Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Strain WG5

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Imamovic, Lejla; Misiakou, Maria-Anna; van der Helm, Eric

2018-01-01

Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain.......Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain....

Electricity labelling according to paragraph 42 EnWG. Amendments in EnWG 2011; Stromkennzeichnung nach paragraph 42 EnWG. Neuerungen im EnWG 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Germer, Christoph [Gersemann und Kollegen, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); Reh, Matthias [enwima AG, Berlin (Germany)

2012-07-01

Labelling of electric power is based on the assumption that the end user needs at least one criterion other than the price to distinguish between electric power offered by different providers. The regulations, especially those governing the labelling of electric power from renewable energy sources, have been modified significantly in EnWG 2011. (orig.)

Pulmonary CT findings of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). Follow-up images and pathology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uezono, Haruka; Noma, Satoshi; Sakamoto, Ryo

2009-01-01

We reviewed 16 cases of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) with regard to CT findings, PR3-ANCA, and clinical courses. Because of PR3-ANCA, atypical manifestations of WG could have been diagnosed, including tiny nodules without symptoms and self-remissions. Radiologists should be aware of these atypical manifestations of WG. Seeing multiple nodules in lung, WG should be included in the differential diagnosis and extrapulmonary manifestation of WG should be evaluated. (author)

Job Grading Standard for Machine Tool Operator, WG-3431.

Science.gov (United States)

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

The standard covers nonsupervisory work involved in the set up, adjustment, and operation of conventional machine tools to perform machining operations in the manufacture and repair of castings, forgings, or parts from raw stock made of various metals, metal alloys, and other materials. A general description of the job at both the WG-8 and WG-9…

EnWG 4.0. Promoting overdue adjustments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Busch, Robert; Koehler, Anne

2016-01-01

In addition to the the White Paper of the Federal Ministry of Economics and in the draft bill of an electricity market law proposed - Largely uncontroversial - ''Anyway measures'' there is further need for adjustment of the Energy Industry Act (En WG). This is largely known for years. So far done is little. It is about more transparency in the grid regulation, removing obstacles to competition in the electricity and gas market and the coupling of the sectors. The Federal Association of New Energy e. V. (bne) has compiled proposals on how the En WG can meet the requirements of the new energy word. [de

Human Factors Lessons Learned from Flight Testing Wingless Lifting Body Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Merlin, Peter William

2014-01-01

Since the 1960s, NASA, the Air Force, and now private industry have attempted to develop an operational human crewed reusable spacecraft with a wingless, lifting body configuration. This type of vehicle offers increased mission flexibility and greater reentry cross range than capsule type craft, and is particularly attractive due to the capability to land on a runway. That capability, however, adds complexity to the human factors engineering requirements of developing such aircraft.

Wnt Signaling Is Required for Long-Term Memory Formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Tan

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Wnt signaling regulates synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis in the adult nervous system, suggesting a potential role in behavioral processes. Here, we probed the requirement for Wnt signaling during olfactory memory formation in Drosophila using an inducible RNAi approach. Interfering with β-catenin expression in adult mushroom body neurons specifically impaired long-term memory (LTM without altering short-term memory. The impairment was reversible, being rescued by expression of a wild-type β-catenin transgene, and correlated with disruption of a cellular LTM trace. Inhibition of wingless, a Wnt ligand, and arrow, a Wnt coreceptor, also impaired LTM. Wingless expression in wild-type flies was transiently elevated in the brain after LTM conditioning. Thus, inhibiting three key components of the Wnt signaling pathway in adult mushroom bodies impairs LTM, indicating that this pathway mechanistically underlies this specific form of memory.

Study on an optimum ratio of PV output energy to WG output energy in PV/WG hybrid system; Taiyoko/furyoku hybrid hatsuden system no saiteki yoryohi ni kansuru kento

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishikawa, S [Kandenko Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-27

A photovoltaic power (PV) and wind generated power (WG) are an unlimited clean energy source, yet their output is unstable depending on the fluctuation of weather conditions such as solar radiation and wind velocity. Consequently, a large-scale power storage equipment is necessitated leading to a high cost especially in an independent system. As a solution, a method is available in which PV and WG are combined so that the effect may be utilized for stabilizing the output of a system as a whole, at a site where a fluctuation pattern is different between photovoltaic energy and wind energy. In building a hybrid system by PV and WG, sites with such supplementary effect existing were selected from the viewpoint of stabilizing the fluctuation of the power generation in the long run; and then, an examination was made on the optimum PV capacity ratio (%Ppo) in each site. As a result, it revealed that the %Ppo had great bearing on a ratio of PV energy fluctuation to WG, which was converted to a numerical formula. A comparatively simple examination by means of meteorological data also indicated that the share ratio was possibly optimized between the quantities of PV and WG energy. 4 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Reply to INFCE/DEP./WG.8/48

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-12-01

In replying to questions on WG8/UK/DOC 1, the design basis of the ''continuous refuelling'' is explained, and further comment is made on the disposal of waste silicon carbide and carbonaceous material, resulting from reprocessing operations

Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, R. Dale; Lister, Darlene (Editor); Huntley, J. D. (Editor)

1997-01-01

Wingless Flight tells the story of the most unusual flying machines ever flown, the lifting bodies. It is my story about my friends and colleagues who committed a significant part of their lives in the 1960s and 1970s to prove that the concept was a viable one for use in spacecraft of the future. This story, filled with drama and adventure, is about the twelve-year period from 1963 to 1975 in which eight different lifting-body configurations flew. It is appropriate for me to write the story, since I was the engineer who first presented the idea of flight-testing the concept to others at the NASA Flight Research Center. Over those twelve years, I experienced the story as it unfolded day by day at that remote NASA facility northeast of los Angeles in the bleak Mojave Desert. Benefits from this effort immediately influenced the design and operational concepts of the winged NASA Shuttle Orbiter. However, the full benefits would not be realized until the 1990s when new spacecraft such as the X-33 and X-38 would fully employ the lifting-body concept. A lifting body is basically a wingless vehicle that flies due to the lift generated by the shape of its fuselage. Although both a lifting reentry vehicle and a ballistic capsule had been considered as options during the early stages of NASA's space program, NASA initially opted to go with the capsule. A number of individuals were not content to close the book on the lifting-body concept. Researchers including Alfred Eggers at the NASA Ames Research Center conducted early wind-tunnel experiments, finding that half of a rounded nose-cone shape that was flat on top and rounded on the bottom could generate a lift-to-drag ratio of about 1.5 to 1. Eggers' preliminary design sketch later resembled the basic M2 lifting-body design. At the NASA Langley Research Center, other researchers toyed with their own lifting-body shapes. Meanwhile, some of us aircraft-oriented researchers at the, NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air

Current status of the EPOS WG4 - GNSS and Other Geodetic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, Rui; Bastos, Luisa; Bruyninx, Carine; D'Agostino, Nicola; Dousa, Jan; Ganas, Athanassios; Lidberg, Martin; Nocquet, Jean-Mathieu

2014-05-01

WG4 - "EPOS Geodetic Data and Other Geodetic Data" is the Working Group of the EPOS project in charge of defining and preparing the integration of the existing Pan-European Geodetic Infrastructures that will support European Geosciences, which is the ultimate goal of the EPOS project. The WG4 is formed by representatives of the participating EPOS countries (23) but it is also open to the entire geodetic community. In fact, WG4 also already includes members from countries that formally are not integrating EPOS in this first step. The geodetic component of EPOS (WG4) is dealing essentially with Research Infrastructures focused on continuous operating GNSS (cGNSS) in the current phase. The option of concentrating the efforts on the presently most generalized geodetic tool supporting research on Solid Earth was decided in order to optimize the existing resources. Nevertheless, WG4 will continue to pursue the development of tools and methodologies that permit the access of the EPOS community to other geodetic information (e.g., gravimetry). Furthermore, although the focus is on Solid Earth applications, other research and technical applications (e.g., reference frames, meteorology, space weather) can also benefit from the efforts of WG4 EPOS towards the optimization of the geodetic resources in Europe. We will present and discuss the plans for the implementation of the thematic and core services (TCS) for geodetic data within EPOS and the related business plan. We will focus on strategies towards the implementation of the best solutions that will permit to the end-users, and in particular geo-scientists, to access the geodetic data, derived solutions, and associated metadata using transparent and uniform processes. Five pillars have been defined proposed for the TCS: Dissemination, Preservation, Monitoring, and Analysis of geodetic data plus the Support and Governance Infrastructure. Current proposals and remaining open questions will be discussed.

TSC1 and TSC2 regulate cilia length and canonical Hedgehog signaling via different mechanisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosengren, Thomas; Larsen, Lasse Jonsgaard; Pedersen, Lotte Bang

2018-01-01

Primary cilia are sensory organelles that coordinate multiple cellular signaling pathways, including Hedgehog (HH), Wingless/Int (WNT) and Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling. Similarly, primary cilia have been implicated in regulation of mTOR signaling, in which Tuberous Sclerosis Com...

Sperm traits differ between winged and wingless males of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrempf, Alexandra; Moser, Astrid; Delabie, Jacques; Heinze, Jürgen

2016-11-01

Size and shape of sperm cells vary tremendously throughout the animal kingdom. The adaptive significance of this variation is not fully understood. In addition to sperm-female interactions and the environmental conditions, the risk of sperm competition might affect number, morphology and other "quality" traits of sperm. In the male-diphenic ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, winged sneaker males have limited sperm number, because their testes degenerate shortly after adult emergence, as is typical for males of social Hymenoptera. In contrast, wingless fighter males continuously replenish their sperm supply due to their exceptional lifelong spermatogenesis. While winged males usually have to compete with several other winged males for virgin queens, wingless males are able to monopolize queens by killing all other rivals. Hence, this presents a unique system to investigate how alternative reproductive tactics and associated physiology affect sperm morphology and viability. We found that sperm-limited males invest into sperm number instead of sperm size. Variance in sperm length is smaller in winged males, probably reflecting that they have to compete with several other males. Finally, sperm viability is equally high in both male phenotypes. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Minutes of the WG.2 meeting, 18 October 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-10-01

The meeting of WG.2B on 18 October 1978 and the meeting of WG.2 on 18-19 October 1978 are summarized. Both meetings gave attention to the projection of enrichment capacities through the year 2000 and to the content of the final report. An appendix presents French views on the proliferation risks of uranium enrichment. Obtaining highly enriched uranium involves the availability of natural uranium and the mastership of an appropriate enrichment technique. Natural uranium is relatively easily available, so proliferation resistance must be found in the enrichment technique. Some difficulties noted are: Bringing the technique to the level of possible utilization, manufacturing enrichment plant components, starting up, operating, concealing a clandestine plant, and converting an existing LEU plant into a HEU plant by re-arrangement or by batch recycling. A qualitative assessment of the major technologies in terms of these criteria is given

Evaluation of two new STR loci 9q2h2 and wg3f12 in a Japanese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Mizutani, M; Huang, X L; Tamaki, K; Yoshimoto, T; Uchihi, R; Yamamoto, T; Katsumata, Y; Armour, J A

1999-09-01

Two short tandem repeat (STR) loci (9q2h2 and wg3f12) have been evaluated in a Japanese population. Ten and seven different alleles were observed in 9q2h2 and wg3f12 respectively. 9q2h2 displayed simple polymorphism in tetrameric repeat structure; by contrast, wg3f12 contained variable numbers of tetrameric repeats and a 30-bp deletion/insertion polymorphism. No "interalleles" were found. The expected heterozygosities of 9q2h2 and wg3fl2 were 0.749 and 0.574, respectively. No deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was found.

The regulation and deregulation of Wnt signaling by PARK genes in health and disease

OpenAIRE

Berwick, Daniel C.; Harvey, Kirsten

2013-01-01

Wingless/Int (Wnt) signaling pathways are signal transduction mechanisms that have been widely studied in the field of embryogenesis. Recent work has established a critical role for these pathways in brain development, especially of midbrain dopaminergic neurones. However, the fundamental importance of Wnt signaling for the normal function of mature neurones in the adult central nervous system has also lately been demonstrated by an increasing number of studies. Parkinson's disease (PD) is th...

The regulation and deregulation of Wnt signalling by PARK genes in health and disease.

OpenAIRE

Berwick, D. C.; Harvey, K.

2014-01-01

Wingless/Int (Wnt) signalling pathways are signal transduction mechanisms that have been widely studied in the field of embryogenesis. Recent work has established a critical role for these pathways in brain development, especially of midbrain dopaminergic neurones. However, the fundamental importance of Wnt signalling for the normal function of mature neurones in the adult central nervous system has also lately been demonstrated by an increasing number of studies. Parkinson's disease (PD) is ...

Comments on INFCE/DEP./WG-4/100 by France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-10-01

This document is a comment by the French delegation upon INFCE/DEP./WG-4/100. It expresses the French view that consideration of sub-national threats should be treated quite separately from questions of proliferation and that the methodology must also consider the possible proliferation strategies of governments relative to international commitments and safeguards systems

In vitro T lymphocyte responses to proteinase 3 (PR3) and linear peptides of PR3 in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Geld, YM; Huitema, MG; Franssen, CFM; Limburg, PC; Kallenberg, CGM; van der Zee, R.

2000-01-01

T cell-mediated immunity is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of WG. In previous studies a minority of WG patients as well as some healthy controls showed in vitro proliferation of their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to PR3, the main autoantigen in WG. The relevant

United Kingdom comments on INFCE/DEP./WG-4/72

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-11-01

This document presents comments prepared by the UK delegation upon INFCE/DEP./WG-4/72. It details differences in approach to the ALARA concept between the US and the UK and comments on the figures presented for occupational and general public radiation exposure in the context of the THORP plant to be constructed at Windscale, UK

IEC-TC88WG8 testing of rotor blades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delft, D R.V. van [Delft Univ. of Technology, STEVIN Lab., Delft (Netherlands)

1996-09-01

In 1994 the TC88 of IEC installed a working group (WG8) to draft a guideline on blade testing. This paper gives a description of the task of the working group. Furthermore it gives a report of the progress of the work and summarizes the possible contents of the working group document on blade testing. (au)

IEA SHC Task 42/ECES Annex 29 WG A1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ristić, Alenka; Furbo, Simon; Moser, Christoph

2016-01-01

An overview on the recent results on the engineering and characterization of sorption materials, PCMs and TCMs investigated in the working group WG A1 “Engineering and processing of TES materials” of IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29 (Task 4229) entitled “Compact Thermal Energy Storage” is presented....

Application of SDSM and LARS-WG for simulating and downscaling of rainfall and temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Zulkarnain; Shamsudin, Supiah; Harun, Sobri

2014-04-01

Climate change is believed to have significant impacts on the water basin and region, such as in a runoff and hydrological system. However, impact studies on the water basin and region are difficult, since general circulation models (GCMs), which are widely used to simulate future climate scenarios, do not provide reliable hours of daily series rainfall and temperature for hydrological modeling. There is a technique named as "downscaling techniques", which can derive reliable hour of daily series rainfall and temperature due to climate scenarios from the GCMs output. In this study, statistical downscaling models are used to generate the possible future values of local meteorological variables such as rainfall and temperature in the selected stations in Peninsular of Malaysia. The models are: (1) statistical downscaling model (SDSM) that utilized the regression models and stochastic weather generators and (2) Long Ashton research station weather generator (LARS-WG) that only utilized the stochastic weather generators. The LARS-WG and SDSM models obviously are feasible methods to be used as tools in quantifying effects of climate change condition in a local scale. SDSM yields a better performance compared to LARS-WG, except SDSM is slightly underestimated for the wet and dry spell lengths. Although both models do not provide identical results, the time series generated by both methods indicate a general increasing trend in the mean daily temperature values. Meanwhile, the trend of the daily rainfall is not similar to each other, with SDSM giving a relatively higher change of annual rainfall compared to LARS-WG.

HERCA WG Medical Applications / Sub WG 'Exposure of Asymptomatic Individuals in Health Care' - 'Position Paper on Screening'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griebel, Juergen; Ebdon-Jackson, Steve

2012-05-01

Over the course of several meetings the HERCA-Working Group (WG) 'Medical Applications' has discussed the exposure of asymptomatic individuals in health care. In particular, the discussions focused on the issue of the early detection of severe diseases, by use of X-rays, for those who do not present with symptoms. An important and established example is the use of X-ray mammography to detect early breast cancer and this has traditionally been referred to as screening. An emerging application is the use of computed tomography in a range of circumstances, some of which may be better described as a separate category of medical exposure as they are neither diagnostic nor screening in the accepted sense. The discussions have indicated that it is pivotal to clearly define the relevant terms generally applied and to clearly differentiate these terms from diagnostic examinations used in health care. In this context, it is important to note, that the revision of the Euratom Basic Safety Standards (Euratom BSS) Directive is under way and addresses in particular medical radiological procedures on asymptomatic individuals, intended to be performed for early detection of disease (Draft Proposal 29 September 2011 Article 54). Hereby, two types of examinations of asymptomatic individuals, (that in some cases have both been referred to as screening) are addressed: (1) exposures as part of screening programmes and (2) exposures associated with individual health assessment. On adoption, this directive will have significant implications for and a substantial impact on the work of the radiation protection authorities in Europe. In this position paper the WG 'Medical Applications' proposes a clear distinction between screening and radiological procedures as part of an individual health assessment and highlights special requirements for the latter. Finally, the impact on the work of radiation protection authorities in Europe is addressed

Wind turbine certification - the committee draft by IEC-TC88-WG9

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hauge Madsen, P [Risoe National Lab., Wind Energy and Atmospheric Physics Dept., Roskilde (Denmark)

1999-03-01

In 1995 the Technical Committee TC88 of the International Electrotechnical Commission decided to start a new work item, namely to prepare a standard for the certification procedures for wind turbines with respect to safety, performance, interaction with the public grid, environmental requirements and the documentation requested by the certification bodies. The purpose was to provide a common basis for certification of wind turbines, including a basis for accreditation of certification bodies and mutual recognition of certificates. A working group (WG9) was created to prepare a committee draft. WG9 submitted the result late in 1998 to TC88. This paper presents the committee draft Standard, which defines a certification system for Wind Turbine Generator Systems. Key issues in the evaluation of conformity with these standards and identified needs for other technical criteria and procedures are presented. (au) 10 refs.

Progress in digital color workflow understanding in the International Color Consortium (ICC) Workflow WG

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Ann

2006-01-01

The ICC Workflow WG serves as the bridge between ICC color management technologies and use of those technologies in real world color production applications. ICC color management is applicable to and is used in a wide range of color systems, from highly specialized digital cinema color special effects to high volume publications printing to home photography. The ICC Workflow WG works to align ICC technologies so that the color management needs of these diverse use case systems are addressed in an open, platform independent manner. This report provides a high level summary of the ICC Workflow WG objectives and work to date, focusing on the ways in which workflow can impact image quality and color systems performance. The 'ICC Workflow Primitives' and 'ICC Workflow Patterns and Dimensions' workflow models are covered in some detail. Consider the questions, "How much of dissatisfaction with color management today is the result of 'the wrong color transformation at the wrong time' and 'I can't get to the right conversion at the right point in my work process'?" Put another way, consider how image quality through a workflow can be negatively affected when the coordination and control level of the color management system is not sufficient.

The expression of the T-box selector gene midline in the leg imaginal disc is controlled by both transcriptional regulation and cell lineage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pia C. Svendsen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Drosophila Tbx20 homologs midline and H15 act as selector genes for ventral fate in Drosophila legs. midline and H15 expression defines the ventral domain of the leg and the two genes are necessary and sufficient for the development of ventral fate. Ventral-specific expression of midline and H15 is activated by Wingless (Wg and repressed by Decapentaplegic (Dpp. Here we identify VLE, a 5 kb enhancer that drives ventral specific expression in the leg disc that is very similar to midline expression. Subdivision of VLE identifies two regions that mediate both activation and repression and third region that only mediates repression. Loss- and gain-of-function genetic mosaic analysis shows that the activating and repressing regions respond to Wg and Dpp signaling respectively. All three repression regions depend on the activity of Mothers-against-decapentaplegic, a Drosophila r-Smad that mediates Dpp signaling, and respond to ectopic expression of the Dpp target genes optomoter-blind and Dorsocross 3. However, only one repression region is responsive to loss of schnurri, a co-repressor required for direct repression by Dpp-signaling. Thus, Dpp signaling restricts midline expression through both direct repression and through the activation of downstream repressors. We also find that midline and H15 expression are both subject to cross-repression and feedback inhibition. Finally, a lineage analysis indicates that ventral midline-expressing cells and dorsal omb-expressing cells do not mix during development. Together this data indicates that the ventral-specific expression of midline results from both transcriptional regulation and from a lack of cell-mixing between dorsal and ventral cells.

Balligratus, new genus of wingless ground beetles from equatorial Andean montane forest (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lachnophorini).

Science.gov (United States)

Moret, Pierre; Ortuño, Vicente M

2017-04-27

A new carabid beetle genus, Balligratus gen. nov., belonging to the tribe Lachnophorini, is described. It is geographically restricted to the equatorial Andes, and ecologically linked to the montane pluvial forest ecosystem, at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,600 m. As other carabid lineages that have radiated in such environments, Balligratus gen. nov. is a wingless clade, characterized by the loss of flight wings associated with metathoracic reduction, constriction of the elytral base, and reduced eye size. This evolution is unique among Lachnophorini. Four new species are described, all of them from Ecuador: Balligratus brevis sp. nov., Balligratus globosus sp. nov., Balligratus gracilis sp. nov. and Balligratus humerangulus sp. nov.

Summary records of meetings of INFCE/WG.1 - First to seventh meetings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seven meetings of INFCE/WG.1 were held in the period of 26 January 1978 to 14 September 1979. The activities of Working Group 1 during this period are presented in 7 Summary Records. The main activity areas are: revision of uranium, heavy water and thorium availability; consideration of special needs of developing countries

Drosophila Wnt and STAT Define Apoptosis-Resistant Epithelial Cells for Tissue Regeneration after Irradiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shilpi Verghese

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Drosophila melanogaster larvae irradiated with doses of ionizing radiation (IR that kill about half of the cells in larval imaginal discs still develop into viable adults. How surviving cells compensate for IR-induced cell death to produce organs of normal size and appearance remains an active area of investigation. We have identified a subpopulation of cells within the continuous epithelium of Drosophila larval wing discs that shows intrinsic resistance to IR- and drug-induced apoptosis. These cells reside in domains of high Wingless (Wg, Drosophila Wnt-1 and STAT92E (sole Drosophila signal transducer and activator of transcription [STAT] homolog activity and would normally form the hinge in the adult fly. Resistance to IR-induced apoptosis requires STAT and Wg and is mediated by transcriptional repression of the pro-apoptotic gene reaper. Lineage tracing experiments show that, following irradiation, apoptosis-resistant cells lose their identity and translocate to areas of the wing disc that suffered abundant cell death. Our findings provide a new paradigm for regeneration in which it is unnecessary to invoke special damage-resistant cell types such as stem cells. Instead, differences in gene expression within a population of genetically identical epithelial cells can create a subpopulation with greater resistance, which, following damage, survive, alter their fate, and help regenerate the tissue.

Evaluation of the Performance of ClimGen and LARS-WG models in generating rainfall and temperature time series in rainfed research station of Sisab, Northern Khorasan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

najmeh khalili

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction:Many existing results on water and agriculture researches require long-term statistical climate data, while practically; the available collected data in synoptic stations are quite short. Therefore, the required daily climate data should be generated based on the limited available data. For this purpose, weather generators can be used to enlarge the data length. Among the common weather generators, two models are more common: LARS-WG and ClimGen. Different studies have shown that these two models have different results in different regions and climates. Therefore, the output results of these two methods should be validated based on the climate and weather conditions of the study region. Materials and Methods:The Sisab station is 35 KM away from Bojnord city in Northern Khorasan. This station was established in 1366 and afterwards, the meteorological data including precipitation data are regularly collected. Geographical coordination of this station is 37º 25׳ N and 57º 38׳ E, and the elevation is 1359 meter. The climate in this region is dry and cold under Emberge and semi-dry under Demarton Methods. In this research, LARG-WG model, version 5.5, and ClimGen model, version 4.4, were used to generate 500 data sample for precipitation and temperature time series. The performance of these two models, were evaluated using RMSE, MAE, and CD over the 30 years collected data and their corresponding generated data. Also, to compare the statistical similarity of the generated data with the collected data, t-student, F, and X2 tests were used. With these tests, the similarity of 16 statistical characteristics of the generated data and the collected data has been investigated in the level of confidence 95%. Results and Discussion:This study showed that LARS-WG model can better generate precipitation data in terms of statistical error criteria. RMSE and MAE for the generated data by LAR-WG were less than ClimGen model while the CD value of

Taxonomy of the poorly known Quedius mutilatus group of wingless montane species from Middle Asia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Salnitska

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The Quedius mutilatus group, a very poorly known presumably monophyletic complex of wingless, possibly hypogean species confined to the Tien-Shan Mountains, is characterized as such for the first time. Newly available material clarified the identity of Q. mutilatus Eppelsheim, 1888 and Q. kalabi Smetana, 1995, each hitherto known from a handful of non-conspecific and vaguely georeferenced specimens only. Additional material is reported for Q. equus Smetana, 2014 and one species, Quedius kungeicus sp. nov., is described. All available data on the taxonomy, distribution and bionomics for all these four species of the group are summarized.

Legal requirements on the arrangement of the selection procedure for the authorisation of power concession and natural gas concession according to paragraph 46 EnWG; Rechtliche Anforderungen an die Ausgestaltung der Auswahlverfahren zur Vergabe von Strom- und Gaskonzessionen nach paragraph 46 EnWG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Henning; Embacher, Patrick [Roedl und Partner GbR, Koeln (Germany); Wolf, Thomas [Roedl und Partner GbR, Nuernberg (Germany)

2012-08-15

By the Act on Redefining the energy industry regulations, on 26th July, 2011 the Federal Legislature has made extensive changes and amendments to the Energy Economy Law (EnWG). The aim of the paragraph 1 section 1 EnWG is the requirement that the power supply must be safe, affordable, user-friendly, efficient and environmentally safe for the general public. From paragraph 2 arise the objectives of ensuring effective and undistorted competition in the energy supply and the long-term performance and reliable operation of power distribution systems. The economic interests of local communities are not explicitly mentioned.

TRENT2D WG: a smart web infrastructure for debris-flow modelling and hazard assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Zorzi, Nadia; Rosatti, Giorgio; Zugliani, Daniel; Rizzi, Alessandro; Piffer, Stefano

2016-04-01

Mountain regions are naturally exposed to geomorphic flows, which involve large amounts of sediments and induce significant morphological modifications. The physical complexity of this class of phenomena represents a challenging issue for modelling, leading to elaborate theoretical frameworks and sophisticated numerical techniques. In general, geomorphic-flows models proved to be valid tools in hazard assessment and management. However, model complexity seems to represent one of the main obstacles to the diffusion of advanced modelling tools between practitioners and stakeholders, although the UE Flood Directive (2007/60/EC) requires risk management and assessment to be based on "best practices and best available technologies". Furthermore, several cutting-edge models are not particularly user-friendly and multiple stand-alone software are needed to pre- and post-process modelling data. For all these reasons, users often resort to quicker and rougher approaches, leading possibly to unreliable results. Therefore, some effort seems to be necessary to overcome these drawbacks, with the purpose of supporting and encouraging a widespread diffusion of the most reliable, although sophisticated, modelling tools. With this aim, this work presents TRENT2D WG, a new smart modelling solution for the state-of-the-art model TRENT2D (Armanini et al., 2009, Rosatti and Begnudelli, 2013), which simulates debris flows and hyperconcentrated flows adopting a two-phase description over a mobile bed. TRENT2D WG is a web infrastructure joining advantages offered by the software-delivering model SaaS (Software as a Service) and by WebGIS technology and hosting a complete and user-friendly working environment for modelling. In order to develop TRENT2D WG, the model TRENT2D was converted into a service and exposed on a cloud server, transferring computational burdens from the user hardware to a high-performing server and reducing computational time. Then, the system was equipped with an

Report of the Joint IPCC WG 2 and 3 expert meeting on the integration of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development into the 4. IPCC assessment report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

The objectives for this meeting at Reunion Island were: - To feed new views from outside the climate change literature into the assessment of Working Group II (WG II) and WG III concerning the strongly interrelated area of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development. - to dove-tail zero-order draft texts of WG II and WG III (by the authors) with a view to ensuring that the treatment of Adaptation and Mitigation (AM) and Sustainable Development (SD) issues in both assessments is: 'Consistent, Complementary, Concise and Complete' ('4 Cs'). Furthermore, it was decided that the deliverable should be: - Recommendations for the writing team of WG II fourth Assessment Report (AR4) for incorporation of AM and SD issues in their First Order Draft (following their 2. Lead Author meeting in Cairns, 14-17 March 2005); - Recommendations for the writing team of WG III for incorporation in their Zero-order Draft (ZOD, to be completed 11 March 2005) The programme of the meeting was developed by the TSUs of WG II and III under the responsibility of the co-chairs of WG II and III. Day 1 the programme was devoted to a series of key note speakers, covering both potential user views as well as relevant new perspectives on the handling of AM and SD issues. These areas have not been fully addressed in the IPCC assessment work to date. The invited experts elaborated on 'new science areas' or 'new literatures' that inform parts of the AR4. The morning programme of Day 1 also contained an opening session featuring several ministers of Environment of neighbouring Small Island States, a representative of the European Parliament, and government officials from both the French Republic and Reunion Island. Day 2 and 3 were used for working sessions between authors on the integration of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development into the contributions of Working Groups II and III of the AR4. The full programme is attached to the document. The

Report of the Joint IPCC WG 2 and 3 expert meeting on the integration of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development into the 4. IPCC assessment report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The objectives for this meeting at Reunion Island were: - To feed new views from outside the climate change literature into the assessment of Working Group II (WG II) and WG III concerning the strongly interrelated area of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development. - to dove-tail zero-order draft texts of WG II and WG III (by the authors) with a view to ensuring that the treatment of Adaptation and Mitigation (AM) and Sustainable Development (SD) issues in both assessments is: 'Consistent, Complementary, Concise and Complete' ('4 Cs'). Furthermore, it was decided that the deliverable should be: - Recommendations for the writing team of WG II fourth Assessment Report (AR4) for incorporation of AM and SD issues in their First Order Draft (following their 2. Lead Author meeting in Cairns, 14-17 March 2005); - Recommendations for the writing team of WG III for incorporation in their Zero-order Draft (ZOD, to be completed 11 March 2005) The programme of the meeting was developed by the TSUs of WG II and III under the responsibility of the co-chairs of WG II and III. Day 1 the programme was devoted to a series of key note speakers, covering both potential user views as well as relevant new perspectives on the handling of AM and SD issues. These areas have not been fully addressed in the IPCC assessment work to date. The invited experts elaborated on 'new science areas' or 'new literatures' that inform parts of the AR4. The morning programme of Day 1 also contained an opening session featuring several ministers of Environment of neighbouring Small Island States, a representative of the European Parliament, and government officials from both the French Republic and Reunion Island. Day 2 and 3 were used for working sessions between authors on the integration of adaptation, mitigation and sustainable development into the contributions of Working Groups II and III of the AR4. The full programme is attached to the document. The meeting brought together more than forty

‘WNT-er is coming’: WNT signalling in chronic lung diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Baarsma, H A

2017-01-01

Chronic lung diseases represent a major public health problem with only limited therapeutic options. An important unmet need is to identify compounds and drugs that target key molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases. Over the last decade, there has been extensive interest in investigating Wingless/integrase-1 (WNT) signalling pathways; and WNT signal alterations have been linked to pulmonary disease pathogenesis and progression. Here, we comprehensively review the cumulative evidence for WNT pathway alterations in chronic lung pathologies, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, asthma and COPD. While many studies have focused on the canonical WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway, recent reports highlight that non-canonical WNT signalling may also significantly contribute to chronic lung pathologies; these studies will be particularly featured in this review. We further discuss recent advances uncovering the role of WNT signalling early in life, the potential of pharmaceutically modulating WNT signalling pathways and highlight (pre)clinical studies describing promising new therapies for chronic lung diseases. PMID:28416592

78 FR 76888 - Twentieth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 214/EUROCAE WG-78: Standards for Air Traffic Data...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-19

...The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of nineteenth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 214 to be held jointly with EUROCAE WG-78: Standards for Air Traffic Data Communication Services.

78 FR 47480 - Nineteenth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 214/EUROCAE WG-78: Standards for Air Traffic Data...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-05

...The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of nineteenth meeting of RTCA Special Committee 214 to be held jointly with EUROCAE WG-78: Standards for Air Traffic Data Communication Services.

Org-1 is required for the diversification of circular visceral muscle founder cells and normal midgut morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaub, Christoph; Frasch, Manfred

2013-04-15

The T-Box family of transcription factors plays fundamental roles in the generation of appropriate spatial and temporal gene expression profiles during cellular differentiation and organogenesis in animals. In this study we report that the Drosophila Tbx1 orthologue optomotor-blind-related-gene-1 (org-1) exerts a pivotal function in the diversification of circular visceral muscle founder cell identities in Drosophila. In embryos mutant for org-1, the specification of the midgut musculature per se is not affected, but the differentiating midgut fails to form the anterior and central midgut constrictions and lacks the gastric caeca. We demonstrate that this phenotype results from the nearly complete loss of the founder cell specific expression domains of several genes known to regulate midgut morphogenesis, including odd-paired (opa), teashirt (tsh), Ultrabithorax (Ubx), decapentaplegic (dpp) and wingless (wg). To address the mechanisms that mediate the regulatory inputs from org-1 towards Ubx, dpp, and wg in these founder cells we genetically dissected known visceral mesoderm specific cis-regulatory-modules (CRMs) of these genes. The analyses revealed that the activities of the dpp and wg CRMs depend on org-1, the CRMs are bound by Org-1 in vivo and their T-Box binding sites are essential for their activation in the visceral muscle founder cells. We conclude that Org-1 acts within a well-defined signaling and transcriptional network of the trunk visceral mesoderm as a crucial founder cell-specific competence factor, in concert with the general visceral mesodermal factor Biniou. As such, it directly regulates several key genes involved in the establishment of morphogenetic centers along the anteroposterior axis of the visceral mesoderm, which subsequently organize the formation of midgut constrictions and gastric caeca and thereby determine the morphology of the midgut. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The competitive concession assignment according to paragraph 46 EnWG. Procedure without rules and arbitrators; Die wettbewerbliche Vergabe von Konzessionen nach paragraph 46 EnWG. Verfahren ohne Regeln und Schiedsrichter?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schau, Goetz-Friedrich [Niedersaechsisches Ministerium fuer Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Verkehr, Hannover (Germany). Landeskartellbehoerde

2011-01-15

Presently, the concession assignment regarding to paragraph 46 EnWG (Energy Economy Law) has a great practical significance. For the first time, the concession assignment proceeds in the background of the liberalized and regulated electricity and natural gas markets. The half-hearted legal obligation to the competition of concession as well as the so far dormant supervisory authorities result in a substantial juridical insecurity in the process at the expense of the competitor.

The Optimal Culture Conditions of Bacterium Vibrio harveyi WG1702 from Clam Meretrix meretrix%哈氏弧菌文蛤分离株WG1702培养条件优化研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

刘连生; 闫茂仓; 赵海泉; 陈倩影; 马爱敏; 林志华

2010-01-01

于2007年9月在江苏吕泗文蛤发病高峰期,从发病文蛤体内和养殖水体中分离到1株哈氏弧菌 WG1702,培养条件优化试验结果表明,菌株WG1702在32 h时达到生长高峰,最适温度为28 ℃,最佳初始pH为7,最佳盐度为40,最佳装液量为60 ml/150 ml,促进生长的金属离子是NH_4~+、Fe~(2+) 、Fe~(3+) ,最佳C、N源为葡萄糖和蛋白胨;pH、温度、不同菌龄正交试验证明最佳组合为pH 7.11,温度28 ℃,菌龄24 h,通过方差分析结果可以看出三因素中pH对生长影响显著( P ＜0.05).

Expression of Genes Involved in Drosophila Wing Morphogenesis and Vein Patterning Are Altered by Spaceflight

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia A.; Hosamani, Ravikumar; Bhattacharya, Sharmila

2015-01-01

Imaginal wing discs of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) defined during embryogenesis ultimately result in mature wings of stereotyped (specific) venation patterning. Major regulators of wing disc development are the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF), Notch, Hedgehog (Hh), Wingless (Wg), and Dpp signaling pathways. Highly stereotyped vascular patterning is also characteristic of tissues in other organisms flown in space such as the mouse retina and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic and other adaptations of vascular patterning to space environmental factors have not yet been systematically quantified, despite widespread recognition of their critical importance for terrestrial and microgravity applications. Here we report changes in gene expression with space flight related to Drosophila wing morphogenesis and vein patterning. In addition, genetically modified phenotypes of increasingly abnormal ectopic wing venation in the Drosophila wing1 were analyzed by NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software2. Our goal is to further develop insightful vascular mappings associated with bioinformatic dimensions of genetic or other molecular phenotypes for correlation with genetic and other molecular profiling relevant to NASA's GeneLab and other Space Biology exploration initiatives.

The Crossroads of Synaptic Growth Signaling, Membrane Traffic and Neurological Disease: Insights from Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Deshpande, Mugdha; Rodal, Avital A

2016-02-01

Neurons require target-derived autocrine and paracrine growth factors to maintain proper identity, innervation, homeostasis and survival. Neuronal growth factor signaling is highly dependent on membrane traffic, both for the packaging and release of the growth factors themselves, and for regulation of intracellular signaling by their transmembrane receptors. Here, we review recent findings from the Drosophila larval neuromuscular junction (NMJ) that illustrate how specific steps of intracellular traffic and inter-organelle interactions impinge on signaling, particularly in the bone morphogenic protein, Wingless and c-Jun-activated kinase pathways, regulating elaboration and stability of NMJ arbors, construction of synapses and synaptic transmission and homeostasis. These membrane trafficking and signaling pathways have been implicated in human motor neuron diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia, highlighting their importance for neuronal health and survival. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Transmission contracts and procurement law. Applicability of the instructions of the procurement law to the selection procedure in the connection with the conclusion of transmission contracts according to paragraph 46 EnWG?; Konzessionsvertraege und Vergaberecht. Anwendbarkeit der Vorschriften ueber das Vergaberecht auf das Auswahlverfahren beim Abschluss von Wegenutzungsvertraegen nach paragraph 46 EnWG?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niehof, Roland

2011-01-15

The conclusion of transmission contracts between the municipalities and the operators of supply lines (electricity, natural gas) is regulated by law. paragraph 46 of the Energy Economy Law (EnWG) describes the requirements concerning the selection a power supply company and concerning the procedure to be followed. The contribution under consideration examines whether the regulations of the procurement right can be applied directly or similarly beside paragraph 46 EnWG to the conclusion of transmission contracts. The author of the contribution under consideration deals with the newer jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Key points of the new KrWG (German Waste Management and Recycling Act); Eckpunkte des neuen Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetzes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petersen, Frank [Bundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)

2012-11-01

With the new KrWG, the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EG, AbfRRL) is implemented in German law, and the existing German waste management law is modified quite extensively. The new law focuses on sustainable improvement of environmental protection, climate protection and resources efficiency in waste management by stressing prevention of wasting and recycling of waste materials. At the same time, practicable application with legal compliance is to be facilitated by implementing concepts and definitions from EU law and by defining central regulations more precisely. This will also help to do away with excessive bureaucracy and to make regulations easier to implement. (orig.) [German] Mit dem neuen Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz (KrWG) wird die EU-Abfallrahmenrichtlinie (Richtlinie 2008/98/EG, AbfRRL) in deutsches Recht umgesetzt und das bestehende deutsche Abfallrecht umfassend modernisiert. Ziel des neuen Gesetzes ist eine nachhaltige Verbesserung des Umwelt- und Klimaschutzes sowie der Ressourceneffizienz in der Abfallwirschaft durch Staerkung der Abfallvermeidung und des Recyclings von Abfaellen. Gleichzeitig soll durch die Uebernahme EU-rechtlicher Begriffe und Definitionen sowie die Praezisierung zentraler Regelungen die praktikable und rechtssichere Anwendung des Gesetzes erleichtert werden. Zudem werden unnoetige Buerokratielasten abgebaut und verschiedene Regelungen vollzugstauglicher ausgestaltet. (orig.)

TRAIL, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, TGFβ, and miRNA Signalings Are Potential Targets for Oral Cancer Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Shu, Chih-Wen; Huang, Hurng-Wern; Wang, Hui-Ru; Chang, Yung-Ting; Fayyaz, Sundas; Yuan, Shyng-Shiou F; Tang, Jen-Yang; Chang, Hsueh-Wei

2017-07-14

Clinical studies and cancer cell models emphasize the importance of targeting therapies for oral cancer. The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is highly expressed in cancer, and is a selective killing ligand for oral cancer. Signaling proteins in the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Accordingly, the genes encoding these signaling proteins are potential targets for oral cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in targeting therapies for oral cancer and discuss the gene targets within TRAIL, Wnt, SHH, and TGFβ signaling for oral cancer therapies. Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) and tumor suppressor miRNAs targeting the genes encoding these signaling proteins are summarized, and the interactions between Wnt, SHH, TGFβ, and miRNAs are interpreted. With suitable combination treatments, synergistic effects are expected to improve targeting therapies for oral cancer.

TRAIL, Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, TGFβ, and miRNA Signalings Are Potential Targets for Oral Cancer Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Farooqi, Ammad Ahmad; Shu, Chih-Wen; Huang, Hurng-Wern; Wang, Hui-Ru; Chang, Yung-Ting; Fayyaz, Sundas; Yuan, Shyng-Shiou F.; Tang, Jen-Yang

2017-01-01

Clinical studies and cancer cell models emphasize the importance of targeting therapies for oral cancer. The tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is highly expressed in cancer, and is a selective killing ligand for oral cancer. Signaling proteins in the wingless-type mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) integration site family (Wnt), Sonic hedgehog (SHH), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways may regulate cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. Accordingly, the genes encoding these signaling proteins are potential targets for oral cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on recent advances in targeting therapies for oral cancer and discuss the gene targets within TRAIL, Wnt, SHH, and TGFβ signaling for oral cancer therapies. Oncogenic microRNAs (miRNAs) and tumor suppressor miRNAs targeting the genes encoding these signaling proteins are summarized, and the interactions between Wnt, SHH, TGFβ, and miRNAs are interpreted. With suitable combination treatments, synergistic effects are expected to improve targeting therapies for oral cancer. PMID:28708091

Single locus affects embryonic segment polarity and multiple aspects of an adult evolutionary novelty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saenko Suzanne V

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The characterization of the molecular changes that underlie the origin and diversification of morphological novelties is a key challenge in evolutionary developmental biology. The evolution of such traits is thought to rely largely on co-option of a toolkit of conserved developmental genes that typically perform multiple functions. Mutations that affect both a universal developmental process and the formation of a novelty might shed light onto the genetics of traits not represented in model systems. Here we describe three pleiotropic mutations with large effects on a novel trait, butterfly eyespots, and on a conserved stage of embryogenesis, segment polarity. Results We show that three mutations affecting eyespot size and/or colour composition in Bicyclus anynana butterflies occurred in the same locus, and that two of them are embryonic recessive lethal. Using surgical manipulations and analysis of gene expression patterns in developing wings, we demonstrate that the effects on eyespot morphology are due to changes in the epidermal response component of eyespot induction. Our analysis of morphology and of gene expression in mutant embryos shows that they have a typical segment polarity phenotype, consistent with the mutant locus encoding a negative regulator of Wingless signalling. Conclusions This study characterizes the segregation and developmental effects of alleles at a single locus that controls the morphology of a lineage-specific trait (butterfly eyespots and a conserved process (embryonic segment polarity and, specifically, the regulation of Wingless signalling. Because no gene with such function was found in the orthologous, highly syntenic genomic regions of two other lepidopterans, we hypothesize that our locus is a yet undescribed, possibly lineage-specific, negative regulator of the conserved Wnt/Wg pathway. Moreover, the fact that this locus interferes with multiple aspects of eyespot morphology and maps to a

Probabilistic Robustness Analysis of Timber Structures—Results from EU COST Action E55:WG3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard

2011-01-01

The present paper outlines results from Working Group 3 (WG3) in the EU COST Action E55—‘Modelling of the performance of timber structures’. The objectives of the project are related to the three main research activities: the identification and modelling of relevant load and environmental exposure...... scenarios, the improvement of knowledge concerning the behaviour of timber structural elements and the development of a generic framework for the assessment of the life-cycle vulnerability and robustness of timber structures....

DEGRADATION AND DEBITTERING OF A TRYPTIC DIGEST FROM BETA-CASEIN BY AMINOPEPTIDASE-N FROM LACTOCOCCUS-LACTIS SUBSP CREMORIS WG2

NARCIS (Netherlands)

TAN, PST; VANKESSEL, TAJM; VANDEVEERDONK, FLM; ZUURENDONK, PF; BRUINS, AP; KONINGS, WN

The mode of action of purified aminopeptidase N from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris Wg2 on a complex peptide mixture of a tryptic digest from bovine beta-casein was analyzed. The oligopeptides produced in the tryptic digest before and after aminopeptidase N treatment were identified by analysis

Mapping out Patience: Cartography, Cinema and W.G. Sebald

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taien Ng-Chan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Cinematic cartography can be an especially powerful tool for deep mapping, as it can convey the narratives, emotions, memories and histories, as well as the locations and geography that are associated with a place. This is evident in the documentary film Patience (After Sebald by Grant Gee, which follows in the footsteps of W.G. Sebald and his walking tour of Suffolk, England, as described in his book The Rings of Saturn. A variety of strategies in cinematic cartography are used quite consciously in Gee’s exploration of space, place and story. Using Teresa Castro’s three cartographic shapes of cinema, I structure an analysis of the film’s opening scene through a discussion of cinematic cartography, or the plotting of geospatial data onto a map, as well as what I will differentiate as cartographic cinema, or the mapping of space through the cinematographic image. I argue that both are necessary not only to have a deep understanding of the world and our place in it, but also in how to transmit that knowledge to others.

75 FR 71183 - 23rd Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 206: EUROCAE WG 76 Plenary: AIS and MET Data Link Services

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-22

... the RTCA Program Management Committee. A brief description of the document deliverables called out in... Recommendations deliverable is a holistic, data-link-agnostic technical analysis of delivery methods to and from... Management, and Weather Applications, WG1 Chairmen Working Group 2, AIS Uplink and MET Uplink, Downlink, and...

Pentagone internalises glypicans to fine-tune multiple signalling pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Mark; Vuilleumier, Robin; Springhorn, Alexander; Gawlik, Jennifer; Pyrowolakis, George

2016-01-01

Tight regulation of signalling activity is crucial for proper tissue patterning and growth. Here we investigate the function of Pentagone (Pent), a secreted protein that acts in a regulatory feedback during establishment and maintenance of BMP/Dpp morphogen signalling during Drosophila wing development. We show that Pent internalises the Dpp co-receptors, the glypicans Dally and Dally-like protein (Dlp), and propose that this internalisation is important in the establishment of a long range Dpp gradient. Pent-induced endocytosis and degradation of glypicans requires dynamin- and Rab5, but not clathrin or active BMP signalling. Thus, Pent modifies the ability of cells to trap and transduce BMP by fine-tuning the levels of the BMP reception system at the plasma membrane. In addition, and in accordance with the role of glypicans in multiple signalling pathways, we establish a requirement of Pent for Wg signalling. Our data propose a novel mechanism by which morphogen signalling is regulated. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13301.001 PMID:27269283

A test of the thermal melanism hypothesis in the wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Rebecca M; McQuillan, Peter; Hughes, Lesley

2013-01-01

Altitudinal clines in melanism are generally assumed to reflect the fitness benefits resulting from thermal differences between colour morphs, yet differences in thermal quality are not always discernible. The intra-specific application of the thermal melanism hypothesis was tested in the wingless grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum (Sjöstedt) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) first by measuring the thermal properties of the different colour morphs in the laboratory, and second by testing for differences in average reflectance and spectral characteristics of populations along 14 altitudinal gradients. Correlations between reflectance, body size, and climatic variables were also tested to investigate the underlying causes of clines in melanism. Melanism in P. vittatum represents a gradation in colour rather than distinct colour morphs, with reflectance ranging from 2.49 to 5.65%. In unstriped grasshoppers, darker morphs warmed more rapidly than lighter morphs and reached a higher maximum temperature (lower temperature excess). In contrast, significant differences in thermal quality were not found between the colour morphs of striped grasshoppers. In support of the thermal melanism hypothesis, grasshoppers were, on average, darker at higher altitudes, there were differences in the spectral properties of brightness and chroma between high and low altitudes, and temperature variables were significant influences on the average reflectance of female grasshoppers. However, altitudinal gradients do not represent predictable variation in temperature, and the relationship between melanism and altitude was not consistent across all gradients. Grasshoppers generally became darker at altitudes above 800 m a.s.l., but on several gradients reflectance declined with altitude and then increased at the highest altitude.

The regulation and deregulation of Wnt signaling by PARK genes in health and disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Berwick, Daniel C; Harvey, Kirsten

2014-02-01

Wingless/Int (Wnt) signaling pathways are signal transduction mechanisms that have been widely studied in the field of embryogenesis. Recent work has established a critical role for these pathways in brain development, especially of midbrain dopaminergic neurones. However, the fundamental importance of Wnt signaling for the normal function of mature neurones in the adult central nervous system has also lately been demonstrated by an increasing number of studies. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease worldwide and is currently incurable. This debilitating disease is characterized by the progressive loss of a subset of midbrain dopaminergic neurones in the substantia nigra leading to typical extrapyramidal motor symptoms. The aetiology of PD is poorly understood but work performed over the last two decades has identified a growing number of genetic defects that underlie this condition. Here we review a growing body of data connecting genes implicated in PD--most notably the PARK genes--with Wnt signaling. These observations provide clues to the normal function of these proteins in healthy neurones and suggest that deregulated Wnt signaling might be a frequent pathomechanism leading to PD. These observations have implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in general.

Cartography of memory in Chris Marker and W.G. Sebald: Notes about History, memory and maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Brito

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to approach the artists Chris Marker and W.G. Sebald, trying to determine and develop pervasive questions in their works: the construction of a historiographic discourse, the ambiguities of memory, the erratic movement of their characters and essayistic thinking. We have tried to draft some starting points to make possible the writing of a memory as a cartography, created through walking on the world and also through the collection of images and of stories that tell about lives that went astray in the mis-paths of History.

Insulin-related peptide 5 is involved in regulating embryo development and biochemical composition in pea aphid with wing polyphenism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan-Shan eGuo

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In aphids there is a fecundity-dispersal trade-off between wingless and winged morphs. Recent research on the molecular mechanism of wing morphs associated with dispersal reveals that insulin receptors in the insulin signaling (IS pathway regulate alteration of wing morphs in planthoppers. However, little is known about whether genes in the IS pathway are involved in developmental regulation in aphid nymphs with different wing morphs. In this study, we show that expression of the insulin-related peptide 5 gene (Apirp5 affects biochemical composition and embryo development of wingless pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum. After comparing expression levels of major genes in the IS pathway between third instar winged and wingless nymphs, we found that Apirp5 showed higher expression in head and thorax of the wingless nymphs than in the winged nymphs. Although microinjection treatment affects physical performance in aphids, nymphs with RNA interference of Apirp5 had less weight, smaller embryo size and higher carbohydrate and protein contents compared to control group. Comparison between winged and wingless nymphs showed a similar trend. These results indicate that Apirp5 is involved in embryo development and metabolic regulation in wing dimorphic pea aphid.

Intercomparison of Dosimeters for Non-Target Organ Dose Measurements in Radiotherapy - Activity of EURADOS WG 9: Radiation Protection in Medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miljanic, S.; Knezevic, Z.; Bessieres, I.; Bordy, J.-M.; D'Agostino, E.; d'Errico, F.; di Fulvio, A.; Domingo, C.; Olko, P.; Stolarczyk; Silari, M.; Harrison, R.

2011-01-01

It has been known for a long time that patients treated with ionizing radiation carry a risk of developing radiation induced cancer in their lifetimes. It is recognized that cure/survival rates in radiotherapy are increasing, but so are secondary cancers. These occurrences are amplified by the early detection of disease in younger patients. These patients are cured from the primary disease and have long life-expectancies, which increase their chances of developing secondary malignancies. The motivation of the EURADOS Working Group 9 (WG 9) ''Radiation protection dosimetry in medicine'' is to assess undue non-target patient doses in radiotherapy and the related risks of secondary malignancy with the most accredited available methods and with the emphasis on a thorough evaluation of dosimetry methods for the measurements of doses remote from the target volume, in phantom experiments. The development of a unified and comprehensive dosimetry methodology for non-target dose estimation is the key element of the WG9 current work. The first scientific aim is to select and review dosimeters suitable for photon and neutron dosimetry in radiotherapy and to evaluate the characteristics of dosimeters at CEA LIST Saclay in reference clinical LINAC beam. (author)

Biphasic effects of FGF2 on odontoblast differentiation involve changes in the BMP and Wnt signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagomonyants, Karen; Mina, Mina

2014-08-01

Odontoblast differentiation during physiological and reparative dentinogenesis is dependent upon multiple signaling molecules, including fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and Wingless/Integrated (Wnt) ligands. Recent studies in our laboratory showed that continuous exposure of primary dental pulp cultures to FGF2 exerted biphasic effects on the expression of markers of dentinogenesis. In the present study, we examined the possible involvement of the BMP and Wnt signaling pathways in mediating the effects of FGF2 on dental pulp cells. Our results showed that stimulatory effects of FGF2 on dentinogenesis during the proliferation phase of growth were associated with increased expression of the components of the BMP (Bmp2, Dlx5, Msx2, Osx) and Wnt (Wnt10a, Wisp2) pathways, and decreased expression of an inhibitor of the Wnt signaling, Nkd2. Further addition of FGF2 during the differentiation/mineralization phase of growth resulted in decreased expression of components of the BMP signaling (Bmp2, Runx2, Osx) and increased expression of inhibitors of the Wnt signaling (Nkd2, Dkk3). This suggests that both BMP and Wnt pathways may be involved in mediating the effects of FGF2 on dental pulp cells.

Signaling Pathways in Leiomyoma: Understanding Pathobiology and Implications for Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Borahay, Mostafa A; Al-Hendy, Ayman; Kilic, Gokhan S; Boehning, Darren

2015-01-01

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common tumors of the female genital tract, affecting 50% to 70% of females by the age of 50. Despite their prevalence and enormous medical and economic impact, no effective medical treatment is currently available. This is, in part, due to the poor understanding of their underlying pathobiology. Although they are thought to start as a clonal proliferation of a single myometrial smooth muscle cell, these early cytogenetic alterations are considered insufficient for tumor development and additional complex signaling pathway alterations are crucial. These include steroids, growth factors, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/Smad; wingless-type (Wnt)/β-catenin, retinoic acid, vitamin D, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). An important finding is that several of these pathways converge in a summative way. For example, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt pathways seem to act as signal integrators, incorporating input from several signaling pathways, including growth factors, estrogen and vitamin D. This underlines the multifactorial origin and complex nature of these tumors. In this review, we aim to dissect these pathways and discuss their interconnections, aberrations and role in leiomyoma pathobiology. We also aim to identify potential targets for development of novel therapeutics. PMID:25879625

A Kinome RNAi Screen in Drosophila Identifies Novel Genes Interacting with Lgl, aPKC, and Crb Cell Polarity Genes in Epithelial Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, Linda M; Grzeschik, Nicola A; Amaratunga, Kasun; Burke, Peter; Quinn, Leonie M; Richardson, Helena E

2017-08-07

In both Drosophila melanogaster and mammalian systems, epithelial structure and underlying cell polarity are essential for proper tissue morphogenesis and organ growth. Cell polarity interfaces with multiple cellular processes that are regulated by the phosphorylation status of large protein networks. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that coordinate cell polarity with tissue growth, we screened a boutique collection of RNAi stocks targeting the kinome for their capacity to modify Drosophila "cell polarity" eye and wing phenotypes. Initially, we identified kinase or phosphatase genes whose depletion modified adult eye phenotypes associated with the manipulation of cell polarity complexes (via overexpression of Crb or aPKC). We next conducted a secondary screen to test whether these cell polarity modifiers altered tissue overgrowth associated with depletion of Lgl in the wing. These screens identified Hippo, Jun kinase (JNK), and Notch signaling pathways, previously linked to cell polarity regulation of tissue growth. Furthermore, novel pathways not previously connected to cell polarity regulation of tissue growth were identified, including Wingless (Wg/Wnt), Ras, and lipid/Phospho-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathways. Additionally, we demonstrated that the "nutrient sensing" kinases Salt Inducible Kinase 2 and 3 ( SIK2 and 3 ) are potent modifiers of cell polarity phenotypes and regulators of tissue growth. Overall, our screen has revealed novel cell polarity-interacting kinases and phosphatases that affect tissue growth, providing a platform for investigating molecular mechanisms coordinating cell polarity and tissue growth during development. Copyright © 2017 Parsons et al.

THE PECULIAR PHOTOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF 2010 WG9: A SLOWLY ROTATING TRANS-NEPTUNIAN OBJECT FROM THE OORT CLOUD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rabinowitz, David; Schwamb, Megan E.; Hadjiyska, Elena [Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States); Tourtellotte, Suzanne [Astronomy Department, Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States); Rojo, Patricio [Department of Astronomy, University of Chile, Santiago (Chile)

2013-07-01

We present long-term BVRI observations of 2010 WG9, an {approx}100 km diameter trans-Neptunian object (TNO) with an extremely high inclination of 70 Degree-Sign discovered by the La Silla-QUEST southern sky survey. Most of the observations were obtained with ANDICAM on the SMARTS 1.3 m at Cerro Tololo, Chile from 2010 December to 2012 November. Additional observations were made with EFOSC2 on the 3.5 m NTT telescope of the European Southern Observatory at La Silla, Chile in 2011 February. The observations reveal a sinusoidal light curve with amplitude 0.14 mag and period 5.4955 {+-} 0.0025 days, which is likely half the true rotation period. Such long rotation periods have previously been observed only for tidally evolved binary TNOs, suggesting that 2010 WG9 may be such a system. We predict a nominal separation of at least 790 km, resolvable with the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based systems. We measure B - R = 1.318 {+-} 0.029 and V - R = 0.520 {+-} 0.018, consistent with the colors of modestly red Centaurs and Damocloids. At I-band wavelengths, we observe an unusually large variation of color with rotational phase, with R - I ranging from 0.394 {+-} 0.025 to 0.571 {+-} 0.044. We also measure an absolute R-band absolute magnitude of 7.93 {+-} 0.05 and solar phase coefficient of 0.049 {+-} 0.019 mag deg{sup -1}.

Expression of osterix Is Regulated by FGF and Wnt/β-Catenin Signalling during Osteoblast Differentiation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katharina Felber

Full Text Available Osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal cells is regulated by multiple signalling pathways. Here we have analysed the roles of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF and canonical Wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt/β-Catenin signalling pathways on zebrafish osteogenesis. We have used transgenic and chemical interference approaches to manipulate these pathways and have found that both pathways are required for osteoblast differentiation in vivo. Our analysis of bone markers suggests that these pathways act at the same stage of differentiation to initiate expression of the osteoblast master regulatory gene osterix (osx. We use two independent approaches that suggest that osx is a direct target of these pathways. Firstly, we manipulate signalling and show that osx gene expression responds with similar kinetics to that of known transcriptional targets of the FGF and Wnt pathways. Secondly, we have performed ChIP with transcription factors for both pathways and our data suggest that a genomic region in the first intron of osx mediates transcriptional activation. Based upon these data, we propose that FGF and Wnt/β-Catenin pathways act in part by directing transcription of osx to promote osteoblast differentiation at sites of bone formation.

Collaborative networks in the internet of services: 13th IFIP WG 5.5 working conference on virtual enterprises, PRO-VE 2012, Bournemouth, UK, October 2012: proceedings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Camarinha-Matos, L.M.; Xu, L.; Afsarmanesh, H.

2012-01-01

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th IFIP WG 5.5 Working Conference on Virtual Enterprises, PRO-VE 2012, held in Bournemouth, UK, in October 2012. The 61 revised papers presented were carefully selected from numerous submissions. They provide a comprehensive overview of

Ecdysone signaling underlies the pea aphid transgenerational wing polyphenism.

Science.gov (United States)

Vellichirammal, Neetha Nanoth; Gupta, Purba; Hall, Tannice A; Brisson, Jennifer A

2017-02-07

The wing polyphenism of pea aphids is a compelling laboratory model with which to study the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity. In this polyphenism, environmental stressors such as high aphid density cause asexual, viviparous adult female aphids to alter the developmental fate of their embryos from wingless to winged morphs. This polyphenism is transgenerational, in that the pea aphid mother experiences the environmental signals, but it is her offspring that are affected. Previous research suggested that the steroid hormone ecdysone may play a role in this polyphenism. Here, we analyzed ecdysone-related gene expression patterns and found that they were consistent with a down-regulation of the ecdysone pathway being involved in the production of winged offspring. We therefore predicted that reduced ecdysone signaling would result in more winged offspring. Experimental injections of ecdysone or its analog resulted in a decreased production of winged offspring. Conversely, interfering with ecdysone signaling using an ecdysone receptor antagonist or knocking down the ecdysone receptor gene with RNAi resulted in an increased production of winged offspring. Our results are therefore consistent with the idea that ecdysone plays a causative role in the regulation of the proportion of winged offspring produced in response to crowding in this polyphenism. Our results also show that an environmentally regulated maternal hormone can mediate phenotype production in the next generation, as well as provide significant insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the functioning of transgenerational phenotypic plasticity.

Earthworms in Short-term Contact with a Low Dose of Neonicotinoid Actara 25WG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariola Garczyńska

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A laboratory experiment, carried out for five months, was designed to assess effects produced by the neonicotinoid Actara 25 WG, used at a dose recommended by the manufacturer, in the dynamics of populations of epigeic earthworms Eisenia fetida (Sav. and Dendrobena veneta (Rosa. The study was conducted in a climatic chamber and involved balanced biomass of mature specimens representing both species, in 3 replications of soil medium with the insecticide, in addition to controls. The growing populations were inspected five times, by means of manual segregation of the substrate. The insecticide led to an increase in both the number of specimens and biomass of E. fetida population (overall as well as mature and immature worms, yet it reduced their reproduction (decreased number of cocoons (p<0.05. In the case of D.veneta, the neonicotinoid insecticide produced positive effects only in mature specimens (p<0.05.

Human placental trophoblast invasion and differentiation: a particular focus on Wnt signalling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin eKnöfler

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Wingless ligands, a family of secreted proteins, are critically involved in organ development and tissue homeostasis by ensuring balanced rates of stem cell proliferation, cell death and differentiation. Wnt signalling components also play crucial roles in murine placental development controlling trophoblast lineage determination, chorioallantoic fusion and placental branching morphogenesis. However, the role of the pathway in human placentation, trophoblast development and differentiation is only partly understood. Here, we summarize our present knowledge about Wnt signalling in the human placenta and discuss its potential role in physiological and aberrant trophoblast invasion, gestational diseases and choriocarcinoma formation. Differentiation of proliferative first trimester cytotrophoblasts into invasive extravillous trophoblasts is associated with nuclear recruitment of β-catenin and induction of Wnt-dependent T-cell factor 4 suggesting that canonical Wnt signalling could be important for the formation and function of extravillous trophoblasts. Indeed, activation of the pathway was shown to promote trophoblast invasion in different in vitro trophoblast model systems as well as trophoblast cell fusion. Methylation-mediated silencing of inhibitors of Wnt signalling provided evidence for epigenetic activation of the pathway in placental tissues and choriocarcinoma cells. Similarly, abundant nuclear expression of β-catenin in invasive trophoblasts of complete hydatidiform moles suggested a role for hyper-activated Wnt signalling. In contrast, upregulation of Wnt inhibitors was noticed in placentae of women with preeclampsia, a disease characterized by shallow trophoblast invasion and incomplete spiral artery remodelling. Moreover, changes in Wnt signalling have been observed upon cytomegalovirus infection and in recurrent abortions. In summary, the current literature suggests a critical role of Wnt signalling in physiological and abnormal

Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Osteoarthritis and in Other Forms of Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yachuan; Wang, Tingyu; Hamilton, John L; Chen, Di

2017-09-01

Arthritis defines a large group of diseases primarily affecting the joint. It is the leading cause of pain and disability in adults. Osteoarthritis (OA) affecting the knee or hip is the most common form among over 100 types of arthritis. Other types of arthritis include erosive hand OA, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) OA, facet joint OA, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), and spondyloarthritis (SpA). However, the specific molecular signals involved in the development and progression of OA and related forms of arthritis remain largely unknown. The canonical wingless/integrated (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling pathway could play a unique role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. In this review article, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of OA and other types of arthritis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that Wnts and Wnt-related molecules are involved in arthritis development and progression in human genetic studies and in vitro studies. Also, mouse models have been generated to determine the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of arthritis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling represents a unique signaling pathway regulating arthritis development and progression, and the molecules in this particular pathway may serve as targets for the therapeutic intervention of arthritis. Mediators and downstream effectors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling are increased in OA as well other forms of arthritis, including DISH and SpA. Through extensive investigations, including pre-clinical studies in transgenic mice and translational and human studies, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been proven to play roles in bone and joint pathology by directly affecting bone, cartilage, and synovial tissue; further, these pathologies can be reduced through targeting this pathway. Continued investigation into the distinct molecular signaling of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway will provide additional insights toward the therapeutic

Cullin4B/E3-ubiquitin ligase negatively regulates β-catenin

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

-catenin is the key transducer of Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member (Wnt) signalling, upregulation of which is the cause of cancer of the colon and other tissues. In the absence of Wnt signals, -catenin is targeted to ubiquitin–proteasome-mediated degradation. Here we present the functional ...

Alteration of canonical and non-canonical WNT-signaling by crystalline silica in human lung epithelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perkins, Timothy N.; Dentener, Mieke A.; Stassen, Frank R.; Rohde, Gernot G.; Mossman, Brooke T.; Wouters, Emiel F.M.; Reynaert, Niki L.

2016-01-01

Growth and development of the mature lung is a complex process orchestrated by a number of intricate developmental signaling pathways. Wingless-type MMTV-integration site (WNT) signaling plays critical roles in controlling branching morphogenesis cell differentiation, and formation of the conducting and respiratory airways. In addition, WNT pathways are often re-activated in mature lungs during repair and regeneration. WNT- signaling has been elucidated as a crucial contributor to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as other hyper-proliferative lung diseases. Silicosis, a detrimental occupational lung disease caused by excessive inhalation of crystalline silica dust, is hallmarked by repeated cycles of damaging inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and formation of dense, hyalinized nodules of whorled collagen. However, mechanisms of epithelial cell hyperplasia and matrix deposition are not well understood, as most research efforts have focused on the pronounced inflammatory response. Microarray data from our previous studies has revealed a number of WNT-signaling and WNT-target genes altered by crystalline silica in human lung epithelial cells. In the present study, we utilize pathway analysis to designate connections between genes altered by silica in WNT-signaling networks. Furthermore, we confirm microarray findings by QRT-PCR and demonstrate both activation of canonical (β-catenin) and down-regulation of non-canonical (WNT5A) signaling in immortalized (BEAS-2B) and primary (PBEC) human bronchial epithelial cells. These findings suggest that WNT-signaling and cross-talk with other pathways (e.g. Notch), may contribute to proliferative, fibrogenic and inflammatory responses to silica in lung epithelial cells. - Highlights: • Pathway analysis reveals silica-induced WNT-signaling in lung epithelial cells. • Silica-induced canonical WNT-signaling is mediated by autocrine/paracrine signals. • Crystalline silica decreases non-canonical WNT

Alteration of canonical and non-canonical WNT-signaling by crystalline silica in human lung epithelial cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perkins, Timothy N.; Dentener, Mieke A. [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht University Maastricht (Netherlands); Stassen, Frank R. [Department of Medical Microbiology, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht University Maastricht (Netherlands); Rohde, Gernot G. [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht University Maastricht (Netherlands); Mossman, Brooke T. [Department of Pathology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT (United States); Wouters, Emiel F.M. [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht University Maastricht (Netherlands); Reynaert, Niki L., E-mail: n.reynaert@maastrichtuniversity.nl [Department of Respiratory Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre +, Maastricht University Maastricht (Netherlands)

2016-06-15

Growth and development of the mature lung is a complex process orchestrated by a number of intricate developmental signaling pathways. Wingless-type MMTV-integration site (WNT) signaling plays critical roles in controlling branching morphogenesis cell differentiation, and formation of the conducting and respiratory airways. In addition, WNT pathways are often re-activated in mature lungs during repair and regeneration. WNT- signaling has been elucidated as a crucial contributor to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as well as other hyper-proliferative lung diseases. Silicosis, a detrimental occupational lung disease caused by excessive inhalation of crystalline silica dust, is hallmarked by repeated cycles of damaging inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and formation of dense, hyalinized nodules of whorled collagen. However, mechanisms of epithelial cell hyperplasia and matrix deposition are not well understood, as most research efforts have focused on the pronounced inflammatory response. Microarray data from our previous studies has revealed a number of WNT-signaling and WNT-target genes altered by crystalline silica in human lung epithelial cells. In the present study, we utilize pathway analysis to designate connections between genes altered by silica in WNT-signaling networks. Furthermore, we confirm microarray findings by QRT-PCR and demonstrate both activation of canonical (β-catenin) and down-regulation of non-canonical (WNT5A) signaling in immortalized (BEAS-2B) and primary (PBEC) human bronchial epithelial cells. These findings suggest that WNT-signaling and cross-talk with other pathways (e.g. Notch), may contribute to proliferative, fibrogenic and inflammatory responses to silica in lung epithelial cells. - Highlights: • Pathway analysis reveals silica-induced WNT-signaling in lung epithelial cells. • Silica-induced canonical WNT-signaling is mediated by autocrine/paracrine signals. • Crystalline silica decreases non-canonical WNT

Fgf9 and Wnt4 act as antagonistic signals to regulate mammalian sex determination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuna Kim

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The genes encoding members of the wingless-related MMTV integration site (WNT and fibroblast growth factor (FGF families coordinate growth, morphogenesis, and differentiation in many fields of cells during development. In the mouse, Fgf9 and Wnt4 are expressed in gonads of both sexes prior to sex determination. Loss of Fgf9 leads to XY sex reversal, whereas loss of Wnt4 results in partial testis development in XX gonads. However, the relationship between these signals and the male sex-determining gene, Sry, was unknown. We show through gain- and loss-of-function experiments that fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9 and WNT4 act as opposing signals to regulate sex determination. In the mouse XY gonad, Sry normally initiates a feed-forward loop between Sox9 and Fgf9, which up-regulates Fgf9 and represses Wnt4 to establish the testis pathway. Surprisingly, loss of Wnt4 in XX gonads is sufficient to up-regulate Fgf9 and Sox9 in the absence of Sry. These data suggest that the fate of the gonad is controlled by antagonism between Fgf9 and Wnt4. The role of the male sex-determining switch--Sry in the case of mammals--is to tip the balance between these underlying patterning signals. In principle, sex determination in other vertebrates may operate through any switch that introduces an imbalance between these two signaling pathways.

Policy revision in health enterprise information security: P3WG final report

Science.gov (United States)

Sostrom, Kristen; Collmann, Jeff R.

2003-05-01

Health information management policies usually address the use of paper records with little or no mention of electronic health records. Information Technology (IT) policies often ignore the health care business needs and operational use of the information stored in its systems. Representatives from the Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), TRICARE and Offices of the Surgeon General of each Military Service, collectively referred to as the Policies, Procedures and Practices Work Group (P3WG) examined military policies and regulations relating to computer-based information systems and medical records management. Using an interdisciplinary and interservice QA approach they compared existing military policies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule to identify gaps and discrepancies. The final report, including a plain English explanation of the individual standards and relevance to the Department of Defense (DoD), a comparative analysis and recommendations, will feed in to the security management process and HIPAA implementation efforts at multiple levels within the DoD. In light of High Reliability Theory, this process models how large enterprises may coordinate policy revision and reform across broad organizational and work domains, building consensus on key policy reforms among military stakeholders across different disciplines, levels of command hierarchy and services.

Effect of plant resistance and BioAct WG (Purpureocillium lilacinum strain 251) on Meloidogyne incognita in a tomato-cucumber rotation in a greenhouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Giné, Ariadna; Sorribas, Francisco J

2017-05-01

The effectiveness of combining resistant tomato with BioAct WG (Purpureocillium lilacinum strain 251, Pl251) against Meloidogyne incognita was assessed in a tomato-cucumber rotation in a greenhouse over 2 years. Additionally, the enzymatic activity of the fungus, the percentage of fungal egg and juvenile parasitism, cardinal temperatures and the effect of water potential on mycelial growth and the soil receptivity to Pl251 were determined in vitro. Plant resistance was the only factor that suppressed nematode and crop yield losses. Percentage of egg parasitism in plots treated with BioAct WG was less than 2.6%. However, under in vitro conditions, Pl251 showed protease, lipase and chitinase activities and parasitised 94.5% of eggs, but no juveniles. Cardinal temperatures were 14.2, 24-26 and 35.4 °C. The maximum Pl251 mycelial growth was at -0.25 MPa and 25 °C. Soil temperatures and water potential in the greenhouse were in the range of the fungus. However, soil receptivity was lower in greenhouse soil, irrespective of sterilisation, than in sterilised sand. Plant resistance was the only factor able to suppress nematode densities, disease severity and yield losses, and to protect the following cucumber crop. Environmental factors involved in soil receptivity could have negatively affected fungus effectiveness. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

GREM1, FRZB and DKK1 mRNA levels correlate with osteoarthritis and are regulated by osteoarthritis associated factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leijten, Jeroen Christianus Hermanus; Bos, Steffan D.; Landman, Ellie; Georgi, Nicole; Jahr, Holger; Meulenbelt, Ingrid; Post, Janine Nicole; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; Karperien, Hermanus Bernardus Johannes

2013-01-01

Introduction: Osteoarthritis is, at least in a subset of patients, associated with hypertrophic differentiation of articular chondrocytes. Recently, we have identified the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and wingless-type MMTV integration site (WNT) signaling antagonists Gremlin 1 (GREM1),

Nitric Oxide Mediates Crosstalk between Interleukin 1β and WNT Signaling in Primary Human Chondrocytes by Reducing DKK1 and FRZB Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Leilei; Schivo, Stefano; Huang, Xiaobin; Leijten, Jeroen; Karperien, Marcel; Post, Janine N

2017-11-22

Interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) and Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family (WNT) signaling are major players in Osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. Despite having a large functional overlap in OA onset and development, the mechanism of IL1β and WNT crosstalk has remained largely unknown. In this study, we have used a combination of computational modeling and molecular biology to reveal direct or indirect crosstalk between these pathways. Specifically, we revealed a mechanism by which IL1β upregulates WNT signaling via downregulating WNT antagonists, DKK1 and FRZB. In human chondrocytes, IL1β decreased the expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and Frizzled related protein (FRZB) through upregulation of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), thereby activating the transcription of WNT target genes. This effect could be reversed by iNOS inhibitor 1400W, which restored DKK1 and FRZB expression and their inhibitory effect on WNT signaling. In addition, 1400W also inhibited both the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and cytokine-induced apoptosis. We concluded that iNOS/NO play a pivotal role in the inflammatory response of human OA through indirect upregulation of WNT signaling. Blocking NO production may inhibit the loss of the articular phenotype in OA by preventing downregulation of the expression of DKK1 and FRZB.

MDEP AP1000WG Design-Specific Common Position CP-AP1000WG-02. Common position addressing Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident-related issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-09-01

A severe accident involving several units took place in Japan at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) in March 2011. The immediate cause of the accident was an earthquake followed by a tsunami coupled with inadequate provisions against the consequences of such events in the design. Opportunities to improve protection against a realistic design basis tsunami had not been taken. As a consequence of the tsunami, safety equipment and the related safety functions were lost at the plant, leading to core damage in three units and subsequently to large radioactive release. Several studies have already been performed to better understand the accident progression and detailed technical studies are still in progress in Japan and elsewhere. In the meantime, on-going studies on the behaviour of nuclear power plants in very severe situations, similar to Fukushima Daiichi, seek to identify potential vulnerabilities in plant design and operation; to suggest reasonably practicable upgrades; or to recommend enhanced regulatory requirements and guidance to address such situations. Likewise, agencies around the world that are responsible for regulating the design, construction and operation of AP1000 R plants are engaged in similar activities. The MDEP AP1000 R Working Group (AP1000 WG) members consist of members from Canada, China, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since the regulatory review of their AP1000 R applications have not been completed by all of these Countries yet, this paper identifies common preliminary approaches to address potential safety improvements for AP1000 R plants as related to lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident or Fukushima Daiichi-related issues. In seeking common position, regulators will provide input to this paper to reflect their safety conclusions regarding the AP1000 R design and how the design could be enhanced to address Fukushima Daiichi issues. The common preliminary approaches are organized into five sections

International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Review: WNT/Frizzled signalling: receptor–ligand selectivity with focus on FZD-G protein signalling and its physiological relevance: IUPHAR Review 3

Science.gov (United States)

Dijksterhuis, J P; Petersen, J; Schulte, G

2014-01-01

The wingless/int1 (WNT)/Frizzled (FZD) signalling pathway controls numerous cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, cell-fate decisions, migration and plays a crucial role during embryonic development. Nineteen mammalian WNTs can bind to 10 FZDs thereby activating different downstream pathways such as WNT/β-catenin, WNT/planar cell polarity and WNT/Ca2+. However, the mechanisms of signalling specification and the involvement of heterotrimeric G proteins are still unclear. Disturbances in the pathways can lead to various diseases ranging from cancer, inflammatory diseases to metabolic and neurological disorders. Due to the presence of seven-transmembrane segments, evidence for coupling between FZDs and G proteins and substantial structural differences in class A, B or C GPCRs, FZDs were grouped separately in the IUPHAR GPCR database as the class FZD within the superfamily of GPCRs. Recently, important progress has been made pointing to a direct activation of G proteins after WNT stimulation. WNT/FZD and G protein coupling remain to be fully explored, although the basic observation supporting the nature of FZDs as GPCRs is compelling. Because the involvement of different (i) WNTs; (ii) FZDs; and (iii) intracellular binding partners could selectively affect signalling specification, in this review we present the current understanding of receptor/ligand selectivity of FZDs and WNTs. We pinpoint what is known about signalling specification and the physiological relevance of these interactions with special emphasis on FZD–G protein interactions. LINKED ARTICLESThis article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of GPCRs. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-5 PMID:24032637

The Drosophila Perlecan gene trol regulates multiple signaling pathways in different developmental contexts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Perry Trinity L

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Heparan sulfate proteoglycans modulate signaling by a variety of growth factors. The mammalian proteoglycan Perlecan binds and regulates signaling by Sonic Hedgehog, Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF and Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF, among others, in contexts ranging from angiogenesis and cardiovascular development to cancer progression. The Drosophila Perlecan homolog trol has been shown to regulate the activity of Hedgehog and Branchless (an FGF homolog to control the onset of stem cell proliferation in the developing brain during first instar. Here we extend analysis of trol mutant phenotypes to show that trol is required for a variety of developmental events and modulates signaling by multiple growth factors in different situations. Results Different mutations in trol allow developmental progression to varying extents, suggesting that trol is involved in multiple cell-fate and patterning decisions. Analysis of the initiation of neuroblast proliferation at second instar demonstrated that trol regulates this event by modulating signaling by Hedgehog and Branchless, as it does during first instar. Trol protein is distributed over the surface of the larval brain, near the regulated neuroblasts that reside on the cortical surface. Mutations in trol also decrease the number of circulating plasmatocytes. This is likely to be due to decreased expression of pointed, the response gene for VEGF/PDGF signaling that is required for plasmatocyte proliferation. Trol is found on plasmatocytes, where it could regulate VEGF/PDGF signaling. Finally, we show that in second instar brains but not third instar brain lobes and eye discs, mutations in trol affect signaling by Decapentaplegic (a Transforming Growth Factor family member, Wingless (a Wnt growth factor and Hedgehog. Conclusion These studies extend the known functions of the Drosophila Perlecan homolog trol in both developmental and

The new German Recycling and Waste management Act (KrWG). Chances and perspectives for the secondary raw materials industry; Das neue Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz. Chancen und Perspektiven fuer die Sekundaerrohrstoffwirtschaft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Landers, Burkhard [Bundesverband Sekundaerrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bonn (Germany)

2012-11-01

After long discussions concerning wordings, the new German Act on Recycling and Waste Management (KrWG) came into force with the decision of the arbitration panel of 8 February 2012 and the agreement of the German Bundestag and Bundesrat. It took more than two years from the first draft to the new act, and discussions and lawsuits can be expected to continue. The new act still follows the structure of its predecessor, but private industries, especially medium-sized ones, have not been given sufficient scope for action. Politicians were unable to find a fair balance between private and communal interests. Now, with the introduction of a new standard recycling bin, the legislator is held to take account of the interests of the private waste management industry, whose labour and innovative power made a decisive contribution to the success of waste management and recycling in Germany. (orig.) [German] Der letzte Schlusspunkt ist nach zaehem Ringen um einzelne Formulierungen des Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetzes (KrWG) mit dem Beschluss des Vermittlungsausschusses am 8. Februar 2012 und mit der anschliessenden Zustimmung des Deutschen Bundestages sowie des Bundesrates gesetzt worden. Damit sind seit dem ersten Arbeitsentwurf des Bundesministeriums fuer die Novellierung des Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfallrechts mehr als zwei Jahre vergangen, und es bedarf keiner hellseherischen Faehigkeiten um vorherzusagen, dass die Auseinandersetzung ueber einzelne Bestimmungen und nachrangige Verordnungen des Gesetzes vor Gericht und in der Politik noch lange nicht ihren Abschluss gefunden hat. Trotz aller Diskussionen waehrend des Gesetzgebungsverfahrens sind die wesentlichen Grundstrukturen des alten Kreislaufwirtschafts- und Abfallgesetzes auch im neuen KrWG erhalten geblieben. Der Privatwirtschaft, vor allem in der Breite aus vielen mittelstaendischen Unternehmen bestehend, ist jedoch nicht genuegend Handlungsspielraum gewaehrt worden. Der Politik ist es nicht gelungen, einen fairen

Village-scale (Phase III) evaluation of the efficacy and residual activity of SumiShield® 50 WG (Clothianidin 50%, w/w) for indoor spraying for the control of pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles culicifacies Giles in Karnataka state, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Uragayala, S; Kamaraju, R; Tiwari, S N; Sreedharan, S; Ghosh, S K; Valecha, N

2018-03-30

There is an urgent need to test and incorporate new molecules with promising efficacy and novel mode of action to control insecticide-resistant mosquito vectors for disease control. We tested a new compound, clothianidin (SumiShield 50 WG), for its efficacy as an indoor residual spray (IRS) for the control of pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles culicifacies (Diptera: Culicidae) in comparison with pirimiphos methyl (Actellic CS) as a positive control. Ten villages were selected, five each for IRS with clothianidin (300 mg AI/m 2 ) and pirimiphos methyl (1000 mg AI/m 2 ) in Almatti Dam catchment area in Karnataka state, India. Entomological parameters were monitored in these sprayed villages using standard methods. Assessment of quality of spray was performed by analysing the insecticide content in the filter paper samples collected from sprayed houses. Perceptions of spray men and inhabitants were recorded post-spray on safety of these molecules. The mean applied to target ratio of content was 1.7 (n = 29) for clothianidin and 1.8 (n = 50) for pirimiphos methyl on filter paper samples analysed. Residual activity (≥80% mortality in exposed mosquitoes) after 24 h post-exposure of SumiShield WG was 5 months and increased to 6 months when the holding period was extended to 120 h and that of Actellic CS was 3 months at 24-h holding period and extended to 4 months at 120-h extended holding period. The mean densities of An. culicifacies in both arms fell drastically post-spray. In light trap collections, density of mosquitoes collected indoors was lower than outdoors in both arms indicating effectiveness of IRS. SumiShield WG was more efficacious in reducing the per-structure density than Actellic CS. The proportion of nulliparous mosquitoes was higher than that of parous mosquitoes during post-spray collections in both arms. The majority of adverse events reported were transitory and subsided without medication. Indoor residual spraying with SumiShield WG was found effective

MDEP Design-Specific Common Position CP-APR1400WG-01. Common position addressing Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-05-01

The MDEP APR1400 Working Group (APR1400WG) members consist of members from Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. A main objectives of MDEP is to encourage convergence of code, standard and safety goals with exploring the opportunities for harmonization of regulatory practice and cooperation on safety review of APR-1400 specific designs. This common position addressing is aimed at sharing knowledge, information and experience on safety improvement related to lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident or Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident-related issues amongst APR-1400 WG member states to achieve the MEDP goal. Because not all of these Regulators have completed the regulatory review of their APR1400 applications yet, this paper identifies common preliminary approaches to address potential safety improvements for APR1400 plants, as well as common general expectations for new nuclear power plants, as related to lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident or Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident-related issues. While some asymmetry exists among those of three Regulators in terms of design, regulatory practice and licensing milestone sharing information and common understanding on post-Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident enhancement would be promote resilient design for countering beyond design extreme external event like Fukushima Daiichi NPP nuclear disaster. This common position paper aims at identifying characteristics of post-Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident enhancements putting in place by each country and setting common position to achieve balanced and harmonized APR-1400 design. After the safety reviews of the APR1400 design applications that are currently in review are completed, the regulators will update this paper to reflect their safety conclusions regarding the APR1400 design and how the design could be enhanced to address Fukushima Daiichi NPP Accident-related issues. The common preliminary approaches are organised into

Electricity and gas distribution networks in competition. At the same time a critical investigation of the legal regulation of the concession right in paragraph 46 EnWG; Strom- und Gasverteilnetze im Wettbewerb. Zugleich eine kritische Untersuchung zur gesetzlichen Regelung des Konzessionsrechts in paragraph 46 EnWG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Theobald, Christian; Templin, Wolf

2011-07-01

A functioning infrastructure has always been a prerequisite for economic and social development. But the local power supply is in an area of conflict between European law, energy law and antitrust rules. The municipalities engage in a periodic competition in order to guarantee a local network infrastructure. At the same time, an increasing political design intent of the citizens is loomed. Under this aspect, the authors of the contribution under consideration report on a critical, legal and in parts economic investigation of the existing legal framework for the operation of local electricity and gas distribution networks. In particular, the legal regulation of concession right in paragraph 46 EnWG (Energy Economic Law) is investigated.

HERCA WG Medical Applications / WP justification. Survey about the situation in Europe regarding the use of CT on asymptomatic individuals outside screening programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-06-01

In recent years, commercial services offering CT scans to individuals for the detection of lung, cardiac and colorectal disease has been reported in the USA and in some parts of Europe (e.g. Germany and the UK). Some of these private services are associated with aggressive advertisement and are in conflict with the general principle of justification. Faced with this situation, in July 2012, HERCA WG Medical Applications launched a survey about the situation in Europe regarding the use of CT on asymptomatic individuals outside screening programs for group 2.c. This document presents the results of the survey

Prognostic significance of COX-2 and β-catenin in colorectal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Amani Kazem

2013-07-17

Jul 17, 2013 ... (wingless type) signaling pathway, increased protein concentrations promote transcription of genes .... under a light microscope and the histological type of colorectal .... of signet ring cell carcinoma showed weak COX-2 positivity. 3.2. Analysis .... COX-2 expression was detected in other tumors, and was be-.

Bipartite recognition of DNA by TCF/Pangolin is remarkably flexible and contributes to transcriptional responsiveness and tissue specificity of wingless signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilary C Archbold

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The T-cell factor (TCF family of transcription factors are major mediators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in metazoans. All TCFs contain a High Mobility Group (HMG domain that possesses specific DNA binding activity. In addition, many TCFs contain a second DNA binding domain, the C-clamp, which binds to DNA motifs referred to as Helper sites. While HMG and Helper sites are both important for the activation of several Wnt dependent cis-regulatory modules (W-CRMs, the rules of what constitutes a functional HMG-Helper site pair are unknown. In this report, we employed a combination of in vitro binding, reporter gene analysis and bioinformatics to address this question, using the Drosophila family member TCF/Pangolin (TCF/Pan as a model. We found that while there were constraints for the orientation and spacing of HMG-Helper pairs, the presence of a Helper site near a HMG site in any orientation increased binding and transcriptional response, with some orientations displaying tissue-specific patterns. We found that altering an HMG-Helper site pair from a sub-optimal to optimal orientation/spacing dramatically increased the responsiveness of a W-CRM in several fly tissues. In addition, we used the knowledge gained to bioinformatically identify two novel W-CRMs, one that was activated by Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the prothoracic gland, a tissue not previously connected to this pathway. In sum, this work extends the importance of Helper sites in fly W-CRMs and suggests that the type of HMG-Helper pair is a major factor in setting the threshold for Wnt activation and tissue-responsiveness.

Compliance of blood sampling procedures with the CLSI H3-A6 guidelines: An observational study by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) working group for the preanalytical phase (WG-PRE)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Simundic, Ana-Maria; Church, Stephen; Cornes, Michael P.; Grankvist, Kjell; Lippi, Giuseppe; Nybo, Mads; Nikolac, Nora; van Dongen-Lases, Edmee; Eker, Pinar; Kovalevskaya, Svjetlana; Kristensen, Gunn B. B.; Sprongl, Ludek; Sumarac, Zorica

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: An observational study was conducted in 12 European countries by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group for the Preanalytical Phase (EFLM WG-PRE) to assess the level of compliance with the CLSI H3-A6 guidelines. Methods: A structured

Endothelial Dysfunction in Human Diabetes Is Mediated by Wnt5a-JNK Signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bretón-Romero, Rosa; Feng, Bihua; Holbrook, Monika; Farb, Melissa G; Fetterman, Jessica L; Linder, Erika A; Berk, Brittany D; Masaki, Nobuyuki; Weisbrod, Robert M; Inagaki, Elica; Gokce, Noyan; Fuster, Jose J; Walsh, Kenneth; Hamburg, Naomi M

2016-03-01

Endothelial dysfunction is linked to insulin resistance, inflammatory activation, and increased cardiovascular risk in diabetes mellitus; however, the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Recent studies have identified proinflammatory signaling of wingless-type family member (Wnt) 5a through c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) as a regulator of metabolic dysfunction with potential relevance to vascular function. We sought to gain evidence that increased activation of Wnt5a-JNK signaling contributes to impaired endothelial function in patients with diabetes mellitus. We measured flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and characterized freshly isolated endothelial cells by protein expression, eNOS activation, and nitric oxide production in 85 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n=42) and age- and sex-matched nondiabetic controls (n=43) and in human aortic endothelial cells treated with Wnt5a. Endothelial cells from patients with diabetes mellitus displayed 1.3-fold higher Wnt5a levels (P=0.01) along with 1.4-fold higher JNK activation (P<0.01) without a difference in total JNK levels. Higher JNK activation was associated with lower flow-mediated dilation, consistent with endothelial dysfunction (r=0.53, P=0.02). Inhibition of Wnt5a and JNK signaling restored insulin and A23187-mediated eNOS activation and improved nitric oxide production in endothelial cells from patients with diabetes mellitus. In endothelial cells from nondiabetic controls, rWnt5a treatment inhibited eNOS activation replicating the diabetic endothelial phenotype. In human aortic endothelial cells, Wnt5a-induced impairment of eNOS activation and nitric oxide production was reversed by Wnt5a and JNK inhibition. Our findings demonstrate that noncanonical Wnt5a signaling and JNK activity contribute to vascular insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction and may represent a novel therapeutic opportunity to protect the vasculature in patients with diabetes mellitus. © 2016 American Heart

Network or non-network? The status of customer installations in the German Energy Economy Law; Netz oder nicht-Netz? Die Stellung von Kundenanlagen im EnWG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Helmes, Sebastian [Sozietaet SCHOLTKA und PARTNER Rechtsanwaelte, Berlin (Germany)

2013-01-15

It is widespread practice for final consumers to procure their energy supply through the ''private'' installations of third parties, that is, outside the public supply grids. This applies to many industrial sites with their own, historically evolved supply structures but also to airports, office buildings, camping sites and hotels. The regulatory treatment of this category of energy distribution plant is anything but trivial. Until the enactment of the 2011 amendment to the Energy Economy Law (EnWG) these installations were often regarded as object-related networks not amenable to regulation, a position which the European Court of Justice saw as violating European law in some cases. In view of the fact that the successor regulation concerning ''stand-alone distribution networks'' in paragraph 110 EnWG provides little scope for privileges, many today consider the concept of ''customer installation'', which only came under explicit regulation through the 2011 amendment, to be the ideal way to keep these installations clear of regulation. Customer installations do not count as energy distribution plants. One question that yet remains to be defined by law is at what point the regulated grid ends and the customer installation begins. This delimitation is fraught with problems because it touches on many legal concepts requiring interpretation. Another question quite aside from this is whether the legislature might have yet again violated European law through these provisions.

An Algorithm for Detection of DVB-T Signals Based on Their Second-Order Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jallon Pierre

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We propose in this paper a detection algorithm based on a cost function that jointly tests the correlation induced by the cyclic prefix and the fact that this correlation is time-periodic. In the first part of the paper, the cost function is introduced and some analytical results are given. In particular, the noise and multipath channel impacts on its values are theoretically analysed. In a second part of the paper, some asymptotic results are derived. A first exploitation of these results is used to build a detection test based on the false alarm probability. These results are also used to evaluate the impact of the number of cycle frequencies taken into account in the cost function on the detection performances. Thanks to numerical estimations, we have been able to estimate that the proposed algorithm detects DVB-T signals with an SNR of  dB. As a comparison, and in the same context, the detection algorithm proposed by the 802.22 WG in 2006 is able to detect these signals with an SNR of  dB.

Improving quality in the preanalytical phase through innovation, on behalf of the European Federation for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Baird, Geoffrey S.; Banfi, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

process remain, especially in the preanalytical phase ranging from test ordering to obtaining and managing the biological specimens. The Working Group for the Preanalytical Phase (WG-PRE) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) has planned many activities aimed...... at mitigating the vulnerability of the preanalytical phase, including the organization of three European meetings in the past 7 years. Hence, this collective article follows the previous three opinion papers that were published by the EFLM WGPRE on the same topic, and brings together the summaries...

High-frequency deregulated expression of Wnt signaling pathway members in breast carcinomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Zahid; Arafah, Maha; Shaik, Jilani Purusottapatnam; Mahale, Alka; Alanazi, Mohammad Saud

2018-01-01

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy and leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide including Saudi Arabia. Breast cancer in Saudi women develops at a much early age with median age of onset of 49 years compared to 62 years observed in patients from USA. Aberrations in wingless and integration site growth factor (Wnt) signaling pathway have been pathologically implicated in development of breast cancers and hence its role was examined in Saudi patients. We immunohistochemically examined various components of Wnt signaling pathway including β-catenin, tumor suppressor proteins, adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), and Axin, expression of naturally occurring pathway antagonists such as Dickkopf Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 3 (DKK3), FRP2, and WIF1, as well as Wnt target cyclin D1 and c-Myc to establish if the pathway is constitutively activated in breast cancers arising in Saudi women. Cytoplasmic β-catenin, indicative of activation of the pathway, was observed in 24% of cases. Expression of APC and Axin, which are components of β-catenin destruction complex, was lost in 5% and 10% of tumors, respectively. Additionally, Wnt signaling inhibitors DKK3, FRP2, and Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) were not expressed in 8%, 14%, and 5% breast tumors, respectively. Overall, accumulation of cytoplasmic β-catenin and downregulation of other Wnt pathway proteins (APC/Axin/DKK3/FRP2/WIF1) were found in approximately half of the breast cancers (47%) in our cohort. Consistent with this, analysis of Wnt target genes demonstrated moderate-to-strong expression of c-Myc in 58% and cyclin D1 in 50% of breast cancers. Deregulation of Wnt pathway was not associated with age of onset of the disease, tumor grade, and triple-negative status of breast cancers. High level of deregulated expression of Wnt pathway proteins suggests its important role in pathogenesis of breast cancers arising in Saudi women who may benefit from development of therapeutic drugs

NASAs VESGEN: Systems Analysis of Vascular Phenotypes from Stress and Other Signaling Pathways Using GeneLab.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia A.; Weitzel, Alexander; Vyas, Ruchi J.; Murray, Matthew C.; Wyatt, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

One fundamental requirement shared by humans with all higher terrestrial life forms, including insect wings, higher land plants and other vertebrates, is a complex, fractally branching vascular system. NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software maps and quantifies vascular trees, networks, and tree-network composites according to weighted physiological rules such as vessel connectivity, tapering and bifurcational branching. According to fluid dynamics, successful vascular transport requires a complex distributed system of highly regulated laminar flow. Microvascular branching rules within vertebrates, dicot leaves and the other organisms therefore display many similarities. One unifying perspective is that vascular patterning offers a useful readout that necessarily integrates complex molecular signaling pathways. VESGEN has elucidated changes in vascular pattern resulting from inflammatory, stress response, developmental and other signaling within numerous tissues and major model organisms studied for Space Biology. For a new VESGEN systems approach, we analyzed differential gene expression in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana reported by GeneLab (GLDS-7) for spaceflight. Vascular-related changes in leaf gene expression were identified that can potentially be phenocopied by mutants in ground-based experiments. To link transcriptional, protein and other molecular change with phenotype, alterations in the Euclidean and dynamic dimensions (x,y,t) of vascular patterns for Arabidopsis leaves and other model species are being co-localized with signaling patterns of single molecular expression analyzed as information dimensions (i,j,k,...). Previously, Drosophila microarray data returned from space suggested significant changes in genes related to wing venation development that include EGF, Notch, Hedghog, Wingless and Dpp signaling. Phenotypes of increasingly abnormal ectopic wing venation in the (non-spaceflight) Drosophila wing generated by overexpression of a

Roles of circulating WNT-signaling proteins and WNT-inhibitors in human adiposity, insulin resistance, insulin secretion, and inflammation.

Science.gov (United States)

Almario, R U; Karakas, S E

2015-02-01

Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member (WNT) signaling and WNT-inhibitors have been implicated in regulation of adipogenesis, insulin resistance, pancreatic function, and inflammation. Our goal was to determine serum proteins involved in WNT signaling (WNT5 and WISP2) and WNT inhibition (SFRP4 and SFRP5) as they relate to obesity, serum adipokines, insulin resistance, insulin secretion, and inflammation in humans. Study population comprised 57 insulin resistant women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and 27 reference women. In a cross-sectional study, blood samples were obtained at fasting, during oral, and frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance tests. Serum WNT5, WISP2, and SFRP4 concentrations did not differ between PCOS vs. reference women. Serum WNT5 correlated inversely with weight both in PCOS and reference women, and correlated directly with insulin response during oral glucose tolerance test in PCOS women. Serum WISP2 correlated directly with fatty acid binding protein 4. Serum SFRP5 did not differ between obese (n=32) vs. nonobese (n=25) PCOS women, but reference women had lower SFRP5 (pPCOS groups). Serum SFRP5 correlated inversely with IL-1β, TNF-α, cholesterol, and apoprotein B. These findings demonstrated that WNT5 correlated inversely with adiposity and directly with insulin response, and the WNT-inhibitor SFRP5 may be anti-inflammatory. Better understanding of the role of WNT signaling in obesity, insulin resistance, insulin secretion, lipoprotein metabolism, and inflammation is important for prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Using NASA's GeneLab for VESGEN Systems Analysis of Vascular Phenotypes from Stress and Other Signaling Pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons-Wingerter, P.; Weitzel, Alexander; Vyas, R. J.; Murray, M. C.; Vickerman, M. B.; Bhattacharya, S.; Wyatt, S. E.

2016-01-01

One fundamental requirement shared by humans with all higher terrestrial life forms, including other vertebrates, insects, and higher land plants, is a complex, fractally branching vascular system. NASA's VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software maps and quantifies vascular trees, networks, and tree-network composites according to weighted physiological rules such as vessel connectivity, tapering and bifurcational branching. According to fluid dynamics, successful vascular transport requires a complex distributed system of highly regulated laminar flow. Microvascular branching rules within vertebrates, dicot leaves and the other organisms therefore display many similarities. A unifying perspective is that vascular patterning offers a useful readout of molecular signaling that necessarily integrates these complex pathways. VESGEN has elucidated changes in vascular pattern resulting from inflammatory, developmental and other signaling within numerous tissues and major model organisms studied for Space Biology. For a new VESGEN systems approach, we analyzed differential gene expression in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana reported by GeneLab (GLDS-7) for spaceflight. Vascularrelated changes in leaf gene expression were identified that can potentially be phenocopied by mutants in ground-based experiments. To link transcriptional, protein and other molecular change with phenotype, alterations in the spatial and dynamic dimensions of vascular patterns for Arabidopsis leaves and other model species are being co-localized with signaling patterns of single molecular expression analyzed as information dimensions. Previously, Drosophila microarray data returned from space suggested significant changes in genes related to wing venation development that include EGF, Notch, Hedghog, Wingless and Dpp signaling. Phenotypes of increasingly abnormal ectopic wing venation in the (non-spaceflight) Drosophila wing generated by overexpression of a Notch antagonist were analyzed by

Law for Accelerated Network Expansion (NABEG) / Law on the Expansion of Energy Supply Lines (EnLAG) / Energy Economy Law (EnWG). Commentary on laws concerning the construction of energy supply lines.; NABEG/EnLAG/EnWG. Kommentar zum Recht des Energieleitungsbaus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinbach, Armin (ed.) [Bundeswirtschaftsministerium, Berlin (Germany)

2013-09-01

The legislative package which launched the energy turnaround in 2011 has brought with it a fundamental reform of licensing regulations for energy supply lines. The new legal framework brought about by the Law for Accelerated Network Expansion (NABEG) and the amendment to the Energy Economy Law (EnWG) impact on the entire planning and licensing process, starting from demand planning for new supply lines and ending with planning approval for specific supply line projects. The instrument of special federal planning has taken the place of regional impact assessments. Moreover a number of procedural innovations have been introduced, notably in the area of public participation. Beside being charged with regulatory tasks the Federal Network Agency will in future also be the authority responsible for the planning and licensing of the electricity motorways. In short: With this reform the legislature has ventured on untrodden ground both in institutional terms and with respect to substantive law. The new regulations confront all involved - network operators, public authorities, legal consultants and others - with the challenge of applying them in practice. The present book is intended to provide practical orientation in interpreting and applying this new body of regulations.

Regulation of Akt and Wnt signaling by the group II metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist LY341495 and agonist LY379268.

Science.gov (United States)

Sutton, Laurie P; Rushlow, Walter J

2011-06-01

Metabotropic glutamate receptors 2/3 (mGlu(2/3)) have been implicated in schizophrenia and as a novel treatment target for schizophrenia. The current study examined whether mGlu(2/3) regulates Akt (protein kinase B) and Wnt (Wingless/Int-1) signaling, two cascades associated with schizophrenia and modified by antipsychotics. Western blotting revealed increases in phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3 (pGSK-3) following acute and repeated treatment of LY379268 (mGlu(2/3) agonist), whereas increases in dishevelled-2 (Dvl-2), dishevelled-3 (Dvl-3), GSK-3 and β-catenin were only observed following repeated treatment. LY341495 (mGlu(2/3) antagonist) induced the opposite response compared with LY379268. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed an association between the mGlu(2/3) complex and Dvl-2 providing a possible mechanism to explain how the mGlu(2/3) can mediate changes in Wnt signaling. However, there was no association between the mGlu(2/3) complex and Akt suggesting that changes in Akt signaling following LY341495 and LY379268 treatments may not be directly mediated by the mGlu(2/3) . Finally, an increase in locomotor activity induced by LY341495 treatment correlated with increased pAkt and pGSK-3 levels and was attenuated by the administration of the GSK-3 inhibitor, SB216763. Overall, the results suggest that mGlu(2/3) regulates Akt and Wnt signaling and LY379268 treatment has overlapping effects with D(2) dopamine receptor antagonists (antipsychotic drugs). © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry © 2011 International Society for Neurochemistry.

A genome-wide RNAi screen identifies regulators of cholesterol-modified hedgehog secretion in Drosophila.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reid Aikin

Full Text Available Hedgehog (Hh proteins are secreted molecules that function as organizers in animal development. In addition to being palmitoylated, Hh is the only metazoan protein known to possess a covalently-linked cholesterol moiety. The absence of either modification severely disrupts the organization of numerous tissues during development. It is currently not known how lipid-modified Hh is secreted and released from producing cells. We have performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila melanogaster cells to identify regulators of Hh secretion. We found that cholesterol-modified Hh secretion is strongly dependent on coat protein complex I (COPI but not COPII vesicles, suggesting that cholesterol modification alters the movement of Hh through the early secretory pathway. We provide evidence that both proteolysis and cholesterol modification are necessary for the efficient trafficking of Hh through the ER and Golgi. Finally, we identified several putative regulators of protein secretion and demonstrate a role for some of these genes in Hh and Wingless (Wg morphogen secretion in vivo. These data open new perspectives for studying how morphogen secretion is regulated, as well as provide insight into regulation of lipid-modified protein secretion.

An Algorithm for Detection of DVB-T Signals Based on Their Second-Order Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre Jallon

2008-03-01

Full Text Available We propose in this paper a detection algorithm based on a cost function that jointly tests the correlation induced by the cyclic prefix and the fact that this correlation is time-periodic. In the first part of the paper, the cost function is introduced and some analytical results are given. In particular, the noise and multipath channel impacts on its values are theoretically analysed. In a second part of the paper, some asymptotic results are derived. A first exploitation of these results is used to build a detection test based on the false alarm probability. These results are also used to evaluate the impact of the number of cycle frequencies taken into account in the cost function on the detection performances. Thanks to numerical estimations, we have been able to estimate that the proposed algorithm detects DVB-T signals with an SNR of −12 dB. As a comparison, and in the same context, the detection algorithm proposed by the 802.22 WG in 2006 is able to detect these signals with an SNR of −8 dB.

Experiment list: SRX186681 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available || antibody vendorid=ab8898 || controlid=wgEncodeEH000093 || replicate=1,2 || software...ntrol=std || control description=Standard input signal for most experiments. || controlid=HMEC/Input/std || software

Experiment list: SRX186659 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 0 || controlid=wgEncodeEH002434 || replicate=1,2 || softwareversion=ScriptureVPap...rol=std || control description=Standard input signal for most experiments. || controlid=Dnd41/Input/std || software

Experiment list: SRX186747 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available cam || antibody vendorid=ab8898 || controlid=wgEncodeEH002434 || replicate=1,2 || software... control=std || control description=Standard input signal for most experiments. || controlid=Dnd41/Input/std || software

MRI of the fetal posterior fossa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adamsbaum, Catherine; Andre, Christine; Merzoug, Valerie; Ferey, Solene [St Vincent de Paul Hospital, Department of Radiology, Paris Cedex 14 (France); Moutard, Marie Laure [St Vincent de Paul Hospital, Department of Neuropaediatrics, Paris (France); Quere, Marie Pierre [CHU, Department of Radiology, Nantes (France); Lewin, Fanny [St Vincent de Paul Hospital, Maternity Department, Paris (France); Fallet-Bianco, Catherine [Ste Anne Hospital, Department of Neuropathology, Paris (France)

2005-02-01

MRI is a useful tool to complement US for imaging of the fetal posterior fossa (PF). In France, the discovery of a PF malformation in the fetus frequently leads to termination of pregnancy (80% in a personal series). However, despite improved accuracy in the diagnosis of PF abnormalities, prognosis remains uncertain. The first objective of this review is to document the normal MRI landmarks of the developing fetal PF. Because of their thinness, the visibility of the cerebellar fissures is dramatically delayed on MRI compared to macroscopic data. An important landmark is identification of the primary fissure of the vermis, normally seen at around 25-26 weeks' gestation (WG) on the sagittal slice, separating the larger posterior lobe from the anterior lobe (volume ratio around 2:1). The prepyramidal and secondary fissures are usually only identifiable after 32 WG and the hemispheric fissures are difficult to see until the end of pregnancy. Considering the signal changes, high signal on T2-weighted (T2-W) sequences is seen from 25 WG in the posterior part of the brain stem (tegmentum and ascending sensory tracts) related to myelination. The low signal intensities seen within the cerebellum on T2-W images correspond to high cellularity of grey matter (deep nuclei), as there is no myelination within the white matter before 38 WG. The second objective is to highlight the signs highly predictive of a poor neurological prognosis. Lack of pontine curvature or vermian agenesis without a PF cyst (small volume of PF) is greatly associated with poor neurological status. The third objective is to propose a diagnostic strategy in difficult cases where prognosis is important, e.g. the Dandy Walker continuum. (orig.)

MRI of the fetal posterior fossa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adamsbaum, Catherine; Andre, Christine; Merzoug, Valerie; Ferey, Solene; Moutard, Marie Laure; Quere, Marie Pierre; Lewin, Fanny; Fallet-Bianco, Catherine

2005-01-01

MRI is a useful tool to complement US for imaging of the fetal posterior fossa (PF). In France, the discovery of a PF malformation in the fetus frequently leads to termination of pregnancy (80% in a personal series). However, despite improved accuracy in the diagnosis of PF abnormalities, prognosis remains uncertain. The first objective of this review is to document the normal MRI landmarks of the developing fetal PF. Because of their thinness, the visibility of the cerebellar fissures is dramatically delayed on MRI compared to macroscopic data. An important landmark is identification of the primary fissure of the vermis, normally seen at around 25-26 weeks' gestation (WG) on the sagittal slice, separating the larger posterior lobe from the anterior lobe (volume ratio around 2:1). The prepyramidal and secondary fissures are usually only identifiable after 32 WG and the hemispheric fissures are difficult to see until the end of pregnancy. Considering the signal changes, high signal on T2-weighted (T2-W) sequences is seen from 25 WG in the posterior part of the brain stem (tegmentum and ascending sensory tracts) related to myelination. The low signal intensities seen within the cerebellum on T2-W images correspond to high cellularity of grey matter (deep nuclei), as there is no myelination within the white matter before 38 WG. The second objective is to highlight the signs highly predictive of a poor neurological prognosis. Lack of pontine curvature or vermian agenesis without a PF cyst (small volume of PF) is greatly associated with poor neurological status. The third objective is to propose a diagnostic strategy in difficult cases where prognosis is important, e.g. the Dandy Walker continuum. (orig.)

Experiment list: SRX186745 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available wgEncodeEH000105 || replicate=1,2 || softwareversion=ScriptureVPaperR3 || cell sex=U || antibody=H3K79me2 ||...input signal for most experiments. || controlid=NHLF/Input/std || softwareversion

Creating and analyzing pathway and protein interaction compendia for modelling signal transduction networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirouac Daniel C

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Understanding the information-processing capabilities of signal transduction networks, how those networks are disrupted in disease, and rationally designing therapies to manipulate diseased states require systematic and accurate reconstruction of network topology. Data on networks central to human physiology, such as the inflammatory signalling networks analyzed here, are found in a multiplicity of on-line resources of pathway and interactome databases (Cancer CellMap, GeneGo, KEGG, NCI-Pathway Interactome Database (NCI-PID, PANTHER, Reactome, I2D, and STRING. We sought to determine whether these databases contain overlapping information and whether they can be used to construct high reliability prior knowledge networks for subsequent modeling of experimental data. Results We have assembled an ensemble network from multiple on-line sources representing a significant portion of all machine-readable and reconcilable human knowledge on proteins and protein interactions involved in inflammation. This ensemble network has many features expected of complex signalling networks assembled from high-throughput data: a power law distribution of both node degree and edge annotations, and topological features of a “bow tie” architecture in which diverse pathways converge on a highly conserved set of enzymatic cascades focused around PI3K/AKT, MAPK/ERK, JAK/STAT, NFκB, and apoptotic signaling. Individual pathways exhibit “fuzzy” modularity that is statistically significant but still involving a majority of “cross-talk” interactions. However, we find that the most widely used pathway databases are highly inconsistent with respect to the actual constituents and interactions in this network. Using a set of growth factor signalling networks as examples (epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, tumor necrosis factor, and wingless, we find a multiplicity of network topologies in which receptors couple to downstream

Job Grading Standard for Brakeman and Conductor WG-6003.

Science.gov (United States)

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

The standard is used to grade the nonsupervisory work involved in coordinating (onsite) the movement, make up, or break up of trains, locomotives, and train cars. The work requires knowledge of the layout of a railroad track system; knowledge of and ability to follow numerous safety, signalling, switching, track use, train car, and train movement…

Assessment of acute toxicity of thiamethoxam (Actara® 25WG to Achatina fulica and its potential ecological applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Kim Feliz N. Abog

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Achatina fulica is considered as one of the world’s worst invasive species and is known to cause ecological disruption as well as agricultural and health problems in the Philippines. The study evaluated the use of the insecticide thiamethoxam (Actara® 25WG in the control of A. fulica populations. This was done by performing an acute toxicity test of thiamethoxam to A. fulica. Six individuals each were exposedto thiamethoxam concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/L for 72 hours. The percent mortality was then determined after the exposure period. Probit analysis was used to determine the LD50 of thiamethoxam to A. fulica. The LD50 was found to be 662.95 ± 172.98 μg/L. Using the mean body weight of the snails, the LD50 per body weight of A. fulica was determined to be 90.09 ± 23.60 μg/kg. This is 70 times lower than the recommended application of thiamethoxam on field. Thus, normal application would eliminate A. fulica. However, because the LD50 to A. fulica is higher than that for other beneficial non-target species such as honey bees (0.03 μg/bee, the use of thiamethoxam in the control of A. fulica populations is only recommended when in conjunction with the control of target pest insects.

Experiment list: SRX186732 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available orid=ab8580; 07-473 || controlid=wgEncodeEH003130 || replicate=1,2 || softwareversion=ScriptureVPaperR3 || c...=Standard input signal for most experiments. || controlid=Monocytes-CD14+_RO01746/Input/std || software

Hilbert-Schmidt and Sobol sensitivity indices for static and time series Wnt signaling measurements in colorectal cancer - part A.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Shriprakash

2017-12-04

Ever since the accidental discovery of Wingless [Sharma R.P., Drosophila information service, 1973, 50, p 134], research in the field of Wnt signaling pathway has taken significant strides in wet lab experiments and various cancer clinical trials, augmented by recent developments in advanced computational modeling of the pathway. Information rich gene expression profiles reveal various aspects of the signaling pathway and help in studying different issues simultaneously. Hitherto, not many computational studies exist which incorporate the simultaneous study of these issues. This manuscript ∙ explores the strength of contributing factors in the signaling pathway, ∙ analyzes the existing causal relations among the inter/extracellular factors effecting the pathway based on prior biological knowledge and ∙ investigates the deviations in fold changes in the recently found prevalence of psychophysical laws working in the pathway. To achieve this goal, local and global sensitivity analysis is conducted on the (non)linear responses between the factors obtained from static and time series expression profiles using the density (Hilbert-Schmidt Information Criterion) and variance (Sobol) based sensitivity indices. The results show the advantage of using density based indices over variance based indices mainly due to the former's employment of distance measures & the kernel trick via Reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) that capture nonlinear relations among various intra/extracellular factors of the pathway in a higher dimensional space. In time series data, using these indices it is now possible to observe where in time, which factors get influenced & contribute to the pathway, as changes in concentration of the other factors are made. This synergy of prior biological knowledge, sensitivity analysis & representations in higher dimensional spaces can facilitate in time based administration of target therapeutic drugs & reveal hidden biological information within

Male fighting and ``territoriality'' within colonies of the ant Cardiocondyla venustula

Science.gov (United States)

Frohschammer, Sabine; Heinze, Jürgen

2009-01-01

The ant genus Cardiocondyla is characterized by a bizarre male polymorphism with wingless fighter males and winged disperser males. Winged males have been lost convergently in several clades, and in at least one of them, wingless males have evolved mutual tolerance. To better understand the evolutionary pathways of reproductive tactics, we investigated Cardiocondyla venustula, a species, which in a phylogenetic analysis clusters with species with fighting and species with mutually tolerant, wingless males. Wingless males of C. venustula use their strong mandibles to kill freshly eclosed rival males and also engage in short fights with other adult males, but in addition show a novel behavior hitherto not reported from social insect males: they spread out in the natal nest and defend “territories” against other males. Ant males therefore show a much larger variety of reproductive tactics than previously assumed.

Male fighting and "territoriality" within colonies of the ant Cardiocondyla venustula.

Science.gov (United States)

Frohschammer, Sabine; Heinze, Jürgen

2009-01-01

The ant genus Cardiocondyla is characterized by a bizarre male polymorphism with wingless fighter males and winged disperser males. Winged males have been lost convergently in several clades, and in at least one of them, wingless males have evolved mutual tolerance. To better understand the evolutionary pathways of reproductive tactics, we investigated Cardiocondyla venustula, a species, which in a phylogenetic analysis clusters with species with fighting and species with mutually tolerant, wingless males. Wingless males of C. venustula use their strong mandibles to kill freshly eclosed rival males and also engage in short fights with other adult males, but in addition show a novel behavior hitherto not reported from social insect males: they spread out in the natal nest and defend "territories" against other males. Ant males therefore show a much larger variety of reproductive tactics than previously assumed.

IEC SC15E: Report on liaison activities of CIGRÉ-SC15

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, Mogens

2000-01-01

WG’s activities under CIGRÉ SC15:WG 15.01 - Fluid impregnated systems.WG 15.02 - Dielectric Liquids.WG 15.03 - Gas Insulation.WG 15.04 - Outdoor Insulation.WG 15.05 - Capacitors.WG 15.07 - Solid Insulating Materials for Rotating Machines.WG 15/33.08 - Insulation Monitoring and Life Estimation. WG...

New clinical validation method for automated sphygmomanometer: a proposal by Japan ISO-WG for sphygmomanometer standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Shirasaki, Osamu; Asou, Yosuke; Takahashi, Yukio

2007-12-01

Owing to fast or stepwise cuff deflation, or measuring at places other than the upper arm, the clinical accuracy of most recent automated sphygmomanometers (auto-BPMs) cannot be validated by one-arm simultaneous comparison, which would be the only accurate validation method based on auscultation. Two main alternative methods are provided by current standards, that is, two-arm simultaneous comparison (method 1) and one-arm sequential comparison (method 2); however, the accuracy of these validation methods might not be sufficient to compensate for the suspicious accuracy in lateral blood pressure (BP) differences (LD) and/or BP variations (BPV) between the device and reference readings. Thus, the Japan ISO-WG for sphygmomanometer standards has been studying a new method that might improve validation accuracy (method 3). The purpose of this study is to determine the appropriateness of method 3 by comparing immunity to LD and BPV with those of the current validation methods (methods 1 and 2). The validation accuracy of the above three methods was assessed in human participants [N=120, 45+/-15.3 years (mean+/-SD)]. An oscillometric automated monitor, Omron HEM-762, was used as the tested device. When compared with the others, methods 1 and 3 showed a smaller intra-individual standard deviation of device error (SD1), suggesting their higher reproducibility of validation. The SD1 by method 2 (P=0.004) significantly correlated with the participant's BP, supporting our hypothesis that the increased SD of device error by method 2 is at least partially caused by essential BPV. Method 3 showed a significantly (P=0.0044) smaller interparticipant SD of device error (SD2), suggesting its higher interparticipant consistency of validation. Among the methods of validation of the clinical accuracy of auto-BPMs, method 3, which showed the highest reproducibility and highest interparticipant consistency, can be proposed as being the most appropriate.

Mutations in the LRRK2 Roc-COR tandem domain link Parkinson's disease to Wnt signalling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Sancho, Rosa M; Law, Bernard M H; Harvey, Kirsten

2009-10-15

Mutations in PARK8, encoding LRRK2, are the most common known cause of Parkinson's disease. The LRRK2 Roc-COR tandem domain exhibits GTPase activity controlling LRRK2 kinase activity via an intramolecular process. We report the interaction of LRRK2 with the dishevelled family of phosphoproteins (DVL1-3), key regulators of Wnt (Wingless/Int) signalling pathways important for axon guidance, synapse formation and neuronal maintenance. Interestingly, DVLs can interact with and mediate the activation of small GTPases with structural similarity to the LRRK2 Roc domain. The LRRK2 Roc-COR domain and the DVL1 DEP domain were necessary and sufficient for LRRK2-DVL1 interaction. Co-expression of DVL1 increased LRRK2 steady-state protein levels, an effect that was dependent on the DEP domain. Strikingly, LRRK2-DVL1-3 interactions were disrupted by the familial PARK8 mutation Y1699C, whereas pathogenic mutations at residues R1441 and R1728 strengthened LRRK2-DVL1 interactions. Co-expression of DVL1 with LRRK2 in mammalian cells resulted in the redistribution of LRRK2 to typical cytoplasmic DVL1 aggregates in HEK293 and SH-SY5Y cells and co-localization in neurites and growth cones of differentiated dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells. This is the first report of the modulation of a key LRRK2-accessory protein interaction by PARK8 Roc-COR domain mutations segregating with Parkinson's disease. Since the DVL1 DEP domain is known to be involved in the regulation of small GTPases, we propose that: (i) DVLs may influence LRRK2 GTPase activity, and (ii) Roc-COR domain mutations modulating LRRK2-DVL interactions indirectly influence kinase activity. Our findings also link LRRK2 to Wnt signalling pathways, suggesting novel pathogenic mechanisms and new targets for genetic analysis in Parkinson's disease.

Autophagic signaling and proteolytic enzyme activity in cardiac and skeletal muscle of spontaneously hypertensive rats following chronic aerobic exercise.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elliott M McMillan

Full Text Available Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease associated with deleterious effects in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Autophagy is a degradative process essential to muscle health. Acute exercise can alter autophagic signaling. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the effects of chronic endurance exercise on autophagy in skeletal and cardiac muscle of normotensive and hypertensive rats. Male Wistar Kyoto (WKY and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR were assigned to a sedentary condition or 6 weeks of treadmill running. White gastrocnemius (WG of hypertensive rats had higher (p<0.05 caspase-3 and proteasome activity, as well as elevated calpain activity. In addition, skeletal muscle of hypertensive animals had elevated (p<0.05 ATG7 and LC3I protein, LAMP2 mRNA, and cathepsin activity, indicative of enhanced autophagic signaling. Interestingly, chronic exercise training increased (p<0.05 Beclin-1, LC3, and p62 mRNA as well as proteasome activity, but reduced (p<0.05 Beclin-1 and ATG7 protein, as well as decreased (p<0.05 caspase-3, calpain, and cathepsin activity. Left ventricle (LV of hypertensive rats had reduced (p<0.05 AMPKα and LC3II protein, as well as elevated (p<0.05 p-AKT, p-p70S6K, LC3I and p62 protein, which collectively suggest reduced autophagic signaling. Exercise training had little effect on autophagy-related signaling factors in LV; however, exercise training increased (p<0.05 proteasome activity but reduced (p<0.05 caspase-3 and calpain activity. Our results suggest that autophagic signaling is altered in skeletal and cardiac muscle of hypertensive animals. Regular aerobic exercise can effectively alter the proteolytic environment in both cardiac and skeletal muscle, as well as influence several autophagy-related factors in skeletal muscle of normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Information about AER WG A on improvement, extension and validation of parametrized few-group libraries for VVER 440 and VVER 1000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikolas, P.

2010-01-01

Joint AER Working Group A on 'Improvement, extension and validation of parameterized few-group libraries for WWER-440 and WWER-1000' and AER Working Group B on 'Core design' nineteenth meeting was hosted by VUJE a. s. in Modra - Harmonia (Slovakia) during the period of 20. to 22. April 2010. There were present altogether 12 participants from 8 member organizations and 9 papers were presented (8 of them in written form). Objectives of the meeting of WG A are: Issues connected with spectral calculations and few-groups libraries preparation, their accuracy and validation. Presentations were devoted to some aspects of transport and diffusion calculations and to the benchmark dealing with WWER-1000 core periphery power tilt. Tamas Parko (co-authors Istvan Pos and Sandor Patai Szabo) described in his presentation 'Application of Discontinuity factors in C-PORCA 7 code', Radoslav Zajac (co-authors Petr Darilek and Vladimir Necas) spoke about 'Fast Reactor Nodalisation in HELIOS Code', Gabriel Farkas presented 'Calculation of Spatial Weighting Functions of Ex-Core Neutron Detectors for WWER-440 Using Monte Carlo Approach' and Daniel Sprinzl (co-authors Vaclav Krysl, Pavel Mikolas and Jiri Svarny) provided a definition of a benchmark in ' 'MIDICORE' WWER-1000 core periphery power tilt benchmark proposal'. (Author)

Information about AER WG a on improvement, extension and validation of parametrized few-group libraries for VVER 440 and VVER 1000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikolas, P.

2009-01-01

Joint AER Working Group A on 'Improvement, extension and validation of parameterized few-group libraries for VVER-440 and VVER-1000' and AER Working group B on 'Core design' eighteenth meeting was hosted by Skoda JS a.s. in Plzen (Czech Republic) during the period of 4 to 6 May 2009. There were present altogether 16 participants from 6 member organizations and 13 presentations were read. Objectives of the meeting of WG A are: Issues connected with spectral calculations and few-groups libraries preparation, their accuracy and validation. Presentations were devoted to some aspects of few group libraries preparations and to the benchmark dealing with VVER-440 follower modeling in calculations. Gy. Hegyi gave some new information about NURESIM-NURISP EU project (ZR-6), R. Zajac spoke about the development of data libraries for codes BIPR-7 and PERMAK, P. Darilek compared FA's with Gd during burning process and Yu. Bilodid described further development of plutonium-based burnup history modeling in DYN3D burnup calculations. G. Hordosy presented results of control rod follower induced local power peaking computational benchmark and J. Svarny described Monte Carlo VVER-440 control rod follower benchmark computations. Future activities are also shortly described in the end of the paper. (author)

A new species of Chasmodon Haliday (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Achterberg, van C.

1975-01-01

During an acarological study of brackish habitats in the Netherlands, a wingless species of Chasmodon was discovered. Because of the intermediate shape of the notauli it was not possible to identify it with the key of Hedqvist (1962), and therefore I propose another key for the wingless and

Using Ambystoma mexicanum (Mexican axolotl) embryos, chemical genetics, and microarray analysis to identify signaling pathways associated with tissue regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponomareva, Larissa V; Athippozhy, Antony; Thorson, Jon S; Voss, S Randal

2015-12-01

Amphibian vertebrates are important models in regenerative biology because they present exceptional regenerative capabilities throughout life. However, it takes considerable effort to rear amphibians to juvenile and adult stages for regeneration studies, and the relatively large sizes that frogs and salamanders achieve during development make them difficult to use in chemical screens. Here, we introduce a new tail regeneration model using late stage Mexican axolotl embryos. We show that axolotl embryos completely regenerate amputated tails in 7days before they exhaust their yolk supply and begin to feed. Further, we show that axolotl embryos can be efficiently reared in microtiter plates to achieve moderate throughput screening of soluble chemicals to investigate toxicity and identify molecules that alter regenerative outcome. As proof of principle, we identified integration 1 / wingless (Wnt), transforming growth factor beta (Tgf-β), and fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) pathway antagonists that completely block tail regeneration and additional chemicals that significantly affected tail outgrowth. Furthermore, we used microarray analysis to show that inhibition of Wnt signaling broadly affects transcription of genes associated with Wnt, Fgf, Tgf-β, epidermal growth factor (Egf), Notch, nerve growth factor (Ngf), homeotic gene (Hox), rat sarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase (Ras/Mapk), myelocytomatosis viral oncogene (Myc), tumor protein 53 (p53), and retinoic acid (RA) pathways. Punctuated changes in the expression of genes known to regulate vertebrate development were observed; this suggests the tail regeneration transcriptional program is hierarchically structured and temporally ordered. Our study establishes the axolotl as a chemical screening model to investigate signaling pathways associated with tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of waveguide architectures of InGaN/GaN diode lasers by nearfield optical microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Friede, Sebastian; Tomm, Jens W.; Kühn, Sergei; Hoffmann, Veit; Wenzel, Hans

2017-02-01

Waveguide (WG) architectures of 420-nm emitting InAlGaN/GaN diode lasers are analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) and photocurrent (PC) spectroscopy using a nearfield scanning optical microscope (NSOM) for excitation and detection. The measurements with a spatial resolution of 100 nm are implemented by scanning the fiber tip along the unprepared front facets of standard devices. PL is collected by the fiber tip, whereas PCs are extracted from the contacts that are anyway present for power supply. The mechanisms of signal generation are addressed in detail. The components of the `optical active region', multiple quantum wells (MQW), WGs, and cladding layers are separately inspected. Even separate analysis of p- and n-sections of the WG become possible. Defect levels are detected in the p-part of the WG. Their presence is consistent with the doping by Mg. An increased efficiency of carrier capture into InGaN/GaN WGs compared to GaN WGs is observed. Thus, beyond the improved optical confinement, the electrical confinement is improved, as well. NSOM PL and PC at GaN based devices do not reach the clarity and spatial resolution for WG mode analysis as seen before for GaAs based devices. This is due to higher modal absorption and higher WG losses. NSOM based optical analysis turns out to be an efficient tool for analysis of single layers grown into InAlGaN/GaN diode laser structures, even if this analysis is done at a packaged ready-to-work device.

Experiment list: SRX186684 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available ol description=Standard input signal for most experiments. || controlid=NHEK/Input/std || softwareversion=Sc...t of Histone H2A. || antibody vendorname=Millipore || antibody vendorid=07-594 || controlid=wgEncodeEH000072 || replicate=1,2 || soft...wareversion=ScriptureVPaperR3 || cell sex=M || antibody=

Sixth international workshop on linear colliders. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urakawa, Junji [ed.

1995-08-01

The sixth international workshop on linear colliders (LC95) was held by KEK at Tsukuba Center for Institute. In the workshop 8 parallel working group were organized: WG1 (beam sources and injection linacs), WG2 (damping rings and bunch compressors), WG3 (a: RF sources and structures, b: superconducting cavities, c: two beam accelerators), WG4 (beam dynamics in main linacs), WG5 (final focus and integration regions), WG6 (beam instrumentation), WG7 (overall parameters and construction techniques), WG8 (gamma-gamma collider and miscellaneous). This issue compiles materials which were used in the workshop. (J.P.N.).

Sixth international workshop on linear colliders. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urakawa, Junji

1995-08-01

The sixth international workshop on linear colliders (LC95) was held by KEK at Tsukuba Center for Institute. In the workshop 8 parallel working group were organized: WG1 (beam sources and injection linacs), WG2 (damping rings and bunch compressors), WG3 (a: RF sources and structures, b: superconducting cavities, c: two beam accelerators), WG4 (beam dynamics in main linacs), WG5 (final focus and integration regions), WG6 (beam instrumentation), WG7 (overall parameters and construction techniques), WG8 (gamma-gamma collider and miscellaneous). This issue compiles materials which were used in the workshop. (J.P.N.)

Total dietary fiber intakes in the US population are related to whole grain consumption: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009 to 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Reicks, Marla; Jonnalagadda, Satya; Albertson, Ann M; Joshi, Nandan

2014-03-01

Whole grain (WG) foods have been shown to reduce chronic disease risk and overweight. Total dietary fiber is associated with WG and its health benefits. The purpose was to determine whether associations exist between WG intake (no-WG intake, 0 ounce equivalent [oz eq]; low, >0-cereals and yeast breads/rolls in the high WG intake group compared with the no-WG intake group. Major WG sources for children/adolescents and adults included yeast bread/rolls (24% and 27%, respectively), RTE cereals (25% and 20%, respectively), and oatmeal (12% and 21%, respectively). Among those with the highest WG intake, WG RTE cereal with no added bran was the greatest contributor to total dietary fiber compared with other RTE cereal types. Whole grain foods make a substantial contribution to total dietary fiber intake and should be promoted to meet recommendations. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

5 CFR 532.315 - Additional survey jobs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

...: Specialized industry Specialized survey jobs Grade Aircraft Electronics Mechanic WG-11 Aircraft Structures... WG-9 Artillery and combat vehicles Automotive Mechanic (limited to data obtained in special... Electronics Electronics Mechanic WG-11 Industrial Electronic Controls Repairer WG-10 Electronic Test Equipment...

76 FR 34123 - 25th Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 206: Aeronautical Information and Meteorological Data Link

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-10

... WG3 Meetings 28 June--Tuesday 9 a.m. Joint Plenary meeting with AEEC Systems Architecture & Interface... Meeting Plans and Dates Other Business 1 July--Friday 9 a.m. WG1, WG2, and WG3 Meetings 12 p.m. Adjourn...

The history of energy industry law in Germany. With particular emphasis on the development of the Energy Act (EnWG) and current proposals for reform under discussion; Zur Entwicklung des Energierechts in Deutschland. Unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung des Energiewirtschaftsgesetzes und der aktuellen Reformdiskussion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smeddinck, U.

1995-11-01

The paper describes the history and development of the regulatory framework governing the energy industry and the reasons why this legislation has been creating an organisational framework of the power industry in Germany with some strikingly peculiar features. The core structure and the essential aspects of the Energy Act (EnWG) are discussed in detail, followed by a survey of relevant cartel laws and the regime of franchise agreements and franchise duties. The amendments made in response to the oil crisis in the early seventies are mentioned, and current trends and proposals for reform are outlined. The Annex contains material illustrating a number of significant developments and issues in the history of the energy industry law, with brief explanations. The bibliography also lists publications of interest to readers wishing to get more insight into ongoing debates about problems posed by energy industry law, and proposed reforms. [Deutsch] Der Beitrag zeichnet die Entstehung und Veraenderung des rechtlichen Ordnungsrahmens nach, der fuer die derzeitige eigentuemliche Organisation der deutschen Elektrizitaetswirtschaft verantwortlich ist. Im Mittelpunkt steht das EnWG mit seinem Grundmuster. Darueberhinaus werden die einschlaegigen kartellrechtlichen Vorschriften und das Konzessionsabgabenrecht vorgestellt. Weiter wird die Reaktion des Gesetzgebers auf die dramatische Oelkrise zu Beginn der siebziger Jahre deutlich. Schliesslich wird der gegenwaertige Stand der Novellierungsbemuehungen skizziert. Die im Anhang enthaltenen Materialien veranschaulichen einige markante Punkte der energierechtlichen Entwicklung. Sie sind jeweils mit einer kurzen Erlaeuterung versehen. Das Literaturverzeichnis enthaelt auch Veroeffentlichungen zur aktuellen Diskussion, die dem interessierten Leser den vertieften Einstieg in dieses Problemfeld moeglich machen.

Modelling Condensation and Simulation for Wheat Germ Drying in Fluidized Bed Dryer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Der-Sheng Chan

2018-06-01

Full Text Available A low-temperature drying with fluidized bed dryer (FBD for wheat germ (WG stabilization could prevent the loss of nutrients during processing. However, both evaporation and condensation behaviors occurred in sequence during FBD drying of WG. The objective of this study was to develop a theoretical thin-layer model coupling with the macro-heat transfer model and the bubble model for simulating both the dehydration and condensation behaviors of WG during low-temperature drying in the FBD. The experimental data were also collected for the model modification. Changes in the moisture content of WG, the air temperature of FBD chamber, and the temperature of WG during drying with different heating approaches were significantly different. The thermal input of WG drying with short heating time approach was one-third of that of WG drying with a traditional heating approach. The mathematical model developed in this study could predict the changes of the moisture content of WG and provide a good understanding of the condensation phenomena of WG during FBD drying.

UPLC-QTOF/MS metabolic profiling unveils urinary changes in humans after a whole grain rye versus refined wheat bread intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondia-Pons, Isabel; Barri, Thaer; Hanhineva, Kati

2013-01-01

Non-targeted urine metabolite profiling has not been previously exploited in the field of whole grain (WG) products. WG products, particularly rye, are important elements in a healthy Nordic diet. The aim of this study was to identify novel urinary biomarkers of WG rye bread (RB) intake in a rand......Non-targeted urine metabolite profiling has not been previously exploited in the field of whole grain (WG) products. WG products, particularly rye, are important elements in a healthy Nordic diet. The aim of this study was to identify novel urinary biomarkers of WG rye bread (RB) intake...

Population and colony structure and morphometrics in the queen dimorphic little black ant, Monomorium sp. AZ-02, with a review of queen phenotypes in the genus Monomorium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert A Johnson

Full Text Available The North American little black ant, Monomorium sp. AZ-02 (subfamily Myrmicinae, displays a dimorphism that consists of alate (winged and ergatoid (wingless queens. Surveys at our field site in southcentral Arizona, USA, demonstrated that only one queen phenotype (alate or ergatoid occurred in each colony during the season in which reproductive sexuals were produced. A morphometric analysis demonstrated that ergatoid queens retained all specialized anatomical features of alate queens (except for wings, and that they were significantly smaller and had a lower mass than alate queens. Using eight morphological characters, a discriminant analysis correctly categorized all queens (40 of 40 of both phenotypes. A molecular phylogeny using 420 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I demonstrated that alate and ergatoid queens are two alternative phenotypes within the species; both phenotypes were intermixed on our phylogeny, and both phenotypes often displayed the same haplotype. A survey of the genus Monomorium (358 species found that wingless queens (ergatoid queens, brachypterous queens occur in 42 of 137 species (30.6% in which the queen has been described. These wingless queen species are geographically and taxonomically widespread as they occur on several continents and in eight species groups, suggesting that winglessness probably arose independently on many occasions in the genus.

THE EFFECT OF WATER EXTRACTS FROM WINTER SAVORY ON BLACK BEAN APHID MORTALITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milena Rusin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the effect of water extracts prepared from fresh and dry matter of winter savory (Satureja montana L. on mortality of wingless females and larvae of black bean aphid (Aphis fabae Scop.. The experiment was conducted in the laboratory, in six replicates. Dry extracts were prepared at concentration of 2%, 5% and 10%, while the fresh plant at concentration of 10%, 20% and 30%. Stomach poisoning of extracts was determined by soaking broad bean leaves in the respective solutions, and then determining mortality of wingless female and larvae feeding on leaves thus prepared at 12 hour intervals. The results of the experiment showed that the extract prepared from dry matter at the highest concentration (10%, as well as the extracts from fresh matter at concentration of 20% and 30% contributed to an increase in mortality of wingless female of black bean aphid. Meanwhile, extracts prepared from both dry and fresh matter at two highest concentrations caused an increase in mortality of larvae of this pest. Furthermore, with increasing concentrations of analysed extracts prepared from both fresh and dry matter of winter savory, their negative effect on wingless females and larvae usually increase.

Whole Grains Contribute Only a Small Proportion of Dietary Fiber to the U.S. Diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sibylle Kranz

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Dietary fiber (DF, found in whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (WG, is considered a nutrient of concern in the US diet and increased consumption is recommended. The present study was designed to highlight this critical importance of the difference between WG, high-fiber WG, and sources of fiber that are not from WG. The study is based on the two-day diets reported consumed by the nationally representative sample of Americans participating in What We Eat In America, the dietary component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003–2010. Foods consumed were classified into tertiles of DF and WG and the contribution of fiber by differing levels of WG content were examined. Foods containing high amounts of WG and DF only contributed about 7% of total fiber intake. Overall, grain-based foods contributed 54.5% of all DF consumed. Approximately 39% of DF came from grain foods that contained no WG, rather these foods contained refined grains, which contain only small amounts of DF but are consumed in large quantities. All WG-containing foods combined contributed a total of 15.3% of DF in the American diet. Thus, public health messaging needs to be changed to specifically encourage consumption of WG foods with high levels of DF to address both recommendations.

Diverse microRNAs with convergent functions regulate tumorigenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Min-Yan; Zhang, Wei; Yang, Tao

2016-02-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several biological processes, including tumorigenesis. In order to comprehend the roles of miRNAs in cancer, various screens were performed to investigate the changes in the expression levels of miRNAs that occur in different types of cancer. The present review focuses on the results of five recent screens, whereby a number of overlapping miRNAs were identified to be downregulated or differentially regulated, whereas no miRNAs were observed to be frequently upregulated. Furthermore, the majority of the miRNAs that were common to >1 screen were involved in signaling networks, including wingless-related integration site, receptor tyrosine kinase and transforming growth factor-β, or in cell cycle checkpoint control. The present review will discuss the aforementioned miRNAs implicated in cell cycle checkpoint control and signaling networks.

Improved penetration of wild ginseng extracts into the skin using low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Seoul Hee; Hae Choi, Jeong; Song, Yeon Suk; Lee, Hae-June; Hong, Jin-Woo; Kim, Gyoo Cheon

2018-04-01

Wild ginseng (WG) is a well-known traditional medicinal plant that grows in natural environments in deep mountains. WG has been thought to exert potent physiological and medicinal effects, and, recently, its use in skin care has attracted much interest. This study investigated the efficient penetration of WG extracts into the skin by means of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (LTAPP), and its effects on the skin at the cellular and tissue levels. NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts and HRM-2 hairless mice were used to confirm the improved absorption of WG extracts into the skin using LTAPP. The gene expression levels in NIH3T3 cells and morphological changes in skin tissues after WG treatment were monitored using both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Although WG extracts did not show any significant effects on proliferative activity and cytotoxicity, at a concentration of 1:800, it significantly increased the expression of fibronectin and vascular endothelial growth factor. In the in vivo study, the combinational treatment of LTAPP and WG markedly induced the expression of fibronectin and integrin α6, and it thickened. Our results showed that LTAPP treatment safely and effectively accelerated the penetration of the WG extracts into the skin, thereby increasing the effects of WG on the skin.

Growth of wild muskoxen under two nutritional regimes in Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carsten Riis Olesen

1994-12-01

Full Text Available Growth of muskoxen in Jameson Land, East Greenland (EG and in Angujaartorfiup Nunaa, West Greenland (WG is affected by the different nutritional conditions in the two areas. The abundance and availability of forage plants is highest in WG. Muskoxen in WG reach sexual maturity one year earlier than muskoxen in EG. A significant proportion of female muskoxen in WG conceive at the age of 16 months and give birth to their first calf as two years olds. The horn bases of the muskox bulls in WG are fully developed during their third year of life, but their maximum body weight (BW is attained at the age of six. Average BW of adult bulls (4 yr+ in WG is 306 kg which is 23 % greater than in adult bulls in EG. BW is seasonally more variable in EG than in WG owing to greater seasonal fluctuation in food supply.

Increased whole grain consumption does not affect blood biochemistry, body composition, or gut microbiology in healthy, low-habitual whole grain consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ampatzoglou, Antonios; Atwal, Kiranjit K; Maidens, Catherine M; Williams, Charlotte L; Ross, Alastair B; Thielecke, Frank; Jonnalagadda, Satya S; Kennedy, Orla B; Yaqoob, Parveen

2015-02-01

Whole-grain (WG) foods have been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but studies are inconsistent and effects on cardiovascular risk markers are not clear. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of increasing WG consumption to at least 80 g/d on overall dietary intake, body composition, blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, blood glucose, gastrointestinal microbiology, and gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy, middle-aged adults with habitual WG intake food frequency questionnaires and subsequently completed 3-day food diaries (3DFDs) to confirm habitual WG consumption. Subjects consumed diets high in WG (>80 g/d) or low in WG [range of cereal food products. The 3DFDs, diet compliance diaries, and plasma alkylresorcinols were used to verify compliance. During the WG intervention, consumption increased from 28 g/d to 168 g/d (P increase in plasma alkylresorcinols (P increased 24-h fecal weight (P = 0.08) and reduction in body weight (P = 0.10) and BMI (P = 0.08) during the WG intervention compared with the RG period. A combination of dietary advice and provision of commercially available food items enabled subjects with a low-moderate habitual consumption of WG to substantially increase their WG intake, but there was little effect on blood biochemical markers, body composition, BP, fecal measurements, or gut microbiology. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN36521837. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

MODARIA WG5: Towards a practical guidance for including uncertainties in the results of dose assessment of routine releases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mora, Juan C. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas - CIEMAT (Spain); Telleria, Diego [International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA (Austria); Al Neaimi, Ahmed [Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation - ENEC (United Arab Emirates); Blixt Buhr, Anna Ma [Vattenfall AB (Sweden); Bonchuk, Iurii [Radiation Protection Institute - RPI (Ukraine); Chouhan, Sohan [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited - AECL (Canada); Chyly, Pavol [SE-VYZ (Slovakia); Curti, Adriana R. [Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear - ARN (Argentina); Da Costa, Dejanira [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria - IRD (Brazil); Duran, Juraj [VUJE Inc (Slovakia); Galeriu, Dan [Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering - IFIN-HH (Romania); Haegg, Ann- Christin; Lager, Charlotte [Swedish Radiation Safety Authority - SSM (Sweden); Heling, Rudie [Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group - NRG (Netherlands); Ivanis, Goran; Shen, Jige [Ecometrix Incorporated (Canada); Iosjpe, Mikhail [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority - NRPA (Norway); Krajewski, Pawel M. [Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection - CLOR (Poland); Marang, Laura; Vermorel, Fabien [Electricite de France - EdF (France); Mourlon, Christophe [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire - IRSN (France); Perez, Fabricio F. [Belgian Nuclear Research Centre - SCK (Belgium); Woodruffe, Andrew [Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation - FANR (United Arab Emirates); Zorko, Benjamin [Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia)

2014-07-01

MODARIA (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments) project was launched in 2012 with the aim of improving the capabilities in radiation dose assessment by means of acquisition of improved data for model testing, model testing and comparison, reaching consensus on modelling philosophies, approaches and parameter values, development of improved methods and exchange of information. The project focuses on areas where uncertainties remain in the predictive capability of environmental models, emphasizing in reducing associated uncertainties or developing new approaches to strengthen the evaluation of the radiological impact. Within MODARIA, four main areas were defined, one of them devoted to Uncertainty and Variability. In this area four working groups were included, Working Group 5 dealing with the 'uncertainty and variability analysis for assessments of radiological impacts arising from routine discharges of radionuclides'. Whether doses are estimated by using measurement data, by applying models, or through a combination of measurements and calculations, the variability and uncertainty contribute to a distribution of possible values. The degree of variability and uncertainty is represented by the shape and extent of that distribution. The main objective of WG5 is to explore how to consider uncertainties and variabilities in the results of assessment of doses in planned situations for controlling the impact of routine releases from radioactive and nuclear installations to the environment. The final aim is to produce guidance for the calculation of uncertainties in these exposure situations and for the presentation of such results to the different stakeholders. To achieve that objective the main tasks identified were: to find tools and methods for uncertainty and variability analysis applicable to dose assessments in routine radioactive discharges, to define scenarios where information on uncertainty and variability of parameters is available

A Wnt1 regulated Frizzled-1/β-Catenin signaling pathway as a candidate regulatory circuit controlling mesencephalic dopaminergic neuron-astrocyte crosstalk: Therapeutical relevance for neuron survival and neuroprotection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pluchino Stefano

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dopamine-synthesizing (dopaminergic, DA neurons in the ventral midbrain (VM constitute a pivotal neuronal population controlling motor behaviors, cognitive and affective brain functions, which generation critically relies on the activation of Wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt/β-catenin pathway in their progenitors. In Parkinson's disease, DA cell bodies within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc progressively degenerate, with causes and mechanisms poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that Wnt signaling via Frizzled (Fzd receptors may play a role in different degenerative states, but little is known about Wnt signaling in the adult midbrain. Using in vitro and in vivo model systems of DA degeneration, along with functional studies in both intact and SN lesioned mice, we herein highlight an intrinsic Wnt1/Fzd-1/β-catenin tone critically contributing to the survival and protection of adult midbrain DA neurons. Results In vitro experiments identifie Fzd-1 receptor expression at a mRNA and protein levels in dopamine transporter (DAT expressing neurons, and demonstrate the ability of exogenous Wnt1 to exert robust neuroprotective effects against Caspase-3 activation, the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+ neurons and [3H] dopamine uptake induced by different DA-specific insults, including serum and growth factor deprivation, 6-hydroxydopamine and MPTP/MPP+. Co-culture of DA neurons with midbrain astrocytes phenocopies Wnt1 neuroprotective effects, whereas RNA interference-mediated knockdown of Wnt1 in midbrain astrocytes markedly reduces astrocyte-induced TH+ neuroprotection. Likewise, silencing β-catenin mRNA or knocking down Fzd-1 receptor expression in mesencephalic neurons counteract astrocyte-induced TH+ neuroprotection. In vivo experiments document Fzd-1 co-localization with TH+ neurons within the intact SNpc and blockade of Fzd/β-catenin signaling by unilateral infusion of a Fzd

Mechanism study of multimode ultrasound pretreatment on the enzymolysis of wheat gluten.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanyan; Li, Jing; Li, Suyun; Ma, Haile; Zhang, Hua

2018-03-01

Ultrasound pretreatment could improve the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of hydrolysates of wheat gluten (WG). The working mode of ultrasound has an important effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis of protein. The results showed that the optimum working mode of ultrasound was alternate dual-frequency mode (20/35 kHz), substrate concentration was 30 g L -1 , initial temperature of the suspension was 30 °C, ultrasound pretreatment time was 10 min and power density was 150 W L -1 . Under optimised conditions, ACE inhibitory activity of WG hydrolysates reached to its maximum value in advance. The surface hydrophobicity (H 0 ) of WG and the content of small peptides at the beginning of the enzymolysis were improved by the ultrasound pretreatment. The structure of WG was destroyed by the ultrasound pretreatment. The enzymatic residue of ultrasound pretreated WG were damaged greater than control. It was concluded that alternate dual-frequency ultrasound pretreatment improved the ACE inhibitory activity. Ultrasonic pretreatment may loosen the tissue of WG aggregate, and help the enzyme alcalase to attack the interior of WG aggregate easily, which resulted in the release of low molecular weight peptides from WG aggregate. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Solution-Processed Wide-Bandgap Organic Semiconductor Nanostructures Arrays for Nonvolatile Organic Field-Effect Transistor Memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wen; Guo, Fengning; Ling, Haifeng; Liu, Hui; Yi, Mingdong; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Wenjun; Xie, Linghai; Huang, Wei

2018-01-01

In this paper, the development of organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory device based on isolated and ordered nanostructures (NSs) arrays of wide-bandgap (WBG) small-molecule organic semiconductor material [2-(9-(4-(octyloxy)phenyl)-9H-fluoren-2-yl)thiophene]3 (WG 3 ) is reported. The WG 3 NSs are prepared from phase separation by spin-coating blend solutions of WG 3 /trimethylolpropane (TMP), and then introduced as charge storage elements for nonvolatile OFET memory devices. Compared to the OFET memory device with smooth WG 3 film, the device based on WG 3 NSs arrays exhibits significant improvements in memory performance including larger memory window (≈45 V), faster switching speed (≈1 s), stable retention capability (>10 4 s), and reliable switching properties. A quantitative study of the WG 3 NSs morphology reveals that enhanced memory performance is attributed to the improved charge trapping/charge-exciton annihilation efficiency induced by increased contact area between the WG 3 NSs and pentacene layer. This versatile solution-processing approach to preparing WG 3 NSs arrays as charge trapping sites allows for fabrication of high-performance nonvolatile OFET memory devices, which could be applicable to a wide range of WBG organic semiconductor materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Whole-grain products and whole grain types are associated with lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the Scandinavian HELGA cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, Nina Føns; Frederiksen, Kirsten; Christensen, Jane

2015-01-01

No study has yet investigated the intake of different types of whole grain (WG) in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a healthy population. The aim of the present study was to investigate the intake of WG products and WG types in relation to all-cause and cause-specific mortali......%CI 0·86, 0·91) for a doubling of intake). In particular, intake of breakfast cereals and non-white bread was associated with lower mortality. We also found lower all-cause mortality with total intake of different WG types (women: MRR 0·88 (95%CI 0·86, 0·92); men: MRR 0·88 (95%CI 0·86, 0...... quartile compared with the lowest for breakfast cereals, non-white bread, total WG products, oat, rye (only men), wheat and total WG types. The MRR for highest v. lowest quartile of intake of total WG products was 0·68 (95% CI 0·62, 0·75, P for trend over quartiles , 0·0001) for women and 0·75 (95%CI 0...

Broadbanding of circularly polarized patch antenna by waveguided magneto-dielectric metamaterial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Mi Yang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Design of bandwidth-enhanced circularly polarized (CP patch antenna using artificial magneto-dielectric substrate was investigated. The artificial magneto-dielectric material adopted here takes the form of waveguided metamaterial (WG-MTM. In particular, the embedded meander line (EML structure was employed as the building element of the WG-MTM. As verified by the retrieved effective medium parameters, the EML-based waveguided magneto-dielectric metamaterial (WG-MDM exhibits two-dimensionally isotropic magneto-dielectric property with respect to TEM wave excitations applied in two orthogonal directions. A CP patch antenna loaded with the EML-based WG-MDM (WG-MDM antenna has been proposed and its design procedure is described in detail. Simulation results show that the impedance and axial ratio bandwidths of the WG-MDM antenna have increased by 125% and 133%, respectively, compared with those obtained with pure dielectric substrate offering the same patch size. The design of the novel WG-MDM antenna was also validated by measurement results, which show good agreement with their simulated counterparts.

Whole-grain wheat consumption reduces inflammation in a randomized controlled trial on overweight and obese subjects with unhealthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors: role of polyphenols bound to cereal dietary fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Vitaglione, Paola; Mennella, Ilario; Ferracane, Rosalia; Rivellese, Angela A; Giacco, Rosalba; Ercolini, Danilo; Gibbons, Sean M; La Storia, Antonietta; Gilbert, Jack A; Jonnalagadda, Satya; Thielecke, Frank; Gallo, Maria A; Scalfi, Luca; Fogliano, Vincenzo

2015-02-01

Epidemiology associates whole-grain (WG) consumption with several health benefits. Mounting evidence suggests that WG wheat polyphenols play a role in mechanisms underlying health benefits. The objective was to assess circulating concentration, excretion, and the physiologic role of WG wheat polyphenols in subjects with suboptimal dietary and lifestyle behaviors. A placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomized trial with 80 healthy overweight/obese subjects with low intake of fruit and vegetables and sedentary lifestyle was performed. Participants replaced precise portions of refined wheat (RW) with a fixed amount of selected WG wheat or RW products for 8 wk. At baseline and every 4 wk, blood, urine, feces, and anthropometric and body composition measures were collected. Profiles of phenolic acids in biological samples, plasma markers of metabolic disease and inflammation, and fecal microbiota composition were assessed. WG consumption for 4-8 wk determined a 4-fold increase in serum dihydroferulic acid (DHFA) and a 2-fold increase in fecal ferulic acid (FA) compared with RW consumption (no changes). Similarly, urinary FA at 8 wk doubled the baseline concentration only in WG subjects. Concomitant reduction in plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) after 8 wk and increased interleukin (IL)-10 only after 4 wk with WG compared with RW (P = 0.04) were observed. No significant change in plasma metabolic disease markers over the study period was observed, but a trend toward lower plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 with higher excretion of FA and DHFA in the WG group was found. Fecal FA was associated with baseline low Bifidobacteriales and Bacteroidetes abundances, whereas after WG consumption, it correlated with increased Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes but reduced Clostridium. TNF-α reduction correlated with increased Bacteroides and Lactobacillus. No effect of dietary interventions on anthropometric measurements and body composition was found. WG wheat

Validation of Reported Whole-Grain Intake from a Web-Based Dietary Record against Plasma Alkylresorcinol Concentrations in 8- to 11-Year-Olds Participating in a Randomized Controlled Trial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biltoft-Jensen, Anja Pia; Damsgaard, Camilla T.; W. Andersen, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

meal × 3 mo crossover trial. Reported WG intake and plasma AR concentrations were compared when children ate their usual bread-based lunch (UBL) and when served a hot lunch meal (HLM). Correlations and cross-classification were used to rank subjects according to intake. The intraclass correlation......BACKGROUND: Whole-grain (WG) intake is important for human health, but accurate intake estimation is challenging. Use of a biomarker for WG intake provides a possible way to validate dietary assessment methods. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to validate WG intake from 2 diets reported by children, using...... plasma alkylresorcinol (AR) concentrations, and to investigate the 3-mo reproducibility of AR concentrations and reported WG intake. METHODS: AR concentrations were analyzed in fasting blood plasma samples, and WG intake was estimated in a 7-d web-based diary by 750 participants aged 8-11 y in a 2 school...

Beam Pattern Analysis of the Plate-type Waveguide Sensor for Under-Sodium Viewing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hoewoong; Joo, Youngsang; Park, Changgyu; Kim, Jongbum

2013-01-01

Sensor for under-sodium viewing (USV) in a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) has been developed. In the developed WG sensor approach, the A0 mode Lamb wave is used and a thin beryllium layer is coated on the waveguide surface to improve the ultrasonic radiation ability in a sodium environment. In this work, the beam pattern radiated from the developed plate-type WG sensor is investigated analytically to understand and predict the ultrasonic beam radiation property of the WG sensor in a liquid. Analytic calculations to obtain beam patterns for two kinds of WG sensors with and without beryllium coating layers were carried out and the results were compared with those obtained by experiments. In this work, the beam pattern of the plate-type WG sensor for USV was investigated analytically. Employing the far-field approximation, the acoustic response at a given measurement position was calculated for the plate-type WG sensors with and without beryllium coating layers. The beam patterns of WG sensors were predicted by the analytic calculation and the corresponding experiments were carried out. The results showed that the far-field beam pattern radiated from the plate-type WG sensor could be well predicted by an analytic calculation. The radiation beam angles obtained by the analytical calculation were in good agreement with those obtained by experiments

A Micro-scale Wind Turbine Fed BLDC Motor for Electric Vehicle Drive Application

OpenAIRE

Kazraji, Saeed Masoumi; Khanabdal, Saheb; Soflaye, Ramin Bavil; Sabahi, Mehran

2016-01-01

In this paper a permanent magnet brushless dc motor (PMBLDCM) based driver with a wind-generator (WG) in maximum power point tracking (MPPT) condition is proposed. The proposed system has a high efficiency buck-type dc/dc converter and control unit running the MPPT function. The WG optimal power characteristic and wind speed measuring data are not required while the WG works in variable speed mode, therefore higher reliability, simplicity, lower cost and less mechanical Tension of the WG are ...

An overview of past and present CFD activities within the framework of WGAMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.L.; Mahaffy, J.H.; Bestion, D.; Zigh, G.

2011-01-01

In 2003, three Writing Groups (WG1, WG2, WG3) were established within the Working Group on Analysis and Management of Accidents (WGAMA) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. The groups had the responsibility of summarising the state-of-the-art in the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to items of concern in nuclear reactor safety. The Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) drawn up by the WG1 group defined the procedures which need to be followed to produce trustworthy results from a CFD simulation. The WG2 group itemised the assessment base which underpins single-phase CFD as an established technology. The WG3 group focused on the challenges that still need to be faced before two-phase CFD may be regarded as a mature science. The background to the activity, method of approach, documented evidence, status and current activities are described under appropriate section headings in this paper. (author)

Single Top Quark Production at the LHC Understanding Spin

CERN Document Server

Mahlon, G; Mahlon, Gregory; Parke, Stephen

2000-01-01

We show that the single top quarks produced in the Wg-fusion channel at a proton-proton collider at a center-of-mass energy sqrt{s}=14 TeV posses a high degree of polarization in terms of a spin basis which decomposes the top quark spin in its rest frame along the direction of the spectator jet. A second useful spin basis is the eta-beamline basis, which decomposes the top quark spin along one of the two beam directions, depending on which hemisphere contains the spectator jet. We elucidate the interplay between the two- and three-body final states contributing to this production cross section in the context of determining the spin decomposition of the top quarks, and argue that the zero momentum frame helicity is undefined. We show that the usefulness of the spectator and eta-beamline spin bases is not adversely affected by the cuts required to separate the Wg-fusion signal from the background.

Cancer preceding Wegener's granulomatosis: a case-control study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faurschou, Mikkel; Mellemkjaer, Lene; Sorensen, Inge J

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether patients with WG have an increased risk of malignancies prior to and/or around the time of the vasculitis diagnosis, as suggested by previous studies. METHODS: A total of 293 WG patients were included in the study. Ten gender- and age-matched controls were selected.......4; 95% CI 1.1, 38) based on two patients, who developed testis cancer >10 years before WG. The overall prevalence of malignancies diagnosed time...... interval (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.4, 12). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find clear evidence of an increased prevalence of preceding cancer in our WG cohort, indicating that shared risk factors are of minor importance for the excess of malignancies that occur in WG patients after the vasculitis diagnosis. Furthermore...

Development of a bioprocess to convert PET derived terephthalic acid and biodiesel derived glycerol to medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kenny, Shane T.; Nikodinovic Runic, Jasmina; O' Connor, Kevin E. [University College Dublin (Ireland). School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences; Kaminsky, Walter [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry; Woods, Trevor; Babu, Ramesh P. [Dublin Univ. (Ireland). Materials Ireland Polymer Research Center

2012-08-15

Sodium terephthalate (TA) produced from a PET pyrolysis product and waste glycerol (WG) from biodiesel manufacture were supplied to Pseudomonas putida GO16 in a fed-batch bioreactor. Six feeding strategies were employed by altering the sequence of TA and WG feeding. P. putida GO16 reached 8.70 g/l cell dry weight (CDW) and 2.61 g/l PHA in 48 h when grown on TA alone. When TA and WG were supplied in combination, biomass productivity (g/l/h) was increased between 1.3- and 1.7-fold and PHA productivity (g/l/h) was increased 1.8- to 2.2-fold compared to TA supplied alone. The monomer composition of the PHA accumulated from TA or WG was predominantly composed of 3-hydroxydecanoic acid. PHA monomers 3-hydroxytetradeeanoic acid and 3-hydroxytetradecenoic acid were not present in PHA accumulated from TA alone but were present when WG was supplied to the fermentation. When WG was either the sole carbon source or the predominant carbon source supplied to the fermentation the molecular weight of PHA accumulated was lower compared to PHA accumulated when TA was supplied as the sole substrate. Despite similarities in data for the properties of the polymers, PHAs produced with WG present in the PHA accumulation phase were tacky while PHA produced where TA was the sole carbon substrate in the polymer accumulation phase exhibited little or no tackiness at room temperature. The co-feeding of WG to fermentations allows for increased utilisation of TA. The order of feeding of WG and TA has an effect on TA utilisation and polymer properties. (orig.)

Nanostructural morphology of plasticized wheat gluten and modified potato starch composites: relationship to mechanical and barrier properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Muneer, Faraz; Andersson, Mariette; Koch, Kristine; Menzel, Carolin; Hedenqvist, Mikael S; Gällstedt, Mikael; Plivelic, Tomás S; Kuktaite, Ramune

2015-03-09

In the present study, we were able to produce composites of wheat gluten (WG) protein and a novel genetically modified potato starch (MPS) with attractive mechanical and gas barrier properties using extrusion. Characterization of the MPS revealed an altered chain length distribution of the amylopectin fraction and slightly increased amylose content compared to wild type potato starch. WG and MPS of different ratios plasticized with either glycerol or glycerol and water were extruded at 110 and 130 °C. The nanomorphology of the composites showed the MPS having semicrystalline structure of a characteristic lamellar arrangement with an approximately 100 Å period observed by small-angle X-ray scattering and a B-type crystal structure observed by wide-angle X-ray scattering analysis. WG has a structure resembling the hexagonal macromolecular arrangement as reported previously in WG films. A larger amount of β-sheets was observed in the samples 70/30 and 30/70 WG-MPS processed at 130 °C with 45% glycerol. Highly polymerized WG protein was found in the samples processed at 130 °C versus 110 °C. Also, greater amounts of WG protein in the blend resulted in greater extensibility (110 °C) and a decrease in both E-modulus and maximum stress at 110 and 130 °C, respectively. Under ambient conditions the WG-MPS composite (70/30) with 45% glycerol showed excellent gas barrier properties to be further explored in multilayer film packaging applications.

Reproducibility of Carbon and Water Cycle by an Ecosystem Process Based Model Using a Weather Generator and Effect of Temporal Concentration of Precipitation on Model Outputs

Science.gov (United States)

Miyauchi, T.; Machimura, T.

2014-12-01

GCM is generally used to produce input weather data for the simulation of carbon and water cycle by ecosystem process based models under climate change however its temporal resolution is sometimes incompatible to requirement. A weather generator (WG) is used for temporal downscaling of input weather data for models, where the effect of WG algorithms on reproducibility of ecosystem model outputs must be assessed. In this study simulated carbon and water cycle by Biome-BGC model using weather data measured and generated by CLIMGEN weather generator were compared. The measured weather data (daily precipitation, maximum, minimum air temperature) at a few sites for 30 years was collected from NNDC Online weather data. The generated weather data was produced by CLIMGEN parameterized using the measured weather data. NPP, heterotrophic respiration (HR), NEE and water outflow were simulated by Biome-BGC using measured and generated weather data. In the case of deciduous broad leaf forest in Lushi, Henan Province, China, 30 years average monthly NPP by WG was 10% larger than that by measured weather in the growing season. HR by WG was larger than that by measured weather in all months by 15% in average. NEE by WG was more negative in winter and was close to that by measured weather in summer. These differences in carbon cycle were because the soil water content by WG was larger than that by measured weather. The difference between monthly water outflow by WG and by measured weather was large and variable, and annual outflow by WG was 50% of that by measured weather. The inconsistency in carbon and water cycle by WG and measured weather was suggested be affected by the difference in temporal concentration of precipitation, which was assessed.

Multipotent versus differentiated cell fate selection in the developing Drosophila airways

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuda, Ryo; Hosono, Chie; Samakovlis, Christos; Saigo, Kaoru

2015-01-01

Developmental potentials of cells are tightly controlled at multiple levels. The embryonic Drosophila airway tree is roughly subdivided into two types of cells with distinct developmental potentials: a proximally located group of multipotent adult precursor cells (P-fate) and a distally located population of more differentiated cells (D-fate). We show that the GATA-family transcription factor (TF) Grain promotes the P-fate and the POU-homeobox TF Ventral veinless (Vvl/Drifter/U-turned) stimulates the D-fate. Hedgehog and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling cooperate with Vvl to drive the D-fate at the expense of the P-fate while negative regulators of either of these signaling pathways ensure P-fate specification. Local concentrations of Decapentaplegic/BMP, Wingless/Wnt, and Hedgehog signals differentially regulate the expression of D-factors and P-factors to transform an equipotent primordial field into a concentric pattern of radially different morphogenetic potentials, which gradually gives rise to the distal-proximal organization of distinct cell types in the mature airway. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09646.001 PMID:26633813

Lingual infarction in Wegener's Granulomatosis: A case report and review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brizman Eitan

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Wegener's granulomatosis (WG is a multi-system disease, characterised by the triad of necrotising granulomata affecting the upper and lower respiratory tracts, disseminated vasculitis and glomerulonephritis. Oral lesions are associated with up to 50% of cases, although are rare as a presenting feature. The most common oral lesions associated with WG are ulceration and strawberry gingivitis. We review the literature regarding oral manifestations of WG and present a case of lingual infarction, an extremely rare oral lesion associated with WG, in a severe, rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal form of the disease.

Using of Glass Wastes as a Fine Aggregate in Concrete Mixture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad F. Al-Deen

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this study, the waste glass (WG is considered as a fine aggregate in the concretemixture. WG is used after grinding to size according to Iraqi sand specificationsNo.45. The waste glass has been used instead of sand in different proportions whichare 0%, 33%, 66% and 100%. The effects of WG on compressive strength of theconcrete and unit weight are analysed. As results of this study, WG is determined tohave a significant effect upon the reduction of its compressive strength and there is asignificant decreasing of its unit weight. As for cost analysis, it was determined tolower the cost of concrete production. This study was an environmental one inconsideration of the fact that WG could be used in the concrete as fine aggreagateswithout the need for a high cost or rigorous energy.

Confinement of the antitrust control of abuse in the energy sector. At the same time comment to OLG Duesseldorf from 19th October, 2011. Reference VI-3 Kart 1/11 (V) - GAG Ahrensburg; Grenzen der kartellrechtlichen Missbrauchskontrolle im Energiebereich. Zugleich Anmerkung zu OLG Duesseldorf v. 19.10.2011. Az. VI-3 Kart 1/11 (V) - GAG Ahrensburg

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weyer, Hartmut [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany)

2012-10-15

Up to the amendment of the Energy Economy Law (EnWG) 2005 the legislator permitted parallel applicability of the Energy Economy law as well as the Restriction of Competition (GWB) to energy situations. Based on the GWB, especially in procedures by competition authorities key decisions on the reliable behaviour of operators of power distribution systems and natural gas distribution systems were disposed. This approach was restricted by the amendment of the EnWG 2005 with the introduction of paragraph 111 EnWG. In compliance with this, this restriction was implemented in paragraph 130 sect. 3 GWB. From now on, paragraph 111 Sect. 1 and 2 EnWG exclude the antitrust control of abuse according to the paragraphs 19, 20 and 29 GWB. With this, the competence of the cartel authorities are excluded in favour of the regulatory legal prescriptions of the EnWG.

Geneza i ewolucja wywiadu gospodarczego. Część pierwsza

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Moryś

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Artykuł poświęcony jest genezie wywiadu i wywiadu gospodarczego (WG – rozumianego jako legalny i etyczny proces gromadzenia, opracowania i dystrybucji informacji strategicznych, pochodzących z zewnętrznego i wewnętrznego otoczenia przedsiębiorstwa. Przedstawia różnice między wywiadem gospodarczym państwowym, wywiadem gospodarczym przedsiębiorstw, oraz wywiadem białym i czarnym (szpiegostwo. Opisuje warunki i czynniki, tj. demokracja, kapitalizm, rynek informacji, społeczeństwo informacyjne i nowe technologie, i ich wpływ na WG. Omawia historię i stan WG w Polsce. Wskazuje najważniejsze polskie publikacje z zakresu WG. Poza rysem historycznym WG tekst porusza kwestie związane z rolą informacji we współczesnym świecie.

Retroactive signaling in short signaling pathways.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques-Alexandre Sepulchre

Full Text Available In biochemical signaling pathways without explicit feedback connections, the core signal transduction is usually described as a one-way communication, going from upstream to downstream in a feedforward chain or network of covalent modification cycles. In this paper we explore the possibility of a new type of signaling called retroactive signaling, offered by the recently demonstrated property of retroactivity in signaling cascades. The possibility of retroactive signaling is analysed in the simplest case of the stationary states of a bicyclic cascade of signaling cycles. In this case, we work out the conditions for which variables of the upstream cycle are affected by a change of the total amount of protein in the downstream cycle, or by a variation of the phosphatase deactivating the same protein. Particularly, we predict the characteristic ranges of the downstream protein, or of the downstream phosphatase, for which a retroactive effect can be observed on the upstream cycle variables. Next, we extend the possibility of retroactive signaling in short but nonlinear signaling pathways involving a few covalent modification cycles.

Inactivation of Lipase and Lipoxygenase of Wheat Germ with Temperature-Controlled Short Wave Infrared Radiation and Its Effect on Storage Stability and Quality of Wheat Germ Oil.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Bo; Zhao, Lina; Chen, Hongjian; Sun, Dewei; Deng, Boxin; Li, Jinwei; Liu, Yuanfa; Wang, Fei

2016-01-01

Wheat germ (WG) is quite susceptible to deterioration due to the presence of lipase (LA) and lipoxygenase (LOX). Therefore it is indispensable to adopt a stabilization step to decrease the activity of LA and LOX while retaining a maximum level of nutrients. But over-drying can make foodstuffs more susceptible to autoxidation. So a stabilization protocol for inactivating LA and LOX of WG with a temperature- controlled short wave infrared (SIR) radiation system was adopted to retard its rancidity and retain a maximum level of fat-soluble nutrients. Meanwhile, the critical storage water activity (Aw) of WG for inhibiting both hydrolytic and oxidative rancidity was appraised. Results indicate that WG irradiated at 90°C for 20 min acquired the optimal stabilization effect, and its residual LA and LOX activity were 18.02% and 19.21%, respectively. At this condition, the free fatty acids (FFA) content and peroxide value (PV) increment of WG oil at 40°C remained below 5% and 2.24 meq O2/kg for 60 days, respectively. The residual Aw of this WG sample was 0.13, and it is near the Aw corresponding to its monolayer. No significant decrease of fatty acids was observed during SIR processing, while about 96.42% of its original tocopherols still retained in WG treated at 90°C for 20 min.

Opposite Interplay Between the Canonical WNT/β-Catenin Pathway and PPAR Gamma: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Gliomas.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallée, Alexandre; Lecarpentier, Yves; Guillevin, Rémy; Vallée, Jean-Noël

2018-06-01

In gliomas, the canonical Wingless/Int (WNT)/β-catenin pathway is increased while peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) is downregulated. The two systems act in an opposite manner. This review focuses on the interplay between WNT/β-catenin signaling and PPAR-γ and their metabolic implications as potential therapeutic target in gliomas. Activation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway stimulates the transcription of genes involved in proliferation, invasion, nucleotide synthesis, tumor growth, and angiogenesis. Activation of PPAR-γ agonists inhibits various signaling pathways such as the JAK/STAT, WNT/β-catenin, and PI3K/Akt pathways, which reduces tumor growth, cell proliferation, cell invasiveness, and angiogenesis. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, curcumin, antipsychotic drugs, adiponectin, and sulforaphane downregulate the WNT/β-catenin pathway through the upregulation of PPAR-γ and thus appear to provide an interesting therapeutic approach for gliomas. Temozolomide (TMZ) is an antiangiogenic agent. The downstream action of this opposite interplay may explain the TMZ-resistance often reported in gliomas.

Design and Evaluation of a Protection Relay for a Wind Generator Based on the Positive- and Negative-Sequence Fault Components

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zheng, T. Y.; Cha, Seung-Tae; Crossley, P. A.

2013-01-01

To avoid undesirable disconnection of healthy wind generators (WGs) or a wind power plant, a WG protection relay should discriminate among faults, so that it can operate instantaneously for WG, connected feeder or connection bus faults, it can operate after a delay for inter-tie or grid faults......, and it can avoid operating for parallel WG or adjacent feeder faults. A WG protection relay based on the positive- and negativesequence fault components is proposed in the paper. At stage 1, the proposed relay uses the magnitude of the positive-sequence component in the fault current to distinguish faults...... at a parallel WG connected to the same feeder or at an adjacent feeder, from other faults at a connected feeder, an inter-tie, or a grid. At stage 2, the fault type is first determined using the relationships between the positive- and negative-sequence fault components. Then, the relay differentiates between...

A Monoclonal Antibody against Wnt-1 Induces Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Biao He

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Aberrant activation of the Wingless-type (Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is associated with a variety of human cancers. Little is known regarding the role that Wnt ligands play in human carcinogenesis. To test whether a Wnt-1 signal is a survival factor in human cancer cells and thus may serve as a potential cancer therapeutic target, we investigated the effect of inhibition of Wnt-1 signaling in a variety of human cancer cell lines, including non small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, and sarcoma. Both monoclonal antibody and RNA interference (RNAi were used to inhibit Wnt-1 signaling. We found that incubation of a monoclonal anti-Wnt-1 antibody induced apoptosis and caused downstream protein changes in cancer cells overexpressing Wnt-1. In contrast, apoptosis was not detected in cells lacking or having minimal Wnt-1 expression after the antibody incubation. RNAi targeting of Wnt-1 in cancer cells overexpressing Wnt-1 demonstrated similar downstream protein changes and induction of apoptosis. The antibody also suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Our results indicate that both monoclonal anti-Wnt-1 antibody and Wnt-1 siRNA inhibit Wnt-1 signaling and can induce apoptosis in human cancer cells. These findings hold promise as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer.

Frizzled Receptors as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Human Cancers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chui-Mian Zeng

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Frizzled receptors (FZDs are a family of seven-span transmembrane receptors with hallmarks of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs that serve as receptors for secreted Wingless-type (WNT ligands in the WNT signaling pathway. Functionally, FZDs play crucial roles in regulating cell polarity, embryonic development, cell proliferation, formation of neural synapses, and many other processes in developing and adult organisms. In this review, we will introduce the basic structural features and review the biological function and mechanism of FZDs in the progression of human cancers, followed by an analysis of clinical relevance and therapeutic potential of FZDs. We will focus on the development of antibody-based and small molecule inhibitor-based therapeutic strategies by targeting FZDs for human cancers.

Competitive accumulation of betaines by Escherichia coli K-12 and derivative strains lacking betaine porters.

Science.gov (United States)

Randall, K; Lever, M; Peddie, B A; Chambers, S T

1995-08-17

Escherichia coli was grown in hyperosmotic media containing both glycine betaine and one other betaine. E. coli K-12 derivative WG439 (putP- proP- proU-) did not accumulate any of 15 betaines. Strains WG445 (putP- proP- proU+), WG443 (putP- proP+ proU-) and the control strains all accumulated less betaine, (CH3)3N(+)-(CH2)n-COO-, when n was greater than 1. Accumulation was not detectable when n = 5. Both L- and D-isomers of alpha-substituted betaines were accumulated by both strains WG443 and WG445, the D-isomers more slowly. Hydroxylated alpha-substituted betaines were accumulated relatively more through the osmoregulated transport protein ProU than through ProP. In actively growing cultures glycine betaine appeared to be the preferred substrate for accumulation, but the proportion of the second accumulated betaine increased as cultures approached stationary phase.

Solar Electromagnetic Radiation Study for Solar Cycle 22: Solar Ultraviolet Irradiance, 120 to 300 NM: Report of Working Groups 2 and 3 of SOLERS 22

Science.gov (United States)

Rottman, G. J.; Cebula, R. P.; Gillotay, D.; Simon, P. A.

1996-01-01

This report summarizes the activities of Working Group 2 and Working Group 3 of the SOLax Electromagnetic Radiation Study for Solar Cycle 22 (SOLERS22) Program. The international (SOLERS22) is Project 1.2 of the Solar-Terrestrial Energy Program (STEP) sponsored by SCOSTEP, a committee of the International Council of Scientific Unions). SOLERS22 is comprised of five Working Groups, each concentrating on a specific wave-length range: WG-1 - visible and infrared, WG-2 - mid-ultraviolet (200 < A < 300 nm), WG-3 - Far-ultraviolet (lambda greater than 100 and lambda less than 200 nanometers), WG-4 - extreme-ultraviolet (lambda greater than 10 and lambda less than 100 nm), and WG-5 - X-ray (lambda greater than 1 and lambda less than 10 nano meters). The overarching goals of SOLERS22 are to: 1) establish daily solar irradiance values in the specified wavelength ranges, 2) consider the evolving solar structures as the cause of temporal variations, and 3) understand the underlying physical processes driving these changes.

A Case of Simultaneous, Biopsy-Proven, Classic, ANCA-Positive Wegener's Granulomatosis and Anti-GBM Disease, but without Detectible Circulating Anti-GBM Antibodies

OpenAIRE

Gmurczyk, Aleksandra; Ahya, Shubhada N.; Goldschmidt, Robert; Kim, George; Ho, L. Tammy; Nash, Kevin

2010-01-01

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic, necrotizing, granulomatous vasculitis of unknown etiology. Approximately 75% of cases present as classic WG with both pulmonary and renal involvement, while the remaining 25% of patients present with a limited form with either predominantly upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms. Ninety percent of WG patients have circulating anti–neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), and approximately 10% have both circulating ANCA antibodies and concomitan...

Present status of JENDL-3.3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Tsuneo; Shibata, Keiichi

2001-01-01

The latest version of JENDL General Purpose Library, JENDL-3.3, is being compiled. The evaluations for JENDL-3.3 have been performed mainly by the Medium-Heavy Nuclide Data Evaluation WG, the Heavy Nuclide Data Evaluation WG and the Delayed Neutron WG in the Japanese Nuclear Data Committee. The main objective of the evaluations is to solve the problems that were pointed out in JENDL-3.2. (author)

Background paper on aquaculture research

OpenAIRE

Wenblad, Axel; Jokumsen, Alfred; Eskelinen, Unto; Torrissen, Ole

2013-01-01

The Board of MISTRA established in 2012 a Working Group (WG) on Aquaculture to provide the Board with background information for its upcoming decision on whether the foundation should invest in aquaculture research. The WG included Senior Advisor Axel Wenblad, Sweden (Chairman), Professor Ole Torrissen, Norway, Senior Advisory Scientist Unto Eskelinen, Finland and Senior Advisory Scientist Alfred Jokumsen, Denmark. The WG performed an investigation of the Swedish aquaculture sector including ...

Ten-Year Trends in Fiber and Whole Grain Intakes and Food Sources for the United States Population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2010

Science.gov (United States)

McGill, Carla R.; Fulgoni, Victor L.; Devareddy, Latha

2015-01-01

Current U.S. dietary guidance includes recommendations to increase intakes of both dietary fiber and whole grain (WG). This study examines fiber and WG intakes, food sources and trends from 2001 to 2010 based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for children/adolescents (n = 14,973) and adults (n = 24,809). Mean fiber intake for children/adolescents was 13.2 (±0.1) g/day. Mean fiber intake for adults 19–50 years (y) was 16.1 (±0.2) g/day and for adults 51+ was 16.1 (±0.2) g/day. There were significant increases in fiber intake from 2001–2010 for children/adolescents and for adults 51+ y. Mean WG intake for children/adolescents was 0.52 (±0.01) oz eq/day. Mean WG intake for adults 19–50 y was 0.61 (±0.02) oz eq/day and for adults 51+ 0.86 (±0.02) oz eq/day. There were no significant changes in WG intake for any age group from 2001–2010. The main food groups contributing to dietary fiber intake for children/adolescents were vegetables (16.6%), grain mixtures (16.3%), other foods (15.8%) and fruits (11.3%). For adults 19+ y, the main sources of dietary fiber were vegetables (22.6%), other foods (14.3%), grain mixtures (12.0%) and fruits (11.1%). Major WG sources for children/adolescents included ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) (31%), yeast breads/rolls (21%) and crackers and salty grain snacks (21%). The main sources of WG for adults 19+ were yeast breads/rolls (27%), RTEC (23%) and pastas/cooked cereals/rice (21%). Recommending cereals, breads and grain mixtures with higher contents of both dietary fiber and WG, along with consumer education, could increase intakes among the United States (U.S.) population. PMID:25671414

Ten-Year Trends in Fiber and Whole Grain Intakes and Food Sources for the United States Population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carla R. McGill

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Current U.S. dietary guidance includes recommendations to increase intakes of both dietary fiber and whole grain (WG. This study examines fiber and WG intakes, food sources and trends from 2001 to 2010 based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES data for children/adolescents (n = 14,973 and adults (n = 24,809. Mean fiber intake for children/adolescents was 13.2 (±0.1 g/day. Mean fiber intake for adults 19–50 years (y was 16.1 (±0.2 g/day and for adults 51+ was 16.1 (±0.2 g/day. There were significant increases in fiber intake from 2001–2010 for children/adolescents and for adults 51+ y. Mean WG intake for children/adolescents was 0.52 (±0.01 oz eq/day. Mean WG intake for adults 19–50 y was 0.61 (±0.02 oz eq/day and for adults 51+ 0.86 (±0.02 oz eq/day. There were no significant changes in WG intake for any age group from 2001–2010. The main food groups contributing to dietary fiber intake for children/adolescents were vegetables (16.6%, grain mixtures (16.3%, other foods (15.8% and fruits (11.3%. For adults 19+ y, the main sources of dietary fiber were vegetables (22.6%, other foods (14.3%, grain mixtures (12.0% and fruits (11.1%. Major WG sources for children/adolescents included ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC (31%, yeast breads/rolls (21% and crackers and salty grain snacks (21%. The main sources of WG for adults 19+ were yeast breads/rolls (27%, RTEC (23% and pastas/cooked cereals/rice (21%. Recommending cereals, breads and grain mixtures with higher contents of both dietary fiber and WG, along with consumer education, could increase intakes among the United States (U.S. population.

Ten-year trends in fiber and whole grain intakes and food sources for the United States population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

McGill, Carla R; Fulgoni, Victor L; Devareddy, Latha

2015-02-09

Current U.S. dietary guidance includes recommendations to increase intakes of both dietary fiber and whole grain (WG). This study examines fiber and WG intakes, food sources and trends from 2001 to 2010 based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for children/adolescents (n=14,973) and adults (n=24,809). Mean fiber intake for children/adolescents was 13.2 (±0.1) g/day. Mean fiber intake for adults 19-50 years (y) was 16.1 (±0.2) g/day and for adults 51+ was 16.1 (±0.2) g/day. There were significant increases in fiber intake from 2001-2010 for children/adolescents and for adults 51+y. Mean WG intake for children/adolescents was 0.52 (±0.01) oz eq/day. Mean WG intake for adults 19-50 y was 0.61 (±0.02) oz eq/day and for adults 51+0.86 (±0.02) oz eq/day. There were no significant changes in WG intake for any age group from 2001-2010. The main food groups contributing to dietary fiber intake for children/adolescents were vegetables (16.6%), grain mixtures (16.3%), other foods (15.8%) and fruits (11.3%). For adults 19+y, the main sources of dietary fiber were vegetables (22.6%), other foods (14.3%), grain mixtures (12.0%) and fruits (11.1%). Major WG sources for children/adolescents included ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) (31%), yeast breads/rolls (21%) and crackers and salty grain snacks (21%). The main sources of WG for adults 19+ were yeast breads/rolls (27%), RTEC (23%) and pastas/cooked cereals/rice (21%). Recommending cereals, breads and grain mixtures with higher contents of both dietary fiber and WG, along with consumer education, could increase intakes among the United States (U.S.) population.

Contrasting association of a non-synonymous leptin receptor gene polymorphism with Wegener's granulomatosis and Churg-Strauss syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Stefan; Holle, Julia U; Bremer, Jan P; Wibisono, David; Moosig, Frank; Fricke, Harald; Assmann, Gunter; Harper, Lorraine; Arning, Larissa; Gross, Wolfgang L; Epplen, Joerg T

2010-05-01

There is evidence that the leptin/ghrelin system is involved in T-cell regulation and plays a role in (auto)immune disorders such as SLE, RA and ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAVs). Here, we evaluate the genetic background of this system in WG. We screened variations in the genes encoding leptin, ghrelin and their receptors, the leptin receptor (LEPR) and the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in each gene region were analysed in 460 German WG cases and 878 ethnically matched healthy controls. A three-SNP haplotype of GHSR was significantly associated with WG [P = 0.0067; corrected P-value (P(c)) = 0.026; odds ratio (OR) = 1.30; 95% CI 1.08, 1.57], as was one non-synonymous SNP in LEPR (Lys656Asn, P = 0.0034; P(c) = 0.013; OR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.58, 0.90). These four SNPs were re-analysed in independent cohorts of 226 German WG cases and 519 controls. While the GHSR association was not confirmed, allele frequencies of the LEPR SNP were virtually identical to those from the initial cohorts. Analysis of this SNP in the combined WG and control panels revealed a significant association of the LEPR 656Lys allele with WG (P = 0.00032; P(c) = 0.0013; OR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.60, 0.86). Remarkably, the Lys656Asn SNP showed contrasting allele distribution in two cohorts of 108 and 88 German cases diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS, combined P = 0.0067; OR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.10, 1.81), whereas identical allele frequencies were revealed when comparing British WG and microscopic polyangiitis cases. While GHSR has to be further evaluated, these data provide profound evidence for an association of the LEPR Lys656Asn SNP with AAV, resulting in opposing effects in WG and CSS.

Performance of an Interpolated Stochastic Weather Generator in Czechia and Nebraska

Science.gov (United States)

Dubrovsky, M.; Trnka, M.; Hayes, M. J.; Svoboda, M. D.; Semeradova, D.; Metelka, L.; Hlavinka, P.

2008-12-01

Met&Roll is a WGEN-like parametric four-variate daily weather generator (WG), with an optional extension allowing the user to generate additional variables (i.e. wind and water vapor pressure). It is designed to produce synthetic weather series representing present and/or future climate conditions to be used as an input into various models (e.g. crop growth and rainfall runoff models). The present contribution will summarize recent experiments, in which we tested the performance of the interpolated WG, with the aim to examine whether the WG may be used to produce synthetic weather series even for sites having no meteorological observations. The experiments being discussed include: (1) the comparison of various interpolation methods where the performance of the candidate methods is compared in terms of the accuracy of the interpolation for selected WG parameters; (2) assessing the ability of the interpolated WG in the territories of Czechia and Nebraska to reproduce extreme temperature and precipitation characteristics; (3) indirect validation of the interpolated WG in terms of the modeled crop yields simulated by STICS crop growth model (in Czechia); and (4) indirect validation of interpolated WG in terms of soil climate regime characteristics simulated by the SoilClim model (Czechia and Nebraska). The experiments are based on observed daily weather series from two regions: Czechia (area = 78864 km2, 125 stations available) and Nebraska (area = 200520 km2, 28 stations available). Even though Nebraska exhibits a much lower density of stations, this is offset by the state's relatively flat topography, which is an advantage in using the interpolated WG. Acknowledgements: The present study is supported by the AMVIS-KONTAKT project (ME 844) and the GAAV Grant Agency (project IAA300420806).

EFFECT OF CHRONIC INGESTION OF WINE ON THE GLYCEMIC, LIPID AND BODY WEIGHT HOMEOSTASIS IN MICE.

Science.gov (United States)

Brito-Filho, Sebastião Barreto de; Moura, Egberto Gaspar de; Santos, Orlando José Dos; Sauaia-Filho, Euler Nicolau; Amorim, Elias; Santana, Ewaldo Eder Carvalho; Barros-Filho, Allan Kardec Dualibe; Santos, Rennan Abud Pinheiro

2016-01-01

The health benefits associated with moderate wine consumption, as with ethanol and phenolic compounds, include different mechanisms still little understandable. Evaluate glycemic and weight variations, and the deposit of triglycerides, cholesterol and liver glycogen with red wine consumption. 60 ApoE knockout mice were divided into three groups of 20: Wine Group (WG), Ethanol Group (EG) and Water Group (WAG). They received daily: WG 50 ml of wine and 50 ml water; EG 6 ml ethanol and WAG 94 ml of water. All groups were followed for four months. The food intake was monitored daily, in the period from eight to ten hours and held every five days. The measurement of water intake was also made every five days. The weighing of the animals took place every ten days. The WG had higher weight increase as compared to the other groups. The concentration of hepatic triglyceride was higher in WG (57%) and the EG group was lower (31.6%, pwine or some unknown property that led to significant increase in subcutaneous andretroperitoneal fat in mice. Os benefícios para a saúde associados ao consumo moderado de vinho, como etanol e compostos fenólicos, incluem mecanismos diferentes ainda pouco compreensíveis. Avaliar as variações da glicemia, peso e depósito de triglicrideos, colesterol e glicogênio hepático com o uso de vinho tinto. Sessenta camundongos ApoE knockout foram divididos em três grupos de 20: Grupo do Vinho (WG), grupo do Etanol (EG) Grupo Água (WAG). Cada grupo recebeu diariamente: WG 50 ml de vinho e 50 ml de água; EG 6 ml de etanol e WAG 94 ml de água. O WG teve aumento de peso mais elevado em comparação com os outros grupos. A concentração de triglicerídeos foi maior no WG (57%) e no grupo EG inferior (31,6%) do que no controle (p <0,01). A concentração de colesterol foi inferior no WG (23,6%) e no EG (24,5%, p<0,05). A concentração de glicogênio foi maior no WG (16%); a glicemia capilar foi maior no EG em comparação com os outros grupos, mas

Variable reflectivity signal mirrors and signal response measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vine, Glenn de; Shaddock, Daniel A; McClelland, David E

2002-01-01

Future gravitational wave detectors will include some form of signal mirror in order to alter the signal response of the device. We introduce interferometer configurations which utilize a variable reflectivity signal mirror allowing a tunable peak frequency and variable signal bandwidth. A detector configured with a Fabry-Perot cavity as the signal mirror is compared theoretically with one using a Michelson interferometer for a signal mirror. A system for the measurement of the interferometer signal responses is introduced. This technique is applied to a power-recycled Michelson interferometer with resonant sideband extraction. We present broadband measurements of the benchtop prototype's signal response for a range of signal cavity detunings. This technique is also applicable to most other gravitational wave detector configurations

Variable reflectivity signal mirrors and signal response measurements

CERN Document Server

Vine, G D; McClelland, D E

2002-01-01

Future gravitational wave detectors will include some form of signal mirror in order to alter the signal response of the device. We introduce interferometer configurations which utilize a variable reflectivity signal mirror allowing a tunable peak frequency and variable signal bandwidth. A detector configured with a Fabry-Perot cavity as the signal mirror is compared theoretically with one using a Michelson interferometer for a signal mirror. A system for the measurement of the interferometer signal responses is introduced. This technique is applied to a power-recycled Michelson interferometer with resonant sideband extraction. We present broadband measurements of the benchtop prototype's signal response for a range of signal cavity detunings. This technique is also applicable to most other gravitational wave detector configurations.

Mixed Waste Focus Area Mercury Working Group: An integrated approach to mercury waste treatment and disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conley, T.B.; Morris, M.I.; Osborne-Lee, I.W.

1998-03-01

In May 1996, the US Department of Energy (DOE) Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) initiated the Mercury Working Group (HgWG). The HgWG was established to address and resolve the issues associated with mercury contaminated mixed wastes. During the MWFA's initial technical baseline development process, three of the top four technology deficiencies identified were related to the need for amalgamation, stabilization, and separation removal technologies for the treatment of mercury and mercury contaminated mixed waste. The HgWG is assisting the MWFA in soliciting, identifying, initiating, and managing efforts to address these areas. The focus of the HgWG is to better establish the mercury related treatment technologies at the DOE sites, refine the MWFA technical baseline as it relates to mercury treatment, and make recommendations to the MWFA on how to most effectively address these needs. Based on the scope and magnitude of the mercury mixed waste problem, as defined by HgWG, solicitations and contract awards have been made to the private sector to demonstrate both the amalgamation and stabilization processes using actual mixed wastes. Development efforts are currently being funded that will address DOE's needs for separation removal processes. This paper discusses the technology selection process, development activities, and the accomplishments of the HgWG to date through these various activities

WNT16B from Ovarian Fibroblasts Induces Differentiation of Regulatory T Cells through β-Catenin Signal in Dendritic Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cong-Cong Shen

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Treatment for cancer can induce a series of secreted factors into the tumor microenvironment, which can affect cancer progression. Wingless-type MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus integration site 16B (WNT16B is a new member of the WNT family and has been reported to play growth-related roles in previous studies. In this study, we found WNT16B could be expressed and secreted into the microenvironment by human ovarian fibroblasts after DNA damage-associated treatment, including chemotherapy drugs and radiation. We also demonstrated that fibroblast-derived WNT16B could result in accumulation of β-catenin in dendritic cells and secretion of interleukin-10 (IL-10 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β, which contributed to the differentiation of regulatory T cells in a co-culture environment. These results shed light on the roles of WNT16B in immune regulation, especially in regard to cancer treatment.

Practical performance evaluation of the Wave Glider in geophysical observations

Science.gov (United States)

Sugioka, Hiroko; Hamano, Yozo

2016-04-01

The Wave Glider (WG), manufactured by Liquid Robotics Inc. of California, USA, is the first wave and solar powered autonomous sea surface vehicle. It has led the way to make ocean data collection and communications easier and safer, lower risk and cost, and real-time. By analyzing data from a long-term deployment of the WG in the sea to investigate the feasibility, an assessment of operating characteristics informs the potential utility of the WG to identify the parameters for a seafloor experiment designed the WG as a station-keeping gateway. We apply the WG in the following two observation systems that we have been developing. First, after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami, we have developed a real-time offshore tsunami monitoring system using a new type of seafloor tsunami sensor called Vector TsunaMeter (VTM) able to directly estimate the tsunami propagation vector based on the electromagnetic induction theory to provide early and reliable information at the coastal area. The WG equipped with both an acoustic modem and a satellite communication modem is used in the system as a relay platform for data transfer and communications between the sea bottom observatory and the land station. We had some experiments beginning with newly developing of the VTM in November 2012 to complete as a real-time monitoring system using the WG in March 2014. During the last experiment, we succeeded in detecting the micro-tsunami associated with the 2014 Iquique, Chile earthquake with Mw 8.2 on April 1 to confirm the practical utility of the WG. Second, since the Nishinoshima volcano of the Bonin Islands erupted in November 2013, we have been developing an isolated volcanic activity monitoring system using the unmanned WG vehicle. In this system the WG plays roles not only in a relay station with a satellite communication modem but also in a multi-purpose observatory platform with microphone for detecting acoustic waves in the air due to eruptions, with hydrophones for detecting

Bioavailability of ginsenosides from white and red ginsengs in the simulated digestion model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eun Ok; Cha, Kwang Hyun; Lee, Eun Ha; Kim, Sang Min; Choi, Sang Won; Pan, Cheol-Ho; Um, Byung-Hun

2014-10-15

This study aims to investigate the bioavailability of ginsenosides during simulated digestion of white (WG) and red (RG) ginseng powders. Stability, bioaccessibility, and permeability of ginsenosides present in WG and RG were studied in a Caco-2 cell culture model coupled with oral, gastric, and small intestinal simulated digestion. Most ginsenosides in WG and RG were stable (>90%) during the simulated digestion. Bioaccessibilities of total ginsenosides during in vitro digestion of WG and RG were similar at approximately 85%. However, the bioaccessibility of protopanaxatriol type ginsenosides in the early food phase was greater than that of the protopanaxadiol type. The less polar RG ginsenosides were released later following the jejunum phase. Ginsenosides had low permeability (digestion and that ginsenosides are poorly absorbed in humans.

TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) Working Group:A Mission-led Effort to Coordinate Community Resources to Confirm TESS Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Karen; Quinn, Samuel N.; Latham, David W.; Christiansen, Jessie; Ciardi, David; Dragomir, Diana; Crossfield, Ian; Seager, Sara

2018-01-01

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will observe most of the sky over a period of two years. Observations will be conducted in 26 sectors of sky coverage and each sector will be observed for ~27 days. Data from each sector is expected to produce hundreds of transiting planet candidates (PCs) per month and thousands over the two year nominal mission. The TFOP Working Group (WG) is a mission-led effort organized to efficiently provide follow-up observations to confirm candidates as planets or reject them as false positives. The primary goal of the TFOP WG is to facilitate achievement of the Level One Science Requirement to measure masses for 50 transiting planets smaller than 4 Earth radii. Secondary goals are to serve any science coming out of TESS and to foster communication and coordination both within the TESS Science Team and with the community at large. The TFOP WG is organized as five Sub Groups (SGs). SG1 will provide seeing-limited imaging to measure blending within a candidate's aperture and time-series photometry to identify false positives and in some cases to improve ephemerides, light curves, and/or transit time variation (TTV) measurements. SG2 will provide reconnaissance spectroscopy to identify astrophysical false positives and to contribute to improved host star parameters. SG3 will provide high-resolution imaging with adaptive optics, speckle imaging, and lucky imaging to detect nearby objects. SG4 will provide precise radial velocities to derive orbits of planet(s) and measure their mass(es) relative to the host star. SG5 will provide space-based photometry to confirm and/or improve the TESS photometric ephemerides, and will also provide improved light curves for transit events or TTV measurements. We describe the TFOP WG observing and planet confirmation process, the five SGs that comprise the TFOP WG, ExoFOP-TESS and other web-based tools being developed to support TFOP WG observers, other advantages of joining the TFOP WG, the TFOP

Experiment list: SRX150376 [Chip-atlas[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available iptional regulation. CHD1 has also been shown to interact with the Paf1 complex and Rtf1 impli...ke helicase/ATPase domain, and a C-terminal DNA-binding domain. CHD1 has been shown ...ss || cell sex=M || treatment=None || treatment description=No special treatment or protocol applies || anti... signal from Normal Rabbit IgG ChIP-seq. || controlid=wgEncodeEH001834 || replicate=1 http://dbarchive.bioscienced...body=CHD1_(A301-218A) || antibody antibodydescription=Rabbit Polyclonal Antigen Affinity Purified

DCAA Contract Audit Manual. Volume 2, Chapters 12 - 15, Appendixes A - I. Volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

facilities for cafe - curred by the contractor. terias, dining rooms, canteens, lunch (FACs 84-15, 7 Apr 86) wagons, vending machines, living accom...Voluntary Accounting WGI 5990.23 CCH Change CAS-WG 79-24-Allocation of Business Unit G&A Expenses WGI 5990.24 CCH CAS-WG 81-25-State Income/ Franchise ...Recommendation (FPRR) CAM 9-1202. 2 FRAME Describing the Sampling Frame CAM B- 209 FRANCHISE CAS-WG 81-25-State Income/ Franchise Tax WGI 5990.25 CCH

Summary of Working Group 3: Machine Design and R and D

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohmori, C.; Kirk, H.; Haseroth, H.

2006-01-01

Various topics on machine studies and component R and D for Neutrino Factory subsystems were discussed in Working Group 3 (WG3) at the NuFact05 Workshop. In this working group, 29 talks and 2 posters were presented. We also had special focus sessions for lively discussions on several important issues; targets, cooling, proton driver, FFAGs and acceleration, and a World Wide Design study. Joint Sessions were held with WG1 and WG4 on machine requirements

Large Reduction of Hot Spot Temperature in Graphene Electronic Devices with Heat-Spreading Hexagonal Boron Nitride.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, David; Poudel, Nirakar; Park, Saungeun; Akinwande, Deji; Cronin, Stephen B; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Yao, Zhen; Shi, Li

2018-04-04

Scanning thermal microscopy measurements reveal a significant thermal benefit of including a high thermal conductivity hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heat-spreading layer between graphene and either a SiO 2 /Si substrate or a 100 μm thick Corning flexible Willow glass (WG) substrate. At the same power density, an 80 nm thick h-BN layer on the silicon substrate can yield a factor of 2.2 reduction of the hot spot temperature, whereas a 35 nm thick h-BN layer on the WG substrate is sufficient to obtain a factor of 4.1 reduction. The larger effect of the h-BN heat spreader on WG than on SiO 2 /Si is attributed to a smaller effective heat transfer coefficient per unit area for three-dimensional heat conduction into the thick, low-thermal conductivity WG substrate than for one-dimensional heat conduction through the thin oxide layer on silicon. Consequently, the h-BN lateral heat-spreading length is much larger on WG than on SiO 2 /Si, resulting in a larger degree of temperature reduction.

76 FR 43918 - Approval and Promulgation of State Implementation Plan Revisions; Infrastructure Requirements for...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-22

... entities, or members of the public to be under the misconception that the Agency's approval of the...Earth Guardians (WG), an environmental organization. The significant comments made in WG's June 20, 2011...

Assessment of the Item Selection and Weighting in the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for Wegener's Granulomatosis

Science.gov (United States)

MAHR, ALFRED D.; NEOGI, TUHINA; LAVALLEY, MICHAEL P.; DAVIS, JOHN C.; HOFFMAN, GARY S.; MCCUNE, W. JOSEPH; SPECKS, ULRICH; SPIERA, ROBERT F.; ST.CLAIR, E. WILLIAM; STONE, JOHN H.; MERKEL, PETER A.

2013-01-01

Objective To assess the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for Wegener's Granulomatosis (BVAS/WG) with respect to its selection and weighting of items. Methods This study used the BVAS/WG data from the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial. The scoring frequencies of the 34 predefined items and any “other” items added by clinicians were calculated. Using linear regression with generalized estimating equations in which the physician global assessment (PGA) of disease activity was the dependent variable, we computed weights for all predefined items. We also created variables for clinical manifestations frequently added as other items, and computed weights for these as well. We searched for the model that included the items and their generated weights yielding an activity score with the highest R2 to predict the PGA. Results We analyzed 2,044 BVAS/WG assessments from 180 patients; 734 assessments were scored during active disease. The highest R2 with the PGA was obtained by scoring WG activity based on the following items: the 25 predefined items rated on ≥5 visits, the 2 newly created fatigue and weight loss variables, the remaining minor other and major other items, and a variable that signified whether new or worse items were present at a specific visit. The weights assigned to the items ranged from 1 to 21. Compared with the original BVAS/WG, this modified score correlated significantly more strongly with the PGA. Conclusion This study suggests possibilities to enhance the item selection and weighting of the BVAS/WG. These changes may increase this instrument's ability to capture the continuum of disease activity in WG. PMID:18512722

Comments by the delegation of Japan on the American paper entitled 'institutional arrangements for uranium enrichment'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-02-01

It is argued that surplus global enrichment capacity through at least 1990, as suggested in CC/WG.2/11, may or may not exist, and to some extent may be necessary as an assurance of supply. CC/WG.2/11 also gives insufficient attention to the relation between national enrichment facilities and assurance of supply. The creation of multi-national enrichment enterprises may contribute to the spread of sensitive enrichment technology, a point which is explored more fully in CC/WG.2/9

All About the Grains Group

Science.gov (United States)

... equivalents Oatmeal (WG**) ½ cup, cooked 1 packet instant 1 ounce (1/3 cup), dry (regular or ... cup, cooked = 2 ounce-equivalents Pasta-- spaghetti, macaroni, noodles WG**: whole wheat RG**: enriched, durum ½ cup, ...

Economic data used in working group 5 analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haffner, D.R.; Parker, M.B.

1979-03-01

This paper presents the economic data used in the detailed economic analysis carried out in the U.S. paper WG-40 and is also used to arrive at the economics conclusions in U.S. papers WG 5A-19 and WG 5A-22. The data base includes reactor characteristics for the standard, 15 percent improved and 30 percent improved LWR plus the FBR system characteristics, fuel cost data, reactor plant capital cost data, and economic data (debt rate, equity rate, fixed charge rate, etc.)

Rapid weight gain in professional boxing and correlation with fight decisions: analysis from 71 title fights.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniele, Gianlorenzo; Weinstein, Richard N; Wallace, Paul Wesley; Palmieri, Vincenzo; Bianco, Massimiliano

2016-11-01

Boxing is a sport where athletes compete in several weight categories. Professional boxers typically dehydrate to cut their weight for the weigh-in (24 h before the contest) and then rehydrate before the fight. The International Boxing Federation (IBF) mandates a second weigh-in 12 h before the fight. Our objectives were: 1) To quantify the weight gain (WG) from the 1st to the 2nd weigh-in; 2) to investigate whether rapid WG affects boxing performance (win/loss rate) and 3) whether weight discrepancy (WD) 15 between boxers exposes them to increased health risks (rate of fights ended before time limit). From official weigh-in reports of 71 IBF fights (142 fighters) the following data were gathered/calculated for each boxer: age, weight division, 1st weight, 2nd weight, WG between weigh-ins (kg and %), WD between opponents, and fight decision. Between the weigh-ins, the average WG was 2.52 ± 1.37 kg (range -0.3/6.4 kg) and 3.8 ± 2.2% of the initial body weight (range -0.4/9.3%) and the average WD 1.94 ± 1.50 kg (maximum 7.10 kg). Both WG and WD did not affect match outcomes. We observed tendencies for higher loss rate among boxers gaining more weight, and for higher victory rate in boxers with larger WD, however without reaching significance. A significant negative correlation was found between the 1st weight and the WG, both in absolute (r = -0.278, p = 0.001) and relative value (r = -0.497, p boxing performance were not found, single cases with an alarming high WG and WD were noted.

Effect of wind generation system types on Micro-Grid (MG) fault performance during both standalone and grid connected modes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamel, Rashad M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • This paper evaluated the effects of different wind system types on fault performance of Micro-Grid. • Both standalone and grid connected modes are considered. • The MG earthing system configuration is taken in consideration. - Abstract: Recently, there are three wind generation (WG) system types. The first type is called Fixed Speed Wind Generation (FSWG) system, which employs squirrel cage induction generators. Double Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is utilized in the second type. The third type is called Full Converter Wind Generation (FCWG) system, which is interfaced with Micro-Grid (MG) through a back to back converter. During fault occurrence, each WG has its performance and characteristics which are determined by the generator physical characteristics and the MG earthing system configuration. For some WG types, the fault current depends also on the control algorithm of the power converter. The main target of this paper is to investigate and estimate how the fault performance of MG during both standalone and grid-connected modes is influenced by the type of WG. It is found during standalone mode that the type of the employed WG has a dominant impact on the MG performance under fault disturbance. On the contrary, the type of the employed WG has a negligible effect on the MG fault performance during grid-connected mode. This is because the main grid contributes most of the fault current. Effects of earthing system type on MG performance are highlighted

Signaling aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

van Staaden, Moira J; Searcy, William A; Hanlon, Roger T

2011-01-01

From psychological and sociological standpoints, aggression is regarded as intentional behavior aimed at inflicting pain and manifested by hostility and attacking behaviors. In contrast, biologists define aggression as behavior associated with attack or escalation toward attack, omitting any stipulation about intentions and goals. Certain animal signals are strongly associated with escalation toward attack and have the same function as physical attack in intimidating opponents and winning contests, and ethologists therefore consider them an integral part of aggressive behavior. Aggressive signals have been molded by evolution to make them ever more effective in mediating interactions between the contestants. Early theoretical analyses of aggressive signaling suggested that signals could never be honest about fighting ability or aggressive intentions because weak individuals would exaggerate such signals whenever they were effective in influencing the behavior of opponents. More recent game theory models, however, demonstrate that given the right costs and constraints, aggressive signals are both reliable about strength and intentions and effective in influencing contest outcomes. Here, we review the role of signaling in lieu of physical violence, considering threat displays from an ethological perspective as an adaptive outcome of evolutionary selection pressures. Fighting prowess is conveyed by performance signals whose production is constrained by physical ability and thus limited to just some individuals, whereas aggressive intent is encoded in strategic signals that all signalers are able to produce. We illustrate recent advances in the study of aggressive signaling with case studies of charismatic taxa that employ a range of sensory modalities, viz. visual and chemical signaling in cephalopod behavior, and indicators of aggressive intent in the territorial calls of songbirds. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whole-grain wheat consumption reduces inflammation in a randomized controlled trial on overweight and obese subjects with unhealthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors: role of polyphenols bound to cereal dietary fiber

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vitaglione, P.; Mennella, I.; Ferracane, R.; Rivellese, A.A.; Giacco, R.; Ercolini, D.; Gibbons, S.M.; Storia, la A.; Gilbert, A.J.; Jonnalagadda, S.; Thielecke, F.; Gallo, M.A.; Scalfi, L.; Fogliano, V.

2015-01-01

Background: Epidemiology associates whole-grain (WG) consumption with several health benefits. Mounting evidence suggests that WG wheat polyphenols play a role in mechanisms underlying health benefits. Objective: The objective was to assess circulating concentration, excretion, and the physiologic

Analysis of gene expression during odontogenic differentiation of cultured human dental pulp cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min-Seock Seo

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Objectives We analyzed gene-expression profiles after 14 day odontogenic induction of human dental pulp cells (DPCs using a DNA microarray and sought candidate genes possibly associated with mineralization. Materials and Methods Induced human dental pulp cells were obtained by culturing DPCs in odontogenic induction medium (OM for 14 day. Cells exposed to normal culture medium were used as controls. Total RNA was extracted from cells and analyzed by microarray analysis and the key results were confirmed selectively by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR. We also performed a gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA of the microarray data. Results Six hundred and five genes among the 47,320 probes on the BeadChip differed by a factor of more than two-fold in the induced cells. Of these, 217 genes were upregulated, and 388 were down-regulated. GSEA revealed that in the induced cells, genes implicated in Apoptosis and Signaling by wingless MMTV integration (Wnt were significantly upregulated. Conclusions Genes implicated in Apoptosis and Signaling by Wnt are highly connected to the differentiation of dental pulp cells into odontoblast.

Interactive smart battery storage for a PV and wind hybrid energy management control based on conservative power theory

Science.gov (United States)

Godoy Simões, Marcelo; Davi Curi Busarello, Tiago; Saad Bubshait, Abdullah; Harirchi, Farnaz; Antenor Pomilio, José; Blaabjerg, Frede

2016-04-01

This paper presents interactive smart battery-based storage (BBS) for wind generator (WG) and photovoltaic (PV) systems. The BBS is composed of an asymmetric cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (ACMI) with staircase modulation. The structure is parallel to the WG and PV systems, allowing the ACMI to have a reduction in power losses compared to the usual solution for storage connected at the DC-link of the converter for WG or PV systems. Moreover, the BBS is embedded with a decision algorithm running real-time energy costs, plus a battery state-of-charge manager and power quality capabilities, making the described system in this paper very interactive, smart and multifunctional. The paper describes how BBS interacts with the WG and PV and how its performance is improved. Experimental results are presented showing the efficacy of this BBS for renewable energy applications.

Three-dimensional patterning in polymer optical waveguides using focused ion beam milling

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, Kevin; Burrell, Derek; Middlebrook, Christopher

2016-07-01

Waveguide (WG) photonic-bridge taper modules are designed for symmetric planar coupling between silicon WGs and single-mode fibers (SMFs) to minimize photonic chip and packaging footprint requirements with improving broadband functionality. Micromachined fabrication and evaluation of polymer WG tapers utilizing high-resolution focused ion beam (FIB) milling is performed and presented. Polymer etch rates utilizing the FIB and optimal methods for milling polymer tapers are identified for three-dimensional patterning. Polymer WG tapers with low sidewall roughness are manufactured utilizing FIB milling and optically tested for fabrication loss. FIB platforms utilize a focused beam of ions (Ga+) to etch submicron patterns into substrates. Fabricating low-loss polymer WG taper prototypes with the FIB before moving on to mass-production techniques provides theoretical understanding of the polymer taper and its feasibility for connectorization devices between silicon WGs and SMFs.

Robust power detector for wideband signals among many single tone signals

Science.gov (United States)

Musgrove, Cameron H.; Thompson, Douglas

2018-03-06

Various technologies for isolating a signal of interest from signals received contemporaneously by an antenna are described herein. A time period for which a signal of interest is present in a second signal can be identified based upon ratios of values of the second signal to the mean value of the second signal. When the ratio of the value of the second signal at a particular time to the mean of the second signal exceeds a threshold value, the signal of interest is considered to be present in the second signal.

Salicylic acid signaling inhibits apoplastic reactive oxygen species signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Enjun; Brosché, Mikael

2014-06-04

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are used by plants as signaling molecules during stress and development. Given the amount of possible challenges a plant face from their environment, plants need to activate and prioritize between potentially conflicting defense signaling pathways. Until recently, most studies on signal interactions have focused on phytohormone interaction, such as the antagonistic relationship between salicylic acid (SA)-jasmonic acid and cytokinin-auxin. In this study, we report an antagonistic interaction between SA signaling and apoplastic ROS signaling. Treatment with ozone (O3) leads to a ROS burst in the apoplast and induces extensive changes in gene expression and elevation of defense hormones. However, Arabidopsis thaliana dnd1 (defense no death1) exhibited an attenuated response to O3. In addition, the dnd1 mutant displayed constitutive expression of defense genes and spontaneous cell death. To determine the exact process which blocks the apoplastic ROS signaling, double and triple mutants involved in various signaling pathway were generated in dnd1 background. Simultaneous elimination of SA-dependent and SA-independent signaling components from dnd1 restored its responsiveness to O3. Conversely, pre-treatment of plants with SA or using mutants that constitutively activate SA signaling led to an attenuation of changes in gene expression elicited by O3. Based upon these findings, we conclude that plants are able to prioritize the response between ROS and SA via an antagonistic action of SA and SA signaling on apoplastic ROS signaling.

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2017-11-10

Nov 10, 2017 ... The XRF result indicates both waste glass (WG1 and WG2) are the glass made based SLS glass composition and the density values were in the range of commercial SLS .... [4] Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN).

Patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships : A comparison with Wegener's granulomatosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boomsma, MM; Bijl, M; Stegeman, CA; Kallenberg, CGM; Hoffman, GS; Tervaert, JWC

2002-01-01

Objective. To describe the patients' perceptions of the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships. Methods. 114 patients with SLE, and 79 patients with WG completed a self-administered questionnaire.

Transcriptional Regulation of Frizzled-1 in Human Osteoblasts by Sp1.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shibing Yu

Full Text Available The wingless pathway has a powerful influence on bone metabolism and is a therapeutic target in skeletal disorders. Wingless signaling is mediated in part through the Frizzled (FZD receptor family. FZD transcriptional regulation is poorly understood. Herein we tested the hypothesis that Sp1 plays an important role in the transcriptional regulation of FZD1 expression in osteoblasts and osteoblast mineralization. To test this hypothesis, we conducted FZD1 promoter assays in Saos2 cells with and without Sp1 overexpression. We found that Sp1 significantly up-regulates FZD1 promoter activity in Saos2 cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP and electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA assays identified a novel and functional Sp1 binding site at -44 to -40 from the translation start site in the FZD1 promoter. The Sp1-dependent activation of the FZD1 promoter was abolished by mithramycin A (MMA, an antibiotic affecting both Sp1 binding and Sp1 protein levels in Saos2 cells. Similarly, down-regulation of Sp1 in hFOB cells resulted in less FZD1 expression and lower alkaline phosphatase activity. Moreover, over-expression of Sp1 increased FZD1 expression and Saos2 cell mineralization while MMA decreased Sp1 and FZD1 expression and Saos2 cell mineralization. Knockdown of FZD1 prior to Sp1 overexpression partially abolished Sp1 stimulation of osteoblast differentiation markers. Taken together, our results suggest that Sp1 plays a role in human osteoblast differentiation and mineralization, which is at least partially mediated by Sp1-dependent transactivation of FZD1.

PODAAC-GRGAC-2WG05

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — FOR EXPERT USE ONLY. This dataset contains estimates of Earths geopotential field derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission...

PODAAC-GRGAD-2WG05

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — FOR EXPERT USE ONLY. This dataset contains estimates of Earths ocean bottom pressure derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission...

PODAAC-GRGAA-2WG05

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — FOR EXPERT USE ONLY. This dataset contains estimates of Earths geopotential field derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission...

PODAAC-GRGAB-2WG05

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — FOR EXPERT USE ONLY. This dataset contains estimates of Earths geopotential field derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission...

SPAGETTA: a Multi-Purpose Gridded Stochastic Weather Generator

Science.gov (United States)

Dubrovsky, M.; Huth, R.; Rotach, M. W.; Dabhi, H.

2017-12-01

SPAGETTA is a new multisite/gridded multivariate parametric stochastic weather generator (WG). Site-specific precipitation occurrence and amount are modelled by Markov chain and Gamma distribution, the non-precipitation variables are modelled by an autoregressive (AR) model conditioned on precipitation occurrence, and the spatial coherence of all variables is modelled following the Wilks' (2009) approach. SPAGETTA may be run in two modes. Mode 1: it is run as a classical WG, which is calibrated using weather series from multiple sites, and only then it may produce arbitrarily long synthetic series mimicking the spatial and temporal structure of the calibration data. To generate the weather series representing the future climate, the WG parameters are modified according to the climate change scenario, typically derived from GCM or RCM simulations. Mode 2: the user provides only basic information (not necessarily to be realistic) on the temporal and spatial auto-correlation structure of the weather variables and their mean annual cycle; the generator itself derives the parameters of the underlying AR model, which produces the multi-site weather series. Optionally, the user may add the spatially varying trend, which is superimposed to the synthetic series. The contribution consists of following parts: (a) Model of the WG. (b) Validation of WG in terms of the spatial temperature and precipitation characteristics, including characteristics of spatial hot/cold/dry/wet spells. (c) Results of the climate change impact experiment, in which the WG parameters representing the spatial and temporal variability are modified using the climate change scenarios and the effect on the above spatial validation indices is analysed. In this experiment, the WG is calibrated using the E-OBS gridded daily weather data for several European regions, and the climate change scenarios are derived from the selected RCM simulations (CORDEX database). (d) The second mode of operation will be

Optimal Signal Quality Index for Photoplethysmogram Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Elgendi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A photoplethysmogram (PPG is a noninvasive circulatory signal related to the pulsatile volume of blood in tissue and is typically collected by pulse oximeters. PPG signals collected via mobile devices are prone to artifacts that negatively impact measurement accuracy, which can lead to a significant number of misleading diagnoses. Given the rapidly increased use of mobile devices to collect PPG signals, developing an optimal signal quality index (SQI is essential to classify the signal quality from these devices. Eight SQIs were developed and tested based on: perfusion, kurtosis, skewness, relative power, non-stationarity, zero crossing, entropy, and the matching of systolic wave detectors. Two independent annotators annotated all PPG data (106 recordings, 60 s each and a third expert conducted the adjudication of differences. The independent annotators labeled each PPG signal with one of the following labels: excellent, acceptable or unfit for diagnosis. All indices were compared using Mahalanobis distance, linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, and support vector machine with leave-one-out cross-validation. The skewness index outperformed the other seven indices in differentiating between excellent PPG and acceptable, acceptable combined with unfit, and unfit recordings, with overall F 1 scores of 86.0%, 87.2%, and 79.1%, respectively.

Optimal Signal Quality Index for Photoplethysmogram Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Elgendi, Mohamed

2016-09-22

A photoplethysmogram (PPG) is a noninvasive circulatory signal related to the pulsatile volume of blood in tissue and is typically collected by pulse oximeters. PPG signals collected via mobile devices are prone to artifacts that negatively impact measurement accuracy, which can lead to a significant number of misleading diagnoses. Given the rapidly increased use of mobile devices to collect PPG signals, developing an optimal signal quality index (SQI) is essential to classify the signal quality from these devices. Eight SQIs were developed and tested based on: perfusion, kurtosis, skewness, relative power, non-stationarity, zero crossing, entropy, and the matching of systolic wave detectors. Two independent annotators annotated all PPG data (106 recordings, 60 s each) and a third expert conducted the adjudication of differences. The independent annotators labeled each PPG signal with one of the following labels: excellent, acceptable or unfit for diagnosis. All indices were compared using Mahalanobis distance, linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, and support vector machine with leave-one-out cross-validation. The skewness index outperformed the other seven indices in differentiating between excellent PPG and acceptable, acceptable combined with unfit, and unfit recordings, with overall F 1 scores of 86.0%, 87.2%, and 79.1%, respectively.

Evaluation of capture ELISA for detection of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies directed against proteinase 3 in Wegener's granulomatosis : first results from a multicentre study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Csernok, E; Holle, J; Hellmich, B; Willem, J; Tervaert, C; Kallenberg, CGM; Limburg, PC; Niles, J; Pan, GL; Specks, U; Westman, K; Wieslander, J; Gross, WL

Objective: To evaluate the performance characteristics of direct and capture ELISA for the detection of PR3-ANCA in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) in international ANCA reference laboratories. Methods: Serum samples were derived from patients with histological and clinical diagnosis of WG (n = 60),

Does mere exposure change implicit associations between whole grain foods and taste?

Science.gov (United States)

The health benefits of whole grain (WG) consumption are well documented. Current Dietary Guidelines recommend that individuals consume = 3 servings per day. Despite increased variety, availability, and promotion of WG products, less than 5% of Americans consume the recommended amounts. Healthy adu...

Report of the transition crossing mini-workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, P.; Chou, W.

1996-07-01

This was the first in a series of mini-workshops on high intensity, high brightness hadron beams. Twenty five people from CERN, KEK, BNL, Fermilab and University of Houston attended the workshop. The first day was a plenary session with nine presentations. On the second day, three working groups (WG) were formed: WG-I was on theory, simulation and measurements, led by J.P. Riunaud (CERN) and P.L. Colestock (Fermilab); WG-II was on γ t -jump systems, led by T. Roser (BNL) and W. Chou (Fermilab); WG-III was on new schemes, led by Y. Mori (KEK) and J. Griffin (Fermilab). Each group gave a presentation at the final plenary session. The summaries from the three working groups are included in this report. During the workshop, P. Martin gave a guided tour to the Main Injector tunnel, which is under construction at Fermilab

Wegener's granulomatosis occurring de novo during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfhaily, F; Watts, R; Leather, A

2009-01-01

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is rarely diagnosed during the reproductive years and uncommonly manifests for the first time during pregnancy. We report a case of de novo WG presenting at 30 weeks gestation with classical symptoms of WG (ENT, pulmonary). The diagnosis was confirmed by radiological, laboratory, and histological investigations. With a multidisciplinary approach, she had a successful vaginal delivery of a healthy baby. She was treated successfully by a combination of steroids, azathioprine and intravenous immunoglobulin in the active phase of disease for induction of remission and by azathioprine and steroids for maintenance of remission. The significant improvement in her symptoms allowed us to continue her pregnancy to 37 weeks when delivery was electively induced. Transplacental transmission of PR3-ANCA occurred but the neonate remained well. This case of de novo WG during pregnancy highlights the seriousness of this disease and the challenge in management of such patients.

Signal Words

Science.gov (United States)

SIGNAL WORDS TOPIC FACT SHEET NPIC fact sheets are designed to answer questions that are commonly asked by the ... making decisions about pesticide use. What are Signal Words? Signal words are found on pesticide product labels, ...

The safety R and D for GEN-IV reactors in the European nuclear energy technology platform strategic research agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruna, G.

2009-01-01

In the fall 2007 EC launched the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNE-TP). The SNE-TP governing board set-up three working groups (WG): 1) Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) WG, in charge of drafting road-maps to support research, development and demonstration for current and future NPPs; 2) Deployment Strategy (DS) WG, in charge of defining the research road-map implementation and 3) Education, Training and Knowledge management (ETKM) WG, which was aimed at issuing proposal to reinforce European education and attract young in the nuclear field. The SRA WG was mandated to prepare the SRA vision document based on the preliminary road-map sketched in the document published by the Commission earlier in 2007. The SRA WG was originally organized in 5 sub-groups covering specific topics (1) GEN II and III, III+, including Advanced LWR, 2) Advanced Fuel Cycle for waste minimization and resource optimization; 3) GEN IV Fast Systems (SFR, LFR, GFR, ADS); 4) GEN IV (V) HTR and non-electricity-production applications; 5) New Nuclear Large Research Infrastructures) and 5 other sub-groups dealing with more generic cross-cutting research activities applicable to many specific topics, namely: 1) Structural material research; 2) modeling, simulation and methods, including physical data and tools and means for qualification and validation; 3) Reactor Safety, including severe accidents and human factor; 4) Advanced Driver and Minor Actinide Fuels: science and properties; 5) Pre-normative Research, Codes and Standards.The present paper is mainly aimed at summarizing the content of the SRA Safety sub-chapter focusing on GEN-IV aspects

Mixed Waste Focus Area Working Group: An Integrated Approach to Mercury Waste Treatment and Disposal. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, M.I.; Conley, T.B.; Osborne-Lee, I.W.

1997-01-01

May 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) initiated the Mercury Work Group (HgWG). The HgWG was established to address and resolve the issues associated with Mercury- contaminated mixed wastes (MWs). During the initial technical baseline development process of the MWFA, three of the top four technology deficiencies identified were related to (1) amalgamation, (2) stabilization, and (3) separation and removal for the treatment of mercury and mercury-contaminated mixed waste (MW). The HgWG is assisting the MWFA in soliciting, identifying, initiating, and managing efforts to address these needs

Effect of dietary protein quality and feeding level on milk secretion and mammary protein synthesis in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sampson, D.A.; Jansen, G.R.

1985-01-01

Protein synthesis was studied in mammary tissue of rats fed diets deficient in protein quality and/or restricted in food intake throughout gestation and lactation. Diets containing 25% wheat gluten (WG), wheat gluten plus lysine and threonine (WGLT), or casein (C) were pair-fed from conception until day 15 of lactation at 100% or 85% of WG ad libitum consumption (PF100 and PF85, respectively). A seventh group was fed C ad libitum. Rates of protein synthesis were measured in vivo at day 15 of lactation from incorporation of [3- 3 H]phenylalanine. At both PF100 and PF85, fractional and absolute rates of mammary gland protein synthesis were two- to three-fold higher in rats fed C than in those fed WG. Pup weights showed similar treatment effects. Both mammary protein synthesis rates and pup weights were significantly higher in rats fed C at PF85 than rats fed WG ad libitum. Food restriction from PF100 to PF85 depressed pup weights and mammary protein synthesis rates in rats fed WGLT, but had no effect in rats fed WG. These results demonstrate that when food intake is restricted, improvement of protein quality of the maternal diet increases milk output in the rat in association with increased rates of mammary protein synthesis

The Effects of Moderate Whole Grain Consumption on Fasting Glucose and Lipids, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and Microbiota

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danielle N. Cooper

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to determine if providing wheat, corn, and rice as whole (WG or refined grains (RG under free-living conditions will change parameters of health over a six-week intervention in healthy, habitual non-WG consumers. Measurements of body composition, fecal microbiota, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL, low density lipoprotein (LDL, and triglycerides were made at baseline and post intervention. Subjects were given adequate servings of either WG or RG products based on their caloric need and asked to keep records of grain consumption, bowel movements, and GI symptoms weekly. After six weeks, subjects repeated baseline testing. Significant decreases in total, LDL, and non-HDL cholesterol were seen after the WG treatments but were not observed in the RG treatment. During Week 6, bowel movement frequency increased with increased WG consumption. No significant differences in microbiota were seen between baseline and post intervention, although, abundance of order Erysipelotrichales increased in RG subjects who ate more than 50% of the RG market basket products. Increasing consumption of WGs can alter parameters of health, but more research is needed to better elucidate the relationship between the amount consumed and the health-related outcome.

[Surgical treatment with dacryocystitis and retinal detachment in a patient with Wegener granulomatosis].

Science.gov (United States)

Metoki, Tomomi; Kubo, Masabumi; Takano, Yoshiko; Nakamura, Hideo; Nakazawa, Mitsuru

2003-06-01

We report surgical treatment of a patient with dacryocystitis and retinal detachment (RD), which are rare ophthalmic involvements of Wegener granulomatosis (WG). The patient was a 26-year-old man with WG. He was diagnosed as having WG 4 years ago and he has been treated by maintenance doses of predonisolone and cyclophosphamide. Rheumatoid factor and serum antinuclear antibody were negative. Cytoplasmic pattern-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (C-ANCA) and renal function were normal. He was found to have nasolacrimal duct obstruction and lattice degeneration bilaterally, retinal tear with RD in the left eye and tear without RD in the right eye. No sign of vasculitis was found in fluorescein angiography. Bilateral dacryocystorhinostomy was performed without any sign of postoperative necrosis of the wound. After the surgery, epiphora and eye discharge disappeared and lacrimal passage has been maintained without obstruction. The pathological findings of his nasal mucosa and lacrimal sac showed chronic inflammation and no typical changes of WG. There was no abnormal change in the conjunctiva and sclera after an uncomplicated scleral buckling surgery. We conclude that operations such as dacryocystorhinostomy and scleral buckling surgery may be performed successfully when WG is controlled within the normal limits of C-ANCA.

Detection of Noise in Composite Step Signal Pattern by Visualizing Signal Waveforms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaman Verma

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Step Composite Signals is the combination of vital informative signals that are compressed and coded to produce a predefined test image on a display device. It carries the desired sequence of information from source to destination. This information may be transmitted as digital signal, video information or data signal required as an input for the destination module. For testing of display panels, Composite Test Signals are the most important attribute of test signal transmission system. In the current research paper we present an approach for the noise detection in Composite Step Signal by analysing Composite Step Signal waveforms. The analysis of the signal waveforms reveals that the noise affected components of the signal and subsequently noise reduction process is initiated which targets noisy signal component only. Thus the quality of signal is not compromised during noise reduction process.

Scaling the Drosophila Wing: TOR-Dependent Target Gene Access by the Hippo Pathway Transducer Yorkie.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Joseph; Struhl, Gary

2015-10-01

Organ growth is controlled by patterning signals that operate locally (e.g., Wingless/Ints [Wnts], Bone Morphogenetic Proteins [BMPs], and Hedgehogs [Hhs]) and scaled by nutrient-dependent signals that act systemically (e.g., Insulin-like peptides [ILPs] transduced by the Target of Rapamycin [TOR] pathway). How cells integrate these distinct inputs to generate organs of the appropriate size and shape is largely unknown. The transcriptional coactivator Yorkie (Yki, a YES-Associated Protein, or YAP) acts downstream of patterning morphogens and other tissue-intrinsic signals to promote organ growth. Yki activity is regulated primarily by the Warts/Hippo (Wts/Hpo) tumour suppressor pathway, which impedes nuclear access of Yki by a cytoplasmic tethering mechanism. Here, we show that the TOR pathway regulates Yki by a separate and novel mechanism in the Drosophila wing. Instead of controlling Yki nuclear access, TOR signaling governs Yki action after it reaches the nucleus by allowing it to gain access to its target genes. When TOR activity is inhibited, Yki accumulates in the nucleus but is sequestered from its normal growth-promoting target genes--a phenomenon we term "nuclear seclusion." Hence, we posit that in addition to its well-known role in stimulating cellular metabolism in response to nutrients, TOR also promotes wing growth by liberating Yki from nuclear seclusion, a parallel pathway that we propose contributes to the scaling of wing size with nutrient availability.

The effects of moderate whole grain consumption on fasting glucose and lipids, gastrointestinal symptoms, and microbiota

Science.gov (United States)

This study was designed to determine if providing wheat, corn, and rice as whole (WG) or refined grains (RG) under free-living conditions will change parameters of health over a six-week intervention in healthy, habitual non-WG consumers. Measurements of body composition, fecal microbiota, fasting ...

Body weight and reproductive parameters in fast and weak growing Awassi ram lambs during different age stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarkawi, Moutaz; Al-Daker, Al-Moutassem Billah

2016-01-01

This study was carried out on 30 Syrian Awassi ram lambs around 3 months of age. Lambs were divided equally in 2 groups as fast growing (FG) and weak growing (WG) lambs to identify body weight and reproductive parameters in each group during different age stages. Blood samples were collected to determine testosterone and leptin concentrations using radioimmunoassay. At puberty, average body weight and age of FG and WG lambs was 52.4 and 43.1 kg, and 225.9 and 248.0 days, respectively, with a significant (P age (below 1.0 nmol L(-1)) and increased with advancing age with a sharp increase occurring at 7 months of age and at puberty, averages were 12.58 and 11.86 nmol L(-1) for FG and WG groups, respectively, with no significant (P > 0.05) differences. At puberty, average leptin concentration was 3.16 and 2.98 ng mL(-1) for FG and WG groups, respectively, with no significant (P > 0.05) difference.

Intake of wholegrain products and risk of colorectal cancers in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egeberg, R; Olsen, Anja Viendahl; Loft, S

2010-01-01

incident cases of rectal cancer that developed during 10.6 years (median) of follow-up among 26 630 men and 29 189 women taking part in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of colon and rectal cancer related to total or individual WG product intake were calculated using Cox......BACKGROUND: Consumption of wholegrain (WG) products may protect against colon and rectal cancer. METHODS: The associations between total and individual WG product consumption and colon and rectal cancer risk were prospectively examined using data on 461 incident cases of colon cancer and 283...... regression. RESULTS: Higher WG product intake was associated with lower risk of colon cancer and rectal cancer in men. The adjusted IRR (95% CI) was 0.85 (0.77-0.94) for colon cancer and 0.90 (0.80-1.01) for rectal cancer per daily 50 g increment in intake. For colon cancer the association was confined...

Multimodal signal variation in space and time : how important is matching a signal with its signaler?

OpenAIRE

Taylor, Ryan C.; Klein, Barrett; Stein, Joey; Ryan, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Multimodal signals (acoustic+visual) are known to be used by many anuran amphibians during courtship displays. The relative degree to which each signal component influences female mate choice, however, remains poorly understood. In this study we used a robotic frog with an inflating vocal sac and acoustic playbacks to document responses of female túngara frogs to unimodal signal components (acoustic and visual). We then tested female responses to a synchronous multimodal signal. Finally, we t...

Linking the M&Rfi Weather Generator with Agrometeorological Models

Science.gov (United States)

Dubrovsky, Martin; Trnka, Miroslav

2015-04-01

Realistic meteorological inputs (representing the present and/or future climates) for the agrometeorological model simulations are often produced by stochastic weather generators (WGs). This contribution presents some methodological issues and results obtained in our recent experiments. We also address selected questions raised in the synopsis of this session. The input meteorological time series for our experiments are produced by the parametric single site weather generator (WG) Marfi, which is calibrated from the available observational data (or interpolated from surrounding stations). To produce meteorological series representing the future climate, the WG parameters are modified by climate change scenarios, which are prepared by the pattern scaling method: the standardised scenarios derived from Global or Regional Climate Models are multiplied by the change in global mean temperature (ΔTG) determined by the simple climate model MAGICC. The presentation will address following questions: (i) The dependence of the quality of the synthetic weather series and impact results on the WG settings. An emphasis will be put on an effect of conditioning the daily WG on monthly WG (presently being one of our hot topics), which aims at improvement of the reproduction of the low-frequency weather variability. Comparison of results obtained with various WG settings is made in terms of climatic and agroclimatic indices (including extreme temperature and precipitation characteristics and drought indices). (ii) Our methodology accounts for the uncertainties coming from various sources. We will show how the climate change impact results are affected by 1. uncertainty in climate modelling, 2. uncertainty in ΔTG, and 3. uncertainty related to the complexity of the climate change scenario (focusing on an effect of inclusion of changes in variability into the climate change scenarios). Acknowledgements: This study was funded by project "Building up a multidisciplinary scientific

Signal detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tholomier, M.

1985-01-01

In a scanning electron microscope, whatever is the measured signal, the same set is found: incident beam, sample, signal detection, signal amplification. The resulting signal is used to control the spot luminosity with the observer cathodoscope. This is synchronized with the beam scanning on the sample; on the cathodoscope, the image in secondary electrons, backscattered electrons,... of the sample surface is reconstituted. The best compromise must be found between a register time low enough to remove eventual variations (under the incident beam) of the nature of the observed phenomenon, and a good spatial resolution of the image and a signal-to-noise ratio high enough. The noise is one of the basic limitations of the scanning electron microscope performance. The whose measurement line must be optimized to reduce it [fr

Does mere exposure mediate sensitivity to bitter taste on consumer liking and acceptability of whole grain foods?

Science.gov (United States)

Health benefits of whole grains (WG) are well known, yet consumption by Americans falls far short of recommended amounts. Roughly 75% of Americans are sensitive to bitter taste, and WG are known to contain bitter tasting phenolic compounds. It has been reported that individuals with the highest se...

Competition and opportunity shape the reproductive tactics of males in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sylvia Cremer

Full Text Available Context-dependent adjustment of mating tactics can drastically increase the mating success of behaviourally flexible animals. We used the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior as a model system to study adaptive adjustment of male mating tactics. This species shows a male diphenism of wingless fighter males and peaceful winged males. Whereas the wingless males stay and exclusively mate in the maternal colony, the mating behaviour of winged males is plastic. They copulate with female sexuals in their natal nests early in life but later disperse in search for sexuals outside. In this study, we observed the nest-leaving behaviour of winged males under different conditions and found that they adaptively adjust the timing of their dispersal to the availability of mating partners, as well as the presence, and even the type of competitors in their natal nests. In colonies with virgin female queens winged males stayed longest when they were the only male in the nest. They left earlier when mating partners were not available or when other males were present. In the presence of wingless, locally mating fighter males, winged males dispersed earlier than in the presence of docile, winged competitors. This suggests that C. obscurior males are capable of estimating their local breeding chances and adaptively adjust their dispersal behaviour in both an opportunistic and a risk-sensitive way, thus showing hitherto unknown behavioural plasticity in social insect males.

Asymptomatic appearance of splenic infarction in Wegeners granulomatosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martusewicz-Boros, M.; Roszkowski-Sliz, K.; Wiatr, E.; Baranska, I.; Bestry, I.

2011-01-01

Splenic involvements in Wegeners granulomatosis (WG) are rarely diagnosed ante-mortem, while an autopsy is able to reveal a high rate of spleen lesions (78 - 100%). To date, there have been a few reported cases of splenic abnormalities in WG, including: splenomegaly, capsular adhesion, dysfunction and infarction. We reported a case of biopsy-verified WG with radiological evidence of diffuse spleen infarction despite the lack of any clinical symptoms. We concluded that due to a potential risk of severe hemorrhagic complications when anticoagulant therapy is necessary, radiological assessment of spleen should be performed regularly in this group of patients, particularly because spleen involvement can be asymptomatic. (authors)

New synchrotron radiation facility project. Panel on new synchrotron radiation facility project

CERN Document Server

Sato, S; Kimura, Y

2003-01-01

The project for constructing a new synchrotron radiation facility dedicated to the science in VUV (or EUV) and Soft X-ray (SX) region has been discussed for these two years at the Panel on New Synchrotron Radiation Facility Project. The Panel together with the Accelerator Design Working Group (WG), Beamline Design WG and Research Program WG suggested to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports the construction of a 1.8 GeV electron storage ring suitable for 'Top-Up' operation and beamlines and monochromators designed for undulator radiation. The scientific programs proposed by nationwide scientists are summarized with their requirements of the characteristics of the beam. (author)

Comparison of optical quality after implantable collamer lens implantation and wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Ting Liu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available AIM: To compare the optical quality after implantation of implantable collamer lens (ICL and wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (WG-LASIK. METHODS: The study included 40 eyes of 22 patients with myopia who accepted ICL implantation and 40 eyes of 20 patients with myopia who received WG-LASIK. Before surgery and three months after surgery, the objective scattering index (OSI, the values of modulation transfer function (MTF cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, and the Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS values (OVs were accessed. The higher order aberrations (HOAs data including coma, trefoil, spherical, 2nd astigmatism and tetrafoil were also obtained. For patients with pupil size <6 mm, HOAs data were analyzed for 4 mm-pupil diameter. For patients with pupil size ≥6 mm, HOAs data were calculated for 6 mm-pupil diameter. Visual acuity, refraction, pupil size and intraocular pressures were also recorded. RESULTS: In both ICL and WG-LASIK group, significant improvements in visual acuities were found postoperatively, with a significant reduction in spherical equivalent (P< 0.001. After the ICL implantation, the OSI decreased slightly from 2.34±1.92 to 2.24±1.18 with no statistical significance (P=0.62. While in WG-LASIK group, the OSI significantly increased from 0.68±0.43 preoperatively to 0.91±0.53 postoperatively (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, P=0.000. None of the mean MTF cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, OVs showed statistically significant changes in both ICL and WG-LASIK groups. In the ICL group, there were no statistical differences in the total HOAs for either 4 mm-pupil or 6 mm-pupil. In the WG-LASIK group, the HOA parameters increased significantly at 4 mm-pupil. The total ocular HOAs, coma, spherical and 2nd astigmatism were 0.12±0.06, 0.06±0.03, 0.00±0.03, 0.02±0.01, respectively. After the operation, these values were increased into 0.16±0.07, 0.08±0.05, -0.04±0.04, 0.03±0.01 respectively (Wilcoxon signed ranks test

Digital signal processing the Tevatron BPM signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cancelo, G.; James, E.; Wolbers, S.

2005-01-01

The Beam Position Monitor (TeV BPM) readout system at Fermilab's Tevatron has been updated and is currently being commissioned. The new BPMs use new analog and digital hardware to achieve better beam position measurement resolution. The new system reads signals from both ends of the existing directional stripline pickups to provide simultaneous proton and antiproton measurements. The signals provided by the two ends of the BPM pickups are processed by analog band-pass filters and sampled by 14-bit ADCs at 74.3MHz. A crucial part of this work has been the design of digital filters that process the signal. This paper describes the digital processing and estimation techniques used to optimize the beam position measurement. The BPM electronics must operate in narrow-band and wide-band modes to enable measurements of closed-orbit and turn-by-turn positions. The filtering and timing conditions of the signals are tuned accordingly for the operational modes. The analysis and the optimized result for each mode are presented

SWWS 2005 PC Co-chairs' Message

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dillon, T.; Feng, L.; Jarrar, M.; Gangemi, A.; Breuker, J.; Lehmann, J.; Valente, A.; meersman, R; Tari, Z; herrero, p; Méndez, G.; Cavedon, L.; Martin, D.; Hinze, A.; Buchanan, G.

2005-01-01

Welcome to the Proceedings of the first IFIP WG 2.12 & WG 12.4 International Workshop on Web Semantics (SWWS’05). This book reflects the issues raised and presented during the SWWS workshop which proves to be an interdisciplinary forum for subject matters involving the theory and practice of web

Transient-Switch-Signal Suppressor

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

1995-01-01

Circuit delays transmission of switch-opening or switch-closing signal until after preset suppression time. Used to prevent transmission of undesired momentary switch signal. Basic mode of operation simple. Beginning of switch signal initiates timing sequence. If switch signal persists after preset suppression time, circuit transmits switch signal to external circuitry. If switch signal no longer present after suppression time, switch signal deemed transient, and circuit does not pass signal on to external circuitry, as though no transient switch signal. Suppression time preset at value large enough to allow for damping of underlying pressure wave or other mechanical transient.

Energie 2011. Development of competition with good sides and bad. Special Report of the Monopolies Commission in accordance with Art. 62 Para. 1 of the Energy Economy Law; Energie 2011. Wettbewerbsentwicklung mit Licht und Schatten. Sondergutachten der Monopolkommission gemaess paragraph 62 Abs. 1 EnWG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

The Special Report by the Monopolies Commission on electricity and gas is its third on the energy market pursuant to Art. 62 of the German Energy Economy Law (EnWG). In it the Commission relates its view of the status quo and development trend of competition and assesses whether there is effective competition in the markets for the grid-bound supply of electricity and gas in the German Federal Republic. It also reviews how the provisions of the Energy Economy Law concerning regulation and the safeguarding of competition have been applied and discusses current issues of competition policy in the energy sector. This third report analyses new developments in these areas. It also addresses other topics of recent interest such as the consequences of the revised view on nuclear energy, remunicipalisation or regulatory problems relating to railway electricity and railway electricity grids. The editorial work on this Special Report was completed shortly after the enactment of the Law Amending Energy Law Related Provisions, and the analyses conducted by the Monopolies Commission were updated accordingly.

Wegener´s granulomatosis in a young patient preceded by localized cutaneous manifestations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesper Smit

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Wegener´s granulomatosis (WG is a rare, systemic vasculitis involving multiple organs. The clinical presentation is highly diverse, and there is considerable risk of mortality if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. We present a case illustrating that patients with WG may initially present with localized cutaneous symptoms and signs.

Fast digitizing and digital signal processing of detector signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hannaske, Roland

2008-01-01

A fast-digitizer data acquisition system recently installed at the neutron time-of-flight experiment nELBE, which is located at the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE of Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, is tested with two different detector types. Preamplifier signals from a high-purity germanium detector are digitized, stored and finally processed. For a precise determination of the energy of the detected radiation, the moving-window deconvolution algorithm is used to compensate the ballistic deficit and different shaping algorithms are applied. The energy resolution is determined in an experiment with γ-rays from a 22 Na source and is compared to the energy resolution achieved with analogously processed signals. On the other hand, signals from the photomultipliers of barium fluoride and plastic scintillation detectors are digitized. These signals have risetimes of a few nanoseconds only. The moment of interaction of the radiation with the detector is determined by methods of digital signal processing. Therefore, different timing algorithms are implemented and tested with data from an experiment at nELBE. The time resolutions achieved with these algorithms are compared to each other as well as to reference values coming from analog signal processing. In addition to these experiments, some properties of the digitizing hardware are measured and a program for the analysis of stored, digitized data is developed. The analysis of the signals shows that the energy resolution achieved with the 10-bit digitizer system used here is not competitive to a 14-bit peak-sensing ADC, although the ballistic deficit can be fully corrected. However, digital methods give better result in sub-ns timing than analog signal processing. (orig.)

Second-hand signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholtz, Carsten

2014-01-01

Studies of signaling theory have traditionally focused on the dyadic link between the sender and receiver of the signal. Within a science‐based perspective this framing has led scholars to investigate how patents and publications of firms function as signals. I explore another important type...... used by various agents in their search for and assessment of products and firms. I conclude by arguing how this second‐hand nature of signals goes beyond a simple dyadic focus on senders and receivers of signals, and thus elucidates the more complex interrelations of the various types of agents...

Signal-BNF: A Bayesian Network Fusing Approach to Predict Signal Peptides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhi Zheng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A signal peptide is a short peptide chain that directs the transport of a protein and has become the crucial vehicle in finding new drugs or reprogramming cells for gene therapy. As the avalanche of new protein sequences generated in the postgenomic era, the challenge of identifying new signal sequences has become even more urgent and critical in biomedical engineering. In this paper, we propose a novel predictor called Signal-BNF to predict the N-terminal signal peptide as well as its cleavage site based on Bayesian reasoning network. Signal-BNF is formed by fusing the results of different Bayesian classifiers which used different feature datasets as its input through weighted voting system. Experiment results show that Signal-BNF is superior to the popular online predictors such as Signal-3L and PrediSi. Signal-BNF is featured by high prediction accuracy that may serve as a useful tool for further investigating many unclear details regarding the molecular mechanism of the zip code protein-sorting system in cells.

SignalPlant: an open signal processing software platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Plesinger, F; Jurco, J; Halamek, J; Jurak, P

2016-07-01

The growing technical standard of acquisition systems allows the acquisition of large records, often reaching gigabytes or more in size as is the case with whole-day electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings, for example. Although current 64-bit software for signal processing is able to process (e.g. filter, analyze, etc) such data, visual inspection and labeling will probably suffer from rather long latency during the rendering of large portions of recorded signals. For this reason, we have developed SignalPlant-a stand-alone application for signal inspection, labeling and processing. The main motivation was to supply investigators with a tool allowing fast and interactive work with large multichannel records produced by EEG, electrocardiograph and similar devices. The rendering latency was compared with EEGLAB and proves significantly faster when displaying an image from a large number of samples (e.g. 163-times faster for 75  ×  10(6) samples). The presented SignalPlant software is available free and does not depend on any other computation software. Furthermore, it can be extended with plugins by third parties ensuring its adaptability to future research tasks and new data formats.

Nutrient retention capabilities of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) fed bio-regenerative life support system (BLSS) waste residues

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzales, John M.; Brown, Paul B.

Nile tilapia were evaluated as a bio-regenerative sub-process for reducing solid waste potentially encountered in bio-regenerative life support systems. Ten juvenile Nile tilapia (mean weight = 2.05 g) were stocked into triplicate aquaria and fed one of seven experimental diets consisting of vegetable, bacterial, or food waste for a period of seven weeks. Weight gain (g), specific growth rate (mg/d), and daily consumption (g) was significantly higher ( p diet (37.99 and 68.54, respectively) followed by fish fed the wheat bran/wheat germ diet (23.19 and 63.67, respectively). Nitrogen, sulfur, and crude protein retention was significantly higher ( p diet (23.68, 21.89, and 23.68, respectively). A general loss of minerals was observed among all groups. Strong associations were observed between crude lipid retention and sulfur retention ( r2 = 0.94), crude lipid retention and carbon retention ( r2 = 0.92), WG and fiber content of dietary treatments ( r2 = 0.92), WG and carbon retention and ( r2 = 0.88), WG and lysine content of waste residues ( r2 = 0.86), crude protein retention and carbon retention ( r2 = 0.84), sulfur retention and crude protein retention ( r2 = 0.84), and total sulfur amino acid (TSAA) content of residues and WG ( r2 = 0.81). Weaker associations existed between WG and crude lipid retention ( r2 = 0.77), crude fiber content and carbon retention ( r2 = 0.76), and WG and methionine content of waste residues ( r2 = 0.75). Additional research is needed to improve the nutritional quality of fibrous residues as a means to improve tilapia's ability to utilize these residues as a food source in bio-regenerative support systems.

Metabolomics reveals the metabolic shifts following an intervention with rye bread in postmenopausal women- a randomized control trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moazzami Ali A

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that whole grain (WG cereals can protect against the development of chronic diseases, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Among WG products, WG rye is considered even more potent because of its unique discrepancy in postprandial insulin and glucose responses known as the rye factor. In this study, an NMR-based metabolomics approach was applied to study the metabolic effects of WG rye as a tool to determine the beneficial effects of WG rye on human health. Methods Thirty-three postmenopausal Finnish women with elevated serum total cholesterol (5.0-8.5 mmol/L and BMI of 20–33 kg/m2 consumed a minimum of 20% of their daily energy intake as high fiber WG rye bread (RB or refined wheat bread (WB in a randomized, controlled, crossover design with two 8-wk intervention periods separated by an 8-wk washout period. At the end of each intervention period, fasting serum was collected for NMR-based metabolomics and the analysis of cholesterol fractions. Multilevel partial least squares discriminant analysis was used for paired comparisons of multivariate data. Results The metabolomics analysis of serum showed lower leucine and isoleucine and higher betaine and N,N-dimethylglycine levels after RB than WB intake. To further investigate the metabolic effects of RB, the serum cholesterol fractions were measured. Total- and LDL-cholesterol levels were higher after RB intake than after WB (p Conclusions This study revealed favorable shifts in branched amino acid and single carbon metabolism and an unfavorable shift in serum cholesterol levels after RB intake in postmenopausal women, which should be considered for evaluating health beneficial effects of rye products.

Editorial: Hybrid Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olderog, Ernst-Rüdiger; Ravn, Anders Peter

2007-01-01

An introduction to three papers in a special issue on Hybrid Systems. These paper were first presented at an IFIP WG 2.2 meeting in Skagen 2005.......An introduction to three papers in a special issue on Hybrid Systems. These paper were first presented at an IFIP WG 2.2 meeting in Skagen 2005....

Pramana – Journal of Physics | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The 10th Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-10) was held at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai during January 2–13, 2008. One of our working grops (WG) is QCD and QGP. The discussions of QGP WG include matter at high density, lattice QCD, charmonium states in QGP, viscous ...

Amyloid β42 peptide is toxic to non-neural cells in Drosophila yielding a characteristic metabolite profile and the effect can be suppressed by PI3K

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mercedes Arnés

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The human Aβ42 peptide is associated with Alzheimer's disease through its deleterious effects in neurons. Expressing the human peptide in adult Drosophila in a tissue- and time-controlled manner, we show that Aβ42 is also toxic in non-neural cells, neurosecretory and epithelial cell types in particular. This form of toxicity includes the aberrant signaling by Wingless morphogen leading to the eventual activation of Caspase 3. Preventing Caspase 3 activation by means of p53 keeps epithelial cells from elimination but maintains the Aβ42 toxicity yielding more severe deleterious effects to the organism. Metabolic profiling by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR of adult flies at selected ages post Aβ42 expression onset reveals characteristic changes in metabolites as early markers of the pathological process. All morphological and most metabolic features of Aβ42 toxicity can be suppressed by the joint overexpression of PI3K.

Wegener's granulomatosis in childhood

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McHugh, K.; Manson, D.; Eberhard, B.A.; Shore, A.; Laxer, R.M.

1991-01-01

The authors reviewed the medical histories and radiological examinations of five pediatric patients with a histologic diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) seen over a six year period in whom a total of 22 thoracic CT scans were performed. Involvement of both the upper and lower respiratory tracts was seen in all patients at presentation. One patient had subglottic stenosis necessitating tracheotomy. Pulmonary hemorrhage occurred in three patients at initial diagnosis. Classic cavitary lung nodules were seen in two patients - one at initial presentation, the other at relapse. The plain radiographic lower respiratory tract manifestations of pediatric WG were protean both at initial presentation and during follow up. Similarly, disease expression was highly variable on thoracic CT examinations but, overall multifocal parenchymal infiltrates with or without small peripheral nodules were the commonest thoracic CT manifestations. As a consequence of cytotoxic and corticosteroid therapy the long-term prognosis of WG has improved considerably in recent years. Knowledge of the varied patterns of the primary disease and potential for iatrogenic complications are necessary for successful radiologic assessment of pediatric patients with WG. (orig.)

The mixed waste focus area mercury working group: an integrated approach for mercury treatment and disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conley, T.B.; Morris, M.I.; Holmes-Burns, H.; Petersell, J.; Schwendiman, L.

1997-01-01

In May 1996, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA) initiated the Mercury Work Group (HgWG), which was established to address and resolve the issues associated with mercury- contaminated mixed wastes. Three of the first four technology deficiencies identified during the MWFA technical baseline development process were related to mercury amalgamation, stabilization, and separation/removal. The HgWG will assist the MWFA in soliciting, identifying, initiating, and managing all the efforts required to address these deficiencies. The focus of the HgWG is to better establish the mercury-related treatment needs at the DOE sites, refine the MWFA technical baseline as it relates to mercury treatment, and make recommendations to the MWFA on how to most effectively address these needs. The team will initially focus on the sites with the most mercury-contaminated mixed wastes, whose representatives comprise the HgWG. However, the group will also work with the sites with less inventory to maximize the effectiveness of these efforts in addressing the mercury- related needs throughout the entire complex

EFFECT OF CHRONIC INGESTION OF WINE ON THE GLYCEMIC, LIPID AND BODY WEIGHT HOMEOSTASIS IN MICE

Science.gov (United States)

de BRITO-FILHO, Sebastião Barreto; de MOURA, Egberto Gaspar; dos SANTOS, Orlando José; SAUAIA-FILHO, Euler Nicolau; AMORIM, Elias; SANTANA, Ewaldo Eder Carvalho; BARROS-FILHO, Allan Kardec Dualibe; SANTOS, Rennan Abud Pinheiro

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The health benefits associated with moderate wine consumption, as with ethanol and phenolic compounds, include different mechanisms still little understandable. Aim: Evaluate glycemic and weight variations, and the deposit of triglycerides, cholesterol and liver glycogen with red wine consumption. Methods: 60 ApoE knockout mice were divided into three groups of 20: Wine Group (WG), Ethanol Group (EG) and Water Group (WAG). They received daily: WG 50 ml of wine and 50 ml water; EG 6 ml ethanol and WAG 94 ml of water. All groups were followed for four months. The food intake was monitored daily, in the period from eight to ten hours and held every five days. The measurement of water intake was also made every five days. The weighing of the animals took place every ten days. Results: The WG had higher weight increase as compared to the other groups. The concentration of hepatic triglyceride was higher in WG (57%) and the EG group was lower (31.6%, pwine or some unknown property that led to significant increase in subcutaneous andretroperitoneal fat in mice. PMID:27759775

Mechanistic model to predict colostrum intake based on deuterium oxide dilution technique data and impact of gestation and prefarrowing diets on piglet intake and sow yield of colostrum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Theil, Peter Kappel; Flummer, Christine; Hurley, W L

2014-01-01

The aims of the present study were to quantify colostrum intake (CI) of piglets using the D2O dilution technique, to develop a mechanistic model to predict CI, to compare these data with CI predicted by a previous empirical predictive model developed for bottle-fed piglets, and to study how...... composition of diets fed to gestating sows affected piglet CI, sow colostrum yield (CY), and colostrum composition. In total, 240 piglets from 40 litters were enriched with D2O. The CI measured by D2O from birth until 24 h after the birth of first-born piglet was on average 443 g (SD 151). Based on measured...... CI, a mechanistic model to predict CI was developed using piglet characteristics (24-h weight gain [WG; g], BW at birth [BWB; kg], and duration of CI [D; min]: CI, g = –106 + 2.26 WG + 200 BWB + 0.111 D – 1,414 WG/D + 0.0182 WG/BWB (R2 = 0.944). This model was used to predict the CI for all colostrum...

Tunable Signal-Off and Signal-On Electrochemical Cisplatin Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yao; Lai, Rebecca Y

2017-09-19

We report the first electrochemical cisplatin sensor fabricated with a thiolated and methylene blue (MB)-modified oligo-adenine (A)-guanine (G) DNA probe. Depending on the probe coverage, the sensor can behave as a signal-off or signal-on sensor. For the high-coverage sensor, formation of intrastrand Pt(II)-AG adducts rigidifies the oligo-AG probe, resulting in a concentration-dependent decrease in the MB signal. For the low-coverage sensor, the increase in probe-to-probe spacing enables binding of cisplatin via the intrastrand GNG motif (N = A), generating a bend in the probe which results in an increase in the MB current. Although both high-coverage signal-off and low-coverage signal-on sensors are capable of detecting cisplatin, the signal-on sensing mechanism is better suited for real time analysis of cisplatin. The low-coverage sensor has a lower limit of detection, wider optimal AC frequency range, and faster response time. It has high specificity for cisplatin and potentially other Pt(II) drugs and does not cross-react with satraplatin, a Pt(IV) prodrug. It is also selective enough to be employed directly in 50% saliva and 50% urine. This detection strategy may offer a new approach for sensitive and real time analysis of cisplatin in clinical samples.

I'm sexy and I glow it: female ornamentation in a nocturnal capital breeder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Juhani; Baudry, Gautier; Candolin, Ulrika; Kaitala, Arja

2015-10-01

In many species, males rely on sexual ornaments to attract females. Females, by contrast, rarely produce ornaments. The glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is an exception where wingless females glow to attract males that fly in search of females. However, little is known about the factors that promote the evolution of female ornaments in a sexual selection context. Here, we investigated if the female ornament of the glow-worm is a signal of fecundity used in male mate choice. In support of this, we found brightness to correlate with female fecundity, and males to prefer brighter dummy females. Thus, the glow emitted by females is a reliable sexual signal of female fecundity. It is likely that male preference for the fecundity-indicating ornament has evolved because of large variation among females in fecundity, and because nocturnal males cannot directly assess female size and fecundity. These results indicate that female ornamentation may evolve in capital breeders (i.e. those in which stored resources are invested in reproduction) when females vary significantly in fecundity and this variation cannot be assessed directly by males. © 2015 The Author(s).

Signal sciences workshop proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Candy, J.V.

1997-05-01

This meeting is aimed primarily at signal processing and controls. The technical program for the 1997 Workshop includes a variety of efforts in the Signal Sciences with applications in the Microtechnology Area a new program at LLNL and a future area of application for both Signal/Image Sciences. Special sessions organized by various individuals in Seismic and Optical Signal Processing as well as Micro-Impulse Radar Processing highlight the program, while the speakers at the Signal Processing Applications session discuss various applications of signal processing/control to real world problems. For the more theoretical, a session on Signal Processing Algorithms was organized as well as for the more pragmatic, featuring a session on Real-Time Signal Processing.

Signal sciences workshop. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Candy, J.V.

1997-01-01

This meeting is aimed primarily at signal processing and controls. The technical program for the 1997 Workshop includes a variety of efforts in the Signal Sciences with applications in the Microtechnology Area a new program at LLNL and a future area of application for both Signal/Image Sciences. Special sessions organized by various individuals in Seismic and Optical Signal Processing as well as Micro-Impulse Radar Processing highlight the program, while the speakers at the Signal Processing Applications session discuss various applications of signal processing/control to real world problems. For the more theoretical, a session on Signal Processing Algorithms was organized as well as for the more pragmatic, featuring a session on Real-Time Signal Processing

Environmental Assessment: Recapitalization of the 49th WG Combat Capabilities and Capacities, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-01

anti-aircraft artillery, or another aircraft. A bundle of chaff consists of approximately 5 to 5.6 million fibers (each thinner than a human hair...is governed by detailed operating procedures to ensure safety. Chaff, which is ejected from an aircraft to reflect radar signals, is small fibers of...calcium carbonate rich soils; and erosional debris surrounding bedrock outcrops of limestone, sandstone, shale, gypsum, and basalt (Air Force 1998

Orexin/Hypocretin Signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Kukkonen, Jyrki P

Orexin/hypocretin peptide (orexin-A and orexin-B) signaling is believed to take place via the two G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), named OX 1 and OX 2 orexin receptors, as described in the previous chapters. Signaling of orexin peptides has been investigated in diverse endogenously orexin receptor-expressing cells - mainly neurons but also other types of cells - and in recombinant cells expressing the receptors in a heterologous manner. Findings in the different systems are partially convergent but also indicate cellular background-specific signaling. The general picture suggests an inherently high degree of diversity in orexin receptor signaling.In the current chapter, I present orexin signaling on the cellular and molecular levels. Discussion of the connection to (potential) physiological orexin responses is only brief since these are in focus of other chapters in this book. The same goes for the post-synaptic signaling mechanisms, which are dealt with in Burdakov: Postsynaptic actions of orexin. The current chapter is organized according to the tissue type, starting from the central nervous system. Finally, receptor signaling pathways are discussed across tissues, cell types, and even species.

Measurement of stray radiation within a scanning proton therapy facility: EURADOS WG9 intercomparison exercise of active dosimetry systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farah, J., E-mail: jad.farah@irsn.fr; Trompier, F. [Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Pôle Radioprotection de l’Homme, BP17, Fontenay-aux-Roses 92260 (France); Mares, V.; Schinner, K.; Wielunski, M. [Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Radiation Protection, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, Neuherberg 85764 (Germany); Romero-Expósito, M.; Domingo, C. [Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra E-08193 (Spain); Trinkl, S. [Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Radiation Protection, Ingolstädter Landstraße 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany and Physik-Department, Technische Universität München, Garching 85748 (Germany); Dufek, V. [Czech Technical University in Prague, FNSPE, Břehová 7, Prague 115 19, Czech Republic and National Radiation Protection Institute, Bartoškova 28, Prague 140 00 (Czech Republic); Klodowska, M.; Liszka, M.; Stolarczyk, L.; Olko, P. [Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Radzikowskiego 152, Krakow 31-342 (Poland); Kubancak, J. [Czech Technical University in Prague, FNSPE, Břehová 7, Prague 115 19, Czech Republic and Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute, Řež CZ-250 68 (Czech Republic); and others

2015-05-15

Purpose: To characterize stray radiation around the target volume in scanning proton therapy and study the performance of active neutron monitors. Methods: Working Group 9 of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS WG9—Radiation protection in medicine) carried out a large measurement campaign at the Trento Centro di Protonterapia (Trento, Italy) in order to determine the neutron spectra near the patient using two extended-range Bonner sphere spectrometry (BSS) systems. In addition, the work focused on acknowledging the performance of different commercial active dosimetry systems when measuring neutron ambient dose equivalents, H{sup ∗}(10), at several positions inside (8 positions) and outside (3 positions) the treatment room. Detectors included three TEPCs—tissue equivalent proportional counters (Hawk type from Far West Technology, Inc.) and six rem-counters (WENDI-II, LB 6411, RadEye™ NL, a regular and an extended-range NM2B). Meanwhile, the photon component of stray radiation was deduced from the low-lineal energy transfer part of TEPC spectra or measured using a Thermo Scientific™ FH-40G survey meter. Experiments involved a water tank phantom (60 × 30 × 30 cm{sup 3}) representing the patient that was uniformly irradiated using a 3 mm spot diameter proton pencil beam with 10 cm modulation width, 19.95 cm distal beam range, and 10 × 10 cm{sup 2} field size. Results: Neutron spectrometry around the target volume showed two main components at the thermal and fast energy ranges. The study also revealed the large dependence of the energy distribution of neutrons, and consequently of out-of-field doses, on the primary beam direction (directional emission of intranuclear cascade neutrons) and energy (spectral composition of secondary neutrons). In addition, neutron mapping within the facility was conducted and showed the highest H{sup ∗}(10) value of ∼51 μSv Gy{sup −1}; this was measured at 1.15 m along the beam axis. H{sup ∗}(10) values

On the technical, economical and proliferation aspects of the different enrichment techniques. Executive summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-05-01

The major conclusions and recommendations of WG.2, as contained in the draft report INFCE/WG.2/14, are summarized. The availability of enrichment services, the demand for such services, the assurance of long term supply, the special needs of developing countries, and the assessment and comparison of proliferation aspects are summarized. Nine general conclusions are listed

A Food Service Intervention Improves Whole Grain Access at Lunch in Rural Elementary Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Juliana F. W.; Rimm, Eric B.; Austin, S. Bryn; Hyatt, Raymond R.; Kraak, Vivica I.; Economos, Christina D.

2014-01-01

Background: Whole grain (WG) options are often limited in schools, which may impact rural, low-income students who rely on school meals for a substantial portion of their food intake. This study examined the changes in the availability and quantity of WG and refined grain foods offered in schools participating in the Creating Healthy, Active and…

Advancing the climate data driven crop-modeling studies in the dry areas of Northern Syria and Lebanon: An important first step for assessing impact of future climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dixit, Prakash N., E-mail: p.dixit@cgiar.org; Telleria, Roberto

2015-04-01

Inter-annual and seasonal variability in climatic parameters, most importantly rainfall, have potential to cause climate-induced risk in long-term crop production. Short-term field studies do not capture the full nature of such risk and the extent to which modifications to crop, soil and water management recommendations may be made to mitigate the extent of such risk. Crop modeling studies driven by long-term daily weather data can predict the impact of climate-induced risk on crop growth and yield however, the availability of long-term daily weather data can present serious constraints to the use of crop models. To tackle this constraint, two weather generators namely, LARS-WG and MarkSim, were evaluated in order to assess their capabilities of reproducing frequency distributions, means, variances, dry spell and wet chains of observed daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature, and solar radiation for the eight locations across cropping areas of Northern Syria and Lebanon. Further, the application of generated long-term daily weather data, with both weather generators, in simulating barley growth and yield was also evaluated. We found that overall LARS-WG performed better than MarkSim in generating daily weather parameters and in 50 years continuous simulation of barley growth and yield. Our findings suggest that LARS-WG does not necessarily require long-term e.g., > 30 years observed weather data for calibration as generated results proved to be satisfactory with > 10 years of observed data except in area with higher altitude. Evaluating these weather generators and the ability of generated weather data to perform long-term simulation of crop growth and yield is an important first step to assess the impact of future climate on yields, and to identify promising technologies to make agricultural systems more resilient in the given region. - Highlights: • LARS-WG performed better than MarkSim in generating daily weather parameters. • LARS-WG can serve

Advancing the climate data driven crop-modeling studies in the dry areas of Northern Syria and Lebanon: An important first step for assessing impact of future climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixit, Prakash N.; Telleria, Roberto

2015-01-01

Inter-annual and seasonal variability in climatic parameters, most importantly rainfall, have potential to cause climate-induced risk in long-term crop production. Short-term field studies do not capture the full nature of such risk and the extent to which modifications to crop, soil and water management recommendations may be made to mitigate the extent of such risk. Crop modeling studies driven by long-term daily weather data can predict the impact of climate-induced risk on crop growth and yield however, the availability of long-term daily weather data can present serious constraints to the use of crop models. To tackle this constraint, two weather generators namely, LARS-WG and MarkSim, were evaluated in order to assess their capabilities of reproducing frequency distributions, means, variances, dry spell and wet chains of observed daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature, and solar radiation for the eight locations across cropping areas of Northern Syria and Lebanon. Further, the application of generated long-term daily weather data, with both weather generators, in simulating barley growth and yield was also evaluated. We found that overall LARS-WG performed better than MarkSim in generating daily weather parameters and in 50 years continuous simulation of barley growth and yield. Our findings suggest that LARS-WG does not necessarily require long-term e.g., > 30 years observed weather data for calibration as generated results proved to be satisfactory with > 10 years of observed data except in area with higher altitude. Evaluating these weather generators and the ability of generated weather data to perform long-term simulation of crop growth and yield is an important first step to assess the impact of future climate on yields, and to identify promising technologies to make agricultural systems more resilient in the given region. - Highlights: • LARS-WG performed better than MarkSim in generating daily weather parameters. • LARS-WG can serve

A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing the Effect of E-learning, with a Taught Workshop, on the Knowledge and Search Skills of Health Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Pearce‐Smith

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Objective The aim of the trial was to establish whether there is a significant difference in terms of knowledge and skills, between self-directed learning using a web-based resource, compared with a classroom based interactive workshop, for teaching health professionals how to search. The outcomes measured were knowledge of databases and study designs, and search skills. Methods The study design was a randomised controlled trial (RCT. 17 health professionals were randomised into one of two groups – one group (EG received access to a search-skills web resource, and the other group received a search workshop (WG taught by a librarian. Participants completed pre- and post-intervention tests involving multiple choice questions and practical searching using clinical scenarios. Results 9 WG and 6 EG participants completed both pre- and post-intervention tests. The test results were blindly marked using a score chart developed with two other librarians. For question formulation and devising a search strategy, all participants obtained a score that was the same or better after receiving the intervention (both WG and EG, but statistical analysis showed that the only significant outcomes were for the WG devising a search strategy (p=0.01 and preferring to search using MeSH after receiving the taught workshop (p=0.02. The Mann‐Whitney test showed there were no significant differences in any of the outcomes (p>0.05, between the WG and the EG. The statistical analyses must be viewed with caution due to the small sample size. Conclusion There were no significant differences in knowledge of databases and study design, or search skills, when the WG and the EG were compared. Although many participants obtained a score that was higher post‐intervention, only devising a search strategy and preferring to search using MeSH were statistically significant for the WG. The question of whether a taught workshop and an e-learning module are of equal effectiveness in

Spectral Correlation of Multicarrier Modulated Signals and Its Application for Signal Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Haijian

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Spectral correlation theory for cyclostationary time-series signals has been studied for decades. Explicit formulas of spectral correlation function for various types of analog-modulated and digital-modulated signals are already derived. In this paper, we investigate and exploit the cyclostationarity characteristics for two kinds of multicarrier modulated (MCM signals: conventional OFDM and filter bank based multicarrier (FBMC signals. The spectral correlation characterization of MCM signal can be described by a special linear periodic time-variant (LPTV system. Using this LPTV description, we have derived the explicit theoretical formulas of nonconjugate and conjugate cyclic autocorrelation function (CAF and spectral correlation function (SCF for OFDM and FBMC signals. According to theoretical spectral analysis, Cyclostationary Signatures (CS are artificially embedded into MCM signal and a low-complexity signature detector is, therefore, presented for detecting MCM signal. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of this CS detector compared to traditionary energy detector.

ATP signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novak, Ivana

2016-01-01

The Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen explains the function of ATP signalling in the pancreas......The Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen explains the function of ATP signalling in the pancreas...

Basic digital signal processing

CERN Document Server

Lockhart, Gordon B

1985-01-01

Basic Digital Signal Processing describes the principles of digital signal processing and experiments with BASIC programs involving the fast Fourier theorem (FFT). The book reviews the fundamentals of the BASIC program, continuous and discrete time signals including analog signals, Fourier analysis, discrete Fourier transform, signal energy, power. The text also explains digital signal processing involving digital filters, linear time-variant systems, discrete time unit impulse, discrete-time convolution, and the alternative structure for second order infinite impulse response (IIR) sections.

Epidemiology of ANCA associated vasculitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenche Koldingsnes

2009-10-01

Full Text Available ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV comprises three syndromes with systemic vasculitis (Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG, Churg Strauss syndrome (CSS and icroscopic polyangiitis (MPA, which all involve small and medium sized vessels and are associated with antibodies against cytoplasmatic antibodies in neutrophils (ANCA. Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN is included in this review as it also affects medium sized vessels, and has many clinical findings in common with the AAV.Since the recognition of ANCA, increasing data have become available on the epidemiology of these vasculitidis. WG constitutes half of the AAV and its prevalence has increased from 30/million in the late 1980’s in the USA to 160/million in this century in northern Europe. The prevalence for the whole group of primary systemic vasculitides is now 300/million in Sweden. The annual incidence of WG increased from 6.0/million to 14/million during the 1990’s in Tromsø, but it is unknown if this is a true increase or the result of an increased awareness of the diagnosis. For the whole group of AAV, the annual incidence in most more recent studies is relatively constant over time and by geographical location, ranging from 13 to 21/million. Nonetheless there are interesting differences in the prevalence of specific vasculitis between different geographical areas, as well as for sub specificities of ANCA.There seems to be a South-North gradient for WG and PR3-ANCA with high figures reported from northern Europe and southern New Zealand. In European studies WG is 90% PR3-ANCA positive. MPA which is predominantly MPO-ANCA associated are more frequent in the Mediterranean countries and also has an increasing gradient towards east-Asia, as almost all AAV in China and Japan are diagnosed as MPA, predominantly MPO-ANCA positive.There are also some ethnic and gender differences. WG is most prevalent among Caucasians in the USA and in people with European ancestors in Paris and in New Zealand, less

Activity Of EURADOS In Environmental Solid State Dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranogajec-Komor, M.; Duch, M. A.; Haninger, T.

2015-01-01

Working Group 3 (WG3) of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) carries out research projects and coordinated activities to advance the scientific understanding of environmental dosimetry and especially to promote the technical development of new methods in environmental monitoring. In this field of dosimetry, the measurement of small additional doses caused by artificial radiation on top of the natural environmental radiation is a challenge. Further, WG3 stimulates the organisation of intercomparison programmes and the definition of standards and recommendations in the field of environmental radiation monitoring (ERM). WG3 has played a significant role in the harmonisation of early warning dosimetry network stations in Europe and has organised 6 EURADOS intercomparison exercises; in which 42 institutions from 19 countries have participated. Today, about 5000 stations provide real-time dose rate data to a database run by the European Commission. Within WG3 a subgroup (S1) on spectrometry system was formed in 2013. Since then, WG3 has been involved in the field of spectrometry systems used both for dosimetric and spectrometric monitoring in the environment. A remarkable result of the WG3 - S1 is that many members contributed to the new European Joint Research Project 'Metrology for radiological early warning networks in Europe' which started in 2014. A second subgroup WG3 - S2 on passive dosimetry in ERM was inaugurated in 2014. To gain an overview of the passive dosimetry practice in ERM, WG3 - S2 decided to collect information by means of a questionnaire which has been send to European dosimetry services. One of the results was the identification of some open questions, problems in ERM (for example terminology, protocol of routine dosimetry, uncertainty assessment) which require clarification for harmonisation of ERM using passive dosimeters. Another result was that there exists a need for intercomparisons. The first intercomparison for passive

Imperfect chemical female mimicry in males of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior

Science.gov (United States)

Cremer, Sylvia; D'Ettorre, Patrizia; Drijfhout, Falko P.; Sledge, Matthew F.; Turillazzi, Stefano; Heinze, Jürgen

2008-11-01

Winged and wingless males coexist in the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. Wingless (“ergatoid”) males never leave their maternal colony and fight remorselessly among each other for the access to emerging females. The peaceful winged males disperse after about 10 days, but beforehand also mate in the nest. In the first 5 days of their life, winged males perform a chemical female mimicry that protects them against attack and even makes them sexually attractive to ergatoid males. When older, the chemical profile of winged males no longer matches that of virgin females; nevertheless, they are still tolerated, which so far has been puzzling. Contrasting this general pattern, we have identified a single aberrant colony in which all winged males were attacked and killed by the ergatoid males. A comparative analysis of the morphology and chemical profile of these untypical attacked winged males and the tolerated males from several normal colonies revealed that normal old males are still performing some chemical mimicry to the virgin queens, though less perfect than in their young ages. The anomalous attacked winged males, on the other hand, had a very different odour to the females. Our study thus exemplifies that the analysis of rare malfunctioning can add valuable insight on functioning under normal conditions and allows the conclusion that older winged males from normal colonies of the ant C. obscurior are guarded through an imperfect chemical female mimicry, still close enough to protect against attacks by the wingless fighters yet dissimilar enough not to elicit their sexual interest.

ECG signal processing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2009-01-01

A system extracts an ECG signal from a composite signal (308) representing an electric measurement of a living subject. Identification means (304) identify a plurality of temporal segments (309) of the composite signal corresponding to a plurality of predetermined segments (202,204,206) of an ECG

Nichtkontinuierliche (zeitdiskrete) Signale

Science.gov (United States)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Zeitdiskrete Signale werden häufig aus zeitkontinuierlichen Signalen durch Abtastung erzeugt. Dass beide Signale gleichwertig sind, zeigt das Abtasttheorem (Kap. 116) von Shannon, sofern die Bedingung nach (116.2), f_{ab}≈(2{,}2 {\\ldots} 4)\\cdot fg) eingehalten wird. Digitale Signale haben Vorteile: Einfache Speicherung, Weiterverarbeitung in Rechnern, wenig störanfällige Übertragung. Für die Bearbeitung dieser Signale dienen die im Kapitel dargestellten Hilfsmittel: Diskrete Fouriertransformation; Schnelle Fouriertransformation; z-Transformation: Darstellung, Sätze zur z-Transformation, Korrespondenzen zu Zeitfunktionen, Beispiele.

Digital signal processing

CERN Document Server

O'Shea, Peter; Hussain, Zahir M

2011-01-01

In three parts, this book contributes to the advancement of engineering education and that serves as a general reference on digital signal processing. Part I presents the basics of analog and digital signals and systems in the time and frequency domain. It covers the core topics: convolution, transforms, filters, and random signal analysis. It also treats important applications including signal detection in noise, radar range estimation for airborne targets, binary communication systems, channel estimation, banking and financial applications, and audio effects production. Part II considers sel

The legacy of uranium mines: pluralist expertise group experiment on the uranium mines in the Limousin (France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ringeard, Caroline; Sugier, Annie; Catelinois, Olivier; Sene, Monique; Devin, Patrick; Sugier, Annie

2008-01-01

Full text: In France, as mining and milling operations drew to a close, from the 80s until 2001 (and particularly from around 1990 onwards), AREVA-NC has carried out with the administration very important work on remediation and rehabilitation of more than 200 sites to assure the protection of the population and the environment, with continuous monitoring of the environment, which is ongoing. The closure and the remediation over this period has caused some concern in the public and NGO's. The issue is of particular concern in Limousin. Among actions taken by the French Government and Regional authorities, the Pluralist Expertise Group (GEP) concerning the legacy of uranium mines in Limousin was created after a joint mission letter from Ministries of environment, industry and health (2005). The group brings together experts from various technical fields (earth sciences, metrology, radioecology, radiation protection, public health surveillance ...) including French institutes, the industrial operator, local and national NGOs, independent experts and foreign experts. Three multi-partite working groups (WG) have been set up to discuss the current status and management options for the sites: WG 1: Inventory of substances and transfers in the environment; WG 2: Impact on the environment and the local population and public health surveillance; WG 3: Regulations and long-term control and management. The purpose of this paper is to describe the work of WG2 on impacts and surveillance.The WG 2 draws up a status report of the current situation, both at national and international level, for its three topics (impact on the environment, impact on the population and health surveillance). The work of this multi-partite group will be described, as per the two following paragraphs which summarize the state of progress of WG 2's work. Impact on the environment: The characterisation of the radioecological and chemical risk is based on methods developed within the framework of European

Silicon Photonics for Signal Processing of Tbit/s Serial Data Signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo; Ji, Hua; Galili, Michael

2012-01-01

In this paper, we describe our recent work on signal processing of terabit per second optical serial data signals using pure silicon waveguides. We employ nonlinear optical signal processing in nanoengineered silicon waveguides to perform demultiplexing and optical waveform sampling of 1.28-Tbit/...

Muon Signals at a Low Signal-to-Noise Ratio Environment

CERN Document Server

Zakareishvili, Tamar; The ATLAS collaboration

2017-01-01

Calorimeters provide high-resolution energy measurements for particle detection. Muon signals are important for evaluating electronics performance, since they produce a signal that is close to electronic noise values. This work provides a noise RMS analysis for the Demonstrator drawer of the 2016 Tile Calorimeter (TileCal) Test Beam in order to help reconstruct events in a low signal-to-noise environment. Muon signals were then found for a beam penetrating through all three layers of the drawer. The Demonstrator drawer is an electronic candidate for TileCal, part of the ATLAS experiment for the Large Hadron Collider that operates at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Primary sex ratio adjustment by ant queens in response to local mate competition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Menten, Ludivine; Cremer, Sylvia; Heinze, Jürgen

2005-01-01

In the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior, wingless males compete with nestmate males for access to female mating partners, leading to local mate competition (LMC). Queen number varies between colonies, resulting in variation in the strength of LMC. Cremer & Heinze (2002, Proceedings of the Royal Society...

FSTL5 is a marker of poor prognosis in non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remke, Marc; Hielscher, Thomas; Korshunov, Andrey; Northcott, Paul A.; Bender, Sebastian; Kool, Marcel; Westermann, Frank; Benner, Axel; Cin, Huriye; Ryzhova, Marina; Sturm, Dominik; Witt, Hendrik; Haag, Daniel; Toedt, Grischa; Wittmann, Andrea; Schöttler, Anna; von Bueren, André O.; von Deimling, Andreas; Rutkowski, Stefan; Scheurlen, Wolfram; Kulozik, Andreas E.; Taylor, Michael D.; Lichter, Peter; Pfister, Stefan M.

2011-01-01

Integrated genomics approaches have revealed at least four distinct biologic variants of medulloblastoma: WNT (wingless), SHH (sonic hedgehog), group C, and group D. Because of the remarkable clinical heterogeneity of group D tumors and the dismal prognosis of group C patients, it is vital to

EFFICIENCY OF INSECTICIDES IN LARVAE AND ADULTS CONTROL OF CITRUS ROOT WEEVILS EFICIÊNCIA DE INSETICIDAS NO CONTROLE DE LARVAS E ADULTOS DE CURCULIONÍDEOS-DAS-RAÍZES EM CITROS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Sulzbach

2007-09-01

Full Text Available

The control of larvae and adults of citrus root weevils (Naupactus spp. was evaluated in four experiments, in field and laboratory conditions, at Itapetininga, São Paulo State, Brazil. For larvae control of Naupactus spp. the insecticides tested were: aldicarb, bifenthrin, carbofuran, carbosulfan, chlorpyrifos (GR, chlorpyrifos (EW, fipronil, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam (GR. For adults control of Naupactus cervinus and N. versatilis the following products were tested: abamectin, carbosulfan. lufenuron, lufenuron + abamectin, and thiamethoxam (WG. The efficiency control of Naupactus spp. larvae was below 80%, for all treatments tested (insecticides, dosages, and application methods. On larvae, the best results were obtained with thiamethoxam (GR 2.40 g, fipronil 0.19 g, and thiamethoxam (WG 1.00 g of a.i.plant-1, with 71.43%, 74.12% and 77.87% larvae population reduction, respectively. For N. cervinus and N. versatilis adults control, thiamethoxam (WG with 0.75 g and 1.00 g, and carbosulfan with 0.64 g of a.i. planta-1 showed efficiency above 80% in the field tests. While in the laboratory test, besides these treatments, also tiamethoxam (WG with 0.5 g of a.i. plant-1 presented such efficiency. The adult mortality was similar between the studied species. Thiamethoxam (WG and carbosulfan may be reccommended for adults of this insect.

KEY-WORDS: Insect pest; Naupactini; chemical control.

O controle de larvas e adultos de curculionídeos-das-raízes foi avaliado em quatro experimentos, em condições de  laboratório e de campo, no município de Itapetininga, SP. Para o controle de larvas de Naupactus spp. foram testados os inseticidas: aldicarbe, bifentrina, carbofurano, carbosulfano, clorpirifós (GR, clorpirifós (EW, fipronil, imidacloprido e tiametoxam (GR. Para o

Signals, systems, transforms, and digital signal processing with Matlab

CERN Document Server

Corinthios, Michael

2009-01-01

Continuous-Time and Discrete-Time Signals and SystemsIntroductionContinuous-Time SignalsPeriodic FunctionsUnit Step FunctionGraphical Representation of FunctionsEven and Odd Parts of a FunctionDirac-Delta ImpulseBasic Properties of the Dirac-Delta ImpulseOther Important Properties of the ImpulseContinuous-Time SystemsCausality, StabilityExamples of Electrical Continuous-Time SystemsMechanical SystemsTransfer Function and Frequency ResponseConvolution and CorrelationA Right-Sided and a Left-Sided FunctionConvolution with an Impulse and Its DerivativesAdditional Convolution PropertiesCorrelation FunctionProperties of the Correlation FunctionGraphical InterpretationCorrelation of Periodic FunctionsAverage, Energy and Power of Continuous-Time SignalsDiscrete-Time SignalsPeriodicityDifference EquationsEven/Odd DecompositionAverage Value, Energy and Power SequencesCausality, StabilityProblemsAnswers to Selected ProblemsFourier Series ExpansionTrigonometric Fourier SeriesExponential Fourier SeriesExponential versus ...

Quorum Quenching Revisited—From Signal Decays to Signalling Confusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kok-Gan Chan

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In a polymicrobial community, while some bacteria are communicating with neighboring cells (quorum sensing, others are interrupting the communication (quorum quenching, thus creating a constant arms race between intercellular communication. In the past decade, numerous quorum quenching enzymes have been found and initially thought to inactivate the signalling molecules. Though this is widely accepted, the actual roles of these quorum quenching enzymes are now being uncovered. Recent evidence extends the role of quorum quenching to detoxification or metabolism of signalling molecules as food and energy source; this includes “signalling confusion”, a term coined in this paper to refer to the phenomenon of non-destructive modification of signalling molecules. While quorum quenching has been explored as a novel anti-infective therapy targeting, quorum sensing evidence begins to show the development of resistance against quorum quenching.

Overview of ESO Large Single Dish Study

Science.gov (United States)

Testi, Leonardo

2018-01-01

In this talk I will briefly summarize the motivation, methodology and outcome of the ESO Submm Single Dish Strategy WG. The WG was established by the ESO Director for Science and completed its work at the end of 2015. I will summarize the status of the report recommendations, which, among other things, led to the organization of the AtLAST workshop.

Measurand transient signal suppressor

Science.gov (United States)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A transient signal suppressor for use in a controls system which is adapted to respond to a change in a physical parameter whenever it crosses a predetermined threshold value in a selected direction of increasing or decreasing values with respect to the threshold value and is sustained for a selected discrete time interval is presented. The suppressor includes a sensor transducer for sensing the physical parameter and generating an electrical input signal whenever the sensed physical parameter crosses the threshold level in the selected direction. A manually operated switch is provided for adapting the suppressor to produce an output drive signal whenever the physical parameter crosses the threshold value in the selected direction of increasing or decreasing values. A time delay circuit is selectively adjustable for suppressing the transducer input signal for a preselected one of a plurality of available discrete suppression time and producing an output signal only if the input signal is sustained for a time greater than the selected suppression time. An electronic gate is coupled to receive the transducer input signal and the timer output signal and produce an output drive signal for energizing a control relay whenever the transducer input is a non-transient signal which is sustained beyond the selected time interval.

Determination of the unfrozen water content of maximally freeze-concentrated carbohydrate solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatley, R H; Mant, A

1993-08-01

The heat capacity change at T'g has been studied in freeze-concentrated carbohydrate solutions. The values obtained have been compared with those found for high concentration solutions that do not undergo freezing above Tg. The analysis has indicated that the freezing process influences the degree of stress in the glassy phase. This results in a complex power-time curve when frozen solutions are heated in a differential scanning calorimeter. The endotherm produced by the stress relaxation can cause considerable error in W'g measurement obtained by any method that relies on the integration of the power-time curve. A more reliable method for W'g determination is via the intersection of T'g with a previously prepared Tg/Wg calibration curve.

Near-field microscopy of waveguide architectures of InGaN/GaN diode lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Friede, Sebastian; Tomm, Jens W.; Kühn, Sergei; Hoffmann, Veit; Wenzel, Hans; Weyers, Markus

2016-11-01

Waveguide (WG) architectures of 420 nm emitting InGaN/GaN diode lasers are analyzed by photoluminescence and photocurrent spectroscopy using a nearfield scanning optical microscope that scans along their front facets. The components of the ‘optical active cavity’, quantum wells, WGs, and cladding layers are individually inspected with a spatial resolution of ∼100 nm. Separate analysis of the p- and n-sections of the WG was achieved, and reveals defect levels in the p-part. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the homogeneity of the n-WG section directly affects the quantum wells that are grown on top of this layer. Substantially increased carrier capture efficiencies into InGaN/GaN-WGs compared to GaN-WGs are demonstrated.

The future of soil protection strategy at the level of European Union at the filed of soil monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ladislav Kubík

2005-01-01

Full Text Available European Union deals long with problems of the two components of environment the air and the water. So far soil wasnęt in the main scope of the European Union. The European Union deal now with problems of soil, where we can find question of the soil monitoring. This issue was solve in the framework of the Working group on soil monitoring (WG. The recommendations from the WG are base for deciding of the European Commission, which will have interest to formulate new soil directive. The main tasks of the WG were to review of existing soil monitoring systems, to specify basic soil parameters, indicators, to define soil parameters for each soil threats and to harmonize future soil monitoring activity and soil data.

Performance of Generating Plant: Managing the Changes. Part 3: Renewable energy plant: reports on wind, photovoltaics and biomas energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manoha, Bruno; Cohen, Martin [Electricite de France (France)

2008-05-15

The WEC Committee on the Performance of Generating Plant (PGP) has been collecting and analysing power plant performance statistics worldwide for more than 30 years and has produced regular reports, which include examples of advanced techniques and methods for improving power plant performance through benchmarking. A series of reports from the various working groups was issued in 2008. This reference presents the results of Working Group 3 (WG3). WG3 will promote the introduction of performance indicators for renewable energy generating plant (wind, geothermal, solar and biomass) developed by the Committee. It will also assess selected transitional technology issues and environmental factors related to non-conventional technologies. The WG3 report includes sections on Wind Energy Today, Photovoltaics Energy Today, Biomass Electricity Today and appendices.

EFLM WG-Preanalytical phase opinion paper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Cornes, Michael P; Grankvist, Kjell

2016-01-01

The selection or procurement of blood collection devices in healthcare facilities is often an underestimated issue. This is probably due to different factors including the lack of knowledge of policymakers, hospital administrators and even laboratory managers about the importance of preanalytical...... quality and phlebotomy process, as well as to the absence of reliable guidelines or recommendations on how to precisely assess the quality of blood collection devices around the globe. With the awareness that a gap remains between manufacturers' and local validation of blood collection devices...

SC-cavity operation via WG-transformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwersteg, B.

1990-01-01

Varying beam currents in storage rings like PETRA and HERA strongly change the match condition of the generator-cavity system. To maintain optimum energy transfer variable input coupling is needed. A variable waveguide transformer was developed which covers transformation ratios of 0.2 to 5. Additionally this device allows to change the cavity phase independently. The parameters of a system consisting of generator, transformer and superconducting cavity under operation in a storage ring will be discussed. (author)

Adaptive signal processor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walz, H.V.

1980-07-01

An experimental, general purpose adaptive signal processor system has been developed, utilizing a quantized (clipped) version of the Widrow-Hoff least-mean-square adaptive algorithm developed by Moschner. The system accommodates 64 adaptive weight channels with 8-bit resolution for each weight. Internal weight update arithmetic is performed with 16-bit resolution, and the system error signal is measured with 12-bit resolution. An adapt cycle of adjusting all 64 weight channels is accomplished in 8 ..mu..sec. Hardware of the signal processor utilizes primarily Schottky-TTL type integrated circuits. A prototype system with 24 weight channels has been constructed and tested. This report presents details of the system design and describes basic experiments performed with the prototype signal processor. Finally some system configurations and applications for this adaptive signal processor are discussed.

Adaptive signal processor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walz, H.V.

1980-07-01

An experimental, general purpose adaptive signal processor system has been developed, utilizing a quantized (clipped) version of the Widrow-Hoff least-mean-square adaptive algorithm developed by Moschner. The system accommodates 64 adaptive weight channels with 8-bit resolution for each weight. Internal weight update arithmetic is performed with 16-bit resolution, and the system error signal is measured with 12-bit resolution. An adapt cycle of adjusting all 64 weight channels is accomplished in 8 μsec. Hardware of the signal processor utilizes primarily Schottky-TTL type integrated circuits. A prototype system with 24 weight channels has been constructed and tested. This report presents details of the system design and describes basic experiments performed with the prototype signal processor. Finally some system configurations and applications for this adaptive signal processor are discussed

Bmp signaling mediates endoderm pouch morphogenesis by regulating Fgf signaling in zebrafish

Science.gov (United States)

Swartz, Mary E.; McCarthy, Neil; Norrie, Jacqueline L.; Eberhart, Johann K.

2016-01-01

The endodermal pouches are a series of reiterated structures that segment the pharyngeal arches and help pattern the vertebrate face. Multiple pathways regulate the complex process of endodermal development, including the Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) pathway. However, the role of Bmp signaling in pouch morphogenesis is poorly understood. Using genetic and chemical inhibitor approaches, we show that pouch morphogenesis requires Bmp signaling from 10-18 h post-fertilization, immediately following gastrulation. Blocking Bmp signaling during this window results in morphological defects to the pouches and craniofacial skeleton. Using genetic chimeras we show that Bmp signals directly to the endoderm for proper morphogenesis. Time-lapse imaging and analysis of reporter transgenics show that Bmp signaling is necessary for pouch outpocketing via the Fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) pathway. Double loss-of-function analyses demonstrate that Bmp and Fgf signaling interact synergistically in craniofacial development. Collectively, our analyses shed light on the tissue and signaling interactions that regulate development of the vertebrate face. PMID:27122171

To signal or not to signal: that should not be the question.

Science.gov (United States)

Faw, Harold W

2013-10-01

The purpose of the present research was to examine rates of turn signal use, a positive and potentially valuable means by which drivers can communicate. A second purpose was to explore factors that might impact these rates, including the modeling influence of other drivers. A series of observations involving more than 5600 vehicles making turns were recorded at a variety of intersections in British Columbia, Canada. Though the occurrence of signal use varied widely, ranging from a low of 54% to a high of 95%, the overall rate was 76%. Drivers used turn signals significantly less often when making right as compared with left turns, when traffic volume was higher, and when a designated turning lane was provided. In addition, compared with drivers following another vehicle not using signals, those following a vehicle with turn signals on were significantly more likely to activate their turn signals, suggesting a possible modeling effect. Both internal and external influences on turn signal use by drivers were considered. External factors explored in this research included direction of turn, traffic volume, intersection configuration, and the example of other drivers. It was concluded that the practice of signaling turns merits more research attention, since consistent use of signals is a potential contributor to enhanced safety for all road users. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TSLP signaling pathway map: a platform for analysis of TSLP-mediated signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jun; Sharma, Jyoti; Raju, Rajesh; Palapetta, Shyam Mohan; Prasad, T S Keshava; Huang, Tai-Chung; Yoda, Akinori; Tyner, Jeffrey W; van Bodegom, Diederik; Weinstock, David M; Ziegler, Steven F; Pandey, Akhilesh

2014-01-01

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a four-helix bundle cytokine that plays a critical role in the regulation of immune responses and in the differentiation of hematopoietic cells. TSLP signals through a heterodimeric receptor complex consisting of an interleukin-7 receptor α chain and a unique TSLP receptor (TSLPR) [also known as cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2)]. Cellular targets of TSLP include dendritic cells, B cells, mast cells, regulatory T (Treg) cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The TSLP/TSLPR axis can activate multiple signaling transduction pathways including the JAK/STAT pathway and the PI-3 kinase pathway. Aberrant TSLP/TSLPR signaling has been associated with a variety of human diseases including asthma, atopic dermatitis, nasal polyposis, inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic eosophagitis and, most recently, acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A centralized resource of the TSLP signaling pathway cataloging signaling events is not yet available. In this study, we present a literature-annotated resource of reactions in the TSLP signaling pathway. This pathway map is publicly available through NetPath (http://www.netpath.org/), an open access signal transduction pathway resource developed previously by our group. This map includes 236 molecules and 252 reactions that are involved in TSLP/TSLPR signaling pathway. We expect that the TSLP signaling pathway map will provide a rich resource to study the biology of this important cytokine as well as to identify novel therapeutic targets for diseases associated with dysregulated TSLP/TSLPR signaling. Database URL: http://www.netpath.org/pathways?path_id=NetPath_24.

Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Differentiation of a Rostrolateral Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Subset In Vivo and from Pluripotent Stem Cells In Vitro in the Mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukusumi, Yoshiyasu; Meier, Florian; Götz, Sebastian; Matheus, Friederike; Irmler, Martin; Beckervordersandforth, Ruth; Faus-Kessler, Theresa; Minina, Eleonora; Rauser, Benedict; Zhang, Jingzhong; Arenas, Ernest; Andersson, Elisabet; Niehrs, Christof; Beckers, Johannes; Simeone, Antonio; Wurst, Wolfgang; Prakash, Nilima

2015-09-30

Wingless-related MMTV integration site 1 (WNT1)/β-catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the generation of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons, including the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) subpopulation that preferentially degenerates in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the precise functions of WNT1/β-catenin signaling in this context remain unknown. Stem cell-based regenerative (transplantation) therapies for PD have not been implemented widely in the clinical context, among other reasons because of the heterogeneity and incomplete differentiation of the transplanted cells. This might result in tumor formation and poor integration of the transplanted cells into the dopaminergic circuitry of the brain. Dickkopf 3 (DKK3) is a secreted glycoprotein implicated in the modulation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Using mutant mice, primary ventral midbrain cells, and pluripotent stem cells, we show that DKK3 is necessary and sufficient for the correct differentiation of a rostrolateral mdDA neuron subset. Dkk3 transcription in the murine ventral midbrain coincides with the onset of mdDA neurogenesis and is required for the activation and/or maintenance of LMX1A (LIM homeobox transcription factor 1α) and PITX3 (paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 3) expression in the corresponding mdDA precursor subset, without affecting the proliferation or specification of their progenitors. Notably, the treatment of differentiating pluripotent stem cells with recombinant DKK3 and WNT1 proteins also increases the proportion of mdDA neurons with molecular SNc DA cell characteristics in these cultures. The specific effects of DKK3 on the differentiation of rostrolateral mdDA neurons in the murine ventral midbrain, together with its known prosurvival and anti-tumorigenic properties, make it a good candidate for the improvement of regenerative and neuroprotective strategies in the treatment of PD. Significance statement: We show here that Dickkopf 3 (DKK3), a

Method of signal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berthomier, Charles

1975-01-01

A method capable of handling the amplitude and the frequency time laws of a certain kind of geophysical signals is described here. This method is based upon the analytical signal idea of Gabor and Ville, which is constructed either in the time domain by adding an imaginary part to the real signal (in-quadrature signal), or in the frequency domain by suppressing negative frequency components. The instantaneous frequency of the initial signal is then defined as the time derivative of the phase of the analytical signal, and his amplitude, or envelope, as the modulus of this complex signal. The method is applied to three types of magnetospheric signals: chorus, whistlers and pearls. The results obtained by analog and numerical calculations are compared to results obtained by classical systems using filters, i.e. based upon a different definition of the concept of frequency. The precision with which the frequency-time laws are determined leads then to the examination of the principle of the method and to a definition of instantaneous power density spectrum attached to the signal, and to the first consequences of this definition. In this way, a two-dimensional representation of the signal is introduced which is less deformed by the analysis system properties than the usual representation, and which moreover has the advantage of being obtainable practically in real time [fr

The Hedgehog Signal Induced Modulation of Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling: An Essential Signaling Relay for Urinary Tract Morphogenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Nakagata, Naomi; Miyagawa, Shinichi; Suzuki, Kentaro; Kitazawa, Sohei; Yamada, Gen

2012-01-01

Background Congenital diseases of the urinary tract are frequently observed in infants. Such diseases present a number of developmental anomalies such as hydroureter and hydronephrosis. Although some genetically-modified mouse models of growth factor signaling genes reproduce urinary phenotypes, the pathogenic mechanisms remain obscure. Previous studies suggest that a portion of the cells in the external genitalia and bladder are derived from peri-cloacal mesenchymal cells that receive Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in the early developmental stages. We hypothesized that defects in such progenitor cells, which give rise to urinary tract tissues, may be a cause of such diseases. Methodology/Principal Findings To elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms of upper urinary tract malformations, we analyzed a series of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) deficient mice. Shh−/− displayed hydroureter and hydronephrosis phenotypes and reduced expression of several developmental markers. In addition, we suggested that Shh modulation at an early embryonic stage is responsible for such phenotypes by analyzing the Shh conditional mutants. Tissue contribution assays of Hh-responsive cells revealed that peri-cloacal mesenchymal cells, which received Hh signal secreted from cloacal epithelium, could contribute to the ureteral mesenchyme. Gain- and loss-of-functional mutants for Hh signaling revealed a correlation between Hh signaling and Bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) signaling. Finally, a conditional ablation of Bmp receptor type IA (BmprIA) gene was examined in Hh-responsive cell lineages. This system thus made it possible to analyze the primary functions of the growth factor signaling relay. The defective Hh-to-Bmp signaling relay resulted in severe urinary tract phenotypes with a decrease in the number of Hh-responsive cells. Conclusions/Significance This study identified the essential embryonic stages for the pathogenesis of urinary tract phenotypes. These results suggested that Hh

The newest digital signal processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chae Uk

2002-08-01

This book deal with the newest digital signal processing, which contains introduction on conception of digital signal processing, constitution and purpose, signal and system such as signal, continuos signal, discrete signal and discrete system, I/O expression on impress response, convolution, mutual connection of system and frequency character,z transform of definition, range, application of z transform and relationship with laplace transform, Discrete fourier, Fast fourier transform on IDFT algorithm and FFT application, foundation of digital filter of notion, expression, types, frequency characteristic of digital filter and design order of filter, Design order of filter, Design of FIR digital filter, Design of IIR digital filter, Adaptive signal processing, Audio signal processing, video signal processing and application of digital signal processing.

Mathematical properties of a semi-classical signal analysis method: Noisy signal case

KAUST Repository

Liu, Dayan

2012-08-01

Recently, a new signal analysis method based on a semi-classical approach has been proposed [1]. The main idea in this method is to interpret a signal as a potential of a Schrodinger operator and then to use the discrete spectrum of this operator to analyze the signal. In this paper, we are interested in a mathematical analysis of this method in discrete case considering noisy signals. © 2012 IEEE.

Mathematical properties of a semi-classical signal analysis method: Noisy signal case

KAUST Repository

Liu, Dayan; Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2012-01-01

Recently, a new signal analysis method based on a semi-classical approach has been proposed [1]. The main idea in this method is to interpret a signal as a potential of a Schrodinger operator and then to use the discrete spectrum of this operator to analyze the signal. In this paper, we are interested in a mathematical analysis of this method in discrete case considering noisy signals. © 2012 IEEE.

Improved prediction of signal peptides: SignalP 3.0

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendtsen, Jannick Dyrløv; Nielsen, Henrik; von Heijne, G.

2004-01-01

We describe improvements of the currently most popular method for prediction of classically secreted proteins, SignalP. SignalP consists of two different predictors based on neural network and hidden Markov model algorithms, where both components have been updated. Motivated by the idea that the ...

A case of exorbitism in association with Wegener′s granulomatosis with renal involvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Beji

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Wegener′s granulomatosis (WG is a necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis invol-ving the nose, paranasal sinuses, lungs, and kidneys. Ocular involvement can occur in about 50% of cases. There are very few reports of WG with orbital inflammation and exorbitism. We report a case of a female patient who presented with exorbitism related to orbital inflammation secondary to WG, with renal involvement. A 29-year-old woman with a previous history of recurrent pan-sinusitis presented with bilateral exophthalmos and renal failure with rapidly progressive glo-merulonephritis. Computed tomography showed extensive bilateral soft tissue in the retro-orbital area. Immunologic tests showed the presence of type-C anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and renal biopsy revealed pauci immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and pulses of cyclophosphamide followed by azathioprine and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. After a follow-up of 10 months, the renal outcome was favorable with improvement of renal function but there was persistence of exorbitism and loss of visual function. Our case suggests that WG should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent bila-teral exophthalmos. Prompt recognition of this early manifestation is important for the institution of early treatment.

Applying the Weighted Horizontal Magnetic Gradient Method to a Simulated Flaring Active Region

Science.gov (United States)

Korsós, M. B.; Chatterjee, P.; Erdélyi, R.

2018-04-01

Here, we test the weighted horizontal magnetic gradient (WG M ) as a flare precursor, introduced by Korsós et al., by applying it to a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of solar-like flares. The preflare evolution of the WG M and the behavior of the distance parameter between the area-weighted barycenters of opposite-polarity sunspots at various heights is investigated in the simulated δ-type sunspot. Four flares emanated from this sunspot. We found the optimum heights above the photosphere where the flare precursors of the WG M method are identifiable prior to each flare. These optimum heights agree reasonably well with the heights of the occurrence of flares identified from the analysis of their thermal and ohmic heating signatures in the simulation. We also estimated the expected time of the flare onsets from the duration of the approaching–receding motion of the barycenters of opposite polarities before each single flare. The estimated onset time and the actual time of occurrence of each flare are in good agreement at the corresponding optimum heights. This numerical experiment further supports the use of flare precursors based on the WG M method.

Pu-rich MOX agglomerate-by-agglomerate model for fuel pellet burnup analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, G.S.

2004-01-01

In support of potential licensing of the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel made from weapons-grade (WG) plutonium and depleted uranium for use in United States reactors, an experiment containing WG-MOX fuel is being irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The WG-MOX comprises five percent PuO 2 and 95% depleted UO 2 . Based on the Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) observation, the volume fraction (VF) of MOX agglomerates in the fuel pellet is about 16.67%, and PuO 2 concentration of 30.0 = (5 / 16.67 x 100) wt% in the agglomerate. A pressurized water reactor (PWR) unit WG-MOX lattice with Agglomerate-by-Agglomerate Fuel (AbAF) modeling has been developed. The effect of the irregular agglomerate distribution can be addressed through the use of the Monte Carlo AbAF model. The AbAF-calculated cumulative ratio of Agglomerate burnup to U-MAtrix burnup (AG/MA) is 9.17 at the beginning of life, and decreases to 2.88 at 50 GWd/t. The MCNP-AbAF-calculated results can be used to adjust the parameters in the MOX fuel fission gas release modeling. (author)

Evaluation of a countermeasure against wake galloping using wire connection method; Wake galloping ni taisuru seishin wire no yukosei ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takeda, T.; Mukai, H.; Sano, N. [Kajima Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-10-31

A plurality of parallel cables have been recently employed for long-span cable-stayed bridges. Use of such parallel cables thereupon leads to a special type of wind-induced vibration called wake galloping (simply referred to as WG.) owing to air turbulence caused by upstream cables. This paper attempts to evaluate measures against the WG using a wire connecting method, and identifies the most important influencing factor and the validity of the measures through wind tunnel tests. The following results are hereby clarified. Even if the deformation rigidity of the cables is increased, it is impossible to raise the wind velocity of the WG. The wind velocity of the WG can not be reduced from a wind tunnel wind velocity using non-dimensional wind velocity. The wire connecting method proves to be more effective for reducing the amplitude of the vibration. Provided cables are coupled into a multi-stage using the wire connection method, overall vibration with a greater amplitude can be restricted. To the factor of the restriction additional deformation rigidity of the cables more contributes compared with additional weight of the cables. 9 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.

Epigenetic regulation of the Hedgehog and Wnt pathways in cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wils, Leon J.; Bijlsma, Maarten F.

2018-01-01

The Hedgehog (Hh) and wingless-Int1 (Wnt) pathways are important for tissue patterning in the developing embryo. In adult tissue, both pathways are typically dormant but are activated under certain conditions such as tissue damage. Aberrant activation of these pathways by mutations in key pathway

Composition and biological activity of essential oils against Metopolophium dirhodum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) cereal crop pest.

Science.gov (United States)

Chopa, Carolina Sánchez; Descamps, Lilian R

2012-11-01

Natural pesticides based on plant essential oils may represent alternative crop protectants. This study analysed the chemical constituents and bioactivities of essential oils from Schinus areira L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Tagetes terniflora Kunth against winged and wingless adults of Metopolophium dirhodum (Walk.). The major component of S. areira was α-phellandrene, that of R. officinalis was 1,8-cineole and that of T. terniflora was cis-ocimene. Rosemary essential oil was more effective than the others in immersion method tests. In contact toxicity, the rosemary oil was the most toxic to wingless adults and the S. areira leaf oil was the most toxic to winged adults. All the EOs produced some degrees of repellency in adults and effects on the reproduction and demographic parameters. These results showed that the essential oils from S. areira, R. officinalis and T. terniflora could be used as an alternative in the management of M. dirhodum. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Skeletal abnormalities in fetuses with Down's syndrome: a radiographic post-mortem study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stempfle, N.; Brisse, H.; Huten, Y.; Fredouille, C.; Nessmann, C.

1999-01-01

Objective. To evaluate skeletal abnormalities on post-mortem radiographs of fetuses with Down's syndrome. Materials and methods. Biometrical and morphological criteria, which are used for US prenatal detection of trisomy 21, were assessed. Limb long bones, biparietal diameter (BPD)/occipito-frontal diameter (OFD) ratio, ossification of nasal bones and appearance of the middle phalanx of the fifth digit (P2) in 60 fetuses with Down's syndrome were analysed and compared with 82 normal fetuses matched for gestational age (GA) from 15 to 40 weeks' gestation (WG). Results. We observed reduced growth velocity of limb long bones during the third trimester in both groups, but the reduction was more pronounced in the trisomic group. Brachycephaly was found as early as 15 WG in Down's syndrome and continued throughout gestation (sensitivity 0.28, specificity 1). Ossification of the nasal bones, which can be detected in normal fetuses from 14 WG, was absent in one quarter of trisomic fetuses, regardless of GA. The middle phalanx of the fifth digit was evaluated by comparison with the distal phalanx (P3) of the same digit. We found that P2 was not ossified in 11/31 trisomic fetuses before 23 WG, and was either not ossified or hypoplastic in 17/29 cases after 24 WG (sensitivity 0.56, specificity 1). Conclusions. Three key skeletal signs were present in trisomic fetuses: brachycephaly, absence of nasal bone ossification, and hypoplasia of the middle phalanx of the fifth digit. All these signs are appropriate to prenatal US screening. When present, they fully justify determination of the fetal karyotype by amniocentesis. (orig.)

Combining a gas turbine modular helium reactor and an accelerator and for near total destruction of weapons grade plutonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baxter, A.M.; Lane, R.K.; Sherman, R. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

1995-10-01

Fissioning surplus weapons-grade plutonium (WG-Pu) in a reactor is an effective means of rendering this stockpile non-weapons useable. In addition the enormous energy content of the plutonium is released by the fission process and can be captured to produce valuable electric power. While no fission option has been identified that can accomplish the destruction of more than about 70% of the WG-Pu without repeated reprocessing and recycling, which presents additional opportunities for diversion, the gas turbine modular helium-cooled reactor (GT-MHR), using an annular graphite core and graphite inner and outer reflectors combines the maximum plutonium destruction and highest electrical production efficiency and economics in an inherently safe system. Accelerator driven sub-critical assemblies have also been proposed for WG-Pu destruction. These systems offer almost complete WG-Pu destruction, but achieve this goal by using circulating aqueous or molten salt solutions of the fuel, with potential safety implications. By combining the GT-MHR with an accelerator-driven sub-critical MHR assembly, the best features of both systems can be merged to achieve the near total destruction of WG-Pu in an inherently safe, diversion-proof system in which the discharged fuel elements are suitable for long term high level waste storage without the need for further processing. More than 90% total plutonium destruction, and more than 99.9% Pu-239 destruction, could be achieved. The modular concept minimizes the size of each unit so that both the GT-MHR and the accelerator would be straightforward extensions of current technology.

Sinonasal Wegener's granulomatosis: CT characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benoudiba, F.; Marsot-Dupuch, K.; Rabia, Hadj M.; Lasjaunias, P.; Cabanne, J.; Bobin, S.

2003-01-01

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a severe and potentially lethal granulomatosis. Even though no specific radiological criteria exist, CT may suggest the correct diagnosis at an early stage. Recent improvement in the prognosis is related to earlier diagnosis, allowing the initiation of efficient and specific treatment before any severe complications occur. We reviewed a series of WG cases in order to establish the CT diagnostic criteria. (orig.)

Integral comparison of library performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Takamasa

2006-01-01

The 2003-2004 activities of Reactor Integral Test WG under Subcommittee on Reactor Constants of Japanese Nuclear Data Committee are presented. During this period, the WG carried out integral tests of JENDL-3.3, ENDF/B-VI and JEF 2.2 (JEFF-3.0) for reactor applications. Some results of integral tests for other latest libraries, JEFF-3.1 and ENDF/B-VII are also presented. (author)

Tyrosine kinase signalling in breast cancer: Modulation of tyrosine kinase signalling in human breast cancer through altered expression of signalling intermediates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kairouz, Rania; Daly, Roger J

2000-01-01

The past decade has seen the definition of key signalling pathways downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) in terms of their components and the protein-protein interactions that facilitate signal transduction. Given the strong evidence that links signalling by certain families of RTKs to the progression of breast cancer, it is not surprising that the expression profile of key downstream signalling intermediates in this disease has also come under scrutiny, particularly because some exhibit transforming potential or amplify mitogenic signalling pathways when they are overexpressed. Reflecting the diverse cellular processes regulated by RTKs, it is now clear that altered expression of such signalling proteins in breast cancer may influence not only cellular proliferation (eg Grb2) but also the invasive properties of the cancer cells (eg EMS1/cortactin)

Wnt signaling in cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhan, T; Rindtorff, N; Boutros, M

2017-01-01

Wnt signaling is one of the key cascades regulating development and stemness, and has also been tightly associated with cancer. The role of Wnt signaling in carcinogenesis has most prominently been described for colorectal cancer, but aberrant Wnt signaling is observed in many more cancer entities. Here, we review current insights into novel components of Wnt pathways and describe their impact on cancer development. Furthermore, we highlight expanding functions of Wnt signaling for both solid and liquid tumors. We also describe current findings how Wnt signaling affects maintenance of cancer stem cells, metastasis and immune control. Finally, we provide an overview of current strategies to antagonize Wnt signaling in cancer and challenges that are associated with such approaches. PMID:27617575

Technical principles underlying limit values for release of substances for the percolation test TS3: comparison DE and NL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Zomeren, A.; Dijkstra, J.J. [ECN Environment and Energy Engineering, Petten (Netherlands); Susset, B. [Consulting Office SiWaP (Germany)

2013-10-15

Within CEN TC 351 WG 1, standardized, horizontal test methods are developed to assess the release (leaching) of dangerous substances from construction as defined in ER3 of the CPD. For granular materials TS 3, a horizontal up-flow percolation test, was further developed by CEN TC 351 WG1 and will enter the validation phase in 2013. In CEN TC 351 WG1, there are still discussions regarding the sample preparation and some test conditions. Currently, two options for sample preparation and test conditions are specified. Controversy between DE and NL regarding sample preparation and test conditions and the need for two separate options in the TS 3 percolation test are possibly for a part caused by different approaches for risk assessment in the Netherlands and in Germany and the resulting regulatory concepts. One important reason for this is, that in soil and groundwater regulations the test method and the impact assessment method are systematically linked together but the impact assessment methods and lab methods in both countries are different. The discussions in CEN TC 351 WG 1 show that there is a need to have a better mutual understanding of the relation between test method and impact assessment on the one hand and a clear overview of differences in impact assessment approaches of each country on the other hand. The aim of this project is to explain and compare the assumptions, boundary conditions and conventions of the impact assessment approach that are implemented in the upcoming German Recycling Degree and in the Soil Quality Degree of the Netherlands. Ultimately, a better understanding of the impact assessment approaches provides a basis for further discussion in WG1 to agree on only one option for the percolation test conditions. The following report is prepared by the contractors of Germany and Netherlands together to compare the two country-specific concepts. This report summarizes and explains the presentation given on the 25th of April at TC 351 WG1 in

Impact of non-target-site-resistance on herbicidal activity of imazamox on blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. in comparison to other ALS-graminicides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sievernich, Bernd

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. resistance-monitoring conducted by BASF in 2010 - 2012 revealed a high number of accessions with resistance against imazamox. However, application of imazamoxbased products in a winter crop was limited to winter beans in France and United Kingdom only until the introduction of the Clearfield®-production system in autumn 2012 in winter oilseed rape. It is therefore assumed that the resistance mechanisms were probably selected by the frequent use of ACCase- and ALSinhibitors in winter crop rotations during the last 2 decades. Resistance level for each product-biotype combination was calculated according the “R”-classification system (S, R?, RR, RRR by directly comparing the product performance on a biotype versus untreated control. Majority of resistant biotypes did not show a target-site mutation at the known codon Pro197 or Trp574. In order to better evaluate the impact of Non-Target-Site-Resistance (NTSR on the activity of BEYOND (imazamox, ATLANTIS WG (mesosulfuron+iodosulfuron and ABAK (pyroxsulam, biotypes who have shown an ALS-target-site mutation were removed from further analysis. At the dose rate of 35 g ai/ha BEYOND provided good activity on susceptible biotypes of black-grass almost matching up with ATLANTIS WG and ABAK. However, activity of BEYOND declined stronger on biotypes classified as R? or RR for that product, while ATLANTIS WG and ABAK hardly showed any decline in control on this group of biotypes when applied at the recommended dose rate. It is assumed that the underlying NTSR-mechanism is not effective enough yet to confer resistance to ATLANTIS WG and ABAK, but on BEYOND. In contrast, biotypes classified as R? for ATLANTIS WG did show a stronger impact on the activity of BEYOND and ABAK then of ATLANTIS WG. These differences in control level probably do translate into differences in selection pressure as well.

Signal Conditioning An Introduction to Continuous Wave Communication and Signal Processing

CERN Document Server

Das, Apurba

2012-01-01

"Signal Conditioning” is a comprehensive introduction to electronic signal processing. The book presents the mathematical basics including the implications of various transformed domain representations in signal synthesis and analysis in an understandable and lucid fashion and illustrates the theory through many applications and examples from communication systems. The ease to learn is supported by well-chosen exercises which give readers the flavor of the subject. Supplementary electronic materials available on http://extras.springer.com including MATLAB codes illuminating applications in the domain of one dimensional electrical signal processing, image processing and speech processing. The book is an introduction for students with a basic understanding in engineering or natural sciences.

Reversible complete atrioventricular block in patient with wegener's granulomatosis - a report on fortunate outcome with long term follow-up.

Science.gov (United States)

Steckiewicz, Roman; Rosiak, Marek; Stolarz, Przemysław; Świętoń, Elżbieta B; Grabowski, Marcin; Kosior, Dariusz A

Reversible complete atrioventricular block in patient with Wegener's granulomatosis - a report on a positive outcome with long term follow-up. Atrioventricular (AV) block is a rare complication of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), thus there are no standards of management in such cases. We present a case of a patient with a dual-chamber pacemaker (DDD) implanted due to complete AV block in the course of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). An immunosuppressive therapy resulted in the resolution of non-cardiac and AV conduction disorders. The diagnostic functions of the pacemaker enabled us to evaluate AV conduction over a five-year follow-up period. The resolution of AV conduction disorders, which accompanied WG remission, suggests that careful monitoring with temporary cardiac pacing may be considered in some patients before permanent pacemaker implantation.

Economic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owen, P.S.; Parker, M.B.; Omberg, R.P.

1979-03-01

The methodology used to arrive at the conclusions in the U.S. papers WG 5A-19 and WG 5A-22 with respect to the economics of fast breeders relative to LWR's is developed in detail in this contribution. In addition, sample calculations of the total levelized power cost of a standard LWR at $40/pound for U 3 O 8 and an FBR at a capital cost of 1.5 times that of an LWR are included. The respective total levalized power costs of the above two examples are 21.29 mills/kwh for the standard LWR and 28.48 mills/kwh for the FBR. It should be noted that the economic data used in these analyses are contained in the U.S. contribution, WG 5A-41

On the Performance Analysis of Digital Communications over Weibull-Gamma Channels

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2015-01-01

In this work, the performance analysis of digital communications over a composite Weibull-Gamma (WG) multipath-fading and shadowing channel is presented wherein WG distribution is appropriate for modeling fading environments when multipath is superimposed on shadowing. More specifically, in this work, exact closed-form expressions are derived for the probability density function, the cumulative distribution function, the moment generating function, and the moments of a composite WG channel. Capitalizing on these results, new exact closed-form expressions are offered for the outage probability, the higher- order amount of fading, the average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity under various types of transmission policies, mostly in terms of Meijer's G functions. These new analytical results were also verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulation results. © 2015 IEEE.

Onset of rigor mortis is earlier in red muscle than in white muscle.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, M; Takatori, T; Nakajima, M; Sakurada, K; Hatanaka, K; Ikegaya, H; Matsuda, Y; Iwase, H

2000-01-01

Rigor mortis is thought to be related to falling ATP levels in muscles postmortem. We measured rigor mortis as tension determined isometrically in three rat leg muscles in liquid paraffin kept at 37 degrees C or 25 degrees C--two red muscles, red gastrocnemius (RG) and soleus (SO) and one white muscle, white gastrocnemius (WG). Onset, half and full rigor mortis occurred earlier in RG and SO than in WG both at 37 degrees C and at 25 degrees C even though RG and WG were portions of the same muscle. This suggests that rigor mortis directly reflects the postmortem intramuscular ATP level, which decreases more rapidly in red muscle than in white muscle after death. Rigor mortis was more retarded at 25 degrees C than at 37 degrees C in each type of muscle.

Correlation of Respiratory Signals and Electrocardiogram Signals via Empirical Mode Decomposition

KAUST Repository

El Fiky, Ahmed Osama

2011-05-24

Recently Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are being broadly used as an essential diagnosing tool in different clinical applications as they carry a reliable representation not only for cardiac activities, but also for other associated biological processes, like respiration. However, the process of recording and collecting them has usually suffered from the presence of some undesired noises, which in turn affects the reliability of such representations.Therefore, de-noising ECG signals became a hot research field for signal processing experts to ensure better and clear representation of the different cardiac activities. Given the nonlinear and non-stationary properties of ECGs, it is not a simple task to cancel the undesired noise terms without affecting the biological physics of them. In this study, we are interested in correlating the ECG signals with respiratory parameters, specifically the lung volume and lung pressure. We have focused on the concept of de-noising ECG signals by means of signal decomposition using an algorithm called the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) where the original ECG signals are being decomposed into a set of intrinsic mode functions (IMF). Then, we have provided criteria based on which some of these IMFs have been adapted to reconstruct de-noised ECG version. Finally, we have utilized de-noised ECGs as well as IMFs for to study the correlation with lung volume and lung pressure. These correlation studies have showed some clear resemblance especially between the oscillations of ECGs and lung pressures.

Detection test of wireless network signal strength and GPS positioning signal in underground pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Zhang, Yunwei; Chen, Ling

2018-03-01

In order to solve the problem of selecting positioning technology for inspection robot in underground pipeline environment, the wireless network signal strength and GPS positioning signal testing are carried out in the actual underground pipeline environment. Firstly, the strength variation of the 3G wireless network signal and Wi-Fi wireless signal provided by China Telecom and China Unicom ground base stations are tested, and the attenuation law of these wireless signals along the pipeline is analyzed quantitatively and described. Then, the receiving data of the GPS satellite signal in the pipeline are tested, and the attenuation of GPS satellite signal under underground pipeline is analyzed. The testing results may be reference for other related research which need to consider positioning in pipeline.

DMPD: Signal integration between IFNgamma and TLR signalling pathways in macrophages. [Dynamic Macrophage Pathway CSML Database

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available 16920490 Signal integration between IFNgamma and TLR signalling pathways in macroph...tml) (.csml) Show Signal integration between IFNgamma and TLR signalling pathways in macrophages. PubmedID 16920490 Title Signal inte...gration between IFNgamma and TLR signalling pathways in

Chromosomal variation, macroevolution and possible parapatric speciation in Mepraia spinolai (Porter (Hemiptera: Reduviidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frias Daniel

1998-01-01

Full Text Available Mepraia spinolai is an endemic species in Chile that lives in wild and domestic habitats. It is the only species of the Reduviidae family that shows alate polymorphism; females are always wingless, but males can be found with and without wings. The M. spinolai karyotype consists of 10 pairs of autosomes and a complex sex determination system. Males from the northernmost regions I and II (latitude 18°-26° South are always winged (braquipterous and are X1X2Y, with a large Y chromosome. From region III to the metropolitan region (latitude 26°-33° South, males may be either winged or wingless but appear to be polymorphic for a small neo-Y chromosome, which may have originated by fracture of the large holocentric Y chromosome found in populations from farther north. Experimental crosses suggest that the genes for wings are linked in the Y chromosome and also that there are two cytologically indistinguishable types of neo-Y chromosomes. One form (Y1 bears a gene or genes for wings while the other (Y2 lacks such genes. Males that are X1X2Y1, X1X2Y1Y1 and X1X2Y1Y2 are winged, while the absence of Y1 (X1X2Y2 and X1X2Y2Y2 results in a wingless male. These chromosomes and morphological changes are correlated with a shift of the southern population into more arid habitats of the interior in the metropolitan region and region III.

Sinusoidal Representation of Acoustic Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Honda, Masaaki

Sinusoidal representation of acoustic signals has been an important tool in speech and music processing like signal analysis, synthesis and time scale or pitch modifications. It can be applicable to arbitrary signals, which is an important advantage over other signal representations like physical modeling of acoustic signals. In sinusoidal representation, acoustic signals are composed as sums of sinusoid (sine wave) with different amplitudes, frequencies and phases, which is based on the timedependent short-time Fourier transform (STFT). This article describes the principles of acoustic signal analysis/synthesis based on a sinusoid representation with focus on sine waves with rapidly varying frequency.

Non-Smad signaling pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu, Yabing; Gudey, Shyam Kumar; Landström, Maréne

2012-01-01

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) is a key regulator of cell fate during embryogenesis and has also emerged as a potent driver of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition during tumor progression. TGFβ signals are transduced by transmembrane type I and type II serine/threonine kinase receptors (TβRI and TβRII, respectively). The activated TβR complex phosphorylates Smad2 and Smad3, converting them into transcriptional regulators that complex with Smad4. TGFβ also uses non-Smad signaling pathways such as the p38 and Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways to convey its signals. Ubiquitin ligase tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) and TGFβ-associated kinase 1 (TAK1) have recently been shown to be crucial for the activation of the p38 and JNK MAPK pathways. Other TGFβ-induced non-Smad signaling pathways include the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt-mTOR pathway, the small GTPases Rho, Rac, and Cdc42, and the Ras-Erk-MAPK pathway. Signals induced by TGFβ are tightly regulated and specified by post-translational modifications of the signaling components, since they dictate the subcellular localization, activity, and duration of the signal. In this review, we discuss recent findings in the field of TGFβ-induced responses by non-Smad signaling pathways.

Alternatives to Pyrotechnic Distress Signals; Additional Signal Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

device performance standard that addresses Coast Guard project sponsor and stakeholders needs. 17. Key Words Visual Distress Signal Device (VDSD...devices. The report discussed the concept of “effective intensity,” as used by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse...efficacy of Cyan as a signal color. In order to move forward, the RDC project team met with CG-ENG-4 and other Coast Guard stakeholders (Offices of

Signal existence verification (SEV) for GPS low received power signal detection using the time-frequency approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Jan, Shau-Shiun; Sun, Chih-Cheng

2010-01-01

The detection of low received power of global positioning system (GPS) signals in the signal acquisition process is an important issue for GPS applications. Improving the miss-detection problem of low received power signal is crucial, especially for urban or indoor environments. This paper proposes a signal existence verification (SEV) process to detect and subsequently verify low received power GPS signals. The SEV process is based on the time-frequency representation of GPS signal, and it can capture the characteristic of GPS signal in the time-frequency plane to enhance the GPS signal acquisition performance. Several simulations and experiments are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed method for low received power signal detection. The contribution of this work is that the SEV process is an additional scheme to assist the GPS signal acquisition process in low received power signal detection, without changing the original signal acquisition or tracking algorithms.

Biomedical signal and image processing

CERN Document Server

Najarian, Kayvan

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL SIGNAL AND IMAGE PROCESSINGSignals and Biomedical Signal ProcessingIntroduction and OverviewWhat is a ""Signal""?Analog, Discrete, and Digital SignalsProcessing and Transformation of SignalsSignal Processing for Feature ExtractionSome Characteristics of Digital ImagesSummaryProblemsFourier TransformIntroduction and OverviewOne-Dimensional Continuous Fourier TransformSampling and NYQUIST RateOne-Dimensional Discrete Fourier TransformTwo-Dimensional Discrete Fourier TransformFilter DesignSummaryProblemsImage Filtering, Enhancement, and RestorationIntroduction and Overview

Poisson pre-processing of nonstationary photonic signals: Signals with equality between mean and variance.

Science.gov (United States)

Poplová, Michaela; Sovka, Pavel; Cifra, Michal

2017-01-01

Photonic signals are broadly exploited in communication and sensing and they typically exhibit Poisson-like statistics. In a common scenario where the intensity of the photonic signals is low and one needs to remove a nonstationary trend of the signals for any further analysis, one faces an obstacle: due to the dependence between the mean and variance typical for a Poisson-like process, information about the trend remains in the variance even after the trend has been subtracted, possibly yielding artifactual results in further analyses. Commonly available detrending or normalizing methods cannot cope with this issue. To alleviate this issue we developed a suitable pre-processing method for the signals that originate from a Poisson-like process. In this paper, a Poisson pre-processing method for nonstationary time series with Poisson distribution is developed and tested on computer-generated model data and experimental data of chemiluminescence from human neutrophils and mung seeds. The presented method transforms a nonstationary Poisson signal into a stationary signal with a Poisson distribution while preserving the type of photocount distribution and phase-space structure of the signal. The importance of the suggested pre-processing method is shown in Fano factor and Hurst exponent analysis of both computer-generated model signals and experimental photonic signals. It is demonstrated that our pre-processing method is superior to standard detrending-based methods whenever further signal analysis is sensitive to variance of the signal.

Multi-Modal Intelligent Traffic Signal Systems Signal Plans for Roadside Equipment

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Transportation — Data were collected during the Multi-Modal Intelligent Transportation Signal Systems (MMITSS) study. MMITSS is a next-generation traffic signal system that seeks to...

Sinonasal Wegener's granulomatosis: CT characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benoudiba, F.; Marsot-Dupuch, K.; Rabia, Hadj M.; Lasjaunias, P. [Neuroradiology Department, Bicetre Hospital, 78 rue du General Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicetre (France); Cabanne, J. [Department of Internal Medecine, Saint-Antoine Hospital, 184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 75012 Paris (France); Bobin, S. [Head and Neck Department, Bicetre Hospital, 78, rue du General Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicetre (France)

2003-02-01

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a severe and potentially lethal granulomatosis. Even though no specific radiological criteria exist, CT may suggest the correct diagnosis at an early stage. Recent improvement in the prognosis is related to earlier diagnosis, allowing the initiation of efficient and specific treatment before any severe complications occur. We reviewed a series of WG cases in order to establish the CT diagnostic criteria. (orig.)

EULAR/PRINTO/PRES criteria for Henoch-Schönlein purpura, childhood polyarteritis nodosa, childhood Wegener granulomatosis and childhood Takayasu arteritis: Ankara 2008. Part I: Overall methodology and clinical characterisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ruperto, Nicolino; Ozen, Seza; Pistorio, Angela

2010-01-01

To report methodology and overall clinical, laboratory and radiographic characteristics for Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), childhood polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN), c-Wegener granulomatosis (c-WG) and c-Takayasu arteritis (c-TA) classification criteria.......To report methodology and overall clinical, laboratory and radiographic characteristics for Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), childhood polyarteritis nodosa (c-PAN), c-Wegener granulomatosis (c-WG) and c-Takayasu arteritis (c-TA) classification criteria....

Answers to the questionnaire issued by the Co-Chairmen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper gathers together the original answers to the questionnaire (forming INFCE/DEP./WG4-28) received during March to July 1978 from the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Federal Republic, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, U.S.A. Later updating or amendment by the country concerned has been taken into account in the summary (INFCE/DEP./WG4-30)

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Collaboration between DoD and VA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-27

Philadelphia. In 1853 and 1855, the Soldiers Home and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital followed in Washington, DC. In 1866, Congress established the National Homes...veterans. The quality of medical care at these homes improved until it was comparable to hospital care of that day. In 1862, the National Cemetery...Evaluation System WG Pain Management WG DoD Recovery Coordination Program ( RCP )* Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP)* * Programs with JEC

All-optical signal processing of OTDM and OFDM signals based on time-domain Optical Fourier Transformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, Anders; Guan, Pengyu; Mulvad, Hans Christian Hansen

2014-01-01

All-optical time-domain Optical Fourier Transformation utilised for signal processing of ultra-high-speed OTDM signals and OFDM signals will be presented.......All-optical time-domain Optical Fourier Transformation utilised for signal processing of ultra-high-speed OTDM signals and OFDM signals will be presented....

Multiscale Signal Analysis and Modeling

CERN Document Server

Zayed, Ahmed

2013-01-01

Multiscale Signal Analysis and Modeling presents recent advances in multiscale analysis and modeling using wavelets and other systems. This book also presents applications in digital signal processing using sampling theory and techniques from various function spaces, filter design, feature extraction and classification, signal and image representation/transmission, coding, nonparametric statistical signal processing, and statistical learning theory. This book also: Discusses recently developed signal modeling techniques, such as the multiscale method for complex time series modeling, multiscale positive density estimations, Bayesian Shrinkage Strategies, and algorithms for data adaptive statistics Introduces new sampling algorithms for multidimensional signal processing Provides comprehensive coverage of wavelets with presentations on waveform design and modeling, wavelet analysis of ECG signals and wavelet filters Reviews features extraction and classification algorithms for multiscale signal and image proce...

Two-dimensional signal analysis

CERN Document Server

Garello, René

2010-01-01

This title sets out to show that 2-D signal analysis has its own role to play alongside signal processing and image processing.Concentrating its coverage on those 2-D signals coming from physical sensors (such as radars and sonars), the discussion explores a 2-D spectral approach but develops the modeling of 2-D signals and proposes several data-oriented analysis techniques for dealing with them. Coverage is also given to potential future developments in this area.

Traffic signal synchronization.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ding-wei; Huang, Wei-neng

2003-05-01

The benefits of traffic signal synchronization are examined within the cellular automata approach. The microsimulations of traffic flow are obtained with different settings of signal period T and time delay delta. Both numerical results and analytical approximations are presented. For undersaturated traffic, the green-light wave solutions can be realized. For saturated traffic, the correlation among the traffic signals has no effect on the throughput. For oversaturated traffic, the benefits of synchronization are manifest only when stochastic noise is suppressed.

Adenylate Kinase and AMP Signaling Networks: Metabolic Monitoring, Signal Communication and Body Energy Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andre Terzic

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Adenylate kinase and downstream AMP signaling is an integrated metabolic monitoring system which reads the cellular energy state in order to tune and report signals to metabolic sensors. A network of adenylate kinase isoforms (AK1-AK7 are distributed throughout intracellular compartments, interstitial space and body fluids to regulate energetic and metabolic signaling circuits, securing efficient cell energy economy, signal communication and stress response. The dynamics of adenylate kinase-catalyzed phosphotransfer regulates multiple intracellular and extracellular energy-dependent and nucleotide signaling processes, including excitation-contraction coupling, hormone secretion, cell and ciliary motility, nuclear transport, energetics of cell cycle, DNA synthesis and repair, and developmental programming. Metabolomic analyses indicate that cellular, interstitial and blood AMP levels are potential metabolic signals associated with vital functions including body energy sensing, sleep, hibernation and food intake. Either low or excess AMP signaling has been linked to human disease such as diabetes, obesity and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Recent studies indicate that derangements in adenylate kinase-mediated energetic signaling due to mutations in AK1, AK2 or AK7 isoforms are associated with hemolytic anemia, reticular dysgenesis and ciliary dyskinesia. Moreover, hormonal, food and antidiabetic drug actions are frequently coupled to alterations of cellular AMP levels and associated signaling. Thus, by monitoring energy state and generating and distributing AMP metabolic signals adenylate kinase represents a unique hub within the cellular homeostatic network.

SignalGuru: Leveraging mobile phones for collaborative traffic signal schedule advisory

OpenAIRE

Koukoumidis, Emmanouil; Peh, Li-Shiuan; Martonosi, Margaret

2011-01-01

While traffic signals are necessary to safely control competing flows of traffic, they inevitably enforce a stop-and-go movement pattern that increases fuel consumption, reduces traffic flow and causes traffic jams. These side effects can be alleviated by providing drivers and their onboard computational devices (e.g., vehicle computer, smartphone) with information about the schedule of the traffic signals ahead. Based on when the signal ahead will turn green, drivers can then adjust speed so...

Topological signal processing

CERN Document Server

Robinson, Michael

2014-01-01

Signal processing is the discipline of extracting information from collections of measurements. To be effective, the measurements must be organized and then filtered, detected, or transformed to expose the desired information.  Distortions caused by uncertainty, noise, and clutter degrade the performance of practical signal processing systems. In aggressively uncertain situations, the full truth about an underlying signal cannot be known.  This book develops the theory and practice of signal processing systems for these situations that extract useful, qualitative information using the mathematics of topology -- the study of spaces under continuous transformations.  Since the collection of continuous transformations is large and varied, tools which are topologically-motivated are automatically insensitive to substantial distortion. The target audience comprises practitioners as well as researchers, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

A survey of some insect pests of cultivated vegetables in three ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR GATSING

ABSTRACT. The survey aimed at identifying insect pests that attack vegetables grown in three irrigation areas along Jakara River in Kano, Nigeria. The areas were Kwarin gogau, Nomansland and. Kwakwaci. Two methods of trapping the insects were employed, namely hand capture for wingless insects as well as hand net ...

Molecular phylogeny of the Oriental butterfly genus Arhopala (Lycaenidae, Theclinae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Megens, H.J.W.C.; Nes, Van W.J.; Moorsel, van C.H.M.; Pierce, N.E.; Jong, de R.

2004-01-01

We present a phylogeny for a selection of species of the butterfly genus Arhopala Boisduval, 1832 based on molecular characters. We sequenced 1778 bases of the mitochondrial genes Cytochrome Oxidase 1 and 2 including tRNALeu, and a 393-bp fragment of the nuclear wingless gene for a total of 42

Ergatomorph wingless males in Technomyrmex vitiensis Mann, 1921 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pech, P.; Bezděk, Aleš

2016-01-01

Roč. 53, DEC 19 (2016), s. 25-34 ISSN 1070-9428 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : behaviour * biology * greenhouses Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.793, year: 2016 http://jhr.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=8904

The Hippo signaling functions through the Notch signaling to regulate intrahepatic bile duct development in mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Nan; Nguyen, Quy; Wan, Ying; Zhou, Tiaohao; Venter, Julie; Frampton, Gabriel A; DeMorrow, Sharon; Pan, Duojia; Meng, Fanyin; Glaser, Shannon; Alpini, Gianfranco; Bai, Haibo

2018-01-01

The Hippo signaling pathway and the Notch signaling pathway are evolutionary conserved signaling cascades that have important roles in embryonic development of many organs. In murine liver, disruption of either pathway impairs intrahepatic bile duct development. Recent studies suggested that the Notch signaling receptor Notch2 is a direct transcriptional target of the Hippo signaling pathway effector YAP, and the Notch signaling is a major mediator of the Hippo signaling in maintaining biliary cell characteristics in adult mice. However, it remains to be determined whether the Hippo signaling pathway functions through the Notch signaling in intrahepatic bile duct development. We found that loss of the Hippo signaling pathway tumor suppressor Nf2 resulted in increased expression levels of the Notch signaling pathway receptor Notch2 in cholangiocytes but not in hepatocytes. When knocking down Notch2 on the background of Nf2 deficiency in mouse livers, the excessive bile duct development induced by Nf2 deficiency was suppressed by heterozygous and homozygous deletion of Notch2 in a dose-dependent manner. These results implicated that Notch signaling is one of the downstream effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway in regulating intrahepatic bile duct development. PMID:28581486

Results of endoscopic surgery and intralesional steroid therapy for airway compromise due to tracheobronchial Wegener's granulomatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. A. R. Nouraei

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Upper airway compromise due to tracheobronchial stenosis commonly occurs in patients with Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG. There is at present no consensus on the optimal management of this life-threatening condition. Objective: To assess the results of laryngo-tracheo-bronchoscopy, intralesional steroid therapy, laser surgery, and dilatation in managing obstructive tracheobronchial WG. Methods: Records of eighteen previously-untreated stridulous patients with obstructive tracheobronchial WG, treated between 2004 and 2006 were prospectively recorded on an airway database and retrospectively reviewed. Information about patient and lesion characteristics and treatment details were recorded. Treatment progress was illustrated using a timeline plot, and intervention-free intervals were calculated with actuarial analysis. Results: There were nine males and the average age at presentation was 40 (16 years [range 13–74]. There were thirteen patients with tracheal, and five patients with tracheal and bronchial lesions. The average tracheal lesion height was 8 (3 mm, located 23 (9 mm below the glottis. There were 1, 10 and 7 Myer-Cotton grade I, II and III lesions respectively. Mean intervention-free interval following minimally-invasive treatment was 26 (2.8 months. Following endobronchial therapy the median intervention-free interval was 22 months (p>0.8 vs. tracheal lesions. No patient required a tracheostomy or endoluminal stenting. Conclusions: Intralesional steroid therapy and conservative endoluminal surgery is an effective strategy for treating airway compromise due to active tracheal and bronchial WG, obviating the need for airway bypass or stenting. We recommend the combination of endotracheal dilatation, conservative laser surgery and steroid therapy as the standard of care for treating airway compromise due to obstructive tracheobronchial WG.

#TheDress: Categorical perception of an ambiguous color image.

Science.gov (United States)

Lafer-Sousa, Rosa; Conway, Bevil R

2017-10-01

We present a full analysis of data from our preliminary report (Lafer-Sousa, Hermann, & Conway, 2015) and test whether #TheDress image is multistable. A multistable image must give rise to more than one mutually exclusive percept, typically within single individuals. Clustering algorithms of color-matching data showed that the dress was seen categorically, as white/gold (W/G) or blue/black (B/K), with a blue/brown transition state. Multinomial regression predicted categorical labels. Consistent with our prior hypothesis, W/G observers inferred a cool illuminant, whereas B/K observers inferred a warm illuminant; moreover, subjects could use skin color alone to infer the illuminant. The data provide some, albeit weak, support for our hypothesis that day larks see the dress as W/G and night owls see it as B/K. About half of observers who were previously familiar with the image reported switching categories at least once. Switching probability increased with professional art experience. Priming with an image that disambiguated the dress as B/K biased reports toward B/K (priming with W/G had negligible impact); furthermore, knowledge of the dress's true colors and any prior exposure to the image shifted the population toward B/K. These results show that some people have switched their perception of the dress. Finally, consistent with a role of attention and local image statistics in determining how multistable images are seen, we found that observers tended to discount as achromatic the dress component that they did not attend to: B/K reporters focused on a blue region, whereas W/G reporters focused on a golden region.

Revised version of quality guidelines for presurgical epilepsy evaluation and surgical epilepsy therapy issued by the Austrian, German, and Swiss working group on presurgical epilepsy diagnosis and operative epilepsy treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenow, Felix; Bast, Thomas; Czech, Thomas; Feucht, Martha; Hans, Volkmar H; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Huppertz, Hans-Jürgen; Noachtar, Soheyl; Oltmanns, Frank; Polster, Tilman; Seeck, Margitta; Trinka, Eugen; Wagner, Kathrin; Strzelczyk, Adam

2016-08-01

The definition of minimal standards remains pivotal as a basis for a high standard of care and as a basis for staff allocation or reimbursement. Only limited publications are available regarding the required staffing or methodologic expertise in epilepsy centers. The executive board of the working group (WG) on presurgical epilepsy diagnosis and operative epilepsy treatment published the first guidelines in 2000 for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In 2014, revised guidelines were published and the WG decided to publish an unaltered English translation in this report. Because epilepsy surgery is an elective procedure, quality standards are particularly high. As detailed in the first edition of these guidelines, quality control relates to seven different domains: (1) establishing centers with a sufficient number of sufficiently and specifically trained personnel, (2) minimum technical standards and equipment, (3) continuous medical education of employees, (4) surveillance by trained personnel during video electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring (VEM), (5) systematic acquisition of clinical and outcome data, (6) the minimum number of preoperative evaluations and epilepsy surgery procedures, and (7) the cooperation of epilepsy centers. These standards required the certification of the different professions involved and minimum numbers of procedures. In the subsequent decade, quite a number of colleagues were certified by the trinational WG; therefore, the executive board of the WG decided in 2013 to make these standards obligatory. This revised version is particularly relevant given that the German procedure classification explicitly refers to the guidelines of the WG with regard to noninvasive/invasive preoperative video-EEG monitoring and invasive intraoperative diagnostics in epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

#TheDress: Categorical perception of an ambiguous color image

Science.gov (United States)

Lafer-Sousa, Rosa; Conway, Bevil R.

2017-01-01

We present a full analysis of data from our preliminary report (Lafer-Sousa, Hermann, & Conway, 2015) and test whether #TheDress image is multistable. A multistable image must give rise to more than one mutually exclusive percept, typically within single individuals. Clustering algorithms of color-matching data showed that the dress was seen categorically, as white/gold (W/G) or blue/black (B/K), with a blue/brown transition state. Multinomial regression predicted categorical labels. Consistent with our prior hypothesis, W/G observers inferred a cool illuminant, whereas B/K observers inferred a warm illuminant; moreover, subjects could use skin color alone to infer the illuminant. The data provide some, albeit weak, support for our hypothesis that day larks see the dress as W/G and night owls see it as B/K. About half of observers who were previously familiar with the image reported switching categories at least once. Switching probability increased with professional art experience. Priming with an image that disambiguated the dress as B/K biased reports toward B/K (priming with W/G had negligible impact); furthermore, knowledge of the dress's true colors and any prior exposure to the image shifted the population toward B/K. These results show that some people have switched their perception of the dress. Finally, consistent with a role of attention and local image statistics in determining how multistable images are seen, we found that observers tended to discount as achromatic the dress component that they did not attend to: B/K reporters focused on a blue region, whereas W/G reporters focused on a golden region. PMID:29090319

Evaluation of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate production by Pseudomonas putida LS46 using biodiesel by-product streams.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jilagamazhi; Sharma, Umesh; Sparling, Richard; Cicek, Nazim; Levin, David B

2014-07-01

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production by Pseudomonas putida LS46 was analyzed in shake-flask-based batch reactions, using pure chemical-grade glycerol (PG), biodiesel-derived "waste" glycerol (WG), and biodiesel-derived "waste" free fatty acids (WFA). Cell growth, substrate consumption, mcl-PHA accumulation within the cells, and the monomer composition of the synthesized biopolymers were monitored. The patterns of mcl-PHA synthesis in P. putida LS46 cells grown on PG and WG were similar but differed from that of cells grown with WFA. Polymer accumulation in glycerol-based cultures was stimulated by nitrogen limitation and plateaued after 48 h in both PG and WG cultures, with a total accumulation of 17.9% cell dry mass and 16.3% cell dry mass, respectively. In contrast, mcl-PHA synthesis was independent of nitrogen concentration in P. putida LS46 cells cultured with WFA, which accumulated to 29% cell dry mass. In all cases, the mcl-PHAs synthesized consisted primarily of 3-hydroxyoctanoate (C(8)) and 3-hydroxydecanoate (C(10)). WG and WFA supported similar or greater cell growth and mcl-PHA accumulation than PG under the experimental conditions used. These results suggest that biodiesel by-product streams could be used as low-cost carbon sources for sustainable mcl-PHA production.

Chest CT findings in pediatric Wegener's granulomatosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, Daniel; Akikusa, Jonathan; Manson, David; Silverman, Earl; Schneider, Rayfel

2007-01-01

Although pulmonary involvement occurs in the majority of children and adolescents with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), relatively little has been published regarding the CT imaging manifestations in this group of patients. To determine the frequency and types of chest CT abnormalities in active pediatric WG (pWG). The study was a retrospective examination of 29 chest CT examinations performed at diagnosis (n=14) and during disease flares (n=15) in 18 children. The most common abnormalities were nodules (seen in 90% of examinations), ground-glass opacification (52%), and air-space opacification (45%). Of examinations with nodules, 73% demonstrated nodules >5 mm in diameter and 69% demonstrated more than five nodules; 17% had cavitary lesions. The only abnormality with a significant difference in prevalence between diagnosis and disease flares was air-space opacification, present in 71% and 20%, respectively (P < 0.01). In accordance with the findings of published adult studies and at variance with those of prior pediatric studies, our findings indicate that chest CT abnormalities in active pWG are frequent, most commonly comprising nodules and ground-glass opacification, which may be difficult to detect on plain radiography. We therefore advocate the routine use of chest CT for all affected patients, both at the time of presentation and during disease flares. (orig.)

Chest CT findings in pediatric Wegener's granulomatosis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levine, Daniel [British Columbia Children' s Hospital, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada); Akikusa, Jonathan [Royal Children' s Hospital Melbourne, Department of Rheumatology, Melbourne (Australia); Manson, David [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Radiology, Toronto (Canada); Silverman, Earl; Schneider, Rayfel [Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Rheumatology, Toronto (Canada)

2007-01-15

Although pulmonary involvement occurs in the majority of children and adolescents with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), relatively little has been published regarding the CT imaging manifestations in this group of patients. To determine the frequency and types of chest CT abnormalities in active pediatric WG (pWG). The study was a retrospective examination of 29 chest CT examinations performed at diagnosis (n=14) and during disease flares (n=15) in 18 children. The most common abnormalities were nodules (seen in 90% of examinations), ground-glass opacification (52%), and air-space opacification (45%). Of examinations with nodules, 73% demonstrated nodules >5 mm in diameter and 69% demonstrated more than five nodules; 17% had cavitary lesions. The only abnormality with a significant difference in prevalence between diagnosis and disease flares was air-space opacification, present in 71% and 20%, respectively (P < 0.01). In accordance with the findings of published adult studies and at variance with those of prior pediatric studies, our findings indicate that chest CT abnormalities in active pWG are frequent, most commonly comprising nodules and ground-glass opacification, which may be difficult to detect on plain radiography. We therefore advocate the routine use of chest CT for all affected patients, both at the time of presentation and during disease flares. (orig.)

Relationships between the structure of wheat gluten and ACE inhibitory activity of hydrolysate: stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yanyan; Ma, Haile; Wang, Bei; Qu, Wenjuan; Wali, Asif; Zhou, Cunshan

2016-08-01

Ultrasound pretreatment of wheat gluten (WG) before enzymolysis can improve the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates by alerting the structure of substrate proteins. Establishment of a relationship between the structure of WG and ACE inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates to judge the end point of the ultrasonic pretreatment is vital. The results of stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) showed that the contents of free sulfhydryl, α-helix, disulfide bond, surface hydrophobicity and random coil were significantly correlated to ACE Inhibitory activity of the hydrolysate, with the standard partial regression coefficients were 3.729, -0.676, -0.252, 0.022 and 0.156, respectively. The R(2) of this model was 0.970. External validation showed that the stepwise MLR model could well predict the ACE inhibitory activity of hydrolysate based on the content of free sulfhydryl, α-helix, disulfide bond, surface hydrophobicity and random coil of WG before hydrolysis. A stepwise multiple linear regression model describing the quantitative relationships between the structure of WG and the ACE Inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates was established. This model can be used to predict the endpoint of the ultrasonic pretreatment. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of colloidal nano-silica on the mechanical and physical behaviour of waste-glass cement mortar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aly, M.; Hashmi, M.S.J.; Olabi, A.G.; Messeiry, M.; Abadir, E.F.; Hussain, A.I.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → Glass powder (GP) and nano-silica (CS) were used as a partial cement replacement in cement mortar (CM). → No damaging effect can be detected due to the reaction between GP and CM with particle size up to 75 μm. → Hybrid combination of GP/CS greatly improved mechanical properties and microstructure of CM. -- Abstract: This paper presents a laboratory study of the properties of colloidal nano-silica (CS)/waste glass cement composites. The microstructure, alkali-silica reaction (ASR), and the mechanical properties of cement mortars containing waste glass powder (WG) as a cement replacement with and without CS are investigated and compared with plain mortar. In addition, the hydration of cement compounds was followed by differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that incorporation of WG has a positive effect on the mechanical properties of cement mortars especially when CS is presented. In addition, the DTA/TGA results and XRD analysis show a reduction in the calcium hydroxide (CH) content in mortars with both WG and a hybrid combination of WG and CS. This confirms the improvement of mechanical properties and the occurrence of the pozzolanic reaction after 28 days of hydration.

Biological signals classification and analysis

CERN Document Server

Kiasaleh, Kamran

2015-01-01

This authored monograph presents key aspects of signal processing analysis in the biomedical arena. Unlike wireless communication systems, biological entities produce signals with underlying nonlinear, chaotic nature that elude classification using the standard signal processing techniques, which have been developed over the past several decades for dealing primarily with standard communication systems. This book separates what is random from that which appears to be random, and yet is truly deterministic with random appearance. At its core, this work gives the reader a perspective on biomedical signals and the means to classify and process such signals. In particular, a review of random processes along with means to assess the behavior of random signals is also provided. The book also includes a general discussion of biological signals in order to demonstrate the inefficacy of the well-known techniques to correctly extract meaningful information from such signals. Finally, a thorough discussion of recently ...

Acoustic Signals and Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2008-01-01

The Handbook of Signal Processing in Acoustics will compile the techniques and applications of signal processing as they are used in the many varied areas of Acoustics. The Handbook will emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of signal processing in acoustics. Each Section of the Handbook...... will present topics on signal processing which are important in a specific area of acoustics. These will be of interest to specialists in these areas because they will be presented from their technical perspective, rather than a generic engineering approach to signal processing. Non-specialists, or specialists...... from different areas, will find the self-contained chapters accessible and will be interested in the similarities and differences between the approaches and techniques used in different areas of acoustics....

The Signal Validation method of Digital Process Instrumentation System on signal conditioner for SMART

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Hee Gun; Park, Sang Min; Kim, Jung Seon; Shon, Chang Ho; Park, Heui Youn; Koo, In Soo

2005-01-01

The function of PIS(Process Instrumentation System) for SMART is to acquire the process data from sensor or transmitter. The PIS consists of signal conditioner, A/D converter, DSP(Digital Signal Process) and NIC(Network Interface Card). So, It is fully digital system after A/D converter. The PI cabinet and PDAS(Plant Data Acquisition System) in commercial plant is responsible for data acquisition of the sensor or transmitter include RTD, TC, level, flow, pressure and so on. The PDAS has the software that processes each sensor data and PI cabinet has the signal conditioner, which is need for maintenance and test. The signal conditioner has the potentiometer to adjust the span and zero for test and maintenance. The PIS of SMART also has the signal conditioner which has the span and zero adjust same as the commercial plant because the signal conditioner perform the signal condition for AD converter such as 0∼10Vdc. But, To adjust span and zero is manual test and calibration. So, This paper presents the method of signal validation and calibration, which is used by digital feature in SMART. There are I/E(current to voltage), R/E(resistor to voltage), F/E(frequency to voltage), V/V(voltage to voltage). Etc. In this paper show only the signal validation and calibration about I/E converter that convert level, pressure, flow such as 4∼20mA into signal for AD conversion such as 0∼10Vdc

SignalR blueprints

CERN Document Server

Ingebrigtsen, Einar

2015-01-01

This book is designed for software developers, primarily those with knowledge of C#, .NET, and JavaScript. Good knowledge and understanding of SignalR is assumed to allow efficient programming of core elements and applications in SignalR.

Wegener granulomatosis as an uncommon cause of panhypopituitarism in childhood.

Science.gov (United States)

Kara, Ozlem; Demirel, Fatma; Acar, Banu Celikel; Cakar, Nilgün

2013-01-01

Wegener granulomatosis (WG) is a cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA)-associated, multi-system, necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis. Inflammation of the nasal or oral mucosa, and lung and kidney involvements are typical in the course of the disease. In rare cases, pituitary involvement may occur and cause panhypopituitarism. Pituitary involvement is very rare, and only two pediatric case reports have been published to date out of a total of 24 cases. This is a case report of an adolescent patient who presented with panhypopituitarism symptoms and was later diagnosed with WG. A 16-year-old female patient complained of fever, headache, purulent nasal discharge and severe muscle and joint pain. Additionally, she had polyuria and polydipsia. Investigations revealed a pituitary mass and panhypopituitarism. Positivity of c-ANCA and renal biopsy result compatible with WG confirmed the diagnosis.

Electricity market liberalisation in Germany - has it been a flop?; War die Strommarkt-Liberalisierung in Deutschland bisher ein Flop?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdmann, G. [Energy Systems, Berlin Univ. of Tech. (Germany)

2008-09-15

By observing the last 10 years of power market reform in Germany, this paper challenges the public view that the first Energiewirtschaftsgesetz (EnWG) from 1998 had less impact on market liberalization than the second EnWG from 2005. According to the author, the opposite is true, at least in the power sector, if traditional competition indicators such as efficiency of the sector, institutional changes and electricity prices are taken as reference. While the first EnWG had changed much in the direction of liberalization and competition, progress since 2005 is rather slow - with the exception of the number of supplier shifts on the retail level and the installation of a regulation authority. The discrepancies between reality and public perception claim for a sound theoretical analysis, from which conclusions can be drawn concerning the further direction of the electricity market regulation. (orig.)

On the Performance Analysis of Digital Communications over Weibull-Gamma Channels

KAUST Repository

Ansari, Imran Shafique

2015-05-01

In this work, the performance analysis of digital communications over a composite Weibull-Gamma (WG) multipath-fading and shadowing channel is presented wherein WG distribution is appropriate for modeling fading environments when multipath is superimposed on shadowing. More specifically, in this work, exact closed-form expressions are derived for the probability density function, the cumulative distribution function, the moment generating function, and the moments of a composite WG channel. Capitalizing on these results, new exact closed-form expressions are offered for the outage probability, the higher- order amount of fading, the average error rate for binary and M-ary modulation schemes, and the ergodic capacity under various types of transmission policies, mostly in terms of Meijer\\'s G functions. These new analytical results were also verified via computer-based Monte-Carlo simulation results. © 2015 IEEE.

Calcium specificity signaling mechanisms in abscisic acid signal transduction in Arabidopsis guard cells

Science.gov (United States)

Brandt, Benjamin; Munemasa, Shintaro; Wang, Cun; Nguyen, Desiree; Yong, Taiming; Yang, Paul G; Poretsky, Elly; Belknap, Thomas F; Waadt, Rainer; Alemán, Fernando; Schroeder, Julian I

2015-01-01

A central question is how specificity in cellular responses to the eukaryotic second messenger Ca2+ is achieved. Plant guard cells, that form stomatal pores for gas exchange, provide a powerful system for in depth investigation of Ca2+-signaling specificity in plants. In intact guard cells, abscisic acid (ABA) enhances (primes) the Ca2+-sensitivity of downstream signaling events that result in activation of S-type anion channels during stomatal closure, providing a specificity mechanism in Ca2+-signaling. However, the underlying genetic and biochemical mechanisms remain unknown. Here we show impairment of ABA signal transduction in stomata of calcium-dependent protein kinase quadruple mutant plants. Interestingly, protein phosphatase 2Cs prevent non-specific Ca2+-signaling. Moreover, we demonstrate an unexpected interdependence of the Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent ABA-signaling branches and the in planta requirement of simultaneous phosphorylation at two key phosphorylation sites in SLAC1. We identify novel mechanisms ensuring specificity and robustness within stomatal Ca2+-signaling on a cellular, genetic, and biochemical level. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03599.001 PMID:26192964

Seismic signals hard clipping overcoming

Science.gov (United States)

Olszowa, Paula; Sokolowski, Jakub

2018-01-01

In signal processing the clipping is understand as the phenomenon of limiting the signal beyond certain threshold. It is often related to overloading of a sensor. Two particular types of clipping are being recognized: soft and hard. Beyond the limiting value soft clipping reduces the signal real gain while the hard clipping stiffly sets the signal values at the limit. In both cases certain amount of signal information is lost. Obviously if one possess the model which describes the considered signal and the threshold value (which might be slightly more difficult to obtain in the soft clipping case), the attempt of restoring the signal can be made. Commonly it is assumed that the seismic signals take form of an impulse response of some specific system. This may lead to belief that the sine wave may be the most appropriate to fit in the clipping period. However, this should be tested. In this paper the possibility of overcoming the hard clipping in seismic signals originating from a geoseismic station belonging to an underground mine is considered. A set of raw signals will be hard-clipped manually and then couple different functions will be fitted and compared in terms of least squares. The results will be then analysed.

Signals in Science - On the Importance of Signaling in Gaining Attention in Science

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.P. van Dalen (Hendrik); K. Henkens

2004-01-01

textabstractWhich signals are important in gaining attention in science? For a group of 1,371 scientific articles published in 17 demography journals in the years 1990-1992 we track their influence and discern which signals are important in receiving citations. Three types of signals are examined:

Signal flow analysis

CERN Document Server

Abrahams, J R; Hiller, N

1965-01-01

Signal Flow Analysis provides information pertinent to the fundamental aspects of signal flow analysis. This book discusses the basic theory of signal flow graphs and shows their relation to the usual algebraic equations.Organized into seven chapters, this book begins with an overview of properties of a flow graph. This text then demonstrates how flow graphs can be applied to a wide range of electrical circuits that do not involve amplification. Other chapters deal with the parameters as well as circuit applications of transistors. This book discusses as well the variety of circuits using ther

Measuring displacement signal with an accelerometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Sang Bo

2010-01-01

An effective and simple way to reconstruct displacement signal from a measured acceleration signal is proposed in this paper. To reconstruct displacement signal by means of double-integrating the time domain acceleration signal, the Nyquist frequency of the digital sampling of the acceleration signal should be much higher than the highest frequency component of the signal. On the other hand, to reconstruct displacement signal by taking the inverse Fourier transform, the magnitude of the significant frequency components of the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal should be greater than the 6 dB increment line along the frequency axis. With a predetermined resolution in time and frequency domain, determined by the sampling rate to measure and record the original signal, reconstructing high-frequency signals in the time domain and reconstructing low-frequency signals in the frequency domain will produce biased errors. Furthermore, because of the DC components inevitably included in the sampling process, low-frequency components of the signals are overestimated when displacement signals are reconstructed from the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal. The proposed method utilizes curve-fitting around the significant frequency components of the Fourier transform of the acceleration signal before it is inverse-Fourier transformed. Curve-fitting around the dominant frequency components provides much better results than simply ignoring the insignificant frequency components of the signal

Biomedical signals and systems

CERN Document Server

Tranquillo, Joseph V

2013-01-01

Biomedical Signals and Systems is meant to accompany a one-semester undergraduate signals and systems course. It may also serve as a quick-start for graduate students or faculty interested in how signals and systems techniques can be applied to living systems. The biological nature of the examples allows for systems thinking to be applied to electrical, mechanical, fluid, chemical, thermal and even optical systems. Each chapter focuses on a topic from classic signals and systems theory: System block diagrams, mathematical models, transforms, stability, feedback, system response, control, time

Osteocytes Specific GSK3 Inhibition Affects In Vitro Osteogenic Differentiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessika Bertacchini

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Osteocytes, the most important regulators of bone processes, are producers of molecules (usually proteins that act as signals in order to communicate with nearby cells. These factors control cell division (proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Substantial evidence showed different signaling pathways activated by osteocytes and involved in osteoblast differentiation, in particular in the last decade, when the Wingless-related integration site (WNT pathway assumed a critical large importance. WNT activation by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3 causes bone anabolism, making GSK3 a potential therapeutic target for bone diseases. In our study, we hypothesized an important role of the osteocyte MLO-Y4 conditioned medium in controlling the differentiation process of osteoblast cell line 2T3. We found an effect of diminished differentiation capability of 2T3 upon conditioning with medium from murine long bone osteocyte-Y4 cells (MLO-Y4 pre-treated with GSK3 inhibitor CHIR2201. The novel observations of this study provide knowledge about the inhibition of GSK3 in MLO-Y4 cells. This strategy could be used as a plausible target in osteocytes in order to regulate bone resorption mediated by a loss of osteoblasts activity through a paracrine loop.

Photoacoustic signal and noise analysis for Si thin plate: signal correction in frequency domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Markushev, D D; Rabasović, M D; Todorović, D M; Galović, S; Bialkowski, S E

2015-03-01

Methods for photoacoustic signal measurement, rectification, and analysis for 85 μm thin Si samples in the 20-20 000 Hz modulation frequency range are presented. Methods for frequency-dependent amplitude and phase signal rectification in the presence of coherent and incoherent noise as well as distortion due to microphone characteristics are presented. Signal correction is accomplished using inverse system response functions deduced by comparing real to ideal signals for a sample with well-known bulk parameters and dimensions. The system response is a piece-wise construction, each component being due to a particular effect of the measurement system. Heat transfer and elastic effects are modeled using standard Rosencweig-Gersho and elastic-bending theories. Thermal diffusion, thermoelastic, and plasmaelastic signal components are calculated and compared to measurements. The differences between theory and experiment are used to detect and correct signal distortion and to determine detector and sound-card characteristics. Corrected signal analysis is found to faithfully reflect known sample parameters.

Wavelet analysis for nonstationary signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penha, Rosani Maria Libardi da

1999-01-01

Mechanical vibration signals play an important role in anomalies identification resulting of equipment malfunctioning. Traditionally, Fourier spectral analysis is used where the signals are assumed to be stationary. However, occasional transient impulses and start-up process are examples of nonstationary signals that can be found in mechanical vibrations. These signals can provide important information about the equipment condition, as early fault detection. The Fourier analysis can not adequately be applied to nonstationary signals because the results provide data about the frequency composition averaged over the duration of the signal. In this work, two methods for nonstationary signal analysis are used: Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) and wavelet transform. The STFT is a method of adapting Fourier spectral analysis for nonstationary application to time-frequency domain. To have a unique resolution throughout the entire time-frequency domain is its main limitation. The wavelet transform is a new analysis technique suitable to nonstationary signals, which handles the STFT drawbacks, providing multi-resolution frequency analysis and time localization in a unique time-scale graphic. The multiple frequency resolutions are obtained by scaling (dilatation/compression) the wavelet function. A comparison of the conventional Fourier transform, STFT and wavelet transform is made applying these techniques to: simulated signals, arrangement rotor rig vibration signal and rotate machine vibration signal Hanning window was used to STFT analysis. Daubechies and harmonic wavelets were used to continuos, discrete and multi-resolution wavelet analysis. The results show the Fourier analysis was not able to detect changes in the signal frequencies or discontinuities. The STFT analysis detected the changes in the signal frequencies, but with time-frequency resolution problems. The wavelet continuos and discrete transform demonstrated to be a high efficient tool to detect

Association between Ghrelin gene (GHRL) polymorphisms and clinical response to atypical antipsychotic drugs in Han Chinese schizophrenia patients

OpenAIRE

Yang Yongfeng; Li Wenqiang; Zhao Jingyuan; Zhang Hongxing; Song Xueqin; Xiao Bo; Yang Ge; Jiang Chengdi; Zhang Dai; Yue Weihua; Lv Luxian

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Ghrelin (GHRL) is a pivotal peptide regulator of food intake, energy balance, and body mass. Weight gain (WG) is a common side effect of the atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) used to treat schizophrenia (SZ). Ghrelin polymorphisms have been associated with pathogenic variations in plasma lipid concentrations, blood pressure, plasma glucose, and body mass index (BMI). However, it is unclear whether GHRL polymorphisms are associated with WG due to AAPs. Furthermore, there is no...

Critical nodes in signalling pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taniguchi, Cullen M; Emanuelli, Brice; Kahn, C Ronald

2006-01-01

Physiologically important cell-signalling networks are complex, and contain several points of regulation, signal divergence and crosstalk with other signalling cascades. Here, we use the concept of 'critical nodes' to define the important junctions in these pathways and illustrate their unique role...... using insulin signalling as a model system....

The Evolution of Covert Signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Smaldino, Paul E; Flamson, Thomas J; McElreath, Richard

2018-03-20

Human sociality depends upon the benefits of mutual aid and extensive communication. However, diverse norms and preferences complicate mutual aid, and ambiguity in meaning hinders communication. Here we demonstrate that these two problems can work together to enhance cooperation through the strategic use of deliberately ambiguous signals: covert signaling. Covert signaling is the transmission of information that is accurately received by its intended audience but obscured when perceived by others. Such signals may allow coordination and enhanced cooperation while also avoiding the alienation or hostile reactions of individuals with different preferences. Although the empirical literature has identified potential mechanisms of covert signaling, such as encryption in humor, there is to date no formal theory of its dynamics. We introduce a novel mathematical model to assess when a covert signaling strategy will evolve, as well as how receiver attitudes coevolve with covert signals. Covert signaling plausibly serves an important function in facilitating within-group cooperative assortment by allowing individuals to pair up with similar group members when possible and to get along with dissimilar ones when necessary. This mechanism has broad implications for theories of signaling and cooperation, humor, social identity, political psychology, and the evolution of human cultural complexity.

Signal multiplexing scheme for LINAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sujo, C.I.; Mohan, Shyam; Joshi, Gopal; Singh, S.K.; Karande, Jitendra

2004-01-01

For the proper operation of the LINAC some signals, RF (radio frequency) as well as LF (low frequency) have to be available at the Master Control Station (MCS). These signals are needed to control, calibrate and characterize the RF fields in the resonators. This can be achieved by proper multiplexing of various signals locally and then routing the selected signals to the MCS. A multiplexing scheme has been designed and implemented, which will allow the signals from the selected cavity to the MCS. High isolation between channels and low insertion loss for a given signal are important issues while selecting the multiplexing scheme. (author)

Signal Separation of Helicopter Radar Returns Using Wavelet-Based Sparse Signal Optimisation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-01

helicopter from the composite radar returns. The received signal consists of returns from the rotating main and tail rotor blades, the helicopter body...is used to separate the main and tail rotor blade components of a helicopter from the composite radar returns. The received signal consists of returns...Two algorithms are presented in the report to separately extract main rotor blade returns and tail rotor blade returns from the composite signal

Signals and systems

CERN Document Server

Rao, K Deergha

2018-01-01

This textbook covers the fundamental theories of signals and systems analysis, while incorporating recent developments from integrated circuits technology into its examples. Starting with basic definitions in signal theory, the text explains the properties of continuous-time and discrete-time systems and their representation by differential equations and state space. From those tools, explanations for the processes of Fourier analysis, the Laplace transform, and the z-Transform provide new ways of experimenting with different kinds of time systems. The text also covers the separate classes of analog filters and their uses in signal processing applications. Intended for undergraduate electrical engineering students, chapter sections include exercise for review and practice for the systems concepts of each chapter. Along with exercises, the text includes MATLAB-based examples to allow readers to experiment with signals and systems code on their own. An online repository of the MATLAB code from this textbook can...

Phantom phone signals: An investigation into the prevalence and predictors of imagined cell phone signals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tanis, M.A.; Beukeboom, C.J.; Hartmann, T.; Vermeulen, I.E.

2015-01-01

This paper aims to elucidate the peculiar phenomenon of imagined cell phone signals, or Phantom Phone Signals (PPS), which is defined as an individual's perception of a phone signal, indicating an incoming call, message, or social media notification, when in fact no such signal was transmitted. A

COST Action TU1208 - Working Group 4 - Combined use of GPR and other NDT methods & GPR applications in geosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Pajewski, Lara; Solla, Mercedes; Fontul, Simona

2017-04-01

This work aims at presenting the main results achieved by Working Group (WG) 4 "Different applications of GPR and other NDT technologies in civil engineering" of the COST (European COoperation in Science and Technology) Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar" (www.GPRadar.eu, www.cost.eu). The main objective of the Action TU1208, started in April 2013 and ending in October 2017, is to exchange and increase scientific-technical knowledge and experience of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) techniques in civil engineering, whilst promoting in Europe the effective use of this safe non-destructive technique. The Action involves more than 150 Institutions from 28 COST Countries, a Cooperating State, 6 Near Neighbour Countries and 6 International Partner Countries. WG4 deals with the use of GPR outside from the civil engineering area, namely in archaeological prospecting and cultural heritage diagnostics, agriculture and management of water resources, investigation of polluted industrial sites, non-destructive testing of living tree trunks, planetary exploration, demining, localization of people buried under avalanches and debris, and more. Furthermore, this WG studies the integration of GPR with other Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods. The most relevant achievements stemming from WG4 will be presented during the 2017 EGU GA. These are: (i) The collection of thorough information on the state-of-the-art, ongoing studies, problems and future research needs on the topics of interest for this WG; (ii) The performance of a plethora of interesting case studies in important sites all over Europe, including well-known historical places such as Stonehenge (United Kingdom), Carnuntum (Austria), the Wawel Cathedral (Cracow, Poland), the Tholos Tomb of Acharnon (Athens, Greece), the Łazienki Royal Palace (Warsaw, Poland), and more; (iii) WG4 contributed to the TU1208 Education Pack, an open educational package conceived to teach GPR in University

Radiation signal processing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bennett, M.; Knoll, G.; Strange, D.

1980-01-01

An improved signal processing system for radiation imaging apparatus comprises: a radiation transducer producing transducer signals proportional to apparent spatial coordinates of detected radiation events; means for storing true spatial coordinates corresponding to a plurality of predetermined apparent spatial coordinates relative to selected detected radiation events said means for storing responsive to said transducer signal and producing an output signal representative of said true spatial coordinates; and means for interpolating the true spatial coordinates of the detected radiation events located intermediate the stored true spatial coordinates, said means for interpolating communicating with said means for storing

Signal sampling circuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwsma, S.M.; Vertregt, Maarten

2011-01-01

A sampling circuit for sampling a signal is disclosed. The sampling circuit comprises a plurality of sampling channels adapted to sample the signal in time-multiplexed fashion, each sampling channel comprising a respective track-and-hold circuit connected to a respective analogue to digital

Signal sampling circuit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louwsma, S.M.; Vertregt, Maarten

2010-01-01

A sampling circuit for sampling a signal is disclosed. The sampling circuit comprises a plurality of sampling channels adapted to sample the signal in time-multiplexed fashion, each sampling channel comprising a respective track-and-hold circuit connected to a respective analogue to digital

Bioelectric Signal Measuring System

Science.gov (United States)

Guadarrama-Santana, A.; Pólo-Parada, L.; García-Valenzuela, A.

2015-01-01

We describe a low noise measuring system based on interdigitated electrodes for sensing bioelectrical signals. The system registers differential voltage measurements in order of microvolts. The base noise during measurements was in nanovolts and thus, the sensing signals presented a very good signal to noise ratio. An excitation voltage of 1Vrms with 10 KHz frequency was applied to an interdigitated capacitive sensor without a material under test and to a mirror device simultaneously. The output signals of both devices was then subtracted in order to obtain an initial reference value near cero volts and reduce parasitic capacitances due to the electronics, wiring and system hardware as well. The response of the measuring system was characterized by monitoring temporal bioelectrical signals in real time of biological materials such as embryo chicken heart cells and bovine suprarenal gland cells.

Signal interaction of Hedgehog/GLI and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling in cancer development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eberl, M.

2012-01-01

The subject of this PhD thesis is based on the cooperation of Hedgehog (HH)/GLI with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling synergistically promoting oncogenic transformation and cancer growth. In previous studies we have demonstrated that the HH/GLI and EGFR signaling pathways interact synergistically resulting not only in selective induction of HH/GLI-EGFR target genes, but also in the onset of oncogenic transformation and tumor formation (Kasper, Schnidar et al. 2006; Schnidar, Eberl et al. 2009). However, the molecular key mediators acting downstream of HH/GLI and EGFR signal cooperation were largely unknown and the in vivo evidence for the therapeutic relevance of HH/GLI and EGFR signal cooperation in HH-associated cancers was lacking. During my PhD thesis I could demonstrate that the integration of EGFR and HH/GLI signaling involves activation of RAS/MEK/ERK and JUN/AP1 signaling in response to EGFR activation. Furthermore I succeeded in identifying genes, including stem cell- (SOX2, SOX9), tumor growth- (JUN, TGFA, FGF19) and metastasis-associated genes (SPP1/osteopontin, CXCR4) that showed synergistic transcriptional activation by HH/GLI-EGFR signal integration. Importantly, I could demonstrate that these genes arrange themselves within a stable interdependent signaling network, which is required for in vivo growth of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and tumor-initiating pancreatic cancer cells. These data validate EGFR signaling as additional drug target in HH/GLI driven cancers and provide new therapeutic strategies based on combined targeting of cooperative HH/GLI-EGFR signaling and selected downstream target genes (Eberl, Klingler et al. 2012). (author) [de

Advanced optical signal processing of broadband parallel data signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo; Hu, Hao; Kjøller, Niels-Kristian

2016-01-01

Optical signal processing may aid in reducing the number of active components in communication systems with many parallel channels, by e.g. using telescopic time lens arrangements to perform format conversion and allow for WDM regeneration.......Optical signal processing may aid in reducing the number of active components in communication systems with many parallel channels, by e.g. using telescopic time lens arrangements to perform format conversion and allow for WDM regeneration....

Detection of signals in noise

CERN Document Server

Whalen, Anthony D; Declaris, Nicholas

1971-01-01

Detection of Signals in Noise serves as an introduction to the principles and applications of the statistical theory of signal detection. The book discusses probability and random processes; narrowband signals, their complex representation, and their properties described with the aid of the Hilbert transform; and Gaussian-derived processes. The text also describes the application of hypothesis testing for the detection of signals and the fundamentals required for statistical detection of signals in noise. Problem exercises, references, and a supplementary bibliography are included after each c

Paracrine signaling in a bacterium.

Science.gov (United States)

López, Daniel; Vlamakis, Hera; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2009-07-15

Cellular differentiation is triggered by extracellular signals that cause target cells to adopt a particular fate. Differentiation in bacteria typically involves autocrine signaling in which all cells in the population produce and respond to the same signal. Here we present evidence for paracrine signaling in bacterial populations-some cells produce a signal to which only certain target cells respond. Biofilm formation in Bacillus involves two centrally important signaling molecules, ComX and surfactin. ComX triggers the production of surfactin. In turn, surfactin causes a subpopulation of cells to produce an extracellular matrix. Cells that produced surfactin were themselves unable to respond to it. Likewise, once surfactin-responsive cells commenced matrix production, they no longer responded to ComX and could not become surfactin producers. Insensitivity to ComX was the consequence of the extracellular matrix as mutant cells unable to make matrix responded to both ComX and surfactin. Our results demonstrate that extracellular signaling was unidirectional, with one subpopulation producing a signal and a different subpopulation responding to it. Paracrine signaling in a bacterial population ensures the maintenance, over generations, of particular cell types even in the presence of molecules that would otherwise cause those cells to differentiate into other cell types.

Machine intelligence and signal processing

CERN Document Server

Vatsa, Mayank; Majumdar, Angshul; Kumar, Ajay

2016-01-01

This book comprises chapters on key problems in machine learning and signal processing arenas. The contents of the book are a result of a 2014 Workshop on Machine Intelligence and Signal Processing held at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology. Traditionally, signal processing and machine learning were considered to be separate areas of research. However in recent times the two communities are getting closer. In a very abstract fashion, signal processing is the study of operator design. The contributions of signal processing had been to device operators for restoration, compression, etc. Applied Mathematicians were more interested in operator analysis. Nowadays signal processing research is gravitating towards operator learning – instead of designing operators based on heuristics (for example wavelets), the trend is to learn these operators (for example dictionary learning). And thus, the gap between signal processing and machine learning is fast converging. The 2014 Workshop on Machine Intel...

Impact of elevated plasma serotonin on global gene expression of murine megakaryocytes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles P Mercado

Full Text Available Serotonin (5-HT is a biogenic amine that also acts as a mitogen and a developmental signal early in rodent embryogenesis. Genetic and pharmacological disruption of 5-HT signaling causes various diseases and disorders via mediating central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and serious abnormalities on a growing embryo. Today, neither the effective modulators on 5-HT signaling pathways nor the genes affected by 5-HT signal are well known yet.In an attempt to identify the genes altered by 5-HT signaling pathways, we analyzed the global gene expression via the Illumina array platform using the mouse WG-6 v2.0 Expression BeadChip containing 45,281 probe sets representing 30,854 genes in megakaryocytes isolated from mice infused with 5-HT or saline. We identified 723 differentially expressed genes of which 706 were induced and 17 were repressed by elevated plasma 5-HT.Hierarchical gene clustering analysis was utilized to represent relations between groups and clusters. Using gene ontology mining tools and canonical pathway analyses, we identified multiple biological pathways that are regulated by 5-HT: (i cytoskeletal remodeling, (ii G-protein signaling, (iii vesicular transport, and (iv apoptosis and survival. Our data encompass the first extensive genome-wide based profiling in the progenitors of platelets in response to 5-HT elevation in vivo.

Signals and systems for dummies

CERN Document Server

Wickert, Mark

2013-01-01

Getting mixed signals in your signals and systems course? The concepts covered in a typical signals and systems course are often considered by engineering students to be some of the most difficult to master. Thankfully, Signals & Systems For Dummies is your intuitive guide to this tricky course, walking you step-by-step through some of the more complex theories and mathematical formulas in a way that is easy to understand. From Laplace Transforms to Fourier Analyses, Signals & Systems For Dummies explains in plain English the difficult concepts that can trip you up

Dosimetry Modeling for Focal Low-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Qaisieh, Bashar [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Mason, Josh, E-mail: joshua.mason@nhs.net [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Bownes, Peter; Henry, Ann [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Dickinson, Louise [Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London (United Kingdom); Department of Radiology, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom); Ahmed, Hashim U. [Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London (United Kingdom); University College London Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Emberton, Mark [University College London Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Langley, Stephen [St Luke' s Cancer Centre, Guildford (United Kingdom)

2015-07-15

Purpose: Focal brachytherapy targeted to an individual lesion(s) within the prostate may reduce side effects experienced with whole-gland brachytherapy. The outcomes of a consensus meeting on focal prostate brachytherapy were used to investigate optimal dosimetry of focal low-dose-rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy targeted using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and transperineal template prostate mapping (TPM) biopsy, including the effects of random and systematic seed displacements and interseed attenuation (ISA). Methods and Materials: Nine patients were selected according to clinical characteristics and concordance of TPM and mp-MRI. Retrospectively, 3 treatment plans were analyzed for each case: whole-gland (WG), hemi-gland (hemi), and ultra-focal (UF) plans, with 145-Gy prescription dose and identical dose constraints for each plan. Plan robustness to seed displacement and ISA were assessed using Monte Carlo simulations. Results: WG plans used a mean 28 needles and 81 seeds, hemi plans used 17 needles and 56 seeds, and UF plans used 12 needles and 25 seeds. Mean D90 (minimum dose received by 90% of the target) and V100 (percentage of the target that receives 100% dose) values were 181.3 Gy and 99.8% for the prostate in WG plans, 195.7 Gy and 97.8% for the hemi-prostate in hemi plans, and 218.3 Gy and 99.8% for the focal target in UF plans. Mean urethra D10 was 205.9 Gy, 191.4 Gy, and 92.4 Gy in WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. Mean rectum D2 cm{sup 3} was 107.5 Gy, 77.0 Gy, and 42.7 Gy in WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. Focal plans were more sensitive to seed displacement errors: random shifts with a standard deviation of 4 mm reduced mean target D90 by 14.0%, 20.5%, and 32.0% for WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. ISA has a similar impact on dose-volume histogram parameters for all plan types. Conclusions: Treatment planning for focal LDR brachytherapy is feasible. Dose constraints are easily met with a notable

Comparison of efficiency of the retreatment procedure between Wave One Gold and Wave One systems by Micro-CT and confocal microscopy: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Canali, Lyz Cristina Furquim; Duque, Jussaro Alves; Vivan, Rodrigo Ricci; Bramante, Clovis Monteiro; Só, Marcus Vinícius Reis; Duarte, Marco Antonio Hungaro

2018-04-19

To compare, by Micro-CT and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), the ability of the Wave One Gold and Wave One systems to remove filling material from mesial canals of mandibular molars, effective time spent; quantity of extruded material, and percentage of sealer in the dentinal tubules after retreatment and re-obturation procedures. Ten first mandibular molars (n = 20 mesial canals) were prepared and filled with gutta-percha and Endofill sealer mixed with Rhodamine B dye using the single cone technique. After 7 days, the canals were scanned using a high-definition micro-computer tomography with 19-mm voxel size and divided into two groups (n = 10) according to the system used in retreatment: group 1, Wave One (WO), and group 2, Wave One Gold (WG). After removing filling material with the primary file of each system, the WO 40/.08 and WG 35/.06 files were used. After using each file, a new scanning was performed and the residual filling material and extruded filling material were measured. The effective time spent to remove the canal filling was measured after each instrument. After retreatment, the teeth were re-obturated with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer mixed with fluorescein dye using the single-cone technique. The roots were sectioned at 2, 4 and 6 mm and analysed by CLSM to measure the percentage of remaining sealer and the sealer of the new root canal filling. The data were statistically compared (P  0.05). When using WO 25, the operator spent significantly less effective time than when using WG 25 (P  0.05). Neither of the two systems removed all the filling material. The WG system presented similar ability in removing filling and extruded material in comparison with WO system. The effective time spent was shorter for WO 25 than for WG 25. Wave One Gold can be an alternative to perform retreatment considering that in comparison with Wave One, there was no difference in filling material removal capacity and extruded materials

Compensation of the AKT signaling by ERK signaling in transgenic mice hearts overexpressing TRIM72

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, Young-Mi, E-mail: youngmi_ham@hms.harvard.edu [College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States); Mahoney, Sarah Jane [Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 (United States)

2013-06-10

The AKT and ERK signaling pathways are known to be involved in cell hypertrophy, proliferation, survival and differentiation. Although there is evidence for crosstalk between these two signaling pathways in cellulo, there is less evidence for cross talk in vivo. Here, we show that crosstalk between AKT and ERK signaling in the hearts of TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice (TRIM72-Tg) with alpha-MHC promoter regulates and maintains their heart size. TRIM72, a heart- and skeletal muscle-specific protein, downregulates AKT-mTOR signaling via IRS-1 degradation and reduces the size of rat cardiomyocytes and the size of postnatal TRIM72-Tg hearts. TRIM72 expression was upregulated by hypertrophic inducers in cardiomyocytes, while IRS-1 was downregulated by IGF-1. TRIM72 specifically regulated IGF-1-dependent AKT-mTOR signaling, resulting in a reduction of the size of cardiomyocytes. Postnatal TRIM72-Tg hearts were smaller than control-treated hearts with inhibition of AKT-mTOR signaling. However, adult TRIM72-Tg hearts were larger than of control despite the suppression of AKT-mTOR signaling. Activation of ERK, PKC-α, and JNK were observed to be elevated in adult TRIM72-Tg, and these signals were mediated by ET-1 via the ET receptors A and B. Altogether, these results suggest that AKT signaling regulates cardiac hypertrophy in physiological conditions, and ERK signaling compensates for the absence of AKT signaling during TRIM72 overexpression, leading to pathological hypertrophy. -- Highlights: • TRIM72 inhibits AKT signaling through ubiquitination of IRS-1 in cardiac cells. • TRIM72 regulates the size of cardiac cells. • TRIM72 regulates size of postnatal TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice hearts. • Adult TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice hearts showed cardiac dysfunction. • Adult TRIM72 transgenic mice hearts showed higher expression of endothelin receptors.

Compensation of the AKT signaling by ERK signaling in transgenic mice hearts overexpressing TRIM72

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ham, Young-Mi; Mahoney, Sarah Jane

2013-01-01

The AKT and ERK signaling pathways are known to be involved in cell hypertrophy, proliferation, survival and differentiation. Although there is evidence for crosstalk between these two signaling pathways in cellulo, there is less evidence for cross talk in vivo. Here, we show that crosstalk between AKT and ERK signaling in the hearts of TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice (TRIM72-Tg) with alpha-MHC promoter regulates and maintains their heart size. TRIM72, a heart- and skeletal muscle-specific protein, downregulates AKT-mTOR signaling via IRS-1 degradation and reduces the size of rat cardiomyocytes and the size of postnatal TRIM72-Tg hearts. TRIM72 expression was upregulated by hypertrophic inducers in cardiomyocytes, while IRS-1 was downregulated by IGF-1. TRIM72 specifically regulated IGF-1-dependent AKT-mTOR signaling, resulting in a reduction of the size of cardiomyocytes. Postnatal TRIM72-Tg hearts were smaller than control-treated hearts with inhibition of AKT-mTOR signaling. However, adult TRIM72-Tg hearts were larger than of control despite the suppression of AKT-mTOR signaling. Activation of ERK, PKC-α, and JNK were observed to be elevated in adult TRIM72-Tg, and these signals were mediated by ET-1 via the ET receptors A and B. Altogether, these results suggest that AKT signaling regulates cardiac hypertrophy in physiological conditions, and ERK signaling compensates for the absence of AKT signaling during TRIM72 overexpression, leading to pathological hypertrophy. -- Highlights: • TRIM72 inhibits AKT signaling through ubiquitination of IRS-1 in cardiac cells. • TRIM72 regulates the size of cardiac cells. • TRIM72 regulates size of postnatal TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice hearts. • Adult TRIM72-overexpressing transgenic mice hearts showed cardiac dysfunction. • Adult TRIM72 transgenic mice hearts showed higher expression of endothelin receptors

Activated HGF-c-Met Axis in Head and Neck Cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levi Arnold

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC is a highly morbid disease. Recent developments including Food and Drug Administration (FDA approved molecular targeted agent’s pembrolizumab and cetuximab show promise but did not improve the five-year survival which is currently less than 40%. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor; also known as mesenchymal–epithelial transition factor (c-Met and its ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF are overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC; and regulates tumor progression and response to therapy. The c-Met pathway has been shown to regulate many cellular processes such as cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. The c-Met pathway is involved in cross-talk, activation, and perpetuation of other signaling pathways, curbing the cogency of a blockade molecule on a single pathway. The receptor and its ligand act on several downstream effectors including phospholipase C gamma (PLCγ, cellular Src kinase (c-Src, phosphotidylinsitol-3-OH kinase (PI3K alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt, mitogen activate protein kinase (MAPK, and wingless-related integration site (Wnt pathways. They are also known to cross-talk with other receptors; namely epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR and specifically contribute to treatment resistance. Clinical trials targeting the c-Met axis in HNSCC have been undertaken because of significant preclinical work demonstrating a relationship between HGF/c-Met signaling and cancer cell survival. Here we focus on HGF/c-Met impact on cellular signaling in HNSCC to potentiate tumor growth and disrupt therapeutic efficacy. Herein we summarize the current understanding of HGF/c-Met signaling and its effects on HNSCC. The intertwining of c-Met signaling with other signaling pathways provides opportunities for more robust and specific therapies, leading to better clinical outcomes.

Multimodal signalling in estrildid finches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gomes, A. C. R.; Funghi, C.; Soma, M.

2017-01-01

Sexual traits (e.g. visual ornaments, acoustic signals, courtship behaviour) are often displayed together as multimodal signals. Some hypotheses predict joint evolution of different sexual signals (e.g. to increase the efficiency of communication) or that different signals trade off with each other...... (e.g. due to limited resources). Alternatively, multiple signals may evolve independently for different functions, or to communicate different information (multiple message hypothesis). We evaluated these hypotheses with a comparative study in the family Estrildidae, one of the largest songbird...... compromise, but generally courtship dance also evolved independently from other signals. Instead of correlated evolution, we found that song, dance and colour are each related to different socio-ecological traits. Song complexity evolved together with ecological generalism, song performance with investment...

Expression of WNT5A in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Its Control by TGF-β and WNT7B in Human Lung Fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Donna R; Sills, W Shane; Hanrahan, Katherine; Ziegler, Amanda; Tidd, Kathleen McGinnis; Cook, Elizabeth; Sannes, Philip L

2016-02-01

The wingless (Wnt) family of signaling ligands contributes significantly to lung development and is highly expressed in patients with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). We sought to define the cellular distribution of Wnt5A in the lung tissue of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the signaling ligands that control its expression in human lung fibroblasts and IPF myofibroblasts. Tissue sections from 40 patients diagnosed with IPF or UIP were probed for the immunolocalization of Wnt5A. Further, isolated lung fibroblasts from normal or IPF human lungs, adenovirally transduced for the overexpression or silencing of Wnt7B or treated with TGF-β1 or its inhibitor, were analyzed for Wnt5A protein expression. Wnt5A was expressed in IPF lungs by airway and alveolar epithelium, smooth muscle cells, endothelium, and myofibroblasts of fibroblastic foci and throughout the interstitium. Forced overexpression of Wnt7B with or without TGF-β1 treatment significantly increased Wnt5A protein expression in normal human smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts but not in IPF myofibroblasts where Wnt5A was already highly expressed. The results demonstrate a wide distribution of Wnt5A expression in cells of the IPF lung and reveal that it is significantly increased by Wnt7B and TGF-β1, which, in combination, could represent key signaling pathways that modulate the pathogenesis of IPF. © 2016 The Histochemical Society.

Experiment and practice on signal processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-11-01

The contents of this book contains basic practice of CEM Tool, discrete time signal and experiment and practice of system, experiment and practice of discrete time signal sampling, practice of frequency analysis, experiment of digital filter design, application of digital signal processing, project related voice, basic principle of signal processing, the technique of basic image signal processing, biology astronomy and Robot soccer with apply of image signal processing technique, control video signal and project related image. It also has an introduction of CEM Linker I. O in the end.

Experiment and practice on signal processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-11-15

The contents of this book contains basic practice of CEM Tool, discrete time signal and experiment and practice of system, experiment and practice of discrete time signal sampling, practice of frequency analysis, experiment of digital filter design, application of digital signal processing, project related voice, basic principle of signal processing, the technique of basic image signal processing, biology astronomy and Robot soccer with apply of image signal processing technique, control video signal and project related image. It also has an introduction of CEM Linker I. O in the end.

Combustion and Fuels in Gas Turbine Engines

Science.gov (United States)

1988-06-01

English and French) AGARD Advisory Report 150. Results of WG 09 (February 1980) Through Flow Calculations in Axial Turbomachines AGARD Advisory Report 175...Averaging Techniques in Non-Uniform Internal Flows AGARD Advisory Report 182 (in English and French). Results of WG 14 (June/August 1983) Producibility...A linear regression was used to develop an expression for the change in combustion efficiency relatice to Aoa. 1 an O4 a 0.t T, 0.0274 aTar f:a

Report of Working Group 22 on Iron Supply and its Impact on Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems in the North Pacific Ocean

OpenAIRE

2013-01-01

The Working Group on Iron Supply and its Impact on Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems in the North Pacific Ocean (WG 22) was established October 2007 under the direction of the Biological Oceanography Committee (BIO) and consisted of 20 members from all PICES member countries, including Co-Chairmen, Drs. Shigenobu Takeda (Japan) and Fei Chai (USA). The purpose of the Working Group was to examine the role of iron biogeochemistry and its impact on biological productivity and marine ecosystems. WG 2...

BATTLE (Biomarker-based Approaches of Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Elimination)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

increased  synthesis  of other angiogenic factors from tumor cells  (17). There is also evidence suggesting that commonly occurring  genetic alterations... synthesis  of cDNA, followed by  amplification and biotin labeling. Each of 1.5 μg of biotinylated cRNAs  was hybridized to both mouse WG-6v2 and human WG...anesthesia or monitored, moderate sedation. Patients’ skin was aseptically prepared and draped, and 1% lidocaine was ad- ministered subcutaneously

Childhood disability population-based surveillance: Assessment of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Edition and Washington Group on Disability Statistics/UNICEF module on child functioning in a rural setting in South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marieta Visser

2016-09-01

Conclusion: Since the WG/UNICEF module is quicker to administer, easier to understand and based on the ICF, it can be considered as an appropriate parent-reported measure for large-scale, population-based as well as smaller, community-specific contexts. It is, however, recommended that future research and development continues with the WG/UNICEF module to enhance its conceptual equivalence for larger-scale, population-based studies in South Africa and internationally.

HPLC-UV-ESI-MS analysis of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of Hypericum undulatum shoot cultures and wild-growing plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Rainha, Nuno; Koci, Kamila; Coelho, Ana Varela; Lima, Elisabete; Baptista, José; Fernandes-Ferreira, Manuel

2013-02-01

LC-UV and LC-MS analysis were used to study the phenolic composition of water extracts of Hypericum undulatum (HU) shoot cultures and wild-growing (WG) plants. Total phenolic content (TPC), determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay, and the antioxidant activity measured by two complementary methods were also performed for each sample. Mass spectrometry revealed several phenolics acids with quinic acid moieties, flavonols, mostly quercetin, luteolin and apigenin glycosides, flavan-3-ols (catechin and epicatechin) and the xanthonoid mangiferin. Differences in phenolic composition profile and TPC were found between the samples. The major phenolic in HU culture-growing (CG) samples is chlorogenic acid, followed by epicatechin, quercitrin and isoquercitrin. The WG plants presents hyperoside as the main phenolic, followed by isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid and quercetin. The TPC and antioxidant activity were higher in samples from WG plants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Signal anomaly detection and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgenstern, V.M.; Upadhyaya, B.R.; Gloeckler, O.

1988-08-01

As part of a comprehensive signal validation system, we have developed a signal anomaly detector, without specifically establishing the cause of the anomaly. A signal recorded from process instrumentation is said to have an anomaly, if during steady-state operation, the deviation in the level of the signal, its root-mean-square (RMS) value, or its statistical distribution changes by a preset value. This deviation could be an unacceptable increase or a decrease in the quantity being monitored. An anomaly in a signal may be characterized by wideband or single-frequency noise, bias error, pulse-type error, nonsymmetric behavior, or a change in the signal bandwidth. Various signatures can be easily computed from data samples and compared against specified threshold values. We want to point out that in real processes, pulses can appear with different time widths, and at different rates of change of the signal. Thus, in characterizing an anomaly as a pulse-type, the fastest pulse width is constrained by the signal sampling interval. For example, if a signal is sampled at 100 Hz, we will not be able to detect pulses occurring at kHz rates. Discussion with utility and Combustion Engineering personnel indicated that it is not practical to detect pulses having a narrow time width. 9 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs

Signals, processes, and systems an interactive multimedia introduction to signal processing

CERN Document Server

Karrenberg, Ulrich

2013-01-01

This is a very new concept for learning Signal Processing, not only from the physically-based scientific fundamentals, but also from the didactic perspective, based on modern results of brain research. The textbook together with the DVD form a learning system that provides investigative studies and enables the reader to interactively visualize even complex processes. The unique didactic concept is built on visualizing signals and processes on the one hand, and on graphical programming of signal processing systems on the other. The concept has been designed especially for microelectronics, computer technology and communication. The book allows to develop, modify, and optimize useful applications using DasyLab - a professional and globally supported software for metrology and control engineering. With the 3rd edition, the software is also suitable for 64 bit systems running on Windows 7. Real signals can be acquired, processed and played on the sound card of your computer. The book provides more than 200 pre-pr...

Leukocyte scintigraphy with 99mTc-exametazime-labeled leukocytes is not useful for follow-up of systemic vasculitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staudenherz, A.; Kletter, K.; Deicher, R.; Haas, M.; Hoerl, W.H.; Jilma, B.; Becherer, A.; Dudczak, R.

2002-01-01

Background: The prognosis of systemic vasculitis, for instance Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), was greatly improved by the introduction of immunosuppressive treatment. However, relapses are frequent and predictors are scarce. 111 In-leukocytes have been found to indicate unknown manifestations of WG and to predict later relapse. We prospectively investigated the value of 99m Tc-Exametazime ( 99m Tc-HMPAO)-labeled leukocytes with regard to specific patterns and for their usefulness in the follow-up of patients with WG. Methods: The vasculitis group consisted of 8 patients with WG and 2 with idiopathic necrotizing glomerulonephritis (ING). Seven patients with different inflammatory diseases served as controls. Leukocyte labeling with 99m Tc-HMPAO was done using a slightly modified Hammersmith protocol. Cell viability after labeling was verified in vivo by the exclusion of early lung and splenic uptake and in vitro by means of propidium iodide and FACS analysis. Static gamma camera images from the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis were obtained up to 18 hours after injection of approximately 300 MBq 99m Tc-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes. Scintigrams were analyzed visually; for semiquantitative analysis ROIs were drawn over the nasal region, the right lung, kidneys, and liver. Results: Increased nasal leukocyte accumulation was found in 7/8 patients with WG and in 2/2 patients with ING. Of 2 patients who had a relapse 6 months later, one presented with, and one without nasal uptake. The kidney/liver ratio was higher in controls (0.24 ± 0.07 vs. 0.37 ± 0.11, p 99m Tc-HMPAO leukocyte scintigraphy failed to indicate or exclude a later relapse and is therefore not suitable as a diagnostic tool in the management of patients with systemic vasculitis. (author)

Leukocyte scintigraphy with 99mTc-exametazime-labeled leukocytes is not useful for follow-up of systemic vasculitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becherer, A.; Dudczak, R.; Deicher, R.; Haas, M.; Hoerl, W.H.; Jilma, B.; Staudenherz, A.; Kletter, K.

2002-01-01

The prognosis of systemic vasculitis, for instance Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), was greatly improved by the introduction of immunosuppressive treatment. However, relapses are frequent and predictors are scarce. 111 In-leukocytes have been found to indicate unknown manifestations of WG and to predict later relapse. We prospectively investigated the value of 99m Tc-Exametazime ( 99m Tc-HMPAO)-labeled leukocytes with regard to specific patterns and for their usefulness in the follow-up of patients with WG. The vasculitis group consisted of 8 patients with WG and 2 with idiopathic necrotizing glomerulonephritis (ING). Seven patients with different inflammatory diseases served as controls. Leukocyte labeling with 99m Tc-HMPAO was done using a slightly modified Hammersmith protocol. Cell viability after labeling was verified in vivo by the exclusion of early lung and splenic uptake and in vitro by means of propidium iodide and FACS analysis. Static gamma camera images from the head, chest, abdomen, and pelvis were obtained up to 18 hours after injection of approximately 300 MBq 99m Tc-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes. Scintigrams were analyzed visually; for semiquantitative analysis ROls were drawn over the nasal region, the right lung, kidneys, and liver. Increased nasal leukocyte accumulation was found in 7/8 patients with WG and in 2/2 patients with ING. Of 2 patients who had a relapse 6 months later, one presented with, and one without nasal uptake. The kidney/liver ratio was higher in controls (0.24 ± 0.07 vs. 0.37 ± 0.11, p 99m Tc-HMPAO leukocyte scintigraphy failed to indicate or exclude a later relapse and is therefore not suitable as a diagnostic tool in the management of patients with systemic vasculitis. (author)

Comparison of optical quality after implantable collamer lens implantation and wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hong-Ting; Zhou, Zhou; Luo, Wu-Qiang; He, Wen-Jing; Agbedia, Owhofasa; Wang, Jiang-Xia; Huang, Jian-Zhong; Gao, Xin; Kong, Min; Li, Min; Li, Li

2018-01-01

To compare the optical quality after implantation of implantable collamer lens (ICL) and wavefront-guided laser in situ keratomileusis (WG-LASIK). The study included 40 eyes of 22 patients with myopia who accepted ICL implantation and 40 eyes of 20 patients with myopia who received WG-LASIK. Before surgery and three months after surgery, the objective scattering index (OSI), the values of modulation transfer function (MTF) cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, and the Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS) values (OVs) were accessed. The higher order aberrations (HOAs) data including coma, trefoil, spherical, 2 nd astigmatism and tetrafoil were also obtained. For patients with pupil size LASIK group, significant improvements in visual acuities were found postoperatively, with a significant reduction in spherical equivalent ( P LASIK group, the OSI significantly increased from 0.68±0.43 preoperatively to 0.91±0.53 postoperatively (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, P =0.000). None of the mean MTF cutoff frequency, Strehl ratio, OVs showed statistically significant changes in both ICL and WG-LASIK groups. In the ICL group, there were no statistical differences in the total HOAs for either 4 mm-pupil or 6 mm-pupil. In the WG-LASIK group, the HOA parameters increased significantly at 4 mm-pupil. The total ocular HOAs, coma, spherical and 2 nd astigmatism were 0.12±0.06, 0.06±0.03, 0.00±0.03, 0.02±0.01, respectively. After the operation, these values were increased into 0.16±0.07, 0.08±0.05, -0.04±0.04, 0.03±0.01 respectively (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, all P LASIK group. ICL implantation has a less disturbance to optical quality than WG-LASIK. The OQAS is a valuable complementary measurement to the wavefront aberrometers in evaluating the optical quality.

The CANDU-PHW generating system waste arisings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.R.

1979-03-01

In this report, the volume of material and level of contained radioactive nuclides are tabulated for wastes arising from four fuel cycles which might be operated in CANDU-PHW (CANada Deuterium Uranium - Pressurized Heavy Water) reactors. The data presented, based on Canadian experience and/or studies, cover the range of conditioned waste volumes which could be expected from steady-state (no growth), CANDU-PHW-powered electrical generating systems. The wastes arising from operation and decommissioning of facilities in each phase of each fuel cycle are estimated. Each fuel cycle is considered to operate in isolation with the data given in terms of quantities per gigawatt-year of electricity produced. Three of the fuel cycles for which data are presented, the natural uranium once-through cycle, the plutonium-enriched uranium cycle (plutonium recycle) and the low-burnup uranium-enriched thorium cycle (thorium and uranium recycle), were studied by INFCE WG.7 (the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation, Working Group 7) as fuel cycles 4, 5 and 6. The high-burnup uranium-enriched thorium cycle is included for comparison. INFCE WG.7 selected many common reference parameters which are applied uniformly to all seven INFCE WG.7 reference fuel cycles in determining waste arisings. Where these parameters differ from the data of Canadian origin given in the body of this report, the INFCE WG.7 data are given in an appendix. The waste management costs associated with operation of each INFCE WG.7 reference fuel cycle were calculated and compared by the working group. An arbitrary set of costing parameters and disposal technologies was selected by the working group for application to each of the reference fuel cycles. The waste management and disposal costs for the PHW reactor fuel cycles based on these arbitrary cost parameters are given in an appendix. (author)

An Assessment of Different Genomic Approaches for Inferring Phylogeny of Listeria monocytogenes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clémentine Henri

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background/objectives: Whole genome sequencing (WGS has proven to be a powerful subtyping tool for foodborne pathogenic bacteria like L. monocytogenes. The interests of genome-scale analysis for national surveillance, outbreak detection or source tracking has been largely documented. The genomic data however can be exploited with many different bioinformatics methods like single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, core-genome multi locus sequence typing (cgMLST, whole-genome multi locus sequence typing (wgMLST or multi locus predicted protein sequence typing (MLPPST on either core-genome (cgMLPPST or pan-genome (wgMLPPST. Currently, there are little comparisons studies of these different analytical approaches. Our objective was to assess and compare different genomic methods that can be implemented in order to cluster isolates of L. monocytogenes.Methods: The clustering methods were evaluated on a collection of 207 L. monocytogenes genomes of food origin representative of the genetic diversity of the Anses collection. The trees were then compared using robust statistical analyses.Results: The backward comparability between conventional typing methods and genomic methods revealed a near-perfect concordance. The importance of selecting a proper reference when calling SNPs was highlighted, although distances between strains remained identical. The analysis also revealed that the topology of the phylogenetic trees between wgMLST and cgMLST were remarkably similar. The comparison between SNP and cgMLST or SNP and wgMLST approaches showed that the topologies of phylogenic trees were statistically similar with an almost equivalent clustering.Conclusion: Our study revealed high concordance between wgMLST, cgMLST, and SNP approaches which are all suitable for typing of L. monocytogenes. The comparable clustering is an important observation considering that the two approaches have been variously implemented among reference laboratories.

Sexual signalling in female crested macaques and the evolution of primate fertility signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Higham, James P; Heistermann, Michael; Saggau, Carina; Agil, Muhammad; Perwitasari-Farajallah, Dyah; Engelhardt, Antje

2012-06-18

Female signals of fertility have evolved in diverse taxa. Among the most interesting study systems are those of multimale multifemale group-living primates, where females signal fertility to males through multiple signals, and in which there is substantial inter-specific variation in the composition and reliability of such signals. Among the macaques, some species display reliable behavioural and/or anogenital signals while others do not. One cause of this variation may be differences in male competitive regimes: some species show marked sexual dimorphism and reproductive skew, with males fighting for dominance, while others show low dimorphism and skew, with males queuing for dominance. As such, there is variation in the extent to which rank is a reliable proxy for male competitiveness, which may affect the extent to which it is in females' interest to signal ovulation reliably. However, data on ovulatory signals are absent from species at one end of the macaque continuum, where selection has led to high sexual dimorphism and male reproductive skew. Here we present data from 31 cycles of 19 wild female crested macaques, a highly sexually dimorphic species with strong mating skew. We collected measures of ovarian hormone data from faeces, sexual swelling size from digital images, and male and female behaviour. We show that both sexual swelling size and female proceptivity are graded-signals, but relatively reliable indicators of ovulation, with swelling size largest and female proceptive behaviours most frequent around ovulation. Sexual swelling size was also larger in conceptive cycles. Male mating behaviour was well timed to female ovulation, suggesting that males had accurate information about this. Though probabilistic, crested macaque ovulatory signals are relatively reliable. We argue that in species where males fight over dominance, male dominance rank is surrogate for competitiveness. Under these circumstances it is in the interest of females to increase

Sexual signalling in female crested macaques and the evolution of primate fertility signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Higham James P

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Female signals of fertility have evolved in diverse taxa. Among the most interesting study systems are those of multimale multifemale group-living primates, where females signal fertility to males through multiple signals, and in which there is substantial inter-specific variation in the composition and reliability of such signals. Among the macaques, some species display reliable behavioural and/or anogenital signals while others do not. One cause of this variation may be differences in male competitive regimes: some species show marked sexual dimorphism and reproductive skew, with males fighting for dominance, while others show low dimorphism and skew, with males queuing for dominance. As such, there is variation in the extent to which rank is a reliable proxy for male competitiveness, which may affect the extent to which it is in females’ interest to signal ovulation reliably. However, data on ovulatory signals are absent from species at one end of the macaque continuum, where selection has led to high sexual dimorphism and male reproductive skew. Here we present data from 31 cycles of 19 wild female crested macaques, a highly sexually dimorphic species with strong mating skew. We collected measures of ovarian hormone data from faeces, sexual swelling size from digital images, and male and female behaviour. Results We show that both sexual swelling size and female proceptivity are graded-signals, but relatively reliable indicators of ovulation, with swelling size largest and female proceptive behaviours most frequent around ovulation. Sexual swelling size was also larger in conceptive cycles. Male mating behaviour was well timed to female ovulation, suggesting that males had accurate information about this. Conclusion Though probabilistic, crested macaque ovulatory signals are relatively reliable. We argue that in species where males fight over dominance, male dominance rank is surrogate for competitiveness. Under these

Arachnid aloft: directed aerial descent in neotropical canopy spiders.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanoviak, Stephen P; Munk, Yonatan; Dudley, Robert

2015-09-06

The behaviour of directed aerial descent has been described for numerous taxa of wingless hexapods as they fall from the tropical rainforest canopy, but is not known in other terrestrial arthropods. Here, we describe similar controlled aerial behaviours for large arboreal spiders in the genus Selenops (Selenopidae). We dropped 59 such spiders from either canopy platforms or tree crowns in Panama and Peru; the majority (93%) directed their aerial trajectories towards and then landed upon nearby tree trunks. Following initial dorsoventral righting when necessary, falling spiders oriented themselves and then translated head-first towards targets; directional changes were correlated with bilaterally asymmetric motions of the anterolaterally extended forelegs. Aerial performance (i.e. the glide index) decreased with increasing body mass and wing loading, but not with projected surface area of the spider. Along with the occurrence of directed aerial descent in ants, jumping bristletails, and other wingless hexapods, this discovery of targeted gliding in selenopid spiders further indicates strong selective pressures against uncontrolled falls into the understory for arboreal taxa. © 2015 The Author(s).

Molecular and Cellular Signaling

CERN Document Server

Beckerman, Martin

2005-01-01

A small number of signaling pathways, no more than a dozen or so, form a control layer that is responsible for all signaling in and between cells of the human body. The signaling proteins belonging to the control layer determine what kinds of cells are made during development and how they function during adult life. Malfunctions in the proteins belonging to the control layer are responsible for a host of human diseases ranging from neurological disorders to cancers. Most drugs target components in the control layer, and difficulties in drug design are intimately related to the architecture of the control layer. Molecular and Cellular Signaling provides an introduction to molecular and cellular signaling in biological systems with an emphasis on the underlying physical principles. The text is aimed at upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and individuals in medicine and pharmacology interested in broadening their understanding of how cells regulate and coordinate their core activities and how diseases ...

VLSI signal processing technology

CERN Document Server

Swartzlander, Earl

1994-01-01

This book is the first in a set of forthcoming books focussed on state-of-the-art development in the VLSI Signal Processing area. It is a response to the tremendous research activities taking place in that field. These activities have been driven by two factors: the dramatic increase in demand for high speed signal processing, especially in consumer elec­ tronics, and the evolving microelectronic technologies. The available technology has always been one of the main factors in determining al­ gorithms, architectures, and design strategies to be followed. With every new technology, signal processing systems go through many changes in concepts, design methods, and implementation. The goal of this book is to introduce the reader to the main features of VLSI Signal Processing and the ongoing developments in this area. The focus of this book is on: • Current developments in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) pro­ cessors and architectures - several examples and case studies of existing DSP chips are discussed in...

Zinc Signals and Immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Maywald, Martina; Wessels, Inga; Rink, Lothar

2017-10-24

Zinc homeostasis is crucial for an adequate function of the immune system. Zinc deficiency as well as zinc excess result in severe disturbances in immune cell numbers and activities, which can result in increased susceptibility to infections and development of especially inflammatory diseases. This review focuses on the role of zinc in regulating intracellular signaling pathways in innate as well as adaptive immune cells. Main underlying molecular mechanisms and targets affected by altered zinc homeostasis, including kinases, caspases, phosphatases, and phosphodiesterases, will be highlighted in this article. In addition, the interplay of zinc homeostasis and the redox metabolism in affecting intracellular signaling will be emphasized. Key signaling pathways will be described in detail for the different cell types of the immune system. In this, effects of fast zinc flux, taking place within a few seconds to minutes will be distinguish from slower types of zinc signals, also designated as "zinc waves", and late homeostatic zinc signals regarding prolonged changes in intracellular zinc.

Cooperative ethylene receptor signaling

OpenAIRE

Liu, Qian; Wen, Chi-Kuang

2012-01-01

The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is perceived by a family of five ethylene receptor members in the dicotyledonous model plant Arabidopsis. Genetic and biochemical studies suggest that the ethylene response is suppressed by ethylene receptor complexes, but the biochemical nature of the receptor signal is unknown. Without appropriate biochemical measures to trace the ethylene receptor signal and quantify the signal strength, the biological significance of the modulation of ethylene responses ...

Regulator of G-protein signaling - 5 (RGS5 is a novel repressor of hedgehog signaling.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William M Mahoney

Full Text Available Hedgehog (Hh signaling plays fundamental roles in morphogenesis, tissue repair, and human disease. Initiation of Hh signaling is controlled by the interaction of two multipass membrane proteins, patched (Ptc and smoothened (Smo. Recent studies identify Smo as a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR-like protein that signals through large G-protein complexes which contain the Gαi subunit. We hypothesize Regulator of G-Protein Signaling (RGS proteins, and specifically RGS5, are endogenous repressors of Hh signaling via their ability to act as GTPase activating proteins (GAPs for GTP-bound Gαi, downstream of Smo. In support of this hypothesis, we demonstrate that RGS5 over-expression inhibits sonic hedgehog (Shh-mediated signaling and osteogenesis in C3H10T1/2 cells. Conversely, signaling is potentiated by siRNA-mediated knock-down of RGS5 expression, but not RGS4 expression. Furthermore, using immuohistochemical analysis and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP, we demonstrate that RGS5 is present with Smo in primary cilia. This organelle is required for canonical Hh signaling in mammalian cells, and RGS5 is found in a physical complex with Smo in these cells. We therefore conclude that RGS5 is an endogenous regulator of Hh-mediated signaling and that RGS proteins are potential targets for novel therapeutics in Hh-mediated diseases.

Studies on signal validation and sensor surveillance for in-core signals in NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciftcioglu, O.

1991-12-01

Signal validation and sensor failure detection are two essential tasks to be carried out continuously in an operating reactor. Towards this aim, an optimal filtering approach for in-core NPP signals is implemented. The method concerns the specific measured input signal information as a parameter state and they are estimated by means of Kalman filtering technique. The signal validation and sensor surveillance system comprise filters as many as the states being considered and each filter receives all the measured signals as inputs in such a way that each filter in hand is desensitized to one of the individual input signals relative to others. In case of no failure of sensors all the filter outputs are identical. Each sensor output is tested by means of corresponding estimate present at the output of that filter which is desensitized to the sensor being tested. The comparison test is carried out continuously in real-time and any significant deviation noted during the test process is identified to be a sensor failure together with the faulty sensor. The method is investigated by means of real plant data of the in-core neutron detectors and core-inlet and outlet thermocouples of the Borssele nuclear power plant. The method has proven to be effective for fast and reliable in-core sensor failure detection as well as for in-core signal validation in normal operation indicating its further effectiveness for model validation applications in nuclear power plants. (author). 17 refs.; 4 figs.; 1 tab

A high-resolution whole genome radiation hybrid map of human chromosome 17q22-q25.3 across the genes for GH and TK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foster, J.W.; Schafer, A.J.; Critcher, R. [Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)] [and others

1996-04-15

We have constructed a whole genome radiation hybrid (WG-RH) map across a region of human chromosome 17q, from growth hormone (GH) to thymidine kinase (TK). A panel of 128 WG-RH hybrid cell lines generated by X-irradiation and fusion has been tested for the retention of 39 sequence-tagged site (STS) markers by the polymerase chain reaction. This genome mapping technique has allowed the integration of existing VNTR and microsatellite markers with additional new markers and existing STS markers previously mapped to this region by other means. The WG-RH map includes eight expressed sequence tag (EST) and three anonymous markers developed for this study, together with 23 anonymous microsatellites and five existing ESTs. Analysis of these data resulted in a high-density comprehensive map across this region of the genome. A subset of these markers has been used to produce a framework map consisting of 20 loci ordered with odds greater than 1000:1. The markers are of sufficient density to build a YAC contig across this region based on marker content. We have developed sequence tags for both ends of a 2.1-Mb YAC and mapped these using the WG-RH panel, allowing a direct comparison of cRay{sub 6000} to physical distance. 31 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Strengths and Failure Characteristics of Self-Compacting Concrete Containing Recycled Waste Glass Aggregate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahman Khaleel AL-Bawi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of different proportions of green-colored waste glass (WG cullet on the mechanical and fracture properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC were experimentally investigated. Waste bottles were collected, washed, crushed, and sieved to prepare the cullet used in this study. Cullet was incorporated at different percentages (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% by weight instead of natural fine aggregate (NFA and/or natural coarse aggregate (NCA. Three SCC series were designed with a constant slump flow of 700±30 mm, total binder content of 570 kg/m3 and at water-to-binder (w/b ratio of 0.35. Moreover, fly ash (FA was used in concrete mixtures at 20% of total binder content. Mechanical aspects such as compressive, splitting tensile, and net flexural strengths and modulus of elasticity of SCC were investigated and experimentally computed at 28 days of age. Moreover, failure characteristics of the concretes were also monitored via three-point bending test on the notched beams. The findings revealed that the mechanical properties as well as fracture parameters were adversely influenced by incorporating of WG cullet. However, highest reduction of compressive strength did not exceed 43% recorded at 100% WG replacement level. Concretes containing WG showed less brittle behavior than reference concrete at any content.

Successful endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy in a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P Eloy

2009-11-01

Full Text Available P Eloy, E Leruth, B Bertrand, Ph RombauxENT and HNS department, Cliniques Universitaires de Mont-Godinne, Université Catholique de Louvain, 5530, Yvoir, BelgiumAbstract: Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG is one form of idiopathic autoimmune vasculitis. The disease has a predilection for the upper and lower respiratory tracts (lungs, nose, sinus, and kidneys. WG may be systemic, severe, and potentially lethal, but it may also be limited to the otolaryngological area or to the eyes and the orbits. Obstruction of the lacrimal pathway is a possible complication of the disease that affects approximately 7% of patients with WG. It usually occurs as a direct extension of sinonasal disease and typically is a late manifestation. Management of such a condition is generally viewed as difficult. We report the case of a patient with a quiescent WG limited to the otolaryngological area. This patient presented a bilateral obstruction of the nasolacrimal ducts caused by bilateral extensive adhesions in the nasal cavity. Because she had several episodes of left-side acute dacryocystitis which necessitated several courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics, she successfully underwent an endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy using a diode laser and powered instrumentation. The authors describe the clinical case, the surgical technique, and review the literature.Keywords: Wegener’s granulomatosis, recurrent dacryocystitis, endonasal DCR, diode, laser, powered instrumentation

Effects of impurities in biodiesel-derived glycerol on growth and expression of heavy metal ion homeostasis genes and gene products in Pseudomonas putida LS46.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jilagamazhi; Sharma, Parveen; Spicer, Vic; Krokhin, Oleg V; Zhang, Xiangli; Fristensky, Brian; Wilkins, John A; Cicek, Nazim; Sparling, Richard; Levin, David B

2015-07-01

Biodiesel production-derived waste glycerol (WG) was previously investigated as potential carbon source for medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production by Pseudomonas putida LS46. In this study, we evaluated the effect of impurities in the WG on P. putida LS46 physiology during exponential growth and corresponding changes in transcription and protein expression profiles compared with cells grown on pure, reagent grade glycerol. High concentration of metal ions, such as Na(+), and numbers of heavy metals ion, such as copper, ion, zinc, were detected in biodiesel-derived WG. Omics analysis from the corresponding cultures suggested altered expression of genes involved in transport and metabolism of ammonia and heavy metal ions. Expression of three groups of heavy metal homeostasis genes was significantly changed (mostly upregulated) in WG cultures and included the following: copper-responded cluster 1 and 2 genes, primarily containing cusABC; two copies of copAB and heavy metal translocating P-type ATPase; Fur-regulated, TonB-dependent siderophore receptor; and several cobalt/zinc/cadmium transporters. Expression of these genes suggests regulation of intracellular concentrations of heavy metals during growth on biodiesel-derived glycerol. Finally, a number of genes involved in adapting to, or metabolizing free fatty acids and other nonheavy metal contaminants, such as Na(+), were also upregulated in P. putida LS46 grown on biodiesel-derived glycerol.

Cellular signalling properties in microcircuits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toledo-Rodriguez, Maria; El Manira, Abdeljabbar; Wallén, Peter

2005-01-01

Molecules and cells are the signalling elements in microcircuits. Recent studies have uncovered bewildering diversity in postsynaptic signalling properties in all areas of the vertebrate nervous system. Major effort is now being invested in establishing the specialized signalling properties...

Ghost signals in Allison emittance scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockli, Martin P.; Leitner, M.; Moehs, D.P.; Keller, R.; Welton, R.F.

2004-01-01

For over 20 years, Allison scanners have been used to measure emittances of low-energy ion beams. We show that scanning large trajectory angles produces ghost signals caused by the sampled beamlet impacting on an electric deflection plate. The ghost signal strength is proportional to the amount of beam entering the scanner. Depending on the ions, and their velocity, the ghost signals can have the opposite or the same polarity as the main beam signals. The ghost signals cause significant errors in the emittance estimates because they appear at large trajectory angles. These ghost signals often go undetected because they partly overlap with the real signals, are mostly below the 1% level, and often hide in the noise. A simple deflection plate modification is shown to reduce the ghost signal strength by over 99%

Ghost Signals In Allison Emittance Scanners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stockli, Martin P.; Leitner, M.; Keller, R.; Moehs, D.P.; Welton, R. F.

2005-01-01

For over 20 years, Allison scanners have been used to measure emittances of low-energy ion beams. We show that scanning large trajectory angles produces ghost signals caused by the sampled beamlet impacting on an electric deflection plate. The ghost signal strength is proportional to the amount of beam entering the scanner. Depending on the ions, and their velocity, the ghost signals can have the opposite or the same polarity as the main beam signals. The ghost signals cause significant errors in the emittance estimates because they appear at large trajectory angles. These ghost signals often go undetected because they partly overlap with the real signals, are mostly below the 1% level, and often hide in the noise. A simple deflection plate modification is shown to reduce the ghost signal strength by over 99%

Signal recovery of the corrupted metal impact signal using the adaptive filtering in NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Dai Il; Shin, Won Ky; Oh, Sung Hun; Yun, Won Young

1995-01-01

Loose Part Monitoring System (LPMS) is one of the fundamental diagnostic tools installed in the nuclear power plants. In this paper, recovery process algorithm and model for the corrupted impact signal generated by loose parts is presented. The characteristics of this algorithm can obtain a proper burst signal even though background noise is considerably high level comparing with actual impact signal. To verify performance of the proposed algorithm, we evaluate mathematically signal-to-noise ratio of primary output and noise. The performance of this recovery process algorithm is shown through computer simulation

Limber pine seed and seedling planting experiment in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Cyndi M. Smith; Graeme Poll; Cameron Gillies; Celina Praymak; Eileen Miranda; Justin Hill

2011-01-01

Limber pine plays an important role in the harsh environments in which it lives, providing numerous ecological services, especially because its large, wingless seeds serve as a high energy food source for many animals. Limber pine populations are declining due to a combination of white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle, drought, and fire suppression. Outplanting...

Ultrahigh bandwidth signal processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oxenløwe, Leif Katsuo

2016-01-01

Optical time lenses have proven to be very versatile for advanced optical signal processing. Based on a controlled interplay between dispersion and phase-modulation by e.g. four-wave mixing, the processing is phase-preserving, an hence useful for all types of data signals including coherent multi......-level modulation founats. This has enabled processing of phase-modulated spectrally efficient data signals, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) signa In that case, a spectral telescope system was used, using two time lenses with different focal lengths (chirp rates), yielding a spectral...... regeneratio These operations require a broad bandwidth nonlinear platform, and novel photonic integrated nonlinear platform like aluminum gallium arsenide nano-waveguides used for 1.28 Tbaud optical signal processing will be described....

Electrical System Technology Working Group (WG) Report

Science.gov (United States)

Silverman, S.; Ford, F. E.

1984-01-01

The technology needs for space power systems (military, public, commercial) were assessed for the period 1995 to 2005 in the area of power management and distribution, components, circuits, subsystems, controls and autonomy, modeling and simulation. There was general agreement that the military requirements for pulse power would be the dominant factor in the growth of power systems. However, the growth of conventional power to the 100 to 250kw range would be in the public sector, with low Earth orbit needs being the driver toward large 100kw systems. An overall philosophy for large power system development is also described.

Integrated Krill Model WG-SAM-14/20

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The integrated modeling framework for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) has been extended to include estimates of krill growth consistent with survey data and to...

Wireless data signal transmission system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

The present invention relates to a method for providing a radio frequency signal for transmission, a system for providing a radio frequency signal for transmission and a method for wireless data transmission between a transmitter and a receiver.......The present invention relates to a method for providing a radio frequency signal for transmission, a system for providing a radio frequency signal for transmission and a method for wireless data transmission between a transmitter and a receiver....

Semi-classical signal analysis

KAUST Repository

Laleg-Kirati, Taous-Meriem

2012-09-30

This study introduces a new signal analysis method, based on a semi-classical approach. The main idea in this method is to interpret a pulse-shaped signal as a potential of a Schrödinger operator and then to use the discrete spectrum of this operator for the analysis of the signal. We present some numerical examples and the first results obtained with this method on the analysis of arterial blood pressure waveforms. © 2012 Springer-Verlag London Limited.

Low atmospheric pressure system for stunning broiler chickens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW); More, Simon; Bicout, Dominique

2017-01-01

on broiler chickens. The ad hoc Working Group (WG) set up by EFSA performed the assessment in three main steps, i.e. checking the data provided against the criteria laid down in the EFSA Guidance (EFSA AHAW Panel, 2013); running an extensive literature search, followed by data extraction and performing......, be suitable for depopulation, respecting the technical conditions defined in the present conclusions. The WG considers that a revision of the present version of the EFSA Guidance could be beneficial....

Intake of wholegrain products and risk of colorectal cancers in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort study

OpenAIRE

Egeberg, R; Olsen, A; Loft, S; Christensen, J; Johnsen, N F; Overvad, K; Tjønneland, A

2010-01-01

Background: Consumption of wholegrain (WG) products may protect against colon and rectal cancer. Methods: The associations between total and individual WG product consumption and colon and rectal cancer risk were prospectively examined using data on 461 incident cases of colon cancer and 283 incident cases of rectal cancer that developed during 10.6 years (median) of follow-up among 26 630 men and 29 189 women taking part in the Diet, Cancer and Health cohort. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of ...

Astrocyte Sodium Signalling and Panglial Spread of Sodium Signals in Brain White Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Moshrefi-Ravasdjani, Behrouz; Hammel, Evelyn L; Kafitz, Karl W; Rose, Christine R

2017-09-01

In brain grey matter, excitatory synaptic transmission activates glutamate uptake into astrocytes, inducing sodium signals which propagate into neighboring astrocytes through gap junctions. These sodium signals have been suggested to serve an important role in neuro-metabolic coupling. So far, it is unknown if astrocytes in white matter-that is in brain regions devoid of synapses-are also able to undergo such intra- and intercellular sodium signalling. In the present study, we have addressed this question by performing quantitative sodium imaging in acute tissue slices of mouse corpus callosum. Focal application of glutamate induced sodium transients in SR101-positive astrocytes. These were largely unaltered in the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptors blockers, but strongly dampened upon pharmacological inhibition of glutamate uptake. Sodium signals induced in individual astrocytes readily spread into neighboring SR101-positive cells with peak amplitudes decaying monoexponentially with distance from the stimulated cell. In addition, spread of sodium was largely unaltered during pharmacological inhibition of purinergic and glutamate receptors, indicating gap junction-mediated, passive diffusion of sodium between astrocytes. Using cell-type-specific, transgenic reporter mice, we found that sodium signals also propagated, albeit less effectively, from astrocytes to neighboring oligodendrocytes and NG2 cells. Again, panglial spread was unaltered with purinergic and glutamate receptors blocked. Taken together, our results demonstrate that activation of sodium-dependent glutamate transporters induces sodium signals in white matter astrocytes, which spread within the astrocyte syncytium. In addition, we found a panglial passage of sodium signals from astrocytes to NG2 cells and oligodendrocytes, indicating functional coupling between these macroglial cells in white matter.

Signaling equilibria in sensorimotor interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Leibfried, Felix; Grau-Moya, Jordi; Braun, Daniel A

2015-08-01

Although complex forms of communication like human language are often assumed to have evolved out of more simple forms of sensorimotor signaling, less attention has been devoted to investigate the latter. Here, we study communicative sensorimotor behavior of humans in a two-person joint motor task where each player controls one dimension of a planar motion. We designed this joint task as a game where one player (the sender) possesses private information about a hidden target the other player (the receiver) wants to know about, and where the sender's actions are costly signals that influence the receiver's control strategy. We developed a game-theoretic model within the framework of signaling games to investigate whether subjects' behavior could be adequately described by the corresponding equilibrium solutions. The model predicts both separating and pooling equilibria, in which signaling does and does not occur respectively. We observed both kinds of equilibria in subjects and found that, in line with model predictions, the propensity of signaling decreased with increasing signaling costs and decreasing uncertainty on the part of the receiver. Our study demonstrates that signaling games, which have previously been applied to economic decision-making and animal communication, provide a framework for human signaling behavior arising during sensorimotor interactions in continuous and dynamic environments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Redox signaling in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Foyer, Christine H; Noctor, Graham

2013-06-01

Our aim is to deliver an authoritative and challenging perspective of current concepts in plant redox signaling, focusing particularly on the complex interface between the redox and hormone-signaling pathways that allow precise control of plant growth and defense in response to metabolic triggers and environmental constraints and cues. Plants produce significant amounts of singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a result of photosynthetic electron transport and metabolism. Such pathways contribute to the compartment-specific redox-regulated signaling systems in plant cells that convey information to the nucleus to regulate gene expression. Like the chloroplasts and mitochondria, the apoplast-cell wall compartment makes a significant contribution to the redox signaling network, but unlike these organelles, the apoplast has a low antioxidant-buffering capacity. The respective roles of ROS, low-molecular antioxidants, redox-active proteins, and antioxidant enzymes are considered in relation to the functions of plant hormones such as salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and auxin, in the composite control of plant growth and defense. Regulation of redox gradients between key compartments in plant cells such as those across the plasma membrane facilitates flexible and multiple faceted opportunities for redox signaling that spans the intracellular and extracellular environments. In conclusion, plants are recognized as masters of the art of redox regulation that use oxidants and antioxidants as flexible integrators of signals from metabolism and the environment.

Signals and Systems in Biomedical Engineering Signal Processing and Physiological Systems Modeling

CERN Document Server

Devasahayam, Suresh R

2013-01-01

The use of digital signal processing is ubiquitous in the field of physiology and biomedical engineering. The application of such mathematical and computational tools requires a formal or explicit understanding of physiology. Formal models and analytical techniques are interlinked in physiology as in any other field. This book takes a unitary approach to physiological systems, beginning with signal measurement and acquisition, followed by signal processing, linear systems modelling, and computer simulations. The signal processing techniques range across filtering, spectral analysis and wavelet analysis. Emphasis is placed on fundamental understanding of the concepts as well as solving numerical problems. Graphs and analogies are used extensively to supplement the mathematics. Detailed models of nerve and muscle at the cellular and systemic levels provide examples for the mathematical methods and computer simulations. Several of the models are sufficiently sophisticated to be of value in understanding real wor...

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling interacts differentially with Ihh signaling in controlling endochondral bone and synovial joint formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mak, Kingston Kinglun; Chen, Miao-Hsueh; Day, Timothy F; Chuang, Pao-Tien; Yang, Yingzi

2006-09-01

Both the Wnt/beta-catenin and Ihh signaling pathways play essential roles in crucial aspects of endochondral ossification: osteoblast differentiation, chondrocyte proliferation and hypertrophy. To understand the genetic interaction between these two signaling pathways, we have inactivated the beta-catenin gene and upregulated Ihh signaling simultaneously in the same cells during endochondral skeletal development using beta-catenin and patched 1 floxed alleles. We uncovered previously unexpected roles of Ihh signaling in synovial joint formation and the essential function of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in regulating chondrocyte survival. More importantly, we found that Wnt and Ihh signaling interact with each other in distinct ways to control osteoblast differentiation, chondrocyte proliferation, hypertrophy, survival and synovial joint formation in the developing endochondral bone. Beta-catenin is required downstream of Ihh signaling and osterix expression for osteoblast differentiation. But in chondrocyte survival, beta-catenin is required upstream of Ihh signaling to inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis. In addition, Ihh signaling can inhibit chondrocyte hypertrophy and synovial joint formation independently of beta-catenin. However, there is a strong synergistic interaction between Wnt/beta-catenin and Ihh signaling in regulating synovial joint formation.

Suppurative dacroadenitis causing ocular sicca syndrome in classic Wegener′s granulomatosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khanna Dhanita

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Wegener′s granulomatosis (WG is a multisystem vasculitic disorder which can commonly afflict various components of the eye. Here we describe some unusual ocular manifestations of the disease in one patient. A young male with history of upper respiratory tract symptoms including epistaxis, nasal stuffiness and maxillary sinus pain presented with bilateral lacrimal gland abscess and ptosis. Lacrimal gland biopsy revealed granulomatous vasculitis. Lung cavities, positive cytoplasmic-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and high titers of serine proteinase-3 antibodies confirmed the diagnosis of WG. The patient developed dry eyes after a month of first presentation. There was no dryness of mouth, suggesting the absence of salivary gland involvement, and antinuclear antibodies as well as antibodies against Ro and La antigens classical of primary Sjogren′s syndrome were absent. Granulomatous vasculitis of lacrimal gland leading to abscess formation and dryness of eyes has not been described in WG and reflects the aggressive nature of inflammatory process in this disease.

Power system technical performance issues related to the application of long HVAC cables

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wiechowski, on behalf of Cigre WG C4.502, W.; Sluis, L. V. der; Ohno, Teruo

2011-01-01

This paper reports the progress of work of Cigre Working Group C4.502 “Power system technical performance issues related to the application of long HVAC cables”. The primary goal of the WG C4.502 is to write a technical brochure that will serve as practical guide for performing studies necessary...... for assessing the technical performance of HV/EHV systems with large share of AC cable lines. This paper besides providing a background for formulation of WG C4.502 and its overall aim, describes the tasks that were accomplished before the interim report was submitted to Study Committee C4 System Technical...... Performance in August 2010. The work in the WG is ongoing and final report will be ready according to the time schedule in 2012. The focus of this paper is in particular to show all issues related to system technical performance with assigned weights in terms of their importance and/or uniqueness for cable...

Friendly network robotics; Friendly network robotics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

A working group (WG) study was conducted aiming at realizing human type robots. The following six working groups in the basement field were organized to study in terms mostly of items of technical development and final technical targets: platform, and remote attendance control in the basement field, maintenance of plant, etc., home service, disaster/construction, and entertainment in the application field. In the platform WG, a robot of human like form is planning which walks with two legs and works with two arms, and the following were discussed: a length of 160cm, weight of 110kg, built-in LAN, actuator specifications, modulated structure, intelligent driver, etc. In the remote attendance control WG, remote control using working function, stabilized movement, stabilized control, and network is made possible. Studied were made on the decision on a remote control cockpit by open architecture added with function and reformable, problems on the development of the standard language, etc. 77 ref., 82 figs., 21 tabs.

Zufällige Signale

Science.gov (United States)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Die hier betrachteten Signale werden auch als stochastische Signale bezeichnet. Sie sind zufällig, d. h. ihr Augenblickswert ist nicht vorhersagbar. Abb. 118.1 zeigt eine Unterteilung nach den Signaleigenschaften. Über die nichtstationären Signale lässt sich keinerlei Aussage machen, und sie werden hier deshalb auch nicht weiter betrachtet. Für die stationären Signale gilt, dass ihr Momentanwert zwar auch nicht vorhergesagt werden kann, dass sie aber trotzdem gewisse auswertbare Eigenschaften besitzen, die allerdings statistischer Art sind und deshalb nur mit den Gesetzen der Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie erfasst werden können. Zwar sind - theoretisch - für die Anwendung der Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie unendlich viele Probenwerte zu nehmen, in der Praxis hat sich aber gezeigt, dass man auch mit einer endlichen Anzahl dem gesuchten Wert schon ausreichend nahe kommen kann.

Signalling crosstalk in plants: emerging issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Jane E; McAinsh, Martin R

2004-01-01

The Oxford English Dictionary defines crosstalk as 'unwanted transfer of signals between communication channels'. How does this definition relate to the way in which we view the organization and function of signalling pathways? Recent advances in the field of plant signalling have challenged the traditional view of a signalling transduction cascade as isolated linear pathways. Instead the picture emerging of the mechanisms by which plants transduce environmental signals is of the interaction between transduction chains. The manner in which these interactions occur (and indeed whether the transfer of these signals is 'unwanted' or beneficial) is currently the topic of intense research.

Thermal resonance in signal transmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reigada, Ramon; Sarmiento, Antonio; Lindenberg, Katja

2001-01-01

We use temperature tuning to control signal propagation in simple one-dimensional arrays of masses connected by hard anharmonic springs and with no local potentials. In our numerical model a sustained signal is applied at one site of a chain immersed in a thermal environment and the signal-to-noise ratio is measured at each oscillator. We show that raising the temperature can lead to enhanced signal propagation along the chain, resulting in thermal resonance effects akin to the resonance observed in arrays of bistable systems

Thermal resonance in signal transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reigada, Ramon; Sarmiento, Antonio; Lindenberg, Katja

2001-06-01

We use temperature tuning to control signal propagation in simple one-dimensional arrays of masses connected by hard anharmonic springs and with no local potentials. In our numerical model a sustained signal is applied at one site of a chain immersed in a thermal environment and the signal-to-noise ratio is measured at each oscillator. We show that raising the temperature can lead to enhanced signal propagation along the chain, resulting in thermal resonance effects akin to the resonance observed in arrays of bistable systems.

Aberrant Signaling Pathways in Glioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakada, Mitsutoshi; Kita, Daisuke; Watanabe, Takuya; Hayashi, Yutaka; Teng, Lei; Pyko, Ilya V.; Hamada, Jun-Ichiro

2011-01-01

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a WHO grade IV malignant glioma, is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults; few treatments are available. Median survival rates range from 12–15 months. The biological characteristics of this tumor are exemplified by prominent proliferation, active invasiveness, and rich angiogenesis. This is mainly due to highly deregulated signaling pathways in the tumor. Studies of these signaling pathways have greatly increased our understanding of the biology and clinical behavior of GBM. An integrated view of signal transduction will provide a more useful approach in designing novel therapies for this devastating disease. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of GBM signaling pathways with a focus on potential molecular targets for anti-signaling molecular therapies

Predicting Secretory Proteins with SignalP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Henrik

2017-01-01

SignalP is the currently most widely used program for prediction of signal peptides from amino acid sequences. Proteins with signal peptides are targeted to the secretory pathway, but are not necessarily secreted. After a brief introduction to the biology of signal peptides and the history...

Signals and systems laboratory with Matlab

CERN Document Server

Palamides, Alex

2010-01-01

Introduction to MATLAB®Working EnvironmentGetting StartedMemory ManagementVectorsMatricesPlotting with MATLABComplex NumbersM-FilesInput-Output CommandsFile ManagementLogical-Relational OperatorsControl FlowSymbolic VariablesPolynomials(Pseudo)Random NumbersSignalsCategorization by the Variable TypeBasic Continuous-Time SignalsDiscrete-Time SignalsProperties of SignalsTransformations of the Time Variable for Continuous-Time SignalsTransformations of the Time Variable for Discrete-Time SignalsSystemsSystems ClassificationProperties of SystemsTime Domain System AnalysisImpulse ResponseContinuous Time Convolution Convolution PropertiesInterconnections of SystemsStabilityDiscrete-Time ConvolutionSystems Described by Difference EquationsFiltersStability Criterion for Discrete-Time SystemsSystems Described by Differential EquationsStep Response of a SystemFourier SeriesOrthogonality of Complex Exponential SignalsComplex Exponential Fourier SeriesTrigonometric Fourier SeriesFourier Series in the Cosine with Phase F...

Guard Cell Signal Transduction Network: Advances in Understanding Abscisic Acid, CO2, and Ca2+ Signaling

KAUST Repository

Kim, Tae-Houn

2010-05-04

Stomatal pores are formed by pairs of specialized epidermal guard cells and serve as major gateways for both CO2 influx into plants from the atmosphere and transpirational water loss of plants. Because they regulate stomatal pore apertures via integration of both endogenous hormonal stimuli and environmental signals, guard cells have been highly developed as a model system to dissect the dynamics and mechanisms of plant-cell signaling. The stress hormone ABA and elevated levels of CO2 activate complex signaling pathways in guard cells that are mediated by kinases/phosphatases, secondary messengers, and ion channel regulation. Recent research in guard cells has led to a new hypothesis for how plants achieve specificity in intracellular calcium signaling: CO2 and ABA enhance (prime) the calcium sensitivity of downstream calcium-signaling mechanisms. Recent progress in identification of early stomatal signaling components are reviewed here, including ABA receptors and CO2-binding response proteins, as well as systems approaches that advance our understanding of guard cell-signaling mechanisms.

Guard Cell Signal Transduction Network: Advances in Understanding Abscisic Acid, CO2, and Ca2+ Signaling

KAUST Repository

Kim, Tae-Houn; Bö hmer, Maik; Hu, Honghong; Nishimura, Noriyuki; Schroeder, Julian I.

2010-01-01

Stomatal pores are formed by pairs of specialized epidermal guard cells and serve as major gateways for both CO2 influx into plants from the atmosphere and transpirational water loss of plants. Because they regulate stomatal pore apertures via integration of both endogenous hormonal stimuli and environmental signals, guard cells have been highly developed as a model system to dissect the dynamics and mechanisms of plant-cell signaling. The stress hormone ABA and elevated levels of CO2 activate complex signaling pathways in guard cells that are mediated by kinases/phosphatases, secondary messengers, and ion channel regulation. Recent research in guard cells has led to a new hypothesis for how plants achieve specificity in intracellular calcium signaling: CO2 and ABA enhance (prime) the calcium sensitivity of downstream calcium-signaling mechanisms. Recent progress in identification of early stomatal signaling components are reviewed here, including ABA receptors and CO2-binding response proteins, as well as systems approaches that advance our understanding of guard cell-signaling mechanisms.

Generation and coherent detection of QPSK signal using a novel method of digital signal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yuan; Hu, Bingliang; He, Zhen-An; Xie, Wenjia; Gao, Xiaohui

2018-02-01

We demonstrate an optical quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signal transmitter and an optical receiver for demodulating optical QPSK signal with homodyne detection and digital signal processing (DSP). DSP on the homodyne detection scheme is employed without locking the phase of the local oscillator (LO). In this paper, we present an extracting one-dimensional array of down-sampling method for reducing unwanted samples of constellation diagram measurement. Such a novel scheme embodies the following major advantages over the other conventional optical QPSK signal detection methods. First, this homodyne detection scheme does not need strict requirement on LO in comparison with linear optical sampling, such as having a flat spectral density and phase over the spectral support of the source under test. Second, the LabVIEW software is directly used for recovering the QPSK signal constellation without employing complex DSP circuit. Third, this scheme is applicable to multilevel modulation formats such as M-ary PSK and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or higher speed signals by making minor changes.

On-line signal trend identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambouratzis, T.; Antonopoulos-Domis, M.

2004-01-01

An artificial neural network, based on the self-organizing map, is proposed for on-line signal trend identification. Trends are categorized at each incoming signal as steady-state, increasing and decreasing, while they are further classified according to characteristics such signal shape and rate of change. Tests with model-generated signals illustrate the ability of the self-organizing map to accurately and reliably perform on-line trend identification in terms of both detection and classification. The proposed methodology has been found robust to the presence of white noise

Signal generation in gas detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stillman, A.

1993-01-01

This tutorial describes the generation of electrical signals in gas detectors. Ionization of the gas by the passage of charged particles generates these signals. Starting with the Bethe-Bloch equation, the treatment is a general introduction to the production of ion-pairs in gas devices. I continue with the characterization of the ionization as an electrical signal, and calculate the signal current in a simple example. Another example demonstrates the effect of space charge on the design of a detector. The AGS Booster ionization profile monitor is a model for this calculation

Foundations of signal processing

CERN Document Server

Vetterli, Martin; Goyal, Vivek K

2014-01-01

This comprehensive and engaging textbook introduces the basic principles and techniques of signal processing, from the fundamental ideas of signals and systems theory to real-world applications. Students are introduced to the powerful foundations of modern signal processing, including the basic geometry of Hilbert space, the mathematics of Fourier transforms, and essentials of sampling, interpolation, approximation and compression. The authors discuss real-world issues and hurdles to using these tools, and ways of adapting them to overcome problems of finiteness and localisation, the limitations of uncertainty and computational costs. Standard engineering notation is used throughout, making mathematical examples easy for students to follow, understand and apply. It includes over 150 homework problems and over 180 worked examples, specifically designed to test and expand students' understanding of the fundamentals of signal processing, and is accompanied by extensive online materials designed to aid learning, ...

Signal-to-Signal Ratio Independent Speaker Identification for Co-channel Speech Signals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saeidi, Rahim; Mowlaee, Pejman; Kinnunen, Tomi

2010-01-01

In this paper, we consider speaker identification for the co-channel scenario in which speech mixture from speakers is recorded by one microphone only. The goal is to identify both of the speakers from their mixed signal. High recognition accuracies have already been reported when an accurately...

Properties of light induced EPR signals in enamel and their possible interference with gamma-induced signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sholom, S.V.; Chumak, V.V.; Haskell, E.H.; Hayes, R.B.; Kenner, G.H.

1998-01-01

Exposure of tooth enamel to natural and artificial UV light results in stable EPR signals with g-factors of 1.9985, 2.0018, 2.0045, 2.0052 and 2.0110. The first three signals correspond to the parallel and perpendicular components of the radiation induced or dosimetric signal and the native signal reported in dosimetry and dating studies. The latter two signals were found to be sensitive to both gamma-ray and sunlight exposure, however, their responses to light differed from that to radiation, giving rise to the possibility of using them as indicators of the dose-equivalent resulting from light exposure

Canonical Wnt signaling in diabetic retinopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qian; Ma, Jian-Xing

2017-10-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common eye complication of diabetes, and the pathogenic mechanism of DR is still under investigation. The canonical Wnt signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that plays fundamental roles in embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Wnt signaling regulates expression of multiple genes that control retinal development and eye organogenesis, and dysregulated Wnt signaling plays pathophysiological roles in many ocular diseases, including DR. This review highlights recent progress in studies of Wnt signaling in DR. We discuss Wnt signaling regulation in the retina and dysregulation of Wnt signaling associated with ocular diseases with an emphasis on DR. We also discuss the therapeutic potential of modulating Wnt signaling in DR. Continued studies in this field will advance our current understanding on DR and contribute to the development of new treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metabolites in vertebrate Hedgehog signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberg-Larsen, Hanne; Strand, Martin Frank; Krauss, Stefan; Wilson, Steven Ray

2014-04-11

The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical in embryonic development, stem cell biology, tissue homeostasis, chemoattraction and synapse formation. Irregular HH signaling is associated with a number of disease conditions including congenital disorders and cancer. In particular, deregulation of HH signaling has been linked to skin, brain, lung, colon and pancreatic cancers. Key mediators of the HH signaling pathway are the 12-pass membrane protein Patched (PTC), the 7-pass membrane protein Smoothened (SMO) and the GLI transcription factors. PTC shares homology with the RND family of small-molecule transporters and it has been proposed that it interferes with SMO through metabolites. Although a conclusive picture is lacking, substantial efforts are made to identify and understand natural metabolites/sterols, including cholesterol, vitamin D3, oxysterols and glucocorticoides, that may be affected by, or influence the HH signaling cascade at the level of PTC and SMO. In this review we will elaborate the role of metabolites in HH signaling with a focus on oxysterols, and discuss advancements in modern analytical approaches in the field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insulin Signaling and Heart Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Riehle, Christian; Abel, E. Dale

2016-01-01

Heart failure is associated with generalized insulin resistance. Moreover, insulin resistant states such as type 2 diabetes and obesity increases the risk of heart failure even after adjusting for traditional risk factors. Insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes alters the systemic and neurohumoral milieu leading to changes in metabolism and signaling pathways in the heart that may contribute to myocardial dysfunction. In addition, changes in insulin signaling within cardiomyocytes develop in the failing heart. The changes range from activation of proximal insulin signaling pathways that may contribute to adverse left ventricular remodeling and mitochondrial dysfunction to repression of distal elements of insulin signaling pathways such as forkhead (FOXO) transcriptional signaling or glucose transport which may also impair cardiac metabolism, structure and function. This article will review the complexities of insulin signaling within the myocardium and ways in which these pathways are altered in heart failure or in conditions associated with generalized insulin resistance. The implications of these changes for therapeutic approaches to treating or preventing heart failure will be discussed. PMID:27034277

Generalidades de la señalización molecular durante el desarrollo embrionario: El caso del Sonic Hedgehog

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Arias

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Histogenesis and organogenesis of the vertebrates –including humans– involves the interaction of an epithelium (derived from the ectoderm and endoderm and the underlying mesenchyme (derived from the intraembryonic mesoderm. This interaction is regulated by a paracrine signaling network that includes several ligands and their respective receptors, in addition to a series of transcription factors that control the whole system. Among these factors are fibroblast growth factors (Fgf, Hedgehog family (Hh, Wingless family (Wnt and beta-fibroblast growth factor superfamily (Tgf-β, which act to organize the morphogenetic pattern of a tissue, an organ, an apparatus and a morphofunctional system. One of the most studied factors is Sonic hedgehog (Shh, which is essential for regulating the formation of morphogenetic fields in specific places of the embryo’s body schema through cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and cell survival processes –in development or in the adult–. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to describe the role of Shh in the embryonic development of the neural tube, the limbs and the teeth.

Neurotransmitter signaling in white matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Butt, Arthur M; Fern, Robert F; Matute, Carlos

2014-11-01

White matter (WM) tracts are bundles of myelinated axons that provide for rapid communication throughout the CNS and integration in grey matter (GM). The main cells in myelinated tracts are oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, with small populations of microglia and oligodendrocyte precursor cells. The prominence of neurotransmitter signaling in WM, which largely exclude neuronal cell bodies, indicates it must have physiological functions other than neuron-to-neuron communication. A surprising aspect is the diversity of neurotransmitter signaling in WM, with evidence for glutamatergic, purinergic (ATP and adenosine), GABAergic, glycinergic, adrenergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling, acting via a wide range of ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Both axons and glia are potential sources of neurotransmitters and may express the respective receptors. The physiological functions of neurotransmitter signaling in WM are subject to debate, but glutamate and ATP-mediated signaling have been shown to evoke Ca(2+) signals in glia and modulate axonal conduction. Experimental findings support a model of neurotransmitters being released from axons during action potential propagation acting on glial receptors to regulate the homeostatic functions of astrocytes and myelination by oligodendrocytes. Astrocytes also release neurotransmitters, which act on axonal receptors to strengthen action potential propagation, maintaining signaling along potentially long axon tracts. The co-existence of multiple neurotransmitters in WM tracts suggests they may have diverse functions that are important for information processing. Furthermore, the neurotransmitter signaling phenomena described in WM most likely apply to myelinated axons of the cerebral cortex and GM areas, where they are doubtless important for higher cognitive function. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intracellular signal modulation by nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Salik; Garantziotis, Stavros; Rodrigues-Lima, Fernando; Dupret, Jean-Marie; Baeza-Squiban, Armelle; Boland, Sonja

2014-01-01

A thorough understanding of the interactions of nanomaterials with biological systems and the resulting activation of signal transduction pathways is essential for the development of safe and consumer friendly nanotechnology. Here we present an overview of signaling pathways induced by nanomaterial exposures and describe the possible correlation of their physicochemical characteristics with biological outcomes. In addition to the hierarchical oxidative stress model and a review of the intrinsic and cell-mediated mechanisms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating capacities of nanomaterials, we also discuss other oxidative stress dependent and independent cellular signaling pathways. Induction of the inflammasome, calcium signaling, and endoplasmic reticulum stress are reviewed. Furthermore, the uptake mechanisms can be of crucial importance for the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials and membrane-dependent signaling pathways have also been shown to be responsible for cellular effects of nanomaterials. Epigenetic regulation by nanomaterials, effects of nanoparticle-protein interactions on cell signaling pathways, and the induction of various cell death modalities by nanomaterials are described. We describe the common trigger mechanisms shared by various nanomaterials to induce cell death pathways and describe the interplay of different modalities in orchestrating the final outcome after nanomaterial exposures. A better understanding of signal modulations induced by nanomaterials is not only essential for the synthesis and design of safer nanomaterials but will also help to discover potential nanomedical applications of these materials. Several biomedical applications based on the different signaling pathways induced by nanomaterials are already proposed and will certainly gain a great deal of attraction in the near future.

Signal Processing and Neural Network Simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Tebbe, Dennis L.; Billhartz, Thomas J.; Doner, John R.; Kraft, Timothy T.

1995-04-01

The signal processing and neural network simulator (SPANNS) is a digital signal processing simulator with the capability to invoke neural networks into signal processing chains. This is a generic tool which will greatly facilitate the design and simulation of systems with embedded neural networks. The SPANNS is based on the Signal Processing WorkSystemTM (SPWTM), a commercial-off-the-shelf signal processing simulator. SPW provides a block diagram approach to constructing signal processing simulations. Neural network paradigms implemented in the SPANNS include Backpropagation, Kohonen Feature Map, Outstar, Fully Recurrent, Adaptive Resonance Theory 1, 2, & 3, and Brain State in a Box. The SPANNS was developed by integrating SAIC's Industrial Strength Neural Networks (ISNN) Software into SPW.

Blind I/Q Signal Separation-Based Solutions for Receiver Signal Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Visa Koivunen

2005-09-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces some novel digital signal processing (DSP-based approaches to some of the most fundamental tasks of radio receivers, namely, channel equalization, carrier synchronization, and I/Q mismatch compensation. The leading principle is to show that all these problems can be solved blindly (i.e., without training signals by forcing the I and Q components of the observed data as independent as possible. Blind signal separation (BSS is then introduced as an efficient tool to carry out these tasks, and simulation examples are used to illustrate the performance of the proposed approaches. The main application area of the presented carrier synchronization and I/Q mismatch compensation techniques is in direct-conversion type receivers, while the proposed channel equalization principles basically apply to any radio architecture.

Multiresolution signal decomposition schemes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Goutsias (John); H.J.A.M. Heijmans (Henk)

1998-01-01

textabstract[PNA-R9810] Interest in multiresolution techniques for signal processing and analysis is increasing steadily. An important instance of such a technique is the so-called pyramid decomposition scheme. This report proposes a general axiomatic pyramid decomposition scheme for signal analysis

Semi-classical signal analysis