addition, we found that the Brucella rough mutant induce macrophage death via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, our study provide evidence that in comparison to the Brucella smooth wild-type strain, VjbR upregulation in the Brucella rough mutant increases transcription of the virB operon, resulting in overexpression of the T4SS gene, accompanied by the over-secretion of effecter proteins, thereby causing the death of infected macrophages via activating IRE1α pathway of endoplasmic reticulum stress, suggesting novel insights into the

  2. Gene Expression of Type VI Secretion System Associated with Environmental Survival in Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae by Principle Component Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Cui, Zhouqi; Jin, Guoqiang; Li, Bin; Kakar, Kaleem; Ojaghian, Mohammad; Wang, Yangli; Xie, Guanlin; Sun, Guochang

    2015-01-01

    Valine glycine repeat G (VgrG) proteins are regarded as one of two effectors of Type VI secretion system (T6SS) which is a complex multi-component secretion system. In this study, potential biological roles of T6SS structural and VgrG genes in a rice bacterial pathogen, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) RS-1, were evaluated under seven stress conditions using principle component analysis of gene expression. The results showed that growth of the pathogen was reduced by H2O2 and paraquat-i...

  3. In silico dissection of Type VII Secretion System components across bacteria: New directions towards functional characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Chandrani; Ghosh, Tarini Shankar; Mande, Sharmila S

    2016-03-01

    Type VII Secretion System (T7SS) is one of the factors involved in virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Numerous research efforts have been made in the last decade towards characterizing the components of this secretion system. An extensive genome-wide analysis through compilation of isolated information is required to obtain a global view of diverse characteristics and pathogenicity-related aspects of this machinery. The present study suggests that differences in structural components (of T7SS) between Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, observed earlier in a few organisms, is indeed a global trend. A few hitherto uncharacterized T7SS-like clusters have been identified in the pathogenic bacteria Enterococcus faecalis, Saccharomonospora viridis, Streptococcus equi, Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis. Experimental verification of these clusters can shed lights on their role in bacterial pathogenesis. Similarly, verification of the identified variants of T7SS clusters consisting additional membrane components may help in unraveling new mechanism of protein translocation through T7SS. A database of various components of T7SS has been developed to facilitate easy access and interpretation of T7SS related data.

  4. Melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis protein (ML-IAP) specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes cross-react with an epitope from the auto-antigen SS56

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baek Sørensen, Rikke; Faurschou, Mikkel; Troelsen, Lone

    2009-01-01

    A large proportion of melanoma patients host a spontaneous T-cell response specifically against ML-IAP-derived peptides. In this study, we describe that some ML-IAP-specific cytotoxic T cells isolated from melanoma patients cross react with an epitope from the auto-antigen SS56. SS56 is a recentl...

  5. New players in the same old game: a system level in silico study to predict type III secretion system and effector proteins in bacterial genomes reveals common themes in T3SS mediated pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadarangani, Vineet; Datta, Sunando; Arunachalam, Manonmani

    2013-07-26

    Type III secretion system (T3SS) plays an important role in virulence or symbiosis of many pathogenic or symbiotic bacteria [CHM 2:291-294, 2007; Physiology (Bethesda) 20:326-339, 2005]. T3SS acts like a tunnel between a bacterium and its host through which the bacterium injects 'effector' proteins into the latter [Nature 444:567-573, 2006; COSB 18:258-266, 2008]. The effectors spatially and temporally modify the host signalling pathways [FEMS Microbiol Rev 35:1100-1125, 2011; Cell Host Microbe5:571-579, 2009]. In spite its crucial role in host-pathogen interaction, the study of T3SS and the associated effectors has been limited to a few bacteria [Cell Microbiol 13:1858-1869, 2011; Nat Rev Microbiol 6:11-16, 2008; Mol Microbiol 80:1420-1438, 2011]. Before one set out to perform systematic experimental studies on an unknown set of bacteria it would be beneficial to identify the potential candidates by developing an in silico screening algorithm. A system level study would also be advantageous over traditional laboratory methods to extract an overriding theme for host-pathogen interaction, if any, from the vast resources of data generated by sequencing multiple bacterial genomes. We have developed an in silico protocol in which the most conserved set of T3SS proteins was used as the query against the entire bacterial database with increasingly stringent search parameters. It enabled us to identify several uncharacterized T3SS positive bacteria. We adopted a similar strategy to predict the presence of the already known effectors in the newly identified T3SS positive bacteria. The huge resources of biochemical data [FEMS Microbiol Rev 35:1100-1125, 2011; Cell Host Microbe 5:571-579, 2009; BMC Bioinformatics 7(11):S4, 2010] on the T3SS effectors enabled us to search for the common theme in T3SS mediated pathogenesis. We identified few cellular signalling networks in the host, which are manipulated by most of the T3SS containing pathogens. We went on to look for

  6. Structural Characterization and Oligomerization of the TssL Protein, a Component Shared by Bacterial Type VI and Type IVb Secretion Systems*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durand, Eric; Zoued, Abdelrahim; Spinelli, Silvia; Watson, Paul J. H.; Aschtgen, Marie-Stéphanie; Journet, Laure; Cambillau, Christian; Cascales, Eric

    2012-01-01

    The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a macromolecular system distributed in Gram-negative bacteria, responsible for the secretion of effector proteins into target cells. The T6SS has a broad versatility as it can target both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. It is therefore involved in host pathogenesis or killing neighboring bacterial cells to colonize a new niche. At the architecture level, the T6SS core apparatus is composed of 13 proteins, which assemble in two subcomplexes. One of these subcomplexes, composed of subunits that share structural similarities with bacteriophage tail and baseplate components, is anchored to the cell envelope by the membrane subcomplex. This latter is constituted of at least three proteins, TssL, TssM, and TssJ. The crystal structure of the TssJ outer membrane lipoprotein and its interaction with the inner membrane TssM protein have been recently reported. TssL and TssM share sequence homology and characteristics with two components of the Type IVb secretion system (T4bSS), IcmH/DotU and IcmF, respectively. In this study, we report the crystal structure of the cytoplasmic domain of the TssL inner membrane protein from the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Sci-1 T6SS. It folds as a hook-like structure composed of two three-helix bundles. Two TssL molecules associate to form a functional complex. Although the TssL trans-membrane segment is the main determinant of self-interaction, contacts between the cytoplasmic domains are required for TssL function. Based on sequence homology and secondary structure prediction, we propose that the TssL structure is the prototype for the members of the TssL and IcmH/DotU families. PMID:22371492

  7. Sodium confluent rates of flow values, on 0,5 mixer, of a sodium italian SS-050 circuit component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walsh, L.M.

    1987-01-01

    Sodium lines on different temperatures, during an emergency drainage on 0,5 mixer was found. To future valuation by DIMEC of tensions that occurs on that component of SS-050, the confluent rates of flow values were calculated. (L.M.J.) [pt

  8. Ferulic Acid, But Not All Hydroxycinnamic Acids, Is a Novel T3SS Inducer of Ralstonia solanacearum and Promotes Its Infection Process in Host Plants under Hydroponic Condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yong Zhang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs are typical monocyclic phenylpropanoids, including cinnamic acid (Cin, coumaric acid (Cou, caffeic acid (Caf, ferulic acid (FA and their isomers, and involved in the interactions between pathogens and host plants. Here, we focused on the impact of HCAs on expression of type III secretion system (T3SS in Ralstonia solanacearum. FA significantly induced the expression of the T3SS and some type III effectors (T3Es genes in hrp-inducing medium, while did not the other HCAs. However, exogenously supplemented FA did not affect the T3SS expression in planta and the elicitation of the hypersensitive response (HR in tobacco leaves. Consistent with its central roles in pathogenicity, the FA-induced expression of the T3SS led to significant promotion on infection process of R. solanacearum in tomato plants under hydroponics cultivation. Moreover, the FA-induced expression of the T3SS was specifically mediated by the well-characterized signaling cascade PrhA-prhI/R-PrhJ-HrpG-HrpB, independent of the other known regulatory pathways. In summary, our results demonstrated that FA, a novel inducer of the T3SS in R. solanacearum, was able to promote its infection process in host plants under hydroponics condition.

  9. Safe and effective error rate monitors for SS7 signaling links

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Douglas C.

    1994-04-01

    This paper describes SS7 error monitor characteristics, discusses the existing SUERM (Signal Unit Error Rate Monitor), and develops the recently proposed EIM (Error Interval Monitor) for higher speed SS7 links. A SS7 error monitor is considered safe if it ensures acceptable link quality and is considered effective if it is tolerant to short-term phenomena. Formal criteria for safe and effective error monitors are formulated in this paper. This paper develops models of changeover transients, the unstable component of queue length resulting from errors. These models are in the form of recursive digital filters. Time is divided into sequential intervals. The filter's input is the number of errors which have occurred in each interval. The output is the corresponding change in transmit queue length. Engineered EIM's are constructed by comparing an estimated changeover transient with a threshold T using a transient model modified to enforce SS7 standards. When this estimate exceeds T, a changeover will be initiated and the link will be removed from service. EIM's can be differentiated from SUERM by the fact that EIM's monitor errors over an interval while SUERM's count errored messages. EIM's offer several advantages over SUERM's, including the fact that they are safe and effective, impose uniform standards in link quality, are easily implemented, and make minimal use of real-time resources.

  10. T-book. Reliability data of components in Nordic nuclear power plants. 6. ed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The main objective of the T-Book is to provide reliability data for the unavailability computations that are made for each component that is considered in the compulsory, probabilistic safety assessments (PSA) of nuclear power plants. As the use of PSA is large in the normal safety work at the NPPs, there is a need for easily accessible and reliable failure data. The failure characteristics presented in the T-Book are primarily based on the failure reports stored in the central database TUD and the Licensee Event Reports delivered to the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI). Fortunately, the TUD database was started already in the middle of the seventies by the Swedish power companies. In 1981, the Finnish power company TVO, operating two reactor units of Swedish design, joined the data collection system. Before the TUD data are statistically treated they are carefully examined with respect to the consistency and correctness. This T-Book comprises only critical failures, i.e. failures that stops the function of components or leads to repair. The first edition of the T-Book was issued in 1982 encompassing operational statistics from 21 reactor years. The second edition was published 1985, based on operating data covering about 40 reactor years. The T-Book 3 was published in 1992 and included data up to the operating year 1987 (108 reactor years). Edition 4 was published 1994 containing information up to and including 1992 (178 reactor years). Edition 5 was published year 2000 containing information up to and including 1996 (234 reactor years). This edition 6 contains information including year 2002 (315 reactor years). At the same time as the amount of data has increased with the successive editions of the T-Book there has been a continuous work to improve the methods for the statistical inference and related program tools, required to derive the reliability parameters from the operational data in the database. Already in the initial edition there was a Bayesian

  11. Role of the frequency of blood CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +} T cells in autoimmunity in patients with Sjoegren's syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Xue-yi; Wu, Zhen-biao; Ding, Jin; Zheng, Zhao-hui [Department of Clinical Immunology, State key Discipline of Cell Biology, Xi-jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Shaanxi Province (China); Li, Xiao-yan [Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shaanxi Provincial People' s Hospital, Xi' an, Shaanxi Province (China); Chen, Li-na [Department of Clinical Immunology, State key Discipline of Cell Biology, Xi-jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Shaanxi Province (China); Zhu, Ping, E-mail: zhuping@fmmu.edu.cn [Department of Clinical Immunology, State key Discipline of Cell Biology, Xi-jing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Shaanxi Province (China)

    2012-06-01

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The frequency of CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +} T cells increased in pSS patients and positively correlated with autoantibodies in the blood. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +} T cells in blood invariably coexpressed PD-1, ICOS, CD40L, Bcl-6 and secreted IL-21 after stimulated by PHA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +} Tfh cells in blood may be suitable biomarkers for the evaluation of the active immune stage of pSS patients. -- Abstract: The blood CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} T cells, known as 'circulating' Tfh, have been shown to efficiently induce naieve B cells to produce immunoglobulin. They play an important role in certain autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we show for the first time that the frequency of CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} T cells is increased in pSS patients and positively correlated with autoantibodies in the blood. The concentration of Th17-like subsets (CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +}) in pSS patients was found to be significantly higher than in healthy controls. Functional assays showed that activated Th17-like subtypes in the blood display the key features of Tfh cells, including invariably coexpressed PD-1, ICOS, CD40L and IL-21. Th17 subsets were found to highly express Bcl-6 protein and Th1 and Th2 were not. Bcl-6 is believed to be a master transforming factor for Tfh cell differentiation and facilitate B cell proliferation and somatic hypermutation within the germinal center. These data indicate that Th17 subsets of CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} T cells in the blood may participate in the antibody-related immune responses and that high frequency of CD4{sup +} CXCR5{sup +} CCR6{sup +} Tfh cells in blood may be suitable biomarkers for the evaluation of the active immune stage of pSS patients. It might provide insights into the pathogenesis and perhaps help researchers identify novel therapeutic targets for pSS.

  12. T3SS-dependent differential modulations of the jasmonic acid pathway in susceptible and resistant genotypes of Malus spp. challenged with Erwinia amylovora.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugé De Bernonville, Thomas; Gaucher, Matthieu; Flors, Victor; Gaillard, Sylvain; Paulin, Jean-Pierre; Dat, James F; Brisset, Marie-Noëlle

    2012-06-01

    Fire blight is a bacterial disease of Maloideae caused by Erwinia amylovora (Ea). This necrogenic enterobacterium uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject type III effectors into the plant cells to cause disease on its susceptible hosts, including economically important crops like apple and pear. The expressions of marker genes of the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) defense regulation pathways were monitored by RT-qPCR in leaves of two apple genotypes, one susceptible and one resistant, challenged with a wild type strain, a T3SS-deficient strain or water. The transcriptional data taken together with hormone level measurements indicated that the SA pathway was similarly induced in both apple genotypes during infection by Ea. On the contrary, the data clearly showed a strong T3SS-dependent down-regulation of the JA pathway in leaves of the susceptible genotype but not in those of the resistant one. Accordingly, methyl-jasmonate treated susceptible plants displayed an increased resistance to Ea. Bacterial mutant analysis indicated that JA manipulation by Ea mainly relies on the type III effector DspA/E. Taken together, our data suggest that the T3SS-dependent down-regulation of the JA pathway is a critical step in the infection process of Malus spp. by Ea. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. T3SS effector VopL inhibits the host ROS response, promoting the intracellular survival of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcela de Souza Santos

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The production of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species by the nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH oxidase complex is an important mechanism for control of invading pathogens. Herein, we show that the gastrointestinal pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus counteracts reactive oxygen species (ROS production using the Type III Secretion System 2 (T3SS2 effector VopL. In the absence of VopL, intracellular V. parahaemolyticus undergoes ROS-dependent filamentation, with concurrent limited growth. During infection, VopL assembles actin into non-functional filaments resulting in a dysfunctional actin cytoskeleton that can no longer mediate the assembly of the NADPH oxidase at the cell membrane, thereby limiting ROS production. This is the first example of how a T3SS2 effector contributes to the intracellular survival of V. parahaemolyticus, supporting the establishment of a protective intracellular replicative niche.

  14. Systematic Identification of Intracellular-Translocated Candidate Effectors in Edwardsiella piscicida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lingzhi Zhang

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Many bacterial pathogens inject effectors directly into host cells to target a variety of host cellular processes and promote bacterial dissemination and survival. Identifying the bacterial effectors and elucidating their functions are central to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of these pathogens. Edwardsiella piscicida is a pathogen with a wide host range, and very few of its effectors have been identified to date. Here, based on the genes significantly regulated by macrophage infection, we identified 25 intracellular translocation-positive candidate effectors, including all five previously reported effectors, namely EseG, EseJ, EseH, EseK, and EvpP. A subsequent secretion analysis revealed diverse secretion patterns for the 25 effector candidates, suggesting that multiple transport pathways were involved in the internalization of these candidate effectors. Further, we identified two novel type VI secretion system (T6SS putative effectors and three outer membrane vesicles (OMV-dependent putative effectors among the candidate effectors described above, and further analyzed their contribution to bacterial virulence in a zebrafish model. This work demonstrates an effective approach for screening bacterial effectors and expands the effectors repertoire in E. piscicida.

  15. Functionalization of PVC membrane with ss oligonucleotides for a potentiometric biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shishkanova, T V; Volf, R; Krondak, M; Král, V

    2007-05-15

    A novel application of a single stranded (ss) oligonucleotide as an active component of polymeric membrane in an ion-selective electrode (ISE) is described. The original oligonucleotides, oligo(dA)(15), modified by cholesterol, triphenylmethyl and hexadecyl derivatives, were immobilized into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane using extraction protocol. In parallel, the adsorption protocol was used to immobilize unmodified oligo(dA)(15) on the PVC membrane based on tridodecylmethyammonium chloride (TDDMA(+)Cl(-)). Immobilization of ss oligonucleotide probe through spacer was more effective for the potentiometric detection of the hybridization between complementary oligonucleotides. It was found that cholesterol-oligo(dA)(15) modified membranes were sensitive toward complementary oligo(dT)(15) in the concentration range 2-80 nM at pH 7. An explanation for the detection mechanism is proposed.

  16. IPv4-protokollasta siirtyminen IPv6-protokollaan

    OpenAIRE

    Ylituomaala, Jaakko

    2011-01-01

    ssä työssä tutkitaan IPv6-osoiteavaruutta, sekä IPv6-protokollan yhteensopivuutta IPv4-protokollan kanssa. Työssä käydään läpi myös yleisimmät IPv4-yhteensopivat IPv6-reititysmenetelmät. Tutkimuksessa tutustutaan pääpiirteittäin IPv4-osoiteluokkiin, itse osoitteisiin ja IPv4-headeriin. IPv4 osoiteryhmiä on viisi, jotka ovat A, B, C, D ja E. Lisäksi luodaan katsaus IPv4-headerin eri osioihin ja tutustutaan niiden käyttötarkoituksiin. Työssä käydään läpi myös osittain NAT-toiminto. Tu...

  17. The Symbiotic System SS73 17 seen with Suzaku

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Randall K.; Mushotzky, Richard; Kallman, Tim; Tueller, Jack; Mukai, Koji; Markwardt, Craig

    2007-01-01

    We observed with Suzaku the symbiotic star SS73 17, motivated by the discovery by the INTEGRAL satellite and the Swift BAT survey that it emits hard X-rays. Our observations showed a highly-absorbed X-ray spectrum with NH > loz3 emp2, equivalent to Av > 26, although the source has B magnitude 11.3 and is also bright in UV. The source also shows strong, narrow iron lines including fluorescent Fe K as well as Fe xxv and Fe XXVI. The X-ray spectrum can be fit with a thermal model including an absorption component that partially covers the source. Most of the equivalent width of the iron fluorescent line in this model can be explained as a combination of reprocessing in a dense absorber plus reflection off a white dwarf surface, but it is likely that the continuum is partially seen in reflection as well. Unlike other symbiotic systems that show hard X-ray emission (CH Cyg, RT Cru, T CrB, GX1+4), SS73 17 is not known to have shown nova-like optical variability, X-ray flashes, or pulsations, and has always shown faint soft X-ray emission. As a result, although it is likely a white dwarf, the nature of the compact object in SS73 17 is still uncertain. SS73 17 is probably an extreme example of the recently discovered and relatively small class of hard X-ray emitting symbiotic systems.

  18. Corrosion study of stainless steel SS304L in molten molybdates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Usami, T., E-mail: tusami@criepi.denken.or.jp [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Iwadokita2-11-1, Komae-shi, Tokyo 201-8511 (Japan); Uruga, K.; Tsukada, T. [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Iwadokita2-11-1, Komae-shi, Tokyo 201-8511 (Japan); Miura, Y.; Komamine, S.; Ochi, E. [Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited, 4-108, Aza Okitsuke, Oaza Obuchi, Rokkasho-mura, Kamikita-gun, Aomori 039-3212 (Japan)

    2016-04-01

    Depending on operating conditions of the vitrification process of high-level liquid waste, molten salt mainly composed of sodium and molybdenum can be generated, and poured into stainless steel canisters. In this work, the possible reaction between the molten molybdate and stainless steel was investigated using multi-component molybdate and simple Na{sub 2}MoO{sub 4} – MoO{sub 3} molybdate. In the experiments using multi-component molybdates, no significant reaction is observed between the mixed molybdates and the stainless steel specimens at 700 °C in 4 h. The reaction rate of the stainless steel with the multi-component molybdate increases in proportion to exp(-1/T). The depth of the most reacted area is about 300 μm even at 1000 °C, and was much smaller than the 6 mm thickness of the canister. In the simple Na{sub 2}MoO{sub 4} – MoO{sub 3} molybdate, the reaction rate was proportional to the MoO{sub 3} concentration. The essence of the reaction is oxidation of metals by Mo{sup 6+} - > Mo{sup 4+}. Part of the reaction product mainly composed of Fe is dissolved into the molybdate, while the other part mainly composed of Cr sloughs and forms a banded layer. - Highlights: • The reaction yield of SS304L with molten molybdate was negligible at 700 °C in 4 h. • The corrosion rate increased in proportion to exp (-1/T). • The corrosion rate was proportional to MoO{sub 3} concentration in Na{sub 2}MoO{sub 4}–MoO{sub 3} mixture. • The essence of the reaction was oxidation of metals by Mo{sup 6+} –> Mo{sup 4+}.

  19. The post-transcriptional regulator rsmA/csrA activates T3SS by stabilizing the 5' UTR of hrpG, the master regulator of hrp/hrc genes, in Xanthomonas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxuel O Andrade

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The RsmA/CsrA family of the post-transcriptional regulators of bacteria is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including pathogenesis. In this study, we demonstrated that rsmA not only is required for the full virulence of the phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (XCC but also contributes to triggering the hypersensitive response (HR in non-host plants. Deletion of rsmA resulted in significantly reduced virulence in the host plant sweet orange and a delayed and weakened HR in the non-host plant Nicotiana benthamiana. Microarray, quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, western-blotting, and GUS assays indicated that RsmA regulates the expression of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The regulation of T3SS by RsmA is a universal phenomenon in T3SS-containing bacteria, but the specific mechanism seems to depend on the interaction between a particular bacterium and its hosts. For Xanthomonads, the mechanism by which RsmA activates T3SS remains unknown. Here, we show that RsmA activates the expression of T3SS-encoding hrp/hrc genes by directly binding to the 5' untranslated region (UTR of hrpG, the master regulator of the hrp/hrc genes in XCC. RsmA stabilizes hrpG mRNA, leading to increased accumulation of HrpG proteins and subsequently, the activation of hrp/hrc genes. The activation of the hrp/hrc genes by RsmA via HrpG was further supported by the observation that ectopic overexpression of hrpG in an rsmA mutant restored its ability to cause disease in host plants and trigger HR in non-host plants. RsmA also stabilizes the transcripts of another T3SS-associated hrpD operon by directly binding to the 5' UTR region. Taken together, these data revealed that RsmA primarily activates T3SS by acting as a positive regulator of hrpG and that this regulation is critical to the pathogenicity of XCC.

  20. Complex, variable structure of stationary lines in SS433

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Falomo, R.; Boksenberg, A.; Tanzi, E.G.; Tarenghi, M.; Treves, A.

    1987-01-15

    On 1979 June 3-6, a number of spectra of SS433 were obtained using the UCL Image Photon Counting System on the 3.6-m telescope of the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile. The stationary H..cap alpha.. and He I lambdalambda5875, 6678 and 7065 lines have a complex structure which on June 4-5 exhibited a central feature accompanied by two equally displaced (+- 1000 km s/sup -1/) side components. Variability of the line profile and equivalent width is observed on time-scales as short as a quarter of an hour.

  1. Digipelaamisen hyödyt mielenterveystyössä

    OpenAIRE

    Simula, Kristiina

    2017-01-01

    Mielenterveyshäiriöitä ilmenee joka viidennellä suomalaisella. Avohoitopainotteiseen mielenterveystyöhön siirryttäessä tarvitaan uusia näkökulmia asiakastyöhön. DIgipelien suosion myötä on tärkeää miettiä niiden käyttömahdollisuuksia mielenterveystyössä. Jotta uudet menetelmät voidaan ottaa käyttöön, tarvitaan digipelien hyödyistä tutkimustietoa. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on kuvata mitä tutkimustietoa on saatavilla digipelaamisen hyödyistä mielenterveystyössä. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena ...

  2. Visualization of the Serratia Type VI Secretion System Reveals Unprovoked Attacks and Dynamic Assembly

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy J. Gerc

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The Type VI secretion system (T6SS is a bacterial nanomachine that fires toxic proteins into target cells. Deployment of the T6SS represents an efficient and widespread means by which bacteria attack competitors or interact with host organisms and may be triggered by contact from an attacking neighbor cell as a defensive strategy. Here, we use the opportunist pathogen Serratia marcescens and functional fluorescent fusions of key components of the T6SS to observe different subassemblies of the machinery simultaneously and on multiple timescales in vivo. We report that the localization and dynamic behavior of each of the components examined is distinct, revealing a multi-stage and dynamic assembly process for the T6SS machinery. We also show that the T6SS can assemble and fire without needing a cell contact trigger, defining an aggressive strategy that broadens target range and suggesting that activation of the T6SS is tailored to survival in specific niches.

  3. Visualization of the Serratia Type VI Secretion System Reveals Unprovoked Attacks and Dynamic Assembly

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerc, Amy J.; Diepold, Andreas; Trunk, Katharina; Porter, Michael; Rickman, Colin; Armitage, Judith P.; Stanley-Wall, Nicola R.; Coulthurst, Sarah J.

    2015-01-01

    Summary The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a bacterial nanomachine that fires toxic proteins into target cells. Deployment of the T6SS represents an efficient and widespread means by which bacteria attack competitors or interact with host organisms and may be triggered by contact from an attacking neighbor cell as a defensive strategy. Here, we use the opportunist pathogen Serratia marcescens and functional fluorescent fusions of key components of the T6SS to observe different subassemblies of the machinery simultaneously and on multiple timescales in vivo. We report that the localization and dynamic behavior of each of the components examined is distinct, revealing a multi-stage and dynamic assembly process for the T6SS machinery. We also show that the T6SS can assemble and fire without needing a cell contact trigger, defining an aggressive strategy that broadens target range and suggesting that activation of the T6SS is tailored to survival in specific niches. PMID:26387948

  4. Tytöt pelitoiminnallisessa nuorisotyössä : Helsingin nuorisoasiainkeskuksen Pelitalon tyttökävijöiden kokemuksia toiminnasta

    OpenAIRE

    Renman, Niklas

    2016-01-01

    TIIVISTELMÄ Renman, Niklas. Tytöt pelitoiminnallisessa nuorisotyössä: Helsingin nuorisoasiainkeskuksen Pelitalon tyttökävijöiden kokemuksia toiminnasta. Helsinki, kevät 2016, 66 sivua, 1 liite. Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu, sosiaalialan koulutusohjelma, Sosionomi (AMK) + kirkon nuorisotyönohjaajan virkakelpoisuus. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa tyttöjen asenteita, toiveita ja koke-muksia pelitoiminnallisesta nuorisotyöstä. Tavoitteena oli selvittää, mitkä tekijät vaikuttava...

  5. Multiaxial fatigue of cast aluminium EN AC-42000 T6 (G-AlSi7Mg0.3 T6 for automotive safety components under constant and variable amplitude loading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.M. Sonsino

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Regarding the fatigue behaviour of EN AC-42000 T6 (A 356 T6, which is the most frequently used cast aluminium alloy for automotive safety components, especially under non-proportional constant and variable normal and shear stress amplitudes with changing principal stress directions, a poor level of knowledge was available. The reported investigations show that, under non-proportional normal and shear stresses, fatigue life is increased in contrast to ductile steels where life is reduced due to changing principal stress directions. This behaviour caused by the low ductility of this alloy (e < 10% compared to quenched and tempered steels suggests the application of the Normal (Principal Stress Hypothesis (NSH. For all of the investigated stress states under multiaxial constant and variable (Gaussian spectrum amplitudes without and with mean stresses, the NSH was able to depict the life increase by the non-proportionality and delivered, for most cases, conservative but non-exaggerated results.

  6. The complex, variable structure of stationary lines in SS433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Falomo, R.; Boksenberg, A.; Tanzi, E.G.; Tarenghi, M.; Treves, A.

    1987-01-01

    On 1979 June 3-6, a number of spectra of SS433 were obtained using the UCL Image Photon Counting System on the 3.6-m telescope of the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile. The stationary Hα and He I lambdalambda5875, 6678 and 7065 lines have a complex structure which on June 4-5 exhibited a central feature accompanied by two equally displaced (+- 1000 km s -1 ) side components. Variability of the line profile and equivalent width is observed on time-scales as short as a quarter of an hour. (author)

  7. DotU and VgrG, core components of type VI secretion systems, are essential for Francisella LVS pathogenicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeanette E Bröms

    Full Text Available The Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis causes tularemia, a disease which requires bacterial escape from phagosomes of infected macrophages. Once in the cytosol, the bacterium rapidly multiplies, inhibits activation of the inflammasome and ultimately causes death of the host cell. Of importance for these processes is a 33-kb gene cluster, the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI, which is believed to encode a type VI secretion system (T6SS. In this study, we analyzed the role of the FPI-encoded proteins VgrG and DotU, which are conserved components of type VI secretion (T6S clusters. We demonstrate that in F. tularensis LVS, VgrG was shown to form multimers, consistent with its suggested role as a trimeric membrane puncturing device in T6SSs, while the inner membrane protein DotU was shown to stabilize PdpB/IcmF, another T6SS core component. Upon infection of J774 cells, both ΔvgrG and ΔdotU mutants did not escape from phagosomes, and subsequently, did not multiply or cause cytopathogenicity. They also showed impaired activation of the inflammasome and marked attenuation in the mouse model. Moreover, all of the DotU-dependent functions investigated here required the presence of three residues that are essentially conserved among all DotU homologues. Thus, in agreement with a core function in T6S clusters, VgrG and DotU play key roles for modulation of the intracellular host response as well as for the virulence of F. tularensis.

  8. Spa47 is an oligomerization-activated type three secretion system (T3SS) ATPase from Shigella flexneri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgess, Jamie L; Jones, Heather B; Kumar, Prashant; Toth, Ronald T; Middaugh, C Russell; Antony, Edwin; Dickenson, Nicholas E

    2016-05-01

    Gram-negative pathogens often use conserved type three secretion systems (T3SS) for virulence. The Shigella type three secretion apparatus (T3SA) penetrates the host cell membrane and provides a unidirectional conduit for injection of effectors into host cells. The protein Spa47 localizes to the base of the apparatus and is speculated to be an ATPase that provides the energy for T3SA formation and secretion. Here, we developed an expression and purification protocol, producing active Spa47 and providing the first direct evidence that Spa47 is a bona fide ATPase. Additionally, size exclusion chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation identified multiple oligomeric species of Spa47 with the largest greater than 8 fold more active for ATP hydrolysis than the monomer. An ATPase inactive Spa47 point mutant was then engineered by targeting a conserved Lysine within the predicted Walker A motif of Spa47. Interestingly, the mutant maintained a similar oligomerization pattern as active Spa47, but was unable to restore invasion phenotype when used to complement a spa47 null S. flexneri strain. Together, these results identify Spa47 as a Shigella T3SS ATPase and suggest that its activity is linked to oligomerization, perhaps as a regulatory mechanism as seen in some related pathogens. Additionally, Spa47 catalyzed ATP hydrolysis appears to be essential for host cell invasion, providing a strong platform for additional studies dissecting its role in virulence and providing an attractive target for anti-infective agents. © 2016 The Protein Society.

  9. Rekrytointi Myyntityössä : vaikutus & kehittäminen

    OpenAIRE

    Koskinen, Severi

    2017-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tutkia rekrytointia myyntityössä, sen vaikutusta ja miten kehittää rekrytointia. Tätä lähdettiin selvittämään käsittelemällä teoriaosuudessa rekrytoinnin vaikutuksia, vaikutuksia myyntityössä sekä rekrytointiprosessin suorittamista. Tutkimusosuudessa tätä pyrittiin selvittämään etsimällä onnistuneista rekrytoinneista yhteisiä tekijöitä sekä epäonnistuneille rekrytoinneille syitä. Näitä tunnistamalla pystytään kehittämään ennalta toimivia rekrytointeja sekä välttä...

  10. [J. Tapio. Suljetut vaunut, eli, Kadonnutta aikaa etsimässä ; Jukka Kostiainen. Kinnises tõllas, ehk, Kadunud aega otsimas ; Tatu Vaaskivi. Maarjamaa] / Hannu Oittinen

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Oittinen, Hannu, 1959-

    2013-01-01

    Arvustus: Tapio, J. Suljetut vaunut, eli, Kadonnutta aikaa etsimässä. Porvoo : J. Kostiainen, 2012 ; Kostiainen, Jukka. Kinnises tõllas, ehk, Kadunud aega otsimas / tõlkinud Ants Paikre. Tartu : Atlex, 2013 ; Vaaskivi, Tatu. Maarjamaa / tõlkinud Ants Paikre. Tallinn : Kultuurileht, 2013. (Loomingu raamatukogu)

  11. IPv6:n käyttöönotto PK-yrityksessä

    OpenAIRE

    Salonen, Arttu Petteri

    2011-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on selvittää, kuinka IPv6-yhteydet otetaan käyt-töön PK-yrityksessä. Työssä selvitetään minkälaiset vaatimukset IPv6 asettaa lait-teistolle ja minkälaisia käytännön asioita yrityksen täytyy huomioida IPv6:n käyt-töönotossa. Lisäksi työssä on laboratoriosimulaation avulla havainnollistettu eri käyt-töjärjestelmien tukea IPv6:lle ja käyttöönottoon liittyviä reititin- ja osoitekonfiguraati-oita. Käyttöönoton lisäksi opinnäytetyössä esitellään IPv6-protokoll...

  12. Integral test of KERMA data for SS304 stainless steel in the D-T fusion neutron environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeda, Y.; Kosako, K.; Konno, C.

    1994-01-01

    The KERMA (Kinetic Energy Release Material) data play the fundamental role for estimating nuclear heating in the structural components of fusion reactors. The data are produced from the large body of nuclear data relevant to reaction channels associated with the kinetic energy release. Both contributions by neutron and gamma-ray should be addressed to arrived at the final heating products. Extensive efforts have been devoted to the neutron and γ-ray transport profile in many materials, resulting in the validation of cross section data. However, the experimental verification of KERMA data, which is a highly integrated product of neutron and γ-ray, has been limited from the lack of available experimental data. Through the JAERI/USDOE collaborative program on fusion neutronics, novel experimental technique for the direct nuclear heating due to 14 MeV neutrons has been developed based on a micro calorimetric system. The technique demonstrated excellent capability for detecting the temperature rise due to nuclear heating and pertinent verification for the calculation data and methods. This paper deals with the most recent experimental endeavor for the direct nuclear heating measurement in SS-304 stainless steel assembly, where appreciably large amounts of slow neutron and associated secondary γ-rays dominated the field. The nuclear heating up to 200 mm depth in the SS-304 assembly were derived from detected temperature rise employing large SS-304 block type probe materials

  13. Taloushallintoprosessien kehittäminen Iisalmen Putkiasennus Oy:ssä

    OpenAIRE

    Juntunen, Tiia

    2015-01-01

    Tämä opinnäytetyö käsittelee taloushallintoprosessien kehittämistä Iisalmen Putkiasennus Oy:ssä. Kehittämistyötä päädyttiin rajaamaan keskittyen myynti- ja ostolaskuprosessien kehittämiseen, koska niissä oli havaittu olevan eniten kehitettävää. Iisalmen Putkiasennus Oy on LVI-alalla työskentelevä perheyritys, joka on ollut toiminnassa jo yli 35 vuotta. Yritys sijaitsee Iisalmessa ja työllistää noin 50 henkilöä. Tässä opinnäytetyössä taloushallintoprosessien kehittäminen alkoi tilanteesta...

  14. OPNET simulation Signaling System No.7 (SS7) network interfaces

    OpenAIRE

    Ow, Kong Chung.

    2000-01-01

    This thesis presents an OPNET model and simulation of the Signaling System No.7 (SS7) network, which is dubbed the world's largest data communications network. The main focus of the study is to model one of its levels, the Message Transfer Part Level 3, in accordance with the ITU.T recommendation Q.704. An overview of SS7 that includes the evolution and basics of SS7 architecture is provided to familarize the reader with the topic. This includes the protocol stack, signaling points, signaling...

  15. Ventilation components according to DIN 1946-6. Messages from the C.A.T.S. Academy; Lueftungskomponenten nach DIN 1946-6. Mitteilungen aus der C.A.T.S.-Academy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nadler, Norbert [CSE Nadler, Oranienburg (Germany)

    2011-07-01

    On the one hand, the buildings are performed tightly according to the building regulations, on the other hand a minimum of air change is to be ensured. The former demand for air change by manual opening of the windows is no longer accepted. The calculation method of the regulation DIN 1946-6 enables both the establishment of a ventilation concept as well as an interpretation of the ventilation components. A critical evaluation of the regulation and the demands of practice result in necessary amendments which result in requirements of the appropriate software. The implementation of these requirements exemplary is demonstrated on the basis od the new C.A.T.S. ventilation.

  16. Thick SS316 materials TIG welding development activities towards advanced fusion reactor vacuum vessel applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, B. Ramesh; Gangradey, R.

    2012-11-01

    Advanced fusion reactors like ITER and up coming Indian DEMO devices are having challenges in terms of their materials design and fabrication procedures. The operation of these devices is having various loads like structural, thermo-mechanical and neutron irradiation effects on major systems like vacuum vessel, divertor, magnets and blanket modules. The concept of double wall vacuum vessel (VV) is proposed in view of protecting of major reactor subsystems like super conducting magnets, diagnostic systems and other critical components from high energy 14 MeV neutrons generated from fusion plasma produced by D-T reactions. The double walled vacuum vessel is used in combination with pressurized water circulation and some special grade borated steel blocks to shield these high energy neutrons effectively. The fabrication of sub components in VV are mainly used with high thickness SS materials in range of 20 mm- 60 mm of various grades based on the required protocols. The structural components of double wall vacuum vessel uses various parts like shields, ribs, shells and diagnostic vacuum ports. These components are to be developed with various welding techniques like TIG welding, Narrow gap TIG welding, Laser welding, Hybrid TIG laser welding, Electron beam welding based on requirement. In the present paper the samples of 20 mm and 40 mm thick SS 316 materials are developed with TIG welding process and their mechanical properties characterization with Tensile, Bend tests and Impact tests are carried out. In addition Vickers hardness tests and microstructural properties of Base metal, Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and Weld Zone are done. TIG welding application with high thick SS materials in connection with vacuum vessel requirements and involved criticalities towards welding process are highlighted.

  17. Thick SS316 materials TIG welding development activities towards advanced fusion reactor vacuum vessel applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, B Ramesh; Gangradey, R

    2012-01-01

    Advanced fusion reactors like ITER and up coming Indian DEMO devices are having challenges in terms of their materials design and fabrication procedures. The operation of these devices is having various loads like structural, thermo-mechanical and neutron irradiation effects on major systems like vacuum vessel, divertor, magnets and blanket modules. The concept of double wall vacuum vessel (VV) is proposed in view of protecting of major reactor subsystems like super conducting magnets, diagnostic systems and other critical components from high energy 14 MeV neutrons generated from fusion plasma produced by D-T reactions. The double walled vacuum vessel is used in combination with pressurized water circulation and some special grade borated steel blocks to shield these high energy neutrons effectively. The fabrication of sub components in VV are mainly used with high thickness SS materials in range of 20 mm- 60 mm of various grades based on the required protocols. The structural components of double wall vacuum vessel uses various parts like shields, ribs, shells and diagnostic vacuum ports. These components are to be developed with various welding techniques like TIG welding, Narrow gap TIG welding, Laser welding, Hybrid TIG laser welding, Electron beam welding based on requirement. In the present paper the samples of 20 mm and 40 mm thick SS 316 materials are developed with TIG welding process and their mechanical properties characterization with Tensile, Bend tests and Impact tests are carried out. In addition Vickers hardness tests and microstructural properties of Base metal, Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) and Weld Zone are done. TIG welding application with high thick SS materials in connection with vacuum vessel requirements and involved criticalities towards welding process are highlighted.

  18. Management efficiency improvement promotion of SS; SS no unei koritsuka sokushin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-08-01

    Full amount fund petroleum product marketer and Sumisyo petroleum of Sumitomo accelerate management efficiency improvement of service station (SS). National about 300 places have been developed in within the year Within SS, it aims at break-even point achievement of gasoline, coarse advantage 10 yen per light oil of 1 liter in 84 all tied SS stores. SS which has realized the system of 10 yen in the current is whole about 50%. But, by doing personnel configurations and operational procedures, that they reexamine the balance management, etc. in half remaining SS 12 yen-13 yen; the efficiency improvement is done thoroughly. (translated by NEDO)

  19. Sewage sludge used as organic manure in Moroccan sunflower culture: Effects on certain soil properties, growth and yield components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Bourioug; Mounia, Krouna; Aziz, Abouabdillah; Ahmed, Harraq; Rachid, Bouabid; Lotfi, Aleya

    2018-06-15

    The wastewater treatment and sludge production sectors in Morocco are recent. Considered as waste, no management strategy for sewage sludge (SS) has been implemented. Thus, its disposal definitely represents a major environmental problem since sludge is either incinerated, used as landfill or simply deposited near wastewater treatment plants. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dehydrated SS on certain soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), Mineral nitrogen, available phosphate P 2 O 5 , and soluble potassium K 2 O), and also on growth and yield components of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). An experiment was conducted using six treatment rates (0; 0 + NPK; 15; 30; 60 and 120 t ha -1 ). The results showed that soil pH was significantly affected by SS, becoming less alkaline compared to the control, while electrical conductivity increased significantly when the applied doses were above 30 t ha -1 . Also, a significant enrichment in mineral N and available phosphorus was detected in amended soil. However, no differences were found between pots having received the mineral fertilization and the SS at 15 t ha -1 . Stem height growth of the sunflower seedlings receiving SS increased significantly compared to the two controls. For both the aerial and root parts, significant increases in dry biomass accumulation were observed compared to the unamended plants. Net CO 2 assimilation (A n ) increased, while stomatal conductance (g sw ) and transpiration rates (T r ) decreased with increasing SS rates. SS application at 15 t ha -1 presented similar values of the yield components compared to plants fertilized chemically. However, grain yield (in quintals ha -1 ) was noted to be 2.4, 5 and 8 times higher in treatments receiving SS respectively at the rate of 30, 60 and 120 t ha -1 . Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Esimerkkiyrityksen IPv6-lähiverkko

    OpenAIRE

    Palkki, Ville

    2013-01-01

    Insinöörityön tavoitteena oli suunnitella ja toteuttaa esimerkkiyrityksen IPv6-lähiverkko. Toisena tavoitteena oli suunnitella esimerkkiyrityksen siirtyminen IPv4-protokollasta IPv6-protokollaan. Työssä käsiteltiin IPv6-protokollaa ensin teoreettisesti ja tämän jälkeen suunniteltiin sekä rakennettiin toimiva IPv6-lähiverkko. Aluksi työssä käytiin läpi IPv6-protokollan etuja verrattuna vanhaan IPv4-protokollaan. Teoriaosuudessa selvitettiin myös IPv6-protokollan rakennetta ja lähetysformaa...

  1. T-stresses for internally cracked components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fett, T.

    1997-12-01

    The failure of cracked components is governed by the stresses in the vicinity of the crack tip. The singular stress contribution is characterised by the stress intensity factor K, the first regular stress term is represented by the so-called T-stress. T-stress solutions for components containing an internal crack were computed by application of the Bundary Collocation Method (BCM). The results are compiled in form of tables or approximative relations. In addition a Green's function of T-stresses is proposed for internal cracks which enables to compute T-stress terms for any given stress distribution in the uncracked body. (orig.) [de

  2. Hoitajien kokemuksia Theraplay-ryhmäsovelluksesta lastenpsykiatrisessa hoitotyössä

    OpenAIRE

    Manninen, Niina; Ollikainen, Laura

    2011-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää hoitajien kokemuksia ja ajatuksia Theraplay-ryhmäsovelluksesta lastenpsykiatrisessa hoitotyössä sekä kartoittaa hoitajien mielipiteitä mahdollisesta tanssin ja musiikin käytöstä osana tätä sovellusta. Opinnäytetyön tehtävänä oli selvittää millaisia kokemuksia hoitajilla on Theraplay-ryhmäsovelluksesta, mitä ajatuksia mahdollinen musiikin ja tanssin käyttö osana Theraplay-ryhmäsovellusta herättää sekä mitä kehitettävää tämän sovelluksen käytössä ...

  3. Kehityshankkeena tasa-arvo : Sukupuolinäkökulman huomioon ottaminen teknologiaosaamisen johtamisessa Yritys Oyj:ssä

    OpenAIRE

    Syrjäläinen, Suvi

    2010-01-01

    Tämä opinnäytetyö tehtiin suurelle kansainväliselle teknologiayritykselle, josta käytän tässä opinnäytetyössä työssä nimeä Yritys Oyj. Opinnäytetyön johtoajatuksena oli tehdä suomalainen sukupuolijärjestelmä, -stereotypiat sekä sukupuolten välinen tasa-arvo näkyväksi ja osoittaa, kuinka näitä parantamalla voidaan lisätä Yritys Oyj:n tuottavuutta ja sitä kautta menestystä. Työn sukupuolta ja sukupuolieroja käsittelevässä teoriaosuudessa selvitettiin sukupuolistereotypioiden olemassao...

  4. The type VI secretion system encoded in SPI-6 plays a role in gastrointestinal colonization and systemic spread of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in the chicken.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Pezoa

    Full Text Available The role of the Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands (SPIs in pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium infection in the chicken is poorly studied, while many studies have been completed in murine models. The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS is a recently described protein secretion system in Gram-negative bacteria. The genus Salmonella contains five phylogenetically distinct T6SS encoded in differentially distributed genomic islands. S. Typhimurium harbors a T6SS encoded in SPI-6 (T6SSSPI-6, which contributes to the ability of Salmonella to colonize mice. On the other hand, serotype Gallinarum harbors a T6SS encoded in SPI-19 (T6SSSPI-19 that is required for colonization of chicks. In this work, we investigated the role of T6SSSPI-6 in infection of chicks by S. Typhimurium. Oral infection of White Leghorn chicks showed that a ΔT6SSSPI-6 mutant had reduced colonization of the gut and internal organs, compared with the wild-type strain. Transfer of the intact T6SSSPI-6 gene cluster into the T6SS mutant restored bacterial colonization. In addition, our results showed that transfer of T6SSSPI-19 from S. Gallinarum to the ΔT6SSSPI-6 mutant of S. Typhimurium not only complemented the colonization defect but also resulted in a transient increase in the colonization of the cecum and ileum of chicks at days 1 and 3 post-infection. Our data indicates that T6SSSPI-6 contributes to chicken colonization and suggests that both T6SSSPI-6 and T6SSSPI-19 perform similar functions in vivo despite belonging to different phylogenetic families.

  5. Gas leak characteristics of inner packaging components used in the D0T-Spec 6M container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, J.M.

    1985-09-01

    A test program was conducted by Pacific Northwest Laboratory to determine the gas leak characteristics of metal food pack cans and 2R vessels used to package radioactive material in a D0T 6M specification container. It can be concluded from the tests performed that the inner packaging components (2R vessel, metal product cans) used with a 6M container can be sealed so that they will be gas tight ( -5 cc/sec) under elevated temperature and pressure and impact conditions. To maintain gas tight seals under accident conditions, the metal cans must be sealed with a properly adjusted can-sealing machine; the threads of the 2R vessel must be luted with a sealing compound such as a silicone rubber compound; and the metal cans must be protected inside the 2R vessel with spacer plates and impact absorbers. 4 refs., 37 figs

  6. The PorX Response Regulator of the Porphyromonas gingivalis PorXY Two-Component System Does Not Directly Regulate the Type IX Secretion Genes but Binds the PorL Subunit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vincent, Maxence S.; Durand, Eric; Cascales, Eric

    2016-01-01

    The Type IX secretion system (T9SS) is a versatile multi-protein complex restricted to bacteria of the Bacteriodetes phylum and responsible for the secretion or cell surface exposition of diverse proteins that participate to S-layer formation, gliding motility or pathogenesis. The T9SS is poorly characterized but a number of proteins involved in the assembly of the secretion apparatus in the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis have been identified based on genome substractive analyses. Among these proteins, PorY, and PorX encode typical two-component system (TCS) sensor and CheY-like response regulator respectively. Although the porX and porY genes do not localize at the same genetic locus, it has been proposed that PorXY form a bona fide TCS. Deletion of porX in P. gingivalis causes a slight decrease of the expression of a number of other T9SS genes, including sov, porT, porP, porK, porL, porM, porN, and porY. Here, we show that PorX and the soluble cytoplasmic domain of PorY interact. Using electrophoretic mobility shift, DNA-protein co-purification and heterologous host expression assays, we demonstrate that PorX does not bind T9SS gene promoters and does not directly regulate expression of the T9SS genes. Finally, we show that PorX interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of PorL, a component of the T9SS membrane core complex and propose that the CheY-like PorX protein might be involved in the dynamics of the T9SS. PMID:27630829

  7. Constitutive type VI secretion system expression gives Vibrio cholerae intra- and interspecific competitive advantages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Unterweger

    Full Text Available The type VI secretion system (T6SS mediates protein translocation across the cell membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae - the causative agent of cholera. All V. cholerae strains examined to date harbor gene clusters encoding a T6SS. Structural similarity and sequence homology between components of the T6SS and the T4 bacteriophage cell-puncturing device suggest that the T6SS functions as a contractile molecular syringe to inject effector molecules into prokaryotic and eukaryotic target cells. Regulation of the T6SS is critical. A subset of V. cholerae strains, including the clinical O37 serogroup strain V52, express T6SS constitutively. In contrast, pandemic strains impose tight control that can be genetically disrupted: mutations in the quorum sensing gene luxO and the newly described regulator gene tsrA lead to constitutive T6SS expression in the El Tor strain C6706. In this report, we examined environmental V. cholerae isolates from the Rio Grande with regard to T6SS regulation. Rough V. cholerae lacking O-antigen carried a nonsense mutation in the gene encoding the global T6SS regulator VasH and did not display virulent behavior towards Escherichia coli and other environmental bacteria. In contrast, smooth V. cholerae strains engaged constitutively in type VI-mediated secretion and displayed virulence towards prokaryotes (E. coli and other environmental bacteria and a eukaryote (the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Furthermore, smooth V. cholerae strains were able to outcompete each other in a T6SS-dependent manner. The work presented here suggests that constitutive T6SS expression provides V. cholerae with an advantage in intraspecific and interspecific competition.

  8. SS433: the second Wolf-Rayet X-ray binary ?

    OpenAIRE

    Fuchs, Yael; Koch-Miramond, Lydie; Abraham, Peter

    2002-01-01

    We present mid-infrared spectrophotometric observations of SS433 with ISOPHOT. The HeI+HeII lines in both spectra of SS433 and of the Wolf-Rayet star WR147, a wind-colliding WN8+BO5 binary system, closely match. The 2.5-12 micron continuum radiation is due to an expanding wind free-free emission in an intermediate case between optically thick and optically thin regimes. The inferred mass loss rate evaluation gives ~10^{-4} Msun/yr. Our results are consistent with a Wolf-Rayet-like companion t...

  9. Structure of the T6SS lipoprotein TssJ1 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robb, Craig S.; Assmus, Mark; Nano, Francis E.; Boraston, Alisdair B.

    2013-01-01

    The crystal structure of the type VI secretion-system protein TssJ1 from P. aeruginosa was solved by iodide SAD at a resolution of 1.4 Å. The type VI secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been shown to be responsible for the translocation of bacteriolytic effectors into competing bacteria. A mechanistic understanding of this widely distributed secretion system is developing and structural studies of its components are ongoing. Two representative structures of one highly conserved component, TssJ, from Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens have been published. Here, the X-ray crystal structure of TssJ1 from P. aeruginosa is presented at 1.4 Å resolution. The overall structure is conserved among the three proteins. This finding suggests that the homologues function in a similar manner and bolsters the understanding of the structure of this family of proteins

  10. Multi-pass TIG welding process: simulating thermal SS304

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harinadh, Vemanaboina; Akella, S.; Buddu, Ramesh Kumar; Edision, G.

    2015-01-01

    Welding is basic requirement in the construction of nuclear reactors, power plants and structural components development. A basic studies on various aspects of the welding is essential to ensure the stability and structural requirement conditions. The present study explored the thermo-mechanical analysis of the multipass welds of austenitic stainless steels which are widely used in fusion and fission reactor components development. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model is developed to investigate thermally induced stress field during TIG welding process for SS304 material. The transient thermal analysis is performed to obtain the temperature history, which then is applied to the mechanical (stress) analysis. The present thermal analysis is conducted using element type DC3D8. This element type has a three dimensional thermal conduction capability and eight nodes. The 6 mm thick plated is welded with six numbers of passes. The geometry and meshed model with tetrahedral shape with volume sweep. The analysis is on TIG welding process using 3D-weld interface plug-in on ABAQUS-6.14. The results are reported in the present paper

  11. GSM SiNYALLERİNİN .IP OMURGASI İİZERiNI>E TAŞINMASI (SS7 OVER IP- NettcSS7)

    OpenAIRE

    Tülü, Çağatay Neftali; Demirkol, Aşkın

    2003-01-01

    Bu çalışmada günümüzün en popüler nıobilhaberleşme sistemi olan GSM [1 l sisteminin, kendiöğeleri aras1ndaki en temel sinyalleşme sistemi olannumara 7 (SS7 [2) ) sinyallerinin, günümüzün enyaygın iletim omurgast olan ve tüm dünyadakibilgisayarları birbirine bağlayan IP (3] omurgasıüzerinden taşınabilmesi için gerekli si stemin tasar11n1ve gerçeklenınesi üzerinde çahş1lmtştır. Klasil\\ SS7iletimine göre en büyül< faydası çok düşül{ maliyetiolan bu sistem sayesinde, dünyadaki b i r çok GS...

  12. MxiA, MxiC and IpaD Regulate Substrate Selection and Secretion Mode in the T3SS of Shigella flexneri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Da-Kang; Blocker, Ariel J

    2016-01-01

    Type III secretion systems (T3SSs) are central virulence devices for many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens of humans, animals & plants. Upon physical contact with eukaryotic host cells, they translocate virulence-mediating proteins, known as effectors, into them during infection. T3SSs are gated from the outside by host-cell contact and from the inside via two cytoplasmic negative regulators, MxiC and IpaD in Shigella flexneri, which together control the effector secretion hierarchy. Their absence leads to premature and increased secretion of effectors. Here, we investigated where and how these regulators act. We demonstrate that the T3SS inner membrane export apparatus protein MxiA plays a role in substrate selection. Indeed, using a genetic screen, we identified two amino acids located on the surface of MxiA's cytoplasmic region (MxiAC) which, when mutated, upregulate late effector expression and, in the case of MxiAI674V, also secretion. The cytoplasmic region of MxiA, but not MxiAN373D and MxiAI674V, interacts directly with the C-terminus of MxiC in a two-hybrid assay. Efficient T3S requires a cytoplasmic ATPase and the proton motive force (PMF), which is composed of the ΔΨ and the ΔpH. MxiA family proteins and their regulators are implicated in utilization of the PMF for protein export. However, our MxiA point mutants show similar PMF utilisation to wild-type, requiring primarily the ΔΨ. On the other hand, lack of MxiC or IpaD, renders the faster T3S seen increasingly dependent on the ΔpH. Therefore, MxiA, MxiC and IpaD act together to regulate substrate selection and secretion mode in the T3SS of Shigella flexneri.

  13. Campylobacter jejuni type VI secretion system: roles in adaptation to deoxycholic acid, host cell adherence, invasion, and in vivo colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lertpiriyapong, Kvin; Gamazon, Eric R; Feng, Yan; Park, Danny S; Pang, Jassia; Botka, Georgina; Graffam, Michelle E; Ge, Zhongming; Fox, James G

    2012-01-01

    The recently identified type VI secretion system (T6SS) of proteobacteria has been shown to promote pathogenicity, competitive advantage over competing microorganisms, and adaptation to environmental perturbation. By detailed phenotypic characterization of loss-of-function mutants, in silico, in vitro and in vivo analyses, we provide evidence that the enteric pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni, possesses a functional T6SS and that the secretion system exerts pleiotropic effects on two crucial processes--survival in a bile salt, deoxycholic acid (DCA), and host cell adherence and invasion. The expression of T6SS during initial exposure to the upper range of physiological levels of DCA (0.075%-0.2%) was detrimental to C. jejuni proliferation, whereas down-regulation or inactivation of T6SS enabled C. jejuni to resist this effect. The C. jejuni multidrug efflux transporter gene, cmeA, was significantly up-regulated during the initial exposure to DCA in the wild type C. jejuni relative to the T6SS-deficient strains, suggesting that inhibition of proliferation is the consequence of T6SS-mediated DCA influx. A sequential modulation of the efflux transporter activity and the T6SS represents, in part, an adaptive mechanism for C. jejuni to overcome this inhibitory effect, thereby ensuring its survival. C. jejuni T6SS plays important roles in host cell adhesion and invasion as T6SS inactivation resulted in a reduction of adherence to and invasion of in vitro cell lines, while over-expression of a hemolysin co-regulated protein, which encodes a secreted T6SS component, greatly enhanced these processes. When inoculated into B6.129P2-IL-10(tm1Cgn) mice, the T6SS-deficient C. jejuni strains did not effectively establish persistent colonization, indicating that T6SS contributes to colonization in vivo. Taken together, our data demonstrate the importance of bacterial T6SS in host cell adhesion, invasion, colonization and, for the first time to our knowledge, adaptation to DCA

  14. Campylobacter jejuni type VI secretion system: roles in adaptation to deoxycholic acid, host cell adherence, invasion, and in vivo colonization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kvin Lertpiriyapong

    Full Text Available The recently identified type VI secretion system (T6SS of proteobacteria has been shown to promote pathogenicity, competitive advantage over competing microorganisms, and adaptation to environmental perturbation. By detailed phenotypic characterization of loss-of-function mutants, in silico, in vitro and in vivo analyses, we provide evidence that the enteric pathogen, Campylobacter jejuni, possesses a functional T6SS and that the secretion system exerts pleiotropic effects on two crucial processes--survival in a bile salt, deoxycholic acid (DCA, and host cell adherence and invasion. The expression of T6SS during initial exposure to the upper range of physiological levels of DCA (0.075%-0.2% was detrimental to C. jejuni proliferation, whereas down-regulation or inactivation of T6SS enabled C. jejuni to resist this effect. The C. jejuni multidrug efflux transporter gene, cmeA, was significantly up-regulated during the initial exposure to DCA in the wild type C. jejuni relative to the T6SS-deficient strains, suggesting that inhibition of proliferation is the consequence of T6SS-mediated DCA influx. A sequential modulation of the efflux transporter activity and the T6SS represents, in part, an adaptive mechanism for C. jejuni to overcome this inhibitory effect, thereby ensuring its survival. C. jejuni T6SS plays important roles in host cell adhesion and invasion as T6SS inactivation resulted in a reduction of adherence to and invasion of in vitro cell lines, while over-expression of a hemolysin co-regulated protein, which encodes a secreted T6SS component, greatly enhanced these processes. When inoculated into B6.129P2-IL-10(tm1Cgn mice, the T6SS-deficient C. jejuni strains did not effectively establish persistent colonization, indicating that T6SS contributes to colonization in vivo. Taken together, our data demonstrate the importance of bacterial T6SS in host cell adhesion, invasion, colonization and, for the first time to our knowledge

  15. The PorX response regulator of the Porphyromonas gingivalis PorXY two-component system does not directly regulate the Type IX secretion genes but binds the PorL subunit.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxence S Vincent

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The Type IX secretion system (T9SS is a versatile multi-protein complex restricted to bacteria of the Bacteriodetes phylum and responsible for the secretion of surface attachment of diverse proteins that participate to S-layer formation, gliding motility or pathogenesis. The T9SS is poorly characterized but a number of proteins involved in the assembly of the secretion apparatus in the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis have been identified based on genome substractive analyses. Among these proteins, PorY and PorX encode typical two-component system (TCS sensor and CheY-like response regulator respectively. Although the porX and porY genes do not localize at the same genetic locus, it has been proposed that PorXY form a bona fide TCS. Deletion of the porX in P. gingivalis causes a slight decrease of the expression of a number of other T9SS genes, including sov, porT, porP, porK, porL, porM, porN and porY. Here, we show that PorX and the soluble cytoplasmic domain of PorY interact. Using electrophoretic mobility shift, DNA-protein co-purification and heterologous host expression assays, we showed that PorX does not bind and does not directly regulate expression of the T9SS genes. Finally, we show that PorX interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of PorL, a component of the T9SS membrane core complex and propose that the CheY-like PorX protein might be involved in the dynamics of the T9SS.

  16. Structural Insights into the PorK and PorN Components of the Porphyromonas gingivalis Type IX Secretion System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dhana G Gorasia

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The type IX secretion system (T9SS has been recently discovered and is specific to Bacteroidetes species. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone pathogen for periodontitis, utilizes the T9SS to transport many proteins including the gingipain virulence factors across the outer membrane and attach them to the cell surface via a sortase-like mechanism. At least 11 proteins have been identified as components of the T9SS including PorK, PorL, PorM, PorN and PorP, however the precise roles of most of these proteins have not been elucidated and the structural organization of these components is unknown. In this study, we purified PorK and PorN complexes from P. gingivalis and using electron microscopy we have shown that PorN and the PorK lipoprotein interact to form a 50 nm diameter ring-shaped structure containing approximately 32-36 subunits of each protein. The formation of these rings was dependent on both PorK and PorN, but was independent of PorL, PorM and PorP. PorL and PorM were found to form a separate stable complex. PorK and PorN were protected from proteinase K cleavage when present in undisrupted cells, but were rapidly degraded when the cells were lysed, which together with bioinformatic analyses suggests that these proteins are exposed in the periplasm and anchored to the outer membrane via the PorK lipid. Chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry analyses confirmed the interaction between PorK and PorN and further revealed that they interact with the PG0189 outer membrane protein. Furthermore, we established that PorN was required for the stable expression of PorK, PorL and PorM. Collectively, these results suggest that the ring-shaped PorK/N complex may form part of the secretion channel of the T9SS. This is the first report showing the structural organization of any T9SS component.

  17. Structural Insights into the PorK and PorN Components of the Porphyromonas gingivalis Type IX Secretion System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorasia, Dhana G; Veith, Paul D; Hanssen, Eric G; Glew, Michelle D; Sato, Keiko; Yukitake, Hideharu; Nakayama, Koji; Reynolds, Eric C

    2016-08-01

    The type IX secretion system (T9SS) has been recently discovered and is specific to Bacteroidetes species. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a keystone pathogen for periodontitis, utilizes the T9SS to transport many proteins including the gingipain virulence factors across the outer membrane and attach them to the cell surface via a sortase-like mechanism. At least 11 proteins have been identified as components of the T9SS including PorK, PorL, PorM, PorN and PorP, however the precise roles of most of these proteins have not been elucidated and the structural organization of these components is unknown. In this study, we purified PorK and PorN complexes from P. gingivalis and using electron microscopy we have shown that PorN and the PorK lipoprotein interact to form a 50 nm diameter ring-shaped structure containing approximately 32-36 subunits of each protein. The formation of these rings was dependent on both PorK and PorN, but was independent of PorL, PorM and PorP. PorL and PorM were found to form a separate stable complex. PorK and PorN were protected from proteinase K cleavage when present in undisrupted cells, but were rapidly degraded when the cells were lysed, which together with bioinformatic analyses suggests that these proteins are exposed in the periplasm and anchored to the outer membrane via the PorK lipid. Chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry analyses confirmed the interaction between PorK and PorN and further revealed that they interact with the PG0189 outer membrane protein. Furthermore, we established that PorN was required for the stable expression of PorK, PorL and PorM. Collectively, these results suggest that the ring-shaped PorK/N complex may form part of the secretion channel of the T9SS. This is the first report showing the structural organization of any T9SS component.

  18. Efficacy of Carbopol 974P (Siccafluid in the treatment of severe to moderate keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS not responding to standard treatment with artificial tears

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Furlan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To determine efficacy and safety of Carbopol 974P in the treatment of severe to moderate keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS not responding to standard treatment with artificial tears. Methods. 60 patients (57 F, 3 M, mean age 52.5±12.0, mean disease duration 12.2±7.1 yrs affected with primary SS diagnosed according to the European Community Study Group criteria were studied. Foregoing medications for SS and artificial tears for KCS have not been changed within 3 and 2 months respectively prior to the study onset. In all cases Carbopol 974P was added because symptoms of KCS were not adequately controlled with traditional lubricants. Schirmer I test, B.U.T. (break up time, rose Bengal-stain, clinical ophthalmological examination (i.e. fluorescein staining, keratis, corneal infiltrates and ulcers and a questionnaire for dry eye symptoms (range 0-30 were performed at entry (T0 and after 2 (T1 and 12 (T2 weeks. Assessment of global efficacy was obtained by VAS 0-100 at T2 either by patients and by the ophthalmologist. Results. Lachrymal tests significantly improved after 2 and, even more, after 12 weeks. Clinical ophthalmologic picture also ameliorated: a remarkable reduction of fluorescein positive lesions was demonstrated from 71.6% of the cases at T0 to 38.3% at T2. Total score of symptoms (T0: 16.1±7.3 dropped to 11.9±6.6 (T1 (p=0.000 and then to 6.7±5.3 (T2 (p=0.000. Global efficacy expressed by patients and physician was 74.8±15.9 and 76.6±13.0, respectively. No adverse events (blurred vision, allergy were reported throughout the study. Conclusions. Our study seems to demonstrate that addition of Carbopol 974P to the traditional therapeutic armamentarium for moderate to severe KCS is useful and well accepted in patients with primary SS in which management of ocular symptoms is unsatisfactory.

  19. Periodicity Analysis of X-ray Light Curves of SS 433

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun-yi; Lu, Xiang-long; Zhao, Qiu-wen; Dong, Dian-qiao; Lao, Bao-qiang; Lu, Yang; Wei, Yan-heng; Wu, Xiao-cong; An, Tao

    2017-01-01

    SS 433 is sofar the unique X-ray binary that has the simultaneously detected orbital period, super-orbital period, and nutation period, as well as a bidirectional spiral jet. The study on its X-ray light variability is helpful for understanding the dynamic process of the system, and the correlations between the different wavebands. In this paper, two time-series analysis techniques, i.e., the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform, are employed to search for the periods in the Swift/BAT (Burst Alert Telescope) (15-50 keV) and RXTE/ASM (Rose X-ray Timing Explorer/All Sky Monitor) (1.5-3, 3- 4, and 5-12 keV) light curves of SS 433, and the Monte Carlo simulation is performed for the obtained periodical components. For the 15-50 keV energy band, five significant periodical components are detected, which are P1(∼6.29 d), P2 (∼6.54 d), P3 (∼13.08 d), P4 (∼81.50 d), and P5 (∼162.30 d). For the 3-5 and 5-12 keV energy bands, the periodical components P3 (∼13 d) and P5 (∼162 d) are detected in both energy bands. However, for the 1.5-3 keV energy band, no significant periodic signal is detected. P5 is the strongest periodic signal in the power spectrum for all the energy bands of 3-5, 5-12, and 15-50 keV, and it is consistent with the previous result obtained from the study of optical light curves. Furthermore, in combination with the radio spiral jet of SS 433, it is suggested that the X-ray and optical variability of P5 (∼162 d) is probably related to the precession of its relativistic jet. The high correlation between the X-ray and optical light curves may also imply that the X-ray and optical radiations are of the same physical origin. P3 shows a good agreement with the orbital period (∼13.07 d) obtained by the previous study, and P2 and P4 are respectively the high-frequency harmonics of P3 and P5. P1 is detected only in the power spectrum of the 15-50 keV energy band, and it is consistent with the nutation period of the system. As

  20. In silico dissection of Type VII Secretion System components across

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Type VII Secretion System (T7SS) is one of the factors involved in virulence of Mycobacteriun tuberculosis H37Rv. Numerous research efforts have been made in the last decade towards characterizing the components of this secretion system. An extensive genome-wide analysis through compilation of isolated information ...

  1. Mechanisms of the p(He 6,He 5)d, p(He 6,α)t and p(He 6,t)α reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiberg-Andersen, Henning

    2002-07-01

    however regard structure aspects rather than reaction mechanisms. It has been shown that the existing data can be explained by means of the methods of standard reaction theory, although not by the simplest prescription - DWBA with optical potentials obtained by fitting elastic data in the coupled channels. It is also found that the problems connected with thee reproduction of these data do not originate from inadequate nuclear models. The best available three-body overlap models are used in the calculations. The sensitivity to two-bode overlaps that could not be compared with microscopic models like the t x t overlap of He 6 is investigated by variation of parameters in the WD calculations. Within reasonable limits, the sensitivity to these parameters was found to be weak. Except from the unavoidable sensitivity to the spectroscopic amplitudes, the insensitivity to the binding potentials used for the weakly bound clusters is largely caused by the L-space localization discussed. For the overlap of the lightest clusters involved, except the deuteron, the insensitivity follows from the large separation energies which give overlaps constricted in space independent of the detailed geometry of the binding potential. The question that must be asked in the end is how the transfer experiments should be designed in order to serve as useful probes for halo structure. Simpler reaction mechanisms than those identified in this work should be pursued in order to get conclusive results. If the 6He beam is directed against a heavier target. 1ike C 12, at an appropriate energy, the exchange complications will be reduced by L-space localization, and cleaner tests of the one- and two-neutron overlaps should be possible. However, the L-space localization will probably cause some degree of model independence also in this case. It appears that decisive tests of the t x t component will be very hard to achieve. (Author)

  2. Mechanisms of the p(He 6,He 5)d, p(He 6,{alpha})t and p(He 6,t){alpha} reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heiberg-Andersen, Henning

    2002-07-01

    modest amount of available data. This limitation does however regard structure aspects rather than reaction mechanisms. It has been shown that the existing data can be explained by means of the methods of standard reaction theory, although not by the simplest prescription - DWBA with optical potentials obtained by fitting elastic data in the coupled channels. It is also found that the problems connected with thee reproduction of these data do not originate from inadequate nuclear models. The best available three-body overlap models are used in the calculations. The sensitivity to two-bode overlaps that could not be compared with microscopic models like the t x t overlap of He 6 is investigated by variation of parameters in the WD calculations. Within reasonable limits, the sensitivity to these parameters was found to be weak. Except from the unavoidable sensitivity to the spectroscopic amplitudes, the insensitivity to the binding potentials used for the weakly bound clusters is largely caused by the L-space localization discussed. For the overlap of the lightest clusters involved, except the deuteron, the insensitivity follows from the large separation energies which give overlaps constricted in space independent of the detailed geometry of the binding potential. The question that must be asked in the end is how the transfer experiments should be designed in order to serve as useful probes for halo structure. Simpler reaction mechanisms than those identified in this work should be pursued in order to get conclusive results. If the 6He beam is directed against a heavier target. 1ike C 12, at an appropriate energy, the exchange complications will be reduced by L-space localization, and cleaner tests of the one- and two-neutron overlaps should be possible. However, the L-space localization will probably cause some degree of model independence also in this case. It appears that decisive tests of the t x t component will be very hard to achieve. (Author)

  3. Structural insights into the T6SS effector protein Tse3 and the Tse3-Tsi3 complex from Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveal a calcium-dependent membrane-binding mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Defen; Shang, Guijun; Zhang, Heqiao; Yu, Qian; Cong, Xiaoyan; Yuan, Jupeng; He, Fengjuan; Zhu, Chunyuan; Zhao, Yanyu; Yin, Kun; Chen, Yuanyuan; Hu, Junqiang; Zhang, Xiaodan; Yuan, Zenglin; Xu, Sujuan; Hu, Wei; Cang, Huaixing; Gu, Lichuan

    2014-06-01

    The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa uses the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to deliver the muramidase Tse3 into the periplasm of rival bacteria to degrade their peptidoglycan (PG). Concomitantly, P. aeruginosa uses the periplasm-localized immunity protein Tsi3 to prevent potential self-intoxication caused by Tse3, and thus gains an edge over rival bacteria in fierce niche competition. Here, we report the crystal structures of Tse3 and the Tse3-Tsi3 complex. Tse3 contains an annexin repeat-like fold at the N-terminus and a G-type lysozyme fold at the C-terminus. One loop in the N-terminal domain (Loop 12) and one helix (α9) from the C-terminal domain together anchor Tse3 and the Tse3-Tsi3 complex to membrane in a calcium-dependent manner in vitro, and this membrane-binding ability is essential for Tse3's activity. In the C-terminal domain, a Y-shaped groove present on the surface likely serves as the PG binding site. Two calcium-binding motifs are also observed in the groove and these are necessary for Tse3 activity. In the Tse3-Tsi3 structure, three loops of Tsi3 insert into the substrate-binding groove of Tse3, and three calcium ions present at the interface of the complex are indispensable for the formation of the Tse3-Tsi3 complex. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Suklaajälkiruoat ja niiden valmistamisen haasteet ammattikeittiössä

    OpenAIRE

    Lappalainen, Arto

    2016-01-01

    Tämä opinnäytetyö on osa palvelujen tuottamisen ja johtamisen koulutusohjelmaa. Opinnäytetyön aiheena on suklaajälkiruuat ja niiden valmistamisen haasteet ammattikeittiössä. Opinnäytetyön teoriaosuudessa käsitellään suklaan historiaa, lajikkeita, tuottajamaita, valmistusmenetelmiä, suklaan laatuja, tärkeimpiä valmistajia sekä suklaan käyttöä ja tekniikoita ammattikeittiössä. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin yleisimpiä suklaajälkiruokia ja niiden valmistuksessa olevia haasteita ammattikeitti...

  5. [Study and development of a new automatic suction system (SS) of intratracheal sputum in order to improve QOL of many patients with tracheostomy mechanical ventilation (TMV) and their family members by this new autonomic SS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hokezu, Youichi; Yamamoto, Makoto; Tokunaga, Syuichi; Niikura, Makoto; Nagamatsu, Keiji; Kira, Jun-ichi; Fukunaga, Toshihide; Shima, Kouji; Kikuchi, Seiji; Kimura, Itaru; Kondo, Kiyohiko; Mori, Teruhiko; Goto, Katumasa; Takigami, Shigeru; Shioya, Keiichi; Uehara, Minako

    2009-11-01

    In Japan, many patients equipped with TMV are under medical treatment at home after 1990. These patients can't put out sputa in trachea, so that these patient's family members must suck these patient's intratracheal sputa all days. Mr Yamamoto and Mr Tokunaga, main researchers of this study, began the study on the automatic SS of itratracheal sputa from 1999. In first stage, They developed the intermittent SS in detaining the suction tube within tracheal cannula, monitering the intratracheal pressure, but this system takes the ventilation away from the patient. Hypoventilation caused by this SS may cause the serious accident in patient. Therefore, we remodel the SS from intermittent SS to rollerpomp-type SS continuing to suck the itratracheal sputa with low volume from 2004, and thereafter we made up the SS of piston pomp type-SS finally at 2007. We developed the tracheal cannula with double suction holes of inner and lower hole in the lower part of its cannula together with the suction machine. We think that the practical use of this automatic SS will bring these patients with TMV and their family members great benefits. We desire that the practical use of this SS will be realized as soon as possible.

  6. Proteomic Identification of Novel Secreted Antibacterial Toxins of the Serratia marcescens Type VI Secretion System*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritsch, Maximilian J.; Trunk, Katharina; Diniz, Juliana Alcoforado; Guo, Manman; Trost, Matthias; Coulthurst, Sarah J.

    2013-01-01

    It has recently become apparent that the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a complex macromolecular machine used by many bacterial species to inject effector proteins into eukaryotic or bacterial cells, with significant implications for virulence and interbacterial competition. “Antibacterial” T6SSs, such as the one elaborated by the opportunistic human pathogen, Serratia marcescens, confer on the secreting bacterium the ability to rapidly and efficiently kill rival bacteria. Identification of secreted substrates of the T6SS is critical to understanding its role and ability to kill other cells, but only a limited number of effectors have been reported so far. Here we report the successful use of label-free quantitative mass spectrometry to identify at least eleven substrates of the S. marcescens T6SS, including four novel effector proteins which are distinct from other T6SS-secreted proteins reported to date. These new effectors were confirmed as antibacterial toxins and self-protecting immunity proteins able to neutralize their cognate toxins were identified. The global secretomic study also unexpectedly revealed that protein phosphorylation-based post-translational regulation of the S. marcescens T6SS differs from that of the paradigm, H1-T6SS of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Combined phosphoproteomic and genetic analyses demonstrated that conserved PpkA-dependent threonine phosphorylation of the T6SS structural component Fha is required for T6SS activation in S. marcescens and that the phosphatase PppA can reverse this modification. However, the signal and mechanism of PpkA activation is distinct from that observed previously and does not appear to require cell–cell contact. Hence this study has not only demonstrated that new and species-specific portfolios of antibacterial effectors are secreted by the T6SS, but also shown for the first time that PpkA-dependent post-translational regulation of the T6SS is tailored to fit the needs of different bacterial

  7. Irradiation properties of T0 chopper components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Itoh, Shinichi, E-mail: shinichi.itoh@kek.jp [Neutron Science Division, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Ueno, Kenji; Ohkubo, Ryuji [Mechanical Engineering Center, Applied Research Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Sagehashi, Hidenori [Neutron Science Division, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Funahashi, Yoshisato [Mechanical Engineering Center, Applied Research Laboratory, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan); Yokoo, Tetsuya [Neutron Science Division, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Tsukuba 305-0801 (Japan)

    2011-10-21

    We investigated the irradiation properties of the components of a T0 chopper. The organic materials in the rotor bearing grease, the magnetic fluids in seals, and the rubber in the timing belt, as well as the semiconductor materials in the rotation sensor and motor encoder, were all irradiated with high-energy {gamma}-rays up to 100 kGy. No significant damage that shortens the lifetime of a T0 chopper was observed for the mechanical components. However, the semiconductor components were damaged by the irradiation. For the rotation sensor system detecting the rotor phase, the signal from a marker on the rotor shaft was transmitted outside the shielding by an optical fiber with radiation-proofing and the electrical circuits were removed from the beamline shielding. The lifetime of the motor encoder possibly meets the requirement for the maintenance period of the T0 chopper.

  8. Generation of a new spectral format, the lifetime synchronous spectrum (LiSS), using phase-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaver, J.M.; McGown, L.B.

    1994-01-01

    A new fluorescence spectral format is introduced in which fluorescence lifetime is shown as a function of synchronously scanned wavelength to generate a Lifetime Synchronous Spectrum (LiSS). Lifetimes are determined in the frequency domain with the use of Phase-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy (PRFS) to obtain the phase of the fluorescence signal. Theory and construction of the LiSS are presented and experimental results are shown for solutions of single components and simple binary and ternary mixtures. These results show how the lifetime information in the LiSS augments the steady-state intensity information of a standard synchronous spectrum, providing unique information for identification of components and resolution of overlapping spectral peaks. The LiSS technique takes advantage of noise reduction inherent in the extraction of lifetime from PRFS in addition to standard spectral smoothing techniques. The precision of phase determination through PRFS is found to be comparable to that of direct phase measurements at normal fluorescence intensities and superior for low-intensity signals

  9. Draft genome sequence of Lampropedia cohaerens strain CT6(T) isolated from arsenic rich microbial mats of a Himalayan hot water spring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Charu; Mahato, Nitish K; Rani, Pooja; Singh, Yogendra; Kamra, Komal; Lal, Rup

    2016-01-01

    Lampropedia cohaerens strain CT6(T), a non-motile, aerobic and coccoid strain was isolated from arsenic rich microbial mats (temperature ~45 °C) of a hot water spring located atop the Himalayan ranges at Manikaran, India. The present study reports the first genome sequence of type strain CT6(T) of genus Lampropedia cohaerens. Sequencing data was generated using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform and assembled with ABySS v 1.3.5. The 3,158,922 bp genome was assembled into 41 contigs with a mean GC content of 63.5 % and 2823 coding sequences. Strain CT6(T) was found to harbour genes involved in both the Entner-Duodoroff pathway and non-phosphorylated ED pathway. Strain CT6(T) also contained genes responsible for imparting resistance to arsenic, copper, cobalt, zinc, cadmium and magnesium, providing survival advantages at a thermal location. Additionally, the presence of genes associated with biofilm formation, pyrroloquinoline-quinone production, isoquinoline degradation and mineral phosphate solubilisation in the genome demonstrate the diverse genetic potential for survival at stressed niches.

  10. The Type VI Secretion TssEFGK-VgrG Phage-Like Baseplate Is Recruited to the TssJLM Membrane Complex via Multiple Contacts and Serves As Assembly Platform for Tail Tube/Sheath Polymerization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yannick R Brunet

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The Type VI secretion system (T6SS is a widespread weapon dedicated to the delivery of toxin proteins into eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. The 13 T6SS subunits assemble a cytoplasmic contractile structure anchored to the cell envelope by a membrane-spanning complex. This structure is evolutionarily, structurally and functionally related to the tail of contractile bacteriophages. In bacteriophages, the tail assembles onto a protein complex, referred to as the baseplate, that not only serves as a platform during assembly of the tube and sheath, but also triggers the contraction of the sheath. Although progress has been made in understanding T6SS assembly and function, the composition of the T6SS baseplate remains mostly unknown. Here, we report that six T6SS proteins-TssA, TssE, TssF, TssG, TssK and VgrG-are required for proper assembly of the T6SS tail tube, and a complex between VgrG, TssE,-F and-G could be isolated. In addition, we demonstrate that TssF and TssG share limited sequence homologies with known phage components, and we report the interaction network between these subunits and other baseplate and tail components. In agreement with the baseplate being the assembly platform for the tail, fluorescence microscopy analyses of functional GFP-TssF and TssK-GFP fusion proteins show that these proteins assemble stable and static clusters on which the sheath polymerizes. Finally, we show that recruitment of the baseplate to the apparatus requires initial positioning of the membrane complex and contacts between TssG and the inner membrane TssM protein.

  11. IPv6-protokolla

    OpenAIRE

    Hautanen, Jukka-Pekka

    2012-01-01

    Tämän työn tarkoituksena on tutkia IPv6-protokollaa ja IPv6-protokollan yhteensopivuutta IPv4-protokollan kanssa. Työn alussa tarkastellaan IPv6-protokollan historiaa ja tämän hetkistä levinneisyyttä. Työssä paneudutaan tarkemmin IPv6-protokollan pääpiirteisiin: IPv6-protokollan osoitetyypit ja niiden esitystavat, aliverkotus, IPv6-protokollan uudistetun otsikon rakenne ja uudet lisäotsikot. Edellä mainittuja pääpiirteitä verrataan tarvittaessa IPv4-protokollaan, jotta nähdään parannukset...

  12. Omaa ääntä etsimässä : syntetisaattorin käyttö Orbit-yhtyeessä

    OpenAIRE

    Myrskog, Mikael

    2014-01-01

    Musiikkikappaleessa on mielestäni oleellisinta sen sisäinen, esteettinen maailma ja se tunne, joka tästä välittyy. Tässä kokonaisuudessa yksi tärkeimmistä tekijöistä on mielestäni kappaleen eri instrumenttien luoma yhteinen saundimaailma. Opinnäytetyössäni tutkin ja kuvailen, miten käytän syntetisaattoreita saundien luomiseen fuusiojazzyhtyeessä Orbit. Mielestäni on tärkeää olla tietoinen siitä musiikin perinteestä, minkä jatkumon osana itse on. Näin esittelen ja analysoin kappaleita,...

  13. Tapahtuman mallintaminen kauppakeskusmiljöössä

    OpenAIRE

    Mäenpää, Piia

    2016-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli luoda kauppakeskusmiljööseen sopiva tapahtumakonsepti kohdennetulle asiakaskohderyhmälle, tässä tapauksessa seniori-ikäisille yli 65-vuotiaille. Kokonaisvaltaisesti tapahtuman mallinnuksen tavoitteeksi määriteltiin lisäksi uudenlaisen asiakaslähtöisen palvelukulttuurin luominen kauppakeskusmiljööseen, asiakkaiden aktivointi palveluiden sekä synergian luominen yksityisten eri toimijoiden välillä kauppakeskuksessa ja osuuskaupan sisällä. Konseptoinnin tausto...

  14. The Efficiency of Delone Coverings of the Canonical Tilings MATH {cal T}(*(A_4)) -> T^*(A4) and MATH {cal T}(*(D_6)) -> T^*(D6)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadopolos, Zorka; Kasner, Gerald

    This chapter is devoted to the coverings of the two quasiperiodic canonical tilings MATH {cal T}(*(A_4)) -> T^*(A4) and MATH {cal T}(*(D_6)) equiv {cal T}(*(2F)) -> T^*(D6) T^*(2F), obtained by projection from the root lattices A4 and D6, respectively. In the first major part of this chapter, in Sect. 5.2, we shall introduce a Delone covering MATH {cal C}(s_{{cal) T}(*(A_4)}) -> C^sT^*(A4) of the 2-dimensional decagonal tiling MATH {cal T}(*(A_4)) -> T^*(A4). In the second major part of this chapter, Sect. 5.3, we summarize the results related to the Delone covering of the icosahedral tiling MATH {cal T}(*(D_6)) -> T^*(D6), MATH {cal C}_{{cal T}(*(D_6)}) -> CT^*(D6) and determine the zero-, single-, and double- deckings and the resulting thickness of the covering. In the conclusions section, we give some suggestions as to how the definition of the Delone covering might be changed in order to reach some real (full) covering of the icosahedral tiling MATH {cal T}(*(D_6)) -> T^*(D6). In Section 5.2 the definition of the Delone covering is also changed in order to avoid an unnecessary large thickness of the covering.

  15. Atomic Structure of Type VI Contractile Sheath from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-02-06

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

  16. DSCu/SS joining techniques development and testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Satoshi; Hatano, Toshihisa; Furuya, Kazuyuki; Kuroda, Toshimasa; Enoeda, Mikio; Takatsu, Hideyuki

    1998-01-01

    Joining techniques of alumina dispersion strengthened copper alloy (DSCu) and type 316L stainless steel (SS) has been investigated aiming at applying to the fabrication of the ITER first wall/blanket. As the joining method, Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) of solid plates and/or blocks has been pursued. By a screening test including HIP temperatures of 980-1050degC, it was concluded that the HIP temperature of 1050degC would be optimum for the simultaneous HIPping of DSCu/DSCu, DSCu/SS and SS/SS. With DSCu/SS joint specimens HIPped at 1050degC, tensile, impact, fatigue, crack propagation, and fracture toughness tests were performed as well as mechanical test of structural model with one SS circular tube embedded. Typically, the properties of the joints were almost the same as those of DSCu or SS base metal with the same heat treatment of the HIP process, thus good joints were obtained, though parts of properties were decreased at elevated test temperature. Typical results of the mechanical test of structural mode indicated that a crack initiated at the inner surface of the SS tube under cyclic operation, and the lifetime of the first wall structure could be evaluated by existing SS fatigue data. Two HIPped first wall panel mock-ups were successfully fabricated with built-in coolant tubes: one was 300 mm long and the other 800 mm long. The former was thermo-mechanically tested with high heat fluxes corresponding to the ITER operation conditions. The mock-up showed good heat removal performance during the high heat flux tests. In addition, there were no cracks and delaminations found at HIPped interfaces by microscopic observation after all tests. Ultrasonic testing have been tried as a non-destructive examination method, and detectable defect size at SS/SS, DSCu/DSCu and DSCu/SS joint interfaces were estimated. (author)

  17. Continuous cooling and low temperature sensitization of AISI types 316 SS and 304 SS with different degrees of cold work

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parvathavarthini, N.; Dayal, R.K.; Gnanamoorthy, J.B. (Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam (India). Metallurgy and Materials Programme); Seshadri, S.K. (Indian Inst. of Tech., Madras (India). Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering)

    This paper presents the results of investigations carried out to study the sensitization behaviour of AISI Types 316 SS and 304 SS with various degrees of cold work ranging from 0 to 25%. Initially Time-Temperature-Sensitization (TTS) diagrams were established using ASTM standard A262 Practice A and E tests. From these diagrams it was found that the rate of sensitization and overall susceptibility to intergranular corrosion increases up to 15% cold work and above that starts decreasing. Desensitization was observed to be faster for higher levels of cold work, especially in the higher sensitization temperature range. From the TTS diagrams, the critical linear cooling rate below which sensitization occurs was calculated. From these data, Continuous Cooling Sensitization (CCS) diagrams were established. The results show that as the degree of cold work increases up to 15%, time needed for sensitization decreases and hence faster cooling rates must be used in order to avoid sensitization. At temperatures sufficiently below the nose temperature of the TTS diagram, log t versus 1/T plots follow a linear relationship where t is the time needed for the onset of sensitization at temperature T. From the slope, the apparent activation energy for sensitization was estimated. The validity of extrapolating these linear plots to lower temperatures (725 to 775 K) (which lie in the operating temperature regime of fast reactors) has been verified by experiment. The effect of heat treatment and microstructure on the Low Temperature Sensitization (LTS) behaviour was investigated. The results indicate that carbides of optimum size and distribution are the essential pre-requisites for LTS and cold work enhances susceptibility of stainless steels to LTS. (orig.).

  18. A Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanism Finely Tunes the Firing of Type VI Secretion System in Response to Bacterial Enemies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazzaro, Martina; Feldman, Mario F; García Véscovi, Eleonora

    2017-08-22

    The ability to detect and measure danger from an environmental signal is paramount for bacteria to respond accordingly, deploying strategies that halt or counteract potential cellular injury and maximize survival chances. Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are complex bacterial contractile nanomachines able to target toxic effectors into neighboring bacteria competing for the same colonization niche. Previous studies support the concept that either T6SSs are constitutively active or they fire effectors in response to various stimuli, such as high bacterial density, cell-cell contact, nutrient depletion, or components from dead sibling cells. For Serratia marcescens , it has been proposed that its T6SS is stochastically expressed, with no distinction between harmless or aggressive competitors. In contrast, we demonstrate that the Rcs regulatory system is responsible for finely tuning Serratia T6SS expression levels, behaving as a transcriptional rheostat. When confronted with harmless bacteria, basal T6SS expression levels suffice for Serratia to eliminate the competitor. A moderate T6SS upregulation is triggered when, according to the aggressor-prey ratio, an unbalanced interplay between homologous and heterologous effectors and immunity proteins takes place. Higher T6SS expression levels are achieved when Serratia is challenged by a contender like Acinetobacter , which indiscriminately fires heterologous effectors able to exert lethal cellular harm, threatening the survival of the Serratia population. We also demonstrate that Serratia 's RcsB-dependent T6SS regulatory mechanism responds not to general stress signals but to the action of specific effectors from competitors, displaying an exquisite strategy to weigh risks and keep the balance between energy expenditure and fitness costs. IMPORTANCE Serratia marcescens is among the health-threatening pathogens categorized by the WHO as research priorities to develop alternative antimicrobial strategies, and it was

  19. Crystal Structure of Hcp from Acinetobacter baumannii: A Component of the Type VI Secretion System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federico M Ruiz

    Full Text Available The type VI secretion system (T6SS is a bacterial macromolecular machine widely distributed in Gram-negative bacteria, which transports effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells or other bacteria. Membrane complexes and a central tubular structure, which resembles the tail of contractile bacteriophages, compose the T6SS. One of the proteins forming this tube is the hemolysin co-regulated protein (Hcp, which acts as virulence factor, as transporter of effectors and as a chaperone. In this study, we present the structure of Hcp from Acinetobacter baumannii, together with functional and oligomerization studies. The structure of this protein exhibits a tight β barrel formed by two β sheets and flanked at one side by a short α-helix. Six Hcp molecules associate to form a donut-shaped hexamer, as observed in both the crystal structure and solution. These results emphasize the importance of this oligomerization state in this family of proteins, despite the low similarity of sequence among them. The structure presented in this study is the first one for a protein forming part of a functional T6SS from A. baumannii. These results will help us to understand the mechanism and function of this secretion system in this opportunistic nosocomial pathogen.

  20. Interaction of bacteriophage T4 and T7 single-stranded DNA-binding proteins with DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shokri, Leila; Williams, Mark C; Rouzina, Ioulia

    2009-01-01

    Bacteriophages T4 and T7 are well-studied model replication systems, which have allowed researchers to determine the roles of many proteins central to DNA replication, recombination and repair. Here we summarize and discuss the results from two recently developed single-molecule methods to determine the salt-dependent DNA-binding kinetics and thermodynamics of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding proteins (SSBs) from these systems. We use these methods to characterize both the equilibrium double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and ssDNA binding of the SSBs T4 gene 32 protein (gp32) and T7 gene 2.5 protein (gp2.5). Despite the overall two-orders-of-magnitude weaker binding of gp2.5 to both forms of DNA, we find that both proteins exhibit four-orders-of-magnitude preferential binding to ssDNA relative to dsDNA. This strong preferential ssDNA binding as well as the weak dsDNA binding is essential for the ability of both proteins to search dsDNA in one dimension to find available ssDNA-binding sites at the replication fork

  1. Tributyylitina (TBT) maaympäristössä: esiintyminen, vaikutukset ja riskit

    OpenAIRE

    Lukkari, Tuomas; Koponen, Kari; Tuomi, Pirjo; Dahlbo, Kim; Rossi, Esko; Järvinen, Kimmo

    2006-01-01

    Organometalleihin kuuluvan tributyylitinan (TBT) esiintymisestä, vaikutuksista ja mahdollisista riskeistä maaympäristössä on vain vähän tutkimustietoa. Tiedot perustuvat pääasiassa vesiympäristöissä tehtyihin tutkimuksiin. TBT:a ei esiinny ympäristössä luonnostaan, vaan se on peräisin ihmisen toiminnasta. TBT:n päästöt maaperään ovat peräisin mm. TBT:a sisältävien valmisteiden käytöstä, lähinnä laivojen pohjamaaleista sekä mahdollisesti pilaantuneiden sedimenttien loppusijoituksesta. TBT:n...

  2. Specific binding component of the 'inactive' stereoisomer (S,S)-[125I]IQNB to rat brain muscarinic receptors in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boulay, Sheila F.; McRee, R. Carter; Cohen, Victor I.; Sood, Virendar K.; Zeeberg, Barry R.; Reba, Richard C.

    1996-01-01

    In vivo nonspecific binding can be estimated using the inactive stereoisomer of a receptor radioligand. However, the binding of the inactive stereoisomer may be partially specific. Specific binding of the inactive (S,S)-[ 125 I]IQNB was estimated from the inhibition induced by a competing nonradioactive ligand. This technique differed from the usual approach, since it was used to study the inactive rather than the active stereoisomer. The results indicate that there is substantial specific binding for (S,S)-[ 125 I]IQNB

  3. On the Nature of the Compact Object in SS 433. Observational Evidence of X-Ray Photon Index Saturation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifina, Elena; Titarchuk, Lev

    2010-01-01

    We present an analysis of the X-ray spectral properties observed from black hole , candidate (BHC) binary SS 433. We have analyzed Rossi X-ray Time Explorer (RXTE) data from this source, coordinated with Green Bank Interferometer/RATAN-600. We show that SS 433 undergoes a X-ray spectral transition from the low hard state (LHS) to the intermediate state (IS). We show that the X-ray broad-band energy spectra during all spectral states are well fit by a sum of so called "Bulk Motion Comptonization (BMC) component" and by two (broad and narrow) Gaussians for the continuum and line emissions respectively. In addition to these spectral model components we also find a strong feature that we identify as a" blackbody-like (BB)" component which color temperature is in the range of 4-5 keV in 24 IS spectra during the radio outburst decay in SS 433. Our observational results on the "high temperature BB" bump leads us to suggest the presence of gravitationally redshifted annihilation line emission in this source. In fact this spectral feature has been recently reproduced in Monte Carlo simulations by Laurent and Titarchuk. We have also established the photon index saturation at about 2.3 in index vs mass accretion correlation. This index-mass accretion correlation allows us to evaluate the low limit of black hole (BH) mass of compact object in SS 433, M(sub bh) approximately > 2 solar masses, using the scaling method using BHC GX 339-4 as a reference source. Our estimate of the BH mass in SS 433 is consistent with recent BH mass measurement using the radial-velocity measurements of the binary system by Hillwig & Gies who find that M(sub x)( = (4.3 +/- 0.8) solar masses. This is the smallest BH mass found up to now among all BH sources. Moreover, the index saturation effect versus mass accretion rate revealed in SS 433, like in a number of other BH candidates, is the strong observational evidence for the presence of a BH in SS 433.

  4. Ostotoiminnan laadunvarmistus ja toiminnanohjauksen kehittäminen Mantsinen Group Ltd Oy:ssä

    OpenAIRE

    Hiltunen, Jarmo

    2012-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön aiheena oli ostotoiminnan laadunvarmistuksen ja toiminnanohjauksen kehittäminen Mantsinen Group Ltd Oy:ssä. Työssä on perehdytty erityisesti niihin ostotoiminnan laadun kehittämisen haasteisiin mitkä liittyvät alihankintaostamisen osa-alueeseen. Opinnäytetyön päätavoitteena oli luoda työkaluja hankinnan laadun jatkuvan parantamisen avuksi. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli perehtyä hankintojen mittaamisen teoriaan. Opinnäytetyön tutkimusmenetelmänä on käytetty käytännön tietoa ostam...

  5. Genome-wide association mapping including phenotypes from relatives without genotypes in a single-step (ssGWAS for 6-week body weight in broiler chickens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiyu eWang

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to compare results obtained from various methodologies for genome-wide association studies, when applied to real data, in terms of number and commonality of regions identified and their genetic variance explained, computational speed, and possible pitfalls in interpretations of results. Methodologies include: two iteratively reweighted single-step genomic BLUP procedures (ssGWAS1 and ssGWAS2, a single-marker model (CGWAS, and BayesB. The ssGWAS methods utilize genomic breeding values (GEBVs based on combined pedigree, genomic and phenotypic information, while CGWAS and BayesB only utilize phenotypes from genotyped animals or pseudo-phenotypes. In this study, ssGWAS was performed by converting GEBVs to SNP marker effects. Unequal variances for markers were incorporated for calculating weights into a new genomic relationship matrix. SNP weights were refined iteratively. The data was body weight at 6 weeks on 274,776 broiler chickens, of which 4553 were genotyped using a 60k SNP chip. Comparison of genomic regions was based on genetic variances explained by local SNP regions (20 SNPs. After 3 iterations, the noise was greatly reduced of ssGWAS1 and results are similar to that of CGWAS, with 4 out of the top 10 regions in common. In contrast, for BayesB, the plot was dominated by a single region explaining 23.1% of the genetic variance. This same region was found by ssGWAS1 with the same rank, but the amount of genetic variation attributed to the region was only 3%. These finding emphasize the need for caution when comparing and interpreting results from various methods, and highlight that detected associations, and strength of association, strongly depends on methodologies and details of implementations. BayesB appears to overly shrink regions to zero, while overestimating the amount of genetic variation attributed to the remaining SNP effects. The real world is most likely a compromise between methods and remains to

  6. Exploring optimization parameters to increase ssDNA recombineering in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus reuteri.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Pijkeren, Jan-Peter; Neoh, Kar Mun; Sirias, Denise; Findley, Anthony S; Britton, Robert A

    2012-01-01

    Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) recombineering is a technology which is used to make subtle changes in the chromosome of several bacterial genera. Cells which express a single-stranded DNA binding protein (RecT or Bet) are transformed with an oligonucleotide which is incorporated via an annealing and replication-dependent mechanism. By in silico analysis we identified ssDNA binding protein homologs in the genus Lactobacillus and Lactococcus lactis. To assess whether we could further improve the recombineering efficiency in Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 we expressed several RecT homologs in this strain. RecT derived from Enterococcus faecalis CRMEN 19 yielded comparable efficiencies compared with a native RecT protein, but none of the other proteins further increased the recombineering efficiency. We successfully improved recombineering efficiency 10-fold in L. lactis by increasing oligonucleotide concentration combined with the use of oligonucleotides containing phosphorothioate-linkages (PTOs). Surprisingly, neither increased oligonucleotide concentration nor PTO linkages enhanced recombineering in L. reuteri 6475. To emphasize the utility of this technology in improving probiotic features we modified six bases in a transcriptional regulatory element region of the pdu-operon of L. reuteri 6475, yielding a 3-fold increase in the production of the antimicrobial compound reuterin. Directed genetic modification of lactic acid bacteria through ssDNA recombineering will simplify strain improvement in a way that, when mutating a single base, is genetically indistinguishable from strains obtained through directed evolution.

  7. Simulation of tensile stress-strain properties of irradiated type 316 SS by heavily cold-worked material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muto, Yasushi; Jitsukawa, Shiro; Hishinuma, Akimichi

    1995-07-01

    Type 316 stainless steel is one of the most promising candidate materials to be used for the structural parts of plasma facing components in the nuclear fusion reactor. The neutron irradiation make the material brittle and reduces its uniform elongation to almost zero at heavy doses. In order to apply such a material of reduced ductility to structural components, the structural integrity should be examined and assured by the fracture mechanics. The procedure requires a formulated stress-strain relationship. However, the available irradiated tensile test data are very limited at present, so that the cold-worked material was used as a simulated material in this study. Property changes of 316 SS, that is, a reduction of uniform elongation and an enhancement of yield stress are seemingly very similar for both the irradiated 316 SS and the cold-worked one. The specimens made of annealed 316 SS, 20% (or 15%) cold worked one and 40% cold worked one were prepared. After the formulation of stress strain behavior, the equation for the cold-worked 316 SS was fitted to the data on irradiated material under the assumption that the yield stress is the same for both materials. In addition, the upper limit for the plastic strain was introduced using the data on the irradiated material. (author)

  8. Pitting Corrosion Behavior of 304 SS and 316 SS Alloys in Aqueous Chloride and Bromide Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibtehal Kareem Shakir

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The importance of the present work falls on the pitting corrosion behavior investigation of 304 SS and 316 SS alloys in 3.5 wt% of aqueous solution bearing with chloride and bromide anion at different solutions temperature range starting from (20-50oC due to the pitting corrosion tremendous effect on the economic, safety and materials loss due to leakage. The impact of solution temperatures on the pitting corrosion resistance at 3.5wt% (NaCl and NaBr solutions for the 304 SS and 316 SS has been investigated utilizing the cyclic polarization techniques at the potential range -400 to1000 mV vs. SCE at 40 mV/sec scan rate followed by the surface characterization employing Scanning Electron Microscope. The results show that a significant decline in the pitting corrosion potential Ep values of both stainless steel alloys in chloride and bromide solution during temperature increase attributed to the pitting corrosion potential decreased arises from the modification of the passive film properties. The surface examination using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope prove the occurring of higher pitting density over 304 SS in chloride solution than that observed in bromide solution with a non-circular lacy cover pitfall out at the center and falls inside the pits hall in comparison to the isolated circular lacy cover pit formed on 316 SS in 3.5wt% NaBr solution at 50 oC.

  9. A comparative study on the compatibility of liquid lead–gold eutectic and liquid lead–bismuth eutectic with T91 and SS 316LN steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai, Y.; Gao, W.; Zhang, T.; Platacis, E.; Heinitz, S.; Thomsen, K.

    2012-01-01

    Liquid lead–gold eutectic (LGE) is considered as a potential target material for high power spallation sources. In the present work, the corrosion effects of LGE on T91 and SS 316LN steels have been investigated in comparison with that of liquid lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) under the same testing conditions. Two tests were conducted at 400 °C for 1800 h and at 450 °C for 1300 h, in which specimens of the two steels were exposed to 1 m/s flowing LGE and LBE. Surface inspections showed that the specimens underwent a mixed corrosion mode of dissolution and oxidation. The results obtained from the SS 316LN specimens are very interesting. Firstly, EDX (electron energy dispersion X-ray spectrometry) analyses revealed that Ni, Cr and Mn have a higher dissolution rate in LGE than in LBE. Secondly, it was observed that LBE attacked strongly on grain-boundaries (GBs) and twin-boundaries (TBs), while LGE did not preferentially attack GBs and TBs. Further, the diffusion or penetration paths of LBE look straight, while those of LGE look like a complex network. In the attacked regions the chemical composition of the steel did not change much in the LBE case, but changed greatly in the LGE case. The T91 specimens exhibited considerably weaker corrosion effects under the present testing conditions.

  10. Colistin-Resistant, Lipopolysaccharide-Deficient Acinetobacter baumannii Responds to Lipopolysaccharide Loss through Increased Expression of Genes Involved in the Synthesis and Transport of Lipoproteins, Phospholipids, and Poly-β-1,6-N-Acetylglucosamine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Rebekah; Vithanage, Nuwan; Harrison, Paul; Seemann, Torsten; Coutts, Scott; Moffatt, Jennifer H.; Nation, Roger L.; Li, Jian; Harper, Marina; Adler, Ben

    2012-01-01

    We recently demonstrated that colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii can result from mutational inactivation of genes essential for lipid A biosynthesis (Moffatt JH, et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 54:4971–4977). Consequently, strains harboring these mutations are unable to produce the major Gram-negative bacterial surface component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To understand how A. baumannii compensates for the lack of LPS, we compared the transcriptional profile of the A. baumannii type strain ATCC 19606 to that of an isogenic, LPS-deficient, lpxA mutant strain. The analysis of the expression profiles indicated that the LPS-deficient strain showed increased expression of many genes involved in cell envelope and membrane biogenesis. In particular, upregulated genes included those involved in the Lol lipoprotein transport system and the Mla-retrograde phospholipid transport system. In addition, genes involved in the synthesis and transport of poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) also were upregulated, and a corresponding increase in PNAG production was observed. The LPS-deficient strain also exhibited the reduced expression of genes predicted to encode the fimbrial subunit FimA and a type VI secretion system (T6SS). The reduced expression of genes involved in T6SS correlated with the detection of the T6SS-effector protein AssC in culture supernatants of the A. baumannii wild-type strain but not in the LPS-deficient strain. Taken together, these data show that, in response to total LPS loss, A. baumannii alters the expression of critical transport and biosynthesis systems associated with modulating the composition and structure of the bacterial surface. PMID:22024825

  11. Colistin-resistant, lipopolysaccharide-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii responds to lipopolysaccharide loss through increased expression of genes involved in the synthesis and transport of lipoproteins, phospholipids, and poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henry, Rebekah; Vithanage, Nuwan; Harrison, Paul; Seemann, Torsten; Coutts, Scott; Moffatt, Jennifer H; Nation, Roger L; Li, Jian; Harper, Marina; Adler, Ben; Boyce, John D

    2012-01-01

    We recently demonstrated that colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii can result from mutational inactivation of genes essential for lipid A biosynthesis (Moffatt JH, et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 54:4971-4977). Consequently, strains harboring these mutations are unable to produce the major Gram-negative bacterial surface component, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To understand how A. baumannii compensates for the lack of LPS, we compared the transcriptional profile of the A. baumannii type strain ATCC 19606 to that of an isogenic, LPS-deficient, lpxA mutant strain. The analysis of the expression profiles indicated that the LPS-deficient strain showed increased expression of many genes involved in cell envelope and membrane biogenesis. In particular, upregulated genes included those involved in the Lol lipoprotein transport system and the Mla-retrograde phospholipid transport system. In addition, genes involved in the synthesis and transport of poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) also were upregulated, and a corresponding increase in PNAG production was observed. The LPS-deficient strain also exhibited the reduced expression of genes predicted to encode the fimbrial subunit FimA and a type VI secretion system (T6SS). The reduced expression of genes involved in T6SS correlated with the detection of the T6SS-effector protein AssC in culture supernatants of the A. baumannii wild-type strain but not in the LPS-deficient strain. Taken together, these data show that, in response to total LPS loss, A. baumannii alters the expression of critical transport and biosynthesis systems associated with modulating the composition and structure of the bacterial surface.

  12. Siirtyminen IPv6-protokollaan yrityksen verkkolaitteistossa

    OpenAIRE

    Lindén, Kalle

    2012-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on selvittää, mitä muutoksia Päijät-Hämeen koulutuskonsernin (PHKK) tietoverkon runkolaitteissa tarvitsee tehdä, jotta voidaan ottaa IPv6-protokolla käyttöön. Siirtyminen IPv6-protokollaan tulee olemaan välttämätön toimenpide, koska IPv4-protokollasta loppuvat uudet yksilölliset osoitteet. IPv4- ja IPv6-protokollien suurimmat erot ovat osoitekentän koon kasvaminen 32 bitistä 128 bittiin. Aluksi IPv4-osoitteistuksessa oli käytössä luokallinen osoitejärjest...

  13. GSM SiNYALLERİNİN .IP OMURGASI İİZERiNI>E TAŞINMASI (SS7 OVER IP- NettcSS7

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Çağatay Neftali Tülü

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Bu çalışmada günümüzün en popüler nıobilhaberleşme sistemi olan GSM [1 l sisteminin, kendiöğeleri aras1ndaki en temel sinyalleşme sistemi olannumara 7 (SS7 [2 sinyallerinin, günümüzün enyaygın iletim omurgast olan ve tüm dünyadakibilgisayarları birbirine bağlayan IP (3] omurgasıüzerinden taşınabilmesi için gerekli si stemin tasar11n1ve gerçeklenınesi üzerinde çahş1lmtştır. Klasil\\ SS7iletimine göre en büyüllt; faydası çok düşül{ maliyetiolan bu sistem sayesinde, dünyadaki b i r çok GSMşebekesi ara bağlanti harcanıalarıııda büyükmiktarda tasarrufa gideceklerdir. Aralarındakiklasik 64 KB/sn 'lik ara bağlantı yerine, bununüzerinde bir bağlantı hızı ile iki şebeke haberleşmişolacaktır. Bu değişimierin etkisi abonelere fiyatlardadüşüş ve servis kalitesinde yükseliş olarakyansıyacaktır.

  14. Study on the IFNL4 gene ss469415590 variant in Ukrainian population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kucherenko A. M.

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim. To determine genotype and allele disribution for the IFNL4 gene ss469415590 and examine it for linkage with the IL28B gene rs12979860 in Ukrainian population. Methods. The studied group consisted of 100 unrelated donors of Eastern European origin representing the population of Ukraine. Genotyping for the IFNL4 gene ss469415590 was performed using the amplification-refractory mutation system PCR. Genotyping for the IL28B gene rs12979860 was performed by the PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Results. Genotype frequencies for both studied variants showed no significant deviation from those expected according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Allelic distribution for ss469415590 was: TT – 0.665, G – 0.335. Allelic frequencies of rs12979860 were: C – 0.655, T – 0.345. The results of likelihood ratio test indicated a linkage disequilibrium between the studied variants (p > 0.0001, the major alleles ss469415590 TT and rs12979860 C were in phase. The genetic structure of Ukrainian population in terms of two studied polymorphic variants is similar to the European population presented in the «1000 genomes» project. Conclusions. Considering a tight linkage revealed in Ukrainian population between the ss469415590 variant and rs12979860, a crucial genetic marker of chronic hepatitis C treatment efficiency, this polymorphism might be a promising target for further investigation as a pharmacogenetic marker.

  15. The Masses and Evolutionary State of the Stars in the Dwarf Nova SS Cygni

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitner, Martin A.; Robinson, Edward L.; Behr, Bradford B.

    2007-06-01

    The dwarf nova SS Cygni is a close binary star consisting of a K star transferring mass to a white dwarf by way of an accretion disk. We have obtained new spectroscopic observations of SS Cyg. Fits of synthetic spectra for Roche lobe-filling stars to the absorption-line spectrum of the K star yield the amplitude of the K star's radial velocity curve and the mass ratio, KK=162.5+/-1.0 km s-1 and q=MK/MWD=0.685+/-0.015. The fits also show that the accretion disk and white dwarf contribute a fraction f=0.535+/-0.075 of the total flux at 5500 Å. Taking the weighted average of our results with previously published results obtained using similar techniques, we find =163.7+/-0.7 km s-1 and =0.683+/-0.012. The orbital light curve of SS Cyg shows an ellipsoidal variation diluted by light from the disk and white dwarf. From an analysis of the ellipsoidal variations, we limit the orbital inclination to the range 45degAustin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

  16. On the dopplars SS433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fang Li Zhi; Riffini, R.

    1979-07-01

    A new family of X-ray sources has recently been proposed including SS433. The general relativistic formula to fit the frequency dependence of Hsub(α) lines in SS433 as a function of the phase is presented here. Particularly relevant for the verification of the model are the observations at the phase of minimum shift. (author)

  17. Construct validity of the items on the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) questionnaire that evaluate the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Soraia Micaela; Corrêa, Fernanda Ishida; Pereira, Gabriela Santos; Faria, Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais; Corrêa, João Carlos Ferrari

    2018-01-01

    Analyze the construct validity and internal consistency of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) items that address the participation component of the ICF as well as analyze the ceiling and floor effects. One hundred subjects were analyzed: 85 community-dwelling and 15 institutionalized individuals. The analysis of construct validity was performed using classic psychometrics: (1) the comparison of known groups (individuals without restriction to participation vs. those with restriction to participation) using the Mann-Whitney test and (2) convergent validity - correlation between the scores on the SS-QOL items that address participation and the subscale scores of measures used to evaluate the similar constructs and concepts [the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and grip strength test]. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated for this analysis. Cronbach's α was used for the analysis of internal consistency and both the ceiling and floor effects were analyzed. The level of significance for all analyses was α = 0.05. The a priori hypotheses regarding construct validity were partially demonstrated, as only five of the eight domains exhibited positive moderate to strong correlations (r > 0.40) with measures that address constructs similar to those addressed on the SS-QOL questionnaire. The items demonstrated adequate internal consistency and are capable of differentiating individuals with and without restriction to participation. The ceiling and floor effects were considered adequate for the total SS-QOL score, but beyond acceptable standards for some domains. The 26 items of the SS-QOL questionnaire measure a multidimensional construct and therefore do not only address participation. However, the items demonstrated adequate internal consistency and are capable of differentiating individuals with and without restriction to participation. Implications for rehabilitation The 26 items of the SS

  18. Mechanochemical regulations of RPA's binding to ssDNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jin; Le, Shimin; Basu, Anindita; Chazin, Walter J.; Yan, Jie

    2015-03-01

    Replication protein A (RPA) is a ubiquitous eukaryotic single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding protein that serves to protect ssDNA from degradation and annealing, and as a template for recruitment of many downstream factors in virtually all DNA transactions in cell. During many of these transactions, DNA is tethered and is likely subject to force. Previous studies of RPA's binding behavior on ssDNA were conducted in the absence of force; therefore the RPA-ssDNA conformations regulated by force remain unclear. Here, using a combination of atomic force microscopy imaging and mechanical manipulation of single ssDNA tethers, we show that force mediates a switch of the RPA bound ssDNA from amorphous aggregation to a much more regular extended conformation. Further, we found an interesting non-monotonic dependence of the binding affinity on monovalent salt concentration in the presence of force. In addition, we discovered that zinc in micromolar concentrations drives ssDNA to a unique, highly stiff and more compact state. These results provide new mechanochemical insights into the influences and the mechanisms of action of RPA on large single ssDNA.

  19. In silico dissection of Type VII Secretion System components across ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-02-12

    Feb 12, 2016 ... Bio-Sciences R&D Division, TCS Innovation Labs, Tata Research Development & Design Centre, ... Type VII Secretion System (T7SS) is one of the factors involved in virulence of ... Such wide distribution of T7SS and.

  20. alpha(4)beta(7) independent pathway for CD8(+) T cell-mediated intestinal immunity to rotavirus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuklin, N A; Rott, L; Darling, J; Campbell, J J; Franco, M; Feng, N; Müller, W; Wagner, N; Altman, J; Butcher, E C; Greenberg, H B

    2000-12-01

    Rotavirus (RV), which replicates exclusively in cells of the small intestine, is the most important cause of severe diarrhea in young children worldwide. Using a mouse model, we show that expression of the intestinal homing integrin alpha(4)ss(7) is not essential for CD8(+) T cells to migrate to the intestine or provide immunity to RV. Mice deficient in ss7 expression (ss7(-/-)) and unable to express alpha(4)ss(7) integrin were found to clear RV as quickly as wild-type (wt) animals. Depletion of CD8(+) T cells in ss7(-/-) animals prolonged viral shedding, and transfer of immune ss7(-/-) CD8(+) T cells into chronically infected Rag-2-deficient mice resolved RV infection as efficiently as wt CD8(+) T cells. Paradoxically, alpha(4)ss(7)(hi) memory CD8(+) T cells purified from wt mice that had been orally immunized cleared RV more efficiently than alpha(4)ss(7)(low) CD8(+) T cells. We explained this apparent contradiction by demonstrating that expression of alpha(4)ss(7) on effector CD8(+) T cells depends upon the site of initial antigen exposure: oral immunization generates RV-specific CD8(+) T cells primarily of an alpha(4)ss(7)(hi) phenotype, but subcutaneous immunization yields both alpha(4)ss(7)(hi) and alpha(4)ss(7)(low) immune CD8(+) T cells with anti-RV effector capabilities. Thus, alpha(4)ss(7) facilitates normal intestinal immune trafficking to the gut, but it is not required for effective CD8(+) T cell immunity.

  1. Bacterial contamination of platelet components not detected by BacT/ALERT®.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abela, M A; Fenning, S; Maguire, K A; Morris, K G

    2018-02-01

    To investigate the possible causes for false negative results in BacT/ALERT ® 3D Signature System despite bacterial contamination of platelet units. The Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service (NIBTS) routinely extends platelet component shelf life to 7 days. Components are sampled and screened for bacterial contamination using an automated microbial detection system, the BacT/ALERT ® 3D Signature System. We report on three platelet components with confirmed bacterial contamination, which represent false negative BacT/ALERT ® results and near-miss serious adverse events. NIBTS protocols for risk reduction of bacterial contamination of platelet components are described. The methodology for bacterial detection using BacT/ALERT ® is outlined. Laboratory tests, relevant patient details and relevant follow-up information are analysed. In all three cases, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the platelet residue and confirmed on terminal sub-culture using BacT/ALERT ® . In two cases, S. aureus with similar genetic makeup was isolated from the donors. Risk reduction measures for bacterial contamination of platelet components are not always effective. Automated bacterial culture detection does not eliminate the risk of bacterial contamination. Visual inspection of platelet components prior to release, issue and administration remains an important last line of defence. © 2017 British Blood Transfusion Society.

  2. The SS-SCR Scheme for Dynamic Spectrum Access

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinay Thumar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We integrate the two models of Cognitive Radio (CR, namely, the conventional Sense-and-Scavenge (SS Model and Symbiotic Cooperative Relaying (SCR. The resultant scheme, called SS-SCR, improves the efficiency of spectrum usage and reliability of the transmission links. SS-SCR is enabled by a suitable cross-layer optimization problem in a multihop multichannel CR network. Its performance is compared for different PU activity patterns with those schemes which consider SS and SCR separately and perform disjoint resource allocation. Simulation results depict the effectiveness of the proposed SS-SCR scheme. We also indicate the usefulness of cloud computing for a practical deployment of the scheme.

  3. Serum testosterone levels of HbSS (sickle cell disease male subjects in Lagos, Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adediran Adewumi

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Infertility is a major problem in sickle cell disease patients, especially in males. In addition to low serum testosterone, other abnormalities involving the accessory sex organs, such as the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland, as well as marked decrease in ejaculate volume may be observed in male HbSS patients. Hence, the need to study the role of sex hormones as a cause of infertility in male HbSS patients. Methods An unmatched case-control study was performed using seventy-five consenting subjects from Lagos University Teaching Hospital. These included 47 patients with haemoglobin phenotype SS from the Sickle cell clinic and 28 volunteered medical students and members of staff with haemoglobin phenotype AA. Demographic data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. A total of 5 mls of blood was collected from each subject between 9.00 am & 11.am, and assayed for serum testosterone concentration. Results The concentrations of serum testosterone in HbSS patients ranged from 0.2 to 4.3 ng/ml with a mean of 1.28 ± 0.72 ng/ml whilst the values in HbAA controls ranged from 1.2 to 6.9 ng/ml with a mean of 2.63 ± 1.04 ng/ml. Seven (25.0% of the 28 controls had serum testosterone concentration lower than the quoted reference (normal range whereas 44 (93.6% of the 47 HbSS subjects had serum testosterone concentration lower than the reference range. Conclusion Overall, subjects with HbSS have significantly lower mean serum testosterone than HbAA controls.

  4. Läsnäolo ja yleisösuhde : mitä tapahtuu ohjelmatyössä ja ilmaisussa kun tekniikka muuttuu?

    OpenAIRE

    Baer, Titta

    2013-01-01

    Yhden lähtökohdan ja inspiraation tälle työlle antoi mediatutkija Marshall McLuhanin tunnettu lause "väline on viesti". Opinnäytetyössä tarkastellaan, miten teknologian kehitys - kamerat, tietotekniikka - näkyy esimerkiksi TV:n ajankohtaisohjelmien ja uutisten tuotannossa. Työssä selvitetään, miten välineiden tekninen kehitys vaikuttaa, miten tekniikka muuttaa TV-ohjelmien rakennetta, ilmettä ja yleisösuhdetta. Käytetyt menetelmät ovat laadullisia: kirjallisuutta, tutkimuksia ja haastatteluja...

  5. Induction of passive Heymann nephritis in complement component 6-deficient PVG rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spicer, S Timothy; Tran, Giang T; Killingsworth, Murray C; Carter, Nicole; Power, David A; Paizis, Kathy; Boyd, Rochelle; Hodgkinson, Suzanne J; Hall, Bruce M

    2007-07-01

    Passive Heymann nephritis (PHN), a model of human membranous nephritis, is induced in susceptible rat strains by injection of heterologous antisera to rat renal tubular Ag extract. PHN is currently considered the archetypal complement-dependent form of nephritis, with the proteinuria resulting from sublytic glomerular epithelial cell injury induced by the complement membrane attack complex (MAC) of C5b-9. This study examined whether C6 and MAC are essential to the development of proteinuria in PHN by comparing the effect of injection of anti-Fx1A antisera into PVG rats deficient in C6 (PVG/C6(-)) and normal PVG rats (PVG/c). PVG/c and PVG/C6(-) rats developed similar levels of proteinuria at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days following injection of antisera. Isolated whole glomeruli showed similar deposition of rat Ig and C3 staining in PVG/c and PVG/C6(-) rats. C9 deposition was abundant in PVG/c but was not detected in PVG/C6(-) glomeruli, indicating C5b-9/MAC had not formed in PVG/C6(-) rats. There was also no difference in the glomerular cellular infiltrate of T cells and macrophages nor the size of glomerular basement membrane deposits measured on electron micrographs. To examine whether T cells effect injury, rats were depleted of CD8+ T cells which did not affect proteinuria in the early heterologous phase but prevented the increase in proteinuria associated with the later autologous phase. These studies showed proteinuria in PHN occurs without MAC and that other mechanisms, such as immune complex size, early complement components, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, disrupt glomerular integrity and lead to proteinuria.

  6. Relativistic jets in SS 433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Margon, B.

    1982-01-01

    The most unusual characteristic of the star SS 433 emerged in the late 1970's when a series of optical spectra showed intense, broad optical emission lines whose profiles and wavelengths changed drastically from night to night. These features are interpreted as strong Doppler-shifted Balmer and HeI lines. The modulation of the Doppler shifts are observed as being cyclic with a period of about 164 days. It was hypothesized that these phenomena were caused by two collimated, colinear, jets which were ejecting in opposite directions from SS 433. Most authors believe that velocity variations of the emission lines are caused by a cyclic rotation of jet axis inclined to line of sight. This rotation being the result of precession, which leads one to suspect SS 433 as a member of a close binary system. This hypothesis has been confirmed from recent optical, radio, and x-ray observations which are discussed in the article. The combination of optical and radio observations of SS 433, described in the article, gives an accurate measure of the Kinematics of the system and some confidence that the Kinematic equations are understood. However, the specific physical processes of this ejection are poorly understood. Some theoretical difficulties regarding this are given

  7. SS 383: A NEW S-TYPE YELLOW SYMBIOTIC STAR?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baella, N. O.; Pereira, C. B. [Observatório Nacional, Rua José Cristino 77, CEP 20921-400, São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Miranda, L. F. [Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, E-36310 Vigo (Spain)

    2013-11-01

    Symbiotic stars are key objects in understanding the formation and evolution of interacting binary systems, and are probably the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae. However, the number of known symbiotic stars is much lower than predicted. We aim to search for new symbiotic stars, with particular emphasis on the S-type yellow symbiotic stars, in order to determine their total population, evolutionary timescales, and physical properties. The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) (J – H) versus (H – K {sub s}) color-color diagram has been previously used to identify new symbiotic star candidates and show that yellow symbiotics are located in a particular region of that diagram. Candidate symbiotic stars are selected on the basis of their locus in the 2MASS (J – H) versus (H – K {sub s}) diagram and the presence of Hα line emission in the Stephenson and Sanduleak Hα survey. This diagram separates S-type yellow symbiotic stars from the rest of the S-type symbiotic stars, allowing us to select candidate yellow symbiotics. To establish the true nature of the candidates, intermediate-resolution spectroscopy is obtained. We have identified the Hα emission line source SS 383 as an S-type yellow symbiotic candidate by its position in the 2MASS color-color diagram. The optical spectrum of SS 383 shows Balmer, He I, He II, and [O III] emission lines, in combination with TiO absorption bands that confirm its symbiotic nature. The derived electron density (≅10{sup 8-9} cm{sup –3}), He I emission line intensity ratios, and position in the [O III] λ5007/Hβ versus [O III] λ4363/Hγ diagram indicate that SS 383 is an S-type symbiotic star, with a probable spectral type of K7-M0 deduced for its cool component based on TiO indices. The spectral type and the position of SS 383 (corrected for reddening) in the 2MASS color-color diagram strongly suggest that SS 383 is an S-type yellow symbiotic. Our result points out that the 2MASS color-color diagram is a powerful tool in

  8. SS 383: A NEW S-TYPE YELLOW SYMBIOTIC STAR?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baella, N. O.; Pereira, C. B.; Miranda, L. F.

    2013-01-01

    Symbiotic stars are key objects in understanding the formation and evolution of interacting binary systems, and are probably the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae. However, the number of known symbiotic stars is much lower than predicted. We aim to search for new symbiotic stars, with particular emphasis on the S-type yellow symbiotic stars, in order to determine their total population, evolutionary timescales, and physical properties. The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) (J – H) versus (H – K s ) color-color diagram has been previously used to identify new symbiotic star candidates and show that yellow symbiotics are located in a particular region of that diagram. Candidate symbiotic stars are selected on the basis of their locus in the 2MASS (J – H) versus (H – K s ) diagram and the presence of Hα line emission in the Stephenson and Sanduleak Hα survey. This diagram separates S-type yellow symbiotic stars from the rest of the S-type symbiotic stars, allowing us to select candidate yellow symbiotics. To establish the true nature of the candidates, intermediate-resolution spectroscopy is obtained. We have identified the Hα emission line source SS 383 as an S-type yellow symbiotic candidate by its position in the 2MASS color-color diagram. The optical spectrum of SS 383 shows Balmer, He I, He II, and [O III] emission lines, in combination with TiO absorption bands that confirm its symbiotic nature. The derived electron density (≅10 8-9 cm –3 ), He I emission line intensity ratios, and position in the [O III] λ5007/Hβ versus [O III] λ4363/Hγ diagram indicate that SS 383 is an S-type symbiotic star, with a probable spectral type of K7-M0 deduced for its cool component based on TiO indices. The spectral type and the position of SS 383 (corrected for reddening) in the 2MASS color-color diagram strongly suggest that SS 383 is an S-type yellow symbiotic. Our result points out that the 2MASS color-color diagram is a powerful tool in identifying new S

  9. Thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design of plasma facing components for SST-1 tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhuri, Paritosh; Santra, P.; Chenna Reddy, D.; Parashar, S.K.S.

    2014-01-01

    The Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) are one of the major sub-systems of ssT-1 tokamak. PFC of ssT-1 consisting of divertors, passive stabilizers, baffles and limiters are designed to be compatible for steady state operation. The main consideration in the design of the PFC cooling is the steady state heat removal of up to 1 MW/m 2 . The PFC has been designed to withstand the peak heat fluxes and also without significant erosion such that frequent replacement of the armor is not necessary. Design considerations included 2-D steady state and transient tile temperature distribution and resulting thermal loads in PFC during baking, and cooling, coolant parameters necessary to maintain optimum thermal-hydraulic design, and tile fitting mechanism. Finite Element (FE) models using ANSYS have been developed to carry out the heat transfer and stress analyses of the PFC to understand its thermal and mechanical behaviors. The results of the calculation led to a good understanding of the coolant flow behavior and the temperature distribution in the tube wall and the different parts of the PFC. Thermal analysis of the PFC is carried out with the purpose of evaluating the thermal mechanical behavior of PFCs. The detailed thermal-hydraulic and thermo-mechanical designs of PFCs of ssT-1 are discussed in this paper. (authors)

  10. Genome-Wide Analysis of Type VI System Clusters and Effectors in Burkholderia Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thao Thi Nguyen

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Type VI secretion system (T6SS has been discovered in a variety of gram-negative bacteria as a versatile weapon to stimulate the killing of eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic competitors. Type VI secretion effectors (T6SEs are well known as key virulence factors for important pathogenic bacteria. In many Burkholderia species, T6SS has evolved as the most complicated secretion pathway with distinguished types to translocate diverse T6SEs, suggesting their essential roles in this genus. Here we attempted to detect and characterize T6SSs and potential T6SEs in target genomes of plant-associated and environmental Burkholderia species based on computational analyses. In total, 66 potential functional T6SS clusters were found in 30 target Burkholderia bacterial genomes, of which 33% possess three or four clusters. The core proteins in each cluster were specified and phylogenetic trees of three components (i.e., TssC, TssD, TssL were constructed to elucidate the relationship among the identified T6SS clusters. Next, we identified 322 potential T6SEs in the target genomes based on homology searches and explored the important domains conserved in effector candidates. In addition, using the screening approach based on the profile hidden Markov model (pHMM of T6SEs that possess markers for type VI effectors (MIX motif (MIX T6SEs, 57 revealed proteins that were not included in training datasets were recognized as novel MIX T6SE candidates from the Burkholderia species. This approach could be useful to identify potential T6SEs from other bacterial genomes.

  11. Identification of a functional type VI secretion system in Campylobacter jejuni conferring capsule polysaccharide sensitive cytotoxicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nancy M C Bleumink-Pluym

    Full Text Available The pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is the principal cause of bacterial food-borne infections. The mechanism(s that contribute to bacterial survival and disease are still poorly understood. In other bacterial species, type VI secretion systems (T6SS are increasingly recognized to contribute to bacterial pathogenesis by toxic effects on host cells or competing bacterial species. Here we report the presence of a functional Type VI secretion system in C. jejuni. Proteome and genetic analyses revealed that C. jejuni strain 108 contains a 17-kb T6SS gene cluster consisting of 13 T6SS-conserved genes, including the T6SS hallmark genes hcp and vgrG. The cluster lacks an ortholog of the ClpV ATPase considered important for T6SS function. The sequence and organization of the C. jejuni T6SS genes resemble those of the T6SS located on the HHGI1 pathogenicity island of Helicobacter hepaticus. The C. jejuni T6SS is integrated into the earlier acquired Campylobacter integrated element CJIE3 and is present in about 10% of C. jejuni isolates including several isolates derived from patients with the rare clinical feature of C. jejuni bacteremia. Targeted mutagenesis of C. jejuni T6SS genes revealed T6SS-dependent secretion of the Hcp needle protein into the culture supernatant. Infection assays provided evidence that the C. jejuni T6SS confers contact-dependent cytotoxicity towards red blood cells but not macrophages. This trait was observed only in a capsule-deficient bacterial phenotype. The unique C. jejuni T6SS phenotype of capsule-sensitive contact-mediated hemolysis represents a novel evolutionary pathway of T6SS in bacteria and expands the repertoire of virulence properties associated with T6SS.

  12. Identification of a functional type VI secretion system in Campylobacter jejuni conferring capsule polysaccharide sensitive cytotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bleumink-Pluym, Nancy M C; van Alphen, Lieke B; Bouwman, Lieneke I; Wösten, Marc M S M; van Putten, Jos P M

    2013-01-01

    The pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is the principal cause of bacterial food-borne infections. The mechanism(s) that contribute to bacterial survival and disease are still poorly understood. In other bacterial species, type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are increasingly recognized to contribute to bacterial pathogenesis by toxic effects on host cells or competing bacterial species. Here we report the presence of a functional Type VI secretion system in C. jejuni. Proteome and genetic analyses revealed that C. jejuni strain 108 contains a 17-kb T6SS gene cluster consisting of 13 T6SS-conserved genes, including the T6SS hallmark genes hcp and vgrG. The cluster lacks an ortholog of the ClpV ATPase considered important for T6SS function. The sequence and organization of the C. jejuni T6SS genes resemble those of the T6SS located on the HHGI1 pathogenicity island of Helicobacter hepaticus. The C. jejuni T6SS is integrated into the earlier acquired Campylobacter integrated element CJIE3 and is present in about 10% of C. jejuni isolates including several isolates derived from patients with the rare clinical feature of C. jejuni bacteremia. Targeted mutagenesis of C. jejuni T6SS genes revealed T6SS-dependent secretion of the Hcp needle protein into the culture supernatant. Infection assays provided evidence that the C. jejuni T6SS confers contact-dependent cytotoxicity towards red blood cells but not macrophages. This trait was observed only in a capsule-deficient bacterial phenotype. The unique C. jejuni T6SS phenotype of capsule-sensitive contact-mediated hemolysis represents a novel evolutionary pathway of T6SS in bacteria and expands the repertoire of virulence properties associated with T6SS.

  13. Susceptibility to Stress Corrosion Cracking of 254SMO SS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Micheli Lorenzo

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC of solubilized and sensitized 254SMO SS was studied in sodium chloride, and sodium fluoride solutions at 80 °C and sulfuric acid solutions in presence of sodium chloride at 25 °C. The influence of salt concentration, pH values and the addition of thiosulfate was examined. The susceptibility to SCC was evaluated by Slow Strain Rate Tests (SSRT, at 1.5 x 10-6 s-1 strain rate. The behavior of 254SMO was compared to those of AISI 316L SS and Hastelloy C276. 254SMO showed an excellent resistance to SCC in all conditions, except in the more acidic solutions (pH <= 1 where, in the sensitized conditions, intergranular stress corrosion cracking occurred.

  14. Vibrio parahaemolyticus type VI secretion system 1 is activated in marine conditions to target bacteria, and is differentially regulated from system 2.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dor Salomon

    Full Text Available Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine bacterium that thrives in warm climates. It is a leading cause of gastroenteritis resulting from consumption of contaminated uncooked shellfish. This bacterium harbors two putative type VI secretion systems (T6SS. T6SSs are widespread protein secretion systems found in many Gram-negative bacteria, and are often tightly regulated. For many T6SSs studied to date, the conditions and cues, as well as the regulatory mechanisms that control T6SS activity are unknown. In this study, we characterized the environmental conditions and cues that activate both V. parahaemolyticus T6SSs, and identified regulatory mechanisms that control T6SS gene expression and activity. We monitored the expression and secretion of the signature T6SS secreted proteins Hcp1 and Hcp2, and found that both T6SSs are differentially regulated by quorum sensing and surface sensing. We also showed that T6SS1 and T6SS2 require different temperature and salinity conditions to be active. Interestingly, T6SS1, which is found predominantly in clinical isolates, was most active under warm marine-like conditions. Moreover, we found that T6SS1 has anti-bacterial activity under these conditions. In addition, we identified two transcription regulators in the T6SS1 gene cluster that regulate Hcp1 expression, but are not required for immunity against self-intoxication. Further examination of environmental isolates revealed a correlation between the presence of T6SS1 and virulence of V. parahaemolyticus against other bacteria, and we also showed that different V. parahaemolyticus isolates can outcompete each other. We propose that T6SS1 and T6SS2 play different roles in the V. parahaemolyticus lifestyles, and suggest a role for T6SS1 in enhancing environmental fitness of V. parahaemolyticus in marine environments when competing for a niche in the presence of other bacterial populations.

  15. Material and construction of primary components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaser, A.; Wallner, F.

    1978-01-01

    The construction of SNR's requires specific properties of the materials, i.e. high strength at temperatures of 600 0 C, adequate creep rupture strength, low long-time embrittlement. Aspects are given for optimalization of the mentioned properties with regard to safe manufacture especially good weldability. The austenitic material X6CrNil811 similar the type AISI 304 SS finally was chosen. Besides the fundamental analysis of the material properties it will be reported about the experiences gained during the manufacturing of the essential components. (author)

  16. Effects of a new antiarrhythmic drug SS-68 on electrical activity in working atrial and ventricular myocardium of mouse and their ionic mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saida K. Bogus

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available SS-68 is a derivative of indole, which demonstrated strong antiarrhythmic effects not associated with significant QT prolongation in dog models of atrial fibrillation. Therefore, SS-68 was proposed as a new antiarrhythmic drug and the present study is the first describing its effects on action potentials (APs configuration and elucidating the ionic mechanisms of these effects. Sharp microelectrodes were used to record APs in isolated preparations of mouse atrial and ventricular myocardium. In both types of myocardium 10−6 M SS-68 produced reduction of AP duration, 3 × 10−6 M failed to alter AP waveform and 10−5 – 3 × 10−5 M prolonged APs. Sensitivity of main ionic currents to SS-68 was determined using whole-cell patch clamp. Transient potassium current Ito was slightly inhibited by SS-68 with IC50 = 1.43 × 10−4 M. IKur was more sensitive with IC50 = 1.84 × 10−5 M. Background inward rectifier showed very low sensitivity to SS-68 – only 10−4 M SS-68 caused significant reduction of IK1. ICaL was significantly inhibited by 10−6M – 3 × 10−5 M SS-68. The IC50 value for the ICaL was 1.84 × 10−6 M. Thus, main ionic currents of mouse cardiomyocytes are inhibited by SS-68 in the following order of potency: ICaL > IKur > Ito > IK1. While lower concentration of SS-68 shorten APs via suppression of ICaL, higher concentrations inhibit K+-currents leading to APs prolongation.

  17. Immunization with the recombinant antigen Ss-IR induces protective immunity to infection with Strongyloides stercoralis in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, David; Hess, Jessica A; Mejia, Rojelio; Nolan, Thomas J; Lok, James B; Lustigman, Sara; Nutman, Thomas B

    2011-10-19

    Human intestinal infections with the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis remain a significant problem worldwide and a vaccine would be a useful addition to the tools available to prevent and control this infection. The goal of this study was to test single antigens for their efficacy in a vaccine against S. stercoralis larvae in mice. Alum was used as the adjuvant in these studies and antigens selected for analysis were either recognized by protective human IgG (Ss-TMY-1, Ss-EAT-6, and Ss-LEC-5) or were known to be highly immunogenic in humans (Ss-NIE-1 and Ss-IR). Only mice immunized with the Ss-IR antigen demonstrated a significant decrease of approximately 80% in the survival of larval parasites in the challenge infection. Antibodies, recovered from mice with protective immunity to S. stercoralis after immunization with Ss-IR, were used to locate the antigen in the larvae. Confocal microscopy revealed that IgG from mice immunized with Ss-IR bound to the surface of the parasites and observations by electron microscopy indicated that IgG bound to granules in the glandular esophagus. Serum collected from mice immunized with Ss-IR passively transferred immunity to naïve mice. These studies demonstrate that Ss-IR, in combination with alum, induces high levels of protective immunity through an antibody dependent mechanism and may therefore be suitable for further development as a vaccine against human strongyloidiasis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Peripheral vascular response to mild indirect cooling in patients with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease and the frequency of painful crisis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohan, J; Marshall, J M; Reid, H L; Thomas, P W; Hambleton, I; Serjeant, G R

    1998-02-01

    1. In homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease, skin cooling is a common precipitating factor of the painful crisis which is associated with avascular necrosis of active bone marrow. Since skin cooling does not directly induce sickling, we have investigated the nature of the reflex vascular responses to mild cooling in SS patients in a steady state of the disease and compared them with their history of painful crises. 2. Experiments were performed in Jamaica on 60 male SS patients and 30 matched control subjects with normal haemoglobin (AA) genotype. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography and mean arterial pressure (MAP) by a Finapres device: forearm vascular resistance (FVR) was calculated as MAP/FBF. Cutaneous erythrocyte flux in forearm and hand was monitored by a laser Doppler meter. The contralateral hand was immersed in cool water at 16 degrees C for 2 min, 6 times, at random intervals of 0.5-3 min. 3. The first cool immersion evoked an increase in MAP, cutaneous vasoconstriction and a net increase in FVR in both AA and SS subjects. However, the direction of change in FVR varied between individuals such that 18 AA subjects showed an increase in FVR (constrictor group) while 12 showed a decrease in FVR, indicating vasodilatation in forearm muscle (dilator group). In contrast, 50 SS subjects showed an increase in FVR and only 10 showed a decrease in FVR. The proportion of subjects who showed net vasoconstriction was significantly greater in the SS than in the AA group (83% versus 60%, P = 0.03, chi 2 test). 4. By the sixth cool stimulus, the 'dilator' group of AA subjects showed no change in FVR while the 'dilator' group of SS patients showed an increase in FVR. We suggest that forearm muscle vasodilatation was the characteristic component of the alerting/defence response to novel or noxious stimuli which habituates on repetition. 5. In the whole group of SS patients, baseline values of cutaneous vascular resistance and FVR

  19. Autoalan työssäoppiminen : Case: Autoalan merkkiliikkeet

    OpenAIRE

    Kalliomäki, Marko

    2013-01-01

    Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää Jyväskylän ammattiopiston autoalan työssäoppimista Jyväskylän autoalan merkkiliikkeissä työnantajien näkökulmasta. Työssä selvitettiin yhteistyön nykytilanne ja millaisia ongelmia yhteistyössä koetaan olevan. Mukaan otettiin myös oppilaitoksen näkemyksiä ja kokemuksia yhteistyöstä autoalan merkkiliikkeiden kanssa työssäoppimisesta. Tutkimustulosten perusteella rakennettiin kehittämissuunnitelma yhteistyön kehittämisen pohjaksi. Tutkimusaineisto saatii...

  20. Development of life evaluation technology for nuclear power plant components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Young Jin [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, J. D. [Yeungnam Univ., Gyeongsan (Korea, Republic of); Kang, K. J. [Chonnam National Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)] (and others)

    2001-03-15

    This research focuses on development of reliable life evaluation technology for nuclear power plant (NPP) components, and is divided into two parts, development of life evaluation systems for pressurized components and evaluation of applicability of emerging technology to operating plants. For the development of life evaluation system for nuclear pressure vessels, the following seven topics are covered: development of expert systems for integrity assessment of pressurized components, development of integrity evaluation systems of steam generator tubes, prediction of failure probability for NPP components based on probabilistic fracture mechanics, development of fatigue damage evaluation technique for plant life extension, domestic round robin analysis for pressurized thermal shock of reactor vessels, domestic round robin analysis of constructing P--T limit curves for reactor vessels, and development of data base for integrity assessment. For evaluation of applicability of emerging technology to operating plants, on the other hand, the following eight topics are covered: applicability of the Leak-Before-Break analysis to Cast S/S piping, collection of aged material tensile and toughness data for aged Cast S/S piping, finite element analyses for load carrying capacity of corroded pipes, development of Risk-based ISI methodology for nuclear piping, collection of toughness data for integrity assessment of bi-metallic joints, applicability of the Master curve concept to reactor vessel integrity assessment, measurement of dynamic fracture toughness, and provision of information related to regulation and plant life extension issues.

  1. 3D-FE Modeling of 316 SS under Strain-Controlled Fatigue Loading and CFD Simulation of PWR Surge Line

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohanty, Subhasish [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Barua, Bipul [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Listwan, Joseph [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Majumdar, Saurin [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Natesan, Ken [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

    2017-03-01

    In financial year 2017, we are focusing on developing a mechanistic fatigue model of surge line pipes for pressurized water reactors (PWRs). To that end, we plan to perform the following tasks: (1) conduct stress- and strain-controlled fatigue testing of surge-line base metal such as 316 stainless steel (SS) under constant, variable, and random fatigue loading, (2) develop cyclic plasticity material models of 316 SS, (3) develop one-dimensional (1D) analytical or closed-form model to validate the material models and to understand the mechanics associated with 316 SS cyclic hardening and/or softening, (4) develop three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models with implementation of evolutionary cyclic plasticity, and (5) develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for thermal stratification, thermal-mechanical stress, and fatigue of example reactor components, such as a PWR surge line under plant heat-up, cool-down, and normal operation with/without grid-load-following. This semi-annual progress report presents the work completed on the above tasks for a 316 SS laboratory-scale specimen subjected to strain-controlled cyclic loading with constant, variable, and random amplitude. This is the first time that the accurate 3D-FE modeling of the specimen for its entire fatigue life, including the hardening and softening behavior, has been achieved. We anticipate that this work will pave the way for the development of a fully mechanistic-computer model that can be used for fatigue evaluation of safety-critical metallic components, which are traditionally evaluated by heavy reliance on time-consuming and costly test-based approaches. This basic research will not only help the nuclear reactor industry for fatigue evaluation of reactor components in a cost effective and less time-consuming way, but will also help other safety-related industries, such as aerospace, which is heavily dependent on test-based approaches, where a single full-scale fatigue test can cost

  2. IDIS-menetelmäsalkku työntekijän ammattitaidon vahvistajana lastensuojelun identiteettityössä

    OpenAIRE

    Palm, David

    2014-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli vahvistaa lastensuojelutyön työntekijän ammattitaitoa lasten ja nuorten kanssa tehtävässä identiteettityössä. Tavoitteena oli IDIS-menetelmäsalkun avulla toteuttaa ja testata pienryhmäkodissa toiminnallisia lasten ja nuorten arvon näkyväksi tekemiseen tähtääviä menetelmiä. IDIS-menetelmäsalkulla tavoiteltiin myös pysyvää toimintamenetelmää pienryhmäkodin arkeen. IDIS-menetelmäsalkku oli opinnäytetyön tekijän itse suunnittelema kokonaisuus. Tutkimukselli...

  3. RNA-processing proteins regulate Mec1/ATR activation by promoting generation of RPA-coated ssDNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manfrini, Nicola; Trovesi, Camilla; Wery, Maxime; Martina, Marina; Cesena, Daniele; Descrimes, Marc; Morillon, Antonin; d'Adda di Fagagna, Fabrizio; Longhese, Maria Pia

    2015-02-01

    Eukaryotic cells respond to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by activating a checkpoint that depends on the protein kinases Tel1/ATM and Mec1/ATR. Mec1/ATR is activated by RPA-coated single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which arises upon nucleolytic degradation (resection) of the DSB. Emerging evidences indicate that RNA-processing factors play critical, yet poorly understood, roles in genomic stability. Here, we provide evidence that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA decay factors Xrn1, Rrp6 and Trf4 regulate Mec1/ATR activation by promoting generation of RPA-coated ssDNA. The lack of Xrn1 inhibits ssDNA generation at the DSB by preventing the loading of the MRX complex. By contrast, DSB resection is not affected in the absence of Rrp6 or Trf4, but their lack impairs the recruitment of RPA, and therefore of Mec1, to the DSB. Rrp6 and Trf4 inactivation affects neither Rad51/Rad52 association nor DSB repair by homologous recombination (HR), suggesting that full Mec1 activation requires higher amount of RPA-coated ssDNA than HR-mediated repair. Noteworthy, deep transcriptome analyses do not identify common misregulated gene expression that could explain the observed phenotypes. Our results provide a novel link between RNA processing and genome stability. © 2014 The Authors.

  4. Advanced drug delivery nanosystems (aDDnSs): a mini-review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demetzos, Costas; Pippa, Natassa

    2014-06-01

    Significant progress has been made in nanoscale drugs and delivery systems employing diverse chemical formulations to facilitate the rate of drug delivery and to improve its pharmacokinetics. Biocompatible nanomaterials have been used as biological markers, contrast agents for imaging, healthcare products, pharmaceuticals, drug-delivery systems as well as in detection, diagnosis and treatment of various types of diseases. The classification of drug delivery nanosystems (DDnSs) is a crucial issue and fundamental efforts on this subject are missing from the literature. This article deals with the classification of DDnSs with a modulatory controlled release profile (MCR) denoted as modulatory controlled release nanosystems (MCRnSs). Conventional (c) and advanced (a) DDnSs are denoted by the acronyms cDDnSs and aDDnSs, and can be composed of a single or more than one biomaterials, respectively. The classification was based on their characteristics such as: surface functionality (f), the nature of biomaterials used and the kind of interactions between biomaterials. The aDDnSs can be classified as hybridic (Hy-) or chimeric (Chi-) based on the nature - same or different respectively - of biomaterials and inorganic materials used. The nature of the elements used for producing advanced biomaterials is of great importance and medicinal chemistry contributes effectively to the production of aDDnSs.

  5. L'UM6SS, L'ACADEMIE FRANÇAISE DE MEDECINE ET LES EDITIONS UM6SS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najia HAJJAJ-HASSOUNI

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available EXTRACTSous le Haut Patronage de Sa Majesté Le Roi Mohammed VI, l’Université Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santé a eu le privilège de recevoir l’Académie de médecine de France, qui pour sa première séance délocalisée à l’étranger, a choisi le Maroc et notre établissement.Parce que cette rencontre peut légitimement être considérée comme historique, il est bon d’en rappeler les éléments marquants. Son projet a particulièrement été défendu et porté, avec l’appui inconditionnel du Pr Abdelaziz Maaouni, Président Directeur Général, ....

  6. Polymorphisms rs12998 and rs5780218 in KiSS1 Suppressor Metastasis Gene in Mexican Patients with Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edhit Guadalupe Cruz Quevedo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims. KiSS1 is a metastasis suppressor gene associated with inhibition of cellular chemotaxis and invasion attenuating the metastasis in melanoma and breast cancer cell lines. Along the KiSS-1 gene at least 294 SNPs have been described; however the association of these polymorphisms as genetic markers for metastasis in breast cancer studies has not been investigated. Here we describe two simple PCR-RFLPs protocols to identify the rs5780218 (9DelT and the rs12998 (E20K KiSS1 polymorphisms and the allelic, genotypic, and haplotypic frequencies in Mexican general population (GP and patients with benign breast disease (BBD or breast cancer (BC. Results. The rs5780218 polymorphism was individually associated with breast cancer (P=0.0332 and the rs12998 polymorphism shows statistically significant differences when GP versus case (BC and BBD groups were compared (P<0.0001. The H1 Haplotype (G/- occurred more frequently in BC group (0.4256 whereas H2 haplotype (G/T was the most prevalent in BBD group (0.4674. Conclusions. Our data indicated that the rs5780218 polymorphism individually confers susceptibility for development of breast cancer in Mexican population and a possible role as a genetic marker in breast cancer metastasis for H1 haplotype (Wt/variant in KiSS1 gene must be analyzed in other populations.

  7. Construction, characterization and evaluation of the protective efficacy of the Streptococcus suis double mutant strain ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC as a live vaccine candidate in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jin; You, Wujin; Wang, Bin; Hu, Xueying; Tan, Chen; Liu, Jinlin; Chen, Huanchun; Bei, Weicheng

    2015-01-01

    Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (S. suis 2) causes sepsis and meningitis in piglets and humans, and results in one of the most serious bacterial diseases affecting the production of commercial pigs around the world. Due to the failure of the current inactivated vaccine to protect against the disease, development of a new attenuated live vaccine against S. suis 2 by deleting essential virulence factors is urgently needed. We have previously reported the construction and characterization of an SsPep single gene deletion mutant strain ΔSsPep based on S. suis 2. Our previous results have shown that SsPep plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of S. suis 2. In this study, a precisely defined double-deletion mutant ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC of S. suis 2 without antibiotic-resistance markers was constructed based on ΔSsPep, and the levels of virulence of the wild-type (WT) and ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC were compared in a mouse experimental infection model. We demonstrated that the double mutant ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC was less virulent than the WT, and could induce a noticeable antibody response. Analysis of IgG subclasses (IgG1 and IgG2a) indicated that both Th1 and Th2 responses were induced by ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC, although the IgG2a (Th1) response predominated over the IgG1 (Th2) response. Moreover, ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC could confer 90% protective efficacy against challenge with a lethal dose of fully virulent S. suis 2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that ΔSsPep/ΔSsPspC can be used as an effective live vaccine and provide a novel strategy against infection of S. suis 2. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. Interdependence of the kinetics of NTP hydrolysis and the stability of the RecA-ssDNA complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katz, F S; Bryant, F R

    2001-09-18

    The ssDNA-dependent NTP hydrolysis activity of the RecA protein was examined using a series of dTn oligomers ranging in size from dT10 to dT2000 as the ssDNA effector. There were three distinct manifestations of the dTn-dependent NTP hydrolysis reaction, depending on the length of the dTn effector that was used. With longer dTn oligomers, NTP hydrolysis occurred with a turnover number of 20-25 min(-1) and the observed S0.5 value for the NTP was independent of the concentration of the dTn oligomer (DNA concentration-independent hydrolysis). With dTn oligomers of intermediate length, NTP hydrolysis still occurred with a turnover number of 20-25 min(-1), but the observed S0.5 for the NTP decreased with increasing dTn concentration until reaching a value similar to that obtained with the longer dTn oligomers (DNA concentration-dependent hydrolysis). With shorter dTn oligomers, the NTP hydrolysis activity was effectively eliminated. Although this general progression of kinetic behavior was observed for the three structurally related NTPs (dATP, ATP, and GTP), the dTn oligomer length at which DNA concentration-independent, DNA concentration-dependent, and no NTP hydrolysis was observed depended on the NTP being considered. For example, dATP (S0.5 = 35 microM) was hydrolyzed in the presence of dT20, whereas ATP (S0.5 = 70 microM) and GTP (S0.5 = 1200 microM) required at least dT50 and dT200 for hydrolysis, respectively. These results are discussed in terms of a kinetic model in which the stability of the RecA-ssDNA-NTP complex is dependent on the intrinsic S0.5 value of the NTP being hydrolyzed.

  9. The influence of zigzag-curve defect on the fatigue properties of friction stir welds in 7075-T6 Al alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Shusheng; Yang Xinqi; Fang Dapeng; Luan Guohong

    2007-01-01

    The microstructure and fatigue properties of friction stir welded joints of 7075-T6 Al alloy were discussed. It was shown that the zigzag-curve defect at the root of welds is Key factor to reduce the fatigue performance of single-sided friction stir welded joints of 7075-T6 high strength aluminum alloy. On the other hand, the FSW joints of 7075-T6 Al alloy achieved higher fatigue strength compared to the traditional fusion design curves IIW FAT40 and Draft Eurocode 9 design category 55-6 for structural aluminum alloy components

  10. Sosiaalisen median rooli kunnan viestinnässä

    OpenAIRE

    Selkämaa, Kati

    2016-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli selvittää sosiaalisen median roolia kunnan viestinnässä sekä tutkia, miten sosiaalista mediaa hyödynnetään kuntien viestinnässä. Teoriaosuudessa tarkasteltiin sosiaalista mediaa, tutustuttiin sen tunnetuimpiin sovelluksiin sekä perehdyttiin kuntien viestintään yleisesti. Työssä tarkasteltiin myös kuntien viestintään vaikuttavia ja sitä sääteleviä lakeja. Kuntien sosiaalisen median käyttöön tutustuttiin Kuntaliiton tekemän viestintätutkimuksen tulosten pohjalt...

  11. Dose-related effects of sericin on preadipocyte behavior within collagen/sericin hybrid scaffolds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Mitran

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims at demonstrating the biocompatibility of recently developed 3D hydrogel scaffolds containing the same amount of collagen (COLL and variable concentrations of sericin (SS in order to find the most suitable formula for adipose tissue engineering (ATE applications. These scaffolds were obtained by COLL crosslinking with glutaraldehyde followed by freeze-drying and, subsequently, seeded with 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the scaffolds׳ architecture and cellular colonization. Also, in vitro biocompatibility of the developed scaffolds was evaluated by LDH and MTT assays and Live/Dead analysis of 3T3-L1 preadipocyte populating these 3D matrices. The best results in terms of cell survival and proliferation status were obtained in the case of the hybrid COLL scaffold containing 40% SS (COLL–SS4. Furthermore, the biological performance of the analyzed COLL-based hydrogels at 5- and 8- days post-seeding was found to decrease as follows: COLL–SS4>COLL–SS2>COLL>COLL–SS6. Consequently, our study highlights that hybrid scaffolds obtained by the addition of variable concentrations of SS to a constant COLL composition positively influences the behavior of 3T3-L1 cells with the exception of the COLL–SS6 matrix (60% SS. Altogether, the data obtained recommend SS as a component of COLL-based hydrogels providing them with features that may be useful in ATE applications.

  12. Clinical significance of determination of serum IGF-I, TNF-α and SS levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Peiming

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical significance of changes of serum IGF-I, TNF-α and somatostatin(SS) levels in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. Methods: Serum IGF-I, TNF-α and SS levels were determined with RIA in 30 patients with chronic viral hepatitis (B hepatitis, n=24,C hepatitis, n=6) and 30 controls.Results The serum IGF-I, TNF-α and SS levels in the patients were all significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum IGF-I, TNF-α and SS levels were markedly increased in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, the exact mechanism and consequence of the changes required further study. (authors)

  13. Low and high cycle fatigue behaviour of steel-X6CRNI1811 (Type 304 SS) in air and flowing sodium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huthmann, H.; Jenner, G.

    Strain controlled LCF-tests were performed on X6CrNi1811 steel (Type 304 SS) in air and flowing sodium in a non-isothermal sodium loop. The results measured at 550 deg. C in an upstream position of the sodium loop show an increase in fatigue life in the strain range from about 1.5% to 0.4% for the base material in the as-received condition while the welded joints remain unaffected by the environment. The LCF-behaviour of base material specimens tested at 500 deg. C in a downstream position after a prior pre-exposure to sodium (4058 h, 500 deg. C) is also improved in comparison to parallel specimens tested in air with comparable thermal aging. Load controlled HCF-tests performed on X6CrNi1811 steel at 550 deg. C show a significant increase in fatigue life in the low cycle region (Nsub(f) 6 cycles) and a higher endurance limit for the base material in sodium but no influence of the environment is indicated for the welded joints. (author)

  14. CellSs: Scheduling Techniques to Better Exploit Memory Hierarchy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pieter Bellens

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Cell Superscalar's (CellSs main goal is to provide a simple, flexible and easy programming approach for the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E. that automatically exploits the inherent concurrency of the applications at a task level. The CellSs environment is based on a source-to-source compiler that translates annotated C or Fortran code and a runtime library tailored for the Cell/B.E. that takes care of the concurrent execution of the application. The first efforts for task scheduling in CellSs derived from very simple heuristics. This paper presents new scheduling techniques that have been developed for CellSs for the purpose of improving an application's performance. Additionally, the design of a new scheduling algorithm is detailed and the algorithm evaluated. The CellSs scheduler takes an extension of the memory hierarchy for Cell/B.E. into account, with a cache memory shared between the SPEs. All new scheduling practices have been evaluated showing better behavior of our system.

  15. Orientia tsutsugamushi ankyrin repeat-containing protein family members are Type 1 secretion system substrates that traffic to the host cell endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VieBrock, Lauren; Evans, Sean M; Beyer, Andrea R; Larson, Charles L; Beare, Paul A; Ge, Hong; Singh, Smita; Rodino, Kyle G; Heinzen, Robert A; Richards, Allen L; Carlyon, Jason A

    2014-01-01

    Scrub typhus is an understudied, potentially fatal infection that threatens one billion persons in the Asia-Pacific region. How the causative obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi, facilitates its intracellular survival and pathogenesis is poorly understood. Many intracellular bacterial pathogens utilize the Type 1 (T1SS) or Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) to translocate ankyrin repeat-containing proteins (Anks) that traffic to distinct subcellular locations and modulate host cell processes. The O. tsutsugamushi genome encodes one of the largest known bacterial Ank repertoires plus T1SS and T4SS components. Whether these potential virulence factors are expressed during infection, how the Anks are potentially secreted, and to where they localize in the host cell are not known. We determined that O. tsutsugamushi transcriptionally expresses 20 unique ank genes as well as genes for both T1SS and T4SS during infection of mammalian host cells. Examination of the Anks' C-termini revealed that the majority of them resemble T1SS substrates. Escherichia coli expressing a functional T1SS was able to secrete chimeric hemolysin proteins bearing the C-termini of 19 of 20 O. tsutsugamushi Anks in an HlyBD-dependent manner. Thus, O. tsutsugamushi Anks C-termini are T1SS-compatible. Conversely, Coxiella burnetii could not secrete heterologously expressed Anks in a T4SS-dependent manner. Analysis of the subcellular distribution patterns of 20 ectopically expressed Anks revealed that, while 6 remained cytosolic or trafficked to the nucleus, 14 localized to, and in some cases, altered the morphology of the endoplasmic reticulum. This study identifies O. tsutsugamushi Anks as T1SS substrates and indicates that many display a tropism for the host cell secretory pathway.

  16. Assuring SS7 dependability: A robustness characterization of signaling network elements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karmarkar, Vikram V.

    1994-04-01

    Current and evolving telecommunication services will rely on signaling network performance and reliability properties to build competitive call and connection control mechanisms under increasing demands on flexibility without compromising on quality. The dimensions of signaling dependability most often evaluated are the Rate of Call Loss and End-to-End Route Unavailability. A third dimension of dependability that captures the concern about large or catastrophic failures can be termed Network Robustness. This paper is concerned with the dependability aspects of the evolving Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) networks and attempts to strike a balance between the probabilistic and deterministic measures that must be evaluated to accomplish a risk-trend assessment to drive architecture decisions. Starting with high-level network dependability objectives and field experience with SS7 in the U.S., potential areas of growing stringency in network element (NE) dependability are identified to improve against current measures of SS7 network quality, as per-call signaling interactions increase. A sensitivity analysis is presented to highlight the impact due to imperfect coverage of duplex network component or element failures (i.e., correlated failures), to assist in the setting of requirements on NE robustness. A benefit analysis, covering several dimensions of dependability, is used to generate the domain of solutions available to the network architect in terms of network and network element fault tolerance that may be specified to meet the desired signaling quality goals.

  17. The Ratio of Blood T Follicular Regulatory Cells to T Follicular Helper Cells Marks Ectopic Lymphoid Structure Formation While Activated Follicular Helper T Cells Indicate Disease Activity in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonseca, Valter R; Romão, Vasco C; Agua-Doce, Ana; Santos, Mara; López-Presa, Dolores; Ferreira, Ana Cristina; Fonseca, João Eurico; Graca, Luis

    2018-05-01

    To investigate whether the balance of blood follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and T follicular regulatory (Tfr) cells can provide information about ectopic lymphoid neogenesis and disease activity in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). We prospectively recruited 56 patients clinically suspected of having SS. Sixteen of these patients subsequently fulfilled the American-European Consensus Group criteria for SS and were compared to 16 patients with non-SS sicca syndrome. Paired blood and minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsy samples were analyzed to study Tfr cells and subsets of Tfh cells in both compartments. Patients with primary SS had normal Tfh cell counts in peripheral blood; however, activated programmed death 1-positive (PD-1+) inducible costimulator-positive (ICOS+) Tfh cells in peripheral blood were strongly associated with disease activity assessed by the European League Against Rheumatism Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (r = 0.8547, P = 0.0008). Conversely, the blood Tfr cell:Tfh cell ratio indicated ectopic lymphoid structure formation in MSGs, being strongly associated with B cell, CD4+ T cell, and PD-1+ICOS+ T cell infiltration in MSGs, and was especially increased in patients with focal sialadenitis. Further analysis showed that the blood Tfr cell:Tfh cell ratio allowed discrimination between SS patients and healthy donors with excellent accuracy and was a strong predictor of SS diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 12.96, P = 0.028) and the presence of focal sialadenitis (OR 10, P = 0.022) in patients investigated for sicca symptoms, thus highlighting the potential clinical value of this marker. The blood Tfr cell:Tfh cell ratio and PD-1+ICOS+ Tfh cells constitute potential novel biomarkers for different features of primary SS. While the blood Tfr cell:Tfh cell ratio is associated with ectopic lymphoid neogenesis, activated Tfh cells indicate disease activity. © 2018, American College of Rheumatology.

  18. QoSS Hierarchical NoC-Based Architecture for MPSoC Dynamic Protection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johanna Sepulveda

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available As electronic systems are pervading our lives, MPSoC (multiprocessor system-on-chip security is becoming an important requirement. MPSoCs are able to support multiple applications on the same chip. The challenge is to provide MPSoC security that makes possible a trustworthy system that meets the performance and security requirements of all the applications. The network-on-chip (NoC can be used to efficiently incorporate security. Our work proposes the implementation of QoSS (quality of security service to overcome present MPSoC vulnerabilities. QoSS is a novel concept for data protection that introduces security as a dimension of QoS. QoSS takes advantage of the NoC wide system visibility and critical role in enabling system operation, exploiting the NoC components to detect and prevent a wide range of attacks. In this paper, we present the implementation of a layered dynamic security NoC architecture that integrates agile and dynamic security firewalls in order to detect attacks based on different security rules. We evaluate the effectiveness of our approach over several MPSoCs scenarios and estimate their impact on the overall performance. We show that our architecture can perform a fast detection of a wide range of attacks and a fast configuration of different security policies for several MPSoC applications.

  19. Influence of dietary components on regulatory T cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Navikas, Shohreh; Teimer, Roman; Bockermann, Robert

    2011-01-01

    It is no longer a myth that a balanced diet is fundamental for general health. Common dietary components including vitamins A and D, omega-3 and probiotics are now widely accepted to be essential to protect against many diseases with an inflammatory nature. On the other hand, high fat diets...... components on diseases in which Tregs play a seminal role will be discussed. Among chronic diseases where dietary factors could have a direct influence via modulation of Tregs homeostasis and functions, we will review chronic tissue-specific autoimmune and inflammatory conditions such as IBD, T1D, MS, RA...

  20. Effect Of Irradiation Temperature and Dose On Mechanical Properties And Fracture Characteristics Of Cu//SS Joints For ITER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabritsiev, S.A.; Pokrovsky, A.S.; Peacock, A.; Roedig, M.; Linke, J.; Gervash, A.; Barabash, V.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: By now, a number of technologies have been proposed for the production of Cu//SS joints for ITER, such as brazing, friction welding, HIP and cast-copper-to-steel (CC). The two last-mentioned technologies ensure sufficiently high mechanical properties and a high joint quality, when unirradiated. The data, however, on mechanical characteristics of irradiated of Cu//SS HIP joints are limited. In this paper, the authors present the results of investigations into the mechanical characteristics after irradiation of GlidCopAl25/316L(N) and Cu-Cr-Zr/316L(N)-type joints produced by the HIP and CC technologies. Specimens of the joints were irradiated in the RBT-6 reactor in the dose range of 10 -3 - 10 -1 dpa at T irr = 200 deg. C and 300 deg. C. The tensile stress-strain curves for irradiated and unirradiated joint specimens show deformation processes occurring in both the Cu and SS parts of the specimens. Irradiation at T irr = 200 deg. C causes strengthening of the joints specimens (by about 100 MPa at the maximum dose). The uniform elongation drops from 8% in the initial state to 2-3 %. But the total elongation remains at a relatively high level of ∼ 7%. Irradiation at T irr = 300 deg. C causes a slight strengthening of the joints specimens (∼30 MPa). The uniform elongation remains unchanged at ∼ 7%. The total elongation also maintains a relatively high level of ∼9-13%. SEM investigations revealed that fracture occurs only in the copper part of the irradiated specimens, and ductile trans-crystalline fracture predominates in the joints. 3D finite element analysis of the tensile test indicates that the concentration of stresses and deformations in the copper layer adjacent to the joint line is responsible for this typical failure of the irradiated joints specimens. Comparison of the behavior of the joints irradiated at T irr = 200 deg. C and 300 deg. C indicate an increased embrittlement at lower irradiation temperatures. At a

  1. Development of a sensitive electrochemical DNA sensor by 4-aminothiophenol self-assembled on electrodeposited nanogold electrode coupled with Au nanoparticles labeled reporter ssDNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Guangjiu; Liu Lihua; Qi Xiaowei; Guo Yaqing; Sun Wei; Li Xiaolin

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Abstract: A novel and sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor was fabricated by using the 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) self-assembled on electrodeposited gold nanoparticles (NG) modified electrode to anchor capture ssDNA sequences and Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) labeled with reporter ssDNA sequences, which were further coupled with electroactive indicator of hexaammineruthenium (III) ([Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ ) to amplify the electrochemical signal of hybridization reaction. Different modified electrodes were prepared and characterized by cyclic voltammetry, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. By using a sandwich model for the capture of target ssDNA sequences, which was based on the shorter probe ssDNA and AuNPs label reporter ssDNA hybridized with longer target ssDNA, the electrochemical behavior of [Ru(NH 3 ) 6 ] 3+ was monitored by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The fabricated electrochemical DNA sensor exhibited good distinguish capacity for the complementary ssDNA sequence and two bases mismatched ssDNA. The dynamic detection range of the target ssDNA sequences was from 1.4 × 10 −11 to 2.0 × 10 −9 mol/L with the detection limit as 9.5 × 10 −12 mol/L (3σ). So in this paper a new electrochemical DNA sensor was designed with gold nanoparticles as the immobilization platform and the signal amplifier simultaneously.

  2. Eihän "leikkitäti" voi väsyä, vai voiko? : Käytännön olosuhteet ja työstä aiheutuva stressi musiikkileikkikoulunopettajan työssä

    OpenAIRE

    Busk, Vilma

    2012-01-01

    TIIVISTELMÄ Tässä opinnäytetyössä tarkastellaan musiikkileikkikoulunopettajan työtä ja sen haasteita. Keskiössä ovat työn käytännön olosuhteet ja työstä aiheutuva stressi. Opinnäytetyötäni varten tein kyselytutkimuksen, jonka toteutin Internet-kyselynä Facebookissa, Muskari-ideoita-sivustolla. Kyselyyn vastasi 48 musiikkileikkikoulunopettajaa, joilla oli vaihteleva määrä kokemusta ja jotka olivat iältään 21—50-vuotiaita. Vastaajien taustatietojen lisäksi kartoitin mahdollisimman mon...

  3. Type IX secretion: the generation of bacterial cell surface coatings involved in virulence, gliding motility and the degradation of complex biopolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Veith, Paul D; Glew, Michelle D; Gorasia, Dhana G; Reynolds, Eric C

    2017-10-01

    The Type IX secretion system (T9SS) is present in over 1000 sequenced species/strains of the Fibrobacteres-Chlorobi-Bacteroidetes superphylum. Proteins secreted by the T9SS have an N-terminal signal peptide for translocation across the inner membrane via the SEC translocon and a C-terminal signal for secretion across the outer membrane via the T9SS. Nineteen protein components of the T9SS have been identified including three, SigP, PorX and PorY that are involved in regulation. The inner membrane proteins PorL and PorM and the outer membrane proteins PorK and PorN interact and a complex comprising PorK and PorN forms a large ring structure of 50 nm in diameter. PorU, PorV, PorQ and PorZ form an attachment complex on the cell surface of the oral pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. P. gingivalis T9SS substrates bind to PorV suggesting that after translocation PorV functions as a shuttle protein to deliver T9SS substrates to the attachment complex. The PorU component of the attachment complex is a novel Gram negative sortase which catalyses the cleavage of the C-terminal signal and conjugation of the protein substrates to lipopolysaccharide, anchoring them to the cell surface. This review presents an overview of the T9SS focusing on the function of T9SS substrates and machinery components. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. An ABC-transporter and an outer membrane lipoprotein participate in posttranslational activation of type VI secretion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casabona, Maria G.; Silverman, Julie M.; Sall, Khady M.; Boyer, Frédéric; Couté, Yohann; Poirel, Jessica; Grunwald, Didier; Mougous, Joseph D.; Elsen, Sylvie; Attree, Ina

    2012-01-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of injecting protein toxins into other bacterial cells through one of its three type VI secretion systems (T6SS). The activity of this T6SS is tightly regulated on the posttranslational level by phosphorylation-dependent and -independent pathways. The phosphorylation-dependent pathway consists of a Thr kinase/phosphatase pair (PpkA/PppA) that acts on a forkhead domain-containing protein Fha1, and a periplasmic protein, TagR, that positively regulates PpkA. In the present work, we biochemically and functionally characterize three additional proteins of the phosphorylation-dependent regulatory cascade that controls T6S activation: TagT, TagS and TagQ. We show that similar to TagR, these proteins act upstream of the PpkA/PppA checkpoint and influence phosphorylation of Fha1 and export of Hcp1 and Tse1. Localization studies demonstrate that TagQ is an outer membrane lipoprotein and TagR is associated with the outer membrane. Consistent with their homology to lipoprotein outer membrane localization (Lol) components, TagT and TagS form a stable inner membrane complex with ATPase activity. However, we find that outer membrane association of T6SS lipoproteins TagQ and TssJ1, and TagR, is unaltered in a ΔtagTS background. Notably, we found that TagQ is indispensible for anchoring of TagR to the outer membrane fraction. As T6S-dependent fitness of P. aeruginosa requires TagT, S, R and Q, we conclude that these proteins likely participate in a trans-membrane signaling pathway that promotes H1-T6SS activity under optimal environmental conditions. PMID:22765374

  5. Clinical characteristics of RA patients with secondary SS and association with joint damage

    OpenAIRE

    Brown, Lindsay E.; Frits, Michelle L.; Iannaccone, Christine K.; Weinblatt, Michael E.; Shadick, Nancy A.; Liao, Katherine P.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. Secondary SS (sSS) is a common extra-articular manifestation of RA. There are conflicting data regarding the association of sSS with worse joint damage. This study aims to characterize sSS patients in an RA cohort and study the association between sSS and joint damage.

  6. A kinematic model for SS433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abell, G.O.; Margon, B.

    1979-01-01

    A model is suggested to explain the bizarre object SS433 which was first noted because of its H α emission and most recently because it is the optical counterpart of a variable radio and X-ray source and exhibits an extraordinary optical spectrum. It is considered that the radiation, with emission lines which show variable Doppler shift, is emitted by hot matter ejected by the central object at high but nearly constant velocity in oppositely directed narrow streams, possible along a magnetic axis. Rotation of the beam axis provides the observed radial velocity variations. The red and blue shifts of SS433 measured by a number of workers on 55 nights during 1978-79 and folded with a 164-d period are shown, from which it is predicted that on or about 1 July 1979 the two moving emission line systems in SS433 will briefly merge into one, similar to a previously reported episode, and that for the following 40 days the lines will separate again, but by an amount much less than previously observed. (author)

  7. Proceedings of the International Conference on the Numerical Simulation of Plasmas (14th) Held in Annapolis, Maryland on September 3-6, 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    2 - tý a .5 .= . A ’. 2 0’.. o SS ’.. . t I -. .5 :. C, 0 Oý 0 r go %C a -0 c SS 2L 2E "t-iocogo" 0 IS F6 a c So a,, 3 IL So E 2 Q Qo’ V E r r 0c c...4 ar 0 -C ’ aCCa 0 W. , US w .2 00 ~ i; E 2 ~ . o.Z-. - w a~C -0 e0 E4 Em 12 *U - -.E 2 c - act , 0 3 2. , =- b ! .. E0 E 2- ccZZ cT, w~. ýt 0 w C...00 o- c 00 F6 ~ -02 C -4 a. 71 if )A 1 G a -2 - a d= . Cc 00 -V -0 0 P- . -- Z - 2 - q 0 0J2 2 a c x -a WO.~. 0 C;W n-a- - 0 1 o ao RR 0 if * . -I

  8. k-t PCA: temporally constrained k-t BLAST reconstruction using principal component analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Henrik; Kozerke, Sebastian; Ringgaard, Steffen

    2009-01-01

    in applications exhibiting a broad range of temporal frequencies such as free-breathing myocardial perfusion imaging. We show that temporal basis functions calculated by subjecting the training data to principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to constrain the reconstruction such that the temporal resolution...... is improved. The presented method is called k-t PCA....

  9. X-ray variability of SS 433: Evidence for supercritical accretion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atapin, K. E.; Fabrika, S. N.

    2016-08-01

    We study the X-ray variability of SS 433 based on data from the ASCA observatory and the MAXI and RXTE/ASM monitoring missions. Based on the ASCA data, we have constructed the power spectrum of SS 433 in the frequency range from 10-6 to 0.1 Hz, which confirms the presence of a flat portion in the spectrum at frequencies 3 × 10-5-10-3 Hz. The periodic variability (precession, nutation, eclipses) begins to dominate significantly over the stochastic variability at lower frequencies, which does not allow the stochastic variability to be studied reliably. The model in which the flat portion extends to 9.5 × 10-6 Hz, while a power-law rise with an index of 2.6 occurs below provides the best agreement with the observations. The nutational oscillations of the jets with a period of about three days suggests that the time for the passage of material through the disk is less than this value. At frequencies below 4 × 10-6 Hz, the shape of the power spectrum probably does not reflect the disk structure but is determined by external factors, for example, by a change in the amount of material supplied by the donor. The flat portion can arise from a rapid decrease in the viscous time in the supercritical or radiative disk zones. The flat spectrum is associated with the variability of the X-ray jets that are formed in the supercritical disk region.

  10. Global translational impacts of the loss of the tRNA modification t6A in yeast

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick C. Thiaville

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The universal tRNA modification t6A is found at position 37 of nearly all tRNAs decoding ANN codons. The absence of t6A37 leads to severe growth defects in baker’s yeast, phenotypes similar to those caused by defects in mcm5s2U34 synthesis. Mutants in mcm5s2U34 can be suppressed by overexpression of tRNALysUUU, but we show t6A phenotypes could not be suppressed by expressing any individual ANN decoding tRNA, and t6A and mcm5s2U are not determinants for each other’s formation. Our results suggest that t6A deficiency, like mcm5s2U deficiency, leads to protein folding defects, and show that the absence of t6A led to stress sensitivities (heat, ethanol, salt and sensitivity to TOR pathway inhibitors. Additionally, L-homoserine suppressed the slow growth phenotype seen in t6A-deficient strains, and proteins aggregates and Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs were increased in the mutants. The global consequences on translation caused by t6A absence were examined by ribosome profiling. Interestingly, the absence of t6A did not lead to global translation defects, but did increase translation initiation at upstream non-AUG codons and increased frame-shifting in specific genes. Analysis of codon occupancy rates suggests that one of the major roles of t6A is to homogenize the process of elongation by slowing the elongation rate at codons decoded by high abundance tRNAs and I34:C3 pairs while increasing the elongation rate of rare tRNAs and G34:U3 pairs. This work reveals that the consequences of t6A absence are complex and multilayered and has set the stage to elucidate the molecular basis of the observed phenotypes.

  11. Characterization of CuCrZr and CuCrZr/SS joint strength for different blanket components manufacturing conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillia, Olivier; Briottet, Laurent; Chu, Isabelle; Lemoine, Patrick; Rigal, Emmanuel; Peacock, Alan

    2009-04-01

    This work describes studies on the strength of CuCrZr/SS joints for different manufacturing conditions foreseen for the fabrication of blanket components. In the meantime, as junction strength is expected to be strongly related to CuCrZr properties, investigation on the properties of the CuCrZr itself after the different manufacturing conditions is also presented. The initial manufacturing conditions retained were made of a HIP treatment combined with a fast cooling plus a subsequent ageing treatment. For security reasons, the HIP-quenching operation was not possible. A supplementary solutionning cycle with fast cooling has thus been inserted in the heat treatment process just after the HIP bonding treatment. The influence of solutionning temperature (1040 °C or 980 °C), the cooling rate after solutionning (70 °C/min to water quench), the ageing temperature (480 °C or 560 °C) and the HIP temperature (1040 °C or 980 °C) have been addressed. Test results show that the ageing temperature is very important for keeping high strength of material whereas elongation properties are not very sensible to the manufacturing conditions. 1040 °C HIP or solutionning temperature gives better strength properties, as well as a higher cooling rate after solutionning. Concerning samples with joints, it appears that CT test is more selective than other tests since tensile test does not give rupture at joint and KCU test eliminates a route without classifying other routes.

  12. Characterization of CuCrZr and CuCrZr/SS joint strength for different blanket components manufacturing conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gillia, Olivier; Briottet, Laurent; Chu, Isabelle; Lemoine, Patrick; Rigal, Emmanuel; Peacock, Alan

    2009-01-01

    This work describes studies on the strength of CuCrZr/SS joints for different manufacturing conditions foreseen for the fabrication of blanket components. In the meantime, as junction strength is expected to be strongly related to CuCrZr properties, investigation on the properties of the CuCrZr itself after the different manufacturing conditions is also presented. The initial manufacturing conditions retained were made of a HIP treatment combined with a fast cooling plus a subsequent ageing treatment. For security reasons, the HIP-quenching operation was not possible. A supplementary solutionning cycle with fast cooling has thus been inserted in the heat treatment process just after the HIP bonding treatment. The influence of solutionning temperature (1040 deg. C or 980 deg. C), the cooling rate after solutionning (70 deg. C/min to water quench), the ageing temperature (480 deg. C or 560 deg. C) and the HIP temperature (1040 deg. C or 980 deg. C) have been addressed. Test results show that the ageing temperature is very important for keeping high strength of material whereas elongation properties are not very sensible to the manufacturing conditions. 1040 deg. C HIP or solutionning temperature gives better strength properties, as well as a higher cooling rate after solutionning. Concerning samples with joints, it appears that CT test is more selective than other tests since tensile test does not give rupture at joint and KCU test eliminates a route without classifying other routes.

  13. NanoRNase from Aeropyrum pernix shows nuclease activity on ssDNA and ssRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Yong-Jie; Feng, Lei; Zhou, Huan; Xiao, Xiang; Wang, Feng-Ping; Liu, Xi-Peng

    2018-05-01

    In cells, degrading DNA and RNA by various nucleases is very important. These processes are strictly controlled and regulated to maintain DNA integrity and to mature or recycle various RNAs. NanoRNase (Nrn) is a 3'-exonuclease that specifically degrades nanoRNAs shorter than 5 nucleotides. Several Nrns have been identified and characterized in bacteria, mainly in Firmicutes. Archaea often grow in extreme environments and might be subjected to more damage to DNA/RNA, so DNA repair and recycling of damaged RNA are very important in archaea. There is no report on the identification and characterization of Nrn in archaea. Aeropyrum pernix encodes three potential Nrns: NrnA (Ape1437), NrnB (Ape0124), and an Nrn-like protein Ape2190. Biochemical characterization showed that only Ape0124 could degrade ssDNA and ssRNA from the 3'-end in the presence of Mn 2+ . Interestingly, unlike bacterial Nrns, Ape0124 prefers ssDNA, including short nanoDNA, and degrades nanoRNA with lower efficiency. The 3'-DNA backbone was found to be required for efficiently hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds. In addition, Ape0124 also degrads the 3'-overhang of double-stranded DNA. Interestingly, Ape0124 could hydrolyze pAp into AMP, which is a feature of bacterial NrnA, not NrnB. Our results indicate that Ape0124 is a novel Nrn with a combined substrate profile of bacterial NrnA and NrnB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Model Atmosphere Spectrum Fit to the Soft X-Ray Outburst Spectrum of SS Cyg

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. F. Suleimanov

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The X-ray spectrum of SS Cyg in outburst has a very soft component that can be interpreted as the fast-rotating optically thick boundary layer on the white dwarf surface. This component was carefully investigated by Mauche (2004 using the Chandra LETG spectrum of this object in outburst. The spectrum shows broad ( ≈5 °A spectral features that have been interpreted as a large number of absorption lines on a blackbody continuum with a temperature of ≈250 kK. Because the spectrum resembles the photospheric spectra of super-soft X-ray sources, we tried to fit it with high gravity hot LTE stellar model atmospheres with solar chemical composition, specially computed for this purpose. We obtained a reasonably good fit to the 60–125 °A spectrum with the following parameters: Teff = 190 kK, log g = 6.2, and NH = 8 · 1019 cm−2, although at shorter wavelengths the observed spectrum has a much higher flux. The reasons for this are discussed. The hypothesis of a fast rotating boundary layer is supported by the derived low surface gravity.

  15. Predicting protein aggregation during storage in lyophilized solids using solid state amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange with mass spectrometric analysis (ssHDX-MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moorthy, Balakrishnan S; Schultz, Steven G; Kim, Sherry G; Topp, Elizabeth M

    2014-06-02

    Solid state amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange with mass spectrometric analysis (ssHDX-MS) was used to assess the conformation of myoglobin (Mb) in lyophilized formulations, and the results correlated with the extent of aggregation during storage. Mb was colyophilized with sucrose (1:1 or 1:8 w/w), mannitol (1:1 w/w), or NaCl (1:1 w/w) or in the absence of excipients. Immediately after lyophilization, samples of each formulation were analyzed by ssHDX-MS and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to assess Mb conformation, and by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) to determine the extent of aggregation. The remaining samples were then placed on stability at 25 °C and 60% RH or 40 °C and 75% RH for up to 1 year, withdrawn at intervals, and analyzed for aggregate content by SEC and DLS. In ssHDX-MS of samples immediately after lyophilization (t = 0), Mb was less deuterated in solids containing sucrose (1:1 and 1:8 w/w) than in those containing mannitol (1:1 w/w), NaCl (1:1 w/w), or Mb alone. Deuterium uptake kinetics and peptide mass envelopes also indicated greater Mb structural perturbation in mannitol, NaCl, or Mb-alone samples at t = 0. The extent of deuterium incorporation and kinetic parameters related to rapidly and slowly exchanging amide pools (Nfast, Nslow), measured at t = 0, were highly correlated with the extent of aggregation on storage as measured by SEC. In contrast, the extent of aggregation was weakly correlated with FTIR band intensity and peak position measured at t = 0. The results support the use of ssHDX-MS as a formulation screening tool in developing lyophilized protein drug products.

  16. Perehdytys etätyössä : case Annanpura Oy:n perehdytyssuunnitelma

    OpenAIRE

    Kohomäki, Noora

    2013-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli laatia toimiva perehdytyssuunnitelma yritykselle, jonka työntekijät työskentelevät pääsääntöisesti kotoaan käsin. Etätyön perehdyttämisessä korostuvat riittävän viestinnän ja vuorovaikutuksen järjestäminen. Työn keskeisenä haasteena oli dialogisen perehdytyksen ja itsenäisesti suoritettavan etätyön yhdistäminen. Työn tavoitteena oli lisäksi selvittää, onnistuuko hiljaisen tiedon ja osaamisen siirtäminen etätyössä ja sen perehdytyksessä. Teoreettisessa viitekeh...

  17. 16 CFR 1509.6 - Component-spacing test method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Component-spacing test method. 1509.6 Section 1509.6 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FEDERAL HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ACT... applied to the wedge perpendicular to the plane of the crib side. ...

  18. Kehonkuvaa eheyttämässä - kehonkuva psykofyysisessä fysioterapiassa

    OpenAIRE

    Härkälä, Emilia

    2014-01-01

    Kuntoutuslainsäädännön mukaan fysioterapia kuuluu lääkinnälliseen kuntoutukseen, jonka tavoitteena on vaikuttaa ihmisen toimintakykyyn ja normaalin elämän edellytyksiin. Käytännössä ihmisen toimintakykyä arvioidaan sen mukaan, millaiset fyysiset, psyykkiset ja sosiaaliset edellytykset yksilöllä on selviytyä päivittäisistä toiminnoista ja askareista, kuten työstä, opiskelusta, sosiaalisista suhteista ja vapaa-ajan toimista. Toimintakyky on siis laaja käsite, ja tähän kuuluvat oleellisesti fyys...

  19. CP-25 Alleviates Experimental Sjögren's Syndrome Features in NOD/Ltj Mice and Modulates T Lymphocyte Subsets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Fang; Xu, Shixia; Zhang, Pengying; Chen, Xiaoyun; Wu, Yujing; Wang, Chun; Gao, Mei; Si, Min; Wang, Xinming; Heinrich, Korner; Wu, Huaxun; Wei, Wei

    2018-04-17

    Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune illness of the moisture-producing glands such as salivary glands that is characterized by various immune abnormalities. The aetiology of pSS remains unclear and there is no curative agent. In this study, we investigated the putative therapeutic effects on a NOD/Ltj mouse model of Sjögren's syndrome-like disorders of an ester derivative of paeoniflorin, paeoniflorin-6'O-benzene (termed CP-25). Our study showed that CP-25 alleviated effectively clinical manifestations in NOD/Ltj mice resulting, for example, in increased salivary flow and reduced histopathological scores. Furthermore, CP-25 decreased lymphocyte viability in NOD/Ltj mice and attenuated the infiltration of Th1 cells and Th2 cells into the salivary glands of NOD/Ltj mice. In the spleen on NOD/Ltj mice, CP-25 skewed the ratio of Th17 and regulatory T cells towards regulatory T cells. After treatment, concentrations of anti-La/SSB and IgG antibodies were reduced and the titre of the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-17A in the serum on NOD/Ltj mice was alleviated. Thus, we define CP-25 as a novel compound that is a potent therapeutic agent for pSS by modulating T lymphocyte subsets. Future studies will validate the use of CP-25 as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of pSS. © 2018 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

  20. The structures of T6, T3R3 and R6 bovine insulin: combining X-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frankær, Christian Grundahl; Knudsen, Marianne Vad; Noren, Katarina

    2012-01-01

    The crystal structures of three conformations, T6, T3R3 and R6, of bovine insulin were solved at 1.40, 1.30 and 1.80 Å resolution, respectively. All conformations crystallized in space group R3. In contrast to the T6 and T3R3 structures, different conformations of the N-terminal B-chain residue Phe......B1 were observed in the R6 insulin structure, resulting in an eightfold doubling of the unit-cell volume upon cooling. The zinc coordination in each conformation was studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including both EXAFS and XANES. Zinc adopts a tetrahedral coordination in all R3 sites...... molecules, as well as in other high-resolution insulin structures. As the radiation dose for XRD experiments is two orders of magnitude higher compared with that of XAS experiments, the single crystals were exposed to a higher degree of radiation damage that affected the zinc coordination in the T3 sites...

  1. Chronic administration of mitochondrion-targeted peptide SS-31 prevents atherosclerotic development in ApoE knockout mice fed Western diet.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meng Zhang

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress and inflammatory factors are deeply involved in progression of atherosclerosis. Mitochondrion-targeted peptide SS-31, selectively targeting to mitochondrial inner membrane reacting with cardiolipin, has been reported to inhibit ROS generation and mitigate inflammation. The present study was designed to investigate whether SS-31 could suppress the development of atherosclerosis in vivo.Male ApoE-/- mice (8 weeks old fed with Western diet were treated with normal saline or SS-31 (1 mg/kg/d or 3 mg/kg/d through subcutaneous injection for 12 weeks. Oil Red O staining was performed to evaluate area and sizes of the plaques. DHE staining and immunohistochemical staining of 8-OHDG was performed to assess the oxidative stress. The aorta ATP contents were assessed by the ATP bioluminescence assay kit. Immunohistochemical staining of CD68 and α-SMA and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to evaluate the composition of atherosclerotic plaque. Biochemical assays were performed to determine the protein level and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD. The levels of CD36, LOX-1 and ABCA1 were immunohistochemically and biochemically determined to evaluate the cholesterol transport in aorta and peritoneal macrophages. Inflammatory factors, including ICAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6 and CRP in serum, were detected through ELISA.SS-31 administration reduced the area and sizes of western diet-induced atherosclerotic plaques and changed the composition of the plaques in ApoE-/- mice. Oxidative stress was suppressed, as evidenced by the reduced DHE stain, down-regulated 8-OHDG expression, and increased SOD activity after chronic SS-31 administration. Moreover, systemic inflammation was ameliorated as seen by decreasing serum ICAM-1, MCP-1, and IL-6 levels. Most importantly, SS-31 administration inhibited cholesterol influx by down-regulating expression of CD36 and LOX-1 to prevent lipid accumulation to further suppress the foam cell formation and

  2. Comparative genomics of the type VI secretion systems of Pantoea and Erwinia species reveals the presence of putative effector islands that may be translocated by the VgrG and Hcp proteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    De Maayer Pieter

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Type VI secretion apparatus is assembled by a conserved set of proteins encoded within a distinct locus. The putative effector proteins Hcp and VgrG are also encoded within these loci. We have identified numerous distinct Type VI secretion system (T6SS loci in the genomes of several ecologically diverse Pantoea and Erwinia species and detected the presence of putative effector islands associated with the hcp and vgrG genes. Results Between two and four T6SS loci occur among the Pantoea and Erwinia species. While two of the loci (T6SS-1 and T6SS-2 are well conserved among the various strains, the third (T6SS-3 locus is not universally distributed. Additional orthologous loci are present in Pantoea sp. aB-valens and Erwinia billingiae Eb661. Comparative analysis of the T6SS-1 and T6SS-3 loci showed non-conserved islands associated with the vgrG and hcp, and vgrG genes, respectively. These regions had a G+C content far lower than the conserved portions of the loci. Many of the proteins encoded within the hcp and vgrG islands carry conserved domains, which suggests they may serve as effector proteins for the T6SS. A number of the proteins also show homology to the C-terminal extensions of evolved VgrG proteins. Conclusions Extensive diversity was observed in the number and content of the T6SS loci among the Pantoea and Erwinia species. Genomic islands could be observed within some of T6SS loci, which are associated with the hcp and vgrG proteins and carry putative effector domain proteins. We propose new hypotheses concerning a role for these islands in the acquisition of T6SS effectors and the development of novel evolved VgrG and Hcp proteins.

  3. Päätöksentekoon vaikuttavat heikot signaalit Tulevaisuusikkunassa

    OpenAIRE

    Ullgren-Lajunen, Sari

    2017-01-01

    ssä työssä tarkastellaan valittua aihetta niin teorian kuin empirian pohjalta. Ensimmäinen tutkimuskysymys on, kuinka teorian pohjalta päätöksenteon ilmiöt liittyvät heikkojen signaaleiden havaitsemiseen. Teoriaperustassa hyödynnetään käyttäytymistaloustieteen sekä tulevaisuuden tutkimuksen kirjallisuudesta löytyvää tietoa. Teoriassa esitellään Igor Ansoffin (1990) filtterimalli. Empiirisessä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin miten tutkittavat suhtautuivat valittuihin heikkoihin signaaleihin, jotk...

  4. Osallisena omassa elämässä : Kehitysvammaisen nuoren itsenäistymisen tukeminen

    OpenAIRE

    Rosbacka, Marjo

    2009-01-01

    Opinnäytetyö tehtiin yhteistyössä Eskoon aikuiskoulutusyksikkö Kaarisillan kanssa. Tutkinnan kohteena oli kehitysvammaisten nuorten itsenäisyys ja osallisuus arkipäivän toimintaan. Työn tarkoituksena on herättää ihmisiä pohtimaan tasa-arvoista elämää. Mitä siihen kuuluu ja kenen tehtävänä on varmistaa yhdenvertaisuus? Tutkimuksen pääongelmaksi muodostui; Miten tavallisen nuoren ja kehitysvammaisen nuoren elämät eroavat toisistaan? Lisäksi tutkimuksessa selvitettiin, miksi elämät eroavat toisi...

  5. Tensile fracture behaviors of T-ZnOw/polyamide 6 composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Jing; Wang Yong; Liu Li; Bai Hongwei; Wu Jun; Jiang Chongxi; Zhou, Zuowan

    2009-01-01

    As a part of serial work about the application of tetra-needle-shaped zinc oxide whisker (T-ZnOw) in polymer composites, this work is focused on the crystallization and tensile fracture behaviors of T-ZnOw/polyamide 6 (T-ZnOw/PA6) composites. Our results show that the addition of T-ZnOw improves the composites tensile strength greatly. For virgin PA6, the stress-strain curve exhibits double-yielding phenomenon. Surface modified T-ZnOw reinforced PA6 composites exhibit higher yield stress and smaller strain-to-fracture compared with virgin PA6. The morphologies of tensile-fractured surfaces show that, addition of T-ZnOw changes the fracture mode from crazing-tearing/brittle fracture mode of virgin PA6 into fibrillation/brittle fracture mode of PA6 composites. Especially, the fracture process of T-ZnOw in composites during the tensile test has been characterized by scanning electronic microscope (SEM) and the corresponding reinforcement mechanism has been discussed.

  6. Manganese scavenging and oxidative stress response mediated by type VI secretion system in Burkholderia thailandensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Meiru; Zhao, Chao; Burkinshaw, Brianne; Zhang, Bing; Wei, Dawei; Wang, Yao; Dong, Tao G; Shen, Xihui

    2017-03-14

    Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a versatile protein export machinery widely distributed in Gram-negative bacteria. Known to translocate protein substrates to eukaryotic and prokaryotic target cells to cause cellular damage, the T6SS has been primarily recognized as a contact-dependent bacterial weapon for microbe-host and microbial interspecies competition. Here we report contact-independent functions of the T6SS for metal acquisition, bacteria competition, and resistance to oxidative stress. We demonstrate that the T6SS-4 in Burkholderia thailandensis is critical for survival under oxidative stress and is regulated by OxyR, a conserved oxidative stress regulator. The T6SS-4 is important for intracellular accumulation of manganese (Mn 2+ ) under oxidative stress. Next, we identified a T6SS-4-dependent Mn 2+ -binding effector TseM, and its interacting partner MnoT, a Mn 2+ -specific TonB-dependent outer membrane transporter. Similar to the T6SS-4 genes, expression of mnoT is regulated by OxyR and is induced under oxidative stress and low Mn 2+ conditions. Both TseM and MnoT are required for efficient uptake of Mn 2+ across the outer membrane under Mn 2+ -limited and -oxidative stress conditions. The TseM-MnoT-mediated active Mn 2+ transport system is also involved in contact-independent bacteria-bacteria competition and bacterial virulence. This finding provides a perspective for understanding the mechanisms of metal ion uptake and the roles of T6SS in bacteria-bacteria competition.

  7. Simulation of the repeated waterdrop impact onto the AL6061-T6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Ji Ryong [Inje University, Kimhae (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-09-15

    Waterdrop impact effects on mechanical and aerospace components have presented challenging problems for investigation. Sometimes it erodes the surface and leads to failure of the components. But it is known that controlled impact can enhance the fatigue life of the components. In this computational study, residual effects of repeated waterdrop impact onto the AL6061-T6 specimen are investigated. It is shown that above a critical impact speed (74 m/s), residual compressive stress zone is built up underneath the impact surface as a result of the plastic deformation of the specimen. The depth of pit due to the plastic deformation increases with the impact speed and the accumulated number of impact. At the impact speed of 500 m/s, after 4 impacts, the maximum residual compressive stress of 0.345 GPa is obtained at 0.067 mm underneath the surface, and the depth of the compressive stress zone is 0.2 mm.

  8. Antibacterial effects, biocompatibility and electrochemical behavior of zinc incorporated niobium oxide coating on 316L SS for biomedical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pradeep PremKumar, K.; Duraipandy, N.; Manikantan Syamala, Kiran; Rajendran, N.

    2018-01-01

    In the present study, Nb2O5 (NZ0) composite coatings with various concentrations of zinc (NZ2, NZ4 & NZ6) are produced on 316L SS by sol-gel method with the aim of improving its antibacterial activity, bone formability and corrosion resistance properties. This work studied the surface characterization of NZ0, NZ2, NZ4 & NZ6 coated 316L SS by ATR-FTIR, XRD, HR-SEM with EDAX. The synthesized coatings were different in the morphological aspects, NZ0 shows mesoporous morphology whereas irregular cluster like morphology was observed for the zinc incorporated coatings. The chemical composition of the NZ0 and NZ4 composite coatings were studied by XPS and the results revealed that the zinc exist as ZnO and Nb as Nb2O5 in the coatings. The increase in the concentration of zinc in Nb2O5 increases the hydrophilic nature identified by water contact angle studies. The potentiodynamic polarization studies in simulated body fluid reveals the increase in polarization resistance with decrease in current density (icorr) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies with increase in charge transfer resistance (Rct) and double layer capacitance (Qdl) were observed for NZ4 coated 316L SS. The inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria were identified for NZ4 coated 316L SS by bacterial viability studies. The NZ4 coated 316L SS showed better Osseo-integration by spreading the MG 63 osteoblast cells. The study results imply that zinc incorporated Nb2O5 (NZ4) composite coating exhibits antibacterial activity and also enhance the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of the 316L SS.

  9. Karvian seurakunnan henkilöstötilinpäätös

    OpenAIRE

    Vaskela, Soila

    2008-01-01

    ssä opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin yleisesti sekä käytännössä henkilöstötilinpäätöksen tarkoitusta ja sisältöä. Kohdeorganisaation eli Karvian seurakunnan avulla rakennettiin käytännön esimerkki seurakunnan ensimmäisestä henkilöstötilinpäätöksestä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli löytää oikeat ratkaisut henkilöstötilinpäätöksen rakentamiseen organisaatiossa, jossa kyseinen asiakirja ei vielä ole tunnettu. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli laatia seurakunnalle käyttökelpoinen henkilöstötilinpäätösmalli, jota ...

  10. YouTube osuuskaupan markkinointiviestinnässä

    OpenAIRE

    Lindevall, Tytti

    2014-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on luoda toimeksiantaja Suur-Seudun Osuuskauppa SSO:lle suunnitelma YouTuben hyödyntämiseksi markkinointiviestinnässään. Työn avulla on tarkoitus löytää keino, miten SSO voisi hyödyntää YouTubea markkinointiviestinnässään ja mitä asioita tulisi huomioida omaa kanavaa perustettaessa. Tarkoituksena on tuottaa raportti mahdollisista käyttötarkoituksista sekä ohjeistus oman kanavan perustamiseen ja hallinnointiin liittyvistä asioista. Työn alkupuolella taustoite...

  11. The influence of a aging thermal treatment on the mechanical properties of 6061 T6 and 6063 T5 aluminums

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohorquez, A.C.; Sierra C, M; Lemus, J

    2010-01-01

    Because of its light weight and its good mechanical properties, aluminum alloys have been used traditionally in the production of structural airplane components and car parts. Aluminum alloys with magnesium-silicon (Al-Mg-Si), 6XXX series, respond acceptably to the aging thermal treatment; because the magnesium and silicon permit precipitation hardening, which significantly changes the mechanical properties of this alloy. Two aluminums were selected for this study: 6061 T6 and 6063 T5, which were thermally treated at 120 o C, 150 o C and 180 o C for 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours with later quenching in water. An experimental design established the number of test specimens needed to analyze the phenomena. Later, tension tests were developed to verify the property changes undergone during the thermal treatment. The results are presented in performance graphs that show the influence of time and temperature on the mechanical properties of the chosen aluminums

  12. Analysis of electrical characteristics and proposal of design guide for ultra-scaled nanoplate vertical FET and 6T-SRAM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seo, Youngsoo; Kim, Shinkeun; Ko, Kyul; Woo, Changbeom; Kim, Minsoo; Lee, Jangkyu; Kang, Myounggon; Shin, Hyungcheol

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, electrical characteristics of gate-all-around (GAA) nanoplate (NP) vertical FET (VFET) were analyzed for single transistor and 6T-SRAM cell through 3D technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. In VFET, gate and extension lengths are not limited by the area of device because theses lengths are vertically located. The height of NP is assumed in 40 nm considering device fabrication method (top-down approach). According to the sizes of devices, we analyzed the performances of device such as total resistance, capacitance, intrinsic gate delay, sub-threshold swing (S.S), drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) and static noise margin (SNM). As the gate length becomes larger, the resistance should be smaller because the total height of NP is fixed in 40 nm. Also, when the channel thickness becomes thicker, the total resistance becomes smaller since the sheet resistances of channel and extension become smaller and the contact resistance becomes smaller due to the increasing contact area. In addition, as the length of channel pitch increases, the parasitic capacitance comes to be larger due to the increasing area of gate-drain and gate-source. The performance of RC delay is best in the shortest gate length (12 nm), the thickest channel (6 nm) and the shortest channel pitch (17 nm) owing to the reduced resistance and parasitic capacitance. However, the other performances such as DIBL, S.S, on/off ratio and SNM are worst because the short channel effect is highest in this situation. Also, we investigated the performance of the multi-channel device. As the number of channels increases, the performance of device and the reliability of SRAM improve because of reduced contact resistance, increased gate dimension and multi-channel compensation effect.

  13. Significant Variation of Post-critical SsPmp Amplitude as a Result of Variation in Near-surface Velocity: Observations from the Yellowknife Array

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferragut, G.; Liu, T.; Klemperer, S. L.

    2017-12-01

    In recent years Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding (VDSS) emerged as a novel method to image the Moho, which uses the post-critical reflection P waves at the Moho generated by teleseismic S waves at the free surface near the receivers (SsPmp). However, observed SsPmp sometimes have significantly lower amplitude than predicted, raising doubts among the seismic community on the theoretical basis of the method. With over two decades of continuous digital broadband records and major subduction zones in the range of 30-50 degrees, the Yellowknife Array in northern Canada provides a rich opportunity for observation of post-critical SsPmp. We analyze S wave coda of events with epicenter distances of 30-50°, and pay special attention to earthquakes in a narrow azimuth range that ­­­encompasses the Kamchatka Peninsula. Among 21 events with strong direct S energy on the radial components, we observe significant variation of SsPmp energy. After associating the SsPmp energy with the virtual source location of each event, we observe a general trend of decreasing SsPmp energy from NE to SW. As the trend coincides with the transition from exposed basement of the Slave Craton to Paleozoic platform covered by Phanerozoic sediment, we interpret the decreasing SsPmp energy as a result of lower S velocity at the virtual sources, which reduces S-to-P reflection coefficients. We plan to include more events from the Aleutian Islands, the virtual sources of which are primarily located in the Paleozoic platform. This will allow us to further investigate the relationship between SsPmp amplitude and near-surface velocity.

  14. Independent Regulation of Type VI Secretion in Vibrio cholerae by TfoX and TfoY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa C. Metzger

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs are nanomachines used for interbacterial killing and intoxication of eukaryotes. Although Vibrio cholerae is a model organism for structural studies on T6SSs, the underlying regulatory network is less understood. A recent study showed that the T6SS is part of the natural competence regulon in V. cholerae and is activated by the regulator TfoX. Here, we identify the TfoX homolog TfoY as a second activator of the T6SS. Importantly, despite inducing the same T6SS core machinery, the overall regulons differ significantly for TfoX and TfoY. We show that TfoY does not contribute to competence induction. Instead, TfoY drives the production of T6SS-dependent and T6SS-independent toxins, together with an increased motility phenotype. Hence, we conclude that V. cholerae uses its sole T6SS in response to diverse cues and for distinctive outcomes: either to kill for the prey’s DNA, leading to horizontal gene transfer, or as part of a defensive escape reaction.

  15. Type VI secretion systems of human gut Bacteroidales segregate into three genetic architectures, two of which are contained on mobile genetic elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coyne, Michael J; Roelofs, Kevin G; Comstock, Laurie E

    2016-01-15

    Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are contact-dependent antagonistic systems employed by Gram negative bacteria to intoxicate other bacteria or eukaryotic cells. T6SSs were recently discovered in a few Bacteroidetes strains, thereby extending the presence of these systems beyond Proteobacteria. The present study was designed to analyze in a global nature the diversity, abundance, and properties of T6SSs in the Bacteroidales, the most predominant Gram negative bacterial order of the human gut. By performing extensive bioinformatics analyses and creating hidden Markov models for Bacteroidales Tss proteins, we identified 130 T6SS loci in 205 human gut Bacteroidales genomes. Of the 13 core T6SS proteins of Proteobacteria, human gut Bacteroidales T6SS loci encode orthologs of nine, and an additional five other core proteins not present in Proteobacterial T6SSs. The Bacteroidales T6SS loci segregate into three distinct genetic architectures with extensive DNA identity between loci of a given genetic architecture. We found that divergent DNA regions of a genetic architecture encode numerous types of effector and immunity proteins and likely include new classes of these proteins. TheT6SS loci of genetic architecture 1 are contained on highly similar integrative conjugative elements (ICEs), as are the T6SS loci of genetic architecture 2, whereas the T6SS loci of genetic architecture 3 are not and are confined to Bacteroides fragilis. Using collections of co-resident Bacteroidales strains from human subjects, we provide evidence for the transfer of genetic architecture 1 T6SS loci among co-resident Bacteroidales species in the human gut. However, we also found that established ecosystems can harbor strains with distinct T6SS of all genetic architectures. This is the first study to comprehensively analyze of the presence and diversity of T6SS loci within an order of bacteria and to analyze T6SSs of bacteria from a natural community. These studies demonstrate that more than

  16. Photometric behavior of SS 433 in 1979 and 1980

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazeh, T.; Tel Aviv University; Wise Observatory, Tel Aviv, Israel); Leibowitz, E.M.; Wise Observatory, Tel Aviv, Israel)

    1981-01-01

    Results and analysis of photometric measurements performed in the last two observing seasons of SS 433 are presented. The light of the star in the V and the B photometric bands varies with a period of either 6.55 or 6.43 days. The periodicity of approximately 164 days is also apparent in the photometric data, with its first and third harmonics. Fluctuations of the order of a half a magnitude within a few hours have also been recorded. The B-V color shows no dependence on the phase of the periodic variations, while it does change by up to 0.25 mag, in an apparent association with the short time scale fluctuations

  17. RELAP/FRAP-T6 analysis of seized and sheared shaft accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bollinger, J.S.; Ito, T.; Peeler, G.B.

    1984-01-01

    Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) performed audit calculations of a Reactor Coolant Pump (RCP) seized/sheared shaft transient for the Westinghouse Seabrook Plant using RELAP5/MOD 1.5 (Cycle 32) and FRAP-T6. The objective was to determine the effect of time of loss of offsite power and other single component failures on the peak clad temperature. The RCP shaft seizure event was modeled in RELAP5 by using the pump model shaft stop option. In modeling the sheared shaft failure, the faulted pump was replaced with a branch component having no flow losses. In general, the RELAP5-predicted system response for the seized shaft transient was very comparable to the results presented in the Seabrook FSAR, although the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) pressure response was somewhat different. The RELAP5 sheared-shaft analysis results were very similar to those for the seized shaft

  18. French validation of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faye-Dumanget, Christine; Carré, Julie; Le Borgne, Margaux; Boudoukha, Pr Abdel Halim

    2017-12-01

    Several international studies have been conducted on student burnout. To contribute to the clinical examination as well as research on the mental health of students, the MBI-SS (Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey) has been validated and used in different countries but not in French. The aim of this study is to examine the validity of the 3-dimensional model of the French version of the MBI-SS, which is characterized by emotional "Emotional Exhaustion" (EE); "Cynicism" (CY); and low scores in "Academic Efficacy" (AE). A total of 667 university students were questioned to study the 3-dimensional structure of the French translation of the MBI-SS. The results validate the 3-dimensional structure of the MBI-SS and indicate satisfactory psychometric values. It is concluded that the MBI-SS can be used to assess burnout in French students. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Bizarre spectrum of SS 433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Margon, B.

    1980-01-01

    SS 433 is an emission-line star, a radio source, and an x-ray source centered in a supernova remnant, W50. Through observations and spectroscopic studies much has been learned of this object. The spectrum of SS 433 is characterized by Doppler-shifted emission lines of hydrogen and helium. This implies the presence of a gas. The wavelengths of these lines vary. Some of the moving lines of the spectrum are red-shifted and some are blue-shifted. Since the wavelengths of the Doppler-shifted features change rapidly with time, the velocity of both approaching gas and receding gas is changing. On any given night the average velocity is 12,000 km/sec. Also, the variations in velocity are periodic, with a 164-day period. These characteristics of the spectrum of SS 433 are explained by assuming the following hypothetical model. The object responsible for ejecting two jets in opposite directions is thought to be part of a binary system, consisting of a comparatively normal star bound in close orbit to a neutron star, which is in the process of pulling material away from the companion by virtue of its strong gravitational field. The gas streaming from the normal star forms a rotating accretion disk around the neutron star, and it is from the faces of this disk that the two jets are ejected in opposite directions. Precession of the plane of the disk is presumably what causes the axis of the jets to rotate, hence the 164-day period

  20. Defining the Content of an Online Sexual Health Intervention: The MenSS Website.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, Rosie; Gerressu, Makeda; Michie, Susan; Estcourt, Claudia; Anderson, Jane; Ang, Chee Siang; Murray, Elizabeth; Rait, Greta; Stephenson, Judith; Bailey, Julia V

    2015-07-03

    Health promotion and risk reduction are essential components of sexual health care. However, it can be difficult to prioritize these within busy clinical services. Digital interventions may provide a new method for supporting these. The MenSS (Men's Safer Sex) website is an interactive digital intervention developed by a multidisciplinary team, which aims to improve condom use in men who have sex with women (MSW). This paper describes the content of this intervention, and the rationale for it. Content was informed by a literature review regarding men's barriers to condom use, workshops with experts in sexual health and technology (N=16) and interviews with men in sexual health clinics (N=20). Data from these sources were analyzed thematically, and synthesized using the Behavior Change Wheel framework. The MenSS intervention is a website optimized for delivery via tablet computer within a clinic waiting room setting. Key targets identified were condom use skills, beliefs about pleasure and knowledge about risk. Content was developed using behavior change techniques, and interactive website features provided feedback tailored for individual users. This paper provides a detailed description of an evidence-based interactive digital intervention for sexual health, including how behavior change techniques were translated into practice within the design of the MenSS website. Triangulation between a targeted literature review, expert workshops, and interviews with men ensured that a range of potential influences on condom use were captured.

  1. A Bio-Electro-Fenton System Employing the Composite FePc/CNT/SS316 Cathode

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Ta Wang

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Bio-electro-Fenton microbial fuel cells generate energy through the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms. The generated electricity drives a Fenton reaction in a cathode chamber, which can be used for the decolorization of dye wastewater. Most of the previous works added expensive platinum catalyst to improve the electrical property of the system. In this research, aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs were generated on the surface of SS316 stainless steel by chemical vapor deposition, and an iron phthalocyanine (FePc catalyst was added to fabricate a compound (FePc/CNT/SS316 that was applied to the cathode electrode of the fuel cell system. This was expected to improve the overall electricity generation efficiency and extent of decolorization of the system. The results showed that the maximum current density of the system with the modified electrode was 3206.30 mA/m2, and the maximum power was 726.55 mW/m2, which were increased by 937 and 2594 times, respectively, compared to the current and power densities of a system where only the SS316 stainless steel electrode was used. In addition, the decolorization of RB5 dye reached 84.6% within 12 h. Measurements of the electrical properties of bio-electro-Fenton microbial fuel cells and dye decolorization experiments with the FePc/CNT/SS316 electrode showed good results.

  2. Two New Sharp Ostrowski-Grüss Type Inequalities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zheng Liu

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to use a variant of the Grüss inequality to derive two new sharp Ostrowski-Grüss type inequalities related to a perturbed trapezoidal type rule and a perturbed generalized interior point rule, respectively, which provide improvements of some previous results in the literatures.

  3. Applicability of Al-powder-alloy coating to corrosion barriers of 316SS in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kurata, Yuji; Sato, Hidetomo; Yokota, Hitoshi; Suzuki, Tetsuya

    2011-01-01

    A new Al-alloy coating method using Al, Ti and Fe powders has been applied to 316SS in order to develop corrosion resistant coating in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE). The 316SS plates with coating layers of different Al concentrations were exposed to liquid LBE with controlled oxygen concentrations of 10 -6 to 10 -4 mass% at 823 K for 3600 ks. While surface oxidation and grain boundary corrosion accompanied by liquid LBE penetration are observed in 316SS without Al-alloy coating, the Al-alloy coating is effective to protect such severe corrosion attacks in liquid LBE. Although the coating layer containing 2.8 mass% Al does not always keep sufficient corrosion resistance, good corrosion resistance is obtained through the Al-oxide film formed in liquid LBE in the coating layer where the average Al concentration is 4.2 mass%. Cracks are formed in the coating layer containing 17.8 mass% Al during the coating process. The Al-powder-alloy coating applied to 316SS is promising as a corrosion resistant coating method in liquid LBE environment. (author)

  4. EuroPhenome and EMPReSS: online mouse phenotyping resource.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallon, Ann-Marie; Blake, Andrew; Hancock, John M

    2008-01-01

    EuroPhenome (http://www.europhenome.org) and EMPReSS (http://empress.har.mrc.ac.uk/) form an integrated resource to provide access to data and procedures for mouse phenotyping. EMPReSS describes 96 Standard Operating Procedures for mouse phenotyping. EuroPhenome contains data resulting from carrying out EMPReSS protocols on four inbred laboratory mouse strains. As well as web interfaces, both resources support web services to enable integration with other mouse phenotyping and functional genetics resources, and are committed to initiatives to improve integration of mouse phenotype databases. EuroPhenome will be the repository for a recently initiated effort to carry out large-scale phenotyping on a large number of knockout mouse lines (EUMODIC).

  5. Cladding axial elongation models for FRAP-T6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shah, V.N.; Carlson, E.R.; Berna, G.A.

    1983-01-01

    This paper presents a description of the cladding axial elongation models developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for use by the FRAP-T6 computer code in analyzing the response of fuel rods during reactor transients in light water reactors (LWR). The FRAP-T6 code contains models (FRACAS-II subcode) that analyze the structural response of a fuel rod including pellet-cladding-mechanical-interaction (PCMI). Recently, four models were incorporated into FRACAS-II to calculate cladding axial deformation: (a) axial PCMI, (b) trapped fuel stack, (c) fuel relocation, and (d) effective fuel thermal expansion. Comparisons of cladding axial elongation measurements from two experiments with the corresponding FRAP-T6 calculations are presented

  6. Hoitajien kokemuksia voimistavan johtamisen arvojen ilmenemisestä esimiestyössä

    OpenAIRE

    Karvinen, Päivi

    2013-01-01

    ssä opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin hoitajien kokemuksia voimistavan johtamisen keskeisten arvojen ilmenemisessä esimiestyössä. Voimistavan johtamisen keskeisiksi arvoiksi valittiin viisi Hannele Laaksosen (2008) nimeämää arvoa: avoimuus, luottamus, arvostus, oikeudenmukaisuus ja itseohjautuvuus. Tutkimus kuvaa hoitajien kokemuksia siitä, kuinka esimies voi edistää voimistavan johtamisen arvoja. Hoitajien kokemuksia ei rajattu nykyiseen työsuhteeseen. Hoitajat kertoivat kokemuksistaan yleisesti....

  7. Structure and mechanism of a bacterial t6A biosynthesis system

    OpenAIRE

    Luthra, Amit; Swinehart, William; Bayooz, Susan; Phan, Phuc; Stec, Boguslaw; Iwata-Reuyl, Dirk; Swairjo, Manal A

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The universal N(6)-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) modification at position 37 of ANN-decoding tRNAs is central to translational fidelity. In bacteria, t6A biosynthesis is catalyzed by the proteins TsaB, TsaC/TsaC2, TsaD and TsaE. Despite intense research, the molecular mechanisms underlying t6A biosynthesis are poorly understood. Here, we report biochemical and biophysical studies of the t6A biosynthesis system from Thermotoga maritima. Small angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals...

  8. Effect of alloying elements on the isothermal solidification during TLP bonding of SS 410 and SS 321 using a BNi-2 interlayer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arafin, M.A. [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8 (Canada)], E-mail: ma_arafi@encs.concordia.ca; Medraj, M. [Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, H3G 1M8 (Canada)], E-mail: mmedraj@encs.concordia.ca; Turner, D.P. [Metallurgical Planning, Pratt and Whitney Canada, Longueuil, Que., J4G 1A1 (Canada)], E-mail: Daniel.P.Turner@pwc.ca; Bocher, P. [Department de Genie Mecanique, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Montreal, H3C 1K3 (Canada)], E-mail: Philippe.Bocher@etsmtl.ca

    2007-11-15

    The random diffusion of solute atoms during transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding of SS 410 and 321 with nickel-based brazing filler alloy BNi-2 have been modeled using Random Walk Modeling technique. Cumulative probability distributions and probability density functions of isothermal solidification times have been calculated for different process conditions and verified with experimental data. The solubility limit of boron has been found to have decreased from 0.3 at.% at higher temperature bonding operations (1358-1394 K) because of substantial iron-rich base metal dissolution when SS 410 was used as base metals; whereas it remained unchanged for SS 321/BNi-2 combination because of high concentrations of nickel and chromium in the base metal. Silicon diffusion model, based on the EDS analysis, also predicted the isothermal solidification times reasonably well.

  9. Discovery of the double Doppler-shifted emission-line systems in the X-ray spectrum of SS 433

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotani, Taro; Kawai, Nobuyuki; Aoki, Takashi; Doty, John; Matsuoka, Masaru; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Nagase, Fumiaki; Ricker, George; White, Nick E.

    1994-01-01

    We have used the CCD X-ray spectrometers on ASCA and resolved the X-ray emission line from the jet of SS 433 both into Doppler-shifted components with two distinct velocities, and into emission from different ionization states of iron, i.e., Fe XXV and Fe XXVI. This is the first direct detection of the two Doppler shifted beams in the X-ray spectra of SS 433 and allows the radial velocity of the jet along the line of sight to be determined with an accuracy comparable to the optical spectroscopy. We also found pairs of emission lines from other atomic species, such as ionized silicon and sulfur, with the Doppler shifts consistent with each other. This confirms the origin of the X-ray emission in the high temperature plasma in the jets.

  10. Features of systemic sclerosis-rheumatoid arthritis overlap syndrome (SS-RA overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. V. Desinova

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To reveal clinico-laboratory, immunologic and immunogenetic features of systemic sclerosis-rheumatoid arthritis overlap syndrome (SS-RA.Material and methods. 32 pts with SS-RA (1 male, 31 female aged 22 to 74 years with disease onset at 18 to 69 years and disease duration from 1 to 35 years were included. Complex laboratory and instrumental examination was performed including nailfold capillaroscopy. A part of pts was also evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging of hands. Serum level of rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factor, circulating immune complexes, C-reactive protein, antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP was evaluated. Genotyping of DRB1 alleles was performed.Results. Characteristic features of SS-RA were prevalence of limited skin damage, less prominent peripheral and visceral symptoms of SS, presence of anti-topoisomerase antibodies and erosive arthritis, high laboratory and immunological activity, more frequent association with DRB1*01.Conclusion. SS-RA possesses its own clinical features and can be considered as a distinct subtype of SS.

  11. Modulation of nuclear T3 binding by T3 in a human hepatocyte cell-line (Chang-liver) - T3 stimulation of cell growth but not of malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphatdehydrogenase or 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matzen, L E; Kristensen, S R; Kvetny, J

    1991-01-01

    The T3 modulation of nuclear T3 binding (NBT3), the T3 effect on cell growth, and the T3 and insulin effects on malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphat-dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 6-phosphogluconat-dehydrogenase (G6PD) were studied in a human hepatocyte cell-line (Chang-liver). T3 was bound to a high ...

  12. Turvajalkineiden vaikutus jalkaterveyteen Suur-Savon Sähkötyö Oy:ssä

    OpenAIRE

    Pulkkinen, Riikka; Tossavainen, Inka; Ryynänen, Elina

    2014-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää, millaisia vaikutuksia turvajalkineilla voi olla jalkaterveyteen, minkälaisia jalkaongelmia turvajalkineiden käyttö voi aiheuttaa, voivatko työntekijät itse vaikuttaa turvajalkineiden hankintaan ja millainen on turvajalkineiden hankintaprosessi Suur-Savon Sähkötyö Oy:ssä. Opinnäytetyömme toimeksiantaja oli Suur-Savon Sähkötyö Oy. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin pääasiassa kvantitatiivista tutkimusta ja aineisto kerättiin puolistrukturoidulla kysely...

  13. [111In-DOTA]LTT-SS28, a first pansomatostatin radioligand for in vivo targeting of somatostatin receptor-positive tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maina, Theodosia; Cescato, Renzo; Waser, Beatrice; Tatsi, Aikaterini; Kaloudi, Aikaterini; Krenning, Eric P; de Jong, Marion; Nock, Berthold A; Reubi, Jean Claude

    2014-08-14

    Radiolabeled pansomatostatin-like analogues are expected to enhance the diagnostic sensitivity and to expand the clinical indications of currently applied sst2-specific radioligands. In this study, we present the somatostatin mimic [DOTA]LTT-SS28 {[(DOTA)Ser1,Leu8,D-Trp22,Tyr25]SS28} and its 111In radioligand. [DOTA]LTT-SS28 exhibited a pansomatostatin-like profile binding with high affinity to all five hsst1-hsst5 subtypes (IC50 values in the lower nanomolar range). Furthermore, [DOTA]LTT-SS28 behaved as an agonist at hsst2, hsst3, and hsst5, efficiently stimulating internalization of the three receptor subtypes. Radioligand [111In-DOTA]LTT-SS28 showed good stability in the mouse bloodstream. It displayed strong and specific uptake in AR42J tumors 4 h postinjection (9.3±1.6% ID/g vs 0.3±0.0% ID/g during sst2 blockade) in mice. Significant and specific uptake was also observed in HEK293-hsst2-, HEK293-hsst3-, and HEK293-hsst5-expressing tumors (4.43±1.5, 4.88±1.1, and DOTA]LTT-SS28 specifically localizes in sst2-, sst3-, and sst5-expressing xenografts in mice showing promise for multi-sst1-sst5 targeted tumor imaging.

  14. Is PiSS Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Associated with Disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGee, Dawn; Schwarz, Laura; McClure, Rebecca; Peterka, Lauren; Rouhani, Farshid; Brantly, Mark; Strange, Charlie

    2010-01-01

    Background. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT) is an inherited condition that predisposes to lung and/or liver disease. Objective. The current study examined the clinical features of the PiSS genotype. Methods. Nineteen study participants (PiSS) and 29 matched control participants (PiMM) were telephone interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Demographic features, cigarette smoking, vocation, medication history, and clinical diagnoses were compared. Statistical analysis was performed. Finally, a comprehensive literature review was performed by two investigators. Results. 12/19 (63.2%) study participants reported the presence of lung and/or liver disease compared to 12/29 (41.4%) control participants. There trended toward having a higher frequency of medication allergies in the study population (42.11% versus 20.69%). Conclusions. The PiSS genotype was associated with a similar incidence of obstructive lung disease to controls. Selective bias intrinsic in testing for AAT deficiency and the rarity of the PiSS genotype will make future study of this association dependent on population-based tests.

  15. Validation of Robotic Surgery Simulator (RoSS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesavadas, Thenkurussi; Stegemann, Andrew; Sathyaseelan, Gughan; Chowriappa, Ashirwad; Srimathveeravalli, Govindarajan; Seixas-Mikelus, Stéfanie; Chandrasekhar, Rameella; Wilding, Gregory; Guru, Khurshid

    2011-01-01

    Recent growth of daVinci Robotic Surgical System as a minimally invasive surgery tool has led to a call for better training of future surgeons. In this paper, a new virtual reality simulator, called RoSS is presented. Initial results from two studies - face and content validity, are very encouraging. 90% of the cohort of expert robotic surgeons felt that the simulator was excellent or somewhat close to the touch and feel of the daVinci console. Content validity of the simulator received 90% approval in some cases. These studies demonstrate that RoSS has the potential of becoming an important training tool for the daVinci surgical robot.

  16. The Telehealth Satisfaction Scale (TeSS): Reliability, validity, and satisfaction with telehealth in a rural memory clinic population

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Debra G; Kosteniuk, Julie; Stewart, Norma; O’Connell, Megan E; Karunanyake, Chandima; Beever, Rob

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Patient satisfaction is a key aspect of quality of care and can inform continuous quality improvement. Of the few studies that have reported on patient satisfaction with telehealth in programs aimed at individuals with memory problems, none has reported on the psychometric properties of the user satisfaction scales employed. Methods We evaluated the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the Telehealth Satisfaction Scale (TeSS), a 10-item scale adapted for use in a Rural and Remote Memory Clinic (RRMC). The RRMC is a one-stop interprofessional clinic for rural and remote seniors with suspected dementia, located in a tertiary care hospital. Telehealth videoconferencing is used for pre-clinic assessment and for follow-up. Patients and caregivers completed the TeSS after each telehealth appointment. With data from 223 patients, exploratory factor analysis was conducted using the principal components analysis extraction method. Results The eigenvalue for the first factor (5.2) was greater than 1 and much larger than the second eigenvalue (.92), supporting a one-factor solution that was confirmed by the scree plot. The total variance explained by factor 1 was 52.1%. Factor loadings (range 0.54 – 0.84) were above recommended cutoffs. The TeSS items demonstrated high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90). Satisfaction scores on the TeSS items ranged from 3.43 to 3.72 on a 4-point Likert scale, indicating high satisfaction with telehealth. Conclusions The study findings demonstrate high user satisfaction with telehealth in a rural memory clinic, and sound psychometric properties of the TeSS in this population. PMID:25272141

  17. The role of the C-domain of bacteriophage T4 gene 32 protein in ssDNA binding and dsDNA helix-destabilization: Kinetic, single-molecule, and cross-linking studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pant, Kiran; Anderson, Brian; Perdana, Hendrik; Malinowski, Matthew A.; Win, Aye T.; Williams, Mark C.

    2018-01-01

    The model single-stranded DNA binding protein of bacteriophage T4, gene 32 protein (gp32) has well-established roles in DNA replication, recombination, and repair. gp32 is a single-chain polypeptide consisting of three domains. Based on thermodynamics and kinetics measurements, we have proposed that gp32 can undergo a conformational change where the acidic C-terminal domain binds internally to or near the single-stranded (ss) DNA binding surface in the core (central) domain, blocking ssDNA interaction. To test this model, we have employed a variety of experimental approaches and gp32 variants to characterize this conformational change. Utilizing stopped-flow methods, the association kinetics of wild type and truncated forms of gp32 with ssDNA were measured. When the C-domain is present, the log-log plot of k vs. [NaCl] shows a positive slope, whereas when it is absent (*I protein), there is little rate change with salt concentration, as expected for this model.A gp32 variant lacking residues 292–296 within the C-domain, ΔPR201, displays kinetic properties intermediate between gp32 and *I. The single molecule force-induced DNA helix-destabilizing activitiesas well as the single- and double-stranded DNA affinities of ΔPR201 and gp32 truncated at residue 295 also fall between full-length protein and *I. Finally, chemical cross-linking of recombinant C-domain and gp32 lacking both N- and C-terminal domains is inhibited by increasing concentrations of a short single-stranded oligonucleotide, and the salt dependence of cross-linking mirrors that expected for the model. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence in support of this model that have been obtained through structural probes. PMID:29634784

  18. Responsiivinen web-kehitys WordPress-julkaisujärjestelmässä

    OpenAIRE

    Jutila, Tiina

    2013-01-01

    Opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin responsiivisen web-kehityksen toteuttamista WordPress-julkaisujärjes¬-telmässä. Tavoitteena oli toteuttaa yrityksen käyttöön WordPress-teema, joka sisälsi tarvittavat ominaisuudet mukautuvien verkkosivujen toteuttamiseen. Teeman tarkoituksena oli toimia pohjana, jonka päälle verkkosivun rakentaminen olisi mahdollisimman vaivatonta. Työssä käsiteltiin mobiililaitteiden asettamia haasteita web-kehityksessä, sekä tekniikoita niiden rat-kaisemiseen. Päätelaitteiden ...

  19. Structure of the hDmc1-ssDNA filament reveals the principles of its architecture.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrei L Okorokov

    Full Text Available In eukaryotes, meiotic recombination is a major source of genetic diversity, but its defects in humans lead to abnormalities such as Down's, Klinefelter's and other syndromes. Human Dmc1 (hDmc1, a RecA/Rad51 homologue, is a recombinase that plays a crucial role in faithful chromosome segregation during meiosis. The initial step of homologous recombination occurs when hDmc1 forms a filament on single-stranded (ss DNA. However the structure of this presynaptic complex filament for hDmc1 remains unknown. To compare hDmc1-ssDNA complexes to those known for the RecA/Rad51 family we have obtained electron microscopy (EM structures of hDmc1-ssDNA nucleoprotein filaments using single particle approach. The EM maps were analysed by docking crystal structures of Dmc1, Rad51, RadA, RecA and DNA. To fully characterise hDmc1-DNA complexes we have analysed their organisation in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+, ATP, AMP-PNP, ssDNA and dsDNA. The 3D EM structures of the hDmc1-ssDNA filaments allowed us to elucidate the principles of their internal architecture. Similar to the RecA/Rad51 family, hDmc1 forms helical filaments on ssDNA in two states: extended (active and compressed (inactive. However, in contrast to the RecA/Rad51 family, and the recently reported structure of hDmc1-double stranded (ds DNA nucleoprotein filaments, the extended (active state of the hDmc1 filament formed on ssDNA has nine protomers per helical turn, instead of the conventional six, resulting in one protomer covering two nucleotides instead of three. The control reconstruction of the hDmc1-dsDNA filament revealed 6.4 protein subunits per helical turn indicating that the filament organisation varies depending on the DNA templates. Our structural analysis has also revealed that the N-terminal domain of hDmc1 accomplishes its important role in complex formation through domain swapping between adjacent protomers, thus providing a mechanistic basis for coordinated action of hDmc1 protomers

  20. Short-term variability of dwarf nova SS Cyg during outbursts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voloshina, I; Metlov, V; Rovithis-Livaniou, H

    2009-01-01

    Here we report the results of CCD observations of classical dwarf nova SS Cyg carried out with the two 60-cm telescopes in Crimea during the last years. These observations cover a few outbursts in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Power spectrum analysis of our CCD data clearly shows the existence of rapid periodic oscillations in the light curve of SS Cyg at the stage of decline after maximum. CCD observations of SS Cyg in autumn 2006 outburst revealed oscillations with the two periods 10 s and 76 s, in November 2007 - with 41 s period and in January 2008 with 98 s. We interpret detected variations as quasi-periodic oscillations.

  1. Short-term variability of dwarf nova SS Cyg during outbursts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Voloshina, I; Metlov, V; Rovithis-Livaniou, H, E-mail: vib@sai.msu.r [Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, Athens University, Zagrafos 15784, Athens (Greece)

    2009-06-01

    Here we report the results of CCD observations of classical dwarf nova SS Cyg carried out with the two 60-cm telescopes in Crimea during the last years. These observations cover a few outbursts in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Power spectrum analysis of our CCD data clearly shows the existence of rapid periodic oscillations in the light curve of SS Cyg at the stage of decline after maximum. CCD observations of SS Cyg in autumn 2006 outburst revealed oscillations with the two periods 10 s and 76 s, in November 2007 - with 41 s period and in January 2008 with 98 s. We interpret detected variations as quasi-periodic oscillations.

  2. Asymmetric PCR for good quality ssDNA generation towards DNA aptamer production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junji Tominaga4

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Aptamers are ssDNA or RNA that binds to wide variety of target molecules with high affinity and specificity producedby systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX. Compared to RNA aptamer, DNA aptamer is muchmore stable, favourable to be used in many applications. The most critical step in DNA SELEX experiment is the conversion ofdsDNA to ssDNA. The purpose of this study was to develop an economic and efficient approach of generating ssDNA byusing asymmetric PCR. Our results showed that primer ratio (sense primer:antisense primer of 20:1 and sense primer amountof 10 to 100 pmol, up to 20 PCR cycles using 20 ng of initial template, in combination with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,were the optimal conditions for generating good quality and quantity of ssDNA. The generation of ssDNA via this approachcan greatly enhance the success rate of DNA aptamer generation.

  3. Identification of New Virulence Factors and Vaccine Candidates for Yersinia pestis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersson, Jourdan A; Sha, Jian; Erova, Tatiana E; Fitts, Eric C; Ponnusamy, Duraisamy; Kozlova, Elena V; Kirtley, Michelle L; Chopra, Ashok K

    2017-01-01

    Earlier, we reported the identification of new virulence factors/mechanisms of Yersinia pestis using an in vivo signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) screening approach. From this screen, the role of rbsA , which encodes an ATP-binding protein of ribose transport system, and vasK , an essential component of the type VI secretion system (T6SS), were evaluated in mouse models of plague and confirmed to be important during Y. pestis infection. However, many of the identified genes from the screen remained uncharacterized. In this study, in-frame deletion mutants of ypo0815, ypo2884, ypo3614-3168 (cyoABCDE) , and ypo1119-1120 , identified from the STM screen, were generated. While ypo0815 codes for a general secretion pathway protein E (GspE) of the T2SS, the ypo2884 -encoded protein has homology to the βγ crystallin superfamily, cyoABCDE codes for the cytochrome o oxidase operon, and the ypo1119-1120 genes are within the Tol-Pal system which has multiple functions. Additionally, as our STM screen identified three T6SS-associated genes, and, based on in silico analysis, six T6SS clusters and multiple homologs of the T6SS effector hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp) exist in Y. pestis CO92, we also targeted these T6SS clusters and effectors for generating deletion mutants. These deletion mutant strains exhibited varying levels of attenuation (up to 100%), in bubonic or pneumonic murine infection models. The attenuation could be further augmented by generation of combinatorial deletion mutants, namely Δ lpp Δ ypo0815 , Δ lpp Δ ypo2884 , Δ lpp Δ cyoABCDE , Δ vasK Δ hcp6 , and Δ ypo2720-2733 Δ hcp3 . We earlier showed that deletion of the lpp gene, which encodes Braun lipoprotein (Lpp) and activates Toll-like receptor-2, reduced virulence of Y. pestis CO92 in murine models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. The surviving mice infected with Δ lpp Δ cyoABCDE , Δ vasK Δ hcp6 , and Δ ypo2720-2733 Δ hcp3 mutant strains were 55-100% protected upon subsequent re

  4. Identification of New Virulence Factors and Vaccine Candidates for Yersinia pestis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jourdan A. Andersson

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Earlier, we reported the identification of new virulence factors/mechanisms of Yersinia pestis using an in vivo signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM screening approach. From this screen, the role of rbsA, which encodes an ATP-binding protein of ribose transport system, and vasK, an essential component of the type VI secretion system (T6SS, were evaluated in mouse models of plague and confirmed to be important during Y. pestis infection. However, many of the identified genes from the screen remained uncharacterized. In this study, in-frame deletion mutants of ypo0815, ypo2884, ypo3614-3168 (cyoABCDE, and ypo1119-1120, identified from the STM screen, were generated. While ypo0815 codes for a general secretion pathway protein E (GspE of the T2SS, the ypo2884-encoded protein has homology to the βγ crystallin superfamily, cyoABCDE codes for the cytochrome o oxidase operon, and the ypo1119-1120 genes are within the Tol-Pal system which has multiple functions. Additionally, as our STM screen identified three T6SS-associated genes, and, based on in silico analysis, six T6SS clusters and multiple homologs of the T6SS effector hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp exist in Y. pestis CO92, we also targeted these T6SS clusters and effectors for generating deletion mutants. These deletion mutant strains exhibited varying levels of attenuation (up to 100%, in bubonic or pneumonic murine infection models. The attenuation could be further augmented by generation of combinatorial deletion mutants, namely ΔlppΔypo0815, ΔlppΔypo2884, ΔlppΔcyoABCDE, ΔvasKΔhcp6, and Δypo2720-2733Δhcp3. We earlier showed that deletion of the lpp gene, which encodes Braun lipoprotein (Lpp and activates Toll-like receptor-2, reduced virulence of Y. pestis CO92 in murine models of bubonic and pneumonic plague. The surviving mice infected with ΔlppΔcyoABCDE, ΔvasKΔhcp6, and Δypo2720-2733Δhcp3 mutant strains were 55–100% protected upon subsequent re-challenge with wild

  5. Type VI secretion system MIX-effectors carry both antibacterial and anti-eukaryotic activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, Ann; Schwartz, Nika; de Souza Santos, Marcela; Zhang, Junmei; Orth, Kim; Salomon, Dor

    2017-11-01

    Most type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) described to date are protein delivery apparatuses that mediate bactericidal activities. Several T6SSs were also reported to mediate virulence activities, although only few anti-eukaryotic effectors have been described. Here, we identify three T6SSs in the marine bacterium Vibrio proteolyticus and show that T6SS1 mediates bactericidal activities under warm marine-like conditions. Using comparative proteomics, we find nine potential T6SS1 effectors, five of which belong to the polymorphic MIX-effector class. Remarkably, in addition to six predicted bactericidal effectors, the T6SS1 secretome includes three putative anti-eukaryotic effectors. One of these is a MIX-effector containing a cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 domain. We demonstrate that T6SS1 can use this MIX-effector to target phagocytic cells, resulting in morphological changes and actin cytoskeleton rearrangements. In conclusion, the V. proteolyticus T6SS1, a system homologous to one found in pathogenic vibrios, uses a suite of polymorphic effectors that target both bacteria and eukaryotic neighbors. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  6. Applying independent component analysis to clinical fMRI at 7 T

    OpenAIRE

    Simon Daniel Robinson; Veronika eSchöpf; Pedro eCardoso; Alexander eGeissler; Alexander eGeissler; Florian Ph.S Fischmeister; Florian Ph.S Fischmeister; Moritz eWurnig; Moritz eWurnig; Siegfried eTrattnig; Roland eBeisteiner; Roland eBeisteiner

    2013-01-01

    Increased BOLD sensitivity at 7 T offers the possibility to increase the reliability of fMRI, but ultra-high field is also associated with an increase in artifacts related to head motion, Nyquist ghosting and parallel imaging reconstruction errors. In this study, the ability of Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to separate activation from these artifacts was assessed in a 7 T study of neurological patients performing chin and hand motor tasks. ICA was able to isolate primary motor activati...

  7. The Opportunistic Pathogen Serratia marcescens Utilizes Type VI Secretion To Target Bacterial Competitors ▿†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdoch, Sarah L.; Trunk, Katharina; English, Grant; Fritsch, Maximilian J.; Pourkarimi, Ehsan; Coulthurst, Sarah J.

    2011-01-01

    The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is the most recently described and least understood of the protein secretion systems of Gram-negative bacteria. It is widely distributed and has been implicated in the virulence of various pathogens, but its mechanism and exact mode of action remain to be defined. Additionally there have been several very recent reports that some T6SSs can target bacteria rather than eukaryotic cells. Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic enteric pathogen, a class of bacteria responsible for a significant proportion of hospital-acquired infections. We describe the identification of a functional T6SS in S. marcescens strain Db10, the first report of type VI secretion by an opportunist enteric bacterium. The T6SS of S. marcescens Db10 is active, with secretion of Hcp to the culture medium readily detected, and is expressed constitutively under normal growth conditions from a large transcriptional unit. Expression of the T6SS genes did not appear to be dependent on the integrity of the T6SS. The S. marcescens Db10 T6SS is not required for virulence in three nonmammalian virulence models. It does, however, exhibit dramatic antibacterial killing activity against several other bacterial species and is required for S. marcescens to persist in a mixed culture with another opportunist pathogen, Enterobacter cloacae. Importantly, this antibacterial killing activity is highly strain specific, with the S. marcescens Db10 T6SS being highly effective against another strain of S. marcescens with a very similar and active T6SS. We conclude that type VI secretion plays a crucial role in the competitiveness, and thus indirectly the virulence, of S. marcescens and other opportunistic bacterial pathogens. PMID:21890705

  8. ReSS: Resource Selection Service for National and Campus Grid Infrastructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mhashilkar, Parag; Garzoglio, Gabriele; Levshina, Tanya; Timm, Steve

    2010-01-01

    The Open Science Grid (OSG) offers access to around hundred Compute elements (CE) and storage elements (SE) via standard Grid interfaces. The Resource Selection Service (ReSS) is a push-based workload management system that is integrated with the OSG information systems and resources. ReSS integrates standard Grid tools such as Condor, as a brokering service and the gLite CEMon, for gathering and publishing resource information in GLUE Schema format. ReSS is used in OSG by Virtual Organizations (VO) such as Dark Energy Survey (DES), DZero and Engagement VO. ReSS is also used as a Resource Selection Service for Campus Grids, such as FermiGrid. VOs use ReSS to automate the resource selection in their workload management system to run jobs over the grid. In the past year, the system has been enhanced to enable publication and selection of storage resources and of any special software or software libraries (like MPI libraries) installed at computing resources. In this paper, we discuss the Resource Selection Service, its typical usage on the two scales of a National Cyber Infrastructure Grid, such as OSG, and of a campus Grid, such as FermiGrid.

  9. ReSS: Resource Selection Service for National and Campus Grid Infrastructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mhashilkar, Parag; Garzoglio, Gabriele; Levshina, Tanya; Timm, Steve, E-mail: parag@fnal.go, E-mail: garzogli@fnal.go, E-mail: tlevshin@fnal.go, E-mail: timm@fnal.go [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P O Box 500, Batavia, IL - 60510 (United States)

    2010-04-01

    The Open Science Grid (OSG) offers access to around hundred Compute elements (CE) and storage elements (SE) via standard Grid interfaces. The Resource Selection Service (ReSS) is a push-based workload management system that is integrated with the OSG information systems and resources. ReSS integrates standard Grid tools such as Condor, as a brokering service and the gLite CEMon, for gathering and publishing resource information in GLUE Schema format. ReSS is used in OSG by Virtual Organizations (VO) such as Dark Energy Survey (DES), DZero and Engagement VO. ReSS is also used as a Resource Selection Service for Campus Grids, such as FermiGrid. VOs use ReSS to automate the resource selection in their workload management system to run jobs over the grid. In the past year, the system has been enhanced to enable publication and selection of storage resources and of any special software or software libraries (like MPI libraries) installed at computing resources. In this paper, we discuss the Resource Selection Service, its typical usage on the two scales of a National Cyber Infrastructure Grid, such as OSG, and of a campus Grid, such as FermiGrid.

  10. ReSS: Resource Selection Service for National and Campus Grid Infrastructure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mhashilkar, Parag; Garzoglio, Gabriele; Levshina, Tanya; Timm, Steve

    2009-01-01

    The Open Science Grid (OSG) offers access to around hundred Compute elements (CE) and storage elements (SE) via standard Grid interfaces. The Resource Selection Service (ReSS) is a push-based workload management system that is integrated with the OSG information systems and resources. ReSS integrates standard Grid tools such as Condor, as a brokering service and the gLite CEMon, for gathering and publishing resource information in GLUE Schema format. ReSS is used in OSG by Virtual Organizations (VO) such as Dark Energy Survey (DES), DZero and Engagement VO. ReSS is also used as a Resource Selection Service for Campus Grids, such as FermiGrid. VOs use ReSS to automate the resource selection in their workload management system to run jobs over the grid. In the past year, the system has been enhanced to enable publication and selection of storage resources and of any special software or software libraries (like MPI libraries) installed at computing resources. In this paper, we discuss the Resource Selection Service, its typical usage on the two scales of a National Cyber Infrastructure Grid, such as OSG, and of a campus Grid, such as FermiGrid.

  11. Changes in orientation and appearance of the 100 m arc s radio structure in SS433

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schilizzi, R T [Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy, Radio Sterrenwacht, Dwingeloo; Miley, G K [Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands). Sterrewacht; Romney, J D [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Bonn (Germany, F.R.); Spencer, R E [Nuffield Radio Astronomy Labs., Jodrell Bank (UK)

    1981-03-26

    Results are presented of observations of SS433 made with the European VLBI network for periods of 9 and 10 h at a wavelength of 6 cm on 9 January (JD2444248) and 1-2 June (JD2444392.5) 1980. The results, together with earlier ones of Walker et al., show that the compact radio structure of SS433 changes orientation in a manner consistent with the 164-day precession period inferred from the optical emission lines, but with a phase delay of 5 +- 4 days. The shape of the radio structure is elongated, non-linear and changes from one observing epoch to the other.

  12. Type VI Secretion System Toxins Horizontally Shared between Marine Bacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dor Salomon

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The type VI secretion system (T6SS is a widespread protein secretion apparatus used by Gram-negative bacteria to deliver toxic effector proteins into adjacent bacterial or host cells. Here, we uncovered a role in interbacterial competition for the two T6SSs encoded by the marine pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus. Using comparative proteomics and genetics, we identified their effector repertoires. In addition to the previously described effector V12G01_02265, we identified three new effectors secreted by T6SS1, indicating that the T6SS1 secretes at least four antibacterial effectors, of which three are members of the MIX-effector class. We also showed that the T6SS2 secretes at least three antibacterial effectors. Our findings revealed that many MIX-effectors belonging to clan V are "orphan" effectors that neighbor mobile elements and are shared between marine bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. We demonstrated that a MIX V-effector from V. alginolyticus is a functional T6SS effector when ectopically expressed in another Vibrio species. We propose that mobile MIX V-effectors serve as an environmental reservoir of T6SS effectors that are shared and used to diversify antibacterial toxin repertoires in marine bacteria, resulting in enhanced competitive fitness.

  13. Dynamic Mechanical Behaviors of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Yibo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The structural components of high speed trains are usually made of aluminum alloys, for example, 6082. The dynamic mechanical behavior of the material is one of key factors considered in structural design and safety assessment. In this paper, dynamic mechanical experiments were conducted with strain rate ranging from 0.001 s−1 to 100 s−1 using Instron tensile testing machine. The true stress-strain curves were fitted based on experimental data. Johnson-Cook model of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy was built to investigate the effect of strain and strain rate on flow stress. It has shown that the flow stress was sensitive to the strain rate. Yield strength and tensile strength increased with a high strain rate, which showed strain rate effect to some extent. Fracture analysis was carried out by using Backscattered Electron imaging (BSE. As strain rate increased, more precipitates were generated in fracture.

  14. Is PiSS Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Associated with Disease?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawn McGee

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT is an inherited condition that predisposes to lung and/or liver disease. Objective. The current study examined the clinical features of the PiSS genotype. Methods. Nineteen study participants (PiSS and 29 matched control participants (PiMM were telephone interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Demographic features, cigarette smoking, vocation, medication history, and clinical diagnoses were compared. Statistical analysis was performed. Finally, a comprehensive literature review was performed by two investigators. Results. 12/19 (63.2% study participants reported the presence of lung and/or liver disease compared to 12/29 (41.4% control participants. There trended toward having a higher frequency of medication allergies in the study population (42.11% versus 20.69%. Conclusions. The PiSS genotype was associated with a similar incidence of obstructive lung disease to controls. Selective bias intrinsic in testing for AAT deficiency and the rarity of the PiSS genotype will make future study of this association dependent on population-based tests.

  15. MUFOLD-SS: New deep inception-inside-inception networks for protein secondary structure prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Chao; Shang, Yi; Xu, Dong

    2018-05-01

    Protein secondary structure prediction can provide important information for protein 3D structure prediction and protein functions. Deep learning offers a new opportunity to significantly improve prediction accuracy. In this article, a new deep neural network architecture, named the Deep inception-inside-inception (Deep3I) network, is proposed for protein secondary structure prediction and implemented as a software tool MUFOLD-SS. The input to MUFOLD-SS is a carefully designed feature matrix corresponding to the primary amino acid sequence of a protein, which consists of a rich set of information derived from individual amino acid, as well as the context of the protein sequence. Specifically, the feature matrix is a composition of physio-chemical properties of amino acids, PSI-BLAST profile, and HHBlits profile. MUFOLD-SS is composed of a sequence of nested inception modules and maps the input matrix to either eight states or three states of secondary structures. The architecture of MUFOLD-SS enables effective processing of local and global interactions between amino acids in making accurate prediction. In extensive experiments on multiple datasets, MUFOLD-SS outperformed the best existing methods and other deep neural networks significantly. MUFold-SS can be downloaded from http://dslsrv8.cs.missouri.edu/~cf797/MUFoldSS/download.html. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Polymorphism and solvates of 3,3'-dihydroxy-ss,ss-carotene-4,4'-dione: Screening and their thermodynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, J.; Ulrich, J. [Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Center for Engineering Sciences/ TVT, 06099, Halle Saale (Germany)

    2010-03-15

    3,3'-dihydroxy-ss,ss-carotene-4,4'-dione (DCD) is a carotenoid used for the pink coloration in animal and fish foods. Two nonsolvated and two solvated forms of this compound have been discovered and characterized using different analytical techniques. The thermodynamic stability of the relevant polymorphs is revealed. The transformation rate depends strongly on the selection of solvent medium. Moreover, different chemical stability refers to the shelf life is studied correlating to the different polymorphs. The results show the possibilities to improve the pigmentation efficiency and chemical stability by a changing in the crystal polymorphs. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  17. Retrieval of Aerosol Components Using Multi-Wavelength Mie-Raman Lidar and Comparison with Ground Aerosol Sampling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yukari Hara

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available We verified an algorithm using multi-wavelength Mie-Raman lidar (MMRL observations to retrieve four aerosol components (black carbon (BC, sea salt (SS, air pollution (AP, and mineral dust (DS with in-situ aerosol measurements, and determined the seasonal variation of aerosol components in Fukuoka, in the western region of Japan. PM2.5, PM10, and mass concentrations of BC and SS components are derived from in-situ measurements. MMRL provides the aerosol extinction coefficient (α, particle linear depolarization ratio (δ, backscatter coefficient (β, and lidar ratio (S at 355 and 532 nm, and the attenuated backscatter coefficient (βatt at 1064 nm. We retrieved vertical distributions of extinction coefficients at 532 nm for four aerosol components (BC, SS, AP, and DS using 1α532 + 1β532 + 1βatt,1064 + 1δ532 data of MMRL. The retrieved extinction coefficients of the four aerosol components at 532 nm were converted to mass concentrations using the theoretical computed conversion factor assuming the prescribed size distribution, particle shape, and refractive index for each aerosol component. MMRL and in-situ measurements confirmed that seasonal variation of aerosol optical properties was affected by internal/external mixing of various aerosol components, in addition to hygroscopic growth of water-soluble aerosols. MMRL overestimates BC mass concentration compared to in-situ observation using the pure BC model. This overestimation was reduced drastically by introducing the internal mixture model of BC and water-soluble substances (Core-Gray Shell (CGS model. This result suggests that considering the internal mixture of BC and water-soluble substances is essential for evaluating BC mass concentration in this area. Systematic overestimation of BC mass concentration was found during summer, even when we applied the CGS model. The observational facts based on in-situ and MMRL measurements suggested that misclassification of AP as CGS particles was

  18. Type IX secretion system PorM and gliding machinery GldM form arches spanning the periplasmic space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leone, Philippe; Roche, Jennifer; Vincent, Maxence S; Tran, Quang Hieu; Desmyter, Aline; Cascales, Eric; Kellenberger, Christine; Cambillau, Christian; Roussel, Alain

    2018-01-30

    Type IX secretion system (T9SS), exclusively present in the Bacteroidetes phylum, has been studied mainly in Flavobacterium johnsoniae and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Among the 18 genes, essential for T9SS function, a group of four, porK-N (P. gingivalis) or gldK-N (F. johnsoniae) belongs to a co-transcribed operon that expresses the T9SS core membrane complex. The central component of this complex, PorM (or GldM), is anchored in the inner membrane by a trans-membrane helix and interacts through the outer membrane PorK-N complex. There is a complete lack of available atomic structures for any component of T9SS, including the PorKLMN complex. Here we report the crystal structure of the GldM and PorM periplasmic domains. Dimeric GldM and PorM, each contain four domains of ~180-Å length that span most of the periplasmic space. These and previously reported results allow us to propose a model of the T9SS core membrane complex as well as its functional behavior.

  19. Applying independent component analysis to clinical FMRI at 7 t

    OpenAIRE

    Robinson, Simon Daniel; Schöpf, Veronika; Cardoso, Pedro; Geissler, Alexander; Fischmeister, Florian P S; Wurnig, Moritz; Trattnig, Siegfried; Beisteiner, Roland

    2013-01-01

    Increased BOLD sensitivity at 7 T offers the possibility to increase the reliability of fMRI, but ultra-high field is also associated with an increase in artifacts related to head motion, Nyquist ghosting, and parallel imaging reconstruction errors. In this study, the ability of independent component analysis (ICA) to separate activation from these artifacts was assessed in a 7 T study of neurological patients performing chin and hand motor tasks. ICA was able to isolate primary motor activat...

  20. Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of S,S-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone

    OpenAIRE

    Derisvaldo Rosa Paiva; Roberto da Silva Gomes

    2013-01-01

    Diastereoselective synthesis of SS-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanol by reduction of SS-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone optically enriched demonstrating to be highly efficiency using the sulfanyl group as asymmetric induction control agent during an addition reaction to carbonyl group.The 2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone was obtained for the first time in one unique step without further oxidation steps. The synthesis of SR, SS of 2-methylsulphinyl-1-indanone optically enrich...

  1. 32 CFR Appendix E to Part 246 - Stars and Stripes (S&S) Board of Directors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... of directors shall monitor planning and execution of the S&S business activities. 2. The S&S board of... DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS STARS AND STRIPES (S&S) NEWSPAPER AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS Pt. 246, App. E Appendix E to Part 246—Stars and Stripes (S&S) Board of Directors A. Organization and Management...

  2. The specificity of Av3 sea anemone toxin for arthropods is determined at linker DI/SS2-S6 in the pore module of target sodium channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gur Barzilai, Maya; Kahn, Roy; Regev, Noa; Gordon, Dalia; Moran, Yehu; Gurevitz, Michael

    2014-10-15

    Av3 is a peptide neurotoxin from the sea anemone Anemonia viridis that shows specificity for arthropod voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs). Interestingly, Av3 competes with a scorpion α-toxin on binding to insect Navs and similarly inhibits the inactivation process, and thus has been classified as 'receptor site-3 toxin', although the two peptides are structurally unrelated. This raises questions as to commonalities and differences in the way both toxins interact with Navs. Recently, site-3 was partly resolved for scorpion α-toxins highlighting S1-S2 and S3-S4 external linkers at the DIV voltage-sensor module and the juxtaposed external linkers at the DI pore module. To uncover channel determinants involved in Av3 specificity for arthropods, the toxin was examined on channel chimaeras constructed with the external linkers of the mammalian brain Nav1.2a, which is insensitive to Av3, in the background of the Drosophila DmNav1. This approach highlighted the role of linker DI/SS2-S6, adjacent to the channel pore, in determining Av3 specificity. Point mutagenesis at DI/SS2-S6 accompanied by functional assays highlighted Trp404 and His405 as a putative point of Av3 interaction with DmNav1. His405 conservation in arthropod Navs compared with tyrosine in vertebrate Navs may represent an ancient substitution that explains the contemporary selectivity of Av3. Trp404 and His405 localization near the membrane surface and the hydrophobic bioactive surface of Av3 suggest that the toxin possibly binds at a cleft by DI/S6. A partial overlap in receptor site-3 of both toxins nearby DI/S6 may explain their binding competition capabilities.

  3. 32 CFR 246.6 - Procedures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... costs and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these audits. Information copies of the audit... STRIPES (S&S) NEWSPAPER AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS § 246.6 Procedures. (a) General. (1) Authority to...) The Stars and Stripes and the S&S business operations shall conform to applicable regulations and laws...

  4. Regulatory T cells and immunodeficiency in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krejsgaard, Thorbjørn Frej; Ødum, Niels; Geisler, Carsten

    2012-01-01

    Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is the term for diseases characterized by primary accumulation of malignant T cells in the skin. Patients with the two predominant clinical forms of CTCL called mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) characteristically develop severe immunodeficiency duri...... in MF and SS and discuss the potential mechanisms driving the immunodeficiency.Leukemia advance online publication, 9 September 2011; doi:10.1038/leu.2011.237....

  5. T6 and T78 tempers of AA6065 alloy: a quantitative TEM study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, M.; Warner, T. [Compagnie de Produits Chimiques et Electrometallurgiques Pechiney, Centre de Recherches de Voreppe, 38 (France)

    2000-07-01

    Quantitative transmission electron microscopy is used to characterize the microstructure of an industrial Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy (AA6056) in a state (T78 temper) desensitized to intergranular corrosion in comparison with the peak aged state (T6 temper). Analysis of dark-field images and of zero-loss filtered selected-area-diffraction patterns, along with EDX spectroscopy, indicates an advanced precipitation of the quaternary phase containing Si and Cu in the T78-tempered alloy compared to the T6 one. This supports the current theory of the desensitization of AA6056 alloy. However, the application of EDX analysis to provide direct evidence of the chemical composition variation in the solid solution across the grain boundary appears less satisfactory. (orig.)

  6. Structural insights of the ssDNA binding site in the multifunctional endonuclease AtBFN2 from Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsung-Fu Yu

    Full Text Available The multi S1/P1 nuclease AtBFN2 (EC 3.1.30.1 encoded by the Arabidopsis thaliana At1g68290 gene is a glycoprotein that digests RNA, ssDNA, and dsDNA. AtBFN2 depends on three zinc ions for cleaving DNA and RNA at 3'-OH to yield 5'-nucleotides. In addition, AtBFN2's enzymatic activity is strongly glycan dependent. Plant Zn(2+-dependent endonucleases present a unique fold, and belong to the Phospholipase C (PLC/P1 nuclease superfamily. In this work, we present the first complete, ligand-free, AtBFN2 crystal structure, along with sulfate, phosphate and ssDNA co-crystal structures. With these, we were able to provide better insight into the glycan structure and possible enzymatic mechanism. In comparison with other nucleases, the AtBFN2/ligand-free and AtBFN2/PO4 models suggest a similar, previously proposed, catalytic mechanism. Our data also confirm that the phosphate and vanadate can inhibit the enzyme activity by occupying the active site. More importantly, the AtBFN2/A5T structure reveals a novel and conserved secondary binding site, which seems to be important for plant Zn(2+-dependent endonucleases. Based on these findings, we propose a rational ssDNA binding model, in which the ssDNA wraps itself around the protein and the attached surface glycan, in turn, reinforces the binding complex.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Badreddine Douzi

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

  8. Li collection experiments on T-11M and T-10 in framework of Li closed loop concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirnov, Sergey V.; Alekseev, Andrey G.; Belov, Alexandr M.; Djigailo, Nadejda T.; Kostina, Anastasiya N.; Lazarev, Vladimir B.; Lyublinski, Igor E.; Nesterenko, Vladislav M.; Vertkov, Aleksei V.; Vershkov, Vladimir A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We investigated the Li collection by different type of limiters intersecting the scrape-of-layer (SOL) of T-10 and T-11M tokamaks. ► The analysis of the sample-witnesses located on T-11M limiters showed, that 60 ± 20% of the lithium injected during plasma operating of T-11M had been collected by limiters. ► We believe that is the real opportunity of the tokamak plasma facing components (PFC) development on the basis of liquid lithium circulation. - Abstract: The concept of a steady state tokamak with plasma facing components (PFC) on the basis of liquid lithium circulation demands the decision of three tasks: lithium injection to the plasma, lithium ions collection before their deposition on the vacuum vessel and lithium returning to the injection zone. Main subject of paper is the investigations of Li collection by different types of limiters intersected the scrape-of-layer (SOL) in T-10 and T-11M tokamaks. For finding solution for this problem in T-11M and T-10, experiments have been applied with Li-, C-rail limiters and ring SS R-limiter-collector (T-11M). The efficiency of Li collection by limiters in T-11M and T-10 tokamaks was investigated by post mortem sample–witness analysis and (T-11M) by the use of the mobile graphite probe (limiter) as a recombination target in the stream of lithium ions. The characteristic depth of lithium penetration in the SOL area of T-11M is about 2 cm and 4 cm in SOL of T-10. The quantitative analysis of the sample–witnesses located on T-11M limiters showed that 60 ± 20% of the lithium injected during plasma operating of T-11M had been collected by limiters. It confirms an opportunity of the lithium ions collection by limiters in tokamak SOL.

  9. History of the Balkan Stomatological Society (BaSS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Todorović Ljubomir

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Some of the main activities of the Balkan Stomatological Society (BaSS over a rich 19-year history are presented. These activities have been aimed at improving oral health care provided by the dentists throughout the Balkans, and to establish ties of friendship and collaboration between researchers and clinicians in this region, creating a foundation for mutual understanding and peace. To accomplish these goals, the BaSS annually organizes congresses and publishes a scientific journal, beside many other activities, such as public oral health promotion, bringing into accordance study programmes and curricula, supporting student exchange programmes, etc.

  10. Swelling and microstructure of neutrons irradiated 316 Ti SS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seran, J.L.; Le Naour, L.; Grosjean, P.; Hugon, M.P.; Carteret, Y.; Maillard, A.

    1984-06-01

    The analysis of the behaviour of fuel pins irradiated in the same RAPSODIE subassembly, shows that titanium has a marked beneficial effect on the swelling resistance of CW 316 SS in a large range of temperature. This effect is particularly visible at high temperature since CW 316 Ti SS does not swell above 550 0 C up to a dose of 100 French dpa. The results obtained on samples irradiated in a RAPSODIE experimental rig give us confirmation of the good behaviour of CW 316 Ti SS which swells less and at smaller temperature than the other steels of the 316 series such as SA 316 Ti or aged SA 316 Ti. The swelling differences between some of these materials can be associated to different microstructures which are also very different from the ones obtained on the irradiated steels aged in the same time and temperature conditions

  11. O6-ethylguanine carcinogenic lesions in DNA: An NMR study of O6etG·T pairing in dodecanucloetide duplexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalnik, M.W.; Li, B.F.L.; Swann, P.F.; Patel, D.J.

    1989-01-01

    High-resolution two-dimensional NMR studies are reported on the self-complementary d-(C1-G2-C3-O 6 etG4-A5-G6-C7-T8-T9-G10-C11-G12) duplex (designated O 6 etG·T 12-mer) containing two symmetrically related O 6 etG·T lesion sites located four base pairs in from either end of the duplex. Parallel studies were undertaken on a related sequence containing O 6 meG·T lesion sites (designated O 6 meG·T 12-mer) in order to evaluate the influence of the size of the alkyl substituent on the structure of the duplex and were undertaken on a related sequence containing G·T mismatch sites (designated G·T 12-mer duplex), which served as the control duplex. The exchangeable and nonexchangeable proton and the phosphorus nuclei have been assigned from an analysis of two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) and correlated spectra of the O 6 etG·T 12-mer, O 6 meG·T 12-mer, and G·T 12-mer duplexes in H 2 O and D 2 O solutions. The distance connectivities observed in the NOESY spectra of the O 6 alkG·T 12-mer duplexes establish that the helix is right-handed and all of the bases adopt an anti conformation of the glycosidic torsion angle including the O 6 alkG4 and T9 bases at the lesion site. These observations establish that the O 6 alkG4 and T9 residues are stacked into the duplex and that the O 6 CH 3 and O 6 CH 2 CH 3 groups of O 6 alkG4 adopt a syn orientation with respect to the N 1 of the alkylated guanine. Since the O 6 -alkyl group adopts a syn orientation, the separation between the O 6 of O 6 alkG4 and the O 4 of T9 in the major groove is increased, preventing the formation of a short hydrogen bond between the N 1 ring nitrogen of O 6 alkG4 and the imino proton of T9

  12. Architecture and ssDNA interaction of the Timeless-Tipin-RPA complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witosch, Justine; Wolf, Eva; Mizuno, Naoko

    2014-11-10

    The Timeless-Tipin (Tim-Tipin) complex, also referred to as the fork protection complex, is involved in coordination of DNA replication. Tim-Tipin is suggested to be recruited to replication forks via Replication Protein A (RPA) but details of the interaction are unknown. Here, using cryo-EM and biochemical methods, we characterized complex formation of Tim-Tipin, RPA and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). Tim-Tipin and RPA form a 258 kDa complex with a 1:1:1 stoichiometry. The cryo-EM 3D reconstruction revealed a globular architecture of the Tim-Tipin-RPA complex with a ring-like and a U-shaped domain covered by a RPA lid. Interestingly, RPA in the complex adopts a horse shoe-like shape resembling its conformation in the presence of long ssDNA (>30 nucleotides). Furthermore, the recruitment of the Tim-Tipin-RPA complex to ssDNA is modulated by the RPA conformation and requires RPA to be in the more compact 30 nt ssDNA binding mode. The dynamic formation and disruption of the Tim-Tipin-RPA-ssDNA complex implicates the RPA-based recruitment of Tim-Tipin to the replication fork. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  13. Laser polishing of 3D printed mesoscale components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhaduri, Debajyoti; Penchev, Pavel; Batal, Afif; Dimov, Stefan; Soo, Sein Leung; Sten, Stella; Harrysson, Urban; Zhang, Zhenxue; Dong, Hanshan

    2017-01-01

    and irregularities that were prevalent on the as-received stainless steel samples. The optimised laser polishing technology was consequently implemented for serial finishing of structured 3D printed mesoscale SS316L components. This led to substantial reductions in areal S_a and S_t parameters by 75% (0.489–0.126 μm) and 90% (17.71–1.21 μm) respectively, without compromising the geometrical accuracy of the native 3D printed samples.

  14. Laser polishing of 3D printed mesoscale components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhaduri, Debajyoti, E-mail: debajyoti.bhaduri@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Penchev, Pavel; Batal, Afif; Dimov, Stefan; Soo, Sein Leung [Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Sten, Stella; Harrysson, Urban [Digital Metal, Höganäs AB, 263 83 Höganäs (Sweden); Zhang, Zhenxue; Dong, Hanshan [School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

    2017-05-31

    , lumps and irregularities that were prevalent on the as-received stainless steel samples. The optimised laser polishing technology was consequently implemented for serial finishing of structured 3D printed mesoscale SS316L components. This led to substantial reductions in areal S{sub a} and S{sub t} parameters by 75% (0.489–0.126 μm) and 90% (17.71–1.21 μm) respectively, without compromising the geometrical accuracy of the native 3D printed samples.

  15. RPA homologs and ssDNA processing during meiotic recombination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribeiro, Jonathan; Abby, Emilie; Livera, Gabriel; Martini, Emmanuelle

    2016-06-01

    Meiotic homologous recombination is a specialized process that involves homologous chromosome pairing and strand exchange to guarantee proper chromosome segregation and genetic diversity. The formation and repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) during meiotic recombination differs from those during mitotic recombination in that the homologous chromosome rather than the sister chromatid is the preferred repair template. The processing of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) formed on intermediate recombination structures is central to driving the specific outcomes of DSB repair during meiosis. Replication protein A (RPA) is the main ssDNA-binding protein complex involved in DNA metabolism. However, the existence of RPA orthologs in plants and the recent discovery of meiosis specific with OB domains (MEIOB), a widely conserved meiosis-specific RPA1 paralog, strongly suggest that multiple RPA complexes evolved and specialized to subdivide their roles during DNA metabolism. Here we review ssDNA formation and maturation during mitotic and meiotic recombination underlying the meiotic specific features. We describe and discuss the existence and properties of MEIOB and multiple RPA subunits in plants and highlight how they can provide meiosis-specific fates to ssDNA processing during homologous recombination. Understanding the functions of these RPA homologs and how they interact with the canonical RPA subunits is of major interest in the fields of meiosis and DNA repair.

  16. Validation of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SS-QOL): test of reliability and validity of the Danish version (SS-QOL-DK).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muus, Ingrid; Williams, Linda S; Ringsberg, Karin C

    2007-07-01

    To test the reliability and validity of the Danish version of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale version 2.0 (SS-QOL-DK), an instrument for evaluation of health-related quality of life. A correlational study. A stroke unit that provides acute care and rehabilitation for stroke patients in Frederiksborg County, Denmark. One hundred and fifty-two stroke survivors participated; 24 of these performed test-retest. Questionnaires were sent out and returned by mail. A subsequent telephone interview assessed functional level and missing items. Test-retest was measured using Spearman's r, internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach's alpha, and evaluation of floor and ceiling values in proportion of minimum and maximum scores. Construct validity was assessed by comparing patients' scores on the SS-QOL-DK with those obtained by other test methods: Beck's Depression Index, the General Health Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Barthel Index and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, evaluating shared variance using coefficient of determination, r2. Comparing groups with known scores assessed known-group validity. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed. Test-retest of SS-QOL-DK showed excellent stability, Spearman's r = 0.65-0.99. Internal consistency for all domains showed Cronbach's alpha = 0.81-0.94. Missing items rate was 1.0%. Most SS-QOL-DK domains showed moderately shared variance with similar domains of other test methods, r2 = 0.03-0.62. Groups with known differences showed statistically significant difference in scores. Item-to-scale correlation coefficients of 0.37-0.88 supported convergent validity. SS-QOL-DK is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring self-reported health-related quality of life on group level among people with mild to moderate stroke.

  17. Performance Evaluation of the T6 Ion Engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, John Steven; Goebel, Dan M.; Hofer, Richard R.; Polk, James E.; Wallace, Neil C.; Simpson, Huw

    2010-01-01

    The T6 ion engine is a 22-cm diameter, 4.5-kW Kaufman-type ion thruster produced by QinetiQ, Ltd., and is baselined for the European Space Agency BepiColombo mission to Mercury and is being qualified under ESA sponsorship for the extended range AlphaBus communications satellite platform. The heritage of the T6 includes the T5 ion thruster now successfully operating on the ESA GOCE spacecraft. As a part of the T6 development program, an engineering model thruster was subjected to a suite of performance tests and plume diagnostics at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The engine was mounted on a thrust stand and operated over its nominal throttle range of 2.5 to 4.5 kW. In addition to the typical electrical and flow measurements, an E x B mass analyzer, scanning Faraday probe, thrust vector probe, and several near-field probes were utilized. Thrust, beam divergence, double ion content, and thrust vector movement were all measured at four separate throttle points. The engine performance agreed well with published data on this thruster. At full power the T6 produced 143 mN of thrust at a specific impulse of 4120 seconds and an efficiency of 64%; optimization of the neutralizer for lower flow rates increased the specific impulse to 4300 seconds and the efficiency to nearly 66%. Measured beam divergence was less than, and double ion content was greater than, the ring-cusp-design NSTAR thruster that has flown on NASA missions. The measured thrust vector offset depended slightly on throttle level and was found to increase with time as the thruster approached thermal equilibrium.

  18. Možnosti přenosu signalizace SS7 přes IP síť s využitím ústředny YATE

    OpenAIRE

    Al-Anqari, Mhannad

    2013-01-01

    Diplomová Práce se věnuje problematikou signalizačního systému číslo 7 (SS7), a to zejména přenosem signalizace SS7 přes sítě na bázi IP protokolu. K ověření možností přenosu byla vytvořena konvergovaná síť s využitím Open Source PBX YATE, kde jsou potřebné protokoly implementovány. V úvodu diplomové práce je uveden popis signalizačního systému SS7, který je následován vysvětlením funkce každé z vrstev (MTP2 až aplikační) a přenášených zpráv síti SS7. Dále byla věnována pozornost protokolům, ...

  19. Sequential combination of k-t principle component analysis (PCA) and partial parallel imaging: k-t PCA GROWL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Haikun; Huang, Feng; Zhou, Hongmei; Chen, Huijun

    2017-03-01

    k-t principle component analysis (k-t PCA) is a distinguished method for high spatiotemporal resolution dynamic MRI. To further improve the accuracy of k-t PCA, a combination with partial parallel imaging (PPI), k-t PCA/SENSE, has been tested. However, k-t PCA/SENSE suffers from long reconstruction time and limited improvement. This study aims to improve the combination of k-t PCA and PPI on both reconstruction speed and accuracy. A sequential combination scheme called k-t PCA GROWL (GRAPPA operator for wider readout line) was proposed. The GRAPPA operator was performed before k-t PCA to extend each readout line into a wider band, which improved the condition of the encoding matrix in the following k-t PCA reconstruction. k-t PCA GROWL was tested and compared with k-t PCA and k-t PCA/SENSE on cardiac imaging. k-t PCA GROWL consistently resulted in better image quality compared with k-t PCA/SENSE at high acceleration factors for both retrospectively and prospectively undersampled cardiac imaging, with a much lower computation cost. The improvement in image quality became greater with the increase of acceleration factor. By sequentially combining the GRAPPA operator and k-t PCA, the proposed k-t PCA GROWL method outperformed k-t PCA/SENSE in both reconstruction speed and accuracy, suggesting that k-t PCA GROWL is a better combination scheme than k-t PCA/SENSE. Magn Reson Med 77:1058-1067, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  20. Novel Two-Component System of Streptococcus sanguinis Affecting Functions Associated with Viability in Saliva and Biofilm Formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camargo, Tarsila M; Stipp, Rafael N; Alves, Lívia A; Harth-Chu, Erika N; Höfling, José F; Mattos-Graner, Renata O

    2018-04-01

    Streptococcus sanguinis is a pioneer species of teeth and a common opportunistic pathogen of infective endocarditis. In this study, we identified a two-component system, S. sanguinis SptRS (SptRS Ss ), affecting S. sanguinis survival in saliva and biofilm formation. Isogenic mutants of sptR Ss (SKsptR) and sptS Ss (SKsptS) showed reduced cell counts in ex vivo assays of viability in saliva compared to those of parent strain SK36 and complemented mutants. Reduced counts of the mutants in saliva were associated with reduced growth rates in nutrient-poor medium (RPMI) and increased susceptibility to the deposition of C3b and the membrane attach complex (MAC) of the complement system, a defense component of saliva and serum. Conversely, sptR Ss and sptS Ss mutants showed increased biofilm formation associated with higher levels of production of H 2 O 2 and extracellular DNA. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) comparisons of strains indicated a global role of SptRS Ss in repressing genes for H 2 O 2 production (2.5- to 15-fold upregulation of spxB , spxR , vicR , tpk , and ackA in sptR Ss and sptS Ss mutants), biofilm formation, and/or evasion of host immunity (2.1- to 11.4-fold upregulation of srtA , pcsB , cwdP , iga , and nt5e ). Compatible with the homology of SptR Ss with AraC-type regulators, duplicate to multiple conserved repeats were identified in 1,000-bp regulatory regions of downstream genes, suggesting that SptR Ss regulates transcription by DNA looping. Significant transcriptional changes in the regulatory genes vicR , spxR , comE , comX , and mecA in the sptR Ss and sptS Ss mutants further indicated that SptRS Ss is part of a regulatory network that coordinates cell wall homeostasis, H 2 O 2 production, and competence. This study reveals that SptRS Ss is involved in the regulation of crucial functions for S. sanguinis persistence in the oral cavity. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

  1. THE Be STAR SPECTRA (BeSS) DATABASE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neiner, C.; De Batz, B.; Cochard, F.; Floquet, M.; Mekkas, A.; Desnoux, V.

    2011-01-01

    Be stars vary on many timescales, from hours to decades. A long time base of observations to analyze certain phenomena in these stars is therefore necessary. Collecting all existing and future Be star spectra into one database has thus emerged as an important tool for the Be star community. Moreover, for statistical studies, it is useful to have centralized information on all known Be stars via an up-to-date catalog. These two goals are what the Be Star Spectra (BeSS, http://basebe.obspm.fr) database proposes to achieve. The database contains an as-complete-as-possible catalog of known Be stars with stellar parameters, as well as spectra of Be stars from all origins (any wavelength, any epoch, any resolution, etc.). It currently contains over 54,000 spectra of more than 600 different Be stars among the ∼2000 Be stars in the catalog. A user can access and query this database to retrieve information on Be stars or spectra. Registered members can also upload spectra to enrich the database. Spectra obtained by professional as well as amateur astronomers are individually validated in terms of format and science before being included in BeSS. In this paper, we present the database itself as well as examples of the use of BeSS data in terms of statistics and the study of individual stars.

  2. Digitaalisen markkinoinnin keinoja internetin vuorovaikutteisessa ympäristössä : markkinointiresurssien suuntaaminen internetissä

    OpenAIRE

    Ellonen, Niko

    2013-01-01

    Tämä opinnäytetyö keskittyy digitaaliseen markkinointiin ja markkinointiresurssien suuntaamiseen internetin vuorovaikutteisessa ympäristössä. Markkinointi on myynnin kasvua tukeva toiminto, jonka tavoitteena on luoda ja tuottaa asiakkaille arvoa ja hallita asiakassuhteita tavoilla, jotka hyödyttävät yritystä ja sen sidosryhmiä. Digitaalinen markkinointi on digitaalisessa muodossa tai mediassa tehtyä markkinointia. Tutkimuksen alussa käsitellään ensin yleisesti markkinoinnin määritelmää ...

  3. Toimintolaskennan soveltaminen : Case Hyvönen Yhtiöt Oy

    OpenAIRE

    Hyvönen, Krista

    2014-01-01

    ssä opinnäytetyössä kehitetään toimeksiantajayrityksenä toimivalle Hyvönen Yhtiöt Oy:lle toimintolaskentaa hyödyntävä kustannuslaskentamalli. Tehdyn kehitystyön tavoitteena on luoda kohdeyritykselle täysin uudenlainen kustannuslaskentamalli, joka näyttää kustannukset uudesta näkökulmasta erilaisen ryhmittelyn ansiosta sekä selvittää toimintolaskennan soveltuvuutta yrityksen palvelukohtaisten kustannusten laskemiseen. Tutkimustehtävänä on selvittää, miten toimintolaskentaa voidaan soveltaa H...

  4. Is PiSS Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Associated with Disease?

    OpenAIRE

    McGee, Dawn; Schwarz, Laura; McClure, Rebecca; Peterka, Lauren; Rouhani, Farshid; Brantly, Mark; Strange, Charlie

    2010-01-01

    Background. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAT) is an inherited condition that predisposes to lung and/or liver disease. Objective. The current study examined the clinical features of the PiSS genotype. Methods. Nineteen study participants (PiSS) and 29 matched control participants (PiMM) were telephone interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Demographic features, cigarette smoking, vocation, medication history, and clinical diagnoses were compared. Statistical analysis was perform...

  5. Basic studies on the role of components of Bacillus megaterium as flotation biocollectors in sulphide mineral separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasanthakumar, Balasubramanian; Ravishankar, Honnavar; Subramanian, Sankaran

    2014-03-01

    Studies were carried out to assess the utility of the cellular and extracellular constituents of Bacillus megaterium for the flotation of sphalerite and galena minerals. Based on the flotation results on the individual minerals, it was observed that sphalerite was preferentially floated compared to galena. A maximum selectivity index (SI) value of 11.7 was achieved in the presence of the soluble fraction of the thermolysed cells, which was higher than that obtained with the intact cells (SI of 6.5) and the insoluble fraction of the thermolysed cells (SI of 9.6). The results of the various enzymatic treatment tests revealed that extracellular DNA played a vital role in the selective flotation of sphalerite. A noteworthy finding was that the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) had a higher biocollector capacity vis-à-vis the double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), leading to better flotation efficiency. About 95 % recovery of sphalerite could be achieved from the mineral mixture by the combined addition of the ssDNA with the non-DNA components of the bacterial cells, resulting in a maximum SI of 19.1. Calcium and phosphate components of the nutrient media were found to be essential for better selectivity of separation of sphalerite. The mechanisms of microbe-mineral interaction are discussed.

  6. How to Distinguish Patients with pSS among Individuals with Dryness without Invasive Diagnostic Studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agata Sebastian

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In the course of pSS, inflammatory cell infiltration consists mainly of lymphocytes infiltrating exocrine glands, which leads to their impaired function. The characteristic feature is generalized dryness. The aim of this study was to attempt to answer the question whether it is possible to distinguish between patients with pSS and individuals with dryness caused by other pathologies without applying invasive studies. The study included 68 patients with pSS and 43 healthy controls with dryness. FS ≥ 1 was observed in 90% of patients with pSS (with or without dryness, and only in 23% of the control group (only with xerostomia. In the pSS group, anaemia (p=0.0085, lymphocytopenia (p=0.0006, elevated ERS (p=0.001, higher RF titer, and ANA antibodies were noted. Configuration of anti-SSA + SSB + Ro52 antibodies was characteristic for the pSS group. Considering the clinical symptoms, statistically significant differences were noted between pSS patients and the control group in frequency (p=0.02 and severity (p=0.042 of fatigue, lymphadenopathy, major salivary gland involvement, and photosensitivity to UV light. In conclusion, invasive methods are pivotal in pSS diagnosis in this salivary gland biopsy. Chronic fatigue syndrome is more common in pSS patients and can be subjective distinguishing factor in the group of people with dryness.

  7. Osakkeenomistajan kunnossapitovastuu ja muutostyöoikeus asunto-osakeyhtiössä

    OpenAIRE

    Kujanpää, Vesa

    2010-01-01

    Opinnäytetyössä oli tavoitteena selvittää 01.07.2010 muuttuneen asunto-osakeyhtiölain mukaista osakkeenomistajan kunnossapitovastuuta sekä oikeutta tehdä muutostöitä omistamassaan osakehuoneistossa. Lisäksi työssä käsiteltiin uuden lain mukaista korjaustyöhön liittyvää ilmoitus- ja lupamenettelyä. Työssä tutkittiin lain soveltamista käytäntöön ja pohdittiin lainmukaisen toiminnan tuomia lisäkustannuksia ja niiden oikeaa tasoa. Lisäksi työn tavoitteena oli auttaa isännöitsijöitä ymmärtämään, ...

  8. The type VI secretion system impacts bacterial invasion and population dynamics in a model intestinal microbiota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Savannah L.; Shields, Drew S.; Hammer, Brian K.; Xavier, Joao B.; Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

    Animal gastrointestinal tracts are home to a diverse community of microbes. The mechanisms by which microbial species interact and compete in this dense, physically dynamic space are poorly understood, limiting our understanding of how natural communities are assembled and how different communities could be engineered. Here, we focus on a physical mechanism for competition: the type VI secretion system (T6SS). The T6SS is a syringe-like organelle used by certain bacteria to translocate effector proteins across the cell membranes of target bacterial cells, killing them. Here, we use T6SS+ and T6SS- strains of V. cholerae, the pathogen that causes cholera in humans, and light sheet fluorescence microscopy for in vivo imaging to show that the T6SS provides an advantage to strains colonizing the larval zebrafish gut. Furthermore, we show that T6SS+ bacteria can invade and alter an existing population of a different species in the zebrafish gut, reducing its abundance and changing the form of its population dynamics. This work both demonstrates a mechanism for altering the gut microbiota with an invasive species and explores the processes controlling the stability and dynamics of the gut ecosystem. Research Corporation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.

  9. The gonococcal genetic island and type IV secretion in the pathogenic Neisseria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meghan E Ramsey

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Eighty percent of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains and some Neisseria meningitidis strains encode a 57 kb gonococcal genetic island (GGI. The GGI was horizontally acquired and is inserted in the chromosome at the replication terminus. The GGI is flanked by direct repeats, and site-specific recombination at these sites results in excision of the GGI and may be responsible for its original acquisition. Although the role of the GGI in N. meningitidis is unclear, the GGI in N. gonorrhoeae encodes a type IV secretion system (T4SS. Type IV secretion systems are versatile multi-protein complexes and include both conjugation systems as well as effector systems that translocate either proteins or DNA-protein complexes. In N. gonorrhoeae, the T4SS secretes single-stranded chromosomal DNA into the extracellular milieu in a contact-independent manner. Importantly, the DNA secreted through the T4SS is effective in natural transformation and therefore contributes to the spread of genetic information through Neisseria populations. Mutagenesis experiments have identified genes for DNA secretion including those encoding putative structural components of the apparatus, peptidoglycanases which may act in assembly, and relaxosome components for processing the DNA and delivering it to the apparatus. The T4SS may also play a role in infection by N. gonorrhoeae. During intracellular infection, N. gonorrhoeae requires the Ton complex for iron acquisition and survival. However, N. gonorrhoeae strains that do not express the Ton complex can survive intracellularly if they express structural components of the T4SS. These data provide evidence that the T4SS is expressed during intracellular infection and suggest that the T4SS may provide an advantage for intracellular survival. Here we review our current understanding of how the GGI and type IV secretion affect natural transformation and pathogenesis in N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis.

  10. Solid waste operations complex engineering verification program plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergeson, C.L.

    1994-01-01

    This plan supersedes, but does not replace, the previous Waste Receiving and Processing/Solid Waste Engineering Development Program Plan. In doing this, it does not repeat the basic definitions of the various types or classes of development activities nor provide the rigorous written description of each facility and assign the equipment to development classes. The methodology described in the previous document is still valid and was used to determine the types of verification efforts required. This Engineering Verification Program Plan will be updated on a yearly basis. This EVPP provides programmatic definition of all engineering verification activities for the following SWOC projects: (1) Project W-026 - Waste Receiving and Processing Facility Module 1; (2) Project W-100 - Waste Receiving and Processing Facility Module 2A; (3) Project W-112 - Phase V Storage Facility; and (4) Project W-113 - Solid Waste Retrieval. No engineering verification activities are defined for Project W-112 as no verification work was identified. The Acceptance Test Procedures/Operational Test Procedures will be part of each project's Title III operation test efforts. The ATPs/OTPs are not covered by this EVPP

  11. Mediterranean glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDC563T) mutation among jordanian females with acute hemolytic crisis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jabbar, A.A.; Kanakiri, N.; Kamil, M.; Rimawi, H.S.A.

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate the G6PDC563T Mediterranean mutation among Jordanian females who were admitted to Princess Rahma Teaching Hospital (PRTH) with/or previous history of favism. Study Design: A descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Jordanian University of Science and Technology and PRTH, from October 2003 to October 2004. Methodology: After obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee of Jordanian University of Science and Technology, a total of 32 females were included in this study. Samples from 15 healthy individual females were used as a negative control. Blood samples from these patients were collected and analyzed by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) to determine the G6PDC563T mutation. Results: Twenty one out of 32 patients were found to be G6PDC563T Mediterranean mutation (65.6%) positive. Three out of 21 patients were homozygous and remaining 18 were heterozygous for G6PDC563T Mediterranean mutation. Eleven (34.4%) out of 32 patients were found to be negative for G6PDC563T mutation indicating the presence of other G6PD mutations in the study sample. Conclusion: G6PDC563T Mediterranean mutation accounted for 65.6% of the study sample with favism in the North of Jordan. There is likely to be another G6PD deficiency variant implicated in acute hemolytic crisis (favism). (author)

  12. Comparative genomic analysis uncovers 3 novel loci encoding type six secretion systems differentially distributed in Salmonella serotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santiviago Carlos A

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The recently described Type VI Secretion System (T6SS represents a new paradigm of protein secretion in bacteria. A number of bioinformatic studies have been conducted to identify T6SS gene clusters in the available bacterial genome sequences. According to these studies, Salmonella harbors a unique T6SS encoded in the Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 6 (SPI-6. Since these studies only considered few Salmonella genomes, the present work aimed to identify novel T6SS loci by in silico analysis of every genome sequence of Salmonella available. Results The analysis of sequencing data from 44 completed or in progress Salmonella genome projects allowed the identification of 3 novel T6SS loci. These clusters are located in differentially-distributed genomic islands we designated SPI-19, SPI-20 and SPI-21, respectively. SPI-19 was identified in a subset of S. enterica serotypes including Dublin, Weltevreden, Agona, Gallinarum and Enteritidis. In the later, an internal deletion eliminated most of the island. On the other hand, SPI-20 and SPI-21 were restricted to S. enterica subspecies arizonae (IIIa serotype 62:z4,z23:-. Remarkably, SPI-21 encodes a VgrG protein containing a C-terminal extension similar to S-type pyocins of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This is not only the first evolved VgrG described in Salmonella, but also the first evolved VgrG including a pyocin domain described so far in the literature. In addition, the data indicate that SPI-6 T6SS is widely distributed in S. enterica and absent in serotypes Enteritidis, Gallinarum, Agona, Javiana, Paratyphi B, Virchow, IIIa 62:z4,z23:- and IIIb 61:1,v:1,5,(7. Interestingly, while some serotypes harbor multiple T6SS (Dublin, Weltvreden and IIIa 62:z4,z23:- others do not encode for any (Enteritidis, Paratyphi B, Javiana, Virchow and IIIb 61:1,v:1,5,(7. Comparative and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the 4 T6SS loci in Salmonella have a distinct evolutionary history. Finally, we

  13. Previously unknown and highly divergent ssDNA viruses populate the oceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labonté, Jessica M; Suttle, Curtis A

    2013-11-01

    Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses are economically important pathogens of plants and animals, and are widespread in oceans; yet, the diversity and evolutionary relationships among marine ssDNA viruses remain largely unknown. Here we present the results from a metagenomic study of composite samples from temperate (Saanich Inlet, 11 samples; Strait of Georgia, 85 samples) and subtropical (46 samples, Gulf of Mexico) seawater. Most sequences (84%) had no evident similarity to sequenced viruses. In total, 608 putative complete genomes of ssDNA viruses were assembled, almost doubling the number of ssDNA viral genomes in databases. These comprised 129 genetically distinct groups, each represented by at least one complete genome that had no recognizable similarity to each other or to other virus sequences. Given that the seven recognized families of ssDNA viruses have considerable sequence homology within them, this suggests that many of these genetic groups may represent new viral families. Moreover, nearly 70% of the sequences were similar to one of these genomes, indicating that most of the sequences could be assigned to a genetically distinct group. Most sequences fell within 11 well-defined gene groups, each sharing a common gene. Some of these encoded putative replication and coat proteins that had similarity to sequences from viruses infecting eukaryotes, suggesting that these were likely from viruses infecting eukaryotic phytoplankton and zooplankton.

  14. Association analysis of polymorphism in KiSS1 gene with reproductive traits in goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Tarabany, Mahmoud S; Zaglool, Asmaa W; El-Tarabany, Akram A; Awad, Ashraf

    2017-05-01

    Understanding the genetic information of related genes is helpful for the selection and breeding course through marker assisted selection. The aim of the current study was to detect polymorphisms of the KiSS1 gene in 137 animals, including Baladi, Zaraibi and Damascus goat breeds by PCR-RFLP, and DNA sequencing and to investigate the association between these variants and reproductive traits. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence indicated the substitution of T with A at position 121 (T121A) in the intron 1 of the KiSS1 gene in all goat breeds. This substitution distorts the restriction site of the XmnI restriction enzyme and consequently two genotypes were detected (TA and TT). The T121A SNP is associated significantly with litter size in Damascus and Zaribi breeds (p=0.025 and 0.001, respectively). The animals with the TT genotype in Damascus and Zaribi breeds had a significantly higher estradiol 17β level than that recorded in TA genotype at estrus phase (p=0.013 and 0.028, respectively) and late-luteal phase (p=0.067 and 0.041, respectively) of the estrus cycle. Furthermore, animals with the TT genotype in Damascus and Zaribi breeds had significant higher progesterone level at mid-luteal (p=0.037 and 0.045, respectively) phase. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in progesterone level in late-luteal phase between both genotypes in Zaribi breed (p=0.267). The current trial indicated that the prolific TT genotype in both Damascus and Zaribi breeds had superior estradiol 17β level at estrus phase and an eminent progesterone level at both early and mid-luteal phases of the estrous cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Correlation among the cytokines levels in the bronco-alveolar lavage in a cohort of patient of the Central Military Hospital, with systemic sclerosis (SS), with and without alveolitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mejia, Rossana; Velez, Patricia; Avila, Luz Mabel; Pernett, Frank; Giraldo, Luis Fernando; Amaya, Betty; Mejia, Adriana; Londono J, John; Valle, Rafael

    2003-01-01

    Systemic sclerosis (SS) is a generalized connective tissue disorder characterized clinically by thickening and fibrosis of the skin and by distinctive forms of involvement of internal organs, notably the heart, lungs, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. We analyzed nineteen patients with SS 9 with SSI, 10 with SSd and two healthy controls. All patients were evaluated by comprise of skin, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Pulmonary assessments were performed with chest radiography, high-resolution computerized tomography, vital capacity, forced expiratory volume and bronchoalveolar lavage (cellular counts and measured interleukin). The interleukin's levels of IL 6, IL 1 β IL 8, and TNFα were found increased in all patients with SS, but not in healthy controls. The interleukin's level in SSd patients tended to be higher than in SSI patients, but this difference only reach statistical significance with interleukins 6. Lung involvement in SS is associated with an increase in interleukin's levels in BAL fluids, but this difference only reach statistical significance with the interleukins 6 lL 1β and TNFα

  16. TIMES-SS - A mechanistic evaluation of an external validation study using reaction chemistry principles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roberts, David W.; Patlewicz, Grace; Dimitrov, Sabcho D.

    2007-01-01

    The TImes MEtabolism Simulator platform used for predicting skin sensitization (TIMES-SS) is a hybrid expert system that was developed at Bourgas University using funding and data from a consortium comprised of industry and regulators. TIMES-SS encodes structure-toxicity and structure...... chemicals in the murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) and then compared with predictions made by TIMES-SS. The results were promising with an overall good concordance (83%) between experimental and predicted values. The LLNA results were evaluated with respect to reaction chemistry principles...... for sensitization. Additional testing on a further four chemicals was carried out to explore some of the specific reaction chemistry findings in more detail. Improvements for TIMES-SS, where appropriate, were put forward together with proposals for further research work. TIMES-SS is a promising tool to aid...

  17. To investigate the necessity of STRA6 upregulation in T cells during T cell immune responses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafik Terra

    Full Text Available Our earlier study revealed that STRA6 (stimulated by retinoic acid gene 6 was up-regulated within 3 h of TCR stimulation. STRA6 is the high-affinity receptor for plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP and mediates cellular vitamin A uptake. We generated STRA6 knockout (KO mice to assess whether such up-regulation was critical for T-cell activation, differentiation and function. STRA6 KO mice under vitamin A sufficient conditions were fertile without apparent anomalies upon visual inspection. The size, cellularity and lymphocyte subpopulations of STRA6 KO thymus and spleen were comparable to those of their wild type (WT controls. KO and WT T cells were similar in terms of TCR-stimulated proliferation in vitro and homeostatic expansion in vivo. Naive KO CD4 cells differentiated in vitro into Th1, Th2, Th17 as well as regulatory T cells in an analogous manner as their WT counterparts. In vivo experiments revealed that anti-viral immune responses to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in KO mice were comparable to those of WT controls. We also demonstrated that STRA6 KO and WT mice had similar glucose tolerance. Total vitamin A levels are dramatically lower in the eyes of KO mice as compared to those of WT mice, but the levels in other organs were not significantly affected after STRA6 deletion under vitamin A sufficient conditions, indicating that the eye is the mouse organ most sensitive to the loss of STRA6. Our results demonstrate that 1 in vitamin A sufficiency, the deletion of STRA6 in T cells does no affect the T-cell immune responses so-far tested, including those depend on STAT5 signaling; 2 STRA6-independent vitamin A uptake compensated the lack of STRA6 in lymphoid organs under vitamin A sufficient conditions in mice; 3 STRA6 is critical for vitamin A uptake in the eyes even in vitamin A sufficiency.

  18. NEXAFS characterization of DNA components and molecular-orientation of surface-bound DNA oligomers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samuel, Newton T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Gamble, Lara J.; Fischer, Daniel A.; Castner, David G.

    2006-01-01

    Single stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNA) immobilized onto solid surfaces forms the basis for several biotechnological applications such as DNA microarrays, affinity separations, and biosensors. Surface structure of Surface-bound oligomers is expected to significantly influence their biological activity and interactions with the environment. In this study near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is used to characterize the components of DNA (nucleobases, nucleotides and nucleosides) and the orientation information of surface-bound ssDNA. The K-edges of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have spectra with features that are characteristic of the different chemical species present in the nucleobases of DNA. The effect of addition of the DNA sugar and phosphate components on the NEXAFS K-edge spectra was also investigated. The polarization-dependent nitrogen K-edge NEXAFS data show significant changes for different orientations of surface bound ssDNA. These results establish NEXAFS as a powerful technique for chemical and structural characterization of surface-bound DNA oligomers

  19. Chiral synthesis of (Z)-3-cis-6,7-cis-9,10-diepoxyhenicosenes, sex pheromone components of the satin moth, Leucoma salicis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimalaratne, Priyantha D C; Slessor, Keith N

    2004-06-01

    All four isomers of (Z)-3-cis-6,7-cis-9,10-diepoxyhenicosenes, 1-4, have been synthesized using D-xylose as the chirally pure starting material. D-Xylose was first converted to 2-deoxy-4,5-O-isopropylidene-3-t-butyldimethylsilyl-D-threopentose 11, via several steps of selective protection, dehydroxylation, and deprotection. Wittig coupling of 11 with nonyltriphenylphosphonium bromide followed by hydrogenation and acid catalyzed deprotection of hydroxyl groups yielded the chiral (2R,3R)-1,2,3-triol, 14, which was used as the precursor for the C-8 to C-21 unit of the (Z)-3-cis-6,7-cis-9,10-diepoxyhenicosenes. Selective tosylation of 14 followed by stereospecific cyclization yielded (2R,3R)-1,2-epoxytetradecan-3-ol, 16, which was then divergently converted to the t-butyldimethylsilyl ether 17 and tosylate 22, respectively. Establishment of the C-5 through C-7 unit of the target molecules was accomplished via regiospecific coupling of 17 with 1-t-butyldimethylsiloxy-2-propyne to form 18. Stepwise transformation of 18 via the formation of tosylate 19, desilylation, and stereospecific cyclization to form epoxy alcohol 20, followed by P2-Ni reduction yielded a key intermediate, allylic epoxy alcohol (Z)-2-(5S,6R)-cis-5,6-epoxyheptadecen-1-ol, 21. Similarly, the coupling of 22 with 1-t-butyldimethylsiloxy-2-propyne yielded 23, which was stereospecifically cyclized to form 24. Desilylation and P2-Ni reduction of 24 gave the antipodal intermediate, (Z)-2-(5R,6S)-cis-5,6-epoxyheptadecen-1-ol, 26. Asymmetric epoxidation of antipodes 21 and 26 with (L)- or (D)-diethyl tartrates resulted in the formation of diepoxy alcohols 27 and 29 from 21, and 33 and 31 from 26, respectively. Tosylation of these diepoxy alcohols followed by coupling with lithium dibutenyl cuprate yielded the four stereoisomers of (Z)-3-cis-6,7-cis-9,10-diepoxyhenicosenes, 1-4. Analysis of the retention characteristics of these materials revealed that one or both of the S*,R*,S*,R* stereoisomers comprise the

  20. An ABC transporter and an outer membrane lipoprotein participate in posttranslational activation of type VI secretion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casabona, Maria G; Silverman, Julie M; Sall, Khady M; Boyer, Frédéric; Couté, Yohann; Poirel, Jessica; Grunwald, Didier; Mougous, Joseph D; Elsen, Sylvie; Attree, Ina

    2013-02-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa is capable of injecting protein toxins into other bacterial cells through one of its three type VI secretion systems (T6SSs). The activity of this T6SS is tightly regulated on the posttranslational level by phosphorylation-dependent and -independent pathways. The phosphorylation-dependent pathway consists of a Threonine kinase/phosphatase pair (PpkA/PppA) that acts on a forkhead domain-containing protein, Fha1, and a periplasmic protein, TagR, that positively regulates PpkA. In the present work, we biochemically and functionally characterize three additional proteins of the phosphorylation-dependent regulatory cascade that controls T6S activation: TagT, TagS and TagQ. We show that similar to TagR, these proteins act upstream of the PpkA/PppA checkpoint and influence phosphorylation of Fha1 and, apparatus assembly and effector export. Localization studies demonstrate that TagQ is an outer membrane lipoprotein and TagR is associated with the outer membrane. Consistent with their homology to lipoprotein outer membrane localization (Lol) components, TagT and TagS form a stable inner membrane complex with ATPase activity. However, we find that outer membrane association of T6SS lipoproteins TagQ and TssJ1, and TagR, is unaltered in a ΔtagTS background. Notably, we found that TagQ is indispensible for anchoring of TagR to the outer membrane fraction. As T6S-dependent fitness of P. aeruginosa requires TagT, S, R and Q, we conclude that these proteins likely participate in a trans-membrane signalling pathway that promotes H1-T6SS activity under optimal environmental conditions. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  1. PREFACE: The 4th Symposium on the Mechanics of Slender Structures (MoSS2013)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Dengqing; Kaczmarczyk, Stefan

    2013-07-01

    This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains papers presented at the 4th Symposium on the Mechanics of Slender Structures (MoSS2013) run under the auspices of the Institute of Physics Applied Mechanics Group and hosted by Harbin Institute of Technology (China) from 7-9 January 2013. The conference has been organized in collaboration with the Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and follows a one day seminar on Ropes, Cables, Belts and Chains: Theory and Applications and the MoSS2006 symposium held at the University of Northampton (UK) in 2004 and 2006, respectively, the MoSS2008 symposium held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA) in 2008 and the MoSS2010 symposium hosted by Mondragon University and held in San Sebastian (Spain) in 2010. The remit of the Symposium on the Mechanics of Slender Structures series involves a broad range of scientific areas. Applications of slender structures include terrestrial, marine and space systems. Moving elastic elements such as ropes, cables, belts and tethers are pivotal components of many engineering systems. Their lengths often vary when the system is in operation. The applications include vertical transportation installations and, more recently, space tether propulsion systems. Traction drive elevator installations employ ropes and belts of variable length as a means of suspension, and also for the compensation of tensile forces over the traction sheave. In cranes and mine hoists, cables and ropes are subject to length variation in order to carry payloads. Tethers experiencing extension and retraction are important components of offshore and marine installations, as well as being proposed for a variety of different space vehicle propulsion systems based on different applications of momentum exchange and electrodynamic interactions with planetary magnetic fields. Furthermore, cables and slender rods are used extensively in civil engineering

  2. Structure of the type IV secretion system in different strains of Anaplasma phagocytophilum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Al-Khedery Basima

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an intracellular organism in the Order Rickettsiales that infects diverse animal species and is causing an emerging disease in humans, dogs and horses. Different strains have very different cell tropisms and virulence. For example, in the U.S., strains have been described that infect ruminants but not dogs or rodents. An intriguing question is how the strains of A. phagocytophilum differ and what different genome loci are involved in cell tropisms and/or virulence. Type IV secretion systems (T4SS are responsible for translocation of substrates across the cell membrane by mechanisms that require contact with the recipient cell. They are especially important in organisms such as the Rickettsiales which require T4SS to aid colonization and survival within both mammalian and tick vector cells. We determined the structure of the T4SS in 7 strains from the U.S. and Europe and revised the sequence of the repetitive virB6 locus of the human HZ strain. Results Although in all strains the T4SS conforms to the previously described split loci for vir genes, there is great diversity within these loci among strains. This is particularly evident in the virB2 and virB6 which are postulated to encode the secretion channel and proteins exposed on the bacterial surface. VirB6-4 has an unusual highly repetitive structure and can have a molecular weight greater than 500,000. For many of the virs, phylogenetic trees position A. phagocytophilum strains infecting ruminants in the U.S. and Europe distant from strains infecting humans and dogs in the U.S. Conclusions Our study reveals evidence of gene duplication and considerable diversity of T4SS components in strains infecting different animals. The diversity in virB2 is in both the total number of copies, which varied from 8 to 15 in the herein characterized strains, and in the sequence of each copy. The diversity in virB6 is in the sequence of each of the 4 copies in

  3. Interrupted thymidylate synthase gene of bacteriophages T2 and T6 and other potential self-splicing introns in the T-even bacteriophages

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chu, F.K.; Maley, F.; Martinez, J.; Maley, G.F.

    1987-01-01

    Southern hybridization analyses of procaryotic DNA from Escherchia coli, λ bacteriophage, and T1 to T7 phages were carried out. The hybridization probes used consisted of DNA restriction fragments derived from the T4 phage intron-containing thymidylate synthase gene (td) and short synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides defining specific exon and intron regions of the gene. It was shown that intact as well as restricted DNA from the T-even phages hybridized not only to both T4 phage td intron- and exon-specific probes but also to probes defining the td 5' (exon I-intron) and 3' (intron-exon II) presplice junctions. These data strongly suggest that, analogous to the T4 phage, only the T2 and T6 phages among the procaryotes tested contain interrupted td genes. The td intervening sequence in each phage is roughly 1 kilobase pair (kb) in size and interrupts the td gene at a site analogous to that in the T4 phage. This was confirmed by data from Northern (RNA) hybridization analysis of td-specific in vitro transcripts of these phage DNAs. [α- 32 P]GTP in vitro labeling of total RNA from T4 phage-infected cells produced five species of labeled RNAs that were 1, 0.9, 0.83, 0.75, and 0.6 kb in size. Only the 1-, 0.9-, and 0.75-kb species were labeled in RNA from T2- or T6-infected cells. The commonly present 1-kb RNA is the excised td intron, which exists in both linear and circular forms in the respective T-even-phage-infected cells, while the 0.6-kb RNA unique to T4 may be the excised intron derived from the ribonucleotide reductase small subunit gene (nrdB) of the phage. The remaining labeled RNA species are likely candidates for other self-splicing introns

  4. Design basis ground motion (Ss) required on new regulatory guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamae, Katsuhiro

    2013-01-01

    New regulatory guide is enforced on July 8. Here, it is introduced how the design basis ground motion (Ss) for seismic design of nuclear power reactor facilities was revised on the new guide. Ss is formulated as two types of earthquake ground motions, earthquake ground motions with site specific earthquake source and with no such specific source locations. The latter is going to be revised based on the recent observed near source ground motions. (author)

  5. Combined Corrosion and Wear of Aluminium Alloy 7075-T6

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Liu, Y.; Mol, J.M.C.; Janssen, G.C.A.M.

    2016-01-01

    The aluminium alloy 7075-T6 is widely used in engineering. In some applications, like slurry transport, corrosion and abrasion occur simultaneously, resulting in early material failure. In the present work, we investigated the combined effect of corrosion and wear on the aluminium alloy 7075-T6. We

  6. Nuorisopsykiatrisessa hoitotyössä jaksaminen, kun itsellä alaikäisiä lapsia

    OpenAIRE

    Kuuslehto, Marianna; Niemi, Mari

    2014-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kuvata sairaanhoitajien jaksamista nuorisopsykiatrisessa hoitotyössä, kun heillä itsellään on alaikäisiä lapsia. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on saada tietoa, millaisena sairaanhoitajat kokevat työssäjaksamisen nuorisopsykiatrisessa hoitotyössä, kun itsellä on alaikäisiä lapsia. Tavoitteena on myös saada tietoa sairaanhoitajien työssäjaksamisen keinoista ja nuorisopsykiatrisen työn kuormittavuustekijöistä. Opinnäytetytön avulla saatavaa tietoa voidaan hyödyn...

  7. Analytical Investigation of the Cyclic Behavior of Smart Recentering T-Stub Components with Superelastic SMA Bolts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junwon Seo

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Partially restrained (PR bolted T-stub connections have been widely used in replacement of established fully restrained (FR welded connections, which are susceptible to sudden brittle failure. These bolted T-stub connections can permit deformation, easily exceeding the allowable limit without any fracture because they are constructed with a design philosophy whereby the plastic deformation concentrates on bolt fasteners made of ductile steel materials. Thus, the PR bolted connections take advantage of excellent energy dissipation capacity in their moment and rotation behavior. However, a considerable amount of residual deformation may occur at the bolted connection subjected to excessive plastic deformation, thereby requiring additional costs to recover the original configuration. In this study, superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA bolts, which have a recentering capability upon unloading, are fabricated so as to solve these drawbacks, and utilized by replacing conventional steel bolts in the PR bolted T-stub connection. Instead of the full-scale T-stub connection, simplified T-stub components subjected to axial force are designed on the basis of a basic equilibrium theory that transfers the bending moment from the beam to the column and can be converted into equivalent couple forces acting on the beam flange. The feasible failure modes followed by corresponding response mechanisms are taken into consideration for component design with superelastic SMA bolts. The inelastic behaviors of such T-stub components under cyclic loading are simulated by advanced three-dimensional (3D finite element (FE analysis. Finally, this study suggests an optimal design for smart recentering T-stub components with respect to recentering and energy dissipation after observing the FE analysis results.

  8. Applying independent component analysis to clinical fMRI at 7 T

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Daniel Robinson

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Increased BOLD sensitivity at 7 T offers the possibility to increase the reliability of fMRI, but ultra-high field is also associated with an increase in artifacts related to head motion, Nyquist ghosting and parallel imaging reconstruction errors. In this study, the ability of Independent Component Analysis (ICA to separate activation from these artifacts was assessed in a 7 T study of neurological patients performing chin and hand motor tasks. ICA was able to isolate primary motor activation with negligible contamination by motion effects. The results of General Linear Model (GLM analysis of these data were, in contrast, heavily contaminated by motion. Secondary motor areas, basal ganglia and thalamus involvement were apparent in ICA results, but there was low capability to isolate activation in the same brain regions in the GLM analysis, indicating that ICA was more sensitive as well as more specific. A method was developed to simplify the assessment of the large number of independent components. Task-related activation components could be automatically identified via intuitive and effective features. These findings demonstrate that ICA is a practical and sensitive analysis approach in high field fMRI studies, particularly where motion is evoked. Promising applications of ICA in clinical fMRI include presurgical planning and the study of pathologies affecting subcortical brain areas.

  9. Stress corrosion cracking of 316 SS and Incoloy-800 in high temperature aqueous containing sulfate and chloride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Weiguo; Lin Fangliang; Gao Fengqin; Zhou Hongyi; Cao Xiaoning

    1992-03-01

    The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of 316 stainless steel (SS) which was welded for primary pipe and Incoloy-800 (shot peening) for steam generator (SG) tube have been investigated by a slow strain rate test (SSRT) at a strain rate of 4.2 x 10 -6 /s. Tests were conducted at 315 C degree for 316 SS and 270 C degree for In-800 in the oxygenated simulated resin intrusion environment (acidic sulfate). Tests of the effect of combination of SO 4 2- and Cl - on SCC of Incoloy-800 were also carried out. The results indicate that Incoloy-800 is unsusceptible to SCC either in the environment with SO 4 2- (from a few ppm to 1000 ppm, pH 3 ∼ 4) or in the environment of combination of SO 4 2- (1000 ppm) and Cl - (from 2 to 1000 ppm). The 316 NG SS is susceptible to transgranular stress corrosion cracking (TGSCC) in the resin intrusion environment with SO 4 2- in high temperature water

  10. Efficient Asymmetric Synthesis of S,S-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derisvaldo Rosa Paiva

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Diastereoselective synthesis of SS-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanol by reduction of SS-2-methylsulfanyl-2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone optically enriched demonstrating to be highly efficiency using the sulfanyl group as asymmetric induction control agent during an addition reaction to carbonyl group.The 2-methylsulfinyl-1-indanone was obtained for the first time in one unique step without further oxidation steps. The synthesis of SR, SS of 2-methylsulphinyl-1-indanone optically enriched in good yield and good enantiomeric excess determined by nuclear magnetic resonance technique employing the Kagan reagent as chiral shift agent.

  11. Synergistic Protective Effects of Mitochondrial Division Inhibitor 1 and Mitochondria-Targeted Small Peptide SS31 in Alzheimer's Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, P Hemachandra; Manczak, Maria; Yin, XiangLing; Reddy, Arubala P

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of our study was to determine the synergistic protective effects of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SS31 and mitochondria division inhibitor 1 (Mdivi1) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using biochemical methods, we assessed mitochondrial function by measuring the levels of hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, cytochrome c oxidase activity, mitochondrial ATP, and GTPase Drp1 enzymatic activity in mutant AβPP cells. Using biochemical methods, we also measured cell survival and apoptotic cell death. Amyloid-β (Aβ) levels were measured using sandwich ELISA, and using real-time quantitative RT-PCR, we assessed mtDNA (mtDNA) copy number in relation to nuclear DNA (nDNA) in all groups of cells. We found significantly reduced levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42 in mutant AβPP cells treated with SS31, Mdivi1, and SS31+Mdivi1, and the reduction of Aβ42 levels were much higher in SS31+Mdivi1 treated cells than individual treatments of SS31 and Mdivi1. The levels of mtDNA copy number and cell survival were significantly increased in SS31, Mdivi1, and SS31+Mdivi1 treated mutant AβPP cells; however, the increased levels of mtDNA copy number and cell survival were much higher in SS31+Mdivi1 treated cells than individual treatments of SS31 and Mdivi1. Mitochondrial dysfunction is significantly reduced in SS31, Mdivi1, and SS31+Mdivi1 treated mutant AβPP cells; however, the reduction is much higher in cells treated with both SS31+Mdvi1. Similarly, GTPase Drp1 activity is reduced in all treatments, but reduced much higher in SS31+Mdivi1 treated cells. These observations strongly suggest that combined treatment of SS31+Mdivi1 is effective than individual treatments of SS31 and Mdivi1. Therefore, we propose that combined treatment of SS31+Mdivi1 is a better therapeutic strategy for AD. Ours is the first study to investigate combined treatment of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant SS31 and mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 in AD neurons.

  12. Burkholderia mallei tssM encodes a putative deubiquitinase that is secreted and expressed inside infected RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanks, John; Burtnick, Mary N; Brett, Paul J; Waag, David M; Spurgers, Kevin B; Ribot, Wilson J; Schell, Mark A; Panchal, Rekha G; Gherardini, Frank C; Wilkinson, Keith D; Deshazer, David

    2009-04-01

    Burkholderia mallei, a category B biothreat agent, is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic disease glanders. The B. mallei VirAG two-component regulatory system activates the transcription of approximately 60 genes, including a large virulence gene cluster encoding a type VI secretion system (T6SS). The B. mallei tssM gene encodes a putative ubiquitin-specific protease that is physically linked to, and transcriptionally coregulated with, the T6SS gene cluster. Mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis demonstrated that TssM was secreted in a virAG-dependent manner in vitro. Surprisingly, the T6SS was found to be dispensable for the secretion of TssM. The C-terminal half of TssM, which contains Cys and His box motifs conserved in eukaryotic deubiquitinases, was purified and biochemically characterized. Recombinant TssM hydrolyzed multiple ubiquitinated substrates and the cysteine at position 102 was critical for enzymatic activity. The tssM gene was expressed within 1 h after uptake of B. mallei into RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, suggesting that the TssM deubiquitinase is produced in this intracellular niche. Although the physiological substrate(s) is currently unknown, the TssM deubiquitinase may provide B. mallei a selective advantage in the intracellular environment during infection.

  13. Burkholderia mallei tssM Encodes a Putative Deubiquitinase That Is Secreted and Expressed inside Infected RAW 264.7 Murine Macrophages▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shanks, John; Burtnick, Mary N.; Brett, Paul J.; Waag, David M.; Spurgers, Kevin B.; Ribot, Wilson J.; Schell, Mark A.; Panchal, Rekha G.; Gherardini, Frank C.; Wilkinson, Keith D.; DeShazer, David

    2009-01-01

    Burkholderia mallei, a category B biothreat agent, is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes the zoonotic disease glanders. The B. mallei VirAG two-component regulatory system activates the transcription of ∼60 genes, including a large virulence gene cluster encoding a type VI secretion system (T6SS). The B. mallei tssM gene encodes a putative ubiquitin-specific protease that is physically linked to, and transcriptionally coregulated with, the T6SS gene cluster. Mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis demonstrated that TssM was secreted in a virAG-dependent manner in vitro. Surprisingly, the T6SS was found to be dispensable for the secretion of TssM. The C-terminal half of TssM, which contains Cys and His box motifs conserved in eukaryotic deubiquitinases, was purified and biochemically characterized. Recombinant TssM hydrolyzed multiple ubiquitinated substrates and the cysteine at position 102 was critical for enzymatic activity. The tssM gene was expressed within 1 h after uptake of B. mallei into RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, suggesting that the TssM deubiquitinase is produced in this intracellular niche. Although the physiological substrate(s) is currently unknown, the TssM deubiquitinase may provide B. mallei a selective advantage in the intracellular environment during infection. PMID:19168747

  14. Burkholderia type VI secretion systems have distinct roles in eukaryotic and bacterial cell interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwarz, Sandra; West, T Eoin; Boyer, Frédéric

    2010-01-01

    . From a group of 31 diverse bacteria, we identified several organisms that competed less effectively against wild-type B. thai than a strain lacking T6SS-1 function. Inactivation of T6SS-1 renders B. thai greatly more susceptible to cell contact-induced stasis by Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas...... fluorescens and Serratia proteamaculans-leaving it 100- to 1000-fold less fit than the wild-type in competition experiments with these organisms. Flow cell biofilm assays showed that T6S-dependent interbacterial interactions are likely relevant in the environment. B. thai cells lacking T6SS-1 were rapidly...

  15. Characterization of CuCrZr and CuCrZr/SS junction strength for different blanket components manufacturing conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gillia, O.; Briottet, L.; Chu, I.; Lemoine, P.; Bucci, P.; Peacock, A.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: This work describes studies on the strength of CuCrZr/SS joint for different manufacturing conditions foreseen for the fabrication of blanket components. In the meantime, as junction strength is expected to be strongly related to CuCrZr property, investigation on the properties of the CuCrZr itself after the different manufacturing conditions is also presented. The initial manufacturing conditions retained were made of a HIP treatment combined with a fast cooling plus a subsequent ageing treatment. For security reasons, the HIP quenching operation was not possible. It is too severe for the HIP vessel. A supplementary solutioning cycle has then been inserted to the heat treatment process just after the HIP-bonding treatment in order to have a sufficient fast cooling of the CuCrZr. The manufacturing conditions thus comprise a HIP cycle (simulated for mono-material samples), a separate solutioning cycle with controlled cooling rate and an ageing treatment. The influence of solutioning temperature has been addressed (1040 deg. C or 980 deg. C) as well as that of the cooling rate after solutioning (70 deg. C/min to water quench), the ageing temperature (480 deg. C or 560 deg. C) and the HIP temperature (1040 deg. C or 980 deg. C). Test results show that the ageing temperature is very important for keeping high strength of material whereas elongation properties are not very sensible to the manufacturing conditions. 1040 deg. C HIP or solutioning temperature gives better strength properties, as well as a higher cooling rate after solutioning. Concerning samples with junctions, it appears that CT test is more selective than other tests since tensile test does not give rupture at joint and KCU test eliminates a route without classifying other routes. A minimum value of J Q for CT test is given, but as confined plasticity requirement is not satisfied for the sample geometry, this value should only be used concomitantly with the same testing

  16. Uudistuva johtajuus ja Z-sukupolvi työelämässä

    OpenAIRE

    Aakkula, Eveliina

    2012-01-01

    Opinnäytetyössä käsitellään epäjohtamista, joka on uusi johtamisen käsite, jonka ovat luoneet Janne Tienari ja Rebekka Piekkari kirjassaan Z ja epäjohtaminen. Terminä epäjohtaminen ei ole virallinen, eikä tule välttämättä vakiintumaan johtajuuden käsitteiden joukkoon. Tämä uusi johtamisen malli liitetään vahvasti Z-sukupolven tulemiseen työmarkkinoille. Z-sukupolvea ovat 1990-luvulla syntyneet. Johtajuus on tärkeä aihe, jonka käsittelemiseen löytyy aina uusia näkökulmia, joiden toimivuutta vo...

  17. Changes of plasma SS, SP contents in adult patients with primary hypothyroidism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Xianghong; Song Changyi; Lei Yamei; Ning Ning; Chen Wei; Li Runming

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the possible mechanism of imparirment of central nervous system function in hypothyroid patients through determination of changes of plasma neuropeptides after thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Methods: Plasma somatostatin (SS) and substance P(SP) contents were measured with RIA in 45 patients with primary hypothyroidism both before and after thyroid hormone replacement therapy as well as in 38 controls. Results: Before treatment, the plasma contents of SP in the patients were significantly lower than those in the controls (P 0.05). However, the plasma contents of SS in the more advanced hypothyroid patients with FT 3 3 , FT 4 levels, the plasma SS, SP increased significantly (vs before treatment P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion: The decrease of plasma contents of SS and SP in patients with hypothyroidism might be related to the development of psycho-neurological symptoms in these patients and thyroid hormone replacement therapy was desirable. (authors)

  18. Burnout syndrome among dental students: a short version of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire" adapted for students (BCSQ-12-SS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montero-Marin, Jesus; Monticelli, Francesca; Casas, Marina; Roman, Amparo; Tomas, Inmaculada; Gili, Margarita; Garcia-Campayo, Javier

    2011-12-12

    Burnout has been traditionally defined in relation to the dimensions of "exhaustion", "cynicism", and "inefficiency". More recently, the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-12) further established three different subtypes of burnout: the "frenetic" subtype (related to "overload"), the "under-challenged" subtype (related to "lack of development"), and the "worn-out" subtype (related to "neglect"). However, to date, these definitions have not been applied to students. The aims of this research were (1) to adapt a Spanish version of the BCSQ-12 for use with students, (2) to test its factorial validity, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and (3) to assess potential socio-demographic and occupational risk factors associated with the development of the subtypes. We used a cross-sectional design on a sample of dental students (n = 314) from Santiago and Huesca universities (Spain). Participants completed the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire Student Survey (BCSQ-12-SS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS), and a series of socio-demographic and occupational questions formulated for the specific purpose of this study. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the principal component method with varimax orthogonal rotation. To assess the relations with the criterion, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), multiple correlation coefficient (R(y.123)), and the coefficient of determination (R(2)(y.123)). To assess the association between the subtypes and the socio-demographic variables, we examined the adjusted odds ratio (OR) obtained from multivariate logistic regression models. Factorial analyses supported the theoretical proposition of the BCSQ-12-SS, with α-values exceeding 0.80 for all dimensions. The "overload-exhaustion" relation was r = 0.59 (p burnout as established by the BCSQ-12-SS. As such, the BCSQ-12-SS can be used for the recognition of clinical profiles and for the

  19. CoordSS: An Ontology Framework for Heterogeneous Networks Experimentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Nejkovic

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Experimenting with HetNets environments is of importance because of the role that such environments have in next-generation cellular networks. In this paper, the CoordSS ontology experimentation framework is proposed with an aim to support experimenting with HetNets environments on wireless networking testbeds. In the framework, domain and system ontologies are adopted for formal representation of the knowledge about the context of the problem. This paper outlines implementation details of ontologies in the CoordSS experimentation framework. The synergy between semantic and cognitive computing is introduced as the theoretical foundation of the paper.

  20. VMD-SS: A graphical user interface plug-in to calculate the protein secondary structure in VMD program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yahyavi, Masoumeh; Falsafi-Zadeh, Sajad; Karimi, Zahra; Kalatarian, Giti; Galehdari, Hamid

    2014-01-01

    The investigation on the types of secondary structure (SS) of a protein is important. The evolution of secondary structures during molecular dynamics simulations is a useful parameter to analyze protein structures. Therefore, it is of interest to describe VMD-SS (a software program) for the identification of secondary structure elements and its trajectories during simulation for known structures available at the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The program helps to calculate (1) percentage SS, (2) SS occurrence in each residue, (3) percentage SS during simulation, and (4) percentage residues in all SS types during simulation. The VMD-SS plug-in was designed using TCL script and stride to calculate secondary structure features. The database is available for free at http://science.scu.ac.ir/HomePage.aspx?TabID=13755.

  1. Sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden käsityksiä omasta lääkkeettömän kivunhoidon osaamisesta hoitotyössä

    OpenAIRE

    Nevalainen, Antonina; Aarnikallio, Susanna

    2015-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden käsityksiä omasta lääkkeettömän kivunhoidon osaamisesta hoitotyössä. Tavoitteena oli lisätä tietoa sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoiden lääkkeettömän kivunhoidon osaamisesta. Opinnäytetyön tarkoitukseen pyrittiin kolmen kysymyksen avulla: mitä sairaanhoitajaopiskelijat tietävät kivusta? Minkälainen käsitys sairaanhoitajaopiskelijoilla on omasta lääkkeettömän kivunhoidon osaamisestaan? Minkälaisia kehittämistarpeita sai...

  2. Expression of the cytochrome P450s, CYP6P3 and CYP6M2 are significantly elevated in multiple pyrethroid resistant populations of Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Southern Benin and Nigeria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ranson Hilary

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Insecticide resistance in Anopheles mosquitoes is threatening the success of malaria control programmes. This is particularly true in Benin where pyrethroid resistance has been linked to the failure of insecticide treated bed nets. The role of mutations in the insecticide target sites in conferring resistance has been clearly established. In this study, the contribution of other potential resistance mechanisms was investigated in Anopheles gambiae s.s. from a number of localities in Southern Benin and Nigeria. The mosquitoes were sampled from a variety of breeding sites in a preliminary attempt to investigate the role of contamination of mosquito breeding sites in selecting for resistance in adult mosquitoes. Results All mosquitoes sampled belonged to the M form of An. gambiae s.s. There were high levels of permethrin resistance in an agricultural area (Akron and an urban area (Gbedjromede, low levels of resistance in mosquito samples from an oil contaminated site (Ojoo and complete susceptibility in the rural Orogun location. The target site mutation kdrW was detected at high levels in two of the populations (Akron f = 0.86 and Gbedjromede f = 0.84 but was not detected in Ojoo or Orogun. Microarray analysis using the Anopheles gambiae detox chip identified two P450s, CYP6P3 and CYP6M2 up regulated in all three populations, the former was expressed at particularly high levels in the Akron (12.4-fold and Ojoo (7.4-fold populations compared to the susceptible population. Additional detoxification and redox genes were also over expressed in one or more populations including two cuticular pre-cursor genes which were elevated in two of the three resistant populations. Conclusion Multiple resistance mechanisms incurred in the different breeding sites contribute to resistance to permethrin in Benin. The cytochrome P450 genes, CYP6P3 and CYP6M2 are upregulated in all three resistant populations analysed. Several additional potential

  3. Structural conservation, variability, and immunogenicity of the T6 backbone pilin of serotype M6 Streptococcus pyogenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Paul G; Moreland, Nicole J; Loh, Jacelyn M; Bell, Anita; Atatoa Carr, Polly; Proft, Thomas; Baker, Edward N

    2014-07-01

    Group A streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a Gram-positive human pathogen that causes a broad range of diseases ranging from acute pharyngitis to the poststreptococcal sequelae of acute rheumatic fever. GAS pili are highly diverse, long protein polymers that extend from the cell surface. They have multiple roles in infection and are promising candidates for vaccine development. This study describes the structure of the T6 backbone pilin (BP; Lancefield T-antigen) from the important M6 serotype. The structure reveals a modular arrangement of three tandem immunoglobulin-like domains, two with internal isopeptide bonds. The T6 pilin lysine, essential for polymerization, is located in a novel VAKS motif that is structurally homologous to the canonical YPKN pilin lysine in other three- and four-domain Gram-positive pilins. The T6 structure also highlights a conserved pilin core whose surface is decorated with highly variable loops and extensions. Comparison to other Gram-positive BPs shows that many of the largest variable extensions are found in conserved locations. Studies with sera from patients diagnosed with GAS-associated acute rheumatic fever showed that each of the three T6 domains, and the largest of the variable extensions (V8), are targeted by IgG during infection in vivo. Although the GAS BP show large variations in size and sequence, the modular nature of the pilus proteins revealed by the T6 structure may aid the future design of a pilus-based vaccine. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  4. Comparison of single-shot fast spin-echo sequence and T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence in MR imaging of the brain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cha, Sung Ho; Seo, Jeong Jin; Jeong, Gwang Woo; Kim, Jae Kyu; Kim, Yun Hyeon; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Kang, Heoung Keun; Oh, Hee Yeon; Yoon, Jong Hoon

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the single-shot fast spinecho (SS-FSE) sequence in comparison with the T2-weighted fast spin-echo (T2-FSE) sequence in brain MR imaging. In 41 patients aged 15-75 years with intracranial lesion, both SS-FSE and T2-FES images were obtained using a 1.5-T MR system. Lesions included cerebral ischemia or infarcts (n=3D23), tumors (n=3D10), hemorrhages (n=3D3), inflammatory diseases (n=3D2), arachnoid cysts(n=3D2), and vascular disease (n=3D1), and the MR images were retrospectively evaluated. To calculate contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), percentage contrast, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)-and thus make a quantitative comparison-the mean signal intensities of lesions, normal brain tissue, and noise out-side the patient were measured. For qualitative comparison, the visibility, margin, and extent of the lesions were rated using a five-grade system, and the degree of MR artifacts was also evaluated. Wilcoxon's signed ranks test was used for statistical analysis. The mean CNR of lesions was significantly higher on SS-FSE (31.3) than on T2-FSE images (27.5) (p=3D0.0131). Mean percentage contrast was also higher on SS-FSE (159.0) than on T2-FSE images (108.5) (p=3D0.0222), but mean SNR was higher on T2-FSE (80.3) than on SS-FSE images (53.5) (p=3D0.0000). No significant differences in lesion visibility were observed between the two imaging sequences, though margin and extent of the lesion were worse on SS-FSE images. For MR artifacts, no significant differences were demonstrated. For the evaluation of most intracranial lesions, MR imaging using the SS-FSE sequence appears to be slightly inferior to the T2-FSE sequence, but may be useful where patients are ill or uncooperative, or where children require sedation.=20

  5. Role of the Genes of Type VI Secretion System in Virulence of Rice Bacterial Brown Stripe Pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae Strain RS-2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Mahidul Islam Masum

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The Type VI secretion system (T6SS is a class of macromolecular machine that is required for the virulence of gram-negative bacteria. However, it is still not clear what the role of T6SS in the virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa is. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of T6SS in Aaa strain RS2 virulence using insertional deletion mutation and complementation approaches. This strain produced weak virulence but contains a complete T6SS gene cluster based on a genome-wide analysis. Here we compared the virulence-related phenotypes between the wild-type (RS-2 and 25 T6SS mutants, which were constructed using homologous recombination methods. The mutation of 15 T6SS genes significantly reduced bacterial virulence and the secretion of Hcp protein. Additionally, the complemented 7 mutations ΔpppA, ΔclpB, Δhcp, ΔdotU, ΔicmF, ΔimpJ, and ΔimpM caused similar virulence characteristics as RS-2. Moreover, the mutant ΔpppA, ΔclpB, ΔicmF, ΔimpJ and ΔimpM genes caused by a 38.3~56.4% reduction in biofilm formation while the mutants ΔpppA, ΔclpB, ΔicmF and Δhcp resulted in a 37.5~44.6% reduction in motility. All together, these results demonstrate that T6SS play vital roles in the virulence of strain RS-2, which may be partially attributed to the reductions in Hcp secretion, biofilm formation and motility. However, differences in virulence between strain RS-1 and RS-2 suggest that other factors may also be involved in the virulence of Aaa.

  6. Role of the Genes of Type VI Secretion System in Virulence of Rice Bacterial Brown Stripe Pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae Strain RS-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masum, Md Mahidul Islam; Yang, Yingzi; Li, Bin; Olaitan, Ogunyemi Solabomi; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Yang; Fang, Yushi; Qiu, Wen; Wang, Yanli; Sun, Guochang

    2017-09-21

    The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a class of macromolecular machine that is required for the virulence of gram-negative bacteria. However, it is still not clear what the role of T6SS in the virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) is. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of T6SS in Aaa strain RS2 virulence using insertional deletion mutation and complementation approaches. This strain produced weak virulence but contains a complete T6SS gene cluster based on a genome-wide analysis. Here we compared the virulence-related phenotypes between the wild-type (RS-2) and 25 T6SS mutants, which were constructed using homologous recombination methods. The mutation of 15 T6SS genes significantly reduced bacterial virulence and the secretion of Hcp protein. Additionally, the complemented 7 mutations Δ pppA , Δ clpB , Δ hcp , Δ dotU , Δ icmF , Δ impJ , and Δ impM caused similar virulence characteristics as RS-2. Moreover, the mutant Δ pppA , Δ clpB , Δ icmF , Δ impJ and Δ impM genes caused by a 38.3~56.4% reduction in biofilm formation while the mutants Δ pppA , Δ clpB , Δ icmF and Δ hcp resulted in a 37.5~44.6% reduction in motility. All together, these results demonstrate that T6SS play vital roles in the virulence of strain RS-2, which may be partially attributed to the reductions in Hcp secretion, biofilm formation and motility. However, differences in virulence between strain RS-1 and RS-2 suggest that other factors may also be involved in the virulence of Aaa.

  7. Proton transfer and hydrogen bonding in the organic solid state: a combined XRD/XPS/ssNMR study of 17 organic acid-base complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Joanna S; Byard, Stephen J; Seaton, Colin C; Sadiq, Ghazala; Davey, Roger J; Schroeder, Sven L M

    2014-01-21

    The properties of nitrogen centres acting either as hydrogen-bond or Brønsted acceptors in solid molecular acid-base complexes have been probed by N 1s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as (15)N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and are interpreted with reference to local crystallographic structure information provided by X-ray diffraction (XRD). We have previously shown that the strong chemical shift of the N 1s binding energy associated with the protonation of nitrogen centres unequivocally distinguishes protonated (salt) from hydrogen-bonded (co-crystal) nitrogen species. This result is further supported by significant ssNMR shifts to low frequency, which occur with proton transfer from the acid to the base component. Generally, only minor chemical shifts occur upon co-crystal formation, unless a strong hydrogen bond is formed. CASTEP density functional theory (DFT) calculations of (15)N ssNMR isotropic chemical shifts correlate well with the experimental data, confirming that computational predictions of H-bond strengths and associated ssNMR chemical shifts allow the identification of salt and co-crystal structures (NMR crystallography). The excellent agreement between the conclusions drawn by XPS and the combined CASTEP/ssNMR investigations opens up a reliable avenue for local structure characterization in molecular systems even in the absence of crystal structure information, for example for non-crystalline or amorphous matter. The range of 17 different systems investigated in this study demonstrates the generic nature of this approach, which will be applicable to many other molecular materials in organic, physical, and materials chemistry.

  8. Vibrio Type III Effector VPA1380 Is Related to the Cysteine Protease Domain of Large Bacterial Toxins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calder, Thomas; Kinch, Lisa N.; Fernandez, Jessie; Salomon, Dor; Grishin, Nick V.; Orth, Kim

    2014-01-01

    Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative halophilic bacterium and one of the leading causes of food-borne gastroenteritis. Its genome harbors two Type III Secretion Systems (T3SS1 and T3SS2), but only T3SS2 is required for enterotoxicity seen in animal models. Effector proteins secreted from T3SS2 have been previously shown to promote colonization of the intestinal epithelium, invasion of host cells, and destruction of the epithelial monolayer. In this study, we identify VPA1380, a T3SS2 effector protein that is toxic when expressed in yeast. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that VPA1380 is highly similar to the inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6)-inducible cysteine protease domains of several large bacterial toxins. Mutations in conserved catalytic residues and residues in the putative IP6-binding pocket abolished toxicity in yeast. Furthermore, VPA1380 was not toxic in IP6 deficient yeast cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that VPA1380 is a cysteine protease that requires IP6 as an activator. PMID:25099122

  9. Vibrio type III effector VPA1380 is related to the cysteine protease domain of large bacterial toxins.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Calder

    Full Text Available Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative halophilic bacterium and one of the leading causes of food-borne gastroenteritis. Its genome harbors two Type III Secretion Systems (T3SS1 and T3SS2, but only T3SS2 is required for enterotoxicity seen in animal models. Effector proteins secreted from T3SS2 have been previously shown to promote colonization of the intestinal epithelium, invasion of host cells, and destruction of the epithelial monolayer. In this study, we identify VPA1380, a T3SS2 effector protein that is toxic when expressed in yeast. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that VPA1380 is highly similar to the inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6-inducible cysteine protease domains of several large bacterial toxins. Mutations in conserved catalytic residues and residues in the putative IP6-binding pocket abolished toxicity in yeast. Furthermore, VPA1380 was not toxic in IP6 deficient yeast cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that VPA1380 is a cysteine protease that requires IP6 as an activator.

  10. Naisen eropäätökseen liittyvät haasteet väkivaltaisesta suhteesta irtaantuessa : katsaus kirjallisuuteen

    OpenAIRE

    Kaisto, Maija; Saarenranta, Tiina

    2016-01-01

    Tämä opinnäytetyö on osa seksuaalisuus- ja lisääntymisterveyden toimintaohjelmaa vuosille 2014-2020. Työmme toteutettiin kuvailevana kirjallisuuskatsauksena. Opinnäytetyömme kuvaa haasteita, joita naiset kohtaavat väkivaltaisesta suhteesta irtaantuessaan. Tässä työssä keskityimme ensisijaisesti syihin, joiden vuoksi naisten on vaikea lähteä väkivaltaisesta suhteesta. Opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena on tuottaa tietoa naisiin kohdistuvasta väkivallasta, lisätä terveydenhuoltoalan työntekijöiden y...

  11. Growth Arrest-Specific 6 Protein in Patients with Sjögren Syndrome: Determination of the Plasma Level and Expression in the Labial Salivary Gland.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen-Hung Chen

    Full Text Available Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6 is a vitamin K-dependent protein expressed by endothelial cells and leukocytes that are involved in cell survival, migration, and proliferation in response to inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to assess the implications of Gas6 in Sjögren syndrome (SS and its expression in the labial salivary gland.A total of 254 adults, including 159 with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS, 34 with secondary Sjögren syndrome (sSS, and 61 normal controls, were recruited. Plasma Gas6 concentrations were determined, and Gas6 expressions in labial salivary gland (LSG tissues from controls and pSS and sSS patients were also evaluated. Plasma Gas6 concentrations were significantly lower among patients with pSS than normal controls (13.5 ± 8.6 vs. 19.9 ± 13.4 ng/ml, p < 0.001. There were, however, no significant differences in plasma Gas6 levels between pSS and sSS patients (13.5 ± 8.6 vs. 16.9 ± 11.2 ng/ml, p = 0.068. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for white blood cell count, hemoglobin level, platelet count, lymphocyte count, and C3 and C4 levels, lower plasma Gas6 concentrations were significantly associated with an increased risk of SS. Moreover, by using a semi-quantitative scale to evaluate Gas6 expression in LSG tissues, Gas6 expression was found to be markedly lower in LSG tissues from pSS patients than in tissues from normal controls.Decreased plasma Gas6 concentration and LSG expression were associated with pSS. As such, Gas6 may represent a novel independent risk factor for pSS, with a potential role in salivary gland inflammation and dysfunction.

  12. Cardiac MOLLI T1 mapping at 3.0 T: comparison of patient-adaptive dual-source RF and conventional RF transmission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rasper, Michael; Nadjiri, Jonathan; Sträter, Alexandra S; Settles, Marcus; Laugwitz, Karl-Ludwig; Rummeny, Ernst J; Huber, Armin M

    2017-06-01

    To prospectively compare image quality and myocardial T 1 relaxation times of modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI) imaging at 3.0 T (T) acquired with patient-adaptive dual-source (DS) and conventional single-source (SS) radiofrequency (RF) transmission. Pre- and post-contrast MOLLI T 1 mapping using SS and DS was acquired in 27 patients. Patient wise and segment wise analysis of T 1 times was performed. The correlation of DS MOLLI measurements with a reference spin echo sequence was analysed in phantom experiments. DS MOLLI imaging reduced T 1 standard deviation in 14 out of 16 myocardial segments (87.5%). Significant reduction of T 1 variance could be obtained in 7 segments (43.8%). DS significantly reduced myocardial T 1 variance in 16 out of 25 patients (64.0%). With conventional RF transmission, dielectric shading artefacts occurred in six patients causing diagnostic uncertainty. No according artefacts were found on DS images. DS image findings were in accordance with conventional T 1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. Phantom experiments demonstrated good correlation of myocardial T 1 time between DS MOLLI and spin echo imaging. Dual-source RF transmission enhances myocardial T 1 homogeneity in MOLLI imaging at 3.0 T. The reduction of signal inhomogeneities and artefacts due to dielectric shading is likely to enhance diagnostic confidence.

  13. Fabrication of Nb3Al superconducting wires by utilizing the mechanically alloyed Nb(Al)ss supersaturated solid-solution with low-temperature annealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, X.F.; Yan, G.; Qi, M.; Cui, L.J.; Chen, Y.L.; Zhao, Y.; Li, C.S.; Liu, X.H.; Feng, Y.; Zhang, P.X.; Liu, H.J.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This paper reported superconducting properties of the powder-in-tube Nb 3 Al wires. • The Nb 3 Al wires were made by using Nb(Al) ss supersaturated solid solution powders. • The Cu-matrix Nb 3 Al superconducting wires have been successfully fabricated. • The transport J c of Nb 3 Al wires at 4.2 K, 10 T is up to 12,700 A/cm 2 . - Abstract: High-performance Nb 3 Al superconducting wire is a promising candidate to the application of high-field magnets. However, due to the production problem of km-grade wires that are free from low magnetic field instability, the Nb 3 Al wires made by rapid heating, quenching and transformation (RHQT) are still not available to the large-scale engineering application. In this paper, we reported the properties of the in situ powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb 3 Al superconducting wires, which were made by using the mechanically alloyed Nb(Al) ss supersaturated solid solution, as well as the low temperature heat-treatment at 800 °C for 10 h. The results show that Nb 3 Al superconductors in this method possess very fine grains and well superconducting properties, though a little of Nb 2 Al and Nb impurities still keep being existence at present work. At the Nb 3 Al with a nominal 26 at.% Al content, the onset T c reaches 15.8 K. Furthermore, a series of Nb 3 Al wires and tapes with various sizes have been fabricated; for the 1.0 mm-diameter wire, the J c at 4.2 K, 10 T and 14 T have achieved 12,700 and 6900 A/cm 2 , respectively. This work suggests it is possible to develop high-performance Cu-matrix Nb 3 Al superconducting wires by directly using the Nb(Al) ss supersaturated solid-solution without the complex RHQT heat-treatment process

  14. Optimization of the diffusion bonding parameters for SS316L/CuCrZr with and without Nickel interlayer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, K.P., E-mail: kpsingh@ipr.res.in; Patel, Alpesh; Bhope, Kedar; Khirwadkar, S.S.; Mehta, Mayur

    2016-11-15

    Highlights: • Optimization of diffusion bonding parameters for dissimilar materials SS316L with CuCrZr is proposed with and without Nickel interlayer. • Ultrasonic testing on diffusion bonded samples provides the overall information/signatures about well-bonded and de-bonded samples. • Microstructural examination confirms the diffusion of Nickel into parent materials. • Mechanical characterization such as hardness measurement and shear measurement supports the results. - Abstract: Divertor & Firstwall module of ITER like tokamak has several joints of dissimilar materials such as Tungsten (W) to Copper (Cu), Cu to CuCrZr (heat sink material) and CuCrZr to Stainless Steel (SS) materials. These Plasma Facing Components (PFC) are made of multi-layered joints, which are to be exposed to the harsh environment of Plasma with the expected heat flux of 5–10 MW/m{sup 2}. The joining of SS316L material to CuCrZr material is proposed in this paper. As SS316L/CuCrZr being dissimilar materials, direct joining of these materials is a problem, which needs a suitable fabrication process. The joining of SS316L with heat sink material (CuCrZr) requires the good thermal transfer and sound in structural joint. Diffusion bonding technique has been adopted as a process for joining of these two dissimilar materials. The primary objective of the joining study is to obtain the best diffusion bonding parameters for ITER like tokamak application. Thermo-mechanical simulator machine (Gleeble 3800) is used to perform diffusion bonding experiments at different temperatures 650 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C, 950 °C & 1000 °C, different uniaxial pressure varying from 5 MPa to 15 MPa and with the holding time of 15 min & 30 min, using pure nickel interlayer. The diffusion bonded samples have undergone Non-destructive testing (NDT) particularly the ultrasonic examination using immersion probe technique, microstructural examination by the High Resolution (HR) electron microscopy (SEM), Energy

  15. Optimization of the diffusion bonding parameters for SS316L/CuCrZr with and without Nickel interlayer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, K.P.; Patel, Alpesh; Bhope, Kedar; Khirwadkar, S.S.; Mehta, Mayur

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Optimization of diffusion bonding parameters for dissimilar materials SS316L with CuCrZr is proposed with and without Nickel interlayer. • Ultrasonic testing on diffusion bonded samples provides the overall information/signatures about well-bonded and de-bonded samples. • Microstructural examination confirms the diffusion of Nickel into parent materials. • Mechanical characterization such as hardness measurement and shear measurement supports the results. - Abstract: Divertor & Firstwall module of ITER like tokamak has several joints of dissimilar materials such as Tungsten (W) to Copper (Cu), Cu to CuCrZr (heat sink material) and CuCrZr to Stainless Steel (SS) materials. These Plasma Facing Components (PFC) are made of multi-layered joints, which are to be exposed to the harsh environment of Plasma with the expected heat flux of 5–10 MW/m 2 . The joining of SS316L material to CuCrZr material is proposed in this paper. As SS316L/CuCrZr being dissimilar materials, direct joining of these materials is a problem, which needs a suitable fabrication process. The joining of SS316L with heat sink material (CuCrZr) requires the good thermal transfer and sound in structural joint. Diffusion bonding technique has been adopted as a process for joining of these two dissimilar materials. The primary objective of the joining study is to obtain the best diffusion bonding parameters for ITER like tokamak application. Thermo-mechanical simulator machine (Gleeble 3800) is used to perform diffusion bonding experiments at different temperatures 650 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C, 950 °C & 1000 °C, different uniaxial pressure varying from 5 MPa to 15 MPa and with the holding time of 15 min & 30 min, using pure nickel interlayer. The diffusion bonded samples have undergone Non-destructive testing (NDT) particularly the ultrasonic examination using immersion probe technique, microstructural examination by the High Resolution (HR) electron microscopy (SEM), Energy

  16. Dependence on Temperature, pH, and Cl"− in the Uniform Corrosion of Aluminum Alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, I-Wen; Hurley, Belinda L.; Yang, Fan; Buchheit, Rudolph G.

    2016-01-01

    With regards to localized corrosion, the role of uniform corrosion of aluminum alloys has not always been accounted for in the past. The impact of uniform corrosion on aluminum alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6 is studied here to provide quantitative evidence of its importance. Preliminary weight loss experiments combined with optical profilometry (OP) indicate that corrosion attributed to uniform corrosion is very significant when compared to localized corrosion. A series of free immersion tests were conducted to understand the influence of environmental variables including temperature (20, 40, 60, 80 °C), initial pH without buffering (3, 5, 8, 10) and chloride concentration (0.01, 0.1, 1 M) for 1, 7, and 30 days. With time, uniform corrosion results exhibited a strong dependence on temperature accompanied by variable pH- and temperature-dependent corrosion product formation. Electrochemical approaches including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cathodic polarization were utilized to characterize the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and corrosion product formation as a function of temperature. Electron microscopy was conducted to assess the microstructure and morphology of corrosion products and provide supporting evidence for electrochemical findings.

  17. Mutated and Bacteriophage T4 Nanoparticle Arrayed F1-V Immunogens from Yersinia pestis as Next Generation Plague Vaccines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Pan; Mahalingam, Marthandan; Kirtley, Michelle L.; van Lier, Christina J.; Sha, Jian; Yeager, Linsey A.; Chopra, Ashok K.; Rao, Venigalla B.

    2013-01-01

    Pneumonic plague is a highly virulent infectious disease with 100% mortality rate, and its causative organism Yersinia pestis poses a serious threat for deliberate use as a bioterror agent. Currently, there is no FDA approved vaccine against plague. The polymeric bacterial capsular protein F1, a key component of the currently tested bivalent subunit vaccine consisting, in addition, of low calcium response V antigen, has high propensity to aggregate, thus affecting its purification and vaccine efficacy. We used two basic approaches, structure-based immunogen design and phage T4 nanoparticle delivery, to construct new plague vaccines that provided complete protection against pneumonic plague. The NH2-terminal β-strand of F1 was transplanted to the COOH-terminus and the sequence flanking the β-strand was duplicated to eliminate polymerization but to retain the T cell epitopes. The mutated F1 was fused to the V antigen, a key virulence factor that forms the tip of the type three secretion system (T3SS). The F1mut-V protein showed a dramatic switch in solubility, producing a completely soluble monomer. The F1mut-V was then arrayed on phage T4 nanoparticle via the small outer capsid protein, Soc. The F1mut-V monomer was robustly immunogenic and the T4-decorated F1mut-V without any adjuvant induced balanced TH1 and TH2 responses in mice. Inclusion of an oligomerization-deficient YscF, another component of the T3SS, showed a slight enhancement in the potency of F1-V vaccine, while deletion of the putative immunomodulatory sequence of the V antigen did not improve the vaccine efficacy. Both the soluble (purified F1mut-V mixed with alhydrogel) and T4 decorated F1mut-V (no adjuvant) provided 100% protection to mice and rats against pneumonic plague evoked by high doses of Y. pestis CO92. These novel platforms might lead to efficacious and easily manufacturable next generation plague vaccines. PMID:23853602

  18. Mutated and bacteriophage T4 nanoparticle arrayed F1-V immunogens from Yersinia pestis as next generation plague vaccines.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pan Tao

    Full Text Available Pneumonic plague is a highly virulent infectious disease with 100% mortality rate, and its causative organism Yersinia pestis poses a serious threat for deliberate use as a bioterror agent. Currently, there is no FDA approved vaccine against plague. The polymeric bacterial capsular protein F1, a key component of the currently tested bivalent subunit vaccine consisting, in addition, of low calcium response V antigen, has high propensity to aggregate, thus affecting its purification and vaccine efficacy. We used two basic approaches, structure-based immunogen design and phage T4 nanoparticle delivery, to construct new plague vaccines that provided complete protection against pneumonic plague. The NH₂-terminal β-strand of F1 was transplanted to the COOH-terminus and the sequence flanking the β-strand was duplicated to eliminate polymerization but to retain the T cell epitopes. The mutated F1 was fused to the V antigen, a key virulence factor that forms the tip of the type three secretion system (T3SS. The F1mut-V protein showed a dramatic switch in solubility, producing a completely soluble monomer. The F1mut-V was then arrayed on phage T4 nanoparticle via the small outer capsid protein, Soc. The F1mut-V monomer was robustly immunogenic and the T4-decorated F1mut-V without any adjuvant induced balanced TH1 and TH2 responses in mice. Inclusion of an oligomerization-deficient YscF, another component of the T3SS, showed a slight enhancement in the potency of F1-V vaccine, while deletion of the putative immunomodulatory sequence of the V antigen did not improve the vaccine efficacy. Both the soluble (purified F1mut-V mixed with alhydrogel and T4 decorated F1mut-V (no adjuvant provided 100% protection to mice and rats against pneumonic plague evoked by high doses of Y. pestis CO92. These novel platforms might lead to efficacious and easily manufacturable next generation plague vaccines.

  19. Burkholderia cenocepacia type VI secretion system mediates escape of type II secreted proteins into the cytoplasm of infected macrophages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Rosales-Reyes

    Full Text Available Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that survives intracellularly in macrophages and causes serious respiratory infections in patients with cystic fibrosis. We have previously shown that bacterial survival occurs in bacteria-containing membrane vacuoles (BcCVs resembling arrested autophagosomes. Intracellular bacteria stimulate IL-1β secretion in a caspase-1-dependent manner and induce dramatic changes to the actin cytoskeleton and the assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex onto the BcCV membrane. A Type 6 secretion system (T6SS is required for these phenotypes but surprisingly it is not required for the maturation arrest of the BcCV. Here, we show that macrophages infected with B. cenocepacia employ the NLRP3 inflammasome to induce IL-1β secretion and pyroptosis. Moreover, IL-1β secretion by B. cenocepacia-infected macrophages is suppressed in deletion mutants unable to produce functional Type VI, Type IV, and Type 2 secretion systems (SS. We provide evidence that the T6SS mediates the disruption of the BcCV membrane, which allows the escape of proteins secreted by the T2SS into the macrophage cytoplasm. This was demonstrated by the activity of fusion derivatives of the T2SS-secreted metalloproteases ZmpA and ZmpB with adenylcyclase. Supporting this notion, ZmpA and ZmpB are required for efficient IL-1β secretion in a T6SS dependent manner. ZmpA and ZmpB are also required for the maturation arrest of the BcCVs and bacterial intra-macrophage survival in a T6SS-independent fashion. Our results uncover a novel mechanism for inflammasome activation that involves cooperation between two bacterial secretory pathways, and an unanticipated role for T2SS-secreted proteins in intracellular bacterial survival.

  20. Differential biotin labelling of the cell envelope proteins in lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria: Exploring the proteosurfaceome of Escherichia coli using sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin and sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monteiro, Ricardo; Chafsey, Ingrid; Leroy, Sabine; Chambon, Christophe; Hébraud, Michel; Livrelli, Valérie; Pizza, Mariagrazia; Pezzicoli, Alfredo; Desvaux, Mickaël

    2018-06-15

    Surface proteins are the major factor for the interaction between bacteria and its environment, playing an important role in infection, colonisation, virulence and adaptation. However, the study of surface proteins has proven difficult mainly due to their hydrophobicity and/or relatively low abundance compared with cytoplasmic proteins. To overcome these issues new proteomic strategies have been developed, such as cell-surface protein labelling using biotinylation reagents. Sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin is the most commonly used reagent to investigate the proteins expressed at the cell surface of various organisms but its use in lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria (archetypical Gram-negative bacteria) remains limited to a handful of species. While generally pass over in silence, some periplasmic proteins, but also some inner membrane lipoproteins, integral membrane proteins and cytoplasmic proteins (cytoproteins) are systematically identified following this approach. To limit cell lysis and diffusion of the sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin through the outer membrane, biotin labelling was tested over short incubation times and proved to be as efficient for 1 min at room temperature. To further limit labelling of protein located below the outer membrane, the use of high-molecular weight sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin appeared to recover differentially cell-envelope proteins compared to low-molecular weight sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin. Actually, the sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin recovers at a higher extent the proteins completely or partly exposed in the periplasm than sulfo-NHS-PEG4-bismannose-SS-biotin, namely periplasmic and integral membrane proteins as well as inner membrane and outer membrane lipoproteins. These results highlight that protein labelling using biotinylation reagents of different sizes provides a sophisticated and accurate way to differentially explore the cell envelope proteome of lipopolysaccharidic diderm bacteria. While generally pass over in silence, some periplasmic proteins

  1. Components of Streptococcus pneumoniae suppress allergic airways disease and NKT cells by inducing regulatory T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorburn, Alison N; Foster, Paul S; Gibson, Peter G; Hansbro, Philip M

    2012-05-01

    Asthma is an allergic airways disease (AAD) caused by dysregulated immune responses and characterized by eosinophilic inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). NKT cells have been shown to contribute to AHR in some mouse models. Conversely, regulatory T cells (Tregs) control aberrant immune responses and maintain homeostasis. Recent evidence suggests that Streptococcus pneumoniae induces Tregs that have potential to be harnessed therapeutically for asthma. In this study, mouse models of AAD were used to identify the S. pneumoniae components that have suppressive properties, and the mechanisms underlying suppression were investigated. We tested the suppressive capacity of type-3-polysaccharide (T3P), isolated cell walls, pneumolysoid (Ply) and CpG. When coadministered, T3P + Ply suppressed the development of: eosinophilic inflammation, Th2 cytokine release, mucus hypersecretion, and AHR. Importantly, T3P + Ply also attenuated features of AAD when administered during established disease. We show that NKT cells contributed to the development of AAD and also were suppressed by T3P + Ply treatment. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of NKT cells induced AHR, which also could be reversed by T3P + Ply. T3P + Ply-induced Tregs were essential for the suppression of NKT cells and AAD, which was demonstrated by Treg depletion. Collectively, our results show that the S. pneumoniae components T3P + Ply suppress AAD through the induction of Tregs that blocked the activity of NKT cells. These data suggest that S. pneumoniae components may have potential as a therapeutic strategy for the suppression of allergic asthma through the induction of Tregs and suppression of NKT cells.

  2. Synthesis of carbon nanotube using camphor with SS 316 as catalytic substrate via oxidative heat treatment preparation method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wulan, Praswasti Pembangun Dyah Kencana; Angelina, Dian

    2017-11-01

    Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a material that now often become the topic in nanotechnology research. CNT is widely used in the electronics industry especially for TV and computer flat panel displays, devices, automotives for car components, and batteries. Also for defense industries as well as other industries such as sports equipment. Camphor (C10H16O), a botanical hydrocarbon, can be used as a renewable and low cost carbon source for CNT synthesis. Synthesis was performed with stainless steel-316 (SS 316) as substrate, argon as carrier gas, and hydrogen as co-reactant. Preparation of the SS 316 was through a pretreatment by oxidative heat treatment method at a temperature of 850oC for 30 minutes, to remove the layer of chrome and make a rough surface as a growth media for CNT. The operating temperature of the synthesis used was 800oC with a reaction time of 60 minutes. Reactor, which made from stainless steel 316 (SS 316), was used for synthesis CNTs with maximum camphor mass of 20 grams. This research was conducted by varying the number of camphor mass by 5, 7, 10, 12, and 15 grams. The results showed that camphor decomposed into three compounds which are 40% benzene, 8% toluene, and 52% xylene. CNT grows on the surface of the SS 316 plate for each variation. CNTs have grown by follow tips growth model with deformations like buckling growth model and continuous growth model were also founded. The results of XRD showed that CNT were found in every camphor mass variation with high intensity at 2θ angle of 26° and 43°. The best quality and yield of CNT was obtained at camphor mass of 15 grams with carbon percentage of 87,1% and diameter 33 - 44 nm.

  3. Ecotoxicological and microbiological assessment of sewage sludge associated with sugarcane bagasse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sommaggio, Lais Roberta Deroldo; Mazzeo, Dânia Elisa Christofoletti; Sant' Anna, Débora de Andrade E Silva; Levy, Carlos Emílio; Marin-Morales, Maria Aparecida

    2018-01-01

    Sewage sludge (SS) obtained after sewage treatment process may contain several toxic substances. Bioremediation can decrease the toxicity of the sludge, mainly when it is associated with stimulant agents, such as sugarcane bagasse (B). Samples of pure SS (SSP); SS+B; SS+Soil; and SS+B+Soil were bioremediated for 1, 3, and 6 months (T1, T2, and T3, respectively). After each period, the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic potentials of the solid samples and their respective aqueous extracts (aqueous eluate and percolate water) were evaluated by the Allium cepa test. A microbiological analysis of the samples was also performed after each period tested. All solid samples of SS+B (in T1, T2, and T3) and the solid sample of SSP (treatment T3) showed a significant decrease of cell division (cytotoxic effects). The aqueous eluate extracts of SS+B (T1 and T3) and SSP (T2 and T3) induced cytotoxic effect. The solid sample of SS+B (T2 and T3) and aqueous extracts of SSP (T1) were genotoxic, indicating a harmful effect of SS on A. cepa, even after 6 months of bioremediation. There was an alternation in the microbial community both in diversity and in abundance, with the predominance of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. The tested bioremediation periods were not sufficient for the complete detoxification of SS, and the use of B did not seem to contribute to the degradation of the pollutants to inert compounds. These data emphasize that a specific relationship should exist between the sludge characteristic and the biostimulating agent used to promote a more efficient bioremediation. These results suggest the necessity to study longer periods of biodegradation and the use of other decomposing agents for greater safety and sustainability for the agricultural use of this residue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Serum components and clinical efficacies of autologous serum eye drops in dry eye patients with active and inactive Sjogren syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, I-Hsin; Chen, Lily Wei; Tu, Wen-Hui; Lu, Chia-Ju; Huang, Chien-Jung; Chen, Wei-Li

    2017-01-01

    Autologous serum eye drops are considered safe and efficient for the treatment of various ocular surface disorders, including dry eye diseases (DED) caused by the primary and secondary Sjogren syndrome (SS). However, the serum components in patients of SS may be different from those of normal patients and can thus lead to unpredictable therapeutic effects. This study divided the SS patients into active and inactive types based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and the presence or absence of active rheumatoid arthritis. We compared the serum components of these two groups with standard and multiplex enzyme linked immunosorbent assay arrays and predicted the therapeutic effects of topical autologous serum for the treatment of DED with ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and Oxford Schema scale (OSS). Hyaluronic acid and transforming growth factor b1 levels were significantly higher in the active SS group compared to the inactive SS group ( P Sjogren dry eye patients into active and inactive groups may appear as a reasonable method to predict the quality of autologous serum eye drops, but there seems to be no significant predictability to the therapeutic effects.

  5. Electrical Properties of Al, Ag, Cu, Ti and SS Thin Film for Electrode of Solar Cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bambang Siswanto; Wirjoadi; Sudjatmoko; Tjipto Sujitno

    2003-01-01

    The Al, Ag, Cu, Ti and SS materials were deposited on the surface of glass substrate using plasma DC sputtering technique. The deposition process was done with the following plasma parameters : deposition time, gas pressure and substrate temperature with the aim to obtain a good conductance of thin films. Variation of substrate deposition time was 1 - 15 minutes, gas pressure was 5x10 -2 - 7x10 -2 torr and of temperature was 100 - 300 o C. The resistance measurement has been done by four points probes and the conductivity was calculated using mathematic formulation. It was obtained that the minimum resistance in the order of R = 0.07 Ω, was found at Ag materials and this was obtained at the following plasma parameters : deposition time 15 minutes, gas pressure 6x10 -2 torr and temperature 300 o C, while, the resistance of : Cu, Al, Ti and SS materials were R = 0.13 Ω, R = 450 Ω, R = 633 Ω, R = 911 Ω respectively, It could be concluded that the Ag thin film has a minimum resistance, high conductivity compared to the other materials Al, Cu, Ti and SS. Ag is therefore the suitable material for applying as electrode of solar cell. (author)

  6. Type IX secretion system PorM and gliding machinery GldM form arches spanning the periplasmic space

    OpenAIRE

    Leone, Philippe; Roche, Jennifer; Vincent, Maxence S.; Tran, Quang Hieu; Desmyter, Aline; Cascales, Eric; Kellenberger, Christine; Cambillau, Christian; Roussel, Alain

    2018-01-01

    Type IX secretion system (T9SS), exclusively present in the Bacteroidetes phylum, has been studied mainly in Flavobacterium johnsoniae and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Among the 18 genes, essential for T9SS function, a group of four, porK-N (P. gingivalis) or gldK-N (F. johnsoniae) belongs to a co-transcribed operon that expresses the T9SS core membrane complex. The central component of this complex, PorM (or GldM), is anchored in the inner membrane by a trans-membrane helix and interacts throug...

  7. Analysis of the stress-inducible transcription factor SsNAC23 in sugarcane plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Fava Ditt

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Stresses such as cold and drought can impair plant yield and induce a highly complex array of responses. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas and is considered a cold-sensitive plant. We previously showed that cold stress induces the expression of several genes in in vitro sugarcane plantlets. Here we characterize one of those genes, SsNAC23, a member of the NAC family of plant-specific transcription factors, which are induced by low temperature and other stresses in several plant species. The expression of SsNAC23 was induced in sugarcane plants exposed to low temperatures (4ºC. With the aim of further understanding the regulatory network in response to stress, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify sugarcane proteins that interact with SsNAC23. Using SsNAC23 as bait, we screened a cDNA expression library of sugarcane plants submitted to 4ºC for 48 h. Several interacting partners were identified, including stress-related proteins, increasing our knowledge on how sugarcane plants respond to cold stress. One of these interacting partners, a thioredoxin h1, offers insights into the regulation of SsNAC23 activity.

  8. Excessive counterion condensation on immobilized ssDNA in solutions of high ionic strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rant, Ulrich; Arinaga, Kenji; Fujiwara, Tsuyoshi; Fujita, Shozo; Tornow, Marc; Yokoyama, Naoki; Abstreiter, Gerhard

    2003-12-01

    We present experiments on the bias-induced release of immobilized, single-stranded (ss) 24-mer oligonucleotides from Au-surfaces into electrolyte solutions of varying ionic strength. Desorption is evidenced by fluorescence measurements of dye-labeled ssDNA. Electrostatic interactions between adsorbed ssDNA and the Au-surface are investigated with respect to 1), a variation of the bias potential applied to the Au-electrode; and 2), the screening effect of the electrolyte solution. For the latter, the concentration of monovalent salt in solution is varied from 3 to 1600 mM. We find that the strength of electric interaction is predominantly determined by the effective charge of the ssDNA itself and that the release of DNA mainly occurs before the electrochemical double layer has been established at the electrolyte/Au interface. In agreement with Manning's condensation theory, the measured desorption efficiency (etarel) stays constant over a wide range of salt concentrations; however, as the Debye length is reduced below a value comparable to the axial charge spacing of the DNA, etarel decreases substantially. We assign this effect to excessive counterion condensation on the DNA in solutions of high ionic strength. In addition, the relative translational diffusion coefficient of ssDNA in solution is evaluated for different salt concentrations.

  9. Structural materials for ITER in-vessel component design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalinin, G. [Max-Planck-Inst. fur Plasmaphys., Garching (Germany). ITER Garching JWS; Gauster, W. [Max-Planck-Inst. fur Plasmaphys., Garching (Germany). ITER Garching JWS; Matera, R. [Max-Planck-Inst. fur Plasmaphys., Garching (Germany). ITER Garching JWS; Tavassoli, A.-A.F. [CEA Centre d`Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Rowcliffe, A. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Fabritsiev, S. [Research Inst. of Electrophysical Apparatus, St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Kawamura, H. [JAERI, IMTR Project, Ibaraki (Japan). Blanket Irradiation Lab.

    1996-10-01

    The materials proposed for ITER in-vessel components have to exhibit adequate performance for the operating lifetime of the reactor or for specified replacement intervals. Estimates show that maximum irradiation dose to be up to 5-7 dpa (for 1 MWa/m{sup 2} in the basic performance phase (BPP)) within a temperature range from 20 to 300 C. Austenitic SS 316LN-ITER Grade was defined as a reference option for the vacuum vessel, blanket, primary wall, pipe lines and divertor body. Conventional technologies and mill products are proposed for blanket, back plate and manifold manufacturing. HIPing is proposed as a reference manufacturing method for the primary wall and blanket and as an option for the divertor body. The existing data show that mechanical properties of HIPed SS are no worse than those of forged 316LN SS. Irradiation will result in property changes. Minimum ductility has been observed after irradiation in an approximate temperature range between 250 and 350 C, for doses of 5-10 dpa. In spite of radiation-induced changes in tensile deformation behavior, the fracture remains ductile. Irradiation assisted corrosion cracking is a concern for high doses of irradiation and at high temperatures. Re-welding is one of the critical issues because of the need to replace failed components. It is also being considered for the replacement of shielding blanket modules by breeding modules after the BPP. (orig.).

  10. Modulación de la expresión por GA y ABA de los genes Ss1 y Ss2 que codifican sacarosa sintasa en cebada

    OpenAIRE

    Carbonero Zalduegui, Pilar; Barrero Sicilia, Cristina; Oñate Sanchez, Luis; Hernando Amado, Sara; Rueda Romero, Paloma

    2008-01-01

    En este trabajo se ha llevado a cabo un estudio comparativo entre distintas isoformas de SUSy de cereales y arabidopsis. Además se ha realizado un análisis de expresión de HvSs1 y HvSs2 en distintos órganos, incluyendo patrones temporales en semillas en desarrollo y germinación, así como la variación de su respuesta a ácido abscísico (ABA) y giberélico (GA3).

  11. Exploiting IoT Technologies and Open Source Components for Smart Seismic Network Instrumentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germenis, N. G.; Koulamas, C. A.; Foundas, P. N.

    2017-12-01

    The data collection infrastructure of any seismic network poses a number of requirements and trade-offs related to accuracy, reliability, power autonomy and installation & operational costs. Having the right hardware design at the edge of this infrastructure, embedded software running inside the instruments is the heart of pre-processing and communication services implementation and their integration with the central storage and processing facilities of the seismic network. This work demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of exploiting software components from heterogeneous sources in order to realize a smart seismic data logger, achieving higher reliability, faster integration and less development and testing costs of critical functionality that is in turn responsible for the cost and power efficient operation of the device. The instrument's software builds on top of widely used open source components around the Linux kernel with real-time extensions, the core Debian Linux distribution, the earthworm and seiscomp tooling frameworks, as well as components from the Internet of Things (IoT) world, such as the CoAP and MQTT protocols for the signaling planes, besides the widely used de-facto standards of the application domain at the data plane, such as the SeedLink protocol. By using an innovative integration of features based on lower level GPL components of the seiscomp suite with higher level processing earthworm components, coupled with IoT protocol extensions to the latter, the instrument can implement smart functionality such as network controlled, event triggered data transmission in parallel with edge archiving and on demand, short term historical data retrieval.

  12. Photometric variability of the SS 433 (V 1343 Aq1) in 1979-1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gladyshev, S.A.; Goranskij, V.P.; Cherepashchuk, A.M.

    1983-01-01

    Results of photometric observations of SS 433 carried out in 1981 are presented, the 164-day and 13-day variability of this ob ect being confirmed. All available photometric observations of SS 433 during 1979-1981 are summarized in order to investigate main regularities in brightness variability. Using the photometric data of three years the precessing period of 164sup(d)+-1sup(d) is determined. The orbital period is 13sup(d).086+-0sup(d).006. The maximum of the uneclipsed brightness of SS 433 is observed at the moment of maximum separation of ''relativistic'' emission lines. At this moment the orbital brightness curve is most similar to that of #betta# Lyr-type eclipsing variables. The amplitude of the orbital 13-day variability is minimal near the moments of coincidence of relativistic emissions (''cross-over'' dates). New observational data confirm the model of SS 433 as a massive eclipsing binary with a ''slaved'' bright accretion disk

  13. Optical, UV, and EUV Oscillations of SS Cygni in Outburst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mauche, Christopher W.

    2004-07-01

    I provide a review of observations in the optical, UV (HST), and EUV (EUVE and Chandra LETG) of the rapid periodic oscillations of nonmagnetic, disk-accreting, high mass-accretion rate cataclysmic variables (CVs), with particular emphasis on the dwarf nova SS Cyg in outburst. In addition, I drawn attention to a correlation, valid over nearly six orders of magnitude in frequency, between the frequencies of the quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of white dwarf, neutron star, and black hole binaries. This correlation identifies the high frequency quasi-coherent oscillations (so-called ``dwarf nova oscillations'') of CVs with the kilohertz QPOs of low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), and the low frequency and low coherence QPOs of CVs with the horizontal branch oscillations (or the broad noise component identified as such) of LMXBs. Assuming that the same mechanisms produce the QPOs of white dwarf, neutron star, and black hole binaries, this correlation has important implications for QPO models.

  14. Discovery of a visual T-dwarf triple system and binarity at the L/T transition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Radigan, Jacqueline [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Jayawardhana, Ray [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Lafrenière, David [Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128 Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Dupuy, Trent J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Liu, Michael C. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Scholz, Alexander, E-mail: radigan@stsci.edu [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, KY169SS (United Kingdom)

    2013-11-20

    We present new high contrast imaging of eight L/T transition brown dwarfs (BDs) using the NIRC2 camera on the Keck II telescope. One of our targets, the T3.5 dwarf 2MASS J08381155+1511155, was resolved into a hierarchal triple with projected separations of 2.5 ± 0.5 AU and 27 ± 5 AU for the BC and A(BC) components, respectively. Resolved OSIRIS spectroscopy of the A(BC) components confirms that all system members are T dwarfs. The system therefore constitutes the first triple T-dwarf system ever reported. Using resolved photometry to model the integrated-light spectrum, we infer spectral types of T3 ± 1, T3 ± 1, and T4.5 ± 1 for the A, B, and C components, respectively. The uniformly brighter primary has a bluer J – K{sub s} color than the next faintest component, which may reflect a sensitive dependence of the L/T transition temperature on gravity, or alternatively divergent cloud properties among components. Relying on empirical trends and evolutionary models we infer a total system mass of 0.034-0.104 M {sub ☉} for the BC components at ages of 0.3-3 Gyr, which would imply a period of 12-21 yr assuming the system semimajor axis to be similar to its projection. We also infer differences in effective temperatures and surface gravities between components of no more than ∼150 K and ∼0.1 dex. Given the similar physical properties of the components, the 2M0838+15 system provides a controlled sample for constraining the relative roles of effective temperature, surface gravity, and dust clouds in the poorly understood L/T transition regime. For an age of 3 Gyr we estimate a binding energy of ∼20 × 10{sup 41} erg for the wide A(BC) pair, which falls above the empirical minimum found for typical BD binaries, and suggests that the system may have been able to survive a dynamical ejection during formation. Combining our imaging survey results with previous work we find an observed binary fraction of 4/18 or 22{sub −8}{sup +10}% for unresolved spectral types

  15. Effect of water vapor on annealing scale formation on 316 SS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, S.-Y.; Kuan, S.-L.; Tsai, W.-T.

    2006-01-01

    The oxidation behavior of 316 stainless steel (SS) annealed in air containing 0.1 atm water vapor at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1030 deg. C was investigated. A kinetic study of the oxidation was made by employing thermal-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology, composition and structure of the scale were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental results showed that significant breakaway oxidation occurred, resulting in substantial weight increase, as the steel was annealed in moist air at temperatures above 950 deg. C. The scaling behavior of 316 SS in wet air at 1030 deg. C could be divided into two stages based on the alteration of the oxidation rate. In each stage, the scale on 316 SS exhibited a different structure and morphology. The complex process of the formation of scale in wet air was discussed and proposed

  16. Phase Equilibrium Calculations for Multi-Component Polar Fluid Mixtures with tPC-PSAFT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karakatsani, Eirini; Economou, Ioannis

    2007-01-01

    The truncated Perturbed-Chain Polar Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (tPC-PSAFT) is applied to a number of different mixtures, including binary, ternary and quaternary mixtures of components that differ substantially in terms of intermolecular interactions and molecular size. In contrast to m...

  17. Reliability Analysis of 6-Component Star Markov Repairable System with Spatial Dependence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liying Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Star repairable systems with spatial dependence consist of a center component and several peripheral components. The peripheral components are arranged around the center component, and the performance of each component depends on its spatial “neighbors.” Vector-Markov process is adapted to describe the performance of the system. The state space and transition rate matrix corresponding to the 6-component star Markov repairable system with spatial dependence are presented via probability analysis method. Several reliability indices, such as the availability, the probabilities of visiting the safety, the degradation, the alert, and the failed state sets, are obtained by Laplace transform method and a numerical example is provided to illustrate the results.

  18. Predominant CD4 T-lymphocyte tropism of human herpesvirus 6-related virus.

    OpenAIRE

    Takahashi, K; Sonoda, S; Higashi, K; Kondo, T; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, M; Yamanishi, K

    1989-01-01

    Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6)-related virus was isolated from CD4+ CD8- and CD3+ CD4+ mature T lymphocytes but could not be isolated from CD4- CD8+, CD4- CD8-, and CD3- T cells in the peripheral blood of exanthem subitum patients. HHV-6-related virus predominantly infected CD4+ CD8+, CD4+ CD8-, and CD3+ CD4+ cells with mature phenotypes and rarely infected CD4- CD8+ cells from cord blood mononuclear cells, which suggested predominant CD4 mature T-lymphocyte tropism of HHV-6-related virus.

  19. Comparison of the microbial communities in solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) reactors operated at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yueh-Fen; Nelson, Michael C; Chen, Po-Hsu; Graf, Joerg; Li, Yebo; Yu, Zhongtang

    2015-01-01

    The microbiomes involved in liquid anaerobic digestion process have been investigated extensively, but the microbiomes underpinning solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) are poorly understood. In this study, microbiome composition and temporal succession in batch SS-AD reactors, operated at mesophilic or thermophilic temperatures, were investigated using Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. A greater microbial richness and evenness were found in the mesophilic than in the thermophilic SS-AD reactors. Firmicutes accounted for 60 and 82 % of the total Bacteria in the mesophilic and in the thermophilic SS-AD reactors, respectively. The genus Methanothermobacter dominated the Archaea in the thermophilic SS-AD reactors, while Methanoculleus predominated in the mesophilic SS-AD reactors. Interestingly, the data suggest syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis as an important pathway for biogas production during the thermophilic SS-AD. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that temperature was the most influential factor in shaping the microbiomes in the SS-AD reactors. Thermotogae showed strong positive correlation with operation temperature, while Fibrobacteres, Lentisphaerae, Spirochaetes, and Tenericutes were positively correlated with daily biogas yield. This study provided new insight into the microbiome that drives SS-AD process, and the findings may help advance understanding of the microbiome in SS-AD reactors and the design and operation of SS-AD systems.

  20. Screening and Identification of ssDNA Aptamer for Human GP73

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingchun Du

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available As one tumor marker of HCC, Golgi Protein 73 (GP73 is given more promise in the early diagnosis of HCC, and aptamers have been developed to compete with antibodies as biorecognition probes in different detection system. In this study, we utilized GP73 to screen specific ssDNA aptamers by SELEX technique. First, GP73 proteins were expressed and purified by prokaryotic expression system and Nickle ion affinity chromatography, respectively. At the same time, the immunogenicity of purified GP73 was confirmed by Western blotting. The enriched ssDNA library with high binding capacity for GP73 was obtained after ten rounds of SELEX. Then, thirty ssDNA aptamers were sequenced, in which two ssDNA aptamers with identical DNA sequence were confirmed, based on the alignment results, and designated as A10-2. Furthermore, the specific antibody could block the binding of A10-2 to GP73, and the specific binding of A10-2 to GP73 was also supported by the observation that several tumor cell lines exhibited variable expression level of GP73. Significantly, the identified aptamer A10-2 could distinguish normal and cancerous liver tissues. So, our results indicate that the aptamer A10-2 might be developed into one molecular probe to detect HCC from normal liver specimens.

  1. Short-time-scale Doppler and intensity variations in the spectrum of SS 433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, R.M.; Newsom, G.H.; Foltz, C.B.; Byard, P.L.

    1981-01-01

    Spectroscopic observations of SS 433 were obtained on ten consecutive nights in 1981 May. Measurements of the equivalent widths of the spectral lines and Doppler shifts of the moving lines are presented. Not only does the 6-day period in the wavelengths of the moving lines appear quite clearly, but the data strongly suggest that this period is decreasing at a rate of (3.0 +- 1.1) x 10 -5 days/day. In addition, large equivalent width variations of the stationary lines are observed

  2. Synthesis and antioxidant evaluation of (S,S)- and (R,R)-secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGs)

    OpenAIRE

    Mishra, Om P.; Simmons, Nicholas; Tyagi, Sonia; Pietrofesa, Ralph; Shuvaev, Vladimir V.; Valiulin, Roman A.; Heretsch, Philipp; Nicolaou, K. C.; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

    2013-01-01

    Secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGs) (S,S)-SDG-1 (major isomer in flaxseed) and (R,R)-SDG-2 (minor isomer in flaxseed) were synthesized from vanillin via secoisolariciresinol (6) and glucosyl donor 7 through a concise route that involved chromatographic separation of diastereomeric diglucoside derivatives (S,S)-8 and (R,R)-9. Synthetic (S,S)-SDG-1 and (R,R)-SDG-2 exhibited potent antioxidant properties (EC50 = 292.17 ± 27.71 μM and 331.94 ± 21.21 μM, respectively) which compared well with...

  3. Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Type III Secretion System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lingling Gu

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Drug-resistant pathogens have presented increasing challenges to the discovery and development of new antibacterial agents. The type III secretion system (T3SS, existing in bacterial chromosomes or plasmids, is one of the most complicated protein secretion systems. T3SSs of animal and plant pathogens possess many highly conserved main structural components comprised of about 20 proteins. Many Gram-negative bacteria carry T3SS as a major virulence determinant, and using the T3SS, the bacteria secrete and inject effector proteins into target host cells, triggering disease symptoms. Therefore, T3SS has emerged as an attractive target for antimicrobial therapeutics. In recent years, many T3SS-targeting small-molecule inhibitors have been discovered; these inhibitors prevent the bacteria from injecting effector proteins and from causing pathophysiology in host cells. Targeting the virulence of Gram-negative pathogens, rather than their survival, is an innovative and promising approach that may greatly reduce selection pressures on pathogens to develop drug-resistant mutations. This article summarizes recent progress in the search for promising small-molecule T3SS inhibitors that target the secretion and translocation of bacterial effector proteins.

  4. Binding of antibodies to the extractable nuclear antigens SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La is induced on the surface of human keratinocytes by ultraviolet light (UVL): Implications for the pathogenesis of photosensitive cutaneous lupus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furukawa, F.; Kashihara-Sawami, M.; Lyons, M.B.; Norris, D.A.

    1990-01-01

    Autoantibodies to the non-histone nucleoprotein antigens SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, and RNP are highly associated with photosensitive cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). In order to better understand the potential mechanisms of ultraviolet (UV) light on photosensitivity in patients with cutaneous LE, we designed immunopathologic in vitro and in vivo experiments to evaluate the effects of UV on the binding of such autoantibodies to the surface of human keratinocytes, one major target of immunologic damage in photosensitive LE. Short-term 2% paraformaldehyde fixation of suspensions of cultured human keratinocytes previously incubated with monospecific antiserum probes enabled the detection of ENA expression on the cell surface by flow-cytometry analysis. UVB light (280-320 nm) induced the binding of monospecific antibody probes for SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La on keratinocytes in a dose-dependent pattern with maximal induction observed at the dose of 200 mJ/cm2 UVB. Binding of SS-A/Ro, SS-B/La, and RNP antibody was augmented strongly, but binding of anti-Sm was very weak. In contrast, UVA (320-400 nm) light had no effect on the induction of binding of these antibody probes. Identical results were seen by standard immunofluorescence techniques. Hydroxyurea-treated keratinocytes showed similar induction of those antigens by UVB irradiation, which suggested that ENA expression on cultured keratinocytes by UVB were cell-cycle independent. Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of glycosylation of proteins, reduced UVB light effect on the SS-A/Ro and SS-B/La antigen's expression. These in vitro FACS analyses revealed that ENA augmentation on the keratinocyte cell surface was dose dependent, UVB dependent, glycosylation dependent, and cell-cycle independent. In vivo ENA augmentation on the keratinocyte surface was examined in suction blister epidermal roofs

  5. Phosphoproteomics Reveals Regulatory T Cell-Mediated DEF6 Dephosphorylation That Affects Cytokine Expression in Human Conventional T Cells

    KAUST Repository

    Joshi, Rubin N.

    2017-09-25

    Regulatory T cells (Tregs) control key events of immune tolerance, primarily by suppression of effector T cells. We previously revealed that Tregs rapidly suppress T cell receptor (TCR)-induced calcium store depletion in conventional CD4CD25 T cells (Tcons) independently of IP levels, consequently inhibiting NFAT signaling and effector cytokine expression. Here, we study Treg suppression mechanisms through unbiased phosphoproteomics of primary human Tcons upon TCR stimulation and Treg-mediated suppression, respectively. Tregs induced a state of overall decreased phosphorylation as opposed to TCR stimulation. We discovered novel phosphosites (T595_S597) in the DEF6 (SLAT) protein that were phosphorylated upon TCR stimulation and conversely dephosphorylated upon coculture with Tregs. Mutation of these DEF6 phosphosites abrogated interaction of DEF6 with the IP receptor and affected NFAT activation and cytokine transcription in primary Tcons. This novel mechanism and phosphoproteomics data resource may aid in modifying sensitivity of Tcons to Treg-mediated suppression in autoimmune disease or cancer.

  6. Single-molecule analysis reveals the kinetics and physiological relevance of MutL-ssDNA binding.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jonghyun Park

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available DNA binding by MutL homologs (MLH/PMS during mismatch repair (MMR has been considered based on biochemical and genetic studies. Bulk studies with MutL and its yeast homologs Mlh1-Pms1 have suggested an integral role for a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA binding activity during MMR. We have developed single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET and a single-molecule DNA flow-extension assays to examine MutL interaction with ssDNA in real time. The smFRET assay allowed us to observe MutL-ssDNA association and dissociation. We determined that MutL-ssDNA binding required ATP and was the greatest at ionic strength below 25 mM (K(D = 29 nM while it dramatically decreases above 100 mM (K(D>2 µM. Single-molecule DNA flow-extension analysis suggests that multiple MutL proteins may bind ssDNA at low ionic strength but this activity does not enhance stability at elevated ionic strengths. These studies are consistent with the conclusion that a stable MutL-ssDNA interaction is unlikely to occur at physiological salt eliminating a number of MMR models. However, the activity may infer some related dynamic DNA transaction process during MMR.

  7. Characterization of 316L(N)-IG SS joint produced by hot isostatic pressing technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakano, J.; Miwa, Y.; Tsukada, T.; Kikuchi, M.; Kita, S.; Nemoto, Y.; Tsuji, H.; Jitsukawa, S.

    2002-01-01

    Type 316L(N) stainless steel of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor grade (316L(N)-IG SS) is being considered for the first wall/blanket module. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technique is expected for the fabrication of the module. To evaluate the integrity and susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of HIPed 316L(N)-IG SS, tensile tests in vacuum and slow strain rate tests in high temperature water were performed. Specimen with the HIPed joint had similar tensile properties to specimens of 316L(N)-IG SS, and did not show susceptibility to SCC in oxygenated water at 423 K. Thermally sensitized specimen was low susceptible to SCC even in the creviced condition. It is concluded that the tensile properties of HIPed SS are as high as those of the base alloy and the HIP process caused no deleterious effects

  8. Estimating crustal thickness using SsPmp in regions covered by low-velocity sediments: Imaging the Moho beneath the Southeastern Suture of the Appalachian Margin Experiment (SESAME) array, SE Atlantic Coastal Plain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, E. Horry, Jr.; Hawman, Robert B.; Fischer, Karen M.; Wagner, Lara S.

    2016-09-01

    Deconvolved waveforms for two earthquakes (Mw: 6.0 and 5.8) show clear postcritical SsPmp arrivals for broadband stations deployed across the coastal plain of Georgia, allowing mapping of crustal thickness in spite of strong reverberations generated by low-velocity sediments. Precritical SsPmp arrivals are also identified. For a basement in which velocity increases linearly with depth, a bootstrapped grid search suggests an average basement velocity of 6.5 ± 0.1 km/s and basement thickness of 29.8 ± 2.0 km. Corresponding normal-incidence Moho two-way times (including sediments) are 10.6 ± 0.6 s, consistent with times for events interpreted as Moho reflections on coincident active-source reflection profiles. Modeling of an underplated mafic layer (Vp = 7.2-7.4 km/s) using travel time constraints from SsPmp data and vertical-incidence Moho reflection times yields a total basement thickness of 30-35 km and average basement velocity of 6.35-6.65 km/s for an underplate thickness of 0-15 km.

  9. Arsenic-Redox Transformation and Plant Growth Promotion by Purple Nonsulfur Bacteria Rhodopseudomonas palustris CS2 and Rhodopseudomonas faecalis SS5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batool, Kanza; Tuz Zahra, Fatima; Rehman, Yasir

    2017-01-01

    Arsenic (As) is a well-known toxic metalloid found naturally and released by different industries, especially in developing countries. Purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB) are known for wastewater treatment and plant growth promoting abilities. As-resistant PNSB were isolated from a fish pond. Based on As-resistance and plant growth promoting attributes, 2 isolates CS2 and SS5 were selected and identified as Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Rhodopseudomonas faecalis , respectively, through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Maximum As(V) resistance shown by R. faecalis SS5 and R. palustris CS2 was up to 150 and 100 mM, respectively. R . palustris CS2 showed highest As(V) reduction up to 62.9% (6.29 ± 0.24 mM), while R. faecalis SS5 showed maximum As(III) oxidation up to 96% (4.8 ± 0.32 mM), respectively. Highest auxin production was observed by R. palustris CS2 and R. faecalis SS, up to 77.18 ± 3.7 and 76.67 ± 2.8  μ g mL -1 , respectively. Effects of these PNSB were tested on the growth of Vigna mungo plants. A statistically significant increase in growth was observed in plants inoculated with isolates compared to uninoculated plants, both in presence and in absence of As. R. palustris CS2 treated plants showed 17% (28.1 ± 0.87 cm) increase in shoot length and 21.7% (7.07 ± 0.42 cm) increase in root length, whereas R. faecalis SS5 treated plants showed 12.8% (27.09 ± 0.81 cm) increase in shoot length and 18.8% (6.9 ± 0.34 cm) increase in root length as compared to the control plants. In presence of As, R. palustris CS2 increased shoot length up to 26.3% (21.0 ± 1.1 cm), while root length increased up to 31.3% (5.3 ± 0.4 cm), whereas R. faecalis SS5 inoculated plants showed 25% (20.7 ± 1.4 cm) increase in shoot length and 33.3% (5.4 ± 0.65 cm) increase in root length as compared to the control plants. Bacteria with such diverse abilities could be ideal for plant growth promotion in As-contaminated sites.

  10. Genome-wide DNA binding pattern of two-component system response regulator RhpR in Pseudomonas syringae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tianhong Zhou

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Although Pseudomonas syringae uses the two-component system RhpRS to modulate the expression of type III secretion system (T3SS genes and pathogenicity, the molecular mechanisms and the regulon of RhpRS have yet to be fully demonstrated. We have performed a genome-wide analysis of RhpR binding to DNA prepared from P. syringae pv. phaseolicola in order to identify candidate direct targets of RhpR-mediated transcriptional regulation, as described in our recent article [1]. The data are available from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO with the accession number GSE58533. Here we describe the detailed methods and data analyses of our RhpR ChIP-seq dataset.

  11. Fast Ss-Ilm a Computationally Efficient Algorithm to Discover Socially Important Locations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dokuz, A. S.; Celik, M.

    2017-11-01

    Socially important locations are places which are frequently visited by social media users in their social media lifetime. Discovering socially important locations provide several valuable information about user behaviours on social media networking sites. However, discovering socially important locations are challenging due to data volume and dimensions, spatial and temporal calculations, location sparseness in social media datasets, and inefficiency of current algorithms. In the literature, several studies are conducted to discover important locations, however, the proposed approaches do not work in computationally efficient manner. In this study, we propose Fast SS-ILM algorithm by modifying the algorithm of SS-ILM to mine socially important locations efficiently. Experimental results show that proposed Fast SS-ILM algorithm decreases execution time of socially important locations discovery process up to 20 %.

  12. FAST SS-ILM: A COMPUTATIONALLY EFFICIENT ALGORITHM TO DISCOVER SOCIALLY IMPORTANT LOCATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. S. Dokuz

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Socially important locations are places which are frequently visited by social media users in their social media lifetime. Discovering socially important locations provide several valuable information about user behaviours on social media networking sites. However, discovering socially important locations are challenging due to data volume and dimensions, spatial and temporal calculations, location sparseness in social media datasets, and inefficiency of current algorithms. In the literature, several studies are conducted to discover important locations, however, the proposed approaches do not work in computationally efficient manner. In this study, we propose Fast SS-ILM algorithm by modifying the algorithm of SS-ILM to mine socially important locations efficiently. Experimental results show that proposed Fast SS-ILM algorithm decreases execution time of socially important locations discovery process up to 20 %.

  13. Korean Solar Salt Ameliorates Colon Carcinogenesis in an AOM/DSS-Induced C57BL/6 Mouse Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ju, Jaehyun; Kim, Yeung-Ju; Park, Eui Seong; Park, Kun-Young

    2017-06-01

    The effects of Korean solar salt on an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colon cancer C57BL/6 mouse model were studied. Korean solar salt samples (SS-S, solar salt from S salt field; SS-Yb, solar salt from Yb salt field), nine-time-baked bamboo salt (BS-9x, made from SS-Yb), purified salt (PS), and SS-G (solar salt from Guérande, France) were orally administered at a concentration of 1% during AOM/DSS colon cancer induction, and compared for their protective effects during colon carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice. SS-S and SS-Yb suppressed colon length shortening and tumor counts in mouse colons. Histological evaluation by hematoxylin and eosin staining also revealed suppression of tumorigenesis by SS-S. Conversely, PS and SS-G did not show a similar suppressive efficacy as Korean solar salt. SS-S and SS-Yb promoted colon mRNA expression of an apoptosis-related factor and cell-cycle-related gene and suppressed pro-inflammatory factor. SS-Yb baked into BS-9x further promoted these anti-carcinogenic efficacies. Taken together, the results indicate that Korean solar salt, especially SS-S and SS-Yb, exhibited anti-cancer activity by modulating apoptosis- and inflammation-related gene expression during colon carcinogenesis in mice, and bamboo salt baked from SS-Yb showed enhanced anti-cancer functionality.

  14. Protein dynamics during presynaptic complex assembly on individual ssDNA molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibb, Bryan; Ye, Ling F.; Kwon, YoungHo; Niu, Hengyao; Sung, Patrick; Greene, Eric C.

    2014-01-01

    Homologous recombination is a conserved pathway for repairing double–stranded breaks, which are processed to yield single–stranded DNA overhangs that serve as platforms for presynaptic complex assembly. Here we use single–molecule imaging to reveal the interplay between Saccharomyce cerevisiae RPA, Rad52, and Rad51 during presynaptic complex assembly. We show that Rad52 binds RPA–ssDNA and suppresses RPA turnover, highlighting an unanticipated regulatory influence on protein dynamics. Rad51 binding extends the ssDNA, and Rad52–RPA clusters remain interspersed along the presynaptic complex. These clusters promote additional binding of RPA and Rad52. Together, our work illustrates the spatial and temporal progression of RPA and Rad52 association with the presynaptic complex, and reveals a novel RPA–Rad52–Rad51–ssDNA intermediate, which has implications for understanding how the activities of Rad52 and RPA are coordinated with Rad51 during the later stages recombination. PMID:25195049

  15. Optimisation of a polygon mirror-based spectral filter for swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everson, Michael; Duma, Virgil-Florin; Dobre, George

    2018-03-01

    Medical imaging using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) provides clinicians with 3D, high resolution reconstructions of microscopic structures, in depth. It has been initially developed for ophthalmology, in order to scan the retinas of patients to diagnose illness. The quality of the images depends upon their axial and lateral resolutions and the properties of the light being used. Research using a polygon mirror (PM) as a spectral filter in Swept Source OCT (SS-OCT) has resulted in a variety of different experimental arrangements. Although the application of PM-based SS-OCT sources has been successfully demonstrated, the combination of their components' fundamental properties and the overall impact they have on imaging performance is rarely reported. A more detailed examination of these properties would lead to a full description of their operation and to the best methods to employ if system performance is to be maximised. This work presents our current findings of on-going research into the optimisation of PM-based SS-OCT systems. A swept source spectral filter, consisting of a collimator, a transmission grating, a two-lens telescope and an off-axis PM with an end reflector mirror has been evaluated experimentally and compared with theoretical predictions. The system's performance has been compared for two different fibre collimators. Although the beam width on the grating is different for each of the two collimators, the spot size at the PM facet is made the same by selecting appropriate focal lengths. An improvement in the signal roll-off at the interferometer output of 1.0 dB/mm was obtained when using a 3.4 mm collimator compared to a 1.5 mm collimator.

  16. Reproductive responses of male Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) to 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) under short photoperiod.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Xin; Jiang, Lian Yu; Han, Mei; Ye, Man Hong; Wang, Ai Qin; Wei, Wan Hong; Yang, Sheng Mei

    2016-04-01

    The plant secondary metabolite 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) can stimulate and enhance animal reproduction. This compound has been successfully detected in Leymus chinensis, which is the main diet of Brandt's voles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different 6-MBOA doses on the reproductive physiology of male Brandt's voles under a short photoperiod. The results showed that 6-MBOA administration increased relative testis weight, regardless of the dose, but it had little effect on the body mass. Low and middle doses of 6-MBOA increased the concentrations of luteinizing hormone and testosterone in the serum and the mRNA levels of StAR and CYP11a1 in the testes. However, 6-MBOA did not cause any significant increase in the mRNA levels of KiSS-1, GPR54, and GnRH compared to those in the control group. The mRNA level of KiSS-1 in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) was higher than that in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV). Collectively, our results demonstrated that the number of KiSS-1-expressing neurons located in the ARC was the highest, and that 6-MBOA, which might modulate the reproductive activity along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, had a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on the reproductive activity of Brandt's voles under a short photoperiod. Our study provided insights into the mechanism of 6-MBOA action and the factors influencing the onset of reproduction in Brandt's voles.

  17. Significance of measurement of serum somatostatin (SS), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and some related cytokines levels in patients with graves' disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Bao; Ma Yunbao; Zhang Xiaoyi

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To study the possible roles of the related hormones and cytokines in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease. Methods: Serum levels of SS, GH, IGF-1, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 were measured with RIA in 1) 36 patients with Graves' disease before any treatment 2) another 30 patients with Graves' disease after successful anti-thyroid drug therapy and 3) 35 controls. Results: In the untreated group, the serum levels of SS, GH, IGF-1, IL-4 and IL-6 were significantly higher but serum IL-2 levels were significantly lower than those in the controls (P<0.01). In the successfully treated group, the serum levels of SS, GH, IGF-1, IL-4 and IL-6 were significantly lower (P<0.05 or P<0.01), but serum IL-2 levels were significantly higher (P<0.01) than those in the untreated group. Conclusion: These parameters played significant roles in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease; however, the precise mechanism remained to be speculative and further studies required. (authors)

  18. Prosessipuhdistusmenetelmät laivoilla

    OpenAIRE

    Karvali, Ville

    2017-01-01

    Prosessipuhdistusta käytetään laajasti teollisuuden tarpeisiin, mutta laivoilla sen käyt-tö rajoittuu laivan rakentamisen ja telakoinnin yhteyteen. Suuri tekijä tähän on tiedon puute erilaisista puhdistusmahdollisuuksista. Työssä selvitetään erilaisten työtapojen käyttömahdollisuuksia laivalla myös satamassa ja merellä ollessa. Tiedon lisääntyessä erilaisten puhdistusmahdollisuuksien käyttö helpottuu. Lähdemateriaalina prosessipuhdistusmenetelmille on käytetty toimeksiantajalta tullut-ta ...

  19. Design and issues of the ITER in-vessel components: ITER Joint central team and home teams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parker, R.R.

    1998-01-01

    This paper surveys the status of the design of the in-vessel components for ITER, in particular the major components, namely the vacuum vessel, blanket and first wall, and divertor, and the interface of selected ancillary systems such as those used for RF heating and current drive, and for diagnostics. The vacuum vessel is a double-walled structure constructed from two toroidal shells joined by ribs. The space between the skins is filled with shield plates directly cooled by water. The structural material is 316 LN IG (ITER grade). Toroidal supports joining the vessel midplane ports with the TF structure limit possible differential toroidal displacements, as might occur due to seismic or vertical displacement events (VDEs). A variety of load conditions corresponding to normal and off-normal loads have been considered and in all cases peak vessel stresses are within allowables. The blanket system consists of approximately 700 modules, each weighing ∝4 t. The integrated first wall consists of a beryllium-tiled copper mat bonded to the water-cooled SS shield block. The copper mat functions as a heat sink and has imbedded in it an array of SS tubes providing water cooling. The modules are mechanically attached to a toroidal backplate. Loads due to centered disruptions are reacted via hoop stress in the backplate, whereas net vertical and horizontal loads such as those arising from VDEs are transferred through the backplate and divertor supports to the vessel. (orig.)

  20. Hepatoprotective Effect of Terminalia chebula against t-BHP-Induced Acute Liver Injury in C57/BL6 Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min-Kyung Choi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to identify the hepatoprotective effects of Terminalia chebula water extract (TCW and its corresponding pharmacological actions using C57/BL6 mice model of tert-butylhydroperoxide-(t-BHP- induced acute liver injury. Mice were orally administered with TCW (0, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg or gallic acid (100 mg/kg for 5 days before t-BHP (2.5 mM/kg injection. Liver enzymes, histopathology, oxidative stress parameters, antioxidant components, and inflammatory cytokines were examined 18 h after t-BHP injection. t-BHP injection caused dramatic elevation of serum AST, ALT, and LDH level, while TCW pretreatment notably attenuated these elevations. Inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were notably increased in hepatic tissues, and then these were efficiently attenuated by TCW pretreatment. t-BHP injection notably increased malondialdehyde, total reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide in the liver tissue, while it markedly dropped the antioxidant activities including total antioxidant capacity, total glutathione contents, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. TCW pretreatment remarkably ameliorated these alterations, and these effects were relevant to gene expressions. Histopathological examinations supported the above findings. Collectively, these findings well prove that TCW beneficially prevents acute and severe liver injury and clarify its corresponding mechanisms involved in the inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines.

  1. Total Skin Electron Beam for Primary Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elsayad, Khaled; Kriz, Jan; Moustakis, Christos; Scobioala, Sergiu; Reinartz, Gabriele; Haverkamp, Uwe; Willich, Normann [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster (Germany); Weishaupt, Carsten [Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster (Germany); Stadler, Rudolf [Department of Dermatology, Johannes-Wesling-Klinikum Minden, Minden (Germany); Sunderkötter, Cord [Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster (Germany); Eich, Hans Theodor, E-mail: Hans.Eich@ukmuenster.de [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster (Germany)

    2015-12-01

    Purpose: Recent trials with low-dose total skin electron beam (TSEB) therapy demonstrated encouraging results for treating primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (PCTCL). In this study, we assessed the feasibility of different radiation doses and estimated survival rates of different pathologic entities and stages. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively identified 45 patients with PCTCL undergoing TSEB therapy between 2000 and 2015. Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and toxicity were assessed. Results: A total of 49 courses of TSEB therapy were administered to the 45 patients. There were 26 pathologically confirmed cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) lymphoma, 10 cases of Sézary syndrome (SS), and 9 non-MF/SS PCTCL patients. In the MF patients, the overall response rate (ORR) was 92% (50% complete remission [CR]), 70% ORR in SS patients (50% CR), and 89% ORR in non-MF/SS patients (78% CR). The ORR for MF/SS patients treated with conventional dose (30-36 Gy) regimens was 92% (63% CR) and 75% (25% CR) for low-dose (<30-Gy) regimens (P=.09). In MF patients, the overall survival (OS) was 77 months with conventional dose regimens versus 14 months with low-dose regimens (P=.553). In SS patients, the median OS was 48 versus 16 months (P=.219), respectively. Median event-free survival (EFS) for MF in conventional dose patients versus low-dose patients was 15 versus 8 months, respectively (P=.264) and 19 versus 3 months for SS patients (P=.457). Low-dose regimens had shorter treatment time (P=.009) and lower grade 2 adverse events (P=.043). A second TSEB course was administered in 4 MF patients with 100% ORR. There is a possible prognostic impact of supplemental/boost radiation (P<.001); adjuvant treatment (P<.001) and radiation tolerability (P=.021) were detected. Conclusions: TSEB therapy is an efficacious treatment modality in the treatment of several forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. There is a nonsignificant trend to higher and longer clinical benefit

  2. Preliminary cleaning tests on candidate materials for APS beamline and front end UHV components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nielsen, R.; Kuzay, T.M.

    1992-01-01

    Comparative cleaning tests have been done on four candidate materials for use in APS beamline and front-end vacuum components. These materials are 304 SS, 304L SS, OFHC copper, and Glidcop* (Cu-Al 2 O 3 )- Samples of each material were prepared and cleaned using two different methods. After cleaning, the sample surfaces were analyzed using ESCA (Electron Spectography for Chemical Analysis). Uncleaned samples were used as a reference. The cleaning methods and surface analysis results are further discussed

  3. Peripheral Blood CCR4+CCR6+ and CXCR3+CCR6+ CD4+ T Cells Are Highly Permissive to HIV-1 Infection

    OpenAIRE

    Gosselin, Annie; Monteiro, Patricia; Chomont, Nicolas; Diaz-Griffero, Felipe; Said, Elias A.; Fonseca, Simone; Wacleche, Vanessa; El-Far, Mohamed; Boulassel, Mohamed-Rachid; Routy, Jean-Pierre; Sekaly, Rafick-Pierre; Ancuta, Petronela

    2009-01-01

    There is limited knowledge on the identity of primary CD4+ T cell subsets selectively targeted by HIV-1 in vivo. In this study, we established a link between HIV permissiveness, phenotype/homing potential, and lineage commitment in primary CD4+ T cells. CCR4+CCR6+, CCR4+CCR6−, CXCR3+CCR6+, and CXCR3+CCR6T cells expressed cytokines and transcription factors specific for Th17, Th2, Th1Th17, and Th1 lineages, respectively. CCR4+CCR6+ and CXCR3+CCR6+ T cells expressed the HIV coreceptors CCR5 a...

  4. Fluorescence Detection and Discrimination of ss- and ds-DNA with a Water Soluble Oligopyrene Derivative

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaoquan Shi

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available A novel water-soluble cationic conjugated oligopyrene derivative, oligo(N1,N1,N1,N4,N4,N4-hexamethyl-2-(4-(pyren-1-yl butane-1,4-diaminium bromide (OHPBDB, was synthesized by a combination of chemical and electrochemical synthesis techniques. Each oligomer chain has five pyrene derivative repeating units and brings 10 positive charges. OHPBDB showed high and rapid fluorescence quenching in aqueous media upon addition of trace amounts of single-stranded (ss and double-stranded (ds DNA. The Stern-Volmer constants for ss- and ds-DNA were measured to be as high as 1.3 × 108 mol-1·L and 1.2 × 108 mol-1·L, respectively. On the other hand, distinct fluorescence enhancement of OHPBDB upon addition of large amount of ss-DNA or ds-DNA was observed. Furthermore, ss-DNA showed much stronger fluorescence enhancement than that of ds-DNA, thus yielding a clear and simple signal useful for the discrimination between ss- and ds-DNA in aqueous media.

  5. Exoenzyme T Plays a Pivotal Role in the IFN-γ Production after Pseudomonas Challenge in IL-12 Primed Natural Killer Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mickael Vourc’h

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA expresses the type III secretion system (T3SS and effector exoenzymes that interfere with intracellular pathways. Natural killer (NK cells play a key role in antibacterial immunity and their activation is highly dependent on IL-12 produced by myeloid cells. We studied PA and NK cell interactions and the role of IL-12 using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sorted human NK cells, and a human NK cell line (NK92. We used a wild-type (WT strain of PA (PAO1 or isogenic PA-deleted strains to delineate the role of T3SS and exoenzymes. Our hypotheses were tested in vivo in a PA-pneumonia mouse model. Human NK cells or NK92 cell line produced low levels of IFN-γ in response to PA without IL-12 stimulation, whereas PA significantly increased IFN-γ after IL-12 priming. The modulation of IFN-γ production by PA required bacteria-to-cell contact. Among T3SS effectors, exoenzyme T (ExoT upregulates IFN-γ production and control ERK activation. In vivo, ExoT also increases IFN-γ levels and the percentage of IFN-γ+ NK cells in lungs during PA pneumonia, confirming in vitro data. In conclusion, our results suggest that T3SS could modulate the production of IFN-γ by NK cells after PA infection through ERK activation.

  6. Fabrication of Nb{sub 3}Al superconducting wires by utilizing the mechanically alloyed Nb(Al){sub ss} supersaturated solid-solution with low-temperature annealing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pan, X.F. [National Engineering Laboratory for Superconducting Material, Western Superconducting Technologies (WST) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710018 (China); Superconducting Materials Center, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016 (China); Yan, G., E-mail: gyan@c-nin.com [National Engineering Laboratory for Superconducting Material, Western Superconducting Technologies (WST) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710018 (China); Superconducting Materials Center, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016 (China); Qi, M. [Superconducting Materials Center, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016 (China); Cui, L.J. [National Engineering Laboratory for Superconducting Material, Western Superconducting Technologies (WST) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710018 (China); Chen, Y.L.; Zhao, Y. [Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity and New Energy R and D Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Li, C.S. [Superconducting Materials Center, Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016 (China); Liu, X.H. [National Engineering Laboratory for Superconducting Material, Western Superconducting Technologies (WST) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710018 (China); Feng, Y.; Zhang, P.X. [National Engineering Laboratory for Superconducting Material, Western Superconducting Technologies (WST) Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710018 (China); Key Laboratory of Magnetic Levitation Technologies and Maglev Trains (Ministry of Education of China), Superconductivity and New Energy R and D Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China); Liu, H.J. [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hefei 230031 (China); and others

    2014-07-15

    Highlights: • This paper reported superconducting properties of the powder-in-tube Nb{sub 3}Al wires. • The Nb{sub 3}Al wires were made by using Nb(Al){sub ss} supersaturated solid solution powders. • The Cu-matrix Nb{sub 3}Al superconducting wires have been successfully fabricated. • The transport J{sub c} of Nb{sub 3}Al wires at 4.2 K, 10 T is up to 12,700 A/cm{sup 2}. - Abstract: High-performance Nb{sub 3}Al superconducting wire is a promising candidate to the application of high-field magnets. However, due to the production problem of km-grade wires that are free from low magnetic field instability, the Nb{sub 3}Al wires made by rapid heating, quenching and transformation (RHQT) are still not available to the large-scale engineering application. In this paper, we reported the properties of the in situ powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb{sub 3}Al superconducting wires, which were made by using the mechanically alloyed Nb(Al){sub ss} supersaturated solid solution, as well as the low temperature heat-treatment at 800 °C for 10 h. The results show that Nb{sub 3}Al superconductors in this method possess very fine grains and well superconducting properties, though a little of Nb{sub 2}Al and Nb impurities still keep being existence at present work. At the Nb{sub 3}Al with a nominal 26 at.% Al content, the onset T{sub c} reaches 15.8 K. Furthermore, a series of Nb{sub 3}Al wires and tapes with various sizes have been fabricated; for the 1.0 mm-diameter wire, the J{sub c} at 4.2 K, 10 T and 14 T have achieved 12,700 and 6900 A/cm{sup 2}, respectively. This work suggests it is possible to develop high-performance Cu-matrix Nb{sub 3}Al superconducting wires by directly using the Nb(Al){sub ss} supersaturated solid-solution without the complex RHQT heat-treatment process.

  7. Structure/property (constitutive and dynamic strength/damage) characterization of additively manufactured 316L SS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, G. T., III; Livescu, V.; Rigg, P. A.; Trujillo, C. P.; Cady, C. M.; Chen, S. R.; Carpenter, J. S.; Lienert, T. J.; Fensin, S.

    2015-09-01

    For additive manufacturing (AM), the certification and qualification paradigm needs to evolve as there exists no "ASTM-type" additive manufacturing certified process or AM-material produced specifications. Accordingly, utilization of AM materials to meet engineering applications requires quantification of the constitutive properties of these evolving materials in comparison to conventionally-manufactured metals and alloys. Cylinders of 316L SS were produced using a LENS MR-7 laser additive manufacturing system from Optomec (Albuquerque, NM) equipped with a 1kW Yb-fiber laser. The microstructure of the AM-316L SS is detailed in both the as-built condition and following heat-treatments designed to obtain full recrystallization. The constitutive behavior as a function of strain rate and temperature is presented and compared to that of nominal annealed wrought 316L SS plate. The dynamic damage evolution and failure response of all three materials was probed using flyer-plate impact driven spallation experiments at a peak stress of 4.5 GPa to examine incipient spallation response. The spall strength of AM-produced 316L SS was found to be very similar for the peak shock stress studied to that of annealed wrought or AM-316L SS following recrystallization. The damage evolution as a function of microstructure was characterized using optical metallography.

  8. Attenuation of the in vitro neurotoxicity of 316L SS by graphene oxide surface coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tasnim, Nishat; Kumar, Alok; Joddar, Binata

    2017-01-01

    A persistent theme in biomaterials research comprises of surface engineering and modification of bare metallic substrates for improved cellular response and biocompatibility. Graphene Oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, has outstanding chemical and mechanical properties; its large surface to volume ratio, ease of surface modification and processing make GO an attractive coating material. GO-coatings have been extensively studied as biosensors. Further owing to its surface nano-architecture, GO-coated surfaces promote cell adhesion and growth, making it suitable for tissue engineering applications. The need to improve the long-term durability and therapeutic effectiveness of commercially available bare 316L stainless steel (SS) surfaces led us to adopt a polymer-free approach which is cost-effective and scalable. GO was immobilized on to 316L SS utilizing amide linkage, to generate a strongly adherent uniform coating with surface roughness. GO-coated 316L SS surfaces showed increased hydrophilicity and biocompatibility with SHSY-5Y neuronal cells, which proliferated well and showed decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression. In contrast, cells did not adhere to bare uncoated 316L SS meshes nor maintain viability when cultured in the vicinity of bare meshes. Therefore the combination of the improved surface properties and biocompatibility implies that GO-coating can be utilized to overcome pertinent limitations of bare metallic 316L SS implant surfaces, especially SS neural electrodes. Also, the procedure for making GO-based protective coatings can be applied to numerous other implants where the development of such protective films is necessary. - Highlights: • GO was immobilized on to 316L SS utilizing carbodiimide chemistry to generate a strong adherent uniform nano coating. • GO-modified surfaces showed increased hydrophilicity and biocompatibility with SH5YSY cells cultured atop these surfaces. • Proliferation and alignment of the cells with the

  9. Attenuation of the in vitro neurotoxicity of 316L SS by graphene oxide surface coating

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tasnim, Nishat; Kumar, Alok; Joddar, Binata, E-mail: bjoddar@utep.edu

    2017-04-01

    A persistent theme in biomaterials research comprises of surface engineering and modification of bare metallic substrates for improved cellular response and biocompatibility. Graphene Oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, has outstanding chemical and mechanical properties; its large surface to volume ratio, ease of surface modification and processing make GO an attractive coating material. GO-coatings have been extensively studied as biosensors. Further owing to its surface nano-architecture, GO-coated surfaces promote cell adhesion and growth, making it suitable for tissue engineering applications. The need to improve the long-term durability and therapeutic effectiveness of commercially available bare 316L stainless steel (SS) surfaces led us to adopt a polymer-free approach which is cost-effective and scalable. GO was immobilized on to 316L SS utilizing amide linkage, to generate a strongly adherent uniform coating with surface roughness. GO-coated 316L SS surfaces showed increased hydrophilicity and biocompatibility with SHSY-5Y neuronal cells, which proliferated well and showed decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression. In contrast, cells did not adhere to bare uncoated 316L SS meshes nor maintain viability when cultured in the vicinity of bare meshes. Therefore the combination of the improved surface properties and biocompatibility implies that GO-coating can be utilized to overcome pertinent limitations of bare metallic 316L SS implant surfaces, especially SS neural electrodes. Also, the procedure for making GO-based protective coatings can be applied to numerous other implants where the development of such protective films is necessary. - Highlights: • GO was immobilized on to 316L SS utilizing carbodiimide chemistry to generate a strong adherent uniform nano coating. • GO-modified surfaces showed increased hydrophilicity and biocompatibility with SH5YSY cells cultured atop these surfaces. • Proliferation and alignment of the cells with the

  10. Skipping Strategy (SS) for Initial Population of Job-Shop Scheduling Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdolrazzagh-Nezhad, M.; Nababan, E. B.; Sarim, H. M.

    2018-03-01

    Initial population in job-shop scheduling problem (JSSP) is an essential step to obtain near optimal solution. Techniques used to solve JSSP are computationally demanding. Skipping strategy (SS) is employed to acquire initial population after sequence of job on machine and sequence of operations (expressed in Plates-jobs and mPlates-jobs) are determined. The proposed technique is applied to benchmark datasets and the results are compared to that of other initialization techniques. It is shown that the initial population obtained from the SS approach could generate optimal solution.

  11. Totally extraperitoneal (TEP) bilateral hernioplasty using the Single Site® robotic da Vinci platform (DV-SS TEP): description of the technique and preliminary results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cestari, A; Galli, A C; Sangalli, M N; Zanoni, M; Ferrari, M; Roviaro, G

    2017-06-01

    Laparoendoscopic single site totally extraperitoneal (TEP) hernia repair showed to be a feasible alternative to conventional laparoscopic hernia repair; nevertheless single site surgery, with the loss of instruments triangulation can be a demanding procedure. To overcome those hurdles, the Single Site® (SS) platform of the da Vinci (DV) Si robotic system enables to perform surgical procedures through a 25-mm skin incision, with a stable 3D vision and restoring an adequate triangulation of the surgical instruments. We present in details the technique and the preliminary results of DV-SS TEP, to our knowledge the first cases reported in literature. In March 2016, three consecutive male patients (mean age 46.6 years-mean BMI 25.3) with bilateral symptomatic inguinal hernia were submitted to DV-SS TEP in our institutions. Feasibility, codification of the technique, operative time and perioperative outcomes were recorded. All the procedures were completed as scheduled, with no conversion to other techniques. Mean operative time was 98.6 min, ranging between 155 and 55 min, reflecting the learning curve of the operating room team on this new procedure. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were experienced and all the patients were discharged within 24 h after surgery. Patients reported satisfactory postoperative course, with no recurrence of inguinal hernia and satisfaction in cosmetic result at 6-month follow-up. DV-SS TEP inguinal hernia repair showed to be feasible and effective surgical option for bilateral groin hernia repair. Patients' outcome was uneventful, with optimal cosmetic results. Further studies comparing this innovative technique to TEP or LESS TEP should be promoted.

  12. Availability Equations for Redundant Systems, Both Single and Multiple Repair Capability

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-10-01

    roots of S2StAg)X AL 2 Having the denominator factored enables- Partial fraction expansion and hence finding the inverse transform . The Inverse ...S1 : Xl Tp S2 = x2 ŗ S3 x T The inverse transform for P0 is: Pot l = 6X3 x Sit Spt S t Vs S-)(S2S ’-SS(SS-S )e + iS 3 Si-S 3( e. _S(S 1 -S,)e...roots of S3 + S2 (6\\+6ý0+SMll(\\+2 )+6(1.+-03 S1 -(\\ + • S 2 : -2(X) + • S3 -3(X +0) "The Inverse transform is the same as for Case 3 except for the

  13. Characterization of systemic disease in primary Sjogren's syndrome : EULAR-SS Task Force recommendations for articular, cutaneous, pulmonary and renal involvements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ramos-Casals, Manuel; Brito-Zeron, Pilar; Seror, Raphaele; Bootsma, Hendrika; Bowman, Simon J.; Doerner, Thomas; Gottenberg, Jacques-Eric; Mariette, Xavier; Theander, Elke; Bombardieri, Stefano; De Vita, Salvatore; Mandl, Thomas; Ng, Wan-Fai; Kruize, Aike; Tzioufas, Athanasios; Vitali, Claudio

    2015-01-01

    Objective. To reach a European consensus on the definition and characterization of the main organspecific extraglandular manifestations in primary SS. Methods. The EULAR-SS Task Force Group steering committee agreed to approach SS-related systemic involvement according to the EULAR SS Disease

  14. Phase transformation and hardness of SS 316 L steel cast alloy after heat treatment at high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hidayat, S.; Prayitno, D. H.

    2000-01-01

    Heat treatment Study of SS 316 L cast alloy at high temperature was conducted. The alloy of SS 316 L was melted by arc melting furnace in argon atmosphere. Heat treatment of SS 316 L casting alloy was carried out in tube furnace at 1400 o C for period of 1/2, 1, and 2 hours. The optical microscopic characterization showed that SS 316 L cast has got dendritic micro structure with ferrite as the primary phase. After the heat treatment, the ferrite phase underwent gradual decrease followed by an increase of the austenite phase. The heat treatment process also resulted in the formation of the new grain boundary. The hardness examination revealed that for longer period of the heat treatment, the hardness of SS 316 L increased. (author)

  15. An investigation of p-normed sparsity evaluation for SS-LBP-based edge extraction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen-yi, Zhao [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China); Jia-ning, Sun, E-mail: sunjn118@nenu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Statistics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China); Shuang, Qiao, E-mail: qiaos810@nenu.edu.cn [School of Physics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun (China)

    2017-02-01

    SS-LBP is a very efficient tool for fast edge extraction in digital radiography. In this paper, we introduce a p-normed sparsity evaluation strategy to improve and generalize the existing SS-LBP framework. To illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, several experimental results are presented. Comparisons show that 1-normed sparsity evaluation is more effective and robust in practical applications.

  16. pVT-Second Virial Coefficients B(T ), Viscosity η(T ), and Self-Diffusion ρD(T) of the Gases: BF3, CF4, SiF4, CCl4, SiCl4, SF6, MoF6, WF6, UF6, C(CH3)4, and Si(CH3)4 Determined by Means of an Isotropic Temperature-Dependent Potential

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zarkova, L.; Hohm, U.

    2002-03-01

    We present results on self-consistent calculations of second pVT-virial coefficients B(T), viscosity data η(T), and diffusion coefficients ρD(T) for eleven heavy globular gases: boron trifluoride (BF3), carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), molybdenum hexafluoride (MoF6), tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), uranium hexafluoride (UF6), tetramethyl methane (C(CH3)4, TMM), and tetramethyl silane (Si(CH3)4, TMS). The calculations are performed mainly in the temperature range between 200 and 900 K by means of isotropic n-6 potentials with temperature-dependent separation rm(T) and potential well depth ɛ(T). The potential parameters at T=0 K (ɛ, rm, n) and the enlargement of the first level radii δ are obtained solving an ill-posed problem of minimizing the squared deviations between experimental and calculated values normalized to their relative experimental error. The temperature dependence of the potential is obtained as a result of the influence of vibrational excitation on binary interactions. This concept of the isotropic temperature-dependent potential (ITDP) is presented in detail where gaseous SF6 will serve as an example. The ITDP is subsequently applied to all other gases. This approach and the main part of the results presented here have already been published during 1996-2000. However, in some cases the data are upgraded due to the recently improved software (CF4, SF6) and newly found experimental data (CF4, SiF4, CCl4, SF6).

  17. Coarsening of AA6013-T6 Precipitates During Sheet Warm Forming Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Ciano, M.; DiCecco, S.; Esmaeili, S.; Wells, M. A.; Worswick, M. J.

    2018-03-01

    The use of warm forming for AA6xxx-T6 sheet is of interest to improve its formability; however, the effect warm forming may have on the coarsening of precipitates and the mechanical strength of these sheets has not been well studied. In this research, the coarsening behavior of AA6013-T6 precipitates has been explored, in the temperature range of 200-300 °C, and time of 30 s up to 50 h. Additionally, the effect of warm deformation on coarsening behavior was explored using: (1) simulated warm forming tests in a Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulator and (2) bi-axial warm deformation tests. Using a strong obstacle model to describe the yield strength (YS) evolution of the AA6013-T6 material, and a Lifshitz, Slyozov, and Wagner (LSW) particle coarsening law to describe the change in precipitate size with time, the coarsening kinetics were modeled for this alloy. The coarsening kinetics in the range of 220-300 °C followed a trend similar to that previously found for AA6111 for the 180-220 °C range. There was strong evidence that coarsening kinetics were not altered due to warm deformation above 220 °C. For warm forming between 200 and 220 °C, the YS of the AA6013-T6 material increased slightly, which could be attributed to strain hardening during warm deformation. Finally, a non-isothermal coarsening model was used to assess the potential reduction in the YS of AA6013-T6 for practical processing conditions related to auto-body manufacturing. The model calculations showed that 90% of the original AA6013-T6 YS could be maintained, for warm forming temperatures up to 280 °C, if the heating schedule used to get the part to the warm forming temperature was limited to 1 min.

  18. FRAP-T6: a computer code for the transient analysis of oxide fuel rods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siefken, L.J.; Shah, V.N.; Berna, G.A.; Hohorst, J.K.

    1983-06-01

    FRAP-T6 is a computer code which is being developed to calculate the transient behavior of a light water reactor fuel rod. This report is an addendum to the FRAP-T6/MODO user's manual which provides the additional user information needed to use FRAP-T6/MOD1. This includes model changes, improvements, and additions, coding changes and improvements, change in input and control language, and example problem solutions to aid the user. This information is designed to supplement the FRAP-T6/MODO user's manual

  19. Subset of Cortical Layer 6b Neurons Selectively Innervates Higher Order Thalamic Nuclei in Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoerder-Suabedissen, Anna; Hayashi, Shuichi; Upton, Louise; Nolan, Zachary; Casas-Torremocha, Diana; Grant, Eleanor; Viswanathan, Sarada; Kanold, Patrick O; Clasca, Francisco; Kim, Yongsoo; Molnár, Zoltán

    2018-05-01

    The thalamus receives input from 3 distinct cortical layers, but input from only 2 of these has been well characterized. We therefore investigated whether the third input, derived from layer 6b, is more similar to the projections from layer 6a or layer 5. We studied the projections of a restricted population of deep layer 6 cells ("layer 6b cells") taking advantage of the transgenic mouse Tg(Drd1a-cre)FK164Gsat/Mmucd (Drd1a-Cre), that selectively expresses Cre-recombinase in a subpopulation of layer 6b neurons across the entire cortical mantle. At P8, 18% of layer 6b neurons are labeled with Drd1a-Cre::tdTomato in somatosensory cortex (SS), and some co-express known layer 6b markers. Using Cre-dependent viral tracing, we identified topographical projections to higher order thalamic nuclei. VGluT1+ synapses formed by labeled layer 6b projections were found in posterior thalamic nucleus (Po) but not in the (pre)thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). The lack of TRN collaterals was confirmed with single-cell tracing from SS. Transmission electron microscopy comparison of terminal varicosities from layer 5 and layer 6b axons in Po showed that L6b varicosities are markedly smaller and simpler than the majority from L5. Our results suggest that L6b projections to the thalamus are distinct from both L5 and L6a projections.

  20. Mechanism of N6-threonylcarbamoyladenonsine (t(6)A) biosynthesis: isolation and characterization of the intermediate threonylcarbamoyl-AMP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauhon, Charles T

    2012-11-06

    Genetic and biochemical studies have recently implicated four proteins required in bacteria for the biosynthesis of the universal tRNA modified base N6-threonylcarbamoyl adenosine (t(6)A). In this work, t(6)A biosynthesis in Bacillus subtilis has been reconstituted in vitro and found to indeed require the four proteins YwlC (TsaC), YdiB (TsaE), YdiC (TsaB) and YdiE (TsaD). YwlC was found to catalyze the conversion of L-threonine, bicarbonate/CO(2) and ATP to give the intermediate L-threonylcarbamoyl-AMP (TC-AMP) and pyrophosphate as products. TC-AMP was isolated by HPLC and characterized by mass spectrometry and (1)H NMR. NMR analysis showed that TC-AMP decomposes to give AMP and a nearly equimolar mixture of L-threonine and 5-methyl-2-oxazolidinone-4-carboxylate as final products. Under physiological conditions (pH 7.5, 37 °C, 2 mM MgCl(2)), the half-life of TC-AMP was measured to be 3.5 min. Both YwlC (in the presence of pyrophosphatase) and its Escherichia coli homologue YrdC catalyze the formation of TC-AMP while producing only a small molar fraction of AMP. This suggests that CO(2) and not an activated form of bicarbonate is the true substrate for these enzymes. In the presence of pyrophosphate, both enzymes catalyze clean conversion of TC-AMP back to ATP. Purified TC-AMP is efficiently processed to t(6)A by the YdiBCE proteins in the presence of tRNA substrates. This reaction is ATP independent in vitro, despite the known ATPase activity of YdiB. The estimated rate of conversion of TC-AMP by YdiBCE to t(6)A is somewhat lower than the initial rate from L-threonine, bicarbonate and ATP, which together with the stability data, is consistent with previous studies that suggest channeling of this intermediate.

  1. Nucleation and growth microstructural study of ti films on 304 SS substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogério de Almeida Vieira

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Coating of steel surfaces with titanium films has been studied with the objective to protect them against corrosion, and to create an intermediate film for CVD diamond and TiN film deposition. In this work, the nucleation, growth mechanisms and microstructural formation of the titanium films deposited on 304 stainless steel (304 SS substrate are presented and discussed. The titanium films of variable thickness were obtained by vapour phase deposition produced by electron beam. The surfaces of these samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The cross sections of these samples were observed by using an atomic force microscope. The Ti film-304 SS interfaces were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The results showed that titanium films have a columnar growth. The Ti film-304 SS interface had a residual compression stress at room temperature due to the inter-diffusion process.

  2. SuhB Is a Regulator of Multiple Virulence Genes and Essential for Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kewei; Xu, Chang; Jin, Yongxin; Sun, Ziyu; Liu, Chang; Shi, Jing; Chen, Gukui; Chen, Ronghao; Jin, Shouguang; Wu, Weihui

    2013-01-01

    ABSTRACT During initial colonization and chronic infection, pathogenic bacteria encounter distinct host environments. Adjusting gene expression accordingly is essential for the pathogenesis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has evolved complicated regulatory networks to regulate different sets of virulence factors to facilitate colonization and persistence. The type III secretion system (T3SS) and motility are associated with acute infections, while biofilm formation and the type VI secretion system (T6SS) are associated with chronic persistence. To identify novel regulatory genes required for pathogenesis, we screened a P. aeruginosa transposon (Tn) insertion library and found suhB to be an essential gene for the T3SS gene expression. The expression of suhB was upregulated in a mouse acute lung infection model, and loss of suhB resulted in avirulence. Suppression of T3SS gene expression in the suhB mutant is linked to a defective translation of the T3SS master regulator, ExsA. Further studies demonstrated that suhB mutation led to the upregulation of GacA and its downstream small RNAs, RsmY and RsmZ, triggering T6SS expression and biofilm formation while inhibiting the T3SS. Our results demonstrate that an in vivo-inducible gene, suhB, reciprocally regulates genes associated with acute and chronic infections and plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa. PMID:24169572

  3. Advances in the Characterization of the T-Cell Response to Human Herpesvirus-6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Derek J. Hanson

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Human herpesvirus (HHV 6 is thought to remain clinically latent in most individuals after primary infection and to reactivate to cause disease in persons with severe immunosuppression. In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, reactivation of HHV-6 species B is a considerable cause of morbidity and mortality. HHV-6B reactivation is the most frequent cause of infectious meningoencephalitis in this setting and has been associated with a variety of other complications such as graft rejection and acute graft versus host disease. This has inspired efforts to develop HHV-6-targeted immunotherapies. Basic knowledge of HHV-6-specific adaptive immunity is crucial for these endeavors, but remains incomplete. Many studies have focused on specific HHV-6 antigens extrapolated from research on human cytomegalovirus, a genetically related betaherpesvirus. Challenges to the study of HHV-6-specific T-cell immunity include the very low frequency of HHV-6-specific memory T cells in chronically infected humans, the large genome size of HHV-6, and the lack of an animal model. This review will focus on emerging techniques and methodological improvements that are beginning to overcome these barriers. Population-prevalent antigens are now becoming clear for the CD4+ T-cell response, while definition and ranking of CD8+ T-cell antigens and epitopes is at an earlier stage. This review will discuss current knowledge of the T-cell response to HHV-6, new research approaches, and translation to clinical practice.

  4. On fitting the full spectrum of luminous red galaxies by using ULySS and STARLIGHT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Gao-Chao; Lu You-Jun; Chen Xue-Lei; Du Wei; Zhao Yong-Heng

    2013-01-01

    We select a sample of quiescent luminous red galaxies (LRGs) from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 with a high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) to study the consistency of fitting the full spectrum by using different packages, mainly, ULySS and STARLIGHT. The spectrum of each galaxy in the sample is fitted by the full spectrum fitting packages ULySS and STARLIGHT. We find: (1) for spectra with higher S/Ns, the ages of stellar populations obtained from ULySS are slightly older than those from STARLIGHT, and metallicities derived from ULySS are slightly richer than those from STARLIGHT. In general, both packages can give roughly consistent fitting results. (2) For low S/N spectra, it is possible that the fitting by ULySS can become trapped at some local minimum in the parameter space during execution and thus may give unreliable results, but STARLIGHT can still give reliable results. Based on the fitting results of LRGs, we further analyze their star formation history and the relation between their age and velocity dispersion, and find that they agree well with conclusions from previous works

  5. Determining Minimal Clinically Important Differences in Japanese Cedar/Cypress Pollinosis Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takaya Higaki

    2013-01-01

    Conclusions: For T5SS in the diary, T6SS and QOL in JRQLQ, unit differences of 1.5 (0.3 per item, 3.6 (0.6 and 8.2 (0.5, respectively, were considered clinically meaningful by JCCP patients. The MCID for symptoms recorded in the diary was stable irrespective of the dispersed pollen level.

  6. Induction of NFATc2 expression by interleukin 6 promotes T helper type 2 differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diehl, Sean; Chow, Chi-Wing; Weiss, Linda; Palmetshofer, Alois; Twardzik, Thomas; Rounds, Laura; Serfling, Edgar; Davis, Roger J; Anguita, Juan; Rincón, Mercedes

    2002-07-01

    Interleukin (IL)-6 is produced by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. It has been previously shown that APC-derived IL-6 promotes the differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells into effector T helper type 2 (Th2) cells. Here, we have studied the molecular mechanism for IL-6-mediated Th2 differentiation. During the activation of CD4+ T cells, IL-6 induces the production of IL-4, which promotes the differentiation of these cells into effector Th2 cells. Regulation of IL-4 gene expression by IL-6 is mediated by nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), as inhibition of NFAT prevents IL-6-driven IL-4 production and Th2 differentiation. IL-6 upregulates NFAT transcriptional activity by increasing the levels of NFATc2. The ability of IL-6 to promote Th2 differentiation is impaired in CD4+ T cells that lack NFATc2, demonstrating that NFATc2 is required for regulation of IL-4 gene expression by IL-6. Regulation of NFATc2 expression and NFAT transcriptional activity represents a novel pathway by which IL-6 can modulate gene expression.

  7. Determination of the elemental distribution in cigarette components and smoke by instrumental neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, D.; Landsberger, S.; Larson, S.M.

    1997-01-01

    Cigarette smoking is a major source of particle released in indoor environments. A comprehensive study of the elemental distribution in cigarettes and cigarette smoke has been completed. Specifically, concentrations of thirty elements have been determined for the components of 15 types of cigarettes. Components include tobacco, ash, butts, filters, and cigarette paper. In addition, particulate matter from mainstream smoke (MS) and sidesstream smoke (SS) were analyzed. The technique of elemental determination used in the study is instrumental neutron activation analysis. The results show that certain heavy metals, such as As, Cd, K, Sb and Zn, are released into the MS and SS. These metals may then be part of the health risk of exposure to smoke. Other elements are retained, for the most part, in cigarette ash and butts. The elemental distribution among the cigarette components and smoke changes for different smoking conditions. (author)

  8. Structure/property (constitutive and dynamic strength/damage characterization of additively manufactured 316L SS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gray III G.T.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available For additive manufacturing (AM, the certification and qualification paradigm needs to evolve as there exists no “ASTM-type” additive manufacturing certified process or AM-material produced specifications. Accordingly, utilization of AM materials to meet engineering applications requires quantification of the constitutive properties of these evolving materials in comparison to conventionally-manufactured metals and alloys. Cylinders of 316L SS were produced using a LENS MR-7 laser additive manufacturing system from Optomec (Albuquerque, NM equipped with a 1kW Yb-fiber laser. The microstructure of the AM-316L SS is detailed in both the as-built condition and following heat-treatments designed to obtain full recrystallization. The constitutive behavior as a function of strain rate and temperature is presented and compared to that of nominal annealed wrought 316L SS plate. The dynamic damage evolution and failure response of all three materials was probed using flyer-plate impact driven spallation experiments at a peak stress of 4.5 GPa to examine incipient spallation response. The spall strength of AM-produced 316L SS was found to be very similar for the peak shock stress studied to that of annealed wrought or AM-316L SS following recrystallization. The damage evolution as a function of microstructure was characterized using optical metallography.

  9. Clinical significance of changes of serum TGF-β1, CTGF and SS levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chunyan

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To esplore the clinical significance of serum TGF-β 1 , CTGF and SS levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Serum TGF-β 1 , SS (with RIA) serum CTGF (with ELISA) levels were measured in 38 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 35 normal healthy controls. Results: Serum TGF-β 1 , CTGF and SS levels were remarkably higher than those in controls (P 1 levels were positively correlated with CTGF and SS levels (r=0.6134, 0.4916, P 1 , CTGF and SS levels may help to recognize the pathogenesis and prediction in chronic hepatitis C. (authors)

  10. Dynamic Response and Microstructure Evolution of AA2219-T4 and AA2219-T6 Aluminum Alloys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olasumboye, A.; Owolabi, G.; Odeshi, A.; Zeytinci, A.; Yilmaz, N.

    2018-02-01

    In this study, the dynamic deformation behavior of AA2219 aluminum alloy was investigated in two different temper conditions: T4 and T6, with a view to determining the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and flow behavior of the material under high strain rates. Split Hopkinson pressure bar experiment was used in determining the dynamic response of the alloy while a digital image correlation system was employed in visualizing and tracking the surface deformation of the specimens. Optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to assess the microstructure of the material after following standard metallographic specimen preparation techniques. The results obtained showed heterogeneous deformation of the alloy in the two temper conditions. It was observed that the dynamic mechanical behavior of each sample preparation was dependent on its strength properties due to aging type, which in turn controls the metamorphosis of the strengthening precipitates and the initial microstructure. At the maximum strain rate of 3500 s-1, transformed bands leading to crack nucleation was observed in the AA2219-T4 aluminum alloy while AA2219-T6 had fractured at the same strain rate. The modes of crack formation and growth in the two alloys were found to be similar: nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids. However, shear band bifurcation phenomenon was observed only in the AA2219-T6 alloy.

  11. Oxynitrides decorated 316L SS for potential bioimplant application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saravanan Kaliaraj, Gobi; Kumar, N.

    2018-03-01

    Titanium oxynitride (TiON) and zirconium oxynitride (ZrON) were deposited onto 316L stainless steel (316L SS) using reactive magnetron sputtering technique. The monoclinic and cubic phase of TiON and ZrON were obtained by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Nanoindentation and wear test analysis exhibited the better mechanical properties of TiON and ZrON films. Wettability studies showed hydrophilic nature on coated films; whereas bare 316L SS substrate was least hydrophilic. Drastic reduction of bacterial adhesion (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), as well as biofilm formation, was observed in both the films at different time duration. TiON and ZrON films were exhibited excellent hemocompatibility by preventing the platelet activation. Furthermore, the coated films exhibited corrosion protection in presence and absence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in artificial blood plasma (ABP) solution.

  12. Investigation of the T4 and T6 heat treatment cycles of semi-solid processed aluminium alloy A356

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Moller, H

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available of the solution treatment time at 540 C from 6 hours to 1 hour does not alter the T4 or T6 tensile properties of the SSM processed A356 alloy. Slightly better impact properties are obtained with the shorter solution treatment. This could lead to time and energy...

  13. Differential alteration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in Wilson's disease investigated with [123I]ss-CIT and high-resolution SPET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barthel, H.; Sorger, D.; Kluge, R.; Kuehn, H.-J.; Wagner, A.; Hermann, W.

    2001-01-01

    Wilson's disease (WD) is a copper deposition disorder which can result in a number of extrapyramidal motoric symptoms such as parkinsonism. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate, for the first time, nigrostriatal dopaminergic function in WD in relation to different courses and severity of the disease. Using high-resolution single-photon emission tomography (SPET) after administration of 2ss-carbomethoxy-3ss-(4[ 123 I]iodophenyl)tropane ([ 123 I]ss-CIT), striatal dopamine transporters (DAT) were imaged in 43 WD patients and a control group of ten subjects. From the SPET images, specific [ 123 I]ss-CIT binding ratios were obtained for the caudate heads, putamina and entire corpus striatum. In addition, to evaluate a putative dissociation between the caudate and putaminal [ 123 I]ss-CIT binding ratios, the ratio between these binding ratios was calculated (CA/PU ratio). The SPET data were compared with clinical data on the course of the disease (CD), the severity of neurological symptoms and the degree of hepatic alteration. Whereas the specific regional [ 123 I]ss-CIT binding ratios in patients with asymptomatic/hepatic CD did not differ from those in the control group (e.g. striatal ratios: 13.4±3.0 vs 11.7±2.8), in patients with neurological CD the ratios were significantly reduced for all striatal substructures (P=0.003 after one-factor ANOVA). For the different subgroups a tendency was detected towards a stepwise decrease in the specific [ 123 I]ss-CIT binding ratios from pseudo-sclerosis CD (9.4±2.3), through pseudo-parkinsonian CD (9.1±2.1) to arrhythmic-hyperkinetic CD (8.5±1.6). However, these group differences reached significance only for the comparison with asymptomatic/hepatic CD (P=0.02). The CA/PU ratio was significantly higher in WD than in the control group (1.30±0.19 vs 1.11±0.08; P=0.003). Severity of neurological symptoms was significantly correlated with all specific regional [ 123 I]ss-CIT binding ratios (r=-0.49 to -0

  14. Distribution and diversity of bacterial secretion systems across metagenomic datasets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barret, Matthieu; Egan, Frank; O'Gara, Fergal

    2013-02-01

    Bacteria can manipulate their surrounding environment through the secretion of proteins into other living organisms and into the extracellular milieu. In Gram stain negative bacteria this process is mediated by different types of secretion systems from type I through type VI secretion system (T1SS-T6SS). In this study the prevalence of these secretion systems in 312 publicly available microbiomes derived from a wide range of ecosystems was investigated by a gene-centric approach. Our analysis demonstrates that some secretion systems are over-represented in some specific samples. In addition, some T3SS and T6SS phylogenetic clusters were specifically enriched in particular ecological niches, which could indicate specific bacterial adaptation to these environments. © 2012 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. GEANT4 simulation of the neutron background of the C{sub 6}D{sub 6} set-up for capture studies at n{sub T}OF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Žugec, P., E-mail: pzugec@phy.hr [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb (Croatia); Colonna, N. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Bari (Italy); Bosnar, D. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb (Croatia); Altstadt, S. [Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe Universität, Frankfurt (Germany); Andrzejewski, J. [Uniwersytet Łódzki, Lodz (Poland); Audouin, L. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/IN2P3 – IPN, Orsay (France); Barbagallo, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Bari (Italy); Bécares, V. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Bečvář, F. [Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic); Belloni, F. [Commissariat à l' Énergie Atomique (CEA) Saclay – Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Berthoumieux, E. [Commissariat à l' Énergie Atomique (CEA) Saclay – Irfu, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Billowes, J. [University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester (United Kingdom); Boccone, V.; Brugger, M.; Calviani, M. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Calviño, F. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Cano-Ott, D. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid (Spain); Carrapiço, C. [Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Lisboa (Portugal); Cerutti, F. [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); and others

    2014-10-01

    The neutron sensitivity of the C{sub 6}D{sub 6} detector setup used at n{sub T}OF facility for capture measurements has been studied by means of detailed GEANT4 simulations. A realistic software replica of the entire n{sub T}OF experimental hall, including the neutron beam line, sample, detector supports and the walls of the experimental area has been implemented in the simulations. The simulations have been analyzed in the same manner as experimental data, in particular by applying the Pulse Height Weighting Technique. The simulations have been validated against a measurement of the neutron background performed with a {sup nat}C sample, showing an excellent agreement above 1 keV. At lower energies, an additional component in the measured {sup nat}C yield has been discovered, which prevents the use of {sup nat}C data for neutron background estimates at neutron energies below a few hundred eV. The origin and time structure of the neutron background have been derived from the simulations. Examples of the neutron background for two different samples are demonstrating the important role of accurate simulations of the neutron background in capture cross-section measurements.

  16. High-field, high-T/sub c/ superconductivity in U6Fe and U6Co

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeLong, L.E.; Hall, L.N.; Malik, S.K.; Crabtree, G.W.; Lwpl, W.; Gschneidner, K. A. Jr.

    1986-06-01

    Upper critical field data for U 6 Fe and U 6 Co are found to be markedly inconsistent with the weak coupling WHHM model. Nevertheless, excellent quantitative fits of H/sub c/ 2 vs T are obtained by using a modifiction of the WHHM model in which the orbital field is multiplied by a temperature-dependent enhancement factor

  17. Interleukin-6 inhibits apoptosis of exocrine gland tissues under inflammatory conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jing; Jin, Jun-O; Patel, Ekta S; Yu, Qing

    2015-12-01

    Interleukin (IL)-6 is a multi-functional cytokine that can either promote or suppress tissue inflammation depending on the specific disease context. IL-6 is elevated in the exocrine glands and serum of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), but the specific role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of this disease has not been defined. In this study, we showed that IL-6 expression levels were increased with age in C56BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice, a primary SS model, and higher than the control C57BL/6 mice. To assess the role of IL-6 during the immunological phase of SS development, a neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody was administered into 16 week-old female C56BL/6.NOD-Aec1Aec2 mice, 3 times weekly for a consecutive 8 weeks. Neutralization of endogenous IL-6 throughout the immunological phase of SS development led to increased apoptosis, caspase-3 activation, leukocytic infiltration, and IFN-γ- and TNF-α production in the salivary gland. To further determine the effect of IL-6 on the apoptosis of exocrine gland cells, recombinant human IL-6 or the neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody was injected into female C57BL/6 mice that received concurrent injection of anti-CD3 antibody to induce the apoptosis of exocrine gland tissues. Neutralization of IL-6 enhanced, whereas administration of IL-6 inhibited apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in salivary and lacrimal glands in this model. The apoptosis-suppressing effect of IL-6 was associated with up-regulation of Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 in both glands. Moreover, IL-6 treatment induced activation of STAT3 and up-regulated Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 gene expression in a human salivary gland epithelial cell line. In conclusion, IL-6 inhibits the apoptosis of exocrine gland tissues and exerts a tissue-protective effect under inflammatory conditions including SS. These findings suggest the possibility of using this property of IL-6 to preserve exocrine gland tissue integrity and function under autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier

  18. Crystal growth, morphology, thermal and spectral studies of an organosulfur nonlinear optical bis(guanidinium) 5-sulfosalicylate (BG5SS) single crystals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhavamurthy, M.; Peramaiyan, G.; Babu, K. Syed Suresh; Mohan, R.

    2015-04-01

    Organosulfur nonlinear optical single crystals of orthorhombic bis(guanidinium) 5-sulfosalicylate (2CH6N3 +·C7H4O6S2-·H2O) with dimension 14 mm × 4 mm × 5 mm have been grown from methanol and water solvents in 1:1 ratio by the slow evaporation growth technique. The crystal structure and morphology of the crystals have been studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. FTIR spectroscopic studies were carried out to identify the functional groups and vibrational modes present in the grown crystals. The UV-Vis spectrum was studied to analyze the linear optical properties of the grown crystals. The thermal gravimetric analysis was conducted on the grown crystals, and the result revealed that the grown crystal is thermally stable up to 65 °C. The dielectric tensor components ɛ 11, ɛ 22 and ɛ 33 of BG5SS crystal were evaluated as a function of frequency at 40 °C. The surface laser damage threshold for the grown crystal was measured using Nd:YAG laser. Further, Vickers micro-hardness study was carried out to analyze the mechanical strength of the grown crystals for various loads.

  19. First report of Metarhizium anisopliae IP 46 pathogenicity in adult Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis (Diptera; Culicidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyimo Issa N

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae isolate IP 46, originating from a soil sample collected in 2001 in the Cerrado of Central Brazil, was tested for its ability to reduce the survival of adult male and female Anopheles gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis mosquitoes. A 6-h exposure to the fungus coated on test paper at a concentration of 3.3 × 106 conidia cm-2 reduced the daily survival of both mosquito species (HR = 3.14, p An. gambiae s.s relative to An. arabiensis (HR = 1.38, p 95% of mosquito cadavers in the treatment groups. The results indicate that M. anisopliae IP 46 has the potential to be a bio-control agent for African malaria vector species, and is a suitable candidate for further research and development.

  20. Protein homology network families reveal step-wise diversification of Type III and Type IV secretion systems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duccio Medini

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available From the analysis of 251 prokaryotic genomes stored in public databases, the 761,260 deduced proteins were used to reconstruct a complete set of bacterial proteic families. Using the new Overlap algorithm, we have partitioned the Protein Homology Network (PHN, where the proteins are the nodes and the links represent homology relationships. The algorithm identifies the densely connected regions of the PHN that define the families of homologous proteins, here called PHN-Families, recognizing the phylogenetic relationships embedded in the network. By direct comparison with a manually curated dataset, we assessed that this classification algorithm generates data of quality similar to a human expert. Then, we explored the network to identify families involved in the assembly of Type III and Type IV secretion systems (T3SS and T4SS. We noticed that, beside a core of conserved functions (eight proteins for T3SS, seven for T4SS, a variable set of accessory components is always present (one to nine for T3SS, one to five for T4SS. Each member of the core corresponds to a single PHN-Family, while accessory proteins are distributed among different pure families. The PHN-Family classification suggests that T3SS and T4SS have been assembled through a step-wise, discontinuous process, by complementing the conserved core with subgroups of nonconserved proteins. Such genetic modules, independently recruited and probably tuned on specific effectors, contribute to the functional specialization of these organelles to different microenvironments.

  1. Burnout syndrome among dental students: a short version of the "Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire" adapted for students (BCSQ-12-SS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Montero-Marin Jesus

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Burnout has been traditionally defined in relation to the dimensions of "exhaustion", "cynicism", and "inefficiency". More recently, the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire (BCSQ-12 further established three different subtypes of burnout: the "frenetic" subtype (related to "overload", the "under-challenged" subtype (related to "lack of development", and the "worn-out" subtype (related to "neglect". However, to date, these definitions have not been applied to students. The aims of this research were (1 to adapt a Spanish version of the BCSQ-12 for use with students, (2 to test its factorial validity, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and (3 to assess potential socio-demographic and occupational risk factors associated with the development of the subtypes. Method We used a cross-sectional design on a sample of dental students (n = 314 from Santiago and Huesca universities (Spain. Participants completed the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire Student Survey (BCSQ-12-SS, the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS, and a series of socio-demographic and occupational questions formulated for the specific purpose of this study. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA using the principal component method with varimax orthogonal rotation. To assess the relations with the criterion, we calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient (r, multiple correlation coefficient (Ry.123, and the coefficient of determination (R2y.123. To assess the association between the subtypes and the socio-demographic variables, we examined the adjusted odds ratio (OR obtained from multivariate logistic regression models. Results Factorial analyses supported the theoretical proposition of the BCSQ-12-SS, with α-values exceeding 0.80 for all dimensions. The "overload-exhaustion" relation was r = 0.59 (p y.123 = 0.62, 30.25% in "cynicism" (Ry.123 = 0.55, and 26.01% in "inefficiency" (Ry.123 = 0

  2. Dano de frio em limas-ácidas Tahiti, colhidas em diferentes épocas e submetidas a tratamentos térmicos e bioquímicos Cold damage in Tahiti acid limes harvested in different periods and submitted to termichal and biochemical treatments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro Camargo Neves

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available O estudo objetivou o estabelecimento de um método efetivo e satisfatório do controle do dano de frio em limas-ácidas. Os frutos colhidos no município de Boa Vista-RR, 140 e 150 dias após a floração, apresentaram valores médios de 7,9 e 8,2 ºBrix; 6,3 e 6,0 mL de ácido cítrico.100mL de polpa-1 e pH de 2,8 e 3,0, respectivamente, nas duas colheitas. Após cada colheita, os frutos foram levados ao laboratório de Fitotecnia/UFRR, onde foram selecionados, limpos e submetidos aos tratamentos: T1 - controle; T2, T3 e T4 - condicionamento a 35ºC, por 6, 12 e 24 horas, respectivamente; T5 - aquecimento intermitente a 20ºC, por 8 horas, após 5 e 10 dias a 1ºC; T6 - aquecimento intermitente a 20ºC, por 8 horas, após 10 e 20 dias a 1ºC; T7 - ethephon a 1.500 mg.L-1; T8 - ethephon a 3.000 mg.L-1. Os tratamentos T9 ao T16, diferenciaram-se dos tratamentos T1 a T8, apenas, na data da colheita (10 dias após a primeira. O experimento foi avaliado a cada 15 dias, durante 75 dias, a 1 ± 0,5 ºC e 92 ± 5 % de UR, quanto ao dano de frio, aspecto visual, perda de massa fresca, sólidos solúveis (SS, acidez titulável (AT, SS/AT (ratio - RT, clorofila total e ácido ascórbico. O atraso na colheita não proporcionou efeito significativo algum. Todos os tratamentos, à exceção do controle e do aquecimento intermitente aos 10 e 20 dias, foram eficientes no controle do dano de frio. No entanto, o tratamento químico e o condicionamento térmico aceleraram precocemente o metabolismo dos frutos, principalmente no que concerne à perda de massa fresca e ao aspecto visual. O maior teor de clorofila total e de ácido ascórbico, bem como o melhor aspecto visual, a não-incidência de podridões e a menor perda de massa fresca foram detectadas nos frutos submetidos ao aquecimento intermitente aos 5 e 10 dias. Os SS, AT e RT estavam dentro dos padrões de qualidade e não variaram estatisticamente entre os tratamentos.The aim of this study was to

  3. Asiakkaan profilointi matkailupalveluiden puhelinmyyntityössä

    OpenAIRE

    Laaksonen, Aura; Taralainen, Tuija

    2010-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön aiheena on asiakkaan profilointi puhelinmyyntityössä. Työn toimeksiantaja on Itä-Suomen yliopiston Matkailualan opetus- ja tutkimuslaitos. Tutkimuksessamme selvitimme videotallenteiden avulla, millä tavoin myyjä profiloi asiakasta puhelinmyynnissä, ja missä myyntiprosessin vaiheessa profilointia tapahtuu. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella toimeksiantajan on tarkoitus luoda matkailupalveluyritykselle verkossa toimiva matkanvarausjärjestelmä. Teoriaosassa käsittelimme asi...

  4. Mutational analysis of Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase reveals critical residues for tRNA-dependent cysteine formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helgadóttir, Sunna; Sinapah, Sylvie; Söll, Dieter; Ling, Jiqiang

    2012-01-02

    In methanogenic archaea, Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS) converts Sep-tRNA(Cys) to Cys-tRNA(Cys). The mechanism of tRNA-dependent cysteine formation remains unclear due to the lack of functional studies. In this work, we mutated 19 conserved residues in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii SepCysS, and employed an in vivo system to determine the activity of the resulting variants. Our results show that three active-site cysteines (Cys39, Cys42 and Cys247) are essential for SepCysS activity. In addition, combined with structural modeling, our mutational and functional analyses also reveal multiple residues that are important for the binding of PLP, Sep and tRNA. Our work thus represents the first systematic functional analysis of conserved residues in archaeal SepCysSs, providing insights into the catalytic and substrate binding mechanisms of this poorly characterized enzyme. Copyright © 2011 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Experimental comparison of pathogenic potential of two sibling species Anisakis simplex s.s. and Anisakis pegreffii in Wistar rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    del Carmen Romero, María; Valero, Adela; Navarro-Moll, María Concepción; Martín-Sánchez, Joaquina

    2013-08-01

    There are little data available on the pathology caused by the sibling species Anisakis simplex s.s. and Anisakis pegreffii. The differences shown in their ability to penetrate the muscle of fish may also be manifested in humans. The purpose of this study is to confirm possible differences in pathogenicity between A. simplex s.s. and A. pegreffii using an experimental model which simulates infection in humans. Female Wistar rats were infected with 190 Anisakis type I L3 larvae from the Iberian coastline. After the animal was sacrificed, these L3 larvae were then recovered and identified via PCR-RFLP of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2. A logistic regression analysis was performed searching for association between experimental pathogenic potential and species. The distribution of A. simplex s.s. and A. pegreffii between Atlantic and Mediterranean waters of the Iberian Peninsula showed statistically significant differences (P  0.3). 21.6% showed pathogenic potential, interpreted as the capacity of the larvae to cause lesions, stick to the gastrointestinal wall or penetrate it. The species variable showed association with the pathogenic role of the larva (P = 0.008). Taking A. simplex s.s. as our reference, the OR for A. pegreffii is 0.351 (P = 0.028). Despite this difference, A. pegreffii is also capable of causing anisakiasis, being responsible for 14.3% of the penetrations of the gastric mucosa found in rats, which justifies both species being considered aetiologic agents of this parasitic disorder. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. The non-flagellar type III secretion system evolved from the bacterial flagellum and diversified into host-cell adapted systems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie S Abby

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Type 3 secretion systems (T3SSs are essential components of two complex bacterial machineries: the flagellum, which drives cell motility, and the non-flagellar T3SS (NF-T3SS, which delivers effectors into eukaryotic cells. Yet the origin, specialization, and diversification of these machineries remained unclear. We developed computational tools to identify homologous components of the two systems and to discriminate between them. Our analysis of >1,000 genomes identified 921 T3SSs, including 222 NF-T3SSs. Phylogenomic and comparative analyses of these systems argue that the NF-T3SS arose from an exaptation of the flagellum, i.e. the recruitment of part of the flagellum structure for the evolution of the new protein delivery function. This reconstructed chronology of the exaptation process proceeded in at least two steps. An intermediate ancestral form of NF-T3SS, whose descendants still exist in Myxococcales, lacked elements that are essential for motility and included a subset of NF-T3SS features. We argue that this ancestral version was involved in protein translocation. A second major step in the evolution of NF-T3SSs occurred via recruitment of secretins to the NF-T3SS, an event that occurred at least three times from different systems. In rhizobiales, a partial homologous gene replacement of the secretin resulted in two genes of complementary function. Acquisition of a secretin was followed by the rapid adaptation of the resulting NF-T3SSs to multiple, distinct eukaryotic cell envelopes where they became key in parasitic and mutualistic associations between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Our work elucidates major steps of the evolutionary scenario leading to extant NF-T3SSs. It demonstrates how molecular evolution can convert one complex molecular machine into a second, equally complex machine by successive deletions, innovations, and recruitment from other molecular systems.

  7. Craving for alcohol and food during treatment for alcohol dependence: modulation by T allele of 1519T>C GABAAalpha6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Doug Hyun; Bolo, Nicholas; Daniels, Melissa A; Lyoo, In Kyoon; Min, Kyung Joon; Kim, Chang Hyun; Renshaw, Perry F

    2008-09-01

    Craving for alcohol and food has been studied in association with alcohol dependence and eating disorders, respectively. One subclass of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, 1519T>C GABA(A)alpha6 has been reported to be associated with both alcohol dependence and weight gain. In this study, we hypothesized that patients being treated for alcohol dependence would report decreased craving for alcohol, but an increased craving for food during a 4-week treatment period. We further hypothesized that the T allele of the 1519T>C GABA(A)alpha6 gene would modulate the extent of changes in craving for alcohol and food. This study included 98 male inpatients being treated for alcohol dependence. A 7-point visual analog scale was applied to evaluate relative levels of alcohol and food craving at baseline and again 4 weeks later. Body weight was also checked at the same periods. Genotyping of the 1519T>C SNP in GABA(A)alpha6 was carried out by restriction fragment length polymorphism. There were significant changes in craving for alcohol and food in all patients with alcohol dependence. During the treatment period, body weight increased in all patients with alcohol dependence. Changes in alcohol and food craving in T-allele carriers (CT + TT) of 1519T>C GABA(A)alpha6 were greater than those observed in CC homozygotes. In T-allele carriers, body weight significantly increased and the changes in weight showed a negative correlation with the change in the craving for alcohol and a positive correlation with the changes in craving for food. The current results suggest that in T-allele carriers the change in craving for alcohol during treatment for alcohol dependence is negatively associated with changes in craving for food. The T allele of the 1519T>C GABA(A)alpha6 gene may be one of the modulating factors associated with changes in craving for alcohol and food during treatment of patients with alcohol dependence.

  8. The isolation and characterization of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia T4-like bacteriophage DLP6.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danielle L Peters

    Full Text Available Increasing isolation of the extremely antibiotic resistant bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has caused alarm worldwide due to the limited treatment options available. A potential treatment option for fighting this bacterium is 'phage therapy', the clinical application of bacteriophages to selectively kill bacteria. Bacteriophage DLP6 (vB_SmoM-DLP6 was isolated from a soil sample using clinical isolate S. maltophilia strain D1571 as host. Host range analysis of phage DLP6 against 27 clinical S. maltophilia isolates shows successful infection and lysis in 13 of the 27 isolates tested. Transmission electron microscopy of DLP6 indicates that it is a member of the Myoviridae family. Complete genome sequencing and analysis of DLP6 reveals its richly recombined evolutionary history, featuring a core of both T4-like and cyanophage genes, which suggests that it is a member of the T4-superfamily. Unlike other T4-superfamily phages however, DLP6 features a transposase and ends with 229 bp direct terminal repeats. The isolation of this bacteriophage is an exciting discovery due to the divergent nature of DLP6 in relation to the T4-superfamily of phages.

  9. De novo expression of human polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 6 (GalNAc-T6) in colon adenocarcinoma inhibits the differentiation of colonic epithelium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lavrsen, Kirstine; Dabelsteen, Sally; Vakhrushev, Sergey Y

    2018-01-01

    Aberrant expression of O-glycans is a hallmark of epithelial cancers. Mucin type O-glycosylation is initiated by a large family of UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferases (GalNAc-Ts), that target different proteins and are differentially expressed in cells and organs. Here we...... investigated the expression patterns of all of the GalNAc-Ts in colon cancer by analysing transcriptomic data. We found that GalNAc-T6 was highly upregulated in colon adenocarcinomas but absent in normal-appearing adjacent colon tissue. The results were verified by immunohistochemistry, suggesting that Gal......NAc-T6 plays a role in colon carcinogenesis. To investigate the function of GalNAc-T6 in colon cancer, we used precise gene targeting to produce isogenic colon cancer cell lines with a knockout/-rescue system for GalNAc-T6. GalNAc-T6 expression was associated with a cancer-like, dysplastic growth pattern...

  10. Rituximab Effectiveness and Safety for Treating Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francine Bertolais do Valle Souza

    Full Text Available Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS is a systemic autoimmune disease that involves the exocrine glands and internal organs. pSS leads to destruction and loss of secretory function due to intense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Therapeutic options include mainly symptomatic and supportive measures, and traditional immunosuppressant drugs have shown no effectiveness in randomized trials. Rituximab (RTX is a chimeric antibody anti-CD20 that leads to B cell depletion by diverse mechanisms. There is evidence that this drug may be effective for treating pSS. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate Rituximab effectiveness and safety for treating pSS.We conducted a systematic review of RCTs published until December 2015, with no language restriction. We registered a protocol on Plataforma Brasil (40654814.6.0000.5505 and developed search strategies for the following scientific databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and LILACS. We included adults with established pSS diagnosis and considered the use of Rituximab as intervention and the use of other drugs or placebo as control. Four studies met our eligibility criteria: three with low risk of bias and one with uncertain risk of bias. The total number of participants was 276 (145 RTX, 131 placebo. We assessed the risk of bias of each included study and evaluated the following as primary outcomes: lacrimal gland function, salivary gland function, fatigue improvement and adverse events. We found no significant differences between the groups in the Schirmer test at week 24 meta-analysis (MD 3.59, 95% CI -2.89 to 10.07. Only one study evaluated the lissamine green test and reported a statistically significant difference between the groups at week 24 (MD -2.00, 95% CI -3.52 to -0.48. There was a significant difference between the groups regarding salivary flow rate (MD 0.09, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.16 and improvement in fatigue VAS at weeks 6 (RR 3.98, 95% CI 1.61 to 9.82 and week 16 (RR 3.08, 95% CI 1.21 to

  11. ssDNA degradation along capillary electrophoresis process using a Tris buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ric, Audrey; Ong-Meang, Varravaddheay; Poinsot, Verena; Martins-Froment, Nathalie; Chauvet, Fabien; Boutonnet, Audrey; Ginot, Frédéric; Ecochard, Vincent; Paquereau, Laurent; Couderc, François

    2017-06-01

    Tris-Acetate buffer is currently used in the selection and the characterization of ssDNA by capillary electrophoresis (CE). By applying high voltage, the migration of ionic species into the capillary generates a current that induces water electrolysis. This phenomenon is followed by the modification of the pH and the production of Tris derivatives. By injecting ten times by capillary electrophoresis ssDNA (50 nM), the whole oligonucleotide was degraded. In this paper, we will show that the Tris buffer in the running vials is modified along the electrophoretic process by electrochemical reactions. We also observed that the composition of the metal ions changes in the running buffer vials. This phenomenon, never described in CE, is important for fluorescent ssDNA analysis using Tris buffer. The oligonucleotides are degraded by electrochemically synthesized species (present in the running Tris vials) until it disappears, even if the separation buffer in the capillary is clean. To address these issues, we propose to use a sodium phosphate buffer that we demonstrate to be electrochemically inactive. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Non-Invasive Detection of Lactate as a Biomarker of Response using Spectral Selective Multiple Quantum Editing Sequence (SS-SelMQC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-01

    phantoms with known concentrations (Lac with without Gd-DTPA doping , and Lac/Lip solutions). Once the RF coils are optimized, signal to noise (SNR...cylindrical phantoms (10mm and 15mm diameter) with 5, 15 and 30 mM lactate/ saline doped with and without 25 μΜ Gd-DPTA solutions. For Lac/Lip...approach to lactate production in human skeletal muscle during exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000;32:756–63. 51. Maekawa M, Sudo K, Li SS, Kanno T

  13. On Line Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) UF6 Tests for 1.5" Sch40 SS Pipe, Revision 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    March-Leuba, José A. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Garner, Jim [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Younkin, Jim [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Simmons, Darrell W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-01-01

    As global uranium enrichment capacity under international safeguards expands, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is challenged to develop effective safeguards approaches at gaseous centrifuge enrichment plants while working within budgetary constraints. The “Model Safeguards Approach for Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plants” (GCEPs) developed by the IAEA Division of Concepts and Planning in June 2006, defines the three primary Safeguards objectives to be the timely detection of: 1) diversion of significant quantities of natural (NU), depleted (DU) or low-enriched uranium (LEU) from declared plant flow, 2) facility misuse to produce undeclared LEU product from undeclared feed, and 3) facility misuse to produce enrichments higher than the declared maximum, in particular, highly enriched uranium (HEU). The ability to continuously and independently (i.e. with a minimum of information from the facility operator) monitor not only the uranium mass balance but also the 235U mass balance in the facility could help support all three verification objectives described above. Two key capabilities required to achieve an independent and accurate material balance are 1) continuous, unattended monitoring of in-process UF6 and 2) monitoring of cylinders entering and leaving the facility. The continuous monitoring of in-process UF6 would rely on a combination of load-cell monitoring of the cylinders at the feed and withdrawal stations, online monitoring of gas enrichment, and a high-accuracy net weight measurement of the cylinder contents. The Online Enrichment Monitor (OLEM) is the instrument that would continuously measure the time-dependent relative uranium enrichment, E(t), in weight percent 235U, of the gas filling or being withdrawn from the cylinders. The OLEM design concept combines gamma-ray spectrometry using a collimated NaI(Tl) detector with gas pressure and temperature data to calculate the enrichment of the UF6

  14. Scalable and reusable emulator for evaluating the performance of SS7 networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazar, Aurel A.; Tseng, Kent H.; Lim, Koon Seng; Choe, Winston

    1994-04-01

    A scalable and reusable emulator was designed and implemented for studying the behavior of SS7 networks. The emulator design was largely based on public domain software. It was developed on top of an environment supported by PVM, the Parallel Virtual Machine, and managed by OSIMIS-the OSI Management Information Service platform. The emulator runs on top of a commercially available ATM LAN interconnecting engineering workstations. As a case study for evaluating the emulator, the behavior of the Singapore National SS7 Network under fault and unbalanced loading conditions was investigated.

  15. Elokuvan rooli nuorten elämässä ja nuorisotilojen arjessa

    OpenAIRE

    Mäkinen, Kirsi

    2009-01-01

    Elokuva on arkipäiväinen taiteenmuoto, jota erityisesti nuoret seuraavat aktiivisesti. Halusinkin opinnäy-tetyössäni selvittää mitä elokuva nuorille oikeastaan merkitsee. Lisäksi minua kiinnosti tutkia työssäni millaisessa asemassa elokuvien esittäminen on nuorisotiloilla. Tutkimuksen alkuvaiheessa selvisi, että mikkeliläisillä nuorisotaloilla ei esitetä elokuvia, koska ei ole tarvittavia lupia. Sen sijaan Tampereella esitetään elokuvia ilman mitään lupia. Näin työstäni syntyi tapaustutkimus,...

  16. The Many Faces of IpaB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William D Picking

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The type III secretion system (T3SS is Shigella’s most important virulence factor. The T3SS apparatus (T3SA is comprised of an envelope-spanning basal body and an external needle topped by a tip complex protein called IpaD. This nanomachine is used to deliver effector proteins into host cells to promote pathogen entry. A key component of the matured T3SS needle tip complex is the translocator protein IpaB. IpaB can exist in multiple states when prepared as a recombinant protein, however, it has also been described as having additional roles in Shigella pathogenesis. This mini-review will briefly describe some of the features of IpaB as a T3SS needle tip protein, as a pore-forming translocator protein and as an effector protein. Reflection on the potential importance of the different in vitro states of IpaB on its function and importance in serotype-independent vaccines is also provided.

  17. Influence of helium-injection schedule and prior thermomechanical treatment on the microstructure of Type 316 SS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohyama, A.; Ayrault, G.; Turner, A.P.L.

    1982-10-01

    The influence of different helium-injection schedules on microstructure development Ni + ion irradiated 316 SS at 625 0 C is discussed. Injection schedules were chosen to (1) approximate the magnetic fusion reactor condition and (2) mimic the mixed-spectrum reactor condition. Dual-ion irradiation to 25 dpa produced strongly bimodal cavity size distributions in solution-annealed and solution-annealed and aged samples, whereas single-ion irradiation followed by dual-ion irradiation to the same dose produced a cavity size distribution with a substantial component of intermediate-size cavities. Dual-ion irradiation produced only very small cavities in 20% CW material, while single-ion followed by dual-ion irradiation produced some intermediate size cavities and greater swelling. 10 figures

  18. Design and specificity of long ssDNA donors for CRISPR-based knock-in

    OpenAIRE

    Leonetti, Manuel; Li, Han; Beckman, Kyle; Pessino, Veronica; Huang, Bo; Weissman, Jonathan

    2017-01-01

    CRISPR/Cas technologies have transformed our ability to manipulate genomes for research and gene-based therapy. In particular, homology-directed repair after genomic cleavage allows for precise modification of genes using exogenous donor sequences as templates. While both single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) forms of donors have been used as repair templates, a systematic comparison of the performance and specificity of repair using ssDNA versus dsDNA donors is still la...

  19. Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) from the critically endangered antelope Addax nasomaculatus in Tunisia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boufana, Belgees; Saïd, Yousra; Dhibi, Mokhtar; Craig, Philip S; Lahmar, Samia

    2015-12-01

    Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) is a zoonotic disease highly endemic in Tunisia. Canids including stray and semi-stray dogs, jackals and foxes are known as definitive hosts and a wide range of ungulates have been shown to harbour the metacestode hydatid stage and may serve as intermediate hosts. Fertile hydatid cysts of Echinococcus equinus and E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) were recently molecularly identified for the first time from Tunisian donkeys. E. granulosus (s.s.) was also identified from wild boars in Tunisia. Here we report the confirmation of hydatid cysts caused by E. granulosus (s.s.) in the critically endangered antelope, Addax nasomaculatus in Tunisia. DNA-based molecular analysis revealed that A.nasomaculatus was infected with E. granulosus (s.s.) which had a 100% identity with the main globally distributed E. granulosus (s.s.) (EgTu01) haplotype. Cysts of Taenia hydatigena (n=33) were also observed on the liver and in the body cavity. Due to their endangered status and their relatively small numbers, it is unlikely that hydatid infection of A. nasomaculatus will form a major contribution to the epidemiology and transmission of E. granulosus in Tunisia, but infection may result in pathology, morbidity and early mortality, and may still play a role in the perpetuation of the parasite in wildlife cycles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Estimating immunoregulatory gene networks in human herpesvirus type 6-infected T cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaku, Tomoiku; Ohyashiki, Junko H.; Zhang, Yu; Ohyashiki, Kazuma

    2005-01-01

    The immune response to viral infection involves complex network of dynamic gene and protein interactions. We present here the dynamic gene network of the host immune response during human herpesvirus type 6 (HHV-6) infection in an adult T-cell leukemia cell line. Using a pathway-focused oligonucleotide DNA microarray, we found a possible association between chemokine genes regulating Th1/Th2 balance and genes regulating T-cell proliferation during HHV-6B infection. Gene network analysis using an integrated comprehensive workbench, VoyaGene, revealed that a gene encoding a TEC-family kinase, ITK, might be a putative modulator in the host immune response against HHV-6B infection. We conclude that Th2-dominated inflammatory reaction in host cells may play an important role in HHV-6B-infected T cells, thereby suggesting the possibility that ITK might be a therapeutic target in diseases related to dysregulation of Th1/Th2 balance. This study describes a novel approach to find genes related with the complex host-virus interaction using microarray data employing the Bayesian statistical framework

  1. Assessment of water-soluble thiourea-formaldehyde (WTF) resin for stabilization/solidification (S/S) of heavy metal contaminated soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, She-Jiang; Jiang, Jia-Yu; Wang, Shen; Guo, Yu-Peng; Ding, Hui

    2018-03-15

    Stabilization/Solidification (S/S) can be regarded as necessary for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil. There is, however, solid agent is not very convenient to use. Water-soluble thiourea-formaldehyde (WTF) is a novel chelating agent, which has more practical applications. The process of WTF resin for S/S process of heavy metal contaminated soils was studied. Laboratory-prepared slurries, made of field soils spiked with Cd 2+ and Cr 6+ were treated with WTF resin. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) showed that with 2 wt% WTF, in the neutral condition of soil after treatment for 7 d, the leaching concentrations of Cd 2+ and Cr 6+ in contaminated soil were decreased by 80.3% and 92.6% respectively. Moreover, Tessier sequence extraction procedure showed WTF resin reduced the leaching concentration by transforming heavy metal from exchange form to organic form. The structure of WTF is obtained according to elemental analysis result and reaction mechanism. Through analysis of the infrared spectrogram of WTF and WTF heavy mental chelating precipitation, WTF can form stable chelate with heavy mental through coordination. The significant groups are hydroxyl, nitrogen and sulphur function groups in WTF mainly. Toxicology test revealed that the WTF resin is nontoxic to microorganism in the soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Neutron diffraction studies on GdB6 and TbB6 powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luca, S.E.; Amara, M.; Galera, R.M.; Givord, F.; Granovsky, S.; Isnard, O.; Beneu, B.

    2004-01-01

    We report here the first powder neutron diffraction study of GdB 6 and TbB 6 . GdB 6 and TbB 6 order antiferromagnetically at 15 and 21 K, respectively. In both compounds the transition at T N is of the first order. Moreover GdB 6 presents a second spontaneous magnetic transition at T * =8 K. The present study shows that, in both compounds, the magnetic propagation vectors belong to the star and that the direction of the magnetic moment is perpendicular to the ((1)/(2)) component of the wave-vector in GdB 6 , while in TbB 6 the moment is parallel to it. The deduced low-temperature values of the magnetic moments agree with those of the respective rare-earth trivalent ions

  3. Some haltuun : Murrosikäisen sosiaalisen median käytön ohjaus terveydenhoitajan työssä

    OpenAIRE

    Paavola, Pinja; Haapala, Lotta

    2016-01-01

    Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli lisätä terveydenhoitajien tietämystä sosiaalisesta mediasta, jotta he osaavat ohjata murrosikäisiä sosiaalisen median turvallisessa käytössä ja, että murrosikäinen voi käyttää sosiaalista mediaa turvallisesti. Tarkoituksena oli selvittää, miten murrosikäinen käyttää sosiaalisen median sovelluksia ja miten terveydenhoitaja voisi ohjata sosiaalisen median turvalliseen käyttöön. Tutkimuskysymyksinä oli selvittää; mitä murrosikäinen tietää sosiaalisen median turvalli...

  4. Fabrication of 6FDA-durene membrane incorporated with zeolite T and aminosilane grafted zeolite T for CO2/CH4 separation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jusoh, Norwahyu; Fong Yeong, Yin; Keong Lau, Kok; Shariff, Azmi Mohd

    2017-08-01

    In the present work, zeolite T and aminosilane grafted zeolite T are embedded into 6FDA-durene polyimide phase for the fabrication of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). FESEM images demonstrated that the improvement of interfacial adhesion between zeolite and polymer phases in MMM loaded with aminosilane grafted zeolite T was not significant as compared to zeolite T/6FDA-durene MMM. From the gas permeation test, CO2/CH4 selectivity up to 26.4 was achieved using MMM containing aminosilane grafted zeolite T, while MMM loaded with ungrafted zeolite T showed CO2/CH4 selectivity of 19.1. In addition, MMM incorporated with aminosilane grafted zeolite T particles successfully lies on Robeson upper bound 2008, which makes it an attractive candidate for CO2/CH4 separation.

  5. Clinical significance of determination of changes of plasma ET and SS contents in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yuhong; Chen Chuanbing; Li Hua

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To explore the clinical significance of changes of plasma ET and somatostatin (SS) levels in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods: Plasma ET and SS contents were determined with RIA in 63 neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and 35 controls. Results: In neonates with HIE, the plasma ET levels were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01), while the plasma SS levels were significantly lower (P<0.01). Conclusion: Development of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in newborn infants was closely associated with increase of plasma ET and SS levels. (authors)

  6. Katariina kirikus algab Geeniuste mäss / Kai Ilustrumm

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Ilustrumm, Kai

    2004-01-01

    Briti Nõukogu toetusel Pärnus, Tartus ja Tallinnas toimuvatel inglise filmide päevadel "Geeniuste mäss" näidatakse ka 3 Lindsay Andersoni nn. Travise triloogia filmi "Kui..." (1968), "Oo, õnneseen!" (1973) ja "Ravila Britannia" (1982), kus Mick Travise rollis on Malcolm McDowell (1943). Lisatud kava

  7. Ultrafast T2-weighted single shot spin-echo sequences: applications on abdominal and pelvic pathologies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, J.; Martin, C.; Falco, J.; Esteban, L.

    1999-01-01

    The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences that obtain all the data using a sole excitation pulse of 90 degree centigrade, filling the K space in a single repetition time (TR) is known as snap shot or single shot (SS). The SS sequence based on the rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (SS-RARE) method, designed by Hening (1) and a variation of it with a half-Fourier reconstruction (SS-HF-RARE (HASTEL)) (2, 3) are capable of obtaining high contrast images in T2, in very short times, that oscillate between one to several seconds. The clinical application of these sequences to abdominal and pelvic pathologies is increasing, providing and improvement in the contrast resolution, but also in the spatial resolution, with a high relation signal/noise ratio, high contrast and absence of movement artifacts. (Author)

  8. Protection of the 6 T YBCO insert in the 13 T Nb$_{3}$Sn Fresca II dipole

    CERN Document Server

    Stenvall, A.; Fazilleau, Ph.; Devaux, M.; Durante, M.; Lecrevisse, T.; Rey, J. -M.; Fleiter, J.; Sorbi, M.; Volpini, G.; Tixador, P.

    2013-01-01

    In the EuCARD project, we aim to construct a dipole magnet in YBCO producing 6 T in the background field of a 13 T Nb$_{3}$Sn dipole FRESCA II. This paper reviews the quench analysis and protection of the YBCO coil. In addition, a recommendation for the protection system of the YBCO coil is presented.

  9. Association of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 With Exocrine Gland Dysfunction in Patients With Sjögren’s Syndrome and in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Hongen; Cabrera-Perez, Javier; Lai, Zhenan; Michael, Drew; Weller, Melodie; Swaim, William D.; Liu, Xibao; Catalán, Marcelo A.; Rocha, Eduardo M.; Ismail, Nevien; Afione, Sandra; Rana, Noreen A.; Di Pasquale, Giovanni; Alevizos, Ilias; Ambudkar, Indu; Illei, Gabor G.; Chiorini, John A.

    2014-01-01

    Objective Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is characterized by autoimmune activation and loss of function in secretory epithelia. The present study was undertaken to investigate and characterize changes in the epithelia associated with the loss of gland function in primary SS. Methods To identify changes in epithelial gene expression, custom microarrays were probed with complementary RNA (cRNA) isolated from minor salivary glands (MSGs) of female patients with primary SS who had low focus scores and low salivary flow rates, and the results were compared with those obtained using cRNA from the MSGs of sex-matched healthy volunteers. The effect of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) on salivary gland function was tested using adeno-associated virus–mediated gene transfer to the salivary glands of C57BL/6 mice. Results A significant increase in expression of BMP-6 was observed in RNA isolated from SS patients compared with healthy volunteers. Overexpression of BMP-6 locally in the salivary or lacrimal glands of mice resulted in the loss of fluid secretion as well as changes in the connective tissue of the salivary gland. Assessment of the fluid movement in either isolated acinar cells from mice overexpressing BMP-6 or a human salivary gland cell line cultured with BMP-6 revealed a loss in volume regulation in these cells. Lymphocytic infiltration in the submandibular gland of BMP-6 vector–treated mice was increased. No significant changes in the production of proinflammatory cytokines or autoantibodies associated with SS (anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB) were found after BMP-6 overexpression. Conclusion In addition to identifying BMP-6 expression in association with xerostomia and xerophthalmia in primary SS, the present results suggest that BMP-6–induced salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction in primary SS is independent of the autoantibodies and immune activation associated with the disease. PMID:23982860

  10. Auto-anticorpos na Esclerose Sistêmica (ES Autoantibody in the Systemic Sclerosis (SS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luís Eduardo Coelho Andrade

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available A esclerose sistêmica (ES é uma enfermidade inflamatória crônica idiopática, cujo principal indício de vínculo com a auto-imunidade é a presença de auto-anticorpos na maior parte dos pacientes. Pelo teste de imunofluorescência indireta em células HEp-2, observa-se reatividade predominantemente contra o nucléolo e o núcleo, sendo que títulos de anticorpos antinucléolo acima de 1/640 são fortemente sugestivos de ES. Alguns desses auto-anticorpos apresentam alta especificidade para a ES, sendo considerados marcadores diagnósticos dessa enfermidade. São exemplos os anticorpos anti-Scl-70, antifibrilarina e anti-RNA polimerase I. Outros apresentam interessantes associações com manifestações específicas da ES, como os anticorpos anticentrômero, associados às formas limitadas, os anticorpos anti-RNA polimerase III, associados ao extenso comprometimento da pele, e os anticorpos anti-To/Th, associados às formas limitadas com propensão ao desenvolvimento de hipertensão pulmonar. Algumas dessas associações estão bem estabelecidas em diversos estudos, de diferentes grupos de pesquisadores. Outras, entretanto, devem ser vistas com cautela, pois a exigüidade de casos disponíveis para estudo pode ensejar conclusões preliminares e não acuradas. A detecção de anticorpos anticentrômero por técnica de IFI e anti-Scl-70 por imunodifusão dupla ou por ELISA está disponível nos principais laboratórios clínicos capacitados na área de auto-imunidade. O mesmo não se aplica para a maior parte dos demais auto-anticorpos associados à ES. Espera-se que, com a implementação rotineira de técnicas para detecção desses outros auto-anticorpos, o real significado clínico dos mesmos venha a ser melhor conhecido.Systemic Sclerosis (SS is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disease whose main hint towards autoimmunity is given by the presence of high serum levels of autoantibodies in the majority of the patients. In indirect

  11. A modified Johnson–Cook model of dynamic tensile behaviors for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Ding-Ni, E-mail: siping4840@126.com [The College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234 (China); Shangguan, Qian-Qian [The College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234 (China); Xie, Can-Jun [Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., Shanghai 200120 (China); Liu, Fu [Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute of COMAC, Shanghai 201210 (China)

    2015-01-15

    Highlights: • The dynamic mechanical behaviors at various strain rates were measured. • The strain rate hardening effect of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy is significant. • A new Johnson–Cook constitutive model of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was obtained. • Numerical simulations of tensile tests at different rates were conducted. • Accuracy of the modified Johnson–Cook constitutive equation was proved. - Abstract: The dynamic mechanical behaviors of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy at various strain rates were measured by dynamic tensile tests using the electronic universal testing machine, high velocity testing system and split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB). Stress–strain curves at different rates were obtained. The results show that the strain rate hardening effect of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy is significant. By modifying the strain rate hardening term in the Johnson–Cook constitutive model, a new Johnson–Cook (JC) constitutive model of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was obtained. The improved Johnson–Cook model matched the experiment results very well. With the Johnson–Cook constitutive model, numerical simulations of tensile tests at different rates for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy were conducted. According to tensile loading and stress–strain relation of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, calculation results were compared with experimental results. Accuracy of the modified Johnson–Cook constitutive equation was further proved.

  12. A modified Johnson–Cook model of dynamic tensile behaviors for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Ding-Ni; Shangguan, Qian-Qian; Xie, Can-Jun; Liu, Fu

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The dynamic mechanical behaviors at various strain rates were measured. • The strain rate hardening effect of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy is significant. • A new Johnson–Cook constitutive model of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was obtained. • Numerical simulations of tensile tests at different rates were conducted. • Accuracy of the modified Johnson–Cook constitutive equation was proved. - Abstract: The dynamic mechanical behaviors of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy at various strain rates were measured by dynamic tensile tests using the electronic universal testing machine, high velocity testing system and split Hopkinson tensile bar (SHTB). Stress–strain curves at different rates were obtained. The results show that the strain rate hardening effect of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy is significant. By modifying the strain rate hardening term in the Johnson–Cook constitutive model, a new Johnson–Cook (JC) constitutive model of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was obtained. The improved Johnson–Cook model matched the experiment results very well. With the Johnson–Cook constitutive model, numerical simulations of tensile tests at different rates for 7075-T6 aluminum alloy were conducted. According to tensile loading and stress–strain relation of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, calculation results were compared with experimental results. Accuracy of the modified Johnson–Cook constitutive equation was further proved

  13. Tutkimustiedon käyttö röntgenhoitajan työssä osana näyttöön perustuvaa toimintaa

    OpenAIRE

    Vesikukka, E. (Emilia)

    2015-01-01

    Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvailla röntgenhoitajien tutkimustiedon käyttöä työssään röntgenhoitajien arvioimana. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli lisätä tietoisuutta tutkimustiedon käyttötottumuksista sekä tutkimustiedon käyttöön vaikuttavista tekijöistä, joiden avulla voitaisiin pyrkiä edistämään näyttöön perustuvaa radiografiaa osaksi työkulttuuria. ...

  14. T cell activation and differentiation is modulated by a CD6 domain 1 antibody Itolizumab.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Usha Bughani

    Full Text Available CD6 is associated with T-cell modulation and is implicated in several autoimmune diseases. We previously demonstrated that Itolizumab, a CD6 domain 1 (CD6D1 specific humanized monoclonal antibody, inhibited the proliferation and cytokine production by T lymphocytes stimulated with anti-CD3 antibody or when co-stimulated with ALCAM. Aberrant IL-17 producing CD4+ helper T-cells (Th17 have been identified as pivotal for the pathogenesis of certain inflammatory autoimmune disorders, including psoriasis. Itolizumab has demonstrated efficacy in human diseases known to have an IL-17 driven pathogenesis. Here, in in vitro experiments we show that by day 3 of human PBMC activation using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 co-stimulation in a Th17 polarizing milieu, 15-35% of CD4+ T-cells overexpress CD6 and there is an establishment of differentiated Th17 cells. Addition of Itolizumab reduces the activation and differentiation of T cells to Th17 cells and decreases production of IL-17. These effects are associated with the reduction of key transcription factors pSTAT3 and RORγT. Further, transcription analysis studies in these conditions indicate that Itolizumab suppressed T cell activation by primarily reducing cell cycle, DNA transcription and translation associated genes. To understand the mechanism of this inhibition, we evaluated the effect of this anti-human CD6D1 mAb on ALCAM-CD6 as well as TCR-mediated T cell activation. We show that Itolizumab but not its F(ab'2 fragment directly inhibits CD6 receptor hyper-phosphorylation and leads to subsequent decrease in associated ZAP70 kinase and docking protein SLP76. Since Itolizumab binds to CD6 expressed only on human and chimpanzee, we developed an antibody binding specifically to mouse CD6D1. This antibody successfully ameliorated the incidence of experimental autoimmune encephalitis in the mice model. These results position CD6 as a key molecule in sustaining the activation and differentiation of T cells and an

  15. An MC-SS Platform for Short-Range Communications in the Personal Network Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bakirtzoglou Zeta

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Wireless personal area networks (WPANs have gained interest in the last few years, and several air interfaces have been proposed to cover WPAN applications. A multicarrier spread spectrum (MC-SS air interface specified to achieve 130 Mbps in typical WPAN channels is presented in this paper. It operates in the 5.2 GHz ISM band and achieves a spectral efficiency of 3.25  . Besides the robustness of the MC-SS approach, this air interface yields to reasonable implementation complexity. This paper focuses on the hardware design and prototype of this MC-SS air interface. The prototype includes RF, baseband, and IEEE802.15.3 compliant medium access control (MAC features. Implementation aspects are carefully analyzed for each part of the prototype, and key hardware design issues and solutions are presented. Hardware complexity and implementation loss are compared to theoretical expectations, as well as flexibility is discussed. Measurement results are provided for a real condition of operations.

  16. A comparison of the technical sustainability of in situ stabilisation/solidification with disposal to landfill.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harbottle, M J; Al-Tabbaa, A; Evans, C W

    2007-03-15

    Sustainability is becoming a very important issue in contaminated land remediation and should form one of the factors used in future selection of treatment technologies. In situ stabilisation/solidification (S/S) is a remediation technique that is increasingly being applied to the treatment of contaminated sites because of numerous advantages over other remediation techniques. This paper assesses and compares aspects of the technical sustainability of in situ S/S with landfilling. Criteria previously established for the assessment of the technical sustainability of the remediation of contaminated land are employed. The comparison is presented in the form of a case study based on a real remediation project in the UK. The analysis indicated that landfilling had a larger impact than S/S in the majority of areas investigated, such as waste production (1000 kg waste/t soil remediated for landfilling compared to none for S/S), transportation (12.9 km/t for landfilling, 0.4 km/t for S/S) and use of raw materials (1005.5 kg/t for landfilling, 88.9 kg/t for S/S), although S/S had high greenhouse gas emissions (12.6 kg/t for landfilling, 40.9 kg/t for S/S). In addition, a multi-criteria/cost-effectiveness analysis gave cost effectiveness scores of -34.2 to S/S and -138.1 to landfill (where more positive is better).

  17. GIMAP6 is required for T cell maintenance and efficient autophagy in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascall, John C; Webb, Louise M C; Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa; Innocentin, Silvia; Attaf-Bouabdallah, Noudjoud; Butcher, Geoffrey W

    2018-01-01

    The GTPases of the immunity-associated proteins (GIMAP) GTPases are a family of proteins expressed strongly in the adaptive immune system. We have previously reported that in human cells one member of this family, GIMAP6, interacts with the ATG8 family member GABARAPL2, and is recruited to autophagosomes upon starvation, suggesting a role for GIMAP6 in the autophagic process. To study this possibility and the function of GIMAP6 in the immune system, we have established a mouse line in which the Gimap6 gene can be inactivated by Cre-mediated recombination. In mice bred to carry the CD2Cre transgene such that the Gimap6 gene was deleted within the T and B cell lineages there was a 50-70% reduction in peripheral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Analysis of splenocyte-derived proteins from these mice indicated increased levels of MAP1LC3B, particularly the lipidated LC3-II form, and S405-phosphorylation of SQSTM1. Electron microscopic measurements of Gimap6-/- CD4+ T cells indicated an increased mitochondrial/cytoplasmic volume ratio and increased numbers of autophagosomes. These results are consistent with autophagic disruption in the cells. However, Gimap6-/- T cells were largely normal in character, could be effectively activated in vitro and supported T cell-dependent antibody production. Treatment in vitro of CD4+ splenocytes from GIMAP6fl/flERT2Cre mice with 4-hydroxytamoxifen resulted in the disappearance of GIMAP6 within five days. In parallel, increased phosphorylation of SQSTM1 and TBK1 was observed. These results indicate a requirement for GIMAP6 in the maintenance of a normal peripheral adaptive immune system and a significant role for the protein in normal autophagic processes. Moreover, as GIMAP6 is expressed in a cell-selective manner, this indicates the potential existence of a cell-restricted mode of autophagic regulation.

  18. Enormous periodic doppler shifts in SS 433

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Margon, B.; Ford, H.C.; Grandi, S.A.; Stone, R.P.S.

    1979-01-01

    We have previously reported prominent ''moving' emission lines in the visible spectrum of Stephenson-Sanduleak 433, the optical counterpart of a variable radio and X-ray source. Further observations show that despite the implausible velocities and changes in velocities implied if the moving features are interpreted as Doppler-shifted Balmer lines, this explanation is indeed correct. Spectroscopy of SS 433 on 51 mights in 1978--1979 reveals that the unidentified features are two sets of Balmer and He I lines, one with large and changing redshift, and the other with large and changing blueshift. Combining our data with published earlier observations, we obtain Doppler shifts on 80 nights in the period 1978 June to 1979 June. These data indicate that the velocity variations are cyclical, repeating in both the blueshift and redshift systems with a period of 164 +- 3 days. The two systems have thus far been observed to reach maximum positive and negative radial velocities of +50,000 and -35,000 km s -1 , respectively, are always symmetric about redshift z=0.04, and follow roughly sinusoidal velocity curves. We discuss in addition a variety of interesting short-term spectroscopic details, including minor but highly significant deviations of the radial velocity from the sinusoid, and nightly line profile changes, sometimes appearing as mirror-image events in the redshift and blueshift systems. The behavior of SS 433 is unprecedented

  19. 6-Paradol and 6-Shogaol, the Pungent Compounds of Ginger, Promote Glucose Utilization in Adipocytes and Myotubes, and 6-Paradol Reduces Blood Glucose in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chien-Kei Wei

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The anti-diabetic activity of ginger powder (Zingiber officinale has been recently promoted, with the recommendation to be included as one of the dietary supplements for diabetic patients. However, previous studies presented different results, which may be caused by degradation and metabolic changes of ginger components, gingerols, shogaols and paradols. Therefore, we prepared 10 ginger active components, namely 6-, 8-, 10-paradols, 6-, 8-, 10-shogaols, 6-, 8-, 10-gingerols and zingerone, and evaluated their anti-hyperglycemic activity. Among the tested compounds, 6-paradol and 6-shogaol showed potent activity in stimulating glucose utilization by 3T3-L1 adipocytes and C2C12 myotubes. The effects were attributed to the increase in 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. 6-Paradol, the major metabolite of 6-shogaol, was utilized in an in vivo assay and significantly reduced blood glucose, cholesterol and body weight in high-fat diet-fed mice.

  20. Intraspecies Competition in Serratia marcescens Is Mediated by Type VI-Secreted Rhs Effectors and a Conserved Effector-Associated Accessory Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alcoforado Diniz, Juliana; Coulthurst, Sarah J

    2015-07-01

    The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is widespread in Gram-negative bacteria and can deliver toxic effector proteins into eukaryotic cells or competitor bacteria. Antibacterial T6SSs are increasingly recognized as key mediators of interbacterial competition and may contribute to the outcome of many polymicrobial infections. Multiple antibacterial effectors can be delivered by these systems, with diverse activities against target cells and distinct modes of secretion. Polymorphic toxins containing Rhs repeat domains represent a recently identified and as-yet poorly characterized class of T6SS-dependent effectors. Previous work had revealed that the potent antibacterial T6SS of the opportunistic pathogen Serratia marcescens promotes intraspecies as well as interspecies competition (S. L. Murdoch, K. Trunk, G. English, M. J. Fritsch, E. Pourkarimi, and S. J. Coulthurst, J Bacteriol 193:6057-6069, 2011, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.05671-11). In this study, two new Rhs family antibacterial effectors delivered by this T6SS have been identified. One of these was shown to act as a DNase toxin, while the other contains a novel, cytoplasmic-acting toxin domain. Importantly, using S. marcescens, it has been demonstrated for the first time that Rhs proteins, rather than other T6SS-secreted effectors, can be the primary determinant of intraspecies competition. Furthermore, a new family of accessory proteins associated with T6SS effectors has been identified, exemplified by S. marcescens EagR1, which is specifically required for deployment of its associated Rhs effector. Together, these findings provide new insight into how bacteria can use the T6SS to deploy Rhs-family effectors and mediate different types of interbacterial interactions. Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens represent a continuing threat to health and economic prosperity. To counter this threat, we must understand how such organisms survive and prosper. The type VI secretion system is a weapon that

  1. Triiodothyronine (T3)-associated upregulation and downregulation of nuclear T3 binding in the human fibroblast cell (MRC-5)--stimulation of malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase by insulin, but not by T3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Matzen, L E; Kristensen, S R; Kvetny, J

    1991-01-01

    The specific nuclear binding of triiodothyronine (T3) (NBT3) and the activity of malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD), and 6-phosphogluconate-dehydrogenase (6PGD) were studied in the human fibroblast cell (MRC-5). The overall apparent binding affinity (Ka) was 2.7 x 10(9) L.......mol-1 estimated from kinetic studies of nuclear T3 binding, and 2.5 x 10(9) L.mol-1 estimated from equilibrium studies. The scatchard plots were curvilinear and composed of a high-affinity binding site with Ka1 3.4 +/- 0.7 x 10(9) L.mol-1 and maximal binding capacity (MBC) MBC1 57.0 +/- 11.9 fmol/mg DNA...... and a low-affinity binding site with Ka2 2.9 +/- 1.1 x 10(8) L.mol-1 and MBC2 124.7 +/- 22.1 fmol/mg DNA (n = 6). Incubation of cells with 6 nmol/L T3 for 20 hours reduced NBT3 to 62.2% +/- 15.7% (P less than .01, n = 11). The Ka estimated from kinetic studies was reduced to 6.7 x 10(7) L.mol-1...

  2. Lead (Pb) bioaccumulation; genera Bacillus isolate S1 and SS19 as a case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arifiyanto, Achmad; Apriyanti, Fitria Dwi; Purwaningsih, Puput; Kalqutny, Septian Hary; Agustina, Dyah; Surtiningsih, Tini; Shovitri, Maya; Zulaika, Enny

    2017-06-01

    Lead (Pb) includes a group of large heavy metal in nature was toxic either on animal or human and did not provide an advantage function biologically. Bacillus isolates S1 and SS19 known resistant to lead up to 50 mg / L PbCl2. In this research will be examined whether genera Bacillus isolates S1 and SS19 could accumulate metal lead (Pb), their capability in accumulating and profile protein differences when the bacteria genera Bacillus isolates S1 and SS19 get exposed metal lead (Pb). Inoculum at age ± 9 hours are used, with a Nutrient Broth (NB) containing 50, 75 and 100 mg / L PbCl2. Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP) used to assessed Pb2+ concentrations. Bioaccumulation levels of Pb2+ by Bacillus isolate S1 and SS19 related to the distinction of beginning concentration to the final concentration. Bacillus isolate S1 achieved 53% and 51% bioaccumulation efficiency rate in lead presence concentration (75 and 100 mg/L) and 51% (50 mg/L). Another way Bacillus isolate SS19 was able to accumulate 57% (50 mg/L PbCl2) and kept stable on 36% bioaccumulation efficiency rate (75 and 100 mg/L PbCl2). Regarding SDS-PAGE electrophoresis protein profile result, protein in ± 127 kDa, molecule mass detected in the presence of Lead for Bacillus isolate S1.

  3. Superpermeable membrane for particle control in divertor: the effect of impurity deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakahara, Y.; Nakamura, Y.; Ohyabu, N.; Suzuki, H.; Busnyuk, A.; Alimov, V.

    2000-01-01

    The effect of impurity (stainless steel (SS) components, carbon) deposition onto niobium membrane surface on the membrane permeability to hydrogen particles is investigated with a plasma device. The deposition of SS components onto the upstream surface of the membrane at the membrane temperature (T M ) M M ≥800 deg. C. It appears to be due to the dissolution of the impurities deposited onto the upstream surface into the membrane bulk within the measurements

  4. Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) HVAC System Component Index; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DICK, J.D.

    1999-01-01

    This document identities the components, design media, procedures and defines the critical characteristics of Commercial Grade Items necessary to ensure the HVAC system provides these functions. This document lists safety class (SC) and safety significant (SS) components for the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) and specifies the critical characteristics for Commercial Grade Items (CGI), as required by HNF-PRO-268 and HNF-PRO-1819. These are the minimum specifications that the equipment must meet in order to properly perform its safety function. There may be several manufacturers or models that meet the critical characteristics for any one item

  5. Uniform Corrosion and General Dissolution of Aluminum Alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, I.-Wen

    Uniform corrosion and general dissolution of aluminum alloys was not as well-studied in the past, although it was known for causing significant amount of weight loss. This work comprises four chapters to understand uniform corrosion of aluminum alloys 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6. A preliminary weight loss experiment was performed for distinguishing corrosion induced weight loss attributed to uniform corrosion and pitting corrosion. The result suggested that uniform corrosion generated a greater mass loss than pitting corrosion. First, to understand uniform corrosion mechanism and kinetics in different environments, a series of static immersion tests in NaCl solutions were performed to provide quantitative measurement of uniform corrosion. Thereafter, uniform corrosion development as a function of temperature, pH, Cl-, and time was investigated to understand the influence of environmental factors. Faster uniform corrosion rate has been found at lower temperature (20 and 40°C) than at higher temperature (60 and 80°C) due to accelerated corrosion product formation at high temperatures inhibiting corrosion reactions. Electrochemical tests including along with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized to study the temperature effect. Second, in order to further understand the uniform corrosion influence on pit growth kinetics, a long term exposures for 180 days in both immersion and ASTM-B117 test were performed. Uniform corrosion induced surface recession was found to have limited impact on pit geometry regardless of exposure methods. It was also found that the competition for limited cathodic current from uniform corrosion the primary rate limiting factor for pit growth. Very large pits were found after uniform corrosion growth reached a plateau due to corrosion product coverage. Also, optical microscopy and focused ion beam (FIB) imaging has provided more insights of distinctive pitting geometry and subsurface damages found from immersion samples and B117

  6. Evaluation of liquid metal embrittlement of SS304 by Cd and Cd-Al solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, J.K.; Iyer, N.C.; Begley, J.A.

    1992-01-01

    The susceptibility of stainless steel 304 to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) by cadmium (Cd) and cadmium-aluminum (Cd-Al) solutions was examined as part of a failure evaluation for SS304-clad cadmium reactor safety rods which had been exposed to elevated temperatures. The active, or cadmium (Cd) bearing, portion of the safety rod consists of a 0.756 in. diameter aluminum allow (Al-6061) core, a 0.05 in. thick Cd layer, and a 0.042 in. thick Type 304 stainless steel cladding. The safety rod thermal tests were conducted as part of a program to define the response of reactor core components to a hypothetical LOCA for the Savannah River Site (SRS) production reactor. LME was considered as a potential failure mechanism based on the nature of the failure and susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels to embrittlement by other liquid metals

  7. Evaluating cis-2,6-Dimethylpiperidide (cis-DMP) as a Base Component in Lithium-Mediated Zincation Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, David R; Garden, Jennifer A; Kennedy, Alan R; Leenhouts, Sarah M; Mulvey, Robert E; O'Keefe, Philip; O'Hara, Charles T; Steven, Alan

    2013-01-01

    Most recent advances in metallation chemistry have centred on the bulky secondary amide 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (TMP) within mixed metal, often ate, compositions. However, the precursor amine TMP(H) is rather expensive so a cheaper substitute would be welcome. Thus this study was aimed towards developing cheaper non-TMP based mixed-metal bases and, as cis-2,6-dimethylpiperidide (cis-DMP) was chosen as the alternative amide, developing cis-DMP zincate chemistry which has received meagre attention compared to that of its methyl-rich counterpart TMP. A new lithium diethylzincate, [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)Et2] (TMEDA=N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine) has been synthesised by co-complexation of Li(cis-DMP), Et2Zn and TMEDA, and characterised by NMR (including DOSY) spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, which revealed a dinuclear contact ion pair arrangement. By using N,N-diisopropylbenzamide as a test aromatic substrate, the deprotonative reactivity of [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)Et2] has been probed and contrasted with that of the known but previously uninvestigated di-tert-butylzincate, [(TMEDA)LiZn(cis-DMP)tBu2]. The former was found to be the superior base (for example, producing the ortho-deuteriated product in respective yields of 78 % and 48 % following D2O quenching of zincated benzamide intermediates). An 88 % yield of 2-iodo-N,N-diisopropylbenzamide was obtained on reaction of two equivalents of the diethylzincate with the benzamide followed by iodination. Comparisons are also drawn using 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazide (HMDS), diisopropylamide and TMP as the amide component in the lithium amide, Et2Zn and TMEDA system. Under certain conditions, the cis-DMP base system was found to give improved results in comparison to HMDS and diisopropylamide (DA), and comparable results to a TMP system. Two novel complexes isolated from reactions of the di-tert-butylzincate and crystallographically characterised, namely the pre-metallation complex [{(iPr)2N(Ph)C=O}LiZn(cis-DMP)t

  8. Aliupseereiden työssä oppiminen - Tapaustutkimus sosiomateriaalisten oppimisverkostojen näkökulmasta

    OpenAIRE

    Pekkarinen, Otto

    2017-01-01

    Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin Puolustusvoimien perusyksiköissä kouluttajatehtävissä toimivien aliupseerien työssä oppimista ja sen ohjaamista. Työssä oppimista tarkasteltiin kulttuurihistori-allisen toiminnan teorian ja tietoa luovan oppimisen metaforan mukaisen trialogisen oppimisen tarjoamilla teoreettisilla työkaluilla. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen näkökulma kiteytettiin sosiomate-riaalisen oppimisverkostoon, joka määriteltiin toiminnan yhteisen kohteen ympärille rakentu-neeksi yksilön, hänen yh...

  9. Microstructural studies of suck cast (Zr-SS)-3 and 5 AI alloys for nuclear metallic waste form

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, P.; Das, N.; Sengupta, P.; Arya, A.; Dey, G.K.

    2015-01-01

    Management of radioactive metallic waste using 'alloy melting route' is currently being investigated. For disposal of Zr and SS base nuclear metallic wastes, Zr-stainless steel (SS) hybrid alloys are being considered as baseline alloys for developing metallic-waste-form (MWF) alloys. In this context Zr-16 wt. %55 has been selected for MWF alloy in our previous study. In present study, to include amorphous phase in this alloy, 3 and 5 wt. % Al has been added in order to improve desirable properties and useful features of MWF and the two alloys have been prepared by suck casting techniques. Microstructure of these alloys have been investigated by optical and electron microscopy which shows occurrence of two different phases, e.g. dark grey and white phases, in (Zr-16 SS)-3 Al and three different phases, e.g. grey, dark grey and white phases in (Zr-16 SS)-5 AI. Electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of these two alloy specimens revealed the occurrence of Zr (Fe, Cr, AI) (dark grey) and Zr 2 (Fe, Cr, AI) (white) phases in (Zr-16 SS)-3 Al whereas, Zr (Fe, Cr, AI) (dark grey), Zr 2 (Fe, Cr, AI) (grey) and Zr 3 (Fe, Cr, AI) (white) phases were found in (Zr-16 SS)-5 AI. In addition, presence of amorphous phase was indicated by XRD analysis that could be confirmed by transmission electron microscopy of these two alloys. (author)

  10. Reproducibility of the items on the Stroke Specific Quality of Life questionnaire that evaluate the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Soraia Micaela; Corrêa, Fernanda Ishida; Faria, Christina Danielli Coelho de Morais; Pereira, Gabriela Santos; Attié, Edna Alves Dos Anjos; Corrêa, João Carlos Ferrari

    2016-12-01

    To evaluate the reproducibility of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life (SS-QOL) items that address the participation component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and analyse the correlation between the subscore of these 26 items and the total SS-QOL score. Seventy-five stroke survivors participated in this study. Reproducibility was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimum detectable change (MDC) and the Bland-Altman plot. The correlation between the subscore of the 26 items and the total SS-QOL score was analysed using Spearman's correlation coefficients (rho) and simple linear regression. An alpha risk ≤ 0.05 was considered for all analyses. The SS-QOL items that address the participation component of the ICF demonstrated excellent reliability (intra-rater ICC2,1 = 0.96; inter-rater ICC2,1 = 0.95). The SEM and MDC were adequate. The Bland-Altman plot demonstrated satisfactory agreement. A significant and strong correlation (rho = 0.83) was found between the 26 SS-QOL items that address participation and the total SS-QOL score. Moreover, the evaluation of participation was found to explain 73% of the evaluation of health-related quality of life. The 26 SS-QOL items that address the participation component of the ICF demonstrated adequate reproducibility. Thus, participation, which represents the social aspects of functionality, can be adequately evaluated with these items. Implications for Rehabilitation The 26 Stroke Specific Quality of Life items that address participation proved to be reproducible for the analysis of social participation following a stroke. The findings can lead to a better understanding of the social participation of individuals with chronic hemiparesis and assist in the establishment of adequate treatment for such individuals. The rehabilitation process can be directed towards more specific goals focused on the

  11. Proposal and Implementation of An IDS for Potential SMS Spam Signaling Messages on SS7

    OpenAIRE

    Yeboah, Paul Ntim

    2016-01-01

    Problem Description Reports on spam activities reaching telecom operators reveal flaws in routing for SMS on the Signaling System 7 network. This thesis consists of the following tasks: A comprehensive Study of vulnerabilities on the SS7 network. Proposal and implementation of an intrusion detection system to mitigate signaling for SMS spam on the SS7 network. Evaluation of the proposed detection method.

  12. Low-Temperature Aging of Delta-Ferrite in 316L SS Welds; Changes in Mechanical Properties and Etching Properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Hiroshi; Shimizu, Keita; Watanabe, Yutaka

    Thermal aging embrittlement of LWR components made of stainless cast (e.g. CF-8 and CF-8M) is a potential degradation issue, and careful attention has been paid on it. Although welds of austenitic stainless steels (SSs) have γ-δ duplex microstructure, which is similar to that of the stainless cast, examination on thermal aging characteristics of the SS welds is very limited. In order to evaluate thermal aging behavior of weld metal of austenitic stainless steel, the 316L SS weld metal has been prepared and changes in mechanical properties and in etching properties at isothermal aging at 335°C have been investigated. The hardness of the ferrite phase has increased with aging, while the hardness of austenite phase has stayed same. It has been suggested that spinodal decomposition has occurred in δ-ferrite by the 335°C aging. The etching rates of δ-ferrite at immersion test in 5wt% hydrochloric acid solution have been also investigated using an AFM technique. The etching rate of ferrite phase has decreased consistently with the increase in hardness of ferrite phase. It has been thought that this characteristic is also caused by spinodal decomposition of ferrite into chromium-rich (α') and iron-rich (α).

  13. A Methodology for the Hybridization Based in Active Components: The Case of cGA and Scatter Search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villagra, Andrea; Alba, Enrique; Leguizamón, Guillermo

    2016-01-01

    This work presents the results of a new methodology for hybridizing metaheuristics. By first locating the active components (parts) of one algorithm and then inserting them into second one, we can build efficient and accurate optimization, search, and learning algorithms. This gives a concrete way of constructing new techniques that contrasts the spread ad hoc way of hybridizing. In this paper, the enhanced algorithm is a Cellular Genetic Algorithm (cGA) which has been successfully used in the past to find solutions to such hard optimization problems. In order to extend and corroborate the use of active components as an emerging hybridization methodology, we propose here the use of active components taken from Scatter Search (SS) to improve cGA. The results obtained over a varied set of benchmarks are highly satisfactory in efficacy and efficiency when compared with a standard cGA. Moreover, the proposed hybrid approach (i.e., cGA+SS) has shown encouraging results with regard to earlier applications of our methodology.

  14. Super Polishing of Aluminum 6061-T6 Mirrors, Phase I

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — An innovative 2D super-polishing process for Aluminum 6061-T6 planar mirrors which removes diamond point turning (DPT) grooves and attains rms surface finishes below...

  15. INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF SYMBIOTIC STARS. VIII. ORBITS FOR THREE S-TYPE SYSTEMS: AE ARAE, Y CORONAE AUSTRALIS, AND SS 73-147

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fekel, Francis C.; Hinkle, Kenneth H.; Joyce, Richard R.; Wood, Peter R.

    2010-01-01

    With new infrared radial velocities we have computed orbits of the M giants in three southern S-type symbiotic systems. AE Ara and SS 73-147 have circular orbits with periods of 803 and 820 days, respectively. The eccentric orbit of Y CrA has a period that is about twice as long, 1619 days. Except for CH Cyg it is currently the S-type symbiotic system with the longest period for which a spectroscopic orbit has been determined. The Paschen δ emission line velocities of AE Ara are nearly in antiphase with the M giant absorption feature velocities and result in a mass ratio of 2.7. Emission lines in the 1.005 μm region for the other two symbiotic systems are not good proxies for the hot components in those systems. There is no evidence that these three symbiotics are eclipsing. With spectral classes of M5.5 or M6, the three giants presumably also have velocity variations that result from pulsations, but we have been unable to identify specific pulsation periods in the absorption line velocity residuals.

  16. Synthesis and structure of the extended phosphazane ligand [(1,4-C6H4){N(μ-PN(t)Bu)2N(t)Bu}2](4).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sevilla, Raquel; Less, Robert J; García-Rodríguez, Raúl; Bond, Andrew D; Wright, Dominic S

    2016-02-07

    The reaction of the phenylene-bridged precursor (1,4-C6H4)[N(PCl2)2]2 with (t)BuNH2 in the presence of Et3N gives the new ligand precursor (1,4-C6H4)[N(μ-N(t)Bu)2(PNH(t)Bu)2]2, deprotonation of which with Bu2Mg gives the novel tetraanion [(1,4-C6H4){N(μ-N(t)Bu)2(PN(t)Bu)2}2](4-).

  17. Xylanase production by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger SS7 in submerged culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakri, Yasser; Al-Jazairi, Manal; Al-Kayat, Ghassan

    2008-01-01

    Xylanase production by a newly isolated Aspergillus niger SS7 was studied in submerged culture. The optimum initial pH for xylanase production was found to be 7.0. Different agricultural and industrial wastes were evaluated for their ability to induce xylanase production by this isolate. The best xylanase production (293.82 IU/ml) was recorded at 3% (w/v) corn cob hulls after 120 h of incubation. The Aspergillus niger SS7 isolate grown in a simple medium, proved to be a promising microorganism for xylanase production.

  18. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase: isoenzymatic pattern in Oesophagostomum venulosum, Trichuris ovis and T. suis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, B; Cutillas, C; German, P; Guevara, D

    1991-12-01

    In the present communication we have studied the isoenzymatic pattern activity of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in Oesophagostomum venulosum, Trichuris ovis and T. suis, parasites of Capra hircus (goat), Ovis aries (sheep) and Sus scrofa domestica (pig) respectively, by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Different phenotypes have been observed in the G6PD isoenzymatic pattern activity in males and females of Oesophagostomum venulosum. Furthermore, G6PD activity has been assayed in Trichuris ovis collected from Ovis aries and Capra hircus. No differences have been observed in the isoenzymatic patterns attending to the different hosts. All the individuals exhibited one single band or two bands; this suggests a monomeric condition for G6PD in T. ovis. In T. suis the enzyme G6PD appeared as a single electrophoretic band in about 85.7% of the individuals.

  19. Ceramic-Based 4D Components: Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Ceramic-Based Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) by Thermoplastic 3D Printing (T3DP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheithauer, Uwe; Weingarten, Steven; Johne, Robert; Schwarzer, Eric; Abel, Johannes; Richter, Hans-Jürgen; Moritz, Tassilo; Michaelis, Alexander

    2017-11-28

    In our study, we investigated the additive manufacturing (AM) of ceramic-based functionally graded materials (FGM) by the direct AM technology thermoplastic 3D printing (T3DP). Zirconia components with varying microstructures were additively manufactured by using thermoplastic suspensions with different contents of pore-forming agents (PFA), which were co-sintered defect-free. Different materials were investigated concerning their suitability as PFA for the T3DP process. Diverse zirconia-based suspensions were prepared and used for the AM of single- and multi-material test components. All of the samples were sintered defect-free, and in the end, we could realize a brick wall-like component consisting of dense (<1% porosity) and porous (approx. 5% porosity) zirconia areas to combine different properties in one component. T3DP opens the door to the AM of further ceramic-based 4D components, such as multi-color, multi-material, or especially, multi-functional components.

  20. Association of bone morphogenetic protein 6 with exocrine gland dysfunction in patients with Sjögren's syndrome and in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Hongen; Cabrera-Perez, Javier; Lai, Zhenan; Michael, Drew; Weller, Melodie; Swaim, William D; Liu, Xibao; Catalán, Marcelo A; Rocha, Eduardo M; Ismail, Nevien; Afione, Sandra; Rana, Noreen A; Di Pasquale, Giovanni; Alevizos, Ilias; Ambudkar, Indu; Illei, Gabor G; Chiorini, John A

    2013-12-01

    Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is characterized by autoimmune activation and loss of function in secretory epithelia. The present study was undertaken to investigate and characterize changes in the epithelia associated with the loss of gland function in primary SS. To identify changes in epithelial gene expression, custom microarrays were probed with complementary RNA (cRNA) isolated from minor salivary glands (MSGs) of female patients with primary SS who had low focus scores and low salivary flow rates, and the results were compared with those obtained using cRNA from the MSGs of sex-matched healthy volunteers. The effect of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP-6) on salivary gland function was tested using adeno-associated virus-mediated gene transfer to the salivary glands of C57BL/6 mice. A significant increase in expression of BMP-6 was observed in RNA isolated from SS patients compared with healthy volunteers. Overexpression of BMP-6 locally in the salivary or lacrimal glands of mice resulted in the loss of fluid secretion as well as changes in the connective tissue of the salivary gland. Assessment of the fluid movement in either isolated acinar cells from mice overexpressing BMP-6 or a human salivary gland cell line cultured with BMP-6 revealed a loss in volume regulation in these cells. Lymphocytic infiltration in the submandibular gland of BMP-6 vector-treated mice was increased. No significant changes in the production of proinflammatory cytokines or autoantibodies associated with SS (anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB) were found after BMP-6 overexpression. In addition to identifying BMP-6 expression in association with xerostomia and xerophthalmia in primary SS, the present results suggest that BMP-6-induced salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction in primary SS is independent of the autoantibodies and immune activation associated with the disease. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  1. The influences of age on T lymphocyte subsets in C57BL/6 mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Xie

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the age related changes of T lymphocyte subsets in C57BL/6 mice and immune function. Multi-color immunofluorescence techniques that were used to analyse relative numbers of T lymphocyte subsets include CD4+, CD8+, naive and memory CD4+ and CD8+, CD8+CD28+ T cells in peripheral blood of C57BL/6 mice from different age groups (Group I: 2 months old; Group II: 7 months old; Group III: 21 months old; Splenocytes isolated from different group mice were stimulated with Con A to evaluate the proliferative ability. Compared with group I, group II had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD4+, naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and an increase in the percentage of CD8+ T cells, while group III had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD4+, naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and increase in the percentage of CD8+, memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood. Compared with group II, group III had a significant reduction in the percentage of naive CD8+ T cells and increase in the percentage of memory CD4+ and CD8+, CD8+CD28+ T cells in peripheral blood. The T lymphocyte proliferation in vitro showed that groups II and III had a lower proliferative capacity than group I, between groups II and III, there was not a significant difference. We provide relative values for the T lymphocyte subsets in the different age groups of C57BL/6 mice. The immune system began aging at 7 months old in C57BL/6 mice under a specific pathogen free environment.

  2. Clinical evaluation of single-shot and readout-segmented diffusion-weighted imaging in stroke patients at 3 T

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morelli, John; Porter, David; Ai, Fei

    2013-01-01

    Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is most commonly performed utilizing a single-shot echo-planar imaging technique (ss-EPI). Susceptibility artifact and image blur are severe when this sequence is utilized at 3 T. Purpose: To evaluate a readout-segmented approach to DWI MR in comparison with single-shot echo planar imaging for brain MRI. Material and Methods: Eleven healthy volunteers and 14 patients with acute and early subacute infarctions underwent DWI MR examinations at 1.5 and 3T with ss-EPI and readout-segmented echo-planar (rs-EPI) DWI at equal nominal spatial resolutions. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) calculations were made, and two blinded readers ranked the scans in terms of high signal intensity bulk susceptibility artifact, spatial distortions, image blur, overall preference, and motion artifact. Results: SNR and CNR were greatest with rs-EPI (8.1 ± 0.2 SNR vs. 6.0 ± 0.2; P -4 at 3T). Spatial distortions were greater with single-shot (0.23 ± 0.03 at 3T; P <0.001) than with rs-EPI (0.12 ± 0.02 at 3T). Combined with blur and artifact reduction, this resulted in a qualitative preference for the readout-segmented scans overall. Conclusion: Substantial image quality improvements are possible with readout-segmented vs. single-shot EPI - the current clinical standard for DWI - regardless of field strength (1.5 or 3 T). This results in improved image quality secondary to greater real spatial resolution and reduced artifacts from susceptibility in MR imaging of the brain

  3. IL-6 inhibits upregulation of membrane-bound TGF-beta 1 on CD4+ T cells and blocking IL-6 enhances oral tolerance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, Chantal; Rezende, Rafael Machado; M'Hamdi, Hanane; da Cunha, Andre Pires; Weiner, Howard L.

    2016-01-01

    Oral administration of antigen induces regulatory T cells that express latent membrane-bound TGF-beta (LAP) and that have been shown to play an important role in the induction of oral tolerance. We developed an in vitro model to study modulation of LAP+ on CD4+ T cells. The combination of anti-CD3 mAb, anti-CD28 mAb and recombinant IL-2 induced expression of LAP on naïve CD4+ T cells, independent of FoxP3 or exogenous TGF-β. In vitro generated CD4+LAP+FoxP3− T cells were suppressive in vitro, inhibiting proliferation of naïve CD4+ T cells and IL-17A secretion by Th17 cells. Assessing the impact of different cytokines and neutralizing antibodies against cytokines we found that LAP induction was decreased in the presence of IL-6 and IL-21, and to a lesser extent by IL-4 and TNFα. IL-6 abrogated the in vitro induction of CD4+LAP+ T cells by STAT3 dependent inhibition of Lrrc32 (GARP), the adapter protein that tethers TGF-beta to the membrane. Oral tolerance induction was enhanced in mice lacking expression of IL-6R by CD4+ T cells and by treatment of wild-type mice with neutralizing anti-IL-6 mAb. These results suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines interfere with oral tolerance induction and that blocking the IL-6 pathway is a potential strategy for enhancing oral tolerance in the setting of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. PMID:28039301

  4. Study on fast luminescence component induced by gamma-rays in Ce doped LiCaAlF6 scintillators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Kenichi; Kondo, Yoshiyuki; Yamazaki, Atsushi; Uritani, Akira; Iguchi, Tetsuo; Kawaguchi, Noriaki; Fukuda, Kentaro; Ishizu, Sumito; Yanagida, Takayuki; Fujimoto, Yutaka; Yoshikawa, Akira

    2014-01-01

    We discuss the origin of the fast luminescence component induced by fast electrons generated in gamma-ray interactions in Ce doped LiCaAlF 6 scintillators. Although the slow luminescence component induced by Ce 3+ emissions depends on the Ce concentration in the LiCaAlF 6 scintillator, the fast component is independent. The fast component is suggested to be generated in the host matrix of the LiCaAlF 6 crystal. From quantitative considerations based on Frank–Tamm equation, which shows the light yield of the Cherenkov radiation, the Cherenkov radiation was determined as the origin of the fast component. We, additionally, found that the slow rise time of main Ce 3+ emissions in the Ce:LiCaAlF 6 scintillator plays an important role to perform the pulse shape discrimination. - Highlights: • The fast luminescence in Ce:LiCaAlF 6 scintillator is generated in the host matrix. • The origin of the fast luminescence is determined as the Cherenkov radiation. • The slow rise time also plays an important role to perform PSD

  5. Sleeping sickness (ss) in the Abraka Belt: a preliminary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Twenty six parasitologically confirmed SS cases by microscopic examination of blood, lymph node aspirate or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)) made up of 14 (53.8%) males and 12 (46.2%) females aged between 0 – 70years (mean 29.88 +18.89), were seen during the period of study. Peak incidence occurred at age 0 – 20 years ...

  6. Partial suppression of the respiratory defect of qrs1/her2 glutamyl-tRNA amidotransferase mutants by overexpression of the mitochondrial pentatricopeptide Msc6p.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moda, Bruno S; Ferreira-Júnior, José Ribamar; Barros, Mario H

    2016-08-01

    Recently, a large body of evidences indicates the existence in the mitochondrial matrix of foci that contain different proteins involved in mitochondrial RNA metabolism. Some of these proteins have a pentatricopeptide repeat motif that constitutes their RNA-binding structures. Here we report that MSC6, a mitochondrial pentatricopeptide protein of unknown function, is a multi copy suppressor of mutations in QRS1/HER2 a component of the trimeric complex that catalyzes the transamidation of glutamyl-tRNAQ to glutaminyl-tRNAQ. This is an essential step in mitochondrial translation because of the lack of a specific mitochondrial aminoacyl glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase. MSC6 over-expression did not abolish translation of an aberrant variant form of Cox2p detected in QRS1/HER2 mutants, arguing against a suppression mechanism that bypasses Qrs1p function. A slight decrement of the mitochondrial translation capacity as well as diminished growth on respiratory carbon sources media for respiratory activity was observed in the msc6 null mutant. Additionally, the msc6 null mutant did not display any impairment in RNA transcription, processing or turnover. We concluded that Msc6p is a mitochondrial matrix protein and further studies are required to indicate the specific function of Msc6p in mitochondrial translation.

  7. Metallurgical evaluation of laser additive manufactured Ti6Al4V components

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Mutombo, K

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available of contact between single deposited layer and Ti6Al4V base as well as the tensile properties of the component were evaluated. Powdered metal globularization, size segregation, un-melted or semi-melted particles and chemical surface contamination were revealed...

  8. Corrosion behavior of Ti6Al4V, CoCrMo alloy, and SS316L under different simulated body fluid environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Norsafikah Jamli; Nursyahirah Mohd Shah; Mohammed Rafiq Abdul Kadir

    2007-01-01

    full text: The corrosion behaviors of three different biomedical grade materials-Ti-6Al-4V, CoCrMo and SS316L- were studied in simulated human body environment. Three different simulated body fluids were used-the Hanks solution, MEM+Foetal Bovine Serum (MEM+FBS), and Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS). Corrosion rates were determined by the Tafel extrapolation method. The corrosion rates of the three metals were comparable with higher rates found with MEM+FBS solution and lowest rates with PBS. Static immersion tests were also conducted, where the samples were kept for two weeks at pH values ranging from 5 to 9. This range of pH values was chosen to simulate the actual pH changes when these materials were inserted into human body. Spot analyses were then carried out using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. The metals degrade with pitting corrosion with the diameter of pitting ranges from 1.44 μm to 1.88 μm. For all three SBF, ions from the solution were found to attach on the surface of the metal. Ion release tests were also performed and metal ion release. The overall results showed that different SBF has different effect on the corrosion behaviour of the three biomedical grade metals. with MEM+FBS showing significant effect on the metals. (author)

  9. SS-mPEG chemical modification of recombinant phospholipase C for enhanced thermal stability and catalytic efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Xian; Wang, Xueting; Li, Guiling; Zeng, Jun; Li, Jian; Liu, Jingwen

    2018-05-01

    PEGylation is one of the most promising and extensively studied strategies for improving the properties of proteins as well as enzymic physical and thermal stability. Phospholipase C, hydrolyzing the phospholipids offers tremendous applications in diverse fields. However, the poor thermal stability and higher cost of production have restricted its industrial application. This study focused on improving the stabilization of recombinant PLC by chemical modification with methoxypolyethylene glycol-Succinimidyl Succinate (SS-mPEG, MW 5000). PLC gene from isolate Bacillus cereus HSL3 was fused with SUMO, a novel small ubiquitin-related modifier expression vector and over expressed in Escherichia coli. The soluble fraction of SUMO-PLC reached 80% of the total recombinant protein. The enzyme exhibited maximum catalytic activity at 80 °C and was relatively thermostable at 40-70 °C. It showed extensive substrate specificity pattern and marked activity toward phosphatidylcholine, which made it a typical non-specific PLC for industrial purpose. SS-mPEG-PLC complex exhibited an enhanced thermal stability at 70-80 °C and the catalytic efficiency (K cat /K m ) had increased by 3.03 folds compared with free PLC. CD spectrum of SS-mPEG-PLC indicated a possible enzyme aggregation after chemical modification, which contributed to the higher thermostability of SS-mPEG-PLC. The increase of antiparallel β sheets in secondary structure also made it more stable than parallel β sheets. The presence of SS-mPEG chains on the enzyme molecule surface somewhat changed the binding rate of the substrates, leading to a significant improvement in catalytic efficiency. This study provided an insight into the addition of SS-mPEG for enhancing the industrial applications of phospholipase C at higher temperature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Roles of C-Terminal Region of Yeast and Human Rad52 in Rad51-Nucleoprotein Filament Formation and ssDNA Annealing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nilesh V Khade

    Full Text Available Yeast Rad52 (yRad52 has two important functions at homologous DNA recombination (HR; annealing complementary single-strand DNA (ssDNA molecules and recruiting Rad51 recombinase onto ssDNA (recombination mediator activity. Its human homolog (hRAD52 has a lesser role in HR, and apparently lacks mediator activity. Here we show that yRad52 can load human Rad51 (hRAD51 onto ssDNA complexed with yeast RPA in vitro. This is biochemically equivalent to mediator activity because it depends on the C-terminal Rad51-binding region of yRad52 and on functional Rad52-RPA interaction. It has been reported that the N-terminal two thirds of both yRad52 and hRAD52 is essential for binding to and annealing ssDNA. Although a second DNA binding region has been found in the C-terminal region of yRad52, its role in ssDNA annealing is not clear. In this paper, we also show that the C-terminal region of yRad52, but not of hRAD52, is involved in ssDNA annealing. This suggests that the second DNA binding site is required for the efficient ssDNA annealing by yRad52. We propose an updated model of Rad52-mediated ssDNA annealing.

  11. Efficient Computation of Sparse Matrix Functions for Large-Scale Electronic Structure Calculations: The CheSS Library.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohr, Stephan; Dawson, William; Wagner, Michael; Caliste, Damien; Nakajima, Takahito; Genovese, Luigi

    2017-10-10

    We present CheSS, the "Chebyshev Sparse Solvers" library, which has been designed to solve typical problems arising in large-scale electronic structure calculations using localized basis sets. The library is based on a flexible and efficient expansion in terms of Chebyshev polynomials and presently features the calculation of the density matrix, the calculation of matrix powers for arbitrary powers, and the extraction of eigenvalues in a selected interval. CheSS is able to exploit the sparsity of the matrices and scales linearly with respect to the number of nonzero entries, making it well-suited for large-scale calculations. The approach is particularly adapted for setups leading to small spectral widths of the involved matrices and outperforms alternative methods in this regime. By coupling CheSS to the DFT code BigDFT, we show that such a favorable setup is indeed possible in practice. In addition, the approach based on Chebyshev polynomials can be massively parallelized, and CheSS exhibits excellent scaling up to thousands of cores even for relatively small matrix sizes.

  12. Use of sewage sludge and coconut coir mix as a peat substitute for potted chrysanthemum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenani, A.B.; Lim, F.Y.; Thohirah, L.A.; Fauziah, C.I.

    2003-07-01

    Recent central processing of domestic wastewater in Malaysia has initiated investigations into the disposal/utilization of the sewage sludge produced. We had conducted an experiment to investigate the feasibility of using dewatered sewage sludge and coconut coir as a peat substitute in a potting medium for chrysanthemum. The experiment involved 9 treatments with sewage sludge (SS) and coconut coir (CC) mixed in different ratios (v/v) to replace peat in the standard potting medium of 3:2:1 (soil: peat: sand).The potting medium contained the following treatments, T1: peat + recommended rates of Agroblend (Ag), a slow release fertilizer, and Grofas (Gf), a foliar fertilizer (commonly used medium and fertilization), T2: [1SS:1CC] + Ag, T3: [1SS:1CC] + half recommended rates of Agroblend and Grofas (1/2Ag + 1/2Gf), T4: [2SS:1CC] + Ag, T5: [2SS:1CC] + 1/2Ag + 1/2Gf, T6: [3SS:1CC] + Ag, T7: [3SS:1CC] + 1/2Ag + 1/2Gf, T8: [4SS:1CC] + Ag, and T9: [4SS:1CC] + 1/2Ag + 1/2Gf; laid-out in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Results of the study show that in general the media with sludge and coconut coir mixtures produced better plant growth and higher total number of flowers than peat. However, the higher ratio of SS:CC, (4SS:1CC) produced poorer plant growth and less number of flowers. Increase in sewage sludge in the medium resulted in increase in foliar contents of heavy metals. This study demonstrates that sewage sludge and coconut coir mixture in the ratio of 1:1 may best substitute peat in the potting medium for chrysanthemum with only Agroblend fertilizer application. (author)

  13. Excitonic Wigner crystal and high T sub c ferromagnetism in RB sub 6

    CERN Document Server

    Kasuya, T

    2000-01-01

    The mechanisms for the high T sub c ferromagnetism in La-doped divalent hexaborides DB sub 6 are studied in detail comparing with similar family materials, in particular with YbB sub 6 , EuB sub 6 and Ce monopnictides. It is shown that in DB sub 6 the light-electron-heavy-hole paired excitonic states form the Wigner crystal, or Wigner glass in actual materials, in which the conventional intersite electron exchange interactions similar to that in Ni dominate the pair singlet formation due to the intra pair mixing causing a ferromagnetic spin glass-like ordering of electron spins. In the La-doped system La sub x D sub 1 sub - sub x B sub 6 , the population of molecular La impurity states with giant moments increases as x approaches the optimal value x sub 0 approx 0.005 for high T sub c providing vacant states for the roton-like fluctuations, which cause the high T sub c at the boundary of the delocalization of electron carriers. Therefore, the critical La concentration for delocalization coincides with the opt...

  14. PCI-SS: MISO dynamic nonlinear protein secondary structure prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aboul-Magd Mohammed O

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Since the function of a protein is largely dictated by its three dimensional configuration, determining a protein's structure is of fundamental importance to biology. Here we report on a novel approach to determining the one dimensional secondary structure of proteins (distinguishing α-helices, β-strands, and non-regular structures from primary sequence data which makes use of Parallel Cascade Identification (PCI, a powerful technique from the field of nonlinear system identification. Results Using PSI-BLAST divergent evolutionary profiles as input data, dynamic nonlinear systems are built through a black-box approach to model the process of protein folding. Genetic algorithms (GAs are applied in order to optimize the architectural parameters of the PCI models. The three-state prediction problem is broken down into a combination of three binary sub-problems and protein structure classifiers are built using 2 layers of PCI classifiers. Careful construction of the optimization, training, and test datasets ensures that no homology exists between any training and testing data. A detailed comparison between PCI and 9 contemporary methods is provided over a set of 125 new protein chains guaranteed to be dissimilar to all training data. Unlike other secondary structure prediction methods, here a web service is developed to provide both human- and machine-readable interfaces to PCI-based protein secondary structure prediction. This server, called PCI-SS, is available at http://bioinf.sce.carleton.ca/PCISS. In addition to a dynamic PHP-generated web interface for humans, a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP interface is added to permit invocation of the PCI-SS service remotely. This machine-readable interface facilitates incorporation of PCI-SS into multi-faceted systems biology analysis pipelines requiring protein secondary structure information, and greatly simplifies high-throughput analyses. XML is used to represent the input

  15. Facebook-yhteisöpalvelun hyödyntäminen yrityksen markkinointiviestinnässä

    OpenAIRE

    Pajamäki, Ida

    2014-01-01

    Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli selvittää, miksi yritysten olisi kannattavaa olla Facebook-yhteisöpalvelussa ja millaisia keinoja niillä on käytössään Facebook-palvelussa markkinoidessaan. Opinnäytetyössä rakennettiin työn toimeksiantajalle, Mainostoimisto Gurulle, oma Facebook-sivu. Guru on Turun ammattikorkeakoulun sisäinen mainostoimisto, jossa suunnitellaan kaikenlaista markkinointiviestintää opiskelijavoimin. Teoriaosassa käsiteltiin lyhyesti sosiaalista mediaa ja Facebook-palvel...

  16. Effect of Microstructure on the Wear Behavior of Heat Treated SS-304 Stainless Steel

    OpenAIRE

    S. Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Sliding wear characteristics of some heat treated SS-304 stainless steel against EN-8 steel in dry condition have been studied in the present experimental work. Samples of SS-304 stainless steel have been heated in a muffle furnace in desired temperature and allowed to dwell for two hours. The heated specimen are then cooled in different media namely inside the furnace, open air, cutting grade oil (grade 44) and water at room temperature to obtain different grades of heat treatment. Microstr...

  17. Predictability of Joint Promotion Examinations in SS2 on Academic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This research studied the predictability of joint SS2 promotion examinations of all the command secondary schools in Nigeria on academic performance of students in Senior School Certificate Examinations. The sample consists of 120 students selected at the Command Secondary School, Abakaliki and Command Day ...

  18. Management of Sjogren's Syndrome Patient: A Case Report of Prosthetic Rehabilitation with 6-Year Follow-Up

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Mendonça Invernici, Marcos; Vale Nicolau, Gastão; Naval Machado, Maria Ângela; Soares de Lima, Antônio Adilson

    2014-01-01

    Completely and partially edentulous patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) experience severe hyposalivation, xerostomia, and considerable difficulty in using tissue-supported prosthesis. This clinical paper describes the management, treatment, and 6-year follow-up of a patient diagnosed with SS type II, who uses corticosteroids and antihyperglycemic drugs. The patient received restorative, periodontal, and surgical treatments followed by implant-supported fixed prosthesis. Radiographic evaluation and probing depth showed gingival health and no bone loss after 6 years. Treatment with implant-retained dental prosthesis greatly increased comfort and function, offering an alternative to patients with SS. PMID:25478245

  19. Microstructural evolution in dual-ion irradiated 316SS under various helium injection schedules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohyama, A.; Igata, N.; Ayrault, G.; Tokyo Univ.

    1984-01-01

    Dual-ion irradiated 316 SS samples with various helium injection schedules were studied. The intent of using different schedules was to either approximate the MFR condition, mimic the mixed spectrum reactor condition or mimic the fast reactor condition. The objective of this investigation is to study the influence of these different helium injection schedules on the microstructural development under irradiation. The materials for this study was 316 SS (MFE heat) with three thermomechanical pre-irradiation treatments: solution annealed, solution annealed and aged and 20% cold worked. The cavity nucleation and growth stages were investigated using high resolution TEM. (orig.)

  20. Resistance of superhydrophobic and oleophobic surfaces to varied temperature applications on 316L SS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shams, Hamza; Basit, Kanza; Saleem, Sajid; Siddiqui, Bilal A.

    316L SS also called Marine Stainless Steel is an important material for structural and marine applications. When superhydrophobic and oleophobic coatings are applied on 316L SS it shows significant resistance to wear and corrosion. This paper aims to validate the coatings manufacturer's information on optimal temperature range and test the viability of coating against multiple oil based cleaning agents. 316L SS was coated with multiple superhydrophic and oleohobic coatings and observed under SEM for validity of adhesion and thickness and then scanned under FFM to validate the tribological information. The samples were then dipped into multiple cleaning agents maintained at the range of operating temperatures specified by the manufacturer. Coating was observed for deterioration over a fixed time intervals through SEM and FFM. A comparison was drawn to validate the most critical cleaning agent and the most critical temperature at which the coating fails to leave the base substrate exposed to the environment.

  1. IL-6 Inhibits Upregulation of Membrane-Bound TGF-β 1 on CD4+ T Cells and Blocking IL-6 Enhances Oral Tolerance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhn, Chantal; Rezende, Rafael Machado; M'Hamdi, Hanane; da Cunha, Andre Pires; Weiner, Howard L

    2017-02-01

    Oral administration of Ag induces regulatory T cells that express latent membrane-bound TGF-β (latency-associated peptide [LAP]) and have been shown to play an important role in the induction of oral tolerance. We developed an in vitro model to study modulation of LAP + on CD4 + T cells. The combination of anti-CD3 mAb, anti-CD28 mAb, and recombinant IL-2 induced expression of LAP on naive CD4 + T cells, independent of Foxp3 or exogenous TGF-β. In vitro generated CD4 + LAP + Foxp3 - T cells were suppressive in vitro, inhibiting proliferation of naive CD4 + T cells and IL-17A secretion by Th17 cells. Assessing the impact of different cytokines and neutralizing Abs against cytokines, we found that LAP induction was decreased in the presence of IL-6 and IL-21, and to a lesser extent by IL-4 and TNF-α. IL-6 abrogated the in vitro induction of CD4 + LAP + T cells by STAT3-dependent inhibition of Lrrc32 (glycoprotein A repetitions predominant [GARP]), the adapter protein that tethers TGF-β to the membrane. Oral tolerance induction was enhanced in mice lacking expression of IL-6R by CD4 + T cells and by treatment of wild-type mice with neutralizing anti-IL-6 mAb. These results suggest that proinflammatory cytokines interfere with oral tolerance induction and that blocking the IL-6 pathway is a potential strategy for enhancing oral tolerance in the setting of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Copyright © 2017 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  2. Description and assessment of structural and temperature models in the FRAP-T6 code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siefken, L.J.

    1983-01-01

    The FRAP-T6 code was developed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the purpose of calculating the transient performance of light water reactor fuel rods during reactor transients ranging from mild operational transients to severe hypothetical loss-of-coolant accidents. An important application of the FRAP-T6 code is to calculate the structural performance of fuel rod cladding. The capabilities of the FRAP-T6 code are assessed by comparisons of code calculations with the measurements of several hundred in-pile experiments on fuel rods. The results of the assessments show that the code accurately and efficiently models the structural and thermal response of fuel rods

  3. Component on-shell actions of supersymmetric 3-branes: I. 3-brane in D = 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellucci, S; Sutulin, A; Kozyrev, N; Krivonos, S

    2015-01-01

    In the present and accompanying papers we explicitly construct the on-shell supersymmetric component actions for 3-branes moving in D = 6 and D = 8 within the nonlinear realizations framework. In the first paper we apply our scheme to construct the action of supersymmetric 3-brane in D = 6. It turns out that all ingredients entering the component action can be obtained almost algorithmically by using the nonlinear realizations approach. Within this approach, properly adapted to the construction of the on-shell component actions, we pay much attention to broken supersymmetry. Doing so, we were able to write the action in terms of purely geometric objects (vielbeins and covariant derivatives of the physical bosonic components), covariant with respect to broken supersymmetry. It turns out that all terms of the higher orders in the fermions are hidden inside these covariant derivatives and vielbeins. Moreover, the main part of the component action just mimics its bosonic cousin in which the ordinary space–time derivatives and the bosonic worldvolume are replaced by their covariant supersymmetric analogs. The Wess–Zumino term in the action, which does not exist in the bosonic case, can be also easily constructed in terms of reduced Cartan forms. Keeping the broken supersymmetry almost explicit, one may write the ansatz for the component action, fully defined up to two constant parameters. The role of the unbroken supersymmetry is just to fix these parameters. (paper)

  4. Ratcheting study in pressurized piping components under cyclic loading at room temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ravi Kiran, A.; Agrawal, M.K.; Reddy, G.R.; Vaze, K.K.; Ghosh, A.K.; Kushwaha, H.S.

    2006-07-01

    The nuclear power plant piping components and systems are often subjected to reversing cyclic loading conditions due to various process transients, seismic and other events. Earlier the design of piping subjected to seismic excitation was based on the principle of plastic collapse. It is believed that during such events, fatigue-ratcheting is likely mode of failure of piping components. The 1995 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel code, Section-III, has incorporated the reverse dynamic loading and ratcheting into the code. Experimental and analytical studies are carried out to understand this failure mechanism. The biaxial ratcheting characteristics of SA 333, Gr. 6 steel and SS 304 stainless steel at room temperature are investigated in the present work. Experiments are carried out on straight pipes subjected to internal pressure and cyclic bending load applied in a three point and four point bend test configurations. A shake table test is also carried out on a pressurized elbow by applying sinusoidal base excitation. Analytical simulation of ratcheting in the piping elements is carried out. Chaboche nonlinear kinematic hardening model is used for ratcheting simulation. (author)

  5. Design and synthesis of single-source molecular precursors to homogeneous multi-component oxide materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujdala, Kyle Lee

    This dissertation describes the syntheses of single-source molecular precursors to multi-component oxide materials. These molecules possess a core metal or element with various combinations of -OSi(O tBu)3, -O2P(OtBu) 2, and -OB[OSi(OtBu)3] 2 ligands. Such molecules decompose under mild thermolytic conditions (models for oxide-supported metal species and multi-component oxides. Significantly, the first complexes to contain three or more heteroelements suitable for use in the TMP method have been synthesized. Compounds for use as single-source molecular precursors have been synthesized containing Al, B, Cr, Hf, Mo, V, W, and Zr, and their thermal transformations have been examined. Heterogeneous catalytic reactions have been examined for selected materials. Also, cothermolyses of molecular precursors and additional molecules (i.e., metal alkoxides) have been utilized to provide materials with several components for potential use as catalysts or catalyst supports. Reactions of one and two equivs of HOSi(OtBu) 3 with Cr(OtBu)4 afforded the first Cr(IV) alkoxysiloxy complexes (tBuO) 3CrOSi(OtBu)3 and ( tBuO)2Cr[OSi(OtBu) 3]2, respectively. The high-yielding, convenient synthesis of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 make this complex a useful single-source molecular precursor, via the TMP method, to Cr/Si/O materials. The thermal transformations of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 and (tBuO) 2Cr[OSi(OtBu)3]2 to chromia-silica materials occurr at low temperatures (≤180°C), to give isobutene as the major carbon-containing product. The material generated from the solid-state conversion of (tBuO) 3CrOSi(OtBu)3 (CrOS ss) has an unexpectedly high surface area of 315 m2 g-1 that is slightly reduced to 275 m2 g-1 after calcination at 500°C in O2. The xerogel obtained by the thermolysis of an n-octane solution of (tBuO)3CrOSi(O tBu)3 (CrOSixg) has a surface area of 315 m2 g-1 that is reduced to 205 m2 g-1 upon calcination at 500°C. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis revealed that Cr2O 3 is

  6. Isolation and Functional Characterization of a Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase Gene (SsPAL1 from Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides (L. Codd

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qinlong Zhu

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL is the first enzyme involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway and plays important roles in the secondary metabolisms, development and defense of plants. To study the molecular function of PAL in anthocyanin synthesis of Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides (L. Codd, a Coleus PAL gene designated as SsPAL1 was cloned and characterized using a degenerate oligonucleotide primer PCR and RACE method. The full-length SsPAL1 was 2450 bp in size and consisted of one intron and two exons encoding a polypeptide of 711 amino acids. The deduced SsPAL1 protein showed high identities and structural similarities with other functional plant PAL proteins. A series of putative cis-acting elements involved in transcriptional regulation, light and stress responsiveness were found in the upstream regulatory sequence of SsPAL1. Transcription pattern analysis indicated that SsPAL1 was constitutively expressed in all tissues examined and was enhanced by light and different abiotic factors. The recombinant SsPAL1 protein exhibited high PAL activity, at optimal conditions of 60 °C and pH 8.2. Although the levels of total PAL activity and total anthocyanin concentration have a similar variation trend in different Coleus cultivars, there was no significant correlation between them (r = 0.7529, p > 0.1, suggesting that PAL was not the rate-limiting enzyme for the downstream anthocyanin biosynthetic branch in Coleus. This study enables us to further understand the role of SsPAL1 in the phenylpropanoid (flavonoids, anthocyanins biosynthesis in Coleus at the molecular level.

  7. [Effects of blueberry on apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in HSC-T6].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Shuang; Cheng, Mingliang; Yang, Demeng; Liu, Yang; Guan, Li; Wu, Jun

    2015-08-18

    To investigate the effects of blueberry on the apoptosis, expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rat hepatic stellate cell (HSC-T6). 10% blueberry serum at low, middle and high dose, 10% Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet serum and 10% saline serum were prepared by method of serum pharmacology. Subcultured HSC-T6 was divided into saline serum control group, blueberry serum at low, middle, high dose and Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet serum group, and then was respectively incubated at different dose of 10% blueberry serum, 10% Fu-Fang-Bie-Jia-Ruan-Gan tablet serum and 10% saline serum for 72 hours.Apoptosis of HSC-T6 was detected using flow cytometry with annexin V FITC/PI double staining. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in HSC-T6 were examined using immunocytochemistry and Western blotting, respectively. There was no significant difference for HSC-T6 Bax protein expression in the low, middle and high dose blueberry serum groups, compared with saline serum control group, respectively.In the high-dose blueberry serum group HSC-T6 early and total apoptosis rate increased significantly compared with the saline serum control group (5.55% ± 0.98% vs 2.53% ± 0.46%, 7.01% ± 1.05% vs 2.96% ± 0.81%, both Pblueberry serum group showed no significant difference with the saline serum control group. Blueberry can induce HSC-T6 apoptosis by down-regulating Bcl-2 expression and decreasing the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax in HSC-T6 cells, so it may have potential interference effects on hepatic fibrosis.

  8. First insights into the genetic diversity of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) in Serbia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debeljak, Zoran; Boufana, Belgees; Interisano, Maria; Vidanovic, Dejan; Kulisic, Zoran; Casulli, Adriano

    2016-06-15

    Cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) is a cosmopolitan zoonotic infection which is endemic in Serbia where it is subject to mandatory reporting. However, information on the incidence of the disease in humans and prevalence of hydatid infection in livestock remains limited. We used sequenced data of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox 1) mitochondrial gene to examine the genetic diversity and population structure of E. granulosus (s.s.) from intermediate hosts from Serbia. We also compared our generated nucleotide sequences with those reported for neighbouring European countries. Echinococcus canadensis was molecularly confirmed from pig and human hydatid isolates. E. granulosus (G1) was confirmed from sheep and cattle hydatid isolates as well as the first molecular confirmation in Serbia of E. granulosus G2 in sheep and E. granulosus G3 in sheep and cattle hydatid isolates. The Serbian E. granulosus (s.s.) parsimony network displayed 2 main haplotypes (SB02 and SB05) which together with the neutrality indices were suggestive of bottleneck and/or balancing selection. Haplotype analysis showed the presence of the common E. granulosus haplotype described from other worldwide regions. Investigation of the pairwise fixation (Fst) index suggested that Serbian populations of E. granulosus (s.s.) from sheep and cattle hosts showed moderate genetic differentiation. Six of the Serbian haplotypes (SB02-SB07) were shared with haplotypes from Bulgaria, Hungary and/or Romania. Further studies using a larger number of hydatid isolates from various locations across Serbia will provide more information on the genetic structure of E. granulosus (s.s.) within this region. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Comparison of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in the Human Brain Using Readout-Segmented EPI and PROPELLER Turbo Spin Echo With Single-Shot EPI at 7 T MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kida, Ikuhiro; Ueguchi, Takashi; Matsuoka, Yuichiro; Zhou, Kun; Stemmer, Alto; Porter, David

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of the present study was to compare periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction-type turbo spin echo diffusion-weighted imaging (pTSE-DWI) and readout-segmented echo planar imaging (rsEPI-DWI) with single-shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI-DWI) in a 7 T human MR system. We evaluated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), image distortion, and apparent diffusion coefficient values in the human brain. Six healthy volunteers were included in this study. The study protocol was approved by our institutional review board. All measurements were performed at 7 T using pTSE-DWI, rsEPI-DWI, and ssEPI-DWI sequences. The spatial resolution was 1.2 × 1.2 mm in-plane with a 3-mm slice thickness. Signal-to-noise ratio was measured using 2 scans. The ssEPI-DWI sequence showed significant image blurring, whereas pTSE-DWI and rsEPI-DWI sequences demonstrated high image quality with low geometrical distortion compared with reference T2-weighted, turbo spin echo images. Signal loss in ventral regions near the air-filled paranasal sinus/nasal cavity was found in ssEPI-DWI and rsEPI-DWI but not pTSE-DWI. The apparent diffusion coefficient values for ssEPI-DWI were 824 ± 17 × 10 and 749 ± 25 × 10 mm/s in the gray matter and white matter, respectively; the values obtained for pTSE-DWI were 798 ± 21 × 10 and 865 ± 40 × 10 mm/s; and the values obtained for rsEPI-DWI were 730 ± 12 × 10 and 722 ± 25 × 10 mm/s. The pTSE-DWI images showed no additional distortion comparison to the T2-weighted images, but had a lower SNR than ssEPI-DWI and rsEPI-DWI. The rsEPI-DWI sequence provided high-quality images with minor distortion and a similar SNR to ssEPI-DWI. Our results suggest that the benefits of the rsEPI-DWI and pTSE-DWI sequences, in terms of SNR, image quality, and image distortion, appear to outweigh those of ssEPI-DWI. Thus, pTSE-DWI and rsEPI-DWI at 7 T have great potential use for clinical diagnoses. However, it is noteworthy that both

  10. Involvement of Trichoderma asperellum strain T6 in regulating iron acquisition in plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Lei; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Yaqing; Zhang, Jiaojiao

    2014-07-01

    Iron (Fe) deficiency is a major plant nutritional disorder in many parts of the world, particularly in areas with saline soils. Among the numerous root-associated microbes that are beneficial for plant nutrient uptake, Trichoderma spp. are the most effective rhizosphere fungi for enhancing plant growth and plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To investigate the potential mechanisms of action of Trichoderma on insoluble Fe in the soil, which is difficult for plants to absorb and utilize, a high siderophore-producing strain of Trichoderma T6, was isolated from the rhizosphere of cucumber plants. The strain was identified as T. asperellum based on the morphological features and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Applying strain T6 to sterile soil could increase soil levels of Fe(2+) and siderophores, as well as increase Fe(2+) and Fe(3+)-chelate reductase (FCR) activity in cucumber tissues. Purified siderophore eluent (PSE) increased plant growth, thus confirming its role in plant growth promotion. Moreover, extracellular Fe(3+) reducing activity and three kinds of organic acids were detected in the culture filtrate of strain T6. These results indicate that strain T6 influences plant Fe absorption in several ways. Siderophore-based Fe chelation is effective in providing Fe to plants, organic acids, and Fe(3+) reducing enzymes may participate in the solubilization and reduction of insoluble Fe(3+) to Fe(2+). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Semi-quantitative evaluation of texture components and anisotropy of the yield strength in 2524 T3 alloy sheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Fanghua; Yi, Danqing; Wang, Bin; Liu, Huiqun; Jiang, Yong; Tang, Cong; Jiang, Bo

    2016-01-01

    Decreasing the anisotropy of 2524 alloys is a key factor for their use in applications such as high-performance inertial components or space robots. Studying the interaction between sheet textures and anisotropy is a key factor to overcome this problem. In this study, the semi-quantitative approach to estimate the relation between texture and in-plane anisotropy (IPA) of yield strength has been developed. The intensity ratio between Cube and Brass texture components (F CGB ) was used as an effective variable for this purpose. This approach has been tested in 2524 T3 aluminum alloy sheets, which were investigated using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and tensile tests. The results show that F CGB decreased with an increase in cold reduction. The 2524 T3 sheet, dominated by Cube texture grains, possesses the lowest in-plane anisotropy for the yield strength of all texture components investigated. The alloy sheet dominated by Brass texture exhibits the highest anisotropy, while the Goss texture-led sheets fall in between them. These results agree with the trends seen in the factor F CGB , suggesting that is suited to evaluate the anisotropy of yield strength in 2524 T3 alloy sheets semi-quantitatively.

  12. Semi-quantitative evaluation of texture components and anisotropy of the yield strength in 2524 T3 alloy sheets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shen, Fanghua [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Yi, Danqing, E-mail: yioffice@csu.edu.cn [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Light Alloy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); National Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Nonferrous Structural Materials and Manufacturing, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China); Wang, Bin; Liu, Huiqun; Jiang, Yong; Tang, Cong; Jiang, Bo [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083 (China)

    2016-10-15

    Decreasing the anisotropy of 2524 alloys is a key factor for their use in applications such as high-performance inertial components or space robots. Studying the interaction between sheet textures and anisotropy is a key factor to overcome this problem. In this study, the semi-quantitative approach to estimate the relation between texture and in-plane anisotropy (IPA) of yield strength has been developed. The intensity ratio between Cube and Brass texture components (F{sub CGB}) was used as an effective variable for this purpose. This approach has been tested in 2524 T3 aluminum alloy sheets, which were investigated using X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and tensile tests. The results show that F{sub CGB} decreased with an increase in cold reduction. The 2524 T3 sheet, dominated by Cube texture grains, possesses the lowest in-plane anisotropy for the yield strength of all texture components investigated. The alloy sheet dominated by Brass texture exhibits the highest anisotropy, while the Goss texture-led sheets fall in between them. These results agree with the trends seen in the factor F{sub CGB}, suggesting that is suited to evaluate the anisotropy of yield strength in 2524 T3 alloy sheets semi-quantitatively.

  13. IPv6 Convergence for IoT Cyber–Physical Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keith Nolan

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available We describe the evolution of the IoT towards a heterogeneous multitopology network subject to dynamic change and volatility yet still capable of secure and dependable operation. As part of this evolution, we outline the key changes in wireless communications technologies and heterogeneous networking that have arisen during the development of the IoT. We briefly outline the emerging area of cyber–physical systems, and associated technical challenges. We then describe how IP convergence can be viewed as the narrow waist connecting endpoint devices and fieldbus devices with applications and services in new Industry 4.0, and cyber–physical system use cases. We outline how a protocol-packing approach can be used for encapsulating LoRaWAN frames with IEEE 802.15.4 and IEEE 802.11 frames. Extending this, we propose a method for ultracompressed IPv6 signaling, and detail how this can be achieved in an example low-power wide-area technology, namely LoRaWAN. To support our proposed approach, we provide real-world analyses where IPv6 commands undergo a process of ultracompression and are then conveyed to a LoRaWAN endpoint. We find that IPv6 command ultracompression can potentially support command packet sizes that are over 20x smaller than the reported worst-case maximum protocol data unit size of 81 bytes.

  14. Corrosion resistance of welded joints in 08Kh22N6T and 08Kh21N6M2T steels made with new electrodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sidorkina, Y.S.; Leibzon, V.M.; Mankevich, T.V.; Sidlin, E.A.; Zheltova, G.A.

    1986-01-01

    This paper examines the corrosion resistance of 08Kh22N6T and 08Kh21N6M2T steels which would make it possible to ensure equal properties of all the zones of the welded joints. The investigations were carried out on the welded joints in the steels produced with new OZL-40 and OZL-41 electrodes and with standard TsL-11 and EA-400/10u electrodes. The chemical compositions of the steels and deposited metal are presented. The tests of the intercrystalline corrosion resistances of the welded joints in the steels in the as-welded condition and after heat treatment showed that the weld metal is not attacked by intercrystalline corrosion. The tests also showed that the welded joints in 08Kh22N6T steel made with the OZL-40 and TsL-11 electrodes are resistant to corrosion in 55% phosphoric acid at 90 C in 1% sulfuric acid, and in 25% formic acid at 80 C. The investigated steels made with the OZL-40 and OZL-41 electrode respectively show that the welded joints are resistant to intercrystalline and general corrosion, have high mechanical and processing properties and the electrodes, and can be used for welding equipment designed for service in alkaline, neutral, and slightly acid media

  15. Stainless steel component with compressed fiber Bragg grating for high temperature sensing applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jinesh, Mathew; MacPherson, William N.; Hand, Duncan P.; Maier, Robert R. J.

    2016-05-01

    A smart metal component having the potential for high temperature strain sensing capability is reported. The stainless steel (SS316) structure is made by selective laser melting (SLM). A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is embedded in to a 3D printed U-groove by high temperature brazing using a silver based alloy, achieving an axial FBG compression of 13 millistrain at room temperature. Initial results shows that the test component can be used for up to 700°C for sensing applications.

  16. Lainsuojattomuudesta sukupuolineutraaliin avioliittoon – seksuaalivähemmistöjen aseman kehitys lainsäädännössä

    OpenAIRE

    Martikainen, Minna

    2016-01-01

    ssä opinnäytetyössä tutkitaan, miten seksuaalivähemmistöjen asema Suomessa on kehittynyt lainsäädännössä varhaismodernista ajasta lähtien. Tutkimuskysymystä lähestytään lainopillisesta, oikeushistoriallisesta ja oikeussosiologisesta näkökulmasta. Opinnäytetyössä huomioidaan lakimuutosten lisäksi näin ollen myös evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon ja muiden yhteiskunnan asenteita muokkaavien tahojen sekä myös lääketieteen näkemykset. Opinnäytetyö on jaettu kolmeen päälukuun, jotka on sijoitett...

  17. Reprint of "Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) from the critically endangered antelope Addax nasomaculatus in Tunisia".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boufana, Belgees; Saïd, Yousra; Dhibi, Mokhtar; Craig, Philip S; Lahmar, Samia

    2017-01-01

    Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) is a zoonotic disease highly endemic in Tunisia. Canids including stray and semi-stray dogs, jackals and foxes are known as definitive hosts and a wide range of ungulates have been shown to harbour the metacestode hydatid stage and may serve as intermediate hosts. Fertile hydatid cysts of Echinococcus equinus and E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) were recently molecularly identified for the first time from Tunisian donkeys. E. granulosus (s.s.) was also identified from wild boars in Tunisia. Here we report the confirmation of hydatid cysts caused by E. granulosus (s.s.) in the critically endangered antelope, Addax nasomaculatus in Tunisia. DNA-based molecular analysis revealed that A. nasomaculatus was infected with E. granulosus (s.s.) which had a 100% identity with the main globally distributed E. granulosus (s.s.) (EgTu01) haplotype. Cysts of Taenia hydatigena (n=33) were also observed on the liver and in the body cavity. Due to their endangered status and their relatively small numbers, it is unlikely that hydatid infection of A. nasomaculatus will form a major contribution to the epidemiology and transmission of E. granulosus in Tunisia, but infection may result in pathology, morbidity and early mortality, and may still play a role in the perpetuation of the parasite in wildlife cycles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Neutron diffraction studies on GdB{sub 6} and TbB{sub 6} powders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luca, S.E.; Amara, M.; Galera, R.M.; Givord, F.; Granovsky, S.; Isnard, O.; Beneu, B

    2004-07-15

    We report here the first powder neutron diffraction study of GdB{sub 6} and TbB{sub 6}. GdB{sub 6} and TbB{sub 6} order antiferromagnetically at 15 and 21 K, respectively. In both compounds the transition at T{sub N} is of the first order. Moreover GdB{sub 6} presents a second spontaneous magnetic transition at T{sup *}=8 K. The present study shows that, in both compounds, the magnetic propagation vectors belong to the <((1)/(4)) ((1)/(4)) ((1)/(2))> star and that the direction of the magnetic moment is perpendicular to the ((1)/(2)) component of the wave-vector in GdB{sub 6}, while in TbB{sub 6} the moment is parallel to it. The deduced low-temperature values of the magnetic moments agree with those of the respective rare-earth trivalent ions.

  19. Study on organic matter fractions in the surface microlayer in the Baltic Sea by spectrophotometric and spectrofluorometric methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drozdowska, Violetta; Wrobel, Iwona; Markuszewski, Piotr; Makuch, Przemysław; Raczkowska, Anna; Kowalczuk, Piotr

    2017-08-01

    The fluorescence and absorption measurements of the samples collected from a surface microlayer (SML) and a subsurface layer (SS), at a depth of 1 m, were studied during three research cruises in the Baltic Sea along with hydrophysical studies and meteorological observations. Several absorption (E2 : E3, S, SR) and fluorescence (fluorescence intensities at Coble classified peaks: A, C, M, T the ratio M + T/A + C, HIX (humification index)) indices of colored and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (CDOM and FDOM) helped to describe the changes in molecular size and weight as well as in composition of organic matter. The investigation allowed the assessment of a decrease in the contribution of two terrestrial components (A and C) with increasing salinity ( ˜ 1.64 and ˜ 1.89 % in the SML and ˜ 0.78 and ˜ 0.71 % in the SS, respectively) and an increase in components produced in situ (M and T) with salinity ( ˜ 0.52 and ˜ 2.83 % in the SML and ˜ 0.98 and ˜ 1.87 % in the SS, respectively). Hence, a component T reveals the biggest relative changes along the transect from the Vistula River outlet to Gdansk Deep, in both the SML and SS, although an increase was higher in the SML than in the SS ( ˜ 18.5 and ˜ 12.3 %, respectively). The ratio E2 : E3 points to greater changes in the molecular weight of CDOM affected by a higher rate of photobleaching in the SML. The HIX index reflects a more advanced stage of humification and condensation processes in the SS. Finally, the results reveal a higher rate of degradation processes occurring in the SML than in the SS. Thus, the specific physical properties of surface active organic molecules (surfactants) may modify, in a specific way, the solar light spectrum entering the sea and a penetration depth of the solar radiation. Research on the influence of surfactants on the physical processes linked to the sea surface becomes an important task, especially in coastal waters and in the vicinity of the river mouths.

  20. Impact of the Arizona NExSS Winter School on Interdisciplinary Knowledge and Attitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huff, Cierra; Burnam-Fink, Michael; Desch, Steven; Apai, Dániel

    2018-01-01

    The Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) is a NASA-funded research coordination network whose focus is on investigating exoplanet diversity and devising strategies for searching for life on exoplanets. The fields of exoplanets and astrobiology are inherently highly interdisciplinary. Progress in these fields demands that researchers with various scientific backgrounds understand the issues and techniques of allied fields of study, including the tools and approaches used to solve different problems, as well as their limitations.In 2016, the NExSS teams at Arizona State University (ASU) and University of Arizona (UA) hosted 32 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from various scientific backgrounds for one week at the Arizona NExSS Winter School. To bridge the gaps between fields and promote interdisciplinarity, students participated in lessons, field trips, hands-on activities, and a capstone proposal-writing activity. To assess the impact of the School on knowledge and attitudes about other fields, we administered a pre- and post-School questionnaire designed using the Impact Analysis Method of Davis & Scalice (2015).The results show that all participants gained knowledge at the School, especially in areas outside their primary field of study. The questionnaire revealed interesting differences in attitudes as well. When asked whether the geochemistry of Earth without life is predictable, planetary scientists were more likely than average to say yes, and geologists were more likely than average to say no. Their attitudes had converged after participation in the School. These results demonstrate that the Arizona NExSS Winter School was impactful not just in the knowledge gained, but in the interdisciplinary attitudes of students.