SmB6 electron-phonon coupling constant from time- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Sterzi, A.; Crepaldi, A.; Cilento, F.; Manzoni, G.; Frantzeskakis, E.; Zacchigna, M.; van Heumen, E.; Huang, Y. K.; Golden, M. S.; Parmigiani, F.

2016-08-01

SmB6 is a mixed valence Kondo system resulting from the hybridization between localized f electrons and delocalized d electrons. We have investigated its out-of-equilibrium electron dynamics by means of time- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The transient electronic population above the Fermi level can be described by a time-dependent Fermi-Dirac distribution. By solving a two-temperature model that well reproduces the relaxation dynamics of the effective electronic temperature, we estimate the electron-phonon coupling constant λ to range from 0.13 ±0.03 to 0.04 ±0.01 . These extremes are obtained assuming a coupling of the electrons with either a phonon mode at 10 or 19 meV. A realistic value of the average phonon energy will give an actual value of λ within this range. Our results provide an experimental report on the material electron-phonon coupling, contributing to both the electronic transport and the macroscopic thermodynamic properties of SmB6.

Accessory nuclei revisited: the translocation of snRNPs from the germinal vesicle to the periphery of the future embryo.

Science.gov (United States)

Biliński, Szczepan M; Kloc, Małgorzata

2002-03-01

Oocytes of certain insects contain peculiar organelles termed accessory nuclei (AN). These organelles originate by budding off from the envelope of the oocyte nucleus and contain 1-2 dense inclusions immersed in a translucent ground substance. We have demonstrated that in the wasp Vespula germanica each inclusion consists of two elements: a spherical body, and a hemispherical structure composed of numerous 20-30 nm particles. Immunoelectron microscopy and whole-mount in situ hybridization have shown that the inclusions contain AgNOR-staining proteins, p80-coilin, Sm proteins, and small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs). These results indicate that the inclusions and hemispherical structures are homologous to Cajal bodies and B-snurposomes of Xenopus germinal vesicles, respectively. During previtellogenesis, AN (together with their Cajal bodies) migrate to the cortical ooplasm of the oocyte where they reside at least until the onset of embryogenesis. We suggest that AN are vehicles for the transport and localization of snRNPs to the periphery of the oocyte, i.e., to the region where the blastoderm of the embryo develops and where there is a requirement for a high concentration of RNA-processing factors.

Valence, magnetism and conduction in the intermediate valence compounds: the case SmB6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Derr, J.

2006-09-01

In some rare earth based compounds, the 4f level is situated so close to the Fermi level that the valence of the compound can become intermediate between two integer values. The so called 'intermediate valence' compound of Samarium hexaboride (SmB 6 ) is one typical example of the exciting physics which can result from this quantum equilibrium between two valence configurations. The first configuration (Sm 2+ ) corresponds to an insulating and non magnetic state whereas the second one (Sm 3+ ) would theoretically give a magnetic and metallic ground state. This dissertation deals with the influence of pressure on this equilibrium. Specific heat measurements under pressure evidenced a new long range magnetic ordering for pressures higher than p c ∼ 10 GPa. On another hand, transport measurements measured for the first time in good conditions of hydrostatics found a reliable and reproducible critical pressure for the insulator to metal transition equal to p c . The phase diagram of SmB 6 is now well known and the observation for the first time of a magnetic anomaly in the high pressure resistivity curves certifies that the onset of the magnetic phase really coincide with the closure of the gap. This change at the critical pressure p c is discussed in a general frame taking into account the Kondo lattice temperature as a key parameter for the renormalization of the wavefunction from one integer configuration to the other whereas the valence itself is still intermediate. This general idea seems to be valid also for other systems studied in this dissertation like SmS or TmSe and could even be valid for more general cases (Ytterbium, Cerium). In the same time, resistivity measurements under uniaxial stress were undertaken. The result is a strong anisotropy effect observed on the pressure dependence of the residual resistivity in the compound SmB 6 . The comparison with the transport under hydrostatic conditions enables us to consider a new idea for the nature of the gap

Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB6

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Song, Qi; Mi, Jian; Zhao, Dan; Su, Tang; Yuan, Wei; Xing, Wenyu; Chen, Yangyang; Wang, Tianyu; Wu, Tao; Chen, Xian Hui; Xie, X. C.; Zhang, Chi; Shi, Jing; Han, Wei

2016-01-01

There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observe the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Furthermore, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6. PMID:27834378

Radiation damage in SmS, SmSsub(1-x)Psub(x) and SmB6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morillo, J.; Bordier, G.; de Novion, C.H.; Senateur, J.P.; Jun, J.

1984-08-01

Large conductivity increases under 21 K electron or neutron irradiations are observed in SmS and SmSsub(1-x)Psub(x). It is shown that they are related to Sm defects. A possible mechanism is 4f electron delocalization around radiation defects. In SmB 6 , the low temperature resistivity increase desappears under 21 K irradiation. The thermal stability of the defects is also investigated up to room temperature

Bacteriotherapy with Streptococcus salivarius 24SMB and Streptococcus oralis 89a nasal spray for preventing recurrent acute otitis media in children: a real-life clinical experience

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La Mantia I

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Ignazio La Mantia, Attilio Varricchio, Giorgio Ciprandi Associazione Italiana Vie Aeree Superiori, Naples, Italy Abstract: Recurrence of acute otitis media (RAOM is a relevant issue in the clinical practice. “Bacteriotherapy” has been proposed as an option in children with RAOM. Streptococcus salivarius 24SMB nasal spray has been previously demonstrated to reduce the risk of acute otitis media (AOM in otitis-prone children. The current retrospective and observational study aimed to confirm this outcome in a real-life setting, such as the common pediatric practice. Group A (108 children served as control; group B (159 children was treated with S. salivarius 24SMB and Streptococcus oralis 89a nasal spray after the first AOM episode. Active treatment consisted of 3 monthly courses: 2 puffs per nostril twice/day for a week. Group B showed a significant reduction of AOM episodes in comparison with group A (p<0.0001. Notably, all actively treated children with the highest AOM recurrence had a reduction of recurrence, whereas only 50% of the control group children had reduced RAOM (p<0.0001. Also, severity grade of AOM significantly diminished after the preventive bacteriotherapy (p<0.0001. In conclusion, the current retrospective and observational study demonstrated that S. salivarius 24SMB and S. oralis 89a nasal spray could be effective in the prevention of RAOM in a real-life setting. Keywords: recurrent acute otitis media, bacteriotherapy, Streptococcus salivarius 24SMB, Streptococcus oralis 89a, nasal spray, children

Torsional fatigue model for limitorque type SMB/SB/SBD actuators for motor-operated valves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somogyi, D.; Alvarez, P.D.; Kalsi, M.S. [Kalsi Engineering, Inc., Sugar Land, TX (United States)

1996-12-01

Kalsi Engineering, Inc. has recently developed a computer program to predict the torsional fatigue life of Limitorque Type SMB/SB/SBD actuators for motor-operated valves under given loading levels, including those that exceed the ratings. The development effort was an outgrowth of the {open_quote}Thrust Rating Increase{close_quote} test program. The fatigue model computes all pertinent stress components and their variations as a function of the loading ramp. The cumulative damage and fatigue life due to stress cycling is computed by use of a modification of Miner`s rule. Model predictions were validated against actual cyclic loading test results.

Torsional fatigue model for limitorque type SMB/SB/SBD actuators for motor-operated valves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somogyi, D.; Alvarez, P.D.; Kalsi, M.S.

1996-01-01

Kalsi Engineering, Inc. has recently developed a computer program to predict the torsional fatigue life of Limitorque Type SMB/SB/SBD actuators for motor-operated valves under given loading levels, including those that exceed the ratings. The development effort was an outgrowth of the open-quote Thrust Rating Increase close-quote test program. The fatigue model computes all pertinent stress components and their variations as a function of the loading ramp. The cumulative damage and fatigue life due to stress cycling is computed by use of a modification of Miner's rule. Model predictions were validated against actual cyclic loading test results

Caffeine-containing beverages, total fluid consumption, and premenstrual syndrome.

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Rossignol, A M; Bonnlander, H

1990-09-01

The main objective of this study was to evaluate whether daily consumption of caffeine-containing beverages is related to the prevalence and severity of premenstrual syndrome apart from any effects of daily total fluid consumption. A secondary objective was to determine whether daily total fluid consumption itself is related to premenstrual syndrome. The study is based on 841 responses to a questionnaire probing menstrual and premenstrual health, and daily fluid consumption, which was mailed to female university students in Oregon. Analysis of the data revealed that consumption of caffeine-containing beverages was strongly related to the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome. Among women with more severe symptoms, the relation between consumption of caffeine-containing beverages and premenstrual syndrome was dose-dependent, with prevalence odds ratios equal to 1.3 for consumers of one cup of a caffeine-containing beverage per day and increasing steadily to 7.0 for consumers of eight to 10 cups per day. The effects were apparent among both caffeine-containing tea/coffee consumers and caffeine-containing soda consumers. The observed effects were only slightly reduced when daily total fluid consumption was controlled. Daily total fluid consumption also was related to the prevalence of premenstrual symptoms although the effects were large only for consumers of 13-19 cups of fluid per day (the largest amount studied).

Anomalous Z2 antiferromagnetic topological phase in pressurized SmB6

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Kai-Wei; Chen, Peng-Jen

2018-05-01

Antiferromagnetic materials, whose time-reversal symmetry is broken, can be classified into the Z2 topology if they respect some specific symmetry. Since the theoretical proposal, however, no materials have been found to host such Z2 antiferromagnetic topological (Z2-AFT ) phase to date. Here we demonstrate that the topological Kondo insulator SmB6 can be a Z2-AFT system when pressurized to undergo an antiferromagnetic phase transition. In addition to proposing the possible candidate for a Z2-AFT material, in this work we also illustrate the anomalous topological surface states of the Z2-AFT phase which have not been discussed before. Originating from the interplay between the topological properties and the antiferromagnetic surface magnetization, the topological surface states of the Z2-AFT phase behave differently as compared with those of a topological insulator. Besides, the Z2-AFT insulators are also found promising in the generation of tunable spin currents, which is an important application in spintronics.

Selective incorporation of vRNP into influenza A virions determined by its specific interaction with M1 protein

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Chaimayo, Chutikarn [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 (United States); Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700 (Thailand); Hayashi, Tsuyoshi; Underwood, Andrew; Hodges, Erin [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 (United States); Takimoto, Toru, E-mail: toru_takimoto@urmc.rochester.edu [Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642 (United States)

2017-05-15

Influenza A viruses contain eight single-stranded, negative-sense RNA segments as viral genomes in the form of viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs). During genome replication in the nucleus, positive-sense complementary RNPs (cRNPs) are produced as replicative intermediates, which are not incorporated into progeny virions. To analyze the mechanism of selective vRNP incorporation into progeny virions, we quantified vRNPs and cRNPs in the nuclear and cytosolic fractions of infected cells, using a strand-specific qRT-PCR. Unexpectedly, we found that cRNPs were also exported to the cytoplasm. This export was chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-independent unlike that of vRNPs. Although both vRNPs and cRNPs were present in the cytosol, viral matrix (M1) protein, a key regulator for viral assembly, preferentially bound vRNPs over cRNPs. These results indicate that influenza A viruses selectively uptake cytosolic vRNPs through a specific interaction with M1 during viral assembly. - Highlights: •Influenza cRNPs are exported from the nucleus of an infected cell via a CRM1-independent pathway. •Influenza A viruses selectively incorporate cytosolic vRNPs through a specific interaction with M1 during viral assembly. •M1 dissociates from vRNP export complex after nuclear export, and is re-associated with vRNPs at the plasma membrane.

Selective incorporation of vRNP into influenza A virions determined by its specific interaction with M1 protein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaimayo, Chutikarn; Hayashi, Tsuyoshi; Underwood, Andrew; Hodges, Erin; Takimoto, Toru

2017-01-01

Influenza A viruses contain eight single-stranded, negative-sense RNA segments as viral genomes in the form of viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs). During genome replication in the nucleus, positive-sense complementary RNPs (cRNPs) are produced as replicative intermediates, which are not incorporated into progeny virions. To analyze the mechanism of selective vRNP incorporation into progeny virions, we quantified vRNPs and cRNPs in the nuclear and cytosolic fractions of infected cells, using a strand-specific qRT-PCR. Unexpectedly, we found that cRNPs were also exported to the cytoplasm. This export was chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-independent unlike that of vRNPs. Although both vRNPs and cRNPs were present in the cytosol, viral matrix (M1) protein, a key regulator for viral assembly, preferentially bound vRNPs over cRNPs. These results indicate that influenza A viruses selectively uptake cytosolic vRNPs through a specific interaction with M1 during viral assembly. - Highlights: •Influenza cRNPs are exported from the nucleus of an infected cell via a CRM1-independent pathway. •Influenza A viruses selectively incorporate cytosolic vRNPs through a specific interaction with M1 during viral assembly. •M1 dissociates from vRNP export complex after nuclear export, and is re-associated with vRNPs at the plasma membrane.

Transport properties of the topological Kondo insulator SmB6 under the irradiation of light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Guo-Bao; Yang Hui-Min

2016-01-01

In this paper, we study transport properties of the X point in the Brillouin zone of the topological Kondo insulator SmB 6 under the application of a circularly polarized light. The transport properties at high-frequency regime and low-frequency regime as a function of the ratio ( κ ) of the Dresselhaus-like and Rashba-like spin–orbit parameter are studied based on the Floquet theory and Boltzmann equation respectively. The sign of Hall conductivity at high-frequency regime can be reversed by the ratio κ and the amplitude of the light. The amplitude of the current can be enhanced by the ratio κ . Our findings provide a way to control the transport properties of the Dirac materials at low-frequency regime. (paper)

Synthetic lung surfactants containing SP-B and SP-C peptides plus novel phospholipase-resistant lipids or glycerophospholipids

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Robert H. Notter

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background This study examines the biophysical and preclinical pulmonary activity of synthetic lung surfactants containing novel phospholipase-resistant phosphonolipids or synthetic glycerophospholipids combined with Super Mini-B (S-MB DATK and/or SP-Css ion-lock 1 peptides that replicate the functional biophysics of surfactant proteins (SP-B and SP-C. Phospholipase-resistant phosphonolipids used in synthetic surfactants are DEPN-8 and PG-1, molecular analogs of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylglycerol (POPG, while glycerophospholipids used are active lipid components of native surfactant (DPPC:POPC:POPG 5:3:2 by weight. The objective of the work is to test whether these novel lipid/peptide synthetic surfactants have favorable preclinical activity (biophysical, pulmonary for therapeutic use in reversing surfactant deficiency or dysfunction in lung disease or injury. Methods Surface activity of synthetic lipid/peptide surfactants was assessed in vitro at 37 °C by measuring adsorption in a stirred subphase apparatus and dynamic surface tension lowering in pulsating and captive bubble surfactometers. Shear viscosity was measured as a function of shear rate on a Wells-Brookfield micro-viscometer. In vivo pulmonary activity was determined by measuring lung function (arterial oxygenation, dynamic lung compliance in ventilated rats and rabbits with surfactant deficiency/dysfunction induced by saline lavage to lower arterial PO2 to <100 mmHg, consistent with clinical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS. Results Synthetic surfactants containing 5:3:2 DPPC:POPC:POPG or 9:1 DEPN-8:PG-1 combined with 3% (by wt of S-MB DATK, 3% SP-Css ion-lock 1, or 1.5% each of both peptides all adsorbed rapidly to low equilibrium surface tensions and also reduced surface tension to ≤1 mN/m under dynamic compression at 37 °C. However, dual-peptide surfactants containing 1.5% S-MB DATK + 1.5% SP-Css ion-lock 1 combined with

Viral DNA Replication Orientation and hnRNPs Regulate Transcription of the Human Papillomavirus 18 Late Promoter.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaohong; Liu, Haibin; Ge, Hui; Ajiro, Masahiko; Sharma, Nishi R; Meyers, Craig; Morozov, Pavel; Tuschl, Thomas; Klar, Amar; Court, Donald; Zheng, Zhi-Ming

2017-05-30

The life cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is tightly linked to keratinocyte differentiation. Although expression of viral early genes is initiated immediately upon virus infection of undifferentiated basal cells, viral DNA amplification and late gene expression occur only in the mid to upper strata of the keratinocytes undergoing terminal differentiation. In this report, we show that the relative activity of HPV18 TATA-less late promoter P 811 depends on its orientation relative to that of the origin (Ori) of viral DNA replication and is sensitive to the eukaryotic DNA polymerase inhibitor aphidicolin. Additionally, transfected 70-nucleotide (nt)-long single-strand DNA oligonucleotides that are homologous to the region near Ori induce late promoter activity. We also found that promoter activation in raft cultures leads to production of the late promoter-associated, sense-strand transcription initiation RNAs (tiRNAs) and splice-site small RNAs (spliRNAs). Finally, a cis -acting AAGTATGCA core element that functions as a repressor to the promoter was identified. This element interacts with hnRNP D0B and hnRNP A/B factors. Point mutations in the core prevented binding of hnRNPs and increased the promoter activity. Confirming this result, knocking down the expression of both hnRNPs in keratinocytes led to increased promoter activity. Taking the data together, our study revealed the mechanism of how the HPV18 late promoter is regulated by DNA replication and host factors. IMPORTANCE It has been known for decades that the activity of viral late promoters is associated with viral DNA replication among almost all DNA viruses. However, the mechanism of how DNA replication activates the viral late promoter and what components of the replication machinery are involved remain largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the P 811 promoter region of HPV18 and demonstrated that its activation depends on the orientation of DNA replication. Using single

Low-energy excitations of the correlation-gap insulator SmB6: A light-scattering study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyhus, P.; Cooper, S.L.; Fisk, Z.; Sarrao, J.

1997-01-01

We present the results of Raman scattering studies of single-crystal SmB 6 for temperatures down to 4 K and in magnetic fields up to 8 T. At temperatures below T * ∼50K the electronic Raman continuum exhibits an abrupt redistribution of scattering intensity around a temperature-independent (open-quotes isobesticclose quotes) energy, Δ c ∼290cm -1 , reflecting the opening of a pseudogap which is larger than previously suggested by transport measurements. Additionally, the Raman response exhibits at least four well-defined excitations within the gap below T * . The field dependencies of some of these in-gap states are consistent with the expected g factor (g eff =2/7) for the Sm 3+ Γ 8 level, suggesting that these gap edge states are crystal-electric-field excitations of the Sm 3+ ion split by magnetoelastic coupling. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1a positively regulates euchromatic gene expression through RNA transcript association and interaction with hnRNPs in Drosophila.

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Lucia Piacentini

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1a is a well-known conserved protein involved in heterochromatin formation and gene silencing in different species including humans. A general model has been proposed for heterochromatin formation and epigenetic gene silencing in different species that implies an essential role for HP1a. According to the model, histone methyltransferase enzymes (HMTases methylate the histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me, creating selective binding sites for itself and the chromodomain of HP1a. This complex is thought to form a higher order chromatin state that represses gene activity. It has also been found that HP1a plays a role in telomere capping. Surprisingly, recent studies have shown that HP1a is present at many euchromatic sites along polytene chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster, including the developmental and heat-shock-induced puffs, and that this protein can be removed from these sites by in vivo RNase treatment, thus suggesting an association of HP1a with the transcripts of many active genes. To test this suggestion, we performed an extensive screening by RIP-chip assay (RNA-immunoprecipitation on microarrays, and we found that HP1a is associated with transcripts of more than one hundred euchromatic genes. An expression analysis in HP1a mutants shows that HP1a is required for positive regulation of these genes. Cytogenetic and molecular assays show that HP1a also interacts with the well known proteins DDP1, HRB87F, and PEP, which belong to different classes of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs involved in RNA processing. Surprisingly, we found that all these hnRNP proteins also bind heterochromatin and are dominant suppressors of position effect variegation. Together, our data show novel and unexpected functions for HP1a and hnRNPs proteins. All these proteins are in fact involved both in RNA transcript processing and in heterochromatin formation. This suggests that, in general, similar epigenetic mechanisms

Influenza A Virus Hemagglutinin is Required for the Assembly of Viral Components Including Bundled vRNPs at the Lipid Raft

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Naoki Takizawa

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The influenza glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA and neuraminidase (NA, which are associated with the lipid raft, have the potential to initiate virion budding. However, the role of these viral proteins in infectious virion assembly is still unclear. In addition, it is not known how the viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP is tethered to the budding site. Here, we show that HA is necessary for the efficient progeny virion production and vRNP packaging in the virion. We also found that the level of HA does not affect the bundling of the eight vRNP segments, despite reduced virion production. Detergent solubilization and a subsequent membrane flotation analysis indicated that the accumulation of nucleoprotein, viral polymerases, NA, and matrix protein 1 (M1 in the lipid raft fraction was delayed without HA. Based on our results, we inferred that HA plays a role in the accumulation of viral components, including bundled vRNPs, at the lipid raft.

Influenza A Virus Hemagglutinin is Required for the Assembly of Viral Components Including Bundled vRNPs at the Lipid Raft.

Science.gov (United States)

Takizawa, Naoki; Momose, Fumitaka; Morikawa, Yuko; Nomoto, Akio

2016-09-10

The influenza glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), which are associated with the lipid raft, have the potential to initiate virion budding. However, the role of these viral proteins in infectious virion assembly is still unclear. In addition, it is not known how the viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP) is tethered to the budding site. Here, we show that HA is necessary for the efficient progeny virion production and vRNP packaging in the virion. We also found that the level of HA does not affect the bundling of the eight vRNP segments, despite reduced virion production. Detergent solubilization and a subsequent membrane flotation analysis indicated that the accumulation of nucleoprotein, viral polymerases, NA, and matrix protein 1 (M1) in the lipid raft fraction was delayed without HA. Based on our results, we inferred that HA plays a role in the accumulation of viral components, including bundled vRNPs, at the lipid raft.

Interaction of influenza virus proteins with nucleosomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Robles, Inmaculada; Akarsu, Hatice; Mueller, Christoph W.; Ruigrok, Rob W.H.; Baudin, Florence

2005-01-01

During influenza virus infection, transcription and replication of the viral RNA take place in the cell nucleus. Directly after entry in the nucleus the viral ribonucleoproteins (RNPs, the viral subunits containing vRNA, nucleoprotein and the viral polymerase) are tightly associated with the nuclear matrix. Here, we have analysed the binding of RNPs, M1 and NS2/NEP proteins to purified nucleosomes, reconstituted histone octamers and purified single histones. RNPs and M1 both bind to the chromatin components but at two different sites, RNP to the histone tails and M1 to the globular domain of the histone octamer. NS2/NEP did not bind to nucleosomes at all. The possible consequences of these findings for nuclear release of newly made RNPs and for other processes during the infection cycle are discussed

GC determination of N-nitrosamines by supersonic molecular beam MS equipped with triple quadrupole analyzer, GC/SMB/QQQ/MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anna, Voloshenko; Rimma, Shelkov; Lev, Ovadia; Jenny, Gun

2011-01-01

The determination of 14 N-nitrosamines by a supersonic molecular beam electron ionization mass spectrometer equipped with triple quadruple analyzer, GC/SMB/EI/QQQ/MS is presented. The supersonic molecular beam electron ionization ion source allows the elucidation of the molecular ion of 13 out of the 14 examined nitrosamines (except for diphenylnitrosamine which was degraded before the analysis). It was possible to use the molecular ions of all the nitrosamines as the parent ions for multiple reactions monitoring mode, which in turn allows significant increase of specificity and lowering of the method limit of detection of the higher molecular weight nitrosamines. The instrumental LOD for different N-nitrosamines was 1-5 pg injection -1 . The proposed method was exemplified by analysis of N-nitrosamines and N-nitrosatables in rubber teats according to the British Standard BS EN 12868:1999.

The strategic measures for the industrial security of small and medium business.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chang-Moo

2014-01-01

The competitiveness of companies increasingly depends upon whether they possess the cutting-edge or core technology. The technology should be protected from industrial espionage or leakage. A special attention needs to be given to SMB (small and medium business), furthermore, because SMB occupies most of the companies but has serious problems in terms of industrial security. The technology leakages of SMB would account for more than 2/3 of total leakages during last five years. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to analyze the problems of SMB in terms of industrial security and suggest the strategic solutions for SMB in South Korea. The low security awareness and financial difficulties, however, make it difficult for SMB to build the effective security management system which would protect the company from industrial espionage and leakage of its technology. The growing dependence of SMB on network such as internet, in addition, puts the SMB at risk of leaking its technology through hacking or similar ways. It requires new measures to confront and control such a risk. Online security control services and technology deposit system are suggested for such measures.

The Strategic Measures for the Industrial Security of Small and Medium Business

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Chang-Moo Lee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The competitiveness of companies increasingly depends upon whether they possess the cutting-edge or core technology. The technology should be protected from industrial espionage or leakage. A special attention needs to be given to SMB (small and medium business, furthermore, because SMB occupies most of the companies but has serious problems in terms of industrial security. The technology leakages of SMB would account for more than 2/3 of total leakages during last five years. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to analyze the problems of SMB in terms of industrial security and suggest the strategic solutions for SMB in South Korea. The low security awareness and financial difficulties, however, make it difficult for SMB to build the effective security management system which would protect the company from industrial espionage and leakage of its technology. The growing dependence of SMB on network such as internet, in addition, puts the SMB at risk of leaking its technology through hacking or similar ways. It requires new measures to confront and control such a risk. Online security control services and technology deposit system are suggested for such measures.

Identification of Neosho Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu velox) stocks for possible introduction into Grand Lake, Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Andrew T.; Long, James M.; Schwemm, Michael R.; Tringali, Michael D.; Brewer, Shannon K.

2016-01-01

Stocking black basses (Micropterus spp.) is a common practice used to increase angling opportunities in impoundments; however, when non-native black basses are introduced they often invade riverine habitats where they threaten the persistence of other fishes, including native black basses. Neosho Smallmouth Bass (M. dolomieu velox) is endemic to portions of the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountains ecoregions and is threatened by introductions of non-native Smallmouth Bass (“SMB”) forms. Because of recent interest in stocking SMB into Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, we assessed the suitability of local Neosho SMB populations as potential broodstock sources by assessing introgression with non-native SMB forms, as well as characterizing population structure and genetic diversity. The majority of Neosho SMB populations contained low, but non-negligible, genomic proportions of two genetically distinct non-native SMB forms. Introgression was highest in the Illinois River upstream of Lake Tenkiller, where Tennessee ‘lake strain’ SMB were stocked in the early 1990’s. We recovered three genetically distinct clusters of Neosho SMB at the uppermost hierarchical level of population structure: a distinct Illinois River cluster and two Grand River clusters that appear to naturally mix at some sites. Genetic diversity measures generally increased with stream size, and smaller populations with low diversity measures may benefit from immigration of novel genetic material. Overall, introgression with non-native SMB forms appears to pose a prominent threat to Neosho SMB; however, relatively intact populations of Neosho SMB exist in some Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees tributaries. Results could be used in developing a stocking program that promotes and sustains existing genetic diversity within and among Neosho SMB populations.

[RNA polymerase II and pre-mRNA splicing factors in diplotene oocyte nuclei of the giant African gastropod Achatina fulica].

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanova, I S; Bogoliubov, D S

2003-01-01

The nuclear distribution of pre-mRNA splicing factors (snRNPs and SR-protein SC35) and unphosphorylated from of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) was studied using fluorescent and immunoelectron cytochemistry in diplotene oocytes of the gastropod Achatina fulica. Association of Pol II and splicing factors with oocyte nuclear structures was analysed. The antibodies against splicing factors and Pol II were shown to label perichromatin fibrils at the periphery of condensed chromatin blocks as well as those in interchromatin regions of nucleoplasm. The revealed character of distribution of snRNPs, SC35 protein, and Pol II, together with the decondensed chromatin and absence of karyosphere, enable us to suggest that oocyte chromosomes maintain their transcriptional activity at the diplotene stage of oogenesis. In A. fulica oocytes, sparse nuclear bodies (NBs) of a complex morphological structure were revealed. These NBs contain snRNPs rather than SC35 protein. NBs are associated with a fibrogranular material (FGM), which contains SC35 protein. No snRNPs were revealed in this material. Homology of A. fulica oocyte nuclear structures to Cajal bodies and interchromatin granule clusters is discussed.

Standing wave design and optimization of a simulated moving bed chromatography for separation of xylobiose and xylose under the constraints on product concentration and pressure drop.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chung-Gi; Choi, Jae-Hwan; Park, Chanhun; Wang, Nien-Hwa Linda; Mun, Sungyong

2017-12-08

The feasibility of a simulated moving bed (SMB) technology for the continuous separation of high-purity xylobiose (X2) from the output of a β-xylosidase X1→X2 reaction has recently been confirmed. To ensure high economical efficiency of the X2 production method based on the use of xylose (X1) as a starting material, it is essential to accomplish the comprehensive optimization of the X2-separation SMB process in such a way that its X2 productivity can be maximized while maintaining the X2 product concentration from the SMB as high as possible in consideration of a subsequent lyophilization step. To address this issue, a suitable SMB optimization tool for the aforementioned task was prepared based on standing wave design theory. The prepared tool was then used to optimize the SMB operation parameters, column configuration, total column number, adsorbent particle size, and X2 yield while meeting the constraints on X2 purity, X2 product concentration, and pressure drop. The results showed that the use of a larger particle size caused the productivity to be limited by the constraint on X2 product concentration, and a maximum productivity was attained by choosing the particle size such that the effect of the X2-concentration limiting factor could be balanced with that of pressure-drop limiting factor. If the target level of X2 product concentration was elevated, higher productivity could be achieved by decreasing particle size, raising the level of X2 yield, and increasing the column number in the zones containing the front and rear of X2 solute band. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure–function analysis and genetic interactions of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits of the yeast Sm protein ring

Science.gov (United States)

Schwer, Beate; Kruchten, Joshua; Shuman, Stewart

2016-01-01

A seven-subunit Sm protein ring forms a core scaffold of the U1, U2, U4, and U5 snRNPs that direct pre-mRNA splicing. Using human snRNP structures to guide mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we gained new insights into structure–function relationships of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits. An alanine scan of 19 conserved amino acids of these three proteins, comprising the Sm RNA binding sites or inter-subunit interfaces, revealed that, with the exception of Arg74 in SmF, none are essential for yeast growth. Yet, for SmG, SmE, and SmF, as for many components of the yeast spliceosome, the effects of perturbing protein–RNA and protein–protein interactions are masked by built-in functional redundancies of the splicing machine. For example, tests for genetic interactions with non-Sm splicing factors showed that many benign mutations of SmG, SmE, and SmF (and of SmB and SmD3) were synthetically lethal with null alleles of U2 snRNP subunits Lea1 and Msl1. Tests of pairwise combinations of SmG, SmE, SmF, SmB, and SmD3 alleles highlighted the inherent redundancies within the Sm ring, whereby simultaneous mutations of the RNA binding sites of any two of the Sm subunits are lethal. Our results suggest that six intact RNA binding sites in the Sm ring suffice for function but five sites may not. PMID:27417296

Motif-Independent De Novo Detection of Secondary Metabolite Gene Clusters – Towards Identification of Novel Secondary Metabolisms from Filamentous Fungi -

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Myco eUmemura

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Secondary metabolites are produced mostly by clustered genes that are essential to their biosynthesis. The transcriptional expression of these genes is often cooperatively regulated by a transcription factor located inside or close to a cluster. Most of the secondary metabolism biosynthesis (SMB gene clusters identified to date contain so-called core genes with distinctive sequence features, such as polyketide synthase (PKS and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS. Recent efforts in sequencing fungal genomes have revealed far more SMB gene clusters than expected based on the number of core genes in the genomes. Several bioinformatics tools have been developed to survey SMB gene clusters using the sequence motif information of the core genes, including SMURF and antiSMASH.More recently, accompanied by the development of sequencing techniques allowing to obtain large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data, motif-independent prediction methods of SMB gene clusters, including MIDDAS-M, have been developed. Most these methods detect the clusters in which the genes are cooperatively regulated at transcriptional levels, thus allowing the identification of novel SMB gene clusters regardless of the presence of the core genes. Another type of the method, MIPS-CG, uses the characteristics of SMB genes, which are highly enriched in non-syntenic blocks (NSBs, enabling the prediction even without transcriptome data although the results have not been evaluated in detail. Considering that large portion of SMB gene clusters might be sufficiently expressed only in limited uncommon conditions, it seems that prediction of SMB gene clusters by bioinformatics and successive experimental validation is an only way to efficiently uncover hidden SMB gene clusters. Here, we describe and discuss possible novel approaches for the determination of SMB gene clusters that have not been identified using conventional methods.

Tim50a, a nuclear isoform of the mitochondrial Tim50, interacts with proteins involved in snRNP biogenesis

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Robinson Melvin L

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Cajal body (CB is a nuclear suborganelle involved in the biogenesis of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs, which are vital for pre-mRNA splicing. Newly imported Sm-class snRNPs traffic through CBs, where the snRNA component of the snRNP is modified, and then target to other nuclear domains such as speckles and perichromatin fibrils. It is not known how nascent snRNPs localize to the CB and are released from this structure after modification. The marker protein for CBs, coilin, may play a role in snRNP biogenesis given that it can interact with snRNPs and SMN, the protein mutated in Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Loss of coilin function in mice leads to significant viability and fertility problems and altered CB formation. Results In this report, we identify a minor isoform of the mitochondrial Tim50, Tim50a, as a coilin interacting protein. The Tim50a transcript can be detected in some cancer cell lines and normal brain tissue. The Tim50a protein differs only from Tim50 in that it contains an additional 103 aa N-terminal to the translation start of Tim50. Importantly, a putative nuclear localization signal is found within these 103 residues. In contrast to Tim50, which localizes to the cytoplasm and mitochondria, Tim50a is strictly nuclear and is enriched in speckles with snRNPs. In addition to coilin, Tim50a interacts with snRNPs and SMN. Competition binding experiments demonstrate that coilin competes with Sm proteins of snRNPs and SMN for binding sites on Tim50a. Conclusion Tim50a may play a role in snRNP biogenesis given its cellular localization and protein interaction characteristics. We hypothesize that Tim50a takes part in the release of snRNPs and SMN from the CB.

Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with a small metal-binding protein from Nitrosomonas europaea.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas-Cortez, Teresa; Morones-Ramirez, Jose Ruben; Balderas-Renteria, Isaias; Zarate, Xristo

2016-02-01

Escherichia coli is still the preferred organism for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. The use of fusion proteins has helped considerably in enhancing the solubility of heterologous proteins and their purification with affinity chromatography. Here, the use of a small metal-binding protein (SmbP) from Nitrosomonas europaea is described as a new fusion protein for protein expression and purification in E. coli. Fluorescent proteins tagged at the N-terminal with SmbP showed high levels of solubility, compared with those of maltose-binding protein and glutathione S-transferase, and low formation of inclusion bodies. Using commercially available IMAC resins charged with Ni(II), highly pure recombinant proteins were obtained after just one chromatography step. Proteins may be purified from the periplasm of E. coli if SmbP contains the signal sequence at the N-terminal. After removal of the SmbP tag from the protein of interest, high-yields are obtained since SmbP is a protein of just 9.9 kDa. The results here obtained suggest that SmbP is a good alternative as a fusion protein/affinity tag for the production of soluble recombinant proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure-function analysis and genetic interactions of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits of the yeast Sm protein ring.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwer, Beate; Kruchten, Joshua; Shuman, Stewart

2016-09-01

A seven-subunit Sm protein ring forms a core scaffold of the U1, U2, U4, and U5 snRNPs that direct pre-mRNA splicing. Using human snRNP structures to guide mutagenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we gained new insights into structure-function relationships of the SmG, SmE, and SmF subunits. An alanine scan of 19 conserved amino acids of these three proteins, comprising the Sm RNA binding sites or inter-subunit interfaces, revealed that, with the exception of Arg74 in SmF, none are essential for yeast growth. Yet, for SmG, SmE, and SmF, as for many components of the yeast spliceosome, the effects of perturbing protein-RNA and protein-protein interactions are masked by built-in functional redundancies of the splicing machine. For example, tests for genetic interactions with non-Sm splicing factors showed that many benign mutations of SmG, SmE, and SmF (and of SmB and SmD3) were synthetically lethal with null alleles of U2 snRNP subunits Lea1 and Msl1. Tests of pairwise combinations of SmG, SmE, SmF, SmB, and SmD3 alleles highlighted the inherent redundancies within the Sm ring, whereby simultaneous mutations of the RNA binding sites of any two of the Sm subunits are lethal. Our results suggest that six intact RNA binding sites in the Sm ring suffice for function but five sites may not. © 2016 Schwer et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

Unexpected heterogeneity derived from Cas9 ribonucleoprotein-introduced clonal cells at the HPRT1 locus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuma, Tetsushi; Mochida, Keiji; Nakade, Shota; Ezure, Toru; Minagawa, Sachi; Yamamoto, Takashi

2018-04-01

Single-cell cloning is an essential technique for establishing genome-edited cell clones mediated by programmable nucleases such as CRISPR-Cas9. However, residual genome-editing activity after single-cell cloning may cause heterogeneity in the clonal cells. Previous studies showed efficient mutagenesis and rapid degradation of CRISPR-Cas9 components in cultured cells by introducing Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). In this study, we investigated how the timing for single-cell cloning of Cas9 RNP-transfected cells affected the heterogeneity of the resultant clones. We carried out transfection of Cas9 RNPs targeting several loci in the HPRT1 gene in HCT116 cells, followed by single-cell cloning at 24, 48, 72 hr and 1 week post-transfection. After approximately 3 weeks of incubation, the clonal cells were collected and genotyped by high-resolution microchip electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing. Unexpectedly, long-term incubation before single-cell cloning resulted in highly heterogeneous clones. We used a lipofection method for transfection, and the media containing transfectable RNPs were not removed before single-cell cloning. Therefore, the active Cas9 RNPs were considered to be continuously incorporated into cells during the precloning incubation. Our findings provide a warning that lipofection of Cas9 RNPs may cause continuous introduction of gene mutations depending on the experimental procedures. © 2018 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Sodium metabisulfite-induced changes on testes, spermatogenesis and epididymal morphometric values in adult rats

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Shahnaz Shekarforoush

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Sulphites are widely used as a preservative and antioxidant additives in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Many types of biological and toxicological effects of sulphites in multiple organs of mammals have been shown in previous studies. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium metabisulfite (SMB on testicular function and morphometric values of epididymis in adult male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: A total of 32 rats were randomly divided into four groups. The experimental groups received SMB at doses of 10 mg/kg (S10, 100mg/kg (S100, and 260 mg/kg (S260 while an equal volume of normal saline was administered to the control group via gavage. The rats were anaesthetized after 28 days and the left testis with the head of epididimis was excised following abdominal incision for histological observation using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Serum samples were collected for assay of testosterone level. The initial epididymis was analyzed for motility, morphology, and the number of sperms. Result: The results of this study showed that normal morphology, count, and motility of sperms and testosterone level were decreased in the SMB treated groups. In comparison with the control group, SMB resulted in a lower total number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocyte, spermatids, and Leydig cells. Conclusion: It is suggested that SMB decreases the sperm production and has the potential to affect the fertility adversely in male rats.

Genomic survey of bZIP transcription factor genes related to tanshinone biosynthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza

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Yu Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Tanshinones are a class of bioactive components in the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza, and their biosynthesis and regulation have been widely studied. Current studies show that basic leucine zipper (bZIP proteins regulate plant secondary metabolism, growth and developmental processes. However, the bZIP transcription factors involved in tanshinone biosynthesis are unknown. Here, we conducted the first genome-wide survey of the bZIP gene family and analyzed the phylogeny, gene structure, additional conserved motifs and alternative splicing events in S. miltiorrhiza. A total of 70 SmbZIP transcription factors were identified and categorized into 11 subgroups based on their phylogenetic relationships with those in Arabidopsis. Moreover, seventeen SmbZIP genes underwent alternative splicing events. According to the transcriptomic data, the SmbZIP genes that were highly expressed in the Danshen root and periderm were selected. Based on the prediction of bZIP binding sites in the promoters and the co-expression analysis and co-induction patterns in response to Ag+ treatment via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR, we concluded that SmbZIP7 and SmbZIP20 potentially participate in the regulation of tanshinone biosynthesis. These results provide a foundation for further functional characterization of the candidate SmbZIP genes, which have the potential to increase tanshinone production. KEY WORDS: bZIP genes, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Phylogenetic analysis, Expression pattern analysis, Tanshinone biosynthesis

Basin-scale partitioning of Greenland ice sheet mass balance components (2007-2011)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, M.L.; Stenseng, Lars; Skourup, Henriette

2015-01-01

The current deficit in Greenland ice sheet mass balance is due to both a decrease in surface mass balance (SMB) input and an increase in ice discharge (D) output. While SMB processes are beginning to be well captured by observationally-constrained climate modeling, insight into D is relatively...... of the gate. Using a 1961-1990 reference climatology SMB field from the MAR regional climate model, we quantify ice sheet mass balance within eighteen basins. We find a 2007-2011 mean D of 515±57 Gtyr-1. We find a 2007-2011 mean total mass balance of -262±21 Gtyr-1, which is equal to a 0.73 mm yr-1 global sea...... limited. We use InSAR-derived velocities, in combination with ice thickness observations, to quantify the mass flux (F) across a flux perimeter around the ice sheet at ~1700 m elevation. To quantify D, we correct F for SMB, as well as changes in volume due to ice dynamics, in the area downstream...

News Related to Future GDP Growth as a Risk Factor in Equity Returns

OpenAIRE

Vassalou, Maria

2001-01-01

A model that includes a factor that captures news related to future Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth along with the market factor can explain the cross-section of equity returns about as well as the Fama-French model can. Furthermore, the Fama-French factors HML and SMB appear to contain mainly news related to future GDP growth. When news related to future GDP growth is present in the asset-pricing model, HML and SMB lose their ability to explain the cross-section.

Integration of mRNP formation and export.

Science.gov (United States)

Björk, Petra; Wieslander, Lars

2017-08-01

Expression of protein-coding genes in eukaryotes relies on the coordinated action of many sophisticated molecular machineries. Transcription produces precursor mRNAs (pre-mRNAs) and the active gene provides an environment in which the pre-mRNAs are processed, folded, and assembled into RNA-protein (RNP) complexes. The dynamic pre-mRNPs incorporate the growing transcript, proteins, and the processing machineries, as well as the specific protein marks left after processing that are essential for export and the cytoplasmic fate of the mRNPs. After release from the gene, the mRNPs move by diffusion within the interchromatin compartment, making up pools of mRNPs. Here, splicing and polyadenylation can be completed and the mRNPs recruit the major export receptor NXF1. Export competent mRNPs interact with the nuclear pore complex, leading to export, concomitant with compositional and conformational changes of the mRNPs. We summarize the integrated nuclear processes involved in the formation and export of mRNPs.

Myosin Va associates with mRNA in ribonucleoprotein particles present in myelinated peripheral axons and in the central nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Calliari, Aldo; Farías, Joaquina; Puppo, Agostina; Canclini, Lucía; Mercer, John A; Munroe, David; Sotelo, José R; Sotelo-Silveira, José R

2014-03-01

Sorting of specific mRNAs to particular cellular locations and regulation of their translation is an essential mechanism underlying cell polarization. The transport of RNAs by kinesins and dyneins has been clearly established in several cell models, including neurons in culture. A similar role appears to exist in higher eukaryotes for the myosins. Myosin Va (Myo5a) has been described as a component of ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) in the adult rat nervous system and associated to ZBP1 and ribosomes in ribosomal periaxoplasmic plaques (PARPs), making it a likely candidate for mediating some aspects of RNA transport in neurons. To test this hypothesis, we have characterized RNPs containing Myo5a in adult brains of rats and mice. Microarray analysis of RNAs co-immunoprecipitated with Myo5a indicates that this motor may associate with a specific subpopulation of neuronal mRNAs. We found mRNAs encoding α-synuclein and several proteins with functions in translation in these RNPs. Immunofluorescence analyses of RNPs showed apparent co-localization of Myo5a with ribosomes, mRNA and RNA-binding proteins in discrete structures present both in axons of neurons in culture and in myelinated fibers of medullary roots. Our data suggest that PARPs include RNPs bearing the mRNA coding for Myo5a and are equipped with kinesin and Myo5a molecular motors. In conclusion, we suggest that Myo5a is involved in mRNA trafficking both in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Rotation loss characteristics of superconducting magnetic bearings; Chodendo jikijikuju no kaiten sonshitsu tokusei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kameno, H.; Miyagawa, Y.; Takahata, R.; Ueyama, H. [Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd., Osaka (Japan)

1999-11-25

In order to clarify the rotation loss and levitation force reduction characteristics of two kinds of radial and axial-type superconducting magnetic bearings (SMB) consisting of a ring-shaped YBCO and a permanent magnet composite, we measured rotation losses and levitation forces of each SMB with a new rotation-loss measuring device using active magnetic bearings. The rotation loss of the SMB increased with increased initial load of the SMB. The levitation force of the SMB decreased remarkably just after activating the initial load to the SMB and during acceleration of the rotor suspended by the SMB. The reduction in levitation force was improved by means of applying a pre-load, that means a temporary load, before the initial load against the SMB. But the rotation loss of the SMB was increased as pre-load was increased. When the YBCO was cooled down from 77 to 66 K, the rotation loss of the SMB decreased as the temperature of the SC decreased. (author)

A Large Rice Body-Containing Cyst Mimicking Infection following Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Case Report

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Wael Bayoud

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Soft tissue mass following total hip arthroplasty raises several differential diagnoses not limited to infection, hematoma, wear debris, malignancy, and bursitis. Rice body formation in the hip region is an uncommon process denoting a chronic inflammation. We report here the second case of its kind in the medical literature of a wide symptomatic rice-like body cyst complicating a total hip arthroplasty. Case Presentation. This is the case of an 82-year-old white female, presenting with a warm, red, and inflated groin five years after revision of right total hip arthroplasty. Surgical intervention reveals a large well circumscribed cyst containing well-organized rice-like bodies. This eventuality was never reported in differential diagnosis of hip periprosthetic soft tissue masses before. Conclusion. This case report helps widening the array of the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with a slow growing soft tissue mass following total hip arthroplasty, making rice-like bodies cyst a valid one to consider.

The putative Leishmania telomerase RNA (LeishTER undergoes trans-splicing and contains a conserved template sequence.

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Elton J R Vasconcelos

Full Text Available Telomerase RNAs (TERs are highly divergent between species, varying in size and sequence composition. Here, we identify a candidate for the telomerase RNA component of Leishmania genus, which includes species that cause leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. Merging a thorough computational screening combined with RNA-seq evidence, we mapped a non-coding RNA gene localized in a syntenic locus on chromosome 25 of five Leishmania species that shares partial synteny with both Trypanosoma brucei TER locus and a putative TER candidate-containing locus of Crithidia fasciculata. Using target-driven molecular biology approaches, we detected a ∼2,100 nt transcript (LeishTER that contains a 5' spliced leader (SL cap, a putative 3' polyA tail and a predicted C/D box snoRNA domain. LeishTER is expressed at similar levels in the logarithmic and stationary growth phases of promastigote forms. A 5'SL capped LeishTER co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with the telomerase protein component (TERT in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Prediction of its secondary structure strongly suggests the existence of a bona fide single-stranded template sequence and a conserved C[U/C]GUCA motif-containing helix II, representing the template boundary element. This study paves the way for further investigations on the biogenesis of parasite TERT ribonucleoproteins (RNPs and its role in parasite telomere biology.

CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in via non-homologous end-joining in the crustacean Daphnia magna.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumagai, Hitoshi; Nakanishi, Takashi; Matsuura, Tomoaki; Kato, Yasuhiko; Watanabe, Hajime

2017-01-01

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated system (Cas) is widely used for mediating the knock-in of foreign DNA into the genomes of various organisms. Here, we report a process of CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in via non-homologous end joining by the direct injection of Cas9/gRNA ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) in the crustacean Daphnia magna, which is a model organism for studies on toxicology, ecology, and evolution. First, we confirmed the cleavage activity of Cas9 RNPs comprising purified Cas9 proteins and gRNAs in D. magna. We used a gRNA that targets exon 10 of the eyeless gene. Cas9 proteins were incubated with the gRNAs and the resulting Cas9 RNPs were injected into D. magna eggs, which led to a typical phenotype of the eyeless mutant, i.e., eye deformity. The somatic and heritable mutagenesis efficiencies were up to 96% and 40%, respectively. Second, we tested the CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in of a plasmid by the injection of Cas9 RNPs. The donor DNA plasmid harboring the fluorescent reporter gene was designed to contain the gRNA recognition site. The co-injection of Cas9 RNPs together with the donor DNAs resulted in generation of one founder animal that produced fluorescent progenies. This transgenic Daphnia had donor DNA at the targeted genomic site, which suggested the concurrent cleavage of the injected plasmid DNA and genomic DNA. Owing to its simplicity and ease of experimental design, we suggest that the CRISPR/Cas-mediated knock-in method represents a promising tool for studying functional genomics in D. magna.

76 FR 37788 - Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-28

... (HMB), North Monterey Bay (NMB; containing Santa Cruz/Soquel sites), South Monterey Bay (SMB... year number of events per year California sea lions Harbor seals HMB July 4 100 (400) 65 (260) NMB...

Effects of formulation on the bioavailability of lutein and zeaxanthin: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over, comparative, single-dose study in healthy subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Malkanthi; Beck, Mareike; Elliott, James; Etheve, Stephane; Roberts, Richard; Schalch, Wolfgang

2013-06-01

Lutein and zeaxanthin are macular pigments with a protective function in the retina. These xanthophylls must be obtained from the diet or added to foods or supplements via easy-to-use, stable formulations. The technique employed to produce these formulations may affect the bioavailability of the xanthophylls. Forty-eight healthy volunteers were randomized into this double-blind, cross-over study investigating the plasma kinetics of lutein provided as two different beadlet formulations. Subjects (n = 48) received a single dose of 20 mg of lutein as either a starch-matrix ("SMB", FloraGLO® Lutein 5 %) or as a cross-linked alginate-matrix beadlet ("AMB", Lyc-O-Lutein 20 %) formulation. Plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin were measured at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 14, 24, 26, 28, 32, 36, 48, 72, 168, and 672 h. The mean plasma AUC(0-72h), AUC(0-672h), and C(max) for total lutein and zeaxanthin and their all-E-isomers were significantly increased (p < 0.001) from pre-dose concentrations in response to SMB and AMB. There was no difference in lutein T max between the two test articles. However, by 14 h post-dose, total plasma lutein increased by 7 % with AMB and by 126 % with SMB. Total lutein AUC(0-72h) and AUC(0-672h) were 1.8-fold and 1.3-fold higher, respectively, for SMB compared to AMB. Both formulations were well tolerated by subjects in this study. These findings confirm that the bioavailability of lutein and zeaxanthin critically depends on the formulation used and document a superiority of the starch-based over the alginate-based product in this study.

Demonstration of a Small Modular BioPower System Using Poultry Litter; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John P. Reardon; Art Lilley; Jim Wimberly; Kingsbury Browne; Kelly Beard; Jack Avens

2002-01-01

The purpose of this project was to assess poultry grower residue, or litter (manure plus absorbent biomass), as a fuel source for Community Power Corporation's small modular biopower system (SMB). A second objective was to assess the poultry industry to identify potential ''on-site'' applications of the SMB system using poultry litter residue as a fuel source, and to adapt CPC's existing SMB to generate electricty and heat from the poultry litter biomass fuel. Bench-scale testing and pilot testing were used to gain design information for the SMB retrofit. System design approach for the Phase II application of the SMB was the goal of Phase I testing. Cost estimates for an onsite poultry litter SMB were prepared. Finally, a market estimate was prepared for implementation of the on-farm SMB using poultry litter

High-Resolution Imaging Reveals New Features of Nuclear Export of mRNA through the Nuclear Pore Complexes

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Joseph M. Kelich

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The nuclear envelope (NE of eukaryotic cells provides a physical barrier for messenger RNA (mRNA and the associated proteins (mRNPs traveling from sites of transcription in the nucleus to locations of translation processing in the cytoplasm. Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs embedded in the NE serve as a dominant gateway for nuclear export of mRNA. However, the fundamental characterization of export dynamics of mRNPs through the NPC has been hindered by several technical limits. First, the size of NPC that is barely below the diffraction limit of conventional light microscopy requires a super-resolution microscopy imaging approach. Next, the fast transit of mRNPs through the NPC further demands a high temporal resolution by the imaging approach. Finally, the inherent three-dimensional (3D movements of mRNPs through the NPC demand the method to provide a 3D mapping of both transport kinetics and transport pathways of mRNPs. This review will highlight the recently developed super-resolution imaging techniques advanced from 1D to 3D for nuclear export of mRNPs and summarize the new features in the dynamic nuclear export process of mRNPs revealed from these technical advances.

Demonstration of a Small Modular BioPower System Using Poultry Litter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

John P. Reardon; Art Lilley; Jim Wimberly; Kingsbury Browne; Kelly Beard; Jack Avens

2002-05-22

The purpose of this project was to assess poultry grower residue, or litter (manure plus absorbent biomass), as a fuel source for Community Power Corporation's small modular biopower system (SMB). A second objective was to assess the poultry industry to identify potential ''on-site'' applications of the SMB system using poultry litter residue as a fuel source, and to adapt CPC's existing SMB to generate electricity and heat from the poultry litter biomass fuel. Bench-scale testing and pilot testing were used to gain design information for the SMB retrofit. System design approach for the Phase II application of the SMB was the goal of Phase I testing. Cost estimates for an onsite poultry litter SMB were prepared. Finally, a market estimate was prepared for implementation of the on-farm SMB using poultry litter.

Combining native MS approaches to decipher archaeal box H/ACA ribonucleoprotein particle structure and activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Saliou, Jean-Michel; Manival, Xavier; Tillault, Anne-Sophie; Atmanene, Cédric; Bobo, Claude; Branlant, Christiane; Van Dorsselaer, Alain; Charpentier, Bruno; Cianférani, Sarah

2015-08-01

Site-specific isomerization of uridines into pseudouridines in RNAs is catalyzed either by stand-alone enzymes or by box H/ACA ribonucleoprotein particles (sno/sRNPs). The archaeal box H/ACA sRNPs are five-component complexes that consist of a guide RNA and the aCBF5, aNOP10, L7Ae, and aGAR1 proteins. In this study, we performed pairwise incubations of individual constituents of archaeal box H/ACA sRNPs and analyzed their interactions by native MS to build a 2D-connectivity map of direct binders. We describe the use of native MS in combination with ion mobility-MS to monitor the in vitro assembly of the active H/ACA sRNP particle. Real-time native MS was used to monitor how box H/ACA particle functions in multiple-turnover conditions. Native MS also unambiguously revealed that a substrate RNA containing 5-fluorouridine (f(5) U) was hydrolyzed into 5-fluoro-6-hydroxy-pseudouridine (f(5) ho(6) Ψ). In terms of enzymatic mechanism, box H/ACA sRNP was shown to catalyze the pseudouridylation of a first RNA substrate, then to release the RNA product (S22 f(5) ho(6) ψ) from the RNP enzyme and reload a new substrate RNA molecule. Altogether, our native MS-based approaches provide relevant new information about the potential assembly process and catalytic mechanism of box H/ACA RNPs. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The expanding universe of ribonucleoproteins: of novel RNA-binding proteins and unconventional interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, Benedikt M; Castello, Alfredo; Medenbach, Jan

2016-06-01

Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression plays a critical role in almost all cellular processes. Regulation occurs mostly by RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that recognise RNA elements and form ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) to control RNA metabolism from synthesis to decay. Recently, the repertoire of RBPs was significantly expanded owing to methodological advances such as RNA interactome capture. The newly identified RNA binders are involved in diverse biological processes and belong to a broad spectrum of protein families, many of them exhibiting enzymatic activities. This suggests the existence of an extensive crosstalk between RNA biology and other, in principle unrelated, cell functions such as intermediary metabolism. Unexpectedly, hundreds of new RBPs do not contain identifiable RNA-binding domains (RBDs), raising the question of how they interact with RNA. Despite the many functions that have been attributed to RNA, our understanding of RNPs is still mostly governed by a rather protein-centric view, leading to the idea that proteins have evolved to bind to and regulate RNA and not vice versa. However, RNPs formed by an RNA-driven interaction mechanism (RNA-determined RNPs) are abundant and offer an alternative explanation for the surprising lack of classical RBDs in many RNA-interacting proteins. Moreover, RNAs can act as scaffolds to orchestrate and organise protein networks and directly control their activity, suggesting that nucleic acids might play an important regulatory role in many cellular processes, including metabolism.

The directionality of the nuclear transport of the influenza A genome is driven by selective exposure of nuclear localization sequences on nucleoprotein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panté Nelly

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early in infection, the genome of the influenza A virus, consisting of eight complexes of RNA and proteins (termed viral ribonucleoproteins; vRNPs, enters the nucleus of infected cells for replication. Incoming vRNPs are imported into the nucleus of infected cells using at least two nuclear localization sequences on nucleoprotein (NP; NLS1 at the N terminus, and NLS2 in the middle of the protein. Progeny vRNP assembly occurs in the nucleus, and later in infection, these are exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Nuclear-exported vRNPs are different from incoming vRNPs in that they are prevented from re-entering the nucleus. Why nuclear-exported vRNPs do not re-enter the nucleus is unknown. Results To test our hypothesis that the exposure of NLSs on the vRNP regulates the directionality of the nuclear transport of the influenza vRNPs, we immunolabeled the two NLSs of NP (NLS1 and NLS2 and analyzed their surface accessibility in cells infected with the influenza A virus. We found that the NLS1 epitope on NP was exposed throughout the infected cells, but the NLS2 epitope on NP was only exposed in the nucleus of the infected cells. Addition of the nuclear export inhibitor leptomycin B further revealed that NLS1 is no longer exposed in cytoplasmic NP and vRNPs that have already undergone nuclear export. Similar immunolabeling studies in the presence of leptomycin B and with cells transfected with the cDNA of NP revealed that the NLS1 on NP is hidden in nuclear exported-NP. Conclusion NLS1 mediates the nuclear import of newly-synthesized NP and incoming vRNPs. This NLS becomes hidden on nuclear-exported NP and nuclear-exported vRNPs. Thus the selective exposure of the NLS1 constitutes a critical mechanism to regulate the directionality of the nuclear transport of vRNPs during the influenza A viral life cycle.

Atmospheric river impacts on Greenland Ice Sheet surface melt and mass balance

Science.gov (United States)

Mattingly, K.; Mote, T. L.

2017-12-01

Mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) has accelerated during the early part of the 21st Century. Several episodes of widespread GrIS melt in recent years have coincided with intense poleward moisture transport by atmospheric rivers (ARs), suggesting that variability in the frequency and intensity of these events may be an important driver of the surface mass balance (SMB) of the GrIS. ARs may contribute to GrIS surface melt through the greenhouse effect of water vapor, the radiative effects of clouds, condensational latent heating within poleward-advected air masses, and the energy provided by liquid precipitation. However, ARs may also provide significant positive contributions to GrIS SMB through enhanced snow accumulation. Prior research on the role of ARs in Arctic climate has consisted of case studies of ARs associated with major GrIS melt events or examined the effects of poleward moisture flux on Arctic sea ice. In this study, a long-term (1979-2016) record of intense moisture transport events affecting Greenland is compiled using a conventional AR identification algorithm as well as a self-organizing map (SOM) classification applied to integrated water vapor transport (IVT) data from several atmospheric reanalysis datasets. An analysis of AR effects on GrIS melt and SMB is then performed with GrIS surface melt data from passive microwave satellite observations and the Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) regional climate model. Results show that meltwater production is above normal during and after AR impact days throughout the GrIS during all seasons, with surface melt enhanced most by strong (> 85th percentile IVT) and extreme (> 95th percentile IVT) ARs. This relationship holds at the seasonal scale, as the total amount of water vapor transported to the GrIS by ARs is significantly greater during above-normal melt seasons. ARs exert a more complex influence on SMB. Normal (< 85th percentile IVT) ARs generally do not have a substantial impact on

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins H, H', and F are members of a ubiquitously expressed subfamily of related but distinct proteins encoded by genes mapping to different chromosomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Honoré, B; Rasmussen, H H; Vorum, H

1995-01-01

Molecular cDNA cloning, two-dimensional gel immunoblotting, and amino acid microsequencing identified three sequence-unique and distinct proteins that constitute a subfamily of ubiquitously expressed heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins corresponding to hnRNPs H, H', and F. These proteins share...... epitopes and sequence identity with two other proteins, isoelectric focusing sample spot numbers 2222 (37.6 kDa; pI 6.5) and 2326 (39.5 kDa; pI 6.6), indicating that the subfamily may contain additional members. The identity between hnRNPs H and H' is 96%, between H and F 78%, and between H' and F 75......%, respectively. The three proteins contain three repeats, which we denote quasi-RRMs (qRRMs) since they have a remote similarity to the RNA recognition motif (RRM). The three qRRMs of hnRNP H, with a few additional NH2-terminal amino acids, were constructed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and used...

Roles of superconducting magnetic bearings and active magnetic bearings in attitude control and energy storage flywheel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Jiqiang; Fang Jiancheng; Ge, Shuzhi Sam

2012-01-01

Compared with conventional energy storage flywheel, the rotor of attitude control and energy storage flywheel (ACESF) used in space not only has high speed, but also is required to have precise and stable direction. For the presented superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) and active magnetic bearing (AMB) suspended ACESF, the rotor model including gyroscopic couples is established originally by taking the properties of SMB and AMB into account, the forces of SMB and AMB are simplified by linearization within their own neighbors of equilibrium points. For the high-speed rigid discal rotor with large inertia, the negative effect of gyroscopic effect of rotor is prominent, the radial translation and tilting movement of rotor suspended by only SMB, SMB with equivalent PMB, or SMB together with PD controlled AMB are researched individually. These analysis results proved originally that SMB together with AMB can make the rotor be stable and make the radial amplitude of the vibration of rotor be small while the translation of rotor suspended by only SMB or SMB and PM is not stable and the amplitude of this vibration is large. For the stability of the high-speed rotor in superconducting ACESF, the AMB can suppress the nutation and precession of rotor effectively by cross-feedback control based on the separated PD type control or by other modern control methods.

Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica

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P. Kuipers Munneke

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The surface mass balance (SMB of the Larsen C ice shelf (LCIS, Antarctica, is poorly constrained due to a dearth of in situ observations. Combining several geophysical techniques, we reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of SMB over the LCIS. Continuous time series of snow height (2.5–6 years at five locations allow for multi-year estimates of seasonal and annual SMB over the LCIS. There is high interannual variability in SMB as well as spatial variability: in the north, SMB is 0.40 ± 0.06 to 0.41 ± 0.04 m w.e. year−1, while farther south, SMB is up to 0.50 ± 0.05 m w.e. year−1. This difference between north and south is corroborated by winter snow accumulation derived from an airborne radar survey from 2009, which showed an average snow thickness of 0.34 m w.e. north of 66° S, and 0.40 m w.e. south of 68° S. Analysis of ground-penetrating radar from several field campaigns allows for a longer-term perspective of spatial variations in SMB: a particularly strong and coherent reflection horizon below 25–44 m of water-equivalent ice and firn is observed in radargrams collected across the shelf. We propose that this horizon was formed synchronously across the ice shelf. Combining snow height observations, ground and airborne radar, and SMB output from a regional climate model yields a gridded estimate of SMB over the LCIS. It confirms that SMB increases from north to south, overprinted by a gradient of increasing SMB to the west, modulated in the west by föhn-induced sublimation. Previous observations show a strong decrease in firn air content toward the west, which we attribute to spatial patterns of melt, refreezing, and densification rather than SMB.

Muscle damage induced by stretch-shortening cycle exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyröläinen, H; Takala, T E; Komi, P V

1998-03-01

Strenuous stretch-shortening cycle exercise was used as a model to study the leakage of proteins from skeletal muscle. The analysis included serum levels of creatine kinase (S-CK), myoglobin (S-Mb), and carbonic anhydrase (S-CA III). Blood samples from power- (N=11) and endurance-trained (N=10) athletes were collected before, 0, and 2 h after the exercise, which consisted of a total of 400 jumps. The levels of all determined myocellular proteins increased immediately after the exercise (P exercise, and the ratio of S-CA III and S-Mb decreased (P recruitment order of motor units, and/or differences in training background.

Mass Balance of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago from 2002 to Present

Science.gov (United States)

Ciraci, E.; Velicogna, I.; Fettweis, X.

2017-12-01

We employ satellite gravimetry from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) using a least-squares fit mascon approach to evaluate the mass balance of the glaciers of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago (NZA) from 2002 to present. Our results reveal a mean mass loss 8±5 Gt/yr (gigatons per year), which makes NZA the largest contributor to sea level rise in the Russian Arctic (total Russian Arctic contributes 16±7Gt/yr). We then use Surface Mass Balance (SMB) estimates from the Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) and ice elevation change rates from NASA ICESat (2003-2009) and ESA CryoSat-2 (2010-present) altimetry data to gain insight about the physical processes driving the observed mass loss. We find that the inter-annual variability in SMB displays a significant correlation (0.6, p-val sea level rise. Elevation change from satellite altimetry reveals substantial thinning at low altitudes for both marine and land terminating glaciers. This result is consistent with the negative cumulative SMB values found at those sites. Yet, altimetry-derived thinning rates for the marine terminating glaciers are on average two times larger than those for land-terminating glaciers. We conclude that both SMB and ice dynamics play important roles in the regional ice mass loss.

Model-based design of a pilot-scale simulated moving bed for purification of citric acid from fermentation broth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jinglan; Peng, Qijun; Arlt, Wolfgang; Minceva, Mirjana

2009-12-11

One of the conventional processes used for the recovery of citric acid from its fermentation broth is environmentally harmful and cost intensive. In this work an innovative benign process, which comprises simulated moving bed (SMB) technology and use of a tailor-made tertiary poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) resin as a stationary phase is proposed. This paper focuses on a model-based design of the operation conditions for an existing pilot-scale SMB plant. The SMB unit is modeled on the basis of experimentally determined hydrodynamics, thermodynamics and mass transfer characteristics in a single chromatographic column. Three mathematical models are applied and validated for the prediction of the experimentally attained breakthrough and elution profiles of citric acid and the main impurity component (glucose). The transport dispersive model was selected for the SMB simulation and design studies, since it gives a satisfactory prediction of the elution profiles within acceptable computational time. The equivalent true moving bed (TMB) and SMB models give a good prediction of the experimentally attained SMB separation performances, obtained with a real clarified and concentrated fermentation broth as a feed mixture. The SMB separation requirements are set to at least 99.8% citric acid purity and 90% citric acid recovery in the extract stream. The complete regeneration in sections 1 and 4 is unnecessary. Therefore the net flow rates in all four SMB sections have been considered in the unit design. The influences of the operating conditions (the flow rate in each section, switching time and unit configuration) on the SMB performances were investigated systematically. The resulting SMB design provides 99.8% citric acid purity and 97.2% citric acid recovery in the extract. In addition the citric acid concentration in the extract is a half of its concentration in the pretreated fermentation broth (feed).

IMP3 RNP Safe Houses Prevent miRNA-Directed HMGA2 mRNA Decay in Cancer and Development

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Lars Jønson

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The IMP3 RNA-binding protein is associated with metastasis and poor outcome in human cancer. Using solid cancer transcriptome data, we found that IMP3 correlates with HMGA2 mRNA expression. Cytoplasmic IMP3 granules contain HMGA2, and IMP3 dose-dependently increases HMGA2 mRNA. HMGA2 is regulated by let-7, and let-7 antagomiRs make HMGA2 refractory to IMP3. Removal of let-7 target sites eliminates IMP3-dependent stabilization, and IMP3-containing bodies are depleted of Ago1-4 and miRNAs. The relationship between Hmga2 mRNA and IMPs also exists in the developing limb bud, where IMP1-deficient embryos show dose-dependent Hmga2 mRNA downregulation. Finally, IMP3 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs contain other let-7 target mRNAs, including LIN28B, and a global gene set enrichment analysis demonstrates that miRNA-regulated transcripts in general are upregulated following IMP3 induction. We conclude that IMP3 RNPs may function as cytoplasmic safe houses and prevent miRNA-directed mRNA decay of oncogenes during tumor progression.

Soil microbial C:N ratio is a robust indicator of soil productivity for paddy fields

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yong; Wu, Jinshui; Shen, Jianlin; Liu, Shoulong; Wang, Cong; Chen, Dan; Huang, Tieping; Zhang, Jiabao

2016-10-01

Maintaining good soil productivity in rice paddies is important for global food security. Numerous methods have been developed to evaluate paddy soil productivity (PSP), most based on soil physiochemical properties and relatively few on biological indices. Here, we used a long-term dataset from experiments on paddy fields at eight county sites and a short-term dataset from a single field experiment in southern China, and aimed at quantifying relationships between PSP and the ratios of carbon (C) to nutrients (N and P) in soil microbial biomass (SMB). In the long-term dataset, SMB variables generally showed stronger correlations with the relative PSP (rPSP) compared to soil chemical properties. Both correlation and variation partitioning analyses suggested that SMB N, P and C:N ratio were good predictors of rPSP. In the short-term dataset, we found a significant, negative correlation of annual rice yield with SMB C:N (r = -0.99), confirming SMB C:N as a robust indicator for PSP. In treatments of the short-term experiment, soil amendment with biochar lowered SMB C:N and improved PSP, while incorporation of rice straw increased SMB C:N and reduced PSP. We conclude that SMB C:N ratio does not only indicate PSP but also helps to identify management practices that improve PSP.

Constraining East Antarctic mass trends using a Bayesian inference approach

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Español, Alba; Bamber, Jonathan L.

2016-04-01

East Antarctica is an order of magnitude larger than its western neighbour and the Greenland ice sheet. It has the greatest potential to contribute to sea level rise of any source, including non-glacial contributors. It is, however, the most challenging ice mass to constrain because of a range of factors including the relative paucity of in-situ observations and the poor signal to noise ratio of Earth Observation data such as satellite altimetry and gravimetry. A recent study using satellite radar and laser altimetry (Zwally et al. 2015) concluded that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) had been accumulating mass at a rate of 136±28 Gt/yr for the period 2003-08. Here, we use a Bayesian hierarchical model, which has been tested on, and applied to, the whole of Antarctica, to investigate the impact of different assumptions regarding the origin of elevation changes of the EAIS. We combined GRACE, satellite laser and radar altimeter data and GPS measurements to solve simultaneously for surface processes (primarily surface mass balance, SMB), ice dynamics and glacio-isostatic adjustment over the period 2003-13. The hierarchical model partitions mass trends between SMB and ice dynamics based on physical principles and measures of statistical likelihood. Without imposing the division between these processes, the model apportions about a third of the mass trend to ice dynamics, +18 Gt/yr, and two thirds, +39 Gt/yr, to SMB. The total mass trend for that period for the EAIS was 57±20 Gt/yr. Over the period 2003-08, we obtain an ice dynamic trend of 12 Gt/yr and a SMB trend of 15 Gt/yr, with a total mass trend of 27 Gt/yr. We then imposed the condition that the surface mass balance is tightly constrained by the regional climate model RACMO2.3 and allowed height changes due to ice dynamics to occur in areas of low surface velocities (solution that satisfies all the input data, given these constraints. By imposing these conditions, over the period 2003-13 we obtained a mass

Chemical contaminants in water and sediment near fish nesting sites in the Potomac River basin: determining potential exposures to smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu).

Science.gov (United States)

Kolpin, Dana W; Blazer, Vicki S; Gray, James L; Focazio, Michael J; Young, John A; Alvarez, David A; Iwanowicz, Luke R; Foreman, William T; Furlong, Edward T; Speiran, Gary K; Zaugg, Steven D; Hubbard, Laura E; Meyer, Michael T; Sandstrom, Mark W; Barber, Larry B

2013-01-15

The Potomac River basin is an area where a high prevalence of abnormalities such as testicular oocytes (TO), skin lesions, and mortality has been observed in smallmouth bass (SMB, Micropterus dolomieu). Previous research documented a variety of chemicals in regional streams, implicating chemical exposure as one plausible explanation for these biological effects. Six stream sites in the Potomac basin (and one out-of-basin reference site) were sampled to provide an assessment of chemicals in these streams. Potential early life-stage exposure to chemicals detected was assessed by collecting samples in and around SMB nesting areas. Target chemicals included those known to be associated with important agricultural and municipal wastewater sources in the Potomac basin. The prevalence and severity of TO in SMB were also measured to determine potential relations between chemistry and biological effects. A total of 39 chemicals were detected at least once in the discrete-water samples, with atrazine, caffeine, deethylatrazine, simazine, and iso-chlorotetracycline being most frequently detected. Of the most frequently detected chemicals, only caffeine was detected in water from the reference site. No biogenic hormones/sterols were detected in the discrete-water samples. In contrast, 100 chemicals (including six biogenic hormones/sterols) were found in a least one passive-water sample, with 25 being detected at all such samples. In addition, 46 chemicals (including seven biogenic hormones/sterols) were found in the bed-sediment samples, with caffeine, cholesterol, indole, para-cresol, and sitosterol detected in all such samples. The number of herbicides detected in discrete-water samples per site had a significant positive relation to TO(rank) (a nonparametric indicator of TO), with significant positive relations between TO(rank) and atrazine concentrations in discrete-water samples and to total hormone/sterol concentration in bed-sediment samples. Such significant

Self-Mutilating Behavior of Sexually Abused Female Adults in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Baral, Isin; Kora, Kaan; Yuksel, Sahika; Sezgin, Ufuk

1998-01-01

Self-mutilating behavior (SMB), suicide, and eating disorders are examined in adult females (N=42) in relation to childhood sexual abuse. A statistically significant relationship was found between SMB and suicide attempts. Findings support the contention that SMB and sexual abuse are closely related to eating disorders. (Author/EMK)

Regional Antarctic snow accumulation over the past 1000 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. R. Thomas

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Here we present Antarctic snow accumulation variability at the regional scale over the past 1000 years. A total of 79 ice core snow accumulation records were gathered and assigned to seven geographical regions, separating the high-accumulation coastal zones below 2000 m of elevation from the dry central Antarctic Plateau. The regional composites of annual snow accumulation were evaluated against modelled surface mass balance (SMB from RACMO2.3p2 and precipitation from ERA-Interim reanalysis. With the exception of the Weddell Sea coast, the low-elevation composites capture the regional precipitation and SMB variability as defined by the models. The central Antarctic sites lack coherency and either do not represent regional precipitation or indicate the model inability to capture relevant precipitation processes in the cold, dry central plateau. Our results show that SMB for the total Antarctic Ice Sheet (including ice shelves has increased at a rate of 7 ± 0.13 Gt decade−1 since 1800 AD, representing a net reduction in sea level of ∼ 0.02 mm decade−1 since 1800 and ∼ 0.04 mm decade−1 since 1900 AD. The largest contribution is from the Antarctic Peninsula (∼ 75 % where the annual average SMB during the most recent decade (2001–2010 is 123 ± 44 Gt yr−1 higher than the annual average during the first decade of the 19th century. Only four ice core records cover the full 1000 years, and they suggest a decrease in snow accumulation during this period. However, our study emphasizes the importance of low-elevation coastal zones, which have been under-represented in previous investigations of temporal snow accumulation.

Assimilation of MODIS Ice Surface Temperature and Albedo into the Snow and Ice Model CROCUS Over the Greenland Ice Sheet Along the K-transect Stations

Science.gov (United States)

Navari, M.; Margulis, S. A.; Bateni, S. M.; Alexander, P. M.; Tedesco, M.

2016-12-01

Estimating the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface mass balance (SMB) is an important component of current and future projections of sea level rise. In situ measurement provides direct estimates of the SMB, but are inherently limited by their spatial extent and representativeness. Given this limitation, physically based regional climate models (RCMs) are critical for understanding GrIS physical processes and estimating of the GrIS SMB. However, the uncertainty in estimates of SMB from RCMs is still high. Surface remote sensing (RS) has been used as a complimentary tool to characterize various aspects related to the SMB. The difficulty of using these data streams is that the links between them and the SMB terms are most often indirect and implicit. Given the lack of in situ information, imperfect models, and under-utilized RS data it is critical to merge the available data in a systematic way to better characterize the spatial and temporal variation of the GrIS SMB. This work proposes a data assimilation (DA) framework that yields temporally-continuous and physically consistent SMB estimates that benefit from state-of-the-art models and relevant remote sensing data streams. Ice surface temperature (IST) is the most important factor that regulates partitioning of the net radiation into the subsurface snow/ice, sensible and latent heat fluxes and plays a key role in runoff generation. Therefore it can be expected that a better estimate of surface temperature from a data assimilation system would contribute to a better estimate of surface mass fluxes. Albedo plays an important role in the surface energy balance of the GrIS. However, even advanced albedo modules are not adequate to simulate albedo over the GrIS. Therefore, merging remotely sensed albedo product into a physically based model has a potential to improve the estimates of the GrIS SMB. In this work a MODIS-derived IST and a 16-day albedo product are independently assimilated into the snow and ice model CROCUS

How does the ice sheet surface mass balance relate to snowfall? Insights from a ground-based precipitation radar in East Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Souverijns, Niels; Gossart, Alexandra; Gorodetskaya, Irina V.; Lhermitte, Stef; Mangold, Alexander; Laffineur, Quentin; Delcloo, Andy; van Lipzig, Nicole P. M.

2018-06-01

Local surface mass balance (SMB) measurements are crucial for understanding changes in the total mass of the Antarctic Ice Sheet, including its contribution to sea level rise. Despite continuous attempts to decipher mechanisms controlling the local and regional SMB, a clear understanding of the separate components is still lacking, while snowfall measurements are almost absent. In this study, the different terms of the SMB are quantified at the Princess Elisabeth (PE) station in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. Furthermore, the relationship between snowfall and accumulation at the surface is investigated. To achieve this, a unique collocated set of ground-based and in situ remote sensing instrumentation (Micro Rain Radar, ceilometer, automatic weather station, among others) was set up and operated for a time period of 37 months. Snowfall originates mainly from moist and warm air advected from lower latitudes associated with cyclone activity. However, snowfall events are not always associated with accumulation. During 38 % of the observed snowfall cases, the freshly fallen snow is ablated by the wind during the course of the event. Generally, snow storms of longer duration and larger spatial extent have a higher chance of resulting in accumulation on a local scale, while shorter events usually result in ablation (on average 17 and 12 h respectively). A large part of the accumulation at the station takes place when preceding snowfall events were occurring in synoptic upstream areas. This fresh snow is easily picked up and transported in shallow drifting snow layers over tens of kilometres, even when wind speeds are relatively low ( < 7 ms-1). Ablation events are mainly related to katabatic winds originating from the Antarctic plateau and the mountain ranges in the south. These dry winds are able to remove snow and lead to a decrease in the local SMB. This work highlights that the local SMB is strongly influenced by synoptic upstream conditions.

Effects of heavy metals and soil physicochemical properties on wetland soil microbial biomass and bacterial community structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chang; Nie, Shuang; Liang, Jie; Zeng, Guangming; Wu, Haipeng; Hua, Shanshan; Liu, Jiayu; Yuan, Yujie; Xiao, Haibing; Deng, Linjing; Xiang, Hongyu

2016-07-01

Heavy metals (HMs) contamination is a serious environmental issue in wetland soil. Understanding the micro ecological characteristic of HMs polluted wetland soil has become a public concern. The goal of this study was to identify the effects of HMs and soil physicochemical properties on soil microorganisms and prioritize some parameters that contributed significantly to soil microbial biomass (SMB) and bacterial community structure. Bacterial community structure was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Relationships between soil environment and microorganisms were analyzed by correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA). The result indicated relationship between SMB and HMs was weaker than SMB and physicochemical properties. The RDA showed all eight parameters explained 74.9% of the variation in the bacterial DGGE profiles. 43.4% (contain the variation shared by Cr, Cd, Pb and Cu) of the variation for bacteria was explained by the four kinds of HMs, demonstrating HMs contamination had a significant influence on the changes of bacterial community structure. Cr solely explained 19.4% (pstructure, and Cd explained 17.5% (pstructure changes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of a malfunctional column on conventional and FeedCol-simulated moving bed chromatography performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Ji-Yeon; Oh, Donghoon; Lee, Chang-Ha

2015-07-17

The effects of a malfunctional column on the performance of a simulated moving bed (SMB) process were studied experimentally and theoretically. The experimental results of conventional four-zone SMB (2-2-2-2 configuration) and FeedCol operation (2-2-2-2 configuration with one feed column) with one malfunctional column were compared with simulation results of the corresponding SMB processes with a normal column configuration. The malfunctional column in SMB processes significantly deteriorated raffinate purity. However, the extract purity was equivalent or slightly improved compared with the corresponding normal SMB operation because the complete separation zone of the malfunctional column moved to a lower flow rate range in zones II and III. With the malfunctional column configuration, FeedCol operation gave better experimental performance (up to 7%) than conventional SMB operation because controlling product purity with FeedCol operation was more flexible through the use of two additional operating variables, injection time and injection length. Thus, compared with conventional SMB separation, extract with equivalent or slightly better purity could be produced from FeedCol operation even with a malfunctional column, while minimizing the decrease in raffinate purity (less than 2%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Motif-independent prediction of a secondary metabolism gene cluster using comparative genomics: application to sequenced genomes of Aspergillus and ten other filamentous fungal species.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeda, Itaru; Umemura, Myco; Koike, Hideaki; Asai, Kiyoshi; Machida, Masayuki

2014-08-01

Despite their biological importance, a significant number of genes for secondary metabolite biosynthesis (SMB) remain undetected due largely to the fact that they are highly diverse and are not expressed under a variety of cultivation conditions. Several software tools including SMURF and antiSMASH have been developed to predict fungal SMB gene clusters by finding core genes encoding polyketide synthase, nonribosomal peptide synthetase and dimethylallyltryptophan synthase as well as several others typically present in the cluster. In this work, we have devised a novel comparative genomics method to identify SMB gene clusters that is independent of motif information of the known SMB genes. The method detects SMB gene clusters by searching for a similar order of genes and their presence in nonsyntenic blocks. With this method, we were able to identify many known SMB gene clusters with the core genes in the genomic sequences of 10 filamentous fungi. Furthermore, we have also detected SMB gene clusters without core genes, including the kojic acid biosynthesis gene cluster of Aspergillus oryzae. By varying the detection parameters of the method, a significant difference in the sequence characteristics was detected between the genes residing inside the clusters and those outside the clusters. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood: Crossing Roads in Syria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bulut Gurpinar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Relations between Turkey and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (SMB have gained momentum in the light of post-Arab revolt developments. This study aims to present the historical background of the relationship between SMB and AKP and effects of this relationship on foreign policy. For the analytical discussion on the relationship between AKP and SMB integration to ‘particular’ recent foreign policies of Turkey, first of all, it will be examined how the SMB is perceived in Turkey in social and political arenas. Thus, the socio-political dimensions of the process in which the SMB came to the fore and began to be known in Turkey will be explored along with its position in foreign policy during the Justice and Development Party (JDP government and the Syrian crisis.

Using Cross-Correlation Methods to Characterize Earthquakes Associated with the Socorro Magma Body

Science.gov (United States)

Vieceli, R.; Bilek, S. L.; Worthington, L. L.; Schmandt, B.; Aster, R. C.; Dodge, D. A.; Pyle, M. L.; Walter, W. R.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB), a thin, sill-like body with a top surface-depth of 19 km situated within the Rio Grande Rift in central New Mexico, is one of the largest recognized continental mid-crustal magma bodies in the world by area. SMB-associated inflation leads to slow regional uplift of a few mm/yr and has been linked to longstanding concentrated shallow seismicity (history. In February 2015 seismic data were collected above the northern and most rapidly uplifting region of the SMB with a densely spaced temporary array, consisting of seven broadband and 804 short period Fairfield nodal vertical component seismographs. The total array area was 50 x 25 km with typical node spacing of 300 m along a road network. In this study, we exploit all available seismic network data in a cross-correlation framework developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to detect events and characterize earthquake swarms, clusters, and patterns occurring over the last 15 years. We use a power detector to build an initial catalog of small magnitude earthquakes, including 33 events (M <= 2.5) recorded during the February 2015 deployment, as templates to detect additional events. We also develop an updated shallow velocity model for the region and refine event hypocenters using Bayesloc, a bayesian, multiple-event location algorithm. This enhanced seismicity catalog will be utilized in interpreting the recent seismicity of the SMB. LLNL-ABS-735529

Classical electron ionization mass spectra in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordin, Alexander; Fialkov, Alexander B; Amirav, Aviv

2008-09-01

A major benefit of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with a supersonic molecular beam (SMB) interface and its fly-through ion source is the ability to obtain electron ionization of vibrationally cold molecules (cold EI), which show enhanced molecular ions. However, GC/MS with an SMB also has the flexibility to perform 'classical EI' mode of operation which provides mass spectra to mimic those in commercial 70 eV electron ionization MS libraries. Classical EI in SMB is obtained through simple reduction of the helium make-up gas flow rate, which reduces the SMB cooling efficiency; hence the vibrational temperatures of the molecules are similar to those in traditional EI ion sources. In classical EI-SMB mode, the relative abundance of the molecular ion can be tuned and, as a result, excellent identification probabilities and very good matching factors to the NIST MS library are obtained. Classical EI-SMB with the fly-through dual cage ion source has analyte sensitivity similar to that of the standard EI ion source of a basic GC/MS system. The fly-through EI ion source in combination with the SMB interface can serve for cold EI, classical EI-SMB, and cluster chemical ionization (CCI) modes of operation, all easily exchangeable through a simple and quick change (not involving hardware). Furthermore, the fly-through ion source eliminates sample scattering from the walls of the ion source, and thus it offers full sample inertness, tailing-free operation, and no ion-molecule reaction interferences. It is also robust and enables increased column flow rate capability without affecting the sensitivity.

Some basic thermohydraulic calculation methods for the analysis of pressure transients in a multicompartment total containment enclosing a breached water reactor circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, W.H.L.

1976-05-01

This paper gives an appreciation and commentary of the basic calculation methods under development at AEE Winfrith for the analysis of multicompartment total containments. The assumptions introduced and the effects of their variation are important in establishing a parametric survey of the range of possible conditions which the containment may be required to meet. These aspects of the performance will be discussed as each individual factor in the train of events is examined in turn. (U.K.)

Total cross-sections assessment of neutron reaction with stainless steel SUS-310 contained in various nuclear data files

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suwoto

2002-01-01

The integral testing of neutron cross-sections for Stainless Steel SUS-310 contained in various nuclear data files have been performed. The shielding benchmark calculations for Stainless Steel SUS-310 has been analysed through ORNL-Broomstick Experiment calculation which performed by MAERKER, R.E. at ORNL - USA ( 1) . Assessment with JENDL-3.1, JENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-IV, ENDF/B-VI nuclear data files and data from GEEL have also been carried out. The overall calculation results SUS-310 show in a good agreement with the experimental data, although, underestimate results appear below 3 MeV for all nuclear data files. These underestimation tendencies clearly caused by presented of iron nuclide which more than half in Stainless Steel compound. The total neutron cross-sections of iron nuclide contained in various nuclear data files relatively lower on that energy ranges

Impact of Super Monkey Ball and Underground video games on basic and advanced laparoscopic skill training.

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Rosser, James C; Liu, Xinwei; Jacobs, Charles; Choi, Katherine Mia; Jalink, Maarten B; Ten Cate Hoedemaker, Henk O

2017-04-01

This abstract profiles the comparison of correlations between previously validated Super Monkey Ball (SMB) and recently introduced Underground (U) video game on the Nintendo Wii U to multiple validated tasks used for developing basic and advanced laparoscopic skills. Sixty-eight participants, 53 residents and 15 attending surgeons, performed the Top Gun Pea Drop, FLS Peg Pass, intracorporeal suturing, and two video games (SMB and U). SMB is an over-the-counter game, and U was formulated for laparoscopic skill training. Spearman's rank correlations were performed looking at performance comparing the three validated laparoscopic training tasks, and SMB/U. The SMB score had a moderate correlation with intracorporeal suturing (ρ = 0.39, p skills. At this point, our conclusion would be that both are effective for laparoscopic skill training, and they should be used in tandem rather than alone.

Evaluation of the effect of conventionally prepared swarna makshika bhasma on different bio-chemical parameters in experimental animals

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Sudhaldev Mohapatra

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Swarna makshika (chalcopyrite bhasma (SMB has been used for different therapeutic purposes since long in Ayurveda. The present study is conducted to evaluate the effect of conventionally prepared SMB on different bio-chemical parameters in experimental animals, for providing scientific data base for its logical use in clinical practice. The genuine SMB was prepared by following classical techniques of shodhana and marana most commonly used by different Ayurvedic drug manufacturers. Shodhana was done by roasting raw swarna makshika with lemon juice for three days and marana was performed by 11 putas . The experimental animals (rats were divided into two groups. SMB mixed with diluted honey was administered orally in therapeutic dose to Group SMB and diluted honey only was administered to vehicle control Group, for 30 days. The blood samples were collected twice, after 15 days and after 30 days of drug administration and different biochemical investigations were done. Biochemical parameters were chosen based on references from Ayurvedic classics and contemporary medicine. It was observed that Hb% was found significantly increased and LDL and VLDL were found significantly decreased in Group SMB when compared with vehicle control group. This experimental data will help the clinician for the logical use of SMB in different disease conditions with findings like low Hb% and high LDL, VLDL levels.

Effects of graded levels of tannin-containing tropical tree leaves on in vitro rumen fermentation, total protozoa and methane production.

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Bhatta, R; Saravanan, M; Baruah, L; Prasad, C S

2015-03-01

This study was carried out to determine the effect of graded levels of tannin-containing tropical tree leaves, Autocarpus integrifolis, Azardirachta indica and Ficus bengalensis, on the in vitro rumen fermentation pattern, total protozoa and methane suppression in order to establish the optimum dose of these leaves for inclusion in the ruminant diets. The air-dried and ground samples of Au. integrifolis, Az. indica and Ficus bengalensis were subjected to in vitro incubation using 30 ml buffered rumen fluid at 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0, 25.0 and 30.0% (dry matter refers to moisture-free basis) of a total mixed ration (TMR: refers to mixture of roughage and concentrate containing cereals and oil cakes) devoid of tannin. The TMR for the experimental incubation was prepared by mixing 40 parts of ground Elusine coracana straw as roughage source with 60 parts of concentrate mixture. The leaves contained an average 130 g kg(-1) CP with 7·0 MJ of ME kg(-1) DM. The average neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content was content also showed similar trend. However, condensed tannin (CT) was highest in F. bengalensis (260) followed by Au. integrifolis (186) and Az. indica (138). There was significant (P 5.0%) reduced TVFA concentration. Protozoa (cells per mL) were similar at all levels of inclusion with Au. integrifolis, but reduced in case of F. bengalensis and Az. indica. As the level of tannin increased in the incubation medium, there was a linear reduction in methane concentration. Highest methane reduction (%) was recorded in incubations supplemented with Az. indica (61.5) followed by F. bengalensis (46.8) and Au. integrifolis (30.3). It was established from this study that tropical leaves of F. bengalensis, Au. integrifolis and Az. indica suppress methanogenesis. Ficus bengalensis, Au. integrifolis and Az. indica leaves are of interest in the enteric methane ameliorative strategies. Total mixed ration containing 10-15% ground F. bengalensis or Au. integrifolis or Az

Characteristic of total suspended particulate (TSP) containing Pb and Zn at solid waste landfill

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Budihardjo, M. A.; Noveandra, K.; Samadikun, B. P.

2018-05-01

Activities conducted at municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLs) potentially cause air pollution. Heavy vehicles in MSWLs release various pollutants that can have negative impacts for humans. One noticeable pollutant at MSWLs is airborne total suspended particulate (TSP) which may contain heavy metals such as Pb and Zn and can cause disease when inhaled by humans. In this study, TSP from a landfill in Semarang, Indonesia was collected and characterized to quantify the concentration of Pb and Zn. Meteorological factors (i.e. temperature, humidity and wind velocity) and landfill activities were considered as factors affecting pollutant concentrations. TSP was sampled using dust samplers while the concentrations of heavy metals in TSP were analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Pb concentration ranged from 0.84 to 1.78 µg/m3 while Zn concentration was from 7.87 to 8.76 µg/m3. The levels of Pb were below the threshold specified by the Indonesian Government. Meanwhile, the threshold for Zn has not yet been determined.

Comparison of different diagnostic techniques for the detection of cryptosporidiosis in bovines

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H. K. M. Rekha

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Aim: Aim of the present study was to compare different methods, viz., Sheather’s sugar flotation (SSF, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN, Kinyoun’s acid-fast method (KAF, safranin-methylene blue staining (SMB, and negative staining techniques such as nigrosin staining, light green staining, and malachite green staining for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in bovines. Materials and Methods: A total of 455 fecal samples from bovines were collected from private, government farms and from the clinical cases presented to Department of Medicine, Veterinary College, Bengaluru. They were subjected for SSF, ZN, KAF, SMB and negative staining methods. Results: Out of 455 animal fecal samples screened 5.71% were found positive for Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. The species were identified as Cryptosporidium parvum in calves and Cryptosporidium andersoni in adults based on the morphological characterization and micrometry of the oocysts. Conclusions: Of all the techniques, fecal flotation with sheather’s was found to be more specific and sensitive method for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. Among the conventional staining methods, the SMB gives better differentiation between oocysts and yeast. Among the three negative staining methods, malachite green was found sensitive over the other methods.

MDCT abnormalities of small- and medium-sized bronchus in active tuberculosis: a new angle on an old disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Jin Kyoung; Ahn, Myeong Im; Jung, Jung Im; Han, Dae Hee; Kim, Young Kyoon; Oh, Eun-Jee; Park, Yeon-Joon

2011-01-01

Background: The incidence and findings of tuberculous invasion of the peripheral bronchus have not been fully investigated with MDCT. Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and findings of MDCT abnormalities of small- and medium-sized bronchus (SMB) in active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Material and Methods: Using multiplanar reformation, 35 consecutive MDCT scans (follow-up exams available in 14 patients with a mean interval of 8.1 months) were assessed for following abnormalities of SMB: bronchial impaction (BI), wall thickening, dilatation, peribronchial cuff of soft tissue, and bronchocavitary fistula. It was also assessed whether tree-in-buds (TIB) have a tendency to distribute in the territories of diseased SMB, and whether SMB abnormalities are present in patients with relatively mild disease. Results: SMB abnormalities were observed in 23 (65.7%) patients with active TB. The most frequent finding was wall thickening (n=18, 51.4%), followed by BI (n=13, 37.1%; zigzag-shaped in four), dilatation (n =11, 31.4%), amputated appearance of air column (n=11, 31.4%), peribronchial cuff of soft tissue (n=10, 28.6%), and bronchocavitary fistula (n=8, 22.9%). TIB (n=29; absent in two patients with SMB) was mainly within (n=14) or close to (n=4) the territory of diseased SMB. Follow-up CT frequently showed improvement of wall thickening (11/12) and persistence of bronchial dilatation (11/13). SMB abnormality was present in all of six patients with mild disease. Conclusion: MDCT shows that tuberculous invasion of the peripheral bronchus may be more frequent than previously thought, of which findings include wall thickening, BI, dilatation, amputated appearance of air column, peribronchial cuff of soft tissue and bronchocavitary fistula

MDCT abnormalities of small- and medium-sized bronchus in active tuberculosis: a new angle on an old disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Jin Kyoung; Ahn, Myeong Im; Jung, Jung Im; Han, Dae Hee (Dept. of Radiology, Seoul St Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)), email: lepolder@gmail.com; Kim, Young Kyoon (Dept. of Internal Medicine, Seoul St Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)); Oh, Eun-Jee; Park, Yeon-Joon (Dept. of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul St Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of))

2011-02-15

Background: The incidence and findings of tuberculous invasion of the peripheral bronchus have not been fully investigated with MDCT. Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and findings of MDCT abnormalities of small- and medium-sized bronchus (SMB) in active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Material and Methods: Using multiplanar reformation, 35 consecutive MDCT scans (follow-up exams available in 14 patients with a mean interval of 8.1 months) were assessed for following abnormalities of SMB: bronchial impaction (BI), wall thickening, dilatation, peribronchial cuff of soft tissue, and bronchocavitary fistula. It was also assessed whether tree-in-buds (TIB) have a tendency to distribute in the territories of diseased SMB, and whether SMB abnormalities are present in patients with relatively mild disease. Results: SMB abnormalities were observed in 23 (65.7%) patients with active TB. The most frequent finding was wall thickening (n=18, 51.4%), followed by BI (n=13, 37.1%; zigzag-shaped in four), dilatation (n =11, 31.4%), amputated appearance of air column (n=11, 31.4%), peribronchial cuff of soft tissue (n=10, 28.6%), and bronchocavitary fistula (n=8, 22.9%). TIB (n=29; absent in two patients with SMB) was mainly within (n=14) or close to (n=4) the territory of diseased SMB. Follow-up CT frequently showed improvement of wall thickening (11/12) and persistence of bronchial dilatation (11/13). SMB abnormality was present in all of six patients with mild disease. Conclusion: MDCT shows that tuberculous invasion of the peripheral bronchus may be more frequent than previously thought, of which findings include wall thickening, BI, dilatation, amputated appearance of air column, peribronchial cuff of soft tissue and bronchocavitary fistula

Assessing modeled Greenland surface mass balance in the GISS Model E2 and its sensitivity to surface albedo

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Alexander, Patrick; LeGrande, Allegra N.; Koenig, Lora S.; Tedesco, Marco; Moustafa, Samiah E.; Ivanoff, Alvaro; Fischer, Robert P.; Fettweis, Xavier

2016-04-01

The surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) plays an important role in global sea level change. Regional Climate Models (RCMs) such as the Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale (MAR) have been employed at high spatial resolution with relatively complex physics to simulate ice sheet SMB. Global climate models (GCMs) incorporate less sophisticated physical schemes and provide outputs at a lower spatial resolution, but have the advantage of modeling the interaction between different components of the earth's oceans, climate, and land surface at a global scale. Improving the ability of GCMs to represent ice sheet SMB is important for making predictions of future changes in global sea level. With the ultimate goal of improving SMB simulated by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Model E2 GCM, we compare simulated GrIS SMB against the outputs of the MAR model and radar-derived estimates of snow accumulation. In order to reproduce present-day climate variability in the Model E2 simulation, winds are constrained to match the reanalysis datasets used to force MAR at the lateral boundaries. We conduct a preliminary assessment of the sensitivity of the simulated Model E2 SMB to surface albedo, a parameter that is known to strongly influence SMB. Model E2 albedo is set to a fixed value of 0.8 over the entire ice sheet in the initial configuration of the model (control case). We adjust this fixed value in an ensemble of simulations over a range of 0.4 to 0.8 (roughly the range of observed summer GrIS albedo values) to examine the sensitivity of ice-sheet-wide SMB to albedo. We prescribe albedo from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD43A3 v6 to examine the impact of a more realistic spatial and temporal variations in albedo. An age-dependent snow albedo parameterization is applied, and its impact on SMB relative to observations and the RCM is assessed.

Seafood sold in Sweden contains BMAA: A study of free and total concentrations with UHPLC–MS/MS and dansyl chloride derivatization

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Matilda L. Salomonsson

2015-01-01

Full Text Available β-N-Methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA is a potential neurotoxin associated with the aquatic environment. Validated analytical methods for the quantification of both free and total concentrations of BMAA were used in an investigation of seafood purchased from different grocery stores in Uppsala, Sweden. The analysis was performed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI–MS/MS and detection of BMAA as a dansyl derivate. The determined concentrations of free BMAA (after a simple trichloroacetic acid extraction in mussels and scallops were up to 0.46 μg g−1 wet homogenate. The total BMAA (after hydrochloric acid hydrolysis levels were between 0.29 and 7.08 μg g−1 wet mussel homogenate. The highest concentration of total BMAA was found in imported cooked and canned mussels which contained about ten times the quantity of BMAA measured in domestic cooked and frozen mussels. In this study it was also concluded that BMAA could be detected in seafood origin from four different continents. The risks associated with human exposure to BMAA through food are unknown today. However, the results of this study show that imported seafood in Sweden contain BMAA, indicating that this area needs more investigation, including a risk assessment regarding the consumption of e.g., mussels, scallops and crab.

Seafood sold in Sweden contains BMAA: A study of free and total concentrations with UHPLC-MS/MS and dansyl chloride derivatization.

Science.gov (United States)

Salomonsson, Matilda L; Fredriksson, Elisabeth; Alfjorden, Anders; Hedeland, Mikael; Bondesson, Ulf

2015-01-01

β- N -Methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) is a potential neurotoxin associated with the aquatic environment. Validated analytical methods for the quantification of both free and total concentrations of BMAA were used in an investigation of seafood purchased from different grocery stores in Uppsala, Sweden. The analysis was performed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) and detection of BMAA as a dansyl derivate. The determined concentrations of free BMAA (after a simple trichloroacetic acid extraction) in mussels and scallops were up to 0.46 μg g -1 wet homogenate. The total BMAA (after hydrochloric acid hydrolysis) levels were between 0.29 and 7.08 μg g -1 wet mussel homogenate. The highest concentration of total BMAA was found in imported cooked and canned mussels which contained about ten times the quantity of BMAA measured in domestic cooked and frozen mussels. In this study it was also concluded that BMAA could be detected in seafood origin from four different continents. The risks associated with human exposure to BMAA through food are unknown today. However, the results of this study show that imported seafood in Sweden contain BMAA, indicating that this area needs more investigation, including a risk assessment regarding the consumption of e.g., mussels, scallops and crab.

Brief Communication: Upper Air Relaxation in RACMO2 Significantly Improves Modelled Interannual Surface Mass Balance Variability in Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

van de Berg, W. J.; Medley, B.

2016-01-01

The Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMO2) has been a powerful tool for improving surface mass balance (SMB) estimates from GCMs or reanalyses. However, new yearly SMB observations for West Antarctica show that the modelled interannual variability in SMB is poorly simulated by RACMO2, in contrast to ERA-Interim, which resolves this variability well. In an attempt to remedy RACMO2 performance, we included additional upper-air relaxation (UAR) in RACMO2. With UAR, the correlation to observations is similar for RACMO2 and ERA-Interim. The spatial SMB patterns and ice-sheet-integrated SMB modelled using UAR remain very similar to the estimates of RACMO2 without UAR. We only observe an upstream smoothing of precipitation in regions with very steep topography like the Antarctic Peninsula. We conclude that UAR is a useful improvement for regional climate model simulations, although results in regions with steep topography should be treated with care.

High Artic Glaciers and Ice Caps Ice Mass Change from GRACE, Regional Climate Model Output and Altimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciraci, E.; Velicogna, I.; Fettweis, X.; van den Broeke, M. R.

2016-12-01

The Arctic hosts more than the 75% of the ice covered regions outside from Greenland and Antarctica. Available observations show that increased atmospheric temperatures during the last century have contributed to a substantial glaciers retreat in all these regions. We use satellite gravimetry by the NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), and apply a least square fit mascon approach to calculate time series of ice mass change for the period 2002-2016. Our estimates show that arctic glaciers have constantly contributed to the sea level rise during the entire observation period with a mass change of -170+/-20 Gt/yr equivalent to the 80% of the total ice mass change from the world Glacier and Ice Caps (GIC) excluding the Ice sheet peripheral GIC, which we calculated to be -215+/-32 GT/yr, with an acceleration of 9+/-4 Gt/yr2. The Canadian Archipelago is the main contributor to the total mass depletion with an ice mass trend of -73+/-9 Gt/yr and a significant acceleration of -7+/-3 Gt/yr2. The increasing mass loss is mainly determined by melting glaciers located in the northern part of the archipelago.In order to investigate the physical processes driving the observed ice mass loss we employ satellite altimetry and surface mass balance (SMB) estimates from Regional climate model outputs available for the same time period covered by the gravimetry data. We use elevation data from the NASA ICESat (2003-2009) and ESA CryoSat-2 (2010-2016) missions to estimate ice elevation changes. We compare GRACE ice mass estimates with time series of surface mass balance from the Regional Climate Model (RACMO-2) and the Modèle Atmosphérique Régional (MAR) and determine the portion of the total mass change explained by the SMB signal. We find that in Iceland and in the and the Canadian Archipelago the SMB signal explains most of the observed mass changes, suggesting that ice discharge may play a secondary role here. In other region, e.g. in Svalbar, the SMB signal

Effects of fuelling by using high-pressure supersonic molecular beam in the HL-1M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao Lianghua; Feng Beibin; Feng Zhen; Dong Jiafu; Li Wenzhong; Xu Deming; Hong Wenyu

2002-01-01

Supersonic molecular beam (SMB), as a new fuelling method, has been successfully developed and used in HL-1M tokamak and HT-7 superconducting tokamak. The hydrogen clusters have been found in the beam produced by high working-gas pressure in recent experiments. With a penetration depth of hydrogen particles greater than 17 cm, the rate of increase of electron density for SMB injection, dn e -bar/dt, approaches that of the small ice pellet injection. The plasma density increases step by step after multi-pulse SMB injection, just as multi-pellet fuelling. Comparison of fuelling effects was made between SMB and ice pellet injection on the same shot of ohmic discharge in HL-1M

Coupling of climate models and ice sheet models by surface mass balance gradients: application to the Greenland Ice Sheet

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M. M. Helsen

2012-03-01

Full Text Available It is notoriously difficult to couple surface mass balance (SMB results from climate models to the changing geometry of an ice sheet model. This problem is traditionally avoided by using only accumulation from a climate model, and parameterizing the meltwater run-off as a function of temperature, which is often related to surface elevation (H_s. In this study, we propose a new strategy to calculate SMB, to allow a direct adjustment of SMB to a change in ice sheet topography and/or a change in climate forcing. This method is based on elevational gradients in the SMB field as computed by a regional climate model. Separate linear relations are derived for ablation and accumulation, using pairs of H_s and SMB within a minimum search radius. The continuously adjusting SMB forcing is consistent with climate model forcing fields, also for initially non-glaciated areas in the peripheral areas of an ice sheet. When applied to an asynchronous coupled ice sheet – climate model setup, this method circumvents traditional temperature lapse rate assumptions. Here we apply it to the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS. Experiments using both steady-state forcing and glacial-interglacial forcing result in realistic ice sheet reconstructions.

Optimal design and experimental validation of a simulated moving bed chromatography for continuous recovery of formic acid in a model mixture of three organic acids from Actinobacillus bacteria fermentation.

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Park, Chanhun; Nam, Hee-Geun; Lee, Ki Bong; Mun, Sungyong

2014-10-24

The economically-efficient separation of formic acid from acetic acid and succinic acid has been a key issue in the production of formic acid with the Actinobacillus bacteria fermentation. To address this issue, an optimal three-zone simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography for continuous separation of formic acid from acetic acid and succinic acid was developed in this study. As a first step for this task, the adsorption isotherm and mass-transfer parameters of each organic acid on the qualified adsorbent (Amberchrom-CG300C) were determined through a series of multiple frontal experiments. The determined parameters were then used in optimizing the SMB process for the considered separation. During such optimization, the additional investigation for selecting a proper SMB port configuration, which could be more advantageous for attaining better process performances, was carried out between two possible configurations. It was found that if the properly selected port configuration was adopted in the SMB of interest, the throughout and the formic-acid product concentration could be increased by 82% and 181% respectively. Finally, the optimized SMB process based on the properly selected port configuration was tested experimentally using a self-assembled SMB unit with three zones. The SMB experimental results and the relevant computer simulation verified that the developed process in this study was successful in continuous recovery of formic acid from a ternary organic-acid mixture of interest with high throughput, high purity, high yield, and high product concentration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Outline of surface mass balance at Dome Fuji, East Antarctica, by the stake method from 1995 to 2006

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Takao Kameda

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes observational results of surface mass balance (SMB at Dome Fuji (77°19'01″S, 39°42'11″E; 3810m a.s.l., East Antarctica from 1995 to 2006. The SMB was estimated using 36 bamboo stakes (grid of 6×6, placed at 20m intervals. The heights of the stake tops from the snow surface were measured at 0.5cm resolution twice monthly in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2003, and once a year for the rest of the study period. The annual SMB from 1995 to 2006 at Dome Fuji was 27.3±1.5kgm^a^. This result agrees well with the annual SMB from AD 1260 to 1993 (26.4kgm^a^, estimated from volcanic signals in the Dome Fuji ice core. From 1995 to 2006, there were 37 incidences of negative or zero annual SMB, which was 8.6%. Compared with similar studies at Vostok, South Pole and Dome C, we found that a site with SMB over 190kgm^a^ is expected to have annual snow accumulation at the 95% confidence level. Sites from 1500 to 2500m above sea level fit the criteria on the Antarctic ice sheet. According to stake and snow pit observations at Vostok, we estimated that the probability of an annual layer missing (hiatus at Dome Fuji under present-day and glacial conditions are 9.4% and 11.4%, respectively. Variations of SMB measured by 36-stakes for 12 years were also analyzed.

Torsin Mediates Primary Envelopment of Large Ribonucleoprotein Granules at the Nuclear Envelope

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Vahbiz Jokhi

2013-04-01

Full Text Available A previously unrecognized mechanism through which large ribonucleoprotein (megaRNP granules exit the nucleus is by budding through the nuclear envelope (NE. This mechanism is akin to the nuclear egress of herpes-type viruses and is essential for proper synapse development. However, the molecular machinery required to remodel the NE during this process is unknown. Here, we identify Torsin, an AAA-ATPase that in humans is linked to dystonia, as a major mediator of primary megaRNP envelopment during NE budding. In torsin mutants, megaRNPs accumulate within the perinuclear space, and the messenger RNAs contained within fail to reach synaptic sites, preventing normal synaptic protein synthesis and thus proper synaptic bouton development. These studies begin to establish the cellular machinery underlying the exit of megaRNPs via budding, offer an explanation for the “nuclear blebbing” phenotype found in dystonia models, and provide an important link between Torsin and the synaptic phenotypes observed in dystonia.

Attenuation of Sulfite-Induced Testicular Injury in Rats by Zingiber officinale Roscoe.

Science.gov (United States)

Afkhami Fathabad, Akbar; Shekarforoush, Shahnaz; Hoseini, Maryam; Ebrahimi, Zahra

2017-08-18

Sulfite salts, including sodium metabisulfte, are widely used as preservatives in foods and pharmaceutical agents. Previous studies suggest that oxidative stress may be an important mediator of testicular injury. The present study was designed to elucidate the effect of exposure to sodium metabisulfite by gavage without or with Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract on the rat testes. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, ginger-treated (500 mg/kg/day), sodium metabisulfite- (SMB-) treated (260 mg/kg/day), and SMB + ginger- (SZ-) treated groups. After 28 days, the rats were anesthetized by ether and, after laparotomy, blood was collected from the heart to determine testosterone level by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Then left testes and cauda epididymis of all animals were removed for histological examination and sperm analysis, and right testes were removed for assessing lipid peroxidation (indexed by malondialdehyde [MDA]) and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that spermatogenesis, epididymal morphometry, and sperm parameters were affected by SMB. There was a significant increase in MDA level and a significant reduction in the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT) in the SMB-treated rats compared to the control. Ginger treatment of SMB-exposed rats significantly increased testosterone level and the number of different spermatogenic cells. The level of MDA reversed to the control levels and the activities of GPx and GR were significantly increased when SMB was coadministered with ginger extract. It is concluded that coadministration of ginger, through its antioxidant and androgenic properties, exerts a protective effect against SMB-induced testicular oxidative stress.

Research on the penetration characteristic of supersonic molecule beam on the HL-1M tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Jiafu; Luo Junling; Tang Nianyi; Li Wei; Zhong Yunze; Liu Yi; Fu Binzhong; Yao Lianghua; Feng Baibing; Qin Yunwen

2002-01-01

In the HL-1M plasma experiments, two refueling ways, the pellet injection and the gas puffing, are usually used. In recent years, a new refueling method, the supersonic molecular beam (SMB) injection, has been developed. In this paper, the penetration characteristics of SMB has been analyzed and researched. The SMB experiments were analyzed with H α emissivity measurement. The H α emissivity distribution in the plasma was calculated from multi-channel chord emission singles by means of the asymmetry Abel inversion method

The association between patient-reported self-management behavior, intermediate clinical outcomes, and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from the KORA-A study.

Science.gov (United States)

Laxy, Michael; Mielck, Andreas; Hunger, Matthias; Schunk, Michaela; Meisinger, Christa; Rückert, Ina-Maria; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Holle, Rolf

2014-06-01

Little is known about the impact of diabetes self-management behavior (SMB) on long-term outcomes. We aimed to examine the association among patient-reported SMB, intermediate clinical outcomes, and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected from 340 patients with type 2 diabetes of the KORA-A study (1997/1998) who were recruited from two previous population-based surveys (n = 161) and a myocardial infarction registry (n = 179) in southern Germany. Based on previous methodological work, a high level of SMB was defined as being compliant with at least four of six different self-care dimensions, comprising physical exercise, foot care, blood glucose self-monitoring, weight monitoring, having a diet plan, and keeping a diabetes diary. The vital status of the participants was observed until 2009. Multivariable linear, logistic, and Cox regression models were applied to assess the association with intermediate clinical outcomes at baseline and to predict mortality over the follow-up period, adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and disease-related factors. In the cross-sectional perspective, a high level of SMB was weakly associated with a lower glycated hemoglobin A1c level (-0.44% [-4.8 mmol/mol] [95% CI -0.88 to 0.00]), but not with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, or the presence of microalbuminuria, peripheral arterial disease, or polyneuropathy. During a mean follow-up time of 11.6 years, 189 patients died. SMB was a preventive factor for all-cause (hazard ratio 0.61 [95% CI 0.40-0.91]) and cardiovascular mortality (0.65 [95% CI 0.41-1.03]). Although measuring SMB is difficult and the used operationalization might be limited, our results give some indication that a high level of SMB is associated with prolonged life expectancy in patients with type 2 diabetes and highlight the potential impact of the patients' active contribution on the long-term trajectory of the disease. We assume that the used proxy for SMB

Changes in total carbohydrate and total antioxidant activity induced by gamma irradiation of wheat flour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manupriya, B.R.; Shenoy, K. Bhasker; Patil, Shrikant L.; Somashekarappa, H.M.

2015-01-01

Wheat is a staple food grain in India after rice and occupies number one position in the world. The wheat crop not only gives food grains but also gives fodder for animals. Among many preservation methods irradiation is a current technique used to overcome infestation, contamination and spoilage of stored grains. The present study is aimed to check the changes in composition of irradiated wheat flour. Wheat flour was exposed to five different irradiation doses (0.25 KGy, 0.5KGy, 1KGy, 5KGy and 10 KGy) by using 60 Co gamma-irradiation chamber. Irradiated flour was stored in air sealed polyethylene pouch and plastic container at room temperature for different time intervals (0 th day, 1 month and 3 months). The stored flour was checked for total antioxidant activity by phosphomolybdate method and total carbohydrates concentration by phenol-sulphuric acid method. On 0 th day total antioxidant activity and total carbohydrate concentration was found to be increased at 0.5KGy (0.113 mg/ml and 0.045 mg/ml respectively) when compared to control (0.79 mg/ml and 39.5 mg/ml). Similarly for 1 month stored samples of air sealed polyethylene pouch total antioxidant activity and total carbohydrate concentration was observed to be increased at 0.5KGy (0.117 mg/ml and 0.045mg/ml respectively) when compared to control (0.096 mg/ml and 0.035 mg/ml). But in case of stored samples of plastic container total antioxidant activity increased at 0.25KGy (0.060 mg/ml) and total carbohydrate increased at 5KGy (0.051 mg/ml). Increased and decreased values were found in both factors for 3 months stored samples of air sealed polyethylene pouch and plastic container. Total antioxidant activity increased at 5KGy (0.072 mg/ml) for polyethylene bag samples and at 0.5KGy (0.137 mg/ml) for plastic container sample. Same way total carbohydrate concentration increased at 0.25KGy (0.046 mg/ml) and at 1KGy (0.045 mg/ml) respectively. This increase is due to affects of γ-irradiation on biomolecules by

Acute effect of sorghum flour-containing pasta on plasma total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress markers in healthy subjects: A randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Imran; Yousif, Adel M; Johnson, Stuart K; Gamlath, Shirani

2015-06-01

It has been previously reported that pasta containing wholegrain sorghum flour exhibits high content of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity and hence might enhance antioxidant status and reduce markers of oxidative stress in vivo; however no clinical studies have yet been reported. Therefore, the present study assessed the effect of pasta containing red or white wholegrain sorghum flour on plasma total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress markers in humans. The study was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN: 12612000324819). In a randomised crossover design, healthy subjects (n = 20) consumed three test meals of control pasta (CP), 30% red sorghum pasta (RSP) or 30% white sorghum pasta (WSP), 1-2 wk apart. The test meals were consumed as breakfast after an overnight fast. Blood samples were obtained at fasting and 2 h after consumption and analysed for total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, protein carbonyl and 8-isoprostanes. Compared to baseline, the 2 h post-prandial levels following the RSP meal of plasma polyphenols, antioxidant capacity and SOD activity were significantly (P pasta containing red wholegrain sorghum flour enhanced antioxidant status and improved markers of oxidative stress in healthy subjects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Modelling snow accumulation on Greenland in Eemian, glacial inception, and modern climates in a GCM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. J. Punge

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Changing climate conditions on Greenland influence the snow accumulation rate and surface mass balance (SMB on the ice sheet and, ultimately, its shape. This can in turn affect local climate via orography and albedo variations and, potentially, remote areas via changes in ocean circulation triggered by melt water or calving from the ice sheet. Examining these interactions in the IPSL global model requires improving the representation of snow at the ice sheet surface. In this paper, we present a new snow scheme implemented in LMDZ, the atmospheric component of the IPSL coupled model. We analyse surface climate and SMB on the Greenland ice sheet under insolation and oceanic boundary conditions for modern, but also for two different past climates, the last glacial inception (115 kyr BP and the Eemian (126 kyr BP. While being limited by the low resolution of the general circulation model (GCM, present-day SMB is on the same order of magnitude as recent regional model findings. It is affected by a moist bias of the GCM in Western Greenland and a dry bias in the north-east. Under Eemian conditions, the SMB decreases largely, and melting affects areas in which the ice sheet surface is today at high altitude, including recent ice core drilling sites as NEEM. In contrast, glacial inception conditions lead to a higher mass balance overall due to the reduced melting in the colder summer climate. Compared to the widely applied positive degree-day (PDD parameterization of SMB, our direct modelling results suggest a weaker sensitivity of SMB to changing climatic forcing. For the Eemian climate, our model simulations using interannually varying monthly mean forcings for the ocean surface temperature and sea ice cover lead to significantly higher SMB in southern Greenland compared to simulations forced with climatological monthly means.

Improvement of the performances of a tandem simulated moving bed chromatography by controlling the yield level of a key product of the first simulated moving bed unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Mun, Sungyong; Wang, Nien-Hwa Linda

2017-03-10

One of the trustworthy processes for ternary separation is a tandem simulated moving bed (SMB) process, which consists of two subordinate four-zone SMB units (Ring I and Ring II). To take full advantage of a tandem SMB as a means of recovering all three products with high purities and high economical efficiency, it is important to understand how the separation condition in Ring II is affected by that in Ring I, and further to reflect such point in the stage of designing a tandem SMB. In regard to such issue, it was clarified in this study that the Ring I factors affecting the Ring II condition could be represented by the yield level of a key product of Ring I (Y key RingI ). As the Y key RingI level became higher, the amount of the Ring I key-product that was reloaded into Ring II was reduced, which affected favorably the Ring II separation condition. On the other hand, the higher Y key RingI level caused a larger dilution for the stream from Ring I to Ring II, which affected adversely the Ring II separation condition. As a result, a minimum in the desorbent usage of a tandem SMB occurred at the Y key RingI level where the two aforementioned factors could be balanced with each other. If such an optimal Y key RingI level was adopted, the desorbent usage could be reduced by up to 25%. It was also found that as the throughput of a tandem SMB became higher, the factor related to the migration of the Ring I key-product into Ring II was more influential in the performances of a tandem SMB than the factor related to the dilution of the stream from Ring I to Ring II. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pulsed flow modulation two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Poliak, Marina; Fialkov, Alexander B; Amirav, Aviv

2008-11-07

Pulsed flow modulation (PFM) two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography (GC x GC) was combined with quadrupole-based mass spectrometry (MS) via a supersonic molecular beam (SMB) interface using a triple-quadrupole system as the base platform, which enabled tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). PFM is a simple GC x GC modulator that does not consume cryogenic gases while providing tunable second GC x GC column injection time for enabling the use of quadrupole-based mass spectrometry regardless its limited scanning speed. The 20-ml/min second column flow rate involved with PFM is handled, splitless, by the SMB interface without affecting the sensitivity. The combinations of PFM GC x GC-MS with SMB and PFM GC x GC-MS-MS with SMB were explored with the analysis of diazinon and permethrin in coriander. PFM GC x GC-MS with SMB is characterized by enhanced molecular ion and tailing-free fast ion source response time. It enables universal pesticide analysis with full scan and data analysis with reconstructed single ion monitoring on the enhanced molecular ion and another prominent high mass fragment ion. The elimination of the third fragment ion used in standard three ions method results in significantly reduced matrix interference. GC x GC-MS with SMB improves the GC separation, and thereby our ability for sample identification using libraries. GC-MS-MS with SMB provides better reduction (elimination) of matrix interference than GC x GC-MS. However, it is a target method, which is not always applicable. GC x GC-MS-MS does not seem to further reduce matrix interferences over GC-MS-MS and unlike GC x GC-MS, it is incompatible with library identification, but it is beneficial to have both GC x GC and MS-MS capabilities in the same system.

Theory on the Coupled Stochastic Dynamics of Transcription and Splice-Site Recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Murugan, Rajamanickam; Kreiman, Gabriel

2012-01-01

Eukaryotic genes are typically split into exons that need to be spliced together to form the mature mRNA. The splicing process depends on the dynamics and interactions among transcription by the RNA polymerase II complex (RNAPII) and the spliceosomal complex consisting of multiple small nuclear ribonucleo proteins (snRNPs). Here we propose a biophysically plausible initial theory of splicing that aims to explain the effects of the stochastic dynamics of snRNPs on the splicing patterns of eukaryotic genes. We consider two different ways to model the dynamics of snRNPs: pure three-dimensional diffusion and a combination of three- and one-dimensional diffusion along the emerging pre-mRNA. Our theoretical analysis shows that there exists an optimum position of the splice sites on the growing pre-mRNA at which the time required for snRNPs to find the 5′ donor site is minimized. The minimization of the overall search time is achieved mainly via the increase in non-specific interactions between the snRNPs and the growing pre-mRNA. The theory further predicts that there exists an optimum transcript length that maximizes the probabilities for exons to interact with the snRNPs. We evaluate these theoretical predictions by considering human and mouse exon microarray data as well as RNAseq data from multiple different tissues. We observe that there is a broad optimum position of splice sites on the growing pre-mRNA and an optimum transcript length, which are roughly consistent with the theoretical predictions. The theoretical and experimental analyses suggest that there is a strong interaction between the dynamics of RNAPII and the stochastic nature of snRNP search for 5′ donor splicing sites. PMID:23133354

Theory on the coupled stochastic dynamics of transcription and splice-site recognition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajamanickam Murugan

Full Text Available Eukaryotic genes are typically split into exons that need to be spliced together to form the mature mRNA. The splicing process depends on the dynamics and interactions among transcription by the RNA polymerase II complex (RNAPII and the spliceosomal complex consisting of multiple small nuclear ribonucleo proteins (snRNPs. Here we propose a biophysically plausible initial theory of splicing that aims to explain the effects of the stochastic dynamics of snRNPs on the splicing patterns of eukaryotic genes. We consider two different ways to model the dynamics of snRNPs: pure three-dimensional diffusion and a combination of three- and one-dimensional diffusion along the emerging pre-mRNA. Our theoretical analysis shows that there exists an optimum position of the splice sites on the growing pre-mRNA at which the time required for snRNPs to find the 5' donor site is minimized. The minimization of the overall search time is achieved mainly via the increase in non-specific interactions between the snRNPs and the growing pre-mRNA. The theory further predicts that there exists an optimum transcript length that maximizes the probabilities for exons to interact with the snRNPs. We evaluate these theoretical predictions by considering human and mouse exon microarray data as well as RNAseq data from multiple different tissues. We observe that there is a broad optimum position of splice sites on the growing pre-mRNA and an optimum transcript length, which are roughly consistent with the theoretical predictions. The theoretical and experimental analyses suggest that there is a strong interaction between the dynamics of RNAPII and the stochastic nature of snRNP search for 5' donor splicing sites.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D/AUF1 interacts with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SEARCHU

Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) in cells are bound to proteins. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) is one of the representative proteins bound to RNAs in eukaryotic cells. More than 30 hnRNPs have been determined to exist in human nuclei, and are referred to as hnRNPs A1 through U (Choi and Dreyfuss 1984; ...

Experimental Approaches to Study Genome Packaging of Influenza A Viruses

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Catherine Isel

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The genome of influenza A viruses (IAV consists of eight single-stranded negative sense viral RNAs (vRNAs encapsidated into viral ribonucleoproteins (vRNPs. It is now well established that genome packaging (i.e., the incorporation of a set of eight distinct vRNPs into budding viral particles, follows a specific pathway guided by segment-specific cis-acting packaging signals on each vRNA. However, the precise nature and function of the packaging signals, and the mechanisms underlying the assembly of vRNPs into sub-bundles in the cytoplasm and their selective packaging at the viral budding site, remain largely unknown. Here, we review the diverse and complementary methods currently being used to elucidate these aspects of the viral cycle. They range from conventional and competitive reverse genetics, single molecule imaging of vRNPs by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH and high-resolution electron microscopy and tomography of budding viral particles, to solely in vitro approaches to investigate vRNA-vRNA interactions at the molecular level.

Pumping RNA: nuclear bodybuilding along the RNP pipeline.

Science.gov (United States)

Matera, A Gregory; Shpargel, Karl B

2006-06-01

Cajal bodies (CBs) are nuclear subdomains involved in the biogenesis of several classes of small ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). A number of recent advances highlight progress in the understanding of the organization and dynamics of CB components. For example, a class of small Cajal body-specific (sca) RNPs has been discovered. Localization of scaRNPs to CBs was shown to depend on a conserved RNA motif. Intriguingly, this motif is also present in mammalian telomerase RNA and the evidence suggests that assembly of the active form of telomerase RNP occurs in and around CBs during S phase. Important steps in the assembly and modification of spliceosomal RNPs have also been shown to take place in CBs. Additional experiments have revealed the existence of kinetically distinct subclasses of CB components. Finally, the recent identification of novel markers for CBs in both Drosophila and Arabidopsis not only lays to rest questions about the evolutionary conservation of these nuclear suborganelles, but also should enable forward genetic screens for the identification of new components and pathways involved in their assembly, maintenance and function.

Rapid Transient Deformation From a Shallow Magmatic Source at the Socorro Magma Body, NM, USA?

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, A. V.; Chamberlin, R. M.; Love, D. W.; Dixon, T. H.; La Femina, P.

2004-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) lies within the central Rio Grande Rift (RGR) Valley and is one of the largest known magma bodies in the Earth's continental crust. Studies of local microseismicity and deep seismic soundings revealed an unusually strong reflector approximately 70 km wide at 19 km depth and identified it as a large active sill-like crustal magma intrusion. Using precision leveling (1912-80) and InSAR (1992-99), previous studies have found ˜2-4 mm/yr of averaged uplift centered near San Acacia, over the center of the reflector, and corresponding to about 107 m3 of annual growth from an inflating sill at 19 km depth. We performed two GPS campaigns over the SMB on nine bedrock sites in 2002 and 2003. Vertical GPS velocities from six sites forming a transect over the central SMB are between ˜10 and 20 mm (1σ ˜10 mm) with the maximum measured surface uplift at two central stations near San Acacia. However, three sites forming a partial transect ˜12 km north show no uplift for this period. Additionally, continuous GPS 18 km south of the central transect shows 4-5 mm/yr uplift between 2001 and 2004. Collectively, these data suggest a significant and smaller body inflating between 5-10 km depth and corresponding to 0.5-5× 106 m3 between 2002 and 2003. Though horizontal velocities are all less than their individual errors ( ˜5 mm) they generally radiate outward from the center of the SMB. These results indicate that the SMB may have considerable variation in the spatio-temporal pattern of deformation. This suggests that, though over several years to decades the SMB inflates at an average of 2-4 mm/yr, more frequent and widespread geodetic measurements are necessary to fully assess its complex sources. Additionally, because the southern portion of the SMB extends into the trilateration network of Savage et al. [1988], which found slow-to-no extension (<3 mm/yr) across the RGR, it may be that those results were contaminated by previously unknown transient

Fibre-concrete container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

In this leaflet the fibre-concrete container for radioactive wastes is described. The fibre container is made of fibre-concrete that contains cement, aggregate, sand, filter, flame-silica, super-plastificator, water and scattered metal fibres. The fibre-concrete container has a dice shape with outer dimension 1.7 x 1.7 x 1.7 m. It is mounted of a container body, a container cover and two caps. Total weight of container is 4,240 kg, maximum weight of loaded container do not must exceed 15,000 kg. The physical and mechanical properties of the fibre-concrete container are described in detail. The fibre-concrete container manufactured for storing of low and intermediate radioactive wastes. A fibre-concrete container utilization to store of radioactive wastes solves these problems: increase of stability of stored packages of radioactive waste; watertightness within 300 years at least; static stability of bearing space; better utilization of bearing spaces; insulation of radioactive waste in a case of seismic and geological event; increase of fire resistance; and transport of radioactive waste

Discovery of a novel gene involved in autolysis of Clostridium cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Liejian; Bao, Guanhui; Zhu, Yan; Dong, Hongjun; Zhang, Yanping; Li, Yin

2013-06-01

Cell autolysis plays important physiological roles in the life cycle of clostridial cells. Understanding the genetic basis of the autolysis phenomenon of pathogenic Clostridium or solvent producing Clostridium cells might provide new insights into this important species. Genes that might be involved in autolysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum, a model clostridial species, were investigated in this study. Twelve putative autolysin genes were predicted in C. acetobutylicum DSM 1731 genome through bioinformatics analysis. Of these 12 genes, gene SMB_G3117 was selected for testing the in tracellular autolysin activity, growth profile, viable cell numbers, and cellular morphology. We found that overexpression of SMB_G3117 gene led to earlier ceased growth, significantly increased number of dead cells, and clear electrolucent cavities, while disruption of SMB_G3117 gene exhibited remarkably reduced intracellular autolysin activity. These results indicate that SMB_G3117 is a novel gene involved in cellular autolysis of C. acetobutylicum.

PENETAPAN KADAR FENOLIK TOTAL DAN FLAVONOID TOTAL EKSTRAK BERAS HITAM (Oryza sativa L DARI KALIMANTAN SELATAN

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Anna Khumaira Sari

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The black rice contains anthocyanin compounds which are included in the flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Flavonoids contained in black rice are phenolic components that act as a preventive of hydroxyl and superoxide radicals by protecting membrane lipids against damaging oxidation reactions and phenol compounds also have bacteriocid, antimetic, antihelmintic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer and other degenerative diseases. The aim of this research were to measure total phenolic content and total flavonoid in ethanol extract of black rice (Oryza sativa L. Total phenol content were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method with gallic acid mean while total flavonoid content were measured by colorimetry method using reagent AlCl3 10% and 5% acetic acid. There are seven variation samples of black rice obtained from seven different places in South Kalimantan. The result of this study, qualitative analysis showed that all samples positive contained flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins. The total phenol content of the seven samples was 100,58 ± 1,344; 91.14 ± 1.699; 96.50 ± 1.529; 77.64 ± 0.462; 81,16 ± 0,614; 112.47 ± 1.040; 81,50 ± 2,928 mgGAE/mg extract and the percent of total flavonoid content from seven samples was 8,53 ± 0,208%; 8.11 ± 0.343%; 7.69 ± 0.446%; 6.03 ± 0.227%; 4.97 ± 0.169%; 3.74 ± 0.210%; 5.02 ± 0.403%.

The TROVE module: a common element in Telomerase, Ro and Vault ribonucleoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, Alex; Kickhoefer, Valerie

2003-10-16

Ribonucleoproteins carry out a variety of important tasks in the cell. In this study we show that a number of these contain a novel module, that we speculate mediates RNA-binding. The TROVE module--Telomerase, Ro and Vault module--is found in TEP1 and Ro60 the protein components of three ribonucleoprotein particles. This novel module, consisting of one or more domains, may be involved in binding the RNA components of the three RNPs, which are telomerase RNA, Y RNA and vault RNA. A second conserved region in these proteins is shown to be a member of the vWA domain family. The vWA domain in TEP1 is closely related to the previously recognised vWA domain in VPARP a second component of the vault particle. This vWA domain may mediate interactions between these vault components or bind as yet unidentified components of the RNPs. This work suggests that a number of ribonucleoprotein components use a common RNA-binding module. The TROVE module is also found in bacterial ribonucleoproteins suggesting an ancient origin for these ribonucleoproteins.

Vibrational characteristics of a superconducting magnetic bearing employed for a prototype polarization modulator

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, Yuki; Matsumura, Tomotake; Sugai, Hajime; Katayama, Nobuhiko; Ohsaki, Hiroyuki; Terao, Yutaka; Terachi, Yusuke; Kataza, Hirokazu; Utsunomiya, Shin; Yamamoto, Ryo

2017-07-01

We present the vibrational characteristics of a levitating rotor in a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) system operating at below 10 K. We develop a polarization modulator that requires a continuously rotating optical element, called half-wave plate (HWP), for a cosmic microwave background polarization experiment. The HWP has to operate at the temperature below 10 K, and thus an SMB provides a smooth rotation of the HWP at the cryogenic temperature of about 10 K with minimal heat dissipation. In order to understand the potential interference to the cosmological observations due to the vibration of the HWP, it is essential to characterize the vibrational properties of the levitating rotor of the SMB. We constructed a prototype model that consists of an SMB with an array of high temperature superconductors, YBCO, and a permanent magnet ring, NdFeB. The rotor position is monitored by a laser displacement gauge, and a cryogenic Hall sensor via the magnetic field. In this presentation, we present the measurement results of the vibration characteristics using our prototype SMB system. We characterize the vibrational properties as the spring constant and the damping, and discuss the projected performance of this technology toward the use in future space missions.

Modelling the climate and surface mass balance of polar ice sheets using RACMO2 - Part 1: Greenland (1958-2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Noël, Brice; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Melchior van Wessem, J.; van Meijgaard, Erik; van As, Dirk; Lenaerts, Jan T. M.; Lhermitte, Stef; Kuipers Munneke, Peter; Smeets, C. J. P. Paul; van Ulft, Lambertus H.; van de Wal, Roderik S. W.; van den Broeke, Michiel R.

2018-03-01

We evaluate modelled Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) near-surface climate, surface energy balance (SEB) and surface mass balance (SMB) from the updated regional climate model RACMO2 (1958-2016). The new model version, referred to as RACMO2.3p2, incorporates updated glacier outlines, topography and ice albedo fields. Parameters in the cloud scheme governing the conversion of cloud condensate into precipitation have been tuned to correct inland snowfall underestimation: snow properties are modified to reduce drifting snow and melt production in the ice sheet percolation zone. The ice albedo prescribed in the updated model is lower at the ice sheet margins, increasing ice melt locally. RACMO2.3p2 shows good agreement compared to in situ meteorological data and point SEB/SMB measurements, and better resolves the spatial patterns and temporal variability of SMB compared with the previous model version, notably in the north-east, south-east and along the K-transect in south-western Greenland. This new model version provides updated, high-resolution gridded fields of the GrIS present-day climate and SMB, and will be used for projections of the GrIS climate and SMB in response to a future climate scenario in a forthcoming study.

Vibrational characteristics of a superconducting magnetic bearing employed for a prototype polarization modulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, Yuki; Matsumura, Tomotake; Sugai, Hajime; Katayama, Nobuhiko; Utsunomiya, Shin; Ohsaki, Hiroyuki; Terao, Yutaka; Terachi, Yusuke; Kataza, Hirokazu; Yamamoto, Ryo

2017-01-01

We present the vibrational characteristics of a levitating rotor in a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) system operating at below 10 K. We develop a polarization modulator that requires a continuously rotating optical element, called half-wave plate (HWP), for a cosmic microwave background polarization experiment. The HWP has to operate at the temperature below 10 K, and thus an SMB provides a smooth rotation of the HWP at the cryogenic temperature of about 10 K with minimal heat dissipation. In order to understand the potential interference to the cosmological observations due to the vibration of the HWP, it is essential to characterize the vibrational properties of the levitating rotor of the SMB. We constructed a prototype model that consists of an SMB with an array of high temperature superconductors, YBCO, and a permanent magnet ring, NdFeB. The rotor position is monitored by a laser displacement gauge, and a cryogenic Hall sensor via the magnetic field. In this presentation, we present the measurement results of the vibration characteristics using our prototype SMB system. We characterize the vibrational properties as the spring constant and the damping, and discuss the projected performance of this technology toward the use in future space missions. (paper)

The impact of motivation on neuropsychological performance in sports-related mild traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Christopher M; Echemendia, Ruben J; Arnett, Peter A

2006-07-01

The current project examined the impact of differential motivation on baseline versus post-mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) neuropsychological measures in athletes. Collegiate athletes were administered a neuropsychological battery prior to and post-MTBI. High Motivation at Baseline (HMB) and Suspect Motivation at Baseline (SMB) groups were established for each measure based on whether baseline performance fell +/- one or more standard deviations from the mean of the given measure. Greater improvement was expected in the SMB group than the HMB group given hypothesized differences in baseline motivation. In repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) that removed achievement performance, the SMB groups demonstrated greater improvement than the HMB groups for the Trail Making Test A & B (TMT-A & B), Digit Span, and Stroop-Color Word (Stroop-CW) tests. Also, the percentage of participants who improved according to reliable change indices was greater for the SMB groups on the TMT-A & B, Stroop-CW, and the Vigil. These findings are likely due to lower motivation in the SMB group for each test. However, results also suggest that some tests may be relatively unaffected by motivation. These data may have clinical implications and point to the need for better methods of identifying athletes with suspect motivation at baseline.

ESTIMATION OF pH, TOTAL ACID AND ETHANOL CONTENT OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ALCOHOL-CONTAINING MOUTHWASHES AND ITS EFFECT ON SALIVARY pH

OpenAIRE

Rafi Shaik; Sharath Pocha Reddy; Sameeulla Shaik; Sarah Emerald Sheela Nemalladinne; Dandu Sivasai Prasad Reddy; Kotu Nagavenkata Sai Praveen

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Use of mouthwash has become widespread as a part of routine oral hygiene. Mouthwashes may have deleterious effects on oral tissues because of its low pH, high acid content and use of ethanol as an antiseptic agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional experimental study was conducted among 48 undergraduate dental students. Eight commercially available alcohol-containing mouthwashes, which are available in Indian market were selected for which the pH, total acid an...

The pattern of anthropogenic signal emergence in Greenland Ice Sheet surface mass balance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fyke, J.G.; Vizcaino, M.; Lipscomb, W.H.

2014-01-01

Surface mass balance (SMB) trends influence observed Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) mass loss, but the component of these trends related to anthropogenic forcing is unclear. Here we study the simulated spatial pattern of emergence of an anthropogenically derived GrIS SMB signal between 1850 and 2100

The Clothes Make the mRNA: Past and Present Trends in mRNP Fashion.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Guramrit; Pratt, Gabriel; Yeo, Gene W; Moore, Melissa J

2015-01-01

Throughout their lifetimes, messenger RNAs (mRNAs) associate with proteins to form ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs). Since the discovery of the first mRNP component more than 40 years ago, what is known as the mRNA interactome now comprises >1,000 proteins. These proteins bind mRNAs in myriad ways with varying affinities and stoichiometries, with many assembling onto nascent RNAs in a highly ordered process during transcription and precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) processing. The nonrandom distribution of major mRNP proteins observed in transcriptome-wide studies leads us to propose that mRNPs are organized into three major domains loosely corresponding to 5' untranslated regions (UTRs), open reading frames, and 3' UTRs. Moving from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, mRNPs undergo extensive remodeling as they are first acted upon by the nuclear pore complex and then by the ribosome. When not being actively translated, cytoplasmic mRNPs can assemble into large multi-mRNP assemblies or be permanently disassembled and degraded. In this review, we aim to give the reader a thorough understanding of past and current eukaryotic mRNP research.

Modulator Dynamics Shape the Design Space for Stepwise-Elution Simulated Moving Bed Chromatographic Separations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wayne, Chris J; Velayudhan, Ajoy

2018-03-31

For proteins and other biological macromolecules, SMB chromatography is best operated non-isocratically. However, traditional modes of non-isocratic SMB operation generate significant mobile-phase modulator dynamics. The mechanisms by which these modulator dynamics affect a separation's success, and thus frame the design space, have yet to be explained quantitatively. Here, the dynamics of the modulator (e.g., salts in ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography) are explicitly accounted for. This leads to the elucidation of two new design constraints, presented as dimensionless numbers, which quantify the effects of the modulator phenomena and thus predict the success of a non-isocratic SMB separation. Consequently, these two new design constraints re-define the SMB design space. Computational and experimental studies at the boundaries of this design space corroborate the theoretical predictions. The design of efficient and robust operating conditions through use of the new design space is also demonstrated. © 2018 The Authors. Biotechnology Journal Published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Experimental purification of paclitaxel from a complex mixture of taxanes using a simulated moving bed

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M. A. Cremasco

2009-03-01

Full Text Available A laboratory-scale simulated moving bed (SMB was designed and tested for the separation of paclitaxel, a powerful anti-cancer agent known as Taxol@, from impurities of a plant tissue culture (PTC broth. The innovative strategy of a pseudo-binary model, where mixtures A and B were treated as single solutes A and B, was used in the linear standing wave analysis to fix the SMB operating parameters for a multicomponent and complex system. Linear standing wave design was used to specify the zone flow rates and the switching time for the laboratory-scale SMB unit, with two steps of separation. The SMB consists of four packed columns, where each column is 12.5 cm in length and 1.5 cm in diameter. Two sequential separation steps were used to recover paclitaxel from a small feed batch (less than one liter. Placlitaxel was recovered from the complex plant tissue culture broth in 82% yield and 72% purity.

Evaluation of a 12-km Satellite-Era Reanalysis of Surface Mass Balance for the Greenland Ice Sheet

Science.gov (United States)

Cullather, R. I.; Nowicki, S.; Zhao, B.; Max, S.

2016-12-01

The recent contribution to sea level change from the Greenland Ice Sheet is thought to be strongly driven by surface processes including melt and runoff. Global reanalyses are potential means of reconstructing the historical time series of ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB), but lack spatial resolution needed to resolve ablation areas along the periphery of the ice sheet. In this work, the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2) is used to examine the spatial and temporal variability of surface melt over the Greenland Ice Sheet. MERRA-2 is produced for the period 1980 to the present at a grid spacing of ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude, and includes snow hydrology processes including compaction, meltwater percolation and refreezing, runoff, and a prognostic surface albedo. The configuration of the MERRA-2 system allows for the background model - the Goddard Earth Observing System model, version 5 (GEOS-5) - to be carried in phase space through analyzed states via the computation of analysis increments, a capability referred to as "replay". Here, a MERRA-2 replay integration is conducted in which atmospheric forcing fields are interpolated and adjusted to sub- atmospheric grid-scale resolution. These adjustments include lapse-rate effects on temperature, humidity, precipitation, and other atmospheric variables that are known to have a strong elevation dependency over ice sheets. The surface coupling is performed such that mass and energy are conserved. The atmospheric forcing influences the surface representation, which operates on land surface tiles with an approximate 12-km spacing. This produces a high-resolution, downscaled SMB which is interactively coupled to the reanalysis model. We compare the downscaled SMB product with other reanalyses, regional climate model values, and a second MERRA-2 replay in which the background model has been replaced with a 12-km, non-hydrostatic version of GEOS-5. The assessment

Phytochemical screening, total phenolic, total flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity of cinchona ledgeriana leaves ethanol extract

Science.gov (United States)

Sundowo, Andini; Artanti, Nina; Hanafi, M.; Minarti, Primahana, Gian

2017-11-01

C ledgeriana is a medicinal plant that contains alkaloids, especially on the barks for commercial production of quinine as antimalarial. The main alkaloids in this plant are cinchonine, cinchonidine, quinine and quinidine. Besides for antiamalarial this plant is also commonly used to treat whooping cough, influenza and dysentery. Compare to other medicinal plants, nowadays only very few studies were conducted in Cinchona species. Our current study aims to determine the content of phytochemical, total phenol and total flavonoids from C. ledgeriana leaves 70% ethanol extract. The extraction was performed by maceration method using 70% ethanol solvent and then fractionated into hexane, ethylacetate and butanol. Phytochemical screening was performed to determine the content of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extract were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and alumunium chloride colorimetric methods using gallic acid and quercetin as standards. The antioxidant activity was determined by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The results of phytochemical screening showed that the 70% ethanol extract of C. ledgeriana leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. The total phenol and total flavonoids analysis showed that ethyl acetate fraction had the highest total phenol (40.23%) and total flavonoids (65.34%).

Acute toxicity of sodium metabisulphite in larvae and post-larvae of the land crab, Cardisoma guanhumi.

Science.gov (United States)

Galli, Orlando B S; Fujimoto, Rodrigo Y; Abrunhosa, Fernando A

2012-08-01

Sodium metabisulphite (SMB) is used in marine shrimp aquaculture to prevent the occurrence of black spot. The release SMB into the estuarine environment from shrimp farm pond effluents has been reported. This study evaluated the susceptibility of larvae and post-larvae of land crab, Cardisoma guanhumi to this salt. A decrease in dissolved oxygen and pH occurred with increasing concentration of SMB and exposure time. LC(50) values after 48 h of exposure were 34 ± 1.1 mg/L, 31.1 ± 1.9 mg/L, and 30.6 ± 0.5 mg/L for I zoea larvae, megalopa larvae and stage I juveniles, respectively.

Application of the sodium metabisulfite in the radiopharmacy of immunoglobulin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zayas, F.

1997-01-01

The search for faster and easier methods in the labelling of monoclonal antibodies with 99mT c keeps on. The evaluation of sodium Metabisulfite (SMB) as a new reducing agent of disulfide bridges is presented. Human IgG is reduced with molar relations of 750:1 (SMB:IgG) 45. After purification or not the reduced-IgG received an amount of Sn-Tartrate and 99mT cO4-. A purity higher than 90.0 % was obtained. Aggregates and fragments concentration were lower than 5.0 %. Presence of SMB in the labeling process was irrelevant. This fact permits to exclude the purification step and makes the process shorter

Dynamic characteristics of a flywheel energy storage system using superconducting magnetic bearings

CERN Document Server

Kim, J S

2003-01-01

The high-temperature superconducting magnetic bearing flywheel energy storage system (SMB-FESS) is proposed as an efficient energy storage system. It is important to identify the dynamic behaviour and the characteristics of the SMB-FESS. First, a new method for identifying SMB characteristics has been suggested. The suggested modelling method is verified by comparing the experimental and analytical frequency response functions. In this study, the analyses of critical speed and unbalance response are performed using the analytical model. The experimental test has been carried out to verify the result of simulation. A good agreement has been observed between the experiment and the simulation result.

Re-assessment of recent (2008–2013 surface mass balance over Dome Argus, Antarctica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Minghu Ding

2016-04-01

Full Text Available At Dome Argus, East Antarctica, the surface mass balance (SMB from 2008 to 2013 was evaluated using 49 stakes installed across a 30×30 km area. Spatial analysis showed that at least 12 and 20 stakes are needed to obtain reliable estimates of SMB at local scales (a few hundred square metres and regional scales (tens of square kilometres, respectively. The estimated annual mean SMB was 22.9±5.9 kg m−2 yr−1, including a net loss by sublimation of −2.22±0.02 kg m−2 yr−1 and a mass gain by deposition of 1.37±0.01 kg m−2 yr−1. Therefore, ca. 14.3% of precipitation was modified after deposition, which should be considered when interpreting snow or ice core records produced by future drilling projects. The surface snow density and SMB in the western portion of Dome Argus are higher than in other areas, and these differences are likely related to the katabatic wind, which is strengthened by topography in this sector. A new digital elevation model (DEM of Dome Argus was generated, confirming that both peaks of the dome can be considered as the summit of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Findings from this study should be valuable for validating SMB estimates obtained from regional climate models and DEMs established using remote-sensing data.

IMP3 RNP safe houses prevent miRNA-directed HMGA2 mRNA decay in cancer and development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jønson, Lars; Christiansen, Jan; Hansen, Thomas van Overeem

2014-01-01

by let-7, and let-7 antagomiRs make HMGA2 refractory to IMP3. Removal of let-7 target sites eliminates IMP3-dependent stabilization, and IMP3-containing bodies are depleted of Ago1-4 and miRNAs. The relationship between Hmga2 mRNA and IMPs also exists in the developing limb bud, where IMP1-deficient...... that IMP3 RNPs may function as cytoplasmic safe houses and prevent miRNA-directed mRNA decay of oncogenes during tumor progression....

Optimizing yard operations in port container terminals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kallehauge, Louise Sibbesen

2005-01-01

This paper deals with the problem of positioning containers in a yard block of a port container terminal. The objective of the container positioning problem (CPP) is to minimise the total handling time in the block, i.e. the time required for storage and reshuffling of containers. One...

Virtual source reflection imaging of the Socorro Magma Body, New Mexico, using a dense seismic array

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, T. S.; Worthington, L. L.; Schmandt, B.; Hansen, S. M.; Bilek, S. L.; Aster, R. C.; Ranasinghe, N. R.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is one of the largest known actively inflating continental magmatic intrusions. Previous studies have relied on sparse instrument coverage to determine its spatial extent, depth, and seismic signature, which characterized the body as a thin sill with a surface at 19 km below the Earth's surface. However, over the last two decades, InSAR and magneto-telluric (MT) studies have shed new light on the SMB and invigorated the scientific debate of the spatial distribution and uplift rate of the SMB. We return to seismic imaging of the SMB with the Sevilleta Array, a 12-day deployment of approximately 800 vertical component, 10-Hz geophones north of Socorro, New Mexico above and around the estimated northern half of the SMB. Teleseismic virtual source reflection profiling (TVR) employs the free surface reflection off of a teleseismic P as a virtual source in dense arrays, and has been used successfully to image basin structure and the Moho in multiple tectonic environments. The Sevilleta Array recorded 62 teleseismic events greater than M5. Applying TVR to the data collected by the Sevilleta Array, we present stacks from four events that produced the with high signal-to-noise ratios and simple source-time functions: the February 11, 2015 M6.7 in northern Argentina, the February 19, 2015 M5.4 in Kamchatka, Russia, and the February 21, 2015 M5.1 and February 22, 2015 M5.5 in western Colombia. Preliminary results suggest eastward-dipping reflectors at approximately 5 km depth near the Sierra Ladrones range in the northwestern corner of the array. Further analysis will focus on creating profiles across the area of maximum SMB uplift and constraining basin geometry.

Discontinuous movement of mRNP particles in nucleoplasmic regions devoid of chromatin

Science.gov (United States)

Siebrasse, Jan Peter; Veith, Roman; Dobay, Akos; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Daneholt, Bertil; Kubitscheck, Ulrich

2008-01-01

Messenger ribonucleoprotein particles (mRNPs) move randomly within nucleoplasm before they exit from the nucleus. To further understand mRNP trafficking, we have studied the intranuclear movement of a specific mRNP, the BR2 mRNP, in salivary gland cells in Chironomus tentans. Their polytene nuclei harbor giant chromosomes separated by vast regions of nucleoplasm, which allows us to study mRNP mobility without interference of chromatin. The particles were fluorescently labeled with microinjected oligonucleotides (DNA or RNA) complementary to BR2 mRNA or with the RNA-binding protein hrp36, the C. tentans homologue of hnRNP A1. Using high-speed laser microscopy, we followed the intranuclear trajectories of single mRNPs and characterized their motion within the nucleoplasm. The Balbiani ring (BR) mRNPs moved randomly, but unexpectedly, in a discontinuous manner. When mobile, they diffused with a diffusion coefficient corresponding to their size. Between mobile phases, the mRNPs were slowed down 10-to 250-fold but were never completely immobile. Earlier electron microscopy work has indicated that BR particles can attach to thin nonchromatin fibers, which are sometimes connected to discrete fibrogranular clusters. We propose that the observed discontinuous movement reflects transient interactions between freely diffusing BR particles and these submicroscopic structures. PMID:19074261

Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modelling and freshwater flux for 2007, and in a 1995-2007 perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mernild, Sebastian H.; Liston, Glen E.; Hiemstra, Christopher A.

2009-01-01

y-1); the only year with a negative GrIS SMB. Runoff in 2007 was approximately 35% greater than average for 1995-2006. From 1995 through 2007 overall, precipitation decreased while ablation increased, leading to an increased average SMB loss of 127 km3. The modelled GrIS SMB was merged with previous......-stations) were used as model inputs. The GrIS minimum surface melt extent of 29% occurred in 1996, while the greatest extent of 51% was present in 2007. The 2007 melt extent was 20% greater than the average for 1995-2006. The year 2007 had the highest GrIS surface runoff (523 km3 y-1) and the lowest SMB (-3 km3...... estimates of GrIS subglacial runoff (from geothermal melt) and GrIS calving to quantify GrIS freshwater flux to the ocean, indicating an average negative mass-balance of 265 (±83) km3 y-1. This study further suggests an average GrIS freshwater flux of approximately 786 km3 y-1 to the ocean, of which 45...

Quantifying the resolution level where the GRACE satellites can separate Greenland's glacial mass balance from surface mass balance

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, J. A.; Chambers, D. P.

2015-09-01

Mass change over Greenland can be caused by either changes in the glacial dynamic mass balance (DMB) or the surface mass balance (SMB). The GRACE satellite gravity mission cannot directly separate the two physical causes because it measures the sum of the entire mass column with limited spatial resolution. We demonstrate one theoretical way to indirectly separate cumulative SMB from DMB with GRACE, using a least squares inversion technique with knowledge of the location of the glaciers. However, we find that the limited 60 × 60 spherical harmonic representation of current GRACE data does not provide sufficient resolution to adequately accomplish the task. We determine that at a maximum degree/order of 90 × 90 or above, a noise-free gravity measurement could theoretically separate the SMB from DMB signals. However, current GRACE satellite errors are too large at present to separate the signals. A noise reduction of a factor of 10 at a resolution of 90 × 90 would provide the accuracy needed for the interannual cumulative SMB and DMB to be accurately separated.

Problems and constraints in Philippine municipal fisheries: The case of San Miguel Bay, Camarines Sur

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Cristina P.; Matsuda, Yoshiaki; Shigemi, Yukio

1995-11-01

The Philippine fisheries accounted for 3.7% of the gross national product at current prices. The sector employed about 990,872 persons. Of the divisions comprising the industry, municipal fisheries continued to contribute the largest share of fish production. However, the sector is beset with problems, many of which are best examplified by the case of San Miguel Bay (SMB). This paper presents the problems and constraints confronting SMB, a common property resource. This bay's open access condition has led to various problems, such as declining fishery resources, depressed socioeconomic conditions, illegal fishing, increasing population, and conflict among resource users. A poor marketing system, low level of fishing technology, fishermen's noncompliance and authorities' lax enforcement of rules and regulations, as well as lack of alternative sources of income further characterize the condition in SMB. Establishment of fishing rights, improvement of the marketing system, provision of alternative sources of income, and improvement of fishing technology were some of the solutions suggested. One major constraint, however, is financial, Comanagement complemented with other management tools has been proposed in addressing the problems in SMB.

Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in Agriculture Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward Kassem

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sustainability assessment is a mainstream business activity that demonstrates the link between the organization’s strategy and commitment to a sustainable global economy. Sustainability indicators describe the environmental, social, economic and governance performance of Small and Medium‑sized Businesses/Enterprises (SMB/SME. Unfortunately, their implementations in the Czech Republic show a low level of engagement in sustainability assessment. The paper presents the results of the authors’ research in sustainability assessment of SMB/SMEs in the agriculture sector of the Czech Republic. An appropriate set of key performance indicators (KPIs in four dimensions (economy, environment, social and governance was developed to suit the SMB/SMEs sustainability assessment in the agriculture sector. A set of KPIs is proposed to help SMB/SMEs to avoid the barriers of sustainability assessment. These indicators are based mainly on Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture, Global Reporting Initiatives Frameworks and on current research state‑of‑the‑art. They have been created following the analysis of a number of agricultural enterprises over the world, particularly within European countries.

Improving Surface Mass Balance Over Ice Sheets and Snow Depth on Sea Ice

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Lora Suzanne; Box, Jason; Kurtz, Nathan

2013-01-01

Surface mass balance (SMB) over ice sheets and snow on sea ice (SOSI) are important components of the cryosphere. Large knowledge gaps remain in scientists' abilities to monitor SMB and SOSI, including insufficient measurements and difficulties with satellite retrievals. On ice sheets, snow accumulation is the sole mass gain to SMB, and meltwater runoff can be the dominant single loss factor in extremely warm years such as 2012. SOSI affects the growth and melt cycle of the Earth's polar sea ice cover. The summer of 2012 saw the largest satellite-recorded melt area over the Greenland ice sheet and the smallest satellite-recorded Arctic sea ice extent, making this meeting both timely and relevant.

Heating being put into service

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

The SMB-SE group would like to inform you that, the central heating will start this year, on Monday 3 October 2016, and will be progressively and depending on the weather forecast put into service throughout. All buildings will have heating within the following few days. Thank you for your understanding. The CERN heating team SMB-SE

Multi-objective optimization for the economic production of d-psicose using simulated moving bed chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, N; Håkansson, E; Wahler, S; Panke, S; Bechtold, M

2015-06-12

The biocatalytic production of rare carbohydrates from available sugar sources rapidly gains interest as a route to acquire industrial amounts of rare sugars for food and fine chemical applications. Here we present a multi-objective optimization procedure for a simulated moving bed (SMB) process for the production of the rare sugar d-psicose from enzymatically produced mixtures with its epimer d-fructose. First, model parameters were determined using the inverse method and experimentally validated on a 2-2-2-2 lab-scale SMB plant. The obtained experimental purities (PUs) were in excellent agreement with the simulated data derived from a transport-dispersive true-moving bed model demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed design. In the second part the performance of the separation was investigated in a multi-objective optimization study addressing the cost-contributing performance parameters productivity (PR) and desorbent requirement (DR) as a function of temperature. While rare sugar SMB operation under conditions of low desorbent consumption was found to be widely unaffected by temperature, SMB operation focusing on increased PR significantly benefited from high temperatures, with possible productivities increasing from 3.4kg(Lday)(-1) at 20°C to 5kg(Lday)(-1) at 70°C, indicating that decreased selectivity at higher temperatures could be fully compensated for by the higher mass transfer rates, as they translate into reduced switch times and hence higher PR. A DR/PR Pareto optimization suggested a similar but even more pronounced trend also under relaxed PU requirements, with the PR increasing from 4.3kg(Lday)(-1) to a maximum of 7.8kg(Lday)(-1) for SMB operation at 50°C when the PU of the non-product stream was reduced from 99.5% to 90%. Based on the in silico optimization results experimental SMB runs were performed yielding considerable PRs of 1.9 (30°C), 2.4 (50°C) and 2.6kg(Lday)(-1) (70°C) with rather low DR (27L per kg of rare sugar produced) on a

The TROVE module: A common element in Telomerase, Ro and Vault ribonucleoproteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bateman Alex

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ribonucleoproteins carry out a variety of important tasks in the cell. In this study we show that a number of these contain a novel module, that we speculate mediates RNA-binding. Results The TROVE module – Telomerase, Ro and Vault module – is found in TEP1 and Ro60 the protein components of three ribonucleoprotein particles. This novel module, consisting of one or more domains, may be involved in binding the RNA components of the three RNPs, which are telomerase RNA, Y RNA and vault RNA. A second conserved region in these proteins is shown to be a member of the vWA domain family. The vWA domain in TEP1 is closely related to the previously recognised vWA domain in VPARP a second component of the vault particle. This vWA domain may mediate interactions between these vault components or bind as yet unidentified components of the RNPs. Conclusions This work suggests that a number of ribonucleoprotein components use a common RNA-binding module. The TROVE module is also found in bacterial ribonucleoproteins suggesting an ancient origin for these ribonucleoproteins.

Apical transport of influenza A virus ribonucleoprotein requires Rab11-positive recycling endosome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fumitaka Momose

Full Text Available Influenza A virus RNA genome exists as eight-segmented ribonucleoprotein complexes containing viral RNA polymerase and nucleoprotein (vRNPs. Packaging of vRNPs and virus budding take place at the apical plasma membrane (APM. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of apical transport of newly synthesized vRNP. Transfection of fluorescent-labeled antibody and subsequent live cell imaging revealed that punctate vRNP signals moved along microtubules rapidly but intermittently in both directions, suggestive of vesicle trafficking. Using a series of Rab family protein, we demonstrated that progeny vRNP localized to recycling endosome (RE in an active/GTP-bound Rab11-dependent manner. The vRNP interacted with Rab11 through viral RNA polymerase. The localization of vRNP to RE and subsequent accumulation to the APM were impaired by overexpression of Rab binding domains (RBD of Rab11 family interacting proteins (Rab11-FIPs. Similarly, no APM accumulation was observed by overexpression of class II Rab11-FIP mutants lacking RBD. These results suggest that the progeny vRNP makes use of Rab11-dependent RE machinery for APM trafficking.

46 CFR 182.465 - Ventilation of spaces containing diesel machinery.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... furnish natural or powered supply and exhaust ventilation. The total inlet area and the total outlet area... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Ventilation of spaces containing diesel machinery. 182... Ventilation of spaces containing diesel machinery. (a) A space containing diesel machinery must be fitted with...

Report on achievements in fiscal 1999. Research and development of electric power storage using high-temperature super-conductive flywheels (research and development on manufacture of super-conductive magnetic bearings); 1999 nendo koon chodendo flywheel denryoku chozo kenkyu kaihatsu. Chodendo jiki jikuuke no seisaku no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-05-01

Introduction of electric power storage equipment is sought, which will be discretely installed in power distribution substations. Therefore, elementary technologies were researched on 'manufacture of super-conductive magnetic bearings' intended for practical application of an electric power storage system of 10-MWh class using high-temperature super-conductive flywheels. Research and development has been performed on different kinds of super-conductive magnetic bearings which combine high-temperature super-conductive materials with permanent magnets. In order to measure the characteristics of the super-conductive magnetic bearings, measurements were executed on rotation loss, loading power and bearing constants. In the measurement of the rotation loss, a {phi} 180 axial type super-conductive magnetic bearing using an Sm-based superconductor ({phi} 180AxSMB2) was given various kinds of tests by using a rotation loss measuring and testing machine. The results were compared with those for the {phi} 180AxSMB1 using the YBCO-based superconductor and other SMBs. In the measurements for the other items, various items were measured on dynamic rotation properties of the {phi} 180AxSMB and {phi} 180RaSMB by using a static bearing constant testing machine. In discussing the loading power characteristics, the dynamic rotation properties of the {phi} 180RaSMB were measured, and the loading power characteristics were discussed on super-conductive magnetic bearings for medium size models and super-conductive magnetic bearings for large system FS. (NEDO)

Proterozoic orogenic belts and rifting of Indian cratons: Geophysical constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.C. Mishra

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Aravalli–Delhi and Satpura Mobile Belts (ADMB and SMB and the Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt (EGMB in India form major Proterozoic mobile belts with adjoining cratons and contemporary basins. The most convincing features of the ADMB and the SMB have been the crustal layers dipping from both sides in opposite directions, crustal thickening (∼45 km and high density and high conductivity rocks in upper/lower crust associated with faults/thrusts. These observations indicate convergence while domal type reflectors in the lower crust suggest an extensional rifting phase. In case of the SMB, even the remnant of the subducting slab characterized by high conductive and low density slab in lithospheric mantle up to ∼120 km across the Purna–Godavari river faults has been traced which may be caused by fluids due to metamorphism. Subduction related intrusives of the SMB south of it and the ADMB west of it suggest N–S and E–W directed convergence and subduction during Meso–Neoproterozoic convergence. The simultaneous E–W convergence between the Bundelkhand craton and Marwar craton (Western Rajasthan across the ADMB and the N–S convergence between the Bundelkhand craton and the Bhandara and Dharwar cratons across the SMB suggest that the forces of convergence might have been in a NE–SW direction with E–W and N–S components in the two cases, respectively. This explains the arcuate shaped collision zone of the ADMB and the SMB which are connected in their western part. The Eastern Ghat Mobile Belt (EGMB also shows signatures of E–W directed Meso–Neoproterozoic convergence with East Antarctica similar to ADMB in north India. Foreland basins such as Vindhyan (ADMB–SMB, and Kurnool (EGMB Supergroups of rocks were formed during this convergence. Older rocks such as Aravalli (ADMB, Mahakoshal–Bijawar (SMB, and Cuddapah (EGMB Supergroups of rocks with several basic/ultrabasic intrusives along these mobile belts, plausibly formed during

Advances in the design of superconducting magnetic bearings for static and dynamic applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siems, S O; Canders, W-R

2005-01-01

Theoretical and experimental studies have led to an overall design for superconducting magnetic bearings (SMB) that is suitable to meet the requirements of industrial applications. The main benefits are high load capacities, compact dimensions and a 'warm' suspended part of the application. Two applications have been designed with a suspension provided only by SMB; one has already been built and tested successfully

Immunoelectron microscopic characterization of nucleolus-associated domains during hibernation.

Science.gov (United States)

Malatesta, Manuela; Zancanaro, Carlo; Biggiogera, Marco

2011-01-01

The nucleolus represents a highly dynamic nuclear compartment involved in multiple functions and able to promptly respond to variations of metabolic needs. In the hibernator dormouse, which drastically modifies its metabolic activity during the seasonal cycle, the nucleolus undergoes structural and molecular changes during the torpor bouts; in particular, it shows many nucleoplasmic invaginations containing weakly contrasted areas of unknown nature. To analyze the molecular composition of these nucleolus-associated domains (NADs) and to understand their functional significance, the fine nucleolar composition has been investigated by means of ultrastructural immunocytochemistry in different tissues of euthermic, hibernating, and arousing hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius): in particular, the intranucleolar location of several protein factors involved in the transcription and processing of either pre-rRNA or pre-mRNA has been considered. NADs proved to form during hibernation and disappear upon arousal and were found to contain m₃-G-capped snRNAs, snRNPs, hnRNPs, and the survival motor neuron protein; they were, on the contrary, devoid of the nucleolar factors tested (polymerase I, fibrillarin, nucleolin, and the ribosomal phosphoproteins P₀, P₁, and P₂). We hypothesize that NADs may represent a transient storage site for those molecules involved in the pre-mRNA splicing, which usually transit through the nucleolus; upon arousal, this would facilitate the resumption of RNA maturation by promoting the rapid reactivation of the molecular trafficking from the nucleolus. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Drosophila SMN complex proteins Gemin2, Gemin3, and Gemin5 are components of U bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cauchi, Ruben J.; Sanchez-Pulido, Luis; Liu, Ji-Long

2010-01-01

Uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (U snRNPs) play key roles in pre-mRNA processing in the nucleus. The assembly of most U snRNPs takes place in the cytoplasm and is facilitated by the survival motor neuron (SMN) complex. Discrete cytoplasmic RNA granules called U bodies have been proposed to be specific sites for snRNP assembly because they contain U snRNPs and SMN. U bodies invariably associate with P bodies, which are involved in mRNA decay and translational control. However, it remains unknown whether other SMN complex proteins also localise to U bodies. In Drosophila there are four SMN complex proteins, namely SMN, Gemin2/CG10419, Gemin3 and Gemin5/Rigor mortis. Drosophila Gemin3 was originally identified as the Drosophila orthologue of human and yeast Dhh1, a component of P bodies. Through an in silico analysis of the DEAD-box RNA helicases we confirmed that Gemin3 is the bona fide Drosophila orthologue of vertebrate Gemin3 whereas the Drosophila orthologue of Dhh1 is Me31B. We then made use of the Drosophila egg chamber as a model system to study the subcellular distribution of the Gemin proteins as well as Me31B. Our cytological investigations show that Gemin2, Gemin3 and Gemin5 colocalise with SMN in U bodies. Although they are excluded from P bodies, as components of U bodies, Gemin2, Gemin3 and Gemin5 are consistently found associated with P bodies, wherein Me31B resides. In addition to a role in snRNP biogenesis, SMN complexes residing in U bodies may also be involved in mRNP assembly and/or transport.

Drosophila SMN complex proteins Gemin2, Gemin3, and Gemin5 are components of U bodies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cauchi, Ruben J.; Sanchez-Pulido, Luis [MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX (United Kingdom); Liu, Ji-Long, E-mail: jilong.liu@dpag.ox.ac.uk [MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX (United Kingdom)

2010-08-15

Uridine-rich small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (U snRNPs) play key roles in pre-mRNA processing in the nucleus. The assembly of most U snRNPs takes place in the cytoplasm and is facilitated by the survival motor neuron (SMN) complex. Discrete cytoplasmic RNA granules called U bodies have been proposed to be specific sites for snRNP assembly because they contain U snRNPs and SMN. U bodies invariably associate with P bodies, which are involved in mRNA decay and translational control. However, it remains unknown whether other SMN complex proteins also localise to U bodies. In Drosophila there are four SMN complex proteins, namely SMN, Gemin2/CG10419, Gemin3 and Gemin5/Rigor mortis. Drosophila Gemin3 was originally identified as the Drosophila orthologue of human and yeast Dhh1, a component of P bodies. Through an in silico analysis of the DEAD-box RNA helicases we confirmed that Gemin3 is the bona fide Drosophila orthologue of vertebrate Gemin3 whereas the Drosophila orthologue of Dhh1 is Me31B. We then made use of the Drosophila egg chamber as a model system to study the subcellular distribution of the Gemin proteins as well as Me31B. Our cytological investigations show that Gemin2, Gemin3 and Gemin5 colocalise with SMN in U bodies. Although they are excluded from P bodies, as components of U bodies, Gemin2, Gemin3 and Gemin5 are consistently found associated with P bodies, wherein Me31B resides. In addition to a role in snRNP biogenesis, SMN complexes residing in U bodies may also be involved in mRNP assembly and/or transport.

Total Quality Management Seminar.

Science.gov (United States)

Massachusetts Career Development Inst., Springfield.

This booklet is one of six texts from a workplace literacy curriculum designed to assist learners in facing the increased demands of the workplace. The booklet contains seven sections that cover the following topics: (1) meaning of total quality management (TQM); (2) the customer; (3) the organization's culture; (4) comparison of management…

Interactions between Parenteral Lipid Emulsions and Container Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonyon, Thomas; Tomaso, Anthony E; Kotha, Priyanka; Owen, Heather; Patel, Dipa; Carter, Phillip W; Cronin, Jim; Green, John-Bruce D

2013-01-01

To evaluate the relationship between changes in emulsion globule size distributions and container uptake of lipid emulsions in total nutrient admixtures. A total nutrient admixture was prepared from a commercial lipid emulsion, 20% ClinOleic®, separated into glass (borosilicate) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) plastic containers, and then stored at ambient conditions for approximately 24 h. The large globule size distribution was monitored continuously for both containers, and the quantity of triglycerides associated with both containers was measured by liquid chromatography. The changes in mass of the EVA containers were also measured gravimetrically. The volume percent of globules greater than 5 microns in diameter (PFAT5) levels for an emulsion admixture in EVA containers showed a 75% reduction compared to a marginal decrease of PFAT5 when in the glass container. Extraction of the containers showed that the quantity of triglycerides associated with the EVA surfaces steadily increased with emulsion exposure time, while the glass showed a significantly lower triglyceride content compared to the EVA. Gravimetric measurements confirmed that the EVA containers gained significant mass during exposure to the emulsion admixture. A time-dependent decrease in PFAT5 values for an emulsion admixture was associated with container triglyceride absorption where EVA containers had a greater uptake than glass containers. The larger globules appear to absorb preferentially, and the admixture globule size distribution fraction represented by PFAT5 accounts for 15-20% of the total triglyceride adsorption to the container. The goal of this work is to evaluate how emulsions in total nutrition admixtures are affected by the containers within which they are stored. Specifically, the study examines how the emulsion globule size distribution in different containers is related to adsorption or absorption of the lipids onto or into the container. The admixtures were prepared from a

NucleDyne's passive containment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falls, O.B. Jr.; Kleimola, F.W.

1987-01-01

A simple definition of the passive containment system is that it is a total safeguards system for light water reactors designed to prevent and contain any accidental release of radioactivity. Its passive features utilize the natural laws of physics and thermodynamics. The system encompasses three basic containments constructed as one integrated structure on the reactor building foundation. The primary containment encloses the reactor pressure vessel and coolant system and passive engineered safety systems and components. Auxiliary containment enclosures house auxiliary systems and components. Secondary containment (the reactor building), housing the primary and auxiliary containment structures, provides a second containment barrier as added defense-in-depth against leakage of radioactivity for all accidents assumed by the industry. The generic features of the passive containment system are applicable to both the boiling water reactors and the pressurized water reactors as standardized features for all power ranges. These features provide for a zero source term, the industry's ultimate safety goal. This paper relates to a four-loop pressurized water reactor

The crystal structure and RNA-binding of an orthomyxovirus nucleoprotein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjie Zheng

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Genome packaging for viruses with segmented genomes is often a complex problem. This is particularly true for influenza viruses and other orthomyxoviruses, whose genome consists of multiple negative-sense RNAs encapsidated as ribonucleoprotein (RNP complexes. To better understand the structural features of orthomyxovirus RNPs that allow them to be packaged, we determined the crystal structure of the nucleoprotein (NP of a fish orthomyxovirus, the infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV (genus Isavirus. As the major protein component of the RNPs, ISAV-NP possesses a bi-lobular structure similar to the influenza virus NP. Because both RNA-free and RNA-bound ISAV NP forms stable dimers in solution, we were able to measure the NP RNA binding affinity as well as the stoichiometry using recombinant proteins and synthetic oligos. Our RNA binding analysis revealed that each ISAV-NP binds ~12 nts of RNA, shorter than the 24-28 nts originally estimated for the influenza A virus NP based on population average. The 12-nt stoichiometry was further confirmed by results from electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Considering that RNPs of ISAV and the influenza viruses have similar morphologies and dimensions, our findings suggest that NP-free RNA may exist on orthomyxovirus RNPs, and selective RNP packaging may be accomplished through direct RNA-RNA interactions.

Simulation assessment of continuous simulating moving bed chromatography process with partial feed and new strategy with partial feed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Khan

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Partial Feed simulating moving bed (SMB has proved to be more efficient in binary separation performance (purity, recovery, productivity because of its two additional degrees of freedom, namely feed length and feed time, as compared to classical SMB process. The binary separation of dextran T6 and fructose with linear isotherm is modeled with Aspen Chromatography simulator in a four zone SMB with one column per zone for both normal-feed and Partial Feed. Increase in number of feed length and feed time in the cycle plays a very important role in the separation performance with Partial Feed. In addition, the effect of mode of operation (early or late introduction of increase in number of feed length in the cycle on product purity and recovery is also investigated. Furthermore, the binary separation system is designed with the safety margin method and the optimum operating parameters for simulation are calculated with triangle theory. Finally, a new strategy with Partial Feed is developed, showing improved separation performance relative to the basic four-zone SMB with regard to extract stream purity and recovery. The results of the proposed study can served as a useful summary of Partial Feed operation.

Perceptions of Unprofessional Social Media Behavior Among Emergency Medicine Physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Soares, William; Shenvi, Christina; Waller, Nikki; Johnson, Reuben; Hodgson, Carol S

2017-02-01

Use of social media (SM) by physicians has exposed issues of privacy and professionalism. While guidelines have been created for SM use, details regarding specific SM behaviors that could lead to disciplinary action presently do not exist. To compare State Medical Board (SMB) directors' perceptions of investigation for specific SM behaviors with those of emergency medicine (EM) physicians. A multicenter anonymous survey was administered to physicians at 3 academic EM residency programs. Surveys consisted of case vignettes, asking, "If the SMB were informed of the content, how likely would they be to initiate an investigation, possibly leading to disciplinary action?" (1, very unlikely, to 4, very likely). Results were compared to published probabilities using exact binomial testing. Of 205 eligible physicians, 119 (58%) completed the survey. Compared to SMB directors, EM physicians indicated similar probabilities of investigation for themes involving identifying patient images, inappropriate communication, and discriminatory speech. Participants indicated lower probabilities of investigation for themes including derogatory speech (32%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 24-41 versus 46%, P  social identity, compared to SMB directors, particularly for images of alcohol and derogatory speech.

Elucidating the contributions of multiple aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenases to butanol and ethanol production in Clostridium acetobutylicum.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Zongjie; Dong, Hongjun; Zhang, Yanping; Li, Yin

2016-06-20

Ethanol and butanol biosynthesis in Clostridium acetobutylicum share common aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenases. However, little is known about the relative contributions of these multiple dehydrogenases to ethanol and butanol production respectively. The contributions of six aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenases of C. acetobutylicum on butanol and ethanol production were evaluated through inactivation of the corresponding genes respectively. For butanol production, the relative contributions from these enzymes were: AdhE1 > BdhB > BdhA ≈ YqhD > SMB_P058 > AdhE2. For ethanol production, the contributions were: AdhE1 > BdhB > YqhD > SMB_P058 > AdhE2 > BdhA. AdhE1 and BdhB are two essential enzymes for butanol and ethanol production. AdhE1 was relatively specific for butanol production over ethanol, while BdhB, YqhD, and SMB_P058 favor ethanol production over butanol. Butanol synthesis was increased in the adhE2 mutant, which had a higher butanol/ethanol ratio (8.15:1) compared with wild type strain (6.65:1). Both the SMB_P058 mutant and yqhD mutant produced less ethanol without loss of butanol formation, which led to higher butanol/ethanol ratio, 10.12:1 and 10.17:1, respectively. To engineer a more efficient butanol-producing strain, adhE1 could be overexpressed, furthermore, adhE2, SMB_P058, yqhD are promising gene inactivation targets. This work provides useful information guiding future strain improvement for butanol production.

A Survey of Empty Container Flow Balance in Turkish Ports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ünal ÖZDEMİR

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Container transportation is the most preferred maritime commercial freight distribution in entire world except liquefied product transportation by tankers and bulk carriers. Totally 95% volume of general cargo is transported by container ships in the world due to fast, cheap and safe carrying potential of the goods transfer. Containerization has become recent phenomena in the field of maritime transportation and the quantity of goods transported by containers is increasing day by day as well as the total container number to use for the commercial activity. Due to very high mobility in the field of container transportation, port traffic estimation, availability of containers, storage, deposition and allocation of empty containers have become recent problems in maritime transportation area. In this study some major container ports of Turkey which are stand for 80 % of total container operations are analyzed to seek for empty container balance. After detailed statistical evaluation of national container transportation figures for Haydarpaşa, Kumport, İzmir, Mardaş, Marport and Mersin, several interviews and discussions have been made with port authorities and governing departments. As a result, it is observed that there is no empty container accumulation problem in the examined ports except Haydarpaşa and Kumport. Based on general statistics, Turkish container ports currently do not suffer from empty container problem as overall container circulation close to equilibrium but the problem has a potential to create a risk on developing international trade of Turkey.

Scopolamine methylbromide mitigates radiation induced damage and lethality in zebrafish

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrivastava, Nitisha; Joshi, Jayadev; Ghosh, Subhajit; Dimri, Manali; Prem Kumar, Indracanti; Sehgal, Neeta

2014-01-01

In view of the strategic importance radiation countermeasures hold, the present study was undertaken to screen a collection of small molecule clinical compounds for possible radioprotective action using zebrafish as a model system. Preliminary screening in developing zebrafish embryos (24 hour post fertilization, (hpf)) using damage manifestations and survival as end point identified scopolamine methylbromide (SMB), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, as a potential radiomitigator. It was found to be optimal (60% survival advantage after 6 th post irradiation day) at a dose of 80 μM when added 3 h post 20 Gy exposure. Mechanistic studies suggested that SMB though exhibited no significant antioxidant potential, but was found to limit radiation induced apoptosis (pre G1 population) quantified through flow cytometry (6 and 5% reduction after 8 or 24 h after treatments) and annexin V staining (8% reduction). Further, quantitative analysis, using caspase 3 assay, revealed a 2.46 fold increase in apoptosis in irradiated group and treatment of irradiated zebrafish embryos with SMB led to a significant reduction in global apoptosis (1.7 fold; p<0.05) when compared to irradiated group. In silico studies based on structural and functional similarity with known radioprotectors suggested similarities with atropine, a known anti-inflammatory agent with muscarinic antagonism and radioprotective potential. In view of this SMB was tested, in silico, for possible anti-inflammatory action. Molecular docking studies revealed that SMB interacts (B.E-8.0 Kcal/mole) with cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2). In lieu of this, anti-inflammation activity was assessed through ChIN (chemically induced inflammation) method in 3 dpf (days post fertilization) embryos and SMB was found to significantly inhibit inflammation at all doses studied from 20-200 μM at 3 and 6 hpi (hours post inflammation). Overall the result suggests that scopolamine methylbromide mitigates radiation induced injury and lethality in

Continuous processing of recombinant proteins: integration of refolding and purification using simulated moving bed size-exclusion chromatography with buffer recycling.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellhoefer, Martin; Sprinzl, Wolfgang; Hahn, Rainer; Jungbauer, Alois

2014-04-11

Continuous processing of recombinant proteins was accomplished by combining continuous matrix-assisted refolding and purification by tandem simulated moving bed (SMB) size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Recombinant proteins, N(pro) fusion proteins from inclusion bodies were dissolved with NaOH and refolded in the SMB system with a closed-loop set-up with refolding buffer as the desorbent buffer and buffer recycling of the refolding buffer of the raffinate by tangential flow filtration. For further purification of the refolded proteins, a second SMB operation also based on SEC was added. The whole system could be operated isocratically with refolding buffer as the desorbent buffer, and buffer recycling could also be applied in the purification step. Thus, a significant reduction in buffer consumption was achieved. The system was evaluated with two proteins, the N(pro) fusion pep6His and N(pro) fusion MCP-1. Refolding solution, which contained residual N(pro) fusion peptide, the cleaved autoprotease N(pro), and the cleaved target peptide was used as feed solution. Full separation of the cleaved target peptide from residual proteins was achieved at a purity and recovery in the raffinate and extract, respectively, of approximately 100%. In addition, more than 99% of the refolding buffer of the raffinate was recycled. A comparison of throughput, productivity, and buffer consumption of the integrated continuous process with two batch processes demonstrated that up to 60-fold higher throughput, up to 180-fold higher productivity, and at least 28-fold lower buffer consumption can be obtained by the integrated continuous process, which compensates for the higher complexity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SORCE Level 3 Total Solar Irradiance Daily Average V016

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) data set SOR3TSID contains the total solar irradiance (a.k.a solar constant) data collected by the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM)...

Spinal muscular atrophy: Selective motor neuron loss and global defect in the assembly of ribonucleoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Beattie, Christine E; Kolb, Stephen J

2018-08-15

Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by deletions or mutations in the SMN1 gene that result in reduced expression of the SMN protein. The SMN protein is an essential molecular chaperone that is required for the biogenesis of multiple ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes including spliceosomal small nuclear RNPs (snRNPs). Reductions in SMN expression result in a reduced abundance of snRNPs and to downstream RNA splicing alterations. SMN is also present in axons and dendrites and appears to have important roles in the formation of neuronal mRNA-protein complexes during development or neuronal repair. Thus, SMA is an exemplar, selective motor neuron disorder that is caused by defects in fundamental RNA processing events. A detailed molecular understanding of how motor neurons fail, and why other neurons do not, in SMA will yield important principals about motor neuron maintenance and neuronal specificity in neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A low thermal mass fast gas chromatograph and its implementation in fast gas chromatography mass spectrometry with supersonic molecular beams.

Science.gov (United States)

Fialkov, Alexander B; Moragn, Mati; Amirav, Aviv

2011-12-30

A new type of low thermal mass (LTM) fast gas chromatograph (GC) was designed and operated in combination with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with supersonic molecular beams (SMB), including GC-MS-MS with SMB, thereby providing a novel combination with unique capabilities. The LTM fast GC is based on a short capillary column inserted inside a stainless steel tube that is resistively heated. It is located and mounted outside the standard GC oven on its available top detector port, while the capillary column is connected as usual to the standard GC injector and supersonic molecular beam interface transfer line. This new type of fast GC-MS with SMB enables less than 1 min full range temperature programming and cooling down analysis cycle time. The operation of the fast GC-MS with SMB was explored and 1 min full analysis cycle time of a mixture of 16 hydrocarbons in the C(10)H(22) up to C(44)H(90) range was achieved. The use of 35 mL/min high column flow rate enabled the elution of C(44)H(90) in less than 45 s while the SMB interface enabled splitless acceptance of this high flow rate and the provision of dominant molecular ions. A novel compound 9-benzylazidanthracene was analyzed for its purity and a synthetic chemistry process was monitored for the optimization of the chemical reaction yield. Biodiesel was analyzed in jet fuel (by both GC-MS and GC-MS-MS) in under 1 min as 5 ppm fatty acid methyl esters. Authentic iprodion and cypermethrin pesticides were analyzed in grapes extract in both full scan mode and fast GC-MS-MS mode in under 1 min cycle time and explosive mixture including TATP, TNT and RDX was analyzed in under 1 min combined with exhibiting dominant molecular ion for TATP. Fast GC-MS with SMB is based on trading GC separation for speed of analysis while enhancing the separation power of the MS via the enhancement of the molecular ion in the electron ionization of cold molecules in the SMB. This paper further discusses several features of

Nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana em solo de Cerrado com aplicação de fertilizante nitrogenado Microbial biomass nitrogen in cerrado soil with nitrogen fertilizer application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thais Rodrigues Coser

2007-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da adubação nitrogenada no nitrogênio da biomassa microbiana do solo (N BMS, em diferentes profundidades, em um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo cultivado com cevada. O experimento foi instalado em junho de 2004, em área experimental de primeiro ano de plantio direto, anteriormente cultivada com milheto por três anos e posteriormente com soja por duas safras. Foram utilizados os seguintes tratamentos: quatro doses de nitrogênio (30, 60, 90 e 120 kg ha-1 e o controle sem adubação nitrogenada. As amostras de solo foram coletadas em quatro profundidades: 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 e 20-30 cm, com três repetições e em três épocas: perfilhamento pleno, floração e logo após a colheita. O N BMS e a razão N BMS:Ntotal diminuíram com a profundidade. Doses mais elevadas de nitrogênio não aumentaram o N BMS. O Ntotal não foi alterado nas diferentes doses de nitrogênio, mas diminuiu com a profundidade. Houve correlação negativa entre o N BMS e o pH do solo em todas as doses de nitrogênio, com exceção na dose zero. Houve também, correlação positiva entre a razão N BMS:Ntotal e o N BMS, porém não entre a razão N BMS:Ntotal e o Ntotal.The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen doses and soil depths on soil microbial biomass nitrogen (N SMB in a sandy textured Oxisol, cultivated with barley. The experiment was established in June, 2004, in an area which had been cultivated with millet for three years and subsequently with soya beans for two seasons. The treatments were four doses of nitrogen (30, 60, 90 e 120 kg ha-1 and a control without any dose. Soil samples were collected in four depths: 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 e 20-30 cm, comprising three replicates and three sampling periods: tillering, flowering and right after the harvest. The N SMB and N SMB:Ntotal decreased according to depth. Higher doses of nitrogen did not increase the N SMB. The Ntotal was not altered with

Total electron scattering cross sections of molecules containing H, C, N, O and F in the energy range 0.2–6.0 keV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gurung, Meera Devi; Ariyasinghe, W.M., E-mail: wickram_ariyasinghe@baylor.edu

2017-03-15

Based on the effective atomic total electron scattering cross sections (EATCS) of atoms in a molecular environment, a simple model is proposed to predict the total electron scattering cross sections (TCS) of H, C, N, O, and F containing molecules. The EATCS for these five atoms are reported for 0.2–6.0 keV energies. The predicted TCS by this model are compared with experimental TCS in the literature. The experimental TCS of CHF{sub 3}, C{sub 2}F{sub 4}, C{sub 2}F{sub 2}H{sub 2}, C{sub 4}F{sub 6}, and c-C{sub 4}F{sub 8} have been obtained for 0.2–4.5 keV electrons by measuring the attenuation of the electron beam through a gas cell.

Analysis of Container Yard Capacity In North TPK Using ARIMA Method

Science.gov (United States)

Sirajuddin; Cut Gebrina Hisbach, M.; Ekawati, Ratna; Ade Irman, SM

2018-03-01

North container terminal known as North TPK is container terminal located in Indonesia Port Corporation area serving domestic container loading and unloading. It has 1006 ground slots with a total capacity of 5,544 TEUs and the maximum throughput of containers is 539,616 TEUs / year. Container throughput in the North TPK is increasing year by year. In 2011-2012, the North TPK container throughput is 165,080 TEUs / year and in 2015-2016 has reached 213,147 TEUs / year. To avoid congestion, and prevent possible losses in the future, this paper will analyze the flow of containers and the level of Yard Occupation Ratio in the North TPK at Tanjung Priok Port. The method used is the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Model. ARIMA is a model that completely ignores independent variables in making forecasting. ARIMA results show that in 2016-2017 the total throughput of containers reached 234,006 TEUs / year with field effectiveness of 43.4% and in 2017-2018 the total throughput of containers reached 249,417 TEUs / year with field effectiveness 46.2%.

Determination of total dietary fiber in selected foods containing resistant maltodextrin by a simplified enzymatic-gravimetric method and liquid chromatography: interlaboratory study in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Boqiang; Wang, Jing; Roturier, Jean Michel; Tang, Zhiyu; Li, Huan; Wei, Guangyan

2008-01-01

An interlaboratory study was conducted in China to validate the modified AOAC Official Method 2001.03 for the determination of total dietary fiber (TDF) in foods containing resistant maltodextrin (RMD), which will be adopted as the National Standard Method of China. The kind of buffer solution, the volume of filtrate evaporation, the volume of eluent for desalting and residual solution after evaporation, etc. were modified, which had been proved to have acceptable accuracy and precision in the routine assay. TDF contents in 3 representative foods and 2 kinds of RMD ingredient (i.e., NUTRIOSE 06 and NUTRIOSE 10) were measured using the modified method in 6 eligible laboratories representing commercial, industrial, and governmental laboratories in China. The results of the interlaboratory study indicated that the intralaboratory repeatability, interlaboratory reproducibility, and precision of the modified method are adequate for reliable analysis of TDF in food containing RMD, as well as resistant dextrin. Compared to AOAC Official Method 2001.03, the modified method is time- and cost-saving.

The effect of shade on the container index and pupal productivity of the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens breeding in artificial containers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vezzani, D; Albicócco, A P

2009-03-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether certain attributes of larval breeding sites are correlated with pupal productivity (i.e. numbers of pupae collected per sampling period), so that these could be used as the focus for control measures to enhance control efficiency. Therefore, the objectives were to identify the months of highest pupal productivity of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in an urban temperate cemetery in Argentina where artificial containers of containers and to determine whether the composition of the containers affected pupal productivity. Over a period of 9 months, 200 randomly chosen water-filled containers (100 sunlit and 100 shaded), out of approximately 3738 containers present (approximately 54% in shade), were examined each month within a cemetery (5 ha) in Buenos Aires (October 2006 to June 2007). In total, 3440 immatures of Cx pipiens and 1974 of Ae. aegypti were collected. The larvae : pupae ratio was 10 times greater for the former, indicating that larval mortality was greater for Cx pipiens. Both mosquito species showed a higher container index (CI) in shaded than in sunlit containers (Ae. aegypti: 12.8% vs. 6.9% [chi(2) = 17.6, P container and the number of pupae per pupa-positive container did not differ significantly between sunlit and shaded containers for either species. Therefore, the overall relative productivity of pupae per ha of Ae. aegypti and Cx pipiens was 2.3 and 1.8 times greater, respectively, in shaded than in sunlit areas as a result of the greater CIs of containers in shaded areas. Neither the CI nor the number of immatures per infested container differed significantly among container types of different materials in either lighting condition. The maximum CI and total pupal counts occurred in March for Ae. aegypti and in January and February for Cx pipiens. The estimated peak abundance of pupae in the whole cemetery reached a total of approximately 4388 in the middle of March for Ae

Population Exposure to Phthalate-Containing Drugs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broe, Anne; Ennis, Zandra Nymand; Pottegård, Anton

2017-01-01

Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors. Not commonly recognised, phthalates are used as excipients in a number of drug formulations. We aimed to describe the sale of phthalate-containing drugs in Denmark from 2004 to 2015. National data on annual sale of medications (tablets only) were accessed...... from medstat.dk. Data from the Danish Medicines Agency on phthalate content per tablet were merged with data on total sale for each active substance and drug formulation. We used the 'defined daily dose' (DDD) as the unit of sale and calculated the total amount of phthalate (mg) dispensed per 1......,000 inhabitants. Specific tablet content was compared with the maximum daily exposure limits defined by regulatory agencies for diethylphthalate (DEP) and dibutylphthalate (DBP) of 4.0 and 0.01 mg/kg/day, respectively. Use of phthalate-containing drugs in Denmark was common. We found 154 drug products containing...

Estimating the Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance contribution to future sea level rise using the regional atmospheric climate model MAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Fettweis

2013-03-01

Full Text Available To estimate the sea level rise (SLR originating from changes in surface mass balance (SMB of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS, we present 21st century climate projections obtained with the regional climate model MAR (Modèle Atmosphérique Régional, forced by output of three CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 general circulation models (GCMs. Our results indicate that in a warmer climate, mass gain from increased winter snowfall over the GrIS does not compensate mass loss through increased meltwater run-off in summer. Despite the large spread in the projected near-surface warming, all the MAR projections show similar non-linear increase of GrIS surface melt volume because no change is projected in the general atmospheric circulation over Greenland. By coarsely estimating the GrIS SMB changes from GCM output, we show that the uncertainty from the GCM-based forcing represents about half of the projected SMB changes. In 2100, the CMIP5 ensemble mean projects a GrIS SMB decrease equivalent to a mean SLR of +4 ± 2 cm and +9 ± 4 cm for the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios respectively. These estimates do not consider the positive melt–elevation feedback, although sensitivity experiments using perturbed ice sheet topographies consistent with the projected SMB changes demonstrate that this is a significant feedback, and highlight the importance of coupling regional climate models to an ice sheet model. Such a coupling will allow the assessment of future response of both surface processes and ice-dynamic changes to rising temperatures, as well as their mutual feedbacks.

CryoEM structures of two spliceosomal complexes: starter and dessert at the spliceosome feast.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thi Hoang Duong; Galej, Wojciech P; Fica, Sebastian M; Lin, Pei-Chun; Newman, Andrew J; Nagai, Kiyoshi

2016-02-01

The spliceosome is formed on pre-mRNA substrates from five small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (U1, U2, U4/U6 and U5 snRNPs), and numerous non-snRNP factors. Saccharomyces cerevisiae U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP comprises U5 snRNA, U4/U6 snRNA duplex and approximately 30 proteins and represents a substantial part of the spliceosome before activation. Schizosaccharomyces pombe U2.U6.U5 spliceosomal complex is a post-catalytic intron lariat spliceosome containing U2 and U5 snRNPs, NTC (nineteen complex), NTC-related proteins (NTR), U6 snRNA, and an RNA intron lariat. Two recent papers describe near-complete atomic structures of these complexes based on cryoEM single-particle analysis. The U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP structure provides crucial insight into the activation mechanism of the spliceosome. The U2.U6.U5 complex reveals the striking architecture of NTC and NTR and important features of the group II intron-like catalytic RNA core remaining after spliced mRNA is released. These two structures greatly advance our understanding of the mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Total body irradiation: current indications; L`irradiation corporelle totale: les indications actuelles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giraud, P.; Danhier, S.; Dubray, B.; Cosset, J.M. [Institut Curie, 75 - Paris (France)

1998-05-01

The choice of dose and fractionation for total body irradiation is made difficult by the large number of considerations to be taken into account. The outcome of bone marrow transplantation after total body irradiation can be understood in terms of tumor cell killing, engraftment, and normal tissue damage, each of these endpoints being influenced by irradiation-, disease-, transplant-, and patient- related factors. Interpretation of clinical data is further hampered by the overwhelming influence of logistic constraints, the small numbers of randomized studies, and the concomitant variations in total dose and fraction size or dose rate. So far, three cautious conclusions can be drawn in order to tentatively adapt the total body irradiation schedule to clinically-relevant situations. Firstly, the organs at risk for normal tissue damage (lung, liver, lens, kidney) are protected by delivering small doses per fraction at low dose rate. This suggests that, when toxicity is at stake (e.g. in children), fractionated irradiation should be preferred, provided that inter-fraction intervals are long enough. Secondly, fractionated irradiation should be avoided in case of T-cell depleted transplant, given the high risk of graft rejection in this setting. An alternative would be to increase total (or fractional) dose of fractionated total body irradiation, but this approach is likely to induce more normal tissue toxicity. Thirdly, clinical data have shown higher relapse rates in chronic myeloid leukemia after fractionated or low dose rate total body irradiation, suggesting that fractionated irradiation should not be recommended, unless total (or fractional) dose is increased. Total body irradiation-containing regimens, primarily cyclophosphamide / total body irradiation, are either equivalent to or better than the chemotherapy-only regimens, primarily busulfan / cyclophosphamide. Busulfan / cyclophosphamide certainly represents a reasonable alternative, especially in patients who

Passive cooling containment study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, J.J.; Iotti, R.C.; Wright, R.F.

1993-01-01

Pressure and temperature transients of nuclear reactor containment following postulated loss of coolant accident with a coincident station blackout due to total loss of all alternating current power are studied analytically and experimentally for the full scale NPR (New Production Reactor). All the reactor and containment cooling under this condition would rely on the passive cooling system which removes reactor decay heat and provides emergency core and containment cooling. Containment passive cooling for this study takes place in the annulus between containment steel shell and concrete shield building by natural convection air flow and thermal radiation. Various heat transfer coefficients inside annular air space were investigated by running the modified CONTEMPT code CONTEMPT-NPR. In order to verify proper heat transfer coefficient, temperature, heat flux, and velocity profiles were measured inside annular air space of the test facility which is a 24 foot (7.3m) high, steam heated inner cylinder of three foot (.91m) diameter and five and half foot (1.7m) diameter outer cylinder. Comparison of CONTEMPT-NPR and WGOTHIC was done for reduced scale NPR

Temporal and spatial distributions of contaminants in sediments of Santa Monica Bay, California

Science.gov (United States)

Bay, S.M.; Zeng, E.Y.; Lorenson, T.D.; Tran, K.; Alexander, Corrine

2003-01-01

Contaminant inputs from wastewater discharge, a major source of contamination to Santa Monica Bay (SMB), have declined drastically during the last three decades as a result of improved treatment processes and better source control. To assess the concomitant temporal changes in the SMB sediments, a study was initiated in June 1997, in which 25 box cores were collected using a stratified random sampling design. Five sediment strata corresponding to the time intervals of 1890-1920, 1932-1963, 1965-1979, 1979-1989, and 1989-1997 were identified using 210Pb dating techniques. Samples from each stratum were analyzed for metals, 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total organic carbon (TOC). Samples from the 1965-1979, 1979-1989, and 1989-1997 strata were also analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs). Sediment metal concentrations increased from 1890-1979 and were similar during the time intervals of 1965-1979, 1979-1989, and 1989-1997, although the mass emissions of trace metals from sewage inputs declined substantially during the same time period. Trace organic contamination in SMB was generally highest in sediments corresponding to deposition during the years of 1965-1979 or 1979-1989 and showed a decline in concentration in the 1989-1997 stratum. Temporal trends of contamination were greatest in sediments collected from areas near the Hyperion Treatment Plant (HTP) outfall system and on the slope of Redondo Canyon. The highest contaminant concentrations were present in sediments near the HTP 7-mile outfall in the 1965-1979 stratum. Elevated trace metal and organic concentrations were still present in the 1989-1997 stratum of most stations, suggesting that sediment contaminants have moved vertically in the sediment column since sludge discharges from the 7-mile outfall (a dominant source of contamination to the bay) ceased in 1987. The

Safety Precautions for Total Release Foggers

Science.gov (United States)

Total release foggers, also known as bug bombs, are pesticide products containing aerosol propellants that release their contents at once to fumigate an area. They can pose a hazard if used incorrectly. Find safety information and videos on this page.

Total tract nutrient digestion and milk fatty acid profile of dairy cows fed diets containing different levels of whole raw soya beans.

Science.gov (United States)

Venturelli, B C; de Freitas Júnior, J E; Takiya, C S; de Araújo, A P C; Santos, M C B; Calomeni, G D; Gardinal, R; Vendramini, T H A; Rennó, F P

2015-12-01

Whole oilseeds such as soya beans have been utilized in dairy rations to supply additional fat and protein. However, antinutritional components contained in soya beans, such as trypsin inhibitors and haemagglutinins (lectins) may alter digestibility of nutrients and consequently affect animal performance. The objective of the present experiment was to quantify the effect of different levels of whole raw soya beans in diets of dairy cows on nutrient intake, total tract digestion, nutrient balances and milk yield and composition. Sixteen mid to late-lactation cows (228 ± 20 days in milk; mean ± SD) were used in four replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design experiment with 21-d periods. Cows were assigned to each square according to milk yield and DIM. The animals were randomly allocated to treatments: control (without soya beans addition; CO), WS9, WS18 and WS27, with addition of 9%, 18% and 27% of whole raw soya bean in diet on a dry matter (DM) basis respectively. All diets contained identical forage and concentrate components and consisted of maize silage and concentrate based on ground corn and soya beans at a ratio of 60:40. There were no differences in OM, CP, NDF and NEL intakes (kg/day and MJ/day) among the treatments (p > 0.05). However, DM and NFC intakes were negatively affected (p = 0.04 and p raw soya beans for EE (p raw soya beans. However, the nutritive characteristics of excreted grains were not altered. Milk (kg), milk lactose (kg) and protein (kg) yield decreased linearly (p milk fat content (%) increased linearly (p raw soya beans inclusion. Increasing addition of whole raw soya beans affected milk fatty acid profile with a linear decrease of cis-9-trans 11CLA and total saturated FA; and linear increase of total unsaturated and C18:3 FA. Energy balance was positively affected (p = 0.03) by whole raw soya beans as well as efficiency of NEL milk/DE intake (p = 0.02). Nitrogen balance and microbial protein synthesis were not affected by whole raw soya

A Respiratory Marker Derived From Left Vagus Nerve Signals Recorded With Implantable Cuff Electrodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Sevcencu, Cristian; Nielsen, Thomas N; Kjaergaard, Benedict; Struijk, Johannes J

2018-04-01

Left vagus nerve (LVN) stimulation (LVNS) has been tested for lowering the blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension (RH). Whereas, closed-loop LVNS (CL-LVNS) driven by a BP marker may be superior to open-loop LVNS, there are situations (e.g., exercising) when hypertension is normal. Therefore, an ideal anti-RH CL-LVNS system requires a variable to avoid stimulation in such conditions, for example, a respiratory marker ideally extracted from the LVN. As the LVN conducts respiratory signals, this study aimed to investigate if such signals can be recorded using implantable means and if a marker to monitor respiration could be derived from such recordings. The experiments were performed in 14 anesthetized pigs. Five pigs were subjected to changes of the respiratory frequency and nine to changes of the respiratory volume. The LVN electroneurogram (VENG) was recorded using two cuff electrodes and the respiratory cycles (RC) using a pressure transducer. To separate the afferent and efferent VENGs, vagotomy was performed between the cuffs in the first group of pigs. The VENG was squared to derive respiration-related neural profiles (RnPs) and their correlation with the RCs was investigated in regard to timing and magnitude parameters derived from the two waveforms. The RnPs were morphologically similar with the RCs and the average RnPs represented accurate copies of the average RCs. Consequently, the lung inflation/deflation RC and RnP components had the same duration, the respiratory frequency changes affected in the same way both waveforms and the RnP amplitude increased linearly with the lung inflation in all tested pigs (R 2 values between 0.85 and 0.99). The RnPs comprise information regarding the timing and magnitude of the respiratory parameters. As those LVN profiles were derived using implantable means, this study indicates that the RnPs could serve as respiratory markers in implantable systems. © 2017 International Neuromodulation Society.

TCTE Level 3 Total Solar Irradiance Daily Means V002

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) data set TCTE3TSID contains daily averaged total solar irradiance (a.k.a solar constant) data...

Approximation for maximum pressure calculation in containment of PWR reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, A.L. de

1989-01-01

A correlation was developed to estimate the maximum pressure of dry containment of PWR following a Loss-of-Coolant Accident - LOCA. The expression proposed is a function of the total energy released to the containment by the primary circuit, of the free volume of the containment building and of the total surface are of the heat-conducting structures. The results show good agreement with those present in Final Safety Analysis Report - FSAR of several PWR's plants. The errors are in the order of ± 12%. (author) [pt

CONTAIN calculations of direct containment heating in the Surry plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.C.; Louie, D.L.Y.

1988-01-01

The draft NUREG-1150 risk analysis performed for the Surry plant identified direct containment heating (DCH) as a potentially dominant contributor to the total public risk associated with this plant. At that time, however, detailed mechanistic calculations of DCH loads were unavailable. Subsequently, a series of analyses of DCH scenarios using the CONTAIN-DCH code was performed in order to put the treatment of DCH on a firmer basis in the final draft of NUREG-1150. The present paper describes some of the results obtained for the Surry plant. A developmental model for DCH has been incorporated into CONTAIN code. This model includes mechanistic treatments of reasonably well-understood phenomena (e.g., heat and mass transfer), together with a parametric treatment of poorly understood phenomena for which mechanistic models are unavailable (e.g., debris de-entrainment from the gas stream due to debris-structure interactions). The DCH model was described in an earlier report, but the present version incorporates a number of advances, including treatment of the chemical equilibria involved in the iron-steam reaction

Comparison of the Proximate Composition, Total Carotenoids and Total Polyphenol Content of Nine Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties Grown in Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Khairul Alam

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In an attempt to develop the food composition table for Bangladesh, the nutritional composition of nine varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potato was analyzed together with total carotenoids (TCC and total polyphenol content (TPC. Each variety showed significant variation in different nutrient contents. The quantification of the TCC and TPC was done by spectrophotometric measurement, and the proximate composition was done by the AOAC method. The obtained results showed that total polyphenol content varied from 94.63 to 136.05 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE/100 g fresh weight. Among the selected sweet potatoes, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI Sweet Potato 7 (SP7 contained the highest, whereas BARI SP6 contained the lowest amount of total polyphenol content. The obtained results also revealed that total carotenoids content ranged from 0.38 to 7.24 mg/100 g fresh weight. BARI SP8 showed the highest total carotenoids content, whereas BARI SP6 showed the lowest. Total carotenoids content was found to be higher in dark orange-colored flesh varieties than their light-colored counterparts. The results of the study indicated that selected sweet potato varieties are rich in protein and carbohydrate, low in fat, high in polyphenol and carotenoids and, thus, could be a good source of dietary antioxidants to prevent free radical damage, which leads to chronic diseases, and also to prevent vitamin A malnutrition.

Comparison of the Proximate Composition, Total Carotenoids and Total Polyphenol Content of Nine Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties Grown in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Alam, Mohammad Khairul; Rana, Ziaul Hasan; Islam, Sheikh Nazrul

2016-09-14

In an attempt to develop the food composition table for Bangladesh, the nutritional composition of nine varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potato was analyzed together with total carotenoids (TCC) and total polyphenol content (TPC). Each variety showed significant variation in different nutrient contents. The quantification of the TCC and TPC was done by spectrophotometric measurement, and the proximate composition was done by the AOAC method. The obtained results showed that total polyphenol content varied from 94.63 to 136.05 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g fresh weight. Among the selected sweet potatoes, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) Sweet Potato 7 (SP7) contained the highest, whereas BARI SP6 contained the lowest amount of total polyphenol content. The obtained results also revealed that total carotenoids content ranged from 0.38 to 7.24 mg/100 g fresh weight. BARI SP8 showed the highest total carotenoids content, whereas BARI SP6 showed the lowest. Total carotenoids content was found to be higher in dark orange-colored flesh varieties than their light-colored counterparts. The results of the study indicated that selected sweet potato varieties are rich in protein and carbohydrate, low in fat, high in polyphenol and carotenoids and, thus, could be a good source of dietary antioxidants to prevent free radical damage, which leads to chronic diseases, and also to prevent vitamin A malnutrition.

Dissolution test of herbal medicines containing Passiflora sp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ane R. T. Costa

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The dissolution test is an essential tool to assess the quality of herbal medicines in the solid dosage form for oral use. This work aimed to evaluate the dissolution behavior of three herbal medicines in the form of capsules and tablet containing Passiflora, produced with powder or dried extract. Assay of total flavonoids and dissolution methods were validated and obtained results allowed the quantification of flavonoids with precision, accuracy and selectivity. The percentage of total flavonoids found was 2% for capsule A (containing only powder, 0.97% for capsule B (containing only dried extract and 5.5% for tablet. Although the content was lower, the release of flavonoids present in the capsule containing dried extract was 12% higher over 30 min, with dissolved percentage values of 87 and 75, for the capsules containing extract and powder, respectively. The tablet containing dried extract presented dissolution of 76%, despite the higher content of flavonoids, which may be due to pharmacotechnical problems. Obtained data demonstrated the need to implement these tests in the quality control of herbal medicines, confirming the release of the active ingredients that underlie the pharmacological action of these medicines.

Direct measurements of meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Laurence C; Yang, Kang; Pitcher, Lincoln H; Overstreet, Brandon T; Chu, Vena W; Rennermalm, Åsa K; Ryan, Jonathan C; Cooper, Matthew G; Gleason, Colin J; Tedesco, Marco; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; van As, Dirk; van den Broeke, Michiel R; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice; Langen, Peter L; Cullather, Richard I; Zhao, Bin; Willis, Michael J; Hubbard, Alun; Box, Jason E; Jenner, Brittany A; Behar, Alberto E

2017-12-12

Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet surface influences surface mass balance (SMB), ice dynamics, and global sea level rise, but is estimated with climate models and thus difficult to validate. We present a way to measure ice surface runoff directly, from hourly in situ supraglacial river discharge measurements and simultaneous high-resolution satellite/drone remote sensing of upstream fluvial catchment area. A first 72-h trial for a 63.1-km 2 moulin-terminating internally drained catchment (IDC) on Greenland's midelevation (1,207-1,381 m above sea level) ablation zone is compared with melt and runoff simulations from HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, MERRA-2, and SEB climate/SMB models. Current models cannot reproduce peak discharges or timing of runoff entering moulins but are improved using synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) theory. Retroactive SUH applications to two older field studies reproduce their findings, signifying that remotely sensed IDC area, shape, and supraglacial river length are useful for predicting delays in peak runoff delivery to moulins. Applying SUH to HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, and RACMO2.3 gridded melt products for 799 surrounding IDCs suggests their terminal moulins receive lower peak discharges, less diurnal variability, and asynchronous runoff timing relative to climate/SMB model output alone. Conversely, large IDCs produce high moulin discharges, even at high elevations where melt rates are low. During this particular field experiment, models overestimated runoff by +21 to +58%, linked to overestimated surface ablation and possible meltwater retention in bare, porous, low-density ice. Direct measurements of ice surface runoff will improve climate/SMB models, and incorporating remotely sensed IDCs will aid coupling of SMB with ice dynamics and subglacial systems. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

On the importance of the albedo parameterization for the mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet in EC-Earth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Helsen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The albedo of the surface of ice sheets changes as a function of time due to the effects of deposition of new snow, ageing of dry snow, bare ice exposure, melting and run-off. Currently, the calculation of the albedo of ice sheets is highly parameterized within the earth system model EC-Earth by taking a constant value for areas with thick perennial snow cover. This is an important reason why the surface mass balance (SMB of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS is poorly resolved in the model. The purpose of this study is to improve the SMB forcing of the GrIS by evaluating different parameter settings within a snow albedo scheme. By allowing ice-sheet albedo to vary as a function of wet and dry conditions, the spatial distribution of albedo and melt rate improves. Nevertheless, the spatial distribution of SMB in EC-Earth is not significantly improved. As a reason for this, we identify omissions in the current snow albedo scheme, such as separate treatment of snow and ice and the effect of refreezing. The resulting SMB is downscaled from the lower-resolution global climate model topography to the higher-resolution ice-sheet topography of the GrIS, such that the influence of these different SMB climatologies on the long-term evolution of the GrIS is tested by ice-sheet model simulations. From these ice-sheet simulations we conclude that an albedo scheme with a short response time of decaying albedo during wet conditions performs best with respect to long-term simulated ice-sheet volume. This results in an optimized albedo parameterization that can be used in future EC-Earth simulations with an interactive ice-sheet component.

Direct measurements of meltwater runoff on the Greenland ice sheet surface

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Laurence C.; Yang, Kang; Pitcher, Lincoln H.; Overstreet, Brandon T.; Chu, Vena W.; Rennermalm, Åsa K.; Ryan, Jonathan C.; Cooper, Matthew G.; Gleason, Colin J.; Tedesco, Marco; Jeyaratnam, Jeyavinoth; van As, Dirk; van den Broeke, Michiel R.; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice; Langen, Peter L.; Cullather, Richard I.; Zhao, Bin; Willis, Michael J.; Hubbard, Alun; Box, Jason E.; Jenner, Brittany A.; Behar, Alberto E.

2017-12-01

Meltwater runoff from the Greenland ice sheet surface influences surface mass balance (SMB), ice dynamics, and global sea level rise, but is estimated with climate models and thus difficult to validate. We present a way to measure ice surface runoff directly, from hourly in situ supraglacial river discharge measurements and simultaneous high-resolution satellite/drone remote sensing of upstream fluvial catchment area. A first 72-h trial for a 63.1-km2 moulin-terminating internally drained catchment (IDC) on Greenland's midelevation (1,207–1,381 m above sea level) ablation zone is compared with melt and runoff simulations from HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, RACMO2.3, MERRA-2, and SEB climate/SMB models. Current models cannot reproduce peak discharges or timing of runoff entering moulins but are improved using synthetic unit hydrograph (SUH) theory. Retroactive SUH applications to two older field studies reproduce their findings, signifying that remotely sensed IDC area, shape, and supraglacial river length are useful for predicting delays in peak runoff delivery to moulins. Applying SUH to HIRHAM5, MAR3.6, and RACMO2.3 gridded melt products for 799 surrounding IDCs suggests their terminal moulins receive lower peak discharges, less diurnal variability, and asynchronous runoff timing relative to climate/SMB model output alone. Conversely, large IDCs produce high moulin discharges, even at high elevations where melt rates are low. During this particular field experiment, models overestimated runoff by +21 to +58%, linked to overestimated surface ablation and possible meltwater retention in bare, porous, low-density ice. Direct measurements of ice surface runoff will improve climate/SMB models, and incorporating remotely sensed IDCs will aid coupling of SMB with ice dynamics and subglacial systems.

Indicators for estimating the total apparent digestibility in horses Indicadores para estimativa da digestibilidade aparente total em equinos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Ariboni Brandi

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study to evaluate various indicators to estimate the total nutrient digestibility in horses. We used four adult mares, breed, grouped in a 4 x 4 Latin square balanced fed diets containing equal parts of hay Tifton 85 (Cynodon sp and concentrated experimental containing corn subjected to four processes: a diet containing ground corn ; flaked corn diet 2, 3 rolled corn, and 4 extruded corn. The weighting coefficient of digestibility of nutrients by the indicators was done through the bias. The accuracy and precision were determined by comparing the predicted and observed data, and the robustness of the biases by comparing with other factors studied. The chromic oxide methods showed similar values of apparent digestibility of nutrients when compared to the total collection method. We observed higher accuracy for the acid detergent lignin as compared to the other indicators tested. However, the acid detergent lignin underestimated the digestibility of nutrients when compared to the total collection. The acid detergent insoluble ash overestimated the digestibility of nutrients when compared to the total collection. The chromic oxide is presented as a better indicator for estimating the total apparent digestibility in horses due to its higher accuracy among the markers evaluated.Objetivou-se neste estudo avaliar diferentes indicadores para estimativa das digestibilidades aparente total em equinos. Foram utilizadas quatro éguas adultas, sem raça definida, agrupadas em um quadrado latino 4 x 4 balanceado, alimentadas com dietas que continham partes iguais de feno da gramínea Tifton 85 (Cynodon sp e concentrado experimental que continha milho submetido a quatro processamentos: dieta um milho triturado; dieta dois milho floculado; dieta três milho laminado e dieta quatro milho extrusado. A ponderação dos coeficientes de digestibilidade dos nutrientes pelos indicadores foi efetuada por meio do viés. A acurácia e a precis

Report of fiscal 1997 R and D result on high temperature superconducting flywheel power storage. R and D of manufacture of superconducting magnetic bearing; 1997 nendo koon chodendo flywheel denryoku chozo kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Chodendo denjiki jikuuke no seisaku no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

Element technologies were developed for the manufacture of superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) with the purpose of putting to practical use a 10 MWh class high-temperature superconducting flywheel power storage system. This paper explains the fiscal 1997 results. A {phi} 180 radial type SMB was designed and fabricated that satisfied the rotational strength at 17,200 rpm for a medium-sized model for measuring characteristics. Compared with the bearing made in the preceding year, improvements in the bearing dynamics were contrived such as flux creep, load capacity and rotational loss, with the maximum flux density improved by 30%; however, only a few percent improvement was attained in field uniformity. An SMB characteristics measuring and testing machine was built, with the characteristics measured. It was confirmed that the rotational loss of a control type magnetic bearing and the intrinsic performance of the testing machine were unchanged regardless of the operation/non-operation of the radial type SMB. The characteristics of the {phi} 180 axial bearing were measured by a stationary type bearing constant testing machine made in 1995, which provided a load capacity characteristics curve with the initially set gap as a parameter as well as a minor loop curve and a load capacity. Also obtained were the maximum average bearing pressure and the maximum load capacity. (NEDO)

Modelling the climate and surface mass balance of polar ice sheets using RACMO2 - Part 2: Antarctica (1979-2016)

Science.gov (United States)

Melchior van Wessem, Jan; van de Berg, Willem Jan; Noël, Brice P. Y.; van Meijgaard, Erik; Amory, Charles; Birnbaum, Gerit; Jakobs, Constantijn L.; Krüger, Konstantin; Lenaerts, Jan T. M.; Lhermitte, Stef; Ligtenberg, Stefan R. M.; Medley, Brooke; Reijmer, Carleen H.; van Tricht, Kristof; Trusel, Luke D.; van Ulft, Lambertus H.; Wouters, Bert; Wuite, Jan; van den Broeke, Michiel R.

2018-04-01

We evaluate modelled Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) near-surface climate, surface mass balance (SMB) and surface energy balance (SEB) from the updated polar version of the regional atmospheric climate model, RACMO2 (1979-2016). The updated model, referred to as RACMO2.3p2, incorporates upper-air relaxation, a revised topography, tuned parameters in the cloud scheme to generate more precipitation towards the AIS interior and modified snow properties reducing drifting snow sublimation and increasing surface snowmelt. Comparisons of RACMO2 model output with several independent observational data show that the existing biases in AIS temperature, radiative fluxes and SMB components are further reduced with respect to the previous model version. The model-integrated annual average SMB for the ice sheet including ice shelves (minus the Antarctic Peninsula, AP) now amounts to 2229 Gt y-1, with an interannual variability of 109 Gt y-1. The largest improvement is found in modelled surface snowmelt, which now compares well with satellite and weather station observations. For the high-resolution ( ˜ 5.5 km) AP simulation, results remain comparable to earlier studies. The updated model provides a new, high-resolution data set of the contemporary near-surface climate and SMB of the AIS; this model version will be used for future climate scenario projections in a forthcoming study.

Multiplet effects in the electronic structure of intermediate-valence compounds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thunström, P.; Di Marco, I.; Grechnev, A.

2009-01-01

We present an implementation of the Hubbard-I approximation based on the exact solution of the atomic many-body problem incorporated in a full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital method of density-functional theory. Comparison between calculated and measured x-ray photoemission spectra reveal a g...... a good agreement for intermediate valence systems in open crystal structures such as YbInCu4, SmB6, and YbB12. Spectral features of the unoccupied states of SmB6 are predicted....

Silver nanoparticle release from commercially available plastic food containers into food simulants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mackevica, Aiga; Olsson, Mikael Emil; Hansen, Steffen Foss

2016-01-01

. In the current study, we investigated four brands of commercially available plastic food storage containers and measured the total amount of silver, particle size and number concentration, and the migration rates into three different food simulants (Milli-Q grade water, 10 % ethanol, and 3 % acetic acid) for 10...... days at 40 °C. The experimental setup was made according to the European Commission Directive (EU 10/2011) for articles intended to be in contact with food. The total amount of silver in plastic containers and migration solutions was quantified by ICP-MS analysis, and the size of the migrated particles...... was investigated by single particle ICP-MS and TEM-EDS. The total mass and median size of released particulate Ag were generally highest in 3 % acetic acid for three out of four food container brands. The total content of silver in the containers varied from 13 to 42 µg/g. The highest migration was observed...

Total synthesis of insect antifeedant drimane sesquiterpenes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, B.J.M.

1993-01-01

The investigations described in this thesis deal with the total synthesis of sesquiterpenes of the drimane family, named for their widespread occurrence in the stem bark of South American Drimys species. These compounds contain the bicyclofarnesol nucleus

An AU-rich element in the 3{prime} untranslated region of the spinach chloroplast petD gene participates in sequence-specific RNA-protein complex formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Qiuyun; Adams, C.C.; Usack, L. [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)] [and others

1995-04-01

In chloroplasts, the 3{prime} untranslated regions of most mRNAs contain a stem-loop-forming inverted repeat (IR) sequence that is required for mRNA stability and correct 3{prime}-end formation. The IR regions of several mRNAs are also known to bind chloroplast proteins, as judged from in vitro gel mobility shift and UV cross-linking assays, and these RNA-protein interactions may be involved in the regulation of chloroplast mRNA processing and/or stability. Here we describe in detail the RNA and protein components that are involved in 3{prime} IR-containing RNA (3{prime} IR-RNA)-protein complex formation for the spinach chloroplast petD gene, which encodes subunit IV of the cytochrome b{sub 6}/f complex. We show that the complex contains 55-, 41-, and 29-kDa RNA-binding proteins (ribonucleoproteins [RNPs]). These proteins together protect a 90-nucleotide segment of RNA from RNase T{sub 1} digestion; this RNA contains the IR and downstream flanking sequences. Competition experiments using 3{prime} IR-RNAs from the psbA or rbcL gene demonstrate that the RNPs have a strong specificity for the petD sequence. Site-directed mutagenesis was carried out to define the RNA sequence elements required for complex formation. These studies identified an 8-nucleotide AU-rich sequence downstream of the IR; mutations within this sequence had moderate to severe effects on RNA-protein complex formation. Although other similar sequences are present in the petD 3{prime} untranslated region, only a single copy, which we have termed box II, appears to be essential for in vivo protein binding. In addition, the IR itself is necessary for optimal complex formation. These two sequence elements together with an RNP complex may direct correct 3{prime}-end processing and/or influence the stability of petD mRNA in chloroplasts. 48 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.

Isolation and characterization of human apolipoprotein M-containing lipoproteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christoffersen, Christina; Nielsen, Lars Bo; Axler, Olof

2006-01-01

Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is a novel apolipoprotein with unknown function. In this study, we established a method for isolating apoM-containing lipoproteins and studied their composition and the effect of apoM on HDL function. ApoM-containing lipoproteins were isolated from human plasma...... with immunoaffinity chromatography and compared with lipoproteins lacking apoM. The apoM-containing lipoproteins were predominantly of HDL size; approximately 5% of the total HDL population contained apoM. Mass spectrometry showed that the apoM-containing lipoproteins also contained apoJ, apoA-I, apoA-II, apoC-I, apo...

Effect of gamma radiation on total antioxidant capacity, total lipid concentration and shelf life of finger millet flour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lathika; Manupriya, B.R.; Shenoy, K.B.; Patil, S.L.; Somashekarappa, H.M.

2016-01-01

The present study is an attempt to study the impact of gamma radiation on the shelf life, total antioxidant capacity and total lipid concentration of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) flour. Finger millet flour was procured from market. Flour samples of 50 g were taken in triplicates in a polyethylene pouch, air sealed and subjected to gamma irradiation doses ranging from 0.25 to 10 kGy and stored in polyethylene bags and plastic containers for a period of 1 year. Within 24 hours of irradiation, the samples were tested for moisture (2 ± 0.2%), total antioxidant capacity (0.12 ± 0.010 mg) and lipid concentration (15 ± 0.4 mg)

U1 small nuclear RNA variants differentially form ribonucleoprotein particles in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Somarelli, Jason A; Mesa, Annia; Rodriguez, Carol E; Sharma, Shalini; Herrera, Rene J

2014-04-25

The U1 small nuclear (sn)RNA participates in splicing of pre-mRNAs by recognizing and binding to 5' splice sites at exon/intron boundaries. U1 snRNAs associate with 5' splice sites in the form of ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) that are comprised of the U1 snRNA and 10 core components, including U1A, U1-70K, U1C and the 'Smith antigen', or Sm, heptamer. The U1 snRNA is highly conserved across a wide range of taxa; however, a number of reports have identified the presence of expressed U1-like snRNAs in multiple species, including humans. While numerous U1-like molecules have been shown to be expressed, it is unclear whether these variant snRNAs have the capacity to form snRNPs and participate in splicing. The purpose of the present study was to further characterize biochemically the ability of previously identified human U1-like variants to form snRNPs and bind to U1 snRNP proteins. A bioinformatics analysis provided support for the existence of multiple expressed variants. In vitro gel shift assays, competition assays, and immunoprecipitations (IPs) revealed that the variants formed high molecular weight assemblies to varying degrees and associated with core U1 snRNP proteins to a lesser extent than the canonical U1 snRNA. Together, these data suggest that the human U1 snRNA variants analyzed here are unable to efficiently bind U1 snRNP proteins. The current work provides additional biochemical insights into the ability of the variants to assemble into snRNPs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Novel LC-MS-MS Method With an Effective Antioxidant for the Determination of Edaravone, a Free-Radical Scavenger in Dog Plasma and its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Feng; Hu, Xiao-Ling; Liu, Xin; Shan, Mang-Ting

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the stability of edaravone in dog plasma by using an added antioxidant stabilizer, with an ultimate goal of developing and validating a sensitive, reliable and robust LC-MS-MS method for determination of edaravone in plasma samples. Edaravone was unstable in plasma, but it presented a good stability performance in the plasma with sodium metabisulfite (SMB), an effective antioxidant. The blood sample was collected in the heparinized eppendorf tube containing SMB and plasma sample was deproteinized using acetonitrile containing 20 ng/mL of phenacetin (Internal standard). The chromatographic separation was performed on a Zorbax Extend-C18 analytical column (2.1 mm × 150 mm I.D., particle size 3.5 µm, Agilent Technologies, USA). The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid in water (v/v) and methanol, and gradient elution was used. The analyte detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with positive-ion electrospray ionization by multiple reaction ion monitoring mode of the transitions at m/z [M + H]+ 175.1 → 77.1 for edaravone, and m/z [M + H]+ 180.2 → 110.0 for phenacetin. The linearity of this method was within the concentration range of 10-1000 ng/mL for edaravone in dog plasma. The lower limit of quantification was 10 ng/mL. The relative standard deviations of intra- and inter-precision were edaravone in beagle dogs after intravenous administration. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

IE Information No. 86-71: Recent identified problems with Limitorque motor operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jordan, E.L.

1992-01-01

This notice is provided to alert recipients of two potential problems discovered with Limitorque motor operators. On November 8, 1985 Georgia Power Company submitted a preliminary report to the NRC indicating that it had discovered burn damage to internal wiring in several Limitorque motor operators installed in their Vogtle Unit 1 Power Plant. On March 20, 1986 Georgia Power Company submitted a final report to the NRC which suggested that the burn damage was a generic problem applicable to all Limitorque motor operators. This assumption was based on a sampling inspection of 104 Limitorque motor operators installed in Vogtle Unit 1. Forty-six of the motor operators examined were Limitorque type SMB-000, and six of these were found to have burnt internal wiring. Out of the 58 operators other than type SMB-000 which were inspected, 5 were found to contain wires deemed susceptible to damage because of their close proximity to the heater elements (less than 1/2 inch). Several licensees have submitted reports to the NRC concerning a problem with cracked limit switch rotors on Limitorque motor operators installed inside and outside of containment. The limit switches are used for control of the motor operator and also provide indication of valve position in the control room. The cracks have been found on white melamine limit switch rotors. Most of these cracks were found in the area where the limit switch rotors are pinned to the pinion shafts. Some cracks have been found to extend halfway through the melamine rotors, weakening them to the extent that they are easily broken

Functions of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins in Stem Cell Potency and Differentiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qishan Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Stem cells possess huge importance in developmental biology, disease modelling, cell replacement therapy, and tissue engineering in regenerative medicine because they have the remarkable potential for self-renewal and to differentiate into almost all the cell types in the human body. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms regulating stem cell potency and differentiation is essential and critical for extensive application. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs are modular proteins consisting of RNA-binding motifs and auxiliary domains characterized by extensive and divergent functions in nucleic acid metabolism. Multiple roles of hnRNPs in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation enable them to be effective gene expression regulators. More recent findings show that hnRNP proteins are crucial factors implicated in maintenance of stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency and cell differentiation. The hnRNPs interact with certain sequences in target gene promoter regions to initiate transcription. In addition, they recognize 3′UTR or 5′UTR of specific gene mRNA forming mRNP complex to regulate mRNA stability and translation. Both of these regulatory pathways lead to modulation of gene expression that is associated with stem cell proliferation, cell cycle control, pluripotency, and committed differentiation.

Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance: evaluating simulations and making projections with regional climate models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. G. L. Rae

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Four high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs have been set up for the area of Greenland, with the aim of providing future projections of Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB, and its contribution to sea level rise, with greater accuracy than is possible from coarser-resolution general circulation models (GCMs. This is the first time an intercomparison has been carried out of RCM results for Greenland climate and SMB. Output from RCM simulations for the recent past with the four RCMs is evaluated against available observations. The evaluation highlights the importance of using a detailed snow physics scheme, especially regarding the representations of albedo and meltwater refreezing. Simulations with three of the RCMs for the 21st century using SRES scenario A1B from two GCMs produce trends of between −5.5 and −1.1 Gt yr⁻² in SMB (equivalent to +0.015 and +0.003 mm sea level equivalent yr⁻², with trends of smaller magnitude for scenario E1, in which emissions are mitigated. Results from one of the RCMs whose present-day simulation is most realistic indicate that an annual mean near-surface air temperature increase over Greenland of ~ 2°C would be required for the mass loss to increase such that it exceeds accumulation, thereby causing the SMB to become negative, which has been suggested as a threshold beyond which the ice sheet would eventually be eliminated.

Immunostimulatory property of a synthetic peptide belonging to the soluble ATP diphosphohydro-lase isoform (SmATPDase 2 and immunolocalisation of this protein in the Schistosoma mansoni egg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Gabriela Pedrosa Ribeiro Mendes

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A peptide (SmB2LJ; r175-194 that belongs to a conserved domain from Schistosoma mansoni SmATPDase 2 and is shared with potato apyrase, as predicted by in silico analysis as antigenic, was synthesised and its immunostimulatory property was analysed. When inoculated in BALB/c mice, this peptide induced high levels of SmB2LJ-specific IgG1 and IgG2a subtypes, as detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, dot blots were found to be positive for immune sera against potato apyrase and SmB2LJ. These results suggest that the conserved domain r175-194 from the S. mansoni SmATPDase 2 is antigenic. Western blots were performed and the anti-SmB2LJ antibody recognised in adult worm (soluble worm antigen preparation or soluble egg antigen antigenic preparations two bands of approximately 63 and 55 kDa, molecular masses similar to those predicted for adult worm SmATPDase 2. This finding strongly suggests the expression of this same isoform in S. mansoni eggs. To assess localisation of SmATPDase 2, confocal fluorescence microscopy was performed using cryostat sections of infected mouse liver and polyclonal antiserum against SmB2LJ. Positive reactions were identified on the external surface from the miracidium in von Lichtenberg's envelope and, in the outer side of the egg-shell, showing that this soluble isoform is secreted from the S. mansoni eggs.

Comparison of the ribonucleoproteins of different rabies virus serotypes by radioimmunoassay

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruns, M; Dietzschold, B; Schneider, L G; Cox, J H [Federal Research Inst. for Animal Virus Diseases, Tuebingen (Germany, F.R.)

1977-12-01

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) provides a sensitive serological procedure for detecting rabies virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) as well as its specific antibodies. RIA was carried out using highly purified RNPs labelled by the chloramine-T method. This paper describes optimal conditions for iodination of RNP with high specific activity. The optimal concentrations of /sup 125/I, RNP, chloramine-T, and reducing agent as well as the effect of pH on the reaction were investigated. RIA proved to be extremely sensitive for detection of homologous antibodies. In competition experiments the part-relationship of the group-specific RNPs of the three rabies virus serotypes (HEP, MOK, and LBV) was confirmed.

Operational Optimization in Port Container Terminals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

As a result of the significant increase in worldwide containerized transportation the development of efficient handling systems in marine terminals has become very important for port competitiveness. In order to optimize the productivity the total handling time for containers in the terminal must...... be minimized. An overview of the different operational problems in port container terminals is presented and an aggregated model and solution approach is shown. Next, there will be focused on the yard storage problem and a mathematical formulation and solution proposals will be presented....

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

2016-01-01

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

Investigations on passive containment cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knebel, J.U.; Cheng, X.; Neitzel, H.J.; Erbacher, F.J.; Hofmann, F.

1997-01-01

The composite containment design for advanced LWRs that has been examined under the PASCO project is a promising design concept for purely passive decay heat removal after a severe accident. The passive cooling processes applied are natural convection and radiative heat transfer. Heat transfer through the latter process removes at an emission coefficient of 0.9 about 50% of the total heat removed via the steel containment, and thus is an essential factor. The heat transferring surfaces must have a high emission coefficient. The sump cooling concept examined under the SUCO project achieves a steady, natural convection-driven flow from the heat source to the heat sink. (orig./CB) [de

Electron ionization LC-MS with supersonic molecular beams--the new concept, benefits and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Seemann, Boaz; Alon, Tal; Tsizin, Svetlana; Fialkov, Alexander B; Amirav, Aviv

2015-11-01

A new type of electron ionization LC-MS with supersonic molecular beams (EI-LC-MS with SMB) is described. This system and its operational methods are based on pneumatic spray formation of the LC liquid flow in a heated spray vaporization chamber, full sample thermal vaporization and subsequent electron ionization of vibrationally cold molecules in supersonic molecular beams. The vaporized sample compounds are transferred into a supersonic nozzle via a flow restrictor capillary. Consequently, while the pneumatic spray is formed and vaporized at above atmospheric pressure the supersonic nozzle backing pressure is about 0.15 Bar for the formation of supersonic molecular beams with vibrationally cold sample molecules without cluster formation with the solvent vapor. The sample compounds are ionized in a fly-though EI ion source as vibrationally cold molecules in the SMB, resulting in 'Cold EI' (EI of vibrationally cold molecules) mass spectra that exhibit the standard EI fragments combined with enhanced molecular ions. We evaluated the EI-LC-MS with SMB system and demonstrated its effectiveness in NIST library sample identification which is complemented with the availability of enhanced molecular ions. The EI-LC-MS with SMB system is characterized by linear response of five orders of magnitude and uniform compound independent response including for non-polar compounds. This feature improves sample quantitation that can be approximated without compound specific calibration. Cold EI, like EI, is free from ion suppression and/or enhancement effects (that plague ESI and/or APCI) which facilitate faster LC separation because full separation is not essential. The absence of ion suppression effects enables the exploration of fast flow injection MS-MS as an alternative to lengthy LC-MS analysis. These features are demonstrated in a few examples, and the analysis of the main ingredients of Cannabis on a few Cannabis flower extracts is demonstrated. Finally, the advantages of

Changing surface-atmosphere energy exchange and refreezing capacity of the lower accumulation area, West Greenland

Science.gov (United States)

Charalampidis, C.; van As, D.; Box, J. E.; van den Broeke, M. R.; Colgan, W. T.; Doyle, S. H.; Hubbard, A. L.; MacFerrin, M.; Machguth, H.; Smeets, C. J. P. P.

2015-11-01

We present 5 years (2009-2013) of automatic weather station measurements from the lower accumulation area (1840 m a.s.l. - above sea level) of the Greenland ice sheet in the Kangerlussuaq region. Here, the summers of 2010 and 2012 were both exceptionally warm, but only 2012 resulted in a strongly negative surface mass budget (SMB) and surface meltwater run-off. The observed run-off was due to a large ice fraction in the upper 10 m of firn that prevented meltwater from percolating to available pore volume below. Analysis reveals an anomalously low 2012 summer-averaged albedo of 0.71 (typically ~ 0.78), as meltwater was present at the ice sheet surface. Consequently, during the 2012 melt season, the ice sheet surface absorbed 28 % (213 MJ m-2) more solar radiation than the average of all other years. A surface energy balance model is used to evaluate the seasonal and interannual variability of all surface energy fluxes. The model reproduces the observed melt rates as well as the SMB for each season. A sensitivity analysis reveals that 71 % of the additional solar radiation in 2012 was used for melt, corresponding to 36 % (0.64 m) of the 2012 surface lowering. The remaining 64 % (1.14 m) of surface lowering resulted from high atmospheric temperatures, up to a +2.6 °C daily average, indicating that 2012 would have been a negative SMB year at this site even without the melt-albedo feedback. Longer time series of SMB, regional temperature, and remotely sensed albedo (MODIS) show that 2012 was the first strongly negative SMB year, with the lowest albedo, at this elevation on record. The warm conditions of recent years have resulted in enhanced melt and reduction of the refreezing capacity in the lower accumulation area. If high temperatures continue, the current lower accumulation area will turn into a region with superimposed ice in coming years.

Carbon input belowground is the major C flux contributing to leaf litter mass loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rubino, Mauro; Dungait; Evershed

2010-01-01

and analysed for their total C and 13C content. Gas chromatography (GC), GC–mass spectrometry (MS) and GC-combustion-isotope ratio (GC/C/IRMS) were used to analyse phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) extracted from soil samples to identify the groups of soil micro-organisms that had incorporated litter-derived C...... and to determine the quantity of C incorporated by the soil microbial biomass (SMB). By the end of the experiment, the litter had lost about 80% of its original weight. The fraction of litter C lost as an input into the soil (67 ± 12% of the total C loss) was found to be twice as much as the fraction released...

The ISWI chromatin remodeler organizes the hsrω ncRNA-containing omega speckle nuclear compartments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria C Onorati

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The complexity in composition and function of the eukaryotic nucleus is achieved through its organization in specialized nuclear compartments. The Drosophila chromatin remodeling ATPase ISWI plays evolutionarily conserved roles in chromatin organization. Interestingly, ISWI genetically interacts with the hsrω gene, encoding multiple non-coding RNAs (ncRNA essential, among other functions, for the assembly and organization of the omega speckles. The nucleoplasmic omega speckles play important functions in RNA metabolism, in normal and stressed cells, by regulating availability of hnRNPs and some other RNA processing proteins. Chromatin remodelers, as well as nuclear speckles and their associated ncRNAs, are emerging as important components of gene regulatory networks, although their functional connections have remained poorly defined. Here we provide multiple lines of evidence showing that the hsrω ncRNA interacts in vivo and in vitro with ISWI, regulating its ATPase activity. Remarkably, we found that the organization of nucleoplasmic omega speckles depends on ISWI function. Our findings highlight a novel role for chromatin remodelers in organization of nucleoplasmic compartments, providing the first example of interaction between an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler and a large ncRNA.

The determination of total cyanide in solutions containing uranium and gold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomons, M.; Dixon, K.

1983-01-01

This report gives the results of a limited investigation of three distillation procedures and their variants for the separation of cyanide. The spectrophotometric measurement, which follows the distillation, uses either a mixture of pyridine and pyrazolone, or a mixture of pyridine and barbituric acid. It was found that the method published in the South Africa Government Gazette in 1969 gives quantitative recoveries from potassium cyanide solutions but not in the presence of gold. The ligand-displacement method did not give quantitative recoveries in the presence of gold, except when zinc was added to the distilland, and it then failed to give a quantitative recovery of cyanide from ferrocyanide. These two methods were therefore rejected as unsuitable for the determination of cyanide in solutions containing small amounts of uranium and gold. The procedure of the American Public Health Association (APHA) was found to give quantitative recoveries in the presence of gold, uranium, thiocyanate, and ferrocyanide when cuprous chloride, or cuprous chloride with magnesium chloride, are added to the distilland. The spectrophotometric measurement using a mixture of pyridine and barbituric acid is preferred. The calibration range of the method is 0,5 to 6μg of cyanide, and the limit of determination is 0,04μg/cm 3 . (The relative standard deviation of the method is 0,05.) The distillation time in the APHA method is approximately two and a half hours; with 3 distillation trains, up to 9 distillations can be made per day, plus a further 2 hours for the spectrophotometric determination. The preferred laboratory method is detailed in an appendix

Silver nanoparticle release from commercially available plastic food containers into food simulants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackevica, Aiga; Olsson, Mikael Emil; Hansen, Steffen Foss

2016-01-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are currently being used in many different kinds of consumer products in order to take advantage of their antimicrobial properties. However, the potential migration of silver nanoparticles into food and subsequent consumer exposure has hardly been addressed. In the current study, we investigated four brands of commercially available plastic food storage containers and measured the total amount of silver, particle size and number concentration, and the migration rates into three different food simulants (Milli-Q grade water, 10 % ethanol, and 3 % acetic acid) for 10 days at 40 °C. The experimental setup was made according to the European Commission Directive (EU 10/2011) for articles intended to be in contact with food. The total amount of silver in plastic containers and migration solutions was quantified by ICP-MS analysis, and the size of the migrated particles was investigated by single particle ICP-MS and TEM-EDS. The total mass and median size of released particulate Ag were generally highest in 3 % acetic acid for three out of four food container brands. The total content of silver in the containers varied from 13 to 42 µg/g. The highest migration was observed in the 3 % acetic acid food simulant for all four brands of containers, with total silver release up to 3.1 ng/cm 2 after 10 days. In conclusion, the experimental results show that silver has the potential of migrating into food, especially when in contact with more acidic substances

Silver nanoparticle release from commercially available plastic food containers into food simulants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackevica, Aiga, E-mail: aima@env.dtu.dk; Olsson, Mikael Emil; Hansen, Steffen Foss [Technical University of Denmark, Department of Environmental Engineering (Denmark)

2016-01-15

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are currently being used in many different kinds of consumer products in order to take advantage of their antimicrobial properties. However, the potential migration of silver nanoparticles into food and subsequent consumer exposure has hardly been addressed. In the current study, we investigated four brands of commercially available plastic food storage containers and measured the total amount of silver, particle size and number concentration, and the migration rates into three different food simulants (Milli-Q grade water, 10 % ethanol, and 3 % acetic acid) for 10 days at 40 °C. The experimental setup was made according to the European Commission Directive (EU 10/2011) for articles intended to be in contact with food. The total amount of silver in plastic containers and migration solutions was quantified by ICP-MS analysis, and the size of the migrated particles was investigated by single particle ICP-MS and TEM-EDS. The total mass and median size of released particulate Ag were generally highest in 3 % acetic acid for three out of four food container brands. The total content of silver in the containers varied from 13 to 42 µg/g. The highest migration was observed in the 3 % acetic acid food simulant for all four brands of containers, with total silver release up to 3.1 ng/cm{sup 2} after 10 days. In conclusion, the experimental results show that silver has the potential of migrating into food, especially when in contact with more acidic substances.

The Relation between Hepatotoxicity and the Total Coumarin Intake from Traditional Japanese Medicines Containing Cinnamon Bark.

Science.gov (United States)

Iwata, Naohiro; Kainuma, Mosaburo; Kobayashi, Daisuke; Kubota, Toshio; Sugawara, Naoko; Uchida, Aiko; Ozono, Sahoko; Yamamuro, Yuki; Furusyo, Norihiro; Ueda, Koso; Tahara, Eiichi; Shimazoe, Takao

2016-01-01

Cinnamon bark is commonly used in traditional Japanese herbal medicines (Kampo medicines). The coumarin contained in cinnamon is known to be hepatotoxic, and a tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.1 mg/kg/day, has been quantified and used in Europe to insure safety. Risk assessments for hepatotoxicity by the cinnamon contained in foods have been reported. However, no such assessment of cinnamon bark has been reported and the coumarin content of Kampo medicines derived from cinnamon bark is not yet known. To assess the risk for hepatotoxicity by Kampo medicines, we evaluated the daily coumarin intake of patients who were prescribed Kampo medicines and investigated the relation between hepatotoxicity and the coumarin intake. The clinical data of 129 outpatients (18 male and 111 female, median age 58 years) who had been prescribed keishibukuryogankayokuinin (TJ-125) between April 2008 and March 2013 was retrospectively investigated. Concurrent Kampo medicines and liver function were also surveyed. In addition to TJ-125, the patients took some of the other 32 Kampo preparations and 22 decoctions that include cinnamon bark. The coumarin content of these Kampo medicines was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). TJ-125 had the highest daily content of coumarin (5.63 mg/day), calculated from the daily cinnamon bark dosage reported in the information leaflet inserted in each package of Kampo medicine. The coumarin content in 1g cinnamon bark decoction was 3.0 mg. The daily coumarin intake of the patients was 0.113 (0.049-0.541) mg/kg/day, with 98 patients (76.0%) exceeding the TDI. Twenty-three patients had an abnormal change in liver function test value, but no significant difference was found in the incidence of abnormal change between the group consuming less than the TDI value (6/31, 19.4%) and the group consuming equal to or greater than the TDI value (17/98, 17.3%). In addition, no abnormal change related to cinnamon bark was found for individual

Persistent hyperthyroidism and de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy after total thyroidectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tay, Wei Lin; Loh, Wann Jia; Lee, Lianne Ai Ling; Chng, Chiaw Ling

2017-01-01

We report a patient with Graves' disease who remained persistently hyperthyroid after a total thyroidectomy and also developed de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy 5 months after surgery. She was subsequently found to have a mature cystic teratoma containing struma ovarii after undergoing a total hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy for an incidental ovarian lesion. It is important to investigate for other causes of primary hyperthyroidism when thyrotoxicosis persists after total thyroidectomy.TSH receptor antibody may persist after total thyroidectomy and may potentially contribute to the development of de novo Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Bistable enhanced total reflection in Kretschmann configuration containing a saturable gain medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Haichun; Guo, Jie; Xu, Kun; Li, Zhe; Tang, Junqi; Man, Shiqing

2018-03-05

The reflection of a TM-polarized light beam from a Kretschmann configuration with a saturable gain medium is investigated theoretically. Here, the dielectric constant of the gain medium is described by a classical Lorentzian oscillator model. When surface plasmon polaritons are effectively excited in this structure, it is demonstrated that the curves of enhanced total reflection (ETR) show different shaped hysteresis loops associated with optical bistability owing to gain saturation effect. The effects of the angle of incidence, the thickness of metal film, and the value of small-signal gain on bistable ETR are discussed in detail in a homogeneously broadened (HB) gain medium at line center. Analogous results can also be obtained in an inhomogeneously broadened (inHB) gain medium, while the two switch thresholds and the width of optical bistability hysteresis in an inHB gain medium are significantly different from those in a HB gain medium.

Effect on localized waste-container failure on radionuclide transport from an underground nuclear waste vault

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheung, S.C.H.; Chan, T.

1983-07-01

In the geological disposal of nuclear fuel waste, one option is to emplace the waste container in a borehole drilled into the floor of the underground vault. In the borehole, the waste container is surrounded by a compacted soil material known as the buffer. A finite-element simulation has been performed to study the effect of localized partial failure of the waste container on the steady-state radionuclide transport by diffusion from the container through the buffer to the surrounding rock and/or backfill. In this study, the radionuclide concentration at the buffer-backfill interface is assumed to be zero. Two cases are considered at the interface between the buffer and the rock. In case 1, a no-flux boundary condition is used to simulate intact rock. In case 2, a constant radionuclide concentration condition is used to simulate fractured rock with groundwater flow. The results show that the effect of localized partial failure of the waste container on the total flux is dependent on the boundary condition at the buffer-rock interface. For the intact rock condition, the total flux is mainly dependent on the location of the failure. The total flux increases as the location changes from the bottom to the top of the emplaced waste container. For a given localized failure of the waste container, the total flux remains unaffected by the area of failed surface below the top of the failure. For fractured rock, the total flux is directly proportional to the failed surface area of the waste container regardless of the failure location

Integrated structural biology to unravel molecular mechanisms of protein-RNA recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Schlundt, Andreas; Tants, Jan-Niklas; Sattler, Michael

2017-04-15

Recent advances in RNA sequencing technologies have greatly expanded our knowledge of the RNA landscape in cells, often with spatiotemporal resolution. These techniques identified many new (often non-coding) RNA molecules. Large-scale studies have also discovered novel RNA binding proteins (RBPs), which exhibit single or multiple RNA binding domains (RBDs) for recognition of specific sequence or structured motifs in RNA. Starting from these large-scale approaches it is crucial to unravel the molecular principles of protein-RNA recognition in ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) to understand the underlying mechanisms of gene regulation. Structural biology and biophysical studies at highest possible resolution are key to elucidate molecular mechanisms of RNA recognition by RBPs and how conformational dynamics, weak interactions and cooperative binding contribute to the formation of specific, context-dependent RNPs. While large compact RNPs can be well studied by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, analysis of dynamics and weak interaction necessitates the use of solution methods to capture these properties. Here, we illustrate methods to study the structure and conformational dynamics of protein-RNA complexes in solution starting from the identification of interaction partners in a given RNP. Biophysical and biochemical techniques support the characterization of a protein-RNA complex and identify regions relevant in structural analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a powerful tool to gain information on folding, stability and dynamics of RNAs and characterize RNPs in solution. It provides crucial information that is complementary to the static pictures derived from other techniques. NMR can be readily combined with other solution techniques, such as small angle X-ray and/or neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), which provide information about overall shapes, internal domain

A century of variation in the dependence of Greenland iceberg calving on ice sheet surface mass balance and regional climate change.

Science.gov (United States)

Bigg, G R; Wei, H L; Wilton, D J; Zhao, Y; Billings, S A; Hanna, E; Kadirkamanathan, V

2014-06-08

Iceberg calving is a major component of the total mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). A century-long record of Greenland icebergs comes from the International Ice Patrol's record of icebergs (I48N) passing latitude 48° N, off Newfoundland. I48N exhibits strong interannual variability, with a significant increase in amplitude over recent decades. In this study, we show, through a combination of nonlinear system identification and coupled ocean-iceberg modelling, that I48N's variability is predominantly caused by fluctuation in GrIS calving discharge rather than open ocean iceberg melting. We also demonstrate that the episodic variation in iceberg discharge is strongly linked to a nonlinear combination of recent changes in the surface mass balance (SMB) of the GrIS and regional atmospheric and oceanic climate variability, on the scale of the previous 1-3 years, with the dominant causal mechanism shifting between glaciological (SMB) and climatic (ocean temperature) over time. We suggest that this is a change in whether glacial run-off or under-ice melting is dominant, respectively. We also suggest that GrIS calving discharge is episodic on at least a regional scale and has recently been increasing significantly, largely as a result of west Greenland sources.

A composite-flywheel burst-containment study

Science.gov (United States)

Sapowith, A. D.; Handy, W. E.

1982-01-01

A key component impacting total flywheel energy storage system weight is the containment structure. This report addresses the factors that shape this structure and define its design criteria. In addition, containment weight estimates are made for the several composite flywheel designs of interest so that judgements can be made as to the relative weights of their containment structure. The requirements set down for this program were that all containment weight estimates be based on a 1 kWh burst. It should be noted that typical flywheel requirements for regenerative braking of small automobiles call for deliverable energies of 0.25 kWh. This leads to expected maximum burst energies of 0.5 kWh. The flywheels studied are those considered most likely to be carried further for operational design. These are: The pseudo isotropic disk flywheel, sometimes called the alpha ply; the SMC molded disk; either disk with a carbon ring; the subcircular rim with cruciform hub; and Avco's bi-directional circular weave disk.

Nitrogen-containing steels and thermomechanical treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaputkina, L.; Prokoshkina, V.G.; Svyazhin, G.

2004-01-01

The strengthening of nitrogen-containing corrosion-resistant steels resulting from alloying and thermomechanical treatment have been investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis, light microscopy, hardness measurements and tensile testing. Combined data have been obtained for nitrogen interaction with alloying elements , peculiarities of deformed structure and short-range of nitrogen-containing steels of various structural classes. The higher nitrogen and total alloying element contents, the higher deformation strengthening. Prospects of use the steels with not high nitrogen content and methods of their thermomechanical strengthening are shown. High temperature thermomechanical treatment (HTMT) is very effective for obtaining high and thermally stable constructional strength of nitrogen-containing steels of all classes. The HTMT is most effective if used in a combination with dispersion hardening for aging steels or in the case of mechanically unstable austenitic steels. (author)

Microbial biomass and soil fauna during the decomposition of cover crops in no-tillage system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Colpo Gatiboni

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The decomposition of plant residues is a biological process mediated by soil fauna, but few studies have been done evaluating its dynamics in time during the process of disappearance of straw. This study was carried out in Chapecó, in southern Brazil, with the objective of monitoring modifications in soil fauna populations and the C content in the soil microbial biomass (C SMB during the decomposition of winter cover crop residues in a no-till system. The following treatments were tested: 1 Black oat straw (Avena strigosa Schreb.; 2 Rye straw (Secale cereale L.; 3 Common vetch straw (Vicia sativa L.. The cover crops were grown until full flowering and then cut mechanically with a rolling stalk chopper. The soil fauna and C content in soil microbial biomass (C SMB were assessed during the period of straw decomposition, from October 2006 to February 2007. To evaluate C SMB by the irradiation-extraction method, soil samples from the 0-10 cm layer were used, collected on eight dates, from before until 100 days after residue chopping. The soil fauna was collected with pitfall traps on seven dates up to 85 days after residue chopping. The phytomass decomposition of common vetch was faster than of black oat and rye residues. The C SMB decreased during the process of straw decomposition, fastest in the treatment with common vetch. In the common vetch treatment, the diversity of the soil fauna was reduced at the end of the decomposition process.

Improving Logistics Management Using Foldable/Collapsible Containers: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yapa Mahinda Bandara

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Foldable containers have the potential to enhance the cost efficiency of the logistics industry and improve the problem of space allocation at seaports. Using primary and secondary data sources the pros and cons of using foldable containers as compared to standard containers are identified, and it is shown that a port can gain cost efficiencies by using foldable containers. A simulation for the Port of Melbourne (Australia demonstrates that using foldable containers would reduce the projected total number of containers handled by the port in 2035 from 7.057 million to 5.817 million, with an 80% decrease in the number of empty containers. Foldable containers can therefore have a significant impact on the reformation of the transport and logistics systems.

PENGARUH VARIASI BENTUK BURITAN KAPAL TERHADAP HAMBATAN TOTAL MENGGUNAKAN METODE CFD

OpenAIRE

Deddy Chrismianto; Berlian Arswendo Adietya

2014-01-01

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan cara menganalisa dan menghitung hambatan total kapal menggunakan model 3D pada berbagai variasi bentuk buritan menggunakan CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic).Berdasarkan hasil analisa dan perhitungan didapatkan hambatan total yang terkecil menggunakan CFD untuk berbagai variasi bentuk buritan kapal, dengan studi kasus pada type KCS (Kriso Container Ship). Hambatan total terkecil pada kondisi kecepatan fn 0.22 adalah 646.57 KN yaitu pada model 1, kemudian hambata...

Pengaruh Variasi Bentuk Buritan Kapal Terhadap Hambatan Total Menggunakan Metode Cfd

OpenAIRE

Chrismianto, Deddy; Adietya, Berlian Arswendo

2014-01-01

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan cara menganalisa dan menghitung hambatan total kapal menggunakan model 3D pada berbagai variasi bentuk buritan menggunakan CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic).Berdasarkan hasil analisa dan perhitungan didapatkan hambatan total yang terkecil menggunakan CFD untuk berbagai variasi bentuk buritan kapal, dengan studi kasus pada type KCS (Kriso Container Ship). Hambatan total terkecil pada kondisi kecepatan fn 0.22 adalah 646.57 KN yaitu pada model 1, kemudian hambata...

Maximizing mutagenesis with solubilized CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Alexa; Lindsay, Helen; Felker, Anastasia; Hess, Christopher; Anders, Carolin; Chiavacci, Elena; Zaugg, Jonas; Weber, Lukas M; Catena, Raul; Jinek, Martin; Robinson, Mark D; Mosimann, Christian

2016-06-01

CRISPR-Cas9 enables efficient sequence-specific mutagenesis for creating somatic or germline mutants of model organisms. Key constraints in vivo remain the expression and delivery of active Cas9-sgRNA ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) with minimal toxicity, variable mutagenesis efficiencies depending on targeting sequence, and high mutation mosaicism. Here, we apply in vitro assembled, fluorescent Cas9-sgRNA RNPs in solubilizing salt solution to achieve maximal mutagenesis efficiency in zebrafish embryos. MiSeq-based sequence analysis of targeted loci in individual embryos using CrispRVariants, a customized software tool for mutagenesis quantification and visualization, reveals efficient bi-allelic mutagenesis that reaches saturation at several tested gene loci. Such virtually complete mutagenesis exposes loss-of-function phenotypes for candidate genes in somatic mutant embryos for subsequent generation of stable germline mutants. We further show that targeting of non-coding elements in gene regulatory regions using saturating mutagenesis uncovers functional control elements in transgenic reporters and endogenous genes in injected embryos. Our results establish that optimally solubilized, in vitro assembled fluorescent Cas9-sgRNA RNPs provide a reproducible reagent for direct and scalable loss-of-function studies and applications beyond zebrafish experiments that require maximal DNA cutting efficiency in vivo. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Greenland ice sheet surface mass-balance modeling in a 131-Yr perspective, 1950-2080

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mernild, Sebastian H.; Liston, Glen E.; Hiemstra, Christopher A.

2010-01-01

to simulate variations in theGrISmelt extent, surfacewater balance components, changes inSMB, and freshwater influx to the ocean. The simulations are based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scenario A1B modeled by the HIRHAM4 regional climate model (RCM) using boundary conditions from the ECHAM...... and correct RCM output data before they were used as input for SnowModel. Satellite observations and independent SMB studies were used to validate the SnowModel output and confirmthemodel's robustness. The authors simulated an ~90% increase in end-of-summer surface melt extent (0.483 × 106 km2) from 1950...

NOAA Climate Data Record (CDR) of Total Solar Irradiance (TSI), NRLTSI Version 2

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This Climate Data Record (CDR) contains total solar irradiance (TSI) as a function of time created with the Naval Research Laboratory model for spectral and total...

Immunological response in egg-sensitive adults challenged with cheese containing or not containing lysozyme.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Filippo; Iaconelli, Amerigo; Fiorentini, Lucia; Zito, Francesco; Donati, Maria Benedett; De Cristofaro, Maria Laura; Piva, Gianfranco; Mingrone, Geltrude

2012-12-01

Lysozyme is an enzyme that hydrolyzes bacterial peptidoglicans. For this reason, it is used in cheese manufacturing in order to prevent a defect of long-ripened hard cheese called "late blowing" due to the outgrowth of spores of Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Clostridium butyricum. Moreover, germination of Listeria monocytogenes spores into vegetative cells is also sensitive to lysozyme. The enzyme can be an allergenic molecule, and for this reason there are concerns about its use in food industry. The immunological and clinical response of consumption of lysozyme-containing cheese has been evaluated in 25 egg-sensitive subjects with or without lysozyme sensitization. A total of 25 egg-sensitive subjects were enrolled in this study. All the subjects were already treated for egg-sensitization and presented a positive skin prick test. All the subjects had a body mass index ≤ 25 kg/m(2) and were in the age range of 20-50 years. Each subject was studied twice and received randomly 30 g of Grana Padano (containing lysozyme) or TrentinGrana cheese (lysozyme-free) of two different aging periods: 16 or 24 months. A washout period of 1 week between each cheese intake was adopted. Blood samples were taken in fasting conditions and 1 hour after cheese intake and IgA, total IgE, and lysozyme-, ovomucoid-, and ovalbumin-specific IgE were measured. No adverse reactions were observed in both groups of patients after cheese samples were given. Lysozyme did not determine any variation of specific IgE compared with basal level. In lysozyme-sensitive patients a significant relationship between IgA and lysozyme-specific IgE was observed when lysozyme-containing cheese was given, confirming that lysozyme can pass the gut barrier. Neither adverse events nor immunological responses were observed after ingestion of cheese containing lysozyme. However, the immunological properties of peptides deriving from cheese protein hydrolysis need to be clarified, as does the effect of lysozyme on

Human hnRNP Q re-localizes to cytoplasmic granules upon PMA, thapsigargin, arsenite and heat-shock treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quaresma, Alexandre J.C.; Bressan, G.C.; Gava, L.M.; Lanza, D.C.F.; Ramos, C.H.I; Kobarg, Joerg

2009-01-01

Eukaryotic gene expression is regulated on different levels ranging from pre-mRNA processing to translation. One of the most characterized families of RNA-binding proteins is the group of hnRNPs: heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoproteins. Members of this protein family play important roles in gene expression control and mRNAs metabolism. In the cytoplasm, several hnRNPs proteins are involved in RNA-related processes and they can be frequently found in two specialized structures, known as GW-bodies (GWbs), previously known as processing bodies: PBs, and stress granules, which may be formed in response to specific stimuli. GWbs have been early reported to be involved in the mRNA decay process, acting as a site of mRNA degradation. In a similar way, stress granules (SGs) have been described as cytoplasmic aggregates, which contain accumulated mRNAs in cells under stress conditions and present reduced or inhibited translation. Here, we characterized the hnRNP Q localization after different stress conditions. hnRNP Q is a predominantly nuclear protein that exhibits a modular organization and several RNA-related functions. Our data suggest that the nuclear localization of hnRNP Q might be modified after different treatments, such as: PMA, thapsigargin, arsenite and heat shock. Under different stress conditions, hnRNP Q can fully co-localize with the endoplasmatic reticulum specific chaperone, BiP. However, under stress, this protein only co-localizes partially with the proteins: GW182 - GWbs marker protein and TIA-1 stress granule component

Supraspliceosomes at Defined Functional States Portray the Pre-Assembled Nature of the Pre-mRNA Processing Machine in the Cell Nucleus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hani Kotzer-Nevo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available When isolated from mammalian cell nuclei, all nuclear pre-mRNAs are packaged in multi-subunit large ribonucleoprotein complexes—supraspliceosomes—composed of four native spliceosomes interconnected by the pre-mRNA. Supraspliceosomes contain all five spliceosomal U snRNPs, together with other splicing factors, and are functional in splicing. Supraspliceosomes studied thus far represent the steady-state population of nuclear pre-mRNAs that were isolated at different stages of the splicing reaction. To analyze specific splicing complexes, here, we affinity purified Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage 7 (PP7-tagged splicing complexes assembled in vivo on Adenovirus Major Late (AdML transcripts at specific functional stages, and characterized them using molecular techniques including mass spectrometry. First, we show that these affinity purified splicing complexes assembled on PP7-tagged AdML mRNA or on PP7-tagged AdML pre-mRNA are assembled in supraspliceosomes. Second, similar to the general population of supraspliceosomes, these defined supraspliceosomes populations are assembled with all five U snRNPs at all splicing stages. This study shows that dynamic changes in base-pairing interactions of U snRNA:U snRNA and U snRNA:pre-mRNA that occur in vivo during the splicing reaction do not require changes in U snRNP composition of the supraspliceosome. Furthermore, there is no need to reassemble a native spliceosome for the splicing of each intron, and rearrangements of the interactions will suffice.

A Survey of Empty Container Flow Balance in Turkish Ports

OpenAIRE

Ünal ÖZDEMİR; Abdulaziz GUNEROGLU; Süleyman KÖSE; Faruk Buğra DEMİREL

2015-01-01

Container transportation is the most preferred maritime commercial freight distribution in entire world except liquefied product transportation by tankers and bulk carriers. Totally 95% volume of general cargo is transported by container ships in the world due to fast, cheap and safe carrying potential of the goods transfer. Containerization has become recent phenomena in the field of maritime transportation and the quantity of goods transported by containers is increasing day by day as...

Nutrient recycling of sorghum straw and soil biological attributes in Eastern Amazon Reciclagem de nutrientes da palhada de sorgo e atributos biológicos do solo na Amazônia Oriental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrícia Ribeiro Maia

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The microbial biomass and activity are biological indicators sensitive to environmental changes caused by agricultural use and can provide important information for the planning of adequate land use. The objective of this research was to evaluate the nutrient recycling, persistence, and biological attributes of sorghum straw in Oxisol as a function of soil management systems. The experiment was carried out at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia in randomized block design with 3 x 2 factorial and four replicates. Three sorghum hybrids and two soil management systems were the factors used to assess straw decomposition. In order to evaluate the biological attributes, a 2 x 2 factorial experiment with four replicates was carried out using two soil management systems and two sampling dates. Total organic carbon (TOC, carbon in the soil microbial biomass (C-SMB, C-SMB/TOC ratio, basal respiration and metabolic quotient (qCO2 were investigated. The Qualimax hybrid presented the highest C/N ratio (55 and longer straw persistence in soil after 120 days of management (35%. The highest TOC, C-SMB, C-SMB/TOC ratio, and basal respiration and the smallest qCO2 were observed during the rainy season and in the no-till system.A atividade e biomassa microbiana são indicadores biológicos sensíveis a alterações ambientais decorrentes do uso agrícola, podendo fornecer informações importantes para o uso adequado do solo. Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a ciclagem de nutrientes, atributos biológicos e a persistência da palhada de sorgo em um Latossolo Amarelo distrófico, em função de sistemas de manejo do solo. O experimento foi realizado na Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, com fatorial 3 x 2 e quatro repetições. Os fatores foram: três híbridos de sorgo e dois sistemas de manejo do solo, para avaliar a decomposição da palhada. Para avaliar os atributos biológicos, um experimento com

Determination of total solutes in synfuel wastewaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallace, J.R.; Bonomo, F.S.

1984-03-01

Efforts to investigate both lyophilization and the measurement of colligative properties as an indication of total solute content are described. The objective of the work described is to develop a method for measuring total dissolved material in retort wastewaters which is simple and rugged enough to be performed in a field laboratory in support of pollution control tests. The analysis should also be rapid enough to provide timely and pertinent data to the pollution control plant operator. To be of most value, the technique developed also should be applicable to other synfuel wastewaters, most of which contain similar major components as oil shale retort waters. 4 references, 1 table.

38 CFR 3.342 - Permanent and total disability ratings for pension purposes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... applied with other types of disabilities requiring hospitalization for indefinite periods. The need for... permanency of total disability contained in § 3.340, the following special considerations apply in pension... permanence of total disability will be established as of the earliest date consistent with the evidence in...

System for indicating the level of material in a container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erb, T.L.

1980-01-01

In a radiation detecting system for controlling the level of material in a container, the first counter accumulates pulses generated by a geiger tube at a rate related to the level of material and a second counter accumulates clock pulses. A race condition is established between a NAND circuit indicating that the first counter has reached a predetermined total, and a NAND circuit indicating that the second counter has reached a second predetermined total representing a fixed counting interval. The first NAND circuit to respond to its predetermined total actuates a circuit to reset both counters and, if indicative of the material level being below a predetermined minimum, actuates an alarm or operates a control circuit to add material to the container. In the example shown, an additional NAND circuit responds to a different count in the first counter which count in the same time interval corresponds to a higher level, and when material is being added to the container, the race condition is between two NAND circuits. The effect of this is to provide a hysteresis effect preventing the circuit from 'hunting' around one level of material. (author)

A Newton Algorithm for Multivariate Total Least Squares Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG Leyang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available In order to improve calculation efficiency of parameter estimation, an algorithm for multivariate weighted total least squares adjustment based on Newton method is derived. The relationship between the solution of this algorithm and that of multivariate weighted total least squares adjustment based on Lagrange multipliers method is analyzed. According to propagation of cofactor, 16 computational formulae of cofactor matrices of multivariate total least squares adjustment are also listed. The new algorithm could solve adjustment problems containing correlation between observation matrix and coefficient matrix. And it can also deal with their stochastic elements and deterministic elements with only one cofactor matrix. The results illustrate that the Newton algorithm for multivariate total least squares problems could be practiced and have higher convergence rate.

Total mercury, cadmium and lead levels in main export fish of Sri Lanka.

Science.gov (United States)

Jinadasa, B K K K; Edirisinghe, E M R K B; Wickramasinghe, I

2014-01-01

Total mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) levels were determined in the muscle of four commercialised exported fish species Thunnus albacares (yellowfin tuna), Xiphias gladius (swordfish), Makaira indica (black marlin) and Lutjanus sp (red snapper) collected from the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, during July 2009-March 2010 and measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results show that swordfish (n = 176) contained the highest total Hg (0.90 ± 0.51 mg/kg) and Cd (0.09 ± 0.13 mg/kg) levels, whereas yellowfin tuna (n = 140) contained the highest Pb levels (0.11 ± 0.16 mg/kg). The lowest total Hg (0.16 ± 0.11 mg/kg), Cd (0.01 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and Pb (0.04 ± 0.04 mg/kg) levels were found in red snapper (n = 28). Black marlin (n = 24) contained moderate levels of total Hg (0.49 ± 0.37), Cd (0.02 ± 0.02) and Pb (0.05 ± 0.05). Even though there are some concerns during certain months of the year, this study demonstrates the safety of main export fish varieties in terms of total Hg, Cd and Pb.

Total Phenolics and Total Flavonoids Contents and Hypnotic Effect in Mice of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. Seed Extract

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aye Moh Moh San

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The seeds of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. have been traditionally used for treatment of various complications including insomnia and anxiety. They are popularly used as sedative and hypnotic drugs in China, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other Asian countries. However, no scientific proof on hypnotic activity of Z. mauritiana seeds (ZMS was reported. In this study, the hypnotic activity of 50% ethanolic extract from ZMS was observed on the loss of righting reflex in mice using pentobarbital-induced sleep mice method. The contents of total phenolics and total flavonoids in the extract were also determined. The results showed that the 50% ethanolic extract from ZMS contained total phenolics  mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE/g extract and total flavonoids  mg quercetin equivalent (QE/g extract. Oral administration of the extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg significantly increased the sleeping time in mice intraperitoneally administered with sodium pentobarbital (50 mg/kg body weight. These results supported the traditional use of ZMS for the treatment of insomnia. The seeds of Z. mauritiana should be further developed as an alternative sedative and/or hypnotic product.

The importance of accurate glacier albedo for estimates of surface mass balance on Vatnajökull: evaluating the surface energy budget in a regional climate model with automatic weather station observations

Science.gov (United States)

Steffensen Schmidt, Louise; Aðalgeirsdóttir, Guðfinna; Guðmundsson, Sverrir; Langen, Peter L.; Pálsson, Finnur; Mottram, Ruth; Gascoin, Simon; Björnsson, Helgi

2017-07-01

A simulation of the surface climate of Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland, carried out with the regional climate model HIRHAM5 for the period 1980-2014, is used to estimate the evolution of the glacier surface mass balance (SMB). This simulation uses a new snow albedo parameterization that allows albedo to exponentially decay with time and is surface temperature dependent. The albedo scheme utilizes a new background map of the ice albedo created from observed MODIS data. The simulation is evaluated against observed daily values of weather parameters from five automatic weather stations (AWSs) from the period 2001-2014, as well as in situ SMB measurements from the period 1995-2014. The model agrees well with observations at the AWS sites, albeit with a general underestimation of the net radiation. This is due to an underestimation of the incoming radiation and a general overestimation of the albedo. The average modelled albedo is overestimated in the ablation zone, which we attribute to an overestimation of the thickness of the snow layer and not taking the surface darkening from dirt and volcanic ash deposition during dust storms and volcanic eruptions into account. A comparison with the specific summer, winter, and net mass balance for the whole of Vatnajökull (1995-2014) shows a good overall fit during the summer, with a small mass balance underestimation of 0.04 m w.e. on average, whereas the winter mass balance is overestimated by on average 0.5 m w.e. due to too large precipitation at the highest areas of the ice cap. A simple correction of the accumulation at the highest points of the glacier reduces this to 0.15 m w.e. Here, we use HIRHAM5 to simulate the evolution of the SMB of Vatnajökull for the period 1981-2014 and show that the model provides a reasonable representation of the SMB for this period. However, a major source of uncertainty in the representation of the SMB is the representation of the albedo, and processes currently not accounted for in RCMs

Using Earthquake Location and Coda Attenuation Analysis to Explore Shallow Structures Above the Socorro Magma Body, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, J. P.; Bilek, S. L.; Worthington, L. L.; Schmandt, B.; Aster, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is a thin, sill-like intrusion with a top at 19 km depth covering approximately 3400 km2 within the Rio Grande Rift. InSAR studies show crustal uplift patterns linked to SMB inflation with deformation rates of 2.5 mm/yr in the area of maximum uplift with some peripheral subsidence. Our understanding of the emplacement history and shallow structure above the SMB is limited. We use a large seismic deployment to explore seismicity and crustal attenuation in the SMB region, focusing on the area of highest observed uplift to investigate the possible existence of fluid/magma in the upper crust. We would expect to see shallower earthquakes and/or higher attenuation if high heat flow, fluid or magma is present in the upper crust. Over 800 short period vertical component geophones situated above the northern portion of the SMB were deployed for two weeks in 2015. This data is combined with other broadband and short period seismic stations to detect and locate earthquakes as well as to estimate seismic attenuation. We use phase arrivals from the full dataset to relocate a set of 33 local/regional earthquakes recorded during the deployment. We also measure amplitude decay after the S-wave arrival to estimate coda attenuation caused by scattering of seismic waves and anelastic processes. Coda attenuation is estimated using the single backscatter method described by Aki and Chouet (1975), filtering the seismograms at 6, 9 and 12 Hz center frequencies. Earthquakes occurred at 2-13 km depth during the deployment, but no spatial patterns linked with the high uplift region were observed over this short duration. Attenuation results for this deployment suggest Q ranging in values of 130 to 2000, averaging around Q of 290, comparable to Q estimates of other studies of the western US. With our dense station coverage, we explore attenuation over smaller scales, and find higher attenuation for stations in the area of maximum uplift relative to stations

Paleomagnetism and the assembly of the Mexican subcontinent.

Science.gov (United States)

Molina-Garza, R. S.

2008-05-01

The paleomagnetic database for Mexico is still small, but using available data and new results paleomagnetic data can be used to support the following hypothesis: (1) Jurassic anticlockwise rotation of the Chiapas massif and the Yucatan peninsula from a position in the northwest interior of the Golf of Mexico; (2) apparent stability of the Tampico and Coahuila blocks respect to North America for Late Triassic and Jurassic time, allowing for local vertical axis rotations attributed to Cenozoic deformation; (3) clockwise rotation of the Caborca block and the adjacent Jurassic continental arc, without significant north to south latitudinal displacement, between Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous time (which argues against the Mojave-Sonora megashear model); and, (4) the apparent accretion of the Guerrero terrane to mainland Mexico after clockwise rotation and transport from a more southern latitude. Paleomagnetic data for the southern Mexico block (SMB) are still difficult to incorporate in reconstructions of western equatorial Pangea. Paleomagnetic data for remagnetized Lower Permian strata and primary directions in igneous rocks of the SMB (crystalline terranes of Oaxaca and Acatlan) suggest stability with respect to North America, which is not consistent with reconstruction of South America closing the Golf region. Alternative explanations require a position for the SMB similar to its present location but at more westerly longitudes. We propose that terranes of the SMB reach their Mesozoic position through mechanisms of extrusion tectonics. Interpretation of Jurassic data for southern Mexico is hindered by incomplete knowledge of the North American APWP and rapid northward drift of the continent. Nonetheless, any model for the evolution of southern Mexico must consider that paleomagnetic data indicate internal deformation of Oaxaquia in pre-Cretaceous time. Paleomagnetic directions reported for Jurassic strata of the Tlaxiaco basin in Oaxaca are interpreted as

Samarium Hexaboride: The First True 3D Topological Insulator?

Science.gov (United States)

Wolgast, Steven G.

The recent theoretical prediction of a topologically protected surface state in the mixed-valent insulator SmB6 has motivated a series of charge transport studies, which are presented here. It is first studied using a specialized configuration designed to distinguish bulk-dominated conduction from surface-dominated conduction. As the material is cooled below 4 K, it exhibits a crossover from thermally activated bulk transport to metallic surface conduction with a fully insulating bulk. The robustness and magnitude of the surface conductivity, as is manifest in the literature of SmB6, is strong evidence for the topological insulator (TI) metallic surface states predicted for this material. This resolves a decades-old puzzle surrounding the low-temperature behavior of SmB6. Next, the magnetotransport properties of the surface are investigated using a Corbino disk geometry, which can directly measure the conductivity of individual surfaces. Both (011) and (001) crystal surfaces show a strong negative magnetoresistance at all magnetic field angles, due primarily to changes in the carrier density. The low mobility value accounts for the failure so far to observe Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations below 95 T. Small variations in the mobility and temperature dependence suggest a suppression of Kondo scattering from native oxide-layer magnetic moments. At low fields, a dynamical field-sweep-rate-dependent hysteretic behavior is observed. It persists at the slowest sweep rates, and cannot be explained by quantum interference corrections; it is likely due to extrinsic effects such as the magnetocaloric effect or glassy ordering of the native oxide moments. Pulsed magnetic field measurements up to 60 T at temperatures throughout the crossover regime clearly distinguish the surface magnetoresistance from the bulk magnetoresistance. The bulk magnetoresistance is due to a reduction in the bulk gap with increasing magnetic field. Finally, small subsurface cracks formed in SmB6 via

The importance of accurate glacier albedo for estimates of surface mass balance on Vatnajökull: evaluating the surface energy budget in a regional climate model with automatic weather station observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. S. Schmidt

2017-07-01

Full Text Available A simulation of the surface climate of Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland, carried out with the regional climate model HIRHAM5 for the period 1980–2014, is used to estimate the evolution of the glacier surface mass balance (SMB. This simulation uses a new snow albedo parameterization that allows albedo to exponentially decay with time and is surface temperature dependent. The albedo scheme utilizes a new background map of the ice albedo created from observed MODIS data. The simulation is evaluated against observed daily values of weather parameters from five automatic weather stations (AWSs from the period 2001–2014, as well as in situ SMB measurements from the period 1995–2014. The model agrees well with observations at the AWS sites, albeit with a general underestimation of the net radiation. This is due to an underestimation of the incoming radiation and a general overestimation of the albedo. The average modelled albedo is overestimated in the ablation zone, which we attribute to an overestimation of the thickness of the snow layer and not taking the surface darkening from dirt and volcanic ash deposition during dust storms and volcanic eruptions into account. A comparison with the specific summer, winter, and net mass balance for the whole of Vatnajökull (1995–2014 shows a good overall fit during the summer, with a small mass balance underestimation of 0.04 m w.e. on average, whereas the winter mass balance is overestimated by on average 0.5 m w.e. due to too large precipitation at the highest areas of the ice cap. A simple correction of the accumulation at the highest points of the glacier reduces this to 0.15 m w.e. Here, we use HIRHAM5 to simulate the evolution of the SMB of Vatnajökull for the period 1981–2014 and show that the model provides a reasonable representation of the SMB for this period. However, a major source of uncertainty in the representation of the SMB is the representation of the albedo, and processes

RNA and Proteins: Mutual Respect [version 1; referees: 3 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen B. Hall

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Proteins and RNA are often found in ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs, where they function in cellular processes to synthesize proteins (the ribosome, chemically modify RNAs (small nucleolar RNPs, splice pre-mRNAs (the spliceosome, and, on a larger scale, sequester RNAs, degrade them, or process them (P bodies, Cajal bodies, and nucleoli. Each RNA–protein interaction is a story in itself, as both molecules can change conformation, compete for binding sites, and regulate cellular functions. Recent studies of Xist long non-coding RNP, the U4/5/6 tri-small nuclear RNP complex, and an activated state of a spliceosome reveal new features of RNA interactions with proteins, and, although their stories are incomplete, they are already fascinating.

PENGARUH VARIASI BENTUK BURITAN KAPAL TERHADAP HAMBATAN TOTAL MENGGUNAKAN METODE CFD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deddy Chrismianto

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan cara menganalisa dan menghitung hambatan total kapal menggunakan model 3D pada berbagai variasi bentuk buritan menggunakan CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamic.Berdasarkan hasil analisa dan perhitungan didapatkan hambatan total yang terkecil menggunakan CFD untuk berbagai variasi bentuk buritan kapal, dengan studi kasus pada type KCS (Kriso Container Ship. Hambatan total terkecil pada kondisi kecepatan fn 0.22 adalah 646.57 KN yaitu pada model 1, kemudian hambatan total terkecil pada kondisi kecepatan fn 0.26 adalah 2608.57 KN yaitu pada model original (asli, dan hambatan total terkecil pada kondisi kecepatan fn 0.30 adalah 4042.07 KN pada model 7.

Report of fiscal 1997 R and D result on high temperature superconducting flywheel power storage. R and D of characteristic analysis of superconducting magnetic bearing; 1997 nendo koon chodendo flywheel denryoku chozo kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. chodendo jiki jikuuke no tokusei kaiseki no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-05-01

This paper explains fiscal 1997 results of the development of technologies for characteristic analysis of superconducting magnetic bearings (SMB), the development aimed at putting a 10 MWh high temperature superconducting flywheel power storage system to practical use. Following fiscal 1996, calculation programs were prepared for a load capacity and bearing constant (spring constant, damping constant) on an axial type SMB, with validity of the program examined through comparison with experimental values. A finite element method was applied to a complex magnetic field by a magnet arrangement devised for the purpose of improving load capacity, dividing a superconductor into divided sections so that the effect of a complex magnetic field distribution could be reflected, determining the magnetization generating in each divided section by using a two-dimensional Bean model, and developing a method for calculating load capacity of each divided section by a magnetic moment method. A program was completed for calculating the load capacity and bearing constant of the entire bearing in the axial type SMB. The calculated value of the load capacity and the bearing constant showed a superior agreement with the experimental value. (NEDO)

Numerical analysis of fundamental characteristics of superconducting magnetic bearings for a polarization modulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terachi, Yusuke; Terao, Yutaka; Ohsaki, Hiroyuki; Sakurai, Yuki; Matsumura, Tomotake; Sugai, Hajime; Utsunomiya, Shin; Kataza, Hirokazu; Yamamoto, Ryo

2017-01-01

We have carried out numerical analysis of mechanical properties of a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB). A contactless bearing operating at below 10 K with low rotational energy loss is an attractive feature to be used as a rotational mechanism of a polarization modulator for a cosmic microwave background experiment. In such application, a rotor diameter of about 400 mm forces us to employ a segmented magnet. As a result, there is inevitable spatial gap between the segments. In order to understand the path towards the design optimizations, 2D and 3D FEM analyses were carried out to examine fundamental characteristics of the SMBs for a polarization modulator. Two axial flux type SMBs were dealt with in the analysis: (a) the SMB with axially magnetized permanent magnets (PMs), and (b) the SMB with radially magnetized PMs and steel components for magnetic flux paths. Magnetic flux lines and density distributions, electromagnetic force characteristics, spring constants, etc. were compared among some variations of the SMBs. From the numerical analysis results, it is discussed what type, configuration and design of SMBs are more suitable for a polarization modulator. (paper)

Qualità totale e mobilità totale Total Quality and Total Mobility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Trieste

2010-05-01

Full Text Available FIABA ONLUS (Italian Fund for Elimination of Architectural Barriers was founded in 2000 with the aim of promoting a culture of equal opportunities and, above all, it has as its main goal to involve public and private institutions to create a really accessible and usable environment for everyone. Total accessibility, Total usability and Total mobility are key indicators to define quality of life within cities. A supportive environment that is free of architectural, cultural and psychological barriers allows everyone to live with ease and universality. In fact, people who access to goods and services in the urban context can use to their advantage time and space, so they can do their activities and can maintain relationships that are deemed significant for their social life. The main aim of urban accessibility is to raise the comfort of space for citizens, eliminating all barriers that discriminate people, and prevent from an equality of opportunity. “FIABA FUND - City of ... for the removal of architectural barriers” is an idea of FIABA that has already affected many regions of Italy as Lazio, Lombardy, Campania, Abruzzi and Calabria. It is a National project which provides for opening a bank account in the cities of referring, in which for the first time, all together, individuals and private and public institutions can make a donation to fund initiatives for the removal of architectural barriers within its own territory for a real and effective total accessibility. Last February the fund was launched in Rome with the aim of achieving a Capital without barriers and a Town European model of accessibility and usability. Urban mobility is a prerequisite to access to goods and services, and to organize activities related to daily life. FIABA promotes the concept of sustainable mobility for all, supported by the European Commission’s White Paper. We need a cultural change in management and organization of public means, which might focus on

Synthetic Strategies toward Natural Products Containing Contiguous Stereogenic Quaternary Carbon Atoms.

Science.gov (United States)

Büschleb, Martin; Dorich, Stéphane; Hanessian, Stephen; Tao, Daniel; Schenthal, Kyle B; Overman, Larry E

2016-03-18

Strategies for the total synthesis of complex natural products that contain two or more contiguous stereogenic quaternary carbon atoms in their intricate structures are reviewed with 12 representative examples. Emphasis has been put on methods to create quaternary carbon stereocenters, including syntheses of the same natural product by different groups, thereby showcasing the diversity of thought and individual creativity. A compendium of selected natural products containing two or more contiguous stereogenic quaternary carbon atoms and key reactions in their total or partial syntheses is provided in the Supporting Information. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aulia Azka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited information about nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition of fatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp.. The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography (HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fatty acid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained 17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggs contained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.

Effect of sulfite treatment on total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, lipid hydroperoxide, and total free sulfydryl groups contents in normal and sulfite oxidase-deficient rat plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Herken, Emine Nur; Kocamaz, Erdogan; Erel, Ozcan; Celik, Hakim; Kucukatay, Vural

2009-08-01

Sulfites, which are commonly used as preservatives, are continuously formed in the body during the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Sulfite oxidase (SOX) is an essential enzyme in the pathway of the oxidative degradation of sulfite to sulfate protecting cells from sulfite toxicity. This article investigated the effect of sulfite on total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status, lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), and total free sulfydryl groups (-SH) levels in normal and SOX-deficient male albino rat plasma. For this purpose, rats were divided into four groups: control, sulfite-treated, SOX-deficient, and sulfite-treated SOX-deficient groups. SOX deficiency was established by feeding rats a low molybdenum diet and adding to their drinking water 200 ppm tungsten. Sulfite (70 mg/kg) was administered to the animals via their drinking water. SOX deficiency together with sulfite treatment caused a significant increase in the plasma LOOH and total oxidant status levels. -SH content of rat plasma significantly decreased by both sulfite treatment and SOX deficiency compared to the control. There was also a significant decrease in plasma TAC level by sulfite treatment. In conclusion, sulfite treatment affects the antioxidant/oxidant balance of the plasma cells of the rats toward oxidants in SOX-deficient groups.

Comparison of ileal and total tract nutrient digestibility of dry dog foods

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, W.H.; Thomas, G.; Bosch, G.; Fahey, G.C.

2013-01-01

The apparent total tract and ileal digestibility assays to measure AA absorption in commercial canine diets were compared in the present study. Five ileal cannulated dogs were fed 5 commercial dry canine foods selected to contain 19 to 30% CP in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Ileal and total tract

Preliminary sensitivity analyses of corrosion models for BWIP [Basalt Waste Isolation Project] container materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anantatmula, R.P.

1984-01-01

A preliminary sensitivity analysis was performed for the corrosion models developed for Basalt Waste Isolation Project container materials. The models describe corrosion behavior of the candidate container materials (low carbon steel and Fe9Cr1Mo), in various environments that are expected in the vicinity of the waste package, by separate equations. The present sensitivity analysis yields an uncertainty in total uniform corrosion on the basis of assumed uncertainties in the parameters comprising the corrosion equations. Based on the sample scenario and the preliminary corrosion models, the uncertainty in total uniform corrosion of low carbon steel and Fe9Cr1Mo for the 1000 yr containment period are 20% and 15%, respectively. For containment periods ≥ 1000 yr, the uncertainty in corrosion during the post-closure aqueous periods controls the uncertainty in total uniform corrosion for both low carbon steel and Fe9Cr1Mo. The key parameters controlling the corrosion behavior of candidate container materials are temperature, radiation, groundwater species, etc. Tests are planned in the Basalt Waste Isolation Project containment materials test program to determine in detail the sensitivity of corrosion to these parameters. We also plan to expand the sensitivity analysis to include sensitivity coefficients and other parameters in future studies. 6 refs., 3 figs., 9 tabs

Cajal bodies and snRNPs friends with benefits

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Staněk, David

2017-01-01

Roč. 14, č. 6 (2017), s. 671-679 ISSN 1547-6286 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-00790S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : spinal muscular-atrophy * small nuclear-rna * u4/u6.u5 tri-snrnp * xenopus-laevis oocytes * u6 spliceosomal rna * coiled bodies * smn complex * u1 snrnp * u2 snrnp * in-vivo Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 3.900, year: 2016

Ingestive behavior of Nellore steers in feedlot fed with diets containing different corn hybrids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivone Yurika Mizubuti

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to study the feeding behavior of Nellore beef cattle in feedlot fed with diets containing different corn hybrids. Twenty-seven animals averaging 350 ± 24 kg of body weight and 24 months of age, were used. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments (T, where, T1-TDFC: total diet containing flint corn, T2-TDSFC: total diet containing semi-flint corn and T3-TDSDC: total diet containing semi-dent corn, with 9 replicates per treatment. The animals were fed ad libitum twice a day (at 8:00am and 4:00pm with a isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet, with 30% of sugar cane bagasse and 70% concentrate (88% maize, 8% soybean meal, 3% mineral and vitamin supplement and 1% urea for 95 days (14 days of adaptation and 3 experimental periods of 27 days each. The animals were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and after each period of 27 days, always in a fasting period of 16 hours. The evaluation of animals feeding behavior occurred at the last day of each period by visual observation every five minutes for full periods of 24 hours. Observations were made in four shifts: morning (06:00 to 12:00, afternoon (12:00 to 18:00, evening (18:00 to 00:00 and early morning (00:00 06:00 to determine the number of ruminal bolus, chewing time, total feeding time, total ruminating standing time, total ruminating lying time, total standing idle time and total lying idle time. During the night’s observations, the stalls received artificial illumination to facilitate the data collection and the animals were adapted with light at night for three days before observations. Animals fed with diets containing semi-dent corn had longer chew time and more ruminal bolus than those fed with flint corn, but did not differ from those that received semi-flint corn in the diet. The chewing time and number of ruminal bolus varied with the observation periods, being higher in the morning and decreasing in the

A chance-constrained stochastic approach to intermodal container routing problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yi; Liu, Ronghui; Zhang, Xi; Whiteing, Anthony

2018-01-01

We consider a container routing problem with stochastic time variables in a sea-rail intermodal transportation system. The problem is formulated as a binary integer chance-constrained programming model including stochastic travel times and stochastic transfer time, with the objective of minimising the expected total cost. Two chance constraints are proposed to ensure that the container service satisfies ship fulfilment and cargo on-time delivery with pre-specified probabilities. A hybrid heuristic algorithm is employed to solve the binary integer chance-constrained programming model. Two case studies are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model and to analyse the impact of stochastic variables and chance-constraints on the optimal solution and total cost.

The First Total Synthesis of Dragmacidin D

OpenAIRE

Garg, Neil K.; Sarpong, Richmond; Stoltz, Brian M.

2002-01-01

The first total synthesis of the biologically significant bis-indole alkaloid dragmacidin D (5) has been achieved. Thermal and electronic modulation provides the key for a series of palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions that furnished the core structure of the complex guanidine- and aminoimidazole-containing dragmacidins. Following this crucial sequence, a succession of meticulously controlled final events was developed leading to the completion of the natural product.

Apparatus for measuring total flow in pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matthews, H.

1986-01-01

To obtain a sample representative of the total flow in a pipe over a given period a Pitot tube is located in the pipe and connected to a collector outside the pipe. The collector is pressurised to a pressure substantially equal to the static head of the flow in the pipe via a line. Liquid is discharged from a collector to a container which is vented to atmosphere. (author)

Phenol-Sulfuric Acid Method for Total Carbohydrates

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, S. Suzanne

The phenol-sulfuric acid method is a simple and rapid colorimetric method to determine total carbohydrates in a sample. The method detects virtually all classes of carbohydrates, including mono-, di-, oligo-, and polysaccharides. Although the method detects almost all carbohydrates, the absorptivity of the different carbohydrates varies. Thus, unless a sample is known to contain only one carbohydrate, the results must be expressed arbitrarily in terms of one carbohydrate.

Waste container and method for containing waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Akira; Matsushita, Mitsuhiro; Doi, Makoto; Nakatani, Seiichi.

1990-01-01

In a waste container, water-proof membranes and rare earth element layers are formed on the inner surface of a steel plate concrete container in which steel plates are embedded. Further, rear earth element detectors are disposed each from the inner side of the steel plate concrete container by way of a pressure pipe to the outer side of the container. As a method for actually containing wastes, when a plurality of vessels in which wastes are fixed are collectively enhoused to the waste container, cussioning materials are attached to the inner surface of the container and wastes fixing containers are stacked successively in a plurality of rows in a bag made of elastic materials. Subsequently, fixing materials are filled and tightly sealed in the waste container. When the waste container thus constituted is buried underground, even if it should be deformed to cause intrusion of rain water to the inside of the container, the rare earth elements in the container dissolved in the rain water can be detected by the detectors, the containers are exchanged before the rain water intruding to the inner side is leached to the surrounding ground, to previously prevent the leakage of radioactive nuclides. (K.M.)

Application and Characteristics of Chinese Herbal Medicine Containing Schisandra

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Hui; Mao, Mingsan

2018-01-01

Schisandra is the dried and ripe fruit of Chinese magnoliavine, which has the functions of protecting the liver and gallbladder, lowering blood sugar, antibacterial and antiaging. Schisandra contains biological activity is very high. As a commonly used blind Chinese herbal medicine, Schisandra often appear in the treatment of vertigo, palpitations, insomnia in the proprietary Chinese medicine, play a nourishing liver and kidney, nourishing the nerves and so on. Chinese Pharmacopoeia contains a total of 102 kinds of Chinese medicine containing Schisandra, according to the dosage form will contain Schisandra proprietary Chinese medicine is divided into pills, tablets, granules and other 8 categories, according to the compatibility of Schisandra application, will contain Schisandra proprietary Chinese medicine functional Class 9. In this paper, the main clinical application of proprietary Chinese medicines containing Schisandra chinensis was analyzed by analyzing the classification and functional treatment of Chinese medicinal constituents containing Schisandra in pharmacopoeia, and then providing the basis for the analysis of Schisandra in proprietary Chinese medicine and The study is conducted to give guidance.

Monthly Total Precipitation Observation for Climate Prediction Center (CPC)Forecast Divisions

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This ASCII dataset contains monthly total precipitation for 102 Forecast Divisions within the conterminous U.S. It is derived from the monthly NCDC climate division...

Total, Soluble and Insoluble Oxalate Contents of Ripe Green and Golden Kiwifruit.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyễn, Hà Vũ Hồng; Savage, Geoffrey P

2013-03-05

Three bulk samples of two different cultivars of kiwifruit, green ( Actinidia deliciosa L . ) and golden ( Actinidia chinensis L . ) were bought ripe, ready to eat from a local market. The aim of the study was to determine the oxalate composition of each of the three fractions of kiwifruit, namely skin, pulp and seeds. The pulp consisted of 90.4% of the edible portion of the two cultivars while the skin and seeds made up a mean of 8.0% and 1.6% respectively. Total oxalate was extracted with 2.0 M HCL at 21 °C for 15 min and soluble oxalates extracted at 21 °C in water for 15 min from each fraction. The total and soluble oxalate compositions of each fraction were determined using ion exchange HPLC chromatography. The pulp of golden kiwifruit contained lower amounts of total oxalates (15.7 vs. 19.3 mg/100 g FW) and higher amounts of soluble oxalates (8.5 vs. 7.6 mg/100 g FW) when compared to the green cultivar. The skin of the green cultivar contained lower levels of insoluble oxalates (36.9 vs. 43.6 mg/100 g FW), while the seeds of the green cultivar contained higher levels of insoluble oxalates 106.7 vs. 84.7 mg/100 g FW.

Survey of commercially available chocolate- and cocoa-containing products in the United States. 2. Comparison of flavan-3-ol content with nonfat cocoa solids, total polyphenols, and percent cacao.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Kenneth B; Hurst, W Jeffrey; Flannigan, Nancy; Ou, Boxin; Lee, C Y; Smith, Nancy; Stuart, David A

2009-10-14

A survey of a broad range of chocolate- and cocoa-containing products marketed in the United States was conducted to provide a more detailed analysis of flavan-3-ol monomers, oligomers, and polymers, which can be grouped into a class of compounds called procyanidins. Samples consisted of the three or four top-selling products within the following six categories: natural cocoa powder, unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semisweet baking chips, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup. Composite samples were characterized for percent fat (% fat), percent nonfat cocoa solids (% NFCS), antioxidant level by ORAC, total polyphenols, epicatechin, catechin, total monomers, and flavan-3-ol oligomers and polymers (procyanidins). On a gram weight basis epicatechin and catechin content of the products follow in decreasing order: cocoa powder > baking chocolate > dark chocolate = baking chips > milk chocolate > chocolate syrup. Analysis of the monomer and oligomer profiles within product categories shows there are two types of profiles: (1) products that have high monomers with decreasing levels of oligomers and (2) products in which the level of dimers is equal to or greater than the monomers. Results show a strong correlation (R(2) = 0.834) of epicatechin to the level of % NFCS and also very good correlations for N = 2-5 oligomers to % NFCS. A weaker correlation was observed for catechin to % NFCS (R(2) = 0.680). Other analyses show a similar high degree of correlation with epicatechin and N = 2-5 oligomers to total polyphenols, with catechin being less well correlated to total polyphenols. A lesser but still good correlation exists between the calculated percent cacao (calcd % cacao) content, a proxy for percent cacao, and these same flavanol measures, with catechin again showing a lesser degree of correlation to calcd % cacao. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows that the products group discretely into five classes: (1) cocoa powder, (2) baking chocolate, (3) dark

TruSeq Stranded mRNA and Total RNA Sample Preparation Kits

Science.gov (United States)

Total RNA-Seq enabled by ribosomal RNA (rRNA) reduction is compatible with formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples, which contain potentially critical biological information. The family of TruSeq Stranded Total RNA sample preparation kits provides a unique combination of unmatched data quality for both mRNA and whole-transcriptome analyses, robust interrogation of both standard and low-quality samples and workflows compatible with a wide range of study designs.

Awareness, self-management behaviors, health literacy and kidney function relationships in specialty practice

Science.gov (United States)

Devraj, Radhika; Borrego, Matthew E; Vilay, A Mary; Pailden, Junvie; Horowitz, Bruce

2018-01-01

AIM To determine the relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) awareness (CKD-A), self-management behaviors (CKD-SMB) knowledge, performance of CKD-SMBs, health literacy (HL) and kidney function. METHODS Participants were eligible patients attending an outpatient nephrology clinic. Participants were administered: Newest Vital Sign to measure HL, CKD self-management knowledge tool (CKD-SMKT) to assess knowledge, past performance of CKD-SMB, CKD-A. Estimated GFR (eGFR) was determined using the MDRD-4 equation. Duration of clinic participation and CKD cause were extracted from medical charts. RESULTS One-hundred-fifty patients participated in the study. eGFRs ranged from 17-152 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Majority (83%) of respondents had stage 3 or 4 CKD, low HL (63%), and were CKD aware (88%). Approximately 40% (10/25) of patients in stages 1 and 2 and 6.4% (8/125) in stages 3 and 4 were unaware of their CKD. CKD-A differed with stage (P level, duration of clinic participation, or CKD cause. Majority of respondents (≥ 90%) correctly answered one or more CKD-SMKT items. Knowledge of one behavior, “controlling blood pressure” differed significantly by CKD-A. CKD-A was associated with past performance of two CKD-SMBs, “controlling blood pressure” (P = 0.02), and “keeping healthy body weight” (P = 0.01). Adjusted multivariate analyses between CKD-A and: (1) HL; and (2) CKD-SMB knowledge were non-significant. However, there was a significant relationship between CKD-A and kidney function after controlling for demographics, HL, and CKD-SMB (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION CKD-A is not associated with HL, or better CKD-SMBs. CKD-A is significantly associated with kidney function and substantially lower eGFR, suggesting the need for focused patient education in CKD stages 1. PMID:29359119

From pan-reactive KV7 channel opener to subtype selective opener/inhibitor by addition of a methyl group.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sigrid Marie Blom

Full Text Available The voltage-gated potassium channels of the KV7 family (KV7.1-5 play important roles in controlling neuronal excitability and are therefore attractive targets for treatment of CNS disorders linked to hyperexcitability. One of the main challenges in developing KV7 channel active drugs has been to identify compounds capable of discriminating between the neuronally expressed subtypes (KV7.2-5, aiding the identification of the subunit composition of KV7 currents in various tissues, and possessing better therapeutic potential for particular indications. By taking advantage of the structure-activity relationship of acrylamide KV7 channel openers and the effects of these compounds on mutant KV7 channels, we have designed and synthesized a novel KV7 channel modulator with a unique profile. The compound, named SMB-1, is an inhibitor of KV7.2 and an activator of KV7.4. SMB-1 inhibits KV7.2 by reducing the current amplitude and increasing the time constant for the slow component of the activation kinetics. The activation of KV7.4 is seen as an increase in the current amplitude and a slowing of the deactivation kinetics. Experiments studying mutant channels with a compromised binding site for the KV7.2-5 opener retigabine indicate that SMB-1 binds within the same pocket as retigabine for both inhibition of KV7.2 and activation of KV7.4. SMB-1 may serve as a valuable tool for KV7 channel research and may be used as a template for further design of better subtype selective KV7 channel modulators. A compound with this profile could hold novel therapeutic potential such as the treatment of both positive and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.

Secondary Containers and Service Containers for Pesticides

Science.gov (United States)

Secondary containers and service containers are used by pesticide applicators in the process of applying a pesticide. EPA does not require secondary containers or service containers to be labeled or to meet particular construction standards. Learn more.

Characterization of the nuclear localization signal of the hepatitis delta virus antigen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alves, Carolina; Freitas, Natalia; Cunha, Celso

2008-01-01

The delta antigen (HDAg) is the only protein encoded by the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA genome. The HDAg contains an RNA binding domain, a dimerization domain, and a nuclear localization signal (NLS). The nuclear import of HDV RNPs is thought to be one of the first tasks of the HDAg during the HDV replication cycle. Using c-myc-PK fusions with several regions of the HDAg in transfection assays in Huh7 cells, we found that the HDAg NLS consists of a single stretch of 10 amino acids, EGAPPAKRAR, located in positions 66-75. Deletion and mutation analysis of this region showed that both the acidic glutamic acid residue at position 66 and the basic arginine residue at position 75 are essential for promoting nuclear import

MKB and SMB in the Northern countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broden, K.; Andersson, K.

2001-12-01

A meeting on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment has been held in Turku, Finland, August 22-24 2001. It was held within the framework of two NKS projects: SOS-3 (Radioactive waste) and SOS- 1 (Risk assessment and strategies for safety). The meeting included presenta- tions, discussions and a study visit to the final repository for low- and intermedi- ate level radioactive waste and the intermediate storage for spent nuclear fuel at Olkiluoto. Abstract in Danish: Inom ramen for NKS-projekten SOS-3 (Avfall) och SOS-1 (Riskvaardering och strategi for saakerhet) har ett seminarium om miljokonsekvensbeskrivningar och strategisk miljokonsekvensbedomning haallits i Aabo 22-24 augusti, 2001. Seminariet omfattade foredrag, diskussioner samt en studieresa till Olkoluoto daar besok gjordes till mellanlagret for anvaant braansle och till slutforvaret for laag- och medelaktivt avfall. Under forutsaattning att styrelsen for NKS samtycker kommer ett nytt MKB- seminarium att haallas i Osthammar 2002. (au)

Cylindrical Taylor states conserving total absolute magnetic helicity

Science.gov (United States)

Low, B. C.; Fang, F.

2014-09-01

The Taylor state of a three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field in an upright cylindrical domain V is derived from first principles as an extremum of the total magnetic energy subject to a conserved, total absolute helicity Habs. This new helicity [Low, Phys. Plasmas 18, 052901 (2011)] is distinct from the well known classical total helicity and relative total helicity in common use to describe wholly-contained and anchored fields, respectively. A given field B, tangential along the cylindrical side of V, may be represented as a unique linear superposition of two flux systems, an axially extended system along V and a strictly transverse system carrying information on field-circulation. This specialized Chandrasekhar-Kendall representation defines Habs and permits a neat formulation of the boundary-value problem (BVP) for the Taylor state as a constant-α force-free field, treating 3D wholly-contained and anchored fields on the same conceptual basis. In this formulation, the governing equation is a scalar integro-partial differential equation (PDE). A family of series solutions for an anchored field is presented as an illustration of this class of BVPs. Past treatments of the constant-α field in 3D cylindrical geometry are based on a scalar Helmholtz PDE as the governing equation, with issues of inconsistency in the published field solutions discussed over time in the journal literature. The constant-α force-free equation reduces to a scalar Helmholtz PDE only as special cases of the 3D integro-PDE derived here. In contrast, the constant-α force-free equation and the scalar Helmholtz PDE are absolutely equivalent in the spherical domain as discussed in Appendix. This theoretical study is motivated by the investigation of the Sun's corona but the results are also relevant to laboratory plasmas.

From facts to arguments: A study of the 2014 Swiss controversy over systematic mammography screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrenoud, Caroline; Stiefel, Friedrich; Bourquin, Céline

2018-06-01

The Swiss Medical Board (SMB) has recently revived the controversy over mammography screening by recommending to stop the introduction of new systematic mammography screening programs. This study aimed to examine the Swiss media coverage of the release of the SMB report. The dataset consisted of 25 newspaper and "medical magazine" articles, and TV/radio interviews. The analytic approach was based on argumentation theory. Authority and community arguments were the most frequent types of arguments. With respect to authority arguments, stakeholders for instance challenged or supported the expertise of the SMB by referring to the competence of external figures of authority. Community arguments were based on common values such as life (saved thanks to systematic mammography screening) and money (costs associated with unnecessary care induced by systematic mammography screening). The efficiency of mammography screening which was the key issue of the debate appeared to be largely eluded, and the question of what women should do endures. While interpersonal and interprofessional communication has become a major topic of interest in the medical community, it appears that media communication on mammography screening is still rather ineffective. We call in particular for a more fact-based discussion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PERBANDINGAN CAPITAL ASSET PRICING MODEL (CAPM DAN THREE FACTORS MODEL FAMA AND FRENCH (TFMFF DALAM MENGESTIMASI RETURN SAHAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KADEK MIRA PITRIYANTI

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In 1996, Fama and French developed the CAPM in Three Factor Model Fama and French (TFMFF to analyze the relationship between risk with rate of return by adding firm size factor that is proxied by Small Minus Big (SMB and value factor at Book to Market Ratio that is proxied by High Minus Low (HML on the CAPM model. The aim of this research is to compare the ability of CAPM and TFMFF in estimating the returns on six types of portfolios which are formed based on firm size and BE/ME. Selected samples are stocks of LQ-45 in period of February 2014, which have passed the selection of firm profits and ROE Warren Buffett criteria. Simple linear regression and Multiple linear regression with t test and F test statistics are used to demonstrate the influence and significance level of each variable. The results showed that TFMFF was more superior than CAPM. Market risk factor consistently affected each portfolio. SMB and HML is not always significantly effect on each portfolio, such as portfolio B/H, only market risk factor has a significant effect. However, the addition of SMB factors and HML factors could increase the coefficient of determination in each formed portfolio.

Behaviour of concrete containment under over-pressure conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atchison, R.J.; Asmis, G.J.K.; Campbell, F.R.

1979-01-01

The Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada initiated June, 1975, a major study of the behaviour of concrete containment under over-pressure conditions. Although extensive theoretical and experimental work has been carried out for thick-walled Prestressed Concrete Reactor Vessels (PCRV's), there is a want of information on the non-linear response of thin-walled structures typical of the CANDU, 600 MW(e) cylindrical/spherical, post-tensioned containment shells. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the total program, to present the reasons behind the research contract, and the specification and implementation of the work. The results of the theoretical and experimental work and their implications with respect to Canadian Concrete Containment practice are discussed. This study is unique, and, as far as is known, has no world-wide precedence. (orig.)

Biodegradable poly(lactic acid) microspheres containing total ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Administrator

potentially applied within a drug delivery system, was designed. This system acts in a ... adhesives, pharmaceutical and medical area (Hong and. Park 2000; Kim and ... Then the colloid solution was stirred continuously at. 500 rpm for 4 h until ...

Containment Modelling with the ASTEC Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadek, Sinisa; Grgic, Davor

2014-01-01

ASTEC is an integral computer code jointly developed by Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN, France) and Gesellschaft fur Anlagen-und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS, Germany) to assess the nuclear power plant behaviour during a severe accident (SA). It consists of 13 coupled modules which compute various SA phenomena in primary and secondary circuits of the nuclear power plants (NPP), and in the containment. The ASTEC code was used to model and to simulate NPP behaviour during a postulated station blackout accident in the NPP Krsko, a two-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) plant. The primary system of the plant was modelled with 110 thermal hydraulic (TH) volumes, 113 junctions and 128 heat structures. The secondary system was modelled with 76 TH volumes, 77 junctions and 87 heat structures. The containment was modelled with 10 TH volumes by taking into account containment representation as a set of distinctive compartments, connected with 23 junctions. A total of 79 heat structures were used to simulate outer containment walls and internal steel and concrete structures. Prior to the transient calculation, a steady state analysis was performed. In order to achieve correct plant initial conditions, the operation of regulation systems was modelled. Parameters which were subjected to regulation were the pressurizer pressure, the pressurizer narrow range level and steam mass flow rates in the steam lines. The accident analysis was focused on containment behaviour, however the complete integral NPP analysis was carried out in order to provide correct boundary conditions for the containment calculation. During the accident, the containment integrity was challenged by release of reactor system coolant through degraded coolant pump seals and, later in the accident following release of the corium out of the reactor pressure vessel, by the molten corium concrete interaction and direct containment heating mechanisms. Impact of those processes on relevant

CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF TOTAL ASSETS PROVIDED BY BANKS FROM FOUR CONTINENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MIRELA CĂTĂLINA TÜRKEȘ

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The paper analysed the total assets in 2016 achieved by the strongest 96 banks from 4 continents: Europe, America, Asia and Africa. It aims to evaluate the level of total assets provided by banks in 2016 and continental banking markets degree of differentiation to determine the overall conditions of the banks. Methodologies used in this study are based on cluster and descriptives analysis. Data set was built based on informations reported by banks on total assets. The results indicate that most of total banking assets are found in Asia and the fewest in Africa. At the end of 2016, the top 16 global banks owned total assets of $ 30.19 trillion according to the data set contains cluster 1 and the centroid was (2.25, 2.11, 3.06, 0.01.

Container crane for sea freight containers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luttekes, E.; Rijsenbrij, J.C.

2001-01-01

The invention relates to a container crane for loading and unloading seaborne containers. The container crane comprises a bridge girder (7), a jib (8), at least two crabs (11, 12) which can travel along the said bridge girder and/or jib and are provided with hoist means for lifting and lowering the

The Influence of Container Type and Potting Medium on Growth of Black Walnut Seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

David T. Funk; Paul L Roth; C. K. Celmer

1980-01-01

Container size and shape, potting medium, and genotype interacted to influence the growth of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) seedlings. Larger containers tended to produce larger trees. In tall, narrow, vent-pipe containers, different, proportions of peat and sand in potting media had no effect on total weight; a higher proportion of peat than of very fine sand in...

FAUST/CONTAIN; FAUST/CONTAIN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cherdron, W.; Minges, J.; Sauter, H.; Schuetz, W.

1995-08-01

The FAUNA facility has been restructured after completion of the sodium fire experiments. It is now serving LWR research, cf. report II on program no. 32.21.02 concerning steam explosions. The CONTAIN code system for computing the thermodynamic, aerosol and radiological phenomena in a containment under severe accident conditions is being developed with a new to fission product release and transport. (orig.)

Formation of nitrogen-containing compounds during microwave pyrolysis of microalgae: Product distribution and reaction pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Feng; Tahmasebi, Arash; Maliutina, Kristina; Yu, Jianglong

2017-12-01

The formation of nitrogen-containing compounds in bio-oil during microwave pyrolysis of Chlorella and Spirulina microalgae has been investigated in this study. Activated carbon (AC) and magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) were used as microwave receptors during microwave pyrolysis experiments. It has been found that the use of Fe 3 O 4 increased the total yield of bio-oil. The use of different microwave receptors did not seem to have affected the total yield of nitrogen-containing compounds in the bio-oil. However, Fe 3 O 4 promoted the formation of nitrogen-containing aliphatics, thereby reducing the formation of nitrogen-containing aromatics. The use of AC promoted the dehydration reactions during amino acid decomposition, thereby enhancing the formation of nitrogen-containing aromatics during pyrolysis. From the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis results, the major high-value nitrogen-containing compounds in the pyrolysis bio-oil of Chlorella and Spirulina were identified as indole and dodecamide. The formation mechanisms of nitrogen-containing compounds were proposed and discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of containment sprays in containment management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nourbakhsh, H.P.; Perez, S.E.; Lehner, J.R.

1993-05-01

A limited study has been performed assessing the effectiveness of containment sprays-to mitigate particular challenges which may occur during a severe accident. Certain aspects of three specific topics related to using sprays under severe accident conditions were investigated. The first was the effectiveness of sprays connected to an alternate water supple and pumping source because the actual containment spray pumps are inoperable. This situation could occur during a station blackout. The second topic concerned the adverse as well as beneficial effects of using containment sprays during severe accident scenario where the containment atmosphere contains substantial quantities of hydrogen along with steam. The third topic was the feasibility of using containment sprays to moderate the consequences of DCH

APR1400 Containment Simulation with CONTAIN code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Moon Kyu; Chung, Bub Dong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-05-15

The more realistic containment pressure variation predicted by the CONTAIN code through the coupled analysis during a large break loss of coolant accident in the nuclear power plant is expected to provide more accurate prediction for the plant behavior than a standalone MARS-KS calculation. The input deck has been generated based on the already available ARP- 1400 input for CONTEMPT code. Similarly to the CONTEMPT input deck, a simple two-cell model was adopted to model the containment behavior, one cell for the containment inner volume and another cell for the environment condition. The developed input for the CONTAIN code is to be eventually applied for the coupled code calculation of MARS-KS/CONTAIN

APR1400 Containment Simulation with CONTAIN code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Moon Kyu; Chung, Bub Dong

2010-01-01

The more realistic containment pressure variation predicted by the CONTAIN code through the coupled analysis during a large break loss of coolant accident in the nuclear power plant is expected to provide more accurate prediction for the plant behavior than a standalone MARS-KS calculation. The input deck has been generated based on the already available ARP- 1400 input for CONTEMPT code. Similarly to the CONTEMPT input deck, a simple two-cell model was adopted to model the containment behavior, one cell for the containment inner volume and another cell for the environment condition. The developed input for the CONTAIN code is to be eventually applied for the coupled code calculation of MARS-KS/CONTAIN

Prenatal Experiences of Containment in the Light of Bion's Model of Container/Contained

Science.gov (United States)

Maiello, Suzanne

2012-01-01

This paper explores the idea of possible proto-experiences of the prenatal child in the context of Bion's model of container/contained. The physical configuration of the embryo/foetus contained in the maternal uterus represents the starting point for an enquiry into the unborn child's possible experiences of its state of being contained in a…

Total, Soluble and Insoluble Oxalate Contents of Ripe Green and Golden Kiwifruit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hà Vũ Hồng Nguyễn

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Three bulk samples of two different cultivars of kiwifruit, green (Actinidia deliciosa L. and golden (Actinidia chinensis L. were bought ripe, ready to eat from a local market. The aim of the study was to determine the oxalate composition of each of the three fractions of kiwifruit, namely skin, pulp and seeds. The pulp consisted of 90.4% of the edible portion of the two cultivars while the skin and seeds made up a mean of 8.0% and 1.6% respectively. Total oxalate was extracted with 2.0 M HCL at 21 °C for 15 min and soluble oxalates extracted at 21 °C in water for 15 min from each fraction. The total and soluble oxalate compositions of each fraction were determined using ion exchange HPLC chromatography. The pulp of golden kiwifruit contained lower amounts of total oxalates (15.7 vs. 19.3 mg/100 g FW and higher amounts of soluble oxalates (8.5 vs. 7.6 mg/100 g FW when compared to the green cultivar. The skin of the green cultivar contained lower levels of insoluble oxalates (36.9 vs. 43.6 mg/100 g FW, while the seeds of the green cultivar contained higher levels of insoluble oxalates 106.7 vs. 84.7 mg/100 g FW.

Policies for Positioning Empty Containers in an Inland Multi-depot System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dang, Vinh Quang; Nielsen, Izabela Ewa; Yun, Won-Young

2011-01-01

-container management are as follows: a coordinated (s, S) inventory policy for overseas positioning, (ri, Ri) policy at each depot for inland positioning; and a simple leasing policy with zero lead-time. For inland positioning policy, four different methods are proposed to reposition empty containers between depots....... Customer demands and returning containers in depots and lead-time for positioning from overseas are considered as uncertain factors. The objective is to obtain the optimal policy in order to minimize the expected total cost including inventory holding, overseas positioning, inland positioning and leasing...

Serum total anti-oxidant capacity of some Nigerian cigarette smokers

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Cigarette smoke has been reported to contain free radicals. The interaction of these free radicals with the body defense system and associated health risk among Nigerian smokers have remained scarcely investigated despite the high numbers of smokers in our society. This study thus, investigates the serum total ...

Continuous containment monitoring with containment pressure fluctuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dick, J.E.

1996-01-01

The monitoring of the integrity of containments particularly but not exclusively for nuclear plants is dealt with in this invention. While this application is primarily concerned with containment monitoring in the context of the single unit design, it is expected that the concepts presented will be universally applicable to any containment design, including containments for non-nuclear applications such as biological laboratories. The nuclear industry has long been interested in a means of monitoring containment integrity on a continuous basis, that is, while the reactor is operating normally. 12 refs., 2 figs

Total and soluble oxalate content of some Indian spices.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh Das, Sumana; Savage, G P

2012-06-01

Spices, such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric are used all over the world as flavouring and colouring ingredients in Indian foods. Previous studies have shown that spices contain variable amounts of total oxalates but there are few reports of soluble oxalate contents. In this study, the total, soluble and insoluble oxalate contents of ten different spices commonly used in Indian cuisine were measured. Total oxalate content ranged from 194 (nutmeg) to 4,014 (green cardamom) mg/100 g DM, while the soluble oxalate contents ranged from 41 (nutmeg) to 3,977 (green cardamom) mg/100 g DM. Overall, the percentage of soluble oxalate content of the spices ranged from 4.7 to 99.1% of the total oxalate content which suggests that some spices present no risk to people liable to kidney stone formation, while other spices can supply significant amounts of soluble oxalates and therefore should be used in moderation.

Profile of Fatty Acids, Amino Acids, Carotenoid Total, and α-Tocopherol from Flying Fish Eggs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aulia Azka

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Flying fish are found in waters of eastern Indonesia, which until now is still limited informationabout nutritional content. The purpose of this research was determine the composition offatty acids, amino acids, total carotenoids, α-tocopherol flying fish eggs (Hyrundicthys sp..The composition of fatty acid was measured by gas chromatography (GC, while amino acids,total carotenoids, α-tocopherol was measured by High performanced Liquid Chromatography(HPLC. Egg contained 22 fatty acids such as saturated fatty acid 29.71%, monounsaturated fattyacid 7.86%, and polysaturated fatty acid 13.64%. The result showed that eggs flying fish contained17 amino acids, such as essential amino acid 14.96% and non-essential amino acids 20.27%. Eggscontained a total carotenoid of 245.37 ppm. α-tocopherol content of flying fish eggs by 1.06 ppm.Keywords: Amino acids, carotenoid total, fatty acid, flying fish egg, α-tocopherol

Milk production potential of two ryegrass cultivars with different total ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of the study was to compare a new Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cultivar (Enhancer), bred to contain a high total non-structural carbohydrate content, with the cultivar, Dargle, in terms of dry matter (DM) production, nutritional value, carrying capacity and milk production. The ryegrass cultivars were sown (25 ...

Containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The primary mission of the Containment Group is to ensure that underground nuclear tests are satisfactorily contained. The main goal is the development of sound technical bases for containment-related methodology. Major areas of activity include siting, geologic description, emplacement hole stemming, and phenomenological predictions. Performance results of sanded gypsum concrete plugs on the Jefferson, Panamint, Cornucopia, Labquark, and Bodie events are given. Activities are also described in the following areas: computational capabilities site description, predictive modeling, and cavity-pressure measurement. Containment publications are listed. 8 references

HTS flywheel energy storage system with rotor shaft stabilized by feed-back control of armature currents of motor-generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukamoto, O.; Utsunomiya, A.

2007-01-01

We propose an HTS bulk bearing flywheel energy system (FWES) with rotor shaft stabilization system using feed-back control of the armature currents of the motor-generator. In the proposed system the rotor shift has a pivot bearing at one end of the shaft and an HTS bulk bearing (SMB) at the other end. The fluctuation of the rotor shaft with SMB is damped by feed-back control of the armature currents of the motor-generator sensing the position of the rotor shaft. The method has merits that the fluctuations are damped without active control magnet bearings and extra devices which may deteriorate the energy storage efficiency and need additional costs. The principle of the method was demonstrated by an experiment using a model permanent magnet motor

HTS flywheel energy storage system with rotor shaft stabilized by feed-back control of armature currents of motor-generator

Science.gov (United States)

Tsukamoto, O.; Utsunomiya, A.

2007-10-01

We propose an HTS bulk bearing flywheel energy system (FWES) with rotor shaft stabilization system using feed-back control of the armature currents of the motor-generator. In the proposed system the rotor shift has a pivot bearing at one end of the shaft and an HTS bulk bearing (SMB) at the other end. The fluctuation of the rotor shaft with SMB is damped by feed-back control of the armature currents of the motor-generator sensing the position of the rotor shaft. The method has merits that the fluctuations are damped without active control magnet bearings and extra devices which may deteriorate the energy storage efficiency and need additional costs. The principle of the method was demonstrated by an experiment using a model permanent magnet motor.

CONTAIN code analyses of direct containment heating experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.C.; Griffith, R.O.; Tadios, E.L.; Washington, K.E.

1995-01-01

In some nuclear reactor core-melt accidents, a potential exists for molten core-debris to be dispersed into the containment under high pressure. Resulting energy transfer to the containment atmosphere can pressurize the containment. This process, known as direct containment heating (DCH), has been the subject of extensive experimental and analytical programs sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The DCH modeling has been an important focus for the development of the CONTAIN code. Results of a detailed independent peer review of the CONTAIN code were published recently. This paper summarizes work performed in support of the peer review in which the CONTAIN code was applied to analyze DCH experiments. Goals of this work were comparison of calculated and experimental results, CONTAIN DCH model assessment, and development of guidance for code users, including development of a standardized input prescription for DCH analysis

A preclinical numerical assessment of a polyetheretherketone femoral component in total knee arthroplasty during gait

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruiter, L. de; Janssen, D.W.; Briscoe, A.; Verdonschot, N.J.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Conventional total knee replacement designs show high success rates but in the long term, the stiff metal components may affect bone quality of the distal femur. In this study we introduce an all-polymer total knee replacement device containing a PEEK femoral component on an UHMWPE

Pleiotropic consequences of misexpression of the developmentally ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

these conditions would affect activities of the hnRNPs and other hsrω-RNA interacting proteins, which is likely to have cascading ... junk', make up the major part of the genome output in higher ..... nervous system (Lin and Goodman 1994).

Direct containment heating models in the CONTAIN code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washington, K.E.; Williams, D.C.

1995-08-01

The potential exists in a nuclear reactor core melt severe accident for molten core debris to be dispersed under high pressure into the containment building. If this occurs, the set of phenomena that result in the transfer of energy to the containment atmosphere and its surroundings is referred to as direct containment heating (DCH). Because of the potential for DCH to lead to early containment failure, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) has sponsored an extensive research program consisting of experimental, analytical, and risk integration components. An important element of the analytical research has been the development and assessment of direct containment heating models in the CONTAIN code. This report documents the DCH models in the CONTAIN code. DCH models in CONTAIN for representing debris transport, trapping, chemical reactions, and heat transfer from debris to the containment atmosphere and surroundings are described. The descriptions include the governing equations and input instructions in CONTAIN unique to performing DCH calculations. Modifications made to the combustion models in CONTAIN for representing the combustion of DCH-produced and pre-existing hydrogen under DCH conditions are also described. Input table options for representing the discharge of debris from the RPV and the entrainment phase of the DCH process are also described. A sample calculation is presented to demonstrate the functionality of the models. The results show that reasonable behavior is obtained when the models are used to predict the sixth Zion geometry integral effects test at 1/10th scale

Direct containment heating models in the CONTAIN code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washington, K.E.; Williams, D.C.

1995-08-01

The potential exists in a nuclear reactor core melt severe accident for molten core debris to be dispersed under high pressure into the containment building. If this occurs, the set of phenomena that result in the transfer of energy to the containment atmosphere and its surroundings is referred to as direct containment heating (DCH). Because of the potential for DCH to lead to early containment failure, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) has sponsored an extensive research program consisting of experimental, analytical, and risk integration components. An important element of the analytical research has been the development and assessment of direct containment heating models in the CONTAIN code. This report documents the DCH models in the CONTAIN code. DCH models in CONTAIN for representing debris transport, trapping, chemical reactions, and heat transfer from debris to the containment atmosphere and surroundings are described. The descriptions include the governing equations and input instructions in CONTAIN unique to performing DCH calculations. Modifications made to the combustion models in CONTAIN for representing the combustion of DCH-produced and pre-existing hydrogen under DCH conditions are also described. Input table options for representing the discharge of debris from the RPV and the entrainment phase of the DCH process are also described. A sample calculation is presented to demonstrate the functionality of the models. The results show that reasonable behavior is obtained when the models are used to predict the sixth Zion geometry integral effects test at 1/10th scale.

Interspecific variation in total phenolic content in temperate brown algae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Maria Mannino

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Marine algae synthesize secondary metabolites such as polyphenols that function as defense and protection mechanisms. Among brown algae, Fucales and Dictyotales (Phaeophyceae contain the highest levels of phenolic compounds, mainly phlorotannins, that play multiple roles. Four temperate brown algae (Cystoseira amentacea, Cystoseira compressa, Dictyopteris polypodioides and Padina pavonica were studied for total phenolic contents. Total phenolic content was determined colorimetrically with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Significant differences in total phenolic content were observed between leathery and sheetlike algae and also within each morphological group. Among the four species, the sheet-like alga D. polypodioides, living in the upper infralittoral zone, showed the highest concentration of phenolic compounds. These results are in agreement with the hypothesis that total phenolic content in temperate brown algae is influenced by a combination of several factors, such as growth form, depth, and exposition to solar radiation.

NPR and ANSI Containment Study Using Passive Cooling Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, J. J.; Iotti, R. C.; Wright, R. F.

1993-01-01

Passive containment cooling study of NPR (New Production Reactor) and ANSI (Advanced Neutron Source) following postulated loss of coolant accident with a coincident station blackout due to total loss of all alternating current power are studied analytically and experimentally. All the reactor and containment cooling under this condition would rely on the passive cooling system which removes reactor decay heat and provides emergency core and containment cooling. Containment passive emergency core and containment cooling. Containment passive cooling for this study takes place in the annulus between containment steel shell and concrete shield building by natural convection air flow and concrete shield building by natural convection air flow and thermal radiation. Various heat transfer coefficients inside annular air space were investigated by running the modified Contempt code Contempt-Npr. In order to verify proper heat transfer coefficient, temperature, heat flux and velocity profiles were measured inside annular air space of the test facility which is a 24 foot (7.3m) high, steam heated inner cylinder of three foot (.91m) diameter and five and halt foot (1.7m) diameter outer cylinder. Comparison of Contempt-Npr and WGOTHIC was done for reduced scale Npr. It is concluded that Npr and ANSI containments can be passively cooled with air alone without extended cooling surfaces or passive water spray

Damage assessment of nuclear containment against aircraft crash

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iqbal, Mohd Ashraf, E-mail: iqbal_ashraf@rediffmail.com; Sadique, Md. Rehan, E-mail: rehan.sadique@gmail.com; Bhargava, Pradeep, E-mail: bhpdpfce@iitr.ac.in; Bhandari, N.M., E-mail: nmbcefce@iitr.ac.in

2014-10-15

Highlights: • Damage assessment of nuclear containment is studied against aircraft crash. • Four impact locations have been identified at the outer containment shell. • The mid of the total height has been found to be most vulnerable location. • The crown of dome has been found to be the strongest location. • Phantom F4 caused more localized and severe damage compared to other aircrafts. - Abstract: The behavior of nuclear containment structure has been studied against aircraft crash with an emphasis on the influence of strike location. The impact locations identified on the BWR Mark III type nuclear containment structure are mid-height, junction of dome and cylinder, crown of dome and arc of dome. The containment at each of the above locations has been impacted normally by Phantom F-4, Boeing 707-320 and Airbus A320 aircrafts. The loading of the aircraft has been assigned through the corresponding reaction-time response curve. ABAQUS/Explicit finite element code has been used to carry out the three-dimensional numerical simulations. The concrete damaged plasticity model was used to simulate the behavior of concrete while the behavior of steel reinforcement was incorporated using the Johnson–Cook elasto-viscoplastic material model. The mid-height of containment has been found to experience most severe deformation against each aircraft. Phantom F4 has been found to be most disastrous at each location. The results have been compared with those of the available studies with respect to the containment deformation.

Total antioxidant content of alternatives to refined sugar.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Katherine M; Carlsen, Monica H; Blomhoff, Rune

2009-01-01

Oxidative damage is implicated in the etiology of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other degenerative disorders. Recent nutritional research has focused on the antioxidant potential of foods, while current dietary recommendations are to increase the intake of antioxidant-rich foods rather than supplement specific nutrients. Many alternatives to refined sugar are available, including raw cane sugar, plant saps/syrups (eg, maple syrup, agave nectar), molasses, honey, and fruit sugars (eg, date sugar). Unrefined sweeteners were hypothesized to contain higher levels of antioxidants, similar to the contrast between whole and refined grain products. To compare the total antioxidant content of natural sweeteners as alternatives to refined sugar. The ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay was used to estimate total antioxidant capacity. Major brands of 12 types of sweeteners as well as refined white sugar and corn syrup were sampled from retail outlets in the United States. Substantial differences in total antioxidant content of different sweeteners were found. Refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar contained minimal antioxidant activity (sugar had a higher FRAP (0.1 mmol/100 g). Dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest FRAP (4.6 to 4.9 mmol/100 g), while maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey showed intermediate antioxidant capacity (0.2 to 0.7 mmol FRAP/100 g). Based on an average intake of 130 g/day refined sugars and the antioxidant activity measured in typical diets, substituting alternative sweeteners could increase antioxidant intake an average of 2.6 mmol/day, similar to the amount found in a serving of berries or nuts. Many readily available alternatives to refined sugar offer the potential benefit of antioxidant activity.

A preclinical numerical assessment of a polyetheretherketone femoral component in total knee arthroplasty during gait

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Ruiter, Lennert; Janssen, Dennis W.; Briscoe, Adam; Verdonschot, Nico

2017-01-01

Background Conventional total knee replacement designs show high success rates but in the long term, the stiff metal components may affect bone quality of the distal femur. In this study we introduce an all-polymer total knee replacement device containing a PEEK femoral component on an UHMWPE tibial

The total neutron cross sections for 14N and 24Mg

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bommer, J.

This report contains tables of the total neutron cross sections of 14 N and 24 Mg as determined in a recent measurement for neutron energies between 1 and 5.3 MeV. Graphic representations and details on the evaluation of the cross sections are included. (orig.) [de

T2QM (Teaching and Total Quality Management) for Medical Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bing-You, R. G.

1997-01-01

Explores the potential relationship of teaching and total quality management (TQM) and the subsequent benefits for individual medical teachers. Addresses issues such as defining teaching processes and quality teaching, responding to customers' needs, assessing current teaching practices, and improving one's own teaching. Contains 18 references.…

A stochastic discrete optimization model for designing container terminal facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Zukhruf, Febri; Frazila, Russ Bona; Burhani, Jzolanda Tsavalista

2017-11-01

As uncertainty essentially affect the total transportation cost, it remains important in the container terminal that incorporates several modes and transshipments process. This paper then presents a stochastic discrete optimization model for designing the container terminal, which involves the decision of facilities improvement action. The container terminal operation model is constructed by accounting the variation of demand and facilities performance. In addition, for illustrating the conflicting issue that practically raises in the terminal operation, the model also takes into account the possible increment delay of facilities due to the increasing number of equipment, especially the container truck. Those variations expectantly reflect the uncertainty issue in the container terminal operation. A Monte Carlo simulation is invoked to propagate the variations by following the observed distribution. The problem is constructed within the framework of the combinatorial optimization problem for investigating the optimal decision of facilities improvement. A new variant of glow-worm swarm optimization (GSO) is thus proposed for solving the optimization, which is rarely explored in the transportation field. The model applicability is tested by considering the actual characteristics of the container terminal.

DDX6 regulates sequestered nuclear CUG-expanded DMPK-mRNA in dystrophia myotonica type 1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pettersson, Olof Joakim; Aagaard, Lars; Andrejeva, Diana

2014-01-01

RNA to ‘sponge’ splicing factors of the muscleblind family. Although nuclear aggregation of CUG-containing mRNPs in distinct foci is a hallmark of DM1, the mechanisms of their homeostasis have not been completely elucidated. Here we show that a DEAD-box helicase, DDX6, interacts with CUG triplet-repeat m......RNA in primary fibroblasts from DM1 patients and with CUG–RNA in vitro. DDX6 overexpression relieves DM1 mis-splicing, and causes a significant reduction in nuclear DMPK-mRNA foci. Conversely, knockdown of endogenous DDX6 leads to a significant increase in DMPK-mRNA foci count and to increased sequestration...... in vitro in an adenosinetriphosphate-dependent manner, suggesting that DDX6 can remodel and release nuclear DMPK messenger ribonucleoprotein foci, leading to normalization of pathogenic alternative splicing events...

Multiplate ionization total absorption spectrometer with a compressed gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baskakov, V.I.; Dolgoshein, B.A.; Kantserov, V.A.

1978-01-01

The characteristics of a multiplate total absorption spectrometer working with the compressed xenon (up to 25 atm) containing up to 23 radiation lengths of matter are studied. The dependence of the spectrometer energy resolution on the detecting matter density, on the material and thickness of the absorber plates has been studied. The ability of the spectrometer with a tungsten absorber to select hadrons and electrons with P=6 GeV/c by total energy release and characteristics of the cascade longitudinal development has been also studied. The gas spectrometer as it is shown differs quite slightly from the similar spectrometer with liquid argon as for its time resolution it is much better

Lactoferrin-modified rotigotine nanoparticles for enhanced nose-to-brain delivery: LESA-MS/MS-based drug biodistribution, pharmacodynamics, and neuroprotective effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan X

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Xiuju Yan,1,* Lixiao Xu,1,* Chenchen Bi,1 Dongyu Duan,1 Liuxiang Chu,1 Xin Yu,1 Zimei Wu,1 Aiping Wang,1,2 Kaoxiang Sun1,2 1School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University, Ministry of Education, Yantai University, Yantai, Shandong Province, 2State Key Laboratory of Long-Acting and Targeting Drug Delivery System, Shandong Luye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Yantai, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Introduction: Efficient delivery of rotigotine into the brain is crucial for obtaining maximum therapeutic efficacy for Parkinson’s disease (PD. Therefore, in the present study, we prepared lactoferrin-modified rotigotine nanoparticles (Lf-R-NPs and studied their biodistribution, pharmacodynamics, and neuroprotective effects following nose-to-brain delivery in the rat 6-hydroxydopamine model of PD.Materials and methods: The biodistribution of rotigotine nanoparticles (R-NPs and Lf-R-NPs after intranasal administration was assessed by liquid extraction surface analysis coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Contralateral rotations were quantified to evaluate pharmacodynamics. Tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter immunohistochemistry were performed to compare the neuroprotective effects of levodopa, R-NPs, and Lf-R-NPs.Results: Liquid extraction surface analysis coupled with tandem mass spectrometry analysis, used to examine rotigotine biodistribution, showed that Lf-R-NPs more efficiently supplied rotigotine to the brain (with a greater sustained amount of the drug delivered to this organ, and with more effective targeting to the striatum than R-NPs. The pharmacodynamic study revealed a significant difference (P<0.05 in contralateral rotations between rats treated with Lf-R-NPs and those treated with R-NPs. Furthermore, Lf

21st century projections of surface mass balance changes for major drainage systems of the Greenland ice sheet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tedesco, M; Fettweis, X

2012-01-01

Outputs from the regional climate model Modèle Atmosphérique Régionale at a spatial resolution of 25 km are used to study 21st century projected surface mass balance (SMB) over six major drainage basins of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS). The regional model is forced with the outputs of three different Earth System Models (CanESM2, NorESM1 and MIROC5) obtained when considering two greenhouse gas future scenarios with levels of CO 2 equivalent of, respectively, 850 and >1370 ppm by 2100. Results indicate that the increase in runoff due to warming will exceed the increased precipitation deriving from the increase in evaporation for all basins, with the amount of net loss of mass at the surface varying spatially. Basins along the southwest and north coast are projected to have the highest sensitivity of SMB to increasing temperatures. For these basins, the global temperature anomaly corresponding to a decrease of the SMB below the 1980–99 average (when the ice sheet was near the equilibrium) ranges between +0.60 and +2.16 °C. For the basins along the northwest and northeast, these values range between +1.50 and +3.40 °C. Our results are conservative as they do not account for ice dynamics and changes in the ice sheet topography. (letter)

Stability of total nutrient admixtures with lipid injectable emulsions in glass versus plastic packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Driscoll, David F; Silvestri, Anthony P; Bistrian, Bruce R; Mikrut, Bernard A

2007-02-15

The physical stability of two emulsions compounded as part of a total nutrient admixture (TNA) was studied in lipids packaged in either glass or plastic containers. Five weight-based adult TNA formulations that were designed to meet the full nutritional needs of adults with body weights between 40 and 80 kg were studied. Triplicate preparations of each TNA were assessed over 30 hours at room temperature by applying currently proposed United States Pharmacopeia (USP) criteria for mean droplet diameter, large-diameter tail, and globule-size distribution (GSD) for lipid injectable emulsions. In accordance with conditions set forth in USP chapter 729, the higher levels of volume-weighted percent of fat exceeding 5 microm (PFAT(5)) should not exceed 0.05% of the total lipid concentration. Significant differences were noted among TNA admixtures based on whether the lipid emulsion product was manufactured in glass or plastic. The plastic-contained TNAs failed the proposed USP methods for large-diameter fat globules in all formulations from the outset, and 60% had significant growth in large-diameter fat globules over time. In contrast, glass-contained TNAs were stable throughout and in all cases would have passed proposed USP limits. Certain lipid injectable emulsions packaged in plastic containers have baseline abnormal GSD profiles compared with those packaged in glass containers. When used to compound TNAs, the abnormal profile worsens and produces less stable TNAs than those compounded with lipid injectable emulsions packaged in glass containers.

Electrical properties of SmB6 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition from a stoichiometric SmB6 target

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Baťková, M.; Baťko, I.; Stobiecki, F.; Szymański, B.; Kuswik, P.; Macková, Anna; Malinský, Petr

2018-01-01

Roč. 744, č. 5 (2018), s. 821-827 ISSN 0925-8388 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP108/12/G108; GA MŠk LM2015056 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : rare earth alloys and compounds * thin films * vapor deposition * electrical transport * valence fluctuations Subject RIV: JP - Industrial Processing OBOR OECD: Materials engineering Impact factor: 3.133, year: 2016

Production of Purified CasRNPs for Efficacious Genome Editing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lingeman, Emily; Jeans, Chris; Corn, Jacob E

2017-10-02

CRISPR-Cas systems have been harnessed as modular genome editing reagents for functional genomics and show promise to cure genetic diseases. Directed by a guide RNA, a Cas effector introduces a double stranded break in DNA and host cell DNA repair leads to the introduction of errors (e.g., to knockout a gene) or a programmed change. Introduction of a Cas effector and guide RNA as a purified Cas ribonucleoprotein complex (CasRNP) has recently emerged as a powerful approach to alter cell types and organisms. Not only does CasRNP editing exhibit increased efficacy and specificity, it avoids optimization and iteration of species-specific factors such as codon usage, promoters, and terminators. CasRNP editing has been rapidly adopted for research use in many contexts and is quickly becoming a popular method to edit primary cells for therapeutic application. This article describes how to make a Cas9 RNP and outlines its use for gene editing in human cells. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Inner nuclear envelope protein SUN1 plays a prominent role in mammalian mRNA export.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ping; Noegel, Angelika A

2015-11-16

Nuclear export of messenger ribonucleoproteins (mRNPs) through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) can be roughly classified into two forms: bulk and specific export, involving an nuclear RNA export factor 1 (NXF1)-dependent pathway and chromosome region maintenance 1 (CRM1)-dependent pathway, respectively. SUN proteins constitute the inner nuclear envelope component of the l I: nker of N: ucleoskeleton and C: ytoskeleton (LINC) complex. Here, we show that mammalian cells require SUN1 for efficient nuclear mRNP export. The results indicate that both SUN1 and SUN2 interact with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) F/H and hnRNP K/J. SUN1 depletion inhibits the mRNP export, with accumulations of both hnRNPs and poly(A)+RNA in the nucleus. Leptomycin B treatment indicates that SUN1 functions in mammalian mRNA export involving the NXF1-dependent pathway. SUN1 mediates mRNA export through its association with mRNP complexes via a direct interaction with NXF1. Additionally, SUN1 associates with the NPC through a direct interaction with Nup153, a nuclear pore component involved in mRNA export. Taken together, our results reveal that the inner nuclear envelope protein SUN1 has additional functions aside from being a central component of the LINC complex and that it is an integral component of the mammalian mRNA export pathway suggesting a model whereby SUN1 recruits NXF1-containing mRNP onto the nuclear envelope and hands it over to Nup153. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

TCTE Level 3 Total Solar Irradiance 6-Hour Means V002 (TCTE3TSI6) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) data set TCTE3TSI6 contains 6-hour averaged total solar irradiance (a.k.a solar constant)...

Scientific basis to assess the potential for geological sequestration of CO{sub 2} in Switzerland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diamond, L. W.; Chevalier, G. [Institut fuer Geologie, Universitaet Bern, Bern (Switzerland); Leu, W. [Geoform AG, Geologische Beratungen und Studien, Villeneuve (former Minusio) (Switzerland)

2010-07-01

Possibilities to sequester anthropogenic CO{sub 2} in deep geological formations are being investigated worldwide, but the potential within Switzerland has not yet been evaluated. This study presents a first-order appraisal based solely on geological criteria collated from the literature. The Swiss Molasse Basin (SMB) and the adjacent Folded Jura are the only realms of the country where CO{sub 2} could conceivably be stored in saline aquifers. Evaluation of geological criteria at the basin-wide scale shows that the SMB-Jura has moderate potential (score of 0.6 on a scale from 0 to 1) when compared to basins elsewhere. At the intrabasinal scale, inspection of the stratigraphy reveals four regional candidate aquifers that are sealed by suitable caprocks: top Basement plus basal Mesozoic sandstones, all sealed by the Anhydrite Group; Upper Muschelkalk sealed by the Gipskeuper; Hauptrogenstein sealed by the Effinger Member, and Upper Malm plus Lower Cretaceous sealed by the Lower Freshwater Molasse. Nine geological criteria are defined to evaluate the storage potential of these and other smaller-scale candidates. A numerical scoring and weighting scheme allows the criteria to be assessed simultaneously, permitting the storage potential to be depicted using the 0-1 scale in contoured maps. Approximately 5000 km{sup 2} of the central SMB exhibits potentials between 0.6 and 0.96. The Fribourg-Olten-Lucerne area is the most favoured owing to the presence of several sealed aquifers within the preferred 800-2500 m depth interval, and to its low seismicity, low geothermal gradient, low fault density, and long groundwater residence times. Smaller areas with good potential lie between Zurich and St. Gall. In contrast, western Switzerland, the Jura and the southern SMB have markedly poorer potential. Considering only the portions of the aquifers with potential above 0.6, the theoretical, effective storage capacity of the basin is estimated to be 2680 million tonnes of CO{sub 2

Reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichiki, Tadaharu; Saba, Kazuhisa.

1979-01-01

Purpose: To improve the earthquake resistance as well as reduce the size of a container for a nuclear reactor with no adverse effects on the decrease of impact shock to the container and shortening of construction step. Constitution: Reinforcing profile steel materials are welded longitudinally and transversely to the inner surface of a container, and inner steel plates are secured to the above profile steel materials while keeping a gap between the materials and the container. Reactor shielding wall planted to the base concrete of the container is mounted to the pressure vessel, and main steam pipeways secured by the transverse beams and led to the outside of container is connected. This can improve the rigidity earthquake strength and the safetiness against the increase in the inside pressure upon failures of the container. (Yoshino, Y.)

Study on optimal fat content in total parenteral nutrition in partially hepatectomized rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, S; Sakabe, S; Hirata, M; Kamuro, H; Asahara, N; Watanabe, M

1997-04-01

In order to investigate the optimal fat content for total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solutions, male Wistar rats were subjected to 70% hepatectomy and then placed, for five days, on one of five TPN regimens in which fat represented 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%, respectively, of the total calorie content. As serum triglyceride levels in the fat-treated groups were lower than those in the non-treated normal rats, it was concluded that the administered fat was sufficiently hydrolyzed. The greater the fat content, the higher the regeneration rate of the remnant liver. Significant differences were found between the 0%-fat group and 20%-plus fat groups. Hepatic triglyceride level was significantly lower in the 20%-fat group. Hepatic protein level was significantly elevated in all fat-treated groups. Serum phospholipids and total cholesterol due to the lecithin contained in fat emulsion were significantly elevated in the 30 and 40%-fat groups, indicating that fat content of 30 and 40% was excessive. The results suggest that TPN containing fat is superior to fat-free TPN for liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy, and that optimal fat content is estimated to be about 20% of total calorie content in the case of this fat emulsion.

Clinical studies on the radioimmunodetection of tumors containing alpha-fetoprotein

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldenberg, D.M.; Kim, E.E.; Deland, F.; Spremulli, E.; Nelson, M.O.; Gockerman, J.P.; Primus, F.J.; Corgan, R.L.; Alpert, E.

1980-01-01

This study reports the use of radiolabeled antibodies to alpha-fetoprotein for the detection and localization of hepatocellular and germ cell carcinomas. Twelve patients with histories of histologically-confirmed neoplasia received a total dose between 1.0 and 4.4 mCi of 131 I-labeled goat IgG prepared against human alpha-fetoprotein. Total-body photoscans were taken with a gamma scintillation camera at various intervals after injection of the radioactive antibody. Computer subtraction of radioactive technetium background images from the antibody 131 I scans permitted the visualization of all tumor sites known to be present in 4 patients with either primary hepatocellular cancer or metastatic germ cell carcinoma of the testis. Among 8 patients with diverse neoplasms not believed to contain alpha-fetoprotein, 5 of 19 tumor sites showed radioactive antibody accretion, although significantly less than in the patients with liver or testicular cancer. This investigation indicates that alpha-fetoprotein-containing tumors can be detected and localized in vivo by the method of radioimmunodetection

Port Security: Container Cargo Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladivoj Vlaković

2006-05-01

Full Text Available illicittrafficking of threat materials, especially explosives, chemicalsubstances and radioactive or nuclear material. The transportof the threat materials by using sea routes is an advantageto te"orists especially because of the possible use of ship containers.The container is the basis of world trade. It is assumed thatthe world total movement in containers is about 200 millionTEUs ("20-foot equivalent units" per year. The list of materialstransported by containers which should be subject to inspectionwith the aim of reducing the acts of te"orism includes explosives,narcotics, chemical weapons, hazardous chemicalsand radioactive materials.Of special interest is nuclear te"orism. The risk of nuclearte"orism carried out by sub-national groups should be considerednot only in the construction and/or use of nuclear device,but also in possible radioactive contamination of large urbanareas.The system of ship containers control is an essential componentof «smart border» concept. Modem personnel, parcel,vehicle and cargo inspection systems are non-invasive imagingtechniques based on the use of nuclear analytical techniques.The inspection systems use penetrating radiations: hard x-rays(300 keV or more or gamma-rays from radioactive sources(137Cs and 60Co with energies from 600 to 1300 keV that producea high resolution radiograph of the load. Unfortunately,this information is "non-specific" in that it gives no informationon the nature of objects that do not match_ the travel documentsand are not recognized by a visual analysis of the radiographicpicture. Moreover, there are regions of the containerwherex and gamma-ray systems are "blind" due to the high averageatomic number of the objects i"adiated that appear asblack spots in the radiographic image.The systems being developed are based on the use of fast, 14Me V, neutrons with detection of associated a-particle from nuclearreactionbywhichneutrons are produced (d+t>a+n.Jnsuch a way the possibility to

Development of instrumentation systems for severe accidents. 4. New accident tolerant in-containment pressure transducer for containment pressure monitoring system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oba, Masato; Teruya, Kuniyuki; Yoshitsugu, Makoto; Ikeuchi, Takeshi

2015-01-01

The accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (TF-1 accident) caused severe situations and resulted in a difficulty in measuring important parameters for monitoring plant conditions. Therefore, we have studied the TF-1 accident to select the important parameters that should be monitored at the severe accident and are developing the Severe Accident Instrumentations and Monitoring Systems that could measure the parameters in severe accident conditions. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD (MHI) developed a new accident tolerant containment pressure monitoring system and demonstrated that the monitoring system could endure extremely harsh environmental conditions that envelop severe accident environmental conditions inside a containment such as maximum operating temperature of up to 300degC and total integrated dose (TID) of 1 MGy gamma. The new containment pressure monitoring system comprises of a strain gage type pressure transducer and a mineral insulated (MI) cable with ceramic connectors, which are located in the containment, and a strain measuring amplifier located outside the containment. Less thermal and radiation degradation is achieved because of minimizing use of organic materials for in-containment equipment such as the transducer and connectors. Several tests were performed to demonstrate the performance and capability of the in-containment equipment under severe accident environmental conditions and the major steps in this testing were run in the following test sequences: (1) the baseline functional tests (e.g., repeatability, non-linearity, hysteresis, and so on) under normal conditions, (2) accident radiation testing, (3) seismic testing, and (4) steam/temperature test exposed to simulated severe accident environmental conditions. The test results demonstrate that the new pressure transducer can endure the simulated severe accident conditions. (author)

The application of shape memory actuators in anthropomorphic upper limb prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Christian Mariani Lucas; da Cunha, Fransergio Leite; Dynnikov, Vladimir Ivanovitch

2003-05-01

In recent years, single crystal Cu-Al-Ni alloys with shape memory behavior (SMB) became generally commercialized. They achieved the level of extended application, including upper limb human prosthesis with anthropomorphic characteristics. An actuator based in single crystal Cu-Al-Ni alloy was tested as a prototype for prosthetic actuators. Their thermal cycle times remarkably define the actuator dynamics and the idea of preheating to reduce its response time was tested. To elaborate the heating conditions, the chemical composition of martensitic and austenitic single crystals, Cu-Al-Ni alloy samples were examined. The dynamic response of a martensitic actuator made with SMB and the power consumed with preheating was analyzed. It demonstrates that the presence of more elements in alloys may be fundamental to displace the heating diagram and to reduce the power consumed.

Influence of oxidative stress on the development of collateral circulation in total coronary occlusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirbag, Recep; Gur, Mustafa; Yilmaz, Remzi; Kunt, Alper Sami; Erel, Ozcan; Andac, M Halit

2007-03-02

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total peroxide and oxidative stress index (OSI) are associated with the development of collaterals in total coronary occlusions. Our study group contained 176 consecutive men patients with single-vessel TCO, 94 of whom had poorly developed coronary collateral, while 82 had well-developed coronary collateral. TAC and total peroxide concentration were measured of plasma. The ratio of TAC to total peroxide was accepted as an indicator of oxidative stress. The values of total peroxide and OSI in the Group I were significantly lower than that in Group II (ptotal peroxide and OSI levels (ptotal peroxide and OSI were independent predictors of collaterals score (p=0.006 and ptotal coronary occlusion patients.

Sequence Classification: 893543 [

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available rich protein with a role in preribosome assembly or transport; may function as a chaperone of small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein parti...cles (snoRNPs); immunologically and structurally to rat Nopp140; Srp40p || http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/6322945 ...

Wool-waste as organic nutrient source for container-grown plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheljazkov, Valtcho D. [Mississippi State University, North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, Verona, MS 38879 (United States)], E-mail: vj40@pss.msstate.edu; Stratton, Glenn W [Department of Plant and Animal Sciences and Department of Environmental Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS, B2N 5E3 (Canada); Pincock, James [Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4J3 (Canada); Butler, Stephanie [Department of Plant and Animal Sciences and Department of Environmental Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS, B2N 5E3 (Canada); Jeliazkova, Ekaterina A [Mississippi State University, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mississippi State, MS 39762 (United States); Nedkov, Nedko K [Research Institute for Roses and Aromatic Crops, 49 Osvobojdenie Blv., Kazanluk (Bulgaria); Gerard, Patrick D [Department of Applied Economics and Statistics, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 (United States)

2009-07-15

A container experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that uncomposted wool wastes could be used as nutrient source and growth medium constituent for container-grown plants. The treatments were: (1) rate of wool-waste application (0 or unamended control, 20, 40, 80, and 120 g of wool per 8-in. pot), (2) growth medium constituents [(2.1) wool plus perlite, (2.2) wool plus peat, and (2.3) wool plus peat plus perlite], and (3) plant species (basil and Swiss chard). A single addition of 20, 40, 80, or 120 g of wool-waste to Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in pots with growth medium provided four harvests of Swiss chard and five harvests of basil. Total basil yield from the five harvests was 1.6-5 times greater than the total yield from the unamended control, while total Swiss chard yield from the four harvests was 2-5 times greater relative to the respective unamended control. The addition of wool-waste to the growth medium increased Swiss chard and basil tissue N, and NO{sub 3}-N and NH{sub 4}-N in growth medium relative to the unamended control. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis of wool fibers sampled at the end of the experiments indicated various levels of decomposition, with some fibers retaining their original surface structure. Furthermore, most of the wool fibers' surfaces contained significant concentrations of S and much less N, P, or K. SEM/EDX revealed that some plant roots grow directly on wool-waste fibers suggesting either (1) root directional growth towards sites with greater nutrient concentration and/or (2) a possible role for roots or root exudates in wool decomposition. Results from this study suggest that uncomposted wool wastes can be used as soil amendment, growth medium constituent, and nutrient source for container-grown plants.

Containment analysis of the 9975 transportation package with multiple barriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinson, D.W.

2000-01-01

A containment analysis has been performed for the scenario of non-routine transfer of a damaged 9975 package containing plutonium metal from K-area monitored storage to F-area on the Savannah River Site. A multiple barrier system with each barrier having a defined leakage rate of less than 1times10 -3 cm 3 /sec of air at Standard Temperature and Pressure was analyzed to determine the number of barriers needed to transport the package under normal transportation conditions to meet transportation requirements for containment. The barrier system was analyzed parametrically to achieve a composite system that met the federal requirements for the maximum permissible release rate given in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 71. The multiple barrier system acts to retard the release of radioactivity. That is, a build-up in the radioactivity release rate occurs with time. For example, a system with three barriers (e.g., sealed plastic barrier) with a total free volume of 4,500 cm 3 could be transported for a total time of up to approximately 10 days with a release rate within the permissible rate. Additional number of barriers, or volume of the barriers, or both, would extend to this period of time. For example, a system with seven barriers with a total free volume of 4,500 cm 3 could be transported for up to 100 days. Plastic bags are one type of barrier used in movement of radioactive materials and capable of achieving a leak rate of 1times10 -3 cm 3 /sec of air at STP. Low-density polyethylene bags can withstand high temperature (up to 180 degrees C); a barrier thickness of 10 mils should be suitable for the barrier system. Additional requirements for barriers are listed in Section 4.2 of this report. Container testing per ANSI N14.5 is required to demonstrate leak rates for the individual barriers of less than 1times10 -3 cm 3 /sec

Wool-waste as organic nutrient source for container-grown plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheljazkov, Valtcho D.; Stratton, Glenn W.; Pincock, James; Butler, Stephanie; Jeliazkova, Ekaterina A.; Nedkov, Nedko K.; Gerard, Patrick D.

2009-01-01

A container experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that uncomposted wool wastes could be used as nutrient source and growth medium constituent for container-grown plants. The treatments were: (1) rate of wool-waste application (0 or unamended control, 20, 40, 80, and 120 g of wool per 8-in. pot), (2) growth medium constituents [(2.1) wool plus perlite, (2.2) wool plus peat, and (2.3) wool plus peat plus perlite], and (3) plant species (basil and Swiss chard). A single addition of 20, 40, 80, or 120 g of wool-waste to Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.) and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in pots with growth medium provided four harvests of Swiss chard and five harvests of basil. Total basil yield from the five harvests was 1.6-5 times greater than the total yield from the unamended control, while total Swiss chard yield from the four harvests was 2-5 times greater relative to the respective unamended control. The addition of wool-waste to the growth medium increased Swiss chard and basil tissue N, and NO 3 -N and NH 4 -N in growth medium relative to the unamended control. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis of wool fibers sampled at the end of the experiments indicated various levels of decomposition, with some fibers retaining their original surface structure. Furthermore, most of the wool fibers' surfaces contained significant concentrations of S and much less N, P, or K. SEM/EDX revealed that some plant roots grow directly on wool-waste fibers suggesting either (1) root directional growth towards sites with greater nutrient concentration and/or (2) a possible role for roots or root exudates in wool decomposition. Results from this study suggest that uncomposted wool wastes can be used as soil amendment, growth medium constituent, and nutrient source for container-grown plants.

Ileke et al (5)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

big timmy

Toxicological and histopathological effects of Alstonia boonei stem bark powder on albino rats liver and kidney .... electric blender (Supermaster ®, Model SMB. 2977 ... relations of cells and tissues to one another. ... Measurement of the body.

Assembly and breakdown of Cajal bodies in accessory nuclei of Hymenoptera.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaglarz, Mariusz K; Bilinski, Szczepan M; Kloc, Malgorzata

2005-03-01

In some species of insects, oocytes have vesicular organelles, termed accessory nuclei (ANs). The ANs form by budding off from the nuclear envelope of the oocyte and are filled with translucent matrix containing dense inclusions. One type of these inclusions contains coilin and small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) and is homologous to Cajal bodies. We describe the early events in the morphogenesis of Cajal bodies in the ANs (ANCBs) of the common wasp, Vespula germanica, and show that they contain survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein. We present evidence that in the wasp, ANCBs form by the gradual accumulation of aggregates composed of SMN and small nuclear RNAs. We also show that ANCBs break down and disperse within the ANs as the ANs, which initially surround the oocyte nucleus, localize to the oocyte cortex. The components of dispersed ANCBs are retained within ANs until the end of oogenesis, which suggests that their function may be required at the onset of embryonic development. Because the morphology and behavior of ANs and their Cajal body-like inclusions are conserved in two other hymenopteran species, these features might be characteristic of all hymenopterans.

Mathematical structure of ocean container transport systems; Kaiyo container yuso system no suriteki kozo ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinkai, A [Kyushu University, Fukuoka (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Chikushi, Y [Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1997-10-01

Mathematical structure of a vessel arrangement program was discussed in order to learn roles of container ships in ocean transport systems among China, NIES/ASEAN countries and Japan. Formulation is possible on a mathematical handling method for sailing route connection diagrams between ports, a transport network to indicate container movements, a service network to indicate sailing routes, and a network generalizing them. This paper describes an analysis made on the container transport system between Japan and China, taken as an example. Four ports were selected each from Japan and China, and the statistical database for fiscals 1996 and 1994 was utilized to set models for: (a) the liner network system with transshipment at the port of Shanghai and (b) the cruising route system going through the ports of Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe. A hypothesis was set that a consortium (coordinated ship allocation) can be implemented ideally and completely. The transport network (a) is lower by 10% in total cost than the transport network (b), resulting in 1.6 times greater productivity. Actual service network is closer to the network (b), but the system can be utilized for discussing guidelines on vessel arrangement programs with which shipping companies pursue better management efficiency under a condition that the consortium can be formed. 10 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

A new CANDU-600 containment structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serban, V.; Bobei, M.; Gheorghiu, M.; Popescu, M.; Stanciu, M.; Dinica, D.; Alexandru, C.

1994-01-01

This paper is presenting a structure made of reinforced concrete with rectangular cross-section, box-divided, prefabricated and modulled on a bay 6.5 m wide and 4.5 m high, and provided with a steel liner. The building has an overall basement in which the steel liner is embedded and which is supporting the building walls. The inner structure is common to the containment as well and it is carried out for each room (generally 6.5 m by 6.5 m) having intermediar floors at the necessary elevations. The containment dimensions, on horizontal plane are 6 x 6.5 m by 5 x 6.5 m and the total height of the side walls is 30.5 m. The containment is closed in A-C direction by a prefabricated semi-cylinder which is supported by the side walls and 5 intermediate arches. The fuel transfer deck structure is common to the inner structure and the containment structure. The Calandria vault is a separate individual structure located above E1. 100. For CANDU-600 main equipment the same arrangement was maintained, some unsignificant modifications being made, for example, the access areas located in the four corners of the building as well as the location of some auxiliary systems. The paper is also including a set of 1:200 scale drawings, comments on the construction manner and the results of the building structural analysis. The suggested solution is evidencing economical benefits facilities in the operation and construction of the plant and it is specially recommended for areas with high seismic events. (author)

A simplified radionuclide source term for total-system performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, M.L.

1991-11-01

A parametric model for releases of radionuclides from spent-nuclear-fuel containers in a waste repository is presented. The model is appropriate for use in preliminary total-system performance assessments of the potential repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada; for this reason it is simpler than the models used for detailed studies of waste-package performance. Terms are included for releases from the spent fuel pellets, from the pellet/cladding gap and the grain boundaries within the fuel pellets, from the cladding of the fuel rods, and from the radioactive fuel-assembly parts. Multiple barriers are considered, including the waste container, the fuel-rod cladding, the thermal ''dry-out'', and the waste form itself. The basic formulas for release from a single fuel rod or container are extended to formulas for expected releases for the whole repository by using analytic expressions for probability distributions of some important parameters. 39 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

In-patient costs of agitation and containment in a mental health catchment area.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano-Blanco, Antoni; Rubio-Valera, Maria; Aznar-Lou, Ignacio; Baladón Higuera, Luisa; Gibert, Karina; Gracia Canales, Alfredo; Kaskens, Lisette; Ortiz, José Miguel; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2017-06-06

There is a scarce number of studies on the cost of agitation and containment interventions and their results are still inconclusive. We aimed to calculate the economic consequences of agitation events in an in-patient psychiatric facility providing care for an urban catchment area. A mixed approach combining secondary analysis of clinical databases, surveys and expert knowledge was used to model the 2013 direct costs of agitation and containment events for adult inpatients with mental disorders in an area of 640,572 adult inhabitants in South Barcelona (Spain). To calculate costs, a seven-step methodology with novel definition of agitation was used along with a staff survey, a database of containment events, and data on aggressive incidents. A micro-costing analysis of specific containment interventions was used to estimate both prevalence and direct costs from the healthcare provider perspective, by means of a mixed approach with a probabilistic model evaluated on real data. Due to the complex interaction of the multivariate covariances, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to have empirical bounds of variability. During 2013, 918 patients were admitted to the Acute Inpatient Unit. Of these, 52.8% were men, with a mean age of 44.6 years (SD = 15.5), 74.4% were compulsory admissions, 40.1% were diagnosed with schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis, with a mean length of stay of 24.6 days (SD = 16.9). The annual estimate of total agitation events was 508. The cost of containment interventions ranges from 282€ at the lowest level of agitation to 822€ when verbal containment plus seclusion and restraint have to be used. The annual total cost of agitation was 280,535€, representing 6.87% of the total costs of acute hospitalisation in the local area. Agitation events are frequent and costly. Strategies to reduce their number and severity should be implemented to reduce costs to the Health System and alleviate patient suffering.

An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, J.H.

1994-01-01

Improvements have been made to the fracture-flow model being used in the total-system performance assessment of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The open-quotes weeps modelclose quotes now includes (1) weeps of varied sizes, (2) flow-pattern fluctuations caused by climate change, and (3) flow-pattern perturbations caused by repository heat generation. Comparison with the original weeps model indicates that allowing weeps of varied sizes substantially reduces the number of weeps and the number of containers contacted by weeps. However, flow-pattern perturbations caused by either climate change or repository heat generation greatly increases the number of containers contacted by weeps. In preliminary total-system calculations, using a phenomenological container-failure and radionuclide-release model, the weeps model predicts that radionuclide releases from a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain will be below the EPA standard specified in 40 CFR 191, but that the maximum radiation dose to an individual could be significant. Specific data from the site are required to determine the validity of the weep-flow mechanism and to better determine the parameters to which the dose calculation is sensitive

An updated fracture-flow model for total-system performance assessment of Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gauthier, J.H.

1994-01-01

Improvements have been made to the fracture-flow model being used in the total-system performance assessment of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The ''weeps model'' now includes (1) weeps of varied sizes, (2) flow-pattern fluctuations caused by climate change, and (3) flow-pattern perturbations caused by repository heat generation. Comparison with the original weeps model indicates that allowing weeps of varied sizes substantially reduces the number of weeps and the number of containers contacted by weeps. However, flow-pattern perturbations caused by either climate change or repository heat generation greatly increases the number of containers contacted by weeps. In preliminary total-system calculations, using a phenomenological container-failure and radionuclide-release model, the weeps model predicts that radionuclide releases from a high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain will be below the EPA standard specified in 40 CFR 191, but that the maximum radiation dose to an individual could be significant. Specific data from the site are required to determine the validity of the weep-flow mechanism and to better determine the parameters to which the dose calculation is sensitive

7 CFR 906.340 - Container, pack, and container marking regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 8 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Container, pack, and container marking regulations... AGRICULTURE ORANGES AND GRAPEFRUIT GROWN IN LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN TEXAS Container and Pack Requirements § 906.340 Container, pack, and container marking regulations. (a) No handler shall handle any variety of...

Pharmaceutical cost-containment policies and sustainability: recent Irish experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenneally, Martin; Walshe, Valerie

2012-01-01

Our objective is to review and assess the main pharmaceutical cost-containment policies used in Ireland in recent years, and to highlight how a policy that improved fiscal sustainability but worsened economic sustainability could have improved both if an option-based approach was implemented. The main public pharmaceutical cost-containment policy measures including reducing the ex-factory price of drugs, pharmacy dispensing fees and community drug scheme coverage, and increasing patient copayments are outlined along with the resulting savings. We quantify the cost implications of a new policy that restricts the entitlement to free prescription drugs of persons older than 70 years and propose an alternative option-based policy that reduces the total cost to both the state and the patient. This set of policy measures reduced public spending on community drugs by an estimated €380m in 2011. The policy restricting free prescription drugs for persons older than 70 years, though effective in reducing public cost, increased the total cost of the drugs supplied. The policy-induced cost increase stems from a fees anomaly between the two main community drugs schemes which is circumvented by our alternative option-based policy. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers, even when absorbed with reducing cost, to design cost-containment policies that are both fiscally and economically sustainable. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naruse, Yoshihiro.

1990-01-01

The thickness of steel shell plates in a reactor container embedded in sand cussions is monitored to recognize the corrosion of the steel shell plates. That is, the reactor pressure vessel is contained in a reactor container shell and the sand cussions are disposed on the lower outside of the reactor container shell to elastically support the shell. A pit is disposed at a position opposing to the sand cussions for measuring the thickness of the reactor container shell plates. The pit is usually closed by a closing member. In the reactor container thus constituted, the closing member can be removed upon periodical inspection to measure the thickness of the shell plates. Accordingly, the corrosion of the steel shell plates can be recognized by the change of the plate thickness. (I.S.)

A container

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2012-01-01

A container assembly for the containment of fluids or solids under a pressure different from the ambient pressure comprising a container (2) comprising an opening and an annular sealing, a lid (3) comprising a central portion (5) and engagement means (7) for engaging the annular flange, and sealing...... means (10) wherein the engagement means (7) is adapted, via the sealing means, to seal the opening when the pressure of the container assembly differs from the ambient pressure in such a way that the central portion (5) flexes in the axial direction which leads to a radial tightening of the engagement...... means (7) to the container, wherein the container further comprises locking means (12) that can be positioned so that the central portion is hindered from flexing in at least one direction....

Assessment of the Total Inflammatory Potential of Bioaerosols by Using a Granulocyte Assay▿

OpenAIRE

Timm, Michael; Madsen, Anne Mette; Hansen, Jørgen Vinsløv; Moesby, Lise; Hansen, Erik Wind

2009-01-01

Occupational health symptoms related to bioaerosol exposure have been observed in a variety of working environments. Bioaerosols contain microorganisms and microbial components. The aim of this study was to estimate the total inflammatory potential (TIP) of bioaerosols using an in vitro assay based on granulocyte-like cells. A total of 129 bioaerosol samples were collected in the breathing zone of workers during their daily working routine at 22 biofuel plants. The samples were analyzed by tr...

A Review of Removable Surface Contamination on Radioactive Materials Transportation Containers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennedy, Jr, W. E.; Watson, E. C.; Murphy, D. W.; Harrer, B. J.; Harty, R.; Aldrich, J. M.

1981-05-01

This report contains the results of a study sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of removable surface contamination on radioactive materials transportation containers. The purpose of the study is to provide information to the NRC during their review of existing regulations. Data was obtained from both industry and literature on three major topics: 1) radiation doses, 2) economic costs, and 3) contamination frequencies. Containers for four categories of radioactive materials are considered including radiopharmaceuticals, industrial sources, nuclear fuel cycle materials, and low-level radioactive waste. Assumptions made in this study use current information to obtain realistic yet conservative estimates of radiation dose and economic costs. Collective and individual radiation doses are presented for each container category on a per container basis. Total doses, to workers and the public, are also presented for spent fuel cask and low-level waste drum decontamination. Estimates of the additional economic costs incurred by lowering current limits by factors of 10 and 100 are presented. Current contamination levels for each category of container are estimated from the data collected. The information contained in this report is designed to be useful to the NRC in preparing their recommendations for new regulations.

Effect of containers on the quality of Chemlali olive oil during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Gargouri, Boutheina; Zribi, Akram; Bouaziz, Mohamed

2015-04-01

This study is undertaken to determine the storage stability of Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) in different containers such as clear and dark glass bottles, polyethylene (PE) and tin containers. The different oil samples were stored under light at room temperature. Quality parameters monitored during a 6-month-storage period included: acidity, peroxide value (PV), spectrophotometric indices (K232 and K270), chlorophyll and carotene pigments, fatty acids and sterol compositions, total phenols, Rancimat induction time as well as sensory evaluation. Tin containers and dark glass bottles recorded the lowest oxidation values. In addition, oil packed in tin containers and dark glass bottles showed better physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics than that stored in clear glass bottles and PE containers. A significant decrease (p containers. Such results proved that the storage of oil in tin containers and dark glass bottles appeared most adequate, and showed a gradual loss of quality during storage, especially in PE containers and clear glass bottles. This study has shown that the best packaging materials for the commercial packing of Chemlali extra-virgin olive oil are tin containers and dark glass bottles.

Microanalysis of old violin varnishes by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

von Bohlen, Alex; Meyer, Friedrich

1997-07-01

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence was used to characterize elements (with Z>13) contained in varnishes applied by prominent violin makers during the last five centuries. Direct analyses of small flakes with masses varnish. Higher amounts of Fe, As and Pb were found in old products, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn and Pb were used in more recent varnishes.

Empty Container Logistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakov Karmelić

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Within the whole world container traffic, the largest share of containers is in the status of repositioning. Container repositioning results from the need for harmonization between the point of empty container accumulation and the point of demand, and waiting time for the availability of the first next transport of cargo. This status of containers on the container market is the consequence of imbalances in the worldwide trade distribution on most important shipping routes. The need for fast and effective reallocation of empty containers causes high costs and often represents an obstacle affecting the efficiency of port container terminals and inland carriers.In accordance with the above issue, this paper is mainly focused on the analysis of the data concerning global container capacities and the roots of container equipment imbalances, with the aim of determining the importance of empty container management and the need for empty container micro-logistic planning at the spread port area.

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of selenized yeast and autoradiography of 75Se-containing proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chery, C.C.; Dumont, E.; Cornelis, R.; Moens, L.

2001-01-01

Two-dimensional high-resolution gel electrophoresis (2DE) has been applied to the fractionation of 75 Se-containing proteins in yeast, grown in 75 Se-containing medium, and autoradiography was used for detection of the 75 Se-containing proteins. Gel filtration and ultrafiltration were used to check whether the selenium side-chains were stable in the presence of the chemicals used for lysis and 2DE. The mass distribution of the selenium-containing proteins was estimated by use of gel filtration and the results were compared with the distribution obtained by 2DE. A 2DE map of selenium-containing proteins in yeast is presented, and compared with a total protein map of yeast. (orig.)

A container for containing and protecting a radioactive substance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-01-01

The invention relates to a container adapted to contain and protect a radio-active substance. That container comprises a heat sensitive device for automatically (and, preferably, sealingly) enclosing and protecting the radio-active substance, should room temperature reach a predetermined level. Thus, the radio-active substance cannot escape in case of fire. Preferably, a bolt is also provided, capable of being actuated at a temperature slightly above the temperature actuating the protective device so as to maintain the radioactive substance protected. This can be applied to containers containing a radio-active substance such as polonium 210 [fr

Nuclear reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishiyama, Takenori.

1989-01-01

This invention concerns a nuclear reactor container in which heat is removed from a container by external water injection. Heat is removed from the container by immersing the lower portion of the container into water and scattering spary water from above. Thus, the container can be cooled by the spray water falling down along the outer wall of the container to condensate and cool vapors filled in the container upon occurrence of accidents. Further, since the inside of the container can be cooled also during usual operation, it can also serve as a dry well cooler. Accordingly, heat is removed from the reactor container upon occurrence of accidents by the automatic operation of a spray device corresponding to the change of the internal temperature and the pressure in the reactor container. Further, since all of these devices are disposed out of container, maintenance is also facilitated. (I.S.)

Evaluating precipitation in a regional climate model using ground-based radar measurements in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Gorodetskaya, Irina; Maahn, Maximilan; Gallée, Hubert; Souverijns, Niels; Gossart, Alexandra; Kneifel, Stefan; Crewell, Susanne; Van Lipzig, Nicole

2017-04-01

Occasional very intense snowfall events over Dronning Maud Land (DML) region in East Antarctica, contributed significantly to the entire Antarctic ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB) during the last years. The meteorological-cloud-precipitation observatory running at the Princess Elisabeth station (PE) in the DML escarpment zone since 2009 (HYDRANT/AEROCLOUD projects), provides unique opportunity to estimate contribution of precipitation to the local snow accumulation and new data for evaluating precipitation in climate models. Our previous work using PE measurements showed that occasional intense precipitation events determine the total local yearly SMB and account for its large interannual variability. Here we use radar measurements to evaluate precipitation in a regional climate model with a special focus on intense precipitation events together with the large-scale atmospheric dynamics responsible for these events. The coupled snow-atmosphere regional climate model MAR (Modèle Atmosphérique Régional) is used to simulate climate and SMB in DML at 5-km horizontal resolution during 2012 using initial and boundary conditions from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim re-analysis atmospheric and oceanic fields. Two evaluation approaches are used: observations-to-model and model-to-observations. In the first approach, snowfall rate (S) is derived from the MRR (vertically profiling 24-GHz precipitation radar) effective reflectivity factor (Ze) at 400 m agl using various Ze-S relationships for dry snow. The uncertainty in Ze-S relationships is constrained using snow particle size distribution from Snow Video Imager - Precipitation Imaging Package (SVI/PIP) and information about particle shapes. For the second approach we apply the Passive and Active Microwave radiative TRAnsfer model (PAMTRA), which allows direct comparison of the radar-measured and climate model-based vertical profiles of the radar Ze and Doppler velocity. In MAR

Total protein

Science.gov (United States)

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003483.htm Total protein To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. The total protein test measures the total amount of two classes ...

Milk production, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in lactating cows fed total mixed ration silages containing steam-flaked brown rice as substitute for steam-flaked corn, and wet food by-products.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyaji, Makoto; Matsuyama, Hiroki; Hosoda, Kenji; Nonaka, Kazuhisa

2013-06-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of substituting brown rice grain for corn grain in total mixed ration (TMR) silage containing food by-products on the milk production, whole-tract nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance in dairy cows. Six multiparous Holstein cows were used in a crossover design with two dietary treatments: a diet containing 30.9% steam-flaked corn (corn TMR) or 30.9% steam-flaked brown rice (rice TMR) with wet soybean curd residue and wet soy sauce cake. Dietary treatment did not affect the dry matter intake, milk yield and compositions in dairy cows. The dry matter and starch digestibility were higher, and the neutral detergent fiber digestibility was lower for rice TMR than for corn TMR. The urinary nitrogen (N) excretion as a proportion of the N intake was lower for rice TMR than for corn TMR with no dietary effect on N secretion in milk and fecal N excretion. These results indicated that the replacement of corn with brown rice in TMR silage relatively reduced urinary N loss without adverse effects on feed intake and milk production, when food by-products such as soybean curd residue were included in the TMR silage as dietary crude protein sources. © 2013 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Storage Space Allocation of Inbound Container in Railway Container Terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Efficient storage strategy of railway container terminals is important in balancing resource utilization, reducing waiting time, and improving handling efficiency. In this paper, we consider the formulation and solution algorithm for storage space allocation problem of inbound containers in railway container terminal. The problem is formulated as two-stage optimization models, whose objectives are balancing the workload of inbound containers and reducing the overlapping amounts. An algorithm implement process based on rolling horizon approach is designed to solve the proposed models. Computational experiments on an actual railway container terminal show that the proposed approach is effective to solve space allocation problem of inbound container and is significant for the operation and organization of railway container terminals.

Responses of soil microbial biomass and bacterial community structure to closed-off management (an ecological natural restoration measures): A case study of Dongting Lake wetland, middle China.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Juan; Wu, Haipeng; Zhang, Chang; Zeng, Guangming; Liang, Jie; Guo, Shenglian; Li, Xiaodong; Huang, Lu; Lu, Lunhui; Yuan, Yujie

2016-09-01

Soil microbial biomass (SMB) and bacterial community structure, which are critical to global ecosystem and fundamental ecological processes, are sensitive to anthropogenic activities and environmental conditions. In this study, we examined the possible effects of closed-off management (an ecological natural restoration measures, ban on anthropogenic activity, widely employed for many important wetlands) on SMB, soil bacterial community structure and functional marker genes of nitrogen cycling in Dongting Lake wetland. Soil samples were collected from management area (MA) and contrast area (CA: human activities, such as hunting, fishing and draining, are permitted) in November 2013 and April 2014. Soil properties, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and bacterial community structure were investigated. Comparison of the values of MA and CA showed that SMB and bacterial community diversity of the MA had a significant increase after 7 years closed-off management. The mean value of Shannon-Weiner diversity index of MA and CA respectively were 2.85 and 2.07. The gene copy numbers of 16S rRNA and nosZ of MA were significant higher than those of CA. the gene copy numbers of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and nirK of MA were significant lower than those of CA. However, there was no significant change in the gene copy numbers of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nirS. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sodium metabisulfite: a new reducer agent for direct labelling of immunoglobulins with 99mTc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zayas, F.; Hernandez, T.; Rodriguez, M.E.; Perera, A.; Hernandez, L.; Valdes, M.

1998-01-01

A method for direct labeling of antibodies with 99mTc is described. Sodium Metabisulfite (SMB) was evaluated as a new reducing agent of disulfide bridges of the IgG molecule. Under selected experimental conditions, radiochemical purities of the label higher than 90.0% were achieved in most of the experiments. On the basis of the obtained yields an empiric equation which describes the system was computed as: Y=93.6+2.1X5 - 1.36X6+0.9X7. The absence of X4 indicated that the purification on Sephadex of the reduced IgG was not relevant to the labeling process. The most important variables were tin ion concentration (X5), the volume of Tin-Tartrate solution (X6) and the incubating time between reduced IgG and Tin-Tartrate solution (X7). A low aggregation and fragmentation of the IgG molecule was obtained when a SMB/IgG molar relation of 750/1 was used. The stability of the 99mTc-IgG was assessed by DTPA, HSA and L-Cysteine challenge studies. An acceptable level of dissociation was observed in presence of DTPA and L-Cysteine, when the Tartrate anion was used. However the transchelation level for HSA was about 80.0 per cent. These preliminary results showed that SMB could be a useful reducing agent for direct labeling of IgG. Further studies are needed to correctly evaluate it. (author)

Statistically optimal estimation of Greenland Ice Sheet mass variations from GRACE monthly solutions using an improved mascon approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, J.; Ditmar, P.; Klees, R.; Farahani, H. H.

2018-03-01

We present an improved mascon approach to transform monthly spherical harmonic solutions based on GRACE satellite data into mass anomaly estimates in Greenland. The GRACE-based spherical harmonic coefficients are used to synthesize gravity anomalies at satellite altitude, which are then inverted into mass anomalies per mascon. The limited spectral content of the gravity anomalies is properly accounted for by applying a low-pass filter as part of the inversion procedure to make the functional model spectrally consistent with the data. The full error covariance matrices of the monthly GRACE solutions are properly propagated using the law of covariance propagation. Using numerical experiments, we demonstrate the importance of a proper data weighting and of the spectral consistency between functional model and data. The developed methodology is applied to process real GRACE level-2 data (CSR RL05). The obtained mass anomaly estimates are integrated over five drainage systems, as well as over entire Greenland. We find that the statistically optimal data weighting reduces random noise by 35-69%, depending on the drainage system. The obtained mass anomaly time-series are de-trended to eliminate the contribution of ice discharge and are compared with de-trended surface mass balance (SMB) time-series computed with the Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMO 2.3). We show that when using a statistically optimal data weighting in GRACE data processing, the discrepancies between GRACE-based estimates of SMB and modelled SMB are reduced by 24-47%.

[Corneal reepithelialization time with instillation of eye drops containing sodium hyaluronate and carboxymethylcellulose].

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Luciane Bugman; Scalco, Rochelli; Hara, Silvia

2013-10-01

Evaluate the time of post-abrasion corneal re-epithelialization using commercially available eye drops, one of which containing 0.4% sodium hialuronate, and the other containing 1% carboxymethylcellulose, and compare them to the re-epithelialization without the drops. 24 rabbits were used, which had the mechanical abrasion of the central 8 mm of their corneas done. These animals were divided in 3 groups. The first one received the drops containing 0.4% of sodium hialuronate, the second one received the drops containing 1% of carboxymethylcellulose and the third group did not receive any drugs. The evaluations took place every 24 hours through the analysis of digital pictures under cobalt blue light and coloring of the corneas with 2% fluorescein. The pictures were analyzed with the software Autocad 2009®. The data was analyzed through the comparison of the total re-epithelialization time among the three groups The time of total re-epithelialization of the group using sodium hialuronate was on average 90 hours and the group using carboxymethylcellulose 105 hours, while the group using no drugs was 108 hours. There was a better performance of those groups using the drops and this difference can be proved statistically. The drops containing 0.4% of sodium hialuronate showed a higher efficiency rate compared to the drops containing 1% of carboxymethylcellulose, which was higher than the control group. The results of the present study show that the use of lubricants in the process of re-epithelialization are extremely valid and must be used frequently in ophthalmologic clinic.

MKB and SMB in the Northern countries[Environmental impact assessment; Strategic environmental assessment; Radiactive waste disporal]; MKB och SMB i Norden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broden, K. [Studsvik RadWaste AB (Sweden); Andersson, K. [Krinta konsult (Sweden)

2001-12-01

A meeting on Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment has been held in Turku, Finland, August 22-24 2001. It was held within the framework of two NKS projects: SOS-3 (Radioactive waste) and SOS- 1 (Risk assessment and strategies for safety). The meeting included presenta- tions, discussions and a study visit to the final repository for low- and intermedi- ate level radioactive waste and the intermediate storage for spent nuclear fuel at Olkiluoto. Abstract in Danish: Inom ramen for NKS-projekten SOS-3 (Avfall) och SOS-1 (Riskvaardering och strategi for saakerhet) har ett seminarium om miljokonsekvensbeskrivningar och strategisk miljokonsekvensbedomning haallits i Aabo 22-24 augusti, 2001. Seminariet omfattade foredrag, diskussioner samt en studieresa till Olkoluoto daar besok gjordes till mellanlagret for anvaant braansle och till slutforvaret for laag- och medelaktivt avfall. Under forutsaattning att styrelsen for NKS samtycker kommer ett nytt MKB- seminarium att haallas i Osthammar 2002. (au)

[Contents of total anthocyanins and total saponins as well as composition of saponin monomers of Purple and Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Chang-ling; Yang, Sheng-chao; Chen, Zhong-jian; Shen, Yong; Wei, Fu-gang; Wang, Wu; Long, Ting-ju

2014-10-01

The contents of total anthocyanins and total saponins as well as the composition of saponin monomers of Purple and Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were studied to compare the medicinal quality and commercial values. Three-year-old Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was selected as the research materials. The contents of total anthocyanins and total saponins were determined by spectrophotometry. The compositions of saponin monomers were monitored by HPLC. The significance of content differences was determined by variance analysis. The contents of total anthocyanins and total saponins of Purple Notoginseng Radix et Rhizomawere about 204.85% and 33.86% higher than those of Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma respectively. The Purple and Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma both contained five saponin monomers whose contents were as follows: ginsenoside Rg1 > ginsenoside Rb1 > notoginsenoside R1 > ginsenoside Rd > ginsenoside Re. The contents of notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rd and ginsenoside Re of Purple Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were about 16.03%, 10.83% and 5.39% higher than those of Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma respectively. However, the contents of ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 of Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were about 0.93% and 3.33% higher than those of Purple Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma respectively. With respect to Green Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, the increase of the total anthocyanins in Purple Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma reached a significant level, but the increases of total saponins, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rd and ginsenoside Re and the decreases of ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 did not. The total anthocyanins accumulation in Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma implies the content increases of the total saponins, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rd and ginsenoside Re, and the slight decreases of ginsenoside Rg1 and ginsenoside Rb1 contents; but the type and relative contents of saponin monomers remain unchanged. The medicinal

Total alkaloid content in various fractions of Tabernaemonata sphaerocarpa Bl. (Jembirit) leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Salamah, N.; Ningsih, D. S.

2017-11-01

Tabernaemontana sphaerocarpa Bl. (Jembirit) is one of the Apocynaceae family plants containing alkaloid compound. Traditionally, it is used as an anti-inflammatory medicine. It is found to have a new bisindole alkaloid compound that shows a potent cytotoxic activity in human cancer. This study aimed to know the total alkaloid content in some fractions of ethanolic extract of T. sphaerocarpa Bl. leaf powder was extracted by maceration method in 70% ethanol solvent. Then, the extract was fractionated in a separatory funnel using water, ethyl acetate, and hexane. The total alkaloid content in each fraction was analyzed with visible spectrophotometric methods based on the reaction with Bromocresol Green (BCG). The total alkaloids in water fraction and ethyl acetate fraction were (0.0312±0.0009)% and (0.0281±0.0014)%, respectively. Meanwhile, the total alkaloid content in hexane was not detected. The statistical analysis, performed in SPSS, resulted in a significant difference between the total alkaloids in water fraction and ethyl acetate fraction. The total alkaloid in water fraction of T. sphaerocarpa Bl. was higher than the one in ethyl acetate fraction.

Mechanical behaviour of a new acryclic radiopaque iodine-containing bone cement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooy-Corstjens, van C.S.J.; Govaert, L.E.; Spoelstra, A.B.; Bulstra, S.K.; Wetzels, G.M.R.; Koole, L.H.

2004-01-01

In total hip replacement, fixation of a prosthesis is in most cases obtained by the application of methacrylic bone cements. Most of the commercially available bone cements contain barium sulphate or zirconium dioxide as radiopacifier. As is shown in the literature, the presence of these inorganic

Conceptual design report, 219-S secondary containment upgrade, Project W-178

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyer, J.J.

1993-05-01

The 219-S Facility is located in the 200-West Area on the Hanford Site and was constructed in 1951. The facility receives and treats liquid, low-level mixed waste from the 222-S Laboratory prior to transfer of that waste to the SY Tank Farm. The 219-S Facility consists of Cell A containing Tanks 101 and 102 and Cell B containing Tank 103 and a spare space. Project W-178 will modify the 219-S Facility to bring it into compliance with the tank system standards in WAC 173-303-640. The secondary containment upgrade will consist of a stainless steel cell liner in both Cell A and the spare space in Cell B. Additionally, Cell B will be modified by taking Tank 103 out of service and installing a new tank: Tank 104. The construction work will be accomplished in phases to minimize service interruption to the 222-S Laboratory. The proposed design and construction method is the most cost effective of four alternatives evaluated during a value engineering session. Project W-178 is a fiscal year 1995 Line Item. Total estimated construction costs of the project are $2,600,000; other project costs are $710,000. The total project cost is $3,300,000

Development of solid lipid nanoparticles containing total flavonoid extract from Dracocephalum moldavica L. and their therapeutic effect against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Mei-E; He, Cheng-Hui; Jiang, Wen; Zeng, Cheng; Yu, Ning; Huang, Wei; Gao, Zhong-Gao; Xing, Jian-Guo

2017-01-01

Total flavonoid extract from Dracocephalum moldavica L. (TFDM) contains effective components of D. moldavica L. that have myocardial protective function. However, the cardioprotection function of TFDM is undesirable due to its poor solubility. In order to improve the solubility and efficacy of TFDM, we developed TFDM-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (TFDM-SLNs) and optimized the formulation of TFDM-SLNs using central composite design and response surface methodology. The physicochemical properties of TFDM-SLNs were characterized, and the pharmacodynamics was investigated using the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury model in rats. The nanoparticles of optimal formulation for TFDM-SLNs were spherical in shape with the average particle size of 104.83 nm and had a uniform size distribution with the polydispersity index value of 0.201. TFDM-SLNs also had a negative zeta potential of -28.7 mV to ensure the stability of the TFDM-SLNs emulsion system. The results of pharmacodynamics demonstrated that both TFDM and TFDM-SLN groups afforded myocardial protection, and the protective effect of TFDM-SLNs was significantly superior to that of TFDM alone, based on the infarct area, histopathological examination, cardiac enzyme levels and inflammatory factors in serum. Due to the optimal quality and the better myocardial protective effect, TFDM-SLNs are expected to become a safe and effective nanocarrier for the oral delivery of TFDM.

Fermi surfaces in Kondo insulators

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hsu; Hartstein, Máté; Wallace, Gregory J.; Davies, Alexander J.; Ciomaga Hatnean, Monica; Johannes, Michelle D.; Shitsevalova, Natalya; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Sebastian, Suchitra E.

2018-04-01

We report magnetic quantum oscillations measured using torque magnetisation in the Kondo insulator YbB12 and discuss the potential origin of the underlying Fermi surface. Observed quantum oscillations as well as complementary quantities such as a finite linear specific heat capacity in YbB12 exhibit similarities with the Kondo insulator SmB6, yet also crucial differences. Small heavy Fermi sections are observed in YbB12 with similarities to the neighbouring heavy fermion semimetallic Fermi surface, in contrast to large light Fermi surface sections in SmB6 which are more similar to the conduction electron Fermi surface. A rich spectrum of theoretical models is suggested to explain the origin across different Kondo insulating families of a bulk Fermi surface potentially from novel itinerant quasiparticles that couple to magnetic fields, yet do not couple to weak DC electric fields.

Effects of the Length of Stay on the Cost of Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Molloy, Ilda B; Martin, Brook I; Moschetti, Wayne E; Jevsevar, David S

2017-03-01

Utilization of total knee and hip arthroplasty has greatly increased in the past decade in the United States; these are among the most expensive procedures in patients with Medicare. Advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and care pathways decrease hospital length of stay. We examined how trends in hospital cost were altered by decreases in length of stay. Procedure, demographic, and economic data were collected on 6.4 million admissions for total knee arthroplasty and 2.8 million admissions for total hip arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013 using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Trends in mean hospital costs and their association with length of stay were estimated using inflation-adjusted, survey-weighted generalized linear regression models, controlling for patient demographic characteristics and comorbidity. From 2002 to 2013, the length of stay decreased from a mean time of 4.06 to 2.97 days for total knee arthroplasty and from 4.06 to 2.75 days for total hip arthroplasty. During the same time period, the mean hospital cost for total knee arthroplasty increased from $14,988 (95% confidence interval [CI], $14,927 to $15,049) in 2002 to $22,837 (95% CI, $22,765 to $22,910) in 2013 (an overall increase of $7,849 or 52.4%). The mean hospital cost for total hip arthroplasty increased from $15,792 (95% CI, $15,706 to $15,878) in 2002 to $23,650 (95% CI, $23,544 to $23,755) in 2013 (an increase of $7,858 or 49.8%). If length of stay were set at the 2002 mean, the growth in cost for total knee arthroplasty would have been 70.8% instead of 52.4% as observed, and the growth in cost for total hip arthroplasty would have been 67.4% instead of 49.8% as observed. Hospital costs for joint replacement increased from 2002 to 2013, but were attenuated by reducing inpatient length of stay. With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift

Containment Loads Analysis for CANDU6 Reactor using CONTAIN 2.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae H.; Yang, Chae Y.

2013-01-01

The containment plays an important role to limit the release of radioactive materials to the environment during design basis accidents (DBAs). Therefore, the containment has to maintain its integrity under DBA conditions. Generally, a containment functional DBA evaluation includes calculations of the key containment loads, i. e., pressure and temperature effects associated with a postulated large rupture of the primary or secondary coolant system piping. In this paper, the behavior of containment pressure and temperature was evaluated for loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs) of the Wolsong unit 1 in order to assess the applicability of CONTAIN 2.0 code for the containment loads analysis of the CANDU6 reactor. The containment pressure and temperature of the Wolsong unit 1 were evaluated using the CONTAIN 2.0 code and the results were compared with the CONTEMPT4 code. The peak pressure and temperature calculated by CONTAIN 2.0 agreed well with those of CONTEMPT4 calculation. The overall result of this analysis shows that the CONTAIN 2.0 code can apply to the containment loads analysis for the CANDU6 reactor

A performance-oriented and risk-based regulation for containment testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, M.

1994-01-01

In August 1992, the NRC initiated a major initiative to develop requirements for containment testing that are less prescriptive, and more performance-oriented and risk-based. This action was a result of public comments and several studies that concluded that the economic burden of certain, present containment testing requirements are not commensurate with their safety benefits. The rulemaking will include consideration of relaxing the allowable containment leakage rate, increasing the interval for the integrated containment test, and establishing intervals for the local containment leak rate tests based on their performance. A study has been conducted to provide technical information for establishing the performance criteria for containment tests, the allowable leakage rate, commensurate with its significance to total public risk. The study used results of a recent comprehensive study conducted by the NRC, NUREG-1150, 'Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five U.S. Nuclear Power Plants,' to examine the sensitivity of containment leakage to public risk. Risk was found to be insensitive to containment leakage rate up to levels of about 100 percent-volume per day for certain types of containments. PRA methods have also been developed to establish risk-based intervals for containment tests based on their past experience. Preliminary evaluations show that increasing the interval for the integrated containment leakage test from three times to once every ten years would have an insignificant impact on public risk. Preliminary analyses of operational experience data for local leak rate tests show that performance-based testing, valves and penetrations that perform well are tested less frequently, is feasible with marginal impact on safety. The above technical studies are being used to develop efficient (cost-effective) requirements for containment tests. (author). 4 refs., 2 figs

Implication of Ccr4-Not complex function in mRNA quality control in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assenholt, Jannie; Mouaikel, John; Saguez, Cyril

2011-01-01

RNPs are exported to the cytoplasm. The Ccr4-Not complex, which constitutes the major S. cerevisiae cytoplasmic deadenylase, has recently been implied in nuclear exosome–related processes. Consistent with a possible nuclear function of the complex, the deletion or mutation of Ccr4-Not factors also elicits...

Compatibility of 5-fluorouracil and total parenteral nutrition solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardin, T C; Clibon, U; Page, C P; Cruz, A B

1982-01-01

The physicochemical stability and availability of 0.1% 5-fluorouracil solutions in D5W and a typical total parenteral nutrition solution (hypertonic dextrose and crystalline amino acids) were studied in both glass and Viaflex delivery systems. Serial samples collected over a 48-hour period were assayed for 5-fluorouracil concentration using a high performance liquid chromatographic technique. Changes in the pH as well as precipitate formation were also investigated. There was no reduction in the amount of 5-fluorouracil at 48 hours in either the glass or plastic system, regardless of whether the drug was added to D5W or to the total parenteral nutrition solution. No pH changes or precipitates were observed. These findings indicate that 5-fluorouracil is compatible with and available from total parenteral solutions of hypertonic dextrose and amino acid in both plastic and glass containers. Use of such a system would allow for (1) a reduction in vascular access in patients receiving both treatments and (2) continued administration of nutritional support without the requirement for additional fluid volume.

Apparent Consumption vs. Total Consumption--A Lead-Acid Battery Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wilburn, David R.; Buckingham, David A.

2006-01-01

Introduction: This report compares estimates of U.S. apparent consumption of lead with estimates of total U.S. consumption of this mineral commodity from a materials flow perspective. The difference, attributed to the amount of lead contained in imported and exported products, was found to be significant for this sector. The study also assesses the effects of including mineral commodities incorporated in manufactured products on the interpretation of observed trends in minerals consumption and trade. Materials flow is a systems approach to understanding what happens to the materials we use from the time a material is extracted, through its processing and manufacturing, to its ultimate disposition. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides accurate and detailed mineral production and mineral commodity consumption statistics that are essential for government, nongovernment organizations, and the public to gain a better understanding of how and where materials are used and their effect on the environment and society. Published statistics on mineral apparent consumption are limited to estimates of consumption of raw material forms (ore, concentrate, and [or] refined metal). For this study, apparent consumption is defined as mine production + secondary refined production + imports (concentrates and refined metal) ? exports (concentrates and refined metal) + adjustments for government and industry stock changes. These estimates do not account for the amount of mineral commodities contained in manufactured products that are imported to the United States, nor do they deduct the amount of these mineral commodities contained in manufactured products that are exported from the United States. When imports or exports of manufactured products contribute significantly to the total use of a particular raw material, an estimate of consumption that does not consider the incorporated forms of these mineral commodities within imported or exported manufactured products can be either

Hydrogen mixing analyses for a VVER containment.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sienicki, J.J.; Kostka, P.; Techy, Z.

2002-02-25

results concerning, for example, pressure histories, or the total amount of steam available in the containment. The results confirm the importance of detailed modeling of the containment, as well as of the bubbler condenser and sump water pools. The study showed that modeling of hydrogen distribution in the VVER-440/213 containment was possible using the GASFLOW 2.1 code with reasonable results and remarkable physical insights.

Vanessa Di Murro and Richard Mortin in the SPS tunnel

CERN Multimedia

Brice, Maximilien

2018-01-01

University of Cambridge PhD student Vanessa Di Murro is using smart sensor technology to monitor geotechnical effects in the tunnels that are part of CERN's accelerator complex. She is the first PhD student within the SMB department.

Selenium containing clays minerals as additive for the discoloration of glass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Timmer, K.; Limpt, J.A.C. van; Fischer, H.R.

2010-01-01

While selenium is applied as decolorizing agent for flint container glass or tableware glass, the retention of selenium in glass however is very low. Generally more than 75% of the total selenium input sublimes from the glass melt and leaves the clay minerals due to the high volatility of

Group 4. Containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCauley, V.S.; Keiser, J.R.

1992-01-01

This paper summarizes the findings of the Containment Working Group which met at the Workshop on Radioactive, Hazardous, and/or Mixed Waste Sludge Management. The Containment Working Group (CWG) examined the problems associated with providing adequate containment of waste forms from both short- and long-term storage. By its nature, containment encompasses a wide variety of waste forms, storage conditions, container types, containment schemes, and handling activities. A containment system can be anything from a 55-gal drum to a 100-ft-long underground vault. Because of the diverse nature of containment systems, the CWG chose to focus its limited time on broad issues that are applicable to the design of any containment system, rather than attempting to address problems specific to a particular containment system or waste-form type. Four major issues were identified by the CWG. They relate to: (1) service conditions and required system performance; (2) ultimate disposition; (3) cost and schedule; and (4) acceptance criteria, including quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) concerns. All of the issues raised by the group are similar in that they all help to define containment system requirements

Reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukazawa, Masanori.

1991-01-01

A system for controlling combustible gases, it has been constituted at present such that the combustible gases are controlled by exhausting them to the wet well of a reactor container. In this system, however, there has been a problem, in a reactor container having plenums in addition to the wet well and the dry well, that the combustible gases in such plenums can not be controlled. In view of the above, in the present invention, suction ports or exhaust ports of the combustible gas control system are disposed to the wet well, the dry well and the plenums to control the combustible gases in the reactor container. Since this can control the combustible gases in the entire reactor container, the integrity of the reactor container can be ensured. (T.M.)

Crescimento e produtividade do almeirão em concentrações de N total contendo NH4+ na solução nutritiva Growth and yield of chicory plants under total N concentrations containing NH4+ in the nutrient solution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo dos Santos Godoi

2007-08-01

concentrations of 11.0; 16.0; 21.0; 26.0 and 31.0mmol L-1 in the nutrient solution, containing NH4+ concentrations of zero; 2.5; 5.0; 7.5 and 10.0mmol L-1, respectively. The nutrient solution was delivered to plants four times a day. A completely randomised split plot experimental design was used, with four replications. Plants were harvested at 35; 59; 76 and 97 days after sowing, by cutting the shoot at 0.02m height, and fresh and dry mass was determined. Maximum yield was reached using the nutrient solution with 16mmol L-1 of total N, containing 2.5mmol L-1 of NH4+.

Container transport direct call – logistic solution to container transport via Estonia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Tolli

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Container transport in the world grows up to 12 % every year. Chinese container transport contributes majority of container flows in international container transport. Many world seaports compete for Chinese container flows and make eff orts to get investments and direct calls from China to their ports. Estonia has a possibility to decrease its large dependence and risks due to the transit of oil and oil products and coal with the help of container flows from China. In addition to a favorable geographical location Estonia has several other important arguments, like suffi cient land in the harbours for developing a container terminal to launch extensive container transport transit from China. Port of St. Petersburg, container transport port closest to Estonia by the Baltic Sea, is overloaded. Estonia can compete for container flows directed to Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod, Kazan and Kaluga. Construction of an international high-tech container terminal in Port of Tallinn serves as one important precondition for directing Russian transit container flows through Estonia. Such a container terminal could service also larger vessels and container flows from China. Container lines and container terminals operating as alliances are jointly able to substantially increase container flows through countries.

Universal Laws and the Structure of the “Total Universe”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David McGraw Jr

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Recent developments in Particle Physics and Cosmology lead one naturally to the existence of many universes. Although direct confi rmation of other universes is diffi cult, it is not impossible. This paper is a look at a new theory of multiple universes. The idea of t = 0, goes back long before the creation of our universe. The “Total Universe’ contains many universes like our universe. The number of universes is infi nite, so some universes are far older than our universe. These ultimate areas of space were our universe started, is still creating new universes. Many big bangs have occurred in the past, and many big bangs will occur in the future. Big bangs are not something that happens just once or twice. Many diff erent universes exist; in this larger area of space we can call the ‘Total Universe’. In the ‘Total Universe’ the second law of thermodynamics is violated. The second Law of thermodynamics is a general law; it is not a universal law. The level of disorder in the ‘Total Universe’ is both increasing, and decreasing. In the ‘Total Universe’, entropy can increase, decrease, or remain constant. Individual universes are being created in the ‘Total Universe’; in these areas of the ‘Total Universe’ energy is not conserved. The ‘Total Universe’ is an energy creating machine. The conservation of energy is a general law because there are areas where external forces are being created so that the conservation of energy would not be valid.

Empty Container Logistics

OpenAIRE

Jakov Karmelić; Čedomir Dundović; Ines Kolanović

2012-01-01

Within the whole world container traffic, the largest share of containers is in the status of repositioning. Container repositioning results from the need for harmonization between the point of empty container accumulation and the point of demand, and waiting time for the availability of the first next transport of cargo. This status of containers on the container market is the consequence of imbalances in the worldwide trade distribution on most important shipping routes. The need for fast a...

Containment loads due to direct containment heating and associated hydrogen behavior: Analysis and calculations with the CONTAIN code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, D.C.; Bergeron, K.D.; Carroll, D.E.; Gasser, R.D.; Tills, J.L.; Washington, K.E.

1987-05-01

One of the most important unresolved issues governing risk in many nuclear power plants involves the phenomenon called direct containment heating (DCH), in which it is postulated that molten corium ejected under high pressure from the reactor vessel is dispersed into the containment atmosphere, thereby causing sufficient heating and pressurization to threaten containment integrity. Models for the calculation of potential DCH loads have been developed and incorporated into the CONTAIN code for severe accident analysis. Using CONTAIN, DCH scenarios in PWR plants having three different representative containment types have been analyzed: Surry (subatmospheric large dry containment), Sequoyah (ice condenser containment), and Bellefonte (atmospheric large dry containment). A large number of parameter variation and phenomenological uncertainty studies were performed. Response of DCH loads to these variations was found to be quite complex; often the results differ substantially from what has been previously assumed concerning DCH. Containment compartmentalization offers the potential of greatly mitigating DCH loads relative to what might be calculated using single-cell representations of containments, but the actual degree of mitigation to be expected is sensitive to many uncertainties. Dominant uncertainties include hydrogen combustion phenomena in the extreme environments produced by DCH scenarios, and factors which affect the rate of transport of DCH energy to the upper containment. In addition, DCH loads can be aggravated by rapid blowdown of the primary system, co-dispersal of moderate quantities of water with the debris, and quenching of de-entrained debris in water; these factors act by increasing steam flows which, in turn, accelerates energy transport. It may be noted that containment-threatening loads were calculated for a substantial portion of the scenarios treated for some of the plants considered

A Practical Model for Inbound Container Distribution Organization in Rail-Water Transhipping Terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiahao Zhao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rail-water transportation is a crucial component of intermodal transportation system. Effective operation of rail-water intermodal transportation requires not only railway network and advanced handling equipment, but also scientific and reasonable transportation organization. In this paper, we first briefly introduced the coordination area and related concepts. Then an inbound container distribution organization model (ICDOM was established taking into account many factors such as transhipping capacity, network capacity, and importance of containers, in order to minimize the total container-hours in the coordination area, which reflects the efficiency of inbound container distribution organization. Additionally, a genetic algorithm (GA was developed and the optimization results were evaluated, which showed that both of the model and the algorithm were effective.

Total algorithms

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tel, G.

We define the notion of total algorithms for networks of processes. A total algorithm enforces that a "decision" is taken by a subset of the processes, and that participation of all processes is required to reach this decision. Total algorithms are an important building block in the design of

Senior Design in Agricultural Engineering--Progress and Pitfalls.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, R. G.; Rohrbach, R. P.

1979-01-01

Describes a specific senior design course and its objectives. Explains the basic deficiencies and problems for design education in agricultural engineering. Also stresses the effect the project advisor has on students' attitudes toward design and the applications of the course. (SMB)

Extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge on the cytokines of rat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Endometriosis is a common mysterious and fascinating gynaecological condition with diverse clinical manifestations, highly variable and unpredictable clinical course with decreased quality of life. Clinically, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (SMB, Chinese Danshen) has been applied to treat endometriosis and get satisfactory ...

On the total irregularity strength of caterpillar with each internal vertex has degree three

Science.gov (United States)

Indriati, Diari; Rosyida, Isnaini; Widodo

2018-04-01

Let G be a simple, connected and undirected graph with vertex set V and edge set E. A total k-labeling f:V \\cup E\\to \\{1,2,\\ldots,k\\} is defined as totally irregular total k-labeling if the weights of any two different both vertices and edges are distinct. The weight of vertex x is defined as wt(x)=f(x)+{\\sum }xy\\in Ef(xy), while the weight of edge xy is wt(xy)=f(x)+f(xy)+f(y). A minimum k for which G has totally irregular total k-labeling is mentioned as total irregularity strength of G and denoted by ts(G). This paper contains investigation of totally irregular total k-labeling and determination of their total irregularity strengths for caterpillar graphs with each internal vertex between two stars has degree three. The results are ts({S}n,3,n)=\\lceil \\frac{2n}{2}\\rceil, ts({S}n,3,3,n)=\\lceil \\frac{2n+1}{2}\\rceil and ts({S}n,3,3,3,n)=\\lceil \\frac{2n+2}{2}\\rceil for n > 4:

Reactor containment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawabe, Ryuhei; Yamaki, Rika.

1990-01-01

A water vessel is disposed and the gas phase portion of the water vessel is connected to a reactor container by a pipeline having a valve disposed at the midway thereof. A pipe in communication with external air is extended upwardly from the liquid phase portion to a considerable height so as to resist against the back pressure by a waterhead in the pipeline. Accordingly, when the pressure in the container is reduced to a negative level, air passes through the pipeline and uprises through the liquid phase portion in the water vessel in the form of bubbles and then flows into the reactor container. When the pressure inside of the reactor goes higher, since the liquid surface in the water vessel is forced down, water is pushed up into the pipeline. Since the waterhead pressure of a column of water in the pipeline and the pressure of the reactor container are well-balanced, gases in the reactor container are not leaked to the outside. Further, in a case if a great positive pressure is formed in the reactor container, the inner pressure overcomes the waterhead of the column of water, so that the gases containing radioactive aerosol uprise in the pipeline. Since water and the gases flow being in contact with each other, this can provide the effect of removing aerosol. (T.M.)

Shielding container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darling, K.A.M.

1981-01-01

A shielding container incorporates a dense shield, for example of depleted uranium, cast around a tubular member of curvilinear configuration for accommodating a radiation source capsule. A lining for the tubular member, in the form of a close-coiled flexible guide, provides easy replaceability to counter wear while the container is in service. Container life is extended, and maintenance costs are reduced. (author)

Definition of domain boundaries and crystallization of the SMN Tudor domain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sprangers, Remco; Selenko, Philipp; Sattler, Michael; Sinning, Irmgard; Groves, Matthew R

Spinal muscular atropy (SMA) is the major genetic disease leading to childhood mortality and is caused by mutations in or deletions of the smn1 gene. The human survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein encoded by this gene plays an important role in the assembly of snRNPs (small nuclear

Phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of seven local varieties of Rosa indica L.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahid, Kiran; Ahmed, Maqsood; Khan, Farah

2018-05-01

Rosa indica symbol of godness and beauty known for various healing power, has astringent, sedative, anti-inflammatory and antidepressant qualities. Standard methods were used for qualitative detection of phyto-compounds, and quantitative detection of antioxidants was done using DPPH radical scavenging assay, total phenolics and total flavonoids content were expressed in mg GAE/g dry weight and mg QE/g dry weight. Results revealed phyto-compounds presence in all varieties under study however maximum % inhibition was observed by R. indica var pink perfume (94 ± 0.6) with IC50 value 0.3376 ± 0.01 mg/mL. Highest phenolic and flavonoid content was observed in the leaves extract of R. indica var cardinal red, i.e. 3.3553 ± 0.11 (ethanol) mg of Gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight and 3.736 ± 0.001(ethanol) mg of quercetin equivalents (QE)/g dry weight, respectively, at conc. 0.125 mg/mL. Our finding provides evidence that all varieties of rose contain medicinally important bioactive compounds and justifies their use for treatment of different diseases.

Understanding the influence of predation on introduced fishes on juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River Basin: Closing some knowledge gaps. Late summer and fall diet and condition of smallmouth bass, walleye, and channel catfish in the middle Columbia River, USA. Interim Report of Research 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Brien P.; Hansen, Gabriel S.; Weaver,; Ayers, David; Van Dyke, Erick S.; Mesa, Matthew G.

2012-01-01

American shad Alosa sapidissima in the middle Columbia River (MCR)—a high energy food available in the summer and fall—may be contributing to the increased growth and enhanced condition of nonnative piscivores. To test this hypothesis we quantified the late summer and autumn diets of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, walleye Sander vitreus, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the three lowermost reservoirs on the Columbia River (Bonneville [BON], The Dalles [TDA], and John Day [JDA]). The diet of smallmouth bass (SMB) was fairly similar among reservoirs, with crustaceans (52–82%) and fish (13–38%) being the dominant prey groups by percent mass. Cottidae were usually the dominant fish prey in the diet of SMB at all areas and the contribution of juvenile shad ranged from 0–8.2%. Fish (mostly Cyprinidae and Cottidae) were always the dominant prey item for walleye (WAL) at all areas and at all times, ranging from 70–100% of their diet by mass. Juvenile American shad composed from 10–27% (by mass) of the diet of walleye, depending on area and month. For channel catfish (CHC), the most common prey items consumed were crustaceans (20%–80% by mass) and unidentified items (30%–80%). Fish represented a relatively small component (ranged from 0.89 to 0.94 depending on area and month and showed a significant increase from August to September for fish in BON only. Overall, mean Wr of WAL was similar at all areas, ranging from 0.89–0.91, and increased significantly from September to mid-October and November for fish in TDA only. Overall, mean HSI of SMB ranged from 1.18 to 1.48, did not differ between fish in different reservoirs, and increased significantly from September to mid-October and November for fish from the lower JDA only. Mean HSI of WAL was significantly higher in October and November (0.95±0.24) than in August (0.73±0.22). Collectively, our results are the first to describe the diets of SMB, WAL, and CHC over a large spatial area in

Dynamic response of domes in CANDU 600 MWe containments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aziz, T.S.; Meng, V.; Alizadeh, A.

1981-01-01

CANDU reactors of the 600 MWe type are typically housed in a cylindrical prestressed concrete containment structure; rising from a flat slab and ending in a domed roof. The principal components of this structure are: (a) a circular base slab, (b) a vertical cylinder and (c) a spherical dome cap. A unique feature of a CANDU 600 MWe containment structure is the existence of an inner spherical concrete dome, located below the outer spherical dome, which serves as the bottom of a reservoir for the storage of 560,000 imperial gallons of douzing water. The thickness of the prestressed cylinder wall is approximately doubled between the two domes to create a ring beam. Inside the containment there exists an internal concrete structure which is independent of the containment structure except for support on the base slab. The containment boundary is a fully prestressed concrete structure. This paper deals with the seismic behaviour of the CANDU 600 MWe containment structure and the effect of its unique features; such as the lower dome and the douzing water on this behaviour. The objective of the study is to evaluate the interaction (coupling) effects between the different components of the structure. The approach taken is to study each component of the structure individually, then an assembly of the different components, and finally the total containment structure. This presentation is limited to the vertical response of the structure under a vertical earthquake only. Axisymmetric finite elements were used in all models. The vertical responses at selected points of the structure were obtained by the response spectrum method as well as the time-history method. It was observed that the response spectrum method over-estimates the vertical response of the domes and under-estimates the vertical responses of the ring girder and the containment cylinder compared to the time-history method. (orig./RW)

Shielded container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fries, B.A.

1978-01-01

A shielded container for transportation of radioactive materials is disclosed in which leakage from the container is minimized due to constructional features including, inter alia, forming the container of a series of telescoping members having sliding fits between adjacent side walls and having at least two of the members including machine sealed lids and at least two of the elements including hand-tightenable caps

Fuzzy containers allocation problem in maritime terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed-Mohammad Seyed-Hosseini

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Normal.dotm 0 0 1 140 799 UPC 6 1 981 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:??; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Containers allocation in terminals has attracted lots of research works due to practical & theoretical importance in transportation literature. In this paper, we developed a fuzzy mathematical programming model for solving problem of allocating the containers in terminal area. The objective is minimizing the total distance traversed by the containers from the ship to the terminal area they are assigned. Fuzzy set concepts are used to treat imprecision regarding the distances between berth and terminals area, number of containers in an arrived ship and estimation of available area in each terminal at a port. We proposed two types of models for optimistic and pessimistic situations. The proposed models have been coded in LINGO8.0 solver and a numerical example has been solved for illustration purpose. The full analysis of the proposed models can cause an optimum allocation of containers of several ships to different terminals of berths in fuzzy environment.

Study on the relation between uranium content and total phosphorus in some sudanese phosphate ore samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eltayeb, M. A. H.; Mohammed, A. A.

2003-01-01

In the present work uranium content and total phosphorus were determined in 30 phosphate ore samples collected from Kurun and Uro areas in Nuba Mountains in Sudan. Spectrophotometry technique was used for this purpose. Uranium analysis is based on the use of nitrogen (V) acid for leaching the rock, and treatment with ammonium carbonate solution, whereby uranium (Vi) is kept in solution as its carbonate complex. The ion exchange technique was used for the recovery of uranium. Uranium was eluted from the resin with 1 M hydrochloric acid. In the elute, uranium was determined spectrophotometrically by measurement of absorbance of the yellow uranium (Vi)-8-hydroxyquinolate complex at λ 400 nm. The total phosphorus was measured as (P 2 O 5 %) by treatment of the total liquor with ammonium molybdate solution. The absorbance of the blue complex was measured at λ 880 nm. The results show that a limited relation is existed between uranium content and total phosphorus in phosphate samples from kurun area, which contain 58.8 ppm uranium in average, where there are no relation is existed in phosphate samples from uro area, which contain 200 ppm uranium in average. (Author)

Disruption management for truck appointment system at a container terminal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, N.; Chen, Gang; Jin, Z.

2016-01-01

-appointed arrivals at a container terminal that is running an appointment system. Second, we propose some response strategies to cope with different levels of disruptions, and evaluate their resilience ability with two Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): total waiting time of on-time trucks and total idling emissions...... of all trucks, in order to balance the service quality to punctual arrivals and green performance of the whole system. Third, we conduct a sensitivity analysis using a discrete event simulation to understand the performance of the proposed strategies. Considering both KPIs, the best strategy in most......-crane moving distance, especially when the first KPI is given lower weight than the second one....

Optimization of scan time in MRI for total hip prostheses. SEMAC tailoring for prosthetic implants containing different types of metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deligianni, X. [University of Basel Hospital, Basel (Switzerland). Div. of Radiological Physics; Merian Iselin Klinik, Basel (Switzerland). Inst. of Radiology; Bieri, O. [University of Basel Hospital, Basel (Switzerland). Div. of Radiological Physics; Elke, R. [Orthomerian, Basel (Switzerland); Wischer, T.; Egelhof, T. [Merian Iselin Klinik, Basel (Switzerland). Inst. of Radiology

2015-12-15

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of soft tissues after total hip arthroplasty is of clinical interest for the diagnosis of various pathologies that are usually invisible with other imaging modalities. As a result, considerable effort has been put into the development of metal artifact reduction MRI strategies, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC). Generally, the degree of metal artifact reduction with SEMAC directly relates to the overall time spent for acquisition, but there is no specific consensus about the most efficient sequence setup depending on the implant material. The aim of this article is to suggest material-tailored SEMAC protocol settings. Five of the most common total hip prostheses (1. Revision prosthesis (S-Rom), 2. Titanium alloy, 3. Mueller type (CoNiCRMo alloy), 4. Old Charnley prosthesis (Exeter/Stryker), 5. MS-30 stem (stainless-steel)) were scanned on a 1.5 T MRI clinical scanner with a SEMAC sequence with a range of artifact-resolving slice encoding steps (SES: 2 - 23) along the slice direction (yielding a total variable scan time ranging from 1 to 10 min). The reduction of the artifact volume in comparison with maximal artifact suppression was evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to establish a recommended number of steps for each case. The number of SES that reduced the artifact volume below approximately 300 mm{sup 3} ranged from 3 to 13, depending on the material. Our results showed that although 3 SES steps can be sufficient for artifact reduction for titanium prostheses, at least 11 SES should be used for prostheses made of materials such as certain alloys of stainless steel. Tailoring SES to the implant material and to the desired degree of metal artifact reduction represents a simple tool for workflow optimization of SEMAC imaging near total hip arthroplasty in a clinical setting.

Optimization of scan time in MRI for total hip prostheses. SEMAC tailoring for prosthetic implants containing different types of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deligianni, X.; Wischer, T.; Egelhof, T.

2015-01-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of soft tissues after total hip arthroplasty is of clinical interest for the diagnosis of various pathologies that are usually invisible with other imaging modalities. As a result, considerable effort has been put into the development of metal artifact reduction MRI strategies, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC). Generally, the degree of metal artifact reduction with SEMAC directly relates to the overall time spent for acquisition, but there is no specific consensus about the most efficient sequence setup depending on the implant material. The aim of this article is to suggest material-tailored SEMAC protocol settings. Five of the most common total hip prostheses (1. Revision prosthesis (S-Rom), 2. Titanium alloy, 3. Mueller type (CoNiCRMo alloy), 4. Old Charnley prosthesis (Exeter/Stryker), 5. MS-30 stem (stainless-steel)) were scanned on a 1.5 T MRI clinical scanner with a SEMAC sequence with a range of artifact-resolving slice encoding steps (SES: 2 - 23) along the slice direction (yielding a total variable scan time ranging from 1 to 10 min). The reduction of the artifact volume in comparison with maximal artifact suppression was evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to establish a recommended number of steps for each case. The number of SES that reduced the artifact volume below approximately 300 mm 3 ranged from 3 to 13, depending on the material. Our results showed that although 3 SES steps can be sufficient for artifact reduction for titanium prostheses, at least 11 SES should be used for prostheses made of materials such as certain alloys of stainless steel. Tailoring SES to the implant material and to the desired degree of metal artifact reduction represents a simple tool for workflow optimization of SEMAC imaging near total hip arthroplasty in a clinical setting.

TOMS/Nimbus-7 Total Column Ozone Monthly L3 Global 1x1.25 deg Lat/Lon Grid V008

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data product contains TOMS/Nimbus-7 Total Column Ozone Monthly L3 Global 1x1.25 deg Lat/Lon Grid Version 8 data in ASCII format. The Total Ozone Mapping...

TOMS/Nimbus-7 Total Column Ozone Daily L3 Global 1x1.25 deg Lat/Lon Grid V008

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data product contains TOMS/Nimbus-7 Total Column Ozone Daily L3 Global 1x1.25 deg Lat/Lon Grid Version 8 data in ASCII format. The Total Ozone Mapping...

Blowing snow detection in Antarctica, from space borne and ground-based remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Gossart, A.; Souverijns, N.; Lhermitte, S.; Lenaerts, J.; Gorodetskaya, I.; Schween, J. H.; Van Lipzig, N. P. M.

2017-12-01

Surface mass balance (SMB) strongly controls spatial and temporal variations in the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) mass balance and its contribution to sea level rise. Currently, the scarcity of observational data and the challenges of climate modelling over the ice sheet limit our understanding of the processes controlling AIS SMB. Particularly, the impact of blowing snow on local SMB is not yet constrained and is subject to large uncertainties. To assess the impact of blowing snow on local SMB, we investigate the attenuated backscatter profiles from ceilometers at two East Antarctic locations in Dronning Maud Land. Ceilometers are robust ground-based remote sensing instruments that yield information on cloud base height and vertical structure, but also provide information on the particles present in the boundary layer. We developed a new algorithm to detect blowing snow (snow particles lifted by the wind from the surface to substantial height) from the ceilometer attenuated backscatter. The algorithm successfully allows to detect strong blowing snow signal from layers thicker than 15 m at the Princess Elisabeth (PE, (72°S, 23°E)) and Neumayer (70°S, 8° W) stations. Applying the algorithm to PE, we retrieve the frequency and annual cycle of blowing snow as well as discriminate between clear sky and overcast conditions during blowing snow. We further apply the blowing snow algorithm at PE to evaluate the blowing snow events detection by satellite imagery (Palm et al., 2011): the near-surface blowing snow layers are apparent in lidar backscatter profiles and enable snowdrift events detection (spatial and temporal frequency, height and optical depth). These data are processed from CALIPSO, at a high resolution (1x1 km digital elevation model). However, the remote sensing detection of blowing snow events by satellite is limited to layers of a minimal thickness of 20-30 m. In addition, thick clouds, mostly occurring during winter storms, can impede drifting snow

The Effect of Topographic Shadowing by Ice on Irradiance in the Greenland Ice Sheet Ablation Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Leidman, S. Z.; Rennermalm, A. K.; Ryan, J.; Cooper, M. G.; Smith, L. C.

2017-12-01

Accurately predicting runoff contributions to global sea level rise requires more refined surface mass balance (SMB) models of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS). Topographic shadowing has shown to be important in the SMB of snow-covered regions, yet SMB models for the GrIS generally ignore how surface topography affects spatial variability of incoming solar radiation on a surface. In the ablation zone of Southwest Greenland, deeply incised supraglacial drainage features, fracturing, and large-scale bed deformation result in extensive areas of rough surface topography. This topography blocks direct radiation such that shadowed areas receive less energy for melting while other topographic features such as peaks recieve more energy. In this study, we quantify how shadowing from local topography features changes incoming solar radiation. We apply the ArcGIS Pro Solar Radiation Toolset to calculate the direct and diffuse irradiance in sunlit and shadowed areas by determining the sun's movement for every half hour increment of 2016. Multiple digital elevation models (DEMs) with spatial resolutions ranging from 0.06 to 5m were derived from fixed wing and quadcopter UAV imagery collected in summer 2016 and the ArcticDEM dataset. Our findings show that shadowing significantly decreases irradiance compared to smoothed surfaces where local topography is removed. This decrease is exponentially proportional to the DEM pixel sized with 5m DEMs only able to capture a small percentage of the effect. Applying these calculations to the ArcticDEM to cover a larger study area indicates that decreases in irradiance are nonlinearly proportional to elevation with highly crevassed areas showing a larger effect from shadowing. Even so, shading at higher elevations reduces irradiance enough to result in several centimeters snow water equivalence (SWE) per year of over-prediction of runoff in SMB models. Furthermore, analysis of solar radiation products shows that shadowing predicts albedo

Shallow velocity structure above the Socorro Magma Body from ambient noise tomography using the large-N Sevilleta array, central Rio Grande Rift, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Worthington, L. L.; Ranasinghe, N. R.; Schmandt, B.; Jiang, C.; Finlay, T. S.; Bilek, S. L.; Aster, R. C.

2017-12-01

The Socorro Magma Body (SMB) is one of the largest recognized active mid-crustal magma intrusions globally. Inflation of the SMB drives sporadically seismogenic uplift at rates of up to of few millimeters per year. We examine the upper crustal structure of the northern section of the SMB region using ambient noise seismic data collected from the Sevilleta Array and New Mexico Tech (NMT) seismic network to constrain basin structure and identify possible upper crustal heterogeneities caused by heat flow and/or fluid or magma migration to shallower depths. The Sevilleta Array comprised 801 vertical-component Nodal seismic stations with 10-Hz seismometers deployed within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in the central Rio Grande rift north of Socorro, New Mexico, for a period of 12 days during February 2015. Five short period seismic stations from the NMT network located south of the Sevilleta array are also used to improve the raypath coverage outside the Sevilleta array. Inter-station ambient noise cross-correlations were computed from all available 20-minute time windows and stacked to obtain estimates of the vertical component Green's function. Clear fundamental mode Rayleigh wave energy is observed from 3 to 6 s period. Beamforming indicates prominent noise sources from the southwest, near Baja California, and the southeast, in the Gulf of Mexico. The frequency-time analysis method was implemented to measure fundamental mode Rayleigh wave phase velocities and the resulting inter-station travel times were inverted to obtain 2-D phase velocity maps. One-dimensional sensitivity kernels indicate that the Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps are sensitive to a depth interval of 1 to 8 km, depending on wave period. The maps show (up to 40%) variations in phase velocity within the Sevilleta Array, with the largest variations found for periods of 5-6 seconds. Holocene to upper Pleistocene, alluvial sediments found in the Socorro Basin consistently show lower phase

Intensive care unit drug costs in the context of total hospital drug expenditures with suggestions for targeted cost containment efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Altawalbeh, Shoroq M; Saul, Melissa I; Seybert, Amy L; Thorpe, Joshua M; Kane-Gill, Sandra L

2018-04-01

To assess costs of intensive care unit (ICU) related pharmacotherapy relative to hospital drug expenditures, and to identify potential targets for cost-effectiveness investigations. We offer the unique advantage of comparing ICU drug costs with previously published data a decade earlier to describe changes over time. Financial transactions for all ICU patients during fiscal years (FY) 2009-2012 were retrieved from the hospital's data repository. ICU drug costs were evaluated for each FY. ICU departments' charges were also retrieved and calculated as percentages of total ICU charges. Albumin, prismasate (dialysate), voriconazole, factor VII and alteplase denoted the highest percentages of ICU drug costs. ICU drug costs contributed to an average of 31% (SD 1.0%) of the hospital's total drug costs. ICU drug costs per patient day increased by 5.8% yearly versus 7.8% yearly for non-ICU drugs. This rate was higher for ICU drugs costs at 12% a decade previous. Pharmacy charges contributed to 17.7% of the total ICU charges. Growth rates of costs per year have declined but still drug expenditures in the ICU are consistently a significant driver in this resource intensive environment with a high impact on hospital drug expenditures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Response surface modeling for optimization heterocatalytic Fenton oxidation of persistence organic pollution in high total dissolved solid containing wastewater.

Science.gov (United States)

Sekaran, G; Karthikeyan, S; Boopathy, R; Maharaja, P; Gupta, V K; Anandan, C

2014-01-01

The rice-husk-based mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) used in this study was precarbonized and activated using phosphoric acid. N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, X-ray powder diffraction, electron spin resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, (29)Si-NMR spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were used to characterize the MAC. The tannery wastewater carrying high total dissolved solids (TDS) discharged from leather industry lacks biodegradability despite the presence of dissolved protein. This paper demonstrates the application of free electron-rich MAC as heterogeneous catalyst along with Fenton reagent for the oxidation of persistence organic compounds in high TDS wastewater. The heterogeneous Fenton oxidation of the pretreated wastewater at optimum pH (3.5), H2O2 (4 mmol/L), FeSO4[Symbol: see text]7H2O (0.2 mmol/L), and time (4 h) removed chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon and dissolved protein by 86, 91, 83, and 90%, respectively.

A cross-sectional survey of Aedes aegypti immature abundance in urban and rural household containers in central Colombia.

Science.gov (United States)

Overgaard, Hans J; Olano, Víctor Alberto; Jaramillo, Juan Felipe; Matiz, María Inés; Sarmiento, Diana; Stenström, Thor Axel; Alexander, Neal

2017-07-27

Aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue, breeds in domestic water containers. The development of immature mosquitoes in such containers is influenced by various environmental, ecological and socioeconomic factors. Urban and rural disparities in water storage practices and water source supply may affect mosquito immature abundance and, potentially, dengue risk. We evaluated the effect of water and container characteristics on A. aegypti immature abundance in urban and rural areas. Data were collected in the wet season of 2011 in central Colombia from 36 urban and 35 rural containers, which were either mosquito-positive or negative. Immature mosquitoes were identified to species. Data on water and container characteristics were collected from all containers. A total of 1452 Aedes pupae and larvae were collected of which 81% were A. aegypti and 19% A. fluviatilis. Aedes aegypti immatures were found in both urban and rural sites. However, the mean number of A. aegypti pupae was five times higher in containers in the urban sites compared to those in the rural sites. One of the important factors associated with A. aegypti infestation was frequency of container washing. Monthly-washed or never-washed containers were both about four times more likely to be infested than those washed every week. There were no significant differences between urban and rural sites in frequency of washing containers. Aedes aegypti immature infestation was positively associated with total dissolved solids, but negatively associated with dissolved oxygen. Water temperature, total dissolved solids, ammonia, nitrate, and organic matter were significantly higher in urban than in rural containers, which might explain urban-rural differences in breeding of A. aegypti. However, many of these factors vary substantially between studies and in their degree of association with vector breeding, therefore they may not be reliable indices for vector control interventions. Although containers in urban areas

Abstracts of the 8th Conference on total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis and related methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wobrauschek, P.

2000-01-01

The 8. conference on total reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis and related methods held from 25.9 to 29.9.2000 contains 79 abstracts about x-ray fluorescence analysis (XRFA) as a powerful tool used for industrial production, geological prospecting and for environmental control. Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is also a tool used for chemical analysis in medicine, industry and research. (E.B.)

Fire protection countermeasures for containment ventilation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvares, N.; Beason, D.; Bergman, V.; Creighton, J.; Ford, H.; Lipska, A.

1980-01-01

The goal of this project is to find countermeasures to protect High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, in exit ventilation ducts, from the heat and smoke generated by fire. Initially, methods were developed to cool fire-heated air by fine water spray upstream of the filters. It was recognized that smoke aerosol exposure to HEPA filters could also cause disruption of the containment system. Through testing and analysis, several methods to partially mitigate the smoke exposure to the HEPA filters were identified. A continuous, movable, high-efficiency prefilter using modified commercial equipment was designed. The technique is capable of protecting HEPA filters over the total time duration of the test fires. The reason for success involved the modification of the prefiltration media. Commercially available filter media has particle sorption efficiency that is inversely proportional to media strength. To achieve properties of both efficiency and strength, rolling filter media were laminated with the desired properties. The approach was Edisonian, but truncation in short order to a combination of prefilters was effective. The application of this technique was qualified, since it is of use only to protect HEPA filters from fire-generated smoke aerosols. It is not believed that this technique is cost effective in the total spectrum of containment systems, especially if standard fire protection systems are available in the space. But in areas of high-fire risk, where the potential fuel load is large and ignition sources are plentiful, the complication of a rolling prefilter in exit ventilation ducts to protect HEPA filters from smoke aerosols is definitely justified

Design and device construction for plane tables preparation for counter alpha/beta total; Diseno y construccion de dispositivo para preparacion de planchetas para contador alfa/beta total

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galicia C, F. J.; Monroy G, F., E-mail: fgalicia82@yahoo.com [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2014-10-15

This work presents the design and assembly of a device for plane tables preparation for quantification alpha/beta total of radioactive waste samples. The determination of the activity index alpha/beta total is used to detect a wide variety of matrices quickly and the concentration of alpha and/or beta emitters of the contained radionuclides in different samples. In particular, the determination of the activity index alpha and beta total of radioactive wastes involves the digestion of samples in aggressive means that will be evaporated to dryness for its quantification. With the purpose of controlling the emission of corrosive gases during the preparation of the plane tables for the quantification of the index alpha and beta total, was designed and built the device in the Radioactive Waste Laboratory that allows to prepare plane tables for proportional counters in a sure and efficient way. The device is constituted by heating equipment, evaporation cylinder and a gases cleaning system. The self-absorption curve got ready starting from the device. (Author)

Impact of Super Monkey Ball and Underground video games on basic and advanced laparoscopic skill training

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rosser, James C.; Liu, Xinwei; Jacobs, Charles; Choi, Katherine Mia; Jalink, Maarten B.; Hoedemaker, Henk O. ten Cate

Objective This abstract profiles the comparison of correlations between previously validated Super Monkey Ball (SMB) and recently introduced Underground (U) video game on the Nintendo Wii U to multiple validated tasks used for developing basic and advanced laparoscopic skills. Methods Sixty-eight

Racah materials: role of atomic multiplets in intermediate valence systems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Shick, Alexander; Havela, L.; Lichtenstein, A.I.; Katsnelson, M.I.

2015-01-01

Roč. 5, Oct (2015), s. 15429 ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-07172S Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : SmB 6 * localization * magnetism Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 5.228, year: 2015

Total Quality Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaarslev, Axel

1996-01-01

Contains major results from a Nordic collaborative research program on implementing TQM in the Nordic construction industry.......Contains major results from a Nordic collaborative research program on implementing TQM in the Nordic construction industry....

On the link between martian total ozone and potential vorticity

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, James A.; Lewis, Stephen R.; Patel, Manish R.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate for the first time that total ozone in the martian atmosphere is highly correlated with the dynamical tracer, potential vorticity, under certain conditions. The degree of correlation is investigated using a Mars global circulation model including a photochemical model. Potential vorticity is the quantity of choice to explore the dynamical nature of polar vortices because it contains information on winds and temperature in a single scalar variable. The correlation is found to display a distinct seasonal variation, with a strong positive correlation in both northern and southern winter at poleward latitudes in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively. The identified strong correlation implies variations in polar total ozone during winter are predominantly controlled by dynamical processes in these spatio-temporal regions. The weak correlation in northern and southern summer is due to the dominance of photochemical reactions resulting from extended exposure to sunlight. The total ozone/potential vorticity correlation is slightly weaker in southern winter due to topographical variations and the preference for ozone to accumulate in Hellas basin. In northern winter, total ozone can be used to track the polar vortex edge. The ozone/potential vorticity ratio is calculated for both northern and southern winter on Mars for the first time. Using the strong correlation in total ozone and potential vorticity in northern winter inside the polar vortex, it is shown that potential vorticity can be used as a proxy to deduce the distribution of total ozone where satellites cannot observe for the majority of northern winter. Where total ozone observations are available on the fringes of northern winter at poleward latitudes, the strong relationship of total ozone and potential vorticity implies that total ozone anomalies in the surf zone of the northern polar vortex can potentially be used to determine the origin of potential vorticity filaments.

Experiments to evaluate behavior of containment piping bellows under severe accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, L.D.; Parks, M.B.

1993-01-01

Bellows are an integral part of the containment pressure boundary in nuclear power plants. They are used at piping penetrations to allow relative movement between piping and the containment wall. In a severe accident they may be subjected to high pressure and temperature, and a combination of axial and lateral deflections. A test program to determine the leak-tight capacity of containment penetration bellows is being conducted at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Several different bellows geometries, representative of actual containment bellows, are being subjected to extreme deflections along with pressure and temperature loads. The bellows geometries and loading conditions are described along with the testing apparatus and procedures. A total of thirteen tests have been conducted. The tests showed that withstanding relatively large bellows are capable of deformations, up to, or near, the point of full compression before developing leakage. The test data is presented and discussed

Plasma levels of selenium-containing proteins in Inuit adults from Nunavik.

Science.gov (United States)

Achouba, Adel; Dumas, Pierre; Ouellet, Nathalie; Lemire, Mélanie; Ayotte, Pierre

2016-11-01

Selenium (Se) is highly abundant in marine foods traditionally consumed by Inuit of Nunavik (Northern Quebec, Canada) and accordingly, their Se intake is among the highest in the world. However, little is known regarding the biological implications of this high Se status in this Arctic indigenous population. We used a method combining affinity chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with quantification by post-column isotope dilution to determine total Se levels and concentrations of Se-containing proteins in archived plasma samples of Inuit adults who participated to the 2004 Nunavik Inuit Health Survey (N = 852). Amounts of mercury (Hg) associated with Se-containing proteins were also quantified. Results show that glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3), selenoprotein P (SelP) and selenoalbumin (SeAlb) represented respectively 25%, 52% and 23% of total plasma Se concentrations. In addition, small amounts of Hg co-eluted with each Se-containing protein and up to 50% of plasma Hg was associated to SelP. Total plasma Se concentrations (median = 139 μg L− 1; interquartile range (IQR) = 22.7 μg L− 1) were markedly lower and less variable than whole blood Se concentration (median = 261 μg L− 1, IQR = 166 μg L− 1). A non linear relation was observed between whole blood Se and plasma Se levels, with plasma Se concentrations leveling off at approximately 200 μg L− 1, whereas 16% and 3% of individuals exhibited whole blood concentrations higher than 500 μg L− 1 and 1000 μg L− 1, respectively. In contrast, a linear relationship was previously reported in communities consuming Brazil nuts which are rich Se, mainly present as selenomethionine. This suggests that a different selenocompound, possibly selenoneine, is present in the Arctic marine food chain and accumulates in the blood cellular fraction of Inuit.

Elimination of trench defects and V-pits from InGaN/GaN structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smalc-Koziorowska, Julita; Grzanka, Ewa; Czernecki, Robert; Schiavon, Dario; Leszczyński, Mike

2015-01-01

The microstructural evolution of InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells grown by metalorganic chemical vapor phase epitaxy was studied as a function of the growth temperature of the GaN quantum barriers (QBs). We observed the formation of basal stacking faults (BSFs) in GaN QBs grown at low temperature. The presence of BSFs terminated by stacking mismatch boundaries (SMBs) leads to the opening of the structure at the surface into a V-shaped trench loop. This trench may form above an SMB, thereby terminating the BSF, or above a junction between the SMB and a subsequent BSF. Fewer BSFs and thus fewer trench defects were observed in GaN QBs grown at temperatures higher than 830 °C. Further increase in the growth temperature of the GaN QBs led to the suppression of the threading dislocation opening into V-pits

The sensitivity of the Late Saalian (140 ka) and LGM (21 ka) Eurasian ice sheets to sea surface conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Colleoni, Florence [Centro Euro-Mediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici, Bologna (Italy); UJF, CNRS, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement, Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Stockholm University, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockhlom (Sweden); Liakka, Johan [Stockholm University, Department of Meteorology, Stockholm (Sweden); Krinner, Gerhard; Peyaud, Vincent [UJF, CNRS, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l' Environnement, Saint Martin d' Heres Cedex (France); Jakobsson, Martin [Stockholm University, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockhlom (Sweden); Masina, Simona [Centro Euro-Mediterraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Bologna (Italy)

2011-08-15

This work focuses on the Late Saalian (140 ka) Eurasian ice sheets' surface mass balance (SMB) sensitivity to changes in sea surface temperatures (SST). An Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM), forced with two preexisting Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 ka) SST reconstructions, is used to compute climate at 140 and 21 ka (reference glaciation). Contrary to the LGM, the ablation almost stopped at 140 ka due to the climatic cooling effect from the large ice sheet topography. Late Saalian SST are simulated using an AGCM coupled with a mixed layer ocean. Compared to the LGM, these 140 ka SST show an inter-hemispheric asymmetry caused by the larger ice-albedo feedback, cooling climate. The resulting Late Saalian ice sheet SMB is smaller due to the extensive simulated sea ice reducing the precipitation. In conclusion, SST are important for the stability and growth of the Late Saalian Eurasian ice sheet. (orig.)

Macromolecular structure determination in the post-genome era

CERN Document Server

Kuhn, P

2001-01-01

Recent advances in genetics, molecular biology and crystallographic instrumentation and methodology have led to a revolution in the field of Structural Molecular Biology (SMB). These combined advances have paved the way to a more complete and detailed understanding of the biological macromolecules that make up an organism, both in terms of their individual functions and also the interactions between them. In this paper we describe a large-scale, genomic approach to the three-dimensional structure determination of macromolecules and their complexes, using high-throughput methodology to streamline all aspects of the process. This task requires the development of automated high-intensity synchrotron beam lines for X-ray diffraction data collection from single crystal samples. Furthermore, these beam lines must be operated within a sophisticated software and hardware environment, which is capable of delivering a completely automated structure determination pipeline. The SMB resource at SSRL is developing a system...

Irradiation Effects in Fortiweld Steel Containing Different Boron Isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grounes, M.

1967-07-01

Tensile specimens and miniature impact specimens of the low alloyed pressure vessel steel Fortiweld have been irradiated at 265 deg C in R2 to two neutron doses, 6.5 x 10 18 n/cm 2 (> 1 MeV) and 4 x 10 19 n/cm 2 (thermal) and also 9.0 x 10 18 n/cm 2 (> 1 MeV) and 6 x 10 19 n/cm 2 (thermal). Material from three laboratory melts, in which the boron consisted of 10 B, 11 B and natural boron respectively, were investigated. The results both of tensile tests and impact tests with miniature impact specimens show that the 10 B-alloyed material was changed more and the 11 B-alloyed material was changed less than the material containing natural boron. At the higher neutron dose the increase in yield strength (0.2 % offset yield strength) was 11 kg/mm in the 10 B containing material compared to 5 kg/mm in the 11 B-containing material. The decrease in total elongation was 5 and 0 percentage units respectively. The transition temperature was increased 190 deg C at the higher neutron dose in the 10 B-alloyed material, 40 deg C in the 11 B-alloyed material and 80 deg C in the material containing natural boron

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium. 173.189 Section 173.189 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND... Than Class 1 and Class 7 § 173.189 Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium. (a...

The association between metal allergy, total hip arthroplasty, and revision

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyssen, Jacob Pontoppidan; Jakobsen, Stig Storgaard; Engkilde, Kåre

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It has been speculated that the prevalence of metal allergy may be higher in patients with implant failure. We compared the prevalence and cause of revisions following total hip arthroplasty (THA) in dermatitis patients suspected to have contact allergy and in patients...... in general with THA. Furthermore, we compared the prevalence of metal allergy in dermatitis patients with and without THA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry (DHAR) contained detailed information on 90,697 operations. The Gentofte patch-test database contained test results...... was similar in cases (12%) and in patients from the DHAR (13%). The prevalence of metal allergy was similar in cases and controls. However, the prevalence of metal allergy was lower in cases who were patch-tested after operation (6%) than in those who were patch-tested before operation (16%) (OR = 2.9; 95% CI...

Albumin adsorption onto surfaces of urine collection and analysis containers.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Mary K; Caudill, Samuel P; Koch, David D; Ritchie, James; Hortin, Glen; Eckfeldt, John H; Sandberg, Sverre; Williams, Desmond; Myers, Gary; Miller, W Greg

2014-04-20

Adsorption of albumin onto urine collection and analysis containers may cause falsely low concentrations. We added (125)I-labeled human serum albumin to urine and to phosphate buffered solutions, incubated them with 22 plastic container materials and measured adsorption by liquid scintillation counting. Adsorption of urine albumin (UA) at 5-6 mg/l was containers, and to instrument sample cups and showed <1% change in concentration at 5 mg/l and <0.5% change at 20 mg/l or higher concentrations. Adsorption of albumin from phosphate buffered solutions (2-28%) was larger than that from urine. Albumin adsorption differed among urine samples and plastic materials, but the total influence of adsorption was <1% for all materials and urine samples tested. Adsorption of albumin from phosphate buffered solutions was larger than that from urine and could be a limitation for preparations used as calibrators. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth in an English population from the Industrial Revolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Mays, S; Brickley, M; Ives, R

2008-05-01

The rapid urbanization of the Industrial Revolution in 18th-19th century England presented new health challenges. Our aim is to investigate using English skeletal remains whether the living conditions for an urban working class group in the Industrial Revolution negatively impacted upon their skeletal growth compared with a population from a rural agrarian parish. The Industrial Revolution skeletal material is from St Martin's Churchyard, Birmingham (SMB), West Midlands. It dates primarily from the first half of the nineteenth century when Birmingham was a major manufacturing center. The rural group is from Wharram Percy (WP), North Yorkshire, and dates from 10th-19th century AD. The methodology involves plotting diaphyseal bone lengths versus dental age for subadults. No overall difference was found between the two populations in bone length-for-age among the 2- to 18-year cohort. However the younger parts of the SMB cohort were smaller than at WP; the opposite was true of the older parts of the cohort. Growth rate, as inferred from crosssectional data, appeared greater at SMB than at WP. The only result consistent with expectations is the larger bone dimensions in young children from WP, but this likely reflects prolonged breastfeeding at WP not differences in urban and rural environments. That the deleterious health effects that we know accompanied the major transition in human society from a rural agrarian to an urban industrialized living environment should be little manifest in skeletal endochondral growth data is discouraging for those who would use such methodology to monitor health in earlier populations. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A Hydrogen Containment Process for Nuclear Thermal Engine Ground testing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ten-See; Stewart, Eric; Canabal, Francisco

2016-01-01

The objective of this study is to propose a new total hydrogen containment process to enable the testing required for NTP engine development. This H2 removal process comprises of two unit operations: an oxygen-rich burner and a shell-and-tube type of heat exchanger. This new process is demonstrated by simulation of the steady state operation of the engine firing at nominal conditions.

Radioimmunological determination of total thyroxine in the serum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Premachandra, Bhartur

1975-09-04

A radioimmunological method to determine total thyroxine in a serum sample is described. The method is as follows: trichloracetic acid and sodium hydroxide are mixed with the sample; radioactive thyroxine is added to the mixture, which is left to reach equilibrium then placed in contact with a resin sponge consisting of a polyurethane foam with intercommunicating cells containing a strongly basic anion exchange resin; the mixture and the resin sponge are incubated, the initial radioactivity of the mixture and resin sponge combination is measured with an appropriate detection system, then the resin sponge is removed from the mixture, washed and its residual radioactivity measured.

Radioimmunological determination of total thyroxine in the serum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Premachandra, Bhartur.

1975-01-01

A radioimmunological method to determine total thyroxine in a serum sample is described. The method is as follows: trichloracetic acid and sodium hydroxide are mixed with the sample; radioactive thyroxine is added to the mixture, which is left to reach equilibrium then placed in contact with a resin sponge consisting of a polyurethane foam with intercommunicating cells containing a strongly basic anion exchange resin; the mixture and the resin sponge are incubated, the initial radioactivity of the mixture and resin sponge combination is measured with an appropriate detection system, then the resin sponge is removed from the mixture, washed and its residual radioactivity measured [fr

Total Measurement Uncertainty for the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Segmented Gamma Scan Assay System

CERN Document Server

Fazzari, D M

2001-01-01

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the Total Measurement Uncertainty (TMU) for the Canberra manufactured Segmented Gamma Scanner Assay System (SGSAS) as employed at the Hanford Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). In this document, TMU embodies the combined uncertainties due to all of the individual random and systematic sources of measurement uncertainty. It includes uncertainties arising from corrections and factors applied to the analysis of transuranic waste to compensate for inhomogeneities and interferences from the waste matrix and radioactive components. These include uncertainty components for any assumptions contained in the calibration of the system or computation of the data. Uncertainties are propagated at 1 sigma. The final total measurement uncertainty value is reported at the 95% confidence level. The SGSAS is a gamma assay system that is used to assay plutonium and uranium waste. The SGSAS system can be used in a stand-alone mode to perform the NDA characterization of a containe...

Simulation of a scenario of total loss of external and internal power (Sbo) for different vent pressures of the containment of a BWR-5

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardenas V, J.; Mugica R, C. A.; Godinez S, V.

2014-10-01

The simulation of a Station Black Out (Sbo) was realized with intervention of the vent containment by means of a rigid vent coming from the dry-well and that discharges directly to the atmosphere, with the MELCOR code version 2.1. This scenario was carried out for a BWR-5 and containment type Mark II, with a thermal power of 2317 MWt similar to the reactor of nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde. For this scenario was considered as only available system for coolant injection to the reactor to the Reactor Core Isolation Cooling (Rcic), which remained operating 4 hours with batteries bank. The Security and Relief Valves (SR V) were considered functional (by simplicity) and that they mechanically do not exceed their capacity to liberate pressure due to the performances in their safety way. The operator maneuver to perform the SR V and to de pressurize the vessel until the pressure (13 kg/cm 2 ) to operate the low pressure systems was modeled. The results cover approximately 48 hours (172000 seconds), time in which was observed the behavior of the level and pressure in the vessel. Also the scenario evolution was analyzed to different vent pressures of the primary containment (2.0, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, and 10.0 kg/cm 2 ), the temperature profiles of the dry-well, the hydrogen accumulation in the containment, the radio-nuclides liberation through rigid vent to the atmosphere and the inventory of these. In this work an analysis of the pressure behavior in the primary containment is presented, with the purpose of minimizing liberated fission products to the environment. (Author)

Do optimally ripe blackberries contain the highest levels of metabolites?

Science.gov (United States)

Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Koron, Darinka; Zorenc, Zala; Veberic, Robert

2017-01-15

Five blackberry cultivars were selected for the study ('Chester Thornless', 'Cacanska Bestrna', 'Loch Ness', 'Smoothstem' and 'Thornfree') and harvested at three different maturity stages (under-, optimal- and over-ripe). Optimally ripe and over-ripe blackberries contained significantly higher levels of total sugars compared to under-ripe fruit. 'Loch Ness' cultivar was characterized by 2.2-2.6-fold higher levels of total sugars than other cultivars and consequently, the highest sugar/acids ratio. 'Chester Thornless' stands out as the cultivar with the highest level of vitamin C in under-ripe (125.87mgkg(-1)) and optimally mature fruit (127.66mgkg(-1)). Maturity stage significantly affected the accumulation of phenolic compounds. The content of total anthocyanins increased for 43% at optimal maturity stage and cinnamic acid derivatives for 57% compared to under-ripe fruit. Over-ripe blackberries were distinguished by the highest content of total phenolics (1251-2115mg GAE kg(-1) FW) and greatest FRAP values (25.9-43.2mM TE kg(-1) FW). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenland Surface Mass Balance as Simulated by the Community Earth System Model. Part II: Twenty-First-Century Changes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vizcaino, M.; Lipscomb, W.H.; Sacks, W.J.; van den Broeke, M.R.

2014-01-01

This study presents the first twenty-first-century projections of surface mass balance (SMB) changes for the Greenland Ice Sheet (GIS) with the Community Earth System Model (CESM), which includes a new ice sheet component. For glaciated surfaces, CESM includes a sophisticated calculation of energy

Runoff and mass-balance simulations from the Greenland Ice Sheet at Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) in a 30-year perspective, 1979-2008

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mernild, S. H.; Liston, G. E.; Steffen, K.; van den Broeke, M.R.; Hasholt, B.

2010-01-01

This study provides insights into surface mass-balance (SMB) and runoff exiting the Watson River drainage basin, Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland during a 30 year period (1978/1979–2007/2008) when the climate experienced increasing temperatures and precipitation. The 30-year simulations quantify the

Passive containment system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kleimola, F.W.

1977-01-01

Disclosed is a containment system that provides complete protection entirely by passive means for the loss of coolant accident in a nuclear power plant and wherein all stored energy released in the coolant blowdown is contained and absorbed while the nuclear fuel is prevented from over-heating by a high containment back-pressure and a reactor vessel refill system. The primary containment vessel is restored to a high sub-atmospheric pressure within a few minutes after accident initiation and the decay heat is safely transferred to the environment while radiolytic hydrogen is contained by passive means. 20 claims, 14 figures

High security container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, P.J.-M.; Monsterleet, G.A.

1979-01-01

This invention concerns containments, vessels or tanks for containing and protecting products or installations of various kinds, to be called by the general denomination 'containers'. Such products can be, inter alia, liquids such as natural gas, ammonia, vinyle chloride and hydrocarbons. Far from just forming simple means of storage, the containers used for this must now be capable of withstanding fire, sabotage for instance rocket fire, even impacts from aircraft, earthquakes and other aggressions of the same kind. The particular object of this invention is to create a container withstanding all these various agressions. It must also be considered that this container can not only be used for storing products or materials but also for enclosing particularly dangerous or delicate installations, such as nuclear or chemical reactors [fr

A novel surgical method for total nail ablation: Use of triple flap technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berna Aksoy

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Total nail ablation for the treatment of onychodystrophies can be performed by using chemicals, surgical resection or laser ablation of nail matrix. A female patient with bilateral severe onychodystrophy as a result of inadvertent previous nail surgeries was treated surgically. Proximal complete nail matrix resection and distal 10 mm wide transverse strip partial nail bed resection were performed. A 5 mm wide transverse strip of nail bed was left intact proximally. Proximal nail matrix defect was closed by using the skin of proximal nail fold. The distal nail bed defect was reconstructed by using triple flap technique which was composed of a main central advancement flap containing ventral toe skin and two side flaps containing nail fold skin. The patient healed without any problem and her nail problem was treated successfully. The cosmetic appearance of her first toes was acceptable. Surgical nail ablation followed by volar skin coverage of dorsal surface of the distal phalanx bone by using triple flap technique is an effective surgical treatment method for the correction of advanced nail plate deformities requiring total nail ablation. 

The fission yeast MTREC and EJC orthologs ensure the maturation of meiotic transcripts during meiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Marayati, Bahjat Fadi; Hoskins, Victoria; Boger, Robert W; Tucker, James F; Fishman, Emily S; Bray, Andrew S; Zhang, Ke

2016-09-01

Meiosis is a highly regulated process by which genetic information is transmitted through sexual reproduction. It encompasses unique mechanisms that do not occur in vegetative cells, producing a distinct, well-regulated meiotic transcriptome. During vegetative growth, many meiotic genes are constitutively transcribed, but most of the resulting mRNAs are rapidly eliminated by the Mmi1-MTREC (Mtl1-Red1 core) complex. While Mmi1-MTREC targets premature meiotic RNAs for degradation by the nuclear 3'-5' exoribonuclease exosome during mitotic growth, its role in meiotic gene expression during meiosis is not known. Here, we report that Red5, an essential MTREC component, interacts with pFal1, an ortholog of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF4aIII in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe In mammals, together with MAGO (Mnh1), Rnps1, and Y14, elF4AIII (pFal1) forms the core of the exon junction complex (EJC), which is essential for transcriptional surveillance and localization of mature mRNAs. In fission yeast, two EJC orthologs, pFal1 and Mnh1, are functionally connected with MTREC, specifically in the process of meiotic gene expression during meiosis. Although pFal1 interacts with Mnh1, Y14, and Rnps1, its association with Mnh1 is not disrupted upon loss of Y14 or Rnps1. Mutations of Red1, Red5, pFal1, or Mnh1 produce severe meiotic defects; the abundance of meiotic transcripts during meiosis decreases; and mRNA maturation processes such as splicing are impaired. Since studying meiosis in mammalian germline cells is difficult, our findings in fission yeast may help to define the general mechanisms involved in accurate meiotic gene expression in higher eukaryotes. © 2016 Marayati et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

A role for complexes of survival of motor neurons (SMN) protein with gemins and profilin in neurite-like cytoplasmic extensions of cultured nerve cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Aarti; Lambrechts, Anja; Le thi Hao; Le, Thanh T.; Sewry, Caroline A.; Ampe, Christophe; Burghes, Arthur H.M.; Morris, Glenn E.

2005-01-01

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by reduced levels of SMN (survival of motor neurons protein) and consequent loss of motor neurons. SMN is involved in snRNP transport and nuclear RNA splicing, but axonal transport of SMN has also been shown to occur in motor neurons. SMN also binds to the small actin-binding protein, profilin. We now show that SMN and profilin II co-localise in the cytoplasm of differentiating rat PC12 cells and in neurite-like extensions, especially at their growth cones. Many components of known SMN complexes were also found in these extensions, including gemin2 (SIP-1), gemin6, gemin7 and unrip (unr-interacting protein). Coilin p80 and Sm core protein immunoreactivity, however, were seen only in the nucleus. SMN is known to associate with β-actin mRNA and specific hnRNPs in axons and in neurite extensions of cultured nerve cells, and SMN also stimulates neurite outgrowth in cultures. Our results are therefore consistent with SMN complexes, rather than SMN alone, being involved in the transport of actin mRNPs along the axon as in the transport of snRNPs into the nucleus by similar SMN complexes. Antisense knockdown of profilin I and II isoforms inhibited neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells and caused accumulation of SMN and its associated proteins in cytoplasmic aggregates. BIAcore studies demonstrated a high affinity interaction of SMN with profilin IIa, the isoform present in developing neurons. Pathogenic missense mutations in SMN, or deletion of exons 5 and 7, prevented this interaction. The interaction is functional in that SMN can modulate actin polymerisation in vitro by reducing the inhibitory effect of profilin IIa. This suggests that reduced SMN in SMA might cause axonal pathfinding defects by disturbing the normal regulation of microfilament growth by profilins

The host-dependent interaction of alpha-importins with influenza PB2 polymerase subunit is required for virus RNA replication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Resa-Infante

Full Text Available The influenza virus polymerase is formed by the PB1, PB2 and PA subunits and is required for virus transcription and replication in the nucleus of infected cells. As PB2 is a relevant host-range determinant we expressed a TAP-tagged PB2 in human cells and isolated intracellular complexes. Alpha-importin was identified as a PB2-associated factor by proteomic analyses. To study the relevance of this interaction for virus replication we mutated the PB2 NLS and analysed the phenotype of mutant subunits, polymerase complexes and RNPs. While mutant PB2 proteins showed reduced nuclear accumulation, they formed polymerase complexes normally when co expressed with PB1 and PA. However, mutant RNPs generated with a viral CAT replicon showed up to hundred-fold reduced CAT accumulation. Rescue of nuclear localisation of mutant PB2 by insertion of an additional SV40 TAg-derived NLS did not revert the mutant phenotype of RNPs. Furthermore, determination of recombinant RNP accumulation in vivo indicated that PB2 NLS mutations drastically reduced virus RNA replication. These results indicate that, above and beyond its role in nuclear accumulation, PB2 interaction with alpha-importins is required for virus RNA replication. To ascertain whether PB2-alpha-importin binding could contribute to the adaptation of H5N1 avian viruses to man, their association in vivo was determined. Human alpha importin isoforms associated efficiently to PB2 protein of an H3N2 human virus but bound to diminished and variable extents to PB2 from H5N1 avian or human strains, suggesting that the function of alpha importin during RNA replication is important for the adaptation of avian viruses to the human host.

Site-directed mutagenesis in Petunia × hybrida protoplast system using direct delivery of purified recombinant Cas9 ribonucleoproteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Subburaj, Saminathan; Chung, Sung Jin; Lee, Choongil; Ryu, Seuk-Min; Kim, Duk Hyoung; Kim, Jin-Soo; Bae, Sangsu; Lee, Geung-Joo

2016-07-01

Site-directed mutagenesis of nitrate reductase genes using direct delivery of purified Cas9 protein preassembled with guide RNA produces mutations efficiently in Petunia × hybrida protoplast system. The clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR associated endonuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has been recently announced as a powerful molecular breeding tool for site-directed mutagenesis in higher plants. Here, we report a site-directed mutagenesis method targeting Petunia nitrate reductase (NR) gene locus. This method could create mutations efficiently using direct delivery of purified Cas9 protein and single guide RNA (sgRNA) into protoplast cells. After transient introduction of RNA-guided endonuclease (RGEN) ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) with different sgRNAs targeting NR genes, mutagenesis at the targeted loci was detected by T7E1 assay and confirmed by targeted deep sequencing. T7E1 assay showed that RGEN RNPs induced site-specific mutations at frequencies ranging from 2.4 to 21 % at four different sites (NR1, 2, 4 and 6) in the PhNR gene locus with average mutation efficiency of 14.9 ± 2.2 %. Targeted deep DNA sequencing revealed mutation rates of 5.3-17.8 % with average mutation rate of 11.5 ± 2 % at the same NR gene target sites in DNA fragments of analyzed protoplast transfectants. Further analysis from targeted deep sequencing showed that the average ratio of deletion to insertion produced collectively by the four NR-RGEN target sites (NR1, 2, 4, and 6) was about 63:37. Our results demonstrated that direct delivery of RGEN RNPs into protoplast cells of Petunia can be exploited as an efficient tool for site-directed mutagenesis of genes or genome editing in plant systems.

Solving the Container Stowage Problem (CSP) using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)

Science.gov (United States)

Matsaini; Santosa, Budi

2018-04-01

Container Stowage Problem (CSP) is a problem of containers arrangement into ships by considering rules such as: total weight, weight of one stack, destination, equilibrium, and placement of containers on vessel. Container stowage problem is combinatorial problem and hard to solve with enumeration technique. It is an NP-Hard Problem. Therefore, to find a solution, metaheuristics is preferred. The objective of solving the problem is to minimize the amount of shifting such that the unloading time is minimized. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is proposed to solve the problem. The implementation of PSO is combined with some steps which are stack position change rules, stack changes based on destination, and stack changes based on the weight type of the stacks (light, medium, and heavy). The proposed method was applied on five different cases. The results were compared to Bee Swarm Optimization (BSO) and heuristics method. PSO provided mean of 0.87% gap and time gap of 60 second. While BSO provided mean of 2,98% gap and 459,6 second to the heuristcs.

Segmented gamma scanning method for measuring holdup in the spherical container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Jingshan; Li Ze; Gan Lin; Lu Wenguang; Dong Mingli

2007-01-01

Some special nuclear material (SNM) is inevitably deposited in the facilities (mixer, reactor) of nuclear material process line. Exactly knowing the quantity of nuclear material holdup is very important for nuclear material accountability and critical safety. This paper presents segmented gamma scanning method for SNM holdup measurement of spherical container, at the left, right and back of which other equipments exist so that the detectors can be put at the only front of container for measurement. The nuclear material deposited in the spherical container can be looked as spherical shell source, which is divided into many layers. The detectors scanning spherical shell source are moved layer by layer from the top to the bottom to obtain projection data, with which deposited material distribution can be reconstructed by using Least Square (LS) method or Maximum Likelihood (ML) method. With these methods accurate total holdup can be obtained by summing up all the segmental values reconstructed. In this paper this measurement method for holdup in the spherical container was verified with Monte-Carlo simulation calculation and experiment. (authors)

Development of off-line layer chromatographic and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometric methods for arsenic speciation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mihucz, Victor G.; Moricz, Agnes M.; Kroepfl, Krisztina; Szikora, Szilvia; Tatar, Eniko; Parra, Lue Meru Marco; Zaray, Gyula

2006-01-01

Rapid and low cost off-line thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and overpressured thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods have been developed for separation of 25 ng of each As(III), As(V), monomethyl arsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid applying a PEI cellulose stationary phase on plastic sheets and a mixture of acetone/acetic acid/water = 2:1:1 (v/v/v) as eluent system. The type of eluent systems, the amounts (25-1000 ng) of As species applied to PEI cellulose plates, injection volume, development distance, and flow rate (in case of overpressured thin layer chromatography) were taken into consideration for the development of the chromatographic separation. Moreover, a microdigestion method employing nitric acid for the As spots containing PEI cellulose scratched from the developed plates divided into segments was developed for the subsequent total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis. The method was applied for analysis of root extracts of cucumber plants grown in As(III) containing modified Hoagland nutrient solution. Both As(III) and As(V) were detected by applying the proposed thin layer chromatography/overpressured thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods

Development of off-line layer chromatographic and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometric methods for arsenic speciation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mihucz, Victor G. [Joint Research Group of Environmental Chemistry of Hungarian Academy of Sciences and L. Eoetvoes University, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Moricz, Agnes M. [L. Eoetvoes University, Department of Chemical Technology and Environmental Chemistry, P.O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Kroepfl, Krisztina [Joint Research Group of Environmental Chemistry of Hungarian Academy of Sciences and L. Eoetvoes University, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Szikora, Szilvia [Joint Research Group of Environmental Chemistry of Hungarian Academy of Sciences and L. Eoetvoes University, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Tatar, Eniko [Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); L. Eoetvoes University, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, P.O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary); Parra, Lue Meru Marco [Universidad Centro-occidental Lisandro Alvarado, Decanato de Agronomia, Departamento de Quimica y Suelos Unidad de Analisis Instrumental, Apartado Postal 4076, Cabudare 3023 (Venezuela); Zaray, Gyula [Joint Research Group of Environmental Chemistry of Hungarian Academy of Sciences and L. Eoetvoes University, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary) and Hungarian Satellite Centre of Trace Elements Institute to UNESCO, P. O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary) and L. Eoetvoes University, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, P.O. Box 32, H-1518 Budapest (Hungary)]. E-mail: zaray@ludens.elte.hu

2006-11-15

Rapid and low cost off-line thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and overpressured thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods have been developed for separation of 25 ng of each As(III), As(V), monomethyl arsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid applying a PEI cellulose stationary phase on plastic sheets and a mixture of acetone/acetic acid/water = 2:1:1 (v/v/v) as eluent system. The type of eluent systems, the amounts (25-1000 ng) of As species applied to PEI cellulose plates, injection volume, development distance, and flow rate (in case of overpressured thin layer chromatography) were taken into consideration for the development of the chromatographic separation. Moreover, a microdigestion method employing nitric acid for the As spots containing PEI cellulose scratched from the developed plates divided into segments was developed for the subsequent total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry analysis. The method was applied for analysis of root extracts of cucumber plants grown in As(III) containing modified Hoagland nutrient solution. Both As(III) and As(V) were detected by applying the proposed thin layer chromatography/overpressured thin layer chromatography-total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry methods.

Nanofabrication of Plasmonic Circuits Containing Single Photon Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siampour, Hamidreza; Kumar, Shailesh; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.

2017-01-01

Nanofabrication of photonic components based on dielectric loaded surface plasmon polariton waveguides (DLSPPWs) excited by single nitrogen vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds is demonstrated. DLSPPW circuits are built around NV containing nanodiamonds, which are certified to be single-photon...... emitters, using electron-beam lithography of hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) resist on silver-coated silicon substrates. A propagation length of 20 ± 5 μm for the NV single-photon emission is measured with DLSPPWs. A 5-fold enhancement in the total decay rate, and 58% coupling efficiency to the DLSPPW mode...

Nitric oxide heme interactions in nitrophorin from Cimex lectularius

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christmann, R.; Auerbach, H., E-mail: auerbach@physik.uni-kl.de [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany); Berry, R. E.; Walker, F. A. [The University of Arizona, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (United States); Schünemann, V. [University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Physics (Germany)

2016-12-15

The nitrophorin from the bedbug Cimex lectularius (cNP) is a nitric oxide (NO) carrying protein. Like the nitrophorins (rNPs) from the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus, cNP forms a stable heme Fe(III)-NO complex, where the NO can be stored reversibly for a long period of time. In both cases, the NPs are found in the salivary glands of blood-sucking bugs. The insects use the nitrophorins to transport the NO to the victim’s tissues, resulting in vasodilation and reduced blood coagulation. However, the structure of cNP is significantly different to those of the rNPs from Rhodnius prolixus. Furthermore, the cNP can bind a second NO molecule to the proximal heme cysteine when present at higher concentrations. High field Mössbauer spectroscopy on {sup 57}Fe enriched cNP complexed with NO shows reduction of the heme iron and formation of a ferrous nitric oxide (Fe(II)-NO) complex. Density functional theory calculations reproduce the experimental Mössbauer parameters and confirm this observation.

Sulfur-Containing Agrochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Devendar, Ponnam; Yang, Guang-Fu

2017-10-09

Modern agricultural chemistry has to support farmers by providing innovative agrochemicals. In this context, the introduction of sulfur atoms into an active ingredient is still an important tool in modulating the properties of new crop-protection compounds. More than 30% of today's agrochemicals contain at least one sulfur atom, mainly in fungicides, herbicides and insecticides. A number of recently developed sulfur-containing agrochemical candidates represent a novel class of chemical compounds with new modes of action, so we intend to highlight the emerging interest in commercially active sulfur-containing compounds. This chapter gives a comprehensive overview of selected leading sulfur-containing pesticidal chemical families namely: sulfonylureas, sulfonamides, sulfur-containing heterocyclics, thioureas, sulfides, sulfones, sulfoxides and sulfoximines. Also, the most suitable large-scale synthetic methods of the recently launched or provisionally approved sulfur-containing agrochemicals from respective chemical families have been highlighted.

Minerals and Total Polyphenolic Content of Some Vegetal Powders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roxana E. TUFEANU

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The total polyphenolic content and minerals were determined for chia seeds, Psyllium husks and watermelon rind powder. The minerals content was performed by using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emissions Spectrometer and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, technique FIAS-Furnace (for Se. The sample with the highest content of polyphenols was chia (2.69 mg GAE/g s. followed by the watermelon rind powder. Reduced amounts of polyphenols were found in the Psyllium husks. Also, the total polyphenol concentration increased with the increase of the extraction time on the ultrasonic water bath. Minerals analysis indicated that powders obtained from chia seeds and watermelon rind contained large amounts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. The most abundant mineral in the Psyllium husks powder was found potassium, followed by calcium. In conclusion, these powders can be used as ingredients for functional food and food supplements production due to the high nutritional content and bioactive properties.

Containment performance improvement program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beckner, W.; Mitchell, J.; Soffer, L.; Chow, E.; Lane, J.; Ridgely, J.

1990-01-01

The Containment Performance Improvement (CPI) program has been one of the main elements in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) integrated approach to closure of severe accident issues for US nuclear power plants. During the course of the program, results from various probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) studies and from severe accident research programs for the five US containment types have been examined to identify significant containment challenges and to evaluate potential improvements. The five containment types considered are: the boiling water reactor (BMR) Mark I containment, the BWR Mark II containment, the BWR Mark III containment, the pressurized water reactor (PWR) ice condenser containment, and the PWR dry containments (including both subatmospheric and large subtypes). The focus of the CPI program has been containment performance and accident mitigation, however, insights are also being obtained in the areas of accident prevention and accident management

Reliability evaluation of containments including soil-structure interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pires, J.; Hwang, H.; Reich, M.

1985-12-01

Soil-structure interaction effects on the reliability assessment of containment structures are examined. The probability-based method for reliability evaluation of nuclear structures developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory is extended to include soil-structure interaction effects. In this method, reliability of structures is expressed in terms of limit state probabilities. Furthermore, random vibration theory is utilized to calculate limit state probabilities under random seismic loads. Earthquake ground motion is modeled by a segment of a zero-mean, stationary, filtered Gaussian white noise random process, represented by its power spectrum. All possible seismic hazards at a site, represented by a hazard curve, are also included in the analysis. The soil-foundation system is represented by a rigid surface foundation on an elastic halfspace. Random and other uncertainties in the strength properties of the structure, in the stiffness and internal damping of the soil, are also included in the analysis. Finally, a realistic reinforced concrete containment is analyzed to demonstrate the application of the method. For this containment, the soil-structure interaction effects on; (1) limit state probabilities, (2) structural fragility curves, (3) floor response spectra with probabilistic content, and (4) correlation coefficients for total acceleration response at specified structural locations, are examined in detail. 25 refs., 21 figs., 12 tabs

Use of protein containing magnetic microparticles in radioassays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ithakissios, D.S.; Kubiatowicz, D.O.

1977-01-01

We describe a radioassay method that involves the use of magnetic protein microparticles composed of a water-insoluble protein matrix containing magnetically responsive material. We define two different types of particles according to the mechanism of action: The substrate is sorbed nonspecifically by the protein matrix of the particle or by a second substance such as charcoal or ion-exchange resin incorporated within the protein matrix of the particle. These particles are useful for separating free from bound substrate. Examples of these are albumin magnetic microparticles for use in a total thyroxine radioassay and triiodothyronine uptake test, or albumin magnetic microparticles containing charcoal for use in a vitamin B 12 radioassay. The substrate is sorbed specifically by a binding protein incorporated within the matrix of the particles. The binding protein can include antibodies or other specific nonimmune proteins. Particles of this type are useful in solid-phase radioassays. These particles are exemplified by albumin magnetic microparticles containing sockeye salmon serum, used in a solid-phase B 12 radioassay. We discuss the methods for the preparation of both types of magnetic microparticles and their use in radioassays. We describe a unique inexpensive magnetic separation rack, which provides simple, fast, and reproducible separation of the magnetic microparticles from their suspending medium during the assay

Phenomenological uncertainty analysis of early containment failure at severe accident of nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Su Won

2011-02-15

The severe accident has inherently significant uncertainty due to wide range of conditions and performing experiments, validation and practical application are extremely difficult because of its high temperature and pressure. Although internal and external researches were put into practice, the reference used in Korean nuclear plants were foreign data of 1980s and safety analysis as the probabilistic safety assessment has not applied the newest methodology. Also, it is applied to containment pressure formed into point value as results of thermal hydraulic analysis to identify the probability of containment failure in level 2 PSA. In this paper, the uncertainty analysis methods for phenomena of severe accident influencing early containment failure were developed, the uncertainty analysis that apply Korean nuclear plants using the MELCOR code was performed and it is a point of view to present the distribution of containment pressure as a result of uncertainty analysis. Because early containment failure is important factor of Large Early Release Frequency(LERF) that is used as representative criteria of decision-making in nuclear power plants, it was selected in this paper among various modes of containment failure. Important phenomena of early containment failure at severe accident based on previous researches were comprehended and methodology of 7th steps to evaluate uncertainty was developed. The MELCOR input for analysis of the severe accident reflected natural circulation flow was developed and the accident scenario for station black out that was representative initial event of early containment failure was determined. By reviewing the internal model and correlation for MELCOR model relevant important phenomena of early containment failure, the uncertainty factors which could affect on the uncertainty were founded and the major factors were finally identified through the sensitivity analysis. In order to determine total number of MELCOR calculations which can

Reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojima, Yoshihiro; Hosomi, Kenji; Otonari, Jun-ichiro.

1997-01-01

In the present invention, a catalyst for oxidizing hydrogen to be disposed in a reactor container upon rupture of pipelines of a reactor primary coolant system is prevented from deposition of water droplets formed from a reactor container spray to suppress elevation of hydrogen concentration in the reactor container. Namely, a catalytic combustion gas concentration control system comprises a catalyst for oxidizing hydrogen and a support thereof. In addition, there is also disposed a water droplet deposition-preventing means for preventing deposition of water droplets in a reactor pressure vessel on the catalyst. Then, the effect of the catalyst upon catalytic oxidation reaction of hydrogen can be kept high. The local elevation of hydrogen concentration can be prevented even upon occurrence of such a phenomenon that various kinds of mobile forces in the container such as dry well cooling system are lost. (I.S.)

Feasibility study of cocos, condensation of containment atmosphere on structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rij, H.M. van; Vonka, V.

1989-12-01

The aim of this report is to assess the state of the art of the knowledge of the thermo-hydraulic conditions within a LWR containment in order to determine both the radioactive and the non-radioactive aerosol deposition rates during a severe reactor accident. The radioactive aerosol in the containment atmosphere is, together with the noble gases, responsible for the radioactive source term into the biosphere when a containment failure occurs. The dominant aerosol removal mechanisms depend strongly upon the thermal-hydraulic state of the containment atmosphere. It is demonstrated that the thermohydraulic state, determined by heat sources and the sensible heat transport, is predominantly super-heated when fission products are released into the containment. Hence the thermohydraulic conditions are not favorable for an intensive bulk condensation onto aerosol particles during an essential period of time. A station black-out scenario, in which the primary system of the considered 500 MWe PWR with a dry cavity is depressurized prior to vessel failure, is used as an example to demonstrate this effect. The results, obtained with the CONTAIN code, show the relevance of the sensible heat transport in the period of time (c.a. 30 minutes) between the end of the injection of the steam and fission products into the containment, and the molten core concrete interaction. All considered variation of the station black-out scenario, in which the decay heat dissipated in the containment atmosphere has been 10% of the total decay heat, indicate that the atmosphere becomes super-heated within the 30 minutes. Reducing the fraction of the decay heat in the containment from the 10% to 5% increases the time period with saturated conditions. The amount of the decay heat released into the containment atmosphere forms the major factor determining the thermohydraulic state. It influences the duration of the bulk condensation period, which in turn has an influence on the aerosol deposition

Process for denitrating waste solutions containing nitric acid actinides simultaneously separating the actinides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gompper, K.

1984-01-01

The invention should reduce the acid and nitrate content of waste solutions containing nitric acid as much as possible, should reduce the total salt content of the waste solution, remove the actinides contained in it by precipitation and reduce the α radio-activity in the remaining solution, without having to worry about strong reactions or an increase in the volume of the waste solution. The invention achieves this by mixing the waste solution with diethyl oxalate at room temperature and heating the mixture to at least 80 0 C. (orig.) [de

Nuclear reactor container

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaki, Rika; Kawabe, Ryuhei.

1989-01-01

A venturi scrubber is connected to a nuclear reactor container. Gases containing radioactive aerosols in the container are introduced into the venturi scrubber in the form of a high speed stream under the pressure of the container. The radioactive aerosols are captured by inertia collision due to the velocity difference between the high speed gas stream and water droplets. In the case of the present invention, since the high pressure of the reactor container generated upon accident is utilized, compressor, etc. is no more required, thereby enabling to reduce the size of the aerosol removing device. Further, since no external power is used, the radioactive aerosols can be removed with no starting failure upon accidents. (T.M.)

Solid Waste Management in Greater Shillong Planning Area (GSPA) Using Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Site Suitability Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Mipun, B. S.; Hazarika, R.; Mondal, M.; Mukhopadhyay, S.

2015-04-01

In Shillong city the existing solid waste management system is mobile waste bins (72%). About 12 percent burn the waste generated by them. Door to door collection is about 5 percent. Over 2 percent households throw the wastes in the open space. Another 9 percent households throw their wastes into the waste bins located in the neighbourhood. The local headman takes care about half of the household's wastes, while Municipality takes care about 34 percent households. About 10 percent households are ignorant about the collection and disposal of wastes. Some NGO's takes care about 5 percent household's wastes. Awareness about segregation of waste into organic and non-bio degradable waste is 64 percent and a significant numbers do the segregation. In Shillong Municipality Board (SMB) area collects 45.91% (78.42 MT) waste, outside SMB area collection is 32.61% (45.99 MT) and entire GSPA the percentage of garbage collected is 41percent. The only dumping ground in GSPA is Marten, Mawiong, and the capacity to hold garbage is decreasing due to limited landfill. The sanitary landfill site is 5.0 acres that it is not enough to meet the demand. Out of he total area 170.69 sq. km. (GSPA) only 25.67% is most suitable and 18.58% is unsuitable to set up a new landfill area. Eastern part of the GSPA, is most suitable, which fulfils the entire criterion adopted in this study. In this the best-stated criterion are land cover (vacant space), slope (2000m) and elevation (1300-1500m). The eastern part of the GSPA is most suitable landfill location.

A study of lipid- and water-soluble arsenic species in liver of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) containing high levels of total arsenic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sele, Veronika; Sloth, Jens Jørgen; Julshamn, Kale

2015-01-01

In the present study liver samples (n = 26) of Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), ranging in total arsenic concentrations from 2.1 to 240 mg/kg liver wet weight (ww), were analysed for their content of total arsenic and arsenic species in the lipid-soluble and water-soluble fractions. The arsen...

Irradiation Effects in Fortiweld Steel Containing Different Boron Isotopes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grounes, M

1967-07-15

Tensile specimens and miniature impact specimens of the low alloyed pressure vessel steel Fortiweld have been irradiated at 265 deg C in R2 to two neutron doses, 6.5 x 10{sup 18} n/cm{sup 2} (> 1 MeV) and 4 x 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2} (thermal) and also 9.0 x 10{sup 18} n/cm{sup 2} (> 1 MeV) and 6 x 10{sup 19} n/cm{sup 2} (thermal). Material from three laboratory melts, in which the boron consisted of {sup 10}B, {sup 11}B and natural boron respectively, were investigated. The results both of tensile tests and impact tests with miniature impact specimens show that the {sup 10}B-alloyed material was changed more and the {sup 11}B-alloyed material was changed less than the material containing natural boron. At the higher neutron dose the increase in yield strength (0.2 % offset yield strength) was 11 kg/mm in the {sup 10}B containing material compared to 5 kg/mm in the {sup 11}B-containing material. The decrease in total elongation was 5 and 0 percentage units respectively. The transition temperature was increased 190 deg C at the higher neutron dose in the {sup 10}B-alloyed material, 40 deg C in the {sup 11}B-alloyed material and 80 deg C in the material containing natural boron.

Sharps container

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Angelene M. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

This invention relates to a system for use in disposing of potentially hazardous items and more particularly a Sharps receptacle for used hypodermic needles and the like. A Sharps container is constructed from lightweight alodined nonmagnetic metal material with a cup member having an elongated tapered shape and length greater than its transverse dimensions. A magnet in the cup member provides for metal retention in the container. A nonmagnetic lid member has an opening and spring biased closure flap member. The flap member is constructed from stainless steel. A Velcro patch on the container permits selective attachment at desired locations.

Determination of total phenolic compound contents and antioxidant capacity of persimmon skin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Mohamadi

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Due to the adverse side effects of synthetic antioxidants, the search for natural and safe antioxidants has become crucial. In this study, the total phenolic compound contents and antioxidants activity of persimmon skin was investigated. The extraction was carried out by means of maceration method using ethanol and methanol solvents with ratio of 1 part persimmon skin to 5 parts of solvents. Afterwards, the total phenolic compounds and antioxidants activity was measured. According to the results, ethanolic and methanolic extracts contained 255.6 and 214.15 mg gallic acid per 100 g of persimmon skin, respectively. Moreover, ethanolic extracts showed a higher activity for scavenging free radicals compared to methanolic extracts.

Integrated severe accident containment analysis with the CONTAIN computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergeron, K.D.; Williams, D.C.; Rexroth, P.E.; Tills, J.L.

1985-12-01

Analysis of physical and radiological conditions iunside the containment building during a severe (core-melt) nuclear reactor accident requires quantitative evaluation of numerous highly disparate yet coupled phenomenologies. These include two-phase thermodynamics and thermal-hydraulics, aerosol physics, fission product phenomena, core-concrete interactions, the formation and combustion of flammable gases, and performance of engineered safety features. In the past, this complexity has meant that a complete containment analysis would require application of suites of separate computer codes each of which would treat only a narrower subset of these phenomena, e.g., a thermal-hydraulics code, an aerosol code, a core-concrete interaction code, etc. In this paper, we describe the development and some recent applications of the CONTAIN code, which offers an integrated treatment of the dominant containment phenomena and the interactions among them. We describe the results of a series of containment phenomenology studies, based upon realistic accident sequence analyses in actual plants. These calculations highlight various phenomenological effects that have potentially important implications for source term and/or containment loading issues, and which are difficult or impossible to treat using a less integrated code suite

Does human pancreas contain salivary-type isoamylase?

Science.gov (United States)

Shimamura, J; Fridhandler, L; Berk, J E

1975-01-01

Amylase isoenzyme analysis was made of extracts of normal human pancreatic tissue by first conducting ion exchange chromatography of the purified material. This gave evidence of only pancreatic type (P-type) isoamylase for all purposes. However, when effluent fractions in which salivary type isoamylase would ordinarily be expected to be present were harvested, pooled, concentrated, and rechromatographed, the pancreatic extracts were found to contain some salivary type (S-type) isoamylase. The latter accounted for approximately 0-8 to 1-7% of the total recovered amylase activity. This finding of S-type isoamylase in normal human pancreas potentially has important bearing on the interpretation of isamylase analysis. PMID:1218813

Retention versus sacrifice of the posterior cruciate ligament in total knee arthroplasty for treating osteoarthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verra, Wiebe C.; van den Boom, Lennard G. H.; Jacobs, Wilco; Clement, Darren J.; Wymenga, Ate A. B.; Nelissen, Rob G. H. H.

2013-01-01

Background The functional and clinical basis on which to choose whether or not to retain the posterior cruciate ligament during total knee arthroplasty surgery remained unclear after a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis in 2005, which contained eight clinical trials. Several new trials

Elevation change of the Greenland Ice Sheet due to surface mass balance and firn processes, 1960-2014

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuipers Munneke, P.; Ligtenberg, S. R M; Noël, B. P Y; Howat, I. M.; Box, J. E.; Mosley-Thompson, E.; McConnell, J. R.; Steffen, K.; Harper, J. T.; Das, S. B.; Van Den Broeke, M. R.

2015-01-01

Observed changes in the surface elevation of the Greenland Ice Sheet are caused by ice dynamics, basal elevation change, basal melt, surface mass balance (SMB) variability, and by compaction of the overlying firn. The last two contributions are quantified here using a firn model that includes

Pressure and irradiation effects on transport properties of samarium compounds with instable valence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morillo, J.

1981-01-01

Electron transport properties in samarium compounds with instable valence are studied in this thesis: from SmS in its integer valence phases at common pressure to SmB 6 compound IV at common pressure through SmSsub(1-x)Psub(x) (x 6 is presented [fr

Future climate warming increases Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance variability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fyke, J.G.; Vizcaino, M.; Lipscomb, W.; Price, S.

2014-01-01

The integrated surface mass balance (SMB) of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) has large interannual variability. Long-term future changes to this variability will affect GrIS dynamics, freshwater fluxes, regional oceanography, and detection of changes in ice volume trends. Here we analyze a simulated

Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance: evaluating simulations and making projections with regional climate models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rae, J.G.L.; Aðalgeirsdóttir, G.; Edwards, T.L.; Fettweis, X.; Gregory, J.M.; Hewitt, H.T.; Lowe, J.A.; Lucas-Picher, P.; Mottram, R.H.; Payne, A.J.; Ridley, J.K.; Shannon, S.R.; van de Berg, W.J.; van de Wal, R.S.W.; van den Broeke, M.R.

2012-01-01

Four high-resolution regional climate models (RCMs) have been set up for the area of Greenland, with the aim of providing future projections of Greenland ice sheet surface mass balance (SMB), and its contribution to sea level rise, with greater accuracy than is possible from coarser-resolution

Using the Fish Larvae and Egg Exposure System (FLEES) to Generate Effects Data for Informing Environmental Windows

Science.gov (United States)

2017-03-01

not stationary and continuously move as dredge materials are removed; and 3) the fanning behavior of fish, such as SMB, can disperse fine-grained...235–249. Gordon, A. K., and C. G. Palmer. 2015. Defining an exposure-response relationship for suspended kaolin clay particulates and aquatic

Influence of container size, location, and time of day on oviposition patterns of the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, L C; Ponlawat, A; Edman, J D; Scott, T W; Vermeylen, F

2008-06-01

We conducted a study to determine the effect of container size and location on oviposition site selection by Ae. aegypti in large outdoor field enclosures (10 x 10 x 4 m high). There was a strong positive relationship between increasing container diameter, container volume, and water surface area with egg numbers over both high (rainy, July) and low (cool-dry, January) dengue transmission seasons. Location of containers (indoors versus immediately outdoors and underneath houses) did not influence the number of eggs deposited for containers 5-32 cm in diameter in either season. No trends based on container color (black, brown, or grey) were observed. A slight trend with a greater numbers of eggs laid outdoors in the largest containers (42 cm diameter) during the dry season was observed. Three separate models were run using the mixed model procedure in SAS for each container attribute. Controlling for season, time, and date, the most important container attribute predicting total egg numbers was container volume (total capacity) explaining 88% of the variation, followed by water surface area (85%), and container diameter opening (83%). Oviposition peaked in the afternoon at 1600 hrs and 2000 hrs in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. Few eggs were laid overnight (2000 hrs-0600 hrs). Our results indicate that physical attributes of oviposition sites, such as size, light-dark contrasts, and specular reflectance from water surfaces, play a significant role in oviposition site selection.

Reactor container structure